Leonius Decimi Regulus didn't have to have his eyes open under his visor, even for visual spectrum observation, and the visual spectrum was the least interesting thing about watching the slowly expanding sphere of blue-black energy, and the floating knife-like form floating within its translucent boundary, held within the containment rig he had constructed.
The results, from outside and inside the sphere, were everything the scientist-turned-fake-student could have asked for, but a quick check of his suit's chronometers told him how much time he had spent reaching this point.
Gaia, he transmitted over his headware,
please get dressed and awaken Umbra. Inform her that I will be finishing my work here shortly, and will require displacement back to Beacon. Your word and will, Dominus. I am already dressed, and will awaken the snake. Gaia seemed to pause a moment, before continuing.
Was the experiment a success, then?More than you can possibly imagine. Leonius chuckled, gesturing as he terminated the aura flow to the knife and used his Dominion Engine to move it to an open fabricator and letting its field effectors take over holding it aloft.
Of course you know this, having been watching my experiments through the facility's sensors. Leonius crossed his arms, locking his visor onto the soon-to-be completed dagger.
Leo didn't have to see Gaia to know what look was plastered on her face.
Apologies, Dominus. I was merely curious.If I held issue with your observation, you would have felt it. Leonius transmitted the plans for the work he wanted done to the knife, watching as dozens of tiny arms began painting matter on the pommel and blade, creating monomolecular edges and gilded patterns as a pommel and crossguard took shape.
As it stands, if you had not been observing I would have made you observe and copy the data from this test anyway. This is the final revision for this set of the Cerulean devices. Leo smiled, watching cartoonish bear patterns take shape on the knife, and brightly colored synthetic jewels move into position before the fabricator arms set and secured them with more painted gilding.
I shall begin production as soon as Umbra has delivered you to Beacon, Dominus. Leonius didn't turn to see the woman whose footsteps echoed through is workshop over the gentle hum of the fabricator. It was her voice, and not her network presence that continued Gaia's words.
"Umbra is dressing and carrying out activation checklists on her equipment." The relatively tiny, dark skinned Pilorum woman took her place at Leo's side, as she ran a finger over the skin-tight, flexible collar around her neck. She adjusted the loose robe she tended to wear outside of more official operations, and looked up at her master.
"Do you require anything else before departing, Dominus?" Her natural flesh and golden cybernetics met as she brought her hands together behind her back, and she took a deep breath.
Leonius saw much more than just the reflections and refractions of light. His suit's suite of sensors, and his less mundane means of detection, fed the titan and his neural coprocessors an endless stream of data from every direction. At least six forms of detection, therefore, told him that Gaia was not
quite as dressed as she had suggested.
"I suppose... I could do... with a bit of a... distraction... while Umbra prepares..." Leo's visor did not move from its observation as a case was brought together for the now-finished dagger, but his attention was on Gaia as he unfolded his arms, and one hand met the small of her back and slipped down past her her own clasped hands.
Even with the thickness of his armor, the tactile sensors were delicate enough that Leonius could feel the de facto leader of his Heralds shiver.
"No matter what you require, Dominus, I live to happily endeavor to provide..." Her natural eye closed, and the observation elements of her cyberware told Leonius her cybernetic eye had ceased recording in emulation of the natural.
"Good," Leonius growled,
"because I do not intend... to be gentle..." Leonius turned, picking Gaia up by the hips to bring her face up to the level of his helmet.
The longest companion Leonius had known in his life rested her forehead under his visor, and gave a soft chuckle.
"You very rarely are..."
A soft thump from displaced air and the slightly louder thump of Leonius landing from a few inches up was the only sound marking Leo's return to his dorms with Umbra on his arm... until Soljia's squeal as she launched herself at her master and wrapped arms, legs, and two of her four tails around the other arm.
"I had waitings with excitedness-muchness while the Dominus-greats was working! The Ianthe-stupids is doing the night-researches with lateness-beings in the library, but shall I awaken the Ayla-stupids if she is the asleeps, which I have doubtness-much?" Soljia tried to look around Leo's torso, locking eyes with Umbra, before looking back up at Leo.
"And also did Dominus-greats with much niceness and lovingful providings pick up any sweets for Soljia, who is the most loyalty-servings and adorables-havings of Dominus-great's heralds?"The snake faunus on Leo's other arm looked around at Soljia, then up at Leo.
