!Questioning the Intruder ((Invitation Only))

It was like a shadow, the tip of the nail pressed almost gently against the soft skin beneath his eye. He tried to look down at the length of it, as if getting a better look at the weapon would somehow lessen its deadliness. Of course it didn't, and though he knew by now that he would not be able to move even a centimeter away, he couldn't stop his body from making the effort. An uncontrollable flight response. That was, after all, his specialty. This whole scene was a mistake. He was not built to withstand torture, he was built for evasion, speed; for not getting caught in the first place. And there had been a back-up plan. A little black pill that should have ended his life before he would have been able to spill.

But mistake or no, he was here, and the nail at his cheek was more than an idle threat. He scanned the spectators in the back of the room, stopping on the face of the harpy professor. His focus centered on her eye, the long scar that had marred her face. His breath began to shake. That would be him soon enough.

The way he saw it, he had two choices. Continue this stoic attitude, allow his eye-socket to be punctured, and then continue to take blow after blow until he finally caved.. or died. The face of his interrogator was stern, unfaltering. He had no doubt that this man would see this thing to the end.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden streak of pain that seared the fresh wound in his hand. His eyes, which had stopped running, began to tear once more as he gritted his teeth. He wanted to clench his first, but he had learned the hard way that that wouldn't help anything.

The second option-- what was the second option? He took a moment, panting hard and clenching his eyes shut, only to open them again and find that his situation had not improved. But his brain slowly began to clear again. The second option, was to cave. What did he care anyway? Either they would let him go, or they would kill him, though perhaps more quickly then they were planning if he continued to keep quiet. But he didn't have to tell them everything. If only he knew how much they knew. Were they all working together, or did they keep secrets from each other as well? His boss had guessed the latter, that the rest couldn't possibly know who and what they were harboring on their innocent little island. That assumption was a gamble, but it's all he had to go on.

His breath was still heavy, but it started to smooth. He focused on the ruckarl in front of him and swallowed down his saliva, which had grown heavy in his throat. "A more appropriate question would be to ask "who" this someone is. And if you want to know, I'm going to have to start from the beginning. I was sent by a man, who has been searching for a-- fugitive, of sorts. A thief. And they are here. On your precious island. Would you like to know who they are?" If he could have leaned forward, he would have, but as it was he simply raised his eyebrows inquisitively as if he were having a conversation over coffee with an old friend.

Throughout the entire event so far, Kale had only been watching, silent and as a shadow in the dark back corner. She had had a perpetual glare on the scene in front of her, hardly even taking pleasure in the pain Professor Rendaz was inducing on the idiotic captured man. Te harpy had even completely ignored the appearance of Pai, uncaring for his light and ignorant attitude. This wasn't fun, this was work.

It was only when the intruder started mentioning having come to reclaim something that Kale tensed. Hearing him talk now about a thief had her brain running over time.

He couldn't know about...? Was he sent here to find...? A wave of frigid cold spread out in a ghosting wave from Kale's corner, a cold that seemed to leech the very life out of the air. The harpy pushed off the wall she had been leaning against.

"Wait." She called firmly. "I will speak with him a moment." Kale came forward, glaring down the intruder, her body language murderous and her tone booking no room for argument.

At some point turning the dawning of the interrogation, about the time where Rendaz had eased that old nail down through their captive's hand, Odqura's hand had found its way up towards his face with his fingertips ghosting tensely over his mouth. Behind his fingers, his lips were drawn in a tight line, and the stare that was fixed on the intruder was hard as if the dean was staring through a wall. His brows were drawn together taughtly, unable to mask his discomfort at the scene before him. It wasn't as if Od hadn't known what to expect. He knew exactly the type of gathering this was and the manner in which the intruder would be treated, but mental acknowledgement had failed to prepare him the emotion of what he witnessed.

Od's gaze followed the movement of the second nail, then flickered quickly and briefly towards Rendaz's profile. A sudden shadow in his eyes betrayed some dismay. As rough as Rendaz had always been since their first meeting, it saddened Od to see anyone resort to the instigation of such suffering. Torture wasn't something new to Od, but it also wasn't something he thought he would ever feel used to despite anything he'd seen in the past, or would surely see in the future. Part of him was disappointed in himself for standing by, but this man was assuredly an enemy of at least one of them judging by the man's claims, and these were Od's allies for the time being.

With some disenchantment, Od tore his gaze from the ruckarl and would have resumed staring at his invisible wall had his skin not been attacked with a sudden rush of gooseflesh. The unexpected chill tore through the air around him, and he suspected the others would feel it as well, and he spotted Kale moving suspiciously forwards.

Since this event had begun, the hand over his mouth lowered a couple inches for the first time, and he watched on with renewed interest. Very suspicious.

