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<\|description\|>Elizabeth Moon. Liz for short @JELDare Photo: Age: 19 Gender: Female Abilities: Able to transform her body into a body of water. In this form she can control bodies of water without spells at all and at faster speed then most specialized water mages. This mastery of the water element does have some weaknesses. She can not control any magic until she turns into her water form which requires a chant for focus. In her water form she is also weak to certain elements like ice and lightning in exchange for a large resistance to physical attackers. How you could work in a team: A mix of most elements in a team. In her water form she can use water both offensively in the form of whips and concentrated water blasts and defensively by creating high pressure water barriers that would slash flesh which would make contact with it. Liz can also be a decent front line defensive against physical attackers who can do little damage but would not be able to take this role against element attackers. Personality: Cheerful and outgoing most of the time, Liz tries to talk and get along with everyone she meets though has given up with some people or those who have upset people she cares about. She is also quite hard working on her magic training trying to work on her water control most of the time. History: Grew up on a small isolated island somewhere out in the ocean, she never reveals quite where when people asks. The people on the island saw how Liz had at a young age had a strong connection to magic, back then she could use all the main elements of magic though she was always strongest at water. Though one day something changed when the village did something to her permanently sealing away all other elemental magic apart from water and giving her the new form she can enter. There is more to it but I don't want to go into it right now. Other: Shes left handed and loves chocolate.</s> <\|message\|>Deus Ira Deus Deus smiled, as he felt his body was being removed from Space-Time itself. He vomited blood. "It's better of If.....I never existed in the first place.....That way, My parents would never have had to get killed....I don't care about power....or knowledge......I don't care if you have walked the Path of Destruction, If you walked the Path of Destruction.....Then I walked the Path of Revenge.....You have it lucky...You have Power...Friends...Haha...." Deus made the Black Hole dissapear. More like it was forced to. "You....may think that....I'm just a child taking....My anger out on the world...maybe you are correct, But If I dont take it out on someone, then....I'll just end up killing myself in the process..." A dark Aura began to come from Deus's body. Deus screamed in agony as he felt his body burning and melting away. But that wasn't going to stop him, he'll endure the pain, just like he has always had to. Chase's abilities and memories had returned to her. Deus's eyes began to change to a grey color. He grew some small horns and a tail. He screamed in agony again from the Melting and Burning sensation and from the transformation. He then began to speak to his teammates telepathically. Guys, I bought you some time, she won't be able to use her powers for 2 minutes, give it all you've..... go..t. Deus blacked out, but in the spot, another figure appeared. It was still Deus's body, but there were some differences. first he had horns and a tail. And second he had A Dark Aura that would make anyone want to walk away. Ara, Ara. So he finally decided to use me. Merlin was right, I guess. But I don't even have half of my original powers, He's still not ready...This sensation..this carnage he feels..It feels great!" --- Cornelia "So the attack didn't work, Ot course it didn't, I mean we are talking about one of the greatest magicians who ever lived." Cornelia bowed down to the Mahoushi. "My name is Cornelia Gamma. The reason I attacked you was for fun, just to see how much stronger I had become in the span of I don't know how long. Now you expect me to say spare me or something, Hahahah." Cornelia smirked, after she sensed that Aura. It was Lucificus alright. Deus had unlocked his seal, but he wasn't as powerful as when he was alive. Yara, Yara...Deus is willing to go this for just for a stupid sparring match, Honestly that Kid seriously never learns does he...Well them Missus Mahoushi, care for a spar?"</s> <\|message\|>Ryan Alon @TheHangedMan Ryan wanted to yell as everyone started using their strongest attacks. If it weren't for the several containment spells put up to prevent destruction, they would've destroyed the school AGAIN by now. He heard Mutt, but decided to ignore him in favor of making sure nobody died. He heard Deus and a psychopathic grin appeared on his face. "Alrighty then, let's get this show on the road! Grimoire Art: The Judgement!" Ryan's entire body glowed as a heavenly warrior formed around him. He drew his sword which had amplified to a massive size along with himself and swung it at Chase. The sword was made out of Light Magic making it extremely powerful. Even if it didn't hit, it would send a massive shockwave towards Chase, which would be almost impossible t dodge. Add on to the fact that Light Magic only hurt who Ryan wanted to hurt and he didn't have to worry about friendly fire.</s> <\|message\|>Sol Sol grinned, well it seemed now was as good a time as any. Maybe they could "win" this afterall. All or nothing time, "Secret Wind Art: Gungnir!" Sol shouted as the swirling winds hyper condesned into the form of a spear. The weapon emitted a fericous amount of power and within the spear itself one could see winds rotating vicisouly. Sol hurled the spear foward directly at Chase, a loud BOOM echoing as the weapon raced through the air. Sol quickly drew power from the runes closest to Chase, if she was somehow going to dodge then it was going to be very far away so it wouldn't trigger these ones. This time he was clearly gathering time magic as the air around him began rippling and warping unevenly, he had to make sure Chase stayed where she was or the whole thing was pratically pointless.</s> <\|message\|>Meruin Hazy & @floodtalon & @BranchOfSin & @Dash375 & @Slendy Overwhelming power. That was what was being sent towards Chase right now. In a different context, this would mean nothing, for Chase was an existence above overwhelming power, and should she choose feel like it, breaking even the powers sent at her would take but a flick of her wrists. However, Chase had all but promised them that they would have a shot at winning. She would limit herself and be patient. She would test them to their utmost, and see if she could teach them what it meant to hold power. That was her purpose - Reina might be a better teacher, but that does not mean that Chase cannot impart wisdom every now and then. While trapped in the sphere of earth, Chase could still feel the world outside. Despite her limiting herself, she was still the Embodiment of Destruction, so naturally everything that fell under her purview was open for her to see. She could see the powers aimed at her, their will to destroy her coming from behind every charge, she could feel the blood-lust rolling of Deus in waves as he surrendered his body to the demon within him. She looked upon all of them and sighed in disappointment. Not a single one had learned a lesson. As her prison of earth exploded with the force of four elements, Ryan's sword bore down on her, accompanied by the crescendo of Sol's wind. 'Very well. I suppose it's time to outline the lesson for this day,' thought Chase. Explosions rocked her place in the sky, and for a moment, there was nothing but dust in the air. When the dust settled, there stood Chase, her expression sorely disappointed and completely unharmed. "Chase Asu Du Morgan, Third Tier Art: Redirection Of Mass Destruction," she said loudly enough for them to hear. "It's not a fire spell, so it was something quite readily available to me despite you draining me of my abilities, or did you think in the long time I had lived plus the knowledge I had gained amounted to only fire spell?" She shook her head, not bothering to explain further. She ignored the time being warped around her and stared at Deus. "You, boy, if you can here me, then let me say now: I am very, very annoyed with you." "Path of Revenge? I'm lucky? What in the world is that supposed to mean, boy? Are you so immature as to actually think that your small, insignificant lifespan is able to compare to mine? No matter how painful or tragic your past is, it is nothing compared to what I have had to experience in the years of my life. This is not arrogance, it is nothing but cold, hard facts. The death of your family means nothing to the world at large, and certainly means nothing to me. It means much to you, and that is how it should stay - don't go and push that burden unto other people." Chase said all this to the Demonic Deus in a calm manner. What he had become didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. Of course it wouldn't. The enemies she faced on a daily basis to kill time where far more terrifying . . . not to mention nigh undecipherable. Compared to avatars that embodied insanity and the end of existence itself, a being that could be understood, reasoned with even, was never going to shake Chase, no matter how powerful it was. She swept her eyes across the field, her gaze piercing into everyone. She was no longer smiling. "I am sorely disappointed in you all. A waste of talent, the lot of you, even you, Meruin. I can feel you assembling your spell no matter where you hide, and you know I can shoot you down from there," she said, staring into the distance. "Now, I am nothing if but merciful to children, so I will give you another chance. Come." --- Reina regarded Cornelia coldly. "I expect nothing from a rude child that attacks without introducing herself first. In the same manner that you would not expect anything from me, including mercy." Suddenly and without warning, barriers of every kind sprung to life. The earth at Conrelia's feet shot up and enclosed her entire body, before becoming a strange, silver material that hurt to look at. It was an alien metal, not something that could possibly exist, and yet here it was. It was a metal stronger than any alloy on earth, immune to spells, that could regenerate from damage in the blink of an eye, and prevented energy from being released around it. In the next second, no less than a billion magical barriers formed around Cornelia. Each barrier had the physical durability of a planet, and were similarly resistant to magic, and each of them had a property that made them exist out of time and space, effectively becoming perpetual and unmovable through any means. They also protected each other, like cogs working in a grand gear, and could not be absorbed or changed by anyone other than the caster. All of this in less than three seconds, and Reina had done it with nothing but a look. "Chase is disgruntled, so there is bound to be an interesting occurrence soon. I will observe it, then deal with you afterwards," said Reina dismissively.</s> <\|message\|>Sol Sol was somewhat disgruntled. How in the nine were they supposed to beat her if she could if she could redirect any of their attacks effortlessly? Well perhaps he could try to take a page out of her book, she was still human right? And it simply wouldn't be possible for her to generate oxygen; after all she specialized in destruction not creation. Perhaps a long shot but it seemed direct force was pointless. Storing the charged magic he had for now in case he needed a rewind, he began his next trick. Activating the circle of runes that were prepared along the edge of the barrier a sudden surge of magic appeared. All the air, specifically the oxygen in the air began moving. Sol grabbed, with the help of the prepared runes, all the air in the area and removed it. Now Chase should both be unable to use a majority of her fire magic or at least have its effects dampened and suffer from oxygen deprivation. Sol of course could directly fill his lungs with oxygen so it wasn't a problem for him; he did the same for his allies hoping that this trick would have some affect on her. Perhaps attempting to use destruction on the empress of it was not such a wise idea</s> <\|message\|>Cornelia Gamma Deus [Lucifer] "Really Merlin, Is every single Magician just like you? A bit arrogant aren't we Magician? You speak of knowlegde when I am most likely older than you and have more knowledge than you. I was there when God had created this Universe. My powers may be gone, But I can still Fight." Lucifer said. He then resumed talking. "Also You shouldn't underestimate the Potential of these Young Ones, for all you know, They could have already planned out their moves just like in a game of chess. Giving them a second chance was a horrible choice, because now, they have something to fight for.." Lucifer said and then sighed. "I really am bad at Motivational Speeches like these aren't I, Sigh." Lucifer turned to the children. He laughed seeing their Auras. These kids, they just might be able to win if they were at their prime..Of course, I can unlock their potential, but that would be boring now wouldn't it. Lucifer then looked back up at Chase and sighed. He then walked away, wanting to spectate the fight, more than take part in it. "I'll be watching" --- Cornelia "Missus Reina was it? I suggest you don't turn your back on an opponent, That could be your downfall, Also before I do this, I just want to remind you that this is not Magic, So I'm pretty sure this Ability would work on these things." Cornelia said as a wide grin appeared on her face. Having the Power of Subjective Manipulation, equaled having Space Time Manipulation powers. So she was able to do the following. "Event Negate." Everything that just happened, never happened. This Ability can negate any sort if event, whether it's outside of Space Time, or inside of it. Cornelia could have also used Subspace Travel to get out of there, but that would've ended in her demise. She looked at Reina. "See what did I tell you?"</s>	<\|message\|>Elizabeth Moon. Liz for short (Why is this happening now! REVENGE!) "Heh, arrogant as ever." Liz chuckled struggling to stay awake as she looked over at Chase "I planned to use that spell when you were at your strongest, you can stop it with a fraction of your strength? Nice dream." She spoke and coughed at the end. "World creation, they say back when this world was created by using the 4 different elements coming together and the remaining energy formed the elemental which now roam this earth they created. This is the only spell I can use in this form, a small recreation of this event with you at its core with only one condition, the spell keeps reforming until one of two things happen, I die, or the core of the new world is destroyed without a single trace left! That core became you the first time you got trapped!" Liz shouted in triumph as the same 4 elements started to surround Chase again "You will run out of magic before you give up your pride and go back on your word to not kill me.!"</s>
<\|description\|>Aery Okay, I lied, I'll do this now. I'm going to be posting more characters as time goes on; for now, just this one. Age: 17 Gender: Female Race: Human, albeit a little bit different than humans today. Appearance: Aery has fair, unblemished skin, curly dark brown hair, and bright blue-green eyes. If one looks closely at her eyes, she has tiny gold circuit-board patterns implanted in them that enable her to look at anything and magnify it as far as she wants to, or get a panorama view on anything. Covering her right arm and shoulder and spiraling up the right side of her face are more circuit-board patterns, these ones containing memories of every scientific research database ever uploaded to the intergalactic networks. Special abilities/skills/Powers: She has a photographic memory and can write extraordinarily fast, but nothing really special per se. And she doesn't believe in specialness anyway; rather everyone gets the same amount of potential and the harder you train the more of that potential becomes actuality. Position on ship: Scientist Backstory: Aery spent her whole life up to this point on Kalos, an only child of two adoring, if a little bit overly academic, parents. She's spent thirteen years studying xenobiology (life science of "aliens") and chemistry. When Charlie offered her the opportunity to go with him to explore the cosmos, she took it with glee. Now she could see and interact with these other species that she'd only ever read about in her textbooks. Other: n/a</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery went to brush past Charlie to get to the science lab, having already scarfed an energy bar. She frowned as she passed him and came back to look at what he was tinkering with. "Charlie, god in heaven, you've got to eat something or you'll starve yourself." She poked him in the ribs none too gently. "No meat on your bones as is. What's so interesting that you had to skip breakfast?" She waved an energy bar in his face.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie he would grunt and look at Aery and sigh rolling his eyes "someone has to keep the ship running" he says "so what if that makes me not eat breakfast"</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery would unwrap the granola bar and stuff it into Charlie's mouth. "If you die of starvation, I'm screwed, because I don't have any idea of how to run this thing. You tend the ship, I tend to you and to my experimental projects."</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie would stumble back coughing and hacking, then look at her "...don't just try to shove something down my throat" he says with a cough "that's not how you 'tend' to someone either" he sighs shaking his head at her "that's just how you choke someone" he groans and rubs back of his head "i'll try to eat more alright, I guess I just get to focused on my job"</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery rolled her eyes. "You would have just thrown the granola bar away and said you'd eaten it if I hadn't just stuffed it into your mouth. But seriously, eat that before you get back to tinkering." She would brush past him, headed back to her lab. And then she nearly had a heart attack. Standing on top of one of her experiments, studying the terrarium intently... Aery blinked to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. A tiny girl with... wings? Dragonfly wings. Stood on one of Aery's terrariums, studying the butterfly inside. "Okay, who are you?" Aery asked, reaching for the butterfly net that she kept in her lab lest one of her charges get loose. The girl giggled. "Does it matter?" "Yes, it does." "My name is Antikythera. Most call me Kiki for the sake of their tongues." She giggled, flapping her wings and flying up to Aery's head height. "Okay...? Kiki, then. Why the hell are you here, in my lab?!" "To help you. Or rather, to help my people, and to help you in the process. You're a xenobiologist, right? Well, here I am, an example of another sentient organism. I'm a Lilliputian, if you must know. And I'm not going to leave you alone, Aery." "Wha... You know my name." Aery said it very calmly, her hands trembling. Very calmly, very slowly, she left the laboratory to go find Charlie. "Hey, Charlie, what would you do if I told you that there is a Lilliputian girl who has cybernetic wings in my laboratory, who happens to know my name? Purely hypothetically speaking." Her face had gone pale and she was clutching her holographic drawing tablet so hard that her knuckles were white. She was absolutely terrified of the little tiny girl.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie would be taking a bite of the bar while at a console in the engineer bay. he'd look towards Aery "..well I wouldn't do to much" he says "sense it's mostly pointless.. they are fairly harmless because of their size, so most people will either help them if they need anything, or just ignore them" he states "though normally you can't ignore them.. they may be more or less harmless but they can be annoying... and judging by your face, and hands.. this isn't hypothetical..." he sighs.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery nods. "Yes... There is one of them in my laboratory and she knows my name and I've never even seen her before... Did you know how good their cybernetics program is? This girl has wings that look like saran-wrap and wire, but they move just like a part of her body..." She laughed despite herself. "Already looking at it like a scientist, aren't I? Oh well. At least they're mostly harmless, so I can let her help me in the lab without worrying about her stabbing me with a neurotoxin or something." She grins at Charlie and heads back to her lab, to see the Lilliputian girl dancing around with a pencil on a sheet of paper, writing down observations about the creatures and plants that Aery keeps. Aery looks closer; the notes are formatted in exactly the same way she always formats them. Without pausing in her twirling, the lilliputian girl says, "I thought you would like some help. I can be useful around here, you know. I wouldn't be able to look out for Charlie, but since you're so good at that, I can take care of at least this part of the science-y things." Aery's hand balled up into a fist, her circuit-patterned nails digging into her palm. This girl... So arrogant... And she'd probably had to have been watching for weeks or months, in order to learn so much about Aery. Very quietly the girl asked, "Where have you been hiding?" And the lilliputian laughed. "In the air filtration ducts, where else?"</s> <\|message\|>Charlie "well all to their own" he says chuckling as she left and shrugs then goes back to snacking and working, humming slightly... as suddenly the gravity shuts off "ah shit.." he says as he starts to float off the floor.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery groaned inwardly, already propelling herself towards the fishtank. She only kept them to see the effects of space-travel on aquatic organisms, and at times like this they were definitely more of a hindrance than of benefit. She slammed the lid on tightly, slowing the leakage of water, even as Kiki came hurtling out of nowhere with duct tape. Aery taped the lid in place and then let go, dodging a few other animal crates. She checked to make sure her biospheres, softball-sized globes with miniature ecosystems and miniature creatures inhabiting them, were safely secured to their stands, and then she propelled herself down the hall with the handholds scattered around for just that purpose. She saw Charlie floating in a cloud of tools and sighed, gathering up screws and bits of wire lest they impale themselves in anyone's eyes. "Why'd the gravity turn off?" She asked. "Did I catch my foot on the wire again or something? I swear I've been careful."</s> <\|message\|>Charlie he looks to her then chuckles at what she says, him having his legs crossed as if in a sitting position "well either something hard enough hit us to jolt the system off.. or the gravity generator is on it's last legs" he states.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery frowned. "Either way that's a bad thing. Why'd we get this dinghy anyway? We knew it was old and about ready to be retired." She giggled rather insanely and shoved the piles of screws and wire bits that she was clutching into a random toolbox. She too crossed her legs, only to curse as a sound of clanging erupted from down the hallway and Kiki was dragged in by Aery's canary. "Aery, the blasted birds figured out how to get out of their cages!" She let go and was flung into a wall face-first, to come bouncing off right into Charlie. "Sorry!" she squeaked in her overly high-pitched voice. Aery sorted out the bird dilemma, strapping each terrarium to the wall, and reorganized her notes and pinned them to clipboards (rather than leaving them strewn all over as she usually did) and floated back in to chatter with Kiki and Charlie. Her hair floated in a cloud around her head; in exasperation she yanked it back behind her head into a loose braid and tied it off with a spare silicone band.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie chuckles shaking his head "not sure how they can fly so well in zero gravity.. sense there is no air to push off on." he says "..we bought this because it's only thing we could afford.. it's lasted for a few months enough for us to get enough money to get it repaired enough to last longer.. we need a big job if we want a new ship." he states.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery rolled her eyes. "No, you idiot. It's zero gravity, not zero pressure. The vessel is airtight so it will hold air in, and the air molecules are bouncing around randomly since they have no "down" onto which to orient themselves. How could we breathe if there was no air? And we could have waited for three more months and bought the next size one up. As it is, based on our relativistic speeds versus the earth-clock, at our next stop my savings account will have increased to approximately 30 times the amount that was there before, and I had a fairly substantial sum to start with, having saved up for xenobiologer school. Using just my money we could probably get a nicer ship than this."</s> <\|message\|>Charlie he sighs "yet again you take what I say wrong" he shakes his head "think about it.. try to move like a bird sense we can 'fly' now.. you would barely move at all, because there is no friction in which to push yourself against, because there is no gravity to allow air to have friction, unless you push off something it's very hard to move" he states then shakes his head "and not really, I would of probably lost my money" he states "besides we had to leave quick or be stuck there for a lot longer than a few months" he looks to the console and taps on it looking at a few things "...ya it looks like the gravity unit is failing pretty bad, have to manually check on the damage or if it's just done." he says.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery sighs too. "Okay, here: Define friction. Friction is the rubbing together of atoms. There's still atoms of air bouncing around, so thus there's still friction. Gravity has no bearing on friction whatsoever. Also..." She used her circuit-memory to bring up several documents on flight in space and brought them up on her holo-tablet. Articles ike this one and passed it to Charlie to let him scroll through it. Kiki floats over to the control panel, chasing the wiring around inside. She can't believe what she finds on the gravity unit. It is horribly corroded, rusted entirely through in spots. She follows the wires out and pokes her head back up out of the opening in the circuit board. "The gravity drive is pretty much useless. It's rusted through and corroded in so many spots that it's a wonder it ever worked at all."</s> <\|message\|>Charlie he looks at Aery and groans some her not at all understanding what he is saying, then looks at kiki "....that is just the control panel" he states "..the gravity unit is else ware" he sighs.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery rolls her eyes too. "Okay, you know what, I'm just going to go pretend that I'm doing something useful and keep programming my labyrinth holo-game." She hurries back to her lab and pulls herself against the bunk that usually serves as her bed and cries over people not understanding her scientific-ness. And then laughs hysterically watching the teardrops bouncing around in the zero-gravity. Kiki titters at Charlie and zips out the door, into the lab, only to get hit full in the face by a flying teardrop. She goes bouncing back out into the hallway, twittering in Lilliputese at the stupidity of the human race.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie he sighs.. then would go down the railing to a different part of the ship.. and gets to work.. very quickly soon comes out of there and has a switch in his hand, and heads down the hallway to the lab thinking '...all I was saying was basic things and she just keep going super scientific on me...' still floating kicking off the wall to move.</s>	<\|message\|>Aery Aery, done crying for the moment, (crying really hurts in null-gravity, after all!) pushes off the bed and goes to check on her biospheres. Havoc is being wreaked on them, as in the Forest biome the contents of the lake has floated up and treed the birds, and the deer and fish are trying to swim in the air. The aquatic globe is okay, but the fish are bouncing around all over the place. For whatever reason, the globes terribly amuse her, how disordered they all are. Kiki, after realizing there are no more flying teardrops, comes zooming in chattering at Aery in a mixture of Common and Lilliputese. "You know, you can't take everything he says personally, or you're going to be in here bawling your eyes out more often than actually out there. Are you going to make observations on your creatures now, or are you going to keep skulking?" Aery giggles. "Thanks, Kiki. Oh, that reminds me. We should rig up a place for you to sleep." "Consider it done." Antikythera flies into the tiny gap underneath Aery's cot. Aery keeps it mostly full of boxes of stuff, but there is a small opening that could serve as a little bunk for Kiki. "I lined it with scraps of cloth from when you had to take in Charlie's clothing the last time. And from when you had to take in your own shirts." Aery sighed and started typing observations into her holopad. While she was doing it, she might as well digitize her data from the last week, and get rid of all the papers that were floating around on clipboards.</s>
<\|description\|>Aery Okay, I lied, I'll do this now. I'm going to be posting more characters as time goes on; for now, just this one. Age: 17 Gender: Female Race: Human, albeit a little bit different than humans today. Appearance: Aery has fair, unblemished skin, curly dark brown hair, and bright blue-green eyes. If one looks closely at her eyes, she has tiny gold circuit-board patterns implanted in them that enable her to look at anything and magnify it as far as she wants to, or get a panorama view on anything. Covering her right arm and shoulder and spiraling up the right side of her face are more circuit-board patterns, these ones containing memories of every scientific research database ever uploaded to the intergalactic networks. Special abilities/skills/Powers: She has a photographic memory and can write extraordinarily fast, but nothing really special per se. And she doesn't believe in specialness anyway; rather everyone gets the same amount of potential and the harder you train the more of that potential becomes actuality. Position on ship: Scientist Backstory: Aery spent her whole life up to this point on Kalos, an only child of two adoring, if a little bit overly academic, parents. She's spent thirteen years studying xenobiology (life science of "aliens") and chemistry. When Charlie offered her the opportunity to go with him to explore the cosmos, she took it with glee. Now she could see and interact with these other species that she'd only ever read about in her textbooks. Other: n/a</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu The man smirks. "For a human, that was quite an analysis...however, there are a few things you're forgetting. Hypothetically, if I had let him live and pilot the ship, who's to say he wouldn't have compromised us through a self-destruct sequence? Furthermore, this being a pirate ship, it would more than likely had been targeted and shot down by planetary defense mechanisms or simply raided by other rivaling pirates. In hindsight, he's better off dead. Also, if you wish to speak of a waste of life, what would you call what just happened to his crew-mates, hmm?" He responds, countering with his own theory on what might have gone wrong.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery bites her lip. "We've not actually done anything with them yet. They're still back there struggling against those wires." A choreographed look of shock passes across her face. "Goodness. Since it seems like we're not going to kill each other, yet, anyway, perhaps introductions are in order. I'm Aery. I don't have a surname. This is my friend Charlie. Similarly, no surname." "My name is Antikythera Reluken." The Lilliputian girl zips in, hovering just over Aery's shoulder on her magnificent circuit-board wings. Aery raises an eyebrow at her. The mini girl raises one back. "Anyway, what's your name? And your occupation, since you are so clearly... In control... of this situation?"</s> <\|message\|>Charlie he would raise an eyebrow at the man and get slightly annoyed "..what are you even doing here" he states.</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu @olcharlieboi (I'm moving the location of his mark down a notch, considering he's wearing gloves.) All of these questions accompanied by Charlie's annoyed tone simply causes the man to chuckle, running his right hand through his hair, revealing what to some may seem like an abnormal tattoo on his right arm. "A human, Cybertronian, and a Lilliputian...what a ragtag group. The name's Hibatsu. Let's just say that I do what I can to get by. It was my job to hunt these imbeciles down. It seems you've made things easier for me...I have a proposal for you. Allow me to hitch a ride on your ship, and I'll cut you a portion of my paycheck. Judging by how pirates of this stature were able to board your ship so easily, it would seem it's in need of dire repair...whaddya say? Do we have a deal?" He inquires. Of course, if they were to decline his offer for whatever reason, it would be certain that this exchange would not end well.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery raises her eyebrows. "We need a more concrete deal than that. For one thing. The cargo and spare parts of this ship. What is to be done with them? Also, the other pirates. What will be done with them? And finally. And most importantly. How can we know we can trust you?"</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie nods "my partner makes a good point how about answering" he states, already sensing any tools and weapons on the man, and using his Nanites to disable them</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu @olcharlieboi "Tch..you're a human through and through alright. Always so inquisitive. No matter. I suppose I'll enlighten you further. Everything on this ship is in my possession. Ergo, if you were to assist me, I'm willing to give you a portion of what's aboard this vessel. The ship itself, however, as a part of my job, will have to be disposed of. In regards to the remaining pirates, my employer requires them to be dead. It seems I'll have to finish what you started. As for trusting me...only you can decide that. Nothing I say will be able to convince you otherwise. I'm more accustomed to settling matters with force anyhow...now then, if you'll excuse me, I have some pirates to kill.." With that being said, he simply walks past the trio, heading towards the remaining of the ship's crew. As Charlie searches for any sort of weapon or tool on Hibatsu, he realizes that the man has been unarmed this whole time.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie "...well then to bad for you.. they'll already out of your reach" he states, as he has already sent them away on a life pod.. heading directly to a prison planet, "and your probably in worse location to threaten us" he says, as he has full control of their surroundings, prepared to defend them if need be, and more.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery raised her eyebrows. "Well, since we've got nothing better to do. We may have to tow our ship behind this one, however, since it was in rather rocky condition to start with and it did just get jostled pretty badly." She grins slightly. "So you search my comrade, simply because he looks dangerous, and neither me nor my diminutive assistant?" Not that he'd find anything. "That's biased if I've ever seen anything of the sort. Why do you search us, anyway, if we're going to be... allies?"</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu @RomanAria Hearing everything being said, Hibatsu just sighs, deciding at random to simply sit down and mull over everything that's being directed towards him. "I haven't done so much as breathe in your general direction. You'd seriously consider terminating my offer by threatening where I stand? You don't even know what I'm capable of, let alone my current occupation. If anyone is searching anyone, it's your pal Charlie. I could tell earlier from the look he was giving me that he was utilizing nanites to disable any weapon on my person. However, like I told you before, I prefer to let my fists do the talking in combat." He then shifts his calm amber gaze toward the Lilliputian. "Antikythera Reluken...tell me, from one alienoid species to another, do you deem me trustworthy? Have I done anything to get on the bad side of you or your friends yet?" He inquires, seeming that the Lilliputian's answer may influence him in some way.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie would raise his eyebrow at Hibatsu then looks to his team mates then looks on his data pad as everything in the cargo appears in his data pad "..interesting stuff...... whats this.." he says as he starts walking deeper into the cargo bay.</s> <\|message\|>Aery The tiny girl tilts her head slightly, her wings fluttering. "If you'd have wanted to hurt us, we'd probably be bloodstains on the floor by now." she says, quite matter-of-factly. "I don't trust you, but I don't distrust you either. If that answer is too roundabout, then I'm sorry, but I'm a Lilliputian and that's how I've always talked." Aery facepalms at the idiocy of all of the humanoid creatures surrounding her. "Please forgive my partner's harsh attitude. He's just irritated that someone else has more leverage in this situation than he does. And he has absolutely no diplomatic training whatsoever. We mean no threat, nor any harm to you. Where is your final destination? For if it is the same as ours, we'd be more than glad to bring you along with us." She shoots a warning glare in Charlie's direction.</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu "Thank you, Antikythera. I've worked with your kind before. Therefore, that was the kind of answer I was hoping for." Hibatsu replies to the winged girl in Lilliputian, before swapping back to English to speak with Aery. "Don't worry about it. I've been in similar situations before, so I can understand how he feels. As for my final destination, that would be Nakata." He explains as he stands up, dusting himself off and cracking his gloved knuckles out of a force of habit.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie would be cracking open the crate "...I can't believe one of these are here.." he simply says "wakey wakey .....Tarsona Speeder" he says as a mechanical sound Is heard and something is standing, though unable to see what.. being much taller then all of them... barely able to fit in the cargo bay.</s> <\|message\|>Aery "Charlie, you idiot, what part of "do not disturb" don't you understand?" Aery waved at the side of the box, where bright red paint did indeed mark out the words. "What on earth is that thing, anyway?"</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie would just grin "you really don't know cybertronian tech now do you" he states "my people are the best at making things... this is a Mech bot, named Tarsona Speeder.. these machines have high A.I. so they can think and act on their own. but when needed cybertronians can pilot them... our home planet consist half of machines of different types and half of organics..." he says "if I bothered I could go into bio-engineering without to much trouble, in my blood after all" he says with a chuckle "this is a special model.. the first of the design... a leader type...." he says "Named after it's creator, and the name of it's class of machines" he states.</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu "Hmph. You Cybertronians and your toys have always been a damn nuisance...despite this one being a leader type, they go down just as easy as the rest. It's the swarms you've got to watch out for." Hibatsu remarks, eyeing the mech warily despite his recently given opinion. On ground, they were easy pickings. In a close-quarters starship...he has yet to experience such a fight. Personally, he'd rather not have to at this given moment.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie and the machine would look towards Hibatsu "you must of never fought a combat type class" he says "..This is a speeder class, one made for combat and she can hear you... so I'd watch what you say" he states. "say that after fighting one of the combat oriented machines we have... heck just look at the behemoth class and you'd probably crap your pants" he states then looks back at the data pad "hm.." he thinks to him self wondering why she is here.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery and Kiki, having been left behind at a pile of crates packed with various textbooks, heard the boy's voices raised and exchanged looks, quickly picking their way around the crates to get to the boys. "Um. Why did you wake it... Sorry, her. Why did you wake her. Why not just leave them asleep until we get back to Nakata...?"</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie looked at them "because she is alive just like us and deserves to be awake and not shut down like an object" he says to them then looks up at the machine. She would look at Charlie and a Sweet Female voice comes out "thank you for wakening me... I've been stuck here for some time... some people blindsided me and my crew.... and that is last thing in my memory banks.." she tells them.</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu "Tch, it'll take a lot more than some machine to scare me. I didn't get where I am now by hiding in fear." The man responds, glaring at both Charlie and the female mech-bot. He would have even gone as further as pointing out how she had failed to prevent these pirates from taking out her crew and somehow shutting her down altogether. However, Hibatsu felt it was a waste of breath, so he kept his mouth shut about it for now.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie He would shake his head at Hibatsu then look back to the machine "i see... and Tarsona is more powerful then you think, she has special functions rest of her class doesn't have" he states and would then look back at the data pad "hm.... lets see what else is here... o ya Tarsona your welcome to join us for aslong as you wish until you want to return back home" he says looking up with a smile then walks off. Tarsona would nod then glance at hibatsu before moving around slightly in the cargo bay.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery would look up at the mech. "Excuse my forwardness, but would you permit me to analyze your circuitry patterns? I promise it will be non-invasive. I've just never met one of your kind before, Lady Tarsona."</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Tarsona would look at Aery "...you do realize in the terms of other races... you pretty much just asked to see me naked" she states to Aery</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu Still steaming over Charlie and his new companion, Heat simply punches a nearby wall out of anger, making a visible indent. He then walks off, deciding to try and calm himself before he did something to the mech that he might regret. Being an angry human is one thing. That doesn't even compare to Hibatsu's rage. However, matters definitely could have been worse had he decided to treat the now quartet of crew members as any other hostile force that got in his way.@RomanAria@olcharlieboi</s>	<\|message\|>Aery Aery would blush at the comment. "Well, I never said I was a very diplomatic individual, now did I?" She would ask, trying to conceal how mortified she was. "I'm just a scientist. It's in my nature to be coarse and unfeeling." Kiki saw out of the corner of her eye Hibatsu storming off. Not knowing what to do about Aery trying to pass as uncaring and unfeeling, she followed after Hibatsu. She saw him punch the wall and frowned, fluttering her wings absently. "Why do you so physically express your anger?" she asked. "Why not confront them about it?"</s>
<\|description\|>Hilda Age: 24 Civil clothes: Her civil clothes consist of loose fitting clothing(Cotton blouses, leather trousers, etc.), usually to make her look more masculine than she is. With loose clothing the girl is able to conceal her gender, or at least look androgynous. Thief clothes: In her thief clothes, Hilda wears a thick iron breastplate revealing her abdomen and a pair of tight fitting leather pants for easy mobility. Her upper torso(Arms, etc) is where the most armor is found. Weapon: Rapier, close combat axe, pocket knife Tools: Twine, Smoke Bombs, Poison Bio: TBA Other: Usually quite silent and brooding.</s> <\|message\|>puzle accepted. Kalardia's capital city, Ivek. Night was started to fall once again over Ivek, some stars were already visible and the streets started to get crowded, the people could enjoy the fresh air of the night after a hot day of work, the merchants took this opportunity to make more money and so lowered the price of their products, children ran across the streets playing hide-and-seek or with balls made of leather while some adults yelled at them worried they may cause an accident. The guards looked at everyone who passed by suspiciously. Hotarubi was in the square, leaning against a tree, with a sweet smile on her face she watched the children play without worries. "I'd love to see everyone was this happy..." She told herself, watching children play was what she enjoyed the most, however there was a job to do that night, Hotarubi was wearing her thief clothes under her kimono, ready for the mission, but was not the time yet.</s> <\|message\|>Crow. Deep inside of one of Kalardia's most grandest towers, a cloaked shadow moved swiftly in the twinkling moonlight. There was nothing on his form to make him noticeable, although his face - grim, scowling, and slightly symboled was evident. A length of parchment - a document written in golden ink - was skillfully folded and placed within a hidden pouch on his leg. As he dashed passed a guard, the cloaked shadow suddenly leaped up like a crow, disappearing out of the Tower's top floor without a sound. If one looked up at the night-sky, they would see a long, sharp, dark purple and black crow gliding through the air. A bit more concentration would show that the giant crow was, in fact, a human.</s> <\|message\|>Hilda Hilda let out a small huff as she carried a hefty crate filled with spices. She had been consuming her time all evening with aiding a merchant whom had just received his goods from a foreign country. The young woman usually spent her days as such just to have a small amount of pocket money to roam about with. Though she did receive pay from picking off enemies, she did dabble a little in peasant life to make just a little more for herself and others if needed. "There you are my boy!" The old merchant patted Hilda's back as she set the crate down in front of him. "You've been working hard all day, I hope this isn't troubling." Hild shook her head in reply and wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her cotton blouse. "Here you are, take a little extra for being such a hard worker. You'll be quite a fitting man." The merchant placed a few coins in the palm of the presumed male's hand and wandered back into his shop, leaving Hilda to finish off her day. She shoved the coins into a small leather pouch holstered onto her hip and sauntered off. Her figure had disappeared into a looming spot in the alleyway and just as suddenly her armored silhouette had shimmied up walls and stood up on the roof.</s> <\|message\|>Mason Amer Mason walked quietly down the streets. Her pink kimono felt tights around her but mainly due to her wearing her bright colored fighting gear beneath her kimono. She was heading towards where she had hid the rest of her supplies for the red haired girl had a job to do. She hated her hair being up in it's stupid bun but she did it for the sake of disguise.</s> <\|message\|>Fleur de Antelle Fleur snuck up behind Hilda, before suddenly clasping the woman's shoulder. "Busy watching, I see?" Fleur giggled. She was dressed in her thief clothes, with a bag slung across her shoulder. "I just got away with some gold myself. It won't be long before everyone is on alert" Her giggling continued. She had woken up with a spark to do her duty and to make the poor happier. "What have you done today?" She felt in the mood for a good brag, she took a deep breath and stretched.</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad walked through the crowd timing his movement with the rich looking merchant behind him and then suddenly stopped. As soon as the merchant bumped into him Simbad whirled around and got up into his face while simultaneously ripping the mans coin purse from his belt and shoving him. As always the rapid input of pushes left the poor merchant bewildered and totally unaware of his unfortunate loss, "Watch where you're going money bags." Simbad spat at the man disdainfully at the man the weapon at his belt keeping the man from arguing and walked away leaving him confused and a bit less wealthy. He quickly turned down an alleyway and looked at the loot he got, more than his usual pulls, this would be able to feed him for at least a couple weeks. As he glanced around he saw the red-headed girl in the pink kimono, Mason was her name, walking somewhere purposefully. Curious to see what she was up to he stalked her carefully keeping someone between them and several feet back.</s> <\|message\|>Evanglina Corter Evanglina leans up against an alleyway near the square. She looks across the way and sees Hotarubi standing there quietly. Evanglina smiles, running her sharpening stone against one of her katanas. Her black wig hair fell in front of her face and she brushes it out of the way furiously. She hates the wig, but she has to keep it on in order to keep her secret. She looks at Hotarubi, waiting for her signal to go whenever she does. Hotarubi is still in her civilian clothing and Evanglina rolls her eyes. She wouldn't stay in her civilian clothing. Not this night at least.</s> <\|message\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Vallyn stared at his own left hand for the longest time, staring at the alabaster skin with a scrutinizing gaze. Every time he looked at his hands, all he saw were bloodstains. His entire life had been spent on revenge, and those around him had suffered fates worse than death. Allies, enemies, passerbies. They all died. The young man had remembered the King collecting him and the others for a task, the building of the guild, three months after his incarceration. "A chance to atone," Vallyn muttered to himself, clasped in the deepest shadows of the sewers. "Though will these acts ever clean these hands of mine?" The thief lamented. Dropping from his perch in the sewer, he landed upon the walkway with practiced grace and made his way towards the ladder. Like a spider, he managed his way up the rungs and slowly, and as silently as he could, removed the lid to the sewer. Propping himself out and quietly replacing the lid, Vallyn hastily made his way to the next shadow and followed it in the utmost silence. There was a job to do, after all.</s> <\|message\|>puzle accepted. From the corner of her eye the petite thief could see Evangelina sharpening her katanas. "Everything is ready..." Hotarubi thought and smiled, the time had come. A royal carriage and wagon could be seen coming slowly, due to all the people on the street,the guards were doing their best trying to keep the crowds away from the carriage and wagon, which was full of gold and jewels. "I have been planning this for a really long time, so there can make any mistake..." Hotarubi used a red string to tight her hair in a high pony tail, this was the signal for Evangelina to lit the fireworks...</s> <\|message\|>Evanglina Corter Evaglina sees the signal and grins, running over to the fireworks near the center of the alleyway. She strikes her sharpening stone once more against her katanas, creating a spark. The sparks hit the fuses of the fireworks and she runs back, watching them go up into the night. The fireworks explode with green and pink sparks, and she looks to the carriage. She sees the horses beginning to freak out and the guards trying to calm them. She smiles again and lights off another batch. She would have to keep this up until the job is done.</s>	<\|message\|>Hilda Hilda turned her head to the side and simply shook her head as Fleur pestered her with boundless energy. "I moved crates and made money..." She mumbled in reply, shrugging her shoulders as she turned her head to stare at the fireworks distraction. "I won't do much tonight... And you, smaller one... What have you done today?"</s>
<\|description\|>Fleur de Antelle Age: 18 Thief clothes: (See Picture) Weapon: Whip Tools: Knife Bio: tbr Not important info: Strong Acrobat</s> <\|message\|>puzle accepted. Kalardia's capital city, Ivek. Night was started to fall once again over Ivek, some stars were already visible and the streets started to get crowded, the people could enjoy the fresh air of the night after a hot day of work, the merchants took this opportunity to make more money and so lowered the price of their products, children ran across the streets playing hide-and-seek or with balls made of leather while some adults yelled at them worried they may cause an accident. The guards looked at everyone who passed by suspiciously. Hotarubi was in the square, leaning against a tree, with a sweet smile on her face she watched the children play without worries. "I'd love to see everyone was this happy..." She told herself, watching children play was what she enjoyed the most, however there was a job to do that night, Hotarubi was wearing her thief clothes under her kimono, ready for the mission, but was not the time yet.</s> <\|message\|>Crow. Deep inside of one of Kalardia's most grandest towers, a cloaked shadow moved swiftly in the twinkling moonlight. There was nothing on his form to make him noticeable, although his face - grim, scowling, and slightly symboled was evident. A length of parchment - a document written in golden ink - was skillfully folded and placed within a hidden pouch on his leg. As he dashed passed a guard, the cloaked shadow suddenly leaped up like a crow, disappearing out of the Tower's top floor without a sound. If one looked up at the night-sky, they would see a long, sharp, dark purple and black crow gliding through the air. A bit more concentration would show that the giant crow was, in fact, a human.</s> <\|message\|>Hilda Hilda let out a small huff as she carried a hefty crate filled with spices. She had been consuming her time all evening with aiding a merchant whom had just received his goods from a foreign country. The young woman usually spent her days as such just to have a small amount of pocket money to roam about with. Though she did receive pay from picking off enemies, she did dabble a little in peasant life to make just a little more for herself and others if needed. "There you are my boy!" The old merchant patted Hilda's back as she set the crate down in front of him. "You've been working hard all day, I hope this isn't troubling." Hild shook her head in reply and wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her cotton blouse. "Here you are, take a little extra for being such a hard worker. You'll be quite a fitting man." The merchant placed a few coins in the palm of the presumed male's hand and wandered back into his shop, leaving Hilda to finish off her day. She shoved the coins into a small leather pouch holstered onto her hip and sauntered off. Her figure had disappeared into a looming spot in the alleyway and just as suddenly her armored silhouette had shimmied up walls and stood up on the roof.</s> <\|message\|>Mason Amer Mason walked quietly down the streets. Her pink kimono felt tights around her but mainly due to her wearing her bright colored fighting gear beneath her kimono. She was heading towards where she had hid the rest of her supplies for the red haired girl had a job to do. She hated her hair being up in it's stupid bun but she did it for the sake of disguise.</s>	<\|message\|>Fleur de Antelle Fleur snuck up behind Hilda, before suddenly clasping the woman's shoulder. "Busy watching, I see?" Fleur giggled. She was dressed in her thief clothes, with a bag slung across her shoulder. "I just got away with some gold myself. It won't be long before everyone is on alert" Her giggling continued. She had woken up with a spark to do her duty and to make the poor happier. "What have you done today?" She felt in the mood for a good brag, she took a deep breath and stretched.</s>
<\|description\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Age: 23 Civil clothes: Thief Clothing (see bottom) Thief clothes: He tends to wear leather armor lined with chainmail and a long dark cloak. He also tends to wear a long red scarf. Weapon: Long sword Tools: Lockpicking tools, daggers, razor wire Bio: TBR Not important info: Swift and acrobatic, excellent with a sword and dagger, natural pickpocket, and incredibly stealthy.</s> <\|message\|>puzle accepted. Kalardia's capital city, Ivek. Night was started to fall once again over Ivek, some stars were already visible and the streets started to get crowded, the people could enjoy the fresh air of the night after a hot day of work, the merchants took this opportunity to make more money and so lowered the price of their products, children ran across the streets playing hide-and-seek or with balls made of leather while some adults yelled at them worried they may cause an accident. The guards looked at everyone who passed by suspiciously. Hotarubi was in the square, leaning against a tree, with a sweet smile on her face she watched the children play without worries. "I'd love to see everyone was this happy..." She told herself, watching children play was what she enjoyed the most, however there was a job to do that night, Hotarubi was wearing her thief clothes under her kimono, ready for the mission, but was not the time yet.</s> <\|message\|>Crow. Deep inside of one of Kalardia's most grandest towers, a cloaked shadow moved swiftly in the twinkling moonlight. There was nothing on his form to make him noticeable, although his face - grim, scowling, and slightly symboled was evident. A length of parchment - a document written in golden ink - was skillfully folded and placed within a hidden pouch on his leg. As he dashed passed a guard, the cloaked shadow suddenly leaped up like a crow, disappearing out of the Tower's top floor without a sound. If one looked up at the night-sky, they would see a long, sharp, dark purple and black crow gliding through the air. A bit more concentration would show that the giant crow was, in fact, a human.</s> <\|message\|>Hilda Hilda let out a small huff as she carried a hefty crate filled with spices. She had been consuming her time all evening with aiding a merchant whom had just received his goods from a foreign country. The young woman usually spent her days as such just to have a small amount of pocket money to roam about with. Though she did receive pay from picking off enemies, she did dabble a little in peasant life to make just a little more for herself and others if needed. "There you are my boy!" The old merchant patted Hilda's back as she set the crate down in front of him. "You've been working hard all day, I hope this isn't troubling." Hild shook her head in reply and wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her cotton blouse. "Here you are, take a little extra for being such a hard worker. You'll be quite a fitting man." The merchant placed a few coins in the palm of the presumed male's hand and wandered back into his shop, leaving Hilda to finish off her day. She shoved the coins into a small leather pouch holstered onto her hip and sauntered off. Her figure had disappeared into a looming spot in the alleyway and just as suddenly her armored silhouette had shimmied up walls and stood up on the roof.</s> <\|message\|>Mason Amer Mason walked quietly down the streets. Her pink kimono felt tights around her but mainly due to her wearing her bright colored fighting gear beneath her kimono. She was heading towards where she had hid the rest of her supplies for the red haired girl had a job to do. She hated her hair being up in it's stupid bun but she did it for the sake of disguise.</s> <\|message\|>Fleur de Antelle Fleur snuck up behind Hilda, before suddenly clasping the woman's shoulder. "Busy watching, I see?" Fleur giggled. She was dressed in her thief clothes, with a bag slung across her shoulder. "I just got away with some gold myself. It won't be long before everyone is on alert" Her giggling continued. She had woken up with a spark to do her duty and to make the poor happier. "What have you done today?" She felt in the mood for a good brag, she took a deep breath and stretched.</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad walked through the crowd timing his movement with the rich looking merchant behind him and then suddenly stopped. As soon as the merchant bumped into him Simbad whirled around and got up into his face while simultaneously ripping the mans coin purse from his belt and shoving him. As always the rapid input of pushes left the poor merchant bewildered and totally unaware of his unfortunate loss, "Watch where you're going money bags." Simbad spat at the man disdainfully at the man the weapon at his belt keeping the man from arguing and walked away leaving him confused and a bit less wealthy. He quickly turned down an alleyway and looked at the loot he got, more than his usual pulls, this would be able to feed him for at least a couple weeks. As he glanced around he saw the red-headed girl in the pink kimono, Mason was her name, walking somewhere purposefully. Curious to see what she was up to he stalked her carefully keeping someone between them and several feet back.</s> <\|message\|>Evanglina Corter Evanglina leans up against an alleyway near the square. She looks across the way and sees Hotarubi standing there quietly. Evanglina smiles, running her sharpening stone against one of her katanas. Her black wig hair fell in front of her face and she brushes it out of the way furiously. She hates the wig, but she has to keep it on in order to keep her secret. She looks at Hotarubi, waiting for her signal to go whenever she does. Hotarubi is still in her civilian clothing and Evanglina rolls her eyes. She wouldn't stay in her civilian clothing. Not this night at least.</s>	<\|message\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Vallyn stared at his own left hand for the longest time, staring at the alabaster skin with a scrutinizing gaze. Every time he looked at his hands, all he saw were bloodstains. His entire life had been spent on revenge, and those around him had suffered fates worse than death. Allies, enemies, passerbies. They all died. The young man had remembered the King collecting him and the others for a task, the building of the guild, three months after his incarceration. "A chance to atone," Vallyn muttered to himself, clasped in the deepest shadows of the sewers. "Though will these acts ever clean these hands of mine?" The thief lamented. Dropping from his perch in the sewer, he landed upon the walkway with practiced grace and made his way towards the ladder. Like a spider, he managed his way up the rungs and slowly, and as silently as he could, removed the lid to the sewer. Propping himself out and quietly replacing the lid, Vallyn hastily made his way to the next shadow and followed it in the utmost silence. There was a job to do, after all.</s>
<\|description\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Age: 23 Civil clothes: Thief Clothing (see bottom) Thief clothes: He tends to wear leather armor lined with chainmail and a long dark cloak. He also tends to wear a long red scarf. Weapon: Long sword Tools: Lockpicking tools, daggers, razor wire Bio: TBR Not important info: Swift and acrobatic, excellent with a sword and dagger, natural pickpocket, and incredibly stealthy.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane hissed at the new recruit like a cornered serpent preparing to strike, her teeth, they were even sharp as one, a common trait of elves who became feral. If she wanted to, she could have killed the girl any second and bat not a single eyelash towards it, one slice across the throat would be all it took, but....Hotarubi probably wouldn't appreciate Nira slaying their new members without remorse, also....she must've frightened her a bit too much, judging by the stray tear streaming down her cheek. Without warning Mira caught the tear upon her finger, a peculiar expression to her own face, and gently wiped it away, then ruffling the girl's hair, the mute's gesture of apology. There was a commotion going about the rest of the guild, yet Nirayane paid no mind to it, she was never that close to her guild mates anyways and often, she preferred solitude. Of course she realized it was the fifth of Morning Star, a day...or rather a night many of the wood recognized as Veralyn's, Maiden of the Stag and Goddess of the Hunt. Tonight, for many a seasoned archer, it was the ripe time to display their innate prowess with the bow, for the moon would be full and the forest teeming with life as the heavenly huntress descended from High Alti above unto the trees, drawing her arrow to the sky and signaling the hunt to commence. Nira, she mostly hunted alone, but...perchance this one could join her, first however...she needed to see something. Rather curt of the elf, she snatched the girl's bow from her hand and oddly...sniffed of it. Just as she thought, ash wood, light, malleable, good for an intermediate bow, but Nirayane suspected this girl's skill was above intermediate, and a bow of a thicker, heavier wood may suit her better, something crafted of pine or cedar. Upon further inspection pulling back the drawstring, she also discovered the string was thin and woven of flax fibers. Impressive, but given her experience, she wasn't much a fan of plant fiber. It wasn't thick enough and too much pressure would snap the string in two. She handed the bow back to the girl shaking her head in disapproval of the flimsy weapon, not bad but could be better. She, though not able to speak, told her to stay put, then scurried off to her sleeping quarters in the cistern, stopping at the table everyone had gathered around with the chest of gold coins atop it and setting down the crown she stole in front of Hotarubi with a stern nod. Then, once she returned from her room, clutched in her hand was another bow, crafted by Nira's own two hands from thick, knotted cedar and for the string, only the coarsest fibers of horse and elk hair woven thick with a supple draw weight and enough to send an arrow soaring leagues away. With another curt nod, she set the bow in the girl's hand, a present if you will, for welcoming her to the guild. And though she preferred to hunt alone...perhaps she wouldn't mind taking this one with her. Going back to Hotarubi, she looked her leader dead in the eyes and signed to her a simple message, I'm going hunting and I'm taking the young lass with me. We shall return at yea break of dawn with meat and venison for everyone.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Looking at the bow given to her another tear trickled down her cheek. "Thank you. This... this bow its.. its amazing. i mean just the way it feels is almost magical. Did you make this?"</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad weaved his competently through one of the many paths that led to the thieves guild and tossed a bag of money on the table, "Here's the guild's cut." he said curtly and grabbed a drink and sat down at one of the several tables.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane nodded yes, but her eyebrows furrowed again when she noticed another tear fall from the girl's eye. Strange...why would she be crying? Nirayane was not meaning to offend, she merely offered a better style of bow for the girl to use. Once more she wiped the tear away, and then she brandished her own bow, showing that she too was an archer, though she figured this new one was her equal or perhaps surpassed her a bit, who knew? I have told the others I am going hunting, and I wish for you to come with me. I would love to see your skill with a bow. Is what she would have said if the elven girl could speak, but unfortunately all Nira could do was gesture in some way that made sense....and the only gesture that would make sense was just grabbing the girl(Chloe) by the hand and pulling her towards the exit. No time to waste when the perfect night for a hunt came only every few moons.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "oh my gosh its brilliant. i cant wait to test it out, but i guess thats where we are going." Chloe said pulling up the pure white hood up covering her shiny blond hair which was covering her deep brown eyes. she shouldered the bow and grabbed her quiver as the elf pulled her by the hand</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze They were just about to leave the sanctity of the cistern, until Nirayane paused forgetting something, or rather someone. With a whistle, nearly echoing off every moss covered wall of the hideout, she called to her other hunting companion. The hawk was perched on the table picking at a small rat he caught earlier and was swallowing some of the meaty morsels down his gullet, until he returned with a screech and flapped his wings taking to the air, flying past the other guild members and Hotarubi before landing on Nira's outstretched arm. She scratched Dmitri lightly under his beak and petted his head with a wry smile crossing her lips. Now we can go. A short nod to the other archer and off they went with Nirayane pulling her hood of wolf fur over her head and pushing back her shimmering sapphire hair behind her pointed ears, revealing her eyes of amethyst. There were many ways in and out of the guild's infamous hideaway under Ivek, from just simply dropping into the sewers by one of the many aqueducts and tunnels that bristled and snaked below the cobblestone streets, or for a more discreet approach, there were the few secret entrances spaced about the surrounding forest, and it was through one of these doors Nirayane and the other girl, human no less, emerged from. Aye and how beautiful it was for an evening hunt. The Moon of Veralyn hung high in the sky and the Earth Mother's children were at play through the forest, cute rabbits, squirrels and other tiny creatures frolicking about the grounds covered in dead autumn leaves, but small game they were compared to what Nirayane was out for this night, deer, elk, maybe a moose or two if she was feeling brave, a test of skill it would be to the other archer as well. After all, for Nirayane any could hit a standing target, but the true showing of prowess was chasing a wild beast. Pulling an arrow from her leather quiver and nocking it, she nodded for the other girl to follow her and have her bow ready as well, for in the thick, ephemeral mist of the woods she could hear it from afar, the clip-clopping of hooves...south of them. Tonight, we shall feast upon your bounty, Lady of the Hunt.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Chloe looked at the tracks. "Doe. was here 30 seconds maybe 40 heading south." she pulled arrow from her Hardwood quiver and leant it against the side of the bow ready to fire. she looked to the Elf and made a gesture to look towards the small bush. Chloe was decent at making animal calls and attempted her best do Call. Surprisingly a doe made an appearance near the bush.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane's eyebrow rose quite surprised at the girl's tracking skill. She was a natural at it, and impressed the elven girl, same with the animal call that brought the doe into their presence, the first kill of the night. Ever silent, she stalked their prey through the bushes and thorns, trying to place herself in the ample position to strike, her fingers, sharp, intertwining around the drawstring of her weapon and slowly pulling it back with a fresh arrow nocked. Nira kept her breathing steady, gradually her inhales and exhales becoming shallower until almost no breath at all escaped her lungs and passed her lips by. The doe, proud and majestic as any of the forest creatures, she was bathed in the light of the full moon cascading through the dappled shadows of the trees, her cream white fur seeming to glow almost ethereally in the midst of the thicket of red snowberries of she was nibbling on. Carefully Nirayane rose from a crouched position, closing one eye and zeroing in on her target, and then...she let loose of the arrow and watched as it soared along its path with a snap of the bowstring, almost in slow motion, until it thunked into the meat of the deer, releasing a hurtful yelp before scampering away to safety. Nirayane quickly took off after the escaping animal, the scent of fresh blood upon her nose, but kept back a bit so she didn't end up getting skewered herself by the deadly dart of her hunting companion, plus wishing to see how good of an archer she was.</s> <\|message\|>puzle accepted. "Hehehe yes i did! Did you enjoy the fireworks? they were beautiful! Too bad someone is always so negative and ruins the fun..." Hotarubi said referring to Vallyn. She then continued to play with Nadia's hair "Piggy tails!"</s> <\|message\|>Evanglina Corter Evanglina rolls her eyes at the two girls and says, "Yes. Thanks to me, the one who stole the fireworks and lit them, you actually were able to carry out your plan." She hated not getting credit for being in on the heist, but she tried not to be too bitter about it. The heist was still a success.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "duck" Chloe shouted Firing an arrow over the head of the Elf and piercing the neck of her prey. the doe continued to run for a few seconds before collapsing to the floor. Chloe ran over to inspect the kill. pulling out the arrow from her first kill of the night she cut off its ear and placed it on the floor and began to speak a quiet prayer of thanks to Atremis god of the hunt thanking her for their kill.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nira quickly ducked just as the arrow flew over her, missing her by a fraction of a second, and carefully she lifted her head just to see the beast fallen by an arrow in its neck, not to mention the other stuck in the side. They made their way to the animal, suffering in its final waking moments of pain....so much pain. Atremis? What divine be he? Nirayane thought, nevertheless thanking Veralyn for their prey this night and giving an offering of blood by slitting the doe's neck and petting her softly as she died. May your death not be in vain, O kin of the forest. May your meat give us nourishment and your fur clothe us from the cold, and may your bones become ashes and return to the earth from which you were birthed. May Veralyn bless their next kill. But after their prayers were given to the respective deities, Nira went to work, first gutting the beast of undesirables and taking what meat she could from the animal. It bothered her slightly, the girl cutting off the ear, but Nira didn't pay it much mind. She was impressed indeed with her skill, a nice, clean shot.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "we should set up some snares for smaller animals." Chloe said jumping up after finishing the prayer. looking in her back pack she pulled out a small length of wire and made a small snare on the floor. "that should catch us a fox or a rabbit" She said shouldering her bow again</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane nodded to the idea, even smaller game was worth the catch, but as she finished dressing the doe and stuffing the hide in her leather satchel, she heard another noise, this of men, drunkenly chortling and disrupting the tranquil night, and worse as Nira overheard them guffawing and rudely chattering amongst themselves.....they were poachers, cruel, and a spit in the eye of not just Nirayane, but the goddess as well, may Veralyn bring justice by the hand of the huntress. In her anger, Nira snarled clenching her teeth in paroxysm and grabbed up her bow taking off into the woods, her ears burning with their scathing bite, "Heh! Look at this, lads! Ain't she a beaut?" "Aye Maevus! Good on ye digging that pit! Poor thing never saw it coming haha!" "Well don't just stand there ye lazy bastard! Gimme a hand wi it!" "Well ye gonna kill the damn thing first?" "Bah! Son of a bitch is gonna die anyways! Now help me skin it! We'll get good coin for this fur. Might fetch a little extra for the antlers too." What vileness, what defilement of the forest kin, treating a kill as nothing more but monetary gain. They were a disgrace to Nira, these four drunken bastards, even sullying the sacred hunting grounds with discarded flaggons of ale and mead....for this, they had to die. Nira drew her bow to the first poacher she singled out, and then she let loose on him, her arrow sticking him through the throat, a sadistic grin as she watched him scream in horror and choke on his blood. "By the gods! We're under attack!" They soon shouted and tried to run...but none would escape, especially when the other hunter joined Nira in dealing the justice of Veralyn and Atremis upon them.</s>	<\|message\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Vallyn snorted at Hotarubi, shrugging. He then turned to the other guild members and shrugged. "The next heist, I will plan. It will involve stealth and no bloodshed. Honestly... I was thinking that we keep low and make them think we fled somewhere far off. We meet with the poor, fill their pockets with riches to feed them for a month. If we want to help the poor, we must first fade into the shadows. That is the role of a Master Thief. Not fireworks." The thief scolded, finding their childish acts a bit taxing to his own nerves. "Unless, you think, it is better to have the city guard double its ranks each passing heist we do that involves revealing ourselves." As if to emphasize his point, he reached within his cloak and retrieved twelve coin purses. "During your escape, I managed to get us some loot. I have to say, you're all at least helpful as a distraction." A sly smile appeared on his pale face, as if daring Hotarubi to question his capabilities of being a thief.</s>
<\|description\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Age: 23 Civil clothes: Thief Clothing (see bottom) Thief clothes: He tends to wear leather armor lined with chainmail and a long dark cloak. He also tends to wear a long red scarf. Weapon: Long sword Tools: Lockpicking tools, daggers, razor wire Bio: TBR Not important info: Swift and acrobatic, excellent with a sword and dagger, natural pickpocket, and incredibly stealthy.</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Welcome back" Nadia smiled at the people that just got back. "How was the hunting?" She asked, taking out a cookie from somewhere on her and eating it.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "We got a Doe and set some traps for smaller animals. we also bagged some poachers."Chloe said grabbing a small loaf of bread from her pack. she broke a piece of and ate it. she pulled down her hood allowing her hair to flow free. "where'd you get the loot?" she asked</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Took them from a house. It's enough for today's work I guess, seeing that there was a ruckus. It was a good distraction but if too many things are stolen the king would notice" Nadia said, munching her cookie and looking at the new person. "You're new. Want a cookie?" she asked, holding out a cookie to Chloe "Took them from a house. It's enough for today's work I guess, seeing that there was a ruckus. It was a good distraction but if too many things are stolen the king would notice" Nadia said, munching her cookie and looking at the new person. "You're new. Want a cookie?" she asked, holding out a cookie to Chloe</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Chloe leaned over and took the cookie from the girl. "Thanks, Im Chloe By the way. ive got some bread left it you want some?"</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Im Nadia" she beamed. "It's alright, you should eat it. Get more energy" she smiled</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane smiled wryly to the two before straying off to a chair next to the crackling, warm hearth and sat beside it removing her fur cloak. Nadia, she was always a friendly face, quite possibly the youngest of the guild, a smile that could warm the heart of even an ice giant. It made the elf giggle on the inside, seeing her share her cookies with the newblood, but then came Dmitri swooping in and yanking it from her hand. Nira hissed at the hawk and tapped his head firmly making him release the cookie from his sharp beak. Don't you be stealing from her you cheeky bird!</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Nice to meet you." she said i biting into the bread again. she placed her bow in her lap and began to study the bow, it was expertly crafted. Nira must have had years of practice for it to this good</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Ah, don't be mad at him" Nadia said, looking at Nirayane. "He's more than welcome to have some cookies" she said with a smile. "Do you want some Nirayane?" she asked, tilting her head and holding out a few more cookies</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Cantankerous as ever the hawk screeched at her, but Nira just rolled her eyes again at the cheeky bird, carving a slender chunk of raw venison from the slab and feeding it to him while he was perched on her shoulder. Her mind seemed to trail as she sat alone, gazing softly into the demure glow of the fire bathing her in comfort. She thought back to those days, raiding villages with the Black-Horns, ruling over the most feared bandit tribe in the Empire....and of course...him, the orc war chief...her king...her beloved... She sighed, wrapping her cloak around her once more and leaning back in her chair, a distant frown finding its way to her face. Yet halfheartedly she smiled again and shook her head at Nadia's offer, as sweet as it was.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "hey, Nira you ok. you look sad." Chloe said looking at Nira. she wondered for a moment why she had yet talked to her.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane sighed to herself once more while staring at the flames undulating from the fireplace, so entranced in her distant memories that she hardly could have noticed Chloe standing next to her, at least until she inquired about the elf's well-being. Nira glanced up at her, a tinge of lament still in her eyes, yet softly she smiled and shook her head. She motioned to the chair next to her, in a way asking if Chloe would like to sit near the fire.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "thanks. anything i can help with?" She said taking a seat. She looked at nira, Something about her, the way she acted made her warm inside and smile. Something she had not experienced in a long time. Nira was her only real friend at the moment within the guild along with Nadia, She just seemed to feel a connection to her, similar to earlier when she was out hunting. She just felt..happy when she was near</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze The elven woman looked to Chloe and simply shook her head, though in a considerable manner to show gratitude for her concern. She turned to the fire again tossing a handful of kindling in to keep it stoked. It was always cold in the guild hall anyways, at least to her. How quaint she felt so warm though, and she was sure it wasn't the hearth. The girl, Nira had only met her just this day, but just like that they were friends. Chloe was a brilliant hunter and her skill with a bow, remarkable. But there was...something else that drew the elf towards her besides fascination. But what exactly?</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad shook himself out of his stupor. He should really pay more attention to his surroundings, if he did that anywhere else he likely would've been killed or worse expelled. He turned to face the pair that had brought in the meat and moved over to sit by them. Simbad normally wasn't terribly social but for some reason he felt a need to strike up a conversation. "Hello there, heard you two had a little adventure while looking for dinner." he said attempting to break the ice.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze In a gentle trance was the elf, somewhat incurred by the presence of Chloe, how quaint it felt. Yet Nirayane broke from it turning towards the male speaking to her and the girl beside her. Simbad, a regal looking fellow with a patch over his right eye, Nirayane wondering how he may have lost it, either in battle or some...unfortunate event in his lifetime. Surprising one of these few thieves haven't lost a limb or something more precious in value. Twas a rough and arduous line of work not without its tribulations, but indeed it was rewarding....if by rewarding meaning seeing the meek and the downtrodden graciously given to. She knew of Simbad for some time, and always he struck the elf as mysterious clouding his past, but then again she wasn't much of an open book either. She nodded to the male and pointed to the burlap sack of venison, the bottom coated in salt to keep them fresh. Of course, it would be up to the hunter to cook. Without a word, Nira excused herself from the two and made her way over to the table where she first laid the pouch full of meat, still bloody and not a single hint of rot in it. She sighed skewering the meat onto a spit and then carrying it over to the fire. In the instant the flames began licking at the slabs of raw deer meat, the intoxicating aroma overtook the stench of the sewer.</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) Nadia yawned slightly, feeling rather sleepy. It had been a long day and perhaps she should get some rest. "Hotarubi, I'm going to go and rest up now" she said with a lazy smile and stopped her from playing with her hair. She hadn't really have an actual meal yet but she didn't really have an appetite. "Goodnight everyone, Nira, Chloe, Simbad, Hotarubi" she said and walked off towards a couch, dragging a blanket there and lying down on it, closing her eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Night Nadia" Chloe called after the girl. Nira had gone off to prepare the food they had earlier killed leaving her with the man who had approached them. "Hi, im Chloe. im new here" she said her hand outstretched</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nira turned the spit every once in a while, making sure one side wasn't cooked more than the other or burnt, trying to distract herself from the ever pleasant aroma of venison roasted on the fire, mainly because she hadn't eaten in days. With a gentle nod she bid the young Nadia goodnight and gave a smile to Chloe as well. After a few minutes or so, the meat was finished roasting, and carefully Nirayane lifted the slabs from the fire, carving them into slices alongside some potatoes and carrots she roasted as well. Always the hunter's job to cook, but Nira was used to it. Plating the meat and vegetables, she set them about the table and signaled to the others with a whistle that dinner was served. Poor Nadia. A shame she already retired for the evening. The least the elf could do for her young companion was set her a plate aside for when she awoke. Hopefully that red-tailed sneak-thief wouldn't swoop in and grab it or Nira would have to clip his wings, that or let Dmitri get so fat he couldn't fly anymore. Her eyes turned to the hawk, still perched atop the elf's chair, even after she left, his beady yellow eyes gawking at Simbad's eyepatch as he tilted his head and ruffled his wings a little.</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad turned to face the new girl and shook her hand with a firm grip as the elf hunter left to cook the meat. "I'm not much of a veteran here either to be honest but a month or two of experience goes a way for you i suppose. I would ask what brings you here but everyone has a story and its their choice to tell." He glanced back at the Elf when she whistled showing that the food was ready. The meat looked wonderful a testament to the hunters experience in cooking. He quickly grabbed a plate and loaded up on the delicious looking food. Simbad nodded his thanks to Nirayane, the Elf had always interested him, it was incredible to see how she got by in such a tough world while being entirely unable to talk. He pondered what he would do without the ability to talk as he set to eating the meal. Simbad frowned at the bird noticing it glancing at his eye-patch, from what he had seen the bird grabbed anything it was interested in and he had no intention of losing his eye-patch to the creature, he decided he would just watch it carefully.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Hearing the whistle Chloe turned her head to see a large table filled with food. She stood up and began to make her way over to the table. the food looked perfect. How was she so good at cooking she though lifting a slice of the meat onto her plate. even the vegetables, which she loathed, looked tasty.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze The huntress smiled as she saw the others enjoying her food and cut away a small sliver from the venison on her plate with her knife, popping the morsel into her mouth and savoring the sweet, earthy flavor of nature's bounty. To her, especially seeing everyone at the table eating, drinking and merrymaking, it felt more this band of rebel-rousers known as the Thieves Guild were more akin to a happy, yet dysfunctional family, similar in many aspects to a family of her past life. She could hear them again, the clanking of tankards filled to the brim with mead, the hearty laughter over a few bawdy, raunchy jokes passed around along with a shanty or two sung by haggard drunks passionately....and the voice, the gruff yet gentle song of Torvald Stone-Hide. The guild was her home now, yet her heart ached for the days of a brigand. As she drank of her ale and took another bite of venison into her jaws, she happened to notice that nosy hawk of hers eyeing Simbad's eyepatch, only expecting for the cheeky bird to take flight again with it in his talons. Damn thing, he was always grabbing whatever, maybe for a jest or just natural curiosity. There was one time Hotarubi returned with an amulet she pilfered off a merchant, a very beautiful bauble with a lovely, center-cut diamond encased in purest silver, but then Dmitri caught shine of it and away he was with the amulet in his beak, unfortunately dropping it in those filthy sewer waters. It took Nira all night just to find the thing, and when she did, she and the amulet reeked with filth. They would have been lucky to get a few coins for it at the fence. To dissuade the red-tail from any mischief, she glared over to Dmitri and shook her head. He got the message clearly and instead of making off with Simbad's patch, the bird instead flew over to the couch little Nadia was sleeping on and landed, covering his head with his wings and going to sleep himself. Nirayane then turned to Chloe, giggling on the inside. She was a woman, mature indeed, yet she acted as if a child pushing her vegetables aside.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Nira, where did you learn to cook like this. its really good." she asked the elf curious to what her secret was. the food was a lot different to what she had been used to. for starters it was warm and you could actually taste the meat</s>	<\|message\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Vallyn kept silent when the guild began to pile up, tossing eleven of the twelve coin purses onto the table. He left the room, leaving the sewers, wrapping his cloak tightly about him with the cowl pulled low. The shadows of his hood hid most of his face, giving him a somewhat intimidating presence. It didn't take him long to reach his destination, either, only a couple of blocks of wandering to the local tavern. He walked in and closed the door, not paying any mind to the action nor to the curious glares of its hardened folk. Eventually, there was an eruption of welcome. "Vallyn! 'Bout time you came!" The patrons cried, save for the new, burly looking man. Vallyn raised a hand, solemnly walking towards the bar. He dropped three gold piece onto the bar. "Mead and mutton. This should be enough to pay whatever is put on my tab, plus tip." The young man told the barkeep, who, upon looking at the money, nodded with a big smile on her plump face. The woman went about, bringing him the mead and running to the kitchen to prepare his meal.</s>
<\|description\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Appearence: BTW I drew that, heehee ^_^ Age: 32 Civil and Thief clothes are the same, made of fur and leather hides from the animals she has hunted. When she is on the hunt she will have her face painted in tribal war paint Weapon: A pinewood bow with thick, gauged horse hair twine, and a sharp, curved dagger Tools: A quiver of arrows, caltrops, small vials of various poisons (hand crafted by her), and a sage green ocarina which she plays now and again. Not necessarily a tool, but essential to her, her hawk companion Dmitri Bio: Life was not always so grand growing up in the eastern Elven Empire of Telnivir. Rather, it was monotonous to the young elven girl. Born to a family of nobles, Nirayane had everything handed to her upon platters of the finest gold, lavish, elegant clothing, precious, priceless gems and jewelry that sparkled so radiantly, wealth, all that a noble elf's daughter could ask for...except for her of course. She was smothered no less, protected as though she were nothing more than a priceless trinket. Her parents had even betrothed her to a wealthy and handsome steward of the Imperial Court, yet Nirayane felt no love for him, nor any sort of affection. Nay, what she longed for was freedom, liberation from her gilded cage, her tightly clenching shackles of obligations to the haughty and stuffy nobility. Such came for her one fateful evening, when she had finally made her decision to cut all ties with her family and free herself from the bondage of her elegant lifestyle. She had only made it so far through the thick of the forest, until suddenly she was set upon by a rowdy clan of brigands, named the Black-Horned Elks, led by a brutish orc war chief named Torvald Stone-Hide. Torvald took the girl captive and chained her up in his personal quarters at the abandoned fortress of Raven's Perch, believing certain she would fetch a pretty coin from her family, but as the years waned on, his cruel treatment of Nirayane lessened and he slowly became smitten with the elven maiden. Nirayane the same had grown attached to the orc, developing romantic feelings for him, and soon the two were lovers. Through her time together with the bandits she became molded by the brutality surrounding her day in and day out and developed her own kindred bloodlust. Her orc husband took note of this and allowed her to participate in raids, pillages, and heists to satiate her fearsome appetite. She became skilled with an assortment of weapons, yet favored the bow above all, her prowess in archery nearly unmatched as she could kill a target from almost leagues away, earning her the title Shear-Breeze. Other attributes she learned from her savage companions were how to live off the land, to hunt for meat and for hides and to gather special herbs and reagents for brewing potions and poisons, and to tame wild animals, except for her husband of course. Yea life was wonderful for the newly crowned Queen of the Elks, yet...how cruel fate be that this life as well be shattered. Twas upon one grim day when a couple of bandits returned to the fortress from a recent raid, spattered in blood and with eyes widened in fear. The chief Torvald asked them of what they had done, and the men simply answered....unknowingly they had killed the wife and daughter of the Imperial Guard Captain. In his blind, berserk rage the orc beheaded them both and ordered to Nirayane and their men...prepare for battle. It wasn't long after, the Captain and his men came thundering towards the fortress with only one goal in mind, burn it to the ground. The battle was quick, bloody, and with numerous, grisly casualties upon both sides, one of which was the bandit queen's lover. Nirayane could only witness in horror as her beloved Torvald was skewered by many a sword blade before he fell to his death from the stone tower of Raven's Perch. She fled the fortress with her remaining men, and through several dark and harrowing times, they traveled towards the west to the kingdom of Kalardia. It was during that period, the queen's crown began to falter, as did her leadership over the unruly brutes. They made several forceful, unwanted advances upon her, and soon the elven maiden was once again a slave. In her desperate bid to be free of her tormentors, she had no choice but to slay them in cold blood. As if Fate herself had frowned upon her, the brigand's luck only grew worse, as she was seized at the border of Kalardia and imprisoned awaiting execution, seething with anger behind grit teeth and glaring eyes. Luckily however, the King of Kalardia, Igolvert, offered her amnesty from the headsman's axe, only on the grounds she join the Thieves Guild. Nirayane, no less, took the offer and since she has remained loyal to the Guild, but never forgetting her beloved Torvald and the orc chief's courageous sacrifice for her. Not important info: She's mute.</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Ah Hotarubi" Nadia smiled as she heard her say her name. She was already used to be petted like that from her and she didn't mind at all. "So you cause the ruckus earlier?" She asked, looking up at Hotarubi.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "AHHHH. what the hell are you doing." Chloe said bolting up and drawing an arrow from her quiver and aiming it at her heart. she noticed that she too was also from the guild. "I'm so sorry, you scared me. please forgive me." She said a small silver tear Dripping down her cheek and onto the ground.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane hissed at the new recruit like a cornered serpent preparing to strike, her teeth, they were even sharp as one, a common trait of elves who became feral. If she wanted to, she could have killed the girl any second and bat not a single eyelash towards it, one slice across the throat would be all it took, but....Hotarubi probably wouldn't appreciate Nira slaying their new members without remorse, also....she must've frightened her a bit too much, judging by the stray tear streaming down her cheek. Without warning Mira caught the tear upon her finger, a peculiar expression to her own face, and gently wiped it away, then ruffling the girl's hair, the mute's gesture of apology. There was a commotion going about the rest of the guild, yet Nirayane paid no mind to it, she was never that close to her guild mates anyways and often, she preferred solitude. Of course she realized it was the fifth of Morning Star, a day...or rather a night many of the wood recognized as Veralyn's, Maiden of the Stag and Goddess of the Hunt. Tonight, for many a seasoned archer, it was the ripe time to display their innate prowess with the bow, for the moon would be full and the forest teeming with life as the heavenly huntress descended from High Alti above unto the trees, drawing her arrow to the sky and signaling the hunt to commence. Nira, she mostly hunted alone, but...perchance this one could join her, first however...she needed to see something. Rather curt of the elf, she snatched the girl's bow from her hand and oddly...sniffed of it. Just as she thought, ash wood, light, malleable, good for an intermediate bow, but Nirayane suspected this girl's skill was above intermediate, and a bow of a thicker, heavier wood may suit her better, something crafted of pine or cedar. Upon further inspection pulling back the drawstring, she also discovered the string was thin and woven of flax fibers. Impressive, but given her experience, she wasn't much a fan of plant fiber. It wasn't thick enough and too much pressure would snap the string in two. She handed the bow back to the girl shaking her head in disapproval of the flimsy weapon, not bad but could be better. She, though not able to speak, told her to stay put, then scurried off to her sleeping quarters in the cistern, stopping at the table everyone had gathered around with the chest of gold coins atop it and setting down the crown she stole in front of Hotarubi with a stern nod. Then, once she returned from her room, clutched in her hand was another bow, crafted by Nira's own two hands from thick, knotted cedar and for the string, only the coarsest fibers of horse and elk hair woven thick with a supple draw weight and enough to send an arrow soaring leagues away. With another curt nod, she set the bow in the girl's hand, a present if you will, for welcoming her to the guild. And though she preferred to hunt alone...perhaps she wouldn't mind taking this one with her. Going back to Hotarubi, she looked her leader dead in the eyes and signed to her a simple message, I'm going hunting and I'm taking the young lass with me. We shall return at yea break of dawn with meat and venison for everyone.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Looking at the bow given to her another tear trickled down her cheek. "Thank you. This... this bow its.. its amazing. i mean just the way it feels is almost magical. Did you make this?"</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad weaved his competently through one of the many paths that led to the thieves guild and tossed a bag of money on the table, "Here's the guild's cut." he said curtly and grabbed a drink and sat down at one of the several tables.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane nodded yes, but her eyebrows furrowed again when she noticed another tear fall from the girl's eye. Strange...why would she be crying? Nirayane was not meaning to offend, she merely offered a better style of bow for the girl to use. Once more she wiped the tear away, and then she brandished her own bow, showing that she too was an archer, though she figured this new one was her equal or perhaps surpassed her a bit, who knew? I have told the others I am going hunting, and I wish for you to come with me. I would love to see your skill with a bow. Is what she would have said if the elven girl could speak, but unfortunately all Nira could do was gesture in some way that made sense....and the only gesture that would make sense was just grabbing the girl(Chloe) by the hand and pulling her towards the exit. No time to waste when the perfect night for a hunt came only every few moons.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "oh my gosh its brilliant. i cant wait to test it out, but i guess thats where we are going." Chloe said pulling up the pure white hood up covering her shiny blond hair which was covering her deep brown eyes. she shouldered the bow and grabbed her quiver as the elf pulled her by the hand</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze They were just about to leave the sanctity of the cistern, until Nirayane paused forgetting something, or rather someone. With a whistle, nearly echoing off every moss covered wall of the hideout, she called to her other hunting companion. The hawk was perched on the table picking at a small rat he caught earlier and was swallowing some of the meaty morsels down his gullet, until he returned with a screech and flapped his wings taking to the air, flying past the other guild members and Hotarubi before landing on Nira's outstretched arm. She scratched Dmitri lightly under his beak and petted his head with a wry smile crossing her lips. Now we can go. A short nod to the other archer and off they went with Nirayane pulling her hood of wolf fur over her head and pushing back her shimmering sapphire hair behind her pointed ears, revealing her eyes of amethyst. There were many ways in and out of the guild's infamous hideaway under Ivek, from just simply dropping into the sewers by one of the many aqueducts and tunnels that bristled and snaked below the cobblestone streets, or for a more discreet approach, there were the few secret entrances spaced about the surrounding forest, and it was through one of these doors Nirayane and the other girl, human no less, emerged from. Aye and how beautiful it was for an evening hunt. The Moon of Veralyn hung high in the sky and the Earth Mother's children were at play through the forest, cute rabbits, squirrels and other tiny creatures frolicking about the grounds covered in dead autumn leaves, but small game they were compared to what Nirayane was out for this night, deer, elk, maybe a moose or two if she was feeling brave, a test of skill it would be to the other archer as well. After all, for Nirayane any could hit a standing target, but the true showing of prowess was chasing a wild beast. Pulling an arrow from her leather quiver and nocking it, she nodded for the other girl to follow her and have her bow ready as well, for in the thick, ephemeral mist of the woods she could hear it from afar, the clip-clopping of hooves...south of them. Tonight, we shall feast upon your bounty, Lady of the Hunt.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Chloe looked at the tracks. "Doe. was here 30 seconds maybe 40 heading south." she pulled arrow from her Hardwood quiver and leant it against the side of the bow ready to fire. she looked to the Elf and made a gesture to look towards the small bush. Chloe was decent at making animal calls and attempted her best do Call. Surprisingly a doe made an appearance near the bush.</s>	<\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane's eyebrow rose quite surprised at the girl's tracking skill. She was a natural at it, and impressed the elven girl, same with the animal call that brought the doe into their presence, the first kill of the night. Ever silent, she stalked their prey through the bushes and thorns, trying to place herself in the ample position to strike, her fingers, sharp, intertwining around the drawstring of her weapon and slowly pulling it back with a fresh arrow nocked. Nira kept her breathing steady, gradually her inhales and exhales becoming shallower until almost no breath at all escaped her lungs and passed her lips by. The doe, proud and majestic as any of the forest creatures, she was bathed in the light of the full moon cascading through the dappled shadows of the trees, her cream white fur seeming to glow almost ethereally in the midst of the thicket of red snowberries of she was nibbling on. Carefully Nirayane rose from a crouched position, closing one eye and zeroing in on her target, and then...she let loose of the arrow and watched as it soared along its path with a snap of the bowstring, almost in slow motion, until it thunked into the meat of the deer, releasing a hurtful yelp before scampering away to safety. Nirayane quickly took off after the escaping animal, the scent of fresh blood upon her nose, but kept back a bit so she didn't end up getting skewered herself by the deadly dart of her hunting companion, plus wishing to see how good of an archer she was.</s>
<\|description\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Appearence: BTW I drew that, heehee ^_^ Age: 32 Civil and Thief clothes are the same, made of fur and leather hides from the animals she has hunted. When she is on the hunt she will have her face painted in tribal war paint Weapon: A pinewood bow with thick, gauged horse hair twine, and a sharp, curved dagger Tools: A quiver of arrows, caltrops, small vials of various poisons (hand crafted by her), and a sage green ocarina which she plays now and again. Not necessarily a tool, but essential to her, her hawk companion Dmitri Bio: Life was not always so grand growing up in the eastern Elven Empire of Telnivir. Rather, it was monotonous to the young elven girl. Born to a family of nobles, Nirayane had everything handed to her upon platters of the finest gold, lavish, elegant clothing, precious, priceless gems and jewelry that sparkled so radiantly, wealth, all that a noble elf's daughter could ask for...except for her of course. She was smothered no less, protected as though she were nothing more than a priceless trinket. Her parents had even betrothed her to a wealthy and handsome steward of the Imperial Court, yet Nirayane felt no love for him, nor any sort of affection. Nay, what she longed for was freedom, liberation from her gilded cage, her tightly clenching shackles of obligations to the haughty and stuffy nobility. Such came for her one fateful evening, when she had finally made her decision to cut all ties with her family and free herself from the bondage of her elegant lifestyle. She had only made it so far through the thick of the forest, until suddenly she was set upon by a rowdy clan of brigands, named the Black-Horned Elks, led by a brutish orc war chief named Torvald Stone-Hide. Torvald took the girl captive and chained her up in his personal quarters at the abandoned fortress of Raven's Perch, believing certain she would fetch a pretty coin from her family, but as the years waned on, his cruel treatment of Nirayane lessened and he slowly became smitten with the elven maiden. Nirayane the same had grown attached to the orc, developing romantic feelings for him, and soon the two were lovers. Through her time together with the bandits she became molded by the brutality surrounding her day in and day out and developed her own kindred bloodlust. Her orc husband took note of this and allowed her to participate in raids, pillages, and heists to satiate her fearsome appetite. She became skilled with an assortment of weapons, yet favored the bow above all, her prowess in archery nearly unmatched as she could kill a target from almost leagues away, earning her the title Shear-Breeze. Other attributes she learned from her savage companions were how to live off the land, to hunt for meat and for hides and to gather special herbs and reagents for brewing potions and poisons, and to tame wild animals, except for her husband of course. Yea life was wonderful for the newly crowned Queen of the Elks, yet...how cruel fate be that this life as well be shattered. Twas upon one grim day when a couple of bandits returned to the fortress from a recent raid, spattered in blood and with eyes widened in fear. The chief Torvald asked them of what they had done, and the men simply answered....unknowingly they had killed the wife and daughter of the Imperial Guard Captain. In his blind, berserk rage the orc beheaded them both and ordered to Nirayane and their men...prepare for battle. It wasn't long after, the Captain and his men came thundering towards the fortress with only one goal in mind, burn it to the ground. The battle was quick, bloody, and with numerous, grisly casualties upon both sides, one of which was the bandit queen's lover. Nirayane could only witness in horror as her beloved Torvald was skewered by many a sword blade before he fell to his death from the stone tower of Raven's Perch. She fled the fortress with her remaining men, and through several dark and harrowing times, they traveled towards the west to the kingdom of Kalardia. It was during that period, the queen's crown began to falter, as did her leadership over the unruly brutes. They made several forceful, unwanted advances upon her, and soon the elven maiden was once again a slave. In her desperate bid to be free of her tormentors, she had no choice but to slay them in cold blood. As if Fate herself had frowned upon her, the brigand's luck only grew worse, as she was seized at the border of Kalardia and imprisoned awaiting execution, seething with anger behind grit teeth and glaring eyes. Luckily however, the King of Kalardia, Igolvert, offered her amnesty from the headsman's axe, only on the grounds she join the Thieves Guild. Nirayane, no less, took the offer and since she has remained loyal to the Guild, but never forgetting her beloved Torvald and the orc chief's courageous sacrifice for her. Not important info: She's mute.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nira smiled wryly and nodded again in reply to her gratitude for the bow, gesturing for her to keep it. A good hunter needed a good bow after all, and the girl, she was quite the avid archer and knew the way of the forest well. It was a shame the elf couldn't speak. She would've liked to ask her for her name or say that she thought her hair and her eyes looked pretty, but nevertheless Nirayane could only smile...as much as she had in a long time.... While she was preparing to return to the guild, a sudden breeze caught her fur hood and whisked it from her head, her sapphire hair flowing freely before she caught her hood again and pulled it back with a slight blush of her pale cheeks.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Im Chloe by the way." She said turning and extending her hand towards the elf.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Chloe.... it was a nice name for a girl, Nirayane thought with a soft smile, her hand reaching slowly to take Chloe's lightly and give it a shake. Of course, now she had to give her name. She glanced around for a bit, nervously nibbling at her bottom lip before she had an idea, snatching one of the arrows from her quiver and kneeling towards the ground. She wrote her name into the soil, but unfortunately all she could write in was the elven language, just three obscure, runic symbols comprising her first name, Nirayane. Hopefully Chloe could understand it. If not, then Nira would just have to learn the human language then write her name. Standing again, she brushed the dirt off her knees and called Dmitri to her, the hawk returning with a small rodent clutched in his talons, as if the cheeky bird didn't eat enough already. Nirayane petted him and smiled back to Chloe, motioning for the two of them to return home...or at least what counted as home.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Nirayane. Well nice to meet you" she said. turning to walk back towards the guild</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze So she could read elven, Nira thought while treading along the pathway through the forest, back towards the hollowed tree in the center, where yet another entrance to the guild hall lied. At least someone knew her language, but strange how for most humans, even the most astute of scholars, it took almost months to learn a fourth of the elven alphabet, and even more to speak the language fluently. Yet Nirayane disregarded the notion and kept waking. Someone understood her. That was all that mattered. Once they were safe and sound in the cistern, Nira approached Hotarubi and the others. Meat, just as promised. She gestured, setting the bloody sack full of venison on the table and snatching a few coins from the chest for herself, an old bandit habit.</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Welcome back" Nadia smiled at the people that just got back. "How was the hunting?" She asked, taking out a cookie from somewhere on her and eating it.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "We got a Doe and set some traps for smaller animals. we also bagged some poachers."Chloe said grabbing a small loaf of bread from her pack. she broke a piece of and ate it. she pulled down her hood allowing her hair to flow free. "where'd you get the loot?" she asked</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Took them from a house. It's enough for today's work I guess, seeing that there was a ruckus. It was a good distraction but if too many things are stolen the king would notice" Nadia said, munching her cookie and looking at the new person. "You're new. Want a cookie?" she asked, holding out a cookie to Chloe "Took them from a house. It's enough for today's work I guess, seeing that there was a ruckus. It was a good distraction but if too many things are stolen the king would notice" Nadia said, munching her cookie and looking at the new person. "You're new. Want a cookie?" she asked, holding out a cookie to Chloe</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Chloe leaned over and took the cookie from the girl. "Thanks, Im Chloe By the way. ive got some bread left it you want some?"</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Im Nadia" she beamed. "It's alright, you should eat it. Get more energy" she smiled</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane smiled wryly to the two before straying off to a chair next to the crackling, warm hearth and sat beside it removing her fur cloak. Nadia, she was always a friendly face, quite possibly the youngest of the guild, a smile that could warm the heart of even an ice giant. It made the elf giggle on the inside, seeing her share her cookies with the newblood, but then came Dmitri swooping in and yanking it from her hand. Nira hissed at the hawk and tapped his head firmly making him release the cookie from his sharp beak. Don't you be stealing from her you cheeky bird!</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Nice to meet you." she said i biting into the bread again. she placed her bow in her lap and began to study the bow, it was expertly crafted. Nira must have had years of practice for it to this good</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Ah, don't be mad at him" Nadia said, looking at Nirayane. "He's more than welcome to have some cookies" she said with a smile. "Do you want some Nirayane?" she asked, tilting her head and holding out a few more cookies</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Cantankerous as ever the hawk screeched at her, but Nira just rolled her eyes again at the cheeky bird, carving a slender chunk of raw venison from the slab and feeding it to him while he was perched on her shoulder. Her mind seemed to trail as she sat alone, gazing softly into the demure glow of the fire bathing her in comfort. She thought back to those days, raiding villages with the Black-Horns, ruling over the most feared bandit tribe in the Empire....and of course...him, the orc war chief...her king...her beloved... She sighed, wrapping her cloak around her once more and leaning back in her chair, a distant frown finding its way to her face. Yet halfheartedly she smiled again and shook her head at Nadia's offer, as sweet as it was.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "hey, Nira you ok. you look sad." Chloe said looking at Nira. she wondered for a moment why she had yet talked to her.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane sighed to herself once more while staring at the flames undulating from the fireplace, so entranced in her distant memories that she hardly could have noticed Chloe standing next to her, at least until she inquired about the elf's well-being. Nira glanced up at her, a tinge of lament still in her eyes, yet softly she smiled and shook her head. She motioned to the chair next to her, in a way asking if Chloe would like to sit near the fire.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "thanks. anything i can help with?" She said taking a seat. She looked at nira, Something about her, the way she acted made her warm inside and smile. Something she had not experienced in a long time. Nira was her only real friend at the moment within the guild along with Nadia, She just seemed to feel a connection to her, similar to earlier when she was out hunting. She just felt..happy when she was near</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze The elven woman looked to Chloe and simply shook her head, though in a considerable manner to show gratitude for her concern. She turned to the fire again tossing a handful of kindling in to keep it stoked. It was always cold in the guild hall anyways, at least to her. How quaint she felt so warm though, and she was sure it wasn't the hearth. The girl, Nira had only met her just this day, but just like that they were friends. Chloe was a brilliant hunter and her skill with a bow, remarkable. But there was...something else that drew the elf towards her besides fascination. But what exactly?</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad shook himself out of his stupor. He should really pay more attention to his surroundings, if he did that anywhere else he likely would've been killed or worse expelled. He turned to face the pair that had brought in the meat and moved over to sit by them. Simbad normally wasn't terribly social but for some reason he felt a need to strike up a conversation. "Hello there, heard you two had a little adventure while looking for dinner." he said attempting to break the ice.</s>	<\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze In a gentle trance was the elf, somewhat incurred by the presence of Chloe, how quaint it felt. Yet Nirayane broke from it turning towards the male speaking to her and the girl beside her. Simbad, a regal looking fellow with a patch over his right eye, Nirayane wondering how he may have lost it, either in battle or some...unfortunate event in his lifetime. Surprising one of these few thieves haven't lost a limb or something more precious in value. Twas a rough and arduous line of work not without its tribulations, but indeed it was rewarding....if by rewarding meaning seeing the meek and the downtrodden graciously given to. She knew of Simbad for some time, and always he struck the elf as mysterious clouding his past, but then again she wasn't much of an open book either. She nodded to the male and pointed to the burlap sack of venison, the bottom coated in salt to keep them fresh. Of course, it would be up to the hunter to cook. Without a word, Nira excused herself from the two and made her way over to the table where she first laid the pouch full of meat, still bloody and not a single hint of rot in it. She sighed skewering the meat onto a spit and then carrying it over to the fire. In the instant the flames began licking at the slabs of raw deer meat, the intoxicating aroma overtook the stench of the sewer.</s>
<\|description\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Appearence: BTW I drew that, heehee ^_^ Age: 32 Civil and Thief clothes are the same, made of fur and leather hides from the animals she has hunted. When she is on the hunt she will have her face painted in tribal war paint Weapon: A pinewood bow with thick, gauged horse hair twine, and a sharp, curved dagger Tools: A quiver of arrows, caltrops, small vials of various poisons (hand crafted by her), and a sage green ocarina which she plays now and again. Not necessarily a tool, but essential to her, her hawk companion Dmitri Bio: Life was not always so grand growing up in the eastern Elven Empire of Telnivir. Rather, it was monotonous to the young elven girl. Born to a family of nobles, Nirayane had everything handed to her upon platters of the finest gold, lavish, elegant clothing, precious, priceless gems and jewelry that sparkled so radiantly, wealth, all that a noble elf's daughter could ask for...except for her of course. She was smothered no less, protected as though she were nothing more than a priceless trinket. Her parents had even betrothed her to a wealthy and handsome steward of the Imperial Court, yet Nirayane felt no love for him, nor any sort of affection. Nay, what she longed for was freedom, liberation from her gilded cage, her tightly clenching shackles of obligations to the haughty and stuffy nobility. Such came for her one fateful evening, when she had finally made her decision to cut all ties with her family and free herself from the bondage of her elegant lifestyle. She had only made it so far through the thick of the forest, until suddenly she was set upon by a rowdy clan of brigands, named the Black-Horned Elks, led by a brutish orc war chief named Torvald Stone-Hide. Torvald took the girl captive and chained her up in his personal quarters at the abandoned fortress of Raven's Perch, believing certain she would fetch a pretty coin from her family, but as the years waned on, his cruel treatment of Nirayane lessened and he slowly became smitten with the elven maiden. Nirayane the same had grown attached to the orc, developing romantic feelings for him, and soon the two were lovers. Through her time together with the bandits she became molded by the brutality surrounding her day in and day out and developed her own kindred bloodlust. Her orc husband took note of this and allowed her to participate in raids, pillages, and heists to satiate her fearsome appetite. She became skilled with an assortment of weapons, yet favored the bow above all, her prowess in archery nearly unmatched as she could kill a target from almost leagues away, earning her the title Shear-Breeze. Other attributes she learned from her savage companions were how to live off the land, to hunt for meat and for hides and to gather special herbs and reagents for brewing potions and poisons, and to tame wild animals, except for her husband of course. Yea life was wonderful for the newly crowned Queen of the Elks, yet...how cruel fate be that this life as well be shattered. Twas upon one grim day when a couple of bandits returned to the fortress from a recent raid, spattered in blood and with eyes widened in fear. The chief Torvald asked them of what they had done, and the men simply answered....unknowingly they had killed the wife and daughter of the Imperial Guard Captain. In his blind, berserk rage the orc beheaded them both and ordered to Nirayane and their men...prepare for battle. It wasn't long after, the Captain and his men came thundering towards the fortress with only one goal in mind, burn it to the ground. The battle was quick, bloody, and with numerous, grisly casualties upon both sides, one of which was the bandit queen's lover. Nirayane could only witness in horror as her beloved Torvald was skewered by many a sword blade before he fell to his death from the stone tower of Raven's Perch. She fled the fortress with her remaining men, and through several dark and harrowing times, they traveled towards the west to the kingdom of Kalardia. It was during that period, the queen's crown began to falter, as did her leadership over the unruly brutes. They made several forceful, unwanted advances upon her, and soon the elven maiden was once again a slave. In her desperate bid to be free of her tormentors, she had no choice but to slay them in cold blood. As if Fate herself had frowned upon her, the brigand's luck only grew worse, as she was seized at the border of Kalardia and imprisoned awaiting execution, seething with anger behind grit teeth and glaring eyes. Luckily however, the King of Kalardia, Igolvert, offered her amnesty from the headsman's axe, only on the grounds she join the Thieves Guild. Nirayane, no less, took the offer and since she has remained loyal to the Guild, but never forgetting her beloved Torvald and the orc chief's courageous sacrifice for her. Not important info: She's mute.</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) Nadia yawned slightly, feeling rather sleepy. It had been a long day and perhaps she should get some rest. "Hotarubi, I'm going to go and rest up now" she said with a lazy smile and stopped her from playing with her hair. She hadn't really have an actual meal yet but she didn't really have an appetite. "Goodnight everyone, Nira, Chloe, Simbad, Hotarubi" she said and walked off towards a couch, dragging a blanket there and lying down on it, closing her eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Night Nadia" Chloe called after the girl. Nira had gone off to prepare the food they had earlier killed leaving her with the man who had approached them. "Hi, im Chloe. im new here" she said her hand outstretched</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nira turned the spit every once in a while, making sure one side wasn't cooked more than the other or burnt, trying to distract herself from the ever pleasant aroma of venison roasted on the fire, mainly because she hadn't eaten in days. With a gentle nod she bid the young Nadia goodnight and gave a smile to Chloe as well. After a few minutes or so, the meat was finished roasting, and carefully Nirayane lifted the slabs from the fire, carving them into slices alongside some potatoes and carrots she roasted as well. Always the hunter's job to cook, but Nira was used to it. Plating the meat and vegetables, she set them about the table and signaled to the others with a whistle that dinner was served. Poor Nadia. A shame she already retired for the evening. The least the elf could do for her young companion was set her a plate aside for when she awoke. Hopefully that red-tailed sneak-thief wouldn't swoop in and grab it or Nira would have to clip his wings, that or let Dmitri get so fat he couldn't fly anymore. Her eyes turned to the hawk, still perched atop the elf's chair, even after she left, his beady yellow eyes gawking at Simbad's eyepatch as he tilted his head and ruffled his wings a little.</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad turned to face the new girl and shook her hand with a firm grip as the elf hunter left to cook the meat. "I'm not much of a veteran here either to be honest but a month or two of experience goes a way for you i suppose. I would ask what brings you here but everyone has a story and its their choice to tell." He glanced back at the Elf when she whistled showing that the food was ready. The meat looked wonderful a testament to the hunters experience in cooking. He quickly grabbed a plate and loaded up on the delicious looking food. Simbad nodded his thanks to Nirayane, the Elf had always interested him, it was incredible to see how she got by in such a tough world while being entirely unable to talk. He pondered what he would do without the ability to talk as he set to eating the meal. Simbad frowned at the bird noticing it glancing at his eye-patch, from what he had seen the bird grabbed anything it was interested in and he had no intention of losing his eye-patch to the creature, he decided he would just watch it carefully.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Hearing the whistle Chloe turned her head to see a large table filled with food. She stood up and began to make her way over to the table. the food looked perfect. How was she so good at cooking she though lifting a slice of the meat onto her plate. even the vegetables, which she loathed, looked tasty.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze The huntress smiled as she saw the others enjoying her food and cut away a small sliver from the venison on her plate with her knife, popping the morsel into her mouth and savoring the sweet, earthy flavor of nature's bounty. To her, especially seeing everyone at the table eating, drinking and merrymaking, it felt more this band of rebel-rousers known as the Thieves Guild were more akin to a happy, yet dysfunctional family, similar in many aspects to a family of her past life. She could hear them again, the clanking of tankards filled to the brim with mead, the hearty laughter over a few bawdy, raunchy jokes passed around along with a shanty or two sung by haggard drunks passionately....and the voice, the gruff yet gentle song of Torvald Stone-Hide. The guild was her home now, yet her heart ached for the days of a brigand. As she drank of her ale and took another bite of venison into her jaws, she happened to notice that nosy hawk of hers eyeing Simbad's eyepatch, only expecting for the cheeky bird to take flight again with it in his talons. Damn thing, he was always grabbing whatever, maybe for a jest or just natural curiosity. There was one time Hotarubi returned with an amulet she pilfered off a merchant, a very beautiful bauble with a lovely, center-cut diamond encased in purest silver, but then Dmitri caught shine of it and away he was with the amulet in his beak, unfortunately dropping it in those filthy sewer waters. It took Nira all night just to find the thing, and when she did, she and the amulet reeked with filth. They would have been lucky to get a few coins for it at the fence. To dissuade the red-tail from any mischief, she glared over to Dmitri and shook her head. He got the message clearly and instead of making off with Simbad's patch, the bird instead flew over to the couch little Nadia was sleeping on and landed, covering his head with his wings and going to sleep himself. Nirayane then turned to Chloe, giggling on the inside. She was a woman, mature indeed, yet she acted as if a child pushing her vegetables aside.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Nira, where did you learn to cook like this. its really good." she asked the elf curious to what her secret was. the food was a lot different to what she had been used to. for starters it was warm and you could actually taste the meat</s> <\|message\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Vallyn kept silent when the guild began to pile up, tossing eleven of the twelve coin purses onto the table. He left the room, leaving the sewers, wrapping his cloak tightly about him with the cowl pulled low. The shadows of his hood hid most of his face, giving him a somewhat intimidating presence. It didn't take him long to reach his destination, either, only a couple of blocks of wandering to the local tavern. He walked in and closed the door, not paying any mind to the action nor to the curious glares of its hardened folk. Eventually, there was an eruption of welcome. "Vallyn! 'Bout time you came!" The patrons cried, save for the new, burly looking man. Vallyn raised a hand, solemnly walking towards the bar. He dropped three gold piece onto the bar. "Mead and mutton. This should be enough to pay whatever is put on my tab, plus tip." The young man told the barkeep, who, upon looking at the money, nodded with a big smile on her plump face. The woman went about, bringing him the mead and running to the kitchen to prepare his meal.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze She was about to answer Chloe, but was caught off guard by Vallyn just upping and leaving the guild hall. Where was he off to? And without a single adieu given to his mates? Although, Vallyn never seemed to care much at all for camaraderie among them, always so cynical and staunch. So further Nirayane paid no mind and answered Chloe's question, writing down words on a scrap of parchment, You learn alot when you had to cook for a band of rowdy men and a hungry orc. She smirked and resumed eating.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Really. Sounds like a load of fun." Chloe said imagining her among the men. and what about an orc.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Fun...... True, some of the best times she had in her life were with the Elks, but not always was the case. If it wasn't for the war chief, Nirayane wouldn't have rose to the ranks of bandit queen. A slave she would have been, chained, beaten, spat upon, and abused every night by a different tormentor, such as those she was forced to slay while fleeing towards the border....the last of the most feared brigands...now reduced to a lowly elf. Her smile softened a little and her lips began a gradual downward curve as her eyes fell upon her empty plate. Memories, joyous and painful, they forever plagued Nirayane.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Seeing Niras smile fade from her face chloe immediatly knew she had offended her. "Nirayane, im so sorry. i didnt mean to upset you" She said trying to comfort her.</s>	<\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane managed to keep at least a shred of a smile on her face as she turned to Chloe profusely apologizing to her. Offended? In what way had she chided Nira? She shook her head lightly to the other archer, damn...if only she could speak. Twas already late for the elf, and by now everyone had retired it seemed, except for them three and Vallyn wherever he be. Nirayane stood from the table stretching and silently yawning, bidding Chloe and Simbad goodnight before retiring to her room. Along the way, she smiled to Nadia still slumbering peacefully with Dmitri watching over her. Once she was in her room, she let the thick drape made from deer hides fall over the doorway and slipped off her fur boots and her quiver. Her eyes trailed about the quaint abode....until they fell upon her shelf, atop it, an old, rusted dagger and a cracked steel helm missing one of its horns. Carefully, Nira's hands reached for the helm, and softly...and somberly she rubbed her cheek against the cold worn armor, closing her eyes.</s>
