Welcome to Beacon: Next 2.0

Rasslors

Nodding enthusiastically to Halle, Duncan responded "Oh yeah, this is them!" as he continued to haul bits and pieces of the ring set-up out of the back of various trucks to the inside of the tent. "Anyone you're lookin t'meet or somethin'?"

Cooking arena

Stepping up to a podium in the arena was a tall, weathered and relatively imposing middle aged man in chef's whites. Some members of the contest might recognize him as Adam Gala, a relatively well known Chef known for his fiery temper and incredibly high standards. After a brief moment of silence, Chef Gala spoke up "Alright contestants, you're here to cook a full course meal for myself and a few other select judges, which I'm guessing you knew already. To keep things interesting, we've chosen a theme for you all to stick to, and that is breakfast foods; waffles, omelettes, you name it." Pausing for a moment to check his watch, Gala added "You have one hour. Hop to it."

Cooking Competition

All these girls wearing uniforms but Cerise was just wearing a shirt, shorts, and flip flops. Cerise shrugged at James's response, but nodded. The red handprint on her cheek still stung.

"It's a work in progress," she told Fiona. "You gonna ask me where Gage is?"

The blue-haired girl was quick to push Azure's hand away though even just the brief seconds she made contact were enough to tell the girl's heart raced because she was flustered and angry.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met," she said, smiling politely. "Jean de Witte."

Jean moved to her station, preparing a chopping board and a row of kitchen knives.

"Prepare to lose."

Festival

"Yo, Iris!" If the young Aurion followed the sound, she would see her team leader approaching in casual wear with Aurea Virga secure by her side. Isabelle offered an apologetic smile before moving in step with the young Faunus. "Sorry I got separated from you guys. I got reeled into this amazing food stall from Mistral! We should go for a bite after Morgan's done flying. Speaking of which, where is your little birdie~?"

Cooking competition

Azure bowed. "I'm sure it wil taste good." She said with a smile, still whispering. "But why did you strike her once? Why not just get into a fight? That's how you got rid of conflict in my village."

She tilted her head quizically-a tic to help get her confusion across since she couldn't emote with her eyes.

Cooking Contest, Gettin' Ready.

...Well, at least it was progress and a slightly better response than the last few times. James would worry about that later as he grabbed his backpack.

"...B-Breakfast, huh...I guess c-c-cooking for everyone in the dorm will...h-help a little, but, w-well..." He idly trailed off, going through the equipment he had on hand as he nervously got things set up, trying not to be too thrown off by Jean's...confidence.

...Okay, l-let's...see...

Monday, Ventus 18, Fairgrounds, RPW Tent, Beacon Academy, Vale

As the ring and the surrounding seats began to form, it wasn't just staff and recent hires filling the space. A colorful cast of characters were also showing up, in groups or one at a time.

Laughing and joking, the Birds of Paradise made themselves a welcome presence, their Faunus crests proud and bright. Helping set up the sound system, Vacuo Joe laughed at a jest made by the petite Sakura, the one who the press called 'The Empress of the Dawn' and 'The New Hope of Strong Style', had allied herself to Duncan not too long ago.

Wearing a simple black mask instead of his usual regalia, Sandata the Last Warrior meditated in a corner away from the ruckus. Seated prettily upon a folding chair, her long legs crossed, the Mistress had begun to touch up her make up for the event to come while Ragdoll Robin tried to throw her off her liner game. The Mistress' Institute cronies, the brutish Scion and Diamond, were adding to the ruckus, throwing their weight around and yelling at rookies to work faster.

All them and others, part of the upcoming card.

Monday, Ventus 18, Fairgrounds, Cooking Arena, Beacon Academy, Vale

Maybe to James' relief, more than a few contestants were men of various ages as well. The scarred man dressed as a Mistrali bushi was hard at work, whisking eggs. Another in a Beacon uniform, who looked to be from MSRE, was having trouble opening a carton of buttermilk.

Cerise caught the faintest flash in her eyes, the slightest twitch in her hands at the name of the one boy in their long-ago quartet. Fiona let go. "Whatever you think of me, Cerise, you're one of my oldest friends. And it is really great to see you."

