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<\|description\|>Rich Keener Age: 21 Appearance: Tall, tanned, with big, staring pale green eyes. Bushy eyebrows, has a mop of thick, tangled dark-brown hair that's long enough that he ties it back most of the time. Muscly, but usually one can't see them. Crooked nose, looks like it's been broken more than once, which it has. Wears a necklace consisting of a deerskin cordage with a bit of raw turquoise attached. His wolf form is mostly black, but with pale gray facial markings and underbelly, and gray feet. Race: Werewolf Gender: Male Personality: Always on the alert and assessing his situations to prepare for danger. Quiet, prefers to listen rather than speak. Jumpy and easily startled, his fighting style is "kick once hard and get away while they're down". Like a lone wolf he is afraid to approach the resident pack, but is also curious. He enjoys nature and spends a lot of time in the forest. Bio: Orphaned at age 12 after his parents got in a fatal fight involving vampires. He ran away and survived alternately in the forest in the town, but mostly in the forest until he was old enough to get a job as a book-keeper and small apartment. (werewolves only) Role: Rogue but might join the pack during the roleplay, as what I don't know yet Mate: none Other: bazinga</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener Rich had closed up the bookstore about an hour ago, relieved to be outside at last. He was heading toward the forest to spend some time meditating, contemplating, and perhaps writing, and a cool breeze that ruffled his thick hair made him whine softly as he resisted the urge to transform and run. The sound of howling sent a chill down his spine and reminded him that he was walking straight into harm's way. Still, the forest called to him, and how could he resist, after being cooped up in a book store all day? _Just be careful,_ he told himself. _You've been out here before, for days on end, and they haven't found you yet._ He pushed a vague longing to the back of his head, chose a small, quiet clearing and sat down. His eyes shifted quickly; he was on the alert for trouble because those howls had sounded close by.</s> <\|message\|>Allie Doyle Allie stared out the window of her small home, gazing into the forest. Technically her home was within the town's borders, but it was much closer to the forest than the town itself and this made her feel isolated. She didn't like being so far away from civilization, however it was for her and the humans' own good. Throat burning, she didn't need to look up at the sky to see that it was going to be getting dark soon. She had to wait until it was pitch black out to risk hunting. She had been aware of the werewolves' presence for a long time and thought she caught the scent of something else-a witch maybe? She was used to the werewolves-she had been feeding from the animals in the forest for ten years now. She always tried to hunt when she knew they weren't around, but she wouldn't be surprised if they were aware of her.</s> <\|message\|>Ramona Belvedere Her legs swung from the tree branch she was perched upon. Ramona had her lighter in her hand, flicking the trigger and letting the flame burn slowly. She manipulated fire, throwing it, shaping it, even engulfing herself in it without a single burn, but creating it was something she could not accomplish so her lighter was always with her. Ramona let the howls roll past her ears without a response. She clasped the lighter top shut then crawled back down the tree to the ground. Her black tight leggings were tucked into her mid-calf black combat boots and her deep red top dipped into a V in the front and flowed in the wind from the sheer material. She opened the lighter and flicked the trigger, bringing the flame alive again. Her hand waved over the flame and the fire moved to her hand. She put the lighter back in her pocket and formed the flame into a large circular ball, throwing it back and forth from hand to hand as she walked back toward her home through the Forrest slowly.</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony picked up the scent of a rogue in the area shortly after her alpha called for a pack meeting. Somewhere in the scent was something that intrigued her but she ignored it and trotted to where she left Her clothes she grabbed them and shifted back to human putting on her clothes then running to the clearing. Ebony went over to her alpha and bowed slightly in respect. "Alpha." She said before looking up at her alpha. "May I have permission to go deal with the rogue in our territory?" Ebony asked</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest had shifted into her human form and had some clothes hidden in the bushes, she changed into them quickly and smiled when ebony had joined her. "I'll go with you, Theres always saftey in numbers Ebony" she said firmly and crossed her arms showing that this wasnt up for debate. She smiled at her and said "When we approch him, Be nice ok? He could very well want to be apart of the pack and i dont want to scare him off.. yet" She let out a soft giggle.</s> <\|message\|>Ramona Belvedere Ramona continued to walk as she turned the fire over and over in circles in the palm of her hand. She heard some chattering in the distance then a giggle. She paused for a moment, holding the fire in her hand as a burning blue flame. She didn't know who the chattering belonged to until she took a couple more steps and saw two distant figures. She kept walking slowly, keeping the corner of her eye on the figures. Two together? Probably werewolves. She laughed softly as she made the fire into a wold figure with the wave of her hand and then back into a flame that she tossed from hand to hand.</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener Unaware of the possible danger that would soon be heading his way, Rich stayed on the alert for around five more minutes, and then leaned back against a tree and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and allowed himself to relax. How wonderful it was to let the smells of the wilderness flow through him, as opposed to the mustiness of a book store! He let out a happy sigh. "Ahhhh..." The only thing that could make the moment better was getting rid of the smell of the pack that lingered in his nostrils. One such scent was oddly sweet and kind of pleasant, but the knowledge that a band of werewolves who could rip him to shreds in moments seemed just _a little_ more important right now. "Relax!" he muttered to himself. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." He took out a journal and started describing in detail the flora around him.</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony nodded. "But if things go bad you know to let me protect you if needed. We can't be losing our Alpha." Ebony said before going behind a tree and stripping. She shifted and lead the way to the rogue. When they got near the rogue she stayed in the bushes watching him silently. 'How could he just be relaxing while in pack territory. What the hell?!' Ebony thought as a slight growl escaped her lips.</s> <\|message\|>Allie Doyle Allie couldn't take it anymore. She swiftly exited her house and perched herself up on the roof, crouching like a cat in waiting. The smell of werewolves was beginning to become overwhelming. They weren't dispersing and she could sense a small group of them together. As she scanned the area, she thought she saw...blue fire? What on earth was going on? Her thirst was so strong that she thought she would have to drink her own blood. She hadn't fed in days and needed it terribly. She felt cornered. There were too many werewolves around and she could detect a couple of unknown presences. If the werewolves caught her hunting and they weren't the friendly kind, she could easily be overtaken. The need to drink took over. Jumping to the ground, she dashed through the forest in search of a meal.</s> <\|message\|>Harumi Osi Harumi flew over the forest on her bird familiar. Her curls flying out behind her due to the wind.</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener The smells hit him like a tsunami wave. They were close. Here, maybe, hiding, ready to disembowel him. The soft sound of a growl confirmed his suspicions, and he slammed the journal shut before standing up in a matter of a couple seconds. He backed against the tree, muscles stiffening again, heart pounding, breathing quickening. He dropped the book. "I know you're there!" he said, his voice much more steady than he felt. He knew it was a fine line between acting too aggressive and too submissive, so he tried to stay neutral.</s> <\|message\|>River Anderson River hears the growl come from a little ways over and she pauses, her feet sliding in the wet grass. She looks over in the direction and notices two young women a few yards away. Werewolves. She recognizes them from one of the packs from around here. She hurries on, not wanting to be involved in a pack war. She hurries down farther a little ways and notices the gleaming silver surface of the lake a few yards away. She smiles and hurries toward it, shedding off her dress as she runs. She sets the dress down by the edge of the lake and walks to the edge of it. She takes a deep breath and runs into the water, as far as she can. The transformation is immediately. She has yet to be in the water a full minute when she sees the glittering, silvery-blue tail that is now her own. Her legs melted together to form this thing. She smiles and dives under the water, splashing and kicking around. She practices swimming for a little bit before practicing her magic, making it move the water of the lake.</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony remembered her Alpha said try to be nice so she decided to transform. She trotted out still in wolf form and went over to big tree and slipped behind it. She shifted and got dressed in the clothing she had carried in her teeth. She walked out from behind the tree and looked towards the guy. Her eyes looked at him but they had yet to make eye contact. "Look at me." She said trying to keep her voice steady. Her alpha would come out any minute now but for now she would talk to the rogue.</s> <\|message\|>Celest Ignore!!</s> <\|message\|>Allie Doyle Allie had finally caught the scent of an animal-a small rabbit. It wouldn't fill her up much, but it would work for the time being. She blindly chased after it, her hunger taking over the rational part of her. By the time the rabbit was in her grasp and her fangs were almost at its neck, it was too late. She stopped dead in her tracks, her fangs aching from resisting the urge to bite. She had ran right into the middle of the three werewolves. Her eyes, bloodshot from not feeding, frantically flew back and forth between each werewolf. "Oh, crap."</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest stayed in the cover of the woods watching Ebony and the rouge she growled lowly, waiting to see if he was going to be a threat or not. Celest layed down and squinted at them listing to thier conversation. then a vampire flopped in front of her, Celest eyed her for a second and growled lowly and snapped her teeth at her in a warning to move along.</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener Rich nearly met the female werewolf's eyes, but at just the perfect moment, a vampire ended up in the middle of the confrontation. The memory of his parents' death sent the hairs on his neck standing up straight, and he bared his teeth involuntarily, narrowing his eyes at the stranger. He glanced in Ebony's direction, but kept his gaze respectfully averted so as not to cause even more tension. "Looks like your pack has a bigger problem than me," he said softly.</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony growled. "I can deal with two threats at a time. Don't Move." Ebony demanded of the Rogue. Ebony growled at the vampire. "Explain yourself." Her voice was strong. Not as strong as her alpha's would be but it had a power behind it.</s> <\|message\|>Allie Doyle Allie's fangs fully revealed themselves. She hissed, but it wasn't a threatening one. It was one that meant that she wasn't looking for a fight, but she'd protect herself if she had to. She eyed the werewolves, knowing that she could outrun them if she needed to, but for how long? Werewolves had more endurance. She held the rabbit in her hand. "I haven't fed for days and I was in need of blood. I'm usually more careful than this, but I was desperate. I never hunt when werewolves are in the vicinity, though I didn't have a choice. You guys weren't returning to your pack and I couldn't wait any longer. Of all the ten years I've been a vampire, I've quietly lived here, quietly hunted. I've never had any altercations with a werewolf." She tried to relax a bit. "I am not here to cause problems."</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony nodded, "I will have to let my Alpha decide your fate but I feel like you aren't a threat to us. If you haven't been hunting humans then you aren't bad in our book. But I suggest being careful in our territory." Ebony said before her attention returned to the rogue. She was fine with vampires but her hate for rogues ran deep. She always helped when rogues crossed into their territory. "Now you are the only problem I have." She growled slightly, glaring at the rogue. Trying hard not to lose control.</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest made her presence known by agressivly trotting up to the vampire she had already transformed and was in loose clothing her shirt clung to her, and her shorts laid on her baggy and out of the way, her hair was down and curled around her face. "Stay out of our territory and you wont have any problems" she said sternly to the vampire that laid at her feet "Take your meal and leave, please" she said holding out a hand for her. Celest didnt mind vampires or rouges but they just needed to know where they can stay and where to stay away from. Her attention now focoused on the rouge and ebony.</s> <\|message\|>Allie Doyle Allie nodded, her face clear of any emotions. The only visible feeling was that of hunger, her eyes still bloodshot. "There will be no problems. I never venture into the woods deep and only hunt at the edge of it when the animals don't come out." She took the werewolf's hand, rising from her crouched position. "If we ever meet again, I do hope it's under better circumstances." With that statement, she flashed away in a blur.</s>	<\|message\|>Rich Keener Rich blinked a couple times, eyes wide. Going from his original pack's hatred for vampires, he'd assumed that they would have killed the intruder right then and there. He kept his eyes to the ground but his stance confident. "No need for trouble," he said, quiet as usual. "I was just minding my business. Won't cause any harm."</s>
<\|description\|>Rich Keener Age: 21 Appearance: Tall, tanned, with big, staring pale green eyes. Bushy eyebrows, has a mop of thick, tangled dark-brown hair that's long enough that he ties it back most of the time. Muscly, but usually one can't see them. Crooked nose, looks like it's been broken more than once, which it has. Wears a necklace consisting of a deerskin cordage with a bit of raw turquoise attached. His wolf form is mostly black, but with pale gray facial markings and underbelly, and gray feet. Race: Werewolf Gender: Male Personality: Always on the alert and assessing his situations to prepare for danger. Quiet, prefers to listen rather than speak. Jumpy and easily startled, his fighting style is "kick once hard and get away while they're down". Like a lone wolf he is afraid to approach the resident pack, but is also curious. He enjoys nature and spends a lot of time in the forest. Bio: Orphaned at age 12 after his parents got in a fatal fight involving vampires. He ran away and survived alternately in the forest in the town, but mostly in the forest until he was old enough to get a job as a book-keeper and small apartment. (werewolves only) Role: Rogue but might join the pack during the roleplay, as what I don't know yet Mate: none Other: bazinga</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony frowned. She didn't trust him much but she also wanted to look into his eyes it's how she read a person. Her wolf also insisted that we make eye contact. "Look up. Don't look away from us. Make eye contact with us or we won't be able to believe you."</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener He did as she told him and looked up, straight into Ebony's eyes. It made him feel a little lightheaded.</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony looked straight into his light green eyes and felt like she could get lost in them easily. But her wolf in her head shouting at her that this is probably their mate snapped her out of it. "No. How." She whispered to herself before she began to pace. Her wolf and her now fighting. Ebony hated rogues and here she was with a rogue that is probably her mate. This just was not OK with her. She was becoming stressed by it since her wolf didn't like that she was questioning who her mate was. But what would she do. That she was still finding an answer for as she continued pacing.</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest Watched ebony and glared softly "E you should get back to the den, to cool off a bit" she said in an even tone and her eyes locked on the rouge. She didnt have a glare or even a firece look in her eyes, she was curious and growing impatent</s> <\|message\|>Jihord Stulkson Jihord He had stood silently, a distance away from the group in his human form. He rarely took on the shape of a wolf, only when he absolutely needed the strength, but the wolf inside him always had more control than the human. Sensing Celeste's growing impatience, he stepped in, he was large, even for a wolf. At 6'2 and heavy with muscle, he was an intimidating opponent just as a man. He stepped near to her, his mouth to her ear, though he was only an enforcer, he made it his duty to attempt and guide Celeste with tradition. "I believe we may have some complications, I would advice to order this rogue scum to his knees, for inspection." He had noticed the link between Ebony and the pack traitor, and despite his seething hatred for anyone that abandons their pack, tradition orders that no one hinders the relationship of possible mates.</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest turned to Jihord and nodded and put a hand on his shoulder, She glared at the rouge now feeling the presure of traditon and also of the way her father had taught her how to be an alpah. "Jihord, ebony Go back to the den im sure i can handle him" she said getting thuroughly irritated. she was on the brink of losing control over her wolf that was snarling inside.</s> <\|message\|>Jihord Stulkson Jihord He clasped his hand over hers, then leaned forward to place his head on the front of her neck; a sign of obedience, submission, and loyalty to his Alpha. "Are you certain my leader, if anything were to happen I would feel the cry of a thousand wolves at my inability to defend you immediately. With your word I will gladly shift, and remove this traitor from our midst."</s> <\|message\|>Celest She instictivly nipped the back of his neck softly and growled lowly "Ill be fine, Now go befor i tan your hide infront of this stranger!" irritation past now she was speaking directly from her wolf side uncontrollably. She put her hand to her mouth and looked up at him with caring almost sad eyes "Please" She said</s> <\|message\|>Jihord Stulkson Jihord Pride almost glowed from his eyes as threaten his literal hide "Yes Ma'am." He said with a soft smile, squeezing her hand reassuringly before turning and sprinting through the forest, heading towards the den.</s> <\|message\|>Celest She always seemed to let herself get frustrated easily with jihord around, something in her shouted at her that he could possibly be a mate but she of course ignored it. Though as he left she felt a twinge of sadness,her focus now resumed to be on the rouge. "Tell me your name, and let me see your hands" She wanted to see his hands because if he belonged to a pack its sign would be on his hand or upper arm.</s> <\|message\|>Allie Doyle Allie was curled up under a blanket on her bed. She didn't really sleep, but laying here like this comforted her and made her feel almost like a human again. She recounted the previous events. It all seemed impossible that she had came out of that fiasco alive. Not only was she weaker than most vampires because she didn't feed on humans, she also hadn't had any blood in days. Those werewolves could have slaughtered her in a second, but they didn't. The tiny bit of human left in her heart wanted to be friends with them-she was so lonely. The vampire part of her knew that it could never happen. Sighing, she wondered what was going on out there.</s> <\|message\|>Ramona Belvedere Ramona pranced through the woods slowly, the flame in her hand now turning into one in each hand as she watched them they grew large then shrunk back to hardly noticeable so she could hide them and use them when need be. She stopped in her tracks when she almost collided with a male werewolf running through the Forrest. She didn't speak, but she stood still for only a moment I examine his large frame. She kept walking, she had no fear of werewolves, the only thing she feared was water. She kept her flames concealed in her clutches fists, wondering what this rather large werewolf would do once he noticed her. She wasn't afraid to use to her magic. She had killed many with it before and would do it again if need be. Ramona turned her head toward him momentarily before continuing her slow walking pace she was at before he werewolf appeared.</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener Obediently Rich held out his hands, a tiny smirk appearing on his face in amusement at the exchange between the Alpha and this other enforcer. In spite of his expression, he was currently in a state of confusion, excitement and fear, all running together, but he wouldn't let it show. The wolf part of him was pumping him full of adrenaline, urging him to run or fight, but he resisted its pull. "My name is Rich," he mumbled. "And the whole traitor thing...very dramatic, don't you think? All I was doing was writing."</s> <\|message\|>Jihord Stulkson Jihord He turned on Ramona, his long hair blowing in the wind as he moved towards her "Why are you here, witch? This is not your land, nor have you permission to trespass." He growled, his eyes darkening noticably.</s> <\|message\|>Ramona Belvedere Ramona laughed softly, "Unlike you, wolf, I don't claim land. I walk where my magic leads me," her voice was sharp as both of her hands engulfed in blue flames. She opened her right hand and formed a ball. "I'm passing through, playing with my magic. I don't want or need your territory." Her eyes turned blue to match the large ball of spining fire in her hand. She let the fire die down and engulf her fists once again, "I'm not looking for a fight, whomever you are." She smirked softly once more before letting her entire body engulf in flames before she took a couple steps toward him and laughed a deep menacing sound. She turned and walked back in the same direction she was going, flames still covering every part of her like a second skin.</s> <\|message\|>River Anderson River hears the sound of voices nearby and swims toward the shore. She looks out and sees one of the enforcers for the local packs talking to another witch. She has fire around her and River raises her eyebrows. She has never seen this witch before. Especially out here. She moves the water about her thinking as she watches this strange pair.</s> <\|message\|>Jihord Stulkson Jihord A low growl pulses from his chest as he towers over her. He had no fear of flame, he'd been burnt plenty by witches, he was unfazed and unimpressed from her fire. "If you have no want or need for my Alpha's territory, then leave, do so quietly and calmly or I will have no choice but to hold your head under that lake with my heal."</s> <\|message\|>Ramona Belvedere Ramona laughed softly, she let the flames blare bright blue and spread to a radius of 10 feet on each side of her, the flames closing the distance betweent them. She could see though the blaring fire, as her eyes had adapted to the heat. Her body still engulfed, she laughed wickedly before letting the flames come back to her body. "Burning alive is not a pleasant way to die," she said in her sharp voice. "By the time it would take you to fight me and drag me there, your skin would be melting like a pool of wax, your blood and internal organs spilling out for the remainder of your pack to find you." She let the flames cease from her body and went back to her hands. "Very charming you werewolves are, I can see why no one enjoys the company of werewolves, half of you can't even stand each other," She turned and laughed, leaving fiery footprints behind her as she walked away slowly, not getting in any kind of hurry. She closed her hands and kept the fire burning inside her fists until she reached the outskirts of the Forrest and released the flames, letting them die out completely.</s> <\|message\|>River Anderson River couldn't stand to watch this anymore. She drew herself up onto the bank of the lake and pulls the water from her legs. They immediately become dry and she pulls on her dress once more. She jumps to her feet, grabbing a lage amount of water in her hands as she does so. She filters the water into a small horn on her hip and she runs after the Fire witch. She slides to a stop a good few feet away from Ramona and screams, "Hey!" She still stands in the forest slightly, and she knows that it was dumb to chase her as she left the forest, but she had to give her a piece of her mind.</s> <\|message\|>Ramona Belvedere Ramona had already dropped her flames from her hands when she heard a female voice call behind her. "I'm leaving, what else do you want?" She snapped as she turned around, her eyes turning red as she now held her lighter in her hand. She saw the female wasnt a werewolf, but a witch. Ramona looked the girl over before seeing the water on her side. She shook her head softly before shoving the lighter back in her pocket. Her eyes calmed to their blue-green tint and she started to walk out of the Forrest once again. "I'm leaving now. I'm not fighting over anything as stupid as walking through werewolf territory," she said to the female witch as she exited the forrest.</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest sighed and noticed his hands were clean, it was sigh of relif "Yeah Jihord can be a little over zelous sometimes, hes set in the traditional ways of the pack" she said and slapped his shoulder softly "Your alright in my books, If you want to join the pack ill welcome you with open arms.. If not you best learn where our territory is" she said and Gave a half smile</s> <\|message\|>River Anderson "I wasn't going to fight you," River says, glancing down at her horn filled with water. "I just wanted to tell to that it would make sense to make friends with the werewolves. If your "magic" leads you back into the forest, things would go smoother. Or at least try to sneak in..." She smiles at Ramona. "Sorry for the scream. My voice cracked." She grins at her before turning around to walk away.</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener He smiled back, mostly with relief. He couldn't believe how lucky he'd gotten. Impulsively he said, "I would be honored to join your pack, fair Alpha. Thank you for your hospitality."</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest helped him up and gives him a soft glare. "We'll talk with the others about that"</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener "Yes, ma'am," he murmured. He gave her a respectful nod.</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony's wolf was currently yelling at her in her mind as she walked to the pack house/ den. She was doing her best to shut her out right now as she tried to control her own emotions. Although her wolf hated rogues, this rogue could be different. Her wolf also wanted to think over everything but by running through the forest. Ebony was trying to calm her wolf but eventually her wolf gained control and Ebony shifted ripping her clothes. Her wolf began to run through the forest full speed trying to collect their joint thoughts about everything that just happened.</s> <\|message\|>Celest She smiled 'Respectful' she thought to herself "Come to the den with me" she motioned for him to follow her, she transformed into her wolf form and took off as a large white wolf with bright blue eyes. She ran kinda slowly so they could keep pace and headed for the den and saw a flash of ebony run by her.</s>	<\|message\|>Rich Keener Rich transformed and followed the white wolf, loping at a safe distance behind her but keeping up. He skidded to a stop to stare at Ebony as she ran past; he admired her but hoped no one else would notice. He pawed the ground and opened his jaws to call to her in a low howl-bark, but no sound came out and he decided against it. Raising his tail in a show of confidence, he continued to tag along behind the Alpha.</s>
<\|description\|>Rian Li Age: 15 Gender: Male Class: Dark Cleric Appearance: Rian's height (5'2/1.58m) and weight (110lb./49kg) don't do much to help his feminine looks, given he's rather petite in stature. Still, though Rian's features are soft, his mannerisms tell a similar yet different story; there is plenty of steel holding up the pretty exterior. History: Suffice to say, but Rian's life prior to attending AcadeMMO was fairly mundane. They were fortunate enough to live in an area free of most ExBeast attacks and thus knew peace and simplicity in their lives. He was an only child, and began to exhibit signs of potential rather early on. Given that the school did not accept applicants until they were 14, it was up to his two parents to figure out how to deal with their gifted child. Thankfully his powers were fairly tame, and a bit of research revealed he would likely be classified as a Cleric. To that, a collective sigh of relief was breathed for the Li household. While fascinated by his powers, Rian didn't really want to burn their house down or hurt anyone, being the rather well-behaved child he was. He also loved his parents, and took what they had told him rather seriously given they were treating him not just as a child, but as someone who'd one day hold a great deal of responsibility. And eventually he was taken in by AcadeMMO on his 14th birthday. Things sort of went downhill from here though he endured it without complaint. Given his appearance and Class, it was sort of inevitable that bullies would naturally home onto Rian. Rather than give them any satisfaction though, he simply poured himself into his studies and training; intent on proving himself with actual results rather than empty words and actions. And so he did. While he didn't gain too much popularity with the other students during Special Assignments, he was practically loved by the more conventional military forces. With his abilities debilitating ExBeasts, their previously useless weaponry were back in use and capable of felling the monsters. Of course there were some that disliked the fact that they needed a Magi to do something, but many more simply liked being able to contribute to the battle once more. Thus the first year at AcadeMMO has passed, and Rian currently sits at a probationary D-Rank. He needs a few more Special Assignments to actually achieve the ranking, and he looks forward to them. Statistics: Level - 1 * HP - 2 (20) * MP - 12 (110) * Attack - 0 * Magic - 30 * Speed - 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 0 * Evasion - 20 * Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills Frailty [2] - 65m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.1 Magic), Two Targets (Level) Non-Elemental Visually a dark aura envelops the target(s), though it does not obscure the victim(s) from sight or any other means of detection. Decreases targeted stats by a total of 33 [0.5 X (Level X Magic)], divided by # of targets. Resistance, after reductions, is half effective against total stat decrease. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty." Rise Up [1]- 30m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.2 Magic), One Target, Non-Elemental Bathes a single target with green light. Recovers 16 HP (Level X 0.5 Magic) and grants a 11 (Level X 0.3 Magic) point buff to a targeted stat. Alternatively, the spell can heal for 25 HP (Level X 0.75 Magic) with no buff applied. "Stand strong, fight on, Rise Up!"</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Winnifred gave out a hefty sigh and flopped over to her bed in her dorm room, surverying the room to make sure all of her belongings were in their proper places. Between the opening ceremony, double checking which class would be held where so she wouldn't get lost this year, and moving back into the dorms, she hadn't gotten much time yet today to relax. She let herself lay on the bed for a few more minutes before sitting up and pushing herself off the bed. She figured she needed a proper, casual walk to stretch her legs and she was bored anyway. Maybe there'd be something interesting going on elsewhere on school grounds. The first thought that entered her mind as she began walking was that perhaps there would be students having practice matches in the academy's gym already. She thought that'd at least be exciting to watch, and so she made that her destination. However, as Winnifred arrived and opened the door to look inside, she was just about immediately disappointed. From the looks of things, a much had indeed been going on, that was for sure. But it also looked like it had already finished up. Not only that, but of the two apparent participants - a boy and a girl who were already mid-conversation with a couple of others - the boy seemed in especially bad shape. The only response Winnifred gave as she observed was a quiet "Hmph," of intrigue. She hadn't expected other students to be getting into such intense matches right away, she at least thought'd it'd be a day or two. Winnifred suddenly realized she'd still been watching the whole time through the gym's doorway. After a brief internal debate as to whether she should leave or stick around, she decided she'd already walked all the way here and still didn't have much to do anyway just yet, so she stepped properly inside the gym and took a seat for the time being. Winnifred figured she'd at least wait a bit and see how things went, or at least see if any other matches started up.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Someone who had been watching from the stands stepped down and began to scold Hazel for using too much force. Hayato appreciated his concern, and to be honest watching Hazel get an earful was a little cathartic, but he was more or less okay...Better off than whatever creatures had faced her in the past, he was sure. As the magi helped him up, however, Hayato couldn't help but notice the sword at his side. Magic Classes didn't usually use weapons, did they? "Thanks, but I think I'll be okay with some rest..." he started to say, before someone else walked into the building. From the look of it, "she" was a cleric. Quickly taking in the situation, the healer canceled the other boy's request for infirmary aid and offered "her" own services. "Actually, since you're here, yeah." Hayato said, shaking his head as he confessed his weakness. "No point being macho about it...that was rough. Quicker I'm healed, the sooner I can work on getting stronger." He looked over at Hazel, finally realizing what Professor Gene had meant. Real field experience, huh? "So many you can't remember the number...I guess that's really the difference between us. Only Special Assignments I've ever gone on were non-combat things that I needed for some spending money or extra credit. Up until now, I've just focused on self training." He looked down at his sword hand, which was still trembling from the blow his arm had taken. He clenched it into a fist. "Let's fight again sometime, Hazel. I'll do a lot better then." Then he looked back over at the Magi who had helped him up. "By the way, are you a Magic or a Martial Class? Odd for a magi to carry around a sword, isn't it?" He pointed at the jian-styled weapon.</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga Ryouta's expression did not change when she compared the two factions within the school, using him as an example. His scowl on her did not deepen. Even when she insinuated that Magi needed to be coddled. He knew there was an unspoken biasness through the way the school worked. "That's some very warped view of things you've got." He shook his head. Then he slowly let go of the boy to the cleric, careful not to make his injuries worse. When he was asked about his sword, he simply made a wry smile: "You've got a lot of breath for someone who had his shoulder broken!" He chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood, there was a little evasiveness about it. Then he turned to the Cleric and nodded. "Kindly take good care of ...Hayato? I have to go report this incident." Ryouta got up and started walking away towards the exit then the offIces, but not before glancing behind at the girl, "_I'd rather have him at our side than you._"</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li "Ok then," he said dismissively, shrugging, as he turned to the more injured party. Evidently the girl had some issues with Magi, but that was her problem in the end. While a part of him did want to try her in the arena just to see if he could bring her down a peg, the larger part simply argued it wasn't worth it. If he did win she'd probably hold a massive grudge given him being a Cleric and if he lost... then yeah. "As for you," he murmured softly to Hayato as he closed his eyes to better focus himself. Forgoing the incantation given he was in no rush, Rian simply let his mental focus shape and form the spell. Given the condition of his patient's arm he figured a double dose would be appropriate. The spell's signature green glow intensified as he poured more mana into it before the light began to dim and fade away. Opening his eyes, he brought a hand up to his chest and slowly exhaled. "Should be all good now. Nice to see someone who doesn't turn down help." Though he had his own share of Special Assignments, he wasn't being asked the question, so he didn't bother commenting. He did glance at the older student who was walking away, sighing in annoyance at his partng words. "You think you could just drop it? Hayato here's been fixed up and injuries are inevitable when spars happen. I'd rather not get called in for something as small as this." He hoped that the older student would see reason because otherwise his first day back would be off to a sour note.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Up on the roof, Soka sat down. He pulled off his backpack and set it down, before beginning to look inside of it. Bringing out a folded, multi-layer paper, he closed the backpack again. Unfolding the map of the school grounds, he began to study the layout. In his left hand, he moved around a silver coin between his fingers.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel frowned as Hayato accepted the Cleric's help. Hmph. Unbelievable, he's going to let a girl act more macho then him? "Field experience matters. No matter how long you train nothing compares to what you learn doing real stuff." She hesitated for a moment, then spoke before she could stop herself. "Maybe you can tag along with me some time, see what real combat is like." She regretted it instantly. She didn't want to have someone else drag her behind, but it was too late now. She gave no indication that the offer was a mistake. She smiled, this time her real-but-not-real smile again. Despite everything, there was something about him. She wanted to help Hayato Nishimura. "Also, yeah, we can fight again." The prickly observer turned to leave, but not before dropping another disparaging comment. She huffed as he walked away. She turned to Hayato, "He is a Magi," Hazel didn't only excel on the battlefield, but also in the classroom, "His crest belongs to the Magical Research Society. He also fits the part." She sighed, "Reporting us for sparring. Clearly you came out no worse for the ware. This is part of our training. I don't hate Magi, but some of them really don't get how it works for Knights. Injuries happen all the time!"</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga _You think you could just drop it? Hayato here's been fixed up and injuries are inevitable when spars happen. I'd rather not get called in for something as small as this._ He looked over his other shoulder and gave a very slight nod, making sure the arrogant girl did not see it. Though there was no reason the Cleric, whose name was unknown to him still, would be called in - If anything, they would simply give credit to him foR quickly responding to a scene! Someone still had to explain the situation if they saw the recording, because fRom where he watched it certainly seemed like an intended lethal attack, Hayato was just fortunate. As a senior, it was his duty to make sure the younger ones were safe. Ryouta reminded himself. But he guessed he could lighten the gravity of things ....this time.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura The magi with the sword evaded his question, causing Hayato to tilt his head to one side with a quizzical look. But, saying that he'd have to report them, the other boy headed for the doors. "Whoa wait, I don't think a report's really necess--" Too late. Hayato sighed. The Cleric agreed with him, and as "she" began to cast her spell he tried to relax and let the magic do its job. There was a slight pop as the damaged veins and muscle began to knit themselves back together, and the bruises began to fade underneath his shirt. "Man, that's a lot better!" He smiled in relief and stood straighter, flexing his now fixed arms. "Thanks, uh...sorry, I don't know your name. I'm Hayato, nice to meet you." Hazel had her own bit to say about the boy who had left, but Hayato just shook his head. "Magical Research Society, huh? Maybe the sword's part of something they're working on?" He scratched his chin with a grin. "Anyway, thanks for the offer, Hazel. I'd be grateful if you'd show me the ropes! I'll try not to be a burden."</s>	<\|message\|>Rian Li Sighing softly as he just noticed the barely perceptible tilt of the senior's head, Rian hoped this would be the last time he'd have to deal with this particular situation. Twirling one of his hanging locks of hair, he glanced through the remaining spectators for a moment before looking away. Turning his attention back to the revived patient, the Cleric nodded as he watched Hayato test his arm, happy to see that everything seemed to be well. Clasping both hands in front of him, he gave a slight bow in reply to the greeting before answering softly. "A pleasure, my name is Rian." Raising his head he gave the Knight a small smile before sighing quietly under his breath once more. While the girl was correct, given how accessible medical care was on campus, Hayato's injury could have been pretty bad had it not been treated. Still, in the end there was no harm done so there no point in trying to make a fuss. "Well if that's all I suppose I might see you two around then." Rian gave them a few moments to respond if they wanted to, but otherwise he was planning to find his dorm and drop things off.</s>
<\|description\|>Rian Li Age: 15 Gender: Male Class: Dark Cleric Appearance: Rian's height (5'2/1.58m) and weight (110lb./49kg) don't do much to help his feminine looks, given he's rather petite in stature. Still, though Rian's features are soft, his mannerisms tell a similar yet different story; there is plenty of steel holding up the pretty exterior. History: Suffice to say, but Rian's life prior to attending AcadeMMO was fairly mundane. They were fortunate enough to live in an area free of most ExBeast attacks and thus knew peace and simplicity in their lives. He was an only child, and began to exhibit signs of potential rather early on. Given that the school did not accept applicants until they were 14, it was up to his two parents to figure out how to deal with their gifted child. Thankfully his powers were fairly tame, and a bit of research revealed he would likely be classified as a Cleric. To that, a collective sigh of relief was breathed for the Li household. While fascinated by his powers, Rian didn't really want to burn their house down or hurt anyone, being the rather well-behaved child he was. He also loved his parents, and took what they had told him rather seriously given they were treating him not just as a child, but as someone who'd one day hold a great deal of responsibility. And eventually he was taken in by AcadeMMO on his 14th birthday. Things sort of went downhill from here though he endured it without complaint. Given his appearance and Class, it was sort of inevitable that bullies would naturally home onto Rian. Rather than give them any satisfaction though, he simply poured himself into his studies and training; intent on proving himself with actual results rather than empty words and actions. And so he did. While he didn't gain too much popularity with the other students during Special Assignments, he was practically loved by the more conventional military forces. With his abilities debilitating ExBeasts, their previously useless weaponry were back in use and capable of felling the monsters. Of course there were some that disliked the fact that they needed a Magi to do something, but many more simply liked being able to contribute to the battle once more. Thus the first year at AcadeMMO has passed, and Rian currently sits at a probationary D-Rank. He needs a few more Special Assignments to actually achieve the ranking, and he looks forward to them. Statistics: Level - 1 * HP - 2 (20) * MP - 12 (110) * Attack - 0 * Magic - 30 * Speed - 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 0 * Evasion - 20 * Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills Frailty [2] - 65m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.1 Magic), Two Targets (Level) Non-Elemental Visually a dark aura envelops the target(s), though it does not obscure the victim(s) from sight or any other means of detection. Decreases targeted stats by a total of 33 [0.5 X (Level X Magic)], divided by # of targets. Resistance, after reductions, is half effective against total stat decrease. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty." Rise Up [1]- 30m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.2 Magic), One Target, Non-Elemental Bathes a single target with green light. Recovers 16 HP (Level X 0.5 Magic) and grants a 11 (Level X 0.3 Magic) point buff to a targeted stat. Alternatively, the spell can heal for 25 HP (Level X 0.75 Magic) with no buff applied. "Stand strong, fight on, Rise Up!"</s> <\|message\|>John Harley Seeing as he had nothing better to do at the moment John had been watching the match, and what he saw changed his opinions. _Wow, even Fused I doubt I would be able to defeat either of them. Looks like I underestimated the Martial Classes."_ Seeing as both fighters were still in the gym, he rushed down the steps wanting to congratulate them on a great match. "You two were really impressive out there,especially you." That last part was directed to the female Knight, not that he thought her opponent had fought poorly.</s> <\|message\|>Shin Yukimura Sometimes he really did wonder why he was forced into listening to such utter nonsense... Oh right. Because if he didn't, he'd have someone most likely being sent to find him and drag his ass back into that hall to sit an listen to nearly an hour's worth of sleep-inducing idiocy. He had nearly fallen asleep at this little 'speech' last year, and to be honest it hadn't improved this year either. Geez. It was like listening to a really old and rusty robot that did nothing but repeat itself, kami, he'd have to shoot the damn thing to bits if that were really true. Or throw it into a wall, that could work just as well. Idle thoughts passed through the elder's head as he waited for the Dean to finishing droning on and on like a broken record. After another five minutes, it was at last finally over. All the while the lithe young man had retained that rather pleased smiling expression of his, it was like a default setting. Put up in front of others no matter what he may be feeling. Huh. Now wasn't that a nice comparison? Hm. Then again perhaps not the smartest idea he had ever come up with. Not that he was going to broadcast comparing the Dean and how he acted to an old robot, Shin was certainly not that stupid in the least. Stretching as he stood, the silver haired male rolling back his right shoulder to release the building tension there. After all, who wouldn't be all tense and stiff after sitting in one spot for nearly two hours? Heading out a little behind the others, the tall male's view cast itself across the sea of new students. No one that really looked all that interesting to be honest. Such a shame. But he wasn't really here for the fighting, at least, he hadn't been for the past two years. Oh well. Groups of both females and males, as well as mixed groups quickly formed as he headed a little ways down one of the main halls. At the very least over the summer he got to return home and see those he knew, it was tiring but fun... well somewhat. If you considered getting jumped on by children all day long to be fun then you'd have a great time, sure, it was fun at first. But after a few weeks, it was simply exhausting. It felt like he'd come back here for a break, not to start doing boring and dull work all over again. Ugh. Still, unlike many he wasn't running about like a total moron trying to sort their dorm out. His had been sorted hours ago, plus that unlike many his room was never changed. Why? Well for one he wasn't a fan of hauling his stuff around every new year, and secondly because some of the teachers had thought it good that he would come back to 'something familiar'. Shin didn't mind it, but the concept was from his first year and it was a little outdated to say the least. Even so for the rest of the day he had nothing to even do. It really was a bore. Bugging some too early normally meant he would get a mouthful later, so he'd avoid that for now. Instead he might as well go check out some of the freshmen. It was like a ritual every year, first year students flooded to any gym they could to train, show off, spar, talk or even end up in an all own brawl. Almost like a right of passage in some ways. Making his way to said gym at a slow pace, the elder male coming to lean against the door-frame that lead into the room, easily allowing him to see. These kids were always so enthusiastic about everything for about the first week, it was then that everything went to hell and back to a regular routine. Ah well. From a quick observation, it would seem a match had just ended. Others already having gone down to help out and talk, well that certainly didn't take long. A hidden gaze cast itself to the side, the lithe gunner spotting others watching in the stands as well. As if waiting for what would happen next, it was like they were watching TV; so hooked they couldn't look away. Others seemed just as bored as he was, and that was saying something. Even so he wasn't about to start a fight now, so he merely remained where he was. It was far better to gauge the abilities of others here before he did anything himself, that was basic tactics after all.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Bye, Rian. See you around!" Hayato waved enthusiastically as the healer left. "She" was pretty cute, he thought, as he turned back to the others. Definitely not as clashing a personality as Hazel...although the other Knight wasn't bad herself. Not wanting to go off on that tangent at the moment, though, Hayato instead turned his attention to someone else who'd come down from the stands. They must have drawn a bit of a crowd, huh? He looked up to see who else was around, and lo and behold there was another girl, one with bright blonde hair. He gave a simple nod of acknowledgement when she noticed him looking at her, then turned to see if there was anyone else in the stands. He noticed someone by the doors, too, probably someone who had stopped by to see if anyone else was in the building. The boy looked to be Japanese, like him, though he had silver hair. And the gun on his hip didn't look standard issue; was he an older student? Lots of opportunities to meet people today, from the looks of it. Now that Hayato thought about it, aside from the two or three people sitting immediately next to him in his classes, he'd never really gotten to know many people at the Academy. And for Special Assignments, he would need to make friends that he could party up with, right? He pondered this for a moment, before shrugging and turning back to Hazel. "I'm gonna go ahead on to the dorms, I'll see you later." he said with a wave, before turning and heading out of the gym, hands in his pockets. As he passed the silver haired boy he nodded at him too, with that look that said "'Sup," in the way guys often did without actually speaking. Then he began the trek across campus towards the boys' dorm, stretching his fully healed shoulders before folding his hands behind his head. This year was gonna be very different, for sure.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley Part of John just wanted to walk onto Combat Training area to have a match himself. But he resisted the urge not just because he lacked an opponent, but also because if he fought at least one Ex-Beast would get hurt needlessly. Instead he left the gym and decided to spend dome time on the final touches of decorating his dorm room. He eventually arrived at the Rank E dorm building, the dorm that the farthest away from the campus's other facilities. Despite the fact that this was John's third year at AcadeMMO he had so far refused to perform any Special Assignments, and as such he not only was still the lowest rank but had to repeat the second year.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "I see. You better not get owned after she disrespected you like that. Show her you're worth. You can tell me all about it later. I'm going to the dorms. I'll see you", Joe said. Taking a few steps forward before he stopped and turned back. Mouthing: "She's like two feet. This shouldn't be hard, right?", smirking before leaving again. He had heard of her before, she was apparently perfect in everything but had an attitude. This would be much more a challenge than Joe made it out to be. He hoped he would be fine, he wanted to get stronger after all. If he got beaten by a two feet little girl that disrespected him it would probable be soulcrushing. Joe knew he would have completely lost his self esteem. He relaxed against the front wall of the dorm, with a map in his hand taking everything in. He purposely choose to not go with the tour so he'd have to learn everything on his own. He worked up a sweat ten minutes ago, enough to have an actual effect but not enough to leave him aching for the training tomorrow. He already sorted out his room, so that wasn't a problem. Looking up, he'd notice that his previous conversation partner came back. His hands in his pockets walking casually. Joe waved to get his attention. "So, how was the fight? What's her fighting style like?", Joe smirked. "Probable defensive wasn't it?"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato found the boy from before, whose name he still hadn't learned, at the dorms. When the other student saw him he called out and asked about the spar. "So, how was the fight? What's her fighting style like?", he smirked. "Probable defensive wasn't it?" Hayato grimaced and rubbed one of his shoulders. "No, actually, she hits like a freaking truck. Her defenses and evasion skills are probably her weakest traits, but she has enough speed and strength to make up for the lack of technique." He sighed. "But she didn't get that way just by training. She's been on a lot of Special Assignments, out there fighting actual Exbeasts while I've just been in a dojo swinging a shinai around. Tomorrow, I'm going to start changing that." Again he held out his hand to shake with the other boy. "Sorry about getting pulled away before. I still never caught your name."</s>	<\|message\|>Rian Li Nodding slightly at Hayato, Rian readjusted the bags' position before making his way out of the room. Sighing as the automatic doors hissed shut behind him, he brushed his robes, getting rid of some dust near his legs, before turning about to reorient himself. It took a few moments as he tried to figure out where buildings were in relation to his position, but soon enough he was headed off towards the administration building to get things sorted out. It took a while to sort things out once he got there since, to his surprise, he had been assigned a room in the D-Rank dormitory despite his rank being conditional. There were also minor issues like some of the employees finding him "cute" or it hard to believe he was actually "male". Pausing by a window as he stared at the feminine reflection Rian sighed softly, brushing a lock of hair back into place, before continuing on his way. He'd gotten over the fact that he'd be mistaken for a girl rather shortly after he'd arrived at AcadeMMO. If he hadn't and had instead fussed over it, no doubt the "bullies" would have hounded him over it, amongst other things. As things stood though, for the moment at the least, there was little trouble for him on school grounds. His new dormitory didn't really look too different from the building he'd stayed in last year, and Rian took a moment to explore the exterior rather than head right in. It only took him a few minutes and it let him familiarize himself with the exits and entrances to his new home for the year. Heading in afterwards, he looked around at the lobby-like room that greeted him, taking in the details like the tables with couches seated around and notice boards hanging by one wall. At the moment it was fairly empty, though he waved in greeting to the few that glanced towards him.</s>
<\|description\|>Rian Li Age: 15 Gender: Male Class: Dark Cleric Appearance: Rian's height (5'2/1.58m) and weight (110lb./49kg) don't do much to help his feminine looks, given he's rather petite in stature. Still, though Rian's features are soft, his mannerisms tell a similar yet different story; there is plenty of steel holding up the pretty exterior. History: Suffice to say, but Rian's life prior to attending AcadeMMO was fairly mundane. They were fortunate enough to live in an area free of most ExBeast attacks and thus knew peace and simplicity in their lives. He was an only child, and began to exhibit signs of potential rather early on. Given that the school did not accept applicants until they were 14, it was up to his two parents to figure out how to deal with their gifted child. Thankfully his powers were fairly tame, and a bit of research revealed he would likely be classified as a Cleric. To that, a collective sigh of relief was breathed for the Li household. While fascinated by his powers, Rian didn't really want to burn their house down or hurt anyone, being the rather well-behaved child he was. He also loved his parents, and took what they had told him rather seriously given they were treating him not just as a child, but as someone who'd one day hold a great deal of responsibility. And eventually he was taken in by AcadeMMO on his 14th birthday. Things sort of went downhill from here though he endured it without complaint. Given his appearance and Class, it was sort of inevitable that bullies would naturally home onto Rian. Rather than give them any satisfaction though, he simply poured himself into his studies and training; intent on proving himself with actual results rather than empty words and actions. And so he did. While he didn't gain too much popularity with the other students during Special Assignments, he was practically loved by the more conventional military forces. With his abilities debilitating ExBeasts, their previously useless weaponry were back in use and capable of felling the monsters. Of course there were some that disliked the fact that they needed a Magi to do something, but many more simply liked being able to contribute to the battle once more. Thus the first year at AcadeMMO has passed, and Rian currently sits at a probationary D-Rank. He needs a few more Special Assignments to actually achieve the ranking, and he looks forward to them. Statistics: Level - 1 * HP - 2 (20) * MP - 12 (110) * Attack - 0 * Magic - 30 * Speed - 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 0 * Evasion - 20 * Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills Frailty [2] - 65m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.1 Magic), Two Targets (Level) Non-Elemental Visually a dark aura envelops the target(s), though it does not obscure the victim(s) from sight or any other means of detection. Decreases targeted stats by a total of 33 [0.5 X (Level X Magic)], divided by # of targets. Resistance, after reductions, is half effective against total stat decrease. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty." Rise Up [1]- 30m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.2 Magic), One Target, Non-Elemental Bathes a single target with green light. Recovers 16 HP (Level X 0.5 Magic) and grants a 11 (Level X 0.3 Magic) point buff to a targeted stat. Alternatively, the spell can heal for 25 HP (Level X 0.75 Magic) with no buff applied. "Stand strong, fight on, Rise Up!"</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga ### Day 2, First Semester "Mr. Himonaga!" "..yes-" Ryouta stopped playing with his watch, a hologram emitter that served as a personal assistant device amongst other things, such technology could have only been made with the compliments of Magic that manipulated dust in the air. It beeped off and he looked up - only to see his P.E teacher in trekking pants and a windbreaker, staring at him with a displeased look on her face. "-Madame?" "Why aren't you in running attire!?" She asked loudly, a large portion of his class turned to look at them. "Asthma." "Again?" She asked, suspcicious of him. "If you have asthma YOU should be running more!" Ryouta would argue that logic otherwise but he just nodded along, drowning her words out with his own thoughts, she did not seem in the mood foR a biology lesson. "...Go to the nurse's offIce and get me a--!" "Here." Ryouta whipped out a slip of paper quicker than she could finish, he handed it over to her with both hands fRom which she snatched and read. Her irritated expression bore down on him after she read it but as usual, she could not do anything about it and walked away. "Thnk you for you hard work." Ryouta whispered cheekily (as is the custom of Japanese to say after someone provides a service) when she walked out of earshot, he enjoyed these little triumphs every now and then. Excercising at dawn made no sense to him, a cup of strong tea already kept him awake, being all sweaty and exhausted would not make him anymore alert. Like would having hot, spicy food cool you down? No. But there are many others who thinks it would. Sometimes the warped view of things these people had really made no sense to him. Speaking of odd people. In the distance he spied three of his classmates, three girls who were according to their scores, rather skillful adepts. And they were looking straight at him. Curious as to what they wanted, he raised a hand and waved at them. But immediately they turned around and ran as quickly as they could in the other direction, in a series of squeals - leaving him bewildred and frankly, kind of disturbed. It must be the stress around here....... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The noon sessions are over. Ryouta stretched out his hands and bent his fingers outwards, it was an early dismissal from Folk Lore, one of his favourite classes. It was a class particularly popular with Summoners, as they get to learn about exotic and potentially undocumented exbeasts. There was even a catching trend among them to see who could make a contract with one of the rarer creatures, kind of like an old game kids used to play, it promoted a rather friendly yet competitive comraderie among these peculiar Magi. He sometimes envied them. Looking at the timetable, it was time to select a mission. Ryouta grabbed his bag and sauntered down to the area where the available tasks were displayed, the place was bustling with people and already he could tell the cliques that were forming. Everyone wanted a balanced party with all the roles covered, to be with close friends or to simply pair up with the most reknowned students foR fame and whatnot. Most seniors already had groups they were used to too .....except for him. He had different criterias. Tapping his watch again, the screen lit up with a list of somesorts. There were ticks and crosses that marked each sentence. He perused the stands while often referring back to it, as if looking for something specifically. He felt a few pairs of eyes watching him but it was usual, everyone who has not found a group yet were probably considered carefully by those who already have and needed one more. It was still no less awkward though. He hurried ahead to the D-Rank boards after noting down several A/B/C-Rank missions and politely refusing a few offers. "Ah. There we go." Ryouta mused to himself when he saw the word 'cockatrice' appear in one of the listings, taking down it's serial number and location quickly. It was then when he saw a farmiliar face. Weaving past a couple, he came up behind his victim. "Hehey, how's your shoulder doing?" He slapped a hand on said shoulder of the freshmen he met yesterday.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel awoke, fresh and ready for her first _real_ day of school. Yesterday was exciting, but there really was nothing like the feeling of excelling at something. At least that was the case for Hazel. She woke up early, picked a nice outfit, showered, put her makeup on, and was off in a flash. Breakfast for Hazel was a quick affair: Junk food from one of AcadeMMO's many vending machines eaten on the way to her first class. She was lucky that she exercised so much because Hazel frankly ate like crap. The day started, as expected, with PE. Hazel was, naturally, over-competitive with everything and went hard with whatever activity was given. After that she found herself in her academic classes. When it came to these classes she was focused and didn't miss a thing. Afterwards she spent a quick lunch period her friends, and the day morphed into Martial classes. Hazel was, of course, in an advanced swordsmanship class. Most people outright refused to spar with her, but it was hard to fault them for it. Hazel didn't see it that way, however, and they were cowards as far as she was concerned. So she found herself practicing against dummies for most of the period. She knew her defense was sloppy, but it was hard to practice that against practice targets. The rest of her Martial classes passed by quickly, and she found herself in a few short hours approaching the Special Assignments board. She suddenly remembered her promise to Hayato. She did say that she would go on a Assignment with him, but realized she left him with no way to contact her. Hazel stared at the the A-Ranked boards, but she soon noticed Hayato at the D-Ranked section. _Speak of the devil... I guess I have to follow through on what I said._ She sighed, and started approaching. That was, until she spied the uptight Magi from yesterday. Approaching Hayato. Hazel stopped. _No damn way. I told the guy I'd help him but..._ She sighed once again, and resumed her approach. Hazel didn't believe in going back on her word. She moved past the upperclassman and parked herself on the far side of Hayato. She didn't bother greeting him, and didn't bother to let him return the senior's greeting. "I told you I'd go on a mission with you, so if you want to now is your chance."</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Immediately after the end of her last class, Winnifred made her way to the special assignments board. She stood in front of it, a serious gaze on her face as she studied the assignments listed. In her first year she'd only done just enough to make to to a D Rank, and was determined to do better this time around, now that she wasn't a complete newbie at the academy this year. Still, she didn't want to take something that'd be too overwhelming when she was just getting back into the swing of things. On top of that, she'd need allies as well. Glancing around at the other students gathered in front of the board, she recognized a couple familiar faces. The boy and the girl who'd had that match in the gym the day before were already looking at the assignment list, from the looks of it. Winnifred figured it couldn't hurt to see what they had in mind, and approached them. "Hey, I saw you two in the gym the yesterday," she said, a friendly smile on her face in an attempt to make a good first impression. "So what kind of assignment are you guys looki..." About mid-sentence she noticed another boy was also standing by the two and realized it seemed as if they may have been in the middle of talking already. "Uhh, I mean, sorry to interrupt! Don't mind me!" Winnifred laughed a bit nervously.</s>	<\|message\|>Rian Li The rest of Rian's day passed by in unremarkable mediocrity; he settled himself into his new room, headed to the campus cafeteria for a meal, made use of the fitness facilities, and then turned himself in rather early to prepare for the next day. Though he shared greetings or chatted with several acquaintances, nothing on the scope of what happened at the arena occurred once more for him. ---- When he awoke, it wasn't exactly as bright and early as some who knew of how he had spent his summer months might have expected. There was just enough time for Rian to get himself ready and head over to the cafeteria for breakfast. before arriving just in time for the first period of class. Stretching on his own accord as the class gathered and waited for the teacher, he tuned out the hushed whispers of those who had yet to be in physical education with him. Despite being rather physically fit, it was in a manner that was lithe and graceful, so it actually only emphasized his feminine appearance. After that came the more mundane courses that could be found in most schools in one form or the other around the world. Frankly it was a bit hard for him to pay attention given the way things were, but he pushed himself to focus through. Even then his attention wandered and Rian had to stop himself from dozing off a few times, often resorting to playing with his hair for simply something to do. 'Come on… if any of them find out, they're going to be annoyed.' As he reminded himself for not the first time, the thought nonetheless gave him a bit of a push to sit up straighter and focus. After lunch when the Magic courses came around, Rian threw himself at the course and their materials as per usual. Utterly different from himself during the morning periods, his interest towards the supernatural when compared to the mundane was fairly obvious to anyone with functioning eyes. Though he wasn't exactly enthusiastic during these periods, his contrasting mannerisms made it quite apparent that this was what he really looked forward to. ---- As classes came to a close, Rian followed his usual routine and wandered over to the lobby to look for an appropriate Special Assignment. Unsurprisingly, given it was the first day, there was quite the crowd already there to pick up whatever Assignments were being offered. A quick glance, from even the complete back of the crowd, let Rian tell there weren't many he was interested in taking, and none he would have actively tried to pursue. He did see a few that he figured would be easy enough if he could find a willing group he could participate in. In fact… though it was a bit hard to tell given the crowd in his way, Rian thought he saw Hayato from yesterday closer to the holoscreen. The Knight had seemed amiable enough to Clerics and given he had healed the taller boy yesterday, Rian figured there was a good chance of being accepted to a "party". Pushing his way through the crowd served to be plenty hard given his stature, and it was with some effort that he managed to arrive near the black-haired teen. Clutching at his chest, he sighed lightly as he managed to extract himself from the throng of students before he looked around. It seemed that Hayato wasn't alone, but the whole gang from yesterday was around; even the blonde had been a spectator if he wasn't mistaken. Taking a moment to smooth out his beige robes, he finally raised a hand in greeting towards the gathered students. "Afternoon, don't suppose any of you are interested in the D-Rank: Cockatrice Hunt Assignment?"</s>
<\|description\|>Rian Li Age: 15 Gender: Male Class: Dark Cleric Appearance: Rian's height (5'2/1.58m) and weight (110lb./49kg) don't do much to help his feminine looks, given he's rather petite in stature. Still, though Rian's features are soft, his mannerisms tell a similar yet different story; there is plenty of steel holding up the pretty exterior. History: Suffice to say, but Rian's life prior to attending AcadeMMO was fairly mundane. They were fortunate enough to live in an area free of most ExBeast attacks and thus knew peace and simplicity in their lives. He was an only child, and began to exhibit signs of potential rather early on. Given that the school did not accept applicants until they were 14, it was up to his two parents to figure out how to deal with their gifted child. Thankfully his powers were fairly tame, and a bit of research revealed he would likely be classified as a Cleric. To that, a collective sigh of relief was breathed for the Li household. While fascinated by his powers, Rian didn't really want to burn their house down or hurt anyone, being the rather well-behaved child he was. He also loved his parents, and took what they had told him rather seriously given they were treating him not just as a child, but as someone who'd one day hold a great deal of responsibility. And eventually he was taken in by AcadeMMO on his 14th birthday. Things sort of went downhill from here though he endured it without complaint. Given his appearance and Class, it was sort of inevitable that bullies would naturally home onto Rian. Rather than give them any satisfaction though, he simply poured himself into his studies and training; intent on proving himself with actual results rather than empty words and actions. And so he did. While he didn't gain too much popularity with the other students during Special Assignments, he was practically loved by the more conventional military forces. With his abilities debilitating ExBeasts, their previously useless weaponry were back in use and capable of felling the monsters. Of course there were some that disliked the fact that they needed a Magi to do something, but many more simply liked being able to contribute to the battle once more. Thus the first year at AcadeMMO has passed, and Rian currently sits at a probationary D-Rank. He needs a few more Special Assignments to actually achieve the ranking, and he looks forward to them. Statistics: Level - 1 * HP - 2 (20) * MP - 12 (110) * Attack - 0 * Magic - 30 * Speed - 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 0 * Evasion - 20 * Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills Frailty [2] - 65m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.1 Magic), Two Targets (Level) Non-Elemental Visually a dark aura envelops the target(s), though it does not obscure the victim(s) from sight or any other means of detection. Decreases targeted stats by a total of 33 [0.5 X (Level X Magic)], divided by # of targets. Resistance, after reductions, is half effective against total stat decrease. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty." Rise Up [1]- 30m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.2 Magic), One Target, Non-Elemental Bathes a single target with green light. Recovers 16 HP (Level X 0.5 Magic) and grants a 11 (Level X 0.3 Magic) point buff to a targeted stat. Alternatively, the spell can heal for 25 HP (Level X 0.75 Magic) with no buff applied. "Stand strong, fight on, Rise Up!"</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li Giving the blonde a nod while grinning happily, Rian was glad to already have one willing participant. Thinking on it, he figured it might even be possible for the two of them to handle the mission themselves given their skill sets. He could debilitate the ExBeast and cripple is movement while Winnifred piled away at it. "A pleasure," he said softly, bowing somewhat before, "I'm Rian." He frowned a bit at Hayato's response but didn't really choose to otherwise comment. If that was the Assignment the boy wanted, Rian saw no reason to try and convince him otherwise. Before he could propose his idea to Winnifred though, several things happened in rather rapid succession. For some reason the older student decided to pick a bone with Hazel, though for what reason he personally couldn't see. Despite not knowing the language Hayato and their senior shared, it wasn't too hard to tell that it likely hadn't been friendly. While he had been largely neutral over yesterday's happenings, chalking it up to a senior being concerned for his juniors, but now this… And things only spiralled downwards from there on. As expected from what little he had seen of her, Hazel refused to back down while the, questionably now, older student simply continued to egg her on. Stepping away from the brewing confrontation, he shook his head slowly in disbelief before turning towards the blonde-haired gunner; the shit storm already pushed aside from his mind and its participants ignored. "Don't quite know," he admitted as he caught her looking towards him before he nodded away from the assignment board. "Personally, one enemy is where I do my best and I think we could take the creature down ourselves if you're willing. It'll mean more rewards between ourselves, but we'll have to get ready quick. Others no doubt will want to tag along if we dilly dally."</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe didn't really need anything to prepare. He didn't wear armor and he didn't use weapons, he was ready as it was. So he just shadowboxed a little as everyone else did their equipment and warmed up his muscles for combat. He never heard of the teleportation pad, it was a pretty cool sight. The others had their little shiny weapons. Joe wasn't impressed. He knew he was about to fuck shit up regardless, this should be nothing but slaughter for them. They all were offensive focused and apparently they were low ranked monsters. All that Joe expected was a bloodbath and he was perfectly fine with that. As they entered the scene one of the researchers immediately caught them. Giving them a direction to where they are. Convenient. "I agree", he smiled at her. "He gave us a direction, so it's not like we need to search for something.", Joe pointed out. Already walking towards the north east. "Look out for monsters surrounding us but continue walking north-east without stopping unless you're sure you saw something.", Joe suggested while performing this same action.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Day 01 Haruka first day at school wasn't anything special, the usual ceremony at the start of every new school year unpacking in the dorms and the meeting of the group she does her assignments with. Her school timetable hasnt changed much from last year, her classes were seperated between night and day. It gave the opportunity to sleep during mid day and train at night after classes. But sleep was the last thing she needed, so training during the day and night wasnt a big problem to do. Her first night was peacefull for now since immediatly rushing to train is a bit to much, for now atleast. Day 02 Haruka has been sleeping well since a long time it gave her some comfort to be here in this school, it felt a little like a home to her. The daily morning excersizes were as usual for everyone. Still a lot of people had difficulties with it and stopped even before it started. She did her laps of running and took a shower in her dorm. Short after, she got to her classes which consisted of dodging hiding and knife trowing. The day passed on very quickly and it already free time was there for her to spent on training or sleeping. It didn't take long for her to decide what to do. Haruka went over to the assignment board to do some missions with who ever was around at the moment. Some rank B assignments would be fine for now, taking it easy for the first day was reasonable. When she arrived something seemed hugely off about this. The assignment board area was filled with students. Well it was predictable that this would happen, some of the students didn't pass because of their low rank and tried to keep it up a little this year. It made her think, only one tought went through her mind 'Way to forced' she moved through the crowd to the front and took a look at the assignments for today. It appeared there were only D ranking assignments. Which would mean all these people were probably around D rank. Well since she didn't have anything else to do, it would be fun to help some others maybe. Haruka wasn't that famous around the school for her rank or anything so most people wouldn't even notice that she was ranked A. Haruka quietly looked around her for maybe some younger shades that she could help.</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow "Hmm, maybe. Still, it might be a good idea to get one or two more people, you know?" Winnifred replied to Rian, giving it a few moments of thought. "I for sure wouldn't mind some a chance to get some extra rewards, but it can't hurt to have some extra helping hands. More safety in numbers and all that." Winnifred began looking around the crowd for any other students who may still be picking out their assignments or teams. "Of course," she added, "I'm fine with it being just the two of us if no one else does end up wanting to join us."</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga Ryouta had no choice but to honor a dying man's wishes, the boy was on a suicide journey. Even if he might have been doing it because he secretly had the hots for that child-psychopath, it was such a waste of life. Young, vibrant life. Gone. He silently mourned the passing. He stood up and turned to face the two speaking not-so-softly behind him, it seemed they were attracted to the same mission he needed. Listening to their discussion, it seems the Cleric was more interested in rewards than ensuring they survived. Ryouta, personally, was not too interested in the listed credits. But, like the girl said, a pair of helping hands would make things easier -for Ryouta. "You've got the right idea, young miss." He commented. "You were there at the arena yesterday ....right?" He faintly remembered someone with blonde hair. "I'll be on this mission too." He raised a handshake towards her and then one towards the Cleric.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Upon finally acquiring party members, Soka's excited expression soon dropped, hearing that the mission in the woods was actually IN Excaledvol. _Wait, no way! How did I miss that detail? Was that always part of the mission description??_ Soka looked at the board again and read the mission's description again. He didn't regret favoring this mission, but still he was surprised to go into another WORLD on his first day. _What if I die? What if a magic dinosaur eats me? What's going to happen...? I'm too young to die... I'm still a virgin!_ Of course, he wasn't the type to show unnecessary fear. "Alright, let's do this!" Soka grinned before running off to get his equipment. When he had his adventure attire on, the red-brown haired Soka entered the teleportation room with his soon-to-be comades. When they entered the new area, Soka stepped forward and looked around. After stretching, he touched the sword scabbard that was strapped onto his back. There was no sword in it, but it was certainly weighed down by something. To others though, it may have appeared he had an empty sword sheathe he was carrying around. It seemed he was with three Martial classes. The other person must have been a Magi, at least this was Soka's guess. Although Soka was an Adept, he enjoyed the thought of playing more of a support role, instead of direct offense. Because of this, he stayed several paces behind the three Martial classes when everyone began to ahead, ready to support any of his fellow team mates, should anyone be ambushed.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka focused on the voices around her and carefully listened to the people in difrent groups which assignment they would take. The cockatrice assignment seemed a little more daring to do. Having such a puny rat fight wouldnt be too fun anyway. When she foccused on the assignment name in particular she heared it 3 times from other groups. The team balance of all the teams didnt seem to combine well with her skills. Only one group could take her in where she would be atleast a bit usefull. Haruka spied the group for a small while, for if they were really gonna do the assignment and how the group acted. It was the job of a ninja to get information without letting anyone know, she had learned that in first year of school. Her size definitely helped her, there were a lot of tall people so it was hard to find out she was even there, a great oppertunity lets say. Haruka suddenly joined on it the group. She popped up next to Ryouta, she was in a calm mood and that could clearly be seen by her relaxed eyes and gentle smile. It was a rather special trait about her, that she is always calm about everything and nothing could make her stress out. Always thinking clear was the thing to do for certain. She needed to try and convince them to accept her to join their party now. If she said that she was an A rank it would become bothersom for her, so she didnt mention it at all. A warm calm voice sounded from her mouth "Hi, I was planning to do the cockatrice assignment and still needed to have a team. Since i heard you were also doing the quest, can i join you all?"</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow "Yeah, I was there," Winnifred replied, accepting the handshake from the boy who had suddenly spoke to her. "Didn't get there till the match ended, but oh well. Anyway, yeah, we were just talking about that assignment. Glad to have you on board if it means we don't get turned to stone, heh." Just as soon as Winnifred had finished speaking, another girl approached asking to join as well. "Fine with me. That'll give us four so far, huh? Name's Winnifred. Oh, and I'm a sniper. How about you two?" Winnifred was noticing by now after the sudden approach of these two that the cockatrice hunt really was popular after all. Of course Winnifred wasn't going to object to a full or near-full team.</s>	<\|message\|>Rian Li Resisting the urge to sigh as more participants appeared, one of them being the older student he'd tried to avoid, Rian kept whatever thoughts he had on the matter to himself as he accepted the handshake. Keeping the contact brief, he turned to the newest black-haired arrival and shrugged, seeing as Winnifred seemed to welcome the additional teammates. It would be annoying trying to juggle the wants of three others when looting the Beast's corpse if they were successful, and he did not look forward to it in the slightest. For the moment he gave the others his interest as the introductions seemed to be happening. "Rian, debuffs and healing," he chipped in from the side before either of the two had introduced himself. Given their appearances, and from what he remembered of yesterday, the older student was likely a Magi despite the weapon at his side and the girl looked to be a Martial Class, probably a Shade given how she'd appeared next to the senior of their group.</s>
<\|description\|>Rian Li Age: 15 Gender: Male Class: Dark Cleric Appearance: Rian's height (5'2/1.58m) and weight (110lb./49kg) don't do much to help his feminine looks, given he's rather petite in stature. Still, though Rian's features are soft, his mannerisms tell a similar yet different story; there is plenty of steel holding up the pretty exterior. History: Suffice to say, but Rian's life prior to attending AcadeMMO was fairly mundane. They were fortunate enough to live in an area free of most ExBeast attacks and thus knew peace and simplicity in their lives. He was an only child, and began to exhibit signs of potential rather early on. Given that the school did not accept applicants until they were 14, it was up to his two parents to figure out how to deal with their gifted child. Thankfully his powers were fairly tame, and a bit of research revealed he would likely be classified as a Cleric. To that, a collective sigh of relief was breathed for the Li household. While fascinated by his powers, Rian didn't really want to burn their house down or hurt anyone, being the rather well-behaved child he was. He also loved his parents, and took what they had told him rather seriously given they were treating him not just as a child, but as someone who'd one day hold a great deal of responsibility. And eventually he was taken in by AcadeMMO on his 14th birthday. Things sort of went downhill from here though he endured it without complaint. Given his appearance and Class, it was sort of inevitable that bullies would naturally home onto Rian. Rather than give them any satisfaction though, he simply poured himself into his studies and training; intent on proving himself with actual results rather than empty words and actions. And so he did. While he didn't gain too much popularity with the other students during Special Assignments, he was practically loved by the more conventional military forces. With his abilities debilitating ExBeasts, their previously useless weaponry were back in use and capable of felling the monsters. Of course there were some that disliked the fact that they needed a Magi to do something, but many more simply liked being able to contribute to the battle once more. Thus the first year at AcadeMMO has passed, and Rian currently sits at a probationary D-Rank. He needs a few more Special Assignments to actually achieve the ranking, and he looks forward to them. Statistics: Level - 1 * HP - 2 (20) * MP - 12 (110) * Attack - 0 * Magic - 30 * Speed - 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 0 * Evasion - 20 * Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills Frailty [2] - 65m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.1 Magic), Two Targets (Level) Non-Elemental Visually a dark aura envelops the target(s), though it does not obscure the victim(s) from sight or any other means of detection. Decreases targeted stats by a total of 33 [0.5 X (Level X Magic)], divided by # of targets. Resistance, after reductions, is half effective against total stat decrease. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty." Rise Up [1]- 30m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.2 Magic), One Target, Non-Elemental Bathes a single target with green light. Recovers 16 HP (Level X 0.5 Magic) and grants a 11 (Level X 0.3 Magic) point buff to a targeted stat. Alternatively, the spell can heal for 25 HP (Level X 0.75 Magic) with no buff applied. "Stand strong, fight on, Rise Up!"</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "It's time for a showdown.", Joe smirked. Looking around he discerned two types of enemies. A sort of bush/plant type where one had needles and where one didn't and this smaller, quicker looking plant type. "I see three types. Including the summon we're with six, it's best if we split up in groups of three. Each one of us attacking a different type of enemy. Summon boy and his ex-beast would count as one team, leaving four of us.", he suggested. "It's best if I don't fight needles since I don't use a weapon and I'll get cut with every hit.", he got himself in position. All of them were kind of deceptive, sometimes he would lose track of them just to appear back in their vision when they moved slightly. Looking at the first bush close to him that moved slightly he would just simply jump in the air and perform a downwards aerial attack. Attempting to hurt it with combos of powerful strikes before it even was able to get into a human form. Giving him the advantage of the first few strikes without the bush being able to do much about it.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner As the forest around them sprung to life Hazel raised her sword. She heard Joe's plan, but she didn't pay it any heed "Who cares, these guys are pipsqueaks, let's just cut them up!" She charged straight for the creature covered in needles, sword raised. As she met it she began to slash quickly, hoping to whack the plant to pieces.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka saw as the surroundings began to move. Well, I guess we found out what was moving in the bushes earlier. Soka and a creature exchanged glances. Soka: Hi.... Vine Blight: ... The Vine Blight sent a vine like a whip toward Soka. "Whoa!" Soka exclaimed, jumping to the right to avoid the vertical attack. The attack grazed his left shoulder. After getting his footing again, he stared in surprise at the nature-based creature. "You don't seem too bad," Soka said aloud. "At least you're not a dinosaur." Soka stayed in a ready position, waiting for any sign of another attack so that he could evade it again. .... Soka thought the Vine Blight was about to make a move again, when suddenly a burning pain splashed against his back. Turning, he saw three more of the monsters baring down on him. Two Vine Blights and a Needle Blight. His back burning in pain, Soka clenched a fist. The metal that was stored in his sword case oozed in liquid form toward Soka's hand. "You really shouldn't have done that."</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga "Nice to meet you, Haruka-chan." She was greeted with a friendly nod of the head after she had finished. Ryouta looked at the board contemplatively foR a moment, he seemed deep in thought then after a awhile he turned back to the group. "Give me a minute to get my equipment." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a brisk walk from the assignments area to the armory, placed conveniently for students who were in a hurry to participate in missions. When Ryouta returned he was in a new outfit, one that was ready for combat. He wore a bullet proof vest of dull-grey and matching trousers softly glowing neon blue stripes that interlocked at the sides, imbedded with mana circuits - these were made for the spell using population of the academy. He also wore a visor that displayed holographic Imagery in front of his right eye, alongside a matching glove on his right hand, pressumably his sword wielding hand. His sword still sat by his hip as usual, it's elegance a stark contrast to the rest of his appearance. Making his way to the Launch pad where Haruka was waiting, he tapped the screen of his watch, it seems he has found more and more uses foR it these days. A file titled "Rooster's Crow .mp3" appeared and he began downloading it immediately. Now all they had to do was wait foR everyone to gather and he (or someone) would input the coordinates into the console.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Joe vs Twig BlightAs the Striker came down on the transforming Exbeast, its shrubby body had half warped into a humanoid form. His first attack came down hard, slamming it to the earth with a crackle; its body, though changed by magic, still held the natural properties of wood. Like a stick cracked across one's knee, Joe's attack had broken pieces of its body. However, the creature's skinny form and small size made it much faster and more agile than its attacker, and with a howl like wind whistling through trees it clawed at the ground to scramble away from his combo. When its legs had fully formed it jumped to its feet, and now at full speed darted back at Joe. Its claws raked across his chest, though with his own reactions it was only a glancing blow that failed to draw blood. The Exbeast kept up the attack, once more trying to claw him with sharpened woody fingers... Hazel vs Needle BlightAgainst Hazel's sheer speed and power the Needle Blight was caught off guard, and though it raised its thorny forearms to try and block, her sword came down with a sharp crack. The creature squealed as its arms dropped to the forest floor like so much firewood; whereas Joe's attack was blunt in nature, Hazel's was a cutting force, and thus more effective against these plant like creatures. [Discovery: Blights suffer extra damage from cutting attacks!] Falling backwards, the Needle Blight scrambled backwards while shrieking at its comrades, no doubt searching for help. In addition, it raised the stumps of its arms and fired a hail of softly glowing needles at Hazel, the projectiles moving equally as fast as she had before... [Needle Blight used Needle Spray!] Soka vs 2 Vine Blights and Needle BlightOne of the Vine Blights simply lashed out like twin whips with its arms, attempting to strike Soka's arms and legs. The other, gurgling some odd sound that might have passed for a language, sent its lower body's tendrils into the ground. A few moments later, new vines pulsing with a green magic, erupted from the earth beneath Soka's feet and began to wrap around his legs. Try as he might, he couldn't pull free! [Vine Blight used Entangle! Soka's Speed drops by 10!] The Needle Blight raised both hands with a laugh that sounded like a dead tree limb cracking under a strong wind. Its arms were just beginning to glow when Hayato darted in from the side, mimicking Hazel with both arms brought far back, as if he were swinging a baseball bat instead of a sword. Just as the Needle Blight noticed him, he planted one foot and torqued his hips for all the power he could muster. At the same time his sword flashed black and blue. "Flash Blade!" The Needle Blight tried to step back, but in an arc of light one leg was severed entirely from its body, the limb flying end over end before collapsing to the ground, spurting some kind of sap. "They cut easy! If you have any magic or Skills that do that, go for it!" Hayato shouted, moving in on the downed enemy...</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "Really? They cut easy? Oh god damn it.". Joe complained comically. It was logical though, it wasn't his specialty and it was of the others. His opponent was fast so the way to win this one was to force it to trade blows with him. He awaited the next attack and stretched out his arms. Taking his next hit while grabbing his arm as he impacted. Forcing him to hopefully not be able to retract. If succeeded, he would use both hands so that the grip was stronger and it would be the twigs one hand versus two of his. After that was set up, he'd literally lay harsh low kicks attempting to sickly snap his legs and go for the kill if his opponent wasn't done already. Perhaps later he could improvise with his environment and use one of those shot needles to put them between each of his fingers as a fist. Changing his attack to sharp without sacrificing skill of not knowing how to work with it.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel smirked with satisfaction. Of course her sword skills would show up the Striker. She started to move in for her next attack, but was caught off guard as the creature used it's now stumped arms as a weapon. The needles came with considerable speed. I can't let those hit me, I have no idea what they do! She dived to the right, rolling as she hit the ground. She raised her sword again, holding it at waist level as she charged the creature again. This time I won't let you live long enough to counter attack! When she reached it she swung her sword around, aiming for its 'neck'. This time she aimed to take its 'head' off.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka began running, strafing to avoid the attacks of one of the Vine Blights. As he ran, his metal was forming into a thin blade, razor sharp at its edges. After avoiding the vine attacks, Soka controlled his floating metal blade. "Metal!" The metal blade, powered by magic and not strength, cut through the air at the vines that had just struck at the metal adept. Soka's aim was off however and the blade didn't connect. "It's a lot harder with moving targets," he mumbled. Soon though, he could feel a spell being cast and roots were wrapped around his legs. "Oi, let me go!" he said, trying to call his metal back to him. The Needle Blight had turned its attention to him and Soka was still stuck. Not good, not good. Thankfully his new ally came and intercepted the Needle attacker before it could hit him. "Yo, thanks Hayato," he called out, while beginning to cut at the vines that had trapped him.</s>	<\|message\|>Rian Li Watching as the two walked away Rian finally let out a sigh though he tried to keep any emotion from mixing in with the act. Glancing at Winnifred, who had yet to head off, he nodded in the direction Haruka had gone and said, "Guess I'll see you at the room." With that he followed in the same direction as Ryouta, having dropped off his belongings at the armoury the day before. He joined the others in the teleporter room a few minutes later, having not taken long to pick out and don his chosen gear. Gone was the flowing robe of soft fabric, and in its place was something that would have looked far more at home on an infantryman rather than a Cleric. There were some differences though such as the attire's coloration remaining beige, and the vest being for purely defensive purposes; no pouches or the like for storage. Armored plating was also woven onto the fabric in certain areas and while it did make the entire set heavier, it provided a good measure of defence and didn't hinder movement in the slightest. His footwear had also been swapped out for a pair of heavy boots that seemed to have seen a good amount of use given all the scuffs and markings on the material. In his right hand he held a plain and standard looking staff, this one ending with a two-pronged head. Nodding to the two he took up a position, leaning against the wall as he planted the butt of the staff against the floor, to wait for Winnifred's arrival.</s>
<\|description\|>Rian Li Age: 15 Gender: Male Class: Dark Cleric Appearance: Rian's height (5'2/1.58m) and weight (110lb./49kg) don't do much to help his feminine looks, given he's rather petite in stature. Still, though Rian's features are soft, his mannerisms tell a similar yet different story; there is plenty of steel holding up the pretty exterior. History: Suffice to say, but Rian's life prior to attending AcadeMMO was fairly mundane. They were fortunate enough to live in an area free of most ExBeast attacks and thus knew peace and simplicity in their lives. He was an only child, and began to exhibit signs of potential rather early on. Given that the school did not accept applicants until they were 14, it was up to his two parents to figure out how to deal with their gifted child. Thankfully his powers were fairly tame, and a bit of research revealed he would likely be classified as a Cleric. To that, a collective sigh of relief was breathed for the Li household. While fascinated by his powers, Rian didn't really want to burn their house down or hurt anyone, being the rather well-behaved child he was. He also loved his parents, and took what they had told him rather seriously given they were treating him not just as a child, but as someone who'd one day hold a great deal of responsibility. And eventually he was taken in by AcadeMMO on his 14th birthday. Things sort of went downhill from here though he endured it without complaint. Given his appearance and Class, it was sort of inevitable that bullies would naturally home onto Rian. Rather than give them any satisfaction though, he simply poured himself into his studies and training; intent on proving himself with actual results rather than empty words and actions. And so he did. While he didn't gain too much popularity with the other students during Special Assignments, he was practically loved by the more conventional military forces. With his abilities debilitating ExBeasts, their previously useless weaponry were back in use and capable of felling the monsters. Of course there were some that disliked the fact that they needed a Magi to do something, but many more simply liked being able to contribute to the battle once more. Thus the first year at AcadeMMO has passed, and Rian currently sits at a probationary D-Rank. He needs a few more Special Assignments to actually achieve the ranking, and he looks forward to them. Statistics: Level - 1 * HP - 2 (20) * MP - 12 (110) * Attack - 0 * Magic - 30 * Speed - 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 0 * Evasion - 20 * Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills Frailty [2] - 65m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.1 Magic), Two Targets (Level) Non-Elemental Visually a dark aura envelops the target(s), though it does not obscure the victim(s) from sight or any other means of detection. Decreases targeted stats by a total of 33 [0.5 X (Level X Magic)], divided by # of targets. Resistance, after reductions, is half effective against total stat decrease. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty." Rise Up [1]- 30m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.2 Magic), One Target, Non-Elemental Bathes a single target with green light. Recovers 16 HP (Level X 0.5 Magic) and grants a 11 (Level X 0.3 Magic) point buff to a targeted stat. Alternatively, the spell can heal for 25 HP (Level X 0.75 Magic) with no buff applied. "Stand strong, fight on, Rise Up!"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Blighted WoodsHazel vs Twig Blight A The Twig Blight, already battered from its exchanges with the Striker and weakened from the friendly fire, could do little as Hazel charged in with death in her eyes. Her sword swept its head from its body with a snicker-snack, and as the head bounced between the trees, the corpse collapsed into a bundle of dead wood. Joe vs Twig Blight B The Twig Blight's legs were no good to it, and it was thrown to the hard earth before Joe put his full weight on its chest and let the fists fly. It was barely able to shield itself from the first few blows, but its skinny arms soon gave out just like its legs had from repeated strikes, and from there on it was almost cruel how the Striker beat his opponent to death blow by blow. Eventually the Twig Blight was little more than kindling. When he felt satisfied, Joe moved to help out the party's summoner... John and Joe vs Twig Blight and Needle Blight When John cried out for help, Joe came running. Grappled by two at once, the Twig Blight's struggles were for naught as John held it so Joe could break its legs, something that seemed to be turning into a favorite tactic. The Needle Blight, seeing that its last attack had worked, was about to prepare a second volley when it saw the Cactus Cat coming for it. With a cackle it made to move out of the way--only for Joe to swing its companion into it with a crunching impact! The Cactus Cat's thorned kick slashed across both monsters and sent them sprawling. They were tangled together, and slow to get up from this vulnerable position... [Needle Blight and Twig Blight have low HP!] Soka and Hayato vs Vine Blights A&B and Needle Blight "Don't lose focus!" Hayato shouted back when he heard Soka's anger. But the Adept seemed to be planning something big, and given that most of his metal attacks were as good as a sword, he might be able to turn the tides if he had time to finish the spell. Well, that was what Knights were for, wasn't it!? Hayato jumped in front of Soka as the Vine Blights continued to lash at them, using his sword to slash and deflect what he could and taking the hits with his body when he couldn't. Vines lashed across his shoulders and arms, tearing his blazer and the undershirt beneath to leave welts and shallow cuts on his flesh, but he grit his teeth and pressed on. Not a single blow reached Soka, not even when the Needle Blight, unable to move on the ground, managed to fire another round of projectiles. The needles embedded themselves in Hayato's non dominant arm, not enough to disable him but enough to slightly throw off his swordsmanship, and a vine whipped across his face, causing a steady drip of blood that blurred his vision in one eye. My first trip to Excaledvol isn't going so great, bro... he thought, refusing to budge and slashing another vine that came at him. But you're somewhere out here, aren't you? So I can't give up, not before I've even taken the first step! Vine Blight A sent out a lash that wrapped around his left arm, the same one injured by the needles. Hayato let out a roar of defiance and pulled, dragging the creature towards him so that he could run it through the face with his sword. The monster gave a loud screech, and Hayato pulled it in front of a second volley from the Needle Blight, then tossed the corpse aside when it went heavily limp. "Lookin' forward to that spell!" he yelled over his shoulder. Fire Rat Extermination The rat that Taeion hadn't targeted leaped out of the way, up to the top of a pile of barrels, but the other wasn't so lucky. The ninjato skewered it, and though it was tougher than an earthly rat the bleedout from the wound was just too much. It died scrabbling at the blade of the sword, and now Taeion only had one opponent to deal with. However, at his back, there was a sudden bout of shouting from the docks, and a thick plume of black smoke rose from somewhere to the west. The remaining Fire Rat turned and began to run, but the barrel it was on wasn't quite stable, and began to roll underneath it. With a worried squeak, the rodent put on a burst of speed and finally managed to hop away; in the process, it sent an avalanche of heavy aluminum containers towards Taeion. Cockatrice Hunt Thanks to Rian's spells and Ryouta's distraction, the Cockatrice barely even saw the rest of the group coming; Winnifred's blast took it in the eye, blinding it one one side, and Haruka's attacks left a long slash mark down its back. As the strange bug began draining its energy, the creature let out another screech and stumbled. When Ryouta played the rooster's crow again, the Cockatrice froze up. The call wasn't fatal to it like the stories said, but something about it was like a dog whistle, driving the beast mad with pain. It screeched again and began rubbing its head against the ground in an attempt to block its ears, as it couldn't cover them with its "hands" like a human could. When it rose again its head was covered with bits of dirt and grass, making it look ridiculous but dulling the sound. Opening its beak wide, it spat its poison at Rian, the one slowing it down so much and preventing it from evading the other's attacks. [Cockatrice uses Petrifying Spit on Rian!]</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel grinned as she got her second kill. She wheeled her head around, eyeing her companions, deciding quickly who to help. She saw Hayato struggling against the large number of enemies around him and John. Hazel pulled her sword from the former neck of the now dead Twig Blight and ran for Vine Blight B. "That's what I like to see Hayato! You're not as bad of a Knight as I thought you were!" She called out. She was still grinning. Her sword raised, she neared the Ving Blight. She used her momentum to skid across the bed of leaves that coated the forest floor, keeping her balance in check as she came past the Vine Blight. She aimed her sword for the creatures neck, doing her best to preform a drive-by decapitation.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "I get the twig blight. You can handle the needle.", Joe would be pleased if he wasn't forced to punch needles with his naked hands. Leaping in the air he would throw a downwards attack similar to the one he did in the beginning of the fight. Using gravity and his full body weight to throw a strike with maximum power and knock this twig blight out in one shot. Even if it didn't he would be in the mount position and capable of ground and pounding his opponent till they were knocked out. From there on he would stand up and give a smile to John. From there on he would stand and look for possibly more enemies, if there weren't he would go help the others.</s> <\|message\|>Abigael Quint "Attack its head and remove the blockage! Its dulling the sound!" Abigael rushes towards the cockatrice and swings at its face with his glaive, hoping to either hurt it or clear up some of the dirt so the rooster's crow wouldn't be dulled. Thanks to his new strength borrowed from the cockatrice, he slams the blade once against its face. This thing ain't so bad! I'll probably come out of this without a scratch! Abigael notices the opening mouth and quickly steps towards the cockatrice's side. He wasn't sure who the it was aiming at, but he hoped it wasn't him.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka watched as Hayato took a number of hits to guard him. He wanted to tell him to evade the attacks, but he focused on the spell he had been doing. Finally, it was ready. "Equip metal!" A pointed double-edged blade equipped to Soka's right arm. "Hey, don't worry about me! I'll be fine. Thanks for buying me some time," he said, beginning to cut the vines that had been restraining him. Even if he only managed to free himself by the time the others had finished off the creatures, it would be better than being stuck here and having someone else defend him. "Finish them off if you can! I'm a bit tied up here."</s>	<\|message\|>Rian Li Rian clicked his tongue as he watched the Beast tear a number of bloody gashes in Ryouta's arm. They didn't look too bad, but it was his job to heal them even if it wasn't exactly necessary in his opinion. Nonetheless, he gave his staff a small twirl and began to chant, but something caused him to sputter and lose the spell. Some random AcadeMMO student, going by his appearance, charged out of nowhere towards the Cockatrice and landed a few hits on it. If Rian had seemed slightly annoyed at the fact that Ryouta and Haruka had joined the party, then he was downright angry at this scumbag who thought he could just sneak in and get rewards after realizing it was safe to do so. 'Oh hell no,' he thought bitterly, as he easily sidestepped the Cockatrice's spit attack. Its aim was good, given that Rian had to actually move, but it telegraphed its intent and acted on it so slowly that the Cleric was already moving before the spit had even left its mouth. Stepping away from even the drops that splattered when the projectile hit the ground, the glow that surrounded his staff's head wasn't green that signalled healing for Ryouta, but the same black aura that he'd just used moments ago. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty of Strength and Speed." Muttering the chant, the aura streamed forward from his staff to surround and swallow Abigael, weighing down his entire body and draining his arms of any strength in them. At that point he didn't even care about what the others who were part of the "party" might have thought of his actions. Rian simply saw someone who was trying to take advantage of a situation that had been in control and reap the benefits. </s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe slowly felt his attention slipping with each word that the Dean spoke. Not to discredit him, he sure did have a charm with words but he caught the wrong motivation on Joe. He wasn't here for noble reasons like the others were, so it didn't quite capture him like it did with the students around him. He honestly was mostly here because he really liked fighting and they had one of the best hand to hand training programs he had ever heard of. Not to mention the thrill that fighting monsters would bring. The fact that it helped humanity was a side advantage that he welcomed with open arms. It's kind of like buying that cool car that you liked that happens to run on electricity. Sure, you think it's good for the environment and all, but it isn't the main reason you bought it. One thing that did punch him in the gut was the description of the Martial and Magi classes. "Those of you who were blessed with the talents of Magic!", he said. What the hell was that suppose to be mean? He blabbered on about the hard work of the Martial classes to become strong. You can see the obvious different in word choice between them. Nonetheless, he'd work hard to prove that he was even more useful than these acclaimed magi classes. Especially with his knockout right hand, a lot stronger than a fireball. Since today nothing special would be done, Joe thought it would be best if he went back to his dorm as quick as possible. Perhaps socialize with a few other people, something that could be beneficial. Either that or he would go to his room and just shadowbox and go to sleep. That was his plan if nobody was available to hang out with. Though he would refuse to chill with Magi. He looked around to see if something interesting would happen once more, determining that it wouldn't he made his way to to the dorms. Walking on a relatively fast pace he would notice that another male was walking the same direction he was. On a similar pace speeding the rest of the people that took a slower walk to observe everything around them. Talking to himself about how he wasn't strong enough. Maybe he was similar to Joe, here mostly to get stronger. "You aren't? Well, how are you planning to get stronger?", Joe asked honestly.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato looked up with a start at the other boy, unaware that he'd been overheard. Bashfully, he rubbed the back of his head with one hand and looked aside. "Oh, uh...Well, I'm a Knight specializing in Japanese swordsmanship." He didn't have his weapon on him at the moment, though. Katana and other eastern weapons weren't exactly uncommon among Knights and other Martial Classes, but most of the other Blade Knights he'd seen preferred heavier European style weapons. "So I was thinking I'd either go to the gym and spar or just practice on my own out on the athletics field or something." He finally looked at the other student and, remembering his manners, held out a hand. "I'm Nishimura Hayato...although, uh, I guess my given name should go first. Hayato. Nice to meet you."</s> <\|message\|>John Harley When the entrance ceremony was over, John wandered around the campus a bit. As for he was concerned he had a pretty good break. Thanks to all the books his parents had gotten him, he easily completed his homework to list at least ten potential Ex-Beasts he wanted to make a contract with, and write five pages detailing the characteristics of each creature and his reasons for choosing it. Of course he picked mostly unknown Ex-Beasts instead of the common ones. He also managed to increase his skills with the Fuse Spell. After he was done with that he mostly lazed around. His mind returned to the present, this year even though he didn't want to hurt any Ex-Beasts if he could, he would have to accept more Special Assignments if he wanted to pass second grade instead of repeating it again. As he wandered around he noticed two Martial Arts students talking with each other. Unlike most Magi he didn't think of the more direct combat related students as fodder. The way he saw it thanks to Fusion Summoners were sort of in between Magi and Martial Artists.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner As the Dean droned on Hazel sat in her chair with a self-satisfied smirk. She always had an odd way of managing to look incredibly cocky no matter what the situation was, and this was one of the times she exercised that power. As far as she was concerned she had every right to be cocky. As the Dean's orientation ended Hazel rose, and found her way to a group of people she knew. Everyone greeted each other, and at first Hazel was excited to see her friends, but as conversation turned to what they had done over break she felt her stomach twist. They talked about their families, and vacations, and all the other things Hazel missed out on. She quietly excused herself, "Hey, I'll catch up later, I'm going to go get my stuff in my dorm." She waved goodbye at the group, and briskly took off. A molten sea of self-doubt began to churn within her. I wonder... I wonder what they think of me. What am I to them? Are these people my friends? Do I really have friends? Hazel stormed down the hallway, and began to realize she wasn't really going anywhere. Of course her dorm was already taken care of, that was just an excuse. She didn't really have anything she needed to move in. She pushed away the negative thoughts, Of course I have friends. I'm the best. Her face twisted back into the smirk she was wearing earlier. She suddenly felt a crushing eagerness for this year. In AcadeMMO she excelled. She was at the top of her classes, both martial and academic. Everything worked here. And then she knew what she would do. This year I will take an S ranked assignment. It's what I deserve. And at that moment Hazel promised to herself she would become the strongest in the school. She thought she wanted to prove to everyone that she was worth something, but the only person she was trying to prove anything to was herself. Hazel didn't break her stride. She continued to storm down the hallway. She came to a stop as she overheard a pair of Martial boys talking. From what she gathered one was a Knight like her. I'll start with him. I'm sure I'm better then him. She wheeled around to face the pair, and butted into the conversation in perfect form. "So, you're trying to get stronger? I've always wanted to fight one of you guys that wave around your fancy Japanese swords. If you want to spar, fight me." She spoke, maintaining her cocky smirk the entire time. She looked the boy over. Hmph, no way he's higher than D. I bet I can kick his ass.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Before the other student he'd met could introduce himself, someone else overheard their conversation. Hayato looked over at the girl who'd offered to spar, his ego prickling a bit as she talked about "fancy Japanese swords" with more than a hint of disdain. "You're pretty forward, huh?" he said. He thought he'd seen her somewhere before...wasn't she fairly popular, one of the "good at everything" kids? He frowned slightly. She probably had the skills to back up her boasts, then. But... "I guess it can't be helped, then." He shrugged, before looking at Joe. "Sorry that we got interrupted, let's talk again sometime." He somehow got a sense of camaraderie from the other boy, like they were similar in some aspect at their core. Then he looked at Hazel, eyes full of determination. "I'm Hayato Nishimura, kendo practitioner of the Red Crown Sword style. I'll accept your challenge." The walk to the gym was a short one, or at least it seemed that way to Hayato, whose shoulders were stiff as he led the haughty girl through the halls; not to guide her, but because he didn't want to give an indication of weakness by following her instead. It was a modern, almost boring sort of building from the outside, a square of white walls with gray and blue accents from hints of steel and the rows of square glass windows. Inside, however, were several floors of training areas and equipment all of the latest and greatest brands. Their destination was the first floor, the Combat Training area. It was a lot like a typical school's gym, with stands on either side and a hardwood floor, but rather than the markings of a basketball court, it was instead divided into four squares each about twenty square feet, roughly the same size as a boxing ring. Hayato stepped to the edge of one of the squares, a sensor in the floor detecting him. A holographic screen flickered into life in front of him. He typed in his name, student ID, all the necessary red tape, and picked one of the sparring options on the glowing, pseudo-tangible touch screen. "I've got it set for wooden spar, if that's alright." He said to Hazel. Two posts rose from opposite corners in the ring. "You'll probably want to tell it what kind of weapon you use, though." He walked over to the furthest post and put his hand on top of it. There was a beep, and the rest of the post rotated under his palm until a section blinked with a green light. A door opened up, revealing a wooden katana propped up inside the chamber. He took it, and assumed a kendo stance facing Hazel, his eyes once more determined. "Whenever you're ready."</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel smiled as he accepted her challenge. This time it wasn't a cocky smirk, but a massive grin. When it came to AcadeMMO her favorite part was fighting. She loved all of it, from the rush of victory, to the experience earned from a loss. But she knew she wouldn't lose to this kid. She nodded at his introduction, "I'm Hazel Hosner, although I don't have a fancy name for the way I fight." This time she showed a different smile, somewhere in-between her cocky smirk and her grin. Instead what was found could be seen as some semblance of an actual smile. Behind the unrelenting facade of arrogance there was what could be likened to a sweet girl. The pair entered the gym and Hayato was quick to set up the sparring match. She also used the touch screen, following a process exactly the same as his. "You know, despite whatever sense you might have gotten from my tone I do actually think the Katana is quite a fascinating weapon. I tried one out once. I can understand why some people admire them so much." She scanned the list of weapons available. She was proficient with a number of different swords and didn't limit herself to one type. Unfortunately she didn't count the Katana among the list of weapons she was a master with. After a few moments of internal deliberation Hazel decided to not pull out one of her more exotic weapons, opting instead for simplicity. She locked in her selection, strode to the post opposite of Hayato and rested her hand upon it. As the capsule opened she retrieved a simple wooden longsword. She shook her head. Despite the weighted core they featured these weapons could never really match up to real steel. "Alright Hayato, prepare yourself." She assumed her fighting stance, and donned her classic cocky smirk again. She took initiative and charged. She moved quickly, and neared meeting Hayato within seconds. She rose her sword with both hands and opened with a simple swipe, moving her body and her weapon downwards and to the left diagonally, already posing for her next attack. She didn't expect much from Hayato but she did expect him to dodge or block this one.</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "I'm glad to hear that." Hayato smiled a little, though his eyes didn't change. He watched as she drew the long sword from the supply, studying how she held it. "Alright Hayato, prepare yourself." She took initiative and charged, nearly meeting Hayato within seconds. She rose her sword with both hands and opened with a simple swipe, downwards and to the left diagonally, already posing for her next attack. She was faster, and with her aim and power he wasn't able to avoid. He turned his shoulder, crossing his sword over it. The edges of the two wooden weapons collided with a loud crack. The impact sent Hayato flying backwards, barely able to regain his feet without being bowled head over heels. His eyes were wide in surprise and his shoulder throbbed painfully; no doubt he'd have a bruise soon. She really was strong! He grimaced; he hadn't been expecting a girl her size to have such strength. But she had raised her blade up high with both hands before attacking, and had followed through that strike with the movement of her body, both of which left big openings. Her defenses were much weaker than her offense, he just had to increase his speed to take advantage of that! To avoid her followup he jumped to the side, but as soon as he landed he held his sword near his hip as if he were drawing it from the sheath. Suddenly its edge sparked with a colored light, black with a hint of blue, and the same energy crackled at Hayato's heels. "Blade Trail!" He shot forward at high speed, as fast as Hazel had before, and his sword lashed out horizontally at her ribs. ---</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga "自慢." Grunted a student near one of the windows on the second story, he gazed out at the aircraft taking into the air and away - shaking his head as it did so. His eyes kept their gaze on the showoff who walked out of it. Ryouta Himonaga placed one hand on his cheek, resting his head against the ledge, the wind gently swept his autumn brown hair as he did so. He had skipped the newcomer's welcome speech. Not that he found it boring or was being purposely delinquent, it just did not make any sense since he was not exactly a newcomer anymore. He and his village had moved to AcadeMMO a year ago when their town was ruined, most of them anyway, and it was much more informal than this. Trying to be responsible He still greeted and helped any new lost souls he met, the premises were much larger than what most of them were used to living in, that much he could tell - and with the whole semester beginning, some were bound to loose their way and stumble about. But no such encounters today. When the new student walked out of his sight, he lost that moment of interest. Taking a deep breath, he turned around and watched the incoming horde of unfaRmiliar faces. While he did not know who they were individually, he could tell them apart by the uniforms they wore. Everyone had or eventually will have a unique way to dress eventually, even if they were the same class there will always be differences in the way they fight - and your uniform will show it, no matter how subtle. The most obvious were of course the ones between Magicians and Martialists, He himself wore a Magi's outfit complete with hood and long sleeves. Two symbols sewn in cloth wrapped around his right arm like a crest of sorts, representing class and speciality. There was in the higher band, an octogon with a cross embedded in it's center. The other, a heptacle that was surrounded in mythic symbols. He was a handsome looking individual with rather refIned features, asian in appearance but with dyed hair and a slightly pale skin. Though his wardrobe made him look slimmer, he was not too lanky and managed to keep his posture straight. A noble looking weapon sat at waist level in a highly decorated cover, it seemed like a sword of oriental origins and had an aura of elegance to it. His eyes wandered fRom face to face, greeting them with a wry smile as they approached, but honestly, it started to feel awkward very quickly. His attention was distracted a neon red glow shortly, to his relief - someone had already begun practicing in the sparring rooms! Taking leave of the window sill, Ryouta briskly and gladly made his way to the arena. Something interesting was about to happen, he could sense it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _Beep!_ Was the sound of the glass door as it opened for a new student. He sauntered to the spectator's seats and found a nice central area where he could see the whole match. There were two students, martialists, they seemed like they were mid-match. He grabbed a packet of rice crackers which he had hidden in his sleeves and began snacking on them as he watched. _Munch, munch ..._</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel smirked as the wooden sword made contact. She could tell he didn't expect the strength of the blow. However, as she began to follow through on her next attack, Hayato's voice boomed. "Blade Trail!" Damn! Insolent bastard! She moved to block the blow, but she didn't move fast enough to stop the Katana. She wheeled around quick enough to disrupt the blade, but didn't stop the attack, and it glanced her side. She started to tumble to the ground, but stopped herself, balancing on one hand. Her side throbbed. She already had her next attack in her head, and decided on a number of ways to follow up. She pushed off the ground and sprung straight up, "Bleed!" She shouted. A red shimmer coated her blade as she raised it over her and brought it crashing down towards Hayato's neck. Typically using a skill like Hemorrhage was frowned upon in live weapons practice, since, after all, having a student bleed out didn't help anyone, but Hazel knew a wooden sword wouldn't apply the bleed effect of Hemorrhage, her attack would just hit harder.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato tried to press the advantage when she stumbled, but his Skill ran out too quickly. Again she attacked; the openings she left with these wide swings weren't as helpful as they could be, because her speed and strength was so great. A true example of sheer power. Hayato managed to get his sword up, one hand on the hilt and the other along the blade, using both arms to push back as Hazel's sword came down on the middle of his weapon. Still she easily overpowered him, and his wooden sword actually cracked; the Skill she'd used had put even more wallop into that one! He was knocked to the ground and rolled, feeling the hard impact with the floor nearly knock the wind out of him. _Is this the power of someone who's been doing Special Assignments? Or...am I just that weak?_ He managed to get up, even though his shoulder was aching now and he was breathing hard. He couldn't give up yet! He charged Hazel head on this time, bringing down his blade. Unlike her his strike was direct, no raising of the arms, just using the bottom hand to pull the handle of the blade while the top hand pushed forward, using leverage and only relying on the strength of the bicep and below. Even with the difference in strength, maybe if he added more power... "Flash Blade!" Again his sword ignited with black and blue energy, even though sweat broke out along his forehead. Not much MP left... ---</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga Ryouta winced and bit down harder on his crackers as he watched the girl go for the boy's neck, he shirked backwards as he imagined the result. "Crazy woman." He commented in perfect english. Surely there was some law against this. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ryouta let out a relieved puff of air when he saw the boy blocking it, there was a loud crack of wood being splintered that echoed the halls. He was thrown to the ground by the impact though. But the boy managed to get up, more eager now it seems, to get back at his opponent. Ryouta slowly resumed his snacking but he shifted closer to the command console that was near the doorway. There was an intercom anyone could use in case of emergencies.</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel laughed as her blow connected. Hayato went down, and she took the opportunity to call out to him. "This is fun Hayato! We'll have to do this again. Maybe I'll make a swordsman of you!" She grinned as he went in for another blow. She could tell now that she had him on the ropes. After his next attack she'll go for the finisher. He charged at her again, this time going for a much more direct attack. She realized they were being watched, and she decided to make a show of it. She braced herself for Hayato's attack and met his sword charge. She held her blade upside down and attempted to swerve the path of his blade away from her. Her efforts were mostly successful, taking a glancing blow to her side. As the blade swerved past she spun around Hayato and found herself at his back. Her sense of showmanship was impeccable, and she knew that a 'final blow' was a real crowd pleaser. Hayato was on the ropes, and she thought she could pull it off. She raised her sword with excessive showmanship, once again opting for a large sweeping blow. "Let's finish this!" She called out, voice booming. Her sword glowed a brilliant blue, and she brought it down on Hayato. The move was a kill move, she knew, but she was very careful not to go for a spot that would kill him. She angled her blade past his head, intending it to come down on his sword arm. She would cause no permanent damage. Hopefully. OOC Note: I described Hazel's final blow in my skills as a move that will kill small weakened creatures, but against Hayato it will probably just make his arm hurt like hell.</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Bye, Rian. See you around!" Hayato waved enthusiastically as the healer left. "She" was pretty cute, he thought, as he turned back to the others. Definitely not as clashing a personality as Hazel...although the other Knight wasn't bad herself. Not wanting to go off on that tangent at the moment, though, Hayato instead turned his attention to someone else who'd come down from the stands. They must have drawn a bit of a crowd, huh? He looked up to see who else was around, and lo and behold there was another girl, one with bright blonde hair. He gave a simple nod of acknowledgement when she noticed him looking at her, then turned to see if there was anyone else in the stands. He noticed someone by the doors, too, probably someone who had stopped by to see if anyone else was in the building. The boy looked to be Japanese, like him, though he had silver hair. And the gun on his hip didn't look standard issue; was he an older student? Lots of opportunities to meet people today, from the looks of it. Now that Hayato thought about it, aside from the two or three people sitting immediately next to him in his classes, he'd never really gotten to know many people at the Academy. And for Special Assignments, he would need to make friends that he could party up with, right? He pondered this for a moment, before shrugging and turning back to Hazel. "I'm gonna go ahead on to the dorms, I'll see you later." he said with a wave, before turning and heading out of the gym, hands in his pockets. As he passed the silver haired boy he nodded at him too, with that look that said "'Sup," in the way guys often did without actually speaking. Then he began the trek across campus towards the boys' dorm, stretching his fully healed shoulders before folding his hands behind his head. This year was gonna be very different, for sure.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley Part of John just wanted to walk onto Combat Training area to have a match himself. But he resisted the urge not just because he lacked an opponent, but also because if he fought at least one Ex-Beast would get hurt needlessly. Instead he left the gym and decided to spend dome time on the final touches of decorating his dorm room. He eventually arrived at the Rank E dorm building, the dorm that the farthest away from the campus's other facilities. Despite the fact that this was John's third year at AcadeMMO he had so far refused to perform any Special Assignments, and as such he not only was still the lowest rank but had to repeat the second year.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "I see. You better not get owned after she disrespected you like that. Show her you're worth. You can tell me all about it later. I'm going to the dorms. I'll see you", Joe said. Taking a few steps forward before he stopped and turned back. Mouthing: "She's like two feet. This shouldn't be hard, right?", smirking before leaving again. He had heard of her before, she was apparently perfect in everything but had an attitude. This would be much more a challenge than Joe made it out to be. He hoped he would be fine, he wanted to get stronger after all. If he got beaten by a two feet little girl that disrespected him it would probable be soulcrushing. Joe knew he would have completely lost his self esteem. He relaxed against the front wall of the dorm, with a map in his hand taking everything in. He purposely choose to not go with the tour so he'd have to learn everything on his own. He worked up a sweat ten minutes ago, enough to have an actual effect but not enough to leave him aching for the training tomorrow. He already sorted out his room, so that wasn't a problem. Looking up, he'd notice that his previous conversation partner came back. His hands in his pockets walking casually. Joe waved to get his attention. "So, how was the fight? What's her fighting style like?", Joe smirked. "Probable defensive wasn't it?"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato found the boy from before, whose name he still hadn't learned, at the dorms. When the other student saw him he called out and asked about the spar. "So, how was the fight? What's her fighting style like?", he smirked. "Probable defensive wasn't it?" Hayato grimaced and rubbed one of his shoulders. "No, actually, she hits like a freaking truck. Her defenses and evasion skills are probably her weakest traits, but she has enough speed and strength to make up for the lack of technique." He sighed. "But she didn't get that way just by training. She's been on a lot of Special Assignments, out there fighting actual Exbeasts while I've just been in a dojo swinging a shinai around. Tomorrow, I'm going to start changing that." Again he held out his hand to shake with the other boy. "Sorry about getting pulled away before. I still never caught your name."</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li Nodding slightly at Hayato, Rian readjusted the bags' position before making his way out of the room. Sighing as the automatic doors hissed shut behind him, he brushed his robes, getting rid of some dust near his legs, before turning about to reorient himself. It took a few moments as he tried to figure out where buildings were in relation to his position, but soon enough he was headed off towards the administration building to get things sorted out. It took a while to sort things out once he got there since, to his surprise, he had been assigned a room in the D-Rank dormitory despite his rank being conditional. There were also minor issues like some of the employees finding him "cute" or it hard to believe he was actually "male". Pausing by a window as he stared at the feminine reflection Rian sighed softly, brushing a lock of hair back into place, before continuing on his way. He'd gotten over the fact that he'd be mistaken for a girl rather shortly after he'd arrived at AcadeMMO. If he hadn't and had instead fussed over it, no doubt the "bullies" would have hounded him over it, amongst other things. As things stood though, for the moment at the least, there was little trouble for him on school grounds. His new dormitory didn't really look too different from the building he'd stayed in last year, and Rian took a moment to explore the exterior rather than head right in. It only took him a few minutes and it let him familiarize himself with the exits and entrances to his new home for the year. Heading in afterwards, he looked around at the lobby-like room that greeted him, taking in the details like the tables with couches seated around and notice boards hanging by one wall. At the moment it was fairly empty, though he waved in greeting to the few that glanced towards him.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe frowned, that sounded similar to his own fighting style. Though he didn't sacrifice his normal defense for it, he did care a little less about his evasion skills, loving to be all in his opponents face and load strikes with his hands, sneaking in a devastating low kick in as his opponent is focused on his hands. He underestimated her simply because of her looks, his mistake. He really seemed shook up, she must have been something else. Especially since he already heard of her before, that must have meant that she was some kind of legend around here. That was definitely interesting, especially since the guy was praising her so highly. "She fought exbeasts? That is so cool.", he couldn't wait to do that. "Well, my name is Joe. I don't remember catching yours either?", he sort of subtly asked. Pushing his for a handshake. "We should train together tomorrow, you can show me some fancy sword tricks I could use to up my hand striking and I could do the same to you in reverse.", he proposed.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Hayato, nice to meet ya Joe." The two shook hands, and Hayato nodded at the suggestion of training. "Sure, that sounds good! Maybe we can party up with some others and go on a Special Assignment. I actually met a cute Cleric girl at the gym after Hazel nearly broke my arms." He chuckled with a slight frown, remembering how that last strike of hers could have ended badly. "With a good Cleric and maybe a Binder, Knights and Strikers are at their best; at least, that's what I remember from my Basic Tactics last year. I think they let up to five people go on missions together, unless there's some extenuating circumstance that requires a person to go it alone or to bring a whole group with them."</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Soon the people around Hazel began to trickle out of the gym, and eventually she found the immediate group around her dispersed. She really hoped that the upperclassman didn't follow through on his decision to report her. It wouldn't have been exactly the first time that someone complained about her going too far in a sparring match. They're just not strong. People like him don't understand what it's like in the real world, outside AcadeMMO. Hazel was more then completely convinced that she was in the right. Hazel began to exit the gym, but a blonde haired girl she didn't know caught her eye. She was in the spectator seats, and Hazel assumed she must have watched her fight. Hazel paid the girl a curt nod as she walked past, exiting the gym. Hazel moved towards the A-Ranked dorms. She entered. The A-Rank dorm, was, as usual, mostly emptied. In a school full of kids it was only natural that the majority held to the bottom side of the rankings. Hazel pondered what an S-Ranked dorm must be like. She wanted to imagine it to be some grandiose marvel of a room. Her thoughts didn't even turn to how it might be lonely, for Hazel was used to being alone. She headed down the hall and headed into her room. It was by and large bare, excluding the bed, and a pair of large trunks lying on it. One trunk included the essentials: Shampoo, conditioner, a large amount of cosmetics, toothbrush, toothpaste, clothing. The other trunk was a molded case that included the _other_ essentials: Her personal collection of swords. She moved the first trunk off its perch onto floor, and opened the second to confirm its contents. She ran down a mental checklist: Raiper, Longsword, and Zweihänder. They were all in their proper places. The weapons were exquisite. Hazel, of course, deserves the best, and with the money she makes from Special Assignments she can get it. She closed the case and set it beside its partner on the ground. She sighed and plopped down onto the bed. She decided to rest, if just for a moment.</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe nodded at his words, he wouldn't know. He hadn't been in that class since this was his first day. So this was wisdom of someone that already heard it. "That sounds cool. We could form a team, recruit a few other people like the classes you just mentioned. We can look for three others.", he proposed. It was good for someone experienced to be at his side. Perhaps they could even recruit that one girl that had beaten him down. They could form a team of three fighters and two supportive, one that healed and the other one that ensured that they could get that hit in, aka the binder.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Right. I'm sure a lot of people will be at the Assignment Board tomorrow after class, we're bound to find some others who'd like to partner up." Hayato said. "Anyway, I better get my stuff sorted out and see if I can get some last minute review in. I didn't do so hot in the academic sector last year, almost got held back. Can't make that mistake again. I'll see ya around, Joe." With a farewell wave to his new friend, Hayato headed into the dorm, too deep in thought to notice anything or anyone else. Professor Gene had told him to focus on his studies and on getting real field experience. Hazel had shown him just what that experience was worth. And given all the attention their match had drawn, maybe he wouldn't have such a hard time finding a group to party up with. All in all, aside from a lesson in utter humiliation from a girl, today had actually been pretty productive. In the professor's office, before, he'd felt like he was being told all his efforts thus far were useless. Maybe they had been. But, maybe, if he had some help, and tried his best...maybe he could catch up. Finding his room on the E Rank floor, right above the lobby, he headed inside and locked the door behind him. A hot shower, unpacking, and some reading in the Intermediate Swordplay book would probably wrap up his night. --- The next day, both students and teachers literally hit the ground running. For most, the first class would be a physical education course designed to not only keep all the classes in decent physical shape (even the Magi needed to stay healthy) but to get their blood pumping and raise their energy levels. With this boost, the bleariness most normal students would have in their morning classes was eliminated, and with their brains now fresh and alert they would move on to various general education courses. After lunch the various Classes would head towards their different training courses, things like swordsmanship, stealth, tactics, magic control, and whatever else they'd secured on their schedules. Afterwards, those who weren't worried about homework (which, with this being the first day, was light) either went off to do their own thing or gathered in the entrance lobby of the main school building, where a large holo-board was displayed with all the publicly available Special Assignments. Hayato was looking for something he thought would be a good challenge for a full 5-person group of E-ranks, and so far he'd picked out three that he liked the sound of: D-Rank: Blighted Woods A research group is attempting to establish a base of operations in Excaledvol in an area of thick forest. Exbeasts in the forest are attacking the researchers. It is vital that we clear the monsters out enough that research can continue, so that in the future we'll have more information about Excaledvol and how to separate our two worlds again. The Exbeasts are E-Rank, but there may be several and they are on home territory. At least two people are recommended for this assignment. Reward: 50 Academy Credits. Bonus: Exbeast materials. D-Rank: Cockatrice Hunt We've recieved a report of a Cockatrice, a D-rank Exbeast, prowling around a local rural community. While it's not a powerful combatant, a Cockatrice has very potent magic venom that causes organic material to petrify. At least three party members are recommended for this quest. Reward: 100 Academy Credits. Bonus: Exbeast materials. D-Rank: Fire Rat Extermination A small harbor town is plagued by Fire Rats, Ex-Beasts with fireproof fut that start small fires to make their nests in and thus can potentially burn down buildings, and has asked Academmo for help dealing with the pyromaniac rodents. Reward: 50 Academy Credits. Bonus: Exbeast materials. ---</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga ### Day 2, First Semester "Mr. Himonaga!" "..yes-" Ryouta stopped playing with his watch, a hologram emitter that served as a personal assistant device amongst other things, such technology could have only been made with the compliments of Magic that manipulated dust in the air. It beeped off and he looked up - only to see his P.E teacher in trekking pants and a windbreaker, staring at him with a displeased look on her face. "-Madame?" "Why aren't you in running attire!?" She asked loudly, a large portion of his class turned to look at them. "Asthma." "Again?" She asked, suspcicious of him. "If you have asthma YOU should be running more!" Ryouta would argue that logic otherwise but he just nodded along, drowning her words out with his own thoughts, she did not seem in the mood foR a biology lesson. "...Go to the nurse's offIce and get me a--!" "Here." Ryouta whipped out a slip of paper quicker than she could finish, he handed it over to her with both hands fRom which she snatched and read. Her irritated expression bore down on him after she read it but as usual, she could not do anything about it and walked away. "Thnk you for you hard work." Ryouta whispered cheekily (as is the custom of Japanese to say after someone provides a service) when she walked out of earshot, he enjoyed these little triumphs every now and then. Excercising at dawn made no sense to him, a cup of strong tea already kept him awake, being all sweaty and exhausted would not make him anymore alert. Like would having hot, spicy food cool you down? No. But there are many others who thinks it would. Sometimes the warped view of things these people had really made no sense to him. Speaking of odd people. In the distance he spied three of his classmates, three girls who were according to their scores, rather skillful adepts. And they were looking straight at him. Curious as to what they wanted, he raised a hand and waved at them. But immediately they turned around and ran as quickly as they could in the other direction, in a series of squeals - leaving him bewildred and frankly, kind of disturbed. It must be the stress around here....... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The noon sessions are over. Ryouta stretched out his hands and bent his fingers outwards, it was an early dismissal from Folk Lore, one of his favourite classes. It was a class particularly popular with Summoners, as they get to learn about exotic and potentially undocumented exbeasts. There was even a catching trend among them to see who could make a contract with one of the rarer creatures, kind of like an old game kids used to play, it promoted a rather friendly yet competitive comraderie among these peculiar Magi. He sometimes envied them. Looking at the timetable, it was time to select a mission. Ryouta grabbed his bag and sauntered down to the area where the available tasks were displayed, the place was bustling with people and already he could tell the cliques that were forming. Everyone wanted a balanced party with all the roles covered, to be with close friends or to simply pair up with the most reknowned students foR fame and whatnot. Most seniors already had groups they were used to too .....except for him. He had different criterias. Tapping his watch again, the screen lit up with a list of somesorts. There were ticks and crosses that marked each sentence. He perused the stands while often referring back to it, as if looking for something specifically. He felt a few pairs of eyes watching him but it was usual, everyone who has not found a group yet were probably considered carefully by those who already have and needed one more. It was still no less awkward though. He hurried ahead to the D-Rank boards after noting down several A/B/C-Rank missions and politely refusing a few offers. "Ah. There we go." Ryouta mused to himself when he saw the word 'cockatrice' appear in one of the listings, taking down it's serial number and location quickly. It was then when he saw a farmiliar face. Weaving past a couple, he came up behind his victim. "Hehey, how's your shoulder doing?" He slapped a hand on said shoulder of the freshmen he met yesterday.</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel awoke, fresh and ready for her first _real_ day of school. Yesterday was exciting, but there really was nothing like the feeling of excelling at something. At least that was the case for Hazel. She woke up early, picked a nice outfit, showered, put her makeup on, and was off in a flash. Breakfast for Hazel was a quick affair: Junk food from one of AcadeMMO's many vending machines eaten on the way to her first class. She was lucky that she exercised so much because Hazel frankly ate like crap. The day started, as expected, with PE. Hazel was, naturally, over-competitive with everything and went hard with whatever activity was given. After that she found herself in her academic classes. When it came to these classes she was focused and didn't miss a thing. Afterwards she spent a quick lunch period her friends, and the day morphed into Martial classes. Hazel was, of course, in an advanced swordsmanship class. Most people outright refused to spar with her, but it was hard to fault them for it. Hazel didn't see it that way, however, and they were cowards as far as she was concerned. So she found herself practicing against dummies for most of the period. She knew her defense was sloppy, but it was hard to practice that against practice targets. The rest of her Martial classes passed by quickly, and she found herself in a few short hours approaching the Special Assignments board. She suddenly remembered her promise to Hayato. She did say that she would go on a Assignment with him, but realized she left him with no way to contact her. Hazel stared at the the A-Ranked boards, but she soon noticed Hayato at the D-Ranked section. _Speak of the devil... I guess I have to follow through on what I said._ She sighed, and started approaching. That was, until she spied the uptight Magi from yesterday. Approaching Hayato. Hazel stopped. _No damn way. I told the guy I'd help him but..._ She sighed once again, and resumed her approach. Hazel didn't believe in going back on her word. She moved past the upperclassman and parked herself on the far side of Hayato. She didn't bother greeting him, and didn't bother to let him return the senior's greeting. "I told you I'd go on a mission with you, so if you want to now is your chance."</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe's breath halted, he had never heard of this summoner class before. That wasn't surprising, the only classes he really knew were the martial classes. He did have some limited information about Magi's, like clerks but that was really it. Oh well, it was just a Magi class. He was bound to work with them anyway. Yet, he still felt this strong urge to bounce. Maybe he was alright, though if he made one mistake Joe would leave, he would at least attempt to befriend the guy. "Lets do the Cockatrice Hunt. I'd like to fight it. Besides, it has the most rewards. So that's pretty cool.", it seemed like it was the strongest of them all, and that was Joe's goal. Fight, get stronger and fight stronger people. This would also be a good way of gauging the strength levels of the exbeasts per rank. It was advised to have three people so it would be best if they sought for someone else. "So, lets search for someone else around here.", Joe proposed. "I'm a striker. I have no hatred for Exbeasts, they did me nothing wrong so that should be fine." "Now, lets go look for someone else to join this club"</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner _Japanese? He's talking shit about me. He's definitely talking shit._ Hazel let out a huff. _How dare he. I'm over here, trying to help out someone weaker, and this asshole is talking has the gall to talk about me in front of me, using words I can't understand._ The fact that Ryouta might be saying something else didn't even cross Hazel's mind. Hazel got into the face of the upperclassman. "Listen here... you... jerk! If you have something to say about me, say it to my face!" Hazel, at this point, was fuming, hands balled up into fists at her side. _Where the hell does this guy get off acting superior to me? Hmph!_</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga "It IS to your face. You little peepsqueak!" Ryouta let go of Hayato's shoulder and turned to look down on her. Now everyone could see how volatile she was, what kind of drugs did she eat for breakfast!? Or was she overcompensating for her short stature? He looked at the way her fists balled up, any sign of aggressive movement and he would react to it. That'll be a chance to teach her about how much 'protection' Mages needed. Gosh. He could not believe they let someone like her into the academy! Like yesterday's attempt at manslaughter isn't enough, now she's out for more blood!</s> <\|message\|>John Harley John was surprised that the Striker had no problems with Ex-Beasts, a lot of students Summoners included, seemed to at the very least dislike them."Oh yeah before I forget my name is John, what should I call you?" To be honest he also wanted to ask what weapon he used, but he didn't want to make it oblivious he had no idea what a Striker was, so he kept quiet about it. Instead he focused on finding someone to be the last member of their party. _"A Cleric might be useful or maybe a Binder." _ Even though he had two Classes he preferred, it still wasn't easy to find a single person in this mass of people.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner "I'm getting real tired of you!" Hazel shouted, as she cocked back her fist. If Hazel was good at anything, it was picking fights with people larger then her. Upperclassman? Male? She cared not. Hazel sent a punch flying directly towards Ryouta's face.</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga Ryouta saw the fist coming, he knew she would try something like this! He leaned back then swayed to the side, letting her fist pass inches away from his jaw before spinning around on his heel to face her again. He was suprisingly quick on his feet for most people's expectations of a Magi. Most thought they were slow and pampered, dragged down by their frilly clothes and prissy attitudes. "What are you trying to do with those puny arms, shortstuff?" He goaded, wagging his finger at her in a "Nu-uh" manner.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka had asked four people total if they were interested in going on a mission with him, and so far everyone had declined. _Jeez this sucks. Can't a guy catch a break around here?_ Sighing. _Forget it. I'll do some missions in a couple of weeks when I've met some more people._ Having given up, the red-brown haired Soka decided to go outside. He was moving through the lobby toward the main entrance, when he saw two males (Joe and John). _Just two? Maybe they have room for one more?_ But he was out of energy from asking the others from before. About fo leave, he looked into the crowd and happened to see a red haired girl throw a punch at someone. Soka blinked and walked in that direction, definitely not getting close to any action that may take place, but to a place where he could watch.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Nah, she's just sort of what they'd call tsundere," began Hayato as the magi spoke to him in their shared language. Hazel wasn't having any of it though, and drew back her fist after another moment of taunting. With a shout she tried to punch the mage; Hayato started to move to stop them, beginning with, "Whoa, Hazel, wait--" But the mage barely dodged the punch, spinning out of the way, just in time for Hayato to catch it. With his face. "--HIDEBU!" Puny arms or not, Hazel was full of feminine indignation at the moment, thus her punch sent Hayato flying head over heels, bouncing comically along the ground until he finally landed head first, and slowly collapsed into a face down, ass up position. As he slowly lifted his aching head, exposing a black eye and swollen lip, a hissing trail of smoke curled into the air from the bright red imprint of a fist. "Hayshel, maybe yew should come wiff me, and da udda guy go...wiff dem.." he managed, before fully collapsing.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis His eyes got distracted by the big group again, this time a fight was erupting. The same midget girl that dared to challenge Hayato and beat him, the legendary stereotypical popular girl herself seemed to be in a verbal confrontation with this other guy that he hadn't seen before. She was aggressively attacking him verbally and he responded similar, though a little bit more on the defensive. She looked like she wanted to hit him and he looked like he was preparing to defend against it. That would be a dead game, he heard from Hayato that her offense was dangerous but her defense. If he really wanted to win he had to strike first and strike decisively. Though he never saw this guy before. Perhaps he was a high rank too. He definitely seemed older so it was probable true. That would mean that this would be a fight between two high ranked people. Joe's blood started boiling, a smile cracking on his face from just watching the situation. He took a few steps forward to get in close proximity of it all, noticing Hayato in the corner of his eye he gave no attention to him. Watching the situation and thinking about how to escalate it. That one popular girl threw the first strike, as he had predicted but the other guy was fast, faster than Joe. He was barely able to dodge that punch, seems like their speeds were kind of similar. Hayato got caught up it in all and caught a clean one in the face. Giving him a rough beating making him look like your average domestic violence victim. "Geez, you really did get your ass kicked. Didn't you? I'll count this as the second time. That means you got your ass kicked by a three foot girl twice.", Joe laughed at the situation. "Now I get why you want to be stronger", he teased. "That was for betraying me for the popular girl. I thought we were going to team up bro. What happened?" He looked around to see if he could recognize a cleric or a binder "Also, is there a cleric or a binder around this level? I heard I do good with them", he winked at Hayato because he had gotten that information from him.</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga Tsundere indeed! He visibly cringed with each thud as Hayato bounced along the ground, there were more than several onlookers now. Some of the students stared agape in horror at the scene after they narrowly avoided the human projectile, "Look what you did! Mini-me!" Ryouta exclaimed. He did not expect HIM, of all people, to come in between them. _Hayshel, maybe yew should come wiff me, and da udda guy go...wiff dem.._ Da udda guy? Maybe he meant Ryouta. "I told you she was crazy man!" He rushed over to check on Hayato, at least the guy was still breathing. "Is there a Cleric around here!?" He kept his eye on 'Hayshel', now he knew her name. He would remember it. Oh yes, he would remember it.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka burst into laughter, seeing one guy get knocked across the room. "Wow HAHAHAHA he got whopped that bad by a single punch," Soka laughed. "Ah, that cheered me up." He was going to walk over to the guy that got hit to see if he was okay, but someone else walked over to him so he would probably be fine.</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga (Accidental post)</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Ryouta dodging her punch only made Hazel angrier, and at first it didn't even register that her fist still connected with something. It wasn't until Hayato tried to speak that she noticed. She sighed with frustration, and only came up with one word for him. "Idiot." She noticed the crowd that had gathered. She still really wanted to hit the pompous Magi, but she knew it wasn't worth getting into trouble over. But she still _really_ wanted to hit _something_. She shot him one last dirty look as he walked to Hayato. She followed, standing over the boy who she had accidentally injured. "You better get up or the next time I hit you it's going to be on purpose, you idiot." She already regretted offering him the option to go on an Assignment with him, but she was too deep now.</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Winnifred listened to the sprite's instructions as the group arrived at their destination. She tucked some hair behind her ear and double checked that her revolver was loaded, ready to fire whenever she spotted her target. She looked around the town and studied her surroundings, keeping her eyes open for the sign of anything amiss. The sound of a sudden car horn startled her and she flinched slightly, whipping around to see the car before regaining her composure a second later. "South of town... Corn fields south of town, got it." she mumbled to herself after listening to driver of the car. Winnifred looked back at her allies and gave a brief nod, saying, "Well, sounds to me like we know where to look first, eh? With any luck, we'll have this thing taken care of in record time." She started walking in the direction that the driver had indicated, trying to spot the corn fields.</s> <\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Taeion nodded slowly towards the dockworker. His task was fairly straightforward: Go to the burned warehouse, and search for footprints. The sooner he did so, the sooner he would be able to find ExBeasts. He stood up and stretched, despite the fact that he had not even been sitting for longer than 3 minutes. It wasn't worth questioning anyway. He began to make his way in the direction of the warehouse, without uttering so much as a single word. When Taeion had reached the burned warehouse, it became clear that these rats posed a serious problem, had the charred walls and feint smoke not already signified this. As he approached the entrance, witnessed debris fall from the ceiling. Pausing for a moment, he decided that it would make more sense for him to travel around the perimeter of the warehouse to look for footprints, rather than going into the warehouse to do so. With that decided, he began to walk around to the back of the warehouse in search of footprints. Hopefully he would be able to locate them soon - he didn't want to have to call the Academy by being too slow.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner The creature rose again, and Hazel's frustration became visible. Damn thing, just die already! It launched another wave of needles, which Hazel once again dived out of the way of. She tumbled, rolling and then coming to her feet in one motion. "This time I'll kill you!" She shouted, raising her sword. She mounted what she had now determined to make her final charge. I don't even need my finisher to take out this pipsqueak! She raised her sword above her head and slashed downwards, this time intending to cut the creature lengthwise.</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga It was hard understanding the farmer, he guessed, at first. He spoke in an accent that was rather misleading, but it seems Winnifred understood the stranger likely because she was caucasian herself. He nodded along affIRming that they got the message. One perk of being a student at the academy was that travelling around the world was part of the curriculum, without the cost and the long lines. Of course, you had to risk your life but Ryouta liked looking at the silver linings of lousy situations. With that thought he started appreciating the atmosphere, the simplicity of things here - he had seen the place somewhere before, that statue particularly, but it did not come to mind where. Then as they headed to the direction they were given, he had almost forgotten something. Turning around, he reached foR the sprite and gently plucked it mid-air to keep it in the small pouch on his right leg. There would be no going home without it.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Blighted WoodsJoe vs Twig Blight A&BAs Joe threw Twig Blight A into the path of the Needle Blight attacking Hazel, he not only helped her dodge it but did some more damage to the enemy. The Twig Blight squealed as its comrade accidentally pelted it with needles. [Twig Blight A's HP is low!] Though he took a bit of damage himself, intentionally getting the monster's claws stuck in his clothing and flesh, Joe managed to wrap the creature in a bear hug. As he attempted to squeeze the life out of it, its body crackled and popped. However, it didn't seem like he was quite strong enough to just utterly crush it. His secondary plan of striking with his knees while clenched, however, did a similar number as his low kicks had on the other Twig Blight; the woody creature's legs began to give way under repeated strikes as it squirmed and dug in its claws wherever it could, trying to get away... Soka and Hayato vs Vine Blight A&B and Needle BlightSoka's attacks on Vine Blight A were vicious, and the metal edges bit into its form as easily as Hayato's sword had before. It screeched as its lower body was nearly severed from its torso, and it quickly began to sprout new vines to replace the old ones. As Soka turned to attack the Needle Blight, the Vine Blight lashed out at him with its upper limbs. Vine Blight B did the same; while Soka was entangled, his ability to move was severely reduced. [Vine Blight A's HP is half-gone!] The Needle Blight, meanwhile, was able to leap out of the way of the cutting whirlwind, avoiding it with a woody cackle. Then it noticed Hayato bearing down on it with a fury. "Blade Trail!" A blue line tinged with black slashed across the Blight's remaining leg as Hayato dashed past it, again severing the limb. Without any means of locomotion, the creature dropped to the ground with a squeal. [Needle Blight's Speed reduced to 0! As a result its Evasion is halved!] John vs Needle Blight and Twig BlightThe Needle Blight was again struck by the Cactus Cat's tail, knocking it off balance, but it managed to raise both arms, pointing its claws at the Cactus Cat. It let loose a hail of glowing needles at the animal with a crackling near its mouth that could have been a smirk. [Needle Blight used Needle Spray! Its HP is 1/4th gone!] John managed to grapple the Twig Blight and stop its attacks, and just like its brethren had against Joe, it found itself somewhat helpless. However, the Summoner wasn't as strong as Joe was, and sooner or later the Twig Blight would probably manage to break free... Hazel vs Needle BlightWith the bit of unexpected help from Joe, Hazel was unharmed by the Needle Blight's attack. It, however, was not so lucky. This time her strike was true, with nothing in its way, and the Needle Blight squealed one last time as the blade cleaved through its head and deep into its body, splitting it open all the way down to where a human's pelvic bone would be. If it had possessed any innards, they would have made quite the mess, falling out of an opened up ribcage. The branches that made up the creature's body gave a shudder, and a soft green glow seemed to dissipate from them. Then the Blight fell, dry and lifeless, to the forest floor. [Enemy defeated! Hazel's free to help comrades or engage another Exbeast!] Fire Rat ExterminationTaeion's investigation of the burned warehouse soon turned up results; along one side, near a dumpster with a corner of its base melted and burned away, were the remains of what looked like a campfire. More than likely, this was a Fire Rat's nest at some point. There was a hole burned into the warehouse here as well, and from the look of some smeared, sooty paw prints, a large group of the creatures had been here at one point. Further sprinkles of black ash and a few sear marks continued on across the docks, even at one point melting through a tall chainlink fence that separated the rest of the area from the shipyard, where numerous workers and machines were putting together a huge metal ship with a great deal of noise. At the back of the shipyard were several crates that had once been used to hold or deliver parts for the ships, several of them wooden and many of them now filled with trash. Taeion could already smell something burning...but, anyone who's ever had a mouse in their house knows that rodents are cowardly little critters, fast, and good at finding new hiding spots. How could he lure them out, or otherwise attack without scattering them across the docks...?</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel's strike was true, and the creature fell. "First blood for me, of course!" She bragged to the rest of the group, still engaged in combat. She quickly assessed the various fights around her, but opted instead to go after the Joe threw in front of her. "Thanks for giving me another!" She called to the striker. This one was still on the ground recovering from the unfortunate case of ExBeast friendly fire that occurred. She was quick to prevent it from rising, digging her boot into its chest. She raised her sword, bringing it down to hack at the twig-creatures neck in an attempt to disenfranchise its head from its body.</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>John Harley Now that it seemed that he misjudged the situation and used Fusion without reason John decided to be more careful when it came to using that spell. "I'll stay in this form for as long as possible, preferably until we're all back at Academmo" Though since for now it seemed that combat was over, he focused on finding usable material among the Blight's bodies to ensure that their deaths weren't futile. While he was searching he heard the tow knights talk." Yeah I agree with the female Knight, also don't forget this was our first mission together. Now to change the subject do you guys think the Magical Research Society might be interested in studying these bodies?" The reason he asked was because he hoped the researcher might figure out a non-lethal way of dealing with these species of Ex-Beasts. Level - 1 > 2 HP - 50 (5 points)> 70 ( 7 points ) at the moment 61 left MP - 30 (3 points) > 40 ( 4 points) currently 20 left Attack - 10 > 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13</s> <\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro "..." Taeion took a few moments to assess the gravity of the situation. The rats had managed to create a large fire in such a short space of time. He blinked once, and looked to the right. Some nearby crates were burning - they were likely full of rubbish like the other crates Taeion had seen. He blinked slowly again, and looked to the left. The dockworkers were desperate to reach water as fast as possible. Perhaps he should have brought a Water Adept along on the Assignment, or something of the sort. It was too late to do that now though. He slowly turned to a nearby dockworker who had luckily managed to avoid the flames. After a few seconds of staring at him in silence, Taeion spoke. "This looks... pretty bad... doesn't it?" The dockworker looked at him, puzzled. Taeion did not wait for an answer, and continued on. "Could you, uh... find a hose?" His nonchalant attitude towards the ordeal served to confuse the dockworker even more. But Taeion once again did not wait for any form of response. Instead, he turned around to face the flaming creatures which were causing the problem, and rushed towards them. He did not want to attempt to use the Deft skill, as there was a high risk of him dashing into the fire. He also believed that he was low on mana, and would eventually run out of it if he continued to use that skill. Taeion thrust forward with the blade when he felt he was close enough without being too near to the oil flames, aiming to kill the first rat which had slipped in the oil.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka saw that the enemies around them were finally downed. "Well I'm sure glad that's over," he said, walking toward the others. He agreed that they could use a better teamwork formation. Soka was almost sure that there were more Exbeasts that would attack this same area again, but for the time being the area seemed clear. He wanted to scout the rest of the area to see if there was anything else nearby, but decided to be quiet and let those with more experience decide. Briefly, he wondered how the other students were doing with the other D-Rank missions. "Thanks again for helping me, Hayato. And good fighting, everyone." Level - 1 -> 2 HP - 140 MP - 120 Attack - 8 Magic - 15 Speed - 12 > 19 Accuracy - 7 Defense - 7 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 8</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis They finished the fight and Joe couldn't help but smile. This was definitely enjoyable. He might have been disadvantaged, the only one not using it's weakness but he still had fun. This only verified it for him, it was what he wanted to do. "I have no idea what you're talking about, my teamwork was great.", he gave a look towards Hazel and the summon guy, He remembered doing just fine with them, superb teamwork even. "I would like to continue but I got shook up a little while attacking, most of my opponents have been fast. So going back might be a wise decision." Level - 1 > 2 HP - 100 MP - 40 Attack - 20 > 25 Magic - 5 Speed - 15 Accuracy - 15 Defense - 11 > 13 Evasion - 15 Resistance - 5</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Blighted Woods With everyone in agreement to go back, the party made their way through the woods the way they had come. Soon the research station was in sight again, and as they approached another scientist noticed them and ran over. "You're back! Our equipment's not picking up any more Exbeasts, so great job!" he said, before pointing them towards a central bunker building. "Our telepad is in there; I'll go ahead and operate the Restoration function too!" He pulled a tablet from his coat pocket and began typing away, but before they headed towards the bunker Hayato raised a hand. "I have a question, sir. What exactly is this station researching?" "Ah!" said the scientist, excited that they had taken an interest. "Well, as you probably know Excaledvol hasn't been explored very much yet. But for the most part, the plants and water and overall geology are very similar, almost identical in some aspects, to Earth's! We're here to take samples of said geology and biology too, and study them. We've actually made some very interesting findings about some of the species here already." "I see..." Hayato said. "But I don't suppose you see a lot of people, then? You haven't seen any AcadeMMO students besides us?" "Not recently, no." said the scientist. Hayato's face suddenly perked up. "We do send the school requests for assistance every once in a while. But you're the first since the new semester only started yesterday, of course." "Have...have you seen someone who looks a bit like me, except with a scar across his nose and a different hair style?" Hayato asked excitedly, leaning forward so that the scientist could see his features. The man raised an eyebrow, but looked at him closely for a moment with a hum of concentration. "Mmm...No, I'm sorry. I can't say I have." Hayato was crestfallen. "Ah...oh well, then. Thanks anyway. And let us know again if you need more help." When the group stepped back onto the telepad, this time the magic runes and lights glowed green for a moment. Their HP and MP was restored in a flash, the healing magic spreading through them like warmth from a fireplace. Then, once the coordinates for the school were set, they disappeared. The scientist waved farewell, then went back to his studies. Out in the woods, a boot crunched down on the remains of a Twig Blight, the hem of a cloak billowing around it. "So this confirms it." said one voice, a male. "They're trying to use our own power against us. If we want those busybodies gone, we'll have to bring out something that kids like that can't handle." Another voice responded from a small, purple sphere that floated in the air near the hooded figure. It was somewhat similar to the Sprites used by AcadeMMO, and its voice had the same mechanical twinge, though it was obviously female. "Those children were inexperienced. No doubt they have stronger heroes available to them." "True..." The hooded figure looked around at the remains of the Blights. "I suppose I'll have to do some thinking on this one..." With that, the figure turned and began to walk away, soon disappearing into the depths of the forest... Fire Rat Extermination The Fire Rat Taeion attacked only barely managed to leap out of the way, sliding when it landed on all fours in the oil. The other two, however, took aim and unleashed a dual Fireball spell at him. The oil all around instantly began to ignite, only adding to the growing power of the conflagration magic as the two projectiles rushed towards Taeion. The dockworkers around him ran and dove for cover, the idea of a hose completely forgotten. The fire continued to spread over the docks, and the oil continued to ooze from now melting containers...if it got into the water, not only would the fire spread further, but it would be a major eco-hazard...</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka listened quietly while Hayato and the scientist talked for a few minutes. In the meantime, he looked around at the trees, plants and the nearby surrounding. He was still in awe of this new world and had so many questions. When it was time to go back to the Academy, he nodded to the others as they went to the telepad. When no one was looking, he picked up a small tree branch that was on the ground. He placed the twig in his pocket and walked toward the telepad. It had been an exciting first mission and he had learned a lot. Now he needed to focus on increasing his battle skills and maybe gaining a few allies. While the telepad glowed with green energy, a look of determination and resolve focused on Soka's face. He thought about his goals for the rest of the week.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka smiled as the boy dropped down to the ground. He couldnt possibly steal anything from them now since he was bound. Haruka would have given the reward to the others anyway. It wasn't really needed for her to get something great out of it aslong as she got to train her skills some more. She called the command "Hide" and slowly went over to the beast its leg to cut it horizontal. She took a big jump back smoothly going over in two handstands before getting a good distance betweeN her and the bird.</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel took note that she was called the 'Female Knight' by the summoner. They didn't all know each others name. Not exactly conducive to good teamwork. She would bring up the issue of putting names to faces in a few minutes, but for now the group returned to the laboratory they were protecting. Hazel wasn't particularly attempting to eavesdrop on the conversation between Hayato and the scientist, but the D-Rank wasn't exactly being discreet about the matter that seemed to be personal. He's looking for someone. Family maybe? They're supposed to look like him, after all. Hazel wasn't at all opposed to prying into the boy's personal business, and planned to ask when they returned to the Academy. As they made their return to AcadeMMO Hazel announced aloud to no one particular, "My name is Hazel, by the way."</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato "So basically you just think everyone needs more experience." Hayato said, finishing his meal. He was a quick eater, as it gave him more time to do other things with. "I'm in that bucket too, though. Professor Gene was telling me the same thing earlier today." He leaned back in his chair and put both hands behind his head. "Fighting Exbeasts was definitely way different from a sparring session. If I had been on that quest alone...I'd be dead. No questions asked. Those Blight creatures were weak, but with their numbers and their different abilities--trapping movement, attacking from range and from up close--they were really dangerous. And they're only D Rank! I can't imagine how screwed I'd be against something you're used to fighting." He sighed and shook his head. "Anyway, if it's alright with you, I'll definitely be calling you in the future. I think having an A rank around to learn from would be a big help." Then, suddenly joking again, he smiled and gave Hazel a wink. "Plus it'll make other people think we're dating, which will raise my reputation through the roof."</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka was eating his food, when he noticed a girl sit down near him. He looked at her for some moments, before nodding. "Sure, go ahead. I'm Soka, who are you?" Soon after, someone else sat at the table as well. Someone WITH AN ENTIRE PIZZA! "Whoa, how much did that cost!" he said aloud, without even thinking about it.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel nodded in agreement as Hayato spoke of his own inexperience. "Of course, you're also pretty green. And things don't get much easier as you climb the ranks, so just keep doing assignments and practicing. I'm sure you'll get there eventually," She paused for a moment, and decided to give him a little bit of encouragement, "That being said, I am comparing you to the people I usually fight with, I'd say you might be a little better than most E-Ranks I see." However she didn't quite agree with what he said next. "Plus it'll make other people think we're dating, which will raise my reputation through the roof." This guy really is a moron, isn't he? Hazel thought to herself. She rose her fist, but lowered it with a sigh. At first it appeared there would be no physical retaliation, but Hazel had observed that Hayato was leaning back in his chair. She drove her foot into the chair, knocking him off balance, hoping it would make him fall on his ass.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley "Yes I am, in fact I 'm here to give you guys some pointers. Oh yeah, before I forget, you can call me John." He quickly introduced himself. With that out of the way, he turned to the the student currently inside the transparent cube. "Remember, when the Sylphid appears don't show fear, but don't make the mistake of thinking it will automatically listen to you either. And if necessary give the order to drop the barrier, so I can deal with it." John then faced the other students again."The second the barrier drops get to safety. Preferably somewhere where you can see how I handle things, but that shouldn't be your main concern." credits:50 Enchanted Wood x1 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro "Whoa, how much did that cost!" Taeion looked up from his meal to see another student. Had he been sitting here all this time? Taeion hadn't noticed. The boy was asking about the price of the pizza which the Indolent Ninja had. Taeion stopped eating for a moment to answer. "...20 AC." Upon answering, he also noticed another person at the table. Taeion was sitting opposite to a female student. He blinked once, turned to the boy and spoke again. "Am I...interrupting something...?" Taeion asked, interlocking the fingers of both of his hands as he said this, trying to suggest that the two students were in some kind of relationship.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe spend some time just literally standing still and observing the ground around him. Before he moved he would try to figure out a certain pattern, maybe a characteristic that more uneven, unbalanced ground that would use gravity to send him tumbling potentially would share. First thing he would do was lower down and grab what was in arm reach without moving a step. After he done that, he would take a slow step, without much weight added on it yet, to the direction that had the most ground. God this was so boring to him. He grabbed every mana herb in arm reach, there were so many. He thought they would be much more rare.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato "D'oh!" Hayato rolled backwards as his chair clattered to the floor, over his shoulder and coming up on one knee, specifically his left, with his right foot on the ground as if ready to rise. Instinctively he had grabbed his sword and brought it with him during the fall; his position now was just like that of the classic Japanese sword drawing stance from a crouch. Of course, he'd fallen into it out of habit, not because he meant to attack anyone. For that to be an instinctive reaction, however, was evidence of just how often he'd been training. "Alright, alright, enough with the jokes I guess." he said, standing up and dusting himself off. He smiled and gave Hazel a small wave. "Anyway, I'll be heading out now I guess. Just make sure you pay me back before the end of the week, okay? See ya around." John The student preparing to make the summons looked at John nervously, nodding and hanging on to every word he said. "What should I do when it appears, though? Is there anything specific I should say or do to...to prove my worth, I guess? I mean, do you have to prove your dominance over the summon or something?" Joe in Excaledvol Joe soon had more than enough that if he wanted to head back to the school, he would have a decent addition to his credits. The mission had warned that staying too long might lure Exbeasts...but then, Joe didn't really seem worried about that. Behind him on the clifftop there were a few woody areas where trees managed to cling to the sides of the craggy rocks or find purchase in the loamy soil beneath the thick cushion of vegetation. And somewhere in those trees, something rustled...</s> <\|message\|>John Harley John really didn't want to make the kid that nervous, but he had to be aware of the risk."That is a good question, too bad the answer is that it depends on the EXBeast.Some you can basically bribe, others you do have to prove your worth too, but there are also ExBeasts that consider a human trying to fight them a joke. So there is no way to know in advance." He purposely didn't remind the student that some ExBeasts, including summonable ones, hated humans in general though even the hostile ones could sometimes be reasoned with. credits:50 Enchanted Wood x1 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>Abigael Quint Abigael stared at the kid with the large pizza as he walked by. More specifically, he stared the pizza. Well crap. Now I want some of that. When he overheard the cost of the order, he looked back towards the cafeteria, ordering the same item. As soon as the order arrived, he grabbed the large pizza and seated himself down at an empty table. He didn't know anyone, nor was he in the mood to meet people at this time. Stuffing my face while talking to someone doesn't exactly leave a good impression anyway. He thought to himself, meanwhile grabbing a slice and munching happily away.</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel smirked. Oddly enough it seemed that the rest of the cafeteria payed little mind to Hayato's 'accident'. She supposed that they couldn't be blamed. At an academy designed to train young kids into warriors small scraps happened all the time. Hazel almost laughed when Hayato's sword turned on her, as he recovered in an admittedly graceful way. She knew there was no malicious intent in him, and he only pulled it out through instinct, but that didn't stop her from scolding him. "Only turn that thing on me if you intend on trying to skewer me, Hayato." She nodded as he reminded her of her promised payment. "Yeah, sure, sure, I'll pay you back." Hazel didn't intend to pay him back. "Well, I guess I'm heading out too. See ya." She rose from her chair and turned her back against Hayato, leaving quickly. As she set out from the dining hall a distinct feeling of wrongness settled over her. Why do you want to be the best? Hayato's question echoed back and forth through her head. She couldn't help but wonder. She knew only what she told Hayato, but she also knew that those words weren't right. A feeling of helplessness colored the maelstrom that swirled about in her head. And soon the helplessness was joined by its everlasting companions, doubt and sadness. She picked a slow and ponderous path back to the A-Level dorms. She felt that tonight would be a lonely and bleak night.</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura John The other students listened intently to John's explanation, nodding to show that they understood. Several clapped or oohed and aahed when he summoned his own Exbeast in preparation. Now that he had some backup, the summoner inside the barrier seemed much more confident. He raised his hands and put the finishing touches on the True Summoning ritual, and flooded the sigil with his magic power. "By the four winds that cross this world, I invoke this ceremony! Sylphid, fae of the air, come to my call and accept the contract I bear! I am thy summoner, my name is Samuel! On my behalf I will ask you to fight, and to lend me your power! If you accept and are bound to me, I shall grant in return an equal boon! Seal the contract, by completion of True Summoning! Sylphid, come forth!" The seal ignited in green flames, and the smoke rose and entwined together, forming a hole in the air itself. Through this hole was seen a flash of light, and from the rift drifted out a pale green, almost white, figure with a feminine shape but only about a foot tall. The Sylphid had long, elfin ears and two spiraling antennae coming from her head. Her wings were like those of a large moth, their scales shimmering in the light as they rapidly fluttered. There was a sound like a tinkling bell, and it seemed to be the speech of the creature, though none of the humans could discern its words save for Samuel the Summoner. He sensed, more than heard, that it would answer his summons if he provided it with fresh picked flowers and nectar as payment whenever it was called. "Your boon shall be granted! The contract is sealed!" He held out his hand, and a magic sigil formed in the air. The Sylphid touched the seal, and as it passed over her the Summoner's aura and her own were mingled, binding them. Then, the sigil began to fade, taking the creature with it back to the summoned space from which it had come. "Wow! Went off without a hitch!" said Samuel. He brought up a holo screen and turned off the barrier, then shook John's hand. "Thanks for all your advice man, it really helped!" John gains 20 EXP and the AC for the mission reward. As other students returned from their final missions of the day, it was beginning to get late. There was still homework and studying to do, but that could be done in dorm rooms, and many bid farewell to their friends or team mates and began to head to their "homes" for the rest of the night... The Next Day... The following morning played out much the same as the last had, and already it seemed that, despite being the only place in the world with a magical curriculum, that AcadeMMO was very much like other schools in that it would soon become a habitual cycle. However, at lunch it seemed something exciting--or perhaps unsettling--was going to happen today after all... "Attention all students!" boomed the PC system as many were heading to the cafeteria. "There has been a submission for an Urgent Special Assignment! All Students are to report to the Special Assignment board immediately! Report to the Special Assignment board immediately!" Hayato hurried through the halls alongside many other students, wondering what all the hullabaloo was about. An Urgent Special Assignment wasn't something done for the student's benefit--it usually meant that there was some kind of crisis, the same kind that AcadeMMO was training them for in the first place. As others began to pour into the entrance lobby of the school and crowd around the Assignment Board, the holo screen blinked before displaying a quest card that took up the entire screen, rather than being a small name on a list like usual. URGENT Multiple Rogue Magi, suspected to be part of Magi-Terrorism group "COVEN" have launched simultaneous attacks in different cities in the United States. The group is known for its Magi-Supremacist beliefs, and wishes to establish Magic Users as a "master race" and governing body around the world. Currently no demands have been given nor was there pre-emptive notice; it is believed at this time that these attacks are meant as a display of power. For this Assignment, the Party Limit has been lifted. Students who wish to apply for this mission should fill out their party information in the applications below. If your application is chosen and your party is called, immediately report to the telepads. More Information will be given as it becomes available. Hayato's eyes were wide. Rogue Magi were people who had magical abilities, but were not undergoing training at AcadeMMO or the MMO Corps, and thus were not under any kind of control or restraint. Though some magic users had no interest in becoming soldiers or fighting Exbeasts, they were at least registered with officials and undertook proper safety precautions so that their powers weren't dangerous. Rogue Magi, however, intentionally did the opposite, wanting to use their power for their own selfish purposes. The terrorist organization COVEN had come into being about a decade ago, but only in the last five years had they actually begun to gather any kind of momentum. Still, most of their activity had been limited to third world countries where the populace didn't have access to many methods of opposition. For them to launch an attack on the United States, of all places...just what was going on? Hayato looked around, searching for Hazel or Joe or anyone he had seen the day before...</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka made his way to the Assignment board. After struggling through the crowd, he was able to see the details of the mission. "What...? What's going on??" He could barely believe it. This was his first week here. He still needed to do some more training, but this was more important. Seriously, what good was protecting a research area in Excaledvol if he wasn't able to help people here on Earth? That last assignment was just a training mission... This is the real deal. Soka looked around, trying to find someone familiar or anyone else he could team up with.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley John was in line waiting to order lunch when he heard the message about the Urgent Special Assignment. "Great there goes lunch." was his main concern as he headed to the boards without hurrying, expecting the mission to be fighting ExBeasts. It wasn't until he read the mission info that he was actually planning on accepting the Assignment. But once he knew what was going on, John decided to look for a party to join with and hopefully prevent those terrorists from harming innocent people. As he was looking for people he at least knew he could work semi-decently together with, he saw one of the members of the Blighted Woods party and headed in their direction. "Wanna team up again?" credits:100 exp : 20 Enchanted Wood x1 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka saw someone (John) nearby and looked at him. "Oh, you look familiar..." He said, but wasn't sure where he had seen him before. He wasn't sure if John was talking to him or not, but at this point he needed to find party members and fast. "Yeah! We should team up." Soka continued to look around, while standing near John. He saw Hayato a little ways away and looked to see if anyone else was near. "Hey!!" he called out to Hayato, moving through the crowd toward him. "Hey, did you hear what's going on? Where are the others from before? We should get going soon. Who knows how long it will take for any of us to find those Magi."</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner This day began much like the first. Hazel's initial stirring was slow and unwilling, but she shot up as the harsh sound of an alarm clock cut through her. She was quick to find the 'off' button. She prepared for a long day after a seemingly restless night, leaving for her classes in a hurry after she got ready. The day seemed to pass by quickly. By the time lunch time came she was ready for it to pass quicker. It became clear that this wouldn't be the case when a harsh voice boomed through the PA system. When the message finished she turned to face her friends and exchanged words of parting. They split up, although they were all heading to the same place. They were all A-Ranked and weren't going to pass up a rare assignment like this. A large sea of people formed around Hazel Hosner. Everyone one was going. At least everyone that mattered was. She read the assignment dutifully and decided that, much like she had already expected she would, she wasn't going to search out for the E-Ranked students she worked with yesterday. She searched for her A-Ranked teammates. This predetermination was quickly cut to ribbons when Hazel found her usual A-Ranked group had a substitute in her place, likely from yesterday. Well, I suppose I'll have to make due. She broke through the metaphorical sea and searched for familiar faces. She sighted Hayato being called over to a group of other familiar faces and began to wade towards their direction.</s>
<\|description\|>Winnifred Winslow Age: 15 Gender: Female Themesong: Inspecting the Resounding Weapons Class: Gunsniper Appearance: Winnifred Winslow and her and her wonderfully blond hair. History: Winnifred's family life was a rather simple one, with the most extraordinary thing about the Winslows being their summer home, a hunting cabin decorated with trophies of deer and other animals that Winnifred's father had hunted. Thanks to her father's hobby, she was exposed to the concept of hunting rifles and other guns since a young age and grew accustomed to seeing them from afar early on in her life, her only problem with them being the loud noise of a gunshot, which she mostly got over as she aged and became more interested in various firearms (though the sound does still startle her a bit if she isn't expecting it). Though she asked her father to teach her how to fire a rifle for her thirteenth birthday, she took more interest in smaller, single-handed firearms. It was a few months later, when she was getting close to graduating from middle school, that she began to seriously consider the idea of applying to AcadeMMO. She hadn't taken much interest beforehand, but had begun becoming more concerned more concerned by stories of monster attacks, and started realizing that she could use her knowledge and (rather basic at the time) training in guns as a way of fighting. Statistics: * Level - 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5 Skills: Crippling Shot [2] - A boost of internal magic guide's Winnifred's aim, as she fires at an enemy's vital point, adding 14 Attack to one shot (added Attack increases by 7 per skill level). However, the Attack increase does not apply if the enemy's vital spots cannot be targeted (due to being protected by armor or the like, being hard to find, not existing in the first place, etc.). Consumes 20 MP - Command: "Bang!" Shoot 'Em All [1] - Winnifred's innate magic increases her reflexes and aiming speed, allowing her to fire her weapon multiple times, in the time it would normally take to make one attack. She makes up to three attacks which each must target a different enemy (maximum number of shots increases by 1 per skill level). Consumed 10 MP - Command: "All-shot!"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Bye, Rian. See you around!" Hayato waved enthusiastically as the healer left. "She" was pretty cute, he thought, as he turned back to the others. Definitely not as clashing a personality as Hazel...although the other Knight wasn't bad herself. Not wanting to go off on that tangent at the moment, though, Hayato instead turned his attention to someone else who'd come down from the stands. They must have drawn a bit of a crowd, huh? He looked up to see who else was around, and lo and behold there was another girl, one with bright blonde hair. He gave a simple nod of acknowledgement when she noticed him looking at her, then turned to see if there was anyone else in the stands. He noticed someone by the doors, too, probably someone who had stopped by to see if anyone else was in the building. The boy looked to be Japanese, like him, though he had silver hair. And the gun on his hip didn't look standard issue; was he an older student? Lots of opportunities to meet people today, from the looks of it. Now that Hayato thought about it, aside from the two or three people sitting immediately next to him in his classes, he'd never really gotten to know many people at the Academy. And for Special Assignments, he would need to make friends that he could party up with, right? He pondered this for a moment, before shrugging and turning back to Hazel. "I'm gonna go ahead on to the dorms, I'll see you later." he said with a wave, before turning and heading out of the gym, hands in his pockets. As he passed the silver haired boy he nodded at him too, with that look that said "'Sup," in the way guys often did without actually speaking. Then he began the trek across campus towards the boys' dorm, stretching his fully healed shoulders before folding his hands behind his head. This year was gonna be very different, for sure.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley Part of John just wanted to walk onto Combat Training area to have a match himself. But he resisted the urge not just because he lacked an opponent, but also because if he fought at least one Ex-Beast would get hurt needlessly. Instead he left the gym and decided to spend dome time on the final touches of decorating his dorm room. He eventually arrived at the Rank E dorm building, the dorm that the farthest away from the campus's other facilities. Despite the fact that this was John's third year at AcadeMMO he had so far refused to perform any Special Assignments, and as such he not only was still the lowest rank but had to repeat the second year.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "I see. You better not get owned after she disrespected you like that. Show her you're worth. You can tell me all about it later. I'm going to the dorms. I'll see you", Joe said. Taking a few steps forward before he stopped and turned back. Mouthing: "She's like two feet. This shouldn't be hard, right?", smirking before leaving again. He had heard of her before, she was apparently perfect in everything but had an attitude. This would be much more a challenge than Joe made it out to be. He hoped he would be fine, he wanted to get stronger after all. If he got beaten by a two feet little girl that disrespected him it would probable be soulcrushing. Joe knew he would have completely lost his self esteem. He relaxed against the front wall of the dorm, with a map in his hand taking everything in. He purposely choose to not go with the tour so he'd have to learn everything on his own. He worked up a sweat ten minutes ago, enough to have an actual effect but not enough to leave him aching for the training tomorrow. He already sorted out his room, so that wasn't a problem. Looking up, he'd notice that his previous conversation partner came back. His hands in his pockets walking casually. Joe waved to get his attention. "So, how was the fight? What's her fighting style like?", Joe smirked. "Probable defensive wasn't it?"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato found the boy from before, whose name he still hadn't learned, at the dorms. When the other student saw him he called out and asked about the spar. "So, how was the fight? What's her fighting style like?", he smirked. "Probable defensive wasn't it?" Hayato grimaced and rubbed one of his shoulders. "No, actually, she hits like a freaking truck. Her defenses and evasion skills are probably her weakest traits, but she has enough speed and strength to make up for the lack of technique." He sighed. "But she didn't get that way just by training. She's been on a lot of Special Assignments, out there fighting actual Exbeasts while I've just been in a dojo swinging a shinai around. Tomorrow, I'm going to start changing that." Again he held out his hand to shake with the other boy. "Sorry about getting pulled away before. I still never caught your name."</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li Nodding slightly at Hayato, Rian readjusted the bags' position before making his way out of the room. Sighing as the automatic doors hissed shut behind him, he brushed his robes, getting rid of some dust near his legs, before turning about to reorient himself. It took a few moments as he tried to figure out where buildings were in relation to his position, but soon enough he was headed off towards the administration building to get things sorted out. It took a while to sort things out once he got there since, to his surprise, he had been assigned a room in the D-Rank dormitory despite his rank being conditional. There were also minor issues like some of the employees finding him "cute" or it hard to believe he was actually "male". Pausing by a window as he stared at the feminine reflection Rian sighed softly, brushing a lock of hair back into place, before continuing on his way. He'd gotten over the fact that he'd be mistaken for a girl rather shortly after he'd arrived at AcadeMMO. If he hadn't and had instead fussed over it, no doubt the "bullies" would have hounded him over it, amongst other things. As things stood though, for the moment at the least, there was little trouble for him on school grounds. His new dormitory didn't really look too different from the building he'd stayed in last year, and Rian took a moment to explore the exterior rather than head right in. It only took him a few minutes and it let him familiarize himself with the exits and entrances to his new home for the year. Heading in afterwards, he looked around at the lobby-like room that greeted him, taking in the details like the tables with couches seated around and notice boards hanging by one wall. At the moment it was fairly empty, though he waved in greeting to the few that glanced towards him.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe frowned, that sounded similar to his own fighting style. Though he didn't sacrifice his normal defense for it, he did care a little less about his evasion skills, loving to be all in his opponents face and load strikes with his hands, sneaking in a devastating low kick in as his opponent is focused on his hands. He underestimated her simply because of her looks, his mistake. He really seemed shook up, she must have been something else. Especially since he already heard of her before, that must have meant that she was some kind of legend around here. That was definitely interesting, especially since the guy was praising her so highly. "She fought exbeasts? That is so cool.", he couldn't wait to do that. "Well, my name is Joe. I don't remember catching yours either?", he sort of subtly asked. Pushing his for a handshake. "We should train together tomorrow, you can show me some fancy sword tricks I could use to up my hand striking and I could do the same to you in reverse.", he proposed.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Hayato, nice to meet ya Joe." The two shook hands, and Hayato nodded at the suggestion of training. "Sure, that sounds good! Maybe we can party up with some others and go on a Special Assignment. I actually met a cute Cleric girl at the gym after Hazel nearly broke my arms." He chuckled with a slight frown, remembering how that last strike of hers could have ended badly. "With a good Cleric and maybe a Binder, Knights and Strikers are at their best; at least, that's what I remember from my Basic Tactics last year. I think they let up to five people go on missions together, unless there's some extenuating circumstance that requires a person to go it alone or to bring a whole group with them."</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Soon the people around Hazel began to trickle out of the gym, and eventually she found the immediate group around her dispersed. She really hoped that the upperclassman didn't follow through on his decision to report her. It wouldn't have been exactly the first time that someone complained about her going too far in a sparring match. They're just not strong. People like him don't understand what it's like in the real world, outside AcadeMMO. Hazel was more then completely convinced that she was in the right. Hazel began to exit the gym, but a blonde haired girl she didn't know caught her eye. She was in the spectator seats, and Hazel assumed she must have watched her fight. Hazel paid the girl a curt nod as she walked past, exiting the gym. Hazel moved towards the A-Ranked dorms. She entered. The A-Rank dorm, was, as usual, mostly emptied. In a school full of kids it was only natural that the majority held to the bottom side of the rankings. Hazel pondered what an S-Ranked dorm must be like. She wanted to imagine it to be some grandiose marvel of a room. Her thoughts didn't even turn to how it might be lonely, for Hazel was used to being alone. She headed down the hall and headed into her room. It was by and large bare, excluding the bed, and a pair of large trunks lying on it. One trunk included the essentials: Shampoo, conditioner, a large amount of cosmetics, toothbrush, toothpaste, clothing. The other trunk was a molded case that included the _other_ essentials: Her personal collection of swords. She moved the first trunk off its perch onto floor, and opened the second to confirm its contents. She ran down a mental checklist: Raiper, Longsword, and Zweihänder. They were all in their proper places. The weapons were exquisite. Hazel, of course, deserves the best, and with the money she makes from Special Assignments she can get it. She closed the case and set it beside its partner on the ground. She sighed and plopped down onto the bed. She decided to rest, if just for a moment.</s>	<\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow People began exiting the gym, and Winnifred realized both participants of the sparring match had each given her of sort of acknowledging look when they passed her, and Winnifred returned each look. As it seemed most of the people who'd gathered were already gone and the activity was dying down, she sighed and stood up from her seat. She gave a last glance to the only people remaining in the gym before turning back to the door. For the time being, she decided, she'd continue her walk for a while before she returned to her dorm. She kept an eye out while she was walking for the two other students who had sparred, as she was a bit curious as to how their match went and thought it might make for an interesting conversation, but she didn't spot them anywhere while she walked. She figured they must have gone back to their dorms or simply not be anywhere nearby.</s>
<\|description\|>Winnifred Winslow Age: 15 Gender: Female Themesong: Inspecting the Resounding Weapons Class: Gunsniper Appearance: Winnifred Winslow and her and her wonderfully blond hair. History: Winnifred's family life was a rather simple one, with the most extraordinary thing about the Winslows being their summer home, a hunting cabin decorated with trophies of deer and other animals that Winnifred's father had hunted. Thanks to her father's hobby, she was exposed to the concept of hunting rifles and other guns since a young age and grew accustomed to seeing them from afar early on in her life, her only problem with them being the loud noise of a gunshot, which she mostly got over as she aged and became more interested in various firearms (though the sound does still startle her a bit if she isn't expecting it). Though she asked her father to teach her how to fire a rifle for her thirteenth birthday, she took more interest in smaller, single-handed firearms. It was a few months later, when she was getting close to graduating from middle school, that she began to seriously consider the idea of applying to AcadeMMO. She hadn't taken much interest beforehand, but had begun becoming more concerned more concerned by stories of monster attacks, and started realizing that she could use her knowledge and (rather basic at the time) training in guns as a way of fighting. Statistics: * Level - 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5 Skills: Crippling Shot [2] - A boost of internal magic guide's Winnifred's aim, as she fires at an enemy's vital point, adding 14 Attack to one shot (added Attack increases by 7 per skill level). However, the Attack increase does not apply if the enemy's vital spots cannot be targeted (due to being protected by armor or the like, being hard to find, not existing in the first place, etc.). Consumes 20 MP - Command: "Bang!" Shoot 'Em All [1] - Winnifred's innate magic increases her reflexes and aiming speed, allowing her to fire her weapon multiple times, in the time it would normally take to make one attack. She makes up to three attacks which each must target a different enemy (maximum number of shots increases by 1 per skill level). Consumed 10 MP - Command: "All-shot!"</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel awoke, fresh and ready for her first _real_ day of school. Yesterday was exciting, but there really was nothing like the feeling of excelling at something. At least that was the case for Hazel. She woke up early, picked a nice outfit, showered, put her makeup on, and was off in a flash. Breakfast for Hazel was a quick affair: Junk food from one of AcadeMMO's many vending machines eaten on the way to her first class. She was lucky that she exercised so much because Hazel frankly ate like crap. The day started, as expected, with PE. Hazel was, naturally, over-competitive with everything and went hard with whatever activity was given. After that she found herself in her academic classes. When it came to these classes she was focused and didn't miss a thing. Afterwards she spent a quick lunch period her friends, and the day morphed into Martial classes. Hazel was, of course, in an advanced swordsmanship class. Most people outright refused to spar with her, but it was hard to fault them for it. Hazel didn't see it that way, however, and they were cowards as far as she was concerned. So she found herself practicing against dummies for most of the period. She knew her defense was sloppy, but it was hard to practice that against practice targets. The rest of her Martial classes passed by quickly, and she found herself in a few short hours approaching the Special Assignments board. She suddenly remembered her promise to Hayato. She did say that she would go on a Assignment with him, but realized she left him with no way to contact her. Hazel stared at the the A-Ranked boards, but she soon noticed Hayato at the D-Ranked section. _Speak of the devil... I guess I have to follow through on what I said._ She sighed, and started approaching. That was, until she spied the uptight Magi from yesterday. Approaching Hayato. Hazel stopped. _No damn way. I told the guy I'd help him but..._ She sighed once again, and resumed her approach. Hazel didn't believe in going back on her word. She moved past the upperclassman and parked herself on the far side of Hayato. She didn't bother greeting him, and didn't bother to let him return the senior's greeting. "I told you I'd go on a mission with you, so if you want to now is your chance."</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Immediately after the end of her last class, Winnifred made her way to the special assignments board. She stood in front of it, a serious gaze on her face as she studied the assignments listed. In her first year she'd only done just enough to make to to a D Rank, and was determined to do better this time around, now that she wasn't a complete newbie at the academy this year. Still, she didn't want to take something that'd be too overwhelming when she was just getting back into the swing of things. On top of that, she'd need allies as well. Glancing around at the other students gathered in front of the board, she recognized a couple familiar faces. The boy and the girl who'd had that match in the gym the day before were already looking at the assignment list, from the looks of it. Winnifred figured it couldn't hurt to see what they had in mind, and approached them. "Hey, I saw you two in the gym the yesterday," she said, a friendly smile on her face in an attempt to make a good first impression. "So what kind of assignment are you guys looki..." About mid-sentence she noticed another boy was also standing by the two and realized it seemed as if they may have been in the middle of talking already. "Uhh, I mean, sorry to interrupt! Don't mind me!" Winnifred laughed a bit nervously.</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li The rest of Rian's day passed by in unremarkable mediocrity; he settled himself into his new room, headed to the campus cafeteria for a meal, made use of the fitness facilities, and then turned himself in rather early to prepare for the next day. Though he shared greetings or chatted with several acquaintances, nothing on the scope of what happened at the arena occurred once more for him. ---- When he awoke, it wasn't exactly as bright and early as some who knew of how he had spent his summer months might have expected. There was just enough time for Rian to get himself ready and head over to the cafeteria for breakfast. before arriving just in time for the first period of class. Stretching on his own accord as the class gathered and waited for the teacher, he tuned out the hushed whispers of those who had yet to be in physical education with him. Despite being rather physically fit, it was in a manner that was lithe and graceful, so it actually only emphasized his feminine appearance. After that came the more mundane courses that could be found in most schools in one form or the other around the world. Frankly it was a bit hard for him to pay attention given the way things were, but he pushed himself to focus through. Even then his attention wandered and Rian had to stop himself from dozing off a few times, often resorting to playing with his hair for simply something to do. 'Come on… if any of them find out, they're going to be annoyed.' As he reminded himself for not the first time, the thought nonetheless gave him a bit of a push to sit up straighter and focus. After lunch when the Magic courses came around, Rian threw himself at the course and their materials as per usual. Utterly different from himself during the morning periods, his interest towards the supernatural when compared to the mundane was fairly obvious to anyone with functioning eyes. Though he wasn't exactly enthusiastic during these periods, his contrasting mannerisms made it quite apparent that this was what he really looked forward to. ---- As classes came to a close, Rian followed his usual routine and wandered over to the lobby to look for an appropriate Special Assignment. Unsurprisingly, given it was the first day, there was quite the crowd already there to pick up whatever Assignments were being offered. A quick glance, from even the complete back of the crowd, let Rian tell there weren't many he was interested in taking, and none he would have actively tried to pursue. He did see a few that he figured would be easy enough if he could find a willing group he could participate in. In fact… though it was a bit hard to tell given the crowd in his way, Rian thought he saw Hayato from yesterday closer to the holoscreen. The Knight had seemed amiable enough to Clerics and given he had healed the taller boy yesterday, Rian figured there was a good chance of being accepted to a "party". Pushing his way through the crowd served to be plenty hard given his stature, and it was with some effort that he managed to arrive near the black-haired teen. Clutching at his chest, he sighed lightly as he managed to extract himself from the throng of students before he looked around. It seemed that Hayato wasn't alone, but the whole gang from yesterday was around; even the blonde had been a spectator if he wasn't mistaken. Taking a moment to smooth out his beige robes, he finally raised a hand in greeting towards the gathered students. "Afternoon, don't suppose any of you are interested in the D-Rank: Cockatrice Hunt Assignment?"</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka arrived to his first class on time. He was happy to get some exercise in, because he wasn't sure if he would enjoy any of the other classes that would follow. There was a reason that he had not decided to come to this school until this year. Soka had discovered his magic abilities some time ago, and had developed his abilities a lot on his own. He never really thought that he needed formal instruction on how to use something that came natural to him. Of course, this was far from true. However, he had eventually decided to come here after all. And now here he was Soka made small talk with a few people in his PE class, noticing some people here and there that he thought might make good friends. After class, he got some water from a water fountain and went into the halls again to find his Elementary Magic Theory class. He sat through the class, actually finding a lot of the principles and discussion pretty interesting. Maybe this place wouldn't be too bad after all. When classes were finished, Soka made his way into the halls again. Seeing large crowds gathering, Soka blinked and headed over to the front lobby of the main building. Curious, Soka held his backpack straps in his hands as he stood behind the large crowd in front of the holo-board. Eventually he was able to spot the D-Rank missions. _Finally, I get to have some fun_, he thought to himself. Reading the details of the missions that were available to him. _I'll go with the woods or the fire rats. Anything but that venomous monster._ When he had decided on two potential missions, Soka blinked a few times, before gazing around. _I may be confident in myself, but there's no way I should do a mission alone. Hm, who can I go with?_ He looked around at various students nearby. _A lot of these people already have friends, so my best bet is to find another newbie._ Eventually, he spotted a preppy looking kid with dark hair. This person seemed to have put particular effort into tucking his shirt in, wearing pants with suspenders, and even had writing pens in his shirt pocket. He certainly didn't look like the adventurous type, but he did look new and didn't seem to have anyone to party with either. Soka walked over to him. "Hey, sorry to talk to you randomly." Soka began. "Wanna party with me for a mission?" The kid looked back at Soka and looked terrified. "What?? It's my first day here! Why would I want to do something dangerous like that?! And I don't even know you." The kid replied, before anxiously looking around and quickly walking away. -__- .... _This might be harder than I thought._</s>	<\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow "The cockatrice one?" Winnifred looked to see who had asked, realizing it was the cleric she'd seen in the gym yesterday as well. Familiar faces everywhere, apparently. "Oh yeah, I saw that one too. Might be a good one to start with, eh? If you're thinking of taking it, I'll come along too, if you want. I'm a sniper, so I can probably do a number to it before it gets too closer at least." She paused for a moment, only to realize she was going on about all this without even introducing herself, and so added, "Oh right, I'm Winnifred by the way." She directed her introduction towards the others standing there as well as the cleric... girl? The cleric looked like a girl, anyway, but Winnifred felt like something was off. She didn't dwell on it too much, though.</s>
<\|description\|>Winnifred Winslow Age: 15 Gender: Female Themesong: Inspecting the Resounding Weapons Class: Gunsniper Appearance: Winnifred Winslow and her and her wonderfully blond hair. History: Winnifred's family life was a rather simple one, with the most extraordinary thing about the Winslows being their summer home, a hunting cabin decorated with trophies of deer and other animals that Winnifred's father had hunted. Thanks to her father's hobby, she was exposed to the concept of hunting rifles and other guns since a young age and grew accustomed to seeing them from afar early on in her life, her only problem with them being the loud noise of a gunshot, which she mostly got over as she aged and became more interested in various firearms (though the sound does still startle her a bit if she isn't expecting it). Though she asked her father to teach her how to fire a rifle for her thirteenth birthday, she took more interest in smaller, single-handed firearms. It was a few months later, when she was getting close to graduating from middle school, that she began to seriously consider the idea of applying to AcadeMMO. She hadn't taken much interest beforehand, but had begun becoming more concerned more concerned by stories of monster attacks, and started realizing that she could use her knowledge and (rather basic at the time) training in guns as a way of fighting. Statistics: * Level - 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5 Skills: Crippling Shot [2] - A boost of internal magic guide's Winnifred's aim, as she fires at an enemy's vital point, adding 14 Attack to one shot (added Attack increases by 7 per skill level). However, the Attack increase does not apply if the enemy's vital spots cannot be targeted (due to being protected by armor or the like, being hard to find, not existing in the first place, etc.). Consumes 20 MP - Command: "Bang!" Shoot 'Em All [1] - Winnifred's innate magic increases her reflexes and aiming speed, allowing her to fire her weapon multiple times, in the time it would normally take to make one attack. She makes up to three attacks which each must target a different enemy (maximum number of shots increases by 1 per skill level). Consumed 10 MP - Command: "All-shot!"</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Winnifired stared in wide-eyed shock with a grimace forming on her face as a brief fistfight suddenly erupted in the crowd of people. She hadn't been able to hear what conversation had started it, she simply saw the red-headed girl throw a punch and end up hitting the... same boy she'd done quite the number to in the match yesterday, apparently. Winnifred was about to step in and say something to try and stop things, though she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to say in a situation like that, but it seemed that the small incident died down as quickly as it started anyway. In fact, it seemed like discussions about the assignments had resumed like normal. Well, more or less normal. Winnifred sighed, letting the incident pass. She looked back at the cleric, and studied the cockatrice assignment details again. "Well... I wonder just how many people are looking at this one," she said.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka finished watching the interesting event take place. _Seems like classes and missions won't be the only thing interesting around here. I better pick my fights carefully if I get on anyone's bad side._ He turned toward the entrance of the lobby again, when he heard someone calling him. _Hm? Is he talking to me?_ Soka turned and faced Hayato. He walked towards the male, "Me? Yep I'm an adept. Yeah! I'll come along. I've been searching for a party for a while." Standing near Hayato and the others, he offered his hand in a handshake to the male that had spoken to him. "Name's Soka. I'm new here."</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner "Fine, I'll help you, Hayato." She said, with a self satisfied smirk, totally unaware that he was playing into her ego. "I'll let you pick the Assignment, but make it interesting, and don't pick anything without fighting, or I'm not going." She said.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Nice to meet you, Soka, I'm Hayato." With Joe, himself, Hazel, the summoner, and now Soka, they had a full party, provided someone didn't suddenly back out. "We're going to be headed into this Blighted Woods area. It's somewhere in Excaledvol, and they're trying to set up a research station. They'll need someone to clear the area of monsters. We don't have any Clerics or Binders, but I think if we watch each other's backs we'll be alright." Hazel confirmed that she'd be going as long as there was a fight, and Hayato nodded. "The description said they'd probably be low rank monsters, but they know the terrain better than we do and there will likely be several of them. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the fighting." --- After everyone had grabbed what equipment they needed, the group met up in the entrance lobby again and then headed down a large central hall, where a few sets of double sliding doors led into identical rooms. Each room was a large cube, white tile on all four walls, the floor, and the ceilings. Immediately after entering, though, to the right there was another holoboard and in the center, a large circular pad big enough for them all to stand on. Hayato went to the board and entered the quest they'd taken, and a magic diagram of incredible complexity suddenly appeared on the pad. Several of its symbols began to rotate along the outer edge, clicking together with bright flashes of color, until the proper coordinates were aligned. While a way to permanently close off the two worlds had not yet been found, a method had been discovered of creating small rifts that would collapse on themselves after a set amount of time. Combining this with teleportation magic (a very delicate art that not many Magic Classes could use by themselves) allowed the Academy to send the students to any location on either world as long as they had the correct coordinates. The pads were locked unless one had taken a Special Assignment or had the proper clearance, however. Attempting a transport without the coordinates could very likely hurl someone into the black vacuum of space, or tear them apart in the limbo between worlds. The thought made Hayato do a double check that he had done everything correctly. When the group had all gotten onto the pad, the magic began to glow and hum, rising in volume slowly as the circle rose off the pad and began to rapidly spin. Then, with a blinding flash and a feeling like when an elevator suddenly starts up and you're not ready for it, they found themselves standing outside a large bunker type building made of slabs of concrete and sheets of metal. There were several adults, in a mix of magi robes and lab coats, running around doing various tasks, and when one noticed the students he ran over fumbling with a clip board. "You're just in time! We've just detected some Exbeasts on the move to the north east, right beyond that treeline there!" He pointed at where he meant. "Sorry to rush you, but we're in the middle of some very interesting data retrieval, and if they interrupt we could lose all our progress!" "Yeesh, right to it, huh?" Hayato said, looking around. True to the man's word, though, there was an ominous rustling along the border of the clearing, and he thought he saw something shadowy moving between the trees...</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel nodded at Hayato's choice. "I'm glad you picked something that at least sounds kind of interesting. I'm gonna go get my stuff, I'll meet you there." She said. She returned to her dorm. She didn't have any sort of 'armor' per say and just wore ordinary clothes. It didn't restrict her movement so it was fine for her. She opened up her trunk of weapons and after a moment of internal deliberation opted to grab her longsword. It was an impressive weapon, exquisitely crafted. The most notable part was the hilt, jewel encrusted, featuring a pommel in the shape of a wolf. She retrieved he scabbard, holstered her sword, and went to go meet Hayato and the rest of the party. She caught up with him on the teleportation pad. They arrived at the lab and they were already being ordered around. "No point in waiting, let's get to it." She drew her sword and approached the treeline.</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li Giving the blonde a nod while grinning happily, Rian was glad to already have one willing participant. Thinking on it, he figured it might even be possible for the two of them to handle the mission themselves given their skill sets. He could debilitate the ExBeast and cripple is movement while Winnifred piled away at it. "A pleasure," he said softly, bowing somewhat before, "I'm Rian." He frowned a bit at Hayato's response but didn't really choose to otherwise comment. If that was the Assignment the boy wanted, Rian saw no reason to try and convince him otherwise. Before he could propose his idea to Winnifred though, several things happened in rather rapid succession. For some reason the older student decided to pick a bone with Hazel, though for what reason he personally couldn't see. Despite not knowing the language Hayato and their senior shared, it wasn't too hard to tell that it likely hadn't been friendly. While he had been largely neutral over yesterday's happenings, chalking it up to a senior being concerned for his juniors, but now this… And things only spiralled downwards from there on. As expected from what little he had seen of her, Hazel refused to back down while the, questionably now, older student simply continued to egg her on. Stepping away from the brewing confrontation, he shook his head slowly in disbelief before turning towards the blonde-haired gunner; the shit storm already pushed aside from his mind and its participants ignored. "Don't quite know," he admitted as he caught her looking towards him before he nodded away from the assignment board. "Personally, one enemy is where I do my best and I think we could take the creature down ourselves if you're willing. It'll mean more rewards between ourselves, but we'll have to get ready quick. Others no doubt will want to tag along if we dilly dally."</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe didn't really need anything to prepare. He didn't wear armor and he didn't use weapons, he was ready as it was. So he just shadowboxed a little as everyone else did their equipment and warmed up his muscles for combat. He never heard of the teleportation pad, it was a pretty cool sight. The others had their little shiny weapons. Joe wasn't impressed. He knew he was about to fuck shit up regardless, this should be nothing but slaughter for them. They all were offensive focused and apparently they were low ranked monsters. All that Joe expected was a bloodbath and he was perfectly fine with that. As they entered the scene one of the researchers immediately caught them. Giving them a direction to where they are. Convenient. "I agree", he smiled at her. "He gave us a direction, so it's not like we need to search for something.", Joe pointed out. Already walking towards the north east. "Look out for monsters surrounding us but continue walking north-east without stopping unless you're sure you saw something.", Joe suggested while performing this same action.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Day 01 Haruka first day at school wasn't anything special, the usual ceremony at the start of every new school year unpacking in the dorms and the meeting of the group she does her assignments with. Her school timetable hasnt changed much from last year, her classes were seperated between night and day. It gave the opportunity to sleep during mid day and train at night after classes. But sleep was the last thing she needed, so training during the day and night wasnt a big problem to do. Her first night was peacefull for now since immediatly rushing to train is a bit to much, for now atleast. Day 02 Haruka has been sleeping well since a long time it gave her some comfort to be here in this school, it felt a little like a home to her. The daily morning excersizes were as usual for everyone. Still a lot of people had difficulties with it and stopped even before it started. She did her laps of running and took a shower in her dorm. Short after, she got to her classes which consisted of dodging hiding and knife trowing. The day passed on very quickly and it already free time was there for her to spent on training or sleeping. It didn't take long for her to decide what to do. Haruka went over to the assignment board to do some missions with who ever was around at the moment. Some rank B assignments would be fine for now, taking it easy for the first day was reasonable. When she arrived something seemed hugely off about this. The assignment board area was filled with students. Well it was predictable that this would happen, some of the students didn't pass because of their low rank and tried to keep it up a little this year. It made her think, only one tought went through her mind 'Way to forced' she moved through the crowd to the front and took a look at the assignments for today. It appeared there were only D ranking assignments. Which would mean all these people were probably around D rank. Well since she didn't have anything else to do, it would be fun to help some others maybe. Haruka wasn't that famous around the school for her rank or anything so most people wouldn't even notice that she was ranked A. Haruka quietly looked around her for maybe some younger shades that she could help.</s>	<\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow "Hmm, maybe. Still, it might be a good idea to get one or two more people, you know?" Winnifred replied to Rian, giving it a few moments of thought. "I for sure wouldn't mind some a chance to get some extra rewards, but it can't hurt to have some extra helping hands. More safety in numbers and all that." Winnifred began looking around the crowd for any other students who may still be picking out their assignments or teams. "Of course," she added, "I'm fine with it being just the two of us if no one else does end up wanting to join us."</s>
<\|description\|>Winnifred Winslow Age: 15 Gender: Female Themesong: Inspecting the Resounding Weapons Class: Gunsniper Appearance: Winnifred Winslow and her and her wonderfully blond hair. History: Winnifred's family life was a rather simple one, with the most extraordinary thing about the Winslows being their summer home, a hunting cabin decorated with trophies of deer and other animals that Winnifred's father had hunted. Thanks to her father's hobby, she was exposed to the concept of hunting rifles and other guns since a young age and grew accustomed to seeing them from afar early on in her life, her only problem with them being the loud noise of a gunshot, which she mostly got over as she aged and became more interested in various firearms (though the sound does still startle her a bit if she isn't expecting it). Though she asked her father to teach her how to fire a rifle for her thirteenth birthday, she took more interest in smaller, single-handed firearms. It was a few months later, when she was getting close to graduating from middle school, that she began to seriously consider the idea of applying to AcadeMMO. She hadn't taken much interest beforehand, but had begun becoming more concerned more concerned by stories of monster attacks, and started realizing that she could use her knowledge and (rather basic at the time) training in guns as a way of fighting. Statistics: * Level - 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5 Skills: Crippling Shot [2] - A boost of internal magic guide's Winnifred's aim, as she fires at an enemy's vital point, adding 14 Attack to one shot (added Attack increases by 7 per skill level). However, the Attack increase does not apply if the enemy's vital spots cannot be targeted (due to being protected by armor or the like, being hard to find, not existing in the first place, etc.). Consumes 20 MP - Command: "Bang!" Shoot 'Em All [1] - Winnifred's innate magic increases her reflexes and aiming speed, allowing her to fire her weapon multiple times, in the time it would normally take to make one attack. She makes up to three attacks which each must target a different enemy (maximum number of shots increases by 1 per skill level). Consumed 10 MP - Command: "All-shot!"</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel nodded at Hayato's choice. "I'm glad you picked something that at least sounds kind of interesting. I'm gonna go get my stuff, I'll meet you there." She said. She returned to her dorm. She didn't have any sort of 'armor' per say and just wore ordinary clothes. It didn't restrict her movement so it was fine for her. She opened up her trunk of weapons and after a moment of internal deliberation opted to grab her longsword. It was an impressive weapon, exquisitely crafted. The most notable part was the hilt, jewel encrusted, featuring a pommel in the shape of a wolf. She retrieved he scabbard, holstered her sword, and went to go meet Hayato and the rest of the party. She caught up with him on the teleportation pad. They arrived at the lab and they were already being ordered around. "No point in waiting, let's get to it." She drew her sword and approached the treeline.</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li Giving the blonde a nod while grinning happily, Rian was glad to already have one willing participant. Thinking on it, he figured it might even be possible for the two of them to handle the mission themselves given their skill sets. He could debilitate the ExBeast and cripple is movement while Winnifred piled away at it. "A pleasure," he said softly, bowing somewhat before, "I'm Rian." He frowned a bit at Hayato's response but didn't really choose to otherwise comment. If that was the Assignment the boy wanted, Rian saw no reason to try and convince him otherwise. Before he could propose his idea to Winnifred though, several things happened in rather rapid succession. For some reason the older student decided to pick a bone with Hazel, though for what reason he personally couldn't see. Despite not knowing the language Hayato and their senior shared, it wasn't too hard to tell that it likely hadn't been friendly. While he had been largely neutral over yesterday's happenings, chalking it up to a senior being concerned for his juniors, but now this… And things only spiralled downwards from there on. As expected from what little he had seen of her, Hazel refused to back down while the, questionably now, older student simply continued to egg her on. Stepping away from the brewing confrontation, he shook his head slowly in disbelief before turning towards the blonde-haired gunner; the shit storm already pushed aside from his mind and its participants ignored. "Don't quite know," he admitted as he caught her looking towards him before he nodded away from the assignment board. "Personally, one enemy is where I do my best and I think we could take the creature down ourselves if you're willing. It'll mean more rewards between ourselves, but we'll have to get ready quick. Others no doubt will want to tag along if we dilly dally."</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe didn't really need anything to prepare. He didn't wear armor and he didn't use weapons, he was ready as it was. So he just shadowboxed a little as everyone else did their equipment and warmed up his muscles for combat. He never heard of the teleportation pad, it was a pretty cool sight. The others had their little shiny weapons. Joe wasn't impressed. He knew he was about to fuck shit up regardless, this should be nothing but slaughter for them. They all were offensive focused and apparently they were low ranked monsters. All that Joe expected was a bloodbath and he was perfectly fine with that. As they entered the scene one of the researchers immediately caught them. Giving them a direction to where they are. Convenient. "I agree", he smiled at her. "He gave us a direction, so it's not like we need to search for something.", Joe pointed out. Already walking towards the north east. "Look out for monsters surrounding us but continue walking north-east without stopping unless you're sure you saw something.", Joe suggested while performing this same action.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Day 01 Haruka first day at school wasn't anything special, the usual ceremony at the start of every new school year unpacking in the dorms and the meeting of the group she does her assignments with. Her school timetable hasnt changed much from last year, her classes were seperated between night and day. It gave the opportunity to sleep during mid day and train at night after classes. But sleep was the last thing she needed, so training during the day and night wasnt a big problem to do. Her first night was peacefull for now since immediatly rushing to train is a bit to much, for now atleast. Day 02 Haruka has been sleeping well since a long time it gave her some comfort to be here in this school, it felt a little like a home to her. The daily morning excersizes were as usual for everyone. Still a lot of people had difficulties with it and stopped even before it started. She did her laps of running and took a shower in her dorm. Short after, she got to her classes which consisted of dodging hiding and knife trowing. The day passed on very quickly and it already free time was there for her to spent on training or sleeping. It didn't take long for her to decide what to do. Haruka went over to the assignment board to do some missions with who ever was around at the moment. Some rank B assignments would be fine for now, taking it easy for the first day was reasonable. When she arrived something seemed hugely off about this. The assignment board area was filled with students. Well it was predictable that this would happen, some of the students didn't pass because of their low rank and tried to keep it up a little this year. It made her think, only one tought went through her mind 'Way to forced' she moved through the crowd to the front and took a look at the assignments for today. It appeared there were only D ranking assignments. Which would mean all these people were probably around D rank. Well since she didn't have anything else to do, it would be fun to help some others maybe. Haruka wasn't that famous around the school for her rank or anything so most people wouldn't even notice that she was ranked A. Haruka quietly looked around her for maybe some younger shades that she could help.</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow "Hmm, maybe. Still, it might be a good idea to get one or two more people, you know?" Winnifred replied to Rian, giving it a few moments of thought. "I for sure wouldn't mind some a chance to get some extra rewards, but it can't hurt to have some extra helping hands. More safety in numbers and all that." Winnifred began looking around the crowd for any other students who may still be picking out their assignments or teams. "Of course," she added, "I'm fine with it being just the two of us if no one else does end up wanting to join us."</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga Ryouta had no choice but to honor a dying man's wishes, the boy was on a suicide journey. Even if he might have been doing it because he secretly had the hots for that child-psychopath, it was such a waste of life. Young, vibrant life. Gone. He silently mourned the passing. He stood up and turned to face the two speaking not-so-softly behind him, it seemed they were attracted to the same mission he needed. Listening to their discussion, it seems the Cleric was more interested in rewards than ensuring they survived. Ryouta, personally, was not too interested in the listed credits. But, like the girl said, a pair of helping hands would make things easier -for Ryouta. "You've got the right idea, young miss." He commented. "You were there at the arena yesterday ....right?" He faintly remembered someone with blonde hair. "I'll be on this mission too." He raised a handshake towards her and then one towards the Cleric.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Upon finally acquiring party members, Soka's excited expression soon dropped, hearing that the mission in the woods was actually IN Excaledvol. _Wait, no way! How did I miss that detail? Was that always part of the mission description??_ Soka looked at the board again and read the mission's description again. He didn't regret favoring this mission, but still he was surprised to go into another WORLD on his first day. _What if I die? What if a magic dinosaur eats me? What's going to happen...? I'm too young to die... I'm still a virgin!_ Of course, he wasn't the type to show unnecessary fear. "Alright, let's do this!" Soka grinned before running off to get his equipment. When he had his adventure attire on, the red-brown haired Soka entered the teleportation room with his soon-to-be comades. When they entered the new area, Soka stepped forward and looked around. After stretching, he touched the sword scabbard that was strapped onto his back. There was no sword in it, but it was certainly weighed down by something. To others though, it may have appeared he had an empty sword sheathe he was carrying around. It seemed he was with three Martial classes. The other person must have been a Magi, at least this was Soka's guess. Although Soka was an Adept, he enjoyed the thought of playing more of a support role, instead of direct offense. Because of this, he stayed several paces behind the three Martial classes when everyone began to ahead, ready to support any of his fellow team mates, should anyone be ambushed.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka focused on the voices around her and carefully listened to the people in difrent groups which assignment they would take. The cockatrice assignment seemed a little more daring to do. Having such a puny rat fight wouldnt be too fun anyway. When she foccused on the assignment name in particular she heared it 3 times from other groups. The team balance of all the teams didnt seem to combine well with her skills. Only one group could take her in where she would be atleast a bit usefull. Haruka spied the group for a small while, for if they were really gonna do the assignment and how the group acted. It was the job of a ninja to get information without letting anyone know, she had learned that in first year of school. Her size definitely helped her, there were a lot of tall people so it was hard to find out she was even there, a great oppertunity lets say. Haruka suddenly joined on it the group. She popped up next to Ryouta, she was in a calm mood and that could clearly be seen by her relaxed eyes and gentle smile. It was a rather special trait about her, that she is always calm about everything and nothing could make her stress out. Always thinking clear was the thing to do for certain. She needed to try and convince them to accept her to join their party now. If she said that she was an A rank it would become bothersom for her, so she didnt mention it at all. A warm calm voice sounded from her mouth "Hi, I was planning to do the cockatrice assignment and still needed to have a team. Since i heard you were also doing the quest, can i join you all?"</s>	<\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow "Yeah, I was there," Winnifred replied, accepting the handshake from the boy who had suddenly spoke to her. "Didn't get there till the match ended, but oh well. Anyway, yeah, we were just talking about that assignment. Glad to have you on board if it means we don't get turned to stone, heh." Just as soon as Winnifred had finished speaking, another girl approached asking to join as well. "Fine with me. That'll give us four so far, huh? Name's Winnifred. Oh, and I'm a sniper. How about you two?" Winnifred was noticing by now after the sudden approach of these two that the cockatrice hunt really was popular after all. Of course Winnifred wasn't going to object to a full or near-full team.</s>
<\|description\|>Winnifred Winslow Age: 15 Gender: Female Themesong: Inspecting the Resounding Weapons Class: Gunsniper Appearance: Winnifred Winslow and her and her wonderfully blond hair. History: Winnifred's family life was a rather simple one, with the most extraordinary thing about the Winslows being their summer home, a hunting cabin decorated with trophies of deer and other animals that Winnifred's father had hunted. Thanks to her father's hobby, she was exposed to the concept of hunting rifles and other guns since a young age and grew accustomed to seeing them from afar early on in her life, her only problem with them being the loud noise of a gunshot, which she mostly got over as she aged and became more interested in various firearms (though the sound does still startle her a bit if she isn't expecting it). Though she asked her father to teach her how to fire a rifle for her thirteenth birthday, she took more interest in smaller, single-handed firearms. It was a few months later, when she was getting close to graduating from middle school, that she began to seriously consider the idea of applying to AcadeMMO. She hadn't taken much interest beforehand, but had begun becoming more concerned more concerned by stories of monster attacks, and started realizing that she could use her knowledge and (rather basic at the time) training in guns as a way of fighting. Statistics: * Level - 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5 Skills: Crippling Shot [2] - A boost of internal magic guide's Winnifred's aim, as she fires at an enemy's vital point, adding 14 Attack to one shot (added Attack increases by 7 per skill level). However, the Attack increase does not apply if the enemy's vital spots cannot be targeted (due to being protected by armor or the like, being hard to find, not existing in the first place, etc.). Consumes 20 MP - Command: "Bang!" Shoot 'Em All [1] - Winnifred's innate magic increases her reflexes and aiming speed, allowing her to fire her weapon multiple times, in the time it would normally take to make one attack. She makes up to three attacks which each must target a different enemy (maximum number of shots increases by 1 per skill level). Consumed 10 MP - Command: "All-shot!"</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel grinned as she got her second kill. She wheeled her head around, eyeing her companions, deciding quickly who to help. She saw Hayato struggling against the large number of enemies around him and John. Hazel pulled her sword from the former neck of the now dead Twig Blight and ran for Vine Blight B. "That's what I like to see Hayato! You're not as bad of a Knight as I thought you were!" She called out. She was still grinning. Her sword raised, she neared the Ving Blight. She used her momentum to skid across the bed of leaves that coated the forest floor, keeping her balance in check as she came past the Vine Blight. She aimed her sword for the creatures neck, doing her best to preform a drive-by decapitation.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "I get the twig blight. You can handle the needle.", Joe would be pleased if he wasn't forced to punch needles with his naked hands. Leaping in the air he would throw a downwards attack similar to the one he did in the beginning of the fight. Using gravity and his full body weight to throw a strike with maximum power and knock this twig blight out in one shot. Even if it didn't he would be in the mount position and capable of ground and pounding his opponent till they were knocked out. From there on he would stand up and give a smile to John. From there on he would stand and look for possibly more enemies, if there weren't he would go help the others.</s> <\|message\|>Abigael Quint "Attack its head and remove the blockage! Its dulling the sound!" Abigael rushes towards the cockatrice and swings at its face with his glaive, hoping to either hurt it or clear up some of the dirt so the rooster's crow wouldn't be dulled. Thanks to his new strength borrowed from the cockatrice, he slams the blade once against its face. This thing ain't so bad! I'll probably come out of this without a scratch! Abigael notices the opening mouth and quickly steps towards the cockatrice's side. He wasn't sure who the it was aiming at, but he hoped it wasn't him.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka watched as Hayato took a number of hits to guard him. He wanted to tell him to evade the attacks, but he focused on the spell he had been doing. Finally, it was ready. "Equip metal!" A pointed double-edged blade equipped to Soka's right arm. "Hey, don't worry about me! I'll be fine. Thanks for buying me some time," he said, beginning to cut the vines that had been restraining him. Even if he only managed to free himself by the time the others had finished off the creatures, it would be better than being stuck here and having someone else defend him. "Finish them off if you can! I'm a bit tied up here."</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li Rian clicked his tongue as he watched the Beast tear a number of bloody gashes in Ryouta's arm. They didn't look too bad, but it was his job to heal them even if it wasn't exactly necessary in his opinion. Nonetheless, he gave his staff a small twirl and began to chant, but something caused him to sputter and lose the spell. Some random AcadeMMO student, going by his appearance, charged out of nowhere towards the Cockatrice and landed a few hits on it. If Rian had seemed slightly annoyed at the fact that Ryouta and Haruka had joined the party, then he was downright angry at this scumbag who thought he could just sneak in and get rewards after realizing it was safe to do so. 'Oh hell no,' he thought bitterly, as he easily sidestepped the Cockatrice's spit attack. Its aim was good, given that Rian had to actually move, but it telegraphed its intent and acted on it so slowly that the Cleric was already moving before the spit had even left its mouth. Stepping away from even the drops that splattered when the projectile hit the ground, the glow that surrounded his staff's head wasn't green that signalled healing for Ryouta, but the same black aura that he'd just used moments ago. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty of Strength and Speed." Muttering the chant, the aura streamed forward from his staff to surround and swallow Abigael, weighing down his entire body and draining his arms of any strength in them. At that point he didn't even care about what the others who were part of the "party" might have thought of his actions. Rian simply saw someone who was trying to take advantage of a situation that had been in control and reap the benefits. _______________</s> <\|message\|>Abigael Quint "Wh-what the hell?!" Abigael stopped what he was doing, terrified of what just happened. Suddenly he felt all his strength fade and his speed drop. He looked at his glaive, now feeling heavier than normal, thinking that this was some side effect or the boost ran out, but the color was still there. He looked around and saw the staff pointed at him, and put two and two together. Immediately he began to worry. Ah cripes, did I get found out that fast? Abigael was in a rough spot. He couldn't take anything from the cockatrice since his staff was already filled with a now useless aspect. "Well, if at the very least... I can try this!" Abigael started hollering and waving towards the cockatrice, attempting to distract it, hoping to be set up as a decoy. He probably wouldn't be able to dodge his attacks in time, but hopefully he can take a stab or two, maybe even a few of those petrifying spits. If anything, he's at least keeping the Exbeast from attacking with its claws effectively for now. If he can keep that going he'll still make it out of this fight in decent shape. HP - 150/150 (15) MP - 130/150 (15) Attack - 12 (0 due to Rian's spell) Magic - 16 Speed - 10 (4 due to Rian's spell) Accuracy - 16 Defense - 0 Evasion - 16 Resistance - 0</s>	<\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow As soon as Winnifred fire's the first shot getting a hit on the cockatrice's eye, she begins to aim again, only to be distracted for a moment by the sudden appearance of a fifth student, one she didn't recognize at all. Trying to keep an eye on both the other student and the cockatrice's movements as it tried to aim its venomous spit at Rian. Thankfully Rian was far too fast for it, so Winnifred at least didn't need to worry any about the team's healer getting petrified. She turned her attention back to the cockatrice, although she was still rather confused as she wasn't used to people suddenly appearing in the middle of assignments and it looked as though Rian was casting a spell targeted on the new arrival as well. Winnifred couldn't spare much attention to it though, as she was more concerned at the moment by the fact that the cockatrice had already started resorting to its petrifying spit. Something like that had to be stopped right quick. She took another deep breath, aiming at the cockatrice's head again. With any luck, this thing would go down any second. "Bang!" she said again, firing the second crippling shot. Winnifred was aware she'd already used up a good chunk of her energy with these charged shots, but she was sure she'd be able to use a couple more if she needed to.</s>
<\|description\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Age: 16 Gender: Male Themesong: N/A Class: 'Disabler' Shade Rank: While his rank remains at a solid B, his combat level fluctuates from A to B, based on whether or not he is 'active.' Appearance: History: Born as a only child into a family of martial artists, Taeion's fate had been decided very early in his life. His family ran a dojo which taught an assortment of different fighting styles. His parents were well aware of the threat of ExBeasts, but already held a deep dislike for the newly found 'Magi' of the world, they believed that martial arts would be just as useful - if not better. They decided that training their child in a fighting style would prove to be useful against fighting ExBeasts, more so than Magi themselves. However, they did not want to try to teach Taeion how to fight at too early of an age, as it would be difficult, and near-useless. Instead, they waited until he was at a suitable age to be trained in the arts of - of all things, Ninjutsu. Until that time came however, Taeion was free to do as he pleased, which was to simply rest, and do non-strenuous tasks. By the time he had reach the 'training age' of eight, his already la nature had been ingrained into his personality, and he constantly tried to refuse training, and simply rested around the house. This was a short-lived rebellious phase. His father was a man of discipline, and would not take Taeion's refusal whatsoever. Naturally, he did what any caring father would do, and would strike Taeion whenever he showed a hint of laziness when training. Taeion can vividly recall his time training as times where he would find himself hurled into walls, kicked through windows, and thrown through ceilings. Through intense training, discipline and beating, Taeion had learned many of the principles of Ninjutsu already. Including, but not limited to - unarmed combat, concealment, stealth and blade techniques. It was an outlandish fighting style, but at the same time effective in the eyes of his parents. Their views on magic extended to their teaching, and Taeion also learned many techniques which were developed specifically to be used against magic. He had become extremely disciplined when it came to combat, although this new-found focus only extended to combat, which he would approach with a deadly seriousness and concentration. Everything else was subject to his lax attitude and sometimes snarky remarks, much to the dismay of his mother. His father didn't really mind. He was a martial artist, not a counsellor. Further down the line, Taeion's combat ability raised the idea of enrolling him into the Academy for Magic, Martial and Other arts. Which was decided fairly quickly. The AcadeMMO has served him well so far in some ways. He is able to apply his fighting style against ExBeasts, as they tended to use magical abilities, something which Taeion was taught to be accustomed to, and something which he was taught to counter. He frequently takes jobs which involve hunting ExBeasts due to the fact that he is able to do them alone, and has risen through the ranks quite quickly as a result. At the same time, he can sometimes proves to be quite the liability if he is given a task which isn't fighting, as he treats it like he would treat anything else: Lazily. He tends to drift from group to group because of this. Statistics: Taeion's combat style revolves around disabling an enemy in multiple ways before brutally attacking them. He aims to strike various body parts in ways that leave an enemy paralysed or unable to cast spells. Like most Shades, Taeion is meant to be inclined towards sneaking up on the enemy, but Taeion's lax disposition gets in the way of this, and he is often found lying down in plain sight. However, when he deems a situation worthy, he immediately gets up and attacks with brutal intent. Taeion is open to using various different weapons in order to fight an enemy, he may use a Tantō or Ninjato to make cuts at an enemy, but may soon switch to using shurikens if the enemy attempts to retreat. * Level - 1 * HP - 10 * MP - 6 * Attack - 20 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 25 * Defense - 2 * Evasion - 18 * Resistance - 3 Spells/Skills: <Mute [1]> Taeion attempts to choke his target using a choke wire, preventing them from accessing their command incantations for a short time afterwards. Deals no damage. The command for this move is "Mute." <Deft [1]> Taeion moves extremely quickly to close the distance between him and a target. Increases evasion by 5, and travels a maximum of [0.5 x Spd] metres. The command for this move is "Deft." <Tact [1]> Taeion takes a stab at the target in an attempt to cripple the target, increasing attack by 5, interrupting spell incantations and temporarily paralysing a limb should it connect. The command for this move is "Tact."</s> <\|message\|>Abigael Quint Abigael fell to to the ground, face first. He didn't understand what was going on, due to not seeing the wire around him. He struggled and rolled around a bit, attempting to break free of whatever was holding him, or to at least get his face out of the dirt. Unfortunatley he could only manage the latter. Upon rolling over he spotted the girl that pushed him over. He sighed and began to relax a little, realizing the situation he was in. "Jeez, if ya wanted me t'stay out of this, ya could've just said so." He yawned and waited for the beast to hopefully die. Well it looks like I my mooching plan didn't work. Hopefully I can still tag the corpse so I have something to report back to home. Maybe I can just say we captured it or let it go if I can't tag it...</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow As soon as Winnifred's second shot had landed a direct hit, she looked over briefly to assess the full situation, only to realize Haruka had made a swift change of course to target the newcomer just like Rian had a moment ago, even though the cockatrice was still up and moving about despite its injuries. "Wha - hey, hey, hey!" Winnifred shouted, then gestured towards the cockatrice and added, "This thing's only mostly dead, you know! Can't you save that for after?!" She then quickly turned her attention back to the cockatrice, letting out a deep breath to regain her focus. She held up her gun, taking aim for a third time. Surely, she hoped, this would be enough to finish it off. She'd been hoping to get this assignment finished quickly and without much hassle anyway. She pulled the trigger with another command of "Bang!" still aiming at the beast's head with the hopes of landing a finishing blow.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Blighted Woods With the combined attacks on that last Needle Blight, the group in the Blighted Woods found itself surrounded by nothing but regular, non-murderous trees and silence. Their enemies defeated, they would finally have a chance to regroup themselves and catch their breath. "That...that looks like all of 'em." Hayato managed, sheathing his sword and then leaning on it like a walking stick. He pulled off the tie under his blazer, which was going to need an extreme patching job, and used it as a makeshift bandage for his head. That last Vine Blight had clipped him pretty good, and he wiped away the blood in his eye with a sleeve but still looked quite worse for wear. He looked over at the rest of the group. Everyone except for Hazel had taken at least a few hits, and they had been so broken up and chaotic. Not really what one imagined when they thought of the word "party." "Um, guys, I don't wanna be a nag...but I think our teamwork could use some polishing." he said. Of course, now the group faced an unspoken decision as well. They could head back to the bunkers, and report their activities, or if they felt up to the task, they might continue hunting through the forest... Hazel gained 75 EXP! Joe gained 75 EXP! Hayato gained 62.5 EXP! John gained 50 EXP! Soka gained 50 EXP! Everyone Leveled up! Level 1 > 2! Everyone is awarded 7 Stat Points. You may place these as you wish into your stats; they do not apply towards Skills/Spells. Please include a Hider in your next post containing your level up info in the same format as I'll display Hayato's in a moment. Please update your profile accordingly. * Enchanted Wood x2 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. * Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. * Level - 1 > 2 * HP - 100 * MP - 30 * Attack - 20 > 25 * Magic - 5 * Speed - 15 > 17 * Accuracy - 10 * Defense - 17 * Evasion - 12 * Resistance - 8 Fire Rat Extermination The Fire Rat landed some distance past Taeion after its attack, but the Bleed damage it suffered caused it to fall over, squeaking one last pitiful breath. Taeion gained 25 EXP! Halfway to a level up!* Fire Rat's Fur x2 - Hide that can't be burned but can be tanned into somewhat durable leather. In larger amounts it could make protective gear. * Fire Rat's Fang x2 - A sharp, but small tooth imbued with Fire magic. Low Level. In larger amounts, makes good material for crafting/improving Fire aligned items, or adding Fire attributes to non-Fire items. Conflicts with Water and Nature elements. Synchronizes with Wind and Lightning elements. Neutral to other elements. As the ninja headed west, however, he would find that the situation was more serious than he had originally imagined. The three Fire Rats had scampered across the shipyard and had startled some of the dock workers. One of them had jumped or run, and either way bumped a container of oil that had spilled across the concrete slab underfoot. As the Fire Rats ran into it, then slipped and slid and rolled while squealing frantically all the way, they ignited a dripping trail that soon began spreading to other flammables, including the coveralls of the dock workers. Several men were frantically beating the flames while others had already started running towards the open section of the yard where the ships were being lowered into the water... [Dock Workers are in danger! 3 Fire Rats gain 10 Magic when using Fire due to Oil!]</s> <\|message\|>John Harley sorry was meant for ooc</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner The final Needle Blight unleashed it's last attack, but Hazel saw that Joe once again had the Needles covered, and people were already moving to attack it. She sheathed her sword, deciding to give them the last kill. She stretched, raising her arms up to the air. She glanced at Hayato, "That didn't go too bad, all things considered. After all, this is your first combat mission, and I suspect that might be true for some of the others here." She said giving a sidelong glance to the rest of the group. "Anyways, I suggest we head back. This Twig Whatevers are kinda boring. And you also look pretty messed up, Hayato." Bashing the Scary Stick Monsters proved to be a valuable learning experience. Now next time Hazel fights Hayato she might accidentally kill him. * Level - 1 > 2 * HP - 70 (7) * MP - 30 (3) * Attack - 30 > 35 * Magic - 10 * Speed - 20 > 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 5 * Evasion - 5 * Resistance - 5</s> <\|message\|>John Harley Now that it seemed that he misjudged the situation and used Fusion without reason John decided to be more careful when it came to using that spell. "I'll stay in this form for as long as possible, preferably until we're all back at Academmo" Though since for now it seemed that combat was over, he focused on finding usable material among the Blight's bodies to ensure that their deaths weren't futile. While he was searching he heard the tow knights talk." Yeah I agree with the female Knight, also don't forget this was our first mission together. Now to change the subject do you guys think the Magical Research Society might be interested in studying these bodies?" The reason he asked was because he hoped the researcher might figure out a non-lethal way of dealing with these species of Ex-Beasts. Level - 1 > 2 HP - 50 (5 points)> 70 ( 7 points ) at the moment 61 left MP - 30 (3 points) > 40 ( 4 points) currently 20 left Attack - 10 > 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13</s>	<\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro "..." Taeion took a few moments to assess the gravity of the situation. The rats had managed to create a large fire in such a short space of time. He blinked once, and looked to the right. Some nearby crates were burning - they were likely full of rubbish like the other crates Taeion had seen. He blinked slowly again, and looked to the left. The dockworkers were desperate to reach water as fast as possible. Perhaps he should have brought a Water Adept along on the Assignment, or something of the sort. It was too late to do that now though. He slowly turned to a nearby dockworker who had luckily managed to avoid the flames. After a few seconds of staring at him in silence, Taeion spoke. "This looks... pretty bad... doesn't it?" The dockworker looked at him, puzzled. Taeion did not wait for an answer, and continued on. "Could you, uh... find a hose?" His nonchalant attitude towards the ordeal served to confuse the dockworker even more. But Taeion once again did not wait for any form of response. Instead, he turned around to face the flaming creatures which were causing the problem, and rushed towards them. He did not want to attempt to use the Deft skill, as there was a high risk of him dashing into the fire. He also believed that he was low on mana, and would eventually run out of it if he continued to use that skill. Taeion thrust forward with the blade when he felt he was close enough without being too near to the oil flames, aiming to kill the first rat which had slipped in the oil.</s>
<\|description\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Age: 16 Gender: Male Themesong: N/A Class: 'Disabler' Shade Rank: While his rank remains at a solid B, his combat level fluctuates from A to B, based on whether or not he is 'active.' Appearance: History: Born as a only child into a family of martial artists, Taeion's fate had been decided very early in his life. His family ran a dojo which taught an assortment of different fighting styles. His parents were well aware of the threat of ExBeasts, but already held a deep dislike for the newly found 'Magi' of the world, they believed that martial arts would be just as useful - if not better. They decided that training their child in a fighting style would prove to be useful against fighting ExBeasts, more so than Magi themselves. However, they did not want to try to teach Taeion how to fight at too early of an age, as it would be difficult, and near-useless. Instead, they waited until he was at a suitable age to be trained in the arts of - of all things, Ninjutsu. Until that time came however, Taeion was free to do as he pleased, which was to simply rest, and do non-strenuous tasks. By the time he had reach the 'training age' of eight, his already la nature had been ingrained into his personality, and he constantly tried to refuse training, and simply rested around the house. This was a short-lived rebellious phase. His father was a man of discipline, and would not take Taeion's refusal whatsoever. Naturally, he did what any caring father would do, and would strike Taeion whenever he showed a hint of laziness when training. Taeion can vividly recall his time training as times where he would find himself hurled into walls, kicked through windows, and thrown through ceilings. Through intense training, discipline and beating, Taeion had learned many of the principles of Ninjutsu already. Including, but not limited to - unarmed combat, concealment, stealth and blade techniques. It was an outlandish fighting style, but at the same time effective in the eyes of his parents. Their views on magic extended to their teaching, and Taeion also learned many techniques which were developed specifically to be used against magic. He had become extremely disciplined when it came to combat, although this new-found focus only extended to combat, which he would approach with a deadly seriousness and concentration. Everything else was subject to his lax attitude and sometimes snarky remarks, much to the dismay of his mother. His father didn't really mind. He was a martial artist, not a counsellor. Further down the line, Taeion's combat ability raised the idea of enrolling him into the Academy for Magic, Martial and Other arts. Which was decided fairly quickly. The AcadeMMO has served him well so far in some ways. He is able to apply his fighting style against ExBeasts, as they tended to use magical abilities, something which Taeion was taught to be accustomed to, and something which he was taught to counter. He frequently takes jobs which involve hunting ExBeasts due to the fact that he is able to do them alone, and has risen through the ranks quite quickly as a result. At the same time, he can sometimes proves to be quite the liability if he is given a task which isn't fighting, as he treats it like he would treat anything else: Lazily. He tends to drift from group to group because of this. Statistics: Taeion's combat style revolves around disabling an enemy in multiple ways before brutally attacking them. He aims to strike various body parts in ways that leave an enemy paralysed or unable to cast spells. Like most Shades, Taeion is meant to be inclined towards sneaking up on the enemy, but Taeion's lax disposition gets in the way of this, and he is often found lying down in plain sight. However, when he deems a situation worthy, he immediately gets up and attacks with brutal intent. Taeion is open to using various different weapons in order to fight an enemy, he may use a Tantō or Ninjato to make cuts at an enemy, but may soon switch to using shurikens if the enemy attempts to retreat. * Level - 1 * HP - 10 * MP - 6 * Attack - 20 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 25 * Defense - 2 * Evasion - 18 * Resistance - 3 Spells/Skills: <Mute [1]> Taeion attempts to choke his target using a choke wire, preventing them from accessing their command incantations for a short time afterwards. Deals no damage. The command for this move is "Mute." <Deft [1]> Taeion moves extremely quickly to close the distance between him and a target. Increases evasion by 5, and travels a maximum of [0.5 x Spd] metres. The command for this move is "Deft." <Tact [1]> Taeion takes a stab at the target in an attempt to cripple the target, increasing attack by 5, interrupting spell incantations and temporarily paralysing a limb should it connect. The command for this move is "Tact."</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka saw that the enemies around them were finally downed. "Well I'm sure glad that's over," he said, walking toward the others. He agreed that they could use a better teamwork formation. Soka was almost sure that there were more Exbeasts that would attack this same area again, but for the time being the area seemed clear. He wanted to scout the rest of the area to see if there was anything else nearby, but decided to be quiet and let those with more experience decide. Briefly, he wondered how the other students were doing with the other D-Rank missions. "Thanks again for helping me, Hayato. And good fighting, everyone." Level - 1 -> 2 HP - 140 MP - 120 Attack - 8 Magic - 15 Speed - 12 > 19 Accuracy - 7 Defense - 7 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 8</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis They finished the fight and Joe couldn't help but smile. This was definitely enjoyable. He might have been disadvantaged, the only one not using it's weakness but he still had fun. This only verified it for him, it was what he wanted to do. "I have no idea what you're talking about, my teamwork was great.", he gave a look towards Hazel and the summon guy, He remembered doing just fine with them, superb teamwork even. "I would like to continue but I got shook up a little while attacking, most of my opponents have been fast. So going back might be a wise decision." Level - 1 > 2 HP - 100 MP - 40 Attack - 20 > 25 Magic - 5 Speed - 15 Accuracy - 15 Defense - 11 > 13 Evasion - 15 Resistance - 5</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Blighted Woods With everyone in agreement to go back, the party made their way through the woods the way they had come. Soon the research station was in sight again, and as they approached another scientist noticed them and ran over. "You're back! Our equipment's not picking up any more Exbeasts, so great job!" he said, before pointing them towards a central bunker building. "Our telepad is in there; I'll go ahead and operate the Restoration function too!" He pulled a tablet from his coat pocket and began typing away, but before they headed towards the bunker Hayato raised a hand. "I have a question, sir. What exactly is this station researching?" "Ah!" said the scientist, excited that they had taken an interest. "Well, as you probably know Excaledvol hasn't been explored very much yet. But for the most part, the plants and water and overall geology are very similar, almost identical in some aspects, to Earth's! We're here to take samples of said geology and biology too, and study them. We've actually made some very interesting findings about some of the species here already." "I see..." Hayato said. "But I don't suppose you see a lot of people, then? You haven't seen any AcadeMMO students besides us?" "Not recently, no." said the scientist. Hayato's face suddenly perked up. "We do send the school requests for assistance every once in a while. But you're the first since the new semester only started yesterday, of course." "Have...have you seen someone who looks a bit like me, except with a scar across his nose and a different hair style?" Hayato asked excitedly, leaning forward so that the scientist could see his features. The man raised an eyebrow, but looked at him closely for a moment with a hum of concentration. "Mmm...No, I'm sorry. I can't say I have." Hayato was crestfallen. "Ah...oh well, then. Thanks anyway. And let us know again if you need more help." When the group stepped back onto the telepad, this time the magic runes and lights glowed green for a moment. Their HP and MP was restored in a flash, the healing magic spreading through them like warmth from a fireplace. Then, once the coordinates for the school were set, they disappeared. The scientist waved farewell, then went back to his studies. Out in the woods, a boot crunched down on the remains of a Twig Blight, the hem of a cloak billowing around it. "So this confirms it." said one voice, a male. "They're trying to use our own power against us. If we want those busybodies gone, we'll have to bring out something that kids like that can't handle." Another voice responded from a small, purple sphere that floated in the air near the hooded figure. It was somewhat similar to the Sprites used by AcadeMMO, and its voice had the same mechanical twinge, though it was obviously female. "Those children were inexperienced. No doubt they have stronger heroes available to them." "True..." The hooded figure looked around at the remains of the Blights. "I suppose I'll have to do some thinking on this one..." With that, the figure turned and began to walk away, soon disappearing into the depths of the forest... Fire Rat Extermination The Fire Rat Taeion attacked only barely managed to leap out of the way, sliding when it landed on all fours in the oil. The other two, however, took aim and unleashed a dual Fireball spell at him. The oil all around instantly began to ignite, only adding to the growing power of the conflagration magic as the two projectiles rushed towards Taeion. The dockworkers around him ran and dove for cover, the idea of a hose completely forgotten. The fire continued to spread over the docks, and the oil continued to ooze from now melting containers...if it got into the water, not only would the fire spread further, but it would be a major eco-hazard...</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka listened quietly while Hayato and the scientist talked for a few minutes. In the meantime, he looked around at the trees, plants and the nearby surrounding. He was still in awe of this new world and had so many questions. When it was time to go back to the Academy, he nodded to the others as they went to the telepad. When no one was looking, he picked up a small tree branch that was on the ground. He placed the twig in his pocket and walked toward the telepad. It had been an exciting first mission and he had learned a lot. Now he needed to focus on increasing his battle skills and maybe gaining a few allies. While the telepad glowed with green energy, a look of determination and resolve focused on Soka's face. He thought about his goals for the rest of the week.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka smiled as the boy dropped down to the ground. He couldnt possibly steal anything from them now since he was bound. Haruka would have given the reward to the others anyway. It wasn't really needed for her to get something great out of it aslong as she got to train her skills some more. She called the command "Hide" and slowly went over to the beast its leg to cut it horizontal. She took a big jump back smoothly going over in two handstands before getting a good distance betweeN her and the bird.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel took note that she was called the 'Female Knight' by the summoner. They didn't all know each others name. Not exactly conducive to good teamwork. She would bring up the issue of putting names to faces in a few minutes, but for now the group returned to the laboratory they were protecting. Hazel wasn't particularly attempting to eavesdrop on the conversation between Hayato and the scientist, but the D-Rank wasn't exactly being discreet about the matter that seemed to be personal. He's looking for someone. Family maybe? They're supposed to look like him, after all. Hazel wasn't at all opposed to prying into the boy's personal business, and planned to ask when they returned to the Academy. As they made their return to AcadeMMO Hazel announced aloud to no one particular, "My name is Hazel, by the way."</s> <\|message\|>John Harley When he heard about the Restoration function, John decided to undo the fusion despite his earlier decision."No point in risking this becoming permanent somehow." Immediately after splitting both the Cactus-Cat and Summoner felt exhausted as the stress of the unnatural changes to their bodies hit them. The healing done by the telepad was great, not only did the scratches on John's arm disappear he also felt completely rested. After Hazel's introduction, he felt he couldn't remain unknown either. " I'm John and even though I haven't named him yet, this is my Summon a Cactus-Cat." He pointed at the feline Ex-Beast that was still around, since now it was time for John to keep up his end of the Contract.</s>	<\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Taeion was once again able to avoid both of the oncoming fireballs, this time by quickly dashing backwards, the fireballs hitting the ground because of it. It seemed as though all the rats had poor aim. Taeion stood for a moment, silent. He was simply staring at the now paused Fire Rats, They too seemed to await his next action. He reached into his pocket once more, and pulled out two shuriken. Temporarily putting the ninjato back into his pocket, he concentrated. He held a single shuriken in each hand, with the intention to throw them. Taeion was by no means ambidextrous, although his training had definitely improved his motor functions in that regard. At once, he threw the two shuriken towards to of the rats, he then quickly retrieved his ninjato, and activated his ability. "Deft." He charged at the third of the rats, the one which had first eluded him. His plan was to kill all three rodents at the same time, to prevent any further damage to the docks.</s>
<\|description\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Age: 16 Gender: Male Themesong: N/A Class: 'Disabler' Shade Rank: While his rank remains at a solid B, his combat level fluctuates from A to B, based on whether or not he is 'active.' Appearance: History: Born as a only child into a family of martial artists, Taeion's fate had been decided very early in his life. His family ran a dojo which taught an assortment of different fighting styles. His parents were well aware of the threat of ExBeasts, but already held a deep dislike for the newly found 'Magi' of the world, they believed that martial arts would be just as useful - if not better. They decided that training their child in a fighting style would prove to be useful against fighting ExBeasts, more so than Magi themselves. However, they did not want to try to teach Taeion how to fight at too early of an age, as it would be difficult, and near-useless. Instead, they waited until he was at a suitable age to be trained in the arts of - of all things, Ninjutsu. Until that time came however, Taeion was free to do as he pleased, which was to simply rest, and do non-strenuous tasks. By the time he had reach the 'training age' of eight, his already la nature had been ingrained into his personality, and he constantly tried to refuse training, and simply rested around the house. This was a short-lived rebellious phase. His father was a man of discipline, and would not take Taeion's refusal whatsoever. Naturally, he did what any caring father would do, and would strike Taeion whenever he showed a hint of laziness when training. Taeion can vividly recall his time training as times where he would find himself hurled into walls, kicked through windows, and thrown through ceilings. Through intense training, discipline and beating, Taeion had learned many of the principles of Ninjutsu already. Including, but not limited to - unarmed combat, concealment, stealth and blade techniques. It was an outlandish fighting style, but at the same time effective in the eyes of his parents. Their views on magic extended to their teaching, and Taeion also learned many techniques which were developed specifically to be used against magic. He had become extremely disciplined when it came to combat, although this new-found focus only extended to combat, which he would approach with a deadly seriousness and concentration. Everything else was subject to his lax attitude and sometimes snarky remarks, much to the dismay of his mother. His father didn't really mind. He was a martial artist, not a counsellor. Further down the line, Taeion's combat ability raised the idea of enrolling him into the Academy for Magic, Martial and Other arts. Which was decided fairly quickly. The AcadeMMO has served him well so far in some ways. He is able to apply his fighting style against ExBeasts, as they tended to use magical abilities, something which Taeion was taught to be accustomed to, and something which he was taught to counter. He frequently takes jobs which involve hunting ExBeasts due to the fact that he is able to do them alone, and has risen through the ranks quite quickly as a result. At the same time, he can sometimes proves to be quite the liability if he is given a task which isn't fighting, as he treats it like he would treat anything else: Lazily. He tends to drift from group to group because of this. Statistics: Taeion's combat style revolves around disabling an enemy in multiple ways before brutally attacking them. He aims to strike various body parts in ways that leave an enemy paralysed or unable to cast spells. Like most Shades, Taeion is meant to be inclined towards sneaking up on the enemy, but Taeion's lax disposition gets in the way of this, and he is often found lying down in plain sight. However, when he deems a situation worthy, he immediately gets up and attacks with brutal intent. Taeion is open to using various different weapons in order to fight an enemy, he may use a Tantō or Ninjato to make cuts at an enemy, but may soon switch to using shurikens if the enemy attempts to retreat. * Level - 1 * HP - 10 * MP - 6 * Attack - 20 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 25 * Defense - 2 * Evasion - 18 * Resistance - 3 Spells/Skills: <Mute [1]> Taeion attempts to choke his target using a choke wire, preventing them from accessing their command incantations for a short time afterwards. Deals no damage. The command for this move is "Mute." <Deft [1]> Taeion moves extremely quickly to close the distance between him and a target. Increases evasion by 5, and travels a maximum of [0.5 x Spd] metres. The command for this move is "Deft." <Tact [1]> Taeion takes a stab at the target in an attempt to cripple the target, increasing attack by 5, interrupting spell incantations and temporarily paralysing a limb should it connect. The command for this move is "Tact."</s> <\|message\|>John Harley "That is right, Sir. My name is John Harley and I'm a Summoner." John introduced himself to the gymteacher hoping that his insane amount of muscles didn't mean he only liked Martial Classes. He looked through the gym, trying to find the freshmen. "But wat exactly am I supposed to do, just spar with them or something?"To be honest John was hoping that he was just there to tell them about the dangers of Excaledvol , and maybe give them some advice. But he knew better than to expect it would be that easy. credits:50 Akira and I are still discussing the blighted woods loot john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Once the cockatrice was dead, Winnifred walked over to the boy still tied up on the ground from Haruka's binds. "Beat, huh? I don't really get it," she said, listening to his story and looking at his weapon with a perplexed look on her face, "But... It doesn't sound like it should be a problem for us. Or at least for me anyway, I dunno about the others. But next time I suggest just joining a team ahead of time. I dunno about some people here, but I don't bite. Unless you turn out to actually be a weirdo stalker or something. I'll totally bite if that turns out to be the case. But, uh, since Haruka's the one who tied you up, I'll go ahead and make it her call on what to let you do." After she had finished speaking, she sat down on the ground to wait for the rest of her team to decide what to do and when to head back. "So, what stuff are you guys gonna want from that thing?" she asked. * Level - 1 > 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 19 > 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 16 > 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka She smirked at the tied up boy and was suprised that the bird had already given up on fighting. She walked over to the bird while she occasionaly listened to them talking and took the loot dropping it a little closer to the group "You 3 can have all the items that it dropped and the new guy can do whatever he wants with the bird. She layed her hand on the katana and mad a swift motion holstering in the blink of an eye. She had cut all the wires with one swift movement from the new guy his body without leaving a single scratch "Just making sure thr guy steals anything from us thats all." She gently smiled at the others and waited for them to pick out the loot and activate the crystall back to the academy Level - 1 > 2 - HP - 8 - MP - 5 - Attack - 28 - Magic - 4 - Speed - 17 > 22 - Accuracy - 12 - Defense - 2 - Evasion - 22 > 24 - Resistance - 2</s>	<\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro After receiving the loot from the now-dead Fire Rats, Taeion was able to make his way back to the Sprite which would send him back to the academy. His assignment was successful, a slightly damaged arm as his only casualty. He had also ran out of shuriken. He took note of this, and planned to buy more from the AcadeMMO's weapon store. At least, he thought they had one. He wasn't entirely sure. Taeion made his way back to the Sprite, completely forgetting about the carnage and destruction in the docks which he had inadvertently caused by luring Fire Rats out of a crate. He would take no part in the clean up of the mess either. * Level - 1 > 2 * HP - 10 * MP - 6 * Attack - 20 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 > 12 * Accuracy - 25 > 28 * Defense - 2 * Evasion - 18 > 20 * Resistance - 3 Finding the Sprite, Taeion prepared to travel back to the academy, save for the fact that he had forgotten how to activate the Sprite. He tapped it lightly first. The Sprite bobbed up and down for a bit before stabilizing itself, although nothing which carried a 'teleportation' vibe seemed to occur. Taeion blinked, waiting for a few moments. The Sprite hadn't said anything so far - nor had Taeion. There was a long, drawn-out silence... Taeion then struck the Sprite with a punch. While it may not have been the right way to activate the Sprite, it certainly was effective. The Sprite began to glow, enveloping him in a light which grew brighter and brighter. With that, he disappeared from the docks. Moments later, he reappeared within one of the teleportation rooms within the AcadeMMO. He stepped out of the room, and looked around. He was certainly back at the academy. Taeion turned his attention toward his arm; it was healed, although there was still a minor scar - likely due to him assaulting the Sprite to try and get it to activate. Taeion would probably need to find the assistance of an actual Healer if he wished to fully remove the injury. With little else to do, Taeion's only objectives were to eat and then return to his constant resting, perhaps even rest whilst eating, should he feel like it. He made his way to the dining hall, albeit drowsily - his Special Assignment had ended, there was nothing left to fight, meaning Taeion had returned to his lazy state. He reached the double-doors leading to the dining hall and in his absent-minded disposition, put to much effort into opening them. The doors swung open, both hitting their respective walls. With such a small amount of people in the dining hall, the noise the doors created echoed throughout the hall. It was surprising, and few of the students looked to see what had caused it. A portion, seeing Taeion, were all too aware that this was how the "Indolent Ninja" acted most the time, and simply went back to studying. Others were slightly annoyed by his obnoxious disregard for the other students within the dining hall. Nevertheless, Taeion ignored the reactions of his peers, and made his way to the cafeteria's menu. It was hard to believe that he completed an ExBeast Assignment just a few minutes prior.</s>
<\|description\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Age: 16 Gender: Male Themesong: N/A Class: 'Disabler' Shade Rank: While his rank remains at a solid B, his combat level fluctuates from A to B, based on whether or not he is 'active.' Appearance: History: Born as a only child into a family of martial artists, Taeion's fate had been decided very early in his life. His family ran a dojo which taught an assortment of different fighting styles. His parents were well aware of the threat of ExBeasts, but already held a deep dislike for the newly found 'Magi' of the world, they believed that martial arts would be just as useful - if not better. They decided that training their child in a fighting style would prove to be useful against fighting ExBeasts, more so than Magi themselves. However, they did not want to try to teach Taeion how to fight at too early of an age, as it would be difficult, and near-useless. Instead, they waited until he was at a suitable age to be trained in the arts of - of all things, Ninjutsu. Until that time came however, Taeion was free to do as he pleased, which was to simply rest, and do non-strenuous tasks. By the time he had reach the 'training age' of eight, his already la nature had been ingrained into his personality, and he constantly tried to refuse training, and simply rested around the house. This was a short-lived rebellious phase. His father was a man of discipline, and would not take Taeion's refusal whatsoever. Naturally, he did what any caring father would do, and would strike Taeion whenever he showed a hint of laziness when training. Taeion can vividly recall his time training as times where he would find himself hurled into walls, kicked through windows, and thrown through ceilings. Through intense training, discipline and beating, Taeion had learned many of the principles of Ninjutsu already. Including, but not limited to - unarmed combat, concealment, stealth and blade techniques. It was an outlandish fighting style, but at the same time effective in the eyes of his parents. Their views on magic extended to their teaching, and Taeion also learned many techniques which were developed specifically to be used against magic. He had become extremely disciplined when it came to combat, although this new-found focus only extended to combat, which he would approach with a deadly seriousness and concentration. Everything else was subject to his lax attitude and sometimes snarky remarks, much to the dismay of his mother. His father didn't really mind. He was a martial artist, not a counsellor. Further down the line, Taeion's combat ability raised the idea of enrolling him into the Academy for Magic, Martial and Other arts. Which was decided fairly quickly. The AcadeMMO has served him well so far in some ways. He is able to apply his fighting style against ExBeasts, as they tended to use magical abilities, something which Taeion was taught to be accustomed to, and something which he was taught to counter. He frequently takes jobs which involve hunting ExBeasts due to the fact that he is able to do them alone, and has risen through the ranks quite quickly as a result. At the same time, he can sometimes proves to be quite the liability if he is given a task which isn't fighting, as he treats it like he would treat anything else: Lazily. He tends to drift from group to group because of this. Statistics: Taeion's combat style revolves around disabling an enemy in multiple ways before brutally attacking them. He aims to strike various body parts in ways that leave an enemy paralysed or unable to cast spells. Like most Shades, Taeion is meant to be inclined towards sneaking up on the enemy, but Taeion's lax disposition gets in the way of this, and he is often found lying down in plain sight. However, when he deems a situation worthy, he immediately gets up and attacks with brutal intent. Taeion is open to using various different weapons in order to fight an enemy, he may use a Tantō or Ninjato to make cuts at an enemy, but may soon switch to using shurikens if the enemy attempts to retreat. * Level - 1 * HP - 10 * MP - 6 * Attack - 20 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 25 * Defense - 2 * Evasion - 18 * Resistance - 3 Spells/Skills: <Mute [1]> Taeion attempts to choke his target using a choke wire, preventing them from accessing their command incantations for a short time afterwards. Deals no damage. The command for this move is "Mute." <Deft [1]> Taeion moves extremely quickly to close the distance between him and a target. Increases evasion by 5, and travels a maximum of [0.5 x Spd] metres. The command for this move is "Deft." <Tact [1]> Taeion takes a stab at the target in an attempt to cripple the target, increasing attack by 5, interrupting spell incantations and temporarily paralysing a limb should it connect. The command for this move is "Tact."</s> <\|message\|>John Harley "I see, that's quite the coincidence. Is there anything in particular that I should know or tell them?" John honestly found it a bit odd that he would be dealing with an entire group of Summoners, but he wasn't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. Hoping that Prof Kirby wouldn't think he was being rude, he walked over to the students stopping in front of the barrier. looking at the rune, he tried to remember all the ways a True Summoning could go wrong, but he could only remember what happened if a Summoner tried to make a Contract with an ExBeast that was too powerful for them to "control". credits:50 Akira and I are still discussing the blighted woods loot john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato "I wouldn't mind being the best." Hayato said, taking another bite of his burger. He chewed and swallowed, wiping the corner of his mouth with a thumb, before continuing. "But for me, it's a means to an end. A Rank, SSS Rank...I'll be whatever I need to be to find Rikuto." He looked at Hazel for a moment, taking careful stock of her expressions. "But, I guess you don't really need a reason. Having a lot of drive is a good thing, and of course doing well here means doing well in the future, too." He decided to change the subject. "So, what did you think of the mission, earlier? Obviously you said it was boring, but I mean, the team? Anybody in that group strike you as a candidate for future team ups?" John "Just tell them about your own experiences." The teacher pulled up a holo screen and looked at John closely for a moment. "Your profile says you've got one contract, right? Maybe tell them how you contracted it, how the relationship between you and the beast works, how you fight together, etc." When John examined the True Summoning ritual, he could tell that it was meant to summon a Sylphid, a weak level of Exbeast associated with the Wind element. "Hey, what's up?" asked one of the students sitting in the stands. "Are you a Summoner, too?"</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel pondered for a moment on Hayato's question. For her the team was only really one random pick-up group, similar to many others she has been a part of, and she hadn't really considered teaming up with them again, except for Hayato of course. But Hazel decided to humor him. "Well... the Adept, his magic was interesting, but he doesn't really know how to use it that well. I supposed if he became a little more experienced that wouldn't be much of an issue. The Summoner was useful, I supposed, but it seemed like he also didn't really have enough experience with his abilities either. You notice how he used Fusion for one enemy, which we had taken care of? If more enemies had appeared a waste of mana like that would've been dangerous. The Striker wasn't bad, but he seemed to me like he'd be the kinda guy that's a bit brash... but I guess I can't really judge. But they all were E or D-rank, if I recall correctly, so maybe my expectations are a bit high."</s> <\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Taeion had made his order at the counter. He pointed towards the menu seemingly putting no thought into it. The persona at the counter knew better, and able to discern what he was ordering without any voice prompt on Taeion's part. It was quite clear he had done this sort of thing before. Taeion collected his order - an entire pizza. It was something which he had requested several times to be on the cafeteria's menu early last year, something which the academy's higher-ups reluctantly complied with in order to get Taeion to stop bothering them. However, the menu itself was never actually updated to include this information, and it became something which only sophmores of the academy were aware of. Freshmen tended to be confused when Taeion would enter the cafeteria with nothing, and would return with such an out-of-place order. Paying for his food with 20 AC, Taeion made his way to the first table he saw. Placing his food on the table, he began to eat. While he did not notice it - likely due to his half-closed eyes, there were two other students at the table. One, a male who appeared to carry no weapons. He likely belonged to one of the Magic Classes. An Adept, maybe? The other had a Class which was harder to discern. She was eating curry, but was using chopsticks to do so - something which Taeion would find strange, had he even managed to notice the other students.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato "So basically you just think everyone needs more experience." Hayato said, finishing his meal. He was a quick eater, as it gave him more time to do other things with. "I'm in that bucket too, though. Professor Gene was telling me the same thing earlier today." He leaned back in his chair and put both hands behind his head. "Fighting Exbeasts was definitely way different from a sparring session. If I had been on that quest alone...I'd be dead. No questions asked. Those Blight creatures were weak, but with their numbers and their different abilities--trapping movement, attacking from range and from up close--they were really dangerous. And they're only D Rank! I can't imagine how screwed I'd be against something you're used to fighting." He sighed and shook his head. "Anyway, if it's alright with you, I'll definitely be calling you in the future. I think having an A rank around to learn from would be a big help." Then, suddenly joking again, he smiled and gave Hazel a wink. "Plus it'll make other people think we're dating, which will raise my reputation through the roof."</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka was eating his food, when he noticed a girl sit down near him. He looked at her for some moments, before nodding. "Sure, go ahead. I'm Soka, who are you?" Soon after, someone else sat at the table as well. Someone WITH AN ENTIRE PIZZA! "Whoa, how much did that cost!" he said aloud, without even thinking about it.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel nodded in agreement as Hayato spoke of his own inexperience. "Of course, you're also pretty green. And things don't get much easier as you climb the ranks, so just keep doing assignments and practicing. I'm sure you'll get there eventually," She paused for a moment, and decided to give him a little bit of encouragement, "That being said, I am comparing you to the people I usually fight with, I'd say you might be a little better than most E-Ranks I see." However she didn't quite agree with what he said next. "Plus it'll make other people think we're dating, which will raise my reputation through the roof." This guy really is a moron, isn't he? Hazel thought to herself. She rose her fist, but lowered it with a sigh. At first it appeared there would be no physical retaliation, but Hazel had observed that Hayato was leaning back in his chair. She drove her foot into the chair, knocking him off balance, hoping it would make him fall on his ass.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley "Yes I am, in fact I 'm here to give you guys some pointers. Oh yeah, before I forget, you can call me John." He quickly introduced himself. With that out of the way, he turned to the the student currently inside the transparent cube. "Remember, when the Sylphid appears don't show fear, but don't make the mistake of thinking it will automatically listen to you either. And if necessary give the order to drop the barrier, so I can deal with it." John then faced the other students again."The second the barrier drops get to safety. Preferably somewhere where you can see how I handle things, but that shouldn't be your main concern." credits:50 Enchanted Wood x1 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s>	<\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro "Whoa, how much did that cost!" Taeion looked up from his meal to see another student. Had he been sitting here all this time? Taeion hadn't noticed. The boy was asking about the price of the pizza which the Indolent Ninja had. Taeion stopped eating for a moment to answer. "...20 AC." Upon answering, he also noticed another person at the table. Taeion was sitting opposite to a female student. He blinked once, turned to the boy and spoke again. "Am I...interrupting something...?" Taeion asked, interlocking the fingers of both of his hands as he said this, trying to suggest that the two students were in some kind of relationship.</s>
<\|description\|>Abigael Quint Age: 15 Gender: Male Themesong: You Will Know Our Names (The only good quality version I can find is the extended version, sorry.) Class: Glaiveknight Appearance: Abigael (Basically imagine this but less beefy.) History: Abigael grew up as a fairly weak child. He did not have much stamina to run great distances, the speed to keep up with others, or the strength to perform much actions. He was, in his home town, known as the weakling of the town. Because of this title, his blunt and sarcastic attitude, and his feminine sounding name, he was often bullied by other children, and even mocked by adults. Unfortunately, Abigael was not the brightest person either. He had average grades, and average intelligence, never exceeding expectations. Despite all the bullying and all the remarks from others, he never particularly hated himself, or minded his disadvantage in life. In fact, he was happy with only meeting the bar, never standing out or being a star student. While Abigael was happy with his life, his parents were not particular happy. They would attempt to push him, to get him to try harder, to go out and exercise, but he always either found ways out of his task, or did a mediocre job at the task. Upon growing up, his parents grew concerned. They hoped that one day they could somehow get Abigael into their line of work as Exbeast researchers, who focused in weapon creation using Exbeast design and materials, but he was shaping up to become something else entirely. As a final effort, Abigael's parents brought him into their line of work, to observe what they do and what the career is like. On that particular day, they had brought in the corpse of an Exbeast to research and collect parts from, in hopes of creating some sort of weapon. Unfortunately, the hunters that captured the Exbeast did a poor job, as they only damaged the beast to near death and mistook it for dead, when it was simply knocked out. The researchers learned this fact the hard way, when the beast woke up. The center was in chaos, as the beast thrashed about and attacked any and all that it saw, leading to the deaths of many. Abigael's parents were forced out of the room via the mob of escaping researchers, leaving Abigael confused and alone with the Exbeast. They could do nothing but watch through surveillance cameras as Abigael struggled to dodge and find a means of escape, believing that this would be the last time they would see their son. However, this was instead where they witnessed something surprising - Something Abigael was actually skilled at: Adapting and quick thinking. For a while, Abigael could do nothing but dodge and panic, but after a few moments he quickly gathered his surroundings and came up with a plan in a matter of seconds. He saw a weapon that was in development in the room - Something another group must have been working on before the chaos ensued. A glaive, that looked to have something attached to it. He also noticed multiple heavy wounds on the beast, ones that the beast would often grasp in pain. Abigael acted quick - He grabbed the weapon without, and upon touch, the item attached activated. A bug-like machine started flying around Abigael, zipping around back and fourth, looking at him as if waiting for an order. Abigael took a chance - he pointed at the weak spots of the monster with the command to attack, and the bug obeyed. It stabbed at the beast with a blade that emerged from its body, and began glowing an odd color, causing the beast to stagger. The bug then returned to Abigael, and inserted itself into the glaive, sharing its color with the weapon. Abigael felt a sudden surge of energy, like something he never felt before, and for some reason, the beast was slowing down. Its attacks seemed to be delayed, and Abigael's speed seemed to have increased. Abigael wasted no time and began striking at the beast with flurries of attacks and dodges, back and forth, directly into the beast's already opened wounds, until the beast fell, properly dead. Immediately following the Exbeast's defeat, researchers (Abigael's parents included,) flooded the room with cheers and and congratulations, thanking Abigael for stopping the beast before it could do much damage. His parents were amazed by their son's ability to notice and use the beast's weak-points to his advantage, and also his ability to use the experimental weapon. They knew immediately what their son was meant to do, but they wanted to make a few preparations before speaking to their son. A year later, at the age of 15, Abigael's parents presented the finished model of the glaive to him, expressing firm belief that he was more than capable of using the weapon, and of fighting Exbeast. They assured Abigael that the rest of the research group believed the same, agreeing to give the finished glaive to Abigael, on the condition that they received regular reports on the weapon's behavior, with the advice of using the bug on the the corpse of a beast the next time he fights one. They then proposed the idea of attending AcadeMMO to Abigael, explaining that this was the place where all great fighters and heroes start, and that Abigael would certainly grow to be one of these heroes if he attended. Abigael, saw this as more of a demand than a proposal, since he was already enrolled by his parents. Abigael didn't like the idea of his parents enrolling him without his consent, but he was fine with joining the academy, believing this career was as good as any. With his belongings packed up and his bug companion (Who he took to calling "Beat" for the sake of convenience,) buzzing around him, he got on a train to the academy, hoping the assignments wouldn't be too bothersome. Statistics: Level - 1 HP - 150 (15) MP - 150 (15) Attack - 12 Magic - 16 Speed - 14 Accuracy - 16 Defense - 0 Evasion - 19 Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills: Tag 'em, Beat! [2] - Abigael sends out Beat at a specific part of an enemy, stealing an aspect and applying it to himself. He gets a temporary +10 stat boost in a certain stat, depending on the enemy and what Beat attaches itself to, while the enemy gets a -10 to that stat. Does a pitiful amount of damage - 1 multiplied by the level of the skill. Adds another +10 to the bonus and -10 to the enemies penalty per level. 7 meter range. Costs 10 MP per level. Command is the skill name. "Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures!" [1] - Abigael uses his glaive as a vault to launch up into the air, where he aims to land on the enemy. If the enemy has lower evasion than Abigael's accuracy, he hits his target and jams Beat into them, getting a level 1 version of the "Tag 'em, Beat!" skill, while also getting a few hits in with the glaive, doing 10 damage per level. If Abigael misses the target, he lands on his face and takes 10 damage. Costs 10 MP per level. Command is the skill name. (Really sorry about the walls of text. I might have gotten a bit carried away. ^^;;)</s> <\|message\|>John Harley "That is right, Sir. My name is John Harley and I'm a Summoner." John introduced himself to the gymteacher hoping that his insane amount of muscles didn't mean he only liked Martial Classes. He looked through the gym, trying to find the freshmen. "But wat exactly am I supposed to do, just spar with them or something?"To be honest John was hoping that he was just there to tell them about the dangers of Excaledvol , and maybe give them some advice. But he knew better than to expect it would be that easy. credits:50 Akira and I are still discussing the blighted woods loot john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Once the cockatrice was dead, Winnifred walked over to the boy still tied up on the ground from Haruka's binds. "Beat, huh? I don't really get it," she said, listening to his story and looking at his weapon with a perplexed look on her face, "But... It doesn't sound like it should be a problem for us. Or at least for me anyway, I dunno about the others. But next time I suggest just joining a team ahead of time. I dunno about some people here, but I don't bite. Unless you turn out to actually be a weirdo stalker or something. I'll totally bite if that turns out to be the case. But, uh, since Haruka's the one who tied you up, I'll go ahead and make it her call on what to let you do." After she had finished speaking, she sat down on the ground to wait for the rest of her team to decide what to do and when to head back. "So, what stuff are you guys gonna want from that thing?" she asked. * Level - 1 > 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 19 > 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 16 > 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka She smirked at the tied up boy and was suprised that the bird had already given up on fighting. She walked over to the bird while she occasionaly listened to them talking and took the loot dropping it a little closer to the group "You 3 can have all the items that it dropped and the new guy can do whatever he wants with the bird. She layed her hand on the katana and mad a swift motion holstering in the blink of an eye. She had cut all the wires with one swift movement from the new guy his body without leaving a single scratch "Just making sure thr guy steals anything from us thats all." She gently smiled at the others and waited for them to pick out the loot and activate the crystall back to the academy Level - 1 > 2 - HP - 8 - MP - 5 - Attack - 28 - Magic - 4 - Speed - 17 > 22 - Accuracy - 12 - Defense - 2 - Evasion - 22 > 24 - Resistance - 2</s> <\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro After receiving the loot from the now-dead Fire Rats, Taeion was able to make his way back to the Sprite which would send him back to the academy. His assignment was successful, a slightly damaged arm as his only casualty. He had also ran out of shuriken. He took note of this, and planned to buy more from the AcadeMMO's weapon store. At least, he thought they had one. He wasn't entirely sure. Taeion made his way back to the Sprite, completely forgetting about the carnage and destruction in the docks which he had inadvertently caused by luring Fire Rats out of a crate. He would take no part in the clean up of the mess either. * Level - 1 > 2 * HP - 10 * MP - 6 * Attack - 20 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 > 12 * Accuracy - 25 > 28 * Defense - 2 * Evasion - 18 > 20 * Resistance - 3 Finding the Sprite, Taeion prepared to travel back to the academy, save for the fact that he had forgotten how to activate the Sprite. He tapped it lightly first. The Sprite bobbed up and down for a bit before stabilizing itself, although nothing which carried a 'teleportation' vibe seemed to occur. Taeion blinked, waiting for a few moments. The Sprite hadn't said anything so far - nor had Taeion. There was a long, drawn-out silence... Taeion then struck the Sprite with a punch. While it may not have been the right way to activate the Sprite, it certainly was effective. The Sprite began to glow, enveloping him in a light which grew brighter and brighter. With that, he disappeared from the docks. Moments later, he reappeared within one of the teleportation rooms within the AcadeMMO. He stepped out of the room, and looked around. He was certainly back at the academy. Taeion turned his attention toward his arm; it was healed, although there was still a minor scar - likely due to him assaulting the Sprite to try and get it to activate. Taeion would probably need to find the assistance of an actual Healer if he wished to fully remove the injury. With little else to do, Taeion's only objectives were to eat and then return to his constant resting, perhaps even rest whilst eating, should he feel like it. He made his way to the dining hall, albeit drowsily - his Special Assignment had ended, there was nothing left to fight, meaning Taeion had returned to his lazy state. He reached the double-doors leading to the dining hall and in his absent-minded disposition, put to much effort into opening them. The doors swung open, both hitting their respective walls. With such a small amount of people in the dining hall, the noise the doors created echoed throughout the hall. It was surprising, and few of the students looked to see what had caused it. A portion, seeing Taeion, were all too aware that this was how the "Indolent Ninja" acted most the time, and simply went back to studying. Others were slightly annoyed by his obnoxious disregard for the other students within the dining hall. Nevertheless, Taeion ignored the reactions of his peers, and made his way to the cafeteria's menu. It was hard to believe that he completed an ExBeast Assignment just a few minutes prior.</s>	<\|message\|>Abigael Quint Abigael flinched at first, then relaxed when he realized he was free to move around. "Alright! Thank ya kindly. Now... Let's see..." He got up and picked up his glaive, pointing it at the corpse of the cockatrice. "Beat! Um... Tag it I guess?" Beat activated, flying up and straight towards the body. Once the mechanical beast reached the cockatrice, it zipped around it, eyeing its various parts. It then landed on the head of the beast, and a loud stabbing sound followed. Beat then glowed various colors, blinking while doing so. The blinking eventually ceased, and bug companion returned to the glaive, resting on the blunt end and closing its eye slots. A clean stab mark could be seen on the head of the cockatrice, but nothing more seemed to be missing from the monster. "Huh... That was different. Doesn't look like it did anything either. Ah well, that's all I needed." Abigael put his glaive away, looking satisfied with his work quota being met. He then waited for the rest of the group to finish their business.</s>