Rendaz continued to prod at the man's lower eyelid, having no intention of stabbing it. After all, if the man confessed, then he wouldn't need to. It was merely a tactic to psyche him out. He wondered briefly what the others thought of him now, a monster, perhaps? They wouldn't be far off, he assumed. The math's professor's question was ignored - replying would knock off his concentration, not to mention, he felt that he wouldn't understand the concept of interrogation.

His gaze continued to be hard and emotionless, until he felt the presence of the offense/defense teacher next to him, to which he twitched in balant annoyance, whipping around to face him. "What are you doing," he snapped, the tone reminiscent of a statement rather than a question. Had Rendaz requested that he step forward and add to the pain, then he wouldn't have minded. But no such thing was ever asked of him. This man was intruding his business, adding needless punishment before the man could talk. His teeth were bared in a frustrated snarl, that is, until the man began to speak again.

Listening intently to his words, he was about to respond appropiately when he sensed movement from Kale, and he eyed the harpy with sharp, mistrusting eyes. A sudden intervention? A displeased groan escaped his lips and smoke oozed from his nostrils. An arm was held out to block her. He had made progress, after all, and he wasn't about to let anyone interrupt it. "Speak later!" he hissed, before eyeing the man with interest. "...I'd like to know who this thief is. Tell me more."

Kale hissed unhappily at Rendaz as he dared try and block her.

"You've misunderstood me, Rendaz." She dropped his title on purpose in her sneer, her tone was murderous and directed entirely at the Mechanics Professor. "I wasn't asking your permission." The woman raised a hand to place it gently on the arm keeping her from the intruder. Her palm was a biting cold as she attempted to forcibly rip the energy lying beneath the orange skin away violently. Ice crept out along the back of her hand as the water molecules in the air connected and solidified in response to the loss of their electrons.

"I am the one who dragged this pathetic twit here, and I have but a few simple questions which I will have answered now. Move, or I will remove you." The harpy hissed sharply. She had a hunch of what exactly was going on, and she only needed to confirm it. She need to confirm it before the man answered Rendaz's questions.

She only hoped she was wrong in her assumptions.

Blake watched as the man's expression had changed once more and with all the people there Kale was the one who seemed most effected by what the man had said. Only looking at Rendaz once then turning his look back to Kale he seemed to have brushed the behavior that Rendaz seemed so famous for. It did seem to his attention that Rendaz was quite the hard headed one and with it a slight of annoyance. It was alright though so long as Blake found himself staying out of Kale's way then he should be fine in the long run.

Stepping back he allowed as much room for Kale as she had needed, but as for the lizard before them.....well not so much. Watching as she had grown a large expression of "get the hell out of my way" he could only try to understand her behavior even more, but she still was quite a mystery to him. Shrugging he leaned up against the wall to observe the up coming out come of the event.

Hopefully there would be only the necessary amount of blood spilled....nothing more, but how Rendaz was acting who knew what would happen. Blake knew when he was to stand down and times when he did need to push back. But in this case she was head and she had higher notes to pluck than he did. In due time he would know, but he seemed to lack the patience.

As far as he could see it, Rendaz had misunderstood nothing. The intruder was on the verge of giving invaluable information, and Kale was here, stopping that from happening. Suspicion written plainly on his face, he was seconds away from questioning the harpy when she placed a cold hand on his arm. He snorted in contempt - he would not move his arm for her.

The coldness of the touch was uncomfortable, but it was incomperable to the pain that followed from her next move. A sharp, searing sensation, almost as if his skin was being torn off. A loud screech escaped his jaws as he involuntarily jerked his arm away. Traitor! His eyes were tightly shut and his teeth were gritted, taking a few moments to overcome the feeling before squinting up at the dean with a pained yet unmistakably bitter expression.

His other arm lingered around the tools around his belt in an almost indecisive manner before his fist clenched. "You'll rot, Kale," he spat, equally returning the lack of titles. His head turned sharply away from both the chair and the dean as he trudged towards the wall, reaching an arm to lean against it with his back turned. He assured himself that if the interrogation failed, it would be through no fault of his own. He'd done everything right. But would the others see it that way? A hand was raised to his temple, an attempt to conceal his troubled expression.

So that's how it was. A smile crept to the intruders lips as he watched the drama unfold before him, proof that at least not everyone in the room knew what he knew. There was a seem, something that he could potentially unravel with slow, steady revealings.

But as the tides turned, and his interrogator (as he had come to think of the ruckarl) seemed to be defeated, the intruder struggled once more against the bands. He was surprised to feel the sense of abandonment, as if the man who had just been jabbing nails into his flesh was somehow his only protector.

Of course, he could not move. Instead, he turned his eyes to the harpy. A nervous laugh escaped his lips, almost crazed. "I wasn't sure--" he started, then paused, choking on his own dry laughter. "There are secrets in this tight-knit group, then. You haven't told them about your little friend?"