"... Dominuth," she lisped,
"May I pleath thleep?" Her long, forked tongue remained outside her mouth for a moment, before she retracted it with a quiet slurp.
Leo could only sigh, unfastening and reaching into one of the pockets of his armor's cloak and pulling out a lien chit.
"... Umbra... please buy Soljia some sweet buns... from the usual bakery..." He waited for Umbra's face to take on that usual disappointed look and she unwrapped her arms from around his before he spoke up, and put his hand on her head to rub it.
"... And the rest is for... what ever snacks... you want... provided you also pick up something... for Gaia..."Ayla's eyes were just opening when Umbra smiled, took Leo's lien chit, and bowed.
"I live to therve, my Dominuth..." Soljia was clinging to Leo's arm, humming a happy little wordless tune when another soft pop signaled Umbra displacing out, leaving Leo with the two servi who were part of his Beacon team. One of whom who was staring wordlessly at her master.
Her very amused master, who raised his now-free arm at her.
"... One opened up... if you want to do... what Soljia is doing... We both know... that I can hold you up... with one arm..." He chuckled, lowering his arm and gesturing with his free hand. Ayla's expression changed the moment the sensations in her cybernetic hands and feet registered the texture of her covers, Leo's seal on the finer tactile feedback of her limbs lifted at least for the moment.
"I figured... you would prefer this... over any treats... but it's not too late... to have Umbra pick you up... something..."She sat up slowly, eyes still fixed on her master.
"You are in an almost frighteningly good mood, Master." Throwing off her covers and standing to bow to Leonius, and feel the floor under her toes, Ayla's eyes went to the armor around Leo's hips.
"I... assume it's more than just..." She cleared her throat, her silver eyes giving no outward indication of shifting perspective as she looked to the side.
"... Gaia... and all that..?"Soljia's humming stopped as she looked at Ayla, ears perked up and a smug smirk on her
adorable crushable little face.
"Is the Ayla-stupids disappointed-sads she will not be having-rides with insides-being the Dominus-great's co-""ENOUGH." Soljia shut
right up when Leo spoke, and with his free hand Leo pulled a small, ornate blue box out of his cloak's pocket before tossing it to Ayla.
"... More for you... to touch and feel... but keep your animus... isolation net... active while in contact... with the dagger itself... Just to be safe..."Ayla marveled at the texture of the box's gilding, a pure, joyous smile on her face. It was only slightly impacted when she opened it, and saw the cutesy, childish designs.
"Wow... uh... not what I'd associate with something like... this..." Still, she reached a silver finger down, gently brushing it over the intricate metalwork and electrum bears.
"No... but its intended recipient... is likely to be more than pleased... with its design..." Leonius made his way to his throne, Soljia knowing by now to let go of his arm and hop off as he sat before climbing into her master's lap like a pet cat.
"Meaning she will be keeping it with her... no doubt... when I disengage the animus input limiters... and allow her aura to flow into... the dagger..."Ayla froze.
"Waaaaait wait wait... so is this..?" She hurriedly closed the box, setting it on the corner of her bed.
"... Ooooooh crap-words with disappointings and worries-smalls..." Soljia looked up at her master as he crossed his arms, and both servi knew damn well he was grinning under that expressionless mask.
"Yes... That... is Cerulean-01... the first... of the new Crimson Dagger emulators..." Unfolding her arms, Leo scratched Soljia behind the ears before stroking the back of her hair.
"... And I will be giving it... to Carmine Santiago... and allowing her to... inadvertently... activate the device... using thermal transmitters I integrated into... its containment housing... to ensure that she is able to keep it active... for a full eight hours... of real time..."Ayla's headware crunched some numbers, based on the briefings Leonius had given his Heralds about the Aura Weapons.
"Thirty-six hours inside the boundary..." Ayla looked up at her master. Malina and Carmine were classmates for most of the classes for the next day, but she tried to keep those concerns from her mind.
"More likely to be... twenty four... given Carmine Santiago's nature... but a good estimate... based on the information at hand..." Reaching under Soljia's chin to rub it, and following as she rolled over, Leo's visor locked on to Ayla.
"And before you are concerned... I have a monitoring rig... on that emulator... if Carmine's use of it... grows violent... Or the animus fields risk blood toxicity... We will storm it... with AGIS support... under full animus isolation... and with non-lethal weaponry... to neutralize the threat..." Leonius smiled, running his hand down Soljia's body, to her belly.