<\|description\|>Abigael Quint Age: 15 Gender: Male Themesong: You Will Know Our Names (The only good quality version I can find is the extended version, sorry.) Class: Glaiveknight Appearance: Abigael (Basically imagine this but less beefy.) History: Abigael grew up as a fairly weak child. He did not have much stamina to run great distances, the speed to keep up with others, or the strength to perform much actions. He was, in his home town, known as the weakling of the town. Because of this title, his blunt and sarcastic attitude, and his feminine sounding name, he was often bullied by other children, and even mocked by adults. Unfortunately, Abigael was not the brightest person either. He had average grades, and average intelligence, never exceeding expectations. Despite all the bullying and all the remarks from others, he never particularly hated himself, or minded his disadvantage in life. In fact, he was happy with only meeting the bar, never standing out or being a star student. While Abigael was happy with his life, his parents were not particular happy. They would attempt to push him, to get him to try harder, to go out and exercise, but he always either found ways out of his task, or did a mediocre job at the task. Upon growing up, his parents grew concerned. They hoped that one day they could somehow get Abigael into their line of work as Exbeast researchers, who focused in weapon creation using Exbeast design and materials, but he was shaping up to become something else entirely. As a final effort, Abigael's parents brought him into their line of work, to observe what they do and what the career is like. On that particular day, they had brought in the corpse of an Exbeast to research and collect parts from, in hopes of creating some sort of weapon. Unfortunately, the hunters that captured the Exbeast did a poor job, as they only damaged the beast to near death and mistook it for dead, when it was simply knocked out. The researchers learned this fact the hard way, when the beast woke up. The center was in chaos, as the beast thrashed about and attacked any and all that it saw, leading to the deaths of many. Abigael's parents were forced out of the room via the mob of escaping researchers, leaving Abigael confused and alone with the Exbeast. They could do nothing but watch through surveillance cameras as Abigael struggled to dodge and find a means of escape, believing that this would be the last time they would see their son. However, this was instead where they witnessed something surprising - Something Abigael was actually skilled at: Adapting and quick thinking. For a while, Abigael could do nothing but dodge and panic, but after a few moments he quickly gathered his surroundings and came up with a plan in a matter of seconds. He saw a weapon that was in development in the room - Something another group must have been working on before the chaos ensued. A glaive, that looked to have something attached to it. He also noticed multiple heavy wounds on the beast, ones that the beast would often grasp in pain. Abigael acted quick - He grabbed the weapon without, and upon touch, the item attached activated. A bug-like machine started flying around Abigael, zipping around back and fourth, looking at him as if waiting for an order. Abigael took a chance - he pointed at the weak spots of the monster with the command to attack, and the bug obeyed. It stabbed at the beast with a blade that emerged from its body, and began glowing an odd color, causing the beast to stagger. The bug then returned to Abigael, and inserted itself into the glaive, sharing its color with the weapon. Abigael felt a sudden surge of energy, like something he never felt before, and for some reason, the beast was slowing down. Its attacks seemed to be delayed, and Abigael's speed seemed to have increased. Abigael wasted no time and began striking at the beast with flurries of attacks and dodges, back and forth, directly into the beast's already opened wounds, until the beast fell, properly dead. Immediately following the Exbeast's defeat, researchers (Abigael's parents included,) flooded the room with cheers and and congratulations, thanking Abigael for stopping the beast before it could do much damage. His parents were amazed by their son's ability to notice and use the beast's weak-points to his advantage, and also his ability to use the experimental weapon. They knew immediately what their son was meant to do, but they wanted to make a few preparations before speaking to their son. A year later, at the age of 15, Abigael's parents presented the finished model of the glaive to him, expressing firm belief that he was more than capable of using the weapon, and of fighting Exbeast. They assured Abigael that the rest of the research group believed the same, agreeing to give the finished glaive to Abigael, on the condition that they received regular reports on the weapon's behavior, with the advice of using the bug on the the corpse of a beast the next time he fights one. They then proposed the idea of attending AcadeMMO to Abigael, explaining that this was the place where all great fighters and heroes start, and that Abigael would certainly grow to be one of these heroes if he attended. Abigael, saw this as more of a demand than a proposal, since he was already enrolled by his parents. Abigael didn't like the idea of his parents enrolling him without his consent, but he was fine with joining the academy, believing this career was as good as any. With his belongings packed up and his bug companion (Who he took to calling "Beat" for the sake of convenience,) buzzing around him, he got on a train to the academy, hoping the assignments wouldn't be too bothersome. Statistics: Level - 1 HP - 150 (15) MP - 150 (15) Attack - 12 Magic - 16 Speed - 14 Accuracy - 16 Defense - 0 Evasion - 19 Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills: Tag 'em, Beat! [2] - Abigael sends out Beat at a specific part of an enemy, stealing an aspect and applying it to himself. He gets a temporary +10 stat boost in a certain stat, depending on the enemy and what Beat attaches itself to, while the enemy gets a -10 to that stat. Does a pitiful amount of damage - 1 multiplied by the level of the skill. Adds another +10 to the bonus and -10 to the enemies penalty per level. 7 meter range. Costs 10 MP per level. Command is the skill name. "Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures!" [1] - Abigael uses his glaive as a vault to launch up into the air, where he aims to land on the enemy. If the enemy has lower evasion than Abigael's accuracy, he hits his target and jams Beat into them, getting a level 1 version of the "Tag 'em, Beat!" skill, while also getting a few hits in with the glaive, doing 10 damage per level. If Abigael misses the target, he lands on his face and takes 10 damage. Costs 10 MP per level. Command is the skill name. (Really sorry about the walls of text. I might have gotten a bit carried away. ^^;;)</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel listened intently as she ate. "Hmmmm. I never really imagined that someone as famous as that could be your relative, but I think I've heard of him. 'S-Ranked Student Goes Missing in Excaledvol' sounds familiar at the very least. But it's kind of a cool prospect, isn't it? The idea that something else sentient might of, or who knows, even still might live in Excaledvol." She laid her head back, looking at the ceiling, still balancing a corn dog stick in her mouth. "At the very least they might be fun to fight." She paused again, turning her head back to Hayato. "Well, I hope you find him. I'm sure if he's an S-Rank he wouldn't go down easy. Even if he never did get to SS or SSS they're still a great margin above other students, even compared to A-Ranks." Hazel could sympathize with Hayato's wish to get stronger. She too wanted to get stronger. She was determined to climb the ranks further, but she still wasn't strong enough to move to S. She'd also need to train more and more. She seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, but pulled a pen from her back pocket. She grabbed a napkin and scrawled on it for a moment. She held it up in front of the boy, "I guess since you told me all this I feel obligated to help, so take this. If you need to train or do a mission or something call me." She set the napkin down in front of him, with her cellphone number written on it.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato"Score!" Hayato said with a laugh as he pocketed Hazel's number. He expected she'd hit him for that too. But once things had settled down again, he'd ask: "And what about you, Hazel? What's your reason for wanting to be the best? You're already, what, A rank?" Just then, the doors burst open, and Taeion walked in. Hayato raised an eyebrow as the normally lazy boy walked over to make his order. From the smell of smoke around him, he must have just come back from an assignment. The Indolent Ninja took Special Assignments? Cockatrice Hunt > AcadeMMOWhen Ryouta eventually brought out the Sprite and activated it, the group was teleported back to the school, their mission completed. With a beep, the holoscreen in the telepad room informed them that the rewarded Academy Credits had been deposited into their accounts. It was about half past five in the evening, and the sun was just starting to get low in the sky. John"Oh, so you're here about the tutoring!" Professor Kirby said. "A Summoner, eh? Just what I needed at the moment, actually." He pointed over to several students in robes in the corner, most of whom were sitting in the stands watching while another stood in one of the sparring zones. The "Cage Fight" setting had been activated, raising a holographic barrier. The green, transparent cube seemed to only be made of light, but was strong enough to withstand the power of most Skills and Spells. Inside the sparring ring the student had placed a large sheet of paper with a complex rune on it. This was a True Summoning ritual, a magical process to directly create a short-term rift to Excaledvol and call forth an Exbeast. Only students who had help from the teachers would be able to cast these, as it was an incredibly complex ritual, and couldn't be used normally. "Those students are all Summoners, but because they're freshmen, none of them have contracted an Exbeast. We only know they're summoners in the first place because of the results they got on the Magi Placement part of the entrance exams. Could you walk them through how to properly contract and control an Exbeast, and stand by in case anything goes wrong with that summoning?"</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka was in line ordering some food. After getting his food, he was about to go back to his dorms, but decided he would stay around in the cafeteria for a while. Sitting at a table, he looked around at everyone for a moment, before beginning to eat.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka Her eyes focused on the weird mechanical bug from Abigail Intresting device you have there. she said to to Abigail with her ussual calm voice Is it your weapon of some sorts? she talked to the boy while walking over to the big bird again looking in its beak to see if her Kunai could still be found, they were really expensive to buy a piece but they worked so nice. She took a closer look in its beak but it already fell further down its troat it seems. She sighed a little and looked at the hole in the bird its head that the device just made to find out what it had done. It wasn't special or anything just a hole nothing more to be seen. She walked back over and found herself all quickly teleported back by the sprite It has been a pleasure to serve you all. I'll see you all around sometime. She walked off without any more to say to then. After a few minutes of walking she finally got to the cafeteria. She grabbed a tray and got some traditional curry on her plate with chop sticks Instead of a fork or a spoon You need to stay well fed for fighting She walked over to the many tables and sat down by some random boy in silence. She sat across him without much saying in complete stealth. She looked at the boy for a moment more and talked short after I don't think its much of a problem if i sit at your table right. If he said no she would have probably kept sitting there anyway she grabbed her chopsticks and closed her eyes placing both her hands together with het chopsticks still in one Itadakimasu she soon began eating her curry across Soka.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel sighed at Hayato's comment. This time she somehow found the power to restrain her fist, but her annoyance was visible. Only this moron could make me regret something like that this quickly, she thought to herself. Hayato's next question, however, caught her off guard. Why do I want to be the best? Somewhere deep inside her she knew that she really wanted to prove she was worth something, anything. But those words didn't come easy. Instead something else came. "Why do I want to be the best? I think the better question, Hayato, is why don't you want to be the best? I don't see the point in settling for anything less."</s>	<\|message\|>Abigael Quint "You mean Beat? Yeah, he's part of the glaive. Simple stuff really. I just send him off, he steals something from the enemy, and gives it to me. Evens the playing field, I think." says Abigael, all the while looking at his glaive. Upon teleporting, Abigael stumbled around a bit, still not quite used to the method of transportation. After regaining his balance, Abigael sighed. "Those'll take some getting used to... Anyways, it looks like the mission's over, so I'll catch ya guys later. Maybe I'll actually go to class tomorrow and see you guys there." Without another word, Abigael walked off, giving a half-effort wave goodbye to the group. Looks like that's all I needed. I guess I still got some time to kill. I mean, I don't have to report immediately. Abigael did a small spin to see his full surroundings, looking for things to do to pass the time. Let's see... There's a cafeteria... Some grub actually sounds pretty good right now. He headed towards the cafeteria. Upon reaching the selection of food, he inspected it while being deep in thought. Let's see... Well I might as well try something I've never had before... Question is, what do I try...?</s>
<\|description\|>Abigael Quint Age: 15 Gender: Male Themesong: You Will Know Our Names (The only good quality version I can find is the extended version, sorry.) Class: Glaiveknight Appearance: Abigael (Basically imagine this but less beefy.) History: Abigael grew up as a fairly weak child. He did not have much stamina to run great distances, the speed to keep up with others, or the strength to perform much actions. He was, in his home town, known as the weakling of the town. Because of this title, his blunt and sarcastic attitude, and his feminine sounding name, he was often bullied by other children, and even mocked by adults. Unfortunately, Abigael was not the brightest person either. He had average grades, and average intelligence, never exceeding expectations. Despite all the bullying and all the remarks from others, he never particularly hated himself, or minded his disadvantage in life. In fact, he was happy with only meeting the bar, never standing out or being a star student. While Abigael was happy with his life, his parents were not particular happy. They would attempt to push him, to get him to try harder, to go out and exercise, but he always either found ways out of his task, or did a mediocre job at the task. Upon growing up, his parents grew concerned. They hoped that one day they could somehow get Abigael into their line of work as Exbeast researchers, who focused in weapon creation using Exbeast design and materials, but he was shaping up to become something else entirely. As a final effort, Abigael's parents brought him into their line of work, to observe what they do and what the career is like. On that particular day, they had brought in the corpse of an Exbeast to research and collect parts from, in hopes of creating some sort of weapon. Unfortunately, the hunters that captured the Exbeast did a poor job, as they only damaged the beast to near death and mistook it for dead, when it was simply knocked out. The researchers learned this fact the hard way, when the beast woke up. The center was in chaos, as the beast thrashed about and attacked any and all that it saw, leading to the deaths of many. Abigael's parents were forced out of the room via the mob of escaping researchers, leaving Abigael confused and alone with the Exbeast. They could do nothing but watch through surveillance cameras as Abigael struggled to dodge and find a means of escape, believing that this would be the last time they would see their son. However, this was instead where they witnessed something surprising - Something Abigael was actually skilled at: Adapting and quick thinking. For a while, Abigael could do nothing but dodge and panic, but after a few moments he quickly gathered his surroundings and came up with a plan in a matter of seconds. He saw a weapon that was in development in the room - Something another group must have been working on before the chaos ensued. A glaive, that looked to have something attached to it. He also noticed multiple heavy wounds on the beast, ones that the beast would often grasp in pain. Abigael acted quick - He grabbed the weapon without, and upon touch, the item attached activated. A bug-like machine started flying around Abigael, zipping around back and fourth, looking at him as if waiting for an order. Abigael took a chance - he pointed at the weak spots of the monster with the command to attack, and the bug obeyed. It stabbed at the beast with a blade that emerged from its body, and began glowing an odd color, causing the beast to stagger. The bug then returned to Abigael, and inserted itself into the glaive, sharing its color with the weapon. Abigael felt a sudden surge of energy, like something he never felt before, and for some reason, the beast was slowing down. Its attacks seemed to be delayed, and Abigael's speed seemed to have increased. Abigael wasted no time and began striking at the beast with flurries of attacks and dodges, back and forth, directly into the beast's already opened wounds, until the beast fell, properly dead. Immediately following the Exbeast's defeat, researchers (Abigael's parents included,) flooded the room with cheers and and congratulations, thanking Abigael for stopping the beast before it could do much damage. His parents were amazed by their son's ability to notice and use the beast's weak-points to his advantage, and also his ability to use the experimental weapon. They knew immediately what their son was meant to do, but they wanted to make a few preparations before speaking to their son. A year later, at the age of 15, Abigael's parents presented the finished model of the glaive to him, expressing firm belief that he was more than capable of using the weapon, and of fighting Exbeast. They assured Abigael that the rest of the research group believed the same, agreeing to give the finished glaive to Abigael, on the condition that they received regular reports on the weapon's behavior, with the advice of using the bug on the the corpse of a beast the next time he fights one. They then proposed the idea of attending AcadeMMO to Abigael, explaining that this was the place where all great fighters and heroes start, and that Abigael would certainly grow to be one of these heroes if he attended. Abigael, saw this as more of a demand than a proposal, since he was already enrolled by his parents. Abigael didn't like the idea of his parents enrolling him without his consent, but he was fine with joining the academy, believing this career was as good as any. With his belongings packed up and his bug companion (Who he took to calling "Beat" for the sake of convenience,) buzzing around him, he got on a train to the academy, hoping the assignments wouldn't be too bothersome. Statistics: Level - 1 HP - 150 (15) MP - 150 (15) Attack - 12 Magic - 16 Speed - 14 Accuracy - 16 Defense - 0 Evasion - 19 Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills: Tag 'em, Beat! [2] - Abigael sends out Beat at a specific part of an enemy, stealing an aspect and applying it to himself. He gets a temporary +10 stat boost in a certain stat, depending on the enemy and what Beat attaches itself to, while the enemy gets a -10 to that stat. Does a pitiful amount of damage - 1 multiplied by the level of the skill. Adds another +10 to the bonus and -10 to the enemies penalty per level. 7 meter range. Costs 10 MP per level. Command is the skill name. "Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures!" [1] - Abigael uses his glaive as a vault to launch up into the air, where he aims to land on the enemy. If the enemy has lower evasion than Abigael's accuracy, he hits his target and jams Beat into them, getting a level 1 version of the "Tag 'em, Beat!" skill, while also getting a few hits in with the glaive, doing 10 damage per level. If Abigael misses the target, he lands on his face and takes 10 damage. Costs 10 MP per level. Command is the skill name. (Really sorry about the walls of text. I might have gotten a bit carried away. ^^;;)</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel nodded in agreement as Hayato spoke of his own inexperience. "Of course, you're also pretty green. And things don't get much easier as you climb the ranks, so just keep doing assignments and practicing. I'm sure you'll get there eventually," She paused for a moment, and decided to give him a little bit of encouragement, "That being said, I am comparing you to the people I usually fight with, I'd say you might be a little better than most E-Ranks I see." However she didn't quite agree with what he said next. "Plus it'll make other people think we're dating, which will raise my reputation through the roof." This guy really is a moron, isn't he? Hazel thought to herself. She rose her fist, but lowered it with a sigh. At first it appeared there would be no physical retaliation, but Hazel had observed that Hayato was leaning back in his chair. She drove her foot into the chair, knocking him off balance, hoping it would make him fall on his ass.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley "Yes I am, in fact I 'm here to give you guys some pointers. Oh yeah, before I forget, you can call me John." He quickly introduced himself. With that out of the way, he turned to the the student currently inside the transparent cube. "Remember, when the Sylphid appears don't show fear, but don't make the mistake of thinking it will automatically listen to you either. And if necessary give the order to drop the barrier, so I can deal with it." John then faced the other students again."The second the barrier drops get to safety. Preferably somewhere where you can see how I handle things, but that shouldn't be your main concern." credits:50 Enchanted Wood x1 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro "Whoa, how much did that cost!" Taeion looked up from his meal to see another student. Had he been sitting here all this time? Taeion hadn't noticed. The boy was asking about the price of the pizza which the Indolent Ninja had. Taeion stopped eating for a moment to answer. "...20 AC." Upon answering, he also noticed another person at the table. Taeion was sitting opposite to a female student. He blinked once, turned to the boy and spoke again. "Am I...interrupting something...?" Taeion asked, interlocking the fingers of both of his hands as he said this, trying to suggest that the two students were in some kind of relationship.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe spend some time just literally standing still and observing the ground around him. Before he moved he would try to figure out a certain pattern, maybe a characteristic that more uneven, unbalanced ground that would use gravity to send him tumbling potentially would share. First thing he would do was lower down and grab what was in arm reach without moving a step. After he done that, he would take a slow step, without much weight added on it yet, to the direction that had the most ground. God this was so boring to him. He grabbed every mana herb in arm reach, there were so many. He thought they would be much more rare.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato "D'oh!" Hayato rolled backwards as his chair clattered to the floor, over his shoulder and coming up on one knee, specifically his left, with his right foot on the ground as if ready to rise. Instinctively he had grabbed his sword and brought it with him during the fall; his position now was just like that of the classic Japanese sword drawing stance from a crouch. Of course, he'd fallen into it out of habit, not because he meant to attack anyone. For that to be an instinctive reaction, however, was evidence of just how often he'd been training. "Alright, alright, enough with the jokes I guess." he said, standing up and dusting himself off. He smiled and gave Hazel a small wave. "Anyway, I'll be heading out now I guess. Just make sure you pay me back before the end of the week, okay? See ya around." John The student preparing to make the summons looked at John nervously, nodding and hanging on to every word he said. "What should I do when it appears, though? Is there anything specific I should say or do to...to prove my worth, I guess? I mean, do you have to prove your dominance over the summon or something?" Joe in Excaledvol Joe soon had more than enough that if he wanted to head back to the school, he would have a decent addition to his credits. The mission had warned that staying too long might lure Exbeasts...but then, Joe didn't really seem worried about that. Behind him on the clifftop there were a few woody areas where trees managed to cling to the sides of the craggy rocks or find purchase in the loamy soil beneath the thick cushion of vegetation. And somewhere in those trees, something rustled...</s> <\|message\|>John Harley John really didn't want to make the kid that nervous, but he had to be aware of the risk."That is a good question, too bad the answer is that it depends on the EXBeast.Some you can basically bribe, others you do have to prove your worth too, but there are also ExBeasts that consider a human trying to fight them a joke. So there is no way to know in advance." He purposely didn't remind the student that some ExBeasts, including summonable ones, hated humans in general though even the hostile ones could sometimes be reasoned with. credits:50 Enchanted Wood x1 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s>	<\|message\|>Abigael Quint Abigael stared at the kid with the large pizza as he walked by. More specifically, he stared the pizza. Well crap. Now I want some of that. When he overheard the cost of the order, he looked back towards the cafeteria, ordering the same item. As soon as the order arrived, he grabbed the large pizza and seated himself down at an empty table. He didn't know anyone, nor was he in the mood to meet people at this time. Stuffing my face while talking to someone doesn't exactly leave a good impression anyway. He thought to himself, meanwhile grabbing a slice and munching happily away.</s>
<\|description\|>Daniel "Noize" Bhane Character Skeleton Age: 39 Gender: Male Appearance: Including Chainsword (Cause Sci-fi) and Armour. Excluding Ork Place of Birth: New York, Earth Bio: Daniel was born and raised in the streets of Undercity New York. Gangs, murders, rape crimes, corruption are the know how. It's dog eats dog out in the streets. He was thrown out of his home and into a decaying orphanage with it's ugly caretaker, Mrs.Dunn. When he reached 18, Mrs.Dunn sent him out of the orphanage. He was too old to stay there anymore. He wandered the streets and joined the Hart Killers gang. Notorious for it's high price robberies and mass murders, it was the best place for Daniel to finally relieve himself and revel in his darkest desire. He took part in several bank robberies before he was told to clean up the Tarnig family. They failed to pay the rent. Daniel was met with a gruesome sight. The Hart Killers shot them up to a bloody pulp. The room was red with blood and the Tarnig family were lined up on the floor, with their signature "Don't mess with us" motto tattooed on their faces. Daniel ran as fast as he could. Away from this murder and ruin. He joined with the Earth military forces and has risen up the ranks ever since. After the brass caught a whiff of his previous dealings with the Hart Killers, he resigned from the military and set out as a Mecha mercenary. Hiding from the Earth Military while dealing his skills for money. He found his Mech in an old abandoned warehouse in a raid conducted by the military. It was old and had an archaic design. His Lieutenant "gave" it to him for a birthday present. He has been tinkering and modifying it ever since. Talents/Skills: Daniel has a knack for killing things. Especially on close combat. That is one of the reasons he is notorious in the mercenary business. His expert wielding and wicked Chainsword have appeased many private contractors and the Earth Military Brass before. Anything else of interest: He to listen to music. Any genre. Though he prefers Metal or Dubstep to listen to while in combat. He has a knack of blaring music during battle, earning his title of "Noize". Mecha Sheet Mecha Name: BR-2 MKII "Imperator" Appearance: Armaments: A large 100mm auto-firing cannon with an under slung 30. Machine Gun. A huge two meter long Chainsword. A shoulder mounted 50. Machine Gun. Special Equipment: The BR-2 MKII is of an old model of Mecha. One of the early models. It was used for war. And war only. With thick plating, reinforced plating, "installed" speakers, rocket boosters under his boots and upper "back". It has very obvious "limbs" though and if Daniel is not careful and not position Imperator on the right angle, he may go down from a severed limb. He is therefore useless after that. It is also slow compared to the newer more improved Mecha. He uses the rocket boosters to quickly move to his foes. They only last around three minutes without recharging. They take a minute to recharge Mecha Specs: Long Range Combat: D Medium Range Combat: A Close Range Combat: B Armor: A Speed: D Agility: C Strength: A Shielding: None, Mech has very effective Armour. Mecha Quirks: The Lieutenant that give him the Mech thought it would be funny if he painted "PUSSY OVER HERE! YOU CAN BEAT HIS ASS!" on the "back" of the mech. It also has installed speakers</s> <\|message\|>Reb Manning At times it annoyed Reb greatly to be on the short side, especially long floats trough weightless environments, he felt like a tossed football. It didnt take long however for the burly man to reach corridors leading to kitchens. "Artificial gravity, you magnificent bastard." He started his trek trough the ship. Another group of ships crew passed him by hugging the wall, Reb Manning wasnt the kind to give way to just anyone. He thought of previous ships he had been stationed in, including military ones in his youth. "33" Xeon III was the nicest one so far though he wouldnt say that aloud in a million years, it was kept clean and orderly, even sterile at places. Social areas were built like tin cans though. His mind wandered again to that one assignment he regretted wholeheartedly, the pirate one. What he had assumed as a regular merc group was revealed to be anything but. "Roses of Pluto" they called themselves, even today they still appeared in newsfeeds every now and then. At the time young Reb needed the money bad and piracy fit the bill, mostly earth military and merchant heists kept them rolling in cash for a short while, then they crossed the line, a purely civilian transport from a colony to another, spaceborn men, women and children like Reb himself. He would not stand for it. All that transport saw of the ambush was explosions at the distance and a lone, damaged Mark-005- flying past them. He knew they would one day come for him and find him ready, their leader wasnt the kind of woman who took betrayals lightly. Reb shook his head. Like the pirate tattoo on his back, all of this was behind him now. The kitchen was in sight and a lithe man was standing on the doorway, apparently arrived just before him. He had heard maintenance crew call the man Rock several times so he would follow suit, he preferred nicknames anyway. "Oi Rock! Dont tell me theres a bloody line here already?!"</s> <\|message\|>Rodrigo "Rock" Zedler As Rock was searching for the woman from before, she caught her through the corner of his eye and followed her all the way to the mess hall. Rock was about to do the same when he noticed that they had passed by the Command Center. Then, should he go there and see what was up? No, they might see it as something bad for him to show up unannounced if they weren't expecting him to report in. It was troubling, most definitely. He stood there for a while until someone called him, asking if there was a line. Getting out of his little own world, Rock quickly turned to look at the bearded man, Reb, if his memory was working right. He smiled and shook his head, before stepping into the kitchen and motioning at Reb to follow him. It wasn't until later that Rock thought that Reb might also know just what the hell should they do. He waited for him to pass by to raise his question to him. "So, do you know anything about what we should do now? I don't know if we have to report in to the captain or not, to be honest." Rock said, seemingly a bit embarrassed for his absent mindness and scratching the back of his head nervously. He still scanned the whole room with his eyes. Reb might, after all, not know what they should do, so knowing where the girl was was better for now. He spotted her next to the window and Rock started waving at her to try and catch her attention. He would have shouted her name if he just remembered what it was, though... 'It definitely is better to just call someone by a catchy nickname, it sticks better to your mind.'</s> <\|message\|>James "Paladin" Rockefeller James took his seats as a lot of mechanics watched, in awe of the mech. She was a unique model put together personally for him she was sleek and well taken care of, he could see the mechanics arguing over who would service her as pulled out his data tablet. He slotted it in and spoke. "Morning Fire Fly." He had no clue the actually time so he just guessed. After a few moments the screens flicked to life and a soft female voice responded. "Good morning James, do you need my run a systems check?" Fire Fly was third generation model of the artificial intelligence his family used for combat assistance. James leaned back. "Thank'ya kindly darling." After a few moments the checks on systems came up green, then the weapons were green as well. "All system are green James, shall I log off?" She asked in a polite tone, with just a barely audible hint of a synthetic voice. "Yeah, I'm hungry and techs wanna get you all packed away." He smiled as she shut down and he removed the data tablet before jumping out and float along. "Treat her nice boys!" He floated over and cycled out, getting a bit of a headache as he entered artificial gravity. He walked towards the mess hall, checking his tablet out to see the full roster of Mech pilots, he wanted to get know the others.</s> <\|message\|>Marsha Wells Marsha Wells gratefully accepted the mustard bottle and started to apply the condiment to her burger while Trip returned to his kitchen duty after getting her painting supplies. After she finished applying the yellow condiment and put the burger back together she noticed movement near the entrance of the mess hall. It turned out to be one of the other Mecha pilots, Rodrigo Rock Zedler and next to him was Reb Manning, also a Mecha pilot. Like her they were assigned on this mission to keep the vessel safe as it divulged all the secrets from the Fish Tail comet. Soon after she had joined this expedition she had made it her duty to know all the other pilots by name and appearance from the crew manifest, she had also studied their Mecha as well so she would be better able to work with them in the field by knowing their strengths and weaknesses. Marsha decided to wave back in acknowledgement as a simple nod might not register with the man across the room. Sure that 'Rock', as he liked to be called, saw her she returned to her burger, wanting to finish it before attempting to continue her artwork. This time the burger felt and tasted like it should, so she was satisfied. She decided not to say anything and just continued eating, besides, across the room conversation was not very effective or polite to the other patrons. If they decided to join her it would be a good opportunity to get to know some other pilots better, even if they did distract her from painting.</s>	<\|message\|>Daniel "Noize" Bhane Daniel came to the world of the conscious with a groan. He was curled up in his, pillow under head and his alarm going off. The native of New York stretched his legs and let out a yawn. He pressed the "off" button of the alarm and raised the hatch on the cockpit. He was already dressed, armor on. He always felt safer in the confines of his armor. It made him feel safe. Stretching his arms with his upper body out of the hatch, Daniel looked at his trusty Mech. "Imperator" was the most awesome thing that has ever come in his life. Modest and sturdy, it was his Mech. No one elses. He came out of wanderings and pulled the rest of his body out of the cockpit. He jumped down and landed gracefully on the cold, hard metal floor. 'Comet, huh?' Daniel reached out to where he hanged his sword at the back of the Mech 'Never been on one of these ships before. Might be an interesting job.' His mind wandered to how he was hired to protect the XEON III. "Noize!" Daniel turned to see an elderly man approach him. It was a bright day, according to the Luna domed city he was currently residing in. Headphones hanging on his neck, Daniel "Noize" Bhane greeted the elderly man. The white suit talked about an expedition into the unknown. He was wanting to hire him to protect the ship alongside some other Mecha pilots. He continued saying that Daniel wasn't getting any younger and this might be an opportunity of a life time. Of course, Daniel accepted. Now here he is on board the XEON III, guarding it from "unknown" threats. He doubted there would be any real alien presence. 'It's just a meteor. Nothing to worry about' Daniel grabbed his signature "Noize" headphones and hanged it around his neck. He took the key from his pocket and pressed the button. The mech started to shut all openings and blare music out. "We are the Champions My Friend" was a particular song he liked and left it on, walking away hands in pockets towards the mess hall.</s>
<\|description\|>Raven Eclipse Character Skeleton Age: 22 Gender: Male Place Of Birth: Space Colony; Near asteroid Ceres Bio: Raven Eclipse was born into a wealthy energy corporation, much like how Ceres' family is, and like him he was home-schooled by his parents. He is a good friend of Ceres' as they have known each other since they were kids, due to the fact that their corporations were neighbors. Both of their families benefited from one another and became very close towards each other. Raven had also wanted to become a pilot and so at age 14 his father began teaching him. By the time he was 18, he became an expert pilot. As soon as Raven was about to enroll into the military service, he then got the news that Ceres' father had died due to an assassination attempt by a rival family. The Eclipse family was devastated as their old time business partner had finally vanished from the universe. In response, they gave a great amount of wealth to try and save the company from getting bankrupt, but yet it still wasn't enough. However, Ceres was already trying to recruit some of the most powerful families in the area and seek revenge over his father's death. As a response, Raven gladly joined his newly formed alliance. In about a year, the family alliance had been completed and they soon made the raid on the Murder's corporation. Their mechs had completely destroyed the company and had finally killed the murder of Ceres' father. As the alliance cheers in victory, Ceres announces to make an official corporate alliance and become the most powerful group in the Universe! Raven, along with the rest of the group, cheered him on as The Asterion Corporation Alliance (ACG) was born. Raven's title is second-in-command to Ceres, as he is his most trusted and long-time ally of his family. Talents/Skills: Raven is an expert pilot and stealth expert. He is also well rounded with light firearms and also very well skilled in various martial arts. Anything else of interest: Raven always has a face mask covering his mouth, yet no one really knows why. All Raven said was that it just 'looks cool.' He also likes to meditate when he is alone. Mecha Sheet Name: EOS-IX8 Sidewinder Armaments: The Sidewinder has very limited armament in his storage compartments. However, it can wield attached wrist-phasers along with wielding P89 Rapid-Pistol and the MK4 Pulse Rife. It always has an energy katana in his back compartment in case the pilot needed to fight up close and personal. In some cases it would be equipped with a long-distance rifle, capable of shooting things from miles upon miles away. Special Equipment: The Sidewinder's armor is almost undetectable, as he uses stealth armor. Its light yet durable enough to withstand some small fire. It also has jet packs in which it can go up to incredibly fast speeds, looking like a grey blur towards his opponents. Mecha Specs: Long Range Combat: C Medium Range Combat: A Close Range Combat: B Armor: C Speed: A Agility: A Strength: C Shielding: B Mecha Quirks: The Sidewinder was the first and also preferred mecha of choice for Raven, mostly due to its fast speed and agility. Once he took ownership of it from his father, he began to design add-ons for it, depending on the situation it may face. On its own, its incredibly fast, but its armor is rather weak so most of his protection comes from its shield.</s> <\|message\|>James "Paladin" Rockefeller James made his way to the mess hall, he stopped putting down his tablet. He wasn't hungry but he did want to get know his fellow Mech pilots, surveying the his eyes rested on a young woman, painting. A strange hobby for this day and age, however the closer he looked the more he recognized her, Marsha Wells. A successful Martian security contractor like himself, not as famous to the public but she had a solid reputation. James made his way over to the women, proper introductions were in order, she was a fellow Martian and Mech pilot thus deserving of utmost respect. He carefully took a seat near her, wanting to see her painting also not wishing to disturb her to much. "Hello Ms. Wells I'm James Rockefeller, I was a bit of last minute addition to the crew, figured I should come over and introduce myself. If your busy though I'll get out of you hair." He maintained politeness though he did try to get a good look at the canvas, his father always had canvas painting lining the halls of there corporate offices. He knew a little about art, enough to get by at charity dinners and such.</s> <\|message\|>Rodrigo "Rock" Zedler Rock approached Marsha after her wave, though it was a bit sad to see Reb parting ways with them, surely they could have had a merry chat if he stayed, though Rock actually wanted him to fill in the silence that Rock would probably leave all of them in after a few words. Well, he could try and prolong the conversation a bit, with some luck. She approached Marsha's table and sat down in front of her. He looked at her curiously as she drew something. Tilting his head a bit, he felt compelled to ask. "What are you drawing?" He gasped, thinking he had sounded rude to her. "Ah, sorry. My name is Rodrigo Zedler, though you can just call me Rock, if Rodrigo is too hard to pronounce." He said, scratching his cheek a bit. Oh, that's right, he went there for a reason... But now that he had started the conversation, it seemed a bit dumb to just ask her that and then just leave. "Um... Great weather we are having today, no?" An outdated way to fill in the silence of a conversation, but most terrible of it all, it had no meaning in space, where all they could see was starts and the infinite. 'Gah, I should just have asked about the command room and leave. I'd have felt as dumb if I had asked that.'</s> <\|message\|>Marsha Wells XEON III - MESS HALL As she worked on her eventual masterpiece two of the other Mecha pilots joined her at the table, James Rockefeller and Rodrigo Rock Zedler, somewhat of a coincidence that two mecha pilots would both have 'rock' in their names. As James was the first to talk to her she started to converse by responding to him. "A pleasure Mr. Rockefeller, your family is quite well known, I suspect your contribution to this mission is partly as a way to increase your family's reputation in the solar market?" She was polite enough to at least make sure she split her attention from her increasingly vibrant nebula to the person she was talking too. "Please do not take me the wrong way, certainly a noble goal to increase your family's standing while helping humanity increase its knowledge of the galaxy. Those who can find a constructive way of promoting themselves can be in short supply after all." Marsha added a dab of purple to the canvas before half-turning her attention to Rock. She somehow managed to squash the urge to shake her head at his attempt to start a conversation, the slightest curve to the corner of her mouth almost managed to sneak onto her features. "If we were having bad weather inside the ship I would be severely concerned for the safety of the crew since that would mean something was wrong with the ship's climate control" Admittedly he was obviously talking about space outside but unless the ship somehow accidentally ended up in a meteor shower or a gaseous nebula, its would be almost impossible to have bad space weather, so she decided to make a joke out of it. "As for what I am painting, it is a nebula I saw on duty years back, I have no way to look at it again but the image has remained with me since then. Looking out into space somewhat jogs my memory of that view. Needless to say, I have a long way to go." She had been working on it off an on but it was nowhere close to the beauty that she had remembered on that day, she just hoped to capture even a fraction of its glory through her work. XEON III - COMMAND CENTER The Captain had one of those feelings that happen before an event is about to occur, usually a bad one. He looked at the view screen with a furrowed brow at a few rather large asteroids in the vicinity. "Why have we not gone around this area? Certainly we could have avoided some space debris without putting too much extra time on the clock?" He asked his navigator, expecting a quick answer. "Well sir, they drifted into this sector, somewhat like the comet did I believe, just without the ice of course. Frankly sir, they were small enough they just did not really catch anyone's attention." "Certainly the comet is many times larger than the largest of these but why did you not alter our course!" The captain said with a little more urgency in his voice. "Sir, I did not deem it necessary as there is zero chance of them colliding with our vessel. Still you are right sir, I should have followed standard procedure and altered our course." "Hmm yes you should have...still you said these came from out of the solar system like the comet did? Could be worth a look with a probe at least." The captain turned to a crew member at one of the command consoles. "Launch a surveilance probe to have a look, maybe if there is something of interest we can stop on our way back. Also keep an eye out would you, I have premonition something is going to happen soon. I've been out in space long enough that I know I should pay attention to my 'feelings'." "Probe away." A small spherical object shot out from the bow of the XEON III and headed toward the nearest asteroids to make its rounds.</s> <\|message\|>Raven Eclipse "Sir!" a Corporatist pilot warns Ceres, "We have an incoming surveillance probe heading towards our position!" "We will need to find a quick way to distract it," answers back Ceres in a calm, but with an annoyed tone, "If it finds us, then our trap will be sprung and we would've come here all for nothing." "Why not blow it up?" asks another pilot. "You fool!" the captain responds annoyingly, "If we do, then the crew will certainly know something is wrong and will investigate our presence immediately!" There was a slight pause as the captain tries to think of a quick strategy. "Got one." he then says, "Raven, do you read me?" With that, another mech can be seen appearing almost out of nowhere. It was of sleek design, with a red visor, a horn, but most importantly it was equipped with stealth armor. Enter the EOS--IX8 Sidewinder, the fastest mech in the Asterion Alliance. "Orders captain?" asks the pilot Raven Eclipse in a deep muffled voice under his mask. "Get into stealth mode and redirect the probe's course." Ceres responds, "Once you do, override its systems for a few seconds and it should return to the ship." "Will do sir." Raven responds. Ceres then talks to the rest of the crew. "The rest of us will try to stay camouflaged to the asteroid surface as best we could and wait for the ship to pass us." "SIR YES SIR!" the rest of the crew responds in a hundred voices. With that, the Sidewinder becomes practically invisible and heads towards the probe without detection...</s> <\|message\|>Daniel "Noize" Bhane Daniel walked into the mess hall, 'Hooked On A Feeling' by Blue Swede starting up on his Ipod Ion. He looked around the room and saw two men next to a woman painting- Marsha Wells??. He walked past tables, chairs and other people until he found himself nearing Marsha Wells. She was a lieutenant from the Marsian Expeditionary Force and was one of the many like him that left their home planets military to go into the mercenary world. He found out about her from a contact in the Marsian Expeditionary Force. "Marsha Wells?" he asked politely "I must say that is a beautiful painting you have there. I am Daniel Bhane. You may know me as Noize" he extended a hand towards the red headed private contractor.</s> <\|message\|>Marsha Wells Asteroid XTS - 1537 It was an asteroid only about 2 kilometers in width and height and appeared to be devoid of life, mechanical or otherwise, until something started to move on the surface. It would be almost impossible to make out visually because of camoflague but what could be described as a mechanical spider with a powerful telescope crawling along the rock. The robot was now making its second pass of the area, the XEON III was already in its sights. When the ship sent out its probe the spider scoped its trajectory quite intensely, ready to go into full hiding mode at a moment's notice, but then it noticed something curious, a distortion in the stars approaching the probe, increasing its intensity the scope soon noticed a shape that docked with the probe and started to hijack it. Data quickly flowed from the drone to its masters about what was transpiring in the asteroid surveillance zone X-3, one of several such zones scattered around Fish Tail comet to provide early recon data of anything approaching, serving as a first line of defense. Pirate and explorer alike had no idea of what would transpire quite soon. XEON III - MESS HALL Yet another person joined her seemingly ever expanding circle, Marsha was starting to loose focus on her painting. Sometimes she was lucky and managed to get in a good 30 minutes without too much interference but obviously today was not such a day. Like it or not in any real 'public' section of the ship she had the disadvantage of well, being a woman on a mostly male expeditionary vessel, making her one of the first targets to try and start up a conversation. She was not about to be overly rude without a meaningful reason though so when Daniel Bhane extended his hand she did the polite thing and shook it back. "A pleasure to meet you Mr. Bhane. I made sure to know the names and faces of all the other pilots on the ship before the start of this mission in case you were wondering." She figured might as well get that bit out of the way straight up. Marsha considered telling them all to leave her, but at this point she had lost her image of the nebula so there was little point in continuing, besides she had yet to finish her burger. She repressed a sigh as she set her painting utensils down and reached for her meal. "I take it you have all completed your maintenance and checklists already? No doubt we will be moving out in short order." Marsha Wells had no idea how soon that time would be, but it would be sooner than she expected.</s>	<\|message\|>Raven Eclipse As the probe made its first pass, Ceres and his strike force became dead still, trying their best to blend on the asteroid's surface. For a moment, it appeared as if it indeed noticed them, but in fact passed them. Yet as soon as it was going for a second pass, the cloaked Sidewinder moves in and looms above the probe. "Commander," Raven says to Ceres as the mech's invisible hands loom over the unsuspecting probe, "I'm in position. Has it spotted you?" "I think not..." answered Ceres unsurely, "I think its coming back for another round. There's no time for you to redirect its path, override its systems immediately! It should go back to the ship after a few seconds of shut down." "Copy that..." Raven obliges as he carefully moves into precise position. He then takes out a small, canister-looking, object, which is in a small EMP emitter, good for jamming and even shutting down small electronic probes and vehicles. He lightly throws it at the probe, which attaches without disturbing the probe. Then the Sidewinder pushes the button, which makes a small beeping noise and quickly retreats upwards. Then suddenly, it releases the pulse...</s>
<\|description\|>Raven Eclipse Character Skeleton Age: 22 Gender: Male Place Of Birth: Space Colony; Near asteroid Ceres Bio: Raven Eclipse was born into a wealthy energy corporation, much like how Ceres' family is, and like him he was home-schooled by his parents. He is a good friend of Ceres' as they have known each other since they were kids, due to the fact that their corporations were neighbors. Both of their families benefited from one another and became very close towards each other. Raven had also wanted to become a pilot and so at age 14 his father began teaching him. By the time he was 18, he became an expert pilot. As soon as Raven was about to enroll into the military service, he then got the news that Ceres' father had died due to an assassination attempt by a rival family. The Eclipse family was devastated as their old time business partner had finally vanished from the universe. In response, they gave a great amount of wealth to try and save the company from getting bankrupt, but yet it still wasn't enough. However, Ceres was already trying to recruit some of the most powerful families in the area and seek revenge over his father's death. As a response, Raven gladly joined his newly formed alliance. In about a year, the family alliance had been completed and they soon made the raid on the Murder's corporation. Their mechs had completely destroyed the company and had finally killed the murder of Ceres' father. As the alliance cheers in victory, Ceres announces to make an official corporate alliance and become the most powerful group in the Universe! Raven, along with the rest of the group, cheered him on as The Asterion Corporation Alliance (ACG) was born. Raven's title is second-in-command to Ceres, as he is his most trusted and long-time ally of his family. Talents/Skills: Raven is an expert pilot and stealth expert. He is also well rounded with light firearms and also very well skilled in various martial arts. Anything else of interest: Raven always has a face mask covering his mouth, yet no one really knows why. All Raven said was that it just 'looks cool.' He also likes to meditate when he is alone. Mecha Sheet Name: EOS-IX8 Sidewinder Armaments: The Sidewinder has very limited armament in his storage compartments. However, it can wield attached wrist-phasers along with wielding P89 Rapid-Pistol and the MK4 Pulse Rife. It always has an energy katana in his back compartment in case the pilot needed to fight up close and personal. In some cases it would be equipped with a long-distance rifle, capable of shooting things from miles upon miles away. Special Equipment: The Sidewinder's armor is almost undetectable, as he uses stealth armor. Its light yet durable enough to withstand some small fire. It also has jet packs in which it can go up to incredibly fast speeds, looking like a grey blur towards his opponents. Mecha Specs: Long Range Combat: C Medium Range Combat: A Close Range Combat: B Armor: C Speed: A Agility: A Strength: C Shielding: B Mecha Quirks: The Sidewinder was the first and also preferred mecha of choice for Raven, mostly due to its fast speed and agility. Once he took ownership of it from his father, he began to design add-ons for it, depending on the situation it may face. On its own, its incredibly fast, but its armor is rather weak so most of his protection comes from its shield.</s> <\|message\|>Reb Manning Reb was barely half way to hangars when red lights flared and the alarm went off. Immediately he started trotting towards his mech as fast as possible, gulping down yesterdays sandwiches along the way. Due to his short stature it wasnt long till he heard the running steps of much faster pilots behind him. "Oh come on! Even with headstart you guys make me look like late responder!" Reb doubled his troubled running and arrived at hangars more or less the same time as others. Short jump trough non-gravity he was at his mechs chest and clambered in to cockpit, anticipating to return finishing maintenance he had left sub systems running, that would give him bit of a headway. Systems checked green and he gave the OK to hangar crew. Mark-005- began sliding into one of each mechas private airlocks that prevented all crew getting spaced during quick launch. "Reb Manning and Heat Jack ready to launch! Lets give em hell boys and girl!" He knew they had no confirmed enemy contacts yet but Reb was a sucker for extra motivation trough comms, probably the only thing in common with him and the earthborn Daniel "Noize." He inhaled deeply of his mechas air supply as he entered space, he knew he couldnt really smell space but the feeling of entering ones natural habitat was very real for him. "Im setting defensive parameter around portside engines." Xeon III had state of the art engines, efficient, powerful and well armored so most of the time they could be left undefended without second thought. But Reb had much more experience of pirate thinking than he would ever tell anyone else, engines were the first to go, armored or not. Reb and Mark-005- took hold of Xeon III´s side to eliminate his own drift that was quite a large factor when firing in space. He could almost feel his gun heating up to near dangerous levels, ever ready to shower anything that moved with plasma projectiles. "Come out wherever you are. I can smell you." Well of course he couldnt but that was the feeling in his neck. Thats when his comms rang the message from ms Wells: "We´ve got an unknown at point 3765" "WHAT?!" Reb almost surprised himself with his own yell, his custom scanner quickly picked up on the announced unknown and all of his previous assumptions about the situation flew out the window. He announced to his team over the comms: "Careful with this one guys, I dont think thats an pirate..."</s> <\|message\|>James "Paladin" Rockefeller Jame's, Firefly had picked faint traces of comms activity but there was no way to if it was pirates, they weren't talking so they were idiots. He rotated himself past Wells just she identified the unknown Mecha, he was fast so he turned his after burned on nice and slow, easing himself forward. "I'll go check it out, might be a custom like mine, field test gone bad. I'll move in and try to hail them, you guys stay back and watch if I get hit stay with the ship, it's the priority." He moved in closer trying every frequency, he spoke calmly trying to get them to respond. "Hello, I'm James Rockefeller with the Xeon III, please acknowledge and tell us your intentions." He repeated the mantra over and over as he floated closer to it, weapon safeties off, he didn't like this, he didn't like this at all.</s> <\|message\|>Raven Eclipse As Raven stealthily makes his way towards the nearest asteroid, his scanners picked up yet another mecha in the area. After looking around for a minute, he finally sees the other mysterious mecha in the distance. It appears that it isn't part of the Xeon lll and has a humanoid shape, a form in which he has never seen before. "What the hell are you...?" Revan mutters under his breathe as he takes a closer look at it. He wants to tell the captain about it, but his ship's power, along with the rest, was in shutdown mode. The only way to let him know of the unknown Mecha's existence was to find and alert him personally. He quickly approaches the main asteroid invisibly, with only 20 more minutes of cloaking remaining...</s> <\|message\|>Marsha Wells XEON III - COMMAND CENTER Captain Herald studied the unknown Mecha, a visual put up on a side screen for a closer look. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. "Are there any matches in the database?" He decided to ask though he had a feeling there would be nothing close enough to be a match. "Databanks show negative sir. Craft is of unknown design and origin." "Well now, this is certainly a sight. Let's see what its going to do." IRIS 1 ~Solar system species attempting communication, analyzing transmissions. Running linguistics program, language recognized. Translating. Species attempting first contact, more data is required.~ As the I.R.I.S. AI processed the information the Mecha started to spew what could only be described as a cloud from its shoulder turrets. A purple mist funneled out and started to spread rapidly through space, the 'mist' was full of tiny little nano-machines, equipped to latch onto anything they touched and to send the data back to the IRIS 1. The cloud expanded rapidly in all directions, getting thinner the further out it went but it didn't take many nano-machines to get a good amount of information. Any machines touched by the nanites were quickly tagged by the IRIS one, meaning the machine could know their position at all times, hidden or not. ~Considering responding to primitive species...communication not advisable. Will continue analyzing lifeforms.~ The IRIS 1 started to move through his scanning cloud as the information started to pour in from the millions of nano-machines attaching themselves to various surfaces. Marsha Wells "What in deep space is that machine trying to do? Things are not starting to look to good." Marsha was thankful that her machine was on the side away from the IRIS 1 so she was not in danger of coming into contact, whatever that mecha had just spewed into space around it. Things had taken a turn for the weird.</s> <\|message\|>James "Paladin" Rockefeller James had floated close to the object, right up until it release the strange cloud. He was proponent of the idea of alien life, maybe this was Mech from an alien civilization he didn't know if the cloud was a weapon or a communications device but he didn't move, however he readied the after burners for a sudden jump if the strange purplish cloud. He decided he should reinforce the message, switching over to lie comms rather one message on repeat he hailed it once more. "Hello, this is James Rockefeller of the Xeon III. I am hailing you to warn of possible pirate activity in the area as such we ask that you respond, we must clear this sector encase of a hostile presence, if you do not respond to hails we must assume you mean us harm. I have no interest in fighting you, so please respond." As he spoke he engaged his Mech hacking systems, if it wouldn't talk he would see if Firefly could make it squeal.</s> <\|message\|>Daniel "Noize" Bhane David looked on, mentally slapping his face for James's actions. He looked at the strange moving cloud forming in front of his eyes. The native from New York didn't trust the mech and he also had to focus on the pirates. He did another sensor to make sure they weren't going to be blindsided by the pirates. He readied his main gun and loaded the first round into the cannon. He rocketed next to James and nodded his head to him. Noize looked at the mech and said into the comms. "Hello, unknown mech please disarm yourselves and contact us through your communications. I agree with my compatriot and that you should clear the area for there is illegal activity that we suspect is happening around this area. If you do not move or communicate, we will assume the worst and that you are connected. Please respond or we will enact hostilities upon you" David awaited his response.</s> <\|message\|>Reb Manning Reb was nervous as all hell now. While working for "Roses of Pluto" he had fair share of pirate tactics and strategies, ranging far and wide from full on assault to sneaking into ships dressed as space nuns of the holy order of Jupiter. No one had ever just sent an single mecha to silently stare an ship and release a- what was that anyway? Was it gas? In space? If its purpose was to have them on the edge of their seats it was working wonders! Reb commed Marsha and the others again: "Lets just light it up and be done with it! No pilot I have ever known is that dense to communication attempts except if they are planning something VERY nasty!</s> <\|message\|>Marsha Wells As the could expanded nano-bots quickly attached themselves to various Mecha and started to transmit data over to the IRIS I. Before long a few of the bots had managed to make their way over to the pirates, revealing their presence to the alien Mecha. ~Primitive lifeforms weapons technology advanced enough to pose a threat. Communications suggest hostilities shall begin shortly. Attempted hacking on this unit, Firewall engaged. Commencing preemptive strike.~ The artificial intelligence had made its choice, it was time to put down the lifeforms before they had a chance to do even minor damage to their important facilities. Before the IRIS one could engage however, honor demanded that it broadcast its intentions before engaging hostilities. To accomplish this task it broadcast a signal to all vessels in the area, the artificial voice was barely distinguishable from a human voice and based on a female template. "Inhabitants of the Sol System, your interference shall not be tolerated. This Initial Response Information System orders total extermination." The IRIS I then opened fire upon the FireFly which was attempting to hack its systems from afar. Laser cannons opened up first from its shoulder turrets as the IRIS I quickly retreated back toward its 'home' asteroid, which was now suddenly alive with activity. The asteroid seemed to just melt away as many machines seemed to just dig out of the rock, as the defense systems were activated. The robots were obviously a mass production type, shaped somewhat like horseshoe crabs the rather flat machines jumped out into space, splitting into two groups, one toward the XEON III and the rest toward the most likely location of the pirate fleet. The crab bots were equipped with powerful pincers for close combat and were equipped with linear pulse canons, meaning they could only shoot straight ahead making it possible to outmaneuver them; however there were a fair amount of them to contend with. Quickly the pilots of the XEON III took defensive positions and started to engage the alien machines. Cannons, lasers, and rockets started the fill the minor asteroid field as battle was joined.</s>	<\|message\|>Raven Eclipse As the Sidewinder flies towards the hidden pirate strike force, Raven can then see the hostility from the unknown mech upon the unsuspecting Xeon lll crew. Soon enough, he managed to reach the asteroid and attempts to make close proximity contact with Ceres. Once he was in close range, he establishes contact, taking out his cloaking ability in the process. "Ceres." he speaks, "Ceres do you copy?" A faint red pulse can then be seen from the Shockwave's eye. "Raven..." he answered, "What did you see?" "An unknown mecha has recently made contact with the Xeon lll crew," Raven then explains, "It has recently launched hostilities against them." Ceres then chuckles with glee. "Just the tactical advantage we need..." he says with an evil grin, "The pesky mecha crew is now concentrated on the newcomer. They would never suspect our attack until it would be too late!" Soon the Shockwave's power had been rebooted and was now fully online. "Corporatists!" he then shouts into the comn, alerting all the mecha units, "The time has come! Start up your engines and get ready to attack! The crew is distracted by an unknown mech and utterly obvious to our presence. Now is the time to strike!" As soon as he finishes, the mecha units began to light up, one by one, until all were fully operational. Then like a swarm of bees coming out of their hive, they begin a surprise attack on the main ship, their lasers firing like mad! The battle has only just begun!</s>
<\|description\|>ADI Mark V Age: Model built three years ago. Model based on the age Eighteen. Gender: Genderless. Model base male. Race: Haepheton Physical Description: Adi stands around 5'0 and wears metallic NVP suit as armor. Has blue eyes, and almost carries it sword. It has long silver hair pulled into a loose low ponytail reaching to it's lower back. Its appearance is male base, but still is more feminine then most males, the scientists wanting it to be in between. Personality: Adi is a blunt and logical individual, though is naturally curious and often asks questions on things it would like to know. It is pretty direct, and often doesn't understand jokes since it takes about everything seriously. It is clever and smart and knows its way through databases, computers, electronics and the like, much like the rest of its kind. Adi is mostly lawful, being programmed to follow orders absolutely, so it often doesn't question its commanding officer. Since it's programmed to follow humans, it will almost take any order from any human as long as it is not unlawful. Despite its calm and neutral attitude, it does show some kindness and sometimes free will. Enhancements: Cyberlink. Adi is one of the first successful android, to be similar to a organic body. But it also retains the aspects of a robotic body thanks to added enhancements. It has heightened speed, thanks to technological implants in its legs as well as access to Cyberspace. Its body has also been built to be able to take strong impacts, and harsh climate and temperatures. Skills: Master in swordsmanship, technology savvy, basically a walking computer and is able to communicate with other machines. Cooking, cleaning, and basic care taking. Equipment: Energy Pulse Gun. HF Blade. NVP suit. Bio: Adi was created by a organization of scientists known as Hybrid. Their goal is to discover new scientific aspects and to create new discovers. They mad several of the human subspecies such as the Chimera and Machinas and several working robots. One branch wished to create a robot that was almost identical in the human body but still had the mind of a machine. They didn't wish to create a great intelligence like the Haepheton, wanting to make such robots for the general public that were simple servants. Their plan was to make a robot that would be up to a human's desire, like getting a useful toy or pet to play with and feel comfortable. Giving the sense as if they were talking with another person, but at the same time having power over it like a Master and Slave. The robots functions were to hold basic human care, knowledge of a nutritional diet, cooking, cleaning, and be a mobile access to Cyberverse. As well as a combat protection program to protect their owner. They also had a learning function so they can learn whatever their owner wishes them to learn. The project was called, Hybrid Child. Four models had been built, but all led to failure. The Mark V was the first successful product. The skeleton being made of machine, using some Symbiotic material. The silicon like flesh covering it being smooth and squishy like a human, and even able to bleed red liquid it cut. When Adi Mark V was awake and mobile, it was much similar to that of a child, having to learn and be taught several things, but the development was much faster than that of any human. After three years, they were satisfied with the results and decided Adi Mark V needed a true test run. So when the Galatic Coalition requested any assistance Hybrid could offer, they decided to send Adi Mark V in order to truly test it's functions in both combat and the ability to serve the crew mates on board. Finding that the only way to prove its effective skills and he fact it doesn't have the same will as Haephetons, is to actually interact with other organics and other AI.</s> <\|message\|>ADI Mark V As they continued on, Adi continued examining its surroundings, listening to the Vexi. Of course Adi already had a downloaded map and had pretty much processed where everything was and the crew member information that was included in the database, but it was also better to see things with its optical sensors. Plus it usually made organics feel better. "Affirmative." Adi responded to Sel's suggestion about requesting a set position from the Captain.</s> <\|message\|>Doctor Sel'Varok Sel would take Adi up to where the captain was located, the bridge hopefully, given he was meant to be working on getting them shipped off and on this new mission that they had been placed on. She would have to remind herself to ask him about just what information he had on this, as it may differ from her own given the union did not feel like sharing all the information. "Right he is just her-, Ah" Standing on the bridge now she saw that Ray was currently out of it, must have been doing something important but at least Towan was here. Walking closer she placed her back onto Ray's lap as if he was not even there, more like just to make his legs tired when he woke up. "Towan, It seems we are getting more than a few new crew in huh? Adi here is one of them, I suspect you and him are going to be working very close together given he is a android and all. Also Adi this is Towan"</s> <\|message\|>Rayland Sul'tari Towan's holographic sphere swiveled in place, facing Sel and Adi the moment the virtual intelligence's name was mentioned. "Yes, that would be correct Doctor Sel'Varok." replied Towan in its usual fashion of addressing both title and full name of the individual it was speaking too. The ship's VI spoke with little to no personality but given Towan's more direct sounding behavior; it seemed obvious that the VI was constructed with the concept of getting to the point above all else. "ADI Mark V, your profile has already been reviewed; your contribution to the crew and the Infamous Alto's operation and success is very much appreciated." - ------------------------------------------------- - "Excellent, we seem to be right on schedule." voiced Force Commander Arik at the meeting table after what seemed like an hour of everyone submitting their operational status and ETAs. However how long time seemed to flow through the Cyberverse, in flowed alongside reality in mere seconds. Of course this can only be made possible locally. As data and communications travel through deep space and making contact with each satellite node to which accelerates the information to the next node over, the latency with each reply may last only a matter of minutes; a marveling concept given most planets or starships may be separated by several thousand light years apart. But the very fact alone is what has everyone so spooked about the mission. Nothing but silence was the only thing known the moment communications were lost. "I won't bore you all with what's already known and you all have already been briefed about this situation…And what is at stake." Arik continued, "…The Galactic Coalition believes that the disappearances in Solarian League and Bel'Kian Concordance space is the result of an active invasion. The loss of communication with the colonies provides a tactical advantage for any possible invader in preventing military information or an SOS from being sent out and leaving us in the dark to our own devices..." "Could this occurrence also be the result a coordinated attack from a terrorist or radical cell?" spoke a young officer from what Rayland could gather as he turned his attention to the origin of the voice. "My query reflects the tactics observed during the military coup on Hidien IV and V. Several cells have also been confirmed operating light-years away from these colonies." Rayland could make out some conversations now being stirred up by this established fact. "Biological weapons were used in that coup too. Hidien V is hardly considered habitable now because of that mess." came another voice; this one coming from a more gruff and senior officer, possibly a captain. "Were there any reports of Stellar activity in those sectors prior before communications went dark?" "No reports were given. Those kinds of phenomena would be easy to track and predict. Solar flare or supernova alerts would have been issued long before any temporary or permanent damage could be done. Everyone would have been evacuated in time. "Likely possibilities gentleman and I do share your formulated theories as well." the moment Arik's commanding voice reemerged, all side conversations ceased. "Until we are given more information on these recent events, it will be assumed that a hostile force is the cause of the disappearances. Though to ease some of your concerns, we have brought in several specialists into our fold in case an invasion is disproven. Moving forward…" The table in the heart of the discussion suddenly began to glow, producing a digital image of the entire galaxy for everyone to observe. Immediately following-up afterwards, several blips popped in, identifying each colony now reported as 'gone dark'. The present animation continued as a portion of the galactic map was pulled up, highlighting three more colonies before a representation of the expeditionary fleet came into view. "Here's the ground work for Operation Trident…The entire expeditionary force will deploy from Falymar Station and travel to the Andraste Quadrant via slispace. As you can see, Andraste is the closest quadrant next to populated space and thus demands our full attention. Upon arrival and while still in transit, the flotilla will break into 3 groups, each lead by a Skirmish Carrier…" Force Commander Arik then personally highlighted his group. "…Our group here will be lead by the Howling Sun; our primary target is the Quox system, specifically the planet Ebrillon." On cue, the map zoomed inward more, showing the Quox star system and then Ebrillon. "Assuming an enemy force has positioned and fortified itself around the planet, our battlegroup will exit slipspace close to the edge of the system. Our late scouts had exited within visual range of Ebrillon before contact was lost so we'll be playing this safe…" The more Rayland continued to follow and dissect Arik's strategy, the more he began to feel dread and regret churning in his stomach. He and his crew knew the risks and it was already too late to back out now, but he could not shake the uneasy feeling that was slowly enveloping him. That a heavy burden of responsibility for his crew mounting its weight on his shoulders and …Thighs? An unexpected and illogical feeling he couldn't understand as to why it existed alongside his worries. His thoughts did not dwell on this for long and he quickly written it off as faulty neural reaction due to synchronization. Rayland then refocused his attention back to Arik's session. "…we'll begin a slow approach here, using long range scanners to chart out the surrounding space, especially for any defensive fortifications. If in the event a hostile fleet is present, all transport ships will evacuate back to the exit point and await further instructions from the Howling Sun. However if there is no confirmed threat occupying Ebrillon's local space or orbit, landing operations will begin after tactical observations deem it safe to land on the surface…" The holographic representation of Ebrillon zoomed in to the planet's surface, revealing the blueprints of a massive hive city structure. The megalopolis resembled that of an immensely large and wide sky scraper cultivating its structural influence deep underground as well. Its concept was to develop a single area for colony development without the need to construct more cities across the planet. The basis was more towards geographic and ecosystem isolation with the eventual requirement for development for an orbital elevator to support larger vessels that are unable to perform atmospheric entry to their incredible mass. Upon further inspection was a starport being highlighted on the holographic display. "This starport here will serve as a beachhead for phase one of the landing efforts..." Arik pointed out to the assembly to which Rayland's job was now being addressed. "The transport ships ferrying equipment and personnel will dock with the starport once AISCs secure the structure. Through this process we will attempt to make contact with anyone inside the city. Depending on our findings, phase two will begin after this port here, close the apex of the city is under control. This will allow dropships to bring supplies directly into the structure…" After Commander Arik's sentence ended, the holograph soon faded into nothingness. Already whispers amongst the personnel began to pick up. "This concludes our known strategy for this expedition. Additional tasks will soon follow depending on the situation we encounter on Ebrillon. I predict that many of you have many concerns and questions about the groundwork laid out here so now is the time to ask them."</s>	<\|message\|>ADI Mark V ADI gave a slight nod as the Vexi introduced the ship VI known as Towan. Considering Captain Rayland was currently synchronized into Cyberverse and therefore would not be answering any questions until the call ended. As Towan got to the point, a expected action for a military virtual intelligence, Adi slowly nodded in response to words of appreciation. "Company Hybrid sends their regards and are eager to assist. Is there a particular post the Captain has planned for this unit?" The android asked.</s>
<\|description\|>Achieng, Clan Chima Age: 80 (help me with this?) Gender: Female Race: Watumaji Physical Description: Achi is heavily curved, with dark brown skin, topaz eyes, and short white hair. Her skin is extremely smooth, cool to the touch and slightly wet at all times. She has fingers that are half webbed. Instead of legs, she has a long tailfin. It starts the shade of her skin, but shifts to a brilliant orange-gold. Like most of her race who traverse the galaxy, she wears a sheer bodysuit that covers her from the waist up to the neck and arms. It is made of a material designed to draw moisture from the environment and stay damp to protect the Watumaji's skin. Over that, Achi usually chooses to wear a tunic from her home planet, one that is brightly colored and patterned, as well as jewelry that seems to be made of coral and bone. From the waist down, she is settled in a water tank that is about the size of a personal scooter. The tank rolls smoothly on two treads, and Achi maneuvers it with a small control panel. Personality: Achieng is gentle-hearted and caring, and at first glance would seem an odd choice for the military. However, she has an acceptance of all sorts of beings, human, chimera, android and otherwise, and her position as a soldier's counselor makes sense to those who go to see her. She can hear terrible things, stories of war and blood, pain and grief, and take them in without judgement or reproach. She listens, and she comforts, and only offers advice when it is asked of her; sometimes people simply want to be heard, not corrected. Outside of her role on the ship, she is friendly to others and usually quiet. The only time she would show any fierceness is if she was in personal danger, or someone was harming another person in front of her. Enhancements: None Skills: Diplomat- Achieng is an excellent speaker and can smooth talk with the best of them. If there was a mission that involved making peace instead of war, she would be a good candidate to take along. Swimming- While she is inhibited by her tank on land, in an aquatic environment, she is far more at home. Achi is a swift and graceful swimmer. Vocals- Like all of her people, Achieng can speak, but can also sing in what her race calls wimbo-kusema. The closest comparison would be whalesong, but a Watumaji's is much more powerful and loud. Some of the tones range below what many beings can detect, and some range far above. Achieng has a natural talent for it, and can be extremely loud to the point of causing damage if she had to be. Equipment: Water suit- Absorbs moisture from the environment to keep her skin wet and cool. Travel tank- Contains space for her to rest, and water for her to rest in while she's on land. Moves on two treads and has a small hand control. Vocal mask- Achieng has a tech mask that fits over her mouth that can be used to direct her already powerful singing into something that could be weapons-grade lethal. Fishing knife- While she can only do so underwater, Achi is well trained in the use of a knife made to hunt fish. She calls it a knife, but it's half the length of her arm and hooked at the end. (Like that, but longer.) Bio: Achieng traveled with her parents around the planet, her mother being a singer that would visit great cities and small towns alike. Her mother's voice was said to be heard even by those whose souls had joined the Sea, and so she was requested at many dignitaries funerals. Unfortunately, Achi's mother became ill and never recovered. She died when Achi was still a child. Her distraught father took her to the home of her aunt, promising to return for her soon. He never did. Young Achi grew up isolated. She was shunned by the townspeople, and shamed by her aunt. Her aunt considered her a freeloader, and her own past jealous of Achi's successful and well-loved mother came out on Achi herself. Her uncle did nothing to stop his wife's poor treatment of their niece. Achi's only solace was in her cousin, who ignored his mother's opinions and treated her as a sister. The two grew up close, and he was Achi's savior. Unfortunately, her aunt was not much kinder to her own son, and as soon as her cousin became of age, he pledged (married) to someone and moved far away from home. While he did offer to take Achi with him, she declined. Left on her own, Achi honed her singing in secret, growing more controlled and powerful by the turn of each tide. She also did everything she could to earn money, trading, bartering, and singing for pay. The day came when she too, became of age, and she wasted no time in gathering her meager possessions and leaving. After bartering for passage on an off-planet ship, she made her way through schooling and was soon assigned to a military vessel.</s> <\|message\|>ADI Mark V ADI gave a slight nod as the Vexi introduced the ship VI known as Towan. Considering Captain Rayland was currently synchronized into Cyberverse and therefore would not be answering any questions until the call ended. As Towan got to the point, a expected action for a military virtual intelligence, Adi slowly nodded in response to words of appreciation. "Company Hybrid sends their regards and are eager to assist. Is there a particular post the Captain has planned for this unit?" The android asked.</s> <\|message\|>Rayland Sul'tari De-synchronization was something that the mind could never get used to; it was like a reversing flood of thoughts and memories as the brain pulls away from the strands of virtual cognition that tied it to the Cyberverse. Though brief as it was, the resurge of old and new information however felt like it could last another lifetime until the mind reconnected back to the real world. The worst part of course of the brain then trying to re-wire its many functions back into the place so the body may behave correctly. This normally afflicted the sense which would eventually be corrected though the lasting effects varied. Just when the de-sync completed, Rayland moved his hands to his face, groaning as felt the light of the bridge pierce through his eyelids. With a free hand, he managed to disconnect the wire from the back of his neck as it withdrew coiled back into his seat. As he continued to force his eyes into acceptance, Rayland quickly began to realize that he still could not feel his legs since the meeting With forced curiosity, Rayland bended forward and pulled to his hand away from his sight, finding someone's luggage was place on his thighs and kept there for the past several minutes. He came to a pause upon this strange discovery but quickly did he find the culprit and the newcomber along with Towan staring at him, as if awaiting his next action or command. "…I see you've came quite prepared Sel…" sighed Rayland. "Your tasks aboard the Infamous Alto, ADI Mark V, will be the general maintaining of the vessel's facilities and primary systems…" Continued Towan after Rayland blurted into the conversation. "…And a position in the Galley. Based on your skill assets, you'll make a fine addition to the facility."</s> <\|message\|>Doctor Sel'Varok Sel was listening to the two machines talk it out, a rather straight forward affair compared to trying to tell a organic what to do that was for sure. Either way Adi now knew its job, which was apparently the galley, huh that was unexpected, so Sel was about to turn around and grab her bag once again, though as she did so she heard the captain speak which made what could only be described as a smile cross her lips. Reaching up she removed her helm before speaking to Ray, placing it under her arm. "Ah, thank you. You found my bag for me. Also yes, if this is going to be as big a job as you told me then I have to, otherwise you die... When you die my paycheck dries up, see where I am going with this?" She said picking the bag off the guys poor legs, giving them a rest. "So, I suspect you have been talking to the higher ups? Did they mention anything we should know?"</s> <\|message\|>Rayland Sul'tari "Indeed I do, though I am afraid to ask what you have stowed away in there..." said a groggy sounding Rayland as he pinched the bridge of his node while pulling himself out of the captain's seat. "I'll explain later the rest of the crew when we jump into slipspace. For now, we're to regroup with the SWS Howling Sun after preparations are done here...Which reminds me..." Rayland reached over to his console and tapped away on several of the touch interface sensors. The key strokes prompted the same holo-screen from before to illuminate, showing Kaite and Riblou with another passenger. Going by the cargo manifests and the crew rosters, the were just about wrapped up. This was also true going by the dispersal of most of the dock crews with their tasks already accomplished, leaving only the essential personnel to assist with preparations and departure of the frigate. With a few more taps, Rayland linked the built-in vox of his console to Kaite's communicator. "Kaite, this is Rayland. How's the preparations out there? Are all the new crew members accounted for?"</s>	<\|message\|>Achieng, Clan Chima Achieng smiled, and moved her hand in a slashing motion. Only seconds later did she realize that she should be doing the thing with her head instead. She couldn't remember, though, if 'no' meant up and down head motion, or side to side head motion. With a soft chuckle, she said it out loud instead. "No. My things are already being loaded. Most of them are on the way to the lower deck. They've built me a nice sleeping tank, or so I have been told. I will see when I get there." She was not fully certain of the layout of the ship, but figured she would learn like everyone else. "I am happy to meet you, Kaite." She bowed her head to him, then maneuvered her tank backward smoothly. She started up the ramp to the ship with the faint sloshing sound of water fading in her wake.</s>
<\|description\|>Achieng, Clan Chima Age: 80 (help me with this?) Gender: Female Race: Watumaji Physical Description: Achi is heavily curved, with dark brown skin, topaz eyes, and short white hair. Her skin is extremely smooth, cool to the touch and slightly wet at all times. She has fingers that are half webbed. Instead of legs, she has a long tailfin. It starts the shade of her skin, but shifts to a brilliant orange-gold. Like most of her race who traverse the galaxy, she wears a sheer bodysuit that covers her from the waist up to the neck and arms. It is made of a material designed to draw moisture from the environment and stay damp to protect the Watumaji's skin. Over that, Achi usually chooses to wear a tunic from her home planet, one that is brightly colored and patterned, as well as jewelry that seems to be made of coral and bone. From the waist down, she is settled in a water tank that is about the size of a personal scooter. The tank rolls smoothly on two treads, and Achi maneuvers it with a small control panel. Personality: Achieng is gentle-hearted and caring, and at first glance would seem an odd choice for the military. However, she has an acceptance of all sorts of beings, human, chimera, android and otherwise, and her position as a soldier's counselor makes sense to those who go to see her. She can hear terrible things, stories of war and blood, pain and grief, and take them in without judgement or reproach. She listens, and she comforts, and only offers advice when it is asked of her; sometimes people simply want to be heard, not corrected. Outside of her role on the ship, she is friendly to others and usually quiet. The only time she would show any fierceness is if she was in personal danger, or someone was harming another person in front of her. Enhancements: None Skills: Diplomat- Achieng is an excellent speaker and can smooth talk with the best of them. If there was a mission that involved making peace instead of war, she would be a good candidate to take along. Swimming- While she is inhibited by her tank on land, in an aquatic environment, she is far more at home. Achi is a swift and graceful swimmer. Vocals- Like all of her people, Achieng can speak, but can also sing in what her race calls wimbo-kusema. The closest comparison would be whalesong, but a Watumaji's is much more powerful and loud. Some of the tones range below what many beings can detect, and some range far above. Achieng has a natural talent for it, and can be extremely loud to the point of causing damage if she had to be. Equipment: Water suit- Absorbs moisture from the environment to keep her skin wet and cool. Travel tank- Contains space for her to rest, and water for her to rest in while she's on land. Moves on two treads and has a small hand control. Vocal mask- Achieng has a tech mask that fits over her mouth that can be used to direct her already powerful singing into something that could be weapons-grade lethal. Fishing knife- While she can only do so underwater, Achi is well trained in the use of a knife made to hunt fish. She calls it a knife, but it's half the length of her arm and hooked at the end. (Like that, but longer.) Bio: Achieng traveled with her parents around the planet, her mother being a singer that would visit great cities and small towns alike. Her mother's voice was said to be heard even by those whose souls had joined the Sea, and so she was requested at many dignitaries funerals. Unfortunately, Achi's mother became ill and never recovered. She died when Achi was still a child. Her distraught father took her to the home of her aunt, promising to return for her soon. He never did. Young Achi grew up isolated. She was shunned by the townspeople, and shamed by her aunt. Her aunt considered her a freeloader, and her own past jealous of Achi's successful and well-loved mother came out on Achi herself. Her uncle did nothing to stop his wife's poor treatment of their niece. Achi's only solace was in her cousin, who ignored his mother's opinions and treated her as a sister. The two grew up close, and he was Achi's savior. Unfortunately, her aunt was not much kinder to her own son, and as soon as her cousin became of age, he pledged (married) to someone and moved far away from home. While he did offer to take Achi with him, she declined. Left on her own, Achi honed her singing in secret, growing more controlled and powerful by the turn of each tide. She also did everything she could to earn money, trading, bartering, and singing for pay. The day came when she too, became of age, and she wasted no time in gathering her meager possessions and leaving. After bartering for passage on an off-planet ship, she made her way through schooling and was soon assigned to a military vessel.</s> <\|message\|>ADI Mark V Adi took a moment to glance to the intercom as it was announced that interstellar travel would begin in approximately five minutes. The android knew the effects of almost every type of travel, though actually experiencing them was another matter. Although the emotion software was offline, Adi was built to notably understand organic natural reaction to things like travel. If calculations were correct, just about everyone was going to feel something. More or less, nauseous, in which can create the action of vomiting. A aspect that was replicatible if Adi was given organic solid investable matter but was not a likely act that the organics would really want replicated. When the jump happened, the android didn't move but the blank blue eyes narrowed a little as their vision seemed to be warped. Their right eye twitched a little before both optical receptors closed to take a moment to adjust systems. Indeed... Actually experiencing something was different from just being programmed with knowledge. As expected as the android examined the room, just about every organic wasn't feeling so well. Doctor Sel quickly offering support. Unstrapping itself, the android stood and took something out of their pocket. It looked like a blue pill, but when clicking the top of it the pill soon expanded and grew, morphing into a large plastic blue bag with a circled solid entrance. A device made for releasing stomachal fluids from their mouth. "Please use the proper equipment when feeling ill. Too avoid a further mess and the organic reaction of being ill as well when seeing vomiting fluids." Adi spoke as one crew member quickly grabbed it from his hands and promptly threw up in it.</s> <\|message\|>Jack Harquin Sitting in the lower decks, having arrived earlier, Jack mulled over a few documents that R3V had sent him about the mission. Missing colonies, no survivors, investigate, don't die. The usual. It all seemed a bit underwhelming to him and apparently him alone considering that the ship he was sitting in the lower decks of was about five minutes from jumping while in tow of a damn carrier. He shook his head and closed the wrist-based hologram projector and reclined in the seat he had fashioned for himself. He preferred it on the engineering decks of the larger ships. It was away from the people for the most part and he felt safer. He didn't enjoy riding in these oversized gun platforms. Hated it when he was in the military, hated it now. Too much can go wrong too fast and too many lives were at stake. He just about fell out of the seat when the Jump happened, forgetting to actually prepare himself like a normal person would. He righted himself and could already feel his bowels trying to right themselves as well. For once, he was thankful that his armor could help with that. He reached down to check his equipment and make sure they made the start of the jump alright. He already knew that they were basically unaffected by the jump, but he still made sure. Faulty equipment was a death sentence. After making sure everything was checked and not broken, he slung his rifle over his shoulder, made sure the safety was on, and clicked on the magnetic safety on his suit, turning a small light green on his shoulder. He did this just so those with hatred for bounty hunters would be put at ease a little, knowing that he couldn't actually draw his weapons at all. "Might as well head to the top deck and see how things are going...." He said to nobody in particular. He started the trek up the decks and to the main deck, greeting a few people along the way. He dared not take his helmet off. Not many people enjoy talking to somebody with a face that looks like he put it into an active rocket engine. Stepping into the main room of the bridge, he took a place next to the door and leaned against the wall. At this point he could only wait for things to happen as he was not assigned any position in the ship. Least not yet. He could fake it and say he was a patrolman, but he decided against it. He did happen to make sure that his credentials were in order before somebody flipped out on him, however. He was going to avoid a night in a brig at all costs.</s> <\|message\|>Achieng, Clan Chima Achieng came to after several minutes, groaning and clutching her head as she resurfaced into the sharp, cold air of the ship. She hid her face, embarrassed, as she straightened her tunic and wrung the excess water from her hair. She pulled up a map of the ship, and hustled her tank right down to the med bay. "Ah, Doctor?" She wasn't sure of everyone's names just yet. "I would appreciate your help." Her head was still spinning, and she did not like the sensation of constant movement at all.</s> <\|message\|>Doctor Sel'Varok Sel got her tools ready once again back at the lab, after all she expected at least a few people to come complaining that they were sick, and as it turned out she was right on the money as one of the crew came on through into the lab. "Welcome, please, take a seat and tell me what is the matter." Head chest or stomach normally had different treatments, much better than just stuffing people full of pills like most auto-docs that she had seen on the streets. Removing her helmet she waited for a answer to her question.</s> <\|message\|>Rayland Sul'tari It was obvious that there were hardly any former military officers on board aside from Rayland himself and a few other individuals whom operated on Jump Drive rigged vessels before and thus were seemingly immune to the influential psychological effects of warping through space and time instantly that impacted the body. Of course the potency of the effects and how long they would last was completely up to the individual whom perceived the visual experience of being stretched several hundred light years across the galaxy; clearly there were already a few people had recovered completely and began to go about their business as normal. The others however clearly needed more time, especially those whom never even traveled through slipspace before while awake. Luckily for them Sel had voiced over the comms that she would readily help treat anyone feeling ill. Rayland examined the operational report on his terminal and begun looking over the recent events. All three carriers and their respective task groups had initiated a interstellar jump all at once in same area of space. Falymar Station had since closed down slipspace travel in that particular region due to the gravitational influx created by the mass jump and had begun sending pings to inbound vessels to relocate their exit vectors in unaffected space until the disruptions had settled. Though the entire expeditionary force had jumped as one unit, each carrier group had dispersed into different routes towards their intended target systems, travelling though slipspace to ease their approach. The reported detailed an ETA of roughly 3 hours until the force reaches its destination; right on schedule. Figuring that crew would need to be briefed on the operation eventually, he routed the mission data from the meeting from earlier to the ship Briefing room; a central facility of the Infamous Alto that had remained inaccessible for quite awhile, only seeing legitimate use during important conferences and new crew orientations. The latter seemed necessary, it was only a temporary post; basically the same job the Alto signed on to. Rayland anticipated that if the mission went well, he and his crew would be handsomely and everyone whom joined up on this operation would be on their merry way. Assuming of course if they don't get shot up or become a grotesque space whale's lunch. Rayland rose from his seat unfazed from jump and stretched his limb before making his way off the bridge. "Towan, watch the bridge for me. I'm going to go ahead and do my rounds, make sure everyone is feeling okay...Oh and get everyone organized for a mandatory meeting in the Briefing room in thirty." "Understood Captain Rayland Sul'tari, assuming temporary post." replied Towan as Rayland made his way off the bridge. "All crewman; a mandatory meeting concerning the current operation in-progress has been scheduled in the Briefing room in thirty minutes. Guide lights for the Briefing room have been lit for new members for their convenience." Just before Rayland could approach and exit through the bridge doors, his eyes caught an unfamiliar face…which was oddly concealed by large plated helmet…Which was additionally odd to wear in doors, along with underslung rifle. Since he did not recognize this individual, he naturally assumed they had came in along with the rest of the new personnel. Ultimately since he only had a crew manifest with names without an associable portrait, he changed his vector and approached the man instead, activating the holo-tool on his wrist so he could identify who this masked and armed fellow was. "Greetings and salutations good sir. I assume you're one of the newcomers I take it?" Rayland didn't wait for an answer just as the crew manifest loaded on the wrist projector. "And you are…?"</s> <\|message\|>Jack Harquin Jack looked at the man that was fast approaching him and was already sizing him up. Guy looked like he had been through literal storms of bullets and came out with more than a few scratches. Big, gruff, and tough. He seemed like he was, or at least used to be, the pride of the AISC. Considering the quality of the ship he was in, the guy had earned everything that he owned and more. There was a sense of pride in his step, of power, strength...maybe even cunning considering the look in his eye. He had a dominating look about him, as should be standard for a captain of a ship commanding so many individuals. He stopped and spoke to him, his voice was gruff but matched his analysis of him perfectly. He nearly swung his hand into the captain's and gripped it firm. As was customary, he tried to break the captain's hand with the handshake in a show of strength and valor. The captain did not disappoint him. "Jack Harquin. A pleasure, Captain Sul'tari. I have been assigned to this mission, yes. Unlike many of the other members of your rather luxurious vessel, I have not been given a position in the maintenance of her, so I figured I would take up guard duty for the moment until we reach the destination." He let go of the Captain's hand and crossed his arms for but a moment before he pointed a thumb at his weapons. "Oh, and don't worry. They're mag locked."</s>	<\|message\|>Achieng, Clan Chima Achieng smiled weakly. "Yes, thank you..." She was already seated, but she figured it was a gesture of welcome rather than a direct command. She really needed to read up on idioms again. "Since the jump, my head is telling me that the world is moving in circles. I do not like it at all. Can you please make it stop?"</s>
<\|description\|>Zeetah ### Character App Race: Ampharian Gender: Androgynous Age: 15 Description: Zeetah is a young Ampharian acrobat originating from the Froggila tribe who lives in a forgotten covered alleyway near a cracked canal wall that constantly leaks, providing a nice, comfortable, moist (if moldy) environment. He dresses as a human male, has light green skin with blue-and-black tree frog-like stripes on his back, long legs with large webbed feet, and big, bulging, red-orange eyes. Zeetah has lived in Areapolis his entire life, but was kidnapped when he was very young, before he had learned the culture of the Froggila tribe. His kidnappers, a foreign circus who had never seen Ampharians before and did not know how common they were in the city, dressed him as a human boy and trained him as an acrobat in another part of the expansive city. Every day, Zeetah longed to return to his parents, and one day, during a particularly busy day at the circus, he sneaked away, hidden in a small crowd of other Froggila. He searched for his parents by asking the Froggila until he learned that they had gone far away to search for him, assuming his kidnappers had taken him to some faraway country. When Zeetah realized that he could never fit in with the Froggila community, he left to live on his own, using his acrobatics to earn a living performing and stealing when there was no audience. ### Race App Name: Ampharian Description: A race of amphibian-like people with appearances ranging from that of frogs to salamanders. Because of their slimy skin and their need to remain moist, they dwell in the sewers, canals, and rivers of Areapolis and are generally rejected by the other residents of the city. The majority of Ampharians have long, webbed fingers and toes, broad mouths, and various shades of green skin, though some (the salamander-like) have primarily black skin with bright accents of various colors. Biologically, Ampharians are androgynous, each one producing both eggs and fertilization, though they can only fertilize eggs of a different DNA makeup. Due to this androgynous nature, Ampharians are encouraged to consistently dress and act in a way that fits in with neighboring races, whether it is stereotypical male/female attire or something inbetween does not matter, as long as these races can comfortably identify what gender they intend to portray. The Ampharians need to study their neighboring communities to learn what their personal favorite style of dress would be and what gender that style fits into for that community. This has led to problems and confusion in the past, especially since within each tribe there is no gender-based dress, most members choosing only to dress for the weather and many members choosing instead to remain unclothed while in their homes. The Ampharian race is split among several tribes based upon appearance, separated based on what amphibian they most resemble (eg. frog, toad, salamander, etc.). In general, the Ampharians are a highly curious and carefree race, but they tend to be uneasy when interacting with other tribes because it seems the problem of prejudice based on appearance is not only a human problem. In spite of this artificial separation, the Ampharian are all one race and are biologically all the same. ### Organization App Name: The Froggila Tribe Description: The tribe of Ampharians with the appearance of frogs. The most outgoing of the Ampharian tribes, the Froggila tribe spends most of their time in marketplaces, returning to the canals and rivers infrequently to restore their moistness. In spite of their outgoingness toward other races, they are deeply prejudiced of Ampharians from other tribes and will rarely interact with or even trust them, and they are frequently seen going far out of their way to avoid non-Friggila Ampharians. The Froggila prefer the pronoun "xe/xer" but are mostly tolerant of "he/him", as they are frequently called by other races.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "Alright" Henna said and pointed at the bar behind her with her thumb, "You stay here and I'll get us something to eat. Back in a minute." That went surprisingly quick and smooth. In Hennas experience, people usually didn't trust that quick. Especially not towards trollkin. Then again, if you'd been swimming at random in the river, which Henna assumed the elf had been doing, and ended up far from where you'd intended, which Henna assumed the elf had done, you'd probably be pretty glad to hear a stranger offer you clothes and food. Especially happy if it was for free. Made Henna wonder why she was doing it, this wasn't really her style. But she needed the company, needed to talk to someone who didn't spit on her for being born a trollkin, or tried to get into her breeches cheaply because of the same reason. Reaching the bar, she signaled to Burna, the great big bastard of a barkeeper, that she wanted to plates of whatever. Luckily for her, Burna had a little crush on her and usually gave her food for free. Turning around to look at the guests around her, Henna found herself catching a staggering human man who stumbled into her. She pushed him off her, and watched as he was knocked out cold by a savage right hook from a big armored woman. She felt something hit her face, and then her foot, and looked down to see what it was. A tooth. Not one of hers, luckily. The beaten mans, then. Touching her face and looking at her fingertips, she saw blood. She closed her eyes and shivered slightly. Disgusting.</s> <\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf "Yah! Hit 'er again Maevus!" "Teach the bloody slang a hic lesson!" How typical of them all to be on his side, all shouting derogatory and slanderous remarks towards the armored woman, but not a single damned one she could understand as they were all nothing but drunkenly slurred. Nevertheless, no matter how much they egged on their inebriated companion Maevus, he was about to be down for the count. Talaran's fists continued to bash his face into a bloody, bruised mess of red and purple, his rotten teeth flying to and fro from his busted mouth and blood pouring from his nose a crimson river. Finally, the man tried to deliver one final blow, but Talaran being the more superior fighter,she dove under his swing and gave her final blow right into his battered face with a sickening crack of his jaw in two. Soon, he fell before her like a downed cedar with a heavy thud against the floor. "That'll learn ye....ye smelly bastard." Talaran breathed harsh and cracked her nose back in place with a pained grunt, wiping his filthy blood off her face and sitting down. A shame, the fight must've scared off that beauty she was wooing a moment ago. Oh well, the thrill of a good brawl made up for it.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. With a loud popping sound and lightning flash, Tex suddenly rematerialized in an alleyway. He wasn't too picky about his destination, with his only concern being the escape. However, he found that he was a few feet above the ground when he reentered the physical realm. Tex fell face first against the stones below him with a dull thwack. His hat joined him shortly after as it gradually drifted to ground next to him. With a grunt he pried himself up out of the dust and glanced around. To his dismay, he wasn't the only occupant of the alley. Deeper in were a couple doing... something. Too poor to afford a room, or perhaps fans of unusual scenery, he figured. This was the extent of his consideration of the scene as he hastily scrambled to his feet, snatched his hat, and made his second escape of the hour. As he emerged onto the street, he examined the front of this establishment random chance had dropped him at the side of. He tugged his hat back onto his head with both hands as a sigh escaped him, his gaze fixed on the sign before the building. "Giulias House of Leisure." A brothel. Lovely. He brushed the dirt off himself and shook his head. What a day. As he spun about to head on his way, his keen hearing detected quite a commotion within, reinvigorating his attention. He shifted up against the wall as he began to eavesdrop.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah A thud in the alleyway startled Zeetah, who stopped short of opening the door. He leaned back to see what could have made the noise only to see a man... no, not a man, a... Cat? Zeetah had never seen a cat-man before, and his curiosity overwhelmed him as he walked toward the cat-man, head unconsciously cocked to the side and mouth slightly agape. "Uh... Excuse me. Hi! I'm sorry, but... Oh my, I'm so sorry to ask like this, but... Sir, what... are you?" Suddenly Zeetah flipped extravagantly away from the building to avoid the loud crash and shatter of glass as a bloodied shell of a man flew out the window and plopped onto the ground, unmoving.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex blinked, then froze as his eyes drew in the visage of what was to him an equally unfamiliar creature. He was so focused on him that he merely sidestepped out of the path of the man who had been sent hurtling through the glass. His eyes widened at the impressive maneuvers the frog had taken to evade the downed man. His stare was only broken for a brief moment as he checked himself over for any glass that may have embedded in him. Fortunately, it had not, so back to the frog creature his attention went. He shook his head and finally spoke. "Only slight amounts of offense taken!" He chuckled. "I mean, after all, there are oh so many weird and wonderful things that wander this world, and I can hardly expect you to have seen 'em all." He said as he drew closer. "I'm Tex. Wizard, wanderer, magically fashioned cat-man, performer, philanthropist, visionary, possibly wanted by the city watch for things I -swear- I didn't know about at the time, and all around not particularly thrilled today, really." He rubbed his chin as he regarded the frog again, leaning back on a heel. "Now, as for what -you- are, I can tell you right now: fascinatingly skilled. I've not seen anything move quite like you since... ever, really."</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Ah, it's nothing. But I guess it is something for someone who hasn't been raised as an acrobat!" Zeetah corrected himself, muttering "Gotta remember not everyone's an acrobat, Zeet, come on," under his breath. "So what brings you to the slums? I don't really know what this place is, but it's warm and crowded. But," he paused, looking down at the man, "now I'm not sure I want to be in there... Hey, you think this guy's got any money?" Zeetah crouched down over the unconscious man, checking his pockets but ultimately finding nothing.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. The cat reached a hand back to scratch at his neck as he considered the frog's words. "Well, uh I went from walking on four legs to two legs, so any sort of motion that tops that tends to be a bit impressive--" He coughed into a fist and stopped himself. "Brings me to the slums?" He repeated, evidently confused. He placed his hands on his hips and glanced around, surveying his surroundings. He winced, then chewed his lower lip in contemplation. "It certainly does appear to be a slum, now you mention it. huh." He murmured. He gave an exaggerated shrug. "Just kinda... dropped in, I guess. I was in a really, really big hurry and cast a teleportation spell, without any particular thought for any actual destination. Quite foolish, that. It could have ended in oh so many bad ways. To name a few, one possibility was me getting trapped in another plane of existence, or, another fun one, getting spewed all over that wall there like the insides spurted out of a crushed tomato--" He once again fake coughed, clearly realizing he was perhaps going a bit too into detail. He turned his head downwards to examine the wounded man. "He doesn't look particularly loaded. Especially unlikely, given this is a slum, come to think of it." He pondered out loud. He blinked. "Well, what are you waiting for? He's only going to be unconscious for so long." He laughed, perhaps a bit worryingly amused by the prospect.</s>	<\|message\|>Zeetah Zeetah perked up at the word "spell". He didn't know why, but he had always been interested in magic and always hoped he could learn some tricks. A teleportation spell would be particularly useful, he thought to himself. But he had also heard that Ampharians were never particularly good at magic, or at least, none had ever tried. "So, you said you were a magician or... what? Can you show me something cool? And teach me how to do something?" the frog was unconsciously bouncing in excitement. He felt bad that he was never particularly good at listening or holding a conversation, and he generally went out of his way to interact with people, so he never really had anyone to talk to and had very little experience with conversation as a result. Even still, this was an strange and exciting person with an exciting prospect of magic, so he could make an exception.</s>
<\|description\|>Zeetah ### Character App Race: Ampharian Gender: Androgynous Age: 15 Description: Zeetah is a young Ampharian acrobat originating from the Froggila tribe who lives in a forgotten covered alleyway near a cracked canal wall that constantly leaks, providing a nice, comfortable, moist (if moldy) environment. He dresses as a human male, has light green skin with blue-and-black tree frog-like stripes on his back, long legs with large webbed feet, and big, bulging, red-orange eyes. Zeetah has lived in Areapolis his entire life, but was kidnapped when he was very young, before he had learned the culture of the Froggila tribe. His kidnappers, a foreign circus who had never seen Ampharians before and did not know how common they were in the city, dressed him as a human boy and trained him as an acrobat in another part of the expansive city. Every day, Zeetah longed to return to his parents, and one day, during a particularly busy day at the circus, he sneaked away, hidden in a small crowd of other Froggila. He searched for his parents by asking the Froggila until he learned that they had gone far away to search for him, assuming his kidnappers had taken him to some faraway country. When Zeetah realized that he could never fit in with the Froggila community, he left to live on his own, using his acrobatics to earn a living performing and stealing when there was no audience. ### Race App Name: Ampharian Description: A race of amphibian-like people with appearances ranging from that of frogs to salamanders. Because of their slimy skin and their need to remain moist, they dwell in the sewers, canals, and rivers of Areapolis and are generally rejected by the other residents of the city. The majority of Ampharians have long, webbed fingers and toes, broad mouths, and various shades of green skin, though some (the salamander-like) have primarily black skin with bright accents of various colors. Biologically, Ampharians are androgynous, each one producing both eggs and fertilization, though they can only fertilize eggs of a different DNA makeup. Due to this androgynous nature, Ampharians are encouraged to consistently dress and act in a way that fits in with neighboring races, whether it is stereotypical male/female attire or something inbetween does not matter, as long as these races can comfortably identify what gender they intend to portray. The Ampharians need to study their neighboring communities to learn what their personal favorite style of dress would be and what gender that style fits into for that community. This has led to problems and confusion in the past, especially since within each tribe there is no gender-based dress, most members choosing only to dress for the weather and many members choosing instead to remain unclothed while in their homes. The Ampharian race is split among several tribes based upon appearance, separated based on what amphibian they most resemble (eg. frog, toad, salamander, etc.). In general, the Ampharians are a highly curious and carefree race, but they tend to be uneasy when interacting with other tribes because it seems the problem of prejudice based on appearance is not only a human problem. In spite of this artificial separation, the Ampharian are all one race and are biologically all the same. ### Organization App Name: The Froggila Tribe Description: The tribe of Ampharians with the appearance of frogs. The most outgoing of the Ampharian tribes, the Froggila tribe spends most of their time in marketplaces, returning to the canals and rivers infrequently to restore their moistness. In spite of their outgoingness toward other races, they are deeply prejudiced of Ampharians from other tribes and will rarely interact with or even trust them, and they are frequently seen going far out of their way to avoid non-Friggila Ampharians. The Froggila prefer the pronoun "xe/xer" but are mostly tolerant of "he/him", as they are frequently called by other races.</s> <\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Loudly, the door to the whorehouse banged open, as Ja'Lir strode through. As was usual for anyone entering, one of the girls instantly walked towards him, to make sure he enjoyed his stay. A single withering glance from the paladin made her reconsider, however, and she quite promptly backed away. When the warrior strode up to the counter, where a scantily clad lady was performing acts more acurately described as 'entertainment', rather than actually tending the bar. As the onyx-skinned warrior halted beside the counter, however, the colour drained from the woman's face. He spoke in calm, soft tones, and yet he was clearly heard over even the dinn the drunk soldiers were making. 'There is a human with troll's blood here, where is that human?' 'W-Well, I can't-' 'If I were to kill every living being in this establishment, I would find the person I was looking for. Your answer will save me the trouble of cleaning blood from my blade, and you the trouble of being judged for your sin in the afterlife.' The tone of the palladin's voice was not one of anger, or intimidation, but rather a cold assertion of death. 'Room 12!' Leaving the terrified 'bartender', Ja'Lir steps up the stairs, chainmail hauberk jungling with ever step. It had been a bluff, of course, he would not sully the name of the Blessed by committing a crime. Their standing in this city was bad enough. However, sometimes it was good to make use of the Blessed's bloody reputation, and his face could be devoid of emotion when he wished it to be. Which was, admittedly, pretty much always. Unwilling to waste time, Ja'Lir kicked down the door to Room 12, the half-rotten wood easily giving way to his metal-clad foot. It crashed into the ground with a second bang, as the armoured figure strode into the room. His face was deep black, as was normal for those born in the great northern deserts. He wore a long chainmail hauberk, as well as thick plate boots and gauntlets. A helmet with an upturned visor rested on his head, protecting his scalp. A black and white tabard stretched down over his armor, the seven-pointed star of Trazyn emblazoned clearly in the center, a thick leather belt holding a long black sheat at his side. Combined with his height and muscle mass, he struck an imposing figure. 'Give the elf the glass.' Having delivered his message, Ja'Lir turned on his heels, and walked away, eager to return to his post beside his mistress. She had a bad habit of underestimating the danger to herself in her scheming, and he constantly worried about her safety. Aside from her being a Prophet, he had grown rather fond of her over the years, as she was able to look right through his stony face, and with her he had no need to speak his feelings to have them known. With five long strides, Ja'Lir was already at the staircase, heading down.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "No...well i have a meeting with a friend of mine...but i can stay with you for the moment in case they come back..." Zazrioa spoke now looking over at Zeetah,Indeed he was worried that Jade and the others were commencing with the rite and without him."Oh...and of course i can teach you my brother..would you like to come with me to stay with the Estrella de Celimna?" He now asked him seeing as he knew about Zeetah and wondered if he would like a home.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah Zeetah knew about the Estrella de Climna. A pretty intense religious group that he was sure he could never fit in with. But the chance to learn magic--real magic--overwhelmed his thoughts. "Well... I know I could never see myself being religious, but I'm good at staying out of the way when I need to. If I can come and just learn magic...and maybe get a bite to eat every once in a while... then yeah, I think I might come with you! What do you say?" Zeetah lowered himself from the awning, careful to avoid the broken glass still scattered about. "Oh, and Tex should come too! You're trying to stay away from the guards, too, right? I saw your face when you couldn't fight, and I recognize that look on any face..." Zeetah stopped himself quickly and turned to Zazrioa, "There won't be guards there, right? That would be silly... right?"</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "We are not so bad..that is form the prejudice of others...we are here to help the community...among other things...my kin would be honored to have you in our home..." Zazrioa chuckled and would have to teach them that the Esterlla de Climna are not as terrible as the guards make them out too be,"Their are no guards in the House Of Climna...you will be safe there my brother..." He spoke now muttering a little spell to make the glass around Zeetah into sand so he could walk safely.</s> <\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf Ach! That noise! That God Damned noise! It was already bad enough that Talaran's head felt like it was going to split in two. Blame it on the mead and the several fists she took to her bruised and swollen face, still a bit pretty but not by much. She couldn't even hear the bard's tune over that pounding racket, as if the god of the forge himself was smashing the door down with his blazing hammer. "Augh! By the gods!" She groaned loudly turning towards the door, just in time to catch it fall to the floor with a heavy thud and lay squinting, pained eyes on the ebony skinned gargantuan clad head to toe in armor. A rather gruff fellow was he, and a bit intimidating too, even to the drunken warmaiden slightly. "An' jusht who in 'e bloody Abyss er ye?" Her voice slurred, she stammered equally cantankerous with a sharp pair of ice blue daggers staring back at him. It seemed as though she wanted another brawl in the blood and the ale. Unfortunately, that was not the reason this man was here. The cold look in his eyes, Talaran recognized it all to well, it was a look in a man or even a woman's eyes....when they were out for blood, a specific blood. And often times, that cold look was indeed sobering to even the rowdiest of drunks. The woman remained in her seat, her glare held on the beast of a man as he barked for the whereabouts of a human with troll's blood and demanded the barkeep tell him where this person was. A trollkin? Talaran wondered. There was a part of her that was itching to grab her sword by the door, to teach this bastard a lesson about barging in. Yet, there was the other part, the surprisingly sober and more reasonable part that kept her rump glued to the barstool and her vigilant eyes affixed upon the brute. The barkeep, poor lad was shaking in his skin and the man barely laid a single hand on him. Only then would Talaran find it necessary to intervene...violently of course. Luckily this time, no further bloodshed was needed. The boy fessed up choking out his answer and off the man went up the stairs, his voice, about as charming as a braying ass, echoing with his order, Give the elf the glass. What glass? A glass of water? Wine perhaps? No, how much an idiot Talaran was for thinking something as dimwitted as that. It had to be something else, but honestly...twas none of her business, nor did she have any wishes to pry into it. With the last drop of her mead finished, gruffly the woman sighed and slammed her tankard down on the bar, standing up and rubbing at her face with a gauntlet clad hand. A bit wobbly she stumbled over to the door, still disheartened her beautiful lass had left her alone at the bar, but the sweet and pungent flavor of Giulia's mead made up for it. Aye... I shudn't 'ave drinken too much... Indeed she shouldn't, not when she still had a job to do, that job being more of a grim and harrowing task...slay a wyvern. Speaking of the wyvern... "DRAGON!! A DRAGON HAS ATTACKED MY VILLAGE!! SOMEONE!! ANYONE!! PLEASE HELP!!" The frantic and terrified voice echoed down the bogged, muddy street and soon found its way into the warmth of Giulia's and to Talaran's ears perking up at the sound. Quickly the woman turned to the door and there he stood, a poor farm boy, his face covered in cuts, bruises and burns and his skin coated in a thick, smoky layer of soot. Tears ran down his cheeks as a painful river and ever desperately he sobbed into his hands collapsing at the door. Aye! Calm yerself lad! What's the matter? Talaran asked the boy, her eyes widening. Amidst his woeful tears, the boy uttered in return, "A...a dragon! A b-beast of the abyss! I pray brave warrior! Will you slay him?! He has killed my family and burned my home to cinders! Please! Please you must slay him!" The poor lad, he clung to Talaran's armor for dear life, the woman having to shake him off with a stern reply, "I said calm yerself boy! Was this beast a wyvern?" "Aye...aye it was!" Hastily and shakily he answered. "So..w-will you slay him, great warrior?" "Aye! I will!" And with that answer, Talaran raced back to the bar fetching her helm. "Ye there , lass!" She called to one of the tavern wenches. "See that this boy is taken care of. I must be off." Lastly the woman grabbed her sword and out the door she was running for the main gate of the city, already the stench of smoldering ashes and charred flesh heavy in the air and the beast's roar...echoing far in the distance as a call to challenge, a challenge the warmaiden would meet head on.</s>	<\|message\|>Zeetah As Zeetah stretched out his hand to give the generous Reptil a handshake, the sight of an imposing, heavily-armored man with dark skin stomped down the street, each step booming with impressive power, causing him to flinch and stare as he walked past. Shortly thereafter, he heard fierce shouting over the noisy din of the brothel, and after nearly no time at all, the same giant stomped heavily back out and left. Zeetah did not move the whole time. A few minutes passed in silence until suddenly "DRAGON!! A DRAGON HAS ATTACKED MY VILLAGE!! SOMEONE!! ANYONE!! PLEASE HELP!!" A filthy, singed farm boy with thin streams of smoke rising from his hair and clothing came running through the slums, screaming at the top of his lungs, apparently not knowing where else in the city to look for help at this hour of the night. As if replying to his call, a formidable woman with long, white hair burst out of the brothel, fully clad in heavy armor, swaying slightly. She was carrying a massive sword, and Zeetah did not want to be anywhere near a drunk warrior with a weapon that big. "Oh boy. We'd better go, fellows. I do not want to get mixed up in this." Zeetah backed up and started heading toward the street to leave. "Come on! Let's get out of here!"</s>
<\|description\|>Lynx Hi I would like to try this :) ### Character App Race: Elf Gender: Female Age: 200 Description: Lynx is an elven huntress from the forest of Mallorien. She is tall and beautiful and has red hair. She is good at fighting with a bow and knows many things about hunting and survival. She left her home twenty years ago to explore, and has just arrived in the city. ### Race App Name: Elf Description: The elves are a proud people that hails from the forest of Mallorien. They have pointy ears and live forever (immortal). Elves are very beautiful and are thought well of by most people. They are very close to nature, and some elves can even speak to animals (very rare). They like to dress in leaf-shaped green clothes. Elves are naturally good with magic, and many elves are sorcerers and sorceresses. Some elves can be mean to other races because they think they are better than them, but most elves are kind. Elves like to look at the stars and sing in the night. ### Organization App Name: Description:</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah As Zeetah stretched out his hand to give the generous Reptil a handshake, the sight of an imposing, heavily-armored man with dark skin stomped down the street, each step booming with impressive power, causing him to flinch and stare as he walked past. Shortly thereafter, he heard fierce shouting over the noisy din of the brothel, and after nearly no time at all, the same giant stomped heavily back out and left. Zeetah did not move the whole time. A few minutes passed in silence until suddenly "DRAGON!! A DRAGON HAS ATTACKED MY VILLAGE!! SOMEONE!! ANYONE!! PLEASE HELP!!" A filthy, singed farm boy with thin streams of smoke rising from his hair and clothing came running through the slums, screaming at the top of his lungs, apparently not knowing where else in the city to look for help at this hour of the night. As if replying to his call, a formidable woman with long, white hair burst out of the brothel, fully clad in heavy armor, swaying slightly. She was carrying a massive sword, and Zeetah did not want to be anywhere near a drunk warrior with a weapon that big. "Oh boy. We'd better go, fellows. I do not want to get mixed up in this." Zeetah backed up and started heading toward the street to leave. "Come on! Let's get out of here!"</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "Mhm i think we should take our leave...i am sure they are looking for me or you..." Zazroia spoke sighing loudly before moving away form the group and the whorehouse back to his group's region,Although he was interested in the dragon he was not equipped to fight a dragon by himself he would need the help of his kin mainly Ultimana and Ruqa who are old but wise and are would probably talk the dragon down although he did not know if even that could work.</s> <\|message\|>Henna It was like a storm blew through Giulia's. Everything happened all at once. Henna had just excused herself from the brawl downstairs, and had taken the elf with her to her room to enjoy their food there. She'd just finished and was looking for some nice dry clothes for her guest when the door was kicked in by a big thug clad in iron. The trollkins eyes had been darting to and fro for some kind of weapon to use if the man got violent, but he'd just told her to give the elf her glass and then left. As she was staring at him, dumbfounded, someone downstairs began shouting about a dragon. This city was nuts, sometimes. Henna turned to her guest. "Do you have any idea what that man was talking about?" she asked, "Because I don't."</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex hurried along at the frog man's instruction, seemingly sharing his sentiments entirely. As he rushed alongside him, he spoke in brief spurts of conversation. "As for teaching you magic... it'd take quite a while for you to be as proficient as me, but... I'd be willing to give it a shot. Wish I knew where my staff went, though." He gestured for Zeetah to pause and turned to him. "You didn't happen to see it sitting around the alleyway, did you? It's not 100% necessary, but it does make spellcasting quicker and easier, which means a big deal when you've got a bunch of soldiers several inches away, staring you down with swords in their hands. If they were a little farther away, I could have flung a fireball at them before they got close, no problem."</s> <\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Most who were granted the Gift of magic chose to use it flashily. Having lived without magic, they wished to display their new capabilities at their fullest. A popular technique was to light your sword with eldritch flame. They didn't seem to realize that, on the whole, if you had stabbed something, the fire wasn't going to do much extra. Fireballs, beams of eldritch energy, grasping claws conjured from the darkness, or great bursts of burning light. Amusingly enough, the Infinite Empire's army had transformed into some form of terrifyingly lethal light show, with all the fire, lasers, and glowing orbs of wrath. Few truly recognized the sheer power not of simply applying strength, but applying it where it was needed. To control one's Gift with subtle precision, to only do as much as was needed for the situation. Alice closed her ink black eyes, focusing. She could feel the humming magic moving through her, a miracle delivered directly from Tazyn, to guide His followers. And as His scheme unfolded before her mind, she simply guided, placing the power where it was needed, with the precision and skill necessary for a Prophet. Even though even she could not yet see the end of this glorious plan, her faith was strong. For her God was with her, guiding her every action, her every thought. ------------------------------ Soaring through the clouds, propelled at seemingly impossible speeds for it's great mass, the wyvern observed the city below it. As a being born from magic, it could feel the magic far below, and even it's primitive animal instincts recognized the danger. There was, of course, far easier prey to hunt, the kind of prey that didn't throw fireballs, and whom's claws were not made of iron. And yet, even as it's great eyes flashed briefly black, it started angling downward. For below, it could suddenly smell the tastiest of prey. It knew that below was a buffet, something it had never tasted before. With the promise of food on it's tongue, the beast descended on the Tall, townsfolk and soldier alike fleeing from the area, mothers carrying children, children carrying smaller children. Those who could not walk, and were not carried, simply crawled, or cried in terror, as they beheld the beast, the Wyvern. A majestic beast, it's scales shining golden in the light of the afternoon sun, it's eyes of bright red glaring down, selecting it's prey, and identifying the dangerous ones. It's two wings even now were unfurled, a pair of long hooked claws at the end of each, aiding to hold it in place. It's tail extended fair backwards, growing thin, until it ended into a great barbed point, containing an arcane toxin unique to Wyvern-kind. Great talons crashed through the feeble wooden roof of the slum it had chosen to land on, as it beat it's wings to prevent itself from falling into the water. The Wyvern threw it's head into the air, stretching it's neck, fanged jaws parting as it unleashed a call, like an abominable mixture between the howl of a wolf and the shriek of a banshee, a hundredfold louder. And yet, even as hundreds fled the area, a single figure came stalking towards the dragon, clad in great armor, and bearing one of the legendary Swords of the North. Turning it's great head, the beast observed the tall humanoid, teeth bared, turning to face this new threat. ------------- Throughout the city, the word had spread, and with it a wind of terror, partly natural, and partly magical in nature. An enhanced panic, as people fled the area en masse, the Royal Guard retreating to guard the Noble Houses, the Mage Guild forming a great shield, the Priests of Ashyr activating the great metal golems that guarded their gates, massive bronze swords held at the ready. And yet, across the city, the doors to taverns are kicked over, many proceeding to skid over the floor. Figures of all races, scarred by a hundred battles, stepped out from the darkness. Men with armor forged from the bones of Manticors, Elves whom's bows had received the blessings of forgotten Gods, great mages wielding eldritch fires of pure might. Adventurers, those brave souls who had always been in abundance in a world of such dangers as Wyverns. Problem solvers, monster hunters, dungeon delvers, grave robbers, and thrill seekers, those who had seen the maw of the world, and survived it. And as each reached for their blades, a wave of dark magic washed through them. Each would wish for the bounty on the dragon's head, and each would wish it for themselves. Greed, pride, wrath..... they burned freely in the eyes of those who only moments before had rallied in the face of danger. And as spells flew, and swords thrust, it was not the dragon that was their target. Yet, it was the most capable warriors of the land, slaying one another in cold blood. Those mages and priests who had felt the magic sweep through the city could only gaze on in abject horror as the bloodshed commenced. --------------------- Upon the Throne of Stars, sat a small girl, a smile on her face. Soon, the authorities of this city would be toppled, and the prophecies of her master would come to pass. For it took only the smallest push to set the world's end in motion, if only one knew where to press. And Areopolis, the commercial and religious center of most of the civilized world, was the perfect place to begin.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "I apologize for my...rash behavior my brother I did not want to jailed or worse murdered...besides they will not harm me since all I did was scare them..." Zazoria stopped for a moment turning to face Tex,Although he did not want any trouble with the unexpectedly he would get it without even knowing it was going to happen. Another larger group of guards were coming close their armored feet stomping loudly against the dirt road,Their heavy long swords jiggling around accompanying their footstep."You...Reptil come here you are under arrest..." The commander yelled now a few feet away form them.</s>	<\|message\|>Lynx "Do you have any idea what that man was talking about? Because I don't." Lynx could only agree that she didn't know either because she didn't know who the man was or what he meant by "the glass" either. They had been drinking ale from tin cups and as far as she could tell there were no glass objects in the room. When she heard people screaming about a dragon she got all tense and put a hand on her bow in case there was an emergency. Hopefully the city guard would protect the people from the threat because Lynx didn't think she could kill a dragon even though she was a skilled hunter. She usually didn't kill animals because elves thought it wrong to do so and instead only captured them for others if they paid her. She turned to her newfound friend and pointed out the window where all the talk of the dragon came from. "What should we do?" she asked.</s>
<\|description\|>Talaran Greywulf Character App Race: Human/Dunenmer Gender: Female Age: 29 Description: Hailing from the northern, ice covered lands of Dunenmer, Talaran is a hearty warrior, standing at a towering 5'9'' and is of a fairly muscular build, the body of a true warrior woman honed upon the fields of battle. She has hair as white as the snow of the Dunenmer Mountains, long and flowing down her back with a few strands kept in a tight braid and her eyes are as blue and as cold as the ice that covers the old Lake Hilonota and fierce as a Gray Wolf, hence the family name. Clad from head to toe in heavy iron armor and a pelt made from the fur of an elk, she is always seen with her greatsword slung bravely over her shoulders as she tarries through the town, either in search of work or a good drink and bit of song at the tavern, not to mention enjoying the company of a few fair lasses such as the lovely tavern wench.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah Zeetah approached the dismal inn, noticing a sign on the door that read "`NO WHORES`", wondering what the story behind that message could be. He pushed the door open and saw a dusty, mostly-empty tavern lit only by the fading gray sunlight. He imagined it would be quite cozy if the candles were all lit and if there were more than just the couple of fizzled-out drunks scattered about. "Oy! The 'ell you doin' [burp] 'ere, froggy?" one of the drunks slurred, "We don' wan' yer kine here!" making to stand, but plopping right back where he had been, muttering "Yeh filthy slime." Zeetah decided he would steal something from him on his way to his room to return his rudeness and walked to the book-headed body sitting on a stool behind the counter. "'Scuse me, uh," Zeetah paused to assess what the body was wearing (a full-length dress with long sleeves and an apron), "Miss?" He waited a few seconds, but the body ignored him. He cleared his throat and spoke a little bit louder, "Miss?" The woman threw the book down, revealing a round, frustrated face that shouted, "I heard you! You don't have to shout!" before stopping, surprised to see the frog face flinching in response. "Oh! I'm sorry, what are you doing here? I mean..." she shook her head to correct herself, "Can I help you?" Zeetah composed himself, clearing his throat again, and said, "Yeah... I was hoping I could get a room for the night?" The woman eyed him, noting his soaking wet clothes and lack of a coin purse. "Hmm..." She pulled up a little board with writing on it, examining it carefully, "Yeah sure. For your kind, it's 15 gold coins." Zeetah wasn't sure why he hadn't realized it would cost money to stay at an inn. "Oh, right, well..." He rubbed his neck, looking around, "I don't quite have money right now, so..." "Well you won't be getting a free room here! So get lost," she burst, swiping her book back up and resuming her read, muttering, "Don't even let family stay for free." Zeetah stood there, dejected, staring at the book (the cover read "The Lonely Warrior") for a few moments before turning around, grabbing the coin purse off the rude man's belt as he left without anyone noticing. It was then that he noticed the heavy traffic in one building, its windows glowing as if on fire and steam rising out of the door as it opened, in the otherwise empty dirt streets. Hoping he could at least warm up, he headed there instead, not noticing the sign swinging above the door, "`Giulia's`", written in swirly script.</s> <\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf "...and so after I tore the bastard's head off, there I was standing stark naked in the snow with only me helmet and a horse's jawbone. About that time, Halfdir, the king's boy had arrived with reinforcements. Ye shoulda seen the look on their faces! Poor lads! I bet they were happy to see me!" Rowdily the woman chortled setting down her half filled tankard, her cheeks indeed a rosy complexion and her voice slightly slurred as she swayed about like a pine caught in the roaring winds of the mountains. There she had gone again, taking more than she needed, but it was just as the lovely wench said, the mead...it was indeed as sweet as the lips of a beauty, perhaps as sweet as the beauty she beheld next to her. Curled in her lap with her arm wrapped around the warrior, the lass giggled at her drunken ramblings and batted her eyelashes ever temptingly to Talaran, that voice of hers ever lulling as she mused cheerily, "Oh my, that's quite the tale, darling. I...honestly I don't know what I would do in that situation." Talaran smirked, even drunk she still had her charm and her zeal, "Well I'm sure I'd know what I'd do, lass." "Mhmmm...so you're one of _those_ kind of women, are you?" The wench purred all the more needily, nuzzling her a little with her lips gently brushing her neck. "Perhaps you wouldn't mind going somewhere a bit more....private?" Talaran looked to her, a smarmy grin crossing her lips. "I never thought you'd ask, my fair lady. Lead the way." But as they stood, a ruffian of sorts pulled the wench from her by her arm, the hale hard and stale on his breath, his teeth a sickly yellow as he burped, "Now hold on 'ere, lassie! I paid good money for this slag! Ye ain't takin' 'er nowhere!" Talaran clenched her fists to her side, standing firm, though she still wobbled a bit, and looking the bastard dead in his eyes with a return, "I think ye better get yer hands off that woman, lad. I ain't takin' 'er nowhere but away from some mangy dog like ye." The man tossed the wench aside, his eyes flaring like the fires of the abyss as he glared at the warrior woman. "An' ye tink ye can take 'er from me, cunt?" Inebriated he guffawed. "What are ye gonna do wi' 'er, hah? Knit li'l tea cozies? Or maybe...may ye wanna tip 'er velvet." "Well...I'm sure she'd much rather be in me bed than yer filthy cot ye bastard!" And with that he charged at her snarling and foaming at the mouth as a rabid wolverine. He lunged at her as fast as the drunk could, but it wasn't fast enough. Even drunk, Talaran could hold her own, and it was proven when she ducked under the man's fist and sent her own crashing into his face. But he was on his feet again and a cruel blow he gave to the woman this time, right in the gut. She grunted and took the fist into her hard abdomen and retaliated with yet another fist to the face and an brutal jab of her elbow into his throat.</s> <\|message\|>Lynx "How about you come up to my room, get some warm clothes and some dinner? It's on me." The woman said, to Lynxs great surprise. Other people might've suspected foul play but she had a kind heart and wanted to trust people. She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'd like that very much!" she said.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex shifted about behind the curtains of his small stage impatiently, more than once taking peeks out from behind the veil. It had never crossed his mind to check with the relevant authorities for the regulations and fees associated with suddenly occupying a section of the town for a performance. He hadn't even rented the stage; it was merely one of his conjurations. His ears drooped as he inwardly hoped that the magic wouldn't fail again. The stage had disappeared beneath his feet during his last venture. He was so embarrassed by that travesty that he had relocated to the opposite side of the city, Owlsbrook, for his next whack at it. From his brief glances, he had noticed the turnout this time around was somewhat larger than his last crowd, which didn't help assuage his anxieties. But what had drawn even more of them this time around? Was it the fancy illusionary sign that hovered above the venue, declaring "Come See: Tex Errant, Magician Extraordinaire"? Were the denizens of this section of the city just more fascinated by magic and other such novelties? He could not know for sure, but if it paid off, a larger audience was, of course, better. More pockets and pouches to empty out was never a bad thing. Once the swarm of observers had swollen to a size he deemed ideal and he had steeled his nerves, he readied himself. He shifted the curtains aside with a whispered incantation, and with that, his show began. He wandered out to the front of the stage, a broad grin displayed. "Ladies, gentlemen, children, and all, welcome. I am, of course, Tex Errant." He gave an exaggerated bow. When he rose again, he clapped his hands. A colourful puff of smoke enveloped him and the stage was suddenly shrouded in darkness. This drew some concerned but intrigued sounds from his audience. With a creaking sound, a miniature sun rolled along the back wall of the stage, shedding away the darkness, revealing a clear blue sky spread across the backdrop. As the stage was once again illuminated, it was revealed that the top surface of the stage platform had been replaced with a small body of water. Floating in its center was an equally small boat. Standing inside of it was the disproportionately large Tex, who was scanning left and right with a hand extended to shield his eyes from the sun. Amused murmurs escaped the crowd. "Ahhh yes. The ocean!" Tex enthusiastically began. "Adventure, romance, freedom. These are the words it conjures in my mind." He continued, turning to face the audience. He suddenly extended an index finger in front of him. "But, it also makes me think of the countless tales of the legendary Captain Aldous and his equally legendary vessel, the Parsimonious." "But where would he be today, after all, without his crew?" As he listed off the central characters in his story he was about to regale them with, he conjured illusions of each before them. "No-Luck Nathaniel, who, despite his appellation, was quite lucky... to leave the grips of a mighty kraken with at least two of his limbs still in place. Cory the Incorrigible, the irrepressible pest, who is nonetheless possessed of an innate insight when it comes to matters pertaining to all manners of seabird. Luscious Lucy, whose... characteristics it just wouldn't be right to tell you all today, what with kids in the audience." At that last character, he grinned sheepishly, then continued. However, midway through his next character introduction, he was abruptly cut off by a sudden commotion. Several guards were parting the crowd as they charged towards the stage and Tex. "There's that damn cat again!" One cried. "You've got a lot of nerve! We told you before that you need a permit!" Tex stumbled about with surprise and terror, rocking his boat about wildly. As the illusory water splashed up at his ankles, he squeaked with fright, his tail curling between his legs. As they were just about to climb onto the stage, he drew the curtains shut. The stage suddenly shrank and vanished in a flash of light. Tex had evaded his irritated pursuers once again. His crowd had lingered, just to see what all the fuss was about, but with no Tex and no show, they lost interest and thereafter dispersed. Tex wasn't having a particularly grand time in Areapolis so far, it appeared.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "Alright" Henna said and pointed at the bar behind her with her thumb, "You stay here and I'll get us something to eat. Back in a minute." That went surprisingly quick and smooth. In Hennas experience, people usually didn't trust that quick. Especially not towards trollkin. Then again, if you'd been swimming at random in the river, which Henna assumed the elf had been doing, and ended up far from where you'd intended, which Henna assumed the elf had done, you'd probably be pretty glad to hear a stranger offer you clothes and food. Especially happy if it was for free. Made Henna wonder why she was doing it, this wasn't really her style. But she needed the company, needed to talk to someone who didn't spit on her for being born a trollkin, or tried to get into her breeches cheaply because of the same reason. Reaching the bar, she signaled to Burna, the great big bastard of a barkeeper, that she wanted to plates of whatever. Luckily for her, Burna had a little crush on her and usually gave her food for free. Turning around to look at the guests around her, Henna found herself catching a staggering human man who stumbled into her. She pushed him off her, and watched as he was knocked out cold by a savage right hook from a big armored woman. She felt something hit her face, and then her foot, and looked down to see what it was. A tooth. Not one of hers, luckily. The beaten mans, then. Touching her face and looking at her fingertips, she saw blood. She closed her eyes and shivered slightly. Disgusting.</s>	<\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf "Yah! Hit 'er again Maevus!" "Teach the bloody slang a hic lesson!" How typical of them all to be on his side, all shouting derogatory and slanderous remarks towards the armored woman, but not a single damned one she could understand as they were all nothing but drunkenly slurred. Nevertheless, no matter how much they egged on their inebriated companion Maevus, he was about to be down for the count. Talaran's fists continued to bash his face into a bloody, bruised mess of red and purple, his rotten teeth flying to and fro from his busted mouth and blood pouring from his nose a crimson river. Finally, the man tried to deliver one final blow, but Talaran being the more superior fighter,she dove under his swing and gave her final blow right into his battered face with a sickening crack of his jaw in two. Soon, he fell before her like a downed cedar with a heavy thud against the floor. "That'll learn ye....ye smelly bastard." Talaran breathed harsh and cracked her nose back in place with a pained grunt, wiping his filthy blood off her face and sitting down. A shame, the fight must've scared off that beauty she was wooing a moment ago. Oh well, the thrill of a good brawl made up for it.</s>
<\|description\|>Talaran Greywulf Character App Race: Human/Dunenmer Gender: Female Age: 29 Description: Hailing from the northern, ice covered lands of Dunenmer, Talaran is a hearty warrior, standing at a towering 5'9'' and is of a fairly muscular build, the body of a true warrior woman honed upon the fields of battle. She has hair as white as the snow of the Dunenmer Mountains, long and flowing down her back with a few strands kept in a tight braid and her eyes are as blue and as cold as the ice that covers the old Lake Hilonota and fierce as a Gray Wolf, hence the family name. Clad from head to toe in heavy iron armor and a pelt made from the fur of an elk, she is always seen with her greatsword slung bravely over her shoulders as she tarries through the town, either in search of work or a good drink and bit of song at the tavern, not to mention enjoying the company of a few fair lasses such as the lovely tavern wench.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Are you serious about teaching me?" is what Zeetah was about to reply when the drunk soldiers arrived. Without thinking, Zeetah leapt from the ground into the shadows of the brothel's awning to escape the sight of the officers, whom he thought might recognize him from some wanted posters he had seen in the richer parts of the city. His wits returned and he peered over the edge to see what would become of his new magical acquaintances. A small part of him was also hoping that he was about to see a pretty great magic show...</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex blinked and glanced around as he suddenly felt the two hands leave his. His eyes widened as he saw the cause of the commotion: soldiers. While his face wasn't yet plastered all over the city as Zeetah's was, the notion that they might know of his earlier infractions was, of course, a cause for concern! He increased the distance between him and Zazoria as the soldiers came closer. He could only wince as they grabbed the lizard and threw him against the ground. A second wince occurred when that nice robe of Zazoria's got soaked in the soldier's drink. "I've seen quite enough of this...!" He angrily muttered. He suddenly dashed back down the street, shoving himself between the soldiers and the sprawled out reptile. "Hey! No one beats -my- semi-acquaintances I met only about three minutes and thirty-five seconds ago!" He angrily shouted, stabbing an outstretched, accusatory finger towards them. "That was also a waste of a perfectly good drink! More over, no one is dumb enough to draw the wrath of a wizard--" While his threat started off solidly enough, when he reached for his staff, he froze when he realized it was actually no longer secure in the hoops of its harness that wrapped around Tex's torso diagonally like a bandolier. "Oh god where is it?" He thought to himself, his expression becoming one of obvious fright. He held his hands out before him as he stepped back, nearly tripping over the very person he tried to stand up for. "H-hey w-wait... w... we can talk about this!" He pleaded.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "No my brother I...was just speaking to a friend..."Zazrioa was going to speak once more but was interrupted by one of th soldiers pulling out a long sword pointing it at the Reptil,"I don't like you lizard breath no one in this city likes The Reptil they are sneaky,dirty...Renark" The one holding the sword remarked knowing that Renark is a racial slang used against The Reptil."So piss off before we kill you and make boots out of ya and your Renark pansy group" Another remark with a smirk drawing his sword. Zazrioa just rolled his eyes since he had heard this before many times as a youngling and adult it was not different here then in Mirgeoof,Racist as his grandfather would put it but his Grandfather would have worse things to say about those people."Hi'magol Zimjoe Ne'hs Uzab Xop Yeq'Ca" He said loudly lifting his shaft high up into the air as a large dragon like creature appeared made out of flames shooting fire at the soldier's feet letting their feet aflame but not enough to burn them alive. This would be enough to scare the racisy men away,"We'll get you back lizard breath one said running away and they would mean it so now Zazoria would have to watch his back although he was protected by some of the guards and his own kin.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Wow, that's a good way to make enemies!" Zeetah called to the pair still on the ground, "I usually just run. But maybe I'd react differently if I could do magic, too..." Zeetah remained silent for a bit and then continued, "I'm gonna stay up here, just to make sure they're really gone, OK? But you," he pointed at Tex, "you said you could teach me magic? And what about you?" he pointed another finger at Zazrioa, "Can you teach me too?" Zeetah could see Zazroia's eyes shifting a bit in the way that says "I'm busy", apparently eager to get away. "Are you alright? Eager to get away?"</s> <\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Loudly, the door to the whorehouse banged open, as Ja'Lir strode through. As was usual for anyone entering, one of the girls instantly walked towards him, to make sure he enjoyed his stay. A single withering glance from the paladin made her reconsider, however, and she quite promptly backed away. When the warrior strode up to the counter, where a scantily clad lady was performing acts more acurately described as 'entertainment', rather than actually tending the bar. As the onyx-skinned warrior halted beside the counter, however, the colour drained from the woman's face. He spoke in calm, soft tones, and yet he was clearly heard over even the dinn the drunk soldiers were making. 'There is a human with troll's blood here, where is that human?' 'W-Well, I can't-' 'If I were to kill every living being in this establishment, I would find the person I was looking for. Your answer will save me the trouble of cleaning blood from my blade, and you the trouble of being judged for your sin in the afterlife.' The tone of the palladin's voice was not one of anger, or intimidation, but rather a cold assertion of death. 'Room 12!' Leaving the terrified 'bartender', Ja'Lir steps up the stairs, chainmail hauberk jungling with ever step. It had been a bluff, of course, he would not sully the name of the Blessed by committing a crime. Their standing in this city was bad enough. However, sometimes it was good to make use of the Blessed's bloody reputation, and his face could be devoid of emotion when he wished it to be. Which was, admittedly, pretty much always. Unwilling to waste time, Ja'Lir kicked down the door to Room 12, the half-rotten wood easily giving way to his metal-clad foot. It crashed into the ground with a second bang, as the armoured figure strode into the room. His face was deep black, as was normal for those born in the great northern deserts. He wore a long chainmail hauberk, as well as thick plate boots and gauntlets. A helmet with an upturned visor rested on his head, protecting his scalp. A black and white tabard stretched down over his armor, the seven-pointed star of Trazyn emblazoned clearly in the center, a thick leather belt holding a long black sheat at his side. Combined with his height and muscle mass, he struck an imposing figure. 'Give the elf the glass.' Having delivered his message, Ja'Lir turned on his heels, and walked away, eager to return to his post beside his mistress. She had a bad habit of underestimating the danger to herself in her scheming, and he constantly worried about her safety. Aside from her being a Prophet, he had grown rather fond of her over the years, as she was able to look right through his stony face, and with her he had no need to speak his feelings to have them known. With five long strides, Ja'Lir was already at the staircase, heading down.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "No...well i have a meeting with a friend of mine...but i can stay with you for the moment in case they come back..." Zazrioa spoke now looking over at Zeetah,Indeed he was worried that Jade and the others were commencing with the rite and without him."Oh...and of course i can teach you my brother..would you like to come with me to stay with the Estrella de Celimna?" He now asked him seeing as he knew about Zeetah and wondered if he would like a home.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah Zeetah knew about the Estrella de Climna. A pretty intense religious group that he was sure he could never fit in with. But the chance to learn magic--real magic--overwhelmed his thoughts. "Well... I know I could never see myself being religious, but I'm good at staying out of the way when I need to. If I can come and just learn magic...and maybe get a bite to eat every once in a while... then yeah, I think I might come with you! What do you say?" Zeetah lowered himself from the awning, careful to avoid the broken glass still scattered about. "Oh, and Tex should come too! You're trying to stay away from the guards, too, right? I saw your face when you couldn't fight, and I recognize that look on any face..." Zeetah stopped himself quickly and turned to Zazrioa, "There won't be guards there, right? That would be silly... right?"</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "We are not so bad..that is form the prejudice of others...we are here to help the community...among other things...my kin would be honored to have you in our home..." Zazrioa chuckled and would have to teach them that the Esterlla de Climna are not as terrible as the guards make them out too be,"Their are no guards in the House Of Climna...you will be safe there my brother..." He spoke now muttering a little spell to make the glass around Zeetah into sand so he could walk safely.</s>	<\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf Ach! That noise! That God Damned noise! It was already bad enough that Talaran's head felt like it was going to split in two. Blame it on the mead and the several fists she took to her bruised and swollen face, still a bit pretty but not by much. She couldn't even hear the bard's tune over that pounding racket, as if the god of the forge himself was smashing the door down with his blazing hammer. "Augh! By the gods!" She groaned loudly turning towards the door, just in time to catch it fall to the floor with a heavy thud and lay squinting, pained eyes on the ebony skinned gargantuan clad head to toe in armor. A rather gruff fellow was he, and a bit intimidating too, even to the drunken warmaiden slightly. "An' jusht who in 'e bloody Abyss er ye?" Her voice slurred, she stammered equally cantankerous with a sharp pair of ice blue daggers staring back at him. It seemed as though she wanted another brawl in the blood and the ale. Unfortunately, that was not the reason this man was here. The cold look in his eyes, Talaran recognized it all to well, it was a look in a man or even a woman's eyes....when they were out for blood, a specific blood. And often times, that cold look was indeed sobering to even the rowdiest of drunks. The woman remained in her seat, her glare held on the beast of a man as he barked for the whereabouts of a human with troll's blood and demanded the barkeep tell him where this person was. A trollkin? Talaran wondered. There was a part of her that was itching to grab her sword by the door, to teach this bastard a lesson about barging in. Yet, there was the other part, the surprisingly sober and more reasonable part that kept her rump glued to the barstool and her vigilant eyes affixed upon the brute. The barkeep, poor lad was shaking in his skin and the man barely laid a single hand on him. Only then would Talaran find it necessary to intervene...violently of course. Luckily this time, no further bloodshed was needed. The boy fessed up choking out his answer and off the man went up the stairs, his voice, about as charming as a braying ass, echoing with his order, Give the elf the glass. What glass? A glass of water? Wine perhaps? No, how much an idiot Talaran was for thinking something as dimwitted as that. It had to be something else, but honestly...twas none of her business, nor did she have any wishes to pry into it. With the last drop of her mead finished, gruffly the woman sighed and slammed her tankard down on the bar, standing up and rubbing at her face with a gauntlet clad hand. A bit wobbly she stumbled over to the door, still disheartened her beautiful lass had left her alone at the bar, but the sweet and pungent flavor of Giulia's mead made up for it. Aye... I shudn't 'ave drinken too much... Indeed she shouldn't, not when she still had a job to do, that job being more of a grim and harrowing task...slay a wyvern. Speaking of the wyvern... "DRAGON!! A DRAGON HAS ATTACKED MY VILLAGE!! SOMEONE!! ANYONE!! PLEASE HELP!!" The frantic and terrified voice echoed down the bogged, muddy street and soon found its way into the warmth of Giulia's and to Talaran's ears perking up at the sound. Quickly the woman turned to the door and there he stood, a poor farm boy, his face covered in cuts, bruises and burns and his skin coated in a thick, smoky layer of soot. Tears ran down his cheeks as a painful river and ever desperately he sobbed into his hands collapsing at the door. Aye! Calm yerself lad! What's the matter? Talaran asked the boy, her eyes widening. Amidst his woeful tears, the boy uttered in return, "A...a dragon! A b-beast of the abyss! I pray brave warrior! Will you slay him?! He has killed my family and burned my home to cinders! Please! Please you must slay him!" The poor lad, he clung to Talaran's armor for dear life, the woman having to shake him off with a stern reply, "I said calm yerself boy! Was this beast a wyvern?" "Aye...aye it was!" Hastily and shakily he answered. "So..w-will you slay him, great warrior?" "Aye! I will!" And with that answer, Talaran raced back to the bar fetching her helm. "Ye there , lass!" She called to one of the tavern wenches. "See that this boy is taken care of. I must be off." Lastly the woman grabbed her sword and out the door she was running for the main gate of the city, already the stench of smoldering ashes and charred flesh heavy in the air and the beast's roar...echoing far in the distance as a call to challenge, a challenge the warmaiden would meet head on.</s>
<\|description\|>Tex Errant. Character App Race: Enchanted cat-form familiar/Magic Miscellanea. Gender: Male. Age: 21 Description: Tex was for most of his life the familiar of the great wizard Tessegnach. Tessegnach, despite his fame and prowess, much preferred a life of seclusion and never ventured far from his tower, where Tex was his sole companion. As he grew so old that even his mighty sorcery was unable to sustain his presence in the land of the living for much longer, he desperately sought an apprentice upon which he could impart his secrets and legacy. However, in his many decades of isolation, Tessegnach had grown quite paranoid of outsiders. Instead, an unusual solution came to mind. Tessegnach was a master of alterative magic. The surreal environs, flora and fauna found around his tower remain today a testament to the potency of his craft. He ultimately decided that Tex, his faithful servant, would inherit all that was his. However, while Tex was undoubtedly magically gifted, in the form of a four legged cat, he would not be able to serve as Tessegnach's successor so well. So the somewhat mad Tessegnach saw to it that Tex would be imbued with a more suitable form. The experiment was a success. From then on Tex has resembled a humanoid with feline features. He is cloaked from head to toe with black fur with a white underbelly. Tex has maintained his tail and a head much resembling that of a cat's. He is of a lithe frame and stands at about 5'5". His eyes are a faintly glowing lemon quartz hue. Tex proved to be an apt, eager pupil. While in his former life he was more than capable of conjuring a spell or two, his new form facilitated the gestures and other rituals used to invoke more advanced magic. While certainly not as skilled as his master, Tex himself grew to be quite adept at the craft. Soon enough, the inevitable occurred, and Tessegnach at last passed away. The tower and all of its contents now belonged to Tex, and still does today. However, his feline nature prohibits him from living the isolated life of his predecessor. With curiosity and wanderlust gnawing at him always, he periodically embarks on trips from his tower to where ever his fascination pulls him. In his studying he came across many mentions of the vast city of "Areapolis." Drawn by tales of its grandeur, it is here that he today seeks whatever opportunities and adventures await. While he still holds the utmost respect for his master, he tends to downplay his connection to the legendary man, eager for an opportunity to prove himself on his own individual merits. However, one thing Tessegnach never got around to teaching Tex in his youth was restraint. His susceptibility to whim also applies to his (mis)usage of his magic. While he knows better than to do anything particularly extreme, he is particularly fond of pranks and other mischief. He also has a great deal of difficulty making heads or tails of rules, laws and other obligations, and often gets in hot water for not paying them much mind. Apparel: He wears a mostly dark blue outfit consisting of a signature broad-rimmed, pointed wizard hat, a coat with a high collar, an undershirt, knickerbockers and pointed boots with tips that curl ever so slightly upwards. He carries with him at all times his master's staff, which often has a small bag tied to its head. Race App Name: Magic Miscellanea. Description: Tex does not belong to a race as such, but more a particular category of entity. Magic Miscellanea are creatures born of experimentation and tampering utilizing arcane energies. There is thus no particular continuity between them, save for their common origin. In a world full of wizards and other magic users, there are bound to be many aberrations running about, some more readily integrated into society than others. They are often scorned or distrusted in less accepting parts of the world. It's a not unearned reputation, given the destructive habits of the majority of Magic Miscellanea. The more peaceable examples tend to be cosmopolitans, generally never allowing themselves to get anchored to any one place or identity.</s> <\|message\|>Lynx "How about you come up to my room, get some warm clothes and some dinner? It's on me." The woman said, to Lynxs great surprise. Other people might've suspected foul play but she had a kind heart and wanted to trust people. She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'd like that very much!" she said.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex shifted about behind the curtains of his small stage impatiently, more than once taking peeks out from behind the veil. It had never crossed his mind to check with the relevant authorities for the regulations and fees associated with suddenly occupying a section of the town for a performance. He hadn't even rented the stage; it was merely one of his conjurations. His ears drooped as he inwardly hoped that the magic wouldn't fail again. The stage had disappeared beneath his feet during his last venture. He was so embarrassed by that travesty that he had relocated to the opposite side of the city, Owlsbrook, for his next whack at it. From his brief glances, he had noticed the turnout this time around was somewhat larger than his last crowd, which didn't help assuage his anxieties. But what had drawn even more of them this time around? Was it the fancy illusionary sign that hovered above the venue, declaring "Come See: Tex Errant, Magician Extraordinaire"? Were the denizens of this section of the city just more fascinated by magic and other such novelties? He could not know for sure, but if it paid off, a larger audience was, of course, better. More pockets and pouches to empty out was never a bad thing. Once the swarm of observers had swollen to a size he deemed ideal and he had steeled his nerves, he readied himself. He shifted the curtains aside with a whispered incantation, and with that, his show began. He wandered out to the front of the stage, a broad grin displayed. "Ladies, gentlemen, children, and all, welcome. I am, of course, Tex Errant." He gave an exaggerated bow. When he rose again, he clapped his hands. A colourful puff of smoke enveloped him and the stage was suddenly shrouded in darkness. This drew some concerned but intrigued sounds from his audience. With a creaking sound, a miniature sun rolled along the back wall of the stage, shedding away the darkness, revealing a clear blue sky spread across the backdrop. As the stage was once again illuminated, it was revealed that the top surface of the stage platform had been replaced with a small body of water. Floating in its center was an equally small boat. Standing inside of it was the disproportionately large Tex, who was scanning left and right with a hand extended to shield his eyes from the sun. Amused murmurs escaped the crowd. "Ahhh yes. The ocean!" Tex enthusiastically began. "Adventure, romance, freedom. These are the words it conjures in my mind." He continued, turning to face the audience. He suddenly extended an index finger in front of him. "But, it also makes me think of the countless tales of the legendary Captain Aldous and his equally legendary vessel, the Parsimonious." "But where would he be today, after all, without his crew?" As he listed off the central characters in his story he was about to regale them with, he conjured illusions of each before them. "No-Luck Nathaniel, who, despite his appellation, was quite lucky... to leave the grips of a mighty kraken with at least two of his limbs still in place. Cory the Incorrigible, the irrepressible pest, who is nonetheless possessed of an innate insight when it comes to matters pertaining to all manners of seabird. Luscious Lucy, whose... characteristics it just wouldn't be right to tell you all today, what with kids in the audience." At that last character, he grinned sheepishly, then continued. However, midway through his next character introduction, he was abruptly cut off by a sudden commotion. Several guards were parting the crowd as they charged towards the stage and Tex. "There's that damn cat again!" One cried. "You've got a lot of nerve! We told you before that you need a permit!" Tex stumbled about with surprise and terror, rocking his boat about wildly. As the illusory water splashed up at his ankles, he squeaked with fright, his tail curling between his legs. As they were just about to climb onto the stage, he drew the curtains shut. The stage suddenly shrank and vanished in a flash of light. Tex had evaded his irritated pursuers once again. His crowd had lingered, just to see what all the fuss was about, but with no Tex and no show, they lost interest and thereafter dispersed. Tex wasn't having a particularly grand time in Areapolis so far, it appeared.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "Alright" Henna said and pointed at the bar behind her with her thumb, "You stay here and I'll get us something to eat. Back in a minute." That went surprisingly quick and smooth. In Hennas experience, people usually didn't trust that quick. Especially not towards trollkin. Then again, if you'd been swimming at random in the river, which Henna assumed the elf had been doing, and ended up far from where you'd intended, which Henna assumed the elf had done, you'd probably be pretty glad to hear a stranger offer you clothes and food. Especially happy if it was for free. Made Henna wonder why she was doing it, this wasn't really her style. But she needed the company, needed to talk to someone who didn't spit on her for being born a trollkin, or tried to get into her breeches cheaply because of the same reason. Reaching the bar, she signaled to Burna, the great big bastard of a barkeeper, that she wanted to plates of whatever. Luckily for her, Burna had a little crush on her and usually gave her food for free. Turning around to look at the guests around her, Henna found herself catching a staggering human man who stumbled into her. She pushed him off her, and watched as he was knocked out cold by a savage right hook from a big armored woman. She felt something hit her face, and then her foot, and looked down to see what it was. A tooth. Not one of hers, luckily. The beaten mans, then. Touching her face and looking at her fingertips, she saw blood. She closed her eyes and shivered slightly. Disgusting.</s> <\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf "Yah! Hit 'er again Maevus!" "Teach the bloody slang a hic lesson!" How typical of them all to be on his side, all shouting derogatory and slanderous remarks towards the armored woman, but not a single damned one she could understand as they were all nothing but drunkenly slurred. Nevertheless, no matter how much they egged on their inebriated companion Maevus, he was about to be down for the count. Talaran's fists continued to bash his face into a bloody, bruised mess of red and purple, his rotten teeth flying to and fro from his busted mouth and blood pouring from his nose a crimson river. Finally, the man tried to deliver one final blow, but Talaran being the more superior fighter,she dove under his swing and gave her final blow right into his battered face with a sickening crack of his jaw in two. Soon, he fell before her like a downed cedar with a heavy thud against the floor. "That'll learn ye....ye smelly bastard." Talaran breathed harsh and cracked her nose back in place with a pained grunt, wiping his filthy blood off her face and sitting down. A shame, the fight must've scared off that beauty she was wooing a moment ago. Oh well, the thrill of a good brawl made up for it.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. With a loud popping sound and lightning flash, Tex suddenly rematerialized in an alleyway. He wasn't too picky about his destination, with his only concern being the escape. However, he found that he was a few feet above the ground when he reentered the physical realm. Tex fell face first against the stones below him with a dull thwack. His hat joined him shortly after as it gradually drifted to ground next to him. With a grunt he pried himself up out of the dust and glanced around. To his dismay, he wasn't the only occupant of the alley. Deeper in were a couple doing... something. Too poor to afford a room, or perhaps fans of unusual scenery, he figured. This was the extent of his consideration of the scene as he hastily scrambled to his feet, snatched his hat, and made his second escape of the hour. As he emerged onto the street, he examined the front of this establishment random chance had dropped him at the side of. He tugged his hat back onto his head with both hands as a sigh escaped him, his gaze fixed on the sign before the building. "Giulias House of Leisure." A brothel. Lovely. He brushed the dirt off himself and shook his head. What a day. As he spun about to head on his way, his keen hearing detected quite a commotion within, reinvigorating his attention. He shifted up against the wall as he began to eavesdrop.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah A thud in the alleyway startled Zeetah, who stopped short of opening the door. He leaned back to see what could have made the noise only to see a man... no, not a man, a... Cat? Zeetah had never seen a cat-man before, and his curiosity overwhelmed him as he walked toward the cat-man, head unconsciously cocked to the side and mouth slightly agape. "Uh... Excuse me. Hi! I'm sorry, but... Oh my, I'm so sorry to ask like this, but... Sir, what... are you?" Suddenly Zeetah flipped extravagantly away from the building to avoid the loud crash and shatter of glass as a bloodied shell of a man flew out the window and plopped onto the ground, unmoving.</s>	<\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex blinked, then froze as his eyes drew in the visage of what was to him an equally unfamiliar creature. He was so focused on him that he merely sidestepped out of the path of the man who had been sent hurtling through the glass. His eyes widened at the impressive maneuvers the frog had taken to evade the downed man. His stare was only broken for a brief moment as he checked himself over for any glass that may have embedded in him. Fortunately, it had not, so back to the frog creature his attention went. He shook his head and finally spoke. "Only slight amounts of offense taken!" He chuckled. "I mean, after all, there are oh so many weird and wonderful things that wander this world, and I can hardly expect you to have seen 'em all." He said as he drew closer. "I'm Tex. Wizard, wanderer, magically fashioned cat-man, performer, philanthropist, visionary, possibly wanted by the city watch for things I -swear- I didn't know about at the time, and all around not particularly thrilled today, really." He rubbed his chin as he regarded the frog again, leaning back on a heel. "Now, as for what -you- are, I can tell you right now: fascinatingly skilled. I've not seen anything move quite like you since... ever, really."</s>
<\|description\|>Tex Errant. Character App Race: Enchanted cat-form familiar/Magic Miscellanea. Gender: Male. Age: 21 Description: Tex was for most of his life the familiar of the great wizard Tessegnach. Tessegnach, despite his fame and prowess, much preferred a life of seclusion and never ventured far from his tower, where Tex was his sole companion. As he grew so old that even his mighty sorcery was unable to sustain his presence in the land of the living for much longer, he desperately sought an apprentice upon which he could impart his secrets and legacy. However, in his many decades of isolation, Tessegnach had grown quite paranoid of outsiders. Instead, an unusual solution came to mind. Tessegnach was a master of alterative magic. The surreal environs, flora and fauna found around his tower remain today a testament to the potency of his craft. He ultimately decided that Tex, his faithful servant, would inherit all that was his. However, while Tex was undoubtedly magically gifted, in the form of a four legged cat, he would not be able to serve as Tessegnach's successor so well. So the somewhat mad Tessegnach saw to it that Tex would be imbued with a more suitable form. The experiment was a success. From then on Tex has resembled a humanoid with feline features. He is cloaked from head to toe with black fur with a white underbelly. Tex has maintained his tail and a head much resembling that of a cat's. He is of a lithe frame and stands at about 5'5". His eyes are a faintly glowing lemon quartz hue. Tex proved to be an apt, eager pupil. While in his former life he was more than capable of conjuring a spell or two, his new form facilitated the gestures and other rituals used to invoke more advanced magic. While certainly not as skilled as his master, Tex himself grew to be quite adept at the craft. Soon enough, the inevitable occurred, and Tessegnach at last passed away. The tower and all of its contents now belonged to Tex, and still does today. However, his feline nature prohibits him from living the isolated life of his predecessor. With curiosity and wanderlust gnawing at him always, he periodically embarks on trips from his tower to where ever his fascination pulls him. In his studying he came across many mentions of the vast city of "Areapolis." Drawn by tales of its grandeur, it is here that he today seeks whatever opportunities and adventures await. While he still holds the utmost respect for his master, he tends to downplay his connection to the legendary man, eager for an opportunity to prove himself on his own individual merits. However, one thing Tessegnach never got around to teaching Tex in his youth was restraint. His susceptibility to whim also applies to his (mis)usage of his magic. While he knows better than to do anything particularly extreme, he is particularly fond of pranks and other mischief. He also has a great deal of difficulty making heads or tails of rules, laws and other obligations, and often gets in hot water for not paying them much mind. Apparel: He wears a mostly dark blue outfit consisting of a signature broad-rimmed, pointed wizard hat, a coat with a high collar, an undershirt, knickerbockers and pointed boots with tips that curl ever so slightly upwards. He carries with him at all times his master's staff, which often has a small bag tied to its head. Race App Name: Magic Miscellanea. Description: Tex does not belong to a race as such, but more a particular category of entity. Magic Miscellanea are creatures born of experimentation and tampering utilizing arcane energies. There is thus no particular continuity between them, save for their common origin. In a world full of wizards and other magic users, there are bound to be many aberrations running about, some more readily integrated into society than others. They are often scorned or distrusted in less accepting parts of the world. It's a not unearned reputation, given the destructive habits of the majority of Magic Miscellanea. The more peaceable examples tend to be cosmopolitans, generally never allowing themselves to get anchored to any one place or identity.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "Alright" Henna said and pointed at the bar behind her with her thumb, "You stay here and I'll get us something to eat. Back in a minute." That went surprisingly quick and smooth. In Hennas experience, people usually didn't trust that quick. Especially not towards trollkin. Then again, if you'd been swimming at random in the river, which Henna assumed the elf had been doing, and ended up far from where you'd intended, which Henna assumed the elf had done, you'd probably be pretty glad to hear a stranger offer you clothes and food. Especially happy if it was for free. Made Henna wonder why she was doing it, this wasn't really her style. But she needed the company, needed to talk to someone who didn't spit on her for being born a trollkin, or tried to get into her breeches cheaply because of the same reason. Reaching the bar, she signaled to Burna, the great big bastard of a barkeeper, that she wanted to plates of whatever. Luckily for her, Burna had a little crush on her and usually gave her food for free. Turning around to look at the guests around her, Henna found herself catching a staggering human man who stumbled into her. She pushed him off her, and watched as he was knocked out cold by a savage right hook from a big armored woman. She felt something hit her face, and then her foot, and looked down to see what it was. A tooth. Not one of hers, luckily. The beaten mans, then. Touching her face and looking at her fingertips, she saw blood. She closed her eyes and shivered slightly. Disgusting.</s> <\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf "Yah! Hit 'er again Maevus!" "Teach the bloody slang a hic lesson!" How typical of them all to be on his side, all shouting derogatory and slanderous remarks towards the armored woman, but not a single damned one she could understand as they were all nothing but drunkenly slurred. Nevertheless, no matter how much they egged on their inebriated companion Maevus, he was about to be down for the count. Talaran's fists continued to bash his face into a bloody, bruised mess of red and purple, his rotten teeth flying to and fro from his busted mouth and blood pouring from his nose a crimson river. Finally, the man tried to deliver one final blow, but Talaran being the more superior fighter,she dove under his swing and gave her final blow right into his battered face with a sickening crack of his jaw in two. Soon, he fell before her like a downed cedar with a heavy thud against the floor. "That'll learn ye....ye smelly bastard." Talaran breathed harsh and cracked her nose back in place with a pained grunt, wiping his filthy blood off her face and sitting down. A shame, the fight must've scared off that beauty she was wooing a moment ago. Oh well, the thrill of a good brawl made up for it.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. With a loud popping sound and lightning flash, Tex suddenly rematerialized in an alleyway. He wasn't too picky about his destination, with his only concern being the escape. However, he found that he was a few feet above the ground when he reentered the physical realm. Tex fell face first against the stones below him with a dull thwack. His hat joined him shortly after as it gradually drifted to ground next to him. With a grunt he pried himself up out of the dust and glanced around. To his dismay, he wasn't the only occupant of the alley. Deeper in were a couple doing... something. Too poor to afford a room, or perhaps fans of unusual scenery, he figured. This was the extent of his consideration of the scene as he hastily scrambled to his feet, snatched his hat, and made his second escape of the hour. As he emerged onto the street, he examined the front of this establishment random chance had dropped him at the side of. He tugged his hat back onto his head with both hands as a sigh escaped him, his gaze fixed on the sign before the building. "Giulias House of Leisure." A brothel. Lovely. He brushed the dirt off himself and shook his head. What a day. As he spun about to head on his way, his keen hearing detected quite a commotion within, reinvigorating his attention. He shifted up against the wall as he began to eavesdrop.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah A thud in the alleyway startled Zeetah, who stopped short of opening the door. He leaned back to see what could have made the noise only to see a man... no, not a man, a... Cat? Zeetah had never seen a cat-man before, and his curiosity overwhelmed him as he walked toward the cat-man, head unconsciously cocked to the side and mouth slightly agape. "Uh... Excuse me. Hi! I'm sorry, but... Oh my, I'm so sorry to ask like this, but... Sir, what... are you?" Suddenly Zeetah flipped extravagantly away from the building to avoid the loud crash and shatter of glass as a bloodied shell of a man flew out the window and plopped onto the ground, unmoving.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex blinked, then froze as his eyes drew in the visage of what was to him an equally unfamiliar creature. He was so focused on him that he merely sidestepped out of the path of the man who had been sent hurtling through the glass. His eyes widened at the impressive maneuvers the frog had taken to evade the downed man. His stare was only broken for a brief moment as he checked himself over for any glass that may have embedded in him. Fortunately, it had not, so back to the frog creature his attention went. He shook his head and finally spoke. "Only slight amounts of offense taken!" He chuckled. "I mean, after all, there are oh so many weird and wonderful things that wander this world, and I can hardly expect you to have seen 'em all." He said as he drew closer. "I'm Tex. Wizard, wanderer, magically fashioned cat-man, performer, philanthropist, visionary, possibly wanted by the city watch for things I -swear- I didn't know about at the time, and all around not particularly thrilled today, really." He rubbed his chin as he regarded the frog again, leaning back on a heel. "Now, as for what -you- are, I can tell you right now: fascinatingly skilled. I've not seen anything move quite like you since... ever, really."</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Ah, it's nothing. But I guess it is something for someone who hasn't been raised as an acrobat!" Zeetah corrected himself, muttering "Gotta remember not everyone's an acrobat, Zeet, come on," under his breath. "So what brings you to the slums? I don't really know what this place is, but it's warm and crowded. But," he paused, looking down at the man, "now I'm not sure I want to be in there... Hey, you think this guy's got any money?" Zeetah crouched down over the unconscious man, checking his pockets but ultimately finding nothing.</s>	<\|message\|>Tex Errant. The cat reached a hand back to scratch at his neck as he considered the frog's words. "Well, uh I went from walking on four legs to two legs, so any sort of motion that tops that tends to be a bit impressive--" He coughed into a fist and stopped himself. "Brings me to the slums?" He repeated, evidently confused. He placed his hands on his hips and glanced around, surveying his surroundings. He winced, then chewed his lower lip in contemplation. "It certainly does appear to be a slum, now you mention it. huh." He murmured. He gave an exaggerated shrug. "Just kinda... dropped in, I guess. I was in a really, really big hurry and cast a teleportation spell, without any particular thought for any actual destination. Quite foolish, that. It could have ended in oh so many bad ways. To name a few, one possibility was me getting trapped in another plane of existence, or, another fun one, getting spewed all over that wall there like the insides spurted out of a crushed tomato--" He once again fake coughed, clearly realizing he was perhaps going a bit too into detail. He turned his head downwards to examine the wounded man. "He doesn't look particularly loaded. Especially unlikely, given this is a slum, come to think of it." He pondered out loud. He blinked. "Well, what are you waiting for? He's only going to be unconscious for so long." He laughed, perhaps a bit worryingly amused by the prospect.</s>
<\|description\|>Tex Errant. Character App Race: Enchanted cat-form familiar/Magic Miscellanea. Gender: Male. Age: 21 Description: Tex was for most of his life the familiar of the great wizard Tessegnach. Tessegnach, despite his fame and prowess, much preferred a life of seclusion and never ventured far from his tower, where Tex was his sole companion. As he grew so old that even his mighty sorcery was unable to sustain his presence in the land of the living for much longer, he desperately sought an apprentice upon which he could impart his secrets and legacy. However, in his many decades of isolation, Tessegnach had grown quite paranoid of outsiders. Instead, an unusual solution came to mind. Tessegnach was a master of alterative magic. The surreal environs, flora and fauna found around his tower remain today a testament to the potency of his craft. He ultimately decided that Tex, his faithful servant, would inherit all that was his. However, while Tex was undoubtedly magically gifted, in the form of a four legged cat, he would not be able to serve as Tessegnach's successor so well. So the somewhat mad Tessegnach saw to it that Tex would be imbued with a more suitable form. The experiment was a success. From then on Tex has resembled a humanoid with feline features. He is cloaked from head to toe with black fur with a white underbelly. Tex has maintained his tail and a head much resembling that of a cat's. He is of a lithe frame and stands at about 5'5". His eyes are a faintly glowing lemon quartz hue. Tex proved to be an apt, eager pupil. While in his former life he was more than capable of conjuring a spell or two, his new form facilitated the gestures and other rituals used to invoke more advanced magic. While certainly not as skilled as his master, Tex himself grew to be quite adept at the craft. Soon enough, the inevitable occurred, and Tessegnach at last passed away. The tower and all of its contents now belonged to Tex, and still does today. However, his feline nature prohibits him from living the isolated life of his predecessor. With curiosity and wanderlust gnawing at him always, he periodically embarks on trips from his tower to where ever his fascination pulls him. In his studying he came across many mentions of the vast city of "Areapolis." Drawn by tales of its grandeur, it is here that he today seeks whatever opportunities and adventures await. While he still holds the utmost respect for his master, he tends to downplay his connection to the legendary man, eager for an opportunity to prove himself on his own individual merits. However, one thing Tessegnach never got around to teaching Tex in his youth was restraint. His susceptibility to whim also applies to his (mis)usage of his magic. While he knows better than to do anything particularly extreme, he is particularly fond of pranks and other mischief. He also has a great deal of difficulty making heads or tails of rules, laws and other obligations, and often gets in hot water for not paying them much mind. Apparel: He wears a mostly dark blue outfit consisting of a signature broad-rimmed, pointed wizard hat, a coat with a high collar, an undershirt, knickerbockers and pointed boots with tips that curl ever so slightly upwards. He carries with him at all times his master's staff, which often has a small bag tied to its head. Race App Name: Magic Miscellanea. Description: Tex does not belong to a race as such, but more a particular category of entity. Magic Miscellanea are creatures born of experimentation and tampering utilizing arcane energies. There is thus no particular continuity between them, save for their common origin. In a world full of wizards and other magic users, there are bound to be many aberrations running about, some more readily integrated into society than others. They are often scorned or distrusted in less accepting parts of the world. It's a not unearned reputation, given the destructive habits of the majority of Magic Miscellanea. The more peaceable examples tend to be cosmopolitans, generally never allowing themselves to get anchored to any one place or identity.</s> <\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn In the richer circles of the city, stood and area known as the Lane of Gods. Running almost the length of Areopolis, perpendicular to the river, it was a row of great and lavish temples and churches, built to honour the many deities worshipped in areopolis. As a gathering point and central trading area between many of the great civilisations that adorned the modern world, Areopolis had come to adopt centres for almost every religion on the face of the planet. And as one would walk down this great road, their eyes would be assaulted by great arrays of splendour and beauty, each house of worship struggling to outdo the others. On the northern edges of the Lane of Gods was a relatively new addition, consturcted over the course of 3 years, and finished just 20 years before. A pillar reaching towards the heaven, a monolithic structure of pure marble. Through it ran veins of obsidian, perfectly incorporated with magic, depicting runes and images, all converging into a single star-shaped symbol in the centre, the official Crest of the Infinite Empire, and the symbol of the Blessed of Trazyn. Within the temple, sitting on a large and highly comfortable cushioned chair was Alice, tiny little legs kicking as she heard the words of the priests. Her eyes slowly moved across the faces, their pupils black as night. It seemed like the Council had rejected the Infinite Empire's rights to host a larger guard, despite the fact that the limits placed upon the Blessed of Trazyn were greater than those placed on the other religions. It was understandable, to an extent. They had no certainty of action, they lacked the direction that graced the lives of the faithful, and feared that they did not know. And those with long memories could still remember when the Blessed had been a scourge on the world, the Dark Crusade cutting a swath of destruction across the land. Of course, it would all change, the tables would turn. A new page was turned in the Book of Time, and the script had been written, it would not be long before the Council would acknowledge Trazyn as the greatest of the Gods. Those lesser deities, clutching at their Earthly thrones with trembling hands, they already knew what was upon them. The end of the strife and terror that they had sowed, the beginning of a time of great unification. As it had been foretold over a thousand years ago, all life would acknowledge Trazyn, and Trazyn would once more be lord over all creation. Smiling, Alice held up a hand, silencing the priests. "ja'Lir, there's a whorehouse in the Tall District. There, find the human with troll's blood. Tell her to give the elf the glass." "To give the elf the glass?" Faithful as always, Ja'Lir knew not to question Alice's statements. When Alice spoke, it was as if the words had come from the mouth of Trazyn himself, and was to be treated as such. If he followed her words, they would lead the Blessed into an age of greater prosperity, they always did. Without her wisdom they would all be doomed. Alice gave a small confirmatory nod, and watched as her loyal guard walked out the door. He would do as she had asked, she knew that much, and she already knew that the trollkin would concede. The vision she had received was a beautiful one, where the Blessed would spread their Gifts to all of Areopolis, and that those who suffered would accept it. ------------------------------ Several miles to the North a great wyvern walked. Massive thrice-clawed feet dug deep gouges into the stone. The light of day reflected off of it's sleek, scaled form, it's wings unfolding as it stretched. Bones snapped beneath it's tread, as it carefully licked the blood from it's side, reptilian eyes darting around. Flames burned around it, among the heaps of piled stones and corpses, those that had been too mangled or burnt to eat. It's head rose, as it stared into the distance, towards the great city of Areapolis, smoke rising from the hundreds of houses within. As it stepped through the remains of the village, it felt it's hunger yet to be stilled. It snorted, noxious fumes rising in the warm daylight, a long tongue running across the double row of serrated teeth. It's great wings unfurled, slightly translucent green membranes stretching out, cleaned of the blood that had stained them, arrows almost carefully removed. With a great beat, the body of the great beast rose, inherent magic strengthening the beat and lightening the body, lifting it off the ground. High into the sky rose the wyvern, leaving behind it the scene of it's last meal.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah Zeetah's attention was torn from his furry new acquaintance when what seemed to be a scaly, robed, older version of himself bumped into him, causing him to stumble backward unexpectedly, stepping on some glass in the process. "Ouch! Damnit! Watch where you're going, you--" Zeetah stopped, eyes widening as he got a better look at the Reptil standing before him. He muttered to himself, "A-a Reptil mage! Two magic users to learn from!", composed himself, and stammered, "I-I'm sorry, sir! I've never seen an actual Reptil before! I just... Wow! I've heard stories, but I guess..." he shrugged, "I guess I don't get out much." Zeetah sat down on the stoop of the building he still didn't realize was a brothel to tend to his bleeding webbed foot. "Shit," he breathed as he observed that some of the glass had pierced through the webbing on his right foot, leaving a tear, "that really sucks."</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "It is perfectly fine it was my own fault for now looking where I was walking...again my apologizes..." Zazrioa spoke looking down at him,When he saw the wound in his foot his eyes now looking sympathetic to him.He kneeled down beside him at first looking at his foot before slowly touching them with his scaly hands,"Z'a Mak'el Rid'rul Dhs Opien Baui" He spoke using a bit of his magic to heal the wound on his right foot. "That should heal my brother..." He said to Zeetah now standing up to show his tall figure.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah The tear in Zeetah's foot was completely healed and the pain was completely gone. "Whoa," he said, examining his foot, turning it over in his hands. "That's amazing," he mumbled. He looked up and repeated more clearly, "That is amazing! Where can I learn to do something like that?" He looked at Tex, "Can you do that, too?" He looked back at the Reptil and thrust out his hand, "Zeetah. My name is Zeetah." Glancing back at Tex, he remembered that he hadn't introduced himself and thrust out his other hand toward him, "Uh, right, sorry. You heard my name just now, right? Nice to meet you!"</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "My name is Zazoria...a pleasure to meet to meet you Zeetah..." Zazroia spoke shaking the boy's hand with his own,He smiled knowing that he had done Shasana's work Shasana being the goddess of charity and kindness.He was of course flattered by his reaction making the Reptil blushing a little but luckily for him not that noticeable and wanted to ask if it would be too rude for him to leave since he needed to meet his friend Jade for a upcoming rite.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex folded his arms and nodded as he listened along. He seemed quite intent to observe this fellow magic user and what he was capable of. As he watched him magically heal the wound, he pouted ever so slightly. As Zeetah asked him whether he himself was capable of such things, his head shrunk low ever so slightly, as if some of his previous enthusiasm had been knocked out of him. "I... can't... say I can. Healing magic is, uh, something I never learned, truth be told." He stammered nervously. He suddenly regained his composure, standing upright again. "But, I can teach you teleportation, illusions, some conjuration... oodles of stuff. I--" He cut himself off with one of his coughs. "Oh, right. New company." He extended a hand cautiously towards the new reptilian. "Tex." His right eye glanced over to Zeetah. "Oh, nearly forgot about you..." He extends his other hand to the frog. "Also Tex. Pleased to meet the both of you."</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "A pleasure my fellow brother...are you a magic user also?" Zazoria said shaking the cat person's hand,He was going to ask to leave to meet his fellow kin Jade but did not want to seem rude to two.While they were talking a group of drunken soldiers pasting by one of them bumping into Zazrioa,"Watch it lizard boy..." One of them yelled another looking over at the Reptil. "What look what we have here...a Estrella de Celimna...gonna try to convert me lizard boy" Another man spoke laughing loudly while another grabbed Zazrioa shoulder pushing him to the ground another throwing beer at his robe.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Are you serious about teaching me?" is what Zeetah was about to reply when the drunk soldiers arrived. Without thinking, Zeetah leapt from the ground into the shadows of the brothel's awning to escape the sight of the officers, whom he thought might recognize him from some wanted posters he had seen in the richer parts of the city. His wits returned and he peered over the edge to see what would become of his new magical acquaintances. A small part of him was also hoping that he was about to see a pretty great magic show...</s>	<\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex blinked and glanced around as he suddenly felt the two hands leave his. His eyes widened as he saw the cause of the commotion: soldiers. While his face wasn't yet plastered all over the city as Zeetah's was, the notion that they might know of his earlier infractions was, of course, a cause for concern! He increased the distance between him and Zazoria as the soldiers came closer. He could only wince as they grabbed the lizard and threw him against the ground. A second wince occurred when that nice robe of Zazoria's got soaked in the soldier's drink. "I've seen quite enough of this...!" He angrily muttered. He suddenly dashed back down the street, shoving himself between the soldiers and the sprawled out reptile. "Hey! No one beats -my- semi-acquaintances I met only about three minutes and thirty-five seconds ago!" He angrily shouted, stabbing an outstretched, accusatory finger towards them. "That was also a waste of a perfectly good drink! More over, no one is dumb enough to draw the wrath of a wizard--" While his threat started off solidly enough, when he reached for his staff, he froze when he realized it was actually no longer secure in the hoops of its harness that wrapped around Tex's torso diagonally like a bandolier. "Oh god where is it?" He thought to himself, his expression becoming one of obvious fright. He held his hands out before him as he stepped back, nearly tripping over the very person he tried to stand up for. "H-hey w-wait... w... we can talk about this!" He pleaded.</s>
<\|description\|>Tex Errant. Character App Race: Enchanted cat-form familiar/Magic Miscellanea. Gender: Male. Age: 21 Description: Tex was for most of his life the familiar of the great wizard Tessegnach. Tessegnach, despite his fame and prowess, much preferred a life of seclusion and never ventured far from his tower, where Tex was his sole companion. As he grew so old that even his mighty sorcery was unable to sustain his presence in the land of the living for much longer, he desperately sought an apprentice upon which he could impart his secrets and legacy. However, in his many decades of isolation, Tessegnach had grown quite paranoid of outsiders. Instead, an unusual solution came to mind. Tessegnach was a master of alterative magic. The surreal environs, flora and fauna found around his tower remain today a testament to the potency of his craft. He ultimately decided that Tex, his faithful servant, would inherit all that was his. However, while Tex was undoubtedly magically gifted, in the form of a four legged cat, he would not be able to serve as Tessegnach's successor so well. So the somewhat mad Tessegnach saw to it that Tex would be imbued with a more suitable form. The experiment was a success. From then on Tex has resembled a humanoid with feline features. He is cloaked from head to toe with black fur with a white underbelly. Tex has maintained his tail and a head much resembling that of a cat's. He is of a lithe frame and stands at about 5'5". His eyes are a faintly glowing lemon quartz hue. Tex proved to be an apt, eager pupil. While in his former life he was more than capable of conjuring a spell or two, his new form facilitated the gestures and other rituals used to invoke more advanced magic. While certainly not as skilled as his master, Tex himself grew to be quite adept at the craft. Soon enough, the inevitable occurred, and Tessegnach at last passed away. The tower and all of its contents now belonged to Tex, and still does today. However, his feline nature prohibits him from living the isolated life of his predecessor. With curiosity and wanderlust gnawing at him always, he periodically embarks on trips from his tower to where ever his fascination pulls him. In his studying he came across many mentions of the vast city of "Areapolis." Drawn by tales of its grandeur, it is here that he today seeks whatever opportunities and adventures await. While he still holds the utmost respect for his master, he tends to downplay his connection to the legendary man, eager for an opportunity to prove himself on his own individual merits. However, one thing Tessegnach never got around to teaching Tex in his youth was restraint. His susceptibility to whim also applies to his (mis)usage of his magic. While he knows better than to do anything particularly extreme, he is particularly fond of pranks and other mischief. He also has a great deal of difficulty making heads or tails of rules, laws and other obligations, and often gets in hot water for not paying them much mind. Apparel: He wears a mostly dark blue outfit consisting of a signature broad-rimmed, pointed wizard hat, a coat with a high collar, an undershirt, knickerbockers and pointed boots with tips that curl ever so slightly upwards. He carries with him at all times his master's staff, which often has a small bag tied to its head. Race App Name: Magic Miscellanea. Description: Tex does not belong to a race as such, but more a particular category of entity. Magic Miscellanea are creatures born of experimentation and tampering utilizing arcane energies. There is thus no particular continuity between them, save for their common origin. In a world full of wizards and other magic users, there are bound to be many aberrations running about, some more readily integrated into society than others. They are often scorned or distrusted in less accepting parts of the world. It's a not unearned reputation, given the destructive habits of the majority of Magic Miscellanea. The more peaceable examples tend to be cosmopolitans, generally never allowing themselves to get anchored to any one place or identity.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex hurried along at the frog man's instruction, seemingly sharing his sentiments entirely. As he rushed alongside him, he spoke in brief spurts of conversation. "As for teaching you magic... it'd take quite a while for you to be as proficient as me, but... I'd be willing to give it a shot. Wish I knew where my staff went, though." He gestured for Zeetah to pause and turned to him. "You didn't happen to see it sitting around the alleyway, did you? It's not 100% necessary, but it does make spellcasting quicker and easier, which means a big deal when you've got a bunch of soldiers several inches away, staring you down with swords in their hands. If they were a little farther away, I could have flung a fireball at them before they got close, no problem."</s> <\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Most who were granted the Gift of magic chose to use it flashily. Having lived without magic, they wished to display their new capabilities at their fullest. A popular technique was to light your sword with eldritch flame. They didn't seem to realize that, on the whole, if you had stabbed something, the fire wasn't going to do much extra. Fireballs, beams of eldritch energy, grasping claws conjured from the darkness, or great bursts of burning light. Amusingly enough, the Infinite Empire's army had transformed into some form of terrifyingly lethal light show, with all the fire, lasers, and glowing orbs of wrath. Few truly recognized the sheer power not of simply applying strength, but applying it where it was needed. To control one's Gift with subtle precision, to only do as much as was needed for the situation. Alice closed her ink black eyes, focusing. She could feel the humming magic moving through her, a miracle delivered directly from Tazyn, to guide His followers. And as His scheme unfolded before her mind, she simply guided, placing the power where it was needed, with the precision and skill necessary for a Prophet. Even though even she could not yet see the end of this glorious plan, her faith was strong. For her God was with her, guiding her every action, her every thought. ------------------------------ Soaring through the clouds, propelled at seemingly impossible speeds for it's great mass, the wyvern observed the city below it. As a being born from magic, it could feel the magic far below, and even it's primitive animal instincts recognized the danger. There was, of course, far easier prey to hunt, the kind of prey that didn't throw fireballs, and whom's claws were not made of iron. And yet, even as it's great eyes flashed briefly black, it started angling downward. For below, it could suddenly smell the tastiest of prey. It knew that below was a buffet, something it had never tasted before. With the promise of food on it's tongue, the beast descended on the Tall, townsfolk and soldier alike fleeing from the area, mothers carrying children, children carrying smaller children. Those who could not walk, and were not carried, simply crawled, or cried in terror, as they beheld the beast, the Wyvern. A majestic beast, it's scales shining golden in the light of the afternoon sun, it's eyes of bright red glaring down, selecting it's prey, and identifying the dangerous ones. It's two wings even now were unfurled, a pair of long hooked claws at the end of each, aiding to hold it in place. It's tail extended fair backwards, growing thin, until it ended into a great barbed point, containing an arcane toxin unique to Wyvern-kind. Great talons crashed through the feeble wooden roof of the slum it had chosen to land on, as it beat it's wings to prevent itself from falling into the water. The Wyvern threw it's head into the air, stretching it's neck, fanged jaws parting as it unleashed a call, like an abominable mixture between the howl of a wolf and the shriek of a banshee, a hundredfold louder. And yet, even as hundreds fled the area, a single figure came stalking towards the dragon, clad in great armor, and bearing one of the legendary Swords of the North. Turning it's great head, the beast observed the tall humanoid, teeth bared, turning to face this new threat. ------------- Throughout the city, the word had spread, and with it a wind of terror, partly natural, and partly magical in nature. An enhanced panic, as people fled the area en masse, the Royal Guard retreating to guard the Noble Houses, the Mage Guild forming a great shield, the Priests of Ashyr activating the great metal golems that guarded their gates, massive bronze swords held at the ready. And yet, across the city, the doors to taverns are kicked over, many proceeding to skid over the floor. Figures of all races, scarred by a hundred battles, stepped out from the darkness. Men with armor forged from the bones of Manticors, Elves whom's bows had received the blessings of forgotten Gods, great mages wielding eldritch fires of pure might. Adventurers, those brave souls who had always been in abundance in a world of such dangers as Wyverns. Problem solvers, monster hunters, dungeon delvers, grave robbers, and thrill seekers, those who had seen the maw of the world, and survived it. And as each reached for their blades, a wave of dark magic washed through them. Each would wish for the bounty on the dragon's head, and each would wish it for themselves. Greed, pride, wrath..... they burned freely in the eyes of those who only moments before had rallied in the face of danger. And as spells flew, and swords thrust, it was not the dragon that was their target. Yet, it was the most capable warriors of the land, slaying one another in cold blood. Those mages and priests who had felt the magic sweep through the city could only gaze on in abject horror as the bloodshed commenced. --------------------- Upon the Throne of Stars, sat a small girl, a smile on her face. Soon, the authorities of this city would be toppled, and the prophecies of her master would come to pass. For it took only the smallest push to set the world's end in motion, if only one knew where to press. And Areopolis, the commercial and religious center of most of the civilized world, was the perfect place to begin.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "I apologize for my...rash behavior my brother I did not want to jailed or worse murdered...besides they will not harm me since all I did was scare them..." Zazoria stopped for a moment turning to face Tex,Although he did not want any trouble with the unexpectedly he would get it without even knowing it was going to happen. Another larger group of guards were coming close their armored feet stomping loudly against the dirt road,Their heavy long swords jiggling around accompanying their footstep."You...Reptil come here you are under arrest..." The commander yelled now a few feet away form them.</s> <\|message\|>Lynx "Do you have any idea what that man was talking about? Because I don't." Lynx could only agree that she didn't know either because she didn't know who the man was or what he meant by "the glass" either. They had been drinking ale from tin cups and as far as she could tell there were no glass objects in the room. When she heard people screaming about a dragon she got all tense and put a hand on her bow in case there was an emergency. Hopefully the city guard would protect the people from the threat because Lynx didn't think she could kill a dragon even though she was a skilled hunter. She usually didn't kill animals because elves thought it wrong to do so and instead only captured them for others if they paid her. She turned to her newfound friend and pointed out the window where all the talk of the dragon came from. "What should we do?" she asked.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "I think we should stay the fuck inside," Henna stated calmly. "There's not much the two of us can do to stop that beast. Better leave it to the heroes." Something suddenly tugged at the trollkins conscience. Frightened though she was, she really wanted to see what was going on. It wasn't everyday you got to see a fight with a dragon. And she could watch it, from the safety of her room even. All she had to do was use the wizards glass. Do it, she heard a voice in her head whisper, sweet as honey. Do it, you know you want to. There was no denying that she did, the need to peer into the mystical mist of the glass suddenly feeling like a craving more than an idea. Come ooon, it purred, Just a little bit. She felt her hand creep closer to the skin she kept it in, slowly but steadily. Just... a little... bit... "Just a little bit" she whispered to herself, and began untying the pouch from her belt. She realized the elf was still there, looking at her. She would see Hennas treasure, but it couldn't be helped, she had to use it now. She could feel her hands getting sweaty with anticipation. She pointed a finger at the elf and beckoned for her to come closer. "Wanna see something special?" she said, her voice a mere whisper, "You'll like this, but you can't tell nobody. Come see!" And with that, she unwrapped the skin and presented the orb on the floor. She whispered the secret words, and light suddenly radiated from the glass, illuminating Hennas face with a pale sheen. Inside it, a monstrous creature could be seen shrieking its rage over the rooftops of the city.</s>	<\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex waved a hand dismissively towards Zazoria. "It's all good. I can understand self-preservation." He said. He suddenly paused and span on a heel to face him. "Say, Zazzleman, you haven't happened upon a staff, have you? Long, stick-like, fashioned of dark oak, cool diamond-shaped head with pearl paneling?" He scratched his chin as he thought of more ways to describe it. "Did I say it was stick-like?" His ears suddenly pricked up as he heard the thudding of boots approaching them from down the path. He raised a finger. "Hold that thought." When he turned back around, his eyes somewhat widened at the mass of guards that had some how closed in upon them without Tex's notice. "Oh." He said meekly. He cleared his throat and ventured a slight wave. "Hello there, mister, uh... guard. Are you sure you've got the -right- Reptil? Or are you just harassing any Reptil you see?" He folded his arms and huffed. "That'd not only be a nuisance, but also a tad racist, it would. Areopolis is a vast, multicultural city, and thrives on its diversity, I feel! Intolerance would be like spitting in the punch."</s>
<\|description\|>Tex Errant. Character App Race: Enchanted cat-form familiar/Magic Miscellanea. Gender: Male. Age: 21 Description: Tex was for most of his life the familiar of the great wizard Tessegnach. Tessegnach, despite his fame and prowess, much preferred a life of seclusion and never ventured far from his tower, where Tex was his sole companion. As he grew so old that even his mighty sorcery was unable to sustain his presence in the land of the living for much longer, he desperately sought an apprentice upon which he could impart his secrets and legacy. However, in his many decades of isolation, Tessegnach had grown quite paranoid of outsiders. Instead, an unusual solution came to mind. Tessegnach was a master of alterative magic. The surreal environs, flora and fauna found around his tower remain today a testament to the potency of his craft. He ultimately decided that Tex, his faithful servant, would inherit all that was his. However, while Tex was undoubtedly magically gifted, in the form of a four legged cat, he would not be able to serve as Tessegnach's successor so well. So the somewhat mad Tessegnach saw to it that Tex would be imbued with a more suitable form. The experiment was a success. From then on Tex has resembled a humanoid with feline features. He is cloaked from head to toe with black fur with a white underbelly. Tex has maintained his tail and a head much resembling that of a cat's. He is of a lithe frame and stands at about 5'5". His eyes are a faintly glowing lemon quartz hue. Tex proved to be an apt, eager pupil. While in his former life he was more than capable of conjuring a spell or two, his new form facilitated the gestures and other rituals used to invoke more advanced magic. While certainly not as skilled as his master, Tex himself grew to be quite adept at the craft. Soon enough, the inevitable occurred, and Tessegnach at last passed away. The tower and all of its contents now belonged to Tex, and still does today. However, his feline nature prohibits him from living the isolated life of his predecessor. With curiosity and wanderlust gnawing at him always, he periodically embarks on trips from his tower to where ever his fascination pulls him. In his studying he came across many mentions of the vast city of "Areapolis." Drawn by tales of its grandeur, it is here that he today seeks whatever opportunities and adventures await. While he still holds the utmost respect for his master, he tends to downplay his connection to the legendary man, eager for an opportunity to prove himself on his own individual merits. However, one thing Tessegnach never got around to teaching Tex in his youth was restraint. His susceptibility to whim also applies to his (mis)usage of his magic. While he knows better than to do anything particularly extreme, he is particularly fond of pranks and other mischief. He also has a great deal of difficulty making heads or tails of rules, laws and other obligations, and often gets in hot water for not paying them much mind. Apparel: He wears a mostly dark blue outfit consisting of a signature broad-rimmed, pointed wizard hat, a coat with a high collar, an undershirt, knickerbockers and pointed boots with tips that curl ever so slightly upwards. He carries with him at all times his master's staff, which often has a small bag tied to its head. Race App Name: Magic Miscellanea. Description: Tex does not belong to a race as such, but more a particular category of entity. Magic Miscellanea are creatures born of experimentation and tampering utilizing arcane energies. There is thus no particular continuity between them, save for their common origin. In a world full of wizards and other magic users, there are bound to be many aberrations running about, some more readily integrated into society than others. They are often scorned or distrusted in less accepting parts of the world. It's a not unearned reputation, given the destructive habits of the majority of Magic Miscellanea. The more peaceable examples tend to be cosmopolitans, generally never allowing themselves to get anchored to any one place or identity.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "I apologize for my...rash behavior my brother I did not want to jailed or worse murdered...besides they will not harm me since all I did was scare them..." Zazoria stopped for a moment turning to face Tex,Although he did not want any trouble with the unexpectedly he would get it without even knowing it was going to happen. Another larger group of guards were coming close their armored feet stomping loudly against the dirt road,Their heavy long swords jiggling around accompanying their footstep."You...Reptil come here you are under arrest..." The commander yelled now a few feet away form them.</s> <\|message\|>Lynx "Do you have any idea what that man was talking about? Because I don't." Lynx could only agree that she didn't know either because she didn't know who the man was or what he meant by "the glass" either. They had been drinking ale from tin cups and as far as she could tell there were no glass objects in the room. When she heard people screaming about a dragon she got all tense and put a hand on her bow in case there was an emergency. Hopefully the city guard would protect the people from the threat because Lynx didn't think she could kill a dragon even though she was a skilled hunter. She usually didn't kill animals because elves thought it wrong to do so and instead only captured them for others if they paid her. She turned to her newfound friend and pointed out the window where all the talk of the dragon came from. "What should we do?" she asked.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "I think we should stay the fuck inside," Henna stated calmly. "There's not much the two of us can do to stop that beast. Better leave it to the heroes." Something suddenly tugged at the trollkins conscience. Frightened though she was, she really wanted to see what was going on. It wasn't everyday you got to see a fight with a dragon. And she could watch it, from the safety of her room even. All she had to do was use the wizards glass. Do it, she heard a voice in her head whisper, sweet as honey. Do it, you know you want to. There was no denying that she did, the need to peer into the mystical mist of the glass suddenly feeling like a craving more than an idea. Come ooon, it purred, Just a little bit. She felt her hand creep closer to the skin she kept it in, slowly but steadily. Just... a little... bit... "Just a little bit" she whispered to herself, and began untying the pouch from her belt. She realized the elf was still there, looking at her. She would see Hennas treasure, but it couldn't be helped, she had to use it now. She could feel her hands getting sweaty with anticipation. She pointed a finger at the elf and beckoned for her to come closer. "Wanna see something special?" she said, her voice a mere whisper, "You'll like this, but you can't tell nobody. Come see!" And with that, she unwrapped the skin and presented the orb on the floor. She whispered the secret words, and light suddenly radiated from the glass, illuminating Hennas face with a pale sheen. Inside it, a monstrous creature could be seen shrieking its rage over the rooftops of the city.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex waved a hand dismissively towards Zazoria. "It's all good. I can understand self-preservation." He said. He suddenly paused and span on a heel to face him. "Say, Zazzleman, you haven't happened upon a staff, have you? Long, stick-like, fashioned of dark oak, cool diamond-shaped head with pearl paneling?" He scratched his chin as he thought of more ways to describe it. "Did I say it was stick-like?" His ears suddenly pricked up as he heard the thudding of boots approaching them from down the path. He raised a finger. "Hold that thought." When he turned back around, his eyes somewhat widened at the mass of guards that had some how closed in upon them without Tex's notice. "Oh." He said meekly. He cleared his throat and ventured a slight wave. "Hello there, mister, uh... guard. Are you sure you've got the -right- Reptil? Or are you just harassing any Reptil you see?" He folded his arms and huffed. "That'd not only be a nuisance, but also a tad racist, it would. Areopolis is a vast, multicultural city, and thrives on its diversity, I feel! Intolerance would be like spitting in the punch."</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "We have orders that he assaulted a commander of the guards....and that is punishable by in imprisonment..." The guards spoke sternly looking down at Tex then looking over to Zazrioa one of the other guards putting his hand to the hilt of his sword,"But form what i heard form eyewitness of the guards that you are somewhat of a...impressive wizard that night be something we could use to defeat the Wryn..." The guard now silently for the guard to not pull out his sword. "A Wryn?how terrible...but if i may ask a question....if i do go help fight this Wryn would i be forgiven of my...little annoyance?" Zazarioa said not really wanting to go to jail for 7 years in Jalbrata a prison in famous for being a hell on earth,"Indeed...we will need all the help we can get with the Wryn and the mass panic that has being going on in the city,Maybe your friends could be some help also...of course you will be paid a good amount..but we would have to speak to the council first..to see if you are fit in our council's eyes..." The guard said and was true that they needed as much help as they could with the many problems going on.</s>	<\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words as he got a firm talking to from the guard. He shrunk closer and closer to the ground with each shouted word. His bold-faced lies seemingly hadn't pulled him through this time, and now he was lost. His ears pricked up with keen interest as they continued, however. He not so subtly slipped over to their side of the road to stand by the commander, abandoning his acquaintances. "Oh? You've heard I'm an impressive wizard, huh? Sure am. Help deal with a Wryn? Sure can!" He enthusiastically responded, preening all the while. "Why, I could deal with five Wryns. I think. Maybe if they were heavily inebriated." Zazroia and Zeetah had entirely left the perfidious cat's attention as he focused on impressing the guards. "I've got a Wryn skull mounted on my mantlepiece back home, come to think of it. Though it had many skulls. Maybe it was a Hydra. Oh, Hydras are plenty scary as well though, aren't they?" As Zazoria expressed his interest in helping the guards on their mission also, Tex briefly scowled, then gave a bright grin, as if his irritated expression was never there in the first place. "Oh, hello again friend! I'd be -glad- to have you aboard!" He said, his enthusiasm not at all faded. He grabbed one of the Reptil's paws with both of his own and shook it briskly. "He's a pretty good wizard himself, y'know?" He called back over his shoulder to the guards. "I'm sure he could also help slay this beast."</s>
<\|description\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Organisation App Almost 130 years ago, a great meteorite struck the Earth in the southern lands of Alm'Zar. Across the world, prophets and mystics sensed a disturbance, and the followers of Trazyn claim that the lesser deities shook on their Earthly thrones. For within the falling star was a being, alien to this world, known only as Trazyn. Possessed of great magical power, it reached out into the minds of those nearby, the loyal guard of the Al'Nuk Empire, and asked for their aid. The guards that entered to investigate came out changed people, claiming to have found the only being worthy of their loyalty and unquestioning devotion. They were the First of Trazyn. The might of the Extraterrestrial God expanded rapidly, as it promised gifts of arcane power and equality to those that would reject their political leaders, and swore fealty to Him alone. And he delivered, mysterious crystals implanted into the body granting magical power to those born without arcane potential. Great armies marched in His name, conquering those who did not come under His rule by their own will through brute force. These were known as the Infinity Crusades, and it was said that the legions of zealots were an unending sea, swarming across the country, twisted by the magic implanted into their souls. However, the World is a big place. The Elves of Lysandor stood firm, proclaiming that Trazyn and the injection of His mysterious arcane power was an abomination. Great battles ensued, but to dislodge the Elves from their ancient forests was impossible. They allied with the remains of the Al'Nuk, as they pushed back, driving against the maddened armies, battling Eldritch powers, aiming to destroy Trazyn himself once and for all. What happened in these wars is the work of many legends. The Al'Nuk were completely wiped out, their cities and holds part of the reformed Infinite Empire. Trazyn halted his great Crusades, having formed a peace treaty with the Elves of Lysandor. The tribes that had once dwelled the plains of Alm'Zar were incorporated into the belief, living in the cities or traveling to far off countries as missionaries, aiming to convert more cities to the world's most feared religion. Today, the Blessed of Trazyn, centered in the Infinite Empire, have spread across the globe, their religion seen in many places as being abominable and terrifying. However, they preach the equality of all under Trazyn, from commoner to noble to king, and have demonstrated this in their own empire. In many cases, the lower classes have rebelled in the name of Trazyn, forming their own city-states far from the Infinite Empire, loyal to Trazyn. Beliefs of the Blessed of Trazyn: - Trazyn is the architect of the universe, the very first magical being. It was He who created the very existence of magic, and it is from this magic that all other beings are born. - All people are equal, for all intelligent beings are the same. To stand one above the other is blasphemy, and only Trazyn and his Prophets have any rights beyond those of normal men and women. This includes the equal division of magic beyond genetic heritage, granting arcane powers to all who wish to have them. - All of nature is owned by the sentient races, and it is theirs to do with as they will, provided they heed the words of Trazyn. - All belongings are equal, and all is to be shared among the entire population. There will be no rich, and there will be no poor, for all are equal in the eyes of Trazyn. Character App Name: Alice Nettlebrush, The Immortal Innocence. Race: Elf Gender: Female Age: 12 Personality: While in many ways Alice acts as a typical 12-year-old, she has certainly been changed by Trazyn. She often knows things she should not have known, and possesses a strange, sly wisdom. She often displays dual personalities, and memories that don't belong to her lifetime. She is generally kind and caring, although she is devoted to Trazyn, seeing her God as part of herself. Due to the crystal implanted into her skull, this might be accurate. History: Coming from the Nettlebrush family, a small family of elves who became a part of the Infinite Empire, Alice's parents opted to send their youngest daughter to become a Priest of Trazyn. She would learn the ways of Trazyn, and preach his name. They did this because they knew the Priests of Trazyn were well treated, and that it wasn't good for elves in the Infinite Empire to be opposed to the Will of Trazyn in any way. Little did they know what would follow. Upon being implanted with her 'Gift', a synthetic crystal that implants some of Trzyn's magic into those born without when implanted into the body, Alice had a vision. It is said that she spoke many secrets, already knowing the 42 Names of Trazyn, and the greatest secrets of where and how Trazyn was kept. Alice was offered a choice by Trazyn Himself, and she chose to become His Prophet, to spread His will and to become a vessel for His power. As such, she became one of the 4 current Prophets of Trazyn. Position: Alice lives in Areopolis, representing Trazyn in this great and powerful city. Here, she leads the Temple of the Infinite, which is both a religious institution, and the embassy for the Infinite Empire. She expresses her Empire and God's wills and stakes in the councils and meetings of the city, and oversees the trade relationships between the Empire and other people. This is an important task, because many are reluctant to deal with the Blessed of Trazyn. Character App Name: Ja'Lir Arian. Gender: Male Age: 47 Race: Human (mostly) Personality: Stern and determined, Ja'Lir is only truly happy when he's doing the work of his Lord. He's an introvert, with a stern face that reveals nothing about him. He revels in doing what he considers the right thing, and places the importance of the 'greater good' far above his own life, happily sacrificing himself to save others. History: Born in the Infinite Empire, Ja'Lir chose the life of the military when it became time for him to choose his occupation. He was trained as a warrior, to fight and die for the glory of Tazir. He became a master at what he did, both in his physical skills and his manipulation of the Gift. As such, he rose through the ranks, earning many medals in the field, fighting off those who would attempt to destroy Tazir. Eventually, through his valor and skill, he was chosen to be the personal guard for Alice, and to represent the Arm of Tazir in Areopolis. He accepted this post gladly. Position: As Alice's Paladin, it is Ja'Lir's duty to ensure her safety, and to kill any who would take her life. He is also responsible for playing his part in the diplomatic relationships between the Infinite Empire and Areopolis, a physical representation of Trazin's armies, a threat through his very existence.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Ah, it's nothing. But I guess it is something for someone who hasn't been raised as an acrobat!" Zeetah corrected himself, muttering "Gotta remember not everyone's an acrobat, Zeet, come on," under his breath. "So what brings you to the slums? I don't really know what this place is, but it's warm and crowded. But," he paused, looking down at the man, "now I'm not sure I want to be in there... Hey, you think this guy's got any money?" Zeetah crouched down over the unconscious man, checking his pockets but ultimately finding nothing.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. The cat reached a hand back to scratch at his neck as he considered the frog's words. "Well, uh I went from walking on four legs to two legs, so any sort of motion that tops that tends to be a bit impressive--" He coughed into a fist and stopped himself. "Brings me to the slums?" He repeated, evidently confused. He placed his hands on his hips and glanced around, surveying his surroundings. He winced, then chewed his lower lip in contemplation. "It certainly does appear to be a slum, now you mention it. huh." He murmured. He gave an exaggerated shrug. "Just kinda... dropped in, I guess. I was in a really, really big hurry and cast a teleportation spell, without any particular thought for any actual destination. Quite foolish, that. It could have ended in oh so many bad ways. To name a few, one possibility was me getting trapped in another plane of existence, or, another fun one, getting spewed all over that wall there like the insides spurted out of a crushed tomato--" He once again fake coughed, clearly realizing he was perhaps going a bit too into detail. He turned his head downwards to examine the wounded man. "He doesn't look particularly loaded. Especially unlikely, given this is a slum, come to think of it." He pondered out loud. He blinked. "Well, what are you waiting for? He's only going to be unconscious for so long." He laughed, perhaps a bit worryingly amused by the prospect.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah Zeetah perked up at the word "spell". He didn't know why, but he had always been interested in magic and always hoped he could learn some tricks. A teleportation spell would be particularly useful, he thought to himself. But he had also heard that Ampharians were never particularly good at magic, or at least, none had ever tried. "So, you said you were a magician or... what? Can you show me something cool? And teach me how to do something?" the frog was unconsciously bouncing in excitement. He felt bad that he was never particularly good at listening or holding a conversation, and he generally went out of his way to interact with people, so he never really had anyone to talk to and had very little experience with conversation as a result. Even still, this was an strange and exciting person with an exciting prospect of magic, so he could make an exception.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa Zazrioa was walking down the dirty slums of Areapolis even though he didn't think it was too dirty although the smell was something but Zazrioa could not smell it,Beggars were all around the area begging and grabbing at the hem of his robes but he did not cringe nor quickly move away form the homeless men and women but kneel beside them praying with them about the Hauke the creator."Cyt'ma Golte Makla Durwa" He spoke to one of the homeless men in a soft whisper holding his warm hand with his own scaly hand,Once he was done he stood up handing him a pamphlet of the Estrella de Celimna walking further down the alleyway. While walking he accidentally bumped into Zeetah with his scaly shoulder,"My apologizes my brother...i did not see you... i was not looking where i was walking... He said in a raspy deep voice.</s>	<\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn In the richer circles of the city, stood and area known as the Lane of Gods. Running almost the length of Areopolis, perpendicular to the river, it was a row of great and lavish temples and churches, built to honour the many deities worshipped in areopolis. As a gathering point and central trading area between many of the great civilisations that adorned the modern world, Areopolis had come to adopt centres for almost every religion on the face of the planet. And as one would walk down this great road, their eyes would be assaulted by great arrays of splendour and beauty, each house of worship struggling to outdo the others. On the northern edges of the Lane of Gods was a relatively new addition, consturcted over the course of 3 years, and finished just 20 years before. A pillar reaching towards the heaven, a monolithic structure of pure marble. Through it ran veins of obsidian, perfectly incorporated with magic, depicting runes and images, all converging into a single star-shaped symbol in the centre, the official Crest of the Infinite Empire, and the symbol of the Blessed of Trazyn. Within the temple, sitting on a large and highly comfortable cushioned chair was Alice, tiny little legs kicking as she heard the words of the priests. Her eyes slowly moved across the faces, their pupils black as night. It seemed like the Council had rejected the Infinite Empire's rights to host a larger guard, despite the fact that the limits placed upon the Blessed of Trazyn were greater than those placed on the other religions. It was understandable, to an extent. They had no certainty of action, they lacked the direction that graced the lives of the faithful, and feared that they did not know. And those with long memories could still remember when the Blessed had been a scourge on the world, the Dark Crusade cutting a swath of destruction across the land. Of course, it would all change, the tables would turn. A new page was turned in the Book of Time, and the script had been written, it would not be long before the Council would acknowledge Trazyn as the greatest of the Gods. Those lesser deities, clutching at their Earthly thrones with trembling hands, they already knew what was upon them. The end of the strife and terror that they had sowed, the beginning of a time of great unification. As it had been foretold over a thousand years ago, all life would acknowledge Trazyn, and Trazyn would once more be lord over all creation. Smiling, Alice held up a hand, silencing the priests. "ja'Lir, there's a whorehouse in the Tall District. There, find the human with troll's blood. Tell her to give the elf the glass." "To give the elf the glass?" Faithful as always, Ja'Lir knew not to question Alice's statements. When Alice spoke, it was as if the words had come from the mouth of Trazyn himself, and was to be treated as such. If he followed her words, they would lead the Blessed into an age of greater prosperity, they always did. Without her wisdom they would all be doomed. Alice gave a small confirmatory nod, and watched as her loyal guard walked out the door. He would do as she had asked, she knew that much, and she already knew that the trollkin would concede. The vision she had received was a beautiful one, where the Blessed would spread their Gifts to all of Areopolis, and that those who suffered would accept it. ------------------------------ Several miles to the North a great wyvern walked. Massive thrice-clawed feet dug deep gouges into the stone. The light of day reflected off of it's sleek, scaled form, it's wings unfolding as it stretched. Bones snapped beneath it's tread, as it carefully licked the blood from it's side, reptilian eyes darting around. Flames burned around it, among the heaps of piled stones and corpses, those that had been too mangled or burnt to eat. It's head rose, as it stared into the distance, towards the great city of Areapolis, smoke rising from the hundreds of houses within. As it stepped through the remains of the village, it felt it's hunger yet to be stilled. It snorted, noxious fumes rising in the warm daylight, a long tongue running across the double row of serrated teeth. It's great wings unfurled, slightly translucent green membranes stretching out, cleaned of the blood that had stained them, arrows almost carefully removed. With a great beat, the body of the great beast rose, inherent magic strengthening the beat and lightening the body, lifting it off the ground. High into the sky rose the wyvern, leaving behind it the scene of it's last meal.</s>
<\|description\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Organisation App Almost 130 years ago, a great meteorite struck the Earth in the southern lands of Alm'Zar. Across the world, prophets and mystics sensed a disturbance, and the followers of Trazyn claim that the lesser deities shook on their Earthly thrones. For within the falling star was a being, alien to this world, known only as Trazyn. Possessed of great magical power, it reached out into the minds of those nearby, the loyal guard of the Al'Nuk Empire, and asked for their aid. The guards that entered to investigate came out changed people, claiming to have found the only being worthy of their loyalty and unquestioning devotion. They were the First of Trazyn. The might of the Extraterrestrial God expanded rapidly, as it promised gifts of arcane power and equality to those that would reject their political leaders, and swore fealty to Him alone. And he delivered, mysterious crystals implanted into the body granting magical power to those born without arcane potential. Great armies marched in His name, conquering those who did not come under His rule by their own will through brute force. These were known as the Infinity Crusades, and it was said that the legions of zealots were an unending sea, swarming across the country, twisted by the magic implanted into their souls. However, the World is a big place. The Elves of Lysandor stood firm, proclaiming that Trazyn and the injection of His mysterious arcane power was an abomination. Great battles ensued, but to dislodge the Elves from their ancient forests was impossible. They allied with the remains of the Al'Nuk, as they pushed back, driving against the maddened armies, battling Eldritch powers, aiming to destroy Trazyn himself once and for all. What happened in these wars is the work of many legends. The Al'Nuk were completely wiped out, their cities and holds part of the reformed Infinite Empire. Trazyn halted his great Crusades, having formed a peace treaty with the Elves of Lysandor. The tribes that had once dwelled the plains of Alm'Zar were incorporated into the belief, living in the cities or traveling to far off countries as missionaries, aiming to convert more cities to the world's most feared religion. Today, the Blessed of Trazyn, centered in the Infinite Empire, have spread across the globe, their religion seen in many places as being abominable and terrifying. However, they preach the equality of all under Trazyn, from commoner to noble to king, and have demonstrated this in their own empire. In many cases, the lower classes have rebelled in the name of Trazyn, forming their own city-states far from the Infinite Empire, loyal to Trazyn. Beliefs of the Blessed of Trazyn: - Trazyn is the architect of the universe, the very first magical being. It was He who created the very existence of magic, and it is from this magic that all other beings are born. - All people are equal, for all intelligent beings are the same. To stand one above the other is blasphemy, and only Trazyn and his Prophets have any rights beyond those of normal men and women. This includes the equal division of magic beyond genetic heritage, granting arcane powers to all who wish to have them. - All of nature is owned by the sentient races, and it is theirs to do with as they will, provided they heed the words of Trazyn. - All belongings are equal, and all is to be shared among the entire population. There will be no rich, and there will be no poor, for all are equal in the eyes of Trazyn. Character App Name: Alice Nettlebrush, The Immortal Innocence. Race: Elf Gender: Female Age: 12 Personality: While in many ways Alice acts as a typical 12-year-old, she has certainly been changed by Trazyn. She often knows things she should not have known, and possesses a strange, sly wisdom. She often displays dual personalities, and memories that don't belong to her lifetime. She is generally kind and caring, although she is devoted to Trazyn, seeing her God as part of herself. Due to the crystal implanted into her skull, this might be accurate. History: Coming from the Nettlebrush family, a small family of elves who became a part of the Infinite Empire, Alice's parents opted to send their youngest daughter to become a Priest of Trazyn. She would learn the ways of Trazyn, and preach his name. They did this because they knew the Priests of Trazyn were well treated, and that it wasn't good for elves in the Infinite Empire to be opposed to the Will of Trazyn in any way. Little did they know what would follow. Upon being implanted with her 'Gift', a synthetic crystal that implants some of Trzyn's magic into those born without when implanted into the body, Alice had a vision. It is said that she spoke many secrets, already knowing the 42 Names of Trazyn, and the greatest secrets of where and how Trazyn was kept. Alice was offered a choice by Trazyn Himself, and she chose to become His Prophet, to spread His will and to become a vessel for His power. As such, she became one of the 4 current Prophets of Trazyn. Position: Alice lives in Areopolis, representing Trazyn in this great and powerful city. Here, she leads the Temple of the Infinite, which is both a religious institution, and the embassy for the Infinite Empire. She expresses her Empire and God's wills and stakes in the councils and meetings of the city, and oversees the trade relationships between the Empire and other people. This is an important task, because many are reluctant to deal with the Blessed of Trazyn. Character App Name: Ja'Lir Arian. Gender: Male Age: 47 Race: Human (mostly) Personality: Stern and determined, Ja'Lir is only truly happy when he's doing the work of his Lord. He's an introvert, with a stern face that reveals nothing about him. He revels in doing what he considers the right thing, and places the importance of the 'greater good' far above his own life, happily sacrificing himself to save others. History: Born in the Infinite Empire, Ja'Lir chose the life of the military when it became time for him to choose his occupation. He was trained as a warrior, to fight and die for the glory of Tazir. He became a master at what he did, both in his physical skills and his manipulation of the Gift. As such, he rose through the ranks, earning many medals in the field, fighting off those who would attempt to destroy Tazir. Eventually, through his valor and skill, he was chosen to be the personal guard for Alice, and to represent the Arm of Tazir in Areopolis. He accepted this post gladly. Position: As Alice's Paladin, it is Ja'Lir's duty to ensure her safety, and to kill any who would take her life. He is also responsible for playing his part in the diplomatic relationships between the Infinite Empire and Areopolis, a physical representation of Trazin's armies, a threat through his very existence.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "A pleasure my fellow brother...are you a magic user also?" Zazoria said shaking the cat person's hand,He was going to ask to leave to meet his fellow kin Jade but did not want to seem rude to two.While they were talking a group of drunken soldiers pasting by one of them bumping into Zazrioa,"Watch it lizard boy..." One of them yelled another looking over at the Reptil. "What look what we have here...a Estrella de Celimna...gonna try to convert me lizard boy" Another man spoke laughing loudly while another grabbed Zazrioa shoulder pushing him to the ground another throwing beer at his robe.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Are you serious about teaching me?" is what Zeetah was about to reply when the drunk soldiers arrived. Without thinking, Zeetah leapt from the ground into the shadows of the brothel's awning to escape the sight of the officers, whom he thought might recognize him from some wanted posters he had seen in the richer parts of the city. His wits returned and he peered over the edge to see what would become of his new magical acquaintances. A small part of him was also hoping that he was about to see a pretty great magic show...</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex blinked and glanced around as he suddenly felt the two hands leave his. His eyes widened as he saw the cause of the commotion: soldiers. While his face wasn't yet plastered all over the city as Zeetah's was, the notion that they might know of his earlier infractions was, of course, a cause for concern! He increased the distance between him and Zazoria as the soldiers came closer. He could only wince as they grabbed the lizard and threw him against the ground. A second wince occurred when that nice robe of Zazoria's got soaked in the soldier's drink. "I've seen quite enough of this...!" He angrily muttered. He suddenly dashed back down the street, shoving himself between the soldiers and the sprawled out reptile. "Hey! No one beats -my- semi-acquaintances I met only about three minutes and thirty-five seconds ago!" He angrily shouted, stabbing an outstretched, accusatory finger towards them. "That was also a waste of a perfectly good drink! More over, no one is dumb enough to draw the wrath of a wizard--" While his threat started off solidly enough, when he reached for his staff, he froze when he realized it was actually no longer secure in the hoops of its harness that wrapped around Tex's torso diagonally like a bandolier. "Oh god where is it?" He thought to himself, his expression becoming one of obvious fright. He held his hands out before him as he stepped back, nearly tripping over the very person he tried to stand up for. "H-hey w-wait... w... we can talk about this!" He pleaded.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "No my brother I...was just speaking to a friend..."Zazrioa was going to speak once more but was interrupted by one of th soldiers pulling out a long sword pointing it at the Reptil,"I don't like you lizard breath no one in this city likes The Reptil they are sneaky,dirty...Renark" The one holding the sword remarked knowing that Renark is a racial slang used against The Reptil."So piss off before we kill you and make boots out of ya and your Renark pansy group" Another remark with a smirk drawing his sword. Zazrioa just rolled his eyes since he had heard this before many times as a youngling and adult it was not different here then in Mirgeoof,Racist as his grandfather would put it but his Grandfather would have worse things to say about those people."Hi'magol Zimjoe Ne'hs Uzab Xop Yeq'Ca" He said loudly lifting his shaft high up into the air as a large dragon like creature appeared made out of flames shooting fire at the soldier's feet letting their feet aflame but not enough to burn them alive. This would be enough to scare the racisy men away,"We'll get you back lizard breath one said running away and they would mean it so now Zazoria would have to watch his back although he was protected by some of the guards and his own kin.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Wow, that's a good way to make enemies!" Zeetah called to the pair still on the ground, "I usually just run. But maybe I'd react differently if I could do magic, too..." Zeetah remained silent for a bit and then continued, "I'm gonna stay up here, just to make sure they're really gone, OK? But you," he pointed at Tex, "you said you could teach me magic? And what about you?" he pointed another finger at Zazrioa, "Can you teach me too?" Zeetah could see Zazroia's eyes shifting a bit in the way that says "I'm busy", apparently eager to get away. "Are you alright? Eager to get away?"</s>	<\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Loudly, the door to the whorehouse banged open, as Ja'Lir strode through. As was usual for anyone entering, one of the girls instantly walked towards him, to make sure he enjoyed his stay. A single withering glance from the paladin made her reconsider, however, and she quite promptly backed away. When the warrior strode up to the counter, where a scantily clad lady was performing acts more acurately described as 'entertainment', rather than actually tending the bar. As the onyx-skinned warrior halted beside the counter, however, the colour drained from the woman's face. He spoke in calm, soft tones, and yet he was clearly heard over even the dinn the drunk soldiers were making. 'There is a human with troll's blood here, where is that human?' 'W-Well, I can't-' 'If I were to kill every living being in this establishment, I would find the person I was looking for. Your answer will save me the trouble of cleaning blood from my blade, and you the trouble of being judged for your sin in the afterlife.' The tone of the palladin's voice was not one of anger, or intimidation, but rather a cold assertion of death. 'Room 12!' Leaving the terrified 'bartender', Ja'Lir steps up the stairs, chainmail hauberk jungling with ever step. It had been a bluff, of course, he would not sully the name of the Blessed by committing a crime. Their standing in this city was bad enough. However, sometimes it was good to make use of the Blessed's bloody reputation, and his face could be devoid of emotion when he wished it to be. Which was, admittedly, pretty much always. Unwilling to waste time, Ja'Lir kicked down the door to Room 12, the half-rotten wood easily giving way to his metal-clad foot. It crashed into the ground with a second bang, as the armoured figure strode into the room. His face was deep black, as was normal for those born in the great northern deserts. He wore a long chainmail hauberk, as well as thick plate boots and gauntlets. A helmet with an upturned visor rested on his head, protecting his scalp. A black and white tabard stretched down over his armor, the seven-pointed star of Trazyn emblazoned clearly in the center, a thick leather belt holding a long black sheat at his side. Combined with his height and muscle mass, he struck an imposing figure. 'Give the elf the glass.' Having delivered his message, Ja'Lir turned on his heels, and walked away, eager to return to his post beside his mistress. She had a bad habit of underestimating the danger to herself in her scheming, and he constantly worried about her safety. Aside from her being a Prophet, he had grown rather fond of her over the years, as she was able to look right through his stony face, and with her he had no need to speak his feelings to have them known. With five long strides, Ja'Lir was already at the staircase, heading down.</s>
<\|description\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Organisation App Almost 130 years ago, a great meteorite struck the Earth in the southern lands of Alm'Zar. Across the world, prophets and mystics sensed a disturbance, and the followers of Trazyn claim that the lesser deities shook on their Earthly thrones. For within the falling star was a being, alien to this world, known only as Trazyn. Possessed of great magical power, it reached out into the minds of those nearby, the loyal guard of the Al'Nuk Empire, and asked for their aid. The guards that entered to investigate came out changed people, claiming to have found the only being worthy of their loyalty and unquestioning devotion. They were the First of Trazyn. The might of the Extraterrestrial God expanded rapidly, as it promised gifts of arcane power and equality to those that would reject their political leaders, and swore fealty to Him alone. And he delivered, mysterious crystals implanted into the body granting magical power to those born without arcane potential. Great armies marched in His name, conquering those who did not come under His rule by their own will through brute force. These were known as the Infinity Crusades, and it was said that the legions of zealots were an unending sea, swarming across the country, twisted by the magic implanted into their souls. However, the World is a big place. The Elves of Lysandor stood firm, proclaiming that Trazyn and the injection of His mysterious arcane power was an abomination. Great battles ensued, but to dislodge the Elves from their ancient forests was impossible. They allied with the remains of the Al'Nuk, as they pushed back, driving against the maddened armies, battling Eldritch powers, aiming to destroy Trazyn himself once and for all. What happened in these wars is the work of many legends. The Al'Nuk were completely wiped out, their cities and holds part of the reformed Infinite Empire. Trazyn halted his great Crusades, having formed a peace treaty with the Elves of Lysandor. The tribes that had once dwelled the plains of Alm'Zar were incorporated into the belief, living in the cities or traveling to far off countries as missionaries, aiming to convert more cities to the world's most feared religion. Today, the Blessed of Trazyn, centered in the Infinite Empire, have spread across the globe, their religion seen in many places as being abominable and terrifying. However, they preach the equality of all under Trazyn, from commoner to noble to king, and have demonstrated this in their own empire. In many cases, the lower classes have rebelled in the name of Trazyn, forming their own city-states far from the Infinite Empire, loyal to Trazyn. Beliefs of the Blessed of Trazyn: - Trazyn is the architect of the universe, the very first magical being. It was He who created the very existence of magic, and it is from this magic that all other beings are born. - All people are equal, for all intelligent beings are the same. To stand one above the other is blasphemy, and only Trazyn and his Prophets have any rights beyond those of normal men and women. This includes the equal division of magic beyond genetic heritage, granting arcane powers to all who wish to have them. - All of nature is owned by the sentient races, and it is theirs to do with as they will, provided they heed the words of Trazyn. - All belongings are equal, and all is to be shared among the entire population. There will be no rich, and there will be no poor, for all are equal in the eyes of Trazyn. Character App Name: Alice Nettlebrush, The Immortal Innocence. Race: Elf Gender: Female Age: 12 Personality: While in many ways Alice acts as a typical 12-year-old, she has certainly been changed by Trazyn. She often knows things she should not have known, and possesses a strange, sly wisdom. She often displays dual personalities, and memories that don't belong to her lifetime. She is generally kind and caring, although she is devoted to Trazyn, seeing her God as part of herself. Due to the crystal implanted into her skull, this might be accurate. History: Coming from the Nettlebrush family, a small family of elves who became a part of the Infinite Empire, Alice's parents opted to send their youngest daughter to become a Priest of Trazyn. She would learn the ways of Trazyn, and preach his name. They did this because they knew the Priests of Trazyn were well treated, and that it wasn't good for elves in the Infinite Empire to be opposed to the Will of Trazyn in any way. Little did they know what would follow. Upon being implanted with her 'Gift', a synthetic crystal that implants some of Trzyn's magic into those born without when implanted into the body, Alice had a vision. It is said that she spoke many secrets, already knowing the 42 Names of Trazyn, and the greatest secrets of where and how Trazyn was kept. Alice was offered a choice by Trazyn Himself, and she chose to become His Prophet, to spread His will and to become a vessel for His power. As such, she became one of the 4 current Prophets of Trazyn. Position: Alice lives in Areopolis, representing Trazyn in this great and powerful city. Here, she leads the Temple of the Infinite, which is both a religious institution, and the embassy for the Infinite Empire. She expresses her Empire and God's wills and stakes in the councils and meetings of the city, and oversees the trade relationships between the Empire and other people. This is an important task, because many are reluctant to deal with the Blessed of Trazyn. Character App Name: Ja'Lir Arian. Gender: Male Age: 47 Race: Human (mostly) Personality: Stern and determined, Ja'Lir is only truly happy when he's doing the work of his Lord. He's an introvert, with a stern face that reveals nothing about him. He revels in doing what he considers the right thing, and places the importance of the 'greater good' far above his own life, happily sacrificing himself to save others. History: Born in the Infinite Empire, Ja'Lir chose the life of the military when it became time for him to choose his occupation. He was trained as a warrior, to fight and die for the glory of Tazir. He became a master at what he did, both in his physical skills and his manipulation of the Gift. As such, he rose through the ranks, earning many medals in the field, fighting off those who would attempt to destroy Tazir. Eventually, through his valor and skill, he was chosen to be the personal guard for Alice, and to represent the Arm of Tazir in Areopolis. He accepted this post gladly. Position: As Alice's Paladin, it is Ja'Lir's duty to ensure her safety, and to kill any who would take her life. He is also responsible for playing his part in the diplomatic relationships between the Infinite Empire and Areopolis, a physical representation of Trazin's armies, a threat through his very existence.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "Mhm i think we should take our leave...i am sure they are looking for me or you..." Zazroia spoke sighing loudly before moving away form the group and the whorehouse back to his group's region,Although he was interested in the dragon he was not equipped to fight a dragon by himself he would need the help of his kin mainly Ultimana and Ruqa who are old but wise and are would probably talk the dragon down although he did not know if even that could work.</s> <\|message\|>Henna It was like a storm blew through Giulia's. Everything happened all at once. Henna had just excused herself from the brawl downstairs, and had taken the elf with her to her room to enjoy their food there. She'd just finished and was looking for some nice dry clothes for her guest when the door was kicked in by a big thug clad in iron. The trollkins eyes had been darting to and fro for some kind of weapon to use if the man got violent, but he'd just told her to give the elf her glass and then left. As she was staring at him, dumbfounded, someone downstairs began shouting about a dragon. This city was nuts, sometimes. Henna turned to her guest. "Do you have any idea what that man was talking about?" she asked, "Because I don't."</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex hurried along at the frog man's instruction, seemingly sharing his sentiments entirely. As he rushed alongside him, he spoke in brief spurts of conversation. "As for teaching you magic... it'd take quite a while for you to be as proficient as me, but... I'd be willing to give it a shot. Wish I knew where my staff went, though." He gestured for Zeetah to pause and turned to him. "You didn't happen to see it sitting around the alleyway, did you? It's not 100% necessary, but it does make spellcasting quicker and easier, which means a big deal when you've got a bunch of soldiers several inches away, staring you down with swords in their hands. If they were a little farther away, I could have flung a fireball at them before they got close, no problem."</s>	<\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Most who were granted the Gift of magic chose to use it flashily. Having lived without magic, they wished to display their new capabilities at their fullest. A popular technique was to light your sword with eldritch flame. They didn't seem to realize that, on the whole, if you had stabbed something, the fire wasn't going to do much extra. Fireballs, beams of eldritch energy, grasping claws conjured from the darkness, or great bursts of burning light. Amusingly enough, the Infinite Empire's army had transformed into some form of terrifyingly lethal light show, with all the fire, lasers, and glowing orbs of wrath. Few truly recognized the sheer power not of simply applying strength, but applying it where it was needed. To control one's Gift with subtle precision, to only do as much as was needed for the situation. Alice closed her ink black eyes, focusing. She could feel the humming magic moving through her, a miracle delivered directly from Tazyn, to guide His followers. And as His scheme unfolded before her mind, she simply guided, placing the power where it was needed, with the precision and skill necessary for a Prophet. Even though even she could not yet see the end of this glorious plan, her faith was strong. For her God was with her, guiding her every action, her every thought. ------------------------------ Soaring through the clouds, propelled at seemingly impossible speeds for it's great mass, the wyvern observed the city below it. As a being born from magic, it could feel the magic far below, and even it's primitive animal instincts recognized the danger. There was, of course, far easier prey to hunt, the kind of prey that didn't throw fireballs, and whom's claws were not made of iron. And yet, even as it's great eyes flashed briefly black, it started angling downward. For below, it could suddenly smell the tastiest of prey. It knew that below was a buffet, something it had never tasted before. With the promise of food on it's tongue, the beast descended on the Tall, townsfolk and soldier alike fleeing from the area, mothers carrying children, children carrying smaller children. Those who could not walk, and were not carried, simply crawled, or cried in terror, as they beheld the beast, the Wyvern. A majestic beast, it's scales shining golden in the light of the afternoon sun, it's eyes of bright red glaring down, selecting it's prey, and identifying the dangerous ones. It's two wings even now were unfurled, a pair of long hooked claws at the end of each, aiding to hold it in place. It's tail extended fair backwards, growing thin, until it ended into a great barbed point, containing an arcane toxin unique to Wyvern-kind. Great talons crashed through the feeble wooden roof of the slum it had chosen to land on, as it beat it's wings to prevent itself from falling into the water. The Wyvern threw it's head into the air, stretching it's neck, fanged jaws parting as it unleashed a call, like an abominable mixture between the howl of a wolf and the shriek of a banshee, a hundredfold louder. And yet, even as hundreds fled the area, a single figure came stalking towards the dragon, clad in great armor, and bearing one of the legendary Swords of the North. Turning it's great head, the beast observed the tall humanoid, teeth bared, turning to face this new threat. ------------- Throughout the city, the word had spread, and with it a wind of terror, partly natural, and partly magical in nature. An enhanced panic, as people fled the area en masse, the Royal Guard retreating to guard the Noble Houses, the Mage Guild forming a great shield, the Priests of Ashyr activating the great metal golems that guarded their gates, massive bronze swords held at the ready. And yet, across the city, the doors to taverns are kicked over, many proceeding to skid over the floor. Figures of all races, scarred by a hundred battles, stepped out from the darkness. Men with armor forged from the bones of Manticors, Elves whom's bows had received the blessings of forgotten Gods, great mages wielding eldritch fires of pure might. Adventurers, those brave souls who had always been in abundance in a world of such dangers as Wyverns. Problem solvers, monster hunters, dungeon delvers, grave robbers, and thrill seekers, those who had seen the maw of the world, and survived it. And as each reached for their blades, a wave of dark magic washed through them. Each would wish for the bounty on the dragon's head, and each would wish it for themselves. Greed, pride, wrath..... they burned freely in the eyes of those who only moments before had rallied in the face of danger. And as spells flew, and swords thrust, it was not the dragon that was their target. Yet, it was the most capable warriors of the land, slaying one another in cold blood. Those mages and priests who had felt the magic sweep through the city could only gaze on in abject horror as the bloodshed commenced. --------------------- Upon the Throne of Stars, sat a small girl, a smile on her face. Soon, the authorities of this city would be toppled, and the prophecies of her master would come to pass. For it took only the smallest push to set the world's end in motion, if only one knew where to press. And Areopolis, the commercial and religious center of most of the civilized world, was the perfect place to begin.</s>
<\|description\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Organisation App Almost 130 years ago, a great meteorite struck the Earth in the southern lands of Alm'Zar. Across the world, prophets and mystics sensed a disturbance, and the followers of Trazyn claim that the lesser deities shook on their Earthly thrones. For within the falling star was a being, alien to this world, known only as Trazyn. Possessed of great magical power, it reached out into the minds of those nearby, the loyal guard of the Al'Nuk Empire, and asked for their aid. The guards that entered to investigate came out changed people, claiming to have found the only being worthy of their loyalty and unquestioning devotion. They were the First of Trazyn. The might of the Extraterrestrial God expanded rapidly, as it promised gifts of arcane power and equality to those that would reject their political leaders, and swore fealty to Him alone. And he delivered, mysterious crystals implanted into the body granting magical power to those born without arcane potential. Great armies marched in His name, conquering those who did not come under His rule by their own will through brute force. These were known as the Infinity Crusades, and it was said that the legions of zealots were an unending sea, swarming across the country, twisted by the magic implanted into their souls. However, the World is a big place. The Elves of Lysandor stood firm, proclaiming that Trazyn and the injection of His mysterious arcane power was an abomination. Great battles ensued, but to dislodge the Elves from their ancient forests was impossible. They allied with the remains of the Al'Nuk, as they pushed back, driving against the maddened armies, battling Eldritch powers, aiming to destroy Trazyn himself once and for all. What happened in these wars is the work of many legends. The Al'Nuk were completely wiped out, their cities and holds part of the reformed Infinite Empire. Trazyn halted his great Crusades, having formed a peace treaty with the Elves of Lysandor. The tribes that had once dwelled the plains of Alm'Zar were incorporated into the belief, living in the cities or traveling to far off countries as missionaries, aiming to convert more cities to the world's most feared religion. Today, the Blessed of Trazyn, centered in the Infinite Empire, have spread across the globe, their religion seen in many places as being abominable and terrifying. However, they preach the equality of all under Trazyn, from commoner to noble to king, and have demonstrated this in their own empire. In many cases, the lower classes have rebelled in the name of Trazyn, forming their own city-states far from the Infinite Empire, loyal to Trazyn. Beliefs of the Blessed of Trazyn: - Trazyn is the architect of the universe, the very first magical being. It was He who created the very existence of magic, and it is from this magic that all other beings are born. - All people are equal, for all intelligent beings are the same. To stand one above the other is blasphemy, and only Trazyn and his Prophets have any rights beyond those of normal men and women. This includes the equal division of magic beyond genetic heritage, granting arcane powers to all who wish to have them. - All of nature is owned by the sentient races, and it is theirs to do with as they will, provided they heed the words of Trazyn. - All belongings are equal, and all is to be shared among the entire population. There will be no rich, and there will be no poor, for all are equal in the eyes of Trazyn. Character App Name: Alice Nettlebrush, The Immortal Innocence. Race: Elf Gender: Female Age: 12 Personality: While in many ways Alice acts as a typical 12-year-old, she has certainly been changed by Trazyn. She often knows things she should not have known, and possesses a strange, sly wisdom. She often displays dual personalities, and memories that don't belong to her lifetime. She is generally kind and caring, although she is devoted to Trazyn, seeing her God as part of herself. Due to the crystal implanted into her skull, this might be accurate. History: Coming from the Nettlebrush family, a small family of elves who became a part of the Infinite Empire, Alice's parents opted to send their youngest daughter to become a Priest of Trazyn. She would learn the ways of Trazyn, and preach his name. They did this because they knew the Priests of Trazyn were well treated, and that it wasn't good for elves in the Infinite Empire to be opposed to the Will of Trazyn in any way. Little did they know what would follow. Upon being implanted with her 'Gift', a synthetic crystal that implants some of Trzyn's magic into those born without when implanted into the body, Alice had a vision. It is said that she spoke many secrets, already knowing the 42 Names of Trazyn, and the greatest secrets of where and how Trazyn was kept. Alice was offered a choice by Trazyn Himself, and she chose to become His Prophet, to spread His will and to become a vessel for His power. As such, she became one of the 4 current Prophets of Trazyn. Position: Alice lives in Areopolis, representing Trazyn in this great and powerful city. Here, she leads the Temple of the Infinite, which is both a religious institution, and the embassy for the Infinite Empire. She expresses her Empire and God's wills and stakes in the councils and meetings of the city, and oversees the trade relationships between the Empire and other people. This is an important task, because many are reluctant to deal with the Blessed of Trazyn. Character App Name: Ja'Lir Arian. Gender: Male Age: 47 Race: Human (mostly) Personality: Stern and determined, Ja'Lir is only truly happy when he's doing the work of his Lord. He's an introvert, with a stern face that reveals nothing about him. He revels in doing what he considers the right thing, and places the importance of the 'greater good' far above his own life, happily sacrificing himself to save others. History: Born in the Infinite Empire, Ja'Lir chose the life of the military when it became time for him to choose his occupation. He was trained as a warrior, to fight and die for the glory of Tazir. He became a master at what he did, both in his physical skills and his manipulation of the Gift. As such, he rose through the ranks, earning many medals in the field, fighting off those who would attempt to destroy Tazir. Eventually, through his valor and skill, he was chosen to be the personal guard for Alice, and to represent the Arm of Tazir in Areopolis. He accepted this post gladly. Position: As Alice's Paladin, it is Ja'Lir's duty to ensure her safety, and to kill any who would take her life. He is also responsible for playing his part in the diplomatic relationships between the Infinite Empire and Areopolis, a physical representation of Trazin's armies, a threat through his very existence.</s> <\|message\|>Lynx "Do you have any idea what that man was talking about? Because I don't." Lynx could only agree that she didn't know either because she didn't know who the man was or what he meant by "the glass" either. They had been drinking ale from tin cups and as far as she could tell there were no glass objects in the room. When she heard people screaming about a dragon she got all tense and put a hand on her bow in case there was an emergency. Hopefully the city guard would protect the people from the threat because Lynx didn't think she could kill a dragon even though she was a skilled hunter. She usually didn't kill animals because elves thought it wrong to do so and instead only captured them for others if they paid her. She turned to her newfound friend and pointed out the window where all the talk of the dragon came from. "What should we do?" she asked.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "I think we should stay the fuck inside," Henna stated calmly. "There's not much the two of us can do to stop that beast. Better leave it to the heroes." Something suddenly tugged at the trollkins conscience. Frightened though she was, she really wanted to see what was going on. It wasn't everyday you got to see a fight with a dragon. And she could watch it, from the safety of her room even. All she had to do was use the wizards glass. Do it, she heard a voice in her head whisper, sweet as honey. Do it, you know you want to. There was no denying that she did, the need to peer into the mystical mist of the glass suddenly feeling like a craving more than an idea. Come ooon, it purred, Just a little bit. She felt her hand creep closer to the skin she kept it in, slowly but steadily. Just... a little... bit... "Just a little bit" she whispered to herself, and began untying the pouch from her belt. She realized the elf was still there, looking at her. She would see Hennas treasure, but it couldn't be helped, she had to use it now. She could feel her hands getting sweaty with anticipation. She pointed a finger at the elf and beckoned for her to come closer. "Wanna see something special?" she said, her voice a mere whisper, "You'll like this, but you can't tell nobody. Come see!" And with that, she unwrapped the skin and presented the orb on the floor. She whispered the secret words, and light suddenly radiated from the glass, illuminating Hennas face with a pale sheen. Inside it, a monstrous creature could be seen shrieking its rage over the rooftops of the city.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex waved a hand dismissively towards Zazoria. "It's all good. I can understand self-preservation." He said. He suddenly paused and span on a heel to face him. "Say, Zazzleman, you haven't happened upon a staff, have you? Long, stick-like, fashioned of dark oak, cool diamond-shaped head with pearl paneling?" He scratched his chin as he thought of more ways to describe it. "Did I say it was stick-like?" His ears suddenly pricked up as he heard the thudding of boots approaching them from down the path. He raised a finger. "Hold that thought." When he turned back around, his eyes somewhat widened at the mass of guards that had some how closed in upon them without Tex's notice. "Oh." He said meekly. He cleared his throat and ventured a slight wave. "Hello there, mister, uh... guard. Are you sure you've got the -right- Reptil? Or are you just harassing any Reptil you see?" He folded his arms and huffed. "That'd not only be a nuisance, but also a tad racist, it would. Areopolis is a vast, multicultural city, and thrives on its diversity, I feel! Intolerance would be like spitting in the punch."</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "We have orders that he assaulted a commander of the guards....and that is punishable by in imprisonment..." The guards spoke sternly looking down at Tex then looking over to Zazrioa one of the other guards putting his hand to the hilt of his sword,"But form what i heard form eyewitness of the guards that you are somewhat of a...impressive wizard that night be something we could use to defeat the Wryn..." The guard now silently for the guard to not pull out his sword. "A Wryn?how terrible...but if i may ask a question....if i do go help fight this Wryn would i be forgiven of my...little annoyance?" Zazarioa said not really wanting to go to jail for 7 years in Jalbrata a prison in famous for being a hell on earth,"Indeed...we will need all the help we can get with the Wryn and the mass panic that has being going on in the city,Maybe your friends could be some help also...of course you will be paid a good amount..but we would have to speak to the council first..to see if you are fit in our council's eyes..." The guard said and was true that they needed as much help as they could with the many problems going on.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words as he got a firm talking to from the guard. He shrunk closer and closer to the ground with each shouted word. His bold-faced lies seemingly hadn't pulled him through this time, and now he was lost. His ears pricked up with keen interest as they continued, however. He not so subtly slipped over to their side of the road to stand by the commander, abandoning his acquaintances. "Oh? You've heard I'm an impressive wizard, huh? Sure am. Help deal with a Wryn? Sure can!" He enthusiastically responded, preening all the while. "Why, I could deal with five Wryns. I think. Maybe if they were heavily inebriated." Zazroia and Zeetah had entirely left the perfidious cat's attention as he focused on impressing the guards. "I've got a Wryn skull mounted on my mantlepiece back home, come to think of it. Though it had many skulls. Maybe it was a Hydra. Oh, Hydras are plenty scary as well though, aren't they?" As Zazoria expressed his interest in helping the guards on their mission also, Tex briefly scowled, then gave a bright grin, as if his irritated expression was never there in the first place. "Oh, hello again friend! I'd be -glad- to have you aboard!" He said, his enthusiasm not at all faded. He grabbed one of the Reptil's paws with both of his own and shook it briskly. "He's a pretty good wizard himself, y'know?" He called back over his shoulder to the guards. "I'm sure he could also help slay this beast."</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa The guard looked rather annoyed but but never the less nodded his head making his helmet jiggle a little,"Then come follow me with quick haste...we must not waste anytime..." The leader guard spoke now turning around while the other guards watched them and started walking towards the castle.Zazaoria nodded also calmly walking behind the commander with guards circling around them,He just hoped he would be allowed to help and not sent to Jalbrata to spend his days there. The young Reptil followed behind the commander feeling mostly nervous he wanted to speak to Uiltmana and his kin to say goodbye in case he does not come back form fighting the Waryn.</s>	<\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn As the small group of guards and mages emerged from the open passageway, the beast turned to face them, green slit eyes focusing on this new prey. It's winged claws reached out, gripping the ground, as if to tether it in place. The long, scaled neck pulled back, an almost malicious gaze in the serpentine eyes. With a great rush of wind, it seems to inhale, it's chest inflating more than would be deemed physically possible, A red glow already escaping from between the rows of dagger-like teeth. With an explosive roar, flames burst from it's maw as it threw it's head forward, a wall of fire seeming to rush towards the young heroes, undaunting and unforgiving. And, far above, the arcane eye of the Glass could do nothing but watch.</s>
<\|description\|>Heinrich 'Henry' Irons Age: 16 Gender: Male Appearance: A fairly fit young man, looks to spend most of his day exercising or pulling off some sort of stunt. His skin is tanned and calloused by scrapes and grazes. His black hair is cut short, and seems to stand on end constantly. He usually wears a singlet of some sort beneath a grey track jacket, as well as cargo pants in either green, grey, brown or black that tuck into thick military-style boots, laced up to just below the knee. He usually keeps his hands wrapped in gauze. History: Henry hasn't lived a particularly dark life, just one filled with mishaps and mischief. Shoplifting, starting fights, intrusion and exactly ONE count of grand theft auto followed by a VERY short joyride. All these little black marks on his record have left him with a less than lovely public opinion back in Jubilife City. To turn over a new leaf, and get a new start, his parents shipped him off to live with some relatives in the Celo Region. They're hoping that the new surroundings will help to make a new Henry. Pokemon: Belle (Beldum) Inventory: 500P, Skateboard</s> <\|message\|>Yoshi Tatsu "Welcome to the Celo Region." An air attendant called said as the plane landed. A boy stepped out and inhaled the fresh air. "Ah, so this is the Celo Region." He said as he pulled out a pokeball. "C'mon out Dratini." He said. The Dragon Pokemon happily cheered as it began wrapping around to hug him. "Ok, ok." The boy said pushing himself out of his Pokemon's grasp. He then turned to one of the flight attendants. "Excuse me, this is my first Pokemon Journey, and I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of Maple Town?" The flight attendant smiled and pointed towards the city. "Sure, head into Newfound City, go straight to the bus station and they have a bus straight there." She told him. "Thanks! C'mon Raini." The boy said as he ran into town, his Pokemon following closely behind.</s> <\|message\|>Jiro Watanabe Jiro wakes up, as soon as the plane lands in the Celo Region. He rubs his eyes, and start yawning. He looks around then he put his left hand on the waist, he smiled when he reaches his Pokeball. The landing was smooth, he's ready to take the farthest step he ever take. He would never come out of Hoenn region, if not because his grandfather invited him to holiday. He watches the passenger wait in line towards the exit door, he begins to rise and put on his backpack. He takes a queue behind an approximately same aged with him. He widens his eyes when he sees the boy called out a Dratini. He never sees such beautiful pokemon before. He walks slowly, feeling embarrassed with his pokemon. He holds his pokeball tightly as he walks towards the airport terminal building.</s> <\|message\|>Timothy White Timothy White Timothy squinted from the bright sunlight coming through his window as he yawned and stretched his hands over his head. It was a satisfying yawn, the kind that leaves you with a half smile and as you contemplate waking up or going back to sleep. Being eleven and not sixteen, Timmy rolled out of bed, not really tempted to go back to sleep at all. With a quick and necessary stop at the bathroom Timothy was dressed and bounding down the stairs to break his fast in no time at all. While other trainers disembarked for Maple Town, Timothy was waking up there. Outside the sun was shining and the day was calling. He hoped to explore a little deeper into the woods today and find the tall tree he could see the top of from his bedroom window. He bet it would be a great spot to look out from and the perfect place to build his 'Frog Fort'</s> <\|message\|>Heinrich 'Henry' Irons 'Stay out of trouble when you're out there, kid.' The words printed on the letter, the very last sentence, still resonated within Heinrich as plane stopped its slow crawl up to the terminal. This was his door to a new start, a new area. He folded the note back up and put it in the inner pocket of his jacket before he rose to grab his bag and sling it over his shoulder. A small shape in the seat next to where Henry was sitting struggled from beneath the blanket that had been supplied by the attendant staff. After a few seconds, the blanket just floated from the seat and fell to the floor, revealing a solitary Beldum, its red eye looking on at Henry without emotion before floating over to hover just above his shoulder. "Was about time you got up, Belle. You must have been out like a light." Henry's gruff, loud voice said into the quiet of the slowly emptying plane. The Beldum simply turned to stare at him before turning back, its blue body shining in the light of the morning. Henry merely huffed and pulled a smaller paper note from his jacket pocket, skimming it quickly to remember the instructions given to him by his uncle here in the Celo Region. "Maple Town, huh? Now, that sounds kind of boring to me, Belle. Not sure about you." The Beldum once again turned to him and stared emotionlessly. Henry could tell it found this amusing on some level, but it gave no tell. He merely sighed as they exited the plane, following behind a boy with a Dratini and another boy nervously clutching a pokeball. A bored scowl decorated his face as the warm air hit him. This 'adventure of reinvention' was already getting on his nerves.</s> <\|message\|>Yoshi Tatsu The boy ran into the city, taking in the sites and sounds, and gawking at the new surroundings. He shortly arrived at the bus station, and found that he would be allowed a free ride to Maple Town, courtesy of Professor Maple. "If I could just have your name please, we can be off in...10 minutes." The bus driver said checking her watch. "My name is Yoshi Tatsu." Yoshi replied. "Alright, just have a seat back there, and please keep your Pokemon in its ball. We have a 3' limit for open Pokemon." Yoshi nodded and recalled Raini, before sitting down. Meanwhile in Maple Town, the people were buzzing back and forth as the day commenced, and the Professor, along with his two masked assistants, arrived at the Pokelab, where an assortment of recently hatched Pokemon would be ready for those venturing forth into the Celo Region, and their own futures.</s> <\|message\|>Timothy White Timothy White Timothy stepped out onto the normally empty Oak Street to find it crowded with Pokemon trainers. His eyes went wide for a moment and then he remembered what day it was. Summer was finally here, school was out, and today was the start of the Summer Pokemon League Season. Young people would be flying, driving, and otherwise arriving from all over the world today. Professor Maple and his team were at the heart of the gathering, setting out starter Pokemon and interviewing trainers that still didn't have one. Timothy touched the ball on his own belt, remembering last year's event when he had received Froakie. "Professor Maple!" he hollered, jumping up and down with a wild wave. The busy man barely nodded in his direction, his shout barely audible above the roar of the crowd, but Timothy didn't mind. Instead he wandered through the crowd, excited about the day's unexpected events.</s> <\|message\|>Heinrich 'Henry' Irons Henry's eyes were strained by the sun by the time he got to the bus depot. He gave a grunt of annoyance as he reached into his pocket and flipped open a small metal case, which opened to reveal a pair of thin, metal-framed, square shield sunglasses. He quickly donned them with a grimace and climbed onto the bus to find a seat. The driver began to squawk at him, "You're a trainer? How wonderful! You have a bit more of a mature look to you, sort of devil-may-care. Just your name please and you can take a seat." He sighed slowly before turning back in unison with Belle. "Name's Heinrich Irons, that all you need?" He tried his hardest not to sound immediately annoyed, and the woman nodded with a smile before directing him to a seat next to the window, next to that boy he saw with the Dratini back at the airport. "And sir, please do remember that we have a 3' limit on pokemon, so please retrieve yours if it is larger than the limit." He sat down and Belle came to rest in the breast pocket of his jacket, staring on at the woman with just as bored a look at himself. "2 feet here, it'll be fine. Belle's solid, probably punch a hole in this dinky bus before getting hurt anyway." He took a brief look towards the boy next to him. Yoshi, he thought he had heard? He gave a small nod of greeting, but didn't say much beside, "What's up," before returning his gaze to the environment outside, ready for the bus to depart.</s> <\|message\|>Yoshi Tatsu "Oh. Hi. Not a lot, I was just psyching myself up for my Pokemon Adventure. My grandpa sent me here to start. What about you? Whyre you here?" Yoshi asked. Meanwhile in Maple Town, a small group of booths was near the lab for Pokemon themed games, and a large ring where people and Pokemon were expected to put on a show soon. JustIce walked out of the lab, followed by a Lucario. They headed for the ring ready to put on a show.</s> <\|message\|>Heinrich 'Henry' Irons Henry shoots a look to the Beldum sitting in his breast pocket and it returns his gaze with that same, bored red eye as if to say 'the hell do you want from me?'. He sighed as he removed his shades and picked at the corner of his eye, little crusty bits of sleep still stuck after a light snooze on the flight into the Celo Region. His grey eyes were heavy with bags, but cool and stoic like the metal of his namesake, and his mouth was twisted down in a slight frown. "My folks sent me over here to live with some relatives. Got into some trouble back home and they're saying I need a 'new start'. Apparently I'm supposed to head to Maple Town, for who knows what reason. My uncle might meet me there, but he might not. Might even start up my own adventure or something. Whatever." His tone was short and sharp, but he endeavoured to change the subject as quickly as possible. "So. Apparently there's gonna be some Professor dude giving out free Pokemon or something over there? Is that what's happening? Because I'm more than cool with that."</s> <\|message\|>Timothy White Timothy White Timmy strolled through the town square full of people until he saw the staging area with JustIce and her Lucario's battle banners on either side. His eyes nearly popped out of his head in excitement and then he was bursting in full sprint to get a front row seat. He loved their performances and even released Keroma to watch. "It's JustIce and Lucario, Kero! Aren't you excited?" He exclaimed. He could barely contain his excitement, bouncing up and down. Next to him, his little, blue Froakie mimicked the excitement of his young trainer, ready for the performance.</s> <\|message\|>Milo Cash Milo walked outside, the town already full of people a town of chaos. "This is the last time I'll see this place for a long time, my sister left for her journey before everyone woke up at least I got to say goodbye, I was up any way like always making sure dad didn't do anything." Milo thought to himself as he felt his covered eye, it happened a long time ago but it still felt weird. He scanned the crowd looking over the young ones to see Justice and Lucario, just like every year. "Another performance, another year, and more and more people. Just like every year." his thoughts trailing, and him phasing until suddenly he noticed a young lad practically dying from excitement, and a froakie following suit. At that moment Pooch came running up barking at Milo, pushing his leg in making Milo come down to his level so he could lay on top of Milo. "Hey Pooch, cut it out mini-man. It's a great day, and I knew you weren't gonna leave me cause today we finally get to go on our adventure. Though I think we'll wait around maybe travel with a few little ones can't have them getting hurt all alone out there." Milo said between Pooch's endless wave of loves.</s> <\|message\|>Yoshi Tatsu The bus began to turn over, as it headed for its destination, Maple Town. It arrived shortly and Yoshi was taken aback by the festival going on. "Wow. This place must love Pokemon. Alright, I'm supposed to register Rain I at Professor Maple's Lap, so I'll head there." Yoshi said to himself as he let Raini our and the two trotted there. During the ride in Maple Town, JustIce and Lucario put on a show, a battle between Human and Pokemon that had been choreographed from the ground up and where one slip up could mean certain doom to either of the two. Flips to dodge aura balls, the two trading blows, and finally finishing with a Mega Transformation and an Aura Ball exploding into the sky with fireworks. The two bowed afterwards and headed to the lab as the Bus Arrived.</s>	<\|message\|>Heinrich 'Henry' Irons "Quite a show." Henry grumbled, slightly attempting to make conversation as the bus came to a stop just as the show was ending. Belle simply stared on with Henry and nodded slowly, seemingly amused. As the bus stopped and people departed, Henry pushed his way into the line, very eager to be off the bus for once and for all. His longer stride and higher fitness level meant that he could easily catch up to Yoshi, he seemed to know where to go and what to do. "Hey you didn't answer my question, was there supposed to be some free pokemon deal or what?" He removed his shades and placed them on the collar of his shirt, his resting face looked angry, so he could have easily been construed as being irate. Belle however, was surveying the area like a panning security camera, slowly swivelling left and right to get a good look at everything.</s>
<\|description\|>Morrigan Farkas (Intended as a more mid-high level character, can be changed or clarified if asked, that is completely fine. If it is not okay, please tell me.) Age: 22 Gender: Female Race: Human Alliance: Vurtan Empire Appearance: Standing at nearly 6'2", Morrigan is a tall woman of pale, freckled complexion with long, curly locks of black hair that dangle down to the middle of her back. She is a fit woman, and possesses very pleasing features overall from soft face to average chest and round hips, if it weren't for her upbringing or the fact that she is missing an eye and a good portion of her body is scarred and calloused, she could have easily passed her way through the social circles into becoming a high-fashion schmoozer or an small-time model. She wears a black eye-patch over her left eye at all times to save people the sight of the scarred, burnt crater that stands in its place. She often wears a sort of reinforced stab vest under a tight shirt, beneath a greatcoat complete with epaulettes. Her pants stay tucked into her knee-high combat boots and have buckles/straps in the place of laces. The most intriguing aspect of Morrigan's appearance is what she wears upon her arms. A pair of intriguing black gauntlets that look to be made of some sort of mix of a black metal and dark insectoid carapace. The more organic looking part vary from grey to black and fade into a very faint gradient of muted blue. In short, she looks very similar to this, but without the hat, skulls and bird medal on the sash at her waist, as well as longer hair, an eyepatch and the Arms. Personality: A vehement believer in the ideology that injustice and defiance must be fought physically for the problem to be truly solved. She is not the type to play soothsayer, preferring to taunt and jest at her company's expense to spur situations she finds herself in to some sort of raging dispute. She prefers to act alone, but can be personable when it is needed or as the situation demands. She conducts herself with an air of superiority, not drawing from a sense of upper-class/racial privilege that is so present within the Vurtan Empire but a sense of outranking those she meets through strength of will and character. Being the daughter of a military general has led to her being very militaristic in the way she conducts herself in her day to day life. Regular exercise, personalised meal plan, set times during the day for activities and a strict regimen on how she treats herself and others, all spawned from a life under the thumb of a vindictive, no-nonsense father who liked to bring his work home. Powers: Physical Prowess Morrigan is in peak physical form for a human, being trained and worked to the bone for years since her childhood. Able to outmatch most humans in strength, endurance and agility, one might say from first glance that she has surpassed what the average human can be expected to do even with a life dedicated to bettering themselves and attempting to become an elite athlete. She is able to crack stone and slightly warp steel with a punch, but can only run fast enough in short bursts to dodge or retreat from oncoming danger such as oncoming traffic or a rolling boulder. When movement is needed in combat or in chase scenarios she prefers to hop or leap around, strong legs well suited to letting her gain some air. She is able to leap 10m distance at maximum pushing power, and 3m into the air vertically. Arms of the Fallen These arm-covering terrors seem to augment Morrigan's strength when in battle, blue edges glowing and intensifying until the blue is replaced with white and blue spreads further in to the central mass of the shell. These gauntlets feed from her willpower and lifeblood to increase her physical capabilities to the point that she hardly seems human at all. Stone cracking, metal warping punches now grind boulders into dust and warp metal to the point of deformation. Her speed is only made ever so slightly faster, but nothing that could not be outrun. Her leaps and bounds however advance from 10m horizontally and 3m vertically, to around 20m horizontally and 10m vertically, effectively doubling. This burst of sudden strength can not be maintained for long, even with Morrigan's peak fitness as the drain on her is quite significant to the point that more than 15-20 minutes of constant use in this state would either cause her to gradually submit control to the Arms ('falling' as she calls it), or faint from blood loss, depending on whether her will or blood ran low first. This 'Fallen' mode also carries the risk of tearing muscles and breaking bones if control is not regained immediately, as the Arms put significant stress on her body to push past her mortal limits in the pursuit of victory. Equipment: 'The Arms of the Fallen' - Her sentient, parasitic fist weapons. Upon Morrigan's arms, latched on all the way up to her shoulders, are a pair of matching, monstrous armoured gauntlets. They start at the shoulders with a pauldron of blue edged carapace that is covered by a gardbrace of black metal, bolted into the pauldron below. Rondels that look reminiscent of eyes look out from near her armpit. This leads down to a rerebrace of smooth insectoid shell with that same blue hue, bolted with small plates of black metal, to cover her arm below the pauldrons down to the elbow. At the elbow there is a cowter of carapace and metal that seems to sprout one blunt stud of spiralled metal and shell, this finally leads down to a vambrace and studded, clawed gauntlets. They match the size of her normal arms, but cannot be removed. 'Red Rum' - A sawed-off Remington 870 with a side saddle shell holder, fired one-handed and kept in a holster on her left hip, beneath her coat when not in use. The holster has a slot to accommodate the side saddle. She keeps around 15 shells on her belt when out and about. Has a heavily scratched red paint finish.</s> <\|message\|>Ralpho Lenzkip Two large armies faced each other, both sides letting out their respective battle cries, only the side closest to the forest edge making various animal noises rather than the human screams of their opponent. Roars, growls, chirps, hoots, and all manner of different sounds reverberating through the trees down to the plains below. The Animal Kingdom, otherwise known as Whiel Cattan, was standing firm to these human invaders of the evil Vurtan Empire. This was the first time in a long while that two countries of this size duked it out, showing that things were about to get a lot more serious in these little war game simulations that they were having on this manmade island. One of the humals, having a base of a human with dog ears and a tail, named Ralpho Lenzkip, stood near the front of the animal pack, his trusty dog bone almost as large as himself firmly held in place on the ground off to his side. With his sort attention span he was struggling to hold himself back, repeatedly asking the andromals, intelligent animals, if they were ready to kick those imperial butts yet. "We must issue our great battle cry first! It's tradition!" One of the beaver warriors standing next to him said. Ralpho screamed at the top of his lungs as he surged forward with his dog bone at his side, closing the gap between the two forces in about a minute. Meanwhile, the other animals also let loose and followed behind him, starting the battle in a flurry of claw, sword, and gun.</s> <\|message\|>Morrigan Farkas Morrigan stood at the head of a column, Vurtan Imperial shocktroopers in neat, orderly lines behind her with their sabres at their sides, their rifles at their shoulders and their battle standards held high, waving in the soft winds that flowed over the soon-to-be-battlefield before them. She felt most comfortable when commanding. Even more so when commanding from the head of the force, in her favourite uniform and boots. The Whiel Cattan forces were quite a ways off, but they had already begun to charge as she could hear over the rolling hills, as the roars and snarls reached her ears on the winds. She turned on a booted heel and strode along the length of the column, assessing the soldiers she was to fight alongside. Then, in a booming, harsh voice, she spoke in an attempt to up morale. "Remember, people. We may battle here, but we cannot die here. There is no do or die, there is only do. So do for your Empire as the Empire has done for you so many years before and will do so many years from now when you are old and grey. While we may not be able to die here, we can still lose. But that is not an option. These animal's incursion upon the lands and peoples the Empire protects must end. They must fall!" A rousing cry of agreement went up in the ranks and spread to the entire force as they held up rifles and unsheathed sabres to reply to her. She strode up to a rather large boulder and bent her knees before bounding up to its peak to gain a vantage point and see the forces before her and those still on the way from the Whiel Cattan. With a dark, satisfied smirk, she raised an armoured, insectlike arm and pointed to the advancing animal forces and gave a yell of terrifying volume before bounding off to advance with the men and women following her. "Charge!" As the force surged forward, firing off rifles and yelling their cries of 'FOR THE EMPIRE!', and Morrigan advanced at the head, greatcoat and dark hair billowing as she ran. Fierce determination showing through her one eye, as her eyepatch covered the other. She clenched and unclenched her fists in anticipation as the animal horde grew closer, itching to use The Arms after such a long time out of the action. She could feel them almost whistling and chirping alongside her with excitement, drawing upon her willpower a bit as they woke up. Nothing she couldn't handle.</s> <\|message\|>Leonardo Proudmane Towering above most of Whiel Cattan's forces was Leonardo Proudmane, a lion anthromal and the de facto leader of this warband. His allies were many: badgers, foxes, frogs, birds, hyenas, boars, lizards and various more. Few of them compared in power to the likes of him, but he knew he would need every man to win this battle. If only Ravage was here as well, victory would be more certain, but alas, fate had seen fit to split the two of them. They would have to make do. "Warriors of Whiel Cattan!" he bellowed in his deep, throaty voice as he cracked his knuckles in preparation. "This battle may be a turning point in the course of this competition. We have to make it count! The Vurtans may value their discipline and their technology, but we have something they don't. We are more than human. We are a force of nature! No army can stop a hurricane, and no army shall stop us! CHAAARGE!" Voices of a hundred different types filled the air with battle cries as they followed Leo into battle. It didn't take long for both armies to close the distance to each other. A hail of bullets came down upon their vanguard, striking bright sparks as what might've otherwise been fatal hits were absorbed by the All-Life Achiever. Several frontline fighters were knocked out by ranged assault, but others quickly advanced to take their place, while those who weren't charging in with various melee weapons were returning fire upon the Vurtan gunners with bows, javelins and various other projectiles, even a few firearms. What few hits Leo took were absorbed by his Kevlar-laced trenchcoat. When the armies connected, he charged roaring into the enemy lines, immediately using his momentum to bash two Vurtan soldiers to the ground at once with a full-body slam. After that, the sound of gunshots was rapidly drowned out by the clangour of sword and axe and bayonet, and Leo found himself furiously swiping left and right at the incoming forces in an attempt to sway the battle in their favour.</s>	<\|message\|>Morrigan Farkas The rapid rattling of gunfire and the slicing of cold steel through the open air made Morrigan feel as if she were at home once more. On the training grounds with her father, sparring with the troops as he looked to make an example out of her. Oh, how she showed him, so many bones broken, so many muscles bruised and torn. Just as they would be here. The charge came to a very sudden halt as the Imperial forces collided with those of the Cattan. Steel connected with fur and stone, powder ejected rounds into soft flesh and bone, the crack of rifles could still be heard coming from the rear of the columns as Morrigan waded her way through the enemy vanguard, fists knocking troops to the ground like toys. Each blow she threw and each animal she grappled with shone with the light of the All-Life Achiever, mending fatal wounds and reviving those that succumbed to their mortal injuries. With each powerful blow, another light went off as if Morrigan were boxing in the midst of a fireworks show. She gave a growl of indiscriminate anger as the jumped towards a rather large soldier reminiscent of a Rhinoceros, grabbing him by the horn before using the momentum to bring him to the ground and drive his head into the dirt, snapping the horn clean off. The speed and power of the blow bounced the large man's body from the earth, and with a quick lash of her other fist, she followed up and knocked him away into a gaggle of what seemed to be three badger people. Acting only on muscle memory now, she dipped low and swept the legs from a bear-man, before driving herself backwards and up into the air and bringing down a leg into the bear's back, landing in a crouched position as she dragged her leg from the fallen soldier's body. Sparks of light whirled their way around his back and legs as he was pulled away from the action by some smaller doglike soldiers. Morrigan stood up straight and quickly surveyed the surroundings, only to find fighting as far as the eye could see. There was something that caught her eye. Singular. A larger soldier, most likely an elite soldier. With the visage of a lion, and the figure of a greek god. Morrigan's eye widened at the sight, and The Arms seemed to chitter and chirp with excitement as if to say they had found a target for her. She wasted no time in advancing upon him, dashing quickly and leaping forward, a fist reared back as she sailed through the ranks. She intended to strike him with a good amount of force, just to judge.</s>
<\|description\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Age:23 Alignment: The Beacons (The New Templars) Profession: spy/hacker/tactician Appearance and Personality A bit more than 5'8'' tall, Eirwen's height is just enough to stand out, but not enough to make those around her uncomfortable. She has rather large eyes which change colour from light grey to deep blue depending on her surroundings, clothes, and mood, and are a great contrast to her pale skin. Her hair is white naturally, but she dyes it frequently, both because she finds white hair quite boring and because it reduces the possibility of her being recognized, even if such is quite low. She talks in clear voice, usually in casually polite manner suitable for her standings. While at work she goes straight to the point and doesn't like adding any details which don't stand in immediate connection to the topic. Overall, she can make her presence noticeable, if she wants to, but she prefers to remain in shadows, close enough to see everything, not close enough to draw unneccessary attention. Eirwen's personality was reshaped so many times, that even those close to her are not sure she actually possesses one. While being a Templar, she follows their code of honour and justice, and has inherited all traits of her noble family. However, no one can say with certainty that her nobility comes from heart and isn't another mask she wears out of the sense of duty. What remains unquestionable is her ability to control herself without a flaw. There is no such surprise that would make her change her forever calm expression or light a sparkle in those cold eyes. The code name "Ice Queen" wasn't an accident, and Eirwen wears it as if it was her given name. Since she spends most of her time pretending to be someone else, she doesn't mind being alone when there is such a possibility. Her interests rotate around art, music, and literature. She is gifted in singing. Special skills Eirwen specialises in intelligence gathering. She has remarkable knowledge of technology which allows her to hack into various systems without a trace. She is a skilled actress capable of performing any role which only contributes to her value as an undercover agent. Her combat skills are corresponding to both the New Templars' and the Beacons' highest standards, although usually she stays out of battles as tactical support. She is especially proficient in 1 vs. 1 combats, but being surrounded by a dozen of enemies she has much better chances to get away safely rather than to bring them all down. Armour Eirwen prefers light armour which is designed more for swift escapes and keeping her alive rather than direct clash with the opponent. Due to the nature of her work she is always cautious and has to take care of herself not being caught unaware. The custom-made design allows her to move with as little sound as possible and doesn't hinder the smallest of her movements. It contains a lot of hidden pockets where she stores weapons, supplies, portable devices, and data units. Her armour is strong enough to take several blows, but it is definitely not enough to survive in the middle of the battle. While not wearing it, Eirwen's clothes of choice are practical yet elegant. She pays a lot of attention to her looks, having all her garments carefully selected and matching her style. Weapons Following the traditions of spies for thousands of years, Eirwen's weapon of choice is a dagger. She carries a pair of them in her sleeve pockets, easy to hide and easy to slide in her hands, if needed. As any Templar, she is capable of wielding a sword and possesses one, but since the time she has been dispatched on an undercover mission, it remains in her room. Aside from daggers, Eirwen's usual set includes a medium-sized riffle and a syringe gun. She carries mainly two types of syringes, one with deadly poison, another with short-term memory erasing medicine. The first kind is used mainly for assassination of strategically important targets, another to make the enemy forget ever meeting her. The effect can be delayed, giving her enough time to take care of her alibi, if necessary. A.I. Eirwen's A.I. "Athena" serves mainly as information provider. Aside from life stats, weapon and armour condition, Athena can scan the area around Eirwen for present life forms and hidden devices, and calculate possible courses of actions. Although A.I.'s possibilities are quite broad in defining the best options, Eirwen prefers to use it only for data input while making the decisions on her own. She thinks that using A.I. for decision-making can cloud one's mind and reduce the sharpness of reactions. Upon approaching someone without armour or other special protection, Athena can provide information about their life stats, helping Eirwen to understand what kind of emotions the person in front of her is experiencing and, most importantly, if they are telling the truth. Athena is also planted into Eirwen's headset, which she wears most of the time when not wearing her armour. While hacking the A.I. helps to determine the loops and holes which can be used to access the system. Eirwen can communicate with the New Templars only through Athena and its unique signature is required to allow the communication through a secured channel. While talking through any communicator, Athena automatically modifies Eirwen's voice each time using a new modification pattern to avoid any possibility of suspicion. Biography Eirwen Dailon belongs to a prestigious family of Dailons who have served the monarchy for generations. So when the New Templars were formed, Dailons promptly supported the organization. Since all the members were already engaged in one or another kind of service, they had to wait a few years before the youngest daugher of the family could join the Templars as a "knight". Eirwen has received the best education and training possible, excelling in everything she was taught. During her early times within Templars she served mostly as a scout and intelligence gatherer. However, after discovering her skills in hacking and her ability to play any role given, she was appointed full-time as the member of secret intelligence service. She was one of a very few who were dispatched to infiltrate the Free Men. The secret intelligence department developed several cover stories, one for her infiltration legend and the rest distributed between the actual Templars. Most of them suggested Eirwen being relocated to far-off units, where only the higher-ups could access her. Her code name "Ice Queen" is known to almost every soldier of the units she was providing information for, but only the chief of secret intelligence department and the commander of New Templars know her true identity. To successfuly infiltrate the Free Men, Eirwen was willingly sedated with memory erasing substances. Before it happened she was hypnotised to recover her memory under influence of particular outside triggers. It took her three months to recover completely and be able to actually do her job. Agents already within the Free Men took care of her equipment to enable her communication with the New Templars. Eirwen started in data analysis department. Recently she has been promoted to the chief tactician for the Beacons. During her years within organisation she rewrote most of the software used by her department, planting her own points of access for future uses. While having access to all the information about the Beacons' operations, she delivers it directly to the Templar units affected, however, only after careful consideration in order not to ruin her cover. She also provides information about past operations for the New Templars to analyse. Her ultimate mission is to make a career within the Beacons and reach close enough to their leader. She takes orders directly from Jason Bellhan and him only, and those orders are quite rare, anyway. She has a leave to use any resources available that can serve her purpose, as long as civilian population isn't affected. After being promoted Eirwen reports only to Isaac and his closest generals. She uses her real name "Eirwen" she has "remembered", but she denies remembering her family name. Her cover personality is an odd mixture of a technology geek who pays no attention to other matters (regretfully for many male and some female members of the Beacons) combined with a surprisingly easy-going person when it comes to daily communication. She constantly impresses those around her with new ideas of system optimisation or original tactical manoeuvres, so they would not forget about her. All the tactical "fails" happening because of her leaking information turn out to be the mistakes of other tacticians, with undeniable evidence behind their actions.</s> <\|message\|>McDougal "Shadow of Luna" Casually strolling the walkways of their new base, McDougal curiously inspected the work being done here. Equipment was moved and made ready, freemen soldiers were garrisoned everywhere. McDougal disliked cramped housing, while thinking he should make a nest of sorts in the vents he saw a glimpse of their new anti-craft turret. Whistle "_Thats some serious bang for our buck wouldn´t you say Jenny?_" an image of young woman with ponytail hair appeared sitting cross legged on his shoulder. "_Impressive equipment master, does this mean the war is won?_" Without answering McDougal laughed hard and unrestrained, what he saw around the corner stifled this laugh. The Alexander brothers were here too, both kneeling in prayer they payed no heed to passing shadow. The brothers were good at what they did, scarily so, it was why they did anything that concerned him. If they ever came to blows he doubted his own ability to stop them. "_Fistfighting is not in your style master._" "_So AI are capable of mindreading now, scary._" Finally he arrived to the lone man watching out the viewing ports, both joy and concern were painted on his face. Approaching the only man ever to warrant respect and obedience from the shadow of luna he straightened his back and cleared his throat. "_You dont look like a man who has a new neat toy, expecting troubles boss?_"</s> <\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Her new office didn't lack in space for sure. Eirwen was actually quite concerned that the room was large enough to serve as quarters for half of their current garrison, and thus was vulnerable. But being a Chief Tactician, it was her duty to be present here and oversee personally the establishment of the new base, as well as provide immediate tactical support, if needed. She was the best in tactics. That skill alone was enough for her to stand where she was standing. And she was standing high. Eirwen's office was indeed high, only two floors beneath the top floor. She could see the surroundings far enough from her window. There was nothing particularly interesting there, but the view was useful enough when she was concentrating and looking for solutions while sipping her coffee. It was supposed to be her only weakness, not quite a healthy drink which supposedly kept her addicted. And so she firmly drank two or three cups every day to support such belief. The Chief Tactician turned away from the window and looked through the glass wall separating her personal area from the rest of her department. They weren't relocated fully, only half a dozen specialists enough to keep the station running. She was looking at them while thinking, if this operation was really necessary for her to succeed. According to her analysis, this particular tower was quite important for Monarchy. But having part in the success of taking it over was a huge step towards her final goal. No civilians were harmed, of course. Still she wished she could have sabotaged it in some way. But that had to come next. For now Eirwen sat down in her new chair and activated the holotable. "Athena, provide the plan of the station for study, underground levels" she commanded. "But didn't you study the plan just yesterday, my lady?" the A.I. asked, although she was downloading the data already and the turret model was forming upon the "I did. But I still didn't find any new weaknesses. The Monarchy would want this base back" _And I shall deliver it when the time comes._</s> <\|message\|>Cesare Alexander "Amen" Cesare finished the prayer in a near whisper, before lifting his head and forcing his heavy body to follow. The "leader", Isaac Bellhan, had summoned forth a group to speak with. Unfortunately for Cesare and Julis, it would seem that the group had included them. It was rather irritating, having to listen to the words of an anarchist, but Cesare had put him (and by extension his brother Julis) in this position. Neither cause was the good cause, in Cesare's eyes, both cause sickened him. It just so happened that The Free Men offended Cesare less. One thing that remained a mystery to Cesare is why exactly he and his brother were accepted so easily into the "Beacons", though he did not dwell on it too much. He was a valuable tool and he knew it, wearing it like a badge of honor. Perhaps his pride would be his downfall, but he knew that he would still be accepted by the lord. Or at least, that's how he felt. Finally standing all the way up, Cesare did a few simple stretches to offset the pain of simply standing up. It took a lot of effort, mainly because he had to get over 600 kg off the ground using nothing but his own God-given body and strength. It wasn't an easy task, but at least it didn't hurt as much as it used to. After he reached around 200 kg and 3 meters, well things began to get very complicated. Even with his strong frame, his bones would break under the sheer weight of his body. There were a few instances where he had serious internal injuries, but modern-day medical technology proved to be very helpful. He was also thankful that he did not turn out like his brother, whom he turned to look at now. "Come brother." Cesare said, in a soft voice much unlike that he used with anyone else. He extended a hand and motioned for the smaller Julis to clamber upon his back so that he could carry him to Isaac Bellhan, for whatever it was they had been summoned for.</s> <\|message\|>Julis Alexander "Amen"* Julis had finished his prayer at the exact time Cesare had. Something that seemed strange to outsiders, but perfectly natural to the brothers. Julis, like in most situations, did not have an opinion of the false shepard Isaac's plans. He merely saw what his brother seemed to think, and considered that as his opinion. Julis' natural neutrality made him have no real opinion of the Free Men, but that was swayed by Cesare's opinion. Julis was not considered a valuable tool, unlike his brother. His brother was the cornerstone of their team, after all. After hearing Cesare asking him to come, Julis obliged quickly. He stepped onto his brother's hand, and turned his body in such a way that made him sit on his brother's shoulder. "Yes... Brother..." Julis said, his tone much more excited that usual. After all, he was quite excited to finally do something after long days of travel, and prayer.</s>	<\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon "My lady, it is time for you to go" Athena's voice was growing persistent. "How much time left?" Eirwen asked without much interest and without averting her gaze from the plans. "2 minutes, if you wish to arrive before the Alexander brothers" "Disregard the sequence, I plan to arrive the last one" "6 more minutes in your usual pace" Eirwen only nodded. "3 minutes" "1 minute" "30 seconds" "15 seconds" The tactician finally stood up. "Seal the working station. Enable recording. We are heading to the meeting" "Yes, my lady" answered the A.I. Athena's voice was almost relieved that her boss finally listened to her warnings. The lights on holotable went out, as Eirwen exited the room choosing a route where she wouldn't meet any of other high-ranked members going in the same direction.</s>