Kale winced at the loud screech Rendaz released as it berated her sensitive hearing and bounced off the walls of the dungeon. She let her hand fall and passively watched the mechanics professor retreat to the back of the room, paying no mind to his harsh words.

"Thank you, Dean Rendaz." Her tone was without emotion, absent of any sarcasm or scorn. She had nothing against the orange lizard-like creature, except that he happened to be too competent for her advantage and a little too bold.

The harpy turned towards the intruder, the man becoming the center of her focus and put on a light air as if carefree and with a good friend.

"No, they don't know. Or, they didn't, thanks for that. But, it seems you do." The woman made the comment seemingly off hand as she casually took a step forward and tilted her head to peer down at the man, but something in her soft tones was off note, there was a suppressed hardness there that told of restrained fury. Now was to see if this man was who she thought he was:

"Can I get you a drink, monsieur? An O’Douls, perhaps?"



(( For anyone who wants to know: O’Douls is a non-alcoholic beer... ))

The intruder narrowed his eyes at the harpy. So, she was beginning to put things together. He could almost see the dots connecting themselves inside her head. But he was unsure which path was the safest. Perhaps, if she knew who he was, he could persuade her to let him go. But then again... she may want the knowledge that he held to die with him.

Even as he thought it, he realized how unlikely the first option was. No, he was certain that she wanted him dead. His only hope lied in the fact that she would not kill him in front of her colleagues. And if she did, well at least that would place some suspicion in their minds, if it wasn't there already. He may not have done what he came to do, but he could do his best to leave with a bang. Either way, she would surely finish him off faster than the torture.

"O'Douls? You expect me to drink that crap?" His eyes seemed to sparkle as he smirked in the harpy's direction. It was almost defiant, daring her to go on. "No," he continued, shaking his head slowly. "But a cold glass of Moscato would do just fine."


((Moscato = a sweet and fruity white wine.))

Kale released a loud "Ha!" at the man's answer.

"So! You are who I thought you were. How very surprising....and problematic." Her voice hardened despite her continuous lighthearted outwardly expression. "But, you can only drink Moscato if the sun sets in the South." She lifted her shoulders as if in an 'of course' gesture. As the science professor, it was strange for her to say anything that made as little sense as that, it even felt a little strange on her tongue. She hated speaking this way. A look of seriousness crossed her face as she lowered her shoulders and her air once again became hostile as she leaned forward, placing her hands on the arms rests as her wings opened partly, threatening.

"Is the sun setting in the South?"

In the back of her mind, Kale knew she needed to end her questioning soon and get out of here. She wanted her information and she wanted out before the others started asking questions.

The man stared at the harpy professor with his crystal blue eyes. His expression mimicked her seriousness, but that unfaltering expression only lasted one suspenseful moment before his mouth cracked into a wide smile that was soon afterwards followed with maddening laughter. If he could have, he would have doubled over from the cramps in his stomach. Instead, he just continued to stare, a statue in hysterics.

His voice was high and strained now, on the verge of insanity. His eyes bulged from their sockets. "Do we talk in riddles to hide the truth from your friends?! Yes, yes, the message has been sent and there is nothing you can do to stop it. In fact, it's probably already been received! You are screwed! This whole island might as well be damned! There's nothing any of you can do now!"

He broke off into series of laughing bursts. "Shall I tell them your truths? Or better yet, you tell them. Go ahead, see if they want you around!"

(( WARNING: Gore in the following post. Skip to bottom for non-detailed summary. ))


Kale released a furious hiss over the man's laughter.

"It is is not my fault the code words are utterly stupid!" Her eye was alight with hatred. Her heart sank with dread, oh it was lost! The idiot had let everything of import out! He had painted a target on her back in bright red! All her work, all the time spent playing nice, all she had done to protect that stupid-! Arh! All LOST, Useless, wasted, completely gone! Her blood rushed through her veins and pounded through her chest, the man's laugh reverberating off the room and bouncing back on her ear drums. It was maddening!

"Shut up! Shut up you infuriating, vile man!" The harpy screeched. He needed to stop. Stop him now. She cramped her hands around his throat, cutting off his maniac laughter. He'd ruin everything! "You zink you can beat me wit dzees?! You'll never beat me!" Her volume rose, skipping back into her Parisian accent. A wicked grin split her face as she dug her hard talon-like nails into the man's neck. Wings flapping out, she pulled with all her might, stumbling back when the sternocleidomastoid muscles shredded and came loose. The atrial spray from the jugular vein hit the woman straight on and she brought up an arm to shield her eye. Catching her balance a few steps back, Kale snapped her arm back, flinging blood in an arch away from her angrily as she started down the corpse in the chair, as if needing reassurance that he was indeed finally silenced. She stood panting, larynx hanging in her grasp.