<\|description\|>Seo Cappell Age: 19 Gender: Male Arcana: The Chariot School: New Light University Occupation: N/A Weapon: Lowlander Great Sword Personality: Seo is playful, and tends not to take much to seriously. He isn't someone you'd call for tactical advice, or any advice for that matter. Seo also tends to be very curious and enjoys a good talk with someone if he gets to learn more about them. He is also somewhat bold, and can act like how he does around friends, when he is around strangers. He does, however, tone himself down sometimes if he feels the people around him aren't feeling it. History: Seo was born and raised a happy child. His father was a pharmacist and his mother a teacher, together they lived pretty well and he was living in a middle-class family. His father loved sports, and would often have Seo play them with him when not at school. Seo was ok with this, he was an active kid. He enjoyed most of the sports his father introduced him too, but his favorites were boxing and basketball. Now in middle school he would never really have the chance to box much, due to the lack of other kids his age and weight who were interested, so he was usually found in the BBall court. He was decent at it, but didn't stick out much, others on his team were usually the ones making most of the points. As he entered high school, he was able to switch it up more. He was quite lucky to go to a high school that had a boxing team, even if they weren't all that spectacular. He was one of the top three on his team, and usually was competing for 2nd place. It was during this time in high school that he figured out what he wanted to do with his life, he wanted to coach. He found great joy in helping others improve their athletic abilities, as well as their academic ones. He decided to follow in his moms footsteps, but instead he wanted to teach at the college level. But to do that, he would need to go to college first! ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Persona: Tūmatauenga Arcana: Chariot as well. Skills: Sonic Punch / Tarukaja / Evil Touch Strengths: Resist Physical Weaknesses: Fire / Ice</s> <\|message\|>Akiko Kozue Eaglecrest High - 4:30 PM "A-Akiko-senpai, here is the monthly expenditure..." Akiko looked up from her desk at the Student Council's new treasurer. "Ah, yes." She said, "Thank you." She took the sheet from the nervous girl's hands and gave it a quick once-over. She was a new transfer student at Eaglecrest, she had come from Japan just like Akiko had. There were many Japanese students in Eaglecrest, even though it was technically an American school. The new transfer student was incredibly nervous, which was somewhat understandable, but she had gotten the position of Student Council Treasurer by herself which said something of her abilities. "This report is good," She said, handing the paper back to the girl. "You're doing fine you know," She added, "You don't have to keep asking me about each report." "A-ah, yes Akiko-senpai..." The girl said as she turned away "Oh, one last thing, Reiko-san," Akiko said, the girl's name suddenly coming to her mind, "Just call me Akiko." The girl nodded and gave some kind of weak acknowledgement before turning away and leaving the room. Akiko was the oly one left in the room now, and immediately, the smile faded from her face. People change so easily. She thought. Well, it doesn't really matter does it? She'd watched people enough to learn their patterns, how they tended to react, common strengths and weaknesses. Not out of any specific desire to read people, but simply because there was nothing else to do. But now she knew the limits, and she'd grown bored yet again. She looked down at her watch. The car should be here now. She thought, I should go. Kozue residence, Akiko's room - 5:00 PM Akiko lay back in her bed, idly staring into space. Her mother wasn't home yet, the maids always left her alone... She sighed. Why is there never anything to do? She looked over to her bedside table, an old carefully folded note and a gleaming golden revolver lay on it; inherited from her father. She took the note and read it again. More for old time's sake than anything, she'd read it more than enough. He had died so many years ago, leaving her and her mother confused and bewildered... I still don't understand... Putting the note back onto the table, she instead picked up the golden revolver, the only other thing her father had left for her. She ran her hands over the cool, lustrous metal of the gun, savouring the cold feeling on her skin. It was oddly comforting, even with its history. Her father had taken his life with this revolver, and if what the note said was true, so had his father, and a few more fathers beyond that. It wasn't as if the gun was cursed, but... She sighed again. Thinking like that isn't going to help. She turned onto her side, removing her glasses and reaching out to put them on the table in front of her. Then she curled up where she lay, and closed her eyes; revolver still in her hands.</s> <\|message\|>Touko Shiragami New Light University - 4 and.... something How fast time passed while one was talking with their friends, yes. Touko's classes had already finished, but she was talking and gossiping with some of her friends after school. It was a good way to kill off time, of course, but she still like wasting her time in other ways, aside from drawing manga... Like reviving her chuunibyo from when she was still in Japan. It was fun to go back to pretending she was a vampire again, from time to time. Just like today, that she was playing around while moving stealthily through the shadows, avoiding the sun rays. She had a satissfied look in her face, no, more like an accomplished one, as she moved through the shadows of buildings. "Kuh.... So, the society is still after me for my betrayal, huh? I can't afford to let my guard down, not even for a moment." She said, overlooking her accent completely while she was playing around. Though she felt the rigors of being an adult from time to time, she still had enough time to fool around like this. She had the day off from her part time work and the deadlines for the new doujinshi were far, far away. "And to think that my own kin would go after me...." She continued on crawling across the wall of a building, until she heard a familiar voice and stopped right on her tracks, with a surprised face and a ridiculous pose. "Touko? What are you doing over there, Touko!" A girl, from across the street, called Touko's name. Touko quickly straightened out and adopted a normal pose, before her friend could catch up on what she was doing. The girl looked to both sides of the street before hurrying to Touko's side. "Hey there, Touko! Um, what are you doing?" She still tilted her head, as Touko's eyes swam around and her face blushed furiously. She just hoped that her friend didn't catch up on what she was doing, it'd definitely creep her out. She wasn't a middle schooler any longer, after all. "Oh, nothin', nothin'. Dun' mind me." Touko said, going back to her usual self. "Anyhow, what's up? Weren' ya in class 'till 4:30 or somethin'?" Her friend looked disheartened. She just couldn't believe her friend was so much of an idiot. Well, being an idiot was one thing, but being such an idiot that you actually forget the time and can't even associate two events with each other. It was sad, very much so. "It's already 4:47 already, you know? I got out of class a while ago." Touko looked really surprised, so much, it even irritated her friend. "Don't give me that and just look at your damn wristwatch!" Touko's Apartment - 6:00 PM After talking with her friend, and getting something to eat too, Touko finally got to her apartment. She opened the door to her not at all modest house, it actually looked more like a penthouse rather than a normal apartment. She took her bag off her shoulder and threw it away somewhere, making sure it wouldn't hit anything and making it land safely on the sofa of the living room. "Tadaima~" Touko said, after stepping into her house and taking her shoes off. Some habits died hard. "Yeah, right, I dunno what I was expectin'. It'd actually be terrifyin' if someone answered." Touko walked all the way to her bedroom. She turned on the lights and before she knew it, she was already falling face first to the bed. It was comfortable, really comfortable. The bed felt as if it was pulling her towards it, kind of like a magnet. "Nooo.... I've to work on that script, or they'll come 'ere and bark at me..." She still lived in the USA and not in Japan, though, but her circle was vicious, they'd fly all the way to her house just to scold her for not hurrying up. "No, I really need to at least complete the cover." She was now decided, as she hopped to a side of her bed. After yawning and rubbing her eyes, she finally stood up and walked all the way to her work desk. She sat there, feeling a bit drowsy, but she had to get on with things. She took a pencil in her hand, put a sheet of paper right in front of her and started drawing. Her hand moved around the page with a lot of dexterity, and soon, the drowsiness left her. Well, she could work on the cover until she felt like it, and it was better than doing nothing.</s> <\|message\|>Alyss Nikael New Light University – 3:00 PM Alyss yawned, a large motion that caused her small mouth to gape much wider than what would seem possible. She flopped on to the libraries counter and promptly huffed to blow the ice white hair that had fallen over her eyes out of them. She was bored. She had finished classes for the day and was roped in to working the afternoon shift at the New Light Library…not that much of it was really new these days. The building was still to go through an upgrade and it sure as hell needed one. Alyss' emerald eyes flicked up the lights that hung from the high arching ceiling and laughed "That's so fucking 80's it's almost cool" she said to herself as she stared at the bright orange fabric that ensconced the lights as a way to diffuse the brightness "almost" she huffed once more, sending white hair back into its proper position: sticking up as if saying fuck off to gravity. She stretched out her legs and leaned back in the recliner, arms stretching up and causing the knuckles and joints in her back to pop with satisfying sounds. She grinned and settled down into the chair, pulling out a battered copy of Alice in Wonderland to read to pass the time. Alyss' Apartment – 9:00 PM Alyss collapsed into her lounge after stumbling through her door. Kicking off thigh high boots was a problem easily rectified by laying down. She grinned a little and flexed her toes, happily sighing as she was now free from responsibilities for the rest of the day. She pouted slightly as she looked at the chipped pink polish on her toe nails and nodded to herself as she decided she would need to repaint them tomorrow…but this evening called for video games! She slid off the couch and changed quickly into her most comfortable oversized shirt before turning on her computer and launching Skype to annoy her friends on. Tonight's game of choice was a MOBA. Alyss grinned and settled in for a long night.</s>	<\|message\|>Seo Cappell New Lights University - 3:17 PM Seo just awoke from his nap! Normally this was good, but now it was exponentially shitty. His nap was in his math class, one of the two he was borderline failing. The teacher was boring, and the material even moreso. It was his last math class he needed to pass in order to get what he needed, but he could never bring himself to pay much attention. He could post most of his classes without putting in too much effort, but math was his nemesis. The Grendel to him, the Beowulf. However, he had himself a secret weapon! One that had yet to fail him completely. He employed a tactic used by a few other students he knew, he recorded the class on tape! His parents were able to afford a small HD recorder for him, which he could use to make the lessons a little more 'digital'. Now he could watch the classes over a gain, and binge on the knowledge whenever it was necessary. Anyhow, he took up his camera and gave the classroom a once-over, no one was there. He looked at his watch and it read 3:17 and then turned to 18. His class had been over for about 33 minutes! The fact no one bothered to wake him up sucked, but what sucked even more was that now he had to get rid of all the extra useless video he had recorded. Seo's Apartment - 7:31 Seo sat his computer, with a bowl of cereal next to his mousepad. He was trying to figure out what parts of the lectures he could crop out, and what others he could keep. Already 1/2 of it was gone, and all of the non-verbal information could just be frame-cropped and turned into low-quality pictures to memorize and study later. He took two bites of his cereal and had trouble getting it down, it had gotten soggy. So he pushed the bowl a bit farther away from him, he was done eating for now. He did not want to finish off the soggy crap, just thinking of the taste and texture made him shiver. He figured he would pour himself a second bowl once he was done making his personal study guide.</s>
<\|description\|>Mikael Bolten Age: 17 Gender: M Arcana: Emperor School: Eaglecrest High Occupation: None Weapon: Fists Appearance: Personality: Most people would call Mikael an abrasive, hot-headed jerk--and they'd be right. He's brutally honest about his standing on everything, though he generally doesn't share it if people don't ask. This is actually quite the opposite with his emotions, however, as he's consistently in the sour mood of "I'll-punch-you-in-the-face" and refuses to talk about why. Ironically, he also shows how much he cares about someone in the same way, albeit with a much more light-hearted tone than normal. History: Mikael was fairly lonely as a child. Not that he minded it; he usually ended up fighting with other kids, anyways. With his father gone as a traveling salesman and his mother just... aloof, he was used to doing things on his own. Many saw him as a delinquent in school, despite him actually being one of the smarter students. Despite being perfectly comfortable with how he was seen, Mikael was suddenly noticed when he punched out a notable bully. People crowded him because of this, but, to his surprise, he enjoyed having others around him. However, this was short lived. His father had finally returned, bringing news that Mikael wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or overjoyed by: his father had gotten a permanent job in New Light, and they'd be moving there in a few days. When they got there, Mikael reverted to his secluded self. Persona: Grazham Arcana: Emperor Persona Appearance: Skills: Pain-Eater, Dia, Safeguard Strengths: Resist Dark, Resist Light Weaknesses: Electric/Ice</s> <\|message\|>Akiko Kozue Eaglecrest High - 4:30 PM "A-Akiko-senpai, here is the monthly expenditure..." Akiko looked up from her desk at the Student Council's new treasurer. "Ah, yes." She said, "Thank you." She took the sheet from the nervous girl's hands and gave it a quick once-over. She was a new transfer student at Eaglecrest, she had come from Japan just like Akiko had. There were many Japanese students in Eaglecrest, even though it was technically an American school. The new transfer student was incredibly nervous, which was somewhat understandable, but she had gotten the position of Student Council Treasurer by herself which said something of her abilities. "This report is good," She said, handing the paper back to the girl. "You're doing fine you know," She added, "You don't have to keep asking me about each report." "A-ah, yes Akiko-senpai..." The girl said as she turned away "Oh, one last thing, Reiko-san," Akiko said, the girl's name suddenly coming to her mind, "Just call me Akiko." The girl nodded and gave some kind of weak acknowledgement before turning away and leaving the room. Akiko was the oly one left in the room now, and immediately, the smile faded from her face. People change so easily. She thought. Well, it doesn't really matter does it? She'd watched people enough to learn their patterns, how they tended to react, common strengths and weaknesses. Not out of any specific desire to read people, but simply because there was nothing else to do. But now she knew the limits, and she'd grown bored yet again. She looked down at her watch. The car should be here now. She thought, I should go. Kozue residence, Akiko's room - 5:00 PM Akiko lay back in her bed, idly staring into space. Her mother wasn't home yet, the maids always left her alone... She sighed. Why is there never anything to do? She looked over to her bedside table, an old carefully folded note and a gleaming golden revolver lay on it; inherited from her father. She took the note and read it again. More for old time's sake than anything, she'd read it more than enough. He had died so many years ago, leaving her and her mother confused and bewildered... I still don't understand... Putting the note back onto the table, she instead picked up the golden revolver, the only other thing her father had left for her. She ran her hands over the cool, lustrous metal of the gun, savouring the cold feeling on her skin. It was oddly comforting, even with its history. Her father had taken his life with this revolver, and if what the note said was true, so had his father, and a few more fathers beyond that. It wasn't as if the gun was cursed, but... She sighed again. Thinking like that isn't going to help. She turned onto her side, removing her glasses and reaching out to put them on the table in front of her. Then she curled up where she lay, and closed her eyes; revolver still in her hands.</s> <\|message\|>Touko Shiragami New Light University - 4 and.... something How fast time passed while one was talking with their friends, yes. Touko's classes had already finished, but she was talking and gossiping with some of her friends after school. It was a good way to kill off time, of course, but she still like wasting her time in other ways, aside from drawing manga... Like reviving her chuunibyo from when she was still in Japan. It was fun to go back to pretending she was a vampire again, from time to time. Just like today, that she was playing around while moving stealthily through the shadows, avoiding the sun rays. She had a satissfied look in her face, no, more like an accomplished one, as she moved through the shadows of buildings. "Kuh.... So, the society is still after me for my betrayal, huh? I can't afford to let my guard down, not even for a moment." She said, overlooking her accent completely while she was playing around. Though she felt the rigors of being an adult from time to time, she still had enough time to fool around like this. She had the day off from her part time work and the deadlines for the new doujinshi were far, far away. "And to think that my own kin would go after me...." She continued on crawling across the wall of a building, until she heard a familiar voice and stopped right on her tracks, with a surprised face and a ridiculous pose. "Touko? What are you doing over there, Touko!" A girl, from across the street, called Touko's name. Touko quickly straightened out and adopted a normal pose, before her friend could catch up on what she was doing. The girl looked to both sides of the street before hurrying to Touko's side. "Hey there, Touko! Um, what are you doing?" She still tilted her head, as Touko's eyes swam around and her face blushed furiously. She just hoped that her friend didn't catch up on what she was doing, it'd definitely creep her out. She wasn't a middle schooler any longer, after all. "Oh, nothin', nothin'. Dun' mind me." Touko said, going back to her usual self. "Anyhow, what's up? Weren' ya in class 'till 4:30 or somethin'?" Her friend looked disheartened. She just couldn't believe her friend was so much of an idiot. Well, being an idiot was one thing, but being such an idiot that you actually forget the time and can't even associate two events with each other. It was sad, very much so. "It's already 4:47 already, you know? I got out of class a while ago." Touko looked really surprised, so much, it even irritated her friend. "Don't give me that and just look at your damn wristwatch!" Touko's Apartment - 6:00 PM After talking with her friend, and getting something to eat too, Touko finally got to her apartment. She opened the door to her not at all modest house, it actually looked more like a penthouse rather than a normal apartment. She took her bag off her shoulder and threw it away somewhere, making sure it wouldn't hit anything and making it land safely on the sofa of the living room. "Tadaima~" Touko said, after stepping into her house and taking her shoes off. Some habits died hard. "Yeah, right, I dunno what I was expectin'. It'd actually be terrifyin' if someone answered." Touko walked all the way to her bedroom. She turned on the lights and before she knew it, she was already falling face first to the bed. It was comfortable, really comfortable. The bed felt as if it was pulling her towards it, kind of like a magnet. "Nooo.... I've to work on that script, or they'll come 'ere and bark at me..." She still lived in the USA and not in Japan, though, but her circle was vicious, they'd fly all the way to her house just to scold her for not hurrying up. "No, I really need to at least complete the cover." She was now decided, as she hopped to a side of her bed. After yawning and rubbing her eyes, she finally stood up and walked all the way to her work desk. She sat there, feeling a bit drowsy, but she had to get on with things. She took a pencil in her hand, put a sheet of paper right in front of her and started drawing. Her hand moved around the page with a lot of dexterity, and soon, the drowsiness left her. Well, she could work on the cover until she felt like it, and it was better than doing nothing.</s> <\|message\|>Alyss Nikael New Light University – 3:00 PM Alyss yawned, a large motion that caused her small mouth to gape much wider than what would seem possible. She flopped on to the libraries counter and promptly huffed to blow the ice white hair that had fallen over her eyes out of them. She was bored. She had finished classes for the day and was roped in to working the afternoon shift at the New Light Library…not that much of it was really new these days. The building was still to go through an upgrade and it sure as hell needed one. Alyss' emerald eyes flicked up the lights that hung from the high arching ceiling and laughed "That's so fucking 80's it's almost cool" she said to herself as she stared at the bright orange fabric that ensconced the lights as a way to diffuse the brightness "almost" she huffed once more, sending white hair back into its proper position: sticking up as if saying fuck off to gravity. She stretched out her legs and leaned back in the recliner, arms stretching up and causing the knuckles and joints in her back to pop with satisfying sounds. She grinned and settled down into the chair, pulling out a battered copy of Alice in Wonderland to read to pass the time. Alyss' Apartment – 9:00 PM Alyss collapsed into her lounge after stumbling through her door. Kicking off thigh high boots was a problem easily rectified by laying down. She grinned a little and flexed her toes, happily sighing as she was now free from responsibilities for the rest of the day. She pouted slightly as she looked at the chipped pink polish on her toe nails and nodded to herself as she decided she would need to repaint them tomorrow…but this evening called for video games! She slid off the couch and changed quickly into her most comfortable oversized shirt before turning on her computer and launching Skype to annoy her friends on. Tonight's game of choice was a MOBA. Alyss grinned and settled in for a long night.</s> <\|message\|>Seo Cappell New Lights University - 3:17 PM Seo just awoke from his nap! Normally this was good, but now it was exponentially shitty. His nap was in his math class, one of the two he was borderline failing. The teacher was boring, and the material even moreso. It was his last math class he needed to pass in order to get what he needed, but he could never bring himself to pay much attention. He could post most of his classes without putting in too much effort, but math was his nemesis. The Grendel to him, the Beowulf. However, he had himself a secret weapon! One that had yet to fail him completely. He employed a tactic used by a few other students he knew, he recorded the class on tape! His parents were able to afford a small HD recorder for him, which he could use to make the lessons a little more 'digital'. Now he could watch the classes over a gain, and binge on the knowledge whenever it was necessary. Anyhow, he took up his camera and gave the classroom a once-over, no one was there. He looked at his watch and it read 3:17 and then turned to 18. His class had been over for about 33 minutes! The fact no one bothered to wake him up sucked, but what sucked even more was that now he had to get rid of all the extra useless video he had recorded. Seo's Apartment - 7:31 Seo sat his computer, with a bowl of cereal next to his mousepad. He was trying to figure out what parts of the lectures he could crop out, and what others he could keep. Already 1/2 of it was gone, and all of the non-verbal information could just be frame-cropped and turned into low-quality pictures to memorize and study later. He took two bites of his cereal and had trouble getting it down, it had gotten soggy. So he pushed the bowl a bit farther away from him, he was done eating for now. He did not want to finish off the soggy crap, just thinking of the taste and texture made him shiver. He figured he would pour himself a second bowl once he was done making his personal study guide.</s>	<\|message\|>Mikael Bolten Eaglecrest High - Time to get a goddamn watch Mikael never actually kept track of time during school; he got on the bus in the morning and went through his boringly-easy, craptastic classes before getting on the bus home. However, he'd decided to join a club where he could do his homework at school. However, taking the late bus had finally made him realize something; most people had a cell or something to tell the time, but his parents never bothered to get him a watch, much less a cellphone that he wouldn't call anyone with. "But damn," Mikael thought as he adjusted his shades. "How long is it going to take to get to my goddamn stop?" New Light University Plaza - 4:57 PM As the bus finally pulled up to a plaza, Mikael looked up to a clock in the center of it... The heck? It was already five? He wasn't sure if it always took that long, but he never noticed if it did. "Tch," He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He would have saved some of his homework for the bus ride if he'd known how much longer the late bus took. Sleeping was not an option. "I won't be tired enough to sleep at home if I take a nap now..." He scowled slightly. "This is just a pain," Mikael muttered to himself, venting his building frustration in those few quiet words.</s>
<\|description\|>Lucrecia Granton Age: 21 Gender: Female Arcana: Empress School: New Light University Occupation: Student and homemaker Weapon: Hammer Appearance: Image Personality: Lucrecia is a responsible and determined individual. Her primary motivation in life is to do right by her family and friends. She has a strong sense of right and wrong, but she prefers not to be pushy about it outside of a truly serious situation. She can come across as a cold and reserved person, as she tends to maintain a polite and formal tone with people, but she rarely means ill and will try to be friendly with those that speak to her. As part of a group, she tends to take on as much responsibility as she can, assuming she isn't stepping on anyone's toes. History: Born the second child in a family of five children, Lucrecia was initially raised in a household of mild prosperity. Her dad's job as an engineer kept the family living comfortably, and Lucrecia wanted for nothing for 13 years of her life. However, Lucrecia's father lost his job one day, and never fully recovered his confidence, becoming something of a broken man. The family's fortunes dwindled, and the lot of them were soon forced to live in a shoddy apartment. Her mom tired of the situation, and left her dad, eventually finding a successful career of her own to pursue. Lucrecia and her siblings ended up in between two worlds, as they lived with their affluent mother one week and their povertous father the next. No matter where they went, however, neither parent was really there for them at that point. Mom was busy working, and dad was busy feeling sorry for himself. There was a gap to fill in the family, and Lucrecia eventually took it upon herself to fill that gap. She essentially became the mother of the family, keeping house and looking after her siblings, both older and younger, while also living the life of a student. She was never the most outgoing of people due to her busy schedule, but she wasn't unhappy. She was almost happy to feel that she was able to keep everything flowing smoothly in their household. Amazingly enough, Lucrecia was able to perform well enough to earn a scholarship while still up-keeping her role in her family. She took the opportunity and entered New Light University, though sometimes she wonders just what she really wants to do with herself and her higher education. Nevertheless, she continues with her studies, focusing on political science which she feels a certain affinity towards. Persona: Maa Durga Arcana: Empress Persona Appearance: Image Skills: Bufu, Bash, Rakukaja Strengths: Resistant to ice attacks Weaknesses: Weak to fire</s> <\|message\|>Alyss Nikael New Light University – 3:00 PM Alyss yawned, a large motion that caused her small mouth to gape much wider than what would seem possible. She flopped on to the libraries counter and promptly huffed to blow the ice white hair that had fallen over her eyes out of them. She was bored. She had finished classes for the day and was roped in to working the afternoon shift at the New Light Library…not that much of it was really new these days. The building was still to go through an upgrade and it sure as hell needed one. Alyss' emerald eyes flicked up the lights that hung from the high arching ceiling and laughed "That's so fucking 80's it's almost cool" she said to herself as she stared at the bright orange fabric that ensconced the lights as a way to diffuse the brightness "almost" she huffed once more, sending white hair back into its proper position: sticking up as if saying fuck off to gravity. She stretched out her legs and leaned back in the recliner, arms stretching up and causing the knuckles and joints in her back to pop with satisfying sounds. She grinned and settled down into the chair, pulling out a battered copy of Alice in Wonderland to read to pass the time. Alyss' Apartment – 9:00 PM Alyss collapsed into her lounge after stumbling through her door. Kicking off thigh high boots was a problem easily rectified by laying down. She grinned a little and flexed her toes, happily sighing as she was now free from responsibilities for the rest of the day. She pouted slightly as she looked at the chipped pink polish on her toe nails and nodded to herself as she decided she would need to repaint them tomorrow…but this evening called for video games! She slid off the couch and changed quickly into her most comfortable oversized shirt before turning on her computer and launching Skype to annoy her friends on. Tonight's game of choice was a MOBA. Alyss grinned and settled in for a long night.</s> <\|message\|>Seo Cappell New Lights University - 3:17 PM Seo just awoke from his nap! Normally this was good, but now it was exponentially shitty. His nap was in his math class, one of the two he was borderline failing. The teacher was boring, and the material even moreso. It was his last math class he needed to pass in order to get what he needed, but he could never bring himself to pay much attention. He could post most of his classes without putting in too much effort, but math was his nemesis. The Grendel to him, the Beowulf. However, he had himself a secret weapon! One that had yet to fail him completely. He employed a tactic used by a few other students he knew, he recorded the class on tape! His parents were able to afford a small HD recorder for him, which he could use to make the lessons a little more 'digital'. Now he could watch the classes over a gain, and binge on the knowledge whenever it was necessary. Anyhow, he took up his camera and gave the classroom a once-over, no one was there. He looked at his watch and it read 3:17 and then turned to 18. His class had been over for about 33 minutes! The fact no one bothered to wake him up sucked, but what sucked even more was that now he had to get rid of all the extra useless video he had recorded. Seo's Apartment - 7:31 Seo sat his computer, with a bowl of cereal next to his mousepad. He was trying to figure out what parts of the lectures he could crop out, and what others he could keep. Already 1/2 of it was gone, and all of the non-verbal information could just be frame-cropped and turned into low-quality pictures to memorize and study later. He took two bites of his cereal and had trouble getting it down, it had gotten soggy. So he pushed the bowl a bit farther away from him, he was done eating for now. He did not want to finish off the soggy crap, just thinking of the taste and texture made him shiver. He figured he would pour himself a second bowl once he was done making his personal study guide.</s> <\|message\|>Mikael Bolten Eaglecrest High - Time to get a goddamn watch Mikael never actually kept track of time during school; he got on the bus in the morning and went through his boringly-easy, craptastic classes before getting on the bus home. However, he'd decided to join a club where he could do his homework at school. However, taking the late bus had finally made him realize something; most people had a cell or something to tell the time, but his parents never bothered to get him a watch, much less a cellphone that he wouldn't call anyone with. "But damn," Mikael thought as he adjusted his shades. "How long is it going to take to get to my goddamn stop?" New Light University Plaza - 4:57 PM As the bus finally pulled up to a plaza, Mikael looked up to a clock in the center of it... The heck? It was already five? He wasn't sure if it always took that long, but he never noticed if it did. "Tch," He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He would have saved some of his homework for the bus ride if he'd known how much longer the late bus took. Sleeping was not an option. "I won't be tired enough to sleep at home if I take a nap now..." He scowled slightly. "This is just a pain," Mikael muttered to himself, venting his building frustration in those few quiet words.</s>	<\|message\|>Lucrecia Granton Eaglecrest High - 4:20 PM Marcus tapped his foot impatiently as he sat there with Sophie. He thought he might get used to waiting for a car after all these years, but it never got any less annoying. All his friends either had people to pick them up immediately, or had their own cars, or could just plain walk home. His mom's house was too far away to walk to, and she was so paranoid she refused to let them use the bus. Having long since exhausted any form of mobile entertainment he had, he was forced to just wait it out with his sister, who was sub-par company at best. Eventually, sweet deliverance arrived; Lucrecia was finally there, in the family car. "Finally..." He muttered, already making his way over. "Hey guys, how was your day?" This was the question Lucrecia greeted them both with when they arrived. "How do you think?" Marcus replied curtly. He had told her how much he detested the school experience enough times for her to get the picture. As she started the car up, she asked another question. "Well, did anything new happen to put you in such a foul mood?" "I was just trying to get to my next class and happened to nudge Mr. Saunders lightly on the way out. So he feels the need to stop me and give me a lecture on how I should've got down on my knees and opened the way for him. I have classes to get to, why do I need to stop for some asshole's power trip?" "I see." Lucrecia knew better than to encourage Marcus' ranting with a more significant response. "And how about you, Sophie?" Sophie had been spending her time in the car so far staring down at her shoes. She only looked up when Lucrecia spoke to her. "I-I'm fine." She replied, but almost in a whisper. "Jesus, Sophie, SPEAK UP." Marcus exclaimed exasperatedly. "This is why everyone thinks you're a lonely little freak." "Don't talk to your sister like that." Lucreica told him flatly. Marcus' first impulse was to argue, but he had learnt through experience not to bother arguing with Lucrecia other something like this. They spent a few minutes of travel time in silence after that. Eventually, Marcus' impatience got the better of him. "I want my own car." He stated. He tended to voice his opinions spontaneously like this a lot. "You could start by getting a license." Lucrecia answered, partly to be genuinely helpful, but also to re-iterate that getting a car wasn't something she could really do for him. "How can I get a license when no one can take me where I need to go? Everyone's busy." "It can't be helped. You'll just have to hope someone has some free time eventually." "Yeah, whatever." Lucrecia's answers had hardly satisfied Marcus, but he didn't feel like complaining anymore than he already had. After Lucrecia picked up Eliza, their youngest sibling, from elementary school, the family would finally make their way home. ---- De Luca Residence - 7:33 PM Lucrecia always took a sliver of amusement from the fact that the five people typically found living in the "De Luca" household were all named Granton. This was of course due to them all being born before their parents split up and ended up living in two different homes. Not that it ever felt like Mr. or Mrs. De Luca actually lived in the house, since they both worked until so late at night it was only a short while before most of the Grantons were sound asleep. But they paid for the house and kept the fridge stocked with food, so they had every right to be the name everyone heard when they rang the answering machine. Still, it was Lucrecia that kept this middle-class household from turning into a complete pig-sty. With Elliot, her older brother, already in the workforce, she was the only Granton child that cared to clean up for themselves, and everyone else by proxy. She didn't complain though, as she had taken it upon herself to do so a long time ago. The only time she planned to stop was when she finally graduated and moved away. But that wasn't today, and it probably wouldn't be for some time. For now, she was just going to enjoy the brief moments of free time she enjoyed outside of her responsibilities...</s>
<\|description\|>Leonardo "Leo" Silverstone Gender: Male Age: 18 Arcana: The Star School: Eaglecrest High School Occupation: Student Weapon: Yo-yo (Because where is a high school student supposed to get a real weapon?) Appearance: (Ignore the Pokemon stuff plz.) Leo is a tall young man, standing at 6'0". He is physically fit and quite strong, with a toned athletic physique that he is quite proud of. Due to living in a tropical place most of his life, and because he often goes outdoors, his skin is lightly tanned. His face is round, free of blemishes, and rather boyish. Marked by large expressive blue eyes, a small nose, and a usually smiling mouth. These features give him a rather youthful appearance. He has short, close cropped black hair, with messy bangs that cover his forehead, and go to his eyebrows. A strand of hair on top of his head always stands up, no matter how much he tries to comb it down. Except for the top of his head, and eyebrows, the rest of his upper body is void of any hair. For clothing, Leo generally wears what is comfortable. Usually, whatever he pulls out of his closet that day. It usually includes a pair of jeans or cargo shorts, and sneakers or sandals on his feet. He can often be found without a shirt. This is because he was rather scrawny when he was younger, so now that he's put on a little muscle, he likes to show off the results. When he must wear a shirt, it will usually be a skintight tank top, or something low cut/not buttoned/zipped up all the way, and without a shirt underneath. He's not comfortable wearing cloaks or heavy clothing that covers him up too much. He will dress up for formal occasions and colder days when he needs to, but he usually takes it right off when he's able. He wears a pair of aviator goggles on top of his head. He doesn't use them, he just thinks they look cool. His favorite outfit is a red, form fitting tank top, with black stripes on the sides, and a zipper down the front on the top, and a pair of jeans held up by a belt on the bottom. His sneakers are red and black, and have wheels in the soles. The wheels can pop in and out when Leo puts weight on his heels, allowing them to function like roller skates. He carries his things in a simple pink backpack. Personality: Leo is a bright, cheerful person, with an optimistic view on life. He can often be found with a smile on his face, even when things look bleak. As such, he often makes jokes, and does silly things when the situation is tense to lift people's spirits, but his attempts to make people laugh sometimes backfire. He believes there is some good in everyone, and for that, he is very trusting of others. A genuine nice guy, he is always willing to help someone in need. Often putting the needs of others ahead of his own. Sometimes though, he can be too nice, to the point of gullibility, and people often take advantage of him for it. Leo is very outgoing and social. He likes meeting new people, and making new friends. He is not afraid to strike up a conversation with a random stranger. Being used to having to watch over his little sisters, he's become accustomed to taking care of people. He is loyal, empathetic, and very protective of those he cares about, making him a good friend to have. Leo is very energetic. So much so, that it is very difficult for him to sit still and concentrate on one thing for long periods of time. Because of this, he likes to actually do stuff, instead of sitting there reading about it. While he is able to think quick on his feet during intense situations. he often acts impulsively, and jumps to conclusions without thinking first. Unlike a lot of guys he's known, Leo is the type of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. His feelings are there for everyone to see, and he's pretty easy to read. For example he cries openly during the endings of sad movies, and is affectionate towards close friends. Due to his cheerful nature, it is usually difficult to anger him. Leo is not perfect, and is prone to having bad days just like everyone else. When he gets overwhelmed, he has really bad angry outbursts where he just lashes out at the most appropriate target. That said, Leo isn't one to hold grudges for very long, and is very quick to forgive people. Leo has an affinity for cute things, and is not ashamed about it at all. One of his favorite things at the moment, is the TV show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, which he watches regularly with his youngest sister. He is an unabashed Brony, he has a collection of merchandise from the show, and often makes references to it in everyday conversation. He's aware how silly it might look for someone his age to be liking a show aimed at little girls, and generally he has a good sense of humor about the whole thing. (However, he does get defensive if someone makes fun of him for it.) He's had bad experiences with bullies as a kid, and he fears having to experience that again. He likes fantasy and fairy tales, and he developed most of his idealistic beliefs from them. He also likes other things some would consider childish as well. He can cook well, due to having to make dinner for the family when his mom was working. He particularly enjoys making (and eating) desserts, though he keeps it in moderation. History: Leo was born in Miami, Florida. He was the oldest of three siblings, and the only male among the three. His parents' relationship became strained after his father, Leroy, lost his job shortly after the youngest daughter was born, and the family started experiencing financial troubles. It was not helped by Leroy turning to Wine to drown his sorrows, which worried the rest of the family. Leroy and his wife, Luisa, often argued loudly during the night. While things never escalated to physical violence, but the yelling still made the three kids uncomfortable. Despite the drama, Leo tried to put on a brave face, and hoped things would work out in the end. Eventually, Luisa got a promotion at her job that made up for the loss of income, but by then, the damage was done, and Leroy filed for divorce. Leo currently lives with his mom, and his younger sisters Lilly and Lucy. He is much closer to his mother than with his father. They were not wealthy, but they weren't poor either. Being a single parent, Luisa often had to work long hours, leaving Leo responsible for looking after his sisters, and taking care of household things while she worked. Unlike a lot of other boys though, Leo didn't really mind this, and actually enjoyed it. As a result of this, he became accustomed to taking care of people. He also learned a lot of domestic skills, and became very good at cooking. He was a rather scrawny child, and he was often picked on by bullies who thought he was weaker than them. It did not help that he was a sensitive kid, and he had a taste for things that are usually considered girly by others. He would come home with bruises on a regular basis. His father did not help matters by suggesting that living in a house full of girls was turning him into one. While all the bullying upset him, he kept up a cheerful demeanor in front of others, not wanting to burden them with his problems. He believed that if he thinks positively, things would get better. Around the time Leo entered puberty, things started to change. His mother announced that her office was transferring her to a place called New light and that the family would be moving there. His situation began to improve when he started High School. Deciding that he no longer wanted to be a wimp, and a constant bullying victim. He started working out and getting into sports, which resulted in him putting on a little muscle, and making new friends. Due to his social personality, he quickly became quite popular on campus, particularly with other girls. He also maintained good grades. Life was actually starting to look up. Despite how well things were going, he didn't let it get to his head. He still remained the same sensitive kid he always was. Now that he's a senior, the time has come to start thinking about his future. Leo is not exactly sure what he wants to do with the rest of his life yet. Persona: Phoenix Arcana: The Star Persona Appearance: Skills: Agi, Dia, Patra (The Persona Q version of Patra, where it heals any status condition of one party member.) Strengths: Resist Fire Weaknesses: Ice</s> <\|message\|>Mikael Bolten Eaglecrest High - Time to get a goddamn watch Mikael never actually kept track of time during school; he got on the bus in the morning and went through his boringly-easy, craptastic classes before getting on the bus home. However, he'd decided to join a club where he could do his homework at school. However, taking the late bus had finally made him realize something; most people had a cell or something to tell the time, but his parents never bothered to get him a watch, much less a cellphone that he wouldn't call anyone with. "But damn," Mikael thought as he adjusted his shades. "How long is it going to take to get to my goddamn stop?" New Light University Plaza - 4:57 PM As the bus finally pulled up to a plaza, Mikael looked up to a clock in the center of it... The heck? It was already five? He wasn't sure if it always took that long, but he never noticed if it did. "Tch," He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He would have saved some of his homework for the bus ride if he'd known how much longer the late bus took. Sleeping was not an option. "I won't be tired enough to sleep at home if I take a nap now..." He scowled slightly. "This is just a pain," Mikael muttered to himself, venting his building frustration in those few quiet words.</s> <\|message\|>Lucrecia Granton Eaglecrest High - 4:20 PM Marcus tapped his foot impatiently as he sat there with Sophie. He thought he might get used to waiting for a car after all these years, but it never got any less annoying. All his friends either had people to pick them up immediately, or had their own cars, or could just plain walk home. His mom's house was too far away to walk to, and she was so paranoid she refused to let them use the bus. Having long since exhausted any form of mobile entertainment he had, he was forced to just wait it out with his sister, who was sub-par company at best. Eventually, sweet deliverance arrived; Lucrecia was finally there, in the family car. "Finally..." He muttered, already making his way over. "Hey guys, how was your day?" This was the question Lucrecia greeted them both with when they arrived. "How do you think?" Marcus replied curtly. He had told her how much he detested the school experience enough times for her to get the picture. As she started the car up, she asked another question. "Well, did anything new happen to put you in such a foul mood?" "I was just trying to get to my next class and happened to nudge Mr. Saunders lightly on the way out. So he feels the need to stop me and give me a lecture on how I should've got down on my knees and opened the way for him. I have classes to get to, why do I need to stop for some asshole's power trip?" "I see." Lucrecia knew better than to encourage Marcus' ranting with a more significant response. "And how about you, Sophie?" Sophie had been spending her time in the car so far staring down at her shoes. She only looked up when Lucrecia spoke to her. "I-I'm fine." She replied, but almost in a whisper. "Jesus, Sophie, SPEAK UP." Marcus exclaimed exasperatedly. "This is why everyone thinks you're a lonely little freak." "Don't talk to your sister like that." Lucreica told him flatly. Marcus' first impulse was to argue, but he had learnt through experience not to bother arguing with Lucrecia other something like this. They spent a few minutes of travel time in silence after that. Eventually, Marcus' impatience got the better of him. "I want my own car." He stated. He tended to voice his opinions spontaneously like this a lot. "You could start by getting a license." Lucrecia answered, partly to be genuinely helpful, but also to re-iterate that getting a car wasn't something she could really do for him. "How can I get a license when no one can take me where I need to go? Everyone's busy." "It can't be helped. You'll just have to hope someone has some free time eventually." "Yeah, whatever." Lucrecia's answers had hardly satisfied Marcus, but he didn't feel like complaining anymore than he already had. After Lucrecia picked up Eliza, their youngest sibling, from elementary school, the family would finally make their way home. ---- De Luca Residence - 7:33 PM Lucrecia always took a sliver of amusement from the fact that the five people typically found living in the "De Luca" household were all named Granton. This was of course due to them all being born before their parents split up and ended up living in two different homes. Not that it ever felt like Mr. or Mrs. De Luca actually lived in the house, since they both worked until so late at night it was only a short while before most of the Grantons were sound asleep. But they paid for the house and kept the fridge stocked with food, so they had every right to be the name everyone heard when they rang the answering machine. Still, it was Lucrecia that kept this middle-class household from turning into a complete pig-sty. With Elliot, her older brother, already in the workforce, she was the only Granton child that cared to clean up for themselves, and everyone else by proxy. She didn't complain though, as she had taken it upon herself to do so a long time ago. The only time she planned to stop was when she finally graduated and moved away. But that wasn't today, and it probably wouldn't be for some time. For now, she was just going to enjoy the brief moments of free time she enjoyed outside of her responsibilities...</s>	<\|message\|>Leonardo "Leo" Silverstone Leo's Bedroom - Evening Leo lay comfortably on his bed. With school over for the day, and his homework for the night finally finished, he now had some free time before it was time to go to bed. So, he turned on the Wii U he had gotten for Christmas, and spent his time watching My Little Pony videos on the web browser. He wasn't in the mood to play an actual game, that would have required effort. While Leo wasn't known for being lazy, after spending eight hours in school, and more hours doing homework, sometimes you just want to sit around and watch videos on Youtube. He would've used the computer, but his sister Lilly was using it, as per usual... But that was fine, his Wii U had a fabulous web browser anyway. He went to Youtube, a pulled up a video. Lately, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic had become one of his favorite shows, despite it being aimed at little girls. According to the internet, there were tons of teenage boys who liked the show, they called themselves Bronies. Sadly, he was the only boy in school he knew who would admit to being a fan of the show offline, but whatever. It was there loss, and there was nothing wrong with liking a cartoon about ponies. Besides the adorable animation style, one of the things he liked about the show was the awesome music. As Leo sang along to various pony videos, there was suddenly a loud knock on the door. Lilly's annoyed voice soon followed. "Hey could you keep it down in there?! I'm trying to study for my exams tomorrow, and you're obnoxious singing is ruining my concentration!!" "Oh... Sorry about that." He whispered politely as he lowered the volume on his gamepad, and thought of a quiter way to pass the time.</s>
<\|description\|>Aiko Yanagi Age: 17 Gender: Female Arcana: The Magician School: Eaglecrest High Occupation: She helps out at the local library. Weapon: This Book Appearance: Personality: At first glance, Aiko appears as a shy, quiet and hard to approach girl. Once you're past first glance, this doesn't change. She is slow at opening up to people, and even slower to trust them. This is because she has a fear of being judged by others. Even when she finaly opens up, she doesn't change much. She's still the same timid girl, only now she trusts you, and will be there to help, if she can. She spends more time with her books than with others. History: Most of Aiko's life has been uneventful. She comes from a rather wealthy family, so she was free to do a lot of things most others wouldn't be able to. However, her fathers work also forced them to move to a lot of different countries. During this time, Aiko learned to speak several languages, but she also became more secluded, spending more and more time on her own, reading, rather than meeting people. This was because she knew that they'd probably move soon, so meeting new people and finding new friends, as she would loose them anyways. So she didn't develop strong social skills. However, she always did well at her new schools, scoring the highest on her tests. Two years ago, her family moved to New Light, a place she really started liking, so when her parents had to move again a year later, she chose to stay. A decision that was met with mixed reactions from her parrents, who were pretty overprotective, but at the same time, they wanted her to not only learn to live on her own, but also to find people to rely on. Persona: Ravynne Arcana: The Magician Persona Appearance: Skills: Agi, Zio, Dia Strengths: Null fire and Dark, Resist Lightning. Weaknesses: Air, Ice, Light, Physical.</s> <\|message\|>Mikael Bolten Eaglecrest High - Time to get a goddamn watch Mikael never actually kept track of time during school; he got on the bus in the morning and went through his boringly-easy, craptastic classes before getting on the bus home. However, he'd decided to join a club where he could do his homework at school. However, taking the late bus had finally made him realize something; most people had a cell or something to tell the time, but his parents never bothered to get him a watch, much less a cellphone that he wouldn't call anyone with. "But damn," Mikael thought as he adjusted his shades. "How long is it going to take to get to my goddamn stop?" New Light University Plaza - 4:57 PM As the bus finally pulled up to a plaza, Mikael looked up to a clock in the center of it... The heck? It was already five? He wasn't sure if it always took that long, but he never noticed if it did. "Tch," He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He would have saved some of his homework for the bus ride if he'd known how much longer the late bus took. Sleeping was not an option. "I won't be tired enough to sleep at home if I take a nap now..." He scowled slightly. "This is just a pain," Mikael muttered to himself, venting his building frustration in those few quiet words.</s> <\|message\|>Lucrecia Granton Eaglecrest High - 4:20 PM Marcus tapped his foot impatiently as he sat there with Sophie. He thought he might get used to waiting for a car after all these years, but it never got any less annoying. All his friends either had people to pick them up immediately, or had their own cars, or could just plain walk home. His mom's house was too far away to walk to, and she was so paranoid she refused to let them use the bus. Having long since exhausted any form of mobile entertainment he had, he was forced to just wait it out with his sister, who was sub-par company at best. Eventually, sweet deliverance arrived; Lucrecia was finally there, in the family car. "Finally..." He muttered, already making his way over. "Hey guys, how was your day?" This was the question Lucrecia greeted them both with when they arrived. "How do you think?" Marcus replied curtly. He had told her how much he detested the school experience enough times for her to get the picture. As she started the car up, she asked another question. "Well, did anything new happen to put you in such a foul mood?" "I was just trying to get to my next class and happened to nudge Mr. Saunders lightly on the way out. So he feels the need to stop me and give me a lecture on how I should've got down on my knees and opened the way for him. I have classes to get to, why do I need to stop for some asshole's power trip?" "I see." Lucrecia knew better than to encourage Marcus' ranting with a more significant response. "And how about you, Sophie?" Sophie had been spending her time in the car so far staring down at her shoes. She only looked up when Lucrecia spoke to her. "I-I'm fine." She replied, but almost in a whisper. "Jesus, Sophie, SPEAK UP." Marcus exclaimed exasperatedly. "This is why everyone thinks you're a lonely little freak." "Don't talk to your sister like that." Lucreica told him flatly. Marcus' first impulse was to argue, but he had learnt through experience not to bother arguing with Lucrecia other something like this. They spent a few minutes of travel time in silence after that. Eventually, Marcus' impatience got the better of him. "I want my own car." He stated. He tended to voice his opinions spontaneously like this a lot. "You could start by getting a license." Lucrecia answered, partly to be genuinely helpful, but also to re-iterate that getting a car wasn't something she could really do for him. "How can I get a license when no one can take me where I need to go? Everyone's busy." "It can't be helped. You'll just have to hope someone has some free time eventually." "Yeah, whatever." Lucrecia's answers had hardly satisfied Marcus, but he didn't feel like complaining anymore than he already had. After Lucrecia picked up Eliza, their youngest sibling, from elementary school, the family would finally make their way home. ---- De Luca Residence - 7:33 PM Lucrecia always took a sliver of amusement from the fact that the five people typically found living in the "De Luca" household were all named Granton. This was of course due to them all being born before their parents split up and ended up living in two different homes. Not that it ever felt like Mr. or Mrs. De Luca actually lived in the house, since they both worked until so late at night it was only a short while before most of the Grantons were sound asleep. But they paid for the house and kept the fridge stocked with food, so they had every right to be the name everyone heard when they rang the answering machine. Still, it was Lucrecia that kept this middle-class household from turning into a complete pig-sty. With Elliot, her older brother, already in the workforce, she was the only Granton child that cared to clean up for themselves, and everyone else by proxy. She didn't complain though, as she had taken it upon herself to do so a long time ago. The only time she planned to stop was when she finally graduated and moved away. But that wasn't today, and it probably wouldn't be for some time. For now, she was just going to enjoy the brief moments of free time she enjoyed outside of her responsibilities...</s> <\|message\|>Leonardo "Leo" Silverstone Leo's Bedroom - Evening Leo lay comfortably on his bed. With school over for the day, and his homework for the night finally finished, he now had some free time before it was time to go to bed. So, he turned on the Wii U he had gotten for Christmas, and spent his time watching My Little Pony videos on the web browser. He wasn't in the mood to play an actual game, that would have required effort. While Leo wasn't known for being lazy, after spending eight hours in school, and more hours doing homework, sometimes you just want to sit around and watch videos on Youtube. He would've used the computer, but his sister Lilly was using it, as per usual... But that was fine, his Wii U had a fabulous web browser anyway. He went to Youtube, a pulled up a video. Lately, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic had become one of his favorite shows, despite it being aimed at little girls. According to the internet, there were tons of teenage boys who liked the show, they called themselves Bronies. Sadly, he was the only boy in school he knew who would admit to being a fan of the show offline, but whatever. It was there loss, and there was nothing wrong with liking a cartoon about ponies. Besides the adorable animation style, one of the things he liked about the show was the awesome music. As Leo sang along to various pony videos, there was suddenly a loud knock on the door. Lilly's annoyed voice soon followed. "Hey could you keep it down in there?! I'm trying to study for my exams tomorrow, and you're obnoxious singing is ruining my concentration!!" "Oh... Sorry about that." He whispered politely as he lowered the volume on his gamepad, and thought of a quiter way to pass the time.</s> <\|message\|>Takashi Miyuzaki New Lights University-11:16 AM Takashi Miyuzaki sat quietly in one of New Light University's many lecture halls. He was listening to his teacher breakdown a diagram that depicted a modern day car engine, he was going over the various parts and how they all worked together. Takashi was usually a good student, paying attention and taking notes. But today was different, it was only 11 AM and he was starting to doze. Perhaps it had something to do with getting home from work around 5 then getting up at 7 to take Megumi to school. Regardless of the circumstances Takashi knew he had to keep himself awake. So he devoted himself mind and body to taking notes, every word the teacher uttered found it's way into his notebook. ----------- Miyuzaki Apartment-6:22 PM "Megumi! What did I tell you about you about eating your vegetables?" The elder Miyuzaki questioned, his voice loud enough he wouldn't be surprised if the neighbors heard. The younger was however ignoring him completely and watching TV, her new favorite show being something about Titans, titans who were teenagers or some such. Honestly Takashi didn't pay to close attention, it was on a reputable kids channel and that was really enough for him. "Hey! Don't you ignore me!" He called, the girl still facing away from, her light blonde hair shining nearly silver in the light from the bare bulb above their heads. He stared down at the small coffee table they were eating at, the paper plates held a home cooked meal Takashi made himself. He sighed as he ate the rest of his chicken alfredo pasta creation. Finally an idea popped into Takashi's head. "Alright, if you don't eat your broccoli I'll just have to find someone else to share that cake in the fridge with." His voice was light and unassuming, knowing exactly what his sister's reaction would be. Best part was it was chocolate cake, her favorite. Immediately she turned towards him, her emerald green eyes gleaming in challenge as the siblings had a staredown. "You gonna eat the broccoli or not?" "...Yeah...."</s>	<\|message\|>Aiko Yanagi Eaglecrest High – Library: 12:02 PM Aiko peeked around the corner of the bookshelf she was hiding behind, and looked around, making sure that she was no longer being followed. At the beginning of the break, a younger boy, a first year student, she guessed, had approached her. He had stopped her in a hallway, and she had, politely, returned his greeting, and told him unless he needed something, she'd like to be alone. Apparently, he wanted to eat lunch with her, but when she declined, he persisted. She tried to walk away, but he followed her. This, in turn, caused her to panic. She ran without looking back, pretty certain that he would chase her. Without knowing why, she had run to the library. From where she was standing, she could see the boy run past the doors to the library, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Getting her bearings, she found herself close to the door leading to the old book section. Eaglecrest had a, for a high school, pretty big collection of old books from around the world. These valuable, sometimes irreplaceable, books were written in a variety of languages, and varied in ages between a few hundred to almost two thousand years old. Anything from handwritten decrees to mass printed lexicon could be found here. Of course, due to the age and rarity of these books, the room in which they were kept had to have its temperature and air moisture regulated, as to better preserve the books. Aiko slowly pushed the heavy glass door open and walked in. She had often found herself in this place when she needed to think. A smell of old, musty leather and paper filled the room. She breathed deeply. The collection of knowledge and history in the room was, as always, impressive. She ran her index and middle fingers along the weathered spines of some medieval, handwritten tomes. "How often have I been here since I started at Eaglecrest, I wonder..." she asked, as if talking to the books. They, of course, didn't answer. She stopped her fingers, and pulled the book out of the shelf. It was a logbook, written by a French nobleman who had taken part in the crusades. He wrote of his experiences in the holy land, and of the trip there. While not exactly the most interesting thing to read, she still sat down at one of the tables with it. I guess waiting here for a few minutes won't hurt. she thought to herself. </s>
<\|description\|>Wonder Woman Diana Prince Cosplay by Meagan Marie. (Click the link to see more of her incredible work) Age 18 Powers/Abilities All Amazons share the same powers and abilities, though each differs on which aspect they are best in. * From Gaia they gain the power of the Earth. This grants them strength beyond normal and also allows quicker healing when in direct contact with Earth. * From Athena they are granted wisdom, intelligence, and military prowess. This also helps her learn new languages rapidly and retain them easily. * From Artemis they are granted the "Eye of the Hunter". This gives them enhanced vision and hearing. * Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, granted them the ability to be more resistant to fire, both natural and magical and origin. * Aphrodite granted each woman beauty and a kind heart. At this point Diana does not have the ability to fly. In canon it was granted by Hermes, who was a guy, so in this timeline she has not meet him yet because no man (God or not) can walk on Themyscira. Diana also had won items on Themyscira that she brought with her, * Aegis of Athena: Her bullet proof bracers. Not only can they deflect bullets but they absorb the kinetic energy. Because of this they are also useful to minimizing blast damage. * Tiara: It's a boomerang. * Other objects she doesn't have yet: Her Magical sword and Lasso of Truth. Weaknesses Diana had increase her power "ten-fold" by removing her bracers. However prolonged use of her abilities without her bracers will driver her insane. Diana is not bullet proof. Nor pointy object proof. She can be stabbed, shot, or blown up. She is also susceptible to poison. And is moderately susceptible to mental attacks. She doesn't lose her powers if she is tied up by a guy (because I'm not going there). She's naive about how the world really works. Back story/origins Diana was born on Themyscira, the isle of the Amazons also known as Paradise Island. It was an Island granted to women by Athena (The Greek Goddess). The events leading up to this gift are not relevant to Diana. Suffice it to say the Greek Gods enchanted the land to protect the women who lived there from men and hid it from the world. Diana's mother is Queen Hippolyta, making her the Princess of the Amazons. The Amazonian women are all fierce warriors though not all of them employed as such. They practice peace overall and the gentler arts are very much appreciated. Since the Isle was gifted to the Amazons they have never had true war. Diana's life on the island was the same as all the other women, or sisters as they call each other. While being a Princess she wasn't raised differently from all the rest, apart from the two women assigned to be her body guards. Diana's early life consisted of training both her body and mind. She learned the Amazon's code of Love, Peace and Equality. Warriors of Paradise Island didn't fight for themselves. They fought for each other and their way of life. When Diana was young she was taught of the world she lived in. This included "Man's" world as her sisters named it. They taught young Diana all about the horrible things that happened and are happening there. Diana however was fascinated by the outside world. Even her biased teachers couldn't curb her. She would day dream in her leisure time about life off the isle. For was it not a basic tenant of Amazon philosophy to teach their way of life to others? Of course she always struggled with that lesson. She lacked self discipline above all else. She was a little blood thirsty and tended to lack compassion to those who would seek to wrong those she called sisters. It was a lesson her younger sister (by blood) didn't struggle with. Donna was almost five years younger than Diana. The two were quite inseparable. But Donna also didn't have any desire to leave her home. It was their one point of contention. So when Diana left in the night like a thief she didn't bring her tender hearted sister with her. Currently Diana has no secret Identity, though later the press will dub her Wonder Woman. Arc ideas Lasso of Truth: First and foremost she needs to get her Lasso of Truth. It was made by Hephaestus for Hestia so maybe Diana can do something for Hestia in order to be given the Lasso as a gift/payment? Doctor Psycho: He's probably one of Diana's deadliest foes and gets little screen time. Right out the gate I'd like these two to clash. He'd be her main villain. This arc would be their first introduction to each other. I think he would be good because he's extremely sexist and having him one of Diana's first villains would only highlight the terrible aspects of the world at large. Sisters: Since Diana did run off without a word her bodyguards will come looking for her. They want to take her back home. Diana disagrees with them.</s> <\|message\|>AQUAMAN A monumental wave burst over the beach of America's East Coast, spitting a blonde haired ruler onto the dry space he'd originally called home. Resolutely, he marched across the shore, trident in hand. His orange upper garment reflected it's tangerine glimmer onto everything he passed. He'd actually come to Metropolis a great many times throughout his life. In this state of emergency, the king of the seas found it much more imperative that he arrive in a timely manner, and so he did. By foot, by cab, and by unguarded motorcycle he made his way through the danger zone. He followed the trail of destruction until he was face to face with the mightiest individuals he could've come upon. Gotham's Dark Knight, Metropolis's Man of Tomorrow and a stunning brunette with metals as polished as his own were but a sample of his contemporaries. "Hello. I see you are all in the middle of something, but I beg that any of you assist me in my endeavor to protect my people, the residents of Atlantis."</s> <\|message\|>Clark Kent or... Justice League Origins "Hello. I see you are all in the middle of something, but I beg that any of you assist me in my endeavor to protect my people, the residents of Atlantis." Clark turned around to see yet another super powered being step into the group. That made seven. The group stood in a circle on top of the rubble, dozens of the machines scattered the road. Before anyone could respond, a massive bubble materialized out of the Brainiac skull. within seconds it covered the entire city in the air and began curving to the ground. "That can't be good." Green Lantern was the first to speak up. He powered up his ring creating an emerald aura around him. As the bubble slowly moved to the ground, the invaders began to chant in their alien language. The only audible word to Clark being 'Kryptonian.' "Sorry fish man, but it looks like if we don't take care of that skull you won't be able to reach 'Atlantis'." Clark said in a worried tone. Please let Lois be okay. He jumped as high as he could trying to reach the skull, leaving the group behind. Before he reached it, dozens of the flying machines broke off from the circle. He activated his sporadic heat vision before retreating back to the ground. "Not a solo job then." "No, we need a plan." Clark took a second to think, the machines had returned to the circle in the sky. Pursuit was apparently not important anymore. The bubble was getting closer to the ground every second now. "Okay, we need a distraction. About three of us should stay behind and get the guards to chase you." "Distraction's my middle name." Lantern winked at the woman after he said so. "Okay, we need two more volunteers to help him out. Everyone else get up to the skull." "How do you expect us to do that, I can't fly." Flash spoke up, it was a good point. "I can do that too," Lantern said. He created a massive slingshot out of green energy that covered most of the street."If Supes here can make a good hole in that thing's side, I'll send you all through." Superman nodded and flew into the sky headed straight for the skull. Lantern's distraction kicked in just in time, massive green anti-air shells began exploding in the faces of the robots. Chunks of dead metal began falling to the ground. It seemed that the Lantern was conceived as a serious threat because a large amount of robots nose dived for the ground. Clark dodged through the last of the guards taking out some every now and then. Finally he reached the skull, its massive tentacles attacked of their own accord. He flew up and down avoiding the attack. The adrenaline in his veins must have been keeping him in the sky. Any flying backup that he had was dealing with the same. He used heat vision to sever one tentacle but another hit him in the back. He turned and caught it under his right arm. With all of his strength, he tore it off sending sparks and explosions up through the machine. The massive skull turned its head and stared at Clark with its menacing red eyes, one of which was large enough to fit his squad into. "Kryptonian, you are becoming an annoyance." The massive red eyes instantly became brighter. The sound of it charging its energy beams were audible even on the ground. It fired, Clark couldn't dodge the beams. They would have taken out two city block if they hit the ground. A massive green shield blocked the skull's attack from hitting Clark. Lantern's shield didn't last long, it did give Clark just enough time to fly under the attack and fly straight towards the eyes. Once the emerald shield broke, the attack was interrupted. The shattering sound of both forms of energy braking was defining. With both fists, Clark flew into the skull's left eye. The resulting explosion destroyed the entire 'eye socket' and left a big enough entrance for the rest of his squad. The problem however was that now the invaders that had attacked the distraction team were now heading back to protect the ship. From inside, small drones began to attack. Their energy beams were much smaller and served to be no more than small annoyances. Clark punched out a wall on the far side of the 'socket.' On the other side is what must have been the ship's true interior. The sight shocked Clark, so much so that he barely noticed his squad make their "graceful" landing coming off of Lantern's slingshot. The inside of the ship was dark, only illuminated by the occasional green or purple light illuminating bottles with what looked like model cities inside. Pools of liquid surrounded the ship, and power lines connected to the walls in bizarre areas that were impossible geometrically. He jumped down from his vantage point inside the eye and onto the floor. The light blue goo splashed onto his legs and gave off a putrid odor. "Nice mothership you have here Brainiac."</s>	<\|message\|>Wonder Woman "Superman is it?" Diana asked as she walked up to them. "Are you with or against those Brainiac robots?" Diana's hands were held loosely at her side. However she was coiled and ready to defend at a moment's notice. This Superman gaped at her for a moment. Perhaps he had never seen a woman warrior. A lot of men in this world had the same reaction. It wasn't gratifying. It was annoying. She was tired of being treated like something new. She missed her sister's comradeship in arms. "Uh. Looks like we're on your side." The Superman said. Though he didn't seem very sure. Maybe all the muscles went to his head. Still, Diana wasn't about to reject potential allies, even if they weren't very smart. "Us too." Diana opened her mouth to respond when a man in green descended from the heavens. A green bubble was next to him. In which she could see a black clad form. She tensed, ready, but he didn't move towards her. "I'm a Green Lantern, and this is Batman. Bats here didn't really want to come." The Green Lantern released his prisoner from the green bubble. Kidnapping wasn't something tolerated on the Island. Diana knew it also wasn't tolerated in Man's world. Was this Green lantern exempt? No one else seemed to care. But then again, there was a more pressing issue of giant robots. Not that everyone else seemed too concerned as introductions continued. "Superman, this is Doctor Fate apparently." "And I'm the Flash." By the time the man in red showed, Diana was looking around the area for a better weapon. She cased one of the robots. Perhaps she could use the metal from it to make a makeshift sword. She crouched down next to the robot and looked over it. "I didn't catch your name." "Yeah, I was wondering that too. Ever been in space?" Diana looked up from her examination after she realized she was being spoken to. She stood up and held her head high, ignoring Hal's advances. They weren't anything she didn't have to contend with back in Baltimore. Diana had found ignoring them was the best way to make them go away. Apart from injuring them, but that was a last resort. "I am Princess Diana of Themyscira." A smile tugged at her mouth. "But people here call me Wonder Woman." "Hello. I see you are all in the middle of something, but I beg that any of you assist me in my endeavor to protect my people, the residents of Atlantis." Like a herald of bad tidings, motion from above caught her attention. She watched as the main robot emitted light that covered the city like a tent. "That can't be good." "Sorry fish man, but it looks like if we don't take care of that skull you won't be able to reach 'Atlantis'." The sounds of Diana's new compatriots was nearly drowned out by the chanting of Brainiac's robots. Diana didn't waste time crouching back down and pulling out the most manageable metal piece she had found. She bent one part with her foot, tore a leather strap from her skirt and wrapped it around an end. Around her she could hear the others discussing the problem. Distraction and Attack. Divide and Conquer. Diana Approved of the Blue Man's planning. "Okay, we need two more volunteers to help him out. Everyone else get up to the skull." "I will aid the Green Man." Diana said. She could distract and without a suitable weapon, she was hard pressed to take down the lesser robots. A good general knew their own weaknesses. As the Superman flew off, a mass of robots headed right towards them. Diana smiled as the first robot hit. She waded into the fray, using the numbers of the enemy against itself. She lost her makeshift weapon again and went back to hand to hand fighting. The most annoying thing about the robots were the tentacles. She'd go to punch one robot only to find her arm caught. She'd have to rip off the tentacle and once she was finished, there'd be one on her leg. And so it would go until she got so annoyed, with a war cry, she'd grab a metal arm and toss it into a few of its' fellows. Diana did make sure to say near the Green Lantern. Not because she liked him. But because he was their ticket up to the Prime Robot. If he fell, it would be the Superman's job. Having only one person in battle who can get close to Brainiac Prime was not a good thing. Which Brainiac obviously knew, for it was concentrating on the two biggest threats to it's existence.</s>
<\|description\|>Gog gro-Magog Here's my application, I hope it's all fine Race: Orc Age: Young Adult Appearance: Gog is tall and burly. Standing at about six foot, he's not noted as a particularly tall Orc. However he still towers over many elves and men. His muscles ripple out from underneath his pale green skin and jutting out from his maw are two teeth large enough to be consider tusks. Gog's thick black hair is tied back into a braided pony tail that runs half way down his back and his face is clean shaven. A dark red scar runs across his cheek from a previous encounter. Gog wears only fur boots and a kilt made of pelts, though he occasionally dons cloaks woven from the skin of animals. At his side, Gog almost always has two orcish axes ready for a fight. All in all, Gog gro-Magog is an intimidating sight for all to behold. Equipment: Fur boots Fur kilt Fur cloak Orcish Axe x2 Background: Gog gro-Magog, born the son of Magog gro-Shadrak, spent his early years in the town of Chorrol. His father was a blacksmith and his mother a leather worker. They lived a modest but successful life and the family was well regarded by the townspeople. While his parents were busy selling their goods in the town, Gog would run out into the forests to play alone. He had a natural affinity for befriending animals and one day, he found a young wolf cub near the corpse of its mother. Bringing it home, his parents allowed him to keep it and he aptly named it "Wolfy". Wolfy would remain as Gog's only friend throughout his childhood. Gog was a quiet and thoughtful boy, and preferred solitude to the company of his fellow children. As he grew older, Gog developed an ever more obvious talent for elemental magic. Fire, frost and shock came to Gog as easy as talking the more he tried. The Synod briefly observed the boy but found that he had no aptitude for any other form of magic, eventually dismissing the idea of his admission all together. Gog's parents used to note how he was perfectly suited to shamanism and that if they had been living in a stronghold, Gog would receive the spiritual education he needed to properly harness his powers. One day, Gog left in the night with Wolfy in tow and enough supplies to last a week or two. There were no Orcish strongholds in Cyrodiil, but he knew of some in the northern lands of Skyrim. Once he ran out of supplies, he lived off of the land with the help of Wolfy - whom he eventually named 'Wulf' in his maturity. Eventually, he reached the Orc stronghold of Largashbur and was admitted entry. He spent the remaining years of his childhood and adolescence in Largashbur where he trained and honed his abilities, contributing as best he could to the small tribal society. After some years, Gog - now a young adult, left Largashbur in order to return to his parents in Chorrol. He missed them greatly and desired to check on their well being. When he arrived in Chorrol he found no trace of his family and when questioned, many of the townspeople told him that his parents returned to Orsinium following his own departure. With Orsinium being so far away, and with no appetite to return there, Gog decided to remain in Cyrodiil, wandering the forests and making a name for himself. With Wulf at his side, he roams the forests, mountains and valleys. At current, he finds himself in Anvil, having just completed a few local jobs to fill his coin purse.</s> <\|message\|>Faraldir, Sword-in-the-Snow Faraldir spat, and a chicken bone skittered across the wooden board set before him. He sat at the head of the table, a long thing of roughshod driftwood fit for a dockside tavern like the Flowing Bowl. He was joined at dinner by his prospective party, a ragtag group of a dozen men, mer, and beastfolk. He knew some of them by name already. Lijah Cuu, the Breton from High Rock, good with a blade, better in the shadows. Allectus Valeres, a swordsman hailing from the Imperial City. Gog gro-Magog, wolf-friend. And Brother Gaius, priest of Arkay, who sat at his left and picked at his venison with knife and fork. Their meal was coming to a close. It was time to speak, Faraldir knew, and some of the men had turned their eyes to him. The Nord took a long draught of ale, and set the goblet down on the table. He offered them a wolfish smile. "Gaius," he said after a moment, slowly and surely, "how much do our guests owe for this feast?" he asked. A feast it was. Fine wine, venison, roasted chicken, mead and ale. No expense had been spared, and there had been plenty of expenses. "Nothing," Gaius answered. The wolfish smile struck him again. "Nothing," Faraldir repeated. He took another draught of the ale. "All this, paid for with my own gold. Me, a poor Nord, a sellsword who lived by the meager profits of his blade for the better part of his life." He paused a while, turning his eyes to the dark brew in his goblet. "And I was poor. Before I went beneath the earth." Faraldir stood, draining the goblet of ale and reaching for a bottle of Alto wine. "This man to my left is Brother Gaius Tarso," he said as the wine flowed. "He is a priest, a man of the Divines, and a learned man of great knowledge. In our travels, he told me of the Ayleids, the ancient elves who once ruled these lands. He told me of their ruins." Faraldir set the bottle of wine down and drank of the gold liquid. "He told me where I might find one near to us, and I descended into those dark depths." He drank deeply once more, and set the goblet back on the table. "You see the profits of my expedition before you. You have eaten of it. Drunk of it. And I am offering you an opportunity to take it for yourself. Join me, and you'll see a great many feasts more." And Faraldir sat, leaned back in his chair, and smiled that wolfish smile.</s> <\|message\|>Sheila Sheila sat at the table, nursing a fourth tankard of grog. The feast laid out before her had been entirely too rich for her tastes; she has always preferred tougher stuff, and more importantly it wasn't food she had obtained through her own deeds. The grog, however, was less watered down than some of the seedier watering holes, and its bitter taste was enough to keep her in her chair. The orc half-listened as the nord went on about riches in some caver or other. Him and the priest were being far too dramatic about his job for her tastes -- it sounded as if they were trying to sell her a horse -- so Sheila cast her eyes on the others Faraldir has gathered for his little "expedition." A shady-looking Breton, who looks like he'd happily stab her in the back if it suited him. The Imperial might as well be a walking caricature with his austere visage and that stick that had quickly lodged itself in his ass the moment he saw the orcs at their table. Sheila bet that he'd go out of his way to find a way to stab her in the back, even if inconvenient. The young orsimer was the one who Sheila deemed the most respectable of the lot; but that wasn't saying too much. He was a still a man, and a fairly young one at that. There was something in the orc's eye that annoyed her; what it was, she didn't know. A ramshackle group if ever she saw one. It'd be a miracle if they could cooperate when danger reared its head. So, all in all, they were your typical co-workers. Sheila turned her gaze back at the Nord as he finished his little speech -- Sheila wondered if he had stayed up last night preparing it for their sake -- and watched the man lean back and smear a shit-eating grin over his face. "Gratitude for the meal," Sheila began, "But if you would hire me on I would ask that you pay me in more than feasts. I would ask that we come to specific terms of payment before you ask me to risk my life exploring some abandoned cave. You offer coin? Or share of presumed treasure to be found? If the former, what is the sum? The latter, how do you intend to compensate us in the case your Brother's ruin is naught but an empty tomb?" There was no point in wasting words; if you don't clearly agree upon terms, some slimy human or elf will cheat you out of your fair reward.</s>	<\|message\|>Gog gro-Magog Gog had switched off to the words of the Nord somewhat early in the sales pitch. Typical human, he had thought to himself. Nevertheless it seemed like a good deal. Gog had wandered near these Ayleid ruins and yet had never steeled himself to go inside of one. It would be an understatement to say his innate curiosity was getting the better of him. He had heard tales of the ruins, of the creatures that are found within their walls. Not to mention the more unsavory and... supernatural. Ultimately he was brought back to the present by the blunt words of his fellow Orsimer. Gog knew none of his would-be companions, however the presence of an Orc reassured him slightly. Though Gog knew better than to trust anyone on face value, he also knew that an Orc was more likely to be hardy and ready for the dangers ahead. He felt safer knowing an Orc - and one older than him as well - would be fighting on their side. Her point in this instance was clear - she wanted an obvious agreement on how the loot would be split and how the companions would be paid. A fair point and one he would happily second. "I too, would like to know what our agreement is. I'm more than ready to delve into these ruins, as is Wulf. But for what exactly am I risking my hide for?" Gog sat back in the chair and took another bite from a chicken leg he had been gnawing for the last few minutes. The Flowing Bowl wasn't the worst tavern he had been to, and the food he had sampled tonight was acceptable. However he couldn't help but feel that the usual customer experience was less than stellar.</s>
<\|description\|>Zaegar Username: Eklispe Age: 20 Gender: Male Allegiance: Self Weapon: Body, Flames, Blades. Pokemon Species- Combusken Combusken Ability- Speed Boost: Speed Boost raises the user's Speed stat by 50%, at the end of each turn in battle. Moveset -Mirror Move -Flame Charge -Protect -Brick Break Personality: Zaegar is a cold uncaring individual, he watches out for #1 over all else. At least that's what he tries to look like. He reality he has a soft spot for other homeless folks or orphans like himself. His tough attitude will fool anyway on first look but after a day or so the cracks in his facade become noticeable. Zaegar is tenacious to a fault and has a hard time letting go of something he's set his sights on. He can be a bit of a Kleptomaniac at times if he finds something that really grabs his attention. Biography: Zaegar grew up on the streets of on of the many corruption filled cities that dotted the continent, a street waif with only one thing to his name, a strange colored stone on a necklace. He lived the way all the other street urchins did, by stealing. It was a hard life growing up and Zaegar became used to hardship. As he grew up he learned to control his Morphing powers and often used them to save himself from a pinch. Partially transforming made him stronger and gave him more speed that saved him from many a danger. Zaegar did whatever he had to in order to survive but as he grew older and his powers grew stronger and he began to change. Instead of solely stealing to feed himself he would often give food to younger kids. Soon he became a hero to the kids that lived on the streets and was given a bounty. Quote: "Deal with it yourself, aw fine take this, but don't tell anyone alright kid? Can't let those stinking nobles hand you out to dry."</s> <\|message\|>Lady Millicent "Milly" of House Cheviot Nouvelle, Lugere --- Millicent Cheviot Commotion on near the edge of town was drawing quite the crowd. There was a vicious fight at the Chanson tavern, which was one of the rougher places in town due to its proximity with an unrecognized circus group who sat outside Nouvelle. Generally poorer than other artisans of the city, their only entertainment and time off came from booze and hooches. It wasn't just this circus group, however, as many traveling performers came to Nouvelle for recognition and a shot at fame and wealth. But with this city, everyone knew that you start out on the edge of the town, performing for the circuses or taverns, working your way into the heart of the city. Every performers' goal was to eventually find themselves on Cheviot Hill, where only the most famous and expensive talent was located. On top of that, many starving artists and writers also tried to lay a claim to fame here. Like the performers, they started out at the edge of town, selling their work for minimal pay hoping someday that they achieve success. The crowd gathered just outside the reach of debris that a crazed Ursaring caused. A few guards, armed with pikes and burly squad of Machoke, threatened anyone that came in for a closer look. A few men were arrested and pinned by the threat of death. The Ursaring that caused this was slain and lying dead just inside the tavern. The chaos that was within was quelled late the previous night and guarded up until now. They waited command from a superior on what to do with the detainees but they were in for a shock on who would give the order. -- Millicent Cheviot had been up and about earlier this morning with a training regiment that Mel and herself did every morning. It helped them both stay fit and in fighting condition. On her way back she saw that a crowd had gathered and went to investigate. It wasn't just her as father insisted an escort follow her in town and despite Milly's nature, she was okay with that. The people in this town were always looking for recognition and the people on the edge of town were the most desperate. They would never stop pestering her, or worse like threatening her, for her to recognize their talents. The guard, which consisted of four armored swordsmen, two armored Gallade, and two armored Machamp, kept a lot of those pesky beggars away. Milly approached and, like a disease, people noticed that a Cheviot was nearby and they swarmed in. The guards held firm and weren't afraid to shove anyone back. The people hollered and pleaded for Milly to read their work, watch their performance or buy their painting. Half probably didn't even know her name. "Get back you filthy lot! Lady Millicent wants nothing to do with you!" The lead guard shouted as he and the two Machamp pushed their way through the crowd, parting it. It wasn't always this bad and the closer you are to the center the better it is, but the loss of their precious tavern must have made them extra desperate. Once Milly reached the tavern, the combined guard force formed a phalanx and blocked out the commoners. Mel just behind Milly as she entered the building. "Lady Millicent!" The commanding officer at the scene sounded shocked but hastily bowed and saluted. The two other guards, guarding the prisoners did the same. "At ease boys." Milly said with slight tone of boredom. "What's the deal here? What happened?" The guard stiffened and explained the story of the brawl and how the Urasing that was lying dead had rampaged and caused most of this destruction. The detainees, as he explained, were the most violate in the brawl. After hearing the synopsis, Milly rubbed her forehead as she compiled all the data. She walked over to the largest man, likely a circus strong man and who reportedly was the instigator, and inquired about the brawl. "You started this and now you have to answer for it. Why?" She asked sternly. Despite the man's massive size, his voice wavered a bit as she spoke. "I-I wasn't the one who started it! Honest! Some punk bumped into me and sucker punched me! I swear!" Of course this guy would try to avoid blame and not face due process. Probably a bold-faced lie, seeing as how he didn't name anyone in arrested so the sucker puncher fled. Still, Milly was fair. "Very well. I'll take that into consideration. Give your description to the guard and if we find him, you'll be spared. If not, you get full blame. Until then, you wait in a cell. Five days is all I give you." The man wanted to protest more but Milly turned and addressed the guard. "Get the description and put a bounty on him. Five days and then execute whoever has full blame. Understood?" The guard stiffened again, "Understood, Lady Millicent!" Without further word, she left the tavern, having her guard force themselves through the crowd and back into the city. Bahariya Oasis, Ayero --- Emile Varrot The harsh desert wind picked up and buffeted the small community of Bahariya. The town was bustling this early in the morning as everyone was trying to beat the day's heat. But the heat was already creeping in and people were already ducking under the shade of umbrellas and awnings. Emile Varrot, a man of Lugere, was not accustomed to the heat of the Rust Desert and underneath his Keffiyeh scarf, his head was moist with sweat. "Fuck the heat..." The man of twenty years of age said under his breath. "Fuck these sand snakes." He said in a harsh whisper as he navigated his way through the busy main street of Bahariya. Emile didn't belong here but he sure played the part. He was covered from head-to-toe, hiding his pale skin from the sun, only a thin strip showed his piercing gray eyes studying every passerby. He effectively blended in and the only dead give away that he was from somewhere else was hidden in plain sight. Emile's shadow was dark and very profound, unlike every other shadow on this street. Something was stalking him but Emile knew what it was. Darkrai crept along in Emile's shadow because he too, wanted to avoid the sun. He would only drift away from his master's side to stir any sleeping creature out of its dream with a great fright. The occasional yelp and squeal of mental agony delighted both Darkrai and his companion. Darkrai's sadistic hunger for dreams sustained him and Emile relished in his companion getting a good meal. He needed Darkrai to be at his best for what was to come. -- A few hours would pass and the party of Emile and Darkrai would achieve a few things in that time. First was a quiet raid on Morph hideout. Much to their dismay, it produced no new leads. At this point, Emile decided to abandon this worthless town. This wasn't what he had expected as somewhere in this massive desert was a small Morph community who he would just love to meet... That same day found a caravan leading away from the city and decided to sign on and hopefully escape this desert heat. The caravan was set to depart this evening when the sun's heat would be receding from these lands. So Emile found a cozy spot in one of the caravan's covered wagons and slept. Darkrai was free to wander but by he loved to occasionally come back just to haunt his companion's own dream.</s> <\|message\|>Formally called Korrigan Umbraisis, Informally called Korrey Sebastian Nouvelle, what a strange place to find oneself in, with it artists everywhere, all working to perform for the Cheviot family, their ambition so great, it made it a requirement for the members of the family to walk arpund town with an escort if guards to hod the rabble back. Guards he was currently trying to avoid, as he had sorta started a fight in the nearby tavern, but he couldn't help it, the guy had come up to him, all big and tough, only to go down with a couple punches. The man Ursaring hadn't liked that, and went crazy trashing the place. That was the moment when Sebastian made his escape, not wanting to lose his head for a crummy barfight gone south. Now, the Ursaring lie dead, soon to be followed by the big man that had challenged him. A pretty good way to end things, in his opinion, though it'd be better when he left the city. Currently, he was hiding on a nearby rooftop, looking down as the Cheviot woman and her guards looked around for him, though it was obvious the woman didn't believe the man and was only doing this out of courtesy. Stupid courtesy, if not for that, he'd be gone by now. 'It's fine, she is busy looking on the ground for the culprit. Nobody ever thinks to look up high for anything. Such is human nature.' And so, Sebastian waited for the eoman and her guards to leave, so he'd be able to make his escape.</s>	<\|message\|>Zaegar Zaegar looked around cautiously as he headed closer to his destinantion. He was just about to snatch the poster off the wall when someone beat him to it and ripped the papar apart angrily tossing it to the ground. Zaegar looked in dissapointment at the shreds, seemed that whenever he got near one of these posters they always got destoryed somehow. And everytime it happened he got more and more curious to actully learn more about this "Triumvirate"</s>
<\|description\|>Tatsuo Viper Age: 15 Weapon: What Did You Do To Get Your Soul Corrupted: Murder and Torture. Other: Always has a fox mask with her</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo felt a cool blade on her throat. The skin broke and a drop of blood began to form, trickling down Tatsuo's neck. More blood began to flow down, standing the collar of Tatsuo's kimono. A fox mask fell from her face as Tatsuo began to crumple to the ground. She landed on top of her most recent and final victim. Her breath ragged, and shaky, Tatsuo reached for her mask in her dying moments, placing it on her face as the young girl's breath stopped. Her killer stood above her, admiring his work. He had killed a murderer. Justice had been served. Tatsuo's eyes opened. She was at an altar. In a moment of panic, Tatsuo looked around for her mask, relieved when she found it was in her hands. Dread began to set in as questions arose in Tatsuo's mind. Where was she? Was she dead? What would happen now? Would Tatsuo find others or would she journey alone?</s> <\|message\|>Unknown, known by many as "Dark haired woman", "Dark haired beauty", "Dark haired witch" "So you are finally awake" A feminine voice said, a beautiful woman stepped out of the shadows. holding an open book, it's words were impossible for Tatsuo to understand. "As you are thinking, you are dead, your corrupted soul ended up in the deepest part of reality, this is the Hell. The woman got closer to Tatsuo and caressed her head with a smile. "But worry not, I know a way to get out of here, that's if...you trust in your strength. If you die here in hell you will surely reincarnate as a snail or ant, but if we succed you will return to the living world as a human and then...well, take revenge." The woman explained, then placed a scythe on Tatsuo's hand, knowing she would accept</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo curled her hand around the scythe. Revenge. Such a sweet word. Sure this was hell, but hell offered revenge. And Tatsuo was going to take it. Tatsuo's smile widened. She felt better with a weapon in her hand. And a beautiful red scythe like this one felt just right.</s> <\|message\|>Simon Scott Scott ran dodging gun fire from a countless number of cops."Freeze!" One of them shouted. He ignored the cops statement and answered back by firing a gun he previously stole from a cop he just murdered. Scott ran to an intersection and pointed the gun at a car signaling the man in the car to get out. By now the cops cought up with Scott and surrounded him. Scott held the man as a hostage and aimed the gun at his head. "Let him go o-or will shoot!" A cop demanded. Scott laughed , he knew it was over but he didn't want to die in prison , he wanted to go out in a band. On a near by roof top a sniper was readying his gun for the signal to shoot. When Scott directed his gun at one of the cops everything seemed to be in slow motion. Before Scott could fully aim his gun one of the cops raised their hand and "BANG!" The sniper fired aiming directly for Scotts head killing him instantly as the bullet reached his head. It all happened in the blink of an eye. Scott jolted up rubbing his head as if it was hit very hard. " What the....were am I?" He stood slowly looking around and noticed he was standing on a alter or something." Were ever I am it looks pretty cool." He smiled devilishly.</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo looked down at her scythe. Admiring it. The red shade of the blade was beautiful. It wouldn't be stained with blood. Tatsuo put the scythe on her lap, Her white kimono clashing slightly with the red scythe.</s> <\|message\|>Unknown, known by many as "Dark haired woman", "Dark haired beauty", "Dark haired witch" "Alright, it seems you have decided already. If that's the case then let's get going" The woman said and opened the rotten wood door of the shrine the altar was in, as soon as she opened Tatsuo could feel the hot air of hell, much worst than any desert in the living world, the sky was bloody red, not possible to tell if it was day or night. The woman walked out of the shrine "I need you to find a key, well not a key, it's a sword, a really old one" The woman said, she was about to keep talking but for some reason she didn't, suddenly she felt to the red sand, an axe stuck at the back of her head. "Damn you killed her! She was really hot! We could have had fun with her!" A huge man holding a sword said while walking from behind some big rocks. Four other men appeared holding swords and daggers "Sorry sorry! I didn't aim to her head!" One of them said. "Well...I guess this one will do.." The huge man said while walking towards Tatsuo _____________________________________-Scott's path_______________________________________ "You are in hell my dear~" The dark haired woman seductively whispered in Scott's ear, then sat on his lap with a smirk. "I hope you enjoy your stay in the deepest part of reality. It will be a long way to get out of here. If that is what you want" She then wrapped a flail around his neck as if it was a scarf. "But..I must warn you, if you die here in hell you will surely reincarnate as a bug or something worse." The woman said knowing Scott would not get scared of something like that</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo looked at the men, then back to the woman on the ground. An axe to the back of the head. Brutal and too messy. Kill four, let one live and torture him. That was Tatsuo's plan. Well, if you could call that a plan. Tatsuo ran towards the men, scythe in had. She needed o give the scythe a name. She would do that after the battle. For now, attack the legs of the men, make them fall, then make your move and kill.</s> <\|message\|>Simon Scott "Hell...." Scott repeated to himself as a smile appeared on his face. He didn't mind being in a seducive situation but once he heard the dark haired beauty say he could die again that could only mean one thing." Excuse me, but if I can die again doesn't that mean I have to be killed?" He asked possibly knowing the answer." If so ,that means the same thing applys to my victim. Then I can kill who ever I won't and don't have to deal with any one bull shitting." Scott joyfully hugs the black haired woman." I'll happily enjoy my stay here!"</s> <\|message\|>Unknown, known by many as "Dark haired woman", "Dark haired beauty", "Dark haired witch" _____________________________________-Scott's path_______________________________________ "Oh my you are so full of energy~!" The woman said a bit surprised by the hug and smiled from ear to ear. Once free from the hug she covered Scott with a thick gabardine. "You better wear that or you'll freeze to the bones!" She then covered herself with another gabardine and kicked the door of the shrine, a cold violent wind pushed her a little bit. "Welcome to hell!" She said and then walked out. "Alright, firs of all, I need you to get a shield for me, not a common one. I would do it myself but I can't get close to it" _____________________________________Tatsuo's path____________________________________ The huge man ran towards Tatsuo holding his sword high, he knew one hit was enough to cut the girl in half</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo saw the raised sword. She would need to dodge that. So Tatsuo went as fast as she could, darting around. She sliced the man's leg, running towards his companions. They would fall to her blade.</s> <\|message\|>James Hunter James slowly awoke. "Damn...my head...where am I...?" He looked around, realizing where he was. "Oh yeah...that's right..." He remembered the feeling of the arrow entering his throat, and his life slowly draining from him. "Shit..." He slowly got up, looking around again.</s> <\|message\|>Unknown, known by many as "Dark haired woman", "Dark haired beauty", "Dark haired witch" ___________________________________________Tatsuo's path_______________________________ The huge man fell to the ground, screaming in pain, he could not believe such a petite girl cut slice his big fat leg off. The others freaked out as soon as they saw this, they slowly stepped back and tripped. "W-We are ead meat!" ______________________________________James's path____________________________________ As soon as he got up the face of a woman appeared really close to his. "Hello there, it looks like this place isn't for you. Lucky you, I can get you out of hell but first I need you to get something for me. However I must warn you, it will be a loooong adventure that will take you to the ends of hell, as if you die, well you will reincarnate as a bug. The dark haired woman said, then place a weapon on James lap, she already knew he would accept</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo slid her mask over her face. She had a habit of wearing her mask when killing or torturing, it kept blood for falling on her face. Tatsuo decided the largest man she would keep alive, the others were dead. Tatsuo ran over to the tipped men and sliced their necks. She then returned to the fallen man and sliced off his other leg. She wouldn't be running anywhere.</s> <\|message\|>James Hunter James's eyes seemed to shine as he saw the weapon and he grinned, getting up as he picked it up. "Hell yes."(no pun intended) He smirked. "I'll gladly fight my way through this damned place to get out."</s> <\|message\|>Unknown, known by many as "Dark haired woman", "Dark haired beauty", "Dark haired witch" ________________________________-Tatsuo's path The huge man screamed even louder, he could not move anymore, he just waited death to come and so it happened, a sword pierced his head as if it was butter, the sword belonged to no other but the dark haired woman, who looked as if nothing happened to her. "Seesh this guys are so annoying!</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo looked up at the woman. "Come on, you ruined the fun," she complained. Tatsuo wiped the blood of her scythe. Satsugai-Sha That would be the scythe's name. It meant 'slayer', a fitting title for a scythe. "Oh, and how are you alive?" Tatasuo asked, confused.</s> <\|message\|>Unknown, known by many as "Dark haired woman", "Dark haired beauty", "Dark haired witch" __________________________Tatsuo's path_____________________________________-- The woman looked at Tatsuo with cold eyes, as if she was another person,and in a way, she was. She wiped the blood off her sword and sheathed it under her robes. "Let's just say the "real me" is not able to get in the underworld, and even if she did she would not be able to get out. However she found a way to interact with the underworld, that way is us: Doppelgängers. However we are not as strong as the original" The woman explained, then continued walking not interested if Tatsuo followed her or not ____________________________________________James's path_________________________________-- "Then Let's get going!" The woman pushed James of the altar, making him hit the dusty floor with his face. he quickly opened the door of the shrine. As soon as she did a purple liquid started to get in. The woman looked outside and saw something that looked like an octopus, a really really huge octopus. "Well....Show me if you are worthy my time..."</s>	<\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo followed the woman. "Dopplegangers? Like shadow clones?" she asked. Tatsuo had a slight linguistic downside. She was fifteen, Japanese, and not exactly from modern Japan. However Tatsuo did know a lot about samurai and ninjas. That was fun.</s>
<\|description\|>Devon Drakehart Appearance: Devon Years of training has gifted Devon with strength and a body to match, but his years on the battle field has also given him a multitude of scars in varying stages of healing and fading. His skin a natural caramel, it's only darkened by his time in the sun. Matching his hematite like sheen as a dragon, his hair is a silky jet black, usually pulled up and out of the way. His dragon form towers above his human one, his jaw and forehead framed by sharp horns and spikes, though his scales lay smooth and flush to his skin. Age: 25 Species: Shifter Personality: At first meeting, Devon is stand-offish and quietly angry seemingly all the time. Defensive and sarcastic, he keeps nearly everyone at arms length or farther. He is used to being treated like a horse or a sword, and considers himself a tool and not really a person. Underneath it all he is really quite insecure and just wants those one or two people to cling to, he yearns for a family he thinks he doesn't deserve. Background: Devon grew up without a family, his father never mentioned and being given a different story about his mother each time he asked. He quickly gave up on ever figuring out his parents and instead clung to a fellow orphan. Kidda was his first and only friend, and when he was drafted into the military for being a dragon shifter, she followed. They became a well tuned machine on the battlefield, working together almost as a single unit. Strengths: Speed, flight maneuverability, seems to be liked by cats Weaknesses: Cold, other people, subtlety Fears: Losing the few people he likes, other dragons, Other: He cannot breathe fire like some other shifters, relying more on his strength and speed to divebomb and throw enemies and weapons.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Devon groaned, his head pounded, his body screamed out in pain. He didn't want to remember, but he did. Kidda's scream, the fireball, the fall. "You'll be okay, Devon. You'll find someone. Find someone, for me, okay?" He hiccuped, swallowing a sob. That was it then, he was alone. Gold eyes opened to try and mask the memories that played in his mind, to a plain medical room in the barracks. Bare wood walls, a small wood burner, dry sink, and window were the only break in the woodgrain. He shakily let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. A small meow sounded from the door, he turned to look and saw Kidda's fat tabby cat had nosed open the door. Mr. Muffin she had named him, he was probably looking for her. "Hey." he whispered, voice cracking. It felt like he hadn't used his voice in weeks, how long had he been out? Judging by the healing of his wounds, a couple of days maybe. The tabby softly padded over and jumped up onto the bed, curling next to Devon's side. Flexing his arm, he gingerly brought it up to pat the cat's head, already fast asleep. "Guess you're my cat now, huh?" He tried to joke, but his voice came out flat. Suddenly he could feel something cool drop down onto his neck, touching his cheek, he realized he hadn't stopped himself from crying.</s> <\|message\|>Luka Petrov Luka paced up and down a quiet corridor of the barracks, eyes scanning the papers on his clipboard. The sound of shoes hitting wood in a steady rhythm was calming to him, but it wasn't nervous pacing, not quite. Perhaps apprehensive was the word. He'd never been given a task quite like this before, and he wasn't entirely sure how to go about it. Not the medical proceedures, that was simple. He'd been able to stabalize Devon and care for his wounds quick enough to save his life. But, the patient was scheduled to wake up within the hour, and Luka wasn't quite sure what to expect. "He's a difficult creature," one of the higher ups had said. "Wouldn't cooperate with anyone that wasn't his rider. And now that she's ... Well, we're afraid it'll be impossible to get him to work with anyone else." He gave Luka a smile a clapped a strong hand on his shoulder. "But you're a charismatic young man, Luka. If anyone can get him working again, it's you." He had talked about Devon as if he was broken and just needed a few repairs, but Luka wasn't a psychologist. What if he messed this up even further? Luka shook his head and halted his pacing. Worrying about it wasn't helping anyone. With as much conviction as he could muster, he rounded the corner and walked a few doors down to the medical room. Fist raised to the wooden door, he took a deep breath before knocking three times, then opening the door. He had expected to see Devon awake, but not with a cat on his lap. "I'm Luka Petrov," he said, eyebrows still slightly furrowed in confusion. "I've been taking care of you for the last few days. How're you feeling?" He smiled and took another small step into the room, not yet closing the door behind him.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Mr. Muffin's ears twitched as the door creaked open, he had only registered hearing someone pacing down the hall a few seconds prior. At least his hearing was mostly unscathed, though perhaps he was a bit delayed in cognizance still. The shifter tilted his head only slightly, just enough to see the newcomer. He looked the medic up and down slowly, eyes lingering a few seconds more than what he knew would be comfortable before looking back down to the cat pushing his head into his hand. "Sore." he stated sharply, flexing his other arm to test it's movement. He took a breath, a sharp pain echoed through his chest, "Bruised rib, my right. Slight whiplash. No broken bones. Flesh injuries seem to be taken care of, so you can at least do that." He rattled off, mentally taking count of his injuries. Devon had had worse done to him, no point in complaining further. Flinching, he started to pull himself up to get out of bed, if he had been laying there for a few days then that was enough. His arms and back screamed out in protest as he twisted to get leverage, he could do this, he had been through worse, right? The tabby by his side grumbled and batted at him to lay back down and continue petting him, which only earned his a sharp look from the shifter.</s> <\|message\|>Luka Petrov Luka felt his cheeks grow warm under the shifter's stare. He moved his eyes to glance around the room, generally unimpressed. The barracks on the humans' land were significantly more modern, made of sturdy concrete and housing more resources and materials. He supposed these were nice too, in their own sort of way. The wood gave the place a home-y feel that was the slightest bit comforting. His eyes returned to Devon as he started speaking, and he listened attentively as he talked about his condition, writing the necessary information on his clipboard. His eyes snapped up and the sound of bed springs creaking. "Whoa, slow down," he protested with a small laugh, stepping toward the bed. "You've still got at least a couple days of bed rest in front of you. Gotta give your body time to recover properly." He knew better than to reach out and push him back into bed, regardless of how gentle he would be. Instead, he positioned himself between his patient and the door. "How's your appetite? Hungry? Thirsty?" He shot another inquisitive glance in the direction of the cat, but decided to save that question for later.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Devon pursed his lips into a scowl, he could do this, he knew he could! But, maybe sitting down for awhile longer wasn't a bad idea. He pulled his legs back under the thin blanket and leaned against the bed's backboard, he was nothing if not stubborn, he was at least sitting up for now. And anyways, he could wait until the doctor was gone to try and walk around a bit again. He wiped away the tear stains from his cheeks and rubbed the crust from his eyes, no appearing weak to others, that was unacceptable. "Yeah, food." he admitted, he was damn hungry now that he was thinking about it. "Food is a good idea." Mr. Muffins picked himself up and trotted over to the shifter's lap lazily, and made himself comfortable again. Devon jumped as the cat stepped on a few bandaged gashes across his thighs, but managed to keep from yelping. "And a bowl for water for this thing here. Since he's mine now I guess." he nearly growled, grimacing at the pleased looking cat.</s> <\|message\|>Luka Petrov Luka nodded, eyes on his clipboard as he scribbled down a few more words. Looking at the writing, he remembered how his sister used to whine about his illegible handwriting. She ended up showing him how to write neater, and his handwriting still held some of her influences. A faint nostalgic smile pulled at his lips before his attention snapped back to his patient. He caught a glimpse of the shifter wiping his eyes and briefly wondered if he had been crying. With all that had happened, he probably wasn't in the best shape emotionally, even if his physcial wounds were healing rather well. "I'll go down to the kitchen and grab something for you and your friend," he said with a grin and set his clipboard down on the bedside table. Luka walked to the door and hesitated for a second before turning around. "And please stay in bed. The longer you let your body rest, the quicker you'll be out of here." He gave Devon a hard look before closing the door and walking to the kitchen. His first encounter had gone better than expected. He wasn't sure why everyone else had acted like Devon was a monster.</s>	<\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Devon grumbled and looked away from the medic, did he even really want to be out of there? He'd have to return to the training grounds, be broken in by a new rider. He wondered who they would choose to claim him, normally it was the shifter who would die, not the rider. He'd probably some masochistic ass to break him with his luck, the shifter knew he was too stubborn to be given to some new rider. Kidda had known how to work with him, it was almost as if they read eachother's minds, but he wouldn't get that lucky again. He couldn't get Kidda back. He growled, deep and painful, throwing his pillow across the room in anger, a rip in the seam spilling out feathers as it hit the opposite wall. Covering his face in his hands, Devon shuddered as he tried to clear his mind again, but all he wanted to do was tear everything in his sight apart. He just wanted to leave this room, this war, this... could he just leave? His mind stopped and changed directions, could he just leave and never come back? No, on second thought, he was too valuable to do that and not be followed. He would be hunted down and taken back in. Maybe if they weren't at war, but the battles weren't likely to end soon.</s>
<\|description\|>Luka Petrov Age 23 Species Human Appearance Luka stands at 5'10 with a fairly lean build. He has fair skin with few blemishes. His hair is short and dark brown and his eyes are dark green. He typically wears contacts, but has a set of rectangular frames he wears every once and a while. Personality Luka's often been described as charismatic. He's friendly and easy to talk to. His patience knows no bounds, but when he starts to get irritated he gets a bit sarcastic and snippy. He's caring and protective, especially when it comes to his family. He also has a tendency to be a smartass. He's quite modest and becomes flustered easily. Background Luka was born to a doctor and a blacksmith, and despite his parents being exceptionally busy people, they made sure to spend plenty of time with their children. This mean Luka, his older brother, and his younger sister helped their parents with their jobs often, all of them becoming knowledgeable in the ways of forging and mending. Luka preferred working alongside his mother, the doctor, while his older brother had a knack for blacksmithing. Their younger sister didn't seem too interested in either, instead training to work with dragons and other animals. When the war began, his sister became a rider while his brother entered as a foot soldier and Luka as a medic. Strengths medicine, sword wielding, persuasion Weaknesses would do anything for his family, oblivious, any other kind of combat Fears loosing his family, not being able to save someone, being alone Other One of the reasons he was chosen to be Devon's primary doctor was because he had experience with dragons thanks to his sister.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Devon groaned, his head pounded, his body screamed out in pain. He didn't want to remember, but he did. Kidda's scream, the fireball, the fall. "You'll be okay, Devon. You'll find someone. Find someone, for me, okay?" He hiccuped, swallowing a sob. That was it then, he was alone. Gold eyes opened to try and mask the memories that played in his mind, to a plain medical room in the barracks. Bare wood walls, a small wood burner, dry sink, and window were the only break in the woodgrain. He shakily let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. A small meow sounded from the door, he turned to look and saw Kidda's fat tabby cat had nosed open the door. Mr. Muffin she had named him, he was probably looking for her. "Hey." he whispered, voice cracking. It felt like he hadn't used his voice in weeks, how long had he been out? Judging by the healing of his wounds, a couple of days maybe. The tabby softly padded over and jumped up onto the bed, curling next to Devon's side. Flexing his arm, he gingerly brought it up to pat the cat's head, already fast asleep. "Guess you're my cat now, huh?" He tried to joke, but his voice came out flat. Suddenly he could feel something cool drop down onto his neck, touching his cheek, he realized he hadn't stopped himself from crying.</s> <\|message\|>Luka Petrov Luka paced up and down a quiet corridor of the barracks, eyes scanning the papers on his clipboard. The sound of shoes hitting wood in a steady rhythm was calming to him, but it wasn't nervous pacing, not quite. Perhaps apprehensive was the word. He'd never been given a task quite like this before, and he wasn't entirely sure how to go about it. Not the medical proceedures, that was simple. He'd been able to stabalize Devon and care for his wounds quick enough to save his life. But, the patient was scheduled to wake up within the hour, and Luka wasn't quite sure what to expect. "He's a difficult creature," one of the higher ups had said. "Wouldn't cooperate with anyone that wasn't his rider. And now that she's ... Well, we're afraid it'll be impossible to get him to work with anyone else." He gave Luka a smile a clapped a strong hand on his shoulder. "But you're a charismatic young man, Luka. If anyone can get him working again, it's you." He had talked about Devon as if he was broken and just needed a few repairs, but Luka wasn't a psychologist. What if he messed this up even further? Luka shook his head and halted his pacing. Worrying about it wasn't helping anyone. With as much conviction as he could muster, he rounded the corner and walked a few doors down to the medical room. Fist raised to the wooden door, he took a deep breath before knocking three times, then opening the door. He had expected to see Devon awake, but not with a cat on his lap. "I'm Luka Petrov," he said, eyebrows still slightly furrowed in confusion. "I've been taking care of you for the last few days. How're you feeling?" He smiled and took another small step into the room, not yet closing the door behind him.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Mr. Muffin's ears twitched as the door creaked open, he had only registered hearing someone pacing down the hall a few seconds prior. At least his hearing was mostly unscathed, though perhaps he was a bit delayed in cognizance still. The shifter tilted his head only slightly, just enough to see the newcomer. He looked the medic up and down slowly, eyes lingering a few seconds more than what he knew would be comfortable before looking back down to the cat pushing his head into his hand. "Sore." he stated sharply, flexing his other arm to test it's movement. He took a breath, a sharp pain echoed through his chest, "Bruised rib, my right. Slight whiplash. No broken bones. Flesh injuries seem to be taken care of, so you can at least do that." He rattled off, mentally taking count of his injuries. Devon had had worse done to him, no point in complaining further. Flinching, he started to pull himself up to get out of bed, if he had been laying there for a few days then that was enough. His arms and back screamed out in protest as he twisted to get leverage, he could do this, he had been through worse, right? The tabby by his side grumbled and batted at him to lay back down and continue petting him, which only earned his a sharp look from the shifter.</s> <\|message\|>Luka Petrov Luka felt his cheeks grow warm under the shifter's stare. He moved his eyes to glance around the room, generally unimpressed. The barracks on the humans' land were significantly more modern, made of sturdy concrete and housing more resources and materials. He supposed these were nice too, in their own sort of way. The wood gave the place a home-y feel that was the slightest bit comforting. His eyes returned to Devon as he started speaking, and he listened attentively as he talked about his condition, writing the necessary information on his clipboard. His eyes snapped up and the sound of bed springs creaking. "Whoa, slow down," he protested with a small laugh, stepping toward the bed. "You've still got at least a couple days of bed rest in front of you. Gotta give your body time to recover properly." He knew better than to reach out and push him back into bed, regardless of how gentle he would be. Instead, he positioned himself between his patient and the door. "How's your appetite? Hungry? Thirsty?" He shot another inquisitive glance in the direction of the cat, but decided to save that question for later.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Devon pursed his lips into a scowl, he could do this, he knew he could! But, maybe sitting down for awhile longer wasn't a bad idea. He pulled his legs back under the thin blanket and leaned against the bed's backboard, he was nothing if not stubborn, he was at least sitting up for now. And anyways, he could wait until the doctor was gone to try and walk around a bit again. He wiped away the tear stains from his cheeks and rubbed the crust from his eyes, no appearing weak to others, that was unacceptable. "Yeah, food." he admitted, he was damn hungry now that he was thinking about it. "Food is a good idea." Mr. Muffins picked himself up and trotted over to the shifter's lap lazily, and made himself comfortable again. Devon jumped as the cat stepped on a few bandaged gashes across his thighs, but managed to keep from yelping. "And a bowl for water for this thing here. Since he's mine now I guess." he nearly growled, grimacing at the pleased looking cat.</s> <\|message\|>Luka Petrov Luka nodded, eyes on his clipboard as he scribbled down a few more words. Looking at the writing, he remembered how his sister used to whine about his illegible handwriting. She ended up showing him how to write neater, and his handwriting still held some of her influences. A faint nostalgic smile pulled at his lips before his attention snapped back to his patient. He caught a glimpse of the shifter wiping his eyes and briefly wondered if he had been crying. With all that had happened, he probably wasn't in the best shape emotionally, even if his physcial wounds were healing rather well. "I'll go down to the kitchen and grab something for you and your friend," he said with a grin and set his clipboard down on the bedside table. Luka walked to the door and hesitated for a second before turning around. "And please stay in bed. The longer you let your body rest, the quicker you'll be out of here." He gave Devon a hard look before closing the door and walking to the kitchen. His first encounter had gone better than expected. He wasn't sure why everyone else had acted like Devon was a monster.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Devon grumbled and looked away from the medic, did he even really want to be out of there? He'd have to return to the training grounds, be broken in by a new rider. He wondered who they would choose to claim him, normally it was the shifter who would die, not the rider. He'd probably some masochistic ass to break him with his luck, the shifter knew he was too stubborn to be given to some new rider. Kidda had known how to work with him, it was almost as if they read eachother's minds, but he wouldn't get that lucky again. He couldn't get Kidda back. He growled, deep and painful, throwing his pillow across the room in anger, a rip in the seam spilling out feathers as it hit the opposite wall. Covering his face in his hands, Devon shuddered as he tried to clear his mind again, but all he wanted to do was tear everything in his sight apart. He just wanted to leave this room, this war, this... could he just leave? His mind stopped and changed directions, could he just leave and never come back? No, on second thought, he was too valuable to do that and not be followed. He would be hunted down and taken back in. Maybe if they weren't at war, but the battles weren't likely to end soon.</s>	<\|message\|>Luka Petrov As Luka walked to the kitchen, he couldn't help it as his mind wandered to what was happening on the battlefield. Truth be told, the only reason he had become a medic was to stay as close to his siblings as possible. His sister, Anna, had been the first of them to join the war effort. She'd always been too daring and brave for her own good, but Luka knew the dragon she was paired with would take care of her. She'd been working with the dragon since she had hatched, and Luka had even gotten to ride her a couple times. His older brother, Russel, followed Anna almost immediately, enrolling as a foot soldier. Russel had always been protective of Anna, and with his knowledge of weapons and how to handle them, he made for a very valuable soldier. Luka had debated whether to join them in the army or stay back with his parents, but ultimately he knew he wouldn't be able to stand staying at home with his siblings out risking their lives every day. When he got to the kitchen, Luka asked the chef if anything new had happened on the field. They made idle chat while the chef fixed up a plate and a glass of water for the patient and got some water for the cat. Luka carried everything on a tray through the halls, his mind at ease after talking with the chef. Everything seemed to be going in their favor, but it was still early enough for the tide to shift completely. When he got to the door, Luka again knocked three times before entering. He sat the tray down on the bedside table and picked up his clipboard. "Dig in," he said with a grin. It quickly faded, as he knew his next words wouldn't be nearly as lighthearted. "To make sure there aren't any gaps in your memory and to confirm we have the record of the event correct, I need you to explain what you remember before waking up here."</s>