<\|description\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Age:23 Alignment: The Beacons (The New Templars) Profession: spy/hacker/tactician Appearance and Personality A bit more than 5'8'' tall, Eirwen's height is just enough to stand out, but not enough to make those around her uncomfortable. She has rather large eyes which change colour from light grey to deep blue depending on her surroundings, clothes, and mood, and are a great contrast to her pale skin. Her hair is white naturally, but she dyes it frequently, both because she finds white hair quite boring and because it reduces the possibility of her being recognized, even if such is quite low. She talks in clear voice, usually in casually polite manner suitable for her standings. While at work she goes straight to the point and doesn't like adding any details which don't stand in immediate connection to the topic. Overall, she can make her presence noticeable, if she wants to, but she prefers to remain in shadows, close enough to see everything, not close enough to draw unneccessary attention. Eirwen's personality was reshaped so many times, that even those close to her are not sure she actually possesses one. While being a Templar, she follows their code of honour and justice, and has inherited all traits of her noble family. However, no one can say with certainty that her nobility comes from heart and isn't another mask she wears out of the sense of duty. What remains unquestionable is her ability to control herself without a flaw. There is no such surprise that would make her change her forever calm expression or light a sparkle in those cold eyes. The code name "Ice Queen" wasn't an accident, and Eirwen wears it as if it was her given name. Since she spends most of her time pretending to be someone else, she doesn't mind being alone when there is such a possibility. Her interests rotate around art, music, and literature. She is gifted in singing. Special skills Eirwen specialises in intelligence gathering. She has remarkable knowledge of technology which allows her to hack into various systems without a trace. She is a skilled actress capable of performing any role which only contributes to her value as an undercover agent. Her combat skills are corresponding to both the New Templars' and the Beacons' highest standards, although usually she stays out of battles as tactical support. She is especially proficient in 1 vs. 1 combats, but being surrounded by a dozen of enemies she has much better chances to get away safely rather than to bring them all down. Armour Eirwen prefers light armour which is designed more for swift escapes and keeping her alive rather than direct clash with the opponent. Due to the nature of her work she is always cautious and has to take care of herself not being caught unaware. The custom-made design allows her to move with as little sound as possible and doesn't hinder the smallest of her movements. It contains a lot of hidden pockets where she stores weapons, supplies, portable devices, and data units. Her armour is strong enough to take several blows, but it is definitely not enough to survive in the middle of the battle. While not wearing it, Eirwen's clothes of choice are practical yet elegant. She pays a lot of attention to her looks, having all her garments carefully selected and matching her style. Weapons Following the traditions of spies for thousands of years, Eirwen's weapon of choice is a dagger. She carries a pair of them in her sleeve pockets, easy to hide and easy to slide in her hands, if needed. As any Templar, she is capable of wielding a sword and possesses one, but since the time she has been dispatched on an undercover mission, it remains in her room. Aside from daggers, Eirwen's usual set includes a medium-sized riffle and a syringe gun. She carries mainly two types of syringes, one with deadly poison, another with short-term memory erasing medicine. The first kind is used mainly for assassination of strategically important targets, another to make the enemy forget ever meeting her. The effect can be delayed, giving her enough time to take care of her alibi, if necessary. A.I. Eirwen's A.I. "Athena" serves mainly as information provider. Aside from life stats, weapon and armour condition, Athena can scan the area around Eirwen for present life forms and hidden devices, and calculate possible courses of actions. Although A.I.'s possibilities are quite broad in defining the best options, Eirwen prefers to use it only for data input while making the decisions on her own. She thinks that using A.I. for decision-making can cloud one's mind and reduce the sharpness of reactions. Upon approaching someone without armour or other special protection, Athena can provide information about their life stats, helping Eirwen to understand what kind of emotions the person in front of her is experiencing and, most importantly, if they are telling the truth. Athena is also planted into Eirwen's headset, which she wears most of the time when not wearing her armour. While hacking the A.I. helps to determine the loops and holes which can be used to access the system. Eirwen can communicate with the New Templars only through Athena and its unique signature is required to allow the communication through a secured channel. While talking through any communicator, Athena automatically modifies Eirwen's voice each time using a new modification pattern to avoid any possibility of suspicion. Biography Eirwen Dailon belongs to a prestigious family of Dailons who have served the monarchy for generations. So when the New Templars were formed, Dailons promptly supported the organization. Since all the members were already engaged in one or another kind of service, they had to wait a few years before the youngest daugher of the family could join the Templars as a "knight". Eirwen has received the best education and training possible, excelling in everything she was taught. During her early times within Templars she served mostly as a scout and intelligence gatherer. However, after discovering her skills in hacking and her ability to play any role given, she was appointed full-time as the member of secret intelligence service. She was one of a very few who were dispatched to infiltrate the Free Men. The secret intelligence department developed several cover stories, one for her infiltration legend and the rest distributed between the actual Templars. Most of them suggested Eirwen being relocated to far-off units, where only the higher-ups could access her. Her code name "Ice Queen" is known to almost every soldier of the units she was providing information for, but only the chief of secret intelligence department and the commander of New Templars know her true identity. To successfuly infiltrate the Free Men, Eirwen was willingly sedated with memory erasing substances. Before it happened she was hypnotised to recover her memory under influence of particular outside triggers. It took her three months to recover completely and be able to actually do her job. Agents already within the Free Men took care of her equipment to enable her communication with the New Templars. Eirwen started in data analysis department. Recently she has been promoted to the chief tactician for the Beacons. During her years within organisation she rewrote most of the software used by her department, planting her own points of access for future uses. While having access to all the information about the Beacons' operations, she delivers it directly to the Templar units affected, however, only after careful consideration in order not to ruin her cover. She also provides information about past operations for the New Templars to analyse. Her ultimate mission is to make a career within the Beacons and reach close enough to their leader. She takes orders directly from Jason Bellhan and him only, and those orders are quite rare, anyway. She has a leave to use any resources available that can serve her purpose, as long as civilian population isn't affected. After being promoted Eirwen reports only to Isaac and his closest generals. She uses her real name "Eirwen" she has "remembered", but she denies remembering her family name. Her cover personality is an odd mixture of a technology geek who pays no attention to other matters (regretfully for many male and some female members of the Beacons) combined with a surprisingly easy-going person when it comes to daily communication. She constantly impresses those around her with new ideas of system optimisation or original tactical manoeuvres, so they would not forget about her. All the tactical "fails" happening because of her leaking information turn out to be the mistakes of other tacticians, with undeniable evidence behind their actions.</s> <\|message\|>Ben Shepard "Be it known that it is the year three thousand four fifty three. "A male voice said in his helmet. A young man sighed and looked down at the world beneath him. He was in geostationary orbit over the Alps. He sat inside a small pod in a reentry suit. It was old fashioned but it was a rush to do. The voice chimed up again. "Please explain to me why we are here instead of training?" The voice said clearly bothered. "Oh come now Durendal. This is fun! Also jumps like these may be needed should things go wrong during a mission. These suits can survive reentry from high orbit. "The young guy said as he looked at the planet. The pod door opened and a chime played. He got up and looked down. "Well fortune favors the bold. "He said as he pushed off the pod and the gravity kicked in. "My sensors indicate that we will arrive at the hold in two minutes. Ben we need to activate the propulsion systems. This suit is so bulky..." Durendal complained as he fell. Ben saw the heat coming off his suit as they entered the atmosphere. After a minute he began to settle out and began to land. He fell past the hold into one of the valley's nearby. He landed with a thump. "Hell yah!" He said as the reentry suit came off revealing a smaller less bulky suit. "We are to report to the War Room. The commander wants us there. "The AI said as Ben got to the hold. He walked in, his face bright red from the thrill. "Sorry for being late Boss. "He said as Durendal materialized on his shoulder. The AI had the form of a young man wearing an laurel crown. Ben sat down still smiling. "You guys have to orbital jump. It's a rush!" The young man said smiling.</s> <\|message\|>Isaac Bellhan Jason At first, Jason didn't glance up from the floor at Klaus and Ben's arrival, lost in thought as he was oft prone to be. But, eventually- At the sound of Adam clearing his throat- he looked up and nodded to the pair. "Klaus, Ben. Glad to see you both made it, I was beginning to wonder if you'd slipped on some ice." Apparently, he didn't even register the fact that he'd kept them waiting for his response for a solid ten minutes, making Ben's lateness... Rather redundant. He straightened with a crack of his neck, gesturing for Ben to stand and giving a meaningful look to the holo-table in front of him, directing all of their attention to the space-station imaged there. "We lost JCS again, and this time the Free Men are looking to make it permanent. Our entire garrison was killed and spaced, and all communications with the station have been severed, excluding internal Free Men messages. Somehow, in the week it took us to find out, they had -this- installed." He tapped a point on the image, blowing up the turret and its surrounding space again for their viewing. "Anti-craft turret. This scan is nearly three days old- They probably have more than one of these now. But one is bad enough. With that turret functioning, no ship bigger than a civilian leisure boat is getting within ten thousand miles of that station without turning into a bunch of floating scrap metal... Which, of course, means we're being sent almost to the moon. In a civilian leisure boat. Hope you boys brought sun-screen." Ah, the dry humor of a man not pleased with upcoming tasks. Isaac Isaac glanced over his shoulder to Mcdougal, shrugging slightly at his comment and turning away from the window. "I'm always expecting trouble, Mcdougal. That way the only surprises I have are pleasant ones." He hardly had his favorite phrase out before the rather... Impressive form of Cesare made it into the room, smaller brother on his back as always. Unlike most, Isaac had never been intimidated by Cesare- Nor had he found Julis strange in the slightest. He liked both of them, found them interesting- But he expected Cesare, at least, had agendas outside of helping the Free Men. Until those came to rise, however, Isaac would always continue to treat the two as he treated everybody else- Like friendly equals among free people. "Cesare, Julis. Glad to see you both. Excuse me if I get directly to business on this, but Julis, I had a job specifically for you, after this meeting. I need you to suit up and go outside, help the engineers with the turrets. I want the numbers perfect, and nobody does them better than you. And where the devil is Eirwen? She's usually here first." He glanced about with a slight frown, speaking rather rapidly compared to his usual easy-going manner. He either had one too many coffees, or that chill running up his spine was beginning to grate on his nerves. Either way, it was rather amusing to see.</s> <\|message\|>Klaus Helbrect Immediately, Klaus' AI, Rommel, spoke up. "Wie ist das möglich? Die Logistik für eine solche schnelle Änderung... Zu denken, dass wir es nicht erkennen..." Klaus nodded. "Rommel brings up an interesting point, Commander. The rebels must be utilizing considerably more advanced equipment than previously known, in both the transportation and construction fields, in order to have set up these guns undetected within the span of a week. Just shipping the parts for it must have taken a few days, and it probably had to be welded on site. The fact that this scan is three days old is only more disturbing." Klaus glanced at the holo projection, rubbing his chin. "Don't we have an agent on board that station?"</s>	<\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon "I believe the devil won't be able to verify my location," Eirwen spoke entering. She approached the room just while Isaac was commenting on her absence. "However, according to my AI, there are still 12 seconds before the official meeting, so in fact I am too early. Unless there was a system crush, and then I need to rewrite some of the modules, time calculation included". She was serious about both the 12 seconds and the rewriting part. Everyone knew that their tactician hated mistakes and foggy data. She preferred flawless exactness. "My systems work perfectly fine, my lady," said Athena in somewhat sulking voice materialising on her owner's shoulder. Usually Eirwen didn't have her visible, but in front of the others it was kind of a custom to show off with their AIs. Athena was shaped as a lean young woman with long curly hair reaching her waist, part of which was sealed with a comb. She was dressed in a long chiton, clothes popular around four thousand years ago, and in her hands she was holding a large sphere. Eirwen wrote her model design herself, to make her more or less fitting for her name. "I checked the time using the exact location coordinates, planet movement map, and the distance to the Sun at this point." continued the AI. Eirwen chuckled at such report. "Looks like I am still too early, chief," she said looking at Isaac.</s>
<\|description\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Age:23 Alignment: The Beacons (The New Templars) Profession: spy/hacker/tactician Appearance and Personality A bit more than 5'8'' tall, Eirwen's height is just enough to stand out, but not enough to make those around her uncomfortable. She has rather large eyes which change colour from light grey to deep blue depending on her surroundings, clothes, and mood, and are a great contrast to her pale skin. Her hair is white naturally, but she dyes it frequently, both because she finds white hair quite boring and because it reduces the possibility of her being recognized, even if such is quite low. She talks in clear voice, usually in casually polite manner suitable for her standings. While at work she goes straight to the point and doesn't like adding any details which don't stand in immediate connection to the topic. Overall, she can make her presence noticeable, if she wants to, but she prefers to remain in shadows, close enough to see everything, not close enough to draw unneccessary attention. Eirwen's personality was reshaped so many times, that even those close to her are not sure she actually possesses one. While being a Templar, she follows their code of honour and justice, and has inherited all traits of her noble family. However, no one can say with certainty that her nobility comes from heart and isn't another mask she wears out of the sense of duty. What remains unquestionable is her ability to control herself without a flaw. There is no such surprise that would make her change her forever calm expression or light a sparkle in those cold eyes. The code name "Ice Queen" wasn't an accident, and Eirwen wears it as if it was her given name. Since she spends most of her time pretending to be someone else, she doesn't mind being alone when there is such a possibility. Her interests rotate around art, music, and literature. She is gifted in singing. Special skills Eirwen specialises in intelligence gathering. She has remarkable knowledge of technology which allows her to hack into various systems without a trace. She is a skilled actress capable of performing any role which only contributes to her value as an undercover agent. Her combat skills are corresponding to both the New Templars' and the Beacons' highest standards, although usually she stays out of battles as tactical support. She is especially proficient in 1 vs. 1 combats, but being surrounded by a dozen of enemies she has much better chances to get away safely rather than to bring them all down. Armour Eirwen prefers light armour which is designed more for swift escapes and keeping her alive rather than direct clash with the opponent. Due to the nature of her work she is always cautious and has to take care of herself not being caught unaware. The custom-made design allows her to move with as little sound as possible and doesn't hinder the smallest of her movements. It contains a lot of hidden pockets where she stores weapons, supplies, portable devices, and data units. Her armour is strong enough to take several blows, but it is definitely not enough to survive in the middle of the battle. While not wearing it, Eirwen's clothes of choice are practical yet elegant. She pays a lot of attention to her looks, having all her garments carefully selected and matching her style. Weapons Following the traditions of spies for thousands of years, Eirwen's weapon of choice is a dagger. She carries a pair of them in her sleeve pockets, easy to hide and easy to slide in her hands, if needed. As any Templar, she is capable of wielding a sword and possesses one, but since the time she has been dispatched on an undercover mission, it remains in her room. Aside from daggers, Eirwen's usual set includes a medium-sized riffle and a syringe gun. She carries mainly two types of syringes, one with deadly poison, another with short-term memory erasing medicine. The first kind is used mainly for assassination of strategically important targets, another to make the enemy forget ever meeting her. The effect can be delayed, giving her enough time to take care of her alibi, if necessary. A.I. Eirwen's A.I. "Athena" serves mainly as information provider. Aside from life stats, weapon and armour condition, Athena can scan the area around Eirwen for present life forms and hidden devices, and calculate possible courses of actions. Although A.I.'s possibilities are quite broad in defining the best options, Eirwen prefers to use it only for data input while making the decisions on her own. She thinks that using A.I. for decision-making can cloud one's mind and reduce the sharpness of reactions. Upon approaching someone without armour or other special protection, Athena can provide information about their life stats, helping Eirwen to understand what kind of emotions the person in front of her is experiencing and, most importantly, if they are telling the truth. Athena is also planted into Eirwen's headset, which she wears most of the time when not wearing her armour. While hacking the A.I. helps to determine the loops and holes which can be used to access the system. Eirwen can communicate with the New Templars only through Athena and its unique signature is required to allow the communication through a secured channel. While talking through any communicator, Athena automatically modifies Eirwen's voice each time using a new modification pattern to avoid any possibility of suspicion. Biography Eirwen Dailon belongs to a prestigious family of Dailons who have served the monarchy for generations. So when the New Templars were formed, Dailons promptly supported the organization. Since all the members were already engaged in one or another kind of service, they had to wait a few years before the youngest daugher of the family could join the Templars as a "knight". Eirwen has received the best education and training possible, excelling in everything she was taught. During her early times within Templars she served mostly as a scout and intelligence gatherer. However, after discovering her skills in hacking and her ability to play any role given, she was appointed full-time as the member of secret intelligence service. She was one of a very few who were dispatched to infiltrate the Free Men. The secret intelligence department developed several cover stories, one for her infiltration legend and the rest distributed between the actual Templars. Most of them suggested Eirwen being relocated to far-off units, where only the higher-ups could access her. Her code name "Ice Queen" is known to almost every soldier of the units she was providing information for, but only the chief of secret intelligence department and the commander of New Templars know her true identity. To successfuly infiltrate the Free Men, Eirwen was willingly sedated with memory erasing substances. Before it happened she was hypnotised to recover her memory under influence of particular outside triggers. It took her three months to recover completely and be able to actually do her job. Agents already within the Free Men took care of her equipment to enable her communication with the New Templars. Eirwen started in data analysis department. Recently she has been promoted to the chief tactician for the Beacons. During her years within organisation she rewrote most of the software used by her department, planting her own points of access for future uses. While having access to all the information about the Beacons' operations, she delivers it directly to the Templar units affected, however, only after careful consideration in order not to ruin her cover. She also provides information about past operations for the New Templars to analyse. Her ultimate mission is to make a career within the Beacons and reach close enough to their leader. She takes orders directly from Jason Bellhan and him only, and those orders are quite rare, anyway. She has a leave to use any resources available that can serve her purpose, as long as civilian population isn't affected. After being promoted Eirwen reports only to Isaac and his closest generals. She uses her real name "Eirwen" she has "remembered", but she denies remembering her family name. Her cover personality is an odd mixture of a technology geek who pays no attention to other matters (regretfully for many male and some female members of the Beacons) combined with a surprisingly easy-going person when it comes to daily communication. She constantly impresses those around her with new ideas of system optimisation or original tactical manoeuvres, so they would not forget about her. All the tactical "fails" happening because of her leaking information turn out to be the mistakes of other tacticians, with undeniable evidence behind their actions.</s> <\|message\|>Julis Alexander Julis nodded. "Okay...", he said in his usual quiet and monotone voice. It wasn't unheard of for Isaac to ask Julis for help doing stuff. Others (mostly maintenance workers) didn't enjoy him helping. His mind worked in strange ways, and as such, never wrote down what did what. It made it a pain for others since they couldn't understand what anything meant (and sometimes Julis didn't remember either). He heard McDougal make his little joke. It irritated Julis. Such a thing would have been considered a curse upon other cultures. His brother, Cesare, seemed to be like an unmovable mountain compared to those around him, and Julis was still sitting on his large shoulder. After a few moments, the numbers in Julis' head seemed to slow down. His usual demeanor of not paying attention to anything turned into a more focused look at Isaac, waiting for what bigger order he would ask.</s> <\|message\|>Cesare Alexander Cesare looked at his brother and then to Isaac and then back to his brother. Underneath his helmet, his expression changed to one of concern for his younger brother. "Is it really okay, Julis?" He said, a hint of concern and brotherly love in his voice. He turned his head back to Isaac and underneath his helmet his face turned back to the one of disgust he used with those other than his dear brother. "You know Julis doesn't like to say no." Cesare used a loud and almost commanding voice with Isaac, though it was still softer than the one he used with others still. Perhaps it was because Cesare had been softened up by Julis. In fact, it probably was that. Lifting his large left arm up he pat Julis' leg, reinforcing that nothing involving Julis got by without Cesare's say.</s> <\|message\|>Isaac Bellhan Jason Jason gave a slight shrug at Klaus' question, scratching the stubble on his chin with a sigh. "We do, but for his own safety I can't just go making contact willy-nilly. All of three people know who he is." He was, of course, intentionally using the wrong pronouns. One can never be too careful talking about a deep-cover agent, even when in the company of only friends and close co-workers. Though Ben's statement, admittedly, brought a grin to his usually stern features. "Glad to hear it, Ben. Unfortunately we'll be lacking in ladies to woo with your suaveness. But all joking aside- Adam, give them the details of travel." The AI wolf nodded, sitting back on his haunches and looking between Ben and Klaus. "The moon is two hundred thirty eight thousand and nine hundred miles from Earth. The JCS is almost exactly two hundred thousand miles from earth. We will be traveling in a small craft at approximately one thousand miles an hour, making this a twenty hour trip. If we leave immediately, we will arrive at some time in the middle of the day tomorrow. And we -are- leaving immediately. Further details will be given as situations arise." A twenty hour trip by civilian space craft- The equivalent of being stuck in an R.V with family for an entire day. It wouldn't be a comfortable trip. Isaac Isaac listened quietly to all of them- Though he visibly cringed as Eirwen and Athena went on their tyrade about schedule and the accuracy of their clocks. Once everybody was done, he gave a rather exaggerated sigh, as if their words had actually been pressing down on him. It was his usual brand of dry humor. "Then I suppose the rest of us were earlier." He'd given up on arguing that there really was no schedule, and that time-settings for meetings were more guide-lines than actually set 'you have to be here' times. "Now that we're all here, though, I'll make it quick for all of our sake." A hand gestured to Cesare and Julis. "I know he might not like to say no, Cesare, but I need those cannons in perfect order, and he's the only one on this bloody station who I trust to make it as close to perfect as humanly possible. You can go out with him if you're worried, I don't have any specific job for you unless you want to stand around clubbing people over the head for walking too slowly. But unless -all- of us want to get blown up, we need those turrets perfect so that nothing bigger than my gods damned thumb can make it close to us." He now turned his eyes on McDougal and Eirwen, tilting his head slightly. "You two, I need working together. I'm quite certain McDougal has his obnoxiously large bag of tricks and traps. You're damn good at setting them on your own, but work with Eirwen this time. I'm sure all of her tactics and strategems will actually come in handy here. Make the traps -carefully-. We don't want our own soldiers tripping them. Make a few of them obvious, too. If anybody not with the Free Men boards this station, I want them bottle-necked towards the bottom of the station."</s> <\|message\|>McDougal "Shadow of Luna" Were it not for his helmet, everyone in the room could have sworn McDougal had turned into tomato, such was the intensity of this emotional rollercoaster Isaac had thrown him into. He found Eirwen to be ravishingly attractive as a woman, but as an person that punctuality and expectations of perfection drove him goddamn insane! And these were HIS traps they were discussing here. Still, Isaacs orders were Isaacs orders and McDougal would follow suit like a good little Beacon he was. He moved next to Eirwen and started discussing his plan. It mainly involved setting an ring of sorts around the station, in two parts. If possible enemies would attack the station, they would be divided by jammed emergency bulkheads, this would be when part of enemy forces would be spaced with an rigged airlock and beforehand positioned freemen snipers would shoot the bastards to be sure they were out. Those still behind bulkheads would be funneled towards the bottom by giving them false targets to chase and "accidentally" leaked Beacon comminications. "And that is where we take them out to lunch!" McDougal was sure that Eirwen had her own plans and would most likely tear this one to bits, he was prepared to let it slide and do things her way this time around, after all, no enemy force was guaranteed to attack an base so heavily fortified with massive ordnance, right?</s>	<\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon "Why the bottom?" asked Eirwen. She didn't usually question the decisions of her commander, but then again, if she was here, then she found it suitable to provide her opinion on the state of affairs. "According to my evaluation, the left flange might be a better choice. It isn't fully equipped yet, so the material losses on our side will be insignificant. It is also the one we damaged during our siege. In case it costs us too much to deal with the enemy forces, we can simply seal the tunnel and cast the whole flange in the open space while reforming our forces. I also have all the reasons to believe that this is the most vulnerable part, and if Templar tacticians studied the plan well, they will order the attack this point first. I also believe that our main life support units are on the first level, so if we are going to make the main move there, it should be more than just well calculated." Apparently, she didn't mind working with a partner. The more people she had access to, the better. Not to mention she was quite eager to learn about the structure of those traps. But the Ice Queen didn't show any hints about her true intentions.</s>
<\|description\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Age:23 Alignment: The Beacons (The New Templars) Profession: spy/hacker/tactician Appearance and Personality A bit more than 5'8'' tall, Eirwen's height is just enough to stand out, but not enough to make those around her uncomfortable. She has rather large eyes which change colour from light grey to deep blue depending on her surroundings, clothes, and mood, and are a great contrast to her pale skin. Her hair is white naturally, but she dyes it frequently, both because she finds white hair quite boring and because it reduces the possibility of her being recognized, even if such is quite low. She talks in clear voice, usually in casually polite manner suitable for her standings. While at work she goes straight to the point and doesn't like adding any details which don't stand in immediate connection to the topic. Overall, she can make her presence noticeable, if she wants to, but she prefers to remain in shadows, close enough to see everything, not close enough to draw unneccessary attention. Eirwen's personality was reshaped so many times, that even those close to her are not sure she actually possesses one. While being a Templar, she follows their code of honour and justice, and has inherited all traits of her noble family. However, no one can say with certainty that her nobility comes from heart and isn't another mask she wears out of the sense of duty. What remains unquestionable is her ability to control herself without a flaw. There is no such surprise that would make her change her forever calm expression or light a sparkle in those cold eyes. The code name "Ice Queen" wasn't an accident, and Eirwen wears it as if it was her given name. Since she spends most of her time pretending to be someone else, she doesn't mind being alone when there is such a possibility. Her interests rotate around art, music, and literature. She is gifted in singing. Special skills Eirwen specialises in intelligence gathering. She has remarkable knowledge of technology which allows her to hack into various systems without a trace. She is a skilled actress capable of performing any role which only contributes to her value as an undercover agent. Her combat skills are corresponding to both the New Templars' and the Beacons' highest standards, although usually she stays out of battles as tactical support. She is especially proficient in 1 vs. 1 combats, but being surrounded by a dozen of enemies she has much better chances to get away safely rather than to bring them all down. Armour Eirwen prefers light armour which is designed more for swift escapes and keeping her alive rather than direct clash with the opponent. Due to the nature of her work she is always cautious and has to take care of herself not being caught unaware. The custom-made design allows her to move with as little sound as possible and doesn't hinder the smallest of her movements. It contains a lot of hidden pockets where she stores weapons, supplies, portable devices, and data units. Her armour is strong enough to take several blows, but it is definitely not enough to survive in the middle of the battle. While not wearing it, Eirwen's clothes of choice are practical yet elegant. She pays a lot of attention to her looks, having all her garments carefully selected and matching her style. Weapons Following the traditions of spies for thousands of years, Eirwen's weapon of choice is a dagger. She carries a pair of them in her sleeve pockets, easy to hide and easy to slide in her hands, if needed. As any Templar, she is capable of wielding a sword and possesses one, but since the time she has been dispatched on an undercover mission, it remains in her room. Aside from daggers, Eirwen's usual set includes a medium-sized riffle and a syringe gun. She carries mainly two types of syringes, one with deadly poison, another with short-term memory erasing medicine. The first kind is used mainly for assassination of strategically important targets, another to make the enemy forget ever meeting her. The effect can be delayed, giving her enough time to take care of her alibi, if necessary. A.I. Eirwen's A.I. "Athena" serves mainly as information provider. Aside from life stats, weapon and armour condition, Athena can scan the area around Eirwen for present life forms and hidden devices, and calculate possible courses of actions. Although A.I.'s possibilities are quite broad in defining the best options, Eirwen prefers to use it only for data input while making the decisions on her own. She thinks that using A.I. for decision-making can cloud one's mind and reduce the sharpness of reactions. Upon approaching someone without armour or other special protection, Athena can provide information about their life stats, helping Eirwen to understand what kind of emotions the person in front of her is experiencing and, most importantly, if they are telling the truth. Athena is also planted into Eirwen's headset, which she wears most of the time when not wearing her armour. While hacking the A.I. helps to determine the loops and holes which can be used to access the system. Eirwen can communicate with the New Templars only through Athena and its unique signature is required to allow the communication through a secured channel. While talking through any communicator, Athena automatically modifies Eirwen's voice each time using a new modification pattern to avoid any possibility of suspicion. Biography Eirwen Dailon belongs to a prestigious family of Dailons who have served the monarchy for generations. So when the New Templars were formed, Dailons promptly supported the organization. Since all the members were already engaged in one or another kind of service, they had to wait a few years before the youngest daugher of the family could join the Templars as a "knight". Eirwen has received the best education and training possible, excelling in everything she was taught. During her early times within Templars she served mostly as a scout and intelligence gatherer. However, after discovering her skills in hacking and her ability to play any role given, she was appointed full-time as the member of secret intelligence service. She was one of a very few who were dispatched to infiltrate the Free Men. The secret intelligence department developed several cover stories, one for her infiltration legend and the rest distributed between the actual Templars. Most of them suggested Eirwen being relocated to far-off units, where only the higher-ups could access her. Her code name "Ice Queen" is known to almost every soldier of the units she was providing information for, but only the chief of secret intelligence department and the commander of New Templars know her true identity. To successfuly infiltrate the Free Men, Eirwen was willingly sedated with memory erasing substances. Before it happened she was hypnotised to recover her memory under influence of particular outside triggers. It took her three months to recover completely and be able to actually do her job. Agents already within the Free Men took care of her equipment to enable her communication with the New Templars. Eirwen started in data analysis department. Recently she has been promoted to the chief tactician for the Beacons. During her years within organisation she rewrote most of the software used by her department, planting her own points of access for future uses. While having access to all the information about the Beacons' operations, she delivers it directly to the Templar units affected, however, only after careful consideration in order not to ruin her cover. She also provides information about past operations for the New Templars to analyse. Her ultimate mission is to make a career within the Beacons and reach close enough to their leader. She takes orders directly from Jason Bellhan and him only, and those orders are quite rare, anyway. She has a leave to use any resources available that can serve her purpose, as long as civilian population isn't affected. After being promoted Eirwen reports only to Isaac and his closest generals. She uses her real name "Eirwen" she has "remembered", but she denies remembering her family name. Her cover personality is an odd mixture of a technology geek who pays no attention to other matters (regretfully for many male and some female members of the Beacons) combined with a surprisingly easy-going person when it comes to daily communication. She constantly impresses those around her with new ideas of system optimisation or original tactical manoeuvres, so they would not forget about her. All the tactical "fails" happening because of her leaking information turn out to be the mistakes of other tacticians, with undeniable evidence behind their actions.</s> <\|message\|>Klaus Helbrect Klaus and Rommel nodded in unison. Then, Rommel spoke up some more, his holographic likeness stepping off of Klaus' shoulders and floating towards the projected station. "Berechne ich eine fünfundneunzig Punkt sieben Prozent Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass unser Angriff vor Ankunft festgestellt werden, wahrscheinlich Punkt 70 Stunden vor dem Angriff beginnt. Ich rationalisieren ein siebenundvierzig Punkt sechsundachtzig Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass dies eine Falle. Ich werde Station Pläne zu überprüfen, während wir auf dem Weg." Klaus nodded. "Rommel reads a 97% chance of our plan being discovered before we can fully effect it, if standard station detection protocols are in place. Furthermore, there's a 47.86% chance that our attack will run into traps and ambushes. Tactical assessments will be given en route. For now, let's just get going." Removing his arms from behind his back, Klaus saluted, and left to retrieve his power armor from the armory.</s> <\|message\|>Julis Alexander Julis turned to Eirwen. "No... Not work..." Julis said, his voice quiet. He took out a small and unremarkable ballpoint pen, and a thin piece of paper, browned from time. He began to scrawl on it. His pen was moving fast. It was almost a scribble, but numbers appeared. Many numbers, in fact. Julis kept on writing. The numbers scrawled on the papers seemed to be in a shape. What shape was it? It wasn't very orthodox. It wasn't a shape. It was many shapes coming together. It appeared to be an object, but what object? More numbers were drawn, and the shape took form. It was the space station they were on. The left side had pretty high numbers, but not as high as the middle, top, or right side. Julis passed the paper to Eirwen to disprove he idea.</s> <\|message\|>Cesare Alexander Cesare looked at what Julis had scrawled and tried to wrap his mind around it. Tried. Didn't succeed. So instead of trying to explain it, he turned back to Isaac. "I enjoy a good space walk. I'm going with Julis. Like always." He said, with his voice gruff and riddled with spite. He shifted as he turned back to look at Julis and his strange scrawling. Cesare wasn't the brightest, but he wasn't necessarily dull either. But his brother was a wiz with numbers and it was rather hard for Cesare to wrap his mind around what Julis was going on about. Math wasn't his strong point either, instead he focused on his religious studies. He relied on Julis for the numbers. Cesare was mostly listening for now, so he did little beyond that.</s> <\|message\|>Ben Shepard Ben looked down and snapped his fingers sadly. He looked at the group. "20 hours with just us. Okay I am going to give us about 10 hours before we are lunging at each other's throat for something to do at least." He grumbled. He hated being in tight areas he could not escape from. Again that messed with his plans completely. He looked around. "Well since we all seem to be ready shouldn't we just go now?"</s> <\|message\|>Isaac Bellhan Jason Jason pulled the chip that contained Adam out of the Holo-table and slid it into its proper place in his helmet with a sigh, before tucking said helmet under his arm and gesturing towards the door. "Thank you for the update, Ronmel and Klaus. We've dealt with worse chances. Now you're both dismissed. Check your gear, and meet me in the courtyard in twenty minutes. The craft should have arrived by then. Make sure to take a piss before we go." And with that, he strolled out of the hall, heading off to follow his own orders and check his gear. Isaac Isaac -was- about to answer Eirwen's question as to why. Then Julis did his... Number thing. Whenever he saw the little man at it, he was invariably reminded of a movie back from the twentieth century that he was fond of- The Matrix, he remembered. ".... What Julis said. But, in my own words, I want them at the bottom because the bottom is smaller. There's only one big room at the bottom tip of this station, and it's the mess hall. Plenty of tables and counters for cover, lots of open space. If -anybody- is sent our way, it won't be run of the mill soldiers. Or at least, not -just- run of the mill soldiers. Anybody that survives a trip onto this station will probably need to be dealt with directly by us. And I like to choose my own battlegrounds. Somewhere I can swing a sword and still have room to shoot is preferable." There wasn't any need to specify who he felt would be sent after them. JCS was an important station. If anybody came, it would be Templars.... And more than likely, it would be the best of the Templars, which meant Isaac's own brother and his team. "Besides, if worst comes to worst, we can break the mess level off from the rest of the station. Whole thing acts like a shuttle, pops down to the Moon at the touch of a button. Every level does, actually. Just goes from the bottom up."</s>	<\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Eirwen took the paper, only a little hint of curiosity in her eyes. Julis always had some interesting ideas, and she found it satisfying, when she could figure them out. The numbers on the paper didn't tell her much. They were not higher than 100 which made her think of percentages. Only, percentages of what? Since the lowest numbers were forming the bottom, the tactician figured out they were the best. Isaac's comment only confirmed her guess. She didn't need more. And she wasn't about to argue. She provided her opinion, and if their chief considered it invalid, well, it might have hurt her pride, if she had it. But she didn't, so she only nodded. "I only hope that the Templars won't consider the space to swing their swords as convenient as you do." she said looking straight at Isaac. Neither her tone nor her words as their were showed any disobedience, yet there was something behind her cold eyes that could provoke some questions. Breaking the eye contact, Eirwen lowered her head slightly. "I will see that everything is prepared and that the equipment is moved." She raised her eyes on Isaac again and gave him another strange look before turning to McDougal. Only then she found it proper to pay attention to him. "He is nervous," Athena whispered in her ear, "his heartbeat and blood pressure are higher than usually." Not that it was something new. McDougal was almost always like that when it came to talking with her, and since it was their first time working closely together it was to be expected. Especially, since it looked as if Eirwen wasn't even listening to his plan. She was, however, even while talking to Isaac. "I agree that we should surround the station," she told him, "but the shape should be modified. There also should be an emergency tunnel to guarantee the safe draw-back, if needed. And I would need the detailed descriptions of all the kinds of traps you are planning to use, working stuff, power of detonation, and quantity. I believe, you won't have any trouble on setting them up personally, will you?"</s>
<\|description\|>Cesare Alexander "Anarchy is preferable to obeying those who have fallen from God's grace." Age: 38 Alignment: The Free Men (After having defected from The New Templars for a multitude of reasons that Cesare for the most part refuses to explain.) Fireteam: "Salvation" Height and Weight: Cesare stands at an astounding 4 meters tall and he weighs around 432 kg as a result. With his armor on, he weighs roughly 654 kg. Personality: Cesare is an extremely prideful man, believing himself to be above all others, though he is also fiercely obedient, respecting the chain of command. Due to his gargantuan size, he has been described as "fiercely intimidating", a trait he knows well and abuses. This has led to him acting as if he is a wrathful man, often threatening acting as if he has been sent into a berserk rage. The truth, however, is that Cesare is at all times calm and collected, having known nothing but war his entire life. Cesare is also very religious, and zealous in his beliefs. He considers himself a "fine Christian man", though talking to him reveals that many of his beliefs oppose those of most religions. One notable difference lies in the fact that Cesare does not believe in a Hell. He instead believes that those who live lives of sin, or simply lack faith, are doomed never to be remembered. When asked why his beliefs are this way, he will simply say "Nowhere in the blessed texts does it say that there is a Hell. The closest example I can find is in fact referring to a disposal site outside of Jericho." It's recommended not to question him further as he can and will proceed to give you his own sermon. Cesare is very vocal with his beliefs, not being afraid to disagree with others. He is known to many as an "intolerant bigot" or as "scum", because of his beliefs. Those that do not agree with his religious beliefs are in his eyes, doomed to never be remembered. He is also known to have rattled on about his extreme hatred for the LGBT community, believing that they are all denied entrance into Heaven, for living lives of sin. Cesare is very "Old Testament" in his beliefs, if it wasn't obvious. While on the topic of his beliefs, Cesare absolutely despises the "New Templars". He claims that they are false, having fallen from the grace of God. In fact, he believes that they do not deserve to wear the title of Templar, or Knight, or anything. He believes they are scum to be wiped from the bottom of his boot. Armor: The most noteworthy part of Cesare's armor is its sheer size. Weighing a little more than half as much as Cesare himself, it is roughly 222 kilograms in weight. The armor, on any normal person, would require mechanical assistance to even budge, but Cesare is a gargantuan strongman. Cesare relies more on his sheer strength than the armor, though it has saved his hide more than a few times. It is space-worthy, strong enough to resist most small-arms fire and even many types of explosives. There is no functioning AI attached to Cesare's armor, having been disabled at a time Cesare refuses to disclose. Arsenal: Cesare is trained to use a Flail, a Shield, and Explosives. We'll start with the flail. A large, unwieldy thing, the Flail is really just that: An overly sized flail. There is nothing special about it, other than its size. Next up is his shield. Imagine a bulldozer. That's what Cesare is like, his shield almost as big as him, making him look like a bulldozer. It is built from the same materials as his armor, being able to repair itself over time, but aside from that, it is for all intents and purposes: Tried and true metal. It is more than capable of protecting him and his brother from almost any harm coming their way. Finally is his explosive ordinance. There used to be rumors that his flail was capable of detonating on impact, but those rumors fell with the men that spread them. The truth of the matter is that Cesare keeps a stockpile of explosives with him at almost all times. Under each of his pauldrons, are at least two dozen half-grenades. By themselves, they do nothing, but when quickly snapped with another half, they activate and detonate shortly after tossed. He also has a rocket launcher that is always strapped to his back, should he decide the flail isn't enough. However, he is trained to use nearly every possible piece of explosive equipment and regularly changes the type of grenades he uses. History: A genetic reject and a gun savant, that's what they got. That probably makes little sense without context, so it should be given some. You see, the members of the fireteam "Salvation" were once members of "The New Templars", having been the promised children of twenty generations of a very carefully selected family line, which would be given the very best of gene enhancements to pass on to their children and their children's children and so forth. When the head researchers decided that anything beyond twenty generations would be too genetically diverse to properly augment these "Lambs of God", they went "all-in" and augmented the 19th generation of this pedigree to the fullest. This research team was fired for making such an idiotic decision. They nearly killed the 19th generation of specimens and it was a miracle that they were able to give birth to children at all. Not only was the PROTOTYPE genetic modifications provided UNSTABLE when combined, but they had not given the generation time to ADAPT to these UNSTABLE MODIFICATIONS. The years and years and years of research and development put into forging these two perfect children was thrown down the drain. The results were that; a genetic reject and a gun savant. Let's focus on the Genetic Reject for now. His name is Cesare Alexander. He is a four meter tall, 432 kilogram giant. He also happens to be a zealot. Not to mention the fact that he is trained in the olden ways of using a flail and shield, and then in the more modern ways of utilizing explosives. This built up his reputation among The Free Men as a hulking and terrifying weapon of war, more weapon than man. His reputation among The New Templars was hardly better, but he was still idolized as a weapon that was on their side. Of course, that changed when Cesare and his "little" brother defected to The Free Men, becoming the Fireteam "Salvation". Of course, there are reasons behind the desertion of the New Templars. Chief amongst them was his belief that they had "fallen from the grace of God". One thing to note about Cesare is the fact that he is well versed in his religion. Having read not only multiple translations of the Christian and Catholic bibles, but also the Hebrew Tanakh, only goes to prove this. This… shall we say, obsession, with religion has led to many disputes with those that are not also adherents to his faith. One of the reasons he is so efficient in combat is because he whole-heartily believes that he is doing God's will. The fact that his beliefs lie mostly in the Old Testament is a very bad thing for his foes. He even brings salt along with him on many occasions to salt the earth after winning a battle. Another of the reasons behind deserting The New Templars, is the fact that Cesare (and assumedly his brother) would like to found a new nation atop the ruins of The New Templars. Of course, this is very far from his reach for now and in reality is not a nation, but in fact a way of life. He plans on, in time, rallying others under his "banner" and then, well, wiping out anyone not adhering to his ideals. This is of course why he sides with The Free Men, seeing as how he believes that, in the long-run, they will be easier to "forcibly convert" (kill off) due to their anarchist way of life. Despite the fact that he views the New Templars as heathens having strayed from the teachings of God, he acknowledges that they are organized and that he and his brother could not face off against them on their own. He hides this desire from the other "Free Men", though the way he speaks down to them is more than enough of a hint. He's tolerated because he gets things done. Cesare does not bend knee to any man, though he does bend knee to God in prayer. As well as for his "little" brother, so he may clamber upon his back. The two share a close bond, and are vicious in combat, especially together.</s> <\|message\|>Klaus Helbrect In his usual fashion, Klaus was spending his free time out in the courtyard, simply enjoying the chill of the air. Watching the new blood train wasn't so bad either, it could get pretty entertaining at times. However, sparring time had passed a while ago, and Klaus found himself without purpose. That is, until the call came in. He was the first to arrive in the war room, wearing the static under-plating of his power armor. It didn't really protect him as much, but it wasn't exactly efficient to wear full power armor around the base anyways. Bowing his head to Jason as a form of silent greeting, Klaus stepped towards the war table, standing with his hands crossed behind his back. Rommel appeared on his shoulder, a holographic image of a regally adorned commander of old. The AI matched Klaus' stance, and nodded his own greeting to Jason.</s> <\|message\|>McDougal "Shadow of Luna" Casually strolling the walkways of their new base, McDougal curiously inspected the work being done here. Equipment was moved and made ready, freemen soldiers were garrisoned everywhere. McDougal disliked cramped housing, while thinking he should make a nest of sorts in the vents he saw a glimpse of their new anti-craft turret. *Whistle "_Thats some serious bang for our buck wouldn´t you say Jenny?_" an image of young woman with ponytail hair appeared sitting cross legged on his shoulder. "_Impressive equipment master, does this mean the war is won?_" Without answering McDougal laughed hard and unrestrained, what he saw around the corner stifled this laugh. The Alexander brothers were here too, both kneeling in prayer they payed no heed to passing shadow. The brothers were good at what they did, scarily so, it was why they did anything that concerned him. If they ever came to blows he doubted his own ability to stop them. "_Fistfighting is not in your style master._" "_So AI are capable of mindreading now, scary._" Finally he arrived to the lone man watching out the viewing ports, both joy and concern were painted on his face. Approaching the only man ever to warrant respect and obedience from the shadow of luna he straightened his back and cleared his throat. "_You dont look like a man who has a new neat toy, expecting troubles boss?_"</s> <\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Her new office didn't lack in space for sure. Eirwen was actually quite concerned that the room was large enough to serve as quarters for half of their current garrison, and thus was vulnerable. But being a Chief Tactician, it was her duty to be present here and oversee personally the establishment of the new base, as well as provide immediate tactical support, if needed. She was the best in tactics. That skill alone was enough for her to stand where she was standing. And she was standing high. Eirwen's office was indeed high, only two floors beneath the top floor. She could see the surroundings far enough from her window. There was nothing particularly interesting there, but the view was useful enough when she was concentrating and looking for solutions while sipping her coffee. It was supposed to be her only weakness, not quite a healthy drink which supposedly kept her addicted. And so she firmly drank two or three cups every day to support such belief. The Chief Tactician turned away from the window and looked through the glass wall separating her personal area from the rest of her department. They weren't relocated fully, only half a dozen specialists enough to keep the station running. She was looking at them while thinking, if this operation was really necessary for her to succeed. According to her analysis, this particular tower was quite important for Monarchy. But having part in the success of taking it over was a huge step towards her final goal. No civilians were harmed, of course. Still she wished she could have sabotaged it in some way. But that had to come next. For now Eirwen sat down in her new chair and activated the holotable. "Athena, provide the plan of the station for study, underground levels" she commanded. "But didn't you study the plan just yesterday, my lady?" the A.I. asked, although she was downloading the data already and the turret model was forming upon the "I did. But I still didn't find any new weaknesses. The Monarchy would want this base back" _And I shall deliver it when the time comes._</s>	<\|message\|>Cesare Alexander "Amen" Cesare finished the prayer in a near whisper, before lifting his head and forcing his heavy body to follow. The "leader", Isaac Bellhan, had summoned forth a group to speak with. Unfortunately for Cesare and Julis, it would seem that the group had included them. It was rather irritating, having to listen to the words of an anarchist, but Cesare had put him (and by extension his brother Julis) in this position. Neither cause was the good cause, in Cesare's eyes, both cause sickened him. It just so happened that The Free Men offended Cesare less. One thing that remained a mystery to Cesare is why exactly he and his brother were accepted so easily into the "Beacons", though he did not dwell on it too much. He was a valuable tool and he knew it, wearing it like a badge of honor. Perhaps his pride would be his downfall, but he knew that he would still be accepted by the lord. Or at least, that's how he felt. Finally standing all the way up, Cesare did a few simple stretches to offset the pain of simply standing up. It took a lot of effort, mainly because he had to get over 600 kg off the ground using nothing but his own God-given body and strength. It wasn't an easy task, but at least it didn't hurt as much as it used to. After he reached around 200 kg and 3 meters, well things began to get very complicated. Even with his strong frame, his bones would break under the sheer weight of his body. There were a few instances where he had serious internal injuries, but modern-day medical technology proved to be very helpful. He was also thankful that he did not turn out like his brother, whom he turned to look at now. "Come brother." Cesare said, in a soft voice much unlike that he used with anyone else. He extended a hand and motioned for the smaller Julis to clamber upon his back so that he could carry him to Isaac Bellhan, for whatever it was they had been summoned for.</s>
<\|description\|>Cesare Alexander "Anarchy is preferable to obeying those who have fallen from God's grace." Age: 38 Alignment: The Free Men (After having defected from The New Templars for a multitude of reasons that Cesare for the most part refuses to explain.) Fireteam: "Salvation" Height and Weight: Cesare stands at an astounding 4 meters tall and he weighs around 432 kg as a result. With his armor on, he weighs roughly 654 kg. Personality: Cesare is an extremely prideful man, believing himself to be above all others, though he is also fiercely obedient, respecting the chain of command. Due to his gargantuan size, he has been described as "fiercely intimidating", a trait he knows well and abuses. This has led to him acting as if he is a wrathful man, often threatening acting as if he has been sent into a berserk rage. The truth, however, is that Cesare is at all times calm and collected, having known nothing but war his entire life. Cesare is also very religious, and zealous in his beliefs. He considers himself a "fine Christian man", though talking to him reveals that many of his beliefs oppose those of most religions. One notable difference lies in the fact that Cesare does not believe in a Hell. He instead believes that those who live lives of sin, or simply lack faith, are doomed never to be remembered. When asked why his beliefs are this way, he will simply say "Nowhere in the blessed texts does it say that there is a Hell. The closest example I can find is in fact referring to a disposal site outside of Jericho." It's recommended not to question him further as he can and will proceed to give you his own sermon. Cesare is very vocal with his beliefs, not being afraid to disagree with others. He is known to many as an "intolerant bigot" or as "scum", because of his beliefs. Those that do not agree with his religious beliefs are in his eyes, doomed to never be remembered. He is also known to have rattled on about his extreme hatred for the LGBT community, believing that they are all denied entrance into Heaven, for living lives of sin. Cesare is very "Old Testament" in his beliefs, if it wasn't obvious. While on the topic of his beliefs, Cesare absolutely despises the "New Templars". He claims that they are false, having fallen from the grace of God. In fact, he believes that they do not deserve to wear the title of Templar, or Knight, or anything. He believes they are scum to be wiped from the bottom of his boot. Armor: The most noteworthy part of Cesare's armor is its sheer size. Weighing a little more than half as much as Cesare himself, it is roughly 222 kilograms in weight. The armor, on any normal person, would require mechanical assistance to even budge, but Cesare is a gargantuan strongman. Cesare relies more on his sheer strength than the armor, though it has saved his hide more than a few times. It is space-worthy, strong enough to resist most small-arms fire and even many types of explosives. There is no functioning AI attached to Cesare's armor, having been disabled at a time Cesare refuses to disclose. Arsenal: Cesare is trained to use a Flail, a Shield, and Explosives. We'll start with the flail. A large, unwieldy thing, the Flail is really just that: An overly sized flail. There is nothing special about it, other than its size. Next up is his shield. Imagine a bulldozer. That's what Cesare is like, his shield almost as big as him, making him look like a bulldozer. It is built from the same materials as his armor, being able to repair itself over time, but aside from that, it is for all intents and purposes: Tried and true metal. It is more than capable of protecting him and his brother from almost any harm coming their way. Finally is his explosive ordinance. There used to be rumors that his flail was capable of detonating on impact, but those rumors fell with the men that spread them. The truth of the matter is that Cesare keeps a stockpile of explosives with him at almost all times. Under each of his pauldrons, are at least two dozen half-grenades. By themselves, they do nothing, but when quickly snapped with another half, they activate and detonate shortly after tossed. He also has a rocket launcher that is always strapped to his back, should he decide the flail isn't enough. However, he is trained to use nearly every possible piece of explosive equipment and regularly changes the type of grenades he uses. History: A genetic reject and a gun savant, that's what they got. That probably makes little sense without context, so it should be given some. You see, the members of the fireteam "Salvation" were once members of "The New Templars", having been the promised children of twenty generations of a very carefully selected family line, which would be given the very best of gene enhancements to pass on to their children and their children's children and so forth. When the head researchers decided that anything beyond twenty generations would be too genetically diverse to properly augment these "Lambs of God", they went "all-in" and augmented the 19th generation of this pedigree to the fullest. This research team was fired for making such an idiotic decision. They nearly killed the 19th generation of specimens and it was a miracle that they were able to give birth to children at all. Not only was the PROTOTYPE genetic modifications provided UNSTABLE when combined, but they had not given the generation time to ADAPT to these UNSTABLE MODIFICATIONS. The years and years and years of research and development put into forging these two perfect children was thrown down the drain. The results were that; a genetic reject and a gun savant. Let's focus on the Genetic Reject for now. His name is Cesare Alexander. He is a four meter tall, 432 kilogram giant. He also happens to be a zealot. Not to mention the fact that he is trained in the olden ways of using a flail and shield, and then in the more modern ways of utilizing explosives. This built up his reputation among The Free Men as a hulking and terrifying weapon of war, more weapon than man. His reputation among The New Templars was hardly better, but he was still idolized as a weapon that was on their side. Of course, that changed when Cesare and his "little" brother defected to The Free Men, becoming the Fireteam "Salvation". Of course, there are reasons behind the desertion of the New Templars. Chief amongst them was his belief that they had "fallen from the grace of God". One thing to note about Cesare is the fact that he is well versed in his religion. Having read not only multiple translations of the Christian and Catholic bibles, but also the Hebrew Tanakh, only goes to prove this. This… shall we say, obsession, with religion has led to many disputes with those that are not also adherents to his faith. One of the reasons he is so efficient in combat is because he whole-heartily believes that he is doing God's will. The fact that his beliefs lie mostly in the Old Testament is a very bad thing for his foes. He even brings salt along with him on many occasions to salt the earth after winning a battle. Another of the reasons behind deserting The New Templars, is the fact that Cesare (and assumedly his brother) would like to found a new nation atop the ruins of The New Templars. Of course, this is very far from his reach for now and in reality is not a nation, but in fact a way of life. He plans on, in time, rallying others under his "banner" and then, well, wiping out anyone not adhering to his ideals. This is of course why he sides with The Free Men, seeing as how he believes that, in the long-run, they will be easier to "forcibly convert" (kill off) due to their anarchist way of life. Despite the fact that he views the New Templars as heathens having strayed from the teachings of God, he acknowledges that they are organized and that he and his brother could not face off against them on their own. He hides this desire from the other "Free Men", though the way he speaks down to them is more than enough of a hint. He's tolerated because he gets things done. Cesare does not bend knee to any man, though he does bend knee to God in prayer. As well as for his "little" brother, so he may clamber upon his back. The two share a close bond, and are vicious in combat, especially together.</s> <\|message\|>Klaus Helbrect Immediately, Klaus' AI, Rommel, spoke up. "Wie ist das möglich? Die Logistik für eine solche schnelle Änderung... Zu denken, dass wir es nicht erkennen..." Klaus nodded. "Rommel brings up an interesting point, Commander. The rebels must be utilizing considerably more advanced equipment than previously known, in both the transportation and construction fields, in order to have set up these guns undetected within the span of a week. Just shipping the parts for it must have taken a few days, and it probably had to be welded on site. The fact that this scan is three days old is only more disturbing." Klaus glanced at the holo projection, rubbing his chin. "Don't we have an agent on board that station?"</s> <\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon "I believe the devil won't be able to verify my location," Eirwen spoke entering. She approached the room just while Isaac was commenting on her absence. "However, according to my AI, there are still 12 seconds before the official meeting, so in fact I am too early. Unless there was a system crush, and then I need to rewrite some of the modules, time calculation included". She was serious about both the 12 seconds and the rewriting part. Everyone knew that their tactician hated mistakes and foggy data. She preferred flawless exactness. "My systems work perfectly fine, my lady," said Athena in somewhat sulking voice materialising on her owner's shoulder. Usually Eirwen didn't have her visible, but in front of the others it was kind of a custom to show off with their AIs. Athena was shaped as a lean young woman with long curly hair reaching her waist, part of which was sealed with a comb. She was dressed in a long chiton, clothes popular around four thousand years ago, and in her hands she was holding a large sphere. Eirwen wrote her model design herself, to make her more or less fitting for her name. "I checked the time using the exact location coordinates, planet movement map, and the distance to the Sun at this point." continued the AI. Eirwen chuckled at such report. "Looks like I am still too early, chief," she said looking at Isaac.</s> <\|message\|>McDougal "Shadow of Luna" "Whoa there darling. I thought we were free men, not schedule men!" No one laughed at the crappy joke. "Oh just kill me now" "I found it witty and charming master!" "Dont make it worse Jenny" McDougal was sure that Isaac and Eirwen had some grand plan of defense in case of counterattacks, he didnt really care though. He had some plans himself involving his cache of explosives, gas grenades and hacking tools. He didnt wish to tear this station from orbit so his favorite bombs were out of question. The gas was one of his aces in space station centered fights, vaporized alcohol, even a light switch or gunfire inside it could cause it to ignite and roast anything caught in it. The hacking tools could be used to jam emergency bulkheads in place or force open airlocks, in this day most soldiers had space worthy suits but an unexpected spacewalk seemed to always dampen his opponents spirits. Then again he hadnt had enough time to install his precious traps on station yet so McDougal was getting a bit restless. "Now that Im done dying from embarrassment, mind giving us our general assingments. I have some AHEM preparations to make."</s> <\|message\|>Ben Shepard Ben looked at the intel and sighed. This was all above him. He was just a swordsman. He was about to respond to the statement when Durendal glared at him to shut up. He looked over at the intel and twitched. This was not his type of mission at all. He was all about being thrown into a swarm of enemies and throwing his swords around killing everything that he could. This seemed to be a bit too quiet for him. He grinned at Jason. "Well I've got my sunscreen and shades ready. The ladies cannot resist me when I am being a sauve as I can." He said pushing his hair back grinning. This earned him glare from his AI. He was trying to lighten the mood.</s> <\|message\|>Julis Alexander Julis nodded. "Okay...", he said in his usual quiet and monotone voice. It wasn't unheard of for Isaac to ask Julis for help doing stuff. Others (mostly maintenance workers) didn't enjoy him helping. His mind worked in strange ways, and as such, never wrote down what did what. It made it a pain for others since they couldn't understand what anything meant (and sometimes Julis didn't remember either). He heard McDougal make his little joke. It irritated Julis. Such a thing would have been considered a curse upon other cultures. His brother, Cesare, seemed to be like an unmovable mountain compared to those around him, and Julis was still sitting on his large shoulder. After a few moments, the numbers in Julis' head seemed to slow down. His usual demeanor of not paying attention to anything turned into a more focused look at Isaac, waiting for what bigger order he would ask.</s>	<\|message\|>Cesare Alexander Cesare looked at his brother and then to Isaac and then back to his brother. Underneath his helmet, his expression changed to one of concern for his younger brother. "Is it really okay, Julis?" He said, a hint of concern and brotherly love in his voice. He turned his head back to Isaac and underneath his helmet his face turned back to the one of disgust he used with those other than his dear brother. "You know Julis doesn't like to say no." Cesare used a loud and almost commanding voice with Isaac, though it was still softer than the one he used with others still. Perhaps it was because Cesare had been softened up by Julis. In fact, it probably was that. Lifting his large left arm up he pat Julis' leg, reinforcing that nothing involving Julis got by without Cesare's say.</s>
<\|description\|>Cesare Alexander "Anarchy is preferable to obeying those who have fallen from God's grace." Age: 38 Alignment: The Free Men (After having defected from The New Templars for a multitude of reasons that Cesare for the most part refuses to explain.) Fireteam: "Salvation" Height and Weight: Cesare stands at an astounding 4 meters tall and he weighs around 432 kg as a result. With his armor on, he weighs roughly 654 kg. Personality: Cesare is an extremely prideful man, believing himself to be above all others, though he is also fiercely obedient, respecting the chain of command. Due to his gargantuan size, he has been described as "fiercely intimidating", a trait he knows well and abuses. This has led to him acting as if he is a wrathful man, often threatening acting as if he has been sent into a berserk rage. The truth, however, is that Cesare is at all times calm and collected, having known nothing but war his entire life. Cesare is also very religious, and zealous in his beliefs. He considers himself a "fine Christian man", though talking to him reveals that many of his beliefs oppose those of most religions. One notable difference lies in the fact that Cesare does not believe in a Hell. He instead believes that those who live lives of sin, or simply lack faith, are doomed never to be remembered. When asked why his beliefs are this way, he will simply say "Nowhere in the blessed texts does it say that there is a Hell. The closest example I can find is in fact referring to a disposal site outside of Jericho." It's recommended not to question him further as he can and will proceed to give you his own sermon. Cesare is very vocal with his beliefs, not being afraid to disagree with others. He is known to many as an "intolerant bigot" or as "scum", because of his beliefs. Those that do not agree with his religious beliefs are in his eyes, doomed to never be remembered. He is also known to have rattled on about his extreme hatred for the LGBT community, believing that they are all denied entrance into Heaven, for living lives of sin. Cesare is very "Old Testament" in his beliefs, if it wasn't obvious. While on the topic of his beliefs, Cesare absolutely despises the "New Templars". He claims that they are false, having fallen from the grace of God. In fact, he believes that they do not deserve to wear the title of Templar, or Knight, or anything. He believes they are scum to be wiped from the bottom of his boot. Armor: The most noteworthy part of Cesare's armor is its sheer size. Weighing a little more than half as much as Cesare himself, it is roughly 222 kilograms in weight. The armor, on any normal person, would require mechanical assistance to even budge, but Cesare is a gargantuan strongman. Cesare relies more on his sheer strength than the armor, though it has saved his hide more than a few times. It is space-worthy, strong enough to resist most small-arms fire and even many types of explosives. There is no functioning AI attached to Cesare's armor, having been disabled at a time Cesare refuses to disclose. Arsenal: Cesare is trained to use a Flail, a Shield, and Explosives. We'll start with the flail. A large, unwieldy thing, the Flail is really just that: An overly sized flail. There is nothing special about it, other than its size. Next up is his shield. Imagine a bulldozer. That's what Cesare is like, his shield almost as big as him, making him look like a bulldozer. It is built from the same materials as his armor, being able to repair itself over time, but aside from that, it is for all intents and purposes: Tried and true metal. It is more than capable of protecting him and his brother from almost any harm coming their way. Finally is his explosive ordinance. There used to be rumors that his flail was capable of detonating on impact, but those rumors fell with the men that spread them. The truth of the matter is that Cesare keeps a stockpile of explosives with him at almost all times. Under each of his pauldrons, are at least two dozen half-grenades. By themselves, they do nothing, but when quickly snapped with another half, they activate and detonate shortly after tossed. He also has a rocket launcher that is always strapped to his back, should he decide the flail isn't enough. However, he is trained to use nearly every possible piece of explosive equipment and regularly changes the type of grenades he uses. History: A genetic reject and a gun savant, that's what they got. That probably makes little sense without context, so it should be given some. You see, the members of the fireteam "Salvation" were once members of "The New Templars", having been the promised children of twenty generations of a very carefully selected family line, which would be given the very best of gene enhancements to pass on to their children and their children's children and so forth. When the head researchers decided that anything beyond twenty generations would be too genetically diverse to properly augment these "Lambs of God", they went "all-in" and augmented the 19th generation of this pedigree to the fullest. This research team was fired for making such an idiotic decision. They nearly killed the 19th generation of specimens and it was a miracle that they were able to give birth to children at all. Not only was the PROTOTYPE genetic modifications provided UNSTABLE when combined, but they had not given the generation time to ADAPT to these UNSTABLE MODIFICATIONS. The years and years and years of research and development put into forging these two perfect children was thrown down the drain. The results were that; a genetic reject and a gun savant. Let's focus on the Genetic Reject for now. His name is Cesare Alexander. He is a four meter tall, 432 kilogram giant. He also happens to be a zealot. Not to mention the fact that he is trained in the olden ways of using a flail and shield, and then in the more modern ways of utilizing explosives. This built up his reputation among The Free Men as a hulking and terrifying weapon of war, more weapon than man. His reputation among The New Templars was hardly better, but he was still idolized as a weapon that was on their side. Of course, that changed when Cesare and his "little" brother defected to The Free Men, becoming the Fireteam "Salvation". Of course, there are reasons behind the desertion of the New Templars. Chief amongst them was his belief that they had "fallen from the grace of God". One thing to note about Cesare is the fact that he is well versed in his religion. Having read not only multiple translations of the Christian and Catholic bibles, but also the Hebrew Tanakh, only goes to prove this. This… shall we say, obsession, with religion has led to many disputes with those that are not also adherents to his faith. One of the reasons he is so efficient in combat is because he whole-heartily believes that he is doing God's will. The fact that his beliefs lie mostly in the Old Testament is a very bad thing for his foes. He even brings salt along with him on many occasions to salt the earth after winning a battle. Another of the reasons behind deserting The New Templars, is the fact that Cesare (and assumedly his brother) would like to found a new nation atop the ruins of The New Templars. Of course, this is very far from his reach for now and in reality is not a nation, but in fact a way of life. He plans on, in time, rallying others under his "banner" and then, well, wiping out anyone not adhering to his ideals. This is of course why he sides with The Free Men, seeing as how he believes that, in the long-run, they will be easier to "forcibly convert" (kill off) due to their anarchist way of life. Despite the fact that he views the New Templars as heathens having strayed from the teachings of God, he acknowledges that they are organized and that he and his brother could not face off against them on their own. He hides this desire from the other "Free Men", though the way he speaks down to them is more than enough of a hint. He's tolerated because he gets things done. Cesare does not bend knee to any man, though he does bend knee to God in prayer. As well as for his "little" brother, so he may clamber upon his back. The two share a close bond, and are vicious in combat, especially together.</s> <\|message\|>McDougal "Shadow of Luna" Were it not for his helmet, everyone in the room could have sworn McDougal had turned into tomato, such was the intensity of this emotional rollercoaster Isaac had thrown him into. He found Eirwen to be ravishingly attractive as a woman, but as an person that punctuality and expectations of perfection drove him goddamn insane! And these were HIS traps they were discussing here. Still, Isaacs orders were Isaacs orders and McDougal would follow suit like a good little Beacon he was. He moved next to Eirwen and started discussing his plan. It mainly involved setting an ring of sorts around the station, in two parts. If possible enemies would attack the station, they would be divided by jammed emergency bulkheads, this would be when part of enemy forces would be spaced with an rigged airlock and beforehand positioned freemen snipers would shoot the bastards to be sure they were out. Those still behind bulkheads would be funneled towards the bottom by giving them false targets to chase and "accidentally" leaked Beacon comminications. "And that is where we take them out to lunch!" McDougal was sure that Eirwen had her own plans and would most likely tear this one to bits, he was prepared to let it slide and do things her way this time around, after all, no enemy force was guaranteed to attack an base so heavily fortified with massive ordnance, right?</s> <\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon "Why the bottom?" asked Eirwen. She didn't usually question the decisions of her commander, but then again, if she was here, then she found it suitable to provide her opinion on the state of affairs. "According to my evaluation, the left flange might be a better choice. It isn't fully equipped yet, so the material losses on our side will be insignificant. It is also the one we damaged during our siege. In case it costs us too much to deal with the enemy forces, we can simply seal the tunnel and cast the whole flange in the open space while reforming our forces. I also have all the reasons to believe that this is the most vulnerable part, and if Templar tacticians studied the plan well, they will order the attack this point first. I also believe that our main life support units are on the first level, so if we are going to make the main move there, it should be more than just well calculated." Apparently, she didn't mind working with a partner. The more people she had access to, the better. Not to mention she was quite eager to learn about the structure of those traps. But the Ice Queen didn't show any hints about her true intentions.</s> <\|message\|>Klaus Helbrect Klaus and Rommel nodded in unison. Then, Rommel spoke up some more, his holographic likeness stepping off of Klaus' shoulders and floating towards the projected station. "Berechne ich eine fünfundneunzig Punkt sieben Prozent Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass unser Angriff vor Ankunft festgestellt werden, wahrscheinlich Punkt 70 Stunden vor dem Angriff beginnt. Ich rationalisieren ein siebenundvierzig Punkt sechsundachtzig Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass dies eine Falle. Ich werde Station Pläne zu überprüfen, während wir auf dem Weg." Klaus nodded. "Rommel reads a 97% chance of our plan being discovered before we can fully effect it, if standard station detection protocols are in place. Furthermore, there's a 47.86% chance that our attack will run into traps and ambushes. Tactical assessments will be given en route. For now, let's just get going." Removing his arms from behind his back, Klaus saluted, and left to retrieve his power armor from the armory.</s> <\|message\|>Julis Alexander Julis turned to Eirwen. "No... Not work..." Julis said, his voice quiet. He took out a small and unremarkable ballpoint pen, and a thin piece of paper, browned from time. He began to scrawl on it. His pen was moving fast. It was almost a scribble, but numbers appeared. Many numbers, in fact. Julis kept on writing. The numbers scrawled on the papers seemed to be in a shape. What shape was it? It wasn't very orthodox. It wasn't a shape. It was many shapes coming together. It appeared to be an object, but what object? More numbers were drawn, and the shape took form. It was the space station they were on. The left side had pretty high numbers, but not as high as the middle, top, or right side. Julis passed the paper to Eirwen to disprove he idea.</s>	<\|message\|>Cesare Alexander Cesare looked at what Julis had scrawled and tried to wrap his mind around it. Tried. Didn't succeed. So instead of trying to explain it, he turned back to Isaac. "I enjoy a good space walk. I'm going with Julis. Like always." He said, with his voice gruff and riddled with spite. He shifted as he turned back to look at Julis and his strange scrawling. Cesare wasn't the brightest, but he wasn't necessarily dull either. But his brother was a wiz with numbers and it was rather hard for Cesare to wrap his mind around what Julis was going on about. Math wasn't his strong point either, instead he focused on his religious studies. He relied on Julis for the numbers. Cesare was mostly listening for now, so he did little beyond that.</s>
<\|description\|>Dmitry Aleksey Novikoff Character Sheet Callsign: Stalin Age: 30 Sex: M Height: 189 cm Weight: 84 Kg Nationality: USSR, Ukrainian Aircraft: Sukhoi Su-35 "Flanker E" Appearance Eye colour: Blue Hair colour: Light brown Likes: * Making paper planes * Target shooting * Hunting * Storytelling * Videogames Dislikes: * Getting interrupted * Be mistaken for a Russian * Anything related to "Chinese" culture * Beer Personality: Dmitry may come off as distant, but he is pleasant company, staying quiet most of the times; when he does open his mouth, his different understanding of the English language may come off as sometimes confusing, if not downright hilarious. A steadfast fellow, never too late to respond to an order or help a friend out, whether if it's thousands of meters up in the air or in the local bar, throwing punches at whoever insulted his or his chum's mother. May tend to swear, but it is a bad habit he learned by learning English from other people, so even if he does throw a cuss here and there, he didn't necessarily mean it; not unless he's drunk, pissed or in a low mood. Luckily enough, Dmitry is rarely in a low mood, having the patience of a saint and an iron will; he rarely takes any insult seriously, but he isn't afraid to respond on the same tone. All in all, Dmitry can be a good friend, or at least a reliable comrade, with his own set of healthy morals taught by the cruelties he witnessed during his service. Personal History: Dmitry has known war and bloodshed for the most of his life, being a collateral victim to the great skirmishes and potshots carelessly thrown around by the higher powers. Having four more brothers in the family, he quickly learned to value camaraderie, no matter who was one's colleague. Facing the possibility of becoming a farmer like his own father and the biggest of his siblings, Dmitry quickly chose to enlist and become an officer in the USSR army, going together with his younger brother; his passion for planes and flight drove him to apply for the Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily (literally Military Air Forces), only to find himself immediately recruited and tested. His brother, Misha, ended up a soldier, another meat shield to be thrown in the buffer zone. Soon enough, Dmitry found himself already flying over the Eastern European fronts, escorting bombers and troop transports in his precious "Natashka", a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 he learned to love and abuse. He was mostly an aggressive fighter, dogging interceptors with a vicious ambition to shoot the enemy plane down; he was careful enough not to slip into reckless maneuvers, but he still preferred to choke and put pressure on opponents as an attempt to drive the opposition tired and far away from the main target. He racked up six air-to-air kills during his three year service for the USSR, until he was shot down in the middle of a dogfight by a tertiary assailant during the effort of suppressing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces push through Eastern Siberia; the pilot was forced to hide and survive for a week as the zone became too hot for him to try and find friendly units without risking running into the enemy. As the USSR started to make grievous mistakes, the pilot became more and more reluctant to serve as a fighter for "world terrorists" and decided to defect along with the entire squadron he was part of, offering valuable information about Soviet military outposts, general attitude and weak spots in their defenses. When he was questioned for his reason to leave his country, he famously replied " _'Cause no true, strong man kill innocent people. I closed my eyes when ze general kill the president, think that USSR would grow strong. I couldn't close my eyes to dis. I am soldier, not terrorist._" The war finally subsided, but he couldn't return to his home in Mayaky village, he couldn't even begin to explain his reason for betraying his mother country, none of his close-minded family members would understand; to make matters worse, two of his brothers died in the war, his little brother shot and killed in Romania, the bigger one died trying to help civilians flee in a bunker. The combined events forced Dmitry to live in Donetsk and try to start a normal life while warding off the depressing thoughts of his family renegating him for a traitor, a shame for them, for the village and the country. He worked mostly as a construction worker rebuilding the city, but at the lowest moment of his life, he became a garbage man. Years later since the war, Dmitry couldn't stand being a civilian, feeling that he didn't really fit in with people that didn't understand what true dedication and camaraderie meant, so he took the risky step to offer his services for multiple private military contractors; in the end, he sticked with Thunderbolt Black, simply because he trusted a company that takes their recruits through rigorous tests before enlisting them. He was more than pleased to learn that he was offered a place as a fighter pilot, accepting the proposition with no second thoughts. He served for a couple of years, given several occasions to prove he was still an able interceptor, "a royal pain in the ass" in other words; for his accomplishments, Dmitry bought a beauty he fell in love with at the first sight: his new Su-35. Personal Weapons and misc. Gear: * * * Gerber ASEK survival knife * Standard aircraft survival gear and equipment * Gaming laptop Aircraft Sheet Name: Sukhoi Su-35, NATO reporting name: Flanker E Profile link Appearance: Paint Job: Matte grey Owned or loaned: Owned.</s> <\|message\|>Marciano "Mark" Codemi The newspaper hit the small tabletop with a small thud, breaking the silence of the near empty lounge area. Marciano sighed as he leaned back in his own seat, it was early, and he felt it. A drowsiness that seeped into his mind, not overpowering, but enough to make him want to lean back and take a short nap. He was halfway inclined to do just that, a few minutes at the most, just something to get the shadow of the early morning out of his head. As he leaned back however a resounding boom echoed through the small room, making Marciano snap open, and the pilot jump to his feet. As the klaxons of alarms began to ring out throughout the base, Marciano broke off into a sprint. Weaving his way past people who were all scrambling to positions, he shouldered open an access door to the locker room and retrieved his suit and helmet, after which he took off in a dead sprint towards the hangers. As he arrived he began to pull on his G-suit, pulling the familiar zippers into place and scanned the deck for his craft. Seeing it the pilot moved his way to it, and swung himself onto the ladder. "Good to see ya' boy!" One of the mechanics shouted to him as he climbed into the cockpit "We got you loaded up as best we could on such short notice, you got yourself some sidewinders and a pair of AMRAMM's, use them well. Now get up the-!" The last part of his sentence was cut off by the cockpit closing, but Marciano got the spirit of it. Starting up the Hound, he couldn't help but smile at the rumble of the craft, it sounded like a chained dog rearing to go, to hunt. Slowly working his way to the runway, Marciano saw a mig take off, a fine looking aircraft. But now it was his turn. "Tower this is Charnel, am I clear?" It wasn't quite the protocol way of asking, but this wasn't quite a protocol situation. "Your clear Charnel. Heads up, your squadron leader is already up their, callsign Knight-1." "Received and understood" was Marciano only quick response before moved the throttle up, sending the Hound screaming down the runway. As soon as he was clear and high enough up he began to move his wings back, making his Tornado more aerodynamic, banking towards the coast he got word of the surface targets from Knight-1. Keying his own radio he sent his reply "This is Charnel I am in the air, im not loaded for ground targets, but don't you worry ill keep the air off your back."</s> <\|message\|>Scott Valentine Scott let out a brief sigh of relief as he heard the other three pilots check in one by one. That would certainly make the prospect of hindering, if not outright halting, the amphibious force and their cover less daunting and far more achievable. "Roger, all callsigns," he replied to the other three pilots. "Glad to have you in the air. Stalin, good job on downing those two helos - two less for us to worry about. We'll sort out your positions in the squadron once things are ah, a little less 'exciting'. In the meantime, let's proceed as follows: Charnel, buddy up with Stalin. Both of you take care of the helos, and any fast-movers that show up. Kat; hit them from North to South. I'll position to hit them from West to East just after. Your run should shake them up enough for me to avoid taking too many hits, and to get a good BDA on your first pass. Then we'll reposition for a run in tandem depending on the results. Glad you're all here, pilots - I think this is going to be a pretty busy morning". Scott's mention of fast-movers was on the money; moments later the radio channel came to life as the radar showed two new inbounds at a higher altitude. "Black Knights, this is control - be advised, we show two hostiles moving in to your area. Looks to be two MiG-35's. Stay alert, over" "Roger," replied Scott with a grimace. The MiG-35 was no easy opponent at the best of times, in the best of aircraft. He was confident that his new allies could at least keep them off of their backs, if not swat them out of the skies. Angling his aircraft toward the approaching fleet, he got a better look at them at long range, and St Helen called out the radars' identification of the craft as she followed their movements. "Four helicopters remaining; looks to be two Ka-52's... could be dangerous, they're super-manoeuvrable and can carry air-to-air missiles. Seems like we've got two troop-carriers as well, look like Panthers, they might be armed too. Swimmers look like BHT'sin military config. Watch out for triple-A or shoulder-launched SAM's. APC's look like AAV's, more small-arms to worry about from them". "Great ID of the targets," he replied to his co-pilot, raising an eyebrow under his visor as he rolled the Super Tomcat out into his approach. "Kat, ready for your run. We'll commence our attack as soon as you pull out of your own. Watch for triple-A and SAMs, over". High above, the two MiG's broke into a descending bank, circling lower toward the battle, hunting for the Black Knights' aircraft. Sighting Stalin and Charls' planes, they dived in toward them from on high, staggered in their formation and separation to pounce on the waiting jets and their pilots.</s>	<\|message\|>Dmitry Aleksey Novikoff Once given the orders, Dmitry nodded to himself and banked away from the Intruder's bearings to circle around and search for the other attack helicopters. They were later ID'd, which made him consider the possibility of being hit by one of their air-to-air missiles; sure, he had flares and his skill to dodge his death, but he still had to conserve his munitions and energy for when the fighters and bombers eventually return to the engagement. There was another fighter out to help repel the airborne enemy vehicles, codename Charnel; he looked for it a while until he saw the Panavia Tornado, the jet fighter he quickly recognized from seeing it a few times before. Initially, he didn't feel like communicating with him since he was pretty sure that he could handle himself well, but thinking twice, it would be better if he could at least announce his intentions to avoid any blue-on-blue incidents. "Charnel, you copy? This's Stalin. I'll engage one of the Panthers and Ka's, the transporters can carry a maximum of 10 grunts. Way too many guests, too little food and drinks, da?" After that, he felt a little awkward for some reason. The thought nagged him somewhere in the back of his mind while he maneuvered his jet in air to catch up with the rest of the choppers. This time he was descending upon them from their right side to avoid flying at low altitudes that close to base. As he was approaching them, he let the computer on board do some calculations and come with a solution to engage the targets with maximum precision without resorting to his precious rockets or missiles; a target vector came up on the screen that was slowly moving away and in front of the Panther Dmitry decided to take out, so he rolled at a seventeen degree angle to the right and to match the jet's own level indicator with the target prograde vector, he pressed his boot against the pedal and pulled the control stick back to yaw and pitch until he hit the sweet spot. "Guns." He quickly muttered, instantly squeezing a trigger under his index distal phalange to release a healthy 30mm burst from the internal gun, the lives of eleven or twelve men at the complete mercy of aerodynamics, bullet flight path and a Ukrainian's rather nonchalant gesture. He never took a moment to properly reflect over what he was actually doing, never attempting to dissect the situation and try to put himself in his own victim's position; like most, he copped out by dismissing his targets for people who chose this kind of a lethal life and career, he himself was in as much danger as any of them. And danger finally arrived. The Ka's didn't quite got the chance to react to the assault as a couple of more able enemies dive down upon Dmitry's Su-35 and Marciano's Tornado. As soon as the computer alerted the pilot of an imminent lock-on, he growled under his breath in frustration and switched the Khibiny-M countermeasures on for a brief amount of time in order to focus on a maneuver to pull out of the chopper engagement and quickly get into a dogfight; he used everything, ailerons, flaps, lifters and the thrust-vectoring capability of the engines to pull up and meet the descending MiG's halfway. He didn't have the chance to try to fire at any of them, but as the two jets were forced to pull up and prevent from crashing into the water, Dmitry then gained altitude advantage over the two fighters after he rolled and leveled with the ground. "Charnel, I'll chase and keep 'em bitches busy, hit 'em when you have a clear shot! Oh- be a good man and tell me when you fire foxes on 'em, oke?" But the MiG's were smart. They quickly reacted to the situation, cancelling Dmitry's attack window; forced to give up on his advantage, the Ukrainian started to chase and shake the bandits around him. Forces pushed, pulled and yanked at his body, but he remained undeterred, kept his focus and his patience unbroken. "Knight One, this is Stalin, Charnel and I've been engaged by bandits, two MiG's, state of the art."</s>
<\|description\|>Dmitry Aleksey Novikoff Character Sheet Callsign: Stalin Age: 30 Sex: M Height: 189 cm Weight: 84 Kg Nationality: USSR, Ukrainian Aircraft: Sukhoi Su-35 "Flanker E" Appearance Eye colour: Blue Hair colour: Light brown Likes: * Making paper planes * Target shooting * Hunting * Storytelling * Videogames Dislikes: * Getting interrupted * Be mistaken for a Russian * Anything related to "Chinese" culture * Beer Personality: Dmitry may come off as distant, but he is pleasant company, staying quiet most of the times; when he does open his mouth, his different understanding of the English language may come off as sometimes confusing, if not downright hilarious. A steadfast fellow, never too late to respond to an order or help a friend out, whether if it's thousands of meters up in the air or in the local bar, throwing punches at whoever insulted his or his chum's mother. May tend to swear, but it is a bad habit he learned by learning English from other people, so even if he does throw a cuss here and there, he didn't necessarily mean it; not unless he's drunk, pissed or in a low mood. Luckily enough, Dmitry is rarely in a low mood, having the patience of a saint and an iron will; he rarely takes any insult seriously, but he isn't afraid to respond on the same tone. All in all, Dmitry can be a good friend, or at least a reliable comrade, with his own set of healthy morals taught by the cruelties he witnessed during his service. Personal History: Dmitry has known war and bloodshed for the most of his life, being a collateral victim to the great skirmishes and potshots carelessly thrown around by the higher powers. Having four more brothers in the family, he quickly learned to value camaraderie, no matter who was one's colleague. Facing the possibility of becoming a farmer like his own father and the biggest of his siblings, Dmitry quickly chose to enlist and become an officer in the USSR army, going together with his younger brother; his passion for planes and flight drove him to apply for the Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily (literally Military Air Forces), only to find himself immediately recruited and tested. His brother, Misha, ended up a soldier, another meat shield to be thrown in the buffer zone. Soon enough, Dmitry found himself already flying over the Eastern European fronts, escorting bombers and troop transports in his precious "Natashka", a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 he learned to love and abuse. He was mostly an aggressive fighter, dogging interceptors with a vicious ambition to shoot the enemy plane down; he was careful enough not to slip into reckless maneuvers, but he still preferred to choke and put pressure on opponents as an attempt to drive the opposition tired and far away from the main target. He racked up six air-to-air kills during his three year service for the USSR, until he was shot down in the middle of a dogfight by a tertiary assailant during the effort of suppressing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces push through Eastern Siberia; the pilot was forced to hide and survive for a week as the zone became too hot for him to try and find friendly units without risking running into the enemy. As the USSR started to make grievous mistakes, the pilot became more and more reluctant to serve as a fighter for "world terrorists" and decided to defect along with the entire squadron he was part of, offering valuable information about Soviet military outposts, general attitude and weak spots in their defenses. When he was questioned for his reason to leave his country, he famously replied " _'Cause no true, strong man kill innocent people. I closed my eyes when ze general kill the president, think that USSR would grow strong. I couldn't close my eyes to dis. I am soldier, not terrorist._" The war finally subsided, but he couldn't return to his home in Mayaky village, he couldn't even begin to explain his reason for betraying his mother country, none of his close-minded family members would understand; to make matters worse, two of his brothers died in the war, his little brother shot and killed in Romania, the bigger one died trying to help civilians flee in a bunker. The combined events forced Dmitry to live in Donetsk and try to start a normal life while warding off the depressing thoughts of his family renegating him for a traitor, a shame for them, for the village and the country. He worked mostly as a construction worker rebuilding the city, but at the lowest moment of his life, he became a garbage man. Years later since the war, Dmitry couldn't stand being a civilian, feeling that he didn't really fit in with people that didn't understand what true dedication and camaraderie meant, so he took the risky step to offer his services for multiple private military contractors; in the end, he sticked with Thunderbolt Black, simply because he trusted a company that takes their recruits through rigorous tests before enlisting them. He was more than pleased to learn that he was offered a place as a fighter pilot, accepting the proposition with no second thoughts. He served for a couple of years, given several occasions to prove he was still an able interceptor, "a royal pain in the ass" in other words; for his accomplishments, Dmitry bought a beauty he fell in love with at the first sight: his new Su-35. Personal Weapons and misc. Gear: * * * Gerber ASEK survival knife * Standard aircraft survival gear and equipment * Gaming laptop Aircraft Sheet Name: Sukhoi Su-35, NATO reporting name: Flanker E Profile link Appearance: Paint Job: Matte grey Owned or loaned: Owned.</s> <\|message\|>Rodriguez Hefferman The ground strikes were majorly successful as the rebel's northern front of Sinnamary collapsed with a gaping hole in their lines, leaving Knight One's Tomcat virtually unopposed from any kind of ground fire as he made his own attack run with the artillery pieces in sight. After making a clean run on the big guns, Heartbreak's laser guided Paveways made quick work out of the artillery, engulfing the cannons into a surging inferno of fire and twisted metal. All that really remained were a large smoldering craters from the blasts with red hot husks of the former batteries. Else where, Rodriguez noticed two airborne explosions from the West as the rebel attacker craft were hit by Eagle flight's interception. It was hardly considered an a fair fight; the A-37 Dragonflies were simply ill equip nor were aerodynamically capable of performance against the more air dominant craft of Eagle flight. Already seconds into the engagement the rest of the rebel aircraft bugged out, obviously wanting no part with the fates of their wingmen and reversed course back to which they came. However it appeared that the air confrontation was over, Spirit felt that the engagement was too easy; too easy in a different sense that just one squad of A-37 were all that the rebel could throw air-power wise. For the briefest of moments, Rodriguez swore that he saw something shimmering in that sky that almost appeared to be- "Targets on the river...Three groups of four, moving at slow speed. Got small arms comin' off of em, looks like the reinforcements. I'm rollin' in hot, over!" Spirit snapped back to the situation in hand as Heartbreak called up a tally on incoming gun boats up the river, poised for an flanking attack on the town defenders. "Knight Five, roger that. Vectoring in on hostile craft." radioed Rodriguez as he banked his F-16 up towards the river and gaining altitude as he planned his his next attack run. Knight One's report rang true as three groups of attack boats came down the river throwing tracer fire into the air in a desperate attempt to keep the aircraft away seeing as though all their support that would have covered them literally went up in smoke. Rodriguez came in with a very loose formation with Hearbreak and Short round before they peeled off into their own attack vectors. After circling around the small fleet, Spirit had then designated his targets for death as he made a dive towards the lead unit. Small arms fire opened up as he came into his approach, additional tracer leaping specifically for his craft while he painted the boats for the the Hydra 70s to scream against. Once the ping was perfect he called out Fox 1 and pressed on the weapon release, rockets spewed from their respective launchers and made contact with the riverborne craft. Personnel and armaments flew out of the boats as each rocket split them in two from not only the initial impact but the blast as well. Because of the tree line surrounding each side of the river, Rodriguez pulled up almost immediately, branches and foliage were sent in wind created by the F-16 directed thrust. Once he had enough altitude, Spirit surveyed the results of his attack and confirmed the destruction of the front group. Seconds later, Hearbreak's run had dispatched the rear craft with ease, leaving only the center unit alone and completely at the mercy to Short Round's and her incoming attack. The painted scene was grisly perhaps in the perspective of the last surviving team of boats as they were surrounded by the sinking smolders of their comrades river craft. In a poetic sense, Hawk flight could be depicted as a pack of circling sharks, waiting for an opportunity to strike the hapless sailors locked to the lifeboats from a sunken seaworthy vessel without any real support or safeguard to rely on. The thought was not relishing in the slightest but these rebels posed a sure enough threat that needed to be eliminated.</s> <\|message\|>Marciano "Mark" Codemi "You have to fucking kidding me." Was all Marciano said as the tone that warned of an incoming missile lock filled his cabin and ears. He pushed his throttle once more to the near edges of casing and threw his jet into a hard right bank. He gritted his teeth as the dull thumps of the countermeasure flares launching reverberated in the hull. Pulling to the left, Marciano turned the Tornado out of the right bank and into a hard left bank, the missile closing closer. Mumbling something under his breath that sounded vaguely prayer like, Marciano launched more flares, his eyes fixed on his review mirror and on the contrail that was creeping closer and closer to his hull. As the bright stars shot out from the planes underside, he held his breath, the missile wavered and finally took the bait, veering off after a flare, a fireball errupting from the jungle where it went down. Bringing the hound into a level position, and slowing the jet away from the sound barrier, Marciano scanned the sky for any sign of who shot at him "Stalin, Viking, this is Charnel. you guys good? Also, who the hell was that!?" looking around the European pilot thought he saw a glimmer in the distance, but couldn't be too sure until the others checked in, he didn't want to go chasing phantoms alone.</s>	<\|message\|>Dmitry Aleksey Novikoff As soon as the cockpit was filled with alerts and eerily calm, robotic voices uttering words of warning in Russian, Dmitry spat out the worst curses his brain could muster under the stress and mild panic that hit him in a matter of seconds after he enjoyed the spectacular display two thirds of Eagle Flight put out. Pulling and pushing every control surface in all possible directions, the pilot grunted and hiccuped as he felt his body pulled about by invisible forces that had grown dangerously familiar to him as he tried to shake off all lock-ons. He kept trying to look over his shoulder when he had the time, but, he would get a face full of chair instead of a visual on any ground-to-air or air-to-air missiles trailing him; he thought he saw smoke trails littering the air like a paper string, but the alerts just wouldn't cease no matter how hard he tried to shake the foxes off. Multiple pairs of flares dropped from the jet's frame as Dmitry pulled up and, thankfully, at least two alarms stopped assaulting his ears; now, he could understand the jet announcing him about the low altitude and low speed, so, he pushed the thrust forward, resulting in an immediate force pushing the pilot back in his seat as the Su-35 ascended from a dangerous altitude, engines screaming as they pushed the weight of the fighter upwards. The pilot gritted his teeth and squeezed his muscles tight as he could physically feel the heavy mass of his jet as it climbed back to relative safety and by the time he finally recovered, he managed to catch an uncertain glimpse at the radar spotting more bogeys. This was a definite message that he had to become active in the engagement. Once he finally recovered from the near crash, Dmitry forced the grim thought of death out of the cockpit and launched his Su-35 forwards, determined to kick ass and take names for nearly ruining his very expensive piece of military engineering. As his fighter ripped through the sky, he caught a glimpse of the canopy reflecting the sunlight, offering him a general direction of possible enemies. He then heard Charnel speak through the comms, just as panicked and angry as he was, to which the Ukrainian replied: "Charnel, Stalin, I didn't die yet. I'm going to kill the koorva before she does smart things again. I can't get a lock-on, though, that is really not good." He was prepared to dodge any remaining AA ordnance launched from below and retaliate with his own set of AGMs, but his main focus was to survive and rip the aggressors to pieces. It suddenly became a personal issue for the pilot, fact that gave him drive to commit to the support effort of the ground team.</s>
<\|description\|>Rodriguez Hefferman Callsign: Spirit Age: 32 Sex: Male Height: 6' 2" Weight: 95.2kg Nationality: American Aircraft: F-16V Appearance: Someone somewhere is missing their assault rifle… Likes: * Alcohol * Reading * Italian Food * Chit-chatting Dislikes: * Politics * Stubbornness * Untidiness Personality: Rodriguez is social kind of guy, usually very eager to make friendly conversations with colleges and other people. Of course his motivation is sometimes fueled by that of the ounces of alcohol running through his system; his closest friends are very weary of this fact when inviting him to bars or parties. Usually during down times, Rodriguez can be found usually shifting through an entire newspaper or reading a book of any kind he picked at a local shop. Ever since serving all the way through the Third World War, Rodriguez has seen many horrors on both sides of the conflict which has made a big impact on him, especially when he originally was viewed a patriot of sorts. Rodriguez is now very opened minded and sympathetic when it matters, usually accepting other opinions unless proven immoral or illogical. Personal History: Growing up was not an easy thing for Rodriguez. Though he was born to a happy family, there was not a whole lot of money to go around; repeated debts and failed loans only retained enough of a budget to keep him and his folks going with food and a roof over their heads. As the years went by, their finances further declined hopelessly eventually forcing Rodriguez out of guilt of not being able to help his parents with their teetering living expenses to find a job, especially at an early age just as he started attending junior high. Despite his parent's best wishes, Rodriguez joined the military personally out of financial necessity right when the world was at the brink of war. After getting his placement tests, he later found himself in the United States Air Force, rather unexpectedly on that note too and even further so when he realized that he had a knack for flying even though he never gave the concept much thought. Unfortunately as his parents feared, a Third World War had erupted and Rodriguez was deployed overseas where he would later see active combat in the Asian continent. Rodriguez's skills as a fighter pilot of an F-16C continued to excel as he went up with more combat sorties involving strike operations against hardened targets and escorting of bombers and logistical aircraft. He eventually earned the status of Ace after successfully downing five DPRK aircraft while participating in several strategic bombings runs that penetrated into North Korean airspace. After bringing his record to eight kills, Rodriguez was then offered a position as a flight instructor to train new squadrons entering into the war. Though the feeling of not being shot at and being closer to home was idyllic for quite some time, the moment when ICBMs began raining down on American soil plunged Rodriguez back into the war where he would see two more theaters of combat. Some years would past until the war had concluded where Rodriguez was still flying for the USAF away from home, participating in a variety of non-combat missions over Korea and Russia where he would constantly observe the aftermath of the carnage the conflict had wrought, leaving a rather sour taste that was growing intolerable by each passing day. Finally, after so long Rodriguez returned back to the US with open arms awaiting him. Though returning to the civilian life was very pleasant, the years of service had changed him and thus Rodriguez grew unsatisfied and yearned to fly once more, even if was not combat oriented. As fate would have it, a PMC called Thunderbolt Black would approach him with the position as a fighter pilot in mind. At first (for several months in fact) Rodriguez questioned the job offering, especially when most PMCs he encountered operated without the best of intentions, usually looking for one more skilled gun to further their successes. However after learning more about Thunderbolt Black's goals and objectives, he soon found that he could not decline and eventually joined up. Personal Weapons and misc. Gear: * Beretta U22 Neos * Model 15 Airman Knife * E-Reader filled with textbooks and novels Name: F-16V Profile Link Appearance: Paint Job: Standard Thunderbolt Black configuration - Personal decal of a ghost underneath the canopy. Owned or loaned: Loaned</s> <\|message\|>Scott Valentine The small flotilla of riverine craft were a mess after the round of attacks by the Black Knights flight dedicated to ground-attacks. With Kei's assault rounding off the run on the small force of repurposed civilian boats, the reinforcements were left treading water, floundering or drowning - or floating in charred, dead lumps with the flow towards the ocean. The attack on the ground had, for the moment, been broken. A breathless message from Major Constantine confirmed as much; the Gendarmerie and Militia forces had been able to take back positions to the edge of town, forcing the surviving rebels to fall back to earlier positions, and giving the defenders a line to hold, until the Thunderbolt Black ground reinforcements arrived with armour and heavy weapons. The majority of his ordnance expended, Scott turned his attention back to the skies, bringing his flight back into formation - and was immediately alerted by St Helen to the ongoing duel between the air-to-air flight, and their newly arrived opponents. *** The quick reactions of Marciano and Dmitry kept them alive and unhurt. The inbound AAM's were fired from long-range, and with a poor initial lock from the front angle. As the ADV and the SU-35 broke sharply and blasted out countermeasures, the brightly burning flares were enough to distract the inbound missiles - or at least, for long enough that they had trouble re-acquiring their targets, and self-destructed instead. From the direction of the missiles, a pair of aircraft blasted past, performing their own superbly executed break, splitting wide and curving in the morning skies, faint trails of vapour gleaming from their wingtips as the two sleek, angular tactical aircraft turned to engage. The pair were a mis-matched duo; an SU-37 Terminator and a Dassault Rafale. Both were coal-black, with the Rafale having electric blue accents on the wingtips, canards and rudder, and the Terminator having deep orange in the same places. Both also sported a horned skull insignia in various places, and the numbers '2' and '5' in gothic script. Each were laden down with ordnance, both aerial and ground-attack, and at the sight of the Black Knights, turned to engage their aircraft. The Rafale began to pursue the Tornado, positioning itself between Marciano and Stalin, while the Terminator harassed its' sukhoi stablemate, driving hard towards Charnel with the powerful radar in the SU-37's large nose hunting down the Ukranians' aircraft as it banked to 270 degrees at the apex of its' climb, hammering down hard toward his plane. Scott observed the situation from his position. St. Helen had fed the image from the powerful and huge AESA radar in the ASF-14's nose to his console and he quickly assesed the situation. His ordnance for ground attack was virtually depleted. Both Kei and Rodrieguez had more rounds to expend, however, and the airstrip was visible. The pair of bandits hadn't dallied with the ground-attack flight as of yet, and Austin looked to be in the clear too: perfect opportunity for a two-on-two. "Short Round, Spirit. Go turn that Airstrip back into a jungle clearing. Break. Viking, this is Heartbreak; go give Charnel a hand with his new fan, I've got Stalin's tail, over" He pushed more power into the ASF-14's engines, the wings sweeping back that little more as he climbed and banked, angling to slot in on the SU-37's tail as it dove for Stalins' jet. "Razorblade, lock that fucker up for me!" he grunted over the intercom, keeping his eyes fixed on the gleaming shimmer of the Terminator, a good half-mile distant above the sea of green below. The skies over the airstrip were clear; the airstrip itself was nothing more than a logging camp roughly repurposed into a temporary strip. Sheds for construction equipment, now left out in the open, shielded the few light aircraft and helicopters in position, and sandbagged heavy machine-guns or truck-bed mounted guns were the only air defences along with handfuls of shoulder-fired SAMs dotted here and there. Traces, aimed manually and fired too early or on reflex, curved wildly up into the skies along with small-arms fire, and it was easy to see people running in terror as the sounds of the oncoming jets was heard. The last Dragonfly from the earlier attack was still at the end of the runway, waiting for whatever the rebels had planned for it.</s> <\|message\|>Kie Feng Barrel-rolling victoriously out of her latest pass in order to stay low tight and fast on the corner, Short-Round had made short-work of her foe's efforts to outflank her client in the thick forests with small and nimble boats (likely from former narcotics-smugglers). And was given token-appreciation from Constantine's forces on the ground. But just as suddenly as they themselves appeared upon the scene, the balance of favor quickly began to shift against them all with the arrival of two sleek multinational multiroles that most definately were not part of the locals. Although she had some good air-to-air capabilities, her jet was still lugging three quarters of a ton of ordnance as Scott identified just one more target to hit: their airfield. Although nobody would see or hear it, Kei nodded at her orders and flicked-on a tape-recording of an old song as her air-superiority fighter flirted with the idea of moving some mud to raise hell just one more time. She started her attack inverted in a high-G turn to line-up with the runway, firing a few volleys of 'nails' at anything that so much as blinked something shiny at her plane as it came barreling-in from three kilometers as her plane snaked into position for a bombing-run with her last napalm-can diagonaly across the 'strip' and hopefully into what appeared to be a control tower or bunker of some sort, likely to render the whole field useless for at least an hour. A quick glance at her multi-function panel indicated somewhere in the mid-teens when it came to 'nails' remaining, and most of the soft targets had been well peppered already... still they had one more trick... A 'nail', when fired at a target less than a kilometer away, behaved exatcly as the name describes: as a single solid lump of armor-penetrating hardened steel traveling at about mach 6... resaulting in lovely over-penetration as the nose breaks-up like a twenty-pound glaser-slug followed by still-burning solid rocket fuel. Only problem was that her 68mm SNEBs were never the most accurate things in the world, but at those ranges, it was pretty hard to miss. She just had to remember to pull-up, roll over, pick another target while leveling-out, fire another pair of nails, and pull-out again, rinse and repeat until either every sandbagged ammo and fuel bunker was on-fire, or her insides found a new home on the front of her visor... but in this case she simply ran out of rockets. "Rounds complete, egressing. All yours, Spirit. Time elapsed since first bomb: 2 minutes, 36 seconds.</s>	<\|message\|>Rodriguez Hefferman The gleam from earlier unfortunately had clear hostile intentions as a duo of advanced four-point-five generation fighters screamed out of the skies and engaged Eagle Flight with the element of surprise favoring the new bandits. Going by the official markings of the black skull painted craft, it seemed apparent that these guys were mercenaries fighting for the rebels, flying professionally as they vectored in on Stalin's Su-35 and Charnel's Tornado; so much for this mission being a cake walk. Rodriguez grimly watched as Eagle Flight was chased by the mercenary bandits, feeling helpless as he was in no way properly equipped to deal with such advanced fighters as he waited eagerly for Scott's orders. "Short Round, Spirit. Go turn that Airstrip back into a jungle clearing. Break. Viking, this is Heartbreak; go give Charnel a hand with his new fan, I've got Stalin's tail, over." It wasn't the insane moral order that he wanted to recklessly jump on in the back of his mind but it did provide an outlet to channel his frustration on a key enemy asset that only posed more harm than any particular good to the town defenders, "Spirit, copies. We'll erase those rebel ground assets." Spirit pulled his F-16 behind Short Round as she was already on top of the poor excuse of an airfield. As he closed in for his own attack run, Rodriguez watched Kei's offensive as she blanketed the facilities and panicking personnel with more ordinance, setting and tearing pretty much both aflame and into pieces; lovely. Defense guns hopelessly fired into the sky with dwindling purpose as those without forth degree burns began to abandon the make-shift hangers and facilities with their lives as a priority. A smart move of course as Spirit had pre-lined up his Hydra 70s with the assets still on the ground, damaged or untouched. "Rounds complete, egressing. All yours, Spirit." Showtime. The F-16 dipped into frontal assault dive in defiance of the unsteady machine guns, tracer rounds and small arms fire whizzing by or even bouncing off the fighter just as it everything entered within Spirit's attack range. "Knight Five, Fox 1!" Rodriguez squeezed the weapon release and turned the rudder left to right, rotating the yaw of his fighter as the rocket launchers continuously fired non-stop as a stream of rockets roared onto the airfield like an apocalypse of fire and metal. Vehicles and aircraft trapped on the airfield by Short Round's napalm-cleansing attack fell victim to the onslaught of rockets flattening anything and everything in the kill-zone. The assaulting destruction quickly found and poured into the abandoned facilities and sheds of aircraft with broken concrete and twisted metal flying in all directions as the end result until only an inferno remained, devouring the metal birds and ammunition in secondary detonations. With his rocket count now fully spent, Spirit pulled up out of his attack run and into more smokeless skies. Stabilizing into an appropriate altitude over the carnage created by himself and Short Round's assaults, Rodriguez oversaw the results of their attacks and tallied the destruction of the airfield and its assets with decreasing glimpses of surviving rebels fleeing the chaos. "Spirit to Knight One, Hearbreak. Rebel airfield neutralized, no read on any remaining resistance. Awaiting your orders."</s>
<\|description\|>Kie Feng Callsign: Short Round Age: 28 Sex: F Height: 160 cm Weight: 53 kg Nationality: Chinese Aircraft: CAC Super-7 (Chengdu J-7 with improved nose-fairings and a GE F404 turbine found in later blocks of F-16) Appearance: Eye colour: Brown Hair colour: Black Likes: Strawberries. Dislikes: Being called inferior on account of being shorter Personality: Short-tempered and abrasive to go with his stature, very prideful of her nation's role in the great war. Born sometime around 1988 in China's Gansu Provinence, Kie just happened to be at the forefront of the conventional Russo-Sino border-conflicts of 1992 and continued to live in the war-weary region even as the event went nuclear in 1998, when she and her family fled to Pakistan following the Haifa incident. However, during the retreat, a mushroom-cloud was seen in the distance just as they were about to cross the Pakistani-border. She was only eleven years old. They re-settled in the Nanjing Military Region, where she volunteered to help the war-effort by working the fields by day and repairing planes whenever they returned. After awhile she learned how to fly the JJ-7M, and made it into the newly raised 14th Fighter-Division of the PLAAF flying and testing an extensively modified version thereof. In 2006, she had the opportunity to actually fly into combat against the North Koreans, trying to turn the tide to their favor by steadily moving away from the attrition of a People's War and more towards a better equipped professional all volunteer fighting force. After fighting the Americans and their allies for over a year, the Chinese government switched sides and redeployed what remained of her shattered division on the northern-front just a few kilometers north of her hometown as they unleashed newer and newer weapons of mass destruction upon the Soviet-Union. After the war, the government thanked Kie for her service, and simply let her go. The economy was so shattered they could not offer her a job, and to help fund the war she and her family had literally purchased her own plane. So with so much money invested in fighting, and that being the only worthwhile job she ever had, Kei answered an advertisement for a unit in the Bahamas. It even had a name similar to what the Pakistani refugees called her plane when it went on night-time raids: "Black Thunder". Personal Weapons and misc. Gear: Type 85 submachine gun (7.62x25 TT) Aircraft Sheet Name: Chengdu Air Corporation Super 7 Profile Link: Modification of the J-7M, Gun armarment: GSh-23-2L and a single GSh-30-1 Appearance: Paint Job: Navy-blue on sky-blue with anti-flash white undercarriage Owned or loaned: Owned</s> <\|message\|>Marciano "Mark" Codemi "You have to fucking kidding me." Was all Marciano said as the tone that warned of an incoming missile lock filled his cabin and ears. He pushed his throttle once more to the near edges of casing and threw his jet into a hard right bank. He gritted his teeth as the dull thumps of the countermeasure flares launching reverberated in the hull. Pulling to the left, Marciano turned the Tornado out of the right bank and into a hard left bank, the missile closing closer. Mumbling something under his breath that sounded vaguely prayer like, Marciano launched more flares, his eyes fixed on his review mirror and on the contrail that was creeping closer and closer to his hull. As the bright stars shot out from the planes underside, he held his breath, the missile wavered and finally took the bait, veering off after a flare, a fireball errupting from the jungle where it went down. Bringing the hound into a level position, and slowing the jet away from the sound barrier, Marciano scanned the sky for any sign of who shot at him "Stalin, Viking, this is Charnel. you guys good? Also, who the hell was that!?" looking around the European pilot thought he saw a glimmer in the distance, but couldn't be too sure until the others checked in, he didn't want to go chasing phantoms alone.</s> <\|message\|>Dmitry Aleksey Novikoff As soon as the cockpit was filled with alerts and eerily calm, robotic voices uttering words of warning in Russian, Dmitry spat out the worst curses his brain could muster under the stress and mild panic that hit him in a matter of seconds after he enjoyed the spectacular display two thirds of Eagle Flight put out. Pulling and pushing every control surface in all possible directions, the pilot grunted and hiccuped as he felt his body pulled about by invisible forces that had grown dangerously familiar to him as he tried to shake off all lock-ons. He kept trying to look over his shoulder when he had the time, but, he would get a face full of chair instead of a visual on any ground-to-air or air-to-air missiles trailing him; he thought he saw smoke trails littering the air like a paper string, but the alerts just wouldn't cease no matter how hard he tried to shake the foxes off. Multiple pairs of flares dropped from the jet's frame as Dmitry pulled up and, thankfully, at least two alarms stopped assaulting his ears; now, he could understand the jet announcing him about the low altitude and low speed, so, he pushed the thrust forward, resulting in an immediate force pushing the pilot back in his seat as the Su-35 ascended from a dangerous altitude, engines screaming as they pushed the weight of the fighter upwards. The pilot gritted his teeth and squeezed his muscles tight as he could physically feel the heavy mass of his jet as it climbed back to relative safety and by the time he finally recovered, he managed to catch an uncertain glimpse at the radar spotting more bogeys. This was a definite message that he had to become active in the engagement. Once he finally recovered from the near crash, Dmitry forced the grim thought of death out of the cockpit and launched his Su-35 forwards, determined to kick ass and take names for nearly ruining his very expensive piece of military engineering. As his fighter ripped through the sky, he caught a glimpse of the canopy reflecting the sunlight, offering him a general direction of possible enemies. He then heard Charnel speak through the comms, just as panicked and angry as he was, to which the Ukrainian replied: "Charnel, Stalin, I didn't die yet. I'm going to kill the koorva before she does smart things again. I can't get a lock-on, though, that is really not good." He was prepared to dodge any remaining AA ordnance launched from below and retaliate with his own set of AGMs, but his main focus was to survive and rip the aggressors to pieces. It suddenly became a personal issue for the pilot, fact that gave him drive to commit to the support effort of the ground team.</s> <\|message\|>Scott Valentine The small flotilla of riverine craft were a mess after the round of attacks by the Black Knights flight dedicated to ground-attacks. With Kei's assault rounding off the run on the small force of repurposed civilian boats, the reinforcements were left treading water, floundering or drowning - or floating in charred, dead lumps with the flow towards the ocean. The attack on the ground had, for the moment, been broken. A breathless message from Major Constantine confirmed as much; the Gendarmerie and Militia forces had been able to take back positions to the edge of town, forcing the surviving rebels to fall back to earlier positions, and giving the defenders a line to hold, until the Thunderbolt Black ground reinforcements arrived with armour and heavy weapons. The majority of his ordnance expended, Scott turned his attention back to the skies, bringing his flight back into formation - and was immediately alerted by St Helen to the ongoing duel between the air-to-air flight, and their newly arrived opponents. *** The quick reactions of Marciano and Dmitry kept them alive and unhurt. The inbound AAM's were fired from long-range, and with a poor initial lock from the front angle. As the ADV and the SU-35 broke sharply and blasted out countermeasures, the brightly burning flares were enough to distract the inbound missiles - or at least, for long enough that they had trouble re-acquiring their targets, and self-destructed instead. From the direction of the missiles, a pair of aircraft blasted past, performing their own superbly executed break, splitting wide and curving in the morning skies, faint trails of vapour gleaming from their wingtips as the two sleek, angular tactical aircraft turned to engage. The pair were a mis-matched duo; an SU-37 Terminator and a Dassault Rafale. Both were coal-black, with the Rafale having electric blue accents on the wingtips, canards and rudder, and the Terminator having deep orange in the same places. Both also sported a horned skull insignia in various places, and the numbers '2' and '5' in gothic script. Each were laden down with ordnance, both aerial and ground-attack, and at the sight of the Black Knights, turned to engage their aircraft. The Rafale began to pursue the Tornado, positioning itself between Marciano and Stalin, while the Terminator harassed its' sukhoi stablemate, driving hard towards Charnel with the powerful radar in the SU-37's large nose hunting down the Ukranians' aircraft as it banked to 270 degrees at the apex of its' climb, hammering down hard toward his plane. Scott observed the situation from his position. St. Helen had fed the image from the powerful and huge AESA radar in the ASF-14's nose to his console and he quickly assesed the situation. His ordnance for ground attack was virtually depleted. Both Kei and Rodrieguez had more rounds to expend, however, and the airstrip was visible. The pair of bandits hadn't dallied with the ground-attack flight as of yet, and Austin looked to be in the clear too: perfect opportunity for a two-on-two. "Short Round, Spirit. Go turn that Airstrip back into a jungle clearing. Break. Viking, this is Heartbreak; go give Charnel a hand with his new fan, I've got Stalin's tail, over" He pushed more power into the ASF-14's engines, the wings sweeping back that little more as he climbed and banked, angling to slot in on the SU-37's tail as it dove for Stalins' jet. "Razorblade, lock that fucker up for me!" he grunted over the intercom, keeping his eyes fixed on the gleaming shimmer of the Terminator, a good half-mile distant above the sea of green below. The skies over the airstrip were clear; the airstrip itself was nothing more than a logging camp roughly repurposed into a temporary strip. Sheds for construction equipment, now left out in the open, shielded the few light aircraft and helicopters in position, and sandbagged heavy machine-guns or truck-bed mounted guns were the only air defences along with handfuls of shoulder-fired SAMs dotted here and there. Traces, aimed manually and fired too early or on reflex, curved wildly up into the skies along with small-arms fire, and it was easy to see people running in terror as the sounds of the oncoming jets was heard. The last Dragonfly from the earlier attack was still at the end of the runway, waiting for whatever the rebels had planned for it.</s>	<\|message\|>Kie Feng Barrel-rolling victoriously out of her latest pass in order to stay low tight and fast on the corner, Short-Round had made short-work of her foe's efforts to outflank her client in the thick forests with small and nimble boats (likely from former narcotics-smugglers). And was given token-appreciation from Constantine's forces on the ground. But just as suddenly as they themselves appeared upon the scene, the balance of favor quickly began to shift against them all with the arrival of two sleek multinational multiroles that most definately were not part of the locals. Although she had some good air-to-air capabilities, her jet was still lugging three quarters of a ton of ordnance as Scott identified just one more target to hit: their airfield. Although nobody would see or hear it, Kei nodded at her orders and flicked-on a tape-recording of an old song as her air-superiority fighter flirted with the idea of moving some mud to raise hell just one more time. She started her attack inverted in a high-G turn to line-up with the runway, firing a few volleys of 'nails' at anything that so much as blinked something shiny at her plane as it came barreling-in from three kilometers as her plane snaked into position for a bombing-run with her last napalm-can diagonaly across the 'strip' and hopefully into what appeared to be a control tower or bunker of some sort, likely to render the whole field useless for at least an hour. A quick glance at her multi-function panel indicated somewhere in the mid-teens when it came to 'nails' remaining, and most of the soft targets had been well peppered already... still they had one more trick... A 'nail', when fired at a target less than a kilometer away, behaved exatcly as the name describes: as a single solid lump of armor-penetrating hardened steel traveling at about mach 6... resaulting in lovely over-penetration as the nose breaks-up like a twenty-pound glaser-slug followed by still-burning solid rocket fuel. Only problem was that her 68mm SNEBs were never the most accurate things in the world, but at those ranges, it was pretty hard to miss. She just had to remember to pull-up, roll over, pick another target while leveling-out, fire another pair of nails, and pull-out again, rinse and repeat until either every sandbagged ammo and fuel bunker was on-fire, or her insides found a new home on the front of her visor... but in this case she simply ran out of rockets. "Rounds complete, egressing. All yours, Spirit. Time elapsed since first bomb: 2 minutes, 36 seconds.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani was barely aware that something rolled into her, and that the earth shifted around where she lay. She recognized Kasai's voice, but said nothing in response. Maybe if they hadn't been so focused on each other Ryuu would still be here. That just made her wonder where Mio was. Had she failed so badly at protecting her own team that the only one left was the damn sergeant…? When Kasai begged her to not punch her, and began to see to Avani's arm she considered crushing them both within the rock shelter. She heard something crashing repeatedly into the walls of their shelter, and figured it was the spirit that had killed her friends. She'd kill that first. Avani moved so that her feet were touching the earth, which made her able to feel the immediate area around them. She only had strength to make some improvements to their shelter though, so she added more earth on top of them, turning it into long spikes, which impaled the spirits trying to break in, and a few holes only large enough to let in air. As she felt the fire burn the flesh of her right arm, she grabbed Kasai's shoulder with her left hand and squeezed it. Avani was angered and confused by this woman. She was partly the reason the others were dead. It would be easier to blame her entirely, but then she'd be nothing but a coward and a weakling herself. On the other hand, just a moment ago she'd confessed to wanting to do things with her that she'd rarely considered doing with other women. Part of her still did. Kasai's personality was quite bewitching. Most would have been threatened by Avani's larger stature, physical demeanour, or her criminal background. Kasai hadn't even left the mission to her, even when she'd used a few dirty tricks to get her to do so. Avani let go of the smaller woman's shoulder, fearing she may break it just by trying to endure the pain she was burning into her wounded arm. She hoped that if they got out of this situation, she'd be able to control herself better and that Kasai wouldn't mention what she had said to her earlier. Yet she had to close her eyes, bite her lower lip and grab onto a rock to keep herself from lashing out at Kasai every time she put the flame on her arm. Eventually, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to punch her like she'd suggested or bite on the other woman's lips instead of her own, in a rather violent kiss. Her gaze bore into Kasai's face as the thoughts passed through her head. She passed from conscious state into a disturbed sleep when Kasai let up on inflicting pain on her. No pain would hopefully disturb her, but at least she seemed to be healing. She muttered a lot of incoherent words loudly, but those one would be able to make out included the names of her lost friends and Kasai. Her voice was fierce and powerful at times, and then weak and grieving. In the moments she was awake, she remembered past moments with her friends and how this had started out as any normal day, but now Ryuu was dead and Mio was who knew where. After an amount of time that felt like hours, but could be shorter, she regained some kind of semblance of sanity. Avani found Kasai still next to her, not like the firebender had much choice when they were trapped in a shelter made of earth. She checked her arm and found that it had stopped bleeding. It looked awful, scarred and singed, but at least she could still move it a little. She doubted she'd be able to use it for anything any time soon. Well, if she was going to brag about how good she was with her feet she should start living up to it. "Thanks." She said to Kasai, keeping it short lest she say something else she'd regret. Avani used her feet to check the area for any nearby spirits or humans, but found nothing. She decided to open up their shelter so that they at least had an exit if they wanted to leave, but remained lying on her back, staring at the rocks above her.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi As Kasai sat next to Avani in the small shelter that had been built around them, she could not help but let her mind wander. As the woman next to her tossed and turned in her sporadic sleep, Kasai watched her. Part of her wanted to comfort her, but for what reason, she didn't know. Avani had been nothing but a thorn in her foot since the mission began, and yet Kasai found her oddly intriguing. Instead, she let her be as she were, twitching and grumbling as she drifted in and out of a lucid state. Kasai looked down at her foot, which she just remembered was injured. Funny how the brain can forget physical pain in the presence of emotional agony. Her foot was gnarled and torn from where the goo monster had stolen her boot right from her leg. She cringed as she picked pieces of dirt and debris from it in an effort to clean it up a bit. The rest of the time, her mind traveled. The scene of Barron being swallowed by a sea of black replayed in her mind, preventing her from resting at all. When she wasn't thinking about that, she thought about how Kieron had sacrificed himself to make sure she was safe. If only she could have reached out and pulled him into the rock tent with them... Hot tears ran down her face, and she sniffled. She wiped her face with what was left of her mangled sleeve and rested her head and arms on her knees. After about an hour, she had allowed herself to close her eyes and rest. She dreamed of memories from days long past. A movie of her life with her friends played out in her mind, beginning when she was a young teenager training at the pro-bending gym where she met Kieron. From there, they grew very close and ended up forming their own team together, fighting side by side for many years, until Kasai decided to join the police. That was where Barron entered her life, he was one year her senior, and was going through the officer training program with her. They became friends only after they had been competitors, each fighting to be the best in their class and earn the top spot. But this drew them together instead of apart, and they were soon comrades at the PD, where they worked together and made sure they were on the same assignments. Kasai's short rest was disrupted when Avani yelled out, causing her to jerk her head up from where it rested on her knees and look around frantically. When she realized it was only words from an unconscious woman, she let out a sigh of relief. Rubbing her eyes, she stared at the rock wall that lay before her. The calmness was almost ironic. After a few hours, Avani returned to consciousness. She stirred for a moment and then thanked Kasai with a brief utterance of the word. Kasai nodded once and looked at her arm, "You're welcome." She began to think again of Barron, how he was a waterbender and waterbenders could heal people with their bending. If only he were here... tears welled up in her eyes again, but she clinched her jaw and refused to let them fall. As a wall came down from their shelter, she looked out to see it was significantly later in the afternoon. Well, what would be afternoon, if time worked the same as it did in the physical world. Kasai stood and walked towards it, turning her head over her shoulder. "I'll be right back." She walked out of the tent and up the small hill to where the battleground was. Whatever that monster was, it was now gone. Only streaks of black remained as a ghost of what had been there only hours before. Kasai scanned the area, and thanked the spirits when she saw a pack lying on the ground. She grabbed it and returned to the rock shelter, sitting down beside Avani again. "Here, you need this. In more ways than one." She handed her a canteen full of water that she had retrieved from the bag and gave a half smile. "Might help your arm out a little, as well as dehydration." She motioned towards her singed arm and then continued looking through the pack, checking what supplies they would have to survive on for now.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "I'll be fine without you." She scoffed, but caught herself watching Kasai's behind as the woman left their shelter. Avani thought about leaving Kasai to fend for herself when she could not hear her anymore. It was no more than she deserved, but when she came back with water for her she felt a tinge of guilt for thinking that way. Besides, Avani would be no better off alone at this point than Kasai. When she moved to take the canteen from Kasai their hands touched, but Avani forced herself to ignore the warmth she felt and hoped Kasai wouldn't notice it on her face. "Thanks." She muttered again. Avani drank some of the water, then poured a fair bit onto her arm. She groaned in a mixture of pleasure and pain as the cool water hit her damaged arm, and quickly put her left hand over her mouth to cover up the involuntarily noise she'd made. The silent atmosphere between them was already inspiring these kind of thoughts and actions, she didn't need to contribute to it herself. She rose to a sitting position and leaned her back against the rock wall. She sat like that for a long moment, considering what her next course of action should be. She knew Ryuu was dead now, but could Mio be saved from whatever danger she had ended up in? Avani wanted to believe there was a chance she could rescue Mio, but she was weak at the moment and for every hour that passed it would be less likely that Mio was found alive if the spirits were this hostile to humans. They hadn't finished the mission either. She honestly didn't care whether they did or not. Avani would let Republic City burn if she could get Ryuu back. Such thoughts were meaningless, but it made her feel a little better about their complete and utter failure. Avani poked at her singed and scarred right arm with the fingers of her left hand. If she did get out of this world alive, back through the portal to Republic City, then she figured she would get a tattoo to cover up the horrible damage. She'd never wanted a tattoo before, but she'd had no reason to ruin her beautiful skin and body. Now it would be a work of art to cover up something worse, something she'd be reminded of every time she looked at it. They could probably make it look like a dragon wrapped around her arm – a dragon devouring a pig. She glared at Kasai as the last thought passed through her head. "I guess this is the result you get when you refuse to listen to your betters, right Kasai?" Avani whispered through clenched teeth, feeling the anger building within her. She'd sworn to control her anger and emotions better though, so instead of saying anything more she stood up by supporting herself against the wall and walked out of the shelter. Avani couldn't see or sense any more of the corrupted spirits. She sighed in relief. She kind of wanted to turn around and apologize for what she'd just blurted out in anger, but too proud to do that she kept walking. She didn't get far before she felt the light-headedness return, and staggered, reaching out for something to grab onto but failing to find something she created a rock pillar to balance herself on.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai merely nodded as Avani thanked her again, realizing that it was more of a minor recognition than an actually expression of gratitude. Kasai sighed and rummaged through the pack she found. There were several food items, which meant this must have been one of the other team's bags. She found a few bandages and gauze, as well as two more canteens of water and a map of the forest they were in before entering the portal. Kasai took some of the gauze and tended to her foot, covering up the worst parts in more of an effort to keep the wounds clean more than anything. She contemplated removing her other boot, but decided to leave it on. One banged up foot was enough, she didn't need the other one getting torn up by underbrush and thorns too. Kasai looked up when Avani groaned, but soon ignored it, knowing the cool water must be quite a relief on her wounds. She turned her attention back to the supplies and realized they were now without a radio. Even if they could get back to the spirit portal and back to the physical world, they would have a ways to go before they could find help if they needed it. She grumbled and closed her eyes to try and cease the stress that was building, her mind wandering again to her last image of Kieron. He was dragged off by the spirits, not killed. Or at least, not that she had seen. Kasai made a silent commitment then to look for her friend before attempting to leave the spirit world. The mission no longer mattered. What mattered was finding her lifelong friend. She opened her eyes when she heard Avani whispering, and her brow furrowed as her expression grew to disgust when the hateful comment left Avani's lips. Kasai watched as she stood and walked out of the shelter, not bothering to pay her any more attention. Her focus was instead aimed at not tearing his girl's, who she just saved, head off. Kasai sat there brooding, but with each passing moment the comment gnawed at her. Finally, she stood up and went after Avani. Kasai found her several yards away, and as she approached her she noticed that she had to build herself a rock to keep herself from falling over. This time, instead of checking to make sure she wasn't going to pass out again, Kasai walked up behind her and grabbed her good arm. She pulled her backwards and spun her around so that she could look her in the eye when she spoke, no more over the shoulder comments. "You know what? Blame me. Blame me for it all if you want." Kasai stared into Avani's eyes with a fiery essence in her own. "But don't be so naive to think that I'm the enemy here. I could've let you bleed out, or I could've let you suffer the same fate as your friend did. But I didn't." She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed out before looking back at Avani, "I saved you."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani felt warm when Kasai implied that she thought she was beautiful, but then the little cop had to ruin the feeling by speaking more words. Of course she had to find some reason to put herself above Avani. She turned her eyes away from Kasai, thinking she need not bother with the woman if she was going to be like that. It wasn't like it was the first time someone had told her she was stupid though. Just because her interests were of a more physical nature, didn't mean she was without a brain. "Come to think of it, weren't you supposed to buy me dinner? I remember you mentioning this morning how you couldn't wait to put your hands on me. I mean, I did think you meant it as a threat but now I can see I was mistaken in that assumption." Avani smiled, having run out of laughter, and feeling no need to further mock Kasai. Right then anyway. Avani wanted to continue moving, to save Mio as soon as possible, but she couldn't deny that her body was tired even if they hadn't walked particularly far. She should be able to press herself some more without suffering injuries or worse. She turned to look at Kasai when she pointed out the obvious that they had light. Did she really think Avani was that dumb? Still, she couldn't deny that the light lit up Kasai's feature in a striking fashion which reminded her of why she found her appealing to the senses. Well, other than the ears, having to listen to her was getting on Avani's nerves. Avani stepped closer to Kasai, invading her personal space this time. "Yes, a small spark." She put her hand around the flame. "If nurtured, who knows, perhaps it could create a fire that lasts longer than anyone would have expected." Avani looked into Kasai's eyes while speaking, and moved her hand to brush a couple of strands of hair out of the sergeant's face. "Earth could be used around it, to stop the fire from growing into a wildfire that would only cause harm to those seeking heat." She slid her hand slowly down Kasai's cheek, neck and left it resting on the hole she had accidentally created before. "I think we've suffered enough today to seek the heat, and forget our irreplaceable losses for a second." She spoke the words into Kasai's mouth, as she'd leaned that close and shut her eyes for a third kiss. "Wow…!" Avani heard Mio shout, and when she noticed a see-through projection of Mio in the clearing as well she pushed Kasai away from her and straightened her posture. "She came on to me!" Avani pointed at Kasai, trying to defend herself. Mio had almost lost concentration when she had found those they had been worried for, in the act of starting god knows what, but she regained it and kept her voice monotone and deadpan instead of filled with the rage she had to suppress. "I was worried sick about you, Avani, but it seems you'd rather, how did you put it? "seek the heat and forget the others"!?" Mio felt her projection fading, but she concentrated as much as she could to prevent it from doing so. "I guess you saw your chance and took it as soon as you two got a moment together. Were we just in the way for you all along?" "Of course not, Mio. We've been walking for hours trying to find you! She said we should stop and was all like pretty in the light and stuff…" Avani facepalmed herself. She didn't need anyone else to tell her how awful that sounded. "I don't have time for this." Mio said in her deadpan tone, while shaking her head disapprovingly. "I think we're at some kind of lake. I can see water. We're pretty high up too, maybe in some kind of nest for these odd winged spirits? I'm not sure." "That's not much to go on." Avani said, but the projection faded and disappeared as she spoke. So she was left alone again with Kasai, who she had now actually tried to seduce instead of simply kiss. She wished that Mio would return, but she didn't.¨ "I don't know which is best. I'd say we keep moving for a few hours more. I'm used to pushing pressure on my body. You don't need to worry about me."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi One minute they were bickering, and the next they were standing close enough that Kasai could see Avani's pulse beating on her neck. The flame in her hand lit up the space between them and cast an orange glow over their faces and contributed to the ambiance, which Kasai tried to her damnedest to ignore. She swallowed the lump in her throat whenever Avani's hand touched her face, brushing her hair away while their eyes remained locked in a gaze. What was it about this girl? Kasai didn't know why she allowed her to get so close to her, to touch her and hold her within a breath's distance. She was annoying and childish and immature, and yet Kasai found her intriguing and tempting. She followed Avani's hand with her gaze as it moved from cheek to neck to chest. Goosebumps ran down her spine and she looked back at Avani as the woman's face grew ever closer to hers. She ignored the part of her brain that told her to move away and instead gave in to the part that told her to press closer, for whatever reason. She closed her eyes and met Avani's lips. That is, until a strange and alarming voice was heard from the side. Kasai's eyes opened wide and she moved her head back and turned it around looking for the source of the voice. When her head was turned, Avani pushed Kasai and sent her stumbling backwards a few steps. When Avani pointed at her, she threw her hands up in innocence, just like all those suspect had when she had yelled at them to put their hands up. "I, uh..." Kasai clenched her jaw and stood there awkward and stiff, left again in an uncomfortable position as Avani spoke to the transparent image of her airbender friend. She looked on and listened while they spoke, then blushed when Mio accused them and Avani called Kasai pretty in the light. She cleared her throat looked at her feet. Then the airbender started to describe where she was and the surrounding area, and Kasai looked up with eager eyes at the sound of the word "we". She took a step forward from where she had been standing and raised a hand to try and catch the fleeting image of Mio. "Wait, 'we'? Is Kieron there with you? Is he-" the projection of the young woman faded away and Kasai was left without answers. She had to assume the best, that he was there and alive and that he could be saved. She sighed, knowing she wouldn't know his fate until they got to where they were going. Kasai put the map up and grabbed the pack again, slinging it over her shoulder. She walked up next to Avani and nodded, "I think we should move on too. The closer we get, the better chance we have of saving them." She tried to smile, but she could tell it was halfhearted. So instead, she bit her bottom lip and looked down at the ground as they started to walk again. "So uh..." she rubbed the back of her neck and laughed a bit out of nervousness, she didn't really know how to respond or react to the events that were occurring between them, or even if she should. "I came on to you, huh?" she laughed a bit again and then cleared her throat, "Looked to me like you came towards me." Kasai smiled a bit but she was still unsure if Avani was going to rebuttal with a smart ass, rude comment or with some sarcastic joke. "Tell ya what, if we ever do get back to Republic City, we have us a little wager or contest, and loser buys the other dinner?" They kept walking for a few more hours, but even Kasai was growing weaker at this point. She stopped and dropped the bag to the ground. "I think now we should probably rest. We won't be any good to them if we can't even defend ourselves, let alone get them out of there. There's just a few hours now until daybreak, at least I think." She realized the spirit world was something totally different from their own. "We can get a move on again at dawn."</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "Agreed then." Avani said, and sat down for a second to rest her legs. She had been interrupted at the worst possible moment. Kasai had definitely kissed her back, and she even thought she had shivered under her touch. Avani giggled when Kasai brought up who had come on to whom. It was different from her loud mocking laughter, and quite feminine. "Yeah, I doubt she fell for that. Maybe if she hadn't heard me trying to seduce you it would have been easier to shift the blame." She stood up and followed Kasai through the forest once more, but now it became harder to see where she was putting her feet. She focused her eyes on the flame Kasai carried. "I wonder how long she watched us before she said anything…" Avani whispered mostly to herself. "Suuure, Lady Sergeant. I bet you earn more money than me though." She said with a snarky tone when Kasai suggested they decide who buy dinner for who with a competition, but then changed her mind about being snarky and coughed. "Not that it matters since you're going down either way." Avani grinned cockily. "I always win. Besides, I think you'd have a problem with where I'd get the dough from to wine and dine such a fine lady." It was an honest concern for her, even if she did have a legitimate job it didn't pay nearly well enough to take out someone like Kasai for dinner. She didn't mind doing some less legal work on the side for quick cash, but Kasai was a policewoman. "Heh, I suppose that could help with securing a second date if the first one goes bad." Avani giggled again. "Oh, I'm sure you'd love the chance to put someone like me in handcuffs and do with as you please..." Avani blushed at her own comment after thinking about it, and went silent after that. As they kept walking in silence, it was what occupied Avani's thoughts. She wondered if Kasai actually did have her own set of handcuffs for private use, but mostly she thought about what that could result in. When they stopped, Avani yawned. She felt exhausted at that point. "Yeah, Mio will be pissed though, probably thinks we just resumed where we left off." Avani moved her feet to create another shelter like the one before. It was smaller, but should still allow them to sleep in. She got down on her knees in front of the opening to it, crawled halfway in and remembered that she had only made one. She blushed and backed outside on all fours, then used her feet to create a second one for Kasai on the other side of the clearing. "I almost forgot, sorry." She said while yawning. "I'll close it up securely after you. Oh, and I am sure your friend is fine. Mio wouldn't say we for no reason. I don't think she's gotten that well acquainted with the spirits." Avani just smiled with a tired expression across her face. After walking those last hours with questionable thoughts filling her mind, part of her kind of wanted Kasai to pounce her or enter her shelter, but she also knew she was too tired to take any advantage of such a situation. She needed to recuperate her energy to be able to rescue their friends too as Kasai had pointed out. She supposed it would be nice to sleep next to someone for the first time in a few months at least. Well, not counting passing out from pain and blood loss earlier.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai nodded and shrugged, "I doubt that, she cares about you. I'm sure she knows you care about her too. She'll get over it when we get them out of there." She watched while Avani used her bending to create another shelter from the earth. As she crawled into the shelter, Kasai moved to go in after her, but stepped back when Avani crawled back out and created another shelter of her own. "Right, thanks." She started to walk over to the other shelter, but she stopped short and turned back around. "Hang on," She moved back over to Avani's shelter and stood for a moment, trying to get a feel for the temperature outside. They were surely both warm because of their time spend walking, the blood pumping fast enough to keep them warm. However, Kasai figured as soon as they stopped moving the chilly air would move in and cause some shivers. "Here, this might help with the cold." Flames dance from her hands towards the shelter, heating the rock enough so that the residual heat would radiate and keep the inside of the shelter warm. "Though, sleeping with a firebender would keep you warmer." She smiled shortly and then walked over to her own shelter, doing the same to it before making her way inside. She cleared the small space of any sticks or stray rocks that would jab her, and then she lay down. Her body was exhausted, but her mind had not quite caught up with her physical tiredness. She stared up through one of the small holes in the shelter at the trees and pieces of the spirit sky that she could see. Swirling shades of purple melded with the deep blue of the night sky, and several moons could be seen as they slowly made their orbit. Kasai sighed and thought about all that had happened in that short day. She had been given a mission, excited to take it on with her two best friends. But now, one of them was gone. And the other... well at least there was hope for him. Her eyes finally fluttered shut and sleep met her weary mind. The rising sun peeked through the holes of the shelter and for the first time since they arrived in the spirit world, the sounds of rustling spirits filled the air of the forest. Kasai groggily opened her eyes and then stretched, looking around to remember where she was. She sat up and yawned, but realized she couldn't leave her shelter because, well... she was not an earthbender. Instead, she allowed herself to wake up, rummaging through her bag and finding enough food to serve up for breakfast. She used her bending to heat it up, and hoped that the smell of cooked meat would wake Avani so that she could exit the shelter.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh As Kasai told her to hang on and came over to her shelter once more, Avani expected her hopes of them sharing a bed coming to fruition, but she was let down with a teasing remark about how it would have been warmer to sleep with a firebender than in a warmed shelter. She stretched out her tongue at Kasai when the woman turned her back towards her. Avani closed up Kasai's shelter after she had entered it, and then she crawled into her own, closing it up as well. She shifted the earth beneath her body, turning it soft like sand. She grinned knowing that Kasai couldn't possibly do anything to get something as comfortable to sleep on, not when she had decided to sleep alone. She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the earth. It had been a tiresome day for her. She'd rather not think about all that had happened since this morning, and she had tried her best to push any thoughts of her dead friend away by focusing on Kasai instead. His death came back to haunt her during the few hours' sleep she would have gotten. She dreamed nightmares about how he accused her for his death, how he came back for revenge and how Mio helped him with a smile on her face. Avani tossed and turned, not getting much sleep at all, and when her nose registered the smell of cooked meat her dreams turned it into another nightmare about how it was Avani's body being burnt, not just her arm this time. She woke up in a cold sweat, still smelling the meat being prepared. Avani rolled around in her own shelter in a panic, looking for the source of the smell while her breathing grew ragged. She came to the conclusion that the smell was coming from outside and calmed down. She kind of felt like murdering Kasai for providing her mind with such nightmare fuel though. Avani kicked the wall free from her shelter to get out, and then she walked over to Kasai's shelter with a cold expression on her face. She leaned against it, and looked through one of the air holes at Kasai. "Well, well, look what I caught in a trap for my breakfast." Avani grinned mischievously. "So, what should I do with the Lady Sergeant now that I have her at my mercy, hmm?" She yawned, scratched her head. She didn't want to imagine what her appearance was like with so little sleep. Death itself may very well look better than she did, for all she knew. Avani was glad that she didn't have any mirror. "How about I make you beg me to release you?" Avani laughed. "Oh, but Lady Avani I'll do anything to get out from this devilishly clever trap you caught me in." She went on, now mimicking Kasai's voice as a response to what she had just said herself. "Anything, you say?" Avani went back to mimicking Kasai, gasping as if shocked, and put a hand in front of her mouth while keeping her eyes wide open. "No… Not that. I'm far to upstanding and full of myself to consider the thought of doing something like that with another woman, but…" She removed one of the walls to Kasai's shelter, and crawled inside with a grin across her face. "But?" Avani stopped for a moment and looked at the cooked meat with a frown. "That gave me nightmares, you know. Maybe you should consider that I just smelled my own flesh burning yesterday when you make breakfast in the future." She blushed briefly. "Not that we'll ever have breakfast together after today." She cleared her throat with a cough.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The sound of earth moving caught Kasai's ears, and she thought she heard Avani, or something at least, headed towards her shelter. She jumped a little when Avani's voice was produced above her at one of the air holes. Looking up, she had little to no time for speaking before Avani opened her own mouth and of course began the morning with mockery and jest. Kasai opened her mouth several times to interject, but was cut off at each brief pause when Avani again would begin speaking. She held the conversation with herself, then finally a door to Kasai's shelter was opened and Avani was quick to crawl inside. She donned a devilish grin and Kasai was left sitting there with a strange expression on her face, partly because of the strange nature of Avani's commentary. "But... I made breakfast. And you know what they say, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach. Isn't that what you wanted, a woman who can cook a mean canned spam?" She laughed briefly before the next comment made her shut up. Kasai looked down at the canned meat that she had heated up and frowned as well, sniffing for a moment and realizing it very well may have sent a bad signal to Avani's brain while she slept. She scratched her head but then shrugged, "Well I would hope for your sake that in the future you won't have to smell your own flesh burning." She smirked and then grabbed a plastic fork, sticking it in one of the cans of food and handing it to Avani before grabbing her own. There were a few slices of bread in the bag, so she got out a piece and split it in half, rationing their food because spirits know how much longer they'll be trapped in here. She took a bite, weary at first of the canned and seemingly untrustworthy meat. However, the flavor wasn't as bad as she had expected, and she managed to get it down pretty easily. She knew the calories and energy contained within the meal would be crucial for their journey for the rest of the day, so she ate as much as she could and finished off with her bread, which she toasted with her firebending. She looked at Avani and licked her lips of any remaining saltiness that the food had left, and then looked out the wall of the shelter. It was plenty light outside now, should be very easy to navigate. The map sat folded in the backpack, so Kasai grabbed it and unfolded it in between them. "We should be pretty close now. Not that far to go before we should be right on top of them, at least I hope." She shook her head and stared at the map for a moment more before looking again outside of the small rock space that they were both in. They both sat just inches from each other due to the small parameter of the shelter, and Kasai looked at Avani while she ate. "See, my survival cooking skills are clearly perfectly honed." She grinned and then started cleaning up the area, placing items back in her bag before getting out a canteen of water and taking a drink, then handing it to Avani. "Now just imagine what I can do with some quality ingredients, I should have been a chef instead." She laughed and finished cleaning up. "We should get a move on pretty quick. Don't need to waste any daylight," She grabbed the bag and began to crawl out of the shelter, dragging it behind her as she made her way forward on all-fours.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani took the can of food and the bread that was handed to her, eating with a sly smile across her face, eyeing Kasai whenever she was not busy putting it in her mouth. They were looking at each other, but not saying much before they had finished eating. Avani kept the sly smile on her lips all along. The food did taste pretty good considering what it was and who had provided them with the ingredients. It was unlikely that Republic city would care much for what they made their people eat when they were on missions, other than that it should have a lot of nutrition. She watched Kasai unfold the map, and looked at it herself. There seemed to be a body of water not too far from where they may be, if she was reading the map correctly, so what Kasai told her was hopefully true. She wanted to get out of the spirit world already, but at the same time she wished she could have entered it under different circumstances or return when it had been healed from the evil inside. "Yeah, you're good enough." Avani said teasingly with a wink. "I wouldn't know if you could be a chef before I tasted something better than military rations though. I'd certainly be more interested in someone who is a chef though." Avani finished her food, and handed the dishes to Kasai for her to put back into the only bag they had now. She gratefully took the canteen of water and drank as much as she dared without leaving them with nothing to drink later. "After you." Avani grinned. "Wouldn't want to miss the spectacular views that the daylight provides either, now would I." Kasai was forced to crawl over and past Avani who was seated near the entrance. She quite enjoyed seeing her on all fours when she was this close, so Avani didn't feel the need to move or make it easier for Kasai to get outside. She did crawl outside after her once the firebender had gotten outside and stood up on her feet. Avani regained the sly smile she had donned earlier, and looked at Kasai. "So, it would be wrong for me to attempt to seduce you without a dinner, but it's totally cool for you to try to romance me, huh?" Her smile widened. "Or as you said yourself, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach? I suppose that breakfast could count as a dinner if you want it too. I don't mind either way. I'm just surprised you seemed to imply that you wanted to be a woman that I would want." Avani laughed, patted Kasai on the back and destroyed their shelters. She figured it was unlikely anyone would be following them, but if they were there was no one reason she had to make it easy to find them. She didn't think anyone who may want to assist them knew how bad their situation had gotten yet. "After you, Kasai. You are the one with the map after all." Avani said, and followed Kasai. They walked for a while before Avani decided to bring it up again, letting a short laugh ring out previous to her voice. "No one's ever said they wanted to romance me before, to be honest, so it's kind of flattering, Lady Sergeant. But what if I enjoy the single life too much, hmm? Maybe I got ladies throwing themselves on me all the time at home, or maybe I'm already engaged. Did you think about that?" Avani couldn't help but laugh loudly after making fun of Kasai again.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Raising an eyebrow, Kasai looked to Avani with watchful eyes. She had a mischievous grin plastered to her face for the last passing minutes in the shelter and replaced it after they had both exited the rock enclosure. It was a bit concerning, considering that Kasai had learned in the past 24 hours that Avani enjoyed trickery and jest as if it were first nature to her. However, she seemed to be avoiding any harsh consequences to continue her punishment of Kasai that had began the morning before, so Kasai relaxed a bit and enjoyed the fact that the two were actually getting along. Quite a transformation from just a day ago, when they were at each other's throats over a chest of food. There were always those stories about how a traumatic experience can change people, form unlikely bonds, and bring enemies together. Perhaps those stories had a hint of truth about them. "Romancing may be pushing it a bit..." a smirk grew across her lips and then she shrugged, "But, at least I had food to fit the occasion. Ya know, other than the whole giving you nightmares stuff..." She scratched her arm nervously, "Yeah, uh, sorry about that." Kasai watched as the shelters were destroyed and returned to their previous state, then she nodded and turned around, heading in the direction of where she hoped they would find Kieron and Mio. Traveling in silence, Kasai thought about seeing her friend again, it made her smile for a moment as she trekked forwards. A laugh came from behind and Kasai looked over her shoulder at Avani, who was up to something sarcastic again. Kasai was used to it now, so if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. She figured returning the teasing would be better than the alternative of hurt pride and hateful words. "Hm, so you're flattered and yet, here you are giving me enough cover stories to turn me off of ever cooking you canned meat again." Kasai laughed shortly and heartily, but then regained herself and continued walking, all the while glancing back at Avani while she spoke. "Well, to be honest I hadn't considered. But then again, I hadn't considered being within a ten foot radius of you yesterday morning unless it was for the purpose of strangling you." She shrugged again, her tone wasn't too negative or cross as she was just imitating the way in which Avani spoke. "Seems like that went out the window though. Did you ever consider that I'm a police officer though?" She smirked and turned around to face Avani while she spoke this time, pausing their forward movement. "I'm a detective," a cunning grinned played across her face as she took a step towards Avani now, "Which means I know how to take information I'm given, and sort through all the bull. I know how to find things out, get down to the real truth." She stepped closer again, keeping her eye contact steady. "So, if anything you said before was true, you would have some explaining to do to people other than myself. That must not be the case then, because you don't seem like one to have any commitments at the moment." She smile grew wider on her face as she took another step. "And if you're living it up in some bachelorette pad somewhere then you have got it made, let me tell ya. But I have this feeling..." the last gap between them was closed when she took the final step, "That that also isn't true. I have this feeling that you're guilty of seducing an officer of the law and assaulting her with intent." She looked down at the hole in her coat and then back at Avani, "So, how do you plead?"</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai was relieved to hear a voice answer from the other side of the sac, but her moment of relief was soon squashed by the fact that Mio answered coldly and plain. A simple "no" sent all of Kasai's hopes fleeting out of her chest. When Mio dug through the lining of the sac and appeared, Kasai had a natural reaction to gasp and cover her mouth with her hands. The stonewall way that the airbender spoke sent a shiver down her spine, and she held back losing the small breakfast they had in sight of a decomposing, yet still living, human being. "Avani? Yeah she's fine, she's down there and we're gonna-" Her thought was cut off by the reacting sac wall and Mio's last words. "No, no, don't you worry. I'm gonna get you out of here and-" Kasai had to step back as the moving skin tried to stretch towards her, but before she could stretch her arms out to grab Mio, a blast of air sent her reeling off the top of the tree. Hot tears could be felt wetting her face as she fell, her eyes were shut tight until Avani stopped her from plummeting to the roots below and instead lowered her to safety. When her feet hit the base of the tree, she nearly collapsed. Quickly wiping her face, she looked at Avani and shook her head, knowing that her expression was probably enough to get the message across. "They're... gone." There was little time to say much more as a screech came from above, and winged spirits swooped down towards them. Kasai turned and tried to assure her footing on the slick tangle of roots. As several creatures dove at them, she sent her foot across her body in an arc and sent a wall of flame that expanded above the two women, scorching the incoming attack. The defensive move did little as a barrage of spirits was headed in a bee-line straight for the two. Flapping wings and screams filled the air while the spirits circled them, swooping in and out as they tried to peck and claw at Kasai and Avani. Bursts of flames shot from Kasai's palms and feet as she combined attacks to fend off the incoming flyers, but they were outrageously outnumbered for the time being. "Avani, try the mud!" Kasai had no idea if earthbenders could bend the sediment from water, but stuck on an island in the middle of a lake didn't offer much more of a choice. It was probably quite the sight from the lake shore, what would appear to be a flock of birds circling their prey as they struggled to survive. However, from within the mask of winged spirits, it was chaos. A spirit swooped down at Kasai from behind, and when she saw it from her peripheral, she attempted to dodge the attack. Unfortunately, she lost her footing and her left leg slipped down between two roots. The spirit was coming in hot, but when she fell its attack was skewed, but not enough so. The talons of the spirits claws sliced Kasai's face, leaving a gash that formed a diagonal across her cheek and over her lips. A scream escaped her and a metallic taste filled her mouth as blood streamed down her face. When she looked back up from the first attack, another spirit was now diving at her from the front. She shot a flame with one of her hands, but the creature was too close to be diverted and it hit her, sending her back. A crack was heard as her body was sent back with force, but her leg still wedged between the roots. She screamed out even louder this time. The only partially beneficial aspect to the situation was that firebending was fueled by emotion, and right now her emotions were screaming at her with pain and rage. Within seconds, a spark was twinkling between her fingers. White lightning had been channeled from her inner chi and now exited her being, arcing through the sky and shocking many of the spirits before she fell exhausted, at which point all she could do was try to free herself from the roots that were trapping her. "Avani, get out of here. There's too many of them, we don't both need to die!"</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Kasai's simple statement that their friends were gone was devastating. Avani steeled herself though. There would be time to grieve them later, but only if they survived the mess they were currently in. Kasai did her best to fight off the spirits, while Avani attempted to bend the mud nearby. It was a fairly inefficient way of fighting, as throwing rocks and boulders actually hurt the ones hit, but mud just seemed to make the spirits angrier. She aimed for what she thought were their heads, trying to blind them. However, it gave her an idea for how they may be able to escape to the shore much faster than swimming. Avani covered herself in the mud, using it as armour instead of projectile weapon. She punched and kicked at the spirits that came for her. Avani heard Kasai scream, but was occupied with fighting off the spirits that were currently attacking her. She dodged instinctively when Kasai shot lightning at the spirits. She hadn't expected that, and it was a bit too close for comfort. When Kasai told her to leave her, Avani turned to look at the firebender who was beaten, bleeding and stuck with her leg in the roots. She didn't want to be the reason someone else perished, but it wouldn't really be her fault either if Kasai died here like this. She figured what she said was true too, better one returned than no one at all. Avani turned her back towards Kasai, and took a couple of steps towards the water while the spirits clawed at her mud armour. She had a strong feeling of regret and loss, a sort of premonition of events she would miss out on if she took another step. A choice between two different futures, one where she may be the sole survivor, and one that may include Kasai, but there were no guarantees and either path could lead to her dying today. "I apologize, Kasai." Avani said. "I'd like to say this will hurt me more than it will hurt you, but it really won't." She dried the mud on her right leg as much as possible, standing still and seemingly hesitating, but then she turned back around to face Kasai. Avani had a faked version of her sly smile plastered on her face. She took the steps over to Kasai, aimed carefully with her leg raised and then slammed it down with all the force she possessed, both the physical prowess and the earth bending. There was a crushing sound as she broke Kasai's leg and the roots, sending splinters flying. Avani bent down and picked up Kasai, throwing her over her shoulder. She would have carried her in her arms if one of them weren't in such bad shape. The winged spirits kept coming, but she began to enclose Kasai within the mud armour as well. She patted Kasai's behind with her hand. "This is mine, not yours, so back off." Avani said to the spirits. She went back to the water and was about to jump in when the sun blinded her. One of the spirits noticed the light reflecting in Avani's eyes and dove for it with precision. Its claws penetrated her left eye, and she felt a sudden temporary blindness combined with a sharp pain when the claw was retracted. When she saw the eye in the claws of the winged spirit she realized what had happened, the blindness wouldn't be so temporary. "Take a deep breath, Kasai." Avani said before plunging into the water. She made them heavier, and sank towards the bottom. Thankfully, it didn't take long for them to end up on the bottom of the lake where mud and earth was plentiful. Avani used her favourite trick to quickly get them out of the lake and away from the tree. She made earth cling onto her feet, then surfed toward the shore. Avani was finding it harder and harder to continue without any air, but they surfed up onto the shore and into the fresh air. She took a couple of deep breaths, then looked in the direction of the tree. The winged spirits were clearly confused about where their prey had disappeared too, but she doubted they would be for long, so she dropped the mud armour and created a rock as large as the one she had used to steal the cache with yesterday. She laid Kasai down on it, feeling her own adrenaline beginning to fade. The wound in her eye socket began to hurt more with each passing second as the adrenaline faded. She made the rock beneath them move in the direction of the portal, and removed her crop top to tear it in half. One half she put against the wound Kasai had across her cheek and lips, the other she pushed carefully into her own eye. "I got you." Avani said, and the tears began to flow at the thought of those she had lost. "I got you." She repeated, leaned on Kasai and kissed her lips gently, tasting blood, which was at least a sign they were both alive. They moved faster across open areas with Avani's rock, but there weren't many of those in the forest. The longer she had to move the rock at the same speed, the more exhausted she got, but she tried to get as far as she could move them both, even if it meant collapsing.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai saw Avani turning away to escape in the water, and her heart sank a little. True, it was what she herself had told the other woman to do, but another part of her wished she were escaping with her instead of watching her leave. Kasai closed her eyes for a moment, then looked back down at her leg and continued to struggle to free it from the tangled mess it was trapped in. Much to her surprise, Avani froze in her footsteps and uttered another sentence. Kasai assumed it was a last-ditch effort before she took off to escape the attacks, one last sarcastic remark before the spirits clawed Kasai to bits. It didn't surprise her much, what did surprise her was the sight of a earth-ridden leg that came crashing down on her own. Cries of pain blurted out as a resounding crack echoed from the splintering wood and bone. Which splitting sound was her own leg breaking? Who knew. All she could feel now was an intense pain pulsing up her leg and throughout her entire body. She felt like every nerve in her body was on fire, igniting the pain that coursed through her veins. A sense of weightlessness was felt when Avani picked her up, but she had little strength to aid in her transportation. She felt a pat on her rear and a trademark snarky comment from Avani. Kasai smiled weakly and tried to help defend against the incoming spirits before the mud encased her, preventing her from bending anymore. At Avani's command, Kasai drew in as much air as she could. The water slipped around them and they sank to the bottom of the lake, where they started pressing towards the shore. A burning sensation was developing in her lungs, and she released half of the air she held to relieve some of the pressure. By the time they surfaced on the other side of the lake, Kasai was coughing out water and gasping for air. The earth could be felt shifting beneath her, but at this point Kasai was on the verge of losing consciousness. Fabric was pressed to her face, and she looked up to see it was in fact Avani's shirt, sopping up the blood that had stained her face. "Couldn't you take you clothes off at a time I could enjoy it a little more?" A weak laugh escaped her before she coughed again. The last thing she experienced before slipping into unconsciousness was Avani's voice and lips pressed against her own. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wrapped in the sterile white sheets of a bed that occupied an equally white room, the young firebender lay sleeping off the round of pain medication that the doctor had injected into her system. A nurse opened the door to her room and brought in a clipboard that held information on her release from the hospital, left on a table at her bedside for when she woke. Sleepily, Kasai's eyes fluttered open and she inhaled deeply. The drugs still lingered in her system, but she woke at the sound of the door closing. Her eyes fell to her leg, which was wrapped in a cast and propped up on a pillow. Stitches pulled the skin of her cheek and lips back together, which was starting to scar over now. It had been nearly a week since she and Avani had managed to escape through the spirit portal. Both beaten and bruised to no end. Kasai had spent the first 3 days in the hospital in an unconscious state, but several days ago she woke. Turning her head to the clipboard on the table, she grabbed it and read. She would be released that afternoon after the doctor gave her one last check. A pair of crutches leaned against the wall to her right, and a simple display of flowers sat on the nightstand, a get-well gift from the police department. She sighed and stared at a clock that hung on the wall, waiting for the time when she could leave this dreaded place and go back to her own home, where she could rest and recover. Though that wouldn't last too long, because the police department was holding the funeral for their fallen brother, Barron, in just two days. Tears welled up in Kasai's eyes for the thousandth time since waking up in the hospital, without either of her best friends to comfort her. Visitors had come and gone, all telling her that they were sorry for her loss and that she was strong enough to recover physically and emotionally. They were all attempts at consoling her, but they didn't work. She grieved in her own ways, and she hoped that the funeral service would provide her with some closure of the events. The only thing she held on to from the whole experience was Avani. She had risked her own skin to stay behind and save Kasai, and managed to get them both back to safety. How? Kasai still didn't know. But, she was grateful. The last scene that she could remember was burned into her mind, and she played it in her head over and over to hold on to that memory. The door to her room opened again, and the doctor entered to evaluate her for release. She greeted him with a hopeful smile, praying that she would be able to leave this place and go somewhere with a little more color.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani had collapsed, right as the portal came into view, but she had made sure to aim the moving rock into it and speed it up as much as possible. Once through the portal they had been discovered by a group sent by headquarters to investigate why the radios had stopped working and if the teams were in danger. She had awakened in a hospital bed the next day. Her arm was bandaged, and they had given her medicine for it, not that they seemed to know what they were actually dealing with. It was unlike most wounds because it had been inflicted upon her by some kind of spirit corruption. Her eye had been treated and had a white patch put over it. She had been given a lot of nutrition once she woke up. They hadn't required Avani to stay in the hospital for long. She could stay a couple of days if she wanted too, but she'd rather get home to her own bed. The doctor told her to come back if the arm changed for the worse. The news that she was in the hospital had barely gotten out to her family before she had been released, so she had had no visitors. There were a few from Kasai's police department that had decided to harass her though, implying that she may have planned this end result all along. She clenched her teeth and held back tears at the thought that she had intended to kill her own friends. They had let her go when ordered by their superior, but not without argument and asking they get to "interrogate" Avani. She hadn't returned to the hospital to visit Kasai, nor had she sent anything to wish her she would get well soon. Avani doubted Kasai would acknowledge anything that had happened now that they were back in Republic City, each with their own people. She had decided to never contact her again. Avani had taken to drinking away the loss of her friends. She had spent the week at bars, and then mostly at home when people began to ask questions about her arm and eye. She had the patch they had placed over her eye replaced with a black leather version. The arm didn't get worse. She gradually became able to move it more and more with each day. However, trying to forget Kasai and not to think about her had had the opposite effect. She thought more about her now that she figured they would never talk again than she had before. Avani had no high opinion of the truth of what Kasai had told her when they were alone, how she didn't mind being seen with her and how they could have dinner together. There was a gnawing thought that kept telling her that maybe the woman was better than she gave her credit for. Maybe she deserved to give her a chance, to either live up to her words or turn her down. The gnawing thought had led her to the park in front of the hospital, on the day that Kasai was supposed to be released if she had the right information. Avani sat on a bench, wearing black pants, and a black leather coat that was open to reveal a black crop top and her midriff. She was drinking from a sake bottle, which raised eyebrows and made people frown at her. There was no alcohol remaining in it though. She had drunk that days ago and replaced it with water. She was sober for once this week after getting out of the portal. Her motorcycle was parked next to the hospital, where it should be visible by anyone coming outside. If Kasai was as good a detective as she claimed she should recognize it as Avani's. It was what she had driven to the spirit forest on the first day they had met. She hadn't decided what to do yet, sit there and watch Kasai look at her and pretend like she didn't exist, or go up and greet her so she could do the same. Once a couple of members of the police arrived she decided to sit and stare at her. She knew it may be a bit creepy, but she wanted to be proven right without talking to the woman in front of everyone she knew. Another part desperately needed Avani to be proven wrong, so she would get to hold Kasai just once more.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The hope in her smile turned out not to be misplaced when the doctor gave the thumbs up for Kasai to check out of the hospital and head home for more rest. Happily, she sat up in bed to sign off on the papers and listened as the doctor gave his last instructions for her injuries. Pain pills were given to her and she was instructed to keep off of her leg until she was to return to have the cast removed from it, and a nurse came in to remove the stitches from her face before she left. Pain flared up again across her cheek while the nurse tugged at the strings to remove them, dabbing the partially healed wound with antiseptic that stung and made her wince a bit. Finally, she was given a pair of grey sweatpants and a black shirt to put on, seeing as the clothes she was wearing when she arrived were torn to hell and had to be cut off so that the doctors could attend to her. After she changed into the plain outfit, she turned and took the crutches. It was difficult at first to gain her balance on the one foot after not standing for so long, but with the support of the crutches she managed to not fall over. When she hobbled out of her room and down the hall, she saw a few of her colleagues from the department waiting in the lobby for her. A smile appeared on her face as she scanned the small group of familiar faces. A small pang of disappointment hit her when she didn't see Avani. Not that she really expected her to be there, but it had been a week already and she hadn't heard from her at all. Maybe it was better that way, perhaps the woman wanted nothing to do with her after everything that happened. Kasai might be considered bad luck after the events that took place anyway. Small talk and words of support were given as Kasai joined her fellow officers and exited the hospital. Each gave her a hug and the talk shifted to how it'll be better when she gets back to work and how the PD could really use her back in action. She merely smiled softly and nodded along with the conversation while they walked out of the building and onto the sidewalk outside. The sun was refreshing on her skin, and she breathed in deeply, letting the fresh air fill her lungs. The crutches stepped out in front of her, then her good foot, and then the crutches again. Her eyes remained on the ground to make sure she did not stumble on her path. Following her friends, she kept her head down and only interjected her voice occasionally. That is, until one of her colleagues mentioned the funeral set in a couple days. Kasai stopped in her tracks and looked up at the one who had mentioned it, a young man who was now hanging his head to hide his mistake. Her glare bore into him, until something else caught her eye. Moving past the embarrassed young man, her stare fixated on a motorcycle that was parked just beyond the sidewalk. Several curious looks fell upon her, but she ignored them and continued staring at it. The familiarity of the thing was far too overwhelming, and then it hit her. She looked at the other officers, who looked concerned now. "I can get along by myself. You all go on ahead." This was met with several protests, but Kasai glared at them, using the young man who goofed up as an example. Reluctantly, they agreed. Kasai turned around as quickly as she could with the crutches and scanned the area. There she saw her, sitting on a bench with a bottle in her hand. A small smile played across her face, but she staved it off as she limped over to her. "Bit early to be hitting the bottle don't ya think?" Kasai smirked and rested on the crutches with her damaged leg hanging above the ground. She looked Avani over, noticing how well she looked for how beat up she was just days ago. "Nice eye patch, I'm diggin' the whole pirate vibe." She realized it may be a bit too soon to joke about it, so she quickly coughed and looked down at her cast, then back up at Avani. "So, about that dinner..." She smiled a bit, but didn't want to be too hopeful. For all she knew, Avani could be here to mock and ridicule her, or to blame her for the deaths of her friends, or worse, pay her back for all the damage caused in the spirit world. Kasai swallowed and stared at Avani nervously, running her tongue over the cut on her lip.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani perked up when she saw Kasai exit the building, but she rolled her eyes when she realized that someone must have told her that Avani was outside as she kept staring at the ground. Coward, Avani thought to herself and was about to get up to leave, but decided to wait until the pigs had left. Something seemed to change though. Kasai turned around in search of someone and smiled when she spotted Avani, then she was heading her way and standing in front of her all of a sudden. Avani could feel a fluttering sensation in her stomach. "Shouldn't you know not to judge based on appearances?" Avani asked teasingly, and raised her bottle for another drink. "It's just water. I wouldn't want to scare everyone off. Just the judgemental majority." "Oh thanks, Kasai." Avani said and rolled her eyes, but stopped herself from pointing out how it was Kasai's fault she had lost the eye in the first place. She rose from the bench and stood in front of Kasai. "I really like your wet shirt look as well." Kasai mentioned the dinner once more, as Avani poured the rest of the water on her chest, so that the black shirt clinged to her figure. "It's very hot." She was distracted from making any more comments when she noticed Kasai's tongue running over the scar the woman had. It brought back all those other thoughts she had had when they had been alone together. It reminded her why she had bothered coming here in the first place, and it certainly wasn't to pick a fight with Kasai. "Ah yes, the dinner." She smiled earnestly. "I didn't think you'd acknowledge my existence with so many of your colleagues around, but to tell the truth I've had a yearning for something quite specific the last days." Avani stepped as close to Kasai as possible, and leaned into her to whisper in her ear. "Lady Sergeant Kasai." She put a hand on her hip, and kissed her on the cheek gently, making her way down until she reached her neck. Avani made a visible gesture of sucking on her neck to leave a hickey, while moving a hand slowly up beneath her shirt to rub her back, all the while staring at the other cops that were eyeing them and beginning to leave the area. She wanted them all to see what she enjoyed doing with their sergeant, who had also enjoyed it back in the spirit world at least. Avani backed away from Kasai eventually, but not before flipping off her colleagues behind her back. She rubbed her neck and blushed, feeling as if she may have taken it too far if Kasai wasn't comfortable with public displays of affection. She wasn't even sure what they were to each other now. They had been supposed to be working together in the spirit world, but in Republic City they had no reason to interact other than the mutual attraction that she hoped and thought was still there. "I'm still up for dinner, of course." Avani coughed. "We haven't decided on that bet yet though. However, let's leave that for later shall we? I brought something with me in case you wanted a ride home." Avani pointed to the sidecar that she had attached to her motorcycle now, but which had previously been parked in a garage and left unused for a couple of months. "I cleaned it up for you, and um, it's quite roomy." She stuttered and blushed. Why did she feel like a little school girl just for offering Kasai a lift? "If, um, you want to ride with me."</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "My wha-?" The water met Kasai's chest and soaked her shirt as the bottle emptied onto her. A sigh escaped her as she realized she probably deserved it after the eye patch comment, so she refrained from saying anything further on the subject and instead looked down at her chest and back to Avani. "You seem to have a real obsession with that area of my clothing. First the coat, now this..." She looked at the other woman with her lips pressed together in an effort to look indifferent, but that didn't last long after Avani leaned in close and whispered in her ear. Kasai could feel her cheeks growing hot with a blush as Avani moved in to fondle her. There was nothing really she could do in return to the gesture, she was standing on one leg and if she let go of either of the crutches they would fall to the ground and then she'd really be struggling to stand. Her eyes closed and she breathed in deeply, all the while wishing she could at least get a hand around Avani. Then, the sounds of catcalls and whistling coming from the few of her police friends that stuck around broke her attention from Avani. She looked down at the ground and her face grew redder by the second until she looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at them. One of them was sticking their tongue out in their direction, a return to the gesture that Avani had delivered unbeknownst to Kasai. "Hey, didn't I tell you to get a move on? That's an order." Her voice was stern with them, but they still couldn't help but grin and snicker as they turned their backs to catch up with the others who had already gone on ahead. Well, it could've been worse. At least they didn't gape at the pair and throw hateful looks in their direction. Still, Kasai knew she would be the butt of the jokes for a while to come now. At the offer for a ride, Kasai looked back to the motorcycle and then at her one leg. "Uh, well, assuming I could even get in..." But, the offer was probably a one chance deal, and Avani did say it was roomy. Kasai smiled and nodded, quite amused by how flustered Avani had gotten over the situation all of a sudden. Kasai felt as if her confidence worked in reverse. Groping and physical contact were right down her alley, but when it came to a simple offer she became giddy. "You cleaned it up for me?" a light laugh came from Kasai and she smiled at Avani, "Careful there Avani, wouldn't want me to think you actually liked me or something." She decided to quiet down on the teasing and instead she nodded and replaced the cheesy grin with a smile. "Alright, I'll take you up on that offer. Might take me ages to get home otherwise," She turned around and placed the crutches in front of her, then her good leg again, slowly making her way over to the motorcycle. Then, Kasai realized she had never ridden on a motorcycle before, even if this was a sidecar to it. "Uh, do you perhaps have an extra helmet? I wouldn't want to lose anymore brain cells than I already have over the past week." She realized she was probably overly concerned with her safety, but it was a new thing to her. Finally she had limped her way to the motorcycle where she stood and examined it, trying not to psych herself out about getting a ride from someone who didn't appear to be the most trustworthy driver.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai looked at Avani and gave a look of confusion after she had moved away from where she had sat down just a few moments earlier. It was unknown to her what had set Avani off, but it was becoming apparent that she had definitely done something wrong in the last thirty seconds. "Wait, what?" Her face showed the confusion her brain was trying to work out, and she tried to scoot closer to Avani and speak with her about what had suddenly gone so wrong. It was a failed attempt though, because now Avani was standing up and striding across the room towards the door. Kasai was left with her eyebrows in a knot and her mouth slightly agape. "Avani, wait, let me explain-" She put her hand out towards Avani, but it was no use because her back was turned to her. The last words Avani spoke before closing the door behind her hit Kasai like a ton of bricks. Leading her on? That certainly was not her intention. Kasai quickly grabbed the crutches that leaned against the other side of the couch and started to make her way to the door as fast as she could manage. It was no use though, by the time she opened the door, she could hear Avani's footsteps disappear outside the first floor, and by the time she pressed the button for the elevator, the sound of the motorcycle starting and taking off told her that she was a little too late on that one. Frustrated, Kasai went back inside to her apartment and sat on the couch, staring at the glasses and bottles that sat upon the table. A sorrowful sigh escaped her and she grabbed her glass, filling it up to the brim with rum before she held it up. "Way to fuck it up," she said to herself, before emptying the entirety of the glass down her throat. There was a reason Kasai hadn't been in many relationships before. It always seemed that she was able to say the absolute worst thing at the absolute worst time. Unintentionally, of course. It wasn't like she found joy in watching people walk out her door, never to return. Oblivious to most things, she usually ended up alone and without anyone other than Kieron and Barron. But now, even they were gone. Hanging her head in her hands, she grit her teeth and clinched her jaw, furious at herself for letting something silly like that ruin whatever that spark could have turned in to. Another shot filled her glass, and went down the hatch. By now, Kasai was feeling the effects of the alcohol. She was far from drunk, but the substance was definitely affecting her judgement. Moping around for the next few hours, she kicked herself and ridiculed herself. This is why you're alone. She stared at the alcohol on her table, but figured that getting plastered wasn't going to solve anything, let alone mix well with the pain medication she had been taking. It was late afternoon now, turning into early evening. Kasai assumed that Avani would soon be hitting the bars downtown to drink away the misery that Kasai had caused. No matter what she did, Kasai could not stop thinking about the desperate and disappointed tone in Avani's voice before she left. Never before had she cared so much after someone had walked out on her. That was the moment she decided that she wasn't going to let Avani slip away like that, at least not without Kasai being able to apologize to her and explain herself. However, it did not take a genius to figure out that giving her a call and asking to talk over coffee was not going to work. Avani was probably closer to dropping a boulder on Kasai than she was to speaking to her. Kasai worked up an idea in her head and grabbed the phone that sat on the end table of her couch, telling the operator to patch her through to the police department. A friendly voice met her, and she sat up to talk more clearly. "Zari, it's Kasai. I need you to do me a favor..." Kasai went on to tell the man that he and his partner needed to go downtown and pick up a woman named Avani Shailesh, that she was needed for questioning. "But the captain hasn't said anything about-" "This doesn't need to be mentioned to the captain. Now do as I say, you and Tai go and get this girl and send someone over here to bring me to the station." Kasai interjected. There was a moment of hesitation before the man agreed and hung up the phone. Kasai breathed a sigh of relief before standing and going to her bedroom to change out of the grungy hospital clothes she had on. It was a struggle in the trouser area, so she opted for black slacks and her police coat. Making her way downstairs, she waited for her ride and prepared herself for whatever may come once she gets to talk to Avani one on one, knowing she very well may be talking to a person who has hatred in their eyes for her.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani drove away from Kasai's apartment, heading nowhere in particular. She felt like driving just to keep her mind off how much of a fool she had been. How could she have been so careless that a straight girl, a cop no less, was able to hurt her so? Ryuu would have laughed with her about it, but he was no longer around. Mio had kind of already warned her before she perished as well. Avani had to stop her motorcycle, as the thoughts of her dead friends coupled with the pain Kasai had inflicted on her made her cry. It was difficult to see anything while driving with tears in her eyes. She sat staring out over the harbour and the sea from the hill she had parked on. It made her reminisce about carefree childhood days with Ryuu, and that actually made her feel better somehow, not worse. She started the motorcycle back up half an hour later, and kept driving around the city. She visited the areas where she had spent most of her time with Ryuu and Mio, their apartments and their favourite places. It took her a couple of hours to travel between them all. At the end, she drove downtown to visit their favourite bar and get blackout drunk as she had planned. She wished she would have gotten the choice to save either of them over Kasai, but fate was a cruel mistress. The bar was named the Lizard's Head, for whatever reason she had forgotten. Ryuu had known though since he used to work here whenever they needed extra staff. It was a friendly place to her kind, much better than what she been forced to endure today. Avani entered the bar and was greeted as if she was a regular, even though she hadn't been here for a whole week now. She took a seat at the bar, and ordered her first drink. Avani was mainly ignored by anyone that wasn't the bartender. They could probably tell that she wasn't in the best mood. About an hour or two later, a police car pulled up outside of the bar. Avani didn't react until they entered the bar and began to ask around for someone with her name. She doubted there would be two Avani Shailesh here tonight, so she got up from the bar and pushed her way past everyone towards the exit. One of the cops tried to stop her to ask for her name, but she was certainly not in the mood to talk with any cops so she shoved him aside. He didn't like that one bit, not like she cared though. Unfortunately, the bartender traitor called out her name because she hadn't paid for her last drink. Avani took off running out into the streets, or rather she gave it her best shot, but as drunk as she was it was pretty hard to run straight. The cops soon caught up to her, and with their usual logic wanted to arrest her because no one who was innocent would try to run from the law. Except the law was corrupt and evil as far as she knew. She decided to fight them with her bending, and to her credit the fight lasted longer than it should have. However, they got her in handcuffs eventually. It didn't stop Avani from fighting though. Once they got in the car, she began to earthbend once more, so that the police officers had to give up on transporting her by car lest they end up in a car crash. She was pulled out of the car and knocked unconscious somehow. When Avani woke up again, she was in a grey room that had a couple of chairs and a table on the roof. She tried to move her feet to break out of the room, and realized she was hanging upside down from the actual roof. The table and chairs were on the floor. She moved her arms, only to find them strapped to her body with one of those shirts they put on insane people. She screamed, but lo and behold, found that her mouth had some kind of fabric in it. The door opened, and a man and a woman walked inside. She recognized the woman instantly and glared at Kasai. The man said something about how they had Kasai to thank for capturing whoever this very capable criminal was, and how they had been forced to restrain Avani by unconventional means as she had managed to fight them first while drunk, then in the car and finally while drugged. He promised to credit Kasai in his report for this important arrest, even though he had no idea what crime Avani had committed apparently. At the suggestion that he remove the gag from Avani's mouth, so that Kasai could speak with her he said that she had quite the foul mouth but agreed in the end. "This is some kinky fucking shit, but I guess it goes right into playing with people like you pigs love to do." Avani shouted. "Screw you Kasai."</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai had made it to the station before the two officers were able to find Avani and bring her in. There was muttering around the floor where Kasai had gone to wait at her desk. Technically she wasn't cleared to be back at work yet, and she could tell by the glances and murmurs directed at her that she had unintentionally caused a ripple withing the PD. The captain had probably already found out about her having some fellow officers bring in a woman without any prior probable cause. Nothing she couldn't wiggle her way out of... hopefully. An officer with a good reputation had a little leeway within the department, so Kasai had that to her advantage. The problem would be getting both herself and Avani out without any harmful side effects. A younger officer approached Kasai and grinned. "We got her. She's in the interrogation room now. Er- the third interrogation room..." There were two rooms with the standard table and chairs, used for day to day questioning and witness statements. But then there was the third room... it was furnished with some special equipment for those who were particularly difficult or dangerous to get into an interrogation room. Kasai put a hand over her face and shook her head. It was somewhat expected, she knew that Avani wasn't fond of the police, nor would she go down without a fight. "Alright, thanks Tai." She stood and began to make her way over to the booking area, where Avani would be. "Say, isn't that the same girl that was all over you this morn-" Kasai's glare cut through the kid like a laser. He coughed and cleared his throat, then turned on his heel and walked the opposite direction. Continuing towards room #3, Kasai had to steady her breathing for fear of going in there all flustered. Unfortunately, she was met outside the room by the Lieutenant, and she cursed under her breath. "Sergeant Inoshi, glad to see you're still making yourself useful considering your condition." The man motioned towards her cast and she shrugged. This definitely wasn't going to be easy to get out of... The lieutenant opened the door for Kasai and followed her in. Avani was strung up from the roof, arms bound and mouth gagged. Kasai had to physically prevent herself from letting her jaw drop at the sight. Must've been one hell of a fight for this kind of treatment... The lieutenant explained the significance of the arrest and it only made Kasai realize she had dug herself a pretty deep hole. Avani was allowed to speak and the lieutenant left, leaving only the two women. It was pretty obvious that Avani was drunk, intoxicated by whatever combination of drinks she had managed to down before the cops caught up to her. The hatred and hurt was apparent in her eyes, like Kasai had feared. She looked up at Avani with sorry eyes. "Avani, please, I just want to talk to you. But you need to be sober when I say what I want to say." Kasai turned her back to leave, ignoring anymore hateful statements that would come her way as she exited. Kasai waited a few hours. It was well into the night now, darkness seeping into the streets and alley ways. The whole time was spent thinking about what she would say, how she would say it, and what she would do if Avani still hated her. Enough time had passed that Avani should be sobered up, so Kasai went back to the room and opened the door, looking at the woman hanging from the ceiling still. There was a sincere look across Kasai's face, and she frowned. It wasn't likely that Avani would agree to genuinely listen to Kasai, but it sure would be more convenient if they were both facing one direction. "I'll let you down, but you have to promise to listen to what I have to say."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "Why would you want to talk with me? Haven't you caused enough damage already, pig?" Avani shouted, but Kasai turned and left the room. She tried to spit at her and missed, hitting the table instead. Her aim was way off. The first reason her drunken and drugged mind could come up with as to why Kasai wanted to talk with her was nonsensical. "Are you pregnant? I never fucking touched you." She began to move back and forth, swinging from her fastened feet like a pendulum. Her drunken mind eventually remembered that they were both girls. "And that is not how it works. No one is gonna believe you. Dumb pig." Avani was left to her own devices as the door shut. She wondered how long they could keep her hanging like this. It hardly seemed legal in the first place. She had committed no crime prior to being bothered by the police, which they would know about. In retrospect, she probably should have let them bring her in, because obviously she was in more trouble for resisting arrest. The only crime she could think of was what Kasai had said in the spirit world, about how Avani had seduced an officer of the law and she had implied it was a crime then. She groaned at the thought that it may have been an actual crime after all. Avani would have to claim that she had been framed if that was the reason she was hanging here. Kasai had practically begged her to touch her and then even invited her inside her apartment for sex when they had met in Republic City. She was so glad she hadn't accepted now. As the hours passed, Avani thought of a number of bizarre theories as to why she had been sought by the police at all. The only one that seemed plausible was that she had attempted to seduce an officer. Maybe it was considered a form of bribe? She did entertain the idea that Kasai had lied to get to her as well. By the time the door opened again, Avani had fallen asleep or perhaps passed out from being upside down too long. Either way, the sound of the door opening awakened her. She saw Kasai enter the room once more, alone, to finally have that talk with her. "Fair enough." Avani said, keeping herself calm despite feeling the urge to strangle Kasai. "You better have a damn good reason though. If I don't like what you are about to say, then I will tell your superiors, I will tell the papers and I will tell everyone about this." Avani betted everything she had on the idea that Kasai had been lying to others and had no justifiable reason to arrest her. "I'm sure you understand what that would mean for your future." There was hesitation in Kasai, but she must have realized that keeping Avani hanging any longer would make the situation worse if she had no justifiable cause in the first place. Avani thought about grabbing Kasai by the shirt and lifting her up, or kicking her leg again, but she decided to sit down at the table instead. "So what does the proper straight girl want to tell the promiscuous lesbian?" Avani snorted and rolled her eye.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai let Avani down and out of her restraints, pleasantly surprised when she decided to sit at the table and not bolt out the door at her first chance. Kasai sat down at the other side of the table and folded her hands in front of her. "First of all, you weren't supposed to be arrested," she pointed out. "However, you decided to run, and then fight with the officers. Which just made this situation a whole lot more complicated than I had intended." Kasai sighed and looked down at her hands, piddling her fingers before she looked back up at Avani with a genuinely sorry expression. "I wanted to apologize for earlier and explain a few things to you." It occurred to her how silly that must sound. The fact that she had the police haul Avani in was not going to give her any brownie points, and it probably seemed like extreme measures just to apologize. Then again, maybe the fact that she had gone through so much effort to talk to Avani again would prove to be in her favor. "I didn't mean to upset you earlier, nor was I leading you on." She frowned for a moment when she remembered the sight of Avani walking out of her apartment and slamming the door. "Look, the fact is that I'm an idiot. And I'm sure you'll agree with that..." Kasai paused briefly, to read the expression on Avani's face and gauge whether she was even listening to what she was saying or just hearing words. "When you said that thing about fantasizing, and I didn't drink... I should have explained right then and there why that was." This was nerve wracking for her. Never before had she felt the need to explain herself to anyone, and Avani's stare that bore straight through her soul was not making it any easier. "Not that you would know, but I was unconscious for my first three days in the hospital. When I woke up... I had no one. My two best friends are gone, and that hit me like a freight train. But you know how that feels too." She sighed and fought off the tears at the thought of her friends again. "But I did have something. I had the memory fresh in my brain, playing over and over." She looked at Avani and smiled ever so slightly. "You saving me." All of this probably seemed like bull to Avani, but Kasai wanted to finish what she had to say. Then, she would let the other woman decide if she ever wanted to see Kasai again or if she wanted to disappear into oblivion. Kasai prayed for the former. "That was the only real thing I had to hold on to. So I guess in a way, you could say I did fantasize about you, just not in the way that I thought you had implied." Kasai smacked her palm to her face and squeezed her eyes shut, "I. Am. An. Idiot." "But if you hadn't done what you had, I would be a skeleton in the spirit world right now. Not here, going through hoops just to apologize to you because I feel like I may have fucked up something great." Kasai pointed towards the door and the people bustling around outside of it. "I've put my neck on the chopping block just so I could see you again. And I'll have to do it again to get you out of here without jail time." "But I'm more than willing to do that." She realized she had began to ramble on with seemingly no end in sight, so she sighed and looked at Avani. "All I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, and I wasn't leading you on. I like you, okay? And I don't want to just let you slip through my fingers." The words were hard for Kasai to say, she had never really been one that expressed herself outright. For some reason though, she wanted to for Avani. "I understand if you never want to see me again. But please, forgive me. I'll go tell my superiors that I was mistaken and that you need to be released." She looked at the door, wondering if Avani was going to leave and be gone forever, or if when Kasai returned she would stick around. Hesitantly, she stood and grabbed her crutches, walking out the door to find the lieutenant and the captain.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "I don't even know what you expected to happen when you sent cops after me in that case." Avani said and scoffed. "It seems like sending cops to retrieve anyone with a shady background would be a bad idea." She decided to shut up and listen though. Kasai probably didn't know the reasons for her hatred of cops, and the details of her past anyway. It wasn't like she could hold that against her. Avani was surprised by how nervous and uncomfortable Kasai appeared to be while trying to explain herself. She did withhold a smile as Kasai confessed she had been thinking about her in the hospital, that she had been reminding herself of Avani saving her when every other memory from the spirit world had been horrible. It made her feel less like a fool for trying to pursue their relationship further once Kasai had gotten out of the hospital. She would have told Kasai that she was being too hard on herself when calling herself an idiot, but a part of her felt like she deserved it after what Avani had been put through and another part enjoyed seeing her beat herself up over Avani. No one had ever done that regarding her before, at least not as far as she knew. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It was nothing compared to how she felt when Kasai said she had done all of this just because she thought she would miss out on something great with Avani. She wanted to not let that show either before Kasai was finished talking, but she sat with her mouth slightly agape and her one eye wide open. It was one of those moments that would grow greater with time. She imagined that depending on how it all turned out in the end, she might see this as the moment she began to think of Kasai as the one for her. She truly regretted resisting arrest now, not because of herself, but because she had put Kasai in some deep shit. Avani had no power here though. The only thing she could do was let Kasai try to work out the situation or go to jail. She was not all that against the latter idea, but who knew when she would be released then. Maybe by the time she got out Kasai would have moved on with her life, so no, she didn't say anything in response to that either. Kasai didn't need to say that she liked her or make Avani think she meant it anymore. Her actions tonight had proven it beyond any doubt, and actions generally spoke louder than words ever could. Avani was left sitting dumbfounded in the chair, staring in front of her at the wall. It wasn't until she heard the door opening that she realized Kasai had gotten up and was leaving the room. Of course, she couldn't allow Kasai to go and beg for mercy from the pigs. Avani rose and hurried over to the door, fearing it may lock itself when it closed. She picked Kasai up and pulled her back inside the room. Her crutches fell to the floor outside. She doubted it would be long before the real pigs came bursting in. "Seems the proper straight girl is a lot more bi-curious than I gave her credit for." Avani gasped, put Kasai on top of the table and kissed her fiercely on the mouth. She took of her jacket and threw it on the floor. "I need you now, but damn is this the worst possible time and place you could have chosen." Avani crawled on top of the table, forcing Kasai to lie down underneath her. She slid her good hand up under Kasai's shirt, and caressed her stomach while continuing to kiss her on the mouth and the neck with an ever increasing need and force. "You don't need to tell them the truth if it will get you in trouble. I'll go to jail if you promise you'll wait for me. I did resist arrest at the very least." Avani grinned as she paused her ravaging of Kasai's body for a moment to look into her eyes. "Maybe I'll get to see some old friends or mom again." She could hear footsteps coming from outside the corridor now. Right before the door was flung open; Avani rolled off of the table onto the floor and raised her hands towards the roof. "I surrender. I surrender." Her back hurt like hell for a brief moment after falling from the table onto the hard floor, but she didn't move at all, keeping her hands raised above her.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Footsteps could be heard coming from behind Kasai. Assuming that Avani was coming to either hit her from behind or bold out of the door before her, she stiffened. It took her more by surprise to find herself being pulled back into the room, and Kasai was sure that Avani was going to strangle her to death right there. The next thing she knew, she was sitting on the metal table staring straight into Avani's face as she leaned in and kissed her. It was sudden and unexpected, but Kasai pushed against her lips with equal ferocity and sighed. "C'mon, Avani. Haven't you ever wanted an office romance before?" Kasai was forced down as Avani crawled onto the table and on top of her. Wrapping an arm around her, Kasai pulled Avani down further and met her lips. A shiver swept over her as she felt Avani's hand over her abdomen, and she wished now that this could have taken place earlier at her apartment. She couldn't complain though, because now Avani was on top of her and not walking out of the door. Kasai looked up at Avani when she pulled away, her amber eyes blazing with desire. Her head shook and she frowned. "No, it's my fault you're in here. I've got to make this right." Avani's last comment made Kasai curious, but before she could question her, Avani had rolled off the table and a pair of officers had barged through the door. Kasai sat up and straightened her shirt. At the sound of her surrender, one of the officers cuffed Avani and picked her up, leading her away towards the holding cells. "Wait!" Kasai shouted at the cop, but his partner was already hovering over Kasai and asking her a million questions. She shoved him away and told him to get her crutches so that she could walk. Walking out of the interrogation room, she started to follow the other man towards the cells, but she was stopped in her path by the lieutenant, who immediately asked her what had happened. "Sir, we need to talk. My information was wrong, this woman is innocent." Kasai stated. "What? Kasai, it is highly unlike you to order an arrest without proper evidence and probable cause." His tone was disappointed, but he shook his head. "Regardless, she attacked the officers at that bar. We've got her on resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer." The man started to move away but Kasai stepped in front of him, unsteady on her crutches. "Sir, she was drunk and felt threatened when Tai and Zari approached her." She could tell he was not amused with this defense, but Kasai wasn't going to let Avani rot in a cell for things she didn't do. "Look, she just watched two of her closest friends die. She entered the spirit world under the orders of the mayor. She fought off things you could not imagine. And then, she saved my life." The man looked stunned at the last bit of information, but he shook his head. "My hands are tied, Inoshi. She still assaulted two officers despite what she's been through." Kasai held her stare, it almost appeared like she was looking through him. He sighed and looked down at his feet, "I'll see what I can do. But I'm going to have to write you up for this, Kasai. This whole situation has caused the PD too much trouble." Kasai breathed a sigh of relief, though she knew she would probably be restrained to desk duty when she returned to work because of her actions. It didn't matter though. She headed towards booking to find out how long Avani would have to stay in the cells. About an hour later, Kasai arrived outside of Avani's cell. She approached and looked through the bars at the earthbender. "Okay, well I've got some sort of good news." A small smile played across her face. "The PD and the DA have agreed to let you out after three days if you agree to plead guilty to assaulting those two officers. Then, you'll be released on probation, which will last a month." She frowned, knowing it was all her fault that Avani was in this situation. "You'll avoid a court hearing though, and a longer sentence of up to six months... I'm sorry, it's the best I could do." Kasai exhaled slowly and looked down at the ground, knowing that she was the real guilty one here. It wasn't fair, but it was the best she could manage without overstepping her boundaries and getting fired.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai left the police department with a heavy mind. She wasn't used to taking orders from anyone but her superiors, but more than anything Avani's demands made her nervous. The motorcycle was taken care of easy enough, left outside the PD for Avani when she got out. The next day, Kasai put on her official Republic City Police uniform and joined her fellow officers to honor their fallen brother, Barron. The funeral service was held by the PD, with a sea of decorated officers mixing with friends and family. Kasai was called upon to say a few words, Barron was her friend and partner at the department. Kasai did her best to not choke up during her turn to speak. Memories from the academy and silly stories from their time as partners were told before she went on to explain that Barron died trying to save her and fellow task force members from an unimaginable force within the spirit world. Most did not understand this, as they could not imagine anything other than the bubbly spirits that lingered in the spirit wilds within town. Nevertheless, she told of his heroic efforts and spoke of his valor before again taking her spot among the other officers. The funeral ended and Kasai was dropped off at her apartment by a friend. That day was spent reminiscing about times spent with both Barron and Kieron. Her mind wandered to the alcohol cabinet in her kitchen, but she staved off any desperate attempt by her brain to drink it all away. The day turned into night and she woke the next morning on her couch. That morning, the words Avani had whispered to her back at her cell ran through her mind. It was an intimidating task, and Kasai had never entertained the idea of pleasing someone in that way before. Yet another reason that she may have had few real relationships. It scared her, though at the same time it sent a spark through her at the thought. It took some thought, but an idea was forming in her head. She took the time that day to clean her apartment, straighten things up although she figured it may all get trashed the next day anyways. The bedroom was separated from the living room by a wall, the entrance to the room was simply a break in that wall that allowed for an arched entrance. The wall of windows continued on the other side of the wall from the living room into the bedroom, filling the space with the same light all around. On the third day, Kasai made herself some coffee in the morning to calm her nervousness a bit. She figured Avani would be released by mid morning, so she wasted no time in taking a shower and getting ready. She let her dark hair fall in long waves down her back, and then stared at her closet as she decided what to wear. It was difficult enough getting sweatpants around her cast, so she decided on slipping on a pair of tight black shorts that left little to the imagination. As for the top, she opted for a red bandeau, which left her abdomen exposed. She slipped on her rookie police jacket over that, leaving it unbuttoned. Lastly, she put on her police belt and made sure that her handcuffs were visible hanging off of her hip. Kasai went to sit on the couch and wait for Avani to arrive, a bottle of sake and a shot glass full in front of her. The longer she sat there, the more ridiculous she though she looked. Sexy cop, really? Just as she was about to get up and change into something else, the door to her apartment opened and she could hear Avani calling out for her. A look of embarrassment flooded over her before she quickly replaced it with a more appropriate smile as Avani walked in. "Come on in," she said with a grin, trying her best not to show how nervous she was. Hoping that Avani wasn't going to find her foolish looking, she stood from the couch and leaned against just one crutch to help with her balance, the shot of sake in her other hand. "Never have I ever wanted anyone in this room." She said as Avani entered her apartment, then she downed the shot and put the glass on the table, smiling at the other woman.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani awoke in a bed next to the slumbering Kasai, so it had to be her bed. She felt a bit dizzy and uncertain about where she was, until the memories came back to her when she saw the empty box on the floor. She had used everything inside throughout the weekend, at least once, sometimes more. Still, she would have gone on had her body been able to do so, but she was exhausted and sore beyond belief. She looked at the sleeping Kasai next to her and ran her hand through her black hair. Avani thought she was beautiful, so much so that it was almost painful to look at her. It was a beauty that went beyond mere appearances, which she had discovered and accepted this past weekend. She had been allowed to do everything she had wanted too with her body, but now she feared that what should have been nothing more than physical was developing into something else. Avani feared the thought of what others may think if it got out, how vulnerable and weak she would be. She didn't particularly like the idea of having feelings for a cop either, even if it was someone as pure and good as Kasai. No, pure wasn't the right word after what she had let Avani do the past days. She was special though, no doubt about it, and now Avani felt a growing need to distance herself from Kasai for real before she became too deeply entangled. She would have gotten up, packed her belongings and disappeared before Kasai woke up, but as she tried to move her legs out of the bed she felt the sore pain at its greatest and doubted she would be able to get anywhere. It was a problem, because if she couldn't move she couldn't leave. Instead, she did what her mind was screaming at her not to do. She leaned over to Kasai and kissed her on the lips, then shook her gently to wake her up. Avani could try to escape the grasp of what was pulling her to Kasai now, but it was unlikely she could do it without hurting herself in the process. The physical attraction was already becoming an emotional attachment that she wanted and welcomed despite her better judgement. "Good morning, Lady Sergeant." Avani smiled at Kasai when she saw her eyelids opening. "I would like to turn myself in for breaking the law of seducing an officer, but I am afraid that I may be put away for life as I lost count of how many times I did her." She laughed and grinned, back to her usual self like nothing. "Maybe it's enough of a punishment that I can't move without some part of my body aching. I'm sore in places I didn't know I had." Avani joked. "How are you feeling, babe?" She kissed Kasai again, and slid her hand over her body with the intention to caress her stomach, but her body protested, resulting in her hand lying motionless on Kasai. "Yeah… The mind is willing but the body is dead."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai was fast asleep, exhausted from the weekend activities. Her body had been wrecked repeatedly, not against her will though. It was definitely unlike any experience she had had before, both terrifying and electrifying. But it was something she was not likely to forget anytime soon. Not much had crossed her mind over the last few days other than the woman lying in her bed next to her. Kasai was fixated on Avani, somehow captivated by the woman who had invaded her bedroom. For what reason, she still did not know. All she did know was that she was sort of drawn towards her, ever since they were pitted against each other so many days ago in the spirit world, despite her annoyance with the woman at first. Kasai felt something shaking her, and she grumbled. Slowly, her eyes peeked open and she saw Avani leaning over her. A smile grew on her face and she laughed lightly before rubbing her face to wake herself up. She started to stretch, attempting to wake her muscles up. "I'm great, how about-" Her eyes squeezed shut again and she winced, stopping mid-stretch as her muscles cramped up. A groan slipped out and she went limp, smiling weakly as she kissed Avani back. Physically, she was just worn out and her body didn't hesitate to tell her so. "Trust me hun, I fell your pain. You know, I have these wonderful pain pills the doctor gave me." She laughed again and laid her head back on her pillow, looking over at Avani with a smile. The sheets of her bed were a tangled mess, and she assumed the rest of her apartment was as well. It wasn't like they had stayed in one place for three days. Eh, it could all be cleaned in due time. "So, how about after I learn how to move again I cook you a real breakfast? Not that canned crap I made us last time." Kasai smiled at the memory in the spirit world, when all she had to feed them was some government issued mystery meat from a can. Granted, it turned out to not be as bad as expected. Still, she had far better ingredients in her own kitchen and much better means to cook it with. Kasai sat up a little in bed and slowly tried to keep her body from rebelling at the notion of activity.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Kasai's laughs made her smile and feel warm on the inside. She wanted her to be happy, and she was glad she could be the source of some of her happiness. At the same time, Avani didn't like feeling that way about someone who might not feel the same way about her. "Oh? Is the officer offering me drugs?" Avani laughed and arched her eyebrows. "I thought that was a real crime, unlike seducing you." Avani was hungry though, no doubt, as she could not remember when she had eaten last. It had to have been a couple of times this weekend or she wouldn't have been able to perform like she had. "That sounds great, Kasai." Avani said. "I hope you can manage without your crutches if you can't find them. Sorry about kicking them about and what not." She shouldn't have done that in the first place. She wouldn't have had it occurred to her that she wouldn't be there to support Kasai because her body was numb. She had carried Kasai the first day whenever they wanted to move from the sofa to the shower to the bedroom to the whatever, and the other days she had at least let her support herself on her as they moved. Avani rolled over on her side, pulling one of the covers above her with the intention of taking a nap until Kasai had made them both breakfast. She felt a bit selfish at the action, as if she was intruding on Kasai's domain since it wasn't actually her bed or bedroom. What else was she supposed to do though? She had awakened Kasai so she could hardly leave without her noticing anymore. It would be dishonest to say she wasn't hungry, and it might be rude to turn down Kasai's offer for breakfast. "I guess I will pay for that dinner we were supposed to have in return, and I did walk out on you so while I didn't lose I kind of forfeited." Avani mumbled, smiled and pushed her head against the pillows. "I'm not all that confident in my cooking skills." She closed her eyes, and heard Kasai exit the room. Hopefully the woman would not fall or anything like that, Avani would do her best to come to her aid if she did, but she wasn't confident in her moving skills either at the moment.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "Yes, well, just remember that if you want to turn me in, I'm the one with the handcuffs." Kasai smiled again and chuckled at the joke. Though she was far from being a corrupted cop, she knew that some in the city were. Those were the types of officers whom she looked to overtake and fire if she ever got her way. Disrespecting what the badge stood for just didn't do for her. Unfortunately, most matters like that never made it all the way to Chief Beifong unless they were serious. Kasai winced a bit at Avani offering to pay for dinner, considering she walked out the other day. Technically, it was Kasai's fault she left in the first place, and the comment was like rubbing salt in a wound that she'd soon rather put past her. She lay there a moment more, garnering the strength to get up. Once she did, she cautiously stood and put weight down on her injured leg. Much to her relief, it didn't hurt any worse than the other. "Breakfast shall be served." Steadily, she made her way into the living room and scanned the floor for her crutches. Though she wasn't in any great pain, she didn't think it wise to go walking around on her leg any further than she had to. She found one lying on the other side of her living room and retrieved it, then made her way to the kitchen. From the fridge she pulled out everything she would need to make them a decent breakfast. The stove was already heating up a couple of pans, and Kasai got to chopping up the ingredients she laid out on her counter and started throwing them into their respective pans. A batter was whipped up, as well as several eggs. Kasai grabbed spices and herbs from a cabinet, but refrained from adding as much heat to the dishes as she normally would. Fire nation cuisine tended to be a little on the spicy side, and she didn't want to scorch Avani's palate right off the start. A few minutes later, the smell of her cooking filled the apartment. Kasai retrieved a couple plates and utensils, setting them before adding the food to the table. It wasn't a five star meal, but she had the ingredients to make eggs, sausage, fried dough, and tea. Kasai walked back to her bedroom and found Avani bound up in the sheets again. Smiling, she went over and kissed her head, waking her from her nap. "Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey Avani."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai laughed and followed Avani back to the table, where she took her seat and leaned her crutch against the wall nearby. She poured herself some tea and popped a pill out of the bottle that the doctor had given her, placing it on her tongue before washing it down the hatch. Kasai put the bottle back down on the table and motioned towards it while she swallowed. "Seriously though, if you need one of those go for it." A playful smile worked its way across her face again as she piled food onto her own plate and licked her lips in anticipation of a real meal. Eagerly, she began to eat. It didn't occur to her just how hungry she was until she took that first bite. Then, she had to control her table manners to keep from looking like a pig, as Avani so lovingly called the members of the police, as she ate. Kasai had brought her cup to her lips again and was taking a drink when Avani commented on her satisfaction of the weekends events and such. She nearly choked on the liquid and sat the cup back down on the table while she laughed and coughed at the same time. "Such lovely table conversations you have." Kasai gathered herself and cleared her throat before speaking again. "Well, I think it's safe to say that after this weekend I could definitely get used to cooking you breakfast." She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. She hadn't really thought about what would happen next, but considering all she had done to see Avani again those days ago and to keep her from going to prison Kasai figured they would be having that dinner after all. However, she did sit there for a moment in silence to think while she chewed. After what had happened the other day over a few shots, she had to make sure her feelings were in the right place to avoid a similar situation. It was true that she liked Avani, differently than she had liked any woman before. And it was also true that the past weekend was definitely an effective experience. Kasai came back to the way she had felt when Avani had walked out of her door, when she thought she wouldn't see her again. "Tell ya what. Give me a week to get out of this cast, that way I can keep up without these stupid things," she poked the crutch and made it fall over to the floor. "Then, I'd be more than happy to have dinner with you. So long as you don't mind being seen out with a cop." Kasai grabbed her tea and sipped on it again, wondering if Avani truly minded the fact that she was a police officer or if it was just a point for teasing with her.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "I aim to please." Avani grinned as Kasai choked on her tea and had to put it back down on the table. "Oh, could you now? Even though I've got the raunchiest topics at the table, huh, but maybe you're into that kind of thing to start the day with." Avani ate as Kasai went silent, which worried her a bit. What was she thinking? She tried to enjoy her meal rather than let her thoughts bother her too much. It didn't matter all that much if all they became were friends with benefits, but of course that would make Avani's feelings complicated at some point or another no matter what. "That sounds fine." She said. "I don't mind being out with you on a date as long as you're not actually wearing a uniform. Perhaps I should give you a couple of weeks though, so we could have that physical competition where I beat you up like you me wanted too." Avani laughed, then went back to finishing off her breakfast and tea. She was curious how Kasai would be if they didn't speak or see each other for that amount of time. Probably she would regret anything that may have happened between them, but she liked the thought that Kasai may be left longing for her. "I guess we better get a last quickie in, eh?" Avani smiled and moved over to Kasai, kissing and caressing her. --- Avani spent the following weeks taking it easy until her arm had healed, at which point she returned to work at the harbour. Her regular job was a simple and boring one, where she mostly helped moving cargo in one way or another. She had contacts that could provide her with jobs that would earn her quick cast though, if she needed or wanted it. Before the day that they had decided to go out on a date together, Avani did carry out one of these jobs so that she could take Kasai out to some fancy restaurant. It was simple enough, all she had to do was provide backup to some carrying out a robbery. She didn't get much closer than keeping an eye out for any cops and driving one of the getaway vehicles. The next day, she pulled up to Kasai's apartment during the afternoon and honked the horn on her motorcycle. She had brought the sidecar with her, in case Kasai would rather ride in it than sit behind Avani on the motorcycle. She figured she could detach it and leave it at Kasai's place if she wanted to ride behind her. "Afternoon, Lady Sergeant." Avani greeted Kasai when she came outside. "Ready to get your ass beat?" She laughed, but when looking Kasai over she had to wonder if the woman had dressed appropriately. "I thought it could be fun to spar some to build up an appetite, if you agree that is."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The first week Kasai spent bored in her apartment, meandering around and cleaning things that she had already cleaned three times by now. It wasn't particularly easy for her to mope around lazily for such extended periods of time, since she was used to such an active lifestyle. Soon enough though, the aching in her leg was quelled and she returned to the doctor. Lucky for her, the break was healed enough that the cast could be removed and she could walk without crutches. The doctor instructed her to ease back into vigorous activity though, to avoid re-injury. She listened to his instructions but by the time she was able to walk out of the doctor's office on her own two feet, she was already throwing a few kicks around with her leg. There was a slight soreness, but she figured it would have time to heal the following week. Kasai gladly returned to work, though when she arrived she was met with a written warning on her desk and instructions that prohibited her from field work for two weeks. Great, she always wanted to be a desk jockey. Her boredom continued as she shuffled papers and signed off on reports that landed on her desk. Each time a call came in she jumped up, ready to head out. But she was always met with a cold glare from her lieutenant, so she would sit back down. The day before she was supposed to go out with Avani she spent doing the same thing. The boring empty thoughts in her head were this time replaced with thoughts of Avani, the weekend they shared together and what would come next. Just before she clocked out she had to sign off on a robbery report, with two unidentified accomplices to the gang in question. Just another day as a pencil pusher, she signed off and handed it over to the investigating officers. The next day she woke and spent part of the morning stretching and loosening her muscles, remembering how Avani planned on having that bet like they talked about. It was weird to her, but she was excited to see Avani. Kasai took a shower and changed into some casual clothes, not knowing what the other woman may have planned, and then waited about. Soon enough she heard a horn honk outside of her apartment, and she looked out the window to see Avani on her motorcycle. Luckily, she wasn't dressed up either so Kasai grabbed her things and headed downstairs, greeting Avani with a smile. "Well, hey there hot stuff." She looked over the motorcycle and noticed the sidecar. "No need for that, I've got my legs back." She said with a smile, which soon turned to a smirk. "Oh, you think you can beat me huh? Big talk, let's hope you aren't all bark and no bite." Kasai waited for Avani to detach the cart before climbing on the motorcycle behind her, this time not worried about a helmet. "Off we go then, hope you're ready to lose that bet." Kasai said as she grinned and wrapped her arms around Avani's torso, holding on as they began to move.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "I thought you knew by now that I like to bite as well." She joked. "I'm a wild beast after all, not some pet." Avani climbed off the motorcycle to remove the sidecar, pulled it up next to Kasai's apartment and hoped that no one would steal it if she left it there. She could get it back if they did, but she had to wonder who would be brazen enough to steal from a cop to begin with. She got back on the motorcycle, waited for Kasai to grab onto something and pushed the gas pedal down hard when she had. She drove above the speed limit for a while, keeping to empty roads and streets, for fun and to scare Kasai, but she slowed down when she figured the woman might arrest her on the spot if she kept it up for too long. "Oops, pressed it down too hard." She laughed, feeling the wind running through her hair and stretching out. Unfortunately Kasai got most of it in her face as she was sitting behind her. Avani didn't think about it. She drove them towards the gym she usually went too. Not that she went to gyms often as she enjoyed exercising outside or at home more, but when it was bad weather she came here. It was located close to the harbour, in a district that probably saw more criminals than she'd like to admit. She may have reconsidered brining Kasai there if she had put some more thought into it, but as it was she knew the owner of the gym. She knew her because they had been close once, very close, hopefully the woman wouldn't be here today though. Avani parked outside the gym, waited for Kasai to get off the motorcycle and then got off herself. There weren't many vehicles around where she parked. Maybe business was bad or it was just one of those days. "I guess this is where you'll fight your superior then, Lady Sergeant. I hope you're not too bad a loser." Avani grinned. "I wouldn't want our date to turn sour because you can't handle losing." Maybe this had been a bad idea if one of them got angry at the other after they lost. Maybe she wouldn't have considered this a fun activity if she had taken that into account. Oh well, now they were here. Avani was genuinely curious if Kasai had any reason to be so cocky, or if she would defeat her like she expected too. "Let's go inside and get ready, yeah?" Avani smiled and locked the motorcycle. She headed inside, got changed in the locker room and stepped out into the gym before long. She headed over to the ring they used for sparring matches normally. She was wearing shorts and a top more fit for fighting now. It was easier to move in, throwing kicks and punches. The black leather of her jacket and pants was left in the changing rooms.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The week so far had gone by slowly, each day dragging on into the next. Kasai had returned to work at the PD, her probation was finally lifted and she was allowed to go back out on patrol instead of spending her days drowning in endless oceans of paperwork. Of course, this excited her. After she was allowed back on field duty the days seemed to move quicker, keeping up pace with her job. It had been nearly a week since Avani had taken her to that fancy restaurant, wine and dine in an exclusive manner. The next morning Kasai had woken up to a headache, courtesy of the wine. In her mind she had recalled the prior day's activities, and a blush fell upon her when she realized her slight intoxication may have influenced her actions in a risqué way. However, she couldn't help but smile at the fact. There was nothing to regret about it, in fact it was a rather fulfilling night. The only thing that seemed odd to her was what appeared to be an enormous amount of money that Avani had handed over as they left. It wasn't that she thought Avani didn't have the money, it just seemed to be a rather large amount to just be carrying around. More than Kasai herself could afford to spend on one night out. But in the end, she also attributed her interpretation of the amount of money to her drunken state. One thing she was keen on looking into was the mayor and checking in with local newspapers. Kasai hadn't had any plans to follow through with their little "blackmailing" idea, but when the Captain called her in earlier that week to ask if she would like to have a new partner assigned to her she changed her mind. 'I shouldn't have to have a new partner...' The loss still weighed heavily on her, and the least she could do is earn the fallen friends the recognition they deserve. Kasai intended on scoping out some of the local news businesses after work today, then discussing it further with Avani. For now, she sat alone on a bench down the block from a well-known gang hang out. She was on surveillance duty, this gang was under investigation for several heists and robberies, some where there were civilian injuries. The department feared they may be going for bigger targets, so Kasai was sent to observe if they were bringing in anything that would suggest it. The scene had remained fairly quiet, nothing too suspicious going on. Soon enough, her relief arrived and she stood from her seat. Shaking the other undercover officer's hand, she gave him a nod and then headed to her car that was parked a couple blocks away. All she had left for the day was to go back to the PD and file her surveillance report and then she was free to go, so off she went once she reached her car.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani had been in a good mood when she had exited the building that belonged to the gang she worked for every once in a while. It didn't last particularly long though, as she soon heard a siren and saw a police vehicle following her. They weren't close to the gang's hideout anymore, so hopefully she was just being pulled over because of some minor traffic violation. She didn't think she'd been going too fast or anything, but it wasn't like she kept track of every silly rule while driving. Avani slowed down and prepared to pull over at the first and best opportunity. She recognized who was sitting behind the wheel of the police vehicle when she turned her head to look. Kasai. It made her wonder if she should be glad or even more worried than normal now that she was being pulled over. Surely, the police couldn't know about the gang owning the building, right? But what if they did? Well, it wasn't like it was illegal to enter a building and talk with some friends. She could always straight up deny that she knew anything about their illegal activities. On the other hand, she didn't want to lie to Kasai. Honesty was always the best course of action in a relationship, but what if she thought less of her if she told the truth? Avani pulled over and stopped, having decided that she would try to play coy. It wouldn't be lying if she avoided the topic all together. Besides, Kasai was weak for her feminine charms, or so she hoped at least. She remained seated on her motorcycle until Kasai exited her own car, then Avani got off her motorcycle and walked over to Kasai with her hands raised in a mocking gesture. "Oh, hey babe." Avani said with a sly smile. "You gonna try to arrest me for seducing an officer again? Maybe you were in the mood for a quickie, must get boring working so much you don't have time for me." She made a motion to put one of her hands on Kasai's cheek and caress her, but it didn't seem like the other woman was all that amused or in the mood for something like that. She pulled her hand back to herself. while it was still a tiny distance from touching Kasai, before she was actually arrested for sexually harassing an officer. Avani bit her lower lip, and looked past Kasai at her vehicle. It was unlikely that she would take any more dumb chances with Avani after how it had gone last time, wasn't it. "I guess it would be too much to hope for that I've got a sexy stalker and this is nothing else?" Avani asked with a faked smile.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Avani was all jokes as usual, but Kasai's expression did not change from the cold stare and crossed arms that she had approached the car with. It wasn't a joking matter, this was something serious. Something Kasai couldn't even get her out of if she got too wrapped up in it. Hell, Avani was lucky that Kasai was the officer on post and not someone else who would report her as a gang member. "I should kick your ass right now." Kasai said, unfolding an arm to point a finger at Avani. She didn't know whether to be more mad or concerned about her. But what if Avani really was a gang member? Kasai did remember a few comments she had made about how she came about her money, but she had assumed those were also all jokes to pick at the fact that Kasai was a cop. If she really was in with the wrong crowd then Kasai couldn't ignore it... she might have to use those handcuffs for less pleasurable things this time. "What the hell was that? Waltzing in to one of the city's most powerful gangs like you belong there?" She was getting angry now, but she realized she needed to calm down before the situation got too heated. Kasai took a step back and sighed. "Avani, there are cops all over that place. We've been watching that gang's activity." Kasai hoped that Avani wasn't a part of whatever big scheme the group was conjuring up. But if she was... a light bulb went off in Kasai's head. If Avani was in pretty deep within the veins of the gang then the police department may offer to make her a deal if she reported as an inside man... "I need you to be honest with me and tell me exactly what's going on." Kasai didn't know if Avani would tell her the truth or not, especially considering her feelings towards law enforcement. However, if Kasai was going to keep her out of prison again then she needed to know what role Avani was playing with these people.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "Now, now babe. You already tried kicking my ass and you lost that fight, remember?" Avani smiled, feeling a bit nostalgic as Kasai's anger at her made her remember how their relationship had initially begun. "I wouldn't want to see you get hurt just cause you bit off more than you could chew. The only way you'd be able to kick my ass is if I didn't defend myself, and that's not gonna happen." "Oh, they must have grown more than I imagined if they're one of the most powerful gangs these days." She noticed that Kasai seemed angry, but that didn't persuade her to stop joking or provoking her. It was pretty hot actually. Now that she was this close to the woman she had dreamt about the last week it became difficult to ignore how vulnerable she was to her. Well, apparently Avani was the one weak to Kasai then, and not the other way around unfortunately. "I needed money to get out of my current work situation. It was nothing else." Avani moved close to Kasai when she said that cops had been watching the gang's hideout. "I like the thought of you watching me, babe." She said, in an attempt to change the subject to something else. "We could go somewhere else and do some more watching?" She winked in a very obvious way. "Uh, okay if you prefer me to be blunt about it…" Avani said, rubbed her neck and decided to play dumb. It wasn't like Kasai had specified what point in time she wanted her to be honest about. "I think we should forget about the other stuff, get out of here and have some fun naked together once more. Many times more." "I've really missed you." She said, put her hand on Kasai's shoulder and gazed into her eyes. She hadn't considered the negative effect such an action would have on her. Avani couldn't gaze into Kasai's eyes for particularly long without feeling bad about what she was trying to do. She sighed, and closed her eyes. It would be the best to come clean, wouldn't it? At least if the gang was going to be taken down soon by the police, Avani would have a contact within the police that might be willing to help her out. That is, as long as she was honest and dropped the act. Several minutes of silence passed before Avani did it though. "I already told you how I get some of my money." Avani said and opened her eyes. "I just do some small jobs for those people every now and then. It was going to be the final time I asked them for money, which is why I was held up longer than usual. They thought I was too useful, but I never wanted you to find out about it." Avani feared that Kasai would shun her because she was a criminal and never want anything to do with her in the same way again, so she did what criminals do. She stole a kiss from her, craving a final one before it truly ended.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai crossed her arms in front of her and made no effort to entertain Avani's playful demeanor. She wasn't in a particularly playful mood at the moment, considering the circumstances. However, she remained silent while Avani tried to dance around the subject and switch topics to distract her. Kasai bit the inside of her lip to keep from blabbering off something she would most likely regret. "Now is not the time for smooth talk, Avani." Kasai said, not blinking as she looked up to return the gaze. "If you think you miss me now, wait until they've had you locked up for a few years." And finally, the flood gates of truth opened up. Kasai wasn't really too surprised with what she heard, which was maybe the part that concerned her the most. Morally, it went against everything she stood for and believed in. But there was just something about this damn girl that made Kasai tolerate it. She did remember the teasing Avani did about how she got her money, and again with her hatred of law enforcement it did all add up correctly. The tidbit that did draw some attention was the fact that they wanted her to stick around. That was definitely a bad thing... or a potentially good one, if they were going to use her as an inside scout. It might be the only way to guarantee she doesn't go down with them. "I would've found out eventually, better now than when you're behind bars wondering if I can sweet talk my boss again." Before she could remark another smartass comment, she was cutoff by Avani's lips on her own. It took her a moment to register the action before she unfolded her arms and put a hand on Avani's shoulder. Kasai pulled away and sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just stuck in cop mode. This isn't a good situation, Avani. Even if you never go near those people again, they could still rat you out and take you down with them. Once the castle starts to crumble, they tend to pull everyone down with them." Kasai shrugged her shoulders. "I have an idea, but it'll require you to play nice with some people at the PD..." Kasai half-grinned, knowing that the idea was sure to raise a few hairs on the other woman. "But on the bright side, it keeps you from being arrested. All you have to do is agree to work as an inside-man and report the activity back to the department. Then you won't be charged with anything when the sting goes down."</s> <\|message\|>Mi Soo Avani stepped away from Kasai after she had spoken, gritted her teeth and felt anger building. She ran her hands through her long red hair, and stared up at the sky. "Fuck." She said, then mouthed it repeatedly while keeping the same position. There was no good option here, despite Kasai's claims that she would go free if she worked as a rat. Free to die. She wasn't sure whether to feel grateful or pissed at Kasai. She didn't like her attitude one bit though. Oh, you'll miss me so much after you've been in prison for years. I don't care to confess missing you though. Bitch, I would have found someone new in prison. On the other hand, she was offering her a way out which probably meant she cared some. However, it could just be a way for her to brag to her superiors, and earn a promotion too. Avani calmed down faster than usual. She mostly had herself to blame for this situation, and if Kasai wanted to use her to further her own goals… Well, two could play at that game. She shouldn't have expected anything less from a cop, because letting her go and pretending like she hadn't seen her was clearly too much to ask. No, it wasn't a good situation, but she doubted it was as hopeless as she made it sound. Even if they did rat her out, was that all it would take to put Avani in prison? There was no proof that she knew of. Furthermore, if the gang found out that she had ratted them out they would come after her sooner or later. In that case it would be a choice between prison and death. Somehow, the former seemed preferable. "That sounds like a great idea for you to earn a raise or promotion." She said with resentment. "Since all you care about is yourself. You think they're gonna let me live when they find out I was the rat!? I imagine it's gonna look pretty bad if the pigs were to find out that you've been intimate with someone you knew was a criminal. It might look particularly bad if someone testified that you were on the gang's payroll too, huh?" She felt petty for threatening to lie to get Kasai convicted with her. It was a pitiful attempt to reclaim some power over the situation. She couldn't know how well it would work. Maybe it would genuinely make Kasai worry for her own hide. The woman had even gone so far as to get her out of prison at one point, and that would probably look worse in light of the current situation. "Perhaps I should try my luck with the gang instead of you. At least they got me work when I needed it, and they acted like friends. All you ever tried to do was fuck me over." Her emotions were running high, and she said things she would likely regret at a later point in time. Avani was afraid of either option presented to her, but she would never admit it. It felt like no one was on her side.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai clenched her jaw and grit her teeth behind her stony expression. Was it so hard to believe that she wanted to help? After all, that's what police officers are supposed to do. Protect and serve? The whole Oath of Honor thing? Apparently all Kasai was good for was looking out for herself, or at least that's what Avani seemed to think. And furthermore, how was Kasai the bad guy here for doing her job? It wasn't her fault that Avani was working for a gang of criminals. All she was trying to do was keep the situation from escalating. It wasn't uncommon for gang's to clean house when things start to go awry, that's why gang busts were usually so large and tedious. Kasai was trying to cover the bases just to stay safe. One thing was for sure though, she wasn't going to be bullied for trying to help. "Do you really think threatening me is going to do anything? Go for it." Kasai tried to keep her voice even and calm, even though she was getting frustrated underneath it all. She couldn't keep her voice from raising an octave in volume, though. "If all you can do is find ways to threaten me then you need to get your priorities straight." It was getting under her skin, but not because she was actually scared of the consequences of an accusation. She was mostly tired of Avani's bipolar attitude, and how easily she seemed to want to attack Kasai over something that wasn't even her fault. But, if she didn't want to take the help that was being offered to her, then so be it. "For fuck's sake, if I'm that terrible to you then by all means go see what your 'friends' have to offer you." She threw her hands up in the air in a gesture. "But remember who tried to help you first, you were just too stubborn to listen to someone who actually cares." Kasai wasn't going to stick around for any more verbal abuse, it wasn't her head that was on the chopping block after all. Maybe Avani needed some tough love to get her emotions in order. Or that could make it worse, who knew.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai had full intentions of getting in her car and driving off to leave Avani to whatever fate she chose for herself. She could only try up to a point, and she knew when it was time to give up and let the other person fend for themselves. It would probably be a bit hard to explain where her suspect is when she shows up empty handed at the PD. Kasai would have to think of something to cover her ass, probably tell them the suspect got away on a motorcycle, which was part of the truth. Truth was, Kasai didn't feel like being continually griped at all the way to booking, even if she really should take Avani in. If she did, she would just be a traitor and the bad guy yet again, so instead she found that it was not worth her time. Kasai was worried for Avani, though. Either way she could be in jeopardy, and Kasai didn't want that to be her fault too. When she didn't hear the sound of Avani's motorcycle starting up immediately after she walked away, she considered turning around. Kasai had thought that after that little scuffle she would not hesitate to take off and get as far away as possible. But then again, Avani seemed to do the opposite of what would be thought when least expected. Kasai put a hand up to wave off Avani's mumbling, taking it for mockery before she reached to get in her car. However, when she looked up, she saw Avani standing between her and her car. She was surprised to hear Avani apologizing, but she kept her face expressionless. Kasai sighed and looked down, staring at her feet for a moment before she looked back up at Avani. "I'm sorry too," she frowned. "I didn't mean to be pushy, I just don't want you to come out on the wrong end of this. And of course, I think my way is better. But that doesn't mean I should force it on you." She did raise an eyebrow at the suggestion that Avani made about arresting her. "You... want me to detain you?" She stared at her for a few more confused seconds, and then shrugged her shoulders after she thought about it. "I mean, only if you're sure." Kasai felt bad about it now, even though she still thought it was the safest bet. "Let's find somewhere safer to park your bike first." Kasai followed behind until the motorcycle was parked safely and then got out of the car. "Well, let's do this the easiest way possible. I'm detaining you for questioning, not arresting you. So no cuffs necessary, so long as you play nice." She smiled lightly and then got back in her car. After Avani got in with her, she pulled off and headed for the department, hoping everything would work out as smoothly as possible.</s> <\|message\|>Mi Soo She smiled as Kasai explained her reasoning to her, and kept herself from lashing out again just because she had said her way was best. There was no good option here as far as she could tell, but she'd rather not argue about it to the point that they truly went separate ways. "If it'll keep you out of trouble then I'm sure. Maybe I'll be able to sneak away afterwards." She doubted it would be a possibility though. "My bike? Fair enough, don't want to get a ticket on top of everything else…" Avani returned to her bike to move it to a better parking spot. She could hear Kasai following behind her in the police vehicle. The thought to speed up and leave her crossed her mind, but she shrugged it off. There was no point, even if she might be able to lose a larger vehicle in narrow back alleys. It didn't take long for her to find a good place to park it, she knew the city well. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!" Avani exclaimed disappointedly when Kasai told her they were doing it the easy way, and no cuffs were necessary. "You know you can put those on me whenever you want too. There's no need to care about necessity or anything." She got in the car together with Kasai without raising anymore objections. Better to just get it over with than drag it out. She scooted closer to Kasai as the car began to move, and laid her arm behind the other woman, on top of the large singular seat. "I was serious about the quickie, babe." Avani whispered into Kasai's ear. "In case you needed to unwind after a hard day at work, even if the day isn't over yet. I'm not gonna run away." Avani laid her head on the woman's shoulder, and pressed her nose against her neck to take in her smell. It was familiar enough after their weekend and days together. She'd missed it. Well, she'd missed everything about Kasai really. The smell allowed her to close her eyes and imagine they were somewhere else entirely though. On a tropical beach, or in a shared bed after a wild night. She begun to hum a tune she'd heard somewhere, while keeping her arm around Kasai and her head on her shoulder. It was best if she didn't try anything too bold, lest Kasai crash the car because of it. Second time she was being taken to the police station when previously she had avoided the attention of the pigs for the most part. It was easy to see whose influence was causing these frequent visits to the pigsty, but maybe it was a bad good influence on her. Perhaps it would set her down a better path if she survived the ordeals.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai rolled her eyes and smirked at Avani's whining. Well, she didn't expect anything less than the usual from her. At least now it wasn't the hard-headed part that she was experiencing. She put the car in drive and headed down the street. "Don't tempt me, you know I'm capable of using these well." Kasai patted the cuffs on her hip and grinned before grabbing the radio on her car dash. "Dispatch, this is Sergeant Inoshi, coming in now with a 10-15 en route." Kasai put the radio down and returned her attention to driving. "Oh, I'm not worried about you running away." Kasai teased, but didn't comment further on the offer until she felt Avani breathing on her neck. She had to clench her jaw as a wave of goosebumps tingled down her spine. She swallowed the lump in her throat and played it cool, even though the small gesture was unnerving. No, she couldn't just pull off into some alley. Afterall, she had already called in to the PD and they'd expect her soon. Although... the definition of a "quickie" was in and of itself a brief excursion. It had been a rough week, with the long days spent working and after hours occupied with hunting down a reporter to talk to. Kasai was stressed out, and to be honest she had missed Avani, regardless of the scuffle earlier. Kasai kept her eyes on the road ahead, even as Avani hummed into her shoulder. It didn't take long before she groaned in frustration. Kasai pulled the car over at the next alley and put it in park before turning to the woman next to her. "Okay, so maybe I have had a stressful week... and maybe I've kinda missed you." She paused to plant her lips onto Avani's for a moment before pulling back. "But... we have more important things to attend to. I don't have a 'get out of jail free' card just sitting in my pocket." She frowned before sighing and putting the car in reverse to get back on the street. "I promise I will do what I can to help though." They continued on and soon reached the police station, where Kasai escorted Avani inside. "They usually don't let the detaining officer do the questioning... to make sure both sides of the story are heard. But I'll be right outside of the questioning room. Trust me when I say that the truth is better than lying." She waited for the interviewing detective to arrive and left to write up her detention report. Hopefully when Kasai left work at the end of the day, Avani would be leaving with her.</s> <\|message\|>Mi Soo Avani smiled into Kasai's kiss and closed her eyes, moving her hands to pull off her own jacket, but before she had a chance to do so the moment was over. She frowned and moved away from Kasai, seating herself at the other end of the seat. "I think you misunderstood the concept of a quickie." She snorted. "I guess you'd prefer it if I was nowhere near you either then, as they might see it when we arrive." She didn't say anything more, even though Kasai did and it was tempting to respond with more snark. It wouldn't lead to anything else than a temporary satisfaction. As much as she may want to lash out, her words would achieve nothing. It had dawned on her. If she truly wanted to get what she wanted she had to play it all a different way, and by being patient. At the moment, that just meant she had to soldier through this bullshit. Avani listened to Kasai's final advice as she was lead inside, and nodded. Soon she found herself in another interview room, similar to the one she had been in a couple of weeks ago. As she waited she began to hum again, and look around the room. There was nothing noteworthy inside. Actually, it was devoid of anything else than chairs and a table. Once the detective that was going to interview her arrived, she answered her questions truthfully, albeit with a large amount of sarcasm and flirtation. Where were you on this or that date? Where was I? No, where were you, sugar? Maybe it would make Kasai reconsider that quickie if she was outside like she had said she would be, but really she had a better excuse to do it. As dumb as she thought the pigs were, she didn't imagine they had all forgotten about her apparent relationship with Kasai. If she flirted with another woman within their ranks like it was nothing, it should give Kasai more deniability. She found it amusing too. It would likely be the one time she could flirt so obviously with someone else in front of her current love interest. No, babe, I totally did it for you. Now you can deny there was anything special between us. It was just a slight misstep on your part, tell them you've always wanted to experiment and I was too hot to pass up. Especially that last part. The detective was less than amused by her behaviour though, but as she did tell the truth eventually when pushed there wasn't much she could do about it. The interview took much longer than it might have if she had been more willing to cooperate. Avani was not threatened by the detective when she told her she would make sure she got what was coming to her if she didn't start answering her questions properly. What do you mean? I'm telling you everything I know. My attitude? Sorry, your body is distracting. She was left alone in the interview room when the detective exited, left to wonder what would happen next.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai stood outside of the interrogation room with her arms crossed as she listened to the interview. One of her bosses walked up and stood beside her, watching as well. "So, what brings this one in today?" The silver-haired man asked as he peered through the one way glass to watch the detective and Avani. Kasai shifted on her feet before replying, not bothering to look at him when she did. "Been monitoring the Shozin hangout for weeks now, first new face to show up in all that time. Thought she might have some useful information for us from the inside, since we can't get any of the undercovers to get in with them." The older man nodded and said nothing else, walking off before the end of the interview. Kasai stayed where she stood, shaking her head as she listened to Avani's remarks to the detective. Spite is an interesting thing. Still, Kasai figured Avani would get over it eventually. Despite her attitude, Avani seemed to be telling the detective the truth when she finally got down to answering the questions presented to her. So far, so good. The interview ended and the detective walked out of the room holding her notepad. Kasai fell into stride next to her, pointing back towards the room Avani was in. "So? What do we have?" The woman scoffed, "Other than a pervert? Nothing. There is no evidence to hold her with anything, even though its obvious she is an associate of the gang. We'll have to wait until we bring the gang down to actually charge her with anything." And with that, the woman turned and walked down the hallway. Kasai stood there for a moment to process the information. Okay... so Avani wasn't being charged with anything. That's good. But now she's been interviewed and identified as part of the gang, so when they go down, she'll unfortunately be hunted down with them. Damn. Well, shit. Think, Kasai, think... She promptly turned on her heel and headed for her Captain's office. After several minutes of explaining and convincing, she left with a smirk on her face and headed for the interrogation room. Walking in, she closed the door behind her. "The RCPD has no evidence to charge with, let alone hold you with, anything. Therefore, you are free to go. However, we do have an offer for you. Your first option is to leave here and continue about your life as you have. Or, you can report to us an an informant. If you bring us inside information from the Shozin gang, we will pay you for the intel and also waive any charges that may come in association with the gang." Kasai shrugged her shoulders and held her hands out, moving them like a balance to see which choice Avani would make. In the end, Kasai would respect whichever decision she made, especially considering she pretty much forced her to come in to the station. "Oh, and we can also provide protection for you during the trial if and when we bring the gang down. You'll have me as a body guard."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai stood outside of the interrogation room with her arms crossed as she listened to the interview. One of her bosses walked up and stood beside her, watching as well. "So, what brings this one in today?" The silver-haired man asked as he peered through the one way glass to watch the detective and Avani. Kasai shifted on her feet before replying, not bothering to look at him when she did. "Been monitoring the Shozin hangout for weeks now, first new face to show up in all that time. Thought she might have some useful information for us from the inside, since we can't get any of the undercovers to get in with them." The older man nodded and said nothing else, walking off before the end of the interview. Kasai stayed where she stood, shaking her head as she listened to Avani's remarks to the detective. Spite is an interesting thing. Still, Kasai figured Avani would get over it eventually. Despite her attitude, Avani seemed to be telling the detective the truth when she finally got down to answering the questions presented to her. So far, so good. The interview ended and the detective walked out of the room holding her notepad. Kasai fell into stride next to her, pointing back towards the room Avani was in. "So? What do we have?" The woman scoffed, "Other than a pervert? Nothing. There is no evidence to hold her with anything, even though its obvious she is an associate of the gang. We'll have to wait until we bring the gang down to actually charge her with anything." And with that, the woman turned and walked down the hallway. Kasai stood there for a moment to process the information. Okay... so Avani wasn't being charged with anything. That's good. But now she's been interviewed and identified as part of the gang, so when they go down, she'll unfortunately be hunted down with them. Damn. Well, shit. Think, Kasai, think... She promptly turned on her heel and headed for her Captain's office. After several minutes of explaining and convincing, she left with a smirk on her face and headed for the interrogation room. Walking in, she closed the door behind her. "The RCPD has no evidence to charge with, let alone hold you with, anything. Therefore, you are free to go. However, we do have an offer for you. Your first option is to leave here and continue about your life as you have. Or, you can report to us an an informant. If you bring us inside information from the Shozin gang, we will pay you for the intel and also waive any charges that may come in association with the gang." Kasai shrugged her shoulders and held her hands out, moving them like a balance to see which choice Avani would make. In the end, Kasai would respect whichever decision she made, especially considering she pretty much forced her to come in to the station. "Oh, and we can also provide protection for you during the trial if and when we bring the gang down. You'll have me as a body guard."</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani was leaned back in her chair with her hands behind her head, and her feet up on the table, when Kasai walked in. She opened one eye briefly to confirm it was Kasai, then closed it again. "Hope you didn't have to see too much of that." Avani said. "I figured I'd take advantage of the fact she was female. I imagine there's still some who remembers the two of us. Now it'll seem like you're nothing special to me." She smiled, and let Kasai do the talking she had clearly come to do. She did interrupt her at one point by laughing though. It wasn't intentional. It was just difficult to suppress. Avani had told the pigs as much as she could without going into needless details, and they had found her at the gang's hideout, but they still didn't have anything to charge her with? That was true police competence for you. She should have tried getting away with murder or something. As long as it wasn't one of their own that got killed, clearly they weren't able to do anything. "I wouldn't leave here and go back to my old life thinking I would be left alone. I'd probably be out of the city before sundown." She answered when Kasai had stopped talking. "I'm not comfortable with being a snitch either, especially not after today. I told them I was leaving after a final job, and they'd probably find it suspicious if I became more active than I've ever been before after saying that." However, it would be a shame to give up the chance at getting double pay checks for a short time. The whole reason she was in here right now was because she needed money, and she still did. If she worked for both the police and the gang she would be able to earn quite a bit she imagined. They'd even waive any charges that may come with working for the gang? Maybe she should try to commit a murder in if she got a chance, didn't sound like there would be any better time to do it. "How much money would they pay?" She asked after considering it for a while. "I guess it would be best if I moved in with you then too, huh… Can't be too far apart if you're gonna be my bodyguard, right?" Avani meant to push herself away from the table and put her feet back on the floor, but miscalculated the motion and ended up on her back on the floor. She quickly jumped back up on her feet and shrugged it off, then strode over to Kasai and placed herself in front of her. So close that their bodies grazed each other. "I'd be taking the gang's money too, you know." She whispered, hoping that no one else could hear. "You'd think I'd be more eager to do this than I am then, but even if having you nearby to guard my body could be nice I would still be putting my life at risk. Not just at the time of the trial, but during any jobs I would do to get more information." Avani grinned. "It's dumb and reckless, but maybe I'm too fond of things around here to flee at first chance. Then again, dumb and reckless is certainly up my alley..."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai managed to ignore Avani's sudden laughing and finish her spiel. She already knew that what she was proposing sounded preposterous to Avani, so there was no need to address her outburst. Kasai finished with her offer and waited for Avani to laugh in her face and walk out of the station, but she was pleasantly surprised when her reaction was a little more tame than expected. "You're more than welcome to leave here and skip town, I'm just offering you another way out." Kasai hoped that Avani would think on it a little more before shutting it down completely. It would provide her with the money she apparently needed and she wouldn't have to pack up and move her life from Republic City. "But I hope you'll consider it." When Avani asked about the pay, Kasai perked up a little. "Well, it's not enough to buy a big shiny mansion. But, it is a healthy sum. The department understands the risks associated with what you're doing. It'll come out to about twice what you would get from the gang if you hold up your end of the deal." She hoped that would be enough to convince her, but if not then at least she could say she tried. "I'll even share my bed if you feel more safe at my place." Now it was Kasai's turn to have a laughing fit, unable to contain it as she saw Avani tip over and land on the ground. She shut up real quick though when Avani made her way over. "Well, I'd expect nothing less." Kasai returned the grin with a smirk of her own. "If nothing else, you could get a thrill from it, no? It's sure to keep the adrenaline pumping." Maybe the danger of it all was enough to attract Avani to it, who knew? Kasai held the short distance between them a moment more before turning to open the door for Avani. "If you'd like your chance to do this dumb and reckless thing then we have some paperwork to fill out before we leave." Kasai led Avani over to her desk where she already had the papers laid out. "Alright, feel free to read it all. But long story short, these papers serve as the agreement between you and the department. Your protection details as well as payment details are laid out. You can agree to these terms and sign the papers, then we can be on our way out of here." Kasai waited to see if Avani would follow through completely and sign the papers or not. She knew it was a lot to ask and expect, but she hoped that this option sounded more compelling than the others she had at her disposal. If Avani agreed, it meant that Kasai's job would be taking on a different nature than it normally did. Instead of surveillance, she would move to security and protection detail. Essentially, she would still be surveilling the gang house, but now it would be to keep an eye on Avani. On paper, that made her job easier. But she had a feeling that it wouldn't be as easy as it seemed.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani would very much like to share Kasai's bed, and more, but not because it might make her feel safer. That would be a benefit she could bring up at any point if Kasai went back on the offer though. She followed Kasai out of the interrigation room to her desk, only glancing down at her behind once. She nodded at Kasai, eager to get out of there, especially when she kept saying that they would leave together. Had she finished working for the day then? Would she finally relax and stop being such a stuck up police officer? She hoped Kasai wouldn't be too tense during her new assignment as bodyguard for Avani. That would get very tiresome fast. She supposed she was a bit of a thrillseeker, but she had never deliberately put herself in a situation such as this before. If she was found out during the job, she would likely get killed and her body would be dumped in the sea. The closest thing she'd done before was probably the mission to the spiritworld, but then she hadn't expected to end up in the danger they had found themselves in. This time she knew the danger. Avani sat down and picked up the papers, skimmed through them and pretended to read everything. The pay was pretty good like Kasai had promised, but combined with the money she got from the gang it was more than anything she had ever made before. There were some other police in the large room at their own desks.She glanced at Kasai from behind the papers with a playful grin, the expression she usually got when she had thought of a new way to play a prank on someone. "Um, miss… This paragraph here seems oddly personal." Avani pulled the papers away from Kasai's reach, and begun to read out loud for the room to hear what she pretended was written in the papers, but she really made up on the spot. "During Kasai Inoshi's work as a bodyguard for Avani Shailesh, she is allowed certain means of pleasure and relaxation. Miss Shailesh will be required to provide these whenever Officer Inoshi orders her too. She is to submit to her will and desires without delay. These will likely be of a sexual nature as Officer Inoshi is known to be insatiable when she has her hands on an attractive babe." "Oh my…" Avani said and feigned blushing. "I don't know what to say officer. I've never done such things with another woman before. I thought you were supposed to be my bodyguard and that was it? Does your superior know you added this paragraph to the contract?" As most in the room had focused their attention on the two of them and Kasai in particular, Avani had to sign the papers quickly and as discrete as possible. She then stood up and acted flustered. "Gee miss, I'm sorry. I think I need some fresh air before I decide on this, if that paragraph is going to be in the contract." Avani turned her back on Kasai and strode towards the exit. She needed to get away before she burst out laughing. Once outside, she stopped next to the door and let the laughter flow freely. She had to lean herself against the wall to keep standing, and her stomach begun to hurt before long. When Kasai caught up with her she sighed and tried to control herself, but the occasional giggle escaped.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai was twiddling her thumbs waiting for Avani to sign the papers so that they could leave when she looked up to see Avani donning a mischievous expression. Immediately she knew something was up, especially when Avani suddenly acquired manners and began using pleasantries. Arching her eyebrow in suspicion, she waited and listened to what Avani was beginning to say. It didn't take long before she was reaching across her desk to swipe at the papers that were just out of her reach. Quickly, she backed her chair up and attempted to run around her desk to silence Avani. Unfortunately, her desk had other plans for her. Kasai's foot caught the leg of the wooden frame and down she went, tumbling to the floor. If there was a pair of eyes in the room that wasn't already aimed her direction, they were now. In a fraction of a second, the laser-beam glare that she had given Avani what seemed so long ago now in the spirit world was back. She clumsily and embarrassingly fumbled around on the floor before finally finding her feet beneath her to stand up. By the time she made it back to an upright position, she could see Avani high-tailing it out of the squad room and downstairs. Kasai looked at the papers on her desk, seeing they were signed. Everyone in the vicinity was still staring at her, some laughing and others with their mouths agape. Kasai laughed nervously and quickly filed the papers away on her desk. "Heh... criminals. Who can trust em, right?" The nervous laughter continued as she slowly backed towards the exit. "Nope, can't trust a one. Nuh-uh. Always making stuff up and whatnot." She was almost to the door now, just a few more feet to sweet freedom. "Oh, hey Jai, is that a new badge? Very nice." She reached for the door and flew out as quickly as humanly possible. Outside, she found Avani busting up, as she had predicted. She imagined her face was still as red as the fire nation's crest, but she at least was away from the staring beady eyes now. "You think you're soooooo funny." She said between bursts of laughter from Avani. "Well, I'll have you know that it doesn't affect me in any way. Nope. And I meant to trip..." Kasai bit her bottom lip and urged the knot in her gut to go away. Usually she wasn't easily embarrassed, but being bombarded in front of all of her coworkers... yep, that'll do it. She thought about how to turn it around on Avani, but found no such plan. In the end, she turned quickly towards Avani, making sure there was no one else coming out of the station first, and pushed her up against the wall of the building. Her body pressed against the other woman's and she narrowed her eyes to her. "It might have been all in good fun, but secretly you wish your words were actually a part of this little contract we have. Don't you? Wouldn't that be fun?" Kasai grinned this time and hovered closer to Avani to whisper. "Well, we don't need it in writing to make it happen." Kasai lingered for a few seconds more, her lips brushing Avani's cheek before she pulled completely away and retrieved her keys from her pocket, acting like nothing had happened. "Well, come on then. We need to go get your bike." She said, heading towards her car and not looking back to see if Avani was following or not. She waited in her car and then pulled away, driving towards the area where they had left the motorcycle. "I can follow you to your place if you want to grab some stuff and bring it over to my apartment. You're under my watch, after all."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai followed behind Avani, making their way down the streets to her apartment. Once she parked her car, she got out and shut the door behind her at Avani's request. Well, if she was supposed to be her body guard then she might as well accompany her inside. Wouldn't want any bad guys popping out from around a corner after all, though Kasai was more than certain that Avani could take care of herself in such a situation. She followed in step behind Avani as they made their way into the apartment. "Bit paranoid, are we?" Kasai said, taking note of how Avani locked the door behind them. The apartment was a bit disorganized and disheveled, but Avani didn't really scream "clean freak" either so it was fitting. Some people were able to make more sense of a mess than a perfectly clean home. Kasai took a seat in the chair that was offered to her and waited for Avani to gather her things so that they could head out. "Oh, go ahead." Kasai answered, figuring the change would be no big deal and take just a few moments. She wasn't so surprised that Avani chose to undress in front of her, but what did shock her was how the simple action took a seductive tone. She should have known better than to think that her little stunt outside the station would go by without any consequences. Of course she would have to pay for it later, not that it was such a bad thing. It did render her speechless momentarily, however, when she had nowhere else to look than at her current lover barely dressed in front of her. Words could be heard coming from Avani's mouth, but after she had stradled across Kasai's lap, she had tuned out. It seemed like so long since she'd seen Avani, and for once in the past week she was able to focus on something other than the stresses of work. Which was actually the trick, because this was her job for now. "Uh... w-what?" She blinked a few times and shook her head. "Oh, uh, something to drink maybe? Yeah, something to drink." She said before swallowing hard, feeling the desert that her mouth had become. It didn't take long for her to realize a couple things. One: she sounded like a babbling idiot, and Two: she wasn't going to be getting that drink anytime soon. Shifting in her seat, she bit her lip and looked Avani up and down as she regained her composure. "On second thought, I think I'll take the house special." She said after finally managing a smile through her nervous fit. "So about our little agreement..." Kasai said after relaxing in her seat and placing a hand on Avani's side. "I am supposed to be your body guard. And that means I can't let you out of my sight." Her other hand found Avani's other side and she pulled her further into her lap. "Are those terms you can agree to?" Kasai asked before leaning forward to gently kiss Avani's collarbone. "Or is there some negotiating you want to do?" She said between nibbling on Avani's neck.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani felt all fuzzy inside as Kasai just stared at her body. It was a great feeling to have the person she desired silenced because she had undressed in front of her. She donned a warm smile when Kasai asked for something to drink, so predictable yet lovely. Her apparent nervousness was so cute too, as if she hadn't seen Avani in her underwear or naked before. She almost got up to get Kasai something to drink just because of how her reaction had made her feel, but she was stopped by a different request for the "house special". "I hope you've got plenty of time then, miss." She ran a hand through Kasai's hair and twirled it in her fingers. "The special will take a while." Avani grinned as Kasai put her hands on her hips and pulled her further towards her. "Oh very much so. I hope you're not afraid of using your hands or getting them dirty though." She said and shivered when Kasai kissed her skin. "But it doesn't seem like it. I'm tempted to wear nothing but underwear at your place if this is going to be your reaction." She gasped when Kasai began to nibble on her neck. "Mhm…" ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A couple of hours later she kissed Kasai a final time before rolling out of bed to get dressed. She put on a green shirt and another pair of pants, then actually got a few boxes out of a closet and began to put clothes into them. She had taken the boxes from her work at the harbor, but now she wondered if she would be returning there anytime soon. If she had a say in it she wouldn't, and with the money she'd be making for a while she wouldn't have too either. It bothered her a bit that she couldn't really tell them that she was quitting, because Kasai would come with her and she didn't want her too. Once she had packed enough clothes and some other stuff in the boxes, she turned to Kasai still in her bed. "I'm ready to go, babe." She said and pulled the covers off of the other woman, and to her pleasant surprise she was clearly not as ready. Avani let out a cat call whistle. "Maybe you could have put more clothes on while I was packing, instead of relaxing in my bed. Did you have a tough day at work?" She laughed, figuring she'd probably contributed to it. "Anyway, I'll carry some of these down and then you can throw the rest out the window to me. Lock the door when you leave." Avani picked up two of her boxes, and left her apartment. She put them in Kasai's car, went to the window of her apartment and caught the last boxes that was thrown out to put them in the car as well. It wasn't like she had anything easy to break or too heavy in them. It was faster this way. She waited at her motorcycle for Kasai, hoping that she would remember to lock the door when she exited the apartment. She didn't have to wait too long, and soon they were driving to Kasai's apartment. Avani was not going to leave her motorcycle at her own place when she didn't know how long she'd be gone. It was her most valuable possession.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai laid in the bed with her eyes closed after Avani had gotten up. She hadn't had many opportunities to relax or alleviate any stress in the last week, so she took advantage of the situation and stayed put while she listened to Avani shuffle around her apartment. A groan escaped her when Avani returned and said she was ready to go. "Back to work already... Okay okay, I'm up." She sat up in the bed and nodded when Avani told her to throw the other boxes down to her. Supposing she should put on her clothes, she got up and got dressed before grabbing the other boxes and walking to the window. When she opened it and looked down, she found Avani waiting at the bottom. "Heads up." Kasai tossed the other boxes down the side of the building and then closed the window. Kasai glanced around to make sure she didn't forget any clothing items than might have gotten strewed across Avani's apartment during their little break. Finding nothing, she turned to head towards the door after grabbing her keys. Kasai locked the door behind her and headed down to her car. She got in and pulled out in front of Avani, leading them down the road towards her own apartment. The trip didn't take all that long, but it was long enough to enjoy the drive. When they arrived, Kasai grabbed a couple boxes from the back of the car and waited for Avani to park her motorcycle and grab the rest. Heading up the stairs, Kasai unlocked her door and then closed it behind them. "Welcome to your temporary home. Make yourself comfortable," Kasai sat the boxes she was carrying down in the floor and then went to put her own stuff down. "My turn to change, work clothes aren't the most comfortable." Kasai shrugged her shoulders and then went to her room, setting her cuffs, badge, and keys down on her nightstand before finding a t-shirt and some more comfortable pants to change in to. Walking back out to the living room she pointed back at her room. "You can put your clothes in the closet if you like, there should be plenty of room in there." Kasai walked towards the kitchen and started a pot for tea, then found her favorite spot on her couch to plop onto. She only allowed herself a few seconds of pure relaxation before she sat up a bit and looked at Avani. "So... back to business as usual. If we're gonna keep you out of jail then you've got to bring some pretty good dirt back to the department. When is the next time you are supposed to meet with the gang?" Kasai had to think about what would be the best way to keep protection detail on her without blowing either of their covers, for that could end badly for both of them.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "Temporary, huh?" Avani smirked. "You felt the need to point that out, I see, and here I was thinking we had something special so you might ask me to move in for real one day." Kasai had left the room as Avani mumbled to herself though. She shouldn't put too much meaning behind what Kasai had said, maybe she planned on getting a bigger apartment if she ever found someone she wanted to live with. Maybe Avani would have moved on by then. She put the boxes down for a moment and considered sneaking a peek on Kasai changing clothes, but took a seat instead and relaxed. There was no need to be all-over her girlfriend constantly, and if she was too needy while they lived together Kasai might reconsider their relationship. There would be plenty of time to screw Kasai, but she would want to find a balance between being herself and allowing them both to have some alone time every now and then. When Kasai returned and told Avani that she could put her clothes in her closet, she jumped back up on her feet with a smile and that fuzzy feeling inside. Kasai let her put her stuff with her own! That was some kind of progress, right? Avani began to move the boxes into the closet, but it didn't take long before Kasai brought up work again. "Calm down, babe. Let me put my boxes in your closet first." Avani said. She picked the final box up and put it with the others. She left them unopened for the moment, as she'd already done enough packing and moving for the day without adding the chore of unpacking. Besides, if she wanted Kasai to chill she better answer her question sooner rather than later. Avani returned to the living room, and laid down on the couch with her head in Kasai's lap. "I love this view." She said, caressed Kasai's cheek and laughed. The woman's bosom was just above her face, and behind those hills lay Kasai's sweet face. "Anyway, they just want me to help with preparations tomorrow for some big score. I'll do some minor task in comparison and get paid." She smiled and let her fingers move from Kasai's cheek to touch her lips. "Obviously though, I will have to get on the team again for the big score. I did tell them I'd leave, but it's not the first time..." Avani sighed and removed her hand from Kasai's face, then turned her head away from her while keeping it in her lap. "It's the first time I had any real motivation though, but she caught me red-handed and here we are."</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "I wish I could calm down but alas, this is the life I live." Kasai sighed and rested her hand on Avani's arm, gently massaging as she thought. It shouldn't be too hard for Avani to get back in the ranks with the group, especially if they had such a history together. The last thing Kasai wanted to do though was jeopardize her safety. It wasn't a question of if she could handle herself, it was just a situation that Kasai preferred be entirely avoided. "Real motivation, huh? I'll mark that down as a win in my book." Looking down at Avani, Kasai frowned. "Hey, don't worry. We can get this all figured out. It's never too late." Kasai smirked, "Who knows, if you do pretty well hiding your cover with the gang then you might even be good enough to become a spy." Kasai laughed. Trying to lighten the mood around the conversation seemed to help ease the bitterness of it. Kasai's hand continued to lightly brush back and forth, her mind wandering a bit with a few moments of silence. What she really wanted was to just take Avani and get her away from all the bad things in life. Kasai believed that she had good intentions underneath the rebel facade. She only hoped that she could steer her down a better path after all of this was over with. "Have you thought about what you'll do after all of this is done? I know it all happened so fast, but..." She stopped and pursed her lips together, not wanting to seem pushy. It was difficult for her to find her words, but she gave up on trying to sugar-coat anything she was going to say and instead went for honesty. "I just think that under all that 'bad-girl' and 'criminal' crap you try to show off is a good heart with good intentions. You don't have to run away from all of this when it's over." Kasai didn't know if Avani was still thinking about leaving Republic City after she got her end of the deal with the police department. She couldn't blame her, it would be easier to get away and start over somewhere else. Especially with the amount the PD was willing to pay for the information, it would be enough to buy a new life. Granted, not a lavish one. "Now look at me, I've gone all mushy and annoying." She laughed and then sighed.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Mi Soo She feigned a smile at Kasai trying to cheer her up. Yes, they could still get all of it sorted out, but she'd rather not have had to do that in the first place. At least there wouldn't be any more dark secrets between them. It was probably better that Kasai learnt the truth early on in their relationship than later on or from someone else. She doubted it was the kind of person a proper cop had imagined themselves ending up with though. "Oh yeah, I'd make such a great spy." Avani said. rolled her eyes, but smiled when she heard Kasai's laughter. "But I wouldn't want you to be all alone at home while I use my incredible charisma to seduce information out of crooks. Besides I probably couldn't work for the law very long." She'd lose respect for herself if she did. Well, unless she was paid extraordinary well, then she may be able to overlook the part about selling her soul. She closed her eyes and relaxed under Kasai's touch, turning her face back towards the woman and pushing it against her stomach. Avani sneered at Kasai calling her bad girl style crap. She didn't mind the same comment about being a criminal, but really, she was a bad girl whether Kasai wanted to accept that or not. "Sorry to disappoint you, babe, but I am a bad girl. You think I fell in with criminals cause I had good intentions?" She laughed at the thought. "No, I was looking out for the only one that mattered at the time - myself. All I wanted was money, and I didn't care much about what they had me do to get it. Maybe the me I am now would do things differently than my old self, but it doesn't undo my actions." She moved her hand to Kasai's throat and caressed it, in a manner she meant to be playfully threatening. If those two could even be combined in the first place. "I thought you liked me for being a bad girl, babe? I'm hurt." Avani joked. The original question was a good one though. What was she planning to do after she finished this job and got her money? She'd planned to join a fighting tournament before Kasai had caught her. She might still do that, but there was no reason to stay in Republic City for it. "All of this?" Avani asked. "I don't really have much left in this city after I betray the gang, and my close friends passed away a while back. You'd be the one thing left for me in Republic City. Don't get me wrong, I love our hours of casual sex, hearing you scream my name and that face you make when…" She contorted her face in an expression meant to mimic the expression Kasai had in those moments, and burst out laughing. She calmed down to continue speaking after a moment. "Well, it's all good, but is that all there is to it for you?" Avani grinned and removed her hand from Kasai's throat to squeeze her bosom. "And I like it when you're mushy. It' much better than stuck up cop."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Well, at some point in time she would have to learn that despite her belief that there was good in everyone, maybe there wasn't after all. Although, Kasai still didn't believe that Avani was fully rotten to the core. Maybe she was, but some of her actions didn't make that truly believable, while on the other hand some of them did. "Well they do say opposites attract..." Kasai shrugged and raised an eyebrow as Avani's hand grazed her throat. Kasai wondered what things she had done if she truly was the "bad girl" she was claiming to be. But... maybe she didn't want, or rather need to know those things. Some things could be overlooked, others... well she would have a hard time keeping a straight face. Best to not pursue it, at least for the time being. Kasai punched Avani in the arm for mimicking her, narrowing her eyes down at her as she did so. "I do not look like that." She held the expression for a moment longer before sighing and losing the scowl. "Oh, come on now. I might be a stuck up cop but I don't think I'd be so willing to keep you out of jail and move you into my place so I can 'protect' you if you were just a casual hookup." Really, she'd already overlooked the criminal activity in favor of saving Avani's ass from an arrest. Twice now, though granted the first one was kind of her fault to begin with. She supposed that didn't make the situation any better either, but she couldn't be blamed for just doing her job this time. For Kasai, Republic City was the only place she had ever known. Her family was here. Her friends... were... here. Her job was here. She knew her duty was to protect the people of the city. That was all she knew how to do, without structure she couldn't operate. Spontaneity wasn't exactly a very big part of her vocabulary. For that, she almost envied Avani. It must be freeing to be able to do whatever you want whenever you want without a second thought. But she was comfortable with her life, it was just as freeing to her at least. "Well, you've got a while I guess to think about what you want to do. For now we've both got a job to do if we want to see our paychecks. Shouldn't be too hard, right? Besides the part where we can both be killed, ya know. You more than I. But hey, we stared death in the face before, again couldn't be any more difficult." Kasai chuckled. It wasn't really a laughing matter, but it made her feel a little better about the whole thing.