Taking a deep breath, Kale calmed herself to regain some control and process the situation. Turning stiffly and exposing her soaked front to the audience behind her, the harpy threw the bloody ripped out throat to Rendaz.

"Thank you, I don't think I have any more questions. You may have him back now." Her voice was strangely hard and void of emotion. Holding her head high, blood dripping from her bangs, the woman turned and strode towards the door, intent on trying to make her get away before the others realized and tried to question her about what just happened.


(( Summary: Kale, becoming angry, ripped out the intruder's throat to make him shut up about something Kale doesn't seem to want the others to know. She then tossed the throat to Rendaz, claiming she has no more questions and tries to make it out of the room before anyone can question her. ))

Rendaz listened intently to their conversation, grumbling inaudibly under his breath. A drink? What was this? Only a few seconds into the interrogation and she'd already strayed from the matter at hand - undoubtedly ruining what he'd already accomplished so far.

But he continued to listen, if for the simple satisfaction of witnessng her failure. But it was strange, both parties seemed readily confident despite the nonsense of their words, almost as if they were speaking a completely different language. If one thing was certain, they at least knew each other.

But the man's words intruiged him. Hiding truths? Messages? Code words? His gaze sharpened as he began to shift into a ready position, sensing the sudden tense situation.

Kale had lost it. It became clear from the moment she'd rasied her voice. He couldn't even smirk, and his arms stiffened with dread as she began to violently tear his throat out. He didn't raise his arms to catch it - the bloodied organ splatted against his chest before landing with a 'smuk' to the floor. His fists trembled slightly. He was so close to the answer, to succeeding. But she'd ruined everything. The bloodied corpse was a sickening sight, but it was this professor that disgusted him more. And he was most definately not about to let her escape.

He strode forward, using his good arm to slam the door shut before she could reach it. He could very well recall the first time he'd tried to block her, and it hadn't ended well. But his expression showed no fear, only anger. "I came down here to interrogate," he hissed, shakily taking a gun drill from the tools around his belt. "And I'll be damned if I'm letting you leave without doing exactly that."

The headmistress had been standing quietly in the background. Even as Kale took her turn with the interrogator, Everly made no move to interfere. There was something about being that close to the smell of blood that made her feel like fainting. She was only here because she wanted to hear what the man had to say for herself. And as Kale reached forward and ripped the man's throat out, the whole event seemed to move in slow motion, yet it was over before Everly had time to stop it. The harpy's giant wings sent a gust of wing in the headmistress' direction, and along with that wind came a splatter of warm blood that covered the exposed skin on her face and neck.

When it was over, her mouth hung agape, but she was unable to find the words of protest quickly enough. Why had Kale done that? Even Everly couldn't deny the suspicion that this turn of events now put the harpy professor under. They hadn't gotten answers, and the intruder had been their only link to the truth.

At least, that's what she had thought at first. But then Rendaz's words to Kale hung in the air. He was right of course; now the harpy was the one with the answers. Though Everly guessed that Kale would prove much more difficult to interrogate in the same fashion as they had the intruder.

Either way, in order to get anything accomplished, the blood on her own dress had to be forgotten. To Everly, it was like trying to forget the fact that a rabid bear was charging towards her, intent on attacking. She pushed at the thought until it balanced on the edge of her mind, not completely forgotten, but no longer at the forefront.

Everly stepped forward, though even she was unsure who's side she was stepping onto. Until now, she hadn't really trusted either of them. A part of her wanted to let them go at it, but she doubted that the ruckarl would stand much of a chance, and others might get hurt in the process.

"You don't really intend on jabbing her with that thing, do you?" she said to Rendaz, motioning to the drill gun. "I'm sure she has an appropriate explanation. Perhaps.." she continued, turning to face Kale. "She has figured something out and we no longer needed the intruder?" She raised her thin eyebrows at the harpy and took a step closer to the woman. "And if she doesn't have a reason... I will be at your back when you try to stop her." The statement was directed at Rendaz, but her eyes remained focused on the harpy.

O'douls made no sense of course, that much was obvious. Any liquor--or non-liquor in this case--on this island was most likely brought in by himself if it wasn't a ridiculously and wonderfully aged wine that had been at the castle since before Everly's slumber. Od had never purchased any O'douls or some such nonsense! He noticed that Rendaz didn't appear to require any immediate medical attention despite his pained screech previously, so the history professor's attentions remained on the interrogation for now, which was painfully obviously proceeding in that ridiculous code speak.

Od couldn't lie to himself and claim to be unsurprised when the unusual transpiring resulted in a roughly torn and bloodoed throat being tossed at Rendaz, and Od's immediate thought was to be thankful it wasn't his own chest the mess slumped to the floor from. His pricey top would have never survived.