<\|description\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) Age: 25 Appearance: Her clothes: History: Amelia has spent a lot of time on the streets or in workhouses. She was raises by a handful of women who were also very poor. They moved from place to place finding work where they could. How she got a basic education was a miracle in it's self due to her humble upbringing. She set off on her own at age 18 when things became particularly difficult for her patchwork family. Since then she had taken up residence in a large city and helping with the excavation work.</s> <\|message\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) She was sitting on the ground now with her legs crossed Indian style. There wasn't any point in doing anything while he lectured her. He was throwing a temper tantrum. She looked up at him while covered in dirt and couldn't help but laugh at him. Was his pride so fragile that one homeless person not giving him his 'act charity for the day' sent him off the edge. Did he help any of those people who blatantly asked him for food or money? No, he ignored them. Instead he stalked after the one person who didn't ask for his food or money. Yes, this was considered stalking at this point. He acted like he gave her a choice on whether or not she was to accept his so called 'kindness', when in fact he simply bulled his way through everything. He didn't take 'no' for an answer so he simply kept forcing his way. She didn't take his offer, so he took her job, probably thinking if she was left without options, she would now see his actions and accept them with loving arms. He said she was trying to be her friend. What friend blatantly ignores someone telling them that they didn't want their help and continues to force their 'kindness' on them? How delusional privileged men were. Yes, privileged. He obviously didn't hear the word 'no' much in his life or at least he acted like he didn't. The man continued to call her names but after years of living on the streets, she had developed a thick skin for it. Breathing loudly, she tilted her head at him. The last sentence made her smile. Was he actually giving her a choice? If he had simply given her a choice at the beginning perhaps things would have plaid out different, but no he continued to act like a spoiled child. Amelia wondered if she should chose her words carefully. It wouldn't surprise her if he had gotten violent if she told him no again. At this point, she had nothing else left to loose. Might as well be honest. "You don't get told 'no' much do you? I said it once and I'll say it again to make things as clear as possible. I don't want your food! I don't want your so called 'act of kindness'! What I want from you is a job. Now, if you can't do that for me, then maybe you should go help someone who ASKS FOR IT!" Her words dripped with hate. If he was going to hit her then so be it. It was true she was hungry, but she wasn't about to accept this lunatic's offers. She would find food on her own. It may not be good or warm but at least it didn't come with a hulking deranged stalker.</s> <\|message\|>Rhett Lovelace He shook his head and plopped down on the ground across from her, throwing his cigar into a dirty puddle. "Tell you what. I'll offer you a job. How does my personal assistant sound, hm? Cuz that's the only damn job you're getting from me. You'll get paid well....well, well enough. How'd you like to go help those smart men in the tunnels look for treasure!? You may even get a cut if we find any." He leaned up against the wall across from her, studying her irritatingly stubborn face. And finally he leaned forward and said "I'm your only friend in this city. And I'm offering you a job that will give you more money than you've ever seen in your little, irritating, bitchy, stubborn life." He leaned back up against the wall. "But hey it's your choice. Oh, and if you accept, we're gonna get you a meal in ya and new clothes. Because you ain't working in that and you can barely hold empty buckets, Honey." He put emphasis on the last word.</s> <\|message\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) "....Are you serious?" She could see it in his unblinking eyes. He wasn't lying. A job as his assistant? The man was nuts! He had just turned her former boss's nose from a convex surface into a concave one not but a few minutes ago. He offered her money. The greedy little street rat within her hopped for joy. In essence they were both getting what they wanted. Amelia wanted a job and he gave her one. The stranger wanted to treat her to dinner and apparently clothes. She bowed her head looking at her over-sized multi-layered frock and laughed. Other than the occasional glass window and still water buckets, she rarely got to see her own reflection. She would imagine that she looked awful, but looking good didn't keep a girl warm. The word honey made her flinch, but a chuckle quickly followed it. "I'll take it!" She grinned looking like a filthy smiling dirt clod.</s> <\|message\|>Rhett Lovelace Wow, when she smiled it was almost...pleasant. Weird. She seemed in a much better mood now. He got to his feet and motioned for her to follow him. "I know this great place we can get a bite to eat, but, we gotta get you into something else." he leaned over and sniffed. "And a shower." They made their way into the city and walked a couple blocks and stopped at an Inn on the street corner. They went inside. A bell chimed as they opened the door, a plump women popped up from behind the counter with rosy cheeks and a kind smile. "Ah Rhett dear, how are you?" she exclaimed. He smiled at her "Just fine, thank you." He took a key from his pocket and handed it too her. "There's a bathroom in room 28. My room. I'll bring up some better clothes after your done."</s> <\|message\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) Slowly rising from the mud, she didn't even bother to wipe any of it off. Her stomach grumbled and reverberated to the point that she thought she saw a layer of her rags shudder. Her body was weak from hunger, but she moved surprisingly quick when he said they were getting food. The offer still seemed too good to be true. It probably was, but how often does a girl get offered a job, food, a bath and new clothes? If worse came to worse and the man did turn out to be a serial killer, at least she would be fed when she died. He mentioned she needed a bath and she shrugged. After a while, she stopped being able to smell herself. It was good for her but bad for anyone else. Slopping into Inn, Amelia almost froze in the doorway. It was warm and smelled wonderful. Not saying anything and not looking at anyone, she followed behind him. She could feel people looking at her, but it was worth it if she could eat something. There was a roll on one of the tables. She looked at the plump lady who saw her eye-ing them. The woman at first, saw her like someone who saw a large disgusting bug for the first time, but seeing Amelia was hungry and Rhett was getting a room, she nodded for her to take the roll. "Thanks" Amelia breathed taking one roll and hurriedly stuffing it in her mouth. The woman winced at her then smiled politely at Rhett like she wasn't uncomfortable with Amelia's awful table manners. Receiving the key and with bulging cheeks filled with bread, she gave him a muffled "Fankshh." The room wasn't hard to find. It was what some would consider small, but it looked like a leisure palace to her. Still working on the roll she shoved into her face, she walked into what she presumed to be the bathroom. Locking the door behind her, she looked in the mirror. "UGh!" She jerked. There were dying animals that looked like they were in better shape. The hot water felt so good, that Amelia was content to sit in the tub until the end of days. It took a very long time for her to successfully rid herself of all the layers of dirt. Her hair was matted to the point where she thought that cutting it all off would probably be a better solution, but there weren't any scissors. "Woah.." She mused seeing how pale her skin was underneath all the grime. For months, she was under the impression that she might have gotten some sort of tan due to living outdoors, but apparently she had developed enough dirt to conceal most of her skin from contact with the sun.</s> <\|message\|>Rhett Lovelace Rhett's heavy boots fell on the wooden floorboards as he stepped into the room. It sounded like the girl was still in the shower. He set a bundle of clothes on the bed. It was a dress made for working purposes. It should be good for the job. He left the room and went back down stairs. He saw the Inn keeper going over a ledger and he sauntered over to her, flashing her a smile. "Excuse me, Ms.Ida, but could we have two bowls of beef stew for the table in the corner?" She smiled warmly. "Why of course dear, they should be out by the time your...friend, is done washing up." He grinned and tugged the front of his hat down. "Much obliged."</s> <\|message\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) After stepping out from the bath, Amelia slowly opened the door and peered her head out to see if the coast was clear. She had heard someone walk into the room earlier, but they must have left. Spotting a couple boxes with cloth sticking out, she shot from the door, grabbed them, then ran back to her bathroom fortress. Locking the door behind her, she opened the boxes hurriedly. It was more from being excited than anything. Holding up the dress, she pressed it against her and smirked. Not bad, it might not be too big. It had been a long time since she found a piece of clothing that fit her better. She put it on and turned in the mirror. It was a little bit big, but loose was always good for moving around. The guy made a very good guess. Then her eyes lingered down to the other box, that she knew probably contained shoes. Glancing back at her old rotting one, she leaned down and grabbed the box. They were standard leather work boots. Not ornate in the least, but practical, which she liked. After getting fully dressed, she pulled her wet her back with a cord from her old boots. It would have to do until she could afford a better method to tie up her hair. Amelia glanced back into the mirror one more time and nodded. Though she looked very thin from being malnourished, she didn't look as bad as she did before. Not a bad look to starting talking about the job she accepted. Pocketing the room key, she made her way down stairs into the Inn lobby. It took her a moment to spot his hat then she slowly walked over to the table. Not bothering to ask permission to sit, she pulled out the chair across from him and plopped down rather ungracefully. "Thanks for the clothes and shoes and..well the other stuff." She said rather quickly while straightening up then extended her hand for him to shake it. "I should tell, my name is Amelia. The lady called you Rhett, should I call you that or simply boss?"</s> <\|message\|>Rhett Lovelace He watched her walk over to him. She didn't look too bad, a bit thin, but he could fix that. She sat down and properly introduced herself and he shook her hand. "Just call me Rhett, darling." he replied. The innkeeper's daughter, a pretty blonde girl, came up to their table with two big bowls of beef stew, she set it down with a shy look at Rhett then hurried off before he could thank her. "Bon Appetit." he said, picking up his spoon.</s> <\|message\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) Darling? Again? She arched an eyebrow at him. Though it was normal for women to be addressed this way, she didn't like it. It would suggest closeness when there was none. Especially with Rhett, the idea of closeness made her stomach lurch. Not only was he a stranger to her, but he was also a pushy obnoxious man who seemed to have a white knight complex, not that she wasn't currently receiving benefits from it at the moment. Amelia eyed the younger blonde girl and smirked at her with her elbows on the table. She picked up her spoon and gestured at her once she scurried away. "I think she fancies you.", she chuckled then took quite a few spoonfuls of stew. It tasted great, but anything would taste wonderful to someone if they hadn't eaten properly in a long time. Looking up at him between large spoonfuls, she slurped and wiped her mouth on her bare wrist. "This is very good, thanks.", she gulped then belched through her nose. Not thinking to excuse herself, she continued, "What sort of work would you have me do? I can read and write and do some manual labor." She knew he was going to mock her about the last bit. Once she had a few good meals, she would build up her strength again and would be more useful.</s> <\|message\|>Rhett Lovelace He refrained from smiling at her comment about the girl. Then she asked about the work. "Digging through dirt. That's all we'll be doing. Protecting the scholars from grave robbers that won't come. It's an easy gig, if a bit boring." He ate a big chunk of meat from the bowl. "They usually have wade through the mud looking for bits of stone and crap, but that'll be your job now. When they want me to go into a cave filled to the brim with bats, you'll go in instead." He slurped up some of the juice. Maybe she'll take that stick out of her ass if she thinks she's useful. The Inn door slammed open and a rowdy bunch of men came in, being loud and smelling bad. Rhett's eyes narrowed. They're from a local gang, this is probably not gonna end well.The men went up to the counter, and talked to the Innkeeper. She had an indignant look on her face that turned quickly to fear. Rhett scowled and got up, and started walking towards them.</s>	<\|message\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) She nodded when he mentioned the details. She wouldn't blame him for wanting to stick her with the dirty bits of the job, but she was fine with it. Bats didn't bother her too much. She saw plenty rats in her lifetime and bats were a lot like rats to her except for the whole flying bit. Finishing her food, she leaned back and sighed feeling full and tired. Amelia watched as a group of men came into tavern. She knew their faces. It was time to go upstairs before things got rough. She didn't live to be 25 by being stupid. Watching Rhett get up to confront them made her snort. Looks like someone wants to play hero, fine then. While Rhett rough housed with a bunch of men, she would be sleeping in the first bed that wasn't filled with bed bugs in years. Amelia took the long way around to get to the stairs and made her way back to the room. The possible violence also reminded her that she probably needed to obtain some sort of knife. A gun would be silly for close quarter altercations. (edited)</s>
<\|description\|>Louis Vincent Appearance: His uniform Age: 24 Blood Type: O- Occupation: Chef Specialization: Blades Starting weapon: Belle, his trusty chef knife Background: Originally from The Big Easy, Louis' early life was pretty rough. A deadbeat mother and only god knows who the hell his father is. His Nan took care of him until she died when he was five and then his aunt took custody of him and the moved away from Louisiana to New York City. As he grew up he learned he had a passion for cooking and thanks to his talents. Eventually he got recognized and became a rising star in the culinary world. Thanks to his fame the Royal Palms decided to hire him as their new Head chef. With all the money they were offering and the fact that he got to live on a luxury island for free, he thught this was his dream job. The zombies happened, go figure. Other: Talks with a slight Cajun accent. Currently passed out drunk in the Kitchen.</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor raced down the hall, his heart in his throat. Visions of gore and carnage were all he could see. Corpses littered the hallways and blood was everywhere. The smell filled his nostrils and he just couldn't take it any more. Turning his head to the side, Victor vomited against the wall. He watched as the moss green splotch of his stomach contents mixed with the crimson red surface of the wallpaper. Fuck. This was a bad situation and as far as he knew there was no one else alive. Suddenly, Victor heard what sounded like a woman crying coming from up the hall. He frantically placed his ear to each consecutive door on the way, attempting to pinpoint its location. He finally rested on a door towards the end of the hall. He could hear the sound clearly now. It was definitely coming from the door in question. "Hey is anyone in there?" He banged on the door with his pipe. Suddenly, a human like form lunged at him from the floor, yelping in fear, Victor took a mighty swing with the pipe in his hand. Splat! The creature's brains were dashed across the thinly carpeted floor. "Please!" He called to the crying woman inside the room. "Let me in! I think more creatures are coming!" He rapped on the door again, urgency in his voice. "Open the door please! I beg of you!"</s> <\|message\|>Sgt. Alexander White "Uh, haven't had a hangover like this since... high school I think? Ow," Alex said as he rose from his bed. He looked across the room to see his little sister still resting. Well, she wasn't little anymore, but to him, Cass would always be his little sister. Not wanting to wake her, he quietly went to the bathroom and found some ibuprofen to help his headache. As he was sipping a glass of water, he couldn't help but hear a faint scratching sound coming from outside their room. Again, he quietly moved across the room, this time toward the door. He looked through the peephole, but something was blocking it. He opened the door, only opening it a few inches since he had forgotten to unlock the top lock. Suddenly, a decayed face appeared in the space between the door and the wall and an arm shot through the gap soon after. Alex jumped back, away from the walker, and looked at it for a few seconds, his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. He then jumped into action, running toward the Beretta in his suitcase while also shouting for Cassandra to wake up. He came back toward the door and pointed the handgun at the walker's head. "Back away from the door or I will fire! I'm giving you to the count of three! Three... two... one!" He readjusted his aim and shot a single bullet at the walker's knee cap. It fell on its now injured knee, but kept trying to get in anyway. "It's not even human," Alex said before firing another shot at its head, killing it. He then turned around toward Cassandra. How much had she seen?</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Confusion was only one of the words that described Louis' reaction. Crazed freaks trying to eat him was one thing, but watching some admittedly ripped guy bust in out of nowhere and then proceed to bash the heads in of said freaks was completely unexpected. He brought himself to his feet again still holding his wound. "No idea." A small grin as he tapped one of the bodies with his foot. "Judging from your little stunt I'd say you have a better grasp on the situation then I do, Mon'Ami."</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe ran over to the door and opened it to reveal a man. He had not yet become one of those things. She pulled him inside quickly and locked the door. "help me put this wardrobe in front of the door" she yelled</s> <\|message\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele Isabella groaned loudly as she felt the suns bright rays hitting her face, she slowly opened up her eyes looking over towards the closed glass door that led to the balcony. She remembered opening up for last nights festivities with her band, it was one of her best nights she had performing and her first time in Banoi. Isabella slowly got up from her bed walking over towards the mirror in her room adjusting her hair, her red hair was a huge mess she was just happy that the hotel staff gave her and her whole crew private rooms. Adjusting her hair and tying it into a ponytail. "Help me!!!" Isabella turned around hearing a woman's cry for help she quickly turned around towards the door and opened it, just in time to see a woman being tackled down what looked like her manager except he was completely bloodied his white buttoned up shirt covered in blood. The woman dropped a crowbar she could hear the woman screaming in pain as the man sunk his teeth into the woman's neck, Isabella grabbed the crowbar by her feet that the woman had dropped. Shortly after Isabella's zombiefied manager turned his attention to her, his teeth all bloody, and blood sliding down his chin before Isabella could do anything he charged right at her tackling her back into her suite getting the wind knocked out of her Isabella hit her back against the hard bedframe. Bringing her arms up to protect herself Isabella cried out in pain as she felt teeth sinking into her arm, using the sharp blunt end of the crowbar Isabella brought it over his head hearing and feeling something sickening pop as the end of the crowbar caved in part of his skull. Isabella laid there breathing heavily intense pain shooting through her whole arm. "Fuck.." She muttered pushing the dead body off of her, looking around Isabella reached for the bed sheets under the comforter to grab the blanket below it. Isabella ripped a small piece of the fabric and quickly went for bathroom running hot water over the bite wound, the sink started to turn slightly red. When she thought it was clean enough Isabella quickly tied the torn sheet of paper over the wound wincing when she tied it off so it would stop the bleeding. Going over towards the corpse that was once her boss Isabella quickly yanked the crowbar from out of his skull Isabella walked over towards the girl he had attacked getting a better look he had torn out a big chunk of her neck, she would have bled out in seconds. "What the hell is going on?" Isabella said to herself as she stood up and started to run towards the elevators luckily they were still in working order.</s> <\|message\|>Cassandra White It was a very fun day yesterday because she and her brother were having parties! It is something that they truly love. Cassandra was sleeping in her brother's room. Well their room. Yes they still sleep in the same room, doesn't matter. She suddenly woke up hearing her brother's voice, quickly stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom to put on some clothes really fast. A few seconds later she was out and went to her brother. "Can you let me sl..." she stopped seeing a body on the ground. "What is this, brother..?" It smelled really bad too. What the hell was going on...?</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma "Eh, smashing their head works wonders." Okoma replied easily, twirling his multi-use wrench between his fingers before gripping the light-weight, steel weapon in calloused hands. "Name's Okoma, from the New York Warlords, although that probably doesn't matter." His deep voice took on a friendly tone as he offered the man an unbloodied hand. His mom taught him respect, after all. "We should probably get out of here soon. The dead's raising up pretty quick." He had already calmed down from the situation, adapting to it, like he did on the court, in the ring, and on the field. One of his skills, he guessed.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent So his rescuer was a football player? That explained a lot. Louis chuckled before he took his hand and got up off the ground. "I'm Louis, head chef of this fine resort." The sarcasm practically dripped from his voice. This place had been a dream come true a few months ago, but now he couldn't wait to get out. He flourished his knife and kept it ready, if the head was their weakness his girl would be more than enough protection. "You don't have to tell me twice. Let's go."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma Okoma nodded seriously, only pausing once to grab what seemed to be a lead pipe off of the ground, near a luggage cart. Couldn't have too many things to wack heads with. Storing it in his bag, Okoma headed in a slow gait towards the entrance of the resort, the sunlight streaming through the dark, grimy glass door. With a broad shoulder he slammed it into the door, slamming it open and revealing them to the outside world. He couldn't enjoy the scenery, however, as his gaze was quickly zoomed in on a zombie, eating the dead carcass of a female maid. Eyes steeled with resolve, Okoma darted forward, slamming his heel against it's head...once...twice. It didn't get up. "Fucking parasites."</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent After a little bit Elizabeth regained her emotions and pushed the few tears away. Standing up she walked over to her door and looked out the little peep hole. Seeing blood splattered on the walls she knew this wasn't something contained to outside. Grabbing a light sweater she threw a bottle of water into the pocket before opening the door slightly. Moans filled the hall as she poked her head out and seen that there were a few dead looking bodies walking at the one of the hall. Holding her breath she pushed the door open and ran for the staircase. Once she was on the other side of the door she slammed it shut as some of the walkers headed towards her. "What the hell is going on here, is anyone even left alive?" She questioned softly before heading down the stairs making sure to look down to the lower levels as she did so. On one level a door was opened and when she went to close it a walker jumped at her. Seeing their eyes as is pinned her down she could tell that the person was a walking corpse. Throwing her arm up with she scissors she stabbed them in the side of the head after struggling not to get bitten in the face. Standing to her feet again and taking a breather she ran down the rest of the stairs busting into the lobby thinking open space was better then a cramped staircase.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis started after Okoma and winced reminding himself of the bite on his arm. The bite had managaged to break the skin and was bleeding but not incredibly bad. Remembering the hotel kept a first aid kit behind the front desk he walked over to it. Not only could he bandage up the cut, but he'd bet they'd have need of the kit later anyway. He stepped over a few corpses before vaulting over the desk. The area behind it was a wreck showed sign of a struggle. Sure enough leaning against the wall was the body desk attendant, a large chunk of his neck appeared ripped off. Whatever had killed him was either gone or one of the ones his new companion had killed on his entrance. Louis sighed before grabbing the kit he was looking for. The body of the attendant lunged suddenly but he had already moved out of the way and the zombie fell face first into the desk. Louis shove his knife through the back of its skull before it could even move. He could hear a small sound coming from the body and had suspected it wasn't as dead as it claimed to be. "Rest in peace you poor bastard." He muttered just as he vaulted back over the desk and the door to the staircase opened again, a girl emerging from it. "Whoa! You're normal, right?"</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent Breathing quickly when she broke out of the door Elizabeth was slightly shocked to see someone. Standing there she allowed herself to regain her bearings making sure she heard him right and that he was alive. "Yeah I'm normal, can only guess you are to seeing you don't look dead and can talk." She replied while walking towards the man. She didn't know what was going on here but it was better to be around others for safety reasons.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis relaxed a bit knowing the girl wasn't like one of the dead. "You would be correct with that assumption." His voice light and joking again. "Anyway you should stick with us, strength and numbers and all that." He pointed towards the door where Okoma was standing outside. "Me and this guy were just on our way out."</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent "I completely agree about strength in numbers so I would be more then happy to go with you, it's probably safer in the open were we can see them coming from a better distance." Elizabeth replied as she tried to keep herself calm about all the shit that was going on around them. Walking for the doors she couldn't help but wonder how far this epidemic had spread on the island or what caused it.</s> <\|message\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele As the elevator went down each floor slowly Isabella leaned against the wall letting out a slight grunt in pain, she looked down at her arm seeing that the rag she had grabbed and wrapped over her arm had turned slightly red. When a it finally got to the first floor Isabella quietly looked around the room was full of bodies as well as luggage, tables, and chairs that had been flipped over. She quickly ran down the hallway remembering the way to the lobby, she stopped to see two people by the stairs. "Good to see some none zombies here." She said softly as she started to approach them.</s>	<\|message\|>Louis Vincent "I'm with you on that I don't want to have deal with these things in cramped spaces." There was no telling how many zombies where still in the hotel, and if they're would only be some many places to run in the hotel. He was following the girl when he heard another one approach them from the opposite hallway. His mood lightened considerably seeing that there were people who had survived. "Likewise. You feel like getting out of this hellhole? Cause that's what we're doing."</s>
<\|description\|>Blaine Okoma Age: 23 Blood Type: O- Occupation: Football player. Specialization: Blunt Starting weapon: A heavy-duty wrench that he found in a luggage cart, along with a metal pipe. Background: Blaine was always an athletic, smart-minded kid. Going to college on a full football scholarship, his mind was made up on what he wanted to be in life; and he succeeded. He got into the big leagues quickly, at the young age of 17, being one of the top players the Warlords ever had. When he came to this 'paradise', on a vacation trip, he wasn't expecting zombies, however. He'll deal with it, though. Other: N/A</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor paced back and forth, nervously wringing his hands. He had locked himself in his personal hotel room but he knew he couldn't stay there for long. While he didn't think there'd be a problem with anything getting inside, his primary problem was with himself. Hunger. Other than a snack sized package of potato chips he had eaten a few hours earlier, his room was completely devoid of food. Victor also figured it was only a matter of time until the pipes quit running without anyone to maintain them. Not to mention, he wasn't about to drink any of it anyway. Who could tell it wasn't something in the water that had caused all this? Weighing his options, he decided he'd have to make a run for the kitchen, grab all the food and bottled water he possibly could, and then return to his room and hunker down until it was all over. Searching for a weapon, Victor had an idea. In a section of his closet, was a few rusty old pipes still attached to the wall because the hotel owner hadn't hired anyone to disconnect them yet. Using all of his strength, Victor managed to rip out a particularly thick section of pipe to use as a makeshift weapon in case his mission for food went south. Gripping it in his hands, Victor tapped it experimentally against his leg. It was old, heavy, and full of lead. Perfect for bludgeoning someone chasing after him. Putting an unsteady hand on the thick wooden door to the hallway outside of his room, Victor took a deep breath and readied the pipe on his shoulder. He was ready to go. He swung the door wide open and dashed out of his room. In the back of his mind, he almost hoped he wouldn't have to return.</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent When the rays of sun filled her room Elizabeth had finally decided to crawl out of bed. Walking to the dresser across the room she grabbed a bottle of water and cracked it open before grabbing two advil and popping them into her mouth. Once she had managed to swallow them with the aid of the water she walked out to her balcony and leaned over it slightly before taking another sip from the bottle. "Damn I really need to learn when to stop, the headache the next morning is so not worth it." She muttered to herself as she noticed something in the pool. Rubbing her eyes in disbelief for a moment she looked carefully and seen it was blood and a few floating bodies. Throwing a hand over her mouth in disgust she started to back away when she watched a body from the floor above her fall over the edge, even with it happening so fast she could tell it didn't look right. Once back in her room she quickly closed the doors to the balcony and grabbed the phone calling the front desk. Frantic about wanting to know what was going on she grabbed a sewing kit and looked through it till she found a pair of scissors. Realizing no one was on the other side of the phone she just left it on the floor and started to cry a little.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe dropped the paddle to the floor and put her hands on her head and began to cry. she sat for a few minute before standing and going over to her balcony and looking over the edge. she stumbled back when she saw the horror that had set upon the once beautiful resort. there were bodies strewn everywhere, the pools were red with blood and more zombies walking around on the ground. "What the fuck is happening" Chloe said to herself</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis ran down the hall clutching his knife in his right and covering the bite wound with his free hand. The yelling creatures were still chasing after him and he was doing everything to evade them. Knocking over any luggage cart still standing. When he reached the end of the hallway and he tackled it as hard as he could, forced it open, and as soon as he was on the other side he closed it just as quickly and shoved a nearby maintenance cart in front of it. He leaned against the cart with a relieved sigh. Now that the adrenaline was starting to leave he noticed he was in the front lobby and could finally see the full damage. Corpses littered the room and it was almost impossible to find a spot that was covered in blood. "What the hell is going on here?" The front desk phone started ringing. as soon as the noise broke the silence of the room he saw one of the corpses start stirring. "Oh fuck my life."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma A loud hammering sound came from a nearby door, close to Louis, and then an emergency door was kicked wide open with a loud crash. Okoma growled lowly, brutally throwing the slow zombie off of his form, only to gasp as another one fell from the door and onto his neck. Before it could take a crunch out of his flesh, the young man plowed it's face in with his fist, making it fall against a shopping cart. Okoma was on his feet in a second, curb-stomping the mush out of the zombie's head while yanking his useful tool from his belt. The first zombie was back on it's feet, and lunged towards the larger man. On nimble feet, Okoma side-stepped it's clumsy lunge, gripping his wrench with both hands and swinging the light-weight, durable metal tool towards it's head. SPLAT Gore sprayed along the wall, covering his shoes and the bottom of his pants. "...Fuck." Okoma groaned, staggering back a step and panting slightly. His eyes wandered up, taking notice of Louis' form, and he straightened, walking forward. "Hey, the Hell's going on?" His deep voice had taken a confused tone as he eyed the chef; his TV hadn't been working. Maybe this other man had heard news?</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor raced down the hall, his heart in his throat. Visions of gore and carnage were all he could see. Corpses littered the hallways and blood was everywhere. The smell filled his nostrils and he just couldn't take it any more. Turning his head to the side, Victor vomited against the wall. He watched as the moss green splotch of his stomach contents mixed with the crimson red surface of the wallpaper. Fuck. This was a bad situation and as far as he knew there was no one else alive. Suddenly, Victor heard what sounded like a woman crying coming from up the hall. He frantically placed his ear to each consecutive door on the way, attempting to pinpoint its location. He finally rested on a door towards the end of the hall. He could hear the sound clearly now. It was definitely coming from the door in question. "Hey is anyone in there?" He banged on the door with his pipe. Suddenly, a human like form lunged at him from the floor, yelping in fear, Victor took a mighty swing with the pipe in his hand. Splat! The creature's brains were dashed across the thinly carpeted floor. "Please!" He called to the crying woman inside the room. "Let me in! I think more creatures are coming!" He rapped on the door again, urgency in his voice. "Open the door please! I beg of you!"</s> <\|message\|>Sgt. Alexander White "Uh, haven't had a hangover like this since... high school I think? Ow," Alex said as he rose from his bed. He looked across the room to see his little sister still resting. Well, she wasn't little anymore, but to him, Cass would always be his little sister. Not wanting to wake her, he quietly went to the bathroom and found some ibuprofen to help his headache. As he was sipping a glass of water, he couldn't help but hear a faint scratching sound coming from outside their room. Again, he quietly moved across the room, this time toward the door. He looked through the peephole, but something was blocking it. He opened the door, only opening it a few inches since he had forgotten to unlock the top lock. Suddenly, a decayed face appeared in the space between the door and the wall and an arm shot through the gap soon after. Alex jumped back, away from the walker, and looked at it for a few seconds, his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. He then jumped into action, running toward the Beretta in his suitcase while also shouting for Cassandra to wake up. He came back toward the door and pointed the handgun at the walker's head. "Back away from the door or I will fire! I'm giving you to the count of three! Three... two... one!" He readjusted his aim and shot a single bullet at the walker's knee cap. It fell on its now injured knee, but kept trying to get in anyway. "It's not even human," Alex said before firing another shot at its head, killing it. He then turned around toward Cassandra. How much had she seen?</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Confusion was only one of the words that described Louis' reaction. Crazed freaks trying to eat him was one thing, but watching some admittedly ripped guy bust in out of nowhere and then proceed to bash the heads in of said freaks was completely unexpected. He brought himself to his feet again still holding his wound. "No idea." A small grin as he tapped one of the bodies with his foot. "Judging from your little stunt I'd say you have a better grasp on the situation then I do, Mon'Ami."</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe ran over to the door and opened it to reveal a man. He had not yet become one of those things. She pulled him inside quickly and locked the door. "help me put this wardrobe in front of the door" she yelled</s> <\|message\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele Isabella groaned loudly as she felt the suns bright rays hitting her face, she slowly opened up her eyes looking over towards the closed glass door that led to the balcony. She remembered opening up for last nights festivities with her band, it was one of her best nights she had performing and her first time in Banoi. Isabella slowly got up from her bed walking over towards the mirror in her room adjusting her hair, her red hair was a huge mess she was just happy that the hotel staff gave her and her whole crew private rooms. Adjusting her hair and tying it into a ponytail. "Help me!!!" Isabella turned around hearing a woman's cry for help she quickly turned around towards the door and opened it, just in time to see a woman being tackled down what looked like her manager except he was completely bloodied his white buttoned up shirt covered in blood. The woman dropped a crowbar she could hear the woman screaming in pain as the man sunk his teeth into the woman's neck, Isabella grabbed the crowbar by her feet that the woman had dropped. Shortly after Isabella's zombiefied manager turned his attention to her, his teeth all bloody, and blood sliding down his chin before Isabella could do anything he charged right at her tackling her back into her suite getting the wind knocked out of her Isabella hit her back against the hard bedframe. Bringing her arms up to protect herself Isabella cried out in pain as she felt teeth sinking into her arm, using the sharp blunt end of the crowbar Isabella brought it over his head hearing and feeling something sickening pop as the end of the crowbar caved in part of his skull. Isabella laid there breathing heavily intense pain shooting through her whole arm. "Fuck.." She muttered pushing the dead body off of her, looking around Isabella reached for the bed sheets under the comforter to grab the blanket below it. Isabella ripped a small piece of the fabric and quickly went for bathroom running hot water over the bite wound, the sink started to turn slightly red. When she thought it was clean enough Isabella quickly tied the torn sheet of paper over the wound wincing when she tied it off so it would stop the bleeding. Going over towards the corpse that was once her boss Isabella quickly yanked the crowbar from out of his skull Isabella walked over towards the girl he had attacked getting a better look he had torn out a big chunk of her neck, she would have bled out in seconds. "What the hell is going on?" Isabella said to herself as she stood up and started to run towards the elevators luckily they were still in working order.</s> <\|message\|>Cassandra White It was a very fun day yesterday because she and her brother were having parties! It is something that they truly love. Cassandra was sleeping in her brother's room. Well their room. Yes they still sleep in the same room, doesn't matter. She suddenly woke up hearing her brother's voice, quickly stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom to put on some clothes really fast. A few seconds later she was out and went to her brother. "Can you let me sl..." she stopped seeing a body on the ground. "What is this, brother..?" It smelled really bad too. What the hell was going on...?</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma "Eh, smashing their head works wonders." Okoma replied easily, twirling his multi-use wrench between his fingers before gripping the light-weight, steel weapon in calloused hands. "Name's Okoma, from the New York Warlords, although that probably doesn't matter." His deep voice took on a friendly tone as he offered the man an unbloodied hand. His mom taught him respect, after all. "We should probably get out of here soon. The dead's raising up pretty quick." He had already calmed down from the situation, adapting to it, like he did on the court, in the ring, and on the field. One of his skills, he guessed.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent So his rescuer was a football player? That explained a lot. Louis chuckled before he took his hand and got up off the ground. "I'm Louis, head chef of this fine resort." The sarcasm practically dripped from his voice. This place had been a dream come true a few months ago, but now he couldn't wait to get out. He flourished his knife and kept it ready, if the head was their weakness his girl would be more than enough protection. "You don't have to tell me twice. Let's go."</s>	<\|message\|>Blaine Okoma Okoma nodded seriously, only pausing once to grab what seemed to be a lead pipe off of the ground, near a luggage cart. Couldn't have too many things to wack heads with. Storing it in his bag, Okoma headed in a slow gait towards the entrance of the resort, the sunlight streaming through the dark, grimy glass door. With a broad shoulder he slammed it into the door, slamming it open and revealing them to the outside world. He couldn't enjoy the scenery, however, as his gaze was quickly zoomed in on a zombie, eating the dead carcass of a female maid. Eyes steeled with resolve, Okoma darted forward, slamming his heel against it's head...once...twice. It didn't get up. "Fucking parasites."</s>
<\|description\|>Victor Hamilton Appearance: Age: 29 Blood Type: B+ Occupation: Bellboy Specialization: Blunt Starting weapon: Lead Pipe Background: Victor arrived on the island when he was twenty years old. Fresh out of the Midwestern United States, he was desperate to find something drastically different from life on the farm. Due to being employed for almost ten years he has extensive knowledge on the hotel as well as many other parts of the island. As of the moment, Victor heard and saw firsthand what was happening on the island and he has currently locked himself in his personal hotel room. Other:</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis groaned as he staggered up off of the cold floor of the hotel kitchen. His head was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode at any second. "Merde! I need aspirin..." He put his hand to his right temple as some sort of small relief while he tried to recall what the hell he was doing before to end up here. With the massive headache he had it was obvious he'd definitely been drinking. Like a lot. Liquor and him were going to have to take a break for awhile after this one. He plucked his favorite knife from the board it was held in to make sure nothing had happened to it while he was out just as someone started banging on the outside of the kitchen door. Louis grabbed his head in pain. "Guy with a hangover in here!" The banging continued in earnest and he groaned again before going to pull it open. Probably one of the kitchen staff who'd forgotten their key. Without warning the person burst through before he'd even fully opened the door, knocking him to the ground. "What the hell is...your..problem?" He found his voice leave him as he looked at the gray-skinned girl in front of him. The girl standing over him was definitely one of his kitchen staff, her uniform covered in drying blood. Large chunks of skin were missing in visible places. He didn't even get a chance to ask if she was alright before she was on top of him, growling and snapping her jaws at his neck. He tried his best to keep her away but still dazed from his hangover he wasn't having much luck. Belle had fallen from his hand when he fell over, and he reached for it with his free hand. As soon as his fingers felt the handle of his trusted knife, the girl had managed to sink her teeth into his arms. He yelled out and pain and on instinct clutched Belle's handle and drove the blade right through the top of the girl's head. The girl twitched slightly before slumping perfectly still on top of him. He pushed her off and yanked the knife free from her skull. His hands shook as he did so looking at the girl again he could definitely tell whatever the hell she was, she wasn't human. A loud inhuman yell came from from the direction of the door the girl came entered from. He didn't know what it was nor did he care. He ran straight for the door in the opposite direction leading into the hallway, whatever was yelling following behind him.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe awoke on her bed surrounded by towels she went to sit up but everything went hazy and she fell back to her bed. she could hear her friend in the bathroom making a gurgling noise. "are you still throwing up from last night." she noticed the bite on her arm and turned a deep green and had begun oozing puss. "shit, claire are you alright" the monster that had once been her friend turned slowly to face her. parts of her face had peeled off revealing the muscle and tissue beneath. the thing jumped at her, quickly she grabbed the paddle from under her bed and swung it at the zombie caving its head in, but still it got up "WHY. WONT. YOU. DIE" she screamed beating it repeatedly</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma Deathly, grim silence. Blaine Okoma rose up from his bed, eyes still half-asleep as something groaned from inside of his bathroom. Great...just great. Did he somehow have sex with a female before he went to sleep? He couldn't have; he hadn't drank anything that would have made him stupid enough to risk an STD or pregnancy, and drinking was a no-go for a football player, anyways. The muscular young man stumbled onto the floor, instincts automatically making him steady on his feet. The groaning got louder, and there was...a clawing noise, and then splashing, and then a louder, more inhumane groan. Okoma, now alert and cautious, snuck closer to the bathroom door, quietly trying the door-knob. Whatever was behind it got quiet, and then a low moan sounded out, and a body slammed against the wooden door, cracking it. Instinictively, with a grunt of surprise, Okoma leaped back, before narrowing his eyes and squaring his shoulders, as if he was getting ready for a game-winning tackle. Another claw, and the wood peeled back at face-level, revealing a horribly decomposed, graying face of a cleaning lady. He charged. His powerful tackle sent him through the wooden door in a hail of splinters and splaying body limbs. Instincts kicked in, as he locked powerful, tan arms around the thing's torso and slammed it head-first onto the toilet. Bringing back a fist, he abruptly sent if flying forward, a shower of gore coming from it's rotten head as he repeatedly slammed it's brains in with his fist. Once it stopped groaning, Okoma panted, crawling backwards and falling onto his butt. Now that he could see clearer..."Holy shit..." The normally cool football player gasped. A zombie. A motherfucking zombie. And he had just killed it. Standing on slightly shaky legs, Okoma glanced around once. He needed to get out of here. The room was stinking unbearably, and the darkness didn't ease his caution. Looking around for practically anything, Okoma grabbed what appeared to be a medpack off of the table, along with one of those compact, heavy-duty wrenches that was used for multiple things. He strapped it to his belt-loop, before narrowing his eyes and turning around. Just as he was about to dash into the hallway, he saw his figure in the mirror. Tall, muscular, tan - obviously of Native American descent. Short hair, handsome visage, wearing nothing but a bloodied white wife-beater and jeans/sneakers. Not the most durable of outfits, but it would work for now. Grabbing his NFL backpack as he ran out the door, Okoma strapped it to his back and began heading down the hallway at a decent speed, on the look-out for any rotten douchebags. He was seen as a cool, collected, and rather badass player in football and other sports such as MMA and Wrestling, but this...this was crazy.</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor paced back and forth, nervously wringing his hands. He had locked himself in his personal hotel room but he knew he couldn't stay there for long. While he didn't think there'd be a problem with anything getting inside, his primary problem was with himself. Hunger. Other than a snack sized package of potato chips he had eaten a few hours earlier, his room was completely devoid of food. Victor also figured it was only a matter of time until the pipes quit running without anyone to maintain them. Not to mention, he wasn't about to drink any of it anyway. Who could tell it wasn't something in the water that had caused all this? Weighing his options, he decided he'd have to make a run for the kitchen, grab all the food and bottled water he possibly could, and then return to his room and hunker down until it was all over. Searching for a weapon, Victor had an idea. In a section of his closet, was a few rusty old pipes still attached to the wall because the hotel owner hadn't hired anyone to disconnect them yet. Using all of his strength, Victor managed to rip out a particularly thick section of pipe to use as a makeshift weapon in case his mission for food went south. Gripping it in his hands, Victor tapped it experimentally against his leg. It was old, heavy, and full of lead. Perfect for bludgeoning someone chasing after him. Putting an unsteady hand on the thick wooden door to the hallway outside of his room, Victor took a deep breath and readied the pipe on his shoulder. He was ready to go. He swung the door wide open and dashed out of his room. In the back of his mind, he almost hoped he wouldn't have to return.</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent When the rays of sun filled her room Elizabeth had finally decided to crawl out of bed. Walking to the dresser across the room she grabbed a bottle of water and cracked it open before grabbing two advil and popping them into her mouth. Once she had managed to swallow them with the aid of the water she walked out to her balcony and leaned over it slightly before taking another sip from the bottle. "Damn I really need to learn when to stop, the headache the next morning is so not worth it." She muttered to herself as she noticed something in the pool. Rubbing her eyes in disbelief for a moment she looked carefully and seen it was blood and a few floating bodies. Throwing a hand over her mouth in disgust she started to back away when she watched a body from the floor above her fall over the edge, even with it happening so fast she could tell it didn't look right. Once back in her room she quickly closed the doors to the balcony and grabbed the phone calling the front desk. Frantic about wanting to know what was going on she grabbed a sewing kit and looked through it till she found a pair of scissors. Realizing no one was on the other side of the phone she just left it on the floor and started to cry a little.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe dropped the paddle to the floor and put her hands on her head and began to cry. she sat for a few minute before standing and going over to her balcony and looking over the edge. she stumbled back when she saw the horror that had set upon the once beautiful resort. there were bodies strewn everywhere, the pools were red with blood and more zombies walking around on the ground. "What the fuck is happening" Chloe said to herself</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis ran down the hall clutching his knife in his right and covering the bite wound with his free hand. The yelling creatures were still chasing after him and he was doing everything to evade them. Knocking over any luggage cart still standing. When he reached the end of the hallway and he tackled it as hard as he could, forced it open, and as soon as he was on the other side he closed it just as quickly and shoved a nearby maintenance cart in front of it. He leaned against the cart with a relieved sigh. Now that the adrenaline was starting to leave he noticed he was in the front lobby and could finally see the full damage. Corpses littered the room and it was almost impossible to find a spot that was covered in blood. "What the hell is going on here?" The front desk phone started ringing. as soon as the noise broke the silence of the room he saw one of the corpses start stirring. "Oh fuck my life."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma A loud hammering sound came from a nearby door, close to Louis, and then an emergency door was kicked wide open with a loud crash. Okoma growled lowly, brutally throwing the slow zombie off of his form, only to gasp as another one fell from the door and onto his neck. Before it could take a crunch out of his flesh, the young man plowed it's face in with his fist, making it fall against a shopping cart. Okoma was on his feet in a second, curb-stomping the mush out of the zombie's head while yanking his useful tool from his belt. The first zombie was back on it's feet, and lunged towards the larger man. On nimble feet, Okoma side-stepped it's clumsy lunge, gripping his wrench with both hands and swinging the light-weight, durable metal tool towards it's head. SPLAT Gore sprayed along the wall, covering his shoes and the bottom of his pants. "...Fuck." Okoma groaned, staggering back a step and panting slightly. His eyes wandered up, taking notice of Louis' form, and he straightened, walking forward. "Hey, the Hell's going on?" His deep voice had taken a confused tone as he eyed the chef; his TV hadn't been working. Maybe this other man had heard news?</s>	<\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor raced down the hall, his heart in his throat. Visions of gore and carnage were all he could see. Corpses littered the hallways and blood was everywhere. The smell filled his nostrils and he just couldn't take it any more. Turning his head to the side, Victor vomited against the wall. He watched as the moss green splotch of his stomach contents mixed with the crimson red surface of the wallpaper. Fuck. This was a bad situation and as far as he knew there was no one else alive. Suddenly, Victor heard what sounded like a woman crying coming from up the hall. He frantically placed his ear to each consecutive door on the way, attempting to pinpoint its location. He finally rested on a door towards the end of the hall. He could hear the sound clearly now. It was definitely coming from the door in question. "Hey is anyone in there?" He banged on the door with his pipe. Suddenly, a human like form lunged at him from the floor, yelping in fear, Victor took a mighty swing with the pipe in his hand. Splat! The creature's brains were dashed across the thinly carpeted floor. "Please!" He called to the crying woman inside the room. "Let me in! I think more creatures are coming!" He rapped on the door again, urgency in his voice. "Open the door please! I beg of you!"</s>
<\|description\|>Elizabeth Kent Age: 23 Blood Type: O- Occupation: Fashion Designer Specialization: Blades Starting weapon: Scissors from a sewing kit. Background: Elizabeth always had a thing for fashion so it felt natural when she got into the industry herself. Even though she seems harmless she loves to collect swords from around the world and has been trained to use them. Taking a vacation from her work she soon found out it might be the biggest mistake in her life when she wakes up to find the whole place has gone to hell. Other:</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent When the rays of sun filled her room Elizabeth had finally decided to crawl out of bed. Walking to the dresser across the room she grabbed a bottle of water and cracked it open before grabbing two advil and popping them into her mouth. Once she had managed to swallow them with the aid of the water she walked out to her balcony and leaned over it slightly before taking another sip from the bottle. "Damn I really need to learn when to stop, the headache the next morning is so not worth it." She muttered to herself as she noticed something in the pool. Rubbing her eyes in disbelief for a moment she looked carefully and seen it was blood and a few floating bodies. Throwing a hand over her mouth in disgust she started to back away when she watched a body from the floor above her fall over the edge, even with it happening so fast she could tell it didn't look right. Once back in her room she quickly closed the doors to the balcony and grabbed the phone calling the front desk. Frantic about wanting to know what was going on she grabbed a sewing kit and looked through it till she found a pair of scissors. Realizing no one was on the other side of the phone she just left it on the floor and started to cry a little.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe dropped the paddle to the floor and put her hands on her head and began to cry. she sat for a few minute before standing and going over to her balcony and looking over the edge. she stumbled back when she saw the horror that had set upon the once beautiful resort. there were bodies strewn everywhere, the pools were red with blood and more zombies walking around on the ground. "What the fuck is happening" Chloe said to herself</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis ran down the hall clutching his knife in his right and covering the bite wound with his free hand. The yelling creatures were still chasing after him and he was doing everything to evade them. Knocking over any luggage cart still standing. When he reached the end of the hallway and he tackled it as hard as he could, forced it open, and as soon as he was on the other side he closed it just as quickly and shoved a nearby maintenance cart in front of it. He leaned against the cart with a relieved sigh. Now that the adrenaline was starting to leave he noticed he was in the front lobby and could finally see the full damage. Corpses littered the room and it was almost impossible to find a spot that was covered in blood. "What the hell is going on here?" The front desk phone started ringing. as soon as the noise broke the silence of the room he saw one of the corpses start stirring. "Oh fuck my life."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma A loud hammering sound came from a nearby door, close to Louis, and then an emergency door was kicked wide open with a loud crash. Okoma growled lowly, brutally throwing the slow zombie off of his form, only to gasp as another one fell from the door and onto his neck. Before it could take a crunch out of his flesh, the young man plowed it's face in with his fist, making it fall against a shopping cart. Okoma was on his feet in a second, curb-stomping the mush out of the zombie's head while yanking his useful tool from his belt. The first zombie was back on it's feet, and lunged towards the larger man. On nimble feet, Okoma side-stepped it's clumsy lunge, gripping his wrench with both hands and swinging the light-weight, durable metal tool towards it's head. SPLAT Gore sprayed along the wall, covering his shoes and the bottom of his pants. "...Fuck." Okoma groaned, staggering back a step and panting slightly. His eyes wandered up, taking notice of Louis' form, and he straightened, walking forward. "Hey, the Hell's going on?" His deep voice had taken a confused tone as he eyed the chef; his TV hadn't been working. Maybe this other man had heard news?</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor raced down the hall, his heart in his throat. Visions of gore and carnage were all he could see. Corpses littered the hallways and blood was everywhere. The smell filled his nostrils and he just couldn't take it any more. Turning his head to the side, Victor vomited against the wall. He watched as the moss green splotch of his stomach contents mixed with the crimson red surface of the wallpaper. Fuck. This was a bad situation and as far as he knew there was no one else alive. Suddenly, Victor heard what sounded like a woman crying coming from up the hall. He frantically placed his ear to each consecutive door on the way, attempting to pinpoint its location. He finally rested on a door towards the end of the hall. He could hear the sound clearly now. It was definitely coming from the door in question. "Hey is anyone in there?" He banged on the door with his pipe. Suddenly, a human like form lunged at him from the floor, yelping in fear, Victor took a mighty swing with the pipe in his hand. Splat! The creature's brains were dashed across the thinly carpeted floor. "Please!" He called to the crying woman inside the room. "Let me in! I think more creatures are coming!" He rapped on the door again, urgency in his voice. "Open the door please! I beg of you!"</s> <\|message\|>Sgt. Alexander White "Uh, haven't had a hangover like this since... high school I think? Ow," Alex said as he rose from his bed. He looked across the room to see his little sister still resting. Well, she wasn't little anymore, but to him, Cass would always be his little sister. Not wanting to wake her, he quietly went to the bathroom and found some ibuprofen to help his headache. As he was sipping a glass of water, he couldn't help but hear a faint scratching sound coming from outside their room. Again, he quietly moved across the room, this time toward the door. He looked through the peephole, but something was blocking it. He opened the door, only opening it a few inches since he had forgotten to unlock the top lock. Suddenly, a decayed face appeared in the space between the door and the wall and an arm shot through the gap soon after. Alex jumped back, away from the walker, and looked at it for a few seconds, his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. He then jumped into action, running toward the Beretta in his suitcase while also shouting for Cassandra to wake up. He came back toward the door and pointed the handgun at the walker's head. "Back away from the door or I will fire! I'm giving you to the count of three! Three... two... one!" He readjusted his aim and shot a single bullet at the walker's knee cap. It fell on its now injured knee, but kept trying to get in anyway. "It's not even human," Alex said before firing another shot at its head, killing it. He then turned around toward Cassandra. How much had she seen?</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Confusion was only one of the words that described Louis' reaction. Crazed freaks trying to eat him was one thing, but watching some admittedly ripped guy bust in out of nowhere and then proceed to bash the heads in of said freaks was completely unexpected. He brought himself to his feet again still holding his wound. "No idea." A small grin as he tapped one of the bodies with his foot. "Judging from your little stunt I'd say you have a better grasp on the situation then I do, Mon'Ami."</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe ran over to the door and opened it to reveal a man. He had not yet become one of those things. She pulled him inside quickly and locked the door. "help me put this wardrobe in front of the door" she yelled</s> <\|message\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele Isabella groaned loudly as she felt the suns bright rays hitting her face, she slowly opened up her eyes looking over towards the closed glass door that led to the balcony. She remembered opening up for last nights festivities with her band, it was one of her best nights she had performing and her first time in Banoi. Isabella slowly got up from her bed walking over towards the mirror in her room adjusting her hair, her red hair was a huge mess she was just happy that the hotel staff gave her and her whole crew private rooms. Adjusting her hair and tying it into a ponytail. "Help me!!!" Isabella turned around hearing a woman's cry for help she quickly turned around towards the door and opened it, just in time to see a woman being tackled down what looked like her manager except he was completely bloodied his white buttoned up shirt covered in blood. The woman dropped a crowbar she could hear the woman screaming in pain as the man sunk his teeth into the woman's neck, Isabella grabbed the crowbar by her feet that the woman had dropped. Shortly after Isabella's zombiefied manager turned his attention to her, his teeth all bloody, and blood sliding down his chin before Isabella could do anything he charged right at her tackling her back into her suite getting the wind knocked out of her Isabella hit her back against the hard bedframe. Bringing her arms up to protect herself Isabella cried out in pain as she felt teeth sinking into her arm, using the sharp blunt end of the crowbar Isabella brought it over his head hearing and feeling something sickening pop as the end of the crowbar caved in part of his skull. Isabella laid there breathing heavily intense pain shooting through her whole arm. "Fuck.." She muttered pushing the dead body off of her, looking around Isabella reached for the bed sheets under the comforter to grab the blanket below it. Isabella ripped a small piece of the fabric and quickly went for bathroom running hot water over the bite wound, the sink started to turn slightly red. When she thought it was clean enough Isabella quickly tied the torn sheet of paper over the wound wincing when she tied it off so it would stop the bleeding. Going over towards the corpse that was once her boss Isabella quickly yanked the crowbar from out of his skull Isabella walked over towards the girl he had attacked getting a better look he had torn out a big chunk of her neck, she would have bled out in seconds. "What the hell is going on?" Isabella said to herself as she stood up and started to run towards the elevators luckily they were still in working order.</s> <\|message\|>Cassandra White It was a very fun day yesterday because she and her brother were having parties! It is something that they truly love. Cassandra was sleeping in her brother's room. Well their room. Yes they still sleep in the same room, doesn't matter. She suddenly woke up hearing her brother's voice, quickly stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom to put on some clothes really fast. A few seconds later she was out and went to her brother. "Can you let me sl..." she stopped seeing a body on the ground. "What is this, brother..?" It smelled really bad too. What the hell was going on...?</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma "Eh, smashing their head works wonders." Okoma replied easily, twirling his multi-use wrench between his fingers before gripping the light-weight, steel weapon in calloused hands. "Name's Okoma, from the New York Warlords, although that probably doesn't matter." His deep voice took on a friendly tone as he offered the man an unbloodied hand. His mom taught him respect, after all. "We should probably get out of here soon. The dead's raising up pretty quick." He had already calmed down from the situation, adapting to it, like he did on the court, in the ring, and on the field. One of his skills, he guessed.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent So his rescuer was a football player? That explained a lot. Louis chuckled before he took his hand and got up off the ground. "I'm Louis, head chef of this fine resort." The sarcasm practically dripped from his voice. This place had been a dream come true a few months ago, but now he couldn't wait to get out. He flourished his knife and kept it ready, if the head was their weakness his girl would be more than enough protection. "You don't have to tell me twice. Let's go."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma Okoma nodded seriously, only pausing once to grab what seemed to be a lead pipe off of the ground, near a luggage cart. Couldn't have too many things to wack heads with. Storing it in his bag, Okoma headed in a slow gait towards the entrance of the resort, the sunlight streaming through the dark, grimy glass door. With a broad shoulder he slammed it into the door, slamming it open and revealing them to the outside world. He couldn't enjoy the scenery, however, as his gaze was quickly zoomed in on a zombie, eating the dead carcass of a female maid. Eyes steeled with resolve, Okoma darted forward, slamming his heel against it's head...once...twice. It didn't get up. "Fucking parasites."</s>	<\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent After a little bit Elizabeth regained her emotions and pushed the few tears away. Standing up she walked over to her door and looked out the little peep hole. Seeing blood splattered on the walls she knew this wasn't something contained to outside. Grabbing a light sweater she threw a bottle of water into the pocket before opening the door slightly. Moans filled the hall as she poked her head out and seen that there were a few dead looking bodies walking at the one of the hall. Holding her breath she pushed the door open and ran for the staircase. Once she was on the other side of the door she slammed it shut as some of the walkers headed towards her. "What the hell is going on here, is anyone even left alive?" She questioned softly before heading down the stairs making sure to look down to the lower levels as she did so. On one level a door was opened and when she went to close it a walker jumped at her. Seeing their eyes as is pinned her down she could tell that the person was a walking corpse. Throwing her arm up with she scissors she stabbed them in the side of the head after struggling not to get bitten in the face. Standing to her feet again and taking a breather she ran down the rest of the stairs busting into the lobby thinking open space was better then a cramped staircase.</s>
<\|description\|>Sgt. Alexander White Appearance: Age: 23 Blood Type: A Occupation: U.S. Marine Specialization: Guns (duh) Starting Weapon: M9 Beretta with one clip on back-up that he took with him on the trip. Background: Alex was the firstborn in the White family. He was never really motivated during high school to do much work, which made joining the Marines a pretty easy choice for him. The Marines changed him for the better, changing him to become more committed and respectable than the lazy slacker he was. He came to Banoi with his younger sister, Cassandra, to celebrate his return from yet another tour of duty unscathed. His skills will certainly be put to the test now that the undead are rising though. Other: N/A</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis groaned as he staggered up off of the cold floor of the hotel kitchen. His head was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode at any second. "Merde! I need aspirin..." He put his hand to his right temple as some sort of small relief while he tried to recall what the hell he was doing before to end up here. With the massive headache he had it was obvious he'd definitely been drinking. Like a lot. Liquor and him were going to have to take a break for awhile after this one. He plucked his favorite knife from the board it was held in to make sure nothing had happened to it while he was out just as someone started banging on the outside of the kitchen door. Louis grabbed his head in pain. "Guy with a hangover in here!" The banging continued in earnest and he groaned again before going to pull it open. Probably one of the kitchen staff who'd forgotten their key. Without warning the person burst through before he'd even fully opened the door, knocking him to the ground. "What the hell is...your..problem?" He found his voice leave him as he looked at the gray-skinned girl in front of him. The girl standing over him was definitely one of his kitchen staff, her uniform covered in drying blood. Large chunks of skin were missing in visible places. He didn't even get a chance to ask if she was alright before she was on top of him, growling and snapping her jaws at his neck. He tried his best to keep her away but still dazed from his hangover he wasn't having much luck. Belle had fallen from his hand when he fell over, and he reached for it with his free hand. As soon as his fingers felt the handle of his trusted knife, the girl had managed to sink her teeth into his arms. He yelled out and pain and on instinct clutched Belle's handle and drove the blade right through the top of the girl's head. The girl twitched slightly before slumping perfectly still on top of him. He pushed her off and yanked the knife free from her skull. His hands shook as he did so looking at the girl again he could definitely tell whatever the hell she was, she wasn't human. A loud inhuman yell came from from the direction of the door the girl came entered from. He didn't know what it was nor did he care. He ran straight for the door in the opposite direction leading into the hallway, whatever was yelling following behind him.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe awoke on her bed surrounded by towels she went to sit up but everything went hazy and she fell back to her bed. she could hear her friend in the bathroom making a gurgling noise. "are you still throwing up from last night." she noticed the bite on her arm and turned a deep green and had begun oozing puss. "shit, claire are you alright" the monster that had once been her friend turned slowly to face her. parts of her face had peeled off revealing the muscle and tissue beneath. the thing jumped at her, quickly she grabbed the paddle from under her bed and swung it at the zombie caving its head in, but still it got up "WHY. WONT. YOU. DIE" she screamed beating it repeatedly</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma Deathly, grim silence. Blaine Okoma rose up from his bed, eyes still half-asleep as something groaned from inside of his bathroom. Great...just great. Did he somehow have sex with a female before he went to sleep? He couldn't have; he hadn't drank anything that would have made him stupid enough to risk an STD or pregnancy, and drinking was a no-go for a football player, anyways. The muscular young man stumbled onto the floor, instincts automatically making him steady on his feet. The groaning got louder, and there was...a clawing noise, and then splashing, and then a louder, more inhumane groan. Okoma, now alert and cautious, snuck closer to the bathroom door, quietly trying the door-knob. Whatever was behind it got quiet, and then a low moan sounded out, and a body slammed against the wooden door, cracking it. Instinictively, with a grunt of surprise, Okoma leaped back, before narrowing his eyes and squaring his shoulders, as if he was getting ready for a game-winning tackle. Another claw, and the wood peeled back at face-level, revealing a horribly decomposed, graying face of a cleaning lady. He charged. His powerful tackle sent him through the wooden door in a hail of splinters and splaying body limbs. Instincts kicked in, as he locked powerful, tan arms around the thing's torso and slammed it head-first onto the toilet. Bringing back a fist, he abruptly sent if flying forward, a shower of gore coming from it's rotten head as he repeatedly slammed it's brains in with his fist. Once it stopped groaning, Okoma panted, crawling backwards and falling onto his butt. Now that he could see clearer..."Holy shit..." The normally cool football player gasped. A zombie. A motherfucking zombie. And he had just killed it. Standing on slightly shaky legs, Okoma glanced around once. He needed to get out of here. The room was stinking unbearably, and the darkness didn't ease his caution. Looking around for practically anything, Okoma grabbed what appeared to be a medpack off of the table, along with one of those compact, heavy-duty wrenches that was used for multiple things. He strapped it to his belt-loop, before narrowing his eyes and turning around. Just as he was about to dash into the hallway, he saw his figure in the mirror. Tall, muscular, tan - obviously of Native American descent. Short hair, handsome visage, wearing nothing but a bloodied white wife-beater and jeans/sneakers. Not the most durable of outfits, but it would work for now. Grabbing his NFL backpack as he ran out the door, Okoma strapped it to his back and began heading down the hallway at a decent speed, on the look-out for any rotten douchebags. He was seen as a cool, collected, and rather badass player in football and other sports such as MMA and Wrestling, but this...this was crazy.</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor paced back and forth, nervously wringing his hands. He had locked himself in his personal hotel room but he knew he couldn't stay there for long. While he didn't think there'd be a problem with anything getting inside, his primary problem was with himself. Hunger. Other than a snack sized package of potato chips he had eaten a few hours earlier, his room was completely devoid of food. Victor also figured it was only a matter of time until the pipes quit running without anyone to maintain them. Not to mention, he wasn't about to drink any of it anyway. Who could tell it wasn't something in the water that had caused all this? Weighing his options, he decided he'd have to make a run for the kitchen, grab all the food and bottled water he possibly could, and then return to his room and hunker down until it was all over. Searching for a weapon, Victor had an idea. In a section of his closet, was a few rusty old pipes still attached to the wall because the hotel owner hadn't hired anyone to disconnect them yet. Using all of his strength, Victor managed to rip out a particularly thick section of pipe to use as a makeshift weapon in case his mission for food went south. Gripping it in his hands, Victor tapped it experimentally against his leg. It was old, heavy, and full of lead. Perfect for bludgeoning someone chasing after him. Putting an unsteady hand on the thick wooden door to the hallway outside of his room, Victor took a deep breath and readied the pipe on his shoulder. He was ready to go. He swung the door wide open and dashed out of his room. In the back of his mind, he almost hoped he wouldn't have to return.</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent When the rays of sun filled her room Elizabeth had finally decided to crawl out of bed. Walking to the dresser across the room she grabbed a bottle of water and cracked it open before grabbing two advil and popping them into her mouth. Once she had managed to swallow them with the aid of the water she walked out to her balcony and leaned over it slightly before taking another sip from the bottle. "Damn I really need to learn when to stop, the headache the next morning is so not worth it." She muttered to herself as she noticed something in the pool. Rubbing her eyes in disbelief for a moment she looked carefully and seen it was blood and a few floating bodies. Throwing a hand over her mouth in disgust she started to back away when she watched a body from the floor above her fall over the edge, even with it happening so fast she could tell it didn't look right. Once back in her room she quickly closed the doors to the balcony and grabbed the phone calling the front desk. Frantic about wanting to know what was going on she grabbed a sewing kit and looked through it till she found a pair of scissors. Realizing no one was on the other side of the phone she just left it on the floor and started to cry a little.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe dropped the paddle to the floor and put her hands on her head and began to cry. she sat for a few minute before standing and going over to her balcony and looking over the edge. she stumbled back when she saw the horror that had set upon the once beautiful resort. there were bodies strewn everywhere, the pools were red with blood and more zombies walking around on the ground. "What the fuck is happening" Chloe said to herself</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis ran down the hall clutching his knife in his right and covering the bite wound with his free hand. The yelling creatures were still chasing after him and he was doing everything to evade them. Knocking over any luggage cart still standing. When he reached the end of the hallway and he tackled it as hard as he could, forced it open, and as soon as he was on the other side he closed it just as quickly and shoved a nearby maintenance cart in front of it. He leaned against the cart with a relieved sigh. Now that the adrenaline was starting to leave he noticed he was in the front lobby and could finally see the full damage. Corpses littered the room and it was almost impossible to find a spot that was covered in blood. "What the hell is going on here?" The front desk phone started ringing. as soon as the noise broke the silence of the room he saw one of the corpses start stirring. "Oh fuck my life."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma A loud hammering sound came from a nearby door, close to Louis, and then an emergency door was kicked wide open with a loud crash. Okoma growled lowly, brutally throwing the slow zombie off of his form, only to gasp as another one fell from the door and onto his neck. Before it could take a crunch out of his flesh, the young man plowed it's face in with his fist, making it fall against a shopping cart. Okoma was on his feet in a second, curb-stomping the mush out of the zombie's head while yanking his useful tool from his belt. The first zombie was back on it's feet, and lunged towards the larger man. On nimble feet, Okoma side-stepped it's clumsy lunge, gripping his wrench with both hands and swinging the light-weight, durable metal tool towards it's head. SPLAT Gore sprayed along the wall, covering his shoes and the bottom of his pants. "...Fuck." Okoma groaned, staggering back a step and panting slightly. His eyes wandered up, taking notice of Louis' form, and he straightened, walking forward. "Hey, the Hell's going on?" His deep voice had taken a confused tone as he eyed the chef; his TV hadn't been working. Maybe this other man had heard news?</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor raced down the hall, his heart in his throat. Visions of gore and carnage were all he could see. Corpses littered the hallways and blood was everywhere. The smell filled his nostrils and he just couldn't take it any more. Turning his head to the side, Victor vomited against the wall. He watched as the moss green splotch of his stomach contents mixed with the crimson red surface of the wallpaper. Fuck. This was a bad situation and as far as he knew there was no one else alive. Suddenly, Victor heard what sounded like a woman crying coming from up the hall. He frantically placed his ear to each consecutive door on the way, attempting to pinpoint its location. He finally rested on a door towards the end of the hall. He could hear the sound clearly now. It was definitely coming from the door in question. "Hey is anyone in there?" He banged on the door with his pipe. Suddenly, a human like form lunged at him from the floor, yelping in fear, Victor took a mighty swing with the pipe in his hand. Splat! The creature's brains were dashed across the thinly carpeted floor. "Please!" He called to the crying woman inside the room. "Let me in! I think more creatures are coming!" He rapped on the door again, urgency in his voice. "Open the door please! I beg of you!"</s>	<\|message\|>Sgt. Alexander White "Uh, haven't had a hangover like this since... high school I think? Ow," Alex said as he rose from his bed. He looked across the room to see his little sister still resting. Well, she wasn't little anymore, but to him, Cass would always be his little sister. Not wanting to wake her, he quietly went to the bathroom and found some ibuprofen to help his headache. As he was sipping a glass of water, he couldn't help but hear a faint scratching sound coming from outside their room. Again, he quietly moved across the room, this time toward the door. He looked through the peephole, but something was blocking it. He opened the door, only opening it a few inches since he had forgotten to unlock the top lock. Suddenly, a decayed face appeared in the space between the door and the wall and an arm shot through the gap soon after. Alex jumped back, away from the walker, and looked at it for a few seconds, his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. He then jumped into action, running toward the Beretta in his suitcase while also shouting for Cassandra to wake up. He came back toward the door and pointed the handgun at the walker's head. "Back away from the door or I will fire! I'm giving you to the count of three! Three... two... one!" He readjusted his aim and shot a single bullet at the walker's knee cap. It fell on its now injured knee, but kept trying to get in anyway. "It's not even human," Alex said before firing another shot at its head, killing it. He then turned around toward Cassandra. How much had she seen?</s>
<\|description\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele Appearance: Age: 21 Blood Type: O- Occupation: Singer. Specialization: Guns Starting weapon: Crowbar. Background: Bella as she goes by her friends and family as well as her fans, ever since she was little Isabella always loved to sing even singing in small local events which she ended up turning into her career. When she turned nineteen she ended up getting a record deal releasing two albums already, on her first tour her first stop to Banoi with a few other celebrities there after drinking and partying to much she ended up passing out drunk in her hotel room. Other:</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma A loud hammering sound came from a nearby door, close to Louis, and then an emergency door was kicked wide open with a loud crash. Okoma growled lowly, brutally throwing the slow zombie off of his form, only to gasp as another one fell from the door and onto his neck. Before it could take a crunch out of his flesh, the young man plowed it's face in with his fist, making it fall against a shopping cart. Okoma was on his feet in a second, curb-stomping the mush out of the zombie's head while yanking his useful tool from his belt. The first zombie was back on it's feet, and lunged towards the larger man. On nimble feet, Okoma side-stepped it's clumsy lunge, gripping his wrench with both hands and swinging the light-weight, durable metal tool towards it's head. SPLAT Gore sprayed along the wall, covering his shoes and the bottom of his pants. "...Fuck." Okoma groaned, staggering back a step and panting slightly. His eyes wandered up, taking notice of Louis' form, and he straightened, walking forward. "Hey, the Hell's going on?" His deep voice had taken a confused tone as he eyed the chef; his TV hadn't been working. Maybe this other man had heard news?</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor raced down the hall, his heart in his throat. Visions of gore and carnage were all he could see. Corpses littered the hallways and blood was everywhere. The smell filled his nostrils and he just couldn't take it any more. Turning his head to the side, Victor vomited against the wall. He watched as the moss green splotch of his stomach contents mixed with the crimson red surface of the wallpaper. Fuck. This was a bad situation and as far as he knew there was no one else alive. Suddenly, Victor heard what sounded like a woman crying coming from up the hall. He frantically placed his ear to each consecutive door on the way, attempting to pinpoint its location. He finally rested on a door towards the end of the hall. He could hear the sound clearly now. It was definitely coming from the door in question. "Hey is anyone in there?" He banged on the door with his pipe. Suddenly, a human like form lunged at him from the floor, yelping in fear, Victor took a mighty swing with the pipe in his hand. Splat! The creature's brains were dashed across the thinly carpeted floor. "Please!" He called to the crying woman inside the room. "Let me in! I think more creatures are coming!" He rapped on the door again, urgency in his voice. "Open the door please! I beg of you!"</s> <\|message\|>Sgt. Alexander White "Uh, haven't had a hangover like this since... high school I think? Ow," Alex said as he rose from his bed. He looked across the room to see his little sister still resting. Well, she wasn't little anymore, but to him, Cass would always be his little sister. Not wanting to wake her, he quietly went to the bathroom and found some ibuprofen to help his headache. As he was sipping a glass of water, he couldn't help but hear a faint scratching sound coming from outside their room. Again, he quietly moved across the room, this time toward the door. He looked through the peephole, but something was blocking it. He opened the door, only opening it a few inches since he had forgotten to unlock the top lock. Suddenly, a decayed face appeared in the space between the door and the wall and an arm shot through the gap soon after. Alex jumped back, away from the walker, and looked at it for a few seconds, his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. He then jumped into action, running toward the Beretta in his suitcase while also shouting for Cassandra to wake up. He came back toward the door and pointed the handgun at the walker's head. "Back away from the door or I will fire! I'm giving you to the count of three! Three... two... one!" He readjusted his aim and shot a single bullet at the walker's knee cap. It fell on its now injured knee, but kept trying to get in anyway. "It's not even human," Alex said before firing another shot at its head, killing it. He then turned around toward Cassandra. How much had she seen?</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Confusion was only one of the words that described Louis' reaction. Crazed freaks trying to eat him was one thing, but watching some admittedly ripped guy bust in out of nowhere and then proceed to bash the heads in of said freaks was completely unexpected. He brought himself to his feet again still holding his wound. "No idea." A small grin as he tapped one of the bodies with his foot. "Judging from your little stunt I'd say you have a better grasp on the situation then I do, Mon'Ami."</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe ran over to the door and opened it to reveal a man. He had not yet become one of those things. She pulled him inside quickly and locked the door. "help me put this wardrobe in front of the door" she yelled</s> <\|message\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele Isabella groaned loudly as she felt the suns bright rays hitting her face, she slowly opened up her eyes looking over towards the closed glass door that led to the balcony. She remembered opening up for last nights festivities with her band, it was one of her best nights she had performing and her first time in Banoi. Isabella slowly got up from her bed walking over towards the mirror in her room adjusting her hair, her red hair was a huge mess she was just happy that the hotel staff gave her and her whole crew private rooms. Adjusting her hair and tying it into a ponytail. "Help me!!!" Isabella turned around hearing a woman's cry for help she quickly turned around towards the door and opened it, just in time to see a woman being tackled down what looked like her manager except he was completely bloodied his white buttoned up shirt covered in blood. The woman dropped a crowbar she could hear the woman screaming in pain as the man sunk his teeth into the woman's neck, Isabella grabbed the crowbar by her feet that the woman had dropped. Shortly after Isabella's zombiefied manager turned his attention to her, his teeth all bloody, and blood sliding down his chin before Isabella could do anything he charged right at her tackling her back into her suite getting the wind knocked out of her Isabella hit her back against the hard bedframe. Bringing her arms up to protect herself Isabella cried out in pain as she felt teeth sinking into her arm, using the sharp blunt end of the crowbar Isabella brought it over his head hearing and feeling something sickening pop as the end of the crowbar caved in part of his skull. Isabella laid there breathing heavily intense pain shooting through her whole arm. "Fuck.." She muttered pushing the dead body off of her, looking around Isabella reached for the bed sheets under the comforter to grab the blanket below it. Isabella ripped a small piece of the fabric and quickly went for bathroom running hot water over the bite wound, the sink started to turn slightly red. When she thought it was clean enough Isabella quickly tied the torn sheet of paper over the wound wincing when she tied it off so it would stop the bleeding. Going over towards the corpse that was once her boss Isabella quickly yanked the crowbar from out of his skull Isabella walked over towards the girl he had attacked getting a better look he had torn out a big chunk of her neck, she would have bled out in seconds. "What the hell is going on?" Isabella said to herself as she stood up and started to run towards the elevators luckily they were still in working order.</s> <\|message\|>Cassandra White It was a very fun day yesterday because she and her brother were having parties! It is something that they truly love. Cassandra was sleeping in her brother's room. Well their room. Yes they still sleep in the same room, doesn't matter. She suddenly woke up hearing her brother's voice, quickly stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom to put on some clothes really fast. A few seconds later she was out and went to her brother. "Can you let me sl..." she stopped seeing a body on the ground. "What is this, brother..?" It smelled really bad too. What the hell was going on...?</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma "Eh, smashing their head works wonders." Okoma replied easily, twirling his multi-use wrench between his fingers before gripping the light-weight, steel weapon in calloused hands. "Name's Okoma, from the New York Warlords, although that probably doesn't matter." His deep voice took on a friendly tone as he offered the man an unbloodied hand. His mom taught him respect, after all. "We should probably get out of here soon. The dead's raising up pretty quick." He had already calmed down from the situation, adapting to it, like he did on the court, in the ring, and on the field. One of his skills, he guessed.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent So his rescuer was a football player? That explained a lot. Louis chuckled before he took his hand and got up off the ground. "I'm Louis, head chef of this fine resort." The sarcasm practically dripped from his voice. This place had been a dream come true a few months ago, but now he couldn't wait to get out. He flourished his knife and kept it ready, if the head was their weakness his girl would be more than enough protection. "You don't have to tell me twice. Let's go."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma Okoma nodded seriously, only pausing once to grab what seemed to be a lead pipe off of the ground, near a luggage cart. Couldn't have too many things to wack heads with. Storing it in his bag, Okoma headed in a slow gait towards the entrance of the resort, the sunlight streaming through the dark, grimy glass door. With a broad shoulder he slammed it into the door, slamming it open and revealing them to the outside world. He couldn't enjoy the scenery, however, as his gaze was quickly zoomed in on a zombie, eating the dead carcass of a female maid. Eyes steeled with resolve, Okoma darted forward, slamming his heel against it's head...once...twice. It didn't get up. "Fucking parasites."</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent After a little bit Elizabeth regained her emotions and pushed the few tears away. Standing up she walked over to her door and looked out the little peep hole. Seeing blood splattered on the walls she knew this wasn't something contained to outside. Grabbing a light sweater she threw a bottle of water into the pocket before opening the door slightly. Moans filled the hall as she poked her head out and seen that there were a few dead looking bodies walking at the one of the hall. Holding her breath she pushed the door open and ran for the staircase. Once she was on the other side of the door she slammed it shut as some of the walkers headed towards her. "What the hell is going on here, is anyone even left alive?" She questioned softly before heading down the stairs making sure to look down to the lower levels as she did so. On one level a door was opened and when she went to close it a walker jumped at her. Seeing their eyes as is pinned her down she could tell that the person was a walking corpse. Throwing her arm up with she scissors she stabbed them in the side of the head after struggling not to get bitten in the face. Standing to her feet again and taking a breather she ran down the rest of the stairs busting into the lobby thinking open space was better then a cramped staircase.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis started after Okoma and winced reminding himself of the bite on his arm. The bite had managaged to break the skin and was bleeding but not incredibly bad. Remembering the hotel kept a first aid kit behind the front desk he walked over to it. Not only could he bandage up the cut, but he'd bet they'd have need of the kit later anyway. He stepped over a few corpses before vaulting over the desk. The area behind it was a wreck showed sign of a struggle. Sure enough leaning against the wall was the body desk attendant, a large chunk of his neck appeared ripped off. Whatever had killed him was either gone or one of the ones his new companion had killed on his entrance. Louis sighed before grabbing the kit he was looking for. The body of the attendant lunged suddenly but he had already moved out of the way and the zombie fell face first into the desk. Louis shove his knife through the back of its skull before it could even move. He could hear a small sound coming from the body and had suspected it wasn't as dead as it claimed to be. "Rest in peace you poor bastard." He muttered just as he vaulted back over the desk and the door to the staircase opened again, a girl emerging from it. "Whoa! You're normal, right?"</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent Breathing quickly when she broke out of the door Elizabeth was slightly shocked to see someone. Standing there she allowed herself to regain her bearings making sure she heard him right and that he was alive. "Yeah I'm normal, can only guess you are to seeing you don't look dead and can talk." She replied while walking towards the man. She didn't know what was going on here but it was better to be around others for safety reasons.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis relaxed a bit knowing the girl wasn't like one of the dead. "You would be correct with that assumption." His voice light and joking again. "Anyway you should stick with us, strength and numbers and all that." He pointed towards the door where Okoma was standing outside. "Me and this guy were just on our way out."</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent "I completely agree about strength in numbers so I would be more then happy to go with you, it's probably safer in the open were we can see them coming from a better distance." Elizabeth replied as she tried to keep herself calm about all the shit that was going on around them. Walking for the doors she couldn't help but wonder how far this epidemic had spread on the island or what caused it.</s>	<\|message\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele As the elevator went down each floor slowly Isabella leaned against the wall letting out a slight grunt in pain, she looked down at her arm seeing that the rag she had grabbed and wrapped over her arm had turned slightly red. When a it finally got to the first floor Isabella quietly looked around the room was full of bodies as well as luggage, tables, and chairs that had been flipped over. She quickly ran down the hallway remembering the way to the lobby, she stopped to see two people by the stairs. "Good to see some none zombies here." She said softly as she started to approach them.</s>
<\|description\|>Remy Ramsey Age: 22 Race: Humam Height and Weight: 5'9'' Appearance: A man with short blond hair and starry green eyes. Stick thin, but dresses smartly with a white shirt, black dress pants and button up vest, and a pink bow-tie. Bounty: 0 Beli Personality: Remy is very eager to please, accommodating to a fault, and doesn't have very much self worth. His confidence is a shaky sort that crumples at even the slightest criticism and he can't really accept praise without thinking that its just pity. He's sort of like mush; you can't really build him up, but you also can't break him down. This is why he continues to follow his dream in the face of all criticism, even though he also considers it an impossible one to achieve. History: Remy is a chef. He knows for a fact that he is a chef. His heart is the burning heart of a cook. It is unfortunate, then, that he is such a terrible cook. It's not even about nutrition. What he cooks is edible. It may even be nutritious. It will certainly keep you alive, it's just that you'll wish you were dead. He can't help it. Ever since he was a kid helping out in his parents restaurant he's been awful. The boy can't even boil something without seemingly sapping all its flavor away. His father realized this early in his career and forbid him to ever even enter the kitchen. Instead Remy acted as a waiter, which he was actually good at. He was an amazing waiter, it was like he was born to do nothing but wait tables. But Remy wasn't a waiter. Remy was a chef, and so at sixteen he took all the money he'd saved up and set out to the sea to try and improve. Being laughed out of every school he could find and in most cases thrown off every ship where he touched the food, his wanderings eventually led him to Lougetown where he's been trying to book passage to the Grand Line. Because "Black Leg" Sanji sailed the Grand Line, and he ended up the best chef ever. So maybe it would spit him out a somewhat average chef. Abilities: Remy is the worst cook ever. In the history of time. His dad used to joke that if Remy was the chef on it you could sail a ship up and down the Calm Belt without fear of sea kings, because they'd spit you out as soon as they ate you. It's not even that the food will make you sick, it just tastes bad. This is in contrast to his skills as a waiter, because he's perfect at it. Not only does he have an air-tight memory, but perfect balance. He could walk across a tightrope carrying a stack of plates 30 high and not drop a single one. While blindfolded, if someone told him to just walk straight. He can also just toss things. He can chuck a plate of soup out the kitchen door and land it right where he was aiming, face up, without having spilled a drop. He can also do this trick with bowls, glasses, and at one point a whole party platter. Techniques: Traits: Inventory:Really just the clothes on his back and a set of cookware that he keeps diligently shined.</s> <\|message\|>Elvira 'Chibi' Foy Possible OP? Chapter 1: New Legends... 10 years have passed since Straw Hat Pirates made it to One-Piece. Luffy, becoming the pirate king he so desperately fought for, his story is told throughout many pirates and marines. The Straw Hat Pirates one day up and vanished, gone without a trace and no one knows where. When news spread of this rumors were quickly formed. Were they killed? Did the marines get them? But one rumour peaked many peoples interests, is the One-Piece up for grabs? The marines have announced that they had a part in the disappearance of The Straw Hat Pirates but no one believes them. Many pirates have been called to Loguetown, a city on the Polestar Islands in the East Blue, where a certain group will announce if the chase for One-Piece is finally started. A pirate crew known as 'The Silver Eyes' called out to many pirates for this meeting. Upon arrival you can see many pirates, the stores flooded and the piers almost overflowing with ships, big and small. Up on the execution stand three people were looking over everyone. On the left was a little girl with long red hair, she wore the cliche pirates hat with a black trench coat with a white frilly thing at her chest, sat on the edge, with her feet dangling off the side, she couldn't be older than 15. She had what looks like a small cutlass on her waist, her name is known among many, Elvira Foy. On the opposite side of her, to the right was a medium sized man with curly yellow hair. His chest was covered in belt's, that were then covered with about 8 pistols, all firing 4 bullets. He had two swords on his waist and he stood to attention, hands behind his back, feet together and back way too stiff, his name is none other than, Ray Stryker. In the middle of both of these people was presumably the captain. A purple haired man, looking very interesting at the crowd. He wore a black goth like clothes and appeared to have no weapons on his person. His name is Drake Winmore. This crew is now one of the last great crews, just these three is all that is left. Stories say that these three helped Luffy on his quest in multiple occasions. One more hour until the meeting starts...</s> <\|message\|>Zerry Bell A day before the meeting. Zerry had traveled to East Blue by ship but he was planning to take a less obvious path to Logue Town, partly because he could partly because as per the agreement with the crew he would have to pay at arrival. About half an hour of off the Polestar Islands' coast he jumped overboard to swim the rest of the way. As soon he left the ship he made sure to dive as deep as he could knowing the human sailors wouldn't be able to follow him. As he swam to the island he caught some fish and collected seaweed for food. Avoiding the harbor in order not to draw attention to himself the fishman got onto shore thanks to a shallow inlet. He could see Loguetown in the distance and guesstimated it would take him about 45 minutes of walking through the forest covered hills to get there. However since he had no intention of paying to sleep in an inn, he instead made a campfire to cook on. After he was done eating he put the fire out and headed back into the water hoping to spend the night undisturbed. The next day at dawn he headed towards Logue Town. Ordinarily an unknown Fishman would draw a lot of attention in a city outside the Grand Line, but thanks to all the pirates and other tourists he was simply another face in the crowd. Zerry went straight to the center of town since this was one meeting he didn't want to be late too. Once he got there he sat down on the ground across from the Execution Platform and patiently waited until it would start.</s>	<\|message\|>Remy Ramsey Remy walked along the long avenue of the busy fish market, eager to see what the fishermen had trawled up. He was happy to do this, though it had taken some serious convincing to allow his boss Mr. Gordon to allow it. The man had dragged him out to the docks and thrown him into the water one day and still wouldn't rule out the theory that he had some sort of ability or curse that spoiled food on contact. Remy didn't blame him for it. Hehadn't ruled out the possibility that he was cursed, even if he was sure he didn't get it from eating a fruit. But at least Mr. Gordon seemed satisfied that it only took effect when he tried to cook. Just carrying food back to the restaurant wouldn't do any damage. They were going to need it, too. For some reason the place was even more packed than usual. Not just the restaurant either, the streets were packed with large, tough looking men. Men of the sea by any measure of the word. Was there something going on today? He wondered if one of these sailors would finally take him to the Grand Line, but then he was distracted by the sight of- "A Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna!" He said excitedly, running up to where two large fishermen where carrying the exotic fish off a boat to marvel at it. "Hey there Remy." The Captain, a gruff looking weatherbeaten man said as he hopped off the ship and set to follow his sons. "Beauty, isn't she? Last time one of them showed up 'round these parts was 10 years ago." "Do you need any help carrying it?" said Remy, following along after the man. "You're still working, boy! Gordon'll give me hell if I send his favorite waiter back smelling like seafood." He replied, as the tuna was already drawing a crowed of onlookers. Remy looked around nervously, and felt the reassuring weight of the money in his pocket. "What if I buy it from you?" He asked quickly. The fishermen turned and looked at him, saw the eagerness in his eyes, and gained the far away look of a man who must tell his paraplegic daughter that her dreams of becoming a ballerina are just never coming true. He puts one large, fatherly hand on Remy's shoulder and looks deep into his eyes. "Now son, you're a good boy." "Yes sir." "You're always coming down here, you've made yourself helpful." "Yes sir." "I like to think we know each other pretty well." "Yes, sir." Remy said, already seeing where this was going. "So I see that look in your eye, and I know what it means." "Yes sir." The man signed deeply, before continuing. "I would kill you before I let you desecrate any part of this fish with your strange voodoo." There's a long moment of silence while Remy reflects upon these words. He looks down at the ground for a bit, before glaceing back up and says, defeated, "Well thank you for your honesty." The man gives him a few sympathetic pats on the shoulder. "Now get to your shopping son, before you piss off Gordon." And with that he turns around and the procession begins again, the ever expanding crowed around the tuna drifting away like a dingy on the open sea. Remy sighs, shrugs his shoulders, and sets off amongst the market stalls.</s>
<\|description\|>Hector Ward Age: 15 Gender: Male Personality: [Archetype] Paragon - Hector has a strong sense of justice cultivated by years of prejudice and mistreatment. He will try to aid anyone who asks him and isn't hesitant to put his body on the line when shit hits the fan. Rather than intense purity or naivete, Hector has a talent for seeing a person's true colors and accepting others misgivings. He has a forgiving spirit so long as the perpetrator seems to genuinely seek atonement. Hector's desire for peace and fairness often conflict with the black and white mentality of those around him. [Talent] Strong Body - A life of grueling physical labor and almost daily beatings has given Hector a sturdy body and some natural resistance to pain. He is quite strong for his size, and sacrifices neither agility nor speed. [Talent] Cooking Skills - Being a cook has given Hector a strong sense of memorization and a practiced manual dexterity. He can use a knife in combat without harming himself. Cutting lumber to build cooking fires has also given him basic mastery of a lumber axe in combat. Being around exceptionally hot kitchens has built up a moderate resistance to intense heat. [Flaw] Inexperienced - Hector has little to no combat training and is prone to getting in over his head due to his reckless nature. [Flaw] Uneducated - Hector has never received a formal education and is ignorant of many social customs and study-related facts. Role/Title: Hopeful Cook History: Hector was born a bastard child to a broken noblewoman, and therefore inherited the surname Ward as a sign of his illegitimate birth. He never met his father, and his mother was murdered by an unknown assailant when he was only six. Hector would have probably ended up like any other kid in his position and be quietly brushed under the rug, but he was picked up by a 'nice man' named Gande, who put him up in a warehouse with numerous other children. As it turned out, the children were forced into terribly intense manual labor and paid a paltry sum that they knew no better than to accept. In addition, the costs of their living expenses were being tallied in the background and were subject to 'interest rates' as the children aged. It was a brilliant and terrifying scam that circumvented the need for actual slavery and masqueraded as charity. Even if he made it out of the 'orphanage' alive, Hector's body would be broken long before he would be able to pay off all of the debts. Even so, Hector accepted his position with a strange maturity. Maybe it was his inborn pride as a noble, though Hector himself was completely unaware of his heritage and he had no reason to think this way. He looked after the other children, taking the brunt of their work as his own burden. He even learned how to cook in order to feed himself and the others, though their meals amounted to little more than scraps. Despite his best efforts however, the other children were not as strong as Hector and one by one succumbed to exhaustion and illness until Hector was the only one left. He thought there would be others, but Gande expelled him from the house when he came of age at 14. For the past year he had been working as a cook in a tavern for food and board, though his freedom was still firmly locked behind an impossibly high wall called "debt." When Hector heard of the expedition from rumors in the tavern, he was skeptical at first. He wasn't sure it would be enough to escape Gande and his shady backers, but when he discovered it was to liberate a plagued village from monsters he signed on for the mission thinking that the debt collectors would avoid him at all costs. Despite his young age he was technically an adult, and his cooking and labor skills made him ideal as a worker and support for the voyage. His only goal is to prove his worth and make a name for himself, and hopefully receive a commission to become a knight in order to escape his life of endless poverty. Anything Extra: [Talent] Magic Potential - Unknown even to Hector himself, he has the makings of a fine magician given careful cultivation.</s> <\|message\|>Balan Windfall "Sir, do forgive my... rudeness, but I feel it is completely unwise to be leaving the city with a bunch of vagabond want to be heroes." "Your concern is noted. Why do you think I'm bringing you along?" A smirk tugged at the cheek of the burly man in his white armor as he leaned slightly on his shield. They were meeting their group of recruits in the front gardens within the castle gates, still surrounded by his guards and the safety that was his home. Esmeralda insisted she was coming down, she wasn't about to let him leave without seeing his companions. And he wasn't going to make her go all the way down in to the actual city just to do that much. "Your attempt at humor never works on me, you realize this?" his blonde knight captain sighed, closing her eyes as she shook her head, tapping her own shield on the ground. "You can't blame me for trying. Look, most of the people who are going to be here are going to have an agenda to further their family names in some form another, and none of them would do that if I were to die on the way because everyone would be suspect and all assumed to be lying and Esmeralda would probably have them all killed," he said as he looked over his shoulder as said Empress made her way out of the front gates. "I won't mention to her that you just depicted her to be quite the blood thirsty monster," the blonde muttered before turning and looking at the currently open gates, waiting to see when their new "companions" would start to arrive. She had no doubt that they would have some sort of an agenda, even if they didn't realize it at first. Why else would they go in to a part of the empire that was plagued and overrun by vicious monsters? Then again they could just be crazy. "Ah good, I got here before they did. So I won't miss a thing," Esmeralda said as she stood next to Balan, crossing her arms behind her back, her white gown, dragging on the ground lightly, much to her maids dismay the blonde was sure. "Aww, it's like you're trying to match with me," Balan teased her seeing that she was wearing white and just laughed lightly at the less than amused look that both women gave him.</s> <\|message\|>Thomas Milliner Thomas has always made a point of being early to places: people appreciate an eager attendee, and it gives him some quality time to plan ahead. This rule applies doubly when dealing with the titled: rarely does a Lord accept anything less than punctuality, and Thomas only assumes that this is a trait shared by his Emperor. The gates were open when Thomas approached the fortress: he must not have been as early as he had hoped. He is dressed sensibly - a worn -in pair of boots, comfortable, unassuming clothes, and borrowed suit of chain for safety, worn under his light semi-formal shirt. Unable to afford a horse, and not in the best shape of his life, Thomas is sweating and slightly out of breath as he approaches the gates. He catches his breath, dropping his pack on the ground. Thomas silently bemoans the necessity of bringing such a weight, but science is too important to be stopped by his laziness. Hopefully he'll be given a horse. Hopefully. With his breath having been caught, he picks his pack back up and proceeds through the gate after presenting his credentials. Thomas is suitably impressed by the gardens - he always means to go visit the Academy greenhouses, but always manages to get distracted before going. Oblivious to the Emperor and Empress, he finds a place to sit and produces a small book, courtesy of the Academy printers, and begins to read absentmindedly.</s>	<\|message\|>Hector Ward The smell of burning oil, of raw meats and starchy larders, of great heaping barrels of ale… Hector would long for none of it when he was gone. The Spotted Trout Tavern was a paltry watering hole and an even worse inn, and some would say the only thing worse than its reputation was its food. At least, until a year ago that is. To Hector it was many things. It was his life. It would most likely be his death. It was the place where he worked away his nights and days. It was not, however, his home. He would never call it home. There were no friends here, and nobody who cared if he was present or absent, or alive or dead. His room was little more than a bed of hay and a pile of personal effects, adjunct to the tavern's stable, with a rank odor that never once relented in this regard. His possessions - what few he had - were diligently arranged and sorted as well as one could expect them to be, but there was nothing more here that could help him on the journey to come. The clothes were tattered and even his best outfit, which he was currently wearing, was deeply stained from long hours of toil and sweat. He had no money and no trinkets, and he could never in his life bring himself to become a thief. It wasn't because he wanted to become a knight, no... The countless pains Hector had endured to avoid stealing up to this point were, at least to him, worth more than any amount of money in the world. A trip to the ends of the Empire, not to mention the ever-present threat of death… It just didn't seem like a place where he, a pauper even in name, belonged, yet here he was about to risk everything he'd ever known, for what? Nothing more or less than a chance at a life worth more than the one he had now. Hector wondered aloud if there was anything to be gained from this venture. He wondered too, if there was anything for him to lose. Rumors said the Emperor would take any able-bodied man who dared to volunteer, and that's all that Hector could claim to be. Hector had always relied on his good fortune and hard work to get him through in life, and it would have to be the same for him now. He didn't know any other way to live but to work, and surely the expedition would be rife with hungry adventurers. One out of the lot of them must have brought some extra supplies, and if there was one universal truth in this world it was that good food made good company! People needed to eat, and adventurers were notorious for being mooches and traders - that is, if his experiences in the tavern were any indication. "Guess this is goodbye," Hector whispered to what was left of his old life. The door to his little shack opened into the morning light, and a few errant rays across Hector's face spurred him to shield his eyes. The sun was still lurking behind the city's distant walls when Hector snuck out of his own dwelling, shouldering a pack he assembled from his only worthwhile companion… a blanket. It was here he carried a few bits of leftover bread, a dirty apron, and a once torn waterskin that Hector had painstakingly restored to serviceable condition. Truthfully, Hector would have liked to head out before the dawn, but he dutifully completed his morning chores at the same old pace. Nothing good could come from leaving things messier than he had found them, and Hector felt bad enough already for leaving his job and not telling the tavern keeper. He did it more for his own safety than the old proprietor's. The men from the orphanage would no doubt come looking for the runaway Hector, and the tavern keeper wouldn't have batted an eye before deciding to sell the boy out to them. Well, they'd find out where he'd gone soon enough - with or without accosting the workers at the Spotted Trout. The palace? "Well, it probably meant a lot to somebody somewhere," is what Hector would tell you if you asked him. Could a fish that had never left the water understand the grandeur of the sky in the world above? He may have been poor as dirt, but Hector wasn't a hick. He'd lived in the city as long as he could remember, and there were plenty of big buildings that were full of big things, but they were as much a part of the background as the sun and moon. That is to say, Hector saw them as things that were forever outside of his reach. The palace gardens, however, were a different story entirely. Even during festival nights in the city, where the streets ran wild with drunks and vagabonds, the atmosphere was never as lively as this. What kind of person, Hector wondered, was able to wear an expression like that at the cusp of what could be a life-ending endeavor? Even the Emperor, standing like a great ivory tower at the head of the pack, was laughing idly with his retainers and... Hector's heart, woe as he was to admit it, skipped a beat when he saw her. The Empress Esmerelda, the lady of the city, the jewel of Caradia that was the spitting image of the twin goddesses. There was not an artisan in the world, Hector suddenly felt, that could cut a jewel in such an image of perfection as had already been attained by this woman. For a moment Hector let himself be taken by a fancy, that maybe, just maybe, if he could get even a bit closer to her, that a pauper cook from the lowest end of town could catch the eye of the woman that even the most jaded nobleman regarded as a goddess. He felt envy not for the first time, but in a new way, for the Emperor in the ivory armor. These foreign feelings were a powerful new sensation for Hector, for a whelp that had never once known the touch or taste of a woman, and he was silently grateful for his smaller than average presence. If any of the other volunteers had seen the look he was giving the Empress, the flushed face of a man's first love... Well, he might die here of embarrassment before the journey even began. Hector quickly pulled away and made his way deeper into the pack, the scarlet shame still dyed deeply on his cheeks.</s>
<\|description\|>Mari Age: 14 Appearance: Short in height, about 5'2" with an athletically lean body she has shoulder length white-blonde hair with a light wave to it framing a round, childish face with large icy-blue eyes. Name: Cade Age: 216 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Mari The air was cold, soft flakes of snow drifted gently towards the ground, adding to the thick layer of soft powder already covering the ground. Twilight was upon the abandoned city beyond the Wall and although most still slept one walked the streets, surrounded by crumbling building and reminders of the past. Some of it was caused by natural deterioration of the stone; a lot of it was caused by fights between the inhabitants. For life to the south was hard; especially during the winter when food was so scarce. Feet padded silently through the snow as the horse sized creature moved slowly, four log legs kept the dark body out of the show. Its movements were reminiscent of a hunting cat, the way it seemed to stalk even when there was nothing around. Sensitive ears listened for the slightest of sounds, any kind of movement that could have been caused by something unlucky enough to become dinner. For daemons were up amongst the highest of apex predators. The same as the sharks installed fear in sea-farers and crocodiles and alligators terrorised the swamps and waterways the daemon was the fear of the south. There was no creature on land that they feared. Daylight was swiftly disappearing and the darkness was taking hold, their natural element as their bodies camouflaged perfectly with the night. However a crumbling city was hardly a place one would think to see creatures like this. Yet it had been the place the daemons had made their home. The city itself was surrounded by forest, though with the winter the trees were bare and offered no protection against the cold, wind or snow. Beyond the forest was a small stream, iced over now with the winter chill and partially covered in snow, a large stone bridge still managed to make a safe crossing point. Beyond that stream was the Wall; a high testimonial of stone easily taller than a house secluding them away from the rest of the world. Over the years small holes had appeared in it and some ever foolish or curious humans had crossed over for reasons unknown. Most were never heard from again. What actually lie beyond the wall was a mystery to him, however. For even though humans had thought to invite themselves into the daemon's domain, no creature of darkness had ever crossed over to the human side. It remained a mystery to them. And they were content to leave it that way.</s> <\|message\|>Jeffrey Rails Jeffery stared out at the massive wall taking in its many cracks and splotches of foliage that had managed to grow from it. The wall may have been beautiful at some point but now it was worn and run down much like a sock. Though its appearance was less then great it was still awe inspiring to Jeffery who had dreamt of what was on the other side for years now and today was the day he would put his dreams to rest and cross over. The boy carefully and quietly had snuck his way out of his home that night and was now making his way through the hole in the wall that he marvelled at for years. As he crossed over to the other side he saw a stone bridge that crossed over a frozen stream. Carefully he made his way towards the large bridge trying to stay as quiet as possible.</s> <\|message\|>Mari At first it was a faint scent that hit his nose. Lifting his head Cade sniffed the air and hissed dryly. It was a scent he recognised, a scent that he shouldn't be smelling. Walking along with a more dangerous intent he shifted so that he was lower to the ground and began stalking through the forest on the outskirts on the city, following the scent as it began steadily growing stronger. Eventually the soft sound of crunching snow reached his acute ears but still the predator remained hidden. He'd circled around the figure fumbling through the now, so that he was between him and the wall, making direct escape much more difficult. A soft, but impatient hiss escaped the daemon's mouth as he began closing the gap between himself and the intruder. It had been a long, very harsh winter and he was very hungry. Humans were hardly his idea of a meal and this one wasn't fully grown yet, hardly a meal. However it was better than nothing and humans often made an easy meal, especially when they wondered so willingly into daemon territory like this. He had sometimes wondered why they did this, was life on the other side really so horrible that they would rather risk life with monsters? Or, perhaps they did just not know better. Finally deciding to move the creature began closing the gap and stepped out of the darkness, its dark body shining in the moonlight. A dry hiss escaped the creature's mouth, the dry noise causing fog the air from the heat of his breath. However even as he stepped closer yet another dark shape appeared out of the darkness just to the right of him, another Daemon, though this one was female and slightly smaller. Cade turned to her instantly growling, the deep noise rumbling deep within his chest as she hissed back at him. The pair of creatures stood rigid as they stared each other down for what seemed like the longest time before Cade burst forward in an unbelievable display of speed for a creature his size and shot straight towards the female, who screeched; a noise reminiscent of tearing metal, as his claws slashed at her side. On almost the other side of the city the screeching noise woke up another residence of the land south of the Wall. Bolting upright she looked around herself for a moment before quickly hurrying off towards the sound of the noise once she realised her den-mate was missing.</s> <\|message\|>Jeffrey Rails Jeffery stopped after hearing a hissing sound but dismissed the sound as nothing more than his imagination. He knew he had an overactive imagination and this justified his put off of the hissing noise. Though he put off the hissing as his imagination he knew that the growling and fighting noises were not his imagination. He turned around for a brief second to see the monsters fighting but began running the other way across the bridge and farther into Daemon territory in the hopes of escaping the monsters.</s>	<\|message\|>Mari The cold air stung his lungs as he ran, feet flying through the snow. All around him other dark shapes of daemons were starting to emerge from their dens, some of them looking at him curiously as he ran past, no doubt wondering why he was in such a rush, or perhaps why he was awake at all. Soon the entire clan would be awake. But he didn't care right now. The only thing that mattered was getting to Cade. He needed to see what all the fuss was about. Another deafening screech echoed through the forest. Now her sight wasn't nearly as good as the others during the night, hence why she elected to sleep during the darkest hours and did her own hunting throughout the day. As such she didn't see the other figure running in the opposite direction until it was too late and the pair collided, sending both sprawling onto the cobblestone road in the snow. Mari was the first to recover and she pushed some of her hair out of the way as she jumped back, glaring at the… the human? She'd just smashed into. A confused look crossed her face before she pulled a sharp looking dark blade from beneath her clothes.</s>
<\|description\|>Cyanak Thoraak Race: Rock Gnome Age: 72 Gender: Female Appearance: Short, of course, with brown skin and blond braided hair. Her clothing's relatively light - a plain tan shirt and vest, a grey skirt, and black boots and gloves. Class: Sorcerer Alignment: Neutral Bio: Cyanak was born in Tinkertown, though her affinity for magic over technology resulted in her leaving as soon as she could, at age 40. She skipped over the Northern continent, opting for the less-stable Western continent and its constantly shifting map for a few reasons. For one, she was quite fond of the chaos - as long as she kept her head low and didn't openly support any regime, she was regarded as useful by more than a handful of people over the years. She sold her brewed items to whoever was willing to pay her cheap prices and, if things got too exciting, she packed up shop and moved to another kingdom. When things began to grow relatively stable, she found herself becoming bored and finding new ways to keep herself amused - offering her services as a utility mage to adventurers wanting to explore the desert, studying alchemical recipes, kidnapping people's pets, all sorts of things. The last one ended up getting her arrested eventually and she would have been beheaded had an adventurer's group not bailed her out - they needed a magic-user to support them, and they'd be keeping her around for the long run. Cyanak agreed since, sure, she needed something to do anyhow if she wasn't going to be executed. The last time she saw them, the barbarian and rogue threw the halfling fighter into the dragon's mouth at his request and were hoping he'd be able to cut through as he promised. She still has no idea if he ever did. Personality: Cyanak is, at a glance, extremely sweet and kind. She'll gladly chat you up if you're interested, will not bother you if you aren't, will volunteer for raids without demanding compensation beyond healing and supplies used, and will likely gush over your animal companions. She seems content to use her magic for support as opposed to front-line fighting, and she barely seems capable of lying. She believes in honoring any promises she made and that she should be as upfront as is comfortable. That all said, she also seems to have an intense love for fighting and killing, and her love of magic tends to emphasize how she can turn a fight around with a flick of her wrist and a word. It also cannot be emphasized enough she should not be left alone with small animals. While promises are important, she doesn't hold any particular loyalty to anyone, considering herself a drifter. A good teammate if you can put up with her rather inconsistent personality, a villain if you cannot. Equipment: Alchemist's crafting kit, crowbar, one set of caltrops, two flasks of oil, four empty flasks, four sets of rations, a waterskin, a bedroll, a sling, sling bullets, spell component pouch, and of course a backpack.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar sighed and slumped down in the first open chair he could find in the tavern he had just walked into. Bozidar had walked into town less than 2 days ago and he already desperately wanted to return to the secluded druid grove. His charisma had originally led Ollin to tell Bozidar that getting allies would be easy... then he got to the city. As soon as he entered at least 4 guards had commented on his "oh so pretty face" and he had been call miss and fair lady far to much. And whenever he corrected someone they either started laughing hysterically and start addressing him as "lady-boy" or just walked away whispering uncomfortably. He had dropped in to every tavern in town and any would-be allies just laughed him off and told him to run home to daddy... he had resigned himself. So he sat in a corner, trying as hard as possible to not be seen. If no one in this town wanted to adventure with him than he would just head back to the grove, and let the druids handle it. Deep down though, he desperately wanted to succeed, and prayed to Freyja that SOMEONE would join him... preferably someone with adventuring class levels</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak The door barely swung open as the female gnome waddled in, weighed down by the backpack that seemed to threaten to topple her over at any second. She didn't seem to have a lot to say, though her expression remained cheerful as she plopped down her bag and pulled herself onto a barstool, right next to a wizard who had a bat familiar visible. Whether or not the wizard was trying to eavesdrop didn't matter; the gnome piped up right then, in a rather cheery voice: "Hi there! Your familiar's so cute!" Boy, didn't that get the wizard's attention real fast! The older wizard looked over her traveler's clothing and scowled before sliding off his stool. The gnome reached for him, continuing to speak. "Hey, hang on, I just wanted to pet him! Or her! Or whatever they want to be!" She wasn't quick enough, though, and instead fell on top of her backpack with a faint crushing sound. "Uh-oh." Now forgetting the wizard and his adorable pet, the gnome slid off her backpack and opened it up. Sand, glass shards, powders, and the like decorated her items now - though she was to note not everything had broken. Still had some supplies. But jeez, what a start to freelancing.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar couldn't help but giggle at the gnome and her little fall, though the wizard had been a bit rude. However the gnomes apparent love of animals brought Bozidar back to the grove, where all the animals he had grown up with were, druid or not the animal domains speak with animal ability really helped him making friends with all the little creatures of the forest. He decided that maybe a bit of friendly conversation would lighten up his day. Bozidar got up from his seat and walked over to the worried looking gnome and, in his soft voice, "Are you alright? Break something in your pack? That wizard was pretty rude huh?"</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard "Now that was a tad bit impolite of you, sir wizard." The blue cloaked fellow stated very politely. "None of my business however." He just passed by the wizard who now was looking at him like he'd probably look at something that has crawled out from a sewer. Toshiro shook his head slightly and seated himself on the stool the wizard had been occupying earlier. "Such a mess, such a mess... You ok there" He glanced down at the gnome while finally pulling down his hood. "Hope you didn't hurt yourself." He smiled politely and turned his attention to to the barkeep. "A pint of water, please."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Wow. Cyanak was not planning on being the center of attention but already two people had come over to make sure she was ok. And they even agreed that the wizard had been rude. She wondered if they were traveling together and, perhaps more importantly, what they'd think of a sorceress. The wizard simply stared at the blue-cloaked man before dismissing his familiar and walking over to an empty table. Cyanak decided not to pay him further attention, instead focusing on the two who had asked if she was okay. "He, was, yeah. I'm alright, though. Lost a few things - I can make them again myself, it'll just take a while." She wouldn't dump the bag for now, if only because it'd take a while to unpack everything, and dumping a mixture of slumber sand, flash powder, powdered water, and burning dust in a busy tavern could have consequences. If nothing else, she fancied herself as the kind of person above making silly mistakes. She closed the backpack and considered asking if either one would be interested in buying her a drink. Then again, she was pretty certain her Alchemist's Mercy was somewhere in that mixture too, if nothing else. Oh well. She wasn't going to buy water, though, not when her waterskin was still full. She stood back up straight. "Really, I'm fine." She beamed. "Though I guess I feel a bit sorry for whoever hires me. That was a lot of good stuff, ready to go." She tapped the backpack with her foot, gently to prevent further damage.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown "Hires you? For what sort of work?" Bozidar thought he knew the answer, he would be any amount of gp on it cause it was such a no lose bet. Someone in a tavern looking for work, in a tavern, with a pack full of supplies? This was Bozidar's chance! Maybe he could finally get some help! And the gnome hadn't called him miss or lady yet... Though she hadn't called sir or mister either... "You... wouldn't happen to mean adventuring would you? Just wondering since you have such a well supplied pack... looks like you'd be ready for quite a journey."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Her eyes gleamed. Well, maybe the losses would be worth it, if she already found a group. "As a matter of fact, I do. Sorry I don't have a business card-" She curtsied, pulling up the hem of her skirt. "-I wasn't expecting anyone already and figured I'd have time to make some." Out of cocktail napkins and disappearing ink, admittedly, but they'd be better than nothing, she supposed. "But you can call me Cyanak. Utility mage for hire. I only ask you cover fees associated with brewing, rest of the loot is yours." She dropped her skirt hem, look decidedly a bit colder. "So-" And now she really looked over the one who asked, and oh god. This was just like the elves all over again. She made a note to avoid all pronouns until further notice. "-uh, well, I don't suppose you're looking for assistance in clearing a drow lair or killing a dragon- at all?" And had to catch herself from using 'sir' or 'madam' reflexively. This was going to be fun, if this person said yes.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar positively beamed, his soft features practically glowing. "Well, a pleasure miss Cyanak, I am Bozidar Greencrown, Cleric of Freyja. I am indeed looking to hire multiple fellow adventurers, and I'm sure I can easily cover your brewing costs." He glanced at her bag and hoped she hadn't broken anything to incredibly expensive, he wasn't overflowing with gold. "Though our quest is a bit less... straightforward than slay the dragon or clear out the drow. Though first I must ask, what arcane caster class are you? You call yourself mage but if you don't mind I'd like to know your exact class." And finished the sentence with a cheery smile</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro smiled faintly as he began sipping the water he had ordered and listened to Cyanak and Bozidar. He had long since reached the level that he wouldn't be growing physically older - and butting in on someone's adventuring party when you are atleast by very rough estimate a handful of levels above them might make you seem like a bit of a not very polite person. Still he was very curious and the little voices in the back of his head reminded him that it's a Paladin's duty to provide help to those in need - if they accept it ofcourse, if they don't want your help then you can just leave them be, forcing your help on others would be very impolite. "Terribly sorry to cut in to your conversation here, but from this distance I couldn't stop myself from overhearing that you are putting up an adventuring party." He paused for a moment, he was either thinking very carefully what to say next or having some kind of an inner debate. "I am Toshiro Mizu, a Paladin of the Sapphire Guard." He intentionally left out the 'honorary' part out since it really wasn't needed except when filing paperwork. A spot check might bring out the fact that this paladin isn't actually wearing heavy armor or carrying any kinds of weapons, but who really checks those things out? Or does a lore check about paladins?</s>	<\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Cyanak blinked at - the paladin, huh? ...Best not to attract too much attention to herself then. "Oh. Thought you were already traveling with... Bozidar." She gestured at Bozidar. Sounded like a male name. Maybe they were a guy. It didn't seem that implausible, really. "I guess if he can afford you too, I'm not gonna object." And hopefully, that wouldn't set off a speech about how 'he' was a female, followed by a flurry of arrows. "Anyways-" She turned back to Bozidar. "I'm a sorceress, if that's not a problem. Sure, some people might advocate for the wizard, but they can't cast as much and if you needed something else anyways, you're out of luck for the day either way. Besides, I've never met a particularly friendly wizard." In fact, she'd probably only gotten the silent treatment from that one because she wasn't dressed in casting robes. "So I guess if you need diplomacy-" She seemed less than enthused about the idea that the mission was not killing a dragon or the like. "-A sorcerer's still a better bet for not irritating everyone." And then the pep in her voice was back, and she was smiling. "So, yeah, short version, utility sorceress, alchemist, hope those aren't problems!" Cyanak glanced at her bag, which she had noticed Bozidar looking at earlier. "...those don't count, though, I mean when I actually start brewing things while working for you."</s>