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "Ouch." Avani said, and stretched her tongue out towards Kasai. "Domestic abuse on our first day living together." She joked, knowing that Kasai hadn't put any real strength behind it or that she'd ever deliberately hurt her. "Hey, what do I know? Maybe you're just really desperate for the touch of another female and I'm the only one you know." Avani giggled, but soon grew quiet and simply observed Kasai that seemed lost in thought. If they weren't a casual hook-up, she wondered where their relationship was going and where it was going to end. If it was going to end at all. She felt better with Kasai than she had with anyone else before. Maybe it would be worth it to try to tone down the bad girl style for her, even if she didn't want to get rid of it entirely. Besides, if she was going to do that Kasai should lose the cop crap when Avani was around too. It was just another job, there was no need for Kasai to spend her entire life working. "You could come with me if I did leave." Avani responded. "If we don't die I mean. I feel like we've made ourselves deserving of a vacation at the very least. There's no need to make any specific plans to return anytime soon either. We should travel the world while we're still young." She frowned and caressed Kasai's cheek once more. "Well, while I'm young anyway. Maybe we'd find a place where we liked it better, who knows…" She sat up in the sofa, and laid her arms around Kasai. "I don't believe I'm attracted to you because you're my opposite though, babe. You're freaking hot, and much more fun to be with, fight with and joke with than anyone else I know. You don't just roll over. I think we're quite similar, just with different beliefs and different paths in life up till now." Avani turned Kasai's head towards herself, leaned into her and kissed her desperately for a moment that felt like it couldn't last long enough. "I'll roll over for you if you ask me nicely…" She whispered seductively in the woman's ear. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ The first day as a rat went by without any problem for Avani. She helped the gang get the resources they needed to pull off their big score, and got paid the amount they had agreed on. That should have been it, but as she needed to get in with them for the actual score she stuck around the gang's hideout for a while after that. Once she asked if she could help out with the big score itself, they laughed and made jokes about how she couldn't stay away for long, how she always came back like a good dog. It made her feel a lot better about selling them out further down the road. They were wrong about her. She may not be able to prove it to them unless the pigs forced her to testify in front of the gang members, but she'd prove it to herself and that was all that mattered. Avani told Kasai everything about the first day, even if the woman had been nearby and seen some of it. The following days went by much like the first one, eventually turning into weeks. At times, Avani felt like she was betraying people that didn't deserve it, people that had been there for her when she had needed money to survive. Other times, they pissed her off and she wanted to strangle a couple of them on the spot. All in all, it was genuinely entertaining work. Not the illegal parts of it, but the constant excitement that came with the fear that she could be discovered and murdered at any point. She might be sleeping with the fishes soon? Yay! As the planned date of the gang's big score grew close, there was a noticeable tension in the air at their hideout. People were on edge. Those in charge were particularly easy to anger during this time, but it only came to a few scuffles that didn't result in anything more serious than bruises. It did make Avani question whether the gang was competent enough to pull of their plan to begin with. Sure, they would be stopped after they had attempted to rob the bank and found nothing because she was telling the police everything she could, but these arguments within the group itself didn't inspire confidence. On the day of the big score, Avani found herself a lot more relaxed than she had expected to be. She'd gotten through these weeks with her life intact, and now she only had one last thing left to do before getting paid. The gang would likely realize that they had been betrayed once they did enter the vault of the bank, found nothing and then got surrounded by the cops. She would get arrested with the rest of them, of course, but it was only a trick to make them all question who had betrayed them. Apparently it would help the pigs when interrogating them if they were already willing to sell out each other. Avani would walk free, with her money and she could leave the city with Kasai. Assuming she could convince Kasai to take a prolonged vacation. The more she had thought about it during the last weeks, the more she felt like they both truly needed to get away from the city. They could certainly return one day if Kasai wanted too, but for now it was the decision she had come too. There were other cities and places to visit. In the end, both the plan of the gang and the plan of the cops were executed a lot more smoothly than she had believed they would be. The gang was arrested after a fight that didn't last particularly long. Avani enjoyed fighting the cops too much, so a few of those who got in her way was in some serious pain once she surrendered. To their credit, they didn't dock any of her pay due to it. She had figured there was a high possibility they would. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that there wasn't much in the contract she had signed about beating up cops or resisting arrest. If she was to play a believable gang member she might need to be able to do both after all. Avani did have to give a final statement the following day, but since she'd already told Kasai everything during the time she'd been undercover there wasn't all that much to say which they didn't know by then. She soon left the police station and found herself back in Kasai's apartment. "Well, I doubt the rest of the gang had as much fun as I did. Or that they will any time soon." Avani said, sat down on the sofa and breathed out. "I'm slightly wealthy too, like right now in this moment. I doubt it will last once I start spending it. I never was good with money, not saving it anyway. I know how to spend it, mind you." "So…" Avani began, turning towards Kasai in the kitchen and feeling more nervous at that point than she had during most of her time with the gang. "Did you give my idea about traveling the world any more thought? It would be boring to leave you here…" They wouldn't need to leave right away, but she wasn't all that keen on staying much longer either. Partly because the gang could send someone to kill her even if they were in prison.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Surprisingly enough, the whole operation seemed to go off without a hitch. To Kasai's own surprise, Avani seemed to be fully cooperating with the department and the other officers involved in the ordeal. The process was more lengthy than anything, waiting for the gang to gather enough resources, finalize on their plans, do test runs and drive-by's... Kasai's part was fairly simple, sit outside on the bench drinking her coffee like she did every day before that. Her stress level could be considered changed for both good and bad. She wasn't as worried with the full stresses her job usually put on her because now she only had to go in to the department to give reports and exchange intel. Other than that, she went home with Avani every night and left with her every morning. It was a routine she quickly became accustomed to. On the other hand, now she had to worry about Avani's safety. It wasn't exactly a walk in the park to spy on a huge group of criminals that could kill you at even a sneaking suspicion that you were betraying them. Kasai sat outside everyday and breathed a sigh of relief each time she caught a glimpse of Avani still in one piece. The final hurrah went over exceptionally smooth as well. Everything fell into place as it should have, and every member of the gang that was on hand that day was arrested, plus several more who were quickly ratted out by their comrades that were looking to strike a plea deal. The mission was documented successful, and everyone was allowed to go home a rest for a couple days. During the weeks they spent together, Kasai continued to wave off Avani's idea of travelling the world each time she brought it up. It was an interesting and appealing idea for sure, but the likelihood that she would find herself in a position to do it was slim. Still, she gave it some thought when she found herself a quiet moment to think. Now, faced with the question head-on she had a decision to make. Of course she let it come down to the last possible second to choose whether to stay or go. The fact that she hadn't even asked for any more time off from her superiors didn't help her in deciding either. Extended vacations were usually something bosses liked notice for. A lot of notice. And quitting wasn't an option for her, her service had already given her so much. "Well..." Kasai scratched the back of her neck and looked at Avani. This wasn't going to end well. "I'd really love to, you know. Its just..." Kasai swallowed hard and tried to think, she really didn't want to turn Avani down on her offer but she didn't see a way for her to swing it. Unless... "Don't you remember talking about how we should find someone to tell our story? Get the mayor to recognize what hell that was?" Kasai was rather impressed with herself for remembering the card that man had given her that day, the contact details for a rogue reporter. "Just think, if we could get the story out and get the sorry asshole to recognize or even reward our efforts. That would be the perfect send-off for a vacation." And a perfect reason for the police department to reward her with some down time, maybe even offer an advance on her salary... the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to just leave and forget all of her responsibilities for a while. It was something she would never think of doing, which was maybe why the thought of it was so tantalizing.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai frowned when Avani called her out on her bullshitting. Well, there goes that idea. On the plus side, Avani didn't seem to be too mad about it. Maybe because Kasai was sort of predictable and she probably knew her hesitation before she even opened her mouth. Way to go, detective... good thing this wasn't an undercover job or the kidnapping idea might be a little more threatening. "Bound and gagged, huh? Sounds kinky." Kasai placed a kiss on Avani's head before she moved away. She was glad at least for the opportunity to explain herself and the idea, though. She may have attempted to use it as an excuse to avoid having to commit to leaving, but the idea in itself was still intriguing to her. Plus, they each stood to gain something from it if it all worked out. She didn't have time to explain anything further before Avani was stripping clothes on her way to the shower. Kasai chuckled and shook her head before following her to the bathroom. If she wanted to talk, this was how the conversation had to happen, and at this point Kasai wasn't going to complain. Kasai stepped into the bathroom after removing her clothes and found the space already beginning to fog up with steam. Joining Avani in the shower, she closed her eyes and let the water run over her for a moment before wiping the stream from her face. "I have the contact information for a reporter who works stories independently." She began with no specific prompting. "I already tried the other local papers, no one will pick up the story because it conflicts with their own political interests. In other words, no one wants to be the one to call the mayor out." She shrugged, but nodded. "The guy who gave me the card seemed pretty confident that this reporter will work with us." Kasai sighed now and looked at Avani, "And I want to go with you. I really do. I just... well, panicked. I'm not really good at committing to those kinds of decisions. But..." She smiled now and moved a step closer, "I've decided that you won't have to kidnap me. Unless you just really want to." A giggle escaped her and she grinned. "So, let's get this story crap over with and then hit the road. I'll make sure to tell my captain tomorrow morning." That part still didn't sit easy with her, but the thought of staying here with her same boring routine without Avani was a worse one.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani admired Kasai with a grin when the woman entered the shower with her. She had actually been serious about wanting a shower though, so for the moment she kept her hands to herself even if it may be considerably difficult to do so. Hell, she already had enough of a problem with keeping her hands off of Kasai when the woman was fully clothed. She closed her eyes and relaxed under the flowing water, as Kasai began to explain her plan. It seemed as though the reporters in this city had no spines and were owned by the mayor, at least the way that Kasai talked about them. It didn't surprise Avani at all. "So everyone is corrupt except for one, huh?" Avani asked. "Gee, I never would have guessed, especially with such upstanding police officers. You'd think they would have inspired the reporters to do better." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I'd love to meet the one person in this city that dares to be outspoken and isn't corrupt." She quickly decided to add something to her comments lest Kasai get pissed. "Other than you, of course, babe." Avani tensed up when she felt Kasai moving towards her, and she swallowed hard, keeping her eyes closed. The shower wasn't all that big to begin with, and she could practically feel the heat emanating from the other woman's body now. She yearned to be one with it. "It's fine, babe. I still adore you." Avani said after clearing her throat. She swallowed hard when Kasai brought up the kidnapping once more. The idea that she could do what she'd suggested made her blush some, as it had been more or less a joke made out to be a threat. Actually doing it could be an interesting and fun way to begin their vacation though. Kasai would be suspecting it, but she'd be unable to say much regarding the initial part of the journey which Avani would have to plan alone for it to be a surprise. "Who knows, maybe I do really want to kidnap you." Avani said, opened her eyes and turned towards Kasai. "I imagine you'd be very attractive bound and gagged as well." She put a hand on Kasai's shoulder, and let it slowly trail downwards along her body. "Yes, let's get this over with." She leaned into her, pressing their bodies together and giving her girlfriend a kiss that she didn't want to end.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai left the apartment early the next morning, headed for the police station. Even though she had been granted the next few days off for some R&R after the last assignment, she felt showing up to do this in person was better that any other way of approaching it. The whole drive over she had worried about what to say and how she should say it. When she pulled into the station she still didn't have a plan, but she put on a fake appearance of confidence and walked into her captain's office. Time to fake it til you make it. The conversation went... surprisingly well. Kasai had come in expecting to disappoint her boss with her request but in fact he seemed a little relieved. That only made her more concerned. "Look, Kasai. You're a good officer, you haven't taken an extra day off in the three years you've been here. Sure, we'll miss you around here. But you need to, well, to put it frankly... get a life. There's more out there than this job. And when you come back, the PD will still be here." Kasai didn't know whether she should be offended or not. To her, it felt like deserting her moral obligation. But everyone else was glad for her, and kept telling her that a break was 'well deserved' or 'past due.' She told them all goodbye, filed her paperwork for her wages and such, and headed back to her car. Still, she felt strange leaving the one place she had dedicated the last few years of her life to. She only hoped that this would be good for her. Kasai drove back to her apartment and entered quietly, not knowing if Avani would be up yet since it was still relatively early. She put her keys down and just sat on the couch for a few quiet moments. That was it. She didn't have any more obligation in Republic City other than to finish what she had started and then take off with her girlfriend. It was a new concept that would take some getting used to, but she figured at least now she'll have plenty of time for that. Standing, she walked to the kitchen and shuffled stuff around trying to find that card the man had given her that day. Finding it in a drawer, she walked back to the bedroom and held the card in one had, with her other resting on her hip. "Well, I'm free. Sergeant Inoshi is officially on extended leave from RCPD." She had a smile on her face that was stuck somewhere between sad and relieved as she walked over to her nightstand and opened up the drawer, placing her badge inside and closing it shut. Kasai held up the card in her hand, "But, there is still work to be done. One last hurrah before saying goodbye. So c'mon, we got places to be and people to see." Her earnest smile grew to a more genuine grin as she leaned down to kiss Avani. "I'm gonna go call the number and let the reporter know we will be there today." Kasai took the card and went into the kitchen, dialing the number and finding a female voice on the other end of the line. It was a short conversation that consisted of a time and a place to meet, with little information given otherwise. Kasai hung up the phone and wrote down the meeting details on an old envelope.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani noticed in a half-awake state that Kasai was gone early the next morning. There was no one to spoon and hug close to herself when sleeping. After all these weeks they'd shared a bed it left her feeling empty, but she smiled. It was pleasant to have gotten used to sharing a bed with someone she liked. Soon she fell asleep again, too tired to question where Kasai was. Some time later, she was uncertain of how long, Kasai returned to the bedroom with some good news. "Yay~" Avani muttered into a pillow, without moving or opening her eyes. She purred when Kasai leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. It almost made her eager to get out of bed and get their one final task over with before they went on vacation. Thankfully, Kasai had yet to call the reporter so she had a small amount of time to remain in bed before she was going to be forced to wake up. Avani could hear Kasai talking with someone in the kitchen, and once she went silent she decided she had to get ready. She rolled out of bed and hit the floor with a thud, but she bounced back up on her feet. The clothes she got dressed in that morning were black and tight, with the intention to make an impression to this reporter, as threatening if nothing else. Kasai's guard dog, she laughed to herself. Avani walked out into the living room, and posed to Kasai to show off her muscles in the tight clothing. She wasn't as impressive as she'd once been, but hopefully the vacation would come with some cool new athletic experiences. "I'm gonna look like she better write about us." Avani said with a grin. "Or else." The eyepatch and the tattooed arm would probably have sufficed on their own. She laughed, then grabbed the keys to her motorcycle off of the table she'd put them on. "I'll drive. Let's hope they serve breakfast wherever we're going." She walked up, pressed herself against Kasai and snatched the envelope with a written address on it from her to see where she was supposed to drive them. "Oh, this is a café I think. Lovely." They headed out to her motorcycle, and locked the apartment after themselves. Avani drove them to the address in question, but it took longer than she had meant to because she didn't really know the way as well as she had thought. They arrived eventually though. She parked her motorcycle against the sidewalk, and rushed into the café. She had gotten quite hungry by then, but with her newfound wealth she'd be able to order just about anything. Avani took a table for them in the corner. "I'm guessing this reporter isn't here yet?" She said while waving a waiter over to them. After looking over the menu for a second, she began to order. "Waffles, pancakes, two chicken sandwiches, and a house special." She turned to Kasai. "Do you want anything, babe?"</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai let out a cat-call whistle when Avani came into the living room and raised her eyebrows. "Or else? She might try to steal you from me if there isn't an 'or else.'" She laughed but then grabbed her things and exited the apartment with Avani. Kasai couldn't help but poke fun at Avani's sense of direction as they took the scenic route to their destination. They got there though, and safely at that. Kasai followed the eager earthbender into the restaurant and took her seat next to her. Glancing around, she shrugged at the question. "Guess not. We're a little early though." Another smile crept across her face as Avani ordered nearly the entire menu, but she held back the laugh threatening to escape. Shaking her head, she looked at the waiter. "I'll just have a coffee, please." Checking the watch on her wrist, she looked around the small cafe again and knotted her brow. No one here looked like a reporter. Then again, maybe that was the point. Or maybe they got stood up just like all of the other news affiliates had done to her. She began bouncing her foot under the table nervously. The coffee wasn't going to help that. Oh well. She thanked the waiter and took a swig of the steaming liquid after adding two sugars to it. "Alright, they should've been here by now. Let's eat and then-" Her speech was stopped when a figure moved to their table and took a seat across from them. A woman who couldn't be too much older than twenty looked up from under the hat atop her head and smirked. "Leaving so soon, Sergeant?" The woman said before retrieving a notepad and pen from the bag she carried over with her. Kasai narrowed her eyes at the young woman, but sat back in her chair. How did the reporter already know her rank? Well, at least she proved her resourcefulness already. "I'm Naomi." She extended her hand across the table, "Nice to meet you, Kasai." This kid may turn out to be a better detective than Kasai if she keeps it up. Naomi turned to Avani and held her hand out, "And you are?" After introductions, the girl clicked her pen and held it to the paper. "So, what can I do for you?" Looking at the girl over the brim of her cup, Kasai took another drink. She was skeptical, but she swallowed her doubts. After all, this was the only real shot they'd had so far at getting anyone to listen to them. "We've seen some shit. And we think people need to know about it. Apparently, though, our story is not in the 'best interest' of the mayor or his payoffs." Naomi moved the pen across the paper, but Kasai couldn't see what she was writing. She didn't even have any information yet, what was so important already? "So what you're saying is you want me to write a story and put it out for the entire city to see that they mayor isn't the great guy he's cracked up to be?" Well, there she goes knowing things before she even gets told them again. Still, Kasai nodded. Naomi tapped the pen on the notepad. "Well, what are you waiting for? Lay it on me."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "Don't slow down now, your food might run away." Kasai joked when Avani stopped to squeeze in a few nonchalant threats to the poor girl sitting across from them. She let Avani say her piece and simply sipped on her coffee. Oh, the irony. Not all that long ago they met on the edge of that forest and could not stand each other. Well, Avani at least admitted initial attraction. Kasai however had a little warming up to do. Naomi kept steady eye contact as she listened, all the while her hand worked furiously at the notepad in her lap. A sideways glance was shot at Avani after she mentioned her mom being in jail over a dead cop. Well, that explains a lot. Kasai narrowed her eyes briefly, but decided to tuck the questions away for another time. They were here for a different reason now. Kasai had to clench her jaw and swallow hard when Avani got to the point of why they were here in the first place. She cleared her throat and let Avani turn her attention back to her food. "There was a task force made to investigate some sort of disturbance in the forest where the spirits were residing. Apparently the Avatar was too busy to tend to it herself so the mayor sanctioned this volunteer mission." Kasai's shoulders shrugged and she continued. "They shouldn't have sent volunteers in there in the first place, we had no business messing with spirits." Trying to keep from getting too angered, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes ever so briefly. "Like she said," her thumb stuck out to point at Avani, "out of six people, we were the only ones to come out of it alive. And barely at that." Sometimes she could still feel the ache in her leg, and her hand brushed over the scar on her face that would forever remind her of what happened. Naomi looked from one woman to the other and back again. It was clear from their faces that whatever happened was something very serious, but what business did she have making it a public story? "I see what you've been through was pretty damaging. But, and no offense here, what exactly do you think this will gain for you? Other than the mayor clearly didn't know what kind of danger he was sending you in to, I don't see how this could be politically damaging or personally gainful." At that moment, the thought of launching a fireball straight across the table at the young woman's face crossed Kasai's mind. Incredibly, she was able to restrain herself. Fearing that Avani was probably about to jump across the table to strangle the girl herself, Kasai put a hand on the woman's leg and squeezed. Next, she tuned that fire-beam glare of hers at the young reporter and kept her voice low and steady. "When we got back, there was no 'Thank you for your service.' There was no 'sorry for your loss.' Were there city representatives at the funeral? No. Not even one damn flower was sent. The mayor knew damn well what happened in there and that four people died trying to serve this city. But he never even acknowledged their existence. We are not hoping to 'gain' anything. We want the recognition and respect our friends deserve from that scumbag uptown." Kasai did not blink once, and the expression on the girl's face changed to one that reflected the severity of the situation. Naomi slowly nodded and looked at the pair again. "Okay. I understand now. I want to help you with this, but if I am going to make a compelling story, I'm going to need all of the difficult details." Kasai was afraid of that. What she needed was something stronger than coffee to help her get through the tragic recounting, but they were already here and already worked up. "I hope you have enough paper." Kasai said before she stopped the waiter to fill her coffee mug. A few more moments to prepare herself for the emotions to come, and then she started tracing back the details of that horrifying day.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani ate while listening to Kasai add her own details to their shared story, merely nodding every now and then. It wasn't until the reporter spoke up and told them that she didn't think there was anything for them to gain on the story that Avani left her food alone for a moment. She wiped her mouth on a napkin, trying to think of what they would get out of this in the end. It had been Kasai's suggestion so she'd gone with it, but would it really help them or their friends? Probably not, and the dead wouldn't care either way. She was surprised when Kasai squeezed her leg. Did she really think Avani would beat the reporter up over nothing in a café filled with people? She was pretty sure that Kasai was more likely than herself to attack the reporter at that point. The fire in her eyes and her creepily calm voice hinted at it. Good points, Avani thought to herself after her girlfriend had stated a list of reasons why they wanted this article to be written. She didn't like the idea that they were in a way pleading with the mayor to show their friends respect, not when each of their lost ones had been better individuals than him. The idea that they would stand up against corruption or throw dirt had appealed to her more. "How could it not be politically damaging?" Avani asked and scoffed. "Did he bribe the entire city or something? Four people died on what was supposed to be a routine mission, and you think it wouldn't hurt him politically? I must have missed something, or you should definitely stay out of politics with such poor understanding." Avani had never had much interest in politics, but from what she had seen potential candidates or different sides would use literally anything to make the public think less of their opponents. Their story wasn't made up, and it should be possible to use it as a powerful weapon. All someone had to do was pick it up. She was about to follow up with more threats, how Avani liked to please her girlfriend and if the reporter didn't write the article like Kasai wanted her to do she might have trouble walking for the next month. Turned out there was no need for that as the reporter was willing to do it, as long as she was told the details. Avani sighed. It wasn't something either of them wanted to talk about. Avani turned to the waiter when Kasai had stopped her. They'd be here a while if they were going to go into details, so she ordered a large glass of juice and some dessert for herself. She didn't drink coffee, it wasn't healthy. She filled in with her own perspective on the details whenever Kasai paused, and sometimes she cut in at the middle if something had been mistakenly left out. Eventually she sat leaned back in the sofa with an arm around Kasai to comfort her, and the juice glass in her other hand.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi It took an hour, maybe even two, to get through the long, grueling details of the mission they were sent on that day. At times Kasai had to stop, gather her thoughts for a moment before recounting a particularly difficult piece of the story. Other parts made her smile at the memory. After all, not everything that day had started out so bad. Naomi nodded her head as she listened to the two women retell the story through their own eyes. Every once in a while she would interject with a question to make the details more clear for her to write down, but for the most part she kept quiet and allowed the two to run the conversation themselves. It turned out that there was in fact plenty of information here that was useful, especially for making a gripping story for the paper the next day. Finally, the story came to its sickening conclusion. Two barely breathing and four dead. For several moments after the ending of the story, there was a stillness around the table. Kasai stared down at the black liquid that filled the cup in her hand, reminding her of the ebony substance that took two of their friends that day. Afterwards, she would have thought her heart be as black as the coffee with grief. Luckily, though, she had Avani to save her from focusing on that sadness. Naomi stared at the pad in her lap. Pages were filled with notes scribbled here and there, a huge unorganized outline for the story she would go home and begin writing after she left this cafe. There were just a few more things she needed from the couple. "I think I have everything I need here to make a compelling story for you two. I'll be honest, after listening to all of the details I agree with wanting to get your story out. At least make the mayor squirm once people start asking questions about his morality." Naomi began to put her things away, but she pulled out a blank piece of paper and handed it to Kasai. "I'll have this story ready to go for print tonight. When I decide which paper to run it through, I'll give you a call. Just write down a number I can contact you at here." Kasai wrote down her telephone number and handed it back to the young reporter. Seemed like she wasn't so bad after all, despite Kasai's initial concerns. "Great. Now, one last thing. A front page story needs a front page picture to go along with it. You two mind stepping outside so we can grab a photo? Better lighting and backdrop." Naomi stood and waved over in the opposite corner of the restaurant, where a man sat wearing a similar hat to the one Naomi had on. "C'mon, Jo. Picture time." The man stood from his table, tossed some money down, and grabbed the large camera that apparently had been sitting next to him. Well, so much secrecy around this young reporter. Still, Kasai nodded and stood, also tossing some money on the table for her coffee. The reporter and photographer made their way outside, and Kasai waited for Avani. "C'mon, this was the part you were most excited about, remember?" She smiled and looked towards the door. "We can take this picture and then get out of here, unless you'd like to order more food of course." Kasai teased, but felt relieved that they had finally told someone else their story. It felt better to get it off of her chest. "We just need to wait until tomorrow and see what the public reaction is I guess." Once Avani joined her, Kasai made her way outside to pose for the photograph.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani was glad when they had finally told the whole story, hopefully it would be the last time they had to remember what happened, but there was a silence at the table that she didn't enjoy. She'd finished her food and dessert a while ago, and the atmosphere ruined any further appetite she might have had. She was glad when the reporter broke the silence though. She wasn't sure what she should have said herself, as much as she may have wanted to cheer Kasai up someone would have needed to help her first. The reporter made it sound as if she had any choice what paper to go with, yet none of the papers that Kasai had contacted had wanted to run the story from what she had been told. Avani was already questioning the reporter after her comment about politics, but now she was becoming seriously suspicious of her. It seemed as if she was lying to them or making stuff up as she went along. There shouldn't be much of an existing choice for her regarding who published the story. She didn't like that there had been a man nearby that the reporter knew for the last hours either. He hadn't introduced himself to them. He'd been sitting a distance away likely just observing and listening in on the conversation. Was any of them a bender of some kind? Did Naomi had more friends around that she hadn't bothered introducing? "Yeah, I know." Avani said. "But I don't like her or this. Do you not think she's odd? Some of the things she says doesn't add up from my point of view. Are you sure these people are on our side?" She asked, hesitant to get up and take a picture for this reporter and photographer. "If it turns out that she's been lying as much as I think she has, then I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up in a hospital soon." That result could be caused by Avani herself, or someone else who had enough of the woman. Avani stood up, walked over to the waiter behind the counter and paid for the food she'd eaten. She also paid for Kasai's coffee before heading outside. "Let's get this over with then, but I still don't like her." Avani said to Kasai, without any attempt at concealing her words from the two individuals waiting for them. "I'd rather not take a photo that shows too much of my face." She said, turned to Kasai and buried her face against her chest and neck. "Put your arms around me. You'll look like some kind of hero." Avani whispered, laughed and moved Kasai's hands to rest on her behind. She did pose for more pictures, but in all of them she tried to be as clingy or loving to Kasai and her body as possible. If anyone saw the photographs they took, she hoped that it wouldn't immediately occur to them who she was, only that they were both women.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai couldn't help but chuckle at Avani's display for the photos. Granted, she probably shouldn't be plastering her face all over the media when she was supposedly locked up with the rest of the gang, but it was still enjoyable. People passing by on the sidewalk gave varying reactions to the display, but Kasai ignored them and just did whatever the photographer said to make the picture come out decently. After a few more shots and a couple of hand shakes, the ordeal was over with. Naomi promised to call Kasai as soon as she had the information she needed, but at this point Kasai wasn't even sure they should have gone through with the idea. It sounded great when she was fired up about it, but now she had to wonder if it was the right decision. After the reporter and photographer left, Kasai turned to Avani. "You're right, there's something off about them. It was our only shot considering, though now I'm wondering if we should have bothered with it at all." Kasai knew that last comment would earn her an 'I told you so' from Avani, but she didn't mind. Maybe they were both being too paranoid, too careful. At this point, she was ready to get it all over with and take off on their little adventure. Maybe getting away from the city and taking a break from real life would keep her mind from all these trivial things. She mentally kicked herself for overthinking things yet again. "Well who knows, maybe the Mayor will give us some shiny medal or something. Not that it would mean much considering he hasn't given us one thus far. At the very least, we can check making it in the papers off of the bucket list." Kasai gave a cheesy grin and a thumbs up, hoping Avani wasn't too bummed out still. Kasai was tired of being bummed and wanted to get her mind on to other things. "Well, come on hon. Let's go and do something to wait this thing out, unless there's something else you'd like to spend some of your hard earned cash on." Kasai gave her another smile and waited to see what they would be doing to kill the time.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "Sounds good to me." Kasai joined Avani on the motorcycle as they set off to gather a few supplies for their last night in town. When they arrived back at her apartment, she looked up to the floor where the windows showed the view into her living room and she had to keep herself from frowning. Snapping out of it, she grabbed the rest of the things and began walking with Avani up to her apartment. "Good point, looks like we'll be roughing it on our little adventure." Kasai smiled and led the way up to unlock the door. "Though I don't doubt our ability to get creative with it." Opening the door, she waited for the other woman to enter before she shut it behind them. The groceries were set on the counter in the kitchen and glasses were retrieved from the cabinet. Glancing at the phone, Kasai wondered when Naomi would be calling. She almost didn't want her to. It was true that she had brought up the idea to bide herself a little more time to prepare for leaving, but now that she had less than 24 hours to do it she was trying to accept the fact that she was going to do this. Change wasn't something she welcomed happily, and she wasn't proud of how she had tried avoiding it. Looking from the phone to Avani, Kasai studied her a moment while pouring them a couple drinks. The woman was excitable, filled with anticipation for their trip. Kasai wished she could be like that. She had plenty of confidence to go around, but her confidence lied elsewhere. Thinking of how far she, they, had come already, she reminded herself not to go back to her old ways and to embrace the change. You can do this, Kasai. Thirst for adventure, don't fear it. She thought to herself as she poured them each a glass of sake. Instead of thinking about leaving her home, she thought about how it would feel without Avani in it. Instead of the fear of change, the excitement of the unknown. Her mood quickly began to turn back around and she brought the drinks to the coffee table and sat on the sofa with a smile. "Well, I guess this is it then. Pack our bags and be on our way tomorrow. Cheers." Raising her glass, she smiled again and then took a drink. "So tell me, what destination do you have in mind? I don't want to be too unprepared, of course." Raising an eyebrow, she grinned. "If I have to pack light I'll only need the essentials... shoes, shirts, handcuffs..." Kasai teased, laughing as she did so.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani noticed Kasai glancing at her phone, seemingly nervous or unsure about something. She didn't comment on it though, and when Kasai turned to look in her direction she acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. There certainly wasn't anything out of the ordinary in a negative way, even if having enough money to make a longer journey with her girlfriend was a very special occurrence for her. That she had a girlfriend she wanted to do it with was rather rare in itself. Avani would try her best to make Kasai forget all about her life in Republic City, and just enjoy their time together. "Cheers." She took the other glass, raised it and downed the contents in one swing. "I figure we'll spend some time in the earth kingdom at first, since it's the closest… and I've got relatives there." Avani wasn't sure whether she should have mentioned that, but it should be obvious to a cop without her mentioning it. It wasn't like they needed to visit them, perhaps it was for the best if they didn't. There was plenty to do in the earth kingdom regardless. "That would indeed be packing light." Avani responded with a grin. "Maybe I should just pack a whip and some toys if you're feeling that frisky?" She joked. "Really though, I think the basics would include a tent and food. Maybe some survival gear, or tools, but I don't know much about that. Don't they teach you stuff like that as a cop?" She moved closer to Kasai, picked up the bottle and drank some from it. "Have you ever done anything like this with anyone before?" Avani giggled, and shrugged, as she kind of knew the answer before asking the question. "Here's to us either way." She drank from the bottle again before handing it to Kasai. "Let's hope nothing too bad happens." Back to packing for now though, Avani wanted to be out of Republic City by the end of tomorrow if not earlier. It felt doubtful that the reporter would have finished her article by then, but she'd warned Kasai what would happen if she refused to come with her. Avani would just have to put her words into action in that case. She stepped into the bedroom to grab some of her clothes. If they were going to be roughing it like Kasai had expressed it, there were certain clothing items that she didn't want or could bring with her. Ruining her finest clothes because there she wouldn't be returning soon was unnecessary.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "The Earth Kingdom sounds like a good place to start," Kasai said before following Avani's lead and finishing off the glass of sake before setting it on the table. Kasai chuckled at the notion that she had gone through some kind of survival boot camp or something of the sort with the police academy. "Not exactly, Republic City isn't what I would call 'rural' by any means. We did get some basic survival training way back in the academy, though." Taking the bottle from Avani, she shook her head at the next question. Kasai drew a long swig from the bottle and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure nothing too bad can come of it. Plus, between the two of us we'll always have fire and sturdy shelter." A grin played across her face as she took another drink from the bottle and watched Avani disappear into the bedroom. Her eyes scanned the room, gaze finding its way to rest on the telephone again for a few moments before moving on around the familiar space. There were things here she would miss. The spot on the couch she sat at every morning while she had her coffee. How the sunrise slowly lit her apartment through the large wall of windows that overlooked the cityscape every morning. But then she looked towards the bedroom and smiled to herself. Kasai stood and joined Avani in the bedroom, reaching into the closet to grab a small bag to pack her things into. "I guess we can pick up some supplies before we head out tomorrow. Don't want to crowd the bike so we might as well just get what we need as we go." Grabbing a few shirts and pants, she shoved them in the bag along with a few other essential items. Then, she moved over to the woman she had shared her home with for the last several weeks and wrapped her arms around Avani's waist from behind her. Kasai stayed like that for a brief moment and rested her chin on Avani's shoulder, looking over into the closet. Giving a squeeze with her arms, she let go and stepped back. "I'll get us another drink, you finish up your packing." Kasai walked back into the living room and headed towards the kitchen. They had bought plenty of booze to celebrate their last night in the city, and Kasai poured two more shots to take back to the bedroom. Before she could make her way across the living room, the telephone rang. Kasai flinched and set the liquor down on the coffee table before picking up the phone with a "Hello." Turns out, it was just her landlord saying that her lease was set and her apartment would remain untouched during her leave. Kasai thanked the man and hung up the phone. In just a few seconds, she made a spontaneous decision and reached down to unplug the phone from the wall, the cord hanging loosely from the end table it stemmed from. Kasai picked up the shot glasses and made her way back into the bedroom again. She met Avani with a grin and raised eyebrows, holding the glasses up. "Alright, drink up. We need to have a fun little send off before we leave tomorrow. Here," Kasai brought the two glasses closer to her mouth and quickly blew out a breath of flame, setting the alcohol on fire. "Huzzah! Party tricks," a wide grin donned her face before she downed the shot. "Okay, so it's not that cool but still."</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani nodded at Kasai's suggestion, though it would probably end up being quite a bit more expensive if they were going to buy everything along the road when they needed it. It was a shame she couldn't attach a second sidecar to her motorcycle, one on each side. Actually, maybe she could, but how would she do that, and where would she find someone to help her do it? She supposed she could start asking around once they entered the earth kingdom. There wouldn't be enough time to find someone in Republic City considering when she wanted to leave. Besides, the few mechanics she'd known had been associated with the gang. She was surprised that Kasai seemed to be less concerned with how she packed her clothes than she was herself. If they were folded carefully she could fit more into a bag. Avani didn't say anything though, because then she might look like a proper woman or some housewife. She blushed when Kasai hugged her from behind, and enjoyed the feeling of her girlfriend's bosom pressed against her back. Avani closed her eyes, wondered if Kasai would let her get back to packing before she was forced to turn around and give in to desire. The final squeeze almost made her do it, but then Kasai left to get them drinks. She sighed. Avani made sure to finish packing her clothes at least before Kasai returned. Thankfully, the phone rang and gave her some extra time. When Kasai returned she was sitting on the bed, trying to remember if she'd forgotten anything. She grinned when Kasai set the shots on fire, and clapped her hands. "I didn't know you knew how to do that." She said and laughed. "Well, it's cooler than anything I could do with my bending. People don't tend to like earth in their drinks. Can't say I blame them." Avani hesitated a bit before downing the flaming liquid, unsure of whether it would harm her, then stood up on feet that were beginning to get wobbly. "And as far as I'm concerned, some of the things you do with your mouth are better than cool. They're too die for." She whispered into Kasai's ear, and kissed her on the cheek. "Did you not bring the bottle with you?" Avani asked, after feeling her girlfriend's body up thoroughly, as if she couldn't tell at first glance that she didn't have a bottle. "If you take off your shirt, and lay down on the bed I can show you one of my party tricks." Avani pushed Kasai down onto the bed after she'd finished speaking, and left the room to get one of the bottles they'd bought. She came back with a bottle in her hand before long. ¨ "Perfect." Avani said when she saw Kasai on the bed. She opened the bottle to pour some of its contents on Kasai's stomach and in the middle of her chest, grinning as she did so. "Wait, shit." She said after she'd finished and put the bottle away. "I think you're supposed to use glasses for this too. Oh well, better clean up this mess I've made." It was rather obvious she'd not done it by mistake, and it became even more so when she decided to take off her own shirt, revealing her black bra, then sit on Kasai's legs. She could have offered her a towel after all. Avani bowed down and began to eagerly lick the liquid off of Kasai's stomach, moving upwards.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai raised an eyebrow at Avani's suggestion, but she didn't protest as she was pushed down onto the bed. She removed her shirt and rather impatiently waited for her girlfriend to return with the bottle. It wasn't too long before Avani was back and pouring the cool liquid on Kasai's bare stomach. A smirk donned her face as she listened to Avani and watched her take her own shirt off. Goosebumps rose in a wave across Kasai's skin, but it wasn't from the coolness of the liquid on her skin. Rather, seeing Avani on top of her and feeling her tongue work its way up her torso caused the sensation. When Avani made it further up to her chest, Kasai guided Avani's face up to her own and met her with a kiss. The taste of the alcohol danced between them and Kasai grinned before breaking the kiss. "I don't see any need to clean the mess up too quickly. Let's keep it dirty for a while." She said before pulling Avani back towards her, her other arm wrapped around her girlfriend and pulled her closer. --- Late the next morning, Kasai opened her eyes to the sun streaming into her bedroom. Clothes peppered the floor of the bedroom and she smiled to herself. A yawn escaped her and she stretched, trying not to disturb the woman lying in bed next to her. Carefully, she rolled out of bed and found a t-shirt to put on before she walked out to the living room. Today was the day, she would be saying goodbye to the city for a while. Welp, might as well go and see what was left in the kitchen and get some use out of it. She pulled out the things that would certainly spoil and decided that even if they didn't eat it for lunch, they could pack it up and take it with them on the road. Kasai started some tea on the stove and got the juice out of the fridge as well before she started cooking the things she had pulled out. It was a mixture of things, from chicken to potatoes. Kasai figured the smell would be enough to wake Avani up, seeing no rush to go and disturb her. While some of the food was cooking, she went back to the bedroom and grabbed the bag she had packed yesterday. Ruffling through it, she made sure she had packed everything she would need for the trip considering she had stuffed it kind of carelessly yesterday. Grabbing a couple more items she zipped the bag and set it by the door, satisfied with its contents. Kasai returned to the kitchen and got a few more things going on the stove before pouring herself a cup of tea and sitting down on the sofa and looking out of the windows at the sunny day that awaited them.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Their days always seemed to end in the same pleasant fashion since she'd moved into Kasai's apartment. She hoped it wouldn't change too much now that they would be taking to the road and traveling the world. Adventure awaited them. It was unlikely that it wouldn't affect and ultimately change them, even if just a little bit. Was their relationship strong enough to endure hardships? It was kind of how it had begun she supposed, but it wasn't the same to seek comfort in the arms of another as it was to stick by that individual through thick and thin. Avani awoke to the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen. The taste of alcohol lingered in her mouth, and she had a slight headache. She felt incredibly lucky to have someone like Kasai that would cook for her, especially when she woke up with a hangover. It might be a bit of a pain in the ass to drive her motorcycle for too long if she wasn't able to get rid off the budding headache. She knew a few tricks, but her preferred method was too just wake up and keep drinking. Few things worked as well against a hangover as remaining drunk. She got out of the bed, didn't bother getting dressed in anything else than underwear and headed into the living room where Kasai was sitting on the sofa. "Good morning, babe." Avani said, after taking a seat next to her. "I could really use some water with breakfast to cure this minor hangover." She wrapped her arms around Kasai and pressed herself against her, kissing her on the cheek. "But don't worry, it's not the first time I've driven a motorcycle with a hangover." She nuzzled her nose against Kasai's neck, before relaxing, still rather tired despite what the time was. A moment passed without Avani saying a word, and it was uncertain whether she'd fallen asleep like that. "Did you hear anything from that reporter yet? Did we get in the paper?" She finally mumbled, half-asleep with her eyes closed. "I bet she screwed us over, probably didn't even publish one of our good photos." Avani soon went silent again. The smells from the breakfast and being so close too Kasai made it feel a bit like home. Combined with still being tired and a minor headache she wasn't all that eager to get going right away. They could probably spare a few hours before they left. They had no train to catch or schedule to keep. Maybe it would give the journalist a chance to publish something if she was even going too.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai smiled when Avani took the spot next to her on the couch like she had done every morning for weeks now. "Good morning sleepy head." She took another sip of her tea before resting her head on Avani's. "That doesn't sound like the safest way to start our adventure." She chuckled a bit, "We'll get some food in you and let you sober up before you're driving me anywhere." She smiled and enjoyed the calm silence that lingered between them, assuming Avani had fallen back asleep. When she spoke again the words were lazy and tired. "Hm? Oh, no I haven't heard anything. May have been a waste of time after all." She frowned and eyed the telephone that she had unplugged the evening before. If they had made it in the paper, they would surely find out one way or another. Right? "Here, let me up. I've got to check on breakfast." She kissed Avani on the forehead before removing herself from the couch and making her way to the kitchen. A few things needed stirring or flipping, a pinch of salt here and a dash of pepper there. For the most part, it could all simmer away for a few more minutes and be ready to eat. Kasai looked back into the living room and saw Avani still laying on the couch. She as she was making her way back to join her, she saw something peeking out from under her door. Curiously, she walked over and saw it was a note that said "Open the door. Next time, answer your phone." Kasai clenched her jaw and slowly opened her door, peering around it to see a paper lying on the doormat. The paper was a barely-known daily circulation that Kasai herself had only read a handful of times. On the front was an image of a statue of an elderly man standing next to a cart full of cabbages, and some headline about Cabbage Corp. On the side column of the front page, however, was an index and one story was circled in red pen. "Mayor of Republic City: A Story He Doesn't Want You to Know." Kasai turned to the indicated page and saw a picture of herself and Avani, and then skimmed through the article that recounted some of what they had told the reporter. A lot of it seemed to be exaggerated, blown up for literary purposes. The end of the article, though, took on a much more political tone. Calling for the people to recognize the mayor's faults, make him accountable for what happened, give the fallen the kind of honor they deserved for going out on his poorly organized and overseen mission. Hell, it even called for the Avatar to do something about it. Kasai frowned and shook her head, carrying the paper back to the living room and tossing it onto the coffee table. "Well, there ya go. Lesson learned. It's not a widely circulated paper, but I'm sure it'll get some blood boiling on the mayor. Who knows what kind of effect it'll have. We'll be gone before it happens, if it happens." Kasai said, turning back towards the kitchen and clanking some pots and pans, putting plates out and getting the food together.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani grabbed the paper from the coffee table, suddenly feeling a lot more awake. She saw the title that was circled on the front of the paper, and turned to the indicated page. There she found one of the least controversial photographs they'd probably taken of them. Well, it could be worse. At least they'd included a picture of them, and not exchanged it with one of the mayor or something else. Avani's face wasn't visible, but Kasai's arms were quite clearly wrapped around her in a suggestive way. They'd cut out where Avani had made her place her hands, showing nothing lower than her torso. She read the article, even if she'd been more interested in the photograph than anything else. It was more critical of the mayor than she'd given the reporter credit for. She'd expected her to run, stick her head in the sand and not write anything about them. This was pretty good. Hopefully the reporter would only get a little flak for what she'd done. Avani was glad she didn't need to beat someone up before they left Republic City too. It might have been a real pain to track the woman down, and a waste of time. "Shouldn't you be at least a little happy about it?" Avani asked, surprised that Kasai appeared more annoyed than anything. "She actually wrote the thing. That's more than I expected anyway. Sure, it's a small paper, but all it takes is one person in the right place to read it for the article to become well known." She put the paper back on the coffee table, and was about to lie down on the sofa when she noticed that breakfast was done. Instead, she got up and took a seat at the kitchen table. "Yummy. You're the best." Avani said, after Kasai had put the breakfast on the table. "I'm sure this will dampen my headache even more so we can be off before too long." She grabbed food and put it on her plate, eating slowly and drinking as much water as she could without ruining her appetite. Avani took longer than usual to finish eating, even if she ate about as much. She felt somewhat better after eating. They'd probably be able to make it out of the city without problem, but she wasn't certain how long she could drive before the headache got worse. "Thanks for the food, babe. I think I'll be fine to drive for a while." She got her plate and rinsed it before putting it down on the counter. It shouldn't be too bad to leave it like that, right? Granted, she didn't know if or when they would be returning. Avani headed over to the bedroom, and grabbed the bag she'd put her clothes in last night. She picked up another bag on her way to the door. "Let's pack everything into the motorcycle. Better make sure we've got everything we need with us after all."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "Hm? Oh, no trust me I'm happy we didn't get screwed over and waste our time." She joined Avani at the table and put some food on her plate, pouring some juice into her cup to accompany it. "I don't know, I just hope it doesn't come back to bite us in the ass." She said after taking a sip of her juice. She took a few bites of food, realizing she very well may have cooked far too much. Oh well, it would have gone bad by the time they got back anyways. A bit of everything crowded her plate, but she did her best to eat as much as she could. Kasai finished her meal and followed Avani into the kitchen to rinse her plate, returning to grab her glass and finish off the liquid it held. She nodded when Avani came back into the room carrying her bags. "Okay, I'm going to pack up some of this food real quick. Might as well take it with us, less we have to buy on the road." Returning to the food, she tossed what wouldn't keep in the garbage and then found some containers and parchment to wrap the rest in. Satisfied with the amount of food they would have for a while, she continued wrapping up the food and then quickly cleaned up around the kitchen. After she finished, she tucked the food into the empty spaces in her bags and slung them over her shoulder, also grabbing the trash to take out when she went downstairs. Tossing the garbage in the dumpster, she walked over to meet Avani at the motorcycle with her bags. It would be a tight fit but they could probably manage all they had packed, even if they had to carry a couple of the bags on their backs during the ride. "Okay, so do we have everything we need?" Kasai set her bags on the ground and unzipped them to quickly check them, ruffling through the contents until she was sure she had everything she would need. "I think I'm good to go, anything else to grab before I go lock up the apartment?" She was surprisingly excited, ready to get on the road and get out of Republic City. Still, she knew they didn't need to rush. They'd be worse off if they forgot anything essential anyways.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh She didn't mind Kasai bringing the food with them, though it would take up more space. It didn't feel entirely necessary either when the lovely cook herself would be coming on the trip, but at least they wouldn't have to cook any more food for a while. Avani supposed she would have to do some of the cooking herself since they were both on vacation. It wouldn't be the first time she'd cooked when they'd lived together, but she had a feeling they both preferred when Kasai did it. Shortly after she'd brought all the bags down to the motorcycle and put them inside of any available space, Kasai came down with her own bags. She hoped there wouldn't be too little space for them. It would get uncomfortable fast on a longer drive if there wasn't enough room. They could take a break as soon as they got out of Republic City if it was proving a pain. "I've got everything I need, which is really just my money. I figure we can borrow stuff on the journey if we need it." Avani grinned, after she'd implied that they could rob people if they lacked anything. She knew Kasai wouldn't take kindly to that at all. "Seriously though, I don't think much else would fit on the motorcycle even if you wanted to bring it. Go lock up the apartment and we'll be on our way outta here." Avani took Kasai's bag from her, so that she could go lock the door while she tried to fit even more bags on the already full motorcycle. Somehow, she did get all of the backpacks strapped to or put inside of the motorcycle in the end. Just in time too, as she noticed Kasai had returned. "Hope you weren't just standing there watching me." Avani teased. "It's ready now, so let's get going." She climbed onto the bike, careful not to break anything or make a bag fall. Once on, she put the key in the ignition and turned it. The motorcycle's familiar humming began. It was time to leave, even though she could hardly believe she was actually doing it. A thought about where this path would lead crossed her mind as Kasai got onto the bike as well, then they were off. Avani remained quiet for the first few moments, as they drove down streets she'd walked with friends, uncertain that she would ever return. Those friends were gone, and even if Kasai wanted to return one day Avani wasn't as sure herself. It was a large world. Somewhere there had to be a better place for her than this. Maybe moving back to Ba Sing Se after their journey was over wasn't a bad idea. She hoped she would find an answer soon. She'd even cancelled the contract on her apartment, so there would be nothing to return too unless she moved in with Kasai for real.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "And what if I were?" Kasai smirked back at Avani. She nodded as she confirmed with a look over the motorcycle that all of their things somehow fit on there without tipping it over one way or the other. With the awakening roar of the engine, Kasai drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She climbed onto the bike behind Avani, careful as well to not knock anything loose. Her arms wrapped around her girlfriend's waist as they began on their way down the road. As they drove down streets and passed by buildings, Kasai had a feeling of nostalgia for times of the past. Her entire life was in these streets and alleyways. From her young beginnings as a pro-bender fighting in alleys with her companions, to her days spent in uniform patrolling the streets to keep the citizens of Republic City safe. Now, she was leaving and didn't know when, or if, she would be coming back. The wind blew through her hair as the city started to thin out around them. The thick concrete jungle was now disappearing behind them as open road and terrain rolled out for miles ahead. The view of the road ahead helped to push away any sad feelings of abandonment that Kasai was holding onto as they exited the city. Now, she could feel the sense of freedom and adventure building around them. It was exciting, venturing to see new lands and experience essentially new cultures. Maybe eventually they would make it all the way over to the Fire Nation and she could see for herself how firebenders really live. She had heard of all of the festivals and how grand they were. Sure, there were similar celebrations in the city put on by the local population, but she had a feeling that the ones in the homeland were extravagant. That was a long way off though, if it would ever even happen. The world was a large place, and considering they were starting in the Earth Kingdom, they already had enough to try to see and experience in the worlds largest kingdom. Kasai knew that Ba Sing Se held a special place for Avani, so she was excited to get there and see where her lover came from. All of these thoughts raced through Kasai's mind as they continued on their trip. She figured they wouldn't go a very long time without stopping to take a break from the not so comfortable seating on the motorcycle. Maybe she just needed to get used to the posture on the thing. For now, she decided to stop letting her mind race about the trivial things and enjoy the ride, her arms tightening around Avani's waist slightly more as she pressed herself closer to her.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani was surprised that Kasai was silent and seemingly lost in thought as well when they rode out of Republic City. She supposed they both had mixed feelings about leaving, but Kasai had more of a reason to stay so she wondered why she was being silent. She hoped it wasn't because she'd changed her mind about going on this extended vacation. Perhaps it was just odd to leave her home city with no idea when she'd return, a form of goodbye then. Avani sped up a bit, not wanting to linger any longer in the city than necessary in case someone actually did change her mind. Once they had left the city behind them, Avani felt a lot more comfortable and free. At least her mind could relax, her body was getting sore and tired. No surprise really, but she didn't want to stop too early for a break either. The further they got from Republic City the better, and the sooner they would be in Ba Sing Se. She felt an increase in motivation to keep driving for a few hours more when Kasai tightened her arms around her and pressed her chest against her back. Suddenly the bags and corners poking her didn't bother her as much. "That's certainly comfortable compared to these bags." Avani said loudly enough to hear in the wind, and smiled. "Why did you ever ride in the sidecar when you make such lovely support for my back…" The last comment wasn't said as loudly, and in a somewhat jokingly manner. She did think they should have done it this way sooner though. After a few hours nothing felt comfortable anymore, not even Kasai's chest squished against her back and Avani had to stop the motorcycle. They stopped on the side of the road, some buildings could be seen in the distance around them and they weren't the only ones traveling this road either. It may not be the best place to take a break, but she'd tried to get them as far as she could in one go. Avani wasn't sure how much further it was to the earth kingdom, or if they'd already entered it. The border was unclear to her, but she kind of knew how to get to Ba Sing Se at least. It had been a long time since she'd been there though. She stepped off of the motorcycle, stretched and let herself fall into the grass next to the road. "Aw yeah, that's better." Avani moaned and stared up into the sky. "I need a moment before we continue. We definitely packed a bit too much, so if you want to throw some things away go ahead." She joked, then motioned for Kasai to come lay next to her. "Or you could take a break next to me, babe."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The constant humming and vibrating of the motorcycle had rendered the majority of Kasai's body numb. Her rear had lost feeling about an hour into the trip, and eventually her legs became sore from the straddling position on the bike. Now, they were numb as well. On the plus side, at least she wasn't aching anymore. The scenery hadn't changed all that much. Of course, Kasai had never been to the Earth Kingdom, so she had no way of knowing whether they were in it or not. Shouldn't they have signs? 'Welcome to the Earth Kingdom' or 'You are now leaving the United Republic.' The Earth Queen hadn't seemed like a very warm person to Kasai when she had visited the City. Perhaps she was also not one for welcoming pleasantries. At long last, Avani pulled the motorcycle off to the side of the road for them to take a break. Kasai was relieved, but ventured a guess that driving was even more exhausting than simply holding on for the ride. Kasai practically fell off of the motorcycle after Avani got off. She urged her muscles to work again, but ended up taking her girlfriend up on the offer to join her in lying on the grass. Kasai landed next to her with an "oof" and let out a groan. "I had no idea traveling by motorcycle was so uncomfortable. Course, I guess I'm used to my satomobile with a backrest and cushy seats." She laughed a little and let her body relax from its stiff state. Other vehicles could be heard passing on the road, but getting run over wasn't really a concern Kasai had at the moment. "So, how much farther to Ba Sing Se?" She questioned. It made her feel like some sort of annoying little child, pestering a parent about when a trip would reach its destination. At least it was the first time she had asked. "Looks like a town up ahead, if we need to stay the evening at least we won't be stranded." Camping on the side of the road might not be the best idea. Hopefully if they had to stay they would be able to find a more suitable camping spot. Kasai stretched before rolling over and planting a kiss on Avani's cheek. "Don't let me lay here too long or I may fall asleep." The warm glow of the sun and the soft patch of grass they were resting in made for a dangerous recipe for a nap. Part of her could fall asleep right then, and another part wanted to continue with their travels so that they could get into the fun, adventuring part.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "Well, if we hadn't brought so much stuff with us it would be fine." Avani said, rolling her eyes. A motorcycle was so much better than a satomobile, though maybe they should have brought both. Kasai could have driven a satomobile with all their packing while Avani was free to enjoy the wind in her hair, superior maneuverability and speed of her bike. "Besides, a sidecar is more comfortable than any cushy seat. I used to fall asleep in one when an old… friend of mine was driving." She could hear the slight annoyance in her own voice, but it didn't have anything to do with Kasai. It was just traveling for several hours straight after waking up with a hangover. Thankfully the hangover hadn't come back, but it was still a bad wake up. "Honestly, I'm not sure how much longer. It's been a long time since I was back in the earth kingdom, and even then I didn't go to Ba Sing Se last time I was here. Let's just hope we traveled in the right direction." Avani joked, and laughed as she stared at the sky. She was sure they'd gone the right direction. There wasn't many other directions they could have gone from Republic City without ending up in the Earth Kingdom, unless they'd traveled by sea. "Stranded…?" Avani found the word choice strange. "Yes, luckily there's a town over there so we won't get stranded on a deserted island. Nevermind the fact that we've traveled away from the sea. Better watch out for those sneaky islands, don't want any of that "water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink." stuff to happen." The snark was strong, but she laughed to pass it off as a joke. That's what she'd meant it to be. She smiled when Kasai kissed her on the cheek. "Who is gonna keep me from falling asleep then?" Avani sat up, so that they wouldn't both fall asleep next to the road and leave their belongings unguarded. It would be easy for someone to just get on the motorcycle and drive off. Avani closed her eyes, and enjoyed the sunlight for a moment or two. They couldn't stay there all day if they wanted to get somewhere though. She looked at Kasai laying in the grass next to her, and it did seem as if she'd fallen asleep. Avani snuck her hand underneath Kasai's shirt, felt her up and then tried to shake her awake. "Come on, let's go visit that town. We can ask about lodgings and how far it is to Ba Sing Se. At the very least we won't be stranded…" She returned to the motorcycle, and waited for Kasai with the intention to drive them over to the town.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The road to Ba Sing Se was an interesting one. Village after village and town after town began to pop up as their journey brought them closer to the heart of the Earth Kingdom. Every so often they would stop in a town to rest or eat or refuel. The first part of the road trip was somewhat familiar to Kasai as far as culture and traditions go. Seeing as Republic City and the United Republic used to be Earth territory itself, she could recognize things that had been passed along from the Earth Kingdom people to the mixed population of the UR. As they got further into earth territory the scenery started to change. Far different from the bustle of the city she was used to, a more agricultural tone took over the landscape. It was interesting to her to see how life was outside of the city. It seemed that the technologies developed by companies like Future Industries and Cabbage Corp. were helping them, but the majority of it looked like good ol' hard work and sweat. Kasai respected that, the fact that what they had came from their own hands and not some machine. She figured things might become more industrial again as they got closer to Ba Sing Se, but then again she had never been there. They probably could have made it to Ba Sing Se much quicker had they been a little more focused in their travels. However, Kasai insisted on doing a little exploring every time they stopped, even to just take a look around a small village or have a walk through the woods. She didn't decide to up and leave her life to travel to be stuck on the back of a motorcycle the whole time. Kasai knew she was probably getting on Avani's nerves with the requests, but she figured she could make it up to her later. Finally they neared the capital city of the Earth Kingdom. Kasai's jaw dropped as the massive walls surrounding the city spread out for miles around them. She knew that Ba Sing Se was famous for its great walls that protected the city, but she never imagined they would be so impressive. The photographs she had seen did not do it justice. "Whoa." She muttered, maybe louder than she had intended to. She held on tight as her girlfriend drove them down the road to enter the city. It was rather busy, many other vehicles clogging up the roadway. Not too surprising, because from what Kasai could tell, Ba Sing Se was practically the size of a small country. They neared the walls and after proper inspection and whatnot, they were allowed to enter with the other cleared vehicles. Kasai looked up as they passed through the massive barrier and entered the city. "Alright. Consider me impressed." She said, looking around now at what lay within the walls. "Where to now, oh mighty tour guide?" She said with a smile. Even though it had been a long time since Avani had even been to Ba Sing Se, Kasai was sure she probably already had a few destinations picked out. Kasai now wondered what kind of fun, or trouble, they could find for themselves while they were here.</s> <\|message\|>Mi Soo Avani found the first days of the journey somewhat tiresome, even if there were plenty of moments that were enjoyable. Maybe she could find someone that might be able to improve her motorcycle once they arrived in Ba Sing Se, add another sidecar to it or something. Some support for her back, and improvements to the engine so that the whole thing shook less would be great too. She began to find the trip more relaxing once the scenery changed to plains that reminded her of her childhood. Not much seemed to have change, but then she didn't have any clear memories to remember it by. She appreciated most of the breaks that Kasai wanted to make, even if some were more than a little unnecessary in her opinion.There wasn't all that much difference between one place and the other out here. Ba Sing Se was the real treasure, but she kept her complaints to a minimum. Truthfully, she found it pleasant to take strolls while holding hands or making it out in a forest that weren't infested with corrupted spirits, but the thought that Kasai would make it up to her later was too appealing for Avani to not act a little annoyed at least. She found herself less easily annoyed than the first day too. Avani grinned when she heard Kasai voice her reaction to the city's impressive walls. They'd finally arrived, and it felt good to be back. It was a massive city though, and it wouldn't truly feel like home until the got to the middle ring district where she'd once lived. It took a while for them to even get through the gate, due to everyone else that was waiting, but she didn't have much problem getting past the guards doing the inspection. Earth benders were highly valued here, and she only had to explain that she had returned to visit her childhood home. "Tour guide, huh?" Avani scoffed with a smile. "I doubt I'd be any good for the cultural landmarks and all that, but I could probably find some fun places." She was hesitant about telling Kasai where they needed to go, where she'd kind of expected she'd end up once she came back to the city. "Um, we should probably stop in with my family. I haven't talked with them much since mom got locked up and I tried… Nevermind that, but they'd be offended if they found out I'd been in the city without visiting, and if we stay too long they'd just send someone to fetch me." It was mainly her cousins, aunt, uncles and grandmother. She doubted there'd be anyone else around. She hadn't informed anyone she was coming after all, but imagined they would be cool with it. It wasn't like she needed to crash with them, though it was likely they'd offer the two of them to stay. She wasn't sure how to introduce Kasai either. "We better get to the middle district before deciding on anything else." Avani said, and continued struggling with the muddy dirt roads of the lower ring district. The district where all the peasants and poor people lived. "We could find an inn once we get there, or we could get the whole family business over with. Your call, but I don't know how they'd all react to you know, us."</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "Family, right." Kasai said, scratching the back of her neck a little nervously with one hand as they made their way through the outer-most ring of the city. Family introductions hadn't exactly been discussed, and the topic made Kasai a little uneasy. Their relationship had already been hard enough, even though now they were on to the good bits. Having to pass the family exam wasn't something she thought she would have to deal with yet, but Kasai swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "Sounds like fun. Let's just stop in with them first then." She said as she continued to look around the inner workings of Ba Sing Se. The outer ring bared a resemblance to Republic City's poorer neighborhoods, but she still found plenty to wander at nonetheless. Kasai couldn't help but think of Avani's family. Were they all as intense as she was? If they were, Kasai might not survive this trip. Then again, Avani herself said she didn't know how they would react to them as a couple, so maybe Kasai would get introduced as some sort of traveling companion instead. Not that that was quite how she wanted to be introduced either. Regardless, they were here and it was happening. Kasai was going to suck it up and put on a smile and handle it the best way she could. It took them a little while to get out of the crowded lower district, but they eventually were let to pass into the middle ring. It seemed like there were a lot of residents from the lower ring who tried to flood the gate when it was opened for Avani and Kasai, but there were guards to make sure they didn't get through. Kasai wondered why it was so pertinent that they couldn't go into the next district, but it seemed very serious. The walls they entered now held a very nice and quaint feel within. There were merchants on the sides of the brick-lined streets and people bustling around on the sidewalks. It was quite a change from just a few meters back in the outer edge of Ba Sing Se, and an immediate one at that. "So, this is where you grew up, huh?" Kasai poked Avani. "Not going to run into any crazy ex-girlfriends are we?" She teased with a laugh. "'Cause I didn't plan on getting into any fights today."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "Noted." Kasai replied when Avani claimed herself as the crazy ex-girlfriend. "But if I have to fight anyone off from trying to steal you away then so be it." She said with a smirk. Soon though, they were parking the motorcycle on the side of the road and Avani was motioning towards a house. It looked like a nice home, and Kasai entertained the thought of a tiny Avani running around barefoot causing a ruckus once upon a time. That moment of daydreaming was interrupted when a herd of rambunctious children came crashing through the front door of the house, nearly taking the couple out in their treacherous path. Kasai blinked a few times and relaxed her tensed shoulders after the threat of being plowed down by the kids passed. Following Avani's gaze up, she was met with the first of her kin. "Hi, I'm Kasai. Nice to meet you." She stuck her hand out to shake the cousin's hand, and then followed quietly inside. Thoughts of bolting out the door and escaping the horrid and unavoidable moments of awkwardness and judgement that were to come flashed through her mind ever so briefly. Why couldn't she be the supportive girlfriend? No, babe, don't worry! Everything will be fine, your family will love to see you and blah blah blah... Unfortunately, whatever support she had to offer got left on the doormat. Kasai stood by idly as Avani reunited with her grandmother, a site that actually seemed to calm her nerves a bit over the whole situation. It was nice to see family bonds deep enough to forgive what seemed like timely wounds. The calm that had found Kasai soon scurried away as Avani's grandmother turned attention onto her. However, she managed to put on a genuine smile and (hopefully) show as little nervousness as possible as she shook Ekta's hand. "It's very nice to meet you, ma'am. You have a lovely home." Kasai said to the elderly woman before joining the others in taking a seat. "Don't worry, ma'am, I'll keep Avani here out of trouble," she said reassuringly. Well, she would try at least. Trouble seemed to find them. Kasai thought the conversation was going fairly well so far. Slow, but steady. That is, until Ekta offered for the pair to take one of those with them. In that moment, Kasai's face was probably the same shade of red as a Fire Nation banner. She laughed nervously, smiling through it while she choked down the lump in her throat. It was quite comical, actually. She was glad Avani's family was humorous instead of austere, but that didn't make it any less painful or awkward for her. Still, she smiled when Ekta whispered to the two, having calmed from the immediate shock of the proposal. "What a generous offer, what do you think?" Kasai looked at Avani with a grin. "I'm just kidding, I haven't even given any thought to children honestly." She said to Ekta, following her gaze out the window to the children who were playing outside. "Was Avani as boisterous as a kid?" She asked curiously. Well, it wasn't going to help to just sit here and act like a mute. Might as well get some good stories out of it. "I'd love to hear any embarrassing childhood stories that she'd never dream of mentioning."</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani felt like dying when she heard Kasai's nervous reaction next to her in the sofa, but didn't turn to look at her. She stared straight ahead, shifting a bit in her seat. When Kasai asked her what she thought about the offer, Avani didn't know whether to laugh or scream. Thankfully she didn't need to come up with a response, as Kasai didn't wait for one before clarifying that she was joking as well. She breathed out in relief. Hopefully her grandmother wouldn't push the topic further, because she was fairly certain she'd been serious. It wasn't really in her power to give any of the kids away though, as they were probably Avani's cousins. She imagined it did get annoying living with so many noisy kids, but giving them away was hardly the best option. "It is a nice home I suppose." Ekta finally said after having been silent for a while. "Shame. Well there's still time for you, but you shouldn't wait too long, dear. Avani here isn't gonna become any more of a man over the years." She paused and muttered to herself. "Stories about little Avani, hmm…" "Ekta!" Her cousin scolded their grandmother when she returned to the living room with tea and cups on a tray. "Don't try to push everyone into getting kids." She placed the tray on a table in front of the sofa, then took a seat next to Avani. "Though I do wonder what your poor mother will think when she hears about your… predicament." Avani wasn't surprised by Jaya's attitude towards her. They had never gotten along all that well, even as kids, and maybe a part of her had hoped they wouldn't have met now that she returned. She was grateful that Jaya had interrupted any embarrassing childhood memory from surfacing for the moment though. "Pfft, her poor mother." Ekta scoffed. "I'll deal with her, and you too if you don't watch your tongue." Jaya grinned at Avani, but didn't say anything else. Instead she sipped on her tea. "What was I about to say…" Ekta muttered to herself, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Embarrassing stories about Avani as a kid, nana. She'd love to share them with her girlfriend." Jaya kept grinning at Avani, and didn't pay much attention to the other two. She got the urge to punch her in the face, which reminded her of all the times she had pulled Jaya's hair or pushed her around. Maybe she had it coming, karma for what she'd done so many years ago. "Ah yes, I remember. Avani was as bad as those out there, but I guess it's a family trait. Yeah, she was boisterous, but she liked storytime too. It happened more than once that we realized she'd been gone for a long while without anyone knowing where she was, and then we'd find her in some odd place where she was searching for fairytale creatures or spirits. Once she turned a storage room upside down and fell asleep." Avani waited for something worse to be brought up, expecting her grandmother to think of a better story than that because she was sure there were quite a few. She could have told Kasai herself if she'd asked, but then what was family for if not to embarrass her. "Oh, I know." Jaya said, and turned towards Kasai. "I have an older sister, Avani's cousin." "Please don't." Avani whispered, and closed her eyes. She knew where this was headed, she'd tried to forget certain memories of that one cousin. "Avani used to follow her around all the time when she was like five or six. My sister even treated her as a friend. I was kind of jealous, cause it was my sister, right? So I asked Avani why she spent so much time with my sister, and she confessed she may have a crush on her." Jaya snorted. "It gets better, cause I convinced Avani that she should tell her, and eventually she did after some persuasion. Except she did it at a family dinner after we'd heard that an old friend had died to brighten up the mood." Jaya burst out laughing, but soon yelped and spilled some of her tea when Avani pinched her arm hard. She glared at Avani, then placed her cup on the table and used her apron to clean the worst of it up. Ekta shook her head and smiled. "Heh, children. Of course, no one took her seriously because she was a child, and children don't understand that kind of love. It actually did make some of us laugh too, so she did brighten the mood even if it wasn't in the way she'd intended."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai proceeded to sit rather uncomfortably while the conversation shifted. The assumption she had been garnering that things had so far went well was soon beginning to change in her mind, and she hoped that it was not reflected on her face. There was clearly tension between Avani and her cousin, and after Kasai saw Avani's reaction to the upcoming story, she felt terrible for ever suggesting such a tale be brought up. Kasai nodded occasionally and listened actively as Jaya told the story, but found her laughter to be a little obnoxious following the conclusion of the story. It didn't seem to be too terribly embarrassing from Kasai's point of view, but clearly it upset Avani. Still, she nodded and found it amusing to imagine a tiny version of Avani confessing a crush to a table full of mourning family members. Maybe these type of stories always feel worse from the other side. Perhaps Avani would get the same opportunity one day with Kasai's parents, who knows. "Sounds like quite the story." Kasai said, giving Avani a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Funny how much children actually understand that adults usually dismiss." What was that saying? Children were like drunk adults? Brutally honest and naive all at the same time. "They must have been quite the handful, though. I grew up an only child, and any cousins of mine I did not see very often." It was true, her parents being in Republic City and the majority of her mother's family living back in the Fire Nation meant that family visits were kept to a minimum. In fact, they never left the City. Kasai didn't know why, but it was a rare occasion that a cousin or uncle would show up in town and they would have a get-together. As for her father's family, he was an orphan. Kasai and her mother were all he had. "I respect the large family unit though, almost wish I had had more family when I was growing up. Might've allowed me to have a little more fun when I was a kid." It was no secret that Kasai was a little too serious at times. Well, that may be in part due to having no companions other than a pet deerdog as a child. She was a little envious of the big family concept, having so many loved ones around you all the time. Then again, she was content with just she and her parents.</s> <\|message\|>Mi Soo Avani appreciated Kasai showing her support by patting her on the shoulder, but then she had to carry on and say something like that. Sure, normally it wouldn't have been that bad, just an innocent comment about children. In the context of Avani having a crush on her cousin though, a family member, it became inappropriate. Especially when they were still in the company of her family. It had already made Jaya stifle a laugh as Kasai continued speaking. Why... She mouthed at Kasai with a glare, surprise visible in her eyes. Had she done something to upset her lately, which made her want to get back at her? That'd explain this situation. She didn't know what that could be, but she'd hoped the woman would be more mature than this. "So…" Jaya coughed after she'd clean up her mess, and grinned once more at Avani. "You're saying Avani did understand her feelings for her cousin? I just never considered that her first love was unrequited and incestous. Either way, I guess the embarrassing story is longer now if someone else asks. The next girlfriend perhaps." She expected Jaya to laugh, but instead her cousin sipped her tea and watched Kasai. There was a sinister undertone to her cousin's words. Did you really just come into my house and suggest my cousin is into incest? Do you want me to beat you here, or take it outside? As much as they may fight each other, Jaya considered her family. Avani wasn't sure what to do, supporting either side before anyone had had a chance to explain themselves might, somehow, make her look even worse. "They were indeed, and still manage to be." Ekta responded to Kasai, before anyone else could say another word. "Communication and respect is very important in a large family, or it is likely to fall apart. I've seen family members fall out too many times, but I've also seen them stand up for each other over the most minor of slights. Slights that weren't always real, so break it off, Jaya." Ekta said with a tone that left no room for questioning. Break it off, or I'll break you. It was interspersed in the response to Kasai so casually, but then the old woman was used to talking to someone and scolding another. "I don't know about fun though. I imagine a single sibling is better than none or ten."</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai assumed the conversation would have been dropped at that. Maybe another comment about how siblings are wonderful or terrible or they grow on you or... whatever else. When she saw the look on Avani's face and the word she mouthed, her brow furrowed. Why what? What'd she do now? At the sound of Jaya beginning to speak, she raised an eyebrow and turned her head. Kasai didn't like that grin on her face. She shifted her feet nervously. "Uh?" Well. It appeared Avani's cousin was a fan of taking things out of context and jumping to conclusions. But what was Kasai supposed to do? Getting in an argument with a family member that she had only just met would not only upset her girlfriend's family, but no doubt offend Avani as well. In that case, she was as good as abandoned here in the Earth Kingdom, heartbroken and alone. Then again, not defending herself meant she conceded to the accusations. That showed a weak spine and it wasn't in her personality to back down like that. Kasai was stuck between a rock and a hard place. "Well, I never said that, actually." She started, trying to choose her words carefully. Apparently, she would need to filter everything she said twice over before she spoke it. "I hardly assume that an innocent childhood crush quite amounted to the symbolism of a 'first love,' as you put it. Despite how indicative the concept behind it might have been," before Kasai could formulate a proper way to say that a crush on a cousin at such a young age does not equate an incestuous desire, Ekta chimed in to a prior comment and poured a gallon of ice water on the other conversation. Well, at least Kasai didn't leave her tail tucked between her legs. Kasai nodded to Ekta's comments and twiddled her thumbs in her lap as she tried to gauge if the tone in the room had changed too much. Maybe it was time for her to insert foot into mouth... "Well, everyone has their pitfalls. Large families and small alike. Quarrels and squabbles. Strong ties, though. That's important no matter the size." There, that was an innocent enough comment, right? Okay, she was done talking now. Lest she wind up knocked through the wall buried in a pile of rubble.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai breathed a huge sigh of relief after finally stepping from the home back out into the fresh air of the day. She had felt like she had just been through the ringer. The pressure of approval from a significant other's family members was far worse than she had anticipated it to be. Was that what the criminals felt like during interrogation? Kasai wondered if that was what being on the other side of it was like. Overall, Kasai liked Avani's family, particularly her grandmother. She supposed there would be more where Ekta and Jaya came from, but for now Avani seemed bent on getting them away for a little while. As she felt herself being turned around by Avani, she didn't even notice the woman standing next to the motorcycle. Kasai's fear was that now that they were away from the eyes and ears of her family, she was about to get reamed for something she had said inside. Before Avani opened her mouth, Kasai spat off at a million miles a minute. "ImsorryforwhateverIsaidthatwasscary." She blinked a few times after hearing the question of what she wanted to do, and laughed nervously. "Heheh... oh." Kasai sighed and remembered that she didn't need to walk on eggshells anymore, so she shrugged. "I don't know, is there somewhere around here for-" Before the sentence was finished, she felt Avani press her face against her own rather forcefully. Kasai was a little surprised, but did not turn away. She thought maybe she was talking too much and this was Avani's way of getting her to shut up. Alright, fine. She had clearly made Avani upset back in there with her family, so she made up for it a little here with an equal return of ardor and by moving a hand up her girlfriend's body. After a few brief moments, she did pull away. Wouldn't want the children or family to run outside down the street and see that after all. "Alright," she began to speak, starting to turn to walk back towards the bike again, "how about we just drive until we see somewhere that's intere-" Kasai stopped in her tracks when she turned her head and saw a woman laying over the bike rather suggestively. "Who's that?"</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani couldn't really make out the words Kasai had said at first, something about sorry, but she'd been talking too fast. She'd interrupted her with that kiss once she'd slowed down, so she hadn't caught the entire meaning of what she'd meant to say then either. She was surprised when Kasai moved a hand up her body, and almost pulled away. If they weren't careful, this would be another embarrassing moment that involved her relatives. She thought she'd heard giggling, but it was probably just paranoia. Even if someone was giggling, it didn't have to be because of them. Avani was about to explain that she'd wondered what Kasai wanted to do about their living situation. Should they stay for free with her family, or find some room to rent? She didn't get a chance before Kasai pulled away and turned around to Iluq on the motorcycle though. Avani certainly could have stopped her, but not without using force to keep her in place. That would have made the situation worse, and even more suspicious. Maybe she could talk her way out of it still. No, knowing Iluq she wouldn't get that chance either. Maybe she should retreat back into the house and lock the door behind her. "That's…" Avani tried to think up an explanation on the spot. "just a tourist. Haha, crazy waterbenders this time of year." Iluq noticed that they'd stopped ignoring her at that point, of course she would, so she got off the motorcycle and came running up to Avani with a wink and a smile. "Hey, Avani. I didn't know you were back home. I recognized the bike." She grinned with her whole face, while leaning on her toes with her hands behind her back. At least she was keeping her hands to herself. "You've changed though. What happened to your eye? And your arm?" "Oh! Oh it's you, Iluq!" Avani said, trying to play it off as she'd just now realized that the waterbender was familiar to her, not a random stranger. "Um, well, that's a long story. I lost my eye, and my arm was badly injured so I got a tattoo to cover it up." "Aw, you trying to hurt my feelings. I haven't changed much." Iluq said, but Avani could see she'd changed quite a bit. She'd grown in all the right places. She supposed it wasn't that odd when they hadn't seen each other for years. Avani quickly averted her gaze to stare at the ground when she remembered Kasai. Iluq switched her attention to Kasai at that point too. "Your new girlfriend, I take it?" Before Avani could respond to the question, Iluq had pounced on Kasai with a hug. Avani knew that while the hug may seem innocent or awkward, it had a sinister purpose. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Iluq." She said, while searching through the woman's pockets, but disguising it as if she was getting a little too handsy. Eventually, Iluq pulled away and pocketed anything of value, assuming she'd found anything. Avani had seen her do the same routine a number of times, but she was a quicker pickpocket than anyone else she'd known. She wondered if Kasai had even been able to tell that her ex had searched through her pockets, or if the sudden experience of getting felt up by someone dressed like Iluq with that body had been too much for the cop to pay attention to basics. "Did you have anything in your pockets, Kasai?" Avani asked with a smirk. "Aw, when did you become such a tattletale." Iluq laughed.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Tourist? Man, crazy waterbender was right. Kasai was ready to write it off and ask the scantily dressed woman if she would kindly stop using the vehicle as a platform before she noticed a glimmer of recognition in the woman's eye as she began to make her way over without any prompt. Kasai raised an eyebrow and watched as the stranger shot a wink at Avani and then addressed her by name. Kasai turned a skeptical gaze towards Avani, who was now shuffling through words with some struggling effort. Mhm... tourist. Clearly the pair knew each other fairly well, though possible quite a while ago, for the waterbender to question the scars and injuries. Kasai studied Avani, noticing how awkwardly she seemed to be handling the reunion. Kasai sensed some history between the two. She didn't have long to ponder how serious it was before she was tackled by the waterbender, who introduced herself while getting a little too hands-on with Kasai. Today was just full of unpleasant greetings, wasn't it? "Um," Kasai stood there, arms trapped beneath the other woman's in an awkward, forced embrace that lasted far too long. She let out a relieved sigh when the hug finally ceased, trying not to let it be heard as she took a step back and put on a smile. "Pleasures all mine," she said with a nod. "My pockets? Why are you asking about..." Kasai's hands went to her pockets and felt that they were in fact empty. Not that she had had a lot in them, just some change and a small metal trinket that she had gotten from a metal bender in one of the smaller villages they had stopped in on the way to Ba Sing Se. Kasai felt her eye twitch. How could she not have known something like that was happening to her? It should have been blatantly obvious, especially since she was trained to spot such activities. Mentally beating herself, she outwardly chuckled a few times before putting her hands up in a relenting gesture. "Good one, that's quite the skill you got there. Mind if I have that stuff back?" It might not hold any real value, she could go without the spare change, but she wanted the trinket back. It was the start of her collection of items from their worldly travels, and it wasn't something that could be bought at a tourist shop. Kasai finished kicking herself for not catching on and instead blamed it on the circumstances. This Iluq girl seemed to be a few years younger than them, and already pretty good at thievery. Forcing her cop-brain off, Kasai instead decided to seize the opportunity to generate some conversation. "So how do you two know each other?"</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani shook her head when Kasai was confused about why she'd asked about her pockets, and sighed somewhat loud. Oh joy, the cop was so distracted by a half naked woman that she couldn't even notice that. It was a bit embarrassing, and she wondered what her cop friends would have thought. She could see them reacting the same way. In reality though, if she shifted some blame onto Kasai it would probably be easier to get away with how she had lied about not knowing Iluq and that her ex would tell her all about them if given a chance. "What do I get out of it?" Iluq asked, putting her hands on her hips and leaning defiantly forward towards Kasai. "I won't beat your ass if you give it back. That's what you get out of it." Avani threatened, and reached for Iluq, but due to her decreased depth perception or because she'd spoken too soon, Iluq managed to dodge her hand and step out of reach. It felt odd when she had never had trouble catching the quick waterbender before. She shifted her foot, and sent a wave that made the ground shift under Iluq's feet. The waterbender lost her balance and stumbled, but didn't fall. "Fine, fine! She can have it back. I was just teasing." Iluq shouted to make Avani stop, but she was hesitant about actually giving back anything that she'd rightfully stolen from a clueless target. Silly girl wouldn't have known about it if Avani had stayed quiet. Things sure had changed since they used to spend every day together and rule the streets. She put her hand into one of her pockets and took it back out with what she'd taken from Kasai, plus a bunch of coins and a few pieces of jewellry she'd gotten earlier the same day. She had a surprisingly large amount of pockets sewn into her clothing. It certainly helped to wear as little as possible to prey upon those who were distracted by an attractive young female. "Oh, we don't really. It was a long time ago." Avani told her girlfriend to make her think that their relationship had been nothing special. Did she need to lie? The worst part was the thought that Avani really believed what she was saying. "Haaa…" Iluq playfully punched Avani's arm. "Well, it may have been a long time ago, but we were inseparable growing up. She made me think we'd be together forever, and then she stole my heart. I guess it wasn't that valuable though, as she moved to another city without much of an explanation." Iluq words created an awkward silence, and she kind of wished she'd kept them to herself, but out of spite she wanted this new girl to hear about what had happened.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai watched the two females banter a little back and forth, but was a little surprised at Avani's threat to Iluq if she dared not return the pick-pocketed items. Part of the threat and ensuing playful scuffle made Kasai glad to have Avani defend her. On the other hand, though, she couldn't tell if she sensed a change in Avani's attitude or not. Maybe it was all in jest, who knows. Nevertheless, Kasai held her hand out expecting to be rewarded with her returned items. Instead, she looked on with widened eyes at the handful of bounty that Iluq proudly pulled from her pockets. Pockets that seemed to come out of nowhere, really. Kasai could hear a pencil scratching notes on a pad in the back of her mind for future reference... When the conversation returned to Kasai's question she casually shifted her eyes between Avani and Iluq. It was clear there was a little bit of an awkward mist in the air. Avani denied any real prior relationship. Kasai raised an eyebrow when Iluq was all too eager to pony up a story about a more intimate background. But then... the awkward mist turned into a fog so thick it could be cut with a knife, and a still silence followed it. Why did Avani feel like she needed to fib about how she knew Iluq? Or was the young waterbender the one contributing lies to the story? Kasai didn't know, but she shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Looking down, she kicked a pebble absentmindedly as she tried to think of how to follow that up with a question or comment. Go with sarcasm? Well, let's hope she doesn't do the same to me! Haha! A question? So that must've been when you moved to Republic City? Hell, Kasai had had her fill of awkward conversations for the day. But, she had to push through it. "So..." she kicked the pebble again before looking back up, "I take it that's when Avani came to Republic City? You never told me you were a heart breaker when you were younger, haha..." Mentally punching self in face. "Anyways! I'm hungry, is there anywhere around here we could go sit and talk over a bite to eat?"</s>
<\|description\|>Avani Shailesh Age: 23 Appearance: White eye patch, left eye. Tattoo of two dragons intertwined across left arm. Element: Earth Bio: Avani was born in Ba Sing Se, but moved to Republic City with her parents when she was ten years old. Early on she had an interest in stories about spirits and the spiritual world, despite being an earthbender. In her teens, she met Ryuu and they became quick friends. They would train and hang out together. Not much changed over the years. They worked, played and lived their lives. When the spirit portals were reopened Avani was instantly interested in visiting the other world. It was around the same time that she met Mi, one of the new airbenders who couldn't quite control their powers. She quite literally fell out of the sky into her lap. The three were later assigned to the taskforce that was created to deal with the spirits that had appeared in Republic City. Name: Iluq Yakone Age: 20</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The sound of earth moving caught Kasai's ears, and she thought she heard Avani, or something at least, headed towards her shelter. She jumped a little when Avani's voice was produced above her at one of the air holes. Looking up, she had little to no time for speaking before Avani opened her own mouth and of course began the morning with mockery and jest. Kasai opened her mouth several times to interject, but was cut off at each brief pause when Avani again would begin speaking. She held the conversation with herself, then finally a door to Kasai's shelter was opened and Avani was quick to crawl inside. She donned a devilish grin and Kasai was left sitting there with a strange expression on her face, partly because of the strange nature of Avani's commentary. "But... I made breakfast. And you know what they say, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach. Isn't that what you wanted, a woman who can cook a mean canned spam?" She laughed briefly before the next comment made her shut up. Kasai looked down at the canned meat that she had heated up and frowned as well, sniffing for a moment and realizing it very well may have sent a bad signal to Avani's brain while she slept. She scratched her head but then shrugged, "Well I would hope for your sake that in the future you won't have to smell your own flesh burning." She smirked and then grabbed a plastic fork, sticking it in one of the cans of food and handing it to Avani before grabbing her own. There were a few slices of bread in the bag, so she got out a piece and split it in half, rationing their food because spirits know how much longer they'll be trapped in here. She took a bite, weary at first of the canned and seemingly untrustworthy meat. However, the flavor wasn't as bad as she had expected, and she managed to get it down pretty easily. She knew the calories and energy contained within the meal would be crucial for their journey for the rest of the day, so she ate as much as she could and finished off with her bread, which she toasted with her firebending. She looked at Avani and licked her lips of any remaining saltiness that the food had left, and then looked out the wall of the shelter. It was plenty light outside now, should be very easy to navigate. The map sat folded in the backpack, so Kasai grabbed it and unfolded it in between them. "We should be pretty close now. Not that far to go before we should be right on top of them, at least I hope." She shook her head and stared at the map for a moment more before looking again outside of the small rock space that they were both in. They both sat just inches from each other due to the small parameter of the shelter, and Kasai looked at Avani while she ate. "See, my survival cooking skills are clearly perfectly honed." She grinned and then started cleaning up the area, placing items back in her bag before getting out a canteen of water and taking a drink, then handing it to Avani. "Now just imagine what I can do with some quality ingredients, I should have been a chef instead." She laughed and finished cleaning up. "We should get a move on pretty quick. Don't need to waste any daylight," She grabbed the bag and began to crawl out of the shelter, dragging it behind her as she made her way forward on all-fours.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani took the can of food and the bread that was handed to her, eating with a sly smile across her face, eyeing Kasai whenever she was not busy putting it in her mouth. They were looking at each other, but not saying much before they had finished eating. Avani kept the sly smile on her lips all along. The food did taste pretty good considering what it was and who had provided them with the ingredients. It was unlikely that Republic city would care much for what they made their people eat when they were on missions, other than that it should have a lot of nutrition. She watched Kasai unfold the map, and looked at it herself. There seemed to be a body of water not too far from where they may be, if she was reading the map correctly, so what Kasai told her was hopefully true. She wanted to get out of the spirit world already, but at the same time she wished she could have entered it under different circumstances or return when it had been healed from the evil inside. "Yeah, you're good enough." Avani said teasingly with a wink. "I wouldn't know if you could be a chef before I tasted something better than military rations though. I'd certainly be more interested in someone who is a chef though." Avani finished her food, and handed the dishes to Kasai for her to put back into the only bag they had now. She gratefully took the canteen of water and drank as much as she dared without leaving them with nothing to drink later. "After you." Avani grinned. "Wouldn't want to miss the spectacular views that the daylight provides either, now would I." Kasai was forced to crawl over and past Avani who was seated near the entrance. She quite enjoyed seeing her on all fours when she was this close, so Avani didn't feel the need to move or make it easier for Kasai to get outside. She did crawl outside after her once the firebender had gotten outside and stood up on her feet. Avani regained the sly smile she had donned earlier, and looked at Kasai. "So, it would be wrong for me to attempt to seduce you without a dinner, but it's totally cool for you to try to romance me, huh?" Her smile widened. "Or as you said yourself, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach? I suppose that breakfast could count as a dinner if you want it too. I don't mind either way. I'm just surprised you seemed to imply that you wanted to be a woman that I would want." Avani laughed, patted Kasai on the back and destroyed their shelters. She figured it was unlikely anyone would be following them, but if they were there was no one reason she had to make it easy to find them. She didn't think anyone who may want to assist them knew how bad their situation had gotten yet. "After you, Kasai. You are the one with the map after all." Avani said, and followed Kasai. They walked for a while before Avani decided to bring it up again, letting a short laugh ring out previous to her voice. "No one's ever said they wanted to romance me before, to be honest, so it's kind of flattering, Lady Sergeant. But what if I enjoy the single life too much, hmm? Maybe I got ladies throwing themselves on me all the time at home, or maybe I'm already engaged. Did you think about that?" Avani couldn't help but laugh loudly after making fun of Kasai again.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Raising an eyebrow, Kasai looked to Avani with watchful eyes. She had a mischievous grin plastered to her face for the last passing minutes in the shelter and replaced it after they had both exited the rock enclosure. It was a bit concerning, considering that Kasai had learned in the past 24 hours that Avani enjoyed trickery and jest as if it were first nature to her. However, she seemed to be avoiding any harsh consequences to continue her punishment of Kasai that had began the morning before, so Kasai relaxed a bit and enjoyed the fact that the two were actually getting along. Quite a transformation from just a day ago, when they were at each other's throats over a chest of food. There were always those stories about how a traumatic experience can change people, form unlikely bonds, and bring enemies together. Perhaps those stories had a hint of truth about them. "Romancing may be pushing it a bit..." a smirk grew across her lips and then she shrugged, "But, at least I had food to fit the occasion. Ya know, other than the whole giving you nightmares stuff..." She scratched her arm nervously, "Yeah, uh, sorry about that." Kasai watched as the shelters were destroyed and returned to their previous state, then she nodded and turned around, heading in the direction of where she hoped they would find Kieron and Mio. Traveling in silence, Kasai thought about seeing her friend again, it made her smile for a moment as she trekked forwards. A laugh came from behind and Kasai looked over her shoulder at Avani, who was up to something sarcastic again. Kasai was used to it now, so if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. She figured returning the teasing would be better than the alternative of hurt pride and hateful words. "Hm, so you're flattered and yet, here you are giving me enough cover stories to turn me off of ever cooking you canned meat again." Kasai laughed shortly and heartily, but then regained herself and continued walking, all the while glancing back at Avani while she spoke. "Well, to be honest I hadn't considered. But then again, I hadn't considered being within a ten foot radius of you yesterday morning unless it was for the purpose of strangling you." She shrugged again, her tone wasn't too negative or cross as she was just imitating the way in which Avani spoke. "Seems like that went out the window though. Did you ever consider that I'm a police officer though?" She smirked and turned around to face Avani while she spoke this time, pausing their forward movement. "I'm a detective," a cunning grinned played across her face as she took a step towards Avani now, "Which means I know how to take information I'm given, and sort through all the bull. I know how to find things out, get down to the real truth." She stepped closer again, keeping her eye contact steady. "So, if anything you said before was true, you would have some explaining to do to people other than myself. That must not be the case then, because you don't seem like one to have any commitments at the moment." She smile grew wider on her face as she took another step. "And if you're living it up in some bachelorette pad somewhere then you have got it made, let me tell ya. But I have this feeling..." the last gap between them was closed when she took the final step, "That that also isn't true. I have this feeling that you're guilty of seducing an officer of the law and assaulting her with intent." She looked down at the hole in her coat and then back at Avani, "So, how do you plead?"</s>	<\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani grinned as Kasai began to play along, then she stopped walking when she turned around and began to take steps towards her while talking. She listened curiously, but the grin grew less and less confident with each sentence Kasai spoke. Finally, she was right in front of Avani again, looking down at the hole in her coat, then into her eyes and wondering how she wanted to plead. Avani's eyes followed Kasai's gaze, but lingered a bit longer on the hole in her coat. Avani gulped. It was a natural reaction to being accused of a crime by someone of the law enforcement more than anything. She wasn't afraid of Kasai using any of what had happened between them against her, mostly because she assumed she was an on-duty cop and if it got out what she had been doing on the job… well, it wouldn't go so well for her, Avani imagined. "Um, surely those aren't crimes are they…?" She didn't honestly know, but it sounded ridiculous. "You can't get a fine for seducing an officer of the law?" Nah, she figured Kasai had to be playing with her. "Besides, I couldn't seduce an officer unless she was willing to be seduced. I believe that's called sexual harassment or worse, no?" She looked past Kasai for a moment, wondering if the sergeant was really suggesting what she thought she was suggesting, or if it was her dirty mind that made it sound that way. Wasn't she worried about finding their friends already? They would likely be in even worse shape now than they had been yesterday, unless one of them had gotten a bag with them as well. Maybe they had. She turned her attention back to Kasai who was way too close to her now, and she was certain the woman knew it too. "That was unintentional." Avani pointed at the hole in Kasai's coat, sticking to her story. "However, speaking hypothetically if I were to assault an officer with intent I would make sure to corner them so they had nowhere to run." Avani put her good arm against Kasai's shoulder and pushed her carefully in front of her, while walking, until she had pushed her back up against one of the nearby trees. "After making sure they were cornered, I would go to town on them with my superior strength or earthbending." She put her hand on the skin that was visible through the hole, caressing it gently and then grabbing the coat around the hole, ripping an even larger hole. Avani slid her arm inside of the coat, not just her hand. She let her hand slide down along Kasai's torso slowly after getting it in through the hole. "I guess it's not so unintentional anymore." She leaned into Kasai and whispered in her ear. "You caught me red handed, Lady Sergeant." Avani nibbled on her ear before breathing into it as seductively as she knew how. She moved down to kiss her on the neck, sucking, and leaving a rather visible hickey. She could eventually feel that her hand had nowhere to continue, at least nowhere that was part of Kasai's torso. Now she had reached the belt these cops wore. She tugged at it once, finding it as tightly fastened as she had expected. "Of course, this is speaking hypothetically." Avani said with a teasing grin, removing her hand from inside of Kasai's coat. "It's not like I would ever tell an officer how I planned on assaulting her." She took a step back from Kasai, held her hands together and stretched them out towards her. "I guess I plead guilty on the first charge, so you better cuff me before I run away." Avani batted her eyelashes at Kasai, then laughed. "Seriously though, we better find our friends already." She said, realizing that if she kept teasing Kasai they would end up on the forest floor together, when they really should be looking for Mio and Kieron. Avani gestured for Kasai to lead the way, curious which option the woman wanted to get to first here.</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina As Miria fiddled with her wares and waited for the jinni to respond, she took a discrete glance around the market square. There was no one near the jinni, and no one nearby gave the impression that they were watching his movements. How strange it was for a jinni to be shopping for tapestries unsupervised! Wouldn't the owner need to be present to select just the right look? Couldn't the jinni make any of this himself or rely on the network of other jinn to make something for him? It didn't make sense. That was when he mentioned mourning. Miria looked up at him then, feeling as though the air around her had suddenly dropped ten degrees. A memory flashed across her mind, of her family slaughtered. She remembered blood splattered everywhere -- on the walls, the furniture, the unfinished tapestries, the faces of her mother and father frozen in silent horror. He had been there, crouched next to her father, stroking his hair, taken by sobbing. Burglars had come, he had said, and he tried to stop them, but too late... Miria had cried with her jinni that day, the jinni she suddenly inherited, and believed his story for years. She had been young, inexperienced in the world, so her jinni had also become her crutch.... Miria's gaze hardened when this older jinni declined her gestures and looked steadily at her. Why was he here if not to buy one of her tapestries? This was all the more suspicious to her. "Is it your master you mourn for?" she snapped, and without giving him a chance to answer, she pressed on. "Have you a new master? Where is your master now? Perhaps you have--" She caught herself just in time, literally biting her tongue until she could feel the metallic sweetness of blood in her mouth to keep herself from finishing her inquiry. She had almost accused this jinni of murder, and for what? For all she knew, he could be mourning the death of a relative or friend. This, however, didn't explain why he needed to buy one of her tapestries. Or perhaps his master was in mourning, which meant he must be by default. She was allowing her own circumstances to get the best of her again. Miria gave the jinni an apologetic smile and parted her lips to apologize, but movement over the jinni's shoulder caught her eye and stayed her speech. On the other side of the square, two guards were drifting about, stopping at each stall, observing the wares with disinterest, craning their necks as though looking for something specific... or someone. With them was a middle-aged woman, one of Fiira's neighbors. She was the nosy sort that liked to occupy her time with the affairs of others. She had been on holiday for several days, but she had come back early. Of course, Miria didn't know the woman at all to know these details, but she did note that the woman looked distraught, flinging comments to the guards, wringing the corners of her shawl with both hands, glancing about nervously. They weren't close enough to hear or to make out details of their faces, but Miria had been a part of this lifestyle long enough to know that something was amiss. It could be a number of things.</s> <\|message\|>Curdle info Time was not in his favour. Neither was luck, it seemed. Circumstance had somehow conspired to win him a moment of conversation with the one woman at the market who would ask the questions he wasn't prepared for. Or maybe it was his fault for pausing here. There was no true rush for the cloth. No real need for it either. It was meant as a memento, but there would be no one to claim it when the rite was done. But stop he had. Now, Curdle blanched at her short barrage of questions. He didn't know how she knew, he didn't even know what she knew. All he understood was that she was asking what he couldn't answer. He was mourning his master, but he couldn't say it out loud. Not least of which was the little matter of secrecy. He had to be outside the city gates before they found out. Otherwise… He wouldn't be going anywhere. Yet, just as suddenly as she started, she stopped, midsentence, and he was left staring at her, rather lost. But while she'd managed to strike him speechless, he hadn't lost all his faculties. He knew how to read expressions, and he saw her softening demeanour tighten again as she noticed something behind him. Who was she? What had made her lash out in so particular a way? He didn't know, and he didn't have time to ask. Instinct, or perhaps simple pessimism, told him that if he turned around, he wouldn't have the chance to do anything else either. But he shut his eyes, took a deep breath and turned around anyway. Her mysteries she could keep. If she was looking at something bad, however, he'd like to know. He should have trusted his instinct. His movement caught the woman's attention, and they recognised each other at the same time. She raised her hand to point, and he flinched back from that well-manicured nail. "There he is!" For so small a lady, she had powerful lungs. The guards raised their weapons, but he didn't stay to hear them command him to do anything. He blocked his ears, turned, and ran. Curdle cursed as he went, wasting precious breath on imprecations. He should have done it last night. Just walked out the gate, dumped Fiira's ashes in a pile somewhere and walked away. He could have been sleeping comfortably in his cot then, instead of that spine stiffening chair! And his duty to his master would have been completed. Done with. Finished! But he hadn't. He'd hesitated. So, now he was going to be caught, and probably tried for escape if not for murder. There were enough witnesses to know that Fiira had been sick for a while, dying slowly. But humans seemed to like a good story. Simple truth might not satisfy them. And why hadn't that girl just told him no and been done with it? No use wasting her breath on a jinni, he usually wasn't worth the trouble. Bah! He turned down a side street and held his breath as his pursuers, the two guards minus the woman of course, ran past, then bent double coughing as the air burned his throat. Too old for this, he'd told himself that a hundred times. Here was proof. A little illusion magic was too much effort. As quickly as he could, hoping they hadn't heard his outburst, Curdle put more distance between himself and the guards, using the winding streets to his advantage, though it would have gone better if he'd known them more. Fiira hadn't been one for wandering through back alleys… More than once an outburst sent him doubling back, whether or not he knew it was guards or just someone else having a bad day, caution might at least win him some time to think, if nothing else. Eventually, he found himself near the square again, and damned the routine his feet had decided to follow. Always visit the market. He'd done that! Look what it had got him. No more, he needed somewhere to hide, and never mind trying to get out. If he just waited until things calmed down again, maybe he could go back to the Lady's house and explain things. He'd still be in trouble, but less than if they caught him trying to get out of the city without knowing why. Though… That still left him with an incomplete promise. Cursed no matter what he did, but a promise he'd meant was worth more than one he'd been forced to make. That decided it. Though it was helped in part by the winding of a horn that seemed to echo off even the clouds. They weren't calming down, things were escalating instead… A full turning out of the guards meant that walking on the streets wasn't a good idea. Continuing with his harebrained attempt to get out of the city was an even worse idea. But while he did stop wandering around, climbing into a mostly empty cart while a donkey eyed him suspiciously, he didn't change his mind about getting out of Renna. If he let himself be caught, they'd take her ashes and put them in the catacombs. Hiding the urn wouldn't work, they'd only bind him to the truth. And even if they didn't, it would be the same as being buried in the catacombs. The urn was only meant to be a temporary container. He'd wait until dark, try to get some rest, maybe have an epiphany, maybe he'd befriend the donkey, maybe he'd be found out. But until then, he pulled a heavy canvas over him, checking to be sure there were no bits of him poking out, and took the urn out of his bag, running knowing fingers over its smoothed edge in the dark. If they did find him, he'd leave it behind. Whoever owned the cart would find it then, and maybe dump it out so they could use it for something else. An undignified method of achieving his goal, but so long as it worked…</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria was shocked, but not surprised, when the jinni burst into a run. It was not the first time she had seen jinn run from guards, jinn captured by guards, jinn beaten by guards in front of villagers due to their indiscretions. Besides, this jinni's presence had been suspicious from the start. Despite this common occurrence, other merchants still yelled and shook their fists at the guards as they streaked by, irritated about having their customers spooked or protesting just because they could get away with it. Mothers hugged their children to their legs to give the guards more room to move without mowing their children over. Market browsers staggered out of the way and many craned their necks to see what all the fuss was about. Miria watched the jinni run down an alley, out of sight, surprised that he could still move that fast at such an old age. She grumbled like the rest of them, not wanting to seem out of place, then carried on with her day, all the while wondering what that jinni was being chased for. Within the hour, the market operated as though nothing had happened. Guards would pass by every so often, their eyes scanning every crevice, corner, and dark space in the square, but no one, including Miria, paid any mind. She had wares to sell; she could not afford to waste her time gossiping about the latest runaway. The day was long and predictably slow; the last day at a village or town often was. Miria smiled at customers through her growling belly, conversed warmly with passerby through a parched mouth, distracting herself with thoughts of what she would weave while on her way to the next town and how many tapestries she could sell at her next destination. She had no one to relieve her to take a brief break or grab a bite to eat, and the last time she left her stall alone, even for a moment, some of her tapestries had been stolen. Finally, when the setting sun melted into the horizon line of the western hills and the sky began to darken, Miria began to pack up her things. Her typical routine was to secure her things in her cart, tend to Raha, then eat at the inn. If she was feeling particularly energetic, she would do a little weaving at her cart. Today was not one of those days. With a yawn, she approached her cart, the many bags slung across her shoulders feeling much heavier than they did that morning even though she carried less. Her mind mulled over lost comforts such as a warm bath, preparing her own meal in her own kitchen, and lounging on a chair to listen to the music of traveling musicians. She lifted her gaze to the cart as she prepared to sling her bags inside, pausing with a startling realization that something, or someone, was in it. Shock and fear gripped Miria first, though she held the urge to run or scream in check with rigid silence. Her gaze locked onto the bulk beneath her canvas, then flickered over to Raha. He glanced over his shoulder at her, casually munching on some hay, not the slightest bit of apprehension in his brown eyes. Raha typically was not so relaxed around strangers. This did not convince Miria. She shifted her gaze back to the bulk in her cart with a narrowed gaze, crouching slowly to set her bags down as quietly as she could. Then she straightened, slowly lifting one side of her trousers to grab the small dagger strapped to her calf as she did so. Miria did not go anywhere unarmed, though this dagger was her only weapon. She made a point to keep it hidden; potential female customers found a visible weapon intimidating, and male customers saw it as a threat to their masculinity simply because she was a woman. Therefore, she always kept it hidden beneath her clothes, but always within reach. She wasn't an expert wielder -- before tragedy befell her family, she never had reason to learn how to use one, but she had learned the life-saving fundamentals of its use with at least some confidence after years of being a traveling merchant on her own. Now she held the dagger tight in her grip but kept her hands down at her sides. She would rather not use the dagger if she didn't need to, and holding it forward without knowing the situation typically created more tension than necessary. "Whoever you are, if you leave right now without incident, I will not chase you or send guards after you," Miria announced in a low, firm voice. She assumed another beggar or some kid had taken refuge in her cart. "Make any trouble, and you will find trouble."</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria recognized the voice at once; the jinni at the market that morning had been very well-spoken. Of all the coincidences to occur, he had to be the one to choose to take refuge in her cart of all places. Anger spiked through her. Miria took a step forward, seething, gripping the dagger's hilt so tightly that the leather groaned a little beneath her grip. "I know exactly who you are!" she hissed in a low voice, taking a quick glance around to ensure she was not within earshot of anyone. "How dare you choose to hide here after the commotion you caused! I ought to raise my voice right now and let the guards find you!" So, why didn't she? Miria could see a guard pace down a nearby alleyway, well out of ear shot, and there were several in the inn. She knew they were still looking for this jinni, and it was a wonder that the guards hadn't found him here yet, but it would only be a matter of time. If they found him in her cart, they could arrest her and accuse her of aiding a fugitive. She needed to get him out of her cart as quickly as possible and ensure his arrest if she wanted to catch the caravan out of this place in the morning, yet experience taught her that the authorities were as mistrustful as the jinni. Social protection thrived on bribes, and her family had not thought to buy it. The authorities had done little in wake of the tragedy that left Miria the only survivor, and there had been several times throughout her travels alone when she had been forced, or nearly forced, to pay them to ensure tragedy did not also befall her. Miria knew that not every guard was so corrupted, but enough of them were that it was simply easier to to mistrust the authorities and be proven wrong than to give them the benefit of the doubt and be betrayed. She had no intentions on paying these guards, one way or another, to ensure that they tell the truth about her not harboring a fugitive. Was the risk of rape or financial ruin worse than a possible death sentence? If she didn't play her cards right, all three of these things could happen to her. Then again, she did not know this jinni at all or what he was capable of. The only thing she knew for certain was that he absolutely was not leaving this city with her under any circumstance. Miria licked her lips, glancing about her anxiously as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. The guard at the alley was still preoccupied and none of the others had shown up yet. The jinni was right that she shouldn't be seen talking to her cart, but she did not trust her stowaway enough to come closer. Quietly, she hooked her arms through the straps of her bags and moved around the cart, her grip on her dagger relentless, and set them down by Raha's side. Eyeing the large lump beneath her canvas, she stroked the creature's fur. She hoped that if any guards did look her way, they would see a weary woman comforting her donkey and nothing more. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into?" she hissed. "Are you a mere runaway, or is it something worse? Tell me now and tell me quickly." She had no idea how to gauge how truthful his answer would be, if he answered at all, but she felt it foolish to give him the clearance to leave without at least asking the question.</s> <\|message\|>Jinn Stuff Please do not… He breathed the words, making them entirely inaudible despite his sudden urge to beg it of her. Desperation, however, would have had him shouting them. And that, very likely, would have defeated his purpose. Best, then, that he forget desperation and remember that begging would win him nothing. Two breaths later, when she still had not called out, he realised that she was inadvertently giving him the chance he had asked for. That, or she was taking her time to gauge the risk to her wares and herself should she call anyone down on him. She had little to worry about; Renna's guards were mostly well-aligned with their duties. He was, admittedly, surprised he had not yet been sniffed out. Maybe they were keeping the jinn among their ranks at the gates to be sure he did not try to magic his way out. He could not be certain, which meant the longer he remained, the greater his likelihood of being found where he did not want to be found. They must not search this cart. He waited one more breath, holding it tightly before letting it go to wrap around the urn now beyond his reach, hoping it would be enough to keep it safe until this cart was beyond any walls. Now that he was listening, listening so closely his heartbeat echoed off the cart's walls, he could just barely hear her moving nearby. He hoped she was not being secretive in her alerting of the guards, but he had no more control over this situation. She held all the winning cards. There was nothing else he could do. That, being a situation he was accustomed to, surprisingly comforted Curdle, and he found himself relaxing slightly as he waited for her next move. He had given his word. It was her turn to prove trust or not. When her answer, such as it was, arrived in the form of angry questions, he hunched his shoulders against the accusations hiding in her words and gasped out his protest before he could think of a better response. "I am no runaway, messi." As though that might reassure her. Ha! Well played, fool jinni. He scrambled to fill in the suddenly weighted silence, not wanting to claim a worse crime as his own, but unable to fully explain what he was doing without risking discovery of the urn before everything was in place. "I did not mean to run." He amended, hoping it would fix his mistake. "Only, the Lady Gerun has died and there is a task now that weighs on my shoulders. She gave it me knowing those in Renna would not like seeing it done. Yet I must, messi, before they send me back." He spoke with great feeling, for all it was a very abridged and undetailed version of the story. There was some possibility that she would not approve of the task either. For all that, and the risk of being overheard, he continued quietly, solemnly. If he could not convince her of his sincerity, it might very well mean that all was lost. He had to do his best. "I was signed in blood to Fiira, messi. No one else. They will stop me only with a forever-cage." He'd never known any jinn to escape a sentence once it had been passed. Being sent to the gaol was either a long sentence, or a quick death. "I have more fear of my veins boiling dry should I fail, messi. Please do not call the guards." That was not, strictly speaking, true. He did not suspect any such thing would happen, save perhaps his conscience flaying him in spiritual equivalent, should he not succeed. It would likely not occupy his mind for long, most especially if he was caught. He was, however, possessed of the knowledge that there were methods, during a contract signing, to ensure a more troublesome jinni suffer consequences should he, or she, require punishment or restraining. Most were aware that it was possible, and there were several theories about the results. Some did not keep the method only for quarrelsome jinn. And one aligned closely with his expressed concern. He did suspect, however, that he would be far more afraid of his blood boiling, if such were a possibility, than he would be any guards in such a situation. It was a heavily implied lie, but not an outright stated one. May the Five Winds forgive him. If that did not weigh on her sympathies, perhaps she would feel more inclined to avoid unleashing a desperate jinni near her wares. Or on the guard that would answer her call. Curdle did not like playing with words in this way. But it was his last and only chance. So, he used any card given to him that might sway the moment in his favour. Beneath the canvas, his fingers were twisted in supplication of whatever force or spirit might care to answer.</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria found it mildly interesting that the jinni clarified so quickly and firmly that he wasn't a runaway. She believed that part of the story only because he said it in such a candid way that she could not believe it acted. This was a slave with pride, someone that couldn't possibly have done something terrible enough to need to run away. If she chose to let him go, she would know that she at least hadn't allowed a thief or murderer to go free. Until he mentioned that his master died. At once, Miria thought of that gruesome scene: blood everywhere, her family dead, their jinni clearly in shock and mourning their loss, assuring her that he hadn't killed them.... Miria had to breathe, to remind herself that this jinni's master died with a task for him to do. Surely, if he had killed his master, he wouldn't have been so clear about not being a runaway, would he? Miria wasn't sure about the rest of this jinni's story. If he wasn't a runaway, then what was so important that he needed to do in the wake of his master's death that warranted being hunted by the guards? She racked her mind for anything her former jinni lover had said regarding their customs and culture but could not come up with any reason that would lead to this slave's current situation. He continued with his story. Miria could understand his fear for being caught and he seemed to hold at least a little respect for his dead master if he wanted to complete her last task for him so adamantly. Still, there were too many holes in the story, too much that didn't make sense. She knew this jinni wasn't telling him everything. Perhaps he had done something horrible and all of these gaps in the story were red flags to that fact. Perhaps she needed to do the right thing and alert the guards. However, there was still that risk that they would associate her with whatever crime he committed anyway, and whatever the gaps in his story were, he did not come across as someone who would kill. This jinni's mannerisms didn't reek of that sort of desperation, she did not feel like she was in any danger, nor did this jinni's behavior mesh with the unsettling calmness of a sociopath. Miria sighed, feeling drained and exhausted. The only thing she was sure about was that he wasn't a thief. Anything she had of value was currently with her; there was nothing in the cart that was worth stealing or making a fuss over. Frankly, she had a long day, she was hungry and tired, and in no mood to spend hours dealing with the guards' interrogations once they had apprehended the jinni. She had heard enough of this jinni's story to be convinced to let him go. Besides, she had not the energy or the patience to involve herself in his affairs, whatever they would be. Cautiously, Miria looked around before whispering, "I have no time to deal with you, and frankly I don't care. There is one guard in the alley to your right. If you leave quickly and quietly, he may not notice you. I would rather you not get caught in my vicinity, so go now while you still can. I would like to never see you again."</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria found it mildly interesting that the jinni clarified so quickly and firmly that he wasn't a runaway. She believed that part of the story only because he said it in such a candid way that she could not believe it acted. This was a slave with pride, someone that couldn't possibly have done something terrible enough to need to run away. If she chose to let him go, she would know that she at least hadn't allowed a thief or murderer to go free. Until he mentioned that his master died. At once, Miria thought of that gruesome scene: blood everywhere, her family dead, their jinni clearly in shock and mourning their loss, assuring her that he hadn't killed them.... Miria had to breathe, to remind herself that this jinni's master died with a task for him to do. Surely, if he had killed his master, he wouldn't have been so clear about not being a runaway, would he? Miria wasn't sure about the rest of this jinni's story. If he wasn't a runaway, then what was so important that he needed to do in the wake of his master's death that warranted being hunted by the guards? She racked her mind for anything her former jinni lover had said regarding their customs and culture but could not come up with any reason that would lead to this slave's current situation. He continued with his story. Miria could understand his fear for being caught and he seemed to hold at least a little respect for his dead master if he wanted to complete her last task for him so adamantly. Still, there were too many holes in the story, too much that didn't make sense. She knew this jinni wasn't telling him everything. Perhaps he had done something horrible and all of these gaps in the story were red flags to that fact. Perhaps she needed to do the right thing and alert the guards. However, there was still that risk that they would associate her with whatever crime he committed anyway, and whatever the gaps in his story were, he did not come across as someone who would kill. This jinni's mannerisms didn't reek of that sort of desperation, she did not feel like she was in any danger, nor did this jinni's behavior mesh with the unsettling calmness of a sociopath. Miria sighed, feeling drained and exhausted. The only thing she was sure about was that he wasn't a thief. Anything she had of value was currently with her; there was nothing in the cart that was worth stealing or making a fuss over. Frankly, she had a long day, she was hungry and tired, and in no mood to spend hours dealing with the guards' interrogations once they had apprehended the jinni. She had heard enough of this jinni's story to be convinced to let him go. Besides, she had not the energy or the patience to involve herself in his affairs, whatever they would be. Cautiously, Miria looked around before whispering, "I have no time to deal with you, and frankly I don't care. There is one guard in the alley to your right. If you leave quickly and quietly, he may not notice you. I would rather you not get caught in my vicinity, so go now while you still can. I would like to never see you again."</s> <\|message\|>Curdle info He heard that sigh. It was, so he believed, a good sign. It surely meant a decision had been made and, regardless of what came next, he would be happy that the wait was over. The woman hadn't taken long to reach her conclusion, but when it made the difference between success and failure, even a single breath seemed an eternity. Her voice came again, just as quiet as before, but with far less anger it in. And no shouting, a very good sign, indeed. Beneath the canvas, Curdle's whole body felt suddenly limp and shaky, the relief was tangibly heavy and weighed down every muscle. He did not mind that her reasoning was more for herself than to help him. This was not an instance where charity would be applauded; there was no reason for her to act otherwise. Trembling, he made sure he knew his right from his left, in case his mind had ceased basic function, and took another light breath before trapping the air in his throat and lungs. The simplest of magic. He'd used it twice already today, and was tired enough that a third might well prove too much. Still, the attempt was worth the effort if it succeeded. So, the aging jinni held his breath and worked to empty his mind. It was the mind that shaped the presence of an individual, after all, without a mind, he might as well be part of a crowd, unremarkable and unimportant. Of course, it would only last for as long as he could hold his breath and avoiding clarity of conscience. He did not dawdle in getting out from under the canvas, though he did try to make the act as normal as possible. A most difficult endeavour, to be sure. And his face was turning red with the effort when he finally stood and glanced towards where she'd claimed the guard would be. The alley, he saw immediately, and the guard a moment later. He seemed as yet unperturbed. Good. Despite the risk, and his now rather disheveled mien, Curdle spared a second to face the owner of his safe hiding place and bowed enough to make his gratitude clear. He had no other means with which to thank her, he couldn't speak, and his lungs were beginning to burn, restraining magic as they were. Thanks given, he straightened and walked deliberately away from both her and the guard, pace increasing the farther he walked, until he was once again running as he turned a corner out of sight. He didn't make it much farther before he had to lean against a wall, gasping for breath and desperately swallowing the coughs trying to escape. Too close, too loud. Someone would hear and look and notice. Not that leaning against a wall looking ready to vomit (and that may not have been an exaggeration as his stomach began to twist itself around a lump of hunger and fear-wrought adrenaline) was in any way less out of the ordinary. He could recover his dignity a little faster though, and started walking again without any of the speed he'd achieved earlier. His throat was dry. His joints were stiff. His chest ached. His mood was unpleasantly hopeful. He had no reason to look forward to what would come next. But now that he did not have the urn weighing at his shoulder, his steps seemed strangely light. And Curdle even smiled at the market guard as they shouted and fussed about his sudden appearance. He made no attempt to fight back when they restrained him, and held his silence when they demanded to know what he'd done with the Lady. It was only as they marched him away that his heart sank yet again. What if that merchant did not do with the urn as he hoped? Was his final act for Fiira going to be giving away her trust? As he stumbled and felt his knees hitting the floor of a holding cell, hands tied behind him, Curdle realised he had made the wrong choice. Fiira had not given up on him, believing him capable of this one thing. He had stopped trying too soon.</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria lifted both eyebrows as she watched the jinni leave. She expected him to bolt out of the cart like a cat sprayed with water, but instead he shuffled out, moving quite strangely, and even paused to give her a bow of respect. She didn't return the bow, far too anxious to do much of anything except tap her foot and wait patiently for him to leave. She kept casting anxious glances at the guard, hoping the jinni would get out of the area before the guard to turned to see. Just go already! she wanted to shout if she didn't worry so much about drawing attention to herself and to the jinni. At last, he moved out of sight around the corner, and Miria released a sigh of relief. "Hopefully, we never see him again," she murmured to Raha, giving the donkey an affectionate pat on his neck before hoisting her bags up and moving around the cart to dump them inside. She saw the urn almost immediately; the cart was simple without cubby holes, drawers, or the like, and the only other thing in it was the canvas tarp. With a frown, she pulled the tarp aside, shoved the bags into the cart, then climbed in, stepping over her belongings to investigate the vase. It certainly looked like an urn, which was what stopped Miria from picking it up right away. Already she could feel her skin crawl; why would the jinni leave the remains of someone in her cart? She had dealt with enough death in her lifetime to be used to things like this, but the manner in which this particular urn was presented to her made her feel uneasy. Perhaps the jinni was hiding something. Perhaps the contents in the vase weren't at all ashes. Hesitantly, she lifted the lid of the urn to peer inside. The material certainly looked like ashes, and Miria closed the lid at once, wiping her fingers vigorously on her clothing and wondering why a jinni would leave a person's remains in her cart... unless he was hiding something within the ashes. Dread followed the thought, Miria not wanting to handle the urn more than she had to. She could always just dump the ashes somewhere, but what if the urn really did contain nothing but ashes? She didn't feel right scattering the remains of someone that she didn't even know, yet she had to be sure of the contents. If her cart was inspected in the morning and the guards found something strange in the urn, she'd be arrested. Miria hopped out of the cart and wandered around the darkened square until she found a twig suitable enough for her needs. Satisfied, she rubbed it clean the best she could then climbed back into the cart, carefully re-opening the lid to the urn. Cringing and barely able to stand to watch her own progress, she stirred the ashes with the stick, relieved when she felt nothing out of the ordinary. With a grimace, she discarded the stick over the edge of the cart, closed the urn, then gently picked it up. She looked around and spotted a shadowed crevice against the wall of the inn. Glancing about to make sure she wasn't being watched, she placed the urn in this crevice, satisfied with her decision to leave it. This satisfaction gradually changed as she prepared Raha and herself to rest for the night and for the journey the following morning. Her mind kept drifting to the brief conversation she had with the jinni. His master had died and he was tasked with one final order. What if that task was to scatter or bury the remains of his master somewhere? Perhaps the jinni had somehow forgotten the urn. Thoroughly annoyed by her current situation, Miria trudged back to the spot where she had left the urn, picking it up with care. She ought to be looking for that jinni to return his urn, but she had no idea how to find him, especially if he was still actively trying to make sure he couldn't be found. Frankly, she couldn't stay up all night to look for him. Grumbling under her breath, Miria set the urn at the end of the cart where the jinni could easily grab it if he returned, then she settled in for the night. ~~~ Departure mornings were always very stressful, this morning no exception. Miria rose before dawn, hurrying to wash up and prepare to leave. Despite the early hour, the inn was bustling with other merchants doing the same thing; Miria had to wait in line for food. To make matters worse, Raha decided to be stubborn, refusing to move from his seemingly never-ending supply of hay. After much coaxing, a lot of swearing, and offering Raha a dried date, they were finally on the move, Miria rushing to get to the city's front gate. Here, too, was a line, and she groaned, worried that she would miss her caravan. Only a caravan leader had the magical connections to get heavy carts across the desert sands. Only caravan leaders knew how to navigate these sands without getting lost, and only caravan leaders had the means to protect the party from bandits. Miria had already paid the caravan leader the night before for her spot in the caravan, but she knew that it would not wait for her. Traveling the desert without a caravan leader was almost a death sentence. Finally, after what felt like ages, it was her turn at the gate. She waited patiently for the guard to check her things, waiting for the usual, "Nothing strange here, move long," but instead got, "What's this?" She turned in her seat, surprised, then gaped when she saw the urn in the guard's hands. She had completely forgotten about it! "Those are my uncle's ashes," she blurted out. "He died recently, so--" "Mmm-hmm," the guard replied absentmindedly, opening the urn. He brandished a small dagger, stirring it inside the urn, squinting at the contents, then taking a sniff. "Where is your uncle from?" "He died in Hudris a little while ago," Miria rattled, angry with herself for forgetting the urn. "I have not yet arrived at the designated spot to--" "Mmm-hmm, move along!" The guard set the urn back down, then motioned for the next person in line to step forward. Miria did not need to be told twice. She nudged Raha forward, the open desert spreading before her. And, with luck, Miria found her caravan group, the leader a little delayed due to a heated verbal dispute with another caravan leader. After an exchange of hearty insults, her group finally began the move, Miria at once more relaxed knowing that she would make the trip safely. She wondered why the jinni hadn't returned for his urn over night; had he been arrested? Suspecting that she would never see him again, she decided that when the caravan camped for the evening, she would gesture a small token of respect towards the remains of this unknown person she assumed was the jinni's master and leave the urn there.</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina The white-washed adobe home was warm, cozy, fueled by a cheery fire. Low, cushioned lounge chairs surrounded the space, the floors adorned with rugs of warm reds, browns, and golds. The scent of incense filled the air. A middle-aged man with a round face and a kind smile coaxed his violin to sing with the bow, a light, cheery melody. The sweet notes pulled a smile to his lips as he eyed his family -- his wife swaying in place on her seat opposite him while threading a new tapestry as his daughter sang along, her voice low from being out of practice but still melodious. This was a childhood memory of Miria's manifest into a dream, though she wasn't a child here. Though her parents looked and acted the age she remembered them as a girl, she was a woman, her current self, her dark hair now glinting in the warm firelight, swept back into a loose bun that rested at the nape of her neck. Her russet skin was smooth, unscathed by the unforgiving years of travel in the desert, her brown eyes bright with a light unfazed by sorrow and struggle. She wore a beautiful yellow sari draped over her shoulder with a matching top and petticoats, her sandaled feet smooth and uncalloused, her demeanor cheery and carefree. She could carry on like this forever, spending the night away with her family. Tamal was with her, sitting behind her, his strong arms wrapped around her waist. She could feel his body against her back, lean and firm, and his chin resting on her shoulder. Such an embraced stirred within her memories of his touch, her body warming in anticipation for later. His breath tickled the nape of her neck, his snow-white hair caressing her cheek, and she could occasionally hear the flicker of one of his long jackal ears. Tamal was the household servant, the jinni slave, not much older than her; he was a boy when he first began to serve. In Miria's real past, she and Tamal hadn't become lovers or even friends until after her family's death. In this dream, however, not only were they lovers, but it was a union accepted by the family without the slightest concern. Tamal kept Miria, this dream version of her with her head in the clouds, grounded and focused, while she hoped to show him how bright life could be beyond the daily toils of jinni life. They were perfect for each other, or so Miria believed at that moment, reliving the blissful, ignorant perspective of a young woman. Oh, if the real world was so accepting, so carefree.... "I'm going to get some water," Miria whispered, reluctantly sliding from Tamal's embrace as she rose to her feet. She glanced behind her, enraptured by his gentle smile and those bright amber eyes gazing up at her with such tenderness. She disappeared into the kitchen, inwardly giddy of Tamal's smile, eager to return to his arms, the sounds of her father's playing and her mother's laughter soothing to the soul. When she did return, however, her world changed in a blink of an eye. Suddenly, she was normal, gritty Miria, older Miria, body cloaked for travel, the light in her eyes gone, her hair brittle from the dry air and heat. She stared into her family's main room, her mother and father replaced by two bodies, blood splattered on the walls, along the floor, everywhere. Dread and despair washed over her, for this scene was all too familiar, all too wanted. She did not want to relive the sight of her dead family all over again, a high, long wail escaping her as though seeing it for the very first time. She dropped to her knees, her gaze resting on what she knew she would find -- Tamal hovering over her father's body, blood on his hands, his shirt, his face.... Unlike the first time and unlike the subsequent dreams, Tamal did not raise a mask of sorrow to her with a carefully rehearsed explanation of what happened. No... this time, the truth was written all over his face, a much starker contrast than the fresh blood against his pale features. His eyes were filled with hate, his mouth curved in a sneer of pure malice, and he slowly rose to his feet, a predatory demeanor to his every movement. Miria caught herself through her renewed despair, remembering that she had been through this already. She knew what Tamal had done, knew that he was dangerous, and knew that her family's ashes had been scattered to the four winds long ago. The dagger she always kept concealed near her body was gone; she glanced around the room for any sort of weapon to use, trying hard not to look at the motionless bodies on the floor. "He had it coming," Tamal growled, his voice low, throaty, heady with madness. "The things you never knew about... the things he did to me... and the way she just turned the other cheek... your precious father, your loving mother... they had it coming." As Tamal spat out the words, Miria rose to her feet, willing her body not to tremble, commanding herself to be strong. How could she be strong in the face of such an atrocity, in the wake of such a malicious gaze? "And you, living your perfect life, ignorant to the darkness, will know what suffering is. You will join them!" With a roar, Tamal rushed forward. Miria's resolve shattered; where was the strong woman she thought she had become? She screamed in alarm, turned to run away, and bumped into Curdle. The impact sent her stumbling back directly against the charging Tamal... ...who dissipated around her like a broken cloud of smoke, disappearing into thin air like mist chased away by the morning sun. Miria fell back, her gaze widening in surprise when she took on the familiar form. It was the old jinni from Renna, though he wasn't old at all now. She shouldn't be able to recognize him, so altered his visage was by youth, but somehow she knew and remembered. "Y-you!" She glanced around warily, her heart thudding against her chest as she looked for Tamal. He was nowhere in sight. The bodies, too, had disappeared, along with the blood, but Miria's fear lingered like smoke trapped in a room, slow to fade. "W-what... why....?" Try as she might, Miria could not find the words, fragmented questions tumbling in her mind, lost in the fog of her fear. What did he want? Why was he here? How was he here? Did he have anything to do with Tamal?</s> <\|message\|>Jinn Stuff When Curdle stumbled into opening his eyes, he was not confused to find that he had become she, or that there were warm arms wrapped around her waist and music in the background. A tangle of bright life and loving memories. A skein of story wrapped the wrong way 'round. Dreams never cared to concern themselves with what should be, and these were not his besides, but still, he immersed himself in this moment of family and felt love and was loved in turn and that part of him that was trapped enjoyed it, and that part of him that was still beyond her reach yearned for the same. S/he wanted this life, grasping at the edges to fold up the image as though it was a quilt they could cover themselves with every evening. Her and Tamal, Mother and Father, music, weaving, laughter, love. Even had he remembered that, awake, he knew none of these people, Curdle would have wished it real. Maybe it was, it felt so sure, for all that same distant part of himself marveled at the heady notion of jinni and human together, in love. In the kitchen, he rejoiced in the familial wealth that abounded here, and did not notice the moment when she turned back and he remained, rooted in the gift she had accidentally given him. He didn't notice when the laughter stopped or when the violin fell silent. He didn't see the atmosphere's shift from open and inviting to cold and angry, frightening. But he did hear her wail, the distress sending him staggering as the kitchen walls fell away and the floor gave out beneath him, forcing him back to a scene charged with hate. Oh… how the walls wept red. He forgot his fear of the unknown mind beyond this room and watched as the woman who sold tapestries in the market faced her fear and her love and her hate and could not defeat it. The revelation was too much. But layered now over the whole of it was a level of resignation and regret that delved deep in sad recognition of the strange jinni's broken justification. The moment was lost. He stepped forward, a body materialising of its own volition, wanting to reach past the woman's frozen form to pull Tamal out of reach of the blood and whatever hurts he had been given to lead him to this madness. But also, out of reach of the woman whose innocence, ignorance if you will, had been sorely abused. Neither should have had to suffer this story, and true or not, he couldn't have said, but it felt real and that was all that mattered. He was too late though, of course he was, years too late in all likelihood, he had no place in the timeline of these dreams. Still, as the jinni charged, a sword leapt to his hand from a scabbard that had not existed before the sword was unsheathed. He would protect the woman, drive her demon away. All he managed, however, was to impede her escape, and he blinked through tears as she fell and Tamal vanished. Everything vanished but the white-washed walls and the lasting effects of traumatic emotions. Slowly sheathing the sword, Curdle wiped at his wet cheeks, and struggled to recover from what he had witnessed. With a prouder stance, his chin shaved close and his skin less worn by wind and sun, it might well have been only his light eyes and grey horns(still working on their curl now) that gave him away. Gradually, however, as she stumbled over her recognition and he grew into himself here, where he did not belong, the jinni's beard and horns grew out and the lines deepened around his eyes until he stood with the slight hunch of a man worn down by time. "I, messi." His voice cracked in the quiet of her suspicions and he didn't know how to answer her ragged questions. She'd dreamed him, was dreaming? He'd fallen in. And how did one fall into a dream? Especially when it was not their own. "I made a mistake, I think." In many things, he had been mistaken. In giving up. In leaving behind the urn. In involving her. In being caught in her dreams. In witnessing secrets… "I am sorry." He wiped at his eyes, fingers trembling as the dream gave them a weight that didn't belong, regret clear in his voice and expression, but there was nothing else he could do. Nothing more that he could say, or ask. Nothing, except what he perhaps should have done in the first place. "Very sorry, messi. Please, I am needing your help."</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina The jinni's voice was like an anchor in the fog of fragmented emotions and half-formed visions, giving Miria a sense of focus. Memories of Tamal murmuring "Messi" with a hasty bow, downcast eyes, and lips drawn tight into a thin line rippled and faded behind Curdle. Miria hardly noticed. All she could feel was the grit and sand on her skin, the toil of a long day's travel in aching feet, and remnants of the hot sun lingering in brittle hair. She was no longer the pampered girl adored by her family but the nomadic merchant, aimless, loveless, shattered. All because of the jinni. At once, perhaps unbeknownst to Curdle, he became the image of Tamal, sneering down at Miria, his eyes cold and empty. So many years she had mistook that gaze for sadness, for the lost hope of a broken slave. The memory of such foolishness angered her, pulled her to her feet, and she seethed. "No, it was my mistake for knowing you, loving you, trusting you! You are supposed to be dead! You're..." She paused, took a wavering step back, shook her head. Up until that moment, she wanted nothing more than to lash at him, to throw words at him in shrill screams and hope those words held enough weight to actually hurt him. But there was a strange sense of realism in talking to Tamal that she couldn't place, like reliving an actual memory instead of a dream. It altered Miria's perception of her visitor, his image flickering between that of the spiteful Tamal and the humble jinni she had met so recently at the market. The jinni with the urn... Miria gasped, blinked, and Curdle's image held, remained whole. She was suddenly aware, as though she had woken up. Somehow, she knew she was still dreaming, and somehow she knew this jinni was in her dreams, her thoughts. She didn't know how or why, but it sent chills down her spine, followed by the mortifying realization that he had witnessed very intimate moments of her subconscious. "Y-you didn't..." A shaking hand flew to Miria's mouth. Unable to look him in the eye, she sank back down to sit, struggling not to think too much about what he had seen and what he had interpreted from the scene. His words, which felt like they were spoken so long ago, now tumbled in her thoughts; it was a wonder she could make sense of them at all. He was sorry, this was a mistake, he needed help.... "I still have your urn," she murmured, assuming that this was what the jinni needed help with. "I plan to rid myself of it." Her gaze flickered up to him as a new question pressed against her tongue. "Are you dead?" How else would he be here in her dreams like this? Why else would he never come to claim his urn? She knew very little about the spiritual customs of the jinn; Tamal had always been so tight-lipped about such things. Now she had the sneaking suspicion that this jinni was a ghost haunting her dreams.</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Jinn Stuff There was a moment of disconnect as Miria began shouting. His vision blurred and shifted and she seemed suddenly shorter. His feelings hardened and fell away even as he stepped back in shock at the vehemence of her words. The dizzying shift of being, for that moment, the source, centre and target of all her anger left him dazed and confused. He didn't know what was happening, he didn't know if she wanted him to grovel on his knees and beg forgiveness or shout back. He wasn't even certain what she was blaming him for. He had never met her, known her, loved her or trusted her before yesterday. For that matter, she had never done any of those with him either. It was only when she paused, and saw him again that he understood the problem. Rising from his position halfway to kneeling (that he did not recall starting), Curdle frowned and ran his fingers over his beard, concerned by the revelation. He was an interloper who could see and hear and feel everything in her dreams. But they were still hers. He had no control even over who he was now. This might well mean he had no control over how he would leave, or what he might be when he did. But he was spared from worrying about that by the need to address the woman's concerns. If she acted against him here, he did not think he'd be able to stop her. The trouble, really, was he didn't know what to say. There wasn't anything to say. He'd seen her love a jinni and run from the same. He'd seen her lose a family and gain the one that stole them from her. He'd heard a jinni's suffering at her father's hand. There was nothing that could answer that and his fingers curled into fists at his sides as she stumbled and shrank to the ground. What could he do? He knew all this and yet remained ignorant of her name. Messi… Perhaps she was more deserving of that spoken courtesy than anyone he'd ever applied it to, but he'd long since learned that it did not offer much by way of comfort. He wanted to though, oh, it held him so close that longing to give her something… better… on which to dream. But he could not move. The only sign of his own emotional turmoil was the shifting of his left thumb over his nails, as though that might ease anything. She broke him from his paralysis with her mention of the urn though. It grabbed his attention and dragged him forward one, then two steps as she spoke of being rid of it. Not when he had only just found it again! Please! "No, messi, please do- not… Dead? No, I…" His expression shifted from worried to confused to unsure. "I do not think..." How could he tell? He might be. He felt real, but this was her dreaming, her creation. Bringing his hands up, he frowned at them as he opened and closed his fingers, realising belatedly that there was no old ache of worn out joints as he did. Not so real then. But his body, his real body, was in a small hut in the middle of Renna. Was it dreaming too? Was he the only one dreaming? Flying and seeing everything the way he saw magic… Falling into her breath… That was the stuff of dreams. But a human and jinni falling in love, that was fantasy. Never would he have dreamed anything like it. So, it could not only be him dreaming her. But was she dreaming him? Was he alive now only because he existed in her head? No, no… No! He fought the surge of panic that bubbled up in his chest and made it hard to breathe (did he need to now?), closing his eyes and blotting out as much as he could of his situation now. He couldn't afford to panic. He couldn't afford to lose himself. It didn't matter if she was dreaming or if he was dead or if none of this was real. If it was all he could do, than he needed to make the most of it. He had to keep his head and tell her what she needed to know. The struggle to keep himself together thinned his lips behind his beard and whitened his knuckles, but somewhere, distant, a drum was beating a slow, echoing rhythm, lub-dub lub-dub. And his breast expanded and contracted. Somewhere, his body was resting, lying prone on the floor of a stucco hut and awaiting his return. The certainty settled his nerves. He did not dare wonder how he might manage that return. When he opened his eyes again, they were a little harder, a little clearer. More focused on his own goals than keeping her history from engulfing him. "I am not dead, messi. It may be I cannot say the same tomorrow, but tonight…" How did one describe what he had seen and done that evening? He certainly did not think he could. "I am alive." "If… Messi, if you have carried the urn so far already, please do not throw it away now. I would relieve you of its burden, yet I do not know how to escape this place or the binds that keep me in Renna. Will you bring me with you when you wake?" He could not have disguised the tremble in his voice at the last question. If she wanted him to beg, he believed he would. And he was not even sure if her will and memory alone would accomplish anything. He did not know how dream travel worked. But this was his last and only chance. He had given up once already, too easily by far. He would not make the same mistake twice.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina Confusion wrapped Miria like a shroud as she 'gazed' upon this not-dead Jinni somehow in her mind, a perfect stranger that may or may not have seen some of her darkest, most intimate memories. "I-I don't understand," she stammered. The more she interacted with him, the more real the conversation felt, as though he was physically here with her and she was actually conversing with him. Gradually, a new setting took shape around them and clarified, her own mind attempting to make this conversation feel as real as she perceived it to be. The buzz of commerce commenced around her, accompanied by the smell of fresh-baked bread, the hint of manure, and the allure of Renna's surrounding shifting sands. She could feel the packed earth at her feet and see her tapestries around her. They were at the merchant square of Renna, exactly where Miria had first met this Jinni, except this time there were no guards hunting him. This time, he was just another person standing over her wares. Somehow, this helped Miria gather her wits and organize the many questions swarming around her head. She could deal with this mysterious, mystical person in this way, merchant to customer, in her element. "How am I to bring you with me if you are not physically here?" she asked, and the image of the Jinni shimmered, only briefly, as if to confirm what she already knew. "I am dreaming, you are here, but your body is somewhere else. How is this possible?" Miria looked around, as though doing so would give her the answers she sought. "Is your body on the caravan, perhaps?" No. Miria remembered that he had said that it was still in Renna. She realized that if she was to better understand this person and this situation, she needed to know who this Jinni was. "What are you?" she asked in her best business-like tone. "Who are you? Is this your magic, getting into people's heads?"</s> <\|message\|>Jinn Stuff If she did not understand, it was no surprise to him, though he found it difficult to face the confusion of her expression while having no explanation of his own. He did not understand either. In that, they were truly well matched, indeed. In fact, Curdle had no idea what he was doing. Not in the slightest. And with no words to ease that confusion, he elected to remain silent beneath her stare. Whether accusations or exhortation followed, he could remember clearly enough to know that he had begun this journey somehow, and he had started the fall into this place that was hers. Accidentally, true, but accidents were never innocent in his world. She had every right to be upset, and he would accept her decision. He would, he promised himself, though the longer she stared at him in such broken shock, the more shaken his resolve felt. Had it been any longer before he realized where her mind had taken them, he might have found himself on his knees and begging. Begging for help, for escape, for remembrance, for her hands to do what his could not, or even, simply, for an answer. Any would do better than the silence she surrounded him with then. Only, as the tremble stirred from his voice to his hands and weakened his gaze, made his breath stutter, sound returned. A crowd at his back and to either side, isolating them before the very stall where fate had seen him pause. Was it really only two days now? Not even. Shaking fingers reached for woven cloth between them and stilled in fright as he watched his skin and bone dissolve and reshape itself as though the strange light magic he'd seen before tumbling into her dreams made up his body now. And, like midges, was stirred by every breath of wind or—as the air was still here—her every wayward thought. He was not here. No, yes, please, it was not true. Not yet, his thoughts were here. He witnessed as she did, the changing patterns of the market, the shifting colours of her cloth weavings. Dreams, he thought, did not understand the value of inertia. How could he be anywhere else? Yet what she said was also true. He was here, but somewhere else. He might have led her there through the streets her mind conjured. Away from the city square to a small, plain wall with a wooden door guarded by two men through which one could look in on an old man, stiff and weary. He could not have said how this was possible, or how he knew it to be the truth. So, he held his tongue, and still she questioned him. He managed only a shake of his head for his current whereabouts. And was grateful she did not press further. With her next breath, he regretted that she had not. Flinching at that bald question that turned him into something other than what he should be, Curdle kept his gaze lowered as he pulled his hand back, wares untouched. In a moment of nostalgia, it lingered briefly on the hilt of the sword at his hip before dropping away as though burnt with the memory that he was no longer a guard, no longer anything, and unfit to bear arms. His fingers curled into fists at his sides as he took a breath to answer, once sure her questions were finished and he would not be interrupting, able only to hope she would not know he was breaking the law in her dreams. "I-I am Jinn. Lady Fiira Gerun's Jinni, messi." Or, he had been hers, until her final breath left without him knowing… Now, he did not know who… No, he still was, until he finished what he had started. "She called me Curdle." It was how he'd introduced himself. So long ago now, and far away. A lifetime past. When he was still young enough to believe that petty secrets mattered. Now, with plenty of regrets thickening in his stomach, it suited him better than his true name, he thought. He wished that he had known then what he did now, and shared even a little more with her, that he could have heard it said aloud even once over the years. But now was not the time to make wishes. Her last question stumped him. And his mouth moved for a moment without sound as he sought some simple explanation. "This magic, messi, is not one I have ever known. Yet, I think that it is mine. It is something I have done. I flew on-no, as the wind, here, messi. As the tales tell it, there is no Jinni alive who would ever ask such of the wind." But maybe, once, there had been many. He did not know. Every story he'd ever learned of the Jinn was a frightening one, meant to remind them not of past glories, but of past misdeeds. There was nothing that might compare with the wonder of riding wings of wind so high above the dunes, or seeing the sun sparkle from within the sand. But just as it should not have been his, so it could not have been any other's either. He had heard of no Jinni this powerful. Then again, this power had trapped him in a human's mind and left him at their mercy. It was not so great as his awe would have him believe. "I do not know what comes next."</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria sighed in clear disappointment. The jinni's answers were cryptic, and parts of them didn't make much sense, but it seemed that he was about as sure as to what was happening as she was. Either that or he was lying. Either way, this creature was far more complicated than she gave him credit for, and unraveling this strange mystery of his presence in her dreams would be more difficult than she imagined. Nothing about this jinni--Curdle, as he called himself--had been easy from the moment she had met him, which forced her not to trust him. What sort of scheme was she falling into? What kind of magic did she find herself snared in? Had she been made a fool by a jinni yet again? The subtleties of Curdle's shifting surroundings intrigued her, however, and she suspected that Curdle had just as much power to alter details of this dream as she did, as though they were sharing the same dream. The sudden sword at Curdle's hip made her think that he was once a warrior, someone that took comfort in the persuasion of a biting blade. That did not make her less wary of him. "Pleased to meet you, Curdle," Miria stated stiffly, no welcoming warmth in her tone. She was guarded, cautious, not sure what to make of this stranger, needing to know more about him before she revealed more about herself than she already had. "My name is Miria." Her gaze flickered pointedly to the sword. "Why were you given the name Curdle?" She did not ask for his real name. Frankly, she didn't see how knowing it would make much of a difference, her concern resting in knowing enough about this person to get him out of her dreams. "And how long have you been working for...this Firra Gerun? I am assuming you were her bodyguard."</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina Despite her history with the jinn, Miria did not know about their customs, their thinking, their way of life. Tamal had been so secretive about it all, preferring to keep details of himself in the here and now. After she had learned what kind of person he really was, Miria had wondered if knowing more about his background and his culture would have allowed her to spot the red flags she had missed in her blind devotion to him. This time, she would not be so foolish, but her lack of detailed knowledge about the jinn meant that Curdle's reaction to his own response confused her. He seemed repulsed by his own answer, as though he had said something offensive. What was so regretful about what he had said? She thought it sad that he and his brothers had taken on such ugly names, but it unsurprising now knowing that he was from Sherahd, a place known for its harshness of the jinn it harbored. She had been there many times before, Sherahd a jewel for any traveling merchant. Almost bloated in its own wealth, the city served trade from land and sea alike. It was also a heavily guarded place, the best soldiers always coming from there. That would explain the appearance of Curdle's sword, which lead Miria to assume that he was, or had been, a very skilled fighter. But was this something to be ashamed of? Curdle had also mentioned his master--he had been serving her for a very long time, since her marriage. For him to survive with the same master for so many years meant that she treated him at least halfway decently--it wasn't too common to see a jinni as old as Curdle. It also meant that he harbored no ill will towards his master, at least not in the end, unless she had been very good at keeping him under control. Miria carefully studied Curdle as she moved to sit down on the ground. He didn't look broken and abused. In fact, he could probably stand to live a couple more decades in his current condition. Then again, this was a dream; he was probably worse for wear than he currently seemed. Curious that he hadn't taken on a strong, youthful, more intimidating appearance. But why the strange reaction? Miria canted her head to the side, forgetting that she was supposed to be seeking information about this strange connection she currently shared with the jinni. "Is it wrong for you to care for your master, a married woman?" she asked as she tried to piece together the mystery that was Curdle. "It must be her ashes that you have decided to burden me with." If this was true, that meant that Curdle cared for his master very much, which made Firra Gerun a very foolish woman...or damn lucky.</s> <\|message\|>Curdle info He should not have let his confusion and fear play tricks with his tongue, Curdle thought, as he watched her expression close in what he believed was the beginning of judgement. Circumstance had given him no fair first impressions of this woman's opinion on jinn. He thought he understood what drew the lines of suspicion across her forehead, but understanding did not help him now. Too late. You could not take back words already spoken. Yet, almost before he had resigned himself to her reproach, however she might choose to give it, the woman's sharp eyes shifted to the side. A glance he almost missed, avoiding direct eye contact as he was, but when she moved to sit down, settling in front of him rather than raising her voice or her hand or turning away, he could not help but stare. Even when she brought her gaze back up, apparently comfortable with her position, he only just remembered to shift his focus from her face. That was not the reaction he had expected. And as her expression softened, head tilting, his fingers stayed curled in their fists to hide the trembling in his hands rather than in any anger at himself or readiness to endure. It was the question though, asked so glibly of him, that left him truly confounded. She, who had once loved a jinni. She, who had seen that love shattered by the jinni's cruel truth. She could ask such a thing? Was it wrong to care? In many ways, Curdle believed it was. But what answer was she looking for? Would it turn a knife to tell her there was no insult in jinn caring for human, if hers had used her poorly? Or did she look for reasons behind the twisting of that emotion? Or was it curiousity alone that spurred the thought? She had seen the consequences and hurt that came of care. Maybe, as he once had, she wondered if it was even possible. Having known of her for barely two days, and having learned more in the last ten minutes than he'd have liked, Curdle abandoned any hope of predicting her reactions. She'd lived a life much too far removed from anyone he'd known before, he thought. Sharp where others would have been merely cold. Turning away when another would have turned him in. Curious where others would have been sharp. Although… He flinched as she spoke of burdens; she was not without her barbs. That thought brought a regretful smile to his face, and Curdle found his answer in the weary sentiment washing over him as he remembered his manners and lowered himself to her level. "Is it wrong to care for anyone? I was all the company she kept, Miria messi." He shrugged loosely, tone impartial, lifting his hands together before his sternum in absent illustration of his words. "In the end, we were both old and lonely. That is all the care we had for each other." As his explanation finished, the man spread his hands where they had measured the feelings he and Lady Gerun shared, as though letting that imaginary emotion tumble free. For a moment, the air sparked in muted imitation of falling water between his fingers and the ground and as he watched the light splash into insignificance, it left him suddenly bereft. There had been no love torn from his heart when she died. But for a while, he had forgotten what it was to be alone. Even if that was all she'd had to give him, Curdle could not say it had been nothing. Now, even that was gone. She was gone, and he had only uncertainty, fear, and confusion left. In treating him as a friend, she had given him so much more than he could comprehend. Too much to lose, when he had never meant to accept it, never realized it was there. As his hands dropped slowly to his knees, tears came, unbidden, seeping from unfocused eyes to creep through the time worn creases on his cheeks. They had taken their time in arriving, and, not noticing, Curdle strove to show her an unaffected façade. "I am sorry, messi. What she gave to me I should not have let go. It was no wish of mine to give you trouble." The apology was as much to Miria as it was to the woman who'd set him on that path. The Lady Gerun had trusted him to see this through. Whether she had thought of the trouble it might give him or not he didn't know, and no longer cared to know. It was no excuse for failing a promise.</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria lifted her eyebrows in surprise to Curdle's reaction. He had always seemed so careful and guarded with his interaction with her, as distrustful of her as she was of him, so she suspected. And though his answer was vague and very unsatisfying, his tears said what his words could not. It did not matter what kind of relationship Curdle had with his master. All that mattered was that they cared for each other, in whatever capacity, and he was mourning the loss of that relationship. If Miria held judgement to anyone, it was not Curdle. Rather, it was to the Lady Gerun, because the Lady Gerun had obtained what Miria could not, was spared the harsh truths of most jinn, and had been lucky enough to befriend someone who was sincere in his emotions. Oh, how she wished Tamal's love for her had been true. How whimsical it would have been for them to develop a relationship well into their senior years, for her to trust him enough to tend to her remains after death, and for him to love her enough to comply with such wishes. She felt envious of the Lady Gerun to have found a servant as loyal as Curdle and to have kept him for the majority of her life. She wanted to hate the woman. But Miria could not. How could she hate someone who had done nothing to Miria to deserve that hate? How could she hate someone that had loved and trusted even a lowly servant? From what little Miria knew of the Lady Gerun, she must have been a respectable, kind woman. When Curdle spoke of her, it was not the false compliments fueled by the fear of punishment for speaking the truth. No, this was the truth, it had to be. The woman was dead; there was no reason for Curdle to continue to speak so kindly about her. The Lady Gerun was very lucky to have not been alone at her death. She was the embodiment of what Miria had hoped to become and would never be. Who would mourn Miria's death when her time of passing came? It would be her wares that some would miss, not her. Since discovering the truth about Tamal, she had been fine with this lonely existence. Better to die alone than die betrayed. Now, she was not so sure. Curdle's reaction also said much about him. When Miria had sat down, it was simply to be more comfortable, as she considered it rude to have lengthy conversations with a guest while standing. Standing to a guest conveyed disinterest, and Miria was very interested in hearing what Curdle had to say. Furthermore, he stood in front of her booth--the closest thing to home that she had--thus, he was a guest. Treating this lowly jinni as a guest was a sign that there was a lesson from Tamal that Miria has failed to learn: she was incapable of seeing the jinn as lesser beings than herself, at least not completely, regardless of what she thought of them. It had resulted in her heartbreak and near death, yet she had not thought of her mistake of sitting down to a jinni, not until Curdle had also sat down. Tamal would have remained standing. Curdle, on the other hand, knew his place in the world, or at least did not think himself as somehow above her. Then again, the tears and the story could be a ruse to get something out of Miria...but what? A way to smuggle something illegal? She had already checked the Lady Gerun's ashes with a stick--something she now regretted doing. If the ashes were of another jinni, who was she to bar him from paying his respects? Curdle was not journeying physically with her... She could not find any reason for Curdle to deceive her. Not yet, anyway. She hadn't thought Tamal capable of such a thing, either. "What has been done is done," Miria said dismissively, undermining Curdle's apology. "Apologizing won't undo what has happened. If you are haunting my dreams to make sure I take care of your master's ashes, I can assure you that I will keep them safe. If that's what I need to do to get you out of my head, then so be it." Her tone was hard, businesslike, borderline cold, Miria not wanting to think she held any sort of compassion for him or his master, even if her actions spoke otherwise. "Just tell me what I need to do to meet your satisfaction." She rose to her knees, gently shifting through her wares until she found a square of cloth the size of a standard handkerchief, a royal purple background adorned with delicate, swirling designs in various shades of purples, pinks, reds, and blues that were distinctively jinn in style. Though the cloth had been woven with much detail, it was not one of Miria's better works. "This was one of my first weavings," she said, holding up the cloth to Curdle so that he could see the design. "Much care was put into every stitch, back during a time when life for me was...simpler, more innocent. I have no need for it now. I couldn't bring myself to destroy it, so I hoped someone would finally take it off my hands and that I could at least gain a little profit from it, but it never sells. I won't divulge the background or meaning behind it, the pattern is quite loud, and I'm not even certain if it is to your lady's tastes, but considering what I know of her, I think this would suit her. I can drape it around her urn when I wake. That was why you stopped by my booth in the first place, was it not?"</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria listened to this old jinni's plea, her heart torn between compassion and doubt. Her countenance froze, as though rigid stoicism would somehow shield her from making one decision or another. A part of her wished she had never offered Curdle that small tapestry for the urn, even if this was a dream and nothing physical was real. The emotions were more tangible than anything she could touch, see, and hear right now, like the life force of all movement and color in this subconscious world. Emotions controlled Miria's stiff hesitation and this jinni's calm desperation, and he had admitted that it was her kindness that made him choose her for this task of… …Of taking the ashes of someone she had never known and probably never would have met if this person was alive to a very distant city that harbored at least a little animosity towards jinn customs. She wished she had been cruel enough to dump this Lady Fiira's ashes the first chance she got, like any sane human woman would have done, and then she would be facing only her normal worries. She'd have her usual dreamless sleep or a nightmare-wrought attempt at rest as Tamal ever haunted every unconscious thought… Tamal. Thinking of him now did not pit her among the apparitions of her past as it usually did. The scene did not shift in response to her thoughts, the market and her booth as steadfast as Curdle's feelings towards his master even after her death. Miria looked at Curdle now, this haggard, worn creature, his physical presence imprisoned back in Renna and his consciousness chained to her thoughts. Whatever guilt, hatred, and regret she harbored towards the jinn in general, Curdle somehow kept it at bay. His presence had shattered the normal course of her dreaming, and now she was questioning his motives in a rather dull market place instead of reliving her blood-soaked regrets yet again. Perhaps it was fate that somehow brought Curdle and Miria together? But Miria no longer believed in fate, or at the very least it frightened her. Still, she couldn't ignore that with how cumbersome this Curdle could be, he at least had one use. And she knew she could never turn this jinni away, not with a plea like that. Perhaps she should resent that Tamal hadn't hurt her enough, as absurd a notion as that was. Or perhaps the years had softened her countenance too much. "Sherahd is bound to be part of this caravan's route," Miria said, her tone clipped and frigid, "as it is a major trade hub. I will keep your master's ashes for the time being, mainly because I don't see it worth it breaking from the caravan to dump her over some sand dune. Knowing how the world works, a breeze will blow the ashes against me anyway, and that thought is too disgusting to bear. But I can't make any promises once we reach Sherahd." Carefully, Miria stood, dusting off her clean, spotless clothes. "And you can stay in my head if you wish," she said with a haughty sniff, looking quickly away from Curdle, "if your presence still allows me a good night's sleep. Don't expect me to engage you in any way, though. And I hope you gone when I wake."</s> <\|message\|>Curdle info Coarse grain pressed itself into his skin as Curdle held his pose in the long silence. Whether it was truly any longer than a breath or two, he could not have said, but it felt as though time had ceased its flow. There was no measuring how long she held him captive to her mercy, waiting for whatever release she felt him worth. He could feel that sand leaving imprints in his palms and forehead. Imprints as fickle and diverse as the chance that had brought them together. How many other cloth merchants might have been in that market? How many passed through Renna's gates? How varied were the options of how that day might have turned out differently? It was no accident that fate was entwined in the sands of time. One single grain's displacement and how many paths suddenly shifted and changed and never again followed what almost had been? The old jinni was caught feeling his own weight in how heavily he pressed those sand grains between himself and the market's stone. Caught hearing nothing but the faint roar of blood in his ears and feeling only the warm brush of his breath across his cheeks where it was trapped against the ground. When she finally spoke, he was dizzy with relief, and did not immediately understand the words. It was enough that she released him from the wait, good or bad, her voice offered its own solace. Cold though it remained. The tension in his hunched spine gave out as though his body had collapsed, elbows and shoulders drooping, breath escaping him in a heady rush. Her decision was made. She turned it into a matter of convenience. The caravan went to Sherahd, and so would she. Even her abrupt dismissal of what was, to Curdle, a hard-won freedom found no purchase when she threw out her barbs. Dumping Fiira anywhere was not and had never been his intention, but that Miria had considered it even slightly was strong hint that she did not think to simply abandon the urn, ashes and all, where he would never find it, and circumstance might never knock loose the lid. The Lady would not be trapped in the dark by his thoughtlessness. For that alone, she had his eternal gratitude. That she was willing to go further in offering her aid, he was stunned into disbelief by how easily the words tripped from her tongue. So impersonal… He had not regained his presence of mind or his tongue before she'd turned away, and it was almost all he could manage to lift his head then. But he did, that and more. Slowly, hand shaking, he brought dusty fingers to his lips and reached across to the ground as near her feet as he could. Letting them rest there a moment before he could find the strength to lift himself from his genuflection. The gesture was not meant to be seen, or even acknowledged. How could it be? There was no possible response. But it was all he could think of to give her in return. She had agreed to help him regain the honour he'd given up too easily. His sense of worth had been lost with it, and was, perhaps, the more significant loss, but it would be far harder to find again. Still, in helping him on the road to one, she set him towards both, if he could take it, though he realized nothing of this beyond his overwhelmed understanding that Fiira would not suffer for his weakness. For that, and nothing else, he strove to do as she seemed to want. Unfortunate, that he did not know how to leave, or he would have that very instant. All he could give her was his silence. Speaking no more words on the subject, though he surely couldn't manage any, just then, so it was hardly an effort. He remained on his knees, as small a presence as he knew how to be, and did not look up to see what she might be doing or thinking now. He did not even raise his hands to brush the sand from his forehead or fingers. He would be as nothing, if she asked it, that he might intrude no more in a private place where no one else belonged. He had no plans to ignore her. In fact, he was very carefully doing the opposite, though he did not wish to give that away. Heedful of her every action, he was listening attentively, watching her feet at the edge of his sight in case she suddenly desired something of him. His gaze, however, would not leave the cloth still where he'd left it. Near to his knee, but not quite touching. Its colours twisted in his vision and the longer he stared, the less its details remained intact. He was tired, he realised slowly. And he could feel a new weight on his shoulders, in his chest. His body was heavy. It wasn't here. But it needed the sleep this dreaming didn't offer. Or why else would he be tired in a dream? Already, though he was not aware of it, his shape and form were becoming looser. More insubstantial as his chin began drooping towards his chest. Young and old, sometimes weightless above the ground, sometimes, somehow, beneath it, sinking. Flickering fitfully like a dying fire burning out the last of its heat and life. Though, in his case, it was only his control and magic slipping as his mind began to doze. Though it took a long few moments, the end, when it came, was sudden. One instant, he was there, the next, as his chin finally struck his chest, he was gone. No fanfare, no puff of smoke or flash of light, merely empty space. In Renna, stretched out on the floor, head tilted by the weight of his horns, an old man had begun to snore.</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria felt Curdle's absence almost immediately; vibrant color drained into a dull pallet and vivid noises of the marketplace around her blended into indiscernible noise. She glanced behind her, meaning to catch sight of Curdle but seeing sand where he once knelt, fading humanoid shapes drifting over the area as though he had never been a part of this dream. It surprised her to feel a slight pang in her heart; she had expected that he would at least follow for a little while. Her last words echoed in her mind, a reflection of the possible thoughtlessness in them. She did say she wanted him out of her head by morning, and that feeling still rang true. So, why did it bother her that Curdle had left to immediately? She didn't understand it and decided that it was best not to. He was just an old jinni who needed her to help him pay respects to the remains of someone he loved. She sighed, turned back around, and continued walking, each step erasing her consciousness of what had transpired like unraveling a ball of thread with each forward step. Soon, she was lost in her dream, as obscure as the shifting shapes around her. But she did not forget, the memory touching upon her recollection, sightless and intangible, but present as the light of the morning sun over the surrounding sand dunes. Miria awoke, fed and groomed Raha, and prepared for the long journey with the rest of the caravan, her movements automatic to allow her mind to be elsewhere. Was what happened even real? Miria checked her cart for the carefully-stowed urn, finding it tucked safely away, the sight of it summoning Curdle's tears and his words of weary relief. Where she had gone wrong with Tamal, Fiira had gone right with Curdle. Where Miria believed she had attempted the impossible and been punished for it, Fiira and Curdle had dared to love each other, in whatever way that love signified, and had managed to survive the gauntlet of prejudice and cruel expectations. How common was a bond like theirs? How common was a tragedy like Miria's? The jinni that served Miria breakfast did not respond to his master beyond what he was ordered to do, his gaze empty as he ladled leftover stew into jer small bowl. A cluster of young jinn animal tamers who had been whispering to each other scattered when humans walked by, knowing that conversing with each other without permission was forbidden, but the humans seemed too busy with their own morning chores to care and the young jinn exchanged mirthful glances at each other. The sand jinni that lead the caravan, who was the key reason they did not all sink into the sand and die beneath the sun, ate her breakfast with her master. They spoke quietly, animatedly, the jinni relaxed, her master bemused, like two good friends engaged in conversation. Yet Miria could see the thick callouses beneath the heavy iron ring around her neck where the metal had chaffed painfully against her skin for years, and she could see glimpses of scars peaking over the collar of her tunic. How well did society truly accept this human/jinn balance? Was there even a balance at all, or were the scales tipping below the surface, straining against what was natural, threatening change? Miria pondered this as she finished her preparations, as the caravan moved once more, as they pushed through a long, hard day through the desert. Why had her compassion towards a jinni make her a tragic victim? Or did she simply have the misfortune of falling in love with a creature that never saw her or the world they shared the way Curdle did? How had Curdle not fallen into hatred like Tamal did? When they finally stopped for the night, at the call of the sinking sun and the darkening sky, Miria sifted through her wares for the small bit of cloth she presented Curdle in their dream meeting. She held the fabric in her hands, the last evidence of her compassion she had held towards someone she didn't understand, and spread it over the urn. That evening, she weaved until her fingers ached and it was a struggle just to stay awake, and she slept. Curdle did not touch her dreams, and she greeted the morning with a mild sense of disappointment. The day toiled on, Miria's focus occupied entirely on fighting with the rest of the caravan against a minor sand storm—weak enough for there to be no need to stop, strong enough to be a nuisance. The sleep she fell into that night was driven by exhaustion, leaving her no capacity to dream. Regret greeted her that following morning; she wanted to talk to Curdle again, if only to learn how his path differed from Tamal's. She wanted validation for being weak and foolish enough to help a jinni instead of refuse him, of accepting his presence instead of loathing him. By the time the caravan reached Hudris, days later, Miria had all but dropped her expectation for meeting the jinni, suspecting that if he did show again, it would be at Sherahd. She fell into routine that evening, prepping her wares for sale the next morning, settling Raha in the stall they'd both be sharing for a week, and making sure she would be presentable to the public. She fell asleep that night like any other, too worried and excited about the uncertainty of the next day to afford a thought to her jinni acquaintance. ~~~ Miria stepped through a spacious house, none she ever recognized, its clay walls and mish-mash of stone and wooden floors decorated in a humble Mediterranean style of dark and earthy tones, indicating sophisticated coziness and thoughtful class. Each room, Miria noticed, had so many windows, every one overlooking a cluster of palm trees or the rooftops of neighboring houses down a sloping hill or the spread of sand dunes in the distance. She felt strangely at home here, relaxed, even as she explored every room for the first time, and she wondered idly who this home belonged to. It did not cross her mind how crisp and vivid every detail of the house was, how rich the colors, how vibrant the sounds of birds chirping outside, her thoughts instead choosing to settle into this content feeling. How long had she felt so at ease?</s>
<\|description\|>Marian Anderson. Alias: None. Age: 24. Appearance: Faction: Civilian. Occupation: Court Stenographer. Bio: I was born and raised in Manhattan so it's no surprise that I'm as knowledgeable about the streets as any of the other law enforcers out there. The only problem is that my dad won't let me join the police force. 'It's too dangerous' he'd say, 'I don't want to see you die' he'd insist even though he allowed me to go through the academy; maybe in hopes that it would scare me away from the idea, but this valedictorian was far from scared. Though it seems like no one's righting the wrongs in the city; the only place he'd let me even get _close_ to any action is as a Court Stenographer, type type type, type and more type, is all I ever do and while I'm not allowed to talk about the things I learn while I'm typing away on the funny looking keyboard… I learn a lot about the city, its people and just how corrupt the, so called, 'ideals' are. If my mom was alive, she'd be very disappointed at the things my father's allowing this city, and it's people to get away with. Sure I enjoy the higher end of life and the finer things that come with it; fancy parties, big apartment flats and smoking hot cars. But knowing it comes from, well blood money, doesn't exactly make one feel nice. I will share with you a little information. Something that I know that most people don't… Robert Locksley is a pain in the a**. Whenever he was in court, it felt like he'd purposefully talk faster just to see if I could keep up, and smart too. I'd watch defense attorneys' knees buckle in fear when he'd enter the room. It's sad to see he's not practicing law anymore (don't ask me what happened, I don't know), but it's nice not to see his arrogant personality anymore. I have noticed an increase in homeless people lately, which is sad in its own right. So I've made it a point to try to give whatever spare change I have to someone who I pass. I do see one however, that seemed to be pretty mobile as I run into him in quite a few places, one of my favorites was I was coming out of the donut shop and he held out his cup and instead of asking for change he asked for a donut. I laughed so hard that I gave him half of mine. I think he knows my route though, because every day when I go in for work, he's begging by the courthouse so every day I drop off a donut to my beggar friend. It's not money but it's food right? Personality: Rather hard headed and diplomatically argumentative, it's not her way or the highway but she's not afraid to point out flaws and the negatives. Has a certain charm about her that helps her get what she wants and plays the innocent/dumb blonde card really well. All and all, she's a nice girl, just rough around the edges. Skills/abilities: ~A ridiculously fast typer, obviously because of her job. ~Memory based around vocabulary, either written or spoken; a photographic memory only for words if you will. ~Hand-to-Hand combat training thanks to the academy. ~Gun usage, prefers a hand-held pistol but for obvious reasons (thanks dad) it doesn't happen often. Family/Loves Ones: One father (Chief of Manhattan), mother's dead. Siblings? Possibly… Someone wanna play a brother who joins the Merry Men?! I think that would be fun! Maybe friends with one of the female merry men? They went to school together or something?! Other: Loves to gossip about the Merry Men and their actions with her friends outside of work. In work they'd get rather butt-hurt that their employees were happy with what the Merry Men were doing but it's about time there is some justice out there! And she never misses church and confession with Tryone Tuck.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley "You're crazy Rob! You can't just go back there!" "I gotta see our handy work! They'll never see me!" Silence, then a sigh. "One of these days you're going to meet your match, and I won't be there to save your ass." "Glad we're on the same page. I'll see you later." Robin Hood was dressed in a large coat, his uniform underneath... but if he was going to walk around the place he just robbed, he didn't want to walk around in a green hoodie. He smiled a bit as the police was surrounding the place, asking questions, and he saw Mister Taylor screaming at the top of his lungs. He guessed he found out that he just lost a lot of his money for a good cause. He then saw Marian, his heart melting a bit at the sight of her, but that soon changed when he saw that Edward was walking right with him. He wondered if he persisted he walk her home, or it was demanded by someone. Either way, he was going to follow right after them, but at a distance of course. He would take detours in alley ways, hide behind cars, doing things that wouldn't get him spotted. The more this Edward guy talked, the more angry he got. He didn't care one bit about her... She was obviously cold! then he got the idea. The only thing he took from Edward was his watch, he probably had a lot more goodies in his pockets... He decided to take the moment where Edward tied his shoe to get a head start on them... When they started walking again, he started walking towards them casually, walking in between the two, and after a second, he called out after them. "Excuse me! Sir!" Rob called out to them. they turned. "I think you dropped something!" Robin said, keeping his head down, but holding up the watch Robin stole earlier that night. Edward raised his eyebrows in suspicion, and then looked down at his wrist. "How did it...?" Robin walked forward. "It's a very nice watch, Mister Taylor. Have any more goodies?" he asked casually, and before he could reply, in his other hand a knife was pointed only at Edward. He wore his black handkerchief over his mouth, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "you're-You're Robin Hood!" He exclaimed. "Ah, glad to see the money your daddy put in your education paid off." Robin Hood said sarcastically. "Can you please empty out your pockets?" he glanced over at Marian, still shivering and giving him a weird look. Maybe she was connecting that Mister Smith and him were the same people. He gave a sigh and looked back at Edward. He picked up his wallet, pulling out the bills, and tossing the rest back on to the ground. He kept his silver lighter, his watch, and look at his phone. With a few presses of the buttons he shut the phone off, and handed it back to him. "You're such a gentlemen too, Eddy." Robin took off his coat, handing it to Marian with a nod. "A thicker jacket just for you." He turned his attention back to Edward. "Now, since you have no idea how to keep a conversation, haven't had the decency to give her your coat, and rambled on and on about your 'exciting life', I think its only fair that Miss Anderson decides who walks her home." Robin said glaring at him, but then looking at her softly. "Don't worry about hurting feelings here. We're big boys. We can take rejection." Rob had a twinkle in his eye as he said that, a grin formed behind his handkerchief.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. The more Edward attempted to talk to her, the further and further she looked away from him. Discomfort growing in her mind as she walked. It was becoming more and more apparent that attempting to talk to this self-centered man was non-existent. He was going on and on about how lucky she should consider herself for being able to walk home with him and how safe she must feel and how dangerous these streets are, blah blah blah. That was until a figure moved between them, Marian only thankful to have happen; it gave her a feeling of a 'break' from Edward before she was forced to listen to him talk again. That was… until a voice called out to them; causing the two to stop and turn around. The young man who came between them held up something that looked slightly familiar. Even Marian recognized the watch but when the man pulled out a knife, she held up her hands even though the knife was truly only gestured at Edward. Her toned curvy body gave a visible shiver in the dress she was wearing and goose bumps began to appear on her skin for two reasons; one was that the Taylors had a valid point; she did come from a rich background so he'd have no reason not to target her. And two, she was cold! "Listen Robin Hood." Edward said, his voice cracking in a small amount of fright as he attempted to keep his arm between Robin and Marian. "Just take whatever you want but leave us alone." His voice tried to sound sharp and stern, like he somehow had the upper-hand of the situation but everyone who's been around the block when it comes to the lawyer situation knew that this was one of those 'full of it' speeches. "There's no reason for violence, we've done nothing wrong and I just want to make sure my girlfriend gets home safe…" "Girlfriend?!" Marian jumped in questioningly only to get a stern look of 'shut up' that caused her to open mouth in response before Robin Hood spoke up about Edward being such a gentleman. Her blue gaze shot to the young man in front of them and stared rather blankly at the coat he was handing her. "R…really?" She asked in surprise because she was more than prepared to throw her purse at his feet, instead he was giving her his jacket to stay warm. Taking it from him in surprise, she threw it over her shoulders and stuck her bare arms into the sleeves. It was toast warm, as if he had been wearing it for quite a while and the smell of the cologne on it was almost intoxicating. In fact, she was so lost in the warmth and comforting smell that she didn't realize that she was getting spoken to. She had put two and two together by now that John Smith was actually Robin Hood standing in front of her. But she wasn't going to argue with that and she surely wasn't going to admit that she knew Robin Hood was in the party before everything went crazy. She didn't say anything, she merely walked to Robin's side before giving him a small head gesture to continue on her walk; obviously choosing him to walk her home instead of Edward. Did she do it out of fear? Fear because he might hurt her or Edward if she didn't… or did she do it for some other reason? "Don't worry Marian!" Edward called out as the two began to walk off… not wanting to reveal what he had in mind as he attempted to get his phone to turn back on. As much as he thought he was being sneaky, he was obviously going to get a hold of the police (or run back to the office) and send them after Robin Hood who was 'kidnapping' Marian Anderson, the daughter of the Chief of Police. Why would she choose to be with Robin Hood instead of Edward Taylor? Because she feared for her life and his and thought the best way to save them was to follow the crazy man's will. "You're either really brave or really stupid to show back up around here when the whole police station is crawling around." She said in a playful lecturing tone. "Thank you for the jacket… and the dance. Though it's disappointing that your body guard interrupted us…" When would she ever have time to make small talk with the mastermind 'criminal' of the city? It's now or never.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robin shrugged at Edward when Marian walked over to him, and he started to walk the way Edward and Marian were going. He heard the shouts of Edward, but he really didn't care. It would be a couple more minutes before he could get his phone on, but seeing as how he is the son of the man who had just been robbed, it wouldn't take long for them to get to Marian's house once they do talk. Robin stayed close to her, but not being creepy and holding on to her. He grinned and shrugged at her first comment. "I could very well be both Miss. Depends on what you think of me robbing from the rich and giving to the poor." He said simply. And when she thanked him for the other things, he looked over at her and nodded. "Ah, well... If it makes you feel any better, I really wanted to finish that dance." Robin said quietly. "But we had a job to do... A lot of money will be donated to a lot of places thanks to Jason Taylor's generous donations..." He looked at her again. "Just to ease your mind, I have no intention of robbing you. I've heard about your good deeds in donating, or helping out with what you can... Although if you could get your dad to ease off a bit on my case..." He said in a joking matter, he didn't expect her dad to do anything like that. Especially when he finds out he walked her home. They walked in almost complete silence, but they both asked the occasional question. When she finally lead them to her house, he took a look around, and then back at her. "So, before I have to run away from the police coming to your house right now, you have any questions for me? and yes, you can keep the coat." He didn't know the next time he'd be able to have a private conversation with her, and her standing there looking stunning, he wanted to talk to her as much as he could before he had to run.</s>	<\|message\|>Marian Anderson. The walk was nice, and she was surprisingly warm thanks to his jacket. Isn't is funny how some people are so self-absorbed that they can't see that people need help; but others go out of way to help those in need. Robin noticed she was in need of a jacket and gave her one while her own 'walking home' buddy ignored her obvious signs of discomfort and would have rather let her shake then to help keep her warm. Unlike someone who claimed to have feelings for her. Maybe he did but he didn't know how to show it… but, as much as Marian would love to attempt to give him the benefit of the doubt, the side he was showing her was something she did not enjoy. It's funny that the most gentlemanly gesture she had received in a while was from a man that her father was desperately hunting for. His statement of wanting to finish their dance too just made her grin up at him. Beaming in a moment of excitement at it! It's not every often you get a chance to impress someone like Robin Hood but here she was, impressing him and making him wish that they could have finished the dance. When he mentioned that he wasn't going to rob her she nodded, turning her attention forward as they continued to walk. "We're not all bad people sir. And I'm glad you're recognizing that." She said simply with a small nod. The arrived to her door too soon for her liking but she stuck her key in and unlatched it to go into her large apartment flat. Turning around, she leaned against the door and listened to him ask her if she had any questions for him. Of course she did! She had a million questions but she had something more important on her mind. "I have an idea that might give you a little break from my dad. It would require showing a side of you most people don't see…" She bit her bottom lip a tiny bit before letting it go. "I think you should mail the watch to my father's office at the police department. With a note attached saying that you understand how precious family treasures can be. Edward got that watch from his grandfather. His grandfather skipped over his father on his death bed to make sure his grandson had something to remember him by. It was a horrible loss and something that really hurt him. And still hurts him to this day." A shrug lifted and fell her small shoulders as whistles were heard coming. "Thank you for the jacket Robin Hood. But please consider that." She gave him a gentle smile and as she opened her door to step inside she turned to him. "Maybe I'll see you around?" With that and a wink she walked inside and shut the door.</s>
<\|description\|>Marian Anderson. Alias: None. Age: 24. Appearance: Faction: Civilian. Occupation: Court Stenographer. Bio: I was born and raised in Manhattan so it's no surprise that I'm as knowledgeable about the streets as any of the other law enforcers out there. The only problem is that my dad won't let me join the police force. 'It's too dangerous' he'd say, 'I don't want to see you die' he'd insist even though he allowed me to go through the academy; maybe in hopes that it would scare me away from the idea, but this valedictorian was far from scared. Though it seems like no one's righting the wrongs in the city; the only place he'd let me even get _close_ to any action is as a Court Stenographer, type type type, type and more type, is all I ever do and while I'm not allowed to talk about the things I learn while I'm typing away on the funny looking keyboard… I learn a lot about the city, its people and just how corrupt the, so called, 'ideals' are. If my mom was alive, she'd be very disappointed at the things my father's allowing this city, and it's people to get away with. Sure I enjoy the higher end of life and the finer things that come with it; fancy parties, big apartment flats and smoking hot cars. But knowing it comes from, well blood money, doesn't exactly make one feel nice. I will share with you a little information. Something that I know that most people don't… Robert Locksley is a pain in the a**. Whenever he was in court, it felt like he'd purposefully talk faster just to see if I could keep up, and smart too. I'd watch defense attorneys' knees buckle in fear when he'd enter the room. It's sad to see he's not practicing law anymore (don't ask me what happened, I don't know), but it's nice not to see his arrogant personality anymore. I have noticed an increase in homeless people lately, which is sad in its own right. So I've made it a point to try to give whatever spare change I have to someone who I pass. I do see one however, that seemed to be pretty mobile as I run into him in quite a few places, one of my favorites was I was coming out of the donut shop and he held out his cup and instead of asking for change he asked for a donut. I laughed so hard that I gave him half of mine. I think he knows my route though, because every day when I go in for work, he's begging by the courthouse so every day I drop off a donut to my beggar friend. It's not money but it's food right? Personality: Rather hard headed and diplomatically argumentative, it's not her way or the highway but she's not afraid to point out flaws and the negatives. Has a certain charm about her that helps her get what she wants and plays the innocent/dumb blonde card really well. All and all, she's a nice girl, just rough around the edges. Skills/abilities: ~A ridiculously fast typer, obviously because of her job. ~Memory based around vocabulary, either written or spoken; a photographic memory only for words if you will. ~Hand-to-Hand combat training thanks to the academy. ~Gun usage, prefers a hand-held pistol but for obvious reasons (thanks dad) it doesn't happen often. Family/Loves Ones: One father (Chief of Manhattan), mother's dead. Siblings? Possibly… Someone wanna play a brother who joins the Merry Men?! I think that would be fun! Maybe friends with one of the female merry men? They went to school together or something?! Other: Loves to gossip about the Merry Men and their actions with her friends outside of work. In work they'd get rather butt-hurt that their employees were happy with what the Merry Men were doing but it's about time there is some justice out there! And she never misses church and confession with Tryone Tuck.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robert was enjoying himself. Marian was on his arm, they were getting glances from people, some clearly not that happy to see this sight. He didn't know if it was because they were jealous, or just didn't like him. He didn't really care right now. She looked behind her to see what Edward was doing, and Robert tried to find a table for the two of them. She apologized, and Robert shook his head and smiled. "Don't worry. It's not my first time helping a girl in need." He approved of that little hidden reference, but then also realized that that could have been taken a completely different way, which he didn't want. He sat down with his plate of... nothing. She caught him offguard so he didn't have time to get food. But he looked at her and gave her a genuine smile, although it would pass as a fake one in a time like this. "I think I can handle him. Hides behind his dad's wallet, doesn't really show respect of personal space, or act like a gentleman when it matters most." Robert said, glancing over at him and giving him a small smirk and nod. He looked back over at Marian. "Although I'm one to talk, right? I didn't really leave a nice impression when I... had to leave. I hope you don't think i'm anything like Eddy over there. Because I'm not." He didn't know if his words would mean anything to her, but it was probably the only time they'll get to talk any time soon with him getting his career back, and his late nights of being Robin Hood. "I'll save you the trouble of leaving though. You're the one with the food." He pretended his phone was ringing, pulling out of his pocket, looking at it, then looking back at Marian. He stood up, walking over to her side of the table, and leaning down to give a convincing kiss on the cheek. His lips didn't touch her skin, although he wanted very badly to. "It really is good to see you again, Marian." Robert said before standing back up, walking towards the door, and pretending to talk on the phone. Going back to work on an empty stomach, Robert spent most of the day looking at the files, doing his best to hide the fact that he was also looking for the people connected to ruining his career. It was a long process, and he clearly didn't have all the available access to the files... He was going to have to give them something on Robin Hood. To gain their trust, and get more clearance. It was risky, it could get Robin and his followers some more heat for a very little bit, but in the end the city will be safe.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Marian settled down across from him and looked down at his plate compared to hers. Well, she really caught him off guard didn't she? When he said he could handle him, she tilted her head slightly. Really? Was he really willing to face Edward; even Robert couldn't be that arrogant… or maybe it wasn't arrogance, maybe it was standing up for what he was feeling could be right. Maybe… maybe. Upon his mention of being the one to talk, she did a head bob in slight agreement. He was a jerk, there was no doubt about that but he seemed to almost be… well sorry. Her gaze moved from her plate to him when he said he wasn't like Edward and said it with a force of meaning which caused her to raise her eyebrows at him. Her eyebrows dropped slightly as he said that he would leave instead of her. Was he serious? Had he actually changed… "Okay…" She said softly in a small bit of a surprise. As he came to her side of the table and leaned down, she wasn't sure what was happening and nearly froze in her seat, his hot breath so close to her cheek that she felt her face flush completely red and held onto her breath. As he talked to her against her ear she felt her body shiver and she pressed her lips together firmly, doing her best not to make a weird noise or jerk at the sudden feeling of his hot breath against her soft skin. When he finally left she let out her breath she had been holding. Holy crap that was a lot in a small amount of time. She shivered in her seat. It had been a long time since someone had been that close to her that wasn't the creepy individual that was Edward Taylor. Most men wouldn't come near her, thinking she belonged to Edward, like she was stamped as his property which was far from the truth. It took a while for her to finish her meal… Robert was the man to give her some form of attention aside from Edward and it was surprising… okay, maybe there was one other guy; Robin Hood. When Marian finished eating she snooped around a little more, discovering nothing new and that no one had any information about why Robert was brought back, but she did find him in his old office going through files and clicking through a computer. He was so focused he probably didn't notice the blonde walking by… but he did notice a knock on his door. "Mister Locksley. I have a pizza delivery for you." The young man in the pizza shirt placed a small pepperoni pizza on the table and waved his hand. "Someone paid for it already. They said you didn't eat and should have some food. It was pre-paid. Have a good day." With that the young pizza guy left. Marian sat at her desk watching the young pizza man come by the window looking into her office. He stopped at her door and she got up, walking to him to sign the slip and give him a cash tip. "Thank you." She said with a smile, "Have a great day." She said with a grin as he left and she went back to her desk. Time rolled by and the end of the day seemed like it was taking forever. The blonde ran her fingers through her hair as she reached forward and checked her phone to see that her father had texted her to check on her. With that she answered him back, letting him know that she was okay and she stayed in for lunch but if she wanted to go out for dinner he'd just have to deal with it. He wasn't happy about it but he did agree that he couldn't keep his daughter on lock-down.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robert kept going through files, searching things up about familiar names of CEO's or people high up in politics. His jacket was off, his tie a bit loose, and his sleeves rolled up as he glared at the screen or files. He never realized how hungry he was until he looked up and smelled the pizza the man in his office was holding. He explained how he knew he didn't eat today, and his eyebrows were raised in confusion. Who would buy him a pizza? His first day back, and people were too surprised to talk to him, or even know that very little known fact. Then it occurred to him that it could be courtesy of the beautiful blonde he was in love with, and he gave a smile. "Thank you very much... But, here's a tip." Robert pulled out a twenty dollar bill and handed it to him, which he eager accepted. Once he left, Robert consumed a lot of pizza in a short time, and continuing his work but thinking about the kind act that Marian did for him... Maybe he should do the same for her... In a sneaky, charming little way. Maybe he could get that official unofficial date with her after all tonight. --------- Later that night Robert was back in his apartment, his laptop and files now here as well. He also had one of the members of the Merry Men with her. Gwen Hathaway sat behind her laptop on his couch. "You sure you want to do this? I mean, its romantic-- but in a very creepy way." She called out to him. Robert was in his bedroom trying to pick out something casual, but nice. "I'm positive! Just hack the computer, and find that 'Robin Hood' and 'Steelport Seaside Bar and Grill' happen to have something in common." Hopefully she would be curious enough to go there, and when Robin Hood doesn't show up, Robert will be there, and they will start talking, and she will get to see the new and improved Robert! Well, that was the plan at least. He hoped she wasn't still too mad or thought badly of Robert because of his past... he couldn't blame her though. "Alright.... And, it begins." She said as she started hacking in the computer of Marian Anderson.</s>	<\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Marian's day went by rather fast which was a blessing in itself. A long sigh left her as she walked through her house, a smile dancing along her face as she did so. The last time she was 'walked home' was by Robin Hood and as you can imagine, that thought was still on her mind. Body draped in a robe, she left her laptop open doing her own personal research on whom Robin Hood was. As much as she'd like to think that she was making a breakthrough when it came to figuring out exactly who he was… she wasn't. Humming to herself, she skipped through her house making herself some tea. While she was gone, Gwen patched into Marian's computer. "It looks like we're in luck. She's been researching already." With that she typed a few things and opened up a pre-created webpage on Marian's computer. Gwen's timing was perfect, considering the blonde had just returned to her computer to see a webpage she didn't think she had opened. Moving the mouse along the website, there was information she didn't know that someone had found out about Robin Hood. In worry someone, like her father's men, might attempt to look through her computer history in order to use what information she might find in their own personal way to find Robin Hood. She scribbled down the address of the restaurant and decided to go during the evening when all the 'rich' people are out and about. Maybe he'll be there… "There was a long amount of hesitation than she erased her history and closed the website. I think you're good to go Robert but… it's still kinda creepy." 7pm rolled around, the time when business people were out hunting for others to take home and… well that's not the reason the blonde was walking into the restaurant but she did hope she might run into the vigilante himself . Marian dressed herself in her favorite strapless wrapped white dress and heels. Upon her entrance, she was greeted by the host. "Hello miss, table for one?" "Oh actually I was just going to take a seat bar." She said politely giving a gentle jester towards the bar. How would she know it was Robin Hood? Granted he probably would recognize her and maybe… maybe even talk to her! But all she could do was hope right now. Marian took a seat at the bar, no purse this time, keeping everything in a small pocket against the dress to keep things safe and now, all she could do was wait… wait and order a martini. Why? She's at a bar, why not!</s>
<\|description\|>Marian Anderson. Alias: None. Age: 24. Appearance: Faction: Civilian. Occupation: Court Stenographer. Bio: I was born and raised in Manhattan so it's no surprise that I'm as knowledgeable about the streets as any of the other law enforcers out there. The only problem is that my dad won't let me join the police force. 'It's too dangerous' he'd say, 'I don't want to see you die' he'd insist even though he allowed me to go through the academy; maybe in hopes that it would scare me away from the idea, but this valedictorian was far from scared. Though it seems like no one's righting the wrongs in the city; the only place he'd let me even get _close_ to any action is as a Court Stenographer, type type type, type and more type, is all I ever do and while I'm not allowed to talk about the things I learn while I'm typing away on the funny looking keyboard… I learn a lot about the city, its people and just how corrupt the, so called, 'ideals' are. If my mom was alive, she'd be very disappointed at the things my father's allowing this city, and it's people to get away with. Sure I enjoy the higher end of life and the finer things that come with it; fancy parties, big apartment flats and smoking hot cars. But knowing it comes from, well blood money, doesn't exactly make one feel nice. I will share with you a little information. Something that I know that most people don't… Robert Locksley is a pain in the a**. Whenever he was in court, it felt like he'd purposefully talk faster just to see if I could keep up, and smart too. I'd watch defense attorneys' knees buckle in fear when he'd enter the room. It's sad to see he's not practicing law anymore (don't ask me what happened, I don't know), but it's nice not to see his arrogant personality anymore. I have noticed an increase in homeless people lately, which is sad in its own right. So I've made it a point to try to give whatever spare change I have to someone who I pass. I do see one however, that seemed to be pretty mobile as I run into him in quite a few places, one of my favorites was I was coming out of the donut shop and he held out his cup and instead of asking for change he asked for a donut. I laughed so hard that I gave him half of mine. I think he knows my route though, because every day when I go in for work, he's begging by the courthouse so every day I drop off a donut to my beggar friend. It's not money but it's food right? Personality: Rather hard headed and diplomatically argumentative, it's not her way or the highway but she's not afraid to point out flaws and the negatives. Has a certain charm about her that helps her get what she wants and plays the innocent/dumb blonde card really well. All and all, she's a nice girl, just rough around the edges. Skills/abilities: ~A ridiculously fast typer, obviously because of her job. ~Memory based around vocabulary, either written or spoken; a photographic memory only for words if you will. ~Hand-to-Hand combat training thanks to the academy. ~Gun usage, prefers a hand-held pistol but for obvious reasons (thanks dad) it doesn't happen often. Family/Loves Ones: One father (Chief of Manhattan), mother's dead. Siblings? Possibly… Someone wanna play a brother who joins the Merry Men?! I think that would be fun! Maybe friends with one of the female merry men? They went to school together or something?! Other: Loves to gossip about the Merry Men and their actions with her friends outside of work. In work they'd get rather butt-hurt that their employees were happy with what the Merry Men were doing but it's about time there is some justice out there! And she never misses church and confession with Tryone Tuck.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robin listened to her story as they sat down on the bench, he pretending to sit there and listen to the world around him when in reality he was listening to something that rather surprised Robin. She started to talk about how she could help him out, get information that could help him, and he couldn't help but smirk at the thought. Little did she know that he already had someone extracting files for him, and that someone was Robin himself! And then he smiled a bit wider in response to her saying how amazing of a lawyer Robert was. She really thought that, eh? Robin thought about it for a second. He really didn't need her help. Not because he didn't want it, or didn't believe what she said, but it was a combination of him already providing what she was offering... and that the love of his life was risking her reputation to help out a man she idolized for his deeds... And then there was the fact that if he said yes, Little John would beat him senseless for letting his emotions get involved and start complications with his cover in the law firm. Robin tapped his cane gently as he thought. "Your offer is... complicated." Robin said with a small laugh, glancing over at her with his glasses on, then moved his gaze to still act like he was blind. "Believe it or not, I already have a mole in the justice system." He didn't dare say if it was a lawyer, a secretary, or even a janitor. "And they are doing very well at being the last person you would suspect in helping me. I have no doubt that you could be helpful for us, I just really recommend taking my advice from yesterday and forgetting about me. I do enjoy our chats, and being able to see your face, but you don't know what's behind this disguise. No one has seen Robin Hood's face. You don't know if i'm an angel, or demon. Everyone who helps me has to play this game. "Do I trust this man to do the right thing, even if I have never really met him... Or are the tabloids true? Am I really a criminal... Are you willing to gamble on that?"</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Everything's complicated. 'Complicated' was a word that Marian couldn't stand. Her father used that as an excuse a lot in order to get her to avoid topics he didn't want to talk about. Especially when it came to her joining the force; 'You can't join it's complicated.', 'We'll talk about it later but it's rather complicated.', 'This case is too complicated to talk about.' Everything was 'complicated' but could be easily fixed if someone who just take the time to explain. The plain truth is, people just don't want to tell her things for this or that reason, and that was something she didn't enjoy… at all. Robin did pose an interesting question. Was he a criminal or was he a saint? Was he what the tabloids made him out to be or was he something outlandish and dangerous? Was he an angel or a demon? Her hand reached up, her soft palm resting gently against his far cheek as she turned his head to look at her. Leaning in to close the gap almost forehead to forehead, she spoke softly. "You are a man doing what is needed in society to right the wrongs of the rich and helping the poor. Justice is served more ways than one and this is something that is needed at this point. Am I willing to take that gamble? If it's to better the lives of people then yes, and hopefully, through your actions; the rest will realize what they are doing is wrong and follow suite to treat others better." A small smirk curled her full lips, "Besides, you can't be all bad; you lent a freezing girl your jacket, which I will return to you by the way, when other people wouldn't even lift a finger. Gentleman actions from someone who isn't supposed to be a gentleman just shows how wrong society is." She slowly dropped her hand from his face, her fingertips dancing along his cheek before falling off. Her smirked curled into a smile as she pulled herself back upright and turned to look straight ahead leaning back against the bench once again. "So yes, I am willing to gamble on that. The real question is, will I get a seat at the table to play?"</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robin's heart almost jumped out of his chest when she got so close to him. Behind the sunglasses he stared in to her eyes, and it took a lot to not lean any closer to her... For many reasons. Most importantly was that he was dressed as an older blind man, and she had absolutely no idea what he truly looked like. But her words were challenging, daring him to say yes... And yeah, he liked that. When asked the question of if she had a seat at the table, Robin only grinned, and tapped his cane lightly. "This game is dangerous, Marian. Not only because you don't know if you can trust me, but because a lot of people would do anything for money... Even my own team. And that terrifies me... But like you, I'm taking a leap of faith. Welcome to the Merry Men. You're first game is against Mister Guy Gibson. Get to know anything you can on the guy, but don't go to extremes. We need to know how he ticks. And since you already have my number, there's no need for us to flirt. I'll be around." The older man stood up, and started to tap his cane around and walk, but then he stopped. "Oh, and keep the coat. It looks good on you." He gave a grin, and lifted his glasses for a small wink and bow before walking in to the large crowd of New York, curious to see how this plays out.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. When he said 'welcome to the Merry Men' she couldn't help but smirk slightly in victory. She finally got what she wanted and what's even more humorous is that her father gave up his chance to have her on his crew and now the 'enemy' was the one she was going to work for. Her grin moved through her as her attention turned to the 'old man' getting up. She nodded gently to him before sitting back with a smile watching him walk away with a gentle wave to him. So she had mission, and her mission was to get to know Guy Gibson a little better… huh, that doesn't exactly seem like a bad mission. The following work day brought a new pep in Marian's step. She had Robin Hood's number and was now a Merry Men! How many people could say that?! Well… she wasn't sure of the exact count but hey, there was at least one! She moved her way through the crowded streets and up the courthouse steps. "Good morning." She said with a cheery voice to the secretary who seemed to wave at her in a slight confusion as the blonde nearly skipped into her office. This was an interesting morning and should lead to an interesting day; draping her small jacket over the back of her chair, she sat down at her desk and opened her emails. Upon finding none new or important in her inbox before opening a new email; she began to write out a message to see if Guy would like to join her for lunch this afternoon. Much to her surprise, he responded rather swiftly and proceeded to take her up on the invite. Smiling, she sat back in her chair, her hands placed gently upon the arm rests of the chair and rocked gently back and forth. Today… today was going to be a good day.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robin walked in to the office shortly after Marian arrived. He was sure that Cassie was already walking around New York trying to find more on Robin Hood. He had to constantly change the subject when they spent time with each other yesterday after Robin's talk with Marian, and he had a feeling he would try and talk more to her about this stuff if Robert wasn't going to spill anything. the last thing he needed was Cassie trying to join the Merry Men. He had a coffee and doughnut in his hand. He made his way to Marian's office, giving a light tap on the door frame, holding out the coffee and doughnut. "Hey, Chief. I felt bad for taking your food the other day, thought I'd return the favor." Robert said, placing the items on the table, glancing over at who she was emailing, then frowning a bit (for dramatic effect). "Getting to know the new guy? Well, he's better than Eddy I'll give you that." Robert said jokingly with a grin, then walking towards the door. "I got a court date to go to today, apparently a lot of people want to see a Locksley back in his natural habitat." Robert said, looking back towards her. "You gonna be the stenographer, just watch the show, or have seen enough of my cases to even show?" He asked, curious on whether or not she would be too focused on the job he gave her with Gibson, that she would do her own job, or even see the little show Robert had in store for this case. A woman was being charged of stealing from a wealthy man's house. It was refreshing to get away from the Robin Hood case. For the past few days he's been looking at those files, but also the accused stealing case. To say the very least, he was excited.</s>	<\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Marian's blue eyes rolled up to see Robert walking into her office holding a cup of coffee and a small bag. She gave him a confused looked as he held out the products and walked inside. Oh, oh that makes sense. Her confused look turned into a grateful smile as he placed the things down onto her desk. At his response to seeing her email to guy, she laughed softly. "He made mention to wanting to try some places around New York for lunch. Who better to show him around then me? Someone who will pretty much eat anything!" She gave a small laugh as he turned around, she tilted her head to one side and couldn't help but ask, "Do I hear a hint of jealousy in your voice Locksley? The lack of a 'not date' getting to you?" Her voice was completely teasing and her tongue-in-cheek attitude to show she was just kidding. When asked about if she was going to be the stenographer for his case she gave a small shrug. "I might, I might not be. I guess we'll have to wait and see." She said playfully as she picked up the coffee and brought it to her lips. "Assuming you have changed like you said, it might be enjoyable for me to do my job while you work instead of how it used to be." It would take her a long time to accept the fact that she was going to have to work on Robert's case but she'd muscle through her dislike of him and just type away, ignoring his actions and not really retaining any of his comments. But hey, if he's changed then maybe she could handle it. The eleven o'clock trail was about to begin and Marian took her seat on the Judge's left and popped her fingers, ready to document the whole conversation and put on her 'game face' to show no emotion to what was said; and that, my dear friends, is the hardest part of her job.</s>
<\|description\|>Marian Anderson. Alias: None. Age: 24. Appearance: Faction: Civilian. Occupation: Court Stenographer. Bio: I was born and raised in Manhattan so it's no surprise that I'm as knowledgeable about the streets as any of the other law enforcers out there. The only problem is that my dad won't let me join the police force. 'It's too dangerous' he'd say, 'I don't want to see you die' he'd insist even though he allowed me to go through the academy; maybe in hopes that it would scare me away from the idea, but this valedictorian was far from scared. Though it seems like no one's righting the wrongs in the city; the only place he'd let me even get _close_ to any action is as a Court Stenographer, type type type, type and more type, is all I ever do and while I'm not allowed to talk about the things I learn while I'm typing away on the funny looking keyboard… I learn a lot about the city, its people and just how corrupt the, so called, 'ideals' are. If my mom was alive, she'd be very disappointed at the things my father's allowing this city, and it's people to get away with. Sure I enjoy the higher end of life and the finer things that come with it; fancy parties, big apartment flats and smoking hot cars. But knowing it comes from, well blood money, doesn't exactly make one feel nice. I will share with you a little information. Something that I know that most people don't… Robert Locksley is a pain in the a**. Whenever he was in court, it felt like he'd purposefully talk faster just to see if I could keep up, and smart too. I'd watch defense attorneys' knees buckle in fear when he'd enter the room. It's sad to see he's not practicing law anymore (don't ask me what happened, I don't know), but it's nice not to see his arrogant personality anymore. I have noticed an increase in homeless people lately, which is sad in its own right. So I've made it a point to try to give whatever spare change I have to someone who I pass. I do see one however, that seemed to be pretty mobile as I run into him in quite a few places, one of my favorites was I was coming out of the donut shop and he held out his cup and instead of asking for change he asked for a donut. I laughed so hard that I gave him half of mine. I think he knows my route though, because every day when I go in for work, he's begging by the courthouse so every day I drop off a donut to my beggar friend. It's not money but it's food right? Personality: Rather hard headed and diplomatically argumentative, it's not her way or the highway but she's not afraid to point out flaws and the negatives. Has a certain charm about her that helps her get what she wants and plays the innocent/dumb blonde card really well. All and all, she's a nice girl, just rough around the edges. Skills/abilities: ~A ridiculously fast typer, obviously because of her job. ~Memory based around vocabulary, either written or spoken; a photographic memory only for words if you will. ~Hand-to-Hand combat training thanks to the academy. ~Gun usage, prefers a hand-held pistol but for obvious reasons (thanks dad) it doesn't happen often. Family/Loves Ones: One father (Chief of Manhattan), mother's dead. Siblings? Possibly… Someone wanna play a brother who joins the Merry Men?! I think that would be fun! Maybe friends with one of the female merry men? They went to school together or something?! Other: Loves to gossip about the Merry Men and their actions with her friends outside of work. In work they'd get rather butt-hurt that their employees were happy with what the Merry Men were doing but it's about time there is some justice out there! And she never misses church and confession with Tryone Tuck.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Stupid, stupid-stupid, STUPID!! Marian was kicking herself mentally as she stared out at the open field. What would it matter if Guy saw them here? Would it really matter if Robin happened to be watching TV and saw them there? Could he really go against her idea of getting closer to Robert to figure out what he would know about the Merry Men? It was dangerous to think that they might be getting close to figuring out Robin's identity. Maybe… maybe the kiss was a good thing. Maybe Guy did see it; if he did it might just throw a wrench in Guy's trust to Robert and that could cause some issues between the two. Some perfectly timed issues when they really needed to focus. Marian finished the cotton candy from her hand and picked up her beer, taking a long drink to boost her confidence to sit next to Robert for the rest of the game. What was she thinking?! Why did she do it?! And more importantly, why is her stomach in knots? Why his her heart slowing down to the point of nearly stopping? Why did she feel light-headed, in a daze and… and---and wanting to kiss him again!? His voice pulled her back to reality as she downed her beer and placed the empty cup in the cup holder to the side opposite him. Pressing her full lips together she thought about her question for him. She should probably ask how much they've learned about Robin Hood so far, this would be the perfect time to ask, no one's really around and, if he's going by honest grade school rules, he'd have to tell the truth. "Did I just ruin our 'not-date' by doing what a giant TV screen told me to do?" Wait… that wasn't the question she meant to ask! Apparently her slow beating heart and light-headedness had a mind of their own as her blue eyes flicked back to him awaiting an answer.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robert wasn't expecting her question to be... well, genuine. Robert himself was still light headed from the kiss, and to be honest, he didn't really know. There was no doubt that he loved the experience he just had with her, he would do it again and again if he could... But he wanted it to be genuine. He didn't want her to kiss him because of what a giant screen told her what to do, or take her places he knows she'd like... He wanted her to like him, and he knew that that was a very wishful thinking. After all he's done to her in the past, he wouldn't blame her. After a few seconds of thinking about a right answer, he gave a faint smile, and shook his head. "Look, I know you haven't gone to any ballpark games, but its considered bad luck to not obey the Giant Television of Fate. It brings bad luck to your team." His voice was back to its playful self, but his heart was still pounding, and it was very tempting to kiss her again. He didn't want to leave the game soon because of that kiss, he was enjoying himself and he prayed that Marian was too... And he also prayed that the Governor wouldn't glance in his wallet to find his cards and cash missing. "So no, I don't think you ruined the 'not-date' just let me know when you're about to kiss me again so I can at least get my good side on the camera." He hoped his joke and smile assured her that everything was alright between the two.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Marian's whole body was unnaturally tense. What was with her? Why was this a sudden problem?! She could feel her nails dig into the denim of her pants and her shoulders tighten as she moved her attention back to the field. Breathe… breathe… She had to remind herself over and over again as she listened for his response. His mention that it would be bad luck if she didn't obey the giant screen sent a wave of relaxation through her body and the tense feeling melted away. Oh thank goodness. Her body nearly slumped back into the seat when he said about making sure camera got his good side. Chuckling softly she gave him a nod, finally looking back at him. "Fair enough." Before the conversation could continue the announcer said the game was about to return to play. Marian's stress had melted away as quickly as it came and the blonde soon was energetic and bouncy as they watched the game together. Screaming, cheering at the top of her lungs with the rest of the crowd she joined in the mockery of the umpire, making faces at the other team in an attempt to distract them and all the other good things that happened the game. A few home runs went flying out in the opposite direction and soon one came flying their way. "Oh. Oh, oh!" Marian explained as the ball came their direction, "Oh it's too high!" She said in an explanation as the ball came hurling in their direction. "Drat I'll never be able to reach it!" She yelled over the excited crowd. Oh well, at least she was having a great time!</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley For someone who has never been to a game, Robert thought, Marian sure knew how to fit in with the crowd! She was a natural, and beautiful as she cheered, moaned after a bad call, leapt out of her seat in joy, and laughing together as they both took turns shouting insults to the opposing batter up on the plate. He wondered if the Governor would look into his wallet and find the note early, and end the game early because of "security." He wondered if this would be enough for Little John to get off his back. He wondered if Marian was having a great time with someone she once couldn't stand. The only way this game would be perfect is if-- The crowd started to go crazy as a ball came flying into the stands, directly towards them. Marian commented on how they wouldn't be able to catch it, but Robert's green eyes stared intensely at the ball, he got out his glove, got out of his seat, and without looking away, leapt into the aisle, and started to run up the stairs, trying to predict where the ball was going. He accidentally knocked over a popcorn vendor, and slid through a couple walking back to their seats. He got to the top of the stairs, and saw the ball was going to the next level of seats above... No! It was falling just below that! The ball was going to hit the concrete wall that served as the barrier for the upper stands. Robert wasn't really thinking. He spent a lot of years learning small skills to navigate the busy New York Streets. He ran towards the nearest column, jumping up, bent his leg on the concrete, then kicked off, his arm fully extended as he reached for the ball! He landed with a small roll, but made contact with another column as he hit the ground. Dazed, he looked around to hear cheering from everywhere. He looked down to see the ball in his glove. He gave a large grin, his eyes blurry from hitting his head, but glad that he was able to catch it. It was a great gift for Marian. Hopefully the little stunt he pulled didn't look too impressive. It wasn't a huge jump, just a simple trick.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. "Robert? Robert!?" She called out as he suddenly left his seat in a sprint. Unlike him, she had a difficult time getting out of the crowd to chase after at him. Her eyes never left him as he ran. He seemed so focus, so intense and driven to catch that ball. Can Robert Locksley actually focus on something so intensely? That's bazaar. Pushing her way through the people on the stairs she tried to be as polite as possible, 'Excuse me', 'Coming through' and 'Pardon me' were the phrases that left her. By the time she reached the level he was on, she stopped in mid step to see him do his leap and catch the ball. Her jaw dropped open as he rolled onto the ground but when he hit the pillar she flinched. Dashing to him, she dropped to her knees and slowly helped him sit upright. "Robert, Robert are you okay? That was amazing! How did you do that?! Robert… can you hear me?" "And that folks!" The announcer said as the camera landed on the two of them, "Is how you impress a lady!" To that the crowd exploded in cheers.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley The ringing in his ears kept going, but he could hear the applause coming from the stadium. He put one of his hands to his head, scratching it a bit as his vision focused on the blonde haired beauty looking at him in concern. He didn't respond to her questions (Mostly because he didn't hear them). He simply lifted his hand with the baseball in it, and smiled. "what? no, I'm fine... I got this for you." He said with a bit of a slur. Robert was feeling close to normal again as he was helped onto his feet. He had an arm around Marian for support, and he couldn't be happier. The look on her face was priceless as she held the ball. "Don't get any ideas, by the way." He said in her ear as they walked down the stairs back to their seats. "I got the ball for you, but I only expect a goodnight kiss for all of it." His voice was sarcastic, he managed to catch a glimpse of her before looking away with a big stupid grin on his face. There wasn't much more of the game left, New York was leading, and the Governor still didn't seem to notice his missing items.</s>	<\|message\|>Marian Anderson. The look on her face was, in fact, priceless as he dropped the ball in her hand. Was he kidding? He had to be kidding! Her blue eyes were wide and she stared at the ball, than at him in shock. The crowd around them erupted with joy as he placed the ball in her hand and her face turned bright red; what a day this was! The game ended, of course, the Yankees won and had each and occupied the whole game, one was holding the ball and the other was holding Robert's hand. She couldn't believe it and the stupid grin on her face said just that! When they arrived at her home at the end of the night there was no doubt that they had had a good time. Marian had bid him good night and unlocked her door before she stopped. She didn't want to leave like this, she had too good of time. Better than any time she thought she would have had with Robert. He really had changed and he deserved to know that she noticed it. "Hey." She called out before he walked away. Marian had turned around and walked to him. Her small soft hands traveled up his chest as her arms wrapped around his neck. She gave him a bright smile, an honest smile and rose up on her tiptoes giving him a gentle, kind and longer-than-she-had-intended, kiss on the lips. When she pulled back, she whispered in his ear, "Thank you for today, I really like this new you." Then it was good night. The next morning at the office, Marian was leaning back in her chair tossing the ball from the game up into the air and catching it in her hand. Humming a gentle tune before her phone buzzed and she took a call, "A party? For the Governor? Why do I need to be there dad? Okay, okay fine? Wait… a date?" Marian's eyes knitted together. "Do I need a date? Fine, fine! I'll find a date…" A groan left her as she realized she had to find a date. Hanging up her phone, she looked down at it. Maybe she could invite Robin, but he would have to be there without a mask; which means she would know who he was and she most likely wouldn't have that much trust with him, yet. Overall her goal was to try to break up the dynamic duo that was Guy and Robert trying to figure out who Robin actually was. But this time, she just didn't want to be alone at some governor-high-and-mighty party. Rising to her feet she placed the ball on her desk and left her office. At the door to the office that Guy and Robert were sharing she knocked on it before she got the howler to enter. Opening the door she gave the men an innocent smile. "Hello guys, can… can I talk to Robert for a moment?"</s>
<\|description\|>Marian Anderson. Alias: None. Age: 24. Appearance: Faction: Civilian. Occupation: Court Stenographer. Bio: I was born and raised in Manhattan so it's no surprise that I'm as knowledgeable about the streets as any of the other law enforcers out there. The only problem is that my dad won't let me join the police force. 'It's too dangerous' he'd say, 'I don't want to see you die' he'd insist even though he allowed me to go through the academy; maybe in hopes that it would scare me away from the idea, but this valedictorian was far from scared. Though it seems like no one's righting the wrongs in the city; the only place he'd let me even get _close_ to any action is as a Court Stenographer, type type type, type and more type, is all I ever do and while I'm not allowed to talk about the things I learn while I'm typing away on the funny looking keyboard… I learn a lot about the city, its people and just how corrupt the, so called, 'ideals' are. If my mom was alive, she'd be very disappointed at the things my father's allowing this city, and it's people to get away with. Sure I enjoy the higher end of life and the finer things that come with it; fancy parties, big apartment flats and smoking hot cars. But knowing it comes from, well blood money, doesn't exactly make one feel nice. I will share with you a little information. Something that I know that most people don't… Robert Locksley is a pain in the a**. Whenever he was in court, it felt like he'd purposefully talk faster just to see if I could keep up, and smart too. I'd watch defense attorneys' knees buckle in fear when he'd enter the room. It's sad to see he's not practicing law anymore (don't ask me what happened, I don't know), but it's nice not to see his arrogant personality anymore. I have noticed an increase in homeless people lately, which is sad in its own right. So I've made it a point to try to give whatever spare change I have to someone who I pass. I do see one however, that seemed to be pretty mobile as I run into him in quite a few places, one of my favorites was I was coming out of the donut shop and he held out his cup and instead of asking for change he asked for a donut. I laughed so hard that I gave him half of mine. I think he knows my route though, because every day when I go in for work, he's begging by the courthouse so every day I drop off a donut to my beggar friend. It's not money but it's food right? Personality: Rather hard headed and diplomatically argumentative, it's not her way or the highway but she's not afraid to point out flaws and the negatives. Has a certain charm about her that helps her get what she wants and plays the innocent/dumb blonde card really well. All and all, she's a nice girl, just rough around the edges. Skills/abilities: ~A ridiculously fast typer, obviously because of her job. ~Memory based around vocabulary, either written or spoken; a photographic memory only for words if you will. ~Hand-to-Hand combat training thanks to the academy. ~Gun usage, prefers a hand-held pistol but for obvious reasons (thanks dad) it doesn't happen often. Family/Loves Ones: One father (Chief of Manhattan), mother's dead. Siblings? Possibly… Someone wanna play a brother who joins the Merry Men?! I think that would be fun! Maybe friends with one of the female merry men? They went to school together or something?! Other: Loves to gossip about the Merry Men and their actions with her friends outside of work. In work they'd get rather butt-hurt that their employees were happy with what the Merry Men were doing but it's about time there is some justice out there! And she never misses church and confession with Tryone Tuck.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. At this point in time, Marian wasn't exactly sure which one was more uncomfortable for Guy, the fact that she was asking for Robert, or the fact that the relationship between the two had moved from calling him by his last name to his first. Even for those in their building, the fact that was using Robert's first name instead of calling him Locksley would have been a shocker. But… after what she had seen the day before, she had a new found respect for this new Robert Locksley. She led him back to her office and shut the door behind them. After all this time, she could still feel the prying eyes of their coworkers. Of course nothing about this made Marian look good; one day she would be chatting up Guy, and another she would be luring Robert into her office. Maybe she was being a bit too obvious. But for those who watched close enough, they might just notice that Marian had stopped putting noticeable distance between her and Robert, while Guy was traditionally kept at an arm's length distance. Interesting, very interesting. "So, I get a phone call from my dad this morning, 'Marian, you need to attend the press party for the Governor this Friday.'" Her voice was nearly spot on mimicking her father in all of his seriousness. "And apparently I'm not allowed to attend alone. So… I was… hoping…"Great! Now she couldn't even look him in the eye as she asked. Why was this suddenly a problem?! Why was she suddenly shy around him?! This was ridiculous. "You might, want to… go with me?" She forced her blue gaze to look up at him for the first time since her million dollar question was asked.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robert smiled at Marian's imitation of her father, everyone who knew the guy has heard his serious speeches on just about any topic, and he bet that Marian has had heard a lifetime of them growing up with the man. Her voice then turned to nervousness, her eyes not meeting Robert's until her invitation was delivered. She wanted to go to a public party... with him? Robert fell over his words for a second, not really knowing how to react to something he had thought of since he had first laid eyes on her. A mix of "I's" and "Heh's" and "uh's" escaped his mouth before he laughed. "I would love to...!" Is what he finally said, his smile wide and bright. "Never thought I'd attend the Governor's personal campaign party... Are they fun? Does he have a theme to go with them? Probably not, if he had a choice everyone would be fed milk and crackers with his stale attitude... sorry! I'm rambling. Guy and I started work today rather early, and with that Yankee's win and. Other, uh, things... my mind's going a mile a minute." Robert began to explain rather quickly. So much was going right in this part of his life, and so much was going wrong. Marian was actually asking to spend time with him, the Merry Men have been exploding with popularity, but at the same time a federal investigation was being put on him, he was helping with it, and John has been getting more and more impatient with Robert's overconfidence int he matter. He had to move forward with The Merry Men's goal, but then there was the things he wanted more than anything, like... Marian. "I'm sorry. To be honest, I really wasn't expecting you to invite me to any important parties like this... You feeling alright? You still on that mental high from the Yankee's win?" Robert said in a somewhat teasing matter. He was also on that high. He could still feel the electricity in his body from when she whispered in his ear. He could have heard that voice for hours.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Marian pressed her full lips together as she looked up at him with her big blue eyes through her black lashes. Why was she nervous? She should be better at this than she was but she actually enjoyed her time with him at the game and that that has effected how she walked to him. She could understand his question about why she would want to choose him and she innocently rubbed the back of her neck with her hand, her gaze turned away from him as her cheeks turned pink. "I… uh," She said softly, "Really enjoyed my time at the game and… there's going to be a lot of snobby, stuffy people there so having someone I can… get along with, would allow me to enjoy the time." Giving him a small nod, she turned her attention back to him giving him a gentle smile, "It's going to be a dinner party with music afterwards so… dress clothes and an appetite is required." A small sigh left her at his agreement to go. "I appreciate you going with me, I'll pick you up that way I can use the excuse that I'm driving to keep away from the alcohol that might be pushed my way." A nod rose and fell her head as she stood up from her desk and gave him another smile. "I'll see you Friday." ------------- The blonde finished her makeup at 5:15pm and walked out of her house locking the door behind her. Her blonde hair sat straightened down on her shoulders and her body was wrapped in a light blue strapless dress to the floor. Pulling out her phone she shot Robert a text, "On my way. I'll be in light blue tonight." With that she hit send and climbed into her car placing her clutch purse in her glove box and starting towards his house. Once she arrived at the apartments she parked her car and climbed the stairs. Taking in a deep breathe in front of his door she gave it a knock. "Robert? Are you ready to go?"</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley "You're doing it again." "Doing what?" "Thinking about her. Focus. Go over the plan with me again." "Seriously John? I got this." "Once you get to the party, what are you going to do?" "You mean before or after I plant the device outside of the main entrance? I Follow Marian. Greet her 'friends' that she's supposed to like, shake hands, eat finger food, wait until Lyon shows his Then it's show time. You and the Merry Men come in in some nice little server outfits, when Lyon gives his speech, we go to work." Robin glanced over at John. "Satisfied?" John rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as he watched Robing finish tying his dark blue tie, and straightened out the wrinkles in his gray suit. It was simple, nothing too flashy. He was merely there to compliment the beauty of Marian. While she got the praise, he would easily be able to sneak out. Robin pointed to a small bag in the corner. "That's my goody bag. Make sure to hide it somewhere nice when you get in." "I'll make sure to find the dirtiest garbage can to put it in." The two of them heard a knock on the door, and the voice of the blonde behind it. Cassie's head popped out from the top of the staircase. "No! You're still grounded!" Robin said to her, rushing to the door. He was too late. Cassie opened the door to see Marian in her dress, and went wide eyed. "Holy cow!" She exclaimed. Robert quickly pushed her to the side, giving a smile and looking her up and down. "Damn." he muttered, before shaking his head a bit. "I mean, hi. Sorry. You look amazing." A laugh escaped his lips, and he looked at his watch. "Ready?" Robert turned to look back at Cassie. "Be good, be safe. And don't. Leave. This. House." His voice had a hint of a threatening tone that made Cassie cross her arms and nod with a sarcastic smile. "Yes sir." Robert would have rolled his eyes but that would have given her a sort of satisfaction. God, she was so much like him. Robert exited the house, and as soon as he closed the door Little John was contacting the Merry Men updating them on their biggest threat yet. "So I think we should have a code word... You know, if we want to get away from people we don't want to talk to. I was thinking 'burgundy.' Easy to add into a sentence about curtains or dresses or something."</s>	<\|message\|>Marian Anderson. The door flung open for her to see, well Cassie, standing on the other side. "I thought you were grounded." She said placing her hands on her hips and glaring down at the young girl. While her glare didn't last very long before he blue gaze moved to Robert who popped up from behind the girl. A smile moved across her face at his response and a small giggle left her glossy lips. "Didn't know that was a standard greeting now." Giving a small spin her dress she nodded. "Thank you. You look good in the gray; nice tie choice." She gave the tie a small adjustment before she followed his gaze towards his cousin and her arms fell from him to her sides. A smirk moved across her face as Cassie smarted off to him and he practically shut the door on her face. A laugh left her as they started down the stairs towards her car. "Burgundy works, or 'Damn' as it seemed to be a word on your lips tonight." She poked fun at him as they arrived to her car and climbed inside. "Thanks again for coming with me Robert, a bunch of rich snoody annoying people, Edward included, will be there and any excuse to be around someone remotely normal is my saving grace." The conversation was light and fun until they arrived at the banquet. The valet was quick to take her car and she was quick to take Robert's arm. "Is it took soon to say burgundy?" She joked as they started inside. Leaving her purse with the check person the two entered the large ball room. It was filled with people chatting and laughing while holding drinks. "Aw Marian, you look lovely." A voice from behind them said and saw the two turned, her father stood there in his dress blues, a pleasant smile on his face. "Thanks dad." Marian responded sweetly giving him a big hug before stepping back. "Dad you remember Robert Locksley." She politely introduced her father to her date and they had a small bit of chatting before her father reminded her that they needed to join the party for dinner but he was kind enough to make no mention that he would have rather had his daughter be with Edward over Robert, maybe he noticed she actually looked… happy? "Fuck I need a drink." She muttered under her breath as she rubbed her head. "Did you happen to spot the bar?"</s>
<\|description\|>Marian Anderson. Alias: None. Age: 24. Appearance: Faction: Civilian. Occupation: Court Stenographer. Bio: I was born and raised in Manhattan so it's no surprise that I'm as knowledgeable about the streets as any of the other law enforcers out there. The only problem is that my dad won't let me join the police force. 'It's too dangerous' he'd say, 'I don't want to see you die' he'd insist even though he allowed me to go through the academy; maybe in hopes that it would scare me away from the idea, but this valedictorian was far from scared. Though it seems like no one's righting the wrongs in the city; the only place he'd let me even get _close_ to any action is as a Court Stenographer, type type type, type and more type, is all I ever do and while I'm not allowed to talk about the things I learn while I'm typing away on the funny looking keyboard… I learn a lot about the city, its people and just how corrupt the, so called, 'ideals' are. If my mom was alive, she'd be very disappointed at the things my father's allowing this city, and it's people to get away with. Sure I enjoy the higher end of life and the finer things that come with it; fancy parties, big apartment flats and smoking hot cars. But knowing it comes from, well blood money, doesn't exactly make one feel nice. I will share with you a little information. Something that I know that most people don't… Robert Locksley is a pain in the a**. Whenever he was in court, it felt like he'd purposefully talk faster just to see if I could keep up, and smart too. I'd watch defense attorneys' knees buckle in fear when he'd enter the room. It's sad to see he's not practicing law anymore (don't ask me what happened, I don't know), but it's nice not to see his arrogant personality anymore. I have noticed an increase in homeless people lately, which is sad in its own right. So I've made it a point to try to give whatever spare change I have to someone who I pass. I do see one however, that seemed to be pretty mobile as I run into him in quite a few places, one of my favorites was I was coming out of the donut shop and he held out his cup and instead of asking for change he asked for a donut. I laughed so hard that I gave him half of mine. I think he knows my route though, because every day when I go in for work, he's begging by the courthouse so every day I drop off a donut to my beggar friend. It's not money but it's food right? Personality: Rather hard headed and diplomatically argumentative, it's not her way or the highway but she's not afraid to point out flaws and the negatives. Has a certain charm about her that helps her get what she wants and plays the innocent/dumb blonde card really well. All and all, she's a nice girl, just rough around the edges. Skills/abilities: ~A ridiculously fast typer, obviously because of her job. ~Memory based around vocabulary, either written or spoken; a photographic memory only for words if you will. ~Hand-to-Hand combat training thanks to the academy. ~Gun usage, prefers a hand-held pistol but for obvious reasons (thanks dad) it doesn't happen often. Family/Loves Ones: One father (Chief of Manhattan), mother's dead. Siblings? Possibly… Someone wanna play a brother who joins the Merry Men?! I think that would be fun! Maybe friends with one of the female merry men? They went to school together or something?! Other: Loves to gossip about the Merry Men and their actions with her friends outside of work. In work they'd get rather butt-hurt that their employees were happy with what the Merry Men were doing but it's about time there is some justice out there! And she never misses church and confession with Tryone Tuck.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. The door flung open for her to see, well Cassie, standing on the other side. "I thought you were grounded." She said placing her hands on her hips and glaring down at the young girl. While her glare didn't last very long before he blue gaze moved to Robert who popped up from behind the girl. A smile moved across her face at his response and a small giggle left her glossy lips. "Didn't know that was a standard greeting now." Giving a small spin her dress she nodded. "Thank you. You look good in the gray; nice tie choice." She gave the tie a small adjustment before she followed his gaze towards his cousin and her arms fell from him to her sides. A smirk moved across her face as Cassie smarted off to him and he practically shut the door on her face. A laugh left her as they started down the stairs towards her car. "Burgundy works, or 'Damn' as it seemed to be a word on your lips tonight." She poked fun at him as they arrived to her car and climbed inside. "Thanks again for coming with me Robert, a bunch of rich snoody annoying people, Edward included, will be there and any excuse to be around someone remotely normal is my saving grace." The conversation was light and fun until they arrived at the banquet. The valet was quick to take her car and she was quick to take Robert's arm. "Is it took soon to say burgundy?" She joked as they started inside. Leaving her purse with the check person the two entered the large ball room. It was filled with people chatting and laughing while holding drinks. "Aw Marian, you look lovely." A voice from behind them said and saw the two turned, her father stood there in his dress blues, a pleasant smile on his face. "Thanks dad." Marian responded sweetly giving him a big hug before stepping back. "Dad you remember Robert Locksley." She politely introduced her father to her date and they had a small bit of chatting before her father reminded her that they needed to join the party for dinner but he was kind enough to make no mention that he would have rather had his daughter be with Edward over Robert, maybe he noticed she actually looked… happy? "Fuck I need a drink." She muttered under her breath as she rubbed her head. "Did you happen to spot the bar?"</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley He looked good in gray? Oh, he'd have to remember that, even if his brain stopped for a second as Marian closed the gap shortly to help with his crooked tie. "I... thank you." He laughed slightly at her response, and before long they were walking to the car. At her comment of safe words, he gave a low chuckle and shook his head. "You think you're so funny, don't you?" He climbed into the passenger seat after he tried to offer to open the door for her. When she thanked him he couldn't help but smile slightly, and nodding. "Of course." He couldn't admit it, but he'd walk through hell to get any chance to accompany her. "And it's going to be an interesting night if you take me as a 'normal' person. I'll make sure we have fun at this snooty place. I doubt that our Governor has the creativity to make this place fun on its own." It was interesting to see who showed up as they pulled up to the building. The valet was there to greet us immediately, and as they entered the building, he stopped, and sighed. "I forgot to tip the valet, wait in the lobby I'll be right back." He said apologetically. After giving the valet a generous tip, he made his way back to the entrance, and slyly bending down to tie his shoe, and in the process putting a small device on the door frame of the building. Once the doors lock, this would give the Merry men an opportunity to enter without a passcode. Robert found Marian, and held out his arm for her to take. They entered the main doors to the ballroom, and it seemed the two had the same reaction. Robert laughed, shrugging a bit. "Maybe after a martini or two." He joked, maybe too loudly as Marian's father appeared. He shook his hand when he was introduced, and did his best to not attract the attention of the man in charge of the NYPD. He had a feeling he would be under his watchful eye any time he was near Marian. Not exactly what he wanted. As he left Robert gave a fake sigh of relief, looking at the blonde. She was stressed, he couldn't imagine the amount of stress that she had on her shoulders. "Oh I spotted it the second we got in. I'll go grab something, what's your poison?" He grinned. Once he had the order, he gently took her hand and squeezed it, maybe as an assurance that she was okay, maybe because he simply wanted to touch her. Either way he slipped into the crowd, nodding, smiling, and saying quick hello's as he went to the large wooden bar. He ordered the drinks, and took a quick glance around the area. It was heavily guarded, but Robert knew that. No one was heavily armed, and it would be rather easy for the disguised Merry Men to keep the guards at bay. "Robert." Edward made his appearance sooner than Robert thought. Robert turned to greet the man with a smile, but he could tell in Edward's eyes that he wasn't too happy. "Here to cheer Governor Lyon on?" "More or less. Right now I'll settle for the cheers of this alcohol. It's good to get out of the office and focus on something good." "Yeah, especially with good company. Did she... ask you?" Robert turned to pick up his drinks, and shrugged slightly. "It was kinda a last minute thing. Don't worry, Eddy. You can't win 'em all." He gave him a wink and grin before he headed off back to Marian. It felt good to beat Edward in more ways than one. Soon he'll face Robin Hood face to face and won't be able to do a thing about it. Robert found Marian chatting once again, and he quietly introduced himself back into her company, handing her the drink, and raising his own to do a small cheers. "The line was torture... Honestly, I'd say to hell with all this politics. Give me a run down pizza parlor, and a couch with a good movie any day." Of course he had to focus, but then again having Marian by his side, dozing off to a cheesy movie sounded like heaven. Maybe one day.</s>	<\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Standing and talking with a bunch of bureaucrats was something that Marian never enjoyed doing. But sadly as the only child of the chief of police, it only made sense for her to be present at big social events and gatherings. This being no exception. If her father wasn't invited to the event you wouldn't find her within a mile of things like this. Maybe that was something that she didn't like about the possibility of being in a relationship with Edward. At that point Marian would be nothing more than a piece of arm candy for big events. At least without a social status requiring partner she could be her own person at the event. In her stance of not being with Edward it allowed her to speak her mind (for the most part) on politics. And while she kept some topics at arm's length she knew she could express where she stood without it being a conversation afterwards of 'you shouldn't have said this' or 'why would you say that' conversation on the drive home. "Marian, what do you think of the Governor?" A party patron asked her as she was standing in the group chatting. The rant she had dumped on Robert came rolling back to her. The Governor's response to her mother's death, the lack of care of a small family grieving, the refusal to let him attend the funeral all pushed its way to the forefront of her mind and she took a breath. "He's an impressive man. Did you know that he and my father attended the same college and reconnected because of their respective positions? Interesting fact, when they were in school together they were in the same dorm building and he was known for sneaking a girl into his room at night. And that same girl came back over and over again and now… they're married!" The group is erupted in laughter and cheers. The men finding it hilarious that the governor could have been seen as player while the women felt like it as a true 'love story' that they were destined to be together forever. The shmucks. It's amazing how many people love that story, the one story she knows about the governor that she could share without holding her own personal grudge against him. The conversation then took off in a different direction. As the group talked Marian just nodded looking around. This was a pretty large formal event and it really brought a lot of faces out but she couldn't help but wonder if any of the Merry Men were here. But maybe it's best at that she doesn't know. She can play innocent and foolish. But Robin did say he had connections in the law firm so does he have connections elsewhere? And would those connections be able to get him in here? His level of concern for her is involvement was admirable and if they ran into each other, she would have just to chalk it up to coincidence. Her reason for being there was purely based off of the invite she was given and she, admittedly, knew it would be the best idea not to be involved with any plans or hi-jinx. She was too close to too many people who could turn her knowledge into very problematic situation. Problem people included her father for obvious reasons; the chief of police. Another problem person would be the Taylors, both Edward and his father who would love the press to convict Robin Hood of his crimes. The newest factor being Guy, the FBI agent sent to track Robin Hood down, Guy was too much of a factor in this and while getting close made sense, keeping him at arms length was an important thing for her to do as well. So many problems and things to look out for… not to mention… "Ah thank you Robert." The final factor. Was she getting too close to Robert? Robin doesn't think he's as much of a treat as Guy. Maybe she should distance herself from Robert. Pull back from this… 'not date' scenarios she was dragging him into. She might need to ask Robin for a suggestion. If he really thinks Robert isn't a threat, not spending time with him isn't a bad option. No matter how much he's changed and how well they were finally getting along; they could be friends right? "As long as it's a everything pizza and a stupid B movie than that would be a good night."</s>
<\|description\|>Yolanda Grieg Age: 19 Gender: Female Height: 5' 10" Weight: 132 lbs Appearance: Yolanda is average in height and slender in build with faint muscle definition. She has short hair that has been slicked back and dyed bleach blonde. Pale skinned. She has dark brown eyes, which in contrast with her skin, appear to be black. The pale skin of her back has been elaborately inked with the solid lines of a tattoo depicting a grotesque scene of demons and the Devil himself. Personality: Yolanda is a sly woman. Conniving and secretive, it's often difficult to tell what she is about to do. Despite this, however, she is loyal to those she feels are deserving. Once her loyalty has been secured, she is protective and fierce. Yolanda has a tendency to be sarcastic, dryly humorous and cynical but has the capacity to be kind and tender. Able to be extremely persuasive when need be. She has a touch of nihilsm to her. Yolanda likes to keep her emotions in check but sometimes loses control. When angered or frightened, she lashes out at any who surround; whether it be friends, family or strangers. She often enters a period of regret after these episodes, though the level of regret is relative to how firmly she believes her anger or fear was justified. Other: Yolanda was born and raised in South Africa and as such has a strong South African accent. She is able to speak both Afrikaans and English fluently. She has always had an interest in both the occult and both the good and evil of religion, hence her tattoo. Yolanda moved from South Africa at sixteen with her parents.</s> <\|message\|>James William Harrison and Jasmine Marie Harrison "You know what? I think separate rooms here is going to suck balls." At those words, James looked to his sister, slightly confused for a moment or two, choosing his words carefully. "We've always had rooms apart, sis. Even living with our moms." James spoke slowly and unsurely, still a tad confused. Why was she pointing out something that they'd always had? "I know that, butthead. I mean, here, we can't hang out in each other's rooms like we do at home, watching movies late at night, having best friend cuddles.." Jasmine's retort was quick off the mark, trying not to laugh at his slightly slow response. "Oh! I see." James replied, as the penny finally dropped. "Because we're in gender assigned dorms, right?" "Right. Hopefully we'll be able to get the apartment sorted soon, and we'll have a lounge to hang around in too, so.." "Yeah. I can't wait!" Grinning, James hugged his twin, the female grinning and hugging him back with a slightly.. sad sigh. "I don't want to be in a different building from you, what if you get bullied, or scared?" "Sis... I'll be fine, I promise." James spoke slowly and unsurely, though he wasn't too sure if he would be. "I'll help you unpack?" He spoke sadly, walking with her towards the female's dorm block, linking arms like they were the best of friends. Which, they were. "You do know that if anyone hurts you, no matter what, I'm going to kick their asses so damn far, they'll have to fly back her." Jasmine snapped, looking over to her shy natured sibling. "Please, don't, you'll end up in trouble with the police, and your record hasn't, and won't, go away." James looked to his sister, his eyes sad. He didn't want her away, she was his sister. His best friend! "I know, I'm sorry." Jasmine mumbled as they reached her dorm, the female unlocking her room with a key. "You better behave."</s> <\|message\|>John Doyle John parked his rinky dinky, old VW Beetle on campus and got out, stretching. After the drive here it was nice to finally have some walking room. He pulled a large suitcase off of the luggage rack on top of the car and then popped the trunk where he had stowed a slightly smaller duffel bag. He made his way towards his dorm, stopping and asking for directions every time he felt like he was lost. He finally reached his room and dropped everything onto one of the two beds before flopping down on the ground. He sighed with relief. "I made it."</s> <\|message\|>Kaja (KAY-UH) Bukowski "Call me when you get settled, okay?" Kaja's mother said over the phone and the brunette could distinctly hear sobbing sounds in the background. "I can't believe my _kochanie_ is all grown up!" "Mama, I'm only an hour away. You act as if I'm on the other side of the country. And tell Tata to stop crying, it's embarrassing just to hear." Kaja sighed, holding the phone between her shoulder and ear while dragging her suitcases behind her to the dorms. Kaja glanced down at the piece of paper in fingers that told of her dorm room and nearly dropped the phone "Tch, I'm on the fifth floor. _Cholerny." _The eighteen year old said mostly to herself, but by the clucking of her mother's tongue, Kaja realized her mom heard. "Watch your tongue, Kaja, before I smack it." She reprimended and Kaja only groaned in response. "_Tak, tak_. No swearing, _zrozumiany_. Listen, mama, I have to go, I arrived to the dorms." And true to her word, she did. Without waiting for the dreaded response of "I love you's" and "call me's," Kaja quickly ended the call and shoved the phone into her pocket. She entered the building and dragged her suitcases up multiple flights of stairs until she finally made it to her dorm room. Digging the key out of her pocket, she struggled with the door, cursing multiple times, before jiggling it open. The door swung open and she was greeted with the sight of a boy and a girl. _Shit,_ Kaja thought. She was hoping that she would have the dorm to herself.</s> <\|message\|>Gabriella White Gabriella waved at her mother as she entered the cab and was on her way to the college! It was such an exciting day for the girl because she wanted to be out of her home and actually do something herself and not be with her parents much. Yeah she loves her parents but every teenager would like to live alone for a while. Especially when it will be far away from their parents, parties parties! Even though Gabriella isn't much of a party girl but she does it when she wants too. Now arriving at the school, it was time to go to her dorm. "Finally. Gosh, I just wanna lay down.." she said grabbing her luggage and making her way to her dorm, hopefully her roommate won't be an ass. Mainly because Gabriella wasn't the one to be messed with. Anyways, as she got to her dorm there was no one there... that was good, she could pick her side first! "Yay. Mmm. I pick this bed!" The young teenager said jumping on top of her bed like a little kid, jumping house for example. That's how she was jumping. "Wooh! Wooh!" and that was when got off the bed, putting her luggage on top of the bed as she walked to the mirror. Fixing her hair a bit, she ran a hand through her hair and looked around the room. It did feel a little empty but it was still good for her. And she did get first pick of a bed! Right next to the window. Gabriella got out of her room and saw a girl and a boy linking arms, they must have been dating or something and then another girl, but she just walked passed them. Right now, Gabriella prefered to go explore the school a bit!</s>	<\|message\|>Yolanda Grieg Yolanda Grieg stared up at the archway that led into the college that she would call home for the next few years. It was vaguely imposing, though she reasoned it was simply the thought of the place rather than the actual college itself. Steeling herself with a slow breath and tightening her grip on the bags clasped in her hands, Yolanda passed under the archway and onto the college grounds. It was quite a nice place, really; much less intimidating once you were within and looking around at the green fields and seemingly historic buildings. She glanced around for a few moments longer, committing the place to memory, before moving off to find her dorm. Yolanda had a vague idea where the dorms would be, having been told by a rather fast talking and excitable type. She grimaced slightly as she tried to remember what the person had said among their ramblings. Walking towards a building that seemed to have a steady stream of students passing through, she assumed that to be where the dorms were housed. Yolanda walked inside and up the stairs to her right, her brow furrowing as she squeezed past a group of loud girls. What had that idiot said? Room number fove. That sounded right, but she still held her doubts. Yolanda eventually found herself outside of dorm five. She somewhat tentatively opened the door and found it to be empty. A good sign, she supposed. She walked in and set her bags down, pulling at one strap of the simple white singlet she wore before joining her bags on the bed. This would be a fine room.</s>
<\|description\|>Samantha Valencia Gonzalez Age:17 Gender: Female Bio: Sam tends to be very complicated for everyone. If a person thinks they know her, they are wrong. Which makes people think wrong of her many times. Which makes her move a lot with her Aunt and her Uncle. Her aunt and uncle never wanted kids at all, so when they found out they were getting 10 year old Sam they were not happy. Still aren't since they abuse Sam since they got her. But Sam doesn't want to tell the cops or anyone about it because that's the only family she has left. Sam is always at the library reading books. She would always come home with three books with her. . Appearance: Sam has emerald green eyes with specks of red which make people not look her in the eyes and makes her not look in anyone's eyes. Her eyes pop out because of her light tanned skin. Her black hair goes all the way to her waist, and she also has one strand of hair that is colored red. She decided to dye it that color. Her finger nails are painted black everytime. She tends to never wear light colors but when she does its only a little with the dark colors. Facts: She doesn't like yellow. Always loves to read and write. Loves to play the piano. Listens to music a lot.</s> <\|message\|>James William Harrison and Jasmine Marie Harrison "You know what? I think separate rooms here is going to suck balls." At those words, James looked to his sister, slightly confused for a moment or two, choosing his words carefully. "We've always had rooms apart, sis. Even living with our moms." James spoke slowly and unsurely, still a tad confused. Why was she pointing out something that they'd always had? "I know that, butthead. I mean, here, we can't hang out in each other's rooms like we do at home, watching movies late at night, having best friend cuddles.." Jasmine's retort was quick off the mark, trying not to laugh at his slightly slow response. "Oh! I see." James replied, as the penny finally dropped. "Because we're in gender assigned dorms, right?" "Right. Hopefully we'll be able to get the apartment sorted soon, and we'll have a lounge to hang around in too, so.." "Yeah. I can't wait!" Grinning, James hugged his twin, the female grinning and hugging him back with a slightly.. sad sigh. "I don't want to be in a different building from you, what if you get bullied, or scared?" "Sis... I'll be fine, I promise." James spoke slowly and unsurely, though he wasn't too sure if he would be. "I'll help you unpack?" He spoke sadly, walking with her towards the female's dorm block, linking arms like they were the best of friends. Which, they were. "You do know that if anyone hurts you, no matter what, I'm going to kick their asses so damn far, they'll have to fly back her." Jasmine snapped, looking over to her shy natured sibling. "Please, don't, you'll end up in trouble with the police, and your record hasn't, and won't, go away." James looked to his sister, his eyes sad. He didn't want her away, she was his sister. His best friend! "I know, I'm sorry." Jasmine mumbled as they reached her dorm, the female unlocking her room with a key. "You better behave."</s> <\|message\|>John Doyle John parked his rinky dinky, old VW Beetle on campus and got out, stretching. After the drive here it was nice to finally have some walking room. He pulled a large suitcase off of the luggage rack on top of the car and then popped the trunk where he had stowed a slightly smaller duffel bag. He made his way towards his dorm, stopping and asking for directions every time he felt like he was lost. He finally reached his room and dropped everything onto one of the two beds before flopping down on the ground. He sighed with relief. "I made it."</s> <\|message\|>Kaja (KAY-UH) Bukowski "Call me when you get settled, okay?" Kaja's mother said over the phone and the brunette could distinctly hear sobbing sounds in the background. "I can't believe my _kochanie_ is all grown up!" "Mama, I'm only an hour away. You act as if I'm on the other side of the country. And tell Tata to stop crying, it's embarrassing just to hear." Kaja sighed, holding the phone between her shoulder and ear while dragging her suitcases behind her to the dorms. Kaja glanced down at the piece of paper in fingers that told of her dorm room and nearly dropped the phone "Tch, I'm on the fifth floor. _Cholerny." _The eighteen year old said mostly to herself, but by the clucking of her mother's tongue, Kaja realized her mom heard. "Watch your tongue, Kaja, before I smack it." She reprimended and Kaja only groaned in response. "_Tak, tak_. No swearing, _zrozumiany_. Listen, mama, I have to go, I arrived to the dorms." And true to her word, she did. Without waiting for the dreaded response of "I love you's" and "call me's," Kaja quickly ended the call and shoved the phone into her pocket. She entered the building and dragged her suitcases up multiple flights of stairs until she finally made it to her dorm room. Digging the key out of her pocket, she struggled with the door, cursing multiple times, before jiggling it open. The door swung open and she was greeted with the sight of a boy and a girl. _Shit,_ Kaja thought. She was hoping that she would have the dorm to herself.</s> <\|message\|>Gabriella White Gabriella waved at her mother as she entered the cab and was on her way to the college! It was such an exciting day for the girl because she wanted to be out of her home and actually do something herself and not be with her parents much. Yeah she loves her parents but every teenager would like to live alone for a while. Especially when it will be far away from their parents, parties parties! Even though Gabriella isn't much of a party girl but she does it when she wants too. Now arriving at the school, it was time to go to her dorm. "Finally. Gosh, I just wanna lay down.." she said grabbing her luggage and making her way to her dorm, hopefully her roommate won't be an ass. Mainly because Gabriella wasn't the one to be messed with. Anyways, as she got to her dorm there was no one there... that was good, she could pick her side first! "Yay. Mmm. I pick this bed!" The young teenager said jumping on top of her bed like a little kid, jumping house for example. That's how she was jumping. "Wooh! Wooh!" and that was when got off the bed, putting her luggage on top of the bed as she walked to the mirror. Fixing her hair a bit, she ran a hand through her hair and looked around the room. It did feel a little empty but it was still good for her. And she did get first pick of a bed! Right next to the window. Gabriella got out of her room and saw a girl and a boy linking arms, they must have been dating or something and then another girl, but she just walked passed them. Right now, Gabriella prefered to go explore the school a bit!</s> <\|message\|>Yolanda Grieg Yolanda Grieg stared up at the archway that led into the college that she would call home for the next few years. It was vaguely imposing, though she reasoned it was simply the thought of the place rather than the actual college itself. Steeling herself with a slow breath and tightening her grip on the bags clasped in her hands, Yolanda passed under the archway and onto the college grounds. It was quite a nice place, really; much less intimidating once you were within and looking around at the green fields and seemingly historic buildings. She glanced around for a few moments longer, committing the place to memory, before moving off to find her dorm. Yolanda had a vague idea where the dorms would be, having been told by a rather fast talking and excitable type. She grimaced slightly as she tried to remember what the person had said among their ramblings. Walking towards a building that seemed to have a steady stream of students passing through, she assumed that to be where the dorms were housed. Yolanda walked inside and up the stairs to her right, her brow furrowing as she squeezed past a group of loud girls. What had that idiot said? Room number fove. That sounded right, but she still held her doubts. Yolanda eventually found herself outside of dorm five. She somewhat tentatively opened the door and found it to be empty. A good sign, she supposed. She walked in and set her bags down, pulling at one strap of the simple white singlet she wore before joining her bags on the bed. This would be a fine room.</s>	<\|message\|>Samantha Valencia Gonzalez A green tiny car stopped at the college the tires making a squeaking sound that would make anyone cringe. A girl with a hoodie on stepped out of the car heading to the trunk that popped open. Samantha grabbed closed the trunk holding her bags close to her. She only had a few of them. Before she could say goodbye to her Aunt and Uncle the car speeded away making dirt fly. While waving the dirt that was coming to her face, she let out a sigh. Well love you too Aunt and Uncle, she grabbed her bags as she walked inside the college and towards her dorm. She already knew where it was and the number. She even had a key to open the door. Her Aunt and Uncle gave her everything she needed to go to the dorm. All she thought about was how they would be glad she would be gone. Samantha walked to her door that belonged to her dorm. She put her key in the lock as fast as she could. Only because she could hear people under her hood that was covering her face. She let out a soft laugh at the thought of people thinking she was a maniac or something. Once she walked inside, she was the only one in the room. She put her bags on one of the beds as she eyed the empty bed. Guess my roommate isn't here yet, she sighed as she felt the urge to just go outside and sit down. She grabbed her book bag and walked out of her dorm with her IPod and earphones in her ears. Can't wait for college., she thought with a kind smile.</s>
<\|description\|>Daigo Kumon Human CS Gender: Male Age: 16 Nationality: Japanese Appearance: Personality: Only the strong deserve to survive, or at least that's what Daigo believes. This belief stems from a personal observation he made one day. Throughout history, the world has been ruled by the strong, with the weak being kept firmly under their thumbs. He also observed that there are too kinds of strength in the world: strength gained through one's birth, and the rare occasion of strength that is attained by reaching out and taking it for oneself. It is this belief that drives Daigo to do the things he does and say the things he says, no matter how harsh or cruel it makes him appear to be. This obviously makes it rather difficult for others to get along with him, but if they endure his attitude for long enough, they will discover a person with a surprisingly kind heart buried beneath his seemingly strength-obsessed exterior. Brief History: Daigo grew up in a rural neighborhood, a small town where everyone knew one another by name. People there were always kind and friendly, not a speck of cruelty to be found. Of course, good things never last, and neither did this. One day, when Daigo was 9 years old, some big corporate types showed up and soon after, everyone was forced to move out of their homes. Daigo didn't understand it at the time, but the corporation had essentially bought up the land so that they could build some big headquarters there to expand their business. Forced to watch his childhood home be torn down, Daigo had an epiphany that day. He realized that only those with strength ever seemed to have power, and that they always used it to trample over the weak. The realization angered him, enough so that from that day forward, he began to seek strength and power for himself so that he could never be trampled over again like before. With such determination, Daigo managed to achieve a fairly well-off lifestyle, but it wasn't enough. In the back of his mind, he wanted to become stronger than that corporation so that he could completely destroy it. Of course, such power was completely out of reach for a kid. Through this time, his partner digimon had managed to temper much of his anger. Then the emails started coming. Daigo ignored them at first, certain they were a waste of time. But finally, after being fed up with receiving them, he clicked on one believing that a response would finally make them stop. Digivice Color: Red and Gold Theme Song Voice Actor: Will Friedle Digimon CS Name: Elecmon Nickname: (optional) Gender: Male Picture: Attribute: Data Type: Mammal Specials Attacks: Super Thunder Strike (Shoot electric bolts from its tails), Body Attack (Smacks foes with its electrically charged tails), Lightning Knife (Stealthily releases three knives of electricity) Personality: Strong and loyal for the most part, Elecmon generally keeps to himself unless he's offering some nugget of wisdom. He sticks with Daigo loyally, believing that it is his duty to be Daigo's friend so that the boy won't be completely alone in a world he believes is very much still following the law of survival of the fittest. Evolution Line * Fresh: Punimon * In Training: Tsunomon * Rookie: Elecmon * Champion: Leomon * Ultimate: GrapLeomon * Mega: BanchoLeomon</s> <\|message\|>Henry Damon His eyes twitched as he slowly began to regain his consciousness. The dog-like Digimon vaguely became aware of his surroundings, his ears beginning to regain their senses before his others. They twitched slightly at the slightest sound, from the soft breathing of the body beside him to faint footsteps and voices. His sense of smell was the next to return to him...and he quickly became aware that the room he was laying in was nothing like the room he usually slept in. This room smelled more...clean. Finally, after this realization, his eyes began to open and he found himself staring up at a bright light that lay embedded in the ceiling above him. The light was absurdly bright compared to the darkness he had been watching just a few moments ago. He squinted his eyes, trying to give them the chance to adjust. However, a memory flashed through Gaomon's mind that snapped him back to his senses completely. The sight of his human master suddenly dropping a strange device from his hand and suddenly falling toward him, as though he had suddenly fallen ill. He vaguely recalled catching his falling master in his arms before losing consciousness himself. He immediately bolted upward. "Master!" he exclaimed suddenly, quickly scanning the room. Where was he? Where was Henry!? Had he somehow been injured again, despite having not once that day letting him out of his sight? How could that have happened right under his nose!? Gaomon's fears were only partially relieved when he became aware that the sound of soft sleeping had been from none other than Henry himself, who had been laying down on the bed beside him. "Ah...! Master!" Gaomon exclaimed, quickly pulling himself around and righting his body so that he was on his knees on the bedding, looking down at his sleeping human. "M-Master Henry, please wake up, sir!" he quickly started begging, using his gloved arms to nudge the human's body in a desperate attempt to rouse him. Gaomon let out a sigh of relief as Henry began to stir at last, mumbling something soft under his breath. That was normal for him, which meant that he was just fine. He then quickly slid himself off of the bed he had awoken on, not wanting to interfere with his master's awakening. Henry's eyes were the first thing that opened. Much like Gaomon, his eyes squinted for a moment as he attempted to adjust himself to the unfamiliar lighting. He instinctively raised his arm to shield himself from the uncomfortable light as he sat himself up in the bedding, throwing the uncomfortably warm sheets off of himself at the same time. "Whoa...who turned on the sun?" Henry murmured in a sleepy tone. "It is good to see you finally waking, Master." Gaomon said from beside the bed, a slight smile on his face as he bowed his head. "Truthfully, you were starting to worry me." "Ngh..." Henry groaned, rubbing his eyes and looking around the room again. "So...wait, where am I?" he asked. He could identify the surroundings well enough. If he didn't know any better, he'd have thought that he was in a hospital. "Oh. Did I get hurt again or something?" he muttered, quickly checking himself over for any kind of stitches or bandages, like when he had originally gotten the injury that resulted in his scar. He felt nothing of the sort, however, and there wasn't a hint of the crimson blood that had been there the last time. He seemed perfectly unharmed. "No, Master, we are both unharmed it seems," Gaomon said, turning to look around. "However, I have not even a single idea as to where we might have been moved after we were forced into unconsciousness. I highly recommend that we-" At that point, his ears twitched. A sound had caused him to stop speaking and he spun around quickly to face the door. He was ready to defend Henry from any intruder that may enter their abode, likely expecting them to be asleep. Such a foolish attempt. He had long-since developed his senses to a very keen height. There was no sneaking up on him very easily. But what he saw was not an intruder attempting to cowardly sneak in on them. "I wonder what's out here?" Henry asked nobody in particular, pushing the door outward and looking around the room. "M-Master, please wait!" Gaomon shouted after him, quickly rushing after his tamer...but not before stopping to grab a small blue and white device off of the floor. It looked familiar and important, so he had decided to grab it off of the ground before leaving the room. Just outside, the two came to realize something that put Henry at ease. There were other humans already out in the hallway...and each one of them had a Digimon of their own. "Oh wow, look. I guess the Digimon really weren't all dead after all." Henry commented as he stepped outside. He then grinned slightly. "Well, that's nice. It would have been rather strange if you were the last one on the planet." "...Yes, Master." Gaomon replied, withholding a sigh of exasperation. He quickly put himself between Henry and the other humans. Their room had been at the very end of the hall, putting nothing but a wall behind them and the others in front. Gaomon looked cautiously at the others. He couldn't help but find it suspicious that they were suddenly in a room filled with other kids with Digimon. Something was fishy here and he wasn't about to allow Henry to risk associating with- "Hey, do any of you know where I am?" Henry suddenly called, taking Gaomon by surprise. The beast Digimon fell to the floor in his surprise while Henry simply pushed past him without a care in the world. "I kind of just dozed off out of nowhere and-" "Master, what are you doing?" Gaomon asked in a slight panic. He quickly climbed back to his feet and moved himself between his tamer and the others. "Forgive me for stopping you, Master, but we have never seen them before. They could be the reason we are here in the first place." Henry paused and thought about those words for a moment. He had to admit, he was right. "Hey, you guys didn't, like...kidnap me or anything did you?" he decided to bluntly ask. Gaomon simply looked back at his tamer in disbelief. Although he supposed that he should not be so surprised at this point....</s> <\|message\|>Alison Walsh As the elevator finally opened, EBEmon stepped through, with Alison following somewhat cautiously after. Alison soon saw eight other teenagers, all with a Digimon partner, and she felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach. "Oh, wow!" Alison exclaimed, looking at the group. "You were... you were telling the truth!" EBEmon looked at her. If he had had eyebrows, he probably would have raised one. "You doubted me?" he said. "Well, you got to admit, you are kind of shifty-looking," Alison said. "That's kind of rude," Phascomon muttered into her tamer's ear. "Err..." Alison gave EBEmon a nervous grin. "Erm, well, no offense." EBEmon shook his head slightly. "None taken, I suppose," he muttered, taking some steps towards the group of the kids as the elevator doors closed behind them. "Well, it seems everyone is here." He surveyed the group. "Now, I imagine you're all very confused and possibly frightened, but I promise you, you are in no immediate danger, so please calm yourselves down... okay?" Alison raised an eyebrow at this before crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeeeeeeaaaah, that's likely to win 'em over," she muttered sarcastically. Personally, she was still a little bit nervous around EBEmon, but she did her best to hide it, instead waving at the various new tamers. "Yo," she said with a grin. She was talking to all the tamers, but most specifically the ones who were closest to the elevator. "Nice day to wake up with no idea about what the hell is goin' on, innit?" she said casually. "Name's Alison." Phascomon sat up straight on her tamer's shoulder. "I'm Phascomon," she said. She bowed her head to the strangers. "And I apologise if my tamer seems a little too bold."</s> <\|message\|>Alika Hale Alika's mouth still hung open as Falcomon pulled him in to the circle to meet the others. His jaw only fell wider upon looking at Ebemon, as did Falcomon's beak. Ebemon looked like a mix of a movie monster alien, and his computer back home, except 10 times more terrifying and real. He looked liable to strap him and Falcomon to a table and perform experiments on them like Alika saw in that one movie. Hostile? Hotel? He couldn't remember, but the sidetracking was helping him to keep his cool. As the girl, Alison, and her partner, Phascomon, introduced themselves, Alika couldn't help but look to Falcomon and see that she was feeling the exact same wave of confusion that he was. He held up a hand and waved slightly, but was only able to utter a drawn out 'uhhhhhhhhhhh' for a few minutes as his brain attempted to reboot from all the sudden twists and turns being imparted upon it in the past couple of minutes. The Digital World, or the Digital Quartz. The Digivice. Other people with Digimon. Losing his Gameboy. It was all a little much for just a couple of hours. Or minutes. His head was spinning so much that he just couldn't keep track of anything anymore. Falcomon was the first to recover once more, and introduce the two of them. "Uhm, well I'm Falcomon, and this is Alika. He's a bit... out of it at the moment." She looked to the company before hopping to face-level with Alika and waving a wing in front of his face, cooing softly to snap him from his trance. He shook his head softly and waved again, "Y-yeah, I'm Alika. Nice to meet you, I guess?" His speech was stuttered and slow, mind slowing down as he was pushed to talk to the others. He could deal with rationalising the thoughts he was having later, as well as figuring out how they all got there, and why it was them that were there. For now, it was just a joy to be alright and with Faye. And out of the storm.</s>	<\|message\|>Daigo Kumon Daigo was neither confused nor frightened. Well, maybe a little confused, but definitely not frightened. If anything he was annoyed, or impatient, it was hard to tell between the two sometimes. He stood there as the robotic being asked them all to calm down. Naturally, he neglected to actually explain anything, which only made Daigo more irritated. By this point he had crossed his arms, his left index finger tapping impatiently on his right forearm while he closed his eyes in contemplation. Soon he heard the voice of a girl introducing herself as Alison, and another following that saying they were Phascomon. Daigo opened his eyes when a Falcomon introduced themselves and their tamer to the group, the tamer himself apparently being too shy to speak up. This was further cemented when the kid stuttered through his introduction a bit. By this point Daigo had lost his patience and pointed threateningly at Ebemon, "Who we are doesn't matter. All I care about is getting out of here, and right now that means talking to you. So start explaining." "Daigo-san, that's-!" Elecmon tried to protest but a quick glare from Daigo silenced him. "He's Ebemon, I know. One of the more powerful Digimon in existence if the stats for him are any indication. He's also responsible for the emails." said Daigo with a glance around at everyone, "Isn't that right... EBE?"</s>