But more importantly that his spared clothing was the manner in which Rendaz now blocked Kale's exit. Od's brow stitched with concern at any possible outcomes that could arise. He stepped forwards as Everly voiced her stance and slid his gaze carefully among those present.

"Professor Kale is our colleague." His tone was slightly accusatory, as if daring the others to mistrust her, but the truth was he mistrusted the harpy himself in this moment. But it didn't seem fair to gang up on her. "She should be offered the opportunity to enlighten us without careless threats." The look he gave Kale was almost hopeful that she would comply and hopefully avoid further violence.

When he continued, his voice was quieted as it was now directed towards the harpy specifically. "Professor, surely if you are in trouble some of us could offer assistance, or at least sympathy and advice." He honestly felt his offer of friendly support was anything but naive, but he had to offer her the benefit of the doubt, harboring as much respect for her as he did.

Kale stopped and stood, staring at Rendaz as he blocked her path once again. Her expression was one of someone being unimpressed as they are faced with something that they simply did not have time for. She lazily watched him withdraw the gun drill from the belt and raised an eyebrow.

"You are going to interrogate me, Rendaz?" There was a tone of childish pout on her voice and it was clear she was mocking him. "Zen eet seems you're the one who will be rotting." She said it lightly with a hard note as it if were but fact as she clenched her bloodied hand. She took a menacing step forward towards the ruckarl before Everly's voice made her pause. She turned and eyed her mistrustfully as the Headmistress approached. Kale sneered as Od began to speak.

The harpy looked over at the History Professor with a wary and questioning glance. The hopeful gaze she was given made her slightly uncomfortable. For a moment Kale looked torn and reluctant. Why would he offer to help her? They hadn't been hostile and maybe they had something of mutual friendship based on respect, but they surely weren't the best of buddies. She was sure he would not offer his assistance so easily if he knew what was going on, none of them would. Her curious look hardened as she closed herself off to the idea.

"Eet iz none of your concern. I am perfectly fine an I do not need your sympathy nor 'ave I requested your advice." She tilted her chin up confidently and turned to Everly, voice still angry in her Parisian accent. The air immediately around the harpy grew bitingly frigid. She did not know if what she was willing to offer in ways of information would be satisfactory for the other woman, and so she took the energy she could now in case she had to try and break away. Even going so far as to take the residual energy from the corpse in the chair, the skin starting to crinkle and whither as the uncontrolled and dying cells booked no resistance to her leeching. She was taking no chances in an environment her enemy controlled. The blood covered owl looked up to the splattered Headmistress and lifted her wings tensely to increase her presence threateningly and make up for the height difference.

"Further questioning would 'ave been pointless." She stated firmly. "I had not been aware when I brought him een, but through Rendaz's questioning, I realized I knew who tha' man was. I also know why he waz here and who sent him. Furthermore, I know for certain tha' eet has nothing to do with your precious island or the Academy. Eet is my business an' I do not wan' you een eet. I am fully aware of ze situation and ze measures tha' need to be taken to remedy eet." Kale turned swiftly to face towards the door and Rendaz again, giving Everly a sidelong glance. " 'e was annoying, and I silenced heem. You should be zanking me for non wasting your time, non?" Looking to Rendaz once again, she hissed, raising her right hand and arching it around her front to near her left shoulder, as if she might attack the creature in her way. She was not giving them any more information.

"Now, ge' out of my way. I know you ar non really zat foolish." Kale gave the professor a hard glare, expecting him to move. Quickly.

Blake felt a sudden intensity in the air as Kale's voice raised and for it was a good reason. He could already feel that she was going to try and stop him from talking any way she could, but to go as that far he had not known why. She seemed to be a little to reckless and for the fact that they still needed information did not help in this matter. How was the man suppose to talk now? Looking over at the gaping hole that was now seen on the man he shook his head and looked over at the group that had suddenly surrounded Kale and began to question her. Sure he had a few questions of his own, but he decided to keep that kind of mind set for the intruder if they were going to ever be able to get him to talk again.

Walking around the room he started to observe the expressions on every ones face and it just made him think of how this kind of thing could have happened. The intruder finding his way here that is. Finally walking back to a locations not that far from the intruder he just stared at him once more thinking of how this one was going to be fixed. The man looked pretty damn horrible and with that he didn't think that any thing else really was going to emerge from his mouth again. How sad it was really. He was asked to talk and when he was going to his voice was brought to a halt.

After the moment of gazing he found himself walking over to the group and nodded along with what Od had said. Though he had not known Kale for very long she was still a colleague and that was that. So was Rendaz, but he seemed to be forceful when he shouldn't have been and this bothered Blake slightly. Yes getting answers was the goal, but not from Kale. "I believe that when Kale is ready she will tell us, but for now it seems that she has no reason to tell us nor she doesn't seem like she would care for it. Leave her be and show her some respect." Blake had stood up for what he had known was to be right, well he had hoped at least.