<\|description\|>Cyanak Thoraak Race: Rock Gnome Age: 72 Gender: Female Appearance: Short, of course, with brown skin and blond braided hair. Her clothing's relatively light - a plain tan shirt and vest, a grey skirt, and black boots and gloves. Class: Sorcerer Alignment: Neutral Bio: Cyanak was born in Tinkertown, though her affinity for magic over technology resulted in her leaving as soon as she could, at age 40. She skipped over the Northern continent, opting for the less-stable Western continent and its constantly shifting map for a few reasons. For one, she was quite fond of the chaos - as long as she kept her head low and didn't openly support any regime, she was regarded as useful by more than a handful of people over the years. She sold her brewed items to whoever was willing to pay her cheap prices and, if things got too exciting, she packed up shop and moved to another kingdom. When things began to grow relatively stable, she found herself becoming bored and finding new ways to keep herself amused - offering her services as a utility mage to adventurers wanting to explore the desert, studying alchemical recipes, kidnapping people's pets, all sorts of things. The last one ended up getting her arrested eventually and she would have been beheaded had an adventurer's group not bailed her out - they needed a magic-user to support them, and they'd be keeping her around for the long run. Cyanak agreed since, sure, she needed something to do anyhow if she wasn't going to be executed. The last time she saw them, the barbarian and rogue threw the halfling fighter into the dragon's mouth at his request and were hoping he'd be able to cut through as he promised. She still has no idea if he ever did. Personality: Cyanak is, at a glance, extremely sweet and kind. She'll gladly chat you up if you're interested, will not bother you if you aren't, will volunteer for raids without demanding compensation beyond healing and supplies used, and will likely gush over your animal companions. She seems content to use her magic for support as opposed to front-line fighting, and she barely seems capable of lying. She believes in honoring any promises she made and that she should be as upfront as is comfortable. That all said, she also seems to have an intense love for fighting and killing, and her love of magic tends to emphasize how she can turn a fight around with a flick of her wrist and a word. It also cannot be emphasized enough she should not be left alone with small animals. While promises are important, she doesn't hold any particular loyalty to anyone, considering herself a drifter. A good teammate if you can put up with her rather inconsistent personality, a villain if you cannot. Equipment: Alchemist's crafting kit, crowbar, one set of caltrops, two flasks of oil, four empty flasks, four sets of rations, a waterskin, a bedroll, a sling, sling bullets, spell component pouch, and of course a backpack.</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Cyanak blinked at - the paladin, huh? ...Best not to attract too much attention to herself then. "Oh. Thought you were already traveling with... Bozidar." She gestured at Bozidar. Sounded like a male name. Maybe they were a guy. It didn't seem that implausible, really. "I guess if he can afford you too, I'm not gonna object." And hopefully, that wouldn't set off a speech about how 'he' was a female, followed by a flurry of arrows. "Anyways-" She turned back to Bozidar. "I'm a sorceress, if that's not a problem. Sure, some people might advocate for the wizard, but they can't cast as much and if you needed something else anyways, you're out of luck for the day either way. Besides, I've never met a particularly friendly wizard." In fact, she'd probably only gotten the silent treatment from that one because she wasn't dressed in casting robes. "So I guess if you need diplomacy-" She seemed less than enthused about the idea that the mission was not killing a dragon or the like. "-A sorcerer's still a better bet for not irritating everyone." And then the pep in her voice was back, and she was smiling. "So, yeah, short version, utility sorceress, alchemist, hope those aren't problems!" Cyanak glanced at her bag, which she had noticed Bozidar looking at earlier. "...those don't count, though, I mean when I actually start brewing things while working for you."</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar was caught a little of guard by the "paladin" himself. Though spot wasn't a trained cleric skill, his wisdom bonus of balanced that. Though he noticed the lack of any sword but, he didn't have ranks in knowledge (nobility and royalty) so he assumed that it was some weird custom or whatever. "Well... if your interested by all means your very welcome to join us Sir. Toshiro, we need someone other than me for frontline combat anyways!" Bozidar turned back to Cyanak, "Finally! Do you have any idea how many people have addressed me as miss or m'lady since I arrived? I'm glad someone finally sees that I am, in fact, a man. Regardless, your both obviously hired, if you wish to join me that is. As for quest specifics, a powerful magical artifact was recently stolen from the druid grove where I was raised and trained as a cleric. The thief was very powerful, and managed to steal the artifact before any of our higher level druids could even get involved. We need to find out where the artifact is, who took it, and then we need to get it back... unfortunately I don't have a tracker and unless one of you has cross class ranks in survival AND the track feat we need to find the culprit a different way..." Bozidar sighed at what That way was. "So, you two still interested? "</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro scratched his left temple and again fell silent for a good while. He was obviously weighing his options about possible rewards and risks. "I'll gladly join you good sir, but there are just a few things I will make clear." He finished his pint of water and got on his feet. "I'm not that kind a paladin who upholds the law to the letter - you know, those fellows who nag at you for jaywalking or something like that. I'll accept some minor thievery if it is necessary for completing a task. You need not worry about me marching in to a bandit camp to challenge them in to honorable combat or something like that - except if we need a distraction so the rest of the group can sneak in through the back." He glanced ever so slightly to his left and stared at the farthest wall of the inn before again continuing. "However I will not accept doing something wrong for the sake of it being 'cool' or 'awesome' - I will not accept killing children or other innocent noncombatants, be they of any race or alignment if they do not pose a threat to us." Toshiro adjusted his cloak slightly. "Oh... and for me being a paladin is a profession, not a class." He flashed a little smile - one of those smiles all old monks had even without it being a class feature. "I am a monk with 18 levels under my belt - so this'll probably be my last adventure anyways, though if things go well and we all live through this I'll gladly join you on a second adventure as well." He again paused and swung his head to the other side like he was listening to a very quick conversation between several people. "Since I'm a member of the nobility having me in the group will perhaps give us alteast some advantage in our quest - after all we don't have to constantly go lurking in the side alleys and might even get some help from the city guards of many places. We might get even more help if our travels happen to take us close to Azure city."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Cyanak shrugged. "I had to dump a stat somewhere, and I needed some Strength to carry my alchemy crafting kit, so Wisdom went out the window." That was a short way of saying her Survival skill would not be adequate for tracking, even if she had invested ranks into it and gotten the feat for whatever reason, like it'd somehow be reasonable to get Tracking when the terrain was generally sandy. "But hey! I'm in for cutting the guy's head off when we find him and getting your artifact back!" Hopefully Bozidar would make a fine reference later for other jobs. "So when do we go? Now?" She glanced up at Toshiro. Wow. She was only - what, level 12? Just picked up her first sixth-level spell before opting to find a new employer. "Question - can you really make a person's heart explode? That might be cooler than decapitation." It was a valid question. Hey, if he wasn't really a paladin, maybe he wouldn't object to her proclivities.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown "18 levels huh? Well... that would be very useful. And I've no intention on hurting anyone who doesn't deserve it, I am Neutral good after all. Though I'm not sure how close to azure city we are going to get... but we may pass by eventually." as Bozidar said this he wasn't really sure about it... or anything really... well at least now he wouldn't have to go back to the grove and ask the druids to handle it. "Well... I suppose we should make some sort of official contract or... something right? I'm kinda new yo this whole adventuring thing... you know I've only got 9 levels of cleric so... I may be lower than both of you... but I can still be an effective healer. Plus I'm kinda forming the group so I can really be... fired... so anyone have paper or something? "</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard "As it so happens yes, yes we can." Toshiro glanced at Cyanak with such excitement in his voice that it was difficult to think him as lawful aligned. "Though I personally prefer doing nonlethal damage - takes people out from the fight same way as lethal damage, but I'm not taking lives." He added with a bit more subdued tone. "Ah, nice of you to mention that, sir Bozidar. I just so happen to have an adventuring contract here." The monk had actually just appropriated a roll of parchment and ink from the bartender when the fellow wasn't looking - so either he had used sleight of hand which wasn't a standard monk skill or somehow had utilized his flurry of blows ability to snatch the items in a sort of a disarming roll which too was very unorthodox. "As you can read from here my terms are simple - the ones I already mentioned and in addition to that I'd be most honored if I was given the first pick if we happen to find any magical items that might be of more use for my class than yours. Also I can take most of the guard shifts during our little trip thanks to my magical ring. I don't need to eat, drink, worry about bodily functions... oh and I only need two hours of sleep as long as I have this thing on. So... let's see... I'll just add my signature here... aaaand..." Toshiro passed the contract, ink and quill to Bozidar. "Seem a fair enough deal?"</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak "Well, we'll still need to rest a full eight hours. Magic and all." Though at least nice to know the likelihood she'd need to take a shift was low. She'd done it before, going a few days without full rest and rationing out her spells, but she tended to run out of first-levels rather quickly and then regret doing so. Besides, actually, didn't a cleric need rest anyhow? She didn't really pay a lot of attention to those who ordered from her, not that Bozidar needed to hear that. And no fair, the contract was well over her head. Even standing on her tip-toes, she couldn't quite read it. Though she was assuming Toshiro had slipped in other terms. "What kind of magic items does a monk need anyhow?" Monks were just unheard of, though considering gnomes took an inherent negative to the strength stat, well, hopefully he wouldn't be claiming any dexterity or charisma bonuses.</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro smiled politely "Well I could always use more strenght, a bit more wisdom... A dash of dexiterity, you know, all that. Mostly I'm looking for magical items that noticeably boost my monk abilities - such as Monk's Belt or an Amulet of Mighty Fists... Ofcourse a Ring of Divine Power wouldn't hurt either..." The monk shrugged his shoulders and shook his head a bit "Though coming up with the latter items would be a bit difficult except if we happen to run in to a wizard who happens to be exceptionally proficient in crafting items, but what would be the odds of that?"</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar giggled at bit as the gnome clearly wanted to get a better look at the contract, "Cyanak if you want to read the contract for yourself just ask amd I'll show it to you. As for magic items we may have to discuss wisdom boosting ones Sir. Toshiro as I need wisdom for my spells. But we can work that out as we find such items, so the contract seems fine to me so I'll sign you on!" Bozidar took the quill and ink and signed his name on the parchment. After that Bozidar took and placed it on a chair for Cyanak to see it. "Alright, as soon as Cyanak here confirms her agreement we can stop this ridiculous contract simulator and get to adventuring! I can hardly wait... of course it's for a serious reason but I don't see why I can't have fun on my first real quest."</s>	<\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak "Alright then. Hope you picked the Magic Domain, because I didn't pick Identify." After all, many were loath to give the needed material component, so Cyanak had deemed the spell useless and avoided it. She glanced over the contract, just enough to skim it. It was a formality; so far, she hadn't heard anything that was a particular dealbreaker. "Anyway, sounds good. The most important part of any journey of bloodshed and robbery is to have a good time." She paused and then glanced up to the other two. "I have a feeling that didn't apply to either of you. Disregard it." Right, not home. Totally different continent, in fact. She signed her name, ending her name with a flourish, and carefully rolled it up to keep the ink from staining the contract. "Glad we got that settled. So you mentioned a druid's artifact, huh?" Did Knowledge (Arcana) cover knowing whether or not it would make sense for druids to have an artifact? Might as well make the check.</s>
<\|description\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Race: Human Age: 56 Gender: Male Appearance: Very average looking fellow, only details that make him stand out are his green eyes and a light blue lock of hair amidst his now gray hair that's cut relatively short. He wears the white and blue outfit of the Sapphire guard. Class: Monk Alignment: Lawful good, damnit! Bio: Toshiro had a rather uneventful childhood - apart from his father dying when he was 7 years old and him surviving two weeks in the wilds all on his own with seemingly divine assistance alone. Toshiro grew up to be a bit of an odd fellow - he could just stare to the distance for several minutes before springing in to action, be it eating or watering plants or the occasional fight. Fighting seemed to come naturally to Toshiro - more often than not he'd be the one getting his friends out of trouble they had managed to get themselves in, first with diplomacy and then with his fists. He ended up training in a monastery soon after the death of his father and held the Sapphire Guard paladins of Azure city as the very pinnacle of warriors. He had however made his choice - if you become a monk you stay a monk, none of that phony Prestige Classing! - thus he could only emulate the ideals of the Sapphire Guard so far. As luck would have it Toshiro ended up befriending several paladins of the Sapphire Guard - even going on a few adventures with some of them. His friends - due to quite a strike of luck - ended up in high positions in the Sapphire guard and granted their monk friend a honorary title of Paladin. Though it did not come with all the perks of a full member of the Azure Guard - namely it lacked the excellent dental plan - it was enough to satisfy Toshiro's dream of being a paladin. Some months ago he departed Azure City to travel the world - in his own words he had "Seen too little to truly know the 12." Some of his friends wondered if they'd ever see Toshiro again as they had waved goodbye to him from the city's walls. Personality: Toshiro really really really tries to be a paladin - not one of those overzealous, downright foolishly lawful people, but noble, honorable, kind and all that. He seems a bit slow at times - even his friends were not quite sure if he really had an intelligence score of 9 or if he really is talking with the 12 Gods. He has the air of a kindly old man about him, but if he for instance catches someone stealing his purse and hasn't gotten it back after a diplomacy check or two he just might teach you a thing or two about the wrongs of stealing someone else's property - most likely with his fist. Equipment: Improved Ring of Sustenance, Ring of the Horse, Several feet of rope, bedroll, a backpack</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak The door barely swung open as the female gnome waddled in, weighed down by the backpack that seemed to threaten to topple her over at any second. She didn't seem to have a lot to say, though her expression remained cheerful as she plopped down her bag and pulled herself onto a barstool, right next to a wizard who had a bat familiar visible. Whether or not the wizard was trying to eavesdrop didn't matter; the gnome piped up right then, in a rather cheery voice: "Hi there! Your familiar's so cute!" Boy, didn't that get the wizard's attention real fast! The older wizard looked over her traveler's clothing and scowled before sliding off his stool. The gnome reached for him, continuing to speak. "Hey, hang on, I just wanted to pet him! Or her! Or whatever they want to be!" She wasn't quick enough, though, and instead fell on top of her backpack with a faint crushing sound. "Uh-oh." Now forgetting the wizard and his adorable pet, the gnome slid off her backpack and opened it up. Sand, glass shards, powders, and the like decorated her items now - though she was to note not everything had broken. Still had some supplies. But jeez, what a start to freelancing.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar couldn't help but giggle at the gnome and her little fall, though the wizard had been a bit rude. However the gnomes apparent love of animals brought Bozidar back to the grove, where all the animals he had grown up with were, druid or not the animal domains speak with animal ability really helped him making friends with all the little creatures of the forest. He decided that maybe a bit of friendly conversation would lighten up his day. Bozidar got up from his seat and walked over to the worried looking gnome and, in his soft voice, "Are you alright? Break something in your pack? That wizard was pretty rude huh?"</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard "Now that was a tad bit impolite of you, sir wizard." The blue cloaked fellow stated very politely. "None of my business however." He just passed by the wizard who now was looking at him like he'd probably look at something that has crawled out from a sewer. Toshiro shook his head slightly and seated himself on the stool the wizard had been occupying earlier. "Such a mess, such a mess... You ok there" He glanced down at the gnome while finally pulling down his hood. "Hope you didn't hurt yourself." He smiled politely and turned his attention to to the barkeep. "A pint of water, please."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Wow. Cyanak was not planning on being the center of attention but already two people had come over to make sure she was ok. And they even agreed that the wizard had been rude. She wondered if they were traveling together and, perhaps more importantly, what they'd think of a sorceress. The wizard simply stared at the blue-cloaked man before dismissing his familiar and walking over to an empty table. Cyanak decided not to pay him further attention, instead focusing on the two who had asked if she was okay. "He, was, yeah. I'm alright, though. Lost a few things - I can make them again myself, it'll just take a while." She wouldn't dump the bag for now, if only because it'd take a while to unpack everything, and dumping a mixture of slumber sand, flash powder, powdered water, and burning dust in a busy tavern could have consequences. If nothing else, she fancied herself as the kind of person above making silly mistakes. She closed the backpack and considered asking if either one would be interested in buying her a drink. Then again, she was pretty certain her Alchemist's Mercy was somewhere in that mixture too, if nothing else. Oh well. She wasn't going to buy water, though, not when her waterskin was still full. She stood back up straight. "Really, I'm fine." She beamed. "Though I guess I feel a bit sorry for whoever hires me. That was a lot of good stuff, ready to go." She tapped the backpack with her foot, gently to prevent further damage.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown "Hires you? For what sort of work?" Bozidar thought he knew the answer, he would be any amount of gp on it cause it was such a no lose bet. Someone in a tavern looking for work, in a tavern, with a pack full of supplies? This was Bozidar's chance! Maybe he could finally get some help! And the gnome hadn't called him miss or lady yet... Though she hadn't called sir or mister either... "You... wouldn't happen to mean adventuring would you? Just wondering since you have such a well supplied pack... looks like you'd be ready for quite a journey."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Her eyes gleamed. Well, maybe the losses would be worth it, if she already found a group. "As a matter of fact, I do. Sorry I don't have a business card-" She curtsied, pulling up the hem of her skirt. "-I wasn't expecting anyone already and figured I'd have time to make some." Out of cocktail napkins and disappearing ink, admittedly, but they'd be better than nothing, she supposed. "But you can call me Cyanak. Utility mage for hire. I only ask you cover fees associated with brewing, rest of the loot is yours." She dropped her skirt hem, look decidedly a bit colder. "So-" And now she really looked over the one who asked, and oh god. This was just like the elves all over again. She made a note to avoid all pronouns until further notice. "-uh, well, I don't suppose you're looking for assistance in clearing a drow lair or killing a dragon- at all?" And had to catch herself from using 'sir' or 'madam' reflexively. This was going to be fun, if this person said yes.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar positively beamed, his soft features practically glowing. "Well, a pleasure miss Cyanak, I am Bozidar Greencrown, Cleric of Freyja. I am indeed looking to hire multiple fellow adventurers, and I'm sure I can easily cover your brewing costs." He glanced at her bag and hoped she hadn't broken anything to incredibly expensive, he wasn't overflowing with gold. "Though our quest is a bit less... straightforward than slay the dragon or clear out the drow. Though first I must ask, what arcane caster class are you? You call yourself mage but if you don't mind I'd like to know your exact class." And finished the sentence with a cheery smile</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro smiled faintly as he began sipping the water he had ordered and listened to Cyanak and Bozidar. He had long since reached the level that he wouldn't be growing physically older - and butting in on someone's adventuring party when you are atleast by very rough estimate a handful of levels above them might make you seem like a bit of a not very polite person. Still he was very curious and the little voices in the back of his head reminded him that it's a Paladin's duty to provide help to those in need - if they accept it ofcourse, if they don't want your help then you can just leave them be, forcing your help on others would be very impolite. "Terribly sorry to cut in to your conversation here, but from this distance I couldn't stop myself from overhearing that you are putting up an adventuring party." He paused for a moment, he was either thinking very carefully what to say next or having some kind of an inner debate. "I am Toshiro Mizu, a Paladin of the Sapphire Guard." He intentionally left out the 'honorary' part out since it really wasn't needed except when filing paperwork. A spot check might bring out the fact that this paladin isn't actually wearing heavy armor or carrying any kinds of weapons, but who really checks those things out? Or does a lore check about paladins?</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Cyanak blinked at - the paladin, huh? ...Best not to attract too much attention to herself then. "Oh. Thought you were already traveling with... Bozidar." She gestured at Bozidar. Sounded like a male name. Maybe they were a guy. It didn't seem that implausible, really. "I guess if he can afford you too, I'm not gonna object." And hopefully, that wouldn't set off a speech about how 'he' was a female, followed by a flurry of arrows. "Anyways-" She turned back to Bozidar. "I'm a sorceress, if that's not a problem. Sure, some people might advocate for the wizard, but they can't cast as much and if you needed something else anyways, you're out of luck for the day either way. Besides, I've never met a particularly friendly wizard." In fact, she'd probably only gotten the silent treatment from that one because she wasn't dressed in casting robes. "So I guess if you need diplomacy-" She seemed less than enthused about the idea that the mission was not killing a dragon or the like. "-A sorcerer's still a better bet for not irritating everyone." And then the pep in her voice was back, and she was smiling. "So, yeah, short version, utility sorceress, alchemist, hope those aren't problems!" Cyanak glanced at her bag, which she had noticed Bozidar looking at earlier. "...those don't count, though, I mean when I actually start brewing things while working for you."</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar was caught a little of guard by the "paladin" himself. Though spot wasn't a trained cleric skill, his wisdom bonus of balanced that. Though he noticed the lack of any sword but, he didn't have ranks in knowledge (nobility and royalty) so he assumed that it was some weird custom or whatever. "Well... if your interested by all means your very welcome to join us Sir. Toshiro, we need someone other than me for frontline combat anyways!" Bozidar turned back to Cyanak, "Finally! Do you have any idea how many people have addressed me as miss or m'lady since I arrived? I'm glad someone finally sees that I am, in fact, a man. Regardless, your both obviously hired, if you wish to join me that is. As for quest specifics, a powerful magical artifact was recently stolen from the druid grove where I was raised and trained as a cleric. The thief was very powerful, and managed to steal the artifact before any of our higher level druids could even get involved. We need to find out where the artifact is, who took it, and then we need to get it back... unfortunately I don't have a tracker and unless one of you has cross class ranks in survival AND the track feat we need to find the culprit a different way..." Bozidar sighed at what That way was. "So, you two still interested? "</s>	<\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro scratched his left temple and again fell silent for a good while. He was obviously weighing his options about possible rewards and risks. "I'll gladly join you good sir, but there are just a few things I will make clear." He finished his pint of water and got on his feet. "I'm not that kind a paladin who upholds the law to the letter - you know, those fellows who nag at you for jaywalking or something like that. I'll accept some minor thievery if it is necessary for completing a task. You need not worry about me marching in to a bandit camp to challenge them in to honorable combat or something like that - except if we need a distraction so the rest of the group can sneak in through the back." He glanced ever so slightly to his left and stared at the farthest wall of the inn before again continuing. "However I will not accept doing something wrong for the sake of it being 'cool' or 'awesome' - I will not accept killing children or other innocent noncombatants, be they of any race or alignment if they do not pose a threat to us." Toshiro adjusted his cloak slightly. "Oh... and for me being a paladin is a profession, not a class." He flashed a little smile - one of those smiles all old monks had even without it being a class feature. "I am a monk with 18 levels under my belt - so this'll probably be my last adventure anyways, though if things go well and we all live through this I'll gladly join you on a second adventure as well." He again paused and swung his head to the other side like he was listening to a very quick conversation between several people. "Since I'm a member of the nobility having me in the group will perhaps give us alteast some advantage in our quest - after all we don't have to constantly go lurking in the side alleys and might even get some help from the city guards of many places. We might get even more help if our travels happen to take us close to Azure city."</s>
<\|description\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Race: Human Age: 56 Gender: Male Appearance: Very average looking fellow, only details that make him stand out are his green eyes and a light blue lock of hair amidst his now gray hair that's cut relatively short. He wears the white and blue outfit of the Sapphire guard. Class: Monk Alignment: Lawful good, damnit! Bio: Toshiro had a rather uneventful childhood - apart from his father dying when he was 7 years old and him surviving two weeks in the wilds all on his own with seemingly divine assistance alone. Toshiro grew up to be a bit of an odd fellow - he could just stare to the distance for several minutes before springing in to action, be it eating or watering plants or the occasional fight. Fighting seemed to come naturally to Toshiro - more often than not he'd be the one getting his friends out of trouble they had managed to get themselves in, first with diplomacy and then with his fists. He ended up training in a monastery soon after the death of his father and held the Sapphire Guard paladins of Azure city as the very pinnacle of warriors. He had however made his choice - if you become a monk you stay a monk, none of that phony Prestige Classing! - thus he could only emulate the ideals of the Sapphire Guard so far. As luck would have it Toshiro ended up befriending several paladins of the Sapphire Guard - even going on a few adventures with some of them. His friends - due to quite a strike of luck - ended up in high positions in the Sapphire guard and granted their monk friend a honorary title of Paladin. Though it did not come with all the perks of a full member of the Azure Guard - namely it lacked the excellent dental plan - it was enough to satisfy Toshiro's dream of being a paladin. Some months ago he departed Azure City to travel the world - in his own words he had "Seen too little to truly know the 12." Some of his friends wondered if they'd ever see Toshiro again as they had waved goodbye to him from the city's walls. Personality: Toshiro really really really tries to be a paladin - not one of those overzealous, downright foolishly lawful people, but noble, honorable, kind and all that. He seems a bit slow at times - even his friends were not quite sure if he really had an intelligence score of 9 or if he really is talking with the 12 Gods. He has the air of a kindly old man about him, but if he for instance catches someone stealing his purse and hasn't gotten it back after a diplomacy check or two he just might teach you a thing or two about the wrongs of stealing someone else's property - most likely with his fist. Equipment: Improved Ring of Sustenance, Ring of the Horse, Several feet of rope, bedroll, a backpack</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Cyanak blinked at - the paladin, huh? ...Best not to attract too much attention to herself then. "Oh. Thought you were already traveling with... Bozidar." She gestured at Bozidar. Sounded like a male name. Maybe they were a guy. It didn't seem that implausible, really. "I guess if he can afford you too, I'm not gonna object." And hopefully, that wouldn't set off a speech about how 'he' was a female, followed by a flurry of arrows. "Anyways-" She turned back to Bozidar. "I'm a sorceress, if that's not a problem. Sure, some people might advocate for the wizard, but they can't cast as much and if you needed something else anyways, you're out of luck for the day either way. Besides, I've never met a particularly friendly wizard." In fact, she'd probably only gotten the silent treatment from that one because she wasn't dressed in casting robes. "So I guess if you need diplomacy-" She seemed less than enthused about the idea that the mission was not killing a dragon or the like. "-A sorcerer's still a better bet for not irritating everyone." And then the pep in her voice was back, and she was smiling. "So, yeah, short version, utility sorceress, alchemist, hope those aren't problems!" Cyanak glanced at her bag, which she had noticed Bozidar looking at earlier. "...those don't count, though, I mean when I actually start brewing things while working for you."</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar was caught a little of guard by the "paladin" himself. Though spot wasn't a trained cleric skill, his wisdom bonus of balanced that. Though he noticed the lack of any sword but, he didn't have ranks in knowledge (nobility and royalty) so he assumed that it was some weird custom or whatever. "Well... if your interested by all means your very welcome to join us Sir. Toshiro, we need someone other than me for frontline combat anyways!" Bozidar turned back to Cyanak, "Finally! Do you have any idea how many people have addressed me as miss or m'lady since I arrived? I'm glad someone finally sees that I am, in fact, a man. Regardless, your both obviously hired, if you wish to join me that is. As for quest specifics, a powerful magical artifact was recently stolen from the druid grove where I was raised and trained as a cleric. The thief was very powerful, and managed to steal the artifact before any of our higher level druids could even get involved. We need to find out where the artifact is, who took it, and then we need to get it back... unfortunately I don't have a tracker and unless one of you has cross class ranks in survival AND the track feat we need to find the culprit a different way..." Bozidar sighed at what That way was. "So, you two still interested? "</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro scratched his left temple and again fell silent for a good while. He was obviously weighing his options about possible rewards and risks. "I'll gladly join you good sir, but there are just a few things I will make clear." He finished his pint of water and got on his feet. "I'm not that kind a paladin who upholds the law to the letter - you know, those fellows who nag at you for jaywalking or something like that. I'll accept some minor thievery if it is necessary for completing a task. You need not worry about me marching in to a bandit camp to challenge them in to honorable combat or something like that - except if we need a distraction so the rest of the group can sneak in through the back." He glanced ever so slightly to his left and stared at the farthest wall of the inn before again continuing. "However I will not accept doing something wrong for the sake of it being 'cool' or 'awesome' - I will not accept killing children or other innocent noncombatants, be they of any race or alignment if they do not pose a threat to us." Toshiro adjusted his cloak slightly. "Oh... and for me being a paladin is a profession, not a class." He flashed a little smile - one of those smiles all old monks had even without it being a class feature. "I am a monk with 18 levels under my belt - so this'll probably be my last adventure anyways, though if things go well and we all live through this I'll gladly join you on a second adventure as well." He again paused and swung his head to the other side like he was listening to a very quick conversation between several people. "Since I'm a member of the nobility having me in the group will perhaps give us alteast some advantage in our quest - after all we don't have to constantly go lurking in the side alleys and might even get some help from the city guards of many places. We might get even more help if our travels happen to take us close to Azure city."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Cyanak shrugged. "I had to dump a stat somewhere, and I needed some Strength to carry my alchemy crafting kit, so Wisdom went out the window." That was a short way of saying her Survival skill would not be adequate for tracking, even if she had invested ranks into it and gotten the feat for whatever reason, like it'd somehow be reasonable to get Tracking when the terrain was generally sandy. "But hey! I'm in for cutting the guy's head off when we find him and getting your artifact back!" Hopefully Bozidar would make a fine reference later for other jobs. "So when do we go? Now?" She glanced up at Toshiro. Wow. She was only - what, level 12? Just picked up her first sixth-level spell before opting to find a new employer. "Question - can you really make a person's heart explode? That might be cooler than decapitation." It was a valid question. Hey, if he wasn't really a paladin, maybe he wouldn't object to her proclivities.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown "18 levels huh? Well... that would be very useful. And I've no intention on hurting anyone who doesn't deserve it, I am Neutral good after all. Though I'm not sure how close to azure city we are going to get... but we may pass by eventually." as Bozidar said this he wasn't really sure about it... or anything really... well at least now he wouldn't have to go back to the grove and ask the druids to handle it. "Well... I suppose we should make some sort of official contract or... something right? I'm kinda new yo this whole adventuring thing... you know I've only got 9 levels of cleric so... I may be lower than both of you... but I can still be an effective healer. Plus I'm kinda forming the group so I can really be... fired... so anyone have paper or something? "</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard "As it so happens yes, yes we can." Toshiro glanced at Cyanak with such excitement in his voice that it was difficult to think him as lawful aligned. "Though I personally prefer doing nonlethal damage - takes people out from the fight same way as lethal damage, but I'm not taking lives." He added with a bit more subdued tone. "Ah, nice of you to mention that, sir Bozidar. I just so happen to have an adventuring contract here." The monk had actually just appropriated a roll of parchment and ink from the bartender when the fellow wasn't looking - so either he had used sleight of hand which wasn't a standard monk skill or somehow had utilized his flurry of blows ability to snatch the items in a sort of a disarming roll which too was very unorthodox. "As you can read from here my terms are simple - the ones I already mentioned and in addition to that I'd be most honored if I was given the first pick if we happen to find any magical items that might be of more use for my class than yours. Also I can take most of the guard shifts during our little trip thanks to my magical ring. I don't need to eat, drink, worry about bodily functions... oh and I only need two hours of sleep as long as I have this thing on. So... let's see... I'll just add my signature here... aaaand..." Toshiro passed the contract, ink and quill to Bozidar. "Seem a fair enough deal?"</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak "Well, we'll still need to rest a full eight hours. Magic and all." Though at least nice to know the likelihood she'd need to take a shift was low. She'd done it before, going a few days without full rest and rationing out her spells, but she tended to run out of first-levels rather quickly and then regret doing so. Besides, actually, didn't a cleric need rest anyhow? She didn't really pay a lot of attention to those who ordered from her, not that Bozidar needed to hear that. And no fair, the contract was well over her head. Even standing on her tip-toes, she couldn't quite read it. Though she was assuming Toshiro had slipped in other terms. "What kind of magic items does a monk need anyhow?" Monks were just unheard of, though considering gnomes took an inherent negative to the strength stat, well, hopefully he wouldn't be claiming any dexterity or charisma bonuses.</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro smiled politely "Well I could always use more strenght, a bit more wisdom... A dash of dexiterity, you know, all that. Mostly I'm looking for magical items that noticeably boost my monk abilities - such as Monk's Belt or an Amulet of Mighty Fists... Ofcourse a Ring of Divine Power wouldn't hurt either..." The monk shrugged his shoulders and shook his head a bit "Though coming up with the latter items would be a bit difficult except if we happen to run in to a wizard who happens to be exceptionally proficient in crafting items, but what would be the odds of that?"</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar giggled at bit as the gnome clearly wanted to get a better look at the contract, "Cyanak if you want to read the contract for yourself just ask amd I'll show it to you. As for magic items we may have to discuss wisdom boosting ones Sir. Toshiro as I need wisdom for my spells. But we can work that out as we find such items, so the contract seems fine to me so I'll sign you on!" Bozidar took the quill and ink and signed his name on the parchment. After that Bozidar took and placed it on a chair for Cyanak to see it. "Alright, as soon as Cyanak here confirms her agreement we can stop this ridiculous contract simulator and get to adventuring! I can hardly wait... of course it's for a serious reason but I don't see why I can't have fun on my first real quest."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak "Alright then. Hope you picked the Magic Domain, because I didn't pick Identify." After all, many were loath to give the needed material component, so Cyanak had deemed the spell useless and avoided it. She glanced over the contract, just enough to skim it. It was a formality; so far, she hadn't heard anything that was a particular dealbreaker. "Anyway, sounds good. The most important part of any journey of bloodshed and robbery is to have a good time." She paused and then glanced up to the other two. "I have a feeling that didn't apply to either of you. Disregard it." Right, not home. Totally different continent, in fact. She signed her name, ending her name with a flourish, and carefully rolled it up to keep the ink from staining the contract. "Glad we got that settled. So you mentioned a druid's artifact, huh?" Did Knowledge (Arcana) cover knowing whether or not it would make sense for druids to have an artifact? Might as well make the check.</s>	<\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard "That.... is ofcourse one way to put it..." Toshiro mused with some amusement in his tone at Cyanak's comment about the oncoming trip. "Less the bloodshed we have to cause the better in my opinion, but still." He nodded politely to Bozidar and shrugged his shoulders slightly "Tell the truth I don't quite feel the need for extra wisdom - so you can more or less keep anything wisdom related." He paused again for a good while and glanced around the inn again. "Just a thought - and please, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't druids be technically counted as a religous order of sorts?" He lacked many things - knowledge (arcana), sneaking skill, or move silently skill - what he did have however was a reasonable amount of points in Knowledge (Religion), so he decided to roll that just to get a feel of what they were working with.</s>
<\|description\|>Graguth Appearance - (On top of a mountain peak) Skills - a master of close combat. Quick, smart, and reasonably strong, he is a force to be reckoned with on any battlefield. Though sometimes a dragon with good enough magic can put him down. Magical abilities(If needed) - besides knowing basic healing, Graguth has never learn magic. As an after effect of fighting his corrupted father, his fire is purple. While it burns a little hotter than normal dragon fire, it also produces toxic fumes that seem to slowly eat away at living materials. Has no effect on Graguth. Backstory - Graguth is the grandson of Rylarth. Born to his son Bigray, and an unknown mother. He was raised by the Elder Council along with his brother, Drumagth. While his brother study the ways of the mind, Graguth learned the ways of the warrior. Study tactics, and simple tricks to win a fight. This was before Rylarth's ascension, so him and his brother were both taught by the elder dragon. Though he and his brother were practically royalty, they went through the same treatment as any to learn properly. By the time the brothers had become juveniles, the corruption of the past had begun to slowly revile itself. Small groups of undead suddenly attacking, whole kingdoms falling into madness, and Graguth's father eventually falling to the corruption. The brothers had begged their grandfather to let them join the war, but they were told that they were to young. That this type of war is not meant for those so innocent. The two were ordered to stay while Rylarth lead his forces after the corruption. The two managed to escape from the Sundered Peaks, fallow the army undetected. They had marched north, to the frozen wastes. The army had fought the cold more then the undead. Upon reaching the source of the corruption, they discovered the son of Slonith had built a fortress of ice and death. Oh the walls of the fortress stood the long dead king, Gigeth Next to him, Bigray stood proudly. Mocking his father. The battle that took place was far worse than the shadow lands campaign. The brothers manged to sneak past the undead army that had greeted Rylarth, and get into the fortress unnoticed. They attack Gigeth and their father, only to be slapped around like the children they are. During the fight Bigray managed to hold Graguth down, and begun to breath fire into his jaws. Drumagth had managed to free him by distracting him with lightning. Rylarth eventually came to their rescue, but not before Gigeth corrupted Drumagth. Rylarth wrestled with his son while Graguth attacked the dead king. The battle was wild, Gigeth moved with amazing speed. Never seeming to tire. Though he got cocky, and Graguth set him aflame. Defeated, Bigray grabbed his now corrupted son and ran. The battle was won, but Rylarth was gravely injured. He passed away a month later, unable to recover. Graguth spent the rest of his youth years honing his his skills. As an order by the Elder Council dragons under their command must know some form of first ad, giving him his only experience with magic. By the time he was an adult he had become revered for his combat skill. Though he was offered a position in the honor guard, but refuses to help the general people. Holdings (If needed. First come first serve)- none Current location- between Moditoft and the Watchlight forest. Allegiance- independent, tries to be friendly with most beings Other- in honor of Rylarth</s> <\|message\|>Balerion the Black Dread Balerion "I was not given an invitation..." Balerion mentioned quietly as he watched the other dragons with Drumagth land. "...The Rose," mumbled the black wyrm. "I know of it well. It seems as if an eon has gone by since I last seen its hellish petals. I fought alongside Rylarth against Corruption, as you may already know." Balerion would shortly say, recalling his past. "This is a lot you are asking of me, Drumagth... but I know the Rose's power better than almost anyone. I know what it is capable of, the power it has locked away. Too once again see the horrors of that war, I would see it destroyed once and for all." The Black Dread would then eye Drumagth with a queer eye, the second part of his message was much more of a harder question to answer. "Smaug? Ha, I did not think that was ever possible." He then stopped to gather everything that was said, but he quickly gave a small response to allow him some needed time, "Give me a moment," replied Balerion. A few seconds would pass and Balerion quickly continued, "You are not the only one to question the Order, Drumagth." He said, implying that he himself never truly trusted them for rather obvious reason. "Very well. I shall lend you my wings, but do not dare mention this to anyone. For if the Order found out that my allegiance was no longer a sure thing, they would surely see to my end, albeit if they are brave enough to approach my land..."</s> <\|message\|>Scolopendra Scolopendra After Graguth left its land, the black serpent decided to linger in the area for just a bit longer. It stared at the body gnawed up by the dragons unique fire, the remaining corpses and the scorched earth where the fire burned, earlier. Deep in thought, Scol cared little about its followers slowly increasing in numbers to witness the rare sight of their god-like entity. The hydra remained for almost an hour, at which point a caravan of cultists began their journey from the Serpent's Temple to this very location, accompanied by the oracle itself. Scolopendra had sent images of the meeting with Graguth to its subordinate, and expressed the order for them to pick up the ashes of the odd fire, to preserve it until further notice. The same moment said caravan was set into motion, Scolopendra retreated from the borders of its land, towards the shores and its hidden cave system. The trail of destroyed fauna describing this little journey would likely be visible for a year or two, before the rapidly healing jungle would swallow every trace of it.</s> <\|message\|>Krag and Grak Krag and Grak The twins looked at each other at the mention of a counsel. They had been out of the loop for quite a while and they were pretty oblivious to most going ons even though the counsel had been around a while but they figured the dragon wanted to help them out in some way and they were happy to comply. "I'll take this one brother." Krag said to Grak whom nodded in agreement "Well to keep things short we sorta got run outta our home a... Well a long time ago. We fled our home and found our way here while looking for some dragon like us. Lots of heads and... How to put this lightly..." He pondered at how to put his powers "Dead people powers?" Said his brother "yes, Dead people powers. Now we've just been living here training our powers and skills such as our magic, fighting and smithing." He said finishing up.</s> <\|message\|>Graguth Graguth "hmm, interesting," he said as he thought of his next response. It was most likely that they were talking about Scolopendra. "I have just come from the Watchlight forest. There is a dragon there who matches the one you spoke of." looking the twins over for a moment before continuing,"I had spoken to him about forming an alliance just as I have come to you about." Graguth settled himself as he remembered the words, "The Council would wish to offer you a hand in an alliance. You would receive protection and other benefits if you accept. All we would ask is that you support us." scratching his jaw as more of the details came back to him,"As you might know to the north is the frozen wastes, and your islands are in a strategic position to defend this part of the middle sea." he let his words sit for a moment, hoping he didn't forget anything. Then with a bow,"we would Honored if you joined us." Drumagth "They'd be fools to try to attack an ally of mine," he said in an angry tone at first, then relaxing, "I am glad you would side with me old friend, and worry not. I don't plan on speaking to the order about any of my plots." he paused, thinking his next words over. "If you are willing I could have some troops or guards place under you. Maybe give you some political weight." in a half laugh now,"it'd almost ironic, corruption in the order of corrupted beings. Flicking his tail at the corpse of Bezya laying between Bigray and Gramonlon. "Smaug managed to kill the solar drake. I do plan on passing through your lands to Ro's. I have had positive dealings with him before, and I believe an ally could be made out of him." leaning towards the Black Dread,"between you and me, he could be the changing point between a war against the Order or the Council."</s> <\|message\|>Balerion the Black Dread Balerion Balerion would chuckle silently in regards to Drumagth's comments about corruption being in the order of corrupted beings. It was quite humourous despite the current circumstances. The black wyrm would then comment on his offer, "There is no need for that, Drumagth. I am still able to take of myself, despite my age. The name Black Dread still holds firm water throughout Aiskore. It'll take an army to stand against I, Balerion the Black Dread!" He commented, boasting his deeds and name. "Ah, and what is this? Beyza is no more?" Balerion said surprisingly, but not that it bothered him. Balerion knew Smaug as not to be underestimated for he knows the red drake well. As Drumagth spoke of Ro, Balerion began to piece the puzzle together. He knew Ro would not willingly be allied with the Order or the Council, but with a bit of bargaining Ro could be swayed into joining Drumagth's secretive army. "And I bid you luck, for Ro shall remain stubborn despite your gift..." Balerion was about to make his way off before he remembered something Drumagth said earlier. "You mentioned the Council, Drumagth... that the Order were trying to reach them? Perhaps I could lend aid in this regard. I have fought alongside their founder long ago. My name alone should give me an audience with them."</s> <\|message\|>Krag and Grak Krag and Grak The twins bothe had their mouths agape. They stared at the dragon, nay, the god before them who had told them the very words they had been waiting to hear all their lives. On the one hand he knew of the very dragon they had sought out for all those years only to fail to find and then ask them for an alliance say he would be honoured. Finally the magician of the two broke the silence "you say you would be honoured if we joined you? If that's what honour is to you then expect out honour to be that of yours tens-fold!" The dragon said trying to hold in its excitement "what my brother is trying to say is we would be honoured to ally ourselves with you and your counsel. What's ours is yours." Said the other.</s>	<\|message\|>Graguth A little surprised by their awe, but overall pleased,"I thank you for your choice. I am sure the Council will be just as pleased. now starting to stand and move from the twins, "he lives to the northeast of you. In the Watchlight forest, but I would suggest waiting till that storm passes." he finished with a flick of his tail towards the the west. A wall of gray had started to move this way. "for now I must head for the Council, I ask you to stay safe." with a few powerful flaps he was in the air, heading towards the Sundered Peaks. His mission had been a complete success. Overjoyed he flew home as quickly as he could. Graguth looked forward to relaxing, and spending some time with his fellows. Passing through the edge of the Hunted Sands, the whispers of its long dead scratched softly against his mind. He did not enjoy the fact that something this evil could be so close to his home, but there was nothing he could do. With orders to do nothing towards the actions of Ro, all he could do is to continue to hurry home. As he reached the Peaks he began to see a small dark blur moving up a path to the highest peak, were the Elders held their meetings. Following it were three silver blurs. Upon reaching a closer point Graguth mad out the forms of the three jopes, Man and Dwarf kings and Elf Queen, fallowing what seemed to be an undead. Landing on the large path before the group, "May I ask why we're letting an undead to see the Elders?" his voice was unaggressive and calm, and his gaze was steady but suspicious. The voice of Besimious answered through the small corpse before the three could,"I have business with your Council. I suggest you move from my path." Drumagth With a bow of his head, "I thank you, and if you are willing, when the time comes will I will make sure that you are repaid." standing with a yawn,"things are about to get interesting my friend, and I hope we come out on top. I will see you later my friend, and I hope you and Smaug can get along." he laughed then turned to his fallowers. Looking them over before flapping his wings and continuing east. The group fallowing on his tail. Passing through the rest of Balerion's lands the group was quiet. As the Ghost Tower came upon the horizon, Drumagth looked back to see his followers reaction. Bigray uncaring and Gramonlon unmoved, only Dirath held a deep interested in his face as they approach the tower. This was the first time bringing moat of them here, but was unsurprised by their reactions. He knew his followers well enough. Only Dirath looked at all troubles by the voices as they landed. Shooting a mental image to his father, Bigray dragged Bezya's corpse in front of him. Waiting for a moment, "Ro of the east, I have brought you a gift and ask for your time. I understand it's been some time since we've had a meeting." the group sat there, waiting for a reply.</s>
<\|description\|>Scolopendra Appearance - Appears like in the picture, as a six-headed snake-like dragon. Not seen in the picture is the long 'tail' of the creature and the two leg-like appendages protruding at roughly one third of its length. They are used as feet when moving across terrain, but can be utilized like hands when needed. Skills - Can breathe infinitely in water. Produces large amounts of brightly purple glowing bile that reacts like acid and eats through all sorts of organic tissue and anorganic materials in a matter of seconds, but has no effect on bones. Scales of other dragons are able to withstand the liquid decently, though if applied to gaping, open bite wounds it can have poison-like effects. Scolopendra has no wings and is thus unable to fly, but can move at an unexpectedly high speed over terrain and water through a combination of snake-like movements and short lunges using its two 'feet'. It can not speak to humans directly. Magical abilities - Is dabbling into sub-branches of necromancy, but only has very limited power over the dead. Scolopendra is ironically unable to uphold more than one undead existance at once, making this ability virtually useless outside of communication with humans. Scolopendra was part of Rylarths crusade through the landscape of darkness and undeath. It followed him to the top of Kothrath and saw the terrifying effect of the black rose. After Rylarths forces retreated from the devastated fields, Scol remained, intrigued by the magic that kept the undead fighting long after their bodies became useless. It stayed just long enough to observe Slonith fall victim to the roses corruption and fled into the Middle Sea on a self-imposed quest of quarantine, fearing both infection and infecting others. It took decades for Scol to be sighted again, its body changed by the fleeting influence of the black rose, but its mind had resisted the seeds of corruption. The once majestic dragon lost its wings during the long period of watery isolation, its scales blackened, devolved into a poison spewing monstrosity. Seeking contact to a human settlement at the cliffs near Witchlight Jungle, Scol found itself unable to communicate with the mortals, its frightening appearance causing panic and chaos. After remembering part of its studies on undead bodies back in the lands of shadow, it began to interact through the use of simple, undead emmissaries. While those too were met with suspicion and distrust at first, the dragons claims to protect their settlements if payed adequate respect soon led to a cult emerging from the locals. Time passed and the humans began to trust Scolopendra, began to worship it and built a temple at the cliffs in its name. While the 'Serpent's Temple' served as a home only to the cult directly worshipping the dragon, people in settlements all over the jungle enjoyed its protection and patronage. While it occasionally supplies its people with food and riches, neighbouring villages and settlements distrust those in favor of the sea beast, causing the population of the Witchlight Jungles to seclude themselves from political interaction and commerce with other cultures. The only thing Scolopendra demanded from its followers was one thing: bones. The bones of their dead, the bones of their livestock, the bones of their quarry. It remains a mystery what the creature needs bones for, and even the cult only knows that they are hoarded in large underground caves below the Serpent's Temple. Dishonoring their dead was a low price for the alliance with such a mighty being. After Scol established its reign over these jungles, it employed a human cult leader with the authority to enforce its will. It frequently shows itself to the cult, but only directly communicates with a chosen circle of cultist leaders. Only the inner circle is aware that the beast raids commerce shipments all over the Middle Sea to collect the treasure and goods it provides its country with, leaving no survivors to tell about it. Officially, ships simply...disappear. Nobody knows that Scolopendra is in fact using the people under its command only to hoard more bones, and that it would abandon them in an instant if it would lead to a favorable position. Holdings - Witchlight Jungle, northeastern parts of the Middle Sea The people in the Witchlight Jungles essentially hold no military strength, as they're living like an assortment of tribes, rather than a unified nation. Their housings often don't surpass clay or wood huts, as the terrain is mostly comprised of swampland and bogs. Their occasional temples are built from stone, and while they use metal tools and weapons the dragon supplies them with, the extend of actual metalworking is limited to small objects like earrings and accessories. There are four seperate tribes in the Witchlight Jungles, and while they keep seperated from one another most of the time, they have no tension or conflicts between one another. They are all more or less religiously bound to the dragon, which ties them together and isolates them from others. All four tribes can join the cult equally and are treated the same. The cult resides around the temple built in Scolopendra's honor, though there are few other temples scattered across the jungle. Members of the cult are generally respected by the entire population and retain certain privileges, like shelter or food no matter where they go, all tribes abide to this law. However, it is generally not regarded as a law, rather a matter of courtesy - there usually is no need to enforce it. While the dragon has never encouraged - nor disapproved of - the application of superstition and primitive magic, the people of the Witchlight Jungles are known for their unsettling practices and rites that gave the area its name to begin with. The cult is comprised of the inner circle, the official cult, voluntary cult workers, the dragons emissary and one, in very rare cases two oracles. The inner circle is a number of trusted members of the cult who are handpicked by the dragon itself. Age is not as much of a matter for this choice as is devotion and loyality. One of the inner circle is proclaimed the cult leader, and though the leader must come from this chosen group, the circle may vote for or decide on a leader independently, unless the dragon enforces the title upon someone specific. Members of the inner circle are not secret to the rest of the cult, but other members usually do not inquire, so the precise number is not known. The inner circle has no higher privilege than any other cult member, and their special tasks are unofficial in order to avoid jealousy, competitive ambition or treason. The cult as a whole represents the dragon and acts as its eyes. They act as a reminder that Scolopendra has many heads and countless pairs of eyes, and spend most of their time worshipping the beast, maintaining the temple and overlooking the settlements of all four tribes. Typically, cult members are seen in black cloaks and wearing masks depicting dragon heads similar to those of Scolopendra. As an initiation ritual, all cult members have to touch an artefact given to them by the dragon, one of its corrosive scales. This process burns the palm of one - typically the left one - of their hands, visually scarring it and rendering it numb and unable to feel pain. In rare cases, if the tissue regenerates enough to restore the sense of touch to that hand, it is seen as an omen and the person is often introduced to the inner circle as a result. Those gifted humans then go through aptitude tests to see if they are fit to act as oracles, which may communicate with the emissary - and thus the dragon - directly. Oracles attempt to foresee the future of the land, and to a lesser degree travel routes of merchant ships so that the dragon may intercept them at sea. The emissary is the dragon itself, manually controlling a single undead construct to communicate with the cult. Often it uses dead seafarers for this ordeal, but if none are available it may use newly deceased cult members. The emissary is not openly identifying itself outside of formal occasions and frequently 'infiltrates' the cult or regular villages to secretly check on its subordinates. There are rumors about this process but no official confirmation, not even in the inner circle. The people of the Witchlight Jungles have numerous cultural festivities at which they gather around one of their temples and feast, dance or chant accordingly. Not all of these events are in honor of the dragon, and not all of them include all four tribes. Current location - Middle Sea, Southwest of the Witchlight Jungle Allegiance - Independent. Personality - Scolopendra is a wrathful being, who violently defends its territory as long as it seems the favorable option. Trespassers should either beware, or approach the land of the serpent with formidable military prowess. It generally avoids contact to other dragons if possible. It assumes others, dragons and lesser races alike, to mistrust its tainted appearance, and thus welcomes them with an equal amount of suspicion if contact happens to occur. Any kind of creature that dares to enter its cave system without being summoned is met with uncontained hostility. While Scolopendra does not seem to be subject to a split personality disorder, like many other multi-headed dragons are, it has a rather bipolar personality. When speaking with other dragons, the six heads speak in a canonical manner, sometimes several of them at the same time, sometimes switching from head to head with every word. in honor of Rylarth</s> <\|message\|>Scolopendra Scolopendra The six headed serpent let loose a thundering growl from all its heads simultaneously, sounding much like thunder in a great distance and only very remotely like a single, short laugh. 'Lord Scolopendra' was certainly no title anyone ever thought of adressing it with before. It kept its distance while the dragon spoke, and only after he finished Scol opened the maw of its main head and two smaller ones so speak in the old dragon tongue, incomprehensible for its human followers, and further distorted from not really using its vocal chords in centuries. Even to Graguth it would sound thick with accent and rattling with the burning acid in its throat. "DESCENDANT. OF. RYLARTH." Every word came from the main head, but also from one of the insignificantly smaller ones, and the latter changed with every word. The monster nodded all of its heads once, paying respect to the bloodline for a brief moment before picking up again. "WHAT. KIND. OF. EXPERIMENT." Though the pile of corpses was a rather obvious tell, Scol didn't know just how much the council knew about its abilities. It didn't bother with how far the rumors originating at the borders of the Witchlight Jungle travel around the world. For the first time, it pondered how much good or bad the spreading superstition could do to its plans. Either way, it would have Graguth spell it out himself, eager to learn if the world was over- or underestimating its abilities.</s> <\|message\|>Smaug Smaug Yet as Beyza sped towards the mighty Smaug, the crimson dragon was already ready for a counter attack. He snarls as his belly began to light up with a fiery hue and blasts fire all over his enemy. He will not allow such a measly dragon to beat him! He then swoops towards Beyza, trying to latch onto his giant side horns.</s> <\|message\|>Graguth Graguth was slightly surprised by the accent, but tried not to show it. He did have a small shine of excitement in his eyes in his otherwise composed expression. "The experiment would consist of you raising one of these bandits for me to breath fire around. As is rumored my fire is corrupted and creates a toxic smoke that eats at living materials." He gave a moment to collect his next train of thought. " Though I have no idea if it has any effect on the undead," he said with a glance towards the west. Then with a sort of surprised yip, " not that I would plan to use it against you, or any number of those who serve you. I would rather you consider some form of alliance with the counsel. You seem like a very honorable dragon. Truth is Graguth would have loved to even try to ask his brother if it had an effect on the undead, but he was sure it would lead to some form of fight. Though meeting with Scolopendra was a good compromise. A dragon that had fought along side his grandfather was a very good compromise indeed.</s> <\|message\|>Ro Ro Ro roosted on top of his tower, unable to enter it due to his massive form his massive wings spanned out over the entire top leaving very little room for the group of followers who were arrayed out near the stair well. One of the mages he had in charge of necromancy bowed and spoke very nervously. "My lord, it's ready." Ro raised his head and looked the nervous man over. "Good..." He said, his voice shaking the man to his core, as the dragon rose and the minions quickly cleared the top of the tower as he took flight. His wings making a large gale of wind as he circled the tower and landed in the village square. As he drew near he heard what seemed to be a million voices enter his mind, the voices of his most loyal followers. "Master" They seemed to whisper in his head, as the undead in the city hailed their great leader. He owned them body and soul and he loved it. He heard the sounds of the door to the tower opening and out came a hideous beast, a dragon that had been twisted. Grafted onto it's skin were metal plates, and it's mind entered Ro's and it spoke in gibberish. Ro tried asserting his will over it but it resisted it's mind too broken it would need to go back and more experiments performed on it before he could control it. "It's no good, it won't listen go back to working on it." Ro snapped at the gathered mages who trembled at their lords anger. "Yes Dead Father." Said the leader who bowed and exited, rolling the beast back inside. Ro looked at the black legionnaire who seemed frightened of him. "Go and gather your leaders and empty the land we are going without the beast. And anyone who stands in our way will fall." Ro said, his voice calm but the anger that boiled beneath the surface came out, the legionnaire bowed and ran to go notify his leaders as once again Ro took flight and flew over his city more and more voices filling his mind as they cheered their leader and the aspect of feeding on the living.</s>	<\|message\|>Scolopendra Scolopendra repeated the small eruption of a laugh. Graguth was either quite blatantly trying to flatter, or his assessment of Scol was terribly off. Either way, the six heads implied a nod. "VERY. WELL." Curious about this peculiar flame breath itself, Scol began to perform its magic, a process that was never witnessed by human eyes before. It would give them an idea of how defenseless their deity was when performing this kind of magic, but that mattered little for the serpent. At this point, the humans would not consider rebelling, Scol simply gave them no reason to. Two of its heads fell into a low channeling tone, taking breath in turns so the deep sound would never be interrupted. They both stared blankly at something in the far distance beyond Graguth. Another two heads of the beast kept focused at the destined corpse, conducting snake-like movement through the air but keeping quiet. The main head spoke a few words, older than the dragon language itself. Words the corruption wrote into its mind, words not even the serpent itself fully understood. The sound of its voice nothing more than a whisper, but at the same time all-present and seemingly coming from all directions at once, including from inside the listeners head. After a few minutes of this procedure, the body slowly rose, with exhausted movements and visually tormented in incredible pain when the dead muscles broke free from the stasis of death. The undead turned around to face Graguth, and as its lips moved, so did the mouth of the sixth head of Scolopendra. The only sound however came from the still intact vocal chords of the dead man. "Go ahead." And he spread his arms as if to embrace what was coming his way.</s>
<\|description\|>Scolopendra Appearance - Appears like in the picture, as a six-headed snake-like dragon. Not seen in the picture is the long 'tail' of the creature and the two leg-like appendages protruding at roughly one third of its length. They are used as feet when moving across terrain, but can be utilized like hands when needed. Skills - Can breathe infinitely in water. Produces large amounts of brightly purple glowing bile that reacts like acid and eats through all sorts of organic tissue and anorganic materials in a matter of seconds, but has no effect on bones. Scales of other dragons are able to withstand the liquid decently, though if applied to gaping, open bite wounds it can have poison-like effects. Scolopendra has no wings and is thus unable to fly, but can move at an unexpectedly high speed over terrain and water through a combination of snake-like movements and short lunges using its two 'feet'. It can not speak to humans directly. Magical abilities - Is dabbling into sub-branches of necromancy, but only has very limited power over the dead. Scolopendra is ironically unable to uphold more than one undead existance at once, making this ability virtually useless outside of communication with humans. Scolopendra was part of Rylarths crusade through the landscape of darkness and undeath. It followed him to the top of Kothrath and saw the terrifying effect of the black rose. After Rylarths forces retreated from the devastated fields, Scol remained, intrigued by the magic that kept the undead fighting long after their bodies became useless. It stayed just long enough to observe Slonith fall victim to the roses corruption and fled into the Middle Sea on a self-imposed quest of quarantine, fearing both infection and infecting others. It took decades for Scol to be sighted again, its body changed by the fleeting influence of the black rose, but its mind had resisted the seeds of corruption. The once majestic dragon lost its wings during the long period of watery isolation, its scales blackened, devolved into a poison spewing monstrosity. Seeking contact to a human settlement at the cliffs near Witchlight Jungle, Scol found itself unable to communicate with the mortals, its frightening appearance causing panic and chaos. After remembering part of its studies on undead bodies back in the lands of shadow, it began to interact through the use of simple, undead emmissaries. While those too were met with suspicion and distrust at first, the dragons claims to protect their settlements if payed adequate respect soon led to a cult emerging from the locals. Time passed and the humans began to trust Scolopendra, began to worship it and built a temple at the cliffs in its name. While the 'Serpent's Temple' served as a home only to the cult directly worshipping the dragon, people in settlements all over the jungle enjoyed its protection and patronage. While it occasionally supplies its people with food and riches, neighbouring villages and settlements distrust those in favor of the sea beast, causing the population of the Witchlight Jungles to seclude themselves from political interaction and commerce with other cultures. The only thing Scolopendra demanded from its followers was one thing: bones. The bones of their dead, the bones of their livestock, the bones of their quarry. It remains a mystery what the creature needs bones for, and even the cult only knows that they are hoarded in large underground caves below the Serpent's Temple. Dishonoring their dead was a low price for the alliance with such a mighty being. After Scol established its reign over these jungles, it employed a human cult leader with the authority to enforce its will. It frequently shows itself to the cult, but only directly communicates with a chosen circle of cultist leaders. Only the inner circle is aware that the beast raids commerce shipments all over the Middle Sea to collect the treasure and goods it provides its country with, leaving no survivors to tell about it. Officially, ships simply...disappear. Nobody knows that Scolopendra is in fact using the people under its command only to hoard more bones, and that it would abandon them in an instant if it would lead to a favorable position. Holdings - Witchlight Jungle, northeastern parts of the Middle Sea The people in the Witchlight Jungles essentially hold no military strength, as they're living like an assortment of tribes, rather than a unified nation. Their housings often don't surpass clay or wood huts, as the terrain is mostly comprised of swampland and bogs. Their occasional temples are built from stone, and while they use metal tools and weapons the dragon supplies them with, the extend of actual metalworking is limited to small objects like earrings and accessories. There are four seperate tribes in the Witchlight Jungles, and while they keep seperated from one another most of the time, they have no tension or conflicts between one another. They are all more or less religiously bound to the dragon, which ties them together and isolates them from others. All four tribes can join the cult equally and are treated the same. The cult resides around the temple built in Scolopendra's honor, though there are few other temples scattered across the jungle. Members of the cult are generally respected by the entire population and retain certain privileges, like shelter or food no matter where they go, all tribes abide to this law. However, it is generally not regarded as a law, rather a matter of courtesy - there usually is no need to enforce it. While the dragon has never encouraged - nor disapproved of - the application of superstition and primitive magic, the people of the Witchlight Jungles are known for their unsettling practices and rites that gave the area its name to begin with. The cult is comprised of the inner circle, the official cult, voluntary cult workers, the dragons emissary and one, in very rare cases two oracles. The inner circle is a number of trusted members of the cult who are handpicked by the dragon itself. Age is not as much of a matter for this choice as is devotion and loyality. One of the inner circle is proclaimed the cult leader, and though the leader must come from this chosen group, the circle may vote for or decide on a leader independently, unless the dragon enforces the title upon someone specific. Members of the inner circle are not secret to the rest of the cult, but other members usually do not inquire, so the precise number is not known. The inner circle has no higher privilege than any other cult member, and their special tasks are unofficial in order to avoid jealousy, competitive ambition or treason. The cult as a whole represents the dragon and acts as its eyes. They act as a reminder that Scolopendra has many heads and countless pairs of eyes, and spend most of their time worshipping the beast, maintaining the temple and overlooking the settlements of all four tribes. Typically, cult members are seen in black cloaks and wearing masks depicting dragon heads similar to those of Scolopendra. As an initiation ritual, all cult members have to touch an artefact given to them by the dragon, one of its corrosive scales. This process burns the palm of one - typically the left one - of their hands, visually scarring it and rendering it numb and unable to feel pain. In rare cases, if the tissue regenerates enough to restore the sense of touch to that hand, it is seen as an omen and the person is often introduced to the inner circle as a result. Those gifted humans then go through aptitude tests to see if they are fit to act as oracles, which may communicate with the emissary - and thus the dragon - directly. Oracles attempt to foresee the future of the land, and to a lesser degree travel routes of merchant ships so that the dragon may intercept them at sea. The emissary is the dragon itself, manually controlling a single undead construct to communicate with the cult. Often it uses dead seafarers for this ordeal, but if none are available it may use newly deceased cult members. The emissary is not openly identifying itself outside of formal occasions and frequently 'infiltrates' the cult or regular villages to secretly check on its subordinates. There are rumors about this process but no official confirmation, not even in the inner circle. The people of the Witchlight Jungles have numerous cultural festivities at which they gather around one of their temples and feast, dance or chant accordingly. Not all of these events are in honor of the dragon, and not all of them include all four tribes. Current location - Middle Sea, Southwest of the Witchlight Jungle Allegiance - Independent. Personality - Scolopendra is a wrathful being, who violently defends its territory as long as it seems the favorable option. Trespassers should either beware, or approach the land of the serpent with formidable military prowess. It generally avoids contact to other dragons if possible. It assumes others, dragons and lesser races alike, to mistrust its tainted appearance, and thus welcomes them with an equal amount of suspicion if contact happens to occur. Any kind of creature that dares to enter its cave system without being summoned is met with uncontained hostility. While Scolopendra does not seem to be subject to a split personality disorder, like many other multi-headed dragons are, it has a rather bipolar personality. When speaking with other dragons, the six heads speak in a canonical manner, sometimes several of them at the same time, sometimes switching from head to head with every word. in honor of Rylarth</s> <\|message\|>Tsim Tsim Taking a step back from his great library, Tsim gazed upon it fondly as a new scroll was added to the collection. This one on the Razor-Quill Boars that made their home in the Desert of Flames. They really were quite interesting beasts. How they could survive the heat of the day was beyond him yet but he would learn eventually, he just needed to commission a scholar and maybe a hunter. Being as big as he was did have some disadvantages, alas there was no way of changing that. With That though he went on his way, it had been so very long since he had taken time for himself and decided now would be the time. Walking upon his great wings like a macabre bat Tsim left his cave and took to the skies after a long stretch of his odd wings. Soaring through the sky brought out a great glee from Tsim, for all his eloquence and knowledge he was still a dragon. Deciding to indulge on his baser pleasures he quickly flew and dove into the great sands of the desert and began to move through it like a serpent of the seas in search of a meal. Traveling swiftly through the sands Tsim found what he was looking for, relatively. Stopping his movements, Tsim raised from the sands slightly, only enough for his horn and snout to leave the sand. Smelling the air Tsim unveiled his target to be a Gurn, a large lumbering thing with tough meat but alot of it. The creature was old, exceedingly large, and at the end of its rope. Perfect. Dipping down back into the sand, Tsim dug deep before surging upwards and exploding from underneath the beast. Up in the air it rose as Tsims jaws punctured its rough hide and crushed the organs underneath, its death was painless and swift. After gorging on the soft innards and larger meats of the creature, Tsim took to the air once again and left the rest for the scavengers. After several circles he found the largest rock in the Desert of Flames, the uppermost part of a once great mountain, and laid himself upon its surface. Preparing for a long nap upon its sun warmed surface.</s> <\|message\|>Mist Mythrill Mist Mythrill – In the Jungle of Fangs Mist was lying in a tree, one of the very few tree's that that were able to support a dragons weight and size. From this perch of hers she could see her claimed land, land that she would fend of opponents if she has to. Mist was quite a knowledgeable dragon. She could tell if a wound was going to get infected or if a wound was going to kill you, but was also sweet kind and gentle to those that give her the respect she deserves. Mist then decided to clean her nice pristine scales and feathers, before she goes for a routine fight around the Jungle of Fangs making sure that no intruders were sneaking in and was watching her prey. Mist was making sure she knew where her prey moved to as she was going to hunt later and she would need to remember the route in which they take.</s> <\|message\|>Graguth Graguth The silver dragon watched in awe was Scolopendra raised the corpse. He had never see the dead raised, actually he'd hardly ever had to deal with the undead. It seemed that he was normally kept away from the east. Maybe the counsel feared that he might be even more corrupted if was on that side of the world. "Go ahead," the words brought him back to the matter at hand. Shaking his head, "Thank you for this. Making sure that Scolopendra was upwind of the resurrected corpse, Graguth circled the corpse. Breathing his corrupted purple fire around it. Making sure that he didn't set it on fire, he made a full circle. In closing the undead in a dark purple fire. The flame crackled lightly for a few moments producing no smoke until the it made a loud snapping noise. An almost clear cloud started rising from the corrupted flame. For a second it stopped, as if it was trying to plan it's next course of action. Then it inclosed the erected corpse in a grayed ball of smoke. Slowly it ate at the corpse's body. Within a few minutes it was little more then half eaten bones and bits of skin. It still seemed to be able to move, it was just fragile now. Graguth put out his flames with his claws then sat, he's eyes seemed to cloud with thoughts.</s>	<\|message\|>Scolopendra The constantly chanting main head of Scol didn't lose focus on the undead for even the fraction of a second, so it could observe in great detail what the effect of Graguths breath was. Not particularly impressed by the ability to melt away the already weakened flesh of an undead, it did wonder how the descendant of Rylarth had come to undergo a development of this kind, for the acidic nature presented in his breath was usually a trademark of corruption. Yet, he showed no signs of it, much unlike the beast before him. Also, it was delighted to see the bones of the dead bandit leader relatively unharmed. Though they would possibly give in to the corrosive gas, they could at least resist for a while. The great serpent pondered this silently, however. It gave Graguth several minutes to brood before it spoke up again, the sudden thunder of its otherworldly voice making the humans around them jump. The 'lesser' heads had wound down as well, recovered from the ritual. "WHAT. NOW." It became evident that Scolopendra wasn't quite used to this form of communication, but it also adressed multiple things at once. What would the dragon do with this knowledge? Was the result to his liking? Were there more experiments to be conducted? Many possible questions, and all the answers were of interest to the black hydra.</s>
<\|description\|>Scolopendra Appearance - Appears like in the picture, as a six-headed snake-like dragon. Not seen in the picture is the long 'tail' of the creature and the two leg-like appendages protruding at roughly one third of its length. They are used as feet when moving across terrain, but can be utilized like hands when needed. Skills - Can breathe infinitely in water. Produces large amounts of brightly purple glowing bile that reacts like acid and eats through all sorts of organic tissue and anorganic materials in a matter of seconds, but has no effect on bones. Scales of other dragons are able to withstand the liquid decently, though if applied to gaping, open bite wounds it can have poison-like effects. Scolopendra has no wings and is thus unable to fly, but can move at an unexpectedly high speed over terrain and water through a combination of snake-like movements and short lunges using its two 'feet'. It can not speak to humans directly. Magical abilities - Is dabbling into sub-branches of necromancy, but only has very limited power over the dead. Scolopendra is ironically unable to uphold more than one undead existance at once, making this ability virtually useless outside of communication with humans. Scolopendra was part of Rylarths crusade through the landscape of darkness and undeath. It followed him to the top of Kothrath and saw the terrifying effect of the black rose. After Rylarths forces retreated from the devastated fields, Scol remained, intrigued by the magic that kept the undead fighting long after their bodies became useless. It stayed just long enough to observe Slonith fall victim to the roses corruption and fled into the Middle Sea on a self-imposed quest of quarantine, fearing both infection and infecting others. It took decades for Scol to be sighted again, its body changed by the fleeting influence of the black rose, but its mind had resisted the seeds of corruption. The once majestic dragon lost its wings during the long period of watery isolation, its scales blackened, devolved into a poison spewing monstrosity. Seeking contact to a human settlement at the cliffs near Witchlight Jungle, Scol found itself unable to communicate with the mortals, its frightening appearance causing panic and chaos. After remembering part of its studies on undead bodies back in the lands of shadow, it began to interact through the use of simple, undead emmissaries. While those too were met with suspicion and distrust at first, the dragons claims to protect their settlements if payed adequate respect soon led to a cult emerging from the locals. Time passed and the humans began to trust Scolopendra, began to worship it and built a temple at the cliffs in its name. While the 'Serpent's Temple' served as a home only to the cult directly worshipping the dragon, people in settlements all over the jungle enjoyed its protection and patronage. While it occasionally supplies its people with food and riches, neighbouring villages and settlements distrust those in favor of the sea beast, causing the population of the Witchlight Jungles to seclude themselves from political interaction and commerce with other cultures. The only thing Scolopendra demanded from its followers was one thing: bones. The bones of their dead, the bones of their livestock, the bones of their quarry. It remains a mystery what the creature needs bones for, and even the cult only knows that they are hoarded in large underground caves below the Serpent's Temple. Dishonoring their dead was a low price for the alliance with such a mighty being. After Scol established its reign over these jungles, it employed a human cult leader with the authority to enforce its will. It frequently shows itself to the cult, but only directly communicates with a chosen circle of cultist leaders. Only the inner circle is aware that the beast raids commerce shipments all over the Middle Sea to collect the treasure and goods it provides its country with, leaving no survivors to tell about it. Officially, ships simply...disappear. Nobody knows that Scolopendra is in fact using the people under its command only to hoard more bones, and that it would abandon them in an instant if it would lead to a favorable position. Holdings - Witchlight Jungle, northeastern parts of the Middle Sea The people in the Witchlight Jungles essentially hold no military strength, as they're living like an assortment of tribes, rather than a unified nation. Their housings often don't surpass clay or wood huts, as the terrain is mostly comprised of swampland and bogs. Their occasional temples are built from stone, and while they use metal tools and weapons the dragon supplies them with, the extend of actual metalworking is limited to small objects like earrings and accessories. There are four seperate tribes in the Witchlight Jungles, and while they keep seperated from one another most of the time, they have no tension or conflicts between one another. They are all more or less religiously bound to the dragon, which ties them together and isolates them from others. All four tribes can join the cult equally and are treated the same. The cult resides around the temple built in Scolopendra's honor, though there are few other temples scattered across the jungle. Members of the cult are generally respected by the entire population and retain certain privileges, like shelter or food no matter where they go, all tribes abide to this law. However, it is generally not regarded as a law, rather a matter of courtesy - there usually is no need to enforce it. While the dragon has never encouraged - nor disapproved of - the application of superstition and primitive magic, the people of the Witchlight Jungles are known for their unsettling practices and rites that gave the area its name to begin with. The cult is comprised of the inner circle, the official cult, voluntary cult workers, the dragons emissary and one, in very rare cases two oracles. The inner circle is a number of trusted members of the cult who are handpicked by the dragon itself. Age is not as much of a matter for this choice as is devotion and loyality. One of the inner circle is proclaimed the cult leader, and though the leader must come from this chosen group, the circle may vote for or decide on a leader independently, unless the dragon enforces the title upon someone specific. Members of the inner circle are not secret to the rest of the cult, but other members usually do not inquire, so the precise number is not known. The inner circle has no higher privilege than any other cult member, and their special tasks are unofficial in order to avoid jealousy, competitive ambition or treason. The cult as a whole represents the dragon and acts as its eyes. They act as a reminder that Scolopendra has many heads and countless pairs of eyes, and spend most of their time worshipping the beast, maintaining the temple and overlooking the settlements of all four tribes. Typically, cult members are seen in black cloaks and wearing masks depicting dragon heads similar to those of Scolopendra. As an initiation ritual, all cult members have to touch an artefact given to them by the dragon, one of its corrosive scales. This process burns the palm of one - typically the left one - of their hands, visually scarring it and rendering it numb and unable to feel pain. In rare cases, if the tissue regenerates enough to restore the sense of touch to that hand, it is seen as an omen and the person is often introduced to the inner circle as a result. Those gifted humans then go through aptitude tests to see if they are fit to act as oracles, which may communicate with the emissary - and thus the dragon - directly. Oracles attempt to foresee the future of the land, and to a lesser degree travel routes of merchant ships so that the dragon may intercept them at sea. The emissary is the dragon itself, manually controlling a single undead construct to communicate with the cult. Often it uses dead seafarers for this ordeal, but if none are available it may use newly deceased cult members. The emissary is not openly identifying itself outside of formal occasions and frequently 'infiltrates' the cult or regular villages to secretly check on its subordinates. There are rumors about this process but no official confirmation, not even in the inner circle. The people of the Witchlight Jungles have numerous cultural festivities at which they gather around one of their temples and feast, dance or chant accordingly. Not all of these events are in honor of the dragon, and not all of them include all four tribes. Current location - Middle Sea, Southwest of the Witchlight Jungle Allegiance - Independent. Personality - Scolopendra is a wrathful being, who violently defends its territory as long as it seems the favorable option. Trespassers should either beware, or approach the land of the serpent with formidable military prowess. It generally avoids contact to other dragons if possible. It assumes others, dragons and lesser races alike, to mistrust its tainted appearance, and thus welcomes them with an equal amount of suspicion if contact happens to occur. Any kind of creature that dares to enter its cave system without being summoned is met with uncontained hostility. While Scolopendra does not seem to be subject to a split personality disorder, like many other multi-headed dragons are, it has a rather bipolar personality. When speaking with other dragons, the six heads speak in a canonical manner, sometimes several of them at the same time, sometimes switching from head to head with every word. in honor of Rylarth</s> <\|message\|>Balerion the Black Dread Balerion Balerion was now on his last crisped mammoth carcass. He had already consumed the others quickly, not wanting to be out in the open for lengthy periods of time. They are spies and assassins everywhere and Balerion's recent atrocities would surely bring unwelcomed visitors to his land. He was just about to finish up the meal, but before he latched his jaws around the mammoth he could faint flapping of wings. Balerion paused momentarily, taking the time to peak over the horizon. It seems a few figures were approaching him, but from this distant he couldn't tell who was coming. Although, by their pace they didn't seem hostile. Balerion however decided to finish up his meal before a potential confrontation takes place. He turns back towards the mammoth and takes the entire thing in his jaws, lifting his neck up and swallowing the mammal whole. It was then that the four mystery dragons landed, taking the attention of Balerion who turned around slowly. The carcass could be seen in his throat, slowly moving its way down. Balerion licked his lips, now knowing who in front of him. "Much time has passed indeed, Drumagth, a pleasure as always. By all means," Balerion stated. "You may enter through my lands without fear of me. You've earned my respect many years ago, friend." There was a small pause before Balerion continued, "News? What news brings the mighty Drumagth to my realm?"</s> <\|message\|>Graguth Graguth With the call of approval, the silver dragon landed beside the twins. He bowed for a moment, "hello, I am Graguth grandson of Rylarth. The Council has sent me to seek you out. " he paused for a moment, looking over the dragon in front of him. Little was known about the twins, but he was told that they could be a good ally. Figuring he should find out some information,"and if you don't mind, could you tell about yourselves." Graguth hoped he was not being to forward, but was interested in the odd pair before him. After a moment he realized that the smell of old death was in the air. Looking around he saw the old corpse's of the long dead dwarves. Hopefully this didn't effect the Council's choices. Drumagth Settling himself before speaking, "you do me honor Balerion. I was somewhat surprised you didn't attend this meeting." the other three dragons settling down behind him, resting for the long flight ahead. Continuing now, "after about a hour or two of useless bickering, I addressed the Order with the matter of the portal in the north. As you know we are not like our forfathers. Who had no will of their own. With the fact that a doorway to that weed is around is both helpful and hindering. If we allow the rose to take back control of use then the world would be pushed into another pointless war that it is not ready for. I have persuaded the Order to march on the shadow lands to destroy the bush. At the moment we are working on building our armies, also we are trying to reach out to the Elders." The last part of his monolog seemed to stick in his throat. As if it was not happy to come out. With a sigh, "I would like to ask that you be loyal to me instead of the Order. I do not trust the ones I work with,and I'd rather not lose such a powerful ally." thoughts seemed to cloud his eyes. His gaze shifting to the west for a moment before snapping back, "Also, your neighbor has joined us." He flicked his tail towards the direction of Smaug's lands.</s> <\|message\|>Balerion the Black Dread Balerion "I was not given an invitation..." Balerion mentioned quietly as he watched the other dragons with Drumagth land. "...The Rose," mumbled the black wyrm. "I know of it well. It seems as if an eon has gone by since I last seen its hellish petals. I fought alongside Rylarth against Corruption, as you may already know." Balerion would shortly say, recalling his past. "This is a lot you are asking of me, Drumagth... but I know the Rose's power better than almost anyone. I know what it is capable of, the power it has locked away. Too once again see the horrors of that war, I would see it destroyed once and for all." The Black Dread would then eye Drumagth with a queer eye, the second part of his message was much more of a harder question to answer. "Smaug? Ha, I did not think that was ever possible." He then stopped to gather everything that was said, but he quickly gave a small response to allow him some needed time, "Give me a moment," replied Balerion. A few seconds would pass and Balerion quickly continued, "You are not the only one to question the Order, Drumagth." He said, implying that he himself never truly trusted them for rather obvious reason. "Very well. I shall lend you my wings, but do not dare mention this to anyone. For if the Order found out that my allegiance was no longer a sure thing, they would surely see to my end, albeit if they are brave enough to approach my land..."</s>	<\|message\|>Scolopendra After Graguth left its land, the black serpent decided to linger in the area for just a bit longer. It stared at the body gnawed up by the dragons unique fire, the remaining corpses and the scorched earth where the fire burned, earlier. Deep in thought, Scol cared little about its followers slowly increasing in numbers to witness the rare sight of their god-like entity. The hydra remained for almost an hour, at which point a caravan of cultists began their journey from the Serpent's Temple to this very location, accompanied by the oracle itself. Scolopendra had sent images of the meeting with Graguth to its subordinate, and expressed the order for them to pick up the ashes of the odd fire, to preserve it until further notice. The same moment said caravan was set into motion, Scolopendra retreated from the borders of its land, towards the shores and its hidden cave system. The trail of destroyed fauna describing this little journey would likely be visible for a year or two, before the rapidly healing jungle would swallow every trace of it.</s>
<\|description\|>Tsim Appearance - Skills - Tsim travels quickly through the sands, swimming through it like a great fish or worm. This ability has also taught him the mastery of ambush. However Tsim is a scholar first and for most, with a wealth of knowledge, relics, and treasures at his disposal. Mostly willing to trade stories and talks of Culture rather than devour you. Magical abilities - Tsim has extensive knowledge in the magic of illusion and is able to cast from a wide pool of spells. His only offensive abilities is his breath, taking the form of a solid stream of intense heat. Backstory - Tsim has always been an advocate for peace among dragon kind, staying out of any and all major conflicts in recent history much like his forbears did. Sure when he was young and reckless he would go out and fight like a sword on the wind but those days have long since past after a run in with a very large and very powerful dragon. The batter was short lived and it shattered Tsim's confidence in his indestructability gained from youth. After nursing his wounds, Tsim dedicated himself to the work his ancestors started, the advancement and preservation of knowledge. Through this pursuit Tsim has traveled throughout many lands, scouring desolate ruins from long dead civilizations and digging for their knowledge, treasures, and secrets. During one of these expeditions Tsim traveled to a dwarven hold, so ancient it was nearly recognizable as being such. In it he found many things, old tomes, hordes of gold, and mighty arms and armor. However there was something dark inside the depths, something that could never reach the surface nor could anyone else find it. To prevent its discovery Tsim called upon his strongest mystical allies and together they hid the opening with a powerful illusion, causing anyone to come close to voluntarily decide to turn around and leave. In addition he moved his holding to the Desert of Flames for further protection and now lives as the guardian of Ulthage. Holdings- The Desert of Flames Current location- The Horde of Knowledge, Tsim's personal library. Allegiance- Independent, several colleges of study and research. Other - IN HONOR OF RYLATH - In generally a pacifist, but will fight tooth and nail when provoked. - Harbors no ill will towards humans or dwarves, no one is responsible for their ancestors actions. - Has a live and let live policy with the corrupted and even has a friend among the more mellow members.</s> <\|message\|>Smaug Smaug An hour after he took flight from his home at Lonely Mountain, he encounters the dragon who disturbs his rest. Beyza. He comes to a halt as his wings continued to put him afloat. "WHO ARE YOU that would stand against me?" he answers back with a growl and a flare from his lips, "You have disturbed the peace of my land. You have awakened me from my beauty sleep, including my WRATH that comes with it! Turn back now, while you still can, or I will rip you apart, limb from limb!"</s> <\|message\|>Beyza the Hunter Beyza. A huff of smoke expelled from his barely visible nostrils, a crimson hue emanating from his chest. This dragon must have been corrupted or something, to believe that he could travel into his territory and command him to leave was direct challenge to himself. He flapped his wings harsh, throwing the currents towards the challenger. "You're in my land," he told him, a growl echoing in his throat. "You have but one more chance before I send you to Rylarth."</s> <\|message\|>Smaug Smaug Smaug was not daunted by Beyza's display. Soon, his chest began to glow a fiery orange hue from his chest, with fire brewing right at the back of his throat. He then suddenly boasts out a laugh as his wings also began to beat faster. "Rylath you say?" Smaug sneers as his voice begins to boom, "You are forsaken... no HELP will come!"</s> <\|message\|>Beyza the Hunter Beyza. "I need no help for the likes of you. I will rip your wings you and send you spiraling to the depths." He flew off towards Smaug, spiraling in a fashion that brought him over the large reptile. He brought his talons down onto space that connected his shoulders and wings, ready to through his flight off balance with powerful force.</s> <\|message\|>Smaug Smaug As soon as Beyza began to speed at him, Smaug roars as he speeds towards him with thundering speeds. Yet it fell short once his wings got caught by the talons of his enemy. Roaring in rage and pain, his neck then bites Beyza's tail, allowing him to escape the talons and beginning coming back for another attack.</s> <\|message\|>Beyza the Hunter Beyza. Pain rippled up his tail, making him release the dragon in hurry. In the next moment however, he sped towards the dragon. It was a risky move but risks were meant to be made. He let out a fierce roar and charged the beast, hoping to pierce his back or wings. A dragon's wings were pretty weak, even if they were bulky and strong.</s> <\|message\|>Scolopendra Scolopendra The six headed serpent let loose a thundering growl from all its heads simultaneously, sounding much like thunder in a great distance and only very remotely like a single, short laugh. 'Lord Scolopendra' was certainly no title anyone ever thought of adressing it with before. It kept its distance while the dragon spoke, and only after he finished Scol opened the maw of its main head and two smaller ones so speak in the old dragon tongue, incomprehensible for its human followers, and further distorted from not really using its vocal chords in centuries. Even to Graguth it would sound thick with accent and rattling with the burning acid in its throat. "DESCENDANT. OF. RYLARTH." Every word came from the main head, but also from one of the insignificantly smaller ones, and the latter changed with every word. The monster nodded all of its heads once, paying respect to the bloodline for a brief moment before picking up again. "WHAT. KIND. OF. EXPERIMENT." Though the pile of corpses was a rather obvious tell, Scol didn't know just how much the council knew about its abilities. It didn't bother with how far the rumors originating at the borders of the Witchlight Jungle travel around the world. For the first time, it pondered how much good or bad the spreading superstition could do to its plans. Either way, it would have Graguth spell it out himself, eager to learn if the world was over- or underestimating its abilities.</s> <\|message\|>Smaug Smaug Yet as Beyza sped towards the mighty Smaug, the crimson dragon was already ready for a counter attack. He snarls as his belly began to light up with a fiery hue and blasts fire all over his enemy. He will not allow such a measly dragon to beat him! He then swoops towards Beyza, trying to latch onto his giant side horns.</s> <\|message\|>Graguth Graguth was slightly surprised by the accent, but tried not to show it. He did have a small shine of excitement in his eyes in his otherwise composed expression. "The experiment would consist of you raising one of these bandits for me to breath fire around. As is rumored my fire is corrupted and creates a toxic smoke that eats at living materials." He gave a moment to collect his next train of thought. " Though I have no idea if it has any effect on the undead," he said with a glance towards the west. Then with a sort of surprised yip, " not that I would plan to use it against you, or any number of those who serve you. I would rather you consider some form of alliance with the counsel. You seem like a very honorable dragon. Truth is Graguth would have loved to even try to ask his brother if it had an effect on the undead, but he was sure it would lead to some form of fight. Though meeting with Scolopendra was a good compromise. A dragon that had fought along side his grandfather was a very good compromise indeed.</s> <\|message\|>Ro Ro Ro roosted on top of his tower, unable to enter it due to his massive form his massive wings spanned out over the entire top leaving very little room for the group of followers who were arrayed out near the stair well. One of the mages he had in charge of necromancy bowed and spoke very nervously. "My lord, it's ready." Ro raised his head and looked the nervous man over. "Good..." He said, his voice shaking the man to his core, as the dragon rose and the minions quickly cleared the top of the tower as he took flight. His wings making a large gale of wind as he circled the tower and landed in the village square. As he drew near he heard what seemed to be a million voices enter his mind, the voices of his most loyal followers. "Master" They seemed to whisper in his head, as the undead in the city hailed their great leader. He owned them body and soul and he loved it. He heard the sounds of the door to the tower opening and out came a hideous beast, a dragon that had been twisted. Grafted onto it's skin were metal plates, and it's mind entered Ro's and it spoke in gibberish. Ro tried asserting his will over it but it resisted it's mind too broken it would need to go back and more experiments performed on it before he could control it. "It's no good, it won't listen go back to working on it." Ro snapped at the gathered mages who trembled at their lords anger. "Yes Dead Father." Said the leader who bowed and exited, rolling the beast back inside. Ro looked at the black legionnaire who seemed frightened of him. "Go and gather your leaders and empty the land we are going without the beast. And anyone who stands in our way will fall." Ro said, his voice calm but the anger that boiled beneath the surface came out, the legionnaire bowed and ran to go notify his leaders as once again Ro took flight and flew over his city more and more voices filling his mind as they cheered their leader and the aspect of feeding on the living.</s> <\|message\|>Scolopendra Scolopendra repeated the small eruption of a laugh. Graguth was either quite blatantly trying to flatter, or his assessment of Scol was terribly off. Either way, the six heads implied a nod. "VERY. WELL." Curious about this peculiar flame breath itself, Scol began to perform its magic, a process that was never witnessed by human eyes before. It would give them an idea of how defenseless their deity was when performing this kind of magic, but that mattered little for the serpent. At this point, the humans would not consider rebelling, Scol simply gave them no reason to. Two of its heads fell into a low channeling tone, taking breath in turns so the deep sound would never be interrupted. They both stared blankly at something in the far distance beyond Graguth. Another two heads of the beast kept focused at the destined corpse, conducting snake-like movement through the air but keeping quiet. The main head spoke a few words, older than the dragon language itself. Words the corruption wrote into its mind, words not even the serpent itself fully understood. The sound of its voice nothing more than a whisper, but at the same time all-present and seemingly coming from all directions at once, including from inside the listeners head. After a few minutes of this procedure, the body slowly rose, with exhausted movements and visually tormented in incredible pain when the dead muscles broke free from the stasis of death. The undead turned around to face Graguth, and as its lips moved, so did the mouth of the sixth head of Scolopendra. The only sound however came from the still intact vocal chords of the dead man. "Go ahead." And he spread his arms as if to embrace what was coming his way.</s>	<\|message\|>Tsim Taking a step back from his great library, Tsim gazed upon it fondly as a new scroll was added to the collection. This one on the Razor-Quill Boars that made their home in the Desert of Flames. They really were quite interesting beasts. How they could survive the heat of the day was beyond him yet but he would learn eventually, he just needed to commission a scholar and maybe a hunter. Being as big as he was did have some disadvantages, alas there was no way of changing that. With That though he went on his way, it had been so very long since he had taken time for himself and decided now would be the time. Walking upon his great wings like a macabre bat Tsim left his cave and took to the skies after a long stretch of his odd wings. Soaring through the sky brought out a great glee from Tsim, for all his eloquence and knowledge he was still a dragon. Deciding to indulge on his baser pleasures he quickly flew and dove into the great sands of the desert and began to move through it like a serpent of the seas in search of a meal. Traveling swiftly through the sands Tsim found what he was looking for, relatively. Stopping his movements, Tsim raised from the sands slightly, only enough for his horn and snout to leave the sand. Smelling the air Tsim unveiled his target to be a Gurn, a large lumbering thing with tough meat but alot of it. The creature was old, exceedingly large, and at the end of its rope. Perfect. Dipping down back into the sand, Tsim dug deep before surging upwards and exploding from underneath the beast. Up in the air it rose as Tsims jaws punctured its rough hide and crushed the organs underneath, its death was painless and swift. After gorging on the soft innards and larger meats of the creature, Tsim took to the air once again and left the rest for the scavengers. After several circles he found the largest rock in the Desert of Flames, the uppermost part of a once great mountain, and laid himself upon its surface. Preparing for a long nap upon its sun warmed surface.</s>
<\|description\|>Bradley Stanwick Age: 16 Appearance: Image, description, or both: Attire: Usually wears jeans, tight v-neck short sleeve shirts and low Adidas shoes. Often can be seen wearing a varsity jacket of Brewster High. Grade: 14/15- Freshman 15/16: Sophomore 16/17: Junior 17/18: Senior Schedule: 1st: Contemporary US studies 2nd: Algebra II Homeroom 3rd: Chemistry 4th: Art Lunch 5th: Gym 6th: Spanish 7th: English 8th: Varsity Football Bio: Bradley is a local brought up in a home of two loving parents and an older brother. His mother Melissa works as a nurse at the local health clinic. His father Sean, a local football legend during his high school days who's career was cut short after a back injury, now owns a small hardware store. His abruptly ended career and bitterness that followed made him push Bradley to his limits which put a significant strain on the boy. Brad, unlike his older brother Michael, had shown some of his father's talent did not go to waste which made his old man push him even further, aiming to send his son to the NFL - a personal goal of his from the old days. However, his father's obsession with athleticism rubbed off too strongly on his son who believed it is the only thing he should focus on, making him almost completely disregard his education, averaging at C- in his Sophomore year. His brother, although a douche like his younger sibling, is currently attending college in South Carolina. Bradley's fanatical love for sports and a head injury here and there made him somewhat of a meat head, although he's not a complete imbecile. Though he may not be very interested in schooling he's very familiar with partying, underage drinking and smashing mailboxes while intoxicated. His friends describe him as the kind of guy that is the soul of every party - a loud, funny, sometimes obnoxiously drunk and rude, yet stupidly charming (usually with ulterior and non-chivalrous motives) young man. His best friends are two jocks he grew up with, Matthew Reed and Tyler Burke.</s> <\|message\|>Bradley Stanwick As the sunlight protruded through the curtains and crawled up to Brad's bed, the young man was still sound asleep. He partied the night before in total disregard for the first day of school, celebrating the last day of summer with his best friends. The room was fuggy and reeking of alcohol. The smelly socks and sweaty t-shirts lying around the room and a half eaten pizza from last week didn't help either. Surely enough, he even forgot to set the alarm. Luckily, his mother knows her Brad's bad habits and decided to wake him up personally. The stumping of her feet as she climbed the stairs to Brad's room jerked the boy out of sleep as a reaction to an uneasy feeling whenever he hears someone coming over. He didn't quite get up, though, he waited with his bleary eyes for his mother to enter the room and tell him to get up instead, as if the extra few seconds actually matter. The doors shrieked open as a woman in her mid forties entered it with caution and to her surprise almost immediately covered her nose with her hand to tone down the stench: "Christ, Brad. Get up. You'll be late for school." "I'm up, ma."- said the boy from under the cover in slow-motion, almost as if he was sedated. "Now."- the irritated mother responded as she turned around to leave before diverting her head back again in disgust: "And for God's sake, clean up a bit". It took him about 10 minutes rolling in bed before finally creeping out and slowly making his way to the closet to pick out something to wear, before going for a shower. The cold water in a warm summer morning felt like a good idea. In fact, it felt so good it took him another twenty minutes just to get out and dry off before dressing. As he made his way down the stairs to get something to eat, he found his parents sitting and drinking coffee by the dinner table, his father reading newspapers while his mother cleaning up after the two in a rush. "Oh shoot, can I have some cereal?"- he asked politely, realizing he's late for breakfast. "I told you to get down like half an hour ago."- his mother snapped back in annoyance -"If you want to eat something make it yourself. I'm late for work, and I suggest you hurry up because your school starts in less than twenty minutes". At this point Brad glanced over the clock that was hanging off the wall in their dining room, realizing he's in a bad spot "Ohhh crap crap crap!", he repeated as he rushed over to the cupboards to take out the cereals and then stepped over by the fridge to take out the milk. He quickly poured the two in a bowl while continuously looking back at the clock. This chaotic behavior was observed by his father who was calmly slurping his last drops of coffee: "You might wanna pack some books while you're at it". Young man instantly squirted the milk back into the bowl to his father's disgust as he suddenly understood he forgot to pack his backpack. He quickly spilled the bowl in the sink and rushed back up to his room to get his things ready. Okay, okay. Calm down. It's your school, bro. What could happen? You're never late. Classes are just early. -he encouraged himself as he rushed back down with the backpack hanging off from his right shoulder and stormed through the front door while casually raising his right arm to say bye to his dad. As he got out he checked his wrist watch that now said he had only 10 minutes left to get to class. Alright. No problem. I just gotta drive a bit faster. I can totally pull this off. -he thought as he sat down in his '68 Camaro and took off in a rush.</s> <\|message\|>Briar Peyre Briar was dying. She was sure of it. That could be the only explanation to what felt like a power drill making several hundred holes in her skull while her brain was being trampled upon by a herd of elephants. She attempted to open her eyes, which took a lot more effort than she'd remembered, and immediately found that an extremely bright light kept her from being successful in her endeavor. Was she in heaven? That couldn't be. She was pretty sure if there was an afterlife, she already had a throne set up for her in hell. "Hey," a booming voice pierced her eardrums next, "wake up. Your sister is here." Oh. She was definitely in hell. Briar groaned, which only proved to make her headache worse, but she forced her eyes open. She stretched her limbs and allowed her eyes to focus on the room again, thankful that the light had been turned off. As the burning of her eyelids lessened, memories from the night prior began to rise up to the forefront of her mind again. "You were pretty smashed last night, bro." Briar waved her hand dismissively at Hans, a heavily-muscled brute that Briar discovered really had a heart of gold. He'd been her right-hand man since she entered high school. Briar turned to the bedside table and grabbed the glass of water set there. After she took it along with some advil, she extended her hand for Hans to help her up. The 'last-day-of-vacation' party the night before had been particularly wild, and Briar understood why. Most of the people there were seniors, and they hadn't seemed prepared to handle a world outside of their high school kingdom. "You're going to be late." Briar shrugged as she entered Hans' bathroom. "Don't really care," she replied, which got her a light-hearted chuckle from Hans. Briar showered and got her things ready, which didn't really take more than half an hour. She donned her usual attire - a band shirt and ripped jeans paired with her converse - and put on a pair of sunglasses. She walked out of Hans' apartment, with the man handing her a stick of cigarette on her way out, and entered her sister's car, ignoring Aster's stern glare. She rolled down the window and lit the cigarette, much to Aster's dismay, and watched as the scenery passed them by. The car soon came to a halt outside the high school's gate. "Make this year different, Briar," Aster pleaded with her. Briar scoffed and took a final drag of her cigarette as she got out. "Gotcha, Herr Fuhrer." She added a salute to that before turning on her heel and walking away from her sister. She flicked the cigarette in the direction of a random freshman, and made her way inside. She looked for her locker, knowing that with the administration's hate for her, it'd probably be placed near the bathrooms or the AV club room. To her surprise, her locker was placed along with the other juniors' lockers and she grinned. She stepped beside another junior - Isabella or whatever, Briar didn't really remember. She seemed to be having a bit of trouble opening up her locker, and the noise was making Briar's headache act up again. "Here," she offered, not waiting for a reply before she hit the edge of Isabella's locker with her fist. When she saw that it opened, she moved to open her locker with ease.</s> <\|message\|>Wyatt Howie A siren echoed through the whole house, louder and louder. Wyatt slowly opened his eyes, "Silver" he said quietly. A another voice spoke, but it wasn't that of a humans, it sounded more like a robot... "Yes Master?" it said. Wyatt sat up on his bed, "Alarm off, please" and just like that the siren stopped. Wyatt got up and sluggishly walked to the shower, "Shall I have breakfast ready master? Toast?" it asked. "Thank you silver, whatever will be nice." Once Wyatt was out of the shower he put on his Grey hoodie, black jeans and skater shoes. "Have fun at school, master" was all that could be heard as Wyatt left his house. He looked around the neighbourhood and his face never changed, bored. He put on his ipod and headphones and proceeded to walk to school. Wyatt knew the layout of this school like no one else. He knew the ways to get to where he wanted without any human contact. Wyatt headed straight for his first class, Contemporary US Studies.</s> <\|message\|>Bradley Stanwick (For your enjoyment, play "Jet - Are you gonna be my girl" while reading) Loud screams of tires and the smell of burnt rubber was spreading through the town as Brad didn't hold back on the gas pedal trying to get to school in time. The sound of "Are you gonna be my girl" was bursting out from his radio as was evident to everyone in the school yard before he even got there. The smoke from the exhaust pipe of his old Camaro rising above the school's fence alerted everyone that Hot Menace is back, baby! -as he noted to himself. He made a sharp turn while still in gear and entered the school parking lot where there were still kids hanging out and going towards the school. I don't even know why I doubted myself. Self five. -he thought as he came to understand he made it just in time. He got out of his well kept old-timer and took his bag from the back seat before heading towards the school entrance. As he made his way people he passed by gave him casual stares, almost as if they were disappointed he was back. But he took it as a welcoming committee and let out his signature loud whistling noise- "WOOO!" -as he slammed the front door behind him. He had a relaxing walk towards his locker while hand-clasping a few buddies and saying hello to some girls along the way with only two minutes left before the class started while everyone around him was in haste. He left the excess books in the locker and proceeded to his first class - Contemporary US studies.</s> <\|message\|>Merle Sol Merle walked to her locker, head down ignoring everything around her. She fumbled with her locker but managed to open the stupid thing. Merle hoped with all her might that there weren't any of her 8th grade classmates in her class. They hated Merle. The had bullied Merle almost all of last year and Merle did not feel like repeating that hell. Merle grabbed her books and headed to her first class. Merle's first class was world history. Fabulous. history first thing in the morning. Nothing exciting just history, in a class filled with already tired students.</s> <\|message\|>Jake Daniels Jake walked into the school. He was given his schedule early, and found out that he had Contemporary US Studies, one of his honor classes. If Jake wasn't a musician at heart, he would be a history teacher. He found his way to the class, being a minute late. "Hey there! I'm guessing you're Jake?" A man in his late 20s said this. "Yeah. Sorry about being late, it won't happen again." He said this and sat down. "It's ok, haha. I know you just moved here." The man laughed a bit as he said that. "Nice shirt, by the way." The man pulled up a PowerPoint, and explained the class. "My name, if you haven't had me, is Mr. Weber..."</s>	<\|message\|>Bradley Stanwick As Brad entered the classroom the first person he noticed was his bro, Tyler - a 6-foot-one African American wide receiver who immediately smiled at him as his eyebrows raised in excitement at the sight of his best friend. Brad sat down by Tyler as was their usual place, in the back of the classroom. "Bro, have you heard from Matt?"- Tyler interrogated. "Nah, man. What's up?"- Brad curiously answered back. "I heard he got in trouble with his parents after coming home last night."- Tyler explained with a slight grin on his face- "Apparently he mistakenly went to his parents' bedroom and went all out pissing on their bed." The sheer thought of this 5'11 goofy kid who's their best friend drunk as a skunk, wobbling while attempting to hold balance, skipping from one foot to the other, urinating on his parents' marital bed made them burst out in laughter. The chat was cut short as at that point the teacher walked in. "Good morning, class. I am Mr. Daniels and I will be your teacher this year"- the man said who was apparently in his mid forties. He is wearing a plaid shirt under a sweater and some pants and loafers. He has an unusually thick brown hair with some patches of grays on the sides and a pen that was hanging off his sweater pocket on the right side of the chest. "I am going to skip the introduction with you guys so I can focus more on the subject."- he said confidently while standing above his desk looking over the classroom- "I will learn your names as time goes on and I expect you all to do your homework and studying on time". Sure thing, boss.- thought Brad as looked at his new professor in annoyance. "The first topic is the Reconstruction period of 1865-1877. after the Civil war, so please open your books to page 5."- Mr. Daniels continued as the class obediently followed his instructions.</s>
<\|description\|>Drysyval Magiavan Occupation: Councilmen of the The Order of The Silver Twilight Race: Breton Class: Mage Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: Drysyval comes off as a good person, wiling to do whatever it takes to keep his people (Mages) safe. He has a thirst for knowledge that will never be quenched as long as their information he doesn't know. Unlike others, he doesn't prohibit the study of any magic, believing that all magic is a form art that must be studied, and practiced. The magic itself isn't evil, only the person who uses the magic. All in all, the masses view him as a good man who wants nothing more than to advance magic further to assist people. Now for the kind of person Drysyval really is. While is thirst for knowledge is a fact, he cares very little about the mages who work for him. They are nothing more than pawns who serve his ultimate agenda, Divinity. His desire is to learn a way to ascend to godhood through power and magic alone. He wants to become the ultimate being, one who could submit all before his might, even the gods themselves will tremble before this supreme deity. He is charismatic, and this has led him to help create the new guild. Weapons: Staff of Frost Atronach, Hood and Robes of fortify Conjuration, Rings and Amulets of Fortify Magika, Ring of Spell Absorption and boots of resist Frost. Bio: Drysyval was born to a family with a long line of mages in High Rock. His family focused on Conjuration, all forms of it. Young Drysyval was no stranger to corpses, and making them do his bidding. He was considered a prodigy in this art, and brought on the envy of his peers. People within the magical community, especially Conjuration, began to speak of the young man, not that he truly cared. All he cared about was being the best, and the impressions of others meant nothing. Even at a young age, Drysuval was studying, and trying to find the key to ascension. He would use his fame, knowledge, and skill to find out the secret, and become the greatest. He even began to study enchantment, in the hope that the key could be hidden within the art, especially with soul gems. When he became of age, and his fame had done nothing but continue spread around Tamriel, he and several other mages opened up a new Mage guild, one that wouldn't turn away any form of magic, and embraced the idea of furthering all magic. Since it is his job to spread the guild's influence, he has made friends with many mages during his travels. He is currently trying his best to spread it around Tamriel, and will do all in his power to do so. His best strategy is Cheese for Everyone.</s> <\|message\|>Skharn Chapter One: The Teeth in the Darkness He remembered little of that night, some years ago. Just flashing, blurring images that played themselves over and over in his primitive, little brain. A warrior of steel and darkness, ambushing him as he dozed through another winter's night in the frozen north of Skyrim. It was a brief, but fierce battle. He could not remember clearly, how he had howled as the blade cut his flesh, and he could not remember with certainty the taste of his adversary's life blood on his fangs. The only thing he knew with certainty, was that he became afraid, and he fled. He abandoned his home, running like no creature ever should, from a warrior of steel and darkness. And that memory was a pain that his simplistic mental mechanisms could not understand. Though, a more advanced creature, such as Man, would describe it simply as hurt pride. As it happened, hurt pride was a big issue for such a beast as Skharn. As the bear reached the the summit of the icy peak, he paused briefly to take a much needed respite. The snow was pouring down in droves, and even his thick mane was a meagre defence against the bone cutting chill. But the cold did not trouble this bear, for primitive thoughts of revenge were means enough to keep him warm. Skharn was a name given to the bear by the Forsworn, a peoples he had stalked for many days and nights as he continued his search for the warrior of steel and darkness. In their native tongue, it simply meant "Anger" - their only true means of summing up the monster that took more of their number with each passing day. It meant little to the bear, but enough to know the word was a warning of danger. The name Skharn had spread, as tall tails of a seven headed dragon covered in fur made its way to all four corners of Skyrim. Indeed, famed hunters had pursued the beast, but with little luck. Despite no sightings, the stories never went away, and indeed, countless dozens of deaths on the country's remote roads and city outskirts were often attributed to Skharn. So when the bear heard he name "Skharn", it knew someone had seen him. Knew someone was afraid. Knew someone was about to try and kill him. The dim lights of Winterhold's ruined form were of little concern to Skharn. He hadn't travelled to the frozen north, covering three hundred miles in three days, to look upon another human settlement. Nor had he come to take note of the giant man made mountain behind it. No, he was following someone. An Altmer - the Elderborn - had happened by the bear's temporary dwelling a week previous. Though Skharn lacked the mental capacity to reason well, he understood immediately that the Elf was someone of power. Someone, who if not attacked in the correct manner, could very well kill the bear. So as Skharn, not wanting to bite off more than he could chew, went to resume his slumber, he noticed something else. He didn't know what it was, but it agitated him, spreading unrest into his mind and limbs. A man may have romantically referred to this as the hands of fate, pulling Skharn to his destiny. Whatever it was, Skharn felt the urge to follow the Elf. And follow he did. For days and nights, the bear shadowed the Elf, always keeping out of sight and using his nose to follow his quarry's trail. As the ground turned to ice, the further North they went, the scent became harder to follow, and for a time, Skharn lost his target. It was only the very brief memory of a settlement nearby, and a bear's natural talent for remembering pre-travelled routes, that he was able to find Winterhold. And now Skharn would wait, watching from the blizzard for an Elf whose importance to him made little sense.</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Brannus chuckled, the Argonian was no novice, nor was she a fool. "I can assure you, miss, everything here is as it should be, I've no use for trinkets and gems, and the wood provides us with more than enough fresh meat and water. Now, as you said, let us not stand here in the cold for too long, the chill must be much worse against your scales, and many beasts are fond of roaming the snow. So, let us talk of payment, what are you prepared to give in exchange for these goods?" The snow and glacial winds battered against the large nord's armor ice crystals forming over colder steel. Snow began to cake the many pelts and furs Brannus wore draped over his shoulders, and the wyrm skull mounted upon his right shoulder-guard. The smell of the raw meat and decaying flesh were all that could be found amid sterile snow and ice, their decay and rot slowed by the cold, ice holding some of the mutilated bodies together, slowly cracking and shifting as the chill began to fill each and every crevice of necrotic flesh. Wolves could be heard, howling in the distance, as was common of the tundra, they seemed to join the great winds in song, crying out for blood, to take their prey together with claw and frost.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma overheard the conversation and lifted her head off of the counter, she almost fell asleep again, She leaned in a tiny bit and started listening, hearing something about "werewolfs" and the "champions" She also noticed that now pretty much everyone was Staring at her, even the list of "trustable" ones She started to doubt she was in the right place again, might as well ask the bartender where she was, with a voice of worry she asked the Reptilian bartender excuse me uh, which city is this?</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "Hmm. You don't seem like the type whose bartering in septims, and the fact that food is involved suggests you aren't looking for necessities. I have access to several armorers and are carrying a good load of steel in the hull, and perhaps you're interested in a more... high grade protection. I have access to materials which technically require Imperial shipping permits, but considering there are at least three separate standards in the places I travel that is not too much of a concern. I don't barter in crewmen or 'favors.' I'd be obliged to hear what you're looking for out of this," Walks-In-Light said with a ponderous tone. Canis, managing to put aside the brief period of revulsion, sorted through the goods with a deft eye as the captain addressed Brannus, attempting to mentally price the jewels and furs for the purposes of ascertaining how much they could reasonably go for on the open market.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia the bartender replied saying Winterhold and Asuma realized her big mistake. She made a big wrong turn Ughh!, I knew I should've gone west! She gotten a bit angry, but not for long, it didn't matter now she'd found pretty much everyone. muttering a curse she'd did a facepalm, the bartender left and started serving some other drunken nord customers just my luck...</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Tarja heard the girl hissing under her breath, having realized a most humorous folly, and snickered to herself standing up and approaching her. A strange weapon she had in her possession, a blade, slightly curved, but not as harsh as the scimitars of Hammerfell, those damn guards going on obsessively over them damn curved swords. No, this appeared more the blade style of Akavir, Tarja only knowing of the mysterious race through many a tale passed about a warm fire and a cold mug of ale. "Lost are we?" She said. Gods..compared to the youth, she must appear as a giant looming over her, casting a shadow that could eclipse even Masser. And still, she had no recollection at all of where she had seen the girl last but was certain she knew of her. "What's your name lass?"</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg A hardy laugh rang from behind the Nord's helmet at the merchant's words. "Oh, I understand, such 'favors' tend not to be worth what I'm giving in the first place. However if you were so inclined, after this transaction I wouldn't be opposed to the two of us exchanging one 'favor' for another." A couple of the other deserters joined their leader in a short laugh, before he spoke again. "Either way, it sounds like a good trade, Falkreath provides for the men, but not for our forges. I'd also be very gracious to have some of those more... elusive goods that you spoke of. After all the Empire no longer holds this land under their regulation. I'm certain our collective company can handle the exchange and loading, your man there does seem to know a thing or two about the merchants trade. While they take care of that, why don't I buy you something to fend off the chill while you're still in port? We can celebrate the beginning of a hopefully long and beneficial partnership." The four accompanying Brannus grumbled softly to themselves upon hearing Brannus' order, but a quick, silent glare from their leader silenced them. Once more the tarp was draped over the goods, protecting it from the flurry of snow and ice that assailed the entirety of that desolate Hold. Cargo secure, they lead the hourses back toward the town, and towards Walks-In-Light's ship.</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "I'll gladly buy our drinks. I only like favors when other people owe them to me. Also I don't want to deplete what stores of septims you all have. Canis, I assume you can do the math while I entertain our guest," Walks-In-Light said, with a mild grin. "Aye, captain. Let's see here..." he said, going into much deeper levels of mental math as he attempted to ascertain the amount of material this booty was worth. "Captain, I'd estimate that we can reasonably offer about 20 ingots of the stuff, 30 steel ingots, and 40 ingots of iron for the haul sans the 'specialty meats.' Does this sound reasonable?" Canis said with an air of deference around him. "Canis, I appreciate the formality, but calm down a little please. And yes, assuming that Brannus here accepts, I feel we should have a deal, am I wrong?" Walks-In-Light said, turning towards the tavern. " I'm going to be a Snow Elf if I don't get out of this cold soon. I'll get our drinks. You seem like a mead type, no?" Walks-In-Light said over her shoulder to her apparent admirer as she began approaching the bar.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia You could say that Spooked Asuma, because she nearly fell off of her bar stool with a look of fear in her face and pissed off the Drunken nord beside her, the drunken nord made a grunt and went back to drinking his life away. Asuma grabbed the counter too stop herself from falling again she blinked a couple times, she noticed the Really big warrior woman in front of her, so big that she was actually casting a shadow over Asuma, Blinking a couple times more again she told the Woman nervously, Yeah just made a wrong turn and ended up here ha.. the laugh was incredibly fake, Should I tell her my name?...its not like I'm a criminal or anything. Guess it couldn't hurt Uh my names Asuma She told the giant of a woman</s>	<\|message\|>Drysyval Magiavan Drysyval was enjoying nice conversation with friends until somebody rudely interrupted him. The man didn't even see 'pardon me', as he cut Drysyval short. All he said was 'Greetings', and then asked for directions. Drysyval would smile and nod at the man, but he would have preferred a bit nicer of an intrusion. " Uhhh, sure. I don't think that I'm the best person to go to, as I'm not directly associated with the College, but I don't mind giving you directions. Where is it you need to go? It is rare to see students as old as you attending the College, but it is never to late to start studying magic. They also usually have someone show you around the school, but it is fairly late. " Drysyval apologized to his friends, wished them a good night, and stood up from where he was sitting. Even if the man was just asking for directions, Drysyval would probably just end up bringing him there physically. It was much easier than giving directions verbally, and probably faster than writing them out. Hopefully, this would be over and done with soon, and he could lay his head somewhere for the night. He also hoped that his friends wouldn't be too upset that he had to retire for the night, but they probably weren't. Probably.</s>