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<\|description\|>Rich Keener Age: 21 Appearance: Tall, tanned, with big, staring pale green eyes. Bushy eyebrows, has a mop of thick, tangled dark-brown hair that's long enough that he ties it back most of the time. Muscly, but usually one can't see them. Crooked nose, looks like it's been broken more than once, which it has. Wears a necklace consisting of a deerskin cordage with a bit of raw turquoise attached. His wolf form is mostly black, but with pale gray facial markings and underbelly, and gray feet. Race: Werewolf Gender: Male Personality: Always on the alert and assessing his situations to prepare for danger. Quiet, prefers to listen rather than speak. Jumpy and easily startled, his fighting style is "kick once hard and get away while they're down". Like a lone wolf he is afraid to approach the resident pack, but is also curious. He enjoys nature and spends a lot of time in the forest. Bio: Orphaned at age 12 after his parents got in a fatal fight involving vampires. He ran away and survived alternately in the forest in the town, but mostly in the forest until he was old enough to get a job as a book-keeper and small apartment. (werewolves only) Role: Rogue but might join the pack during the roleplay, as what I don't know yet Mate: none Other: bazinga</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener Rich had closed up the bookstore about an hour ago, relieved to be outside at last. He was heading toward the forest to spend some time meditating, contemplating, and perhaps writing, and a cool breeze that ruffled his thick hair made him whine softly as he resisted the urge to transform and run. The sound of howling sent a chill down his spine and reminded him that he was walking straight into harm's way. Still, the forest called to him, and how could he resist, after being cooped up in a book store all day? _Just be careful,_ he told himself. _You've been out here before, for days on end, and they haven't found you yet._ He pushed a vague longing to the back of his head, chose a small, quiet clearing and sat down. His eyes shifted quickly; he was on the alert for trouble because those howls had sounded close by.</s> <\|message\|>Allie Doyle Allie stared out the window of her small home, gazing into the forest. Technically her home was within the town's borders, but it was much closer to the forest than the town itself and this made her feel isolated. She didn't like being so far away from civilization, however it was for her and the humans' own good. Throat burning, she didn't need to look up at the sky to see that it was going to be getting dark soon. She had to wait until it was pitch black out to risk hunting. She had been aware of the werewolves' presence for a long time and thought she caught the scent of something else-a witch maybe? She was used to the werewolves-she had been feeding from the animals in the forest for ten years now. She always tried to hunt when she knew they weren't around, but she wouldn't be surprised if they were aware of her.</s> <\|message\|>Ramona Belvedere Her legs swung from the tree branch she was perched upon. Ramona had her lighter in her hand, flicking the trigger and letting the flame burn slowly. She manipulated fire, throwing it, shaping it, even engulfing herself in it without a single burn, but creating it was something she could not accomplish so her lighter was always with her. Ramona let the howls roll past her ears without a response. She clasped the lighter top shut then crawled back down the tree to the ground. Her black tight leggings were tucked into her mid-calf black combat boots and her deep red top dipped into a V in the front and flowed in the wind from the sheer material. She opened the lighter and flicked the trigger, bringing the flame alive again. Her hand waved over the flame and the fire moved to her hand. She put the lighter back in her pocket and formed the flame into a large circular ball, throwing it back and forth from hand to hand as she walked back toward her home through the Forrest slowly.</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony picked up the scent of a rogue in the area shortly after her alpha called for a pack meeting. Somewhere in the scent was something that intrigued her but she ignored it and trotted to where she left Her clothes she grabbed them and shifted back to human putting on her clothes then running to the clearing. Ebony went over to her alpha and bowed slightly in respect. "Alpha." She said before looking up at her alpha. "May I have permission to go deal with the rogue in our territory?" Ebony asked</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest had shifted into her human form and had some clothes hidden in the bushes, she changed into them quickly and smiled when ebony had joined her. "I'll go with you, Theres always saftey in numbers Ebony" she said firmly and crossed her arms showing that this wasnt up for debate. She smiled at her and said "When we approch him, Be nice ok? He could very well want to be apart of the pack and i dont want to scare him off.. yet" She let out a soft giggle.</s> <\|message\|>Ramona Belvedere Ramona continued to walk as she turned the fire over and over in circles in the palm of her hand. She heard some chattering in the distance then a giggle. She paused for a moment, holding the fire in her hand as a burning blue flame. She didn't know who the chattering belonged to until she took a couple more steps and saw two distant figures. She kept walking slowly, keeping the corner of her eye on the figures. Two together? Probably werewolves. She laughed softly as she made the fire into a wold figure with the wave of her hand and then back into a flame that she tossed from hand to hand.</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener Unaware of the possible danger that would soon be heading his way, Rich stayed on the alert for around five more minutes, and then leaned back against a tree and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and allowed himself to relax. How wonderful it was to let the smells of the wilderness flow through him, as opposed to the mustiness of a book store! He let out a happy sigh. "Ahhhh..." The only thing that could make the moment better was getting rid of the smell of the pack that lingered in his nostrils. One such scent was oddly sweet and kind of pleasant, but the knowledge that a band of werewolves who could rip him to shreds in moments seemed just _a little_ more important right now. "Relax!" he muttered to himself. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." He took out a journal and started describing in detail the flora around him.</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony nodded. "But if things go bad you know to let me protect you if needed. We can't be losing our Alpha." Ebony said before going behind a tree and stripping. She shifted and lead the way to the rogue. When they got near the rogue she stayed in the bushes watching him silently. 'How could he just be relaxing while in pack territory. What the hell?!' Ebony thought as a slight growl escaped her lips.</s> <\|message\|>Allie Doyle Allie couldn't take it anymore. She swiftly exited her house and perched herself up on the roof, crouching like a cat in waiting. The smell of werewolves was beginning to become overwhelming. They weren't dispersing and she could sense a small group of them together. As she scanned the area, she thought she saw...blue fire? What on earth was going on? Her thirst was so strong that she thought she would have to drink her own blood. She hadn't fed in days and needed it terribly. She felt cornered. There were too many werewolves around and she could detect a couple of unknown presences. If the werewolves caught her hunting and they weren't the friendly kind, she could easily be overtaken. The need to drink took over. Jumping to the ground, she dashed through the forest in search of a meal.</s> <\|message\|>Harumi Osi Harumi flew over the forest on her bird familiar. Her curls flying out behind her due to the wind.</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener The smells hit him like a tsunami wave. They were close. Here, maybe, hiding, ready to disembowel him. The soft sound of a growl confirmed his suspicions, and he slammed the journal shut before standing up in a matter of a couple seconds. He backed against the tree, muscles stiffening again, heart pounding, breathing quickening. He dropped the book. "I know you're there!" he said, his voice much more steady than he felt. He knew it was a fine line between acting too aggressive and too submissive, so he tried to stay neutral.</s> <\|message\|>River Anderson River hears the growl come from a little ways over and she pauses, her feet sliding in the wet grass. She looks over in the direction and notices two young women a few yards away. Werewolves. She recognizes them from one of the packs from around here. She hurries on, not wanting to be involved in a pack war. She hurries down farther a little ways and notices the gleaming silver surface of the lake a few yards away. She smiles and hurries toward it, shedding off her dress as she runs. She sets the dress down by the edge of the lake and walks to the edge of it. She takes a deep breath and runs into the water, as far as she can. The transformation is immediately. She has yet to be in the water a full minute when she sees the glittering, silvery-blue tail that is now her own. Her legs melted together to form this thing. She smiles and dives under the water, splashing and kicking around. She practices swimming for a little bit before practicing her magic, making it move the water of the lake.</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony remembered her Alpha said try to be nice so she decided to transform. She trotted out still in wolf form and went over to big tree and slipped behind it. She shifted and got dressed in the clothing she had carried in her teeth. She walked out from behind the tree and looked towards the guy. Her eyes looked at him but they had yet to make eye contact. "Look at me." She said trying to keep her voice steady. Her alpha would come out any minute now but for now she would talk to the rogue.</s> <\|message\|>Celest Ignore!!</s> <\|message\|>Allie Doyle Allie had finally caught the scent of an animal-a small rabbit. It wouldn't fill her up much, but it would work for the time being. She blindly chased after it, her hunger taking over the rational part of her. By the time the rabbit was in her grasp and her fangs were almost at its neck, it was too late. She stopped dead in her tracks, her fangs aching from resisting the urge to bite. She had ran right into the middle of the three werewolves. Her eyes, bloodshot from not feeding, frantically flew back and forth between each werewolf. "Oh, crap."</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest stayed in the cover of the woods watching Ebony and the rouge she growled lowly, waiting to see if he was going to be a threat or not. Celest layed down and squinted at them listing to thier conversation. then a vampire flopped in front of her, Celest eyed her for a second and growled lowly and snapped her teeth at her in a warning to move along.</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener Rich nearly met the female werewolf's eyes, but at just the perfect moment, a vampire ended up in the middle of the confrontation. The memory of his parents' death sent the hairs on his neck standing up straight, and he bared his teeth involuntarily, narrowing his eyes at the stranger. He glanced in Ebony's direction, but kept his gaze respectfully averted so as not to cause even more tension. "Looks like your pack has a bigger problem than me," he said softly.</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony growled. "I can deal with two threats at a time. Don't Move." Ebony demanded of the Rogue. Ebony growled at the vampire. "Explain yourself." Her voice was strong. Not as strong as her alpha's would be but it had a power behind it.</s> <\|message\|>Allie Doyle Allie's fangs fully revealed themselves. She hissed, but it wasn't a threatening one. It was one that meant that she wasn't looking for a fight, but she'd protect herself if she had to. She eyed the werewolves, knowing that she could outrun them if she needed to, but for how long? Werewolves had more endurance. She held the rabbit in her hand. "I haven't fed for days and I was in need of blood. I'm usually more careful than this, but I was desperate. I never hunt when werewolves are in the vicinity, though I didn't have a choice. You guys weren't returning to your pack and I couldn't wait any longer. Of all the ten years I've been a vampire, I've quietly lived here, quietly hunted. I've never had any altercations with a werewolf." She tried to relax a bit. "I am not here to cause problems."</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony nodded, "I will have to let my Alpha decide your fate but I feel like you aren't a threat to us. If you haven't been hunting humans then you aren't bad in our book. But I suggest being careful in our territory." Ebony said before her attention returned to the rogue. She was fine with vampires but her hate for rogues ran deep. She always helped when rogues crossed into their territory. "Now you are the only problem I have." She growled slightly, glaring at the rogue. Trying hard not to lose control.</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest made her presence known by agressivly trotting up to the vampire she had already transformed and was in loose clothing her shirt clung to her, and her shorts laid on her baggy and out of the way, her hair was down and curled around her face. "Stay out of our territory and you wont have any problems" she said sternly to the vampire that laid at her feet "Take your meal and leave, please" she said holding out a hand for her. Celest didnt mind vampires or rouges but they just needed to know where they can stay and where to stay away from. Her attention now focoused on the rouge and ebony.</s> <\|message\|>Allie Doyle Allie nodded, her face clear of any emotions. The only visible feeling was that of hunger, her eyes still bloodshot. "There will be no problems. I never venture into the woods deep and only hunt at the edge of it when the animals don't come out." She took the werewolf's hand, rising from her crouched position. "If we ever meet again, I do hope it's under better circumstances." With that statement, she flashed away in a blur.</s>	<\|message\|>Rich Keener Rich blinked a couple times, eyes wide. Going from his original pack's hatred for vampires, he'd assumed that they would have killed the intruder right then and there. He kept his eyes to the ground but his stance confident. "No need for trouble," he said, quiet as usual. "I was just minding my business. Won't cause any harm."</s>
<\|description\|>Rich Keener Age: 21 Appearance: Tall, tanned, with big, staring pale green eyes. Bushy eyebrows, has a mop of thick, tangled dark-brown hair that's long enough that he ties it back most of the time. Muscly, but usually one can't see them. Crooked nose, looks like it's been broken more than once, which it has. Wears a necklace consisting of a deerskin cordage with a bit of raw turquoise attached. His wolf form is mostly black, but with pale gray facial markings and underbelly, and gray feet. Race: Werewolf Gender: Male Personality: Always on the alert and assessing his situations to prepare for danger. Quiet, prefers to listen rather than speak. Jumpy and easily startled, his fighting style is "kick once hard and get away while they're down". Like a lone wolf he is afraid to approach the resident pack, but is also curious. He enjoys nature and spends a lot of time in the forest. Bio: Orphaned at age 12 after his parents got in a fatal fight involving vampires. He ran away and survived alternately in the forest in the town, but mostly in the forest until he was old enough to get a job as a book-keeper and small apartment. (werewolves only) Role: Rogue but might join the pack during the roleplay, as what I don't know yet Mate: none Other: bazinga</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony frowned. She didn't trust him much but she also wanted to look into his eyes it's how she read a person. Her wolf also insisted that we make eye contact. "Look up. Don't look away from us. Make eye contact with us or we won't be able to believe you."</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener He did as she told him and looked up, straight into Ebony's eyes. It made him feel a little lightheaded.</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony looked straight into his light green eyes and felt like she could get lost in them easily. But her wolf in her head shouting at her that this is probably their mate snapped her out of it. "No. How." She whispered to herself before she began to pace. Her wolf and her now fighting. Ebony hated rogues and here she was with a rogue that is probably her mate. This just was not OK with her. She was becoming stressed by it since her wolf didn't like that she was questioning who her mate was. But what would she do. That she was still finding an answer for as she continued pacing.</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest Watched ebony and glared softly "E you should get back to the den, to cool off a bit" she said in an even tone and her eyes locked on the rouge. She didnt have a glare or even a firece look in her eyes, she was curious and growing impatent</s> <\|message\|>Jihord Stulkson Jihord He had stood silently, a distance away from the group in his human form. He rarely took on the shape of a wolf, only when he absolutely needed the strength, but the wolf inside him always had more control than the human. Sensing Celeste's growing impatience, he stepped in, he was large, even for a wolf. At 6'2 and heavy with muscle, he was an intimidating opponent just as a man. He stepped near to her, his mouth to her ear, though he was only an enforcer, he made it his duty to attempt and guide Celeste with tradition. "I believe we may have some complications, I would advice to order this rogue scum to his knees, for inspection." He had noticed the link between Ebony and the pack traitor, and despite his seething hatred for anyone that abandons their pack, tradition orders that no one hinders the relationship of possible mates.</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest turned to Jihord and nodded and put a hand on his shoulder, She glared at the rouge now feeling the presure of traditon and also of the way her father had taught her how to be an alpah. "Jihord, ebony Go back to the den im sure i can handle him" she said getting thuroughly irritated. she was on the brink of losing control over her wolf that was snarling inside.</s> <\|message\|>Jihord Stulkson Jihord He clasped his hand over hers, then leaned forward to place his head on the front of her neck; a sign of obedience, submission, and loyalty to his Alpha. "Are you certain my leader, if anything were to happen I would feel the cry of a thousand wolves at my inability to defend you immediately. With your word I will gladly shift, and remove this traitor from our midst."</s> <\|message\|>Celest She instictivly nipped the back of his neck softly and growled lowly "Ill be fine, Now go befor i tan your hide infront of this stranger!" irritation past now she was speaking directly from her wolf side uncontrollably. She put her hand to her mouth and looked up at him with caring almost sad eyes "Please" She said</s> <\|message\|>Jihord Stulkson Jihord Pride almost glowed from his eyes as threaten his literal hide "Yes Ma'am." He said with a soft smile, squeezing her hand reassuringly before turning and sprinting through the forest, heading towards the den.</s> <\|message\|>Celest She always seemed to let herself get frustrated easily with jihord around, something in her shouted at her that he could possibly be a mate but she of course ignored it. Though as he left she felt a twinge of sadness,her focus now resumed to be on the rouge. "Tell me your name, and let me see your hands" She wanted to see his hands because if he belonged to a pack its sign would be on his hand or upper arm.</s> <\|message\|>Allie Doyle Allie was curled up under a blanket on her bed. She didn't really sleep, but laying here like this comforted her and made her feel almost like a human again. She recounted the previous events. It all seemed impossible that she had came out of that fiasco alive. Not only was she weaker than most vampires because she didn't feed on humans, she also hadn't had any blood in days. Those werewolves could have slaughtered her in a second, but they didn't. The tiny bit of human left in her heart wanted to be friends with them-she was so lonely. The vampire part of her knew that it could never happen. Sighing, she wondered what was going on out there.</s> <\|message\|>Ramona Belvedere Ramona pranced through the woods slowly, the flame in her hand now turning into one in each hand as she watched them they grew large then shrunk back to hardly noticeable so she could hide them and use them when need be. She stopped in her tracks when she almost collided with a male werewolf running through the Forrest. She didn't speak, but she stood still for only a moment I examine his large frame. She kept walking, she had no fear of werewolves, the only thing she feared was water. She kept her flames concealed in her clutches fists, wondering what this rather large werewolf would do once he noticed her. She wasn't afraid to use to her magic. She had killed many with it before and would do it again if need be. Ramona turned her head toward him momentarily before continuing her slow walking pace she was at before he werewolf appeared.</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener Obediently Rich held out his hands, a tiny smirk appearing on his face in amusement at the exchange between the Alpha and this other enforcer. In spite of his expression, he was currently in a state of confusion, excitement and fear, all running together, but he wouldn't let it show. The wolf part of him was pumping him full of adrenaline, urging him to run or fight, but he resisted its pull. "My name is Rich," he mumbled. "And the whole traitor thing...very dramatic, don't you think? All I was doing was writing."</s> <\|message\|>Jihord Stulkson Jihord He turned on Ramona, his long hair blowing in the wind as he moved towards her "Why are you here, witch? This is not your land, nor have you permission to trespass." He growled, his eyes darkening noticably.</s> <\|message\|>Ramona Belvedere Ramona laughed softly, "Unlike you, wolf, I don't claim land. I walk where my magic leads me," her voice was sharp as both of her hands engulfed in blue flames. She opened her right hand and formed a ball. "I'm passing through, playing with my magic. I don't want or need your territory." Her eyes turned blue to match the large ball of spining fire in her hand. She let the fire die down and engulf her fists once again, "I'm not looking for a fight, whomever you are." She smirked softly once more before letting her entire body engulf in flames before she took a couple steps toward him and laughed a deep menacing sound. She turned and walked back in the same direction she was going, flames still covering every part of her like a second skin.</s> <\|message\|>River Anderson River hears the sound of voices nearby and swims toward the shore. She looks out and sees one of the enforcers for the local packs talking to another witch. She has fire around her and River raises her eyebrows. She has never seen this witch before. Especially out here. She moves the water about her thinking as she watches this strange pair.</s> <\|message\|>Jihord Stulkson Jihord A low growl pulses from his chest as he towers over her. He had no fear of flame, he'd been burnt plenty by witches, he was unfazed and unimpressed from her fire. "If you have no want or need for my Alpha's territory, then leave, do so quietly and calmly or I will have no choice but to hold your head under that lake with my heal."</s> <\|message\|>Ramona Belvedere Ramona laughed softly, she let the flames blare bright blue and spread to a radius of 10 feet on each side of her, the flames closing the distance betweent them. She could see though the blaring fire, as her eyes had adapted to the heat. Her body still engulfed, she laughed wickedly before letting the flames come back to her body. "Burning alive is not a pleasant way to die," she said in her sharp voice. "By the time it would take you to fight me and drag me there, your skin would be melting like a pool of wax, your blood and internal organs spilling out for the remainder of your pack to find you." She let the flames cease from her body and went back to her hands. "Very charming you werewolves are, I can see why no one enjoys the company of werewolves, half of you can't even stand each other," She turned and laughed, leaving fiery footprints behind her as she walked away slowly, not getting in any kind of hurry. She closed her hands and kept the fire burning inside her fists until she reached the outskirts of the Forrest and released the flames, letting them die out completely.</s> <\|message\|>River Anderson River couldn't stand to watch this anymore. She drew herself up onto the bank of the lake and pulls the water from her legs. They immediately become dry and she pulls on her dress once more. She jumps to her feet, grabbing a lage amount of water in her hands as she does so. She filters the water into a small horn on her hip and she runs after the Fire witch. She slides to a stop a good few feet away from Ramona and screams, "Hey!" She still stands in the forest slightly, and she knows that it was dumb to chase her as she left the forest, but she had to give her a piece of her mind.</s> <\|message\|>Ramona Belvedere Ramona had already dropped her flames from her hands when she heard a female voice call behind her. "I'm leaving, what else do you want?" She snapped as she turned around, her eyes turning red as she now held her lighter in her hand. She saw the female wasnt a werewolf, but a witch. Ramona looked the girl over before seeing the water on her side. She shook her head softly before shoving the lighter back in her pocket. Her eyes calmed to their blue-green tint and she started to walk out of the Forrest once again. "I'm leaving now. I'm not fighting over anything as stupid as walking through werewolf territory," she said to the female witch as she exited the forrest.</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest sighed and noticed his hands were clean, it was sigh of relif "Yeah Jihord can be a little over zelous sometimes, hes set in the traditional ways of the pack" she said and slapped his shoulder softly "Your alright in my books, If you want to join the pack ill welcome you with open arms.. If not you best learn where our territory is" she said and Gave a half smile</s> <\|message\|>River Anderson "I wasn't going to fight you," River says, glancing down at her horn filled with water. "I just wanted to tell to that it would make sense to make friends with the werewolves. If your "magic" leads you back into the forest, things would go smoother. Or at least try to sneak in..." She smiles at Ramona. "Sorry for the scream. My voice cracked." She grins at her before turning around to walk away.</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener He smiled back, mostly with relief. He couldn't believe how lucky he'd gotten. Impulsively he said, "I would be honored to join your pack, fair Alpha. Thank you for your hospitality."</s> <\|message\|>Celest Celest helped him up and gives him a soft glare. "We'll talk with the others about that"</s> <\|message\|>Rich Keener "Yes, ma'am," he murmured. He gave her a respectful nod.</s> <\|message\|>Ebony Wildes Ebony's wolf was currently yelling at her in her mind as she walked to the pack house/ den. She was doing her best to shut her out right now as she tried to control her own emotions. Although her wolf hated rogues, this rogue could be different. Her wolf also wanted to think over everything but by running through the forest. Ebony was trying to calm her wolf but eventually her wolf gained control and Ebony shifted ripping her clothes. Her wolf began to run through the forest full speed trying to collect their joint thoughts about everything that just happened.</s> <\|message\|>Celest She smiled 'Respectful' she thought to herself "Come to the den with me" she motioned for him to follow her, she transformed into her wolf form and took off as a large white wolf with bright blue eyes. She ran kinda slowly so they could keep pace and headed for the den and saw a flash of ebony run by her.</s>	<\|message\|>Rich Keener Rich transformed and followed the white wolf, loping at a safe distance behind her but keeping up. He skidded to a stop to stare at Ebony as she ran past; he admired her but hoped no one else would notice. He pawed the ground and opened his jaws to call to her in a low howl-bark, but no sound came out and he decided against it. Raising his tail in a show of confidence, he continued to tag along behind the Alpha.</s>
<\|description\|>Rian Li Age: 15 Gender: Male Class: Dark Cleric Appearance: Rian's height (5'2/1.58m) and weight (110lb./49kg) don't do much to help his feminine looks, given he's rather petite in stature. Still, though Rian's features are soft, his mannerisms tell a similar yet different story; there is plenty of steel holding up the pretty exterior. History: Suffice to say, but Rian's life prior to attending AcadeMMO was fairly mundane. They were fortunate enough to live in an area free of most ExBeast attacks and thus knew peace and simplicity in their lives. He was an only child, and began to exhibit signs of potential rather early on. Given that the school did not accept applicants until they were 14, it was up to his two parents to figure out how to deal with their gifted child. Thankfully his powers were fairly tame, and a bit of research revealed he would likely be classified as a Cleric. To that, a collective sigh of relief was breathed for the Li household. While fascinated by his powers, Rian didn't really want to burn their house down or hurt anyone, being the rather well-behaved child he was. He also loved his parents, and took what they had told him rather seriously given they were treating him not just as a child, but as someone who'd one day hold a great deal of responsibility. And eventually he was taken in by AcadeMMO on his 14th birthday. Things sort of went downhill from here though he endured it without complaint. Given his appearance and Class, it was sort of inevitable that bullies would naturally home onto Rian. Rather than give them any satisfaction though, he simply poured himself into his studies and training; intent on proving himself with actual results rather than empty words and actions. And so he did. While he didn't gain too much popularity with the other students during Special Assignments, he was practically loved by the more conventional military forces. With his abilities debilitating ExBeasts, their previously useless weaponry were back in use and capable of felling the monsters. Of course there were some that disliked the fact that they needed a Magi to do something, but many more simply liked being able to contribute to the battle once more. Thus the first year at AcadeMMO has passed, and Rian currently sits at a probationary D-Rank. He needs a few more Special Assignments to actually achieve the ranking, and he looks forward to them. Statistics: Level - 1 * HP - 2 (20) * MP - 12 (110) * Attack - 0 * Magic - 30 * Speed - 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 0 * Evasion - 20 * Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills Frailty [2] - 65m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.1 Magic), Two Targets (Level) Non-Elemental Visually a dark aura envelops the target(s), though it does not obscure the victim(s) from sight or any other means of detection. Decreases targeted stats by a total of 33 [0.5 X (Level X Magic)], divided by # of targets. Resistance, after reductions, is half effective against total stat decrease. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty." Rise Up [1]- 30m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.2 Magic), One Target, Non-Elemental Bathes a single target with green light. Recovers 16 HP (Level X 0.5 Magic) and grants a 11 (Level X 0.3 Magic) point buff to a targeted stat. Alternatively, the spell can heal for 25 HP (Level X 0.75 Magic) with no buff applied. "Stand strong, fight on, Rise Up!"</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Winnifred gave out a hefty sigh and flopped over to her bed in her dorm room, surverying the room to make sure all of her belongings were in their proper places. Between the opening ceremony, double checking which class would be held where so she wouldn't get lost this year, and moving back into the dorms, she hadn't gotten much time yet today to relax. She let herself lay on the bed for a few more minutes before sitting up and pushing herself off the bed. She figured she needed a proper, casual walk to stretch her legs and she was bored anyway. Maybe there'd be something interesting going on elsewhere on school grounds. The first thought that entered her mind as she began walking was that perhaps there would be students having practice matches in the academy's gym already. She thought that'd at least be exciting to watch, and so she made that her destination. However, as Winnifred arrived and opened the door to look inside, she was just about immediately disappointed. From the looks of things, a much had indeed been going on, that was for sure. But it also looked like it had already finished up. Not only that, but of the two apparent participants - a boy and a girl who were already mid-conversation with a couple of others - the boy seemed in especially bad shape. The only response Winnifred gave as she observed was a quiet "Hmph," of intrigue. She hadn't expected other students to be getting into such intense matches right away, she at least thought'd it'd be a day or two. Winnifred suddenly realized she'd still been watching the whole time through the gym's doorway. After a brief internal debate as to whether she should leave or stick around, she decided she'd already walked all the way here and still didn't have much to do anyway just yet, so she stepped properly inside the gym and took a seat for the time being. Winnifred figured she'd at least wait a bit and see how things went, or at least see if any other matches started up.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Someone who had been watching from the stands stepped down and began to scold Hazel for using too much force. Hayato appreciated his concern, and to be honest watching Hazel get an earful was a little cathartic, but he was more or less okay...Better off than whatever creatures had faced her in the past, he was sure. As the magi helped him up, however, Hayato couldn't help but notice the sword at his side. Magic Classes didn't usually use weapons, did they? "Thanks, but I think I'll be okay with some rest..." he started to say, before someone else walked into the building. From the look of it, "she" was a cleric. Quickly taking in the situation, the healer canceled the other boy's request for infirmary aid and offered "her" own services. "Actually, since you're here, yeah." Hayato said, shaking his head as he confessed his weakness. "No point being macho about it...that was rough. Quicker I'm healed, the sooner I can work on getting stronger." He looked over at Hazel, finally realizing what Professor Gene had meant. Real field experience, huh? "So many you can't remember the number...I guess that's really the difference between us. Only Special Assignments I've ever gone on were non-combat things that I needed for some spending money or extra credit. Up until now, I've just focused on self training." He looked down at his sword hand, which was still trembling from the blow his arm had taken. He clenched it into a fist. "Let's fight again sometime, Hazel. I'll do a lot better then." Then he looked back over at the Magi who had helped him up. "By the way, are you a Magic or a Martial Class? Odd for a magi to carry around a sword, isn't it?" He pointed at the jian-styled weapon.</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga Ryouta's expression did not change when she compared the two factions within the school, using him as an example. His scowl on her did not deepen. Even when she insinuated that Magi needed to be coddled. He knew there was an unspoken biasness through the way the school worked. "That's some very warped view of things you've got." He shook his head. Then he slowly let go of the boy to the cleric, careful not to make his injuries worse. When he was asked about his sword, he simply made a wry smile: "You've got a lot of breath for someone who had his shoulder broken!" He chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood, there was a little evasiveness about it. Then he turned to the Cleric and nodded. "Kindly take good care of ...Hayato? I have to go report this incident." Ryouta got up and started walking away towards the exit then the offIces, but not before glancing behind at the girl, "_I'd rather have him at our side than you._"</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li "Ok then," he said dismissively, shrugging, as he turned to the more injured party. Evidently the girl had some issues with Magi, but that was her problem in the end. While a part of him did want to try her in the arena just to see if he could bring her down a peg, the larger part simply argued it wasn't worth it. If he did win she'd probably hold a massive grudge given him being a Cleric and if he lost... then yeah. "As for you," he murmured softly to Hayato as he closed his eyes to better focus himself. Forgoing the incantation given he was in no rush, Rian simply let his mental focus shape and form the spell. Given the condition of his patient's arm he figured a double dose would be appropriate. The spell's signature green glow intensified as he poured more mana into it before the light began to dim and fade away. Opening his eyes, he brought a hand up to his chest and slowly exhaled. "Should be all good now. Nice to see someone who doesn't turn down help." Though he had his own share of Special Assignments, he wasn't being asked the question, so he didn't bother commenting. He did glance at the older student who was walking away, sighing in annoyance at his partng words. "You think you could just drop it? Hayato here's been fixed up and injuries are inevitable when spars happen. I'd rather not get called in for something as small as this." He hoped that the older student would see reason because otherwise his first day back would be off to a sour note.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Up on the roof, Soka sat down. He pulled off his backpack and set it down, before beginning to look inside of it. Bringing out a folded, multi-layer paper, he closed the backpack again. Unfolding the map of the school grounds, he began to study the layout. In his left hand, he moved around a silver coin between his fingers.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel frowned as Hayato accepted the Cleric's help. Hmph. Unbelievable, he's going to let a girl act more macho then him? "Field experience matters. No matter how long you train nothing compares to what you learn doing real stuff." She hesitated for a moment, then spoke before she could stop herself. "Maybe you can tag along with me some time, see what real combat is like." She regretted it instantly. She didn't want to have someone else drag her behind, but it was too late now. She gave no indication that the offer was a mistake. She smiled, this time her real-but-not-real smile again. Despite everything, there was something about him. She wanted to help Hayato Nishimura. "Also, yeah, we can fight again." The prickly observer turned to leave, but not before dropping another disparaging comment. She huffed as he walked away. She turned to Hayato, "He is a Magi," Hazel didn't only excel on the battlefield, but also in the classroom, "His crest belongs to the Magical Research Society. He also fits the part." She sighed, "Reporting us for sparring. Clearly you came out no worse for the ware. This is part of our training. I don't hate Magi, but some of them really don't get how it works for Knights. Injuries happen all the time!"</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga _You think you could just drop it? Hayato here's been fixed up and injuries are inevitable when spars happen. I'd rather not get called in for something as small as this._ He looked over his other shoulder and gave a very slight nod, making sure the arrogant girl did not see it. Though there was no reason the Cleric, whose name was unknown to him still, would be called in - If anything, they would simply give credit to him foR quickly responding to a scene! Someone still had to explain the situation if they saw the recording, because fRom where he watched it certainly seemed like an intended lethal attack, Hayato was just fortunate. As a senior, it was his duty to make sure the younger ones were safe. Ryouta reminded himself. But he guessed he could lighten the gravity of things ....this time.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura The magi with the sword evaded his question, causing Hayato to tilt his head to one side with a quizzical look. But, saying that he'd have to report them, the other boy headed for the doors. "Whoa wait, I don't think a report's really necess--" Too late. Hayato sighed. The Cleric agreed with him, and as "she" began to cast her spell he tried to relax and let the magic do its job. There was a slight pop as the damaged veins and muscle began to knit themselves back together, and the bruises began to fade underneath his shirt. "Man, that's a lot better!" He smiled in relief and stood straighter, flexing his now fixed arms. "Thanks, uh...sorry, I don't know your name. I'm Hayato, nice to meet you." Hazel had her own bit to say about the boy who had left, but Hayato just shook his head. "Magical Research Society, huh? Maybe the sword's part of something they're working on?" He scratched his chin with a grin. "Anyway, thanks for the offer, Hazel. I'd be grateful if you'd show me the ropes! I'll try not to be a burden."</s>	<\|message\|>Rian Li Sighing softly as he just noticed the barely perceptible tilt of the senior's head, Rian hoped this would be the last time he'd have to deal with this particular situation. Twirling one of his hanging locks of hair, he glanced through the remaining spectators for a moment before looking away. Turning his attention back to the revived patient, the Cleric nodded as he watched Hayato test his arm, happy to see that everything seemed to be well. Clasping both hands in front of him, he gave a slight bow in reply to the greeting before answering softly. "A pleasure, my name is Rian." Raising his head he gave the Knight a small smile before sighing quietly under his breath once more. While the girl was correct, given how accessible medical care was on campus, Hayato's injury could have been pretty bad had it not been treated. Still, in the end there was no harm done so there no point in trying to make a fuss. "Well if that's all I suppose I might see you two around then." Rian gave them a few moments to respond if they wanted to, but otherwise he was planning to find his dorm and drop things off.</s>
<\|description\|>Rian Li Age: 15 Gender: Male Class: Dark Cleric Appearance: Rian's height (5'2/1.58m) and weight (110lb./49kg) don't do much to help his feminine looks, given he's rather petite in stature. Still, though Rian's features are soft, his mannerisms tell a similar yet different story; there is plenty of steel holding up the pretty exterior. History: Suffice to say, but Rian's life prior to attending AcadeMMO was fairly mundane. They were fortunate enough to live in an area free of most ExBeast attacks and thus knew peace and simplicity in their lives. He was an only child, and began to exhibit signs of potential rather early on. Given that the school did not accept applicants until they were 14, it was up to his two parents to figure out how to deal with their gifted child. Thankfully his powers were fairly tame, and a bit of research revealed he would likely be classified as a Cleric. To that, a collective sigh of relief was breathed for the Li household. While fascinated by his powers, Rian didn't really want to burn their house down or hurt anyone, being the rather well-behaved child he was. He also loved his parents, and took what they had told him rather seriously given they were treating him not just as a child, but as someone who'd one day hold a great deal of responsibility. And eventually he was taken in by AcadeMMO on his 14th birthday. Things sort of went downhill from here though he endured it without complaint. Given his appearance and Class, it was sort of inevitable that bullies would naturally home onto Rian. Rather than give them any satisfaction though, he simply poured himself into his studies and training; intent on proving himself with actual results rather than empty words and actions. And so he did. While he didn't gain too much popularity with the other students during Special Assignments, he was practically loved by the more conventional military forces. With his abilities debilitating ExBeasts, their previously useless weaponry were back in use and capable of felling the monsters. Of course there were some that disliked the fact that they needed a Magi to do something, but many more simply liked being able to contribute to the battle once more. Thus the first year at AcadeMMO has passed, and Rian currently sits at a probationary D-Rank. He needs a few more Special Assignments to actually achieve the ranking, and he looks forward to them. Statistics: Level - 1 * HP - 2 (20) * MP - 12 (110) * Attack - 0 * Magic - 30 * Speed - 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 0 * Evasion - 20 * Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills Frailty [2] - 65m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.1 Magic), Two Targets (Level) Non-Elemental Visually a dark aura envelops the target(s), though it does not obscure the victim(s) from sight or any other means of detection. Decreases targeted stats by a total of 33 [0.5 X (Level X Magic)], divided by # of targets. Resistance, after reductions, is half effective against total stat decrease. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty." Rise Up [1]- 30m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.2 Magic), One Target, Non-Elemental Bathes a single target with green light. Recovers 16 HP (Level X 0.5 Magic) and grants a 11 (Level X 0.3 Magic) point buff to a targeted stat. Alternatively, the spell can heal for 25 HP (Level X 0.75 Magic) with no buff applied. "Stand strong, fight on, Rise Up!"</s> <\|message\|>John Harley Seeing as he had nothing better to do at the moment John had been watching the match, and what he saw changed his opinions. _Wow, even Fused I doubt I would be able to defeat either of them. Looks like I underestimated the Martial Classes."_ Seeing as both fighters were still in the gym, he rushed down the steps wanting to congratulate them on a great match. "You two were really impressive out there,especially you." That last part was directed to the female Knight, not that he thought her opponent had fought poorly.</s> <\|message\|>Shin Yukimura Sometimes he really did wonder why he was forced into listening to such utter nonsense... Oh right. Because if he didn't, he'd have someone most likely being sent to find him and drag his ass back into that hall to sit an listen to nearly an hour's worth of sleep-inducing idiocy. He had nearly fallen asleep at this little 'speech' last year, and to be honest it hadn't improved this year either. Geez. It was like listening to a really old and rusty robot that did nothing but repeat itself, kami, he'd have to shoot the damn thing to bits if that were really true. Or throw it into a wall, that could work just as well. Idle thoughts passed through the elder's head as he waited for the Dean to finishing droning on and on like a broken record. After another five minutes, it was at last finally over. All the while the lithe young man had retained that rather pleased smiling expression of his, it was like a default setting. Put up in front of others no matter what he may be feeling. Huh. Now wasn't that a nice comparison? Hm. Then again perhaps not the smartest idea he had ever come up with. Not that he was going to broadcast comparing the Dean and how he acted to an old robot, Shin was certainly not that stupid in the least. Stretching as he stood, the silver haired male rolling back his right shoulder to release the building tension there. After all, who wouldn't be all tense and stiff after sitting in one spot for nearly two hours? Heading out a little behind the others, the tall male's view cast itself across the sea of new students. No one that really looked all that interesting to be honest. Such a shame. But he wasn't really here for the fighting, at least, he hadn't been for the past two years. Oh well. Groups of both females and males, as well as mixed groups quickly formed as he headed a little ways down one of the main halls. At the very least over the summer he got to return home and see those he knew, it was tiring but fun... well somewhat. If you considered getting jumped on by children all day long to be fun then you'd have a great time, sure, it was fun at first. But after a few weeks, it was simply exhausting. It felt like he'd come back here for a break, not to start doing boring and dull work all over again. Ugh. Still, unlike many he wasn't running about like a total moron trying to sort their dorm out. His had been sorted hours ago, plus that unlike many his room was never changed. Why? Well for one he wasn't a fan of hauling his stuff around every new year, and secondly because some of the teachers had thought it good that he would come back to 'something familiar'. Shin didn't mind it, but the concept was from his first year and it was a little outdated to say the least. Even so for the rest of the day he had nothing to even do. It really was a bore. Bugging some too early normally meant he would get a mouthful later, so he'd avoid that for now. Instead he might as well go check out some of the freshmen. It was like a ritual every year, first year students flooded to any gym they could to train, show off, spar, talk or even end up in an all own brawl. Almost like a right of passage in some ways. Making his way to said gym at a slow pace, the elder male coming to lean against the door-frame that lead into the room, easily allowing him to see. These kids were always so enthusiastic about everything for about the first week, it was then that everything went to hell and back to a regular routine. Ah well. From a quick observation, it would seem a match had just ended. Others already having gone down to help out and talk, well that certainly didn't take long. A hidden gaze cast itself to the side, the lithe gunner spotting others watching in the stands as well. As if waiting for what would happen next, it was like they were watching TV; so hooked they couldn't look away. Others seemed just as bored as he was, and that was saying something. Even so he wasn't about to start a fight now, so he merely remained where he was. It was far better to gauge the abilities of others here before he did anything himself, that was basic tactics after all.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Bye, Rian. See you around!" Hayato waved enthusiastically as the healer left. "She" was pretty cute, he thought, as he turned back to the others. Definitely not as clashing a personality as Hazel...although the other Knight wasn't bad herself. Not wanting to go off on that tangent at the moment, though, Hayato instead turned his attention to someone else who'd come down from the stands. They must have drawn a bit of a crowd, huh? He looked up to see who else was around, and lo and behold there was another girl, one with bright blonde hair. He gave a simple nod of acknowledgement when she noticed him looking at her, then turned to see if there was anyone else in the stands. He noticed someone by the doors, too, probably someone who had stopped by to see if anyone else was in the building. The boy looked to be Japanese, like him, though he had silver hair. And the gun on his hip didn't look standard issue; was he an older student? Lots of opportunities to meet people today, from the looks of it. Now that Hayato thought about it, aside from the two or three people sitting immediately next to him in his classes, he'd never really gotten to know many people at the Academy. And for Special Assignments, he would need to make friends that he could party up with, right? He pondered this for a moment, before shrugging and turning back to Hazel. "I'm gonna go ahead on to the dorms, I'll see you later." he said with a wave, before turning and heading out of the gym, hands in his pockets. As he passed the silver haired boy he nodded at him too, with that look that said "'Sup," in the way guys often did without actually speaking. Then he began the trek across campus towards the boys' dorm, stretching his fully healed shoulders before folding his hands behind his head. This year was gonna be very different, for sure.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley Part of John just wanted to walk onto Combat Training area to have a match himself. But he resisted the urge not just because he lacked an opponent, but also because if he fought at least one Ex-Beast would get hurt needlessly. Instead he left the gym and decided to spend dome time on the final touches of decorating his dorm room. He eventually arrived at the Rank E dorm building, the dorm that the farthest away from the campus's other facilities. Despite the fact that this was John's third year at AcadeMMO he had so far refused to perform any Special Assignments, and as such he not only was still the lowest rank but had to repeat the second year.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "I see. You better not get owned after she disrespected you like that. Show her you're worth. You can tell me all about it later. I'm going to the dorms. I'll see you", Joe said. Taking a few steps forward before he stopped and turned back. Mouthing: "She's like two feet. This shouldn't be hard, right?", smirking before leaving again. He had heard of her before, she was apparently perfect in everything but had an attitude. This would be much more a challenge than Joe made it out to be. He hoped he would be fine, he wanted to get stronger after all. If he got beaten by a two feet little girl that disrespected him it would probable be soulcrushing. Joe knew he would have completely lost his self esteem. He relaxed against the front wall of the dorm, with a map in his hand taking everything in. He purposely choose to not go with the tour so he'd have to learn everything on his own. He worked up a sweat ten minutes ago, enough to have an actual effect but not enough to leave him aching for the training tomorrow. He already sorted out his room, so that wasn't a problem. Looking up, he'd notice that his previous conversation partner came back. His hands in his pockets walking casually. Joe waved to get his attention. "So, how was the fight? What's her fighting style like?", Joe smirked. "Probable defensive wasn't it?"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato found the boy from before, whose name he still hadn't learned, at the dorms. When the other student saw him he called out and asked about the spar. "So, how was the fight? What's her fighting style like?", he smirked. "Probable defensive wasn't it?" Hayato grimaced and rubbed one of his shoulders. "No, actually, she hits like a freaking truck. Her defenses and evasion skills are probably her weakest traits, but she has enough speed and strength to make up for the lack of technique." He sighed. "But she didn't get that way just by training. She's been on a lot of Special Assignments, out there fighting actual Exbeasts while I've just been in a dojo swinging a shinai around. Tomorrow, I'm going to start changing that." Again he held out his hand to shake with the other boy. "Sorry about getting pulled away before. I still never caught your name."</s>	<\|message\|>Rian Li Nodding slightly at Hayato, Rian readjusted the bags' position before making his way out of the room. Sighing as the automatic doors hissed shut behind him, he brushed his robes, getting rid of some dust near his legs, before turning about to reorient himself. It took a few moments as he tried to figure out where buildings were in relation to his position, but soon enough he was headed off towards the administration building to get things sorted out. It took a while to sort things out once he got there since, to his surprise, he had been assigned a room in the D-Rank dormitory despite his rank being conditional. There were also minor issues like some of the employees finding him "cute" or it hard to believe he was actually "male". Pausing by a window as he stared at the feminine reflection Rian sighed softly, brushing a lock of hair back into place, before continuing on his way. He'd gotten over the fact that he'd be mistaken for a girl rather shortly after he'd arrived at AcadeMMO. If he hadn't and had instead fussed over it, no doubt the "bullies" would have hounded him over it, amongst other things. As things stood though, for the moment at the least, there was little trouble for him on school grounds. His new dormitory didn't really look too different from the building he'd stayed in last year, and Rian took a moment to explore the exterior rather than head right in. It only took him a few minutes and it let him familiarize himself with the exits and entrances to his new home for the year. Heading in afterwards, he looked around at the lobby-like room that greeted him, taking in the details like the tables with couches seated around and notice boards hanging by one wall. At the moment it was fairly empty, though he waved in greeting to the few that glanced towards him.</s>
<\|description\|>Rian Li Age: 15 Gender: Male Class: Dark Cleric Appearance: Rian's height (5'2/1.58m) and weight (110lb./49kg) don't do much to help his feminine looks, given he's rather petite in stature. Still, though Rian's features are soft, his mannerisms tell a similar yet different story; there is plenty of steel holding up the pretty exterior. History: Suffice to say, but Rian's life prior to attending AcadeMMO was fairly mundane. They were fortunate enough to live in an area free of most ExBeast attacks and thus knew peace and simplicity in their lives. He was an only child, and began to exhibit signs of potential rather early on. Given that the school did not accept applicants until they were 14, it was up to his two parents to figure out how to deal with their gifted child. Thankfully his powers were fairly tame, and a bit of research revealed he would likely be classified as a Cleric. To that, a collective sigh of relief was breathed for the Li household. While fascinated by his powers, Rian didn't really want to burn their house down or hurt anyone, being the rather well-behaved child he was. He also loved his parents, and took what they had told him rather seriously given they were treating him not just as a child, but as someone who'd one day hold a great deal of responsibility. And eventually he was taken in by AcadeMMO on his 14th birthday. Things sort of went downhill from here though he endured it without complaint. Given his appearance and Class, it was sort of inevitable that bullies would naturally home onto Rian. Rather than give them any satisfaction though, he simply poured himself into his studies and training; intent on proving himself with actual results rather than empty words and actions. And so he did. While he didn't gain too much popularity with the other students during Special Assignments, he was practically loved by the more conventional military forces. With his abilities debilitating ExBeasts, their previously useless weaponry were back in use and capable of felling the monsters. Of course there were some that disliked the fact that they needed a Magi to do something, but many more simply liked being able to contribute to the battle once more. Thus the first year at AcadeMMO has passed, and Rian currently sits at a probationary D-Rank. He needs a few more Special Assignments to actually achieve the ranking, and he looks forward to them. Statistics: Level - 1 * HP - 2 (20) * MP - 12 (110) * Attack - 0 * Magic - 30 * Speed - 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 0 * Evasion - 20 * Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills Frailty [2] - 65m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.1 Magic), Two Targets (Level) Non-Elemental Visually a dark aura envelops the target(s), though it does not obscure the victim(s) from sight or any other means of detection. Decreases targeted stats by a total of 33 [0.5 X (Level X Magic)], divided by # of targets. Resistance, after reductions, is half effective against total stat decrease. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty." Rise Up [1]- 30m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.2 Magic), One Target, Non-Elemental Bathes a single target with green light. Recovers 16 HP (Level X 0.5 Magic) and grants a 11 (Level X 0.3 Magic) point buff to a targeted stat. Alternatively, the spell can heal for 25 HP (Level X 0.75 Magic) with no buff applied. "Stand strong, fight on, Rise Up!"</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga ### Day 2, First Semester "Mr. Himonaga!" "..yes-" Ryouta stopped playing with his watch, a hologram emitter that served as a personal assistant device amongst other things, such technology could have only been made with the compliments of Magic that manipulated dust in the air. It beeped off and he looked up - only to see his P.E teacher in trekking pants and a windbreaker, staring at him with a displeased look on her face. "-Madame?" "Why aren't you in running attire!?" She asked loudly, a large portion of his class turned to look at them. "Asthma." "Again?" She asked, suspcicious of him. "If you have asthma YOU should be running more!" Ryouta would argue that logic otherwise but he just nodded along, drowning her words out with his own thoughts, she did not seem in the mood foR a biology lesson. "...Go to the nurse's offIce and get me a--!" "Here." Ryouta whipped out a slip of paper quicker than she could finish, he handed it over to her with both hands fRom which she snatched and read. Her irritated expression bore down on him after she read it but as usual, she could not do anything about it and walked away. "Thnk you for you hard work." Ryouta whispered cheekily (as is the custom of Japanese to say after someone provides a service) when she walked out of earshot, he enjoyed these little triumphs every now and then. Excercising at dawn made no sense to him, a cup of strong tea already kept him awake, being all sweaty and exhausted would not make him anymore alert. Like would having hot, spicy food cool you down? No. But there are many others who thinks it would. Sometimes the warped view of things these people had really made no sense to him. Speaking of odd people. In the distance he spied three of his classmates, three girls who were according to their scores, rather skillful adepts. And they were looking straight at him. Curious as to what they wanted, he raised a hand and waved at them. But immediately they turned around and ran as quickly as they could in the other direction, in a series of squeals - leaving him bewildred and frankly, kind of disturbed. It must be the stress around here....... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The noon sessions are over. Ryouta stretched out his hands and bent his fingers outwards, it was an early dismissal from Folk Lore, one of his favourite classes. It was a class particularly popular with Summoners, as they get to learn about exotic and potentially undocumented exbeasts. There was even a catching trend among them to see who could make a contract with one of the rarer creatures, kind of like an old game kids used to play, it promoted a rather friendly yet competitive comraderie among these peculiar Magi. He sometimes envied them. Looking at the timetable, it was time to select a mission. Ryouta grabbed his bag and sauntered down to the area where the available tasks were displayed, the place was bustling with people and already he could tell the cliques that were forming. Everyone wanted a balanced party with all the roles covered, to be with close friends or to simply pair up with the most reknowned students foR fame and whatnot. Most seniors already had groups they were used to too .....except for him. He had different criterias. Tapping his watch again, the screen lit up with a list of somesorts. There were ticks and crosses that marked each sentence. He perused the stands while often referring back to it, as if looking for something specifically. He felt a few pairs of eyes watching him but it was usual, everyone who has not found a group yet were probably considered carefully by those who already have and needed one more. It was still no less awkward though. He hurried ahead to the D-Rank boards after noting down several A/B/C-Rank missions and politely refusing a few offers. "Ah. There we go." Ryouta mused to himself when he saw the word 'cockatrice' appear in one of the listings, taking down it's serial number and location quickly. It was then when he saw a farmiliar face. Weaving past a couple, he came up behind his victim. "Hehey, how's your shoulder doing?" He slapped a hand on said shoulder of the freshmen he met yesterday.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel awoke, fresh and ready for her first _real_ day of school. Yesterday was exciting, but there really was nothing like the feeling of excelling at something. At least that was the case for Hazel. She woke up early, picked a nice outfit, showered, put her makeup on, and was off in a flash. Breakfast for Hazel was a quick affair: Junk food from one of AcadeMMO's many vending machines eaten on the way to her first class. She was lucky that she exercised so much because Hazel frankly ate like crap. The day started, as expected, with PE. Hazel was, naturally, over-competitive with everything and went hard with whatever activity was given. After that she found herself in her academic classes. When it came to these classes she was focused and didn't miss a thing. Afterwards she spent a quick lunch period her friends, and the day morphed into Martial classes. Hazel was, of course, in an advanced swordsmanship class. Most people outright refused to spar with her, but it was hard to fault them for it. Hazel didn't see it that way, however, and they were cowards as far as she was concerned. So she found herself practicing against dummies for most of the period. She knew her defense was sloppy, but it was hard to practice that against practice targets. The rest of her Martial classes passed by quickly, and she found herself in a few short hours approaching the Special Assignments board. She suddenly remembered her promise to Hayato. She did say that she would go on a Assignment with him, but realized she left him with no way to contact her. Hazel stared at the the A-Ranked boards, but she soon noticed Hayato at the D-Ranked section. _Speak of the devil... I guess I have to follow through on what I said._ She sighed, and started approaching. That was, until she spied the uptight Magi from yesterday. Approaching Hayato. Hazel stopped. _No damn way. I told the guy I'd help him but..._ She sighed once again, and resumed her approach. Hazel didn't believe in going back on her word. She moved past the upperclassman and parked herself on the far side of Hayato. She didn't bother greeting him, and didn't bother to let him return the senior's greeting. "I told you I'd go on a mission with you, so if you want to now is your chance."</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Immediately after the end of her last class, Winnifred made her way to the special assignments board. She stood in front of it, a serious gaze on her face as she studied the assignments listed. In her first year she'd only done just enough to make to to a D Rank, and was determined to do better this time around, now that she wasn't a complete newbie at the academy this year. Still, she didn't want to take something that'd be too overwhelming when she was just getting back into the swing of things. On top of that, she'd need allies as well. Glancing around at the other students gathered in front of the board, she recognized a couple familiar faces. The boy and the girl who'd had that match in the gym the day before were already looking at the assignment list, from the looks of it. Winnifred figured it couldn't hurt to see what they had in mind, and approached them. "Hey, I saw you two in the gym the yesterday," she said, a friendly smile on her face in an attempt to make a good first impression. "So what kind of assignment are you guys looki..." About mid-sentence she noticed another boy was also standing by the two and realized it seemed as if they may have been in the middle of talking already. "Uhh, I mean, sorry to interrupt! Don't mind me!" Winnifred laughed a bit nervously.</s>	<\|message\|>Rian Li The rest of Rian's day passed by in unremarkable mediocrity; he settled himself into his new room, headed to the campus cafeteria for a meal, made use of the fitness facilities, and then turned himself in rather early to prepare for the next day. Though he shared greetings or chatted with several acquaintances, nothing on the scope of what happened at the arena occurred once more for him. ---- When he awoke, it wasn't exactly as bright and early as some who knew of how he had spent his summer months might have expected. There was just enough time for Rian to get himself ready and head over to the cafeteria for breakfast. before arriving just in time for the first period of class. Stretching on his own accord as the class gathered and waited for the teacher, he tuned out the hushed whispers of those who had yet to be in physical education with him. Despite being rather physically fit, it was in a manner that was lithe and graceful, so it actually only emphasized his feminine appearance. After that came the more mundane courses that could be found in most schools in one form or the other around the world. Frankly it was a bit hard for him to pay attention given the way things were, but he pushed himself to focus through. Even then his attention wandered and Rian had to stop himself from dozing off a few times, often resorting to playing with his hair for simply something to do. 'Come on… if any of them find out, they're going to be annoyed.' As he reminded himself for not the first time, the thought nonetheless gave him a bit of a push to sit up straighter and focus. After lunch when the Magic courses came around, Rian threw himself at the course and their materials as per usual. Utterly different from himself during the morning periods, his interest towards the supernatural when compared to the mundane was fairly obvious to anyone with functioning eyes. Though he wasn't exactly enthusiastic during these periods, his contrasting mannerisms made it quite apparent that this was what he really looked forward to. ---- As classes came to a close, Rian followed his usual routine and wandered over to the lobby to look for an appropriate Special Assignment. Unsurprisingly, given it was the first day, there was quite the crowd already there to pick up whatever Assignments were being offered. A quick glance, from even the complete back of the crowd, let Rian tell there weren't many he was interested in taking, and none he would have actively tried to pursue. He did see a few that he figured would be easy enough if he could find a willing group he could participate in. In fact… though it was a bit hard to tell given the crowd in his way, Rian thought he saw Hayato from yesterday closer to the holoscreen. The Knight had seemed amiable enough to Clerics and given he had healed the taller boy yesterday, Rian figured there was a good chance of being accepted to a "party". Pushing his way through the crowd served to be plenty hard given his stature, and it was with some effort that he managed to arrive near the black-haired teen. Clutching at his chest, he sighed lightly as he managed to extract himself from the throng of students before he looked around. It seemed that Hayato wasn't alone, but the whole gang from yesterday was around; even the blonde had been a spectator if he wasn't mistaken. Taking a moment to smooth out his beige robes, he finally raised a hand in greeting towards the gathered students. "Afternoon, don't suppose any of you are interested in the D-Rank: Cockatrice Hunt Assignment?"</s>
<\|description\|>Rian Li Age: 15 Gender: Male Class: Dark Cleric Appearance: Rian's height (5'2/1.58m) and weight (110lb./49kg) don't do much to help his feminine looks, given he's rather petite in stature. Still, though Rian's features are soft, his mannerisms tell a similar yet different story; there is plenty of steel holding up the pretty exterior. History: Suffice to say, but Rian's life prior to attending AcadeMMO was fairly mundane. They were fortunate enough to live in an area free of most ExBeast attacks and thus knew peace and simplicity in their lives. He was an only child, and began to exhibit signs of potential rather early on. Given that the school did not accept applicants until they were 14, it was up to his two parents to figure out how to deal with their gifted child. Thankfully his powers were fairly tame, and a bit of research revealed he would likely be classified as a Cleric. To that, a collective sigh of relief was breathed for the Li household. While fascinated by his powers, Rian didn't really want to burn their house down or hurt anyone, being the rather well-behaved child he was. He also loved his parents, and took what they had told him rather seriously given they were treating him not just as a child, but as someone who'd one day hold a great deal of responsibility. And eventually he was taken in by AcadeMMO on his 14th birthday. Things sort of went downhill from here though he endured it without complaint. Given his appearance and Class, it was sort of inevitable that bullies would naturally home onto Rian. Rather than give them any satisfaction though, he simply poured himself into his studies and training; intent on proving himself with actual results rather than empty words and actions. And so he did. While he didn't gain too much popularity with the other students during Special Assignments, he was practically loved by the more conventional military forces. With his abilities debilitating ExBeasts, their previously useless weaponry were back in use and capable of felling the monsters. Of course there were some that disliked the fact that they needed a Magi to do something, but many more simply liked being able to contribute to the battle once more. Thus the first year at AcadeMMO has passed, and Rian currently sits at a probationary D-Rank. He needs a few more Special Assignments to actually achieve the ranking, and he looks forward to them. Statistics: Level - 1 * HP - 2 (20) * MP - 12 (110) * Attack - 0 * Magic - 30 * Speed - 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 0 * Evasion - 20 * Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills Frailty [2] - 65m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.1 Magic), Two Targets (Level) Non-Elemental Visually a dark aura envelops the target(s), though it does not obscure the victim(s) from sight or any other means of detection. Decreases targeted stats by a total of 33 [0.5 X (Level X Magic)], divided by # of targets. Resistance, after reductions, is half effective against total stat decrease. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty." Rise Up [1]- 30m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.2 Magic), One Target, Non-Elemental Bathes a single target with green light. Recovers 16 HP (Level X 0.5 Magic) and grants a 11 (Level X 0.3 Magic) point buff to a targeted stat. Alternatively, the spell can heal for 25 HP (Level X 0.75 Magic) with no buff applied. "Stand strong, fight on, Rise Up!"</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li Giving the blonde a nod while grinning happily, Rian was glad to already have one willing participant. Thinking on it, he figured it might even be possible for the two of them to handle the mission themselves given their skill sets. He could debilitate the ExBeast and cripple is movement while Winnifred piled away at it. "A pleasure," he said softly, bowing somewhat before, "I'm Rian." He frowned a bit at Hayato's response but didn't really choose to otherwise comment. If that was the Assignment the boy wanted, Rian saw no reason to try and convince him otherwise. Before he could propose his idea to Winnifred though, several things happened in rather rapid succession. For some reason the older student decided to pick a bone with Hazel, though for what reason he personally couldn't see. Despite not knowing the language Hayato and their senior shared, it wasn't too hard to tell that it likely hadn't been friendly. While he had been largely neutral over yesterday's happenings, chalking it up to a senior being concerned for his juniors, but now this… And things only spiralled downwards from there on. As expected from what little he had seen of her, Hazel refused to back down while the, questionably now, older student simply continued to egg her on. Stepping away from the brewing confrontation, he shook his head slowly in disbelief before turning towards the blonde-haired gunner; the shit storm already pushed aside from his mind and its participants ignored. "Don't quite know," he admitted as he caught her looking towards him before he nodded away from the assignment board. "Personally, one enemy is where I do my best and I think we could take the creature down ourselves if you're willing. It'll mean more rewards between ourselves, but we'll have to get ready quick. Others no doubt will want to tag along if we dilly dally."</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe didn't really need anything to prepare. He didn't wear armor and he didn't use weapons, he was ready as it was. So he just shadowboxed a little as everyone else did their equipment and warmed up his muscles for combat. He never heard of the teleportation pad, it was a pretty cool sight. The others had their little shiny weapons. Joe wasn't impressed. He knew he was about to fuck shit up regardless, this should be nothing but slaughter for them. They all were offensive focused and apparently they were low ranked monsters. All that Joe expected was a bloodbath and he was perfectly fine with that. As they entered the scene one of the researchers immediately caught them. Giving them a direction to where they are. Convenient. "I agree", he smiled at her. "He gave us a direction, so it's not like we need to search for something.", Joe pointed out. Already walking towards the north east. "Look out for monsters surrounding us but continue walking north-east without stopping unless you're sure you saw something.", Joe suggested while performing this same action.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Day 01 Haruka first day at school wasn't anything special, the usual ceremony at the start of every new school year unpacking in the dorms and the meeting of the group she does her assignments with. Her school timetable hasnt changed much from last year, her classes were seperated between night and day. It gave the opportunity to sleep during mid day and train at night after classes. But sleep was the last thing she needed, so training during the day and night wasnt a big problem to do. Her first night was peacefull for now since immediatly rushing to train is a bit to much, for now atleast. Day 02 Haruka has been sleeping well since a long time it gave her some comfort to be here in this school, it felt a little like a home to her. The daily morning excersizes were as usual for everyone. Still a lot of people had difficulties with it and stopped even before it started. She did her laps of running and took a shower in her dorm. Short after, she got to her classes which consisted of dodging hiding and knife trowing. The day passed on very quickly and it already free time was there for her to spent on training or sleeping. It didn't take long for her to decide what to do. Haruka went over to the assignment board to do some missions with who ever was around at the moment. Some rank B assignments would be fine for now, taking it easy for the first day was reasonable. When she arrived something seemed hugely off about this. The assignment board area was filled with students. Well it was predictable that this would happen, some of the students didn't pass because of their low rank and tried to keep it up a little this year. It made her think, only one tought went through her mind 'Way to forced' she moved through the crowd to the front and took a look at the assignments for today. It appeared there were only D ranking assignments. Which would mean all these people were probably around D rank. Well since she didn't have anything else to do, it would be fun to help some others maybe. Haruka wasn't that famous around the school for her rank or anything so most people wouldn't even notice that she was ranked A. Haruka quietly looked around her for maybe some younger shades that she could help.</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow "Hmm, maybe. Still, it might be a good idea to get one or two more people, you know?" Winnifred replied to Rian, giving it a few moments of thought. "I for sure wouldn't mind some a chance to get some extra rewards, but it can't hurt to have some extra helping hands. More safety in numbers and all that." Winnifred began looking around the crowd for any other students who may still be picking out their assignments or teams. "Of course," she added, "I'm fine with it being just the two of us if no one else does end up wanting to join us."</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga Ryouta had no choice but to honor a dying man's wishes, the boy was on a suicide journey. Even if he might have been doing it because he secretly had the hots for that child-psychopath, it was such a waste of life. Young, vibrant life. Gone. He silently mourned the passing. He stood up and turned to face the two speaking not-so-softly behind him, it seemed they were attracted to the same mission he needed. Listening to their discussion, it seems the Cleric was more interested in rewards than ensuring they survived. Ryouta, personally, was not too interested in the listed credits. But, like the girl said, a pair of helping hands would make things easier -for Ryouta. "You've got the right idea, young miss." He commented. "You were there at the arena yesterday ....right?" He faintly remembered someone with blonde hair. "I'll be on this mission too." He raised a handshake towards her and then one towards the Cleric.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Upon finally acquiring party members, Soka's excited expression soon dropped, hearing that the mission in the woods was actually IN Excaledvol. _Wait, no way! How did I miss that detail? Was that always part of the mission description??_ Soka looked at the board again and read the mission's description again. He didn't regret favoring this mission, but still he was surprised to go into another WORLD on his first day. _What if I die? What if a magic dinosaur eats me? What's going to happen...? I'm too young to die... I'm still a virgin!_ Of course, he wasn't the type to show unnecessary fear. "Alright, let's do this!" Soka grinned before running off to get his equipment. When he had his adventure attire on, the red-brown haired Soka entered the teleportation room with his soon-to-be comades. When they entered the new area, Soka stepped forward and looked around. After stretching, he touched the sword scabbard that was strapped onto his back. There was no sword in it, but it was certainly weighed down by something. To others though, it may have appeared he had an empty sword sheathe he was carrying around. It seemed he was with three Martial classes. The other person must have been a Magi, at least this was Soka's guess. Although Soka was an Adept, he enjoyed the thought of playing more of a support role, instead of direct offense. Because of this, he stayed several paces behind the three Martial classes when everyone began to ahead, ready to support any of his fellow team mates, should anyone be ambushed.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka focused on the voices around her and carefully listened to the people in difrent groups which assignment they would take. The cockatrice assignment seemed a little more daring to do. Having such a puny rat fight wouldnt be too fun anyway. When she foccused on the assignment name in particular she heared it 3 times from other groups. The team balance of all the teams didnt seem to combine well with her skills. Only one group could take her in where she would be atleast a bit usefull. Haruka spied the group for a small while, for if they were really gonna do the assignment and how the group acted. It was the job of a ninja to get information without letting anyone know, she had learned that in first year of school. Her size definitely helped her, there were a lot of tall people so it was hard to find out she was even there, a great oppertunity lets say. Haruka suddenly joined on it the group. She popped up next to Ryouta, she was in a calm mood and that could clearly be seen by her relaxed eyes and gentle smile. It was a rather special trait about her, that she is always calm about everything and nothing could make her stress out. Always thinking clear was the thing to do for certain. She needed to try and convince them to accept her to join their party now. If she said that she was an A rank it would become bothersom for her, so she didnt mention it at all. A warm calm voice sounded from her mouth "Hi, I was planning to do the cockatrice assignment and still needed to have a team. Since i heard you were also doing the quest, can i join you all?"</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow "Yeah, I was there," Winnifred replied, accepting the handshake from the boy who had suddenly spoke to her. "Didn't get there till the match ended, but oh well. Anyway, yeah, we were just talking about that assignment. Glad to have you on board if it means we don't get turned to stone, heh." Just as soon as Winnifred had finished speaking, another girl approached asking to join as well. "Fine with me. That'll give us four so far, huh? Name's Winnifred. Oh, and I'm a sniper. How about you two?" Winnifred was noticing by now after the sudden approach of these two that the cockatrice hunt really was popular after all. Of course Winnifred wasn't going to object to a full or near-full team.</s>	<\|message\|>Rian Li Resisting the urge to sigh as more participants appeared, one of them being the older student he'd tried to avoid, Rian kept whatever thoughts he had on the matter to himself as he accepted the handshake. Keeping the contact brief, he turned to the newest black-haired arrival and shrugged, seeing as Winnifred seemed to welcome the additional teammates. It would be annoying trying to juggle the wants of three others when looting the Beast's corpse if they were successful, and he did not look forward to it in the slightest. For the moment he gave the others his interest as the introductions seemed to be happening. "Rian, debuffs and healing," he chipped in from the side before either of the two had introduced himself. Given their appearances, and from what he remembered of yesterday, the older student was likely a Magi despite the weapon at his side and the girl looked to be a Martial Class, probably a Shade given how she'd appeared next to the senior of their group.</s>
<\|description\|>Rian Li Age: 15 Gender: Male Class: Dark Cleric Appearance: Rian's height (5'2/1.58m) and weight (110lb./49kg) don't do much to help his feminine looks, given he's rather petite in stature. Still, though Rian's features are soft, his mannerisms tell a similar yet different story; there is plenty of steel holding up the pretty exterior. History: Suffice to say, but Rian's life prior to attending AcadeMMO was fairly mundane. They were fortunate enough to live in an area free of most ExBeast attacks and thus knew peace and simplicity in their lives. He was an only child, and began to exhibit signs of potential rather early on. Given that the school did not accept applicants until they were 14, it was up to his two parents to figure out how to deal with their gifted child. Thankfully his powers were fairly tame, and a bit of research revealed he would likely be classified as a Cleric. To that, a collective sigh of relief was breathed for the Li household. While fascinated by his powers, Rian didn't really want to burn their house down or hurt anyone, being the rather well-behaved child he was. He also loved his parents, and took what they had told him rather seriously given they were treating him not just as a child, but as someone who'd one day hold a great deal of responsibility. And eventually he was taken in by AcadeMMO on his 14th birthday. Things sort of went downhill from here though he endured it without complaint. Given his appearance and Class, it was sort of inevitable that bullies would naturally home onto Rian. Rather than give them any satisfaction though, he simply poured himself into his studies and training; intent on proving himself with actual results rather than empty words and actions. And so he did. While he didn't gain too much popularity with the other students during Special Assignments, he was practically loved by the more conventional military forces. With his abilities debilitating ExBeasts, their previously useless weaponry were back in use and capable of felling the monsters. Of course there were some that disliked the fact that they needed a Magi to do something, but many more simply liked being able to contribute to the battle once more. Thus the first year at AcadeMMO has passed, and Rian currently sits at a probationary D-Rank. He needs a few more Special Assignments to actually achieve the ranking, and he looks forward to them. Statistics: Level - 1 * HP - 2 (20) * MP - 12 (110) * Attack - 0 * Magic - 30 * Speed - 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 0 * Evasion - 20 * Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills Frailty [2] - 65m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.1 Magic), Two Targets (Level) Non-Elemental Visually a dark aura envelops the target(s), though it does not obscure the victim(s) from sight or any other means of detection. Decreases targeted stats by a total of 33 [0.5 X (Level X Magic)], divided by # of targets. Resistance, after reductions, is half effective against total stat decrease. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty." Rise Up [1]- 30m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.2 Magic), One Target, Non-Elemental Bathes a single target with green light. Recovers 16 HP (Level X 0.5 Magic) and grants a 11 (Level X 0.3 Magic) point buff to a targeted stat. Alternatively, the spell can heal for 25 HP (Level X 0.75 Magic) with no buff applied. "Stand strong, fight on, Rise Up!"</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "It's time for a showdown.", Joe smirked. Looking around he discerned two types of enemies. A sort of bush/plant type where one had needles and where one didn't and this smaller, quicker looking plant type. "I see three types. Including the summon we're with six, it's best if we split up in groups of three. Each one of us attacking a different type of enemy. Summon boy and his ex-beast would count as one team, leaving four of us.", he suggested. "It's best if I don't fight needles since I don't use a weapon and I'll get cut with every hit.", he got himself in position. All of them were kind of deceptive, sometimes he would lose track of them just to appear back in their vision when they moved slightly. Looking at the first bush close to him that moved slightly he would just simply jump in the air and perform a downwards aerial attack. Attempting to hurt it with combos of powerful strikes before it even was able to get into a human form. Giving him the advantage of the first few strikes without the bush being able to do much about it.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner As the forest around them sprung to life Hazel raised her sword. She heard Joe's plan, but she didn't pay it any heed "Who cares, these guys are pipsqueaks, let's just cut them up!" She charged straight for the creature covered in needles, sword raised. As she met it she began to slash quickly, hoping to whack the plant to pieces.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka saw as the surroundings began to move. Well, I guess we found out what was moving in the bushes earlier. Soka and a creature exchanged glances. Soka: Hi.... Vine Blight: ... The Vine Blight sent a vine like a whip toward Soka. "Whoa!" Soka exclaimed, jumping to the right to avoid the vertical attack. The attack grazed his left shoulder. After getting his footing again, he stared in surprise at the nature-based creature. "You don't seem too bad," Soka said aloud. "At least you're not a dinosaur." Soka stayed in a ready position, waiting for any sign of another attack so that he could evade it again. .... Soka thought the Vine Blight was about to make a move again, when suddenly a burning pain splashed against his back. Turning, he saw three more of the monsters baring down on him. Two Vine Blights and a Needle Blight. His back burning in pain, Soka clenched a fist. The metal that was stored in his sword case oozed in liquid form toward Soka's hand. "You really shouldn't have done that."</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga "Nice to meet you, Haruka-chan." She was greeted with a friendly nod of the head after she had finished. Ryouta looked at the board contemplatively foR a moment, he seemed deep in thought then after a awhile he turned back to the group. "Give me a minute to get my equipment." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a brisk walk from the assignments area to the armory, placed conveniently for students who were in a hurry to participate in missions. When Ryouta returned he was in a new outfit, one that was ready for combat. He wore a bullet proof vest of dull-grey and matching trousers softly glowing neon blue stripes that interlocked at the sides, imbedded with mana circuits - these were made for the spell using population of the academy. He also wore a visor that displayed holographic Imagery in front of his right eye, alongside a matching glove on his right hand, pressumably his sword wielding hand. His sword still sat by his hip as usual, it's elegance a stark contrast to the rest of his appearance. Making his way to the Launch pad where Haruka was waiting, he tapped the screen of his watch, it seems he has found more and more uses foR it these days. A file titled "Rooster's Crow .mp3" appeared and he began downloading it immediately. Now all they had to do was wait foR everyone to gather and he (or someone) would input the coordinates into the console.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Joe vs Twig BlightAs the Striker came down on the transforming Exbeast, its shrubby body had half warped into a humanoid form. His first attack came down hard, slamming it to the earth with a crackle; its body, though changed by magic, still held the natural properties of wood. Like a stick cracked across one's knee, Joe's attack had broken pieces of its body. However, the creature's skinny form and small size made it much faster and more agile than its attacker, and with a howl like wind whistling through trees it clawed at the ground to scramble away from his combo. When its legs had fully formed it jumped to its feet, and now at full speed darted back at Joe. Its claws raked across his chest, though with his own reactions it was only a glancing blow that failed to draw blood. The Exbeast kept up the attack, once more trying to claw him with sharpened woody fingers... Hazel vs Needle BlightAgainst Hazel's sheer speed and power the Needle Blight was caught off guard, and though it raised its thorny forearms to try and block, her sword came down with a sharp crack. The creature squealed as its arms dropped to the forest floor like so much firewood; whereas Joe's attack was blunt in nature, Hazel's was a cutting force, and thus more effective against these plant like creatures. [Discovery: Blights suffer extra damage from cutting attacks!] Falling backwards, the Needle Blight scrambled backwards while shrieking at its comrades, no doubt searching for help. In addition, it raised the stumps of its arms and fired a hail of softly glowing needles at Hazel, the projectiles moving equally as fast as she had before... [Needle Blight used Needle Spray!] Soka vs 2 Vine Blights and Needle BlightOne of the Vine Blights simply lashed out like twin whips with its arms, attempting to strike Soka's arms and legs. The other, gurgling some odd sound that might have passed for a language, sent its lower body's tendrils into the ground. A few moments later, new vines pulsing with a green magic, erupted from the earth beneath Soka's feet and began to wrap around his legs. Try as he might, he couldn't pull free! [Vine Blight used Entangle! Soka's Speed drops by 10!] The Needle Blight raised both hands with a laugh that sounded like a dead tree limb cracking under a strong wind. Its arms were just beginning to glow when Hayato darted in from the side, mimicking Hazel with both arms brought far back, as if he were swinging a baseball bat instead of a sword. Just as the Needle Blight noticed him, he planted one foot and torqued his hips for all the power he could muster. At the same time his sword flashed black and blue. "Flash Blade!" The Needle Blight tried to step back, but in an arc of light one leg was severed entirely from its body, the limb flying end over end before collapsing to the ground, spurting some kind of sap. "They cut easy! If you have any magic or Skills that do that, go for it!" Hayato shouted, moving in on the downed enemy...</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "Really? They cut easy? Oh god damn it.". Joe complained comically. It was logical though, it wasn't his specialty and it was of the others. His opponent was fast so the way to win this one was to force it to trade blows with him. He awaited the next attack and stretched out his arms. Taking his next hit while grabbing his arm as he impacted. Forcing him to hopefully not be able to retract. If succeeded, he would use both hands so that the grip was stronger and it would be the twigs one hand versus two of his. After that was set up, he'd literally lay harsh low kicks attempting to sickly snap his legs and go for the kill if his opponent wasn't done already. Perhaps later he could improvise with his environment and use one of those shot needles to put them between each of his fingers as a fist. Changing his attack to sharp without sacrificing skill of not knowing how to work with it.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel smirked with satisfaction. Of course her sword skills would show up the Striker. She started to move in for her next attack, but was caught off guard as the creature used it's now stumped arms as a weapon. The needles came with considerable speed. I can't let those hit me, I have no idea what they do! She dived to the right, rolling as she hit the ground. She raised her sword again, holding it at waist level as she charged the creature again. This time I won't let you live long enough to counter attack! When she reached it she swung her sword around, aiming for its 'neck'. This time she aimed to take its 'head' off.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka began running, strafing to avoid the attacks of one of the Vine Blights. As he ran, his metal was forming into a thin blade, razor sharp at its edges. After avoiding the vine attacks, Soka controlled his floating metal blade. "Metal!" The metal blade, powered by magic and not strength, cut through the air at the vines that had just struck at the metal adept. Soka's aim was off however and the blade didn't connect. "It's a lot harder with moving targets," he mumbled. Soon though, he could feel a spell being cast and roots were wrapped around his legs. "Oi, let me go!" he said, trying to call his metal back to him. The Needle Blight had turned its attention to him and Soka was still stuck. Not good, not good. Thankfully his new ally came and intercepted the Needle attacker before it could hit him. "Yo, thanks Hayato," he called out, while beginning to cut at the vines that had trapped him.</s>	<\|message\|>Rian Li Watching as the two walked away Rian finally let out a sigh though he tried to keep any emotion from mixing in with the act. Glancing at Winnifred, who had yet to head off, he nodded in the direction Haruka had gone and said, "Guess I'll see you at the room." With that he followed in the same direction as Ryouta, having dropped off his belongings at the armoury the day before. He joined the others in the teleporter room a few minutes later, having not taken long to pick out and don his chosen gear. Gone was the flowing robe of soft fabric, and in its place was something that would have looked far more at home on an infantryman rather than a Cleric. There were some differences though such as the attire's coloration remaining beige, and the vest being for purely defensive purposes; no pouches or the like for storage. Armored plating was also woven onto the fabric in certain areas and while it did make the entire set heavier, it provided a good measure of defence and didn't hinder movement in the slightest. His footwear had also been swapped out for a pair of heavy boots that seemed to have seen a good amount of use given all the scuffs and markings on the material. In his right hand he held a plain and standard looking staff, this one ending with a two-pronged head. Nodding to the two he took up a position, leaning against the wall as he planted the butt of the staff against the floor, to wait for Winnifred's arrival.</s>
<\|description\|>Rian Li Age: 15 Gender: Male Class: Dark Cleric Appearance: Rian's height (5'2/1.58m) and weight (110lb./49kg) don't do much to help his feminine looks, given he's rather petite in stature. Still, though Rian's features are soft, his mannerisms tell a similar yet different story; there is plenty of steel holding up the pretty exterior. History: Suffice to say, but Rian's life prior to attending AcadeMMO was fairly mundane. They were fortunate enough to live in an area free of most ExBeast attacks and thus knew peace and simplicity in their lives. He was an only child, and began to exhibit signs of potential rather early on. Given that the school did not accept applicants until they were 14, it was up to his two parents to figure out how to deal with their gifted child. Thankfully his powers were fairly tame, and a bit of research revealed he would likely be classified as a Cleric. To that, a collective sigh of relief was breathed for the Li household. While fascinated by his powers, Rian didn't really want to burn their house down or hurt anyone, being the rather well-behaved child he was. He also loved his parents, and took what they had told him rather seriously given they were treating him not just as a child, but as someone who'd one day hold a great deal of responsibility. And eventually he was taken in by AcadeMMO on his 14th birthday. Things sort of went downhill from here though he endured it without complaint. Given his appearance and Class, it was sort of inevitable that bullies would naturally home onto Rian. Rather than give them any satisfaction though, he simply poured himself into his studies and training; intent on proving himself with actual results rather than empty words and actions. And so he did. While he didn't gain too much popularity with the other students during Special Assignments, he was practically loved by the more conventional military forces. With his abilities debilitating ExBeasts, their previously useless weaponry were back in use and capable of felling the monsters. Of course there were some that disliked the fact that they needed a Magi to do something, but many more simply liked being able to contribute to the battle once more. Thus the first year at AcadeMMO has passed, and Rian currently sits at a probationary D-Rank. He needs a few more Special Assignments to actually achieve the ranking, and he looks forward to them. Statistics: Level - 1 * HP - 2 (20) * MP - 12 (110) * Attack - 0 * Magic - 30 * Speed - 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 0 * Evasion - 20 * Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills Frailty [2] - 65m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.1 Magic), Two Targets (Level) Non-Elemental Visually a dark aura envelops the target(s), though it does not obscure the victim(s) from sight or any other means of detection. Decreases targeted stats by a total of 33 [0.5 X (Level X Magic)], divided by # of targets. Resistance, after reductions, is half effective against total stat decrease. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty." Rise Up [1]- 30m (Level X Magic), 6.5 min (Level X 0.2 Magic), One Target, Non-Elemental Bathes a single target with green light. Recovers 16 HP (Level X 0.5 Magic) and grants a 11 (Level X 0.3 Magic) point buff to a targeted stat. Alternatively, the spell can heal for 25 HP (Level X 0.75 Magic) with no buff applied. "Stand strong, fight on, Rise Up!"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Blighted WoodsHazel vs Twig Blight A The Twig Blight, already battered from its exchanges with the Striker and weakened from the friendly fire, could do little as Hazel charged in with death in her eyes. Her sword swept its head from its body with a snicker-snack, and as the head bounced between the trees, the corpse collapsed into a bundle of dead wood. Joe vs Twig Blight B The Twig Blight's legs were no good to it, and it was thrown to the hard earth before Joe put his full weight on its chest and let the fists fly. It was barely able to shield itself from the first few blows, but its skinny arms soon gave out just like its legs had from repeated strikes, and from there on it was almost cruel how the Striker beat his opponent to death blow by blow. Eventually the Twig Blight was little more than kindling. When he felt satisfied, Joe moved to help out the party's summoner... John and Joe vs Twig Blight and Needle Blight When John cried out for help, Joe came running. Grappled by two at once, the Twig Blight's struggles were for naught as John held it so Joe could break its legs, something that seemed to be turning into a favorite tactic. The Needle Blight, seeing that its last attack had worked, was about to prepare a second volley when it saw the Cactus Cat coming for it. With a cackle it made to move out of the way--only for Joe to swing its companion into it with a crunching impact! The Cactus Cat's thorned kick slashed across both monsters and sent them sprawling. They were tangled together, and slow to get up from this vulnerable position... [Needle Blight and Twig Blight have low HP!] Soka and Hayato vs Vine Blights A&B and Needle Blight "Don't lose focus!" Hayato shouted back when he heard Soka's anger. But the Adept seemed to be planning something big, and given that most of his metal attacks were as good as a sword, he might be able to turn the tides if he had time to finish the spell. Well, that was what Knights were for, wasn't it!? Hayato jumped in front of Soka as the Vine Blights continued to lash at them, using his sword to slash and deflect what he could and taking the hits with his body when he couldn't. Vines lashed across his shoulders and arms, tearing his blazer and the undershirt beneath to leave welts and shallow cuts on his flesh, but he grit his teeth and pressed on. Not a single blow reached Soka, not even when the Needle Blight, unable to move on the ground, managed to fire another round of projectiles. The needles embedded themselves in Hayato's non dominant arm, not enough to disable him but enough to slightly throw off his swordsmanship, and a vine whipped across his face, causing a steady drip of blood that blurred his vision in one eye. My first trip to Excaledvol isn't going so great, bro... he thought, refusing to budge and slashing another vine that came at him. But you're somewhere out here, aren't you? So I can't give up, not before I've even taken the first step! Vine Blight A sent out a lash that wrapped around his left arm, the same one injured by the needles. Hayato let out a roar of defiance and pulled, dragging the creature towards him so that he could run it through the face with his sword. The monster gave a loud screech, and Hayato pulled it in front of a second volley from the Needle Blight, then tossed the corpse aside when it went heavily limp. "Lookin' forward to that spell!" he yelled over his shoulder. Fire Rat Extermination The rat that Taeion hadn't targeted leaped out of the way, up to the top of a pile of barrels, but the other wasn't so lucky. The ninjato skewered it, and though it was tougher than an earthly rat the bleedout from the wound was just too much. It died scrabbling at the blade of the sword, and now Taeion only had one opponent to deal with. However, at his back, there was a sudden bout of shouting from the docks, and a thick plume of black smoke rose from somewhere to the west. The remaining Fire Rat turned and began to run, but the barrel it was on wasn't quite stable, and began to roll underneath it. With a worried squeak, the rodent put on a burst of speed and finally managed to hop away; in the process, it sent an avalanche of heavy aluminum containers towards Taeion. Cockatrice Hunt Thanks to Rian's spells and Ryouta's distraction, the Cockatrice barely even saw the rest of the group coming; Winnifred's blast took it in the eye, blinding it one one side, and Haruka's attacks left a long slash mark down its back. As the strange bug began draining its energy, the creature let out another screech and stumbled. When Ryouta played the rooster's crow again, the Cockatrice froze up. The call wasn't fatal to it like the stories said, but something about it was like a dog whistle, driving the beast mad with pain. It screeched again and began rubbing its head against the ground in an attempt to block its ears, as it couldn't cover them with its "hands" like a human could. When it rose again its head was covered with bits of dirt and grass, making it look ridiculous but dulling the sound. Opening its beak wide, it spat its poison at Rian, the one slowing it down so much and preventing it from evading the other's attacks. [Cockatrice uses Petrifying Spit on Rian!]</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel grinned as she got her second kill. She wheeled her head around, eyeing her companions, deciding quickly who to help. She saw Hayato struggling against the large number of enemies around him and John. Hazel pulled her sword from the former neck of the now dead Twig Blight and ran for Vine Blight B. "That's what I like to see Hayato! You're not as bad of a Knight as I thought you were!" She called out. She was still grinning. Her sword raised, she neared the Ving Blight. She used her momentum to skid across the bed of leaves that coated the forest floor, keeping her balance in check as she came past the Vine Blight. She aimed her sword for the creatures neck, doing her best to preform a drive-by decapitation.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "I get the twig blight. You can handle the needle.", Joe would be pleased if he wasn't forced to punch needles with his naked hands. Leaping in the air he would throw a downwards attack similar to the one he did in the beginning of the fight. Using gravity and his full body weight to throw a strike with maximum power and knock this twig blight out in one shot. Even if it didn't he would be in the mount position and capable of ground and pounding his opponent till they were knocked out. From there on he would stand up and give a smile to John. From there on he would stand and look for possibly more enemies, if there weren't he would go help the others.</s> <\|message\|>Abigael Quint "Attack its head and remove the blockage! Its dulling the sound!" Abigael rushes towards the cockatrice and swings at its face with his glaive, hoping to either hurt it or clear up some of the dirt so the rooster's crow wouldn't be dulled. Thanks to his new strength borrowed from the cockatrice, he slams the blade once against its face. This thing ain't so bad! I'll probably come out of this without a scratch! Abigael notices the opening mouth and quickly steps towards the cockatrice's side. He wasn't sure who the it was aiming at, but he hoped it wasn't him.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka watched as Hayato took a number of hits to guard him. He wanted to tell him to evade the attacks, but he focused on the spell he had been doing. Finally, it was ready. "Equip metal!" A pointed double-edged blade equipped to Soka's right arm. "Hey, don't worry about me! I'll be fine. Thanks for buying me some time," he said, beginning to cut the vines that had been restraining him. Even if he only managed to free himself by the time the others had finished off the creatures, it would be better than being stuck here and having someone else defend him. "Finish them off if you can! I'm a bit tied up here."</s>	<\|message\|>Rian Li Rian clicked his tongue as he watched the Beast tear a number of bloody gashes in Ryouta's arm. They didn't look too bad, but it was his job to heal them even if it wasn't exactly necessary in his opinion. Nonetheless, he gave his staff a small twirl and began to chant, but something caused him to sputter and lose the spell. Some random AcadeMMO student, going by his appearance, charged out of nowhere towards the Cockatrice and landed a few hits on it. If Rian had seemed slightly annoyed at the fact that Ryouta and Haruka had joined the party, then he was downright angry at this scumbag who thought he could just sneak in and get rewards after realizing it was safe to do so. 'Oh hell no,' he thought bitterly, as he easily sidestepped the Cockatrice's spit attack. Its aim was good, given that Rian had to actually move, but it telegraphed its intent and acted on it so slowly that the Cleric was already moving before the spit had even left its mouth. Stepping away from even the drops that splattered when the projectile hit the ground, the glow that surrounded his staff's head wasn't green that signalled healing for Ryouta, but the same black aura that he'd just used moments ago. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty of Strength and Speed." Muttering the chant, the aura streamed forward from his staff to surround and swallow Abigael, weighing down his entire body and draining his arms of any strength in them. At that point he didn't even care about what the others who were part of the "party" might have thought of his actions. Rian simply saw someone who was trying to take advantage of a situation that had been in control and reap the benefits. </s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe slowly felt his attention slipping with each word that the Dean spoke. Not to discredit him, he sure did have a charm with words but he caught the wrong motivation on Joe. He wasn't here for noble reasons like the others were, so it didn't quite capture him like it did with the students around him. He honestly was mostly here because he really liked fighting and they had one of the best hand to hand training programs he had ever heard of. Not to mention the thrill that fighting monsters would bring. The fact that it helped humanity was a side advantage that he welcomed with open arms. It's kind of like buying that cool car that you liked that happens to run on electricity. Sure, you think it's good for the environment and all, but it isn't the main reason you bought it. One thing that did punch him in the gut was the description of the Martial and Magi classes. "Those of you who were blessed with the talents of Magic!", he said. What the hell was that suppose to be mean? He blabbered on about the hard work of the Martial classes to become strong. You can see the obvious different in word choice between them. Nonetheless, he'd work hard to prove that he was even more useful than these acclaimed magi classes. Especially with his knockout right hand, a lot stronger than a fireball. Since today nothing special would be done, Joe thought it would be best if he went back to his dorm as quick as possible. Perhaps socialize with a few other people, something that could be beneficial. Either that or he would go to his room and just shadowbox and go to sleep. That was his plan if nobody was available to hang out with. Though he would refuse to chill with Magi. He looked around to see if something interesting would happen once more, determining that it wouldn't he made his way to to the dorms. Walking on a relatively fast pace he would notice that another male was walking the same direction he was. On a similar pace speeding the rest of the people that took a slower walk to observe everything around them. Talking to himself about how he wasn't strong enough. Maybe he was similar to Joe, here mostly to get stronger. "You aren't? Well, how are you planning to get stronger?", Joe asked honestly.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato looked up with a start at the other boy, unaware that he'd been overheard. Bashfully, he rubbed the back of his head with one hand and looked aside. "Oh, uh...Well, I'm a Knight specializing in Japanese swordsmanship." He didn't have his weapon on him at the moment, though. Katana and other eastern weapons weren't exactly uncommon among Knights and other Martial Classes, but most of the other Blade Knights he'd seen preferred heavier European style weapons. "So I was thinking I'd either go to the gym and spar or just practice on my own out on the athletics field or something." He finally looked at the other student and, remembering his manners, held out a hand. "I'm Nishimura Hayato...although, uh, I guess my given name should go first. Hayato. Nice to meet you."</s> <\|message\|>John Harley When the entrance ceremony was over, John wandered around the campus a bit. As for he was concerned he had a pretty good break. Thanks to all the books his parents had gotten him, he easily completed his homework to list at least ten potential Ex-Beasts he wanted to make a contract with, and write five pages detailing the characteristics of each creature and his reasons for choosing it. Of course he picked mostly unknown Ex-Beasts instead of the common ones. He also managed to increase his skills with the Fuse Spell. After he was done with that he mostly lazed around. His mind returned to the present, this year even though he didn't want to hurt any Ex-Beasts if he could, he would have to accept more Special Assignments if he wanted to pass second grade instead of repeating it again. As he wandered around he noticed two Martial Arts students talking with each other. Unlike most Magi he didn't think of the more direct combat related students as fodder. The way he saw it thanks to Fusion Summoners were sort of in between Magi and Martial Artists.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner As the Dean droned on Hazel sat in her chair with a self-satisfied smirk. She always had an odd way of managing to look incredibly cocky no matter what the situation was, and this was one of the times she exercised that power. As far as she was concerned she had every right to be cocky. As the Dean's orientation ended Hazel rose, and found her way to a group of people she knew. Everyone greeted each other, and at first Hazel was excited to see her friends, but as conversation turned to what they had done over break she felt her stomach twist. They talked about their families, and vacations, and all the other things Hazel missed out on. She quietly excused herself, "Hey, I'll catch up later, I'm going to go get my stuff in my dorm." She waved goodbye at the group, and briskly took off. A molten sea of self-doubt began to churn within her. I wonder... I wonder what they think of me. What am I to them? Are these people my friends? Do I really have friends? Hazel stormed down the hallway, and began to realize she wasn't really going anywhere. Of course her dorm was already taken care of, that was just an excuse. She didn't really have anything she needed to move in. She pushed away the negative thoughts, Of course I have friends. I'm the best. Her face twisted back into the smirk she was wearing earlier. She suddenly felt a crushing eagerness for this year. In AcadeMMO she excelled. She was at the top of her classes, both martial and academic. Everything worked here. And then she knew what she would do. This year I will take an S ranked assignment. It's what I deserve. And at that moment Hazel promised to herself she would become the strongest in the school. She thought she wanted to prove to everyone that she was worth something, but the only person she was trying to prove anything to was herself. Hazel didn't break her stride. She continued to storm down the hallway. She came to a stop as she overheard a pair of Martial boys talking. From what she gathered one was a Knight like her. I'll start with him. I'm sure I'm better then him. She wheeled around to face the pair, and butted into the conversation in perfect form. "So, you're trying to get stronger? I've always wanted to fight one of you guys that wave around your fancy Japanese swords. If you want to spar, fight me." She spoke, maintaining her cocky smirk the entire time. She looked the boy over. Hmph, no way he's higher than D. I bet I can kick his ass.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Before the other student he'd met could introduce himself, someone else overheard their conversation. Hayato looked over at the girl who'd offered to spar, his ego prickling a bit as she talked about "fancy Japanese swords" with more than a hint of disdain. "You're pretty forward, huh?" he said. He thought he'd seen her somewhere before...wasn't she fairly popular, one of the "good at everything" kids? He frowned slightly. She probably had the skills to back up her boasts, then. But... "I guess it can't be helped, then." He shrugged, before looking at Joe. "Sorry that we got interrupted, let's talk again sometime." He somehow got a sense of camaraderie from the other boy, like they were similar in some aspect at their core. Then he looked at Hazel, eyes full of determination. "I'm Hayato Nishimura, kendo practitioner of the Red Crown Sword style. I'll accept your challenge." The walk to the gym was a short one, or at least it seemed that way to Hayato, whose shoulders were stiff as he led the haughty girl through the halls; not to guide her, but because he didn't want to give an indication of weakness by following her instead. It was a modern, almost boring sort of building from the outside, a square of white walls with gray and blue accents from hints of steel and the rows of square glass windows. Inside, however, were several floors of training areas and equipment all of the latest and greatest brands. Their destination was the first floor, the Combat Training area. It was a lot like a typical school's gym, with stands on either side and a hardwood floor, but rather than the markings of a basketball court, it was instead divided into four squares each about twenty square feet, roughly the same size as a boxing ring. Hayato stepped to the edge of one of the squares, a sensor in the floor detecting him. A holographic screen flickered into life in front of him. He typed in his name, student ID, all the necessary red tape, and picked one of the sparring options on the glowing, pseudo-tangible touch screen. "I've got it set for wooden spar, if that's alright." He said to Hazel. Two posts rose from opposite corners in the ring. "You'll probably want to tell it what kind of weapon you use, though." He walked over to the furthest post and put his hand on top of it. There was a beep, and the rest of the post rotated under his palm until a section blinked with a green light. A door opened up, revealing a wooden katana propped up inside the chamber. He took it, and assumed a kendo stance facing Hazel, his eyes once more determined. "Whenever you're ready."</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel smiled as he accepted her challenge. This time it wasn't a cocky smirk, but a massive grin. When it came to AcadeMMO her favorite part was fighting. She loved all of it, from the rush of victory, to the experience earned from a loss. But she knew she wouldn't lose to this kid. She nodded at his introduction, "I'm Hazel Hosner, although I don't have a fancy name for the way I fight." This time she showed a different smile, somewhere in-between her cocky smirk and her grin. Instead what was found could be seen as some semblance of an actual smile. Behind the unrelenting facade of arrogance there was what could be likened to a sweet girl. The pair entered the gym and Hayato was quick to set up the sparring match. She also used the touch screen, following a process exactly the same as his. "You know, despite whatever sense you might have gotten from my tone I do actually think the Katana is quite a fascinating weapon. I tried one out once. I can understand why some people admire them so much." She scanned the list of weapons available. She was proficient with a number of different swords and didn't limit herself to one type. Unfortunately she didn't count the Katana among the list of weapons she was a master with. After a few moments of internal deliberation Hazel decided to not pull out one of her more exotic weapons, opting instead for simplicity. She locked in her selection, strode to the post opposite of Hayato and rested her hand upon it. As the capsule opened she retrieved a simple wooden longsword. She shook her head. Despite the weighted core they featured these weapons could never really match up to real steel. "Alright Hayato, prepare yourself." She assumed her fighting stance, and donned her classic cocky smirk again. She took initiative and charged. She moved quickly, and neared meeting Hayato within seconds. She rose her sword with both hands and opened with a simple swipe, moving her body and her weapon downwards and to the left diagonally, already posing for her next attack. She didn't expect much from Hayato but she did expect him to dodge or block this one.</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "I'm glad to hear that." Hayato smiled a little, though his eyes didn't change. He watched as she drew the long sword from the supply, studying how she held it. "Alright Hayato, prepare yourself." She took initiative and charged, nearly meeting Hayato within seconds. She rose her sword with both hands and opened with a simple swipe, downwards and to the left diagonally, already posing for her next attack. She was faster, and with her aim and power he wasn't able to avoid. He turned his shoulder, crossing his sword over it. The edges of the two wooden weapons collided with a loud crack. The impact sent Hayato flying backwards, barely able to regain his feet without being bowled head over heels. His eyes were wide in surprise and his shoulder throbbed painfully; no doubt he'd have a bruise soon. She really was strong! He grimaced; he hadn't been expecting a girl her size to have such strength. But she had raised her blade up high with both hands before attacking, and had followed through that strike with the movement of her body, both of which left big openings. Her defenses were much weaker than her offense, he just had to increase his speed to take advantage of that! To avoid her followup he jumped to the side, but as soon as he landed he held his sword near his hip as if he were drawing it from the sheath. Suddenly its edge sparked with a colored light, black with a hint of blue, and the same energy crackled at Hayato's heels. "Blade Trail!" He shot forward at high speed, as fast as Hazel had before, and his sword lashed out horizontally at her ribs. ---</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga "自慢." Grunted a student near one of the windows on the second story, he gazed out at the aircraft taking into the air and away - shaking his head as it did so. His eyes kept their gaze on the showoff who walked out of it. Ryouta Himonaga placed one hand on his cheek, resting his head against the ledge, the wind gently swept his autumn brown hair as he did so. He had skipped the newcomer's welcome speech. Not that he found it boring or was being purposely delinquent, it just did not make any sense since he was not exactly a newcomer anymore. He and his village had moved to AcadeMMO a year ago when their town was ruined, most of them anyway, and it was much more informal than this. Trying to be responsible He still greeted and helped any new lost souls he met, the premises were much larger than what most of them were used to living in, that much he could tell - and with the whole semester beginning, some were bound to loose their way and stumble about. But no such encounters today. When the new student walked out of his sight, he lost that moment of interest. Taking a deep breath, he turned around and watched the incoming horde of unfaRmiliar faces. While he did not know who they were individually, he could tell them apart by the uniforms they wore. Everyone had or eventually will have a unique way to dress eventually, even if they were the same class there will always be differences in the way they fight - and your uniform will show it, no matter how subtle. The most obvious were of course the ones between Magicians and Martialists, He himself wore a Magi's outfit complete with hood and long sleeves. Two symbols sewn in cloth wrapped around his right arm like a crest of sorts, representing class and speciality. There was in the higher band, an octogon with a cross embedded in it's center. The other, a heptacle that was surrounded in mythic symbols. He was a handsome looking individual with rather refIned features, asian in appearance but with dyed hair and a slightly pale skin. Though his wardrobe made him look slimmer, he was not too lanky and managed to keep his posture straight. A noble looking weapon sat at waist level in a highly decorated cover, it seemed like a sword of oriental origins and had an aura of elegance to it. His eyes wandered fRom face to face, greeting them with a wry smile as they approached, but honestly, it started to feel awkward very quickly. His attention was distracted a neon red glow shortly, to his relief - someone had already begun practicing in the sparring rooms! Taking leave of the window sill, Ryouta briskly and gladly made his way to the arena. Something interesting was about to happen, he could sense it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _Beep!_ Was the sound of the glass door as it opened for a new student. He sauntered to the spectator's seats and found a nice central area where he could see the whole match. There were two students, martialists, they seemed like they were mid-match. He grabbed a packet of rice crackers which he had hidden in his sleeves and began snacking on them as he watched. _Munch, munch ..._</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel smirked as the wooden sword made contact. She could tell he didn't expect the strength of the blow. However, as she began to follow through on her next attack, Hayato's voice boomed. "Blade Trail!" Damn! Insolent bastard! She moved to block the blow, but she didn't move fast enough to stop the Katana. She wheeled around quick enough to disrupt the blade, but didn't stop the attack, and it glanced her side. She started to tumble to the ground, but stopped herself, balancing on one hand. Her side throbbed. She already had her next attack in her head, and decided on a number of ways to follow up. She pushed off the ground and sprung straight up, "Bleed!" She shouted. A red shimmer coated her blade as she raised it over her and brought it crashing down towards Hayato's neck. Typically using a skill like Hemorrhage was frowned upon in live weapons practice, since, after all, having a student bleed out didn't help anyone, but Hazel knew a wooden sword wouldn't apply the bleed effect of Hemorrhage, her attack would just hit harder.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato tried to press the advantage when she stumbled, but his Skill ran out too quickly. Again she attacked; the openings she left with these wide swings weren't as helpful as they could be, because her speed and strength was so great. A true example of sheer power. Hayato managed to get his sword up, one hand on the hilt and the other along the blade, using both arms to push back as Hazel's sword came down on the middle of his weapon. Still she easily overpowered him, and his wooden sword actually cracked; the Skill she'd used had put even more wallop into that one! He was knocked to the ground and rolled, feeling the hard impact with the floor nearly knock the wind out of him. _Is this the power of someone who's been doing Special Assignments? Or...am I just that weak?_ He managed to get up, even though his shoulder was aching now and he was breathing hard. He couldn't give up yet! He charged Hazel head on this time, bringing down his blade. Unlike her his strike was direct, no raising of the arms, just using the bottom hand to pull the handle of the blade while the top hand pushed forward, using leverage and only relying on the strength of the bicep and below. Even with the difference in strength, maybe if he added more power... "Flash Blade!" Again his sword ignited with black and blue energy, even though sweat broke out along his forehead. Not much MP left... ---</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga Ryouta winced and bit down harder on his crackers as he watched the girl go for the boy's neck, he shirked backwards as he imagined the result. "Crazy woman." He commented in perfect english. Surely there was some law against this. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ryouta let out a relieved puff of air when he saw the boy blocking it, there was a loud crack of wood being splintered that echoed the halls. He was thrown to the ground by the impact though. But the boy managed to get up, more eager now it seems, to get back at his opponent. Ryouta slowly resumed his snacking but he shifted closer to the command console that was near the doorway. There was an intercom anyone could use in case of emergencies.</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel laughed as her blow connected. Hayato went down, and she took the opportunity to call out to him. "This is fun Hayato! We'll have to do this again. Maybe I'll make a swordsman of you!" She grinned as he went in for another blow. She could tell now that she had him on the ropes. After his next attack she'll go for the finisher. He charged at her again, this time going for a much more direct attack. She realized they were being watched, and she decided to make a show of it. She braced herself for Hayato's attack and met his sword charge. She held her blade upside down and attempted to swerve the path of his blade away from her. Her efforts were mostly successful, taking a glancing blow to her side. As the blade swerved past she spun around Hayato and found herself at his back. Her sense of showmanship was impeccable, and she knew that a 'final blow' was a real crowd pleaser. Hayato was on the ropes, and she thought she could pull it off. She raised her sword with excessive showmanship, once again opting for a large sweeping blow. "Let's finish this!" She called out, voice booming. Her sword glowed a brilliant blue, and she brought it down on Hayato. The move was a kill move, she knew, but she was very careful not to go for a spot that would kill him. She angled her blade past his head, intending it to come down on his sword arm. She would cause no permanent damage. Hopefully. OOC Note: I described Hazel's final blow in my skills as a move that will kill small weakened creatures, but against Hayato it will probably just make his arm hurt like hell.</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Bye, Rian. See you around!" Hayato waved enthusiastically as the healer left. "She" was pretty cute, he thought, as he turned back to the others. Definitely not as clashing a personality as Hazel...although the other Knight wasn't bad herself. Not wanting to go off on that tangent at the moment, though, Hayato instead turned his attention to someone else who'd come down from the stands. They must have drawn a bit of a crowd, huh? He looked up to see who else was around, and lo and behold there was another girl, one with bright blonde hair. He gave a simple nod of acknowledgement when she noticed him looking at her, then turned to see if there was anyone else in the stands. He noticed someone by the doors, too, probably someone who had stopped by to see if anyone else was in the building. The boy looked to be Japanese, like him, though he had silver hair. And the gun on his hip didn't look standard issue; was he an older student? Lots of opportunities to meet people today, from the looks of it. Now that Hayato thought about it, aside from the two or three people sitting immediately next to him in his classes, he'd never really gotten to know many people at the Academy. And for Special Assignments, he would need to make friends that he could party up with, right? He pondered this for a moment, before shrugging and turning back to Hazel. "I'm gonna go ahead on to the dorms, I'll see you later." he said with a wave, before turning and heading out of the gym, hands in his pockets. As he passed the silver haired boy he nodded at him too, with that look that said "'Sup," in the way guys often did without actually speaking. Then he began the trek across campus towards the boys' dorm, stretching his fully healed shoulders before folding his hands behind his head. This year was gonna be very different, for sure.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley Part of John just wanted to walk onto Combat Training area to have a match himself. But he resisted the urge not just because he lacked an opponent, but also because if he fought at least one Ex-Beast would get hurt needlessly. Instead he left the gym and decided to spend dome time on the final touches of decorating his dorm room. He eventually arrived at the Rank E dorm building, the dorm that the farthest away from the campus's other facilities. Despite the fact that this was John's third year at AcadeMMO he had so far refused to perform any Special Assignments, and as such he not only was still the lowest rank but had to repeat the second year.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "I see. You better not get owned after she disrespected you like that. Show her you're worth. You can tell me all about it later. I'm going to the dorms. I'll see you", Joe said. Taking a few steps forward before he stopped and turned back. Mouthing: "She's like two feet. This shouldn't be hard, right?", smirking before leaving again. He had heard of her before, she was apparently perfect in everything but had an attitude. This would be much more a challenge than Joe made it out to be. He hoped he would be fine, he wanted to get stronger after all. If he got beaten by a two feet little girl that disrespected him it would probable be soulcrushing. Joe knew he would have completely lost his self esteem. He relaxed against the front wall of the dorm, with a map in his hand taking everything in. He purposely choose to not go with the tour so he'd have to learn everything on his own. He worked up a sweat ten minutes ago, enough to have an actual effect but not enough to leave him aching for the training tomorrow. He already sorted out his room, so that wasn't a problem. Looking up, he'd notice that his previous conversation partner came back. His hands in his pockets walking casually. Joe waved to get his attention. "So, how was the fight? What's her fighting style like?", Joe smirked. "Probable defensive wasn't it?"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato found the boy from before, whose name he still hadn't learned, at the dorms. When the other student saw him he called out and asked about the spar. "So, how was the fight? What's her fighting style like?", he smirked. "Probable defensive wasn't it?" Hayato grimaced and rubbed one of his shoulders. "No, actually, she hits like a freaking truck. Her defenses and evasion skills are probably her weakest traits, but she has enough speed and strength to make up for the lack of technique." He sighed. "But she didn't get that way just by training. She's been on a lot of Special Assignments, out there fighting actual Exbeasts while I've just been in a dojo swinging a shinai around. Tomorrow, I'm going to start changing that." Again he held out his hand to shake with the other boy. "Sorry about getting pulled away before. I still never caught your name."</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li Nodding slightly at Hayato, Rian readjusted the bags' position before making his way out of the room. Sighing as the automatic doors hissed shut behind him, he brushed his robes, getting rid of some dust near his legs, before turning about to reorient himself. It took a few moments as he tried to figure out where buildings were in relation to his position, but soon enough he was headed off towards the administration building to get things sorted out. It took a while to sort things out once he got there since, to his surprise, he had been assigned a room in the D-Rank dormitory despite his rank being conditional. There were also minor issues like some of the employees finding him "cute" or it hard to believe he was actually "male". Pausing by a window as he stared at the feminine reflection Rian sighed softly, brushing a lock of hair back into place, before continuing on his way. He'd gotten over the fact that he'd be mistaken for a girl rather shortly after he'd arrived at AcadeMMO. If he hadn't and had instead fussed over it, no doubt the "bullies" would have hounded him over it, amongst other things. As things stood though, for the moment at the least, there was little trouble for him on school grounds. His new dormitory didn't really look too different from the building he'd stayed in last year, and Rian took a moment to explore the exterior rather than head right in. It only took him a few minutes and it let him familiarize himself with the exits and entrances to his new home for the year. Heading in afterwards, he looked around at the lobby-like room that greeted him, taking in the details like the tables with couches seated around and notice boards hanging by one wall. At the moment it was fairly empty, though he waved in greeting to the few that glanced towards him.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe frowned, that sounded similar to his own fighting style. Though he didn't sacrifice his normal defense for it, he did care a little less about his evasion skills, loving to be all in his opponents face and load strikes with his hands, sneaking in a devastating low kick in as his opponent is focused on his hands. He underestimated her simply because of her looks, his mistake. He really seemed shook up, she must have been something else. Especially since he already heard of her before, that must have meant that she was some kind of legend around here. That was definitely interesting, especially since the guy was praising her so highly. "She fought exbeasts? That is so cool.", he couldn't wait to do that. "Well, my name is Joe. I don't remember catching yours either?", he sort of subtly asked. Pushing his for a handshake. "We should train together tomorrow, you can show me some fancy sword tricks I could use to up my hand striking and I could do the same to you in reverse.", he proposed.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Hayato, nice to meet ya Joe." The two shook hands, and Hayato nodded at the suggestion of training. "Sure, that sounds good! Maybe we can party up with some others and go on a Special Assignment. I actually met a cute Cleric girl at the gym after Hazel nearly broke my arms." He chuckled with a slight frown, remembering how that last strike of hers could have ended badly. "With a good Cleric and maybe a Binder, Knights and Strikers are at their best; at least, that's what I remember from my Basic Tactics last year. I think they let up to five people go on missions together, unless there's some extenuating circumstance that requires a person to go it alone or to bring a whole group with them."</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Soon the people around Hazel began to trickle out of the gym, and eventually she found the immediate group around her dispersed. She really hoped that the upperclassman didn't follow through on his decision to report her. It wouldn't have been exactly the first time that someone complained about her going too far in a sparring match. They're just not strong. People like him don't understand what it's like in the real world, outside AcadeMMO. Hazel was more then completely convinced that she was in the right. Hazel began to exit the gym, but a blonde haired girl she didn't know caught her eye. She was in the spectator seats, and Hazel assumed she must have watched her fight. Hazel paid the girl a curt nod as she walked past, exiting the gym. Hazel moved towards the A-Ranked dorms. She entered. The A-Rank dorm, was, as usual, mostly emptied. In a school full of kids it was only natural that the majority held to the bottom side of the rankings. Hazel pondered what an S-Ranked dorm must be like. She wanted to imagine it to be some grandiose marvel of a room. Her thoughts didn't even turn to how it might be lonely, for Hazel was used to being alone. She headed down the hall and headed into her room. It was by and large bare, excluding the bed, and a pair of large trunks lying on it. One trunk included the essentials: Shampoo, conditioner, a large amount of cosmetics, toothbrush, toothpaste, clothing. The other trunk was a molded case that included the _other_ essentials: Her personal collection of swords. She moved the first trunk off its perch onto floor, and opened the second to confirm its contents. She ran down a mental checklist: Raiper, Longsword, and Zweihänder. They were all in their proper places. The weapons were exquisite. Hazel, of course, deserves the best, and with the money she makes from Special Assignments she can get it. She closed the case and set it beside its partner on the ground. She sighed and plopped down onto the bed. She decided to rest, if just for a moment.</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe nodded at his words, he wouldn't know. He hadn't been in that class since this was his first day. So this was wisdom of someone that already heard it. "That sounds cool. We could form a team, recruit a few other people like the classes you just mentioned. We can look for three others.", he proposed. It was good for someone experienced to be at his side. Perhaps they could even recruit that one girl that had beaten him down. They could form a team of three fighters and two supportive, one that healed and the other one that ensured that they could get that hit in, aka the binder.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Right. I'm sure a lot of people will be at the Assignment Board tomorrow after class, we're bound to find some others who'd like to partner up." Hayato said. "Anyway, I better get my stuff sorted out and see if I can get some last minute review in. I didn't do so hot in the academic sector last year, almost got held back. Can't make that mistake again. I'll see ya around, Joe." With a farewell wave to his new friend, Hayato headed into the dorm, too deep in thought to notice anything or anyone else. Professor Gene had told him to focus on his studies and on getting real field experience. Hazel had shown him just what that experience was worth. And given all the attention their match had drawn, maybe he wouldn't have such a hard time finding a group to party up with. All in all, aside from a lesson in utter humiliation from a girl, today had actually been pretty productive. In the professor's office, before, he'd felt like he was being told all his efforts thus far were useless. Maybe they had been. But, maybe, if he had some help, and tried his best...maybe he could catch up. Finding his room on the E Rank floor, right above the lobby, he headed inside and locked the door behind him. A hot shower, unpacking, and some reading in the Intermediate Swordplay book would probably wrap up his night. --- The next day, both students and teachers literally hit the ground running. For most, the first class would be a physical education course designed to not only keep all the classes in decent physical shape (even the Magi needed to stay healthy) but to get their blood pumping and raise their energy levels. With this boost, the bleariness most normal students would have in their morning classes was eliminated, and with their brains now fresh and alert they would move on to various general education courses. After lunch the various Classes would head towards their different training courses, things like swordsmanship, stealth, tactics, magic control, and whatever else they'd secured on their schedules. Afterwards, those who weren't worried about homework (which, with this being the first day, was light) either went off to do their own thing or gathered in the entrance lobby of the main school building, where a large holo-board was displayed with all the publicly available Special Assignments. Hayato was looking for something he thought would be a good challenge for a full 5-person group of E-ranks, and so far he'd picked out three that he liked the sound of: D-Rank: Blighted Woods A research group is attempting to establish a base of operations in Excaledvol in an area of thick forest. Exbeasts in the forest are attacking the researchers. It is vital that we clear the monsters out enough that research can continue, so that in the future we'll have more information about Excaledvol and how to separate our two worlds again. The Exbeasts are E-Rank, but there may be several and they are on home territory. At least two people are recommended for this assignment. Reward: 50 Academy Credits. Bonus: Exbeast materials. D-Rank: Cockatrice Hunt We've recieved a report of a Cockatrice, a D-rank Exbeast, prowling around a local rural community. While it's not a powerful combatant, a Cockatrice has very potent magic venom that causes organic material to petrify. At least three party members are recommended for this quest. Reward: 100 Academy Credits. Bonus: Exbeast materials. D-Rank: Fire Rat Extermination A small harbor town is plagued by Fire Rats, Ex-Beasts with fireproof fut that start small fires to make their nests in and thus can potentially burn down buildings, and has asked Academmo for help dealing with the pyromaniac rodents. Reward: 50 Academy Credits. Bonus: Exbeast materials. ---</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga ### Day 2, First Semester "Mr. Himonaga!" "..yes-" Ryouta stopped playing with his watch, a hologram emitter that served as a personal assistant device amongst other things, such technology could have only been made with the compliments of Magic that manipulated dust in the air. It beeped off and he looked up - only to see his P.E teacher in trekking pants and a windbreaker, staring at him with a displeased look on her face. "-Madame?" "Why aren't you in running attire!?" She asked loudly, a large portion of his class turned to look at them. "Asthma." "Again?" She asked, suspcicious of him. "If you have asthma YOU should be running more!" Ryouta would argue that logic otherwise but he just nodded along, drowning her words out with his own thoughts, she did not seem in the mood foR a biology lesson. "...Go to the nurse's offIce and get me a--!" "Here." Ryouta whipped out a slip of paper quicker than she could finish, he handed it over to her with both hands fRom which she snatched and read. Her irritated expression bore down on him after she read it but as usual, she could not do anything about it and walked away. "Thnk you for you hard work." Ryouta whispered cheekily (as is the custom of Japanese to say after someone provides a service) when she walked out of earshot, he enjoyed these little triumphs every now and then. Excercising at dawn made no sense to him, a cup of strong tea already kept him awake, being all sweaty and exhausted would not make him anymore alert. Like would having hot, spicy food cool you down? No. But there are many others who thinks it would. Sometimes the warped view of things these people had really made no sense to him. Speaking of odd people. In the distance he spied three of his classmates, three girls who were according to their scores, rather skillful adepts. And they were looking straight at him. Curious as to what they wanted, he raised a hand and waved at them. But immediately they turned around and ran as quickly as they could in the other direction, in a series of squeals - leaving him bewildred and frankly, kind of disturbed. It must be the stress around here....... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The noon sessions are over. Ryouta stretched out his hands and bent his fingers outwards, it was an early dismissal from Folk Lore, one of his favourite classes. It was a class particularly popular with Summoners, as they get to learn about exotic and potentially undocumented exbeasts. There was even a catching trend among them to see who could make a contract with one of the rarer creatures, kind of like an old game kids used to play, it promoted a rather friendly yet competitive comraderie among these peculiar Magi. He sometimes envied them. Looking at the timetable, it was time to select a mission. Ryouta grabbed his bag and sauntered down to the area where the available tasks were displayed, the place was bustling with people and already he could tell the cliques that were forming. Everyone wanted a balanced party with all the roles covered, to be with close friends or to simply pair up with the most reknowned students foR fame and whatnot. Most seniors already had groups they were used to too .....except for him. He had different criterias. Tapping his watch again, the screen lit up with a list of somesorts. There were ticks and crosses that marked each sentence. He perused the stands while often referring back to it, as if looking for something specifically. He felt a few pairs of eyes watching him but it was usual, everyone who has not found a group yet were probably considered carefully by those who already have and needed one more. It was still no less awkward though. He hurried ahead to the D-Rank boards after noting down several A/B/C-Rank missions and politely refusing a few offers. "Ah. There we go." Ryouta mused to himself when he saw the word 'cockatrice' appear in one of the listings, taking down it's serial number and location quickly. It was then when he saw a farmiliar face. Weaving past a couple, he came up behind his victim. "Hehey, how's your shoulder doing?" He slapped a hand on said shoulder of the freshmen he met yesterday.</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel awoke, fresh and ready for her first _real_ day of school. Yesterday was exciting, but there really was nothing like the feeling of excelling at something. At least that was the case for Hazel. She woke up early, picked a nice outfit, showered, put her makeup on, and was off in a flash. Breakfast for Hazel was a quick affair: Junk food from one of AcadeMMO's many vending machines eaten on the way to her first class. She was lucky that she exercised so much because Hazel frankly ate like crap. The day started, as expected, with PE. Hazel was, naturally, over-competitive with everything and went hard with whatever activity was given. After that she found herself in her academic classes. When it came to these classes she was focused and didn't miss a thing. Afterwards she spent a quick lunch period her friends, and the day morphed into Martial classes. Hazel was, of course, in an advanced swordsmanship class. Most people outright refused to spar with her, but it was hard to fault them for it. Hazel didn't see it that way, however, and they were cowards as far as she was concerned. So she found herself practicing against dummies for most of the period. She knew her defense was sloppy, but it was hard to practice that against practice targets. The rest of her Martial classes passed by quickly, and she found herself in a few short hours approaching the Special Assignments board. She suddenly remembered her promise to Hayato. She did say that she would go on a Assignment with him, but realized she left him with no way to contact her. Hazel stared at the the A-Ranked boards, but she soon noticed Hayato at the D-Ranked section. _Speak of the devil... I guess I have to follow through on what I said._ She sighed, and started approaching. That was, until she spied the uptight Magi from yesterday. Approaching Hayato. Hazel stopped. _No damn way. I told the guy I'd help him but..._ She sighed once again, and resumed her approach. Hazel didn't believe in going back on her word. She moved past the upperclassman and parked herself on the far side of Hayato. She didn't bother greeting him, and didn't bother to let him return the senior's greeting. "I told you I'd go on a mission with you, so if you want to now is your chance."</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe's breath halted, he had never heard of this summoner class before. That wasn't surprising, the only classes he really knew were the martial classes. He did have some limited information about Magi's, like clerks but that was really it. Oh well, it was just a Magi class. He was bound to work with them anyway. Yet, he still felt this strong urge to bounce. Maybe he was alright, though if he made one mistake Joe would leave, he would at least attempt to befriend the guy. "Lets do the Cockatrice Hunt. I'd like to fight it. Besides, it has the most rewards. So that's pretty cool.", it seemed like it was the strongest of them all, and that was Joe's goal. Fight, get stronger and fight stronger people. This would also be a good way of gauging the strength levels of the exbeasts per rank. It was advised to have three people so it would be best if they sought for someone else. "So, lets search for someone else around here.", Joe proposed. "I'm a striker. I have no hatred for Exbeasts, they did me nothing wrong so that should be fine." "Now, lets go look for someone else to join this club"</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner _Japanese? He's talking shit about me. He's definitely talking shit._ Hazel let out a huff. _How dare he. I'm over here, trying to help out someone weaker, and this asshole is talking has the gall to talk about me in front of me, using words I can't understand._ The fact that Ryouta might be saying something else didn't even cross Hazel's mind. Hazel got into the face of the upperclassman. "Listen here... you... jerk! If you have something to say about me, say it to my face!" Hazel, at this point, was fuming, hands balled up into fists at her side. _Where the hell does this guy get off acting superior to me? Hmph!_</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga "It IS to your face. You little peepsqueak!" Ryouta let go of Hayato's shoulder and turned to look down on her. Now everyone could see how volatile she was, what kind of drugs did she eat for breakfast!? Or was she overcompensating for her short stature? He looked at the way her fists balled up, any sign of aggressive movement and he would react to it. That'll be a chance to teach her about how much 'protection' Mages needed. Gosh. He could not believe they let someone like her into the academy! Like yesterday's attempt at manslaughter isn't enough, now she's out for more blood!</s> <\|message\|>John Harley John was surprised that the Striker had no problems with Ex-Beasts, a lot of students Summoners included, seemed to at the very least dislike them."Oh yeah before I forget my name is John, what should I call you?" To be honest he also wanted to ask what weapon he used, but he didn't want to make it oblivious he had no idea what a Striker was, so he kept quiet about it. Instead he focused on finding someone to be the last member of their party. _"A Cleric might be useful or maybe a Binder." _ Even though he had two Classes he preferred, it still wasn't easy to find a single person in this mass of people.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner "I'm getting real tired of you!" Hazel shouted, as she cocked back her fist. If Hazel was good at anything, it was picking fights with people larger then her. Upperclassman? Male? She cared not. Hazel sent a punch flying directly towards Ryouta's face.</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga Ryouta saw the fist coming, he knew she would try something like this! He leaned back then swayed to the side, letting her fist pass inches away from his jaw before spinning around on his heel to face her again. He was suprisingly quick on his feet for most people's expectations of a Magi. Most thought they were slow and pampered, dragged down by their frilly clothes and prissy attitudes. "What are you trying to do with those puny arms, shortstuff?" He goaded, wagging his finger at her in a "Nu-uh" manner.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka had asked four people total if they were interested in going on a mission with him, and so far everyone had declined. _Jeez this sucks. Can't a guy catch a break around here?_ Sighing. _Forget it. I'll do some missions in a couple of weeks when I've met some more people._ Having given up, the red-brown haired Soka decided to go outside. He was moving through the lobby toward the main entrance, when he saw two males (Joe and John). _Just two? Maybe they have room for one more?_ But he was out of energy from asking the others from before. About fo leave, he looked into the crowd and happened to see a red haired girl throw a punch at someone. Soka blinked and walked in that direction, definitely not getting close to any action that may take place, but to a place where he could watch.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Nah, she's just sort of what they'd call tsundere," began Hayato as the magi spoke to him in their shared language. Hazel wasn't having any of it though, and drew back her fist after another moment of taunting. With a shout she tried to punch the mage; Hayato started to move to stop them, beginning with, "Whoa, Hazel, wait--" But the mage barely dodged the punch, spinning out of the way, just in time for Hayato to catch it. With his face. "--HIDEBU!" Puny arms or not, Hazel was full of feminine indignation at the moment, thus her punch sent Hayato flying head over heels, bouncing comically along the ground until he finally landed head first, and slowly collapsed into a face down, ass up position. As he slowly lifted his aching head, exposing a black eye and swollen lip, a hissing trail of smoke curled into the air from the bright red imprint of a fist. "Hayshel, maybe yew should come wiff me, and da udda guy go...wiff dem.." he managed, before fully collapsing.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis His eyes got distracted by the big group again, this time a fight was erupting. The same midget girl that dared to challenge Hayato and beat him, the legendary stereotypical popular girl herself seemed to be in a verbal confrontation with this other guy that he hadn't seen before. She was aggressively attacking him verbally and he responded similar, though a little bit more on the defensive. She looked like she wanted to hit him and he looked like he was preparing to defend against it. That would be a dead game, he heard from Hayato that her offense was dangerous but her defense. If he really wanted to win he had to strike first and strike decisively. Though he never saw this guy before. Perhaps he was a high rank too. He definitely seemed older so it was probable true. That would mean that this would be a fight between two high ranked people. Joe's blood started boiling, a smile cracking on his face from just watching the situation. He took a few steps forward to get in close proximity of it all, noticing Hayato in the corner of his eye he gave no attention to him. Watching the situation and thinking about how to escalate it. That one popular girl threw the first strike, as he had predicted but the other guy was fast, faster than Joe. He was barely able to dodge that punch, seems like their speeds were kind of similar. Hayato got caught up it in all and caught a clean one in the face. Giving him a rough beating making him look like your average domestic violence victim. "Geez, you really did get your ass kicked. Didn't you? I'll count this as the second time. That means you got your ass kicked by a three foot girl twice.", Joe laughed at the situation. "Now I get why you want to be stronger", he teased. "That was for betraying me for the popular girl. I thought we were going to team up bro. What happened?" He looked around to see if he could recognize a cleric or a binder "Also, is there a cleric or a binder around this level? I heard I do good with them", he winked at Hayato because he had gotten that information from him.</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga Tsundere indeed! He visibly cringed with each thud as Hayato bounced along the ground, there were more than several onlookers now. Some of the students stared agape in horror at the scene after they narrowly avoided the human projectile, "Look what you did! Mini-me!" Ryouta exclaimed. He did not expect HIM, of all people, to come in between them. _Hayshel, maybe yew should come wiff me, and da udda guy go...wiff dem.._ Da udda guy? Maybe he meant Ryouta. "I told you she was crazy man!" He rushed over to check on Hayato, at least the guy was still breathing. "Is there a Cleric around here!?" He kept his eye on 'Hayshel', now he knew her name. He would remember it. Oh yes, he would remember it.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka burst into laughter, seeing one guy get knocked across the room. "Wow HAHAHAHA he got whopped that bad by a single punch," Soka laughed. "Ah, that cheered me up." He was going to walk over to the guy that got hit to see if he was okay, but someone else walked over to him so he would probably be fine.</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga (Accidental post)</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Ryouta dodging her punch only made Hazel angrier, and at first it didn't even register that her fist still connected with something. It wasn't until Hayato tried to speak that she noticed. She sighed with frustration, and only came up with one word for him. "Idiot." She noticed the crowd that had gathered. She still really wanted to hit the pompous Magi, but she knew it wasn't worth getting into trouble over. But she still _really_ wanted to hit _something_. She shot him one last dirty look as he walked to Hayato. She followed, standing over the boy who she had accidentally injured. "You better get up or the next time I hit you it's going to be on purpose, you idiot." She already regretted offering him the option to go on an Assignment with him, but she was too deep now.</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Winnifred listened to the sprite's instructions as the group arrived at their destination. She tucked some hair behind her ear and double checked that her revolver was loaded, ready to fire whenever she spotted her target. She looked around the town and studied her surroundings, keeping her eyes open for the sign of anything amiss. The sound of a sudden car horn startled her and she flinched slightly, whipping around to see the car before regaining her composure a second later. "South of town... Corn fields south of town, got it." she mumbled to herself after listening to driver of the car. Winnifred looked back at her allies and gave a brief nod, saying, "Well, sounds to me like we know where to look first, eh? With any luck, we'll have this thing taken care of in record time." She started walking in the direction that the driver had indicated, trying to spot the corn fields.</s> <\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Taeion nodded slowly towards the dockworker. His task was fairly straightforward: Go to the burned warehouse, and search for footprints. The sooner he did so, the sooner he would be able to find ExBeasts. He stood up and stretched, despite the fact that he had not even been sitting for longer than 3 minutes. It wasn't worth questioning anyway. He began to make his way in the direction of the warehouse, without uttering so much as a single word. When Taeion had reached the burned warehouse, it became clear that these rats posed a serious problem, had the charred walls and feint smoke not already signified this. As he approached the entrance, witnessed debris fall from the ceiling. Pausing for a moment, he decided that it would make more sense for him to travel around the perimeter of the warehouse to look for footprints, rather than going into the warehouse to do so. With that decided, he began to walk around to the back of the warehouse in search of footprints. Hopefully he would be able to locate them soon - he didn't want to have to call the Academy by being too slow.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner The creature rose again, and Hazel's frustration became visible. Damn thing, just die already! It launched another wave of needles, which Hazel once again dived out of the way of. She tumbled, rolling and then coming to her feet in one motion. "This time I'll kill you!" She shouted, raising her sword. She mounted what she had now determined to make her final charge. I don't even need my finisher to take out this pipsqueak! She raised her sword above her head and slashed downwards, this time intending to cut the creature lengthwise.</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga It was hard understanding the farmer, he guessed, at first. He spoke in an accent that was rather misleading, but it seems Winnifred understood the stranger likely because she was caucasian herself. He nodded along affIRming that they got the message. One perk of being a student at the academy was that travelling around the world was part of the curriculum, without the cost and the long lines. Of course, you had to risk your life but Ryouta liked looking at the silver linings of lousy situations. With that thought he started appreciating the atmosphere, the simplicity of things here - he had seen the place somewhere before, that statue particularly, but it did not come to mind where. Then as they headed to the direction they were given, he had almost forgotten something. Turning around, he reached foR the sprite and gently plucked it mid-air to keep it in the small pouch on his right leg. There would be no going home without it.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Blighted WoodsJoe vs Twig Blight A&BAs Joe threw Twig Blight A into the path of the Needle Blight attacking Hazel, he not only helped her dodge it but did some more damage to the enemy. The Twig Blight squealed as its comrade accidentally pelted it with needles. [Twig Blight A's HP is low!] Though he took a bit of damage himself, intentionally getting the monster's claws stuck in his clothing and flesh, Joe managed to wrap the creature in a bear hug. As he attempted to squeeze the life out of it, its body crackled and popped. However, it didn't seem like he was quite strong enough to just utterly crush it. His secondary plan of striking with his knees while clenched, however, did a similar number as his low kicks had on the other Twig Blight; the woody creature's legs began to give way under repeated strikes as it squirmed and dug in its claws wherever it could, trying to get away... Soka and Hayato vs Vine Blight A&B and Needle BlightSoka's attacks on Vine Blight A were vicious, and the metal edges bit into its form as easily as Hayato's sword had before. It screeched as its lower body was nearly severed from its torso, and it quickly began to sprout new vines to replace the old ones. As Soka turned to attack the Needle Blight, the Vine Blight lashed out at him with its upper limbs. Vine Blight B did the same; while Soka was entangled, his ability to move was severely reduced. [Vine Blight A's HP is half-gone!] The Needle Blight, meanwhile, was able to leap out of the way of the cutting whirlwind, avoiding it with a woody cackle. Then it noticed Hayato bearing down on it with a fury. "Blade Trail!" A blue line tinged with black slashed across the Blight's remaining leg as Hayato dashed past it, again severing the limb. Without any means of locomotion, the creature dropped to the ground with a squeal. [Needle Blight's Speed reduced to 0! As a result its Evasion is halved!] John vs Needle Blight and Twig BlightThe Needle Blight was again struck by the Cactus Cat's tail, knocking it off balance, but it managed to raise both arms, pointing its claws at the Cactus Cat. It let loose a hail of glowing needles at the animal with a crackling near its mouth that could have been a smirk. [Needle Blight used Needle Spray! Its HP is 1/4th gone!] John managed to grapple the Twig Blight and stop its attacks, and just like its brethren had against Joe, it found itself somewhat helpless. However, the Summoner wasn't as strong as Joe was, and sooner or later the Twig Blight would probably manage to break free... Hazel vs Needle BlightWith the bit of unexpected help from Joe, Hazel was unharmed by the Needle Blight's attack. It, however, was not so lucky. This time her strike was true, with nothing in its way, and the Needle Blight squealed one last time as the blade cleaved through its head and deep into its body, splitting it open all the way down to where a human's pelvic bone would be. If it had possessed any innards, they would have made quite the mess, falling out of an opened up ribcage. The branches that made up the creature's body gave a shudder, and a soft green glow seemed to dissipate from them. Then the Blight fell, dry and lifeless, to the forest floor. [Enemy defeated! Hazel's free to help comrades or engage another Exbeast!] Fire Rat ExterminationTaeion's investigation of the burned warehouse soon turned up results; along one side, near a dumpster with a corner of its base melted and burned away, were the remains of what looked like a campfire. More than likely, this was a Fire Rat's nest at some point. There was a hole burned into the warehouse here as well, and from the look of some smeared, sooty paw prints, a large group of the creatures had been here at one point. Further sprinkles of black ash and a few sear marks continued on across the docks, even at one point melting through a tall chainlink fence that separated the rest of the area from the shipyard, where numerous workers and machines were putting together a huge metal ship with a great deal of noise. At the back of the shipyard were several crates that had once been used to hold or deliver parts for the ships, several of them wooden and many of them now filled with trash. Taeion could already smell something burning...but, anyone who's ever had a mouse in their house knows that rodents are cowardly little critters, fast, and good at finding new hiding spots. How could he lure them out, or otherwise attack without scattering them across the docks...?</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel's strike was true, and the creature fell. "First blood for me, of course!" She bragged to the rest of the group, still engaged in combat. She quickly assessed the various fights around her, but opted instead to go after the Joe threw in front of her. "Thanks for giving me another!" She called to the striker. This one was still on the ground recovering from the unfortunate case of ExBeast friendly fire that occurred. She was quick to prevent it from rising, digging her boot into its chest. She raised her sword, bringing it down to hack at the twig-creatures neck in an attempt to disenfranchise its head from its body.</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>John Harley Now that it seemed that he misjudged the situation and used Fusion without reason John decided to be more careful when it came to using that spell. "I'll stay in this form for as long as possible, preferably until we're all back at Academmo" Though since for now it seemed that combat was over, he focused on finding usable material among the Blight's bodies to ensure that their deaths weren't futile. While he was searching he heard the tow knights talk." Yeah I agree with the female Knight, also don't forget this was our first mission together. Now to change the subject do you guys think the Magical Research Society might be interested in studying these bodies?" The reason he asked was because he hoped the researcher might figure out a non-lethal way of dealing with these species of Ex-Beasts. Level - 1 > 2 HP - 50 (5 points)> 70 ( 7 points ) at the moment 61 left MP - 30 (3 points) > 40 ( 4 points) currently 20 left Attack - 10 > 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13</s> <\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro "..." Taeion took a few moments to assess the gravity of the situation. The rats had managed to create a large fire in such a short space of time. He blinked once, and looked to the right. Some nearby crates were burning - they were likely full of rubbish like the other crates Taeion had seen. He blinked slowly again, and looked to the left. The dockworkers were desperate to reach water as fast as possible. Perhaps he should have brought a Water Adept along on the Assignment, or something of the sort. It was too late to do that now though. He slowly turned to a nearby dockworker who had luckily managed to avoid the flames. After a few seconds of staring at him in silence, Taeion spoke. "This looks... pretty bad... doesn't it?" The dockworker looked at him, puzzled. Taeion did not wait for an answer, and continued on. "Could you, uh... find a hose?" His nonchalant attitude towards the ordeal served to confuse the dockworker even more. But Taeion once again did not wait for any form of response. Instead, he turned around to face the flaming creatures which were causing the problem, and rushed towards them. He did not want to attempt to use the Deft skill, as there was a high risk of him dashing into the fire. He also believed that he was low on mana, and would eventually run out of it if he continued to use that skill. Taeion thrust forward with the blade when he felt he was close enough without being too near to the oil flames, aiming to kill the first rat which had slipped in the oil.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka saw that the enemies around them were finally downed. "Well I'm sure glad that's over," he said, walking toward the others. He agreed that they could use a better teamwork formation. Soka was almost sure that there were more Exbeasts that would attack this same area again, but for the time being the area seemed clear. He wanted to scout the rest of the area to see if there was anything else nearby, but decided to be quiet and let those with more experience decide. Briefly, he wondered how the other students were doing with the other D-Rank missions. "Thanks again for helping me, Hayato. And good fighting, everyone." Level - 1 -> 2 HP - 140 MP - 120 Attack - 8 Magic - 15 Speed - 12 > 19 Accuracy - 7 Defense - 7 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 8</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis They finished the fight and Joe couldn't help but smile. This was definitely enjoyable. He might have been disadvantaged, the only one not using it's weakness but he still had fun. This only verified it for him, it was what he wanted to do. "I have no idea what you're talking about, my teamwork was great.", he gave a look towards Hazel and the summon guy, He remembered doing just fine with them, superb teamwork even. "I would like to continue but I got shook up a little while attacking, most of my opponents have been fast. So going back might be a wise decision." Level - 1 > 2 HP - 100 MP - 40 Attack - 20 > 25 Magic - 5 Speed - 15 Accuracy - 15 Defense - 11 > 13 Evasion - 15 Resistance - 5</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Blighted Woods With everyone in agreement to go back, the party made their way through the woods the way they had come. Soon the research station was in sight again, and as they approached another scientist noticed them and ran over. "You're back! Our equipment's not picking up any more Exbeasts, so great job!" he said, before pointing them towards a central bunker building. "Our telepad is in there; I'll go ahead and operate the Restoration function too!" He pulled a tablet from his coat pocket and began typing away, but before they headed towards the bunker Hayato raised a hand. "I have a question, sir. What exactly is this station researching?" "Ah!" said the scientist, excited that they had taken an interest. "Well, as you probably know Excaledvol hasn't been explored very much yet. But for the most part, the plants and water and overall geology are very similar, almost identical in some aspects, to Earth's! We're here to take samples of said geology and biology too, and study them. We've actually made some very interesting findings about some of the species here already." "I see..." Hayato said. "But I don't suppose you see a lot of people, then? You haven't seen any AcadeMMO students besides us?" "Not recently, no." said the scientist. Hayato's face suddenly perked up. "We do send the school requests for assistance every once in a while. But you're the first since the new semester only started yesterday, of course." "Have...have you seen someone who looks a bit like me, except with a scar across his nose and a different hair style?" Hayato asked excitedly, leaning forward so that the scientist could see his features. The man raised an eyebrow, but looked at him closely for a moment with a hum of concentration. "Mmm...No, I'm sorry. I can't say I have." Hayato was crestfallen. "Ah...oh well, then. Thanks anyway. And let us know again if you need more help." When the group stepped back onto the telepad, this time the magic runes and lights glowed green for a moment. Their HP and MP was restored in a flash, the healing magic spreading through them like warmth from a fireplace. Then, once the coordinates for the school were set, they disappeared. The scientist waved farewell, then went back to his studies. Out in the woods, a boot crunched down on the remains of a Twig Blight, the hem of a cloak billowing around it. "So this confirms it." said one voice, a male. "They're trying to use our own power against us. If we want those busybodies gone, we'll have to bring out something that kids like that can't handle." Another voice responded from a small, purple sphere that floated in the air near the hooded figure. It was somewhat similar to the Sprites used by AcadeMMO, and its voice had the same mechanical twinge, though it was obviously female. "Those children were inexperienced. No doubt they have stronger heroes available to them." "True..." The hooded figure looked around at the remains of the Blights. "I suppose I'll have to do some thinking on this one..." With that, the figure turned and began to walk away, soon disappearing into the depths of the forest... Fire Rat Extermination The Fire Rat Taeion attacked only barely managed to leap out of the way, sliding when it landed on all fours in the oil. The other two, however, took aim and unleashed a dual Fireball spell at him. The oil all around instantly began to ignite, only adding to the growing power of the conflagration magic as the two projectiles rushed towards Taeion. The dockworkers around him ran and dove for cover, the idea of a hose completely forgotten. The fire continued to spread over the docks, and the oil continued to ooze from now melting containers...if it got into the water, not only would the fire spread further, but it would be a major eco-hazard...</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka listened quietly while Hayato and the scientist talked for a few minutes. In the meantime, he looked around at the trees, plants and the nearby surrounding. He was still in awe of this new world and had so many questions. When it was time to go back to the Academy, he nodded to the others as they went to the telepad. When no one was looking, he picked up a small tree branch that was on the ground. He placed the twig in his pocket and walked toward the telepad. It had been an exciting first mission and he had learned a lot. Now he needed to focus on increasing his battle skills and maybe gaining a few allies. While the telepad glowed with green energy, a look of determination and resolve focused on Soka's face. He thought about his goals for the rest of the week.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka smiled as the boy dropped down to the ground. He couldnt possibly steal anything from them now since he was bound. Haruka would have given the reward to the others anyway. It wasn't really needed for her to get something great out of it aslong as she got to train her skills some more. She called the command "Hide" and slowly went over to the beast its leg to cut it horizontal. She took a big jump back smoothly going over in two handstands before getting a good distance betweeN her and the bird.</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel took note that she was called the 'Female Knight' by the summoner. They didn't all know each others name. Not exactly conducive to good teamwork. She would bring up the issue of putting names to faces in a few minutes, but for now the group returned to the laboratory they were protecting. Hazel wasn't particularly attempting to eavesdrop on the conversation between Hayato and the scientist, but the D-Rank wasn't exactly being discreet about the matter that seemed to be personal. He's looking for someone. Family maybe? They're supposed to look like him, after all. Hazel wasn't at all opposed to prying into the boy's personal business, and planned to ask when they returned to the Academy. As they made their return to AcadeMMO Hazel announced aloud to no one particular, "My name is Hazel, by the way."</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato "So basically you just think everyone needs more experience." Hayato said, finishing his meal. He was a quick eater, as it gave him more time to do other things with. "I'm in that bucket too, though. Professor Gene was telling me the same thing earlier today." He leaned back in his chair and put both hands behind his head. "Fighting Exbeasts was definitely way different from a sparring session. If I had been on that quest alone...I'd be dead. No questions asked. Those Blight creatures were weak, but with their numbers and their different abilities--trapping movement, attacking from range and from up close--they were really dangerous. And they're only D Rank! I can't imagine how screwed I'd be against something you're used to fighting." He sighed and shook his head. "Anyway, if it's alright with you, I'll definitely be calling you in the future. I think having an A rank around to learn from would be a big help." Then, suddenly joking again, he smiled and gave Hazel a wink. "Plus it'll make other people think we're dating, which will raise my reputation through the roof."</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka was eating his food, when he noticed a girl sit down near him. He looked at her for some moments, before nodding. "Sure, go ahead. I'm Soka, who are you?" Soon after, someone else sat at the table as well. Someone WITH AN ENTIRE PIZZA! "Whoa, how much did that cost!" he said aloud, without even thinking about it.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel nodded in agreement as Hayato spoke of his own inexperience. "Of course, you're also pretty green. And things don't get much easier as you climb the ranks, so just keep doing assignments and practicing. I'm sure you'll get there eventually," She paused for a moment, and decided to give him a little bit of encouragement, "That being said, I am comparing you to the people I usually fight with, I'd say you might be a little better than most E-Ranks I see." However she didn't quite agree with what he said next. "Plus it'll make other people think we're dating, which will raise my reputation through the roof." This guy really is a moron, isn't he? Hazel thought to herself. She rose her fist, but lowered it with a sigh. At first it appeared there would be no physical retaliation, but Hazel had observed that Hayato was leaning back in his chair. She drove her foot into the chair, knocking him off balance, hoping it would make him fall on his ass.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley "Yes I am, in fact I 'm here to give you guys some pointers. Oh yeah, before I forget, you can call me John." He quickly introduced himself. With that out of the way, he turned to the the student currently inside the transparent cube. "Remember, when the Sylphid appears don't show fear, but don't make the mistake of thinking it will automatically listen to you either. And if necessary give the order to drop the barrier, so I can deal with it." John then faced the other students again."The second the barrier drops get to safety. Preferably somewhere where you can see how I handle things, but that shouldn't be your main concern." credits:50 Enchanted Wood x1 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro "Whoa, how much did that cost!" Taeion looked up from his meal to see another student. Had he been sitting here all this time? Taeion hadn't noticed. The boy was asking about the price of the pizza which the Indolent Ninja had. Taeion stopped eating for a moment to answer. "...20 AC." Upon answering, he also noticed another person at the table. Taeion was sitting opposite to a female student. He blinked once, turned to the boy and spoke again. "Am I...interrupting something...?" Taeion asked, interlocking the fingers of both of his hands as he said this, trying to suggest that the two students were in some kind of relationship.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe spend some time just literally standing still and observing the ground around him. Before he moved he would try to figure out a certain pattern, maybe a characteristic that more uneven, unbalanced ground that would use gravity to send him tumbling potentially would share. First thing he would do was lower down and grab what was in arm reach without moving a step. After he done that, he would take a slow step, without much weight added on it yet, to the direction that had the most ground. God this was so boring to him. He grabbed every mana herb in arm reach, there were so many. He thought they would be much more rare.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato "D'oh!" Hayato rolled backwards as his chair clattered to the floor, over his shoulder and coming up on one knee, specifically his left, with his right foot on the ground as if ready to rise. Instinctively he had grabbed his sword and brought it with him during the fall; his position now was just like that of the classic Japanese sword drawing stance from a crouch. Of course, he'd fallen into it out of habit, not because he meant to attack anyone. For that to be an instinctive reaction, however, was evidence of just how often he'd been training. "Alright, alright, enough with the jokes I guess." he said, standing up and dusting himself off. He smiled and gave Hazel a small wave. "Anyway, I'll be heading out now I guess. Just make sure you pay me back before the end of the week, okay? See ya around." John The student preparing to make the summons looked at John nervously, nodding and hanging on to every word he said. "What should I do when it appears, though? Is there anything specific I should say or do to...to prove my worth, I guess? I mean, do you have to prove your dominance over the summon or something?" Joe in Excaledvol Joe soon had more than enough that if he wanted to head back to the school, he would have a decent addition to his credits. The mission had warned that staying too long might lure Exbeasts...but then, Joe didn't really seem worried about that. Behind him on the clifftop there were a few woody areas where trees managed to cling to the sides of the craggy rocks or find purchase in the loamy soil beneath the thick cushion of vegetation. And somewhere in those trees, something rustled...</s> <\|message\|>John Harley John really didn't want to make the kid that nervous, but he had to be aware of the risk."That is a good question, too bad the answer is that it depends on the EXBeast.Some you can basically bribe, others you do have to prove your worth too, but there are also ExBeasts that consider a human trying to fight them a joke. So there is no way to know in advance." He purposely didn't remind the student that some ExBeasts, including summonable ones, hated humans in general though even the hostile ones could sometimes be reasoned with. credits:50 Enchanted Wood x1 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>Abigael Quint Abigael stared at the kid with the large pizza as he walked by. More specifically, he stared the pizza. Well crap. Now I want some of that. When he overheard the cost of the order, he looked back towards the cafeteria, ordering the same item. As soon as the order arrived, he grabbed the large pizza and seated himself down at an empty table. He didn't know anyone, nor was he in the mood to meet people at this time. Stuffing my face while talking to someone doesn't exactly leave a good impression anyway. He thought to himself, meanwhile grabbing a slice and munching happily away.</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel smirked. Oddly enough it seemed that the rest of the cafeteria payed little mind to Hayato's 'accident'. She supposed that they couldn't be blamed. At an academy designed to train young kids into warriors small scraps happened all the time. Hazel almost laughed when Hayato's sword turned on her, as he recovered in an admittedly graceful way. She knew there was no malicious intent in him, and he only pulled it out through instinct, but that didn't stop her from scolding him. "Only turn that thing on me if you intend on trying to skewer me, Hayato." She nodded as he reminded her of her promised payment. "Yeah, sure, sure, I'll pay you back." Hazel didn't intend to pay him back. "Well, I guess I'm heading out too. See ya." She rose from her chair and turned her back against Hayato, leaving quickly. As she set out from the dining hall a distinct feeling of wrongness settled over her. Why do you want to be the best? Hayato's question echoed back and forth through her head. She couldn't help but wonder. She knew only what she told Hayato, but she also knew that those words weren't right. A feeling of helplessness colored the maelstrom that swirled about in her head. And soon the helplessness was joined by its everlasting companions, doubt and sadness. She picked a slow and ponderous path back to the A-Level dorms. She felt that tonight would be a lonely and bleak night.</s>
<\|description\|>Hazel Hosner Age: 16 Gender: Female Themesong: The Valedictory Elegy / Hedgehog's Dilemma / Cold Rain Class: Bladeknight Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful,and is deceptively strong despite her petite appearance. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room, appearing as if she is the definition of 'confidence', whether or not this is true. History: Hazel never really knew her parents, and has never experienced a conventional domestic lifestyle. At a very young age Hazel found herself abandoned into the foster care system, her birth parents unable and unwilling to support the child they refused to get rid of. Hazel bounced around foster homes, but never had good experiences in any of them. She lacked any sort of parental guidance, never able to call any of her foster parents 'mom' or 'dad'. As expected from one raised in such a difficult environment Hazel became a 'problem child'. The apathy of her foster parents turned to resentment, and Hazel's difficult home life turned worse as they began to hate her. Hazel, despite being a seemingly normal girl, had trouble making friends at her school, and she became aggressively anti-social during this time. People began to shut her out, and she found herself without any sense of self-worth, believing herself to be useless. As time progressed this shot sense of self-worth morphed into a very aggressive ego, forcibly asserting herself as 'better' then those around her to compensate. AS she made the transition from Middle to High School it was revealed to her that her current foster parents decided to get rid of her, enrolling her in AcadeMMO. As she made the transition into AcadeMMO she thrived. She took quickly to her lessons, and naturally picked up the art of swordplay. Some would call her a prodigy, and this only served to feed into her growing ego. Other people began to take an interest in her, and suddenly she found herself near the top of the social food chain of AcadeMMO, her skills attracting friends. As people flocked around her she put on the mask of someone she wasn't, and slowly began to mimic the way her friends acted, becoming a regular kid. A regular kid with a massive ego masking a crushingly low sense of self esteem, but a regular kid nonetheless. Despite all the people around her Hazel still feels alone. Statistics: When it comes to fighting, Hazel holds a simple philosophy: The best defense is a strong offense - Level - 2 - HP - 70 (7) - MP - 30 (3) - Attack - 35 - Magic - 10 - Speed - 22 - Accuracy - 15 - Defense - 5 - Evasion - 5 - Resistance - 5 Spells/Skills: True Strike: Finishing Move [2]- This move is Hazel's self-perfected finisher. The move is designed to finish a weakened enemy, and is only usable if the enemy is weakened. She targets the weakened enemy, and her blade pulses with magic energy. The attack will finish off simple creatures and other weak enemies, and will merely launch an blow with an additional 15 attack at stronger enemies. At higher levels the move can kill stronger creatures. Consumes 20 MP. Command: "Let's end this!" Hemorrage [1]- Hazel allows the magic inside her to guide her blade, and finds an artery. The skills adds an extra 5 Attack to her blow, and causes the enemy to begin bleeding. If the enemy does not have blood the skill does not work, for obvious reasons. Consumes 10 MP. Command: "Bleed!"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura John The other students listened intently to John's explanation, nodding to show that they understood. Several clapped or oohed and aahed when he summoned his own Exbeast in preparation. Now that he had some backup, the summoner inside the barrier seemed much more confident. He raised his hands and put the finishing touches on the True Summoning ritual, and flooded the sigil with his magic power. "By the four winds that cross this world, I invoke this ceremony! Sylphid, fae of the air, come to my call and accept the contract I bear! I am thy summoner, my name is Samuel! On my behalf I will ask you to fight, and to lend me your power! If you accept and are bound to me, I shall grant in return an equal boon! Seal the contract, by completion of True Summoning! Sylphid, come forth!" The seal ignited in green flames, and the smoke rose and entwined together, forming a hole in the air itself. Through this hole was seen a flash of light, and from the rift drifted out a pale green, almost white, figure with a feminine shape but only about a foot tall. The Sylphid had long, elfin ears and two spiraling antennae coming from her head. Her wings were like those of a large moth, their scales shimmering in the light as they rapidly fluttered. There was a sound like a tinkling bell, and it seemed to be the speech of the creature, though none of the humans could discern its words save for Samuel the Summoner. He sensed, more than heard, that it would answer his summons if he provided it with fresh picked flowers and nectar as payment whenever it was called. "Your boon shall be granted! The contract is sealed!" He held out his hand, and a magic sigil formed in the air. The Sylphid touched the seal, and as it passed over her the Summoner's aura and her own were mingled, binding them. Then, the sigil began to fade, taking the creature with it back to the summoned space from which it had come. "Wow! Went off without a hitch!" said Samuel. He brought up a holo screen and turned off the barrier, then shook John's hand. "Thanks for all your advice man, it really helped!" John gains 20 EXP and the AC for the mission reward. As other students returned from their final missions of the day, it was beginning to get late. There was still homework and studying to do, but that could be done in dorm rooms, and many bid farewell to their friends or team mates and began to head to their "homes" for the rest of the night... The Next Day... The following morning played out much the same as the last had, and already it seemed that, despite being the only place in the world with a magical curriculum, that AcadeMMO was very much like other schools in that it would soon become a habitual cycle. However, at lunch it seemed something exciting--or perhaps unsettling--was going to happen today after all... "Attention all students!" boomed the PC system as many were heading to the cafeteria. "There has been a submission for an Urgent Special Assignment! All Students are to report to the Special Assignment board immediately! Report to the Special Assignment board immediately!" Hayato hurried through the halls alongside many other students, wondering what all the hullabaloo was about. An Urgent Special Assignment wasn't something done for the student's benefit--it usually meant that there was some kind of crisis, the same kind that AcadeMMO was training them for in the first place. As others began to pour into the entrance lobby of the school and crowd around the Assignment Board, the holo screen blinked before displaying a quest card that took up the entire screen, rather than being a small name on a list like usual. URGENT Multiple Rogue Magi, suspected to be part of Magi-Terrorism group "COVEN" have launched simultaneous attacks in different cities in the United States. The group is known for its Magi-Supremacist beliefs, and wishes to establish Magic Users as a "master race" and governing body around the world. Currently no demands have been given nor was there pre-emptive notice; it is believed at this time that these attacks are meant as a display of power. For this Assignment, the Party Limit has been lifted. Students who wish to apply for this mission should fill out their party information in the applications below. If your application is chosen and your party is called, immediately report to the telepads. More Information will be given as it becomes available. Hayato's eyes were wide. Rogue Magi were people who had magical abilities, but were not undergoing training at AcadeMMO or the MMO Corps, and thus were not under any kind of control or restraint. Though some magic users had no interest in becoming soldiers or fighting Exbeasts, they were at least registered with officials and undertook proper safety precautions so that their powers weren't dangerous. Rogue Magi, however, intentionally did the opposite, wanting to use their power for their own selfish purposes. The terrorist organization COVEN had come into being about a decade ago, but only in the last five years had they actually begun to gather any kind of momentum. Still, most of their activity had been limited to third world countries where the populace didn't have access to many methods of opposition. For them to launch an attack on the United States, of all places...just what was going on? Hayato looked around, searching for Hazel or Joe or anyone he had seen the day before...</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka made his way to the Assignment board. After struggling through the crowd, he was able to see the details of the mission. "What...? What's going on??" He could barely believe it. This was his first week here. He still needed to do some more training, but this was more important. Seriously, what good was protecting a research area in Excaledvol if he wasn't able to help people here on Earth? That last assignment was just a training mission... This is the real deal. Soka looked around, trying to find someone familiar or anyone else he could team up with.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley John was in line waiting to order lunch when he heard the message about the Urgent Special Assignment. "Great there goes lunch." was his main concern as he headed to the boards without hurrying, expecting the mission to be fighting ExBeasts. It wasn't until he read the mission info that he was actually planning on accepting the Assignment. But once he knew what was going on, John decided to look for a party to join with and hopefully prevent those terrorists from harming innocent people. As he was looking for people he at least knew he could work semi-decently together with, he saw one of the members of the Blighted Woods party and headed in their direction. "Wanna team up again?" credits:100 exp : 20 Enchanted Wood x1 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka saw someone (John) nearby and looked at him. "Oh, you look familiar..." He said, but wasn't sure where he had seen him before. He wasn't sure if John was talking to him or not, but at this point he needed to find party members and fast. "Yeah! We should team up." Soka continued to look around, while standing near John. He saw Hayato a little ways away and looked to see if anyone else was near. "Hey!!" he called out to Hayato, moving through the crowd toward him. "Hey, did you hear what's going on? Where are the others from before? We should get going soon. Who knows how long it will take for any of us to find those Magi."</s>	<\|message\|>Hazel Hosner This day began much like the first. Hazel's initial stirring was slow and unwilling, but she shot up as the harsh sound of an alarm clock cut through her. She was quick to find the 'off' button. She prepared for a long day after a seemingly restless night, leaving for her classes in a hurry after she got ready. The day seemed to pass by quickly. By the time lunch time came she was ready for it to pass quicker. It became clear that this wouldn't be the case when a harsh voice boomed through the PA system. When the message finished she turned to face her friends and exchanged words of parting. They split up, although they were all heading to the same place. They were all A-Ranked and weren't going to pass up a rare assignment like this. A large sea of people formed around Hazel Hosner. Everyone one was going. At least everyone that mattered was. She read the assignment dutifully and decided that, much like she had already expected she would, she wasn't going to search out for the E-Ranked students she worked with yesterday. She searched for her A-Ranked teammates. This predetermination was quickly cut to ribbons when Hazel found her usual A-Ranked group had a substitute in her place, likely from yesterday. Well, I suppose I'll have to make due. She broke through the metaphorical sea and searched for familiar faces. She sighted Hayato being called over to a group of other familiar faces and began to wade towards their direction.</s>
<\|description\|>Winnifred Winslow Age: 15 Gender: Female Themesong: Inspecting the Resounding Weapons Class: Gunsniper Appearance: Winnifred Winslow and her and her wonderfully blond hair. History: Winnifred's family life was a rather simple one, with the most extraordinary thing about the Winslows being their summer home, a hunting cabin decorated with trophies of deer and other animals that Winnifred's father had hunted. Thanks to her father's hobby, she was exposed to the concept of hunting rifles and other guns since a young age and grew accustomed to seeing them from afar early on in her life, her only problem with them being the loud noise of a gunshot, which she mostly got over as she aged and became more interested in various firearms (though the sound does still startle her a bit if she isn't expecting it). Though she asked her father to teach her how to fire a rifle for her thirteenth birthday, she took more interest in smaller, single-handed firearms. It was a few months later, when she was getting close to graduating from middle school, that she began to seriously consider the idea of applying to AcadeMMO. She hadn't taken much interest beforehand, but had begun becoming more concerned more concerned by stories of monster attacks, and started realizing that she could use her knowledge and (rather basic at the time) training in guns as a way of fighting. Statistics: * Level - 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5 Skills: Crippling Shot [2] - A boost of internal magic guide's Winnifred's aim, as she fires at an enemy's vital point, adding 14 Attack to one shot (added Attack increases by 7 per skill level). However, the Attack increase does not apply if the enemy's vital spots cannot be targeted (due to being protected by armor or the like, being hard to find, not existing in the first place, etc.). Consumes 20 MP - Command: "Bang!" Shoot 'Em All [1] - Winnifred's innate magic increases her reflexes and aiming speed, allowing her to fire her weapon multiple times, in the time it would normally take to make one attack. She makes up to three attacks which each must target a different enemy (maximum number of shots increases by 1 per skill level). Consumed 10 MP - Command: "All-shot!"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Bye, Rian. See you around!" Hayato waved enthusiastically as the healer left. "She" was pretty cute, he thought, as he turned back to the others. Definitely not as clashing a personality as Hazel...although the other Knight wasn't bad herself. Not wanting to go off on that tangent at the moment, though, Hayato instead turned his attention to someone else who'd come down from the stands. They must have drawn a bit of a crowd, huh? He looked up to see who else was around, and lo and behold there was another girl, one with bright blonde hair. He gave a simple nod of acknowledgement when she noticed him looking at her, then turned to see if there was anyone else in the stands. He noticed someone by the doors, too, probably someone who had stopped by to see if anyone else was in the building. The boy looked to be Japanese, like him, though he had silver hair. And the gun on his hip didn't look standard issue; was he an older student? Lots of opportunities to meet people today, from the looks of it. Now that Hayato thought about it, aside from the two or three people sitting immediately next to him in his classes, he'd never really gotten to know many people at the Academy. And for Special Assignments, he would need to make friends that he could party up with, right? He pondered this for a moment, before shrugging and turning back to Hazel. "I'm gonna go ahead on to the dorms, I'll see you later." he said with a wave, before turning and heading out of the gym, hands in his pockets. As he passed the silver haired boy he nodded at him too, with that look that said "'Sup," in the way guys often did without actually speaking. Then he began the trek across campus towards the boys' dorm, stretching his fully healed shoulders before folding his hands behind his head. This year was gonna be very different, for sure.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley Part of John just wanted to walk onto Combat Training area to have a match himself. But he resisted the urge not just because he lacked an opponent, but also because if he fought at least one Ex-Beast would get hurt needlessly. Instead he left the gym and decided to spend dome time on the final touches of decorating his dorm room. He eventually arrived at the Rank E dorm building, the dorm that the farthest away from the campus's other facilities. Despite the fact that this was John's third year at AcadeMMO he had so far refused to perform any Special Assignments, and as such he not only was still the lowest rank but had to repeat the second year.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "I see. You better not get owned after she disrespected you like that. Show her you're worth. You can tell me all about it later. I'm going to the dorms. I'll see you", Joe said. Taking a few steps forward before he stopped and turned back. Mouthing: "She's like two feet. This shouldn't be hard, right?", smirking before leaving again. He had heard of her before, she was apparently perfect in everything but had an attitude. This would be much more a challenge than Joe made it out to be. He hoped he would be fine, he wanted to get stronger after all. If he got beaten by a two feet little girl that disrespected him it would probable be soulcrushing. Joe knew he would have completely lost his self esteem. He relaxed against the front wall of the dorm, with a map in his hand taking everything in. He purposely choose to not go with the tour so he'd have to learn everything on his own. He worked up a sweat ten minutes ago, enough to have an actual effect but not enough to leave him aching for the training tomorrow. He already sorted out his room, so that wasn't a problem. Looking up, he'd notice that his previous conversation partner came back. His hands in his pockets walking casually. Joe waved to get his attention. "So, how was the fight? What's her fighting style like?", Joe smirked. "Probable defensive wasn't it?"</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato found the boy from before, whose name he still hadn't learned, at the dorms. When the other student saw him he called out and asked about the spar. "So, how was the fight? What's her fighting style like?", he smirked. "Probable defensive wasn't it?" Hayato grimaced and rubbed one of his shoulders. "No, actually, she hits like a freaking truck. Her defenses and evasion skills are probably her weakest traits, but she has enough speed and strength to make up for the lack of technique." He sighed. "But she didn't get that way just by training. She's been on a lot of Special Assignments, out there fighting actual Exbeasts while I've just been in a dojo swinging a shinai around. Tomorrow, I'm going to start changing that." Again he held out his hand to shake with the other boy. "Sorry about getting pulled away before. I still never caught your name."</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li Nodding slightly at Hayato, Rian readjusted the bags' position before making his way out of the room. Sighing as the automatic doors hissed shut behind him, he brushed his robes, getting rid of some dust near his legs, before turning about to reorient himself. It took a few moments as he tried to figure out where buildings were in relation to his position, but soon enough he was headed off towards the administration building to get things sorted out. It took a while to sort things out once he got there since, to his surprise, he had been assigned a room in the D-Rank dormitory despite his rank being conditional. There were also minor issues like some of the employees finding him "cute" or it hard to believe he was actually "male". Pausing by a window as he stared at the feminine reflection Rian sighed softly, brushing a lock of hair back into place, before continuing on his way. He'd gotten over the fact that he'd be mistaken for a girl rather shortly after he'd arrived at AcadeMMO. If he hadn't and had instead fussed over it, no doubt the "bullies" would have hounded him over it, amongst other things. As things stood though, for the moment at the least, there was little trouble for him on school grounds. His new dormitory didn't really look too different from the building he'd stayed in last year, and Rian took a moment to explore the exterior rather than head right in. It only took him a few minutes and it let him familiarize himself with the exits and entrances to his new home for the year. Heading in afterwards, he looked around at the lobby-like room that greeted him, taking in the details like the tables with couches seated around and notice boards hanging by one wall. At the moment it was fairly empty, though he waved in greeting to the few that glanced towards him.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe frowned, that sounded similar to his own fighting style. Though he didn't sacrifice his normal defense for it, he did care a little less about his evasion skills, loving to be all in his opponents face and load strikes with his hands, sneaking in a devastating low kick in as his opponent is focused on his hands. He underestimated her simply because of her looks, his mistake. He really seemed shook up, she must have been something else. Especially since he already heard of her before, that must have meant that she was some kind of legend around here. That was definitely interesting, especially since the guy was praising her so highly. "She fought exbeasts? That is so cool.", he couldn't wait to do that. "Well, my name is Joe. I don't remember catching yours either?", he sort of subtly asked. Pushing his for a handshake. "We should train together tomorrow, you can show me some fancy sword tricks I could use to up my hand striking and I could do the same to you in reverse.", he proposed.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Hayato, nice to meet ya Joe." The two shook hands, and Hayato nodded at the suggestion of training. "Sure, that sounds good! Maybe we can party up with some others and go on a Special Assignment. I actually met a cute Cleric girl at the gym after Hazel nearly broke my arms." He chuckled with a slight frown, remembering how that last strike of hers could have ended badly. "With a good Cleric and maybe a Binder, Knights and Strikers are at their best; at least, that's what I remember from my Basic Tactics last year. I think they let up to five people go on missions together, unless there's some extenuating circumstance that requires a person to go it alone or to bring a whole group with them."</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Soon the people around Hazel began to trickle out of the gym, and eventually she found the immediate group around her dispersed. She really hoped that the upperclassman didn't follow through on his decision to report her. It wouldn't have been exactly the first time that someone complained about her going too far in a sparring match. They're just not strong. People like him don't understand what it's like in the real world, outside AcadeMMO. Hazel was more then completely convinced that she was in the right. Hazel began to exit the gym, but a blonde haired girl she didn't know caught her eye. She was in the spectator seats, and Hazel assumed she must have watched her fight. Hazel paid the girl a curt nod as she walked past, exiting the gym. Hazel moved towards the A-Ranked dorms. She entered. The A-Rank dorm, was, as usual, mostly emptied. In a school full of kids it was only natural that the majority held to the bottom side of the rankings. Hazel pondered what an S-Ranked dorm must be like. She wanted to imagine it to be some grandiose marvel of a room. Her thoughts didn't even turn to how it might be lonely, for Hazel was used to being alone. She headed down the hall and headed into her room. It was by and large bare, excluding the bed, and a pair of large trunks lying on it. One trunk included the essentials: Shampoo, conditioner, a large amount of cosmetics, toothbrush, toothpaste, clothing. The other trunk was a molded case that included the _other_ essentials: Her personal collection of swords. She moved the first trunk off its perch onto floor, and opened the second to confirm its contents. She ran down a mental checklist: Raiper, Longsword, and Zweihänder. They were all in their proper places. The weapons were exquisite. Hazel, of course, deserves the best, and with the money she makes from Special Assignments she can get it. She closed the case and set it beside its partner on the ground. She sighed and plopped down onto the bed. She decided to rest, if just for a moment.</s>	<\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow People began exiting the gym, and Winnifred realized both participants of the sparring match had each given her of sort of acknowledging look when they passed her, and Winnifred returned each look. As it seemed most of the people who'd gathered were already gone and the activity was dying down, she sighed and stood up from her seat. She gave a last glance to the only people remaining in the gym before turning back to the door. For the time being, she decided, she'd continue her walk for a while before she returned to her dorm. She kept an eye out while she was walking for the two other students who had sparred, as she was a bit curious as to how their match went and thought it might make for an interesting conversation, but she didn't spot them anywhere while she walked. She figured they must have gone back to their dorms or simply not be anywhere nearby.</s>
<\|description\|>Winnifred Winslow Age: 15 Gender: Female Themesong: Inspecting the Resounding Weapons Class: Gunsniper Appearance: Winnifred Winslow and her and her wonderfully blond hair. History: Winnifred's family life was a rather simple one, with the most extraordinary thing about the Winslows being their summer home, a hunting cabin decorated with trophies of deer and other animals that Winnifred's father had hunted. Thanks to her father's hobby, she was exposed to the concept of hunting rifles and other guns since a young age and grew accustomed to seeing them from afar early on in her life, her only problem with them being the loud noise of a gunshot, which she mostly got over as she aged and became more interested in various firearms (though the sound does still startle her a bit if she isn't expecting it). Though she asked her father to teach her how to fire a rifle for her thirteenth birthday, she took more interest in smaller, single-handed firearms. It was a few months later, when she was getting close to graduating from middle school, that she began to seriously consider the idea of applying to AcadeMMO. She hadn't taken much interest beforehand, but had begun becoming more concerned more concerned by stories of monster attacks, and started realizing that she could use her knowledge and (rather basic at the time) training in guns as a way of fighting. Statistics: * Level - 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5 Skills: Crippling Shot [2] - A boost of internal magic guide's Winnifred's aim, as she fires at an enemy's vital point, adding 14 Attack to one shot (added Attack increases by 7 per skill level). However, the Attack increase does not apply if the enemy's vital spots cannot be targeted (due to being protected by armor or the like, being hard to find, not existing in the first place, etc.). Consumes 20 MP - Command: "Bang!" Shoot 'Em All [1] - Winnifred's innate magic increases her reflexes and aiming speed, allowing her to fire her weapon multiple times, in the time it would normally take to make one attack. She makes up to three attacks which each must target a different enemy (maximum number of shots increases by 1 per skill level). Consumed 10 MP - Command: "All-shot!"</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel awoke, fresh and ready for her first _real_ day of school. Yesterday was exciting, but there really was nothing like the feeling of excelling at something. At least that was the case for Hazel. She woke up early, picked a nice outfit, showered, put her makeup on, and was off in a flash. Breakfast for Hazel was a quick affair: Junk food from one of AcadeMMO's many vending machines eaten on the way to her first class. She was lucky that she exercised so much because Hazel frankly ate like crap. The day started, as expected, with PE. Hazel was, naturally, over-competitive with everything and went hard with whatever activity was given. After that she found herself in her academic classes. When it came to these classes she was focused and didn't miss a thing. Afterwards she spent a quick lunch period her friends, and the day morphed into Martial classes. Hazel was, of course, in an advanced swordsmanship class. Most people outright refused to spar with her, but it was hard to fault them for it. Hazel didn't see it that way, however, and they were cowards as far as she was concerned. So she found herself practicing against dummies for most of the period. She knew her defense was sloppy, but it was hard to practice that against practice targets. The rest of her Martial classes passed by quickly, and she found herself in a few short hours approaching the Special Assignments board. She suddenly remembered her promise to Hayato. She did say that she would go on a Assignment with him, but realized she left him with no way to contact her. Hazel stared at the the A-Ranked boards, but she soon noticed Hayato at the D-Ranked section. _Speak of the devil... I guess I have to follow through on what I said._ She sighed, and started approaching. That was, until she spied the uptight Magi from yesterday. Approaching Hayato. Hazel stopped. _No damn way. I told the guy I'd help him but..._ She sighed once again, and resumed her approach. Hazel didn't believe in going back on her word. She moved past the upperclassman and parked herself on the far side of Hayato. She didn't bother greeting him, and didn't bother to let him return the senior's greeting. "I told you I'd go on a mission with you, so if you want to now is your chance."</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Immediately after the end of her last class, Winnifred made her way to the special assignments board. She stood in front of it, a serious gaze on her face as she studied the assignments listed. In her first year she'd only done just enough to make to to a D Rank, and was determined to do better this time around, now that she wasn't a complete newbie at the academy this year. Still, she didn't want to take something that'd be too overwhelming when she was just getting back into the swing of things. On top of that, she'd need allies as well. Glancing around at the other students gathered in front of the board, she recognized a couple familiar faces. The boy and the girl who'd had that match in the gym the day before were already looking at the assignment list, from the looks of it. Winnifred figured it couldn't hurt to see what they had in mind, and approached them. "Hey, I saw you two in the gym the yesterday," she said, a friendly smile on her face in an attempt to make a good first impression. "So what kind of assignment are you guys looki..." About mid-sentence she noticed another boy was also standing by the two and realized it seemed as if they may have been in the middle of talking already. "Uhh, I mean, sorry to interrupt! Don't mind me!" Winnifred laughed a bit nervously.</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li The rest of Rian's day passed by in unremarkable mediocrity; he settled himself into his new room, headed to the campus cafeteria for a meal, made use of the fitness facilities, and then turned himself in rather early to prepare for the next day. Though he shared greetings or chatted with several acquaintances, nothing on the scope of what happened at the arena occurred once more for him. ---- When he awoke, it wasn't exactly as bright and early as some who knew of how he had spent his summer months might have expected. There was just enough time for Rian to get himself ready and head over to the cafeteria for breakfast. before arriving just in time for the first period of class. Stretching on his own accord as the class gathered and waited for the teacher, he tuned out the hushed whispers of those who had yet to be in physical education with him. Despite being rather physically fit, it was in a manner that was lithe and graceful, so it actually only emphasized his feminine appearance. After that came the more mundane courses that could be found in most schools in one form or the other around the world. Frankly it was a bit hard for him to pay attention given the way things were, but he pushed himself to focus through. Even then his attention wandered and Rian had to stop himself from dozing off a few times, often resorting to playing with his hair for simply something to do. 'Come on… if any of them find out, they're going to be annoyed.' As he reminded himself for not the first time, the thought nonetheless gave him a bit of a push to sit up straighter and focus. After lunch when the Magic courses came around, Rian threw himself at the course and their materials as per usual. Utterly different from himself during the morning periods, his interest towards the supernatural when compared to the mundane was fairly obvious to anyone with functioning eyes. Though he wasn't exactly enthusiastic during these periods, his contrasting mannerisms made it quite apparent that this was what he really looked forward to. ---- As classes came to a close, Rian followed his usual routine and wandered over to the lobby to look for an appropriate Special Assignment. Unsurprisingly, given it was the first day, there was quite the crowd already there to pick up whatever Assignments were being offered. A quick glance, from even the complete back of the crowd, let Rian tell there weren't many he was interested in taking, and none he would have actively tried to pursue. He did see a few that he figured would be easy enough if he could find a willing group he could participate in. In fact… though it was a bit hard to tell given the crowd in his way, Rian thought he saw Hayato from yesterday closer to the holoscreen. The Knight had seemed amiable enough to Clerics and given he had healed the taller boy yesterday, Rian figured there was a good chance of being accepted to a "party". Pushing his way through the crowd served to be plenty hard given his stature, and it was with some effort that he managed to arrive near the black-haired teen. Clutching at his chest, he sighed lightly as he managed to extract himself from the throng of students before he looked around. It seemed that Hayato wasn't alone, but the whole gang from yesterday was around; even the blonde had been a spectator if he wasn't mistaken. Taking a moment to smooth out his beige robes, he finally raised a hand in greeting towards the gathered students. "Afternoon, don't suppose any of you are interested in the D-Rank: Cockatrice Hunt Assignment?"</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka arrived to his first class on time. He was happy to get some exercise in, because he wasn't sure if he would enjoy any of the other classes that would follow. There was a reason that he had not decided to come to this school until this year. Soka had discovered his magic abilities some time ago, and had developed his abilities a lot on his own. He never really thought that he needed formal instruction on how to use something that came natural to him. Of course, this was far from true. However, he had eventually decided to come here after all. And now here he was Soka made small talk with a few people in his PE class, noticing some people here and there that he thought might make good friends. After class, he got some water from a water fountain and went into the halls again to find his Elementary Magic Theory class. He sat through the class, actually finding a lot of the principles and discussion pretty interesting. Maybe this place wouldn't be too bad after all. When classes were finished, Soka made his way into the halls again. Seeing large crowds gathering, Soka blinked and headed over to the front lobby of the main building. Curious, Soka held his backpack straps in his hands as he stood behind the large crowd in front of the holo-board. Eventually he was able to spot the D-Rank missions. _Finally, I get to have some fun_, he thought to himself. Reading the details of the missions that were available to him. _I'll go with the woods or the fire rats. Anything but that venomous monster._ When he had decided on two potential missions, Soka blinked a few times, before gazing around. _I may be confident in myself, but there's no way I should do a mission alone. Hm, who can I go with?_ He looked around at various students nearby. _A lot of these people already have friends, so my best bet is to find another newbie._ Eventually, he spotted a preppy looking kid with dark hair. This person seemed to have put particular effort into tucking his shirt in, wearing pants with suspenders, and even had writing pens in his shirt pocket. He certainly didn't look like the adventurous type, but he did look new and didn't seem to have anyone to party with either. Soka walked over to him. "Hey, sorry to talk to you randomly." Soka began. "Wanna party with me for a mission?" The kid looked back at Soka and looked terrified. "What?? It's my first day here! Why would I want to do something dangerous like that?! And I don't even know you." The kid replied, before anxiously looking around and quickly walking away. -__- .... _This might be harder than I thought._</s>	<\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow "The cockatrice one?" Winnifred looked to see who had asked, realizing it was the cleric she'd seen in the gym yesterday as well. Familiar faces everywhere, apparently. "Oh yeah, I saw that one too. Might be a good one to start with, eh? If you're thinking of taking it, I'll come along too, if you want. I'm a sniper, so I can probably do a number to it before it gets too closer at least." She paused for a moment, only to realize she was going on about all this without even introducing herself, and so added, "Oh right, I'm Winnifred by the way." She directed her introduction towards the others standing there as well as the cleric... girl? The cleric looked like a girl, anyway, but Winnifred felt like something was off. She didn't dwell on it too much, though.</s>
<\|description\|>Winnifred Winslow Age: 15 Gender: Female Themesong: Inspecting the Resounding Weapons Class: Gunsniper Appearance: Winnifred Winslow and her and her wonderfully blond hair. History: Winnifred's family life was a rather simple one, with the most extraordinary thing about the Winslows being their summer home, a hunting cabin decorated with trophies of deer and other animals that Winnifred's father had hunted. Thanks to her father's hobby, she was exposed to the concept of hunting rifles and other guns since a young age and grew accustomed to seeing them from afar early on in her life, her only problem with them being the loud noise of a gunshot, which she mostly got over as she aged and became more interested in various firearms (though the sound does still startle her a bit if she isn't expecting it). Though she asked her father to teach her how to fire a rifle for her thirteenth birthday, she took more interest in smaller, single-handed firearms. It was a few months later, when she was getting close to graduating from middle school, that she began to seriously consider the idea of applying to AcadeMMO. She hadn't taken much interest beforehand, but had begun becoming more concerned more concerned by stories of monster attacks, and started realizing that she could use her knowledge and (rather basic at the time) training in guns as a way of fighting. Statistics: * Level - 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5 Skills: Crippling Shot [2] - A boost of internal magic guide's Winnifred's aim, as she fires at an enemy's vital point, adding 14 Attack to one shot (added Attack increases by 7 per skill level). However, the Attack increase does not apply if the enemy's vital spots cannot be targeted (due to being protected by armor or the like, being hard to find, not existing in the first place, etc.). Consumes 20 MP - Command: "Bang!" Shoot 'Em All [1] - Winnifred's innate magic increases her reflexes and aiming speed, allowing her to fire her weapon multiple times, in the time it would normally take to make one attack. She makes up to three attacks which each must target a different enemy (maximum number of shots increases by 1 per skill level). Consumed 10 MP - Command: "All-shot!"</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Winnifired stared in wide-eyed shock with a grimace forming on her face as a brief fistfight suddenly erupted in the crowd of people. She hadn't been able to hear what conversation had started it, she simply saw the red-headed girl throw a punch and end up hitting the... same boy she'd done quite the number to in the match yesterday, apparently. Winnifred was about to step in and say something to try and stop things, though she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to say in a situation like that, but it seemed that the small incident died down as quickly as it started anyway. In fact, it seemed like discussions about the assignments had resumed like normal. Well, more or less normal. Winnifred sighed, letting the incident pass. She looked back at the cleric, and studied the cockatrice assignment details again. "Well... I wonder just how many people are looking at this one," she said.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka finished watching the interesting event take place. _Seems like classes and missions won't be the only thing interesting around here. I better pick my fights carefully if I get on anyone's bad side._ He turned toward the entrance of the lobby again, when he heard someone calling him. _Hm? Is he talking to me?_ Soka turned and faced Hayato. He walked towards the male, "Me? Yep I'm an adept. Yeah! I'll come along. I've been searching for a party for a while." Standing near Hayato and the others, he offered his hand in a handshake to the male that had spoken to him. "Name's Soka. I'm new here."</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner "Fine, I'll help you, Hayato." She said, with a self satisfied smirk, totally unaware that he was playing into her ego. "I'll let you pick the Assignment, but make it interesting, and don't pick anything without fighting, or I'm not going." She said.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura "Nice to meet you, Soka, I'm Hayato." With Joe, himself, Hazel, the summoner, and now Soka, they had a full party, provided someone didn't suddenly back out. "We're going to be headed into this Blighted Woods area. It's somewhere in Excaledvol, and they're trying to set up a research station. They'll need someone to clear the area of monsters. We don't have any Clerics or Binders, but I think if we watch each other's backs we'll be alright." Hazel confirmed that she'd be going as long as there was a fight, and Hayato nodded. "The description said they'd probably be low rank monsters, but they know the terrain better than we do and there will likely be several of them. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the fighting." --- After everyone had grabbed what equipment they needed, the group met up in the entrance lobby again and then headed down a large central hall, where a few sets of double sliding doors led into identical rooms. Each room was a large cube, white tile on all four walls, the floor, and the ceilings. Immediately after entering, though, to the right there was another holoboard and in the center, a large circular pad big enough for them all to stand on. Hayato went to the board and entered the quest they'd taken, and a magic diagram of incredible complexity suddenly appeared on the pad. Several of its symbols began to rotate along the outer edge, clicking together with bright flashes of color, until the proper coordinates were aligned. While a way to permanently close off the two worlds had not yet been found, a method had been discovered of creating small rifts that would collapse on themselves after a set amount of time. Combining this with teleportation magic (a very delicate art that not many Magic Classes could use by themselves) allowed the Academy to send the students to any location on either world as long as they had the correct coordinates. The pads were locked unless one had taken a Special Assignment or had the proper clearance, however. Attempting a transport without the coordinates could very likely hurl someone into the black vacuum of space, or tear them apart in the limbo between worlds. The thought made Hayato do a double check that he had done everything correctly. When the group had all gotten onto the pad, the magic began to glow and hum, rising in volume slowly as the circle rose off the pad and began to rapidly spin. Then, with a blinding flash and a feeling like when an elevator suddenly starts up and you're not ready for it, they found themselves standing outside a large bunker type building made of slabs of concrete and sheets of metal. There were several adults, in a mix of magi robes and lab coats, running around doing various tasks, and when one noticed the students he ran over fumbling with a clip board. "You're just in time! We've just detected some Exbeasts on the move to the north east, right beyond that treeline there!" He pointed at where he meant. "Sorry to rush you, but we're in the middle of some very interesting data retrieval, and if they interrupt we could lose all our progress!" "Yeesh, right to it, huh?" Hayato said, looking around. True to the man's word, though, there was an ominous rustling along the border of the clearing, and he thought he saw something shadowy moving between the trees...</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel nodded at Hayato's choice. "I'm glad you picked something that at least sounds kind of interesting. I'm gonna go get my stuff, I'll meet you there." She said. She returned to her dorm. She didn't have any sort of 'armor' per say and just wore ordinary clothes. It didn't restrict her movement so it was fine for her. She opened up her trunk of weapons and after a moment of internal deliberation opted to grab her longsword. It was an impressive weapon, exquisitely crafted. The most notable part was the hilt, jewel encrusted, featuring a pommel in the shape of a wolf. She retrieved he scabbard, holstered her sword, and went to go meet Hayato and the rest of the party. She caught up with him on the teleportation pad. They arrived at the lab and they were already being ordered around. "No point in waiting, let's get to it." She drew her sword and approached the treeline.</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li Giving the blonde a nod while grinning happily, Rian was glad to already have one willing participant. Thinking on it, he figured it might even be possible for the two of them to handle the mission themselves given their skill sets. He could debilitate the ExBeast and cripple is movement while Winnifred piled away at it. "A pleasure," he said softly, bowing somewhat before, "I'm Rian." He frowned a bit at Hayato's response but didn't really choose to otherwise comment. If that was the Assignment the boy wanted, Rian saw no reason to try and convince him otherwise. Before he could propose his idea to Winnifred though, several things happened in rather rapid succession. For some reason the older student decided to pick a bone with Hazel, though for what reason he personally couldn't see. Despite not knowing the language Hayato and their senior shared, it wasn't too hard to tell that it likely hadn't been friendly. While he had been largely neutral over yesterday's happenings, chalking it up to a senior being concerned for his juniors, but now this… And things only spiralled downwards from there on. As expected from what little he had seen of her, Hazel refused to back down while the, questionably now, older student simply continued to egg her on. Stepping away from the brewing confrontation, he shook his head slowly in disbelief before turning towards the blonde-haired gunner; the shit storm already pushed aside from his mind and its participants ignored. "Don't quite know," he admitted as he caught her looking towards him before he nodded away from the assignment board. "Personally, one enemy is where I do my best and I think we could take the creature down ourselves if you're willing. It'll mean more rewards between ourselves, but we'll have to get ready quick. Others no doubt will want to tag along if we dilly dally."</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe didn't really need anything to prepare. He didn't wear armor and he didn't use weapons, he was ready as it was. So he just shadowboxed a little as everyone else did their equipment and warmed up his muscles for combat. He never heard of the teleportation pad, it was a pretty cool sight. The others had their little shiny weapons. Joe wasn't impressed. He knew he was about to fuck shit up regardless, this should be nothing but slaughter for them. They all were offensive focused and apparently they were low ranked monsters. All that Joe expected was a bloodbath and he was perfectly fine with that. As they entered the scene one of the researchers immediately caught them. Giving them a direction to where they are. Convenient. "I agree", he smiled at her. "He gave us a direction, so it's not like we need to search for something.", Joe pointed out. Already walking towards the north east. "Look out for monsters surrounding us but continue walking north-east without stopping unless you're sure you saw something.", Joe suggested while performing this same action.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Day 01 Haruka first day at school wasn't anything special, the usual ceremony at the start of every new school year unpacking in the dorms and the meeting of the group she does her assignments with. Her school timetable hasnt changed much from last year, her classes were seperated between night and day. It gave the opportunity to sleep during mid day and train at night after classes. But sleep was the last thing she needed, so training during the day and night wasnt a big problem to do. Her first night was peacefull for now since immediatly rushing to train is a bit to much, for now atleast. Day 02 Haruka has been sleeping well since a long time it gave her some comfort to be here in this school, it felt a little like a home to her. The daily morning excersizes were as usual for everyone. Still a lot of people had difficulties with it and stopped even before it started. She did her laps of running and took a shower in her dorm. Short after, she got to her classes which consisted of dodging hiding and knife trowing. The day passed on very quickly and it already free time was there for her to spent on training or sleeping. It didn't take long for her to decide what to do. Haruka went over to the assignment board to do some missions with who ever was around at the moment. Some rank B assignments would be fine for now, taking it easy for the first day was reasonable. When she arrived something seemed hugely off about this. The assignment board area was filled with students. Well it was predictable that this would happen, some of the students didn't pass because of their low rank and tried to keep it up a little this year. It made her think, only one tought went through her mind 'Way to forced' she moved through the crowd to the front and took a look at the assignments for today. It appeared there were only D ranking assignments. Which would mean all these people were probably around D rank. Well since she didn't have anything else to do, it would be fun to help some others maybe. Haruka wasn't that famous around the school for her rank or anything so most people wouldn't even notice that she was ranked A. Haruka quietly looked around her for maybe some younger shades that she could help.</s>	<\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow "Hmm, maybe. Still, it might be a good idea to get one or two more people, you know?" Winnifred replied to Rian, giving it a few moments of thought. "I for sure wouldn't mind some a chance to get some extra rewards, but it can't hurt to have some extra helping hands. More safety in numbers and all that." Winnifred began looking around the crowd for any other students who may still be picking out their assignments or teams. "Of course," she added, "I'm fine with it being just the two of us if no one else does end up wanting to join us."</s>
<\|description\|>Winnifred Winslow Age: 15 Gender: Female Themesong: Inspecting the Resounding Weapons Class: Gunsniper Appearance: Winnifred Winslow and her and her wonderfully blond hair. History: Winnifred's family life was a rather simple one, with the most extraordinary thing about the Winslows being their summer home, a hunting cabin decorated with trophies of deer and other animals that Winnifred's father had hunted. Thanks to her father's hobby, she was exposed to the concept of hunting rifles and other guns since a young age and grew accustomed to seeing them from afar early on in her life, her only problem with them being the loud noise of a gunshot, which she mostly got over as she aged and became more interested in various firearms (though the sound does still startle her a bit if she isn't expecting it). Though she asked her father to teach her how to fire a rifle for her thirteenth birthday, she took more interest in smaller, single-handed firearms. It was a few months later, when she was getting close to graduating from middle school, that she began to seriously consider the idea of applying to AcadeMMO. She hadn't taken much interest beforehand, but had begun becoming more concerned more concerned by stories of monster attacks, and started realizing that she could use her knowledge and (rather basic at the time) training in guns as a way of fighting. Statistics: * Level - 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5 Skills: Crippling Shot [2] - A boost of internal magic guide's Winnifred's aim, as she fires at an enemy's vital point, adding 14 Attack to one shot (added Attack increases by 7 per skill level). However, the Attack increase does not apply if the enemy's vital spots cannot be targeted (due to being protected by armor or the like, being hard to find, not existing in the first place, etc.). Consumes 20 MP - Command: "Bang!" Shoot 'Em All [1] - Winnifred's innate magic increases her reflexes and aiming speed, allowing her to fire her weapon multiple times, in the time it would normally take to make one attack. She makes up to three attacks which each must target a different enemy (maximum number of shots increases by 1 per skill level). Consumed 10 MP - Command: "All-shot!"</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel nodded at Hayato's choice. "I'm glad you picked something that at least sounds kind of interesting. I'm gonna go get my stuff, I'll meet you there." She said. She returned to her dorm. She didn't have any sort of 'armor' per say and just wore ordinary clothes. It didn't restrict her movement so it was fine for her. She opened up her trunk of weapons and after a moment of internal deliberation opted to grab her longsword. It was an impressive weapon, exquisitely crafted. The most notable part was the hilt, jewel encrusted, featuring a pommel in the shape of a wolf. She retrieved he scabbard, holstered her sword, and went to go meet Hayato and the rest of the party. She caught up with him on the teleportation pad. They arrived at the lab and they were already being ordered around. "No point in waiting, let's get to it." She drew her sword and approached the treeline.</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li Giving the blonde a nod while grinning happily, Rian was glad to already have one willing participant. Thinking on it, he figured it might even be possible for the two of them to handle the mission themselves given their skill sets. He could debilitate the ExBeast and cripple is movement while Winnifred piled away at it. "A pleasure," he said softly, bowing somewhat before, "I'm Rian." He frowned a bit at Hayato's response but didn't really choose to otherwise comment. If that was the Assignment the boy wanted, Rian saw no reason to try and convince him otherwise. Before he could propose his idea to Winnifred though, several things happened in rather rapid succession. For some reason the older student decided to pick a bone with Hazel, though for what reason he personally couldn't see. Despite not knowing the language Hayato and their senior shared, it wasn't too hard to tell that it likely hadn't been friendly. While he had been largely neutral over yesterday's happenings, chalking it up to a senior being concerned for his juniors, but now this… And things only spiralled downwards from there on. As expected from what little he had seen of her, Hazel refused to back down while the, questionably now, older student simply continued to egg her on. Stepping away from the brewing confrontation, he shook his head slowly in disbelief before turning towards the blonde-haired gunner; the shit storm already pushed aside from his mind and its participants ignored. "Don't quite know," he admitted as he caught her looking towards him before he nodded away from the assignment board. "Personally, one enemy is where I do my best and I think we could take the creature down ourselves if you're willing. It'll mean more rewards between ourselves, but we'll have to get ready quick. Others no doubt will want to tag along if we dilly dally."</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe didn't really need anything to prepare. He didn't wear armor and he didn't use weapons, he was ready as it was. So he just shadowboxed a little as everyone else did their equipment and warmed up his muscles for combat. He never heard of the teleportation pad, it was a pretty cool sight. The others had their little shiny weapons. Joe wasn't impressed. He knew he was about to fuck shit up regardless, this should be nothing but slaughter for them. They all were offensive focused and apparently they were low ranked monsters. All that Joe expected was a bloodbath and he was perfectly fine with that. As they entered the scene one of the researchers immediately caught them. Giving them a direction to where they are. Convenient. "I agree", he smiled at her. "He gave us a direction, so it's not like we need to search for something.", Joe pointed out. Already walking towards the north east. "Look out for monsters surrounding us but continue walking north-east without stopping unless you're sure you saw something.", Joe suggested while performing this same action.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Day 01 Haruka first day at school wasn't anything special, the usual ceremony at the start of every new school year unpacking in the dorms and the meeting of the group she does her assignments with. Her school timetable hasnt changed much from last year, her classes were seperated between night and day. It gave the opportunity to sleep during mid day and train at night after classes. But sleep was the last thing she needed, so training during the day and night wasnt a big problem to do. Her first night was peacefull for now since immediatly rushing to train is a bit to much, for now atleast. Day 02 Haruka has been sleeping well since a long time it gave her some comfort to be here in this school, it felt a little like a home to her. The daily morning excersizes were as usual for everyone. Still a lot of people had difficulties with it and stopped even before it started. She did her laps of running and took a shower in her dorm. Short after, she got to her classes which consisted of dodging hiding and knife trowing. The day passed on very quickly and it already free time was there for her to spent on training or sleeping. It didn't take long for her to decide what to do. Haruka went over to the assignment board to do some missions with who ever was around at the moment. Some rank B assignments would be fine for now, taking it easy for the first day was reasonable. When she arrived something seemed hugely off about this. The assignment board area was filled with students. Well it was predictable that this would happen, some of the students didn't pass because of their low rank and tried to keep it up a little this year. It made her think, only one tought went through her mind 'Way to forced' she moved through the crowd to the front and took a look at the assignments for today. It appeared there were only D ranking assignments. Which would mean all these people were probably around D rank. Well since she didn't have anything else to do, it would be fun to help some others maybe. Haruka wasn't that famous around the school for her rank or anything so most people wouldn't even notice that she was ranked A. Haruka quietly looked around her for maybe some younger shades that she could help.</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow "Hmm, maybe. Still, it might be a good idea to get one or two more people, you know?" Winnifred replied to Rian, giving it a few moments of thought. "I for sure wouldn't mind some a chance to get some extra rewards, but it can't hurt to have some extra helping hands. More safety in numbers and all that." Winnifred began looking around the crowd for any other students who may still be picking out their assignments or teams. "Of course," she added, "I'm fine with it being just the two of us if no one else does end up wanting to join us."</s> <\|message\|>Ryouta Himonaga Ryouta had no choice but to honor a dying man's wishes, the boy was on a suicide journey. Even if he might have been doing it because he secretly had the hots for that child-psychopath, it was such a waste of life. Young, vibrant life. Gone. He silently mourned the passing. He stood up and turned to face the two speaking not-so-softly behind him, it seemed they were attracted to the same mission he needed. Listening to their discussion, it seems the Cleric was more interested in rewards than ensuring they survived. Ryouta, personally, was not too interested in the listed credits. But, like the girl said, a pair of helping hands would make things easier -for Ryouta. "You've got the right idea, young miss." He commented. "You were there at the arena yesterday ....right?" He faintly remembered someone with blonde hair. "I'll be on this mission too." He raised a handshake towards her and then one towards the Cleric.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Upon finally acquiring party members, Soka's excited expression soon dropped, hearing that the mission in the woods was actually IN Excaledvol. _Wait, no way! How did I miss that detail? Was that always part of the mission description??_ Soka looked at the board again and read the mission's description again. He didn't regret favoring this mission, but still he was surprised to go into another WORLD on his first day. _What if I die? What if a magic dinosaur eats me? What's going to happen...? I'm too young to die... I'm still a virgin!_ Of course, he wasn't the type to show unnecessary fear. "Alright, let's do this!" Soka grinned before running off to get his equipment. When he had his adventure attire on, the red-brown haired Soka entered the teleportation room with his soon-to-be comades. When they entered the new area, Soka stepped forward and looked around. After stretching, he touched the sword scabbard that was strapped onto his back. There was no sword in it, but it was certainly weighed down by something. To others though, it may have appeared he had an empty sword sheathe he was carrying around. It seemed he was with three Martial classes. The other person must have been a Magi, at least this was Soka's guess. Although Soka was an Adept, he enjoyed the thought of playing more of a support role, instead of direct offense. Because of this, he stayed several paces behind the three Martial classes when everyone began to ahead, ready to support any of his fellow team mates, should anyone be ambushed.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka focused on the voices around her and carefully listened to the people in difrent groups which assignment they would take. The cockatrice assignment seemed a little more daring to do. Having such a puny rat fight wouldnt be too fun anyway. When she foccused on the assignment name in particular she heared it 3 times from other groups. The team balance of all the teams didnt seem to combine well with her skills. Only one group could take her in where she would be atleast a bit usefull. Haruka spied the group for a small while, for if they were really gonna do the assignment and how the group acted. It was the job of a ninja to get information without letting anyone know, she had learned that in first year of school. Her size definitely helped her, there were a lot of tall people so it was hard to find out she was even there, a great oppertunity lets say. Haruka suddenly joined on it the group. She popped up next to Ryouta, she was in a calm mood and that could clearly be seen by her relaxed eyes and gentle smile. It was a rather special trait about her, that she is always calm about everything and nothing could make her stress out. Always thinking clear was the thing to do for certain. She needed to try and convince them to accept her to join their party now. If she said that she was an A rank it would become bothersom for her, so she didnt mention it at all. A warm calm voice sounded from her mouth "Hi, I was planning to do the cockatrice assignment and still needed to have a team. Since i heard you were also doing the quest, can i join you all?"</s>	<\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow "Yeah, I was there," Winnifred replied, accepting the handshake from the boy who had suddenly spoke to her. "Didn't get there till the match ended, but oh well. Anyway, yeah, we were just talking about that assignment. Glad to have you on board if it means we don't get turned to stone, heh." Just as soon as Winnifred had finished speaking, another girl approached asking to join as well. "Fine with me. That'll give us four so far, huh? Name's Winnifred. Oh, and I'm a sniper. How about you two?" Winnifred was noticing by now after the sudden approach of these two that the cockatrice hunt really was popular after all. Of course Winnifred wasn't going to object to a full or near-full team.</s>
<\|description\|>Winnifred Winslow Age: 15 Gender: Female Themesong: Inspecting the Resounding Weapons Class: Gunsniper Appearance: Winnifred Winslow and her and her wonderfully blond hair. History: Winnifred's family life was a rather simple one, with the most extraordinary thing about the Winslows being their summer home, a hunting cabin decorated with trophies of deer and other animals that Winnifred's father had hunted. Thanks to her father's hobby, she was exposed to the concept of hunting rifles and other guns since a young age and grew accustomed to seeing them from afar early on in her life, her only problem with them being the loud noise of a gunshot, which she mostly got over as she aged and became more interested in various firearms (though the sound does still startle her a bit if she isn't expecting it). Though she asked her father to teach her how to fire a rifle for her thirteenth birthday, she took more interest in smaller, single-handed firearms. It was a few months later, when she was getting close to graduating from middle school, that she began to seriously consider the idea of applying to AcadeMMO. She hadn't taken much interest beforehand, but had begun becoming more concerned more concerned by stories of monster attacks, and started realizing that she could use her knowledge and (rather basic at the time) training in guns as a way of fighting. Statistics: * Level - 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5 Skills: Crippling Shot [2] - A boost of internal magic guide's Winnifred's aim, as she fires at an enemy's vital point, adding 14 Attack to one shot (added Attack increases by 7 per skill level). However, the Attack increase does not apply if the enemy's vital spots cannot be targeted (due to being protected by armor or the like, being hard to find, not existing in the first place, etc.). Consumes 20 MP - Command: "Bang!" Shoot 'Em All [1] - Winnifred's innate magic increases her reflexes and aiming speed, allowing her to fire her weapon multiple times, in the time it would normally take to make one attack. She makes up to three attacks which each must target a different enemy (maximum number of shots increases by 1 per skill level). Consumed 10 MP - Command: "All-shot!"</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel grinned as she got her second kill. She wheeled her head around, eyeing her companions, deciding quickly who to help. She saw Hayato struggling against the large number of enemies around him and John. Hazel pulled her sword from the former neck of the now dead Twig Blight and ran for Vine Blight B. "That's what I like to see Hayato! You're not as bad of a Knight as I thought you were!" She called out. She was still grinning. Her sword raised, she neared the Ving Blight. She used her momentum to skid across the bed of leaves that coated the forest floor, keeping her balance in check as she came past the Vine Blight. She aimed her sword for the creatures neck, doing her best to preform a drive-by decapitation.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis "I get the twig blight. You can handle the needle.", Joe would be pleased if he wasn't forced to punch needles with his naked hands. Leaping in the air he would throw a downwards attack similar to the one he did in the beginning of the fight. Using gravity and his full body weight to throw a strike with maximum power and knock this twig blight out in one shot. Even if it didn't he would be in the mount position and capable of ground and pounding his opponent till they were knocked out. From there on he would stand up and give a smile to John. From there on he would stand and look for possibly more enemies, if there weren't he would go help the others.</s> <\|message\|>Abigael Quint "Attack its head and remove the blockage! Its dulling the sound!" Abigael rushes towards the cockatrice and swings at its face with his glaive, hoping to either hurt it or clear up some of the dirt so the rooster's crow wouldn't be dulled. Thanks to his new strength borrowed from the cockatrice, he slams the blade once against its face. This thing ain't so bad! I'll probably come out of this without a scratch! Abigael notices the opening mouth and quickly steps towards the cockatrice's side. He wasn't sure who the it was aiming at, but he hoped it wasn't him.</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka watched as Hayato took a number of hits to guard him. He wanted to tell him to evade the attacks, but he focused on the spell he had been doing. Finally, it was ready. "Equip metal!" A pointed double-edged blade equipped to Soka's right arm. "Hey, don't worry about me! I'll be fine. Thanks for buying me some time," he said, beginning to cut the vines that had been restraining him. Even if he only managed to free himself by the time the others had finished off the creatures, it would be better than being stuck here and having someone else defend him. "Finish them off if you can! I'm a bit tied up here."</s> <\|message\|>Rian Li Rian clicked his tongue as he watched the Beast tear a number of bloody gashes in Ryouta's arm. They didn't look too bad, but it was his job to heal them even if it wasn't exactly necessary in his opinion. Nonetheless, he gave his staff a small twirl and began to chant, but something caused him to sputter and lose the spell. Some random AcadeMMO student, going by his appearance, charged out of nowhere towards the Cockatrice and landed a few hits on it. If Rian had seemed slightly annoyed at the fact that Ryouta and Haruka had joined the party, then he was downright angry at this scumbag who thought he could just sneak in and get rewards after realizing it was safe to do so. 'Oh hell no,' he thought bitterly, as he easily sidestepped the Cockatrice's spit attack. Its aim was good, given that Rian had to actually move, but it telegraphed its intent and acted on it so slowly that the Cleric was already moving before the spit had even left its mouth. Stepping away from even the drops that splattered when the projectile hit the ground, the glow that surrounded his staff's head wasn't green that signalled healing for Ryouta, but the same black aura that he'd just used moments ago. "Weakness revealed, vulnerabilities exposed, Frailty of Strength and Speed." Muttering the chant, the aura streamed forward from his staff to surround and swallow Abigael, weighing down his entire body and draining his arms of any strength in them. At that point he didn't even care about what the others who were part of the "party" might have thought of his actions. Rian simply saw someone who was trying to take advantage of a situation that had been in control and reap the benefits. _______________</s> <\|message\|>Abigael Quint "Wh-what the hell?!" Abigael stopped what he was doing, terrified of what just happened. Suddenly he felt all his strength fade and his speed drop. He looked at his glaive, now feeling heavier than normal, thinking that this was some side effect or the boost ran out, but the color was still there. He looked around and saw the staff pointed at him, and put two and two together. Immediately he began to worry. Ah cripes, did I get found out that fast? Abigael was in a rough spot. He couldn't take anything from the cockatrice since his staff was already filled with a now useless aspect. "Well, if at the very least... I can try this!" Abigael started hollering and waving towards the cockatrice, attempting to distract it, hoping to be set up as a decoy. He probably wouldn't be able to dodge his attacks in time, but hopefully he can take a stab or two, maybe even a few of those petrifying spits. If anything, he's at least keeping the Exbeast from attacking with its claws effectively for now. If he can keep that going he'll still make it out of this fight in decent shape. HP - 150/150 (15) MP - 130/150 (15) Attack - 12 (0 due to Rian's spell) Magic - 16 Speed - 10 (4 due to Rian's spell) Accuracy - 16 Defense - 0 Evasion - 16 Resistance - 0</s>	<\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow As soon as Winnifred fire's the first shot getting a hit on the cockatrice's eye, she begins to aim again, only to be distracted for a moment by the sudden appearance of a fifth student, one she didn't recognize at all. Trying to keep an eye on both the other student and the cockatrice's movements as it tried to aim its venomous spit at Rian. Thankfully Rian was far too fast for it, so Winnifred at least didn't need to worry any about the team's healer getting petrified. She turned her attention back to the cockatrice, although she was still rather confused as she wasn't used to people suddenly appearing in the middle of assignments and it looked as though Rian was casting a spell targeted on the new arrival as well. Winnifred couldn't spare much attention to it though, as she was more concerned at the moment by the fact that the cockatrice had already started resorting to its petrifying spit. Something like that had to be stopped right quick. She took another deep breath, aiming at the cockatrice's head again. With any luck, this thing would go down any second. "Bang!" she said again, firing the second crippling shot. Winnifred was aware she'd already used up a good chunk of her energy with these charged shots, but she was sure she'd be able to use a couple more if she needed to.</s>
<\|description\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Age: 16 Gender: Male Themesong: N/A Class: 'Disabler' Shade Rank: While his rank remains at a solid B, his combat level fluctuates from A to B, based on whether or not he is 'active.' Appearance: History: Born as a only child into a family of martial artists, Taeion's fate had been decided very early in his life. His family ran a dojo which taught an assortment of different fighting styles. His parents were well aware of the threat of ExBeasts, but already held a deep dislike for the newly found 'Magi' of the world, they believed that martial arts would be just as useful - if not better. They decided that training their child in a fighting style would prove to be useful against fighting ExBeasts, more so than Magi themselves. However, they did not want to try to teach Taeion how to fight at too early of an age, as it would be difficult, and near-useless. Instead, they waited until he was at a suitable age to be trained in the arts of - of all things, Ninjutsu. Until that time came however, Taeion was free to do as he pleased, which was to simply rest, and do non-strenuous tasks. By the time he had reach the 'training age' of eight, his already la nature had been ingrained into his personality, and he constantly tried to refuse training, and simply rested around the house. This was a short-lived rebellious phase. His father was a man of discipline, and would not take Taeion's refusal whatsoever. Naturally, he did what any caring father would do, and would strike Taeion whenever he showed a hint of laziness when training. Taeion can vividly recall his time training as times where he would find himself hurled into walls, kicked through windows, and thrown through ceilings. Through intense training, discipline and beating, Taeion had learned many of the principles of Ninjutsu already. Including, but not limited to - unarmed combat, concealment, stealth and blade techniques. It was an outlandish fighting style, but at the same time effective in the eyes of his parents. Their views on magic extended to their teaching, and Taeion also learned many techniques which were developed specifically to be used against magic. He had become extremely disciplined when it came to combat, although this new-found focus only extended to combat, which he would approach with a deadly seriousness and concentration. Everything else was subject to his lax attitude and sometimes snarky remarks, much to the dismay of his mother. His father didn't really mind. He was a martial artist, not a counsellor. Further down the line, Taeion's combat ability raised the idea of enrolling him into the Academy for Magic, Martial and Other arts. Which was decided fairly quickly. The AcadeMMO has served him well so far in some ways. He is able to apply his fighting style against ExBeasts, as they tended to use magical abilities, something which Taeion was taught to be accustomed to, and something which he was taught to counter. He frequently takes jobs which involve hunting ExBeasts due to the fact that he is able to do them alone, and has risen through the ranks quite quickly as a result. At the same time, he can sometimes proves to be quite the liability if he is given a task which isn't fighting, as he treats it like he would treat anything else: Lazily. He tends to drift from group to group because of this. Statistics: Taeion's combat style revolves around disabling an enemy in multiple ways before brutally attacking them. He aims to strike various body parts in ways that leave an enemy paralysed or unable to cast spells. Like most Shades, Taeion is meant to be inclined towards sneaking up on the enemy, but Taeion's lax disposition gets in the way of this, and he is often found lying down in plain sight. However, when he deems a situation worthy, he immediately gets up and attacks with brutal intent. Taeion is open to using various different weapons in order to fight an enemy, he may use a Tantō or Ninjato to make cuts at an enemy, but may soon switch to using shurikens if the enemy attempts to retreat. * Level - 1 * HP - 10 * MP - 6 * Attack - 20 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 25 * Defense - 2 * Evasion - 18 * Resistance - 3 Spells/Skills: <Mute [1]> Taeion attempts to choke his target using a choke wire, preventing them from accessing their command incantations for a short time afterwards. Deals no damage. The command for this move is "Mute." <Deft [1]> Taeion moves extremely quickly to close the distance between him and a target. Increases evasion by 5, and travels a maximum of [0.5 x Spd] metres. The command for this move is "Deft." <Tact [1]> Taeion takes a stab at the target in an attempt to cripple the target, increasing attack by 5, interrupting spell incantations and temporarily paralysing a limb should it connect. The command for this move is "Tact."</s> <\|message\|>Abigael Quint Abigael fell to to the ground, face first. He didn't understand what was going on, due to not seeing the wire around him. He struggled and rolled around a bit, attempting to break free of whatever was holding him, or to at least get his face out of the dirt. Unfortunatley he could only manage the latter. Upon rolling over he spotted the girl that pushed him over. He sighed and began to relax a little, realizing the situation he was in. "Jeez, if ya wanted me t'stay out of this, ya could've just said so." He yawned and waited for the beast to hopefully die. Well it looks like I my mooching plan didn't work. Hopefully I can still tag the corpse so I have something to report back to home. Maybe I can just say we captured it or let it go if I can't tag it...</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow As soon as Winnifred's second shot had landed a direct hit, she looked over briefly to assess the full situation, only to realize Haruka had made a swift change of course to target the newcomer just like Rian had a moment ago, even though the cockatrice was still up and moving about despite its injuries. "Wha - hey, hey, hey!" Winnifred shouted, then gestured towards the cockatrice and added, "This thing's only mostly dead, you know! Can't you save that for after?!" She then quickly turned her attention back to the cockatrice, letting out a deep breath to regain her focus. She held up her gun, taking aim for a third time. Surely, she hoped, this would be enough to finish it off. She'd been hoping to get this assignment finished quickly and without much hassle anyway. She pulled the trigger with another command of "Bang!" still aiming at the beast's head with the hopes of landing a finishing blow.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Blighted Woods With the combined attacks on that last Needle Blight, the group in the Blighted Woods found itself surrounded by nothing but regular, non-murderous trees and silence. Their enemies defeated, they would finally have a chance to regroup themselves and catch their breath. "That...that looks like all of 'em." Hayato managed, sheathing his sword and then leaning on it like a walking stick. He pulled off the tie under his blazer, which was going to need an extreme patching job, and used it as a makeshift bandage for his head. That last Vine Blight had clipped him pretty good, and he wiped away the blood in his eye with a sleeve but still looked quite worse for wear. He looked over at the rest of the group. Everyone except for Hazel had taken at least a few hits, and they had been so broken up and chaotic. Not really what one imagined when they thought of the word "party." "Um, guys, I don't wanna be a nag...but I think our teamwork could use some polishing." he said. Of course, now the group faced an unspoken decision as well. They could head back to the bunkers, and report their activities, or if they felt up to the task, they might continue hunting through the forest... Hazel gained 75 EXP! Joe gained 75 EXP! Hayato gained 62.5 EXP! John gained 50 EXP! Soka gained 50 EXP! Everyone Leveled up! Level 1 > 2! Everyone is awarded 7 Stat Points. You may place these as you wish into your stats; they do not apply towards Skills/Spells. Please include a Hider in your next post containing your level up info in the same format as I'll display Hayato's in a moment. Please update your profile accordingly. * Enchanted Wood x2 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. * Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. * Level - 1 > 2 * HP - 100 * MP - 30 * Attack - 20 > 25 * Magic - 5 * Speed - 15 > 17 * Accuracy - 10 * Defense - 17 * Evasion - 12 * Resistance - 8 Fire Rat Extermination The Fire Rat landed some distance past Taeion after its attack, but the Bleed damage it suffered caused it to fall over, squeaking one last pitiful breath. Taeion gained 25 EXP! Halfway to a level up!* Fire Rat's Fur x2 - Hide that can't be burned but can be tanned into somewhat durable leather. In larger amounts it could make protective gear. * Fire Rat's Fang x2 - A sharp, but small tooth imbued with Fire magic. Low Level. In larger amounts, makes good material for crafting/improving Fire aligned items, or adding Fire attributes to non-Fire items. Conflicts with Water and Nature elements. Synchronizes with Wind and Lightning elements. Neutral to other elements. As the ninja headed west, however, he would find that the situation was more serious than he had originally imagined. The three Fire Rats had scampered across the shipyard and had startled some of the dock workers. One of them had jumped or run, and either way bumped a container of oil that had spilled across the concrete slab underfoot. As the Fire Rats ran into it, then slipped and slid and rolled while squealing frantically all the way, they ignited a dripping trail that soon began spreading to other flammables, including the coveralls of the dock workers. Several men were frantically beating the flames while others had already started running towards the open section of the yard where the ships were being lowered into the water... [Dock Workers are in danger! 3 Fire Rats gain 10 Magic when using Fire due to Oil!]</s> <\|message\|>John Harley sorry was meant for ooc</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner The final Needle Blight unleashed it's last attack, but Hazel saw that Joe once again had the Needles covered, and people were already moving to attack it. She sheathed her sword, deciding to give them the last kill. She stretched, raising her arms up to the air. She glanced at Hayato, "That didn't go too bad, all things considered. After all, this is your first combat mission, and I suspect that might be true for some of the others here." She said giving a sidelong glance to the rest of the group. "Anyways, I suggest we head back. This Twig Whatevers are kinda boring. And you also look pretty messed up, Hayato." Bashing the Scary Stick Monsters proved to be a valuable learning experience. Now next time Hazel fights Hayato she might accidentally kill him. * Level - 1 > 2 * HP - 70 (7) * MP - 30 (3) * Attack - 30 > 35 * Magic - 10 * Speed - 20 > 22 * Accuracy - 15 * Defense - 5 * Evasion - 5 * Resistance - 5</s> <\|message\|>John Harley Now that it seemed that he misjudged the situation and used Fusion without reason John decided to be more careful when it came to using that spell. "I'll stay in this form for as long as possible, preferably until we're all back at Academmo" Though since for now it seemed that combat was over, he focused on finding usable material among the Blight's bodies to ensure that their deaths weren't futile. While he was searching he heard the tow knights talk." Yeah I agree with the female Knight, also don't forget this was our first mission together. Now to change the subject do you guys think the Magical Research Society might be interested in studying these bodies?" The reason he asked was because he hoped the researcher might figure out a non-lethal way of dealing with these species of Ex-Beasts. Level - 1 > 2 HP - 50 (5 points)> 70 ( 7 points ) at the moment 61 left MP - 30 (3 points) > 40 ( 4 points) currently 20 left Attack - 10 > 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13</s>	<\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro "..." Taeion took a few moments to assess the gravity of the situation. The rats had managed to create a large fire in such a short space of time. He blinked once, and looked to the right. Some nearby crates were burning - they were likely full of rubbish like the other crates Taeion had seen. He blinked slowly again, and looked to the left. The dockworkers were desperate to reach water as fast as possible. Perhaps he should have brought a Water Adept along on the Assignment, or something of the sort. It was too late to do that now though. He slowly turned to a nearby dockworker who had luckily managed to avoid the flames. After a few seconds of staring at him in silence, Taeion spoke. "This looks... pretty bad... doesn't it?" The dockworker looked at him, puzzled. Taeion did not wait for an answer, and continued on. "Could you, uh... find a hose?" His nonchalant attitude towards the ordeal served to confuse the dockworker even more. But Taeion once again did not wait for any form of response. Instead, he turned around to face the flaming creatures which were causing the problem, and rushed towards them. He did not want to attempt to use the Deft skill, as there was a high risk of him dashing into the fire. He also believed that he was low on mana, and would eventually run out of it if he continued to use that skill. Taeion thrust forward with the blade when he felt he was close enough without being too near to the oil flames, aiming to kill the first rat which had slipped in the oil.</s>
<\|description\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Age: 16 Gender: Male Themesong: N/A Class: 'Disabler' Shade Rank: While his rank remains at a solid B, his combat level fluctuates from A to B, based on whether or not he is 'active.' Appearance: History: Born as a only child into a family of martial artists, Taeion's fate had been decided very early in his life. His family ran a dojo which taught an assortment of different fighting styles. His parents were well aware of the threat of ExBeasts, but already held a deep dislike for the newly found 'Magi' of the world, they believed that martial arts would be just as useful - if not better. They decided that training their child in a fighting style would prove to be useful against fighting ExBeasts, more so than Magi themselves. However, they did not want to try to teach Taeion how to fight at too early of an age, as it would be difficult, and near-useless. Instead, they waited until he was at a suitable age to be trained in the arts of - of all things, Ninjutsu. Until that time came however, Taeion was free to do as he pleased, which was to simply rest, and do non-strenuous tasks. By the time he had reach the 'training age' of eight, his already la nature had been ingrained into his personality, and he constantly tried to refuse training, and simply rested around the house. This was a short-lived rebellious phase. His father was a man of discipline, and would not take Taeion's refusal whatsoever. Naturally, he did what any caring father would do, and would strike Taeion whenever he showed a hint of laziness when training. Taeion can vividly recall his time training as times where he would find himself hurled into walls, kicked through windows, and thrown through ceilings. Through intense training, discipline and beating, Taeion had learned many of the principles of Ninjutsu already. Including, but not limited to - unarmed combat, concealment, stealth and blade techniques. It was an outlandish fighting style, but at the same time effective in the eyes of his parents. Their views on magic extended to their teaching, and Taeion also learned many techniques which were developed specifically to be used against magic. He had become extremely disciplined when it came to combat, although this new-found focus only extended to combat, which he would approach with a deadly seriousness and concentration. Everything else was subject to his lax attitude and sometimes snarky remarks, much to the dismay of his mother. His father didn't really mind. He was a martial artist, not a counsellor. Further down the line, Taeion's combat ability raised the idea of enrolling him into the Academy for Magic, Martial and Other arts. Which was decided fairly quickly. The AcadeMMO has served him well so far in some ways. He is able to apply his fighting style against ExBeasts, as they tended to use magical abilities, something which Taeion was taught to be accustomed to, and something which he was taught to counter. He frequently takes jobs which involve hunting ExBeasts due to the fact that he is able to do them alone, and has risen through the ranks quite quickly as a result. At the same time, he can sometimes proves to be quite the liability if he is given a task which isn't fighting, as he treats it like he would treat anything else: Lazily. He tends to drift from group to group because of this. Statistics: Taeion's combat style revolves around disabling an enemy in multiple ways before brutally attacking them. He aims to strike various body parts in ways that leave an enemy paralysed or unable to cast spells. Like most Shades, Taeion is meant to be inclined towards sneaking up on the enemy, but Taeion's lax disposition gets in the way of this, and he is often found lying down in plain sight. However, when he deems a situation worthy, he immediately gets up and attacks with brutal intent. Taeion is open to using various different weapons in order to fight an enemy, he may use a Tantō or Ninjato to make cuts at an enemy, but may soon switch to using shurikens if the enemy attempts to retreat. * Level - 1 * HP - 10 * MP - 6 * Attack - 20 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 25 * Defense - 2 * Evasion - 18 * Resistance - 3 Spells/Skills: <Mute [1]> Taeion attempts to choke his target using a choke wire, preventing them from accessing their command incantations for a short time afterwards. Deals no damage. The command for this move is "Mute." <Deft [1]> Taeion moves extremely quickly to close the distance between him and a target. Increases evasion by 5, and travels a maximum of [0.5 x Spd] metres. The command for this move is "Deft." <Tact [1]> Taeion takes a stab at the target in an attempt to cripple the target, increasing attack by 5, interrupting spell incantations and temporarily paralysing a limb should it connect. The command for this move is "Tact."</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka saw that the enemies around them were finally downed. "Well I'm sure glad that's over," he said, walking toward the others. He agreed that they could use a better teamwork formation. Soka was almost sure that there were more Exbeasts that would attack this same area again, but for the time being the area seemed clear. He wanted to scout the rest of the area to see if there was anything else nearby, but decided to be quiet and let those with more experience decide. Briefly, he wondered how the other students were doing with the other D-Rank missions. "Thanks again for helping me, Hayato. And good fighting, everyone." Level - 1 -> 2 HP - 140 MP - 120 Attack - 8 Magic - 15 Speed - 12 > 19 Accuracy - 7 Defense - 7 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 8</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis They finished the fight and Joe couldn't help but smile. This was definitely enjoyable. He might have been disadvantaged, the only one not using it's weakness but he still had fun. This only verified it for him, it was what he wanted to do. "I have no idea what you're talking about, my teamwork was great.", he gave a look towards Hazel and the summon guy, He remembered doing just fine with them, superb teamwork even. "I would like to continue but I got shook up a little while attacking, most of my opponents have been fast. So going back might be a wise decision." Level - 1 > 2 HP - 100 MP - 40 Attack - 20 > 25 Magic - 5 Speed - 15 Accuracy - 15 Defense - 11 > 13 Evasion - 15 Resistance - 5</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Blighted Woods With everyone in agreement to go back, the party made their way through the woods the way they had come. Soon the research station was in sight again, and as they approached another scientist noticed them and ran over. "You're back! Our equipment's not picking up any more Exbeasts, so great job!" he said, before pointing them towards a central bunker building. "Our telepad is in there; I'll go ahead and operate the Restoration function too!" He pulled a tablet from his coat pocket and began typing away, but before they headed towards the bunker Hayato raised a hand. "I have a question, sir. What exactly is this station researching?" "Ah!" said the scientist, excited that they had taken an interest. "Well, as you probably know Excaledvol hasn't been explored very much yet. But for the most part, the plants and water and overall geology are very similar, almost identical in some aspects, to Earth's! We're here to take samples of said geology and biology too, and study them. We've actually made some very interesting findings about some of the species here already." "I see..." Hayato said. "But I don't suppose you see a lot of people, then? You haven't seen any AcadeMMO students besides us?" "Not recently, no." said the scientist. Hayato's face suddenly perked up. "We do send the school requests for assistance every once in a while. But you're the first since the new semester only started yesterday, of course." "Have...have you seen someone who looks a bit like me, except with a scar across his nose and a different hair style?" Hayato asked excitedly, leaning forward so that the scientist could see his features. The man raised an eyebrow, but looked at him closely for a moment with a hum of concentration. "Mmm...No, I'm sorry. I can't say I have." Hayato was crestfallen. "Ah...oh well, then. Thanks anyway. And let us know again if you need more help." When the group stepped back onto the telepad, this time the magic runes and lights glowed green for a moment. Their HP and MP was restored in a flash, the healing magic spreading through them like warmth from a fireplace. Then, once the coordinates for the school were set, they disappeared. The scientist waved farewell, then went back to his studies. Out in the woods, a boot crunched down on the remains of a Twig Blight, the hem of a cloak billowing around it. "So this confirms it." said one voice, a male. "They're trying to use our own power against us. If we want those busybodies gone, we'll have to bring out something that kids like that can't handle." Another voice responded from a small, purple sphere that floated in the air near the hooded figure. It was somewhat similar to the Sprites used by AcadeMMO, and its voice had the same mechanical twinge, though it was obviously female. "Those children were inexperienced. No doubt they have stronger heroes available to them." "True..." The hooded figure looked around at the remains of the Blights. "I suppose I'll have to do some thinking on this one..." With that, the figure turned and began to walk away, soon disappearing into the depths of the forest... Fire Rat Extermination The Fire Rat Taeion attacked only barely managed to leap out of the way, sliding when it landed on all fours in the oil. The other two, however, took aim and unleashed a dual Fireball spell at him. The oil all around instantly began to ignite, only adding to the growing power of the conflagration magic as the two projectiles rushed towards Taeion. The dockworkers around him ran and dove for cover, the idea of a hose completely forgotten. The fire continued to spread over the docks, and the oil continued to ooze from now melting containers...if it got into the water, not only would the fire spread further, but it would be a major eco-hazard...</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka listened quietly while Hayato and the scientist talked for a few minutes. In the meantime, he looked around at the trees, plants and the nearby surrounding. He was still in awe of this new world and had so many questions. When it was time to go back to the Academy, he nodded to the others as they went to the telepad. When no one was looking, he picked up a small tree branch that was on the ground. He placed the twig in his pocket and walked toward the telepad. It had been an exciting first mission and he had learned a lot. Now he needed to focus on increasing his battle skills and maybe gaining a few allies. While the telepad glowed with green energy, a look of determination and resolve focused on Soka's face. He thought about his goals for the rest of the week.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka smiled as the boy dropped down to the ground. He couldnt possibly steal anything from them now since he was bound. Haruka would have given the reward to the others anyway. It wasn't really needed for her to get something great out of it aslong as she got to train her skills some more. She called the command "Hide" and slowly went over to the beast its leg to cut it horizontal. She took a big jump back smoothly going over in two handstands before getting a good distance betweeN her and the bird.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel took note that she was called the 'Female Knight' by the summoner. They didn't all know each others name. Not exactly conducive to good teamwork. She would bring up the issue of putting names to faces in a few minutes, but for now the group returned to the laboratory they were protecting. Hazel wasn't particularly attempting to eavesdrop on the conversation between Hayato and the scientist, but the D-Rank wasn't exactly being discreet about the matter that seemed to be personal. He's looking for someone. Family maybe? They're supposed to look like him, after all. Hazel wasn't at all opposed to prying into the boy's personal business, and planned to ask when they returned to the Academy. As they made their return to AcadeMMO Hazel announced aloud to no one particular, "My name is Hazel, by the way."</s> <\|message\|>John Harley When he heard about the Restoration function, John decided to undo the fusion despite his earlier decision."No point in risking this becoming permanent somehow." Immediately after splitting both the Cactus-Cat and Summoner felt exhausted as the stress of the unnatural changes to their bodies hit them. The healing done by the telepad was great, not only did the scratches on John's arm disappear he also felt completely rested. After Hazel's introduction, he felt he couldn't remain unknown either. " I'm John and even though I haven't named him yet, this is my Summon a Cactus-Cat." He pointed at the feline Ex-Beast that was still around, since now it was time for John to keep up his end of the Contract.</s>	<\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Taeion was once again able to avoid both of the oncoming fireballs, this time by quickly dashing backwards, the fireballs hitting the ground because of it. It seemed as though all the rats had poor aim. Taeion stood for a moment, silent. He was simply staring at the now paused Fire Rats, They too seemed to await his next action. He reached into his pocket once more, and pulled out two shuriken. Temporarily putting the ninjato back into his pocket, he concentrated. He held a single shuriken in each hand, with the intention to throw them. Taeion was by no means ambidextrous, although his training had definitely improved his motor functions in that regard. At once, he threw the two shuriken towards to of the rats, he then quickly retrieved his ninjato, and activated his ability. "Deft." He charged at the third of the rats, the one which had first eluded him. His plan was to kill all three rodents at the same time, to prevent any further damage to the docks.</s>
<\|description\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Age: 16 Gender: Male Themesong: N/A Class: 'Disabler' Shade Rank: While his rank remains at a solid B, his combat level fluctuates from A to B, based on whether or not he is 'active.' Appearance: History: Born as a only child into a family of martial artists, Taeion's fate had been decided very early in his life. His family ran a dojo which taught an assortment of different fighting styles. His parents were well aware of the threat of ExBeasts, but already held a deep dislike for the newly found 'Magi' of the world, they believed that martial arts would be just as useful - if not better. They decided that training their child in a fighting style would prove to be useful against fighting ExBeasts, more so than Magi themselves. However, they did not want to try to teach Taeion how to fight at too early of an age, as it would be difficult, and near-useless. Instead, they waited until he was at a suitable age to be trained in the arts of - of all things, Ninjutsu. Until that time came however, Taeion was free to do as he pleased, which was to simply rest, and do non-strenuous tasks. By the time he had reach the 'training age' of eight, his already la nature had been ingrained into his personality, and he constantly tried to refuse training, and simply rested around the house. This was a short-lived rebellious phase. His father was a man of discipline, and would not take Taeion's refusal whatsoever. Naturally, he did what any caring father would do, and would strike Taeion whenever he showed a hint of laziness when training. Taeion can vividly recall his time training as times where he would find himself hurled into walls, kicked through windows, and thrown through ceilings. Through intense training, discipline and beating, Taeion had learned many of the principles of Ninjutsu already. Including, but not limited to - unarmed combat, concealment, stealth and blade techniques. It was an outlandish fighting style, but at the same time effective in the eyes of his parents. Their views on magic extended to their teaching, and Taeion also learned many techniques which were developed specifically to be used against magic. He had become extremely disciplined when it came to combat, although this new-found focus only extended to combat, which he would approach with a deadly seriousness and concentration. Everything else was subject to his lax attitude and sometimes snarky remarks, much to the dismay of his mother. His father didn't really mind. He was a martial artist, not a counsellor. Further down the line, Taeion's combat ability raised the idea of enrolling him into the Academy for Magic, Martial and Other arts. Which was decided fairly quickly. The AcadeMMO has served him well so far in some ways. He is able to apply his fighting style against ExBeasts, as they tended to use magical abilities, something which Taeion was taught to be accustomed to, and something which he was taught to counter. He frequently takes jobs which involve hunting ExBeasts due to the fact that he is able to do them alone, and has risen through the ranks quite quickly as a result. At the same time, he can sometimes proves to be quite the liability if he is given a task which isn't fighting, as he treats it like he would treat anything else: Lazily. He tends to drift from group to group because of this. Statistics: Taeion's combat style revolves around disabling an enemy in multiple ways before brutally attacking them. He aims to strike various body parts in ways that leave an enemy paralysed or unable to cast spells. Like most Shades, Taeion is meant to be inclined towards sneaking up on the enemy, but Taeion's lax disposition gets in the way of this, and he is often found lying down in plain sight. However, when he deems a situation worthy, he immediately gets up and attacks with brutal intent. Taeion is open to using various different weapons in order to fight an enemy, he may use a Tantō or Ninjato to make cuts at an enemy, but may soon switch to using shurikens if the enemy attempts to retreat. * Level - 1 * HP - 10 * MP - 6 * Attack - 20 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 25 * Defense - 2 * Evasion - 18 * Resistance - 3 Spells/Skills: <Mute [1]> Taeion attempts to choke his target using a choke wire, preventing them from accessing their command incantations for a short time afterwards. Deals no damage. The command for this move is "Mute." <Deft [1]> Taeion moves extremely quickly to close the distance between him and a target. Increases evasion by 5, and travels a maximum of [0.5 x Spd] metres. The command for this move is "Deft." <Tact [1]> Taeion takes a stab at the target in an attempt to cripple the target, increasing attack by 5, interrupting spell incantations and temporarily paralysing a limb should it connect. The command for this move is "Tact."</s> <\|message\|>John Harley "That is right, Sir. My name is John Harley and I'm a Summoner." John introduced himself to the gymteacher hoping that his insane amount of muscles didn't mean he only liked Martial Classes. He looked through the gym, trying to find the freshmen. "But wat exactly am I supposed to do, just spar with them or something?"To be honest John was hoping that he was just there to tell them about the dangers of Excaledvol , and maybe give them some advice. But he knew better than to expect it would be that easy. credits:50 Akira and I are still discussing the blighted woods loot john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Once the cockatrice was dead, Winnifred walked over to the boy still tied up on the ground from Haruka's binds. "Beat, huh? I don't really get it," she said, listening to his story and looking at his weapon with a perplexed look on her face, "But... It doesn't sound like it should be a problem for us. Or at least for me anyway, I dunno about the others. But next time I suggest just joining a team ahead of time. I dunno about some people here, but I don't bite. Unless you turn out to actually be a weirdo stalker or something. I'll totally bite if that turns out to be the case. But, uh, since Haruka's the one who tied you up, I'll go ahead and make it her call on what to let you do." After she had finished speaking, she sat down on the ground to wait for the rest of her team to decide what to do and when to head back. "So, what stuff are you guys gonna want from that thing?" she asked. * Level - 1 > 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 19 > 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 16 > 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka She smirked at the tied up boy and was suprised that the bird had already given up on fighting. She walked over to the bird while she occasionaly listened to them talking and took the loot dropping it a little closer to the group "You 3 can have all the items that it dropped and the new guy can do whatever he wants with the bird. She layed her hand on the katana and mad a swift motion holstering in the blink of an eye. She had cut all the wires with one swift movement from the new guy his body without leaving a single scratch "Just making sure thr guy steals anything from us thats all." She gently smiled at the others and waited for them to pick out the loot and activate the crystall back to the academy Level - 1 > 2 - HP - 8 - MP - 5 - Attack - 28 - Magic - 4 - Speed - 17 > 22 - Accuracy - 12 - Defense - 2 - Evasion - 22 > 24 - Resistance - 2</s>	<\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro After receiving the loot from the now-dead Fire Rats, Taeion was able to make his way back to the Sprite which would send him back to the academy. His assignment was successful, a slightly damaged arm as his only casualty. He had also ran out of shuriken. He took note of this, and planned to buy more from the AcadeMMO's weapon store. At least, he thought they had one. He wasn't entirely sure. Taeion made his way back to the Sprite, completely forgetting about the carnage and destruction in the docks which he had inadvertently caused by luring Fire Rats out of a crate. He would take no part in the clean up of the mess either. * Level - 1 > 2 * HP - 10 * MP - 6 * Attack - 20 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 > 12 * Accuracy - 25 > 28 * Defense - 2 * Evasion - 18 > 20 * Resistance - 3 Finding the Sprite, Taeion prepared to travel back to the academy, save for the fact that he had forgotten how to activate the Sprite. He tapped it lightly first. The Sprite bobbed up and down for a bit before stabilizing itself, although nothing which carried a 'teleportation' vibe seemed to occur. Taeion blinked, waiting for a few moments. The Sprite hadn't said anything so far - nor had Taeion. There was a long, drawn-out silence... Taeion then struck the Sprite with a punch. While it may not have been the right way to activate the Sprite, it certainly was effective. The Sprite began to glow, enveloping him in a light which grew brighter and brighter. With that, he disappeared from the docks. Moments later, he reappeared within one of the teleportation rooms within the AcadeMMO. He stepped out of the room, and looked around. He was certainly back at the academy. Taeion turned his attention toward his arm; it was healed, although there was still a minor scar - likely due to him assaulting the Sprite to try and get it to activate. Taeion would probably need to find the assistance of an actual Healer if he wished to fully remove the injury. With little else to do, Taeion's only objectives were to eat and then return to his constant resting, perhaps even rest whilst eating, should he feel like it. He made his way to the dining hall, albeit drowsily - his Special Assignment had ended, there was nothing left to fight, meaning Taeion had returned to his lazy state. He reached the double-doors leading to the dining hall and in his absent-minded disposition, put to much effort into opening them. The doors swung open, both hitting their respective walls. With such a small amount of people in the dining hall, the noise the doors created echoed throughout the hall. It was surprising, and few of the students looked to see what had caused it. A portion, seeing Taeion, were all too aware that this was how the "Indolent Ninja" acted most the time, and simply went back to studying. Others were slightly annoyed by his obnoxious disregard for the other students within the dining hall. Nevertheless, Taeion ignored the reactions of his peers, and made his way to the cafeteria's menu. It was hard to believe that he completed an ExBeast Assignment just a few minutes prior.</s>
<\|description\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Age: 16 Gender: Male Themesong: N/A Class: 'Disabler' Shade Rank: While his rank remains at a solid B, his combat level fluctuates from A to B, based on whether or not he is 'active.' Appearance: History: Born as a only child into a family of martial artists, Taeion's fate had been decided very early in his life. His family ran a dojo which taught an assortment of different fighting styles. His parents were well aware of the threat of ExBeasts, but already held a deep dislike for the newly found 'Magi' of the world, they believed that martial arts would be just as useful - if not better. They decided that training their child in a fighting style would prove to be useful against fighting ExBeasts, more so than Magi themselves. However, they did not want to try to teach Taeion how to fight at too early of an age, as it would be difficult, and near-useless. Instead, they waited until he was at a suitable age to be trained in the arts of - of all things, Ninjutsu. Until that time came however, Taeion was free to do as he pleased, which was to simply rest, and do non-strenuous tasks. By the time he had reach the 'training age' of eight, his already la nature had been ingrained into his personality, and he constantly tried to refuse training, and simply rested around the house. This was a short-lived rebellious phase. His father was a man of discipline, and would not take Taeion's refusal whatsoever. Naturally, he did what any caring father would do, and would strike Taeion whenever he showed a hint of laziness when training. Taeion can vividly recall his time training as times where he would find himself hurled into walls, kicked through windows, and thrown through ceilings. Through intense training, discipline and beating, Taeion had learned many of the principles of Ninjutsu already. Including, but not limited to - unarmed combat, concealment, stealth and blade techniques. It was an outlandish fighting style, but at the same time effective in the eyes of his parents. Their views on magic extended to their teaching, and Taeion also learned many techniques which were developed specifically to be used against magic. He had become extremely disciplined when it came to combat, although this new-found focus only extended to combat, which he would approach with a deadly seriousness and concentration. Everything else was subject to his lax attitude and sometimes snarky remarks, much to the dismay of his mother. His father didn't really mind. He was a martial artist, not a counsellor. Further down the line, Taeion's combat ability raised the idea of enrolling him into the Academy for Magic, Martial and Other arts. Which was decided fairly quickly. The AcadeMMO has served him well so far in some ways. He is able to apply his fighting style against ExBeasts, as they tended to use magical abilities, something which Taeion was taught to be accustomed to, and something which he was taught to counter. He frequently takes jobs which involve hunting ExBeasts due to the fact that he is able to do them alone, and has risen through the ranks quite quickly as a result. At the same time, he can sometimes proves to be quite the liability if he is given a task which isn't fighting, as he treats it like he would treat anything else: Lazily. He tends to drift from group to group because of this. Statistics: Taeion's combat style revolves around disabling an enemy in multiple ways before brutally attacking them. He aims to strike various body parts in ways that leave an enemy paralysed or unable to cast spells. Like most Shades, Taeion is meant to be inclined towards sneaking up on the enemy, but Taeion's lax disposition gets in the way of this, and he is often found lying down in plain sight. However, when he deems a situation worthy, he immediately gets up and attacks with brutal intent. Taeion is open to using various different weapons in order to fight an enemy, he may use a Tantō or Ninjato to make cuts at an enemy, but may soon switch to using shurikens if the enemy attempts to retreat. * Level - 1 * HP - 10 * MP - 6 * Attack - 20 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 25 * Defense - 2 * Evasion - 18 * Resistance - 3 Spells/Skills: <Mute [1]> Taeion attempts to choke his target using a choke wire, preventing them from accessing their command incantations for a short time afterwards. Deals no damage. The command for this move is "Mute." <Deft [1]> Taeion moves extremely quickly to close the distance between him and a target. Increases evasion by 5, and travels a maximum of [0.5 x Spd] metres. The command for this move is "Deft." <Tact [1]> Taeion takes a stab at the target in an attempt to cripple the target, increasing attack by 5, interrupting spell incantations and temporarily paralysing a limb should it connect. The command for this move is "Tact."</s> <\|message\|>John Harley "I see, that's quite the coincidence. Is there anything in particular that I should know or tell them?" John honestly found it a bit odd that he would be dealing with an entire group of Summoners, but he wasn't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. Hoping that Prof Kirby wouldn't think he was being rude, he walked over to the students stopping in front of the barrier. looking at the rune, he tried to remember all the ways a True Summoning could go wrong, but he could only remember what happened if a Summoner tried to make a Contract with an ExBeast that was too powerful for them to "control". credits:50 Akira and I are still discussing the blighted woods loot john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato "I wouldn't mind being the best." Hayato said, taking another bite of his burger. He chewed and swallowed, wiping the corner of his mouth with a thumb, before continuing. "But for me, it's a means to an end. A Rank, SSS Rank...I'll be whatever I need to be to find Rikuto." He looked at Hazel for a moment, taking careful stock of her expressions. "But, I guess you don't really need a reason. Having a lot of drive is a good thing, and of course doing well here means doing well in the future, too." He decided to change the subject. "So, what did you think of the mission, earlier? Obviously you said it was boring, but I mean, the team? Anybody in that group strike you as a candidate for future team ups?" John "Just tell them about your own experiences." The teacher pulled up a holo screen and looked at John closely for a moment. "Your profile says you've got one contract, right? Maybe tell them how you contracted it, how the relationship between you and the beast works, how you fight together, etc." When John examined the True Summoning ritual, he could tell that it was meant to summon a Sylphid, a weak level of Exbeast associated with the Wind element. "Hey, what's up?" asked one of the students sitting in the stands. "Are you a Summoner, too?"</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel pondered for a moment on Hayato's question. For her the team was only really one random pick-up group, similar to many others she has been a part of, and she hadn't really considered teaming up with them again, except for Hayato of course. But Hazel decided to humor him. "Well... the Adept, his magic was interesting, but he doesn't really know how to use it that well. I supposed if he became a little more experienced that wouldn't be much of an issue. The Summoner was useful, I supposed, but it seemed like he also didn't really have enough experience with his abilities either. You notice how he used Fusion for one enemy, which we had taken care of? If more enemies had appeared a waste of mana like that would've been dangerous. The Striker wasn't bad, but he seemed to me like he'd be the kinda guy that's a bit brash... but I guess I can't really judge. But they all were E or D-rank, if I recall correctly, so maybe my expectations are a bit high."</s> <\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro Taeion had made his order at the counter. He pointed towards the menu seemingly putting no thought into it. The persona at the counter knew better, and able to discern what he was ordering without any voice prompt on Taeion's part. It was quite clear he had done this sort of thing before. Taeion collected his order - an entire pizza. It was something which he had requested several times to be on the cafeteria's menu early last year, something which the academy's higher-ups reluctantly complied with in order to get Taeion to stop bothering them. However, the menu itself was never actually updated to include this information, and it became something which only sophmores of the academy were aware of. Freshmen tended to be confused when Taeion would enter the cafeteria with nothing, and would return with such an out-of-place order. Paying for his food with 20 AC, Taeion made his way to the first table he saw. Placing his food on the table, he began to eat. While he did not notice it - likely due to his half-closed eyes, there were two other students at the table. One, a male who appeared to carry no weapons. He likely belonged to one of the Magic Classes. An Adept, maybe? The other had a Class which was harder to discern. She was eating curry, but was using chopsticks to do so - something which Taeion would find strange, had he even managed to notice the other students.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato "So basically you just think everyone needs more experience." Hayato said, finishing his meal. He was a quick eater, as it gave him more time to do other things with. "I'm in that bucket too, though. Professor Gene was telling me the same thing earlier today." He leaned back in his chair and put both hands behind his head. "Fighting Exbeasts was definitely way different from a sparring session. If I had been on that quest alone...I'd be dead. No questions asked. Those Blight creatures were weak, but with their numbers and their different abilities--trapping movement, attacking from range and from up close--they were really dangerous. And they're only D Rank! I can't imagine how screwed I'd be against something you're used to fighting." He sighed and shook his head. "Anyway, if it's alright with you, I'll definitely be calling you in the future. I think having an A rank around to learn from would be a big help." Then, suddenly joking again, he smiled and gave Hazel a wink. "Plus it'll make other people think we're dating, which will raise my reputation through the roof."</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka was eating his food, when he noticed a girl sit down near him. He looked at her for some moments, before nodding. "Sure, go ahead. I'm Soka, who are you?" Soon after, someone else sat at the table as well. Someone WITH AN ENTIRE PIZZA! "Whoa, how much did that cost!" he said aloud, without even thinking about it.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel nodded in agreement as Hayato spoke of his own inexperience. "Of course, you're also pretty green. And things don't get much easier as you climb the ranks, so just keep doing assignments and practicing. I'm sure you'll get there eventually," She paused for a moment, and decided to give him a little bit of encouragement, "That being said, I am comparing you to the people I usually fight with, I'd say you might be a little better than most E-Ranks I see." However she didn't quite agree with what he said next. "Plus it'll make other people think we're dating, which will raise my reputation through the roof." This guy really is a moron, isn't he? Hazel thought to herself. She rose her fist, but lowered it with a sigh. At first it appeared there would be no physical retaliation, but Hazel had observed that Hayato was leaning back in his chair. She drove her foot into the chair, knocking him off balance, hoping it would make him fall on his ass.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley "Yes I am, in fact I 'm here to give you guys some pointers. Oh yeah, before I forget, you can call me John." He quickly introduced himself. With that out of the way, he turned to the the student currently inside the transparent cube. "Remember, when the Sylphid appears don't show fear, but don't make the mistake of thinking it will automatically listen to you either. And if necessary give the order to drop the barrier, so I can deal with it." John then faced the other students again."The second the barrier drops get to safety. Preferably somewhere where you can see how I handle things, but that shouldn't be your main concern." credits:50 Enchanted Wood x1 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s>	<\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro "Whoa, how much did that cost!" Taeion looked up from his meal to see another student. Had he been sitting here all this time? Taeion hadn't noticed. The boy was asking about the price of the pizza which the Indolent Ninja had. Taeion stopped eating for a moment to answer. "...20 AC." Upon answering, he also noticed another person at the table. Taeion was sitting opposite to a female student. He blinked once, turned to the boy and spoke again. "Am I...interrupting something...?" Taeion asked, interlocking the fingers of both of his hands as he said this, trying to suggest that the two students were in some kind of relationship.</s>
<\|description\|>Abigael Quint Age: 15 Gender: Male Themesong: You Will Know Our Names (The only good quality version I can find is the extended version, sorry.) Class: Glaiveknight Appearance: Abigael (Basically imagine this but less beefy.) History: Abigael grew up as a fairly weak child. He did not have much stamina to run great distances, the speed to keep up with others, or the strength to perform much actions. He was, in his home town, known as the weakling of the town. Because of this title, his blunt and sarcastic attitude, and his feminine sounding name, he was often bullied by other children, and even mocked by adults. Unfortunately, Abigael was not the brightest person either. He had average grades, and average intelligence, never exceeding expectations. Despite all the bullying and all the remarks from others, he never particularly hated himself, or minded his disadvantage in life. In fact, he was happy with only meeting the bar, never standing out or being a star student. While Abigael was happy with his life, his parents were not particular happy. They would attempt to push him, to get him to try harder, to go out and exercise, but he always either found ways out of his task, or did a mediocre job at the task. Upon growing up, his parents grew concerned. They hoped that one day they could somehow get Abigael into their line of work as Exbeast researchers, who focused in weapon creation using Exbeast design and materials, but he was shaping up to become something else entirely. As a final effort, Abigael's parents brought him into their line of work, to observe what they do and what the career is like. On that particular day, they had brought in the corpse of an Exbeast to research and collect parts from, in hopes of creating some sort of weapon. Unfortunately, the hunters that captured the Exbeast did a poor job, as they only damaged the beast to near death and mistook it for dead, when it was simply knocked out. The researchers learned this fact the hard way, when the beast woke up. The center was in chaos, as the beast thrashed about and attacked any and all that it saw, leading to the deaths of many. Abigael's parents were forced out of the room via the mob of escaping researchers, leaving Abigael confused and alone with the Exbeast. They could do nothing but watch through surveillance cameras as Abigael struggled to dodge and find a means of escape, believing that this would be the last time they would see their son. However, this was instead where they witnessed something surprising - Something Abigael was actually skilled at: Adapting and quick thinking. For a while, Abigael could do nothing but dodge and panic, but after a few moments he quickly gathered his surroundings and came up with a plan in a matter of seconds. He saw a weapon that was in development in the room - Something another group must have been working on before the chaos ensued. A glaive, that looked to have something attached to it. He also noticed multiple heavy wounds on the beast, ones that the beast would often grasp in pain. Abigael acted quick - He grabbed the weapon without, and upon touch, the item attached activated. A bug-like machine started flying around Abigael, zipping around back and fourth, looking at him as if waiting for an order. Abigael took a chance - he pointed at the weak spots of the monster with the command to attack, and the bug obeyed. It stabbed at the beast with a blade that emerged from its body, and began glowing an odd color, causing the beast to stagger. The bug then returned to Abigael, and inserted itself into the glaive, sharing its color with the weapon. Abigael felt a sudden surge of energy, like something he never felt before, and for some reason, the beast was slowing down. Its attacks seemed to be delayed, and Abigael's speed seemed to have increased. Abigael wasted no time and began striking at the beast with flurries of attacks and dodges, back and forth, directly into the beast's already opened wounds, until the beast fell, properly dead. Immediately following the Exbeast's defeat, researchers (Abigael's parents included,) flooded the room with cheers and and congratulations, thanking Abigael for stopping the beast before it could do much damage. His parents were amazed by their son's ability to notice and use the beast's weak-points to his advantage, and also his ability to use the experimental weapon. They knew immediately what their son was meant to do, but they wanted to make a few preparations before speaking to their son. A year later, at the age of 15, Abigael's parents presented the finished model of the glaive to him, expressing firm belief that he was more than capable of using the weapon, and of fighting Exbeast. They assured Abigael that the rest of the research group believed the same, agreeing to give the finished glaive to Abigael, on the condition that they received regular reports on the weapon's behavior, with the advice of using the bug on the the corpse of a beast the next time he fights one. They then proposed the idea of attending AcadeMMO to Abigael, explaining that this was the place where all great fighters and heroes start, and that Abigael would certainly grow to be one of these heroes if he attended. Abigael, saw this as more of a demand than a proposal, since he was already enrolled by his parents. Abigael didn't like the idea of his parents enrolling him without his consent, but he was fine with joining the academy, believing this career was as good as any. With his belongings packed up and his bug companion (Who he took to calling "Beat" for the sake of convenience,) buzzing around him, he got on a train to the academy, hoping the assignments wouldn't be too bothersome. Statistics: Level - 1 HP - 150 (15) MP - 150 (15) Attack - 12 Magic - 16 Speed - 14 Accuracy - 16 Defense - 0 Evasion - 19 Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills: Tag 'em, Beat! [2] - Abigael sends out Beat at a specific part of an enemy, stealing an aspect and applying it to himself. He gets a temporary +10 stat boost in a certain stat, depending on the enemy and what Beat attaches itself to, while the enemy gets a -10 to that stat. Does a pitiful amount of damage - 1 multiplied by the level of the skill. Adds another +10 to the bonus and -10 to the enemies penalty per level. 7 meter range. Costs 10 MP per level. Command is the skill name. "Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures!" [1] - Abigael uses his glaive as a vault to launch up into the air, where he aims to land on the enemy. If the enemy has lower evasion than Abigael's accuracy, he hits his target and jams Beat into them, getting a level 1 version of the "Tag 'em, Beat!" skill, while also getting a few hits in with the glaive, doing 10 damage per level. If Abigael misses the target, he lands on his face and takes 10 damage. Costs 10 MP per level. Command is the skill name. (Really sorry about the walls of text. I might have gotten a bit carried away. ^^;;)</s> <\|message\|>John Harley "That is right, Sir. My name is John Harley and I'm a Summoner." John introduced himself to the gymteacher hoping that his insane amount of muscles didn't mean he only liked Martial Classes. He looked through the gym, trying to find the freshmen. "But wat exactly am I supposed to do, just spar with them or something?"To be honest John was hoping that he was just there to tell them about the dangers of Excaledvol , and maybe give them some advice. But he knew better than to expect it would be that easy. credits:50 Akira and I are still discussing the blighted woods loot john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>Winnifred Winslow Once the cockatrice was dead, Winnifred walked over to the boy still tied up on the ground from Haruka's binds. "Beat, huh? I don't really get it," she said, listening to his story and looking at his weapon with a perplexed look on her face, "But... It doesn't sound like it should be a problem for us. Or at least for me anyway, I dunno about the others. But next time I suggest just joining a team ahead of time. I dunno about some people here, but I don't bite. Unless you turn out to actually be a weirdo stalker or something. I'll totally bite if that turns out to be the case. But, uh, since Haruka's the one who tied you up, I'll go ahead and make it her call on what to let you do." After she had finished speaking, she sat down on the ground to wait for the rest of her team to decide what to do and when to head back. "So, what stuff are you guys gonna want from that thing?" she asked. * Level - 1 > 2 * HP - 110 (11 pts) * MP - 80 (8 pts) * Attack - 19 > 22 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 * Accuracy - 16 > 20 * Defense - 8 * Evasion - 17 * Resistance - 5</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka She smirked at the tied up boy and was suprised that the bird had already given up on fighting. She walked over to the bird while she occasionaly listened to them talking and took the loot dropping it a little closer to the group "You 3 can have all the items that it dropped and the new guy can do whatever he wants with the bird. She layed her hand on the katana and mad a swift motion holstering in the blink of an eye. She had cut all the wires with one swift movement from the new guy his body without leaving a single scratch "Just making sure thr guy steals anything from us thats all." She gently smiled at the others and waited for them to pick out the loot and activate the crystall back to the academy Level - 1 > 2 - HP - 8 - MP - 5 - Attack - 28 - Magic - 4 - Speed - 17 > 22 - Accuracy - 12 - Defense - 2 - Evasion - 22 > 24 - Resistance - 2</s> <\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro After receiving the loot from the now-dead Fire Rats, Taeion was able to make his way back to the Sprite which would send him back to the academy. His assignment was successful, a slightly damaged arm as his only casualty. He had also ran out of shuriken. He took note of this, and planned to buy more from the AcadeMMO's weapon store. At least, he thought they had one. He wasn't entirely sure. Taeion made his way back to the Sprite, completely forgetting about the carnage and destruction in the docks which he had inadvertently caused by luring Fire Rats out of a crate. He would take no part in the clean up of the mess either. * Level - 1 > 2 * HP - 10 * MP - 6 * Attack - 20 * Magic - 6 * Speed - 10 > 12 * Accuracy - 25 > 28 * Defense - 2 * Evasion - 18 > 20 * Resistance - 3 Finding the Sprite, Taeion prepared to travel back to the academy, save for the fact that he had forgotten how to activate the Sprite. He tapped it lightly first. The Sprite bobbed up and down for a bit before stabilizing itself, although nothing which carried a 'teleportation' vibe seemed to occur. Taeion blinked, waiting for a few moments. The Sprite hadn't said anything so far - nor had Taeion. There was a long, drawn-out silence... Taeion then struck the Sprite with a punch. While it may not have been the right way to activate the Sprite, it certainly was effective. The Sprite began to glow, enveloping him in a light which grew brighter and brighter. With that, he disappeared from the docks. Moments later, he reappeared within one of the teleportation rooms within the AcadeMMO. He stepped out of the room, and looked around. He was certainly back at the academy. Taeion turned his attention toward his arm; it was healed, although there was still a minor scar - likely due to him assaulting the Sprite to try and get it to activate. Taeion would probably need to find the assistance of an actual Healer if he wished to fully remove the injury. With little else to do, Taeion's only objectives were to eat and then return to his constant resting, perhaps even rest whilst eating, should he feel like it. He made his way to the dining hall, albeit drowsily - his Special Assignment had ended, there was nothing left to fight, meaning Taeion had returned to his lazy state. He reached the double-doors leading to the dining hall and in his absent-minded disposition, put to much effort into opening them. The doors swung open, both hitting their respective walls. With such a small amount of people in the dining hall, the noise the doors created echoed throughout the hall. It was surprising, and few of the students looked to see what had caused it. A portion, seeing Taeion, were all too aware that this was how the "Indolent Ninja" acted most the time, and simply went back to studying. Others were slightly annoyed by his obnoxious disregard for the other students within the dining hall. Nevertheless, Taeion ignored the reactions of his peers, and made his way to the cafeteria's menu. It was hard to believe that he completed an ExBeast Assignment just a few minutes prior.</s>	<\|message\|>Abigael Quint Abigael flinched at first, then relaxed when he realized he was free to move around. "Alright! Thank ya kindly. Now... Let's see..." He got up and picked up his glaive, pointing it at the corpse of the cockatrice. "Beat! Um... Tag it I guess?" Beat activated, flying up and straight towards the body. Once the mechanical beast reached the cockatrice, it zipped around it, eyeing its various parts. It then landed on the head of the beast, and a loud stabbing sound followed. Beat then glowed various colors, blinking while doing so. The blinking eventually ceased, and bug companion returned to the glaive, resting on the blunt end and closing its eye slots. A clean stab mark could be seen on the head of the cockatrice, but nothing more seemed to be missing from the monster. "Huh... That was different. Doesn't look like it did anything either. Ah well, that's all I needed." Abigael put his glaive away, looking satisfied with his work quota being met. He then waited for the rest of the group to finish their business.</s>