At the words of Adam Gala, Fiona let go of Cerise and scurried to her post. She turned to other girls dressed in the same uniform. "My plumes!" she called as she began to measure out butter.

There was a brief scuffle of movement among her coterie and a gasp as two large cleavers sailed from them and into the air, glinting in the morning light. Barely paying attention, the brown-haired girl caught them and buried them into a chopping board.

Lara did not answer Dia, almost like she didn't hear, clapping instead. "Showy, but I'd keep my eyes on that one."

Master Sangria had a childish grin on his face standing to the right of Chef Gala. Mistress Cabral's lovely face was impassive, though her cheeks were tinged red from the shouting. Between them, the rugged Gala was the anchor, one whose presence elevated the contest.

Monday, Ventus 18, Fairgrounds, Knights Exhibition, Beacon Academy, Vale

Huge blades of neosteel sliced apart tough hull plate with ease, to the crowd's delight. For all the Paladin was still among the most rugged and versatile platforms in the arsenal of Remnant, advances in mechanical engineering meant that the TAG had more than its fair share of supporters.

Even as one of the Knights neatly tore a Paladin's arm off, Scarlet could see that there was more to the exhibition than spectacle. Taking a page from most convention booths, the Knights had things to display as well. Holo-tapestries of famous engagements, scale models of their favored TA Gs, and even two simulation pods for those wishing to fight as giants fought.

Monday, Ventus 18, Fairgrounds, SSMR Security Booth, Beacon Academy, Vale

Engrossed as he was in the unfairness of his situation and his annoyance at Selene's determinedly-asleep form, Raggy was not prepared to receive a guest. One with near-ash blond hair, piercing light green eyes, and a flowing black-and-purple cape.

"Mr. Remington." greeted Glynda Goodwitch with her usual cool tone.

edited 4th Apr '17 3:43:55 AM by KR_Vandal

Cooking Contest.

While the fact this contest wasn't...as skewed in terms of gender, he was competing against those with far more experience. Trying to make similar dishes would be a losing battle, even if the quality had a chance to be superior. ...Something different, something with a bit of flair and...

...Don't do something stupid like combining these...desserts you go on about wit...

Shrugging the voice off and focusing on his plan, James quickly double-checked what he had in stock before getting to work. If he had more time and equipment, there would've definitely been something. But for now, he'd simply have to go with the more simpler options, there'd be nowhere near enough time to get the pastry ready.

Getting the yeast, flour and ingredients ready for the first part to make a loaf of bread for fresh toast, setting up a frying pan for some fried and scrambled eggs and readying some milk, cocoa powder and plugging in a kettle.

A rather bright, if cherry-blossomed colored tent had finally finished being set-up. Adorned with a diamond shaped mirror, it...sort of stands out. Out front, a young woman, with flowing pink hair and quite a flashy dress.

"Fortunes told, truths found, perhaps you'd like to see for yourself. I've yet to make a false prediction...~ And if you're still hesitant, there's no charge for today. There's no harm in knowing your future, is there?"

edited 2nd Apr '17 9:15:26 PM by TheRealWren

Fairground

Miss Rayfer was slightly annoyed that Lara didn't really answer her question about staff. Nonetheless, she did follow her advice to keep her eyes on "that one".

"She looks like a professional." Dia comments, as she sees how Fiona gets herself ready.

The girl in that uniform. Dia had noticed other girls around the area wearing those, which Gage had been cautious around earlier. That, and Fiona seemed to be on very good terms with Cerise.

(Oh gosh... is she one of those delinquents too?)

Either way, Dia just observes the contestants in the meantime. She really needed to learn how to cook, and while she was unable to do some of the showy stuff they could pull off, it was the ingredients, basic skill and timings that mattered in the end.

SSMR - Marvin and the kids

"That's how it is, huh?" He asked, nodding to the two as he listened to their story. "I'm sure he'll be here to see you before you know it." He grinned at the siblings as he flashed them a thumbs-up.