<\|description\|>Drysyval Magiavan Occupation: Councilmen of the The Order of The Silver Twilight Race: Breton Class: Mage Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: Drysyval comes off as a good person, wiling to do whatever it takes to keep his people (Mages) safe. He has a thirst for knowledge that will never be quenched as long as their information he doesn't know. Unlike others, he doesn't prohibit the study of any magic, believing that all magic is a form art that must be studied, and practiced. The magic itself isn't evil, only the person who uses the magic. All in all, the masses view him as a good man who wants nothing more than to advance magic further to assist people. Now for the kind of person Drysyval really is. While is thirst for knowledge is a fact, he cares very little about the mages who work for him. They are nothing more than pawns who serve his ultimate agenda, Divinity. His desire is to learn a way to ascend to godhood through power and magic alone. He wants to become the ultimate being, one who could submit all before his might, even the gods themselves will tremble before this supreme deity. He is charismatic, and this has led him to help create the new guild. Weapons: Staff of Frost Atronach, Hood and Robes of fortify Conjuration, Rings and Amulets of Fortify Magika, Ring of Spell Absorption and boots of resist Frost. Bio: Drysyval was born to a family with a long line of mages in High Rock. His family focused on Conjuration, all forms of it. Young Drysyval was no stranger to corpses, and making them do his bidding. He was considered a prodigy in this art, and brought on the envy of his peers. People within the magical community, especially Conjuration, began to speak of the young man, not that he truly cared. All he cared about was being the best, and the impressions of others meant nothing. Even at a young age, Drysuval was studying, and trying to find the key to ascension. He would use his fame, knowledge, and skill to find out the secret, and become the greatest. He even began to study enchantment, in the hope that the key could be hidden within the art, especially with soul gems. When he became of age, and his fame had done nothing but continue spread around Tamriel, he and several other mages opened up a new Mage guild, one that wouldn't turn away any form of magic, and embraced the idea of furthering all magic. Since it is his job to spread the guild's influence, he has made friends with many mages during his travels. He is currently trying his best to spread it around Tamriel, and will do all in his power to do so. His best strategy is Cheese for Everyone.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma leaned back a bit again, this time more cautiously so she doesn't fall again. She really didn't want to tell her, but she had no choice, she felt like she would break into a thousand pieces if she mentioned Riker's unfortunate.....passing... a frown forming on Asumas face, a tear appearing in her eye, She told Tarja the bad news in a sudden Ear-piercing yell, alerting everyone in the bar except for a Unconscious nord Hes dead! and then started to cry like a mother when she heard her sun died in a war, her hands on her face as she cried.</s> <\|message\|>Flavia Augusta Decimus The college of winterhold; a place of learning and advancement for some, for others, a place to hate. The town around it was certainly as dead as a door nail. It didn't help that the empire had long been pushed out, and the entirety of skyrim was now under nord control. It was little concern for an Imperial such as herself- generally well accepted by most races of Tamriel(Sans the Altmer, though they tended to look down on everyone anyway), she tended to have freedom of movement without aggravation or annoyance by locals. She had been sitting down in the lobby of said college when a high elf had come in and started doing some large magic. She continued to read her book unabated. Flavia hadn't come to the College because she had any particular person to speak to, or an item to collect. It was simply a bit more quiet here than the tavern she was staying at. Since she was someone with a vast amount of contacts, it wasn't hard to come here and just sit in the lobby.</s> <\|message\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak Murkan decided that after so much of the Breton's droning, he would at least numb the pain. He came to the point that he don't care if his employer is robbed or killed. "Breton, be silent. You talk much like imperial women.." His eyes trailed off to notice the young Imperial talking to the hardened Nord. He tried to listen into the conversation, curiosity may kill the pig-man. The young lady seemed familiar. Every time he chased the thought, it evaded him somehow. Murkan gave a slight frown when the lady started to cry. The Breton mocked him for it. "Orc has feelings? I thought you lot were into killing and whats nots?" Something inside of Murkan snapped, maybe it was Malacath defending his own, maybe he was just sick of the Breton being a dimwit. The brute put one hand around the Breton's neck and squeezed. The Breton kicked, gasping for breath, the stool was knocked over. The Merchant was slowly lifted in the air. "Murkan is not pig. Murkan is not monster." He finally let go before the Breton passed. The Man crumbled to the ground, clinging his throat, gasping for air. The Mer sat down, looking straight ahead at something that didn't exist.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma had a face of Horror, watching the gigantic Green giant smash the Mage, HES on the trustable-people list!?, She wasn't used to people fighting, but this was obviously what it was like, what it was like when the Soldiers found her village, this is what probably happened to her father More thoughts went through Asumas mind, Her eyes were glued to the Orc beating up the person, however, a feel of release had came to her as the giant let the man live, But it still lingered in her mind.</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Just as Tarja feared. Such grim words to hear, Riker, dead, and certainly not by age, for the old man had the strength of a full-grown mammoth and could fare more than a few harsh winters in old Skyrim. Just by the painful lamentations and sobs of poor Asuma, shedding every last burning tear she could bring to her sore, melancholic eyes, the Forsworn woman could only believe his death was not a peaceful one, that there was foul play afoot, hence why Asuma would be in search of her father's last known companion, at least from what Tarja could tell. Well, Hircine rest his weary soul upon the verdant plains of the Great Hunt, and may someday Tarja join the man Riker again on another outing with the Stag Prince under the Blood Moon. "There there, child." Tarja whispered kneeling down and resting a comforting hand on Asuma's shoulder. "This is grave news indeed you bring from Cyrodiil, but your father was a warrior, strong and courageous. His death was not in vain if it were to protect you, his only kin." Given, she may have wrapped the weeping youth in a hug, yet Tarja wasn't much for showing that sort of emotion. "You need to dry your tears, Asuma, and carry on, for the sake of your father Riker. He'd be proud to see the warrior you've blossomed into." And just as her hand retreated to her side, a commotion sounded from behind her. Tarja turned, just in time to catch eye of the Orismer roughing up that mouthy Breton he was escorting. A tad bitter was the sight, since Tarja, though not a Breton herself, was fond of the people of High Rock, and in a curt motion she drew her dagger and leveled it at the Orc just as he released the man, leaving him on the floor to cough and wheeze at his throat nearly crushed by brute strength. "Ease that temper, Orismer! Or it shall be my blade in your throat!" Tarja snarled clenching the hilt of her dagger tighter. Not only did the big green bastard rough up a Reachman, but he also evidently terrified poor Asuma with his show of natural Orcish brutality, just making the situation worse it seemed.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma felt a bit better, She stopped crying mostly,her eyes still wet with tears she stopped facepalming, Knowing that atleast One person cared about her father and possibly....mothers.....passing, Asuma felt a motivational push, a push to take up arms and follow her Fathers Path, a Push to find the person who took Asuma's parents without asking A push to become a warrior, Asuma lifted her head and watched the gigantic woman Deal with the orc, Someday its going to be Asuma up holding the Sword, someday</s> <\|message\|>Drysyval Magiavan Drysyval was taken a little off by the man's laugh, even if it was a small one. It had to have been something he said, but he couldn't really figure it out. If he was a teacher, he would have known his way around, and why would someone who is already trained in magic come here with no warning? Something is suspicious, but Drysyval would need to think on this a little more before doing anything. Other than saying his name, Dyrysval needed to address something the Altmer told him that irked him. It was something small, but it did bother him greatly. " Of course, it would be rude to not introduce myself. My name is Drysyval, and I am here discussing some business with college. Now, for future reference, I would prefer it if you didn't address me as "boy" again. Now that we have got that cleared up, what brings you out to the college? And where exactly do you need to be taken? "</s> <\|message\|>Keldir "Of course, I mean no ill will" said Keldir in response to Drysyval telling him off for calling him a "boy". However this did not change the fact that in the Altmers eyes Drysyval was still a boy as Keldir was much older and more experienced than he. Really Keldir should have known better as Bretons, as skilled as they are, always seem to quickly anger over the fact that they have a much shorted lifespan than their elven counterparts. Keldir knew he would have to be more careful not to let out a slip of the tounge regarding the matter in the future. "I have come far and wide" Keldir began "From Vvardenvell to Daggerfall and other places in Tamriel I have searched for knowledge, arcane knowledge long forgotten by mortals and magics forbidden by the creators" Keldir sighed "Alas my travels have been fruitless for the most part so now am I forced to search the backwaters of the world like this. In short Im looking for the libary"</s> <\|message\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak As the dagger was pointed at him, Murkan drew both of his, ignoring Tarja. He looked in the direction of the She-Nord, but his gaze seemed to go to something that was beyond her."Deceitful one." He growled. A wicked grin slowly began to dance on his lips. "He is no merchant!" Murkan knelt down and forcefully shoved his hand into the Breton's coat. He fumbled for awhile as the Breton kept trying to push the beast away. The Orc found what he was looking for, a small box of polished mahogany. Murkan opened the box, revealing a darkly colored gem. "Not merchant, death mage." He declared with a sting of distaste.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia In the meantime Asuma sat on her little wooden barstool, watching the two and Eyeing the strange Gem. it looked, Weird, Something you don't usually find every day. She felt a bit worried, the Orcish person seemed to be helping Tarja, and the breton must be a Mage?, Asuma never really saw a mage, except for one time when a Mage came strolling through</s> <\|message\|>Drysyval Magiavan With his apology out of the way, Drysyval could like him a little bit better now. He still wasn't pleased with the man's introduction, but his pursuit for knowledge is noble. You would think with him having passed through Daggerfall with a pursuit of knowledge, Keldir would have heard of him. It is a bit of a shame, but getting swept into knowledge and ignoring the outside world wasn't anything surprising. However, he didn't like how he described this part of the world. Any place that housed knowledge wasn't backwater, only places that live to breed idiocy, and destroy knowledge. " Ah, you come to further pursue knowledge? That is an excellent goal, and a goal I do share with you. I have already studied the texts of the College, but that had to have been a decade ago. It has been some time since I have last been to the College, but I'm happy to have returned, even if it was for a business trip. " Drysyval began to walk towards the library, remembering the layout of the college as he did. It really had been a while, but he remembered the College pretty well.</s> <\|message\|>Keldir Keldir walked beside Drysyval following him to what he assumed would eventually be the libary or wherever else the college stored their knowledge. Keldir was also quite pleased when he heard that he and Drysyval shared the same goal, for it was always good to meet one of your ilk who happens to share similar goals to you especially after a long journey like Keldir had "Im glad to hear we share the same goal" he said "It is a pity so many mages our days are satisfied with only the most basic of the arcane and whom dont seek for knowledge that lays beyond our mortal realm. For if we had more mages like us our knowledge in the arcane would jump by leaps and bounds! Think of the glorious things we could achieve!" Keldir stopped himself because he realised he was on the border of entering a ramble and so he strained himself to let Drysyval speak before he began to speak once more.</s>	<\|message\|>Drysyval Magiavan " Of course, if all mages had a true thirst for knowledge, I am sure we would be far more advanced. Sadly, given how most modern mages us, we will continue progress at an incredibly slow rate. Hopefully, by the time I depart from this world, I will have been able to inspire the majority of mages in Tamriel to look for all forms of knowledge. No knowledge should be kept away if we want to advance as a people, as magic is the only way to do so. " Drysyval assumed that he was going to live forever, but Keldir didn't need to know this. Either way, The Order of The Silver Twilight was going to take a hold throughout all of Tamriel, and knowledge will reign supreme around the continent. Of course, not everybody was going to have access to this knowledge, but once again, nobody needed to know that besides him. The walk to the library wasn't a very long one, so they arrived there fairly quickly. " And here we are. This isn't the largest library I've seen, but it does have quality over quantity. "</s>
<\|description\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Occupation: Bandit chief/Veteran legionnaire Race: Nord Class: Warlord Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: A dour man, with little in the way of a sense of humor, and a determination that could break down walls just as easily as the many siege engines he used and repaired in the civil war. Often in ill humor, he sees life by loss and gain, the age old rule that all power demands sacrifice. Be it your time, the lives of your men, or an entire country, all power demands sacrifice. Weapons: Steel Broadsword, Steel round shield, Steel Dagger. General Appearance: (look above~) Bio: Born into a military family, Brannus knew that he'd find himself in legion armor one day as well, he didn't expect to be wielding a legion sword against his own neighbors though. He spent much of the civil war siegeing and defending fortifications and camps, along the way gaining an appreciation for the bluntness and calculable nature of siege warfare. Brannus quickly found himself being promotoed to a Captain, and in a position of command over a fair number of soldiers, enough to occupy and defend one of the many smaller forts that dotted skyrim's landscape. For a time he and his men were on the front line, archers taking pot shots back and forth at each other from behind and outside of the fortress' walls, him and his men entrenched for months outside of the crumbling stormcloak bastion. As with any man or mer, time spent breaking the wall could break a man of his spirit, just as easily as defending the wall could. The men grew tired, and little in the way of support or even correspondence was available to him and his men, while the stormcloaks where holed away, doing all they could to try the Captain's patience. Then, like a miracle, or a curse, the siege was broken in almost an instant; not by one of the catapults, a charge through the battered defenses, or any sort of surrender, but by a dragon. Fear ran through the ranks on both sides, but all Brannus could feel was unbridled anger, at his situation, at his superiors, at the enemy, and at the damnable wyrm who had reared its head. Though small, the dragon was enough to break the defenders, and those who were not burnt to a crisp by its flames, hid within the fort while it toppled ontop of them. Others ran from the fort, scrambling past the imperial troops for safety in the wilds. His own men on the verge of breaking, and the losses mounting past acceptable, Brennus slew the closest man to him, bashing his face in with his armored hand, and as the soldiers, imperial and stormcloak turned to him, awestruck, he roared. "This, is the price of cowardice! That wyrm may rip you apart, swallow you whole, or burn you ash, but that is NOTHING compared to what I will do to you lot, if you do not hold!" His speech echoed like a warsong through the trenches as his men rallied, turning their great siege weapons to the fledgling beast. It was a shot through the neck with a ballista that felled the creature, leaving its lifeless body on the ground. Silence washed over the decimated remains of the two forces, as they watched Brannus Krieg, his broadsword in hand, sever its head. It was this battle that drove Brannus, and what remained of his men and the opposing army, nearly thirty men all together, to desert. Why should they fight this war, when the world itself seemed to be crumbling? Dragons, the Thalmor, and the assassination of the Emperor? He and his would have no part of it. Taking what they had with them, their horses, armaments, even the great ballista which ended the wyrm, they traveled, spending the remainder of the civil war moving from encampment to encampment, finally settling in a fort in the south of Falkreath hold. Strangely, the inhabitants, a band of orcs, were all dead,and in the basement, it seemed that someone had taken something precious from a pedestal. Luckily the stockpile of food, wines, and cheeses had yet to spoil, there was enough cheese for everyone. Brannus ordered his men to string the corpses from the walls of the keep, and to perch the ballista atop the small fortress. For the last ten years, Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg, and those few men who survived, have spent their time, raiding, stealing, ransoming, and fortifying, taking every chance they can to obtain resources, and slay the horrid dovah that now litter the skies of Tamriel.</s> <\|message\|>Tagorn Nightthorn The night air howled like a wild beast as wind blew snow in a blinding haze, one would just barely be able to see the torches and lamps that were hung in front of the simple buildings of the small province of Winterhold. Most of the city's if it could even be called that, were either settled into their homes for the evening or were making the attempt to drink their problems away at the Frozen Hearth. Sitting just a stone throws away from the village stood the imposing fortress know as the Collage of Winterhold which loomed over the homes of Winterhold, filling the residents with a strong mixture of hatred and fear. The occupants of this collage were of course mages, studiers of the arcane arts of magic, and it would surprise no one that they were unfazed by this gods forsaken weather in their borderline castle. Aside from the awful weather it seemed that this was a usual night for this little spot in Skyrim, but like for so many other things appearances were deceiving. As only a hour away was a convoy of Thalmor agents, traveling in secret through enemy territory to the Collage of Winterhold. Despite the little transgression, that is what the Thalmor call the murder of dozens and attempt to forcefully take over the collage, that transpired a decade ago these elves were ready to ask for help from the mages. They were ready to write the whole event off as some extremist acting on his own accord. The Thalmor wanted a base of operations to place a few of their agents in Skyrim and the Collage was the perfect place, as it stood ever neutral to the political affairs of the nation. What a meeting between these elves and the mages would bring can only be guessed at, but rest assured this will not be the only story told tonight.</s> <\|message\|>Drysyval Magiavan Drysyval didn't mind the cold of Winterhold. It was similar to that of his home in High Rock, and if anything, made him feel more relaxed in Skyrim. He was recruiting members to his guild all throughout Skyrim, and he was going to end his trip within the College of Winterhold. Thankfully, he had already met several of the people within the college during his travels, so getting within to converse was no trouble. He came to the college with one goal in mind, and that goal was to donate to the college. Drysyval was going to donate a large sum to the college, to further magical studies and training for a new age. Of course, Drysyval was incredibly young, and was probably already considered part of the new age, but that was irrelevant. Now, it took quite a bit for the college to accept such a donation, but he eventually convinced them that it would be for the best. On top of that, Drysyval would continue to fund everything the college needed, for as long as they continue to further magical thought, as well as keep some ties to The Order of Silver Twilight. Oh well, he would just sit in the courtyard talking to his friends. He rarely spoke to them face to face, so it was good to talk to them, and much easier than writing letters. Speaking of, he needed to write more letters tonight. He probably had more friends then needed, but who rejects friends?</s>	<\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Brannus sat in the sole tavern of the, or rather what was left of the city of Winterhold, he and the four men he had taken with him on this little excursion gathered round the fire pit in the center of the room. The furs draped over his armor began to drip, the snow-clad pelts beginning to thaw as the frost which covered the metal plates encasing him began to dissipate. One of his cohorts, an imperial clad in fur, and what remained of his legion armor, shivered and cursed at the chill. "This damn province, why'd we have to come all the way up to the middle of a glacial field! Why don't those mages do something useful for a change and find a way to fend off the cold in this gods forsaken place?" Another Nord smacked the back of his head, his iron gauntlet giving a loud thud when it made contact with the imperial's leather helm. "Quit your bitching and just get some mead, you damn Imperials are all the same, can't handle a little nip in the air, almost as bad as those damn lizards always whining about their scales and cold blood." Brannus paid them no mind as they argued and squabbled, and after warming himself on the fire, returned to meet the rest of his men, who stood outside guarding the horses and cart. The cargo was covered by a large burlap tarp, strung tight over the wooden frame of the cart to protect its contents from the harsh elements. A large, lightly armored Orc, and a Redguard clad in both furs and steel, stood guard, weapons sheathed and hands never too far from them. The Orc gave Brannus a nod, and grumbled. "What exactly are we doing here, sir? We went straight across the whole province, we should be back at the Keep, we coul-" "Why we are here is not your concern, the fact that I told you we were to come here is what matters, whelp. Now, be patient, we shan't need to stay out in the cold for much longer, and we will return to the Keep soon enough. But if the cold is too much or you, I'll be glad to remedy that, just a quick slice along the throat, and soon it'll all be numb." The Orc decided it best not to respond to that.</s>
<\|description\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Occupation: Bandit chief/Veteran legionnaire Race: Nord Class: Warlord Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: A dour man, with little in the way of a sense of humor, and a determination that could break down walls just as easily as the many siege engines he used and repaired in the civil war. Often in ill humor, he sees life by loss and gain, the age old rule that all power demands sacrifice. Be it your time, the lives of your men, or an entire country, all power demands sacrifice. Weapons: Steel Broadsword, Steel round shield, Steel Dagger. General Appearance: (look above~) Bio: Born into a military family, Brannus knew that he'd find himself in legion armor one day as well, he didn't expect to be wielding a legion sword against his own neighbors though. He spent much of the civil war siegeing and defending fortifications and camps, along the way gaining an appreciation for the bluntness and calculable nature of siege warfare. Brannus quickly found himself being promotoed to a Captain, and in a position of command over a fair number of soldiers, enough to occupy and defend one of the many smaller forts that dotted skyrim's landscape. For a time he and his men were on the front line, archers taking pot shots back and forth at each other from behind and outside of the fortress' walls, him and his men entrenched for months outside of the crumbling stormcloak bastion. As with any man or mer, time spent breaking the wall could break a man of his spirit, just as easily as defending the wall could. The men grew tired, and little in the way of support or even correspondence was available to him and his men, while the stormcloaks where holed away, doing all they could to try the Captain's patience. Then, like a miracle, or a curse, the siege was broken in almost an instant; not by one of the catapults, a charge through the battered defenses, or any sort of surrender, but by a dragon. Fear ran through the ranks on both sides, but all Brannus could feel was unbridled anger, at his situation, at his superiors, at the enemy, and at the damnable wyrm who had reared its head. Though small, the dragon was enough to break the defenders, and those who were not burnt to a crisp by its flames, hid within the fort while it toppled ontop of them. Others ran from the fort, scrambling past the imperial troops for safety in the wilds. His own men on the verge of breaking, and the losses mounting past acceptable, Brennus slew the closest man to him, bashing his face in with his armored hand, and as the soldiers, imperial and stormcloak turned to him, awestruck, he roared. "This, is the price of cowardice! That wyrm may rip you apart, swallow you whole, or burn you ash, but that is NOTHING compared to what I will do to you lot, if you do not hold!" His speech echoed like a warsong through the trenches as his men rallied, turning their great siege weapons to the fledgling beast. It was a shot through the neck with a ballista that felled the creature, leaving its lifeless body on the ground. Silence washed over the decimated remains of the two forces, as they watched Brannus Krieg, his broadsword in hand, sever its head. It was this battle that drove Brannus, and what remained of his men and the opposing army, nearly thirty men all together, to desert. Why should they fight this war, when the world itself seemed to be crumbling? Dragons, the Thalmor, and the assassination of the Emperor? He and his would have no part of it. Taking what they had with them, their horses, armaments, even the great ballista which ended the wyrm, they traveled, spending the remainder of the civil war moving from encampment to encampment, finally settling in a fort in the south of Falkreath hold. Strangely, the inhabitants, a band of orcs, were all dead,and in the basement, it seemed that someone had taken something precious from a pedestal. Luckily the stockpile of food, wines, and cheeses had yet to spoil, there was enough cheese for everyone. Brannus ordered his men to string the corpses from the walls of the keep, and to perch the ballista atop the small fortress. For the last ten years, Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg, and those few men who survived, have spent their time, raiding, stealing, ransoming, and fortifying, taking every chance they can to obtain resources, and slay the horrid dovah that now litter the skies of Tamriel.</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Whiteout, that's all she could see around her for miles upon miles stretching across the frostbitten lands, a thick veil of snow and sleet obscuring her vision, whipping about her hardened face and blistering her fair skin with the callous chill of another infamous winter, here in a hold much deserving of its name, Winterhold. The ice storm had increased in severity since the woman first tread upon the grounds coated in frost, thick layers of it too. Just behind her lied a military outpost, a few closely clustered barracks of wood and cracked stones having been erected out here in these godsforsaken plains forever cursed with winter's fury, surrounded by thick trunks of freshly powdered pines standing tall but buckling amidst the rancorous winds terrorizing the tundra. There were three sentry towers overlooking the outpost, each positioned at the corners of the triangular layout, torches burning bright through the frost laden storm, the eyes of the enemy ever watchful, but not once did they catch eye nor hair of the Forsworn, the dreaded child of the Reach. Now, aside from the whipping winds roaring through fair Winterhold and chilling the woman's bones, not a sound befell the old fortress of Fellhammer, silence...dead silence. If one were to cross the scene, what words would they utter with hushed tongues and eyes ablaze with fright....as they stared headlong in shock upon the mounds of mutilated corpses littering the fort's grounds and dyeing the pure white frost into a frothy, red slush? Yes, bodies, hundreds of them ripped to shreds, limbs, entrails, and sinew scattered to and fro across the bloodstained walls that still shrieked with the horror that befell it not long, a werewolf attack, and how much Tarja relished the screams and lamentations as she tore into their flesh, squished their skulls in her ebony claws, yanked their intestines through their throats and feasted as a queen upon their ravaged carcases...leaving the rest to freeze out in the callous chill of Skyrim's most brutal of seasons. But no sympathy for those she slaughtered without giving quarter, for they were slayers of her kin, werewolf hunters known as the Silver Hand, mainly just a pack of uncivilized brigands, yet the killing of were-folk alike gained the Forsworn's ire, and that of her Prince Hircine. May their blades never harm a wolfblood ever again and may Hircine see that they are devoured by beasts of the Great Hunt. Twas a long journey from the fort left in ruin to the town, a journey that saw many a scrape and squabble against a few unruly frost trolls and ice wraiths, so easily dispatched by her quick prowess with a bow, but soon Tarja found herself shambling coldly into the forlorn town, gazing from the cowl of bear fur draped over her towards the immense structure that stood ominously and yet valiantly amongst Ysmir's furious winds, the telltale College of Winterhold, a place for mages and spellcasters alike to learn and practice their craft with peace of mind, well...as much peace of mind someone could get smack-dab in the middle of Stormcloak territory. Even now, it felt as if that gas-bag Ulfric was breathing down her neck, making her ill with anger towards the fiend and his alleged Sons of Skyrim, those responsible for the deaths of many near and dear to her...including one she so deeply cherished with all her heart, a heart shattered upon the bloody, sharp rocks of the Reach one horrible eve of Frostfall, a heart now shadowed...by hatred. But enough dabbling in the haunting memories of the past. She needed to get out of this gods damned storm. Ah, and what luck there was a tavern nearby. Pushing the door open, she startled a few, noting some of them to be clad in that wretched shade of blue. Stormcloaks no less. Praise Hircine she didn't have a dagger drawn to their necks already, or an arrow in their....chests. She approached near them, but gave not a glance or a word, why should she give the murdering bastards any sincerity? She discovered an empty table in the midst of the tavern and sat down, unfastening the hawk-skull broach that held together her thick pelt and let it fall revealing her armor, not to mention her face, said to be quite the fairest among the Forsworn. Aye, but not as lovely as the face of the woman who made her a Forsworn.</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light Walks-In-Light stood at the front of her ship, looking over her gathered crew members. Her ship, The Cliff Racer, bobbed and swayed with the low waves of Winterhold's shoddily constructed harbor, a wooden dock connected to a steep wooden staircase that ascended the cliff face. It looked much older than it was, her few inquiries suggesting that it had been built in the last decade. The crew, a scruffy mix of Nords and Saxheel, or Argonians in the more common tongue, as well as a small minority of Dunmer and the occasional Redguard, stood half expectantly, the weathered crew still shivering at the bitter winds of this desolate colony. "Now, I understand you're complaints about the lack of... services in this town. But, it is out of my control. I was asked to negotiate with an 'independent trader,' who felt that he could not trust the security of a larger hold. We also have a need to restock, and while Windhelm has a much greater selection, we need provisions to last us in a trip to Solstheim and back to the open oceans, and it is apparent many of you cannot stomach Dunmer staples," she said, mildly discontented murmuring escalating as people complained about the lack of decent mead and the fact they'd be eating Horker meat for days. Silencing her crew with a loud hiss, she continued. "Now, we shall not be here long. I'm taking the first mate and... you four," she said, picking out three Nords and a Dunmer crewman. "You'll come with me. The rest of you... make sure everything is in good condition. Sit around for all I care. I'll need some of you for carrying goods." With that conclusive statement the crew grumbled into motion, and a weathered Redguard stepped up to her. "The crew's going to have trouble focusing for a week, aye Cap'n?" he said mischievously. The crewman she had noted walked towards the captain, keeping a respectable distance. Walks-In-Light eyed her first mate with a degree of mock exasperation. "Canis, you could be on the ocean floor if this was an Imperial vessel. Come on, we're heading to the tavern for this meeting," she said, gesturing to her entourage to follow her down the gangplank and up the stairs towards the city. Canis caught up to his captain with due haste. "So what's really going on?" he asked, with a mild grin. "Some bandit king from Falkreath hold. Looking to move some goods. I'm thinking Vvardenfel is our best bet in getting them out of our hands," she said, ascending the steps with a noticeable caution, a layer of ice and snow covering the surface. Canis nodded silently, and they reached the town with tired legs. They entered the tavern in a generally undramatic manner, and approached the group of men who looked out of place by the fire place, approaching the man who looked most in charge, steel plate shining with a dull light under his layers of furs. "Would you happen to be Brannus?"</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma kept on running and running, until the orange light of her former village disappeared, Asuma felt.....drained, the adrenaline she had earlier had ran out, feelings came to Asumas mind, about her parents, Sadness had smashed her like a tidal wave hit the sand, quick, and leaving a mark forever, she found a tree, just a lone tree in the middle, she walked up to it, well, more like. Limped up to it. and sat down, she didn't want to keep moving, why would she have too anyways? she already fought, She'd ran for miles. her dad would accept it if she gave up... she pulled out her sword from her Stealth, aiming it at her stomach, the cold metal of the sword was right at her chest, she didn't give up yet, but she would, closing her eyes. she dropped the blade at her side, a tiny clank sound could be heard from the slim metal thing, she laid back on the Rough wooden tree, Sleeping, she wasn't quitting, her father would have died for nothing, so would her mother. but now, she was just going to lie down for a bit.</s>	<\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg The large Nord turned from the fire to face the Argonain woman, standing to greet the merchant, and brought his fist to his chest, a simple salute, but appropriate for one who lead men and mer. His men followed his example, saluting the newcomers, before resting their hands at their sides, ready to draw their weapons if anything should go wrong. Brannus looked over the Argonian who matched his great height, sizing up the many curves and contours of her body, he had to admit, rather stunning, confidence was always attractive. "I am Brannus, I take it you are Walks-In-Light? Its a pleasure to finally meet you. Now, if you'll just follow me, my men are waiting with the goods I promised." It was a short walk back to the carriage, a far enough way that it would not be noticed or actively pursued by the local authorities. Motioning for the Orc and Redguard to move aside, the warlord pulls the tarp from the cart, revealing piles of pelts, venison, jewels, jewelry, and all manner of pilfered wines,goods, and other necessities. Opposite these more typical goods, was a small pile of bodies, toppled upon one another in various stages of mutilation, decay, and composure. "Browse my wares, there's plenty of fresh water, drink, and meat to provide you and your crew with more than enough provisions."</s>
<\|description\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Occupation: Bandit chief/Veteran legionnaire Race: Nord Class: Warlord Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: A dour man, with little in the way of a sense of humor, and a determination that could break down walls just as easily as the many siege engines he used and repaired in the civil war. Often in ill humor, he sees life by loss and gain, the age old rule that all power demands sacrifice. Be it your time, the lives of your men, or an entire country, all power demands sacrifice. Weapons: Steel Broadsword, Steel round shield, Steel Dagger. General Appearance: (look above~) Bio: Born into a military family, Brannus knew that he'd find himself in legion armor one day as well, he didn't expect to be wielding a legion sword against his own neighbors though. He spent much of the civil war siegeing and defending fortifications and camps, along the way gaining an appreciation for the bluntness and calculable nature of siege warfare. Brannus quickly found himself being promotoed to a Captain, and in a position of command over a fair number of soldiers, enough to occupy and defend one of the many smaller forts that dotted skyrim's landscape. For a time he and his men were on the front line, archers taking pot shots back and forth at each other from behind and outside of the fortress' walls, him and his men entrenched for months outside of the crumbling stormcloak bastion. As with any man or mer, time spent breaking the wall could break a man of his spirit, just as easily as defending the wall could. The men grew tired, and little in the way of support or even correspondence was available to him and his men, while the stormcloaks where holed away, doing all they could to try the Captain's patience. Then, like a miracle, or a curse, the siege was broken in almost an instant; not by one of the catapults, a charge through the battered defenses, or any sort of surrender, but by a dragon. Fear ran through the ranks on both sides, but all Brannus could feel was unbridled anger, at his situation, at his superiors, at the enemy, and at the damnable wyrm who had reared its head. Though small, the dragon was enough to break the defenders, and those who were not burnt to a crisp by its flames, hid within the fort while it toppled ontop of them. Others ran from the fort, scrambling past the imperial troops for safety in the wilds. His own men on the verge of breaking, and the losses mounting past acceptable, Brennus slew the closest man to him, bashing his face in with his armored hand, and as the soldiers, imperial and stormcloak turned to him, awestruck, he roared. "This, is the price of cowardice! That wyrm may rip you apart, swallow you whole, or burn you ash, but that is NOTHING compared to what I will do to you lot, if you do not hold!" His speech echoed like a warsong through the trenches as his men rallied, turning their great siege weapons to the fledgling beast. It was a shot through the neck with a ballista that felled the creature, leaving its lifeless body on the ground. Silence washed over the decimated remains of the two forces, as they watched Brannus Krieg, his broadsword in hand, sever its head. It was this battle that drove Brannus, and what remained of his men and the opposing army, nearly thirty men all together, to desert. Why should they fight this war, when the world itself seemed to be crumbling? Dragons, the Thalmor, and the assassination of the Emperor? He and his would have no part of it. Taking what they had with them, their horses, armaments, even the great ballista which ended the wyrm, they traveled, spending the remainder of the civil war moving from encampment to encampment, finally settling in a fort in the south of Falkreath hold. Strangely, the inhabitants, a band of orcs, were all dead,and in the basement, it seemed that someone had taken something precious from a pedestal. Luckily the stockpile of food, wines, and cheeses had yet to spoil, there was enough cheese for everyone. Brannus ordered his men to string the corpses from the walls of the keep, and to perch the ballista atop the small fortress. For the last ten years, Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg, and those few men who survived, have spent their time, raiding, stealing, ransoming, and fortifying, taking every chance they can to obtain resources, and slay the horrid dovah that now litter the skies of Tamriel.</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Tarja turned to the Nord next to her hearing him speak, a pinch of a wolfish gleam in her frosted eyes glancing toward him. He was wolfblood alright, but then so was she a creature of the moon, a newborn child of the Stag Prince. "Trust me. It isn't difficult pinpointing the mighty warriors of Jorrvaskr." Tarja replied with a small chuckle, the young barmaid having brought her another tankard of ale, mainly out of good faith though Tarja paid her a few septims in return. she took a drink, sighing gruffly and setting the iron tankard aside before resuming. "Tarja." She introduced herself with a curt nod. "And like you, I too am far from home, far from the steep hills and stones of The Reach. So Companion, what brings you towards these gods-forsaken lands of snow and peril? The only damnable reason one would travel to Winterhold is just for their esteemed College of mages....or to join those gods-damned Stormcloaks." Just mentioning their name, it left a bitter bite upon her tongue, and not that of the ale she swallowed down her gullet. Yet how strange the woman wasn't much for speaking, yet here she be carrying on a conversation with the brutish Nord beside her. Then again, she did feel at ease sensing the essence of wolf-blood within him.</s> <\|message\|>Skharn Chapter One: The Teeth in the Darkness He remembered little of that night, some years ago. Just flashing, blurring images that played themselves over and over in his primitive, little brain. A warrior of steel and darkness, ambushing him as he dozed through another winter's night in the frozen north of Skyrim. It was a brief, but fierce battle. He could not remember clearly, how he had howled as the blade cut his flesh, and he could not remember with certainty the taste of his adversary's life blood on his fangs. The only thing he knew with certainty, was that he became afraid, and he fled. He abandoned his home, running like no creature ever should, from a warrior of steel and darkness. And that memory was a pain that his simplistic mental mechanisms could not understand. Though, a more advanced creature, such as Man, would describe it simply as hurt pride. As it happened, hurt pride was a big issue for such a beast as Skharn. As the bear reached the the summit of the icy peak, he paused briefly to take a much needed respite. The snow was pouring down in droves, and even his thick mane was a meagre defence against the bone cutting chill. But the cold did not trouble this bear, for primitive thoughts of revenge were means enough to keep him warm. Skharn was a name given to the bear by the Forsworn, a peoples he had stalked for many days and nights as he continued his search for the warrior of steel and darkness. In their native tongue, it simply meant "Anger" - their only true means of summing up the monster that took more of their number with each passing day. It meant little to the bear, but enough to know the word was a warning of danger. The name Skharn had spread, as tall tails of a seven headed dragon covered in fur made its way to all four corners of Skyrim. Indeed, famed hunters had pursued the beast, but with little luck. Despite no sightings, the stories never went away, and indeed, countless dozens of deaths on the country's remote roads and city outskirts were often attributed to Skharn. So when the bear heard he name "Skharn", it knew someone had seen him. Knew someone was afraid. Knew someone was about to try and kill him. The dim lights of Winterhold's ruined form were of little concern to Skharn. He hadn't travelled to the frozen north, covering three hundred miles in three days, to look upon another human settlement. Nor had he come to take note of the giant man made mountain behind it. No, he was following someone. An Altmer - the Elderborn - had happened by the bear's temporary dwelling a week previous. Though Skharn lacked the mental capacity to reason well, he understood immediately that the Elf was someone of power. Someone, who if not attacked in the correct manner, could very well kill the bear. So as Skharn, not wanting to bite off more than he could chew, went to resume his slumber, he noticed something else. He didn't know what it was, but it agitated him, spreading unrest into his mind and limbs. A man may have romantically referred to this as the hands of fate, pulling Skharn to his destiny. Whatever it was, Skharn felt the urge to follow the Elf. And follow he did. For days and nights, the bear shadowed the Elf, always keeping out of sight and using his nose to follow his quarry's trail. As the ground turned to ice, the further North they went, the scent became harder to follow, and for a time, Skharn lost his target. It was only the very brief memory of a settlement nearby, and a bear's natural talent for remembering pre-travelled routes, that he was able to find Winterhold. And now Skharn would wait, watching from the blizzard for an Elf whose importance to him made little sense.</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Brannus chuckled, the Argonian was no novice, nor was she a fool. "I can assure you, miss, everything here is as it should be, I've no use for trinkets and gems, and the wood provides us with more than enough fresh meat and water. Now, as you said, let us not stand here in the cold for too long, the chill must be much worse against your scales, and many beasts are fond of roaming the snow. So, let us talk of payment, what are you prepared to give in exchange for these goods?" The snow and glacial winds battered against the large nord's armor ice crystals forming over colder steel. Snow began to cake the many pelts and furs Brannus wore draped over his shoulders, and the wyrm skull mounted upon his right shoulder-guard. The smell of the raw meat and decaying flesh were all that could be found amid sterile snow and ice, their decay and rot slowed by the cold, ice holding some of the mutilated bodies together, slowly cracking and shifting as the chill began to fill each and every crevice of necrotic flesh. Wolves could be heard, howling in the distance, as was common of the tundra, they seemed to join the great winds in song, crying out for blood, to take their prey together with claw and frost.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma overheard the conversation and lifted her head off of the counter, she almost fell asleep again, She leaned in a tiny bit and started listening, hearing something about "werewolfs" and the "champions" She also noticed that now pretty much everyone was Staring at her, even the list of "trustable" ones She started to doubt she was in the right place again, might as well ask the bartender where she was, with a voice of worry she asked the Reptilian bartender excuse me uh, which city is this?</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "Hmm. You don't seem like the type whose bartering in septims, and the fact that food is involved suggests you aren't looking for necessities. I have access to several armorers and are carrying a good load of steel in the hull, and perhaps you're interested in a more... high grade protection. I have access to materials which technically require Imperial shipping permits, but considering there are at least three separate standards in the places I travel that is not too much of a concern. I don't barter in crewmen or 'favors.' I'd be obliged to hear what you're looking for out of this," Walks-In-Light said with a ponderous tone. Canis, managing to put aside the brief period of revulsion, sorted through the goods with a deft eye as the captain addressed Brannus, attempting to mentally price the jewels and furs for the purposes of ascertaining how much they could reasonably go for on the open market.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia the bartender replied saying Winterhold and Asuma realized her big mistake. She made a big wrong turn Ughh!, I knew I should've gone west! She gotten a bit angry, but not for long, it didn't matter now she'd found pretty much everyone. muttering a curse she'd did a facepalm, the bartender left and started serving some other drunken nord customers just my luck...</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Tarja heard the girl hissing under her breath, having realized a most humorous folly, and snickered to herself standing up and approaching her. A strange weapon she had in her possession, a blade, slightly curved, but not as harsh as the scimitars of Hammerfell, those damn guards going on obsessively over them damn curved swords. No, this appeared more the blade style of Akavir, Tarja only knowing of the mysterious race through many a tale passed about a warm fire and a cold mug of ale. "Lost are we?" She said. Gods..compared to the youth, she must appear as a giant looming over her, casting a shadow that could eclipse even Masser. And still, she had no recollection at all of where she had seen the girl last but was certain she knew of her. "What's your name lass?"</s>	<\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg A hardy laugh rang from behind the Nord's helmet at the merchant's words. "Oh, I understand, such 'favors' tend not to be worth what I'm giving in the first place. However if you were so inclined, after this transaction I wouldn't be opposed to the two of us exchanging one 'favor' for another." A couple of the other deserters joined their leader in a short laugh, before he spoke again. "Either way, it sounds like a good trade, Falkreath provides for the men, but not for our forges. I'd also be very gracious to have some of those more... elusive goods that you spoke of. After all the Empire no longer holds this land under their regulation. I'm certain our collective company can handle the exchange and loading, your man there does seem to know a thing or two about the merchants trade. While they take care of that, why don't I buy you something to fend off the chill while you're still in port? We can celebrate the beginning of a hopefully long and beneficial partnership." The four accompanying Brannus grumbled softly to themselves upon hearing Brannus' order, but a quick, silent glare from their leader silenced them. Once more the tarp was draped over the goods, protecting it from the flurry of snow and ice that assailed the entirety of that desolate Hold. Cargo secure, they lead the hourses back toward the town, and towards Walks-In-Light's ship.</s>
<\|description\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Occupation: Bandit chief/Veteran legionnaire Race: Nord Class: Warlord Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: A dour man, with little in the way of a sense of humor, and a determination that could break down walls just as easily as the many siege engines he used and repaired in the civil war. Often in ill humor, he sees life by loss and gain, the age old rule that all power demands sacrifice. Be it your time, the lives of your men, or an entire country, all power demands sacrifice. Weapons: Steel Broadsword, Steel round shield, Steel Dagger. General Appearance: (look above~) Bio: Born into a military family, Brannus knew that he'd find himself in legion armor one day as well, he didn't expect to be wielding a legion sword against his own neighbors though. He spent much of the civil war siegeing and defending fortifications and camps, along the way gaining an appreciation for the bluntness and calculable nature of siege warfare. Brannus quickly found himself being promotoed to a Captain, and in a position of command over a fair number of soldiers, enough to occupy and defend one of the many smaller forts that dotted skyrim's landscape. For a time he and his men were on the front line, archers taking pot shots back and forth at each other from behind and outside of the fortress' walls, him and his men entrenched for months outside of the crumbling stormcloak bastion. As with any man or mer, time spent breaking the wall could break a man of his spirit, just as easily as defending the wall could. The men grew tired, and little in the way of support or even correspondence was available to him and his men, while the stormcloaks where holed away, doing all they could to try the Captain's patience. Then, like a miracle, or a curse, the siege was broken in almost an instant; not by one of the catapults, a charge through the battered defenses, or any sort of surrender, but by a dragon. Fear ran through the ranks on both sides, but all Brannus could feel was unbridled anger, at his situation, at his superiors, at the enemy, and at the damnable wyrm who had reared its head. Though small, the dragon was enough to break the defenders, and those who were not burnt to a crisp by its flames, hid within the fort while it toppled ontop of them. Others ran from the fort, scrambling past the imperial troops for safety in the wilds. His own men on the verge of breaking, and the losses mounting past acceptable, Brennus slew the closest man to him, bashing his face in with his armored hand, and as the soldiers, imperial and stormcloak turned to him, awestruck, he roared. "This, is the price of cowardice! That wyrm may rip you apart, swallow you whole, or burn you ash, but that is NOTHING compared to what I will do to you lot, if you do not hold!" His speech echoed like a warsong through the trenches as his men rallied, turning their great siege weapons to the fledgling beast. It was a shot through the neck with a ballista that felled the creature, leaving its lifeless body on the ground. Silence washed over the decimated remains of the two forces, as they watched Brannus Krieg, his broadsword in hand, sever its head. It was this battle that drove Brannus, and what remained of his men and the opposing army, nearly thirty men all together, to desert. Why should they fight this war, when the world itself seemed to be crumbling? Dragons, the Thalmor, and the assassination of the Emperor? He and his would have no part of it. Taking what they had with them, their horses, armaments, even the great ballista which ended the wyrm, they traveled, spending the remainder of the civil war moving from encampment to encampment, finally settling in a fort in the south of Falkreath hold. Strangely, the inhabitants, a band of orcs, were all dead,and in the basement, it seemed that someone had taken something precious from a pedestal. Luckily the stockpile of food, wines, and cheeses had yet to spoil, there was enough cheese for everyone. Brannus ordered his men to string the corpses from the walls of the keep, and to perch the ballista atop the small fortress. For the last ten years, Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg, and those few men who survived, have spent their time, raiding, stealing, ransoming, and fortifying, taking every chance they can to obtain resources, and slay the horrid dovah that now litter the skies of Tamriel.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia the bartender replied saying Winterhold and Asuma realized her big mistake. She made a big wrong turn Ughh!, I knew I should've gone west! She gotten a bit angry, but not for long, it didn't matter now she'd found pretty much everyone. muttering a curse she'd did a facepalm, the bartender left and started serving some other drunken nord customers just my luck...</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Tarja heard the girl hissing under her breath, having realized a most humorous folly, and snickered to herself standing up and approaching her. A strange weapon she had in her possession, a blade, slightly curved, but not as harsh as the scimitars of Hammerfell, those damn guards going on obsessively over them damn curved swords. No, this appeared more the blade style of Akavir, Tarja only knowing of the mysterious race through many a tale passed about a warm fire and a cold mug of ale. "Lost are we?" She said. Gods..compared to the youth, she must appear as a giant looming over her, casting a shadow that could eclipse even Masser. And still, she had no recollection at all of where she had seen the girl last but was certain she knew of her. "What's your name lass?"</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg A hardy laugh rang from behind the Nord's helmet at the merchant's words. "Oh, I understand, such 'favors' tend not to be worth what I'm giving in the first place. However if you were so inclined, after this transaction I wouldn't be opposed to the two of us exchanging one 'favor' for another." A couple of the other deserters joined their leader in a short laugh, before he spoke again. "Either way, it sounds like a good trade, Falkreath provides for the men, but not for our forges. I'd also be very gracious to have some of those more... elusive goods that you spoke of. After all the Empire no longer holds this land under their regulation. I'm certain our collective company can handle the exchange and loading, your man there does seem to know a thing or two about the merchants trade. While they take care of that, why don't I buy you something to fend off the chill while you're still in port? We can celebrate the beginning of a hopefully long and beneficial partnership." The four accompanying Brannus grumbled softly to themselves upon hearing Brannus' order, but a quick, silent glare from their leader silenced them. Once more the tarp was draped over the goods, protecting it from the flurry of snow and ice that assailed the entirety of that desolate Hold. Cargo secure, they lead the hourses back toward the town, and towards Walks-In-Light's ship.</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "I'll gladly buy our drinks. I only like favors when other people owe them to me. Also I don't want to deplete what stores of septims you all have. Canis, I assume you can do the math while I entertain our guest," Walks-In-Light said, with a mild grin. "Aye, captain. Let's see here..." he said, going into much deeper levels of mental math as he attempted to ascertain the amount of material this booty was worth. "Captain, I'd estimate that we can reasonably offer about 20 ingots of the stuff, 30 steel ingots, and 40 ingots of iron for the haul sans the 'specialty meats.' Does this sound reasonable?" Canis said with an air of deference around him. "Canis, I appreciate the formality, but calm down a little please. And yes, assuming that Brannus here accepts, I feel we should have a deal, am I wrong?" Walks-In-Light said, turning towards the tavern. " I'm going to be a Snow Elf if I don't get out of this cold soon. I'll get our drinks. You seem like a mead type, no?" Walks-In-Light said over her shoulder to her apparent admirer as she began approaching the bar.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia You could say that Spooked Asuma, because she nearly fell off of her bar stool with a look of fear in her face and pissed off the Drunken nord beside her, the drunken nord made a grunt and went back to drinking his life away. Asuma grabbed the counter too stop herself from falling again she blinked a couple times, she noticed the Really big warrior woman in front of her, so big that she was actually casting a shadow over Asuma, Blinking a couple times more again she told the Woman nervously, Yeah just made a wrong turn and ended up here ha.. the laugh was incredibly fake, Should I tell her my name?...its not like I'm a criminal or anything. Guess it couldn't hurt Uh my names Asuma She told the giant of a woman</s> <\|message\|>Drysyval Magiavan Drysyval was enjoying nice conversation with friends until somebody rudely interrupted him. The man didn't even see 'pardon me', as he cut Drysyval short. All he said was 'Greetings', and then asked for directions. Drysyval would smile and nod at the man, but he would have preferred a bit nicer of an intrusion. " Uhhh, sure. I don't think that I'm the best person to go to, as I'm not directly associated with the College, but I don't mind giving you directions. Where is it you need to go? It is rare to see students as old as you attending the College, but it is never to late to start studying magic. They also usually have someone show you around the school, but it is fairly late. " Drysyval apologized to his friends, wished them a good night, and stood up from where he was sitting. Even if the man was just asking for directions, Drysyval would probably just end up bringing him there physically. It was much easier than giving directions verbally, and probably faster than writing them out. Hopefully, this would be over and done with soon, and he could lay his head somewhere for the night. He also hoped that his friends wouldn't be too upset that he had to retire for the night, but they probably weren't. Probably.</s> <\|message\|>Keldir The young man seemed to have a slight scowl on his face as his conversation was interrupted by Keldir, and Keldir gave no heed to the annoyed expressions of the group. When the man said "Its never to late to start studying magic", Keldir gave out as short laugh as he tried to suppress it but he found it rather amusing that some young mage, probably a apprentice of one of the teachers at the College, would make such a comment to the likes of Keldir, a master of the arcane. This muffeled laugh turned the look of annoyance of the groups faces to one more akin to confusion as they probably now thought Keldir as some sort of madman, which he was not. After the young man departed from his friends and bid them goodbye, Keldir gave the man a slightly, and only slightly, better greeting "Thank you boy, I appreciate your kindness. The name is Keldir by the way, might I know yours?"</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn The taller Forsworn glared at the haggard before turning back to the heavily flustered Imperial quite underneath her, the woman thinking it a bit cute how frightened she looked towards her. Imperials, while most opinions of Nords were well biased and well venomous of the milk drinkers of Cyrodiil, Tarja had none such towards them, though she was half-blood of the alleged true sons and daughters of Skyrim, but she accounted herself more as a child of the Reach, her old life gone with the passage of time. Asuma....the name struck a bell, a bell that rang ceaseless through her mind, trying her damndest to connect the girl's face to that particular name. ....Then it clicked. "Riker's kin..." Tarja breathed astounded. Her heavy hand fell on the girl's head and ruffled her hair as lightly the savage woman chuckled. "You were but a wee lass last I seen you, child. You grew these past winters. Tell me, where be Riker that old dog?" Riker, he was a stout hunter, skilled with a bow as much in the way of the sword, yet he had a bit of a folly during their last outing, during the Blood Moon of Hircine no less, when they were chasing Sinding through Bloated Man's Grotto. The man, he was wolfkin, just as Tarja, yet the Prince ordered for the lad's death, and swift as it was...but not without a fight. She and Riker nearly escaped with their lives while the rest of the hunters were torn to shreds by the lycan. For that, he owed the woman his life. But years it has been since that last excursion, and seldom did Tarja make contact with the Imperial after.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma didn't know what to say, Or perhaps. Didn't know what she wanted to say, she didn't want to be the messenger of death, so why tell her?, Asuma made up a lie in her head. and then Lying to the Humongous Person, Scratching the back of her head Oh yeah, We were uhm just heading to Whiterun for a tiny vacation I kinda got Separated and came here by accident, tough luck huh. the lie was pretty obvious, Who would take a vacation in whiterun at this time of the year?,</s>	<\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg "It sounds like fair bargain to me, now, enough business, lets drink." The large Nord chuckled to himself as he and the Argonian woman walked back to the inn, escaping the cold and relaxing as the fire and cooking pits radiated heat. Brannus took a seat in the corner of the tavern, he didn't mind whatever drink she might get, as long as it could warm the blood. He took a moment to survey the rest of the patrons, for such a ghost of a town, the inn was rather busy that evening, all sorts were there, Bretons, Orcs, fellow nords, there was a wood elf dressed in the robes of the college, a High elf seemed to make his residence within the right most room, and along with Walks-in-Light, it seemed all they were missing was a cat to create a microcosm of Tamriel.</s>
<\|description\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Height: 5'4'' Weight: Roughly 120 lbs, slightly muscular build Occupation: Bounty Hunter/Mercenary Race: Half Nord/Half Redguard/Werewolf Class: Archer Gender: Female Age: 27 Attitude: Cold, taciturn, and a woman of only a few words, Tarja isn't much when it comes to speaking, or smiling for that matter. Rather she mostly communicates through stern glares and harsh body motions. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty (or bloody) and has an absolute hatred for the Stormcloaks. For her, there is only one thrill, and that is the thrill of the hunt, but when it comes to matters other than hunting, Tarja enjoys to be out and about in nature, as it is where she feels most tranquil, whether it is traversing the high, jagged rocks of The Reach or taking a peaceful dip in the sparkling crystal waters of Lake Ilinalta. Tarja is also a bit more fond of women rather than men, though either man or woman, she finds it hard to trust others and mostly prefers to work alone. Clothing: Her attire is mostly a mix of Ancient Nord and Forsworn armor known as the Armor of the Huntress. She even has a hood that she wears when she is out hunting. Weapons: A Dragonbone Bow with Forsworn Arrows, a Forsworn War Axe, and a Steel Dagger. She also carries various poisons to coat her arrows and her blades with, all made by herself Interesting facts/Bio: Born in Markarth to a Nord silver smith and his Redguard wife after the Stormcloaks took the Reach, the woman was originally under the family name Cathis, and was being raised to craft beautiful silver jewelry just like her father. Over the years, her family accumulated such wealth in their trade and was among the most astute of merchants in Markarth, despite being under the thumb of the Silverblood family, making a name for themselves. Yet tragedy was soon to strike one horrible evening as the family traveled together, husband, wife, and their young child Tarja, from Markarth and through the treacherous terrain of the Reach, on their way to Solitude to trade silver and jewelry. Their wagon was attacked and seized by a band of savages known as the Forsworn. Her father tried to stop them and save his family, but in a matter of seconds the man was skewered with arrows. Tarja was even forced to watch as her mother was descended on by the savages and torn to pieces. All that was left...was her. She tried to run but was soon caught and about to have her throat slit, until the men were stopped by their chieftain, an intimdating Breton woman named Aeryn Eaglethorn. Aeryn was a fearsome Forsworn, having earned the title Eaglethorn for her deadly skill in archery. She could pin a moth to a tree from nearly leagues away and when it came to hunting her targets, she was downright ruthless in her pursual.Chief Aeryn ordered her Forsworn not to harm the girl, but nevertheless Tarja was taken prisoner, the Forsworn believing that since her family was prominent in Markarth, they would receive a generous ransom for her. They chained Tarja to a post outside the camp leaving her out in the cold without any food, and for years they abused her phsyically and verbally, yet it was only the men and a few women who engaged in such vile behavior towards her. The chieftain would have none of it, it seemed. A few months later while the rest of the camp slept and Tarja lied awake in pain during the night, the chieftain unlatched her from the post and brought the girl to her tent. As she tended to Tarja's wounds and fed her, Aeryn spoke of how she was in the same situation long ago, and how she disapproved of Tarja's treatment by her Forsworn, but decided to let them continue....because she was testing Tarja's strength and her resolve. She spoke of how impressed she was the girl stayed strong, even through months of rigorous torture, and that despite she wasn't a Breton, she had what it took to be a Forsworn. The girl held anger though for the woman killing her family, but nevertheless she decided to become a Forsworn...to survive longer. A few weeks after that night, the woman came to her again releasing her from her bounds. She told Tarja that they were going hunting and that she wanted Tarja to join them, despite what the others thought of the girl. It was there upon the jagged, tall rocks of the Reach that Tarja made her first kill, a lowly mountain goat. Eventually, she began hunting more often with the chieftain and her tribe, becoming more and more skillful with a bow every day, until she too was a formidable archer, just as the woman who trained her. She had even gone with them on raids of nearby villages and killed her fair share of people. Soon she began to lose touch with her old self, shedding away the doughy exterior of a rich, snobby debutante of Markarth and truly becoming....a child of the Reach. The other Forsworn began to accept her as part of the tribe and to the chieftain she became a valuable ally and a close companion, perhaps...even more...as there was talk among the tribe of the chieftain taking the girl to her tent each night. The Forsworn also taught Tarja other valuable skills, such as alchemy and close combat. Soon, Tarja had no desire at all to return to Markarth. She was happy with the Forsworn, the tribe had become her family, and the chieftain Aeryn....the woman she loved dearly. But...this happiness of hers would not last. On the night of the anniversary of King Madanach's rebellion, the Forsworn celebrated with a feast under the light of the moon, but their festivities were met with bloodshed as during the feast, the tribe was ambushed by a batallion of Stormcloaks sent to wipe out their camp. Many fought and many died, leaving only Chief Aeryn and Tarja alive. Tarja, though terrified her clan had been slaughtered, she tried to fight back, but Aeryn stood before her. Suddenly, the woman changed, her bones cracking and her limbs stretching, her body contorting into some mosntrous shape. Her fingers became sharp, vicious claws and her skin was covered in a thick black fur. Tarja couldn't believe her eyes. The woman...Aeryn...she was a werewolf! The werewolf's claws tore through the Stormcloak's ranks, limbs flying, blood spraying all over the place with horrible screams of agony. Tarja, as much death she had seen with the Forsworn, she couldn't even bare the sight of her beloved ripping apart men piece by piece, yet as horrible as it was, she couldn't look away, frozen with eyes wide as Masser above. Not only would she witness the slaughter of the Stormcloaks by Aeryn's hand, but she would also bare witness to....the woman's death. In her gory and violent frenzy, the werewolf was run through with a silver sword and wrenched back with a blood curdling howl of pain. She fell to the ground, trembling in such agony, trying her damndest to pull the wretched blade from her gut, but it was too late. The silver charred her flesh and boiled her blood with such a horrific heat. With her last breath, the chieftan called Tarja to her. Tarja fell to her knees by the woman's side, still in her beastly form, and sobbed into her chest as she felt the woman slowly fading into the distance. It was then, she gave one final request......drink her blood. Tarja did so....and as the woman died in her arms, she wrenched her head to the sky and cried out, her cry...turning into a howl. Soon, by the light of Masser falling upon her, she became the very beast Aeryn was, wolf blood now ran through her veins. She stormed off into the night with only one goal in mind, and soon that goal was met. The Stormcloak Camp in the Reach, by morning, nothing would be left of it...but nearly a hundred rotting, mutilated carcasses left strewn about their blood spattered tents and bedrolls. And it didn't just stop there. Soon, Tarja was seeking out all Stormcloak Camps across Skyrim, either leaving them bloody massacres after her werewolf form took over or picking off troops one by one with her deadly bow. Her savage deeds however didn't go unnoticed. After returning from another night of bloodshed, Tarja, now a woman in her mid twenties, rested beside Lake Ilinalta. Twas there, she was met by a ghostly apparition, taking the form of a majestic white stag. Tarja drew her arrow to the ethereal beast, but instead of flee...it spoke to her in a male voice. This was the voice of the Hunter, the Daedric Lord Hircine. Hircine was impressed with Tarja's ruthlessness and her keen hunting skills. He offered to make her his champion and give her power like no other, but at a cost. Tarja, being wolf-blood now, her soul would belong to Hircine, and when she died, she, like many, would become part of the hunt. Nevertheless, Tarja swore fealty to Hircine and was sent on her first task, kill another werewolf named Hrothi. Hrothi was a bandit chief, who led a gang of vagrants in Hjalmarch, he was also once a champion of Hircine as well, but abused his power for his own gain. It wasn't long, Tarja tracked Hrothi and his miscreants to a cavern in Hjalmarch. The lesser humans she easily picked off from the shadows with her bow, but Hrothi proved much of a challenge. Taking on his wolf form, he engaged the woman in a fearsome brawl, which ended with Tarja ripping his head off and carving the skin from his flesh as offering to Hircine. Twas from this skin Hircine made for her armor, cristening it the Armor of the Huntress. By wearing it, Tarja became an even deadlier foe. Her skills became sharpened. She could draw an arrow faster than before, her stamina and her speed increased and another effect...it allowed her the ability to transform whenever she felt, no longer needing the light of a full moon to provoke her. Now Tarja uses the power of Hircine to hunt and kill across Skyrim, taking whatever job she can find, mostly bounties out on the heads of notorious bandit leaders, but still her devotion lies with her Lord....and of course....to Aeryn, as she now carries the woman's title of Eaglethorn to honor the chieftain's memory. Other: To Oblivion with your damn cheese and your Wabbajacks! HAIL THE STAG PRINCE!! HAIL THE HUNT!!</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Brannus chuckled, the Argonian was no novice, nor was she a fool. "I can assure you, miss, everything here is as it should be, I've no use for trinkets and gems, and the wood provides us with more than enough fresh meat and water. Now, as you said, let us not stand here in the cold for too long, the chill must be much worse against your scales, and many beasts are fond of roaming the snow. So, let us talk of payment, what are you prepared to give in exchange for these goods?" The snow and glacial winds battered against the large nord's armor ice crystals forming over colder steel. Snow began to cake the many pelts and furs Brannus wore draped over his shoulders, and the wyrm skull mounted upon his right shoulder-guard. The smell of the raw meat and decaying flesh were all that could be found amid sterile snow and ice, their decay and rot slowed by the cold, ice holding some of the mutilated bodies together, slowly cracking and shifting as the chill began to fill each and every crevice of necrotic flesh. Wolves could be heard, howling in the distance, as was common of the tundra, they seemed to join the great winds in song, crying out for blood, to take their prey together with claw and frost.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma overheard the conversation and lifted her head off of the counter, she almost fell asleep again, She leaned in a tiny bit and started listening, hearing something about "werewolfs" and the "champions" She also noticed that now pretty much everyone was Staring at her, even the list of "trustable" ones She started to doubt she was in the right place again, might as well ask the bartender where she was, with a voice of worry she asked the Reptilian bartender excuse me uh, which city is this?</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "Hmm. You don't seem like the type whose bartering in septims, and the fact that food is involved suggests you aren't looking for necessities. I have access to several armorers and are carrying a good load of steel in the hull, and perhaps you're interested in a more... high grade protection. I have access to materials which technically require Imperial shipping permits, but considering there are at least three separate standards in the places I travel that is not too much of a concern. I don't barter in crewmen or 'favors.' I'd be obliged to hear what you're looking for out of this," Walks-In-Light said with a ponderous tone. Canis, managing to put aside the brief period of revulsion, sorted through the goods with a deft eye as the captain addressed Brannus, attempting to mentally price the jewels and furs for the purposes of ascertaining how much they could reasonably go for on the open market.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia the bartender replied saying Winterhold and Asuma realized her big mistake. She made a big wrong turn Ughh!, I knew I should've gone west! She gotten a bit angry, but not for long, it didn't matter now she'd found pretty much everyone. muttering a curse she'd did a facepalm, the bartender left and started serving some other drunken nord customers just my luck...</s>	<\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Tarja heard the girl hissing under her breath, having realized a most humorous folly, and snickered to herself standing up and approaching her. A strange weapon she had in her possession, a blade, slightly curved, but not as harsh as the scimitars of Hammerfell, those damn guards going on obsessively over them damn curved swords. No, this appeared more the blade style of Akavir, Tarja only knowing of the mysterious race through many a tale passed about a warm fire and a cold mug of ale. "Lost are we?" She said. Gods..compared to the youth, she must appear as a giant looming over her, casting a shadow that could eclipse even Masser. And still, she had no recollection at all of where she had seen the girl last but was certain she knew of her. "What's your name lass?"</s>
<\|description\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Height: 5'4'' Weight: Roughly 120 lbs, slightly muscular build Occupation: Bounty Hunter/Mercenary Race: Half Nord/Half Redguard/Werewolf Class: Archer Gender: Female Age: 27 Attitude: Cold, taciturn, and a woman of only a few words, Tarja isn't much when it comes to speaking, or smiling for that matter. Rather she mostly communicates through stern glares and harsh body motions. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty (or bloody) and has an absolute hatred for the Stormcloaks. For her, there is only one thrill, and that is the thrill of the hunt, but when it comes to matters other than hunting, Tarja enjoys to be out and about in nature, as it is where she feels most tranquil, whether it is traversing the high, jagged rocks of The Reach or taking a peaceful dip in the sparkling crystal waters of Lake Ilinalta. Tarja is also a bit more fond of women rather than men, though either man or woman, she finds it hard to trust others and mostly prefers to work alone. Clothing: Her attire is mostly a mix of Ancient Nord and Forsworn armor known as the Armor of the Huntress. She even has a hood that she wears when she is out hunting. Weapons: A Dragonbone Bow with Forsworn Arrows, a Forsworn War Axe, and a Steel Dagger. She also carries various poisons to coat her arrows and her blades with, all made by herself Interesting facts/Bio: Born in Markarth to a Nord silver smith and his Redguard wife after the Stormcloaks took the Reach, the woman was originally under the family name Cathis, and was being raised to craft beautiful silver jewelry just like her father. Over the years, her family accumulated such wealth in their trade and was among the most astute of merchants in Markarth, despite being under the thumb of the Silverblood family, making a name for themselves. Yet tragedy was soon to strike one horrible evening as the family traveled together, husband, wife, and their young child Tarja, from Markarth and through the treacherous terrain of the Reach, on their way to Solitude to trade silver and jewelry. Their wagon was attacked and seized by a band of savages known as the Forsworn. Her father tried to stop them and save his family, but in a matter of seconds the man was skewered with arrows. Tarja was even forced to watch as her mother was descended on by the savages and torn to pieces. All that was left...was her. She tried to run but was soon caught and about to have her throat slit, until the men were stopped by their chieftain, an intimdating Breton woman named Aeryn Eaglethorn. Aeryn was a fearsome Forsworn, having earned the title Eaglethorn for her deadly skill in archery. She could pin a moth to a tree from nearly leagues away and when it came to hunting her targets, she was downright ruthless in her pursual.Chief Aeryn ordered her Forsworn not to harm the girl, but nevertheless Tarja was taken prisoner, the Forsworn believing that since her family was prominent in Markarth, they would receive a generous ransom for her. They chained Tarja to a post outside the camp leaving her out in the cold without any food, and for years they abused her phsyically and verbally, yet it was only the men and a few women who engaged in such vile behavior towards her. The chieftain would have none of it, it seemed. A few months later while the rest of the camp slept and Tarja lied awake in pain during the night, the chieftain unlatched her from the post and brought the girl to her tent. As she tended to Tarja's wounds and fed her, Aeryn spoke of how she was in the same situation long ago, and how she disapproved of Tarja's treatment by her Forsworn, but decided to let them continue....because she was testing Tarja's strength and her resolve. She spoke of how impressed she was the girl stayed strong, even through months of rigorous torture, and that despite she wasn't a Breton, she had what it took to be a Forsworn. The girl held anger though for the woman killing her family, but nevertheless she decided to become a Forsworn...to survive longer. A few weeks after that night, the woman came to her again releasing her from her bounds. She told Tarja that they were going hunting and that she wanted Tarja to join them, despite what the others thought of the girl. It was there upon the jagged, tall rocks of the Reach that Tarja made her first kill, a lowly mountain goat. Eventually, she began hunting more often with the chieftain and her tribe, becoming more and more skillful with a bow every day, until she too was a formidable archer, just as the woman who trained her. She had even gone with them on raids of nearby villages and killed her fair share of people. Soon she began to lose touch with her old self, shedding away the doughy exterior of a rich, snobby debutante of Markarth and truly becoming....a child of the Reach. The other Forsworn began to accept her as part of the tribe and to the chieftain she became a valuable ally and a close companion, perhaps...even more...as there was talk among the tribe of the chieftain taking the girl to her tent each night. The Forsworn also taught Tarja other valuable skills, such as alchemy and close combat. Soon, Tarja had no desire at all to return to Markarth. She was happy with the Forsworn, the tribe had become her family, and the chieftain Aeryn....the woman she loved dearly. But...this happiness of hers would not last. On the night of the anniversary of King Madanach's rebellion, the Forsworn celebrated with a feast under the light of the moon, but their festivities were met with bloodshed as during the feast, the tribe was ambushed by a batallion of Stormcloaks sent to wipe out their camp. Many fought and many died, leaving only Chief Aeryn and Tarja alive. Tarja, though terrified her clan had been slaughtered, she tried to fight back, but Aeryn stood before her. Suddenly, the woman changed, her bones cracking and her limbs stretching, her body contorting into some mosntrous shape. Her fingers became sharp, vicious claws and her skin was covered in a thick black fur. Tarja couldn't believe her eyes. The woman...Aeryn...she was a werewolf! The werewolf's claws tore through the Stormcloak's ranks, limbs flying, blood spraying all over the place with horrible screams of agony. Tarja, as much death she had seen with the Forsworn, she couldn't even bare the sight of her beloved ripping apart men piece by piece, yet as horrible as it was, she couldn't look away, frozen with eyes wide as Masser above. Not only would she witness the slaughter of the Stormcloaks by Aeryn's hand, but she would also bare witness to....the woman's death. In her gory and violent frenzy, the werewolf was run through with a silver sword and wrenched back with a blood curdling howl of pain. She fell to the ground, trembling in such agony, trying her damndest to pull the wretched blade from her gut, but it was too late. The silver charred her flesh and boiled her blood with such a horrific heat. With her last breath, the chieftan called Tarja to her. Tarja fell to her knees by the woman's side, still in her beastly form, and sobbed into her chest as she felt the woman slowly fading into the distance. It was then, she gave one final request......drink her blood. Tarja did so....and as the woman died in her arms, she wrenched her head to the sky and cried out, her cry...turning into a howl. Soon, by the light of Masser falling upon her, she became the very beast Aeryn was, wolf blood now ran through her veins. She stormed off into the night with only one goal in mind, and soon that goal was met. The Stormcloak Camp in the Reach, by morning, nothing would be left of it...but nearly a hundred rotting, mutilated carcasses left strewn about their blood spattered tents and bedrolls. And it didn't just stop there. Soon, Tarja was seeking out all Stormcloak Camps across Skyrim, either leaving them bloody massacres after her werewolf form took over or picking off troops one by one with her deadly bow. Her savage deeds however didn't go unnoticed. After returning from another night of bloodshed, Tarja, now a woman in her mid twenties, rested beside Lake Ilinalta. Twas there, she was met by a ghostly apparition, taking the form of a majestic white stag. Tarja drew her arrow to the ethereal beast, but instead of flee...it spoke to her in a male voice. This was the voice of the Hunter, the Daedric Lord Hircine. Hircine was impressed with Tarja's ruthlessness and her keen hunting skills. He offered to make her his champion and give her power like no other, but at a cost. Tarja, being wolf-blood now, her soul would belong to Hircine, and when she died, she, like many, would become part of the hunt. Nevertheless, Tarja swore fealty to Hircine and was sent on her first task, kill another werewolf named Hrothi. Hrothi was a bandit chief, who led a gang of vagrants in Hjalmarch, he was also once a champion of Hircine as well, but abused his power for his own gain. It wasn't long, Tarja tracked Hrothi and his miscreants to a cavern in Hjalmarch. The lesser humans she easily picked off from the shadows with her bow, but Hrothi proved much of a challenge. Taking on his wolf form, he engaged the woman in a fearsome brawl, which ended with Tarja ripping his head off and carving the skin from his flesh as offering to Hircine. Twas from this skin Hircine made for her armor, cristening it the Armor of the Huntress. By wearing it, Tarja became an even deadlier foe. Her skills became sharpened. She could draw an arrow faster than before, her stamina and her speed increased and another effect...it allowed her the ability to transform whenever she felt, no longer needing the light of a full moon to provoke her. Now Tarja uses the power of Hircine to hunt and kill across Skyrim, taking whatever job she can find, mostly bounties out on the heads of notorious bandit leaders, but still her devotion lies with her Lord....and of course....to Aeryn, as she now carries the woman's title of Eaglethorn to honor the chieftain's memory. Other: To Oblivion with your damn cheese and your Wabbajacks! HAIL THE STAG PRINCE!! HAIL THE HUNT!!</s> <\|message\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak Murkan decided that after so much of the Breton's droning, he would at least numb the pain. He came to the point that he don't care if his employer is robbed or killed. "Breton, be silent. You talk much like imperial women.." His eyes trailed off to notice the young Imperial talking to the hardened Nord. He tried to listen into the conversation, curiosity may kill the pig-man. The young lady seemed familiar. Every time he chased the thought, it evaded him somehow. Murkan gave a slight frown when the lady started to cry. The Breton mocked him for it. "Orc has feelings? I thought you lot were into killing and whats nots?" Something inside of Murkan snapped, maybe it was Malacath defending his own, maybe he was just sick of the Breton being a dimwit. The brute put one hand around the Breton's neck and squeezed. The Breton kicked, gasping for breath, the stool was knocked over. The Merchant was slowly lifted in the air. "Murkan is not pig. Murkan is not monster." He finally let go before the Breton passed. The Man crumbled to the ground, clinging his throat, gasping for air. The Mer sat down, looking straight ahead at something that didn't exist.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma had a face of Horror, watching the gigantic Green giant smash the Mage, HES on the trustable-people list!?, She wasn't used to people fighting, but this was obviously what it was like, what it was like when the Soldiers found her village, this is what probably happened to her father More thoughts went through Asumas mind, Her eyes were glued to the Orc beating up the person, however, a feel of release had came to her as the giant let the man live, But it still lingered in her mind.</s>	<\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Just as Tarja feared. Such grim words to hear, Riker, dead, and certainly not by age, for the old man had the strength of a full-grown mammoth and could fare more than a few harsh winters in old Skyrim. Just by the painful lamentations and sobs of poor Asuma, shedding every last burning tear she could bring to her sore, melancholic eyes, the Forsworn woman could only believe his death was not a peaceful one, that there was foul play afoot, hence why Asuma would be in search of her father's last known companion, at least from what Tarja could tell. Well, Hircine rest his weary soul upon the verdant plains of the Great Hunt, and may someday Tarja join the man Riker again on another outing with the Stag Prince under the Blood Moon. "There there, child." Tarja whispered kneeling down and resting a comforting hand on Asuma's shoulder. "This is grave news indeed you bring from Cyrodiil, but your father was a warrior, strong and courageous. His death was not in vain if it were to protect you, his only kin." Given, she may have wrapped the weeping youth in a hug, yet Tarja wasn't much for showing that sort of emotion. "You need to dry your tears, Asuma, and carry on, for the sake of your father Riker. He'd be proud to see the warrior you've blossomed into." And just as her hand retreated to her side, a commotion sounded from behind her. Tarja turned, just in time to catch eye of the Orismer roughing up that mouthy Breton he was escorting. A tad bitter was the sight, since Tarja, though not a Breton herself, was fond of the people of High Rock, and in a curt motion she drew her dagger and leveled it at the Orc just as he released the man, leaving him on the floor to cough and wheeze at his throat nearly crushed by brute strength. "Ease that temper, Orismer! Or it shall be my blade in your throat!" Tarja snarled clenching the hilt of her dagger tighter. Not only did the big green bastard rough up a Reachman, but he also evidently terrified poor Asuma with his show of natural Orcish brutality, just making the situation worse it seemed.</s>
<\|description\|>Walks-In-Light Occupation: Merchant/Smuggler (Does both) Race: Argonian Class: Rogue (Thoroughly but incompletely trained in Shadowscale assassination methods, but also uses a lot of street fighting) Gender: Female Age: 32 Personality: A somewhat mischevious but charismatic buisnesswoman, she has a strong love of the sea and foreign cultures, something she heavily dislikes about the cultures of Skyrim. General Appearance: Ruddy scaled with small protruding fins jutting from near the top of her head. Roughly 2 meters tall and quite imposing, with a long tail and generally well defined muscle structure for her race. Tends towards masculine and practical, if high quality, clothing, owning to her past and present activites and also the problems members of her race often face with tailoring around tails. She has a full set of She has a full set of Stahlrim light armor she keeps roughly wherever she is in case she expects trouble, adding a fur cloak if she does to hide her advantage. Weapons: While her primary weapons are two ebony daggers with fire enchantments, nicknamed Smoke and Fire, which she keeps on her person constantly, both out of fear of theft and being caught off guard. Said knives are heirlooms from her father, and are not unknown to blood by any stretch of the imagination. She also has training with a bow and is quite skilled in it, but bows are generally impractical in her line of work. Bio: Walks-In-Light was born as the only child, a bastard, of Jeizuaru, one of Cyrodil's last Shadowscales. Disenfranchised with the removal of his group's training centers and finding nothing but ruin and desolation from the other branches of the Dark Brotherhood, Jeizuaru was firmly convinced that Sithis had grown displeased with their complacency to the existence of groups like the Morag Tong, and, abandoning whatever was left of the Dark Brotherhood, he journeyed into Skyrim and to the seaport of Winterhold, gaining employment as a sailor on a small transport to Solstheim. He began his campaign of murder with suprising success, drawing on virtually all of his skills to confuse attempts by the group to find the murderer. While his intial spree ending successfully, the picking thinned as the group grew cautious and Jeizaru grew older, finding himself burdened further with a child after an ill-thought out night of passion with a female dockworker, who had grown sickly soon afterwards, the cold having evidently damaged her constitution to an extent that even her natural resistances could not protect her. Jeizuaru, raising the child, Walks-In-Light, decided to do something rather unprecdented: teach this child, born under the sign of the Thief, the skills of the Shadowscale, in order that the techniques not die completely. Of course, between raising a child, working legitimately, and continuing his crusade against the Morag Tang, something had to give. In this case, it was the man himself, finding himself dead at the hands of his enemies after a botched assassination attempt. Walks-In-Light still remembers the day she opened the box her father had said to open only if he gone when his ship returned. It contained two daggers of a demonic quality, noted as heirlooms in what documentation was contained within, as well as a letter explaining, with as few details as possible, that he had obligations to a higher power that took precedence even over him being her father. She'll always remember the last line, a reference to some folk tale he often referenced: "Cheese. Cheese, for everyone." Walks-In-Light found herself on the street at the age of 12 with only her skills, numerous as they were, and her wits, as well as suprising luck. Managing to scrap out a living in Windhelm, she managed to scrape out a living as a thief of sorts, before she accidentally tried pickpocketing a Thieves Guild member. Rather than punish her, the man saw potential in the confident young pickpocket, and took her back to Riften, getting her quite a way through the command structure on the back of her training. Eventually she decided to make a name for herself on her own in the town she once called home, following in what she knew of her father's footsteps and using her hoard of septims to found a small shipping company at 21 to ride on the back of a weakened Empire's susceptibility of smuggling, and has managed to become a major trader in Skyrim and to a degree throughout Cyrodil. While her main routes are to Argonian colonies in Vvardenfel (for liquor and ebony smuggling) and Solstheim (Stahlrim being a highly desirable mineral with the ongoing war), she has traveled much of the world and traded across most of it at one point or another, notably having managed to open the Forsaken to trade for their silver resources, as well as a famous trip that netted her the largest supply of Sload soap seen in one place in at least an era, something she's still riding off of financially. The slowly collapsing Empire worries her to some degree, but with a lack of political bodies to replace it and a war she lacks any real interest in outside of economics, she has resigned herself to whatever comes, at least until something better comes up. It's worth noting she still maintains a strong connection with the Thieves Guild, her boats occasionally used to smuggle thieves out of a city if they touched something too hot or get some into warehouses and other such locations where a crate is welcome. In turn, the Thieves Guild has helped "convince" competitors to halt certain activities and provide a willing buyer for certain materials, substances, and items of a dubious legality or ownership. Other: Knows quite a large amount about poisons and the anatomy of man and mer, as well as good old fashioned pickpocketing and lockpicking.</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Brannus chuckled, the Argonian was no novice, nor was she a fool. "I can assure you, miss, everything here is as it should be, I've no use for trinkets and gems, and the wood provides us with more than enough fresh meat and water. Now, as you said, let us not stand here in the cold for too long, the chill must be much worse against your scales, and many beasts are fond of roaming the snow. So, let us talk of payment, what are you prepared to give in exchange for these goods?" The snow and glacial winds battered against the large nord's armor ice crystals forming over colder steel. Snow began to cake the many pelts and furs Brannus wore draped over his shoulders, and the wyrm skull mounted upon his right shoulder-guard. The smell of the raw meat and decaying flesh were all that could be found amid sterile snow and ice, their decay and rot slowed by the cold, ice holding some of the mutilated bodies together, slowly cracking and shifting as the chill began to fill each and every crevice of necrotic flesh. Wolves could be heard, howling in the distance, as was common of the tundra, they seemed to join the great winds in song, crying out for blood, to take their prey together with claw and frost.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma overheard the conversation and lifted her head off of the counter, she almost fell asleep again, She leaned in a tiny bit and started listening, hearing something about "werewolfs" and the "champions" She also noticed that now pretty much everyone was Staring at her, even the list of "trustable" ones She started to doubt she was in the right place again, might as well ask the bartender where she was, with a voice of worry she asked the Reptilian bartender excuse me uh, which city is this?</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "Hmm. You don't seem like the type whose bartering in septims, and the fact that food is involved suggests you aren't looking for necessities. I have access to several armorers and are carrying a good load of steel in the hull, and perhaps you're interested in a more... high grade protection. I have access to materials which technically require Imperial shipping permits, but considering there are at least three separate standards in the places I travel that is not too much of a concern. I don't barter in crewmen or 'favors.' I'd be obliged to hear what you're looking for out of this," Walks-In-Light said with a ponderous tone. Canis, managing to put aside the brief period of revulsion, sorted through the goods with a deft eye as the captain addressed Brannus, attempting to mentally price the jewels and furs for the purposes of ascertaining how much they could reasonably go for on the open market.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia the bartender replied saying Winterhold and Asuma realized her big mistake. She made a big wrong turn Ughh!, I knew I should've gone west! She gotten a bit angry, but not for long, it didn't matter now she'd found pretty much everyone. muttering a curse she'd did a facepalm, the bartender left and started serving some other drunken nord customers just my luck...</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Tarja heard the girl hissing under her breath, having realized a most humorous folly, and snickered to herself standing up and approaching her. A strange weapon she had in her possession, a blade, slightly curved, but not as harsh as the scimitars of Hammerfell, those damn guards going on obsessively over them damn curved swords. No, this appeared more the blade style of Akavir, Tarja only knowing of the mysterious race through many a tale passed about a warm fire and a cold mug of ale. "Lost are we?" She said. Gods..compared to the youth, she must appear as a giant looming over her, casting a shadow that could eclipse even Masser. And still, she had no recollection at all of where she had seen the girl last but was certain she knew of her. "What's your name lass?"</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg A hardy laugh rang from behind the Nord's helmet at the merchant's words. "Oh, I understand, such 'favors' tend not to be worth what I'm giving in the first place. However if you were so inclined, after this transaction I wouldn't be opposed to the two of us exchanging one 'favor' for another." A couple of the other deserters joined their leader in a short laugh, before he spoke again. "Either way, it sounds like a good trade, Falkreath provides for the men, but not for our forges. I'd also be very gracious to have some of those more... elusive goods that you spoke of. After all the Empire no longer holds this land under their regulation. I'm certain our collective company can handle the exchange and loading, your man there does seem to know a thing or two about the merchants trade. While they take care of that, why don't I buy you something to fend off the chill while you're still in port? We can celebrate the beginning of a hopefully long and beneficial partnership." The four accompanying Brannus grumbled softly to themselves upon hearing Brannus' order, but a quick, silent glare from their leader silenced them. Once more the tarp was draped over the goods, protecting it from the flurry of snow and ice that assailed the entirety of that desolate Hold. Cargo secure, they lead the hourses back toward the town, and towards Walks-In-Light's ship.</s>	<\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "I'll gladly buy our drinks. I only like favors when other people owe them to me. Also I don't want to deplete what stores of septims you all have. Canis, I assume you can do the math while I entertain our guest," Walks-In-Light said, with a mild grin. "Aye, captain. Let's see here..." he said, going into much deeper levels of mental math as he attempted to ascertain the amount of material this booty was worth. "Captain, I'd estimate that we can reasonably offer about 20 ingots of the stuff, 30 steel ingots, and 40 ingots of iron for the haul sans the 'specialty meats.' Does this sound reasonable?" Canis said with an air of deference around him. "Canis, I appreciate the formality, but calm down a little please. And yes, assuming that Brannus here accepts, I feel we should have a deal, am I wrong?" Walks-In-Light said, turning towards the tavern. " I'm going to be a Snow Elf if I don't get out of this cold soon. I'll get our drinks. You seem like a mead type, no?" Walks-In-Light said over her shoulder to her apparent admirer as she began approaching the bar.</s>
<\|description\|>Vaynce the Slayer; surname unknown. Occupation Companion/Mercenary Race Nord/Werewolf Class Slayer One-handed/Two-handed, skill, grit, and strength. His 'class' is basically using his hard-earned skill, strength, and athleticism to just eviscerate the opponent. His weapon depends on his mood for the week, but generally you can see him wielding a large two-handed axe, or two long, jagged, and razor sharp swords. His defense is his offense, and the enemy is generally gutted and decapitated before he even knows what happened. Gender Male Age 28 Personality Vaynce has lived on the edge for quite a while, and thusly, he is experienced in many matters. For one, he is a distant man. Not in an 'edgy, going through puberty' way, but he's just, in general, a man that has outlived all of his family and friends, and thusly, not interested in making anymore. If someone would walk up to him in a tavern, he'd give them an acknowledging nod or a grunt, depending on his mood, before returning to whatever he had been doing beforehand; when you meet him, don't expect him to bow down and tell you the tales of his past; his past isn't fun, and he'll probably punch you in the face if you ask. That brings the topic to another stance; he's not passive-aggressive, but enough bothering, and you're asking for a gutting. Vaynce is a distant, powerful man that prefers the term 'actions speak louder than words', so if you try to talk him into a frenzy, he'll ignore the pre-battle banter and just decapitate you where you stand. He isn't one for joking, even though he himself has a rather vulgar plethora of jokes from past friends, and will probably ignore you. He enjoys cleaning his weapons, taking care of troublesome bandits and scum across the land, and generally his nomadic, mercenary lifestyle. A tough, but solitary and rewarding living, that keeps his battle senses sharp, and his sword and axe arm sharper. General Appearance Being a Nord, Vaynce is already rather large, standing at 6'3 or so, with a ripped, muscular build that boasts extreme strength, agility, and stamina, what with his long legs and defined calves. His skin is rather calloused, although it still holds the pale effect that most Nords have from their time in the cold, where the sun doesn't shine as much as in Cyrodiil. His hair is thick and long as well, like most of his Nord brethren, being dark and tied back into a few war-braids where the long, thick locks doesn't just go backwards down his shoulder-blades. His body is littered with scars, both from war and from battles with Giants, wolves, Frost-bite spiders, trolls...the list goes on and on. The most noticeable ones are the scars that litters his upper torso, and a lightning-bolt-like scar that is a livid red, going from his left pectoral, all the way to his right hip bone. His clothing consists of armor he crafted himself - Thick, durable armor made of the bones of his different enemies - and he has fought possibly every beast out there, and wrapped with the scaly hide of frost trolls, along with Nordic-Carved boots. He doesn't wear a helmet, preferring to keep his long hair free - a wolfish trait. His armor leaves not a skin uncovered, other than his muscular arms - for more agility and strength with his swings. Weapons A walking weaponry, Vaynce has two swords that has since served their purpose; an ebony, razor-sharp blade that he found poking around a vampire's lair; blessed with Fire enchants, along with an Orcish sword, also blessed with Fire enchants; a reward for beating an Orismer war chief in fair battle. A Skyforge-steel, lightning-enchanted battle axe is strapped to his back, the weight absolutely not bothering him - a gift from the companions. On the pouches on his legs, he keeps a few other necessities, like lock-picks, throwing darts, the likes. Bio Ah...the Bio...something Vaynce hates to remember. Born to a wandering bandit group, life on the cold, harsh roads were not very...safe for a little Vaynce. His father was a harsh Nordic warrior, and so was his mother, and thusly, he had to cope to growing up young. Life back then wasn't as lawful as it is now. He learned how to wield a sword at the age of three, and how to swing a battle-axe at the age of six. At the age of seven he was running with the wolves after elk, and at the age of ten he was already pillaging caravans and small village encampments. When he was merely a wee lad - around the age of twelve, he was already known by some caravans as the 'Little Slayer'. Of course, at that age he was no longer little. Already face-to-face with most eighteen year olds, and with the strength to toss a battle-axe and the speed to catch a dashing buck, no one messed with him. His parents were proud of the Slayer they created, and as if life was made to make them all animals, they abandoned Vaynce at the age of thirteen, so that he could learn and thrive on his own. He did. He continued to ambush and destroy caravans, using the Septims to buy him armor, food, water, and weaponry for more raiding. Life continued like this until the age of sixteen, where caravans were now wary of the teenager, and he had to settle for a more...fair and lawful trade. Mercenary work. He traveled the world, taking contracts from Jarls and shady business-men. Take out the Giant ravaging their crops? Easy enough. Chop off the hamstring, when they fall jump of their shoulder, and decapitation with the axe. His prodigal skill in slaying began to be known, and more contracts flew in, almost becoming over-encumbering. Eventually he became stressed with the work, and whilst taking out an entire cave of trolls and spiders, he slipped up, and death was upon him - what seemed like nine trolls tearing apart his steel armor and slamming into his chest, his ribs...Death was close, until he heard it. A wolfish roar. A large, furry...thing came charging from the cave's entrance, and even as the trolls fled, it leapt after them with beast-like grace. A werewolf. It made quick work, and it changed back, becoming a nude woman in only her breeches. Vaynce was enamored, and that night, was a night of passion. When he awoken, the female had invited him back to her home - The Companions. They had heard of him, and he was welcomed with open arms, eventually moving up in ranks to become their new Harbinger, at the age of twenty. He became a Werewolf, but rejected the invitation for Harbinger, not wanting the ties it would bring him. Life continued on, and eventually, battle happened, people died. It was his wife; the same one that saved his life two years ago. She had been attacked by Forsworn, and killed in cold blood. That night, he snapped, throwing away the condolences and ravaging the country side - unstoppable. He dashed into that place, and tore...shit...up. More then fifty deaths happened that night, the nighttime darkness and surprise allowing him to kill swaths of the bastards before they even knew a beast was upon them. Even as he changed back into his human form, he smoothly unsheathed his two blades and was upon them like a cyclone of snarls and roars, steel whistling as he decapitated, eviscerated, and dominated. This was the marking of his solitary life, and he never loved again, becoming a distant, powerful ally to the Companions; he no longer stayed there. They were still loyal, and he to them, but he lived in the cold, unforgiving mountains of Skyrim, no one seeing his face in any towns, only if he went in for a resupply of necessities; smithing, cooking, alchemy - he did it all on the road. Mercenary life became his life for the next six years; he was like a mystery, appearing in different locations to take out threats that no one else had the gall to. Giants, dragons, bandit encampments, Forsworn, Vampires...they all fell to his blade. Life stayed the same for him. He never took sides in the plenty wars that happened, only cutting people down when they acted aggressive with him, or innocent folks. The Slayer remained, and still is, a staple in today's history, being a previous villain, to a rather intimidating and scary mercenary that enjoys his meat raw. Other Cheese is not complete without milk. He has a pet wolf-bear; Yes, a wolf-bear. A bear bred with a wolf, creating a creature that has the large, bulky, and muscular body of a bear, but with a wolf's sharpness and head. It's called 'Fang'.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma kept on running and running, until the orange light of her former village disappeared, Asuma felt.....drained, the adrenaline she had earlier had ran out, feelings came to Asumas mind, about her parents, Sadness had smashed her like a tidal wave hit the sand, quick, and leaving a mark forever, she found a tree, just a lone tree in the middle, she walked up to it, well, more like. Limped up to it. and sat down, she didn't want to keep moving, why would she have too anyways? she already fought, She'd ran for miles. her dad would accept it if she gave up... she pulled out her sword from her Stealth, aiming it at her stomach, the cold metal of the sword was right at her chest, she didn't give up yet, but she would, closing her eyes. she dropped the blade at her side, a tiny clank sound could be heard from the slim metal thing, she laid back on the Rough wooden tree, Sleeping, she wasn't quitting, her father would have died for nothing, so would her mother. but now, she was just going to lie down for a bit.</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg The large Nord turned from the fire to face the Argonain woman, standing to greet the merchant, and brought his fist to his chest, a simple salute, but appropriate for one who lead men and mer. His men followed his example, saluting the newcomers, before resting their hands at their sides, ready to draw their weapons if anything should go wrong. Brannus looked over the Argonian who matched his great height, sizing up the many curves and contours of her body, he had to admit, rather stunning, confidence was always attractive. "I am Brannus, I take it you are Walks-In-Light? Its a pleasure to finally meet you. Now, if you'll just follow me, my men are waiting with the goods I promised." It was a short walk back to the carriage, a far enough way that it would not be noticed or actively pursued by the local authorities. Motioning for the Orc and Redguard to move aside, the warlord pulls the tarp from the cart, revealing piles of pelts, venison, jewels, jewelry, and all manner of pilfered wines,goods, and other necessities. Opposite these more typical goods, was a small pile of bodies, toppled upon one another in various stages of mutilation, decay, and composure. "Browse my wares, there's plenty of fresh water, drink, and meat to provide you and your crew with more than enough provisions."</s>	<\|message\|>Vaynce the Slayer; surname unknown. A tall, muscular man in armor made of bone and fur sat at the bar, his shoulders lowered and head facing downwards. Even in the inconspicuous position, one could see burning amber eyes narrowed at the wooden table in front of him. "Whiskey. Fire." His low, deep, and gruff voice growled out, sounding like it belonged more to a wolf than an actual Nord. The bartender - a female lass by the name of Mildred - nearly jumped, but thankfully kept her composure. The man hadn't spoken at all to her before, only walking in and taking a seat. He had been sitting there for at least half an hour, simply cleaning his blades before writing in a small tablet, before finally ordering. He was a startling Nord. "Right away!" She affirmed. Vaynce watched her mix the strong liquid, amber eyes drinking in the scene before he released a low hum and sat back. His business in Winterhold was simple; the innkeeper had given him a bounty some of the Jarl's men had left lying about, and it was to take out Skull's Creek - a cave nearby, holding an ample amount of cave-bears. Simple and easy. As if reading his thought, Fang, from where it had been resting by the fire, stood up and released a mighty yawn.</s>
<\|description\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak Ex-Legionnaire/Sellsword Orc Warrior Male 37 years Personality: Murkan is short-tempered and sullen, preferring to cleave Man, Mer, or beasts in half rather than talking situations out, and to act rather than to ponder. Being raised in a stronghold, he was brought up to believe in bringing honor to him and his family. He'd rather die with honor than to fight and live as a coward. He has a sort of distaste to outsiders, those from outside the Imperial Legion and his stronghold, and comes off as wary to them. He also has a stronger and more violent distaste towards those whom dabble in the schools of magic, believing they are cowards and less honorable. Height: 5' 9" Weight: 202 lb Weapons: Orcish Battleaxe, 2x steel daggers Bio: Born in one of the strongholds of Skyrim, Murkan grew up learning the ways of the orcish smith, the ways of the warrior and the "Code of Malacath". Most of his life was confined inside the wooden palisades of the stronghold. One of his seven brothers and himself were destined to challenge their father, the Chieftain, in order to succeed leadership. Murkan had no desire to become chieftain and strayed away from the squabbles of his other siblings. When the Stormcloak Rebellion raged out, Murkan was one of the several brothers who went to join the Imperial Legion. Murkan had his own influences. He desired for adventure and to prove himself as a capable warrior to Malacath, hoping to gain favor. He also heard that the Stormcloak leader, Ulfric Stormcloak, used his magical voice to murder the High King Torygg, which Murkan viewed as a cowardice act. Murkan was sent to the front lines, along with one of his other brothers. They were encamped with around thirty other men. They endured cold days and even colder nights, lurking wildlife, and the looming threat of Stormcloak soldiers. During one of the coldest nights, Stormcloak troops snuck past look-outs that were stationed around the camp. It was a downright slaughter. Murkan came back from gathering firewood to watch as his brothers and comrades were slaughtered in their sleep. He let out of a bloodcurdling roar, which woke up the soldiers who weren't being gutted. They quickly gathered together to repel the attack. Murkan charged a duo of archers with his brother's battleaxe. He tore them apart before setting upon the rest of the Stormcloaks. Murkan and his band of the tired and wounded managed to send the Stormcloaks back to the depths of the night. When morning arose, only the frozen bloodied bodies of the fallen remained. Murkan and the rest had to move back and join up with another unit to maintain full strength. Later in the day, Murkan received word that some of his other brothers died in similar attacks to the one he experienced. By the time Murkan had joined the war, it had soonly ended. The Stormcloak had taken Solitude and Castle Dour, the Fourth Legion that was stationed in Skyrim had crumbled. Word was spread that the Stormcloak had won. Instead of retreating with the rest of the Imperial Legion, Murkan shed his soldier's clothing and took up arms as a sellsword. For years after the war, Murkan worked for Jarls, merchants, noble families, anyone who could afford him. He preferred working alone, using his brute strength to get the job done. He knew he could work all over, gaining vast amounts of wealth, but he could never get the will to leave Skyrim, as if something was keeping him there. Other: Has armor as shown in image above.</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light Walks-In-Light stood at the front of her ship, looking over her gathered crew members. Her ship, The Cliff Racer, bobbed and swayed with the low waves of Winterhold's shoddily constructed harbor, a wooden dock connected to a steep wooden staircase that ascended the cliff face. It looked much older than it was, her few inquiries suggesting that it had been built in the last decade. The crew, a scruffy mix of Nords and Saxheel, or Argonians in the more common tongue, as well as a small minority of Dunmer and the occasional Redguard, stood half expectantly, the weathered crew still shivering at the bitter winds of this desolate colony. "Now, I understand you're complaints about the lack of... services in this town. But, it is out of my control. I was asked to negotiate with an 'independent trader,' who felt that he could not trust the security of a larger hold. We also have a need to restock, and while Windhelm has a much greater selection, we need provisions to last us in a trip to Solstheim and back to the open oceans, and it is apparent many of you cannot stomach Dunmer staples," she said, mildly discontented murmuring escalating as people complained about the lack of decent mead and the fact they'd be eating Horker meat for days. Silencing her crew with a loud hiss, she continued. "Now, we shall not be here long. I'm taking the first mate and... you four," she said, picking out three Nords and a Dunmer crewman. "You'll come with me. The rest of you... make sure everything is in good condition. Sit around for all I care. I'll need some of you for carrying goods." With that conclusive statement the crew grumbled into motion, and a weathered Redguard stepped up to her. "The crew's going to have trouble focusing for a week, aye Cap'n?" he said mischievously. The crewman she had noted walked towards the captain, keeping a respectable distance. Walks-In-Light eyed her first mate with a degree of mock exasperation. "Canis, you could be on the ocean floor if this was an Imperial vessel. Come on, we're heading to the tavern for this meeting," she said, gesturing to her entourage to follow her down the gangplank and up the stairs towards the city. Canis caught up to his captain with due haste. "So what's really going on?" he asked, with a mild grin. "Some bandit king from Falkreath hold. Looking to move some goods. I'm thinking Vvardenfel is our best bet in getting them out of our hands," she said, ascending the steps with a noticeable caution, a layer of ice and snow covering the surface. Canis nodded silently, and they reached the town with tired legs. They entered the tavern in a generally undramatic manner, and approached the group of men who looked out of place by the fire place, approaching the man who looked most in charge, steel plate shining with a dull light under his layers of furs. "Would you happen to be Brannus?"</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma kept on running and running, until the orange light of her former village disappeared, Asuma felt.....drained, the adrenaline she had earlier had ran out, feelings came to Asumas mind, about her parents, Sadness had smashed her like a tidal wave hit the sand, quick, and leaving a mark forever, she found a tree, just a lone tree in the middle, she walked up to it, well, more like. Limped up to it. and sat down, she didn't want to keep moving, why would she have too anyways? she already fought, She'd ran for miles. her dad would accept it if she gave up... she pulled out her sword from her Stealth, aiming it at her stomach, the cold metal of the sword was right at her chest, she didn't give up yet, but she would, closing her eyes. she dropped the blade at her side, a tiny clank sound could be heard from the slim metal thing, she laid back on the Rough wooden tree, Sleeping, she wasn't quitting, her father would have died for nothing, so would her mother. but now, she was just going to lie down for a bit.</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg The large Nord turned from the fire to face the Argonain woman, standing to greet the merchant, and brought his fist to his chest, a simple salute, but appropriate for one who lead men and mer. His men followed his example, saluting the newcomers, before resting their hands at their sides, ready to draw their weapons if anything should go wrong. Brannus looked over the Argonian who matched his great height, sizing up the many curves and contours of her body, he had to admit, rather stunning, confidence was always attractive. "I am Brannus, I take it you are Walks-In-Light? Its a pleasure to finally meet you. Now, if you'll just follow me, my men are waiting with the goods I promised." It was a short walk back to the carriage, a far enough way that it would not be noticed or actively pursued by the local authorities. Motioning for the Orc and Redguard to move aside, the warlord pulls the tarp from the cart, revealing piles of pelts, venison, jewels, jewelry, and all manner of pilfered wines,goods, and other necessities. Opposite these more typical goods, was a small pile of bodies, toppled upon one another in various stages of mutilation, decay, and composure. "Browse my wares, there's plenty of fresh water, drink, and meat to provide you and your crew with more than enough provisions."</s> <\|message\|>Vaynce the Slayer; surname unknown. A tall, muscular man in armor made of bone and fur sat at the bar, his shoulders lowered and head facing downwards. Even in the inconspicuous position, one could see burning amber eyes narrowed at the wooden table in front of him. "Whiskey. Fire." His low, deep, and gruff voice growled out, sounding like it belonged more to a wolf than an actual Nord. The bartender - a female lass by the name of Mildred - nearly jumped, but thankfully kept her composure. The man hadn't spoken at all to her before, only walking in and taking a seat. He had been sitting there for at least half an hour, simply cleaning his blades before writing in a small tablet, before finally ordering. He was a startling Nord. "Right away!" She affirmed. Vaynce watched her mix the strong liquid, amber eyes drinking in the scene before he released a low hum and sat back. His business in Winterhold was simple; the innkeeper had given him a bounty some of the Jarl's men had left lying about, and it was to take out Skull's Creek - a cave nearby, holding an ample amount of cave-bears. Simple and easy. As if reading his thought, Fang, from where it had been resting by the fire, stood up and released a mighty yawn.</s>	<\|message\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak The wind howled and screeched as snow was blanketing the view ahead. The fact it was night made it only worse. The threat of wolves and other wildlife was ever prevalent, along with the fact there was no light to guide the way. The moon didn't seem to exist at that moment. The path ahead was covered with knee high amount of snow. The darkness made it hard to see where the cliff was. "Orc, it's so damn cold. I can barely feel my fingers." A Breton merchant cried out. Murkan grunted an affirmative response. "Does this weather not affect you, Orc?" The young Breton asked. Murkan ignored the question and continued forth, braving the elements. The Breton's father hired Murkan to escort and protect his son, along with a cart full of assortment of goods. The pay was to be negotiated upon arrival, and gold was at a shortage for Murkan so he had no choice but to accept the terms. It was several nights from Markarth, their starting point. The Breton hugged himself with his fur coat, riding on the cart as a duo of horses pulled it, leaving Murkan to travel by foot. "Weather is not what worries me, Breton. Your four-legged beasts are attracting attention." Murkan finally spoke, the air was so cold that his words froze as he said. "What are you talking about, Orc? There is only us." The Breton stuttered while he tried to mock. Murkan turned his head, as if he was addressing what attention was being drawn. The man only saw the vastness of darkness and snow. The Mer's eyes followed small shadows that danced around them. "Wolves." Murkan has watched the beasts track them since the storm began. He knew that the wolves sensed that the horses were getting tired and if they didn't reach the "safety" of Winterhold, the wolves would be upon them soon. It seemed as if the horses figured out what was happening too, they moved quicker, forcing Murkan to quicken his pace to stay along side the cart. Murkan gave only a slight grin that was hidden by his helmet. As they got closer, if night and the storm weren't upon them, the duo would've been able to see the College of Winterhold and the village it casted its' shadow over. They could see fragments of light fight through the darkness. "We are there, Orc. We shall rest at the tavern and then in the morning, we discuss how well you did." The Breton managed to smile through the wind. A dark outlined loomed over the duo, to both of them it was obvious it was the College. As they entered town, they could see how small it really was. Murkan had never been to Winterhold before, his distaste towards mages and magic made it an unacceptable place to go to, until now. As the Breton rode his cart into a narrow space, Murkan looked around. There were few shops, a tavern, and the Jarl's longhouse. "The chests are locked, and I don't expect anyone to try to carry them away during this storm." The Breton tuck a small box into his coat and pointed towards the tavern. "What of the horses?" Murkan asked. The Breton shrugged, "Father can always get more." and with that the duo entered the tavern. Warmth wafted over them, Murkan was silently relieved that they finally arrived. The Breton was quick to make his relief public. "Ah, time to let these fingers thaw and down some mead to really help with the warmth." Murkan ignored his companion's comment yet again, his eyes went over the patrons of the tavern. He noticed what seemed to be an Argonian and a rather large Nord speaking to each other. Another rather large Nord was at the bar, peering at the table before him. A houndish beast laid near the fire. The Breton called Murkan over to a small table in the corner, where the fire casted very little light, whom quickly joined the merchant who was already ordering up cups of mead for the both of them. "With these goods, Father shall be pleased, maybe he will let me take care of the family business while he is away." Murkan gave a quick frown, then proceeded to bring the Nordic swill to his lips. It tasted awful, but the feeling afterwards made the tips of his ears warm. The Orc downed it while the Breton took his sweet time. "So, Orc." The Breton set down his mead. "What were you doing in Markarth at the time?" Murkan's memory casted him back. At that time, he was busy with helping clear out Dwemer machines that were uncovered in a new part of Nchuand-Zel. The Breton continued to wait for the Orc to respond. "Murkan was helping in the Dwarven ruins." he finally responded. The merchant's eyebrows raised sarcastically as he brought the cup to his mouth. Murkan was getting annoyed with this Merchant's son, he wanted his coin and then to leave Winterhold.</s>