<\|description\|>Abigael Quint Age: 15 Gender: Male Themesong: You Will Know Our Names (The only good quality version I can find is the extended version, sorry.) Class: Glaiveknight Appearance: Abigael (Basically imagine this but less beefy.) History: Abigael grew up as a fairly weak child. He did not have much stamina to run great distances, the speed to keep up with others, or the strength to perform much actions. He was, in his home town, known as the weakling of the town. Because of this title, his blunt and sarcastic attitude, and his feminine sounding name, he was often bullied by other children, and even mocked by adults. Unfortunately, Abigael was not the brightest person either. He had average grades, and average intelligence, never exceeding expectations. Despite all the bullying and all the remarks from others, he never particularly hated himself, or minded his disadvantage in life. In fact, he was happy with only meeting the bar, never standing out or being a star student. While Abigael was happy with his life, his parents were not particular happy. They would attempt to push him, to get him to try harder, to go out and exercise, but he always either found ways out of his task, or did a mediocre job at the task. Upon growing up, his parents grew concerned. They hoped that one day they could somehow get Abigael into their line of work as Exbeast researchers, who focused in weapon creation using Exbeast design and materials, but he was shaping up to become something else entirely. As a final effort, Abigael's parents brought him into their line of work, to observe what they do and what the career is like. On that particular day, they had brought in the corpse of an Exbeast to research and collect parts from, in hopes of creating some sort of weapon. Unfortunately, the hunters that captured the Exbeast did a poor job, as they only damaged the beast to near death and mistook it for dead, when it was simply knocked out. The researchers learned this fact the hard way, when the beast woke up. The center was in chaos, as the beast thrashed about and attacked any and all that it saw, leading to the deaths of many. Abigael's parents were forced out of the room via the mob of escaping researchers, leaving Abigael confused and alone with the Exbeast. They could do nothing but watch through surveillance cameras as Abigael struggled to dodge and find a means of escape, believing that this would be the last time they would see their son. However, this was instead where they witnessed something surprising - Something Abigael was actually skilled at: Adapting and quick thinking. For a while, Abigael could do nothing but dodge and panic, but after a few moments he quickly gathered his surroundings and came up with a plan in a matter of seconds. He saw a weapon that was in development in the room - Something another group must have been working on before the chaos ensued. A glaive, that looked to have something attached to it. He also noticed multiple heavy wounds on the beast, ones that the beast would often grasp in pain. Abigael acted quick - He grabbed the weapon without, and upon touch, the item attached activated. A bug-like machine started flying around Abigael, zipping around back and fourth, looking at him as if waiting for an order. Abigael took a chance - he pointed at the weak spots of the monster with the command to attack, and the bug obeyed. It stabbed at the beast with a blade that emerged from its body, and began glowing an odd color, causing the beast to stagger. The bug then returned to Abigael, and inserted itself into the glaive, sharing its color with the weapon. Abigael felt a sudden surge of energy, like something he never felt before, and for some reason, the beast was slowing down. Its attacks seemed to be delayed, and Abigael's speed seemed to have increased. Abigael wasted no time and began striking at the beast with flurries of attacks and dodges, back and forth, directly into the beast's already opened wounds, until the beast fell, properly dead. Immediately following the Exbeast's defeat, researchers (Abigael's parents included,) flooded the room with cheers and and congratulations, thanking Abigael for stopping the beast before it could do much damage. His parents were amazed by their son's ability to notice and use the beast's weak-points to his advantage, and also his ability to use the experimental weapon. They knew immediately what their son was meant to do, but they wanted to make a few preparations before speaking to their son. A year later, at the age of 15, Abigael's parents presented the finished model of the glaive to him, expressing firm belief that he was more than capable of using the weapon, and of fighting Exbeast. They assured Abigael that the rest of the research group believed the same, agreeing to give the finished glaive to Abigael, on the condition that they received regular reports on the weapon's behavior, with the advice of using the bug on the the corpse of a beast the next time he fights one. They then proposed the idea of attending AcadeMMO to Abigael, explaining that this was the place where all great fighters and heroes start, and that Abigael would certainly grow to be one of these heroes if he attended. Abigael, saw this as more of a demand than a proposal, since he was already enrolled by his parents. Abigael didn't like the idea of his parents enrolling him without his consent, but he was fine with joining the academy, believing this career was as good as any. With his belongings packed up and his bug companion (Who he took to calling "Beat" for the sake of convenience,) buzzing around him, he got on a train to the academy, hoping the assignments wouldn't be too bothersome. Statistics: Level - 1 HP - 150 (15) MP - 150 (15) Attack - 12 Magic - 16 Speed - 14 Accuracy - 16 Defense - 0 Evasion - 19 Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills: Tag 'em, Beat! [2] - Abigael sends out Beat at a specific part of an enemy, stealing an aspect and applying it to himself. He gets a temporary +10 stat boost in a certain stat, depending on the enemy and what Beat attaches itself to, while the enemy gets a -10 to that stat. Does a pitiful amount of damage - 1 multiplied by the level of the skill. Adds another +10 to the bonus and -10 to the enemies penalty per level. 7 meter range. Costs 10 MP per level. Command is the skill name. "Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures!" [1] - Abigael uses his glaive as a vault to launch up into the air, where he aims to land on the enemy. If the enemy has lower evasion than Abigael's accuracy, he hits his target and jams Beat into them, getting a level 1 version of the "Tag 'em, Beat!" skill, while also getting a few hits in with the glaive, doing 10 damage per level. If Abigael misses the target, he lands on his face and takes 10 damage. Costs 10 MP per level. Command is the skill name. (Really sorry about the walls of text. I might have gotten a bit carried away. ^^;;)</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel listened intently as she ate. "Hmmmm. I never really imagined that someone as famous as that could be your relative, but I think I've heard of him. 'S-Ranked Student Goes Missing in Excaledvol' sounds familiar at the very least. But it's kind of a cool prospect, isn't it? The idea that something else sentient might of, or who knows, even still might live in Excaledvol." She laid her head back, looking at the ceiling, still balancing a corn dog stick in her mouth. "At the very least they might be fun to fight." She paused again, turning her head back to Hayato. "Well, I hope you find him. I'm sure if he's an S-Rank he wouldn't go down easy. Even if he never did get to SS or SSS they're still a great margin above other students, even compared to A-Ranks." Hazel could sympathize with Hayato's wish to get stronger. She too wanted to get stronger. She was determined to climb the ranks further, but she still wasn't strong enough to move to S. She'd also need to train more and more. She seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, but pulled a pen from her back pocket. She grabbed a napkin and scrawled on it for a moment. She held it up in front of the boy, "I guess since you told me all this I feel obligated to help, so take this. If you need to train or do a mission or something call me." She set the napkin down in front of him, with her cellphone number written on it.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato"Score!" Hayato said with a laugh as he pocketed Hazel's number. He expected she'd hit him for that too. But once things had settled down again, he'd ask: "And what about you, Hazel? What's your reason for wanting to be the best? You're already, what, A rank?" Just then, the doors burst open, and Taeion walked in. Hayato raised an eyebrow as the normally lazy boy walked over to make his order. From the smell of smoke around him, he must have just come back from an assignment. The Indolent Ninja took Special Assignments? Cockatrice Hunt > AcadeMMOWhen Ryouta eventually brought out the Sprite and activated it, the group was teleported back to the school, their mission completed. With a beep, the holoscreen in the telepad room informed them that the rewarded Academy Credits had been deposited into their accounts. It was about half past five in the evening, and the sun was just starting to get low in the sky. John"Oh, so you're here about the tutoring!" Professor Kirby said. "A Summoner, eh? Just what I needed at the moment, actually." He pointed over to several students in robes in the corner, most of whom were sitting in the stands watching while another stood in one of the sparring zones. The "Cage Fight" setting had been activated, raising a holographic barrier. The green, transparent cube seemed to only be made of light, but was strong enough to withstand the power of most Skills and Spells. Inside the sparring ring the student had placed a large sheet of paper with a complex rune on it. This was a True Summoning ritual, a magical process to directly create a short-term rift to Excaledvol and call forth an Exbeast. Only students who had help from the teachers would be able to cast these, as it was an incredibly complex ritual, and couldn't be used normally. "Those students are all Summoners, but because they're freshmen, none of them have contracted an Exbeast. We only know they're summoners in the first place because of the results they got on the Magi Placement part of the entrance exams. Could you walk them through how to properly contract and control an Exbeast, and stand by in case anything goes wrong with that summoning?"</s> <\|message\|>Soka Tame Soka was in line ordering some food. After getting his food, he was about to go back to his dorms, but decided he would stay around in the cafeteria for a while. Sitting at a table, he looked around at everyone for a moment, before beginning to eat.</s> <\|message\|>Haruka Hirasawa Haruka Her eyes focused on the weird mechanical bug from Abigail Intresting device you have there. she said to to Abigail with her ussual calm voice Is it your weapon of some sorts? she talked to the boy while walking over to the big bird again looking in its beak to see if her Kunai could still be found, they were really expensive to buy a piece but they worked so nice. She took a closer look in its beak but it already fell further down its troat it seems. She sighed a little and looked at the hole in the bird its head that the device just made to find out what it had done. It wasn't special or anything just a hole nothing more to be seen. She walked back over and found herself all quickly teleported back by the sprite It has been a pleasure to serve you all. I'll see you all around sometime. She walked off without any more to say to then. After a few minutes of walking she finally got to the cafeteria. She grabbed a tray and got some traditional curry on her plate with chop sticks Instead of a fork or a spoon You need to stay well fed for fighting She walked over to the many tables and sat down by some random boy in silence. She sat across him without much saying in complete stealth. She looked at the boy for a moment more and talked short after I don't think its much of a problem if i sit at your table right. If he said no she would have probably kept sitting there anyway she grabbed her chopsticks and closed her eyes placing both her hands together with het chopsticks still in one Itadakimasu she soon began eating her curry across Soka.</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel sighed at Hayato's comment. This time she somehow found the power to restrain her fist, but her annoyance was visible. Only this moron could make me regret something like that this quickly, she thought to herself. Hayato's next question, however, caught her off guard. Why do I want to be the best? Somewhere deep inside her she knew that she really wanted to prove she was worth something, anything. But those words didn't come easy. Instead something else came. "Why do I want to be the best? I think the better question, Hayato, is why don't you want to be the best? I don't see the point in settling for anything less."</s>	<\|message\|>Abigael Quint "You mean Beat? Yeah, he's part of the glaive. Simple stuff really. I just send him off, he steals something from the enemy, and gives it to me. Evens the playing field, I think." says Abigael, all the while looking at his glaive. Upon teleporting, Abigael stumbled around a bit, still not quite used to the method of transportation. After regaining his balance, Abigael sighed. "Those'll take some getting used to... Anyways, it looks like the mission's over, so I'll catch ya guys later. Maybe I'll actually go to class tomorrow and see you guys there." Without another word, Abigael walked off, giving a half-effort wave goodbye to the group. Looks like that's all I needed. I guess I still got some time to kill. I mean, I don't have to report immediately. Abigael did a small spin to see his full surroundings, looking for things to do to pass the time. Let's see... There's a cafeteria... Some grub actually sounds pretty good right now. He headed towards the cafeteria. Upon reaching the selection of food, he inspected it while being deep in thought. Let's see... Well I might as well try something I've never had before... Question is, what do I try...?</s>
<\|description\|>Abigael Quint Age: 15 Gender: Male Themesong: You Will Know Our Names (The only good quality version I can find is the extended version, sorry.) Class: Glaiveknight Appearance: Abigael (Basically imagine this but less beefy.) History: Abigael grew up as a fairly weak child. He did not have much stamina to run great distances, the speed to keep up with others, or the strength to perform much actions. He was, in his home town, known as the weakling of the town. Because of this title, his blunt and sarcastic attitude, and his feminine sounding name, he was often bullied by other children, and even mocked by adults. Unfortunately, Abigael was not the brightest person either. He had average grades, and average intelligence, never exceeding expectations. Despite all the bullying and all the remarks from others, he never particularly hated himself, or minded his disadvantage in life. In fact, he was happy with only meeting the bar, never standing out or being a star student. While Abigael was happy with his life, his parents were not particular happy. They would attempt to push him, to get him to try harder, to go out and exercise, but he always either found ways out of his task, or did a mediocre job at the task. Upon growing up, his parents grew concerned. They hoped that one day they could somehow get Abigael into their line of work as Exbeast researchers, who focused in weapon creation using Exbeast design and materials, but he was shaping up to become something else entirely. As a final effort, Abigael's parents brought him into their line of work, to observe what they do and what the career is like. On that particular day, they had brought in the corpse of an Exbeast to research and collect parts from, in hopes of creating some sort of weapon. Unfortunately, the hunters that captured the Exbeast did a poor job, as they only damaged the beast to near death and mistook it for dead, when it was simply knocked out. The researchers learned this fact the hard way, when the beast woke up. The center was in chaos, as the beast thrashed about and attacked any and all that it saw, leading to the deaths of many. Abigael's parents were forced out of the room via the mob of escaping researchers, leaving Abigael confused and alone with the Exbeast. They could do nothing but watch through surveillance cameras as Abigael struggled to dodge and find a means of escape, believing that this would be the last time they would see their son. However, this was instead where they witnessed something surprising - Something Abigael was actually skilled at: Adapting and quick thinking. For a while, Abigael could do nothing but dodge and panic, but after a few moments he quickly gathered his surroundings and came up with a plan in a matter of seconds. He saw a weapon that was in development in the room - Something another group must have been working on before the chaos ensued. A glaive, that looked to have something attached to it. He also noticed multiple heavy wounds on the beast, ones that the beast would often grasp in pain. Abigael acted quick - He grabbed the weapon without, and upon touch, the item attached activated. A bug-like machine started flying around Abigael, zipping around back and fourth, looking at him as if waiting for an order. Abigael took a chance - he pointed at the weak spots of the monster with the command to attack, and the bug obeyed. It stabbed at the beast with a blade that emerged from its body, and began glowing an odd color, causing the beast to stagger. The bug then returned to Abigael, and inserted itself into the glaive, sharing its color with the weapon. Abigael felt a sudden surge of energy, like something he never felt before, and for some reason, the beast was slowing down. Its attacks seemed to be delayed, and Abigael's speed seemed to have increased. Abigael wasted no time and began striking at the beast with flurries of attacks and dodges, back and forth, directly into the beast's already opened wounds, until the beast fell, properly dead. Immediately following the Exbeast's defeat, researchers (Abigael's parents included,) flooded the room with cheers and and congratulations, thanking Abigael for stopping the beast before it could do much damage. His parents were amazed by their son's ability to notice and use the beast's weak-points to his advantage, and also his ability to use the experimental weapon. They knew immediately what their son was meant to do, but they wanted to make a few preparations before speaking to their son. A year later, at the age of 15, Abigael's parents presented the finished model of the glaive to him, expressing firm belief that he was more than capable of using the weapon, and of fighting Exbeast. They assured Abigael that the rest of the research group believed the same, agreeing to give the finished glaive to Abigael, on the condition that they received regular reports on the weapon's behavior, with the advice of using the bug on the the corpse of a beast the next time he fights one. They then proposed the idea of attending AcadeMMO to Abigael, explaining that this was the place where all great fighters and heroes start, and that Abigael would certainly grow to be one of these heroes if he attended. Abigael, saw this as more of a demand than a proposal, since he was already enrolled by his parents. Abigael didn't like the idea of his parents enrolling him without his consent, but he was fine with joining the academy, believing this career was as good as any. With his belongings packed up and his bug companion (Who he took to calling "Beat" for the sake of convenience,) buzzing around him, he got on a train to the academy, hoping the assignments wouldn't be too bothersome. Statistics: Level - 1 HP - 150 (15) MP - 150 (15) Attack - 12 Magic - 16 Speed - 14 Accuracy - 16 Defense - 0 Evasion - 19 Resistance - 0 Spells/Skills: Tag 'em, Beat! [2] - Abigael sends out Beat at a specific part of an enemy, stealing an aspect and applying it to himself. He gets a temporary +10 stat boost in a certain stat, depending on the enemy and what Beat attaches itself to, while the enemy gets a -10 to that stat. Does a pitiful amount of damage - 1 multiplied by the level of the skill. Adds another +10 to the bonus and -10 to the enemies penalty per level. 7 meter range. Costs 10 MP per level. Command is the skill name. "Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures!" [1] - Abigael uses his glaive as a vault to launch up into the air, where he aims to land on the enemy. If the enemy has lower evasion than Abigael's accuracy, he hits his target and jams Beat into them, getting a level 1 version of the "Tag 'em, Beat!" skill, while also getting a few hits in with the glaive, doing 10 damage per level. If Abigael misses the target, he lands on his face and takes 10 damage. Costs 10 MP per level. Command is the skill name. (Really sorry about the walls of text. I might have gotten a bit carried away. ^^;;)</s> <\|message\|>Hazel Hosner Hazel nodded in agreement as Hayato spoke of his own inexperience. "Of course, you're also pretty green. And things don't get much easier as you climb the ranks, so just keep doing assignments and practicing. I'm sure you'll get there eventually," She paused for a moment, and decided to give him a little bit of encouragement, "That being said, I am comparing you to the people I usually fight with, I'd say you might be a little better than most E-Ranks I see." However she didn't quite agree with what he said next. "Plus it'll make other people think we're dating, which will raise my reputation through the roof." This guy really is a moron, isn't he? Hazel thought to herself. She rose her fist, but lowered it with a sigh. At first it appeared there would be no physical retaliation, but Hazel had observed that Hayato was leaning back in his chair. She drove her foot into the chair, knocking him off balance, hoping it would make him fall on his ass.</s> <\|message\|>John Harley "Yes I am, in fact I 'm here to give you guys some pointers. Oh yeah, before I forget, you can call me John." He quickly introduced himself. With that out of the way, he turned to the the student currently inside the transparent cube. "Remember, when the Sylphid appears don't show fear, but don't make the mistake of thinking it will automatically listen to you either. And if necessary give the order to drop the barrier, so I can deal with it." John then faced the other students again."The second the barrier drops get to safety. Preferably somewhere where you can see how I handle things, but that shouldn't be your main concern." credits:50 Enchanted Wood x1 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s> <\|message\|>"Indolent Ninja" Taeion Kanjuro "Whoa, how much did that cost!" Taeion looked up from his meal to see another student. Had he been sitting here all this time? Taeion hadn't noticed. The boy was asking about the price of the pizza which the Indolent Ninja had. Taeion stopped eating for a moment to answer. "...20 AC." Upon answering, he also noticed another person at the table. Taeion was sitting opposite to a female student. He blinked once, turned to the boy and spoke again. "Am I...interrupting something...?" Taeion asked, interlocking the fingers of both of his hands as he said this, trying to suggest that the two students were in some kind of relationship.</s> <\|message\|>Joe Louis Joe spend some time just literally standing still and observing the ground around him. Before he moved he would try to figure out a certain pattern, maybe a characteristic that more uneven, unbalanced ground that would use gravity to send him tumbling potentially would share. First thing he would do was lower down and grab what was in arm reach without moving a step. After he done that, he would take a slow step, without much weight added on it yet, to the direction that had the most ground. God this was so boring to him. He grabbed every mana herb in arm reach, there were so many. He thought they would be much more rare.</s> <\|message\|>Hayato Nishimura Hayato "D'oh!" Hayato rolled backwards as his chair clattered to the floor, over his shoulder and coming up on one knee, specifically his left, with his right foot on the ground as if ready to rise. Instinctively he had grabbed his sword and brought it with him during the fall; his position now was just like that of the classic Japanese sword drawing stance from a crouch. Of course, he'd fallen into it out of habit, not because he meant to attack anyone. For that to be an instinctive reaction, however, was evidence of just how often he'd been training. "Alright, alright, enough with the jokes I guess." he said, standing up and dusting himself off. He smiled and gave Hazel a small wave. "Anyway, I'll be heading out now I guess. Just make sure you pay me back before the end of the week, okay? See ya around." John The student preparing to make the summons looked at John nervously, nodding and hanging on to every word he said. "What should I do when it appears, though? Is there anything specific I should say or do to...to prove my worth, I guess? I mean, do you have to prove your dominance over the summon or something?" Joe in Excaledvol Joe soon had more than enough that if he wanted to head back to the school, he would have a decent addition to his credits. The mission had warned that staying too long might lure Exbeasts...but then, Joe didn't really seem worried about that. Behind him on the clifftop there were a few woody areas where trees managed to cling to the sides of the craggy rocks or find purchase in the loamy soil beneath the thick cushion of vegetation. And somewhere in those trees, something rustled...</s> <\|message\|>John Harley John really didn't want to make the kid that nervous, but he had to be aware of the risk."That is a good question, too bad the answer is that it depends on the EXBeast.Some you can basically bribe, others you do have to prove your worth too, but there are also ExBeasts that consider a human trying to fight them a joke. So there is no way to know in advance." He purposely didn't remind the student that some ExBeasts, including summonable ones, hated humans in general though even the hostile ones could sometimes be reasoned with. credits:50 Enchanted Wood x1 - A long branch imbued with magical energy. Makes good material for crafting/improving staves. Though Magic Classes can't really use weaponry, staves, wands, and the like are extremely useful for focusing magical power. Essence Grass x3 - A bundle of herbs filled with Nature magic. Low Level Item. Makes good material for crafting/improving Nature aligned items, or adding Nature attributes to non-Nature items. Conflicts with Fire and Metal elements. Synchronizes with Water and Earth elements. Neutral to other elements. john's stats HP - 70 (7 points) MP - 40 (4 points) Attack - 14 Magic - 17 Speed - 13 Accuracy - 13 Defense - 13 Evasion - 13 Resistance - 13 Thorntail's stats HP - 30 MP - 0 Attack - 18 Magic - 12 Speed - 12 Accuracy - 12 Defense - 12 Evasion - 17 Resistance - 14</s>	<\|message\|>Abigael Quint Abigael stared at the kid with the large pizza as he walked by. More specifically, he stared the pizza. Well crap. Now I want some of that. When he overheard the cost of the order, he looked back towards the cafeteria, ordering the same item. As soon as the order arrived, he grabbed the large pizza and seated himself down at an empty table. He didn't know anyone, nor was he in the mood to meet people at this time. Stuffing my face while talking to someone doesn't exactly leave a good impression anyway. He thought to himself, meanwhile grabbing a slice and munching happily away.</s>
<\|description\|>Daniel "Noize" Bhane Character Skeleton Age: 39 Gender: Male Appearance: Including Chainsword (Cause Sci-fi) and Armour. Excluding Ork Place of Birth: New York, Earth Bio: Daniel was born and raised in the streets of Undercity New York. Gangs, murders, rape crimes, corruption are the know how. It's dog eats dog out in the streets. He was thrown out of his home and into a decaying orphanage with it's ugly caretaker, Mrs.Dunn. When he reached 18, Mrs.Dunn sent him out of the orphanage. He was too old to stay there anymore. He wandered the streets and joined the Hart Killers gang. Notorious for it's high price robberies and mass murders, it was the best place for Daniel to finally relieve himself and revel in his darkest desire. He took part in several bank robberies before he was told to clean up the Tarnig family. They failed to pay the rent. Daniel was met with a gruesome sight. The Hart Killers shot them up to a bloody pulp. The room was red with blood and the Tarnig family were lined up on the floor, with their signature "Don't mess with us" motto tattooed on their faces. Daniel ran as fast as he could. Away from this murder and ruin. He joined with the Earth military forces and has risen up the ranks ever since. After the brass caught a whiff of his previous dealings with the Hart Killers, he resigned from the military and set out as a Mecha mercenary. Hiding from the Earth Military while dealing his skills for money. He found his Mech in an old abandoned warehouse in a raid conducted by the military. It was old and had an archaic design. His Lieutenant "gave" it to him for a birthday present. He has been tinkering and modifying it ever since. Talents/Skills: Daniel has a knack for killing things. Especially on close combat. That is one of the reasons he is notorious in the mercenary business. His expert wielding and wicked Chainsword have appeased many private contractors and the Earth Military Brass before. Anything else of interest: He to listen to music. Any genre. Though he prefers Metal or Dubstep to listen to while in combat. He has a knack of blaring music during battle, earning his title of "Noize". Mecha Sheet Mecha Name: BR-2 MKII "Imperator" Appearance: Armaments: A large 100mm auto-firing cannon with an under slung 30. Machine Gun. A huge two meter long Chainsword. A shoulder mounted 50. Machine Gun. Special Equipment: The BR-2 MKII is of an old model of Mecha. One of the early models. It was used for war. And war only. With thick plating, reinforced plating, "installed" speakers, rocket boosters under his boots and upper "back". It has very obvious "limbs" though and if Daniel is not careful and not position Imperator on the right angle, he may go down from a severed limb. He is therefore useless after that. It is also slow compared to the newer more improved Mecha. He uses the rocket boosters to quickly move to his foes. They only last around three minutes without recharging. They take a minute to recharge Mecha Specs: Long Range Combat: D Medium Range Combat: A Close Range Combat: B Armor: A Speed: D Agility: C Strength: A Shielding: None, Mech has very effective Armour. Mecha Quirks: The Lieutenant that give him the Mech thought it would be funny if he painted "PUSSY OVER HERE! YOU CAN BEAT HIS ASS!" on the "back" of the mech. It also has installed speakers</s> <\|message\|>Reb Manning At times it annoyed Reb greatly to be on the short side, especially long floats trough weightless environments, he felt like a tossed football. It didnt take long however for the burly man to reach corridors leading to kitchens. "Artificial gravity, you magnificent bastard." He started his trek trough the ship. Another group of ships crew passed him by hugging the wall, Reb Manning wasnt the kind to give way to just anyone. He thought of previous ships he had been stationed in, including military ones in his youth. "33" Xeon III was the nicest one so far though he wouldnt say that aloud in a million years, it was kept clean and orderly, even sterile at places. Social areas were built like tin cans though. His mind wandered again to that one assignment he regretted wholeheartedly, the pirate one. What he had assumed as a regular merc group was revealed to be anything but. "Roses of Pluto" they called themselves, even today they still appeared in newsfeeds every now and then. At the time young Reb needed the money bad and piracy fit the bill, mostly earth military and merchant heists kept them rolling in cash for a short while, then they crossed the line, a purely civilian transport from a colony to another, spaceborn men, women and children like Reb himself. He would not stand for it. All that transport saw of the ambush was explosions at the distance and a lone, damaged Mark-005- flying past them. He knew they would one day come for him and find him ready, their leader wasnt the kind of woman who took betrayals lightly. Reb shook his head. Like the pirate tattoo on his back, all of this was behind him now. The kitchen was in sight and a lithe man was standing on the doorway, apparently arrived just before him. He had heard maintenance crew call the man Rock several times so he would follow suit, he preferred nicknames anyway. "Oi Rock! Dont tell me theres a bloody line here already?!"</s> <\|message\|>Rodrigo "Rock" Zedler As Rock was searching for the woman from before, she caught her through the corner of his eye and followed her all the way to the mess hall. Rock was about to do the same when he noticed that they had passed by the Command Center. Then, should he go there and see what was up? No, they might see it as something bad for him to show up unannounced if they weren't expecting him to report in. It was troubling, most definitely. He stood there for a while until someone called him, asking if there was a line. Getting out of his little own world, Rock quickly turned to look at the bearded man, Reb, if his memory was working right. He smiled and shook his head, before stepping into the kitchen and motioning at Reb to follow him. It wasn't until later that Rock thought that Reb might also know just what the hell should they do. He waited for him to pass by to raise his question to him. "So, do you know anything about what we should do now? I don't know if we have to report in to the captain or not, to be honest." Rock said, seemingly a bit embarrassed for his absent mindness and scratching the back of his head nervously. He still scanned the whole room with his eyes. Reb might, after all, not know what they should do, so knowing where the girl was was better for now. He spotted her next to the window and Rock started waving at her to try and catch her attention. He would have shouted her name if he just remembered what it was, though... 'It definitely is better to just call someone by a catchy nickname, it sticks better to your mind.'</s> <\|message\|>James "Paladin" Rockefeller James took his seats as a lot of mechanics watched, in awe of the mech. She was a unique model put together personally for him she was sleek and well taken care of, he could see the mechanics arguing over who would service her as pulled out his data tablet. He slotted it in and spoke. "Morning Fire Fly." He had no clue the actually time so he just guessed. After a few moments the screens flicked to life and a soft female voice responded. "Good morning James, do you need my run a systems check?" Fire Fly was third generation model of the artificial intelligence his family used for combat assistance. James leaned back. "Thank'ya kindly darling." After a few moments the checks on systems came up green, then the weapons were green as well. "All system are green James, shall I log off?" She asked in a polite tone, with just a barely audible hint of a synthetic voice. "Yeah, I'm hungry and techs wanna get you all packed away." He smiled as she shut down and he removed the data tablet before jumping out and float along. "Treat her nice boys!" He floated over and cycled out, getting a bit of a headache as he entered artificial gravity. He walked towards the mess hall, checking his tablet out to see the full roster of Mech pilots, he wanted to get know the others.</s> <\|message\|>Marsha Wells Marsha Wells gratefully accepted the mustard bottle and started to apply the condiment to her burger while Trip returned to his kitchen duty after getting her painting supplies. After she finished applying the yellow condiment and put the burger back together she noticed movement near the entrance of the mess hall. It turned out to be one of the other Mecha pilots, Rodrigo Rock Zedler and next to him was Reb Manning, also a Mecha pilot. Like her they were assigned on this mission to keep the vessel safe as it divulged all the secrets from the Fish Tail comet. Soon after she had joined this expedition she had made it her duty to know all the other pilots by name and appearance from the crew manifest, she had also studied their Mecha as well so she would be better able to work with them in the field by knowing their strengths and weaknesses. Marsha decided to wave back in acknowledgement as a simple nod might not register with the man across the room. Sure that 'Rock', as he liked to be called, saw her she returned to her burger, wanting to finish it before attempting to continue her artwork. This time the burger felt and tasted like it should, so she was satisfied. She decided not to say anything and just continued eating, besides, across the room conversation was not very effective or polite to the other patrons. If they decided to join her it would be a good opportunity to get to know some other pilots better, even if they did distract her from painting.</s>	<\|message\|>Daniel "Noize" Bhane Daniel came to the world of the conscious with a groan. He was curled up in his, pillow under head and his alarm going off. The native of New York stretched his legs and let out a yawn. He pressed the "off" button of the alarm and raised the hatch on the cockpit. He was already dressed, armor on. He always felt safer in the confines of his armor. It made him feel safe. Stretching his arms with his upper body out of the hatch, Daniel looked at his trusty Mech. "Imperator" was the most awesome thing that has ever come in his life. Modest and sturdy, it was his Mech. No one elses. He came out of wanderings and pulled the rest of his body out of the cockpit. He jumped down and landed gracefully on the cold, hard metal floor. 'Comet, huh?' Daniel reached out to where he hanged his sword at the back of the Mech 'Never been on one of these ships before. Might be an interesting job.' His mind wandered to how he was hired to protect the XEON III. "Noize!" Daniel turned to see an elderly man approach him. It was a bright day, according to the Luna domed city he was currently residing in. Headphones hanging on his neck, Daniel "Noize" Bhane greeted the elderly man. The white suit talked about an expedition into the unknown. He was wanting to hire him to protect the ship alongside some other Mecha pilots. He continued saying that Daniel wasn't getting any younger and this might be an opportunity of a life time. Of course, Daniel accepted. Now here he is on board the XEON III, guarding it from "unknown" threats. He doubted there would be any real alien presence. 'It's just a meteor. Nothing to worry about' Daniel grabbed his signature "Noize" headphones and hanged it around his neck. He took the key from his pocket and pressed the button. The mech started to shut all openings and blare music out. "We are the Champions My Friend" was a particular song he liked and left it on, walking away hands in pockets towards the mess hall.</s>
<\|description\|>Raven Eclipse Character Skeleton Age: 22 Gender: Male Place Of Birth: Space Colony; Near asteroid Ceres Bio: Raven Eclipse was born into a wealthy energy corporation, much like how Ceres' family is, and like him he was home-schooled by his parents. He is a good friend of Ceres' as they have known each other since they were kids, due to the fact that their corporations were neighbors. Both of their families benefited from one another and became very close towards each other. Raven had also wanted to become a pilot and so at age 14 his father began teaching him. By the time he was 18, he became an expert pilot. As soon as Raven was about to enroll into the military service, he then got the news that Ceres' father had died due to an assassination attempt by a rival family. The Eclipse family was devastated as their old time business partner had finally vanished from the universe. In response, they gave a great amount of wealth to try and save the company from getting bankrupt, but yet it still wasn't enough. However, Ceres was already trying to recruit some of the most powerful families in the area and seek revenge over his father's death. As a response, Raven gladly joined his newly formed alliance. In about a year, the family alliance had been completed and they soon made the raid on the Murder's corporation. Their mechs had completely destroyed the company and had finally killed the murder of Ceres' father. As the alliance cheers in victory, Ceres announces to make an official corporate alliance and become the most powerful group in the Universe! Raven, along with the rest of the group, cheered him on as The Asterion Corporation Alliance (ACG) was born. Raven's title is second-in-command to Ceres, as he is his most trusted and long-time ally of his family. Talents/Skills: Raven is an expert pilot and stealth expert. He is also well rounded with light firearms and also very well skilled in various martial arts. Anything else of interest: Raven always has a face mask covering his mouth, yet no one really knows why. All Raven said was that it just 'looks cool.' He also likes to meditate when he is alone. Mecha Sheet Name: EOS-IX8 Sidewinder Armaments: The Sidewinder has very limited armament in his storage compartments. However, it can wield attached wrist-phasers along with wielding P89 Rapid-Pistol and the MK4 Pulse Rife. It always has an energy katana in his back compartment in case the pilot needed to fight up close and personal. In some cases it would be equipped with a long-distance rifle, capable of shooting things from miles upon miles away. Special Equipment: The Sidewinder's armor is almost undetectable, as he uses stealth armor. Its light yet durable enough to withstand some small fire. It also has jet packs in which it can go up to incredibly fast speeds, looking like a grey blur towards his opponents. Mecha Specs: Long Range Combat: C Medium Range Combat: A Close Range Combat: B Armor: C Speed: A Agility: A Strength: C Shielding: B Mecha Quirks: The Sidewinder was the first and also preferred mecha of choice for Raven, mostly due to its fast speed and agility. Once he took ownership of it from his father, he began to design add-ons for it, depending on the situation it may face. On its own, its incredibly fast, but its armor is rather weak so most of his protection comes from its shield.</s> <\|message\|>James "Paladin" Rockefeller James made his way to the mess hall, he stopped putting down his tablet. He wasn't hungry but he did want to get know his fellow Mech pilots, surveying the his eyes rested on a young woman, painting. A strange hobby for this day and age, however the closer he looked the more he recognized her, Marsha Wells. A successful Martian security contractor like himself, not as famous to the public but she had a solid reputation. James made his way over to the women, proper introductions were in order, she was a fellow Martian and Mech pilot thus deserving of utmost respect. He carefully took a seat near her, wanting to see her painting also not wishing to disturb her to much. "Hello Ms. Wells I'm James Rockefeller, I was a bit of last minute addition to the crew, figured I should come over and introduce myself. If your busy though I'll get out of you hair." He maintained politeness though he did try to get a good look at the canvas, his father always had canvas painting lining the halls of there corporate offices. He knew a little about art, enough to get by at charity dinners and such.</s> <\|message\|>Rodrigo "Rock" Zedler Rock approached Marsha after her wave, though it was a bit sad to see Reb parting ways with them, surely they could have had a merry chat if he stayed, though Rock actually wanted him to fill in the silence that Rock would probably leave all of them in after a few words. Well, he could try and prolong the conversation a bit, with some luck. She approached Marsha's table and sat down in front of her. He looked at her curiously as she drew something. Tilting his head a bit, he felt compelled to ask. "What are you drawing?" He gasped, thinking he had sounded rude to her. "Ah, sorry. My name is Rodrigo Zedler, though you can just call me Rock, if Rodrigo is too hard to pronounce." He said, scratching his cheek a bit. Oh, that's right, he went there for a reason... But now that he had started the conversation, it seemed a bit dumb to just ask her that and then just leave. "Um... Great weather we are having today, no?" An outdated way to fill in the silence of a conversation, but most terrible of it all, it had no meaning in space, where all they could see was starts and the infinite. 'Gah, I should just have asked about the command room and leave. I'd have felt as dumb if I had asked that.'</s> <\|message\|>Marsha Wells XEON III - MESS HALL As she worked on her eventual masterpiece two of the other Mecha pilots joined her at the table, James Rockefeller and Rodrigo Rock Zedler, somewhat of a coincidence that two mecha pilots would both have 'rock' in their names. As James was the first to talk to her she started to converse by responding to him. "A pleasure Mr. Rockefeller, your family is quite well known, I suspect your contribution to this mission is partly as a way to increase your family's reputation in the solar market?" She was polite enough to at least make sure she split her attention from her increasingly vibrant nebula to the person she was talking too. "Please do not take me the wrong way, certainly a noble goal to increase your family's standing while helping humanity increase its knowledge of the galaxy. Those who can find a constructive way of promoting themselves can be in short supply after all." Marsha added a dab of purple to the canvas before half-turning her attention to Rock. She somehow managed to squash the urge to shake her head at his attempt to start a conversation, the slightest curve to the corner of her mouth almost managed to sneak onto her features. "If we were having bad weather inside the ship I would be severely concerned for the safety of the crew since that would mean something was wrong with the ship's climate control" Admittedly he was obviously talking about space outside but unless the ship somehow accidentally ended up in a meteor shower or a gaseous nebula, its would be almost impossible to have bad space weather, so she decided to make a joke out of it. "As for what I am painting, it is a nebula I saw on duty years back, I have no way to look at it again but the image has remained with me since then. Looking out into space somewhat jogs my memory of that view. Needless to say, I have a long way to go." She had been working on it off an on but it was nowhere close to the beauty that she had remembered on that day, she just hoped to capture even a fraction of its glory through her work. XEON III - COMMAND CENTER The Captain had one of those feelings that happen before an event is about to occur, usually a bad one. He looked at the view screen with a furrowed brow at a few rather large asteroids in the vicinity. "Why have we not gone around this area? Certainly we could have avoided some space debris without putting too much extra time on the clock?" He asked his navigator, expecting a quick answer. "Well sir, they drifted into this sector, somewhat like the comet did I believe, just without the ice of course. Frankly sir, they were small enough they just did not really catch anyone's attention." "Certainly the comet is many times larger than the largest of these but why did you not alter our course!" The captain said with a little more urgency in his voice. "Sir, I did not deem it necessary as there is zero chance of them colliding with our vessel. Still you are right sir, I should have followed standard procedure and altered our course." "Hmm yes you should have...still you said these came from out of the solar system like the comet did? Could be worth a look with a probe at least." The captain turned to a crew member at one of the command consoles. "Launch a surveilance probe to have a look, maybe if there is something of interest we can stop on our way back. Also keep an eye out would you, I have premonition something is going to happen soon. I've been out in space long enough that I know I should pay attention to my 'feelings'." "Probe away." A small spherical object shot out from the bow of the XEON III and headed toward the nearest asteroids to make its rounds.</s> <\|message\|>Raven Eclipse "Sir!" a Corporatist pilot warns Ceres, "We have an incoming surveillance probe heading towards our position!" "We will need to find a quick way to distract it," answers back Ceres in a calm, but with an annoyed tone, "If it finds us, then our trap will be sprung and we would've come here all for nothing." "Why not blow it up?" asks another pilot. "You fool!" the captain responds annoyingly, "If we do, then the crew will certainly know something is wrong and will investigate our presence immediately!" There was a slight pause as the captain tries to think of a quick strategy. "Got one." he then says, "Raven, do you read me?" With that, another mech can be seen appearing almost out of nowhere. It was of sleek design, with a red visor, a horn, but most importantly it was equipped with stealth armor. Enter the EOS--IX8 Sidewinder, the fastest mech in the Asterion Alliance. "Orders captain?" asks the pilot Raven Eclipse in a deep muffled voice under his mask. "Get into stealth mode and redirect the probe's course." Ceres responds, "Once you do, override its systems for a few seconds and it should return to the ship." "Will do sir." Raven responds. Ceres then talks to the rest of the crew. "The rest of us will try to stay camouflaged to the asteroid surface as best we could and wait for the ship to pass us." "SIR YES SIR!" the rest of the crew responds in a hundred voices. With that, the Sidewinder becomes practically invisible and heads towards the probe without detection...</s> <\|message\|>Daniel "Noize" Bhane Daniel walked into the mess hall, 'Hooked On A Feeling' by Blue Swede starting up on his Ipod Ion. He looked around the room and saw two men next to a woman painting- Marsha Wells??. He walked past tables, chairs and other people until he found himself nearing Marsha Wells. She was a lieutenant from the Marsian Expeditionary Force and was one of the many like him that left their home planets military to go into the mercenary world. He found out about her from a contact in the Marsian Expeditionary Force. "Marsha Wells?" he asked politely "I must say that is a beautiful painting you have there. I am Daniel Bhane. You may know me as Noize" he extended a hand towards the red headed private contractor.</s> <\|message\|>Marsha Wells Asteroid XTS - 1537 It was an asteroid only about 2 kilometers in width and height and appeared to be devoid of life, mechanical or otherwise, until something started to move on the surface. It would be almost impossible to make out visually because of camoflague but what could be described as a mechanical spider with a powerful telescope crawling along the rock. The robot was now making its second pass of the area, the XEON III was already in its sights. When the ship sent out its probe the spider scoped its trajectory quite intensely, ready to go into full hiding mode at a moment's notice, but then it noticed something curious, a distortion in the stars approaching the probe, increasing its intensity the scope soon noticed a shape that docked with the probe and started to hijack it. Data quickly flowed from the drone to its masters about what was transpiring in the asteroid surveillance zone X-3, one of several such zones scattered around Fish Tail comet to provide early recon data of anything approaching, serving as a first line of defense. Pirate and explorer alike had no idea of what would transpire quite soon. XEON III - MESS HALL Yet another person joined her seemingly ever expanding circle, Marsha was starting to loose focus on her painting. Sometimes she was lucky and managed to get in a good 30 minutes without too much interference but obviously today was not such a day. Like it or not in any real 'public' section of the ship she had the disadvantage of well, being a woman on a mostly male expeditionary vessel, making her one of the first targets to try and start up a conversation. She was not about to be overly rude without a meaningful reason though so when Daniel Bhane extended his hand she did the polite thing and shook it back. "A pleasure to meet you Mr. Bhane. I made sure to know the names and faces of all the other pilots on the ship before the start of this mission in case you were wondering." She figured might as well get that bit out of the way straight up. Marsha considered telling them all to leave her, but at this point she had lost her image of the nebula so there was little point in continuing, besides she had yet to finish her burger. She repressed a sigh as she set her painting utensils down and reached for her meal. "I take it you have all completed your maintenance and checklists already? No doubt we will be moving out in short order." Marsha Wells had no idea how soon that time would be, but it would be sooner than she expected.</s>	<\|message\|>Raven Eclipse As the probe made its first pass, Ceres and his strike force became dead still, trying their best to blend on the asteroid's surface. For a moment, it appeared as if it indeed noticed them, but in fact passed them. Yet as soon as it was going for a second pass, the cloaked Sidewinder moves in and looms above the probe. "Commander," Raven says to Ceres as the mech's invisible hands loom over the unsuspecting probe, "I'm in position. Has it spotted you?" "I think not..." answered Ceres unsurely, "I think its coming back for another round. There's no time for you to redirect its path, override its systems immediately! It should go back to the ship after a few seconds of shut down." "Copy that..." Raven obliges as he carefully moves into precise position. He then takes out a small, canister-looking, object, which is in a small EMP emitter, good for jamming and even shutting down small electronic probes and vehicles. He lightly throws it at the probe, which attaches without disturbing the probe. Then the Sidewinder pushes the button, which makes a small beeping noise and quickly retreats upwards. Then suddenly, it releases the pulse...</s>
<\|description\|>Raven Eclipse Character Skeleton Age: 22 Gender: Male Place Of Birth: Space Colony; Near asteroid Ceres Bio: Raven Eclipse was born into a wealthy energy corporation, much like how Ceres' family is, and like him he was home-schooled by his parents. He is a good friend of Ceres' as they have known each other since they were kids, due to the fact that their corporations were neighbors. Both of their families benefited from one another and became very close towards each other. Raven had also wanted to become a pilot and so at age 14 his father began teaching him. By the time he was 18, he became an expert pilot. As soon as Raven was about to enroll into the military service, he then got the news that Ceres' father had died due to an assassination attempt by a rival family. The Eclipse family was devastated as their old time business partner had finally vanished from the universe. In response, they gave a great amount of wealth to try and save the company from getting bankrupt, but yet it still wasn't enough. However, Ceres was already trying to recruit some of the most powerful families in the area and seek revenge over his father's death. As a response, Raven gladly joined his newly formed alliance. In about a year, the family alliance had been completed and they soon made the raid on the Murder's corporation. Their mechs had completely destroyed the company and had finally killed the murder of Ceres' father. As the alliance cheers in victory, Ceres announces to make an official corporate alliance and become the most powerful group in the Universe! Raven, along with the rest of the group, cheered him on as The Asterion Corporation Alliance (ACG) was born. Raven's title is second-in-command to Ceres, as he is his most trusted and long-time ally of his family. Talents/Skills: Raven is an expert pilot and stealth expert. He is also well rounded with light firearms and also very well skilled in various martial arts. Anything else of interest: Raven always has a face mask covering his mouth, yet no one really knows why. All Raven said was that it just 'looks cool.' He also likes to meditate when he is alone. Mecha Sheet Name: EOS-IX8 Sidewinder Armaments: The Sidewinder has very limited armament in his storage compartments. However, it can wield attached wrist-phasers along with wielding P89 Rapid-Pistol and the MK4 Pulse Rife. It always has an energy katana in his back compartment in case the pilot needed to fight up close and personal. In some cases it would be equipped with a long-distance rifle, capable of shooting things from miles upon miles away. Special Equipment: The Sidewinder's armor is almost undetectable, as he uses stealth armor. Its light yet durable enough to withstand some small fire. It also has jet packs in which it can go up to incredibly fast speeds, looking like a grey blur towards his opponents. Mecha Specs: Long Range Combat: C Medium Range Combat: A Close Range Combat: B Armor: C Speed: A Agility: A Strength: C Shielding: B Mecha Quirks: The Sidewinder was the first and also preferred mecha of choice for Raven, mostly due to its fast speed and agility. Once he took ownership of it from his father, he began to design add-ons for it, depending on the situation it may face. On its own, its incredibly fast, but its armor is rather weak so most of his protection comes from its shield.</s> <\|message\|>Reb Manning Reb was barely half way to hangars when red lights flared and the alarm went off. Immediately he started trotting towards his mech as fast as possible, gulping down yesterdays sandwiches along the way. Due to his short stature it wasnt long till he heard the running steps of much faster pilots behind him. "Oh come on! Even with headstart you guys make me look like late responder!" Reb doubled his troubled running and arrived at hangars more or less the same time as others. Short jump trough non-gravity he was at his mechs chest and clambered in to cockpit, anticipating to return finishing maintenance he had left sub systems running, that would give him bit of a headway. Systems checked green and he gave the OK to hangar crew. Mark-005- began sliding into one of each mechas private airlocks that prevented all crew getting spaced during quick launch. "Reb Manning and Heat Jack ready to launch! Lets give em hell boys and girl!" He knew they had no confirmed enemy contacts yet but Reb was a sucker for extra motivation trough comms, probably the only thing in common with him and the earthborn Daniel "Noize." He inhaled deeply of his mechas air supply as he entered space, he knew he couldnt really smell space but the feeling of entering ones natural habitat was very real for him. "Im setting defensive parameter around portside engines." Xeon III had state of the art engines, efficient, powerful and well armored so most of the time they could be left undefended without second thought. But Reb had much more experience of pirate thinking than he would ever tell anyone else, engines were the first to go, armored or not. Reb and Mark-005- took hold of Xeon III´s side to eliminate his own drift that was quite a large factor when firing in space. He could almost feel his gun heating up to near dangerous levels, ever ready to shower anything that moved with plasma projectiles. "Come out wherever you are. I can smell you." Well of course he couldnt but that was the feeling in his neck. Thats when his comms rang the message from ms Wells: "We´ve got an unknown at point 3765" "WHAT?!" Reb almost surprised himself with his own yell, his custom scanner quickly picked up on the announced unknown and all of his previous assumptions about the situation flew out the window. He announced to his team over the comms: "Careful with this one guys, I dont think thats an pirate..."</s> <\|message\|>James "Paladin" Rockefeller Jame's, Firefly had picked faint traces of comms activity but there was no way to if it was pirates, they weren't talking so they were idiots. He rotated himself past Wells just she identified the unknown Mecha, he was fast so he turned his after burned on nice and slow, easing himself forward. "I'll go check it out, might be a custom like mine, field test gone bad. I'll move in and try to hail them, you guys stay back and watch if I get hit stay with the ship, it's the priority." He moved in closer trying every frequency, he spoke calmly trying to get them to respond. "Hello, I'm James Rockefeller with the Xeon III, please acknowledge and tell us your intentions." He repeated the mantra over and over as he floated closer to it, weapon safeties off, he didn't like this, he didn't like this at all.</s> <\|message\|>Raven Eclipse As Raven stealthily makes his way towards the nearest asteroid, his scanners picked up yet another mecha in the area. After looking around for a minute, he finally sees the other mysterious mecha in the distance. It appears that it isn't part of the Xeon lll and has a humanoid shape, a form in which he has never seen before. "What the hell are you...?" Revan mutters under his breathe as he takes a closer look at it. He wants to tell the captain about it, but his ship's power, along with the rest, was in shutdown mode. The only way to let him know of the unknown Mecha's existence was to find and alert him personally. He quickly approaches the main asteroid invisibly, with only 20 more minutes of cloaking remaining...</s> <\|message\|>Marsha Wells XEON III - COMMAND CENTER Captain Herald studied the unknown Mecha, a visual put up on a side screen for a closer look. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. "Are there any matches in the database?" He decided to ask though he had a feeling there would be nothing close enough to be a match. "Databanks show negative sir. Craft is of unknown design and origin." "Well now, this is certainly a sight. Let's see what its going to do." IRIS 1 ~Solar system species attempting communication, analyzing transmissions. Running linguistics program, language recognized. Translating. Species attempting first contact, more data is required.~ As the I.R.I.S. AI processed the information the Mecha started to spew what could only be described as a cloud from its shoulder turrets. A purple mist funneled out and started to spread rapidly through space, the 'mist' was full of tiny little nano-machines, equipped to latch onto anything they touched and to send the data back to the IRIS 1. The cloud expanded rapidly in all directions, getting thinner the further out it went but it didn't take many nano-machines to get a good amount of information. Any machines touched by the nanites were quickly tagged by the IRIS one, meaning the machine could know their position at all times, hidden or not. ~Considering responding to primitive species...communication not advisable. Will continue analyzing lifeforms.~ The IRIS 1 started to move through his scanning cloud as the information started to pour in from the millions of nano-machines attaching themselves to various surfaces. Marsha Wells "What in deep space is that machine trying to do? Things are not starting to look to good." Marsha was thankful that her machine was on the side away from the IRIS 1 so she was not in danger of coming into contact, whatever that mecha had just spewed into space around it. Things had taken a turn for the weird.</s> <\|message\|>James "Paladin" Rockefeller James had floated close to the object, right up until it release the strange cloud. He was proponent of the idea of alien life, maybe this was Mech from an alien civilization he didn't know if the cloud was a weapon or a communications device but he didn't move, however he readied the after burners for a sudden jump if the strange purplish cloud. He decided he should reinforce the message, switching over to lie comms rather one message on repeat he hailed it once more. "Hello, this is James Rockefeller of the Xeon III. I am hailing you to warn of possible pirate activity in the area as such we ask that you respond, we must clear this sector encase of a hostile presence, if you do not respond to hails we must assume you mean us harm. I have no interest in fighting you, so please respond." As he spoke he engaged his Mech hacking systems, if it wouldn't talk he would see if Firefly could make it squeal.</s> <\|message\|>Daniel "Noize" Bhane David looked on, mentally slapping his face for James's actions. He looked at the strange moving cloud forming in front of his eyes. The native from New York didn't trust the mech and he also had to focus on the pirates. He did another sensor to make sure they weren't going to be blindsided by the pirates. He readied his main gun and loaded the first round into the cannon. He rocketed next to James and nodded his head to him. Noize looked at the mech and said into the comms. "Hello, unknown mech please disarm yourselves and contact us through your communications. I agree with my compatriot and that you should clear the area for there is illegal activity that we suspect is happening around this area. If you do not move or communicate, we will assume the worst and that you are connected. Please respond or we will enact hostilities upon you" David awaited his response.</s> <\|message\|>Reb Manning Reb was nervous as all hell now. While working for "Roses of Pluto" he had fair share of pirate tactics and strategies, ranging far and wide from full on assault to sneaking into ships dressed as space nuns of the holy order of Jupiter. No one had ever just sent an single mecha to silently stare an ship and release a- what was that anyway? Was it gas? In space? If its purpose was to have them on the edge of their seats it was working wonders! Reb commed Marsha and the others again: "Lets just light it up and be done with it! No pilot I have ever known is that dense to communication attempts except if they are planning something VERY nasty!</s> <\|message\|>Marsha Wells As the could expanded nano-bots quickly attached themselves to various Mecha and started to transmit data over to the IRIS I. Before long a few of the bots had managed to make their way over to the pirates, revealing their presence to the alien Mecha. ~Primitive lifeforms weapons technology advanced enough to pose a threat. Communications suggest hostilities shall begin shortly. Attempted hacking on this unit, Firewall engaged. Commencing preemptive strike.~ The artificial intelligence had made its choice, it was time to put down the lifeforms before they had a chance to do even minor damage to their important facilities. Before the IRIS one could engage however, honor demanded that it broadcast its intentions before engaging hostilities. To accomplish this task it broadcast a signal to all vessels in the area, the artificial voice was barely distinguishable from a human voice and based on a female template. "Inhabitants of the Sol System, your interference shall not be tolerated. This Initial Response Information System orders total extermination." The IRIS I then opened fire upon the FireFly which was attempting to hack its systems from afar. Laser cannons opened up first from its shoulder turrets as the IRIS I quickly retreated back toward its 'home' asteroid, which was now suddenly alive with activity. The asteroid seemed to just melt away as many machines seemed to just dig out of the rock, as the defense systems were activated. The robots were obviously a mass production type, shaped somewhat like horseshoe crabs the rather flat machines jumped out into space, splitting into two groups, one toward the XEON III and the rest toward the most likely location of the pirate fleet. The crab bots were equipped with powerful pincers for close combat and were equipped with linear pulse canons, meaning they could only shoot straight ahead making it possible to outmaneuver them; however there were a fair amount of them to contend with. Quickly the pilots of the XEON III took defensive positions and started to engage the alien machines. Cannons, lasers, and rockets started the fill the minor asteroid field as battle was joined.</s>	<\|message\|>Raven Eclipse As the Sidewinder flies towards the hidden pirate strike force, Raven can then see the hostility from the unknown mech upon the unsuspecting Xeon lll crew. Soon enough, he managed to reach the asteroid and attempts to make close proximity contact with Ceres. Once he was in close range, he establishes contact, taking out his cloaking ability in the process. "Ceres." he speaks, "Ceres do you copy?" A faint red pulse can then be seen from the Shockwave's eye. "Raven..." he answered, "What did you see?" "An unknown mecha has recently made contact with the Xeon lll crew," Raven then explains, "It has recently launched hostilities against them." Ceres then chuckles with glee. "Just the tactical advantage we need..." he says with an evil grin, "The pesky mecha crew is now concentrated on the newcomer. They would never suspect our attack until it would be too late!" Soon the Shockwave's power had been rebooted and was now fully online. "Corporatists!" he then shouts into the comn, alerting all the mecha units, "The time has come! Start up your engines and get ready to attack! The crew is distracted by an unknown mech and utterly obvious to our presence. Now is the time to strike!" As soon as he finishes, the mecha units began to light up, one by one, until all were fully operational. Then like a swarm of bees coming out of their hive, they begin a surprise attack on the main ship, their lasers firing like mad! The battle has only just begun!</s>
<\|description\|>ADI Mark V Age: Model built three years ago. Model based on the age Eighteen. Gender: Genderless. Model base male. Race: Haepheton Physical Description: Adi stands around 5'0 and wears metallic NVP suit as armor. Has blue eyes, and almost carries it sword. It has long silver hair pulled into a loose low ponytail reaching to it's lower back. Its appearance is male base, but still is more feminine then most males, the scientists wanting it to be in between. Personality: Adi is a blunt and logical individual, though is naturally curious and often asks questions on things it would like to know. It is pretty direct, and often doesn't understand jokes since it takes about everything seriously. It is clever and smart and knows its way through databases, computers, electronics and the like, much like the rest of its kind. Adi is mostly lawful, being programmed to follow orders absolutely, so it often doesn't question its commanding officer. Since it's programmed to follow humans, it will almost take any order from any human as long as it is not unlawful. Despite its calm and neutral attitude, it does show some kindness and sometimes free will. Enhancements: Cyberlink. Adi is one of the first successful android, to be similar to a organic body. But it also retains the aspects of a robotic body thanks to added enhancements. It has heightened speed, thanks to technological implants in its legs as well as access to Cyberspace. Its body has also been built to be able to take strong impacts, and harsh climate and temperatures. Skills: Master in swordsmanship, technology savvy, basically a walking computer and is able to communicate with other machines. Cooking, cleaning, and basic care taking. Equipment: Energy Pulse Gun. HF Blade. NVP suit. Bio: Adi was created by a organization of scientists known as Hybrid. Their goal is to discover new scientific aspects and to create new discovers. They mad several of the human subspecies such as the Chimera and Machinas and several working robots. One branch wished to create a robot that was almost identical in the human body but still had the mind of a machine. They didn't wish to create a great intelligence like the Haepheton, wanting to make such robots for the general public that were simple servants. Their plan was to make a robot that would be up to a human's desire, like getting a useful toy or pet to play with and feel comfortable. Giving the sense as if they were talking with another person, but at the same time having power over it like a Master and Slave. The robots functions were to hold basic human care, knowledge of a nutritional diet, cooking, cleaning, and be a mobile access to Cyberverse. As well as a combat protection program to protect their owner. They also had a learning function so they can learn whatever their owner wishes them to learn. The project was called, Hybrid Child. Four models had been built, but all led to failure. The Mark V was the first successful product. The skeleton being made of machine, using some Symbiotic material. The silicon like flesh covering it being smooth and squishy like a human, and even able to bleed red liquid it cut. When Adi Mark V was awake and mobile, it was much similar to that of a child, having to learn and be taught several things, but the development was much faster than that of any human. After three years, they were satisfied with the results and decided Adi Mark V needed a true test run. So when the Galatic Coalition requested any assistance Hybrid could offer, they decided to send Adi Mark V in order to truly test it's functions in both combat and the ability to serve the crew mates on board. Finding that the only way to prove its effective skills and he fact it doesn't have the same will as Haephetons, is to actually interact with other organics and other AI.</s> <\|message\|>ADI Mark V As they continued on, Adi continued examining its surroundings, listening to the Vexi. Of course Adi already had a downloaded map and had pretty much processed where everything was and the crew member information that was included in the database, but it was also better to see things with its optical sensors. Plus it usually made organics feel better. "Affirmative." Adi responded to Sel's suggestion about requesting a set position from the Captain.</s> <\|message\|>Doctor Sel'Varok Sel would take Adi up to where the captain was located, the bridge hopefully, given he was meant to be working on getting them shipped off and on this new mission that they had been placed on. She would have to remind herself to ask him about just what information he had on this, as it may differ from her own given the union did not feel like sharing all the information. "Right he is just her-, Ah" Standing on the bridge now she saw that Ray was currently out of it, must have been doing something important but at least Towan was here. Walking closer she placed her back onto Ray's lap as if he was not even there, more like just to make his legs tired when he woke up. "Towan, It seems we are getting more than a few new crew in huh? Adi here is one of them, I suspect you and him are going to be working very close together given he is a android and all. Also Adi this is Towan"</s> <\|message\|>Rayland Sul'tari Towan's holographic sphere swiveled in place, facing Sel and Adi the moment the virtual intelligence's name was mentioned. "Yes, that would be correct Doctor Sel'Varok." replied Towan in its usual fashion of addressing both title and full name of the individual it was speaking too. The ship's VI spoke with little to no personality but given Towan's more direct sounding behavior; it seemed obvious that the VI was constructed with the concept of getting to the point above all else. "ADI Mark V, your profile has already been reviewed; your contribution to the crew and the Infamous Alto's operation and success is very much appreciated." - ------------------------------------------------- - "Excellent, we seem to be right on schedule." voiced Force Commander Arik at the meeting table after what seemed like an hour of everyone submitting their operational status and ETAs. However how long time seemed to flow through the Cyberverse, in flowed alongside reality in mere seconds. Of course this can only be made possible locally. As data and communications travel through deep space and making contact with each satellite node to which accelerates the information to the next node over, the latency with each reply may last only a matter of minutes; a marveling concept given most planets or starships may be separated by several thousand light years apart. But the very fact alone is what has everyone so spooked about the mission. Nothing but silence was the only thing known the moment communications were lost. "I won't bore you all with what's already known and you all have already been briefed about this situation…And what is at stake." Arik continued, "…The Galactic Coalition believes that the disappearances in Solarian League and Bel'Kian Concordance space is the result of an active invasion. The loss of communication with the colonies provides a tactical advantage for any possible invader in preventing military information or an SOS from being sent out and leaving us in the dark to our own devices..." "Could this occurrence also be the result a coordinated attack from a terrorist or radical cell?" spoke a young officer from what Rayland could gather as he turned his attention to the origin of the voice. "My query reflects the tactics observed during the military coup on Hidien IV and V. Several cells have also been confirmed operating light-years away from these colonies." Rayland could make out some conversations now being stirred up by this established fact. "Biological weapons were used in that coup too. Hidien V is hardly considered habitable now because of that mess." came another voice; this one coming from a more gruff and senior officer, possibly a captain. "Were there any reports of Stellar activity in those sectors prior before communications went dark?" "No reports were given. Those kinds of phenomena would be easy to track and predict. Solar flare or supernova alerts would have been issued long before any temporary or permanent damage could be done. Everyone would have been evacuated in time. "Likely possibilities gentleman and I do share your formulated theories as well." the moment Arik's commanding voice reemerged, all side conversations ceased. "Until we are given more information on these recent events, it will be assumed that a hostile force is the cause of the disappearances. Though to ease some of your concerns, we have brought in several specialists into our fold in case an invasion is disproven. Moving forward…" The table in the heart of the discussion suddenly began to glow, producing a digital image of the entire galaxy for everyone to observe. Immediately following-up afterwards, several blips popped in, identifying each colony now reported as 'gone dark'. The present animation continued as a portion of the galactic map was pulled up, highlighting three more colonies before a representation of the expeditionary fleet came into view. "Here's the ground work for Operation Trident…The entire expeditionary force will deploy from Falymar Station and travel to the Andraste Quadrant via slispace. As you can see, Andraste is the closest quadrant next to populated space and thus demands our full attention. Upon arrival and while still in transit, the flotilla will break into 3 groups, each lead by a Skirmish Carrier…" Force Commander Arik then personally highlighted his group. "…Our group here will be lead by the Howling Sun; our primary target is the Quox system, specifically the planet Ebrillon." On cue, the map zoomed inward more, showing the Quox star system and then Ebrillon. "Assuming an enemy force has positioned and fortified itself around the planet, our battlegroup will exit slipspace close to the edge of the system. Our late scouts had exited within visual range of Ebrillon before contact was lost so we'll be playing this safe…" The more Rayland continued to follow and dissect Arik's strategy, the more he began to feel dread and regret churning in his stomach. He and his crew knew the risks and it was already too late to back out now, but he could not shake the uneasy feeling that was slowly enveloping him. That a heavy burden of responsibility for his crew mounting its weight on his shoulders and …Thighs? An unexpected and illogical feeling he couldn't understand as to why it existed alongside his worries. His thoughts did not dwell on this for long and he quickly written it off as faulty neural reaction due to synchronization. Rayland then refocused his attention back to Arik's session. "…we'll begin a slow approach here, using long range scanners to chart out the surrounding space, especially for any defensive fortifications. If in the event a hostile fleet is present, all transport ships will evacuate back to the exit point and await further instructions from the Howling Sun. However if there is no confirmed threat occupying Ebrillon's local space or orbit, landing operations will begin after tactical observations deem it safe to land on the surface…" The holographic representation of Ebrillon zoomed in to the planet's surface, revealing the blueprints of a massive hive city structure. The megalopolis resembled that of an immensely large and wide sky scraper cultivating its structural influence deep underground as well. Its concept was to develop a single area for colony development without the need to construct more cities across the planet. The basis was more towards geographic and ecosystem isolation with the eventual requirement for development for an orbital elevator to support larger vessels that are unable to perform atmospheric entry to their incredible mass. Upon further inspection was a starport being highlighted on the holographic display. "This starport here will serve as a beachhead for phase one of the landing efforts..." Arik pointed out to the assembly to which Rayland's job was now being addressed. "The transport ships ferrying equipment and personnel will dock with the starport once AISCs secure the structure. Through this process we will attempt to make contact with anyone inside the city. Depending on our findings, phase two will begin after this port here, close the apex of the city is under control. This will allow dropships to bring supplies directly into the structure…" After Commander Arik's sentence ended, the holograph soon faded into nothingness. Already whispers amongst the personnel began to pick up. "This concludes our known strategy for this expedition. Additional tasks will soon follow depending on the situation we encounter on Ebrillon. I predict that many of you have many concerns and questions about the groundwork laid out here so now is the time to ask them."</s>	<\|message\|>ADI Mark V ADI gave a slight nod as the Vexi introduced the ship VI known as Towan. Considering Captain Rayland was currently synchronized into Cyberverse and therefore would not be answering any questions until the call ended. As Towan got to the point, a expected action for a military virtual intelligence, Adi slowly nodded in response to words of appreciation. "Company Hybrid sends their regards and are eager to assist. Is there a particular post the Captain has planned for this unit?" The android asked.</s>
<\|description\|>Achieng, Clan Chima Age: 80 (help me with this?) Gender: Female Race: Watumaji Physical Description: Achi is heavily curved, with dark brown skin, topaz eyes, and short white hair. Her skin is extremely smooth, cool to the touch and slightly wet at all times. She has fingers that are half webbed. Instead of legs, she has a long tailfin. It starts the shade of her skin, but shifts to a brilliant orange-gold. Like most of her race who traverse the galaxy, she wears a sheer bodysuit that covers her from the waist up to the neck and arms. It is made of a material designed to draw moisture from the environment and stay damp to protect the Watumaji's skin. Over that, Achi usually chooses to wear a tunic from her home planet, one that is brightly colored and patterned, as well as jewelry that seems to be made of coral and bone. From the waist down, she is settled in a water tank that is about the size of a personal scooter. The tank rolls smoothly on two treads, and Achi maneuvers it with a small control panel. Personality: Achieng is gentle-hearted and caring, and at first glance would seem an odd choice for the military. However, she has an acceptance of all sorts of beings, human, chimera, android and otherwise, and her position as a soldier's counselor makes sense to those who go to see her. She can hear terrible things, stories of war and blood, pain and grief, and take them in without judgement or reproach. She listens, and she comforts, and only offers advice when it is asked of her; sometimes people simply want to be heard, not corrected. Outside of her role on the ship, she is friendly to others and usually quiet. The only time she would show any fierceness is if she was in personal danger, or someone was harming another person in front of her. Enhancements: None Skills: Diplomat- Achieng is an excellent speaker and can smooth talk with the best of them. If there was a mission that involved making peace instead of war, she would be a good candidate to take along. Swimming- While she is inhibited by her tank on land, in an aquatic environment, she is far more at home. Achi is a swift and graceful swimmer. Vocals- Like all of her people, Achieng can speak, but can also sing in what her race calls wimbo-kusema. The closest comparison would be whalesong, but a Watumaji's is much more powerful and loud. Some of the tones range below what many beings can detect, and some range far above. Achieng has a natural talent for it, and can be extremely loud to the point of causing damage if she had to be. Equipment: Water suit- Absorbs moisture from the environment to keep her skin wet and cool. Travel tank- Contains space for her to rest, and water for her to rest in while she's on land. Moves on two treads and has a small hand control. Vocal mask- Achieng has a tech mask that fits over her mouth that can be used to direct her already powerful singing into something that could be weapons-grade lethal. Fishing knife- While she can only do so underwater, Achi is well trained in the use of a knife made to hunt fish. She calls it a knife, but it's half the length of her arm and hooked at the end. (Like that, but longer.) Bio: Achieng traveled with her parents around the planet, her mother being a singer that would visit great cities and small towns alike. Her mother's voice was said to be heard even by those whose souls had joined the Sea, and so she was requested at many dignitaries funerals. Unfortunately, Achi's mother became ill and never recovered. She died when Achi was still a child. Her distraught father took her to the home of her aunt, promising to return for her soon. He never did. Young Achi grew up isolated. She was shunned by the townspeople, and shamed by her aunt. Her aunt considered her a freeloader, and her own past jealous of Achi's successful and well-loved mother came out on Achi herself. Her uncle did nothing to stop his wife's poor treatment of their niece. Achi's only solace was in her cousin, who ignored his mother's opinions and treated her as a sister. The two grew up close, and he was Achi's savior. Unfortunately, her aunt was not much kinder to her own son, and as soon as her cousin became of age, he pledged (married) to someone and moved far away from home. While he did offer to take Achi with him, she declined. Left on her own, Achi honed her singing in secret, growing more controlled and powerful by the turn of each tide. She also did everything she could to earn money, trading, bartering, and singing for pay. The day came when she too, became of age, and she wasted no time in gathering her meager possessions and leaving. After bartering for passage on an off-planet ship, she made her way through schooling and was soon assigned to a military vessel.</s> <\|message\|>ADI Mark V ADI gave a slight nod as the Vexi introduced the ship VI known as Towan. Considering Captain Rayland was currently synchronized into Cyberverse and therefore would not be answering any questions until the call ended. As Towan got to the point, a expected action for a military virtual intelligence, Adi slowly nodded in response to words of appreciation. "Company Hybrid sends their regards and are eager to assist. Is there a particular post the Captain has planned for this unit?" The android asked.</s> <\|message\|>Rayland Sul'tari De-synchronization was something that the mind could never get used to; it was like a reversing flood of thoughts and memories as the brain pulls away from the strands of virtual cognition that tied it to the Cyberverse. Though brief as it was, the resurge of old and new information however felt like it could last another lifetime until the mind reconnected back to the real world. The worst part of course of the brain then trying to re-wire its many functions back into the place so the body may behave correctly. This normally afflicted the sense which would eventually be corrected though the lasting effects varied. Just when the de-sync completed, Rayland moved his hands to his face, groaning as felt the light of the bridge pierce through his eyelids. With a free hand, he managed to disconnect the wire from the back of his neck as it withdrew coiled back into his seat. As he continued to force his eyes into acceptance, Rayland quickly began to realize that he still could not feel his legs since the meeting With forced curiosity, Rayland bended forward and pulled to his hand away from his sight, finding someone's luggage was place on his thighs and kept there for the past several minutes. He came to a pause upon this strange discovery but quickly did he find the culprit and the newcomber along with Towan staring at him, as if awaiting his next action or command. "…I see you've came quite prepared Sel…" sighed Rayland. "Your tasks aboard the Infamous Alto, ADI Mark V, will be the general maintaining of the vessel's facilities and primary systems…" Continued Towan after Rayland blurted into the conversation. "…And a position in the Galley. Based on your skill assets, you'll make a fine addition to the facility."</s> <\|message\|>Doctor Sel'Varok Sel was listening to the two machines talk it out, a rather straight forward affair compared to trying to tell a organic what to do that was for sure. Either way Adi now knew its job, which was apparently the galley, huh that was unexpected, so Sel was about to turn around and grab her bag once again, though as she did so she heard the captain speak which made what could only be described as a smile cross her lips. Reaching up she removed her helm before speaking to Ray, placing it under her arm. "Ah, thank you. You found my bag for me. Also yes, if this is going to be as big a job as you told me then I have to, otherwise you die... When you die my paycheck dries up, see where I am going with this?" She said picking the bag off the guys poor legs, giving them a rest. "So, I suspect you have been talking to the higher ups? Did they mention anything we should know?"</s> <\|message\|>Rayland Sul'tari "Indeed I do, though I am afraid to ask what you have stowed away in there..." said a groggy sounding Rayland as he pinched the bridge of his node while pulling himself out of the captain's seat. "I'll explain later the rest of the crew when we jump into slipspace. For now, we're to regroup with the SWS Howling Sun after preparations are done here...Which reminds me..." Rayland reached over to his console and tapped away on several of the touch interface sensors. The key strokes prompted the same holo-screen from before to illuminate, showing Kaite and Riblou with another passenger. Going by the cargo manifests and the crew rosters, the were just about wrapped up. This was also true going by the dispersal of most of the dock crews with their tasks already accomplished, leaving only the essential personnel to assist with preparations and departure of the frigate. With a few more taps, Rayland linked the built-in vox of his console to Kaite's communicator. "Kaite, this is Rayland. How's the preparations out there? Are all the new crew members accounted for?"</s>	<\|message\|>Achieng, Clan Chima Achieng smiled, and moved her hand in a slashing motion. Only seconds later did she realize that she should be doing the thing with her head instead. She couldn't remember, though, if 'no' meant up and down head motion, or side to side head motion. With a soft chuckle, she said it out loud instead. "No. My things are already being loaded. Most of them are on the way to the lower deck. They've built me a nice sleeping tank, or so I have been told. I will see when I get there." She was not fully certain of the layout of the ship, but figured she would learn like everyone else. "I am happy to meet you, Kaite." She bowed her head to him, then maneuvered her tank backward smoothly. She started up the ramp to the ship with the faint sloshing sound of water fading in her wake.</s>
<\|description\|>Achieng, Clan Chima Age: 80 (help me with this?) Gender: Female Race: Watumaji Physical Description: Achi is heavily curved, with dark brown skin, topaz eyes, and short white hair. Her skin is extremely smooth, cool to the touch and slightly wet at all times. She has fingers that are half webbed. Instead of legs, she has a long tailfin. It starts the shade of her skin, but shifts to a brilliant orange-gold. Like most of her race who traverse the galaxy, she wears a sheer bodysuit that covers her from the waist up to the neck and arms. It is made of a material designed to draw moisture from the environment and stay damp to protect the Watumaji's skin. Over that, Achi usually chooses to wear a tunic from her home planet, one that is brightly colored and patterned, as well as jewelry that seems to be made of coral and bone. From the waist down, she is settled in a water tank that is about the size of a personal scooter. The tank rolls smoothly on two treads, and Achi maneuvers it with a small control panel. Personality: Achieng is gentle-hearted and caring, and at first glance would seem an odd choice for the military. However, she has an acceptance of all sorts of beings, human, chimera, android and otherwise, and her position as a soldier's counselor makes sense to those who go to see her. She can hear terrible things, stories of war and blood, pain and grief, and take them in without judgement or reproach. She listens, and she comforts, and only offers advice when it is asked of her; sometimes people simply want to be heard, not corrected. Outside of her role on the ship, she is friendly to others and usually quiet. The only time she would show any fierceness is if she was in personal danger, or someone was harming another person in front of her. Enhancements: None Skills: Diplomat- Achieng is an excellent speaker and can smooth talk with the best of them. If there was a mission that involved making peace instead of war, she would be a good candidate to take along. Swimming- While she is inhibited by her tank on land, in an aquatic environment, she is far more at home. Achi is a swift and graceful swimmer. Vocals- Like all of her people, Achieng can speak, but can also sing in what her race calls wimbo-kusema. The closest comparison would be whalesong, but a Watumaji's is much more powerful and loud. Some of the tones range below what many beings can detect, and some range far above. Achieng has a natural talent for it, and can be extremely loud to the point of causing damage if she had to be. Equipment: Water suit- Absorbs moisture from the environment to keep her skin wet and cool. Travel tank- Contains space for her to rest, and water for her to rest in while she's on land. Moves on two treads and has a small hand control. Vocal mask- Achieng has a tech mask that fits over her mouth that can be used to direct her already powerful singing into something that could be weapons-grade lethal. Fishing knife- While she can only do so underwater, Achi is well trained in the use of a knife made to hunt fish. She calls it a knife, but it's half the length of her arm and hooked at the end. (Like that, but longer.) Bio: Achieng traveled with her parents around the planet, her mother being a singer that would visit great cities and small towns alike. Her mother's voice was said to be heard even by those whose souls had joined the Sea, and so she was requested at many dignitaries funerals. Unfortunately, Achi's mother became ill and never recovered. She died when Achi was still a child. Her distraught father took her to the home of her aunt, promising to return for her soon. He never did. Young Achi grew up isolated. She was shunned by the townspeople, and shamed by her aunt. Her aunt considered her a freeloader, and her own past jealous of Achi's successful and well-loved mother came out on Achi herself. Her uncle did nothing to stop his wife's poor treatment of their niece. Achi's only solace was in her cousin, who ignored his mother's opinions and treated her as a sister. The two grew up close, and he was Achi's savior. Unfortunately, her aunt was not much kinder to her own son, and as soon as her cousin became of age, he pledged (married) to someone and moved far away from home. While he did offer to take Achi with him, she declined. Left on her own, Achi honed her singing in secret, growing more controlled and powerful by the turn of each tide. She also did everything she could to earn money, trading, bartering, and singing for pay. The day came when she too, became of age, and she wasted no time in gathering her meager possessions and leaving. After bartering for passage on an off-planet ship, she made her way through schooling and was soon assigned to a military vessel.</s> <\|message\|>ADI Mark V Adi took a moment to glance to the intercom as it was announced that interstellar travel would begin in approximately five minutes. The android knew the effects of almost every type of travel, though actually experiencing them was another matter. Although the emotion software was offline, Adi was built to notably understand organic natural reaction to things like travel. If calculations were correct, just about everyone was going to feel something. More or less, nauseous, in which can create the action of vomiting. A aspect that was replicatible if Adi was given organic solid investable matter but was not a likely act that the organics would really want replicated. When the jump happened, the android didn't move but the blank blue eyes narrowed a little as their vision seemed to be warped. Their right eye twitched a little before both optical receptors closed to take a moment to adjust systems. Indeed... Actually experiencing something was different from just being programmed with knowledge. As expected as the android examined the room, just about every organic wasn't feeling so well. Doctor Sel quickly offering support. Unstrapping itself, the android stood and took something out of their pocket. It looked like a blue pill, but when clicking the top of it the pill soon expanded and grew, morphing into a large plastic blue bag with a circled solid entrance. A device made for releasing stomachal fluids from their mouth. "Please use the proper equipment when feeling ill. Too avoid a further mess and the organic reaction of being ill as well when seeing vomiting fluids." Adi spoke as one crew member quickly grabbed it from his hands and promptly threw up in it.</s> <\|message\|>Jack Harquin Sitting in the lower decks, having arrived earlier, Jack mulled over a few documents that R3V had sent him about the mission. Missing colonies, no survivors, investigate, don't die. The usual. It all seemed a bit underwhelming to him and apparently him alone considering that the ship he was sitting in the lower decks of was about five minutes from jumping while in tow of a damn carrier. He shook his head and closed the wrist-based hologram projector and reclined in the seat he had fashioned for himself. He preferred it on the engineering decks of the larger ships. It was away from the people for the most part and he felt safer. He didn't enjoy riding in these oversized gun platforms. Hated it when he was in the military, hated it now. Too much can go wrong too fast and too many lives were at stake. He just about fell out of the seat when the Jump happened, forgetting to actually prepare himself like a normal person would. He righted himself and could already feel his bowels trying to right themselves as well. For once, he was thankful that his armor could help with that. He reached down to check his equipment and make sure they made the start of the jump alright. He already knew that they were basically unaffected by the jump, but he still made sure. Faulty equipment was a death sentence. After making sure everything was checked and not broken, he slung his rifle over his shoulder, made sure the safety was on, and clicked on the magnetic safety on his suit, turning a small light green on his shoulder. He did this just so those with hatred for bounty hunters would be put at ease a little, knowing that he couldn't actually draw his weapons at all. "Might as well head to the top deck and see how things are going...." He said to nobody in particular. He started the trek up the decks and to the main deck, greeting a few people along the way. He dared not take his helmet off. Not many people enjoy talking to somebody with a face that looks like he put it into an active rocket engine. Stepping into the main room of the bridge, he took a place next to the door and leaned against the wall. At this point he could only wait for things to happen as he was not assigned any position in the ship. Least not yet. He could fake it and say he was a patrolman, but he decided against it. He did happen to make sure that his credentials were in order before somebody flipped out on him, however. He was going to avoid a night in a brig at all costs.</s> <\|message\|>Achieng, Clan Chima Achieng came to after several minutes, groaning and clutching her head as she resurfaced into the sharp, cold air of the ship. She hid her face, embarrassed, as she straightened her tunic and wrung the excess water from her hair. She pulled up a map of the ship, and hustled her tank right down to the med bay. "Ah, Doctor?" She wasn't sure of everyone's names just yet. "I would appreciate your help." Her head was still spinning, and she did not like the sensation of constant movement at all.</s> <\|message\|>Doctor Sel'Varok Sel got her tools ready once again back at the lab, after all she expected at least a few people to come complaining that they were sick, and as it turned out she was right on the money as one of the crew came on through into the lab. "Welcome, please, take a seat and tell me what is the matter." Head chest or stomach normally had different treatments, much better than just stuffing people full of pills like most auto-docs that she had seen on the streets. Removing her helmet she waited for a answer to her question.</s> <\|message\|>Rayland Sul'tari It was obvious that there were hardly any former military officers on board aside from Rayland himself and a few other individuals whom operated on Jump Drive rigged vessels before and thus were seemingly immune to the influential psychological effects of warping through space and time instantly that impacted the body. Of course the potency of the effects and how long they would last was completely up to the individual whom perceived the visual experience of being stretched several hundred light years across the galaxy; clearly there were already a few people had recovered completely and began to go about their business as normal. The others however clearly needed more time, especially those whom never even traveled through slipspace before while awake. Luckily for them Sel had voiced over the comms that she would readily help treat anyone feeling ill. Rayland examined the operational report on his terminal and begun looking over the recent events. All three carriers and their respective task groups had initiated a interstellar jump all at once in same area of space. Falymar Station had since closed down slipspace travel in that particular region due to the gravitational influx created by the mass jump and had begun sending pings to inbound vessels to relocate their exit vectors in unaffected space until the disruptions had settled. Though the entire expeditionary force had jumped as one unit, each carrier group had dispersed into different routes towards their intended target systems, travelling though slipspace to ease their approach. The reported detailed an ETA of roughly 3 hours until the force reaches its destination; right on schedule. Figuring that crew would need to be briefed on the operation eventually, he routed the mission data from the meeting from earlier to the ship Briefing room; a central facility of the Infamous Alto that had remained inaccessible for quite awhile, only seeing legitimate use during important conferences and new crew orientations. The latter seemed necessary, it was only a temporary post; basically the same job the Alto signed on to. Rayland anticipated that if the mission went well, he and his crew would be handsomely and everyone whom joined up on this operation would be on their merry way. Assuming of course if they don't get shot up or become a grotesque space whale's lunch. Rayland rose from his seat unfazed from jump and stretched his limb before making his way off the bridge. "Towan, watch the bridge for me. I'm going to go ahead and do my rounds, make sure everyone is feeling okay...Oh and get everyone organized for a mandatory meeting in the Briefing room in thirty." "Understood Captain Rayland Sul'tari, assuming temporary post." replied Towan as Rayland made his way off the bridge. "All crewman; a mandatory meeting concerning the current operation in-progress has been scheduled in the Briefing room in thirty minutes. Guide lights for the Briefing room have been lit for new members for their convenience." Just before Rayland could approach and exit through the bridge doors, his eyes caught an unfamiliar face…which was oddly concealed by large plated helmet…Which was additionally odd to wear in doors, along with underslung rifle. Since he did not recognize this individual, he naturally assumed they had came in along with the rest of the new personnel. Ultimately since he only had a crew manifest with names without an associable portrait, he changed his vector and approached the man instead, activating the holo-tool on his wrist so he could identify who this masked and armed fellow was. "Greetings and salutations good sir. I assume you're one of the newcomers I take it?" Rayland didn't wait for an answer just as the crew manifest loaded on the wrist projector. "And you are…?"</s> <\|message\|>Jack Harquin Jack looked at the man that was fast approaching him and was already sizing him up. Guy looked like he had been through literal storms of bullets and came out with more than a few scratches. Big, gruff, and tough. He seemed like he was, or at least used to be, the pride of the AISC. Considering the quality of the ship he was in, the guy had earned everything that he owned and more. There was a sense of pride in his step, of power, strength...maybe even cunning considering the look in his eye. He had a dominating look about him, as should be standard for a captain of a ship commanding so many individuals. He stopped and spoke to him, his voice was gruff but matched his analysis of him perfectly. He nearly swung his hand into the captain's and gripped it firm. As was customary, he tried to break the captain's hand with the handshake in a show of strength and valor. The captain did not disappoint him. "Jack Harquin. A pleasure, Captain Sul'tari. I have been assigned to this mission, yes. Unlike many of the other members of your rather luxurious vessel, I have not been given a position in the maintenance of her, so I figured I would take up guard duty for the moment until we reach the destination." He let go of the Captain's hand and crossed his arms for but a moment before he pointed a thumb at his weapons. "Oh, and don't worry. They're mag locked."</s>	<\|message\|>Achieng, Clan Chima Achieng smiled weakly. "Yes, thank you..." She was already seated, but she figured it was a gesture of welcome rather than a direct command. She really needed to read up on idioms again. "Since the jump, my head is telling me that the world is moving in circles. I do not like it at all. Can you please make it stop?"</s>
<\|description\|>Zeetah ### Character App Race: Ampharian Gender: Androgynous Age: 15 Description: Zeetah is a young Ampharian acrobat originating from the Froggila tribe who lives in a forgotten covered alleyway near a cracked canal wall that constantly leaks, providing a nice, comfortable, moist (if moldy) environment. He dresses as a human male, has light green skin with blue-and-black tree frog-like stripes on his back, long legs with large webbed feet, and big, bulging, red-orange eyes. Zeetah has lived in Areapolis his entire life, but was kidnapped when he was very young, before he had learned the culture of the Froggila tribe. His kidnappers, a foreign circus who had never seen Ampharians before and did not know how common they were in the city, dressed him as a human boy and trained him as an acrobat in another part of the expansive city. Every day, Zeetah longed to return to his parents, and one day, during a particularly busy day at the circus, he sneaked away, hidden in a small crowd of other Froggila. He searched for his parents by asking the Froggila until he learned that they had gone far away to search for him, assuming his kidnappers had taken him to some faraway country. When Zeetah realized that he could never fit in with the Froggila community, he left to live on his own, using his acrobatics to earn a living performing and stealing when there was no audience. ### Race App Name: Ampharian Description: A race of amphibian-like people with appearances ranging from that of frogs to salamanders. Because of their slimy skin and their need to remain moist, they dwell in the sewers, canals, and rivers of Areapolis and are generally rejected by the other residents of the city. The majority of Ampharians have long, webbed fingers and toes, broad mouths, and various shades of green skin, though some (the salamander-like) have primarily black skin with bright accents of various colors. Biologically, Ampharians are androgynous, each one producing both eggs and fertilization, though they can only fertilize eggs of a different DNA makeup. Due to this androgynous nature, Ampharians are encouraged to consistently dress and act in a way that fits in with neighboring races, whether it is stereotypical male/female attire or something inbetween does not matter, as long as these races can comfortably identify what gender they intend to portray. The Ampharians need to study their neighboring communities to learn what their personal favorite style of dress would be and what gender that style fits into for that community. This has led to problems and confusion in the past, especially since within each tribe there is no gender-based dress, most members choosing only to dress for the weather and many members choosing instead to remain unclothed while in their homes. The Ampharian race is split among several tribes based upon appearance, separated based on what amphibian they most resemble (eg. frog, toad, salamander, etc.). In general, the Ampharians are a highly curious and carefree race, but they tend to be uneasy when interacting with other tribes because it seems the problem of prejudice based on appearance is not only a human problem. In spite of this artificial separation, the Ampharian are all one race and are biologically all the same. ### Organization App Name: The Froggila Tribe Description: The tribe of Ampharians with the appearance of frogs. The most outgoing of the Ampharian tribes, the Froggila tribe spends most of their time in marketplaces, returning to the canals and rivers infrequently to restore their moistness. In spite of their outgoingness toward other races, they are deeply prejudiced of Ampharians from other tribes and will rarely interact with or even trust them, and they are frequently seen going far out of their way to avoid non-Friggila Ampharians. The Froggila prefer the pronoun "xe/xer" but are mostly tolerant of "he/him", as they are frequently called by other races.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "Alright" Henna said and pointed at the bar behind her with her thumb, "You stay here and I'll get us something to eat. Back in a minute." That went surprisingly quick and smooth. In Hennas experience, people usually didn't trust that quick. Especially not towards trollkin. Then again, if you'd been swimming at random in the river, which Henna assumed the elf had been doing, and ended up far from where you'd intended, which Henna assumed the elf had done, you'd probably be pretty glad to hear a stranger offer you clothes and food. Especially happy if it was for free. Made Henna wonder why she was doing it, this wasn't really her style. But she needed the company, needed to talk to someone who didn't spit on her for being born a trollkin, or tried to get into her breeches cheaply because of the same reason. Reaching the bar, she signaled to Burna, the great big bastard of a barkeeper, that she wanted to plates of whatever. Luckily for her, Burna had a little crush on her and usually gave her food for free. Turning around to look at the guests around her, Henna found herself catching a staggering human man who stumbled into her. She pushed him off her, and watched as he was knocked out cold by a savage right hook from a big armored woman. She felt something hit her face, and then her foot, and looked down to see what it was. A tooth. Not one of hers, luckily. The beaten mans, then. Touching her face and looking at her fingertips, she saw blood. She closed her eyes and shivered slightly. Disgusting.</s> <\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf "Yah! Hit 'er again Maevus!" "Teach the bloody slang a hic lesson!" How typical of them all to be on his side, all shouting derogatory and slanderous remarks towards the armored woman, but not a single damned one she could understand as they were all nothing but drunkenly slurred. Nevertheless, no matter how much they egged on their inebriated companion Maevus, he was about to be down for the count. Talaran's fists continued to bash his face into a bloody, bruised mess of red and purple, his rotten teeth flying to and fro from his busted mouth and blood pouring from his nose a crimson river. Finally, the man tried to deliver one final blow, but Talaran being the more superior fighter,she dove under his swing and gave her final blow right into his battered face with a sickening crack of his jaw in two. Soon, he fell before her like a downed cedar with a heavy thud against the floor. "That'll learn ye....ye smelly bastard." Talaran breathed harsh and cracked her nose back in place with a pained grunt, wiping his filthy blood off her face and sitting down. A shame, the fight must've scared off that beauty she was wooing a moment ago. Oh well, the thrill of a good brawl made up for it.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. With a loud popping sound and lightning flash, Tex suddenly rematerialized in an alleyway. He wasn't too picky about his destination, with his only concern being the escape. However, he found that he was a few feet above the ground when he reentered the physical realm. Tex fell face first against the stones below him with a dull thwack. His hat joined him shortly after as it gradually drifted to ground next to him. With a grunt he pried himself up out of the dust and glanced around. To his dismay, he wasn't the only occupant of the alley. Deeper in were a couple doing... something. Too poor to afford a room, or perhaps fans of unusual scenery, he figured. This was the extent of his consideration of the scene as he hastily scrambled to his feet, snatched his hat, and made his second escape of the hour. As he emerged onto the street, he examined the front of this establishment random chance had dropped him at the side of. He tugged his hat back onto his head with both hands as a sigh escaped him, his gaze fixed on the sign before the building. "Giulias House of Leisure." A brothel. Lovely. He brushed the dirt off himself and shook his head. What a day. As he spun about to head on his way, his keen hearing detected quite a commotion within, reinvigorating his attention. He shifted up against the wall as he began to eavesdrop.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah A thud in the alleyway startled Zeetah, who stopped short of opening the door. He leaned back to see what could have made the noise only to see a man... no, not a man, a... Cat? Zeetah had never seen a cat-man before, and his curiosity overwhelmed him as he walked toward the cat-man, head unconsciously cocked to the side and mouth slightly agape. "Uh... Excuse me. Hi! I'm sorry, but... Oh my, I'm so sorry to ask like this, but... Sir, what... are you?" Suddenly Zeetah flipped extravagantly away from the building to avoid the loud crash and shatter of glass as a bloodied shell of a man flew out the window and plopped onto the ground, unmoving.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex blinked, then froze as his eyes drew in the visage of what was to him an equally unfamiliar creature. He was so focused on him that he merely sidestepped out of the path of the man who had been sent hurtling through the glass. His eyes widened at the impressive maneuvers the frog had taken to evade the downed man. His stare was only broken for a brief moment as he checked himself over for any glass that may have embedded in him. Fortunately, it had not, so back to the frog creature his attention went. He shook his head and finally spoke. "Only slight amounts of offense taken!" He chuckled. "I mean, after all, there are oh so many weird and wonderful things that wander this world, and I can hardly expect you to have seen 'em all." He said as he drew closer. "I'm Tex. Wizard, wanderer, magically fashioned cat-man, performer, philanthropist, visionary, possibly wanted by the city watch for things I -swear- I didn't know about at the time, and all around not particularly thrilled today, really." He rubbed his chin as he regarded the frog again, leaning back on a heel. "Now, as for what -you- are, I can tell you right now: fascinatingly skilled. I've not seen anything move quite like you since... ever, really."</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Ah, it's nothing. But I guess it is something for someone who hasn't been raised as an acrobat!" Zeetah corrected himself, muttering "Gotta remember not everyone's an acrobat, Zeet, come on," under his breath. "So what brings you to the slums? I don't really know what this place is, but it's warm and crowded. But," he paused, looking down at the man, "now I'm not sure I want to be in there... Hey, you think this guy's got any money?" Zeetah crouched down over the unconscious man, checking his pockets but ultimately finding nothing.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. The cat reached a hand back to scratch at his neck as he considered the frog's words. "Well, uh I went from walking on four legs to two legs, so any sort of motion that tops that tends to be a bit impressive--" He coughed into a fist and stopped himself. "Brings me to the slums?" He repeated, evidently confused. He placed his hands on his hips and glanced around, surveying his surroundings. He winced, then chewed his lower lip in contemplation. "It certainly does appear to be a slum, now you mention it. huh." He murmured. He gave an exaggerated shrug. "Just kinda... dropped in, I guess. I was in a really, really big hurry and cast a teleportation spell, without any particular thought for any actual destination. Quite foolish, that. It could have ended in oh so many bad ways. To name a few, one possibility was me getting trapped in another plane of existence, or, another fun one, getting spewed all over that wall there like the insides spurted out of a crushed tomato--" He once again fake coughed, clearly realizing he was perhaps going a bit too into detail. He turned his head downwards to examine the wounded man. "He doesn't look particularly loaded. Especially unlikely, given this is a slum, come to think of it." He pondered out loud. He blinked. "Well, what are you waiting for? He's only going to be unconscious for so long." He laughed, perhaps a bit worryingly amused by the prospect.</s>	<\|message\|>Zeetah Zeetah perked up at the word "spell". He didn't know why, but he had always been interested in magic and always hoped he could learn some tricks. A teleportation spell would be particularly useful, he thought to himself. But he had also heard that Ampharians were never particularly good at magic, or at least, none had ever tried. "So, you said you were a magician or... what? Can you show me something cool? And teach me how to do something?" the frog was unconsciously bouncing in excitement. He felt bad that he was never particularly good at listening or holding a conversation, and he generally went out of his way to interact with people, so he never really had anyone to talk to and had very little experience with conversation as a result. Even still, this was an strange and exciting person with an exciting prospect of magic, so he could make an exception.</s>
<\|description\|>Zeetah ### Character App Race: Ampharian Gender: Androgynous Age: 15 Description: Zeetah is a young Ampharian acrobat originating from the Froggila tribe who lives in a forgotten covered alleyway near a cracked canal wall that constantly leaks, providing a nice, comfortable, moist (if moldy) environment. He dresses as a human male, has light green skin with blue-and-black tree frog-like stripes on his back, long legs with large webbed feet, and big, bulging, red-orange eyes. Zeetah has lived in Areapolis his entire life, but was kidnapped when he was very young, before he had learned the culture of the Froggila tribe. His kidnappers, a foreign circus who had never seen Ampharians before and did not know how common they were in the city, dressed him as a human boy and trained him as an acrobat in another part of the expansive city. Every day, Zeetah longed to return to his parents, and one day, during a particularly busy day at the circus, he sneaked away, hidden in a small crowd of other Froggila. He searched for his parents by asking the Froggila until he learned that they had gone far away to search for him, assuming his kidnappers had taken him to some faraway country. When Zeetah realized that he could never fit in with the Froggila community, he left to live on his own, using his acrobatics to earn a living performing and stealing when there was no audience. ### Race App Name: Ampharian Description: A race of amphibian-like people with appearances ranging from that of frogs to salamanders. Because of their slimy skin and their need to remain moist, they dwell in the sewers, canals, and rivers of Areapolis and are generally rejected by the other residents of the city. The majority of Ampharians have long, webbed fingers and toes, broad mouths, and various shades of green skin, though some (the salamander-like) have primarily black skin with bright accents of various colors. Biologically, Ampharians are androgynous, each one producing both eggs and fertilization, though they can only fertilize eggs of a different DNA makeup. Due to this androgynous nature, Ampharians are encouraged to consistently dress and act in a way that fits in with neighboring races, whether it is stereotypical male/female attire or something inbetween does not matter, as long as these races can comfortably identify what gender they intend to portray. The Ampharians need to study their neighboring communities to learn what their personal favorite style of dress would be and what gender that style fits into for that community. This has led to problems and confusion in the past, especially since within each tribe there is no gender-based dress, most members choosing only to dress for the weather and many members choosing instead to remain unclothed while in their homes. The Ampharian race is split among several tribes based upon appearance, separated based on what amphibian they most resemble (eg. frog, toad, salamander, etc.). In general, the Ampharians are a highly curious and carefree race, but they tend to be uneasy when interacting with other tribes because it seems the problem of prejudice based on appearance is not only a human problem. In spite of this artificial separation, the Ampharian are all one race and are biologically all the same. ### Organization App Name: The Froggila Tribe Description: The tribe of Ampharians with the appearance of frogs. The most outgoing of the Ampharian tribes, the Froggila tribe spends most of their time in marketplaces, returning to the canals and rivers infrequently to restore their moistness. In spite of their outgoingness toward other races, they are deeply prejudiced of Ampharians from other tribes and will rarely interact with or even trust them, and they are frequently seen going far out of their way to avoid non-Friggila Ampharians. The Froggila prefer the pronoun "xe/xer" but are mostly tolerant of "he/him", as they are frequently called by other races.</s> <\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Loudly, the door to the whorehouse banged open, as Ja'Lir strode through. As was usual for anyone entering, one of the girls instantly walked towards him, to make sure he enjoyed his stay. A single withering glance from the paladin made her reconsider, however, and she quite promptly backed away. When the warrior strode up to the counter, where a scantily clad lady was performing acts more acurately described as 'entertainment', rather than actually tending the bar. As the onyx-skinned warrior halted beside the counter, however, the colour drained from the woman's face. He spoke in calm, soft tones, and yet he was clearly heard over even the dinn the drunk soldiers were making. 'There is a human with troll's blood here, where is that human?' 'W-Well, I can't-' 'If I were to kill every living being in this establishment, I would find the person I was looking for. Your answer will save me the trouble of cleaning blood from my blade, and you the trouble of being judged for your sin in the afterlife.' The tone of the palladin's voice was not one of anger, or intimidation, but rather a cold assertion of death. 'Room 12!' Leaving the terrified 'bartender', Ja'Lir steps up the stairs, chainmail hauberk jungling with ever step. It had been a bluff, of course, he would not sully the name of the Blessed by committing a crime. Their standing in this city was bad enough. However, sometimes it was good to make use of the Blessed's bloody reputation, and his face could be devoid of emotion when he wished it to be. Which was, admittedly, pretty much always. Unwilling to waste time, Ja'Lir kicked down the door to Room 12, the half-rotten wood easily giving way to his metal-clad foot. It crashed into the ground with a second bang, as the armoured figure strode into the room. His face was deep black, as was normal for those born in the great northern deserts. He wore a long chainmail hauberk, as well as thick plate boots and gauntlets. A helmet with an upturned visor rested on his head, protecting his scalp. A black and white tabard stretched down over his armor, the seven-pointed star of Trazyn emblazoned clearly in the center, a thick leather belt holding a long black sheat at his side. Combined with his height and muscle mass, he struck an imposing figure. 'Give the elf the glass.' Having delivered his message, Ja'Lir turned on his heels, and walked away, eager to return to his post beside his mistress. She had a bad habit of underestimating the danger to herself in her scheming, and he constantly worried about her safety. Aside from her being a Prophet, he had grown rather fond of her over the years, as she was able to look right through his stony face, and with her he had no need to speak his feelings to have them known. With five long strides, Ja'Lir was already at the staircase, heading down.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "No...well i have a meeting with a friend of mine...but i can stay with you for the moment in case they come back..." Zazrioa spoke now looking over at Zeetah,Indeed he was worried that Jade and the others were commencing with the rite and without him."Oh...and of course i can teach you my brother..would you like to come with me to stay with the Estrella de Celimna?" He now asked him seeing as he knew about Zeetah and wondered if he would like a home.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah Zeetah knew about the Estrella de Climna. A pretty intense religious group that he was sure he could never fit in with. But the chance to learn magic--real magic--overwhelmed his thoughts. "Well... I know I could never see myself being religious, but I'm good at staying out of the way when I need to. If I can come and just learn magic...and maybe get a bite to eat every once in a while... then yeah, I think I might come with you! What do you say?" Zeetah lowered himself from the awning, careful to avoid the broken glass still scattered about. "Oh, and Tex should come too! You're trying to stay away from the guards, too, right? I saw your face when you couldn't fight, and I recognize that look on any face..." Zeetah stopped himself quickly and turned to Zazrioa, "There won't be guards there, right? That would be silly... right?"</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "We are not so bad..that is form the prejudice of others...we are here to help the community...among other things...my kin would be honored to have you in our home..." Zazrioa chuckled and would have to teach them that the Esterlla de Climna are not as terrible as the guards make them out too be,"Their are no guards in the House Of Climna...you will be safe there my brother..." He spoke now muttering a little spell to make the glass around Zeetah into sand so he could walk safely.</s> <\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf Ach! That noise! That God Damned noise! It was already bad enough that Talaran's head felt like it was going to split in two. Blame it on the mead and the several fists she took to her bruised and swollen face, still a bit pretty but not by much. She couldn't even hear the bard's tune over that pounding racket, as if the god of the forge himself was smashing the door down with his blazing hammer. "Augh! By the gods!" She groaned loudly turning towards the door, just in time to catch it fall to the floor with a heavy thud and lay squinting, pained eyes on the ebony skinned gargantuan clad head to toe in armor. A rather gruff fellow was he, and a bit intimidating too, even to the drunken warmaiden slightly. "An' jusht who in 'e bloody Abyss er ye?" Her voice slurred, she stammered equally cantankerous with a sharp pair of ice blue daggers staring back at him. It seemed as though she wanted another brawl in the blood and the ale. Unfortunately, that was not the reason this man was here. The cold look in his eyes, Talaran recognized it all to well, it was a look in a man or even a woman's eyes....when they were out for blood, a specific blood. And often times, that cold look was indeed sobering to even the rowdiest of drunks. The woman remained in her seat, her glare held on the beast of a man as he barked for the whereabouts of a human with troll's blood and demanded the barkeep tell him where this person was. A trollkin? Talaran wondered. There was a part of her that was itching to grab her sword by the door, to teach this bastard a lesson about barging in. Yet, there was the other part, the surprisingly sober and more reasonable part that kept her rump glued to the barstool and her vigilant eyes affixed upon the brute. The barkeep, poor lad was shaking in his skin and the man barely laid a single hand on him. Only then would Talaran find it necessary to intervene...violently of course. Luckily this time, no further bloodshed was needed. The boy fessed up choking out his answer and off the man went up the stairs, his voice, about as charming as a braying ass, echoing with his order, Give the elf the glass. What glass? A glass of water? Wine perhaps? No, how much an idiot Talaran was for thinking something as dimwitted as that. It had to be something else, but honestly...twas none of her business, nor did she have any wishes to pry into it. With the last drop of her mead finished, gruffly the woman sighed and slammed her tankard down on the bar, standing up and rubbing at her face with a gauntlet clad hand. A bit wobbly she stumbled over to the door, still disheartened her beautiful lass had left her alone at the bar, but the sweet and pungent flavor of Giulia's mead made up for it. Aye... I shudn't 'ave drinken too much... Indeed she shouldn't, not when she still had a job to do, that job being more of a grim and harrowing task...slay a wyvern. Speaking of the wyvern... "DRAGON!! A DRAGON HAS ATTACKED MY VILLAGE!! SOMEONE!! ANYONE!! PLEASE HELP!!" The frantic and terrified voice echoed down the bogged, muddy street and soon found its way into the warmth of Giulia's and to Talaran's ears perking up at the sound. Quickly the woman turned to the door and there he stood, a poor farm boy, his face covered in cuts, bruises and burns and his skin coated in a thick, smoky layer of soot. Tears ran down his cheeks as a painful river and ever desperately he sobbed into his hands collapsing at the door. Aye! Calm yerself lad! What's the matter? Talaran asked the boy, her eyes widening. Amidst his woeful tears, the boy uttered in return, "A...a dragon! A b-beast of the abyss! I pray brave warrior! Will you slay him?! He has killed my family and burned my home to cinders! Please! Please you must slay him!" The poor lad, he clung to Talaran's armor for dear life, the woman having to shake him off with a stern reply, "I said calm yerself boy! Was this beast a wyvern?" "Aye...aye it was!" Hastily and shakily he answered. "So..w-will you slay him, great warrior?" "Aye! I will!" And with that answer, Talaran raced back to the bar fetching her helm. "Ye there , lass!" She called to one of the tavern wenches. "See that this boy is taken care of. I must be off." Lastly the woman grabbed her sword and out the door she was running for the main gate of the city, already the stench of smoldering ashes and charred flesh heavy in the air and the beast's roar...echoing far in the distance as a call to challenge, a challenge the warmaiden would meet head on.</s>	<\|message\|>Zeetah As Zeetah stretched out his hand to give the generous Reptil a handshake, the sight of an imposing, heavily-armored man with dark skin stomped down the street, each step booming with impressive power, causing him to flinch and stare as he walked past. Shortly thereafter, he heard fierce shouting over the noisy din of the brothel, and after nearly no time at all, the same giant stomped heavily back out and left. Zeetah did not move the whole time. A few minutes passed in silence until suddenly "DRAGON!! A DRAGON HAS ATTACKED MY VILLAGE!! SOMEONE!! ANYONE!! PLEASE HELP!!" A filthy, singed farm boy with thin streams of smoke rising from his hair and clothing came running through the slums, screaming at the top of his lungs, apparently not knowing where else in the city to look for help at this hour of the night. As if replying to his call, a formidable woman with long, white hair burst out of the brothel, fully clad in heavy armor, swaying slightly. She was carrying a massive sword, and Zeetah did not want to be anywhere near a drunk warrior with a weapon that big. "Oh boy. We'd better go, fellows. I do not want to get mixed up in this." Zeetah backed up and started heading toward the street to leave. "Come on! Let's get out of here!"</s>
<\|description\|>Lynx Hi I would like to try this :) ### Character App Race: Elf Gender: Female Age: 200 Description: Lynx is an elven huntress from the forest of Mallorien. She is tall and beautiful and has red hair. She is good at fighting with a bow and knows many things about hunting and survival. She left her home twenty years ago to explore, and has just arrived in the city. ### Race App Name: Elf Description: The elves are a proud people that hails from the forest of Mallorien. They have pointy ears and live forever (immortal). Elves are very beautiful and are thought well of by most people. They are very close to nature, and some elves can even speak to animals (very rare). They like to dress in leaf-shaped green clothes. Elves are naturally good with magic, and many elves are sorcerers and sorceresses. Some elves can be mean to other races because they think they are better than them, but most elves are kind. Elves like to look at the stars and sing in the night. ### Organization App Name: Description:</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah As Zeetah stretched out his hand to give the generous Reptil a handshake, the sight of an imposing, heavily-armored man with dark skin stomped down the street, each step booming with impressive power, causing him to flinch and stare as he walked past. Shortly thereafter, he heard fierce shouting over the noisy din of the brothel, and after nearly no time at all, the same giant stomped heavily back out and left. Zeetah did not move the whole time. A few minutes passed in silence until suddenly "DRAGON!! A DRAGON HAS ATTACKED MY VILLAGE!! SOMEONE!! ANYONE!! PLEASE HELP!!" A filthy, singed farm boy with thin streams of smoke rising from his hair and clothing came running through the slums, screaming at the top of his lungs, apparently not knowing where else in the city to look for help at this hour of the night. As if replying to his call, a formidable woman with long, white hair burst out of the brothel, fully clad in heavy armor, swaying slightly. She was carrying a massive sword, and Zeetah did not want to be anywhere near a drunk warrior with a weapon that big. "Oh boy. We'd better go, fellows. I do not want to get mixed up in this." Zeetah backed up and started heading toward the street to leave. "Come on! Let's get out of here!"</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "Mhm i think we should take our leave...i am sure they are looking for me or you..." Zazroia spoke sighing loudly before moving away form the group and the whorehouse back to his group's region,Although he was interested in the dragon he was not equipped to fight a dragon by himself he would need the help of his kin mainly Ultimana and Ruqa who are old but wise and are would probably talk the dragon down although he did not know if even that could work.</s> <\|message\|>Henna It was like a storm blew through Giulia's. Everything happened all at once. Henna had just excused herself from the brawl downstairs, and had taken the elf with her to her room to enjoy their food there. She'd just finished and was looking for some nice dry clothes for her guest when the door was kicked in by a big thug clad in iron. The trollkins eyes had been darting to and fro for some kind of weapon to use if the man got violent, but he'd just told her to give the elf her glass and then left. As she was staring at him, dumbfounded, someone downstairs began shouting about a dragon. This city was nuts, sometimes. Henna turned to her guest. "Do you have any idea what that man was talking about?" she asked, "Because I don't."</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex hurried along at the frog man's instruction, seemingly sharing his sentiments entirely. As he rushed alongside him, he spoke in brief spurts of conversation. "As for teaching you magic... it'd take quite a while for you to be as proficient as me, but... I'd be willing to give it a shot. Wish I knew where my staff went, though." He gestured for Zeetah to pause and turned to him. "You didn't happen to see it sitting around the alleyway, did you? It's not 100% necessary, but it does make spellcasting quicker and easier, which means a big deal when you've got a bunch of soldiers several inches away, staring you down with swords in their hands. If they were a little farther away, I could have flung a fireball at them before they got close, no problem."</s> <\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Most who were granted the Gift of magic chose to use it flashily. Having lived without magic, they wished to display their new capabilities at their fullest. A popular technique was to light your sword with eldritch flame. They didn't seem to realize that, on the whole, if you had stabbed something, the fire wasn't going to do much extra. Fireballs, beams of eldritch energy, grasping claws conjured from the darkness, or great bursts of burning light. Amusingly enough, the Infinite Empire's army had transformed into some form of terrifyingly lethal light show, with all the fire, lasers, and glowing orbs of wrath. Few truly recognized the sheer power not of simply applying strength, but applying it where it was needed. To control one's Gift with subtle precision, to only do as much as was needed for the situation. Alice closed her ink black eyes, focusing. She could feel the humming magic moving through her, a miracle delivered directly from Tazyn, to guide His followers. And as His scheme unfolded before her mind, she simply guided, placing the power where it was needed, with the precision and skill necessary for a Prophet. Even though even she could not yet see the end of this glorious plan, her faith was strong. For her God was with her, guiding her every action, her every thought. ------------------------------ Soaring through the clouds, propelled at seemingly impossible speeds for it's great mass, the wyvern observed the city below it. As a being born from magic, it could feel the magic far below, and even it's primitive animal instincts recognized the danger. There was, of course, far easier prey to hunt, the kind of prey that didn't throw fireballs, and whom's claws were not made of iron. And yet, even as it's great eyes flashed briefly black, it started angling downward. For below, it could suddenly smell the tastiest of prey. It knew that below was a buffet, something it had never tasted before. With the promise of food on it's tongue, the beast descended on the Tall, townsfolk and soldier alike fleeing from the area, mothers carrying children, children carrying smaller children. Those who could not walk, and were not carried, simply crawled, or cried in terror, as they beheld the beast, the Wyvern. A majestic beast, it's scales shining golden in the light of the afternoon sun, it's eyes of bright red glaring down, selecting it's prey, and identifying the dangerous ones. It's two wings even now were unfurled, a pair of long hooked claws at the end of each, aiding to hold it in place. It's tail extended fair backwards, growing thin, until it ended into a great barbed point, containing an arcane toxin unique to Wyvern-kind. Great talons crashed through the feeble wooden roof of the slum it had chosen to land on, as it beat it's wings to prevent itself from falling into the water. The Wyvern threw it's head into the air, stretching it's neck, fanged jaws parting as it unleashed a call, like an abominable mixture between the howl of a wolf and the shriek of a banshee, a hundredfold louder. And yet, even as hundreds fled the area, a single figure came stalking towards the dragon, clad in great armor, and bearing one of the legendary Swords of the North. Turning it's great head, the beast observed the tall humanoid, teeth bared, turning to face this new threat. ------------- Throughout the city, the word had spread, and with it a wind of terror, partly natural, and partly magical in nature. An enhanced panic, as people fled the area en masse, the Royal Guard retreating to guard the Noble Houses, the Mage Guild forming a great shield, the Priests of Ashyr activating the great metal golems that guarded their gates, massive bronze swords held at the ready. And yet, across the city, the doors to taverns are kicked over, many proceeding to skid over the floor. Figures of all races, scarred by a hundred battles, stepped out from the darkness. Men with armor forged from the bones of Manticors, Elves whom's bows had received the blessings of forgotten Gods, great mages wielding eldritch fires of pure might. Adventurers, those brave souls who had always been in abundance in a world of such dangers as Wyverns. Problem solvers, monster hunters, dungeon delvers, grave robbers, and thrill seekers, those who had seen the maw of the world, and survived it. And as each reached for their blades, a wave of dark magic washed through them. Each would wish for the bounty on the dragon's head, and each would wish it for themselves. Greed, pride, wrath..... they burned freely in the eyes of those who only moments before had rallied in the face of danger. And as spells flew, and swords thrust, it was not the dragon that was their target. Yet, it was the most capable warriors of the land, slaying one another in cold blood. Those mages and priests who had felt the magic sweep through the city could only gaze on in abject horror as the bloodshed commenced. --------------------- Upon the Throne of Stars, sat a small girl, a smile on her face. Soon, the authorities of this city would be toppled, and the prophecies of her master would come to pass. For it took only the smallest push to set the world's end in motion, if only one knew where to press. And Areopolis, the commercial and religious center of most of the civilized world, was the perfect place to begin.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "I apologize for my...rash behavior my brother I did not want to jailed or worse murdered...besides they will not harm me since all I did was scare them..." Zazoria stopped for a moment turning to face Tex,Although he did not want any trouble with the unexpectedly he would get it without even knowing it was going to happen. Another larger group of guards were coming close their armored feet stomping loudly against the dirt road,Their heavy long swords jiggling around accompanying their footstep."You...Reptil come here you are under arrest..." The commander yelled now a few feet away form them.</s>	<\|message\|>Lynx "Do you have any idea what that man was talking about? Because I don't." Lynx could only agree that she didn't know either because she didn't know who the man was or what he meant by "the glass" either. They had been drinking ale from tin cups and as far as she could tell there were no glass objects in the room. When she heard people screaming about a dragon she got all tense and put a hand on her bow in case there was an emergency. Hopefully the city guard would protect the people from the threat because Lynx didn't think she could kill a dragon even though she was a skilled hunter. She usually didn't kill animals because elves thought it wrong to do so and instead only captured them for others if they paid her. She turned to her newfound friend and pointed out the window where all the talk of the dragon came from. "What should we do?" she asked.</s>
<\|description\|>Talaran Greywulf Character App Race: Human/Dunenmer Gender: Female Age: 29 Description: Hailing from the northern, ice covered lands of Dunenmer, Talaran is a hearty warrior, standing at a towering 5'9'' and is of a fairly muscular build, the body of a true warrior woman honed upon the fields of battle. She has hair as white as the snow of the Dunenmer Mountains, long and flowing down her back with a few strands kept in a tight braid and her eyes are as blue and as cold as the ice that covers the old Lake Hilonota and fierce as a Gray Wolf, hence the family name. Clad from head to toe in heavy iron armor and a pelt made from the fur of an elk, she is always seen with her greatsword slung bravely over her shoulders as she tarries through the town, either in search of work or a good drink and bit of song at the tavern, not to mention enjoying the company of a few fair lasses such as the lovely tavern wench.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah Zeetah approached the dismal inn, noticing a sign on the door that read "`NO WHORES`", wondering what the story behind that message could be. He pushed the door open and saw a dusty, mostly-empty tavern lit only by the fading gray sunlight. He imagined it would be quite cozy if the candles were all lit and if there were more than just the couple of fizzled-out drunks scattered about. "Oy! The 'ell you doin' [burp] 'ere, froggy?" one of the drunks slurred, "We don' wan' yer kine here!" making to stand, but plopping right back where he had been, muttering "Yeh filthy slime." Zeetah decided he would steal something from him on his way to his room to return his rudeness and walked to the book-headed body sitting on a stool behind the counter. "'Scuse me, uh," Zeetah paused to assess what the body was wearing (a full-length dress with long sleeves and an apron), "Miss?" He waited a few seconds, but the body ignored him. He cleared his throat and spoke a little bit louder, "Miss?" The woman threw the book down, revealing a round, frustrated face that shouted, "I heard you! You don't have to shout!" before stopping, surprised to see the frog face flinching in response. "Oh! I'm sorry, what are you doing here? I mean..." she shook her head to correct herself, "Can I help you?" Zeetah composed himself, clearing his throat again, and said, "Yeah... I was hoping I could get a room for the night?" The woman eyed him, noting his soaking wet clothes and lack of a coin purse. "Hmm..." She pulled up a little board with writing on it, examining it carefully, "Yeah sure. For your kind, it's 15 gold coins." Zeetah wasn't sure why he hadn't realized it would cost money to stay at an inn. "Oh, right, well..." He rubbed his neck, looking around, "I don't quite have money right now, so..." "Well you won't be getting a free room here! So get lost," she burst, swiping her book back up and resuming her read, muttering, "Don't even let family stay for free." Zeetah stood there, dejected, staring at the book (the cover read "The Lonely Warrior") for a few moments before turning around, grabbing the coin purse off the rude man's belt as he left without anyone noticing. It was then that he noticed the heavy traffic in one building, its windows glowing as if on fire and steam rising out of the door as it opened, in the otherwise empty dirt streets. Hoping he could at least warm up, he headed there instead, not noticing the sign swinging above the door, "`Giulia's`", written in swirly script.</s> <\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf "...and so after I tore the bastard's head off, there I was standing stark naked in the snow with only me helmet and a horse's jawbone. About that time, Halfdir, the king's boy had arrived with reinforcements. Ye shoulda seen the look on their faces! Poor lads! I bet they were happy to see me!" Rowdily the woman chortled setting down her half filled tankard, her cheeks indeed a rosy complexion and her voice slightly slurred as she swayed about like a pine caught in the roaring winds of the mountains. There she had gone again, taking more than she needed, but it was just as the lovely wench said, the mead...it was indeed as sweet as the lips of a beauty, perhaps as sweet as the beauty she beheld next to her. Curled in her lap with her arm wrapped around the warrior, the lass giggled at her drunken ramblings and batted her eyelashes ever temptingly to Talaran, that voice of hers ever lulling as she mused cheerily, "Oh my, that's quite the tale, darling. I...honestly I don't know what I would do in that situation." Talaran smirked, even drunk she still had her charm and her zeal, "Well I'm sure I'd know what I'd do, lass." "Mhmmm...so you're one of _those_ kind of women, are you?" The wench purred all the more needily, nuzzling her a little with her lips gently brushing her neck. "Perhaps you wouldn't mind going somewhere a bit more....private?" Talaran looked to her, a smarmy grin crossing her lips. "I never thought you'd ask, my fair lady. Lead the way." But as they stood, a ruffian of sorts pulled the wench from her by her arm, the hale hard and stale on his breath, his teeth a sickly yellow as he burped, "Now hold on 'ere, lassie! I paid good money for this slag! Ye ain't takin' 'er nowhere!" Talaran clenched her fists to her side, standing firm, though she still wobbled a bit, and looking the bastard dead in his eyes with a return, "I think ye better get yer hands off that woman, lad. I ain't takin' 'er nowhere but away from some mangy dog like ye." The man tossed the wench aside, his eyes flaring like the fires of the abyss as he glared at the warrior woman. "An' ye tink ye can take 'er from me, cunt?" Inebriated he guffawed. "What are ye gonna do wi' 'er, hah? Knit li'l tea cozies? Or maybe...may ye wanna tip 'er velvet." "Well...I'm sure she'd much rather be in me bed than yer filthy cot ye bastard!" And with that he charged at her snarling and foaming at the mouth as a rabid wolverine. He lunged at her as fast as the drunk could, but it wasn't fast enough. Even drunk, Talaran could hold her own, and it was proven when she ducked under the man's fist and sent her own crashing into his face. But he was on his feet again and a cruel blow he gave to the woman this time, right in the gut. She grunted and took the fist into her hard abdomen and retaliated with yet another fist to the face and an brutal jab of her elbow into his throat.</s> <\|message\|>Lynx "How about you come up to my room, get some warm clothes and some dinner? It's on me." The woman said, to Lynxs great surprise. Other people might've suspected foul play but she had a kind heart and wanted to trust people. She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'd like that very much!" she said.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex shifted about behind the curtains of his small stage impatiently, more than once taking peeks out from behind the veil. It had never crossed his mind to check with the relevant authorities for the regulations and fees associated with suddenly occupying a section of the town for a performance. He hadn't even rented the stage; it was merely one of his conjurations. His ears drooped as he inwardly hoped that the magic wouldn't fail again. The stage had disappeared beneath his feet during his last venture. He was so embarrassed by that travesty that he had relocated to the opposite side of the city, Owlsbrook, for his next whack at it. From his brief glances, he had noticed the turnout this time around was somewhat larger than his last crowd, which didn't help assuage his anxieties. But what had drawn even more of them this time around? Was it the fancy illusionary sign that hovered above the venue, declaring "Come See: Tex Errant, Magician Extraordinaire"? Were the denizens of this section of the city just more fascinated by magic and other such novelties? He could not know for sure, but if it paid off, a larger audience was, of course, better. More pockets and pouches to empty out was never a bad thing. Once the swarm of observers had swollen to a size he deemed ideal and he had steeled his nerves, he readied himself. He shifted the curtains aside with a whispered incantation, and with that, his show began. He wandered out to the front of the stage, a broad grin displayed. "Ladies, gentlemen, children, and all, welcome. I am, of course, Tex Errant." He gave an exaggerated bow. When he rose again, he clapped his hands. A colourful puff of smoke enveloped him and the stage was suddenly shrouded in darkness. This drew some concerned but intrigued sounds from his audience. With a creaking sound, a miniature sun rolled along the back wall of the stage, shedding away the darkness, revealing a clear blue sky spread across the backdrop. As the stage was once again illuminated, it was revealed that the top surface of the stage platform had been replaced with a small body of water. Floating in its center was an equally small boat. Standing inside of it was the disproportionately large Tex, who was scanning left and right with a hand extended to shield his eyes from the sun. Amused murmurs escaped the crowd. "Ahhh yes. The ocean!" Tex enthusiastically began. "Adventure, romance, freedom. These are the words it conjures in my mind." He continued, turning to face the audience. He suddenly extended an index finger in front of him. "But, it also makes me think of the countless tales of the legendary Captain Aldous and his equally legendary vessel, the Parsimonious." "But where would he be today, after all, without his crew?" As he listed off the central characters in his story he was about to regale them with, he conjured illusions of each before them. "No-Luck Nathaniel, who, despite his appellation, was quite lucky... to leave the grips of a mighty kraken with at least two of his limbs still in place. Cory the Incorrigible, the irrepressible pest, who is nonetheless possessed of an innate insight when it comes to matters pertaining to all manners of seabird. Luscious Lucy, whose... characteristics it just wouldn't be right to tell you all today, what with kids in the audience." At that last character, he grinned sheepishly, then continued. However, midway through his next character introduction, he was abruptly cut off by a sudden commotion. Several guards were parting the crowd as they charged towards the stage and Tex. "There's that damn cat again!" One cried. "You've got a lot of nerve! We told you before that you need a permit!" Tex stumbled about with surprise and terror, rocking his boat about wildly. As the illusory water splashed up at his ankles, he squeaked with fright, his tail curling between his legs. As they were just about to climb onto the stage, he drew the curtains shut. The stage suddenly shrank and vanished in a flash of light. Tex had evaded his irritated pursuers once again. His crowd had lingered, just to see what all the fuss was about, but with no Tex and no show, they lost interest and thereafter dispersed. Tex wasn't having a particularly grand time in Areapolis so far, it appeared.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "Alright" Henna said and pointed at the bar behind her with her thumb, "You stay here and I'll get us something to eat. Back in a minute." That went surprisingly quick and smooth. In Hennas experience, people usually didn't trust that quick. Especially not towards trollkin. Then again, if you'd been swimming at random in the river, which Henna assumed the elf had been doing, and ended up far from where you'd intended, which Henna assumed the elf had done, you'd probably be pretty glad to hear a stranger offer you clothes and food. Especially happy if it was for free. Made Henna wonder why she was doing it, this wasn't really her style. But she needed the company, needed to talk to someone who didn't spit on her for being born a trollkin, or tried to get into her breeches cheaply because of the same reason. Reaching the bar, she signaled to Burna, the great big bastard of a barkeeper, that she wanted to plates of whatever. Luckily for her, Burna had a little crush on her and usually gave her food for free. Turning around to look at the guests around her, Henna found herself catching a staggering human man who stumbled into her. She pushed him off her, and watched as he was knocked out cold by a savage right hook from a big armored woman. She felt something hit her face, and then her foot, and looked down to see what it was. A tooth. Not one of hers, luckily. The beaten mans, then. Touching her face and looking at her fingertips, she saw blood. She closed her eyes and shivered slightly. Disgusting.</s>	<\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf "Yah! Hit 'er again Maevus!" "Teach the bloody slang a hic lesson!" How typical of them all to be on his side, all shouting derogatory and slanderous remarks towards the armored woman, but not a single damned one she could understand as they were all nothing but drunkenly slurred. Nevertheless, no matter how much they egged on their inebriated companion Maevus, he was about to be down for the count. Talaran's fists continued to bash his face into a bloody, bruised mess of red and purple, his rotten teeth flying to and fro from his busted mouth and blood pouring from his nose a crimson river. Finally, the man tried to deliver one final blow, but Talaran being the more superior fighter,she dove under his swing and gave her final blow right into his battered face with a sickening crack of his jaw in two. Soon, he fell before her like a downed cedar with a heavy thud against the floor. "That'll learn ye....ye smelly bastard." Talaran breathed harsh and cracked her nose back in place with a pained grunt, wiping his filthy blood off her face and sitting down. A shame, the fight must've scared off that beauty she was wooing a moment ago. Oh well, the thrill of a good brawl made up for it.</s>
<\|description\|>Talaran Greywulf Character App Race: Human/Dunenmer Gender: Female Age: 29 Description: Hailing from the northern, ice covered lands of Dunenmer, Talaran is a hearty warrior, standing at a towering 5'9'' and is of a fairly muscular build, the body of a true warrior woman honed upon the fields of battle. She has hair as white as the snow of the Dunenmer Mountains, long and flowing down her back with a few strands kept in a tight braid and her eyes are as blue and as cold as the ice that covers the old Lake Hilonota and fierce as a Gray Wolf, hence the family name. Clad from head to toe in heavy iron armor and a pelt made from the fur of an elk, she is always seen with her greatsword slung bravely over her shoulders as she tarries through the town, either in search of work or a good drink and bit of song at the tavern, not to mention enjoying the company of a few fair lasses such as the lovely tavern wench.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Are you serious about teaching me?" is what Zeetah was about to reply when the drunk soldiers arrived. Without thinking, Zeetah leapt from the ground into the shadows of the brothel's awning to escape the sight of the officers, whom he thought might recognize him from some wanted posters he had seen in the richer parts of the city. His wits returned and he peered over the edge to see what would become of his new magical acquaintances. A small part of him was also hoping that he was about to see a pretty great magic show...</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex blinked and glanced around as he suddenly felt the two hands leave his. His eyes widened as he saw the cause of the commotion: soldiers. While his face wasn't yet plastered all over the city as Zeetah's was, the notion that they might know of his earlier infractions was, of course, a cause for concern! He increased the distance between him and Zazoria as the soldiers came closer. He could only wince as they grabbed the lizard and threw him against the ground. A second wince occurred when that nice robe of Zazoria's got soaked in the soldier's drink. "I've seen quite enough of this...!" He angrily muttered. He suddenly dashed back down the street, shoving himself between the soldiers and the sprawled out reptile. "Hey! No one beats -my- semi-acquaintances I met only about three minutes and thirty-five seconds ago!" He angrily shouted, stabbing an outstretched, accusatory finger towards them. "That was also a waste of a perfectly good drink! More over, no one is dumb enough to draw the wrath of a wizard--" While his threat started off solidly enough, when he reached for his staff, he froze when he realized it was actually no longer secure in the hoops of its harness that wrapped around Tex's torso diagonally like a bandolier. "Oh god where is it?" He thought to himself, his expression becoming one of obvious fright. He held his hands out before him as he stepped back, nearly tripping over the very person he tried to stand up for. "H-hey w-wait... w... we can talk about this!" He pleaded.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "No my brother I...was just speaking to a friend..."Zazrioa was going to speak once more but was interrupted by one of th soldiers pulling out a long sword pointing it at the Reptil,"I don't like you lizard breath no one in this city likes The Reptil they are sneaky,dirty...Renark" The one holding the sword remarked knowing that Renark is a racial slang used against The Reptil."So piss off before we kill you and make boots out of ya and your Renark pansy group" Another remark with a smirk drawing his sword. Zazrioa just rolled his eyes since he had heard this before many times as a youngling and adult it was not different here then in Mirgeoof,Racist as his grandfather would put it but his Grandfather would have worse things to say about those people."Hi'magol Zimjoe Ne'hs Uzab Xop Yeq'Ca" He said loudly lifting his shaft high up into the air as a large dragon like creature appeared made out of flames shooting fire at the soldier's feet letting their feet aflame but not enough to burn them alive. This would be enough to scare the racisy men away,"We'll get you back lizard breath one said running away and they would mean it so now Zazoria would have to watch his back although he was protected by some of the guards and his own kin.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Wow, that's a good way to make enemies!" Zeetah called to the pair still on the ground, "I usually just run. But maybe I'd react differently if I could do magic, too..." Zeetah remained silent for a bit and then continued, "I'm gonna stay up here, just to make sure they're really gone, OK? But you," he pointed at Tex, "you said you could teach me magic? And what about you?" he pointed another finger at Zazrioa, "Can you teach me too?" Zeetah could see Zazroia's eyes shifting a bit in the way that says "I'm busy", apparently eager to get away. "Are you alright? Eager to get away?"</s> <\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Loudly, the door to the whorehouse banged open, as Ja'Lir strode through. As was usual for anyone entering, one of the girls instantly walked towards him, to make sure he enjoyed his stay. A single withering glance from the paladin made her reconsider, however, and she quite promptly backed away. When the warrior strode up to the counter, where a scantily clad lady was performing acts more acurately described as 'entertainment', rather than actually tending the bar. As the onyx-skinned warrior halted beside the counter, however, the colour drained from the woman's face. He spoke in calm, soft tones, and yet he was clearly heard over even the dinn the drunk soldiers were making. 'There is a human with troll's blood here, where is that human?' 'W-Well, I can't-' 'If I were to kill every living being in this establishment, I would find the person I was looking for. Your answer will save me the trouble of cleaning blood from my blade, and you the trouble of being judged for your sin in the afterlife.' The tone of the palladin's voice was not one of anger, or intimidation, but rather a cold assertion of death. 'Room 12!' Leaving the terrified 'bartender', Ja'Lir steps up the stairs, chainmail hauberk jungling with ever step. It had been a bluff, of course, he would not sully the name of the Blessed by committing a crime. Their standing in this city was bad enough. However, sometimes it was good to make use of the Blessed's bloody reputation, and his face could be devoid of emotion when he wished it to be. Which was, admittedly, pretty much always. Unwilling to waste time, Ja'Lir kicked down the door to Room 12, the half-rotten wood easily giving way to his metal-clad foot. It crashed into the ground with a second bang, as the armoured figure strode into the room. His face was deep black, as was normal for those born in the great northern deserts. He wore a long chainmail hauberk, as well as thick plate boots and gauntlets. A helmet with an upturned visor rested on his head, protecting his scalp. A black and white tabard stretched down over his armor, the seven-pointed star of Trazyn emblazoned clearly in the center, a thick leather belt holding a long black sheat at his side. Combined with his height and muscle mass, he struck an imposing figure. 'Give the elf the glass.' Having delivered his message, Ja'Lir turned on his heels, and walked away, eager to return to his post beside his mistress. She had a bad habit of underestimating the danger to herself in her scheming, and he constantly worried about her safety. Aside from her being a Prophet, he had grown rather fond of her over the years, as she was able to look right through his stony face, and with her he had no need to speak his feelings to have them known. With five long strides, Ja'Lir was already at the staircase, heading down.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "No...well i have a meeting with a friend of mine...but i can stay with you for the moment in case they come back..." Zazrioa spoke now looking over at Zeetah,Indeed he was worried that Jade and the others were commencing with the rite and without him."Oh...and of course i can teach you my brother..would you like to come with me to stay with the Estrella de Celimna?" He now asked him seeing as he knew about Zeetah and wondered if he would like a home.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah Zeetah knew about the Estrella de Climna. A pretty intense religious group that he was sure he could never fit in with. But the chance to learn magic--real magic--overwhelmed his thoughts. "Well... I know I could never see myself being religious, but I'm good at staying out of the way when I need to. If I can come and just learn magic...and maybe get a bite to eat every once in a while... then yeah, I think I might come with you! What do you say?" Zeetah lowered himself from the awning, careful to avoid the broken glass still scattered about. "Oh, and Tex should come too! You're trying to stay away from the guards, too, right? I saw your face when you couldn't fight, and I recognize that look on any face..." Zeetah stopped himself quickly and turned to Zazrioa, "There won't be guards there, right? That would be silly... right?"</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "We are not so bad..that is form the prejudice of others...we are here to help the community...among other things...my kin would be honored to have you in our home..." Zazrioa chuckled and would have to teach them that the Esterlla de Climna are not as terrible as the guards make them out too be,"Their are no guards in the House Of Climna...you will be safe there my brother..." He spoke now muttering a little spell to make the glass around Zeetah into sand so he could walk safely.</s>	<\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf Ach! That noise! That God Damned noise! It was already bad enough that Talaran's head felt like it was going to split in two. Blame it on the mead and the several fists she took to her bruised and swollen face, still a bit pretty but not by much. She couldn't even hear the bard's tune over that pounding racket, as if the god of the forge himself was smashing the door down with his blazing hammer. "Augh! By the gods!" She groaned loudly turning towards the door, just in time to catch it fall to the floor with a heavy thud and lay squinting, pained eyes on the ebony skinned gargantuan clad head to toe in armor. A rather gruff fellow was he, and a bit intimidating too, even to the drunken warmaiden slightly. "An' jusht who in 'e bloody Abyss er ye?" Her voice slurred, she stammered equally cantankerous with a sharp pair of ice blue daggers staring back at him. It seemed as though she wanted another brawl in the blood and the ale. Unfortunately, that was not the reason this man was here. The cold look in his eyes, Talaran recognized it all to well, it was a look in a man or even a woman's eyes....when they were out for blood, a specific blood. And often times, that cold look was indeed sobering to even the rowdiest of drunks. The woman remained in her seat, her glare held on the beast of a man as he barked for the whereabouts of a human with troll's blood and demanded the barkeep tell him where this person was. A trollkin? Talaran wondered. There was a part of her that was itching to grab her sword by the door, to teach this bastard a lesson about barging in. Yet, there was the other part, the surprisingly sober and more reasonable part that kept her rump glued to the barstool and her vigilant eyes affixed upon the brute. The barkeep, poor lad was shaking in his skin and the man barely laid a single hand on him. Only then would Talaran find it necessary to intervene...violently of course. Luckily this time, no further bloodshed was needed. The boy fessed up choking out his answer and off the man went up the stairs, his voice, about as charming as a braying ass, echoing with his order, Give the elf the glass. What glass? A glass of water? Wine perhaps? No, how much an idiot Talaran was for thinking something as dimwitted as that. It had to be something else, but honestly...twas none of her business, nor did she have any wishes to pry into it. With the last drop of her mead finished, gruffly the woman sighed and slammed her tankard down on the bar, standing up and rubbing at her face with a gauntlet clad hand. A bit wobbly she stumbled over to the door, still disheartened her beautiful lass had left her alone at the bar, but the sweet and pungent flavor of Giulia's mead made up for it. Aye... I shudn't 'ave drinken too much... Indeed she shouldn't, not when she still had a job to do, that job being more of a grim and harrowing task...slay a wyvern. Speaking of the wyvern... "DRAGON!! A DRAGON HAS ATTACKED MY VILLAGE!! SOMEONE!! ANYONE!! PLEASE HELP!!" The frantic and terrified voice echoed down the bogged, muddy street and soon found its way into the warmth of Giulia's and to Talaran's ears perking up at the sound. Quickly the woman turned to the door and there he stood, a poor farm boy, his face covered in cuts, bruises and burns and his skin coated in a thick, smoky layer of soot. Tears ran down his cheeks as a painful river and ever desperately he sobbed into his hands collapsing at the door. Aye! Calm yerself lad! What's the matter? Talaran asked the boy, her eyes widening. Amidst his woeful tears, the boy uttered in return, "A...a dragon! A b-beast of the abyss! I pray brave warrior! Will you slay him?! He has killed my family and burned my home to cinders! Please! Please you must slay him!" The poor lad, he clung to Talaran's armor for dear life, the woman having to shake him off with a stern reply, "I said calm yerself boy! Was this beast a wyvern?" "Aye...aye it was!" Hastily and shakily he answered. "So..w-will you slay him, great warrior?" "Aye! I will!" And with that answer, Talaran raced back to the bar fetching her helm. "Ye there , lass!" She called to one of the tavern wenches. "See that this boy is taken care of. I must be off." Lastly the woman grabbed her sword and out the door she was running for the main gate of the city, already the stench of smoldering ashes and charred flesh heavy in the air and the beast's roar...echoing far in the distance as a call to challenge, a challenge the warmaiden would meet head on.</s>
<\|description\|>Tex Errant. Character App Race: Enchanted cat-form familiar/Magic Miscellanea. Gender: Male. Age: 21 Description: Tex was for most of his life the familiar of the great wizard Tessegnach. Tessegnach, despite his fame and prowess, much preferred a life of seclusion and never ventured far from his tower, where Tex was his sole companion. As he grew so old that even his mighty sorcery was unable to sustain his presence in the land of the living for much longer, he desperately sought an apprentice upon which he could impart his secrets and legacy. However, in his many decades of isolation, Tessegnach had grown quite paranoid of outsiders. Instead, an unusual solution came to mind. Tessegnach was a master of alterative magic. The surreal environs, flora and fauna found around his tower remain today a testament to the potency of his craft. He ultimately decided that Tex, his faithful servant, would inherit all that was his. However, while Tex was undoubtedly magically gifted, in the form of a four legged cat, he would not be able to serve as Tessegnach's successor so well. So the somewhat mad Tessegnach saw to it that Tex would be imbued with a more suitable form. The experiment was a success. From then on Tex has resembled a humanoid with feline features. He is cloaked from head to toe with black fur with a white underbelly. Tex has maintained his tail and a head much resembling that of a cat's. He is of a lithe frame and stands at about 5'5". His eyes are a faintly glowing lemon quartz hue. Tex proved to be an apt, eager pupil. While in his former life he was more than capable of conjuring a spell or two, his new form facilitated the gestures and other rituals used to invoke more advanced magic. While certainly not as skilled as his master, Tex himself grew to be quite adept at the craft. Soon enough, the inevitable occurred, and Tessegnach at last passed away. The tower and all of its contents now belonged to Tex, and still does today. However, his feline nature prohibits him from living the isolated life of his predecessor. With curiosity and wanderlust gnawing at him always, he periodically embarks on trips from his tower to where ever his fascination pulls him. In his studying he came across many mentions of the vast city of "Areapolis." Drawn by tales of its grandeur, it is here that he today seeks whatever opportunities and adventures await. While he still holds the utmost respect for his master, he tends to downplay his connection to the legendary man, eager for an opportunity to prove himself on his own individual merits. However, one thing Tessegnach never got around to teaching Tex in his youth was restraint. His susceptibility to whim also applies to his (mis)usage of his magic. While he knows better than to do anything particularly extreme, he is particularly fond of pranks and other mischief. He also has a great deal of difficulty making heads or tails of rules, laws and other obligations, and often gets in hot water for not paying them much mind. Apparel: He wears a mostly dark blue outfit consisting of a signature broad-rimmed, pointed wizard hat, a coat with a high collar, an undershirt, knickerbockers and pointed boots with tips that curl ever so slightly upwards. He carries with him at all times his master's staff, which often has a small bag tied to its head. Race App Name: Magic Miscellanea. Description: Tex does not belong to a race as such, but more a particular category of entity. Magic Miscellanea are creatures born of experimentation and tampering utilizing arcane energies. There is thus no particular continuity between them, save for their common origin. In a world full of wizards and other magic users, there are bound to be many aberrations running about, some more readily integrated into society than others. They are often scorned or distrusted in less accepting parts of the world. It's a not unearned reputation, given the destructive habits of the majority of Magic Miscellanea. The more peaceable examples tend to be cosmopolitans, generally never allowing themselves to get anchored to any one place or identity.</s> <\|message\|>Lynx "How about you come up to my room, get some warm clothes and some dinner? It's on me." The woman said, to Lynxs great surprise. Other people might've suspected foul play but she had a kind heart and wanted to trust people. She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'd like that very much!" she said.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex shifted about behind the curtains of his small stage impatiently, more than once taking peeks out from behind the veil. It had never crossed his mind to check with the relevant authorities for the regulations and fees associated with suddenly occupying a section of the town for a performance. He hadn't even rented the stage; it was merely one of his conjurations. His ears drooped as he inwardly hoped that the magic wouldn't fail again. The stage had disappeared beneath his feet during his last venture. He was so embarrassed by that travesty that he had relocated to the opposite side of the city, Owlsbrook, for his next whack at it. From his brief glances, he had noticed the turnout this time around was somewhat larger than his last crowd, which didn't help assuage his anxieties. But what had drawn even more of them this time around? Was it the fancy illusionary sign that hovered above the venue, declaring "Come See: Tex Errant, Magician Extraordinaire"? Were the denizens of this section of the city just more fascinated by magic and other such novelties? He could not know for sure, but if it paid off, a larger audience was, of course, better. More pockets and pouches to empty out was never a bad thing. Once the swarm of observers had swollen to a size he deemed ideal and he had steeled his nerves, he readied himself. He shifted the curtains aside with a whispered incantation, and with that, his show began. He wandered out to the front of the stage, a broad grin displayed. "Ladies, gentlemen, children, and all, welcome. I am, of course, Tex Errant." He gave an exaggerated bow. When he rose again, he clapped his hands. A colourful puff of smoke enveloped him and the stage was suddenly shrouded in darkness. This drew some concerned but intrigued sounds from his audience. With a creaking sound, a miniature sun rolled along the back wall of the stage, shedding away the darkness, revealing a clear blue sky spread across the backdrop. As the stage was once again illuminated, it was revealed that the top surface of the stage platform had been replaced with a small body of water. Floating in its center was an equally small boat. Standing inside of it was the disproportionately large Tex, who was scanning left and right with a hand extended to shield his eyes from the sun. Amused murmurs escaped the crowd. "Ahhh yes. The ocean!" Tex enthusiastically began. "Adventure, romance, freedom. These are the words it conjures in my mind." He continued, turning to face the audience. He suddenly extended an index finger in front of him. "But, it also makes me think of the countless tales of the legendary Captain Aldous and his equally legendary vessel, the Parsimonious." "But where would he be today, after all, without his crew?" As he listed off the central characters in his story he was about to regale them with, he conjured illusions of each before them. "No-Luck Nathaniel, who, despite his appellation, was quite lucky... to leave the grips of a mighty kraken with at least two of his limbs still in place. Cory the Incorrigible, the irrepressible pest, who is nonetheless possessed of an innate insight when it comes to matters pertaining to all manners of seabird. Luscious Lucy, whose... characteristics it just wouldn't be right to tell you all today, what with kids in the audience." At that last character, he grinned sheepishly, then continued. However, midway through his next character introduction, he was abruptly cut off by a sudden commotion. Several guards were parting the crowd as they charged towards the stage and Tex. "There's that damn cat again!" One cried. "You've got a lot of nerve! We told you before that you need a permit!" Tex stumbled about with surprise and terror, rocking his boat about wildly. As the illusory water splashed up at his ankles, he squeaked with fright, his tail curling between his legs. As they were just about to climb onto the stage, he drew the curtains shut. The stage suddenly shrank and vanished in a flash of light. Tex had evaded his irritated pursuers once again. His crowd had lingered, just to see what all the fuss was about, but with no Tex and no show, they lost interest and thereafter dispersed. Tex wasn't having a particularly grand time in Areapolis so far, it appeared.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "Alright" Henna said and pointed at the bar behind her with her thumb, "You stay here and I'll get us something to eat. Back in a minute." That went surprisingly quick and smooth. In Hennas experience, people usually didn't trust that quick. Especially not towards trollkin. Then again, if you'd been swimming at random in the river, which Henna assumed the elf had been doing, and ended up far from where you'd intended, which Henna assumed the elf had done, you'd probably be pretty glad to hear a stranger offer you clothes and food. Especially happy if it was for free. Made Henna wonder why she was doing it, this wasn't really her style. But she needed the company, needed to talk to someone who didn't spit on her for being born a trollkin, or tried to get into her breeches cheaply because of the same reason. Reaching the bar, she signaled to Burna, the great big bastard of a barkeeper, that she wanted to plates of whatever. Luckily for her, Burna had a little crush on her and usually gave her food for free. Turning around to look at the guests around her, Henna found herself catching a staggering human man who stumbled into her. She pushed him off her, and watched as he was knocked out cold by a savage right hook from a big armored woman. She felt something hit her face, and then her foot, and looked down to see what it was. A tooth. Not one of hers, luckily. The beaten mans, then. Touching her face and looking at her fingertips, she saw blood. She closed her eyes and shivered slightly. Disgusting.</s> <\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf "Yah! Hit 'er again Maevus!" "Teach the bloody slang a hic lesson!" How typical of them all to be on his side, all shouting derogatory and slanderous remarks towards the armored woman, but not a single damned one she could understand as they were all nothing but drunkenly slurred. Nevertheless, no matter how much they egged on their inebriated companion Maevus, he was about to be down for the count. Talaran's fists continued to bash his face into a bloody, bruised mess of red and purple, his rotten teeth flying to and fro from his busted mouth and blood pouring from his nose a crimson river. Finally, the man tried to deliver one final blow, but Talaran being the more superior fighter,she dove under his swing and gave her final blow right into his battered face with a sickening crack of his jaw in two. Soon, he fell before her like a downed cedar with a heavy thud against the floor. "That'll learn ye....ye smelly bastard." Talaran breathed harsh and cracked her nose back in place with a pained grunt, wiping his filthy blood off her face and sitting down. A shame, the fight must've scared off that beauty she was wooing a moment ago. Oh well, the thrill of a good brawl made up for it.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. With a loud popping sound and lightning flash, Tex suddenly rematerialized in an alleyway. He wasn't too picky about his destination, with his only concern being the escape. However, he found that he was a few feet above the ground when he reentered the physical realm. Tex fell face first against the stones below him with a dull thwack. His hat joined him shortly after as it gradually drifted to ground next to him. With a grunt he pried himself up out of the dust and glanced around. To his dismay, he wasn't the only occupant of the alley. Deeper in were a couple doing... something. Too poor to afford a room, or perhaps fans of unusual scenery, he figured. This was the extent of his consideration of the scene as he hastily scrambled to his feet, snatched his hat, and made his second escape of the hour. As he emerged onto the street, he examined the front of this establishment random chance had dropped him at the side of. He tugged his hat back onto his head with both hands as a sigh escaped him, his gaze fixed on the sign before the building. "Giulias House of Leisure." A brothel. Lovely. He brushed the dirt off himself and shook his head. What a day. As he spun about to head on his way, his keen hearing detected quite a commotion within, reinvigorating his attention. He shifted up against the wall as he began to eavesdrop.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah A thud in the alleyway startled Zeetah, who stopped short of opening the door. He leaned back to see what could have made the noise only to see a man... no, not a man, a... Cat? Zeetah had never seen a cat-man before, and his curiosity overwhelmed him as he walked toward the cat-man, head unconsciously cocked to the side and mouth slightly agape. "Uh... Excuse me. Hi! I'm sorry, but... Oh my, I'm so sorry to ask like this, but... Sir, what... are you?" Suddenly Zeetah flipped extravagantly away from the building to avoid the loud crash and shatter of glass as a bloodied shell of a man flew out the window and plopped onto the ground, unmoving.</s>	<\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex blinked, then froze as his eyes drew in the visage of what was to him an equally unfamiliar creature. He was so focused on him that he merely sidestepped out of the path of the man who had been sent hurtling through the glass. His eyes widened at the impressive maneuvers the frog had taken to evade the downed man. His stare was only broken for a brief moment as he checked himself over for any glass that may have embedded in him. Fortunately, it had not, so back to the frog creature his attention went. He shook his head and finally spoke. "Only slight amounts of offense taken!" He chuckled. "I mean, after all, there are oh so many weird and wonderful things that wander this world, and I can hardly expect you to have seen 'em all." He said as he drew closer. "I'm Tex. Wizard, wanderer, magically fashioned cat-man, performer, philanthropist, visionary, possibly wanted by the city watch for things I -swear- I didn't know about at the time, and all around not particularly thrilled today, really." He rubbed his chin as he regarded the frog again, leaning back on a heel. "Now, as for what -you- are, I can tell you right now: fascinatingly skilled. I've not seen anything move quite like you since... ever, really."</s>
<\|description\|>Tex Errant. Character App Race: Enchanted cat-form familiar/Magic Miscellanea. Gender: Male. Age: 21 Description: Tex was for most of his life the familiar of the great wizard Tessegnach. Tessegnach, despite his fame and prowess, much preferred a life of seclusion and never ventured far from his tower, where Tex was his sole companion. As he grew so old that even his mighty sorcery was unable to sustain his presence in the land of the living for much longer, he desperately sought an apprentice upon which he could impart his secrets and legacy. However, in his many decades of isolation, Tessegnach had grown quite paranoid of outsiders. Instead, an unusual solution came to mind. Tessegnach was a master of alterative magic. The surreal environs, flora and fauna found around his tower remain today a testament to the potency of his craft. He ultimately decided that Tex, his faithful servant, would inherit all that was his. However, while Tex was undoubtedly magically gifted, in the form of a four legged cat, he would not be able to serve as Tessegnach's successor so well. So the somewhat mad Tessegnach saw to it that Tex would be imbued with a more suitable form. The experiment was a success. From then on Tex has resembled a humanoid with feline features. He is cloaked from head to toe with black fur with a white underbelly. Tex has maintained his tail and a head much resembling that of a cat's. He is of a lithe frame and stands at about 5'5". His eyes are a faintly glowing lemon quartz hue. Tex proved to be an apt, eager pupil. While in his former life he was more than capable of conjuring a spell or two, his new form facilitated the gestures and other rituals used to invoke more advanced magic. While certainly not as skilled as his master, Tex himself grew to be quite adept at the craft. Soon enough, the inevitable occurred, and Tessegnach at last passed away. The tower and all of its contents now belonged to Tex, and still does today. However, his feline nature prohibits him from living the isolated life of his predecessor. With curiosity and wanderlust gnawing at him always, he periodically embarks on trips from his tower to where ever his fascination pulls him. In his studying he came across many mentions of the vast city of "Areapolis." Drawn by tales of its grandeur, it is here that he today seeks whatever opportunities and adventures await. While he still holds the utmost respect for his master, he tends to downplay his connection to the legendary man, eager for an opportunity to prove himself on his own individual merits. However, one thing Tessegnach never got around to teaching Tex in his youth was restraint. His susceptibility to whim also applies to his (mis)usage of his magic. While he knows better than to do anything particularly extreme, he is particularly fond of pranks and other mischief. He also has a great deal of difficulty making heads or tails of rules, laws and other obligations, and often gets in hot water for not paying them much mind. Apparel: He wears a mostly dark blue outfit consisting of a signature broad-rimmed, pointed wizard hat, a coat with a high collar, an undershirt, knickerbockers and pointed boots with tips that curl ever so slightly upwards. He carries with him at all times his master's staff, which often has a small bag tied to its head. Race App Name: Magic Miscellanea. Description: Tex does not belong to a race as such, but more a particular category of entity. Magic Miscellanea are creatures born of experimentation and tampering utilizing arcane energies. There is thus no particular continuity between them, save for their common origin. In a world full of wizards and other magic users, there are bound to be many aberrations running about, some more readily integrated into society than others. They are often scorned or distrusted in less accepting parts of the world. It's a not unearned reputation, given the destructive habits of the majority of Magic Miscellanea. The more peaceable examples tend to be cosmopolitans, generally never allowing themselves to get anchored to any one place or identity.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "Alright" Henna said and pointed at the bar behind her with her thumb, "You stay here and I'll get us something to eat. Back in a minute." That went surprisingly quick and smooth. In Hennas experience, people usually didn't trust that quick. Especially not towards trollkin. Then again, if you'd been swimming at random in the river, which Henna assumed the elf had been doing, and ended up far from where you'd intended, which Henna assumed the elf had done, you'd probably be pretty glad to hear a stranger offer you clothes and food. Especially happy if it was for free. Made Henna wonder why she was doing it, this wasn't really her style. But she needed the company, needed to talk to someone who didn't spit on her for being born a trollkin, or tried to get into her breeches cheaply because of the same reason. Reaching the bar, she signaled to Burna, the great big bastard of a barkeeper, that she wanted to plates of whatever. Luckily for her, Burna had a little crush on her and usually gave her food for free. Turning around to look at the guests around her, Henna found herself catching a staggering human man who stumbled into her. She pushed him off her, and watched as he was knocked out cold by a savage right hook from a big armored woman. She felt something hit her face, and then her foot, and looked down to see what it was. A tooth. Not one of hers, luckily. The beaten mans, then. Touching her face and looking at her fingertips, she saw blood. She closed her eyes and shivered slightly. Disgusting.</s> <\|message\|>Talaran Greywulf "Yah! Hit 'er again Maevus!" "Teach the bloody slang a hic lesson!" How typical of them all to be on his side, all shouting derogatory and slanderous remarks towards the armored woman, but not a single damned one she could understand as they were all nothing but drunkenly slurred. Nevertheless, no matter how much they egged on their inebriated companion Maevus, he was about to be down for the count. Talaran's fists continued to bash his face into a bloody, bruised mess of red and purple, his rotten teeth flying to and fro from his busted mouth and blood pouring from his nose a crimson river. Finally, the man tried to deliver one final blow, but Talaran being the more superior fighter,she dove under his swing and gave her final blow right into his battered face with a sickening crack of his jaw in two. Soon, he fell before her like a downed cedar with a heavy thud against the floor. "That'll learn ye....ye smelly bastard." Talaran breathed harsh and cracked her nose back in place with a pained grunt, wiping his filthy blood off her face and sitting down. A shame, the fight must've scared off that beauty she was wooing a moment ago. Oh well, the thrill of a good brawl made up for it.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. With a loud popping sound and lightning flash, Tex suddenly rematerialized in an alleyway. He wasn't too picky about his destination, with his only concern being the escape. However, he found that he was a few feet above the ground when he reentered the physical realm. Tex fell face first against the stones below him with a dull thwack. His hat joined him shortly after as it gradually drifted to ground next to him. With a grunt he pried himself up out of the dust and glanced around. To his dismay, he wasn't the only occupant of the alley. Deeper in were a couple doing... something. Too poor to afford a room, or perhaps fans of unusual scenery, he figured. This was the extent of his consideration of the scene as he hastily scrambled to his feet, snatched his hat, and made his second escape of the hour. As he emerged onto the street, he examined the front of this establishment random chance had dropped him at the side of. He tugged his hat back onto his head with both hands as a sigh escaped him, his gaze fixed on the sign before the building. "Giulias House of Leisure." A brothel. Lovely. He brushed the dirt off himself and shook his head. What a day. As he spun about to head on his way, his keen hearing detected quite a commotion within, reinvigorating his attention. He shifted up against the wall as he began to eavesdrop.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah A thud in the alleyway startled Zeetah, who stopped short of opening the door. He leaned back to see what could have made the noise only to see a man... no, not a man, a... Cat? Zeetah had never seen a cat-man before, and his curiosity overwhelmed him as he walked toward the cat-man, head unconsciously cocked to the side and mouth slightly agape. "Uh... Excuse me. Hi! I'm sorry, but... Oh my, I'm so sorry to ask like this, but... Sir, what... are you?" Suddenly Zeetah flipped extravagantly away from the building to avoid the loud crash and shatter of glass as a bloodied shell of a man flew out the window and plopped onto the ground, unmoving.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex blinked, then froze as his eyes drew in the visage of what was to him an equally unfamiliar creature. He was so focused on him that he merely sidestepped out of the path of the man who had been sent hurtling through the glass. His eyes widened at the impressive maneuvers the frog had taken to evade the downed man. His stare was only broken for a brief moment as he checked himself over for any glass that may have embedded in him. Fortunately, it had not, so back to the frog creature his attention went. He shook his head and finally spoke. "Only slight amounts of offense taken!" He chuckled. "I mean, after all, there are oh so many weird and wonderful things that wander this world, and I can hardly expect you to have seen 'em all." He said as he drew closer. "I'm Tex. Wizard, wanderer, magically fashioned cat-man, performer, philanthropist, visionary, possibly wanted by the city watch for things I -swear- I didn't know about at the time, and all around not particularly thrilled today, really." He rubbed his chin as he regarded the frog again, leaning back on a heel. "Now, as for what -you- are, I can tell you right now: fascinatingly skilled. I've not seen anything move quite like you since... ever, really."</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Ah, it's nothing. But I guess it is something for someone who hasn't been raised as an acrobat!" Zeetah corrected himself, muttering "Gotta remember not everyone's an acrobat, Zeet, come on," under his breath. "So what brings you to the slums? I don't really know what this place is, but it's warm and crowded. But," he paused, looking down at the man, "now I'm not sure I want to be in there... Hey, you think this guy's got any money?" Zeetah crouched down over the unconscious man, checking his pockets but ultimately finding nothing.</s>	<\|message\|>Tex Errant. The cat reached a hand back to scratch at his neck as he considered the frog's words. "Well, uh I went from walking on four legs to two legs, so any sort of motion that tops that tends to be a bit impressive--" He coughed into a fist and stopped himself. "Brings me to the slums?" He repeated, evidently confused. He placed his hands on his hips and glanced around, surveying his surroundings. He winced, then chewed his lower lip in contemplation. "It certainly does appear to be a slum, now you mention it. huh." He murmured. He gave an exaggerated shrug. "Just kinda... dropped in, I guess. I was in a really, really big hurry and cast a teleportation spell, without any particular thought for any actual destination. Quite foolish, that. It could have ended in oh so many bad ways. To name a few, one possibility was me getting trapped in another plane of existence, or, another fun one, getting spewed all over that wall there like the insides spurted out of a crushed tomato--" He once again fake coughed, clearly realizing he was perhaps going a bit too into detail. He turned his head downwards to examine the wounded man. "He doesn't look particularly loaded. Especially unlikely, given this is a slum, come to think of it." He pondered out loud. He blinked. "Well, what are you waiting for? He's only going to be unconscious for so long." He laughed, perhaps a bit worryingly amused by the prospect.</s>
<\|description\|>Tex Errant. Character App Race: Enchanted cat-form familiar/Magic Miscellanea. Gender: Male. Age: 21 Description: Tex was for most of his life the familiar of the great wizard Tessegnach. Tessegnach, despite his fame and prowess, much preferred a life of seclusion and never ventured far from his tower, where Tex was his sole companion. As he grew so old that even his mighty sorcery was unable to sustain his presence in the land of the living for much longer, he desperately sought an apprentice upon which he could impart his secrets and legacy. However, in his many decades of isolation, Tessegnach had grown quite paranoid of outsiders. Instead, an unusual solution came to mind. Tessegnach was a master of alterative magic. The surreal environs, flora and fauna found around his tower remain today a testament to the potency of his craft. He ultimately decided that Tex, his faithful servant, would inherit all that was his. However, while Tex was undoubtedly magically gifted, in the form of a four legged cat, he would not be able to serve as Tessegnach's successor so well. So the somewhat mad Tessegnach saw to it that Tex would be imbued with a more suitable form. The experiment was a success. From then on Tex has resembled a humanoid with feline features. He is cloaked from head to toe with black fur with a white underbelly. Tex has maintained his tail and a head much resembling that of a cat's. He is of a lithe frame and stands at about 5'5". His eyes are a faintly glowing lemon quartz hue. Tex proved to be an apt, eager pupil. While in his former life he was more than capable of conjuring a spell or two, his new form facilitated the gestures and other rituals used to invoke more advanced magic. While certainly not as skilled as his master, Tex himself grew to be quite adept at the craft. Soon enough, the inevitable occurred, and Tessegnach at last passed away. The tower and all of its contents now belonged to Tex, and still does today. However, his feline nature prohibits him from living the isolated life of his predecessor. With curiosity and wanderlust gnawing at him always, he periodically embarks on trips from his tower to where ever his fascination pulls him. In his studying he came across many mentions of the vast city of "Areapolis." Drawn by tales of its grandeur, it is here that he today seeks whatever opportunities and adventures await. While he still holds the utmost respect for his master, he tends to downplay his connection to the legendary man, eager for an opportunity to prove himself on his own individual merits. However, one thing Tessegnach never got around to teaching Tex in his youth was restraint. His susceptibility to whim also applies to his (mis)usage of his magic. While he knows better than to do anything particularly extreme, he is particularly fond of pranks and other mischief. He also has a great deal of difficulty making heads or tails of rules, laws and other obligations, and often gets in hot water for not paying them much mind. Apparel: He wears a mostly dark blue outfit consisting of a signature broad-rimmed, pointed wizard hat, a coat with a high collar, an undershirt, knickerbockers and pointed boots with tips that curl ever so slightly upwards. He carries with him at all times his master's staff, which often has a small bag tied to its head. Race App Name: Magic Miscellanea. Description: Tex does not belong to a race as such, but more a particular category of entity. Magic Miscellanea are creatures born of experimentation and tampering utilizing arcane energies. There is thus no particular continuity between them, save for their common origin. In a world full of wizards and other magic users, there are bound to be many aberrations running about, some more readily integrated into society than others. They are often scorned or distrusted in less accepting parts of the world. It's a not unearned reputation, given the destructive habits of the majority of Magic Miscellanea. The more peaceable examples tend to be cosmopolitans, generally never allowing themselves to get anchored to any one place or identity.</s> <\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn In the richer circles of the city, stood and area known as the Lane of Gods. Running almost the length of Areopolis, perpendicular to the river, it was a row of great and lavish temples and churches, built to honour the many deities worshipped in areopolis. As a gathering point and central trading area between many of the great civilisations that adorned the modern world, Areopolis had come to adopt centres for almost every religion on the face of the planet. And as one would walk down this great road, their eyes would be assaulted by great arrays of splendour and beauty, each house of worship struggling to outdo the others. On the northern edges of the Lane of Gods was a relatively new addition, consturcted over the course of 3 years, and finished just 20 years before. A pillar reaching towards the heaven, a monolithic structure of pure marble. Through it ran veins of obsidian, perfectly incorporated with magic, depicting runes and images, all converging into a single star-shaped symbol in the centre, the official Crest of the Infinite Empire, and the symbol of the Blessed of Trazyn. Within the temple, sitting on a large and highly comfortable cushioned chair was Alice, tiny little legs kicking as she heard the words of the priests. Her eyes slowly moved across the faces, their pupils black as night. It seemed like the Council had rejected the Infinite Empire's rights to host a larger guard, despite the fact that the limits placed upon the Blessed of Trazyn were greater than those placed on the other religions. It was understandable, to an extent. They had no certainty of action, they lacked the direction that graced the lives of the faithful, and feared that they did not know. And those with long memories could still remember when the Blessed had been a scourge on the world, the Dark Crusade cutting a swath of destruction across the land. Of course, it would all change, the tables would turn. A new page was turned in the Book of Time, and the script had been written, it would not be long before the Council would acknowledge Trazyn as the greatest of the Gods. Those lesser deities, clutching at their Earthly thrones with trembling hands, they already knew what was upon them. The end of the strife and terror that they had sowed, the beginning of a time of great unification. As it had been foretold over a thousand years ago, all life would acknowledge Trazyn, and Trazyn would once more be lord over all creation. Smiling, Alice held up a hand, silencing the priests. "ja'Lir, there's a whorehouse in the Tall District. There, find the human with troll's blood. Tell her to give the elf the glass." "To give the elf the glass?" Faithful as always, Ja'Lir knew not to question Alice's statements. When Alice spoke, it was as if the words had come from the mouth of Trazyn himself, and was to be treated as such. If he followed her words, they would lead the Blessed into an age of greater prosperity, they always did. Without her wisdom they would all be doomed. Alice gave a small confirmatory nod, and watched as her loyal guard walked out the door. He would do as she had asked, she knew that much, and she already knew that the trollkin would concede. The vision she had received was a beautiful one, where the Blessed would spread their Gifts to all of Areopolis, and that those who suffered would accept it. ------------------------------ Several miles to the North a great wyvern walked. Massive thrice-clawed feet dug deep gouges into the stone. The light of day reflected off of it's sleek, scaled form, it's wings unfolding as it stretched. Bones snapped beneath it's tread, as it carefully licked the blood from it's side, reptilian eyes darting around. Flames burned around it, among the heaps of piled stones and corpses, those that had been too mangled or burnt to eat. It's head rose, as it stared into the distance, towards the great city of Areapolis, smoke rising from the hundreds of houses within. As it stepped through the remains of the village, it felt it's hunger yet to be stilled. It snorted, noxious fumes rising in the warm daylight, a long tongue running across the double row of serrated teeth. It's great wings unfurled, slightly translucent green membranes stretching out, cleaned of the blood that had stained them, arrows almost carefully removed. With a great beat, the body of the great beast rose, inherent magic strengthening the beat and lightening the body, lifting it off the ground. High into the sky rose the wyvern, leaving behind it the scene of it's last meal.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah Zeetah's attention was torn from his furry new acquaintance when what seemed to be a scaly, robed, older version of himself bumped into him, causing him to stumble backward unexpectedly, stepping on some glass in the process. "Ouch! Damnit! Watch where you're going, you--" Zeetah stopped, eyes widening as he got a better look at the Reptil standing before him. He muttered to himself, "A-a Reptil mage! Two magic users to learn from!", composed himself, and stammered, "I-I'm sorry, sir! I've never seen an actual Reptil before! I just... Wow! I've heard stories, but I guess..." he shrugged, "I guess I don't get out much." Zeetah sat down on the stoop of the building he still didn't realize was a brothel to tend to his bleeding webbed foot. "Shit," he breathed as he observed that some of the glass had pierced through the webbing on his right foot, leaving a tear, "that really sucks."</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "It is perfectly fine it was my own fault for now looking where I was walking...again my apologizes..." Zazrioa spoke looking down at him,When he saw the wound in his foot his eyes now looking sympathetic to him.He kneeled down beside him at first looking at his foot before slowly touching them with his scaly hands,"Z'a Mak'el Rid'rul Dhs Opien Baui" He spoke using a bit of his magic to heal the wound on his right foot. "That should heal my brother..." He said to Zeetah now standing up to show his tall figure.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah The tear in Zeetah's foot was completely healed and the pain was completely gone. "Whoa," he said, examining his foot, turning it over in his hands. "That's amazing," he mumbled. He looked up and repeated more clearly, "That is amazing! Where can I learn to do something like that?" He looked at Tex, "Can you do that, too?" He looked back at the Reptil and thrust out his hand, "Zeetah. My name is Zeetah." Glancing back at Tex, he remembered that he hadn't introduced himself and thrust out his other hand toward him, "Uh, right, sorry. You heard my name just now, right? Nice to meet you!"</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "My name is Zazoria...a pleasure to meet to meet you Zeetah..." Zazroia spoke shaking the boy's hand with his own,He smiled knowing that he had done Shasana's work Shasana being the goddess of charity and kindness.He was of course flattered by his reaction making the Reptil blushing a little but luckily for him not that noticeable and wanted to ask if it would be too rude for him to leave since he needed to meet his friend Jade for a upcoming rite.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex folded his arms and nodded as he listened along. He seemed quite intent to observe this fellow magic user and what he was capable of. As he watched him magically heal the wound, he pouted ever so slightly. As Zeetah asked him whether he himself was capable of such things, his head shrunk low ever so slightly, as if some of his previous enthusiasm had been knocked out of him. "I... can't... say I can. Healing magic is, uh, something I never learned, truth be told." He stammered nervously. He suddenly regained his composure, standing upright again. "But, I can teach you teleportation, illusions, some conjuration... oodles of stuff. I--" He cut himself off with one of his coughs. "Oh, right. New company." He extended a hand cautiously towards the new reptilian. "Tex." His right eye glanced over to Zeetah. "Oh, nearly forgot about you..." He extends his other hand to the frog. "Also Tex. Pleased to meet the both of you."</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "A pleasure my fellow brother...are you a magic user also?" Zazoria said shaking the cat person's hand,He was going to ask to leave to meet his fellow kin Jade but did not want to seem rude to two.While they were talking a group of drunken soldiers pasting by one of them bumping into Zazrioa,"Watch it lizard boy..." One of them yelled another looking over at the Reptil. "What look what we have here...a Estrella de Celimna...gonna try to convert me lizard boy" Another man spoke laughing loudly while another grabbed Zazrioa shoulder pushing him to the ground another throwing beer at his robe.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Are you serious about teaching me?" is what Zeetah was about to reply when the drunk soldiers arrived. Without thinking, Zeetah leapt from the ground into the shadows of the brothel's awning to escape the sight of the officers, whom he thought might recognize him from some wanted posters he had seen in the richer parts of the city. His wits returned and he peered over the edge to see what would become of his new magical acquaintances. A small part of him was also hoping that he was about to see a pretty great magic show...</s>	<\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex blinked and glanced around as he suddenly felt the two hands leave his. His eyes widened as he saw the cause of the commotion: soldiers. While his face wasn't yet plastered all over the city as Zeetah's was, the notion that they might know of his earlier infractions was, of course, a cause for concern! He increased the distance between him and Zazoria as the soldiers came closer. He could only wince as they grabbed the lizard and threw him against the ground. A second wince occurred when that nice robe of Zazoria's got soaked in the soldier's drink. "I've seen quite enough of this...!" He angrily muttered. He suddenly dashed back down the street, shoving himself between the soldiers and the sprawled out reptile. "Hey! No one beats -my- semi-acquaintances I met only about three minutes and thirty-five seconds ago!" He angrily shouted, stabbing an outstretched, accusatory finger towards them. "That was also a waste of a perfectly good drink! More over, no one is dumb enough to draw the wrath of a wizard--" While his threat started off solidly enough, when he reached for his staff, he froze when he realized it was actually no longer secure in the hoops of its harness that wrapped around Tex's torso diagonally like a bandolier. "Oh god where is it?" He thought to himself, his expression becoming one of obvious fright. He held his hands out before him as he stepped back, nearly tripping over the very person he tried to stand up for. "H-hey w-wait... w... we can talk about this!" He pleaded.</s>
<\|description\|>Tex Errant. Character App Race: Enchanted cat-form familiar/Magic Miscellanea. Gender: Male. Age: 21 Description: Tex was for most of his life the familiar of the great wizard Tessegnach. Tessegnach, despite his fame and prowess, much preferred a life of seclusion and never ventured far from his tower, where Tex was his sole companion. As he grew so old that even his mighty sorcery was unable to sustain his presence in the land of the living for much longer, he desperately sought an apprentice upon which he could impart his secrets and legacy. However, in his many decades of isolation, Tessegnach had grown quite paranoid of outsiders. Instead, an unusual solution came to mind. Tessegnach was a master of alterative magic. The surreal environs, flora and fauna found around his tower remain today a testament to the potency of his craft. He ultimately decided that Tex, his faithful servant, would inherit all that was his. However, while Tex was undoubtedly magically gifted, in the form of a four legged cat, he would not be able to serve as Tessegnach's successor so well. So the somewhat mad Tessegnach saw to it that Tex would be imbued with a more suitable form. The experiment was a success. From then on Tex has resembled a humanoid with feline features. He is cloaked from head to toe with black fur with a white underbelly. Tex has maintained his tail and a head much resembling that of a cat's. He is of a lithe frame and stands at about 5'5". His eyes are a faintly glowing lemon quartz hue. Tex proved to be an apt, eager pupil. While in his former life he was more than capable of conjuring a spell or two, his new form facilitated the gestures and other rituals used to invoke more advanced magic. While certainly not as skilled as his master, Tex himself grew to be quite adept at the craft. Soon enough, the inevitable occurred, and Tessegnach at last passed away. The tower and all of its contents now belonged to Tex, and still does today. However, his feline nature prohibits him from living the isolated life of his predecessor. With curiosity and wanderlust gnawing at him always, he periodically embarks on trips from his tower to where ever his fascination pulls him. In his studying he came across many mentions of the vast city of "Areapolis." Drawn by tales of its grandeur, it is here that he today seeks whatever opportunities and adventures await. While he still holds the utmost respect for his master, he tends to downplay his connection to the legendary man, eager for an opportunity to prove himself on his own individual merits. However, one thing Tessegnach never got around to teaching Tex in his youth was restraint. His susceptibility to whim also applies to his (mis)usage of his magic. While he knows better than to do anything particularly extreme, he is particularly fond of pranks and other mischief. He also has a great deal of difficulty making heads or tails of rules, laws and other obligations, and often gets in hot water for not paying them much mind. Apparel: He wears a mostly dark blue outfit consisting of a signature broad-rimmed, pointed wizard hat, a coat with a high collar, an undershirt, knickerbockers and pointed boots with tips that curl ever so slightly upwards. He carries with him at all times his master's staff, which often has a small bag tied to its head. Race App Name: Magic Miscellanea. Description: Tex does not belong to a race as such, but more a particular category of entity. Magic Miscellanea are creatures born of experimentation and tampering utilizing arcane energies. There is thus no particular continuity between them, save for their common origin. In a world full of wizards and other magic users, there are bound to be many aberrations running about, some more readily integrated into society than others. They are often scorned or distrusted in less accepting parts of the world. It's a not unearned reputation, given the destructive habits of the majority of Magic Miscellanea. The more peaceable examples tend to be cosmopolitans, generally never allowing themselves to get anchored to any one place or identity.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex hurried along at the frog man's instruction, seemingly sharing his sentiments entirely. As he rushed alongside him, he spoke in brief spurts of conversation. "As for teaching you magic... it'd take quite a while for you to be as proficient as me, but... I'd be willing to give it a shot. Wish I knew where my staff went, though." He gestured for Zeetah to pause and turned to him. "You didn't happen to see it sitting around the alleyway, did you? It's not 100% necessary, but it does make spellcasting quicker and easier, which means a big deal when you've got a bunch of soldiers several inches away, staring you down with swords in their hands. If they were a little farther away, I could have flung a fireball at them before they got close, no problem."</s> <\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Most who were granted the Gift of magic chose to use it flashily. Having lived without magic, they wished to display their new capabilities at their fullest. A popular technique was to light your sword with eldritch flame. They didn't seem to realize that, on the whole, if you had stabbed something, the fire wasn't going to do much extra. Fireballs, beams of eldritch energy, grasping claws conjured from the darkness, or great bursts of burning light. Amusingly enough, the Infinite Empire's army had transformed into some form of terrifyingly lethal light show, with all the fire, lasers, and glowing orbs of wrath. Few truly recognized the sheer power not of simply applying strength, but applying it where it was needed. To control one's Gift with subtle precision, to only do as much as was needed for the situation. Alice closed her ink black eyes, focusing. She could feel the humming magic moving through her, a miracle delivered directly from Tazyn, to guide His followers. And as His scheme unfolded before her mind, she simply guided, placing the power where it was needed, with the precision and skill necessary for a Prophet. Even though even she could not yet see the end of this glorious plan, her faith was strong. For her God was with her, guiding her every action, her every thought. ------------------------------ Soaring through the clouds, propelled at seemingly impossible speeds for it's great mass, the wyvern observed the city below it. As a being born from magic, it could feel the magic far below, and even it's primitive animal instincts recognized the danger. There was, of course, far easier prey to hunt, the kind of prey that didn't throw fireballs, and whom's claws were not made of iron. And yet, even as it's great eyes flashed briefly black, it started angling downward. For below, it could suddenly smell the tastiest of prey. It knew that below was a buffet, something it had never tasted before. With the promise of food on it's tongue, the beast descended on the Tall, townsfolk and soldier alike fleeing from the area, mothers carrying children, children carrying smaller children. Those who could not walk, and were not carried, simply crawled, or cried in terror, as they beheld the beast, the Wyvern. A majestic beast, it's scales shining golden in the light of the afternoon sun, it's eyes of bright red glaring down, selecting it's prey, and identifying the dangerous ones. It's two wings even now were unfurled, a pair of long hooked claws at the end of each, aiding to hold it in place. It's tail extended fair backwards, growing thin, until it ended into a great barbed point, containing an arcane toxin unique to Wyvern-kind. Great talons crashed through the feeble wooden roof of the slum it had chosen to land on, as it beat it's wings to prevent itself from falling into the water. The Wyvern threw it's head into the air, stretching it's neck, fanged jaws parting as it unleashed a call, like an abominable mixture between the howl of a wolf and the shriek of a banshee, a hundredfold louder. And yet, even as hundreds fled the area, a single figure came stalking towards the dragon, clad in great armor, and bearing one of the legendary Swords of the North. Turning it's great head, the beast observed the tall humanoid, teeth bared, turning to face this new threat. ------------- Throughout the city, the word had spread, and with it a wind of terror, partly natural, and partly magical in nature. An enhanced panic, as people fled the area en masse, the Royal Guard retreating to guard the Noble Houses, the Mage Guild forming a great shield, the Priests of Ashyr activating the great metal golems that guarded their gates, massive bronze swords held at the ready. And yet, across the city, the doors to taverns are kicked over, many proceeding to skid over the floor. Figures of all races, scarred by a hundred battles, stepped out from the darkness. Men with armor forged from the bones of Manticors, Elves whom's bows had received the blessings of forgotten Gods, great mages wielding eldritch fires of pure might. Adventurers, those brave souls who had always been in abundance in a world of such dangers as Wyverns. Problem solvers, monster hunters, dungeon delvers, grave robbers, and thrill seekers, those who had seen the maw of the world, and survived it. And as each reached for their blades, a wave of dark magic washed through them. Each would wish for the bounty on the dragon's head, and each would wish it for themselves. Greed, pride, wrath..... they burned freely in the eyes of those who only moments before had rallied in the face of danger. And as spells flew, and swords thrust, it was not the dragon that was their target. Yet, it was the most capable warriors of the land, slaying one another in cold blood. Those mages and priests who had felt the magic sweep through the city could only gaze on in abject horror as the bloodshed commenced. --------------------- Upon the Throne of Stars, sat a small girl, a smile on her face. Soon, the authorities of this city would be toppled, and the prophecies of her master would come to pass. For it took only the smallest push to set the world's end in motion, if only one knew where to press. And Areopolis, the commercial and religious center of most of the civilized world, was the perfect place to begin.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "I apologize for my...rash behavior my brother I did not want to jailed or worse murdered...besides they will not harm me since all I did was scare them..." Zazoria stopped for a moment turning to face Tex,Although he did not want any trouble with the unexpectedly he would get it without even knowing it was going to happen. Another larger group of guards were coming close their armored feet stomping loudly against the dirt road,Their heavy long swords jiggling around accompanying their footstep."You...Reptil come here you are under arrest..." The commander yelled now a few feet away form them.</s> <\|message\|>Lynx "Do you have any idea what that man was talking about? Because I don't." Lynx could only agree that she didn't know either because she didn't know who the man was or what he meant by "the glass" either. They had been drinking ale from tin cups and as far as she could tell there were no glass objects in the room. When she heard people screaming about a dragon she got all tense and put a hand on her bow in case there was an emergency. Hopefully the city guard would protect the people from the threat because Lynx didn't think she could kill a dragon even though she was a skilled hunter. She usually didn't kill animals because elves thought it wrong to do so and instead only captured them for others if they paid her. She turned to her newfound friend and pointed out the window where all the talk of the dragon came from. "What should we do?" she asked.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "I think we should stay the fuck inside," Henna stated calmly. "There's not much the two of us can do to stop that beast. Better leave it to the heroes." Something suddenly tugged at the trollkins conscience. Frightened though she was, she really wanted to see what was going on. It wasn't everyday you got to see a fight with a dragon. And she could watch it, from the safety of her room even. All she had to do was use the wizards glass. Do it, she heard a voice in her head whisper, sweet as honey. Do it, you know you want to. There was no denying that she did, the need to peer into the mystical mist of the glass suddenly feeling like a craving more than an idea. Come ooon, it purred, Just a little bit. She felt her hand creep closer to the skin she kept it in, slowly but steadily. Just... a little... bit... "Just a little bit" she whispered to herself, and began untying the pouch from her belt. She realized the elf was still there, looking at her. She would see Hennas treasure, but it couldn't be helped, she had to use it now. She could feel her hands getting sweaty with anticipation. She pointed a finger at the elf and beckoned for her to come closer. "Wanna see something special?" she said, her voice a mere whisper, "You'll like this, but you can't tell nobody. Come see!" And with that, she unwrapped the skin and presented the orb on the floor. She whispered the secret words, and light suddenly radiated from the glass, illuminating Hennas face with a pale sheen. Inside it, a monstrous creature could be seen shrieking its rage over the rooftops of the city.</s>	<\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex waved a hand dismissively towards Zazoria. "It's all good. I can understand self-preservation." He said. He suddenly paused and span on a heel to face him. "Say, Zazzleman, you haven't happened upon a staff, have you? Long, stick-like, fashioned of dark oak, cool diamond-shaped head with pearl paneling?" He scratched his chin as he thought of more ways to describe it. "Did I say it was stick-like?" His ears suddenly pricked up as he heard the thudding of boots approaching them from down the path. He raised a finger. "Hold that thought." When he turned back around, his eyes somewhat widened at the mass of guards that had some how closed in upon them without Tex's notice. "Oh." He said meekly. He cleared his throat and ventured a slight wave. "Hello there, mister, uh... guard. Are you sure you've got the -right- Reptil? Or are you just harassing any Reptil you see?" He folded his arms and huffed. "That'd not only be a nuisance, but also a tad racist, it would. Areopolis is a vast, multicultural city, and thrives on its diversity, I feel! Intolerance would be like spitting in the punch."</s>
<\|description\|>Tex Errant. Character App Race: Enchanted cat-form familiar/Magic Miscellanea. Gender: Male. Age: 21 Description: Tex was for most of his life the familiar of the great wizard Tessegnach. Tessegnach, despite his fame and prowess, much preferred a life of seclusion and never ventured far from his tower, where Tex was his sole companion. As he grew so old that even his mighty sorcery was unable to sustain his presence in the land of the living for much longer, he desperately sought an apprentice upon which he could impart his secrets and legacy. However, in his many decades of isolation, Tessegnach had grown quite paranoid of outsiders. Instead, an unusual solution came to mind. Tessegnach was a master of alterative magic. The surreal environs, flora and fauna found around his tower remain today a testament to the potency of his craft. He ultimately decided that Tex, his faithful servant, would inherit all that was his. However, while Tex was undoubtedly magically gifted, in the form of a four legged cat, he would not be able to serve as Tessegnach's successor so well. So the somewhat mad Tessegnach saw to it that Tex would be imbued with a more suitable form. The experiment was a success. From then on Tex has resembled a humanoid with feline features. He is cloaked from head to toe with black fur with a white underbelly. Tex has maintained his tail and a head much resembling that of a cat's. He is of a lithe frame and stands at about 5'5". His eyes are a faintly glowing lemon quartz hue. Tex proved to be an apt, eager pupil. While in his former life he was more than capable of conjuring a spell or two, his new form facilitated the gestures and other rituals used to invoke more advanced magic. While certainly not as skilled as his master, Tex himself grew to be quite adept at the craft. Soon enough, the inevitable occurred, and Tessegnach at last passed away. The tower and all of its contents now belonged to Tex, and still does today. However, his feline nature prohibits him from living the isolated life of his predecessor. With curiosity and wanderlust gnawing at him always, he periodically embarks on trips from his tower to where ever his fascination pulls him. In his studying he came across many mentions of the vast city of "Areapolis." Drawn by tales of its grandeur, it is here that he today seeks whatever opportunities and adventures await. While he still holds the utmost respect for his master, he tends to downplay his connection to the legendary man, eager for an opportunity to prove himself on his own individual merits. However, one thing Tessegnach never got around to teaching Tex in his youth was restraint. His susceptibility to whim also applies to his (mis)usage of his magic. While he knows better than to do anything particularly extreme, he is particularly fond of pranks and other mischief. He also has a great deal of difficulty making heads or tails of rules, laws and other obligations, and often gets in hot water for not paying them much mind. Apparel: He wears a mostly dark blue outfit consisting of a signature broad-rimmed, pointed wizard hat, a coat with a high collar, an undershirt, knickerbockers and pointed boots with tips that curl ever so slightly upwards. He carries with him at all times his master's staff, which often has a small bag tied to its head. Race App Name: Magic Miscellanea. Description: Tex does not belong to a race as such, but more a particular category of entity. Magic Miscellanea are creatures born of experimentation and tampering utilizing arcane energies. There is thus no particular continuity between them, save for their common origin. In a world full of wizards and other magic users, there are bound to be many aberrations running about, some more readily integrated into society than others. They are often scorned or distrusted in less accepting parts of the world. It's a not unearned reputation, given the destructive habits of the majority of Magic Miscellanea. The more peaceable examples tend to be cosmopolitans, generally never allowing themselves to get anchored to any one place or identity.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "I apologize for my...rash behavior my brother I did not want to jailed or worse murdered...besides they will not harm me since all I did was scare them..." Zazoria stopped for a moment turning to face Tex,Although he did not want any trouble with the unexpectedly he would get it without even knowing it was going to happen. Another larger group of guards were coming close their armored feet stomping loudly against the dirt road,Their heavy long swords jiggling around accompanying their footstep."You...Reptil come here you are under arrest..." The commander yelled now a few feet away form them.</s> <\|message\|>Lynx "Do you have any idea what that man was talking about? Because I don't." Lynx could only agree that she didn't know either because she didn't know who the man was or what he meant by "the glass" either. They had been drinking ale from tin cups and as far as she could tell there were no glass objects in the room. When she heard people screaming about a dragon she got all tense and put a hand on her bow in case there was an emergency. Hopefully the city guard would protect the people from the threat because Lynx didn't think she could kill a dragon even though she was a skilled hunter. She usually didn't kill animals because elves thought it wrong to do so and instead only captured them for others if they paid her. She turned to her newfound friend and pointed out the window where all the talk of the dragon came from. "What should we do?" she asked.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "I think we should stay the fuck inside," Henna stated calmly. "There's not much the two of us can do to stop that beast. Better leave it to the heroes." Something suddenly tugged at the trollkins conscience. Frightened though she was, she really wanted to see what was going on. It wasn't everyday you got to see a fight with a dragon. And she could watch it, from the safety of her room even. All she had to do was use the wizards glass. Do it, she heard a voice in her head whisper, sweet as honey. Do it, you know you want to. There was no denying that she did, the need to peer into the mystical mist of the glass suddenly feeling like a craving more than an idea. Come ooon, it purred, Just a little bit. She felt her hand creep closer to the skin she kept it in, slowly but steadily. Just... a little... bit... "Just a little bit" she whispered to herself, and began untying the pouch from her belt. She realized the elf was still there, looking at her. She would see Hennas treasure, but it couldn't be helped, she had to use it now. She could feel her hands getting sweaty with anticipation. She pointed a finger at the elf and beckoned for her to come closer. "Wanna see something special?" she said, her voice a mere whisper, "You'll like this, but you can't tell nobody. Come see!" And with that, she unwrapped the skin and presented the orb on the floor. She whispered the secret words, and light suddenly radiated from the glass, illuminating Hennas face with a pale sheen. Inside it, a monstrous creature could be seen shrieking its rage over the rooftops of the city.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex waved a hand dismissively towards Zazoria. "It's all good. I can understand self-preservation." He said. He suddenly paused and span on a heel to face him. "Say, Zazzleman, you haven't happened upon a staff, have you? Long, stick-like, fashioned of dark oak, cool diamond-shaped head with pearl paneling?" He scratched his chin as he thought of more ways to describe it. "Did I say it was stick-like?" His ears suddenly pricked up as he heard the thudding of boots approaching them from down the path. He raised a finger. "Hold that thought." When he turned back around, his eyes somewhat widened at the mass of guards that had some how closed in upon them without Tex's notice. "Oh." He said meekly. He cleared his throat and ventured a slight wave. "Hello there, mister, uh... guard. Are you sure you've got the -right- Reptil? Or are you just harassing any Reptil you see?" He folded his arms and huffed. "That'd not only be a nuisance, but also a tad racist, it would. Areopolis is a vast, multicultural city, and thrives on its diversity, I feel! Intolerance would be like spitting in the punch."</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "We have orders that he assaulted a commander of the guards....and that is punishable by in imprisonment..." The guards spoke sternly looking down at Tex then looking over to Zazrioa one of the other guards putting his hand to the hilt of his sword,"But form what i heard form eyewitness of the guards that you are somewhat of a...impressive wizard that night be something we could use to defeat the Wryn..." The guard now silently for the guard to not pull out his sword. "A Wryn?how terrible...but if i may ask a question....if i do go help fight this Wryn would i be forgiven of my...little annoyance?" Zazarioa said not really wanting to go to jail for 7 years in Jalbrata a prison in famous for being a hell on earth,"Indeed...we will need all the help we can get with the Wryn and the mass panic that has being going on in the city,Maybe your friends could be some help also...of course you will be paid a good amount..but we would have to speak to the council first..to see if you are fit in our council's eyes..." The guard said and was true that they needed as much help as they could with the many problems going on.</s>	<\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words as he got a firm talking to from the guard. He shrunk closer and closer to the ground with each shouted word. His bold-faced lies seemingly hadn't pulled him through this time, and now he was lost. His ears pricked up with keen interest as they continued, however. He not so subtly slipped over to their side of the road to stand by the commander, abandoning his acquaintances. "Oh? You've heard I'm an impressive wizard, huh? Sure am. Help deal with a Wryn? Sure can!" He enthusiastically responded, preening all the while. "Why, I could deal with five Wryns. I think. Maybe if they were heavily inebriated." Zazroia and Zeetah had entirely left the perfidious cat's attention as he focused on impressing the guards. "I've got a Wryn skull mounted on my mantlepiece back home, come to think of it. Though it had many skulls. Maybe it was a Hydra. Oh, Hydras are plenty scary as well though, aren't they?" As Zazoria expressed his interest in helping the guards on their mission also, Tex briefly scowled, then gave a bright grin, as if his irritated expression was never there in the first place. "Oh, hello again friend! I'd be -glad- to have you aboard!" He said, his enthusiasm not at all faded. He grabbed one of the Reptil's paws with both of his own and shook it briskly. "He's a pretty good wizard himself, y'know?" He called back over his shoulder to the guards. "I'm sure he could also help slay this beast."</s>
<\|description\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Organisation App Almost 130 years ago, a great meteorite struck the Earth in the southern lands of Alm'Zar. Across the world, prophets and mystics sensed a disturbance, and the followers of Trazyn claim that the lesser deities shook on their Earthly thrones. For within the falling star was a being, alien to this world, known only as Trazyn. Possessed of great magical power, it reached out into the minds of those nearby, the loyal guard of the Al'Nuk Empire, and asked for their aid. The guards that entered to investigate came out changed people, claiming to have found the only being worthy of their loyalty and unquestioning devotion. They were the First of Trazyn. The might of the Extraterrestrial God expanded rapidly, as it promised gifts of arcane power and equality to those that would reject their political leaders, and swore fealty to Him alone. And he delivered, mysterious crystals implanted into the body granting magical power to those born without arcane potential. Great armies marched in His name, conquering those who did not come under His rule by their own will through brute force. These were known as the Infinity Crusades, and it was said that the legions of zealots were an unending sea, swarming across the country, twisted by the magic implanted into their souls. However, the World is a big place. The Elves of Lysandor stood firm, proclaiming that Trazyn and the injection of His mysterious arcane power was an abomination. Great battles ensued, but to dislodge the Elves from their ancient forests was impossible. They allied with the remains of the Al'Nuk, as they pushed back, driving against the maddened armies, battling Eldritch powers, aiming to destroy Trazyn himself once and for all. What happened in these wars is the work of many legends. The Al'Nuk were completely wiped out, their cities and holds part of the reformed Infinite Empire. Trazyn halted his great Crusades, having formed a peace treaty with the Elves of Lysandor. The tribes that had once dwelled the plains of Alm'Zar were incorporated into the belief, living in the cities or traveling to far off countries as missionaries, aiming to convert more cities to the world's most feared religion. Today, the Blessed of Trazyn, centered in the Infinite Empire, have spread across the globe, their religion seen in many places as being abominable and terrifying. However, they preach the equality of all under Trazyn, from commoner to noble to king, and have demonstrated this in their own empire. In many cases, the lower classes have rebelled in the name of Trazyn, forming their own city-states far from the Infinite Empire, loyal to Trazyn. Beliefs of the Blessed of Trazyn: - Trazyn is the architect of the universe, the very first magical being. It was He who created the very existence of magic, and it is from this magic that all other beings are born. - All people are equal, for all intelligent beings are the same. To stand one above the other is blasphemy, and only Trazyn and his Prophets have any rights beyond those of normal men and women. This includes the equal division of magic beyond genetic heritage, granting arcane powers to all who wish to have them. - All of nature is owned by the sentient races, and it is theirs to do with as they will, provided they heed the words of Trazyn. - All belongings are equal, and all is to be shared among the entire population. There will be no rich, and there will be no poor, for all are equal in the eyes of Trazyn. Character App Name: Alice Nettlebrush, The Immortal Innocence. Race: Elf Gender: Female Age: 12 Personality: While in many ways Alice acts as a typical 12-year-old, she has certainly been changed by Trazyn. She often knows things she should not have known, and possesses a strange, sly wisdom. She often displays dual personalities, and memories that don't belong to her lifetime. She is generally kind and caring, although she is devoted to Trazyn, seeing her God as part of herself. Due to the crystal implanted into her skull, this might be accurate. History: Coming from the Nettlebrush family, a small family of elves who became a part of the Infinite Empire, Alice's parents opted to send their youngest daughter to become a Priest of Trazyn. She would learn the ways of Trazyn, and preach his name. They did this because they knew the Priests of Trazyn were well treated, and that it wasn't good for elves in the Infinite Empire to be opposed to the Will of Trazyn in any way. Little did they know what would follow. Upon being implanted with her 'Gift', a synthetic crystal that implants some of Trzyn's magic into those born without when implanted into the body, Alice had a vision. It is said that she spoke many secrets, already knowing the 42 Names of Trazyn, and the greatest secrets of where and how Trazyn was kept. Alice was offered a choice by Trazyn Himself, and she chose to become His Prophet, to spread His will and to become a vessel for His power. As such, she became one of the 4 current Prophets of Trazyn. Position: Alice lives in Areopolis, representing Trazyn in this great and powerful city. Here, she leads the Temple of the Infinite, which is both a religious institution, and the embassy for the Infinite Empire. She expresses her Empire and God's wills and stakes in the councils and meetings of the city, and oversees the trade relationships between the Empire and other people. This is an important task, because many are reluctant to deal with the Blessed of Trazyn. Character App Name: Ja'Lir Arian. Gender: Male Age: 47 Race: Human (mostly) Personality: Stern and determined, Ja'Lir is only truly happy when he's doing the work of his Lord. He's an introvert, with a stern face that reveals nothing about him. He revels in doing what he considers the right thing, and places the importance of the 'greater good' far above his own life, happily sacrificing himself to save others. History: Born in the Infinite Empire, Ja'Lir chose the life of the military when it became time for him to choose his occupation. He was trained as a warrior, to fight and die for the glory of Tazir. He became a master at what he did, both in his physical skills and his manipulation of the Gift. As such, he rose through the ranks, earning many medals in the field, fighting off those who would attempt to destroy Tazir. Eventually, through his valor and skill, he was chosen to be the personal guard for Alice, and to represent the Arm of Tazir in Areopolis. He accepted this post gladly. Position: As Alice's Paladin, it is Ja'Lir's duty to ensure her safety, and to kill any who would take her life. He is also responsible for playing his part in the diplomatic relationships between the Infinite Empire and Areopolis, a physical representation of Trazin's armies, a threat through his very existence.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Ah, it's nothing. But I guess it is something for someone who hasn't been raised as an acrobat!" Zeetah corrected himself, muttering "Gotta remember not everyone's an acrobat, Zeet, come on," under his breath. "So what brings you to the slums? I don't really know what this place is, but it's warm and crowded. But," he paused, looking down at the man, "now I'm not sure I want to be in there... Hey, you think this guy's got any money?" Zeetah crouched down over the unconscious man, checking his pockets but ultimately finding nothing.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. The cat reached a hand back to scratch at his neck as he considered the frog's words. "Well, uh I went from walking on four legs to two legs, so any sort of motion that tops that tends to be a bit impressive--" He coughed into a fist and stopped himself. "Brings me to the slums?" He repeated, evidently confused. He placed his hands on his hips and glanced around, surveying his surroundings. He winced, then chewed his lower lip in contemplation. "It certainly does appear to be a slum, now you mention it. huh." He murmured. He gave an exaggerated shrug. "Just kinda... dropped in, I guess. I was in a really, really big hurry and cast a teleportation spell, without any particular thought for any actual destination. Quite foolish, that. It could have ended in oh so many bad ways. To name a few, one possibility was me getting trapped in another plane of existence, or, another fun one, getting spewed all over that wall there like the insides spurted out of a crushed tomato--" He once again fake coughed, clearly realizing he was perhaps going a bit too into detail. He turned his head downwards to examine the wounded man. "He doesn't look particularly loaded. Especially unlikely, given this is a slum, come to think of it." He pondered out loud. He blinked. "Well, what are you waiting for? He's only going to be unconscious for so long." He laughed, perhaps a bit worryingly amused by the prospect.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah Zeetah perked up at the word "spell". He didn't know why, but he had always been interested in magic and always hoped he could learn some tricks. A teleportation spell would be particularly useful, he thought to himself. But he had also heard that Ampharians were never particularly good at magic, or at least, none had ever tried. "So, you said you were a magician or... what? Can you show me something cool? And teach me how to do something?" the frog was unconsciously bouncing in excitement. He felt bad that he was never particularly good at listening or holding a conversation, and he generally went out of his way to interact with people, so he never really had anyone to talk to and had very little experience with conversation as a result. Even still, this was an strange and exciting person with an exciting prospect of magic, so he could make an exception.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa Zazrioa was walking down the dirty slums of Areapolis even though he didn't think it was too dirty although the smell was something but Zazrioa could not smell it,Beggars were all around the area begging and grabbing at the hem of his robes but he did not cringe nor quickly move away form the homeless men and women but kneel beside them praying with them about the Hauke the creator."Cyt'ma Golte Makla Durwa" He spoke to one of the homeless men in a soft whisper holding his warm hand with his own scaly hand,Once he was done he stood up handing him a pamphlet of the Estrella de Celimna walking further down the alleyway. While walking he accidentally bumped into Zeetah with his scaly shoulder,"My apologizes my brother...i did not see you... i was not looking where i was walking... He said in a raspy deep voice.</s>	<\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn In the richer circles of the city, stood and area known as the Lane of Gods. Running almost the length of Areopolis, perpendicular to the river, it was a row of great and lavish temples and churches, built to honour the many deities worshipped in areopolis. As a gathering point and central trading area between many of the great civilisations that adorned the modern world, Areopolis had come to adopt centres for almost every religion on the face of the planet. And as one would walk down this great road, their eyes would be assaulted by great arrays of splendour and beauty, each house of worship struggling to outdo the others. On the northern edges of the Lane of Gods was a relatively new addition, consturcted over the course of 3 years, and finished just 20 years before. A pillar reaching towards the heaven, a monolithic structure of pure marble. Through it ran veins of obsidian, perfectly incorporated with magic, depicting runes and images, all converging into a single star-shaped symbol in the centre, the official Crest of the Infinite Empire, and the symbol of the Blessed of Trazyn. Within the temple, sitting on a large and highly comfortable cushioned chair was Alice, tiny little legs kicking as she heard the words of the priests. Her eyes slowly moved across the faces, their pupils black as night. It seemed like the Council had rejected the Infinite Empire's rights to host a larger guard, despite the fact that the limits placed upon the Blessed of Trazyn were greater than those placed on the other religions. It was understandable, to an extent. They had no certainty of action, they lacked the direction that graced the lives of the faithful, and feared that they did not know. And those with long memories could still remember when the Blessed had been a scourge on the world, the Dark Crusade cutting a swath of destruction across the land. Of course, it would all change, the tables would turn. A new page was turned in the Book of Time, and the script had been written, it would not be long before the Council would acknowledge Trazyn as the greatest of the Gods. Those lesser deities, clutching at their Earthly thrones with trembling hands, they already knew what was upon them. The end of the strife and terror that they had sowed, the beginning of a time of great unification. As it had been foretold over a thousand years ago, all life would acknowledge Trazyn, and Trazyn would once more be lord over all creation. Smiling, Alice held up a hand, silencing the priests. "ja'Lir, there's a whorehouse in the Tall District. There, find the human with troll's blood. Tell her to give the elf the glass." "To give the elf the glass?" Faithful as always, Ja'Lir knew not to question Alice's statements. When Alice spoke, it was as if the words had come from the mouth of Trazyn himself, and was to be treated as such. If he followed her words, they would lead the Blessed into an age of greater prosperity, they always did. Without her wisdom they would all be doomed. Alice gave a small confirmatory nod, and watched as her loyal guard walked out the door. He would do as she had asked, she knew that much, and she already knew that the trollkin would concede. The vision she had received was a beautiful one, where the Blessed would spread their Gifts to all of Areopolis, and that those who suffered would accept it. ------------------------------ Several miles to the North a great wyvern walked. Massive thrice-clawed feet dug deep gouges into the stone. The light of day reflected off of it's sleek, scaled form, it's wings unfolding as it stretched. Bones snapped beneath it's tread, as it carefully licked the blood from it's side, reptilian eyes darting around. Flames burned around it, among the heaps of piled stones and corpses, those that had been too mangled or burnt to eat. It's head rose, as it stared into the distance, towards the great city of Areapolis, smoke rising from the hundreds of houses within. As it stepped through the remains of the village, it felt it's hunger yet to be stilled. It snorted, noxious fumes rising in the warm daylight, a long tongue running across the double row of serrated teeth. It's great wings unfurled, slightly translucent green membranes stretching out, cleaned of the blood that had stained them, arrows almost carefully removed. With a great beat, the body of the great beast rose, inherent magic strengthening the beat and lightening the body, lifting it off the ground. High into the sky rose the wyvern, leaving behind it the scene of it's last meal.</s>
<\|description\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Organisation App Almost 130 years ago, a great meteorite struck the Earth in the southern lands of Alm'Zar. Across the world, prophets and mystics sensed a disturbance, and the followers of Trazyn claim that the lesser deities shook on their Earthly thrones. For within the falling star was a being, alien to this world, known only as Trazyn. Possessed of great magical power, it reached out into the minds of those nearby, the loyal guard of the Al'Nuk Empire, and asked for their aid. The guards that entered to investigate came out changed people, claiming to have found the only being worthy of their loyalty and unquestioning devotion. They were the First of Trazyn. The might of the Extraterrestrial God expanded rapidly, as it promised gifts of arcane power and equality to those that would reject their political leaders, and swore fealty to Him alone. And he delivered, mysterious crystals implanted into the body granting magical power to those born without arcane potential. Great armies marched in His name, conquering those who did not come under His rule by their own will through brute force. These were known as the Infinity Crusades, and it was said that the legions of zealots were an unending sea, swarming across the country, twisted by the magic implanted into their souls. However, the World is a big place. The Elves of Lysandor stood firm, proclaiming that Trazyn and the injection of His mysterious arcane power was an abomination. Great battles ensued, but to dislodge the Elves from their ancient forests was impossible. They allied with the remains of the Al'Nuk, as they pushed back, driving against the maddened armies, battling Eldritch powers, aiming to destroy Trazyn himself once and for all. What happened in these wars is the work of many legends. The Al'Nuk were completely wiped out, their cities and holds part of the reformed Infinite Empire. Trazyn halted his great Crusades, having formed a peace treaty with the Elves of Lysandor. The tribes that had once dwelled the plains of Alm'Zar were incorporated into the belief, living in the cities or traveling to far off countries as missionaries, aiming to convert more cities to the world's most feared religion. Today, the Blessed of Trazyn, centered in the Infinite Empire, have spread across the globe, their religion seen in many places as being abominable and terrifying. However, they preach the equality of all under Trazyn, from commoner to noble to king, and have demonstrated this in their own empire. In many cases, the lower classes have rebelled in the name of Trazyn, forming their own city-states far from the Infinite Empire, loyal to Trazyn. Beliefs of the Blessed of Trazyn: - Trazyn is the architect of the universe, the very first magical being. It was He who created the very existence of magic, and it is from this magic that all other beings are born. - All people are equal, for all intelligent beings are the same. To stand one above the other is blasphemy, and only Trazyn and his Prophets have any rights beyond those of normal men and women. This includes the equal division of magic beyond genetic heritage, granting arcane powers to all who wish to have them. - All of nature is owned by the sentient races, and it is theirs to do with as they will, provided they heed the words of Trazyn. - All belongings are equal, and all is to be shared among the entire population. There will be no rich, and there will be no poor, for all are equal in the eyes of Trazyn. Character App Name: Alice Nettlebrush, The Immortal Innocence. Race: Elf Gender: Female Age: 12 Personality: While in many ways Alice acts as a typical 12-year-old, she has certainly been changed by Trazyn. She often knows things she should not have known, and possesses a strange, sly wisdom. She often displays dual personalities, and memories that don't belong to her lifetime. She is generally kind and caring, although she is devoted to Trazyn, seeing her God as part of herself. Due to the crystal implanted into her skull, this might be accurate. History: Coming from the Nettlebrush family, a small family of elves who became a part of the Infinite Empire, Alice's parents opted to send their youngest daughter to become a Priest of Trazyn. She would learn the ways of Trazyn, and preach his name. They did this because they knew the Priests of Trazyn were well treated, and that it wasn't good for elves in the Infinite Empire to be opposed to the Will of Trazyn in any way. Little did they know what would follow. Upon being implanted with her 'Gift', a synthetic crystal that implants some of Trzyn's magic into those born without when implanted into the body, Alice had a vision. It is said that she spoke many secrets, already knowing the 42 Names of Trazyn, and the greatest secrets of where and how Trazyn was kept. Alice was offered a choice by Trazyn Himself, and she chose to become His Prophet, to spread His will and to become a vessel for His power. As such, she became one of the 4 current Prophets of Trazyn. Position: Alice lives in Areopolis, representing Trazyn in this great and powerful city. Here, she leads the Temple of the Infinite, which is both a religious institution, and the embassy for the Infinite Empire. She expresses her Empire and God's wills and stakes in the councils and meetings of the city, and oversees the trade relationships between the Empire and other people. This is an important task, because many are reluctant to deal with the Blessed of Trazyn. Character App Name: Ja'Lir Arian. Gender: Male Age: 47 Race: Human (mostly) Personality: Stern and determined, Ja'Lir is only truly happy when he's doing the work of his Lord. He's an introvert, with a stern face that reveals nothing about him. He revels in doing what he considers the right thing, and places the importance of the 'greater good' far above his own life, happily sacrificing himself to save others. History: Born in the Infinite Empire, Ja'Lir chose the life of the military when it became time for him to choose his occupation. He was trained as a warrior, to fight and die for the glory of Tazir. He became a master at what he did, both in his physical skills and his manipulation of the Gift. As such, he rose through the ranks, earning many medals in the field, fighting off those who would attempt to destroy Tazir. Eventually, through his valor and skill, he was chosen to be the personal guard for Alice, and to represent the Arm of Tazir in Areopolis. He accepted this post gladly. Position: As Alice's Paladin, it is Ja'Lir's duty to ensure her safety, and to kill any who would take her life. He is also responsible for playing his part in the diplomatic relationships between the Infinite Empire and Areopolis, a physical representation of Trazin's armies, a threat through his very existence.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "A pleasure my fellow brother...are you a magic user also?" Zazoria said shaking the cat person's hand,He was going to ask to leave to meet his fellow kin Jade but did not want to seem rude to two.While they were talking a group of drunken soldiers pasting by one of them bumping into Zazrioa,"Watch it lizard boy..." One of them yelled another looking over at the Reptil. "What look what we have here...a Estrella de Celimna...gonna try to convert me lizard boy" Another man spoke laughing loudly while another grabbed Zazrioa shoulder pushing him to the ground another throwing beer at his robe.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Are you serious about teaching me?" is what Zeetah was about to reply when the drunk soldiers arrived. Without thinking, Zeetah leapt from the ground into the shadows of the brothel's awning to escape the sight of the officers, whom he thought might recognize him from some wanted posters he had seen in the richer parts of the city. His wits returned and he peered over the edge to see what would become of his new magical acquaintances. A small part of him was also hoping that he was about to see a pretty great magic show...</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex blinked and glanced around as he suddenly felt the two hands leave his. His eyes widened as he saw the cause of the commotion: soldiers. While his face wasn't yet plastered all over the city as Zeetah's was, the notion that they might know of his earlier infractions was, of course, a cause for concern! He increased the distance between him and Zazoria as the soldiers came closer. He could only wince as they grabbed the lizard and threw him against the ground. A second wince occurred when that nice robe of Zazoria's got soaked in the soldier's drink. "I've seen quite enough of this...!" He angrily muttered. He suddenly dashed back down the street, shoving himself between the soldiers and the sprawled out reptile. "Hey! No one beats -my- semi-acquaintances I met only about three minutes and thirty-five seconds ago!" He angrily shouted, stabbing an outstretched, accusatory finger towards them. "That was also a waste of a perfectly good drink! More over, no one is dumb enough to draw the wrath of a wizard--" While his threat started off solidly enough, when he reached for his staff, he froze when he realized it was actually no longer secure in the hoops of its harness that wrapped around Tex's torso diagonally like a bandolier. "Oh god where is it?" He thought to himself, his expression becoming one of obvious fright. He held his hands out before him as he stepped back, nearly tripping over the very person he tried to stand up for. "H-hey w-wait... w... we can talk about this!" He pleaded.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "No my brother I...was just speaking to a friend..."Zazrioa was going to speak once more but was interrupted by one of th soldiers pulling out a long sword pointing it at the Reptil,"I don't like you lizard breath no one in this city likes The Reptil they are sneaky,dirty...Renark" The one holding the sword remarked knowing that Renark is a racial slang used against The Reptil."So piss off before we kill you and make boots out of ya and your Renark pansy group" Another remark with a smirk drawing his sword. Zazrioa just rolled his eyes since he had heard this before many times as a youngling and adult it was not different here then in Mirgeoof,Racist as his grandfather would put it but his Grandfather would have worse things to say about those people."Hi'magol Zimjoe Ne'hs Uzab Xop Yeq'Ca" He said loudly lifting his shaft high up into the air as a large dragon like creature appeared made out of flames shooting fire at the soldier's feet letting their feet aflame but not enough to burn them alive. This would be enough to scare the racisy men away,"We'll get you back lizard breath one said running away and they would mean it so now Zazoria would have to watch his back although he was protected by some of the guards and his own kin.</s> <\|message\|>Zeetah "Wow, that's a good way to make enemies!" Zeetah called to the pair still on the ground, "I usually just run. But maybe I'd react differently if I could do magic, too..." Zeetah remained silent for a bit and then continued, "I'm gonna stay up here, just to make sure they're really gone, OK? But you," he pointed at Tex, "you said you could teach me magic? And what about you?" he pointed another finger at Zazrioa, "Can you teach me too?" Zeetah could see Zazroia's eyes shifting a bit in the way that says "I'm busy", apparently eager to get away. "Are you alright? Eager to get away?"</s>	<\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Loudly, the door to the whorehouse banged open, as Ja'Lir strode through. As was usual for anyone entering, one of the girls instantly walked towards him, to make sure he enjoyed his stay. A single withering glance from the paladin made her reconsider, however, and she quite promptly backed away. When the warrior strode up to the counter, where a scantily clad lady was performing acts more acurately described as 'entertainment', rather than actually tending the bar. As the onyx-skinned warrior halted beside the counter, however, the colour drained from the woman's face. He spoke in calm, soft tones, and yet he was clearly heard over even the dinn the drunk soldiers were making. 'There is a human with troll's blood here, where is that human?' 'W-Well, I can't-' 'If I were to kill every living being in this establishment, I would find the person I was looking for. Your answer will save me the trouble of cleaning blood from my blade, and you the trouble of being judged for your sin in the afterlife.' The tone of the palladin's voice was not one of anger, or intimidation, but rather a cold assertion of death. 'Room 12!' Leaving the terrified 'bartender', Ja'Lir steps up the stairs, chainmail hauberk jungling with ever step. It had been a bluff, of course, he would not sully the name of the Blessed by committing a crime. Their standing in this city was bad enough. However, sometimes it was good to make use of the Blessed's bloody reputation, and his face could be devoid of emotion when he wished it to be. Which was, admittedly, pretty much always. Unwilling to waste time, Ja'Lir kicked down the door to Room 12, the half-rotten wood easily giving way to his metal-clad foot. It crashed into the ground with a second bang, as the armoured figure strode into the room. His face was deep black, as was normal for those born in the great northern deserts. He wore a long chainmail hauberk, as well as thick plate boots and gauntlets. A helmet with an upturned visor rested on his head, protecting his scalp. A black and white tabard stretched down over his armor, the seven-pointed star of Trazyn emblazoned clearly in the center, a thick leather belt holding a long black sheat at his side. Combined with his height and muscle mass, he struck an imposing figure. 'Give the elf the glass.' Having delivered his message, Ja'Lir turned on his heels, and walked away, eager to return to his post beside his mistress. She had a bad habit of underestimating the danger to herself in her scheming, and he constantly worried about her safety. Aside from her being a Prophet, he had grown rather fond of her over the years, as she was able to look right through his stony face, and with her he had no need to speak his feelings to have them known. With five long strides, Ja'Lir was already at the staircase, heading down.</s>
<\|description\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Organisation App Almost 130 years ago, a great meteorite struck the Earth in the southern lands of Alm'Zar. Across the world, prophets and mystics sensed a disturbance, and the followers of Trazyn claim that the lesser deities shook on their Earthly thrones. For within the falling star was a being, alien to this world, known only as Trazyn. Possessed of great magical power, it reached out into the minds of those nearby, the loyal guard of the Al'Nuk Empire, and asked for their aid. The guards that entered to investigate came out changed people, claiming to have found the only being worthy of their loyalty and unquestioning devotion. They were the First of Trazyn. The might of the Extraterrestrial God expanded rapidly, as it promised gifts of arcane power and equality to those that would reject their political leaders, and swore fealty to Him alone. And he delivered, mysterious crystals implanted into the body granting magical power to those born without arcane potential. Great armies marched in His name, conquering those who did not come under His rule by their own will through brute force. These were known as the Infinity Crusades, and it was said that the legions of zealots were an unending sea, swarming across the country, twisted by the magic implanted into their souls. However, the World is a big place. The Elves of Lysandor stood firm, proclaiming that Trazyn and the injection of His mysterious arcane power was an abomination. Great battles ensued, but to dislodge the Elves from their ancient forests was impossible. They allied with the remains of the Al'Nuk, as they pushed back, driving against the maddened armies, battling Eldritch powers, aiming to destroy Trazyn himself once and for all. What happened in these wars is the work of many legends. The Al'Nuk were completely wiped out, their cities and holds part of the reformed Infinite Empire. Trazyn halted his great Crusades, having formed a peace treaty with the Elves of Lysandor. The tribes that had once dwelled the plains of Alm'Zar were incorporated into the belief, living in the cities or traveling to far off countries as missionaries, aiming to convert more cities to the world's most feared religion. Today, the Blessed of Trazyn, centered in the Infinite Empire, have spread across the globe, their religion seen in many places as being abominable and terrifying. However, they preach the equality of all under Trazyn, from commoner to noble to king, and have demonstrated this in their own empire. In many cases, the lower classes have rebelled in the name of Trazyn, forming their own city-states far from the Infinite Empire, loyal to Trazyn. Beliefs of the Blessed of Trazyn: - Trazyn is the architect of the universe, the very first magical being. It was He who created the very existence of magic, and it is from this magic that all other beings are born. - All people are equal, for all intelligent beings are the same. To stand one above the other is blasphemy, and only Trazyn and his Prophets have any rights beyond those of normal men and women. This includes the equal division of magic beyond genetic heritage, granting arcane powers to all who wish to have them. - All of nature is owned by the sentient races, and it is theirs to do with as they will, provided they heed the words of Trazyn. - All belongings are equal, and all is to be shared among the entire population. There will be no rich, and there will be no poor, for all are equal in the eyes of Trazyn. Character App Name: Alice Nettlebrush, The Immortal Innocence. Race: Elf Gender: Female Age: 12 Personality: While in many ways Alice acts as a typical 12-year-old, she has certainly been changed by Trazyn. She often knows things she should not have known, and possesses a strange, sly wisdom. She often displays dual personalities, and memories that don't belong to her lifetime. She is generally kind and caring, although she is devoted to Trazyn, seeing her God as part of herself. Due to the crystal implanted into her skull, this might be accurate. History: Coming from the Nettlebrush family, a small family of elves who became a part of the Infinite Empire, Alice's parents opted to send their youngest daughter to become a Priest of Trazyn. She would learn the ways of Trazyn, and preach his name. They did this because they knew the Priests of Trazyn were well treated, and that it wasn't good for elves in the Infinite Empire to be opposed to the Will of Trazyn in any way. Little did they know what would follow. Upon being implanted with her 'Gift', a synthetic crystal that implants some of Trzyn's magic into those born without when implanted into the body, Alice had a vision. It is said that she spoke many secrets, already knowing the 42 Names of Trazyn, and the greatest secrets of where and how Trazyn was kept. Alice was offered a choice by Trazyn Himself, and she chose to become His Prophet, to spread His will and to become a vessel for His power. As such, she became one of the 4 current Prophets of Trazyn. Position: Alice lives in Areopolis, representing Trazyn in this great and powerful city. Here, she leads the Temple of the Infinite, which is both a religious institution, and the embassy for the Infinite Empire. She expresses her Empire and God's wills and stakes in the councils and meetings of the city, and oversees the trade relationships between the Empire and other people. This is an important task, because many are reluctant to deal with the Blessed of Trazyn. Character App Name: Ja'Lir Arian. Gender: Male Age: 47 Race: Human (mostly) Personality: Stern and determined, Ja'Lir is only truly happy when he's doing the work of his Lord. He's an introvert, with a stern face that reveals nothing about him. He revels in doing what he considers the right thing, and places the importance of the 'greater good' far above his own life, happily sacrificing himself to save others. History: Born in the Infinite Empire, Ja'Lir chose the life of the military when it became time for him to choose his occupation. He was trained as a warrior, to fight and die for the glory of Tazir. He became a master at what he did, both in his physical skills and his manipulation of the Gift. As such, he rose through the ranks, earning many medals in the field, fighting off those who would attempt to destroy Tazir. Eventually, through his valor and skill, he was chosen to be the personal guard for Alice, and to represent the Arm of Tazir in Areopolis. He accepted this post gladly. Position: As Alice's Paladin, it is Ja'Lir's duty to ensure her safety, and to kill any who would take her life. He is also responsible for playing his part in the diplomatic relationships between the Infinite Empire and Areopolis, a physical representation of Trazin's armies, a threat through his very existence.</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "Mhm i think we should take our leave...i am sure they are looking for me or you..." Zazroia spoke sighing loudly before moving away form the group and the whorehouse back to his group's region,Although he was interested in the dragon he was not equipped to fight a dragon by himself he would need the help of his kin mainly Ultimana and Ruqa who are old but wise and are would probably talk the dragon down although he did not know if even that could work.</s> <\|message\|>Henna It was like a storm blew through Giulia's. Everything happened all at once. Henna had just excused herself from the brawl downstairs, and had taken the elf with her to her room to enjoy their food there. She'd just finished and was looking for some nice dry clothes for her guest when the door was kicked in by a big thug clad in iron. The trollkins eyes had been darting to and fro for some kind of weapon to use if the man got violent, but he'd just told her to give the elf her glass and then left. As she was staring at him, dumbfounded, someone downstairs began shouting about a dragon. This city was nuts, sometimes. Henna turned to her guest. "Do you have any idea what that man was talking about?" she asked, "Because I don't."</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex hurried along at the frog man's instruction, seemingly sharing his sentiments entirely. As he rushed alongside him, he spoke in brief spurts of conversation. "As for teaching you magic... it'd take quite a while for you to be as proficient as me, but... I'd be willing to give it a shot. Wish I knew where my staff went, though." He gestured for Zeetah to pause and turned to him. "You didn't happen to see it sitting around the alleyway, did you? It's not 100% necessary, but it does make spellcasting quicker and easier, which means a big deal when you've got a bunch of soldiers several inches away, staring you down with swords in their hands. If they were a little farther away, I could have flung a fireball at them before they got close, no problem."</s>	<\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Most who were granted the Gift of magic chose to use it flashily. Having lived without magic, they wished to display their new capabilities at their fullest. A popular technique was to light your sword with eldritch flame. They didn't seem to realize that, on the whole, if you had stabbed something, the fire wasn't going to do much extra. Fireballs, beams of eldritch energy, grasping claws conjured from the darkness, or great bursts of burning light. Amusingly enough, the Infinite Empire's army had transformed into some form of terrifyingly lethal light show, with all the fire, lasers, and glowing orbs of wrath. Few truly recognized the sheer power not of simply applying strength, but applying it where it was needed. To control one's Gift with subtle precision, to only do as much as was needed for the situation. Alice closed her ink black eyes, focusing. She could feel the humming magic moving through her, a miracle delivered directly from Tazyn, to guide His followers. And as His scheme unfolded before her mind, she simply guided, placing the power where it was needed, with the precision and skill necessary for a Prophet. Even though even she could not yet see the end of this glorious plan, her faith was strong. For her God was with her, guiding her every action, her every thought. ------------------------------ Soaring through the clouds, propelled at seemingly impossible speeds for it's great mass, the wyvern observed the city below it. As a being born from magic, it could feel the magic far below, and even it's primitive animal instincts recognized the danger. There was, of course, far easier prey to hunt, the kind of prey that didn't throw fireballs, and whom's claws were not made of iron. And yet, even as it's great eyes flashed briefly black, it started angling downward. For below, it could suddenly smell the tastiest of prey. It knew that below was a buffet, something it had never tasted before. With the promise of food on it's tongue, the beast descended on the Tall, townsfolk and soldier alike fleeing from the area, mothers carrying children, children carrying smaller children. Those who could not walk, and were not carried, simply crawled, or cried in terror, as they beheld the beast, the Wyvern. A majestic beast, it's scales shining golden in the light of the afternoon sun, it's eyes of bright red glaring down, selecting it's prey, and identifying the dangerous ones. It's two wings even now were unfurled, a pair of long hooked claws at the end of each, aiding to hold it in place. It's tail extended fair backwards, growing thin, until it ended into a great barbed point, containing an arcane toxin unique to Wyvern-kind. Great talons crashed through the feeble wooden roof of the slum it had chosen to land on, as it beat it's wings to prevent itself from falling into the water. The Wyvern threw it's head into the air, stretching it's neck, fanged jaws parting as it unleashed a call, like an abominable mixture between the howl of a wolf and the shriek of a banshee, a hundredfold louder. And yet, even as hundreds fled the area, a single figure came stalking towards the dragon, clad in great armor, and bearing one of the legendary Swords of the North. Turning it's great head, the beast observed the tall humanoid, teeth bared, turning to face this new threat. ------------- Throughout the city, the word had spread, and with it a wind of terror, partly natural, and partly magical in nature. An enhanced panic, as people fled the area en masse, the Royal Guard retreating to guard the Noble Houses, the Mage Guild forming a great shield, the Priests of Ashyr activating the great metal golems that guarded their gates, massive bronze swords held at the ready. And yet, across the city, the doors to taverns are kicked over, many proceeding to skid over the floor. Figures of all races, scarred by a hundred battles, stepped out from the darkness. Men with armor forged from the bones of Manticors, Elves whom's bows had received the blessings of forgotten Gods, great mages wielding eldritch fires of pure might. Adventurers, those brave souls who had always been in abundance in a world of such dangers as Wyverns. Problem solvers, monster hunters, dungeon delvers, grave robbers, and thrill seekers, those who had seen the maw of the world, and survived it. And as each reached for their blades, a wave of dark magic washed through them. Each would wish for the bounty on the dragon's head, and each would wish it for themselves. Greed, pride, wrath..... they burned freely in the eyes of those who only moments before had rallied in the face of danger. And as spells flew, and swords thrust, it was not the dragon that was their target. Yet, it was the most capable warriors of the land, slaying one another in cold blood. Those mages and priests who had felt the magic sweep through the city could only gaze on in abject horror as the bloodshed commenced. --------------------- Upon the Throne of Stars, sat a small girl, a smile on her face. Soon, the authorities of this city would be toppled, and the prophecies of her master would come to pass. For it took only the smallest push to set the world's end in motion, if only one knew where to press. And Areopolis, the commercial and religious center of most of the civilized world, was the perfect place to begin.</s>
<\|description\|>The Blessed of Trazyn Organisation App Almost 130 years ago, a great meteorite struck the Earth in the southern lands of Alm'Zar. Across the world, prophets and mystics sensed a disturbance, and the followers of Trazyn claim that the lesser deities shook on their Earthly thrones. For within the falling star was a being, alien to this world, known only as Trazyn. Possessed of great magical power, it reached out into the minds of those nearby, the loyal guard of the Al'Nuk Empire, and asked for their aid. The guards that entered to investigate came out changed people, claiming to have found the only being worthy of their loyalty and unquestioning devotion. They were the First of Trazyn. The might of the Extraterrestrial God expanded rapidly, as it promised gifts of arcane power and equality to those that would reject their political leaders, and swore fealty to Him alone. And he delivered, mysterious crystals implanted into the body granting magical power to those born without arcane potential. Great armies marched in His name, conquering those who did not come under His rule by their own will through brute force. These were known as the Infinity Crusades, and it was said that the legions of zealots were an unending sea, swarming across the country, twisted by the magic implanted into their souls. However, the World is a big place. The Elves of Lysandor stood firm, proclaiming that Trazyn and the injection of His mysterious arcane power was an abomination. Great battles ensued, but to dislodge the Elves from their ancient forests was impossible. They allied with the remains of the Al'Nuk, as they pushed back, driving against the maddened armies, battling Eldritch powers, aiming to destroy Trazyn himself once and for all. What happened in these wars is the work of many legends. The Al'Nuk were completely wiped out, their cities and holds part of the reformed Infinite Empire. Trazyn halted his great Crusades, having formed a peace treaty with the Elves of Lysandor. The tribes that had once dwelled the plains of Alm'Zar were incorporated into the belief, living in the cities or traveling to far off countries as missionaries, aiming to convert more cities to the world's most feared religion. Today, the Blessed of Trazyn, centered in the Infinite Empire, have spread across the globe, their religion seen in many places as being abominable and terrifying. However, they preach the equality of all under Trazyn, from commoner to noble to king, and have demonstrated this in their own empire. In many cases, the lower classes have rebelled in the name of Trazyn, forming their own city-states far from the Infinite Empire, loyal to Trazyn. Beliefs of the Blessed of Trazyn: - Trazyn is the architect of the universe, the very first magical being. It was He who created the very existence of magic, and it is from this magic that all other beings are born. - All people are equal, for all intelligent beings are the same. To stand one above the other is blasphemy, and only Trazyn and his Prophets have any rights beyond those of normal men and women. This includes the equal division of magic beyond genetic heritage, granting arcane powers to all who wish to have them. - All of nature is owned by the sentient races, and it is theirs to do with as they will, provided they heed the words of Trazyn. - All belongings are equal, and all is to be shared among the entire population. There will be no rich, and there will be no poor, for all are equal in the eyes of Trazyn. Character App Name: Alice Nettlebrush, The Immortal Innocence. Race: Elf Gender: Female Age: 12 Personality: While in many ways Alice acts as a typical 12-year-old, she has certainly been changed by Trazyn. She often knows things she should not have known, and possesses a strange, sly wisdom. She often displays dual personalities, and memories that don't belong to her lifetime. She is generally kind and caring, although she is devoted to Trazyn, seeing her God as part of herself. Due to the crystal implanted into her skull, this might be accurate. History: Coming from the Nettlebrush family, a small family of elves who became a part of the Infinite Empire, Alice's parents opted to send their youngest daughter to become a Priest of Trazyn. She would learn the ways of Trazyn, and preach his name. They did this because they knew the Priests of Trazyn were well treated, and that it wasn't good for elves in the Infinite Empire to be opposed to the Will of Trazyn in any way. Little did they know what would follow. Upon being implanted with her 'Gift', a synthetic crystal that implants some of Trzyn's magic into those born without when implanted into the body, Alice had a vision. It is said that she spoke many secrets, already knowing the 42 Names of Trazyn, and the greatest secrets of where and how Trazyn was kept. Alice was offered a choice by Trazyn Himself, and she chose to become His Prophet, to spread His will and to become a vessel for His power. As such, she became one of the 4 current Prophets of Trazyn. Position: Alice lives in Areopolis, representing Trazyn in this great and powerful city. Here, she leads the Temple of the Infinite, which is both a religious institution, and the embassy for the Infinite Empire. She expresses her Empire and God's wills and stakes in the councils and meetings of the city, and oversees the trade relationships between the Empire and other people. This is an important task, because many are reluctant to deal with the Blessed of Trazyn. Character App Name: Ja'Lir Arian. Gender: Male Age: 47 Race: Human (mostly) Personality: Stern and determined, Ja'Lir is only truly happy when he's doing the work of his Lord. He's an introvert, with a stern face that reveals nothing about him. He revels in doing what he considers the right thing, and places the importance of the 'greater good' far above his own life, happily sacrificing himself to save others. History: Born in the Infinite Empire, Ja'Lir chose the life of the military when it became time for him to choose his occupation. He was trained as a warrior, to fight and die for the glory of Tazir. He became a master at what he did, both in his physical skills and his manipulation of the Gift. As such, he rose through the ranks, earning many medals in the field, fighting off those who would attempt to destroy Tazir. Eventually, through his valor and skill, he was chosen to be the personal guard for Alice, and to represent the Arm of Tazir in Areopolis. He accepted this post gladly. Position: As Alice's Paladin, it is Ja'Lir's duty to ensure her safety, and to kill any who would take her life. He is also responsible for playing his part in the diplomatic relationships between the Infinite Empire and Areopolis, a physical representation of Trazin's armies, a threat through his very existence.</s> <\|message\|>Lynx "Do you have any idea what that man was talking about? Because I don't." Lynx could only agree that she didn't know either because she didn't know who the man was or what he meant by "the glass" either. They had been drinking ale from tin cups and as far as she could tell there were no glass objects in the room. When she heard people screaming about a dragon she got all tense and put a hand on her bow in case there was an emergency. Hopefully the city guard would protect the people from the threat because Lynx didn't think she could kill a dragon even though she was a skilled hunter. She usually didn't kill animals because elves thought it wrong to do so and instead only captured them for others if they paid her. She turned to her newfound friend and pointed out the window where all the talk of the dragon came from. "What should we do?" she asked.</s> <\|message\|>Henna "I think we should stay the fuck inside," Henna stated calmly. "There's not much the two of us can do to stop that beast. Better leave it to the heroes." Something suddenly tugged at the trollkins conscience. Frightened though she was, she really wanted to see what was going on. It wasn't everyday you got to see a fight with a dragon. And she could watch it, from the safety of her room even. All she had to do was use the wizards glass. Do it, she heard a voice in her head whisper, sweet as honey. Do it, you know you want to. There was no denying that she did, the need to peer into the mystical mist of the glass suddenly feeling like a craving more than an idea. Come ooon, it purred, Just a little bit. She felt her hand creep closer to the skin she kept it in, slowly but steadily. Just... a little... bit... "Just a little bit" she whispered to herself, and began untying the pouch from her belt. She realized the elf was still there, looking at her. She would see Hennas treasure, but it couldn't be helped, she had to use it now. She could feel her hands getting sweaty with anticipation. She pointed a finger at the elf and beckoned for her to come closer. "Wanna see something special?" she said, her voice a mere whisper, "You'll like this, but you can't tell nobody. Come see!" And with that, she unwrapped the skin and presented the orb on the floor. She whispered the secret words, and light suddenly radiated from the glass, illuminating Hennas face with a pale sheen. Inside it, a monstrous creature could be seen shrieking its rage over the rooftops of the city.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex waved a hand dismissively towards Zazoria. "It's all good. I can understand self-preservation." He said. He suddenly paused and span on a heel to face him. "Say, Zazzleman, you haven't happened upon a staff, have you? Long, stick-like, fashioned of dark oak, cool diamond-shaped head with pearl paneling?" He scratched his chin as he thought of more ways to describe it. "Did I say it was stick-like?" His ears suddenly pricked up as he heard the thudding of boots approaching them from down the path. He raised a finger. "Hold that thought." When he turned back around, his eyes somewhat widened at the mass of guards that had some how closed in upon them without Tex's notice. "Oh." He said meekly. He cleared his throat and ventured a slight wave. "Hello there, mister, uh... guard. Are you sure you've got the -right- Reptil? Or are you just harassing any Reptil you see?" He folded his arms and huffed. "That'd not only be a nuisance, but also a tad racist, it would. Areopolis is a vast, multicultural city, and thrives on its diversity, I feel! Intolerance would be like spitting in the punch."</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa "We have orders that he assaulted a commander of the guards....and that is punishable by in imprisonment..." The guards spoke sternly looking down at Tex then looking over to Zazrioa one of the other guards putting his hand to the hilt of his sword,"But form what i heard form eyewitness of the guards that you are somewhat of a...impressive wizard that night be something we could use to defeat the Wryn..." The guard now silently for the guard to not pull out his sword. "A Wryn?how terrible...but if i may ask a question....if i do go help fight this Wryn would i be forgiven of my...little annoyance?" Zazarioa said not really wanting to go to jail for 7 years in Jalbrata a prison in famous for being a hell on earth,"Indeed...we will need all the help we can get with the Wryn and the mass panic that has being going on in the city,Maybe your friends could be some help also...of course you will be paid a good amount..but we would have to speak to the council first..to see if you are fit in our council's eyes..." The guard said and was true that they needed as much help as they could with the many problems going on.</s> <\|message\|>Tex Errant. Tex opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words as he got a firm talking to from the guard. He shrunk closer and closer to the ground with each shouted word. His bold-faced lies seemingly hadn't pulled him through this time, and now he was lost. His ears pricked up with keen interest as they continued, however. He not so subtly slipped over to their side of the road to stand by the commander, abandoning his acquaintances. "Oh? You've heard I'm an impressive wizard, huh? Sure am. Help deal with a Wryn? Sure can!" He enthusiastically responded, preening all the while. "Why, I could deal with five Wryns. I think. Maybe if they were heavily inebriated." Zazroia and Zeetah had entirely left the perfidious cat's attention as he focused on impressing the guards. "I've got a Wryn skull mounted on my mantlepiece back home, come to think of it. Though it had many skulls. Maybe it was a Hydra. Oh, Hydras are plenty scary as well though, aren't they?" As Zazoria expressed his interest in helping the guards on their mission also, Tex briefly scowled, then gave a bright grin, as if his irritated expression was never there in the first place. "Oh, hello again friend! I'd be -glad- to have you aboard!" He said, his enthusiasm not at all faded. He grabbed one of the Reptil's paws with both of his own and shook it briskly. "He's a pretty good wizard himself, y'know?" He called back over his shoulder to the guards. "I'm sure he could also help slay this beast."</s> <\|message\|>Zazrioa The guard looked rather annoyed but but never the less nodded his head making his helmet jiggle a little,"Then come follow me with quick haste...we must not waste anytime..." The leader guard spoke now turning around while the other guards watched them and started walking towards the castle.Zazaoria nodded also calmly walking behind the commander with guards circling around them,He just hoped he would be allowed to help and not sent to Jalbrata to spend his days there. The young Reptil followed behind the commander feeling mostly nervous he wanted to speak to Uiltmana and his kin to say goodbye in case he does not come back form fighting the Waryn.</s>	<\|message\|>The Blessed of Trazyn As the small group of guards and mages emerged from the open passageway, the beast turned to face them, green slit eyes focusing on this new prey. It's winged claws reached out, gripping the ground, as if to tether it in place. The long, scaled neck pulled back, an almost malicious gaze in the serpentine eyes. With a great rush of wind, it seems to inhale, it's chest inflating more than would be deemed physically possible, A red glow already escaping from between the rows of dagger-like teeth. With an explosive roar, flames burst from it's maw as it threw it's head forward, a wall of fire seeming to rush towards the young heroes, undaunting and unforgiving. And, far above, the arcane eye of the Glass could do nothing but watch.</s>
<\|description\|>Heinrich 'Henry' Irons Age: 16 Gender: Male Appearance: A fairly fit young man, looks to spend most of his day exercising or pulling off some sort of stunt. His skin is tanned and calloused by scrapes and grazes. His black hair is cut short, and seems to stand on end constantly. He usually wears a singlet of some sort beneath a grey track jacket, as well as cargo pants in either green, grey, brown or black that tuck into thick military-style boots, laced up to just below the knee. He usually keeps his hands wrapped in gauze. History: Henry hasn't lived a particularly dark life, just one filled with mishaps and mischief. Shoplifting, starting fights, intrusion and exactly ONE count of grand theft auto followed by a VERY short joyride. All these little black marks on his record have left him with a less than lovely public opinion back in Jubilife City. To turn over a new leaf, and get a new start, his parents shipped him off to live with some relatives in the Celo Region. They're hoping that the new surroundings will help to make a new Henry. Pokemon: Belle (Beldum) Inventory: 500P, Skateboard</s> <\|message\|>Yoshi Tatsu "Welcome to the Celo Region." An air attendant called said as the plane landed. A boy stepped out and inhaled the fresh air. "Ah, so this is the Celo Region." He said as he pulled out a pokeball. "C'mon out Dratini." He said. The Dragon Pokemon happily cheered as it began wrapping around to hug him. "Ok, ok." The boy said pushing himself out of his Pokemon's grasp. He then turned to one of the flight attendants. "Excuse me, this is my first Pokemon Journey, and I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of Maple Town?" The flight attendant smiled and pointed towards the city. "Sure, head into Newfound City, go straight to the bus station and they have a bus straight there." She told him. "Thanks! C'mon Raini." The boy said as he ran into town, his Pokemon following closely behind.</s> <\|message\|>Jiro Watanabe Jiro wakes up, as soon as the plane lands in the Celo Region. He rubs his eyes, and start yawning. He looks around then he put his left hand on the waist, he smiled when he reaches his Pokeball. The landing was smooth, he's ready to take the farthest step he ever take. He would never come out of Hoenn region, if not because his grandfather invited him to holiday. He watches the passenger wait in line towards the exit door, he begins to rise and put on his backpack. He takes a queue behind an approximately same aged with him. He widens his eyes when he sees the boy called out a Dratini. He never sees such beautiful pokemon before. He walks slowly, feeling embarrassed with his pokemon. He holds his pokeball tightly as he walks towards the airport terminal building.</s> <\|message\|>Timothy White Timothy White Timothy squinted from the bright sunlight coming through his window as he yawned and stretched his hands over his head. It was a satisfying yawn, the kind that leaves you with a half smile and as you contemplate waking up or going back to sleep. Being eleven and not sixteen, Timmy rolled out of bed, not really tempted to go back to sleep at all. With a quick and necessary stop at the bathroom Timothy was dressed and bounding down the stairs to break his fast in no time at all. While other trainers disembarked for Maple Town, Timothy was waking up there. Outside the sun was shining and the day was calling. He hoped to explore a little deeper into the woods today and find the tall tree he could see the top of from his bedroom window. He bet it would be a great spot to look out from and the perfect place to build his 'Frog Fort'</s> <\|message\|>Heinrich 'Henry' Irons 'Stay out of trouble when you're out there, kid.' The words printed on the letter, the very last sentence, still resonated within Heinrich as plane stopped its slow crawl up to the terminal. This was his door to a new start, a new area. He folded the note back up and put it in the inner pocket of his jacket before he rose to grab his bag and sling it over his shoulder. A small shape in the seat next to where Henry was sitting struggled from beneath the blanket that had been supplied by the attendant staff. After a few seconds, the blanket just floated from the seat and fell to the floor, revealing a solitary Beldum, its red eye looking on at Henry without emotion before floating over to hover just above his shoulder. "Was about time you got up, Belle. You must have been out like a light." Henry's gruff, loud voice said into the quiet of the slowly emptying plane. The Beldum simply turned to stare at him before turning back, its blue body shining in the light of the morning. Henry merely huffed and pulled a smaller paper note from his jacket pocket, skimming it quickly to remember the instructions given to him by his uncle here in the Celo Region. "Maple Town, huh? Now, that sounds kind of boring to me, Belle. Not sure about you." The Beldum once again turned to him and stared emotionlessly. Henry could tell it found this amusing on some level, but it gave no tell. He merely sighed as they exited the plane, following behind a boy with a Dratini and another boy nervously clutching a pokeball. A bored scowl decorated his face as the warm air hit him. This 'adventure of reinvention' was already getting on his nerves.</s> <\|message\|>Yoshi Tatsu The boy ran into the city, taking in the sites and sounds, and gawking at the new surroundings. He shortly arrived at the bus station, and found that he would be allowed a free ride to Maple Town, courtesy of Professor Maple. "If I could just have your name please, we can be off in...10 minutes." The bus driver said checking her watch. "My name is Yoshi Tatsu." Yoshi replied. "Alright, just have a seat back there, and please keep your Pokemon in its ball. We have a 3' limit for open Pokemon." Yoshi nodded and recalled Raini, before sitting down. Meanwhile in Maple Town, the people were buzzing back and forth as the day commenced, and the Professor, along with his two masked assistants, arrived at the Pokelab, where an assortment of recently hatched Pokemon would be ready for those venturing forth into the Celo Region, and their own futures.</s> <\|message\|>Timothy White Timothy White Timothy stepped out onto the normally empty Oak Street to find it crowded with Pokemon trainers. His eyes went wide for a moment and then he remembered what day it was. Summer was finally here, school was out, and today was the start of the Summer Pokemon League Season. Young people would be flying, driving, and otherwise arriving from all over the world today. Professor Maple and his team were at the heart of the gathering, setting out starter Pokemon and interviewing trainers that still didn't have one. Timothy touched the ball on his own belt, remembering last year's event when he had received Froakie. "Professor Maple!" he hollered, jumping up and down with a wild wave. The busy man barely nodded in his direction, his shout barely audible above the roar of the crowd, but Timothy didn't mind. Instead he wandered through the crowd, excited about the day's unexpected events.</s> <\|message\|>Heinrich 'Henry' Irons Henry's eyes were strained by the sun by the time he got to the bus depot. He gave a grunt of annoyance as he reached into his pocket and flipped open a small metal case, which opened to reveal a pair of thin, metal-framed, square shield sunglasses. He quickly donned them with a grimace and climbed onto the bus to find a seat. The driver began to squawk at him, "You're a trainer? How wonderful! You have a bit more of a mature look to you, sort of devil-may-care. Just your name please and you can take a seat." He sighed slowly before turning back in unison with Belle. "Name's Heinrich Irons, that all you need?" He tried his hardest not to sound immediately annoyed, and the woman nodded with a smile before directing him to a seat next to the window, next to that boy he saw with the Dratini back at the airport. "And sir, please do remember that we have a 3' limit on pokemon, so please retrieve yours if it is larger than the limit." He sat down and Belle came to rest in the breast pocket of his jacket, staring on at the woman with just as bored a look at himself. "2 feet here, it'll be fine. Belle's solid, probably punch a hole in this dinky bus before getting hurt anyway." He took a brief look towards the boy next to him. Yoshi, he thought he had heard? He gave a small nod of greeting, but didn't say much beside, "What's up," before returning his gaze to the environment outside, ready for the bus to depart.</s> <\|message\|>Yoshi Tatsu "Oh. Hi. Not a lot, I was just psyching myself up for my Pokemon Adventure. My grandpa sent me here to start. What about you? Whyre you here?" Yoshi asked. Meanwhile in Maple Town, a small group of booths was near the lab for Pokemon themed games, and a large ring where people and Pokemon were expected to put on a show soon. JustIce walked out of the lab, followed by a Lucario. They headed for the ring ready to put on a show.</s> <\|message\|>Heinrich 'Henry' Irons Henry shoots a look to the Beldum sitting in his breast pocket and it returns his gaze with that same, bored red eye as if to say 'the hell do you want from me?'. He sighed as he removed his shades and picked at the corner of his eye, little crusty bits of sleep still stuck after a light snooze on the flight into the Celo Region. His grey eyes were heavy with bags, but cool and stoic like the metal of his namesake, and his mouth was twisted down in a slight frown. "My folks sent me over here to live with some relatives. Got into some trouble back home and they're saying I need a 'new start'. Apparently I'm supposed to head to Maple Town, for who knows what reason. My uncle might meet me there, but he might not. Might even start up my own adventure or something. Whatever." His tone was short and sharp, but he endeavoured to change the subject as quickly as possible. "So. Apparently there's gonna be some Professor dude giving out free Pokemon or something over there? Is that what's happening? Because I'm more than cool with that."</s> <\|message\|>Timothy White Timothy White Timmy strolled through the town square full of people until he saw the staging area with JustIce and her Lucario's battle banners on either side. His eyes nearly popped out of his head in excitement and then he was bursting in full sprint to get a front row seat. He loved their performances and even released Keroma to watch. "It's JustIce and Lucario, Kero! Aren't you excited?" He exclaimed. He could barely contain his excitement, bouncing up and down. Next to him, his little, blue Froakie mimicked the excitement of his young trainer, ready for the performance.</s> <\|message\|>Milo Cash Milo walked outside, the town already full of people a town of chaos. "This is the last time I'll see this place for a long time, my sister left for her journey before everyone woke up at least I got to say goodbye, I was up any way like always making sure dad didn't do anything." Milo thought to himself as he felt his covered eye, it happened a long time ago but it still felt weird. He scanned the crowd looking over the young ones to see Justice and Lucario, just like every year. "Another performance, another year, and more and more people. Just like every year." his thoughts trailing, and him phasing until suddenly he noticed a young lad practically dying from excitement, and a froakie following suit. At that moment Pooch came running up barking at Milo, pushing his leg in making Milo come down to his level so he could lay on top of Milo. "Hey Pooch, cut it out mini-man. It's a great day, and I knew you weren't gonna leave me cause today we finally get to go on our adventure. Though I think we'll wait around maybe travel with a few little ones can't have them getting hurt all alone out there." Milo said between Pooch's endless wave of loves.</s> <\|message\|>Yoshi Tatsu The bus began to turn over, as it headed for its destination, Maple Town. It arrived shortly and Yoshi was taken aback by the festival going on. "Wow. This place must love Pokemon. Alright, I'm supposed to register Rain I at Professor Maple's Lap, so I'll head there." Yoshi said to himself as he let Raini our and the two trotted there. During the ride in Maple Town, JustIce and Lucario put on a show, a battle between Human and Pokemon that had been choreographed from the ground up and where one slip up could mean certain doom to either of the two. Flips to dodge aura balls, the two trading blows, and finally finishing with a Mega Transformation and an Aura Ball exploding into the sky with fireworks. The two bowed afterwards and headed to the lab as the Bus Arrived.</s>	<\|message\|>Heinrich 'Henry' Irons "Quite a show." Henry grumbled, slightly attempting to make conversation as the bus came to a stop just as the show was ending. Belle simply stared on with Henry and nodded slowly, seemingly amused. As the bus stopped and people departed, Henry pushed his way into the line, very eager to be off the bus for once and for all. His longer stride and higher fitness level meant that he could easily catch up to Yoshi, he seemed to know where to go and what to do. "Hey you didn't answer my question, was there supposed to be some free pokemon deal or what?" He removed his shades and placed them on the collar of his shirt, his resting face looked angry, so he could have easily been construed as being irate. Belle however, was surveying the area like a panning security camera, slowly swivelling left and right to get a good look at everything.</s>
<\|description\|>Morrigan Farkas (Intended as a more mid-high level character, can be changed or clarified if asked, that is completely fine. If it is not okay, please tell me.) Age: 22 Gender: Female Race: Human Alliance: Vurtan Empire Appearance: Standing at nearly 6'2", Morrigan is a tall woman of pale, freckled complexion with long, curly locks of black hair that dangle down to the middle of her back. She is a fit woman, and possesses very pleasing features overall from soft face to average chest and round hips, if it weren't for her upbringing or the fact that she is missing an eye and a good portion of her body is scarred and calloused, she could have easily passed her way through the social circles into becoming a high-fashion schmoozer or an small-time model. She wears a black eye-patch over her left eye at all times to save people the sight of the scarred, burnt crater that stands in its place. She often wears a sort of reinforced stab vest under a tight shirt, beneath a greatcoat complete with epaulettes. Her pants stay tucked into her knee-high combat boots and have buckles/straps in the place of laces. The most intriguing aspect of Morrigan's appearance is what she wears upon her arms. A pair of intriguing black gauntlets that look to be made of some sort of mix of a black metal and dark insectoid carapace. The more organic looking part vary from grey to black and fade into a very faint gradient of muted blue. In short, she looks very similar to this, but without the hat, skulls and bird medal on the sash at her waist, as well as longer hair, an eyepatch and the Arms. Personality: A vehement believer in the ideology that injustice and defiance must be fought physically for the problem to be truly solved. She is not the type to play soothsayer, preferring to taunt and jest at her company's expense to spur situations she finds herself in to some sort of raging dispute. She prefers to act alone, but can be personable when it is needed or as the situation demands. She conducts herself with an air of superiority, not drawing from a sense of upper-class/racial privilege that is so present within the Vurtan Empire but a sense of outranking those she meets through strength of will and character. Being the daughter of a military general has led to her being very militaristic in the way she conducts herself in her day to day life. Regular exercise, personalised meal plan, set times during the day for activities and a strict regimen on how she treats herself and others, all spawned from a life under the thumb of a vindictive, no-nonsense father who liked to bring his work home. Powers: Physical Prowess Morrigan is in peak physical form for a human, being trained and worked to the bone for years since her childhood. Able to outmatch most humans in strength, endurance and agility, one might say from first glance that she has surpassed what the average human can be expected to do even with a life dedicated to bettering themselves and attempting to become an elite athlete. She is able to crack stone and slightly warp steel with a punch, but can only run fast enough in short bursts to dodge or retreat from oncoming danger such as oncoming traffic or a rolling boulder. When movement is needed in combat or in chase scenarios she prefers to hop or leap around, strong legs well suited to letting her gain some air. She is able to leap 10m distance at maximum pushing power, and 3m into the air vertically. Arms of the Fallen These arm-covering terrors seem to augment Morrigan's strength when in battle, blue edges glowing and intensifying until the blue is replaced with white and blue spreads further in to the central mass of the shell. These gauntlets feed from her willpower and lifeblood to increase her physical capabilities to the point that she hardly seems human at all. Stone cracking, metal warping punches now grind boulders into dust and warp metal to the point of deformation. Her speed is only made ever so slightly faster, but nothing that could not be outrun. Her leaps and bounds however advance from 10m horizontally and 3m vertically, to around 20m horizontally and 10m vertically, effectively doubling. This burst of sudden strength can not be maintained for long, even with Morrigan's peak fitness as the drain on her is quite significant to the point that more than 15-20 minutes of constant use in this state would either cause her to gradually submit control to the Arms ('falling' as she calls it), or faint from blood loss, depending on whether her will or blood ran low first. This 'Fallen' mode also carries the risk of tearing muscles and breaking bones if control is not regained immediately, as the Arms put significant stress on her body to push past her mortal limits in the pursuit of victory. Equipment: 'The Arms of the Fallen' - Her sentient, parasitic fist weapons. Upon Morrigan's arms, latched on all the way up to her shoulders, are a pair of matching, monstrous armoured gauntlets. They start at the shoulders with a pauldron of blue edged carapace that is covered by a gardbrace of black metal, bolted into the pauldron below. Rondels that look reminiscent of eyes look out from near her armpit. This leads down to a rerebrace of smooth insectoid shell with that same blue hue, bolted with small plates of black metal, to cover her arm below the pauldrons down to the elbow. At the elbow there is a cowter of carapace and metal that seems to sprout one blunt stud of spiralled metal and shell, this finally leads down to a vambrace and studded, clawed gauntlets. They match the size of her normal arms, but cannot be removed. 'Red Rum' - A sawed-off Remington 870 with a side saddle shell holder, fired one-handed and kept in a holster on her left hip, beneath her coat when not in use. The holster has a slot to accommodate the side saddle. She keeps around 15 shells on her belt when out and about. Has a heavily scratched red paint finish.</s> <\|message\|>Ralpho Lenzkip Two large armies faced each other, both sides letting out their respective battle cries, only the side closest to the forest edge making various animal noises rather than the human screams of their opponent. Roars, growls, chirps, hoots, and all manner of different sounds reverberating through the trees down to the plains below. The Animal Kingdom, otherwise known as Whiel Cattan, was standing firm to these human invaders of the evil Vurtan Empire. This was the first time in a long while that two countries of this size duked it out, showing that things were about to get a lot more serious in these little war game simulations that they were having on this manmade island. One of the humals, having a base of a human with dog ears and a tail, named Ralpho Lenzkip, stood near the front of the animal pack, his trusty dog bone almost as large as himself firmly held in place on the ground off to his side. With his sort attention span he was struggling to hold himself back, repeatedly asking the andromals, intelligent animals, if they were ready to kick those imperial butts yet. "We must issue our great battle cry first! It's tradition!" One of the beaver warriors standing next to him said. Ralpho screamed at the top of his lungs as he surged forward with his dog bone at his side, closing the gap between the two forces in about a minute. Meanwhile, the other animals also let loose and followed behind him, starting the battle in a flurry of claw, sword, and gun.</s> <\|message\|>Morrigan Farkas Morrigan stood at the head of a column, Vurtan Imperial shocktroopers in neat, orderly lines behind her with their sabres at their sides, their rifles at their shoulders and their battle standards held high, waving in the soft winds that flowed over the soon-to-be-battlefield before them. She felt most comfortable when commanding. Even more so when commanding from the head of the force, in her favourite uniform and boots. The Whiel Cattan forces were quite a ways off, but they had already begun to charge as she could hear over the rolling hills, as the roars and snarls reached her ears on the winds. She turned on a booted heel and strode along the length of the column, assessing the soldiers she was to fight alongside. Then, in a booming, harsh voice, she spoke in an attempt to up morale. "Remember, people. We may battle here, but we cannot die here. There is no do or die, there is only do. So do for your Empire as the Empire has done for you so many years before and will do so many years from now when you are old and grey. While we may not be able to die here, we can still lose. But that is not an option. These animal's incursion upon the lands and peoples the Empire protects must end. They must fall!" A rousing cry of agreement went up in the ranks and spread to the entire force as they held up rifles and unsheathed sabres to reply to her. She strode up to a rather large boulder and bent her knees before bounding up to its peak to gain a vantage point and see the forces before her and those still on the way from the Whiel Cattan. With a dark, satisfied smirk, she raised an armoured, insectlike arm and pointed to the advancing animal forces and gave a yell of terrifying volume before bounding off to advance with the men and women following her. "Charge!" As the force surged forward, firing off rifles and yelling their cries of 'FOR THE EMPIRE!', and Morrigan advanced at the head, greatcoat and dark hair billowing as she ran. Fierce determination showing through her one eye, as her eyepatch covered the other. She clenched and unclenched her fists in anticipation as the animal horde grew closer, itching to use The Arms after such a long time out of the action. She could feel them almost whistling and chirping alongside her with excitement, drawing upon her willpower a bit as they woke up. Nothing she couldn't handle.</s> <\|message\|>Leonardo Proudmane Towering above most of Whiel Cattan's forces was Leonardo Proudmane, a lion anthromal and the de facto leader of this warband. His allies were many: badgers, foxes, frogs, birds, hyenas, boars, lizards and various more. Few of them compared in power to the likes of him, but he knew he would need every man to win this battle. If only Ravage was here as well, victory would be more certain, but alas, fate had seen fit to split the two of them. They would have to make do. "Warriors of Whiel Cattan!" he bellowed in his deep, throaty voice as he cracked his knuckles in preparation. "This battle may be a turning point in the course of this competition. We have to make it count! The Vurtans may value their discipline and their technology, but we have something they don't. We are more than human. We are a force of nature! No army can stop a hurricane, and no army shall stop us! CHAAARGE!" Voices of a hundred different types filled the air with battle cries as they followed Leo into battle. It didn't take long for both armies to close the distance to each other. A hail of bullets came down upon their vanguard, striking bright sparks as what might've otherwise been fatal hits were absorbed by the All-Life Achiever. Several frontline fighters were knocked out by ranged assault, but others quickly advanced to take their place, while those who weren't charging in with various melee weapons were returning fire upon the Vurtan gunners with bows, javelins and various other projectiles, even a few firearms. What few hits Leo took were absorbed by his Kevlar-laced trenchcoat. When the armies connected, he charged roaring into the enemy lines, immediately using his momentum to bash two Vurtan soldiers to the ground at once with a full-body slam. After that, the sound of gunshots was rapidly drowned out by the clangour of sword and axe and bayonet, and Leo found himself furiously swiping left and right at the incoming forces in an attempt to sway the battle in their favour.</s>	<\|message\|>Morrigan Farkas The rapid rattling of gunfire and the slicing of cold steel through the open air made Morrigan feel as if she were at home once more. On the training grounds with her father, sparring with the troops as he looked to make an example out of her. Oh, how she showed him, so many bones broken, so many muscles bruised and torn. Just as they would be here. The charge came to a very sudden halt as the Imperial forces collided with those of the Cattan. Steel connected with fur and stone, powder ejected rounds into soft flesh and bone, the crack of rifles could still be heard coming from the rear of the columns as Morrigan waded her way through the enemy vanguard, fists knocking troops to the ground like toys. Each blow she threw and each animal she grappled with shone with the light of the All-Life Achiever, mending fatal wounds and reviving those that succumbed to their mortal injuries. With each powerful blow, another light went off as if Morrigan were boxing in the midst of a fireworks show. She gave a growl of indiscriminate anger as the jumped towards a rather large soldier reminiscent of a Rhinoceros, grabbing him by the horn before using the momentum to bring him to the ground and drive his head into the dirt, snapping the horn clean off. The speed and power of the blow bounced the large man's body from the earth, and with a quick lash of her other fist, she followed up and knocked him away into a gaggle of what seemed to be three badger people. Acting only on muscle memory now, she dipped low and swept the legs from a bear-man, before driving herself backwards and up into the air and bringing down a leg into the bear's back, landing in a crouched position as she dragged her leg from the fallen soldier's body. Sparks of light whirled their way around his back and legs as he was pulled away from the action by some smaller doglike soldiers. Morrigan stood up straight and quickly surveyed the surroundings, only to find fighting as far as the eye could see. There was something that caught her eye. Singular. A larger soldier, most likely an elite soldier. With the visage of a lion, and the figure of a greek god. Morrigan's eye widened at the sight, and The Arms seemed to chitter and chirp with excitement as if to say they had found a target for her. She wasted no time in advancing upon him, dashing quickly and leaping forward, a fist reared back as she sailed through the ranks. She intended to strike him with a good amount of force, just to judge.</s>
<\|description\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Age:23 Alignment: The Beacons (The New Templars) Profession: spy/hacker/tactician Appearance and Personality A bit more than 5'8'' tall, Eirwen's height is just enough to stand out, but not enough to make those around her uncomfortable. She has rather large eyes which change colour from light grey to deep blue depending on her surroundings, clothes, and mood, and are a great contrast to her pale skin. Her hair is white naturally, but she dyes it frequently, both because she finds white hair quite boring and because it reduces the possibility of her being recognized, even if such is quite low. She talks in clear voice, usually in casually polite manner suitable for her standings. While at work she goes straight to the point and doesn't like adding any details which don't stand in immediate connection to the topic. Overall, she can make her presence noticeable, if she wants to, but she prefers to remain in shadows, close enough to see everything, not close enough to draw unneccessary attention. Eirwen's personality was reshaped so many times, that even those close to her are not sure she actually possesses one. While being a Templar, she follows their code of honour and justice, and has inherited all traits of her noble family. However, no one can say with certainty that her nobility comes from heart and isn't another mask she wears out of the sense of duty. What remains unquestionable is her ability to control herself without a flaw. There is no such surprise that would make her change her forever calm expression or light a sparkle in those cold eyes. The code name "Ice Queen" wasn't an accident, and Eirwen wears it as if it was her given name. Since she spends most of her time pretending to be someone else, she doesn't mind being alone when there is such a possibility. Her interests rotate around art, music, and literature. She is gifted in singing. Special skills Eirwen specialises in intelligence gathering. She has remarkable knowledge of technology which allows her to hack into various systems without a trace. She is a skilled actress capable of performing any role which only contributes to her value as an undercover agent. Her combat skills are corresponding to both the New Templars' and the Beacons' highest standards, although usually she stays out of battles as tactical support. She is especially proficient in 1 vs. 1 combats, but being surrounded by a dozen of enemies she has much better chances to get away safely rather than to bring them all down. Armour Eirwen prefers light armour which is designed more for swift escapes and keeping her alive rather than direct clash with the opponent. Due to the nature of her work she is always cautious and has to take care of herself not being caught unaware. The custom-made design allows her to move with as little sound as possible and doesn't hinder the smallest of her movements. It contains a lot of hidden pockets where she stores weapons, supplies, portable devices, and data units. Her armour is strong enough to take several blows, but it is definitely not enough to survive in the middle of the battle. While not wearing it, Eirwen's clothes of choice are practical yet elegant. She pays a lot of attention to her looks, having all her garments carefully selected and matching her style. Weapons Following the traditions of spies for thousands of years, Eirwen's weapon of choice is a dagger. She carries a pair of them in her sleeve pockets, easy to hide and easy to slide in her hands, if needed. As any Templar, she is capable of wielding a sword and possesses one, but since the time she has been dispatched on an undercover mission, it remains in her room. Aside from daggers, Eirwen's usual set includes a medium-sized riffle and a syringe gun. She carries mainly two types of syringes, one with deadly poison, another with short-term memory erasing medicine. The first kind is used mainly for assassination of strategically important targets, another to make the enemy forget ever meeting her. The effect can be delayed, giving her enough time to take care of her alibi, if necessary. A.I. Eirwen's A.I. "Athena" serves mainly as information provider. Aside from life stats, weapon and armour condition, Athena can scan the area around Eirwen for present life forms and hidden devices, and calculate possible courses of actions. Although A.I.'s possibilities are quite broad in defining the best options, Eirwen prefers to use it only for data input while making the decisions on her own. She thinks that using A.I. for decision-making can cloud one's mind and reduce the sharpness of reactions. Upon approaching someone without armour or other special protection, Athena can provide information about their life stats, helping Eirwen to understand what kind of emotions the person in front of her is experiencing and, most importantly, if they are telling the truth. Athena is also planted into Eirwen's headset, which she wears most of the time when not wearing her armour. While hacking the A.I. helps to determine the loops and holes which can be used to access the system. Eirwen can communicate with the New Templars only through Athena and its unique signature is required to allow the communication through a secured channel. While talking through any communicator, Athena automatically modifies Eirwen's voice each time using a new modification pattern to avoid any possibility of suspicion. Biography Eirwen Dailon belongs to a prestigious family of Dailons who have served the monarchy for generations. So when the New Templars were formed, Dailons promptly supported the organization. Since all the members were already engaged in one or another kind of service, they had to wait a few years before the youngest daugher of the family could join the Templars as a "knight". Eirwen has received the best education and training possible, excelling in everything she was taught. During her early times within Templars she served mostly as a scout and intelligence gatherer. However, after discovering her skills in hacking and her ability to play any role given, she was appointed full-time as the member of secret intelligence service. She was one of a very few who were dispatched to infiltrate the Free Men. The secret intelligence department developed several cover stories, one for her infiltration legend and the rest distributed between the actual Templars. Most of them suggested Eirwen being relocated to far-off units, where only the higher-ups could access her. Her code name "Ice Queen" is known to almost every soldier of the units she was providing information for, but only the chief of secret intelligence department and the commander of New Templars know her true identity. To successfuly infiltrate the Free Men, Eirwen was willingly sedated with memory erasing substances. Before it happened she was hypnotised to recover her memory under influence of particular outside triggers. It took her three months to recover completely and be able to actually do her job. Agents already within the Free Men took care of her equipment to enable her communication with the New Templars. Eirwen started in data analysis department. Recently she has been promoted to the chief tactician for the Beacons. During her years within organisation she rewrote most of the software used by her department, planting her own points of access for future uses. While having access to all the information about the Beacons' operations, she delivers it directly to the Templar units affected, however, only after careful consideration in order not to ruin her cover. She also provides information about past operations for the New Templars to analyse. Her ultimate mission is to make a career within the Beacons and reach close enough to their leader. She takes orders directly from Jason Bellhan and him only, and those orders are quite rare, anyway. She has a leave to use any resources available that can serve her purpose, as long as civilian population isn't affected. After being promoted Eirwen reports only to Isaac and his closest generals. She uses her real name "Eirwen" she has "remembered", but she denies remembering her family name. Her cover personality is an odd mixture of a technology geek who pays no attention to other matters (regretfully for many male and some female members of the Beacons) combined with a surprisingly easy-going person when it comes to daily communication. She constantly impresses those around her with new ideas of system optimisation or original tactical manoeuvres, so they would not forget about her. All the tactical "fails" happening because of her leaking information turn out to be the mistakes of other tacticians, with undeniable evidence behind their actions.</s> <\|message\|>McDougal "Shadow of Luna" Casually strolling the walkways of their new base, McDougal curiously inspected the work being done here. Equipment was moved and made ready, freemen soldiers were garrisoned everywhere. McDougal disliked cramped housing, while thinking he should make a nest of sorts in the vents he saw a glimpse of their new anti-craft turret. Whistle "_Thats some serious bang for our buck wouldn´t you say Jenny?_" an image of young woman with ponytail hair appeared sitting cross legged on his shoulder. "_Impressive equipment master, does this mean the war is won?_" Without answering McDougal laughed hard and unrestrained, what he saw around the corner stifled this laugh. The Alexander brothers were here too, both kneeling in prayer they payed no heed to passing shadow. The brothers were good at what they did, scarily so, it was why they did anything that concerned him. If they ever came to blows he doubted his own ability to stop them. "_Fistfighting is not in your style master._" "_So AI are capable of mindreading now, scary._" Finally he arrived to the lone man watching out the viewing ports, both joy and concern were painted on his face. Approaching the only man ever to warrant respect and obedience from the shadow of luna he straightened his back and cleared his throat. "_You dont look like a man who has a new neat toy, expecting troubles boss?_"</s> <\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Her new office didn't lack in space for sure. Eirwen was actually quite concerned that the room was large enough to serve as quarters for half of their current garrison, and thus was vulnerable. But being a Chief Tactician, it was her duty to be present here and oversee personally the establishment of the new base, as well as provide immediate tactical support, if needed. She was the best in tactics. That skill alone was enough for her to stand where she was standing. And she was standing high. Eirwen's office was indeed high, only two floors beneath the top floor. She could see the surroundings far enough from her window. There was nothing particularly interesting there, but the view was useful enough when she was concentrating and looking for solutions while sipping her coffee. It was supposed to be her only weakness, not quite a healthy drink which supposedly kept her addicted. And so she firmly drank two or three cups every day to support such belief. The Chief Tactician turned away from the window and looked through the glass wall separating her personal area from the rest of her department. They weren't relocated fully, only half a dozen specialists enough to keep the station running. She was looking at them while thinking, if this operation was really necessary for her to succeed. According to her analysis, this particular tower was quite important for Monarchy. But having part in the success of taking it over was a huge step towards her final goal. No civilians were harmed, of course. Still she wished she could have sabotaged it in some way. But that had to come next. For now Eirwen sat down in her new chair and activated the holotable. "Athena, provide the plan of the station for study, underground levels" she commanded. "But didn't you study the plan just yesterday, my lady?" the A.I. asked, although she was downloading the data already and the turret model was forming upon the "I did. But I still didn't find any new weaknesses. The Monarchy would want this base back" _And I shall deliver it when the time comes._</s> <\|message\|>Cesare Alexander "Amen" Cesare finished the prayer in a near whisper, before lifting his head and forcing his heavy body to follow. The "leader", Isaac Bellhan, had summoned forth a group to speak with. Unfortunately for Cesare and Julis, it would seem that the group had included them. It was rather irritating, having to listen to the words of an anarchist, but Cesare had put him (and by extension his brother Julis) in this position. Neither cause was the good cause, in Cesare's eyes, both cause sickened him. It just so happened that The Free Men offended Cesare less. One thing that remained a mystery to Cesare is why exactly he and his brother were accepted so easily into the "Beacons", though he did not dwell on it too much. He was a valuable tool and he knew it, wearing it like a badge of honor. Perhaps his pride would be his downfall, but he knew that he would still be accepted by the lord. Or at least, that's how he felt. Finally standing all the way up, Cesare did a few simple stretches to offset the pain of simply standing up. It took a lot of effort, mainly because he had to get over 600 kg off the ground using nothing but his own God-given body and strength. It wasn't an easy task, but at least it didn't hurt as much as it used to. After he reached around 200 kg and 3 meters, well things began to get very complicated. Even with his strong frame, his bones would break under the sheer weight of his body. There were a few instances where he had serious internal injuries, but modern-day medical technology proved to be very helpful. He was also thankful that he did not turn out like his brother, whom he turned to look at now. "Come brother." Cesare said, in a soft voice much unlike that he used with anyone else. He extended a hand and motioned for the smaller Julis to clamber upon his back so that he could carry him to Isaac Bellhan, for whatever it was they had been summoned for.</s> <\|message\|>Julis Alexander "Amen"* Julis had finished his prayer at the exact time Cesare had. Something that seemed strange to outsiders, but perfectly natural to the brothers. Julis, like in most situations, did not have an opinion of the false shepard Isaac's plans. He merely saw what his brother seemed to think, and considered that as his opinion. Julis' natural neutrality made him have no real opinion of the Free Men, but that was swayed by Cesare's opinion. Julis was not considered a valuable tool, unlike his brother. His brother was the cornerstone of their team, after all. After hearing Cesare asking him to come, Julis obliged quickly. He stepped onto his brother's hand, and turned his body in such a way that made him sit on his brother's shoulder. "Yes... Brother..." Julis said, his tone much more excited that usual. After all, he was quite excited to finally do something after long days of travel, and prayer.</s>	<\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon "My lady, it is time for you to go" Athena's voice was growing persistent. "How much time left?" Eirwen asked without much interest and without averting her gaze from the plans. "2 minutes, if you wish to arrive before the Alexander brothers" "Disregard the sequence, I plan to arrive the last one" "6 more minutes in your usual pace" Eirwen only nodded. "3 minutes" "1 minute" "30 seconds" "15 seconds" The tactician finally stood up. "Seal the working station. Enable recording. We are heading to the meeting" "Yes, my lady" answered the A.I. Athena's voice was almost relieved that her boss finally listened to her warnings. The lights on holotable went out, as Eirwen exited the room choosing a route where she wouldn't meet any of other high-ranked members going in the same direction.</s>