COOKING CONTEST

Azure turned to face James. "Please, go easy to me." She said quietly before turning a knob on her earmuffs, shutting out the noise. The girl began to hum to herself and began to toss a knife into the air, catch it by the blade and toss it again. She began to slowly sniff each example of an ingredient, find one that she liked and began to work. Peppers were cut, she tasted several before deciding which one to use.

She worked with the speed that indicated she was used to throwing together meals for large groups of people, but she never seemed to stop moving. If she tasted something, she smiled and kept working. Of course, there was no boar meat so...

Knight Exhibition

Scarlet already had a wide, excited grin on her face from the battle happening in the arena when she spotted the simulation cockpits. Well, gotta check out those. Who knows what kinds of neat toys they might have in there. Hopefully it's actually one to one.

The redhead got in the line that was present for the simulators, passing the time by checking for new motorcycle parts on her scroll.

As Cerise walked in the opposite direction, she laughed the same old smug, girlish giggle she would usually give.

"So you do have some self control," she said.

Cerise stopped before exiting the arena and heading into the throng of spectators. She turned back, pointing at James and winking.

"Win this one for me."

Cooking Competition

"I've made my point," Jean said.

Jean paused, one hand hovering over row of kitchen knives and eyes glancing over the list of ingredients as she decided what she could make within an hour. Soon, she went to work.

Cooking Contest.

"...I-I don't think you've really g-got much to worry about with m-me going easy on you. I-i'd be worried about...the rest." James curtly replied to the new student he was competing against, cracking a few more eggs and readying some bacon & ham.

...Souffles are technically part of breakfast, depending on who you ask.

Glancing up at his team-mate as she headed off, he simply shook his head with a weak smile. "...I-I can't make any promises, s-sorry."

Dorm Sakura

Having taken multiple AP rounds during the prior mission, Suzune had mostly spent the last few days repairing herself.... which consisted of a mixture of consuming enough material for the regenerative properties of her synthetic muscle to take over, as well as much more major physical repairs repairs to her chassis itself, having finally finished she was not exactly in any kind of rush to head outside and planed to spend most of the day resting and playing Gravity Effect, completely oblivious to the festival happening outside.

Or, at least she was until she decided to browse her social media feeds while waiting for the game to load, and was flooded with a massive influx of well.... every thing videos of TA Gs destroying Paladins, comments and pictures of the Festival.... One of the videos even looked like it had Morigan in it trying to sneak over the festival while flying, though given she was airborn it was fairly obvious.

The gynoid pinned her ears and wandered over to where she kept her clothes, and stared at them for a few minutes...... before looking back to her games, and then back to her longer clothes, before changing into a set and heading outside.

Monday, Ventus 18, Fairgrounds, New Attraction, Beacon Academy, Vale

By the exotic stranger's tent came the sounds of a greater ruckus as Gage and a handful of RPW rookies came horsing past. It seemed that he'd forgotten his own advice as they lollygagged their way to the trucks and the Bullhead that had the ring materials.

The pink-haired woman caught the eye of a few, particularly their bandanna-clad leader. His ears probably caught the word 'free'.

"What was that about 'free'?" Smelling strongly of french fries, Gage asked as he spun in place, beginning to make his way to the tent. One of his companions, a lithe girl with a wild ponytail and close-cropped sides, called back. "Yo, Punk, I'd back off if I were you. Fortune tellers are all hokey! 'Sides, Kennedy and Whiteplain'll prolly have your ass if we ain't back!"

He waved her off, stepping into the tent. "I won't be long. Tell 'em I went to grab something from my dorm!" And without a second glance back, Gage stepped up to the the tent's owner and her magic mirror. "Now... What was that about 'no charge' for the day while you do some mystic junk?"

Monday, Ventus 18, Fairgrounds, Beacon Academy, Vale

From behind Marvin, there was a shout of the kids' names. Turning their heads, both kids squealed for their parents and hurried to climb down as a man with the stance of a Yeomanry regular and a woman in a light blazer rushed towards him.

Monday, Ventus 18, Knights Exhibition, Beacon Academy, Vale

Flipping through the selections, Scarlet might have been disheartened to see that the usual prices of parts for Vengeance's upkeep, like those of certain household goods, had gone up. In spite of Alice's proud boast, Vale was still very much the sum of its parts. And its parts were terrified.