"... That Alapelagian girl... that you are fond of... will be fine..."Squealing as Leo's giant armored fingers tickled her, Soljia rolled away, looking at Ayla.
"Ha ha, Ayla's attractingsness with lesbians-being was caught by- She stopped as Leo started tickling her again, reaching inside her robe to do it.
"Shhh... Do not tease her..." Leo looked up, nodding.
"Do not be concerned... the events come tomorrow... will merely be... entertaining for us..." Soljia grabbed his hand, futilely trying to push it away, but Leo kept his visor on Ayla.
"... And it will be valuable practice... for our... classmates..."Ayla nodded, and looked down at her hands. She wanted a distraction from her worries, and running her thumbs over the tips of her fingers, she found it.
"... So how long do I have..." She looked up, and held her hands up.
"You know... to feel?""Two days... Not counting sleep..." Ayla felt an enormous weight on her as Leo kept his gaze directed at her.
"... Less... or perhaps more... if you decide... that you want to try to warn... any likely... participants..."Ayla just nodded, looking back at her bed.
"... Dominus..?" Her hand went to her stomach, and she sat down, looking back up at Leo.
"... Do you think Umbra can pick me up some fried chicken?""I think... that can very much... be arranged... For such a well-behaved... Servus..."
Carmine's face lit up as she opened the ornate blue box, her eyes meeting the masterful gilding of the blue-ish hued knife. Cartoony bears in ivory and gold, with what looked like rose quartz blushes, danced across the cross-guard amidst a starry backdrop of (probably fake, but still beautiful) sapphires. Penguins in silver and onyx slid down a slide marked out in negative space by tiny garnets on the sheath. Cautiously, carefully, she reached out and took hold of the hilt to lift it, and unsheathed the knife. The blade shone in the light, and her smile was reflected in the flawless blue metal. It was perfect. Perfectly sized for her hand. The perfect weight. It was comfortable.
And most importantly, and the primary cause for the loud squeal that her teammates and neighbors no doubt could hear.
"It's adorable!" She sheathed the dagger again, and hugged it before taking it, its box, and the note with it into her dorm and closed the door. She sat herself and the box down on her bed with another soft squeal, and left the dagger resting on her lap amidst the fuzz of her Ursa pajamas as she read the note again.
Miss Santiago,
Congratulations on your masterful completion of the recent combat evaluations. I hope you enjoy the dagger I have created for you to celebrate your victory.
I tried to keep your love of cute things in mind. Please, feel free to show it off, it is my hope that it will motivate our classmates to be the best Huntsmen and
Huntresses they can possibly be, because I hope to create more of these for our fellows.
I hope you find the properties of this dagger useful. I have included a very special surprise.
-Leonius Decimi Regulus
She was grinning ear to ear as she put the knife back in its box. She was wrong about the robot-cyborg-guy. Yeah, he was a little creepy, the way he seemed to stare at people. That didn't matter! He was nice! He knew cute! He knew she liked cute!
Standing, and gathering her clothes to change after taking a shower, Carmine knew in her heart today would be the best day ever. She started toward the door, before pausing, and looking at the box. A single question occupied her mind as she grabbed it, whether it would be cuter hanging from her belt, or with the sheath kind of stuck in it between the belt and her skirt...
A disaster loomed over Beacon, and participants in one of Carmine's classes would soon learn first hand what the dagger is capable of...
Mention here, with a character link, if you'd like to participate. The event is open to Beacon students and faculty, or people who would have a good reason to be nearby when all adorable hell breaks loose.
Strange things will occur, and the laws of reality will be selectively suspended within the boundary. However, the things that transpire within the Boundary are not illusions, they are not hallucinations, and things that happen do not go away when the boundary clears and space/time return to normal.
It is not first come-first serve, and I will be selecting a few people who will be in the room when Cerulean-01 activates.
Some people outside of the immediate ground zero may also be dragged into the resulting disaster. These people will not be able to participate, being relatively helpless in the face of the Cutepocalypse due to the circumstances they find themselves in, but if you want a character to be mentioned as being inside the boundary when the disaster is going on, a secondary list is open.
Update 1: Information has been updated with a warning.
Update 2: A secondary victims list has been added, please check Information.
Update 3: Participant List is Done, Starting on the event itself.