<\|description\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Age:23 Alignment: The Beacons (The New Templars) Profession: spy/hacker/tactician Appearance and Personality A bit more than 5'8'' tall, Eirwen's height is just enough to stand out, but not enough to make those around her uncomfortable. She has rather large eyes which change colour from light grey to deep blue depending on her surroundings, clothes, and mood, and are a great contrast to her pale skin. Her hair is white naturally, but she dyes it frequently, both because she finds white hair quite boring and because it reduces the possibility of her being recognized, even if such is quite low. She talks in clear voice, usually in casually polite manner suitable for her standings. While at work she goes straight to the point and doesn't like adding any details which don't stand in immediate connection to the topic. Overall, she can make her presence noticeable, if she wants to, but she prefers to remain in shadows, close enough to see everything, not close enough to draw unneccessary attention. Eirwen's personality was reshaped so many times, that even those close to her are not sure she actually possesses one. While being a Templar, she follows their code of honour and justice, and has inherited all traits of her noble family. However, no one can say with certainty that her nobility comes from heart and isn't another mask she wears out of the sense of duty. What remains unquestionable is her ability to control herself without a flaw. There is no such surprise that would make her change her forever calm expression or light a sparkle in those cold eyes. The code name "Ice Queen" wasn't an accident, and Eirwen wears it as if it was her given name. Since she spends most of her time pretending to be someone else, she doesn't mind being alone when there is such a possibility. Her interests rotate around art, music, and literature. She is gifted in singing. Special skills Eirwen specialises in intelligence gathering. She has remarkable knowledge of technology which allows her to hack into various systems without a trace. She is a skilled actress capable of performing any role which only contributes to her value as an undercover agent. Her combat skills are corresponding to both the New Templars' and the Beacons' highest standards, although usually she stays out of battles as tactical support. She is especially proficient in 1 vs. 1 combats, but being surrounded by a dozen of enemies she has much better chances to get away safely rather than to bring them all down. Armour Eirwen prefers light armour which is designed more for swift escapes and keeping her alive rather than direct clash with the opponent. Due to the nature of her work she is always cautious and has to take care of herself not being caught unaware. The custom-made design allows her to move with as little sound as possible and doesn't hinder the smallest of her movements. It contains a lot of hidden pockets where she stores weapons, supplies, portable devices, and data units. Her armour is strong enough to take several blows, but it is definitely not enough to survive in the middle of the battle. While not wearing it, Eirwen's clothes of choice are practical yet elegant. She pays a lot of attention to her looks, having all her garments carefully selected and matching her style. Weapons Following the traditions of spies for thousands of years, Eirwen's weapon of choice is a dagger. She carries a pair of them in her sleeve pockets, easy to hide and easy to slide in her hands, if needed. As any Templar, she is capable of wielding a sword and possesses one, but since the time she has been dispatched on an undercover mission, it remains in her room. Aside from daggers, Eirwen's usual set includes a medium-sized riffle and a syringe gun. She carries mainly two types of syringes, one with deadly poison, another with short-term memory erasing medicine. The first kind is used mainly for assassination of strategically important targets, another to make the enemy forget ever meeting her. The effect can be delayed, giving her enough time to take care of her alibi, if necessary. A.I. Eirwen's A.I. "Athena" serves mainly as information provider. Aside from life stats, weapon and armour condition, Athena can scan the area around Eirwen for present life forms and hidden devices, and calculate possible courses of actions. Although A.I.'s possibilities are quite broad in defining the best options, Eirwen prefers to use it only for data input while making the decisions on her own. She thinks that using A.I. for decision-making can cloud one's mind and reduce the sharpness of reactions. Upon approaching someone without armour or other special protection, Athena can provide information about their life stats, helping Eirwen to understand what kind of emotions the person in front of her is experiencing and, most importantly, if they are telling the truth. Athena is also planted into Eirwen's headset, which she wears most of the time when not wearing her armour. While hacking the A.I. helps to determine the loops and holes which can be used to access the system. Eirwen can communicate with the New Templars only through Athena and its unique signature is required to allow the communication through a secured channel. While talking through any communicator, Athena automatically modifies Eirwen's voice each time using a new modification pattern to avoid any possibility of suspicion. Biography Eirwen Dailon belongs to a prestigious family of Dailons who have served the monarchy for generations. So when the New Templars were formed, Dailons promptly supported the organization. Since all the members were already engaged in one or another kind of service, they had to wait a few years before the youngest daugher of the family could join the Templars as a "knight". Eirwen has received the best education and training possible, excelling in everything she was taught. During her early times within Templars she served mostly as a scout and intelligence gatherer. However, after discovering her skills in hacking and her ability to play any role given, she was appointed full-time as the member of secret intelligence service. She was one of a very few who were dispatched to infiltrate the Free Men. The secret intelligence department developed several cover stories, one for her infiltration legend and the rest distributed between the actual Templars. Most of them suggested Eirwen being relocated to far-off units, where only the higher-ups could access her. Her code name "Ice Queen" is known to almost every soldier of the units she was providing information for, but only the chief of secret intelligence department and the commander of New Templars know her true identity. To successfuly infiltrate the Free Men, Eirwen was willingly sedated with memory erasing substances. Before it happened she was hypnotised to recover her memory under influence of particular outside triggers. It took her three months to recover completely and be able to actually do her job. Agents already within the Free Men took care of her equipment to enable her communication with the New Templars. Eirwen started in data analysis department. Recently she has been promoted to the chief tactician for the Beacons. During her years within organisation she rewrote most of the software used by her department, planting her own points of access for future uses. While having access to all the information about the Beacons' operations, she delivers it directly to the Templar units affected, however, only after careful consideration in order not to ruin her cover. She also provides information about past operations for the New Templars to analyse. Her ultimate mission is to make a career within the Beacons and reach close enough to their leader. She takes orders directly from Jason Bellhan and him only, and those orders are quite rare, anyway. She has a leave to use any resources available that can serve her purpose, as long as civilian population isn't affected. After being promoted Eirwen reports only to Isaac and his closest generals. She uses her real name "Eirwen" she has "remembered", but she denies remembering her family name. Her cover personality is an odd mixture of a technology geek who pays no attention to other matters (regretfully for many male and some female members of the Beacons) combined with a surprisingly easy-going person when it comes to daily communication. She constantly impresses those around her with new ideas of system optimisation or original tactical manoeuvres, so they would not forget about her. All the tactical "fails" happening because of her leaking information turn out to be the mistakes of other tacticians, with undeniable evidence behind their actions.</s> <\|message\|>Ben Shepard "Be it known that it is the year three thousand four fifty three. "A male voice said in his helmet. A young man sighed and looked down at the world beneath him. He was in geostationary orbit over the Alps. He sat inside a small pod in a reentry suit. It was old fashioned but it was a rush to do. The voice chimed up again. "Please explain to me why we are here instead of training?" The voice said clearly bothered. "Oh come now Durendal. This is fun! Also jumps like these may be needed should things go wrong during a mission. These suits can survive reentry from high orbit. "The young guy said as he looked at the planet. The pod door opened and a chime played. He got up and looked down. "Well fortune favors the bold. "He said as he pushed off the pod and the gravity kicked in. "My sensors indicate that we will arrive at the hold in two minutes. Ben we need to activate the propulsion systems. This suit is so bulky..." Durendal complained as he fell. Ben saw the heat coming off his suit as they entered the atmosphere. After a minute he began to settle out and began to land. He fell past the hold into one of the valley's nearby. He landed with a thump. "Hell yah!" He said as the reentry suit came off revealing a smaller less bulky suit. "We are to report to the War Room. The commander wants us there. "The AI said as Ben got to the hold. He walked in, his face bright red from the thrill. "Sorry for being late Boss. "He said as Durendal materialized on his shoulder. The AI had the form of a young man wearing an laurel crown. Ben sat down still smiling. "You guys have to orbital jump. It's a rush!" The young man said smiling.</s> <\|message\|>Isaac Bellhan Jason At first, Jason didn't glance up from the floor at Klaus and Ben's arrival, lost in thought as he was oft prone to be. But, eventually- At the sound of Adam clearing his throat- he looked up and nodded to the pair. "Klaus, Ben. Glad to see you both made it, I was beginning to wonder if you'd slipped on some ice." Apparently, he didn't even register the fact that he'd kept them waiting for his response for a solid ten minutes, making Ben's lateness... Rather redundant. He straightened with a crack of his neck, gesturing for Ben to stand and giving a meaningful look to the holo-table in front of him, directing all of their attention to the space-station imaged there. "We lost JCS again, and this time the Free Men are looking to make it permanent. Our entire garrison was killed and spaced, and all communications with the station have been severed, excluding internal Free Men messages. Somehow, in the week it took us to find out, they had -this- installed." He tapped a point on the image, blowing up the turret and its surrounding space again for their viewing. "Anti-craft turret. This scan is nearly three days old- They probably have more than one of these now. But one is bad enough. With that turret functioning, no ship bigger than a civilian leisure boat is getting within ten thousand miles of that station without turning into a bunch of floating scrap metal... Which, of course, means we're being sent almost to the moon. In a civilian leisure boat. Hope you boys brought sun-screen." Ah, the dry humor of a man not pleased with upcoming tasks. Isaac Isaac glanced over his shoulder to Mcdougal, shrugging slightly at his comment and turning away from the window. "I'm always expecting trouble, Mcdougal. That way the only surprises I have are pleasant ones." He hardly had his favorite phrase out before the rather... Impressive form of Cesare made it into the room, smaller brother on his back as always. Unlike most, Isaac had never been intimidated by Cesare- Nor had he found Julis strange in the slightest. He liked both of them, found them interesting- But he expected Cesare, at least, had agendas outside of helping the Free Men. Until those came to rise, however, Isaac would always continue to treat the two as he treated everybody else- Like friendly equals among free people. "Cesare, Julis. Glad to see you both. Excuse me if I get directly to business on this, but Julis, I had a job specifically for you, after this meeting. I need you to suit up and go outside, help the engineers with the turrets. I want the numbers perfect, and nobody does them better than you. And where the devil is Eirwen? She's usually here first." He glanced about with a slight frown, speaking rather rapidly compared to his usual easy-going manner. He either had one too many coffees, or that chill running up his spine was beginning to grate on his nerves. Either way, it was rather amusing to see.</s> <\|message\|>Klaus Helbrect Immediately, Klaus' AI, Rommel, spoke up. "Wie ist das möglich? Die Logistik für eine solche schnelle Änderung... Zu denken, dass wir es nicht erkennen..." Klaus nodded. "Rommel brings up an interesting point, Commander. The rebels must be utilizing considerably more advanced equipment than previously known, in both the transportation and construction fields, in order to have set up these guns undetected within the span of a week. Just shipping the parts for it must have taken a few days, and it probably had to be welded on site. The fact that this scan is three days old is only more disturbing." Klaus glanced at the holo projection, rubbing his chin. "Don't we have an agent on board that station?"</s>	<\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon "I believe the devil won't be able to verify my location," Eirwen spoke entering. She approached the room just while Isaac was commenting on her absence. "However, according to my AI, there are still 12 seconds before the official meeting, so in fact I am too early. Unless there was a system crush, and then I need to rewrite some of the modules, time calculation included". She was serious about both the 12 seconds and the rewriting part. Everyone knew that their tactician hated mistakes and foggy data. She preferred flawless exactness. "My systems work perfectly fine, my lady," said Athena in somewhat sulking voice materialising on her owner's shoulder. Usually Eirwen didn't have her visible, but in front of the others it was kind of a custom to show off with their AIs. Athena was shaped as a lean young woman with long curly hair reaching her waist, part of which was sealed with a comb. She was dressed in a long chiton, clothes popular around four thousand years ago, and in her hands she was holding a large sphere. Eirwen wrote her model design herself, to make her more or less fitting for her name. "I checked the time using the exact location coordinates, planet movement map, and the distance to the Sun at this point." continued the AI. Eirwen chuckled at such report. "Looks like I am still too early, chief," she said looking at Isaac.</s>
<\|description\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Age:23 Alignment: The Beacons (The New Templars) Profession: spy/hacker/tactician Appearance and Personality A bit more than 5'8'' tall, Eirwen's height is just enough to stand out, but not enough to make those around her uncomfortable. She has rather large eyes which change colour from light grey to deep blue depending on her surroundings, clothes, and mood, and are a great contrast to her pale skin. Her hair is white naturally, but she dyes it frequently, both because she finds white hair quite boring and because it reduces the possibility of her being recognized, even if such is quite low. She talks in clear voice, usually in casually polite manner suitable for her standings. While at work she goes straight to the point and doesn't like adding any details which don't stand in immediate connection to the topic. Overall, she can make her presence noticeable, if she wants to, but she prefers to remain in shadows, close enough to see everything, not close enough to draw unneccessary attention. Eirwen's personality was reshaped so many times, that even those close to her are not sure she actually possesses one. While being a Templar, she follows their code of honour and justice, and has inherited all traits of her noble family. However, no one can say with certainty that her nobility comes from heart and isn't another mask she wears out of the sense of duty. What remains unquestionable is her ability to control herself without a flaw. There is no such surprise that would make her change her forever calm expression or light a sparkle in those cold eyes. The code name "Ice Queen" wasn't an accident, and Eirwen wears it as if it was her given name. Since she spends most of her time pretending to be someone else, she doesn't mind being alone when there is such a possibility. Her interests rotate around art, music, and literature. She is gifted in singing. Special skills Eirwen specialises in intelligence gathering. She has remarkable knowledge of technology which allows her to hack into various systems without a trace. She is a skilled actress capable of performing any role which only contributes to her value as an undercover agent. Her combat skills are corresponding to both the New Templars' and the Beacons' highest standards, although usually she stays out of battles as tactical support. She is especially proficient in 1 vs. 1 combats, but being surrounded by a dozen of enemies she has much better chances to get away safely rather than to bring them all down. Armour Eirwen prefers light armour which is designed more for swift escapes and keeping her alive rather than direct clash with the opponent. Due to the nature of her work she is always cautious and has to take care of herself not being caught unaware. The custom-made design allows her to move with as little sound as possible and doesn't hinder the smallest of her movements. It contains a lot of hidden pockets where she stores weapons, supplies, portable devices, and data units. Her armour is strong enough to take several blows, but it is definitely not enough to survive in the middle of the battle. While not wearing it, Eirwen's clothes of choice are practical yet elegant. She pays a lot of attention to her looks, having all her garments carefully selected and matching her style. Weapons Following the traditions of spies for thousands of years, Eirwen's weapon of choice is a dagger. She carries a pair of them in her sleeve pockets, easy to hide and easy to slide in her hands, if needed. As any Templar, she is capable of wielding a sword and possesses one, but since the time she has been dispatched on an undercover mission, it remains in her room. Aside from daggers, Eirwen's usual set includes a medium-sized riffle and a syringe gun. She carries mainly two types of syringes, one with deadly poison, another with short-term memory erasing medicine. The first kind is used mainly for assassination of strategically important targets, another to make the enemy forget ever meeting her. The effect can be delayed, giving her enough time to take care of her alibi, if necessary. A.I. Eirwen's A.I. "Athena" serves mainly as information provider. Aside from life stats, weapon and armour condition, Athena can scan the area around Eirwen for present life forms and hidden devices, and calculate possible courses of actions. Although A.I.'s possibilities are quite broad in defining the best options, Eirwen prefers to use it only for data input while making the decisions on her own. She thinks that using A.I. for decision-making can cloud one's mind and reduce the sharpness of reactions. Upon approaching someone without armour or other special protection, Athena can provide information about their life stats, helping Eirwen to understand what kind of emotions the person in front of her is experiencing and, most importantly, if they are telling the truth. Athena is also planted into Eirwen's headset, which she wears most of the time when not wearing her armour. While hacking the A.I. helps to determine the loops and holes which can be used to access the system. Eirwen can communicate with the New Templars only through Athena and its unique signature is required to allow the communication through a secured channel. While talking through any communicator, Athena automatically modifies Eirwen's voice each time using a new modification pattern to avoid any possibility of suspicion. Biography Eirwen Dailon belongs to a prestigious family of Dailons who have served the monarchy for generations. So when the New Templars were formed, Dailons promptly supported the organization. Since all the members were already engaged in one or another kind of service, they had to wait a few years before the youngest daugher of the family could join the Templars as a "knight". Eirwen has received the best education and training possible, excelling in everything she was taught. During her early times within Templars she served mostly as a scout and intelligence gatherer. However, after discovering her skills in hacking and her ability to play any role given, she was appointed full-time as the member of secret intelligence service. She was one of a very few who were dispatched to infiltrate the Free Men. The secret intelligence department developed several cover stories, one for her infiltration legend and the rest distributed between the actual Templars. Most of them suggested Eirwen being relocated to far-off units, where only the higher-ups could access her. Her code name "Ice Queen" is known to almost every soldier of the units she was providing information for, but only the chief of secret intelligence department and the commander of New Templars know her true identity. To successfuly infiltrate the Free Men, Eirwen was willingly sedated with memory erasing substances. Before it happened she was hypnotised to recover her memory under influence of particular outside triggers. It took her three months to recover completely and be able to actually do her job. Agents already within the Free Men took care of her equipment to enable her communication with the New Templars. Eirwen started in data analysis department. Recently she has been promoted to the chief tactician for the Beacons. During her years within organisation she rewrote most of the software used by her department, planting her own points of access for future uses. While having access to all the information about the Beacons' operations, she delivers it directly to the Templar units affected, however, only after careful consideration in order not to ruin her cover. She also provides information about past operations for the New Templars to analyse. Her ultimate mission is to make a career within the Beacons and reach close enough to their leader. She takes orders directly from Jason Bellhan and him only, and those orders are quite rare, anyway. She has a leave to use any resources available that can serve her purpose, as long as civilian population isn't affected. After being promoted Eirwen reports only to Isaac and his closest generals. She uses her real name "Eirwen" she has "remembered", but she denies remembering her family name. Her cover personality is an odd mixture of a technology geek who pays no attention to other matters (regretfully for many male and some female members of the Beacons) combined with a surprisingly easy-going person when it comes to daily communication. She constantly impresses those around her with new ideas of system optimisation or original tactical manoeuvres, so they would not forget about her. All the tactical "fails" happening because of her leaking information turn out to be the mistakes of other tacticians, with undeniable evidence behind their actions.</s> <\|message\|>Julis Alexander Julis nodded. "Okay...", he said in his usual quiet and monotone voice. It wasn't unheard of for Isaac to ask Julis for help doing stuff. Others (mostly maintenance workers) didn't enjoy him helping. His mind worked in strange ways, and as such, never wrote down what did what. It made it a pain for others since they couldn't understand what anything meant (and sometimes Julis didn't remember either). He heard McDougal make his little joke. It irritated Julis. Such a thing would have been considered a curse upon other cultures. His brother, Cesare, seemed to be like an unmovable mountain compared to those around him, and Julis was still sitting on his large shoulder. After a few moments, the numbers in Julis' head seemed to slow down. His usual demeanor of not paying attention to anything turned into a more focused look at Isaac, waiting for what bigger order he would ask.</s> <\|message\|>Cesare Alexander Cesare looked at his brother and then to Isaac and then back to his brother. Underneath his helmet, his expression changed to one of concern for his younger brother. "Is it really okay, Julis?" He said, a hint of concern and brotherly love in his voice. He turned his head back to Isaac and underneath his helmet his face turned back to the one of disgust he used with those other than his dear brother. "You know Julis doesn't like to say no." Cesare used a loud and almost commanding voice with Isaac, though it was still softer than the one he used with others still. Perhaps it was because Cesare had been softened up by Julis. In fact, it probably was that. Lifting his large left arm up he pat Julis' leg, reinforcing that nothing involving Julis got by without Cesare's say.</s> <\|message\|>Isaac Bellhan Jason Jason gave a slight shrug at Klaus' question, scratching the stubble on his chin with a sigh. "We do, but for his own safety I can't just go making contact willy-nilly. All of three people know who he is." He was, of course, intentionally using the wrong pronouns. One can never be too careful talking about a deep-cover agent, even when in the company of only friends and close co-workers. Though Ben's statement, admittedly, brought a grin to his usually stern features. "Glad to hear it, Ben. Unfortunately we'll be lacking in ladies to woo with your suaveness. But all joking aside- Adam, give them the details of travel." The AI wolf nodded, sitting back on his haunches and looking between Ben and Klaus. "The moon is two hundred thirty eight thousand and nine hundred miles from Earth. The JCS is almost exactly two hundred thousand miles from earth. We will be traveling in a small craft at approximately one thousand miles an hour, making this a twenty hour trip. If we leave immediately, we will arrive at some time in the middle of the day tomorrow. And we -are- leaving immediately. Further details will be given as situations arise." A twenty hour trip by civilian space craft- The equivalent of being stuck in an R.V with family for an entire day. It wouldn't be a comfortable trip. Isaac Isaac listened quietly to all of them- Though he visibly cringed as Eirwen and Athena went on their tyrade about schedule and the accuracy of their clocks. Once everybody was done, he gave a rather exaggerated sigh, as if their words had actually been pressing down on him. It was his usual brand of dry humor. "Then I suppose the rest of us were earlier." He'd given up on arguing that there really was no schedule, and that time-settings for meetings were more guide-lines than actually set 'you have to be here' times. "Now that we're all here, though, I'll make it quick for all of our sake." A hand gestured to Cesare and Julis. "I know he might not like to say no, Cesare, but I need those cannons in perfect order, and he's the only one on this bloody station who I trust to make it as close to perfect as humanly possible. You can go out with him if you're worried, I don't have any specific job for you unless you want to stand around clubbing people over the head for walking too slowly. But unless -all- of us want to get blown up, we need those turrets perfect so that nothing bigger than my gods damned thumb can make it close to us." He now turned his eyes on McDougal and Eirwen, tilting his head slightly. "You two, I need working together. I'm quite certain McDougal has his obnoxiously large bag of tricks and traps. You're damn good at setting them on your own, but work with Eirwen this time. I'm sure all of her tactics and strategems will actually come in handy here. Make the traps -carefully-. We don't want our own soldiers tripping them. Make a few of them obvious, too. If anybody not with the Free Men boards this station, I want them bottle-necked towards the bottom of the station."</s> <\|message\|>McDougal "Shadow of Luna" Were it not for his helmet, everyone in the room could have sworn McDougal had turned into tomato, such was the intensity of this emotional rollercoaster Isaac had thrown him into. He found Eirwen to be ravishingly attractive as a woman, but as an person that punctuality and expectations of perfection drove him goddamn insane! And these were HIS traps they were discussing here. Still, Isaacs orders were Isaacs orders and McDougal would follow suit like a good little Beacon he was. He moved next to Eirwen and started discussing his plan. It mainly involved setting an ring of sorts around the station, in two parts. If possible enemies would attack the station, they would be divided by jammed emergency bulkheads, this would be when part of enemy forces would be spaced with an rigged airlock and beforehand positioned freemen snipers would shoot the bastards to be sure they were out. Those still behind bulkheads would be funneled towards the bottom by giving them false targets to chase and "accidentally" leaked Beacon comminications. "And that is where we take them out to lunch!" McDougal was sure that Eirwen had her own plans and would most likely tear this one to bits, he was prepared to let it slide and do things her way this time around, after all, no enemy force was guaranteed to attack an base so heavily fortified with massive ordnance, right?</s>	<\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon "Why the bottom?" asked Eirwen. She didn't usually question the decisions of her commander, but then again, if she was here, then she found it suitable to provide her opinion on the state of affairs. "According to my evaluation, the left flange might be a better choice. It isn't fully equipped yet, so the material losses on our side will be insignificant. It is also the one we damaged during our siege. In case it costs us too much to deal with the enemy forces, we can simply seal the tunnel and cast the whole flange in the open space while reforming our forces. I also have all the reasons to believe that this is the most vulnerable part, and if Templar tacticians studied the plan well, they will order the attack this point first. I also believe that our main life support units are on the first level, so if we are going to make the main move there, it should be more than just well calculated." Apparently, she didn't mind working with a partner. The more people she had access to, the better. Not to mention she was quite eager to learn about the structure of those traps. But the Ice Queen didn't show any hints about her true intentions.</s>
<\|description\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Age:23 Alignment: The Beacons (The New Templars) Profession: spy/hacker/tactician Appearance and Personality A bit more than 5'8'' tall, Eirwen's height is just enough to stand out, but not enough to make those around her uncomfortable. She has rather large eyes which change colour from light grey to deep blue depending on her surroundings, clothes, and mood, and are a great contrast to her pale skin. Her hair is white naturally, but she dyes it frequently, both because she finds white hair quite boring and because it reduces the possibility of her being recognized, even if such is quite low. She talks in clear voice, usually in casually polite manner suitable for her standings. While at work she goes straight to the point and doesn't like adding any details which don't stand in immediate connection to the topic. Overall, she can make her presence noticeable, if she wants to, but she prefers to remain in shadows, close enough to see everything, not close enough to draw unneccessary attention. Eirwen's personality was reshaped so many times, that even those close to her are not sure she actually possesses one. While being a Templar, she follows their code of honour and justice, and has inherited all traits of her noble family. However, no one can say with certainty that her nobility comes from heart and isn't another mask she wears out of the sense of duty. What remains unquestionable is her ability to control herself without a flaw. There is no such surprise that would make her change her forever calm expression or light a sparkle in those cold eyes. The code name "Ice Queen" wasn't an accident, and Eirwen wears it as if it was her given name. Since she spends most of her time pretending to be someone else, she doesn't mind being alone when there is such a possibility. Her interests rotate around art, music, and literature. She is gifted in singing. Special skills Eirwen specialises in intelligence gathering. She has remarkable knowledge of technology which allows her to hack into various systems without a trace. She is a skilled actress capable of performing any role which only contributes to her value as an undercover agent. Her combat skills are corresponding to both the New Templars' and the Beacons' highest standards, although usually she stays out of battles as tactical support. She is especially proficient in 1 vs. 1 combats, but being surrounded by a dozen of enemies she has much better chances to get away safely rather than to bring them all down. Armour Eirwen prefers light armour which is designed more for swift escapes and keeping her alive rather than direct clash with the opponent. Due to the nature of her work she is always cautious and has to take care of herself not being caught unaware. The custom-made design allows her to move with as little sound as possible and doesn't hinder the smallest of her movements. It contains a lot of hidden pockets where she stores weapons, supplies, portable devices, and data units. Her armour is strong enough to take several blows, but it is definitely not enough to survive in the middle of the battle. While not wearing it, Eirwen's clothes of choice are practical yet elegant. She pays a lot of attention to her looks, having all her garments carefully selected and matching her style. Weapons Following the traditions of spies for thousands of years, Eirwen's weapon of choice is a dagger. She carries a pair of them in her sleeve pockets, easy to hide and easy to slide in her hands, if needed. As any Templar, she is capable of wielding a sword and possesses one, but since the time she has been dispatched on an undercover mission, it remains in her room. Aside from daggers, Eirwen's usual set includes a medium-sized riffle and a syringe gun. She carries mainly two types of syringes, one with deadly poison, another with short-term memory erasing medicine. The first kind is used mainly for assassination of strategically important targets, another to make the enemy forget ever meeting her. The effect can be delayed, giving her enough time to take care of her alibi, if necessary. A.I. Eirwen's A.I. "Athena" serves mainly as information provider. Aside from life stats, weapon and armour condition, Athena can scan the area around Eirwen for present life forms and hidden devices, and calculate possible courses of actions. Although A.I.'s possibilities are quite broad in defining the best options, Eirwen prefers to use it only for data input while making the decisions on her own. She thinks that using A.I. for decision-making can cloud one's mind and reduce the sharpness of reactions. Upon approaching someone without armour or other special protection, Athena can provide information about their life stats, helping Eirwen to understand what kind of emotions the person in front of her is experiencing and, most importantly, if they are telling the truth. Athena is also planted into Eirwen's headset, which she wears most of the time when not wearing her armour. While hacking the A.I. helps to determine the loops and holes which can be used to access the system. Eirwen can communicate with the New Templars only through Athena and its unique signature is required to allow the communication through a secured channel. While talking through any communicator, Athena automatically modifies Eirwen's voice each time using a new modification pattern to avoid any possibility of suspicion. Biography Eirwen Dailon belongs to a prestigious family of Dailons who have served the monarchy for generations. So when the New Templars were formed, Dailons promptly supported the organization. Since all the members were already engaged in one or another kind of service, they had to wait a few years before the youngest daugher of the family could join the Templars as a "knight". Eirwen has received the best education and training possible, excelling in everything she was taught. During her early times within Templars she served mostly as a scout and intelligence gatherer. However, after discovering her skills in hacking and her ability to play any role given, she was appointed full-time as the member of secret intelligence service. She was one of a very few who were dispatched to infiltrate the Free Men. The secret intelligence department developed several cover stories, one for her infiltration legend and the rest distributed between the actual Templars. Most of them suggested Eirwen being relocated to far-off units, where only the higher-ups could access her. Her code name "Ice Queen" is known to almost every soldier of the units she was providing information for, but only the chief of secret intelligence department and the commander of New Templars know her true identity. To successfuly infiltrate the Free Men, Eirwen was willingly sedated with memory erasing substances. Before it happened she was hypnotised to recover her memory under influence of particular outside triggers. It took her three months to recover completely and be able to actually do her job. Agents already within the Free Men took care of her equipment to enable her communication with the New Templars. Eirwen started in data analysis department. Recently she has been promoted to the chief tactician for the Beacons. During her years within organisation she rewrote most of the software used by her department, planting her own points of access for future uses. While having access to all the information about the Beacons' operations, she delivers it directly to the Templar units affected, however, only after careful consideration in order not to ruin her cover. She also provides information about past operations for the New Templars to analyse. Her ultimate mission is to make a career within the Beacons and reach close enough to their leader. She takes orders directly from Jason Bellhan and him only, and those orders are quite rare, anyway. She has a leave to use any resources available that can serve her purpose, as long as civilian population isn't affected. After being promoted Eirwen reports only to Isaac and his closest generals. She uses her real name "Eirwen" she has "remembered", but she denies remembering her family name. Her cover personality is an odd mixture of a technology geek who pays no attention to other matters (regretfully for many male and some female members of the Beacons) combined with a surprisingly easy-going person when it comes to daily communication. She constantly impresses those around her with new ideas of system optimisation or original tactical manoeuvres, so they would not forget about her. All the tactical "fails" happening because of her leaking information turn out to be the mistakes of other tacticians, with undeniable evidence behind their actions.</s> <\|message\|>Klaus Helbrect Klaus and Rommel nodded in unison. Then, Rommel spoke up some more, his holographic likeness stepping off of Klaus' shoulders and floating towards the projected station. "Berechne ich eine fünfundneunzig Punkt sieben Prozent Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass unser Angriff vor Ankunft festgestellt werden, wahrscheinlich Punkt 70 Stunden vor dem Angriff beginnt. Ich rationalisieren ein siebenundvierzig Punkt sechsundachtzig Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass dies eine Falle. Ich werde Station Pläne zu überprüfen, während wir auf dem Weg." Klaus nodded. "Rommel reads a 97% chance of our plan being discovered before we can fully effect it, if standard station detection protocols are in place. Furthermore, there's a 47.86% chance that our attack will run into traps and ambushes. Tactical assessments will be given en route. For now, let's just get going." Removing his arms from behind his back, Klaus saluted, and left to retrieve his power armor from the armory.</s> <\|message\|>Julis Alexander Julis turned to Eirwen. "No... Not work..." Julis said, his voice quiet. He took out a small and unremarkable ballpoint pen, and a thin piece of paper, browned from time. He began to scrawl on it. His pen was moving fast. It was almost a scribble, but numbers appeared. Many numbers, in fact. Julis kept on writing. The numbers scrawled on the papers seemed to be in a shape. What shape was it? It wasn't very orthodox. It wasn't a shape. It was many shapes coming together. It appeared to be an object, but what object? More numbers were drawn, and the shape took form. It was the space station they were on. The left side had pretty high numbers, but not as high as the middle, top, or right side. Julis passed the paper to Eirwen to disprove he idea.</s> <\|message\|>Cesare Alexander Cesare looked at what Julis had scrawled and tried to wrap his mind around it. Tried. Didn't succeed. So instead of trying to explain it, he turned back to Isaac. "I enjoy a good space walk. I'm going with Julis. Like always." He said, with his voice gruff and riddled with spite. He shifted as he turned back to look at Julis and his strange scrawling. Cesare wasn't the brightest, but he wasn't necessarily dull either. But his brother was a wiz with numbers and it was rather hard for Cesare to wrap his mind around what Julis was going on about. Math wasn't his strong point either, instead he focused on his religious studies. He relied on Julis for the numbers. Cesare was mostly listening for now, so he did little beyond that.</s> <\|message\|>Ben Shepard Ben looked down and snapped his fingers sadly. He looked at the group. "20 hours with just us. Okay I am going to give us about 10 hours before we are lunging at each other's throat for something to do at least." He grumbled. He hated being in tight areas he could not escape from. Again that messed with his plans completely. He looked around. "Well since we all seem to be ready shouldn't we just go now?"</s> <\|message\|>Isaac Bellhan Jason Jason pulled the chip that contained Adam out of the Holo-table and slid it into its proper place in his helmet with a sigh, before tucking said helmet under his arm and gesturing towards the door. "Thank you for the update, Ronmel and Klaus. We've dealt with worse chances. Now you're both dismissed. Check your gear, and meet me in the courtyard in twenty minutes. The craft should have arrived by then. Make sure to take a piss before we go." And with that, he strolled out of the hall, heading off to follow his own orders and check his gear. Isaac Isaac -was- about to answer Eirwen's question as to why. Then Julis did his... Number thing. Whenever he saw the little man at it, he was invariably reminded of a movie back from the twentieth century that he was fond of- The Matrix, he remembered. ".... What Julis said. But, in my own words, I want them at the bottom because the bottom is smaller. There's only one big room at the bottom tip of this station, and it's the mess hall. Plenty of tables and counters for cover, lots of open space. If -anybody- is sent our way, it won't be run of the mill soldiers. Or at least, not -just- run of the mill soldiers. Anybody that survives a trip onto this station will probably need to be dealt with directly by us. And I like to choose my own battlegrounds. Somewhere I can swing a sword and still have room to shoot is preferable." There wasn't any need to specify who he felt would be sent after them. JCS was an important station. If anybody came, it would be Templars.... And more than likely, it would be the best of the Templars, which meant Isaac's own brother and his team. "Besides, if worst comes to worst, we can break the mess level off from the rest of the station. Whole thing acts like a shuttle, pops down to the Moon at the touch of a button. Every level does, actually. Just goes from the bottom up."</s>	<\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Eirwen took the paper, only a little hint of curiosity in her eyes. Julis always had some interesting ideas, and she found it satisfying, when she could figure them out. The numbers on the paper didn't tell her much. They were not higher than 100 which made her think of percentages. Only, percentages of what? Since the lowest numbers were forming the bottom, the tactician figured out they were the best. Isaac's comment only confirmed her guess. She didn't need more. And she wasn't about to argue. She provided her opinion, and if their chief considered it invalid, well, it might have hurt her pride, if she had it. But she didn't, so she only nodded. "I only hope that the Templars won't consider the space to swing their swords as convenient as you do." she said looking straight at Isaac. Neither her tone nor her words as their were showed any disobedience, yet there was something behind her cold eyes that could provoke some questions. Breaking the eye contact, Eirwen lowered her head slightly. "I will see that everything is prepared and that the equipment is moved." She raised her eyes on Isaac again and gave him another strange look before turning to McDougal. Only then she found it proper to pay attention to him. "He is nervous," Athena whispered in her ear, "his heartbeat and blood pressure are higher than usually." Not that it was something new. McDougal was almost always like that when it came to talking with her, and since it was their first time working closely together it was to be expected. Especially, since it looked as if Eirwen wasn't even listening to his plan. She was, however, even while talking to Isaac. "I agree that we should surround the station," she told him, "but the shape should be modified. There also should be an emergency tunnel to guarantee the safe draw-back, if needed. And I would need the detailed descriptions of all the kinds of traps you are planning to use, working stuff, power of detonation, and quantity. I believe, you won't have any trouble on setting them up personally, will you?"</s>
<\|description\|>Cesare Alexander "Anarchy is preferable to obeying those who have fallen from God's grace." Age: 38 Alignment: The Free Men (After having defected from The New Templars for a multitude of reasons that Cesare for the most part refuses to explain.) Fireteam: "Salvation" Height and Weight: Cesare stands at an astounding 4 meters tall and he weighs around 432 kg as a result. With his armor on, he weighs roughly 654 kg. Personality: Cesare is an extremely prideful man, believing himself to be above all others, though he is also fiercely obedient, respecting the chain of command. Due to his gargantuan size, he has been described as "fiercely intimidating", a trait he knows well and abuses. This has led to him acting as if he is a wrathful man, often threatening acting as if he has been sent into a berserk rage. The truth, however, is that Cesare is at all times calm and collected, having known nothing but war his entire life. Cesare is also very religious, and zealous in his beliefs. He considers himself a "fine Christian man", though talking to him reveals that many of his beliefs oppose those of most religions. One notable difference lies in the fact that Cesare does not believe in a Hell. He instead believes that those who live lives of sin, or simply lack faith, are doomed never to be remembered. When asked why his beliefs are this way, he will simply say "Nowhere in the blessed texts does it say that there is a Hell. The closest example I can find is in fact referring to a disposal site outside of Jericho." It's recommended not to question him further as he can and will proceed to give you his own sermon. Cesare is very vocal with his beliefs, not being afraid to disagree with others. He is known to many as an "intolerant bigot" or as "scum", because of his beliefs. Those that do not agree with his religious beliefs are in his eyes, doomed to never be remembered. He is also known to have rattled on about his extreme hatred for the LGBT community, believing that they are all denied entrance into Heaven, for living lives of sin. Cesare is very "Old Testament" in his beliefs, if it wasn't obvious. While on the topic of his beliefs, Cesare absolutely despises the "New Templars". He claims that they are false, having fallen from the grace of God. In fact, he believes that they do not deserve to wear the title of Templar, or Knight, or anything. He believes they are scum to be wiped from the bottom of his boot. Armor: The most noteworthy part of Cesare's armor is its sheer size. Weighing a little more than half as much as Cesare himself, it is roughly 222 kilograms in weight. The armor, on any normal person, would require mechanical assistance to even budge, but Cesare is a gargantuan strongman. Cesare relies more on his sheer strength than the armor, though it has saved his hide more than a few times. It is space-worthy, strong enough to resist most small-arms fire and even many types of explosives. There is no functioning AI attached to Cesare's armor, having been disabled at a time Cesare refuses to disclose. Arsenal: Cesare is trained to use a Flail, a Shield, and Explosives. We'll start with the flail. A large, unwieldy thing, the Flail is really just that: An overly sized flail. There is nothing special about it, other than its size. Next up is his shield. Imagine a bulldozer. That's what Cesare is like, his shield almost as big as him, making him look like a bulldozer. It is built from the same materials as his armor, being able to repair itself over time, but aside from that, it is for all intents and purposes: Tried and true metal. It is more than capable of protecting him and his brother from almost any harm coming their way. Finally is his explosive ordinance. There used to be rumors that his flail was capable of detonating on impact, but those rumors fell with the men that spread them. The truth of the matter is that Cesare keeps a stockpile of explosives with him at almost all times. Under each of his pauldrons, are at least two dozen half-grenades. By themselves, they do nothing, but when quickly snapped with another half, they activate and detonate shortly after tossed. He also has a rocket launcher that is always strapped to his back, should he decide the flail isn't enough. However, he is trained to use nearly every possible piece of explosive equipment and regularly changes the type of grenades he uses. History: A genetic reject and a gun savant, that's what they got. That probably makes little sense without context, so it should be given some. You see, the members of the fireteam "Salvation" were once members of "The New Templars", having been the promised children of twenty generations of a very carefully selected family line, which would be given the very best of gene enhancements to pass on to their children and their children's children and so forth. When the head researchers decided that anything beyond twenty generations would be too genetically diverse to properly augment these "Lambs of God", they went "all-in" and augmented the 19th generation of this pedigree to the fullest. This research team was fired for making such an idiotic decision. They nearly killed the 19th generation of specimens and it was a miracle that they were able to give birth to children at all. Not only was the PROTOTYPE genetic modifications provided UNSTABLE when combined, but they had not given the generation time to ADAPT to these UNSTABLE MODIFICATIONS. The years and years and years of research and development put into forging these two perfect children was thrown down the drain. The results were that; a genetic reject and a gun savant. Let's focus on the Genetic Reject for now. His name is Cesare Alexander. He is a four meter tall, 432 kilogram giant. He also happens to be a zealot. Not to mention the fact that he is trained in the olden ways of using a flail and shield, and then in the more modern ways of utilizing explosives. This built up his reputation among The Free Men as a hulking and terrifying weapon of war, more weapon than man. His reputation among The New Templars was hardly better, but he was still idolized as a weapon that was on their side. Of course, that changed when Cesare and his "little" brother defected to The Free Men, becoming the Fireteam "Salvation". Of course, there are reasons behind the desertion of the New Templars. Chief amongst them was his belief that they had "fallen from the grace of God". One thing to note about Cesare is the fact that he is well versed in his religion. Having read not only multiple translations of the Christian and Catholic bibles, but also the Hebrew Tanakh, only goes to prove this. This… shall we say, obsession, with religion has led to many disputes with those that are not also adherents to his faith. One of the reasons he is so efficient in combat is because he whole-heartily believes that he is doing God's will. The fact that his beliefs lie mostly in the Old Testament is a very bad thing for his foes. He even brings salt along with him on many occasions to salt the earth after winning a battle. Another of the reasons behind deserting The New Templars, is the fact that Cesare (and assumedly his brother) would like to found a new nation atop the ruins of The New Templars. Of course, this is very far from his reach for now and in reality is not a nation, but in fact a way of life. He plans on, in time, rallying others under his "banner" and then, well, wiping out anyone not adhering to his ideals. This is of course why he sides with The Free Men, seeing as how he believes that, in the long-run, they will be easier to "forcibly convert" (kill off) due to their anarchist way of life. Despite the fact that he views the New Templars as heathens having strayed from the teachings of God, he acknowledges that they are organized and that he and his brother could not face off against them on their own. He hides this desire from the other "Free Men", though the way he speaks down to them is more than enough of a hint. He's tolerated because he gets things done. Cesare does not bend knee to any man, though he does bend knee to God in prayer. As well as for his "little" brother, so he may clamber upon his back. The two share a close bond, and are vicious in combat, especially together.</s> <\|message\|>Klaus Helbrect In his usual fashion, Klaus was spending his free time out in the courtyard, simply enjoying the chill of the air. Watching the new blood train wasn't so bad either, it could get pretty entertaining at times. However, sparring time had passed a while ago, and Klaus found himself without purpose. That is, until the call came in. He was the first to arrive in the war room, wearing the static under-plating of his power armor. It didn't really protect him as much, but it wasn't exactly efficient to wear full power armor around the base anyways. Bowing his head to Jason as a form of silent greeting, Klaus stepped towards the war table, standing with his hands crossed behind his back. Rommel appeared on his shoulder, a holographic image of a regally adorned commander of old. The AI matched Klaus' stance, and nodded his own greeting to Jason.</s> <\|message\|>McDougal "Shadow of Luna" Casually strolling the walkways of their new base, McDougal curiously inspected the work being done here. Equipment was moved and made ready, freemen soldiers were garrisoned everywhere. McDougal disliked cramped housing, while thinking he should make a nest of sorts in the vents he saw a glimpse of their new anti-craft turret. *Whistle "_Thats some serious bang for our buck wouldn´t you say Jenny?_" an image of young woman with ponytail hair appeared sitting cross legged on his shoulder. "_Impressive equipment master, does this mean the war is won?_" Without answering McDougal laughed hard and unrestrained, what he saw around the corner stifled this laugh. The Alexander brothers were here too, both kneeling in prayer they payed no heed to passing shadow. The brothers were good at what they did, scarily so, it was why they did anything that concerned him. If they ever came to blows he doubted his own ability to stop them. "_Fistfighting is not in your style master._" "_So AI are capable of mindreading now, scary._" Finally he arrived to the lone man watching out the viewing ports, both joy and concern were painted on his face. Approaching the only man ever to warrant respect and obedience from the shadow of luna he straightened his back and cleared his throat. "_You dont look like a man who has a new neat toy, expecting troubles boss?_"</s> <\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon Her new office didn't lack in space for sure. Eirwen was actually quite concerned that the room was large enough to serve as quarters for half of their current garrison, and thus was vulnerable. But being a Chief Tactician, it was her duty to be present here and oversee personally the establishment of the new base, as well as provide immediate tactical support, if needed. She was the best in tactics. That skill alone was enough for her to stand where she was standing. And she was standing high. Eirwen's office was indeed high, only two floors beneath the top floor. She could see the surroundings far enough from her window. There was nothing particularly interesting there, but the view was useful enough when she was concentrating and looking for solutions while sipping her coffee. It was supposed to be her only weakness, not quite a healthy drink which supposedly kept her addicted. And so she firmly drank two or three cups every day to support such belief. The Chief Tactician turned away from the window and looked through the glass wall separating her personal area from the rest of her department. They weren't relocated fully, only half a dozen specialists enough to keep the station running. She was looking at them while thinking, if this operation was really necessary for her to succeed. According to her analysis, this particular tower was quite important for Monarchy. But having part in the success of taking it over was a huge step towards her final goal. No civilians were harmed, of course. Still she wished she could have sabotaged it in some way. But that had to come next. For now Eirwen sat down in her new chair and activated the holotable. "Athena, provide the plan of the station for study, underground levels" she commanded. "But didn't you study the plan just yesterday, my lady?" the A.I. asked, although she was downloading the data already and the turret model was forming upon the "I did. But I still didn't find any new weaknesses. The Monarchy would want this base back" _And I shall deliver it when the time comes._</s>	<\|message\|>Cesare Alexander "Amen" Cesare finished the prayer in a near whisper, before lifting his head and forcing his heavy body to follow. The "leader", Isaac Bellhan, had summoned forth a group to speak with. Unfortunately for Cesare and Julis, it would seem that the group had included them. It was rather irritating, having to listen to the words of an anarchist, but Cesare had put him (and by extension his brother Julis) in this position. Neither cause was the good cause, in Cesare's eyes, both cause sickened him. It just so happened that The Free Men offended Cesare less. One thing that remained a mystery to Cesare is why exactly he and his brother were accepted so easily into the "Beacons", though he did not dwell on it too much. He was a valuable tool and he knew it, wearing it like a badge of honor. Perhaps his pride would be his downfall, but he knew that he would still be accepted by the lord. Or at least, that's how he felt. Finally standing all the way up, Cesare did a few simple stretches to offset the pain of simply standing up. It took a lot of effort, mainly because he had to get over 600 kg off the ground using nothing but his own God-given body and strength. It wasn't an easy task, but at least it didn't hurt as much as it used to. After he reached around 200 kg and 3 meters, well things began to get very complicated. Even with his strong frame, his bones would break under the sheer weight of his body. There were a few instances where he had serious internal injuries, but modern-day medical technology proved to be very helpful. He was also thankful that he did not turn out like his brother, whom he turned to look at now. "Come brother." Cesare said, in a soft voice much unlike that he used with anyone else. He extended a hand and motioned for the smaller Julis to clamber upon his back so that he could carry him to Isaac Bellhan, for whatever it was they had been summoned for.</s>
<\|description\|>Cesare Alexander "Anarchy is preferable to obeying those who have fallen from God's grace." Age: 38 Alignment: The Free Men (After having defected from The New Templars for a multitude of reasons that Cesare for the most part refuses to explain.) Fireteam: "Salvation" Height and Weight: Cesare stands at an astounding 4 meters tall and he weighs around 432 kg as a result. With his armor on, he weighs roughly 654 kg. Personality: Cesare is an extremely prideful man, believing himself to be above all others, though he is also fiercely obedient, respecting the chain of command. Due to his gargantuan size, he has been described as "fiercely intimidating", a trait he knows well and abuses. This has led to him acting as if he is a wrathful man, often threatening acting as if he has been sent into a berserk rage. The truth, however, is that Cesare is at all times calm and collected, having known nothing but war his entire life. Cesare is also very religious, and zealous in his beliefs. He considers himself a "fine Christian man", though talking to him reveals that many of his beliefs oppose those of most religions. One notable difference lies in the fact that Cesare does not believe in a Hell. He instead believes that those who live lives of sin, or simply lack faith, are doomed never to be remembered. When asked why his beliefs are this way, he will simply say "Nowhere in the blessed texts does it say that there is a Hell. The closest example I can find is in fact referring to a disposal site outside of Jericho." It's recommended not to question him further as he can and will proceed to give you his own sermon. Cesare is very vocal with his beliefs, not being afraid to disagree with others. He is known to many as an "intolerant bigot" or as "scum", because of his beliefs. Those that do not agree with his religious beliefs are in his eyes, doomed to never be remembered. He is also known to have rattled on about his extreme hatred for the LGBT community, believing that they are all denied entrance into Heaven, for living lives of sin. Cesare is very "Old Testament" in his beliefs, if it wasn't obvious. While on the topic of his beliefs, Cesare absolutely despises the "New Templars". He claims that they are false, having fallen from the grace of God. In fact, he believes that they do not deserve to wear the title of Templar, or Knight, or anything. He believes they are scum to be wiped from the bottom of his boot. Armor: The most noteworthy part of Cesare's armor is its sheer size. Weighing a little more than half as much as Cesare himself, it is roughly 222 kilograms in weight. The armor, on any normal person, would require mechanical assistance to even budge, but Cesare is a gargantuan strongman. Cesare relies more on his sheer strength than the armor, though it has saved his hide more than a few times. It is space-worthy, strong enough to resist most small-arms fire and even many types of explosives. There is no functioning AI attached to Cesare's armor, having been disabled at a time Cesare refuses to disclose. Arsenal: Cesare is trained to use a Flail, a Shield, and Explosives. We'll start with the flail. A large, unwieldy thing, the Flail is really just that: An overly sized flail. There is nothing special about it, other than its size. Next up is his shield. Imagine a bulldozer. That's what Cesare is like, his shield almost as big as him, making him look like a bulldozer. It is built from the same materials as his armor, being able to repair itself over time, but aside from that, it is for all intents and purposes: Tried and true metal. It is more than capable of protecting him and his brother from almost any harm coming their way. Finally is his explosive ordinance. There used to be rumors that his flail was capable of detonating on impact, but those rumors fell with the men that spread them. The truth of the matter is that Cesare keeps a stockpile of explosives with him at almost all times. Under each of his pauldrons, are at least two dozen half-grenades. By themselves, they do nothing, but when quickly snapped with another half, they activate and detonate shortly after tossed. He also has a rocket launcher that is always strapped to his back, should he decide the flail isn't enough. However, he is trained to use nearly every possible piece of explosive equipment and regularly changes the type of grenades he uses. History: A genetic reject and a gun savant, that's what they got. That probably makes little sense without context, so it should be given some. You see, the members of the fireteam "Salvation" were once members of "The New Templars", having been the promised children of twenty generations of a very carefully selected family line, which would be given the very best of gene enhancements to pass on to their children and their children's children and so forth. When the head researchers decided that anything beyond twenty generations would be too genetically diverse to properly augment these "Lambs of God", they went "all-in" and augmented the 19th generation of this pedigree to the fullest. This research team was fired for making such an idiotic decision. They nearly killed the 19th generation of specimens and it was a miracle that they were able to give birth to children at all. Not only was the PROTOTYPE genetic modifications provided UNSTABLE when combined, but they had not given the generation time to ADAPT to these UNSTABLE MODIFICATIONS. The years and years and years of research and development put into forging these two perfect children was thrown down the drain. The results were that; a genetic reject and a gun savant. Let's focus on the Genetic Reject for now. His name is Cesare Alexander. He is a four meter tall, 432 kilogram giant. He also happens to be a zealot. Not to mention the fact that he is trained in the olden ways of using a flail and shield, and then in the more modern ways of utilizing explosives. This built up his reputation among The Free Men as a hulking and terrifying weapon of war, more weapon than man. His reputation among The New Templars was hardly better, but he was still idolized as a weapon that was on their side. Of course, that changed when Cesare and his "little" brother defected to The Free Men, becoming the Fireteam "Salvation". Of course, there are reasons behind the desertion of the New Templars. Chief amongst them was his belief that they had "fallen from the grace of God". One thing to note about Cesare is the fact that he is well versed in his religion. Having read not only multiple translations of the Christian and Catholic bibles, but also the Hebrew Tanakh, only goes to prove this. This… shall we say, obsession, with religion has led to many disputes with those that are not also adherents to his faith. One of the reasons he is so efficient in combat is because he whole-heartily believes that he is doing God's will. The fact that his beliefs lie mostly in the Old Testament is a very bad thing for his foes. He even brings salt along with him on many occasions to salt the earth after winning a battle. Another of the reasons behind deserting The New Templars, is the fact that Cesare (and assumedly his brother) would like to found a new nation atop the ruins of The New Templars. Of course, this is very far from his reach for now and in reality is not a nation, but in fact a way of life. He plans on, in time, rallying others under his "banner" and then, well, wiping out anyone not adhering to his ideals. This is of course why he sides with The Free Men, seeing as how he believes that, in the long-run, they will be easier to "forcibly convert" (kill off) due to their anarchist way of life. Despite the fact that he views the New Templars as heathens having strayed from the teachings of God, he acknowledges that they are organized and that he and his brother could not face off against them on their own. He hides this desire from the other "Free Men", though the way he speaks down to them is more than enough of a hint. He's tolerated because he gets things done. Cesare does not bend knee to any man, though he does bend knee to God in prayer. As well as for his "little" brother, so he may clamber upon his back. The two share a close bond, and are vicious in combat, especially together.</s> <\|message\|>Klaus Helbrect Immediately, Klaus' AI, Rommel, spoke up. "Wie ist das möglich? Die Logistik für eine solche schnelle Änderung... Zu denken, dass wir es nicht erkennen..." Klaus nodded. "Rommel brings up an interesting point, Commander. The rebels must be utilizing considerably more advanced equipment than previously known, in both the transportation and construction fields, in order to have set up these guns undetected within the span of a week. Just shipping the parts for it must have taken a few days, and it probably had to be welded on site. The fact that this scan is three days old is only more disturbing." Klaus glanced at the holo projection, rubbing his chin. "Don't we have an agent on board that station?"</s> <\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon "I believe the devil won't be able to verify my location," Eirwen spoke entering. She approached the room just while Isaac was commenting on her absence. "However, according to my AI, there are still 12 seconds before the official meeting, so in fact I am too early. Unless there was a system crush, and then I need to rewrite some of the modules, time calculation included". She was serious about both the 12 seconds and the rewriting part. Everyone knew that their tactician hated mistakes and foggy data. She preferred flawless exactness. "My systems work perfectly fine, my lady," said Athena in somewhat sulking voice materialising on her owner's shoulder. Usually Eirwen didn't have her visible, but in front of the others it was kind of a custom to show off with their AIs. Athena was shaped as a lean young woman with long curly hair reaching her waist, part of which was sealed with a comb. She was dressed in a long chiton, clothes popular around four thousand years ago, and in her hands she was holding a large sphere. Eirwen wrote her model design herself, to make her more or less fitting for her name. "I checked the time using the exact location coordinates, planet movement map, and the distance to the Sun at this point." continued the AI. Eirwen chuckled at such report. "Looks like I am still too early, chief," she said looking at Isaac.</s> <\|message\|>McDougal "Shadow of Luna" "Whoa there darling. I thought we were free men, not schedule men!" No one laughed at the crappy joke. "Oh just kill me now" "I found it witty and charming master!" "Dont make it worse Jenny" McDougal was sure that Isaac and Eirwen had some grand plan of defense in case of counterattacks, he didnt really care though. He had some plans himself involving his cache of explosives, gas grenades and hacking tools. He didnt wish to tear this station from orbit so his favorite bombs were out of question. The gas was one of his aces in space station centered fights, vaporized alcohol, even a light switch or gunfire inside it could cause it to ignite and roast anything caught in it. The hacking tools could be used to jam emergency bulkheads in place or force open airlocks, in this day most soldiers had space worthy suits but an unexpected spacewalk seemed to always dampen his opponents spirits. Then again he hadnt had enough time to install his precious traps on station yet so McDougal was getting a bit restless. "Now that Im done dying from embarrassment, mind giving us our general assingments. I have some AHEM preparations to make."</s> <\|message\|>Ben Shepard Ben looked at the intel and sighed. This was all above him. He was just a swordsman. He was about to respond to the statement when Durendal glared at him to shut up. He looked over at the intel and twitched. This was not his type of mission at all. He was all about being thrown into a swarm of enemies and throwing his swords around killing everything that he could. This seemed to be a bit too quiet for him. He grinned at Jason. "Well I've got my sunscreen and shades ready. The ladies cannot resist me when I am being a sauve as I can." He said pushing his hair back grinning. This earned him glare from his AI. He was trying to lighten the mood.</s> <\|message\|>Julis Alexander Julis nodded. "Okay...", he said in his usual quiet and monotone voice. It wasn't unheard of for Isaac to ask Julis for help doing stuff. Others (mostly maintenance workers) didn't enjoy him helping. His mind worked in strange ways, and as such, never wrote down what did what. It made it a pain for others since they couldn't understand what anything meant (and sometimes Julis didn't remember either). He heard McDougal make his little joke. It irritated Julis. Such a thing would have been considered a curse upon other cultures. His brother, Cesare, seemed to be like an unmovable mountain compared to those around him, and Julis was still sitting on his large shoulder. After a few moments, the numbers in Julis' head seemed to slow down. His usual demeanor of not paying attention to anything turned into a more focused look at Isaac, waiting for what bigger order he would ask.</s>	<\|message\|>Cesare Alexander Cesare looked at his brother and then to Isaac and then back to his brother. Underneath his helmet, his expression changed to one of concern for his younger brother. "Is it really okay, Julis?" He said, a hint of concern and brotherly love in his voice. He turned his head back to Isaac and underneath his helmet his face turned back to the one of disgust he used with those other than his dear brother. "You know Julis doesn't like to say no." Cesare used a loud and almost commanding voice with Isaac, though it was still softer than the one he used with others still. Perhaps it was because Cesare had been softened up by Julis. In fact, it probably was that. Lifting his large left arm up he pat Julis' leg, reinforcing that nothing involving Julis got by without Cesare's say.</s>
<\|description\|>Cesare Alexander "Anarchy is preferable to obeying those who have fallen from God's grace." Age: 38 Alignment: The Free Men (After having defected from The New Templars for a multitude of reasons that Cesare for the most part refuses to explain.) Fireteam: "Salvation" Height and Weight: Cesare stands at an astounding 4 meters tall and he weighs around 432 kg as a result. With his armor on, he weighs roughly 654 kg. Personality: Cesare is an extremely prideful man, believing himself to be above all others, though he is also fiercely obedient, respecting the chain of command. Due to his gargantuan size, he has been described as "fiercely intimidating", a trait he knows well and abuses. This has led to him acting as if he is a wrathful man, often threatening acting as if he has been sent into a berserk rage. The truth, however, is that Cesare is at all times calm and collected, having known nothing but war his entire life. Cesare is also very religious, and zealous in his beliefs. He considers himself a "fine Christian man", though talking to him reveals that many of his beliefs oppose those of most religions. One notable difference lies in the fact that Cesare does not believe in a Hell. He instead believes that those who live lives of sin, or simply lack faith, are doomed never to be remembered. When asked why his beliefs are this way, he will simply say "Nowhere in the blessed texts does it say that there is a Hell. The closest example I can find is in fact referring to a disposal site outside of Jericho." It's recommended not to question him further as he can and will proceed to give you his own sermon. Cesare is very vocal with his beliefs, not being afraid to disagree with others. He is known to many as an "intolerant bigot" or as "scum", because of his beliefs. Those that do not agree with his religious beliefs are in his eyes, doomed to never be remembered. He is also known to have rattled on about his extreme hatred for the LGBT community, believing that they are all denied entrance into Heaven, for living lives of sin. Cesare is very "Old Testament" in his beliefs, if it wasn't obvious. While on the topic of his beliefs, Cesare absolutely despises the "New Templars". He claims that they are false, having fallen from the grace of God. In fact, he believes that they do not deserve to wear the title of Templar, or Knight, or anything. He believes they are scum to be wiped from the bottom of his boot. Armor: The most noteworthy part of Cesare's armor is its sheer size. Weighing a little more than half as much as Cesare himself, it is roughly 222 kilograms in weight. The armor, on any normal person, would require mechanical assistance to even budge, but Cesare is a gargantuan strongman. Cesare relies more on his sheer strength than the armor, though it has saved his hide more than a few times. It is space-worthy, strong enough to resist most small-arms fire and even many types of explosives. There is no functioning AI attached to Cesare's armor, having been disabled at a time Cesare refuses to disclose. Arsenal: Cesare is trained to use a Flail, a Shield, and Explosives. We'll start with the flail. A large, unwieldy thing, the Flail is really just that: An overly sized flail. There is nothing special about it, other than its size. Next up is his shield. Imagine a bulldozer. That's what Cesare is like, his shield almost as big as him, making him look like a bulldozer. It is built from the same materials as his armor, being able to repair itself over time, but aside from that, it is for all intents and purposes: Tried and true metal. It is more than capable of protecting him and his brother from almost any harm coming their way. Finally is his explosive ordinance. There used to be rumors that his flail was capable of detonating on impact, but those rumors fell with the men that spread them. The truth of the matter is that Cesare keeps a stockpile of explosives with him at almost all times. Under each of his pauldrons, are at least two dozen half-grenades. By themselves, they do nothing, but when quickly snapped with another half, they activate and detonate shortly after tossed. He also has a rocket launcher that is always strapped to his back, should he decide the flail isn't enough. However, he is trained to use nearly every possible piece of explosive equipment and regularly changes the type of grenades he uses. History: A genetic reject and a gun savant, that's what they got. That probably makes little sense without context, so it should be given some. You see, the members of the fireteam "Salvation" were once members of "The New Templars", having been the promised children of twenty generations of a very carefully selected family line, which would be given the very best of gene enhancements to pass on to their children and their children's children and so forth. When the head researchers decided that anything beyond twenty generations would be too genetically diverse to properly augment these "Lambs of God", they went "all-in" and augmented the 19th generation of this pedigree to the fullest. This research team was fired for making such an idiotic decision. They nearly killed the 19th generation of specimens and it was a miracle that they were able to give birth to children at all. Not only was the PROTOTYPE genetic modifications provided UNSTABLE when combined, but they had not given the generation time to ADAPT to these UNSTABLE MODIFICATIONS. The years and years and years of research and development put into forging these two perfect children was thrown down the drain. The results were that; a genetic reject and a gun savant. Let's focus on the Genetic Reject for now. His name is Cesare Alexander. He is a four meter tall, 432 kilogram giant. He also happens to be a zealot. Not to mention the fact that he is trained in the olden ways of using a flail and shield, and then in the more modern ways of utilizing explosives. This built up his reputation among The Free Men as a hulking and terrifying weapon of war, more weapon than man. His reputation among The New Templars was hardly better, but he was still idolized as a weapon that was on their side. Of course, that changed when Cesare and his "little" brother defected to The Free Men, becoming the Fireteam "Salvation". Of course, there are reasons behind the desertion of the New Templars. Chief amongst them was his belief that they had "fallen from the grace of God". One thing to note about Cesare is the fact that he is well versed in his religion. Having read not only multiple translations of the Christian and Catholic bibles, but also the Hebrew Tanakh, only goes to prove this. This… shall we say, obsession, with religion has led to many disputes with those that are not also adherents to his faith. One of the reasons he is so efficient in combat is because he whole-heartily believes that he is doing God's will. The fact that his beliefs lie mostly in the Old Testament is a very bad thing for his foes. He even brings salt along with him on many occasions to salt the earth after winning a battle. Another of the reasons behind deserting The New Templars, is the fact that Cesare (and assumedly his brother) would like to found a new nation atop the ruins of The New Templars. Of course, this is very far from his reach for now and in reality is not a nation, but in fact a way of life. He plans on, in time, rallying others under his "banner" and then, well, wiping out anyone not adhering to his ideals. This is of course why he sides with The Free Men, seeing as how he believes that, in the long-run, they will be easier to "forcibly convert" (kill off) due to their anarchist way of life. Despite the fact that he views the New Templars as heathens having strayed from the teachings of God, he acknowledges that they are organized and that he and his brother could not face off against them on their own. He hides this desire from the other "Free Men", though the way he speaks down to them is more than enough of a hint. He's tolerated because he gets things done. Cesare does not bend knee to any man, though he does bend knee to God in prayer. As well as for his "little" brother, so he may clamber upon his back. The two share a close bond, and are vicious in combat, especially together.</s> <\|message\|>McDougal "Shadow of Luna" Were it not for his helmet, everyone in the room could have sworn McDougal had turned into tomato, such was the intensity of this emotional rollercoaster Isaac had thrown him into. He found Eirwen to be ravishingly attractive as a woman, but as an person that punctuality and expectations of perfection drove him goddamn insane! And these were HIS traps they were discussing here. Still, Isaacs orders were Isaacs orders and McDougal would follow suit like a good little Beacon he was. He moved next to Eirwen and started discussing his plan. It mainly involved setting an ring of sorts around the station, in two parts. If possible enemies would attack the station, they would be divided by jammed emergency bulkheads, this would be when part of enemy forces would be spaced with an rigged airlock and beforehand positioned freemen snipers would shoot the bastards to be sure they were out. Those still behind bulkheads would be funneled towards the bottom by giving them false targets to chase and "accidentally" leaked Beacon comminications. "And that is where we take them out to lunch!" McDougal was sure that Eirwen had her own plans and would most likely tear this one to bits, he was prepared to let it slide and do things her way this time around, after all, no enemy force was guaranteed to attack an base so heavily fortified with massive ordnance, right?</s> <\|message\|>Eirwen "Ice Queen" Dailon "Why the bottom?" asked Eirwen. She didn't usually question the decisions of her commander, but then again, if she was here, then she found it suitable to provide her opinion on the state of affairs. "According to my evaluation, the left flange might be a better choice. It isn't fully equipped yet, so the material losses on our side will be insignificant. It is also the one we damaged during our siege. In case it costs us too much to deal with the enemy forces, we can simply seal the tunnel and cast the whole flange in the open space while reforming our forces. I also have all the reasons to believe that this is the most vulnerable part, and if Templar tacticians studied the plan well, they will order the attack this point first. I also believe that our main life support units are on the first level, so if we are going to make the main move there, it should be more than just well calculated." Apparently, she didn't mind working with a partner. The more people she had access to, the better. Not to mention she was quite eager to learn about the structure of those traps. But the Ice Queen didn't show any hints about her true intentions.</s> <\|message\|>Klaus Helbrect Klaus and Rommel nodded in unison. Then, Rommel spoke up some more, his holographic likeness stepping off of Klaus' shoulders and floating towards the projected station. "Berechne ich eine fünfundneunzig Punkt sieben Prozent Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass unser Angriff vor Ankunft festgestellt werden, wahrscheinlich Punkt 70 Stunden vor dem Angriff beginnt. Ich rationalisieren ein siebenundvierzig Punkt sechsundachtzig Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass dies eine Falle. Ich werde Station Pläne zu überprüfen, während wir auf dem Weg." Klaus nodded. "Rommel reads a 97% chance of our plan being discovered before we can fully effect it, if standard station detection protocols are in place. Furthermore, there's a 47.86% chance that our attack will run into traps and ambushes. Tactical assessments will be given en route. For now, let's just get going." Removing his arms from behind his back, Klaus saluted, and left to retrieve his power armor from the armory.</s> <\|message\|>Julis Alexander Julis turned to Eirwen. "No... Not work..." Julis said, his voice quiet. He took out a small and unremarkable ballpoint pen, and a thin piece of paper, browned from time. He began to scrawl on it. His pen was moving fast. It was almost a scribble, but numbers appeared. Many numbers, in fact. Julis kept on writing. The numbers scrawled on the papers seemed to be in a shape. What shape was it? It wasn't very orthodox. It wasn't a shape. It was many shapes coming together. It appeared to be an object, but what object? More numbers were drawn, and the shape took form. It was the space station they were on. The left side had pretty high numbers, but not as high as the middle, top, or right side. Julis passed the paper to Eirwen to disprove he idea.</s>	<\|message\|>Cesare Alexander Cesare looked at what Julis had scrawled and tried to wrap his mind around it. Tried. Didn't succeed. So instead of trying to explain it, he turned back to Isaac. "I enjoy a good space walk. I'm going with Julis. Like always." He said, with his voice gruff and riddled with spite. He shifted as he turned back to look at Julis and his strange scrawling. Cesare wasn't the brightest, but he wasn't necessarily dull either. But his brother was a wiz with numbers and it was rather hard for Cesare to wrap his mind around what Julis was going on about. Math wasn't his strong point either, instead he focused on his religious studies. He relied on Julis for the numbers. Cesare was mostly listening for now, so he did little beyond that.</s>
<\|description\|>Dmitry Aleksey Novikoff Character Sheet Callsign: Stalin Age: 30 Sex: M Height: 189 cm Weight: 84 Kg Nationality: USSR, Ukrainian Aircraft: Sukhoi Su-35 "Flanker E" Appearance Eye colour: Blue Hair colour: Light brown Likes: * Making paper planes * Target shooting * Hunting * Storytelling * Videogames Dislikes: * Getting interrupted * Be mistaken for a Russian * Anything related to "Chinese" culture * Beer Personality: Dmitry may come off as distant, but he is pleasant company, staying quiet most of the times; when he does open his mouth, his different understanding of the English language may come off as sometimes confusing, if not downright hilarious. A steadfast fellow, never too late to respond to an order or help a friend out, whether if it's thousands of meters up in the air or in the local bar, throwing punches at whoever insulted his or his chum's mother. May tend to swear, but it is a bad habit he learned by learning English from other people, so even if he does throw a cuss here and there, he didn't necessarily mean it; not unless he's drunk, pissed or in a low mood. Luckily enough, Dmitry is rarely in a low mood, having the patience of a saint and an iron will; he rarely takes any insult seriously, but he isn't afraid to respond on the same tone. All in all, Dmitry can be a good friend, or at least a reliable comrade, with his own set of healthy morals taught by the cruelties he witnessed during his service. Personal History: Dmitry has known war and bloodshed for the most of his life, being a collateral victim to the great skirmishes and potshots carelessly thrown around by the higher powers. Having four more brothers in the family, he quickly learned to value camaraderie, no matter who was one's colleague. Facing the possibility of becoming a farmer like his own father and the biggest of his siblings, Dmitry quickly chose to enlist and become an officer in the USSR army, going together with his younger brother; his passion for planes and flight drove him to apply for the Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily (literally Military Air Forces), only to find himself immediately recruited and tested. His brother, Misha, ended up a soldier, another meat shield to be thrown in the buffer zone. Soon enough, Dmitry found himself already flying over the Eastern European fronts, escorting bombers and troop transports in his precious "Natashka", a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 he learned to love and abuse. He was mostly an aggressive fighter, dogging interceptors with a vicious ambition to shoot the enemy plane down; he was careful enough not to slip into reckless maneuvers, but he still preferred to choke and put pressure on opponents as an attempt to drive the opposition tired and far away from the main target. He racked up six air-to-air kills during his three year service for the USSR, until he was shot down in the middle of a dogfight by a tertiary assailant during the effort of suppressing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces push through Eastern Siberia; the pilot was forced to hide and survive for a week as the zone became too hot for him to try and find friendly units without risking running into the enemy. As the USSR started to make grievous mistakes, the pilot became more and more reluctant to serve as a fighter for "world terrorists" and decided to defect along with the entire squadron he was part of, offering valuable information about Soviet military outposts, general attitude and weak spots in their defenses. When he was questioned for his reason to leave his country, he famously replied " _'Cause no true, strong man kill innocent people. I closed my eyes when ze general kill the president, think that USSR would grow strong. I couldn't close my eyes to dis. I am soldier, not terrorist._" The war finally subsided, but he couldn't return to his home in Mayaky village, he couldn't even begin to explain his reason for betraying his mother country, none of his close-minded family members would understand; to make matters worse, two of his brothers died in the war, his little brother shot and killed in Romania, the bigger one died trying to help civilians flee in a bunker. The combined events forced Dmitry to live in Donetsk and try to start a normal life while warding off the depressing thoughts of his family renegating him for a traitor, a shame for them, for the village and the country. He worked mostly as a construction worker rebuilding the city, but at the lowest moment of his life, he became a garbage man. Years later since the war, Dmitry couldn't stand being a civilian, feeling that he didn't really fit in with people that didn't understand what true dedication and camaraderie meant, so he took the risky step to offer his services for multiple private military contractors; in the end, he sticked with Thunderbolt Black, simply because he trusted a company that takes their recruits through rigorous tests before enlisting them. He was more than pleased to learn that he was offered a place as a fighter pilot, accepting the proposition with no second thoughts. He served for a couple of years, given several occasions to prove he was still an able interceptor, "a royal pain in the ass" in other words; for his accomplishments, Dmitry bought a beauty he fell in love with at the first sight: his new Su-35. Personal Weapons and misc. Gear: * * * Gerber ASEK survival knife * Standard aircraft survival gear and equipment * Gaming laptop Aircraft Sheet Name: Sukhoi Su-35, NATO reporting name: Flanker E Profile link Appearance: Paint Job: Matte grey Owned or loaned: Owned.</s> <\|message\|>Marciano "Mark" Codemi The newspaper hit the small tabletop with a small thud, breaking the silence of the near empty lounge area. Marciano sighed as he leaned back in his own seat, it was early, and he felt it. A drowsiness that seeped into his mind, not overpowering, but enough to make him want to lean back and take a short nap. He was halfway inclined to do just that, a few minutes at the most, just something to get the shadow of the early morning out of his head. As he leaned back however a resounding boom echoed through the small room, making Marciano snap open, and the pilot jump to his feet. As the klaxons of alarms began to ring out throughout the base, Marciano broke off into a sprint. Weaving his way past people who were all scrambling to positions, he shouldered open an access door to the locker room and retrieved his suit and helmet, after which he took off in a dead sprint towards the hangers. As he arrived he began to pull on his G-suit, pulling the familiar zippers into place and scanned the deck for his craft. Seeing it the pilot moved his way to it, and swung himself onto the ladder. "Good to see ya' boy!" One of the mechanics shouted to him as he climbed into the cockpit "We got you loaded up as best we could on such short notice, you got yourself some sidewinders and a pair of AMRAMM's, use them well. Now get up the-!" The last part of his sentence was cut off by the cockpit closing, but Marciano got the spirit of it. Starting up the Hound, he couldn't help but smile at the rumble of the craft, it sounded like a chained dog rearing to go, to hunt. Slowly working his way to the runway, Marciano saw a mig take off, a fine looking aircraft. But now it was his turn. "Tower this is Charnel, am I clear?" It wasn't quite the protocol way of asking, but this wasn't quite a protocol situation. "Your clear Charnel. Heads up, your squadron leader is already up their, callsign Knight-1." "Received and understood" was Marciano only quick response before moved the throttle up, sending the Hound screaming down the runway. As soon as he was clear and high enough up he began to move his wings back, making his Tornado more aerodynamic, banking towards the coast he got word of the surface targets from Knight-1. Keying his own radio he sent his reply "This is Charnel I am in the air, im not loaded for ground targets, but don't you worry ill keep the air off your back."</s> <\|message\|>Scott Valentine Scott let out a brief sigh of relief as he heard the other three pilots check in one by one. That would certainly make the prospect of hindering, if not outright halting, the amphibious force and their cover less daunting and far more achievable. "Roger, all callsigns," he replied to the other three pilots. "Glad to have you in the air. Stalin, good job on downing those two helos - two less for us to worry about. We'll sort out your positions in the squadron once things are ah, a little less 'exciting'. In the meantime, let's proceed as follows: Charnel, buddy up with Stalin. Both of you take care of the helos, and any fast-movers that show up. Kat; hit them from North to South. I'll position to hit them from West to East just after. Your run should shake them up enough for me to avoid taking too many hits, and to get a good BDA on your first pass. Then we'll reposition for a run in tandem depending on the results. Glad you're all here, pilots - I think this is going to be a pretty busy morning". Scott's mention of fast-movers was on the money; moments later the radio channel came to life as the radar showed two new inbounds at a higher altitude. "Black Knights, this is control - be advised, we show two hostiles moving in to your area. Looks to be two MiG-35's. Stay alert, over" "Roger," replied Scott with a grimace. The MiG-35 was no easy opponent at the best of times, in the best of aircraft. He was confident that his new allies could at least keep them off of their backs, if not swat them out of the skies. Angling his aircraft toward the approaching fleet, he got a better look at them at long range, and St Helen called out the radars' identification of the craft as she followed their movements. "Four helicopters remaining; looks to be two Ka-52's... could be dangerous, they're super-manoeuvrable and can carry air-to-air missiles. Seems like we've got two troop-carriers as well, look like Panthers, they might be armed too. Swimmers look like BHT'sin military config. Watch out for triple-A or shoulder-launched SAM's. APC's look like AAV's, more small-arms to worry about from them". "Great ID of the targets," he replied to his co-pilot, raising an eyebrow under his visor as he rolled the Super Tomcat out into his approach. "Kat, ready for your run. We'll commence our attack as soon as you pull out of your own. Watch for triple-A and SAMs, over". High above, the two MiG's broke into a descending bank, circling lower toward the battle, hunting for the Black Knights' aircraft. Sighting Stalin and Charls' planes, they dived in toward them from on high, staggered in their formation and separation to pounce on the waiting jets and their pilots.</s>	<\|message\|>Dmitry Aleksey Novikoff Once given the orders, Dmitry nodded to himself and banked away from the Intruder's bearings to circle around and search for the other attack helicopters. They were later ID'd, which made him consider the possibility of being hit by one of their air-to-air missiles; sure, he had flares and his skill to dodge his death, but he still had to conserve his munitions and energy for when the fighters and bombers eventually return to the engagement. There was another fighter out to help repel the airborne enemy vehicles, codename Charnel; he looked for it a while until he saw the Panavia Tornado, the jet fighter he quickly recognized from seeing it a few times before. Initially, he didn't feel like communicating with him since he was pretty sure that he could handle himself well, but thinking twice, it would be better if he could at least announce his intentions to avoid any blue-on-blue incidents. "Charnel, you copy? This's Stalin. I'll engage one of the Panthers and Ka's, the transporters can carry a maximum of 10 grunts. Way too many guests, too little food and drinks, da?" After that, he felt a little awkward for some reason. The thought nagged him somewhere in the back of his mind while he maneuvered his jet in air to catch up with the rest of the choppers. This time he was descending upon them from their right side to avoid flying at low altitudes that close to base. As he was approaching them, he let the computer on board do some calculations and come with a solution to engage the targets with maximum precision without resorting to his precious rockets or missiles; a target vector came up on the screen that was slowly moving away and in front of the Panther Dmitry decided to take out, so he rolled at a seventeen degree angle to the right and to match the jet's own level indicator with the target prograde vector, he pressed his boot against the pedal and pulled the control stick back to yaw and pitch until he hit the sweet spot. "Guns." He quickly muttered, instantly squeezing a trigger under his index distal phalange to release a healthy 30mm burst from the internal gun, the lives of eleven or twelve men at the complete mercy of aerodynamics, bullet flight path and a Ukrainian's rather nonchalant gesture. He never took a moment to properly reflect over what he was actually doing, never attempting to dissect the situation and try to put himself in his own victim's position; like most, he copped out by dismissing his targets for people who chose this kind of a lethal life and career, he himself was in as much danger as any of them. And danger finally arrived. The Ka's didn't quite got the chance to react to the assault as a couple of more able enemies dive down upon Dmitry's Su-35 and Marciano's Tornado. As soon as the computer alerted the pilot of an imminent lock-on, he growled under his breath in frustration and switched the Khibiny-M countermeasures on for a brief amount of time in order to focus on a maneuver to pull out of the chopper engagement and quickly get into a dogfight; he used everything, ailerons, flaps, lifters and the thrust-vectoring capability of the engines to pull up and meet the descending MiG's halfway. He didn't have the chance to try to fire at any of them, but as the two jets were forced to pull up and prevent from crashing into the water, Dmitry then gained altitude advantage over the two fighters after he rolled and leveled with the ground. "Charnel, I'll chase and keep 'em bitches busy, hit 'em when you have a clear shot! Oh- be a good man and tell me when you fire foxes on 'em, oke?" But the MiG's were smart. They quickly reacted to the situation, cancelling Dmitry's attack window; forced to give up on his advantage, the Ukrainian started to chase and shake the bandits around him. Forces pushed, pulled and yanked at his body, but he remained undeterred, kept his focus and his patience unbroken. "Knight One, this is Stalin, Charnel and I've been engaged by bandits, two MiG's, state of the art."</s>
<\|description\|>Dmitry Aleksey Novikoff Character Sheet Callsign: Stalin Age: 30 Sex: M Height: 189 cm Weight: 84 Kg Nationality: USSR, Ukrainian Aircraft: Sukhoi Su-35 "Flanker E" Appearance Eye colour: Blue Hair colour: Light brown Likes: * Making paper planes * Target shooting * Hunting * Storytelling * Videogames Dislikes: * Getting interrupted * Be mistaken for a Russian * Anything related to "Chinese" culture * Beer Personality: Dmitry may come off as distant, but he is pleasant company, staying quiet most of the times; when he does open his mouth, his different understanding of the English language may come off as sometimes confusing, if not downright hilarious. A steadfast fellow, never too late to respond to an order or help a friend out, whether if it's thousands of meters up in the air or in the local bar, throwing punches at whoever insulted his or his chum's mother. May tend to swear, but it is a bad habit he learned by learning English from other people, so even if he does throw a cuss here and there, he didn't necessarily mean it; not unless he's drunk, pissed or in a low mood. Luckily enough, Dmitry is rarely in a low mood, having the patience of a saint and an iron will; he rarely takes any insult seriously, but he isn't afraid to respond on the same tone. All in all, Dmitry can be a good friend, or at least a reliable comrade, with his own set of healthy morals taught by the cruelties he witnessed during his service. Personal History: Dmitry has known war and bloodshed for the most of his life, being a collateral victim to the great skirmishes and potshots carelessly thrown around by the higher powers. Having four more brothers in the family, he quickly learned to value camaraderie, no matter who was one's colleague. Facing the possibility of becoming a farmer like his own father and the biggest of his siblings, Dmitry quickly chose to enlist and become an officer in the USSR army, going together with his younger brother; his passion for planes and flight drove him to apply for the Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily (literally Military Air Forces), only to find himself immediately recruited and tested. His brother, Misha, ended up a soldier, another meat shield to be thrown in the buffer zone. Soon enough, Dmitry found himself already flying over the Eastern European fronts, escorting bombers and troop transports in his precious "Natashka", a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 he learned to love and abuse. He was mostly an aggressive fighter, dogging interceptors with a vicious ambition to shoot the enemy plane down; he was careful enough not to slip into reckless maneuvers, but he still preferred to choke and put pressure on opponents as an attempt to drive the opposition tired and far away from the main target. He racked up six air-to-air kills during his three year service for the USSR, until he was shot down in the middle of a dogfight by a tertiary assailant during the effort of suppressing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces push through Eastern Siberia; the pilot was forced to hide and survive for a week as the zone became too hot for him to try and find friendly units without risking running into the enemy. As the USSR started to make grievous mistakes, the pilot became more and more reluctant to serve as a fighter for "world terrorists" and decided to defect along with the entire squadron he was part of, offering valuable information about Soviet military outposts, general attitude and weak spots in their defenses. When he was questioned for his reason to leave his country, he famously replied " _'Cause no true, strong man kill innocent people. I closed my eyes when ze general kill the president, think that USSR would grow strong. I couldn't close my eyes to dis. I am soldier, not terrorist._" The war finally subsided, but he couldn't return to his home in Mayaky village, he couldn't even begin to explain his reason for betraying his mother country, none of his close-minded family members would understand; to make matters worse, two of his brothers died in the war, his little brother shot and killed in Romania, the bigger one died trying to help civilians flee in a bunker. The combined events forced Dmitry to live in Donetsk and try to start a normal life while warding off the depressing thoughts of his family renegating him for a traitor, a shame for them, for the village and the country. He worked mostly as a construction worker rebuilding the city, but at the lowest moment of his life, he became a garbage man. Years later since the war, Dmitry couldn't stand being a civilian, feeling that he didn't really fit in with people that didn't understand what true dedication and camaraderie meant, so he took the risky step to offer his services for multiple private military contractors; in the end, he sticked with Thunderbolt Black, simply because he trusted a company that takes their recruits through rigorous tests before enlisting them. He was more than pleased to learn that he was offered a place as a fighter pilot, accepting the proposition with no second thoughts. He served for a couple of years, given several occasions to prove he was still an able interceptor, "a royal pain in the ass" in other words; for his accomplishments, Dmitry bought a beauty he fell in love with at the first sight: his new Su-35. Personal Weapons and misc. Gear: * * * Gerber ASEK survival knife * Standard aircraft survival gear and equipment * Gaming laptop Aircraft Sheet Name: Sukhoi Su-35, NATO reporting name: Flanker E Profile link Appearance: Paint Job: Matte grey Owned or loaned: Owned.</s> <\|message\|>Rodriguez Hefferman The ground strikes were majorly successful as the rebel's northern front of Sinnamary collapsed with a gaping hole in their lines, leaving Knight One's Tomcat virtually unopposed from any kind of ground fire as he made his own attack run with the artillery pieces in sight. After making a clean run on the big guns, Heartbreak's laser guided Paveways made quick work out of the artillery, engulfing the cannons into a surging inferno of fire and twisted metal. All that really remained were a large smoldering craters from the blasts with red hot husks of the former batteries. Else where, Rodriguez noticed two airborne explosions from the West as the rebel attacker craft were hit by Eagle flight's interception. It was hardly considered an a fair fight; the A-37 Dragonflies were simply ill equip nor were aerodynamically capable of performance against the more air dominant craft of Eagle flight. Already seconds into the engagement the rest of the rebel aircraft bugged out, obviously wanting no part with the fates of their wingmen and reversed course back to which they came. However it appeared that the air confrontation was over, Spirit felt that the engagement was too easy; too easy in a different sense that just one squad of A-37 were all that the rebel could throw air-power wise. For the briefest of moments, Rodriguez swore that he saw something shimmering in that sky that almost appeared to be- "Targets on the river...Three groups of four, moving at slow speed. Got small arms comin' off of em, looks like the reinforcements. I'm rollin' in hot, over!" Spirit snapped back to the situation in hand as Heartbreak called up a tally on incoming gun boats up the river, poised for an flanking attack on the town defenders. "Knight Five, roger that. Vectoring in on hostile craft." radioed Rodriguez as he banked his F-16 up towards the river and gaining altitude as he planned his his next attack run. Knight One's report rang true as three groups of attack boats came down the river throwing tracer fire into the air in a desperate attempt to keep the aircraft away seeing as though all their support that would have covered them literally went up in smoke. Rodriguez came in with a very loose formation with Hearbreak and Short round before they peeled off into their own attack vectors. After circling around the small fleet, Spirit had then designated his targets for death as he made a dive towards the lead unit. Small arms fire opened up as he came into his approach, additional tracer leaping specifically for his craft while he painted the boats for the the Hydra 70s to scream against. Once the ping was perfect he called out Fox 1 and pressed on the weapon release, rockets spewed from their respective launchers and made contact with the riverborne craft. Personnel and armaments flew out of the boats as each rocket split them in two from not only the initial impact but the blast as well. Because of the tree line surrounding each side of the river, Rodriguez pulled up almost immediately, branches and foliage were sent in wind created by the F-16 directed thrust. Once he had enough altitude, Spirit surveyed the results of his attack and confirmed the destruction of the front group. Seconds later, Hearbreak's run had dispatched the rear craft with ease, leaving only the center unit alone and completely at the mercy to Short Round's and her incoming attack. The painted scene was grisly perhaps in the perspective of the last surviving team of boats as they were surrounded by the sinking smolders of their comrades river craft. In a poetic sense, Hawk flight could be depicted as a pack of circling sharks, waiting for an opportunity to strike the hapless sailors locked to the lifeboats from a sunken seaworthy vessel without any real support or safeguard to rely on. The thought was not relishing in the slightest but these rebels posed a sure enough threat that needed to be eliminated.</s> <\|message\|>Marciano "Mark" Codemi "You have to fucking kidding me." Was all Marciano said as the tone that warned of an incoming missile lock filled his cabin and ears. He pushed his throttle once more to the near edges of casing and threw his jet into a hard right bank. He gritted his teeth as the dull thumps of the countermeasure flares launching reverberated in the hull. Pulling to the left, Marciano turned the Tornado out of the right bank and into a hard left bank, the missile closing closer. Mumbling something under his breath that sounded vaguely prayer like, Marciano launched more flares, his eyes fixed on his review mirror and on the contrail that was creeping closer and closer to his hull. As the bright stars shot out from the planes underside, he held his breath, the missile wavered and finally took the bait, veering off after a flare, a fireball errupting from the jungle where it went down. Bringing the hound into a level position, and slowing the jet away from the sound barrier, Marciano scanned the sky for any sign of who shot at him "Stalin, Viking, this is Charnel. you guys good? Also, who the hell was that!?" looking around the European pilot thought he saw a glimmer in the distance, but couldn't be too sure until the others checked in, he didn't want to go chasing phantoms alone.</s>	<\|message\|>Dmitry Aleksey Novikoff As soon as the cockpit was filled with alerts and eerily calm, robotic voices uttering words of warning in Russian, Dmitry spat out the worst curses his brain could muster under the stress and mild panic that hit him in a matter of seconds after he enjoyed the spectacular display two thirds of Eagle Flight put out. Pulling and pushing every control surface in all possible directions, the pilot grunted and hiccuped as he felt his body pulled about by invisible forces that had grown dangerously familiar to him as he tried to shake off all lock-ons. He kept trying to look over his shoulder when he had the time, but, he would get a face full of chair instead of a visual on any ground-to-air or air-to-air missiles trailing him; he thought he saw smoke trails littering the air like a paper string, but the alerts just wouldn't cease no matter how hard he tried to shake the foxes off. Multiple pairs of flares dropped from the jet's frame as Dmitry pulled up and, thankfully, at least two alarms stopped assaulting his ears; now, he could understand the jet announcing him about the low altitude and low speed, so, he pushed the thrust forward, resulting in an immediate force pushing the pilot back in his seat as the Su-35 ascended from a dangerous altitude, engines screaming as they pushed the weight of the fighter upwards. The pilot gritted his teeth and squeezed his muscles tight as he could physically feel the heavy mass of his jet as it climbed back to relative safety and by the time he finally recovered, he managed to catch an uncertain glimpse at the radar spotting more bogeys. This was a definite message that he had to become active in the engagement. Once he finally recovered from the near crash, Dmitry forced the grim thought of death out of the cockpit and launched his Su-35 forwards, determined to kick ass and take names for nearly ruining his very expensive piece of military engineering. As his fighter ripped through the sky, he caught a glimpse of the canopy reflecting the sunlight, offering him a general direction of possible enemies. He then heard Charnel speak through the comms, just as panicked and angry as he was, to which the Ukrainian replied: "Charnel, Stalin, I didn't die yet. I'm going to kill the koorva before she does smart things again. I can't get a lock-on, though, that is really not good." He was prepared to dodge any remaining AA ordnance launched from below and retaliate with his own set of AGMs, but his main focus was to survive and rip the aggressors to pieces. It suddenly became a personal issue for the pilot, fact that gave him drive to commit to the support effort of the ground team.</s>
<\|description\|>Rodriguez Hefferman Callsign: Spirit Age: 32 Sex: Male Height: 6' 2" Weight: 95.2kg Nationality: American Aircraft: F-16V Appearance: Someone somewhere is missing their assault rifle… Likes: * Alcohol * Reading * Italian Food * Chit-chatting Dislikes: * Politics * Stubbornness * Untidiness Personality: Rodriguez is social kind of guy, usually very eager to make friendly conversations with colleges and other people. Of course his motivation is sometimes fueled by that of the ounces of alcohol running through his system; his closest friends are very weary of this fact when inviting him to bars or parties. Usually during down times, Rodriguez can be found usually shifting through an entire newspaper or reading a book of any kind he picked at a local shop. Ever since serving all the way through the Third World War, Rodriguez has seen many horrors on both sides of the conflict which has made a big impact on him, especially when he originally was viewed a patriot of sorts. Rodriguez is now very opened minded and sympathetic when it matters, usually accepting other opinions unless proven immoral or illogical. Personal History: Growing up was not an easy thing for Rodriguez. Though he was born to a happy family, there was not a whole lot of money to go around; repeated debts and failed loans only retained enough of a budget to keep him and his folks going with food and a roof over their heads. As the years went by, their finances further declined hopelessly eventually forcing Rodriguez out of guilt of not being able to help his parents with their teetering living expenses to find a job, especially at an early age just as he started attending junior high. Despite his parent's best wishes, Rodriguez joined the military personally out of financial necessity right when the world was at the brink of war. After getting his placement tests, he later found himself in the United States Air Force, rather unexpectedly on that note too and even further so when he realized that he had a knack for flying even though he never gave the concept much thought. Unfortunately as his parents feared, a Third World War had erupted and Rodriguez was deployed overseas where he would later see active combat in the Asian continent. Rodriguez's skills as a fighter pilot of an F-16C continued to excel as he went up with more combat sorties involving strike operations against hardened targets and escorting of bombers and logistical aircraft. He eventually earned the status of Ace after successfully downing five DPRK aircraft while participating in several strategic bombings runs that penetrated into North Korean airspace. After bringing his record to eight kills, Rodriguez was then offered a position as a flight instructor to train new squadrons entering into the war. Though the feeling of not being shot at and being closer to home was idyllic for quite some time, the moment when ICBMs began raining down on American soil plunged Rodriguez back into the war where he would see two more theaters of combat. Some years would past until the war had concluded where Rodriguez was still flying for the USAF away from home, participating in a variety of non-combat missions over Korea and Russia where he would constantly observe the aftermath of the carnage the conflict had wrought, leaving a rather sour taste that was growing intolerable by each passing day. Finally, after so long Rodriguez returned back to the US with open arms awaiting him. Though returning to the civilian life was very pleasant, the years of service had changed him and thus Rodriguez grew unsatisfied and yearned to fly once more, even if was not combat oriented. As fate would have it, a PMC called Thunderbolt Black would approach him with the position as a fighter pilot in mind. At first (for several months in fact) Rodriguez questioned the job offering, especially when most PMCs he encountered operated without the best of intentions, usually looking for one more skilled gun to further their successes. However after learning more about Thunderbolt Black's goals and objectives, he soon found that he could not decline and eventually joined up. Personal Weapons and misc. Gear: * Beretta U22 Neos * Model 15 Airman Knife * E-Reader filled with textbooks and novels Name: F-16V Profile Link Appearance: Paint Job: Standard Thunderbolt Black configuration - Personal decal of a ghost underneath the canopy. Owned or loaned: Loaned</s> <\|message\|>Scott Valentine The small flotilla of riverine craft were a mess after the round of attacks by the Black Knights flight dedicated to ground-attacks. With Kei's assault rounding off the run on the small force of repurposed civilian boats, the reinforcements were left treading water, floundering or drowning - or floating in charred, dead lumps with the flow towards the ocean. The attack on the ground had, for the moment, been broken. A breathless message from Major Constantine confirmed as much; the Gendarmerie and Militia forces had been able to take back positions to the edge of town, forcing the surviving rebels to fall back to earlier positions, and giving the defenders a line to hold, until the Thunderbolt Black ground reinforcements arrived with armour and heavy weapons. The majority of his ordnance expended, Scott turned his attention back to the skies, bringing his flight back into formation - and was immediately alerted by St Helen to the ongoing duel between the air-to-air flight, and their newly arrived opponents. *** The quick reactions of Marciano and Dmitry kept them alive and unhurt. The inbound AAM's were fired from long-range, and with a poor initial lock from the front angle. As the ADV and the SU-35 broke sharply and blasted out countermeasures, the brightly burning flares were enough to distract the inbound missiles - or at least, for long enough that they had trouble re-acquiring their targets, and self-destructed instead. From the direction of the missiles, a pair of aircraft blasted past, performing their own superbly executed break, splitting wide and curving in the morning skies, faint trails of vapour gleaming from their wingtips as the two sleek, angular tactical aircraft turned to engage. The pair were a mis-matched duo; an SU-37 Terminator and a Dassault Rafale. Both were coal-black, with the Rafale having electric blue accents on the wingtips, canards and rudder, and the Terminator having deep orange in the same places. Both also sported a horned skull insignia in various places, and the numbers '2' and '5' in gothic script. Each were laden down with ordnance, both aerial and ground-attack, and at the sight of the Black Knights, turned to engage their aircraft. The Rafale began to pursue the Tornado, positioning itself between Marciano and Stalin, while the Terminator harassed its' sukhoi stablemate, driving hard towards Charnel with the powerful radar in the SU-37's large nose hunting down the Ukranians' aircraft as it banked to 270 degrees at the apex of its' climb, hammering down hard toward his plane. Scott observed the situation from his position. St. Helen had fed the image from the powerful and huge AESA radar in the ASF-14's nose to his console and he quickly assesed the situation. His ordnance for ground attack was virtually depleted. Both Kei and Rodrieguez had more rounds to expend, however, and the airstrip was visible. The pair of bandits hadn't dallied with the ground-attack flight as of yet, and Austin looked to be in the clear too: perfect opportunity for a two-on-two. "Short Round, Spirit. Go turn that Airstrip back into a jungle clearing. Break. Viking, this is Heartbreak; go give Charnel a hand with his new fan, I've got Stalin's tail, over" He pushed more power into the ASF-14's engines, the wings sweeping back that little more as he climbed and banked, angling to slot in on the SU-37's tail as it dove for Stalins' jet. "Razorblade, lock that fucker up for me!" he grunted over the intercom, keeping his eyes fixed on the gleaming shimmer of the Terminator, a good half-mile distant above the sea of green below. The skies over the airstrip were clear; the airstrip itself was nothing more than a logging camp roughly repurposed into a temporary strip. Sheds for construction equipment, now left out in the open, shielded the few light aircraft and helicopters in position, and sandbagged heavy machine-guns or truck-bed mounted guns were the only air defences along with handfuls of shoulder-fired SAMs dotted here and there. Traces, aimed manually and fired too early or on reflex, curved wildly up into the skies along with small-arms fire, and it was easy to see people running in terror as the sounds of the oncoming jets was heard. The last Dragonfly from the earlier attack was still at the end of the runway, waiting for whatever the rebels had planned for it.</s> <\|message\|>Kie Feng Barrel-rolling victoriously out of her latest pass in order to stay low tight and fast on the corner, Short-Round had made short-work of her foe's efforts to outflank her client in the thick forests with small and nimble boats (likely from former narcotics-smugglers). And was given token-appreciation from Constantine's forces on the ground. But just as suddenly as they themselves appeared upon the scene, the balance of favor quickly began to shift against them all with the arrival of two sleek multinational multiroles that most definately were not part of the locals. Although she had some good air-to-air capabilities, her jet was still lugging three quarters of a ton of ordnance as Scott identified just one more target to hit: their airfield. Although nobody would see or hear it, Kei nodded at her orders and flicked-on a tape-recording of an old song as her air-superiority fighter flirted with the idea of moving some mud to raise hell just one more time. She started her attack inverted in a high-G turn to line-up with the runway, firing a few volleys of 'nails' at anything that so much as blinked something shiny at her plane as it came barreling-in from three kilometers as her plane snaked into position for a bombing-run with her last napalm-can diagonaly across the 'strip' and hopefully into what appeared to be a control tower or bunker of some sort, likely to render the whole field useless for at least an hour. A quick glance at her multi-function panel indicated somewhere in the mid-teens when it came to 'nails' remaining, and most of the soft targets had been well peppered already... still they had one more trick... A 'nail', when fired at a target less than a kilometer away, behaved exatcly as the name describes: as a single solid lump of armor-penetrating hardened steel traveling at about mach 6... resaulting in lovely over-penetration as the nose breaks-up like a twenty-pound glaser-slug followed by still-burning solid rocket fuel. Only problem was that her 68mm SNEBs were never the most accurate things in the world, but at those ranges, it was pretty hard to miss. She just had to remember to pull-up, roll over, pick another target while leveling-out, fire another pair of nails, and pull-out again, rinse and repeat until either every sandbagged ammo and fuel bunker was on-fire, or her insides found a new home on the front of her visor... but in this case she simply ran out of rockets. "Rounds complete, egressing. All yours, Spirit. Time elapsed since first bomb: 2 minutes, 36 seconds.</s>	<\|message\|>Rodriguez Hefferman The gleam from earlier unfortunately had clear hostile intentions as a duo of advanced four-point-five generation fighters screamed out of the skies and engaged Eagle Flight with the element of surprise favoring the new bandits. Going by the official markings of the black skull painted craft, it seemed apparent that these guys were mercenaries fighting for the rebels, flying professionally as they vectored in on Stalin's Su-35 and Charnel's Tornado; so much for this mission being a cake walk. Rodriguez grimly watched as Eagle Flight was chased by the mercenary bandits, feeling helpless as he was in no way properly equipped to deal with such advanced fighters as he waited eagerly for Scott's orders. "Short Round, Spirit. Go turn that Airstrip back into a jungle clearing. Break. Viking, this is Heartbreak; go give Charnel a hand with his new fan, I've got Stalin's tail, over." It wasn't the insane moral order that he wanted to recklessly jump on in the back of his mind but it did provide an outlet to channel his frustration on a key enemy asset that only posed more harm than any particular good to the town defenders, "Spirit, copies. We'll erase those rebel ground assets." Spirit pulled his F-16 behind Short Round as she was already on top of the poor excuse of an airfield. As he closed in for his own attack run, Rodriguez watched Kei's offensive as she blanketed the facilities and panicking personnel with more ordinance, setting and tearing pretty much both aflame and into pieces; lovely. Defense guns hopelessly fired into the sky with dwindling purpose as those without forth degree burns began to abandon the make-shift hangers and facilities with their lives as a priority. A smart move of course as Spirit had pre-lined up his Hydra 70s with the assets still on the ground, damaged or untouched. "Rounds complete, egressing. All yours, Spirit." Showtime. The F-16 dipped into frontal assault dive in defiance of the unsteady machine guns, tracer rounds and small arms fire whizzing by or even bouncing off the fighter just as it everything entered within Spirit's attack range. "Knight Five, Fox 1!" Rodriguez squeezed the weapon release and turned the rudder left to right, rotating the yaw of his fighter as the rocket launchers continuously fired non-stop as a stream of rockets roared onto the airfield like an apocalypse of fire and metal. Vehicles and aircraft trapped on the airfield by Short Round's napalm-cleansing attack fell victim to the onslaught of rockets flattening anything and everything in the kill-zone. The assaulting destruction quickly found and poured into the abandoned facilities and sheds of aircraft with broken concrete and twisted metal flying in all directions as the end result until only an inferno remained, devouring the metal birds and ammunition in secondary detonations. With his rocket count now fully spent, Spirit pulled up out of his attack run and into more smokeless skies. Stabilizing into an appropriate altitude over the carnage created by himself and Short Round's assaults, Rodriguez oversaw the results of their attacks and tallied the destruction of the airfield and its assets with decreasing glimpses of surviving rebels fleeing the chaos. "Spirit to Knight One, Hearbreak. Rebel airfield neutralized, no read on any remaining resistance. Awaiting your orders."</s>
<\|description\|>Kie Feng Callsign: Short Round Age: 28 Sex: F Height: 160 cm Weight: 53 kg Nationality: Chinese Aircraft: CAC Super-7 (Chengdu J-7 with improved nose-fairings and a GE F404 turbine found in later blocks of F-16) Appearance: Eye colour: Brown Hair colour: Black Likes: Strawberries. Dislikes: Being called inferior on account of being shorter Personality: Short-tempered and abrasive to go with his stature, very prideful of her nation's role in the great war. Born sometime around 1988 in China's Gansu Provinence, Kie just happened to be at the forefront of the conventional Russo-Sino border-conflicts of 1992 and continued to live in the war-weary region even as the event went nuclear in 1998, when she and her family fled to Pakistan following the Haifa incident. However, during the retreat, a mushroom-cloud was seen in the distance just as they were about to cross the Pakistani-border. She was only eleven years old. They re-settled in the Nanjing Military Region, where she volunteered to help the war-effort by working the fields by day and repairing planes whenever they returned. After awhile she learned how to fly the JJ-7M, and made it into the newly raised 14th Fighter-Division of the PLAAF flying and testing an extensively modified version thereof. In 2006, she had the opportunity to actually fly into combat against the North Koreans, trying to turn the tide to their favor by steadily moving away from the attrition of a People's War and more towards a better equipped professional all volunteer fighting force. After fighting the Americans and their allies for over a year, the Chinese government switched sides and redeployed what remained of her shattered division on the northern-front just a few kilometers north of her hometown as they unleashed newer and newer weapons of mass destruction upon the Soviet-Union. After the war, the government thanked Kie for her service, and simply let her go. The economy was so shattered they could not offer her a job, and to help fund the war she and her family had literally purchased her own plane. So with so much money invested in fighting, and that being the only worthwhile job she ever had, Kei answered an advertisement for a unit in the Bahamas. It even had a name similar to what the Pakistani refugees called her plane when it went on night-time raids: "Black Thunder". Personal Weapons and misc. Gear: Type 85 submachine gun (7.62x25 TT) Aircraft Sheet Name: Chengdu Air Corporation Super 7 Profile Link: Modification of the J-7M, Gun armarment: GSh-23-2L and a single GSh-30-1 Appearance: Paint Job: Navy-blue on sky-blue with anti-flash white undercarriage Owned or loaned: Owned</s> <\|message\|>Marciano "Mark" Codemi "You have to fucking kidding me." Was all Marciano said as the tone that warned of an incoming missile lock filled his cabin and ears. He pushed his throttle once more to the near edges of casing and threw his jet into a hard right bank. He gritted his teeth as the dull thumps of the countermeasure flares launching reverberated in the hull. Pulling to the left, Marciano turned the Tornado out of the right bank and into a hard left bank, the missile closing closer. Mumbling something under his breath that sounded vaguely prayer like, Marciano launched more flares, his eyes fixed on his review mirror and on the contrail that was creeping closer and closer to his hull. As the bright stars shot out from the planes underside, he held his breath, the missile wavered and finally took the bait, veering off after a flare, a fireball errupting from the jungle where it went down. Bringing the hound into a level position, and slowing the jet away from the sound barrier, Marciano scanned the sky for any sign of who shot at him "Stalin, Viking, this is Charnel. you guys good? Also, who the hell was that!?" looking around the European pilot thought he saw a glimmer in the distance, but couldn't be too sure until the others checked in, he didn't want to go chasing phantoms alone.</s> <\|message\|>Dmitry Aleksey Novikoff As soon as the cockpit was filled with alerts and eerily calm, robotic voices uttering words of warning in Russian, Dmitry spat out the worst curses his brain could muster under the stress and mild panic that hit him in a matter of seconds after he enjoyed the spectacular display two thirds of Eagle Flight put out. Pulling and pushing every control surface in all possible directions, the pilot grunted and hiccuped as he felt his body pulled about by invisible forces that had grown dangerously familiar to him as he tried to shake off all lock-ons. He kept trying to look over his shoulder when he had the time, but, he would get a face full of chair instead of a visual on any ground-to-air or air-to-air missiles trailing him; he thought he saw smoke trails littering the air like a paper string, but the alerts just wouldn't cease no matter how hard he tried to shake the foxes off. Multiple pairs of flares dropped from the jet's frame as Dmitry pulled up and, thankfully, at least two alarms stopped assaulting his ears; now, he could understand the jet announcing him about the low altitude and low speed, so, he pushed the thrust forward, resulting in an immediate force pushing the pilot back in his seat as the Su-35 ascended from a dangerous altitude, engines screaming as they pushed the weight of the fighter upwards. The pilot gritted his teeth and squeezed his muscles tight as he could physically feel the heavy mass of his jet as it climbed back to relative safety and by the time he finally recovered, he managed to catch an uncertain glimpse at the radar spotting more bogeys. This was a definite message that he had to become active in the engagement. Once he finally recovered from the near crash, Dmitry forced the grim thought of death out of the cockpit and launched his Su-35 forwards, determined to kick ass and take names for nearly ruining his very expensive piece of military engineering. As his fighter ripped through the sky, he caught a glimpse of the canopy reflecting the sunlight, offering him a general direction of possible enemies. He then heard Charnel speak through the comms, just as panicked and angry as he was, to which the Ukrainian replied: "Charnel, Stalin, I didn't die yet. I'm going to kill the koorva before she does smart things again. I can't get a lock-on, though, that is really not good." He was prepared to dodge any remaining AA ordnance launched from below and retaliate with his own set of AGMs, but his main focus was to survive and rip the aggressors to pieces. It suddenly became a personal issue for the pilot, fact that gave him drive to commit to the support effort of the ground team.</s> <\|message\|>Scott Valentine The small flotilla of riverine craft were a mess after the round of attacks by the Black Knights flight dedicated to ground-attacks. With Kei's assault rounding off the run on the small force of repurposed civilian boats, the reinforcements were left treading water, floundering or drowning - or floating in charred, dead lumps with the flow towards the ocean. The attack on the ground had, for the moment, been broken. A breathless message from Major Constantine confirmed as much; the Gendarmerie and Militia forces had been able to take back positions to the edge of town, forcing the surviving rebels to fall back to earlier positions, and giving the defenders a line to hold, until the Thunderbolt Black ground reinforcements arrived with armour and heavy weapons. The majority of his ordnance expended, Scott turned his attention back to the skies, bringing his flight back into formation - and was immediately alerted by St Helen to the ongoing duel between the air-to-air flight, and their newly arrived opponents. *** The quick reactions of Marciano and Dmitry kept them alive and unhurt. The inbound AAM's were fired from long-range, and with a poor initial lock from the front angle. As the ADV and the SU-35 broke sharply and blasted out countermeasures, the brightly burning flares were enough to distract the inbound missiles - or at least, for long enough that they had trouble re-acquiring their targets, and self-destructed instead. From the direction of the missiles, a pair of aircraft blasted past, performing their own superbly executed break, splitting wide and curving in the morning skies, faint trails of vapour gleaming from their wingtips as the two sleek, angular tactical aircraft turned to engage. The pair were a mis-matched duo; an SU-37 Terminator and a Dassault Rafale. Both were coal-black, with the Rafale having electric blue accents on the wingtips, canards and rudder, and the Terminator having deep orange in the same places. Both also sported a horned skull insignia in various places, and the numbers '2' and '5' in gothic script. Each were laden down with ordnance, both aerial and ground-attack, and at the sight of the Black Knights, turned to engage their aircraft. The Rafale began to pursue the Tornado, positioning itself between Marciano and Stalin, while the Terminator harassed its' sukhoi stablemate, driving hard towards Charnel with the powerful radar in the SU-37's large nose hunting down the Ukranians' aircraft as it banked to 270 degrees at the apex of its' climb, hammering down hard toward his plane. Scott observed the situation from his position. St. Helen had fed the image from the powerful and huge AESA radar in the ASF-14's nose to his console and he quickly assesed the situation. His ordnance for ground attack was virtually depleted. Both Kei and Rodrieguez had more rounds to expend, however, and the airstrip was visible. The pair of bandits hadn't dallied with the ground-attack flight as of yet, and Austin looked to be in the clear too: perfect opportunity for a two-on-two. "Short Round, Spirit. Go turn that Airstrip back into a jungle clearing. Break. Viking, this is Heartbreak; go give Charnel a hand with his new fan, I've got Stalin's tail, over" He pushed more power into the ASF-14's engines, the wings sweeping back that little more as he climbed and banked, angling to slot in on the SU-37's tail as it dove for Stalins' jet. "Razorblade, lock that fucker up for me!" he grunted over the intercom, keeping his eyes fixed on the gleaming shimmer of the Terminator, a good half-mile distant above the sea of green below. The skies over the airstrip were clear; the airstrip itself was nothing more than a logging camp roughly repurposed into a temporary strip. Sheds for construction equipment, now left out in the open, shielded the few light aircraft and helicopters in position, and sandbagged heavy machine-guns or truck-bed mounted guns were the only air defences along with handfuls of shoulder-fired SAMs dotted here and there. Traces, aimed manually and fired too early or on reflex, curved wildly up into the skies along with small-arms fire, and it was easy to see people running in terror as the sounds of the oncoming jets was heard. The last Dragonfly from the earlier attack was still at the end of the runway, waiting for whatever the rebels had planned for it.</s>	<\|message\|>Kie Feng Barrel-rolling victoriously out of her latest pass in order to stay low tight and fast on the corner, Short-Round had made short-work of her foe's efforts to outflank her client in the thick forests with small and nimble boats (likely from former narcotics-smugglers). And was given token-appreciation from Constantine's forces on the ground. But just as suddenly as they themselves appeared upon the scene, the balance of favor quickly began to shift against them all with the arrival of two sleek multinational multiroles that most definately were not part of the locals. Although she had some good air-to-air capabilities, her jet was still lugging three quarters of a ton of ordnance as Scott identified just one more target to hit: their airfield. Although nobody would see or hear it, Kei nodded at her orders and flicked-on a tape-recording of an old song as her air-superiority fighter flirted with the idea of moving some mud to raise hell just one more time. She started her attack inverted in a high-G turn to line-up with the runway, firing a few volleys of 'nails' at anything that so much as blinked something shiny at her plane as it came barreling-in from three kilometers as her plane snaked into position for a bombing-run with her last napalm-can diagonaly across the 'strip' and hopefully into what appeared to be a control tower or bunker of some sort, likely to render the whole field useless for at least an hour. A quick glance at her multi-function panel indicated somewhere in the mid-teens when it came to 'nails' remaining, and most of the soft targets had been well peppered already... still they had one more trick... A 'nail', when fired at a target less than a kilometer away, behaved exatcly as the name describes: as a single solid lump of armor-penetrating hardened steel traveling at about mach 6... resaulting in lovely over-penetration as the nose breaks-up like a twenty-pound glaser-slug followed by still-burning solid rocket fuel. Only problem was that her 68mm SNEBs were never the most accurate things in the world, but at those ranges, it was pretty hard to miss. She just had to remember to pull-up, roll over, pick another target while leveling-out, fire another pair of nails, and pull-out again, rinse and repeat until either every sandbagged ammo and fuel bunker was on-fire, or her insides found a new home on the front of her visor... but in this case she simply ran out of rockets. "Rounds complete, egressing. All yours, Spirit. Time elapsed since first bomb: 2 minutes, 36 seconds.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani was barely aware that something rolled into her, and that the earth shifted around where she lay. She recognized Kasai's voice, but said nothing in response. Maybe if they hadn't been so focused on each other Ryuu would still be here. That just made her wonder where Mio was. Had she failed so badly at protecting her own team that the only one left was the damn sergeant…? When Kasai begged her to not punch her, and began to see to Avani's arm she considered crushing them both within the rock shelter. She heard something crashing repeatedly into the walls of their shelter, and figured it was the spirit that had killed her friends. She'd kill that first. Avani moved so that her feet were touching the earth, which made her able to feel the immediate area around them. She only had strength to make some improvements to their shelter though, so she added more earth on top of them, turning it into long spikes, which impaled the spirits trying to break in, and a few holes only large enough to let in air. As she felt the fire burn the flesh of her right arm, she grabbed Kasai's shoulder with her left hand and squeezed it. Avani was angered and confused by this woman. She was partly the reason the others were dead. It would be easier to blame her entirely, but then she'd be nothing but a coward and a weakling herself. On the other hand, just a moment ago she'd confessed to wanting to do things with her that she'd rarely considered doing with other women. Part of her still did. Kasai's personality was quite bewitching. Most would have been threatened by Avani's larger stature, physical demeanour, or her criminal background. Kasai hadn't even left the mission to her, even when she'd used a few dirty tricks to get her to do so. Avani let go of the smaller woman's shoulder, fearing she may break it just by trying to endure the pain she was burning into her wounded arm. She hoped that if they got out of this situation, she'd be able to control herself better and that Kasai wouldn't mention what she had said to her earlier. Yet she had to close her eyes, bite her lower lip and grab onto a rock to keep herself from lashing out at Kasai every time she put the flame on her arm. Eventually, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to punch her like she'd suggested or bite on the other woman's lips instead of her own, in a rather violent kiss. Her gaze bore into Kasai's face as the thoughts passed through her head. She passed from conscious state into a disturbed sleep when Kasai let up on inflicting pain on her. No pain would hopefully disturb her, but at least she seemed to be healing. She muttered a lot of incoherent words loudly, but those one would be able to make out included the names of her lost friends and Kasai. Her voice was fierce and powerful at times, and then weak and grieving. In the moments she was awake, she remembered past moments with her friends and how this had started out as any normal day, but now Ryuu was dead and Mio was who knew where. After an amount of time that felt like hours, but could be shorter, she regained some kind of semblance of sanity. Avani found Kasai still next to her, not like the firebender had much choice when they were trapped in a shelter made of earth. She checked her arm and found that it had stopped bleeding. It looked awful, scarred and singed, but at least she could still move it a little. She doubted she'd be able to use it for anything any time soon. Well, if she was going to brag about how good she was with her feet she should start living up to it. "Thanks." She said to Kasai, keeping it short lest she say something else she'd regret. Avani used her feet to check the area for any nearby spirits or humans, but found nothing. She decided to open up their shelter so that they at least had an exit if they wanted to leave, but remained lying on her back, staring at the rocks above her.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi As Kasai sat next to Avani in the small shelter that had been built around them, she could not help but let her mind wander. As the woman next to her tossed and turned in her sporadic sleep, Kasai watched her. Part of her wanted to comfort her, but for what reason, she didn't know. Avani had been nothing but a thorn in her foot since the mission began, and yet Kasai found her oddly intriguing. Instead, she let her be as she were, twitching and grumbling as she drifted in and out of a lucid state. Kasai looked down at her foot, which she just remembered was injured. Funny how the brain can forget physical pain in the presence of emotional agony. Her foot was gnarled and torn from where the goo monster had stolen her boot right from her leg. She cringed as she picked pieces of dirt and debris from it in an effort to clean it up a bit. The rest of the time, her mind traveled. The scene of Barron being swallowed by a sea of black replayed in her mind, preventing her from resting at all. When she wasn't thinking about that, she thought about how Kieron had sacrificed himself to make sure she was safe. If only she could have reached out and pulled him into the rock tent with them... Hot tears ran down her face, and she sniffled. She wiped her face with what was left of her mangled sleeve and rested her head and arms on her knees. After about an hour, she had allowed herself to close her eyes and rest. She dreamed of memories from days long past. A movie of her life with her friends played out in her mind, beginning when she was a young teenager training at the pro-bending gym where she met Kieron. From there, they grew very close and ended up forming their own team together, fighting side by side for many years, until Kasai decided to join the police. That was where Barron entered her life, he was one year her senior, and was going through the officer training program with her. They became friends only after they had been competitors, each fighting to be the best in their class and earn the top spot. But this drew them together instead of apart, and they were soon comrades at the PD, where they worked together and made sure they were on the same assignments. Kasai's short rest was disrupted when Avani yelled out, causing her to jerk her head up from where it rested on her knees and look around frantically. When she realized it was only words from an unconscious woman, she let out a sigh of relief. Rubbing her eyes, she stared at the rock wall that lay before her. The calmness was almost ironic. After a few hours, Avani returned to consciousness. She stirred for a moment and then thanked Kasai with a brief utterance of the word. Kasai nodded once and looked at her arm, "You're welcome." She began to think again of Barron, how he was a waterbender and waterbenders could heal people with their bending. If only he were here... tears welled up in her eyes again, but she clinched her jaw and refused to let them fall. As a wall came down from their shelter, she looked out to see it was significantly later in the afternoon. Well, what would be afternoon, if time worked the same as it did in the physical world. Kasai stood and walked towards it, turning her head over her shoulder. "I'll be right back." She walked out of the tent and up the small hill to where the battleground was. Whatever that monster was, it was now gone. Only streaks of black remained as a ghost of what had been there only hours before. Kasai scanned the area, and thanked the spirits when she saw a pack lying on the ground. She grabbed it and returned to the rock shelter, sitting down beside Avani again. "Here, you need this. In more ways than one." She handed her a canteen full of water that she had retrieved from the bag and gave a half smile. "Might help your arm out a little, as well as dehydration." She motioned towards her singed arm and then continued looking through the pack, checking what supplies they would have to survive on for now.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "I'll be fine without you." She scoffed, but caught herself watching Kasai's behind as the woman left their shelter. Avani thought about leaving Kasai to fend for herself when she could not hear her anymore. It was no more than she deserved, but when she came back with water for her she felt a tinge of guilt for thinking that way. Besides, Avani would be no better off alone at this point than Kasai. When she moved to take the canteen from Kasai their hands touched, but Avani forced herself to ignore the warmth she felt and hoped Kasai wouldn't notice it on her face. "Thanks." She muttered again. Avani drank some of the water, then poured a fair bit onto her arm. She groaned in a mixture of pleasure and pain as the cool water hit her damaged arm, and quickly put her left hand over her mouth to cover up the involuntarily noise she'd made. The silent atmosphere between them was already inspiring these kind of thoughts and actions, she didn't need to contribute to it herself. She rose to a sitting position and leaned her back against the rock wall. She sat like that for a long moment, considering what her next course of action should be. She knew Ryuu was dead now, but could Mio be saved from whatever danger she had ended up in? Avani wanted to believe there was a chance she could rescue Mio, but she was weak at the moment and for every hour that passed it would be less likely that Mio was found alive if the spirits were this hostile to humans. They hadn't finished the mission either. She honestly didn't care whether they did or not. Avani would let Republic City burn if she could get Ryuu back. Such thoughts were meaningless, but it made her feel a little better about their complete and utter failure. Avani poked at her singed and scarred right arm with the fingers of her left hand. If she did get out of this world alive, back through the portal to Republic City, then she figured she would get a tattoo to cover up the horrible damage. She'd never wanted a tattoo before, but she'd had no reason to ruin her beautiful skin and body. Now it would be a work of art to cover up something worse, something she'd be reminded of every time she looked at it. They could probably make it look like a dragon wrapped around her arm – a dragon devouring a pig. She glared at Kasai as the last thought passed through her head. "I guess this is the result you get when you refuse to listen to your betters, right Kasai?" Avani whispered through clenched teeth, feeling the anger building within her. She'd sworn to control her anger and emotions better though, so instead of saying anything more she stood up by supporting herself against the wall and walked out of the shelter. Avani couldn't see or sense any more of the corrupted spirits. She sighed in relief. She kind of wanted to turn around and apologize for what she'd just blurted out in anger, but too proud to do that she kept walking. She didn't get far before she felt the light-headedness return, and staggered, reaching out for something to grab onto but failing to find something she created a rock pillar to balance herself on.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai merely nodded as Avani thanked her again, realizing that it was more of a minor recognition than an actually expression of gratitude. Kasai sighed and rummaged through the pack she found. There were several food items, which meant this must have been one of the other team's bags. She found a few bandages and gauze, as well as two more canteens of water and a map of the forest they were in before entering the portal. Kasai took some of the gauze and tended to her foot, covering up the worst parts in more of an effort to keep the wounds clean more than anything. She contemplated removing her other boot, but decided to leave it on. One banged up foot was enough, she didn't need the other one getting torn up by underbrush and thorns too. Kasai looked up when Avani groaned, but soon ignored it, knowing the cool water must be quite a relief on her wounds. She turned her attention back to the supplies and realized they were now without a radio. Even if they could get back to the spirit portal and back to the physical world, they would have a ways to go before they could find help if they needed it. She grumbled and closed her eyes to try and cease the stress that was building, her mind wandering again to her last image of Kieron. He was dragged off by the spirits, not killed. Or at least, not that she had seen. Kasai made a silent commitment then to look for her friend before attempting to leave the spirit world. The mission no longer mattered. What mattered was finding her lifelong friend. She opened her eyes when she heard Avani whispering, and her brow furrowed as her expression grew to disgust when the hateful comment left Avani's lips. Kasai watched as she stood and walked out of the shelter, not bothering to pay her any more attention. Her focus was instead aimed at not tearing his girl's, who she just saved, head off. Kasai sat there brooding, but with each passing moment the comment gnawed at her. Finally, she stood up and went after Avani. Kasai found her several yards away, and as she approached her she noticed that she had to build herself a rock to keep herself from falling over. This time, instead of checking to make sure she wasn't going to pass out again, Kasai walked up behind her and grabbed her good arm. She pulled her backwards and spun her around so that she could look her in the eye when she spoke, no more over the shoulder comments. "You know what? Blame me. Blame me for it all if you want." Kasai stared into Avani's eyes with a fiery essence in her own. "But don't be so naive to think that I'm the enemy here. I could've let you bleed out, or I could've let you suffer the same fate as your friend did. But I didn't." She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed out before looking back at Avani, "I saved you."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani felt warm when Kasai implied that she thought she was beautiful, but then the little cop had to ruin the feeling by speaking more words. Of course she had to find some reason to put herself above Avani. She turned her eyes away from Kasai, thinking she need not bother with the woman if she was going to be like that. It wasn't like it was the first time someone had told her she was stupid though. Just because her interests were of a more physical nature, didn't mean she was without a brain. "Come to think of it, weren't you supposed to buy me dinner? I remember you mentioning this morning how you couldn't wait to put your hands on me. I mean, I did think you meant it as a threat but now I can see I was mistaken in that assumption." Avani smiled, having run out of laughter, and feeling no need to further mock Kasai. Right then anyway. Avani wanted to continue moving, to save Mio as soon as possible, but she couldn't deny that her body was tired even if they hadn't walked particularly far. She should be able to press herself some more without suffering injuries or worse. She turned to look at Kasai when she pointed out the obvious that they had light. Did she really think Avani was that dumb? Still, she couldn't deny that the light lit up Kasai's feature in a striking fashion which reminded her of why she found her appealing to the senses. Well, other than the ears, having to listen to her was getting on Avani's nerves. Avani stepped closer to Kasai, invading her personal space this time. "Yes, a small spark." She put her hand around the flame. "If nurtured, who knows, perhaps it could create a fire that lasts longer than anyone would have expected." Avani looked into Kasai's eyes while speaking, and moved her hand to brush a couple of strands of hair out of the sergeant's face. "Earth could be used around it, to stop the fire from growing into a wildfire that would only cause harm to those seeking heat." She slid her hand slowly down Kasai's cheek, neck and left it resting on the hole she had accidentally created before. "I think we've suffered enough today to seek the heat, and forget our irreplaceable losses for a second." She spoke the words into Kasai's mouth, as she'd leaned that close and shut her eyes for a third kiss. "Wow…!" Avani heard Mio shout, and when she noticed a see-through projection of Mio in the clearing as well she pushed Kasai away from her and straightened her posture. "She came on to me!" Avani pointed at Kasai, trying to defend herself. Mio had almost lost concentration when she had found those they had been worried for, in the act of starting god knows what, but she regained it and kept her voice monotone and deadpan instead of filled with the rage she had to suppress. "I was worried sick about you, Avani, but it seems you'd rather, how did you put it? "seek the heat and forget the others"!?" Mio felt her projection fading, but she concentrated as much as she could to prevent it from doing so. "I guess you saw your chance and took it as soon as you two got a moment together. Were we just in the way for you all along?" "Of course not, Mio. We've been walking for hours trying to find you! She said we should stop and was all like pretty in the light and stuff…" Avani facepalmed herself. She didn't need anyone else to tell her how awful that sounded. "I don't have time for this." Mio said in her deadpan tone, while shaking her head disapprovingly. "I think we're at some kind of lake. I can see water. We're pretty high up too, maybe in some kind of nest for these odd winged spirits? I'm not sure." "That's not much to go on." Avani said, but the projection faded and disappeared as she spoke. So she was left alone again with Kasai, who she had now actually tried to seduce instead of simply kiss. She wished that Mio would return, but she didn't.¨ "I don't know which is best. I'd say we keep moving for a few hours more. I'm used to pushing pressure on my body. You don't need to worry about me."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi One minute they were bickering, and the next they were standing close enough that Kasai could see Avani's pulse beating on her neck. The flame in her hand lit up the space between them and cast an orange glow over their faces and contributed to the ambiance, which Kasai tried to her damnedest to ignore. She swallowed the lump in her throat whenever Avani's hand touched her face, brushing her hair away while their eyes remained locked in a gaze. What was it about this girl? Kasai didn't know why she allowed her to get so close to her, to touch her and hold her within a breath's distance. She was annoying and childish and immature, and yet Kasai found her intriguing and tempting. She followed Avani's hand with her gaze as it moved from cheek to neck to chest. Goosebumps ran down her spine and she looked back at Avani as the woman's face grew ever closer to hers. She ignored the part of her brain that told her to move away and instead gave in to the part that told her to press closer, for whatever reason. She closed her eyes and met Avani's lips. That is, until a strange and alarming voice was heard from the side. Kasai's eyes opened wide and she moved her head back and turned it around looking for the source of the voice. When her head was turned, Avani pushed Kasai and sent her stumbling backwards a few steps. When Avani pointed at her, she threw her hands up in innocence, just like all those suspect had when she had yelled at them to put their hands up. "I, uh..." Kasai clenched her jaw and stood there awkward and stiff, left again in an uncomfortable position as Avani spoke to the transparent image of her airbender friend. She looked on and listened while they spoke, then blushed when Mio accused them and Avani called Kasai pretty in the light. She cleared her throat looked at her feet. Then the airbender started to describe where she was and the surrounding area, and Kasai looked up with eager eyes at the sound of the word "we". She took a step forward from where she had been standing and raised a hand to try and catch the fleeting image of Mio. "Wait, 'we'? Is Kieron there with you? Is he-" the projection of the young woman faded away and Kasai was left without answers. She had to assume the best, that he was there and alive and that he could be saved. She sighed, knowing she wouldn't know his fate until they got to where they were going. Kasai put the map up and grabbed the pack again, slinging it over her shoulder. She walked up next to Avani and nodded, "I think we should move on too. The closer we get, the better chance we have of saving them." She tried to smile, but she could tell it was halfhearted. So instead, she bit her bottom lip and looked down at the ground as they started to walk again. "So uh..." she rubbed the back of her neck and laughed a bit out of nervousness, she didn't really know how to respond or react to the events that were occurring between them, or even if she should. "I came on to you, huh?" she laughed a bit again and then cleared her throat, "Looked to me like you came towards me." Kasai smiled a bit but she was still unsure if Avani was going to rebuttal with a smart ass, rude comment or with some sarcastic joke. "Tell ya what, if we ever do get back to Republic City, we have us a little wager or contest, and loser buys the other dinner?" They kept walking for a few more hours, but even Kasai was growing weaker at this point. She stopped and dropped the bag to the ground. "I think now we should probably rest. We won't be any good to them if we can't even defend ourselves, let alone get them out of there. There's just a few hours now until daybreak, at least I think." She realized the spirit world was something totally different from their own. "We can get a move on again at dawn."</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "Agreed then." Avani said, and sat down for a second to rest her legs. She had been interrupted at the worst possible moment. Kasai had definitely kissed her back, and she even thought she had shivered under her touch. Avani giggled when Kasai brought up who had come on to whom. It was different from her loud mocking laughter, and quite feminine. "Yeah, I doubt she fell for that. Maybe if she hadn't heard me trying to seduce you it would have been easier to shift the blame." She stood up and followed Kasai through the forest once more, but now it became harder to see where she was putting her feet. She focused her eyes on the flame Kasai carried. "I wonder how long she watched us before she said anything…" Avani whispered mostly to herself. "Suuure, Lady Sergeant. I bet you earn more money than me though." She said with a snarky tone when Kasai suggested they decide who buy dinner for who with a competition, but then changed her mind about being snarky and coughed. "Not that it matters since you're going down either way." Avani grinned cockily. "I always win. Besides, I think you'd have a problem with where I'd get the dough from to wine and dine such a fine lady." It was an honest concern for her, even if she did have a legitimate job it didn't pay nearly well enough to take out someone like Kasai for dinner. She didn't mind doing some less legal work on the side for quick cash, but Kasai was a policewoman. "Heh, I suppose that could help with securing a second date if the first one goes bad." Avani giggled again. "Oh, I'm sure you'd love the chance to put someone like me in handcuffs and do with as you please..." Avani blushed at her own comment after thinking about it, and went silent after that. As they kept walking in silence, it was what occupied Avani's thoughts. She wondered if Kasai actually did have her own set of handcuffs for private use, but mostly she thought about what that could result in. When they stopped, Avani yawned. She felt exhausted at that point. "Yeah, Mio will be pissed though, probably thinks we just resumed where we left off." Avani moved her feet to create another shelter like the one before. It was smaller, but should still allow them to sleep in. She got down on her knees in front of the opening to it, crawled halfway in and remembered that she had only made one. She blushed and backed outside on all fours, then used her feet to create a second one for Kasai on the other side of the clearing. "I almost forgot, sorry." She said while yawning. "I'll close it up securely after you. Oh, and I am sure your friend is fine. Mio wouldn't say we for no reason. I don't think she's gotten that well acquainted with the spirits." Avani just smiled with a tired expression across her face. After walking those last hours with questionable thoughts filling her mind, part of her kind of wanted Kasai to pounce her or enter her shelter, but she also knew she was too tired to take any advantage of such a situation. She needed to recuperate her energy to be able to rescue their friends too as Kasai had pointed out. She supposed it would be nice to sleep next to someone for the first time in a few months at least. Well, not counting passing out from pain and blood loss earlier.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai nodded and shrugged, "I doubt that, she cares about you. I'm sure she knows you care about her too. She'll get over it when we get them out of there." She watched while Avani used her bending to create another shelter from the earth. As she crawled into the shelter, Kasai moved to go in after her, but stepped back when Avani crawled back out and created another shelter of her own. "Right, thanks." She started to walk over to the other shelter, but she stopped short and turned back around. "Hang on," She moved back over to Avani's shelter and stood for a moment, trying to get a feel for the temperature outside. They were surely both warm because of their time spend walking, the blood pumping fast enough to keep them warm. However, Kasai figured as soon as they stopped moving the chilly air would move in and cause some shivers. "Here, this might help with the cold." Flames dance from her hands towards the shelter, heating the rock enough so that the residual heat would radiate and keep the inside of the shelter warm. "Though, sleeping with a firebender would keep you warmer." She smiled shortly and then walked over to her own shelter, doing the same to it before making her way inside. She cleared the small space of any sticks or stray rocks that would jab her, and then she lay down. Her body was exhausted, but her mind had not quite caught up with her physical tiredness. She stared up through one of the small holes in the shelter at the trees and pieces of the spirit sky that she could see. Swirling shades of purple melded with the deep blue of the night sky, and several moons could be seen as they slowly made their orbit. Kasai sighed and thought about all that had happened in that short day. She had been given a mission, excited to take it on with her two best friends. But now, one of them was gone. And the other... well at least there was hope for him. Her eyes finally fluttered shut and sleep met her weary mind. The rising sun peeked through the holes of the shelter and for the first time since they arrived in the spirit world, the sounds of rustling spirits filled the air of the forest. Kasai groggily opened her eyes and then stretched, looking around to remember where she was. She sat up and yawned, but realized she couldn't leave her shelter because, well... she was not an earthbender. Instead, she allowed herself to wake up, rummaging through her bag and finding enough food to serve up for breakfast. She used her bending to heat it up, and hoped that the smell of cooked meat would wake Avani so that she could exit the shelter.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh As Kasai told her to hang on and came over to her shelter once more, Avani expected her hopes of them sharing a bed coming to fruition, but she was let down with a teasing remark about how it would have been warmer to sleep with a firebender than in a warmed shelter. She stretched out her tongue at Kasai when the woman turned her back towards her. Avani closed up Kasai's shelter after she had entered it, and then she crawled into her own, closing it up as well. She shifted the earth beneath her body, turning it soft like sand. She grinned knowing that Kasai couldn't possibly do anything to get something as comfortable to sleep on, not when she had decided to sleep alone. She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the earth. It had been a tiresome day for her. She'd rather not think about all that had happened since this morning, and she had tried her best to push any thoughts of her dead friend away by focusing on Kasai instead. His death came back to haunt her during the few hours' sleep she would have gotten. She dreamed nightmares about how he accused her for his death, how he came back for revenge and how Mio helped him with a smile on her face. Avani tossed and turned, not getting much sleep at all, and when her nose registered the smell of cooked meat her dreams turned it into another nightmare about how it was Avani's body being burnt, not just her arm this time. She woke up in a cold sweat, still smelling the meat being prepared. Avani rolled around in her own shelter in a panic, looking for the source of the smell while her breathing grew ragged. She came to the conclusion that the smell was coming from outside and calmed down. She kind of felt like murdering Kasai for providing her mind with such nightmare fuel though. Avani kicked the wall free from her shelter to get out, and then she walked over to Kasai's shelter with a cold expression on her face. She leaned against it, and looked through one of the air holes at Kasai. "Well, well, look what I caught in a trap for my breakfast." Avani grinned mischievously. "So, what should I do with the Lady Sergeant now that I have her at my mercy, hmm?" She yawned, scratched her head. She didn't want to imagine what her appearance was like with so little sleep. Death itself may very well look better than she did, for all she knew. Avani was glad that she didn't have any mirror. "How about I make you beg me to release you?" Avani laughed. "Oh, but Lady Avani I'll do anything to get out from this devilishly clever trap you caught me in." She went on, now mimicking Kasai's voice as a response to what she had just said herself. "Anything, you say?" Avani went back to mimicking Kasai, gasping as if shocked, and put a hand in front of her mouth while keeping her eyes wide open. "No… Not that. I'm far to upstanding and full of myself to consider the thought of doing something like that with another woman, but…" She removed one of the walls to Kasai's shelter, and crawled inside with a grin across her face. "But?" Avani stopped for a moment and looked at the cooked meat with a frown. "That gave me nightmares, you know. Maybe you should consider that I just smelled my own flesh burning yesterday when you make breakfast in the future." She blushed briefly. "Not that we'll ever have breakfast together after today." She cleared her throat with a cough.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The sound of earth moving caught Kasai's ears, and she thought she heard Avani, or something at least, headed towards her shelter. She jumped a little when Avani's voice was produced above her at one of the air holes. Looking up, she had little to no time for speaking before Avani opened her own mouth and of course began the morning with mockery and jest. Kasai opened her mouth several times to interject, but was cut off at each brief pause when Avani again would begin speaking. She held the conversation with herself, then finally a door to Kasai's shelter was opened and Avani was quick to crawl inside. She donned a devilish grin and Kasai was left sitting there with a strange expression on her face, partly because of the strange nature of Avani's commentary. "But... I made breakfast. And you know what they say, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach. Isn't that what you wanted, a woman who can cook a mean canned spam?" She laughed briefly before the next comment made her shut up. Kasai looked down at the canned meat that she had heated up and frowned as well, sniffing for a moment and realizing it very well may have sent a bad signal to Avani's brain while she slept. She scratched her head but then shrugged, "Well I would hope for your sake that in the future you won't have to smell your own flesh burning." She smirked and then grabbed a plastic fork, sticking it in one of the cans of food and handing it to Avani before grabbing her own. There were a few slices of bread in the bag, so she got out a piece and split it in half, rationing their food because spirits know how much longer they'll be trapped in here. She took a bite, weary at first of the canned and seemingly untrustworthy meat. However, the flavor wasn't as bad as she had expected, and she managed to get it down pretty easily. She knew the calories and energy contained within the meal would be crucial for their journey for the rest of the day, so she ate as much as she could and finished off with her bread, which she toasted with her firebending. She looked at Avani and licked her lips of any remaining saltiness that the food had left, and then looked out the wall of the shelter. It was plenty light outside now, should be very easy to navigate. The map sat folded in the backpack, so Kasai grabbed it and unfolded it in between them. "We should be pretty close now. Not that far to go before we should be right on top of them, at least I hope." She shook her head and stared at the map for a moment more before looking again outside of the small rock space that they were both in. They both sat just inches from each other due to the small parameter of the shelter, and Kasai looked at Avani while she ate. "See, my survival cooking skills are clearly perfectly honed." She grinned and then started cleaning up the area, placing items back in her bag before getting out a canteen of water and taking a drink, then handing it to Avani. "Now just imagine what I can do with some quality ingredients, I should have been a chef instead." She laughed and finished cleaning up. "We should get a move on pretty quick. Don't need to waste any daylight," She grabbed the bag and began to crawl out of the shelter, dragging it behind her as she made her way forward on all-fours.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani took the can of food and the bread that was handed to her, eating with a sly smile across her face, eyeing Kasai whenever she was not busy putting it in her mouth. They were looking at each other, but not saying much before they had finished eating. Avani kept the sly smile on her lips all along. The food did taste pretty good considering what it was and who had provided them with the ingredients. It was unlikely that Republic city would care much for what they made their people eat when they were on missions, other than that it should have a lot of nutrition. She watched Kasai unfold the map, and looked at it herself. There seemed to be a body of water not too far from where they may be, if she was reading the map correctly, so what Kasai told her was hopefully true. She wanted to get out of the spirit world already, but at the same time she wished she could have entered it under different circumstances or return when it had been healed from the evil inside. "Yeah, you're good enough." Avani said teasingly with a wink. "I wouldn't know if you could be a chef before I tasted something better than military rations though. I'd certainly be more interested in someone who is a chef though." Avani finished her food, and handed the dishes to Kasai for her to put back into the only bag they had now. She gratefully took the canteen of water and drank as much as she dared without leaving them with nothing to drink later. "After you." Avani grinned. "Wouldn't want to miss the spectacular views that the daylight provides either, now would I." Kasai was forced to crawl over and past Avani who was seated near the entrance. She quite enjoyed seeing her on all fours when she was this close, so Avani didn't feel the need to move or make it easier for Kasai to get outside. She did crawl outside after her once the firebender had gotten outside and stood up on her feet. Avani regained the sly smile she had donned earlier, and looked at Kasai. "So, it would be wrong for me to attempt to seduce you without a dinner, but it's totally cool for you to try to romance me, huh?" Her smile widened. "Or as you said yourself, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach? I suppose that breakfast could count as a dinner if you want it too. I don't mind either way. I'm just surprised you seemed to imply that you wanted to be a woman that I would want." Avani laughed, patted Kasai on the back and destroyed their shelters. She figured it was unlikely anyone would be following them, but if they were there was no one reason she had to make it easy to find them. She didn't think anyone who may want to assist them knew how bad their situation had gotten yet. "After you, Kasai. You are the one with the map after all." Avani said, and followed Kasai. They walked for a while before Avani decided to bring it up again, letting a short laugh ring out previous to her voice. "No one's ever said they wanted to romance me before, to be honest, so it's kind of flattering, Lady Sergeant. But what if I enjoy the single life too much, hmm? Maybe I got ladies throwing themselves on me all the time at home, or maybe I'm already engaged. Did you think about that?" Avani couldn't help but laugh loudly after making fun of Kasai again.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Raising an eyebrow, Kasai looked to Avani with watchful eyes. She had a mischievous grin plastered to her face for the last passing minutes in the shelter and replaced it after they had both exited the rock enclosure. It was a bit concerning, considering that Kasai had learned in the past 24 hours that Avani enjoyed trickery and jest as if it were first nature to her. However, she seemed to be avoiding any harsh consequences to continue her punishment of Kasai that had began the morning before, so Kasai relaxed a bit and enjoyed the fact that the two were actually getting along. Quite a transformation from just a day ago, when they were at each other's throats over a chest of food. There were always those stories about how a traumatic experience can change people, form unlikely bonds, and bring enemies together. Perhaps those stories had a hint of truth about them. "Romancing may be pushing it a bit..." a smirk grew across her lips and then she shrugged, "But, at least I had food to fit the occasion. Ya know, other than the whole giving you nightmares stuff..." She scratched her arm nervously, "Yeah, uh, sorry about that." Kasai watched as the shelters were destroyed and returned to their previous state, then she nodded and turned around, heading in the direction of where she hoped they would find Kieron and Mio. Traveling in silence, Kasai thought about seeing her friend again, it made her smile for a moment as she trekked forwards. A laugh came from behind and Kasai looked over her shoulder at Avani, who was up to something sarcastic again. Kasai was used to it now, so if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. She figured returning the teasing would be better than the alternative of hurt pride and hateful words. "Hm, so you're flattered and yet, here you are giving me enough cover stories to turn me off of ever cooking you canned meat again." Kasai laughed shortly and heartily, but then regained herself and continued walking, all the while glancing back at Avani while she spoke. "Well, to be honest I hadn't considered. But then again, I hadn't considered being within a ten foot radius of you yesterday morning unless it was for the purpose of strangling you." She shrugged again, her tone wasn't too negative or cross as she was just imitating the way in which Avani spoke. "Seems like that went out the window though. Did you ever consider that I'm a police officer though?" She smirked and turned around to face Avani while she spoke this time, pausing their forward movement. "I'm a detective," a cunning grinned played across her face as she took a step towards Avani now, "Which means I know how to take information I'm given, and sort through all the bull. I know how to find things out, get down to the real truth." She stepped closer again, keeping her eye contact steady. "So, if anything you said before was true, you would have some explaining to do to people other than myself. That must not be the case then, because you don't seem like one to have any commitments at the moment." She smile grew wider on her face as she took another step. "And if you're living it up in some bachelorette pad somewhere then you have got it made, let me tell ya. But I have this feeling..." the last gap between them was closed when she took the final step, "That that also isn't true. I have this feeling that you're guilty of seducing an officer of the law and assaulting her with intent." She looked down at the hole in her coat and then back at Avani, "So, how do you plead?"</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai was relieved to hear a voice answer from the other side of the sac, but her moment of relief was soon squashed by the fact that Mio answered coldly and plain. A simple "no" sent all of Kasai's hopes fleeting out of her chest. When Mio dug through the lining of the sac and appeared, Kasai had a natural reaction to gasp and cover her mouth with her hands. The stonewall way that the airbender spoke sent a shiver down her spine, and she held back losing the small breakfast they had in sight of a decomposing, yet still living, human being. "Avani? Yeah she's fine, she's down there and we're gonna-" Her thought was cut off by the reacting sac wall and Mio's last words. "No, no, don't you worry. I'm gonna get you out of here and-" Kasai had to step back as the moving skin tried to stretch towards her, but before she could stretch her arms out to grab Mio, a blast of air sent her reeling off the top of the tree. Hot tears could be felt wetting her face as she fell, her eyes were shut tight until Avani stopped her from plummeting to the roots below and instead lowered her to safety. When her feet hit the base of the tree, she nearly collapsed. Quickly wiping her face, she looked at Avani and shook her head, knowing that her expression was probably enough to get the message across. "They're... gone." There was little time to say much more as a screech came from above, and winged spirits swooped down towards them. Kasai turned and tried to assure her footing on the slick tangle of roots. As several creatures dove at them, she sent her foot across her body in an arc and sent a wall of flame that expanded above the two women, scorching the incoming attack. The defensive move did little as a barrage of spirits was headed in a bee-line straight for the two. Flapping wings and screams filled the air while the spirits circled them, swooping in and out as they tried to peck and claw at Kasai and Avani. Bursts of flames shot from Kasai's palms and feet as she combined attacks to fend off the incoming flyers, but they were outrageously outnumbered for the time being. "Avani, try the mud!" Kasai had no idea if earthbenders could bend the sediment from water, but stuck on an island in the middle of a lake didn't offer much more of a choice. It was probably quite the sight from the lake shore, what would appear to be a flock of birds circling their prey as they struggled to survive. However, from within the mask of winged spirits, it was chaos. A spirit swooped down at Kasai from behind, and when she saw it from her peripheral, she attempted to dodge the attack. Unfortunately, she lost her footing and her left leg slipped down between two roots. The spirit was coming in hot, but when she fell its attack was skewed, but not enough so. The talons of the spirits claws sliced Kasai's face, leaving a gash that formed a diagonal across her cheek and over her lips. A scream escaped her and a metallic taste filled her mouth as blood streamed down her face. When she looked back up from the first attack, another spirit was now diving at her from the front. She shot a flame with one of her hands, but the creature was too close to be diverted and it hit her, sending her back. A crack was heard as her body was sent back with force, but her leg still wedged between the roots. She screamed out even louder this time. The only partially beneficial aspect to the situation was that firebending was fueled by emotion, and right now her emotions were screaming at her with pain and rage. Within seconds, a spark was twinkling between her fingers. White lightning had been channeled from her inner chi and now exited her being, arcing through the sky and shocking many of the spirits before she fell exhausted, at which point all she could do was try to free herself from the roots that were trapping her. "Avani, get out of here. There's too many of them, we don't both need to die!"</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Kasai's simple statement that their friends were gone was devastating. Avani steeled herself though. There would be time to grieve them later, but only if they survived the mess they were currently in. Kasai did her best to fight off the spirits, while Avani attempted to bend the mud nearby. It was a fairly inefficient way of fighting, as throwing rocks and boulders actually hurt the ones hit, but mud just seemed to make the spirits angrier. She aimed for what she thought were their heads, trying to blind them. However, it gave her an idea for how they may be able to escape to the shore much faster than swimming. Avani covered herself in the mud, using it as armour instead of projectile weapon. She punched and kicked at the spirits that came for her. Avani heard Kasai scream, but was occupied with fighting off the spirits that were currently attacking her. She dodged instinctively when Kasai shot lightning at the spirits. She hadn't expected that, and it was a bit too close for comfort. When Kasai told her to leave her, Avani turned to look at the firebender who was beaten, bleeding and stuck with her leg in the roots. She didn't want to be the reason someone else perished, but it wouldn't really be her fault either if Kasai died here like this. She figured what she said was true too, better one returned than no one at all. Avani turned her back towards Kasai, and took a couple of steps towards the water while the spirits clawed at her mud armour. She had a strong feeling of regret and loss, a sort of premonition of events she would miss out on if she took another step. A choice between two different futures, one where she may be the sole survivor, and one that may include Kasai, but there were no guarantees and either path could lead to her dying today. "I apologize, Kasai." Avani said. "I'd like to say this will hurt me more than it will hurt you, but it really won't." She dried the mud on her right leg as much as possible, standing still and seemingly hesitating, but then she turned back around to face Kasai. Avani had a faked version of her sly smile plastered on her face. She took the steps over to Kasai, aimed carefully with her leg raised and then slammed it down with all the force she possessed, both the physical prowess and the earth bending. There was a crushing sound as she broke Kasai's leg and the roots, sending splinters flying. Avani bent down and picked up Kasai, throwing her over her shoulder. She would have carried her in her arms if one of them weren't in such bad shape. The winged spirits kept coming, but she began to enclose Kasai within the mud armour as well. She patted Kasai's behind with her hand. "This is mine, not yours, so back off." Avani said to the spirits. She went back to the water and was about to jump in when the sun blinded her. One of the spirits noticed the light reflecting in Avani's eyes and dove for it with precision. Its claws penetrated her left eye, and she felt a sudden temporary blindness combined with a sharp pain when the claw was retracted. When she saw the eye in the claws of the winged spirit she realized what had happened, the blindness wouldn't be so temporary. "Take a deep breath, Kasai." Avani said before plunging into the water. She made them heavier, and sank towards the bottom. Thankfully, it didn't take long for them to end up on the bottom of the lake where mud and earth was plentiful. Avani used her favourite trick to quickly get them out of the lake and away from the tree. She made earth cling onto her feet, then surfed toward the shore. Avani was finding it harder and harder to continue without any air, but they surfed up onto the shore and into the fresh air. She took a couple of deep breaths, then looked in the direction of the tree. The winged spirits were clearly confused about where their prey had disappeared too, but she doubted they would be for long, so she dropped the mud armour and created a rock as large as the one she had used to steal the cache with yesterday. She laid Kasai down on it, feeling her own adrenaline beginning to fade. The wound in her eye socket began to hurt more with each passing second as the adrenaline faded. She made the rock beneath them move in the direction of the portal, and removed her crop top to tear it in half. One half she put against the wound Kasai had across her cheek and lips, the other she pushed carefully into her own eye. "I got you." Avani said, and the tears began to flow at the thought of those she had lost. "I got you." She repeated, leaned on Kasai and kissed her lips gently, tasting blood, which was at least a sign they were both alive. They moved faster across open areas with Avani's rock, but there weren't many of those in the forest. The longer she had to move the rock at the same speed, the more exhausted she got, but she tried to get as far as she could move them both, even if it meant collapsing.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai saw Avani turning away to escape in the water, and her heart sank a little. True, it was what she herself had told the other woman to do, but another part of her wished she were escaping with her instead of watching her leave. Kasai closed her eyes for a moment, then looked back down at her leg and continued to struggle to free it from the tangled mess it was trapped in. Much to her surprise, Avani froze in her footsteps and uttered another sentence. Kasai assumed it was a last-ditch effort before she took off to escape the attacks, one last sarcastic remark before the spirits clawed Kasai to bits. It didn't surprise her much, what did surprise her was the sight of a earth-ridden leg that came crashing down on her own. Cries of pain blurted out as a resounding crack echoed from the splintering wood and bone. Which splitting sound was her own leg breaking? Who knew. All she could feel now was an intense pain pulsing up her leg and throughout her entire body. She felt like every nerve in her body was on fire, igniting the pain that coursed through her veins. A sense of weightlessness was felt when Avani picked her up, but she had little strength to aid in her transportation. She felt a pat on her rear and a trademark snarky comment from Avani. Kasai smiled weakly and tried to help defend against the incoming spirits before the mud encased her, preventing her from bending anymore. At Avani's command, Kasai drew in as much air as she could. The water slipped around them and they sank to the bottom of the lake, where they started pressing towards the shore. A burning sensation was developing in her lungs, and she released half of the air she held to relieve some of the pressure. By the time they surfaced on the other side of the lake, Kasai was coughing out water and gasping for air. The earth could be felt shifting beneath her, but at this point Kasai was on the verge of losing consciousness. Fabric was pressed to her face, and she looked up to see it was in fact Avani's shirt, sopping up the blood that had stained her face. "Couldn't you take you clothes off at a time I could enjoy it a little more?" A weak laugh escaped her before she coughed again. The last thing she experienced before slipping into unconsciousness was Avani's voice and lips pressed against her own. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wrapped in the sterile white sheets of a bed that occupied an equally white room, the young firebender lay sleeping off the round of pain medication that the doctor had injected into her system. A nurse opened the door to her room and brought in a clipboard that held information on her release from the hospital, left on a table at her bedside for when she woke. Sleepily, Kasai's eyes fluttered open and she inhaled deeply. The drugs still lingered in her system, but she woke at the sound of the door closing. Her eyes fell to her leg, which was wrapped in a cast and propped up on a pillow. Stitches pulled the skin of her cheek and lips back together, which was starting to scar over now. It had been nearly a week since she and Avani had managed to escape through the spirit portal. Both beaten and bruised to no end. Kasai had spent the first 3 days in the hospital in an unconscious state, but several days ago she woke. Turning her head to the clipboard on the table, she grabbed it and read. She would be released that afternoon after the doctor gave her one last check. A pair of crutches leaned against the wall to her right, and a simple display of flowers sat on the nightstand, a get-well gift from the police department. She sighed and stared at a clock that hung on the wall, waiting for the time when she could leave this dreaded place and go back to her own home, where she could rest and recover. Though that wouldn't last too long, because the police department was holding the funeral for their fallen brother, Barron, in just two days. Tears welled up in Kasai's eyes for the thousandth time since waking up in the hospital, without either of her best friends to comfort her. Visitors had come and gone, all telling her that they were sorry for her loss and that she was strong enough to recover physically and emotionally. They were all attempts at consoling her, but they didn't work. She grieved in her own ways, and she hoped that the funeral service would provide her with some closure of the events. The only thing she held on to from the whole experience was Avani. She had risked her own skin to stay behind and save Kasai, and managed to get them both back to safety. How? Kasai still didn't know. But, she was grateful. The last scene that she could remember was burned into her mind, and she played it in her head over and over to hold on to that memory. The door to her room opened again, and the doctor entered to evaluate her for release. She greeted him with a hopeful smile, praying that she would be able to leave this place and go somewhere with a little more color.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani had collapsed, right as the portal came into view, but she had made sure to aim the moving rock into it and speed it up as much as possible. Once through the portal they had been discovered by a group sent by headquarters to investigate why the radios had stopped working and if the teams were in danger. She had awakened in a hospital bed the next day. Her arm was bandaged, and they had given her medicine for it, not that they seemed to know what they were actually dealing with. It was unlike most wounds because it had been inflicted upon her by some kind of spirit corruption. Her eye had been treated and had a white patch put over it. She had been given a lot of nutrition once she woke up. They hadn't required Avani to stay in the hospital for long. She could stay a couple of days if she wanted too, but she'd rather get home to her own bed. The doctor told her to come back if the arm changed for the worse. The news that she was in the hospital had barely gotten out to her family before she had been released, so she had had no visitors. There were a few from Kasai's police department that had decided to harass her though, implying that she may have planned this end result all along. She clenched her teeth and held back tears at the thought that she had intended to kill her own friends. They had let her go when ordered by their superior, but not without argument and asking they get to "interrogate" Avani. She hadn't returned to the hospital to visit Kasai, nor had she sent anything to wish her she would get well soon. Avani doubted Kasai would acknowledge anything that had happened now that they were back in Republic City, each with their own people. She had decided to never contact her again. Avani had taken to drinking away the loss of her friends. She had spent the week at bars, and then mostly at home when people began to ask questions about her arm and eye. She had the patch they had placed over her eye replaced with a black leather version. The arm didn't get worse. She gradually became able to move it more and more with each day. However, trying to forget Kasai and not to think about her had had the opposite effect. She thought more about her now that she figured they would never talk again than she had before. Avani had no high opinion of the truth of what Kasai had told her when they were alone, how she didn't mind being seen with her and how they could have dinner together. There was a gnawing thought that kept telling her that maybe the woman was better than she gave her credit for. Maybe she deserved to give her a chance, to either live up to her words or turn her down. The gnawing thought had led her to the park in front of the hospital, on the day that Kasai was supposed to be released if she had the right information. Avani sat on a bench, wearing black pants, and a black leather coat that was open to reveal a black crop top and her midriff. She was drinking from a sake bottle, which raised eyebrows and made people frown at her. There was no alcohol remaining in it though. She had drunk that days ago and replaced it with water. She was sober for once this week after getting out of the portal. Her motorcycle was parked next to the hospital, where it should be visible by anyone coming outside. If Kasai was as good a detective as she claimed she should recognize it as Avani's. It was what she had driven to the spirit forest on the first day they had met. She hadn't decided what to do yet, sit there and watch Kasai look at her and pretend like she didn't exist, or go up and greet her so she could do the same. Once a couple of members of the police arrived she decided to sit and stare at her. She knew it may be a bit creepy, but she wanted to be proven right without talking to the woman in front of everyone she knew. Another part desperately needed Avani to be proven wrong, so she would get to hold Kasai just once more.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The hope in her smile turned out not to be misplaced when the doctor gave the thumbs up for Kasai to check out of the hospital and head home for more rest. Happily, she sat up in bed to sign off on the papers and listened as the doctor gave his last instructions for her injuries. Pain pills were given to her and she was instructed to keep off of her leg until she was to return to have the cast removed from it, and a nurse came in to remove the stitches from her face before she left. Pain flared up again across her cheek while the nurse tugged at the strings to remove them, dabbing the partially healed wound with antiseptic that stung and made her wince a bit. Finally, she was given a pair of grey sweatpants and a black shirt to put on, seeing as the clothes she was wearing when she arrived were torn to hell and had to be cut off so that the doctors could attend to her. After she changed into the plain outfit, she turned and took the crutches. It was difficult at first to gain her balance on the one foot after not standing for so long, but with the support of the crutches she managed to not fall over. When she hobbled out of her room and down the hall, she saw a few of her colleagues from the department waiting in the lobby for her. A smile appeared on her face as she scanned the small group of familiar faces. A small pang of disappointment hit her when she didn't see Avani. Not that she really expected her to be there, but it had been a week already and she hadn't heard from her at all. Maybe it was better that way, perhaps the woman wanted nothing to do with her after everything that happened. Kasai might be considered bad luck after the events that took place anyway. Small talk and words of support were given as Kasai joined her fellow officers and exited the hospital. Each gave her a hug and the talk shifted to how it'll be better when she gets back to work and how the PD could really use her back in action. She merely smiled softly and nodded along with the conversation while they walked out of the building and onto the sidewalk outside. The sun was refreshing on her skin, and she breathed in deeply, letting the fresh air fill her lungs. The crutches stepped out in front of her, then her good foot, and then the crutches again. Her eyes remained on the ground to make sure she did not stumble on her path. Following her friends, she kept her head down and only interjected her voice occasionally. That is, until one of her colleagues mentioned the funeral set in a couple days. Kasai stopped in her tracks and looked up at the one who had mentioned it, a young man who was now hanging his head to hide his mistake. Her glare bore into him, until something else caught her eye. Moving past the embarrassed young man, her stare fixated on a motorcycle that was parked just beyond the sidewalk. Several curious looks fell upon her, but she ignored them and continued staring at it. The familiarity of the thing was far too overwhelming, and then it hit her. She looked at the other officers, who looked concerned now. "I can get along by myself. You all go on ahead." This was met with several protests, but Kasai glared at them, using the young man who goofed up as an example. Reluctantly, they agreed. Kasai turned around as quickly as she could with the crutches and scanned the area. There she saw her, sitting on a bench with a bottle in her hand. A small smile played across her face, but she staved it off as she limped over to her. "Bit early to be hitting the bottle don't ya think?" Kasai smirked and rested on the crutches with her damaged leg hanging above the ground. She looked Avani over, noticing how well she looked for how beat up she was just days ago. "Nice eye patch, I'm diggin' the whole pirate vibe." She realized it may be a bit too soon to joke about it, so she quickly coughed and looked down at her cast, then back up at Avani. "So, about that dinner..." She smiled a bit, but didn't want to be too hopeful. For all she knew, Avani could be here to mock and ridicule her, or to blame her for the deaths of her friends, or worse, pay her back for all the damage caused in the spirit world. Kasai swallowed and stared at Avani nervously, running her tongue over the cut on her lip.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani perked up when she saw Kasai exit the building, but she rolled her eyes when she realized that someone must have told her that Avani was outside as she kept staring at the ground. Coward, Avani thought to herself and was about to get up to leave, but decided to wait until the pigs had left. Something seemed to change though. Kasai turned around in search of someone and smiled when she spotted Avani, then she was heading her way and standing in front of her all of a sudden. Avani could feel a fluttering sensation in her stomach. "Shouldn't you know not to judge based on appearances?" Avani asked teasingly, and raised her bottle for another drink. "It's just water. I wouldn't want to scare everyone off. Just the judgemental majority." "Oh thanks, Kasai." Avani said and rolled her eyes, but stopped herself from pointing out how it was Kasai's fault she had lost the eye in the first place. She rose from the bench and stood in front of Kasai. "I really like your wet shirt look as well." Kasai mentioned the dinner once more, as Avani poured the rest of the water on her chest, so that the black shirt clinged to her figure. "It's very hot." She was distracted from making any more comments when she noticed Kasai's tongue running over the scar the woman had. It brought back all those other thoughts she had had when they had been alone together. It reminded her why she had bothered coming here in the first place, and it certainly wasn't to pick a fight with Kasai. "Ah yes, the dinner." She smiled earnestly. "I didn't think you'd acknowledge my existence with so many of your colleagues around, but to tell the truth I've had a yearning for something quite specific the last days." Avani stepped as close to Kasai as possible, and leaned into her to whisper in her ear. "Lady Sergeant Kasai." She put a hand on her hip, and kissed her on the cheek gently, making her way down until she reached her neck. Avani made a visible gesture of sucking on her neck to leave a hickey, while moving a hand slowly up beneath her shirt to rub her back, all the while staring at the other cops that were eyeing them and beginning to leave the area. She wanted them all to see what she enjoyed doing with their sergeant, who had also enjoyed it back in the spirit world at least. Avani backed away from Kasai eventually, but not before flipping off her colleagues behind her back. She rubbed her neck and blushed, feeling as if she may have taken it too far if Kasai wasn't comfortable with public displays of affection. She wasn't even sure what they were to each other now. They had been supposed to be working together in the spirit world, but in Republic City they had no reason to interact other than the mutual attraction that she hoped and thought was still there. "I'm still up for dinner, of course." Avani coughed. "We haven't decided on that bet yet though. However, let's leave that for later shall we? I brought something with me in case you wanted a ride home." Avani pointed to the sidecar that she had attached to her motorcycle now, but which had previously been parked in a garage and left unused for a couple of months. "I cleaned it up for you, and um, it's quite roomy." She stuttered and blushed. Why did she feel like a little school girl just for offering Kasai a lift? "If, um, you want to ride with me."</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "My wha-?" The water met Kasai's chest and soaked her shirt as the bottle emptied onto her. A sigh escaped her as she realized she probably deserved it after the eye patch comment, so she refrained from saying anything further on the subject and instead looked down at her chest and back to Avani. "You seem to have a real obsession with that area of my clothing. First the coat, now this..." She looked at the other woman with her lips pressed together in an effort to look indifferent, but that didn't last long after Avani leaned in close and whispered in her ear. Kasai could feel her cheeks growing hot with a blush as Avani moved in to fondle her. There was nothing really she could do in return to the gesture, she was standing on one leg and if she let go of either of the crutches they would fall to the ground and then she'd really be struggling to stand. Her eyes closed and she breathed in deeply, all the while wishing she could at least get a hand around Avani. Then, the sounds of catcalls and whistling coming from the few of her police friends that stuck around broke her attention from Avani. She looked down at the ground and her face grew redder by the second until she looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at them. One of them was sticking their tongue out in their direction, a return to the gesture that Avani had delivered unbeknownst to Kasai. "Hey, didn't I tell you to get a move on? That's an order." Her voice was stern with them, but they still couldn't help but grin and snicker as they turned their backs to catch up with the others who had already gone on ahead. Well, it could've been worse. At least they didn't gape at the pair and throw hateful looks in their direction. Still, Kasai knew she would be the butt of the jokes for a while to come now. At the offer for a ride, Kasai looked back to the motorcycle and then at her one leg. "Uh, well, assuming I could even get in..." But, the offer was probably a one chance deal, and Avani did say it was roomy. Kasai smiled and nodded, quite amused by how flustered Avani had gotten over the situation all of a sudden. Kasai felt as if her confidence worked in reverse. Groping and physical contact were right down her alley, but when it came to a simple offer she became giddy. "You cleaned it up for me?" a light laugh came from Kasai and she smiled at Avani, "Careful there Avani, wouldn't want me to think you actually liked me or something." She decided to quiet down on the teasing and instead she nodded and replaced the cheesy grin with a smile. "Alright, I'll take you up on that offer. Might take me ages to get home otherwise," She turned around and placed the crutches in front of her, then her good leg again, slowly making her way over to the motorcycle. Then, Kasai realized she had never ridden on a motorcycle before, even if this was a sidecar to it. "Uh, do you perhaps have an extra helmet? I wouldn't want to lose anymore brain cells than I already have over the past week." She realized she was probably overly concerned with her safety, but it was a new thing to her. Finally she had limped her way to the motorcycle where she stood and examined it, trying not to psych herself out about getting a ride from someone who didn't appear to be the most trustworthy driver.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai looked at Avani and gave a look of confusion after she had moved away from where she had sat down just a few moments earlier. It was unknown to her what had set Avani off, but it was becoming apparent that she had definitely done something wrong in the last thirty seconds. "Wait, what?" Her face showed the confusion her brain was trying to work out, and she tried to scoot closer to Avani and speak with her about what had suddenly gone so wrong. It was a failed attempt though, because now Avani was standing up and striding across the room towards the door. Kasai was left with her eyebrows in a knot and her mouth slightly agape. "Avani, wait, let me explain-" She put her hand out towards Avani, but it was no use because her back was turned to her. The last words Avani spoke before closing the door behind her hit Kasai like a ton of bricks. Leading her on? That certainly was not her intention. Kasai quickly grabbed the crutches that leaned against the other side of the couch and started to make her way to the door as fast as she could manage. It was no use though, by the time she opened the door, she could hear Avani's footsteps disappear outside the first floor, and by the time she pressed the button for the elevator, the sound of the motorcycle starting and taking off told her that she was a little too late on that one. Frustrated, Kasai went back inside to her apartment and sat on the couch, staring at the glasses and bottles that sat upon the table. A sorrowful sigh escaped her and she grabbed her glass, filling it up to the brim with rum before she held it up. "Way to fuck it up," she said to herself, before emptying the entirety of the glass down her throat. There was a reason Kasai hadn't been in many relationships before. It always seemed that she was able to say the absolute worst thing at the absolute worst time. Unintentionally, of course. It wasn't like she found joy in watching people walk out her door, never to return. Oblivious to most things, she usually ended up alone and without anyone other than Kieron and Barron. But now, even they were gone. Hanging her head in her hands, she grit her teeth and clinched her jaw, furious at herself for letting something silly like that ruin whatever that spark could have turned in to. Another shot filled her glass, and went down the hatch. By now, Kasai was feeling the effects of the alcohol. She was far from drunk, but the substance was definitely affecting her judgement. Moping around for the next few hours, she kicked herself and ridiculed herself. This is why you're alone. She stared at the alcohol on her table, but figured that getting plastered wasn't going to solve anything, let alone mix well with the pain medication she had been taking. It was late afternoon now, turning into early evening. Kasai assumed that Avani would soon be hitting the bars downtown to drink away the misery that Kasai had caused. No matter what she did, Kasai could not stop thinking about the desperate and disappointed tone in Avani's voice before she left. Never before had she cared so much after someone had walked out on her. That was the moment she decided that she wasn't going to let Avani slip away like that, at least not without Kasai being able to apologize to her and explain herself. However, it did not take a genius to figure out that giving her a call and asking to talk over coffee was not going to work. Avani was probably closer to dropping a boulder on Kasai than she was to speaking to her. Kasai worked up an idea in her head and grabbed the phone that sat on the end table of her couch, telling the operator to patch her through to the police department. A friendly voice met her, and she sat up to talk more clearly. "Zari, it's Kasai. I need you to do me a favor..." Kasai went on to tell the man that he and his partner needed to go downtown and pick up a woman named Avani Shailesh, that she was needed for questioning. "But the captain hasn't said anything about-" "This doesn't need to be mentioned to the captain. Now do as I say, you and Tai go and get this girl and send someone over here to bring me to the station." Kasai interjected. There was a moment of hesitation before the man agreed and hung up the phone. Kasai breathed a sigh of relief before standing and going to her bedroom to change out of the grungy hospital clothes she had on. It was a struggle in the trouser area, so she opted for black slacks and her police coat. Making her way downstairs, she waited for her ride and prepared herself for whatever may come once she gets to talk to Avani one on one, knowing she very well may be talking to a person who has hatred in their eyes for her.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani drove away from Kasai's apartment, heading nowhere in particular. She felt like driving just to keep her mind off how much of a fool she had been. How could she have been so careless that a straight girl, a cop no less, was able to hurt her so? Ryuu would have laughed with her about it, but he was no longer around. Mio had kind of already warned her before she perished as well. Avani had to stop her motorcycle, as the thoughts of her dead friends coupled with the pain Kasai had inflicted on her made her cry. It was difficult to see anything while driving with tears in her eyes. She sat staring out over the harbour and the sea from the hill she had parked on. It made her reminisce about carefree childhood days with Ryuu, and that actually made her feel better somehow, not worse. She started the motorcycle back up half an hour later, and kept driving around the city. She visited the areas where she had spent most of her time with Ryuu and Mio, their apartments and their favourite places. It took her a couple of hours to travel between them all. At the end, she drove downtown to visit their favourite bar and get blackout drunk as she had planned. She wished she would have gotten the choice to save either of them over Kasai, but fate was a cruel mistress. The bar was named the Lizard's Head, for whatever reason she had forgotten. Ryuu had known though since he used to work here whenever they needed extra staff. It was a friendly place to her kind, much better than what she been forced to endure today. Avani entered the bar and was greeted as if she was a regular, even though she hadn't been here for a whole week now. She took a seat at the bar, and ordered her first drink. Avani was mainly ignored by anyone that wasn't the bartender. They could probably tell that she wasn't in the best mood. About an hour or two later, a police car pulled up outside of the bar. Avani didn't react until they entered the bar and began to ask around for someone with her name. She doubted there would be two Avani Shailesh here tonight, so she got up from the bar and pushed her way past everyone towards the exit. One of the cops tried to stop her to ask for her name, but she was certainly not in the mood to talk with any cops so she shoved him aside. He didn't like that one bit, not like she cared though. Unfortunately, the bartender traitor called out her name because she hadn't paid for her last drink. Avani took off running out into the streets, or rather she gave it her best shot, but as drunk as she was it was pretty hard to run straight. The cops soon caught up to her, and with their usual logic wanted to arrest her because no one who was innocent would try to run from the law. Except the law was corrupt and evil as far as she knew. She decided to fight them with her bending, and to her credit the fight lasted longer than it should have. However, they got her in handcuffs eventually. It didn't stop Avani from fighting though. Once they got in the car, she began to earthbend once more, so that the police officers had to give up on transporting her by car lest they end up in a car crash. She was pulled out of the car and knocked unconscious somehow. When Avani woke up again, she was in a grey room that had a couple of chairs and a table on the roof. She tried to move her feet to break out of the room, and realized she was hanging upside down from the actual roof. The table and chairs were on the floor. She moved her arms, only to find them strapped to her body with one of those shirts they put on insane people. She screamed, but lo and behold, found that her mouth had some kind of fabric in it. The door opened, and a man and a woman walked inside. She recognized the woman instantly and glared at Kasai. The man said something about how they had Kasai to thank for capturing whoever this very capable criminal was, and how they had been forced to restrain Avani by unconventional means as she had managed to fight them first while drunk, then in the car and finally while drugged. He promised to credit Kasai in his report for this important arrest, even though he had no idea what crime Avani had committed apparently. At the suggestion that he remove the gag from Avani's mouth, so that Kasai could speak with her he said that she had quite the foul mouth but agreed in the end. "This is some kinky fucking shit, but I guess it goes right into playing with people like you pigs love to do." Avani shouted. "Screw you Kasai."</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai had made it to the station before the two officers were able to find Avani and bring her in. There was muttering around the floor where Kasai had gone to wait at her desk. Technically she wasn't cleared to be back at work yet, and she could tell by the glances and murmurs directed at her that she had unintentionally caused a ripple withing the PD. The captain had probably already found out about her having some fellow officers bring in a woman without any prior probable cause. Nothing she couldn't wiggle her way out of... hopefully. An officer with a good reputation had a little leeway within the department, so Kasai had that to her advantage. The problem would be getting both herself and Avani out without any harmful side effects. A younger officer approached Kasai and grinned. "We got her. She's in the interrogation room now. Er- the third interrogation room..." There were two rooms with the standard table and chairs, used for day to day questioning and witness statements. But then there was the third room... it was furnished with some special equipment for those who were particularly difficult or dangerous to get into an interrogation room. Kasai put a hand over her face and shook her head. It was somewhat expected, she knew that Avani wasn't fond of the police, nor would she go down without a fight. "Alright, thanks Tai." She stood and began to make her way over to the booking area, where Avani would be. "Say, isn't that the same girl that was all over you this morn-" Kasai's glare cut through the kid like a laser. He coughed and cleared his throat, then turned on his heel and walked the opposite direction. Continuing towards room #3, Kasai had to steady her breathing for fear of going in there all flustered. Unfortunately, she was met outside the room by the Lieutenant, and she cursed under her breath. "Sergeant Inoshi, glad to see you're still making yourself useful considering your condition." The man motioned towards her cast and she shrugged. This definitely wasn't going to be easy to get out of... The lieutenant opened the door for Kasai and followed her in. Avani was strung up from the roof, arms bound and mouth gagged. Kasai had to physically prevent herself from letting her jaw drop at the sight. Must've been one hell of a fight for this kind of treatment... The lieutenant explained the significance of the arrest and it only made Kasai realize she had dug herself a pretty deep hole. Avani was allowed to speak and the lieutenant left, leaving only the two women. It was pretty obvious that Avani was drunk, intoxicated by whatever combination of drinks she had managed to down before the cops caught up to her. The hatred and hurt was apparent in her eyes, like Kasai had feared. She looked up at Avani with sorry eyes. "Avani, please, I just want to talk to you. But you need to be sober when I say what I want to say." Kasai turned her back to leave, ignoring anymore hateful statements that would come her way as she exited. Kasai waited a few hours. It was well into the night now, darkness seeping into the streets and alley ways. The whole time was spent thinking about what she would say, how she would say it, and what she would do if Avani still hated her. Enough time had passed that Avani should be sobered up, so Kasai went back to the room and opened the door, looking at the woman hanging from the ceiling still. There was a sincere look across Kasai's face, and she frowned. It wasn't likely that Avani would agree to genuinely listen to Kasai, but it sure would be more convenient if they were both facing one direction. "I'll let you down, but you have to promise to listen to what I have to say."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "Why would you want to talk with me? Haven't you caused enough damage already, pig?" Avani shouted, but Kasai turned and left the room. She tried to spit at her and missed, hitting the table instead. Her aim was way off. The first reason her drunken and drugged mind could come up with as to why Kasai wanted to talk with her was nonsensical. "Are you pregnant? I never fucking touched you." She began to move back and forth, swinging from her fastened feet like a pendulum. Her drunken mind eventually remembered that they were both girls. "And that is not how it works. No one is gonna believe you. Dumb pig." Avani was left to her own devices as the door shut. She wondered how long they could keep her hanging like this. It hardly seemed legal in the first place. She had committed no crime prior to being bothered by the police, which they would know about. In retrospect, she probably should have let them bring her in, because obviously she was in more trouble for resisting arrest. The only crime she could think of was what Kasai had said in the spirit world, about how Avani had seduced an officer of the law and she had implied it was a crime then. She groaned at the thought that it may have been an actual crime after all. Avani would have to claim that she had been framed if that was the reason she was hanging here. Kasai had practically begged her to touch her and then even invited her inside her apartment for sex when they had met in Republic City. She was so glad she hadn't accepted now. As the hours passed, Avani thought of a number of bizarre theories as to why she had been sought by the police at all. The only one that seemed plausible was that she had attempted to seduce an officer. Maybe it was considered a form of bribe? She did entertain the idea that Kasai had lied to get to her as well. By the time the door opened again, Avani had fallen asleep or perhaps passed out from being upside down too long. Either way, the sound of the door opening awakened her. She saw Kasai enter the room once more, alone, to finally have that talk with her. "Fair enough." Avani said, keeping herself calm despite feeling the urge to strangle Kasai. "You better have a damn good reason though. If I don't like what you are about to say, then I will tell your superiors, I will tell the papers and I will tell everyone about this." Avani betted everything she had on the idea that Kasai had been lying to others and had no justifiable reason to arrest her. "I'm sure you understand what that would mean for your future." There was hesitation in Kasai, but she must have realized that keeping Avani hanging any longer would make the situation worse if she had no justifiable cause in the first place. Avani thought about grabbing Kasai by the shirt and lifting her up, or kicking her leg again, but she decided to sit down at the table instead. "So what does the proper straight girl want to tell the promiscuous lesbian?" Avani snorted and rolled her eye.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai let Avani down and out of her restraints, pleasantly surprised when she decided to sit at the table and not bolt out the door at her first chance. Kasai sat down at the other side of the table and folded her hands in front of her. "First of all, you weren't supposed to be arrested," she pointed out. "However, you decided to run, and then fight with the officers. Which just made this situation a whole lot more complicated than I had intended." Kasai sighed and looked down at her hands, piddling her fingers before she looked back up at Avani with a genuinely sorry expression. "I wanted to apologize for earlier and explain a few things to you." It occurred to her how silly that must sound. The fact that she had the police haul Avani in was not going to give her any brownie points, and it probably seemed like extreme measures just to apologize. Then again, maybe the fact that she had gone through so much effort to talk to Avani again would prove to be in her favor. "I didn't mean to upset you earlier, nor was I leading you on." She frowned for a moment when she remembered the sight of Avani walking out of her apartment and slamming the door. "Look, the fact is that I'm an idiot. And I'm sure you'll agree with that..." Kasai paused briefly, to read the expression on Avani's face and gauge whether she was even listening to what she was saying or just hearing words. "When you said that thing about fantasizing, and I didn't drink... I should have explained right then and there why that was." This was nerve wracking for her. Never before had she felt the need to explain herself to anyone, and Avani's stare that bore straight through her soul was not making it any easier. "Not that you would know, but I was unconscious for my first three days in the hospital. When I woke up... I had no one. My two best friends are gone, and that hit me like a freight train. But you know how that feels too." She sighed and fought off the tears at the thought of her friends again. "But I did have something. I had the memory fresh in my brain, playing over and over." She looked at Avani and smiled ever so slightly. "You saving me." All of this probably seemed like bull to Avani, but Kasai wanted to finish what she had to say. Then, she would let the other woman decide if she ever wanted to see Kasai again or if she wanted to disappear into oblivion. Kasai prayed for the former. "That was the only real thing I had to hold on to. So I guess in a way, you could say I did fantasize about you, just not in the way that I thought you had implied." Kasai smacked her palm to her face and squeezed her eyes shut, "I. Am. An. Idiot." "But if you hadn't done what you had, I would be a skeleton in the spirit world right now. Not here, going through hoops just to apologize to you because I feel like I may have fucked up something great." Kasai pointed towards the door and the people bustling around outside of it. "I've put my neck on the chopping block just so I could see you again. And I'll have to do it again to get you out of here without jail time." "But I'm more than willing to do that." She realized she had began to ramble on with seemingly no end in sight, so she sighed and looked at Avani. "All I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, and I wasn't leading you on. I like you, okay? And I don't want to just let you slip through my fingers." The words were hard for Kasai to say, she had never really been one that expressed herself outright. For some reason though, she wanted to for Avani. "I understand if you never want to see me again. But please, forgive me. I'll go tell my superiors that I was mistaken and that you need to be released." She looked at the door, wondering if Avani was going to leave and be gone forever, or if when Kasai returned she would stick around. Hesitantly, she stood and grabbed her crutches, walking out the door to find the lieutenant and the captain.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "I don't even know what you expected to happen when you sent cops after me in that case." Avani said and scoffed. "It seems like sending cops to retrieve anyone with a shady background would be a bad idea." She decided to shut up and listen though. Kasai probably didn't know the reasons for her hatred of cops, and the details of her past anyway. It wasn't like she could hold that against her. Avani was surprised by how nervous and uncomfortable Kasai appeared to be while trying to explain herself. She did withhold a smile as Kasai confessed she had been thinking about her in the hospital, that she had been reminding herself of Avani saving her when every other memory from the spirit world had been horrible. It made her feel less like a fool for trying to pursue their relationship further once Kasai had gotten out of the hospital. She would have told Kasai that she was being too hard on herself when calling herself an idiot, but a part of her felt like she deserved it after what Avani had been put through and another part enjoyed seeing her beat herself up over Avani. No one had ever done that regarding her before, at least not as far as she knew. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It was nothing compared to how she felt when Kasai said she had done all of this just because she thought she would miss out on something great with Avani. She wanted to not let that show either before Kasai was finished talking, but she sat with her mouth slightly agape and her one eye wide open. It was one of those moments that would grow greater with time. She imagined that depending on how it all turned out in the end, she might see this as the moment she began to think of Kasai as the one for her. She truly regretted resisting arrest now, not because of herself, but because she had put Kasai in some deep shit. Avani had no power here though. The only thing she could do was let Kasai try to work out the situation or go to jail. She was not all that against the latter idea, but who knew when she would be released then. Maybe by the time she got out Kasai would have moved on with her life, so no, she didn't say anything in response to that either. Kasai didn't need to say that she liked her or make Avani think she meant it anymore. Her actions tonight had proven it beyond any doubt, and actions generally spoke louder than words ever could. Avani was left sitting dumbfounded in the chair, staring in front of her at the wall. It wasn't until she heard the door opening that she realized Kasai had gotten up and was leaving the room. Of course, she couldn't allow Kasai to go and beg for mercy from the pigs. Avani rose and hurried over to the door, fearing it may lock itself when it closed. She picked Kasai up and pulled her back inside the room. Her crutches fell to the floor outside. She doubted it would be long before the real pigs came bursting in. "Seems the proper straight girl is a lot more bi-curious than I gave her credit for." Avani gasped, put Kasai on top of the table and kissed her fiercely on the mouth. She took of her jacket and threw it on the floor. "I need you now, but damn is this the worst possible time and place you could have chosen." Avani crawled on top of the table, forcing Kasai to lie down underneath her. She slid her good hand up under Kasai's shirt, and caressed her stomach while continuing to kiss her on the mouth and the neck with an ever increasing need and force. "You don't need to tell them the truth if it will get you in trouble. I'll go to jail if you promise you'll wait for me. I did resist arrest at the very least." Avani grinned as she paused her ravaging of Kasai's body for a moment to look into her eyes. "Maybe I'll get to see some old friends or mom again." She could hear footsteps coming from outside the corridor now. Right before the door was flung open; Avani rolled off of the table onto the floor and raised her hands towards the roof. "I surrender. I surrender." Her back hurt like hell for a brief moment after falling from the table onto the hard floor, but she didn't move at all, keeping her hands raised above her.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Footsteps could be heard coming from behind Kasai. Assuming that Avani was coming to either hit her from behind or bold out of the door before her, she stiffened. It took her more by surprise to find herself being pulled back into the room, and Kasai was sure that Avani was going to strangle her to death right there. The next thing she knew, she was sitting on the metal table staring straight into Avani's face as she leaned in and kissed her. It was sudden and unexpected, but Kasai pushed against her lips with equal ferocity and sighed. "C'mon, Avani. Haven't you ever wanted an office romance before?" Kasai was forced down as Avani crawled onto the table and on top of her. Wrapping an arm around her, Kasai pulled Avani down further and met her lips. A shiver swept over her as she felt Avani's hand over her abdomen, and she wished now that this could have taken place earlier at her apartment. She couldn't complain though, because now Avani was on top of her and not walking out of the door. Kasai looked up at Avani when she pulled away, her amber eyes blazing with desire. Her head shook and she frowned. "No, it's my fault you're in here. I've got to make this right." Avani's last comment made Kasai curious, but before she could question her, Avani had rolled off the table and a pair of officers had barged through the door. Kasai sat up and straightened her shirt. At the sound of her surrender, one of the officers cuffed Avani and picked her up, leading her away towards the holding cells. "Wait!" Kasai shouted at the cop, but his partner was already hovering over Kasai and asking her a million questions. She shoved him away and told him to get her crutches so that she could walk. Walking out of the interrogation room, she started to follow the other man towards the cells, but she was stopped in her path by the lieutenant, who immediately asked her what had happened. "Sir, we need to talk. My information was wrong, this woman is innocent." Kasai stated. "What? Kasai, it is highly unlike you to order an arrest without proper evidence and probable cause." His tone was disappointed, but he shook his head. "Regardless, she attacked the officers at that bar. We've got her on resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer." The man started to move away but Kasai stepped in front of him, unsteady on her crutches. "Sir, she was drunk and felt threatened when Tai and Zari approached her." She could tell he was not amused with this defense, but Kasai wasn't going to let Avani rot in a cell for things she didn't do. "Look, she just watched two of her closest friends die. She entered the spirit world under the orders of the mayor. She fought off things you could not imagine. And then, she saved my life." The man looked stunned at the last bit of information, but he shook his head. "My hands are tied, Inoshi. She still assaulted two officers despite what she's been through." Kasai held her stare, it almost appeared like she was looking through him. He sighed and looked down at his feet, "I'll see what I can do. But I'm going to have to write you up for this, Kasai. This whole situation has caused the PD too much trouble." Kasai breathed a sigh of relief, though she knew she would probably be restrained to desk duty when she returned to work because of her actions. It didn't matter though. She headed towards booking to find out how long Avani would have to stay in the cells. About an hour later, Kasai arrived outside of Avani's cell. She approached and looked through the bars at the earthbender. "Okay, well I've got some sort of good news." A small smile played across her face. "The PD and the DA have agreed to let you out after three days if you agree to plead guilty to assaulting those two officers. Then, you'll be released on probation, which will last a month." She frowned, knowing it was all her fault that Avani was in this situation. "You'll avoid a court hearing though, and a longer sentence of up to six months... I'm sorry, it's the best I could do." Kasai exhaled slowly and looked down at the ground, knowing that she was the real guilty one here. It wasn't fair, but it was the best she could manage without overstepping her boundaries and getting fired.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai left the police department with a heavy mind. She wasn't used to taking orders from anyone but her superiors, but more than anything Avani's demands made her nervous. The motorcycle was taken care of easy enough, left outside the PD for Avani when she got out. The next day, Kasai put on her official Republic City Police uniform and joined her fellow officers to honor their fallen brother, Barron. The funeral service was held by the PD, with a sea of decorated officers mixing with friends and family. Kasai was called upon to say a few words, Barron was her friend and partner at the department. Kasai did her best to not choke up during her turn to speak. Memories from the academy and silly stories from their time as partners were told before she went on to explain that Barron died trying to save her and fellow task force members from an unimaginable force within the spirit world. Most did not understand this, as they could not imagine anything other than the bubbly spirits that lingered in the spirit wilds within town. Nevertheless, she told of his heroic efforts and spoke of his valor before again taking her spot among the other officers. The funeral ended and Kasai was dropped off at her apartment by a friend. That day was spent reminiscing about times spent with both Barron and Kieron. Her mind wandered to the alcohol cabinet in her kitchen, but she staved off any desperate attempt by her brain to drink it all away. The day turned into night and she woke the next morning on her couch. That morning, the words Avani had whispered to her back at her cell ran through her mind. It was an intimidating task, and Kasai had never entertained the idea of pleasing someone in that way before. Yet another reason that she may have had few real relationships. It scared her, though at the same time it sent a spark through her at the thought. It took some thought, but an idea was forming in her head. She took the time that day to clean her apartment, straighten things up although she figured it may all get trashed the next day anyways. The bedroom was separated from the living room by a wall, the entrance to the room was simply a break in that wall that allowed for an arched entrance. The wall of windows continued on the other side of the wall from the living room into the bedroom, filling the space with the same light all around. On the third day, Kasai made herself some coffee in the morning to calm her nervousness a bit. She figured Avani would be released by mid morning, so she wasted no time in taking a shower and getting ready. She let her dark hair fall in long waves down her back, and then stared at her closet as she decided what to wear. It was difficult enough getting sweatpants around her cast, so she decided on slipping on a pair of tight black shorts that left little to the imagination. As for the top, she opted for a red bandeau, which left her abdomen exposed. She slipped on her rookie police jacket over that, leaving it unbuttoned. Lastly, she put on her police belt and made sure that her handcuffs were visible hanging off of her hip. Kasai went to sit on the couch and wait for Avani to arrive, a bottle of sake and a shot glass full in front of her. The longer she sat there, the more ridiculous she though she looked. Sexy cop, really? Just as she was about to get up and change into something else, the door to her apartment opened and she could hear Avani calling out for her. A look of embarrassment flooded over her before she quickly replaced it with a more appropriate smile as Avani walked in. "Come on in," she said with a grin, trying her best not to show how nervous she was. Hoping that Avani wasn't going to find her foolish looking, she stood from the couch and leaned against just one crutch to help with her balance, the shot of sake in her other hand. "Never have I ever wanted anyone in this room." She said as Avani entered her apartment, then she downed the shot and put the glass on the table, smiling at the other woman.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani awoke in a bed next to the slumbering Kasai, so it had to be her bed. She felt a bit dizzy and uncertain about where she was, until the memories came back to her when she saw the empty box on the floor. She had used everything inside throughout the weekend, at least once, sometimes more. Still, she would have gone on had her body been able to do so, but she was exhausted and sore beyond belief. She looked at the sleeping Kasai next to her and ran her hand through her black hair. Avani thought she was beautiful, so much so that it was almost painful to look at her. It was a beauty that went beyond mere appearances, which she had discovered and accepted this past weekend. She had been allowed to do everything she had wanted too with her body, but now she feared that what should have been nothing more than physical was developing into something else. Avani feared the thought of what others may think if it got out, how vulnerable and weak she would be. She didn't particularly like the idea of having feelings for a cop either, even if it was someone as pure and good as Kasai. No, pure wasn't the right word after what she had let Avani do the past days. She was special though, no doubt about it, and now Avani felt a growing need to distance herself from Kasai for real before she became too deeply entangled. She would have gotten up, packed her belongings and disappeared before Kasai woke up, but as she tried to move her legs out of the bed she felt the sore pain at its greatest and doubted she would be able to get anywhere. It was a problem, because if she couldn't move she couldn't leave. Instead, she did what her mind was screaming at her not to do. She leaned over to Kasai and kissed her on the lips, then shook her gently to wake her up. Avani could try to escape the grasp of what was pulling her to Kasai now, but it was unlikely she could do it without hurting herself in the process. The physical attraction was already becoming an emotional attachment that she wanted and welcomed despite her better judgement. "Good morning, Lady Sergeant." Avani smiled at Kasai when she saw her eyelids opening. "I would like to turn myself in for breaking the law of seducing an officer, but I am afraid that I may be put away for life as I lost count of how many times I did her." She laughed and grinned, back to her usual self like nothing. "Maybe it's enough of a punishment that I can't move without some part of my body aching. I'm sore in places I didn't know I had." Avani joked. "How are you feeling, babe?" She kissed Kasai again, and slid her hand over her body with the intention to caress her stomach, but her body protested, resulting in her hand lying motionless on Kasai. "Yeah… The mind is willing but the body is dead."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai was fast asleep, exhausted from the weekend activities. Her body had been wrecked repeatedly, not against her will though. It was definitely unlike any experience she had had before, both terrifying and electrifying. But it was something she was not likely to forget anytime soon. Not much had crossed her mind over the last few days other than the woman lying in her bed next to her. Kasai was fixated on Avani, somehow captivated by the woman who had invaded her bedroom. For what reason, she still did not know. All she did know was that she was sort of drawn towards her, ever since they were pitted against each other so many days ago in the spirit world, despite her annoyance with the woman at first. Kasai felt something shaking her, and she grumbled. Slowly, her eyes peeked open and she saw Avani leaning over her. A smile grew on her face and she laughed lightly before rubbing her face to wake herself up. She started to stretch, attempting to wake her muscles up. "I'm great, how about-" Her eyes squeezed shut again and she winced, stopping mid-stretch as her muscles cramped up. A groan slipped out and she went limp, smiling weakly as she kissed Avani back. Physically, she was just worn out and her body didn't hesitate to tell her so. "Trust me hun, I fell your pain. You know, I have these wonderful pain pills the doctor gave me." She laughed again and laid her head back on her pillow, looking over at Avani with a smile. The sheets of her bed were a tangled mess, and she assumed the rest of her apartment was as well. It wasn't like they had stayed in one place for three days. Eh, it could all be cleaned in due time. "So, how about after I learn how to move again I cook you a real breakfast? Not that canned crap I made us last time." Kasai smiled at the memory in the spirit world, when all she had to feed them was some government issued mystery meat from a can. Granted, it turned out to not be as bad as expected. Still, she had far better ingredients in her own kitchen and much better means to cook it with. Kasai sat up a little in bed and slowly tried to keep her body from rebelling at the notion of activity.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Kasai's laughs made her smile and feel warm on the inside. She wanted her to be happy, and she was glad she could be the source of some of her happiness. At the same time, Avani didn't like feeling that way about someone who might not feel the same way about her. "Oh? Is the officer offering me drugs?" Avani laughed and arched her eyebrows. "I thought that was a real crime, unlike seducing you." Avani was hungry though, no doubt, as she could not remember when she had eaten last. It had to have been a couple of times this weekend or she wouldn't have been able to perform like she had. "That sounds great, Kasai." Avani said. "I hope you can manage without your crutches if you can't find them. Sorry about kicking them about and what not." She shouldn't have done that in the first place. She wouldn't have had it occurred to her that she wouldn't be there to support Kasai because her body was numb. She had carried Kasai the first day whenever they wanted to move from the sofa to the shower to the bedroom to the whatever, and the other days she had at least let her support herself on her as they moved. Avani rolled over on her side, pulling one of the covers above her with the intention of taking a nap until Kasai had made them both breakfast. She felt a bit selfish at the action, as if she was intruding on Kasai's domain since it wasn't actually her bed or bedroom. What else was she supposed to do though? She had awakened Kasai so she could hardly leave without her noticing anymore. It would be dishonest to say she wasn't hungry, and it might be rude to turn down Kasai's offer for breakfast. "I guess I will pay for that dinner we were supposed to have in return, and I did walk out on you so while I didn't lose I kind of forfeited." Avani mumbled, smiled and pushed her head against the pillows. "I'm not all that confident in my cooking skills." She closed her eyes, and heard Kasai exit the room. Hopefully the woman would not fall or anything like that, Avani would do her best to come to her aid if she did, but she wasn't confident in her moving skills either at the moment.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "Yes, well, just remember that if you want to turn me in, I'm the one with the handcuffs." Kasai smiled again and chuckled at the joke. Though she was far from being a corrupted cop, she knew that some in the city were. Those were the types of officers whom she looked to overtake and fire if she ever got her way. Disrespecting what the badge stood for just didn't do for her. Unfortunately, most matters like that never made it all the way to Chief Beifong unless they were serious. Kasai winced a bit at Avani offering to pay for dinner, considering she walked out the other day. Technically, it was Kasai's fault she left in the first place, and the comment was like rubbing salt in a wound that she'd soon rather put past her. She lay there a moment more, garnering the strength to get up. Once she did, she cautiously stood and put weight down on her injured leg. Much to her relief, it didn't hurt any worse than the other. "Breakfast shall be served." Steadily, she made her way into the living room and scanned the floor for her crutches. Though she wasn't in any great pain, she didn't think it wise to go walking around on her leg any further than she had to. She found one lying on the other side of her living room and retrieved it, then made her way to the kitchen. From the fridge she pulled out everything she would need to make them a decent breakfast. The stove was already heating up a couple of pans, and Kasai got to chopping up the ingredients she laid out on her counter and started throwing them into their respective pans. A batter was whipped up, as well as several eggs. Kasai grabbed spices and herbs from a cabinet, but refrained from adding as much heat to the dishes as she normally would. Fire nation cuisine tended to be a little on the spicy side, and she didn't want to scorch Avani's palate right off the start. A few minutes later, the smell of her cooking filled the apartment. Kasai retrieved a couple plates and utensils, setting them before adding the food to the table. It wasn't a five star meal, but she had the ingredients to make eggs, sausage, fried dough, and tea. Kasai walked back to her bedroom and found Avani bound up in the sheets again. Smiling, she went over and kissed her head, waking her from her nap. "Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey Avani."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai laughed and followed Avani back to the table, where she took her seat and leaned her crutch against the wall nearby. She poured herself some tea and popped a pill out of the bottle that the doctor had given her, placing it on her tongue before washing it down the hatch. Kasai put the bottle back down on the table and motioned towards it while she swallowed. "Seriously though, if you need one of those go for it." A playful smile worked its way across her face again as she piled food onto her own plate and licked her lips in anticipation of a real meal. Eagerly, she began to eat. It didn't occur to her just how hungry she was until she took that first bite. Then, she had to control her table manners to keep from looking like a pig, as Avani so lovingly called the members of the police, as she ate. Kasai had brought her cup to her lips again and was taking a drink when Avani commented on her satisfaction of the weekends events and such. She nearly choked on the liquid and sat the cup back down on the table while she laughed and coughed at the same time. "Such lovely table conversations you have." Kasai gathered herself and cleared her throat before speaking again. "Well, I think it's safe to say that after this weekend I could definitely get used to cooking you breakfast." She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. She hadn't really thought about what would happen next, but considering all she had done to see Avani again those days ago and to keep her from going to prison Kasai figured they would be having that dinner after all. However, she did sit there for a moment in silence to think while she chewed. After what had happened the other day over a few shots, she had to make sure her feelings were in the right place to avoid a similar situation. It was true that she liked Avani, differently than she had liked any woman before. And it was also true that the past weekend was definitely an effective experience. Kasai came back to the way she had felt when Avani had walked out of her door, when she thought she wouldn't see her again. "Tell ya what. Give me a week to get out of this cast, that way I can keep up without these stupid things," she poked the crutch and made it fall over to the floor. "Then, I'd be more than happy to have dinner with you. So long as you don't mind being seen out with a cop." Kasai grabbed her tea and sipped on it again, wondering if Avani truly minded the fact that she was a police officer or if it was just a point for teasing with her.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "I aim to please." Avani grinned as Kasai choked on her tea and had to put it back down on the table. "Oh, could you now? Even though I've got the raunchiest topics at the table, huh, but maybe you're into that kind of thing to start the day with." Avani ate as Kasai went silent, which worried her a bit. What was she thinking? She tried to enjoy her meal rather than let her thoughts bother her too much. It didn't matter all that much if all they became were friends with benefits, but of course that would make Avani's feelings complicated at some point or another no matter what. "That sounds fine." She said. "I don't mind being out with you on a date as long as you're not actually wearing a uniform. Perhaps I should give you a couple of weeks though, so we could have that physical competition where I beat you up like you me wanted too." Avani laughed, then went back to finishing off her breakfast and tea. She was curious how Kasai would be if they didn't speak or see each other for that amount of time. Probably she would regret anything that may have happened between them, but she liked the thought that Kasai may be left longing for her. "I guess we better get a last quickie in, eh?" Avani smiled and moved over to Kasai, kissing and caressing her. --- Avani spent the following weeks taking it easy until her arm had healed, at which point she returned to work at the harbour. Her regular job was a simple and boring one, where she mostly helped moving cargo in one way or another. She had contacts that could provide her with jobs that would earn her quick cast though, if she needed or wanted it. Before the day that they had decided to go out on a date together, Avani did carry out one of these jobs so that she could take Kasai out to some fancy restaurant. It was simple enough, all she had to do was provide backup to some carrying out a robbery. She didn't get much closer than keeping an eye out for any cops and driving one of the getaway vehicles. The next day, she pulled up to Kasai's apartment during the afternoon and honked the horn on her motorcycle. She had brought the sidecar with her, in case Kasai would rather ride in it than sit behind Avani on the motorcycle. She figured she could detach it and leave it at Kasai's place if she wanted to ride behind her. "Afternoon, Lady Sergeant." Avani greeted Kasai when she came outside. "Ready to get your ass beat?" She laughed, but when looking Kasai over she had to wonder if the woman had dressed appropriately. "I thought it could be fun to spar some to build up an appetite, if you agree that is."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The first week Kasai spent bored in her apartment, meandering around and cleaning things that she had already cleaned three times by now. It wasn't particularly easy for her to mope around lazily for such extended periods of time, since she was used to such an active lifestyle. Soon enough though, the aching in her leg was quelled and she returned to the doctor. Lucky for her, the break was healed enough that the cast could be removed and she could walk without crutches. The doctor instructed her to ease back into vigorous activity though, to avoid re-injury. She listened to his instructions but by the time she was able to walk out of the doctor's office on her own two feet, she was already throwing a few kicks around with her leg. There was a slight soreness, but she figured it would have time to heal the following week. Kasai gladly returned to work, though when she arrived she was met with a written warning on her desk and instructions that prohibited her from field work for two weeks. Great, she always wanted to be a desk jockey. Her boredom continued as she shuffled papers and signed off on reports that landed on her desk. Each time a call came in she jumped up, ready to head out. But she was always met with a cold glare from her lieutenant, so she would sit back down. The day before she was supposed to go out with Avani she spent doing the same thing. The boring empty thoughts in her head were this time replaced with thoughts of Avani, the weekend they shared together and what would come next. Just before she clocked out she had to sign off on a robbery report, with two unidentified accomplices to the gang in question. Just another day as a pencil pusher, she signed off and handed it over to the investigating officers. The next day she woke and spent part of the morning stretching and loosening her muscles, remembering how Avani planned on having that bet like they talked about. It was weird to her, but she was excited to see Avani. Kasai took a shower and changed into some casual clothes, not knowing what the other woman may have planned, and then waited about. Soon enough she heard a horn honk outside of her apartment, and she looked out the window to see Avani on her motorcycle. Luckily, she wasn't dressed up either so Kasai grabbed her things and headed downstairs, greeting Avani with a smile. "Well, hey there hot stuff." She looked over the motorcycle and noticed the sidecar. "No need for that, I've got my legs back." She said with a smile, which soon turned to a smirk. "Oh, you think you can beat me huh? Big talk, let's hope you aren't all bark and no bite." Kasai waited for Avani to detach the cart before climbing on the motorcycle behind her, this time not worried about a helmet. "Off we go then, hope you're ready to lose that bet." Kasai said as she grinned and wrapped her arms around Avani's torso, holding on as they began to move.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "I thought you knew by now that I like to bite as well." She joked. "I'm a wild beast after all, not some pet." Avani climbed off the motorcycle to remove the sidecar, pulled it up next to Kasai's apartment and hoped that no one would steal it if she left it there. She could get it back if they did, but she had to wonder who would be brazen enough to steal from a cop to begin with. She got back on the motorcycle, waited for Kasai to grab onto something and pushed the gas pedal down hard when she had. She drove above the speed limit for a while, keeping to empty roads and streets, for fun and to scare Kasai, but she slowed down when she figured the woman might arrest her on the spot if she kept it up for too long. "Oops, pressed it down too hard." She laughed, feeling the wind running through her hair and stretching out. Unfortunately Kasai got most of it in her face as she was sitting behind her. Avani didn't think about it. She drove them towards the gym she usually went too. Not that she went to gyms often as she enjoyed exercising outside or at home more, but when it was bad weather she came here. It was located close to the harbour, in a district that probably saw more criminals than she'd like to admit. She may have reconsidered brining Kasai there if she had put some more thought into it, but as it was she knew the owner of the gym. She knew her because they had been close once, very close, hopefully the woman wouldn't be here today though. Avani parked outside the gym, waited for Kasai to get off the motorcycle and then got off herself. There weren't many vehicles around where she parked. Maybe business was bad or it was just one of those days. "I guess this is where you'll fight your superior then, Lady Sergeant. I hope you're not too bad a loser." Avani grinned. "I wouldn't want our date to turn sour because you can't handle losing." Maybe this had been a bad idea if one of them got angry at the other after they lost. Maybe she wouldn't have considered this a fun activity if she had taken that into account. Oh well, now they were here. Avani was genuinely curious if Kasai had any reason to be so cocky, or if she would defeat her like she expected too. "Let's go inside and get ready, yeah?" Avani smiled and locked the motorcycle. She headed inside, got changed in the locker room and stepped out into the gym before long. She headed over to the ring they used for sparring matches normally. She was wearing shorts and a top more fit for fighting now. It was easier to move in, throwing kicks and punches. The black leather of her jacket and pants was left in the changing rooms.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The week so far had gone by slowly, each day dragging on into the next. Kasai had returned to work at the PD, her probation was finally lifted and she was allowed to go back out on patrol instead of spending her days drowning in endless oceans of paperwork. Of course, this excited her. After she was allowed back on field duty the days seemed to move quicker, keeping up pace with her job. It had been nearly a week since Avani had taken her to that fancy restaurant, wine and dine in an exclusive manner. The next morning Kasai had woken up to a headache, courtesy of the wine. In her mind she had recalled the prior day's activities, and a blush fell upon her when she realized her slight intoxication may have influenced her actions in a risqué way. However, she couldn't help but smile at the fact. There was nothing to regret about it, in fact it was a rather fulfilling night. The only thing that seemed odd to her was what appeared to be an enormous amount of money that Avani had handed over as they left. It wasn't that she thought Avani didn't have the money, it just seemed to be a rather large amount to just be carrying around. More than Kasai herself could afford to spend on one night out. But in the end, she also attributed her interpretation of the amount of money to her drunken state. One thing she was keen on looking into was the mayor and checking in with local newspapers. Kasai hadn't had any plans to follow through with their little "blackmailing" idea, but when the Captain called her in earlier that week to ask if she would like to have a new partner assigned to her she changed her mind. 'I shouldn't have to have a new partner...' The loss still weighed heavily on her, and the least she could do is earn the fallen friends the recognition they deserve. Kasai intended on scoping out some of the local news businesses after work today, then discussing it further with Avani. For now, she sat alone on a bench down the block from a well-known gang hang out. She was on surveillance duty, this gang was under investigation for several heists and robberies, some where there were civilian injuries. The department feared they may be going for bigger targets, so Kasai was sent to observe if they were bringing in anything that would suggest it. The scene had remained fairly quiet, nothing too suspicious going on. Soon enough, her relief arrived and she stood from her seat. Shaking the other undercover officer's hand, she gave him a nod and then headed to her car that was parked a couple blocks away. All she had left for the day was to go back to the PD and file her surveillance report and then she was free to go, so off she went once she reached her car.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani had been in a good mood when she had exited the building that belonged to the gang she worked for every once in a while. It didn't last particularly long though, as she soon heard a siren and saw a police vehicle following her. They weren't close to the gang's hideout anymore, so hopefully she was just being pulled over because of some minor traffic violation. She didn't think she'd been going too fast or anything, but it wasn't like she kept track of every silly rule while driving. Avani slowed down and prepared to pull over at the first and best opportunity. She recognized who was sitting behind the wheel of the police vehicle when she turned her head to look. Kasai. It made her wonder if she should be glad or even more worried than normal now that she was being pulled over. Surely, the police couldn't know about the gang owning the building, right? But what if they did? Well, it wasn't like it was illegal to enter a building and talk with some friends. She could always straight up deny that she knew anything about their illegal activities. On the other hand, she didn't want to lie to Kasai. Honesty was always the best course of action in a relationship, but what if she thought less of her if she told the truth? Avani pulled over and stopped, having decided that she would try to play coy. It wouldn't be lying if she avoided the topic all together. Besides, Kasai was weak for her feminine charms, or so she hoped at least. She remained seated on her motorcycle until Kasai exited her own car, then Avani got off her motorcycle and walked over to Kasai with her hands raised in a mocking gesture. "Oh, hey babe." Avani said with a sly smile. "You gonna try to arrest me for seducing an officer again? Maybe you were in the mood for a quickie, must get boring working so much you don't have time for me." She made a motion to put one of her hands on Kasai's cheek and caress her, but it didn't seem like the other woman was all that amused or in the mood for something like that. She pulled her hand back to herself. while it was still a tiny distance from touching Kasai, before she was actually arrested for sexually harassing an officer. Avani bit her lower lip, and looked past Kasai at her vehicle. It was unlikely that she would take any more dumb chances with Avani after how it had gone last time, wasn't it. "I guess it would be too much to hope for that I've got a sexy stalker and this is nothing else?" Avani asked with a faked smile.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Avani was all jokes as usual, but Kasai's expression did not change from the cold stare and crossed arms that she had approached the car with. It wasn't a joking matter, this was something serious. Something Kasai couldn't even get her out of if she got too wrapped up in it. Hell, Avani was lucky that Kasai was the officer on post and not someone else who would report her as a gang member. "I should kick your ass right now." Kasai said, unfolding an arm to point a finger at Avani. She didn't know whether to be more mad or concerned about her. But what if Avani really was a gang member? Kasai did remember a few comments she had made about how she came about her money, but she had assumed those were also all jokes to pick at the fact that Kasai was a cop. If she really was in with the wrong crowd then Kasai couldn't ignore it... she might have to use those handcuffs for less pleasurable things this time. "What the hell was that? Waltzing in to one of the city's most powerful gangs like you belong there?" She was getting angry now, but she realized she needed to calm down before the situation got too heated. Kasai took a step back and sighed. "Avani, there are cops all over that place. We've been watching that gang's activity." Kasai hoped that Avani wasn't a part of whatever big scheme the group was conjuring up. But if she was... a light bulb went off in Kasai's head. If Avani was in pretty deep within the veins of the gang then the police department may offer to make her a deal if she reported as an inside man... "I need you to be honest with me and tell me exactly what's going on." Kasai didn't know if Avani would tell her the truth or not, especially considering her feelings towards law enforcement. However, if Kasai was going to keep her out of prison again then she needed to know what role Avani was playing with these people.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "Now, now babe. You already tried kicking my ass and you lost that fight, remember?" Avani smiled, feeling a bit nostalgic as Kasai's anger at her made her remember how their relationship had initially begun. "I wouldn't want to see you get hurt just cause you bit off more than you could chew. The only way you'd be able to kick my ass is if I didn't defend myself, and that's not gonna happen." "Oh, they must have grown more than I imagined if they're one of the most powerful gangs these days." She noticed that Kasai seemed angry, but that didn't persuade her to stop joking or provoking her. It was pretty hot actually. Now that she was this close to the woman she had dreamt about the last week it became difficult to ignore how vulnerable she was to her. Well, apparently Avani was the one weak to Kasai then, and not the other way around unfortunately. "I needed money to get out of my current work situation. It was nothing else." Avani moved close to Kasai when she said that cops had been watching the gang's hideout. "I like the thought of you watching me, babe." She said, in an attempt to change the subject to something else. "We could go somewhere else and do some more watching?" She winked in a very obvious way. "Uh, okay if you prefer me to be blunt about it…" Avani said, rubbed her neck and decided to play dumb. It wasn't like Kasai had specified what point in time she wanted her to be honest about. "I think we should forget about the other stuff, get out of here and have some fun naked together once more. Many times more." "I've really missed you." She said, put her hand on Kasai's shoulder and gazed into her eyes. She hadn't considered the negative effect such an action would have on her. Avani couldn't gaze into Kasai's eyes for particularly long without feeling bad about what she was trying to do. She sighed, and closed her eyes. It would be the best to come clean, wouldn't it? At least if the gang was going to be taken down soon by the police, Avani would have a contact within the police that might be willing to help her out. That is, as long as she was honest and dropped the act. Several minutes of silence passed before Avani did it though. "I already told you how I get some of my money." Avani said and opened her eyes. "I just do some small jobs for those people every now and then. It was going to be the final time I asked them for money, which is why I was held up longer than usual. They thought I was too useful, but I never wanted you to find out about it." Avani feared that Kasai would shun her because she was a criminal and never want anything to do with her in the same way again, so she did what criminals do. She stole a kiss from her, craving a final one before it truly ended.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai crossed her arms in front of her and made no effort to entertain Avani's playful demeanor. She wasn't in a particularly playful mood at the moment, considering the circumstances. However, she remained silent while Avani tried to dance around the subject and switch topics to distract her. Kasai bit the inside of her lip to keep from blabbering off something she would most likely regret. "Now is not the time for smooth talk, Avani." Kasai said, not blinking as she looked up to return the gaze. "If you think you miss me now, wait until they've had you locked up for a few years." And finally, the flood gates of truth opened up. Kasai wasn't really too surprised with what she heard, which was maybe the part that concerned her the most. Morally, it went against everything she stood for and believed in. But there was just something about this damn girl that made Kasai tolerate it. She did remember the teasing Avani did about how she got her money, and again with her hatred of law enforcement it did all add up correctly. The tidbit that did draw some attention was the fact that they wanted her to stick around. That was definitely a bad thing... or a potentially good one, if they were going to use her as an inside scout. It might be the only way to guarantee she doesn't go down with them. "I would've found out eventually, better now than when you're behind bars wondering if I can sweet talk my boss again." Before she could remark another smartass comment, she was cutoff by Avani's lips on her own. It took her a moment to register the action before she unfolded her arms and put a hand on Avani's shoulder. Kasai pulled away and sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just stuck in cop mode. This isn't a good situation, Avani. Even if you never go near those people again, they could still rat you out and take you down with them. Once the castle starts to crumble, they tend to pull everyone down with them." Kasai shrugged her shoulders. "I have an idea, but it'll require you to play nice with some people at the PD..." Kasai half-grinned, knowing that the idea was sure to raise a few hairs on the other woman. "But on the bright side, it keeps you from being arrested. All you have to do is agree to work as an inside-man and report the activity back to the department. Then you won't be charged with anything when the sting goes down."</s> <\|message\|>Mi Soo Avani stepped away from Kasai after she had spoken, gritted her teeth and felt anger building. She ran her hands through her long red hair, and stared up at the sky. "Fuck." She said, then mouthed it repeatedly while keeping the same position. There was no good option here, despite Kasai's claims that she would go free if she worked as a rat. Free to die. She wasn't sure whether to feel grateful or pissed at Kasai. She didn't like her attitude one bit though. Oh, you'll miss me so much after you've been in prison for years. I don't care to confess missing you though. Bitch, I would have found someone new in prison. On the other hand, she was offering her a way out which probably meant she cared some. However, it could just be a way for her to brag to her superiors, and earn a promotion too. Avani calmed down faster than usual. She mostly had herself to blame for this situation, and if Kasai wanted to use her to further her own goals… Well, two could play at that game. She shouldn't have expected anything less from a cop, because letting her go and pretending like she hadn't seen her was clearly too much to ask. No, it wasn't a good situation, but she doubted it was as hopeless as she made it sound. Even if they did rat her out, was that all it would take to put Avani in prison? There was no proof that she knew of. Furthermore, if the gang found out that she had ratted them out they would come after her sooner or later. In that case it would be a choice between prison and death. Somehow, the former seemed preferable. "That sounds like a great idea for you to earn a raise or promotion." She said with resentment. "Since all you care about is yourself. You think they're gonna let me live when they find out I was the rat!? I imagine it's gonna look pretty bad if the pigs were to find out that you've been intimate with someone you knew was a criminal. It might look particularly bad if someone testified that you were on the gang's payroll too, huh?" She felt petty for threatening to lie to get Kasai convicted with her. It was a pitiful attempt to reclaim some power over the situation. She couldn't know how well it would work. Maybe it would genuinely make Kasai worry for her own hide. The woman had even gone so far as to get her out of prison at one point, and that would probably look worse in light of the current situation. "Perhaps I should try my luck with the gang instead of you. At least they got me work when I needed it, and they acted like friends. All you ever tried to do was fuck me over." Her emotions were running high, and she said things she would likely regret at a later point in time. Avani was afraid of either option presented to her, but she would never admit it. It felt like no one was on her side.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai clenched her jaw and grit her teeth behind her stony expression. Was it so hard to believe that she wanted to help? After all, that's what police officers are supposed to do. Protect and serve? The whole Oath of Honor thing? Apparently all Kasai was good for was looking out for herself, or at least that's what Avani seemed to think. And furthermore, how was Kasai the bad guy here for doing her job? It wasn't her fault that Avani was working for a gang of criminals. All she was trying to do was keep the situation from escalating. It wasn't uncommon for gang's to clean house when things start to go awry, that's why gang busts were usually so large and tedious. Kasai was trying to cover the bases just to stay safe. One thing was for sure though, she wasn't going to be bullied for trying to help. "Do you really think threatening me is going to do anything? Go for it." Kasai tried to keep her voice even and calm, even though she was getting frustrated underneath it all. She couldn't keep her voice from raising an octave in volume, though. "If all you can do is find ways to threaten me then you need to get your priorities straight." It was getting under her skin, but not because she was actually scared of the consequences of an accusation. She was mostly tired of Avani's bipolar attitude, and how easily she seemed to want to attack Kasai over something that wasn't even her fault. But, if she didn't want to take the help that was being offered to her, then so be it. "For fuck's sake, if I'm that terrible to you then by all means go see what your 'friends' have to offer you." She threw her hands up in the air in a gesture. "But remember who tried to help you first, you were just too stubborn to listen to someone who actually cares." Kasai wasn't going to stick around for any more verbal abuse, it wasn't her head that was on the chopping block after all. Maybe Avani needed some tough love to get her emotions in order. Or that could make it worse, who knew.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai had full intentions of getting in her car and driving off to leave Avani to whatever fate she chose for herself. She could only try up to a point, and she knew when it was time to give up and let the other person fend for themselves. It would probably be a bit hard to explain where her suspect is when she shows up empty handed at the PD. Kasai would have to think of something to cover her ass, probably tell them the suspect got away on a motorcycle, which was part of the truth. Truth was, Kasai didn't feel like being continually griped at all the way to booking, even if she really should take Avani in. If she did, she would just be a traitor and the bad guy yet again, so instead she found that it was not worth her time. Kasai was worried for Avani, though. Either way she could be in jeopardy, and Kasai didn't want that to be her fault too. When she didn't hear the sound of Avani's motorcycle starting up immediately after she walked away, she considered turning around. Kasai had thought that after that little scuffle she would not hesitate to take off and get as far away as possible. But then again, Avani seemed to do the opposite of what would be thought when least expected. Kasai put a hand up to wave off Avani's mumbling, taking it for mockery before she reached to get in her car. However, when she looked up, she saw Avani standing between her and her car. She was surprised to hear Avani apologizing, but she kept her face expressionless. Kasai sighed and looked down, staring at her feet for a moment before she looked back up at Avani. "I'm sorry too," she frowned. "I didn't mean to be pushy, I just don't want you to come out on the wrong end of this. And of course, I think my way is better. But that doesn't mean I should force it on you." She did raise an eyebrow at the suggestion that Avani made about arresting her. "You... want me to detain you?" She stared at her for a few more confused seconds, and then shrugged her shoulders after she thought about it. "I mean, only if you're sure." Kasai felt bad about it now, even though she still thought it was the safest bet. "Let's find somewhere safer to park your bike first." Kasai followed behind until the motorcycle was parked safely and then got out of the car. "Well, let's do this the easiest way possible. I'm detaining you for questioning, not arresting you. So no cuffs necessary, so long as you play nice." She smiled lightly and then got back in her car. After Avani got in with her, she pulled off and headed for the department, hoping everything would work out as smoothly as possible.</s> <\|message\|>Mi Soo She smiled as Kasai explained her reasoning to her, and kept herself from lashing out again just because she had said her way was best. There was no good option here as far as she could tell, but she'd rather not argue about it to the point that they truly went separate ways. "If it'll keep you out of trouble then I'm sure. Maybe I'll be able to sneak away afterwards." She doubted it would be a possibility though. "My bike? Fair enough, don't want to get a ticket on top of everything else…" Avani returned to her bike to move it to a better parking spot. She could hear Kasai following behind her in the police vehicle. The thought to speed up and leave her crossed her mind, but she shrugged it off. There was no point, even if she might be able to lose a larger vehicle in narrow back alleys. It didn't take long for her to find a good place to park it, she knew the city well. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!" Avani exclaimed disappointedly when Kasai told her they were doing it the easy way, and no cuffs were necessary. "You know you can put those on me whenever you want too. There's no need to care about necessity or anything." She got in the car together with Kasai without raising anymore objections. Better to just get it over with than drag it out. She scooted closer to Kasai as the car began to move, and laid her arm behind the other woman, on top of the large singular seat. "I was serious about the quickie, babe." Avani whispered into Kasai's ear. "In case you needed to unwind after a hard day at work, even if the day isn't over yet. I'm not gonna run away." Avani laid her head on the woman's shoulder, and pressed her nose against her neck to take in her smell. It was familiar enough after their weekend and days together. She'd missed it. Well, she'd missed everything about Kasai really. The smell allowed her to close her eyes and imagine they were somewhere else entirely though. On a tropical beach, or in a shared bed after a wild night. She begun to hum a tune she'd heard somewhere, while keeping her arm around Kasai and her head on her shoulder. It was best if she didn't try anything too bold, lest Kasai crash the car because of it. Second time she was being taken to the police station when previously she had avoided the attention of the pigs for the most part. It was easy to see whose influence was causing these frequent visits to the pigsty, but maybe it was a bad good influence on her. Perhaps it would set her down a better path if she survived the ordeals.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai rolled her eyes and smirked at Avani's whining. Well, she didn't expect anything less than the usual from her. At least now it wasn't the hard-headed part that she was experiencing. She put the car in drive and headed down the street. "Don't tempt me, you know I'm capable of using these well." Kasai patted the cuffs on her hip and grinned before grabbing the radio on her car dash. "Dispatch, this is Sergeant Inoshi, coming in now with a 10-15 en route." Kasai put the radio down and returned her attention to driving. "Oh, I'm not worried about you running away." Kasai teased, but didn't comment further on the offer until she felt Avani breathing on her neck. She had to clench her jaw as a wave of goosebumps tingled down her spine. She swallowed the lump in her throat and played it cool, even though the small gesture was unnerving. No, she couldn't just pull off into some alley. Afterall, she had already called in to the PD and they'd expect her soon. Although... the definition of a "quickie" was in and of itself a brief excursion. It had been a rough week, with the long days spent working and after hours occupied with hunting down a reporter to talk to. Kasai was stressed out, and to be honest she had missed Avani, regardless of the scuffle earlier. Kasai kept her eyes on the road ahead, even as Avani hummed into her shoulder. It didn't take long before she groaned in frustration. Kasai pulled the car over at the next alley and put it in park before turning to the woman next to her. "Okay, so maybe I have had a stressful week... and maybe I've kinda missed you." She paused to plant her lips onto Avani's for a moment before pulling back. "But... we have more important things to attend to. I don't have a 'get out of jail free' card just sitting in my pocket." She frowned before sighing and putting the car in reverse to get back on the street. "I promise I will do what I can to help though." They continued on and soon reached the police station, where Kasai escorted Avani inside. "They usually don't let the detaining officer do the questioning... to make sure both sides of the story are heard. But I'll be right outside of the questioning room. Trust me when I say that the truth is better than lying." She waited for the interviewing detective to arrive and left to write up her detention report. Hopefully when Kasai left work at the end of the day, Avani would be leaving with her.</s> <\|message\|>Mi Soo Avani smiled into Kasai's kiss and closed her eyes, moving her hands to pull off her own jacket, but before she had a chance to do so the moment was over. She frowned and moved away from Kasai, seating herself at the other end of the seat. "I think you misunderstood the concept of a quickie." She snorted. "I guess you'd prefer it if I was nowhere near you either then, as they might see it when we arrive." She didn't say anything more, even though Kasai did and it was tempting to respond with more snark. It wouldn't lead to anything else than a temporary satisfaction. As much as she may want to lash out, her words would achieve nothing. It had dawned on her. If she truly wanted to get what she wanted she had to play it all a different way, and by being patient. At the moment, that just meant she had to soldier through this bullshit. Avani listened to Kasai's final advice as she was lead inside, and nodded. Soon she found herself in another interview room, similar to the one she had been in a couple of weeks ago. As she waited she began to hum again, and look around the room. There was nothing noteworthy inside. Actually, it was devoid of anything else than chairs and a table. Once the detective that was going to interview her arrived, she answered her questions truthfully, albeit with a large amount of sarcasm and flirtation. Where were you on this or that date? Where was I? No, where were you, sugar? Maybe it would make Kasai reconsider that quickie if she was outside like she had said she would be, but really she had a better excuse to do it. As dumb as she thought the pigs were, she didn't imagine they had all forgotten about her apparent relationship with Kasai. If she flirted with another woman within their ranks like it was nothing, it should give Kasai more deniability. She found it amusing too. It would likely be the one time she could flirt so obviously with someone else in front of her current love interest. No, babe, I totally did it for you. Now you can deny there was anything special between us. It was just a slight misstep on your part, tell them you've always wanted to experiment and I was too hot to pass up. Especially that last part. The detective was less than amused by her behaviour though, but as she did tell the truth eventually when pushed there wasn't much she could do about it. The interview took much longer than it might have if she had been more willing to cooperate. Avani was not threatened by the detective when she told her she would make sure she got what was coming to her if she didn't start answering her questions properly. What do you mean? I'm telling you everything I know. My attitude? Sorry, your body is distracting. She was left alone in the interview room when the detective exited, left to wonder what would happen next.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai stood outside of the interrogation room with her arms crossed as she listened to the interview. One of her bosses walked up and stood beside her, watching as well. "So, what brings this one in today?" The silver-haired man asked as he peered through the one way glass to watch the detective and Avani. Kasai shifted on her feet before replying, not bothering to look at him when she did. "Been monitoring the Shozin hangout for weeks now, first new face to show up in all that time. Thought she might have some useful information for us from the inside, since we can't get any of the undercovers to get in with them." The older man nodded and said nothing else, walking off before the end of the interview. Kasai stayed where she stood, shaking her head as she listened to Avani's remarks to the detective. Spite is an interesting thing. Still, Kasai figured Avani would get over it eventually. Despite her attitude, Avani seemed to be telling the detective the truth when she finally got down to answering the questions presented to her. So far, so good. The interview ended and the detective walked out of the room holding her notepad. Kasai fell into stride next to her, pointing back towards the room Avani was in. "So? What do we have?" The woman scoffed, "Other than a pervert? Nothing. There is no evidence to hold her with anything, even though its obvious she is an associate of the gang. We'll have to wait until we bring the gang down to actually charge her with anything." And with that, the woman turned and walked down the hallway. Kasai stood there for a moment to process the information. Okay... so Avani wasn't being charged with anything. That's good. But now she's been interviewed and identified as part of the gang, so when they go down, she'll unfortunately be hunted down with them. Damn. Well, shit. Think, Kasai, think... She promptly turned on her heel and headed for her Captain's office. After several minutes of explaining and convincing, she left with a smirk on her face and headed for the interrogation room. Walking in, she closed the door behind her. "The RCPD has no evidence to charge with, let alone hold you with, anything. Therefore, you are free to go. However, we do have an offer for you. Your first option is to leave here and continue about your life as you have. Or, you can report to us an an informant. If you bring us inside information from the Shozin gang, we will pay you for the intel and also waive any charges that may come in association with the gang." Kasai shrugged her shoulders and held her hands out, moving them like a balance to see which choice Avani would make. In the end, Kasai would respect whichever decision she made, especially considering she pretty much forced her to come in to the station. "Oh, and we can also provide protection for you during the trial if and when we bring the gang down. You'll have me as a body guard."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai stood outside of the interrogation room with her arms crossed as she listened to the interview. One of her bosses walked up and stood beside her, watching as well. "So, what brings this one in today?" The silver-haired man asked as he peered through the one way glass to watch the detective and Avani. Kasai shifted on her feet before replying, not bothering to look at him when she did. "Been monitoring the Shozin hangout for weeks now, first new face to show up in all that time. Thought she might have some useful information for us from the inside, since we can't get any of the undercovers to get in with them." The older man nodded and said nothing else, walking off before the end of the interview. Kasai stayed where she stood, shaking her head as she listened to Avani's remarks to the detective. Spite is an interesting thing. Still, Kasai figured Avani would get over it eventually. Despite her attitude, Avani seemed to be telling the detective the truth when she finally got down to answering the questions presented to her. So far, so good. The interview ended and the detective walked out of the room holding her notepad. Kasai fell into stride next to her, pointing back towards the room Avani was in. "So? What do we have?" The woman scoffed, "Other than a pervert? Nothing. There is no evidence to hold her with anything, even though its obvious she is an associate of the gang. We'll have to wait until we bring the gang down to actually charge her with anything." And with that, the woman turned and walked down the hallway. Kasai stood there for a moment to process the information. Okay... so Avani wasn't being charged with anything. That's good. But now she's been interviewed and identified as part of the gang, so when they go down, she'll unfortunately be hunted down with them. Damn. Well, shit. Think, Kasai, think... She promptly turned on her heel and headed for her Captain's office. After several minutes of explaining and convincing, she left with a smirk on her face and headed for the interrogation room. Walking in, she closed the door behind her. "The RCPD has no evidence to charge with, let alone hold you with, anything. Therefore, you are free to go. However, we do have an offer for you. Your first option is to leave here and continue about your life as you have. Or, you can report to us an an informant. If you bring us inside information from the Shozin gang, we will pay you for the intel and also waive any charges that may come in association with the gang." Kasai shrugged her shoulders and held her hands out, moving them like a balance to see which choice Avani would make. In the end, Kasai would respect whichever decision she made, especially considering she pretty much forced her to come in to the station. "Oh, and we can also provide protection for you during the trial if and when we bring the gang down. You'll have me as a body guard."</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani was leaned back in her chair with her hands behind her head, and her feet up on the table, when Kasai walked in. She opened one eye briefly to confirm it was Kasai, then closed it again. "Hope you didn't have to see too much of that." Avani said. "I figured I'd take advantage of the fact she was female. I imagine there's still some who remembers the two of us. Now it'll seem like you're nothing special to me." She smiled, and let Kasai do the talking she had clearly come to do. She did interrupt her at one point by laughing though. It wasn't intentional. It was just difficult to suppress. Avani had told the pigs as much as she could without going into needless details, and they had found her at the gang's hideout, but they still didn't have anything to charge her with? That was true police competence for you. She should have tried getting away with murder or something. As long as it wasn't one of their own that got killed, clearly they weren't able to do anything. "I wouldn't leave here and go back to my old life thinking I would be left alone. I'd probably be out of the city before sundown." She answered when Kasai had stopped talking. "I'm not comfortable with being a snitch either, especially not after today. I told them I was leaving after a final job, and they'd probably find it suspicious if I became more active than I've ever been before after saying that." However, it would be a shame to give up the chance at getting double pay checks for a short time. The whole reason she was in here right now was because she needed money, and she still did. If she worked for both the police and the gang she would be able to earn quite a bit she imagined. They'd even waive any charges that may come with working for the gang? Maybe she should try to commit a murder in if she got a chance, didn't sound like there would be any better time to do it. "How much money would they pay?" She asked after considering it for a while. "I guess it would be best if I moved in with you then too, huh… Can't be too far apart if you're gonna be my bodyguard, right?" Avani meant to push herself away from the table and put her feet back on the floor, but miscalculated the motion and ended up on her back on the floor. She quickly jumped back up on her feet and shrugged it off, then strode over to Kasai and placed herself in front of her. So close that their bodies grazed each other. "I'd be taking the gang's money too, you know." She whispered, hoping that no one else could hear. "You'd think I'd be more eager to do this than I am then, but even if having you nearby to guard my body could be nice I would still be putting my life at risk. Not just at the time of the trial, but during any jobs I would do to get more information." Avani grinned. "It's dumb and reckless, but maybe I'm too fond of things around here to flee at first chance. Then again, dumb and reckless is certainly up my alley..."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai managed to ignore Avani's sudden laughing and finish her spiel. She already knew that what she was proposing sounded preposterous to Avani, so there was no need to address her outburst. Kasai finished with her offer and waited for Avani to laugh in her face and walk out of the station, but she was pleasantly surprised when her reaction was a little more tame than expected. "You're more than welcome to leave here and skip town, I'm just offering you another way out." Kasai hoped that Avani would think on it a little more before shutting it down completely. It would provide her with the money she apparently needed and she wouldn't have to pack up and move her life from Republic City. "But I hope you'll consider it." When Avani asked about the pay, Kasai perked up a little. "Well, it's not enough to buy a big shiny mansion. But, it is a healthy sum. The department understands the risks associated with what you're doing. It'll come out to about twice what you would get from the gang if you hold up your end of the deal." She hoped that would be enough to convince her, but if not then at least she could say she tried. "I'll even share my bed if you feel more safe at my place." Now it was Kasai's turn to have a laughing fit, unable to contain it as she saw Avani tip over and land on the ground. She shut up real quick though when Avani made her way over. "Well, I'd expect nothing less." Kasai returned the grin with a smirk of her own. "If nothing else, you could get a thrill from it, no? It's sure to keep the adrenaline pumping." Maybe the danger of it all was enough to attract Avani to it, who knew? Kasai held the short distance between them a moment more before turning to open the door for Avani. "If you'd like your chance to do this dumb and reckless thing then we have some paperwork to fill out before we leave." Kasai led Avani over to her desk where she already had the papers laid out. "Alright, feel free to read it all. But long story short, these papers serve as the agreement between you and the department. Your protection details as well as payment details are laid out. You can agree to these terms and sign the papers, then we can be on our way out of here." Kasai waited to see if Avani would follow through completely and sign the papers or not. She knew it was a lot to ask and expect, but she hoped that this option sounded more compelling than the others she had at her disposal. If Avani agreed, it meant that Kasai's job would be taking on a different nature than it normally did. Instead of surveillance, she would move to security and protection detail. Essentially, she would still be surveilling the gang house, but now it would be to keep an eye on Avani. On paper, that made her job easier. But she had a feeling that it wouldn't be as easy as it seemed.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani would very much like to share Kasai's bed, and more, but not because it might make her feel safer. That would be a benefit she could bring up at any point if Kasai went back on the offer though. She followed Kasai out of the interrigation room to her desk, only glancing down at her behind once. She nodded at Kasai, eager to get out of there, especially when she kept saying that they would leave together. Had she finished working for the day then? Would she finally relax and stop being such a stuck up police officer? She hoped Kasai wouldn't be too tense during her new assignment as bodyguard for Avani. That would get very tiresome fast. She supposed she was a bit of a thrillseeker, but she had never deliberately put herself in a situation such as this before. If she was found out during the job, she would likely get killed and her body would be dumped in the sea. The closest thing she'd done before was probably the mission to the spiritworld, but then she hadn't expected to end up in the danger they had found themselves in. This time she knew the danger. Avani sat down and picked up the papers, skimmed through them and pretended to read everything. The pay was pretty good like Kasai had promised, but combined with the money she got from the gang it was more than anything she had ever made before. There were some other police in the large room at their own desks.She glanced at Kasai from behind the papers with a playful grin, the expression she usually got when she had thought of a new way to play a prank on someone. "Um, miss… This paragraph here seems oddly personal." Avani pulled the papers away from Kasai's reach, and begun to read out loud for the room to hear what she pretended was written in the papers, but she really made up on the spot. "During Kasai Inoshi's work as a bodyguard for Avani Shailesh, she is allowed certain means of pleasure and relaxation. Miss Shailesh will be required to provide these whenever Officer Inoshi orders her too. She is to submit to her will and desires without delay. These will likely be of a sexual nature as Officer Inoshi is known to be insatiable when she has her hands on an attractive babe." "Oh my…" Avani said and feigned blushing. "I don't know what to say officer. I've never done such things with another woman before. I thought you were supposed to be my bodyguard and that was it? Does your superior know you added this paragraph to the contract?" As most in the room had focused their attention on the two of them and Kasai in particular, Avani had to sign the papers quickly and as discrete as possible. She then stood up and acted flustered. "Gee miss, I'm sorry. I think I need some fresh air before I decide on this, if that paragraph is going to be in the contract." Avani turned her back on Kasai and strode towards the exit. She needed to get away before she burst out laughing. Once outside, she stopped next to the door and let the laughter flow freely. She had to lean herself against the wall to keep standing, and her stomach begun to hurt before long. When Kasai caught up with her she sighed and tried to control herself, but the occasional giggle escaped.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai was twiddling her thumbs waiting for Avani to sign the papers so that they could leave when she looked up to see Avani donning a mischievous expression. Immediately she knew something was up, especially when Avani suddenly acquired manners and began using pleasantries. Arching her eyebrow in suspicion, she waited and listened to what Avani was beginning to say. It didn't take long before she was reaching across her desk to swipe at the papers that were just out of her reach. Quickly, she backed her chair up and attempted to run around her desk to silence Avani. Unfortunately, her desk had other plans for her. Kasai's foot caught the leg of the wooden frame and down she went, tumbling to the floor. If there was a pair of eyes in the room that wasn't already aimed her direction, they were now. In a fraction of a second, the laser-beam glare that she had given Avani what seemed so long ago now in the spirit world was back. She clumsily and embarrassingly fumbled around on the floor before finally finding her feet beneath her to stand up. By the time she made it back to an upright position, she could see Avani high-tailing it out of the squad room and downstairs. Kasai looked at the papers on her desk, seeing they were signed. Everyone in the vicinity was still staring at her, some laughing and others with their mouths agape. Kasai laughed nervously and quickly filed the papers away on her desk. "Heh... criminals. Who can trust em, right?" The nervous laughter continued as she slowly backed towards the exit. "Nope, can't trust a one. Nuh-uh. Always making stuff up and whatnot." She was almost to the door now, just a few more feet to sweet freedom. "Oh, hey Jai, is that a new badge? Very nice." She reached for the door and flew out as quickly as humanly possible. Outside, she found Avani busting up, as she had predicted. She imagined her face was still as red as the fire nation's crest, but she at least was away from the staring beady eyes now. "You think you're soooooo funny." She said between bursts of laughter from Avani. "Well, I'll have you know that it doesn't affect me in any way. Nope. And I meant to trip..." Kasai bit her bottom lip and urged the knot in her gut to go away. Usually she wasn't easily embarrassed, but being bombarded in front of all of her coworkers... yep, that'll do it. She thought about how to turn it around on Avani, but found no such plan. In the end, she turned quickly towards Avani, making sure there was no one else coming out of the station first, and pushed her up against the wall of the building. Her body pressed against the other woman's and she narrowed her eyes to her. "It might have been all in good fun, but secretly you wish your words were actually a part of this little contract we have. Don't you? Wouldn't that be fun?" Kasai grinned this time and hovered closer to Avani to whisper. "Well, we don't need it in writing to make it happen." Kasai lingered for a few seconds more, her lips brushing Avani's cheek before she pulled completely away and retrieved her keys from her pocket, acting like nothing had happened. "Well, come on then. We need to go get your bike." She said, heading towards her car and not looking back to see if Avani was following or not. She waited in her car and then pulled away, driving towards the area where they had left the motorcycle. "I can follow you to your place if you want to grab some stuff and bring it over to my apartment. You're under my watch, after all."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai followed behind Avani, making their way down the streets to her apartment. Once she parked her car, she got out and shut the door behind her at Avani's request. Well, if she was supposed to be her body guard then she might as well accompany her inside. Wouldn't want any bad guys popping out from around a corner after all, though Kasai was more than certain that Avani could take care of herself in such a situation. She followed in step behind Avani as they made their way into the apartment. "Bit paranoid, are we?" Kasai said, taking note of how Avani locked the door behind them. The apartment was a bit disorganized and disheveled, but Avani didn't really scream "clean freak" either so it was fitting. Some people were able to make more sense of a mess than a perfectly clean home. Kasai took a seat in the chair that was offered to her and waited for Avani to gather her things so that they could head out. "Oh, go ahead." Kasai answered, figuring the change would be no big deal and take just a few moments. She wasn't so surprised that Avani chose to undress in front of her, but what did shock her was how the simple action took a seductive tone. She should have known better than to think that her little stunt outside the station would go by without any consequences. Of course she would have to pay for it later, not that it was such a bad thing. It did render her speechless momentarily, however, when she had nowhere else to look than at her current lover barely dressed in front of her. Words could be heard coming from Avani's mouth, but after she had stradled across Kasai's lap, she had tuned out. It seemed like so long since she'd seen Avani, and for once in the past week she was able to focus on something other than the stresses of work. Which was actually the trick, because this was her job for now. "Uh... w-what?" She blinked a few times and shook her head. "Oh, uh, something to drink maybe? Yeah, something to drink." She said before swallowing hard, feeling the desert that her mouth had become. It didn't take long for her to realize a couple things. One: she sounded like a babbling idiot, and Two: she wasn't going to be getting that drink anytime soon. Shifting in her seat, she bit her lip and looked Avani up and down as she regained her composure. "On second thought, I think I'll take the house special." She said after finally managing a smile through her nervous fit. "So about our little agreement..." Kasai said after relaxing in her seat and placing a hand on Avani's side. "I am supposed to be your body guard. And that means I can't let you out of my sight." Her other hand found Avani's other side and she pulled her further into her lap. "Are those terms you can agree to?" Kasai asked before leaning forward to gently kiss Avani's collarbone. "Or is there some negotiating you want to do?" She said between nibbling on Avani's neck.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani felt all fuzzy inside as Kasai just stared at her body. It was a great feeling to have the person she desired silenced because she had undressed in front of her. She donned a warm smile when Kasai asked for something to drink, so predictable yet lovely. Her apparent nervousness was so cute too, as if she hadn't seen Avani in her underwear or naked before. She almost got up to get Kasai something to drink just because of how her reaction had made her feel, but she was stopped by a different request for the "house special". "I hope you've got plenty of time then, miss." She ran a hand through Kasai's hair and twirled it in her fingers. "The special will take a while." Avani grinned as Kasai put her hands on her hips and pulled her further towards her. "Oh very much so. I hope you're not afraid of using your hands or getting them dirty though." She said and shivered when Kasai kissed her skin. "But it doesn't seem like it. I'm tempted to wear nothing but underwear at your place if this is going to be your reaction." She gasped when Kasai began to nibble on her neck. "Mhm…" ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A couple of hours later she kissed Kasai a final time before rolling out of bed to get dressed. She put on a green shirt and another pair of pants, then actually got a few boxes out of a closet and began to put clothes into them. She had taken the boxes from her work at the harbor, but now she wondered if she would be returning there anytime soon. If she had a say in it she wouldn't, and with the money she'd be making for a while she wouldn't have too either. It bothered her a bit that she couldn't really tell them that she was quitting, because Kasai would come with her and she didn't want her too. Once she had packed enough clothes and some other stuff in the boxes, she turned to Kasai still in her bed. "I'm ready to go, babe." She said and pulled the covers off of the other woman, and to her pleasant surprise she was clearly not as ready. Avani let out a cat call whistle. "Maybe you could have put more clothes on while I was packing, instead of relaxing in my bed. Did you have a tough day at work?" She laughed, figuring she'd probably contributed to it. "Anyway, I'll carry some of these down and then you can throw the rest out the window to me. Lock the door when you leave." Avani picked up two of her boxes, and left her apartment. She put them in Kasai's car, went to the window of her apartment and caught the last boxes that was thrown out to put them in the car as well. It wasn't like she had anything easy to break or too heavy in them. It was faster this way. She waited at her motorcycle for Kasai, hoping that she would remember to lock the door when she exited the apartment. She didn't have to wait too long, and soon they were driving to Kasai's apartment. Avani was not going to leave her motorcycle at her own place when she didn't know how long she'd be gone. It was her most valuable possession.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai laid in the bed with her eyes closed after Avani had gotten up. She hadn't had many opportunities to relax or alleviate any stress in the last week, so she took advantage of the situation and stayed put while she listened to Avani shuffle around her apartment. A groan escaped her when Avani returned and said she was ready to go. "Back to work already... Okay okay, I'm up." She sat up in the bed and nodded when Avani told her to throw the other boxes down to her. Supposing she should put on her clothes, she got up and got dressed before grabbing the other boxes and walking to the window. When she opened it and looked down, she found Avani waiting at the bottom. "Heads up." Kasai tossed the other boxes down the side of the building and then closed the window. Kasai glanced around to make sure she didn't forget any clothing items than might have gotten strewed across Avani's apartment during their little break. Finding nothing, she turned to head towards the door after grabbing her keys. Kasai locked the door behind her and headed down to her car. She got in and pulled out in front of Avani, leading them down the road towards her own apartment. The trip didn't take all that long, but it was long enough to enjoy the drive. When they arrived, Kasai grabbed a couple boxes from the back of the car and waited for Avani to park her motorcycle and grab the rest. Heading up the stairs, Kasai unlocked her door and then closed it behind them. "Welcome to your temporary home. Make yourself comfortable," Kasai sat the boxes she was carrying down in the floor and then went to put her own stuff down. "My turn to change, work clothes aren't the most comfortable." Kasai shrugged her shoulders and then went to her room, setting her cuffs, badge, and keys down on her nightstand before finding a t-shirt and some more comfortable pants to change in to. Walking back out to the living room she pointed back at her room. "You can put your clothes in the closet if you like, there should be plenty of room in there." Kasai walked towards the kitchen and started a pot for tea, then found her favorite spot on her couch to plop onto. She only allowed herself a few seconds of pure relaxation before she sat up a bit and looked at Avani. "So... back to business as usual. If we're gonna keep you out of jail then you've got to bring some pretty good dirt back to the department. When is the next time you are supposed to meet with the gang?" Kasai had to think about what would be the best way to keep protection detail on her without blowing either of their covers, for that could end badly for both of them.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "Temporary, huh?" Avani smirked. "You felt the need to point that out, I see, and here I was thinking we had something special so you might ask me to move in for real one day." Kasai had left the room as Avani mumbled to herself though. She shouldn't put too much meaning behind what Kasai had said, maybe she planned on getting a bigger apartment if she ever found someone she wanted to live with. Maybe Avani would have moved on by then. She put the boxes down for a moment and considered sneaking a peek on Kasai changing clothes, but took a seat instead and relaxed. There was no need to be all-over her girlfriend constantly, and if she was too needy while they lived together Kasai might reconsider their relationship. There would be plenty of time to screw Kasai, but she would want to find a balance between being herself and allowing them both to have some alone time every now and then. When Kasai returned and told Avani that she could put her clothes in her closet, she jumped back up on her feet with a smile and that fuzzy feeling inside. Kasai let her put her stuff with her own! That was some kind of progress, right? Avani began to move the boxes into the closet, but it didn't take long before Kasai brought up work again. "Calm down, babe. Let me put my boxes in your closet first." Avani said. She picked the final box up and put it with the others. She left them unopened for the moment, as she'd already done enough packing and moving for the day without adding the chore of unpacking. Besides, if she wanted Kasai to chill she better answer her question sooner rather than later. Avani returned to the living room, and laid down on the couch with her head in Kasai's lap. "I love this view." She said, caressed Kasai's cheek and laughed. The woman's bosom was just above her face, and behind those hills lay Kasai's sweet face. "Anyway, they just want me to help with preparations tomorrow for some big score. I'll do some minor task in comparison and get paid." She smiled and let her fingers move from Kasai's cheek to touch her lips. "Obviously though, I will have to get on the team again for the big score. I did tell them I'd leave, but it's not the first time..." Avani sighed and removed her hand from Kasai's face, then turned her head away from her while keeping it in her lap. "It's the first time I had any real motivation though, but she caught me red-handed and here we are."</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "I wish I could calm down but alas, this is the life I live." Kasai sighed and rested her hand on Avani's arm, gently massaging as she thought. It shouldn't be too hard for Avani to get back in the ranks with the group, especially if they had such a history together. The last thing Kasai wanted to do though was jeopardize her safety. It wasn't a question of if she could handle herself, it was just a situation that Kasai preferred be entirely avoided. "Real motivation, huh? I'll mark that down as a win in my book." Looking down at Avani, Kasai frowned. "Hey, don't worry. We can get this all figured out. It's never too late." Kasai smirked, "Who knows, if you do pretty well hiding your cover with the gang then you might even be good enough to become a spy." Kasai laughed. Trying to lighten the mood around the conversation seemed to help ease the bitterness of it. Kasai's hand continued to lightly brush back and forth, her mind wandering a bit with a few moments of silence. What she really wanted was to just take Avani and get her away from all the bad things in life. Kasai believed that she had good intentions underneath the rebel facade. She only hoped that she could steer her down a better path after all of this was over with. "Have you thought about what you'll do after all of this is done? I know it all happened so fast, but..." She stopped and pursed her lips together, not wanting to seem pushy. It was difficult for her to find her words, but she gave up on trying to sugar-coat anything she was going to say and instead went for honesty. "I just think that under all that 'bad-girl' and 'criminal' crap you try to show off is a good heart with good intentions. You don't have to run away from all of this when it's over." Kasai didn't know if Avani was still thinking about leaving Republic City after she got her end of the deal with the police department. She couldn't blame her, it would be easier to get away and start over somewhere else. Especially with the amount the PD was willing to pay for the information, it would be enough to buy a new life. Granted, not a lavish one. "Now look at me, I've gone all mushy and annoying." She laughed and then sighed.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Mi Soo She feigned a smile at Kasai trying to cheer her up. Yes, they could still get all of it sorted out, but she'd rather not have had to do that in the first place. At least there wouldn't be any more dark secrets between them. It was probably better that Kasai learnt the truth early on in their relationship than later on or from someone else. She doubted it was the kind of person a proper cop had imagined themselves ending up with though. "Oh yeah, I'd make such a great spy." Avani said. rolled her eyes, but smiled when she heard Kasai's laughter. "But I wouldn't want you to be all alone at home while I use my incredible charisma to seduce information out of crooks. Besides I probably couldn't work for the law very long." She'd lose respect for herself if she did. Well, unless she was paid extraordinary well, then she may be able to overlook the part about selling her soul. She closed her eyes and relaxed under Kasai's touch, turning her face back towards the woman and pushing it against her stomach. Avani sneered at Kasai calling her bad girl style crap. She didn't mind the same comment about being a criminal, but really, she was a bad girl whether Kasai wanted to accept that or not. "Sorry to disappoint you, babe, but I am a bad girl. You think I fell in with criminals cause I had good intentions?" She laughed at the thought. "No, I was looking out for the only one that mattered at the time - myself. All I wanted was money, and I didn't care much about what they had me do to get it. Maybe the me I am now would do things differently than my old self, but it doesn't undo my actions." She moved her hand to Kasai's throat and caressed it, in a manner she meant to be playfully threatening. If those two could even be combined in the first place. "I thought you liked me for being a bad girl, babe? I'm hurt." Avani joked. The original question was a good one though. What was she planning to do after she finished this job and got her money? She'd planned to join a fighting tournament before Kasai had caught her. She might still do that, but there was no reason to stay in Republic City for it. "All of this?" Avani asked. "I don't really have much left in this city after I betray the gang, and my close friends passed away a while back. You'd be the one thing left for me in Republic City. Don't get me wrong, I love our hours of casual sex, hearing you scream my name and that face you make when…" She contorted her face in an expression meant to mimic the expression Kasai had in those moments, and burst out laughing. She calmed down to continue speaking after a moment. "Well, it's all good, but is that all there is to it for you?" Avani grinned and removed her hand from Kasai's throat to squeeze her bosom. "And I like it when you're mushy. It' much better than stuck up cop."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Well, at some point in time she would have to learn that despite her belief that there was good in everyone, maybe there wasn't after all. Although, Kasai still didn't believe that Avani was fully rotten to the core. Maybe she was, but some of her actions didn't make that truly believable, while on the other hand some of them did. "Well they do say opposites attract..." Kasai shrugged and raised an eyebrow as Avani's hand grazed her throat. Kasai wondered what things she had done if she truly was the "bad girl" she was claiming to be. But... maybe she didn't want, or rather need to know those things. Some things could be overlooked, others... well she would have a hard time keeping a straight face. Best to not pursue it, at least for the time being. Kasai punched Avani in the arm for mimicking her, narrowing her eyes down at her as she did so. "I do not look like that." She held the expression for a moment longer before sighing and losing the scowl. "Oh, come on now. I might be a stuck up cop but I don't think I'd be so willing to keep you out of jail and move you into my place so I can 'protect' you if you were just a casual hookup." Really, she'd already overlooked the criminal activity in favor of saving Avani's ass from an arrest. Twice now, though granted the first one was kind of her fault to begin with. She supposed that didn't make the situation any better either, but she couldn't be blamed for just doing her job this time. For Kasai, Republic City was the only place she had ever known. Her family was here. Her friends... were... here. Her job was here. She knew her duty was to protect the people of the city. That was all she knew how to do, without structure she couldn't operate. Spontaneity wasn't exactly a very big part of her vocabulary. For that, she almost envied Avani. It must be freeing to be able to do whatever you want whenever you want without a second thought. But she was comfortable with her life, it was just as freeing to her at least. "Well, you've got a while I guess to think about what you want to do. For now we've both got a job to do if we want to see our paychecks. Shouldn't be too hard, right? Besides the part where we can both be killed, ya know. You more than I. But hey, we stared death in the face before, again couldn't be any more difficult." Kasai chuckled. It wasn't really a laughing matter, but it made her feel a little better about the whole thing.