<\|description\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak Ex-Legionnaire/Sellsword Orc Warrior Male 37 years Personality: Murkan is short-tempered and sullen, preferring to cleave Man, Mer, or beasts in half rather than talking situations out, and to act rather than to ponder. Being raised in a stronghold, he was brought up to believe in bringing honor to him and his family. He'd rather die with honor than to fight and live as a coward. He has a sort of distaste to outsiders, those from outside the Imperial Legion and his stronghold, and comes off as wary to them. He also has a stronger and more violent distaste towards those whom dabble in the schools of magic, believing they are cowards and less honorable. Height: 5' 9" Weight: 202 lb Weapons: Orcish Battleaxe, 2x steel daggers Bio: Born in one of the strongholds of Skyrim, Murkan grew up learning the ways of the orcish smith, the ways of the warrior and the "Code of Malacath". Most of his life was confined inside the wooden palisades of the stronghold. One of his seven brothers and himself were destined to challenge their father, the Chieftain, in order to succeed leadership. Murkan had no desire to become chieftain and strayed away from the squabbles of his other siblings. When the Stormcloak Rebellion raged out, Murkan was one of the several brothers who went to join the Imperial Legion. Murkan had his own influences. He desired for adventure and to prove himself as a capable warrior to Malacath, hoping to gain favor. He also heard that the Stormcloak leader, Ulfric Stormcloak, used his magical voice to murder the High King Torygg, which Murkan viewed as a cowardice act. Murkan was sent to the front lines, along with one of his other brothers. They were encamped with around thirty other men. They endured cold days and even colder nights, lurking wildlife, and the looming threat of Stormcloak soldiers. During one of the coldest nights, Stormcloak troops snuck past look-outs that were stationed around the camp. It was a downright slaughter. Murkan came back from gathering firewood to watch as his brothers and comrades were slaughtered in their sleep. He let out of a bloodcurdling roar, which woke up the soldiers who weren't being gutted. They quickly gathered together to repel the attack. Murkan charged a duo of archers with his brother's battleaxe. He tore them apart before setting upon the rest of the Stormcloaks. Murkan and his band of the tired and wounded managed to send the Stormcloaks back to the depths of the night. When morning arose, only the frozen bloodied bodies of the fallen remained. Murkan and the rest had to move back and join up with another unit to maintain full strength. Later in the day, Murkan received word that some of his other brothers died in similar attacks to the one he experienced. By the time Murkan had joined the war, it had soonly ended. The Stormcloak had taken Solitude and Castle Dour, the Fourth Legion that was stationed in Skyrim had crumbled. Word was spread that the Stormcloak had won. Instead of retreating with the rest of the Imperial Legion, Murkan shed his soldier's clothing and took up arms as a sellsword. For years after the war, Murkan worked for Jarls, merchants, noble families, anyone who could afford him. He preferred working alone, using his brute strength to get the job done. He knew he could work all over, gaining vast amounts of wealth, but he could never get the will to leave Skyrim, as if something was keeping him there. Other: Has armor as shown in image above.</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn She seemed as if she paid no mind at all to the squabble behind her, which ended just as swift as it began with a few heavy blows, yet it wasn't easy to ignore a typical bar-room tussle as this. When at first the drunken braggart did swagger and sway about the lowly tavern, Tarja was already anticipating a fight to commence, one hand casually rested upon the table clutched around her tankard of spiced ale while the other was discreetly yet vigilantly held over her steel dagger, should she have to draw it and give it a quick plunge into the bastard Nord's neck. Luckily, no violence had to follow from the Forsworn woman, because if it were her having to join the fray, that drunken buffoon would be bleeding from more than a busted nose and mouth. With a gruff sigh, she merely scowled to herself thinking of what a fool the Nord made of his self in front of everyone, yet a smirk at how the other dealt with him, so brash, so brutal and unrestrained...well slightly restrained actually. A common attitude of someone carrying...wolfblood in their veins. Tarja sighed again and downed the last of her ale, clattering her tankard against the stout, pinewood table, which garnered the attention of the barmaid Mildred. "Can I get you anything else, lass?", with a sweet chime she asked the Forsworn. Tarja only glanced at her with a pair of hardened eyes, empty eyes practically void of any emotion at all, and shook her head quietly before Mildred gathered her tankard and whisked herself away feeling a tad nervous of the slightly taller woman. She stood from her table giving a stretch and cracking a few bones in her neck before turning around, inadvertently facing the victor of the brawl. Vaynce was his name, as given roughly by his own voice to the drunk left bleeding and out cold on the wooden floors of the tavern, small plits of red here and there from where his teeth were caved in on the spruce planks. Tarja looked at him for a moment, shaping him up it seemed. He was a burly lad for sure, a physique worthy of Ysmir himself, yet Tarja could sense, even feel from a few paces away the ferocity oozing from his pores in such a foreboding aura, well...foreboding to some. Then, just for once did the woman's lips part, and soon she spoke, low, almost inaudible, and with a heaviness to her voice, "You fight with the strength of Ysgramor, Companion." He outed himself to the woman, easy to tell he was of the Companions. Tarja only knew of them from her travels of Skyrim, having stopped in Whiterun for a night of rest and hearing from Hulda of the Bannered Mare of the mighty Companions and their Harbinger, a powerful and noble warrior. Jorrvaskr where they made their home, the mead hall atop the hill of stone leading to the Skyforge, where the fires blazed hotter than the steam billows of the Rift. Yet, what she also heard was talk of how the Silver Hand once led an attack on Jorrvaskr, claiming the life of the former Harbinger, a Kodlak Whitemane. From there, Tarja just put two and two together. Only a particular reason they'd gain the ire of those worthless buffoons with their fancy swords. Tarja sat beside Vaynce at the bar, her eyes forward with a distant gaze elsewhere while she spoke, "Wasn't expecting to run into the finest warriors of Whiterun here in Winterhold. Long way from home, aren't you?"</s> <\|message\|>Keldir A strong blizzard was sweeping through the frozen forests of the north just outside of Winterhold, something Keldir had forced himself to try to get used t through his travels but had never managed to get over it, so being in the harshest place in skyrim during a blizzard was not the most pleasant experience for Keldir. "Damm this frozen waste" Keldir said to himself as he pulled his hood down even further while trying to navigate through the icy wind and ground deep with snow "If there are no books worth my time here im going to sink the rest of that dammed town into the sea" he said bitterly for the last few years he had not come across any books worth his time which only added to his irratble state as he thought about it as he marched on. After a few more hours of trekking through the snow, Keldir saw a stream of blue light coming out of the ground, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him at first but sure enough as he got closer he saw the great stone beast that was supposedly the College of Winterhold, the only reason to come to Skyrim and even then it wasnt a very good one. Keldir marched further down the hill towards the town until he reached the gates of the College. A young elven woman greeted him and after explaining for what he had come for and a rather grandioese display of magic, Keldir breathed a sigh of relief as he was allowed in. Keldir, now unsure where to go exactly as the elven woman had given him no directions, looked around for someone to give him some. Keldir spotted a young man sitting in the courtyard and approached him "Greetings, would you be able to give me directions by any chance?"</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma opened her eyes and gotten back up off of the cold dirty ground near the tree, picking up her stuff she pulled out her map, the map was much like the notes in her fathers basement, old and crusty, the air was cold, but there wasn't any snow too her surprise she was actually closer to whiterun than she thought, infact she was almost next too it, just a few miles, Asuma ran to the north, following the map, soon tiny white snowflakes fell to the ground, soon the entire ground was snow. Thank the empire for boots Asuma should feel cold, but she didn't really, maybe the armor was doing something or she was just simply, not cold, Hours passed, about 5 and she saw the distant ruin of a village in the distance, she felt a bit disappointed, her father always told her about whiterun, about the college of mages and the city. But the village was pretty much a wreckage except for a single store, town hall, and a bar The sky was gray with snow clouds and the bar was small and wooden, she walked up to it and opened the bar, the atmosphere changed as quick as a jackrabbit running across a hill, the bar had a tense atmosphere, like a fight was about to breakout, but at the same time a happy Atmosphere Asuma pulled out her map, she noticed the map led straight to the Bar, whats so damn important about a bar?! wait a minute, she noticed a Orc, a Forswornish girl, a guy with big black hair and pretty much, almost everyone her note mentioned, it was like her father meant for her to be there, at that time</s>	<\|message\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak "You're so interesting for an Orc, where did y-" The Breton was cut short, a drunken Nord was about to topple on them, until another one grabbed the drunk by the throat. What happened next was rather interesting. The drunk was swung about and ended up on the ground. The other one was bending down over the defeated man. "Name's Vaynce." the Nord said. "Go get a room. Long night." Murkan said to his employer. So the Breton went over to the bar and sat down, waiting for Mildred to come back. Murkan continued to look at the man before him. "Pathetic...weak.." He mumbled. Embry must have heard the Orc ridicule him,"Shove off, you pig." The man said through what was left of his teeth. Murkan frowned and ignored the man, he walked over the man and to the merchant. "Makin' friends are we Orc?" The Breton chuckled. Mildred finally came back. Murkan noticed the barmaiden give a few quick looks at the Nord who seemed to end some of her disguist, and a lass who was talking to the Nord. The lass was quite the specimen, she was rather tall, taller than some of the men-patrons who were in the tavern. She was also somewhat built, not a rare sight on a Nordic women, but impressive nonetheless. The pair of Nords seemed to have a type of aura about them that the Orc couldn't quite figure out. The Breton ordered up around for himself and the Orc, yet again. Murkan was silently slamming his mead whilst his companion was trying to interrogate him. "Like I was saying, where did ya come from, Orc? You from out of Skyrim?" The Breton peered from behind his cup. "Murkan thinks you ask too many questions, Breton. Drink more, talk less." Murkan stamped that with a slam of his cup, signifying it was empty. Mildred came over to get him more, he put his hand over the cup, signifying he didn't want anymore. The Breton continued on, asking questions and annoying the Orc as much as he could.</s>
<\|description\|>Keldir Occupation: Exile, Traveller, and a Court Wizard from time to time. Race: Altmer Class: Mage (Destruction, Conjuration, Thaumaturgy, Alteration) Gender: Male Age: 102 (Elves can naturally love from 200-300. It has also been known for powerful wizards to live even longer) Attitude: Once rash and arrogant, when Keldir was a young man he saw everyone as a inferior, unable to match him in the arcane, he especially looked on those who were not the same race as himself with the greatest disdain. But through his travels and exposure to the new lands and people he has become more tolerant to new ideas and customs. Furthermore he has even become a little friendlier albeit still reserved, often too deep in thought to focus on the happenings around him. Despite his travels, however he still thinks most people are dimwitted fools incapable of appreciating the world of the arcane. Hair Color/Style: Blonde, long and flowing Eye Color: Purple Height: 6'0 Weight: 130 lbs Weapons: Staff of Storm Atronach, Magic Items: Boots of Fortify Health, Hood and Robes of Magika Regeneration, Ring of Fortify Magika, Amulet if Forify Magika Interesting facts/bio: Keldir had always shown a affinity for the arcane but he was always drawn to the forrbidden and sometimes lost schools of Magicka, usually for good reason. It was not long before He found himself dabbling in ancient arts long forgotten by society. He locked himself in his study and with each day passing his power grew. Rumours began to spread about the strange lights and sounds coming from Keldirs study and soon enough he was being investigated by the authorities. The investigators easily managed to uncover the forbidden magics he was practicing as the unexpecting Keldir had not hidden his work. With a few strings pulled by the few family members who still stood by him Keldir only had to spend a few days in prison and was granted exile. Since then he has roamed the continent, working in the courts of several kings but never staying for long as his thirst for knowledge always drives him on. While he has been in Exile the Thalmor have come to power in Summerset and they have begun to recruit exiles who wronged society and were once renowned in their chosen school. It will not be long before they find Keldir Cheese for everyone! Or at least those who can match Keldir in skill.</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "Ah. My thanks. I'll take this in account for the bargaining. Now, onto the goods themselves. The 'research material' might not be viable on the market. The ride to Vvardenfel means those will probably be Bosmer leftovers by the time we make it to port. The rest interests me more. There's a bunch of newly rich men in Vvardenfel who are sick of ash yams and saltrice and swaddling themselves in layers of linen to keep warm in the more dusty and desolate regions. They could use some furs and Nordic wines and real, red blooded meat rather than the pickings of some beetle. Jewelry will always sell, and the father we get it from Skyrim the better I'm able to price it considering the circumstances. Now, if you're screwing me you're not moving any goods out of Falkreath until the next Era, so if you have any goods that may not be up to snuff I'd ask that you point them out to me. Then we can get to work. It's too damn cold to be standing around out here anyways," Walks-In-Light noted, lightly ruffling through the takings through a gloved hand. Canis looked on with interest and perhaps mild revulsion, the dead bodies not being an olfactory pleasure for anyone involved. The crewman correctly stood a good distance back and attempted to listen to as little as possible.</s> <\|message\|>Vaynce the Slayer; surname unknown. It had only taken the barmaiden a few seconds to completely mix the strong liquid, and Vaynce accepted it with a large, calloused hand, the large mug feeling cold against his naturally warm skin. The sound of the tavern's door opening caused him to glance over with only his eyes, his head still facing the counter as his abnormally strong nose sucked in the scent of the burning fire whiskey. An Orc in commendable armor walked in with what appeared to be a regular Breton merchant. Probably a sell-sword, the Orc was. He appeared competent and strong enough for the job, and his hardy armor and rough form would shade him away from the cold winter. Satisfied with his observation, Vaynce returned his gaze to his cup. "'Scuse me lass," A snivelly, yet deep voice croaked nearby. A drunken man - A Nord, most-likely - had stumbled into the tavern, and immediately was fixed on the rather attractive barmaiden. The man was tall and bulky, like quite a lot of his race, and had fiery red hair and a salt-and-pepper beard; putting him around his mid to late 30s. An iron war-axe was strapped to his side, and otherwise, he wore a regular green tunic, pants, and a furred coat that looked to be made of goat-hide. A regular worker or miner. "Can you be gettin' me som' of 'at fiiiiine ale?" As he spoke, the man had collapsed onto the chair beside Vaynce, some of his bulk leaning against the quiet Werewolf. Ignoring the feeling of anger, Vaynce merely returned to his drink, although his ears were now on the conversation. "Y-Yes, sir." Mildred murmured shyly, barely contained disgust in her warm honey irises. It was obvious that the drunken man had been eyeing her rather exposed cleavage as he said those words, and she knew what he was talking about. Vaynce hated men like that; perverse men that had nothing to do but to get drunk and bother other people. He took another gulp of his whiskey, loving how it burned all the way down into the pit of his gut. Good stuff. "So, what's yer name, stranger?" Damn it. Vaynce didn't respond, opting to simply sit his mug down and stare into the amber liquid. Don't get mad. Don't get mad. Of course, the Wolf inside of him was howling, and Vaynce needed the stress relief before leaving Winterhold. A fist-fight would do him good. "Yer not going to tell me yer name?!" The drunken man slammed his hairy fist down near his whiskey, sending the mug falling onto the warm wooden floor. Vaynce calmly took off his gauntlets. The man had one more time, before actually beating his ass would be justified, and wouldn't get him in trouble with the law. He didn't really feel like cutting down good men today. The barmaiden, apparently knowing where this was going, sat down the mug of ale with a small smile and wink. Good. Embry, as expected, grabbed the mug and tried to throw the cold liquid in Vaynce's face...as expected. His fists now bare, Vaynce lashed his wrist upwards, slamming it into the mug before it could tip over. It went flying into the fire, sending a gout of flame into the air, and also alerting Fang - whom promptly stood up on two feet, towering over some of the occupants near him. It roared, as Embry took a step back and readied his fists. "Let's go, wise guy!" Vaynce still hadn't talked. Smoothly standing, the Slayer immediately blasted forward with a haymaker that sent Embry flying back with a broken, bloodied nose and lip - but, Vaynce grabbed him by the neck before he could fall onto the Orc and Breton duo that had just entered. With brutal ease, he swung Embry over-head, slamming the slightly shorter Nord deep into the wooden floor. Eat those splinters. The Slayer bent down. "Name's Vaynce." He growled lowly, into Embry's ear, so that only Embry and anyone nearby could hear. A pained groan accompanied his name reveal. With a disgusted snort, Vaynce sat back down at the bar, giving the barmaiden a head incline and an apologetic grimace. "A few septims for the trouble." Vaynce spoke quietly, lying a hefty pouch down on the counter. With a smile and a 'Thank You', Mildred skipped off to help other customers.</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn She seemed as if she paid no mind at all to the squabble behind her, which ended just as swift as it began with a few heavy blows, yet it wasn't easy to ignore a typical bar-room tussle as this. When at first the drunken braggart did swagger and sway about the lowly tavern, Tarja was already anticipating a fight to commence, one hand casually rested upon the table clutched around her tankard of spiced ale while the other was discreetly yet vigilantly held over her steel dagger, should she have to draw it and give it a quick plunge into the bastard Nord's neck. Luckily, no violence had to follow from the Forsworn woman, because if it were her having to join the fray, that drunken buffoon would be bleeding from more than a busted nose and mouth. With a gruff sigh, she merely scowled to herself thinking of what a fool the Nord made of his self in front of everyone, yet a smirk at how the other dealt with him, so brash, so brutal and unrestrained...well slightly restrained actually. A common attitude of someone carrying...wolfblood in their veins. Tarja sighed again and downed the last of her ale, clattering her tankard against the stout, pinewood table, which garnered the attention of the barmaid Mildred. "Can I get you anything else, lass?", with a sweet chime she asked the Forsworn. Tarja only glanced at her with a pair of hardened eyes, empty eyes practically void of any emotion at all, and shook her head quietly before Mildred gathered her tankard and whisked herself away feeling a tad nervous of the slightly taller woman. She stood from her table giving a stretch and cracking a few bones in her neck before turning around, inadvertently facing the victor of the brawl. Vaynce was his name, as given roughly by his own voice to the drunk left bleeding and out cold on the wooden floors of the tavern, small plits of red here and there from where his teeth were caved in on the spruce planks. Tarja looked at him for a moment, shaping him up it seemed. He was a burly lad for sure, a physique worthy of Ysmir himself, yet Tarja could sense, even feel from a few paces away the ferocity oozing from his pores in such a foreboding aura, well...foreboding to some. Then, just for once did the woman's lips part, and soon she spoke, low, almost inaudible, and with a heaviness to her voice, "You fight with the strength of Ysgramor, Companion." He outed himself to the woman, easy to tell he was of the Companions. Tarja only knew of them from her travels of Skyrim, having stopped in Whiterun for a night of rest and hearing from Hulda of the Bannered Mare of the mighty Companions and their Harbinger, a powerful and noble warrior. Jorrvaskr where they made their home, the mead hall atop the hill of stone leading to the Skyforge, where the fires blazed hotter than the steam billows of the Rift. Yet, what she also heard was talk of how the Silver Hand once led an attack on Jorrvaskr, claiming the life of the former Harbinger, a Kodlak Whitemane. From there, Tarja just put two and two together. Only a particular reason they'd gain the ire of those worthless buffoons with their fancy swords. Tarja sat beside Vaynce at the bar, her eyes forward with a distant gaze elsewhere while she spoke, "Wasn't expecting to run into the finest warriors of Whiterun here in Winterhold. Long way from home, aren't you?"</s>	<\|message\|>Keldir A strong blizzard was sweeping through the frozen forests of the north just outside of Winterhold, something Keldir had forced himself to try to get used t through his travels but had never managed to get over it, so being in the harshest place in skyrim during a blizzard was not the most pleasant experience for Keldir. "Damm this frozen waste" Keldir said to himself as he pulled his hood down even further while trying to navigate through the icy wind and ground deep with snow "If there are no books worth my time here im going to sink the rest of that dammed town into the sea" he said bitterly for the last few years he had not come across any books worth his time which only added to his irratble state as he thought about it as he marched on. After a few more hours of trekking through the snow, Keldir saw a stream of blue light coming out of the ground, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him at first but sure enough as he got closer he saw the great stone beast that was supposedly the College of Winterhold, the only reason to come to Skyrim and even then it wasnt a very good one. Keldir marched further down the hill towards the town until he reached the gates of the College. A young elven woman greeted him and after explaining for what he had come for and a rather grandioese display of magic, Keldir breathed a sigh of relief as he was allowed in. Keldir, now unsure where to go exactly as the elven woman had given him no directions, looked around for someone to give him some. Keldir spotted a young man sitting in the courtyard and approached him "Greetings, would you be able to give me directions by any chance?"</s>
<\|description\|>Sha The rest of my team: Gender: male Species: Houndoom Level: 74 Side: Trained Description: Sha has been with Lucas since right the start, as Lucas' starter Sha was the one he used to rescue Zarkju. Sha and Zarkju have a friendship that can not be broken, because of this bond Sha is never far behind from Zarkju and Lucas. Name: Poof Gender: Female Species: Dragonair Level: 73 Side: Trained Description: Poof was found by Lucas and Sha right before Zarkju became part of Lucas' team. She hatched a few days after Zarkju was rescued. She was an extremely cute Dratini, and she has kept that cuteness. Name: Carl Gender: Male Species: Lucario Level: 72 Side:Trained Description: Carl was trained by Jean Claud in secret. When Lucas fond out he instantly made Carl part of his team. Using his ability to sense aura's Carl helps Lucas discover who he should help and who he should fight. Name: Ming Gender: Female Species: Pangoro Level:71 Side:Trained Description: Ming is a Pangoro that Sha and Carl saved from a Revo camp. Lucas and Poof nursed her back to health and she had owed Lucas her life, but he would not allow her to give her life to him. He let her free, but she stayed and helped Lucas knowing that he would appreciate it. Name:Jean Claud Gender: Male Species: Zangoose Level:74 Side:Trained Description: Jean was Lucas third Pokemon. Before Poof was born or hatched Lucas found Jean on the road trying to rob people. Now Lucas beliefs in second chances, so after stopping Jeans robbing spree he used Jean to aid him in helping people.</s> <\|message\|>Sha "I smell fear around here, from something small a..., Pichu if I'm not mistaken. Boss?" Sha looks at Lucas waiting for an answer,"Yes find them and bring it back here I think it might be a friend of the Zoroark over there." Sha quickly heads in the direction of the Pichu he smelled quickly followed by Carl silent as ever.</s> <\|message\|>Ventus Serph smirks, amused by how cautious they are around him. "My name is Serph..it's an honor to be considered a threat in front of a group of your prestige..considering I'm currently outnumbered, I'd rather not fight right now. More importantly, I would be putting my friends in danger if I were to battle you here...one stray attack and it would be lights out for just about anyone. Anyhow, in regards to the music you speak of, my partner is indeed in possession of the remaining Poké-flutes in existence. They're rather hard to come by. Luckily, during our time in the Kanto region, he received one as a gift." He explains, going into a bit of detail regarding the flute. However, as soon as he noticed Ai-yu, he briefly took on a look of surprise before bowing before the Celebi. "My apologies, milady..I was not aware of your presence. You're quite welcome to join us here, if you'd like.." Then, Serph switches back to his telepathic link with Ven. "I have good news. The group of Pokémon I've encountered are not only traveling with a human, but Celebi is also among their ranks!" The boy freezes slightly at this revelation before a joyous grin displays itself on his face, preparing to play his flute once more. "I see...well, let's give her a warm welcome!" With that being said, he begins playing this song. This song seems to lift the spirits of those nearby, causing the assortment of Scattered Pokémon from nearby to dance happily, as if this were a grand celebration. "This song..that can only mean one thing.." Sera says, deciding on the reasoning behind the sudden change of tune with a simple nod, now as cheery as ever. Aside from the current effects of the song being played, Aqua is rather happy once she hears Rythian introduce himself. "Rythian! It's me, Aqua! It's been so long!" She then proceeds to dance in a circle around him, perfectly in sync with the song. At the mention of Darkclaw, her smile temporarily becomes a sad one. "He's a Revolutioneer..? Oh man..what made him decide to work for them?" She asks, rather curious about the subject now.</s> <\|message\|>Zarkju Zarkju hearing the tune fly's over to sit next to the boy on the stump. "You know what, I know for a fact that Lucas can make poke flute's. It's what he and his family did before..., well before everything happened." He gives and almost sad expression. Lucas walks himself over to where Zarkju is sitting,"And I know from Carl that your hiding your aura. Let it go man. And before you ask yes I can actually make poke flutes and poke balls, I was trained by Kirk or Kurt? I can't remember his name but it was one of those." After begin told to stop repressing his aura Zarkju sighs slightly and to all aura sensitive Pokemon a wave of doubt and anger flows through/past them.</s> <\|message\|>Sephie "Well, I'm typically not one to dive into fights with strangers anyway. My name's Sephie, and it's a pleasure to meet you." Sephie introduces herself with a small bow, which ends up unraveling her scarf a bit. While she hurries to put it back on, she listens to Serph's words concerning the pokeflute, and she grins. "Ah, so your friend is a human, then. I was wondering just how many people dared to be out adventuring anymore. Those Revolutioneers...they've done some considerable damage, it would seem...even to me." Her tone grows darker as she unconsciously reaches a hand up back to her scarf and grips it. Ai-yu blinks at the Lucario, and the little shiny Celebi is flooded with glee at having the Lucario so pleased to see her. For the first time in awhile, she speaks up, "T-thank you..." "Ah, so the little one speaks! I was beginning to wonder if you'd lost your voice for real this time, Ai." Sephie laughs, seeming to have forgotten all about whatever dark moment she'd had just a moment ago. Sephie turns to Serph again, gesturing to the Celebi clinging to her shoulder. "This is Ai-yu. She was a gift from the future. Another Celebi, dying, entrusted her to me..." When the music from the flute starts up, Sephie's group of Pokemon are caught by the joyous feeling, and start dancing amongst each other. Ai-yu does loops and whirls in the air, Sephie dances with both Pipley and Euphoria, and even Raven and Sachiko are caught moving to the beat a little, however much they try to hide it. In the middle of the dance, however, Ai-yu slows to a bit of a stop. Her eyes glow bright green, and lose their pupils for a minute while she stares off into space. Sephie catches this almost immediately, and, moves closer to the odd little Celebi. "Hey, Ai, everything okay?" Sephie asks. "...Someone.....is over there...they're hostile towards us..." Ai-yu murmurs quietly. "Hm...is that so?" Pipley mutters. "Well...Ai-yu's never been wrong before. Tch, and we were having such a good time. A pity, it is..." Instead of any of her Pokemon picking it up, Sephie picks up the doubtful, angry aura from somewhere close. It only adds to her concerns about what is to come... "Aqua...?" Rythian echoes, staring down at the Eevee. The name does ring faint bells in his head. He grins. "Well, well. How nice to see you again! Glad you're still well. Just as cheery as ever." He's partially unaware of the fact that he's also moving a bit to the beat of the song all the while. He thinks for a moment on Darkclaw's motives. "Well...I believe he's just a power-junkie. I used to be with him, as a Revolutioneer. But...as soon as the real carnage started, I decided to bow out. I pretended to be dead to get out of it, and I've been here ever since. I've got two other friends I look out for...a rather odd Pichu, and a rather odd Meowth. I wonder where those girls could be..." "Hey, do you hear that?" In their part of the forest, Mystarii can just faintly pick up the sound of Ven's flute. Electricia perks up her ears. "Y-yeah, I think I do! The song changed, but there's surely can't be two pokeflute users here, can there?!" Electricia's eyes light up with a bit of relief. "Sweet! Now all we have to do is follow the sound, and-EEEEEP!" Mystarii suddenly lets out a cry of surprise when a tall, powerful figure rushes out in front of them, bringing the two Pokemon to a complete and terrified halt. "Stop right there." The female Lucario in the cape narrows her eyes at the two trembling pokemon before her. Her mind is protesting, pointing out how cruel it is for her to terrorize such small pokemon, but she pushes those back. 'Think about Tatakumei, Aruba. Think about Tatakumei...' "Are you two of the Trained?" Aruba growls. "N-no, miss! We're just Scattered..." Electricia whimpers. ""Y...You're a Revolutioneer, aren't ya?!" Mystarii's fur spikes up with fear. "P-please! Don't kidnap and torture us! W-we're just lost!" In the middle of the ongoing please from the two smaller Pokemon, Aruba picks up auras coming towards her, as well as the sound of a flute in the distance. Only a human could play it that well. She has to be quick about this if she wants to get something done. Aruba turns back to the two smaller Pokemon in front of her. "I won't kidnap you if you point me in the direction of that flute. There must be those of the Trained variety there." Aruba tells them. "Y-yes ma'am! They've got to be that way! Down there, I-I think! We're lost, so..." Electricia points her in the direction that they came from. "Very well. Speak of me to no one, or else." Aruba turns and rushes off in a hurry, under the cover of the tree's shadows. She grows ever closer to the flute, having the slight urge to dance...but finding the strength to overpower it through thinking strictly about her work and her daughter's fate.</s>	<\|message\|>Sha Sha appears before the Meowth and Pichu, "Hello little ones get on my back I can take you to where your friend the shiny Zoroark is." Carl walks up behind him and whispers something in his ear, "Yes follow the aura if you can Carl just don't get hurt." Sha tells Carl who heads off in the direction of Aruba's aura. "Sir Mountain, Darkclaw is making his way back to report. Shall I have Spookton go meet him?" The small cloaked figure ask's the leader of the Revo's.</s>
<\|description\|>Ventus Gender: Male Age: 16 Abilities: Quick-footed, usually silent movement. He is also not only talented in the art of using a Poke-Flute, but also, like most aura-sensitive Pokémon, can see the auras of both Pokémon and humans; this ability makes blinding him virtually ineffective. Furthermore, through vigorous training with the wise Xatu, he has learned his own version of Teleport, in which case he normally uses for traveling short distances or crossing large gaps. Next, after journeying to Newmoon Island to visit Darkrai, he learned how to command the shadows, able to turn them into Corridors of Darkness, allowing him to traverse the world freely. Last but not least, Ven then trained under Cresselia, allowing him to utilize Lunar Dance, either able to use it as a last resort heal or attack. Regardless, this will drain him of all of his energy and more than likely have him faint. Side: Scattered Description: A 5'10" male with black hair, brown eyes, and wears a black coat (Basically, he is wearing what the picture on the link indicates, but will remove his hood every now and then). When he utilizes his aura-reading abilities, his eyes take on a red color. He also has a Mega Bracelet that he received from Steven, allowing him to mega evolve Serph and Sera. Ever since his brother Vanitas joined the Revolutioneers, he vowed that he would do whatever it takes to bring him back and so that they could fight side by side again. Team: Serph (Lucario), Sera (Gardevoir), Aqua (Eevee) Other: He wields an assortment of ninja tools. As a gift, he received a Lunar Wing from Cresselia, which he keeps on his person at all times as a necklace. Name: Serph Gender: Male Species: Lucario Level: 100 Side: Scattered Description: Ever since he was a level 5 Riolu, Ventus and Serph had been the best of friends. They traveled everywhere, learning new things from one another, and communicating through their auras. Whenever the "Age of Awareness" had first began, Serph remained by Ventus' side. To the two of them, the line between trainer and Pokémon was no more. From then on out, they were close comrades, looking after one another. Name: Sera Gender: Female Species: Gardevoir Level: 100 Side: Scattered Description: Ven had first met Sera as a Shadow Ralts, opening up her heart through a close emotional bond. Soon enough, along with Serph, Sera would be a warmly welcomed third edition to their party. Now, as a purified shiny Gardevoir, it pains her to see both Pokémon and trainers turn on one another like this. She continuiously has been trying to convince Ventus to fight for the Trained and help the Revolutioneers see the error of their ways. Name: Aqua Gender: Female Species: Eevee Level: 25 Side: Scattered Description: Although she is slightly timid, Aqua is brave in the face of danger and has proven to be just as loyal as Serph. She joined Ven's party after being found alone on a shore famous for its beautiful show of bubbles made by Krabby's and Kinglers alongside a dazzling sunset. Name: Vanitas Gender: Male Age: 16 Abilities: Unlike his brother, Vanitas opted to learn how to cause people to have nightmares from Darkrai, allowing him access to Dark Void. This means he has no use for a Poke-Flute. Also, he decided against visiting Cresselia, feeling he'd find all of the power he could need through the nightmares of others. Aside from those few differences, the two have picked up the same abilities through their travels. Side: Revolutioneer Description: A 5'10" male with white hair, yellow eyes, and wears a black coat (Basically, he is wearing what the picture on the link indicates, but will remove his hood every now and then). When he utilizes his aura-reading abilities, unlike his sibling, his eyes remain the same color. He also has a Mega Bracelet that he received from Lysandre, allowing him to mega evolve Heat. He feels that by being a Revolutioneer, his brother Ventus will be spared and remained unharmed, secretly working to destroy Montainum's army from the inside out. Team: Heat (Garchomp) Name: Heat Gender: Male Species: Garchomp Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Ever since he was a level 20 Gible, Vanitas and Heat had been the best of friends. They traveled everywhere, learning new things from one another, and always testing each other's strength. Whenever the "Age of Awareness" had first begun, Heat remained by Vanitas' side. To the two of them, the line between trainer and Pokémon was no more. From then on out, they were close comrades, looking after one another. Name: Taka Gender: Male Species: Staraptor Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Taking a walk through a forest one day, Vanitas stumbled upon a lone Starly, one that had quite a bit of trouble with flying due to being heavily injured from a defending its territory. The boy immediately decided to take the bird Pokémon with him on his journey, changing the young Starly's life in a major way. By nursing it back to health, Taka quickly regained his ability to fly, finding newfound strength in his human partner. Once the "Age of Awareness" began, Taka was delighted to be able to finally verbally display his gratitude towards his friend, vowing to continue to fight alongside him for as long as possible. Name: Charon Gender: Male Species: Dusknoir Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Upon reaching the Spear Pillar, Vanitas is greeted by a portal. Before he can even investigate the other end, a shiny Duskull comes flying out from it, seeming to be rather fond of the boy that stood before it. Capturing the Pokémon within a Dusk Ball, the two become close within a few days time. Once the "Age of Awareness" came about, Vanitas quickly learned that the Duskull he had caught so long ago, it now being a Dusclops, had come from another timeline, one from which the Revolutioneers had succeeded with their plan, turning the world as they knew into something akin to a wasteland. Gifting him with the name of Charon, Vanitas vowed to help Charon prevent that future from happening within this world.</s> <\|message\|>Albert (Bisharp) "Umm..." A kid states seeing the two fighting Pokemon as he entered the part of the forest from a nearby river followed by a Bisharp that was holding rocks quite pleased with himself. With his fishing poll he snags a berry from the two frighting Pokemon and pops it into his mouth enjoying the taste like he haven't had food in a while. He then snags another one for his friend the same way after that he went back to the river followed by his Bisharp.</s> <\|message\|>Sha "Well hey now that a nice turn of events. New people near my part of this forest." A guy walks out of the woods and onto the path where the girl sits. On his shoulder is a Lugia, but not an ordinary Lugia but one that radiates shadows, it's scales are black, his spines are a light blueish gray, and his eyes are a blood red. "Well at lest they aren't with the Revo's you know." The Lugia states, hearing his voice you know that he is most definitively an male. "That is true Zarkju but are they safe?"The guy replies to the Shadow Lugia. "We'll just have to find out know won't we Lucas?" Zarkju says. "Yes we will." He walks up to the girl and her Pokemon. "Hello the names Lucas ShadowSnow Leader of Team ShadowSnow, and this," he points at his Lugia,"Is Zarkju."</s>	<\|message\|>Ventus Unlike everyone else, Ventus and the rest of his team were simply taking a break in a nearby clearing from a long day's trek. As Ven sat down on a tree stump, pulled out his Poké-Flute and began playing, Sera and Aqua danced to the joyful tune alongside a small group of other Scattered Pokémon nearby. Serph, vigilant as ever, was leaning on a nearby tree, checking the surrounding perimeter for any interesting auras. The closest he found would be Sephie's group, their auras very...new to the veteran. Utilizing Sera's capability of a telepathic connection for himself, he now spoke with his long-time partner. "Ven...can you sense the girl's aura?" The hooded boy smiled as his eyes gleamed red, tracking down the aura in question. "Yes..however, the aura given off by that Sylveon of hers...it's rather unnerving. Be wary of any possible attacks..." He responded, not letting the slightly disturbing discovery throw off his playing.</s>
<\|description\|>Ventus Gender: Male Age: 16 Abilities: Quick-footed, usually silent movement. He is also not only talented in the art of using a Poke-Flute, but also, like most aura-sensitive Pokémon, can see the auras of both Pokémon and humans; this ability makes blinding him virtually ineffective. Furthermore, through vigorous training with the wise Xatu, he has learned his own version of Teleport, in which case he normally uses for traveling short distances or crossing large gaps. Next, after journeying to Newmoon Island to visit Darkrai, he learned how to command the shadows, able to turn them into Corridors of Darkness, allowing him to traverse the world freely. Last but not least, Ven then trained under Cresselia, allowing him to utilize Lunar Dance, either able to use it as a last resort heal or attack. Regardless, this will drain him of all of his energy and more than likely have him faint. Side: Scattered Description: A 5'10" male with black hair, brown eyes, and wears a black coat (Basically, he is wearing what the picture on the link indicates, but will remove his hood every now and then). When he utilizes his aura-reading abilities, his eyes take on a red color. He also has a Mega Bracelet that he received from Steven, allowing him to mega evolve Serph and Sera. Ever since his brother Vanitas joined the Revolutioneers, he vowed that he would do whatever it takes to bring him back and so that they could fight side by side again. Team: Serph (Lucario), Sera (Gardevoir), Aqua (Eevee) Other: He wields an assortment of ninja tools. As a gift, he received a Lunar Wing from Cresselia, which he keeps on his person at all times as a necklace. Name: Serph Gender: Male Species: Lucario Level: 100 Side: Scattered Description: Ever since he was a level 5 Riolu, Ventus and Serph had been the best of friends. They traveled everywhere, learning new things from one another, and communicating through their auras. Whenever the "Age of Awareness" had first began, Serph remained by Ventus' side. To the two of them, the line between trainer and Pokémon was no more. From then on out, they were close comrades, looking after one another. Name: Sera Gender: Female Species: Gardevoir Level: 100 Side: Scattered Description: Ven had first met Sera as a Shadow Ralts, opening up her heart through a close emotional bond. Soon enough, along with Serph, Sera would be a warmly welcomed third edition to their party. Now, as a purified shiny Gardevoir, it pains her to see both Pokémon and trainers turn on one another like this. She continuiously has been trying to convince Ventus to fight for the Trained and help the Revolutioneers see the error of their ways. Name: Aqua Gender: Female Species: Eevee Level: 25 Side: Scattered Description: Although she is slightly timid, Aqua is brave in the face of danger and has proven to be just as loyal as Serph. She joined Ven's party after being found alone on a shore famous for its beautiful show of bubbles made by Krabby's and Kinglers alongside a dazzling sunset. Name: Vanitas Gender: Male Age: 16 Abilities: Unlike his brother, Vanitas opted to learn how to cause people to have nightmares from Darkrai, allowing him access to Dark Void. This means he has no use for a Poke-Flute. Also, he decided against visiting Cresselia, feeling he'd find all of the power he could need through the nightmares of others. Aside from those few differences, the two have picked up the same abilities through their travels. Side: Revolutioneer Description: A 5'10" male with white hair, yellow eyes, and wears a black coat (Basically, he is wearing what the picture on the link indicates, but will remove his hood every now and then). When he utilizes his aura-reading abilities, unlike his sibling, his eyes remain the same color. He also has a Mega Bracelet that he received from Lysandre, allowing him to mega evolve Heat. He feels that by being a Revolutioneer, his brother Ventus will be spared and remained unharmed, secretly working to destroy Montainum's army from the inside out. Team: Heat (Garchomp) Name: Heat Gender: Male Species: Garchomp Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Ever since he was a level 20 Gible, Vanitas and Heat had been the best of friends. They traveled everywhere, learning new things from one another, and always testing each other's strength. Whenever the "Age of Awareness" had first begun, Heat remained by Vanitas' side. To the two of them, the line between trainer and Pokémon was no more. From then on out, they were close comrades, looking after one another. Name: Taka Gender: Male Species: Staraptor Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Taking a walk through a forest one day, Vanitas stumbled upon a lone Starly, one that had quite a bit of trouble with flying due to being heavily injured from a defending its territory. The boy immediately decided to take the bird Pokémon with him on his journey, changing the young Starly's life in a major way. By nursing it back to health, Taka quickly regained his ability to fly, finding newfound strength in his human partner. Once the "Age of Awareness" began, Taka was delighted to be able to finally verbally display his gratitude towards his friend, vowing to continue to fight alongside him for as long as possible. Name: Charon Gender: Male Species: Dusknoir Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Upon reaching the Spear Pillar, Vanitas is greeted by a portal. Before he can even investigate the other end, a shiny Duskull comes flying out from it, seeming to be rather fond of the boy that stood before it. Capturing the Pokémon within a Dusk Ball, the two become close within a few days time. Once the "Age of Awareness" came about, Vanitas quickly learned that the Duskull he had caught so long ago, it now being a Dusclops, had come from another timeline, one from which the Revolutioneers had succeeded with their plan, turning the world as they knew into something akin to a wasteland. Gifting him with the name of Charon, Vanitas vowed to help Charon prevent that future from happening within this world.</s> <\|message\|>Sephie Aruba stops traversing the ant tunnel-like passageways in the Revolutioneer base when she gets to a certain door. She looks through the grated window to see if anyone else is inside, but the coast is clear. She slips into the room, lined with rusty cages with different insignias on them, some broken, others warped and rusted as well. They're all recognizable team symbols from the past, Team Rocket, Team Galactic, ect. The Revolutioneers stole them for jailing purposes, but as of now, only two Pokemon are jailed within the cages. No humans now. The last one left just yesterday, and the large bloody handprint on the floor near a cage with its door ajar is evidence. Aruba moves to the second cage from the left side. The creature inside stirs. "Tatakumei..." Aruba whispers. She produces a ball of glowing blue aura in one of her paws to light up a small surrounding area, like a candle. From the cage, a frail-looking Riolu steps forward, clutching at her dirtied, slightly torn red scarf. Despite her shabby appearance, her face is graced with a hopeful smile. "Mom?" The female Riolu grips a rusty metal bar at the from of the cage. "Tatakumei, I have a bit of time now, so I'm going to try again." Aruba steps back a bit, and holds her aura sphere with two paws. She starts charging it up. "Mom, w-wait, you hurt yourself last time!" Tatakumei reminds her mother, looking at the wound on her shoulder. "It'll be fine. I can dodge this time, if my aura isn't strong enough." Aruba insists. She uses almost all the energy she can muster, creating a huge aura blast, and fires it at Tatakumei's cage. the aura attack is blocked just an inch from the cage's bars by a suddenly-visible purple magic barrier. The sphere stretches the barrier, looking as if it might actually break through and destroy the bars this time, but it is then sent back at Aruba with a slingshot effect. She dives out of the way, and it hits the thick stone wall behind her hard enough to leave cracks. "Damn it...!" Aruba growls furiously. "That stupid Mismagius's power...!" "Mom, it's okay..." Tatakumei tries to assure her mother. "I'll be fine for now. Just don't hurt yourself, please." "....Well....at least you have a friend here, right? That little Growlithe-" Aruba starts, looking at the other cage with something inside. "-He's gone." Tatakumei cuts her mother off with a murmur. "...He hasn't moved since last evening...at least, that's what time I think it was..." Aruba is hit in the stomach with a wave of despair and dread. She gets back up to the bars of her daughter's prison and squeezes her paw in to hold her daughter's paw. "Tatakumei, I'm not going to let that happen to you. No mater what I do, I'm not going to leave you here and let you disappear." "I know..." Tatakumei grins softly. "Just keep going, Mom. Remember that you're the best to me, no matter what happens!" Sephie and her Pokemon turn to observe the presence of the strange boy walking around with a tiny Shadow Lugia. Euphoria is the first one to have much of a reaction, suddenly sporting a large, almost frightening grin. "Ooh, new people to play with! Are you a dark type...?" Euphoria takes a step towards Lucas, staring at Zarkju. "Fairies just LOVE dark types~!" "Euphoria, no. Not yet, at least." Sephie scolds, then turns her attention back to Lucas. "Hello there, Lucas. I'm Sephie. This is Pipley, Raven, Sachiko, Euphoria, and Ai-yu." She points to each Pokemon respectively as she says their names. "Team ShadowSnow..." Pipley narrows his eyes at Lucas. "...Sounds almost like Team Flare, or one of those groups. If you're here to try and steal Pokemon, then I suggest you go somewhere else. Preferably 100 miles away or more. Depends." "If he turns out to be bad, can I play then? Huh?!" Euphoria begs Sephie, hopping around with excitement. "Tch, c'mon guys, give this one a chance." Sephie chuckles a bit. "I mean, if he really was here to try and steal a Pokemon, why wouldn't he just do it? Why would someone introduce themselves as part of a criminal team, and then try to steal a Pokemon? That's illogical." "Good point..." Sachiko nods slowly. The trainer girl and her Pokemon are suddenly hit with the sound of a pokeflute from just a little ways away. "Sounds like someone else is in the forest...you think it's a Pokemon?" Raven asks Sephie. "I'm not sure. It's someone, but maybe not a Pokemon. Not sure where a Pokemon would get a pokeflute, or where they'd learn to play it, either..." Sephie shrugs, standing up from her tree stump and stretching. "Wanna check it out, then?" "Wouldn't hurt." Pipley agrees with a faint smile. "Or would it~?" Euphoria giggles, still eyeing Zarkju in an intimidating way... Mystarii and Electricia are still arguing, when suddenly, a berry is snagged from Electricia's paws with a fishing rod. Both pokemon pause for a moment, shocked. They're even more so when another one is suddenly stolen the same way. They both wwhip around to spot the culprit and his Bisharp. "OI! WHY IS THIS FOREST FILLED WITH THIEVES THAT AREN'T ME?!" Mystarii cries aloud. "WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE THE ONLY THEIF?!" Electricia shouts at her friend. "Ugh...I swear, they'd both die if I wasn't here..." Rythian shakes his head at the two squabbling pokemon, then perks up his hears at the sound of a pokeflute nearby. Mystarii and Electricia seem to stop and listen as well. "Someone nearby?" Mystarii purrs curiously. "I wonder if they've got any loot on 'em..." "You should be ashamed! Someone out there is making this beautiful music, and your first thought is to steal from them..." Rythian turns to scold the Meowth. "I'm soooorrrrryyyy, Ry! It's just in my nature!" Mystarii whines. "Same old excuse..." Electricia snickers, earning a glare from Mystarii.</s> <\|message\|>Sha Zarkju returns the stare. "No, I'm not a dark type, well not exactly.I'm a psychic and dark type. But I was made into a dark type." He lifts his head to the sound of music. "Pretty, reminds me of when you used to sing with Sha at night." "Yeah good times. And no I don't steal Pokemon I help them. I am also the only human on Team ShadowSnow. The rest are my Pokemon.", He turns to where the music is coming from. "Wonderful even more people." Thinking to himself 'Why are so many people passing through here?' "Boss." A Houndoom comes running out of the woods, "Hey boss more...", hearing the music he looks at Lucas, "Oh you can hear music out here. Oh hey are those the others I smelled earlier?" "Yeah." "Cool. My name is Sha." He bows his head to Sephie's group.</s>	<\|message\|>Ventus Sensing many different auras nearby and on the move towards his location, the boy chuckles, grinning underneath his hood. "Let's give them a show to remember, everyone." He telepathically says to his whole party, causing Sera to regroup with Ven and Serph while Aqua simply continues to have fun with the other Scattered Pokémon. He then begins playing this song. Once the song begins, Sera Utilizes both Lucky Chant and Double Team, creating a rather solid defense around Ven. Next, Serph, sensing the nearby Jean, uses Extremespeed to sneak up on him, now standing atop a tree branch as he then switches to using Swords Dance and Bone Rush, now holding a light blue bone in his right hand. "Who are you and what do you want with us?" Serph asks the Zangoose, seeming as if he'll show no mercy if he receives an answer he doesn't like.</s>
<\|description\|>Ventus Gender: Male Age: 16 Abilities: Quick-footed, usually silent movement. He is also not only talented in the art of using a Poke-Flute, but also, like most aura-sensitive Pokémon, can see the auras of both Pokémon and humans; this ability makes blinding him virtually ineffective. Furthermore, through vigorous training with the wise Xatu, he has learned his own version of Teleport, in which case he normally uses for traveling short distances or crossing large gaps. Next, after journeying to Newmoon Island to visit Darkrai, he learned how to command the shadows, able to turn them into Corridors of Darkness, allowing him to traverse the world freely. Last but not least, Ven then trained under Cresselia, allowing him to utilize Lunar Dance, either able to use it as a last resort heal or attack. Regardless, this will drain him of all of his energy and more than likely have him faint. Side: Scattered Description: A 5'10" male with black hair, brown eyes, and wears a black coat (Basically, he is wearing what the picture on the link indicates, but will remove his hood every now and then). When he utilizes his aura-reading abilities, his eyes take on a red color. He also has a Mega Bracelet that he received from Steven, allowing him to mega evolve Serph and Sera. Ever since his brother Vanitas joined the Revolutioneers, he vowed that he would do whatever it takes to bring him back and so that they could fight side by side again. Team: Serph (Lucario), Sera (Gardevoir), Aqua (Eevee) Other: He wields an assortment of ninja tools. As a gift, he received a Lunar Wing from Cresselia, which he keeps on his person at all times as a necklace. Name: Serph Gender: Male Species: Lucario Level: 100 Side: Scattered Description: Ever since he was a level 5 Riolu, Ventus and Serph had been the best of friends. They traveled everywhere, learning new things from one another, and communicating through their auras. Whenever the "Age of Awareness" had first began, Serph remained by Ventus' side. To the two of them, the line between trainer and Pokémon was no more. From then on out, they were close comrades, looking after one another. Name: Sera Gender: Female Species: Gardevoir Level: 100 Side: Scattered Description: Ven had first met Sera as a Shadow Ralts, opening up her heart through a close emotional bond. Soon enough, along with Serph, Sera would be a warmly welcomed third edition to their party. Now, as a purified shiny Gardevoir, it pains her to see both Pokémon and trainers turn on one another like this. She continuiously has been trying to convince Ventus to fight for the Trained and help the Revolutioneers see the error of their ways. Name: Aqua Gender: Female Species: Eevee Level: 25 Side: Scattered Description: Although she is slightly timid, Aqua is brave in the face of danger and has proven to be just as loyal as Serph. She joined Ven's party after being found alone on a shore famous for its beautiful show of bubbles made by Krabby's and Kinglers alongside a dazzling sunset. Name: Vanitas Gender: Male Age: 16 Abilities: Unlike his brother, Vanitas opted to learn how to cause people to have nightmares from Darkrai, allowing him access to Dark Void. This means he has no use for a Poke-Flute. Also, he decided against visiting Cresselia, feeling he'd find all of the power he could need through the nightmares of others. Aside from those few differences, the two have picked up the same abilities through their travels. Side: Revolutioneer Description: A 5'10" male with white hair, yellow eyes, and wears a black coat (Basically, he is wearing what the picture on the link indicates, but will remove his hood every now and then). When he utilizes his aura-reading abilities, unlike his sibling, his eyes remain the same color. He also has a Mega Bracelet that he received from Lysandre, allowing him to mega evolve Heat. He feels that by being a Revolutioneer, his brother Ventus will be spared and remained unharmed, secretly working to destroy Montainum's army from the inside out. Team: Heat (Garchomp) Name: Heat Gender: Male Species: Garchomp Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Ever since he was a level 20 Gible, Vanitas and Heat had been the best of friends. They traveled everywhere, learning new things from one another, and always testing each other's strength. Whenever the "Age of Awareness" had first begun, Heat remained by Vanitas' side. To the two of them, the line between trainer and Pokémon was no more. From then on out, they were close comrades, looking after one another. Name: Taka Gender: Male Species: Staraptor Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Taking a walk through a forest one day, Vanitas stumbled upon a lone Starly, one that had quite a bit of trouble with flying due to being heavily injured from a defending its territory. The boy immediately decided to take the bird Pokémon with him on his journey, changing the young Starly's life in a major way. By nursing it back to health, Taka quickly regained his ability to fly, finding newfound strength in his human partner. Once the "Age of Awareness" began, Taka was delighted to be able to finally verbally display his gratitude towards his friend, vowing to continue to fight alongside him for as long as possible. Name: Charon Gender: Male Species: Dusknoir Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Upon reaching the Spear Pillar, Vanitas is greeted by a portal. Before he can even investigate the other end, a shiny Duskull comes flying out from it, seeming to be rather fond of the boy that stood before it. Capturing the Pokémon within a Dusk Ball, the two become close within a few days time. Once the "Age of Awareness" came about, Vanitas quickly learned that the Duskull he had caught so long ago, it now being a Dusclops, had come from another timeline, one from which the Revolutioneers had succeeded with their plan, turning the world as they knew into something akin to a wasteland. Gifting him with the name of Charon, Vanitas vowed to help Charon prevent that future from happening within this world.</s> <\|message\|>Zarkju Zarkju hearing the tune fly's over to sit next to the boy on the stump. "You know what, I know for a fact that Lucas can make poke flute's. It's what he and his family did before..., well before everything happened." He gives and almost sad expression. Lucas walks himself over to where Zarkju is sitting,"And I know from Carl that your hiding your aura. Let it go man. And before you ask yes I can actually make poke flutes and poke balls, I was trained by Kirk or Kurt? I can't remember his name but it was one of those." After begin told to stop repressing his aura Zarkju sighs slightly and to all aura sensitive Pokemon a wave of doubt and anger flows through/past them.</s> <\|message\|>Sephie "Well, I'm typically not one to dive into fights with strangers anyway. My name's Sephie, and it's a pleasure to meet you." Sephie introduces herself with a small bow, which ends up unraveling her scarf a bit. While she hurries to put it back on, she listens to Serph's words concerning the pokeflute, and she grins. "Ah, so your friend is a human, then. I was wondering just how many people dared to be out adventuring anymore. Those Revolutioneers...they've done some considerable damage, it would seem...even to me." Her tone grows darker as she unconsciously reaches a hand up back to her scarf and grips it. Ai-yu blinks at the Lucario, and the little shiny Celebi is flooded with glee at having the Lucario so pleased to see her. For the first time in awhile, she speaks up, "T-thank you..." "Ah, so the little one speaks! I was beginning to wonder if you'd lost your voice for real this time, Ai." Sephie laughs, seeming to have forgotten all about whatever dark moment she'd had just a moment ago. Sephie turns to Serph again, gesturing to the Celebi clinging to her shoulder. "This is Ai-yu. She was a gift from the future. Another Celebi, dying, entrusted her to me..." When the music from the flute starts up, Sephie's group of Pokemon are caught by the joyous feeling, and start dancing amongst each other. Ai-yu does loops and whirls in the air, Sephie dances with both Pipley and Euphoria, and even Raven and Sachiko are caught moving to the beat a little, however much they try to hide it. In the middle of the dance, however, Ai-yu slows to a bit of a stop. Her eyes glow bright green, and lose their pupils for a minute while she stares off into space. Sephie catches this almost immediately, and, moves closer to the odd little Celebi. "Hey, Ai, everything okay?" Sephie asks. "...Someone.....is over there...they're hostile towards us..." Ai-yu murmurs quietly. "Hm...is that so?" Pipley mutters. "Well...Ai-yu's never been wrong before. Tch, and we were having such a good time. A pity, it is..." Instead of any of her Pokemon picking it up, Sephie picks up the doubtful, angry aura from somewhere close. It only adds to her concerns about what is to come... "Aqua...?" Rythian echoes, staring down at the Eevee. The name does ring faint bells in his head. He grins. "Well, well. How nice to see you again! Glad you're still well. Just as cheery as ever." He's partially unaware of the fact that he's also moving a bit to the beat of the song all the while. He thinks for a moment on Darkclaw's motives. "Well...I believe he's just a power-junkie. I used to be with him, as a Revolutioneer. But...as soon as the real carnage started, I decided to bow out. I pretended to be dead to get out of it, and I've been here ever since. I've got two other friends I look out for...a rather odd Pichu, and a rather odd Meowth. I wonder where those girls could be..." "Hey, do you hear that?" In their part of the forest, Mystarii can just faintly pick up the sound of Ven's flute. Electricia perks up her ears. "Y-yeah, I think I do! The song changed, but there's surely can't be two pokeflute users here, can there?!" Electricia's eyes light up with a bit of relief. "Sweet! Now all we have to do is follow the sound, and-EEEEEP!" Mystarii suddenly lets out a cry of surprise when a tall, powerful figure rushes out in front of them, bringing the two Pokemon to a complete and terrified halt. "Stop right there." The female Lucario in the cape narrows her eyes at the two trembling pokemon before her. Her mind is protesting, pointing out how cruel it is for her to terrorize such small pokemon, but she pushes those back. 'Think about Tatakumei, Aruba. Think about Tatakumei...' "Are you two of the Trained?" Aruba growls. "N-no, miss! We're just Scattered..." Electricia whimpers. ""Y...You're a Revolutioneer, aren't ya?!" Mystarii's fur spikes up with fear. "P-please! Don't kidnap and torture us! W-we're just lost!" In the middle of the ongoing please from the two smaller Pokemon, Aruba picks up auras coming towards her, as well as the sound of a flute in the distance. Only a human could play it that well. She has to be quick about this if she wants to get something done. Aruba turns back to the two smaller Pokemon in front of her. "I won't kidnap you if you point me in the direction of that flute. There must be those of the Trained variety there." Aruba tells them. "Y-yes ma'am! They've got to be that way! Down there, I-I think! We're lost, so..." Electricia points her in the direction that they came from. "Very well. Speak of me to no one, or else." Aruba turns and rushes off in a hurry, under the cover of the tree's shadows. She grows ever closer to the flute, having the slight urge to dance...but finding the strength to overpower it through thinking strictly about her work and her daughter's fate.</s> <\|message\|>Sha Sha appears before the Meowth and Pichu, "Hello little ones get on my back I can take you to where your friend the shiny Zoroark is." Carl walks up behind him and whispers something in his ear, "Yes follow the aura if you can Carl just don't get hurt." Sha tells Carl who heads off in the direction of Aruba's aura. "Sir Mountain, Darkclaw is making his way back to report. Shall I have Spookton go meet him?" The small cloaked figure ask's the leader of the Revo's.</s>	<\|message\|>Ventus Having heard this song on multiple occasions, it doesn't seem to have the same effect on Serph. However, he does feel a bit happier than he normally would, a small smile displayed on his face as proof of such feelings being harbored within him. However, the smile soon fades at the mention of a possible enemy approaching their location. The safety of his friends being the first thing to come to mind, he takes off without a word, utilizing his own aura reading abilities to locate the unknown being nearing the clearing. Luckily, he locates the other Lucario right away. Two, in fact, for he senses Carl heading the same direction he is. "Two enemies? Wait...her aura seems familiar..." Serph thinks to himself as he senses Aruba's aura drawing nearer, trying to figure out just where he has felt her aura before. He then forces himself to focus on his main priority, deciding if he's given the chance, he would question the female Lucario later. Michael, luckily well-versed enough in auras, is able to distinctly tell the difference between Aruba's aura and Zarkju's negative aura. "Serph, be careful...if this is who I believe it to be, you and her will be evenly matched..." He says to his partner, becoming a bit anxious as he alters the song to where the side effect of having the urge to dance fades, simply keeping the overall feeling of happiness going, perhaps meant to keep the other Scattered Pokémon from panicking. Sera, catching on rather quickly, decides to aide Serph by sending a Double Team clone in her stead, it appearing right by his side. "I'll be acting as your support for this fight...it might be best to try and reason with her first, before we have to use force..." She suggests to her friend. "I see..well, maybe one day, we can change his mind and have him be on our side!" Aqua states, seeming rather optimistic about the possibility of her being reunited with two of her closest friends prior to meeting Ventus and the other members of his party oh so long ago. "You've made friends too, huh? I can't wait to meet them! Well, maybe if they're lost, we should go look for them." She suggests, the possibility of that just now crossing her mind.</s>
<\|description\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Nickname: Little Dragon Gender: Female Age: 14 Age Admitted into Riverwood: 13 Ability: Dragon-esque abilities. Breathing fire, fire resistance, dragon wings, dragon talons, etc. Limits to Ability: Ryuu cannot control the heat of her flame, and may loose control over her dragon instincts. Personality: Ryuu is sweet and innocent. Much like an ideal younger sibling. She almost never gets mad and loves to help. She great house hold skills and is quite mature. Though on the rare occasion Ryuu gets mad, she is a sadistic, short tempered, violent, and over all terrifying person. Background: Ryuu was born to a poor family. She was the middle child in a family of 7. Upon her birth her parents saw that Ryuu had dragon wings, but they decided they did't want to leave their daughter. So instead they decided that they would have Ryuu wear a jacket and fold her wings in in order to hide them. Ryuu tried to live as normal a life as she could. She took care of her siblings and family. But as Ryuu got older she found it harder to control dragon instincts. One night she went on a rampage. Ryuu burned down her house, wounded her siblings, and broke house hold objects. Though upon awaking from her rampage, Ryuu was devastated. She decided to leave her family, hoping that they would be safer without her. And so she arrived at Riverwood. Other: Likes meat.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Ryuu sat at the edge if her bed, singing her legs. She looked at her hands, observing her long nails. They resembled talons and the skin around them was scaly skin, an emerald green color. The same color as the scaly wings protruding from her back, hidden under Ryuu's hoodie. Ryuu smoothed her soft pink hair back as she slid off her bed. She began to walk towards the room, where the newcomer had been carried. She silently slid the door open, stepping inside. Ryuu stood next to the door, trying not to intrude, merely curious.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine Looking at the floor Lucas slowly makes his way to the room the newcomer is in, all the while grumbling to himself. "Hope the newbie isn't a "normal", man I swear there are too many "normals" around only that pink girl what was her name Riyro, Ryor, Ryuu isn't a "normal". I think it was Ryuu." When Lucas reaches the room and and lifts his head to see if anyone had made it there before him, he notices Ryuu standing in the door way. "Hey pinky what was your name again? I can't seem to remember."</s> <\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia Cammy shuffled along the hallways, pulling on her shoe as she went. She had been napping when they brought the new girl in and wished she hadn't been. She would have liked to have been there when she woke up. "Oh well" she sighed to herself as she turned the corner, noticing Lucas ahead of her. She followed quietly behind him as he muttered to himself about normals. It was slightly comforting to know that he thought of her as normal. She didn't even consider herself normal. Hell, the word "normal" felt weird to her now. As Lucas stepped inside the room and questioned Ryuu about her name, Cammy squeezed between them and took a few steps towards the bed. She made sure not to get too close though, knowing that this girl had been through an ordeal and had just woken up in a strange place, surrounded by strange people. She didn't want to frighten her more than she was already. "Hi" she said, almost sheepishly with a little wave, "I'm Cammy. How are you feeling?"</s> <\|message\|>Dolor Oublier "We'll see you soon, sweetie." Those were the last words Dolor Obulier's parents told her the moment Riverwood took her away. It felt like centuries ago but in reality, only six years had passed since that faithful morning, when men in hazmat suits simply knocked on her door and told her dear old mother and father that their daughter had to be taken away for 'safe keeping'. Keeping hazardous children locked up like dogs, trying to keep the general public safe from themselves. Whenever it was explained to her like this, she felt worse then the previous time. Safe? To keep people safe, who had done nothing to benefit her, she was the one that had to suffer? What a load of bullshit. And in all honesty, she wasn't even mad at the academy for taking her in so suddenly, Dolor was more angered towards her parents. They just gave her up like nothing was wrong, they never wrote letters, or called, or even bothered to check up on their daughter. Probably too concerned with their normal child to bother checking up on their older one. It was like they sent her on a vacation of some sort, as if she was meant to be enjoying her time her. Regardless, Dolor had to deal with what she had, and soon she had adapted to her lifestyle at Riverwood Academy. This place seemed to get more students every day too, so it wasn't like it was some sort of ghost town. Plus the occasional fights that broke out were fun. Ever see a human tree go up against fly? No? It's hilarious, trust me. This place wouldn't be a permanent gig, not forever. The young girl was shuffling out of bed, stretching her arms out and moving her hair out from her face before realizing the small droplets falling on her face. Ugh, again? Her bed and pillow cases were completely soaked, her hair a large body of water rather then its usual dark locks. Dolor quickly snatched up her bedspread, hurrying out the room dragging them. Shit, shit. She had to get these dry, now, before classes started up. Plus, she had to get dressed out her PJs. Rushing out the room, she barley missed bumping into someone as her body buzzed out into an array of dust, each particule rejoining as her body reformed. The sheet however, didn't help, as it ended up wrapping around the other frame, pulling them down. "Crap!" She yelped, quickly stopping to help unravel them. "I'm so sorry, fuck,I didn't see you there."</s> <\|message\|>Anshel Zenohoth From a dark corner emerged one of the eldest members of the academy. Of course, most everyone knew him as his new persona, "Black." Though this was not his true given name, he preferred if people would merely refer to him as that. He had some issues with his family. In fact, he didn't even mention it. As far as he knew, no one had heard anything about his past, or his name, and he intended to keep it that way. Regardless there was this new girl... he looked her over and sighed. She was still pretty young. Her being here ultimately meant a tragedy had just occurred in her life, poor thing. He looked around at the others in the room and smiled, addressing each one as he approached the newcomer. "Lucas, remembering your friend's names is an important and challenging feat. We are here because we are the only ones who are willing to help and protect each other, and becoming more of a family is a great step in achieving these wishes. Ryuu, I understand your concerns, but please, do not be so furtive in this situation. First of all, it is important for this girl to feel welcome to her new home. Secondly, imagine if she were oblivious to your presence, then caught you in her sights. I mean no offense, but to her, someone who we can generally assume has no background of knowledge with mutants, the shock could lead to even great issues amongst us. Cammy, I understand the human need to sleep, and I understand our days have been stressful, but they're no less busy. Be selective with your naps, as we are in danger every minute of every day... by the way, I don't watch you while you sleep if that's what you're thinking. I merely was passing by your room when I received word of the newcomer's arrival. Maria... good morning, I apologize for being so critical," he said, bowing when he reached the nurse, "You are well aware, however, of how important I feel our image and actions are." He turned back to the others, "I must apologize to you all to. I mean no ill will of course; I only wish to give you benevolent and harmless advice. Lastly then, hello young one. Welcome to Riverwood. My name is Black, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Should you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them," he concluded. Finally he sat down in one of the chairs in the nurses suite, waiting for something else to happen.</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pamela was awake. She never slept much. It was hard at night, or any other time, to sleep. Her dreams were often weird and cryptic, which just caused her to have a headache. Of course, her abilities caused her to have a headache more often then not, so she was use to the pain. t didn't mean she had to like it. Her dog, Lance, looked up at her, and gave a whine. She smiled, rubbing the chocolate brown lab, and rose, grabbing his leash where she had left t, over the bed railing, and buckled it on. While she could technically 'See' with her abilities, Lance still helped her. At times, her mind and sight could be confusing, and Lance help her not run into things. "Alright boy, We'll go for a walk and then some food"</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "Oh yeah that was your name Ryuu." Lucas smiles happily now remembering Ryuu's name. "Yeah welcome to Riverwood if you ever need me which I doubt. You can find me either outside near the flowers or in the kitchen eating peanut butter. Oh and before I forget I am Lucas Ursaine." Lucas leaves the room and heads towards the kitchen. Grumbling to himself again as he walks,"You know what I'm going to go take a nap in a bush." So instead of going to the kitchens he walks outside and crawls inside of a bush and promptly falls asleep, snoring loudly.</s>	<\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Ryuu stepped further into the room. Black was right. It would be better if Ryuu did not hide, though Ryuu still didn't want to get too close. Her nails were quite sharp after all. She didn't want to accidentally cut anything. " Hello, I'm Ryuu Tatsuo, I hope you'll enjoy Riverwood," Ryuu told Terry. She hoped that Terry would soon feel at home in Riverwood.</s>
<\|description\|>Cammy D'Alia Nickname: Friends and family often refer to her as "Jay" because of a slight obsession with bluejays when she was younger. She has given herself the nickname "Trauma". Gender: Female Age: 17 Brief Personality: Cammy used to be a lot happier and friendlier than she is today. But certain events have left her depressed and with a much darker personality than she used to. She tends to be quiet and somewhat moody but when she has something to say or gets angry then she's more than capable of vocalizing her thoughts. She's not fond of people touching her, mostly out of fear of what her power may inadvertently do to them. Ability: Cammy is able to transfer other peoples pain to herself and others by touch. In addition to this, and possibly as a coping mechanism, her body is at peak human condition. She is faster, stronger, more agile etc. than a normal person. She doesn't need to eat or sleep as often as would normally be required and she doesn't seem to tire from exercise or strenuous activity. Limits to Ability: When Cammy gets emotional, she can't fully control her ability. If she absorbs too much pain at any one time, her body may not be able to cope with it and she has, on at least one occasion, fallen into a coma after absorbing too much. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Cammy was born in Mumbai, the middle child to an Indian father and an American mother. Both of her parents were doctors and Cammy idolized them. She always dreamt of following in their footsteps. When Cammy was six, she and her family moved to America, for reasons Cammy was never fully aware of. Her parents opened a small clinic to treat the poor and underprivileged and Cammy was fond of helping out, often talking to the patients and easing their minds. Many people often remarked that they felt better just having Cammy around. This was a sentiment that seemed to echo throughout Cammy's life. People always liked her. Her parents patients adored her, her friends at high school loved her. She was a talented athlete with what seemed like boundless potential and it seemed like Cammy was altogether destined for a great life. And then it happened. Cammy remembers her mother's scream every day. While helping out at her parents clinic, Cammy heard her mom cry out from one of the examination rooms in the back. The young girl rushed into the room and saw the most horrific sight of her life. There was a man with a knife standing over her bleeding mother on the floor. Without even thinking, Cammy rushed to her mothers side, pushing the attacker aside as she did. When she held her mom in her arms, Cammy's powers seemed to kick in. The poor girl felt every second of her moms pain as she died. But Cammy remembers the gentle smile her mother gave her as she passed. Cammy was filled with rage though. As her mothers attacker advanced on her, seemingly intent on ending her life too, Cammy lashed out and tackled the man to the ground. In a blind rage she punched him over and over again, transferring every ounce of pain running through her body to him with every blow. She almost beat the man half to death and admits that she would have finished the job had she not blacked out. When she awoke a few days later, she found herself in an old motel room with her father and younger brother. Confused and heartbroken, Cammy listened to her dad explain that her mom was dead. She already knew this. What she didn't know was that her attacker had seemingly escaped in the confusion. Not only that but some men had apparently come looking for Cammy. Her father, seemingly knowing who these men were, had whisked Cammy and her brother away. He was concerned for their safety. He explained to Cammy about his plan to send her to a special school. One that could help her learn about her abilities and keep her safe. Under normal circumstances, Cammy would have protested against this. But these weren't normal circumstances. And Cammy wasn't the same person she had been. She felt completely numb. Completely numb except for the dull ache at the back of her mind. After arriving at the school, Cammy kept to herself mostly. The happy, friendly Cammy seemed to be gone. In her place was a quiet and moody young woman who would rather be by herself than around others. She finds it hard to connect to other people the way she used to and is still haunted by the face of her mother's killer. Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Terraline Gray It was night when it happened. Sleep was not coming easy to Terraline as she lay in bed, her hair sprawled messily over the pillow. The room was silent with the exception of the sound of the ticking clock. It was often that the girl stayed up, deep in her own thoughts. She knew she probably thought too much into everything. With a sigh, she sat up and picked up a notebook off her side table. She had written at least twenty songs in here. Whenever she needed something to do, she'd write a song. They always came easily to her. Terraline relocated to the window sill so the moonlight would cast upon the page. As she smoothed down her night gown and readied her pencil, the sound of a sudden thud came from outside her room. Terraline jumped to her feet and moved to the door faster than a person normally would. Someone else might stop and wonder in fear if a robber was in their home. Terraline was not the type. She threw caution to the wind on most occasions. She opened the door to find her dark-haired brother getting to his feet. His piercing blue eyes met hers as he towered over her. "Go back to bed." He said simply, his expression cold and empty. "No Xander, what are you doing?" She demanded. Xander was a hard boy to understand. Though closer with him than with her sister, she would not be able to guess his thoughts in a million years. There were times he'd be smiling and charismatic to people then alone or with his family he never smiled. All the girls in school were head over heels for him. She guessed he fit the tall, dark and mysterious boy girls swooned over. He seemed able to make anyone he want like him at any time. No one even bothered trying to run against him for class president. Intelligent, handsome and charming, what more could one want in a person? Terraline begged to differ. Something had always been off about him. Maybe it was in the same way her sister was insane but at a more subtle level. Something was wrong with him. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance at her inquiry then suddenly he was gone. She rubbed her eyes and looked left and right in shock. Where the heck did he go? She shrugged, deciding she was just tired. Terry spun on her heel to go back into her room, only to stumble at a sudden loud scream. Mom. "Mom!" Terraline bolted out of her room and down the staircase, her heart beating rapidly against her ribcage. The scene she found in the living room made her freeze midway down the stairs. There were several people in all black uniforms and masks that hid their faces completely. One of them held a small, brown-haired woman by her hair. She looked up at Terry with sad, tear-filled eyes. She began mouthing things as a knife was brought to her neck and her head was roughly yanked back by her hair. Run. I love you. Blood spilled over her silk button-down as the knife dug into the flesh of the woman's neck. Terraline felt like she forgot how to move or speak. Her gaze traveled to the unmoving male that had once acted as her father as the woman felt lifeless to the floor. She took a step back and cried out as she tripped. Her body painfully hit a couple stairs before she sat up in time to find her parents murderers staring at her. "The order was to eliminate the offspring whether or not they showed any signs." came a voice, Terry wasn't sure which one of them said it. "Roger that," someone else answered. She hastily got back on her feet and climbed up the stairs, only for her a bulky hand to wrap around her ankle and drag her back down. Terraline screamed and kicked at her attacker as they dragged her down the stairs. "Don't worry, little girl, it won't hurt too bad." The man grabbed her and sat her on her knees. She had never felt a stronger grip in her life. A knife was placed to her neck, the cool metal slightly digging into her skin, "Any last words?" A sharp pain entered her arm as she tried to get up despite the odds. Her gaze fell on the large needle entering her arm. Movement had suddenly become impossible. She felt as if her limbs were frozen. "Aw can't we play a little first with her first? She's so cute." A shudder went through Terraline's spine as a rough finger caressed her cheek. "No. There's two more in here somewhere and we got around five more houses to do before the end of the night." came a woman's voice. The finger traveled down her chin and neck, "Maybe I can just keep her for myself then..." "Kill the bitch already, god damn it!" groaned an impatient male. "Fine!"The coolness disappeared from her neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as a knife was brought fast through the air and toward her neck. She shut her eyes tight, tears threatening to spill. However she felt no sudden pain in her neck. She waited a few seconds before opening her eyes. There was no longer anyone holding her. The door was wide open as more people poured into the room. With now blurry vision, all she could do was watch as figures moved around the room, unable to decipher anything they were doing. Though still paralyzed, she fought to move. Where was Xander? Josie? Why was this happening? Maybe this was all a dream. Her eyelids became heavier and heavier as darkness came to drown her. The room disappeared into blackness. When she opened them again, she found her body under a warm, white blanket and her head on a big, soft pillow. The room around her was a bright white. Nausea and dizziness swept over her as she slowly attempted to sit up, her long hair unfortunately falling blocking half her vision as it messily fell over her head. "Now, now don't sit up too fast, dear. You almost died, you know that?" Terry stared groggily as a young woman took her shoulders and laid her back down. "They got you good with that poison." Confusion made her head hurt twice as much as it had been already, "What? Where am I?" She asked softly. The memories suddenly hit her like a speeding train. Her parents bloody lifeless bodies... Her mother's last words... It really all happened. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she hastily glanced up at the bright ceiling light to keep them inside. The woman put some ice on her head, "Oh where are my manners? Welcome to Riverwood Academy: your new home." She smiled sadly at her, patting her head, "whether you like it or not I'm afraid."</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Ryuu sat at the edge if her bed, singing her legs. She looked at her hands, observing her long nails. They resembled talons and the skin around them was scaly skin, an emerald green color. The same color as the scaly wings protruding from her back, hidden under Ryuu's hoodie. Ryuu smoothed her soft pink hair back as she slid off her bed. She began to walk towards the room, where the newcomer had been carried. She silently slid the door open, stepping inside. Ryuu stood next to the door, trying not to intrude, merely curious.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine Looking at the floor Lucas slowly makes his way to the room the newcomer is in, all the while grumbling to himself. "Hope the newbie isn't a "normal", man I swear there are too many "normals" around only that pink girl what was her name Riyro, Ryor, Ryuu isn't a "normal". I think it was Ryuu." When Lucas reaches the room and and lifts his head to see if anyone had made it there before him, he notices Ryuu standing in the door way. "Hey pinky what was your name again? I can't seem to remember."</s>	<\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia Cammy shuffled along the hallways, pulling on her shoe as she went. She had been napping when they brought the new girl in and wished she hadn't been. She would have liked to have been there when she woke up. "Oh well" she sighed to herself as she turned the corner, noticing Lucas ahead of her. She followed quietly behind him as he muttered to himself about normals. It was slightly comforting to know that he thought of her as normal. She didn't even consider herself normal. Hell, the word "normal" felt weird to her now. As Lucas stepped inside the room and questioned Ryuu about her name, Cammy squeezed between them and took a few steps towards the bed. She made sure not to get too close though, knowing that this girl had been through an ordeal and had just woken up in a strange place, surrounded by strange people. She didn't want to frighten her more than she was already. "Hi" she said, almost sheepishly with a little wave, "I'm Cammy. How are you feeling?"</s>
<\|description\|>Cammy D'Alia Nickname: Friends and family often refer to her as "Jay" because of a slight obsession with bluejays when she was younger. She has given herself the nickname "Trauma". Gender: Female Age: 17 Brief Personality: Cammy used to be a lot happier and friendlier than she is today. But certain events have left her depressed and with a much darker personality than she used to. She tends to be quiet and somewhat moody but when she has something to say or gets angry then she's more than capable of vocalizing her thoughts. She's not fond of people touching her, mostly out of fear of what her power may inadvertently do to them. Ability: Cammy is able to transfer other peoples pain to herself and others by touch. In addition to this, and possibly as a coping mechanism, her body is at peak human condition. She is faster, stronger, more agile etc. than a normal person. She doesn't need to eat or sleep as often as would normally be required and she doesn't seem to tire from exercise or strenuous activity. Limits to Ability: When Cammy gets emotional, she can't fully control her ability. If she absorbs too much pain at any one time, her body may not be able to cope with it and she has, on at least one occasion, fallen into a coma after absorbing too much. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Cammy was born in Mumbai, the middle child to an Indian father and an American mother. Both of her parents were doctors and Cammy idolized them. She always dreamt of following in their footsteps. When Cammy was six, she and her family moved to America, for reasons Cammy was never fully aware of. Her parents opened a small clinic to treat the poor and underprivileged and Cammy was fond of helping out, often talking to the patients and easing their minds. Many people often remarked that they felt better just having Cammy around. This was a sentiment that seemed to echo throughout Cammy's life. People always liked her. Her parents patients adored her, her friends at high school loved her. She was a talented athlete with what seemed like boundless potential and it seemed like Cammy was altogether destined for a great life. And then it happened. Cammy remembers her mother's scream every day. While helping out at her parents clinic, Cammy heard her mom cry out from one of the examination rooms in the back. The young girl rushed into the room and saw the most horrific sight of her life. There was a man with a knife standing over her bleeding mother on the floor. Without even thinking, Cammy rushed to her mothers side, pushing the attacker aside as she did. When she held her mom in her arms, Cammy's powers seemed to kick in. The poor girl felt every second of her moms pain as she died. But Cammy remembers the gentle smile her mother gave her as she passed. Cammy was filled with rage though. As her mothers attacker advanced on her, seemingly intent on ending her life too, Cammy lashed out and tackled the man to the ground. In a blind rage she punched him over and over again, transferring every ounce of pain running through her body to him with every blow. She almost beat the man half to death and admits that she would have finished the job had she not blacked out. When she awoke a few days later, she found herself in an old motel room with her father and younger brother. Confused and heartbroken, Cammy listened to her dad explain that her mom was dead. She already knew this. What she didn't know was that her attacker had seemingly escaped in the confusion. Not only that but some men had apparently come looking for Cammy. Her father, seemingly knowing who these men were, had whisked Cammy and her brother away. He was concerned for their safety. He explained to Cammy about his plan to send her to a special school. One that could help her learn about her abilities and keep her safe. Under normal circumstances, Cammy would have protested against this. But these weren't normal circumstances. And Cammy wasn't the same person she had been. She felt completely numb. Completely numb except for the dull ache at the back of her mind. After arriving at the school, Cammy kept to herself mostly. The happy, friendly Cammy seemed to be gone. In her place was a quiet and moody young woman who would rather be by herself than around others. She finds it hard to connect to other people the way she used to and is still haunted by the face of her mother's killer. Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Terraline Gray "Calm down. You're safe here. Who's this Josie and why does she have you so upset?" Terraline begged to differ. Any place Josie was in was not a safe place. "Well she's my sister but we don't get along so to say,"She told the girl briefly and slowly sat up. "Careful, the paralysis they gave you was also poisonous. It almost killed you so take it easy. They take many measures to try to make sure the person dies. Consider yourself lucky. "Xander said dryly, taking her shoulder, "Save the parade of questions for later. There's a orientation for the new year. They're going to hand out class schedules and everything out. You can ask questions there." He winked again at the girl before turning to go into the next room. He paused seeing two newcomers."What is this a side-show? You people have nothing better to do huh? "He sighed, brushing between the boy and girl to Josie's room. Terry took a deep breathe. Poisoned? She still had no idea what was going on. She found she did not care what had just happened to her. There was no way she was going to lay around in this stupid bed. "Oh, no, no, I'm so sorry." came a female voice, "We didn't mean to intrude, we just-" "-Had to see the new students." another voice finished. It belonged to the handsome boy beside the first girl. Terry hadn't seen anyone so beautiful before. She stared at him for good ten seconds before snapping out of her trance. They introduced themselves at Eilowyn and Sage. They seemed friendly enough but Terry didn't want to stick around here for too long. Josie wasn't far. "Hi! Nice to meet you, I'm Terry," She got up on wobbly legs and stumbled to her feet, only to slip. She caught the side of the bed and held her throbbing head in pain. "All students report to the auditorium in the next five minutes!" came a voice on the loud speaker.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!?!?",Lucas gets up and brushes himself off before he heads off to the auditorium. Upon making it to the giant auditorium, he walks to a very far corner far away from the people gathering in the auditorium, hoping people didn't try to sit next to him. He pulls out an iPod, puts in some headphones, and then with some difficulty he turns it on and pulls up his music app. He pulls out one of his headphone buds.</s>	<\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia As Terry explained who Josephine was, Cammy found herself thinking about her own family. She hadn't seen them in such a long time. Her dad had taken her younger brother, Charlie, into hiding and while they made contact every now and then, Cammy had no idea where they were. Her dad had told her it was safer that way. The implication had been that it was safer for Cammy but she knew the truth. He meant safer for Charlie. If the people looking for Cammy somehow managed to find her, chances were they would want to know where the rest of her family were in order to make sure none of them had powers too. Cammy understood the logic but it didn't make her feel any better. Despite her father's warnings on the danger, Cammy's older brother, Mohan, had elected to not go into hiding and instead stayed in college. He had so far managed to avoid any kind of trouble. Inexplicable as that seemed to Cammy. She had a feeling he would be safe though. Mo had always been strong and independant. He knew how to take care of himself. Cammy had practically idolized her older brother while growing up and wanted to be just like him. She loved her family to pieces and they had returned that love. That's why it seemed so strange to her that Terraline was so afraid of her own sister. Xander then winked at her again and Cammy could only narrow her eyes in confusion. She wasn't sure what to make of this guy. Sure, he was cute and all but he seemed utterly heartless. She was almost glad when he left, pushing his way past Eilowyn and Sage. She noticed the look Eilowyn gave Xander as he left and the awkward length of time Sage and Terry made eye contact for. It was almost like she was invisible by the bedside. In days gone past, Cammy would probably have been more upset about being practically ignored by her fellow students. After all, it wasn't like she hadn't gotten to know them in the year since her arrival here. But these days she honestly didn't mind. She wasn't really interested in socialising anymore. She had retreated into herself since her mother's death and seemed to only really talk to others when they addressed her first. Her desire to help others was really what had driven her to find her way to Terry's room, rather than the random curiosity of the others. When Terry began to get out of bed, only to stumble, Cammy was quick to grab hold of her to stop her falling to the floor. This time she didn't bother asking for permission and put her hand to the other girls head, instinctively knowing that she was in pain. Terraline would begin to instantly feel the pain leave her and her head clear as Cammy used her power. Still holding onto Terry, Cammy dropped her head slightly as a dull throb coursed through her skull. The ain quickly dissipated however and Cammy was quick to smile at Terry in assurance that everything was alright. "All students report to the auditorium in the next five minutes!" a voice bellowed over the tannoy. "We better go" said Cammy to the room "There'll be hell to pay if we're not there." Still holding gently to Terry's arms, Cammy informed the girl "Trust me, you're safer here than anywhere else. And if that sister of yours tries anything, she'll have me to deal with." She gave Terry her friendliest smile before turning to the others and saying "Come on. Let her get dressed. We'll wait outside." She made a show of shooing them from the room and right before closing the door, she looked over her shoulder at Terraline and informed her with a smile "Welcome to Riverwood"</s>
<\|description\|>Anshel Zenohoth Nickname: Black Gender: Male Age: 20 Brief Personality:Anshel is what you would call a mother figure to his underclassmen. Yes, that's exactly what I mean. He's overbearing, strict, and at times nagging, but really it's all for their sake. He enjoys cooking, cleaning, teaching, and sparring. He's close friends with Seraph and the two counterbalance each other in multiple ways, both in battle and in life at the academy. The mutant also is a major artistic person, being proficient at playing electric bass, as well as writing. He can often be found just noodling in his room with his white bass. On the other hand, Anshel is an extremely paranoid and anxious person. He can't stand being alone for too long, and will be the first to break a silence if one occurs. This also plays a part in his mother figure status. It causes him to be very overprotective of his "children" figures. This includes anyone who is younger than him, or even older people that haven't been attending for as long as he has. He'll openly attack people who he believes are putting others lives in jeopardy, make brash decisions to attack government officials if he thinks they have injured one of his friends, and even display his power in public to get others out of harms way. This is what makes him both dangerous to himself and to his opponents. Ability: Shadow Control - Anshel's ability to control shadows is unique in that they loose most of their required properties. He can mold three dimensional objects, or send them around as two dimensional entities. He can completely control their movement, but they can only move as fast as their size permits (bullet sized objects act like bullets, steel girders will be like throwing a steel girder, albeit somewhat easier due to his shadow manipulation). He can only use shadows that already exist however, as in, he can't generate his element. Limits to Ability: Anshel requires shadows to use his ability. Also as mentioned, he has limits to the speed and size of shadows he can easily control. Direct, focused light can dissipate the shadows as well. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background:Anshel went a surprising amount of time without anyone noticing his mutation. It's in it's nature to be hard to notice anyways. Odd shaped shadows are the last thing a normal person would consider "magical." He herd about Riverwood from a friend of his, and they arrived together on their own terms. His friend passed away from untreated pneumonia after the trip however, and Anshel made it his goal to make sure he didn't loose anyone ever again. He soon befriended Seraph, and the two have acted as a team ever since. Anshel is considered a "big dog" on campus, but he's more of the person to turn to for friendly advice then the intimidating and powerful figure that his friend is. He refused to disclose his real name, and so people referred to him as "black" by the nature of his hair and powers. He has since adopted the name as his own alias, rarely ever explaining to people that his real name is Anshel. Appearance: See above Other: He likes kittens</s> <\|message\|>Terraline Gray Terraline groggily sat up and stared at the room before her. There seemed to be a girl with pink hair watching her. Her parents would have killed her if she had ever dyed her hair that color but still, it was rather pretty. However, that wasn't the strange part. This girl's nails looked like bird talons. Was this a dream after all? Some other boy joined and began questioning her. She wondered what they were all doing here. Were they here for her? Maybe she was the oddball here. After inhaling deeply, she tried to compose herself and push away the traumatic memory for now. Apparently she was in some sort of school. "How the heck did I end up here?"She muttered under her breath. Another girl squeezed between the two people and came toward her bedside. "Hi" the girl said with a wave, "I'm Cammy. How are you feeling?" "Hey... You can call me Terry. I'm kind of confused to be honest."She admitted. "I have no idea how I ended up here." Some other guy introduced himself as Black and spoke of making sure she should feel welcome in her new home. he also mentioned how she had no knowledge of mutants. After speaking to the others, he had addressed her finally with, "Lastly then, hello young one. Welcome to Riverwood. My name is Black, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Should you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them." He was not the only one to introduce himself. The pink haired girl introduced herself as Ryuu. Although, the other boy seemed to have departed. "Nice to meet you guys. Well for starters, what are mutants and how did I end up here?" Terraline inquired.</s> <\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia Cammy fought hard not to roll her eyes at Black's admonishment but was unable to prevent her tongue from poking out of her mouth at him. Thankfully she managed to pull it back in before he noticed...She hoped. She sat on the end of the bed as Terry introduced herself and said "Nice to meet you guys. Well for starters, what are mutants and how did I end up here?". A lump began to form in Cammy's throat. She wasn't entirely clear on how this girl had ended up here but if the circumstances surrounding her arrival at the school were anything like Cammy's...She tried not to think about it. Too many of the kids around here had tragic stories. "Those are both great questions" she said, forcing a smile onto her face "And I'm sure Black will be happy to answer both of them and any more that you have. But for now...take my hand". Cammy reached her hand gently out towards Terry, trying her hardest to keep a friendly expression. She knew that she could take away any physical pain Terry may be in from whatever caused her to be brought in unconscious. She just had to touch her for a moment. It was easier to do it this way than to try and explain her strange ability.</s> <\|message\|>Ellowyn Clark A loud scream interrupted Josephine's tranquil thoughts. The girl's mind had been focusing on how she would achieve first chair for orchestra. For some reason, Anna was ahead of her. Did the teacher not see the potential and greatness Josephine had? It was abysmal how they disregarded her talent. She had bene playing piano since the age of three. It disgusted her as well. If Mrs. Lyell didn't allow Josephine to try out for it again and succeed, then Anna was going to have a tragic accident. How she would was not yet thought out. Nonetheless, it would happen. No-one, no-one, out did Josephine Gray. She snapped back to reality. Her fingers froze over the newly polished piano keys with her light brown hair stroking the edges of it. Josie picked up her head. The scream had emitted from her mother. Why? What the hell was going on? Had her mother finally lost her mind? As she considered the scream, she could hear the agonizing fear and panic behind it. Josephine knew she hadn't set up any maniacal or diabolic trap that day. She rose to her feet, sincerely perplexed. As she crossed towards the room to her door, it banged open and flew off its' hinges. Josephine inhaled, jumping backwards and glaring. Four tall figures clothed entirely in black barged rudely into her room. Josephine stared at them, and then gathered herself. "Who the fuck are you - the 2015 Ninja Squad? God, you look awful. Your wardrobe is shittier than my sister's." "That must be the other sister." commented a male. His voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Josephine wondered why her ears were not bleeding yet. "Damn straight, dumbass." Josie snapped and grabbed her baton from the wall. "Get the fuck out of my room. No wonder you cover yourselves up - too cowardly and ugly to show yourselves." "Eliminate her. Now!" A woman to the right of the first male's voice. "She's so annoying." "Is that the only insult you came up with?" She moved into an offensive position. Her adrenaline began to rush. Josephine could feel her heart pounding tremendously against her ribcage. The noise reminded Josephine of a large elephant running from a pack of lions. Another scream - Terraline's - filled her ears. At least someone was going to get rid of the useless girl. Terry was going nowhere in life. Her mother and sister's screams were announced; but what of her brother, Xander? Had he escaped? Whatever. She didn't care. All that mattered was that she managed to survive. The figure to her right lunged at her. Josephine swung out with her baton, the tip making contact with their elbow. It was then that she realized it was a woman by the high-pitched cry. The others paused, evaluating their comrade's injury. "Son of a bitch!" She roared in pain, holding her now broken and shattered elbow. The woman's arm hung awkwardly and limply. "I'm not a son although my mother is a bitch." Josephine responded and jumped into the air. She kicked her in the chest with both feet and sent them stumbling backwards. The woman collapsed on the floor, dazed by the pain. Josephine landed catlike on her feet and glared viciously. "Who's next?" The group evaluated her, immobile. They glanced around at one another, silently communicating. "What are you, telepathic?" she taunted, a wicked smile curling her lips. This seemed to make the male - who was bulky and toned - look at her sharply. His neck had moved so fast that Josephine wondered why it did not break. If he didn't do it himself, then she would. "Get her." The woman ordered, her voice strained by the agony of her broken elbow. "Yeah, catch me if you can." Josephine laughed and avoided the man's lunge. She wrapped her leg around his and pulled hard, knocking him down. She composed herself and lunged at him to throw him off balance. It was successful, because he staggered. She head-butted him and twisted off of him and onto the floor. Just then, the unidentified figure grabbed her shirt- her designer shirt. Josephine screeched as the individual slammed their fist into the back of her neck. They threw her to the floor and kicked her aside. She bit back a cry of pain and rolled onto her hands and feet as quickly as possible. She was dizzy, but refused to give up. She was not losing her life because of a few idiots. The tall man and unidentified figure remained. "Too sexy and quick for you," Josephine smirked, her blue eyes gleaming with joy. That's when the man took out a gun and aimed it at her. The smirk faded, and then pulled back up. "That's all you brought - a stupid little handgun? I laugh in the face of danger." Josie quoted, laughing maliciously. The figure glanced at the man, then began to slowly edge their way around to the back of Josephine. "Oh I see how it is - tag teaming. Clearly you know I'd kick your ass solo." Josephine kept her eyes on the man with the gun, but was watching the other in her peripheral vision. The figure was taking out some silver, shining object. "Afraid?" the man taunted, waving his gun mockingly at her. Did this man think a gun was going to take her out? She was tougher than that. "Hardly," she replied dryly, keeping her stance and holding her baton. The figure was out of her view now, which only infuriated Josephine. She relied on her sense of awareness and hearing. The man smiled at her; then raised his gun and locked it into place. She tensed, wondering which way she should move both attacks, if possible. The gun was more important. The figure behind her was not as threatening. They were not as fast as a bullet. His finger circled the trigger; then fired. The figure behind her lunged at her as well. That's when the room exploded into flames from every direction and angle. _______________________________________________ Josephine's eyes opened. Her vision was slow to come back. She discovered she was in a hospital room. There was something on her face that was uncomfortable. Her breathing sounded loud in her ears. Her breaths fogged up the oxygen mask, she realized. This brought her to question why she had an oxygen mask on. The night's events replayed in her mind slowly, like a faucet dripping water. There was a group of black figures that were murdering everyone in their house. They had attacked her... She almost was shot... Josephine inhaled sharply, clouding the mask. The man had shot. But after that what happened? Josephine couldn't remember the rest; all she remembered was the fire afterwards, the nothing. She tried to sit up, but ended up coughing and clouding her mask even more. There were burns all over her body, and the scent of smoke was strong. "Whoa, easy there," A doctor came over and gently pushed her back down. Sadly, Josie didn't have the strength to fight and laid back down much to her dismay. How dare this man touch her! Josephine stared at him and narrowed her gaze. "You're confused- I can tell – so I'll explain. Your family was attacked by the X-Force agents. To save you and your siblings, you were transported to Riverwood Academy. This academy is for people with superpowers – much like you." He smiled down at her. "Yours seems to be pyrokinesis, Ms. Josephine, gathering by the sudden fire. Welcome to Riverwood, we are happy to have you." This man would come to regret his words.</s>	<\|message\|>Anshel Zenohoth Black smiled warmly as Terry introduced herself and began to ask questions, At least this means she's somewhat comfortable with us, he thought to himself. Though this wasn't a light topic, he was happy to take the opportunity to educate the girl on what exactly was going on, solemnly, yet in a calm voice, he began his explanation, "What are mutants? That's a loaded question really. We're a lot of things: outcasts, aliens, beasts, terrors, fears, and targets, but also beautiful, unique, and misunderstood. We, you and I, and all the students here at Riverwood are mutants. People like us have... how do I put this... well... mutations really. Superpowers for lack of a better term. If you'd take Cammy's hand, that give you a good idea. Personally..." Black flicked his hand and a little ball detached itself from his shadow and flitted around the room, "I'm able to control shadows. Mutants all have their own unique abilities, think of it like a supernatural fingerprint. I can say with faith that you have a power as well, although you might not have figured it out yet. As for how you got here, I don't have as thorough of an explanation, but most likely you were attacked by X-Force, a group of people who want to destroy all mutants. They view us as threats. It's possible tha---" he was interrupted by some ruckus in the neighboring room. He chuckled "Busy day huh Cammy? Mind keeping Terry company while I go investigate the noise?" After receiving his answer, he left for the next door doctor's room. He came upon a doctor dealing with another girl. She looked older than Terry, and had notably more severe injuries. It did seem, however, that she was abounding with energy based on her body's disposition and the look in her eyes. More new people... not a bad thing, but not exactly how he planned on spending his Sunday nevertheless, he choose to skip the formalities with this girl, as the doctor had already dealt with most of that. He made his presence known, "A pyrokinetic huh? I'm always welcoming to new people such as yourself. My name is Black, an I'm an umbrakinetic myself. How are you feeling?"</s>
<\|description\|>Christopher Valentine Nickname: Chris Gender: male Age: 19 Brief Personality: Chris is probably one of the most laid back people you will ever meet. He usually is usually never mad, he has a very good reign on his emotions. Well he gets mad, obviously, he is just better at hiding it than most. Valentine is out going and social, and is actually really smart. He likes to pretend he is dumb just to catch people off guard as to further solidify his persona of being laid back. It's when Chris or his friends are in a dangerous situation when he becomes serious. He becomes calculating, but still calm. Chris will do anything to protect his friends and those close to him. He also will help any mutant in need because he knows how bad life can be as one and feels a sense of camaraderie. Chris is also a music enthusiast, and plays the guitar quite well. He won't admit it but he also writes songs and is a really good singer. But his singing is usually restricted to the shower or his notepads. Ability: Sunakinesis: User can create, shape and manipulate sand, a naturally occurring loose, fragmented/granular sedimentary material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles ranging in diameter from 0.0625 mm (or 1⁄16 mm) to 2 mm. Limits to Ability: Liquids can make his sand heavier and harder to manipulate. Enough liquid can turn his sand into mud, which makes it virtually useless. Intense heat can turn his sand into glass but he would still be able to manipulate it. Age admitted into Riverwood: This is his first year Background: Chris didn't discover his ability until his 18th birthday. Somehow the X-Force got wind that he was a mutant, must have been some kind of genetic test run at the doctor's that seemed like a normal appointment. They came for him at night, but he got lucky and escaped. Valentine realized what had just happened and had to run away. There was no time to write a letter to his family, which he regrets to this day. Appearance: Chris stands at a tall height of 6'2" and has an athletic build, weighing in at 170 pounds. Other: None</s> <\|message\|>Ellowyn Clark A loud scream interrupted Josephine's tranquil thoughts. The girl's mind had been focusing on how she would achieve first chair for orchestra. For some reason, Anna was ahead of her. Did the teacher not see the potential and greatness Josephine had? It was abysmal how they disregarded her talent. She had bene playing piano since the age of three. It disgusted her as well. If Mrs. Lyell didn't allow Josephine to try out for it again and succeed, then Anna was going to have a tragic accident. How she would was not yet thought out. Nonetheless, it would happen. No-one, no-one, out did Josephine Gray. She snapped back to reality. Her fingers froze over the newly polished piano keys with her light brown hair stroking the edges of it. Josie picked up her head. The scream had emitted from her mother. Why? What the hell was going on? Had her mother finally lost her mind? As she considered the scream, she could hear the agonizing fear and panic behind it. Josephine knew she hadn't set up any maniacal or diabolic trap that day. She rose to her feet, sincerely perplexed. As she crossed towards the room to her door, it banged open and flew off its' hinges. Josephine inhaled, jumping backwards and glaring. Four tall figures clothed entirely in black barged rudely into her room. Josephine stared at them, and then gathered herself. "Who the fuck are you - the 2015 Ninja Squad? God, you look awful. Your wardrobe is shittier than my sister's." "That must be the other sister." commented a male. His voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Josephine wondered why her ears were not bleeding yet. "Damn straight, dumbass." Josie snapped and grabbed her baton from the wall. "Get the fuck out of my room. No wonder you cover yourselves up - too cowardly and ugly to show yourselves." "Eliminate her. Now!" A woman to the right of the first male's voice. "She's so annoying." "Is that the only insult you came up with?" She moved into an offensive position. Her adrenaline began to rush. Josephine could feel her heart pounding tremendously against her ribcage. The noise reminded Josephine of a large elephant running from a pack of lions. Another scream - Terraline's - filled her ears. At least someone was going to get rid of the useless girl. Terry was going nowhere in life. Her mother and sister's screams were announced; but what of her brother, Xander? Had he escaped? Whatever. She didn't care. All that mattered was that she managed to survive. The figure to her right lunged at her. Josephine swung out with her baton, the tip making contact with their elbow. It was then that she realized it was a woman by the high-pitched cry. The others paused, evaluating their comrade's injury. "Son of a bitch!" She roared in pain, holding her now broken and shattered elbow. The woman's arm hung awkwardly and limply. "I'm not a son although my mother is a bitch." Josephine responded and jumped into the air. She kicked her in the chest with both feet and sent them stumbling backwards. The woman collapsed on the floor, dazed by the pain. Josephine landed catlike on her feet and glared viciously. "Who's next?" The group evaluated her, immobile. They glanced around at one another, silently communicating. "What are you, telepathic?" she taunted, a wicked smile curling her lips. This seemed to make the male - who was bulky and toned - look at her sharply. His neck had moved so fast that Josephine wondered why it did not break. If he didn't do it himself, then she would. "Get her." The woman ordered, her voice strained by the agony of her broken elbow. "Yeah, catch me if you can." Josephine laughed and avoided the man's lunge. She wrapped her leg around his and pulled hard, knocking him down. She composed herself and lunged at him to throw him off balance. It was successful, because he staggered. She head-butted him and twisted off of him and onto the floor. Just then, the unidentified figure grabbed her shirt- her designer shirt. Josephine screeched as the individual slammed their fist into the back of her neck. They threw her to the floor and kicked her aside. She bit back a cry of pain and rolled onto her hands and feet as quickly as possible. She was dizzy, but refused to give up. She was not losing her life because of a few idiots. The tall man and unidentified figure remained. "Too sexy and quick for you," Josephine smirked, her blue eyes gleaming with joy. That's when the man took out a gun and aimed it at her. The smirk faded, and then pulled back up. "That's all you brought - a stupid little handgun? I laugh in the face of danger." Josie quoted, laughing maliciously. The figure glanced at the man, then began to slowly edge their way around to the back of Josephine. "Oh I see how it is - tag teaming. Clearly you know I'd kick your ass solo." Josephine kept her eyes on the man with the gun, but was watching the other in her peripheral vision. The figure was taking out some silver, shining object. "Afraid?" the man taunted, waving his gun mockingly at her. Did this man think a gun was going to take her out? She was tougher than that. "Hardly," she replied dryly, keeping her stance and holding her baton. The figure was out of her view now, which only infuriated Josephine. She relied on her sense of awareness and hearing. The man smiled at her; then raised his gun and locked it into place. She tensed, wondering which way she should move both attacks, if possible. The gun was more important. The figure behind her was not as threatening. They were not as fast as a bullet. His finger circled the trigger; then fired. The figure behind her lunged at her as well. That's when the room exploded into flames from every direction and angle. _______________________________________________ Josephine's eyes opened. Her vision was slow to come back. She discovered she was in a hospital room. There was something on her face that was uncomfortable. Her breathing sounded loud in her ears. Her breaths fogged up the oxygen mask, she realized. This brought her to question why she had an oxygen mask on. The night's events replayed in her mind slowly, like a faucet dripping water. There was a group of black figures that were murdering everyone in their house. They had attacked her... She almost was shot... Josephine inhaled sharply, clouding the mask. The man had shot. But after that what happened? Josephine couldn't remember the rest; all she remembered was the fire afterwards, the nothing. She tried to sit up, but ended up coughing and clouding her mask even more. There were burns all over her body, and the scent of smoke was strong. "Whoa, easy there," A doctor came over and gently pushed her back down. Sadly, Josie didn't have the strength to fight and laid back down much to her dismay. How dare this man touch her! Josephine stared at him and narrowed her gaze. "You're confused- I can tell – so I'll explain. Your family was attacked by the X-Force agents. To save you and your siblings, you were transported to Riverwood Academy. This academy is for people with superpowers – much like you." He smiled down at her. "Yours seems to be pyrokinesis, Ms. Josephine, gathering by the sudden fire. Welcome to Riverwood, we are happy to have you." This man would come to regret his words.</s> <\|message\|>Anshel Zenohoth Black smiled warmly as Terry introduced herself and began to ask questions, At least this means she's somewhat comfortable with us, he thought to himself. Though this wasn't a light topic, he was happy to take the opportunity to educate the girl on what exactly was going on, solemnly, yet in a calm voice, he began his explanation, "What are mutants? That's a loaded question really. We're a lot of things: outcasts, aliens, beasts, terrors, fears, and targets, but also beautiful, unique, and misunderstood. We, you and I, and all the students here at Riverwood are mutants. People like us have... how do I put this... well... mutations really. Superpowers for lack of a better term. If you'd take Cammy's hand, that give you a good idea. Personally..." Black flicked his hand and a little ball detached itself from his shadow and flitted around the room, "I'm able to control shadows. Mutants all have their own unique abilities, think of it like a supernatural fingerprint. I can say with faith that you have a power as well, although you might not have figured it out yet. As for how you got here, I don't have as thorough of an explanation, but most likely you were attacked by X-Force, a group of people who want to destroy all mutants. They view us as threats. It's possible tha---" he was interrupted by some ruckus in the neighboring room. He chuckled "Busy day huh Cammy? Mind keeping Terry company while I go investigate the noise?" After receiving his answer, he left for the next door doctor's room. He came upon a doctor dealing with another girl. She looked older than Terry, and had notably more severe injuries. It did seem, however, that she was abounding with energy based on her body's disposition and the look in her eyes. More new people... not a bad thing, but not exactly how he planned on spending his Sunday nevertheless, he choose to skip the formalities with this girl, as the doctor had already dealt with most of that. He made his presence known, "A pyrokinetic huh? I'm always welcoming to new people such as yourself. My name is Black, an I'm an umbrakinetic myself. How are you feeling?"</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (last name not found) Nadia followed the person into the kitchen, wondering why he was bringing her there. Maybe he was gonna give her food, that would be really nice of him. She saw a girl in the kitchen and blinked. "I'm Nadia" she said upon her question. This person seems nice.</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pamela smiled and said "Sure. I was heading that way in any case. Follow me" She said brightly, starting to walk, looking back to make sure that Nick was following. "Hopefully there's someone who can cook. I'm not going to try cooking" She said, her voice seeming to go distant as she spoke. "We can discuss classes too. There's the usual, and then there's power classes. learning to control, classes on responsibility and all that." She rolled her eyes, Lance giving a yip, she pushed open a door to the kitchen, and gave Lance a pat. "Don't worry. You'll learn this place pretty quickly. Most of the other students are okay, but I haven't talked to them too much. Haven't been here that long, really. Just a few weeks"</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Well, that's still a few more weeks than me. Minus 2 days, anyway." Nick said, absorbing all the things she said. Power control classes, responsibility classes, and probably quite a number of other ones she hadn't mentioned, which sounded alright so far. He was curious about how to control his power. As far as he knew, he just knew where everything around him was, kind of. Rather awkward when you can see through walls sometimes. That said, would power control mean that he could increase his range? That might be good. But he'd also like to control what he 'sees', because he doesn't want to be called a pervert. [i]Best not to mention the seeing through walls part.[i] Nick thought. That said, the classes seemed fine, at least for now, so he shouldn't have any problems. "Well, if I can least skip out on maths, I'm set." Nick muttered. "My arithmetic is abysmal." The door to the kitchen was open and Nick stuck his head in and looked around. He spotted a few students in the reasonably large kitchen and called out to them. "Hello? Anyone who can cook?" He called.</s> <\|message\|>Dolor Oublier She blinked, a chuckle coming from her voice. "Well, looks like you are in the right place, sandman." Dolor balanced her things for a moment, making a jerking movement with her head to follow. "C'mon, we better you get registered, unless you already know whats going on here?"</s>	<\|message\|>Christopher Valentine Chris grinned and eagerly followed the girl. "Oh! I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Chris Valentine," He said with a smile. "May I ask who you are? And no, I have no idea how things work around here. All I heard about this place is that I could come here to be with people like me." Valentine walked with his hands clasped behind his head, as if he didn't have a care in the world. As of now, he felt like he didn't have any. The running was over, but who knew what this school would hold? Sticking a crapload of super powered teenagers in a school was bound to have it's drawbacks. Especially the guys, some guys were assholes normally, assholes with superpowers had to be a bitch to deal with. "Sooo, does it get crazy around here at all? I'm sure it can't be peaceful all the time right? Bunch of cooped up super powered teens." Christopher wondered what the people would be like. There was one thing he knew for sure, this was definitely going to be interesting...</s>
<\|description\|>Nicholas Cayne Would you enjoy another blind person? Nickname: Nick Gender: Male Age: 16 Brief Personality: Nick is a cheerful, light hearted kind of person who is constantly trying to find ways to lighten the mood or make people happier in general. He can make jokes about bad things that happen to him, but is sensitive and tries not to tread on any toes. He likes people and dislikes loneliness. Ability: Nick has an intrinsic 'awareness' of things in a certain radius around him. He knows the shape, location and details of any object within a certain range of him, like an area where he can sense everything. Kind of like a sixth sense. It's useful in fog because fog doesn't hinder it. Limits to Ability: Currently, its range is quite short, sitting at about 10 meters. Also, his awareness doesn't give him an awareness of colour, or light in general. His ability is apparently limited to matter and solid objects, though he can perceive gaseous substances similarly to heat waves. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Nick was always a fairly cheerful kid since he was born. He liked hanging out with his friends but was kind of average otherwise. That changed when he got into a car accident. The car accident scarred his eyes and made him put a bandage around them for all of his life. Life got more difficult for him, in more ways than one. The first reason was because he had to adapt to a life without sight. The second reason hurt him more, however. People didn't really talk about the incident. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like people were avoiding him. And they kind of were. Beforehand, most of his class could talk to him, and he had a lot of friends and acquaintances. Now, only his closest friends were around him. It made Nick feel alone in class, because he couldn't see anyone and they wouldn't talk to him. One day, however, his powers awakened. Everyone was shocked at how it was like he could see again. The atmosphere became close to like how it was before. But his parents wanted him to go to Riverwood. They had heard rumours of what the government did to kids with strange powers, and they didn't want it to happen to him. At first, he objected, but he realised the pain he would put people through if he died, rather than if he disappeared. So Nick left, and travelled to learn at Riverwood. Appearance: Nick has short, brown hair and is around 160 cm. He's got a rather average build, and is rather average altogether, save for the bandages he has around his eyes. Other: Nick likes soft things, because they are soft. Also, Nick isn't that great at combat. Because he's blind, he can't read or see colour. He almost can't write.</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pamela pursed her lips for a second, shaking at the brief image that flashed through her sight, she jolted and stepped out the way as someone, a guy, came out of his room. She thought it was his room in any case. She heard the click of the door, and Lance, so excitable with others, wriggling, his butt shaking in pleasure as he sniffed around the guy. "You're meant to be well behaved, you know. I think you got wild as we traveled here" She shook her head at the dog, before turning to the guy, her pale eyes studying him. He appeared rather average looking, but...she didn't seem to be able to tell. He didn't have a clear image of himself, and that was how Pamela figured out what people looked like. He had bandages over his eyes, and perhaps that effected how he saw things. Saw himself. She frowned. "Sorry. I nearly walked into you. I'm Pamela, and this ball of fur is Lance. He like a guild dog. Just energetic"</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (last name not found) "Ah" Nadia said as she came across a huge building. The gate was opened and the walls seem to stretch on for miles. She blinked and looked at the building curiously. For some reason, she felt the need to go inside it. Like as if she would find something for her inside. She stepped into the strange building, pulling away a few leaves from her hair and trying to make herself seem presentable. She had been wondering in a forest for days so she most probably do not look good. She looked around and saw some people there, perhaps they were staying in this building? Whatever the case, it didnt seem like she had to go to them at that particular moment. She wandered around and found another building within a building. She looked around, this time however, she saw classrooms. There were people inside of the classrooms and she peeked at one of them. It was empty, however, and she turned away. She soon found a toilet for girls and went inside. Looking at her reflection, she tidied her hair up and washed her face with the water. After what she assumes is as presentable as she can get, she went out and wandered around again. "I wonder where I am" she said to herself. She walked around the hallways and past some classrooms and soon, she decided to walk back to the entrance where she had came in from. Once she was there, she noticed there was a few more people. She went up to one of the students and tapped their shoulder. "Excuse me, where am I?" she asked</s> <\|message\|>Owen Bounder Rebound lay on his bed in his room, staring up at the ceiling, his arms behind his head. The look on his face was a frown, but then he almost always had a frown or some other unpleasant look on his face. No one had ever seen him smile. The best they could hope for was an expressionless face if he wasn't interested in them. That was quite often the case. He was interested in very few people here. In fact, he couldn't think of any at all... except one perhaps. But she was a special case. He sighed and sat up in his bed, smoothing his hair back behind his ears. There was already a lot of activity in the building. He'd heard that several new students would be arriving today, and one had apparently been rescued from... Them. His teeth gritted at the thought. He couldn't help but feel a sort of pity for the poor girl, but then again, who was she to him? It wasn't like there was any shortage of students here who'd had an encounter of some sort or another with..Them. He stood up, his thoughts turning down darker memories as he opened his door and stepped into the hallway, making his way down it. Memories of pain, darkness, then bright lights, needles, and worst of all, the images that They had caused him to see by use of drugs. He shivered at the memories, then shook his head roughly, his hair shaking around as he tried to shake the memories out of his mind. However, at that moment he walked straight into another student who was coming from another direction. With anyone else, they would have both fallen over, but because of his ability, he didn't even flinch as the girl's kinetic energy transferred completely into him. He pushed the hair out of his face and glared down at her, growling, "Hey! Watch where you're..." But then he stopped as he realized who he'd bumped into. The one person at this school who held any interest for him. "Oh, it's you Mia."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine Waking up do to hunger pangs Lucas rolls out of the bush he was in. Falling face first on the ground he gets up, seeing the new girl and hearing her ask where she was he says,"Riverwood Academy for the medically unusual." He turns away and walks back inside heading straight for the kitchen,and upon making it to the kitchen he walks up to one of the cupboards and takes out a jar of honey labeled, "Lucas' touch and get mauled." Lucas then opens it walks back outside and begins to eat the honey with apparent pleasure.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Ris put the book back where he had grabbed it from. He sighed as he remembered the twists and turns he had endured as he had read the novel. He might just pick it up again in a few weeks. He bent down to pick up his stuff from where he had left it and he checked to see if his feet were still touching the ground and not metal. The last time he did that, the poor girl had been in the infirmary for more than a week. It was not his fault though that he could not control his power. He tried every day to contain it, but failed to direct its currents. He grabbed his bag and walked out of the library, the sun shining into his eyes. He moved his right hand to block it out as he moved towards the dorms, not wanting to give the faculty another excuse to lecture him about control, when they did not know in how to contain him. He carefully made his way that way, hoping not to touch someone and cause any problems.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick jumped slightly as someone came into his range, surprised at there being someone. "No, I'm sorry." Nick said as she apologised. "It's fine." Surprisingly enough, it was a girl. And even more surprisingly... "Oh my god, is that a dog?" Nick asked. And indeed, there stood a Labrador, looking at him with inquisitive eyes. Nick bent down to pat it and it nestled against his hand. Nick was really happy, though. He loved dogs. They loved to run up to you and check you out. And they sometimes they liked to tackle you -especially the big ones- but hey, that was part of the charm, right? "Oh, where are my manners." Nick said suddenly. He realised that he hadn't introduced himself. "My name's Nick." He said, standing up. "I'm an average blind guy with something a little special! Though; wait..." He thought for a minute. Riverwood was a place for people with something a little special, meaning that he was actually kind of normal here. "Well, everyone here has something special, so I'm just an average blind guy here; but nice to meet you, Pam." Nick said, grinning. "Can I call you Pam?"</s> <\|message\|>Dolor Oublier Ouch, mutant? That was rough. She continued to bundle the sheets as they began to slip to the ground. "...Depends, what exactly are you looking for?" Dolor wasn't stupid, she knew about the theorist and investigators that sometimes tried finding the location of Riverwood. While many turned up empty handed, very few individuals managed to get in, in the small time she had lived here.</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Maybe this place wasn't so bad. Pamela was just treating it as a haven, as somewhere to stay and survive. As somewhere to yes, just be normal. She smiled, Lance had his tongue out happily as Nick pet him. "Sure. Pam is fine by me. Blind is never average though" she said musingly "after all, to be able to hear thing s others might? Or catch a scent? Or to be able to know what something is by its texture? It's amazing." She said. She looked down at Lance and said "he's meant to have one of those coats, that says seeing eye dog, but it..." Burn in the fire. "Got lost on our way here" not the truth, but then she would have to exain why she survived the fire. And she didn't want to go there. "He really on helps me not walk into things now"</s> <\|message\|>Christopher Valentine "What am I looking for? A place to be safe from them... I've been on the run for the past year, they came for me on my 18th birthday. If I can't stay here can I at least sleep here for a couple a days? I'm sick of the running, too many people have died because of it. Last week, a group of them came after me, they didn't even care about the civilians... They shot two people, a husband and wife in an attempt to kill me. Two innocent people, who weren't the only ones, died because of what I can do. That, is why I am here." Chris opened his hands, "do you need me to prove that I'm not... Normal?" Valentine proved his point very blatantly, as his skin began to turn into sand. In a few seconds his body was made of sand, but still kept it's shape. "See?" he said as he turned back to normal.</s>	<\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick thought for a moment, and realised that Pam was right. He'd been able to use his other senses a lot better after he lost his sight, which was a useful party trick some times. It was good to remember that, in retrospect. Pam had pretty good insight. "You're right." Nick announced. "You're a good person." She went on about her dog, lance, and Nick was reminded about his parents when they were debating whether or not to get Nick a guide dog to help him with living. In the end, they decided not to because it was too expensive. At that point, he wondered if he could learn echo-location, but he later decided that it would be ridiculous. Regardless, having a guide dog a positive thing. "Well, that's good." Nick said, replying to her comment about her dog. Nick bent down to pat Lance again, marvelling at its soft fur. "You take care of her, you here?" He said to it. As Nick got up again, he remembered that he wanted to talk someone who'd been at the school for some time, and Pam might just be that person... "I'm new to this school, so uh... What should I be doing right now?" Nick said. "I got a tour and everything, but I don't know what I'm doing."</s>