((Sorry Pai, but you were taking a little too long! :< ))

Everly, always trying to oppose him. She may have meant well on the outside, but deep down, he knew she was plotting to find a way to throw him out. His gaze was filled with mistrust as she spoke, and the grip on his drill gun only tightened. Even when she offered to aid him, he still didn't quite buy it.

His gaze then narrowed on Od, the same person who he'd somewhat come to trust in this academy, was now defending who he saw as his opponent. His scowl darkened at the hint of betrayal. Sympathy? Advice? He couldn't help but snort. How foolish he'd been to almost expect him to side with him, but his loyalties seemed to lie elsewhere.

His attention wasn't distracted long from the harpy, and he soon resumed staring at her with narrowed red eyes. The air chilled him - a feeling he most horribly hated. It seemed an annoyingly obvious weakness of his species - his inablity to function in the cold. He held the drill gun steadily, but it seemed his grasp was slipping slightly. He could hear Blake's voice grating against him. Another betrayal. Just who was sane in this room anymore? Leaving her be was the last thing on his mind. After this occasion, they certainly won't going to go on spring walks like nothing had happened. This wasn't a matter of forgiveness, it went a little deeper than that. And just how much deeper was something Rendaz was prepared to find out.

His expression flickered with apprehension as she seemed to ready herself, but he stayed put. He knew he would be putting himself in a vulnerable position, but if the others had any inclination to help him at all, then he shouldn't be afraid. "You've misunderstood me, Kale," he breathed, intending to echo what the dean had said earlier. "I want to know what you know. In fact! I should have already known long before this interrogation even started."

"I’ve known long enough what an interrogation is. It’s not a means of obtaining information, no. It’s a means of confirming what we already know.” His voice shook slightly, presumably from the temperature. “Anything you know should have been told to us. You failed in that part. How could I possibly obtain anything from the man worth knowing if all he gave would be a stream of lies? Mere annoyances are little excuse to murder our only source of confirmation.”

His challenging gaze was unwavering. “And don’t even try and make up any excuses. Tell us what you know or reveal yourself as a coward and a traitor. I told you, I came down here to interrogate, and not to play nice and forgiving.” His claws moved over the switch on the drill, as if he was ready to turn it on. Despite this, his movements were slow and stiff, but his teeth were bared angrily, not ready to let up.

Everly, almost by definition, was generally weak. There were two sides to her when faced with a confrontation. The first was to do anything possible to keep things from escalating by backing down. The second was to throw a tantrum, which usually resulted in some level of destruction that she wholly regretted after the fact. Initially, she had been going down the second road, committing herself to standing behind Rendaz even if it meant attacking Kale. She had hoped that this show would somehow make the harpy woman back down, tell them what it is that they wanted to know from her.

But as the rabbit-hearted headmistress watched the skin of the now dead intruder crinkle and flake apart in unison with the cold air that suddenly surrounded Kale, she began to fold. Perhaps she had not thought her stance through. Odqura's opinion did not match with hers, and as he was the most reasonable person she knew, she was inclined to think that she had been wrong. And Blake seemed to agree with Od. It was clear, she had not thought it though, or was she now over-thinking it? She shook her head, there were too many variables.

If they did somehow get into a fight, people could be hurt. She could be hurt. If she fought, she might accidentally bring down the whole room, killing them all. The tall woman almost visibly withered under the weight of her own insecurity. But she had to make a move, it was her turn to speak. No, she finally decided. A fight would surely not solve anything. She had to do her best to stop it from happening.

She addressed Rendaz, attempting to pull herself tall again, feigning some sort of confidence. She raised her eyebrows and tilted her chin downwards so that she was looking at him as if he were a child that she were explaining something very complicated to.

"My friend." she said it as a formality even though he had been no such thing during his time here. "Perhaps it is best that we let her through, for now. I'm sure that she will tell us, once she has calmed down. Just step aside, for your own good." And there it was. Even though she didn't particularly like the ruckarl, she felt a tinge of regret, as if she had betrayed him in favor of her own cowardice. Which just may have been the case. She took a breath and reached forward, attempting to place a comforting and apologetic hand on Rendaz' arm.

[[Sokay Flamjam xP//Juust enuff time..or battery charger to type this up. xD]]

Pai had been cluelessly staring at the distance..or rather, examining his surroundings, despite the scene happening before his very eyes. He was wondering how it would look if he'd renovated the room a bit...perhaps, because it was nearing Halloween, a more...scary, appealing feature? He then glanced back at the others, seeing the unknown man laying on the floor...

He glanced at Kale. "You certainly have an...interesting way of silencing someone. Although, I was just thinking about Halloween-izing this room, eh? Re-enacting that scene right there might freak the kids a bit..." He glanced at Kale, quickly clasping one of his hands to his neck, in fear she would rip his vocal cords out as well. He grinned at his enigmatic addiction to talking. After all, verbal fights were more...safe than physical ones.