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "Ouch." Avani said, and stretched her tongue out towards Kasai. "Domestic abuse on our first day living together." She joked, knowing that Kasai hadn't put any real strength behind it or that she'd ever deliberately hurt her. "Hey, what do I know? Maybe you're just really desperate for the touch of another female and I'm the only one you know." Avani giggled, but soon grew quiet and simply observed Kasai that seemed lost in thought. If they weren't a casual hook-up, she wondered where their relationship was going and where it was going to end. If it was going to end at all. She felt better with Kasai than she had with anyone else before. Maybe it would be worth it to try to tone down the bad girl style for her, even if she didn't want to get rid of it entirely. Besides, if she was going to do that Kasai should lose the cop crap when Avani was around too. It was just another job, there was no need for Kasai to spend her entire life working. "You could come with me if I did leave." Avani responded. "If we don't die I mean. I feel like we've made ourselves deserving of a vacation at the very least. There's no need to make any specific plans to return anytime soon either. We should travel the world while we're still young." She frowned and caressed Kasai's cheek once more. "Well, while I'm young anyway. Maybe we'd find a place where we liked it better, who knows…" She sat up in the sofa, and laid her arms around Kasai. "I don't believe I'm attracted to you because you're my opposite though, babe. You're freaking hot, and much more fun to be with, fight with and joke with than anyone else I know. You don't just roll over. I think we're quite similar, just with different beliefs and different paths in life up till now." Avani turned Kasai's head towards herself, leaned into her and kissed her desperately for a moment that felt like it couldn't last long enough. "I'll roll over for you if you ask me nicely…" She whispered seductively in the woman's ear. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ The first day as a rat went by without any problem for Avani. She helped the gang get the resources they needed to pull off their big score, and got paid the amount they had agreed on. That should have been it, but as she needed to get in with them for the actual score she stuck around the gang's hideout for a while after that. Once she asked if she could help out with the big score itself, they laughed and made jokes about how she couldn't stay away for long, how she always came back like a good dog. It made her feel a lot better about selling them out further down the road. They were wrong about her. She may not be able to prove it to them unless the pigs forced her to testify in front of the gang members, but she'd prove it to herself and that was all that mattered. Avani told Kasai everything about the first day, even if the woman had been nearby and seen some of it. The following days went by much like the first one, eventually turning into weeks. At times, Avani felt like she was betraying people that didn't deserve it, people that had been there for her when she had needed money to survive. Other times, they pissed her off and she wanted to strangle a couple of them on the spot. All in all, it was genuinely entertaining work. Not the illegal parts of it, but the constant excitement that came with the fear that she could be discovered and murdered at any point. She might be sleeping with the fishes soon? Yay! As the planned date of the gang's big score grew close, there was a noticeable tension in the air at their hideout. People were on edge. Those in charge were particularly easy to anger during this time, but it only came to a few scuffles that didn't result in anything more serious than bruises. It did make Avani question whether the gang was competent enough to pull of their plan to begin with. Sure, they would be stopped after they had attempted to rob the bank and found nothing because she was telling the police everything she could, but these arguments within the group itself didn't inspire confidence. On the day of the big score, Avani found herself a lot more relaxed than she had expected to be. She'd gotten through these weeks with her life intact, and now she only had one last thing left to do before getting paid. The gang would likely realize that they had been betrayed once they did enter the vault of the bank, found nothing and then got surrounded by the cops. She would get arrested with the rest of them, of course, but it was only a trick to make them all question who had betrayed them. Apparently it would help the pigs when interrogating them if they were already willing to sell out each other. Avani would walk free, with her money and she could leave the city with Kasai. Assuming she could convince Kasai to take a prolonged vacation. The more she had thought about it during the last weeks, the more she felt like they both truly needed to get away from the city. They could certainly return one day if Kasai wanted too, but for now it was the decision she had come too. There were other cities and places to visit. In the end, both the plan of the gang and the plan of the cops were executed a lot more smoothly than she had believed they would be. The gang was arrested after a fight that didn't last particularly long. Avani enjoyed fighting the cops too much, so a few of those who got in her way was in some serious pain once she surrendered. To their credit, they didn't dock any of her pay due to it. She had figured there was a high possibility they would. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that there wasn't much in the contract she had signed about beating up cops or resisting arrest. If she was to play a believable gang member she might need to be able to do both after all. Avani did have to give a final statement the following day, but since she'd already told Kasai everything during the time she'd been undercover there wasn't all that much to say which they didn't know by then. She soon left the police station and found herself back in Kasai's apartment. "Well, I doubt the rest of the gang had as much fun as I did. Or that they will any time soon." Avani said, sat down on the sofa and breathed out. "I'm slightly wealthy too, like right now in this moment. I doubt it will last once I start spending it. I never was good with money, not saving it anyway. I know how to spend it, mind you." "So…" Avani began, turning towards Kasai in the kitchen and feeling more nervous at that point than she had during most of her time with the gang. "Did you give my idea about traveling the world any more thought? It would be boring to leave you here…" They wouldn't need to leave right away, but she wasn't all that keen on staying much longer either. Partly because the gang could send someone to kill her even if they were in prison.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Surprisingly enough, the whole operation seemed to go off without a hitch. To Kasai's own surprise, Avani seemed to be fully cooperating with the department and the other officers involved in the ordeal. The process was more lengthy than anything, waiting for the gang to gather enough resources, finalize on their plans, do test runs and drive-by's... Kasai's part was fairly simple, sit outside on the bench drinking her coffee like she did every day before that. Her stress level could be considered changed for both good and bad. She wasn't as worried with the full stresses her job usually put on her because now she only had to go in to the department to give reports and exchange intel. Other than that, she went home with Avani every night and left with her every morning. It was a routine she quickly became accustomed to. On the other hand, now she had to worry about Avani's safety. It wasn't exactly a walk in the park to spy on a huge group of criminals that could kill you at even a sneaking suspicion that you were betraying them. Kasai sat outside everyday and breathed a sigh of relief each time she caught a glimpse of Avani still in one piece. The final hurrah went over exceptionally smooth as well. Everything fell into place as it should have, and every member of the gang that was on hand that day was arrested, plus several more who were quickly ratted out by their comrades that were looking to strike a plea deal. The mission was documented successful, and everyone was allowed to go home a rest for a couple days. During the weeks they spent together, Kasai continued to wave off Avani's idea of travelling the world each time she brought it up. It was an interesting and appealing idea for sure, but the likelihood that she would find herself in a position to do it was slim. Still, she gave it some thought when she found herself a quiet moment to think. Now, faced with the question head-on she had a decision to make. Of course she let it come down to the last possible second to choose whether to stay or go. The fact that she hadn't even asked for any more time off from her superiors didn't help her in deciding either. Extended vacations were usually something bosses liked notice for. A lot of notice. And quitting wasn't an option for her, her service had already given her so much. "Well..." Kasai scratched the back of her neck and looked at Avani. This wasn't going to end well. "I'd really love to, you know. Its just..." Kasai swallowed hard and tried to think, she really didn't want to turn Avani down on her offer but she didn't see a way for her to swing it. Unless... "Don't you remember talking about how we should find someone to tell our story? Get the mayor to recognize what hell that was?" Kasai was rather impressed with herself for remembering the card that man had given her that day, the contact details for a rogue reporter. "Just think, if we could get the story out and get the sorry asshole to recognize or even reward our efforts. That would be the perfect send-off for a vacation." And a perfect reason for the police department to reward her with some down time, maybe even offer an advance on her salary... the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to just leave and forget all of her responsibilities for a while. It was something she would never think of doing, which was maybe why the thought of it was so tantalizing.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai frowned when Avani called her out on her bullshitting. Well, there goes that idea. On the plus side, Avani didn't seem to be too mad about it. Maybe because Kasai was sort of predictable and she probably knew her hesitation before she even opened her mouth. Way to go, detective... good thing this wasn't an undercover job or the kidnapping idea might be a little more threatening. "Bound and gagged, huh? Sounds kinky." Kasai placed a kiss on Avani's head before she moved away. She was glad at least for the opportunity to explain herself and the idea, though. She may have attempted to use it as an excuse to avoid having to commit to leaving, but the idea in itself was still intriguing to her. Plus, they each stood to gain something from it if it all worked out. She didn't have time to explain anything further before Avani was stripping clothes on her way to the shower. Kasai chuckled and shook her head before following her to the bathroom. If she wanted to talk, this was how the conversation had to happen, and at this point Kasai wasn't going to complain. Kasai stepped into the bathroom after removing her clothes and found the space already beginning to fog up with steam. Joining Avani in the shower, she closed her eyes and let the water run over her for a moment before wiping the stream from her face. "I have the contact information for a reporter who works stories independently." She began with no specific prompting. "I already tried the other local papers, no one will pick up the story because it conflicts with their own political interests. In other words, no one wants to be the one to call the mayor out." She shrugged, but nodded. "The guy who gave me the card seemed pretty confident that this reporter will work with us." Kasai sighed now and looked at Avani, "And I want to go with you. I really do. I just... well, panicked. I'm not really good at committing to those kinds of decisions. But..." She smiled now and moved a step closer, "I've decided that you won't have to kidnap me. Unless you just really want to." A giggle escaped her and she grinned. "So, let's get this story crap over with and then hit the road. I'll make sure to tell my captain tomorrow morning." That part still didn't sit easy with her, but the thought of staying here with her same boring routine without Avani was a worse one.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani admired Kasai with a grin when the woman entered the shower with her. She had actually been serious about wanting a shower though, so for the moment she kept her hands to herself even if it may be considerably difficult to do so. Hell, she already had enough of a problem with keeping her hands off of Kasai when the woman was fully clothed. She closed her eyes and relaxed under the flowing water, as Kasai began to explain her plan. It seemed as though the reporters in this city had no spines and were owned by the mayor, at least the way that Kasai talked about them. It didn't surprise Avani at all. "So everyone is corrupt except for one, huh?" Avani asked. "Gee, I never would have guessed, especially with such upstanding police officers. You'd think they would have inspired the reporters to do better." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I'd love to meet the one person in this city that dares to be outspoken and isn't corrupt." She quickly decided to add something to her comments lest Kasai get pissed. "Other than you, of course, babe." Avani tensed up when she felt Kasai moving towards her, and she swallowed hard, keeping her eyes closed. The shower wasn't all that big to begin with, and she could practically feel the heat emanating from the other woman's body now. She yearned to be one with it. "It's fine, babe. I still adore you." Avani said after clearing her throat. She swallowed hard when Kasai brought up the kidnapping once more. The idea that she could do what she'd suggested made her blush some, as it had been more or less a joke made out to be a threat. Actually doing it could be an interesting and fun way to begin their vacation though. Kasai would be suspecting it, but she'd be unable to say much regarding the initial part of the journey which Avani would have to plan alone for it to be a surprise. "Who knows, maybe I do really want to kidnap you." Avani said, opened her eyes and turned towards Kasai. "I imagine you'd be very attractive bound and gagged as well." She put a hand on Kasai's shoulder, and let it slowly trail downwards along her body. "Yes, let's get this over with." She leaned into her, pressing their bodies together and giving her girlfriend a kiss that she didn't want to end.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai left the apartment early the next morning, headed for the police station. Even though she had been granted the next few days off for some R&R after the last assignment, she felt showing up to do this in person was better that any other way of approaching it. The whole drive over she had worried about what to say and how she should say it. When she pulled into the station she still didn't have a plan, but she put on a fake appearance of confidence and walked into her captain's office. Time to fake it til you make it. The conversation went... surprisingly well. Kasai had come in expecting to disappoint her boss with her request but in fact he seemed a little relieved. That only made her more concerned. "Look, Kasai. You're a good officer, you haven't taken an extra day off in the three years you've been here. Sure, we'll miss you around here. But you need to, well, to put it frankly... get a life. There's more out there than this job. And when you come back, the PD will still be here." Kasai didn't know whether she should be offended or not. To her, it felt like deserting her moral obligation. But everyone else was glad for her, and kept telling her that a break was 'well deserved' or 'past due.' She told them all goodbye, filed her paperwork for her wages and such, and headed back to her car. Still, she felt strange leaving the one place she had dedicated the last few years of her life to. She only hoped that this would be good for her. Kasai drove back to her apartment and entered quietly, not knowing if Avani would be up yet since it was still relatively early. She put her keys down and just sat on the couch for a few quiet moments. That was it. She didn't have any more obligation in Republic City other than to finish what she had started and then take off with her girlfriend. It was a new concept that would take some getting used to, but she figured at least now she'll have plenty of time for that. Standing, she walked to the kitchen and shuffled stuff around trying to find that card the man had given her that day. Finding it in a drawer, she walked back to the bedroom and held the card in one had, with her other resting on her hip. "Well, I'm free. Sergeant Inoshi is officially on extended leave from RCPD." She had a smile on her face that was stuck somewhere between sad and relieved as she walked over to her nightstand and opened up the drawer, placing her badge inside and closing it shut. Kasai held up the card in her hand, "But, there is still work to be done. One last hurrah before saying goodbye. So c'mon, we got places to be and people to see." Her earnest smile grew to a more genuine grin as she leaned down to kiss Avani. "I'm gonna go call the number and let the reporter know we will be there today." Kasai took the card and went into the kitchen, dialing the number and finding a female voice on the other end of the line. It was a short conversation that consisted of a time and a place to meet, with little information given otherwise. Kasai hung up the phone and wrote down the meeting details on an old envelope.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani noticed in a half-awake state that Kasai was gone early the next morning. There was no one to spoon and hug close to herself when sleeping. After all these weeks they'd shared a bed it left her feeling empty, but she smiled. It was pleasant to have gotten used to sharing a bed with someone she liked. Soon she fell asleep again, too tired to question where Kasai was. Some time later, she was uncertain of how long, Kasai returned to the bedroom with some good news. "Yay~" Avani muttered into a pillow, without moving or opening her eyes. She purred when Kasai leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. It almost made her eager to get out of bed and get their one final task over with before they went on vacation. Thankfully, Kasai had yet to call the reporter so she had a small amount of time to remain in bed before she was going to be forced to wake up. Avani could hear Kasai talking with someone in the kitchen, and once she went silent she decided she had to get ready. She rolled out of bed and hit the floor with a thud, but she bounced back up on her feet. The clothes she got dressed in that morning were black and tight, with the intention to make an impression to this reporter, as threatening if nothing else. Kasai's guard dog, she laughed to herself. Avani walked out into the living room, and posed to Kasai to show off her muscles in the tight clothing. She wasn't as impressive as she'd once been, but hopefully the vacation would come with some cool new athletic experiences. "I'm gonna look like she better write about us." Avani said with a grin. "Or else." The eyepatch and the tattooed arm would probably have sufficed on their own. She laughed, then grabbed the keys to her motorcycle off of the table she'd put them on. "I'll drive. Let's hope they serve breakfast wherever we're going." She walked up, pressed herself against Kasai and snatched the envelope with a written address on it from her to see where she was supposed to drive them. "Oh, this is a café I think. Lovely." They headed out to her motorcycle, and locked the apartment after themselves. Avani drove them to the address in question, but it took longer than she had meant to because she didn't really know the way as well as she had thought. They arrived eventually though. She parked her motorcycle against the sidewalk, and rushed into the café. She had gotten quite hungry by then, but with her newfound wealth she'd be able to order just about anything. Avani took a table for them in the corner. "I'm guessing this reporter isn't here yet?" She said while waving a waiter over to them. After looking over the menu for a second, she began to order. "Waffles, pancakes, two chicken sandwiches, and a house special." She turned to Kasai. "Do you want anything, babe?"</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai let out a cat-call whistle when Avani came into the living room and raised her eyebrows. "Or else? She might try to steal you from me if there isn't an 'or else.'" She laughed but then grabbed her things and exited the apartment with Avani. Kasai couldn't help but poke fun at Avani's sense of direction as they took the scenic route to their destination. They got there though, and safely at that. Kasai followed the eager earthbender into the restaurant and took her seat next to her. Glancing around, she shrugged at the question. "Guess not. We're a little early though." Another smile crept across her face as Avani ordered nearly the entire menu, but she held back the laugh threatening to escape. Shaking her head, she looked at the waiter. "I'll just have a coffee, please." Checking the watch on her wrist, she looked around the small cafe again and knotted her brow. No one here looked like a reporter. Then again, maybe that was the point. Or maybe they got stood up just like all of the other news affiliates had done to her. She began bouncing her foot under the table nervously. The coffee wasn't going to help that. Oh well. She thanked the waiter and took a swig of the steaming liquid after adding two sugars to it. "Alright, they should've been here by now. Let's eat and then-" Her speech was stopped when a figure moved to their table and took a seat across from them. A woman who couldn't be too much older than twenty looked up from under the hat atop her head and smirked. "Leaving so soon, Sergeant?" The woman said before retrieving a notepad and pen from the bag she carried over with her. Kasai narrowed her eyes at the young woman, but sat back in her chair. How did the reporter already know her rank? Well, at least she proved her resourcefulness already. "I'm Naomi." She extended her hand across the table, "Nice to meet you, Kasai." This kid may turn out to be a better detective than Kasai if she keeps it up. Naomi turned to Avani and held her hand out, "And you are?" After introductions, the girl clicked her pen and held it to the paper. "So, what can I do for you?" Looking at the girl over the brim of her cup, Kasai took another drink. She was skeptical, but she swallowed her doubts. After all, this was the only real shot they'd had so far at getting anyone to listen to them. "We've seen some shit. And we think people need to know about it. Apparently, though, our story is not in the 'best interest' of the mayor or his payoffs." Naomi moved the pen across the paper, but Kasai couldn't see what she was writing. She didn't even have any information yet, what was so important already? "So what you're saying is you want me to write a story and put it out for the entire city to see that they mayor isn't the great guy he's cracked up to be?" Well, there she goes knowing things before she even gets told them again. Still, Kasai nodded. Naomi tapped the pen on the notepad. "Well, what are you waiting for? Lay it on me."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "Don't slow down now, your food might run away." Kasai joked when Avani stopped to squeeze in a few nonchalant threats to the poor girl sitting across from them. She let Avani say her piece and simply sipped on her coffee. Oh, the irony. Not all that long ago they met on the edge of that forest and could not stand each other. Well, Avani at least admitted initial attraction. Kasai however had a little warming up to do. Naomi kept steady eye contact as she listened, all the while her hand worked furiously at the notepad in her lap. A sideways glance was shot at Avani after she mentioned her mom being in jail over a dead cop. Well, that explains a lot. Kasai narrowed her eyes briefly, but decided to tuck the questions away for another time. They were here for a different reason now. Kasai had to clench her jaw and swallow hard when Avani got to the point of why they were here in the first place. She cleared her throat and let Avani turn her attention back to her food. "There was a task force made to investigate some sort of disturbance in the forest where the spirits were residing. Apparently the Avatar was too busy to tend to it herself so the mayor sanctioned this volunteer mission." Kasai's shoulders shrugged and she continued. "They shouldn't have sent volunteers in there in the first place, we had no business messing with spirits." Trying to keep from getting too angered, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes ever so briefly. "Like she said," her thumb stuck out to point at Avani, "out of six people, we were the only ones to come out of it alive. And barely at that." Sometimes she could still feel the ache in her leg, and her hand brushed over the scar on her face that would forever remind her of what happened. Naomi looked from one woman to the other and back again. It was clear from their faces that whatever happened was something very serious, but what business did she have making it a public story? "I see what you've been through was pretty damaging. But, and no offense here, what exactly do you think this will gain for you? Other than the mayor clearly didn't know what kind of danger he was sending you in to, I don't see how this could be politically damaging or personally gainful." At that moment, the thought of launching a fireball straight across the table at the young woman's face crossed Kasai's mind. Incredibly, she was able to restrain herself. Fearing that Avani was probably about to jump across the table to strangle the girl herself, Kasai put a hand on the woman's leg and squeezed. Next, she tuned that fire-beam glare of hers at the young reporter and kept her voice low and steady. "When we got back, there was no 'Thank you for your service.' There was no 'sorry for your loss.' Were there city representatives at the funeral? No. Not even one damn flower was sent. The mayor knew damn well what happened in there and that four people died trying to serve this city. But he never even acknowledged their existence. We are not hoping to 'gain' anything. We want the recognition and respect our friends deserve from that scumbag uptown." Kasai did not blink once, and the expression on the girl's face changed to one that reflected the severity of the situation. Naomi slowly nodded and looked at the pair again. "Okay. I understand now. I want to help you with this, but if I am going to make a compelling story, I'm going to need all of the difficult details." Kasai was afraid of that. What she needed was something stronger than coffee to help her get through the tragic recounting, but they were already here and already worked up. "I hope you have enough paper." Kasai said before she stopped the waiter to fill her coffee mug. A few more moments to prepare herself for the emotions to come, and then she started tracing back the details of that horrifying day.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani ate while listening to Kasai add her own details to their shared story, merely nodding every now and then. It wasn't until the reporter spoke up and told them that she didn't think there was anything for them to gain on the story that Avani left her food alone for a moment. She wiped her mouth on a napkin, trying to think of what they would get out of this in the end. It had been Kasai's suggestion so she'd gone with it, but would it really help them or their friends? Probably not, and the dead wouldn't care either way. She was surprised when Kasai squeezed her leg. Did she really think Avani would beat the reporter up over nothing in a café filled with people? She was pretty sure that Kasai was more likely than herself to attack the reporter at that point. The fire in her eyes and her creepily calm voice hinted at it. Good points, Avani thought to herself after her girlfriend had stated a list of reasons why they wanted this article to be written. She didn't like the idea that they were in a way pleading with the mayor to show their friends respect, not when each of their lost ones had been better individuals than him. The idea that they would stand up against corruption or throw dirt had appealed to her more. "How could it not be politically damaging?" Avani asked and scoffed. "Did he bribe the entire city or something? Four people died on what was supposed to be a routine mission, and you think it wouldn't hurt him politically? I must have missed something, or you should definitely stay out of politics with such poor understanding." Avani had never had much interest in politics, but from what she had seen potential candidates or different sides would use literally anything to make the public think less of their opponents. Their story wasn't made up, and it should be possible to use it as a powerful weapon. All someone had to do was pick it up. She was about to follow up with more threats, how Avani liked to please her girlfriend and if the reporter didn't write the article like Kasai wanted her to do she might have trouble walking for the next month. Turned out there was no need for that as the reporter was willing to do it, as long as she was told the details. Avani sighed. It wasn't something either of them wanted to talk about. Avani turned to the waiter when Kasai had stopped her. They'd be here a while if they were going to go into details, so she ordered a large glass of juice and some dessert for herself. She didn't drink coffee, it wasn't healthy. She filled in with her own perspective on the details whenever Kasai paused, and sometimes she cut in at the middle if something had been mistakenly left out. Eventually she sat leaned back in the sofa with an arm around Kasai to comfort her, and the juice glass in her other hand.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi It took an hour, maybe even two, to get through the long, grueling details of the mission they were sent on that day. At times Kasai had to stop, gather her thoughts for a moment before recounting a particularly difficult piece of the story. Other parts made her smile at the memory. After all, not everything that day had started out so bad. Naomi nodded her head as she listened to the two women retell the story through their own eyes. Every once in a while she would interject with a question to make the details more clear for her to write down, but for the most part she kept quiet and allowed the two to run the conversation themselves. It turned out that there was in fact plenty of information here that was useful, especially for making a gripping story for the paper the next day. Finally, the story came to its sickening conclusion. Two barely breathing and four dead. For several moments after the ending of the story, there was a stillness around the table. Kasai stared down at the black liquid that filled the cup in her hand, reminding her of the ebony substance that took two of their friends that day. Afterwards, she would have thought her heart be as black as the coffee with grief. Luckily, though, she had Avani to save her from focusing on that sadness. Naomi stared at the pad in her lap. Pages were filled with notes scribbled here and there, a huge unorganized outline for the story she would go home and begin writing after she left this cafe. There were just a few more things she needed from the couple. "I think I have everything I need here to make a compelling story for you two. I'll be honest, after listening to all of the details I agree with wanting to get your story out. At least make the mayor squirm once people start asking questions about his morality." Naomi began to put her things away, but she pulled out a blank piece of paper and handed it to Kasai. "I'll have this story ready to go for print tonight. When I decide which paper to run it through, I'll give you a call. Just write down a number I can contact you at here." Kasai wrote down her telephone number and handed it back to the young reporter. Seemed like she wasn't so bad after all, despite Kasai's initial concerns. "Great. Now, one last thing. A front page story needs a front page picture to go along with it. You two mind stepping outside so we can grab a photo? Better lighting and backdrop." Naomi stood and waved over in the opposite corner of the restaurant, where a man sat wearing a similar hat to the one Naomi had on. "C'mon, Jo. Picture time." The man stood from his table, tossed some money down, and grabbed the large camera that apparently had been sitting next to him. Well, so much secrecy around this young reporter. Still, Kasai nodded and stood, also tossing some money on the table for her coffee. The reporter and photographer made their way outside, and Kasai waited for Avani. "C'mon, this was the part you were most excited about, remember?" She smiled and looked towards the door. "We can take this picture and then get out of here, unless you'd like to order more food of course." Kasai teased, but felt relieved that they had finally told someone else their story. It felt better to get it off of her chest. "We just need to wait until tomorrow and see what the public reaction is I guess." Once Avani joined her, Kasai made her way outside to pose for the photograph.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani was glad when they had finally told the whole story, hopefully it would be the last time they had to remember what happened, but there was a silence at the table that she didn't enjoy. She'd finished her food and dessert a while ago, and the atmosphere ruined any further appetite she might have had. She was glad when the reporter broke the silence though. She wasn't sure what she should have said herself, as much as she may have wanted to cheer Kasai up someone would have needed to help her first. The reporter made it sound as if she had any choice what paper to go with, yet none of the papers that Kasai had contacted had wanted to run the story from what she had been told. Avani was already questioning the reporter after her comment about politics, but now she was becoming seriously suspicious of her. It seemed as if she was lying to them or making stuff up as she went along. There shouldn't be much of an existing choice for her regarding who published the story. She didn't like that there had been a man nearby that the reporter knew for the last hours either. He hadn't introduced himself to them. He'd been sitting a distance away likely just observing and listening in on the conversation. Was any of them a bender of some kind? Did Naomi had more friends around that she hadn't bothered introducing? "Yeah, I know." Avani said. "But I don't like her or this. Do you not think she's odd? Some of the things she says doesn't add up from my point of view. Are you sure these people are on our side?" She asked, hesitant to get up and take a picture for this reporter and photographer. "If it turns out that she's been lying as much as I think she has, then I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up in a hospital soon." That result could be caused by Avani herself, or someone else who had enough of the woman. Avani stood up, walked over to the waiter behind the counter and paid for the food she'd eaten. She also paid for Kasai's coffee before heading outside. "Let's get this over with then, but I still don't like her." Avani said to Kasai, without any attempt at concealing her words from the two individuals waiting for them. "I'd rather not take a photo that shows too much of my face." She said, turned to Kasai and buried her face against her chest and neck. "Put your arms around me. You'll look like some kind of hero." Avani whispered, laughed and moved Kasai's hands to rest on her behind. She did pose for more pictures, but in all of them she tried to be as clingy or loving to Kasai and her body as possible. If anyone saw the photographs they took, she hoped that it wouldn't immediately occur to them who she was, only that they were both women.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai couldn't help but chuckle at Avani's display for the photos. Granted, she probably shouldn't be plastering her face all over the media when she was supposedly locked up with the rest of the gang, but it was still enjoyable. People passing by on the sidewalk gave varying reactions to the display, but Kasai ignored them and just did whatever the photographer said to make the picture come out decently. After a few more shots and a couple of hand shakes, the ordeal was over with. Naomi promised to call Kasai as soon as she had the information she needed, but at this point Kasai wasn't even sure they should have gone through with the idea. It sounded great when she was fired up about it, but now she had to wonder if it was the right decision. After the reporter and photographer left, Kasai turned to Avani. "You're right, there's something off about them. It was our only shot considering, though now I'm wondering if we should have bothered with it at all." Kasai knew that last comment would earn her an 'I told you so' from Avani, but she didn't mind. Maybe they were both being too paranoid, too careful. At this point, she was ready to get it all over with and take off on their little adventure. Maybe getting away from the city and taking a break from real life would keep her mind from all these trivial things. She mentally kicked herself for overthinking things yet again. "Well who knows, maybe the Mayor will give us some shiny medal or something. Not that it would mean much considering he hasn't given us one thus far. At the very least, we can check making it in the papers off of the bucket list." Kasai gave a cheesy grin and a thumbs up, hoping Avani wasn't too bummed out still. Kasai was tired of being bummed and wanted to get her mind on to other things. "Well, come on hon. Let's go and do something to wait this thing out, unless there's something else you'd like to spend some of your hard earned cash on." Kasai gave her another smile and waited to see what they would be doing to kill the time.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "Sounds good to me." Kasai joined Avani on the motorcycle as they set off to gather a few supplies for their last night in town. When they arrived back at her apartment, she looked up to the floor where the windows showed the view into her living room and she had to keep herself from frowning. Snapping out of it, she grabbed the rest of the things and began walking with Avani up to her apartment. "Good point, looks like we'll be roughing it on our little adventure." Kasai smiled and led the way up to unlock the door. "Though I don't doubt our ability to get creative with it." Opening the door, she waited for the other woman to enter before she shut it behind them. The groceries were set on the counter in the kitchen and glasses were retrieved from the cabinet. Glancing at the phone, Kasai wondered when Naomi would be calling. She almost didn't want her to. It was true that she had brought up the idea to bide herself a little more time to prepare for leaving, but now that she had less than 24 hours to do it she was trying to accept the fact that she was going to do this. Change wasn't something she welcomed happily, and she wasn't proud of how she had tried avoiding it. Looking from the phone to Avani, Kasai studied her a moment while pouring them a couple drinks. The woman was excitable, filled with anticipation for their trip. Kasai wished she could be like that. She had plenty of confidence to go around, but her confidence lied elsewhere. Thinking of how far she, they, had come already, she reminded herself not to go back to her old ways and to embrace the change. You can do this, Kasai. Thirst for adventure, don't fear it. She thought to herself as she poured them each a glass of sake. Instead of thinking about leaving her home, she thought about how it would feel without Avani in it. Instead of the fear of change, the excitement of the unknown. Her mood quickly began to turn back around and she brought the drinks to the coffee table and sat on the sofa with a smile. "Well, I guess this is it then. Pack our bags and be on our way tomorrow. Cheers." Raising her glass, she smiled again and then took a drink. "So tell me, what destination do you have in mind? I don't want to be too unprepared, of course." Raising an eyebrow, she grinned. "If I have to pack light I'll only need the essentials... shoes, shirts, handcuffs..." Kasai teased, laughing as she did so.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani noticed Kasai glancing at her phone, seemingly nervous or unsure about something. She didn't comment on it though, and when Kasai turned to look in her direction she acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. There certainly wasn't anything out of the ordinary in a negative way, even if having enough money to make a longer journey with her girlfriend was a very special occurrence for her. That she had a girlfriend she wanted to do it with was rather rare in itself. Avani would try her best to make Kasai forget all about her life in Republic City, and just enjoy their time together. "Cheers." She took the other glass, raised it and downed the contents in one swing. "I figure we'll spend some time in the earth kingdom at first, since it's the closest… and I've got relatives there." Avani wasn't sure whether she should have mentioned that, but it should be obvious to a cop without her mentioning it. It wasn't like they needed to visit them, perhaps it was for the best if they didn't. There was plenty to do in the earth kingdom regardless. "That would indeed be packing light." Avani responded with a grin. "Maybe I should just pack a whip and some toys if you're feeling that frisky?" She joked. "Really though, I think the basics would include a tent and food. Maybe some survival gear, or tools, but I don't know much about that. Don't they teach you stuff like that as a cop?" She moved closer to Kasai, picked up the bottle and drank some from it. "Have you ever done anything like this with anyone before?" Avani giggled, and shrugged, as she kind of knew the answer before asking the question. "Here's to us either way." She drank from the bottle again before handing it to Kasai. "Let's hope nothing too bad happens." Back to packing for now though, Avani wanted to be out of Republic City by the end of tomorrow if not earlier. It felt doubtful that the reporter would have finished her article by then, but she'd warned Kasai what would happen if she refused to come with her. Avani would just have to put her words into action in that case. She stepped into the bedroom to grab some of her clothes. If they were going to be roughing it like Kasai had expressed it, there were certain clothing items that she didn't want or could bring with her. Ruining her finest clothes because there she wouldn't be returning soon was unnecessary.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "The Earth Kingdom sounds like a good place to start," Kasai said before following Avani's lead and finishing off the glass of sake before setting it on the table. Kasai chuckled at the notion that she had gone through some kind of survival boot camp or something of the sort with the police academy. "Not exactly, Republic City isn't what I would call 'rural' by any means. We did get some basic survival training way back in the academy, though." Taking the bottle from Avani, she shook her head at the next question. Kasai drew a long swig from the bottle and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure nothing too bad can come of it. Plus, between the two of us we'll always have fire and sturdy shelter." A grin played across her face as she took another drink from the bottle and watched Avani disappear into the bedroom. Her eyes scanned the room, gaze finding its way to rest on the telephone again for a few moments before moving on around the familiar space. There were things here she would miss. The spot on the couch she sat at every morning while she had her coffee. How the sunrise slowly lit her apartment through the large wall of windows that overlooked the cityscape every morning. But then she looked towards the bedroom and smiled to herself. Kasai stood and joined Avani in the bedroom, reaching into the closet to grab a small bag to pack her things into. "I guess we can pick up some supplies before we head out tomorrow. Don't want to crowd the bike so we might as well just get what we need as we go." Grabbing a few shirts and pants, she shoved them in the bag along with a few other essential items. Then, she moved over to the woman she had shared her home with for the last several weeks and wrapped her arms around Avani's waist from behind her. Kasai stayed like that for a brief moment and rested her chin on Avani's shoulder, looking over into the closet. Giving a squeeze with her arms, she let go and stepped back. "I'll get us another drink, you finish up your packing." Kasai walked back into the living room and headed towards the kitchen. They had bought plenty of booze to celebrate their last night in the city, and Kasai poured two more shots to take back to the bedroom. Before she could make her way across the living room, the telephone rang. Kasai flinched and set the liquor down on the coffee table before picking up the phone with a "Hello." Turns out, it was just her landlord saying that her lease was set and her apartment would remain untouched during her leave. Kasai thanked the man and hung up the phone. In just a few seconds, she made a spontaneous decision and reached down to unplug the phone from the wall, the cord hanging loosely from the end table it stemmed from. Kasai picked up the shot glasses and made her way back into the bedroom again. She met Avani with a grin and raised eyebrows, holding the glasses up. "Alright, drink up. We need to have a fun little send off before we leave tomorrow. Here," Kasai brought the two glasses closer to her mouth and quickly blew out a breath of flame, setting the alcohol on fire. "Huzzah! Party tricks," a wide grin donned her face before she downed the shot. "Okay, so it's not that cool but still."</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani nodded at Kasai's suggestion, though it would probably end up being quite a bit more expensive if they were going to buy everything along the road when they needed it. It was a shame she couldn't attach a second sidecar to her motorcycle, one on each side. Actually, maybe she could, but how would she do that, and where would she find someone to help her do it? She supposed she could start asking around once they entered the earth kingdom. There wouldn't be enough time to find someone in Republic City considering when she wanted to leave. Besides, the few mechanics she'd known had been associated with the gang. She was surprised that Kasai seemed to be less concerned with how she packed her clothes than she was herself. If they were folded carefully she could fit more into a bag. Avani didn't say anything though, because then she might look like a proper woman or some housewife. She blushed when Kasai hugged her from behind, and enjoyed the feeling of her girlfriend's bosom pressed against her back. Avani closed her eyes, wondered if Kasai would let her get back to packing before she was forced to turn around and give in to desire. The final squeeze almost made her do it, but then Kasai left to get them drinks. She sighed. Avani made sure to finish packing her clothes at least before Kasai returned. Thankfully, the phone rang and gave her some extra time. When Kasai returned she was sitting on the bed, trying to remember if she'd forgotten anything. She grinned when Kasai set the shots on fire, and clapped her hands. "I didn't know you knew how to do that." She said and laughed. "Well, it's cooler than anything I could do with my bending. People don't tend to like earth in their drinks. Can't say I blame them." Avani hesitated a bit before downing the flaming liquid, unsure of whether it would harm her, then stood up on feet that were beginning to get wobbly. "And as far as I'm concerned, some of the things you do with your mouth are better than cool. They're too die for." She whispered into Kasai's ear, and kissed her on the cheek. "Did you not bring the bottle with you?" Avani asked, after feeling her girlfriend's body up thoroughly, as if she couldn't tell at first glance that she didn't have a bottle. "If you take off your shirt, and lay down on the bed I can show you one of my party tricks." Avani pushed Kasai down onto the bed after she'd finished speaking, and left the room to get one of the bottles they'd bought. She came back with a bottle in her hand before long. ¨ "Perfect." Avani said when she saw Kasai on the bed. She opened the bottle to pour some of its contents on Kasai's stomach and in the middle of her chest, grinning as she did so. "Wait, shit." She said after she'd finished and put the bottle away. "I think you're supposed to use glasses for this too. Oh well, better clean up this mess I've made." It was rather obvious she'd not done it by mistake, and it became even more so when she decided to take off her own shirt, revealing her black bra, then sit on Kasai's legs. She could have offered her a towel after all. Avani bowed down and began to eagerly lick the liquid off of Kasai's stomach, moving upwards.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai raised an eyebrow at Avani's suggestion, but she didn't protest as she was pushed down onto the bed. She removed her shirt and rather impatiently waited for her girlfriend to return with the bottle. It wasn't too long before Avani was back and pouring the cool liquid on Kasai's bare stomach. A smirk donned her face as she listened to Avani and watched her take her own shirt off. Goosebumps rose in a wave across Kasai's skin, but it wasn't from the coolness of the liquid on her skin. Rather, seeing Avani on top of her and feeling her tongue work its way up her torso caused the sensation. When Avani made it further up to her chest, Kasai guided Avani's face up to her own and met her with a kiss. The taste of the alcohol danced between them and Kasai grinned before breaking the kiss. "I don't see any need to clean the mess up too quickly. Let's keep it dirty for a while." She said before pulling Avani back towards her, her other arm wrapped around her girlfriend and pulled her closer. --- Late the next morning, Kasai opened her eyes to the sun streaming into her bedroom. Clothes peppered the floor of the bedroom and she smiled to herself. A yawn escaped her and she stretched, trying not to disturb the woman lying in bed next to her. Carefully, she rolled out of bed and found a t-shirt to put on before she walked out to the living room. Today was the day, she would be saying goodbye to the city for a while. Welp, might as well go and see what was left in the kitchen and get some use out of it. She pulled out the things that would certainly spoil and decided that even if they didn't eat it for lunch, they could pack it up and take it with them on the road. Kasai started some tea on the stove and got the juice out of the fridge as well before she started cooking the things she had pulled out. It was a mixture of things, from chicken to potatoes. Kasai figured the smell would be enough to wake Avani up, seeing no rush to go and disturb her. While some of the food was cooking, she went back to the bedroom and grabbed the bag she had packed yesterday. Ruffling through it, she made sure she had packed everything she would need for the trip considering she had stuffed it kind of carelessly yesterday. Grabbing a couple more items she zipped the bag and set it by the door, satisfied with its contents. Kasai returned to the kitchen and got a few more things going on the stove before pouring herself a cup of tea and sitting down on the sofa and looking out of the windows at the sunny day that awaited them.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Their days always seemed to end in the same pleasant fashion since she'd moved into Kasai's apartment. She hoped it wouldn't change too much now that they would be taking to the road and traveling the world. Adventure awaited them. It was unlikely that it wouldn't affect and ultimately change them, even if just a little bit. Was their relationship strong enough to endure hardships? It was kind of how it had begun she supposed, but it wasn't the same to seek comfort in the arms of another as it was to stick by that individual through thick and thin. Avani awoke to the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen. The taste of alcohol lingered in her mouth, and she had a slight headache. She felt incredibly lucky to have someone like Kasai that would cook for her, especially when she woke up with a hangover. It might be a bit of a pain in the ass to drive her motorcycle for too long if she wasn't able to get rid off the budding headache. She knew a few tricks, but her preferred method was too just wake up and keep drinking. Few things worked as well against a hangover as remaining drunk. She got out of the bed, didn't bother getting dressed in anything else than underwear and headed into the living room where Kasai was sitting on the sofa. "Good morning, babe." Avani said, after taking a seat next to her. "I could really use some water with breakfast to cure this minor hangover." She wrapped her arms around Kasai and pressed herself against her, kissing her on the cheek. "But don't worry, it's not the first time I've driven a motorcycle with a hangover." She nuzzled her nose against Kasai's neck, before relaxing, still rather tired despite what the time was. A moment passed without Avani saying a word, and it was uncertain whether she'd fallen asleep like that. "Did you hear anything from that reporter yet? Did we get in the paper?" She finally mumbled, half-asleep with her eyes closed. "I bet she screwed us over, probably didn't even publish one of our good photos." Avani soon went silent again. The smells from the breakfast and being so close too Kasai made it feel a bit like home. Combined with still being tired and a minor headache she wasn't all that eager to get going right away. They could probably spare a few hours before they left. They had no train to catch or schedule to keep. Maybe it would give the journalist a chance to publish something if she was even going too.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai smiled when Avani took the spot next to her on the couch like she had done every morning for weeks now. "Good morning sleepy head." She took another sip of her tea before resting her head on Avani's. "That doesn't sound like the safest way to start our adventure." She chuckled a bit, "We'll get some food in you and let you sober up before you're driving me anywhere." She smiled and enjoyed the calm silence that lingered between them, assuming Avani had fallen back asleep. When she spoke again the words were lazy and tired. "Hm? Oh, no I haven't heard anything. May have been a waste of time after all." She frowned and eyed the telephone that she had unplugged the evening before. If they had made it in the paper, they would surely find out one way or another. Right? "Here, let me up. I've got to check on breakfast." She kissed Avani on the forehead before removing herself from the couch and making her way to the kitchen. A few things needed stirring or flipping, a pinch of salt here and a dash of pepper there. For the most part, it could all simmer away for a few more minutes and be ready to eat. Kasai looked back into the living room and saw Avani still laying on the couch. She as she was making her way back to join her, she saw something peeking out from under her door. Curiously, she walked over and saw it was a note that said "Open the door. Next time, answer your phone." Kasai clenched her jaw and slowly opened her door, peering around it to see a paper lying on the doormat. The paper was a barely-known daily circulation that Kasai herself had only read a handful of times. On the front was an image of a statue of an elderly man standing next to a cart full of cabbages, and some headline about Cabbage Corp. On the side column of the front page, however, was an index and one story was circled in red pen. "Mayor of Republic City: A Story He Doesn't Want You to Know." Kasai turned to the indicated page and saw a picture of herself and Avani, and then skimmed through the article that recounted some of what they had told the reporter. A lot of it seemed to be exaggerated, blown up for literary purposes. The end of the article, though, took on a much more political tone. Calling for the people to recognize the mayor's faults, make him accountable for what happened, give the fallen the kind of honor they deserved for going out on his poorly organized and overseen mission. Hell, it even called for the Avatar to do something about it. Kasai frowned and shook her head, carrying the paper back to the living room and tossing it onto the coffee table. "Well, there ya go. Lesson learned. It's not a widely circulated paper, but I'm sure it'll get some blood boiling on the mayor. Who knows what kind of effect it'll have. We'll be gone before it happens, if it happens." Kasai said, turning back towards the kitchen and clanking some pots and pans, putting plates out and getting the food together.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani grabbed the paper from the coffee table, suddenly feeling a lot more awake. She saw the title that was circled on the front of the paper, and turned to the indicated page. There she found one of the least controversial photographs they'd probably taken of them. Well, it could be worse. At least they'd included a picture of them, and not exchanged it with one of the mayor or something else. Avani's face wasn't visible, but Kasai's arms were quite clearly wrapped around her in a suggestive way. They'd cut out where Avani had made her place her hands, showing nothing lower than her torso. She read the article, even if she'd been more interested in the photograph than anything else. It was more critical of the mayor than she'd given the reporter credit for. She'd expected her to run, stick her head in the sand and not write anything about them. This was pretty good. Hopefully the reporter would only get a little flak for what she'd done. Avani was glad she didn't need to beat someone up before they left Republic City too. It might have been a real pain to track the woman down, and a waste of time. "Shouldn't you be at least a little happy about it?" Avani asked, surprised that Kasai appeared more annoyed than anything. "She actually wrote the thing. That's more than I expected anyway. Sure, it's a small paper, but all it takes is one person in the right place to read it for the article to become well known." She put the paper back on the coffee table, and was about to lie down on the sofa when she noticed that breakfast was done. Instead, she got up and took a seat at the kitchen table. "Yummy. You're the best." Avani said, after Kasai had put the breakfast on the table. "I'm sure this will dampen my headache even more so we can be off before too long." She grabbed food and put it on her plate, eating slowly and drinking as much water as she could without ruining her appetite. Avani took longer than usual to finish eating, even if she ate about as much. She felt somewhat better after eating. They'd probably be able to make it out of the city without problem, but she wasn't certain how long she could drive before the headache got worse. "Thanks for the food, babe. I think I'll be fine to drive for a while." She got her plate and rinsed it before putting it down on the counter. It shouldn't be too bad to leave it like that, right? Granted, she didn't know if or when they would be returning. Avani headed over to the bedroom, and grabbed the bag she'd put her clothes in last night. She picked up another bag on her way to the door. "Let's pack everything into the motorcycle. Better make sure we've got everything we need with us after all."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "Hm? Oh, no trust me I'm happy we didn't get screwed over and waste our time." She joined Avani at the table and put some food on her plate, pouring some juice into her cup to accompany it. "I don't know, I just hope it doesn't come back to bite us in the ass." She said after taking a sip of her juice. She took a few bites of food, realizing she very well may have cooked far too much. Oh well, it would have gone bad by the time they got back anyways. A bit of everything crowded her plate, but she did her best to eat as much as she could. Kasai finished her meal and followed Avani into the kitchen to rinse her plate, returning to grab her glass and finish off the liquid it held. She nodded when Avani came back into the room carrying her bags. "Okay, I'm going to pack up some of this food real quick. Might as well take it with us, less we have to buy on the road." Returning to the food, she tossed what wouldn't keep in the garbage and then found some containers and parchment to wrap the rest in. Satisfied with the amount of food they would have for a while, she continued wrapping up the food and then quickly cleaned up around the kitchen. After she finished, she tucked the food into the empty spaces in her bags and slung them over her shoulder, also grabbing the trash to take out when she went downstairs. Tossing the garbage in the dumpster, she walked over to meet Avani at the motorcycle with her bags. It would be a tight fit but they could probably manage all they had packed, even if they had to carry a couple of the bags on their backs during the ride. "Okay, so do we have everything we need?" Kasai set her bags on the ground and unzipped them to quickly check them, ruffling through the contents until she was sure she had everything she would need. "I think I'm good to go, anything else to grab before I go lock up the apartment?" She was surprisingly excited, ready to get on the road and get out of Republic City. Still, she knew they didn't need to rush. They'd be worse off if they forgot anything essential anyways.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh She didn't mind Kasai bringing the food with them, though it would take up more space. It didn't feel entirely necessary either when the lovely cook herself would be coming on the trip, but at least they wouldn't have to cook any more food for a while. Avani supposed she would have to do some of the cooking herself since they were both on vacation. It wouldn't be the first time she'd cooked when they'd lived together, but she had a feeling they both preferred when Kasai did it. Shortly after she'd brought all the bags down to the motorcycle and put them inside of any available space, Kasai came down with her own bags. She hoped there wouldn't be too little space for them. It would get uncomfortable fast on a longer drive if there wasn't enough room. They could take a break as soon as they got out of Republic City if it was proving a pain. "I've got everything I need, which is really just my money. I figure we can borrow stuff on the journey if we need it." Avani grinned, after she'd implied that they could rob people if they lacked anything. She knew Kasai wouldn't take kindly to that at all. "Seriously though, I don't think much else would fit on the motorcycle even if you wanted to bring it. Go lock up the apartment and we'll be on our way outta here." Avani took Kasai's bag from her, so that she could go lock the door while she tried to fit even more bags on the already full motorcycle. Somehow, she did get all of the backpacks strapped to or put inside of the motorcycle in the end. Just in time too, as she noticed Kasai had returned. "Hope you weren't just standing there watching me." Avani teased. "It's ready now, so let's get going." She climbed onto the bike, careful not to break anything or make a bag fall. Once on, she put the key in the ignition and turned it. The motorcycle's familiar humming began. It was time to leave, even though she could hardly believe she was actually doing it. A thought about where this path would lead crossed her mind as Kasai got onto the bike as well, then they were off. Avani remained quiet for the first few moments, as they drove down streets she'd walked with friends, uncertain that she would ever return. Those friends were gone, and even if Kasai wanted to return one day Avani wasn't as sure herself. It was a large world. Somewhere there had to be a better place for her than this. Maybe moving back to Ba Sing Se after their journey was over wasn't a bad idea. She hoped she would find an answer soon. She'd even cancelled the contract on her apartment, so there would be nothing to return too unless she moved in with Kasai for real.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "And what if I were?" Kasai smirked back at Avani. She nodded as she confirmed with a look over the motorcycle that all of their things somehow fit on there without tipping it over one way or the other. With the awakening roar of the engine, Kasai drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She climbed onto the bike behind Avani, careful as well to not knock anything loose. Her arms wrapped around her girlfriend's waist as they began on their way down the road. As they drove down streets and passed by buildings, Kasai had a feeling of nostalgia for times of the past. Her entire life was in these streets and alleyways. From her young beginnings as a pro-bender fighting in alleys with her companions, to her days spent in uniform patrolling the streets to keep the citizens of Republic City safe. Now, she was leaving and didn't know when, or if, she would be coming back. The wind blew through her hair as the city started to thin out around them. The thick concrete jungle was now disappearing behind them as open road and terrain rolled out for miles ahead. The view of the road ahead helped to push away any sad feelings of abandonment that Kasai was holding onto as they exited the city. Now, she could feel the sense of freedom and adventure building around them. It was exciting, venturing to see new lands and experience essentially new cultures. Maybe eventually they would make it all the way over to the Fire Nation and she could see for herself how firebenders really live. She had heard of all of the festivals and how grand they were. Sure, there were similar celebrations in the city put on by the local population, but she had a feeling that the ones in the homeland were extravagant. That was a long way off though, if it would ever even happen. The world was a large place, and considering they were starting in the Earth Kingdom, they already had enough to try to see and experience in the worlds largest kingdom. Kasai knew that Ba Sing Se held a special place for Avani, so she was excited to get there and see where her lover came from. All of these thoughts raced through Kasai's mind as they continued on their trip. She figured they wouldn't go a very long time without stopping to take a break from the not so comfortable seating on the motorcycle. Maybe she just needed to get used to the posture on the thing. For now, she decided to stop letting her mind race about the trivial things and enjoy the ride, her arms tightening around Avani's waist slightly more as she pressed herself closer to her.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani was surprised that Kasai was silent and seemingly lost in thought as well when they rode out of Republic City. She supposed they both had mixed feelings about leaving, but Kasai had more of a reason to stay so she wondered why she was being silent. She hoped it wasn't because she'd changed her mind about going on this extended vacation. Perhaps it was just odd to leave her home city with no idea when she'd return, a form of goodbye then. Avani sped up a bit, not wanting to linger any longer in the city than necessary in case someone actually did change her mind. Once they had left the city behind them, Avani felt a lot more comfortable and free. At least her mind could relax, her body was getting sore and tired. No surprise really, but she didn't want to stop too early for a break either. The further they got from Republic City the better, and the sooner they would be in Ba Sing Se. She felt an increase in motivation to keep driving for a few hours more when Kasai tightened her arms around her and pressed her chest against her back. Suddenly the bags and corners poking her didn't bother her as much. "That's certainly comfortable compared to these bags." Avani said loudly enough to hear in the wind, and smiled. "Why did you ever ride in the sidecar when you make such lovely support for my back…" The last comment wasn't said as loudly, and in a somewhat jokingly manner. She did think they should have done it this way sooner though. After a few hours nothing felt comfortable anymore, not even Kasai's chest squished against her back and Avani had to stop the motorcycle. They stopped on the side of the road, some buildings could be seen in the distance around them and they weren't the only ones traveling this road either. It may not be the best place to take a break, but she'd tried to get them as far as she could in one go. Avani wasn't sure how much further it was to the earth kingdom, or if they'd already entered it. The border was unclear to her, but she kind of knew how to get to Ba Sing Se at least. It had been a long time since she'd been there though. She stepped off of the motorcycle, stretched and let herself fall into the grass next to the road. "Aw yeah, that's better." Avani moaned and stared up into the sky. "I need a moment before we continue. We definitely packed a bit too much, so if you want to throw some things away go ahead." She joked, then motioned for Kasai to come lay next to her. "Or you could take a break next to me, babe."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The constant humming and vibrating of the motorcycle had rendered the majority of Kasai's body numb. Her rear had lost feeling about an hour into the trip, and eventually her legs became sore from the straddling position on the bike. Now, they were numb as well. On the plus side, at least she wasn't aching anymore. The scenery hadn't changed all that much. Of course, Kasai had never been to the Earth Kingdom, so she had no way of knowing whether they were in it or not. Shouldn't they have signs? 'Welcome to the Earth Kingdom' or 'You are now leaving the United Republic.' The Earth Queen hadn't seemed like a very warm person to Kasai when she had visited the City. Perhaps she was also not one for welcoming pleasantries. At long last, Avani pulled the motorcycle off to the side of the road for them to take a break. Kasai was relieved, but ventured a guess that driving was even more exhausting than simply holding on for the ride. Kasai practically fell off of the motorcycle after Avani got off. She urged her muscles to work again, but ended up taking her girlfriend up on the offer to join her in lying on the grass. Kasai landed next to her with an "oof" and let out a groan. "I had no idea traveling by motorcycle was so uncomfortable. Course, I guess I'm used to my satomobile with a backrest and cushy seats." She laughed a little and let her body relax from its stiff state. Other vehicles could be heard passing on the road, but getting run over wasn't really a concern Kasai had at the moment. "So, how much farther to Ba Sing Se?" She questioned. It made her feel like some sort of annoying little child, pestering a parent about when a trip would reach its destination. At least it was the first time she had asked. "Looks like a town up ahead, if we need to stay the evening at least we won't be stranded." Camping on the side of the road might not be the best idea. Hopefully if they had to stay they would be able to find a more suitable camping spot. Kasai stretched before rolling over and planting a kiss on Avani's cheek. "Don't let me lay here too long or I may fall asleep." The warm glow of the sun and the soft patch of grass they were resting in made for a dangerous recipe for a nap. Part of her could fall asleep right then, and another part wanted to continue with their travels so that they could get into the fun, adventuring part.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh "Well, if we hadn't brought so much stuff with us it would be fine." Avani said, rolling her eyes. A motorcycle was so much better than a satomobile, though maybe they should have brought both. Kasai could have driven a satomobile with all their packing while Avani was free to enjoy the wind in her hair, superior maneuverability and speed of her bike. "Besides, a sidecar is more comfortable than any cushy seat. I used to fall asleep in one when an old… friend of mine was driving." She could hear the slight annoyance in her own voice, but it didn't have anything to do with Kasai. It was just traveling for several hours straight after waking up with a hangover. Thankfully the hangover hadn't come back, but it was still a bad wake up. "Honestly, I'm not sure how much longer. It's been a long time since I was back in the earth kingdom, and even then I didn't go to Ba Sing Se last time I was here. Let's just hope we traveled in the right direction." Avani joked, and laughed as she stared at the sky. She was sure they'd gone the right direction. There wasn't many other directions they could have gone from Republic City without ending up in the Earth Kingdom, unless they'd traveled by sea. "Stranded…?" Avani found the word choice strange. "Yes, luckily there's a town over there so we won't get stranded on a deserted island. Nevermind the fact that we've traveled away from the sea. Better watch out for those sneaky islands, don't want any of that "water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink." stuff to happen." The snark was strong, but she laughed to pass it off as a joke. That's what she'd meant it to be. She smiled when Kasai kissed her on the cheek. "Who is gonna keep me from falling asleep then?" Avani sat up, so that they wouldn't both fall asleep next to the road and leave their belongings unguarded. It would be easy for someone to just get on the motorcycle and drive off. Avani closed her eyes, and enjoyed the sunlight for a moment or two. They couldn't stay there all day if they wanted to get somewhere though. She looked at Kasai laying in the grass next to her, and it did seem as if she'd fallen asleep. Avani snuck her hand underneath Kasai's shirt, felt her up and then tried to shake her awake. "Come on, let's go visit that town. We can ask about lodgings and how far it is to Ba Sing Se. At the very least we won't be stranded…" She returned to the motorcycle, and waited for Kasai with the intention to drive them over to the town.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The road to Ba Sing Se was an interesting one. Village after village and town after town began to pop up as their journey brought them closer to the heart of the Earth Kingdom. Every so often they would stop in a town to rest or eat or refuel. The first part of the road trip was somewhat familiar to Kasai as far as culture and traditions go. Seeing as Republic City and the United Republic used to be Earth territory itself, she could recognize things that had been passed along from the Earth Kingdom people to the mixed population of the UR. As they got further into earth territory the scenery started to change. Far different from the bustle of the city she was used to, a more agricultural tone took over the landscape. It was interesting to her to see how life was outside of the city. It seemed that the technologies developed by companies like Future Industries and Cabbage Corp. were helping them, but the majority of it looked like good ol' hard work and sweat. Kasai respected that, the fact that what they had came from their own hands and not some machine. She figured things might become more industrial again as they got closer to Ba Sing Se, but then again she had never been there. They probably could have made it to Ba Sing Se much quicker had they been a little more focused in their travels. However, Kasai insisted on doing a little exploring every time they stopped, even to just take a look around a small village or have a walk through the woods. She didn't decide to up and leave her life to travel to be stuck on the back of a motorcycle the whole time. Kasai knew she was probably getting on Avani's nerves with the requests, but she figured she could make it up to her later. Finally they neared the capital city of the Earth Kingdom. Kasai's jaw dropped as the massive walls surrounding the city spread out for miles around them. She knew that Ba Sing Se was famous for its great walls that protected the city, but she never imagined they would be so impressive. The photographs she had seen did not do it justice. "Whoa." She muttered, maybe louder than she had intended to. She held on tight as her girlfriend drove them down the road to enter the city. It was rather busy, many other vehicles clogging up the roadway. Not too surprising, because from what Kasai could tell, Ba Sing Se was practically the size of a small country. They neared the walls and after proper inspection and whatnot, they were allowed to enter with the other cleared vehicles. Kasai looked up as they passed through the massive barrier and entered the city. "Alright. Consider me impressed." She said, looking around now at what lay within the walls. "Where to now, oh mighty tour guide?" She said with a smile. Even though it had been a long time since Avani had even been to Ba Sing Se, Kasai was sure she probably already had a few destinations picked out. Kasai now wondered what kind of fun, or trouble, they could find for themselves while they were here.</s> <\|message\|>Mi Soo Avani found the first days of the journey somewhat tiresome, even if there were plenty of moments that were enjoyable. Maybe she could find someone that might be able to improve her motorcycle once they arrived in Ba Sing Se, add another sidecar to it or something. Some support for her back, and improvements to the engine so that the whole thing shook less would be great too. She began to find the trip more relaxing once the scenery changed to plains that reminded her of her childhood. Not much seemed to have change, but then she didn't have any clear memories to remember it by. She appreciated most of the breaks that Kasai wanted to make, even if some were more than a little unnecessary in her opinion.There wasn't all that much difference between one place and the other out here. Ba Sing Se was the real treasure, but she kept her complaints to a minimum. Truthfully, she found it pleasant to take strolls while holding hands or making it out in a forest that weren't infested with corrupted spirits, but the thought that Kasai would make it up to her later was too appealing for Avani to not act a little annoyed at least. She found herself less easily annoyed than the first day too. Avani grinned when she heard Kasai voice her reaction to the city's impressive walls. They'd finally arrived, and it felt good to be back. It was a massive city though, and it wouldn't truly feel like home until the got to the middle ring district where she'd once lived. It took a while for them to even get through the gate, due to everyone else that was waiting, but she didn't have much problem getting past the guards doing the inspection. Earth benders were highly valued here, and she only had to explain that she had returned to visit her childhood home. "Tour guide, huh?" Avani scoffed with a smile. "I doubt I'd be any good for the cultural landmarks and all that, but I could probably find some fun places." She was hesitant about telling Kasai where they needed to go, where she'd kind of expected she'd end up once she came back to the city. "Um, we should probably stop in with my family. I haven't talked with them much since mom got locked up and I tried… Nevermind that, but they'd be offended if they found out I'd been in the city without visiting, and if we stay too long they'd just send someone to fetch me." It was mainly her cousins, aunt, uncles and grandmother. She doubted there'd be anyone else around. She hadn't informed anyone she was coming after all, but imagined they would be cool with it. It wasn't like she needed to crash with them, though it was likely they'd offer the two of them to stay. She wasn't sure how to introduce Kasai either. "We better get to the middle district before deciding on anything else." Avani said, and continued struggling with the muddy dirt roads of the lower ring district. The district where all the peasants and poor people lived. "We could find an inn once we get there, or we could get the whole family business over with. Your call, but I don't know how they'd all react to you know, us."</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "Family, right." Kasai said, scratching the back of her neck a little nervously with one hand as they made their way through the outer-most ring of the city. Family introductions hadn't exactly been discussed, and the topic made Kasai a little uneasy. Their relationship had already been hard enough, even though now they were on to the good bits. Having to pass the family exam wasn't something she thought she would have to deal with yet, but Kasai swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "Sounds like fun. Let's just stop in with them first then." She said as she continued to look around the inner workings of Ba Sing Se. The outer ring bared a resemblance to Republic City's poorer neighborhoods, but she still found plenty to wander at nonetheless. Kasai couldn't help but think of Avani's family. Were they all as intense as she was? If they were, Kasai might not survive this trip. Then again, Avani herself said she didn't know how they would react to them as a couple, so maybe Kasai would get introduced as some sort of traveling companion instead. Not that that was quite how she wanted to be introduced either. Regardless, they were here and it was happening. Kasai was going to suck it up and put on a smile and handle it the best way she could. It took them a little while to get out of the crowded lower district, but they eventually were let to pass into the middle ring. It seemed like there were a lot of residents from the lower ring who tried to flood the gate when it was opened for Avani and Kasai, but there were guards to make sure they didn't get through. Kasai wondered why it was so pertinent that they couldn't go into the next district, but it seemed very serious. The walls they entered now held a very nice and quaint feel within. There were merchants on the sides of the brick-lined streets and people bustling around on the sidewalks. It was quite a change from just a few meters back in the outer edge of Ba Sing Se, and an immediate one at that. "So, this is where you grew up, huh?" Kasai poked Avani. "Not going to run into any crazy ex-girlfriends are we?" She teased with a laugh. "'Cause I didn't plan on getting into any fights today."</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi "Noted." Kasai replied when Avani claimed herself as the crazy ex-girlfriend. "But if I have to fight anyone off from trying to steal you away then so be it." She said with a smirk. Soon though, they were parking the motorcycle on the side of the road and Avani was motioning towards a house. It looked like a nice home, and Kasai entertained the thought of a tiny Avani running around barefoot causing a ruckus once upon a time. That moment of daydreaming was interrupted when a herd of rambunctious children came crashing through the front door of the house, nearly taking the couple out in their treacherous path. Kasai blinked a few times and relaxed her tensed shoulders after the threat of being plowed down by the kids passed. Following Avani's gaze up, she was met with the first of her kin. "Hi, I'm Kasai. Nice to meet you." She stuck her hand out to shake the cousin's hand, and then followed quietly inside. Thoughts of bolting out the door and escaping the horrid and unavoidable moments of awkwardness and judgement that were to come flashed through her mind ever so briefly. Why couldn't she be the supportive girlfriend? No, babe, don't worry! Everything will be fine, your family will love to see you and blah blah blah... Unfortunately, whatever support she had to offer got left on the doormat. Kasai stood by idly as Avani reunited with her grandmother, a site that actually seemed to calm her nerves a bit over the whole situation. It was nice to see family bonds deep enough to forgive what seemed like timely wounds. The calm that had found Kasai soon scurried away as Avani's grandmother turned attention onto her. However, she managed to put on a genuine smile and (hopefully) show as little nervousness as possible as she shook Ekta's hand. "It's very nice to meet you, ma'am. You have a lovely home." Kasai said to the elderly woman before joining the others in taking a seat. "Don't worry, ma'am, I'll keep Avani here out of trouble," she said reassuringly. Well, she would try at least. Trouble seemed to find them. Kasai thought the conversation was going fairly well so far. Slow, but steady. That is, until Ekta offered for the pair to take one of those with them. In that moment, Kasai's face was probably the same shade of red as a Fire Nation banner. She laughed nervously, smiling through it while she choked down the lump in her throat. It was quite comical, actually. She was glad Avani's family was humorous instead of austere, but that didn't make it any less painful or awkward for her. Still, she smiled when Ekta whispered to the two, having calmed from the immediate shock of the proposal. "What a generous offer, what do you think?" Kasai looked at Avani with a grin. "I'm just kidding, I haven't even given any thought to children honestly." She said to Ekta, following her gaze out the window to the children who were playing outside. "Was Avani as boisterous as a kid?" She asked curiously. Well, it wasn't going to help to just sit here and act like a mute. Might as well get some good stories out of it. "I'd love to hear any embarrassing childhood stories that she'd never dream of mentioning."</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani felt like dying when she heard Kasai's nervous reaction next to her in the sofa, but didn't turn to look at her. She stared straight ahead, shifting a bit in her seat. When Kasai asked her what she thought about the offer, Avani didn't know whether to laugh or scream. Thankfully she didn't need to come up with a response, as Kasai didn't wait for one before clarifying that she was joking as well. She breathed out in relief. Hopefully her grandmother wouldn't push the topic further, because she was fairly certain she'd been serious. It wasn't really in her power to give any of the kids away though, as they were probably Avani's cousins. She imagined it did get annoying living with so many noisy kids, but giving them away was hardly the best option. "It is a nice home I suppose." Ekta finally said after having been silent for a while. "Shame. Well there's still time for you, but you shouldn't wait too long, dear. Avani here isn't gonna become any more of a man over the years." She paused and muttered to herself. "Stories about little Avani, hmm…" "Ekta!" Her cousin scolded their grandmother when she returned to the living room with tea and cups on a tray. "Don't try to push everyone into getting kids." She placed the tray on a table in front of the sofa, then took a seat next to Avani. "Though I do wonder what your poor mother will think when she hears about your… predicament." Avani wasn't surprised by Jaya's attitude towards her. They had never gotten along all that well, even as kids, and maybe a part of her had hoped they wouldn't have met now that she returned. She was grateful that Jaya had interrupted any embarrassing childhood memory from surfacing for the moment though. "Pfft, her poor mother." Ekta scoffed. "I'll deal with her, and you too if you don't watch your tongue." Jaya grinned at Avani, but didn't say anything else. Instead she sipped on her tea. "What was I about to say…" Ekta muttered to herself, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Embarrassing stories about Avani as a kid, nana. She'd love to share them with her girlfriend." Jaya kept grinning at Avani, and didn't pay much attention to the other two. She got the urge to punch her in the face, which reminded her of all the times she had pulled Jaya's hair or pushed her around. Maybe she had it coming, karma for what she'd done so many years ago. "Ah yes, I remember. Avani was as bad as those out there, but I guess it's a family trait. Yeah, she was boisterous, but she liked storytime too. It happened more than once that we realized she'd been gone for a long while without anyone knowing where she was, and then we'd find her in some odd place where she was searching for fairytale creatures or spirits. Once she turned a storage room upside down and fell asleep." Avani waited for something worse to be brought up, expecting her grandmother to think of a better story than that because she was sure there were quite a few. She could have told Kasai herself if she'd asked, but then what was family for if not to embarrass her. "Oh, I know." Jaya said, and turned towards Kasai. "I have an older sister, Avani's cousin." "Please don't." Avani whispered, and closed her eyes. She knew where this was headed, she'd tried to forget certain memories of that one cousin. "Avani used to follow her around all the time when she was like five or six. My sister even treated her as a friend. I was kind of jealous, cause it was my sister, right? So I asked Avani why she spent so much time with my sister, and she confessed she may have a crush on her." Jaya snorted. "It gets better, cause I convinced Avani that she should tell her, and eventually she did after some persuasion. Except she did it at a family dinner after we'd heard that an old friend had died to brighten up the mood." Jaya burst out laughing, but soon yelped and spilled some of her tea when Avani pinched her arm hard. She glared at Avani, then placed her cup on the table and used her apron to clean the worst of it up. Ekta shook her head and smiled. "Heh, children. Of course, no one took her seriously because she was a child, and children don't understand that kind of love. It actually did make some of us laugh too, so she did brighten the mood even if it wasn't in the way she'd intended."</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai proceeded to sit rather uncomfortably while the conversation shifted. The assumption she had been garnering that things had so far went well was soon beginning to change in her mind, and she hoped that it was not reflected on her face. There was clearly tension between Avani and her cousin, and after Kasai saw Avani's reaction to the upcoming story, she felt terrible for ever suggesting such a tale be brought up. Kasai nodded occasionally and listened actively as Jaya told the story, but found her laughter to be a little obnoxious following the conclusion of the story. It didn't seem to be too terribly embarrassing from Kasai's point of view, but clearly it upset Avani. Still, she nodded and found it amusing to imagine a tiny version of Avani confessing a crush to a table full of mourning family members. Maybe these type of stories always feel worse from the other side. Perhaps Avani would get the same opportunity one day with Kasai's parents, who knows. "Sounds like quite the story." Kasai said, giving Avani a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Funny how much children actually understand that adults usually dismiss." What was that saying? Children were like drunk adults? Brutally honest and naive all at the same time. "They must have been quite the handful, though. I grew up an only child, and any cousins of mine I did not see very often." It was true, her parents being in Republic City and the majority of her mother's family living back in the Fire Nation meant that family visits were kept to a minimum. In fact, they never left the City. Kasai didn't know why, but it was a rare occasion that a cousin or uncle would show up in town and they would have a get-together. As for her father's family, he was an orphan. Kasai and her mother were all he had. "I respect the large family unit though, almost wish I had had more family when I was growing up. Might've allowed me to have a little more fun when I was a kid." It was no secret that Kasai was a little too serious at times. Well, that may be in part due to having no companions other than a pet deerdog as a child. She was a little envious of the big family concept, having so many loved ones around you all the time. Then again, she was content with just she and her parents.</s> <\|message\|>Mi Soo Avani appreciated Kasai showing her support by patting her on the shoulder, but then she had to carry on and say something like that. Sure, normally it wouldn't have been that bad, just an innocent comment about children. In the context of Avani having a crush on her cousin though, a family member, it became inappropriate. Especially when they were still in the company of her family. It had already made Jaya stifle a laugh as Kasai continued speaking. Why... She mouthed at Kasai with a glare, surprise visible in her eyes. Had she done something to upset her lately, which made her want to get back at her? That'd explain this situation. She didn't know what that could be, but she'd hoped the woman would be more mature than this. "So…" Jaya coughed after she'd clean up her mess, and grinned once more at Avani. "You're saying Avani did understand her feelings for her cousin? I just never considered that her first love was unrequited and incestous. Either way, I guess the embarrassing story is longer now if someone else asks. The next girlfriend perhaps." She expected Jaya to laugh, but instead her cousin sipped her tea and watched Kasai. There was a sinister undertone to her cousin's words. Did you really just come into my house and suggest my cousin is into incest? Do you want me to beat you here, or take it outside? As much as they may fight each other, Jaya considered her family. Avani wasn't sure what to do, supporting either side before anyone had had a chance to explain themselves might, somehow, make her look even worse. "They were indeed, and still manage to be." Ekta responded to Kasai, before anyone else could say another word. "Communication and respect is very important in a large family, or it is likely to fall apart. I've seen family members fall out too many times, but I've also seen them stand up for each other over the most minor of slights. Slights that weren't always real, so break it off, Jaya." Ekta said with a tone that left no room for questioning. Break it off, or I'll break you. It was interspersed in the response to Kasai so casually, but then the old woman was used to talking to someone and scolding another. "I don't know about fun though. I imagine a single sibling is better than none or ten."</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai assumed the conversation would have been dropped at that. Maybe another comment about how siblings are wonderful or terrible or they grow on you or... whatever else. When she saw the look on Avani's face and the word she mouthed, her brow furrowed. Why what? What'd she do now? At the sound of Jaya beginning to speak, she raised an eyebrow and turned her head. Kasai didn't like that grin on her face. She shifted her feet nervously. "Uh?" Well. It appeared Avani's cousin was a fan of taking things out of context and jumping to conclusions. But what was Kasai supposed to do? Getting in an argument with a family member that she had only just met would not only upset her girlfriend's family, but no doubt offend Avani as well. In that case, she was as good as abandoned here in the Earth Kingdom, heartbroken and alone. Then again, not defending herself meant she conceded to the accusations. That showed a weak spine and it wasn't in her personality to back down like that. Kasai was stuck between a rock and a hard place. "Well, I never said that, actually." She started, trying to choose her words carefully. Apparently, she would need to filter everything she said twice over before she spoke it. "I hardly assume that an innocent childhood crush quite amounted to the symbolism of a 'first love,' as you put it. Despite how indicative the concept behind it might have been," before Kasai could formulate a proper way to say that a crush on a cousin at such a young age does not equate an incestuous desire, Ekta chimed in to a prior comment and poured a gallon of ice water on the other conversation. Well, at least Kasai didn't leave her tail tucked between her legs. Kasai nodded to Ekta's comments and twiddled her thumbs in her lap as she tried to gauge if the tone in the room had changed too much. Maybe it was time for her to insert foot into mouth... "Well, everyone has their pitfalls. Large families and small alike. Quarrels and squabbles. Strong ties, though. That's important no matter the size." There, that was an innocent enough comment, right? Okay, she was done talking now. Lest she wind up knocked through the wall buried in a pile of rubble.</s>
<\|description\|>Kasai Inoshi Age: 24 Bending Element: Fire</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai breathed a huge sigh of relief after finally stepping from the home back out into the fresh air of the day. She had felt like she had just been through the ringer. The pressure of approval from a significant other's family members was far worse than she had anticipated it to be. Was that what the criminals felt like during interrogation? Kasai wondered if that was what being on the other side of it was like. Overall, Kasai liked Avani's family, particularly her grandmother. She supposed there would be more where Ekta and Jaya came from, but for now Avani seemed bent on getting them away for a little while. As she felt herself being turned around by Avani, she didn't even notice the woman standing next to the motorcycle. Kasai's fear was that now that they were away from the eyes and ears of her family, she was about to get reamed for something she had said inside. Before Avani opened her mouth, Kasai spat off at a million miles a minute. "ImsorryforwhateverIsaidthatwasscary." She blinked a few times after hearing the question of what she wanted to do, and laughed nervously. "Heheh... oh." Kasai sighed and remembered that she didn't need to walk on eggshells anymore, so she shrugged. "I don't know, is there somewhere around here for-" Before the sentence was finished, she felt Avani press her face against her own rather forcefully. Kasai was a little surprised, but did not turn away. She thought maybe she was talking too much and this was Avani's way of getting her to shut up. Alright, fine. She had clearly made Avani upset back in there with her family, so she made up for it a little here with an equal return of ardor and by moving a hand up her girlfriend's body. After a few brief moments, she did pull away. Wouldn't want the children or family to run outside down the street and see that after all. "Alright," she began to speak, starting to turn to walk back towards the bike again, "how about we just drive until we see somewhere that's intere-" Kasai stopped in her tracks when she turned her head and saw a woman laying over the bike rather suggestively. "Who's that?"</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani couldn't really make out the words Kasai had said at first, something about sorry, but she'd been talking too fast. She'd interrupted her with that kiss once she'd slowed down, so she hadn't caught the entire meaning of what she'd meant to say then either. She was surprised when Kasai moved a hand up her body, and almost pulled away. If they weren't careful, this would be another embarrassing moment that involved her relatives. She thought she'd heard giggling, but it was probably just paranoia. Even if someone was giggling, it didn't have to be because of them. Avani was about to explain that she'd wondered what Kasai wanted to do about their living situation. Should they stay for free with her family, or find some room to rent? She didn't get a chance before Kasai pulled away and turned around to Iluq on the motorcycle though. Avani certainly could have stopped her, but not without using force to keep her in place. That would have made the situation worse, and even more suspicious. Maybe she could talk her way out of it still. No, knowing Iluq she wouldn't get that chance either. Maybe she should retreat back into the house and lock the door behind her. "That's…" Avani tried to think up an explanation on the spot. "just a tourist. Haha, crazy waterbenders this time of year." Iluq noticed that they'd stopped ignoring her at that point, of course she would, so she got off the motorcycle and came running up to Avani with a wink and a smile. "Hey, Avani. I didn't know you were back home. I recognized the bike." She grinned with her whole face, while leaning on her toes with her hands behind her back. At least she was keeping her hands to herself. "You've changed though. What happened to your eye? And your arm?" "Oh! Oh it's you, Iluq!" Avani said, trying to play it off as she'd just now realized that the waterbender was familiar to her, not a random stranger. "Um, well, that's a long story. I lost my eye, and my arm was badly injured so I got a tattoo to cover it up." "Aw, you trying to hurt my feelings. I haven't changed much." Iluq said, but Avani could see she'd changed quite a bit. She'd grown in all the right places. She supposed it wasn't that odd when they hadn't seen each other for years. Avani quickly averted her gaze to stare at the ground when she remembered Kasai. Iluq switched her attention to Kasai at that point too. "Your new girlfriend, I take it?" Before Avani could respond to the question, Iluq had pounced on Kasai with a hug. Avani knew that while the hug may seem innocent or awkward, it had a sinister purpose. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Iluq." She said, while searching through the woman's pockets, but disguising it as if she was getting a little too handsy. Eventually, Iluq pulled away and pocketed anything of value, assuming she'd found anything. Avani had seen her do the same routine a number of times, but she was a quicker pickpocket than anyone else she'd known. She wondered if Kasai had even been able to tell that her ex had searched through her pockets, or if the sudden experience of getting felt up by someone dressed like Iluq with that body had been too much for the cop to pay attention to basics. "Did you have anything in your pockets, Kasai?" Avani asked with a smirk. "Aw, when did you become such a tattletale." Iluq laughed.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Tourist? Man, crazy waterbender was right. Kasai was ready to write it off and ask the scantily dressed woman if she would kindly stop using the vehicle as a platform before she noticed a glimmer of recognition in the woman's eye as she began to make her way over without any prompt. Kasai raised an eyebrow and watched as the stranger shot a wink at Avani and then addressed her by name. Kasai turned a skeptical gaze towards Avani, who was now shuffling through words with some struggling effort. Mhm... tourist. Clearly the pair knew each other fairly well, though possible quite a while ago, for the waterbender to question the scars and injuries. Kasai studied Avani, noticing how awkwardly she seemed to be handling the reunion. Kasai sensed some history between the two. She didn't have long to ponder how serious it was before she was tackled by the waterbender, who introduced herself while getting a little too hands-on with Kasai. Today was just full of unpleasant greetings, wasn't it? "Um," Kasai stood there, arms trapped beneath the other woman's in an awkward, forced embrace that lasted far too long. She let out a relieved sigh when the hug finally ceased, trying not to let it be heard as she took a step back and put on a smile. "Pleasures all mine," she said with a nod. "My pockets? Why are you asking about..." Kasai's hands went to her pockets and felt that they were in fact empty. Not that she had had a lot in them, just some change and a small metal trinket that she had gotten from a metal bender in one of the smaller villages they had stopped in on the way to Ba Sing Se. Kasai felt her eye twitch. How could she not have known something like that was happening to her? It should have been blatantly obvious, especially since she was trained to spot such activities. Mentally beating herself, she outwardly chuckled a few times before putting her hands up in a relenting gesture. "Good one, that's quite the skill you got there. Mind if I have that stuff back?" It might not hold any real value, she could go without the spare change, but she wanted the trinket back. It was the start of her collection of items from their worldly travels, and it wasn't something that could be bought at a tourist shop. Kasai finished kicking herself for not catching on and instead blamed it on the circumstances. This Iluq girl seemed to be a few years younger than them, and already pretty good at thievery. Forcing her cop-brain off, Kasai instead decided to seize the opportunity to generate some conversation. "So how do you two know each other?"</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani shook her head when Kasai was confused about why she'd asked about her pockets, and sighed somewhat loud. Oh joy, the cop was so distracted by a half naked woman that she couldn't even notice that. It was a bit embarrassing, and she wondered what her cop friends would have thought. She could see them reacting the same way. In reality though, if she shifted some blame onto Kasai it would probably be easier to get away with how she had lied about not knowing Iluq and that her ex would tell her all about them if given a chance. "What do I get out of it?" Iluq asked, putting her hands on her hips and leaning defiantly forward towards Kasai. "I won't beat your ass if you give it back. That's what you get out of it." Avani threatened, and reached for Iluq, but due to her decreased depth perception or because she'd spoken too soon, Iluq managed to dodge her hand and step out of reach. It felt odd when she had never had trouble catching the quick waterbender before. She shifted her foot, and sent a wave that made the ground shift under Iluq's feet. The waterbender lost her balance and stumbled, but didn't fall. "Fine, fine! She can have it back. I was just teasing." Iluq shouted to make Avani stop, but she was hesitant about actually giving back anything that she'd rightfully stolen from a clueless target. Silly girl wouldn't have known about it if Avani had stayed quiet. Things sure had changed since they used to spend every day together and rule the streets. She put her hand into one of her pockets and took it back out with what she'd taken from Kasai, plus a bunch of coins and a few pieces of jewellry she'd gotten earlier the same day. She had a surprisingly large amount of pockets sewn into her clothing. It certainly helped to wear as little as possible to prey upon those who were distracted by an attractive young female. "Oh, we don't really. It was a long time ago." Avani told her girlfriend to make her think that their relationship had been nothing special. Did she need to lie? The worst part was the thought that Avani really believed what she was saying. "Haaa…" Iluq playfully punched Avani's arm. "Well, it may have been a long time ago, but we were inseparable growing up. She made me think we'd be together forever, and then she stole my heart. I guess it wasn't that valuable though, as she moved to another city without much of an explanation." Iluq words created an awkward silence, and she kind of wished she'd kept them to herself, but out of spite she wanted this new girl to hear about what had happened.</s>	<\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Kasai watched the two females banter a little back and forth, but was a little surprised at Avani's threat to Iluq if she dared not return the pick-pocketed items. Part of the threat and ensuing playful scuffle made Kasai glad to have Avani defend her. On the other hand, though, she couldn't tell if she sensed a change in Avani's attitude or not. Maybe it was all in jest, who knows. Nevertheless, Kasai held her hand out expecting to be rewarded with her returned items. Instead, she looked on with widened eyes at the handful of bounty that Iluq proudly pulled from her pockets. Pockets that seemed to come out of nowhere, really. Kasai could hear a pencil scratching notes on a pad in the back of her mind for future reference... When the conversation returned to Kasai's question she casually shifted her eyes between Avani and Iluq. It was clear there was a little bit of an awkward mist in the air. Avani denied any real prior relationship. Kasai raised an eyebrow when Iluq was all too eager to pony up a story about a more intimate background. But then... the awkward mist turned into a fog so thick it could be cut with a knife, and a still silence followed it. Why did Avani feel like she needed to fib about how she knew Iluq? Or was the young waterbender the one contributing lies to the story? Kasai didn't know, but she shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Looking down, she kicked a pebble absentmindedly as she tried to think of how to follow that up with a question or comment. Go with sarcasm? Well, let's hope she doesn't do the same to me! Haha! A question? So that must've been when you moved to Republic City? Hell, Kasai had had her fill of awkward conversations for the day. But, she had to push through it. "So..." she kicked the pebble again before looking back up, "I take it that's when Avani came to Republic City? You never told me you were a heart breaker when you were younger, haha..." Mentally punching self in face. "Anyways! I'm hungry, is there anywhere around here we could go sit and talk over a bite to eat?"</s>
<\|description\|>Avani Shailesh Age: 23 Appearance: White eye patch, left eye. Tattoo of two dragons intertwined across left arm. Element: Earth Bio: Avani was born in Ba Sing Se, but moved to Republic City with her parents when she was ten years old. Early on she had an interest in stories about spirits and the spiritual world, despite being an earthbender. In her teens, she met Ryuu and they became quick friends. They would train and hang out together. Not much changed over the years. They worked, played and lived their lives. When the spirit portals were reopened Avani was instantly interested in visiting the other world. It was around the same time that she met Mi, one of the new airbenders who couldn't quite control their powers. She quite literally fell out of the sky into her lap. The three were later assigned to the taskforce that was created to deal with the spirits that had appeared in Republic City. Name: Iluq Yakone Age: 20</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi The sound of earth moving caught Kasai's ears, and she thought she heard Avani, or something at least, headed towards her shelter. She jumped a little when Avani's voice was produced above her at one of the air holes. Looking up, she had little to no time for speaking before Avani opened her own mouth and of course began the morning with mockery and jest. Kasai opened her mouth several times to interject, but was cut off at each brief pause when Avani again would begin speaking. She held the conversation with herself, then finally a door to Kasai's shelter was opened and Avani was quick to crawl inside. She donned a devilish grin and Kasai was left sitting there with a strange expression on her face, partly because of the strange nature of Avani's commentary. "But... I made breakfast. And you know what they say, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach. Isn't that what you wanted, a woman who can cook a mean canned spam?" She laughed briefly before the next comment made her shut up. Kasai looked down at the canned meat that she had heated up and frowned as well, sniffing for a moment and realizing it very well may have sent a bad signal to Avani's brain while she slept. She scratched her head but then shrugged, "Well I would hope for your sake that in the future you won't have to smell your own flesh burning." She smirked and then grabbed a plastic fork, sticking it in one of the cans of food and handing it to Avani before grabbing her own. There were a few slices of bread in the bag, so she got out a piece and split it in half, rationing their food because spirits know how much longer they'll be trapped in here. She took a bite, weary at first of the canned and seemingly untrustworthy meat. However, the flavor wasn't as bad as she had expected, and she managed to get it down pretty easily. She knew the calories and energy contained within the meal would be crucial for their journey for the rest of the day, so she ate as much as she could and finished off with her bread, which she toasted with her firebending. She looked at Avani and licked her lips of any remaining saltiness that the food had left, and then looked out the wall of the shelter. It was plenty light outside now, should be very easy to navigate. The map sat folded in the backpack, so Kasai grabbed it and unfolded it in between them. "We should be pretty close now. Not that far to go before we should be right on top of them, at least I hope." She shook her head and stared at the map for a moment more before looking again outside of the small rock space that they were both in. They both sat just inches from each other due to the small parameter of the shelter, and Kasai looked at Avani while she ate. "See, my survival cooking skills are clearly perfectly honed." She grinned and then started cleaning up the area, placing items back in her bag before getting out a canteen of water and taking a drink, then handing it to Avani. "Now just imagine what I can do with some quality ingredients, I should have been a chef instead." She laughed and finished cleaning up. "We should get a move on pretty quick. Don't need to waste any daylight," She grabbed the bag and began to crawl out of the shelter, dragging it behind her as she made her way forward on all-fours.</s> <\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani took the can of food and the bread that was handed to her, eating with a sly smile across her face, eyeing Kasai whenever she was not busy putting it in her mouth. They were looking at each other, but not saying much before they had finished eating. Avani kept the sly smile on her lips all along. The food did taste pretty good considering what it was and who had provided them with the ingredients. It was unlikely that Republic city would care much for what they made their people eat when they were on missions, other than that it should have a lot of nutrition. She watched Kasai unfold the map, and looked at it herself. There seemed to be a body of water not too far from where they may be, if she was reading the map correctly, so what Kasai told her was hopefully true. She wanted to get out of the spirit world already, but at the same time she wished she could have entered it under different circumstances or return when it had been healed from the evil inside. "Yeah, you're good enough." Avani said teasingly with a wink. "I wouldn't know if you could be a chef before I tasted something better than military rations though. I'd certainly be more interested in someone who is a chef though." Avani finished her food, and handed the dishes to Kasai for her to put back into the only bag they had now. She gratefully took the canteen of water and drank as much as she dared without leaving them with nothing to drink later. "After you." Avani grinned. "Wouldn't want to miss the spectacular views that the daylight provides either, now would I." Kasai was forced to crawl over and past Avani who was seated near the entrance. She quite enjoyed seeing her on all fours when she was this close, so Avani didn't feel the need to move or make it easier for Kasai to get outside. She did crawl outside after her once the firebender had gotten outside and stood up on her feet. Avani regained the sly smile she had donned earlier, and looked at Kasai. "So, it would be wrong for me to attempt to seduce you without a dinner, but it's totally cool for you to try to romance me, huh?" Her smile widened. "Or as you said yourself, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach? I suppose that breakfast could count as a dinner if you want it too. I don't mind either way. I'm just surprised you seemed to imply that you wanted to be a woman that I would want." Avani laughed, patted Kasai on the back and destroyed their shelters. She figured it was unlikely anyone would be following them, but if they were there was no one reason she had to make it easy to find them. She didn't think anyone who may want to assist them knew how bad their situation had gotten yet. "After you, Kasai. You are the one with the map after all." Avani said, and followed Kasai. They walked for a while before Avani decided to bring it up again, letting a short laugh ring out previous to her voice. "No one's ever said they wanted to romance me before, to be honest, so it's kind of flattering, Lady Sergeant. But what if I enjoy the single life too much, hmm? Maybe I got ladies throwing themselves on me all the time at home, or maybe I'm already engaged. Did you think about that?" Avani couldn't help but laugh loudly after making fun of Kasai again.</s> <\|message\|>Kasai Inoshi Raising an eyebrow, Kasai looked to Avani with watchful eyes. She had a mischievous grin plastered to her face for the last passing minutes in the shelter and replaced it after they had both exited the rock enclosure. It was a bit concerning, considering that Kasai had learned in the past 24 hours that Avani enjoyed trickery and jest as if it were first nature to her. However, she seemed to be avoiding any harsh consequences to continue her punishment of Kasai that had began the morning before, so Kasai relaxed a bit and enjoyed the fact that the two were actually getting along. Quite a transformation from just a day ago, when they were at each other's throats over a chest of food. There were always those stories about how a traumatic experience can change people, form unlikely bonds, and bring enemies together. Perhaps those stories had a hint of truth about them. "Romancing may be pushing it a bit..." a smirk grew across her lips and then she shrugged, "But, at least I had food to fit the occasion. Ya know, other than the whole giving you nightmares stuff..." She scratched her arm nervously, "Yeah, uh, sorry about that." Kasai watched as the shelters were destroyed and returned to their previous state, then she nodded and turned around, heading in the direction of where she hoped they would find Kieron and Mio. Traveling in silence, Kasai thought about seeing her friend again, it made her smile for a moment as she trekked forwards. A laugh came from behind and Kasai looked over her shoulder at Avani, who was up to something sarcastic again. Kasai was used to it now, so if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. She figured returning the teasing would be better than the alternative of hurt pride and hateful words. "Hm, so you're flattered and yet, here you are giving me enough cover stories to turn me off of ever cooking you canned meat again." Kasai laughed shortly and heartily, but then regained herself and continued walking, all the while glancing back at Avani while she spoke. "Well, to be honest I hadn't considered. But then again, I hadn't considered being within a ten foot radius of you yesterday morning unless it was for the purpose of strangling you." She shrugged again, her tone wasn't too negative or cross as she was just imitating the way in which Avani spoke. "Seems like that went out the window though. Did you ever consider that I'm a police officer though?" She smirked and turned around to face Avani while she spoke this time, pausing their forward movement. "I'm a detective," a cunning grinned played across her face as she took a step towards Avani now, "Which means I know how to take information I'm given, and sort through all the bull. I know how to find things out, get down to the real truth." She stepped closer again, keeping her eye contact steady. "So, if anything you said before was true, you would have some explaining to do to people other than myself. That must not be the case then, because you don't seem like one to have any commitments at the moment." She smile grew wider on her face as she took another step. "And if you're living it up in some bachelorette pad somewhere then you have got it made, let me tell ya. But I have this feeling..." the last gap between them was closed when she took the final step, "That that also isn't true. I have this feeling that you're guilty of seducing an officer of the law and assaulting her with intent." She looked down at the hole in her coat and then back at Avani, "So, how do you plead?"</s>	<\|message\|>Avani Shailesh Avani grinned as Kasai began to play along, then she stopped walking when she turned around and began to take steps towards her while talking. She listened curiously, but the grin grew less and less confident with each sentence Kasai spoke. Finally, she was right in front of Avani again, looking down at the hole in her coat, then into her eyes and wondering how she wanted to plead. Avani's eyes followed Kasai's gaze, but lingered a bit longer on the hole in her coat. Avani gulped. It was a natural reaction to being accused of a crime by someone of the law enforcement more than anything. She wasn't afraid of Kasai using any of what had happened between them against her, mostly because she assumed she was an on-duty cop and if it got out what she had been doing on the job… well, it wouldn't go so well for her, Avani imagined. "Um, surely those aren't crimes are they…?" She didn't honestly know, but it sounded ridiculous. "You can't get a fine for seducing an officer of the law?" Nah, she figured Kasai had to be playing with her. "Besides, I couldn't seduce an officer unless she was willing to be seduced. I believe that's called sexual harassment or worse, no?" She looked past Kasai for a moment, wondering if the sergeant was really suggesting what she thought she was suggesting, or if it was her dirty mind that made it sound that way. Wasn't she worried about finding their friends already? They would likely be in even worse shape now than they had been yesterday, unless one of them had gotten a bag with them as well. Maybe they had. She turned her attention back to Kasai who was way too close to her now, and she was certain the woman knew it too. "That was unintentional." Avani pointed at the hole in Kasai's coat, sticking to her story. "However, speaking hypothetically if I were to assault an officer with intent I would make sure to corner them so they had nowhere to run." Avani put her good arm against Kasai's shoulder and pushed her carefully in front of her, while walking, until she had pushed her back up against one of the nearby trees. "After making sure they were cornered, I would go to town on them with my superior strength or earthbending." She put her hand on the skin that was visible through the hole, caressing it gently and then grabbing the coat around the hole, ripping an even larger hole. Avani slid her arm inside of the coat, not just her hand. She let her hand slide down along Kasai's torso slowly after getting it in through the hole. "I guess it's not so unintentional anymore." She leaned into Kasai and whispered in her ear. "You caught me red handed, Lady Sergeant." Avani nibbled on her ear before breathing into it as seductively as she knew how. She moved down to kiss her on the neck, sucking, and leaving a rather visible hickey. She could eventually feel that her hand had nowhere to continue, at least nowhere that was part of Kasai's torso. Now she had reached the belt these cops wore. She tugged at it once, finding it as tightly fastened as she had expected. "Of course, this is speaking hypothetically." Avani said with a teasing grin, removing her hand from inside of Kasai's coat. "It's not like I would ever tell an officer how I planned on assaulting her." She took a step back from Kasai, held her hands together and stretched them out towards her. "I guess I plead guilty on the first charge, so you better cuff me before I run away." Avani batted her eyelashes at Kasai, then laughed. "Seriously though, we better find our friends already." She said, realizing that if she kept teasing Kasai they would end up on the forest floor together, when they really should be looking for Mio and Kieron. Avani gestured for Kasai to lead the way, curious which option the woman wanted to get to first here.</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina As Miria fiddled with her wares and waited for the jinni to respond, she took a discrete glance around the market square. There was no one near the jinni, and no one nearby gave the impression that they were watching his movements. How strange it was for a jinni to be shopping for tapestries unsupervised! Wouldn't the owner need to be present to select just the right look? Couldn't the jinni make any of this himself or rely on the network of other jinn to make something for him? It didn't make sense. That was when he mentioned mourning. Miria looked up at him then, feeling as though the air around her had suddenly dropped ten degrees. A memory flashed across her mind, of her family slaughtered. She remembered blood splattered everywhere -- on the walls, the furniture, the unfinished tapestries, the faces of her mother and father frozen in silent horror. He had been there, crouched next to her father, stroking his hair, taken by sobbing. Burglars had come, he had said, and he tried to stop them, but too late... Miria had cried with her jinni that day, the jinni she suddenly inherited, and believed his story for years. She had been young, inexperienced in the world, so her jinni had also become her crutch.... Miria's gaze hardened when this older jinni declined her gestures and looked steadily at her. Why was he here if not to buy one of her tapestries? This was all the more suspicious to her. "Is it your master you mourn for?" she snapped, and without giving him a chance to answer, she pressed on. "Have you a new master? Where is your master now? Perhaps you have--" She caught herself just in time, literally biting her tongue until she could feel the metallic sweetness of blood in her mouth to keep herself from finishing her inquiry. She had almost accused this jinni of murder, and for what? For all she knew, he could be mourning the death of a relative or friend. This, however, didn't explain why he needed to buy one of her tapestries. Or perhaps his master was in mourning, which meant he must be by default. She was allowing her own circumstances to get the best of her again. Miria gave the jinni an apologetic smile and parted her lips to apologize, but movement over the jinni's shoulder caught her eye and stayed her speech. On the other side of the square, two guards were drifting about, stopping at each stall, observing the wares with disinterest, craning their necks as though looking for something specific... or someone. With them was a middle-aged woman, one of Fiira's neighbors. She was the nosy sort that liked to occupy her time with the affairs of others. She had been on holiday for several days, but she had come back early. Of course, Miria didn't know the woman at all to know these details, but she did note that the woman looked distraught, flinging comments to the guards, wringing the corners of her shawl with both hands, glancing about nervously. They weren't close enough to hear or to make out details of their faces, but Miria had been a part of this lifestyle long enough to know that something was amiss. It could be a number of things.</s> <\|message\|>Curdle info Time was not in his favour. Neither was luck, it seemed. Circumstance had somehow conspired to win him a moment of conversation with the one woman at the market who would ask the questions he wasn't prepared for. Or maybe it was his fault for pausing here. There was no true rush for the cloth. No real need for it either. It was meant as a memento, but there would be no one to claim it when the rite was done. But stop he had. Now, Curdle blanched at her short barrage of questions. He didn't know how she knew, he didn't even know what she knew. All he understood was that she was asking what he couldn't answer. He was mourning his master, but he couldn't say it out loud. Not least of which was the little matter of secrecy. He had to be outside the city gates before they found out. Otherwise… He wouldn't be going anywhere. Yet, just as suddenly as she started, she stopped, midsentence, and he was left staring at her, rather lost. But while she'd managed to strike him speechless, he hadn't lost all his faculties. He knew how to read expressions, and he saw her softening demeanour tighten again as she noticed something behind him. Who was she? What had made her lash out in so particular a way? He didn't know, and he didn't have time to ask. Instinct, or perhaps simple pessimism, told him that if he turned around, he wouldn't have the chance to do anything else either. But he shut his eyes, took a deep breath and turned around anyway. Her mysteries she could keep. If she was looking at something bad, however, he'd like to know. He should have trusted his instinct. His movement caught the woman's attention, and they recognised each other at the same time. She raised her hand to point, and he flinched back from that well-manicured nail. "There he is!" For so small a lady, she had powerful lungs. The guards raised their weapons, but he didn't stay to hear them command him to do anything. He blocked his ears, turned, and ran. Curdle cursed as he went, wasting precious breath on imprecations. He should have done it last night. Just walked out the gate, dumped Fiira's ashes in a pile somewhere and walked away. He could have been sleeping comfortably in his cot then, instead of that spine stiffening chair! And his duty to his master would have been completed. Done with. Finished! But he hadn't. He'd hesitated. So, now he was going to be caught, and probably tried for escape if not for murder. There were enough witnesses to know that Fiira had been sick for a while, dying slowly. But humans seemed to like a good story. Simple truth might not satisfy them. And why hadn't that girl just told him no and been done with it? No use wasting her breath on a jinni, he usually wasn't worth the trouble. Bah! He turned down a side street and held his breath as his pursuers, the two guards minus the woman of course, ran past, then bent double coughing as the air burned his throat. Too old for this, he'd told himself that a hundred times. Here was proof. A little illusion magic was too much effort. As quickly as he could, hoping they hadn't heard his outburst, Curdle put more distance between himself and the guards, using the winding streets to his advantage, though it would have gone better if he'd known them more. Fiira hadn't been one for wandering through back alleys… More than once an outburst sent him doubling back, whether or not he knew it was guards or just someone else having a bad day, caution might at least win him some time to think, if nothing else. Eventually, he found himself near the square again, and damned the routine his feet had decided to follow. Always visit the market. He'd done that! Look what it had got him. No more, he needed somewhere to hide, and never mind trying to get out. If he just waited until things calmed down again, maybe he could go back to the Lady's house and explain things. He'd still be in trouble, but less than if they caught him trying to get out of the city without knowing why. Though… That still left him with an incomplete promise. Cursed no matter what he did, but a promise he'd meant was worth more than one he'd been forced to make. That decided it. Though it was helped in part by the winding of a horn that seemed to echo off even the clouds. They weren't calming down, things were escalating instead… A full turning out of the guards meant that walking on the streets wasn't a good idea. Continuing with his harebrained attempt to get out of the city was an even worse idea. But while he did stop wandering around, climbing into a mostly empty cart while a donkey eyed him suspiciously, he didn't change his mind about getting out of Renna. If he let himself be caught, they'd take her ashes and put them in the catacombs. Hiding the urn wouldn't work, they'd only bind him to the truth. And even if they didn't, it would be the same as being buried in the catacombs. The urn was only meant to be a temporary container. He'd wait until dark, try to get some rest, maybe have an epiphany, maybe he'd befriend the donkey, maybe he'd be found out. But until then, he pulled a heavy canvas over him, checking to be sure there were no bits of him poking out, and took the urn out of his bag, running knowing fingers over its smoothed edge in the dark. If they did find him, he'd leave it behind. Whoever owned the cart would find it then, and maybe dump it out so they could use it for something else. An undignified method of achieving his goal, but so long as it worked…</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria was shocked, but not surprised, when the jinni burst into a run. It was not the first time she had seen jinn run from guards, jinn captured by guards, jinn beaten by guards in front of villagers due to their indiscretions. Besides, this jinni's presence had been suspicious from the start. Despite this common occurrence, other merchants still yelled and shook their fists at the guards as they streaked by, irritated about having their customers spooked or protesting just because they could get away with it. Mothers hugged their children to their legs to give the guards more room to move without mowing their children over. Market browsers staggered out of the way and many craned their necks to see what all the fuss was about. Miria watched the jinni run down an alley, out of sight, surprised that he could still move that fast at such an old age. She grumbled like the rest of them, not wanting to seem out of place, then carried on with her day, all the while wondering what that jinni was being chased for. Within the hour, the market operated as though nothing had happened. Guards would pass by every so often, their eyes scanning every crevice, corner, and dark space in the square, but no one, including Miria, paid any mind. She had wares to sell; she could not afford to waste her time gossiping about the latest runaway. The day was long and predictably slow; the last day at a village or town often was. Miria smiled at customers through her growling belly, conversed warmly with passerby through a parched mouth, distracting herself with thoughts of what she would weave while on her way to the next town and how many tapestries she could sell at her next destination. She had no one to relieve her to take a brief break or grab a bite to eat, and the last time she left her stall alone, even for a moment, some of her tapestries had been stolen. Finally, when the setting sun melted into the horizon line of the western hills and the sky began to darken, Miria began to pack up her things. Her typical routine was to secure her things in her cart, tend to Raha, then eat at the inn. If she was feeling particularly energetic, she would do a little weaving at her cart. Today was not one of those days. With a yawn, she approached her cart, the many bags slung across her shoulders feeling much heavier than they did that morning even though she carried less. Her mind mulled over lost comforts such as a warm bath, preparing her own meal in her own kitchen, and lounging on a chair to listen to the music of traveling musicians. She lifted her gaze to the cart as she prepared to sling her bags inside, pausing with a startling realization that something, or someone, was in it. Shock and fear gripped Miria first, though she held the urge to run or scream in check with rigid silence. Her gaze locked onto the bulk beneath her canvas, then flickered over to Raha. He glanced over his shoulder at her, casually munching on some hay, not the slightest bit of apprehension in his brown eyes. Raha typically was not so relaxed around strangers. This did not convince Miria. She shifted her gaze back to the bulk in her cart with a narrowed gaze, crouching slowly to set her bags down as quietly as she could. Then she straightened, slowly lifting one side of her trousers to grab the small dagger strapped to her calf as she did so. Miria did not go anywhere unarmed, though this dagger was her only weapon. She made a point to keep it hidden; potential female customers found a visible weapon intimidating, and male customers saw it as a threat to their masculinity simply because she was a woman. Therefore, she always kept it hidden beneath her clothes, but always within reach. She wasn't an expert wielder -- before tragedy befell her family, she never had reason to learn how to use one, but she had learned the life-saving fundamentals of its use with at least some confidence after years of being a traveling merchant on her own. Now she held the dagger tight in her grip but kept her hands down at her sides. She would rather not use the dagger if she didn't need to, and holding it forward without knowing the situation typically created more tension than necessary. "Whoever you are, if you leave right now without incident, I will not chase you or send guards after you," Miria announced in a low, firm voice. She assumed another beggar or some kid had taken refuge in her cart. "Make any trouble, and you will find trouble."</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria recognized the voice at once; the jinni at the market that morning had been very well-spoken. Of all the coincidences to occur, he had to be the one to choose to take refuge in her cart of all places. Anger spiked through her. Miria took a step forward, seething, gripping the dagger's hilt so tightly that the leather groaned a little beneath her grip. "I know exactly who you are!" she hissed in a low voice, taking a quick glance around to ensure she was not within earshot of anyone. "How dare you choose to hide here after the commotion you caused! I ought to raise my voice right now and let the guards find you!" So, why didn't she? Miria could see a guard pace down a nearby alleyway, well out of ear shot, and there were several in the inn. She knew they were still looking for this jinni, and it was a wonder that the guards hadn't found him here yet, but it would only be a matter of time. If they found him in her cart, they could arrest her and accuse her of aiding a fugitive. She needed to get him out of her cart as quickly as possible and ensure his arrest if she wanted to catch the caravan out of this place in the morning, yet experience taught her that the authorities were as mistrustful as the jinni. Social protection thrived on bribes, and her family had not thought to buy it. The authorities had done little in wake of the tragedy that left Miria the only survivor, and there had been several times throughout her travels alone when she had been forced, or nearly forced, to pay them to ensure tragedy did not also befall her. Miria knew that not every guard was so corrupted, but enough of them were that it was simply easier to to mistrust the authorities and be proven wrong than to give them the benefit of the doubt and be betrayed. She had no intentions on paying these guards, one way or another, to ensure that they tell the truth about her not harboring a fugitive. Was the risk of rape or financial ruin worse than a possible death sentence? If she didn't play her cards right, all three of these things could happen to her. Then again, she did not know this jinni at all or what he was capable of. The only thing she knew for certain was that he absolutely was not leaving this city with her under any circumstance. Miria licked her lips, glancing about her anxiously as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. The guard at the alley was still preoccupied and none of the others had shown up yet. The jinni was right that she shouldn't be seen talking to her cart, but she did not trust her stowaway enough to come closer. Quietly, she hooked her arms through the straps of her bags and moved around the cart, her grip on her dagger relentless, and set them down by Raha's side. Eyeing the large lump beneath her canvas, she stroked the creature's fur. She hoped that if any guards did look her way, they would see a weary woman comforting her donkey and nothing more. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into?" she hissed. "Are you a mere runaway, or is it something worse? Tell me now and tell me quickly." She had no idea how to gauge how truthful his answer would be, if he answered at all, but she felt it foolish to give him the clearance to leave without at least asking the question.</s> <\|message\|>Jinn Stuff Please do not… He breathed the words, making them entirely inaudible despite his sudden urge to beg it of her. Desperation, however, would have had him shouting them. And that, very likely, would have defeated his purpose. Best, then, that he forget desperation and remember that begging would win him nothing. Two breaths later, when she still had not called out, he realised that she was inadvertently giving him the chance he had asked for. That, or she was taking her time to gauge the risk to her wares and herself should she call anyone down on him. She had little to worry about; Renna's guards were mostly well-aligned with their duties. He was, admittedly, surprised he had not yet been sniffed out. Maybe they were keeping the jinn among their ranks at the gates to be sure he did not try to magic his way out. He could not be certain, which meant the longer he remained, the greater his likelihood of being found where he did not want to be found. They must not search this cart. He waited one more breath, holding it tightly before letting it go to wrap around the urn now beyond his reach, hoping it would be enough to keep it safe until this cart was beyond any walls. Now that he was listening, listening so closely his heartbeat echoed off the cart's walls, he could just barely hear her moving nearby. He hoped she was not being secretive in her alerting of the guards, but he had no more control over this situation. She held all the winning cards. There was nothing else he could do. That, being a situation he was accustomed to, surprisingly comforted Curdle, and he found himself relaxing slightly as he waited for her next move. He had given his word. It was her turn to prove trust or not. When her answer, such as it was, arrived in the form of angry questions, he hunched his shoulders against the accusations hiding in her words and gasped out his protest before he could think of a better response. "I am no runaway, messi." As though that might reassure her. Ha! Well played, fool jinni. He scrambled to fill in the suddenly weighted silence, not wanting to claim a worse crime as his own, but unable to fully explain what he was doing without risking discovery of the urn before everything was in place. "I did not mean to run." He amended, hoping it would fix his mistake. "Only, the Lady Gerun has died and there is a task now that weighs on my shoulders. She gave it me knowing those in Renna would not like seeing it done. Yet I must, messi, before they send me back." He spoke with great feeling, for all it was a very abridged and undetailed version of the story. There was some possibility that she would not approve of the task either. For all that, and the risk of being overheard, he continued quietly, solemnly. If he could not convince her of his sincerity, it might very well mean that all was lost. He had to do his best. "I was signed in blood to Fiira, messi. No one else. They will stop me only with a forever-cage." He'd never known any jinn to escape a sentence once it had been passed. Being sent to the gaol was either a long sentence, or a quick death. "I have more fear of my veins boiling dry should I fail, messi. Please do not call the guards." That was not, strictly speaking, true. He did not suspect any such thing would happen, save perhaps his conscience flaying him in spiritual equivalent, should he not succeed. It would likely not occupy his mind for long, most especially if he was caught. He was, however, possessed of the knowledge that there were methods, during a contract signing, to ensure a more troublesome jinni suffer consequences should he, or she, require punishment or restraining. Most were aware that it was possible, and there were several theories about the results. Some did not keep the method only for quarrelsome jinn. And one aligned closely with his expressed concern. He did suspect, however, that he would be far more afraid of his blood boiling, if such were a possibility, than he would be any guards in such a situation. It was a heavily implied lie, but not an outright stated one. May the Five Winds forgive him. If that did not weigh on her sympathies, perhaps she would feel more inclined to avoid unleashing a desperate jinni near her wares. Or on the guard that would answer her call. Curdle did not like playing with words in this way. But it was his last and only chance. So, he used any card given to him that might sway the moment in his favour. Beneath the canvas, his fingers were twisted in supplication of whatever force or spirit might care to answer.</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria found it mildly interesting that the jinni clarified so quickly and firmly that he wasn't a runaway. She believed that part of the story only because he said it in such a candid way that she could not believe it acted. This was a slave with pride, someone that couldn't possibly have done something terrible enough to need to run away. If she chose to let him go, she would know that she at least hadn't allowed a thief or murderer to go free. Until he mentioned that his master died. At once, Miria thought of that gruesome scene: blood everywhere, her family dead, their jinni clearly in shock and mourning their loss, assuring her that he hadn't killed them.... Miria had to breathe, to remind herself that this jinni's master died with a task for him to do. Surely, if he had killed his master, he wouldn't have been so clear about not being a runaway, would he? Miria wasn't sure about the rest of this jinni's story. If he wasn't a runaway, then what was so important that he needed to do in the wake of his master's death that warranted being hunted by the guards? She racked her mind for anything her former jinni lover had said regarding their customs and culture but could not come up with any reason that would lead to this slave's current situation. He continued with his story. Miria could understand his fear for being caught and he seemed to hold at least a little respect for his dead master if he wanted to complete her last task for him so adamantly. Still, there were too many holes in the story, too much that didn't make sense. She knew this jinni wasn't telling him everything. Perhaps he had done something horrible and all of these gaps in the story were red flags to that fact. Perhaps she needed to do the right thing and alert the guards. However, there was still that risk that they would associate her with whatever crime he committed anyway, and whatever the gaps in his story were, he did not come across as someone who would kill. This jinni's mannerisms didn't reek of that sort of desperation, she did not feel like she was in any danger, nor did this jinni's behavior mesh with the unsettling calmness of a sociopath. Miria sighed, feeling drained and exhausted. The only thing she was sure about was that he wasn't a thief. Anything she had of value was currently with her; there was nothing in the cart that was worth stealing or making a fuss over. Frankly, she had a long day, she was hungry and tired, and in no mood to spend hours dealing with the guards' interrogations once they had apprehended the jinni. She had heard enough of this jinni's story to be convinced to let him go. Besides, she had not the energy or the patience to involve herself in his affairs, whatever they would be. Cautiously, Miria looked around before whispering, "I have no time to deal with you, and frankly I don't care. There is one guard in the alley to your right. If you leave quickly and quietly, he may not notice you. I would rather you not get caught in my vicinity, so go now while you still can. I would like to never see you again."</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria found it mildly interesting that the jinni clarified so quickly and firmly that he wasn't a runaway. She believed that part of the story only because he said it in such a candid way that she could not believe it acted. This was a slave with pride, someone that couldn't possibly have done something terrible enough to need to run away. If she chose to let him go, she would know that she at least hadn't allowed a thief or murderer to go free. Until he mentioned that his master died. At once, Miria thought of that gruesome scene: blood everywhere, her family dead, their jinni clearly in shock and mourning their loss, assuring her that he hadn't killed them.... Miria had to breathe, to remind herself that this jinni's master died with a task for him to do. Surely, if he had killed his master, he wouldn't have been so clear about not being a runaway, would he? Miria wasn't sure about the rest of this jinni's story. If he wasn't a runaway, then what was so important that he needed to do in the wake of his master's death that warranted being hunted by the guards? She racked her mind for anything her former jinni lover had said regarding their customs and culture but could not come up with any reason that would lead to this slave's current situation. He continued with his story. Miria could understand his fear for being caught and he seemed to hold at least a little respect for his dead master if he wanted to complete her last task for him so adamantly. Still, there were too many holes in the story, too much that didn't make sense. She knew this jinni wasn't telling him everything. Perhaps he had done something horrible and all of these gaps in the story were red flags to that fact. Perhaps she needed to do the right thing and alert the guards. However, there was still that risk that they would associate her with whatever crime he committed anyway, and whatever the gaps in his story were, he did not come across as someone who would kill. This jinni's mannerisms didn't reek of that sort of desperation, she did not feel like she was in any danger, nor did this jinni's behavior mesh with the unsettling calmness of a sociopath. Miria sighed, feeling drained and exhausted. The only thing she was sure about was that he wasn't a thief. Anything she had of value was currently with her; there was nothing in the cart that was worth stealing or making a fuss over. Frankly, she had a long day, she was hungry and tired, and in no mood to spend hours dealing with the guards' interrogations once they had apprehended the jinni. She had heard enough of this jinni's story to be convinced to let him go. Besides, she had not the energy or the patience to involve herself in his affairs, whatever they would be. Cautiously, Miria looked around before whispering, "I have no time to deal with you, and frankly I don't care. There is one guard in the alley to your right. If you leave quickly and quietly, he may not notice you. I would rather you not get caught in my vicinity, so go now while you still can. I would like to never see you again."</s> <\|message\|>Curdle info He heard that sigh. It was, so he believed, a good sign. It surely meant a decision had been made and, regardless of what came next, he would be happy that the wait was over. The woman hadn't taken long to reach her conclusion, but when it made the difference between success and failure, even a single breath seemed an eternity. Her voice came again, just as quiet as before, but with far less anger it in. And no shouting, a very good sign, indeed. Beneath the canvas, Curdle's whole body felt suddenly limp and shaky, the relief was tangibly heavy and weighed down every muscle. He did not mind that her reasoning was more for herself than to help him. This was not an instance where charity would be applauded; there was no reason for her to act otherwise. Trembling, he made sure he knew his right from his left, in case his mind had ceased basic function, and took another light breath before trapping the air in his throat and lungs. The simplest of magic. He'd used it twice already today, and was tired enough that a third might well prove too much. Still, the attempt was worth the effort if it succeeded. So, the aging jinni held his breath and worked to empty his mind. It was the mind that shaped the presence of an individual, after all, without a mind, he might as well be part of a crowd, unremarkable and unimportant. Of course, it would only last for as long as he could hold his breath and avoiding clarity of conscience. He did not dawdle in getting out from under the canvas, though he did try to make the act as normal as possible. A most difficult endeavour, to be sure. And his face was turning red with the effort when he finally stood and glanced towards where she'd claimed the guard would be. The alley, he saw immediately, and the guard a moment later. He seemed as yet unperturbed. Good. Despite the risk, and his now rather disheveled mien, Curdle spared a second to face the owner of his safe hiding place and bowed enough to make his gratitude clear. He had no other means with which to thank her, he couldn't speak, and his lungs were beginning to burn, restraining magic as they were. Thanks given, he straightened and walked deliberately away from both her and the guard, pace increasing the farther he walked, until he was once again running as he turned a corner out of sight. He didn't make it much farther before he had to lean against a wall, gasping for breath and desperately swallowing the coughs trying to escape. Too close, too loud. Someone would hear and look and notice. Not that leaning against a wall looking ready to vomit (and that may not have been an exaggeration as his stomach began to twist itself around a lump of hunger and fear-wrought adrenaline) was in any way less out of the ordinary. He could recover his dignity a little faster though, and started walking again without any of the speed he'd achieved earlier. His throat was dry. His joints were stiff. His chest ached. His mood was unpleasantly hopeful. He had no reason to look forward to what would come next. But now that he did not have the urn weighing at his shoulder, his steps seemed strangely light. And Curdle even smiled at the market guard as they shouted and fussed about his sudden appearance. He made no attempt to fight back when they restrained him, and held his silence when they demanded to know what he'd done with the Lady. It was only as they marched him away that his heart sank yet again. What if that merchant did not do with the urn as he hoped? Was his final act for Fiira going to be giving away her trust? As he stumbled and felt his knees hitting the floor of a holding cell, hands tied behind him, Curdle realised he had made the wrong choice. Fiira had not given up on him, believing him capable of this one thing. He had stopped trying too soon.</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria lifted both eyebrows as she watched the jinni leave. She expected him to bolt out of the cart like a cat sprayed with water, but instead he shuffled out, moving quite strangely, and even paused to give her a bow of respect. She didn't return the bow, far too anxious to do much of anything except tap her foot and wait patiently for him to leave. She kept casting anxious glances at the guard, hoping the jinni would get out of the area before the guard to turned to see. Just go already! she wanted to shout if she didn't worry so much about drawing attention to herself and to the jinni. At last, he moved out of sight around the corner, and Miria released a sigh of relief. "Hopefully, we never see him again," she murmured to Raha, giving the donkey an affectionate pat on his neck before hoisting her bags up and moving around the cart to dump them inside. She saw the urn almost immediately; the cart was simple without cubby holes, drawers, or the like, and the only other thing in it was the canvas tarp. With a frown, she pulled the tarp aside, shoved the bags into the cart, then climbed in, stepping over her belongings to investigate the vase. It certainly looked like an urn, which was what stopped Miria from picking it up right away. Already she could feel her skin crawl; why would the jinni leave the remains of someone in her cart? She had dealt with enough death in her lifetime to be used to things like this, but the manner in which this particular urn was presented to her made her feel uneasy. Perhaps the jinni was hiding something. Perhaps the contents in the vase weren't at all ashes. Hesitantly, she lifted the lid of the urn to peer inside. The material certainly looked like ashes, and Miria closed the lid at once, wiping her fingers vigorously on her clothing and wondering why a jinni would leave a person's remains in her cart... unless he was hiding something within the ashes. Dread followed the thought, Miria not wanting to handle the urn more than she had to. She could always just dump the ashes somewhere, but what if the urn really did contain nothing but ashes? She didn't feel right scattering the remains of someone that she didn't even know, yet she had to be sure of the contents. If her cart was inspected in the morning and the guards found something strange in the urn, she'd be arrested. Miria hopped out of the cart and wandered around the darkened square until she found a twig suitable enough for her needs. Satisfied, she rubbed it clean the best she could then climbed back into the cart, carefully re-opening the lid to the urn. Cringing and barely able to stand to watch her own progress, she stirred the ashes with the stick, relieved when she felt nothing out of the ordinary. With a grimace, she discarded the stick over the edge of the cart, closed the urn, then gently picked it up. She looked around and spotted a shadowed crevice against the wall of the inn. Glancing about to make sure she wasn't being watched, she placed the urn in this crevice, satisfied with her decision to leave it. This satisfaction gradually changed as she prepared Raha and herself to rest for the night and for the journey the following morning. Her mind kept drifting to the brief conversation she had with the jinni. His master had died and he was tasked with one final order. What if that task was to scatter or bury the remains of his master somewhere? Perhaps the jinni had somehow forgotten the urn. Thoroughly annoyed by her current situation, Miria trudged back to the spot where she had left the urn, picking it up with care. She ought to be looking for that jinni to return his urn, but she had no idea how to find him, especially if he was still actively trying to make sure he couldn't be found. Frankly, she couldn't stay up all night to look for him. Grumbling under her breath, Miria set the urn at the end of the cart where the jinni could easily grab it if he returned, then she settled in for the night. ~~~ Departure mornings were always very stressful, this morning no exception. Miria rose before dawn, hurrying to wash up and prepare to leave. Despite the early hour, the inn was bustling with other merchants doing the same thing; Miria had to wait in line for food. To make matters worse, Raha decided to be stubborn, refusing to move from his seemingly never-ending supply of hay. After much coaxing, a lot of swearing, and offering Raha a dried date, they were finally on the move, Miria rushing to get to the city's front gate. Here, too, was a line, and she groaned, worried that she would miss her caravan. Only a caravan leader had the magical connections to get heavy carts across the desert sands. Only caravan leaders knew how to navigate these sands without getting lost, and only caravan leaders had the means to protect the party from bandits. Miria had already paid the caravan leader the night before for her spot in the caravan, but she knew that it would not wait for her. Traveling the desert without a caravan leader was almost a death sentence. Finally, after what felt like ages, it was her turn at the gate. She waited patiently for the guard to check her things, waiting for the usual, "Nothing strange here, move long," but instead got, "What's this?" She turned in her seat, surprised, then gaped when she saw the urn in the guard's hands. She had completely forgotten about it! "Those are my uncle's ashes," she blurted out. "He died recently, so--" "Mmm-hmm," the guard replied absentmindedly, opening the urn. He brandished a small dagger, stirring it inside the urn, squinting at the contents, then taking a sniff. "Where is your uncle from?" "He died in Hudris a little while ago," Miria rattled, angry with herself for forgetting the urn. "I have not yet arrived at the designated spot to--" "Mmm-hmm, move along!" The guard set the urn back down, then motioned for the next person in line to step forward. Miria did not need to be told twice. She nudged Raha forward, the open desert spreading before her. And, with luck, Miria found her caravan group, the leader a little delayed due to a heated verbal dispute with another caravan leader. After an exchange of hearty insults, her group finally began the move, Miria at once more relaxed knowing that she would make the trip safely. She wondered why the jinni hadn't returned for his urn over night; had he been arrested? Suspecting that she would never see him again, she decided that when the caravan camped for the evening, she would gesture a small token of respect towards the remains of this unknown person she assumed was the jinni's master and leave the urn there.</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina The white-washed adobe home was warm, cozy, fueled by a cheery fire. Low, cushioned lounge chairs surrounded the space, the floors adorned with rugs of warm reds, browns, and golds. The scent of incense filled the air. A middle-aged man with a round face and a kind smile coaxed his violin to sing with the bow, a light, cheery melody. The sweet notes pulled a smile to his lips as he eyed his family -- his wife swaying in place on her seat opposite him while threading a new tapestry as his daughter sang along, her voice low from being out of practice but still melodious. This was a childhood memory of Miria's manifest into a dream, though she wasn't a child here. Though her parents looked and acted the age she remembered them as a girl, she was a woman, her current self, her dark hair now glinting in the warm firelight, swept back into a loose bun that rested at the nape of her neck. Her russet skin was smooth, unscathed by the unforgiving years of travel in the desert, her brown eyes bright with a light unfazed by sorrow and struggle. She wore a beautiful yellow sari draped over her shoulder with a matching top and petticoats, her sandaled feet smooth and uncalloused, her demeanor cheery and carefree. She could carry on like this forever, spending the night away with her family. Tamal was with her, sitting behind her, his strong arms wrapped around her waist. She could feel his body against her back, lean and firm, and his chin resting on her shoulder. Such an embraced stirred within her memories of his touch, her body warming in anticipation for later. His breath tickled the nape of her neck, his snow-white hair caressing her cheek, and she could occasionally hear the flicker of one of his long jackal ears. Tamal was the household servant, the jinni slave, not much older than her; he was a boy when he first began to serve. In Miria's real past, she and Tamal hadn't become lovers or even friends until after her family's death. In this dream, however, not only were they lovers, but it was a union accepted by the family without the slightest concern. Tamal kept Miria, this dream version of her with her head in the clouds, grounded and focused, while she hoped to show him how bright life could be beyond the daily toils of jinni life. They were perfect for each other, or so Miria believed at that moment, reliving the blissful, ignorant perspective of a young woman. Oh, if the real world was so accepting, so carefree.... "I'm going to get some water," Miria whispered, reluctantly sliding from Tamal's embrace as she rose to her feet. She glanced behind her, enraptured by his gentle smile and those bright amber eyes gazing up at her with such tenderness. She disappeared into the kitchen, inwardly giddy of Tamal's smile, eager to return to his arms, the sounds of her father's playing and her mother's laughter soothing to the soul. When she did return, however, her world changed in a blink of an eye. Suddenly, she was normal, gritty Miria, older Miria, body cloaked for travel, the light in her eyes gone, her hair brittle from the dry air and heat. She stared into her family's main room, her mother and father replaced by two bodies, blood splattered on the walls, along the floor, everywhere. Dread and despair washed over her, for this scene was all too familiar, all too wanted. She did not want to relive the sight of her dead family all over again, a high, long wail escaping her as though seeing it for the very first time. She dropped to her knees, her gaze resting on what she knew she would find -- Tamal hovering over her father's body, blood on his hands, his shirt, his face.... Unlike the first time and unlike the subsequent dreams, Tamal did not raise a mask of sorrow to her with a carefully rehearsed explanation of what happened. No... this time, the truth was written all over his face, a much starker contrast than the fresh blood against his pale features. His eyes were filled with hate, his mouth curved in a sneer of pure malice, and he slowly rose to his feet, a predatory demeanor to his every movement. Miria caught herself through her renewed despair, remembering that she had been through this already. She knew what Tamal had done, knew that he was dangerous, and knew that her family's ashes had been scattered to the four winds long ago. The dagger she always kept concealed near her body was gone; she glanced around the room for any sort of weapon to use, trying hard not to look at the motionless bodies on the floor. "He had it coming," Tamal growled, his voice low, throaty, heady with madness. "The things you never knew about... the things he did to me... and the way she just turned the other cheek... your precious father, your loving mother... they had it coming." As Tamal spat out the words, Miria rose to her feet, willing her body not to tremble, commanding herself to be strong. How could she be strong in the face of such an atrocity, in the wake of such a malicious gaze? "And you, living your perfect life, ignorant to the darkness, will know what suffering is. You will join them!" With a roar, Tamal rushed forward. Miria's resolve shattered; where was the strong woman she thought she had become? She screamed in alarm, turned to run away, and bumped into Curdle. The impact sent her stumbling back directly against the charging Tamal... ...who dissipated around her like a broken cloud of smoke, disappearing into thin air like mist chased away by the morning sun. Miria fell back, her gaze widening in surprise when she took on the familiar form. It was the old jinni from Renna, though he wasn't old at all now. She shouldn't be able to recognize him, so altered his visage was by youth, but somehow she knew and remembered. "Y-you!" She glanced around warily, her heart thudding against her chest as she looked for Tamal. He was nowhere in sight. The bodies, too, had disappeared, along with the blood, but Miria's fear lingered like smoke trapped in a room, slow to fade. "W-what... why....?" Try as she might, Miria could not find the words, fragmented questions tumbling in her mind, lost in the fog of her fear. What did he want? Why was he here? How was he here? Did he have anything to do with Tamal?</s> <\|message\|>Jinn Stuff When Curdle stumbled into opening his eyes, he was not confused to find that he had become she, or that there were warm arms wrapped around her waist and music in the background. A tangle of bright life and loving memories. A skein of story wrapped the wrong way 'round. Dreams never cared to concern themselves with what should be, and these were not his besides, but still, he immersed himself in this moment of family and felt love and was loved in turn and that part of him that was trapped enjoyed it, and that part of him that was still beyond her reach yearned for the same. S/he wanted this life, grasping at the edges to fold up the image as though it was a quilt they could cover themselves with every evening. Her and Tamal, Mother and Father, music, weaving, laughter, love. Even had he remembered that, awake, he knew none of these people, Curdle would have wished it real. Maybe it was, it felt so sure, for all that same distant part of himself marveled at the heady notion of jinni and human together, in love. In the kitchen, he rejoiced in the familial wealth that abounded here, and did not notice the moment when she turned back and he remained, rooted in the gift she had accidentally given him. He didn't notice when the laughter stopped or when the violin fell silent. He didn't see the atmosphere's shift from open and inviting to cold and angry, frightening. But he did hear her wail, the distress sending him staggering as the kitchen walls fell away and the floor gave out beneath him, forcing him back to a scene charged with hate. Oh… how the walls wept red. He forgot his fear of the unknown mind beyond this room and watched as the woman who sold tapestries in the market faced her fear and her love and her hate and could not defeat it. The revelation was too much. But layered now over the whole of it was a level of resignation and regret that delved deep in sad recognition of the strange jinni's broken justification. The moment was lost. He stepped forward, a body materialising of its own volition, wanting to reach past the woman's frozen form to pull Tamal out of reach of the blood and whatever hurts he had been given to lead him to this madness. But also, out of reach of the woman whose innocence, ignorance if you will, had been sorely abused. Neither should have had to suffer this story, and true or not, he couldn't have said, but it felt real and that was all that mattered. He was too late though, of course he was, years too late in all likelihood, he had no place in the timeline of these dreams. Still, as the jinni charged, a sword leapt to his hand from a scabbard that had not existed before the sword was unsheathed. He would protect the woman, drive her demon away. All he managed, however, was to impede her escape, and he blinked through tears as she fell and Tamal vanished. Everything vanished but the white-washed walls and the lasting effects of traumatic emotions. Slowly sheathing the sword, Curdle wiped at his wet cheeks, and struggled to recover from what he had witnessed. With a prouder stance, his chin shaved close and his skin less worn by wind and sun, it might well have been only his light eyes and grey horns(still working on their curl now) that gave him away. Gradually, however, as she stumbled over her recognition and he grew into himself here, where he did not belong, the jinni's beard and horns grew out and the lines deepened around his eyes until he stood with the slight hunch of a man worn down by time. "I, messi." His voice cracked in the quiet of her suspicions and he didn't know how to answer her ragged questions. She'd dreamed him, was dreaming? He'd fallen in. And how did one fall into a dream? Especially when it was not their own. "I made a mistake, I think." In many things, he had been mistaken. In giving up. In leaving behind the urn. In involving her. In being caught in her dreams. In witnessing secrets… "I am sorry." He wiped at his eyes, fingers trembling as the dream gave them a weight that didn't belong, regret clear in his voice and expression, but there was nothing else he could do. Nothing more that he could say, or ask. Nothing, except what he perhaps should have done in the first place. "Very sorry, messi. Please, I am needing your help."</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina The jinni's voice was like an anchor in the fog of fragmented emotions and half-formed visions, giving Miria a sense of focus. Memories of Tamal murmuring "Messi" with a hasty bow, downcast eyes, and lips drawn tight into a thin line rippled and faded behind Curdle. Miria hardly noticed. All she could feel was the grit and sand on her skin, the toil of a long day's travel in aching feet, and remnants of the hot sun lingering in brittle hair. She was no longer the pampered girl adored by her family but the nomadic merchant, aimless, loveless, shattered. All because of the jinni. At once, perhaps unbeknownst to Curdle, he became the image of Tamal, sneering down at Miria, his eyes cold and empty. So many years she had mistook that gaze for sadness, for the lost hope of a broken slave. The memory of such foolishness angered her, pulled her to her feet, and she seethed. "No, it was my mistake for knowing you, loving you, trusting you! You are supposed to be dead! You're..." She paused, took a wavering step back, shook her head. Up until that moment, she wanted nothing more than to lash at him, to throw words at him in shrill screams and hope those words held enough weight to actually hurt him. But there was a strange sense of realism in talking to Tamal that she couldn't place, like reliving an actual memory instead of a dream. It altered Miria's perception of her visitor, his image flickering between that of the spiteful Tamal and the humble jinni she had met so recently at the market. The jinni with the urn... Miria gasped, blinked, and Curdle's image held, remained whole. She was suddenly aware, as though she had woken up. Somehow, she knew she was still dreaming, and somehow she knew this jinni was in her dreams, her thoughts. She didn't know how or why, but it sent chills down her spine, followed by the mortifying realization that he had witnessed very intimate moments of her subconscious. "Y-you didn't..." A shaking hand flew to Miria's mouth. Unable to look him in the eye, she sank back down to sit, struggling not to think too much about what he had seen and what he had interpreted from the scene. His words, which felt like they were spoken so long ago, now tumbled in her thoughts; it was a wonder she could make sense of them at all. He was sorry, this was a mistake, he needed help.... "I still have your urn," she murmured, assuming that this was what the jinni needed help with. "I plan to rid myself of it." Her gaze flickered up to him as a new question pressed against her tongue. "Are you dead?" How else would he be here in her dreams like this? Why else would he never come to claim his urn? She knew very little about the spiritual customs of the jinn; Tamal had always been so tight-lipped about such things. Now she had the sneaking suspicion that this jinni was a ghost haunting her dreams.</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Jinn Stuff There was a moment of disconnect as Miria began shouting. His vision blurred and shifted and she seemed suddenly shorter. His feelings hardened and fell away even as he stepped back in shock at the vehemence of her words. The dizzying shift of being, for that moment, the source, centre and target of all her anger left him dazed and confused. He didn't know what was happening, he didn't know if she wanted him to grovel on his knees and beg forgiveness or shout back. He wasn't even certain what she was blaming him for. He had never met her, known her, loved her or trusted her before yesterday. For that matter, she had never done any of those with him either. It was only when she paused, and saw him again that he understood the problem. Rising from his position halfway to kneeling (that he did not recall starting), Curdle frowned and ran his fingers over his beard, concerned by the revelation. He was an interloper who could see and hear and feel everything in her dreams. But they were still hers. He had no control even over who he was now. This might well mean he had no control over how he would leave, or what he might be when he did. But he was spared from worrying about that by the need to address the woman's concerns. If she acted against him here, he did not think he'd be able to stop her. The trouble, really, was he didn't know what to say. There wasn't anything to say. He'd seen her love a jinni and run from the same. He'd seen her lose a family and gain the one that stole them from her. He'd heard a jinni's suffering at her father's hand. There was nothing that could answer that and his fingers curled into fists at his sides as she stumbled and shrank to the ground. What could he do? He knew all this and yet remained ignorant of her name. Messi… Perhaps she was more deserving of that spoken courtesy than anyone he'd ever applied it to, but he'd long since learned that it did not offer much by way of comfort. He wanted to though, oh, it held him so close that longing to give her something… better… on which to dream. But he could not move. The only sign of his own emotional turmoil was the shifting of his left thumb over his nails, as though that might ease anything. She broke him from his paralysis with her mention of the urn though. It grabbed his attention and dragged him forward one, then two steps as she spoke of being rid of it. Not when he had only just found it again! Please! "No, messi, please do- not… Dead? No, I…" His expression shifted from worried to confused to unsure. "I do not think..." How could he tell? He might be. He felt real, but this was her dreaming, her creation. Bringing his hands up, he frowned at them as he opened and closed his fingers, realising belatedly that there was no old ache of worn out joints as he did. Not so real then. But his body, his real body, was in a small hut in the middle of Renna. Was it dreaming too? Was he the only one dreaming? Flying and seeing everything the way he saw magic… Falling into her breath… That was the stuff of dreams. But a human and jinni falling in love, that was fantasy. Never would he have dreamed anything like it. So, it could not only be him dreaming her. But was she dreaming him? Was he alive now only because he existed in her head? No, no… No! He fought the surge of panic that bubbled up in his chest and made it hard to breathe (did he need to now?), closing his eyes and blotting out as much as he could of his situation now. He couldn't afford to panic. He couldn't afford to lose himself. It didn't matter if she was dreaming or if he was dead or if none of this was real. If it was all he could do, than he needed to make the most of it. He had to keep his head and tell her what she needed to know. The struggle to keep himself together thinned his lips behind his beard and whitened his knuckles, but somewhere, distant, a drum was beating a slow, echoing rhythm, lub-dub lub-dub. And his breast expanded and contracted. Somewhere, his body was resting, lying prone on the floor of a stucco hut and awaiting his return. The certainty settled his nerves. He did not dare wonder how he might manage that return. When he opened his eyes again, they were a little harder, a little clearer. More focused on his own goals than keeping her history from engulfing him. "I am not dead, messi. It may be I cannot say the same tomorrow, but tonight…" How did one describe what he had seen and done that evening? He certainly did not think he could. "I am alive." "If… Messi, if you have carried the urn so far already, please do not throw it away now. I would relieve you of its burden, yet I do not know how to escape this place or the binds that keep me in Renna. Will you bring me with you when you wake?" He could not have disguised the tremble in his voice at the last question. If she wanted him to beg, he believed he would. And he was not even sure if her will and memory alone would accomplish anything. He did not know how dream travel worked. But this was his last and only chance. He had given up once already, too easily by far. He would not make the same mistake twice.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina Confusion wrapped Miria like a shroud as she 'gazed' upon this not-dead Jinni somehow in her mind, a perfect stranger that may or may not have seen some of her darkest, most intimate memories. "I-I don't understand," she stammered. The more she interacted with him, the more real the conversation felt, as though he was physically here with her and she was actually conversing with him. Gradually, a new setting took shape around them and clarified, her own mind attempting to make this conversation feel as real as she perceived it to be. The buzz of commerce commenced around her, accompanied by the smell of fresh-baked bread, the hint of manure, and the allure of Renna's surrounding shifting sands. She could feel the packed earth at her feet and see her tapestries around her. They were at the merchant square of Renna, exactly where Miria had first met this Jinni, except this time there were no guards hunting him. This time, he was just another person standing over her wares. Somehow, this helped Miria gather her wits and organize the many questions swarming around her head. She could deal with this mysterious, mystical person in this way, merchant to customer, in her element. "How am I to bring you with me if you are not physically here?" she asked, and the image of the Jinni shimmered, only briefly, as if to confirm what she already knew. "I am dreaming, you are here, but your body is somewhere else. How is this possible?" Miria looked around, as though doing so would give her the answers she sought. "Is your body on the caravan, perhaps?" No. Miria remembered that he had said that it was still in Renna. She realized that if she was to better understand this person and this situation, she needed to know who this Jinni was. "What are you?" she asked in her best business-like tone. "Who are you? Is this your magic, getting into people's heads?"</s> <\|message\|>Jinn Stuff If she did not understand, it was no surprise to him, though he found it difficult to face the confusion of her expression while having no explanation of his own. He did not understand either. In that, they were truly well matched, indeed. In fact, Curdle had no idea what he was doing. Not in the slightest. And with no words to ease that confusion, he elected to remain silent beneath her stare. Whether accusations or exhortation followed, he could remember clearly enough to know that he had begun this journey somehow, and he had started the fall into this place that was hers. Accidentally, true, but accidents were never innocent in his world. She had every right to be upset, and he would accept her decision. He would, he promised himself, though the longer she stared at him in such broken shock, the more shaken his resolve felt. Had it been any longer before he realized where her mind had taken them, he might have found himself on his knees and begging. Begging for help, for escape, for remembrance, for her hands to do what his could not, or even, simply, for an answer. Any would do better than the silence she surrounded him with then. Only, as the tremble stirred from his voice to his hands and weakened his gaze, made his breath stutter, sound returned. A crowd at his back and to either side, isolating them before the very stall where fate had seen him pause. Was it really only two days now? Not even. Shaking fingers reached for woven cloth between them and stilled in fright as he watched his skin and bone dissolve and reshape itself as though the strange light magic he'd seen before tumbling into her dreams made up his body now. And, like midges, was stirred by every breath of wind or—as the air was still here—her every wayward thought. He was not here. No, yes, please, it was not true. Not yet, his thoughts were here. He witnessed as she did, the changing patterns of the market, the shifting colours of her cloth weavings. Dreams, he thought, did not understand the value of inertia. How could he be anywhere else? Yet what she said was also true. He was here, but somewhere else. He might have led her there through the streets her mind conjured. Away from the city square to a small, plain wall with a wooden door guarded by two men through which one could look in on an old man, stiff and weary. He could not have said how this was possible, or how he knew it to be the truth. So, he held his tongue, and still she questioned him. He managed only a shake of his head for his current whereabouts. And was grateful she did not press further. With her next breath, he regretted that she had not. Flinching at that bald question that turned him into something other than what he should be, Curdle kept his gaze lowered as he pulled his hand back, wares untouched. In a moment of nostalgia, it lingered briefly on the hilt of the sword at his hip before dropping away as though burnt with the memory that he was no longer a guard, no longer anything, and unfit to bear arms. His fingers curled into fists at his sides as he took a breath to answer, once sure her questions were finished and he would not be interrupting, able only to hope she would not know he was breaking the law in her dreams. "I-I am Jinn. Lady Fiira Gerun's Jinni, messi." Or, he had been hers, until her final breath left without him knowing… Now, he did not know who… No, he still was, until he finished what he had started. "She called me Curdle." It was how he'd introduced himself. So long ago now, and far away. A lifetime past. When he was still young enough to believe that petty secrets mattered. Now, with plenty of regrets thickening in his stomach, it suited him better than his true name, he thought. He wished that he had known then what he did now, and shared even a little more with her, that he could have heard it said aloud even once over the years. But now was not the time to make wishes. Her last question stumped him. And his mouth moved for a moment without sound as he sought some simple explanation. "This magic, messi, is not one I have ever known. Yet, I think that it is mine. It is something I have done. I flew on-no, as the wind, here, messi. As the tales tell it, there is no Jinni alive who would ever ask such of the wind." But maybe, once, there had been many. He did not know. Every story he'd ever learned of the Jinn was a frightening one, meant to remind them not of past glories, but of past misdeeds. There was nothing that might compare with the wonder of riding wings of wind so high above the dunes, or seeing the sun sparkle from within the sand. But just as it should not have been his, so it could not have been any other's either. He had heard of no Jinni this powerful. Then again, this power had trapped him in a human's mind and left him at their mercy. It was not so great as his awe would have him believe. "I do not know what comes next."</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria sighed in clear disappointment. The jinni's answers were cryptic, and parts of them didn't make much sense, but it seemed that he was about as sure as to what was happening as she was. Either that or he was lying. Either way, this creature was far more complicated than she gave him credit for, and unraveling this strange mystery of his presence in her dreams would be more difficult than she imagined. Nothing about this jinni--Curdle, as he called himself--had been easy from the moment she had met him, which forced her not to trust him. What sort of scheme was she falling into? What kind of magic did she find herself snared in? Had she been made a fool by a jinni yet again? The subtleties of Curdle's shifting surroundings intrigued her, however, and she suspected that Curdle had just as much power to alter details of this dream as she did, as though they were sharing the same dream. The sudden sword at Curdle's hip made her think that he was once a warrior, someone that took comfort in the persuasion of a biting blade. That did not make her less wary of him. "Pleased to meet you, Curdle," Miria stated stiffly, no welcoming warmth in her tone. She was guarded, cautious, not sure what to make of this stranger, needing to know more about him before she revealed more about herself than she already had. "My name is Miria." Her gaze flickered pointedly to the sword. "Why were you given the name Curdle?" She did not ask for his real name. Frankly, she didn't see how knowing it would make much of a difference, her concern resting in knowing enough about this person to get him out of her dreams. "And how long have you been working for...this Firra Gerun? I am assuming you were her bodyguard."</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina Despite her history with the jinn, Miria did not know about their customs, their thinking, their way of life. Tamal had been so secretive about it all, preferring to keep details of himself in the here and now. After she had learned what kind of person he really was, Miria had wondered if knowing more about his background and his culture would have allowed her to spot the red flags she had missed in her blind devotion to him. This time, she would not be so foolish, but her lack of detailed knowledge about the jinn meant that Curdle's reaction to his own response confused her. He seemed repulsed by his own answer, as though he had said something offensive. What was so regretful about what he had said? She thought it sad that he and his brothers had taken on such ugly names, but it unsurprising now knowing that he was from Sherahd, a place known for its harshness of the jinn it harbored. She had been there many times before, Sherahd a jewel for any traveling merchant. Almost bloated in its own wealth, the city served trade from land and sea alike. It was also a heavily guarded place, the best soldiers always coming from there. That would explain the appearance of Curdle's sword, which lead Miria to assume that he was, or had been, a very skilled fighter. But was this something to be ashamed of? Curdle had also mentioned his master--he had been serving her for a very long time, since her marriage. For him to survive with the same master for so many years meant that she treated him at least halfway decently--it wasn't too common to see a jinni as old as Curdle. It also meant that he harbored no ill will towards his master, at least not in the end, unless she had been very good at keeping him under control. Miria carefully studied Curdle as she moved to sit down on the ground. He didn't look broken and abused. In fact, he could probably stand to live a couple more decades in his current condition. Then again, this was a dream; he was probably worse for wear than he currently seemed. Curious that he hadn't taken on a strong, youthful, more intimidating appearance. But why the strange reaction? Miria canted her head to the side, forgetting that she was supposed to be seeking information about this strange connection she currently shared with the jinni. "Is it wrong for you to care for your master, a married woman?" she asked as she tried to piece together the mystery that was Curdle. "It must be her ashes that you have decided to burden me with." If this was true, that meant that Curdle cared for his master very much, which made Firra Gerun a very foolish woman...or damn lucky.</s> <\|message\|>Curdle info He should not have let his confusion and fear play tricks with his tongue, Curdle thought, as he watched her expression close in what he believed was the beginning of judgement. Circumstance had given him no fair first impressions of this woman's opinion on jinn. He thought he understood what drew the lines of suspicion across her forehead, but understanding did not help him now. Too late. You could not take back words already spoken. Yet, almost before he had resigned himself to her reproach, however she might choose to give it, the woman's sharp eyes shifted to the side. A glance he almost missed, avoiding direct eye contact as he was, but when she moved to sit down, settling in front of him rather than raising her voice or her hand or turning away, he could not help but stare. Even when she brought her gaze back up, apparently comfortable with her position, he only just remembered to shift his focus from her face. That was not the reaction he had expected. And as her expression softened, head tilting, his fingers stayed curled in their fists to hide the trembling in his hands rather than in any anger at himself or readiness to endure. It was the question though, asked so glibly of him, that left him truly confounded. She, who had once loved a jinni. She, who had seen that love shattered by the jinni's cruel truth. She could ask such a thing? Was it wrong to care? In many ways, Curdle believed it was. But what answer was she looking for? Would it turn a knife to tell her there was no insult in jinn caring for human, if hers had used her poorly? Or did she look for reasons behind the twisting of that emotion? Or was it curiousity alone that spurred the thought? She had seen the consequences and hurt that came of care. Maybe, as he once had, she wondered if it was even possible. Having known of her for barely two days, and having learned more in the last ten minutes than he'd have liked, Curdle abandoned any hope of predicting her reactions. She'd lived a life much too far removed from anyone he'd known before, he thought. Sharp where others would have been merely cold. Turning away when another would have turned him in. Curious where others would have been sharp. Although… He flinched as she spoke of burdens; she was not without her barbs. That thought brought a regretful smile to his face, and Curdle found his answer in the weary sentiment washing over him as he remembered his manners and lowered himself to her level. "Is it wrong to care for anyone? I was all the company she kept, Miria messi." He shrugged loosely, tone impartial, lifting his hands together before his sternum in absent illustration of his words. "In the end, we were both old and lonely. That is all the care we had for each other." As his explanation finished, the man spread his hands where they had measured the feelings he and Lady Gerun shared, as though letting that imaginary emotion tumble free. For a moment, the air sparked in muted imitation of falling water between his fingers and the ground and as he watched the light splash into insignificance, it left him suddenly bereft. There had been no love torn from his heart when she died. But for a while, he had forgotten what it was to be alone. Even if that was all she'd had to give him, Curdle could not say it had been nothing. Now, even that was gone. She was gone, and he had only uncertainty, fear, and confusion left. In treating him as a friend, she had given him so much more than he could comprehend. Too much to lose, when he had never meant to accept it, never realized it was there. As his hands dropped slowly to his knees, tears came, unbidden, seeping from unfocused eyes to creep through the time worn creases on his cheeks. They had taken their time in arriving, and, not noticing, Curdle strove to show her an unaffected façade. "I am sorry, messi. What she gave to me I should not have let go. It was no wish of mine to give you trouble." The apology was as much to Miria as it was to the woman who'd set him on that path. The Lady Gerun had trusted him to see this through. Whether she had thought of the trouble it might give him or not he didn't know, and no longer cared to know. It was no excuse for failing a promise.</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria lifted her eyebrows in surprise to Curdle's reaction. He had always seemed so careful and guarded with his interaction with her, as distrustful of her as she was of him, so she suspected. And though his answer was vague and very unsatisfying, his tears said what his words could not. It did not matter what kind of relationship Curdle had with his master. All that mattered was that they cared for each other, in whatever capacity, and he was mourning the loss of that relationship. If Miria held judgement to anyone, it was not Curdle. Rather, it was to the Lady Gerun, because the Lady Gerun had obtained what Miria could not, was spared the harsh truths of most jinn, and had been lucky enough to befriend someone who was sincere in his emotions. Oh, how she wished Tamal's love for her had been true. How whimsical it would have been for them to develop a relationship well into their senior years, for her to trust him enough to tend to her remains after death, and for him to love her enough to comply with such wishes. She felt envious of the Lady Gerun to have found a servant as loyal as Curdle and to have kept him for the majority of her life. She wanted to hate the woman. But Miria could not. How could she hate someone who had done nothing to Miria to deserve that hate? How could she hate someone that had loved and trusted even a lowly servant? From what little Miria knew of the Lady Gerun, she must have been a respectable, kind woman. When Curdle spoke of her, it was not the false compliments fueled by the fear of punishment for speaking the truth. No, this was the truth, it had to be. The woman was dead; there was no reason for Curdle to continue to speak so kindly about her. The Lady Gerun was very lucky to have not been alone at her death. She was the embodiment of what Miria had hoped to become and would never be. Who would mourn Miria's death when her time of passing came? It would be her wares that some would miss, not her. Since discovering the truth about Tamal, she had been fine with this lonely existence. Better to die alone than die betrayed. Now, she was not so sure. Curdle's reaction also said much about him. When Miria had sat down, it was simply to be more comfortable, as she considered it rude to have lengthy conversations with a guest while standing. Standing to a guest conveyed disinterest, and Miria was very interested in hearing what Curdle had to say. Furthermore, he stood in front of her booth--the closest thing to home that she had--thus, he was a guest. Treating this lowly jinni as a guest was a sign that there was a lesson from Tamal that Miria has failed to learn: she was incapable of seeing the jinn as lesser beings than herself, at least not completely, regardless of what she thought of them. It had resulted in her heartbreak and near death, yet she had not thought of her mistake of sitting down to a jinni, not until Curdle had also sat down. Tamal would have remained standing. Curdle, on the other hand, knew his place in the world, or at least did not think himself as somehow above her. Then again, the tears and the story could be a ruse to get something out of Miria...but what? A way to smuggle something illegal? She had already checked the Lady Gerun's ashes with a stick--something she now regretted doing. If the ashes were of another jinni, who was she to bar him from paying his respects? Curdle was not journeying physically with her... She could not find any reason for Curdle to deceive her. Not yet, anyway. She hadn't thought Tamal capable of such a thing, either. "What has been done is done," Miria said dismissively, undermining Curdle's apology. "Apologizing won't undo what has happened. If you are haunting my dreams to make sure I take care of your master's ashes, I can assure you that I will keep them safe. If that's what I need to do to get you out of my head, then so be it." Her tone was hard, businesslike, borderline cold, Miria not wanting to think she held any sort of compassion for him or his master, even if her actions spoke otherwise. "Just tell me what I need to do to meet your satisfaction." She rose to her knees, gently shifting through her wares until she found a square of cloth the size of a standard handkerchief, a royal purple background adorned with delicate, swirling designs in various shades of purples, pinks, reds, and blues that were distinctively jinn in style. Though the cloth had been woven with much detail, it was not one of Miria's better works. "This was one of my first weavings," she said, holding up the cloth to Curdle so that he could see the design. "Much care was put into every stitch, back during a time when life for me was...simpler, more innocent. I have no need for it now. I couldn't bring myself to destroy it, so I hoped someone would finally take it off my hands and that I could at least gain a little profit from it, but it never sells. I won't divulge the background or meaning behind it, the pattern is quite loud, and I'm not even certain if it is to your lady's tastes, but considering what I know of her, I think this would suit her. I can drape it around her urn when I wake. That was why you stopped by my booth in the first place, was it not?"</s>
<\|description\|>Miria Sedina (Picture coming soon) Age: 35 Species: Human Appearance: Mocha-colored skin, long dark hair down to mid-back, dark brown eyes, slender frame. She holds a modest but classy sense of style. Occupation: Traveling merchant.</s> <\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria listened to this old jinni's plea, her heart torn between compassion and doubt. Her countenance froze, as though rigid stoicism would somehow shield her from making one decision or another. A part of her wished she had never offered Curdle that small tapestry for the urn, even if this was a dream and nothing physical was real. The emotions were more tangible than anything she could touch, see, and hear right now, like the life force of all movement and color in this subconscious world. Emotions controlled Miria's stiff hesitation and this jinni's calm desperation, and he had admitted that it was her kindness that made him choose her for this task of… …Of taking the ashes of someone she had never known and probably never would have met if this person was alive to a very distant city that harbored at least a little animosity towards jinn customs. She wished she had been cruel enough to dump this Lady Fiira's ashes the first chance she got, like any sane human woman would have done, and then she would be facing only her normal worries. She'd have her usual dreamless sleep or a nightmare-wrought attempt at rest as Tamal ever haunted every unconscious thought… Tamal. Thinking of him now did not pit her among the apparitions of her past as it usually did. The scene did not shift in response to her thoughts, the market and her booth as steadfast as Curdle's feelings towards his master even after her death. Miria looked at Curdle now, this haggard, worn creature, his physical presence imprisoned back in Renna and his consciousness chained to her thoughts. Whatever guilt, hatred, and regret she harbored towards the jinn in general, Curdle somehow kept it at bay. His presence had shattered the normal course of her dreaming, and now she was questioning his motives in a rather dull market place instead of reliving her blood-soaked regrets yet again. Perhaps it was fate that somehow brought Curdle and Miria together? But Miria no longer believed in fate, or at the very least it frightened her. Still, she couldn't ignore that with how cumbersome this Curdle could be, he at least had one use. And she knew she could never turn this jinni away, not with a plea like that. Perhaps she should resent that Tamal hadn't hurt her enough, as absurd a notion as that was. Or perhaps the years had softened her countenance too much. "Sherahd is bound to be part of this caravan's route," Miria said, her tone clipped and frigid, "as it is a major trade hub. I will keep your master's ashes for the time being, mainly because I don't see it worth it breaking from the caravan to dump her over some sand dune. Knowing how the world works, a breeze will blow the ashes against me anyway, and that thought is too disgusting to bear. But I can't make any promises once we reach Sherahd." Carefully, Miria stood, dusting off her clean, spotless clothes. "And you can stay in my head if you wish," she said with a haughty sniff, looking quickly away from Curdle, "if your presence still allows me a good night's sleep. Don't expect me to engage you in any way, though. And I hope you gone when I wake."</s> <\|message\|>Curdle info Coarse grain pressed itself into his skin as Curdle held his pose in the long silence. Whether it was truly any longer than a breath or two, he could not have said, but it felt as though time had ceased its flow. There was no measuring how long she held him captive to her mercy, waiting for whatever release she felt him worth. He could feel that sand leaving imprints in his palms and forehead. Imprints as fickle and diverse as the chance that had brought them together. How many other cloth merchants might have been in that market? How many passed through Renna's gates? How varied were the options of how that day might have turned out differently? It was no accident that fate was entwined in the sands of time. One single grain's displacement and how many paths suddenly shifted and changed and never again followed what almost had been? The old jinni was caught feeling his own weight in how heavily he pressed those sand grains between himself and the market's stone. Caught hearing nothing but the faint roar of blood in his ears and feeling only the warm brush of his breath across his cheeks where it was trapped against the ground. When she finally spoke, he was dizzy with relief, and did not immediately understand the words. It was enough that she released him from the wait, good or bad, her voice offered its own solace. Cold though it remained. The tension in his hunched spine gave out as though his body had collapsed, elbows and shoulders drooping, breath escaping him in a heady rush. Her decision was made. She turned it into a matter of convenience. The caravan went to Sherahd, and so would she. Even her abrupt dismissal of what was, to Curdle, a hard-won freedom found no purchase when she threw out her barbs. Dumping Fiira anywhere was not and had never been his intention, but that Miria had considered it even slightly was strong hint that she did not think to simply abandon the urn, ashes and all, where he would never find it, and circumstance might never knock loose the lid. The Lady would not be trapped in the dark by his thoughtlessness. For that alone, she had his eternal gratitude. That she was willing to go further in offering her aid, he was stunned into disbelief by how easily the words tripped from her tongue. So impersonal… He had not regained his presence of mind or his tongue before she'd turned away, and it was almost all he could manage to lift his head then. But he did, that and more. Slowly, hand shaking, he brought dusty fingers to his lips and reached across to the ground as near her feet as he could. Letting them rest there a moment before he could find the strength to lift himself from his genuflection. The gesture was not meant to be seen, or even acknowledged. How could it be? There was no possible response. But it was all he could think of to give her in return. She had agreed to help him regain the honour he'd given up too easily. His sense of worth had been lost with it, and was, perhaps, the more significant loss, but it would be far harder to find again. Still, in helping him on the road to one, she set him towards both, if he could take it, though he realized nothing of this beyond his overwhelmed understanding that Fiira would not suffer for his weakness. For that, and nothing else, he strove to do as she seemed to want. Unfortunate, that he did not know how to leave, or he would have that very instant. All he could give her was his silence. Speaking no more words on the subject, though he surely couldn't manage any, just then, so it was hardly an effort. He remained on his knees, as small a presence as he knew how to be, and did not look up to see what she might be doing or thinking now. He did not even raise his hands to brush the sand from his forehead or fingers. He would be as nothing, if she asked it, that he might intrude no more in a private place where no one else belonged. He had no plans to ignore her. In fact, he was very carefully doing the opposite, though he did not wish to give that away. Heedful of her every action, he was listening attentively, watching her feet at the edge of his sight in case she suddenly desired something of him. His gaze, however, would not leave the cloth still where he'd left it. Near to his knee, but not quite touching. Its colours twisted in his vision and the longer he stared, the less its details remained intact. He was tired, he realised slowly. And he could feel a new weight on his shoulders, in his chest. His body was heavy. It wasn't here. But it needed the sleep this dreaming didn't offer. Or why else would he be tired in a dream? Already, though he was not aware of it, his shape and form were becoming looser. More insubstantial as his chin began drooping towards his chest. Young and old, sometimes weightless above the ground, sometimes, somehow, beneath it, sinking. Flickering fitfully like a dying fire burning out the last of its heat and life. Though, in his case, it was only his control and magic slipping as his mind began to doze. Though it took a long few moments, the end, when it came, was sudden. One instant, he was there, the next, as his chin finally struck his chest, he was gone. No fanfare, no puff of smoke or flash of light, merely empty space. In Renna, stretched out on the floor, head tilted by the weight of his horns, an old man had begun to snore.</s>	<\|message\|>Miria Sedina Miria felt Curdle's absence almost immediately; vibrant color drained into a dull pallet and vivid noises of the marketplace around her blended into indiscernible noise. She glanced behind her, meaning to catch sight of Curdle but seeing sand where he once knelt, fading humanoid shapes drifting over the area as though he had never been a part of this dream. It surprised her to feel a slight pang in her heart; she had expected that he would at least follow for a little while. Her last words echoed in her mind, a reflection of the possible thoughtlessness in them. She did say she wanted him out of her head by morning, and that feeling still rang true. So, why did it bother her that Curdle had left to immediately? She didn't understand it and decided that it was best not to. He was just an old jinni who needed her to help him pay respects to the remains of someone he loved. She sighed, turned back around, and continued walking, each step erasing her consciousness of what had transpired like unraveling a ball of thread with each forward step. Soon, she was lost in her dream, as obscure as the shifting shapes around her. But she did not forget, the memory touching upon her recollection, sightless and intangible, but present as the light of the morning sun over the surrounding sand dunes. Miria awoke, fed and groomed Raha, and prepared for the long journey with the rest of the caravan, her movements automatic to allow her mind to be elsewhere. Was what happened even real? Miria checked her cart for the carefully-stowed urn, finding it tucked safely away, the sight of it summoning Curdle's tears and his words of weary relief. Where she had gone wrong with Tamal, Fiira had gone right with Curdle. Where Miria believed she had attempted the impossible and been punished for it, Fiira and Curdle had dared to love each other, in whatever way that love signified, and had managed to survive the gauntlet of prejudice and cruel expectations. How common was a bond like theirs? How common was a tragedy like Miria's? The jinni that served Miria breakfast did not respond to his master beyond what he was ordered to do, his gaze empty as he ladled leftover stew into jer small bowl. A cluster of young jinn animal tamers who had been whispering to each other scattered when humans walked by, knowing that conversing with each other without permission was forbidden, but the humans seemed too busy with their own morning chores to care and the young jinn exchanged mirthful glances at each other. The sand jinni that lead the caravan, who was the key reason they did not all sink into the sand and die beneath the sun, ate her breakfast with her master. They spoke quietly, animatedly, the jinni relaxed, her master bemused, like two good friends engaged in conversation. Yet Miria could see the thick callouses beneath the heavy iron ring around her neck where the metal had chaffed painfully against her skin for years, and she could see glimpses of scars peaking over the collar of her tunic. How well did society truly accept this human/jinn balance? Was there even a balance at all, or were the scales tipping below the surface, straining against what was natural, threatening change? Miria pondered this as she finished her preparations, as the caravan moved once more, as they pushed through a long, hard day through the desert. Why had her compassion towards a jinni make her a tragic victim? Or did she simply have the misfortune of falling in love with a creature that never saw her or the world they shared the way Curdle did? How had Curdle not fallen into hatred like Tamal did? When they finally stopped for the night, at the call of the sinking sun and the darkening sky, Miria sifted through her wares for the small bit of cloth she presented Curdle in their dream meeting. She held the fabric in her hands, the last evidence of her compassion she had held towards someone she didn't understand, and spread it over the urn. That evening, she weaved until her fingers ached and it was a struggle just to stay awake, and she slept. Curdle did not touch her dreams, and she greeted the morning with a mild sense of disappointment. The day toiled on, Miria's focus occupied entirely on fighting with the rest of the caravan against a minor sand storm—weak enough for there to be no need to stop, strong enough to be a nuisance. The sleep she fell into that night was driven by exhaustion, leaving her no capacity to dream. Regret greeted her that following morning; she wanted to talk to Curdle again, if only to learn how his path differed from Tamal's. She wanted validation for being weak and foolish enough to help a jinni instead of refuse him, of accepting his presence instead of loathing him. By the time the caravan reached Hudris, days later, Miria had all but dropped her expectation for meeting the jinni, suspecting that if he did show again, it would be at Sherahd. She fell into routine that evening, prepping her wares for sale the next morning, settling Raha in the stall they'd both be sharing for a week, and making sure she would be presentable to the public. She fell asleep that night like any other, too worried and excited about the uncertainty of the next day to afford a thought to her jinni acquaintance. ~~~ Miria stepped through a spacious house, none she ever recognized, its clay walls and mish-mash of stone and wooden floors decorated in a humble Mediterranean style of dark and earthy tones, indicating sophisticated coziness and thoughtful class. Each room, Miria noticed, had so many windows, every one overlooking a cluster of palm trees or the rooftops of neighboring houses down a sloping hill or the spread of sand dunes in the distance. She felt strangely at home here, relaxed, even as she explored every room for the first time, and she wondered idly who this home belonged to. It did not cross her mind how crisp and vivid every detail of the house was, how rich the colors, how vibrant the sounds of birds chirping outside, her thoughts instead choosing to settle into this content feeling. How long had she felt so at ease?</s>
<\|description\|>Marian Anderson. Alias: None. Age: 24. Appearance: Faction: Civilian. Occupation: Court Stenographer. Bio: I was born and raised in Manhattan so it's no surprise that I'm as knowledgeable about the streets as any of the other law enforcers out there. The only problem is that my dad won't let me join the police force. 'It's too dangerous' he'd say, 'I don't want to see you die' he'd insist even though he allowed me to go through the academy; maybe in hopes that it would scare me away from the idea, but this valedictorian was far from scared. Though it seems like no one's righting the wrongs in the city; the only place he'd let me even get _close_ to any action is as a Court Stenographer, type type type, type and more type, is all I ever do and while I'm not allowed to talk about the things I learn while I'm typing away on the funny looking keyboard… I learn a lot about the city, its people and just how corrupt the, so called, 'ideals' are. If my mom was alive, she'd be very disappointed at the things my father's allowing this city, and it's people to get away with. Sure I enjoy the higher end of life and the finer things that come with it; fancy parties, big apartment flats and smoking hot cars. But knowing it comes from, well blood money, doesn't exactly make one feel nice. I will share with you a little information. Something that I know that most people don't… Robert Locksley is a pain in the a**. Whenever he was in court, it felt like he'd purposefully talk faster just to see if I could keep up, and smart too. I'd watch defense attorneys' knees buckle in fear when he'd enter the room. It's sad to see he's not practicing law anymore (don't ask me what happened, I don't know), but it's nice not to see his arrogant personality anymore. I have noticed an increase in homeless people lately, which is sad in its own right. So I've made it a point to try to give whatever spare change I have to someone who I pass. I do see one however, that seemed to be pretty mobile as I run into him in quite a few places, one of my favorites was I was coming out of the donut shop and he held out his cup and instead of asking for change he asked for a donut. I laughed so hard that I gave him half of mine. I think he knows my route though, because every day when I go in for work, he's begging by the courthouse so every day I drop off a donut to my beggar friend. It's not money but it's food right? Personality: Rather hard headed and diplomatically argumentative, it's not her way or the highway but she's not afraid to point out flaws and the negatives. Has a certain charm about her that helps her get what she wants and plays the innocent/dumb blonde card really well. All and all, she's a nice girl, just rough around the edges. Skills/abilities: ~A ridiculously fast typer, obviously because of her job. ~Memory based around vocabulary, either written or spoken; a photographic memory only for words if you will. ~Hand-to-Hand combat training thanks to the academy. ~Gun usage, prefers a hand-held pistol but for obvious reasons (thanks dad) it doesn't happen often. Family/Loves Ones: One father (Chief of Manhattan), mother's dead. Siblings? Possibly… Someone wanna play a brother who joins the Merry Men?! I think that would be fun! Maybe friends with one of the female merry men? They went to school together or something?! Other: Loves to gossip about the Merry Men and their actions with her friends outside of work. In work they'd get rather butt-hurt that their employees were happy with what the Merry Men were doing but it's about time there is some justice out there! And she never misses church and confession with Tryone Tuck.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley "You're crazy Rob! You can't just go back there!" "I gotta see our handy work! They'll never see me!" Silence, then a sigh. "One of these days you're going to meet your match, and I won't be there to save your ass." "Glad we're on the same page. I'll see you later." Robin Hood was dressed in a large coat, his uniform underneath... but if he was going to walk around the place he just robbed, he didn't want to walk around in a green hoodie. He smiled a bit as the police was surrounding the place, asking questions, and he saw Mister Taylor screaming at the top of his lungs. He guessed he found out that he just lost a lot of his money for a good cause. He then saw Marian, his heart melting a bit at the sight of her, but that soon changed when he saw that Edward was walking right with him. He wondered if he persisted he walk her home, or it was demanded by someone. Either way, he was going to follow right after them, but at a distance of course. He would take detours in alley ways, hide behind cars, doing things that wouldn't get him spotted. The more this Edward guy talked, the more angry he got. He didn't care one bit about her... She was obviously cold! then he got the idea. The only thing he took from Edward was his watch, he probably had a lot more goodies in his pockets... He decided to take the moment where Edward tied his shoe to get a head start on them... When they started walking again, he started walking towards them casually, walking in between the two, and after a second, he called out after them. "Excuse me! Sir!" Rob called out to them. they turned. "I think you dropped something!" Robin said, keeping his head down, but holding up the watch Robin stole earlier that night. Edward raised his eyebrows in suspicion, and then looked down at his wrist. "How did it...?" Robin walked forward. "It's a very nice watch, Mister Taylor. Have any more goodies?" he asked casually, and before he could reply, in his other hand a knife was pointed only at Edward. He wore his black handkerchief over his mouth, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "you're-You're Robin Hood!" He exclaimed. "Ah, glad to see the money your daddy put in your education paid off." Robin Hood said sarcastically. "Can you please empty out your pockets?" he glanced over at Marian, still shivering and giving him a weird look. Maybe she was connecting that Mister Smith and him were the same people. He gave a sigh and looked back at Edward. He picked up his wallet, pulling out the bills, and tossing the rest back on to the ground. He kept his silver lighter, his watch, and look at his phone. With a few presses of the buttons he shut the phone off, and handed it back to him. "You're such a gentlemen too, Eddy." Robin took off his coat, handing it to Marian with a nod. "A thicker jacket just for you." He turned his attention back to Edward. "Now, since you have no idea how to keep a conversation, haven't had the decency to give her your coat, and rambled on and on about your 'exciting life', I think its only fair that Miss Anderson decides who walks her home." Robin said glaring at him, but then looking at her softly. "Don't worry about hurting feelings here. We're big boys. We can take rejection." Rob had a twinkle in his eye as he said that, a grin formed behind his handkerchief.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. The more Edward attempted to talk to her, the further and further she looked away from him. Discomfort growing in her mind as she walked. It was becoming more and more apparent that attempting to talk to this self-centered man was non-existent. He was going on and on about how lucky she should consider herself for being able to walk home with him and how safe she must feel and how dangerous these streets are, blah blah blah. That was until a figure moved between them, Marian only thankful to have happen; it gave her a feeling of a 'break' from Edward before she was forced to listen to him talk again. That was… until a voice called out to them; causing the two to stop and turn around. The young man who came between them held up something that looked slightly familiar. Even Marian recognized the watch but when the man pulled out a knife, she held up her hands even though the knife was truly only gestured at Edward. Her toned curvy body gave a visible shiver in the dress she was wearing and goose bumps began to appear on her skin for two reasons; one was that the Taylors had a valid point; she did come from a rich background so he'd have no reason not to target her. And two, she was cold! "Listen Robin Hood." Edward said, his voice cracking in a small amount of fright as he attempted to keep his arm between Robin and Marian. "Just take whatever you want but leave us alone." His voice tried to sound sharp and stern, like he somehow had the upper-hand of the situation but everyone who's been around the block when it comes to the lawyer situation knew that this was one of those 'full of it' speeches. "There's no reason for violence, we've done nothing wrong and I just want to make sure my girlfriend gets home safe…" "Girlfriend?!" Marian jumped in questioningly only to get a stern look of 'shut up' that caused her to open mouth in response before Robin Hood spoke up about Edward being such a gentleman. Her blue gaze shot to the young man in front of them and stared rather blankly at the coat he was handing her. "R…really?" She asked in surprise because she was more than prepared to throw her purse at his feet, instead he was giving her his jacket to stay warm. Taking it from him in surprise, she threw it over her shoulders and stuck her bare arms into the sleeves. It was toast warm, as if he had been wearing it for quite a while and the smell of the cologne on it was almost intoxicating. In fact, she was so lost in the warmth and comforting smell that she didn't realize that she was getting spoken to. She had put two and two together by now that John Smith was actually Robin Hood standing in front of her. But she wasn't going to argue with that and she surely wasn't going to admit that she knew Robin Hood was in the party before everything went crazy. She didn't say anything, she merely walked to Robin's side before giving him a small head gesture to continue on her walk; obviously choosing him to walk her home instead of Edward. Did she do it out of fear? Fear because he might hurt her or Edward if she didn't… or did she do it for some other reason? "Don't worry Marian!" Edward called out as the two began to walk off… not wanting to reveal what he had in mind as he attempted to get his phone to turn back on. As much as he thought he was being sneaky, he was obviously going to get a hold of the police (or run back to the office) and send them after Robin Hood who was 'kidnapping' Marian Anderson, the daughter of the Chief of Police. Why would she choose to be with Robin Hood instead of Edward Taylor? Because she feared for her life and his and thought the best way to save them was to follow the crazy man's will. "You're either really brave or really stupid to show back up around here when the whole police station is crawling around." She said in a playful lecturing tone. "Thank you for the jacket… and the dance. Though it's disappointing that your body guard interrupted us…" When would she ever have time to make small talk with the mastermind 'criminal' of the city? It's now or never.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robin shrugged at Edward when Marian walked over to him, and he started to walk the way Edward and Marian were going. He heard the shouts of Edward, but he really didn't care. It would be a couple more minutes before he could get his phone on, but seeing as how he is the son of the man who had just been robbed, it wouldn't take long for them to get to Marian's house once they do talk. Robin stayed close to her, but not being creepy and holding on to her. He grinned and shrugged at her first comment. "I could very well be both Miss. Depends on what you think of me robbing from the rich and giving to the poor." He said simply. And when she thanked him for the other things, he looked over at her and nodded. "Ah, well... If it makes you feel any better, I really wanted to finish that dance." Robin said quietly. "But we had a job to do... A lot of money will be donated to a lot of places thanks to Jason Taylor's generous donations..." He looked at her again. "Just to ease your mind, I have no intention of robbing you. I've heard about your good deeds in donating, or helping out with what you can... Although if you could get your dad to ease off a bit on my case..." He said in a joking matter, he didn't expect her dad to do anything like that. Especially when he finds out he walked her home. They walked in almost complete silence, but they both asked the occasional question. When she finally lead them to her house, he took a look around, and then back at her. "So, before I have to run away from the police coming to your house right now, you have any questions for me? and yes, you can keep the coat." He didn't know the next time he'd be able to have a private conversation with her, and her standing there looking stunning, he wanted to talk to her as much as he could before he had to run.</s>	<\|message\|>Marian Anderson. The walk was nice, and she was surprisingly warm thanks to his jacket. Isn't is funny how some people are so self-absorbed that they can't see that people need help; but others go out of way to help those in need. Robin noticed she was in need of a jacket and gave her one while her own 'walking home' buddy ignored her obvious signs of discomfort and would have rather let her shake then to help keep her warm. Unlike someone who claimed to have feelings for her. Maybe he did but he didn't know how to show it… but, as much as Marian would love to attempt to give him the benefit of the doubt, the side he was showing her was something she did not enjoy. It's funny that the most gentlemanly gesture she had received in a while was from a man that her father was desperately hunting for. His statement of wanting to finish their dance too just made her grin up at him. Beaming in a moment of excitement at it! It's not every often you get a chance to impress someone like Robin Hood but here she was, impressing him and making him wish that they could have finished the dance. When he mentioned that he wasn't going to rob her she nodded, turning her attention forward as they continued to walk. "We're not all bad people sir. And I'm glad you're recognizing that." She said simply with a small nod. The arrived to her door too soon for her liking but she stuck her key in and unlatched it to go into her large apartment flat. Turning around, she leaned against the door and listened to him ask her if she had any questions for him. Of course she did! She had a million questions but she had something more important on her mind. "I have an idea that might give you a little break from my dad. It would require showing a side of you most people don't see…" She bit her bottom lip a tiny bit before letting it go. "I think you should mail the watch to my father's office at the police department. With a note attached saying that you understand how precious family treasures can be. Edward got that watch from his grandfather. His grandfather skipped over his father on his death bed to make sure his grandson had something to remember him by. It was a horrible loss and something that really hurt him. And still hurts him to this day." A shrug lifted and fell her small shoulders as whistles were heard coming. "Thank you for the jacket Robin Hood. But please consider that." She gave him a gentle smile and as she opened her door to step inside she turned to him. "Maybe I'll see you around?" With that and a wink she walked inside and shut the door.</s>
<\|description\|>Marian Anderson. Alias: None. Age: 24. Appearance: Faction: Civilian. Occupation: Court Stenographer. Bio: I was born and raised in Manhattan so it's no surprise that I'm as knowledgeable about the streets as any of the other law enforcers out there. The only problem is that my dad won't let me join the police force. 'It's too dangerous' he'd say, 'I don't want to see you die' he'd insist even though he allowed me to go through the academy; maybe in hopes that it would scare me away from the idea, but this valedictorian was far from scared. Though it seems like no one's righting the wrongs in the city; the only place he'd let me even get _close_ to any action is as a Court Stenographer, type type type, type and more type, is all I ever do and while I'm not allowed to talk about the things I learn while I'm typing away on the funny looking keyboard… I learn a lot about the city, its people and just how corrupt the, so called, 'ideals' are. If my mom was alive, she'd be very disappointed at the things my father's allowing this city, and it's people to get away with. Sure I enjoy the higher end of life and the finer things that come with it; fancy parties, big apartment flats and smoking hot cars. But knowing it comes from, well blood money, doesn't exactly make one feel nice. I will share with you a little information. Something that I know that most people don't… Robert Locksley is a pain in the a**. Whenever he was in court, it felt like he'd purposefully talk faster just to see if I could keep up, and smart too. I'd watch defense attorneys' knees buckle in fear when he'd enter the room. It's sad to see he's not practicing law anymore (don't ask me what happened, I don't know), but it's nice not to see his arrogant personality anymore. I have noticed an increase in homeless people lately, which is sad in its own right. So I've made it a point to try to give whatever spare change I have to someone who I pass. I do see one however, that seemed to be pretty mobile as I run into him in quite a few places, one of my favorites was I was coming out of the donut shop and he held out his cup and instead of asking for change he asked for a donut. I laughed so hard that I gave him half of mine. I think he knows my route though, because every day when I go in for work, he's begging by the courthouse so every day I drop off a donut to my beggar friend. It's not money but it's food right? Personality: Rather hard headed and diplomatically argumentative, it's not her way or the highway but she's not afraid to point out flaws and the negatives. Has a certain charm about her that helps her get what she wants and plays the innocent/dumb blonde card really well. All and all, she's a nice girl, just rough around the edges. Skills/abilities: ~A ridiculously fast typer, obviously because of her job. ~Memory based around vocabulary, either written or spoken; a photographic memory only for words if you will. ~Hand-to-Hand combat training thanks to the academy. ~Gun usage, prefers a hand-held pistol but for obvious reasons (thanks dad) it doesn't happen often. Family/Loves Ones: One father (Chief of Manhattan), mother's dead. Siblings? Possibly… Someone wanna play a brother who joins the Merry Men?! I think that would be fun! Maybe friends with one of the female merry men? They went to school together or something?! Other: Loves to gossip about the Merry Men and their actions with her friends outside of work. In work they'd get rather butt-hurt that their employees were happy with what the Merry Men were doing but it's about time there is some justice out there! And she never misses church and confession with Tryone Tuck.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robert was enjoying himself. Marian was on his arm, they were getting glances from people, some clearly not that happy to see this sight. He didn't know if it was because they were jealous, or just didn't like him. He didn't really care right now. She looked behind her to see what Edward was doing, and Robert tried to find a table for the two of them. She apologized, and Robert shook his head and smiled. "Don't worry. It's not my first time helping a girl in need." He approved of that little hidden reference, but then also realized that that could have been taken a completely different way, which he didn't want. He sat down with his plate of... nothing. She caught him offguard so he didn't have time to get food. But he looked at her and gave her a genuine smile, although it would pass as a fake one in a time like this. "I think I can handle him. Hides behind his dad's wallet, doesn't really show respect of personal space, or act like a gentleman when it matters most." Robert said, glancing over at him and giving him a small smirk and nod. He looked back over at Marian. "Although I'm one to talk, right? I didn't really leave a nice impression when I... had to leave. I hope you don't think i'm anything like Eddy over there. Because I'm not." He didn't know if his words would mean anything to her, but it was probably the only time they'll get to talk any time soon with him getting his career back, and his late nights of being Robin Hood. "I'll save you the trouble of leaving though. You're the one with the food." He pretended his phone was ringing, pulling out of his pocket, looking at it, then looking back at Marian. He stood up, walking over to her side of the table, and leaning down to give a convincing kiss on the cheek. His lips didn't touch her skin, although he wanted very badly to. "It really is good to see you again, Marian." Robert said before standing back up, walking towards the door, and pretending to talk on the phone. Going back to work on an empty stomach, Robert spent most of the day looking at the files, doing his best to hide the fact that he was also looking for the people connected to ruining his career. It was a long process, and he clearly didn't have all the available access to the files... He was going to have to give them something on Robin Hood. To gain their trust, and get more clearance. It was risky, it could get Robin and his followers some more heat for a very little bit, but in the end the city will be safe.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Marian settled down across from him and looked down at his plate compared to hers. Well, she really caught him off guard didn't she? When he said he could handle him, she tilted her head slightly. Really? Was he really willing to face Edward; even Robert couldn't be that arrogant… or maybe it wasn't arrogance, maybe it was standing up for what he was feeling could be right. Maybe… maybe. Upon his mention of being the one to talk, she did a head bob in slight agreement. He was a jerk, there was no doubt about that but he seemed to almost be… well sorry. Her gaze moved from her plate to him when he said he wasn't like Edward and said it with a force of meaning which caused her to raise her eyebrows at him. Her eyebrows dropped slightly as he said that he would leave instead of her. Was he serious? Had he actually changed… "Okay…" She said softly in a small bit of a surprise. As he came to her side of the table and leaned down, she wasn't sure what was happening and nearly froze in her seat, his hot breath so close to her cheek that she felt her face flush completely red and held onto her breath. As he talked to her against her ear she felt her body shiver and she pressed her lips together firmly, doing her best not to make a weird noise or jerk at the sudden feeling of his hot breath against her soft skin. When he finally left she let out her breath she had been holding. Holy crap that was a lot in a small amount of time. She shivered in her seat. It had been a long time since someone had been that close to her that wasn't the creepy individual that was Edward Taylor. Most men wouldn't come near her, thinking she belonged to Edward, like she was stamped as his property which was far from the truth. It took a while for her to finish her meal… Robert was the man to give her some form of attention aside from Edward and it was surprising… okay, maybe there was one other guy; Robin Hood. When Marian finished eating she snooped around a little more, discovering nothing new and that no one had any information about why Robert was brought back, but she did find him in his old office going through files and clicking through a computer. He was so focused he probably didn't notice the blonde walking by… but he did notice a knock on his door. "Mister Locksley. I have a pizza delivery for you." The young man in the pizza shirt placed a small pepperoni pizza on the table and waved his hand. "Someone paid for it already. They said you didn't eat and should have some food. It was pre-paid. Have a good day." With that the young pizza guy left. Marian sat at her desk watching the young pizza man come by the window looking into her office. He stopped at her door and she got up, walking to him to sign the slip and give him a cash tip. "Thank you." She said with a smile, "Have a great day." She said with a grin as he left and she went back to her desk. Time rolled by and the end of the day seemed like it was taking forever. The blonde ran her fingers through her hair as she reached forward and checked her phone to see that her father had texted her to check on her. With that she answered him back, letting him know that she was okay and she stayed in for lunch but if she wanted to go out for dinner he'd just have to deal with it. He wasn't happy about it but he did agree that he couldn't keep his daughter on lock-down.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robert kept going through files, searching things up about familiar names of CEO's or people high up in politics. His jacket was off, his tie a bit loose, and his sleeves rolled up as he glared at the screen or files. He never realized how hungry he was until he looked up and smelled the pizza the man in his office was holding. He explained how he knew he didn't eat today, and his eyebrows were raised in confusion. Who would buy him a pizza? His first day back, and people were too surprised to talk to him, or even know that very little known fact. Then it occurred to him that it could be courtesy of the beautiful blonde he was in love with, and he gave a smile. "Thank you very much... But, here's a tip." Robert pulled out a twenty dollar bill and handed it to him, which he eager accepted. Once he left, Robert consumed a lot of pizza in a short time, and continuing his work but thinking about the kind act that Marian did for him... Maybe he should do the same for her... In a sneaky, charming little way. Maybe he could get that official unofficial date with her after all tonight. --------- Later that night Robert was back in his apartment, his laptop and files now here as well. He also had one of the members of the Merry Men with her. Gwen Hathaway sat behind her laptop on his couch. "You sure you want to do this? I mean, its romantic-- but in a very creepy way." She called out to him. Robert was in his bedroom trying to pick out something casual, but nice. "I'm positive! Just hack the computer, and find that 'Robin Hood' and 'Steelport Seaside Bar and Grill' happen to have something in common." Hopefully she would be curious enough to go there, and when Robin Hood doesn't show up, Robert will be there, and they will start talking, and she will get to see the new and improved Robert! Well, that was the plan at least. He hoped she wasn't still too mad or thought badly of Robert because of his past... he couldn't blame her though. "Alright.... And, it begins." She said as she started hacking in the computer of Marian Anderson.</s>	<\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Marian's day went by rather fast which was a blessing in itself. A long sigh left her as she walked through her house, a smile dancing along her face as she did so. The last time she was 'walked home' was by Robin Hood and as you can imagine, that thought was still on her mind. Body draped in a robe, she left her laptop open doing her own personal research on whom Robin Hood was. As much as she'd like to think that she was making a breakthrough when it came to figuring out exactly who he was… she wasn't. Humming to herself, she skipped through her house making herself some tea. While she was gone, Gwen patched into Marian's computer. "It looks like we're in luck. She's been researching already." With that she typed a few things and opened up a pre-created webpage on Marian's computer. Gwen's timing was perfect, considering the blonde had just returned to her computer to see a webpage she didn't think she had opened. Moving the mouse along the website, there was information she didn't know that someone had found out about Robin Hood. In worry someone, like her father's men, might attempt to look through her computer history in order to use what information she might find in their own personal way to find Robin Hood. She scribbled down the address of the restaurant and decided to go during the evening when all the 'rich' people are out and about. Maybe he'll be there… "There was a long amount of hesitation than she erased her history and closed the website. I think you're good to go Robert but… it's still kinda creepy." 7pm rolled around, the time when business people were out hunting for others to take home and… well that's not the reason the blonde was walking into the restaurant but she did hope she might run into the vigilante himself . Marian dressed herself in her favorite strapless wrapped white dress and heels. Upon her entrance, she was greeted by the host. "Hello miss, table for one?" "Oh actually I was just going to take a seat bar." She said politely giving a gentle jester towards the bar. How would she know it was Robin Hood? Granted he probably would recognize her and maybe… maybe even talk to her! But all she could do was hope right now. Marian took a seat at the bar, no purse this time, keeping everything in a small pocket against the dress to keep things safe and now, all she could do was wait… wait and order a martini. Why? She's at a bar, why not!</s>
<\|description\|>Marian Anderson. Alias: None. Age: 24. Appearance: Faction: Civilian. Occupation: Court Stenographer. Bio: I was born and raised in Manhattan so it's no surprise that I'm as knowledgeable about the streets as any of the other law enforcers out there. The only problem is that my dad won't let me join the police force. 'It's too dangerous' he'd say, 'I don't want to see you die' he'd insist even though he allowed me to go through the academy; maybe in hopes that it would scare me away from the idea, but this valedictorian was far from scared. Though it seems like no one's righting the wrongs in the city; the only place he'd let me even get _close_ to any action is as a Court Stenographer, type type type, type and more type, is all I ever do and while I'm not allowed to talk about the things I learn while I'm typing away on the funny looking keyboard… I learn a lot about the city, its people and just how corrupt the, so called, 'ideals' are. If my mom was alive, she'd be very disappointed at the things my father's allowing this city, and it's people to get away with. Sure I enjoy the higher end of life and the finer things that come with it; fancy parties, big apartment flats and smoking hot cars. But knowing it comes from, well blood money, doesn't exactly make one feel nice. I will share with you a little information. Something that I know that most people don't… Robert Locksley is a pain in the a**. Whenever he was in court, it felt like he'd purposefully talk faster just to see if I could keep up, and smart too. I'd watch defense attorneys' knees buckle in fear when he'd enter the room. It's sad to see he's not practicing law anymore (don't ask me what happened, I don't know), but it's nice not to see his arrogant personality anymore. I have noticed an increase in homeless people lately, which is sad in its own right. So I've made it a point to try to give whatever spare change I have to someone who I pass. I do see one however, that seemed to be pretty mobile as I run into him in quite a few places, one of my favorites was I was coming out of the donut shop and he held out his cup and instead of asking for change he asked for a donut. I laughed so hard that I gave him half of mine. I think he knows my route though, because every day when I go in for work, he's begging by the courthouse so every day I drop off a donut to my beggar friend. It's not money but it's food right? Personality: Rather hard headed and diplomatically argumentative, it's not her way or the highway but she's not afraid to point out flaws and the negatives. Has a certain charm about her that helps her get what she wants and plays the innocent/dumb blonde card really well. All and all, she's a nice girl, just rough around the edges. Skills/abilities: ~A ridiculously fast typer, obviously because of her job. ~Memory based around vocabulary, either written or spoken; a photographic memory only for words if you will. ~Hand-to-Hand combat training thanks to the academy. ~Gun usage, prefers a hand-held pistol but for obvious reasons (thanks dad) it doesn't happen often. Family/Loves Ones: One father (Chief of Manhattan), mother's dead. Siblings? Possibly… Someone wanna play a brother who joins the Merry Men?! I think that would be fun! Maybe friends with one of the female merry men? They went to school together or something?! Other: Loves to gossip about the Merry Men and their actions with her friends outside of work. In work they'd get rather butt-hurt that their employees were happy with what the Merry Men were doing but it's about time there is some justice out there! And she never misses church and confession with Tryone Tuck.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robin listened to her story as they sat down on the bench, he pretending to sit there and listen to the world around him when in reality he was listening to something that rather surprised Robin. She started to talk about how she could help him out, get information that could help him, and he couldn't help but smirk at the thought. Little did she know that he already had someone extracting files for him, and that someone was Robin himself! And then he smiled a bit wider in response to her saying how amazing of a lawyer Robert was. She really thought that, eh? Robin thought about it for a second. He really didn't need her help. Not because he didn't want it, or didn't believe what she said, but it was a combination of him already providing what she was offering... and that the love of his life was risking her reputation to help out a man she idolized for his deeds... And then there was the fact that if he said yes, Little John would beat him senseless for letting his emotions get involved and start complications with his cover in the law firm. Robin tapped his cane gently as he thought. "Your offer is... complicated." Robin said with a small laugh, glancing over at her with his glasses on, then moved his gaze to still act like he was blind. "Believe it or not, I already have a mole in the justice system." He didn't dare say if it was a lawyer, a secretary, or even a janitor. "And they are doing very well at being the last person you would suspect in helping me. I have no doubt that you could be helpful for us, I just really recommend taking my advice from yesterday and forgetting about me. I do enjoy our chats, and being able to see your face, but you don't know what's behind this disguise. No one has seen Robin Hood's face. You don't know if i'm an angel, or demon. Everyone who helps me has to play this game. "Do I trust this man to do the right thing, even if I have never really met him... Or are the tabloids true? Am I really a criminal... Are you willing to gamble on that?"</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Everything's complicated. 'Complicated' was a word that Marian couldn't stand. Her father used that as an excuse a lot in order to get her to avoid topics he didn't want to talk about. Especially when it came to her joining the force; 'You can't join it's complicated.', 'We'll talk about it later but it's rather complicated.', 'This case is too complicated to talk about.' Everything was 'complicated' but could be easily fixed if someone who just take the time to explain. The plain truth is, people just don't want to tell her things for this or that reason, and that was something she didn't enjoy… at all. Robin did pose an interesting question. Was he a criminal or was he a saint? Was he what the tabloids made him out to be or was he something outlandish and dangerous? Was he an angel or a demon? Her hand reached up, her soft palm resting gently against his far cheek as she turned his head to look at her. Leaning in to close the gap almost forehead to forehead, she spoke softly. "You are a man doing what is needed in society to right the wrongs of the rich and helping the poor. Justice is served more ways than one and this is something that is needed at this point. Am I willing to take that gamble? If it's to better the lives of people then yes, and hopefully, through your actions; the rest will realize what they are doing is wrong and follow suite to treat others better." A small smirk curled her full lips, "Besides, you can't be all bad; you lent a freezing girl your jacket, which I will return to you by the way, when other people wouldn't even lift a finger. Gentleman actions from someone who isn't supposed to be a gentleman just shows how wrong society is." She slowly dropped her hand from his face, her fingertips dancing along his cheek before falling off. Her smirked curled into a smile as she pulled herself back upright and turned to look straight ahead leaning back against the bench once again. "So yes, I am willing to gamble on that. The real question is, will I get a seat at the table to play?"</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robin's heart almost jumped out of his chest when she got so close to him. Behind the sunglasses he stared in to her eyes, and it took a lot to not lean any closer to her... For many reasons. Most importantly was that he was dressed as an older blind man, and she had absolutely no idea what he truly looked like. But her words were challenging, daring him to say yes... And yeah, he liked that. When asked the question of if she had a seat at the table, Robin only grinned, and tapped his cane lightly. "This game is dangerous, Marian. Not only because you don't know if you can trust me, but because a lot of people would do anything for money... Even my own team. And that terrifies me... But like you, I'm taking a leap of faith. Welcome to the Merry Men. You're first game is against Mister Guy Gibson. Get to know anything you can on the guy, but don't go to extremes. We need to know how he ticks. And since you already have my number, there's no need for us to flirt. I'll be around." The older man stood up, and started to tap his cane around and walk, but then he stopped. "Oh, and keep the coat. It looks good on you." He gave a grin, and lifted his glasses for a small wink and bow before walking in to the large crowd of New York, curious to see how this plays out.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. When he said 'welcome to the Merry Men' she couldn't help but smirk slightly in victory. She finally got what she wanted and what's even more humorous is that her father gave up his chance to have her on his crew and now the 'enemy' was the one she was going to work for. Her grin moved through her as her attention turned to the 'old man' getting up. She nodded gently to him before sitting back with a smile watching him walk away with a gentle wave to him. So she had mission, and her mission was to get to know Guy Gibson a little better… huh, that doesn't exactly seem like a bad mission. The following work day brought a new pep in Marian's step. She had Robin Hood's number and was now a Merry Men! How many people could say that?! Well… she wasn't sure of the exact count but hey, there was at least one! She moved her way through the crowded streets and up the courthouse steps. "Good morning." She said with a cheery voice to the secretary who seemed to wave at her in a slight confusion as the blonde nearly skipped into her office. This was an interesting morning and should lead to an interesting day; draping her small jacket over the back of her chair, she sat down at her desk and opened her emails. Upon finding none new or important in her inbox before opening a new email; she began to write out a message to see if Guy would like to join her for lunch this afternoon. Much to her surprise, he responded rather swiftly and proceeded to take her up on the invite. Smiling, she sat back in her chair, her hands placed gently upon the arm rests of the chair and rocked gently back and forth. Today… today was going to be a good day.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robin walked in to the office shortly after Marian arrived. He was sure that Cassie was already walking around New York trying to find more on Robin Hood. He had to constantly change the subject when they spent time with each other yesterday after Robin's talk with Marian, and he had a feeling he would try and talk more to her about this stuff if Robert wasn't going to spill anything. the last thing he needed was Cassie trying to join the Merry Men. He had a coffee and doughnut in his hand. He made his way to Marian's office, giving a light tap on the door frame, holding out the coffee and doughnut. "Hey, Chief. I felt bad for taking your food the other day, thought I'd return the favor." Robert said, placing the items on the table, glancing over at who she was emailing, then frowning a bit (for dramatic effect). "Getting to know the new guy? Well, he's better than Eddy I'll give you that." Robert said jokingly with a grin, then walking towards the door. "I got a court date to go to today, apparently a lot of people want to see a Locksley back in his natural habitat." Robert said, looking back towards her. "You gonna be the stenographer, just watch the show, or have seen enough of my cases to even show?" He asked, curious on whether or not she would be too focused on the job he gave her with Gibson, that she would do her own job, or even see the little show Robert had in store for this case. A woman was being charged of stealing from a wealthy man's house. It was refreshing to get away from the Robin Hood case. For the past few days he's been looking at those files, but also the accused stealing case. To say the very least, he was excited.</s>	<\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Marian's blue eyes rolled up to see Robert walking into her office holding a cup of coffee and a small bag. She gave him a confused looked as he held out the products and walked inside. Oh, oh that makes sense. Her confused look turned into a grateful smile as he placed the things down onto her desk. At his response to seeing her email to guy, she laughed softly. "He made mention to wanting to try some places around New York for lunch. Who better to show him around then me? Someone who will pretty much eat anything!" She gave a small laugh as he turned around, she tilted her head to one side and couldn't help but ask, "Do I hear a hint of jealousy in your voice Locksley? The lack of a 'not date' getting to you?" Her voice was completely teasing and her tongue-in-cheek attitude to show she was just kidding. When asked about if she was going to be the stenographer for his case she gave a small shrug. "I might, I might not be. I guess we'll have to wait and see." She said playfully as she picked up the coffee and brought it to her lips. "Assuming you have changed like you said, it might be enjoyable for me to do my job while you work instead of how it used to be." It would take her a long time to accept the fact that she was going to have to work on Robert's case but she'd muscle through her dislike of him and just type away, ignoring his actions and not really retaining any of his comments. But hey, if he's changed then maybe she could handle it. The eleven o'clock trail was about to begin and Marian took her seat on the Judge's left and popped her fingers, ready to document the whole conversation and put on her 'game face' to show no emotion to what was said; and that, my dear friends, is the hardest part of her job.</s>
<\|description\|>Marian Anderson. Alias: None. Age: 24. Appearance: Faction: Civilian. Occupation: Court Stenographer. Bio: I was born and raised in Manhattan so it's no surprise that I'm as knowledgeable about the streets as any of the other law enforcers out there. The only problem is that my dad won't let me join the police force. 'It's too dangerous' he'd say, 'I don't want to see you die' he'd insist even though he allowed me to go through the academy; maybe in hopes that it would scare me away from the idea, but this valedictorian was far from scared. Though it seems like no one's righting the wrongs in the city; the only place he'd let me even get _close_ to any action is as a Court Stenographer, type type type, type and more type, is all I ever do and while I'm not allowed to talk about the things I learn while I'm typing away on the funny looking keyboard… I learn a lot about the city, its people and just how corrupt the, so called, 'ideals' are. If my mom was alive, she'd be very disappointed at the things my father's allowing this city, and it's people to get away with. Sure I enjoy the higher end of life and the finer things that come with it; fancy parties, big apartment flats and smoking hot cars. But knowing it comes from, well blood money, doesn't exactly make one feel nice. I will share with you a little information. Something that I know that most people don't… Robert Locksley is a pain in the a**. Whenever he was in court, it felt like he'd purposefully talk faster just to see if I could keep up, and smart too. I'd watch defense attorneys' knees buckle in fear when he'd enter the room. It's sad to see he's not practicing law anymore (don't ask me what happened, I don't know), but it's nice not to see his arrogant personality anymore. I have noticed an increase in homeless people lately, which is sad in its own right. So I've made it a point to try to give whatever spare change I have to someone who I pass. I do see one however, that seemed to be pretty mobile as I run into him in quite a few places, one of my favorites was I was coming out of the donut shop and he held out his cup and instead of asking for change he asked for a donut. I laughed so hard that I gave him half of mine. I think he knows my route though, because every day when I go in for work, he's begging by the courthouse so every day I drop off a donut to my beggar friend. It's not money but it's food right? Personality: Rather hard headed and diplomatically argumentative, it's not her way or the highway but she's not afraid to point out flaws and the negatives. Has a certain charm about her that helps her get what she wants and plays the innocent/dumb blonde card really well. All and all, she's a nice girl, just rough around the edges. Skills/abilities: ~A ridiculously fast typer, obviously because of her job. ~Memory based around vocabulary, either written or spoken; a photographic memory only for words if you will. ~Hand-to-Hand combat training thanks to the academy. ~Gun usage, prefers a hand-held pistol but for obvious reasons (thanks dad) it doesn't happen often. Family/Loves Ones: One father (Chief of Manhattan), mother's dead. Siblings? Possibly… Someone wanna play a brother who joins the Merry Men?! I think that would be fun! Maybe friends with one of the female merry men? They went to school together or something?! Other: Loves to gossip about the Merry Men and their actions with her friends outside of work. In work they'd get rather butt-hurt that their employees were happy with what the Merry Men were doing but it's about time there is some justice out there! And she never misses church and confession with Tryone Tuck.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Stupid, stupid-stupid, STUPID!! Marian was kicking herself mentally as she stared out at the open field. What would it matter if Guy saw them here? Would it really matter if Robin happened to be watching TV and saw them there? Could he really go against her idea of getting closer to Robert to figure out what he would know about the Merry Men? It was dangerous to think that they might be getting close to figuring out Robin's identity. Maybe… maybe the kiss was a good thing. Maybe Guy did see it; if he did it might just throw a wrench in Guy's trust to Robert and that could cause some issues between the two. Some perfectly timed issues when they really needed to focus. Marian finished the cotton candy from her hand and picked up her beer, taking a long drink to boost her confidence to sit next to Robert for the rest of the game. What was she thinking?! Why did she do it?! And more importantly, why is her stomach in knots? Why his her heart slowing down to the point of nearly stopping? Why did she feel light-headed, in a daze and… and---and wanting to kiss him again!? His voice pulled her back to reality as she downed her beer and placed the empty cup in the cup holder to the side opposite him. Pressing her full lips together she thought about her question for him. She should probably ask how much they've learned about Robin Hood so far, this would be the perfect time to ask, no one's really around and, if he's going by honest grade school rules, he'd have to tell the truth. "Did I just ruin our 'not-date' by doing what a giant TV screen told me to do?" Wait… that wasn't the question she meant to ask! Apparently her slow beating heart and light-headedness had a mind of their own as her blue eyes flicked back to him awaiting an answer.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robert wasn't expecting her question to be... well, genuine. Robert himself was still light headed from the kiss, and to be honest, he didn't really know. There was no doubt that he loved the experience he just had with her, he would do it again and again if he could... But he wanted it to be genuine. He didn't want her to kiss him because of what a giant screen told her what to do, or take her places he knows she'd like... He wanted her to like him, and he knew that that was a very wishful thinking. After all he's done to her in the past, he wouldn't blame her. After a few seconds of thinking about a right answer, he gave a faint smile, and shook his head. "Look, I know you haven't gone to any ballpark games, but its considered bad luck to not obey the Giant Television of Fate. It brings bad luck to your team." His voice was back to its playful self, but his heart was still pounding, and it was very tempting to kiss her again. He didn't want to leave the game soon because of that kiss, he was enjoying himself and he prayed that Marian was too... And he also prayed that the Governor wouldn't glance in his wallet to find his cards and cash missing. "So no, I don't think you ruined the 'not-date' just let me know when you're about to kiss me again so I can at least get my good side on the camera." He hoped his joke and smile assured her that everything was alright between the two.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Marian's whole body was unnaturally tense. What was with her? Why was this a sudden problem?! She could feel her nails dig into the denim of her pants and her shoulders tighten as she moved her attention back to the field. Breathe… breathe… She had to remind herself over and over again as she listened for his response. His mention that it would be bad luck if she didn't obey the giant screen sent a wave of relaxation through her body and the tense feeling melted away. Oh thank goodness. Her body nearly slumped back into the seat when he said about making sure camera got his good side. Chuckling softly she gave him a nod, finally looking back at him. "Fair enough." Before the conversation could continue the announcer said the game was about to return to play. Marian's stress had melted away as quickly as it came and the blonde soon was energetic and bouncy as they watched the game together. Screaming, cheering at the top of her lungs with the rest of the crowd she joined in the mockery of the umpire, making faces at the other team in an attempt to distract them and all the other good things that happened the game. A few home runs went flying out in the opposite direction and soon one came flying their way. "Oh. Oh, oh!" Marian explained as the ball came their direction, "Oh it's too high!" She said in an explanation as the ball came hurling in their direction. "Drat I'll never be able to reach it!" She yelled over the excited crowd. Oh well, at least she was having a great time!</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley For someone who has never been to a game, Robert thought, Marian sure knew how to fit in with the crowd! She was a natural, and beautiful as she cheered, moaned after a bad call, leapt out of her seat in joy, and laughing together as they both took turns shouting insults to the opposing batter up on the plate. He wondered if the Governor would look into his wallet and find the note early, and end the game early because of "security." He wondered if this would be enough for Little John to get off his back. He wondered if Marian was having a great time with someone she once couldn't stand. The only way this game would be perfect is if-- The crowd started to go crazy as a ball came flying into the stands, directly towards them. Marian commented on how they wouldn't be able to catch it, but Robert's green eyes stared intensely at the ball, he got out his glove, got out of his seat, and without looking away, leapt into the aisle, and started to run up the stairs, trying to predict where the ball was going. He accidentally knocked over a popcorn vendor, and slid through a couple walking back to their seats. He got to the top of the stairs, and saw the ball was going to the next level of seats above... No! It was falling just below that! The ball was going to hit the concrete wall that served as the barrier for the upper stands. Robert wasn't really thinking. He spent a lot of years learning small skills to navigate the busy New York Streets. He ran towards the nearest column, jumping up, bent his leg on the concrete, then kicked off, his arm fully extended as he reached for the ball! He landed with a small roll, but made contact with another column as he hit the ground. Dazed, he looked around to hear cheering from everywhere. He looked down to see the ball in his glove. He gave a large grin, his eyes blurry from hitting his head, but glad that he was able to catch it. It was a great gift for Marian. Hopefully the little stunt he pulled didn't look too impressive. It wasn't a huge jump, just a simple trick.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. "Robert? Robert!?" She called out as he suddenly left his seat in a sprint. Unlike him, she had a difficult time getting out of the crowd to chase after at him. Her eyes never left him as he ran. He seemed so focus, so intense and driven to catch that ball. Can Robert Locksley actually focus on something so intensely? That's bazaar. Pushing her way through the people on the stairs she tried to be as polite as possible, 'Excuse me', 'Coming through' and 'Pardon me' were the phrases that left her. By the time she reached the level he was on, she stopped in mid step to see him do his leap and catch the ball. Her jaw dropped open as he rolled onto the ground but when he hit the pillar she flinched. Dashing to him, she dropped to her knees and slowly helped him sit upright. "Robert, Robert are you okay? That was amazing! How did you do that?! Robert… can you hear me?" "And that folks!" The announcer said as the camera landed on the two of them, "Is how you impress a lady!" To that the crowd exploded in cheers.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley The ringing in his ears kept going, but he could hear the applause coming from the stadium. He put one of his hands to his head, scratching it a bit as his vision focused on the blonde haired beauty looking at him in concern. He didn't respond to her questions (Mostly because he didn't hear them). He simply lifted his hand with the baseball in it, and smiled. "what? no, I'm fine... I got this for you." He said with a bit of a slur. Robert was feeling close to normal again as he was helped onto his feet. He had an arm around Marian for support, and he couldn't be happier. The look on her face was priceless as she held the ball. "Don't get any ideas, by the way." He said in her ear as they walked down the stairs back to their seats. "I got the ball for you, but I only expect a goodnight kiss for all of it." His voice was sarcastic, he managed to catch a glimpse of her before looking away with a big stupid grin on his face. There wasn't much more of the game left, New York was leading, and the Governor still didn't seem to notice his missing items.</s>	<\|message\|>Marian Anderson. The look on her face was, in fact, priceless as he dropped the ball in her hand. Was he kidding? He had to be kidding! Her blue eyes were wide and she stared at the ball, than at him in shock. The crowd around them erupted with joy as he placed the ball in her hand and her face turned bright red; what a day this was! The game ended, of course, the Yankees won and had each and occupied the whole game, one was holding the ball and the other was holding Robert's hand. She couldn't believe it and the stupid grin on her face said just that! When they arrived at her home at the end of the night there was no doubt that they had had a good time. Marian had bid him good night and unlocked her door before she stopped. She didn't want to leave like this, she had too good of time. Better than any time she thought she would have had with Robert. He really had changed and he deserved to know that she noticed it. "Hey." She called out before he walked away. Marian had turned around and walked to him. Her small soft hands traveled up his chest as her arms wrapped around his neck. She gave him a bright smile, an honest smile and rose up on her tiptoes giving him a gentle, kind and longer-than-she-had-intended, kiss on the lips. When she pulled back, she whispered in his ear, "Thank you for today, I really like this new you." Then it was good night. The next morning at the office, Marian was leaning back in her chair tossing the ball from the game up into the air and catching it in her hand. Humming a gentle tune before her phone buzzed and she took a call, "A party? For the Governor? Why do I need to be there dad? Okay, okay fine? Wait… a date?" Marian's eyes knitted together. "Do I need a date? Fine, fine! I'll find a date…" A groan left her as she realized she had to find a date. Hanging up her phone, she looked down at it. Maybe she could invite Robin, but he would have to be there without a mask; which means she would know who he was and she most likely wouldn't have that much trust with him, yet. Overall her goal was to try to break up the dynamic duo that was Guy and Robert trying to figure out who Robin actually was. But this time, she just didn't want to be alone at some governor-high-and-mighty party. Rising to her feet she placed the ball on her desk and left her office. At the door to the office that Guy and Robert were sharing she knocked on it before she got the howler to enter. Opening the door she gave the men an innocent smile. "Hello guys, can… can I talk to Robert for a moment?"</s>
<\|description\|>Marian Anderson. Alias: None. Age: 24. Appearance: Faction: Civilian. Occupation: Court Stenographer. Bio: I was born and raised in Manhattan so it's no surprise that I'm as knowledgeable about the streets as any of the other law enforcers out there. The only problem is that my dad won't let me join the police force. 'It's too dangerous' he'd say, 'I don't want to see you die' he'd insist even though he allowed me to go through the academy; maybe in hopes that it would scare me away from the idea, but this valedictorian was far from scared. Though it seems like no one's righting the wrongs in the city; the only place he'd let me even get _close_ to any action is as a Court Stenographer, type type type, type and more type, is all I ever do and while I'm not allowed to talk about the things I learn while I'm typing away on the funny looking keyboard… I learn a lot about the city, its people and just how corrupt the, so called, 'ideals' are. If my mom was alive, she'd be very disappointed at the things my father's allowing this city, and it's people to get away with. Sure I enjoy the higher end of life and the finer things that come with it; fancy parties, big apartment flats and smoking hot cars. But knowing it comes from, well blood money, doesn't exactly make one feel nice. I will share with you a little information. Something that I know that most people don't… Robert Locksley is a pain in the a**. Whenever he was in court, it felt like he'd purposefully talk faster just to see if I could keep up, and smart too. I'd watch defense attorneys' knees buckle in fear when he'd enter the room. It's sad to see he's not practicing law anymore (don't ask me what happened, I don't know), but it's nice not to see his arrogant personality anymore. I have noticed an increase in homeless people lately, which is sad in its own right. So I've made it a point to try to give whatever spare change I have to someone who I pass. I do see one however, that seemed to be pretty mobile as I run into him in quite a few places, one of my favorites was I was coming out of the donut shop and he held out his cup and instead of asking for change he asked for a donut. I laughed so hard that I gave him half of mine. I think he knows my route though, because every day when I go in for work, he's begging by the courthouse so every day I drop off a donut to my beggar friend. It's not money but it's food right? Personality: Rather hard headed and diplomatically argumentative, it's not her way or the highway but she's not afraid to point out flaws and the negatives. Has a certain charm about her that helps her get what she wants and plays the innocent/dumb blonde card really well. All and all, she's a nice girl, just rough around the edges. Skills/abilities: ~A ridiculously fast typer, obviously because of her job. ~Memory based around vocabulary, either written or spoken; a photographic memory only for words if you will. ~Hand-to-Hand combat training thanks to the academy. ~Gun usage, prefers a hand-held pistol but for obvious reasons (thanks dad) it doesn't happen often. Family/Loves Ones: One father (Chief of Manhattan), mother's dead. Siblings? Possibly… Someone wanna play a brother who joins the Merry Men?! I think that would be fun! Maybe friends with one of the female merry men? They went to school together or something?! Other: Loves to gossip about the Merry Men and their actions with her friends outside of work. In work they'd get rather butt-hurt that their employees were happy with what the Merry Men were doing but it's about time there is some justice out there! And she never misses church and confession with Tryone Tuck.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. At this point in time, Marian wasn't exactly sure which one was more uncomfortable for Guy, the fact that she was asking for Robert, or the fact that the relationship between the two had moved from calling him by his last name to his first. Even for those in their building, the fact that was using Robert's first name instead of calling him Locksley would have been a shocker. But… after what she had seen the day before, she had a new found respect for this new Robert Locksley. She led him back to her office and shut the door behind them. After all this time, she could still feel the prying eyes of their coworkers. Of course nothing about this made Marian look good; one day she would be chatting up Guy, and another she would be luring Robert into her office. Maybe she was being a bit too obvious. But for those who watched close enough, they might just notice that Marian had stopped putting noticeable distance between her and Robert, while Guy was traditionally kept at an arm's length distance. Interesting, very interesting. "So, I get a phone call from my dad this morning, 'Marian, you need to attend the press party for the Governor this Friday.'" Her voice was nearly spot on mimicking her father in all of his seriousness. "And apparently I'm not allowed to attend alone. So… I was… hoping…"Great! Now she couldn't even look him in the eye as she asked. Why was this suddenly a problem?! Why was she suddenly shy around him?! This was ridiculous. "You might, want to… go with me?" She forced her blue gaze to look up at him for the first time since her million dollar question was asked.</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley Robert smiled at Marian's imitation of her father, everyone who knew the guy has heard his serious speeches on just about any topic, and he bet that Marian has had heard a lifetime of them growing up with the man. Her voice then turned to nervousness, her eyes not meeting Robert's until her invitation was delivered. She wanted to go to a public party... with him? Robert fell over his words for a second, not really knowing how to react to something he had thought of since he had first laid eyes on her. A mix of "I's" and "Heh's" and "uh's" escaped his mouth before he laughed. "I would love to...!" Is what he finally said, his smile wide and bright. "Never thought I'd attend the Governor's personal campaign party... Are they fun? Does he have a theme to go with them? Probably not, if he had a choice everyone would be fed milk and crackers with his stale attitude... sorry! I'm rambling. Guy and I started work today rather early, and with that Yankee's win and. Other, uh, things... my mind's going a mile a minute." Robert began to explain rather quickly. So much was going right in this part of his life, and so much was going wrong. Marian was actually asking to spend time with him, the Merry Men have been exploding with popularity, but at the same time a federal investigation was being put on him, he was helping with it, and John has been getting more and more impatient with Robert's overconfidence int he matter. He had to move forward with The Merry Men's goal, but then there was the things he wanted more than anything, like... Marian. "I'm sorry. To be honest, I really wasn't expecting you to invite me to any important parties like this... You feeling alright? You still on that mental high from the Yankee's win?" Robert said in a somewhat teasing matter. He was also on that high. He could still feel the electricity in his body from when she whispered in his ear. He could have heard that voice for hours.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Marian pressed her full lips together as she looked up at him with her big blue eyes through her black lashes. Why was she nervous? She should be better at this than she was but she actually enjoyed her time with him at the game and that that has effected how she walked to him. She could understand his question about why she would want to choose him and she innocently rubbed the back of her neck with her hand, her gaze turned away from him as her cheeks turned pink. "I… uh," She said softly, "Really enjoyed my time at the game and… there's going to be a lot of snobby, stuffy people there so having someone I can… get along with, would allow me to enjoy the time." Giving him a small nod, she turned her attention back to him giving him a gentle smile, "It's going to be a dinner party with music afterwards so… dress clothes and an appetite is required." A small sigh left her at his agreement to go. "I appreciate you going with me, I'll pick you up that way I can use the excuse that I'm driving to keep away from the alcohol that might be pushed my way." A nod rose and fell her head as she stood up from her desk and gave him another smile. "I'll see you Friday." ------------- The blonde finished her makeup at 5:15pm and walked out of her house locking the door behind her. Her blonde hair sat straightened down on her shoulders and her body was wrapped in a light blue strapless dress to the floor. Pulling out her phone she shot Robert a text, "On my way. I'll be in light blue tonight." With that she hit send and climbed into her car placing her clutch purse in her glove box and starting towards his house. Once she arrived at the apartments she parked her car and climbed the stairs. Taking in a deep breathe in front of his door she gave it a knock. "Robert? Are you ready to go?"</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley "You're doing it again." "Doing what?" "Thinking about her. Focus. Go over the plan with me again." "Seriously John? I got this." "Once you get to the party, what are you going to do?" "You mean before or after I plant the device outside of the main entrance? I Follow Marian. Greet her 'friends' that she's supposed to like, shake hands, eat finger food, wait until Lyon shows his Then it's show time. You and the Merry Men come in in some nice little server outfits, when Lyon gives his speech, we go to work." Robin glanced over at John. "Satisfied?" John rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as he watched Robing finish tying his dark blue tie, and straightened out the wrinkles in his gray suit. It was simple, nothing too flashy. He was merely there to compliment the beauty of Marian. While she got the praise, he would easily be able to sneak out. Robin pointed to a small bag in the corner. "That's my goody bag. Make sure to hide it somewhere nice when you get in." "I'll make sure to find the dirtiest garbage can to put it in." The two of them heard a knock on the door, and the voice of the blonde behind it. Cassie's head popped out from the top of the staircase. "No! You're still grounded!" Robin said to her, rushing to the door. He was too late. Cassie opened the door to see Marian in her dress, and went wide eyed. "Holy cow!" She exclaimed. Robert quickly pushed her to the side, giving a smile and looking her up and down. "Damn." he muttered, before shaking his head a bit. "I mean, hi. Sorry. You look amazing." A laugh escaped his lips, and he looked at his watch. "Ready?" Robert turned to look back at Cassie. "Be good, be safe. And don't. Leave. This. House." His voice had a hint of a threatening tone that made Cassie cross her arms and nod with a sarcastic smile. "Yes sir." Robert would have rolled his eyes but that would have given her a sort of satisfaction. God, she was so much like him. Robert exited the house, and as soon as he closed the door Little John was contacting the Merry Men updating them on their biggest threat yet. "So I think we should have a code word... You know, if we want to get away from people we don't want to talk to. I was thinking 'burgundy.' Easy to add into a sentence about curtains or dresses or something."</s>	<\|message\|>Marian Anderson. The door flung open for her to see, well Cassie, standing on the other side. "I thought you were grounded." She said placing her hands on her hips and glaring down at the young girl. While her glare didn't last very long before he blue gaze moved to Robert who popped up from behind the girl. A smile moved across her face at his response and a small giggle left her glossy lips. "Didn't know that was a standard greeting now." Giving a small spin her dress she nodded. "Thank you. You look good in the gray; nice tie choice." She gave the tie a small adjustment before she followed his gaze towards his cousin and her arms fell from him to her sides. A smirk moved across her face as Cassie smarted off to him and he practically shut the door on her face. A laugh left her as they started down the stairs towards her car. "Burgundy works, or 'Damn' as it seemed to be a word on your lips tonight." She poked fun at him as they arrived to her car and climbed inside. "Thanks again for coming with me Robert, a bunch of rich snoody annoying people, Edward included, will be there and any excuse to be around someone remotely normal is my saving grace." The conversation was light and fun until they arrived at the banquet. The valet was quick to take her car and she was quick to take Robert's arm. "Is it took soon to say burgundy?" She joked as they started inside. Leaving her purse with the check person the two entered the large ball room. It was filled with people chatting and laughing while holding drinks. "Aw Marian, you look lovely." A voice from behind them said and saw the two turned, her father stood there in his dress blues, a pleasant smile on his face. "Thanks dad." Marian responded sweetly giving him a big hug before stepping back. "Dad you remember Robert Locksley." She politely introduced her father to her date and they had a small bit of chatting before her father reminded her that they needed to join the party for dinner but he was kind enough to make no mention that he would have rather had his daughter be with Edward over Robert, maybe he noticed she actually looked… happy? "Fuck I need a drink." She muttered under her breath as she rubbed her head. "Did you happen to spot the bar?"</s>
<\|description\|>Marian Anderson. Alias: None. Age: 24. Appearance: Faction: Civilian. Occupation: Court Stenographer. Bio: I was born and raised in Manhattan so it's no surprise that I'm as knowledgeable about the streets as any of the other law enforcers out there. The only problem is that my dad won't let me join the police force. 'It's too dangerous' he'd say, 'I don't want to see you die' he'd insist even though he allowed me to go through the academy; maybe in hopes that it would scare me away from the idea, but this valedictorian was far from scared. Though it seems like no one's righting the wrongs in the city; the only place he'd let me even get _close_ to any action is as a Court Stenographer, type type type, type and more type, is all I ever do and while I'm not allowed to talk about the things I learn while I'm typing away on the funny looking keyboard… I learn a lot about the city, its people and just how corrupt the, so called, 'ideals' are. If my mom was alive, she'd be very disappointed at the things my father's allowing this city, and it's people to get away with. Sure I enjoy the higher end of life and the finer things that come with it; fancy parties, big apartment flats and smoking hot cars. But knowing it comes from, well blood money, doesn't exactly make one feel nice. I will share with you a little information. Something that I know that most people don't… Robert Locksley is a pain in the a**. Whenever he was in court, it felt like he'd purposefully talk faster just to see if I could keep up, and smart too. I'd watch defense attorneys' knees buckle in fear when he'd enter the room. It's sad to see he's not practicing law anymore (don't ask me what happened, I don't know), but it's nice not to see his arrogant personality anymore. I have noticed an increase in homeless people lately, which is sad in its own right. So I've made it a point to try to give whatever spare change I have to someone who I pass. I do see one however, that seemed to be pretty mobile as I run into him in quite a few places, one of my favorites was I was coming out of the donut shop and he held out his cup and instead of asking for change he asked for a donut. I laughed so hard that I gave him half of mine. I think he knows my route though, because every day when I go in for work, he's begging by the courthouse so every day I drop off a donut to my beggar friend. It's not money but it's food right? Personality: Rather hard headed and diplomatically argumentative, it's not her way or the highway but she's not afraid to point out flaws and the negatives. Has a certain charm about her that helps her get what she wants and plays the innocent/dumb blonde card really well. All and all, she's a nice girl, just rough around the edges. Skills/abilities: ~A ridiculously fast typer, obviously because of her job. ~Memory based around vocabulary, either written or spoken; a photographic memory only for words if you will. ~Hand-to-Hand combat training thanks to the academy. ~Gun usage, prefers a hand-held pistol but for obvious reasons (thanks dad) it doesn't happen often. Family/Loves Ones: One father (Chief of Manhattan), mother's dead. Siblings? Possibly… Someone wanna play a brother who joins the Merry Men?! I think that would be fun! Maybe friends with one of the female merry men? They went to school together or something?! Other: Loves to gossip about the Merry Men and their actions with her friends outside of work. In work they'd get rather butt-hurt that their employees were happy with what the Merry Men were doing but it's about time there is some justice out there! And she never misses church and confession with Tryone Tuck.</s> <\|message\|>Marian Anderson. The door flung open for her to see, well Cassie, standing on the other side. "I thought you were grounded." She said placing her hands on her hips and glaring down at the young girl. While her glare didn't last very long before he blue gaze moved to Robert who popped up from behind the girl. A smile moved across her face at his response and a small giggle left her glossy lips. "Didn't know that was a standard greeting now." Giving a small spin her dress she nodded. "Thank you. You look good in the gray; nice tie choice." She gave the tie a small adjustment before she followed his gaze towards his cousin and her arms fell from him to her sides. A smirk moved across her face as Cassie smarted off to him and he practically shut the door on her face. A laugh left her as they started down the stairs towards her car. "Burgundy works, or 'Damn' as it seemed to be a word on your lips tonight." She poked fun at him as they arrived to her car and climbed inside. "Thanks again for coming with me Robert, a bunch of rich snoody annoying people, Edward included, will be there and any excuse to be around someone remotely normal is my saving grace." The conversation was light and fun until they arrived at the banquet. The valet was quick to take her car and she was quick to take Robert's arm. "Is it took soon to say burgundy?" She joked as they started inside. Leaving her purse with the check person the two entered the large ball room. It was filled with people chatting and laughing while holding drinks. "Aw Marian, you look lovely." A voice from behind them said and saw the two turned, her father stood there in his dress blues, a pleasant smile on his face. "Thanks dad." Marian responded sweetly giving him a big hug before stepping back. "Dad you remember Robert Locksley." She politely introduced her father to her date and they had a small bit of chatting before her father reminded her that they needed to join the party for dinner but he was kind enough to make no mention that he would have rather had his daughter be with Edward over Robert, maybe he noticed she actually looked… happy? "Fuck I need a drink." She muttered under her breath as she rubbed her head. "Did you happen to spot the bar?"</s> <\|message\|>Robert "Robin" Locksley He looked good in gray? Oh, he'd have to remember that, even if his brain stopped for a second as Marian closed the gap shortly to help with his crooked tie. "I... thank you." He laughed slightly at her response, and before long they were walking to the car. At her comment of safe words, he gave a low chuckle and shook his head. "You think you're so funny, don't you?" He climbed into the passenger seat after he tried to offer to open the door for her. When she thanked him he couldn't help but smile slightly, and nodding. "Of course." He couldn't admit it, but he'd walk through hell to get any chance to accompany her. "And it's going to be an interesting night if you take me as a 'normal' person. I'll make sure we have fun at this snooty place. I doubt that our Governor has the creativity to make this place fun on its own." It was interesting to see who showed up as they pulled up to the building. The valet was there to greet us immediately, and as they entered the building, he stopped, and sighed. "I forgot to tip the valet, wait in the lobby I'll be right back." He said apologetically. After giving the valet a generous tip, he made his way back to the entrance, and slyly bending down to tie his shoe, and in the process putting a small device on the door frame of the building. Once the doors lock, this would give the Merry men an opportunity to enter without a passcode. Robert found Marian, and held out his arm for her to take. They entered the main doors to the ballroom, and it seemed the two had the same reaction. Robert laughed, shrugging a bit. "Maybe after a martini or two." He joked, maybe too loudly as Marian's father appeared. He shook his hand when he was introduced, and did his best to not attract the attention of the man in charge of the NYPD. He had a feeling he would be under his watchful eye any time he was near Marian. Not exactly what he wanted. As he left Robert gave a fake sigh of relief, looking at the blonde. She was stressed, he couldn't imagine the amount of stress that she had on her shoulders. "Oh I spotted it the second we got in. I'll go grab something, what's your poison?" He grinned. Once he had the order, he gently took her hand and squeezed it, maybe as an assurance that she was okay, maybe because he simply wanted to touch her. Either way he slipped into the crowd, nodding, smiling, and saying quick hello's as he went to the large wooden bar. He ordered the drinks, and took a quick glance around the area. It was heavily guarded, but Robert knew that. No one was heavily armed, and it would be rather easy for the disguised Merry Men to keep the guards at bay. "Robert." Edward made his appearance sooner than Robert thought. Robert turned to greet the man with a smile, but he could tell in Edward's eyes that he wasn't too happy. "Here to cheer Governor Lyon on?" "More or less. Right now I'll settle for the cheers of this alcohol. It's good to get out of the office and focus on something good." "Yeah, especially with good company. Did she... ask you?" Robert turned to pick up his drinks, and shrugged slightly. "It was kinda a last minute thing. Don't worry, Eddy. You can't win 'em all." He gave him a wink and grin before he headed off back to Marian. It felt good to beat Edward in more ways than one. Soon he'll face Robin Hood face to face and won't be able to do a thing about it. Robert found Marian chatting once again, and he quietly introduced himself back into her company, handing her the drink, and raising his own to do a small cheers. "The line was torture... Honestly, I'd say to hell with all this politics. Give me a run down pizza parlor, and a couch with a good movie any day." Of course he had to focus, but then again having Marian by his side, dozing off to a cheesy movie sounded like heaven. Maybe one day.</s>	<\|message\|>Marian Anderson. Standing and talking with a bunch of bureaucrats was something that Marian never enjoyed doing. But sadly as the only child of the chief of police, it only made sense for her to be present at big social events and gatherings. This being no exception. If her father wasn't invited to the event you wouldn't find her within a mile of things like this. Maybe that was something that she didn't like about the possibility of being in a relationship with Edward. At that point Marian would be nothing more than a piece of arm candy for big events. At least without a social status requiring partner she could be her own person at the event. In her stance of not being with Edward it allowed her to speak her mind (for the most part) on politics. And while she kept some topics at arm's length she knew she could express where she stood without it being a conversation afterwards of 'you shouldn't have said this' or 'why would you say that' conversation on the drive home. "Marian, what do you think of the Governor?" A party patron asked her as she was standing in the group chatting. The rant she had dumped on Robert came rolling back to her. The Governor's response to her mother's death, the lack of care of a small family grieving, the refusal to let him attend the funeral all pushed its way to the forefront of her mind and she took a breath. "He's an impressive man. Did you know that he and my father attended the same college and reconnected because of their respective positions? Interesting fact, when they were in school together they were in the same dorm building and he was known for sneaking a girl into his room at night. And that same girl came back over and over again and now… they're married!" The group is erupted in laughter and cheers. The men finding it hilarious that the governor could have been seen as player while the women felt like it as a true 'love story' that they were destined to be together forever. The shmucks. It's amazing how many people love that story, the one story she knows about the governor that she could share without holding her own personal grudge against him. The conversation then took off in a different direction. As the group talked Marian just nodded looking around. This was a pretty large formal event and it really brought a lot of faces out but she couldn't help but wonder if any of the Merry Men were here. But maybe it's best at that she doesn't know. She can play innocent and foolish. But Robin did say he had connections in the law firm so does he have connections elsewhere? And would those connections be able to get him in here? His level of concern for her is involvement was admirable and if they ran into each other, she would have just to chalk it up to coincidence. Her reason for being there was purely based off of the invite she was given and she, admittedly, knew it would be the best idea not to be involved with any plans or hi-jinx. She was too close to too many people who could turn her knowledge into very problematic situation. Problem people included her father for obvious reasons; the chief of police. Another problem person would be the Taylors, both Edward and his father who would love the press to convict Robin Hood of his crimes. The newest factor being Guy, the FBI agent sent to track Robin Hood down, Guy was too much of a factor in this and while getting close made sense, keeping him at arms length was an important thing for her to do as well. So many problems and things to look out for… not to mention… "Ah thank you Robert." The final factor. Was she getting too close to Robert? Robin doesn't think he's as much of a treat as Guy. Maybe she should distance herself from Robert. Pull back from this… 'not date' scenarios she was dragging him into. She might need to ask Robin for a suggestion. If he really thinks Robert isn't a threat, not spending time with him isn't a bad option. No matter how much he's changed and how well they were finally getting along; they could be friends right? "As long as it's a everything pizza and a stupid B movie than that would be a good night."</s>
<\|description\|>Yolanda Grieg Age: 19 Gender: Female Height: 5' 10" Weight: 132 lbs Appearance: Yolanda is average in height and slender in build with faint muscle definition. She has short hair that has been slicked back and dyed bleach blonde. Pale skinned. She has dark brown eyes, which in contrast with her skin, appear to be black. The pale skin of her back has been elaborately inked with the solid lines of a tattoo depicting a grotesque scene of demons and the Devil himself. Personality: Yolanda is a sly woman. Conniving and secretive, it's often difficult to tell what she is about to do. Despite this, however, she is loyal to those she feels are deserving. Once her loyalty has been secured, she is protective and fierce. Yolanda has a tendency to be sarcastic, dryly humorous and cynical but has the capacity to be kind and tender. Able to be extremely persuasive when need be. She has a touch of nihilsm to her. Yolanda likes to keep her emotions in check but sometimes loses control. When angered or frightened, she lashes out at any who surround; whether it be friends, family or strangers. She often enters a period of regret after these episodes, though the level of regret is relative to how firmly she believes her anger or fear was justified. Other: Yolanda was born and raised in South Africa and as such has a strong South African accent. She is able to speak both Afrikaans and English fluently. She has always had an interest in both the occult and both the good and evil of religion, hence her tattoo. Yolanda moved from South Africa at sixteen with her parents.</s> <\|message\|>James William Harrison and Jasmine Marie Harrison "You know what? I think separate rooms here is going to suck balls." At those words, James looked to his sister, slightly confused for a moment or two, choosing his words carefully. "We've always had rooms apart, sis. Even living with our moms." James spoke slowly and unsurely, still a tad confused. Why was she pointing out something that they'd always had? "I know that, butthead. I mean, here, we can't hang out in each other's rooms like we do at home, watching movies late at night, having best friend cuddles.." Jasmine's retort was quick off the mark, trying not to laugh at his slightly slow response. "Oh! I see." James replied, as the penny finally dropped. "Because we're in gender assigned dorms, right?" "Right. Hopefully we'll be able to get the apartment sorted soon, and we'll have a lounge to hang around in too, so.." "Yeah. I can't wait!" Grinning, James hugged his twin, the female grinning and hugging him back with a slightly.. sad sigh. "I don't want to be in a different building from you, what if you get bullied, or scared?" "Sis... I'll be fine, I promise." James spoke slowly and unsurely, though he wasn't too sure if he would be. "I'll help you unpack?" He spoke sadly, walking with her towards the female's dorm block, linking arms like they were the best of friends. Which, they were. "You do know that if anyone hurts you, no matter what, I'm going to kick their asses so damn far, they'll have to fly back her." Jasmine snapped, looking over to her shy natured sibling. "Please, don't, you'll end up in trouble with the police, and your record hasn't, and won't, go away." James looked to his sister, his eyes sad. He didn't want her away, she was his sister. His best friend! "I know, I'm sorry." Jasmine mumbled as they reached her dorm, the female unlocking her room with a key. "You better behave."</s> <\|message\|>John Doyle John parked his rinky dinky, old VW Beetle on campus and got out, stretching. After the drive here it was nice to finally have some walking room. He pulled a large suitcase off of the luggage rack on top of the car and then popped the trunk where he had stowed a slightly smaller duffel bag. He made his way towards his dorm, stopping and asking for directions every time he felt like he was lost. He finally reached his room and dropped everything onto one of the two beds before flopping down on the ground. He sighed with relief. "I made it."</s> <\|message\|>Kaja (KAY-UH) Bukowski "Call me when you get settled, okay?" Kaja's mother said over the phone and the brunette could distinctly hear sobbing sounds in the background. "I can't believe my _kochanie_ is all grown up!" "Mama, I'm only an hour away. You act as if I'm on the other side of the country. And tell Tata to stop crying, it's embarrassing just to hear." Kaja sighed, holding the phone between her shoulder and ear while dragging her suitcases behind her to the dorms. Kaja glanced down at the piece of paper in fingers that told of her dorm room and nearly dropped the phone "Tch, I'm on the fifth floor. _Cholerny." _The eighteen year old said mostly to herself, but by the clucking of her mother's tongue, Kaja realized her mom heard. "Watch your tongue, Kaja, before I smack it." She reprimended and Kaja only groaned in response. "_Tak, tak_. No swearing, _zrozumiany_. Listen, mama, I have to go, I arrived to the dorms." And true to her word, she did. Without waiting for the dreaded response of "I love you's" and "call me's," Kaja quickly ended the call and shoved the phone into her pocket. She entered the building and dragged her suitcases up multiple flights of stairs until she finally made it to her dorm room. Digging the key out of her pocket, she struggled with the door, cursing multiple times, before jiggling it open. The door swung open and she was greeted with the sight of a boy and a girl. _Shit,_ Kaja thought. She was hoping that she would have the dorm to herself.</s> <\|message\|>Gabriella White Gabriella waved at her mother as she entered the cab and was on her way to the college! It was such an exciting day for the girl because she wanted to be out of her home and actually do something herself and not be with her parents much. Yeah she loves her parents but every teenager would like to live alone for a while. Especially when it will be far away from their parents, parties parties! Even though Gabriella isn't much of a party girl but she does it when she wants too. Now arriving at the school, it was time to go to her dorm. "Finally. Gosh, I just wanna lay down.." she said grabbing her luggage and making her way to her dorm, hopefully her roommate won't be an ass. Mainly because Gabriella wasn't the one to be messed with. Anyways, as she got to her dorm there was no one there... that was good, she could pick her side first! "Yay. Mmm. I pick this bed!" The young teenager said jumping on top of her bed like a little kid, jumping house for example. That's how she was jumping. "Wooh! Wooh!" and that was when got off the bed, putting her luggage on top of the bed as she walked to the mirror. Fixing her hair a bit, she ran a hand through her hair and looked around the room. It did feel a little empty but it was still good for her. And she did get first pick of a bed! Right next to the window. Gabriella got out of her room and saw a girl and a boy linking arms, they must have been dating or something and then another girl, but she just walked passed them. Right now, Gabriella prefered to go explore the school a bit!</s>	<\|message\|>Yolanda Grieg Yolanda Grieg stared up at the archway that led into the college that she would call home for the next few years. It was vaguely imposing, though she reasoned it was simply the thought of the place rather than the actual college itself. Steeling herself with a slow breath and tightening her grip on the bags clasped in her hands, Yolanda passed under the archway and onto the college grounds. It was quite a nice place, really; much less intimidating once you were within and looking around at the green fields and seemingly historic buildings. She glanced around for a few moments longer, committing the place to memory, before moving off to find her dorm. Yolanda had a vague idea where the dorms would be, having been told by a rather fast talking and excitable type. She grimaced slightly as she tried to remember what the person had said among their ramblings. Walking towards a building that seemed to have a steady stream of students passing through, she assumed that to be where the dorms were housed. Yolanda walked inside and up the stairs to her right, her brow furrowing as she squeezed past a group of loud girls. What had that idiot said? Room number fove. That sounded right, but she still held her doubts. Yolanda eventually found herself outside of dorm five. She somewhat tentatively opened the door and found it to be empty. A good sign, she supposed. She walked in and set her bags down, pulling at one strap of the simple white singlet she wore before joining her bags on the bed. This would be a fine room.</s>
<\|description\|>Samantha Valencia Gonzalez Age:17 Gender: Female Bio: Sam tends to be very complicated for everyone. If a person thinks they know her, they are wrong. Which makes people think wrong of her many times. Which makes her move a lot with her Aunt and her Uncle. Her aunt and uncle never wanted kids at all, so when they found out they were getting 10 year old Sam they were not happy. Still aren't since they abuse Sam since they got her. But Sam doesn't want to tell the cops or anyone about it because that's the only family she has left. Sam is always at the library reading books. She would always come home with three books with her. . Appearance: Sam has emerald green eyes with specks of red which make people not look her in the eyes and makes her not look in anyone's eyes. Her eyes pop out because of her light tanned skin. Her black hair goes all the way to her waist, and she also has one strand of hair that is colored red. She decided to dye it that color. Her finger nails are painted black everytime. She tends to never wear light colors but when she does its only a little with the dark colors. Facts: She doesn't like yellow. Always loves to read and write. Loves to play the piano. Listens to music a lot.</s> <\|message\|>James William Harrison and Jasmine Marie Harrison "You know what? I think separate rooms here is going to suck balls." At those words, James looked to his sister, slightly confused for a moment or two, choosing his words carefully. "We've always had rooms apart, sis. Even living with our moms." James spoke slowly and unsurely, still a tad confused. Why was she pointing out something that they'd always had? "I know that, butthead. I mean, here, we can't hang out in each other's rooms like we do at home, watching movies late at night, having best friend cuddles.." Jasmine's retort was quick off the mark, trying not to laugh at his slightly slow response. "Oh! I see." James replied, as the penny finally dropped. "Because we're in gender assigned dorms, right?" "Right. Hopefully we'll be able to get the apartment sorted soon, and we'll have a lounge to hang around in too, so.." "Yeah. I can't wait!" Grinning, James hugged his twin, the female grinning and hugging him back with a slightly.. sad sigh. "I don't want to be in a different building from you, what if you get bullied, or scared?" "Sis... I'll be fine, I promise." James spoke slowly and unsurely, though he wasn't too sure if he would be. "I'll help you unpack?" He spoke sadly, walking with her towards the female's dorm block, linking arms like they were the best of friends. Which, they were. "You do know that if anyone hurts you, no matter what, I'm going to kick their asses so damn far, they'll have to fly back her." Jasmine snapped, looking over to her shy natured sibling. "Please, don't, you'll end up in trouble with the police, and your record hasn't, and won't, go away." James looked to his sister, his eyes sad. He didn't want her away, she was his sister. His best friend! "I know, I'm sorry." Jasmine mumbled as they reached her dorm, the female unlocking her room with a key. "You better behave."</s> <\|message\|>John Doyle John parked his rinky dinky, old VW Beetle on campus and got out, stretching. After the drive here it was nice to finally have some walking room. He pulled a large suitcase off of the luggage rack on top of the car and then popped the trunk where he had stowed a slightly smaller duffel bag. He made his way towards his dorm, stopping and asking for directions every time he felt like he was lost. He finally reached his room and dropped everything onto one of the two beds before flopping down on the ground. He sighed with relief. "I made it."</s> <\|message\|>Kaja (KAY-UH) Bukowski "Call me when you get settled, okay?" Kaja's mother said over the phone and the brunette could distinctly hear sobbing sounds in the background. "I can't believe my _kochanie_ is all grown up!" "Mama, I'm only an hour away. You act as if I'm on the other side of the country. And tell Tata to stop crying, it's embarrassing just to hear." Kaja sighed, holding the phone between her shoulder and ear while dragging her suitcases behind her to the dorms. Kaja glanced down at the piece of paper in fingers that told of her dorm room and nearly dropped the phone "Tch, I'm on the fifth floor. _Cholerny." _The eighteen year old said mostly to herself, but by the clucking of her mother's tongue, Kaja realized her mom heard. "Watch your tongue, Kaja, before I smack it." She reprimended and Kaja only groaned in response. "_Tak, tak_. No swearing, _zrozumiany_. Listen, mama, I have to go, I arrived to the dorms." And true to her word, she did. Without waiting for the dreaded response of "I love you's" and "call me's," Kaja quickly ended the call and shoved the phone into her pocket. She entered the building and dragged her suitcases up multiple flights of stairs until she finally made it to her dorm room. Digging the key out of her pocket, she struggled with the door, cursing multiple times, before jiggling it open. The door swung open and she was greeted with the sight of a boy and a girl. _Shit,_ Kaja thought. She was hoping that she would have the dorm to herself.</s> <\|message\|>Gabriella White Gabriella waved at her mother as she entered the cab and was on her way to the college! It was such an exciting day for the girl because she wanted to be out of her home and actually do something herself and not be with her parents much. Yeah she loves her parents but every teenager would like to live alone for a while. Especially when it will be far away from their parents, parties parties! Even though Gabriella isn't much of a party girl but she does it when she wants too. Now arriving at the school, it was time to go to her dorm. "Finally. Gosh, I just wanna lay down.." she said grabbing her luggage and making her way to her dorm, hopefully her roommate won't be an ass. Mainly because Gabriella wasn't the one to be messed with. Anyways, as she got to her dorm there was no one there... that was good, she could pick her side first! "Yay. Mmm. I pick this bed!" The young teenager said jumping on top of her bed like a little kid, jumping house for example. That's how she was jumping. "Wooh! Wooh!" and that was when got off the bed, putting her luggage on top of the bed as she walked to the mirror. Fixing her hair a bit, she ran a hand through her hair and looked around the room. It did feel a little empty but it was still good for her. And she did get first pick of a bed! Right next to the window. Gabriella got out of her room and saw a girl and a boy linking arms, they must have been dating or something and then another girl, but she just walked passed them. Right now, Gabriella prefered to go explore the school a bit!</s> <\|message\|>Yolanda Grieg Yolanda Grieg stared up at the archway that led into the college that she would call home for the next few years. It was vaguely imposing, though she reasoned it was simply the thought of the place rather than the actual college itself. Steeling herself with a slow breath and tightening her grip on the bags clasped in her hands, Yolanda passed under the archway and onto the college grounds. It was quite a nice place, really; much less intimidating once you were within and looking around at the green fields and seemingly historic buildings. She glanced around for a few moments longer, committing the place to memory, before moving off to find her dorm. Yolanda had a vague idea where the dorms would be, having been told by a rather fast talking and excitable type. She grimaced slightly as she tried to remember what the person had said among their ramblings. Walking towards a building that seemed to have a steady stream of students passing through, she assumed that to be where the dorms were housed. Yolanda walked inside and up the stairs to her right, her brow furrowing as she squeezed past a group of loud girls. What had that idiot said? Room number fove. That sounded right, but she still held her doubts. Yolanda eventually found herself outside of dorm five. She somewhat tentatively opened the door and found it to be empty. A good sign, she supposed. She walked in and set her bags down, pulling at one strap of the simple white singlet she wore before joining her bags on the bed. This would be a fine room.</s>	<\|message\|>Samantha Valencia Gonzalez A green tiny car stopped at the college the tires making a squeaking sound that would make anyone cringe. A girl with a hoodie on stepped out of the car heading to the trunk that popped open. Samantha grabbed closed the trunk holding her bags close to her. She only had a few of them. Before she could say goodbye to her Aunt and Uncle the car speeded away making dirt fly. While waving the dirt that was coming to her face, she let out a sigh. Well love you too Aunt and Uncle, she grabbed her bags as she walked inside the college and towards her dorm. She already knew where it was and the number. She even had a key to open the door. Her Aunt and Uncle gave her everything she needed to go to the dorm. All she thought about was how they would be glad she would be gone. Samantha walked to her door that belonged to her dorm. She put her key in the lock as fast as she could. Only because she could hear people under her hood that was covering her face. She let out a soft laugh at the thought of people thinking she was a maniac or something. Once she walked inside, she was the only one in the room. She put her bags on one of the beds as she eyed the empty bed. Guess my roommate isn't here yet, she sighed as she felt the urge to just go outside and sit down. She grabbed her book bag and walked out of her dorm with her IPod and earphones in her ears. Can't wait for college., she thought with a kind smile.</s>
<\|description\|>Daigo Kumon Human CS Gender: Male Age: 16 Nationality: Japanese Appearance: Personality: Only the strong deserve to survive, or at least that's what Daigo believes. This belief stems from a personal observation he made one day. Throughout history, the world has been ruled by the strong, with the weak being kept firmly under their thumbs. He also observed that there are too kinds of strength in the world: strength gained through one's birth, and the rare occasion of strength that is attained by reaching out and taking it for oneself. It is this belief that drives Daigo to do the things he does and say the things he says, no matter how harsh or cruel it makes him appear to be. This obviously makes it rather difficult for others to get along with him, but if they endure his attitude for long enough, they will discover a person with a surprisingly kind heart buried beneath his seemingly strength-obsessed exterior. Brief History: Daigo grew up in a rural neighborhood, a small town where everyone knew one another by name. People there were always kind and friendly, not a speck of cruelty to be found. Of course, good things never last, and neither did this. One day, when Daigo was 9 years old, some big corporate types showed up and soon after, everyone was forced to move out of their homes. Daigo didn't understand it at the time, but the corporation had essentially bought up the land so that they could build some big headquarters there to expand their business. Forced to watch his childhood home be torn down, Daigo had an epiphany that day. He realized that only those with strength ever seemed to have power, and that they always used it to trample over the weak. The realization angered him, enough so that from that day forward, he began to seek strength and power for himself so that he could never be trampled over again like before. With such determination, Daigo managed to achieve a fairly well-off lifestyle, but it wasn't enough. In the back of his mind, he wanted to become stronger than that corporation so that he could completely destroy it. Of course, such power was completely out of reach for a kid. Through this time, his partner digimon had managed to temper much of his anger. Then the emails started coming. Daigo ignored them at first, certain they were a waste of time. But finally, after being fed up with receiving them, he clicked on one believing that a response would finally make them stop. Digivice Color: Red and Gold Theme Song Voice Actor: Will Friedle Digimon CS Name: Elecmon Nickname: (optional) Gender: Male Picture: Attribute: Data Type: Mammal Specials Attacks: Super Thunder Strike (Shoot electric bolts from its tails), Body Attack (Smacks foes with its electrically charged tails), Lightning Knife (Stealthily releases three knives of electricity) Personality: Strong and loyal for the most part, Elecmon generally keeps to himself unless he's offering some nugget of wisdom. He sticks with Daigo loyally, believing that it is his duty to be Daigo's friend so that the boy won't be completely alone in a world he believes is very much still following the law of survival of the fittest. Evolution Line * Fresh: Punimon * In Training: Tsunomon * Rookie: Elecmon * Champion: Leomon * Ultimate: GrapLeomon * Mega: BanchoLeomon</s> <\|message\|>Henry Damon His eyes twitched as he slowly began to regain his consciousness. The dog-like Digimon vaguely became aware of his surroundings, his ears beginning to regain their senses before his others. They twitched slightly at the slightest sound, from the soft breathing of the body beside him to faint footsteps and voices. His sense of smell was the next to return to him...and he quickly became aware that the room he was laying in was nothing like the room he usually slept in. This room smelled more...clean. Finally, after this realization, his eyes began to open and he found himself staring up at a bright light that lay embedded in the ceiling above him. The light was absurdly bright compared to the darkness he had been watching just a few moments ago. He squinted his eyes, trying to give them the chance to adjust. However, a memory flashed through Gaomon's mind that snapped him back to his senses completely. The sight of his human master suddenly dropping a strange device from his hand and suddenly falling toward him, as though he had suddenly fallen ill. He vaguely recalled catching his falling master in his arms before losing consciousness himself. He immediately bolted upward. "Master!" he exclaimed suddenly, quickly scanning the room. Where was he? Where was Henry!? Had he somehow been injured again, despite having not once that day letting him out of his sight? How could that have happened right under his nose!? Gaomon's fears were only partially relieved when he became aware that the sound of soft sleeping had been from none other than Henry himself, who had been laying down on the bed beside him. "Ah...! Master!" Gaomon exclaimed, quickly pulling himself around and righting his body so that he was on his knees on the bedding, looking down at his sleeping human. "M-Master Henry, please wake up, sir!" he quickly started begging, using his gloved arms to nudge the human's body in a desperate attempt to rouse him. Gaomon let out a sigh of relief as Henry began to stir at last, mumbling something soft under his breath. That was normal for him, which meant that he was just fine. He then quickly slid himself off of the bed he had awoken on, not wanting to interfere with his master's awakening. Henry's eyes were the first thing that opened. Much like Gaomon, his eyes squinted for a moment as he attempted to adjust himself to the unfamiliar lighting. He instinctively raised his arm to shield himself from the uncomfortable light as he sat himself up in the bedding, throwing the uncomfortably warm sheets off of himself at the same time. "Whoa...who turned on the sun?" Henry murmured in a sleepy tone. "It is good to see you finally waking, Master." Gaomon said from beside the bed, a slight smile on his face as he bowed his head. "Truthfully, you were starting to worry me." "Ngh..." Henry groaned, rubbing his eyes and looking around the room again. "So...wait, where am I?" he asked. He could identify the surroundings well enough. If he didn't know any better, he'd have thought that he was in a hospital. "Oh. Did I get hurt again or something?" he muttered, quickly checking himself over for any kind of stitches or bandages, like when he had originally gotten the injury that resulted in his scar. He felt nothing of the sort, however, and there wasn't a hint of the crimson blood that had been there the last time. He seemed perfectly unharmed. "No, Master, we are both unharmed it seems," Gaomon said, turning to look around. "However, I have not even a single idea as to where we might have been moved after we were forced into unconsciousness. I highly recommend that we-" At that point, his ears twitched. A sound had caused him to stop speaking and he spun around quickly to face the door. He was ready to defend Henry from any intruder that may enter their abode, likely expecting them to be asleep. Such a foolish attempt. He had long-since developed his senses to a very keen height. There was no sneaking up on him very easily. But what he saw was not an intruder attempting to cowardly sneak in on them. "I wonder what's out here?" Henry asked nobody in particular, pushing the door outward and looking around the room. "M-Master, please wait!" Gaomon shouted after him, quickly rushing after his tamer...but not before stopping to grab a small blue and white device off of the floor. It looked familiar and important, so he had decided to grab it off of the ground before leaving the room. Just outside, the two came to realize something that put Henry at ease. There were other humans already out in the hallway...and each one of them had a Digimon of their own. "Oh wow, look. I guess the Digimon really weren't all dead after all." Henry commented as he stepped outside. He then grinned slightly. "Well, that's nice. It would have been rather strange if you were the last one on the planet." "...Yes, Master." Gaomon replied, withholding a sigh of exasperation. He quickly put himself between Henry and the other humans. Their room had been at the very end of the hall, putting nothing but a wall behind them and the others in front. Gaomon looked cautiously at the others. He couldn't help but find it suspicious that they were suddenly in a room filled with other kids with Digimon. Something was fishy here and he wasn't about to allow Henry to risk associating with- "Hey, do any of you know where I am?" Henry suddenly called, taking Gaomon by surprise. The beast Digimon fell to the floor in his surprise while Henry simply pushed past him without a care in the world. "I kind of just dozed off out of nowhere and-" "Master, what are you doing?" Gaomon asked in a slight panic. He quickly climbed back to his feet and moved himself between his tamer and the others. "Forgive me for stopping you, Master, but we have never seen them before. They could be the reason we are here in the first place." Henry paused and thought about those words for a moment. He had to admit, he was right. "Hey, you guys didn't, like...kidnap me or anything did you?" he decided to bluntly ask. Gaomon simply looked back at his tamer in disbelief. Although he supposed that he should not be so surprised at this point....</s> <\|message\|>Alison Walsh As the elevator finally opened, EBEmon stepped through, with Alison following somewhat cautiously after. Alison soon saw eight other teenagers, all with a Digimon partner, and she felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach. "Oh, wow!" Alison exclaimed, looking at the group. "You were... you were telling the truth!" EBEmon looked at her. If he had had eyebrows, he probably would have raised one. "You doubted me?" he said. "Well, you got to admit, you are kind of shifty-looking," Alison said. "That's kind of rude," Phascomon muttered into her tamer's ear. "Err..." Alison gave EBEmon a nervous grin. "Erm, well, no offense." EBEmon shook his head slightly. "None taken, I suppose," he muttered, taking some steps towards the group of the kids as the elevator doors closed behind them. "Well, it seems everyone is here." He surveyed the group. "Now, I imagine you're all very confused and possibly frightened, but I promise you, you are in no immediate danger, so please calm yourselves down... okay?" Alison raised an eyebrow at this before crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeeeeeeaaaah, that's likely to win 'em over," she muttered sarcastically. Personally, she was still a little bit nervous around EBEmon, but she did her best to hide it, instead waving at the various new tamers. "Yo," she said with a grin. She was talking to all the tamers, but most specifically the ones who were closest to the elevator. "Nice day to wake up with no idea about what the hell is goin' on, innit?" she said casually. "Name's Alison." Phascomon sat up straight on her tamer's shoulder. "I'm Phascomon," she said. She bowed her head to the strangers. "And I apologise if my tamer seems a little too bold."</s> <\|message\|>Alika Hale Alika's mouth still hung open as Falcomon pulled him in to the circle to meet the others. His jaw only fell wider upon looking at Ebemon, as did Falcomon's beak. Ebemon looked like a mix of a movie monster alien, and his computer back home, except 10 times more terrifying and real. He looked liable to strap him and Falcomon to a table and perform experiments on them like Alika saw in that one movie. Hostile? Hotel? He couldn't remember, but the sidetracking was helping him to keep his cool. As the girl, Alison, and her partner, Phascomon, introduced themselves, Alika couldn't help but look to Falcomon and see that she was feeling the exact same wave of confusion that he was. He held up a hand and waved slightly, but was only able to utter a drawn out 'uhhhhhhhhhhh' for a few minutes as his brain attempted to reboot from all the sudden twists and turns being imparted upon it in the past couple of minutes. The Digital World, or the Digital Quartz. The Digivice. Other people with Digimon. Losing his Gameboy. It was all a little much for just a couple of hours. Or minutes. His head was spinning so much that he just couldn't keep track of anything anymore. Falcomon was the first to recover once more, and introduce the two of them. "Uhm, well I'm Falcomon, and this is Alika. He's a bit... out of it at the moment." She looked to the company before hopping to face-level with Alika and waving a wing in front of his face, cooing softly to snap him from his trance. He shook his head softly and waved again, "Y-yeah, I'm Alika. Nice to meet you, I guess?" His speech was stuttered and slow, mind slowing down as he was pushed to talk to the others. He could deal with rationalising the thoughts he was having later, as well as figuring out how they all got there, and why it was them that were there. For now, it was just a joy to be alright and with Faye. And out of the storm.</s>	<\|message\|>Daigo Kumon Daigo was neither confused nor frightened. Well, maybe a little confused, but definitely not frightened. If anything he was annoyed, or impatient, it was hard to tell between the two sometimes. He stood there as the robotic being asked them all to calm down. Naturally, he neglected to actually explain anything, which only made Daigo more irritated. By this point he had crossed his arms, his left index finger tapping impatiently on his right forearm while he closed his eyes in contemplation. Soon he heard the voice of a girl introducing herself as Alison, and another following that saying they were Phascomon. Daigo opened his eyes when a Falcomon introduced themselves and their tamer to the group, the tamer himself apparently being too shy to speak up. This was further cemented when the kid stuttered through his introduction a bit. By this point Daigo had lost his patience and pointed threateningly at Ebemon, "Who we are doesn't matter. All I care about is getting out of here, and right now that means talking to you. So start explaining." "Daigo-san, that's-!" Elecmon tried to protest but a quick glare from Daigo silenced him. "He's Ebemon, I know. One of the more powerful Digimon in existence if the stats for him are any indication. He's also responsible for the emails." said Daigo with a glance around at everyone, "Isn't that right... EBE?"</s>