Though at least for a few days, they could forget that fear.

For her immediate attention, fit young men and women with the badges of the Knightly Order were passing out flyers and giving short reminders about what to expect when one stepped into a cockpit.

"For lack of a better term, yes," said one boy with carefully hidden exasperation. "It is somewhat like a video game. But I am obligated to warn you that the first time, even through a simulation, that things might get... Confusing. "

edited 4th Apr '17 4:37:17 AM by KR_Vandal

Raggy, !!!

He snapped right back to attention when Miss Goodwitch showed up, standing up straight. "Y-yes?!" Of course, there was still the issue of Selene just sleeping about, but he couldn't do anything about that at the moment.

"I mean... um, yes, I am here." He stumbled through his response, managing a little blush of embarassment at the end of it.

The figure with a mullet continued his calm observation of one Phoenix of Vale, idly watching the show as well.

Festival Grounds, Tent of Truth & Fortunes Told.

"My, my, what a foul-mouthed girl you are. Ufufu~ You should relax, I shouldn't be long with the boy you carry a torch for. I'm sure it's one of the reasons you talk so abrasively to him is it not~?" The pink-haired woman chuckled, giving a mischievous smile to throw the girl off-balance as she turned to Gage. "I'm certainly not surprised at the scruffy sorts like yourselves to be skeptical, after all, you'd prefer to go with the mindset of carving out your own future, mm?"

Waving farewell to Gage's...associates, she walked back into the tent with the scruffy-looking youth. The interior of the tent was dimly lit, with polished mirrors adorning the fabric walls as they seemed to shimmer with some otherworldly light.

Giving another friendly, yet disarming smile, the pink-haired woman motioned towards the table in the center of the tent before taking a seat on the opposite side, a small oval looking glass resting between them.

"Ufufu...~ Of course there's no charge. In times like these, most people would be anxious to know the future, wouldn't you agree? If people...desire to know what awaits them, then why deny them the opportunity? Now, if you could be a dear and rest your hands on the table, we can get started with this, 'mystic junk'."

Monday, Ventus 18, Fairgrounds, New Attraction, Beacon Academy, Vale

As a salesman and showman of some caliber, Gage couldn't help his smirk. Anyone watching could have chosen a more obvious tie than shooting the dark and guessing a relationship between him and Faye, a rookie who'd signed in a little earlier than he did. Both were held together by a shared love of hot wings and stupid comedies.

"... Yeah, I can see this going well." Gage did as he was bid anyway. His hands were on the table before the mirror.

Monday, Ventus 18, Fairgrounds, SSMR Security Booth, Beacon Academy, Vale

"At ease, Mr. Remington," Glynda cut through his excuses like a hot knife through cake. "I had only swung by to inform you that your team is relieved." Her expression was stern as always, green eyes guarded. "I am impressed that your team had taken it upon themselves to patrol. Anyway, carry on."

And with that, she left the booth, parting through the crowd with ease. And not a moment too soon, for he received a text from Sakura, asking him where he was.

edited 5th Apr '17 3:56:52 PM by KR_Vandal

Raggy, Oh!

"Oh. Um, I mean thank you." Before he could explain that he meant to volunteer just himself, Miss Goodwitch was already on her way. Well, that was out of the way. Raggy decided not to bother Selene's sleep. She seemed comfy, for her part.

And then Sakura sent him a text. "just leavin the info booth ^_^; out of work. you?" He replied, smiling a little at his Scroll.

Festival Showgrounds, Fortune Telling.

Smiling and gently taking Gage's hands, the woman's fingers gently tracing over the lines. "...I see you're certainly the tough and resilient sort...and you're likely to live quite a while time, with such a strong heartbeat and stubbornness...~" The woman gave another small grin, lightly closing the rugged student's hands.

"Ufufufu...or maybe you're getting a little flustered. It's quite alright, dear, I don't blame you in the slightest. Now, then...~ Lies and deceit, only the truth shines in the reflection of the mirror~

As if on cue, the mirrors in the tent shimmered and shone brightly, reflecting their light onto the one in the center, revealing an image of Gage, the Chained King...several shadowy figures and countless more, some looking vaguely familiar.