Pai began to start talking again, and stopped and thought 'How would I teach math without talking?' He wondered if he had to use sign language...

"I might as well save myself the effort." he thought, muttering to himself.

He then glanced at the strawberry-blond man again. "Is he dead? Cause if he is, he should probably be dragged out. Do you think he'll smell? Would someone clean up after him? Are we leaving him here?" The questions burst out of his mouth, about four statements in the same breath. Disregarding what he had thought earlier, Pai forgot about the 'vocal chords' menace that he thought would happen to him, if his talking got out of hand.

The thinner hairlike feathers at the nape of Od's neck felt like they were standing on end when the chill air rolled over him. He steeled himself against the discomfort and his eyes on Kale betrayed some disappointment in her dismissal. Od quietly waited while the others voiced their opinions, and would have been pleased that they were for the most part agreeing... Except for Rendaz. He was stubborn, and while Od surely sympathized with the ruckarl's position, enraging the harpy would only help to devastate the situation. The hostility in Kale's body language began a boil of frustration, pushed to the rim by Pai's ill-timed distracted nature, who's comments were ignored by the dean.

With a huff of aggravated air from his lungs and a sneer, the raptor stepped swiftly forwards with his back to Kale and his hand propped up on his hip, intruding on the empty space between Kale and Rendaz with his shoulder and elbow. His head was turned though, so that was was glaring off at no one in particular as he stood tall, and the dean addressed the group in a sharp hiss.

"You are all acting like children." In turn, he shot both Kale and Rendaz a pointed glare of equal disappointment, the look a father might pin on a child who's been out far after curfew. "Fighting amongst each other solves an impressive amount of nothing. We are all present to carry out a direly unforgiving deed, and no one here owns the luxury to pretend they are morally superior. There is simply no undoing what has been carried out and the appropriate action now is to maintain some level of maturity." He paused to sigh quietly and shake his head, then lift his chin in a decorously stern manner that was prepared to defy any argument. "I will not have this violence now, am I understood."

"HA! Confirm wha' you already know? You knew nothing! Ah, correction, you know nothing!" Kale hissed at Rendaz. "You don't need confirmation, I already know what's going on and I'll take care of it. It's my business, not yours!" The harpy was becoming angrier by the minute. Falling silent, she tried to reign in her desire to tear the occupants of the room apart, slowly turning her gaze to Everly. The moment the Headmistress had spoke, Kale knew she had won this. She had a choice now, increase he hostility so that the others may forcibly remove Rendaz from her path for his own protection, or play on pity? She was going to act on hostility when Pai spoke up.

Turning her head around to face the math professor she hissed at him coldly.

"Leave him!" She snapped. Right now, that corpse was her best power source. She needed to get out, now. Turning sharply to Rendaz again she was about to force her way through as she had threatened when Od stepped between them. Pulling up short, Kale glared hard at the man.

"Vous n'êtes pas aider, pompeux de poulet bleu." The harpy hissed cruelly under her breath. The man was in the way, she had nothing particularly against him, just that he was trying to help when he couldn't. If it had been anyone else in this room that had stepped between them, she would not have hesitated in cutting them down. Odqura, however, could still be useful. It was time to step it up, it seemed.

Kale tilted her face downwards, casting a shadow over her eyes with her bangs, and took a step back, hands raising to clamp onto her upper arms around her as if trying to hold herself together. She let her body shake only slightly from the pent up rage inside her. Whether they believed it to be anger or distress, that was fine with her. She dug her nails in to her own skin, trying to give them impression that that was the only thing keeping her from lashing out.

"You would have me outline my whole life for you on the off chance something related to me comes to the island?" Her voice was hard, unyielding, but she let slip in a tint of hurt. "What about you then? How many people have you encountered that could possibly want to find you again? How many things in your life are you ashamed of, things that you never want to revisit?" She was addressing what Rendaz had said, but her manner made it seem like she was talking to everyone in the room. Her head snapped up to pin the mechanics professor with a glare. "Why, just because it happens to be my past this once, do I have to divulge my life story? Am I allowed no privacy because one man has decided to haunt me? That's not my choice!" Her voice bordered on a screeching tone again, much like just before she had ripped apart the intruder. She paused as if to regain her control, glancing around to all the pairs of eyes, whether they be willing to look at her or not. The energy in the air crackled and rippled around her seemingly unsteadily, as if she was loosing control and on the verge of snapping again."Well, go on, all of you. I'll reveal my life if you do. Name every person you may 'ave angered or screwed over. Recount all the times you did something you shouldn't 'ave." She turned away to face her back to Od and Rendaz as if unable to stand the sight of them any longer, holding her shaking thin frame, one leg bent in, hips tilted in a rather girly fashion yet still defiant. "Because that is what you are asking me to do, Rendaz. And that is what I am not comfortable with. It is unreasonable and selfish if you will not do the same. Especially when I 'ave already assured you that the island will not be hurt and that I would have it under control if you would only let me leave and collect myself. I have nothing to offer you now." She hissed as if slightly exhausted of this conversation and more than a little on the edge.