<\|description\|>Nicholas Cayne Would you enjoy another blind person? Nickname: Nick Gender: Male Age: 16 Brief Personality: Nick is a cheerful, light hearted kind of person who is constantly trying to find ways to lighten the mood or make people happier in general. He can make jokes about bad things that happen to him, but is sensitive and tries not to tread on any toes. He likes people and dislikes loneliness. Ability: Nick has an intrinsic 'awareness' of things in a certain radius around him. He knows the shape, location and details of any object within a certain range of him, like an area where he can sense everything. Kind of like a sixth sense. It's useful in fog because fog doesn't hinder it. Limits to Ability: Currently, its range is quite short, sitting at about 10 meters. Also, his awareness doesn't give him an awareness of colour, or light in general. His ability is apparently limited to matter and solid objects, though he can perceive gaseous substances similarly to heat waves. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Nick was always a fairly cheerful kid since he was born. He liked hanging out with his friends but was kind of average otherwise. That changed when he got into a car accident. The car accident scarred his eyes and made him put a bandage around them for all of his life. Life got more difficult for him, in more ways than one. The first reason was because he had to adapt to a life without sight. The second reason hurt him more, however. People didn't really talk about the incident. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like people were avoiding him. And they kind of were. Beforehand, most of his class could talk to him, and he had a lot of friends and acquaintances. Now, only his closest friends were around him. It made Nick feel alone in class, because he couldn't see anyone and they wouldn't talk to him. One day, however, his powers awakened. Everyone was shocked at how it was like he could see again. The atmosphere became close to like how it was before. But his parents wanted him to go to Riverwood. They had heard rumours of what the government did to kids with strange powers, and they didn't want it to happen to him. At first, he objected, but he realised the pain he would put people through if he died, rather than if he disappeared. So Nick left, and travelled to learn at Riverwood. Appearance: Nick has short, brown hair and is around 160 cm. He's got a rather average build, and is rather average altogether, save for the bandages he has around his eyes. Other: Nick likes soft things, because they are soft. Also, Nick isn't that great at combat. Because he's blind, he can't read or see colour. He almost can't write.</s> <\|message\|>Ellowyn Clark A loud scream interrupted Josephine's tranquil thoughts. The girl's mind had been focusing on how she would achieve first chair for orchestra. For some reason, Anna was ahead of her. Did the teacher not see the potential and greatness Josephine had? It was abysmal how they disregarded her talent. She had bene playing piano since the age of three. It disgusted her as well. If Mrs. Lyell didn't allow Josephine to try out for it again and succeed, then Anna was going to have a tragic accident. How she would was not yet thought out. Nonetheless, it would happen. No-one, no-one, out did Josephine Gray. She snapped back to reality. Her fingers froze over the newly polished piano keys with her light brown hair stroking the edges of it. Josie picked up her head. The scream had emitted from her mother. Why? What the hell was going on? Had her mother finally lost her mind? As she considered the scream, she could hear the agonizing fear and panic behind it. Josephine knew she hadn't set up any maniacal or diabolic trap that day. She rose to her feet, sincerely perplexed. As she crossed towards the room to her door, it banged open and flew off its' hinges. Josephine inhaled, jumping backwards and glaring. Four tall figures clothed entirely in black barged rudely into her room. Josephine stared at them, and then gathered herself. "Who the fuck are you - the 2015 Ninja Squad? God, you look awful. Your wardrobe is shittier than my sister's." "That must be the other sister." commented a male. His voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Josephine wondered why her ears were not bleeding yet. "Damn straight, dumbass." Josie snapped and grabbed her baton from the wall. "Get the fuck out of my room. No wonder you cover yourselves up - too cowardly and ugly to show yourselves." "Eliminate her. Now!" A woman to the right of the first male's voice. "She's so annoying." "Is that the only insult you came up with?" She moved into an offensive position. Her adrenaline began to rush. Josephine could feel her heart pounding tremendously against her ribcage. The noise reminded Josephine of a large elephant running from a pack of lions. Another scream - Terraline's - filled her ears. At least someone was going to get rid of the useless girl. Terry was going nowhere in life. Her mother and sister's screams were announced; but what of her brother, Xander? Had he escaped? Whatever. She didn't care. All that mattered was that she managed to survive. The figure to her right lunged at her. Josephine swung out with her baton, the tip making contact with their elbow. It was then that she realized it was a woman by the high-pitched cry. The others paused, evaluating their comrade's injury. "Son of a bitch!" She roared in pain, holding her now broken and shattered elbow. The woman's arm hung awkwardly and limply. "I'm not a son although my mother is a bitch." Josephine responded and jumped into the air. She kicked her in the chest with both feet and sent them stumbling backwards. The woman collapsed on the floor, dazed by the pain. Josephine landed catlike on her feet and glared viciously. "Who's next?" The group evaluated her, immobile. They glanced around at one another, silently communicating. "What are you, telepathic?" she taunted, a wicked smile curling her lips. This seemed to make the male - who was bulky and toned - look at her sharply. His neck had moved so fast that Josephine wondered why it did not break. If he didn't do it himself, then she would. "Get her." The woman ordered, her voice strained by the agony of her broken elbow. "Yeah, catch me if you can." Josephine laughed and avoided the man's lunge. She wrapped her leg around his and pulled hard, knocking him down. She composed herself and lunged at him to throw him off balance. It was successful, because he staggered. She head-butted him and twisted off of him and onto the floor. Just then, the unidentified figure grabbed her shirt- her designer shirt. Josephine screeched as the individual slammed their fist into the back of her neck. They threw her to the floor and kicked her aside. She bit back a cry of pain and rolled onto her hands and feet as quickly as possible. She was dizzy, but refused to give up. She was not losing her life because of a few idiots. The tall man and unidentified figure remained. "Too sexy and quick for you," Josephine smirked, her blue eyes gleaming with joy. That's when the man took out a gun and aimed it at her. The smirk faded, and then pulled back up. "That's all you brought - a stupid little handgun? I laugh in the face of danger." Josie quoted, laughing maliciously. The figure glanced at the man, then began to slowly edge their way around to the back of Josephine. "Oh I see how it is - tag teaming. Clearly you know I'd kick your ass solo." Josephine kept her eyes on the man with the gun, but was watching the other in her peripheral vision. The figure was taking out some silver, shining object. "Afraid?" the man taunted, waving his gun mockingly at her. Did this man think a gun was going to take her out? She was tougher than that. "Hardly," she replied dryly, keeping her stance and holding her baton. The figure was out of her view now, which only infuriated Josephine. She relied on her sense of awareness and hearing. The man smiled at her; then raised his gun and locked it into place. She tensed, wondering which way she should move both attacks, if possible. The gun was more important. The figure behind her was not as threatening. They were not as fast as a bullet. His finger circled the trigger; then fired. The figure behind her lunged at her as well. That's when the room exploded into flames from every direction and angle. _______________________________________________ Josephine's eyes opened. Her vision was slow to come back. She discovered she was in a hospital room. There was something on her face that was uncomfortable. Her breathing sounded loud in her ears. Her breaths fogged up the oxygen mask, she realized. This brought her to question why she had an oxygen mask on. The night's events replayed in her mind slowly, like a faucet dripping water. There was a group of black figures that were murdering everyone in their house. They had attacked her... She almost was shot... Josephine inhaled sharply, clouding the mask. The man had shot. But after that what happened? Josephine couldn't remember the rest; all she remembered was the fire afterwards, the nothing. She tried to sit up, but ended up coughing and clouding her mask even more. There were burns all over her body, and the scent of smoke was strong. "Whoa, easy there," A doctor came over and gently pushed her back down. Sadly, Josie didn't have the strength to fight and laid back down much to her dismay. How dare this man touch her! Josephine stared at him and narrowed her gaze. "You're confused- I can tell – so I'll explain. Your family was attacked by the X-Force agents. To save you and your siblings, you were transported to Riverwood Academy. This academy is for people with superpowers – much like you." He smiled down at her. "Yours seems to be pyrokinesis, Ms. Josephine, gathering by the sudden fire. Welcome to Riverwood, we are happy to have you." This man would come to regret his words.</s> <\|message\|>Anshel Zenohoth Black smiled warmly as Terry introduced herself and began to ask questions, At least this means she's somewhat comfortable with us, he thought to himself. Though this wasn't a light topic, he was happy to take the opportunity to educate the girl on what exactly was going on, solemnly, yet in a calm voice, he began his explanation, "What are mutants? That's a loaded question really. We're a lot of things: outcasts, aliens, beasts, terrors, fears, and targets, but also beautiful, unique, and misunderstood. We, you and I, and all the students here at Riverwood are mutants. People like us have... how do I put this... well... mutations really. Superpowers for lack of a better term. If you'd take Cammy's hand, that give you a good idea. Personally..." Black flicked his hand and a little ball detached itself from his shadow and flitted around the room, "I'm able to control shadows. Mutants all have their own unique abilities, think of it like a supernatural fingerprint. I can say with faith that you have a power as well, although you might not have figured it out yet. As for how you got here, I don't have as thorough of an explanation, but most likely you were attacked by X-Force, a group of people who want to destroy all mutants. They view us as threats. It's possible tha---" he was interrupted by some ruckus in the neighboring room. He chuckled "Busy day huh Cammy? Mind keeping Terry company while I go investigate the noise?" After receiving his answer, he left for the next door doctor's room. He came upon a doctor dealing with another girl. She looked older than Terry, and had notably more severe injuries. It did seem, however, that she was abounding with energy based on her body's disposition and the look in her eyes. More new people... not a bad thing, but not exactly how he planned on spending his Sunday nevertheless, he choose to skip the formalities with this girl, as the doctor had already dealt with most of that. He made his presence known, "A pyrokinetic huh? I'm always welcoming to new people such as yourself. My name is Black, an I'm an umbrakinetic myself. How are you feeling?"</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (last name not found) Nadia followed the person into the kitchen, wondering why he was bringing her there. Maybe he was gonna give her food, that would be really nice of him. She saw a girl in the kitchen and blinked. "I'm Nadia" she said upon her question. This person seems nice.</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pamela smiled and said "Sure. I was heading that way in any case. Follow me" She said brightly, starting to walk, looking back to make sure that Nick was following. "Hopefully there's someone who can cook. I'm not going to try cooking" She said, her voice seeming to go distant as she spoke. "We can discuss classes too. There's the usual, and then there's power classes. learning to control, classes on responsibility and all that." She rolled her eyes, Lance giving a yip, she pushed open a door to the kitchen, and gave Lance a pat. "Don't worry. You'll learn this place pretty quickly. Most of the other students are okay, but I haven't talked to them too much. Haven't been here that long, really. Just a few weeks"</s>	<\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Well, that's still a few more weeks than me. Minus 2 days, anyway." Nick said, absorbing all the things she said. Power control classes, responsibility classes, and probably quite a number of other ones she hadn't mentioned, which sounded alright so far. He was curious about how to control his power. As far as he knew, he just knew where everything around him was, kind of. Rather awkward when you can see through walls sometimes. That said, would power control mean that he could increase his range? That might be good. But he'd also like to control what he 'sees', because he doesn't want to be called a pervert. [i]Best not to mention the seeing through walls part.[i] Nick thought. That said, the classes seemed fine, at least for now, so he shouldn't have any problems. "Well, if I can least skip out on maths, I'm set." Nick muttered. "My arithmetic is abysmal." The door to the kitchen was open and Nick stuck his head in and looked around. He spotted a few students in the reasonably large kitchen and called out to them. "Hello? Anyone who can cook?" He called.</s>
<\|description\|>Nicholas Cayne Would you enjoy another blind person? Nickname: Nick Gender: Male Age: 16 Brief Personality: Nick is a cheerful, light hearted kind of person who is constantly trying to find ways to lighten the mood or make people happier in general. He can make jokes about bad things that happen to him, but is sensitive and tries not to tread on any toes. He likes people and dislikes loneliness. Ability: Nick has an intrinsic 'awareness' of things in a certain radius around him. He knows the shape, location and details of any object within a certain range of him, like an area where he can sense everything. Kind of like a sixth sense. It's useful in fog because fog doesn't hinder it. Limits to Ability: Currently, its range is quite short, sitting at about 10 meters. Also, his awareness doesn't give him an awareness of colour, or light in general. His ability is apparently limited to matter and solid objects, though he can perceive gaseous substances similarly to heat waves. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Nick was always a fairly cheerful kid since he was born. He liked hanging out with his friends but was kind of average otherwise. That changed when he got into a car accident. The car accident scarred his eyes and made him put a bandage around them for all of his life. Life got more difficult for him, in more ways than one. The first reason was because he had to adapt to a life without sight. The second reason hurt him more, however. People didn't really talk about the incident. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like people were avoiding him. And they kind of were. Beforehand, most of his class could talk to him, and he had a lot of friends and acquaintances. Now, only his closest friends were around him. It made Nick feel alone in class, because he couldn't see anyone and they wouldn't talk to him. One day, however, his powers awakened. Everyone was shocked at how it was like he could see again. The atmosphere became close to like how it was before. But his parents wanted him to go to Riverwood. They had heard rumours of what the government did to kids with strange powers, and they didn't want it to happen to him. At first, he objected, but he realised the pain he would put people through if he died, rather than if he disappeared. So Nick left, and travelled to learn at Riverwood. Appearance: Nick has short, brown hair and is around 160 cm. He's got a rather average build, and is rather average altogether, save for the bandages he has around his eyes. Other: Nick likes soft things, because they are soft. Also, Nick isn't that great at combat. Because he's blind, he can't read or see colour. He almost can't write.</s> <\|message\|>Owen Bounder Rebound nodded and shook her hand gently for a moment before dropping it, his gaze locking onto her eyes for a moment, then he quickly looked away. "Yeah, uh, you're right. This happens to you about, umm, I think every two or three weeks." He began walking towards the lounge, assuming that she would follow him. "Today's Saturday, so we don't have any classes today. Plus, it's kind of a weird day cause we've got so many new students arriving today." He waved his hand towards the rooms they were passing and said, "These are the girls dormitories, and we're about to enter an area that has some classrooms in it." Sure enough, they began to pass a few classrooms soon after that, some set up like normal classrooms, while others seemed like places for training. Then they went down a flight of stairs and he said, "Down here is the main floor, where the guys dormitories are, as well as most of the recreational rooms. There's a gym, a lounge, a library, a game room, a cafeteria and so on." He stopped and turned back to her, raising an eyebrow. "You know, most of this you can get from your map. If there's somewhere specific you want to go right now, I can take you. Otherwise, you might as well find your way with the map. How about it? Anything in particular you're feeling you want to do? This place is huge, it has..well, just about everything you could want." His eyebrows drew together in a scowl for a moment. "Well, except normal humans. Good riddance, I say."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "Nah I can't cook at all." Lucas yells in response to the question he has just heard. He walks his way past the two people in the main doorway making his way to the lobby. Upon reaching it he notices Levi up and about the almost empty room. "Hey whats up dude looking for something? Oh by the way a couple of new people are in the kitchen." He leaves the room and heads back outside running into Dolor and Chris (although he doesn't know that Chris is his name yet)."What more new people? Guess I should come to expect new people seeing as this place is for protecting people with our special needs."</s> <\|message\|>Dolor Oublier "Hm?" He wanted a name? Her hair began turning from water to a liquid iron, each strand a strip. "Chris Valentine, wasn't that the name of like, a character? Resident Evi-- Anyways, you...can call me Dolor Oublier. Everyone just calls me doll though. You'll get used to it, trust me. I mean, you're here now, you really don't have a choice." Some part of what she said was serious, while other parts held humor. "Trust me, it gets crazy..You should see the fights! They're hilarious."</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pamela chickled "maths isn't so bad. But then, I have a good memory. Not like I could just look at paper as a kid and go "oh, two plus two is four!" No, I didn't even know what numbers looked like until I was 12, so I had to remember tha 12 times 36 is 432. If you want, I can help you with your Maths" she said. She blushed as she realized how she was rambling and cleared her throat as Nick asked is anyone could cook. At the reply of no, she sighed and looked to Nick. "I can cook toast. If you are happy with toast" she said, with a shrug. Although she herself was sick of toast, she ate it still. She was also sick of fun food, but she didn't want to do any more fancy cooking, scsred of the risk of fire.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Toast, huh?" Nick said. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'm down for pretty much anything at this point. But if I just..." Nick strode over to one of the pantries and opened it. Once open, he quickly grabbed the thin, rectangular box and took it out. "Here we go!" Nick said, revealing a box of cereal. Cornflakes, to be exact. Thankfully, his power made it so that he didn't have to look very hard. He knew where everything he needed was as well. "I'm really glad that this place has cornflakes." Nick said, rifling through another cupboard. He withdrew his hand to reveal his prize: Sugar. He moved to another cabinet to grab a bowl and spoon, and came up arms full with breakfast materials. Nick Loved cornflakes, obviously. He liked their delightful crunch and the way they went down so easily. He could tell they were good quality cornflakes judging by the shape and the thinness, and he liked adding sugar to it. His friends used to say that he had some obsession with cornflakes. There was one time he justified it by saying that he might do worse in his studies due to lack of motivation coming from cornflake deprivation, but that hadn't really worked out. Regardless, cornflakes were justice. But he knew he'd need more than just cornflakes, so he went to another cupboard and reached for an item he knew was there. "Jam for toast!" Nick declared, retracting his hand with strawberry jam in his clutches. He added it to his pile and made his way to a table, carefully placing the items onto it, but Nick noticed there was something missing. Nick thought for a moment and remembered it. He went back to one of the cupboards and pulled out another bowl and spoon, as well as 2 plates for the toast and 2 cups. He then put them onto the table and went to the fridge again, grabbing a bottle of orange juice. By placing it on the table, the table was set. "Tadah!" Nick said, stretching his arms wide, as if to show off the table. He turned back to Pam and grinned. "Breakfast preparations are complete!" He announced, smiling widely. "Now we just need toast and we're good to go. Oh, actually, what about Lance? What does he eat?"</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Ryuu looked over at Nick, who was preparing a meal of cornflakes and toast. She moved her bacon on a plate and sat down. Ryuu carefully grabbed a piece of bacon, trying not to stab it. She are it, thankfull that she knew how to cook most meats pretty well.</s> <\|message\|>Terraline Gray "I'm sorry for your loss."Terraline said quietly. She felt guilty for being a bit rude to the girl. This was not a joke and she knew that deep down. Truth was she wasn't quite over what had just happened. Her emotions were all over the place and she had never felt so confused in her life. It felt so dream-like. However, every time she pinched her arm, nothing happened. She had to try to face this with an open mind if they were going to get anywhere with this. It seemed that the only reason she was still alive was because of the people who brought her here. The many questions she had would have to wait. Surely there was someone in charge who could explain everything. This girl had went through the same thing as Terry. Cammy was also kind enough to use her free time to help a stranger. Terry at least owed her some respect and understanding. In fact, she had felt a rush of pain relief in the brief moment that she had held hands with Cammy just the way she described it. "I... I will try to humor you but the thing is: I have no special or bizarre reason. I'm unaware of anyone in my family having-"She broke off as her mind went back to the memory of her brother appearing and disappearing before her eyes. What exactly had he been doing...? With impeccable timing, Xander strolled into the room. Dressed in his usual all-black attire, he made his way over, taking a bite out of an big apple he clutched in his hand. He loomed over the girls with his startling height with slightly interested blue eyes. "Morning, sis. Heard you almost got your throat slit. That sucks." Terry traced the shallow cut on her neck, the memory returning. She swallowed hard. "You okay?" He asked her, plopping down on the bedside. They had never been super close but they could be considered at the least friends. He seemed genuine enough with his inquiry. "Yeah. I'm fine." Terraline replied, "You?" She couldn't help but wonder where he had been in the mess and what had happened to him. "So I'm guessing you know what happened, right?" "Well yeah. I asked around so I can inform your clueless ass. Our parents got murdered by some secret government force and they were gonna kill us too when a bunch of guys showed up and saved us. They then took us to this school to live in. Neat, isn't it?" He took another bite of his apple as his eyes traveled to Cammy, "Hello there beautiful." He gave her a warm smile and a wink. "Thanks for keeping my sister company. It's very sweet of you." "How are you so calm ...?"Terraline asked in surprise. He was acting like none of this was happening. It was just another day to him. "Well no reason for me to freak out. Life happens and we move on." He shrugged and grinned suddenly, "Better get out of here. Josie's right in the next room. " The color drained from Terry's face and she sat up fast, "What?"She whispered. "She's here." "Yep... "He glanced back at Cammy, "Say, cutie, what's your name?"</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pamela watched as Nick went through gathering breakfast stuff. Lance watched, clearly hoping for some food. She went over to a fridge, and managed to find some food for him, looking over as Nick asked about Lance. "Whatever this meat and such is" She said "don't let him fool you if he give you puppy dog eyes for some of your food. It's enough for him" she said, putting it in a bowl, and filling another bowl up with water for Lsnce, putting it down so that Lance could eat and drink" She went to the toaster, starting to cook the toast. It unnerved her and made her feel nervous to be responsible for someone else's food, but then, Nick seemed to enjoy cornflakes. As the toast was ready, she dished it out, and went over to Nick. She smiled nervously "there we go"</s>	<\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Thanks." Nick said, taking his plate of toast. There were 2 pieces, and he grabbed one of them in his hand. With his other hand, he opened the Jar of Jam and grabbed a the butter knife on the plate. Nick took some jam on the blade and spread it around, coating the surface of the toast with thick red jelly. He took a bite and was satisfied with the taste. "This is pretty good." Nick said, chewing the taking another bite. He quickly finished the slice of toast and dusted off his hands. "That was tasty." He said, satisfied with it. "Though maybe butter might have been a good idea... Oh well." Nick took the box of cornflakes and poured some into his bowl. He liked the sound they made when they dropped into the bowl, and he remembered that if you angled the bowl just right back home, the light would make them seem like gold. It made an impression on him when he was young, so maybe that was why he was obsessed with cornflakes. Nick finished pouring cornflakes and put the box down near where Pam sat, so that she could get some if she wanted it. Suddenly, Nick remembered that there was another person eating breakfast on the table. "Ah, I'm being rude." He said. He picked up his plate with the remaining slice of toast and offered it to the girl eating bacon, who was sitting close to Nick and Pam. "Sorry for ignoring you." He said sheepishly. "Would you like some toast?"</s>
<\|description\|>Nicholas Cayne Would you enjoy another blind person? Nickname: Nick Gender: Male Age: 16 Brief Personality: Nick is a cheerful, light hearted kind of person who is constantly trying to find ways to lighten the mood or make people happier in general. He can make jokes about bad things that happen to him, but is sensitive and tries not to tread on any toes. He likes people and dislikes loneliness. Ability: Nick has an intrinsic 'awareness' of things in a certain radius around him. He knows the shape, location and details of any object within a certain range of him, like an area where he can sense everything. Kind of like a sixth sense. It's useful in fog because fog doesn't hinder it. Limits to Ability: Currently, its range is quite short, sitting at about 10 meters. Also, his awareness doesn't give him an awareness of colour, or light in general. His ability is apparently limited to matter and solid objects, though he can perceive gaseous substances similarly to heat waves. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Nick was always a fairly cheerful kid since he was born. He liked hanging out with his friends but was kind of average otherwise. That changed when he got into a car accident. The car accident scarred his eyes and made him put a bandage around them for all of his life. Life got more difficult for him, in more ways than one. The first reason was because he had to adapt to a life without sight. The second reason hurt him more, however. People didn't really talk about the incident. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like people were avoiding him. And they kind of were. Beforehand, most of his class could talk to him, and he had a lot of friends and acquaintances. Now, only his closest friends were around him. It made Nick feel alone in class, because he couldn't see anyone and they wouldn't talk to him. One day, however, his powers awakened. Everyone was shocked at how it was like he could see again. The atmosphere became close to like how it was before. But his parents wanted him to go to Riverwood. They had heard rumours of what the government did to kids with strange powers, and they didn't want it to happen to him. At first, he objected, but he realised the pain he would put people through if he died, rather than if he disappeared. So Nick left, and travelled to learn at Riverwood. Appearance: Nick has short, brown hair and is around 160 cm. He's got a rather average build, and is rather average altogether, save for the bandages he has around his eyes. Other: Nick likes soft things, because they are soft. Also, Nick isn't that great at combat. Because he's blind, he can't read or see colour. He almost can't write.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo "No thanks, I'll stick to my bacon. I like meat better anyways," Ryuu responded. Meat had always tasted better than nah other food type. Probably because of the side. Ryuu clamped a hand over her mouth. She felt fire rising in her throat. Ryuu was able to breath fire whenever, but sometimes if she hadn't spit fire, it would make her breath fire. So Ryuu quickly stood up. She ran outside as fast as she could. Lucky she made it outside fast enough, and when Ryuu opened her mouth, the building was untouched by the jet of white hot fire.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Walking into the dorm rooms, Ris felt the hard cemented ground turn into sleek tile floors. He stretched his toes, feeling some relief from them as the electricity went straight down. He smelled something from the kitchen. He began to feel curious as most people would be out and about at this time of day, going to classes and having a "normal" life, or at least as "normal" as one can be at Riverwood. He was about to enter when he saw a pink-haired girl run out of the building, hand over her mouth. Ris stopped as she went by, heading for outdoors. He sighed as he thought of the many accidents that had occurred here from the students' lack of control. He began to head outside to check on Ryuu as she may want some help. He had been lectured enough about his lack of control and the many dangers to the human populace. It is not his fault that he cannot control his powers. Ris had tried many times to direct his power and he had been awarded by some control, but it was like a static shock when he consciously used his ability. When he was not paying attention...well, you would just have check the infirmary for his latest victim. He lumbered out the door to see Ryuu was shooting out flames. "Are you okay?" The flames seem to be encircling into the sky. His eyes drifted to it, watching as it made the many shapes fire tended to make.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo "I'm okay. Just..." Ruth hesitated. How would shy phrase her problem. It wasn't even really a problem. It just kind of happened every now and then. Smoke rose from Ryuu's mouth. Her wings felt cramped in her jacket. That always seemed to happen after letting out large amounts of flame. So Ryuu took off her jacket, wearing a blue tank top with slits in it underneath. She spread her wings wide, loosening them up.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Ris watched as Ryuu took off her jacket and saw her wings as they unfolded. He was taken in at the length of them and he turned towards the sky, feeling a gentle breeze past by them. He felt a small jolt go through the air as he was taken aback, but he did grab a hold of the release and draw it back into his body. He did not want to hurt another person, especially someone with the gift of flight. "Those wings...are you able to fly with them? If yes, you are one of the luckiest people to be alive."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine Lucas walks his way back to the kitchen, knowing well that this is the most he has been in the school since he got there. Always preferring the outdoors, he is starting to become uncomfortable with his surroundings, he reaches the kitchen and puts up his honey, grabbing a jar of peanut butter with the same label the honey jar had. "So anyone want to know why I'm here?" he goes to a drawer and grabs a spoon." I'll tell you if you open this peanut butter." Lucas places the jar on the table close to Nick.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick watched the small girl clamp her hands over her mouth and run outside, quickly disappearing out of his range. He doubted she was doing it on purpose, and he was sure she had her reasons, but Nick was saddened that she didn't want the toast. He was genuinely sorry for ignoring her, and it appeared that his feelings didn't really go through. Regardless of that, Nick stared out in the direction she left, wondering what happened. "I've never seen such an adverse reaction to toast." Nick said, curious. He soon realised the stupidity of his statement, laughed to himself a little and put the plate down, toast and all. He grabbed the milk and started pouring it out, but he felt like he was forgetting something again. The 'something' in question placed a jar of something in front of nick and he remembered what it was. There were 2 people in the kitchen before him and Pam. One was the girl cooking bacon, the other had bear-like features. A little weird, but he'd have to get used to it. "Ah, sorry." Nick said, grabbing the jar. With a little effort, the lid popped off of the jar and Nick got a wiff of the contents. Peanut butter? He thought. "Were you here for breakfast?" Nick asked, offering the jar to the bear-handed boy.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo "I can fly with these wings, but I don't consider myself the luckiest person at all" Ryuu told Ris. Sure, flight was considered a great gift. But she had a fairly large price to pay for her flight. White hot flames, animal instincts, and talons all made her dangerous. And she wasn't in control of her animal instincts all the time.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "Yeah, now that you opened it I'll take off my gloves and hat." Lucas does this and after he begins to tell his story to the two obvious blind people. "I came here when I was six, I had no memory of parents or a family, hell I didn't even know how I got here." he sits down in a chair."I have always been a bit of an oddball here because of the fact that people like you scare me. I mean people who aren't animalistic aren't real mutants they are just people who have super natural abilities." He puts his spoon into the peanut butter."My feature if you can't smell are bear like. I've got bear paws and ears. That's why I wear the hat,although judging by how you've guessed that I am eating peanut butter, because I know you blind people have great sense of smell and hearing ,you might have put two and two together that Bears and a few other animals love peanut butter." Lucas pulls out the spoon and puts it in his mouth taking the peanut butter off of it with glee. "Now why am I scared of 'normal' people like you guys well it's almost natural to me to be afraid of you guys."</s> <\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia Cammy watched as Xander strutted into the room, all swagger and confidence. She hadn't met this guy yet and wished she hadn't been sitting down when they did meet. He was intimidatingly tall and those eyes were...Wow. She stayed quiet as the conversation played out between Terraline and the boy she found out to be her brother. Cammy was pretty disturbed by how calm he was when he spoke about his parents murder as though that type of thing happened all the time. As though echoing Cammy's thoughts, Terry questioned her brother on his oddly calm nature. The response only made Cammy dislike him even more. And then Xander informed Terraline that someone named Josie was in the next room. They had another new girl? Damn it! Cammy mentally chastised herself again for taking that nap and missing so much. Terraline almost started to freak out at the news of this Josie's presence. When Xander turned to Cammy and asked her name, she gave him only a slightly disgusted look before turning to Terraline and with her most calming voice said "Calm down. You're safe here. Who's this Josie and why does she have you so upset?"</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut "And why do you think you are the unluckiest person? Personally, I wish I could have wings and maybe whatever else comes with it, because then I could escape from reality. By flying, you are entering another world. I have read many novels, but reality never measures up." Ris took a short breath after this long speech for him. He had not spoken to a single person as long as this. He was actually getting into the conversation. "I hurt people. I don't mean to, but just this week, I touched a strip of metal unknowingly and...caused a young girl, maybe your age, to be taken to the infirmary." The image that was brought up by this made his knees start to shake as he thought of his own personal curse. "I have to watch my every step, never wear shoes, not even look at a television. I don't even know the latest news until it is printed!" He put some more emphasis at the end to explain his meeting. He bent his knees and began to brush the dirt with his hand, dust moving into the air. Noting that no metal was visibly there, he took seat there and looked up at Ryuu. "That is why I envy you."</s>	<\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick began listening as the bear boy took off his hat and gloves, but Nick didn't reveal that he already knew what was under them. First impressions count for a lot, after all, and ignoring their presence gave off a bad one, without adding the fact that he can see through walls and stuff. He didn't really want to be called a creepy guy, but if they knew, he wouldn't blame them for thinking that. As Nick listened to the bear-boy's speech, he poured milk onto his cornflakes, and then spread some sugar onto it. Still attentive, he started taking spoonfuls of cornflakes while listening to the boy's story. Nick began to think. The bear boy had mentioned some stuff that made think about people like Nick. And Pam, the bear boy, and the girl eating bacon. He'd only arrived at Riverwood 2 days ago, but he'd met a lot of different people of different stages of life, as well as some 'weird' stuff he'd never known. When Nick awakened his 'power', he thought that it was a good thing. It was useful, at the very least, to navigate his life without trouble. But on arriving at the academy, he met more people who were 'different'. It was clear that their new 'powers' were a gift to some, and to others like the bear boy, they were a curse. Nick kind of knew what bear boy went through, though. Nick's powers, while useful, were strange nonetheless, and if anythinng, people talked to him a little less when he had them. He noticed that, in the brief period he'd had them. He noticed that people feared strange things. It must've been a lot worse for people with... physical manifestations, such as the bear handed boy who'd been talking to Nick and Pam. Nick ate another spoonful of cornflakes as the bear boy finished. He crunched thoughtfully in the silence that followed, thinking of what to say. "You know, I get where you're coming from." Nick said tentatively. "You've probably heard it a lot, and I probably don't really know where you're coming from, but I think I get it a little bit." Yes, he did understand. One of the things he'd taken for granted when he had his sight was companionship. He thought that his life would always be the same, and when the accident happened, suddenly things weren't. "The isolation was bad, and the silence almost killed me." Nick said contemplatively. "But hey, I'm not afraid of me. And there are good people here." That statement was aimed at Pam, whether she noticed or not. She was his first friend in Riverwood so far, and he was glad to have her around. He liked friends, he liked companionship. One thing that people take for granted was the light and the noise. With the light gone, the noise stopped, and Nick's world had been painfully empty. Maybe he would find something to fill the gaps here in Riverwood, one step at a time. "With that in mind, let's be friends!" Nick said suddenly, grinning. "My name's Nick. What's yours?"</s>
<\|description\|>Nicholas Cayne Would you enjoy another blind person? Nickname: Nick Gender: Male Age: 16 Brief Personality: Nick is a cheerful, light hearted kind of person who is constantly trying to find ways to lighten the mood or make people happier in general. He can make jokes about bad things that happen to him, but is sensitive and tries not to tread on any toes. He likes people and dislikes loneliness. Ability: Nick has an intrinsic 'awareness' of things in a certain radius around him. He knows the shape, location and details of any object within a certain range of him, like an area where he can sense everything. Kind of like a sixth sense. It's useful in fog because fog doesn't hinder it. Limits to Ability: Currently, its range is quite short, sitting at about 10 meters. Also, his awareness doesn't give him an awareness of colour, or light in general. His ability is apparently limited to matter and solid objects, though he can perceive gaseous substances similarly to heat waves. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Nick was always a fairly cheerful kid since he was born. He liked hanging out with his friends but was kind of average otherwise. That changed when he got into a car accident. The car accident scarred his eyes and made him put a bandage around them for all of his life. Life got more difficult for him, in more ways than one. The first reason was because he had to adapt to a life without sight. The second reason hurt him more, however. People didn't really talk about the incident. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like people were avoiding him. And they kind of were. Beforehand, most of his class could talk to him, and he had a lot of friends and acquaintances. Now, only his closest friends were around him. It made Nick feel alone in class, because he couldn't see anyone and they wouldn't talk to him. One day, however, his powers awakened. Everyone was shocked at how it was like he could see again. The atmosphere became close to like how it was before. But his parents wanted him to go to Riverwood. They had heard rumours of what the government did to kids with strange powers, and they didn't want it to happen to him. At first, he objected, but he realised the pain he would put people through if he died, rather than if he disappeared. So Nick left, and travelled to learn at Riverwood. Appearance: Nick has short, brown hair and is around 160 cm. He's got a rather average build, and is rather average altogether, save for the bandages he has around his eyes. Other: Nick likes soft things, because they are soft. Also, Nick isn't that great at combat. Because he's blind, he can't read or see colour. He almost can't write.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Ris began walking back into the kitchen, carefully walking from a distance from the fridge and oven as he headed towards the cabinet on the far side. He did take notice of two new guys talking to good ol'Lucas. He was always outdoors, wandering about. When you could find there, he was always stuffing his face. However, Ris always liked that facet about him as he did what he wanted. He opened up the door to the cabinet and reached in for his donuts, way in the back. He felt the back of the cabinet first and he began grabbing the air, hoping to make contact with the bag. He searched in there like a moron for awhile before making the connection. Where had his donuts gone?!</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine Distracted by the entrance of Ris and the re-entrance of Ryuu, Lucas turns to see what Ris is doing and when he doesn't pull out his donuts like usual he looks quizzically at him. "Yo Sparky what's wrong no donuts?" Lucas gets up to help Ris look for his food. Using his acute sense of smell to follow the trail of donut smell he walks out of the kitchen/cafeteria and walks straight into Mia and Rebound still hot on the trail of the donuts. "Oh hey you two seen Sparky's or is it Ris yeah that's hi name Ris, still like to call him Sparky. Anyways have you two seen his donuts?" His nose twitches the smell of donuts fading quickly he starts to head back to the kitchen/cafeteria walking slowly so that he can hear the response of his question.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Ris began to panic as he could not find his food. He had those specially bought with some of them with strawberry filling and some others with a butterscotch topping on others. They were really hard to find, but he knew of a store in the city that would make them. Sparks began to fly as he became nervous and began to throw things from the cabinet. Eventually running out of things to throw, he turned to see that Lucas was gone. Ris's eyes narrowed and his nostrils began to flare up as small bits of electricity began to run through his fingertips. His hair, surprisingly enough, did not stand up. However, the oven began to flare up and the fridge began to make a weird noise as Ris began walking out of the kitchen and outside where he saw Lucas talking to Rebound and Lucy. Lucas seemed to be enjoying himself as he talked. Ris outstretched his hand where a small ball began to form there. It spun around as it grew to the size of a grape. "Hey Paddington, where you heading to? Trying to run off? Escape the scene of your crime?"</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "YO MAN I MAY LIKE DONUTS BUT THOSE WHERE YOURS AND I DON'T STEAL." Lucas turns to see Ris sparking, and creating his ball lighting, in Lucas' hand is his peanut butter jar. He holds it up for Ris to see,"See I got my peanut butter,not your donuts. I left the kitchen to find your donuts, I was using my keen sense of smell to find them." He slowly raises his hands above his head.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut "Trying to deflect now? How pitiful." The ball began to quickly grow in size to that of a baseball. The air around him was becoming filled with electricity with Ris staring at Lucas. Why would Lucas take his food? It had to be someone else. It had to! Or maybe, he was just hiding it, attempting to parry off guilt. "Where did the trail lead to? Come on, speak up." Ris wanted to get to the bottom of this. He was hungry and his stomach could not hold out any longer. It needs nourishment! Food!! With that, Ris toppled onto the ground, the ball returning to his cells.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "It lead off towards the guy's dorms." Lucas say's before Ris falls down, Lucas walks over to him and picks him up throwing Ris' arm over his shoulder he gets Ris standing up right. "Come on friend let's go get you some toast for now then we'll go get your donuts." Lucas walks Ris over to the table in the kitchen and sits him in one of the chairs, Lucas then goes and make Ris some toast and gets him a glass of Orange Juice. Placing the toast and juice in front of Ris he sits down in the chair next to him still waiting for Nick to tell how he got to the Academy.</s> <\|message\|>Owen Bounder Rebound nodded and said, "Sure. Uh, the cafeteria is this way." He turned down a hallway, passing several other rooms, some with students hanging out, and some that were empty. He looked sideways at Mia as she asked about the school. "Yeah, this is a school for those who have some sort of special ability or another." However, when she said something about how she thought that stuff was only in movies and books, he stopped. He frowned at her and said, "You're kidding, right? You mean you forgot that even?" He sighed, shaking his head. "You do know that you're one of those kids too, right? There's a reason you forget everything every few weeks you know." He looked thoughtful for a long moment, then he said, "You know, if you want, I can show you what I mean." He faced her then, putting his arms behind his back and he looked her in the eye, his face serious. "Try to hit me. Hit me as hard as you can. Several times, even. Don't worry, it won't hurt me, and it won't hurt you either." He let the smallest smirk grace his face. He liked showing off his powers, though, the list of people he was comfortable doing that around was very small. Mia happened to be on the list. He pointed to his stomach and repeated, "Come on, take a swing at me. Aim right here, as hard as you can."</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Ryuu saw Lucas sit Rid down. She slid some of her bacon in front of him. He was as nice person, plus Ryuu had enjoyed talking him and she was almost done with her bacon now. Ryuu walked over to the fridge and opened it. She looked inside and eyed the meat. There was some but they should probably get more before the day was done. Ryuu shrugged and sat back down at the table, filing her talons.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick watched the events unfold with some amount of incredulity, as another boy arrived with a vengeance, screaming about missing doughnuts. Nick stared on quizzically as Lucas tried finding the doughnuts and doughnut boy summoned a ball of lightning and then promptly passed out. Nick didn't know what was stranger, the lightning or the fact that everyone was used to it. The bacon girl had come back, and it turned out that she had wings. It would explain the other dragon like qualities (her teeth and claws) and it was certainly impressive, but Nick wondered about the lightning guy passing out. He took a quick look around and noticed that no one in the kitchen was really fazed. Lucas, the dragon girl, even Pam. They didn't really react. Perhaps this was something he'd have to get used to. "Um..." Nick said tentatively. "Does he... do that often?"</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "Yeah, thats his thing you know, last time he did that I think he broke the 72' plasma screen T.V. we had in the lobby." Lucas replies to Nicks question, "Again I gotta ask what made you come here?" he asks almost tiredly, with so many people gathering in the kitchen he gets up and begins to nervously pace back and forth, he then walks over to the cupboard, puts the lid back on his peanut butter and returns it to it's cupboard. Putting back on his gloves and hat he continues to pace.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Ah, right." Nick said, remembering what Lucas asked him. "Hmm..." Nick ate another spoonful of cornflakes as he thought about it. Why had he come here in the first place? If he was honest with himself, he'd say that he didn't to die. It wasn't a bad thing, but it was kind of selfish, so Nick was somewhat reluctant to say it. But the reason he didn't want to die was partly because he didn't want to pull anyone into it. According to his parents, people who awoke strange powers had been dying in freak accidents, along with their families. House fires, car crashes, that sort of thing. Nick was reluctant to leave, because he didn't want to leave his world behind based on rumours, but he saw the worry in his parent's eyes. They didn't want anything to happen to him. Nick decided to leave, because even if he wasn't there, they could at least take solace that he was still alive. Ultimately, the reason he came to Riverwood was to live, but he didn't know what to do after that. What would he do? Would he spend his entire life in Riverwood? "Well..." Nick said slowly. "I just came here because my parents heard that I might get killed if I stayed." He decided that there wasn't anything wrong with saying that, because if the rumours were true, then there would be many in Riverwood with the same reason. But he had to confirm something. "Are the rumours true?" Nick asked. "That the government comes in to kill people like us?"</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "The truest man the hunt us because we are different than normal we aren't like them so they hate us." Lucas say's straight faced. "Very rare is it that you come here on your own volition. I did and so did, Black I think was his name he also came here by himself."</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Well, that's still a good amount of people..." Nick said, thoughtfully. He was finished with his cereal, so he took the other piece of toast and spread some more jam on it. He took another bite as he resumed talking with Lucas. "But how many people are in this place, anyway?"</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "Never counted but I think Black or Levi might know, although if you really want to know Levi is in the common room or lobby." Lucas turns to Ris and smacks him lightly on the cheek, "Dude wake up." He stops and turns back to Nick,"Yeah anyways people come in all the time so counting them would be difficult."</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pam was silent, eating her food, watching and listening to what everyone was saying, trying to concentrate on what was being said, as her abilities gave her what people looked like, as well as more of the environment around them. It sometimes threw her off, and it was better for her to be quite and focus through it. Lance gave a whine, as if sensing her difficulty, and he laid his head on her knee. She scratched him behind the ears and smiled, reassuring him that she was okay. So also found it easier to focus on Nick, as she had been around him longer then the other students. And he might understand the struggle she was going through. At the mention of why they were here, and the government killing people, Pam froze for a moment, before continuing to eat, but she only took a few more bites, and then pushed her food away. the fire flickered, violent and with a an intensity that frightened Pam. Lance barked, and pushed her, nudging her outside, even as she shouted to her parents... It was still so vivid in her mind, and she rose shivering lightly. "I'm sorry. I'm Pamela. um. I need to get some things from my room for the day. I'll see you all later" She said, hoping she sounded normal, and smiled, hoping it looked normal.</s>	<\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Oh. Um, see you later?" Nick called after her. Pam soon disappeared out of the kitchen, and Nick was sure that he'd said something wrong. According to Lucas, someone was hunting 'strange' people down, and Lucas had mentioned that few came to Riverwood of their own volition. This meant that a lot of people must have had... bad experiences before coming here. And if the rumours were to be believed, then it wasn't exactly a topic to bring up at the breakfast table. In fact, he was starting to feel bad about bringing it up. He was sure that he shouldn't have brought it up, and he didn't know if he'd unintentionally hurt Pam or not. Nick quickly swallowed the rest of the toast and put the dishes in the sink, which he'd probably come back to wash later. He wanted to see check if Pam was alright or not first, and made for the door. "Well, thanks for the talk, Lucas, but I want to get some stuff too." Nick said, reaching the door. "We should hang out some time." He shot a smile at the boy and girl still in the kitchen and walked out quickly, following Pam.</s>
<\|description\|>Ris Vidyut Nickname: Leaves it up to the school Gender:Male Age:19 Brief Personality: Careful of what he does, Ris attempts to think of what he does before he acts. He may, though, forget to take into account random variables. He tries to be tolerant of what every does, but if made angry enough, may become aggressive. Ability: His cells have learned to hold a large electrical charge, which may cause a accident if dealt with in the correct fashion. At his top output, the machine used to measure his voltage exploded. Limits to Ability: He needs to have his bare feet on the earth to act as a ground or else random disasters may occur. Also, he has not been able to handle any kind of electronic since his change. Age admitted into Riverwood: 15 Background: Ris at a young age loved to explore and was curious of his surroundings. He would touch power sockets and lick metal spoons. He eventually mixed these two likes into one and a giant shock went through him, rupturing several blood vessels. He was rushed to the hospital where it was found that no physical damage had been found and that the vessels were healing fine. The only real sign that he had been hurt were his blood-shot eyes. The hospital staff, worried of who he might be, contacted the authorities, where Ris became recorded. He began to be monitored until he was 14, when he was brought to the attention of Riverwood. Other: He does like to walk and is 6'1". A bit less than 2 meters.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Walking into the dorm rooms, Ris felt the hard cemented ground turn into sleek tile floors. He stretched his toes, feeling some relief from them as the electricity went straight down. He smelled something from the kitchen. He began to feel curious as most people would be out and about at this time of day, going to classes and having a "normal" life, or at least as "normal" as one can be at Riverwood. He was about to enter when he saw a pink-haired girl run out of the building, hand over her mouth. Ris stopped as she went by, heading for outdoors. He sighed as he thought of the many accidents that had occurred here from the students' lack of control. He began to head outside to check on Ryuu as she may want some help. He had been lectured enough about his lack of control and the many dangers to the human populace. It is not his fault that he cannot control his powers. Ris had tried many times to direct his power and he had been awarded by some control, but it was like a static shock when he consciously used his ability. When he was not paying attention...well, you would just have check the infirmary for his latest victim. He lumbered out the door to see Ryuu was shooting out flames. "Are you okay?" The flames seem to be encircling into the sky. His eyes drifted to it, watching as it made the many shapes fire tended to make.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo "I'm okay. Just..." Ruth hesitated. How would shy phrase her problem. It wasn't even really a problem. It just kind of happened every now and then. Smoke rose from Ryuu's mouth. Her wings felt cramped in her jacket. That always seemed to happen after letting out large amounts of flame. So Ryuu took off her jacket, wearing a blue tank top with slits in it underneath. She spread her wings wide, loosening them up.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Ris watched as Ryuu took off her jacket and saw her wings as they unfolded. He was taken in at the length of them and he turned towards the sky, feeling a gentle breeze past by them. He felt a small jolt go through the air as he was taken aback, but he did grab a hold of the release and draw it back into his body. He did not want to hurt another person, especially someone with the gift of flight. "Those wings...are you able to fly with them? If yes, you are one of the luckiest people to be alive."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine Lucas walks his way back to the kitchen, knowing well that this is the most he has been in the school since he got there. Always preferring the outdoors, he is starting to become uncomfortable with his surroundings, he reaches the kitchen and puts up his honey, grabbing a jar of peanut butter with the same label the honey jar had. "So anyone want to know why I'm here?" he goes to a drawer and grabs a spoon." I'll tell you if you open this peanut butter." Lucas places the jar on the table close to Nick.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick watched the small girl clamp her hands over her mouth and run outside, quickly disappearing out of his range. He doubted she was doing it on purpose, and he was sure she had her reasons, but Nick was saddened that she didn't want the toast. He was genuinely sorry for ignoring her, and it appeared that his feelings didn't really go through. Regardless of that, Nick stared out in the direction she left, wondering what happened. "I've never seen such an adverse reaction to toast." Nick said, curious. He soon realised the stupidity of his statement, laughed to himself a little and put the plate down, toast and all. He grabbed the milk and started pouring it out, but he felt like he was forgetting something again. The 'something' in question placed a jar of something in front of nick and he remembered what it was. There were 2 people in the kitchen before him and Pam. One was the girl cooking bacon, the other had bear-like features. A little weird, but he'd have to get used to it. "Ah, sorry." Nick said, grabbing the jar. With a little effort, the lid popped off of the jar and Nick got a wiff of the contents. Peanut butter? He thought. "Were you here for breakfast?" Nick asked, offering the jar to the bear-handed boy.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo "I can fly with these wings, but I don't consider myself the luckiest person at all" Ryuu told Ris. Sure, flight was considered a great gift. But she had a fairly large price to pay for her flight. White hot flames, animal instincts, and talons all made her dangerous. And she wasn't in control of her animal instincts all the time.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "Yeah, now that you opened it I'll take off my gloves and hat." Lucas does this and after he begins to tell his story to the two obvious blind people. "I came here when I was six, I had no memory of parents or a family, hell I didn't even know how I got here." he sits down in a chair."I have always been a bit of an oddball here because of the fact that people like you scare me. I mean people who aren't animalistic aren't real mutants they are just people who have super natural abilities." He puts his spoon into the peanut butter."My feature if you can't smell are bear like. I've got bear paws and ears. That's why I wear the hat,although judging by how you've guessed that I am eating peanut butter, because I know you blind people have great sense of smell and hearing ,you might have put two and two together that Bears and a few other animals love peanut butter." Lucas pulls out the spoon and puts it in his mouth taking the peanut butter off of it with glee. "Now why am I scared of 'normal' people like you guys well it's almost natural to me to be afraid of you guys."</s> <\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia Cammy watched as Xander strutted into the room, all swagger and confidence. She hadn't met this guy yet and wished she hadn't been sitting down when they did meet. He was intimidatingly tall and those eyes were...Wow. She stayed quiet as the conversation played out between Terraline and the boy she found out to be her brother. Cammy was pretty disturbed by how calm he was when he spoke about his parents murder as though that type of thing happened all the time. As though echoing Cammy's thoughts, Terry questioned her brother on his oddly calm nature. The response only made Cammy dislike him even more. And then Xander informed Terraline that someone named Josie was in the next room. They had another new girl? Damn it! Cammy mentally chastised herself again for taking that nap and missing so much. Terraline almost started to freak out at the news of this Josie's presence. When Xander turned to Cammy and asked her name, she gave him only a slightly disgusted look before turning to Terraline and with her most calming voice said "Calm down. You're safe here. Who's this Josie and why does she have you so upset?"</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut "And why do you think you are the unluckiest person? Personally, I wish I could have wings and maybe whatever else comes with it, because then I could escape from reality. By flying, you are entering another world. I have read many novels, but reality never measures up." Ris took a short breath after this long speech for him. He had not spoken to a single person as long as this. He was actually getting into the conversation. "I hurt people. I don't mean to, but just this week, I touched a strip of metal unknowingly and...caused a young girl, maybe your age, to be taken to the infirmary." The image that was brought up by this made his knees start to shake as he thought of his own personal curse. "I have to watch my every step, never wear shoes, not even look at a television. I don't even know the latest news until it is printed!" He put some more emphasis at the end to explain his meeting. He bent his knees and began to brush the dirt with his hand, dust moving into the air. Noting that no metal was visibly there, he took seat there and looked up at Ryuu. "That is why I envy you."</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick began listening as the bear boy took off his hat and gloves, but Nick didn't reveal that he already knew what was under them. First impressions count for a lot, after all, and ignoring their presence gave off a bad one, without adding the fact that he can see through walls and stuff. He didn't really want to be called a creepy guy, but if they knew, he wouldn't blame them for thinking that. As Nick listened to the bear-boy's speech, he poured milk onto his cornflakes, and then spread some sugar onto it. Still attentive, he started taking spoonfuls of cornflakes while listening to the boy's story. Nick began to think. The bear boy had mentioned some stuff that made think about people like Nick. And Pam, the bear boy, and the girl eating bacon. He'd only arrived at Riverwood 2 days ago, but he'd met a lot of different people of different stages of life, as well as some 'weird' stuff he'd never known. When Nick awakened his 'power', he thought that it was a good thing. It was useful, at the very least, to navigate his life without trouble. But on arriving at the academy, he met more people who were 'different'. It was clear that their new 'powers' were a gift to some, and to others like the bear boy, they were a curse. Nick kind of knew what bear boy went through, though. Nick's powers, while useful, were strange nonetheless, and if anythinng, people talked to him a little less when he had them. He noticed that, in the brief period he'd had them. He noticed that people feared strange things. It must've been a lot worse for people with... physical manifestations, such as the bear handed boy who'd been talking to Nick and Pam. Nick ate another spoonful of cornflakes as the bear boy finished. He crunched thoughtfully in the silence that followed, thinking of what to say. "You know, I get where you're coming from." Nick said tentatively. "You've probably heard it a lot, and I probably don't really know where you're coming from, but I think I get it a little bit." Yes, he did understand. One of the things he'd taken for granted when he had his sight was companionship. He thought that his life would always be the same, and when the accident happened, suddenly things weren't. "The isolation was bad, and the silence almost killed me." Nick said contemplatively. "But hey, I'm not afraid of me. And there are good people here." That statement was aimed at Pam, whether she noticed or not. She was his first friend in Riverwood so far, and he was glad to have her around. He liked friends, he liked companionship. One thing that people take for granted was the light and the noise. With the light gone, the noise stopped, and Nick's world had been painfully empty. Maybe he would find something to fill the gaps here in Riverwood, one step at a time. "With that in mind, let's be friends!" Nick said suddenly, grinning. "My name's Nick. What's yours?"</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "The name is Lucas Ursaine. And your the first non animalistic friend I've got besides maybe Levi or that shadow guy. Man I wish my memory was better." Lucas continues to eat the peanut butter. "So now that you know my story what's your's?" He looks at Nick knowing full well that he'll probably forget it in a week, but it would be nice to know someone else's story, and although he is starting to feel uncomfortable he is warming up to sitting down and talking an unusual occurrence if you knew Lucas at all.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo "I don't consider myself the unluckiest either. I mean, flight is a great thing to have," Ryuu told Ris. "It's just that I have other abilities besides just flight. I have dragon talons and dragon flames. Both of which are actually pretty cool. But they come with animal instincts I'm not always able to control. I'm no person to envy. Personally I think,you should envy the people who don't have any abilities at all. They doing have any downsides at all."</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut "That may be true. The people with no abilities may find it safer, but if you were in a crowd, you would be unable to point to a single individual. Our abilities is what sets us apart. It is what makes us who we are. Every day, we must deal with our own problems while the rest of them may have to deal with the same one. It takes true character to be one of us without resorting to absolute destruction." Ris laid onto the ground and began to look into the far-reaching blue sky. "And, isn't that why you are here? Do you want to control your instincts or do you want to be led?"</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Ryuu nodded. "We are unique, but even people who are ordinary are unique and special. If you took away my wings and flames I would still be me. There are things that make everyone unique. So we may be able to muster up more courage and character, but we lack the courage to be in a bustling society without learning how to control our gifts. So really, ability or not there are downsides. Pros and cons. "</s>	<\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Ris closed his eyes as he thought of her response. It is true that each person is their own individual, but from what he had witnessed, a lot of them were sheep, following the lead goat. However, he thought through her fourth sentence. Lacking the courage to be in a bustling society without learning how to control our gifts. "If we did have the courage and not have the control, how many people would be harmed? Isn't that why they hunt us now? Because tey fear us and the unknown?"</s>
<\|description\|>Ellowyn Clark Nickname: Ellie, Elle, scar-face. Gender: Female Age: 18 Brief Personality: Feisty, though soft-hearted, is how Ellowyn functions. She keeps secrets to the grave and is as loyal as a dog. With a humorous and joking nature, little seems to bother her. However, when she needs to be serious, she can act as such. Ellowyn is sweet, caring and kind. She doesn't enjoy being mean or harsh, but will if she has to. Mysterious, with an eerie aura around her, Ellie comes off intimidating. However, there is more than meets the eye. Ability: Necromancy Limits to Ability: Her emotions correlate to her power. For example, when she's fearful, she sees more ghosts or will accidentally summon more. They can be terrifying and out of her control as well. Raising the dead drains her for the next 24 hours. She can also become possessed by spirits and ghosts. Age admitted into Riverwood: 17 Background: Ellowyn was born and raised to a caring mother and father. She grew up in a normal, suburban home. Life was simple for her. She was enrolled in self-defense courses and trained to defend herself. Everything seemed fine - up until That Day, as she calls it. Other: Name: Sage Lockheart Nickname: N/A Gender: Male Age: 16 Brief Personality: Quiet and reserved, yet brave, would describe Sage the best. While noble and a gentlemen, he is not one to underestimate. Sarcastic, witty, and with remarks rolling off his tongue, he seems to know what to say at any given moment. Tough, though with a hint of sensitivity, Sage tries to come off strong. However, he will commit to cunning methods if he deems it necessary. Reckless, with an almost-carefree attitude, Sage tries to enjoy life and live in the moment. Ability: Molecule Manipulation Limits to Ability: Sage cannot create molecules, nor against those who have control over their own. He is unable to fly or lift himself off the ground. Additionally, healing is excruciatingly painful and drains him of energy. If he induces pain, it takes a deal of concentration, thus leaving him with a throbbing headache. Age admitted into Riverwood: 15 Background: Born into a rich family, Sage grew up with whatever he needed. Asking was hardly a chore, since his want would arrive soon. It became dull to Sage as he became older. The highs of the rich life became irksome; constant parties, exotic trips to faraway countries. His parents grew displeased with him and began to criticize him. Despite their wishes, he also donated money to people who needed it. This only infuriated them. Thus, Sage became an outcast of the family - especially when he began to engage in sports and have less-than-acceptable friends. His family distanced themselves from him and stuck to one another. As such, he was slightly lonely. Nonetheless, he pursued life and enjoys it. Other: Name: Josephine Gray Nickname: Josie, Pyro Gender: Female Age: 18 Brief Personality: Josephine would be what society considers abnormal. From the day she was born to the ripe age of 18, she was labeled eccentric, quirky, and unpredictable. With an unreasonable ability to be charming, she has risen in popularity amongst her peers. A portion of her day is spent gazing in the mirror and admiring her reflection. With zilch regard to people's lives or right's, Josephine has become infamous. However, she has the strong ability to deceive others with an Innocent smile and bat of her eyelids. Impulsive would not suit her - this girl thinks through everything and plans far ahead. Whatever stands in her way, will be given devastation. Ability: Pyrokinesis Limits to Ability: Must always be in control of emotions and thoughts - if not, fire spirals out of her control, causing damage. She can burn herself if the heat's too intense. Smoke inhalation is not her friend, and she needs oxygen. Hydrokinesis will affect her greatly as well. Age admitted into Riverwood: 18 Background: The day that Josephine was born should have been a happy one. And indeed it was, up until she reached the age of two and began terrorizing people. She learned that throwing toys at a window would break them. This became a fun habit of hers. As she grew older, her parents thought her acts might wither away - but they did not. In fact, Josephine began to grow worse over time. She caused trouble and blamed it on Terraline. As for Xander, she would enchant his guy friends, date them, then break their hearts in two. Rumors would escalate from her, thus destroying their reputations and Xander's as well. Josephine charmed and witted her way out of trouble most of the time. Her tactic became clear: act charming and persuasive in society, and nutty and cruel around her siblings. Other: She is seen with a lighter fairly often, despite it being confiscated multiple times.</s> <\|message\|>Terraline Gray Terraline groggily sat up and stared at the room before her. There seemed to be a girl with pink hair watching her. Her parents would have killed her if she had ever dyed her hair that color but still, it was rather pretty. However, that wasn't the strange part. This girl's nails looked like bird talons. Was this a dream after all? Some other boy joined and began questioning her. She wondered what they were all doing here. Were they here for her? Maybe she was the oddball here. After inhaling deeply, she tried to compose herself and push away the traumatic memory for now. Apparently she was in some sort of school. "How the heck did I end up here?"She muttered under her breath. Another girl squeezed between the two people and came toward her bedside. "Hi" the girl said with a wave, "I'm Cammy. How are you feeling?" "Hey... You can call me Terry. I'm kind of confused to be honest."She admitted. "I have no idea how I ended up here." Some other guy introduced himself as Black and spoke of making sure she should feel welcome in her new home. he also mentioned how she had no knowledge of mutants. After speaking to the others, he had addressed her finally with, "Lastly then, hello young one. Welcome to Riverwood. My name is Black, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Should you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them." He was not the only one to introduce himself. The pink haired girl introduced herself as Ryuu. Although, the other boy seemed to have departed. "Nice to meet you guys. Well for starters, what are mutants and how did I end up here?" Terraline inquired.</s> <\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia Cammy fought hard not to roll her eyes at Black's admonishment but was unable to prevent her tongue from poking out of her mouth at him. Thankfully she managed to pull it back in before he noticed...She hoped. She sat on the end of the bed as Terry introduced herself and said "Nice to meet you guys. Well for starters, what are mutants and how did I end up here?". A lump began to form in Cammy's throat. She wasn't entirely clear on how this girl had ended up here but if the circumstances surrounding her arrival at the school were anything like Cammy's...She tried not to think about it. Too many of the kids around here had tragic stories. "Those are both great questions" she said, forcing a smile onto her face "And I'm sure Black will be happy to answer both of them and any more that you have. But for now...take my hand". Cammy reached her hand gently out towards Terry, trying her hardest to keep a friendly expression. She knew that she could take away any physical pain Terry may be in from whatever caused her to be brought in unconscious. She just had to touch her for a moment. It was easier to do it this way than to try and explain her strange ability.</s>	<\|message\|>Ellowyn Clark A loud scream interrupted Josephine's tranquil thoughts. The girl's mind had been focusing on how she would achieve first chair for orchestra. For some reason, Anna was ahead of her. Did the teacher not see the potential and greatness Josephine had? It was abysmal how they disregarded her talent. She had bene playing piano since the age of three. It disgusted her as well. If Mrs. Lyell didn't allow Josephine to try out for it again and succeed, then Anna was going to have a tragic accident. How she would was not yet thought out. Nonetheless, it would happen. No-one, no-one, out did Josephine Gray. She snapped back to reality. Her fingers froze over the newly polished piano keys with her light brown hair stroking the edges of it. Josie picked up her head. The scream had emitted from her mother. Why? What the hell was going on? Had her mother finally lost her mind? As she considered the scream, she could hear the agonizing fear and panic behind it. Josephine knew she hadn't set up any maniacal or diabolic trap that day. She rose to her feet, sincerely perplexed. As she crossed towards the room to her door, it banged open and flew off its' hinges. Josephine inhaled, jumping backwards and glaring. Four tall figures clothed entirely in black barged rudely into her room. Josephine stared at them, and then gathered herself. "Who the fuck are you - the 2015 Ninja Squad? God, you look awful. Your wardrobe is shittier than my sister's." "That must be the other sister." commented a male. His voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Josephine wondered why her ears were not bleeding yet. "Damn straight, dumbass." Josie snapped and grabbed her baton from the wall. "Get the fuck out of my room. No wonder you cover yourselves up - too cowardly and ugly to show yourselves." "Eliminate her. Now!" A woman to the right of the first male's voice. "She's so annoying." "Is that the only insult you came up with?" She moved into an offensive position. Her adrenaline began to rush. Josephine could feel her heart pounding tremendously against her ribcage. The noise reminded Josephine of a large elephant running from a pack of lions. Another scream - Terraline's - filled her ears. At least someone was going to get rid of the useless girl. Terry was going nowhere in life. Her mother and sister's screams were announced; but what of her brother, Xander? Had he escaped? Whatever. She didn't care. All that mattered was that she managed to survive. The figure to her right lunged at her. Josephine swung out with her baton, the tip making contact with their elbow. It was then that she realized it was a woman by the high-pitched cry. The others paused, evaluating their comrade's injury. "Son of a bitch!" She roared in pain, holding her now broken and shattered elbow. The woman's arm hung awkwardly and limply. "I'm not a son although my mother is a bitch." Josephine responded and jumped into the air. She kicked her in the chest with both feet and sent them stumbling backwards. The woman collapsed on the floor, dazed by the pain. Josephine landed catlike on her feet and glared viciously. "Who's next?" The group evaluated her, immobile. They glanced around at one another, silently communicating. "What are you, telepathic?" she taunted, a wicked smile curling her lips. This seemed to make the male - who was bulky and toned - look at her sharply. His neck had moved so fast that Josephine wondered why it did not break. If he didn't do it himself, then she would. "Get her." The woman ordered, her voice strained by the agony of her broken elbow. "Yeah, catch me if you can." Josephine laughed and avoided the man's lunge. She wrapped her leg around his and pulled hard, knocking him down. She composed herself and lunged at him to throw him off balance. It was successful, because he staggered. She head-butted him and twisted off of him and onto the floor. Just then, the unidentified figure grabbed her shirt- her designer shirt. Josephine screeched as the individual slammed their fist into the back of her neck. They threw her to the floor and kicked her aside. She bit back a cry of pain and rolled onto her hands and feet as quickly as possible. She was dizzy, but refused to give up. She was not losing her life because of a few idiots. The tall man and unidentified figure remained. "Too sexy and quick for you," Josephine smirked, her blue eyes gleaming with joy. That's when the man took out a gun and aimed it at her. The smirk faded, and then pulled back up. "That's all you brought - a stupid little handgun? I laugh in the face of danger." Josie quoted, laughing maliciously. The figure glanced at the man, then began to slowly edge their way around to the back of Josephine. "Oh I see how it is - tag teaming. Clearly you know I'd kick your ass solo." Josephine kept her eyes on the man with the gun, but was watching the other in her peripheral vision. The figure was taking out some silver, shining object. "Afraid?" the man taunted, waving his gun mockingly at her. Did this man think a gun was going to take her out? She was tougher than that. "Hardly," she replied dryly, keeping her stance and holding her baton. The figure was out of her view now, which only infuriated Josephine. She relied on her sense of awareness and hearing. The man smiled at her; then raised his gun and locked it into place. She tensed, wondering which way she should move both attacks, if possible. The gun was more important. The figure behind her was not as threatening. They were not as fast as a bullet. His finger circled the trigger; then fired. The figure behind her lunged at her as well. That's when the room exploded into flames from every direction and angle. _______________________________________________ Josephine's eyes opened. Her vision was slow to come back. She discovered she was in a hospital room. There was something on her face that was uncomfortable. Her breathing sounded loud in her ears. Her breaths fogged up the oxygen mask, she realized. This brought her to question why she had an oxygen mask on. The night's events replayed in her mind slowly, like a faucet dripping water. There was a group of black figures that were murdering everyone in their house. They had attacked her... She almost was shot... Josephine inhaled sharply, clouding the mask. The man had shot. But after that what happened? Josephine couldn't remember the rest; all she remembered was the fire afterwards, the nothing. She tried to sit up, but ended up coughing and clouding her mask even more. There were burns all over her body, and the scent of smoke was strong. "Whoa, easy there," A doctor came over and gently pushed her back down. Sadly, Josie didn't have the strength to fight and laid back down much to her dismay. How dare this man touch her! Josephine stared at him and narrowed her gaze. "You're confused- I can tell – so I'll explain. Your family was attacked by the X-Force agents. To save you and your siblings, you were transported to Riverwood Academy. This academy is for people with superpowers – much like you." He smiled down at her. "Yours seems to be pyrokinesis, Ms. Josephine, gathering by the sudden fire. Welcome to Riverwood, we are happy to have you." This man would come to regret his words.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire had only meant to take a quick nap where no one would find her, but as she woke up she realized it was early morning. The sky was turning light grey outside of the cage, and through the bars she could see the movements of shadows and silhouettes. The workers of the circus must be up early to prepare for the first show tonight. They'd arrived outside of London yesterday afternoon, and there had been a lot of work for everyone, like it always was when they arrived in a large city. She ran her hand through her mess of a hair, picking a few straws of hay out of it. It was easy to sleep in Solomon's cage, since he enjoyed the company and got more hay to sleep on than her other cats. He was rather rare as a white tiger, so he was treated as a king by most. "Oh bother, why did I wake up this early…" Claire mumbled to herself, rolled over on her side to try and find a more comfortable position to sleep in. She came face to face with the white tiger in the cage. He observed her for a moment, then opened his mouth and yawned. Claire pushed his mouth away from her when she felt the stench of his morning breath. "What did you eat kid, you stink." Claire laughed, and petted his back. He leaned into her and purred loudly. The circus had bought Solomon when he was just a small cub. He'd likely been taken from his family in the wild by hunters or poachers. He'd been scared at first, often crying out in the middle of the night for someone who would never be there for him again. Claire had recognized herself in him, and as she was the lion tamer she'd let him stay with her in her wagon. In time, he got too big to live with her though, so he moved to his own cage. He didn't like it much at first. He became anxious when Claire wasn't around. She was the only one who he thought of as family, so she'd visited him as much as possible until he got used to life with the circus. Claire loved all of her big cats. The lions, the tigers and the panther, but Solomon was special because he was her little kid whom she'd raised. He was as large as any of the others now, but she still thought of him like that. She considered getting out of the cage before someone did find her, but the thought soon passed when she fell asleep again. Elena Dragomirov was the proud manager of the Wanderlust Circus. One of the biggest traveling circuses anyone had heard of. She usually woke up early to prepare for the night's performance, but today she'd barely been able to sleep. Once she noticed that night was turning into day she put the book that had disturbed her sleep down on the desk in front of her, and sighed. It was time to make sure everyone else was doing what they were supposed to be doing, whether they wanted too or not. Some were late sleepers and some were just plain lazy, but she couldn't have that on a first day performance in a city like London. That simply would not do, not for her circus. She had a reputation to uphold, so she got dressed in something warm, made and ate breakfast alone, then stepped outside to deal with whatever problems had already reared their ugly heads. "Dobroe utro." She shouted loudly to no one in particular. It was a kind of alarm, and something she said every morning. Anyone who dared to sleep past the initial warning that their boss was awake might come to regret it.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire The rising sun peeked through the shutters of the wooden wagon, falling upon the face of the brunette who lie tangled in the sheets from the previous night's sleep. Her eyes opened slowly and she squinted against the bright rays that invaded her living space, placing a hand up to block the blinding light from her face. She slowly sat up and stretched, yawning as she did so. Kathryn sleepily stood and stretched again, grumbling and rubbing her eyes. She lazily lit a flame of a lantern and placed a pot of water over it, placing tea leaves in to steep. As she waited for the warm liquid to boil, she walked to her closet and retrieved her clothes for the day, placing on a red top with worn brown trousers and black boots to finish it off. She poured herself a cup of tea and slowly sipped on the bitter liquid as she looked out her window. As she finished off her first cup, she heard the call from the boss, signaling that it was time to begin the day. Kathryn walked over and opened up a chest that sat in her floor, pulling from it a holster and a set of shining knives. She placed the holster over her head and fingered the sharp blades before placing them along her side. The blades were decorated with intricate Celtic knotting and shone like brand new silver from the blacksmith. As she walked outside, she took in a deep breath of cool English air and smiled to herself. She walked past the wagons that housed the traveling circus members to one very familiar to her. Stepping inside, she grinned. "Good morn---" Her face turned to a blank as she discovered her companion was not in her room. Well, she isn't one to rise early... Kathryn raised an eyebrow and closed the door to the wagon, walking past her next stop and banging on the door. "Elijah, I hope you're decent." She poked her head in and saw the young man sitting inside sipping on a cup of tea also. "Calm down, Katie. I'm up." She grinned and gave him a wave, "Alright, I'll see you at the practice ring then in twenty minutes. Don't be late." He laughed lightly and waved her off, sipping again on his tea and gathering his things for the day. Kathryn walked over towards the big cat enclosures, taking care not to make too much noise as she moved through. She made her way to Solomon's cage and peered inside. There she found Claire, cuddled up with the giant tiger in slumber. "Claire... Claire...!" She whispered. She noticed the big cat eyeing her, and from her pocket she pulled out a piece of jerky and slipped it to him. "Easy now, boy." After her friend had stirred, she gathered an apple from her satchel at her side, and held it up at her. "Good morning sunshine, time to get to work." She grinned wide and tossed the apple at her, placing a hand on her hip after she threw it.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire woke up too soon again when she thought she heard someone calling her name. She could feel Solomon moving next to her, and sat up to check what he was doing. Claire was greeted with a good morning by her best human friend. She caught the apple that Kate had thrown to her. She must have given Solomon something to eat as well, because he was chewing on it. "Oi, don't you know not to feed the wild animals?" Claire asked then bit into the apple. "What if it develops a craving?" She stood up; a bit unsteady on her feet and stiff after sleeping where she'd slept. "It could try to break out of its cage just to find more." She undid the lock on the cage from within, and stepped outside next to Kate. "What would you do then?" Claire took another bite of the apple and grinned with her mouth full. Solomon stretched in his cage, noticing that the door was open and lay back down to sleep. "Oh, and there's Solomon too." "Thank you for waking me." She said with a sly smile, and to show how much she appreciated being awakened early in the morning she pulled Kate into a tight hug. Claire rubbed her cheek against Kate much like a cat would. She mostly did it to tease her friend, because she knew she smelled even more like a tiger than usual, both the smell and the hay she had on herself would be on Kate too now. "It's such a nice gesture." Claire locked Solomon's cage back up after she'd hugged Kate. She felt a pain run through her right shoulder, an old scar that still made itself known every now and then. She gritted her teeth, and didn't move for a moment. "Well, I better go clean myself up, not that it usually helps for long. If at all." Some would say she'd adopted too many of the characteristics of her cats. Elena in particular didn't like her tendency to sleep as much as they did if she wasn't given any tasks to do. However, she also had the constant smell of tiger or lion in her clothes. At least she hadn't given up being human completely yet, which was what mattered in her opinion. If she felt like it she could probably have escaped with her kittens and lived happily in a jungle. That was a silly dream, and she'd miss some things with human society, like Kate and the food. "What are you gonna do now?" She grinned. "Train with your manly assistant, I bet." Claire stretched her arms above her head. "Thankfully, I'm so experienced and respected with my feline assistants that I barely need practice." That was just bragging, because they'd always find some way to mess with her carefully planned routine unless she kept them in line with regular practices. Elena had been furious with her once after she'd been too laid back, and it's resulted in a disorganized performance. Once Elena had made sure everyone was either up or had been notified that if they weren't up in the next half hour they'd need to find a new job, she returned to her own wagon. She needed practice herself. She wanted to make sure that the show tonight would be unforgettable to everyone attending. She would check on the performers later the same day, but they should already know the schedule and order, so there wasn't much she needed to do for now. Elena soon found herself distracted by her book.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kathryn watched as Claire stood up, almost as if she were drunk, and mosey on over and out of the cage. "I guess it's a good thing I have more food to bribe that animal with then." She grinned back and pulled another apple from her bag, but instead she took a bite out of it this time. When she saw Claire coming in for a hug, she tried to escape because she knew what would follow next. But by the time she tried to make a move, it was too late, and she was trapped in Claire's embrace as she rubbed her feline odor and mess all over her. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her lips turned to a small smile and she shook her head. She began to pick the straw off of and dust herself off as Claire closed up the big cat's cage, but she noticed her friend pausing for a brief moment. She frowned for a second, knowing that Claire must be having another pain from memories long passed. However, she regained herself and Kate restored the smile back to her expression. "Just try to stay clean longer than five minutes this time, yeah?" Kate grinned and shook her head, knowing that almost as soon as she stepped foot outside again, she would find someway to return to the feline-like character that defined her. "Well, I'm sure my manly assistant would love it if I did not impale him in the chest with a blade, so yes we are off to train." She laughed a bit and twirled a knife between her fingers with ease before returning it to its sheathe. Then, Kate bowed, placing a hand behind her back, "Oh, yes, your highness. You are far too incredible to require regular practice." She didn't hold the pose for long because laughter escaped her. "However, I do believe you may want to give it a try, if for nothing more than to keep Elena off your back." Kathryn then waved goodbye to her friend, "I will see you later then. Best make yourself look useful today, you know how the boss gets when we have a big show coming up." This time she tossed a piece of jerky to her friend and made her way to the practice range. There, Elijah was already setting up the targets and laying out the arrangement of weapons to choose from for the night's performance. "Eli, look at you go. You impress me sometimes." Kate grinned at him and laid her blades on the table as well. It was no question that they would be part of the act, as they were her most prized possession and she felt as if they were an extension of herself whenever she threw them. Elijah shook his head and smiled, "You have so little faith in me Katie." He picked up a bow and placed an arrow on the string, taking in a deep breath before letting the arrow fly to its target. He grinned and raised his eyebrows. Kathryn merely shook her head. "Alright, alright. You impress me often. Now let's get to practicing." The two began to test out different weapons: a crossbow, spears, knives, and pretty much anything that was sharp and pointy and could be thrown or shot. There they would remain for a few hours until it was time to break for lunch.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire snorted. "I can stay clean for days if I wanted too, alas my sweet kittens would miss me then." She finished eating the apple and threw it away. "Well, I am queen of the kings of animals." She pouted when Kate laughed at her, brushing some hay out of her hair. "More than anyone else could claim." "Yeah, Yeah. I can handle Elena. She's just another lioness, albeit of a more terrifying kind." Claire laughed. It was too true a description regarding the circus director. She waved farewell to Kate as well when they parted ways. Her first stop was to clean herself up in one of the baths. As she wasn't particularly fond of water she didn't spend long doing that, and returned to her own wagon to find that someone had been inside it. She hoped they'd just come looking for her and not gone snooping through her belongings. Either way, she changed into a different set of clothes. They were torn here and there, because it seemed more realistic if her kittens did scratch or roar at her while she did her lion taming act. No one wanted to watch a bunch of big cats lying still, enjoying being petted and purring loudly. It wasn't what they paid for. She picked up one of her whips as well, and then headed back towards the cages of the big cats. On the way there she made sure to pass by Elena's wagon, since she wanted to check if she was in her wagon or walking around keeping an eye on everyone. Claire heard chanting coming from inside the wagon, not a rare occurrence, but usually it was in a language she could recognize as a language. It didn't sound like Russian or English. It sounded like she was speaking in tongues. Claire raised an eyebrow, but kept walking, confident in the fact that Elena wouldn't be coming to check up on her anytime soon. Claire released a couple of her kittens that were already awake. The panther and a lion to be more specific. The panther walked out of its cage with its head turned upwards, acting like a true prima donna. Claire petted her on the back, and got a glare in return. "Oh shush, Sheila." The lion acted more like he was glad to see her, putting his paws around her neck and purring. "Good morning, Scar, lovely day." She spent a couple of hours going through their routine, changing which one of her feline partners she trained with every now and then to make sure no one was going to try to act more wild or playful than usual that day. Sheila was the only one with an attitude on her, but she was always like that and still performed with the most grace during training and show. Claire only had to use her whip once, and even then she hit the ground to make two of the tigers stop play fighting and pay attention. The sound of the whip alone was usually enough to control any one of them. She hated when she had to actually use it, so it had happened that situations had gotten out of control before she went that far. Once her stomach began to complain, Claire decided it was time to take a break. The animal caretakers would come and feed each of her partners, but she had to find food herself. She headed over to where Kate would be practicing and found her alone. "Oh, did your manly assistant not want to eat dinner with you?" Claire teased. "I guess only the wild cats dare approach someone as sharp as you. How about eating something, or would you rather get another hug?"</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It was a long practice for Eli and Kate, but they both had to be perfect if each of them wanted to limit the number of stab wounds on their bodies. As the hours passed, they moved from weapon to weapon and act to act, planning out the night's show so that it went off without a hitch. Eventually, it was time to practice the spin board: a giant round piece of wood that rotated on a pole, and on it was a silhouette of a human body, about the size of Elijah. "Alright now remember, tonight that'll be me in the flesh... try not to kill me, yeah?" Eli walked up to the board and gave it a tug, sending it spinning around in circles, the target dancing around in rotation. Kate drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them. She sent out three knives, one after the other in steady rhythm, and listened as they each hit the board milliseconds after the one before. Eli stopped the spin board and grinned, "Very well done, Kate. Try to replicate that tonight." He looked up at the sky and then around, noticing it was lunchtime as people were moseying about with their food. "Well, I've got animals to feed before I find my own meal. Don't have too much fun without me." He waved as he walked off and Kathryn was left alone to clean up from practice and find herself supper. She had just finished putting away her blades when Claire strolled up, chipper as ever. She opened up her arms wide and grinned, "Well, why not both? At least you smell better this time." She gave a quick wink and a chuckle along with it before embracing her friend. "Now, what shall we eat? I do believe I have some more apples in my wagon if this animal you speak of has developed such a craving." She laughed but finished putting away her blades and then dusted off her hands. "How about we head to the commons tent and see what they've got cooked up? Might be something worth while since we are in London after all. It at least has to be better than that rubbish we got during the Dublin show." She patted her friend on the back and began walking towards a large white tent that sat to the east of the main camp. Within meters of the tent, the smell of food could be smelt as the aroma drifted out the doors and into the open air. "See, it already smells better." Kate grinned and walked inside, looking over to a line of tables where cooks had arranged the day's meal. Nothing fancy, but a sufficient amount of lamb and roast summed up the protein, while potatoes, cheese, and bread rounded out the rest. Kathryn grabbed a plate and filled it with meat and bread, staving from potatoes due to the aforementioned Irish tour, where potatoes were in every meal of every day. She waited for Claire and then exited the tent to find them a nice place to sit, finding a sunny, grassy area on a small hill that overlooked part of the circus camp. "Well, Queen Feline," She took a bite of lamb, "how are your creatures today? Should I expect an excellent show, as always?"</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire was a bit surprised and considerably disappointed when Kate took her threat as an invitation. While she had nothing against hugging her friend and she had taken a bath, it would not do if others began to notice that she was tame and huggable, not wild and a bit of a misanthrope - preferring the company of Solomon over most humans. She followed Kate to the commons tent, where the smell of meat permeated the air and made her stomach grumble. "Mhm, I need meat if I want to keep up my reputation." Claire said in response to the comment about the Dublin show. "Raw meat doesn't taste that good even if they were willing to share." They hadn't been though. Not even Solomon. Claire put lamb and roast on her plate until those working the kitchen commented on how she should be eating other things too, to which she responded with a growl. She did take some bread and quite a bit of cheese as well though in the end. When Kate left the commons tent, Claire raised an eyebrow and wondered why they wouldn't be eating there. She wasn't so much of a savage that she didn't know how to use a chair and table, as uncomfortable and crude as those in the tent may be. She went with her anyway, and sat down with her back against a rock. It was a nice view from up here. They could see part of their home while eating, how very quaint. Claire picked up some of the lamb with her hands and began to eat it, so that when Kate asked her a question about her part of the show she could only mumble a response. She quickly swallowed and put the food down. "Queen Feline…?" She grimaced, but then grinned. "So what should I call you? Pretty princess with a bow?" Claire laughed, then bit off another piece of the lamb to chew on. "My kittens are just dandy. Some of them are a bit playful like usual, and Sheila is a bit temperamental like usual. Of course you should expect an excellent show from me, and I better see one from you as well. Do I finally get to see you miss your target and hit your man, huh? I'd like to see the shock on everyone's faces if you do." She smiled at Kate. "Especially your own." Claire returned her full attention to the food, but made sure to listen to whatever Kate had to say. It wasn't uncommon for her to talk and Claire to simply listen. She enjoyed simply being around the other girl who'd escaped with her from the orphanage all those years ago. To Claire, it was enough to sit in silence at times. Once she'd finished eating, greedily gorging down the meat and then finishing off the meal with the bread and cheese, she changed her position so she was lying down in the grass and closed her eyes. That rock had been a bit painful against her back. She knew she may fall asleep for a short nap if she didn't watch herself, but at least Kate was right there to wake her up. Unfortunately, Kate already knew that Claire didn't smell bad this time around, so she had nothing to dissuade her from doing it. She sighed, and smiled.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It was a long practice for Eli and Kate, but they both had to be perfect if each of them wanted to limit the number of stab wounds on their bodies. As the hours passed, they moved from weapon to weapon and act to act, planning out the night's show so that it went off without a hitch. Eventually, it was time to practice the spin board: a giant round piece of wood that rotated on a pole, and on it was a silhouette of a human body, about the size of Elijah. "Alright now remember, tonight that'll be me in the flesh... try not to kill me, yeah?" Eli walked up to the board and gave it a tug, sending it spinning around in circles, the target dancing around in rotation. Kate drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them. She sent out three knives, one after the other in steady rhythm, and listened as they each hit the board milliseconds after the one before. Eli stopped the spin board and grinned, "Very well done, Kate. Try to replicate that tonight." He looked up at the sky and then around, noticing it was lunchtime as people were moseying about with their food. "Well, I've got animals to feed before I find my own meal. Don't have too much fun without me." He waved as he walked off and Kathryn was left alone to clean up from practice and find herself supper. She had just finished putting away her blades when Claire strolled up, chipper as ever. She opened up her arms wide and grinned, "Well, why not both? At least you smell better this time." She gave a quick wink and a chuckle along with it before embracing her friend. "Now, what shall we eat? I do believe I have some more apples in my wagon if this animal you speak of has developed such a craving." She laughed but finished putting away her blades and then dusted off her hands. "How about we head to the commons tent and see what they've got cooked up? Might be something worth while since we are in London after all. It at least has to be better than that rubbish we got during the Dublin show." She patted her friend on the back and began walking towards a large white tent that sat to the east of the main camp. Within meters of the tent, the smell of food could be smelt as the aroma drifted out the doors and into the open air. "See, it already smells better." Kate grinned and walked inside, looking over to a line of tables where cooks had arranged the day's meal. Nothing fancy, but a sufficient amount of lamb and roast summed up the protein, while potatoes, cheese, and bread rounded out the rest. Kathryn grabbed a plate and filled it with meat and bread, staving from potatoes due to the aforementioned Irish tour, where potatoes were in every meal of every day. She waited for Claire and then exited the tent to find them a nice place to sit, finding a sunny, grassy area on a small hill that overlooked part of the circus camp. "Well, Queen Feline," She took a bite of lamb, "how are your creatures today? Should I expect an excellent show, as always?"</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire was a bit surprised and considerably disappointed when Kate took her threat as an invitation. While she had nothing against hugging her friend and she had taken a bath, it would not do if others began to notice that she was tame and huggable, not wild and a bit of a misanthrope - preferring the company of Solomon over most humans. She followed Kate to the commons tent, where the smell of meat permeated the air and made her stomach grumble. "Mhm, I need meat if I want to keep up my reputation." Claire said in response to the comment about the Dublin show. "Raw meat doesn't taste that good even if they were willing to share." They hadn't been though. Not even Solomon. Claire put lamb and roast on her plate until those working the kitchen commented on how she should be eating other things too, to which she responded with a growl. She did take some bread and quite a bit of cheese as well though in the end. When Kate left the commons tent, Claire raised an eyebrow and wondered why they wouldn't be eating there. She wasn't so much of a savage that she didn't know how to use a chair and table, as uncomfortable and crude as those in the tent may be. She went with her anyway, and sat down with her back against a rock. It was a nice view from up here. They could see part of their home while eating, how very quaint. Claire picked up some of the lamb with her hands and began to eat it, so that when Kate asked her a question about her part of the show she could only mumble a response. She quickly swallowed and put the food down. "Queen Feline…?" She grimaced, but then grinned. "So what should I call you? Pretty princess with a bow?" Claire laughed, then bit off another piece of the lamb to chew on. "My kittens are just dandy. Some of them are a bit playful like usual, and Sheila is a bit temperamental like usual. Of course you should expect an excellent show from me, and I better see one from you as well. Do I finally get to see you miss your target and hit your man, huh? I'd like to see the shock on everyone's faces if you do." She smiled at Kate. "Especially your own." Claire returned her full attention to the food, but made sure to listen to whatever Kate had to say. It wasn't uncommon for her to talk and Claire to simply listen. She enjoyed simply being around the other girl who'd escaped with her from the orphanage all those years ago. To Claire, it was enough to sit in silence at times. Once she'd finished eating, greedily gorging down the meat and then finishing off the meal with the bread and cheese, she changed her position so she was lying down in the grass and closed her eyes. That rock had been a bit painful against her back. She knew she may fall asleep for a short nap if she didn't watch herself, but at least Kate was right there to wake her up. Unfortunately, Kate already knew that Claire didn't smell bad this time around, so she had nothing to dissuade her from doing it. She sighed, and smiled.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire "I'm afraid if I miss my target I may very well be out of a job, so let us hope that is not the case." Kate laughed and pecked at her food, going on with the conversation. "And I am a pretty princess, thank you for noticing." She grinned and then looked out over the camp. The Big Top was not set up yet, but the workers could be seen setting the support beams and assembling the large tent in preparation for the night to come. Kate set her plate to the side, but continued talking to Claire, even though responses were few and far between. She had a bad habit of rambling on about many random things that had no particular relevance, but she was glad to have a friend that was willing to listen to her endless talking and not beg her to shut up. "So I heard the horse trainers had to go out and catch the equine after someone left the stable gate open. Crazy things are happening around here, let me tell ya. People need to be more careful..." She kept talking, about anything that came to mind. It was several minutes later before she realized she had not heard from Claire in many moments. "Oi, are you still hanging in there? I know I've said a mouth full, but-" Kate saw that her friend was lying on her back with her eyes closed. The sun was beaming down, warming their skin and marking a clear and beautiful day, which was something of a pleasant surprise. Kate watched Claire for a few minutes. How at ease she was and how confident she was with herself and her big cats, it impressed Kate. She wished that she could have that same confidence, but she was happy as she were with her life. She allowed herself to reminisce about all those years ago, before either of the girls were here with the circus. They were miserable, left alone in an orphanage with little hope of being adopted. Sure, the caretakers there were kind and caring of them, but for Kate at least, she craved more even at that young age. That's how they ended up here, in one of the best and most renowned circus shows in the entire world. She smiled to herself as she thought about it, realizing she never would have had the guts to leave or to join a circus had it not been for Claire. Looking down at the camp, she began to notice people stirring again, as the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon. Kate gave Claire a shake and grinned. "Wakey, wakey. I hope you enjoyed your cat nap, but we have a show to perform in just a few short hours."</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn "Of course you are a princess. I noticed long ago, and would have tried to ransom you to a noble house if anyone had wanted you." Claire teased. Kate's rambling was soothing, too soothing, so it didn't take that long for Claire to fall asleep. She was awakened by Kate shaking her and telling her to wake up. "Who said I was asleep?" Claire stretched her arms, legs and yawned. "You should relax more, princess." She got back up on her feet, but when Kate was about to stand up as well she decided to have a bit of fun. Claire wrestled Kate to the ground, sat herself on top of her and put her hands under her shirt to tickle her stomach. To Claire, it was exactly like the innocent play fighting they'd done when they were kids. She had done it to make Kate laugh countless of times back then. Now some would think of it in a whole different way than two kids playing games. If Claire had cared or even listened at all to what others gossiped about her she'd know they talked a lot about how she was too into her cats or spending too much time with just Kate, both rumours implying the same thing. However, Claire had little to no interest in that part of life and being human. She'd already decided she would have no kids; for fear that they would suffer the same fate she had when ending up at an orphanage. What purpose did coitus serve then? "I guess we better get going." She said, but remained motionless where she sat on top of Kate. The sun hit her face and the wind messed up her blonde mane. "Well, I've got time to spare, but you should get a move on since your act is before mine." She grinned at Kate with closed eyes, until her friend would take some kind of action to get her to move off of her. The circus tent was packed with the first audience for their stay in London. The orchestra was playing some relaxing music, while everyone was preparing and getting ready behind the curtains. Elena would be the first to enter and do a brief but bombastic presentation of who they were. It was mostly a formality, because everyone knew who they were. There posters all over London by now. As the orchestra stopped playing, and a drum roll began, Elena stepped up to the curtain. She walked out from behind it, when the drum roll reached its peak, to meet the cheers and applause of the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen! Young and old!" Elena's voice boomed through the big top tent. "Welcome to the Wanderlust Circus." She did an elaborate bow, removing the top hat from her head and pulling out a bouquet of roses from inside of it. After she'd straightened her back and put her top hat back on her head, she threw the bouquet into the air above her where it exploded into a number of small yet colourful fireworks. "Have we got ever the show for you tonight, my friends!" Her voice boomed. "You have my word as the director of this circus that it will be an unforgettable experience." Elena bowed once more when they cheered and shouted in return, then she turned around to walk back through the curtain, but instead of moving she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Elena reappeared backstage. Fireworks and smoke were the tricks of children and normal magicians, however, what she had prepared for her magic act of the show towards the end was truly unforgettable.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire smiled at him when Eli grinned. At least he was not too traumatized by the horrible event that he had gone through, or maybe he was good at hiding it. She noticed how Kate reacted to his grin, so she figured it was likely the latter of the two. "I'm glad you're both alive." Claire said, with a guilty expression. "Despite what I said earlier today that it would be fun to see you hit him, it wasn't as funny as I'd imagined." "Oh, isn't it so wonderful, Kate." She exclaimed when Kate mentioned what had happened during Claire's performance. "I could understand Solomon, and Sheila and Scar. Scar has got an excellent singing voice, who knew!" Claire calmed herself down quickly when someone else approached within earshot. She didn't want others to hear her talking about how she had spoken with her animals, because then she'd be in an asylum before long. "Ah, yes, it is indeed strange." She grinned excitedly at Kate with her whole face, when she was sure no one else was looking, but hid the expression as fast as it had appeared. Elena had changed the order of the performances so that she was last. Well, next to last if you counted the part where everyone was supposed to enter the ring together, take a bow and perform some basic tricks. The show had been somewhat unforgettable already with some of the illusions and magic she had exerted upon the acts. Now it was her turn though, and she would be damned if she let her underlings upstage her. No, she had a special surprise at the end, not to mention that the act she had prepared for this show was different than anything she had planned previously. She entered the ring once more, but she had changed clothes since when she had introduced them in the beginning. Elena was wearing a rather nomadic getup, with pearls, braids and a fur coat. She had visible tattoos and jewellery made of bone. It was more fitting for her personality and her act than the black suit and top she had worn when doing the introduction. Elena began with some minor albeit extraordinary effects, like setting fire to a napkin and freezing the fire itself, planting a seed and having it grow into a bush in front of everyone, swallowing a hissing snake and then pulling it out of her arm. These all got the audience's attention like nothing else had that night or maybe in their entire lives. She felt smug and showed it with a confident posture. "For my next trick, I will have two assistants." Elena said. Two young boys that worked at the circus doing a number of different chores walked into the ring to join the magician. She put the boys into two separate boxes, that only showed their heads and their feet, which she locked. Elena picked up a saw and held it so that the audience could see it. She began to saw through one of the boxes. At first, it was like any other instance when she had performed the trick, but soon the boy in the box was screaming in pain and crying. There was blood dripping out of the box, forming a puddle on the ground. Elena kept at it until she had sawed the box in half. The boy had gone mad by then, and his friend in the other box was clearly afraid when Elena stepped up to saw his box in half. The same thing happened with the second boy, he screamed in pain, and blood stained the ground beneath the box. When Elena had finished sawing the boxes in half, the four of them began to move around in a circle before they stopped. The boys had been wearing different shoes, so it was easy to see that it was not their original boxes that had paired up together. However, Elena went through with the act of putting them together, changing their bodies into new forms that combined the two original ones. She opened up the boxes to reveal that the halves of the bodies had indeed been switched. The audience had mixed reactions to this. There were a few who threw up, thinking the illusion was way too real. There were those who were appalled. The majority of them cheered, whistled and clapped frantically though. The first boy passed out, and had to be carried away. The second one ran away screaming as if death itself was giving chase. Elena bowed. She pulled out the book that had helped her improved tonight's show from within her coat, opened it up and read the passage she had been trying to pronounce right earlier that day. Her voice turned into chanting, taking a much darker tone than usual and spouted utter gibberish to anyone listening. Unfortunately, she didn't get it quite right this time either. Instead, she sounded as if she'd been possessed by a demon while chanting and a number of shadows began to manifest themselves around Elena. She forced the book to close with pure willpower, but it was too late to contain the shadows. They dispersed into the audience and disappeared out of the big top. She got a pale expression on her face, fearing whatever she had unleashed as she had honestly no idea what they had been. Thankfully, the audience thought it was another illusion. Londoners weren't particularly bright. Elena could finish her act, pretending that everything had gone as planned. Everyone entered the ring to take a bow to the audience and finish as they always did. The show ended without any further complications.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kathryn stared blankly at her friend, she understood her unconditional love for her creatures, but she was a bit too... overjoyed with the fact that she literally heard animals talk. Not to mention she roared as if a tigress was trapped within her diaphragm and had been unleashed unto the sound waves. "Wonderful...? Perhaps." She smiled a bit and shrugged her shoulders, "But I think bizarre was the word I was looking for." She laughed a bit, unable to squander her best friends happiness, although the source of the euphoria was something quite peculiar. Elijah was also donning a small smile, trying to suppress the panic that was threatening to erupt from the inside out and consume him into madness. Although he hid it well, he was quite frightened over the whole incident. He couldn't help but think something was going on behind the scenes, some outside force affecting the show and those in it. His train of thought was interrupted though when Elena stepped out to do her act. Just as they had all the others, Kate and Eli watched their ring master during her act as she closed off their show. The first thing that Eli noticed was that Elena now carried herself with a different air about her, one that seemed more determined and mighty than usual. He found that strange, although she usually held a power of authority and confidence. Kate looked on with her two friends, looking on out to the main ring and expecting a routine that was similar to all the ones she had seen before. Elena was quite the magician, very good at illusions and tricks. But of course, they were all just that: tricks. That is, until their leader began to do extraordinary things. This act was unlike any other she had done before. Kate's jaw hung open in awe and she looked to Claire, "I've never seen her do such things. This is incredible." She and her friends continued watching. It was no surprise that Elena was able to pull off such feats, it was just quite the change from her regular performance. When it came time for the last act, two young men who worked odd jobs around the circus were called out to assist in a feat. "Oh, this must be that trick where she pretends to cut them in half and then-" Elijah's words were cut off as the first boy began to scream in pain, blood pooling around his feet. Kate gasped and put a hand over her mouth, the blood seemed so real. "Th-that must just be a balloon of fake bl-blood..." Eli stuttered as Elena moved to the second boy and did the same. As the boxes floated around, it made him dizzy in combination with the blood. When the boxes arrived in the wrong pairs, each held their breath for just a moment. Kate had to look away after the first boy fell limp and the second ran away with terror in his eyes. Her heart was thumping against her chest, but her attention was drawn back to the ring when she heard a frightening tone coming from Elena as she began to chant. Another terrifying illusion out of the way and the show was over. When the three walked out together to join hands and take a bow, the tension could be felt in not only Kate's but Elijah's body, though they each held their posture to hide it. They each tentatively bowed, did their send-off tricks, and then took their leave. Kate walked backstage, seeing that her friends were in tow. When she reached an area outside of the tent and checked to make sure there was no one within ear shot, she looked at Claire and Elijah. "What the hell was that?" Her face showed her distress and concern, maybe she was over reacting, but she felt like it was all too convenient to just be a coincidence.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire's mood was dampened a bit when Kate said she thought it was bizarre. She could understand where she was coming from, but it was great too…right? She had wanted to fully understand her kittens for as long as she could remember. She understood most of their body language, but there were moments when they would do something she did not entirely grasp the meaning of. Maybe the bizarre part was not that she had understood them, but that they had appeared to only her as if they were speaking her language and she had spoken to them in turn. Elena entered the ring eventually, and Claire remained with Kate while their boss carried out her own act. "Oh, so that is incredible, but when I talk to my cats it is bizarre." Claire huffed and muttered to herself. "Double standards." Kate was right that Elena's act was incredible though, but Claire's had been great too. She hoped so at least. It had been for her, so maybe she should not care so much what the others thought. It was rare to be satisfied with your own act, but she felt like she was this time. Claire had to watch as Elena cut the two boys in half, blood pooling on the ground and screams filling the big top. She was too taken by what was happening in front of her eyes to simply look away. Her stomach threatened to turn inside out and make her throw up as that part of Elena's act came to a conclusion, with the two boys being combined into two new forms. "Were you using fake blood as well then, Elijah?" Claire asked. Her jaw dropped as Elena began to chant and summon shadows around her. Maybe that could explain the strange occurrences taking place, but Claire thought that would be the really bizarre event here if it was all caused by the devil himself. No, that could not be. Besides, she would rather not believe in what the Christians claimed to be the truth. She had travelled the world too much for that. The shadows dispersed into the audience who still thought everything tonight were extravagant illusions. Claire wished she could think that too. She held Kate's hand tightly when they had to walk out into the ring, and join Elena, who now seemed a lot less like a lioness and a lot more like some kind of monster. She squeezed her hand a couple of times too, but let go when they each had to do their finishing tricks. Solomon joined Claire and she felt a bit more at ease after that. Claire went with Kate and Elijah to the outside of the big top, with Solomon walking quietly and obediently right next to her side. She raised an eyebrow at Kate's outburst. "What, you mean the bizarre illusions?" Claire joked, then laughed half-heartedly while looking over her shoulder, worrying that there were more of those "illusions" waiting for them in the dark. "I don't think it was anything coming from hell like you claim, Kate." She laughed again, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe it was just something in the food that we ate which made us imagine it all, right? Right!?" She had sounded more panicked repeating that word than she had intended. Claire didn't want to think about the implications of what was going on. She hoped that Elena was not truly as much of a monster as she had demonstrated tonight. One night was enough for this. She could understand wanting to attract a crowd for their stay in London, but this was pushing the limit of what was acceptable. Surely, some of the performers might consider leaving the circus and joining another one if this went on? Claire didn't want to leave, not without her cats at least. "Maybe we should all get some rest and hope it doesn't repeat itself…"</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate eyed Claire when she laughed at her concern, but realized she was probably overreacting and she sighed. Elijah shook his head and added to the conversation, "I don't know that those were illusions, ladies. Those weren't blood bags we were using in our act, and I have a terrible feeling that they weren't in that last one either." He shook his head, but held his tongue for any further comments. "Right well, let's not worry over it now. As Claire said, maybe we all just need some rest..." Kate rubbed the back of her neck and closed her eyes for a moment. They opened again and danced between each of her friends, "I'll take my leave then. Good night, don't let the ghosties bite." She gave a weary smile before headed away towards her wagon. Elijah nodded and looked to Claire and Solomon, "If I were you, I'd keep that guy close." He waved as he walked away, weaving his way through the various tents and carts that occupied the grounds. He kept his head low, looking at his shoes as he shuffled towards his own keep. From the corner of his eye, he could almost swear he saw a dark figure dancing between the tents. "No need to worry, Elijah... it's just your own shadow." He muttered to himself. He arrived at his wagon and stepped up inside, closing the door and locking it after him. Lighting the lantern that sat on a shelf near his bed, he undressed into bed garments and climbed into his cot. The nervousness consumed him, but he fell to slumber. However, his sleep was disturbed as he tossed and turned, the horrifying event that took place that evening replayed in his dreams, devouring his rest in nightmares. Kate had made it to her own room, but she had not failed to glance over her shoulder numerous times. The grounds were still quite a busy place, with some of the performers opting to celebrate the show with alcohol and social encounters. She ignored the sounds of people outside and allowed her body to relax after she crawled into her bed. She was unable to sleep, however, and she spent the next few hours tossing and turning. She could not put it past her, all that had happened was far too concerning. For some, like Claire, the experience had been an enjoyable one. But all Kate could think about was how a knife, thrown by her own hand, had pierced her best friends neck. The threat of him bleeding out right in front of her was all too real, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She tossed over in her bed and closed her eyes, begging for sleep to aide her in rest. She was finally met with darkness, and she slept through the night uninterrupted. When the sun peaked through her shutters the next morning, she did not wake. Her mind was far too exhausted to be disturbed by the sun's calling at her window. Instead, she remained where she were, tangled in her covers.