"My, my...it seems you've made quite a number of powerful enemies...or allies. You're certainly quite the trouble-maker...~"

Monday, Ventus 18, Fairgrounds, SSMR Security Booth, Beacon Academy, Vale

Sakura responded.

"Still at ring. Hurry and report Whiteplain on warpath ^o^"

Monday, Ventus 18, Fairgrounds, Cooking Arena, Beacon Academy, Vale

Given Dia's attentiveness, she might have taken note that Lara seemed to be watching her every little movement, eyes glowing with something.

Standing at 5'8 and looking boyishly handsome, were it not for the grey in his trimmed facial hair, Master Sangria◊ could not help but cheer as Fiona twirled her cleaver carelessly yet artfully as she julienned potatoes into fries.

"What did I tell you?" he looked to his fellow chefs. "Magic! Look at this talent, look at this expertise!" He lifted his nose and sniffed the air. "These chefs, they cook with the blood!"

And not only because the bushi was cooking with blood sausage.

Monday, Ventus 18, Fairgrounds, New Attraction, Beacon Academy, Vale

The guffaws were knocked from Gage's mouth very quickly as soon as the glare dimmed and he was staring at the Chained King looming over him, the eyes of the helm staring and the plate glowing their furious triple colors.

Right behind the glowering armor, Dia, stern but with the wistful smile, Cerise, and her constant teasing shadow, even stuttering Jimmy, man of a thousand skills and a desperate eagerness to please...

Farther still, Midori Hongo, master of muay Vacu, who bulled her way into his life. His parents, exasperated with his antics but always willing to help. The fiery longing of Fiona Feurschwinge. The bittersweet presence of nonononothereandnother...

And finally, the coldness of his jailer, in her white suit and mad eyes-

Gage stood up, breathing hard. The images were dispelled and suddenly he could hear the world outside again.

"Okay, alright, that... That was too much," he stammered, reaching into his pocket for a lien card.

edited 29th May '17 6:25:30 AM by KR_Vandal

The Cooking Tournament

Azure was hard a work, bustling back and forth in her station. She didn't have any grace, any flair save for how she danced back and forth. Her lips turned up at the corners as she quietly hummed a tune to herself as she tasted some of the blood sausage, gagged and got something else, throwing it into a skillet.

Meanwhile, she began to crack eggs as that happened and got a pile of walnuts and began to mince them up. Her mind was, of course, a thousand miles away as she continued to work. Just like Mother did it when the two cooked for the clan.

RPW Tent

"It's more like I've been interested in the performance itself." Halle said. "Dad took me to plays and things like that but never a wrestling show." She maneuvered it to make sure the question of whether she "bought in" was still plausible. "I came here because I heard that wrestling told stories in a completely different ways."

SSMR - Selene

Selene was walking around aimlessly. Just kind of... there. She was bored. Extremely. She needed some fire in her blood. She needed it pumping. She wanted to wake up, she wanted some adrenaline.

"Where can I go to get a fight!? I want a challenge!" She yelled out before realizing she had not actually kept that in her thoughts. "Oh... Whoops."

Cooking Contest.

Carefully whisking up the eggs and other ingredients to make the bacon and ham souffle, both savory and sweet muffins and cautiously sliding the bread mix into the oven to bake and hopefully finish sooner rather than later, he seemed to have zoned out from everything out except his work and the task ahead of him, a small smile on his face.

Giving a slight, if sympathetic smile, the mysterious woman gently rested a hand on Gage's shoulder. "The truth and what awaits is a terrifying thing, isn't it? Take a deep breath and take it one step at a time, my dear. You still have time to choose on how to face the future, but that is something you'll need to decide for yourself." She calmly remarked, eyes closed before noticing what the shaken young man was trying to do, eyes shimmering and giving her mischievous smile.

"Do recall that I did say this was free of charge, my dear~ Although if you feel inclined to contribute, some positive word of mouth to bring more people here is always welcome, cutie. Run along now~" The woman gave a cheeky wink before lightly motioning for Gage to be on his way.

edited 10th Apr '17 2:06:32 AM by TheRealWren