As soon as Everly's hand made contact with his skin, he roughly jerked his arm away, staring as if the headmistress had gone mad. "Fool!" he hissed. "What are you expecting, a nice chat with tea and biscuits? I will not step aside!" His voice was laced with scorn - she could disguise her words with a soothing, tender tone, but the fact remained clear - she was no longer on his side.

In fact, after serving a glance around the rest of the room, he'd soon realise that nobody else was on his side. In fact, the only one who had not yet opposed his beliefs was that half-witted buffoon that called himself a maths professor - and there was no chance he'd willing accept his aid, even if he offered it. However, he found his breath quickening and he clenched the gun harder. It was getting desperate now, and the sense of isolation in the room brought alight a feeling he hadn't felt for a long time - anxiety.

Od's intrusion was no more welcomed than a wasp's, and Rendaz stared at him, his jaw gaped open. It wasn't that he disagreed with the dean's proposal, in fact, if the ruckarl hadn't been ill of temper, he may have found himself agreeing. But it was the mere thought of betrayal that rang through his head like a buzzing alarm that seemed to drown out anything reasonable he'd said. "You stay out of this!" he snapped, his teeth bared. "Brewing me a drink does not, in fact, give you the right to stand in my way whenever you please." A trace of desperation lingered in his tone of voice. The history professor was being a fool, he could not deny that, but Rendaz found himself reluctant to oppose him - he hadn't intended for him to get in the way.

It was Kale's voice that his attention was eventually focused on. He felt a twinge at her rant, an almost painful twinge. A memory he'd been suppressing for so long had risen fresh from the dead, and he hated it. A woman whom he'd grown to loathe. And this was none of Kale's business. Yet every time he looked at that harpy figure, all he could note were similarities - their ugly, birdlike features, their deceitful nature, and innocent claims that give little way to their true, cunning nature. Rendaz was used to such things, and words that were designed to tug at his heartstrings had been dulled in their potency. He felt anything but remorse. "Unreasonable? Selfish?" he sneered. "You're not a child, Kale. The world isn't going keel over for you because you had a spat that was a little unfair." His jeering expression hardened to something reminiscent of vulgar fury. "The world isn't fair, fool! We deal with it and get over it!" Smoke billowed almost uncontrollably from his nostrils. "You know something. You know something! And exactly why can't you tell us? What's the price to pay for a little story? You sure had a nice enough time wasting your breath on that pity-party there!"

His voice, although becoming harsher and raspier throughout his rant, remained confident and certain as he focused his narrowed gaze on the harpy. His gun, which he may or may not have realised, had long clattered to the floor during his speech, yet he still remained poised as if he was ready to defend himself from something.

The headmistress gawked at the Math Professor. "We will most definitely not be reenacting anything!" she said in a high-pitched and shocked voice. What was he doing here anyway? She had barely noticed him until he gave his more than inappropriate suggestion and he hardly seemed to be contributing to the situation in any positive way. Everly was beginning to feel as if everything was a mistake, right down to the people that she had had a hand in hiring. A part of her wished that she could go back to the way it was before. With no one in the castle she was not an individual, she was a part of a larger, more powerful and comforting energy without opinion or memory. Maybe that was where she belonged.

At least not everyone was so disastrous. Everly nodded as Od spoke. To her his words seemed so eloquent and true. They all, even herself, had been acting childish. How could anyone disagree with him? But they did. In fact, they seemed to disregard his words completely.

Everly cast her eyes down as Kale spoke. Gibson's face flashed in front of her eyes and Everly shuddered. She knew that she at least did not want to reveal her entire story to the group, and she was probably not the only one. Surely, Rendaz would back down now. But he didn't. He stood his ground.

As soon as the Ruckarl finished speaking, she looked back and forth between him and the harpy. What would happen now? She wanted him to get out of the way, and he refused. All other options seemed moot, there would be a confrontation, a fight unless someone else stepped in.

Not knowing what to do, the headmistress began to breath heavily, almost heaving as she clutched a hand to her chest. The weight of the situation was too much for her frail mind, and at this moment she wanted nothing more than to return to the stone that she came from. The walls began to shake around them. The floor rumbled and lurched and tiny pieces of stone broke away from the ceiling and rained down onto the floor. The sound was the worst of it, like a sudden and heavy hailstorm.

But then the headmistress' hand flew to her forehead, where it rested as she fell backwards and onto the floor with a soft thump. She had fainted, and the quake stopped as abruptly as it had begun.