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn And just like that, Claire had somehow talked both Kate and Elijah into going to bed. Well, if they wanted to turn in early that was up to them. It was boring to say the least, but she wouldn't let it get her down. Not that she cared much for Elijah, but she wondered why Kate was so dismissive of her since she talked had with her cats. She headed towards where some of the other members of the circus could be heard, chatting, laughing and drinking. Solomon followed as if he was a well-trained dog, not a three hundred kilo heavy tiger. "Gimme some of that." She said to a woman with tattoos all over, pointing at the bottle in her hand. Claire knew her name. She couldn't remember it right then though. The woman handed her the bottle with a laugh, after drinking some more of it first. Claire drank what was left to calm her nerves and become more sociable. She had socialized with the performers and crew members often after successful shows. The alcohol made her more interested in interacting with other humans. She passed the first half-hour with them by listening to them speak and joining in with the laughter. As she got more booze into her system, she began to inject her own voice into the conversation and joke with them. The evening turned into night in their company. Solomon was as welcome as Claire among them, even more so almost. At first he enjoyed being the centre of attention and having people pet him, but soon he retreated to lie down behind Claire and take a nap. Elena joined them at some point. There was an awkward mood when she did. Some of them didn't feel like joking as much, which was probably because they had told jokes at her expense. Claire couldn't help but notice that Elena behaved a lot less confidently than she had during her act or even compared to her normal self. Elena left before long, likely realizing that she wasn't entirely welcome among them. Claire remained seated, but soon began to yawn and doze off. She was prevented from falling asleep in the spot by Solomon who kept pushing at her with his nose or his paw. It was getting on her nerves, so she gave in to the tiger and got up on her feet to find a better place to sleep. Claire mumbled her drunken farewells to the few of the group who were still socializing, and then she stumbled away from them towards the cages of her big cats. She was too drunk to feel particularly frightened of the dark or what may be hiding in it. The night was beginning to turn into very early morning as well, so the grey light was slowly replacing the darkness. Claire let Solomon into his cage and was about to head off to her own wagon, but figured there was no need for that. It wasn't like the movements in the shadows she thought she had seen scared her or anything, but she would be more comfortable sleeping with her big boy. Claire reopened the door to Solomon's cage, climbed inside and double checked that she had locked it after her. Finally, she laid down next to Solomon in the hay, who put his paw over her protectively and she felt a lot more secure.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Later into the morning, Kathryn finally stirred. Her body was well rested, but her mind was still weary. Rolling over to face her window, she squinted and tried to judge the time based on the amount of light flooding her living space. "Bloody hell... it's nearly ten." She muttered to herself, but then turned over and shoved her head back into her pillow. A knock at her door caught her attention, and she groaned. "Who is it?" She held her head up, eyes targeted at her door, but there was no answer. She grumbled and sat up in her bed, yelling this time, "Oi, I said who is it?" There was still no answer, but a steady rapping at her door. Frustrated with the mute who was summoning her, she walked to her door and pulled it open part ways, keeping her body behind the wooden frame because she was not properly clothed. "Alright, listen here you-" She poked her head out the door, but there was no one there. Her head stretched further out the door while she tried to glance around and catch whomever had been calling at her doorstep. But alas, there was no one to be seen around her wagon. She closed the door and scratched her head while she yawned. "I swear, I'm gonna kill those two." she murmured to herself, speaking aloud the thought that she believed either Elijah or Claire were teasing her. A flame was lit beneath a pot and the sound of water rolling in a boil filled her room as she got dressed. She made her tea, and sipped on it, allowing the caffeine to brighten her mood and wake her up. When she was satisfied that she wasn't going to pass back out, she put on her shoes and exited her wagon. Kate looked to the left, then to the right. Claire's wagon was to the left, and Elijah's towards the right. She weighed her options, but figured Claire was held up with Solomon anyways. So, she opted for Elijah's keep. She knocked on the door, not resting her fist until he answered. His hair was wild as the animals in the cages down the row, and his eyes were bloodshot and he looked like death itself had paid a visit. "Well, that eliminates one of my suspects." Kate smirked, but Elijah's expression did not change from the flat face which he answered her knocking with. "Uh, you alright there mate?" Kate frowned, and Elijah shook his head. He scratched his scruff and rubbed his hands over his face before looking back at Kate. "I'll be fine, Katie. I just need a bit to wake up. I'll be out later." He smiled weakly and tiredly, but did not give her another chance to speak as he closed he door. From the other side of the door he sighed and looked around. The night had not been good to him, and he felt it. But, he had things to do and he knew he had to get around to it. Kate stood there for a moment and blinked, surprised at her friend's reaction. Well, no use in dwelling on it. She turned on her heel and headed towards the big cat enclosures to accuse Claire of disturbing her and then running off. She arrived at Solomon's cage and saw the tiger protectively lying next to an apparently sleeping Claire. "Alright, nice try. I know you aren't asleep, good effort though." Kate laughed lightly, "Now, how about an explanation for running off this morning, huh?" She crossed her arms and waited for Claire to answer her, though it seemed she was trying to keep appearances up by not making a movement.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire tossed and turned in her drunken state, disturbing Solomon with her movements, but thankfully he was a nocturnal creature so it wasn't like he was going to sleep much anyway during the night. He slept a fair bit either way since he loved to sleep like most of her kittens did. She dreamt surprisingly pleasant dreams when she did fall asleep. Claire talked with her big cats, learned their language permanently and went on adventures with them. There were other people featured in the dream, like Kate, Elena and a few other members of the circus, but they were in the background compared to the animals. Elena appeared as an evil witch at one point. The sound of someone shouting at her was an abrupt wake up call. "Oh my god." Claire cried, and put her arms over her head. "Why would you scream at me in the morning when I have a hangover?" She could feel her head pounding pretty badly by then. The words that Kate had spoken sounded louder than usual, so she had to assume they were shouted. It wasn't just the words Kate spoke either, everything was louder than usual, even Solomon's breathing was getting to her. Claire had no idea how long she had slept, or if she had been given a chance to sleep at all before Kate was on her case again. She had dreamt at least. She wanted to yell at her friend to go away and leave her alone. It would not be the first time they had fought, because everyone fights every now and then, no matter how great their relationship may be regularly. "Solomon, attack…" Claire muttered against his fur, and was rolled over on her stomach when the white tiger got up on all four. He moved lazily over to where Kate was standing outside the cage, put his arm through the bars and tried to hit her with his paw. The whole action was done with such indifference that it was clear he was just following the words of his trainer with no real hatred or commitment behind the supposed attack. He tried to reach Kate a couple more times before giving up, sitting down and cleaning himself with his tongue. Claire had mostly trained him with that command in case she would need him in an emergency, like a guard dog, but no one else needed to know about it so she had told no one else yet. If anything, she had planned to explain it away by saying she was going to incorporate coordinated play-fighting between her big cats in one of her future shows. Solomon was a bit too tame to attack those he knew with any real strength though. "Yeah, that will teach you to bother me in the morning." Claire mumbled to herself, while keeping her arms over her eyes to block out the blinding light. "You are lucky he is locked inside a cage. Who knows what such a wild beast would be to a human otherwise."</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire When the giant tiger stood up at the command to attack, Kate's eyes grew wide and she took a step back from the cage. "Jesus Christ," she had no idea what to expect from the big cat, considering his loyalty to Claire. Much to her relief, he took the order with as little enthusiasm as possible and returned to grooming himself within his enclosure. "What ever will I do if that over-sized house cat decides to purr me to death..." Crossing her arms again, Kate's stare bore into Claire, challenging her to look up. It was obvious that she was well into the consequences that a night of liquor will punish you with, but the way Kate saw it, it was her own fault. "You look like hell," her head shook disapprovingly and she sighed. "Serves you right for drinking the night away." It wasn't uncommon for them to bicker over the topic of alcohol. Kate knew how to drink and have fun, she wasn't a stiff by any means. However, she believed in self control. The minuscule amount of her childhood that she could remember was spent in an orphanage, one that for the most part didn't take too kindly to the children there. And from what Kate could remember, whiskey had quite a bit to do with that fact. That's why she and Claire had decided to run away. It was hard leaving the few that were kind and caring at the home, but not worth living through more of the misery to stay with them. They found solace here with the circus, and so they remained. Kate had just never picked up drinking like the others seemed to have, to her it was more amusing to watch the drunken ones stumble in a stupor than to be one of them herself. Claire was still covering her face and avoiding the inevitable, so Kate simply exhaled and closed her eyes for a moment. "Very well, I'll leave you to suffer. No use in making your misery any worse with my presence." Walking away from the cage, she headed to the commons tent in search of a meal. She hadn't eaten after the show, and her stomach was beginning to call to her for sustenance. She entered the tent and found that there were several items out for the circus workers and such. They did not cook them breakfast, rather the cooks prepared tea and coffee and left pastries and dry cereals out for pecking. Kate grabbed a cup of coffee and a scone, then found a place to sit within the tent. Elijah had finally gotten around to cleaning himself up a bit, but his face still showed his utter exhaustion. Walking to the commons area, he hoped a cup of caffeine would aid him. Kate was spotted at a table not far from the entrance, so he took his beverage over and sat with her and a few other circus workers who were all making small talk over biscuits. Kate perked up when she saw Eli sit down, though he still looked rough. "You feeling any better? You still look a bit unwell." Shrugging his shoulders as he sat down, he took a sip of his coffee and then looked at Kate with tired eyes. "I'll be fine. Rough night," he held up his cup and smiled, "This should get me going though." It was a night filled with nightmares and little sleep, but he had suffered tough nights before and he could do it again. He sipped his drink and contributed to the small talk with Kate and the others as they casually ate their breakfast.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn When Kate mentioned how Claire deserved her hangover, she wanted to tell her how fun people sometimes had to suffer consequences for being sociable and fun, but that Kate could of course not understand this. "Thank you." Claire mumbled to Kate when she left, but doubted she could hear it if she was still around. She attempted to return to sleep. Her headache mixed with the sounds of a circus that was waking up and the light of the sun made it difficult though. After remaining motionless for what felt like another hour without a minute of sleep, Claire had to accept the fact that she would not get better by lying here. Maybe if she got something to help with her hangover or moved to her own wagon it would be easier. She crawled out of the hay, passed Solomon who was enjoying the sunlight and exited his cage. She made a note to herself to never sleep outside when hangover. It wasn't the first time she had claimed she wouldn't do that. Claire locked the cage after herself. She headed in the direction of her wagon, but once she arrived she heard a woman screaming as if terrified from another wagon. She had to put her hands over her ears to prevent the headache from getting worse. She went inside her wagon to get some rest. "Screaming as if she was all alone, no consideration for the rest of us..." Claire muttered as she lay down on her bed. Unfortunately, the screaming woman had attracted more people and soon the area was crowded. Claire heard them chatting through the walls of her wagon, but she was unable to make out any words. She didn't bother trying to sleep for long after that. Claire rose again, probably looking as horrible as she was beginning to feel. She grabbed her lady's umbrella on the way out of the wagon, to have cover against the light of the sun, and stumbled towards the commons area. She hoped they could give her something to eat that may stop the beating of her forehead. Claire spotted Kate and Elijah when she arrived, waved meekly at them, and then went to ask the kitchen staff for anything they may be willing to give her for her hangover. She was given a couple of eggs and a glass of water. "Hey guys, Kate, Elijah." She placed her food next to Kate and sat down. Claire folded her umbrella together, and leaned it against their table. She was about to start eating, but instead threw her arms around Kate in a hug and pulled her towards her. "I'm sorry about earlier." She whispered, hoping that no one else would hear, but for all she knew she was screaming. Claire's hangover still made noises louder than they had any right to be. "I hope you don't tell anyone I taught him that, Kate, or I may have to teach one of them a murder command to keep the secret from getting out." She laughed weakly after that. It was only a joke. She wouldn't want anyone else to murder Kate if she betrayed her. She could do it herself in that case. "It is freaking impossible to get any sleep around here today." Claire grumbled. "Sun is shining like if we were in the southern hemisphere, not Britain and people are screaming blood murder in the morning." She turned to Kate with a faked smile. "At my wagon, not when you woke me up earlier."</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate waved at Claire in between sips of coffee, and continued chatting with Elijah and the others at the table while Claire fetched her breakfast. When she came to sit down, Kate halfway smiled at her, knowing that she still was probably feeling the effects of the previous night's binge. It shocked her a bit when Claire flung her arms around her, so she stiffened under her embrace until Claire whispered her apology to her. A sigh escaped her and Kate patted her friend on the arm with the one arm that wasn't binded by Claire's hug. "It's alright Claire, I'm sorry as well." "Amen to that," Elijah chimed in, raising his cup in approval of her comment about not getting any sleep. He was feeling better though, the caffeine seemed to have helped actually calm his nerves while also waking him up a bit, which very well may be the opposite effect of intention. Soon after Claire's mentioning of the crying woman, people around the commons tent began to grow more noisy. It seemed as if a rumor was spreading around throughout the tent, making its way from table to table. People began to get up and walk out with a brisk step, and Elijah looked around as the area was beginning to thin out rather quickly. "What in the..." Soon, the others who were sitting at their table began exchanging words about a woman, blood, screaming, and other frightening sounding phrases. They rose as well and followed the crowd out of the tent, and the three were left there with only the company of each other and the chefs. "Claire, dear, would you hurry up and eat your eggs?" Kate said as she glanced out of the entrance to the tent. "I've a feeling that there's something we are missing out on." Elijah cleared the table of his and Kate's dishes, placing them in the bin that was reserved for dirty wear. He returned to the table but did not sit down, "You watch tipsy here, I'll be right back." He exited the tent and followed the stream of people towards the wagons that housed the performers and workers. He pushed through the crowd further into the camp and saw that the collection of people were surrounding one wagon in particular. Screams could be heard, and Eli could swear that blood was covering the one window that was visible from his angle. Men were struggling to get the door to the wagon open, pushing and pulling it to no avail. Turning around, he headed back to the commons tent and found Kate and Claire again. "Something's happened. There was blood covering the window, they couldn't get the door open, I... I don't know." Kate straightened up where she sat, her eyes growing wider at the news. "What? No wonder all the jitters among the crowd... I wonder what happened." She looked at Claire, who was still finishing her hangover meal. "I suggest you finish those before you lose your appetite. We should go see what's happening out there now." She stood and waited for her less than 100% friend to join her, and then headed towards the camp.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn It was not long after that Claire had sat down and started eating that people began to run off, and murmur about some woman. Kate urged her to hurry up, and she sighed, not particularly interested in whatever new illusion was happening. Elijah ran off as well to check it out. Claire focused her attention on her meal, eating slowly as her headache was still a pain. She ate in silence, pretending like the rest of the world and the people didn't exist. It calmed her down quite a bit, but then Elijah came back to tell them more about the event, how there was blood and how they were unable to enter her wagon. "Maybe it's just her time of the month." Claire muttered, and finished her glass of water. "There's nothing wrong with my appetite, Kate. It would be better if you all stopped freaking out over whatever though." Claire stood up after Kate, grabbed her umbrella and opened it up to protect her from the light of the sun. She followed her impatient friend to the camp and back to her own wagon. The wagon everyone was interested in was one of Claire's neighbours, she hadn't noticed how close it was to hers before, but there was just one other wagon in between the two. "Oooh, spooky, they almost chose me for this prank." Claire said snarkily, her headache making her quite irritated and not in the mood for another of Elena's illusions. There wasn't even an audience or a show located among their wagons. The backstage crew had appeared with tools to get the door open. They had some of the stronger members of the circus gathered as well to assist them. As they began to pull at the door, the woman screamed and cried out. They kept pulling though, inserting a crowbar between the door and the wall of the wagon. There was a resounding crack as the door broke open, mixed with the last faint scream of the woman and the sound of blood hitting the steps up to the wagon. The sight that met them all was gruesome. The woman wore a bloody nightgown, but her body had ropes fastened to it with hooks that extended inside the wagon and likely caused her great pain whenever she had tried to move. The worst part was how she had been spiked to the door of her wagon, so that when they had managed to open it parts of her back had stuck to the door, been ripped away and finally killed her. She had a hole in her back where the parts of her that was now on the door had once been. The woman's spine and ribs were visible in the hole. Blood was trickling down the remains of her back and her legs. Claire threw up almost immediately, not even caring that there were people standing close to her. She wasn't the only one either. There were those who even fainted. As she stood looking down at her vomit on the ground, she prayed that this was indeed another illusion. Unfortunately, it didn't go away, turn into another scene or disappear when the doctor stepped forward to make a closer inspection. He didn't need to declare her dead, as it was obvious she was, but he did it anyway so everyone could hear. Claire made herself throw up a second time, appreciating the chance to clear her system of any remaining alcohol. It was the most emotionless thought she'd had in a long time. The police arrived at the scene shortly afterwards. They'd likely been called when the blood on the window was detected. They sealed off the scene, told everyone to back up and stay away while they worked. Claire was visibly shaken now. It wasn't something to mock or make light of anymore. Indeed, it had happened too close to her own wagon for her to feel anything less than frightened and worried about what may have happened if she had spent the night in her own bed.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire When they arrived at the large group forming around the wagon, Kate got on her tip toes to peek over the heads of the taller folk and get a look at the wagon. There seemed to be quite a fuss to getting the door open, and indeed blood was splattered across the window. Staying on her toes, Kate watched as the men arrived with a crowbar to pry open the door. Screaming intensified as they did so, but the pulled on with determination. What they witnessed as the door finally broke open would be burned into their memory surely, as it was far too horrendous not to be. A gasp escaped Kate and she turned away from the scene, her hand covering her mouth as she did so. Elijah quickly looked down at his shoes, his jaw clenching beneath the surface of his cheeks while he tried not to egg on a worse reaction from those around him. Claire doubled over as she heaved up the contents of her stomach. Kate tried to focus on Claire instead of the bone-chilling scene laid out before them, so she held Claire's hair with one hand and gently rubbed her back with the other while she retched. The thought that this event had occurred so close to Claire's wagon sent a chill down Kate's spine. What if Claire had actually slept in her wagon that night? Would the same fate have met her? It made Kate sick to think about, so she pushed the thoughts away and comforted Claire as best she could in the condition she was in herself. When the police showed, the scene was blocked off and bystanders were told to make themselves scarce, save for a few they questioned as witnesses. Elijah turned to Kate and Claire and then motioned for them to move. "Let's get out of here, ladies. This is certainly something that need not be witnessed any further." He put a hand on each of their shoulders and pushed them forward gently, herding them away from the bloody backdrop. Kate took Claire's hand and squeezed tightly while they walked, now not wanting either of her friends to be out of her sight. Who knew if the maniac who committed the crime was still running around the tents, waiting for his next victim. She swallowed hard and kept a firm grip on Claire. Elijah had pushed them in the opposite direction of the wagon camp, and they now stood just on the edge of the circus grounds. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face and around his neck. Thoughts were tumbling through his mind. As gruesome as it was, he could not help but come back to the image burned into his mind and wonder. The woman had been bound and staked to the door... then whomever did such a task would have to be inside the wagon during, literally barricading themselves in with the woman on the door. Then how did they escape? To fit out the window, they would have to be a person of small stature, but they were strong enough to tie the woman up? None of it made any sense, and he shook his head. "Do you girls need anything? Water, or perhaps maybe some heavy liquor?" His face was flush but he was trying to prevent them from freaking out further. Kate shook her head, her hands were shaking and she was pale. Elijah went to fetch water anyways, figuring it might come in handy regardless. Kate turned to Claire and threw her arms around her, squeezing tightly. "What if that had been you? Thank bloody God that you're so attuned to sleeping with Solomon now... That secret command you let slip may prove useful."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire had felt Kate's hands on her back and in her hair when she threw up. It would normally have made her feel a bit better, but she doubted anything could improve the situation. She had drunk too much and now witnessed the horrible murder scene of a neighbour. "I can walk myself." Claire muttered when Elijah touched and pushed her. She began to walk faster, but felt someone grasping her hand tightly. Claire thought it was Elijah again and was about to chew him out, then she noticed it was Kate holding her. She raised an eyebrow, surprised that Kate would hold her hand, but she realized she didn't mind it as much as she would have if it had been anyone else. She let Kate squeeze her hand in hers, but didn't return the gesture. "Water would be nice." Claire answered Elijah, feeling her stomach begin to turn again at the thought of drinking any more liquor. "Thank you." Kate threw her arms around Claire when Elijah had left them alone, and she couldn't help but think that she was being very handsy all of a sudden. She supposed it was natural as her friend was genuinely scared for Claire's well-being. "Oh, you don't need to worry about me." Claire said, trying to laugh it off and act like she wasn't affected by what had happened. She failed at it though, fear showing itself in her voice. "Let's sit down, I feel so tired." She waited for Kate to sit down on the grass nearby, then placed herself in her lap. This way she would hopefully calm Kate down and assure her that she was not going anywhere. At least that was what she told herself when she decided where to sit. "I'm not going anywhere, sis." Claire said, and leaned her head against Kate's shoulder, breathing against her neck. She finally felt like she could get some rest, despite having seen that shocking scene her body was not able to catch up fully to the events. "I promise." "I doubt Solomon would be much help though." She laughed weakly. "You were right with what you said earlier, He is too much of an oversized housecat. It would be better if I taught one of the others the command. Maybe Sheila, she can be quite hostile to humans when she feels like being left alone." Claire smiled. "Or maybe I should get a gun or something else to protect myself with. Still, I am not the only one at risk. Maybe they will strike again, somewhere else entirely…" Claire continued talking, but it turned into soft murmurs as she felt her mind and body relaxing for a nap. She moved a bit, to get a more comfortable sleeping position, accidentally pressing her body and chest against Kate. "Fluffy pillow." Claire murmured, some of the few words that were understandable among everything that she mumbled. She just wanted a short nap so her body would get better from the hangover and the tiredness, then they could do what seemed best to deal with all these problems happening around them. She wished things had remained in the same state they used to be in forever, but now the peace had been disturbed at its roots.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate nodded to Claire and sat down with her on a soft spot of grass nearby to where they had been standing. It was a pleasant surprise when Claire plopped down in her lap, giving Kate more of a sense of reassurance. However, a different feeling tingled down her spine when she felt Claire's breath against her neck and her head on her shoulder. Trying her hardest not to let that tingling feeling show outwardly, Kate inhaled and swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn't remember when her feelings towards Claire had taken on a different nature, but she had decided to keep it to herself. After all, this was the girl she ran away with all those years ago, and the last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize their friendship as it was. But lately, it had become harder to not express her affection a bit more. And now with the occurrence of recent events, Kate felt a pang in her heart that tugged in a different way than it had before. All she could do was hope that Claire took it as friendly affection, not anything more that would drive her away. A smile appeared on her face at Claire's agreement to her titling Solomon as a big fluffy tomcat. But then the smile faded at the mention that the killer could strike again, which only worried her even more. The police had been at the scene of the bloody murder to investigate, surely they would follow up and pursue the one responsible, right? They wouldn't let some lunatic just roam around waiting for the next kill, would they? This time, the role was reversed of who was muttering on as Claire sleepily murmured and carried on while she fell asleep. When she moved around to get comfortable, Kate felt the same feeling she had moments ago while goosebumps rose on her arms and her neck. She smiled to herself as Claire muttered her last few words before falling asleep. Kate then put an arm around her and rested her chin on the top of Claire's head. "Alright, here's the-" Elijah stopped speaking when he walked up and saw Claire and Kate muddled together in a bundle, one of the two who appeared to be napping. He raised an eyebrow, but set the canteen of water that he had retrieved down and also took a seat on the ground. It was far too early in the morning to have already been so eventful. He laid back and placed his arms behind his head, looking up at the sky as he sighed. Kate kept her chin lightly on Claire, but looked over at Eli. He turned his head towards her and gave her a warm smile, to which she returned one of her own. It was sort of relieving to sit in silence for a moment and allow their minds to be clear, not frantic about what they had just witnessed. Kate decided to follow in her friend's footsteps and she closed her eyes. Eli was not as quick to settle, and he looked up at the sky again, putting one hand on the spot where he had been stabbed last night. His mind was wandering again while his friends rested, and he tried in his mind to figure out the mysteries that had unfolded the night before and that morning.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire got a chance to sleep off the worst of the hangover and her exhaustion. Hours passed sleeping with Kate as her pillow and bed. She felt a tickling sensation traveling slowly up her stomach at some point, and coming to a halt at her bosom. It made her smile and try to move away from it in her sleep, but whatever it was had gotten underneath her shirt. "Stop it." Claire mumbled, half-asleep. However, instead of stopping it began to fiddle with her bra and squeeze her inappropriately. Claire opened her eyes, quite shocked and appalled. Who the hell would do something like that to her when she was asleep!? She found an arm slipped under her shirt, and discovered that the arm belonged to Kate, who had her eyes closed, but still kept fondling Claire. "Kate! What do you think you're doing?" Claire asked, not amused in the slightest. She shoved the woman so she would cease pretending to be asleep. She had to pull her hand away from her using force, as if it had a life of its own. "Do you think this is funny?" She snarled when Kate had opened her eyes. "How many times have you… been touching me while I was asleep?" She sounded a lot more disgusted by the action than she actually was. If anything, Claire was surprised and unsure of how to react to the situation. "I don't even know what to say to you! I guess it's a good thing I sleep with a tiger instead of alone." Claire grasped her throat when the words came out loud, hostile and revolted. That hadn't been her intention. She stood up, stepped away and turned her back on Kate. The sight that met her instead of her perverted friend was something entirely unexpected and horrifying, but at least she could come to the conclusion that this was all a dream and Kate hadn't been touching her weirdly in real life. At least the real Kate wasn't a closeted pervert, even if the Kate in this dream was. Ahead of her laid a barren, dark and volcanic land of ash. There were rivers of burning fire with black smoke filling the air above them. The tents and wagon of the circus that should have been there were gone. No, not gone completely. She did notice burned down remains of what could have once been a number of wagons. Pieces of fabric that had once belonged to tents could be seen floating on the hot winds that swept the area. Purgatory, was the first word that came to mind to describe the area in this nightmare. Why couldn't she have gotten another pleasant dream about adventures with her kittens? Claire sighed and pinched herself to try to wake back up. It didn't work though. It contributed to the creepy feeling that had inserted itself in her mind about how this was all too real. It made her wonder who the Kate in this dream was, but she didn't dare turning around to check if her friend had changed shape as well.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It had been a while since Kate had fallen asleep with Claire on top of her and Eli to her side. Surprisingly enough, it was a peaceful sleep despite the unrest she had experienced the night before. She was enjoying the rest, pleasant thoughts filled her head until Claire started squirming around. Kate grumbled in her sleep and turned her head, sighing as she slowly started to wake from the disturbance. Kate felt a jolt as Claire pushed her, waking her up fully now. She furrowed her brow when she opened her eyes and was about to yell at Claire for waking her when she discovered her arm was wrapped around Claire, up her shirt and resting on her chest. Kate's eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to say something, but all she could manage was to stutter over her words. She tried to remove her arm but found that she was unable to. The thumping in her chest grew to an audible tone as her heart beat practically out of her chest with panic. Claire pried her arm away and Kate looked from it to Claire, her eyes were frantic. "Wait! Claire, no, I didn't...!" The whole ordeal had woken Elijah, who sat up and felt something trickling down his neck. He subconsciously rubbed the area and looked down to his hand to reveal it was covered in blood. He screamed and scooted back quickly, checking for a wound on his neck but finding only blood that was flowing from some unknown source. Kate looked at Eli when he cried out and her eyes grew even wider, she scooted over to him and put a hand on his neck but couldn't find a hole either. The words left Claire's mouth with hatred and Kate turned her head towards her, the pain of the words visible on her face. Her head started to spin and she looked down at the blood now on her hands as well. She was mortified at the whole situation, it was as if her worst nightmare was playing out before her. Elijah started wheezing, but he coughed and pushed Kate away. "I'm fine," He grumbled and stood. Kate did as well and they were left gazing out at a wasteland that swallowed them from every angle. Kate looked around and thought that this must all be a figment of her imagination, so she closed her eyes and then opened them back up, hoping that she would instead be met with tents and grass and her friends napping lazily beside her. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The same scene extended for as far as she could see, and her jaw hung ajar. "No, no, no. Where the hell are we?" She questioned, fear in her voice. Elijah had stepped away from Kate, for all he knew she had been the one to cause the bleeding in his neck again, making his experience from the previous night all too real. Kate was left with the backs of her two best friends turned to her, trapped in a barren and bizarre land that seemed to only want to make her fall into insanity. "Claire, listen to me. I didn't do that!" She turned to Elijah, "Eli, what's with you?" Tears welled up in her eyes and then streamed down her face as she prayed for it all just to end, one way or another.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn "As if you don't know where we are, you're nothing more than a part of my dream." Claire snapped at Kate. "We are standing among the ruins of the circus." Claire was angered when dream Kate claimed it was not her who had been touching her at all, like she had not caught her in the act of groping her. She clearly thought Claire was a moron, and that was what angered her the most. She turned around towards Kate who had tears streaming down her face, as much as she hated to see her friend cry she had to remind herself this wasn't her real friend anyway. Claire raised her hand and held it in front of Kate. "Look at it! Look at it, Kate!" She shouted, and then slapped Kate across her face. "That wasn't me! I didn't do that, Kate, you must believe. I would never hit you. It was someone else." She bristled with rage, clenched her teeth and felt tears beginning to form in her eyes as well, but they were not of sadness. "Do you take me for a fool?" Claire snarled. "I'm probably just some tamed barbarian with no brain, right? Cause clearly no one else than me would be dumb enough to believe you over their own eyes." Claire felt her anger subside with every heavy breath that she took. Hitting and screaming at dream Kate had felt good, and it helped her calm down, as she had let out most of the anger by taking it out on someone else. "I love the real Kate." She stated simply. It wasn't news to herself or anyone. "I trust her with my life. She would never lie to my face or hide something from me." She went on; speaking words she hoped were truth for Kate about Claire in return as well. "If she wanted to touch me like that I would… probably let her." Well, it wasn't something she needed to consider in reality, but she saw no reason for her to lose her childhood friend over something so silly. Though she hoped the real Kate would have the decency to not do it when she was asleep and unaware. That had been creepy and unwelcome. "I'm not some dumb animal." Claire muttered to herself. "Animals aren't dumb either." She hated the idea that Kate would think about her like some did. Those who whispered behind her back about how she was uncivilized and had no understanding of how human interaction worked so she spent all her time with animals that were as smart as her, but just because she knew how it worked did not mean she wanted to be a large part of it. She was a member of a traveling circus for fucks sake. Claire sighed. "Any suggestions for how I get out of this nightmare into something more pleasant?" She turned to look at each of her friends' dream replicas. "Elijah? Pervert Kate?" She turned back to the area around them. One of her worst fears come alive, her home destroyed and everyone gone. At least she hadn't seen any corpses or signs of her kittens demise, so she could pretend like it was fine. It felt like the walls of her mind that had imagined this wanted to crush her psyche though.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It was unknown to Kate why her friends had suddenly turned their back on her. Were they mad? Or was she? This must be some twisted joke, a hallucination caused by some outside influence. There was no way this could be real, yet it felt as real as anything she had ever experienced. Her eyes held a glossy stare on Claire as she yelled and let out her rage towards Kate. It was when she approached her and put her hand in the air that Kate grew terrified, but before she could react, Claire's hand made contact with Kate's face and sent her reeling to the side, holding her face where a red mark was quickly appearing. A cry escaped her, more out of shock than pain. This trippy simulation was beginning to overwhelm Kate and her frustration was mounting. It was cruel, the way she was being treated by her friends, which told her it must be fake. The words that left Claire's mouth and were directed at her began to gnaw away at the bit of sanity she was keeping here. Kate stood there, frozen in shock at the slap to the face and the hurtful words that targeted her very soul. Now her sadness was turning into anger. Why was this happening? If this were a terrible dream, she would not be able to feel the pain radiating on her cheek like she did. It didn't matter anymore, her hope was fleeting and she was sure she would be trapped forever here in this hell hole of a dream, doomed to live in it for eternity. Elijah had turned when he heard Claire's hand smack across Kate's face. He considered approaching her, but only for a moment before deciding that he was better off keeping to himself. His hand was pressed against his neck, and blood continued to pour down his torso from a phantom wound that could not be found. The sight of the blood made bile gather in the back of his throat and he bent over to heave. He felt a sharp pain as he vomited, and opened his eyes to see that in a pile of puke and blood lie a double-sided blade. Eli gagged and tasted something metallic in his mouth, which he now could not distinguish between blood or actual forged element. This sent him stumbling backwards, eyes wide and arms frantically splayed at his side. He glared at Claire and rolled his eyes, standing and backing away from the two women. His hands were still tightly wrapped around his neck as he used every bit of concentration in his body to keep from having a panic attack and falling into an oblivion of madness. Kate had clenched her jaw and blinked away tears of rage, all the while listening to Claire ramble on. "I am the real Kate!" She said through locked teeth. It did take her by surprise when Claire stated that she probably would let Kate touch her in a different way than friends really should, but she did not take this statement to be true, but rather a result of an angry outburst. Kate threw a hand to her face in an annoyed gesture. She had never thought Claire to be barbaric or unintelligent. In fact when she heard other people from the circus talking behind her back, Kate had threatened to pin them up and use them as target practice if they kept it up. Elijah turned his head towards the pair at the sound of his name, but he scoffed. Kate shook her head and let it hang hopelessly in defeat. "Nightmare? This is more like worst fears come true..." She remarked. But then, her head jumped up and her brain began working. "Wait!" She started thinking about a time when she had visited a gypsy that traveled with the circus. The woman had once said "If you want to be free of your worst nightmare, you must first face your fears. Only then will you have peace of mind." Kate recited those very words and looked from Claire to Elijah, unsure of whether they were a part of her nightmare or trapped in this place with their own, but she knew now the answer to how to escape this terrifying world. "Face your fears."</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn "Sure you are, pervert. I totally believe you." Claire rolled her eyes, not particularly amused by the claim that they were somehow sharing the same nightmare. How would that even happen in the first place? "Maybe you could explain how we are in the same nightmare then." It did occur to her that it would not be too strange if that was indeed what was happening, when one considered the bigger picture and the last couple of days' events. She kind of regretted hitting Kate in that case, because now she was beginning to doubt if she was part of the nightmare or real as she claimed. Elijah wasn't much help to anyone. He was acting like a scared animal if anything. Kate did come up with a suggestion for how they could advance or escape. Claire thought it was as good an idea as any so they may as well try it to see if worked or not. However, after thinking about it some more the implications of what Kate was saying hit her. "I am not even sure which is more offensive, Kate. That you are afraid of touching me or that you are afraid of me finding out that you want to touch me." She grimaced. "Either I must be the most repulsive being around in your eyes, or the thought of being honest with me about something personal is horrifying." Claire laughed at the thought, but not because it was particularly funny. It was a bizarre fear, and she was curious about how Kate intended to face it. "What type of monster do you take me for then? Any ideas on how to face this fear of yours?" She had to wonder which fear she was supposed to confront herself though, and how. Claire was surprised at how there were no big cats around whatsoever. There always was in her dreams, but since there weren't any this time she had to confront the fear of losing the circus then? Maybe that was a shared fear among the three if they all experienced this together. No one would be calm and sensible if they lost their home, especially not by having it replaced with the fires in front of them. "If this gypsy woman was right, shouldn't Elijah already be free of this nightmare?" Claire asked and gestured towards the man struggling with all the blood coming from seemingly nowhere. "There are no animals around either, so how am I supposed to face my fears?" The words had barely left her lips before she heard a weak whimper coming from somewhere nearby. Claire closed her eyes, blaming herself for whatever horror she had now unleashed upon her mind. If she had been quiet there would have been no need to involve any animals. There was a part of her that immediately recognized the whimper as belonging to Solomon, but she kept her eyes closed. The sounds of paws against the rocks came closer, and she opened her eyes to find a scarred and beaten Solomon standing a distance away from her. There were ferocity and wildness visible in his eyes that had never been there before. In his mouth, he had a baby white tiger that was the source of the whimpering. As far as she could tell, they were both Solomon, but different ages. "I shouldn't have said anything…"</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn "Of course it doesn't make me feel better. Why would it?" She couldn't stop a second laugh from escaping her though, and mumbled to herself. "I hope that groping my breasts made you feel better at least." Despite what Claire had done to Kate when she was under the assumption that she was part of the nightmare, her friend comforted her when she was faced with her own fear. Claire felt grateful that she had someone like Kate in her life, and she had felt like that more times than she could remember. "Thanks, Kate, I appreciate it." Kate summoned blades out of thin air. She threw them at Elijah and missed him as she had intended to do. Claire wondered if it was truly that easy to defeat his fear. He was afraid of getting hit, not letting Kate throw blades at him, right? It seemed to work and make him more at ease though. Claire would have hit him and healed his wound if she had been in Kate's shoes, to show him that getting hit wasn't the end of the world. Claire had her own fear to deal with. She had to disregard her two friends and focus on the wild Solomon that was coming closer. Why were there two of them? She understood that it made sense for a number of her fears to be symbolized by Solomon, but why not just one white tiger? Solomon kept circling her, growling and whining at her. He never came up to her though. Claire had to think about which one of her fears she was actually facing here. It occurred to her that it might have something to do with what would have happened to Solomon if they had never met. His life had been made better because she had adopted him, but what if she had never been able to do that or inadvertently hurt him in some way by bringing him up? There were times when she had doubted her skills as a lion tamer, and thought about what harm she could have caused to her kittens if she had been careless. She had never wanted to hurt an animal in her life, but were they really better off living in a circus than living in the wild? She doubted they could be returned to the wild once tamed, but still, it was a disconcerting idea. Claire closed her eyes like Kate had done, and thought about her whip. She could feel it in her hand before she opened her eyes again. If she were to face her fear, she had to deliberately hurt Solomon. The thought alone made her feel to her very soul. The white tiger dropped his younger self on the ground, bared his teeth and inched closer to her. She used the whip on the ground next to and in front of him, but he didn't react at all. He grabbed Claire's clothes in his mouth and growled at her. She couldn't get herself to do it anyway. Solomon bit her leg and drew blood, but while she screamed and felt the pain she figured she could endure it. It wasn't until she heard the crunching of her bone that she closed her eyes hard and used the whip on the face of the tiger. He released his grip on her leg, and Claire opened her eyes. She saw the mark of the whip across his face, but he looked tame, like his usual self and somewhat sad about having hurt his master. He tried to lick her wound clean before he bothered acknowledging his own. She bent down and hugged him, crying against his fur. "I'm sorry." She felt him fade in her arms, and the only proof left that there had been a feral Solomon in the first place was the cub he'd left behind. Although baby Solomon wasn't whining anymore, he was running around her and playing with her clothes, as energetic as ever. She breathed a sigh of relief, and wiped the tears from her eyes. The only one who hadn't faced their fear yet of the three of them was Kate. Claire looked at her, trying to contain her smile and laughter. It actually was funny to her now though, because Elijah and herself had fears she could understand. Kate's was a bit silly in comparison. "How do you want to face your fear then, Kate? Do you want to start where you left off?" Claire giggled, but put her hand over her mouth.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah and Kate stepped back as the big cat began circling Claire, growling and appearing rather intimidating. It was unknown to Kate what fear this was, or why there were two tigers instead of just one. However, it made sense to her that it involved a version of Solomon. Claire's life revolved around those beautiful creatures, and without them she wouldn't be the same. When the big cat grew more aggressive and bit Claire's leg, Kate instinctively took a step forward. Eli grabbed her arm and shook his head, pulling her back towards him. "She needs to do this." The pair watched nervously as the whole scene played out. Something as simple as striking the tiger with a tamer's whip ended the gruesome event and Claire fell to comfort the now tamed beast, which soon disappeared. All that was left of the ordeal was the charming baby tiger, as if it were the reward and symbol of a fear overcome. Claire and Elijah were now fear-free, or at least of one of their fears. It all fell to Kate now, who looked nervously from Claire to Eli as she questioned what she was supposed to do. "Well, uh..." It occurred to her that she didn't really know exactly what she was afraid of. Was she afraid of Claire finding out about her feelings? No, not really. She had pondered the idea of telling her before. Was she afraid of herself? Of others finding out? No, and no. Kate wasn't one to entertain the opinions of others, nor was she uncomfortable in her own skin. Thinking back to the events of when she first woke up in this horror-ridden wasteland, she remembered how her arm had decided to take it upon itself to feel up Claire. Recalling that she was unable to move her arm, she thought that may have something to do with it. Why would a part of her body fall under something else's control? Kate would never imagine touching Claire while she was asleep or unknowing of it, and she was certain that she wouldn't subconsciously do it. The reaction though... the reaction that Claire had at the discovery was of pure disgust and broken trust. That was what had gotten to Kate so badly, it had shaken her to the core. Kate realized she wasn't afraid of Claire finding out her feelings, she was afraid of losing Claire over them. That was the reason she had never decided to tell her, because having her as her friend was invaluable compared to driving her away over some silly emotions. That was what scared her the most, not having Claire in her life because she didn't feel the same way. "Claire..." Kate turned to her and scratched at her neck nervously. Yet she still didn't know how she was supposed to face this fear. She supposed the only way would be to fess up and face the consequences, no matter what they were. "First of all, I swear that I had no control over what happened earlier. But, if I'm being honest..." her feet shifted nervously under her, afraid that all Claire will be able to do is giggle at her. "There is something I've been needing to tell you. I don't remember when I started thinking of you differently, but, I uh... I need you to know that I think of you as more than a friend." She winced at the sound of her words, knowing how silly it must sound. "I fancy you, Claire. There, I said it." But she didn't feel any different, the words that she spoke were true and yet she still felt afraid. Nervously, she swallowed and looked at Claire. "Oh, for God's sake. Screw it." Kate stepped towards Claire and pressed her lips against hers in a gentle kiss, closing her eyes and praying that when she opened them, it would all be over with. Elijah stood off to the side, trying to contain the smile and chuckle that was threatening to burst out.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire had to steel herself when Kate spoke her name. She could predict what was coming, and while she thought it was a bit funny she didn't want to laugh Kate in the face when she confessed what it may be. That would be unspeakably cruel to do to anyone who made such a secret known. Kate was her friend no matter what, and she didn't want to lose her by pushing her away. She closed her eyes when Kate told her that she had not touched her willingly, so that her friend couldn't see her rolling them behind her eyelids. Claire doubted her hands had magically moved by themselves. Claire opened her eyes to listen to Kate's confession. She raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly when Kate said she fancied her. What was that supposed to mean? Claire fancied Kate as well. Same thing with how Kate said she thought of her as more than a friend. Yeah, well, duh. Claire thought of Kate as more than any regular friend too. It didn't seem to work either. There was no tangible result from Kate's confession. She opened her mouth to tell Kate to try harder if she ever wanted them to escape this nightmare. Maybe she should try groping her while doing her confession. That brought a smile to her face, but she stopped herself from laughing. However, Claire got no chance to say anything before Kate made an exclamation of frustration, walked over to her and kissed her. Oh, so that was what she had meant when she said she fancied her, was the only thought running through Claire's head. She kept her eyes open and looked at Kate. It reminded Claire of a fear of her own that she had had as a teenager. That no one would be able to love her, and that she would forever remain untouched. She hadn't been a teenager for years now, but um, this was her first kiss of a romantic nature. She had gotten kissed by her tigers, but they used a lot of tongue all over her face. Kate didn't. Claire closed her eyes and pursed her lips, not having a clue what she was doing, but following Kate's lead. The nightmare faded around them. She could feel herself slipping in and out of consciousness, awaking once more to a reality that had gone as insane as any nightmare. She woke up on top of Kate though, feeling her breathing underneath her. Claire wondered if Kate and Elijah had experienced what she had experienced. Had it really been them in the nightmare? If so, did Kate fancy Claire in that way? She wanted to roll off of her before it got weirder, but if Kate had truly been there she might take it for dismissal of her feelings. Claire didn't know how she was supposed to react to such a confession. She took a deep breath, then laid her head back down on Kate's shoulder and pretended like nothing. As Claire heard the beating of Kate's heart, she had a passing thought that sleeping in her arms would be as natural as sleeping next to Solomon.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire blushed fiercely after she had heard the conversation between Elijah and Kate. She pressed her face against Kate's shoulder as if to escape and hide from the consequences of the nightmare. It took her a while to realize she was pressing herself against the person who made her want to sink into the earth to begin with. She didn't actually want to hide from Kate, but how was she supposed to react to the two of them talking about how they had kissed in some strange shared dream. Elijah probably knew Claire had returned the kiss as well, since he'd been there watching. They probably thought it was funny. Claire had found it funnier when Kate had been so bothered about groping her in her sleep and lied about how she hadn't done it intentionally. The thought made her very aware of how their two bodies were touching one another. Claire lay on top of Kate, gravity pressing her body down on the other woman's body. Their bosoms were pressed together, and their legs were intertwined. It wasn't the first time she'd slept with Kate, but now it took on a whole other meaning. She'd never slept with Kate like a man would sleep with a woman. Women weren't supposed to be doing such things with each other, were they? She wondered when Kate had first realized she wanted to touch and kiss her. Had it been when they were younger? They had had more than a few sleepovers in each other's wagons, laughing and having fun. Claire had compared her body to Kate's, because she thought it was more attractive and she seemed to be attracting more attention from boys. She blushed when she remembered asking Kate if she thought she was attractive, as she had been wearing nothing else than her nightgown. Maybe the rumours about the two of them being involved like that had never been Claire's fault as she had assumed. People always talked more about her than Kate as far as she could tell, so it had been logical to assume they thought Claire was a pervert. They said she slept with her big cats after all, but maybe they had known something about Kate she had not. A stranger thought made her feel warm inside, because someone wanted to touch and kiss her. No one had confessed to wanting to do that before. She was scared of what would happen if anyone else found out about it. She shouldn't be having such thoughts about female friends, but now she knew Kate was and had been thinking about her like that. Claire kept her eyes shut though, as all these thoughts rushed through her head, so she figured she could continue pretending to be asleep. She soon begun to fake her snoring, as if to make the other two believe she was fast asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah shrugged his shoulders and looked down at the ground, piddling with a few blades of grass as he pondered. What in the world would cause them all to share the same nightmare? It was a mystery to him, but he was beginning to look at the bigger picture, the strange events that had been occurring around the circus. First had been the horrific incident with his and Kate's act. That had never happened before, sure she had nicked him before but nothing ever came close to his carotid like that had. It was almost as if the knife had strayed from its path, an invisible breath of air that sent it a few centimeters off course, right into his throat. The following acts all experienced similar irregularities, though none were quite as violent. Still... there was something off about each of them. Not to mention the ring master, Elena's final act. It almost looked of witchcraft. The thought made Elijah question the possibility that their boss had something to do with what was occurring. "Something strange is going on here..." He looked at Kate with his brow in a knot. "Do you think it has anything to do with that weird chanting Elena did last night?" Kate shook her head and pressed her lips together in thought, "I don't know. She's done chanting before, it's all part of the act. But that was some strange stuff she was managing to conjure up." Kate felt Claire sink into her and she looked down at her. She looked troubled while she slept. Surely she wasn't still trapped in a nightmare, was she? Or perhaps flung into another? No, otherwise the incident with the tiger would not have been resolved so convincingly. Kate wondered what was bothering her friend, but she decided to let her sleep. After all, she was probably still feeling the effects of her hang over. Her mind wandered to the murder that they had the unfortunate privilege of witnessing earlier. The oddity of it made her wonder, how was such a feat pulled off without leaving a trace? Granted, the police had had little time to investigate much further. Still, she thought that such a bloody ordeal would've definitely resulted in a equally bloody trail to follow. "What of the woman this morning? Do you believe that to be of the same nature?" Kate questioned. He looked down in thought for a moment and then nodded slowly. "If I had to take a guess... yes. I don't see another explanation for it. And that nightmare that we were all thrown into? Together, no less? It all has to be related, so many freaky events could hardly be coincidental." "Well if that's the case, we need to get to the bottom of what's happening. At least to save our own skins. I don't know about you, but I'm not fond of the idea of being thrown into a demented nightmare every time I close my eyes." Elijah shook his head with widened eyes, "Oh, hell no." Kate laughed lightly, trying not to disturb Claire who soon started snoring. Something sounded off though... Claire wasn't usually a snorer. At least not like that, to Kate's knowledge. She narrowed her eyes at the woman in her lap and patted her. "Claire... I know you aren't sleeping anymore. Wake up, would ya?" She gently shook her friend, "We've got some stuff to talk about."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire listened to them speak, and thankfully they changed the subject away from what had happened in the dream. Maybe Elijah hadn't noticed how Claire had returned the kiss after all, or they just didn't want to talk about it when she was right there. Maybe they'd prefer talking about it behind her back like everyone else. The topic they talked about concerned Claire as well. If there were truly something sinister and evil going on at the circus, then it concerned all of them. She had to wonder if Elena had ever meant to take it this far. She didn't particularly like her boss, but she had thought of her as competent and well-meaning up until now. After what had happened, she had to question that though if it turned out that Elena was involved in more ways than one. Claire was surprised by Kate's apparent selfishness. Personally, she wanted most of her circus family to survive as well, not just save her own skin and get away with it. If that was all Kate wanted to do she may as well leave and find another circus, no? She doubted this curse, or whatever it was, had struck them all. She pushed her head against Kate's shoulder when the woman shook her and told her that she knew she wasn't asleep anymore. She couldn't know that for certain, so Claire tried to convince that she was in fact still asleep. Claire kept snoring, even going so far as to make the noises louder. "I am asleep." She muttered, but of course that gave the fact that she wasn't sleeping away. "Oh, bother…" Claire opened her eyes, rolled off of Kate and raised her knees to her head in a sitting position. She wanted to hide, not talk about whatever had happened between them, assuming that was what Kate wanted to talk about. She blushed and looked down at the ground, keeping her head pressed against her knees. "What stuff?" She asked after sitting quiet and motionless for a moment. "I thought we had talked enough for today. There's no need to talk about anything." Claire coughed and stood up. "I can't talk at all. My voice is hoarse and you wouldn't understand what I'm saying. Also, I need to go check on my chores and big cats now." She nodded determinedly and spun around to walk away. "Yup, no need to talk about anything's that happened. It's all a bunch of elaborate illusions." She doubted Kate would take her seriously though. If anything, she might take it as dismissive and rude. As she walked away slowly she felt her cheeks turning hot and she had to stare down at the ground so no one else would notice it. She didn't want Kate to get the wrong idea, but she had to figure out what that was to begin with.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate rolled her eyes when Claire tried to convince them further about her sleeping state. Elijah chuckled and shook his head as he watched Claire roll off of Kate and give up on the antics. He tossed a canteen of water towards Claire, since she had been the one to request it earlier when he had left. Kate sat up after Claire had moved off of her, brushing the grass off of her back and arms. There was a crick in her neck, a result of what she presumed to be sleeping so awkwardly for those hours. Her hand rubbed the base of her neck and she raised an eyebrow at Claire, who seemed to be sitting uncomfortably a few feet away. She wondered if something was bothering her, perhaps what had gone down in the crazy dreamland. Kate didn't have to ponder on it long though, because Claire's sudden ramblings confirmed that something was up. All she could do was hope that her actions hadn't caused some sort of rift between them. That was exactly why she hadn't acted on her emotions beforehand, but she really didn't have a choice in the nightmare if they all wanted to get out of it without going mad first. "Well, we need to-" Kate opened her mouth to respond to Claire but was cut off when the woman decided to talk at an increasingly fast pace. Elijah looked over at her and they exchanged looks of concern and confusion before standing up after Claire. It seemed as though she was just searching for excuses to escape the conversation and get away from the pair, or more particularly, from Kate. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Kate said as Claire turned around to leave. Regardless of if she was uncomfortable around her, they were all probably better off sticking together considering recent events. Kate quickly closed the distance Claire had made from them and reached her hand out, grabbing Claire's arm to stop her from leaving. "Claire, wait. It isn't wise to just run off by yourself." She realized that she was still holding on to Claire's wrist, and she quickly released her grip, fearing it may just make her want to get away even more. Kate took in a deep breath and sighed. "Look, what happened in the 'illusion' as you call it... I understand if you don't want to talk about it." She shifted uncomfortably on her feet and looked at the ground. "We don't have to talk about that right now. You can pretend like it was all some mind trick, but look at everything that's been happening. Something sinister is going on around here and we need to stick together." Kate looked to Eli for some support, before Claire tried to run off by herself. He nodded his head, "Kate is right. If you want to check on the animals, that is fine. But we should go with you."</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire stiffened when Kate grabbed her arm. She would have thought Kate would be smart enough to not touch her when she was behaving like this, but maybe the pervert just wanted a chance to grope her again. She did remove her hand again, and Claire felt disgusted with herself for thinking such a thought about her best friend. She had said she would be fine with it if Kate wanted to touch her when they were in the dream. Funny how reality was able to mess with her mind and confuse her feelings even more than a nightmare. Claire listened to what Kate and Elijah had to say, with her head turned, not looking directly at them. She didn't know if what Kate suggested she do what was she wanted to do. How could she not understand that she might need time to process everything that had happened? Maybe Claire needed to tell her to back off and give her a chance to think, because at least then she would be left alone long enough to consider the odd prospect of them being more than friends. "I never said that's what I wanted, Kate. Maybe you need to stop talking long enough for the rest of us to think!" She muttered. "That's what I want to do, so leave me alone to do so." She wanted to walk off and leave them standing there, but then they had some good points. Someone had just been murdered brutally, and that wasn't the only unexplainable event that had taken place lately. Claire could claim they were illusions all she wanted, but it clearly would not stop them from hurting her or possibly ending her life. "Fine then. I suppose sticking together is best for now if you're afraid of being alone." Claire finally said and sighed. They needed her with them more than she needed them with her when she had her big cats. "I wouldn't be alone either way though. I've got my family of kittens to protect me. Maybe they'd protect you too if you behave." Claire straightened her clothes, and then she headed towards the part of the circus where the animals where kept. There should be nothing to fear. She wanted to think it so badly that she would likely think it until death was staring her in the face. She could try to escape with her cats, but this was her home. "What do you suggest we do then?" She asked, going back to the conversation they had had about how they should get to the bottom of things.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate sighed and stepped away from Claire, shaking her head to herself. As much as Kate didn't want Claire to go off alone and be a potential target to whatever forces were at work here, she couldn't ignore the cold tone and distaste that Claire was directing at her. It was clear she didn't want to be anywhere near her at the moment, but they were under some unfortunate circumstances. Claire was right though, she probably would be perfectly safe surrounded by her big cats. If not for their fierceness, the sight of them alone would be enough to stave off any potential attacker who was not familiar with them. Kate supposed that if she wanted to be left alone then she would give her space once they made it to the animal keeps. "Fine. If you want to be left alone with the cats then so be it." Kate mumbled before walking in the direction of the cages. She cared about Claire's well being, but she wasn't going to stick around if she was going to be treated coldly by her most valued friend. Kate supposed that once Claire was safely with her creatures, Kate would leave her alone as she wished. The effects of the dream seemed to have no negative effect on any of the trio's awakened life except Kate's. Elijah and Claire had been freed from a fear, while Kate's was slowly developing before her eyes. It scared her, but she decided to not worry until Claire had had time to process what exactly Kate had admitted to her in the dreamland. Kate didn't feel like talking anymore after Claire's comment, so she left the answering of her question to Eli. He followed behind the girls and shrugged his shoulders. "Well first we need to figure out what we're dealing with. And I think in order to do that we need to figure out what kind of mumbo-jumbo Elena was rattling off in the big top. But I doubt she'll be willing to just tell us, so you two better grab your spy gear." He chuckled, trying to lighten the damp mood that was surrounding the group, but to no avail. They walked the rest of the way in silence, arriving at the cages a few minutes later. There was a peculiar feel to the area, but Kate attributed it to her general nervousness. Kate stopped when they got nearer to Solomon's keep and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well here we are, if this is where you feel the safest then Eli and I will leave you to it. Besides, it would serve us well to go gather some of our blades to keep on hand anyways." Kate didn't bother making eye contact with Claire again after the looks of resentment that she had already thrown her way, so she turned to walk towards their training area where the weapons were kept. "We'll be back later, holler if you need."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Yes, I do want to be left alone to think. Thank you for finally listening to what I'm saying, Kate. That's so very considerate of you to do after forcing me to snap at you. She tightened her fists as she thought about screaming those words at Kate. Ugh, she was being even more insufferable than she usually was when Claire turned her down. "That's nice." Claire said. It was all she could manage without screaming at Kate that maybe finding out someone you'd known since you were children suddenly wanted to fuck you wasn't something a normal person would react any better to than she had. She was so glad when Elijah interrupted the silence and actually answered her question. "I don't know. I think she may be willing to talk if she's still around." Claire said. "Elena never seemed like an evil person to me, even if she may be hard to deal with at times. Competition is fierce even when you're the biggest and best like we are." Claire shrugged. They could always try to talk with Elena afterwards too, as long as they didn't get caught trying to find out what the woman had been doing. They were more than her as well. Claire didn't want to start a witch hunt, but they could probably rile up enough people from the circus that wanted answers as well. Elena would be pressed to answer them somehow then. They reached the cages, and Claire sighed in relief to find the area undisturbed. She'd not been all that afraid that something may have happened to her kittens, but at least there were no nasty surprises waiting for her either. "Of course this is where I feel safest." Claire smiled with her whole being. It was her home among home, her sanctuary where she could feel protected and be left alone when others wanted to bother her. It was where her family lived, even though she had never had a large family she had one when she had her cats. "Cheer up, Kate." She sighed, but apparently it had to be this way because Kate couldn't give her even one hour to gather her thoughts. It wasn't like she could do anything about the confusion she felt. If Kate wanted to distance herself from Claire because of it, it would be a shame, but it would not be her fault in the end. She hoped this would just be another one of their fights years from now, assuming they had survived the events at the circus by then. Claire entered the cage of Solomon, after making sure the rest of her big cats were well fed and alright. She sat herself with her back against his stomach where he was lying. She spent a long while trying to gather her thoughts, but she felt mostly annoyed by the way Kate had acted. Finally, she managed to gather her thoughts about the two of them together as more than friends by talking to Solomon. She kept her voice low and whispering.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah and Kate walked mostly in silence as they weaved their way between wagons and tents towards the weapons range. Kate's mind was heavy as she trudged along, her eyes aimed at her feet while she silently cursed and had arguments with herself. Why was is that she was the one being punished here? She hadn't done anything wrong, other than profess her suppressed feelings for her best friend. Ugh, if she had just suppressed them further maybe they would have disappeared altogether and they wouldn't be in this mess right now. Of course it was her fault, she couldn't just be 'normal' like all the other people in the world. No, that would be too easy. Instead she had to have the most difficult rendering of reality possible for her. Then again, she didn't deserve the disappointing look that Claire threw at her either. After all, if she hadn't done what she had they would probably still be trapped in that crazy nightmare, forever doomed. She continued to mumble to herself and throw her hands around like a mad person while she walked. Eli raised an eyebrow at her but let her be while they walked, nodding to passing coworkers while they walked through a commons area and shrugging when they pointed at Kate with a confused expression. They arrived at the place where they kept their weapons and practiced their acts all too often. But something was off. There was some type of gelatinous goop covering the chests that the weapons were kept in, and the wooden targets standing several yards away appeared to be bloodstained. Kate approached cautiously, blinking several times and rubbing her eyes before turning to Elijah. "You... see this too, right?" She asked. "Unfortunately, yes..." He approached the chest and opened it up. The contents were liquefied, the slimy substance coating the entire thing and filing it nearly to the brim. Eli grimaced, but kicked the chest over to empty it out. It nearly appeared as if the weapons had been dissolved by whatever the stuff was. It spilled out in a giant plop, coating the ground. "We should get out of here before whatever did this comes back... I've got more blades at my wagon, we can stop by there before heading back to Claire." Kate said as she had to keep herself from gagging at the sight of the gelatin goo that spread from the crate. Elijah nodded and wiped his hands with a kerchief from his pocket, tossing it to the ground after his hands were cleaned. They made it to her wagon and both entered, cautiously at first after what had been witnessed earlier near the wagons. Once Kate saw it was safe, she closed the door behind them and opened her closet. She retrieved her own throwing blades and holster before handing a larger knife to Eli, which he placed at his side. "You know, Katie, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Eli said after a few moments of silence. To which, she raised her eyebrow in speculation. "With Claire, I mean. Give her some time, you just dropped something big on her. 'Bout damn time you did too." "Wait, you knew?" Her mouth fell slightly agape. Eli chuckled and nodded, "Well, it wasn't that hard to figure it out. Not after the multitude of times you ignored my attempts at flirting that is." He smiled softly, "I wondered why you blew me off, but then I started to pay attention to the way you looked at her, every time she was around." Kate's face turned red and she let her jaw drop. It had never occurred to her that Eli had tried to make advances on her, though now that he mentioned it... she swallowed the lump in her throat and had to sit down. "Why didn't you tell me?" He shrugged, "What was there to tell? I love you Katie, but I've moved past those feelings for you. You love her, you just need to let her realize that." Kate was still a bit embarrassed, but she was able to gather her thoughts and talk to Elijah about it. Strange as it may be, it made her feel better about the situation. She realized she needed to back off and give herself and Claire a break. They finished their chat after a while and decided it was time to head back to the big cat enclosures to make sure nothing strange happened there like back at the practice range.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire feared what would happen if things didn't work out between them, even if Kate got what she seemed to want there were no guarantees. They had worked great as friends for years, so perhaps they would work just as great as a couple. What if they didn't though? What if everything continued to fall apart after they solved this situation? Maybe they had been inevitably pushed down a slippery slope towards an end neither wanted by all of these events, but then she should try to hold onto her friend through the fall, right? Another aspect to consider was how thoroughly inexperienced she was with any of this. Her first kiss had been in a strange shared nightmare, like half an hour earlier, so by any count it probably hadn't even happened yet. How could it have if it was a dream? She wondered if Kate was more experienced than her, or if it would dissuade her from pursuing any relationship with Claire. Weirdly, that made her feel a bit sad and angry at the same time. She'd been led to believe men wanted to marry inexperienced women, so why would Kate think she had any right to judge her based on that? She calmed herself down by telling herself all of those concerns were in her head. She couldn't possibly know what Kate wanted in a partner. She thought she could have once, but clearly she must have been so wrong. Claire had teased her for being into Elijah, assuming they did things together when she was not around that would make others blush. Now she had to wonder if all they ever did of that nature was talk about what Kate wanted to do with Claire. Were they like two guys in that way? That made her blush. Claire went to retrieve her whip after she had remained motionless in thought inside of Solomon's cage for what felt like too long. She needed to distract herself from thinking, not think more; especially not along the lines she had been doing it. She found snakes where she would have usually stored her whips. It confused her at first, but she picked them up and threw them in a nearby barrel. Only one of her whips were still around, apparently someone had thought they were being funny when they exchanged the rest with snakes. She returned to Solomon's cage, where she found her friends waiting. Claire didn't know what she was supposed to do to show she was at least accepting of Kate as she was, no matter what that meant. In the end, she went up to her side and took her hand in her own, squeezing it lightly. "So what do we do now? Go slay the evil witch?" Claire made a bad attempt at a laugh, which sounded more false and nervous than anything else. "I don't think Elena is any worse than any other boss normally, so maybe we should hear her out before we do anything drastic?"</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire had only meant to take a quick nap where no one would find her, but as she woke up she realized it was early morning. The sky was turning light grey outside of the cage, and through the bars she could see the movements of shadows and silhouettes. The workers of the circus must be up early to prepare for the first show tonight. They'd arrived outside of London yesterday afternoon, and there had been a lot of work for everyone, like it always was when they arrived in a large city. She ran her hand through her mess of a hair, picking a few straws of hay out of it. It was easy to sleep in Solomon's cage, since he enjoyed the company and got more hay to sleep on than her other cats. He was rather rare as a white tiger, so he was treated as a king by most. "Oh bother, why did I wake up this early…" Claire mumbled to herself, rolled over on her side to try and find a more comfortable position to sleep in. She came face to face with the white tiger in the cage. He observed her for a moment, then opened his mouth and yawned. Claire pushed his mouth away from her when she felt the stench of his morning breath. "What did you eat kid, you stink." Claire laughed, and petted his back. He leaned into her and purred loudly. The circus had bought Solomon when he was just a small cub. He'd likely been taken from his family in the wild by hunters or poachers. He'd been scared at first, often crying out in the middle of the night for someone who would never be there for him again. Claire had recognized herself in him, and as she was the lion tamer she'd let him stay with her in her wagon. In time, he got too big to live with her though, so he moved to his own cage. He didn't like it much at first. He became anxious when Claire wasn't around. She was the only one who he thought of as family, so she'd visited him as much as possible until he got used to life with the circus. Claire loved all of her big cats. The lions, the tigers and the panther, but Solomon was special because he was her little kid whom she'd raised. He was as large as any of the others now, but she still thought of him like that. She considered getting out of the cage before someone did find her, but the thought soon passed when she fell asleep again. Elena Dragomirov was the proud manager of the Wanderlust Circus. One of the biggest traveling circuses anyone had heard of. She usually woke up early to prepare for the night's performance, but today she'd barely been able to sleep. Once she noticed that night was turning into day she put the book that had disturbed her sleep down on the desk in front of her, and sighed. It was time to make sure everyone else was doing what they were supposed to be doing, whether they wanted too or not. Some were late sleepers and some were just plain lazy, but she couldn't have that on a first day performance in a city like London. That simply would not do, not for her circus. She had a reputation to uphold, so she got dressed in something warm, made and ate breakfast alone, then stepped outside to deal with whatever problems had already reared their ugly heads. "Dobroe utro." She shouted loudly to no one in particular. It was a kind of alarm, and something she said every morning. Anyone who dared to sleep past the initial warning that their boss was awake might come to regret it.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire The rising sun peeked through the shutters of the wooden wagon, falling upon the face of the brunette who lie tangled in the sheets from the previous night's sleep. Her eyes opened slowly and she squinted against the bright rays that invaded her living space, placing a hand up to block the blinding light from her face. She slowly sat up and stretched, yawning as she did so. Kathryn sleepily stood and stretched again, grumbling and rubbing her eyes. She lazily lit a flame of a lantern and placed a pot of water over it, placing tea leaves in to steep. As she waited for the warm liquid to boil, she walked to her closet and retrieved her clothes for the day, placing on a red top with worn brown trousers and black boots to finish it off. She poured herself a cup of tea and slowly sipped on the bitter liquid as she looked out her window. As she finished off her first cup, she heard the call from the boss, signaling that it was time to begin the day. Kathryn walked over and opened up a chest that sat in her floor, pulling from it a holster and a set of shining knives. She placed the holster over her head and fingered the sharp blades before placing them along her side. The blades were decorated with intricate Celtic knotting and shone like brand new silver from the blacksmith. As she walked outside, she took in a deep breath of cool English air and smiled to herself. She walked past the wagons that housed the traveling circus members to one very familiar to her. Stepping inside, she grinned. "Good morn---" Her face turned to a blank as she discovered her companion was not in her room. Well, she isn't one to rise early... Kathryn raised an eyebrow and closed the door to the wagon, walking past her next stop and banging on the door. "Elijah, I hope you're decent." She poked her head in and saw the young man sitting inside sipping on a cup of tea also. "Calm down, Katie. I'm up." She grinned and gave him a wave, "Alright, I'll see you at the practice ring then in twenty minutes. Don't be late." He laughed lightly and waved her off, sipping again on his tea and gathering his things for the day. Kathryn walked over towards the big cat enclosures, taking care not to make too much noise as she moved through. She made her way to Solomon's cage and peered inside. There she found Claire, cuddled up with the giant tiger in slumber. "Claire... Claire...!" She whispered. She noticed the big cat eyeing her, and from her pocket she pulled out a piece of jerky and slipped it to him. "Easy now, boy." After her friend had stirred, she gathered an apple from her satchel at her side, and held it up at her. "Good morning sunshine, time to get to work." She grinned wide and tossed the apple at her, placing a hand on her hip after she threw it.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire woke up too soon again when she thought she heard someone calling her name. She could feel Solomon moving next to her, and sat up to check what he was doing. Claire was greeted with a good morning by her best human friend. She caught the apple that Kate had thrown to her. She must have given Solomon something to eat as well, because he was chewing on it. "Oi, don't you know not to feed the wild animals?" Claire asked then bit into the apple. "What if it develops a craving?" She stood up; a bit unsteady on her feet and stiff after sleeping where she'd slept. "It could try to break out of its cage just to find more." She undid the lock on the cage from within, and stepped outside next to Kate. "What would you do then?" Claire took another bite of the apple and grinned with her mouth full. Solomon stretched in his cage, noticing that the door was open and lay back down to sleep. "Oh, and there's Solomon too." "Thank you for waking me." She said with a sly smile, and to show how much she appreciated being awakened early in the morning she pulled Kate into a tight hug. Claire rubbed her cheek against Kate much like a cat would. She mostly did it to tease her friend, because she knew she smelled even more like a tiger than usual, both the smell and the hay she had on herself would be on Kate too now. "It's such a nice gesture." Claire locked Solomon's cage back up after she'd hugged Kate. She felt a pain run through her right shoulder, an old scar that still made itself known every now and then. She gritted her teeth, and didn't move for a moment. "Well, I better go clean myself up, not that it usually helps for long. If at all." Some would say she'd adopted too many of the characteristics of her cats. Elena in particular didn't like her tendency to sleep as much as they did if she wasn't given any tasks to do. However, she also had the constant smell of tiger or lion in her clothes. At least she hadn't given up being human completely yet, which was what mattered in her opinion. If she felt like it she could probably have escaped with her kittens and lived happily in a jungle. That was a silly dream, and she'd miss some things with human society, like Kate and the food. "What are you gonna do now?" She grinned. "Train with your manly assistant, I bet." Claire stretched her arms above her head. "Thankfully, I'm so experienced and respected with my feline assistants that I barely need practice." That was just bragging, because they'd always find some way to mess with her carefully planned routine unless she kept them in line with regular practices. Elena had been furious with her once after she'd been too laid back, and it's resulted in a disorganized performance. Once Elena had made sure everyone was either up or had been notified that if they weren't up in the next half hour they'd need to find a new job, she returned to her own wagon. She needed practice herself. She wanted to make sure that the show tonight would be unforgettable to everyone attending. She would check on the performers later the same day, but they should already know the schedule and order, so there wasn't much she needed to do for now. Elena soon found herself distracted by her book.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kathryn watched as Claire stood up, almost as if she were drunk, and mosey on over and out of the cage. "I guess it's a good thing I have more food to bribe that animal with then." She grinned back and pulled another apple from her bag, but instead she took a bite out of it this time. When she saw Claire coming in for a hug, she tried to escape because she knew what would follow next. But by the time she tried to make a move, it was too late, and she was trapped in Claire's embrace as she rubbed her feline odor and mess all over her. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her lips turned to a small smile and she shook her head. She began to pick the straw off of and dust herself off as Claire closed up the big cat's cage, but she noticed her friend pausing for a brief moment. She frowned for a second, knowing that Claire must be having another pain from memories long passed. However, she regained herself and Kate restored the smile back to her expression. "Just try to stay clean longer than five minutes this time, yeah?" Kate grinned and shook her head, knowing that almost as soon as she stepped foot outside again, she would find someway to return to the feline-like character that defined her. "Well, I'm sure my manly assistant would love it if I did not impale him in the chest with a blade, so yes we are off to train." She laughed a bit and twirled a knife between her fingers with ease before returning it to its sheathe. Then, Kate bowed, placing a hand behind her back, "Oh, yes, your highness. You are far too incredible to require regular practice." She didn't hold the pose for long because laughter escaped her. "However, I do believe you may want to give it a try, if for nothing more than to keep Elena off your back." Kathryn then waved goodbye to her friend, "I will see you later then. Best make yourself look useful today, you know how the boss gets when we have a big show coming up." This time she tossed a piece of jerky to her friend and made her way to the practice range. There, Elijah was already setting up the targets and laying out the arrangement of weapons to choose from for the night's performance. "Eli, look at you go. You impress me sometimes." Kate grinned at him and laid her blades on the table as well. It was no question that they would be part of the act, as they were her most prized possession and she felt as if they were an extension of herself whenever she threw them. Elijah shook his head and smiled, "You have so little faith in me Katie." He picked up a bow and placed an arrow on the string, taking in a deep breath before letting the arrow fly to its target. He grinned and raised his eyebrows. Kathryn merely shook her head. "Alright, alright. You impress me often. Now let's get to practicing." The two began to test out different weapons: a crossbow, spears, knives, and pretty much anything that was sharp and pointy and could be thrown or shot. There they would remain for a few hours until it was time to break for lunch.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire snorted. "I can stay clean for days if I wanted too, alas my sweet kittens would miss me then." She finished eating the apple and threw it away. "Well, I am queen of the kings of animals." She pouted when Kate laughed at her, brushing some hay out of her hair. "More than anyone else could claim." "Yeah, Yeah. I can handle Elena. She's just another lioness, albeit of a more terrifying kind." Claire laughed. It was too true a description regarding the circus director. She waved farewell to Kate as well when they parted ways. Her first stop was to clean herself up in one of the baths. As she wasn't particularly fond of water she didn't spend long doing that, and returned to her own wagon to find that someone had been inside it. She hoped they'd just come looking for her and not gone snooping through her belongings. Either way, she changed into a different set of clothes. They were torn here and there, because it seemed more realistic if her kittens did scratch or roar at her while she did her lion taming act. No one wanted to watch a bunch of big cats lying still, enjoying being petted and purring loudly. It wasn't what they paid for. She picked up one of her whips as well, and then headed back towards the cages of the big cats. On the way there she made sure to pass by Elena's wagon, since she wanted to check if she was in her wagon or walking around keeping an eye on everyone. Claire heard chanting coming from inside the wagon, not a rare occurrence, but usually it was in a language she could recognize as a language. It didn't sound like Russian or English. It sounded like she was speaking in tongues. Claire raised an eyebrow, but kept walking, confident in the fact that Elena wouldn't be coming to check up on her anytime soon. Claire released a couple of her kittens that were already awake. The panther and a lion to be more specific. The panther walked out of its cage with its head turned upwards, acting like a true prima donna. Claire petted her on the back, and got a glare in return. "Oh shush, Sheila." The lion acted more like he was glad to see her, putting his paws around her neck and purring. "Good morning, Scar, lovely day." She spent a couple of hours going through their routine, changing which one of her feline partners she trained with every now and then to make sure no one was going to try to act more wild or playful than usual that day. Sheila was the only one with an attitude on her, but she was always like that and still performed with the most grace during training and show. Claire only had to use her whip once, and even then she hit the ground to make two of the tigers stop play fighting and pay attention. The sound of the whip alone was usually enough to control any one of them. She hated when she had to actually use it, so it had happened that situations had gotten out of control before she went that far. Once her stomach began to complain, Claire decided it was time to take a break. The animal caretakers would come and feed each of her partners, but she had to find food herself. She headed over to where Kate would be practicing and found her alone. "Oh, did your manly assistant not want to eat dinner with you?" Claire teased. "I guess only the wild cats dare approach someone as sharp as you. How about eating something, or would you rather get another hug?"</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It was a long practice for Eli and Kate, but they both had to be perfect if each of them wanted to limit the number of stab wounds on their bodies. As the hours passed, they moved from weapon to weapon and act to act, planning out the night's show so that it went off without a hitch. Eventually, it was time to practice the spin board: a giant round piece of wood that rotated on a pole, and on it was a silhouette of a human body, about the size of Elijah. "Alright now remember, tonight that'll be me in the flesh... try not to kill me, yeah?" Eli walked up to the board and gave it a tug, sending it spinning around in circles, the target dancing around in rotation. Kate drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them. She sent out three knives, one after the other in steady rhythm, and listened as they each hit the board milliseconds after the one before. Eli stopped the spin board and grinned, "Very well done, Kate. Try to replicate that tonight." He looked up at the sky and then around, noticing it was lunchtime as people were moseying about with their food. "Well, I've got animals to feed before I find my own meal. Don't have too much fun without me." He waved as he walked off and Kathryn was left alone to clean up from practice and find herself supper. She had just finished putting away her blades when Claire strolled up, chipper as ever. She opened up her arms wide and grinned, "Well, why not both? At least you smell better this time." She gave a quick wink and a chuckle along with it before embracing her friend. "Now, what shall we eat? I do believe I have some more apples in my wagon if this animal you speak of has developed such a craving." She laughed but finished putting away her blades and then dusted off her hands. "How about we head to the commons tent and see what they've got cooked up? Might be something worth while since we are in London after all. It at least has to be better than that rubbish we got during the Dublin show." She patted her friend on the back and began walking towards a large white tent that sat to the east of the main camp. Within meters of the tent, the smell of food could be smelt as the aroma drifted out the doors and into the open air. "See, it already smells better." Kate grinned and walked inside, looking over to a line of tables where cooks had arranged the day's meal. Nothing fancy, but a sufficient amount of lamb and roast summed up the protein, while potatoes, cheese, and bread rounded out the rest. Kathryn grabbed a plate and filled it with meat and bread, staving from potatoes due to the aforementioned Irish tour, where potatoes were in every meal of every day. She waited for Claire and then exited the tent to find them a nice place to sit, finding a sunny, grassy area on a small hill that overlooked part of the circus camp. "Well, Queen Feline," She took a bite of lamb, "how are your creatures today? Should I expect an excellent show, as always?"</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire was a bit surprised and considerably disappointed when Kate took her threat as an invitation. While she had nothing against hugging her friend and she had taken a bath, it would not do if others began to notice that she was tame and huggable, not wild and a bit of a misanthrope - preferring the company of Solomon over most humans. She followed Kate to the commons tent, where the smell of meat permeated the air and made her stomach grumble. "Mhm, I need meat if I want to keep up my reputation." Claire said in response to the comment about the Dublin show. "Raw meat doesn't taste that good even if they were willing to share." They hadn't been though. Not even Solomon. Claire put lamb and roast on her plate until those working the kitchen commented on how she should be eating other things too, to which she responded with a growl. She did take some bread and quite a bit of cheese as well though in the end. When Kate left the commons tent, Claire raised an eyebrow and wondered why they wouldn't be eating there. She wasn't so much of a savage that she didn't know how to use a chair and table, as uncomfortable and crude as those in the tent may be. She went with her anyway, and sat down with her back against a rock. It was a nice view from up here. They could see part of their home while eating, how very quaint. Claire picked up some of the lamb with her hands and began to eat it, so that when Kate asked her a question about her part of the show she could only mumble a response. She quickly swallowed and put the food down. "Queen Feline…?" She grimaced, but then grinned. "So what should I call you? Pretty princess with a bow?" Claire laughed, then bit off another piece of the lamb to chew on. "My kittens are just dandy. Some of them are a bit playful like usual, and Sheila is a bit temperamental like usual. Of course you should expect an excellent show from me, and I better see one from you as well. Do I finally get to see you miss your target and hit your man, huh? I'd like to see the shock on everyone's faces if you do." She smiled at Kate. "Especially your own." Claire returned her full attention to the food, but made sure to listen to whatever Kate had to say. It wasn't uncommon for her to talk and Claire to simply listen. She enjoyed simply being around the other girl who'd escaped with her from the orphanage all those years ago. To Claire, it was enough to sit in silence at times. Once she'd finished eating, greedily gorging down the meat and then finishing off the meal with the bread and cheese, she changed her position so she was lying down in the grass and closed her eyes. That rock had been a bit painful against her back. She knew she may fall asleep for a short nap if she didn't watch herself, but at least Kate was right there to wake her up. Unfortunately, Kate already knew that Claire didn't smell bad this time around, so she had nothing to dissuade her from doing it. She sighed, and smiled.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire "I'm afraid if I miss my target I may very well be out of a job, so let us hope that is not the case." Kate laughed and pecked at her food, going on with the conversation. "And I am a pretty princess, thank you for noticing." She grinned and then looked out over the camp. The Big Top was not set up yet, but the workers could be seen setting the support beams and assembling the large tent in preparation for the night to come. Kate set her plate to the side, but continued talking to Claire, even though responses were few and far between. She had a bad habit of rambling on about many random things that had no particular relevance, but she was glad to have a friend that was willing to listen to her endless talking and not beg her to shut up. "So I heard the horse trainers had to go out and catch the equine after someone left the stable gate open. Crazy things are happening around here, let me tell ya. People need to be more careful..." She kept talking, about anything that came to mind. It was several minutes later before she realized she had not heard from Claire in many moments. "Oi, are you still hanging in there? I know I've said a mouth full, but-" Kate saw that her friend was lying on her back with her eyes closed. The sun was beaming down, warming their skin and marking a clear and beautiful day, which was something of a pleasant surprise. Kate watched Claire for a few minutes. How at ease she was and how confident she was with herself and her big cats, it impressed Kate. She wished that she could have that same confidence, but she was happy as she were with her life. She allowed herself to reminisce about all those years ago, before either of the girls were here with the circus. They were miserable, left alone in an orphanage with little hope of being adopted. Sure, the caretakers there were kind and caring of them, but for Kate at least, she craved more even at that young age. That's how they ended up here, in one of the best and most renowned circus shows in the entire world. She smiled to herself as she thought about it, realizing she never would have had the guts to leave or to join a circus had it not been for Claire. Looking down at the camp, she began to notice people stirring again, as the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon. Kate gave Claire a shake and grinned. "Wakey, wakey. I hope you enjoyed your cat nap, but we have a show to perform in just a few short hours."</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire was a bit surprised and considerably disappointed when Kate took her threat as an invitation. While she had nothing against hugging her friend and she had taken a bath, it would not do if others began to notice that she was tame and huggable, not wild and a bit of a misanthrope - preferring the company of Solomon over most humans. She followed Kate to the commons tent, where the smell of meat permeated the air and made her stomach grumble. "Mhm, I need meat if I want to keep up my reputation." Claire said in response to the comment about the Dublin show. "Raw meat doesn't taste that good even if they were willing to share." They hadn't been though. Not even Solomon. Claire put lamb and roast on her plate until those working the kitchen commented on how she should be eating other things too, to which she responded with a growl. She did take some bread and quite a bit of cheese as well though in the end. When Kate left the commons tent, Claire raised an eyebrow and wondered why they wouldn't be eating there. She wasn't so much of a savage that she didn't know how to use a chair and table, as uncomfortable and crude as those in the tent may be. She went with her anyway, and sat down with her back against a rock. It was a nice view from up here. They could see part of their home while eating, how very quaint. Claire picked up some of the lamb with her hands and began to eat it, so that when Kate asked her a question about her part of the show she could only mumble a response. She quickly swallowed and put the food down. "Queen Feline…?" She grimaced, but then grinned. "So what should I call you? Pretty princess with a bow?" Claire laughed, then bit off another piece of the lamb to chew on. "My kittens are just dandy. Some of them are a bit playful like usual, and Sheila is a bit temperamental like usual. Of course you should expect an excellent show from me, and I better see one from you as well. Do I finally get to see you miss your target and hit your man, huh? I'd like to see the shock on everyone's faces if you do." She smiled at Kate. "Especially your own." Claire returned her full attention to the food, but made sure to listen to whatever Kate had to say. It wasn't uncommon for her to talk and Claire to simply listen. She enjoyed simply being around the other girl who'd escaped with her from the orphanage all those years ago. To Claire, it was enough to sit in silence at times. Once she'd finished eating, greedily gorging down the meat and then finishing off the meal with the bread and cheese, she changed her position so she was lying down in the grass and closed her eyes. That rock had been a bit painful against her back. She knew she may fall asleep for a short nap if she didn't watch herself, but at least Kate was right there to wake her up. Unfortunately, Kate already knew that Claire didn't smell bad this time around, so she had nothing to dissuade her from doing it. She sighed, and smiled.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire "I'm afraid if I miss my target I may very well be out of a job, so let us hope that is not the case." Kate laughed and pecked at her food, going on with the conversation. "And I am a pretty princess, thank you for noticing." She grinned and then looked out over the camp. The Big Top was not set up yet, but the workers could be seen setting the support beams and assembling the large tent in preparation for the night to come. Kate set her plate to the side, but continued talking to Claire, even though responses were few and far between. She had a bad habit of rambling on about many random things that had no particular relevance, but she was glad to have a friend that was willing to listen to her endless talking and not beg her to shut up. "So I heard the horse trainers had to go out and catch the equine after someone left the stable gate open. Crazy things are happening around here, let me tell ya. People need to be more careful..." She kept talking, about anything that came to mind. It was several minutes later before she realized she had not heard from Claire in many moments. "Oi, are you still hanging in there? I know I've said a mouth full, but-" Kate saw that her friend was lying on her back with her eyes closed. The sun was beaming down, warming their skin and marking a clear and beautiful day, which was something of a pleasant surprise. Kate watched Claire for a few minutes. How at ease she was and how confident she was with herself and her big cats, it impressed Kate. She wished that she could have that same confidence, but she was happy as she were with her life. She allowed herself to reminisce about all those years ago, before either of the girls were here with the circus. They were miserable, left alone in an orphanage with little hope of being adopted. Sure, the caretakers there were kind and caring of them, but for Kate at least, she craved more even at that young age. That's how they ended up here, in one of the best and most renowned circus shows in the entire world. She smiled to herself as she thought about it, realizing she never would have had the guts to leave or to join a circus had it not been for Claire. Looking down at the camp, she began to notice people stirring again, as the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon. Kate gave Claire a shake and grinned. "Wakey, wakey. I hope you enjoyed your cat nap, but we have a show to perform in just a few short hours."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn "Of course you are a princess. I noticed long ago, and would have tried to ransom you to a noble house if anyone had wanted you." Claire teased. Kate's rambling was soothing, too soothing, so it didn't take that long for Claire to fall asleep. She was awakened by Kate shaking her and telling her to wake up. "Who said I was asleep?" Claire stretched her arms, legs and yawned. "You should relax more, princess." She got back up on her feet, but when Kate was about to stand up as well she decided to have a bit of fun. Claire wrestled Kate to the ground, sat herself on top of her and put her hands under her shirt to tickle her stomach. To Claire, it was exactly like the innocent play fighting they'd done when they were kids. She had done it to make Kate laugh countless of times back then. Now some would think of it in a whole different way than two kids playing games. If Claire had cared or even listened at all to what others gossiped about her she'd know they talked a lot about how she was too into her cats or spending too much time with just Kate, both rumours implying the same thing. However, Claire had little to no interest in that part of life and being human. She'd already decided she would have no kids; for fear that they would suffer the same fate she had when ending up at an orphanage. What purpose did coitus serve then? "I guess we better get going." She said, but remained motionless where she sat on top of Kate. The sun hit her face and the wind messed up her blonde mane. "Well, I've got time to spare, but you should get a move on since your act is before mine." She grinned at Kate with closed eyes, until her friend would take some kind of action to get her to move off of her. The circus tent was packed with the first audience for their stay in London. The orchestra was playing some relaxing music, while everyone was preparing and getting ready behind the curtains. Elena would be the first to enter and do a brief but bombastic presentation of who they were. It was mostly a formality, because everyone knew who they were. There posters all over London by now. As the orchestra stopped playing, and a drum roll began, Elena stepped up to the curtain. She walked out from behind it, when the drum roll reached its peak, to meet the cheers and applause of the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen! Young and old!" Elena's voice boomed through the big top tent. "Welcome to the Wanderlust Circus." She did an elaborate bow, removing the top hat from her head and pulling out a bouquet of roses from inside of it. After she'd straightened her back and put her top hat back on her head, she threw the bouquet into the air above her where it exploded into a number of small yet colourful fireworks. "Have we got ever the show for you tonight, my friends!" Her voice boomed. "You have my word as the director of this circus that it will be an unforgettable experience." Elena bowed once more when they cheered and shouted in return, then she turned around to walk back through the curtain, but instead of moving she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Elena reappeared backstage. Fireworks and smoke were the tricks of children and normal magicians, however, what she had prepared for her magic act of the show towards the end was truly unforgettable.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate's eyes grew wide as she realized that just as soon as she had gotten off the ground, she was headed straight back for it with a force from Claire. She struggled and twitched in an effort to avoid the inevitable, but she soon realized she was on the losing end when Claire pinned her down and displayed a devilish grin in anticipation of the attack to come. "No, no, no, no, nonono!" Kate squirmed but was unable to escape the assault on her nervous system as Claire relentlessly tickled her until her abs ached with laughter. She bellowed out and twinged back and forth, her arms wrestling with Claire's as she attempted to cease the tickling. Several more minutes passed before the action was halted, and Kate had just noticed Claire's hands under the hem of her shirt as she removed them. She blushed for a moment, but swallowed and ignored the different sensation that sent goosebumps across her belly as Claire's fingertips left her bare abdomen. Kate grumbled and attempted to roll over, but she was stuck. She kicked her feet a few times and then raised an eyebrow at Claire before quickly throwing her hands at her sides to return the favor, tickling until she fell off of her. Kate sat up and straightened her shirt and hair, then stood up and looked at her friend. "Well, I'm not one to miss my cue, now am I?" She smirked and then motioned towards the main tent, "I'll see ya at the show then. Good luck." She walked with her friend down the hill but then parted ways with her, heading back towards the throwing range where she found Eli staring at a pile of different weapons. Kate walked up, curious as to why he was staring at the instruments instead of moving their things to the big top. "Something wrong, Elijah?" Eli turned his head and smiled as Kate approached, shaking his head. "No, no. We've done this dozens of times by now." His smile flat lined for a moment and he sighed, "This is just such a big show. I've got a strange feeling about tonight... I only hope everything goes as planned." Kate had a concerned expression on her face as she approached her partner. "Eli, do you trust me?" To which, he responded with a nod of the head and a weak smile. "Very well then, everything will be just fine. Don't you worry." She smiled at him and helped him gather their things and head to their station behind the scenes at the main tent. Elijah and Kate both waited backstage for their turn act to come up in the lineup of the show. Kate had changed into a flashier top, one with glittery jewels on it meant to catch the intense light of the ring. Elijah was wearing only trousers with suspenders, his abdomen bare as part of the "proof" that their displays were real. When it was time for their act, they both took a deep breath. Kate looked at Eli and smiled, "Remember, it's all going to be fine. Just like in practice." The announcer called their names, and they both emerged from the curtains and walked to their set up. A table sat with cleavers, arrows, and darts. Kate's knives were strapped in their holster around her. They began their act with the cleavers, each throwing several at targets. Kate even turned around and threw one backwards, where it still hit her target dead center. They progressed through with darts and arrows, where Elijah stood in front of a board as Kate shot flaming arrows at him. To wrap up their act, Kate helped Eli strap into the spin board, where he was left suspended on the circular board. Kate gave it a tug, and he was sent spiraling around like a top. The tension of the crowd could literally be cut by a knife as they all held their breath. Kate pulled three knives from her side, taking in a deep breath as she lined up the first one. Eli was spinning in front of her at a rapid pace, and she let the first knife fly. It hit the board in between his ankles, and the crowd cheered at the feat. Kate blinked hard and lined up her second throw, letting the knife leave her fingertips and soar towards her partner. A thud could be heard and the knife was embedded next to Eli's head, two inches from his ear. More cheers resulted, and Kate swallowed the lump in her throat away as she held up the last knife. She twirled it between her fingers, breathed in, and then closed her eyes as she sent her arm forward, the knife gliding off of her fingers and flying towards the board... When she failed to hear a resulting thud, she opened her eyes frantically to the sound of Elijah gurgling. She looked on in horror to see that the knife had pierced his neck. But how? She was so sure of its path... Blood splattered across the board and and crowd gasped in unison before breaking out into chaos. Kate ran towards Elijah, unstrapping him from the spin board, blood covering her hands. As his feet hit the ground, he looked at her, eyes wide and put a hand on his neck. He garnered an expression of utter confusion as he removed his hand to reveal there was no longer blood or a puncture wound through his carotid. Kate's eyes grew wide, but the crowd erupted in jeer as the incredible feat was displayed as an illusion. The spotlight dimmed on the two of them still gaping at each other in confusion.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate and Elijah shuffled back stage, each of them trying to resist from going into shock after what had just happened. Kate was attached at Eli's hip, but the doctor who had arrived soon split them apart. She pushed her way through the people, making sure she kept an eye on him all the way to an area that was marked off for this very instance. Kate nearly shoved a knife in the doctor's neck when he tried to tell her that she would have to wait outside of the curtains while he assessed Elijah, refusing to let him out of her sight after what just happened. The doctor agreed only after she threatened to strap him to a board and use him as target practice herself. The doctor looked Eli over, noticing the blood splatter that covered his entire torso, as well as Kate's hands. But, finding nothing medically wrong with him, he eyed them both suspiciously. "Is this some trick? I am here for real emergencies, not as a continuation of your little illusion." He scribbled on a piece of paper and pulled back the curtain of the makeshift room to let them both out. "I give you approval for making the incident so realistic, however. You had me convinced with the blood." Kate and Elijah both tried to explain that the blood was real, as well as what they claimed had happened, but the doctor simply waved them off and returned to his station should he be needed for a real accident. Elijah walked away with a hand on his neck where the knife had pierced his flesh. He remained silent, and Kate followed him to a pair of chairs that sat at the edge of the backstage, looking on to the show ring. "Eli?" Kate frowned and looked at her friend, "Are you alright?" Elijah remained silent for another moment, staring out on at whatever act was currently on. He didn't look at her as he spoke, his voice low and unchanging. "You hit me. Your knife pierced my neck. I felt the blood gushing out of me and my vision blurred." He exhaled and looked down at his feet. "And then nothing. The bleeding stopped, I could see clearly, the wound was gone." He looked at her now with glossy eyes, "How?" Kate swallowed hard, knowing that the most damaging part was that she had told him that everything would be okay, and then it wasn't. Her brow furrowed as she looked at him. "Eli, I've no idea what just happened. But please, I beg you, believe me when I say that that knife was not on a path towards you. I am sure of that." Her eyes were pleading him to forgive her, fearful that she had lost his trust for good. Eli sighed again, and remained quiet as he looked at her. Finally, he blinked and nodded slowly. "I believe you. Honestly, the most unbelievable part of the whole bit was that you hit me in the first place." A small smile was restored on his face and he patted Kate on the knee. "But..." his face drew a curious mask, "something odd is going on here..." The two of them watched the other acts as the show continued as it should. As they watched, they began to noticed peculiar differences in this show from any other... minor things that seemed to alter the acts to make them more appealing to the crowds. When it was Claire's turn to perform, Kate watched on curiously, but a hint of nervousness gnawed at her as well. Strangely enough, her performance seemed to go on as planned, that is until she heard something odd. Kate had to blink a few times and scan the ring to make sure her brain was not hearing things. It appeared as though Claire had just... roared? Not like she usually did, a poor human attempt to speak the big cat language. This one sounded astoundingly real. After her act, Claire found Kate and Elijah where they had been watching. She was overly chipper, with a pep in her step, considering the recent circumstances. "Well, we're shaken up." Kate said with a weak smile. "But alive!" Eli butted in with a grin, as he was trying to see the brighter side of the situation himself. Kate raised an eyebrow but said nothing to him, looking back to Claire. "So, uh... when did you learn to speak, oh how do you say... lion? Tiger? Animal?" Kate blinked a few times and stared at her friend, sincerely wanting an explanation for what she had witnessed moments ago. "Something strange is going on here," Eli agreed, nodding his head. He was baffled at the traumatic event that had occurred to him, but more suspicious than anything at the strange events occurring. It definitely was different than anything that had happened during a show before, and it made them all curious.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire smiled at him when Eli grinned. At least he was not too traumatized by the horrible event that he had gone through, or maybe he was good at hiding it. She noticed how Kate reacted to his grin, so she figured it was likely the latter of the two. "I'm glad you're both alive." Claire said, with a guilty expression. "Despite what I said earlier today that it would be fun to see you hit him, it wasn't as funny as I'd imagined." "Oh, isn't it so wonderful, Kate." She exclaimed when Kate mentioned what had happened during Claire's performance. "I could understand Solomon, and Sheila and Scar. Scar has got an excellent singing voice, who knew!" Claire calmed herself down quickly when someone else approached within earshot. She didn't want others to hear her talking about how she had spoken with her animals, because then she'd be in an asylum before long. "Ah, yes, it is indeed strange." She grinned excitedly at Kate with her whole face, when she was sure no one else was looking, but hid the expression as fast as it had appeared. Elena had changed the order of the performances so that she was last. Well, next to last if you counted the part where everyone was supposed to enter the ring together, take a bow and perform some basic tricks. The show had been somewhat unforgettable already with some of the illusions and magic she had exerted upon the acts. Now it was her turn though, and she would be damned if she let her underlings upstage her. No, she had a special surprise at the end, not to mention that the act she had prepared for this show was different than anything she had planned previously. She entered the ring once more, but she had changed clothes since when she had introduced them in the beginning. Elena was wearing a rather nomadic getup, with pearls, braids and a fur coat. She had visible tattoos and jewellery made of bone. It was more fitting for her personality and her act than the black suit and top she had worn when doing the introduction. Elena began with some minor albeit extraordinary effects, like setting fire to a napkin and freezing the fire itself, planting a seed and having it grow into a bush in front of everyone, swallowing a hissing snake and then pulling it out of her arm. These all got the audience's attention like nothing else had that night or maybe in their entire lives. She felt smug and showed it with a confident posture. "For my next trick, I will have two assistants." Elena said. Two young boys that worked at the circus doing a number of different chores walked into the ring to join the magician. She put the boys into two separate boxes, that only showed their heads and their feet, which she locked. Elena picked up a saw and held it so that the audience could see it. She began to saw through one of the boxes. At first, it was like any other instance when she had performed the trick, but soon the boy in the box was screaming in pain and crying. There was blood dripping out of the box, forming a puddle on the ground. Elena kept at it until she had sawed the box in half. The boy had gone mad by then, and his friend in the other box was clearly afraid when Elena stepped up to saw his box in half. The same thing happened with the second boy, he screamed in pain, and blood stained the ground beneath the box. When Elena had finished sawing the boxes in half, the four of them began to move around in a circle before they stopped. The boys had been wearing different shoes, so it was easy to see that it was not their original boxes that had paired up together. However, Elena went through with the act of putting them together, changing their bodies into new forms that combined the two original ones. She opened up the boxes to reveal that the halves of the bodies had indeed been switched. The audience had mixed reactions to this. There were a few who threw up, thinking the illusion was way too real. There were those who were appalled. The majority of them cheered, whistled and clapped frantically though. The first boy passed out, and had to be carried away. The second one ran away screaming as if death itself was giving chase. Elena bowed. She pulled out the book that had helped her improved tonight's show from within her coat, opened it up and read the passage she had been trying to pronounce right earlier that day. Her voice turned into chanting, taking a much darker tone than usual and spouted utter gibberish to anyone listening. Unfortunately, she didn't get it quite right this time either. Instead, she sounded as if she'd been possessed by a demon while chanting and a number of shadows began to manifest themselves around Elena. She forced the book to close with pure willpower, but it was too late to contain the shadows. They dispersed into the audience and disappeared out of the big top. She got a pale expression on her face, fearing whatever she had unleashed as she had honestly no idea what they had been. Thankfully, the audience thought it was another illusion. Londoners weren't particularly bright. Elena could finish her act, pretending that everything had gone as planned. Everyone entered the ring to take a bow to the audience and finish as they always did. The show ended without any further complications.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kathryn stared blankly at her friend, she understood her unconditional love for her creatures, but she was a bit too... overjoyed with the fact that she literally heard animals talk. Not to mention she roared as if a tigress was trapped within her diaphragm and had been unleashed unto the sound waves. "Wonderful...? Perhaps." She smiled a bit and shrugged her shoulders, "But I think bizarre was the word I was looking for." She laughed a bit, unable to squander her best friends happiness, although the source of the euphoria was something quite peculiar. Elijah was also donning a small smile, trying to suppress the panic that was threatening to erupt from the inside out and consume him into madness. Although he hid it well, he was quite frightened over the whole incident. He couldn't help but think something was going on behind the scenes, some outside force affecting the show and those in it. His train of thought was interrupted though when Elena stepped out to do her act. Just as they had all the others, Kate and Eli watched their ring master during her act as she closed off their show. The first thing that Eli noticed was that Elena now carried herself with a different air about her, one that seemed more determined and mighty than usual. He found that strange, although she usually held a power of authority and confidence. Kate looked on with her two friends, looking on out to the main ring and expecting a routine that was similar to all the ones she had seen before. Elena was quite the magician, very good at illusions and tricks. But of course, they were all just that: tricks. That is, until their leader began to do extraordinary things. This act was unlike any other she had done before. Kate's jaw hung open in awe and she looked to Claire, "I've never seen her do such things. This is incredible." She and her friends continued watching. It was no surprise that Elena was able to pull off such feats, it was just quite the change from her regular performance. When it came time for the last act, two young men who worked odd jobs around the circus were called out to assist in a feat. "Oh, this must be that trick where she pretends to cut them in half and then-" Elijah's words were cut off as the first boy began to scream in pain, blood pooling around his feet. Kate gasped and put a hand over her mouth, the blood seemed so real. "Th-that must just be a balloon of fake bl-blood..." Eli stuttered as Elena moved to the second boy and did the same. As the boxes floated around, it made him dizzy in combination with the blood. When the boxes arrived in the wrong pairs, each held their breath for just a moment. Kate had to look away after the first boy fell limp and the second ran away with terror in his eyes. Her heart was thumping against her chest, but her attention was drawn back to the ring when she heard a frightening tone coming from Elena as she began to chant. Another terrifying illusion out of the way and the show was over. When the three walked out together to join hands and take a bow, the tension could be felt in not only Kate's but Elijah's body, though they each held their posture to hide it. They each tentatively bowed, did their send-off tricks, and then took their leave. Kate walked backstage, seeing that her friends were in tow. When she reached an area outside of the tent and checked to make sure there was no one within ear shot, she looked at Claire and Elijah. "What the hell was that?" Her face showed her distress and concern, maybe she was over reacting, but she felt like it was all too convenient to just be a coincidence.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire's mood was dampened a bit when Kate said she thought it was bizarre. She could understand where she was coming from, but it was great too…right? She had wanted to fully understand her kittens for as long as she could remember. She understood most of their body language, but there were moments when they would do something she did not entirely grasp the meaning of. Maybe the bizarre part was not that she had understood them, but that they had appeared to only her as if they were speaking her language and she had spoken to them in turn. Elena entered the ring eventually, and Claire remained with Kate while their boss carried out her own act. "Oh, so that is incredible, but when I talk to my cats it is bizarre." Claire huffed and muttered to herself. "Double standards." Kate was right that Elena's act was incredible though, but Claire's had been great too. She hoped so at least. It had been for her, so maybe she should not care so much what the others thought. It was rare to be satisfied with your own act, but she felt like she was this time. Claire had to watch as Elena cut the two boys in half, blood pooling on the ground and screams filling the big top. She was too taken by what was happening in front of her eyes to simply look away. Her stomach threatened to turn inside out and make her throw up as that part of Elena's act came to a conclusion, with the two boys being combined into two new forms. "Were you using fake blood as well then, Elijah?" Claire asked. Her jaw dropped as Elena began to chant and summon shadows around her. Maybe that could explain the strange occurrences taking place, but Claire thought that would be the really bizarre event here if it was all caused by the devil himself. No, that could not be. Besides, she would rather not believe in what the Christians claimed to be the truth. She had travelled the world too much for that. The shadows dispersed into the audience who still thought everything tonight were extravagant illusions. Claire wished she could think that too. She held Kate's hand tightly when they had to walk out into the ring, and join Elena, who now seemed a lot less like a lioness and a lot more like some kind of monster. She squeezed her hand a couple of times too, but let go when they each had to do their finishing tricks. Solomon joined Claire and she felt a bit more at ease after that. Claire went with Kate and Elijah to the outside of the big top, with Solomon walking quietly and obediently right next to her side. She raised an eyebrow at Kate's outburst. "What, you mean the bizarre illusions?" Claire joked, then laughed half-heartedly while looking over her shoulder, worrying that there were more of those "illusions" waiting for them in the dark. "I don't think it was anything coming from hell like you claim, Kate." She laughed again, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe it was just something in the food that we ate which made us imagine it all, right? Right!?" She had sounded more panicked repeating that word than she had intended. Claire didn't want to think about the implications of what was going on. She hoped that Elena was not truly as much of a monster as she had demonstrated tonight. One night was enough for this. She could understand wanting to attract a crowd for their stay in London, but this was pushing the limit of what was acceptable. Surely, some of the performers might consider leaving the circus and joining another one if this went on? Claire didn't want to leave, not without her cats at least. "Maybe we should all get some rest and hope it doesn't repeat itself…"</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate eyed Claire when she laughed at her concern, but realized she was probably overreacting and she sighed. Elijah shook his head and added to the conversation, "I don't know that those were illusions, ladies. Those weren't blood bags we were using in our act, and I have a terrible feeling that they weren't in that last one either." He shook his head, but held his tongue for any further comments. "Right well, let's not worry over it now. As Claire said, maybe we all just need some rest..." Kate rubbed the back of her neck and closed her eyes for a moment. They opened again and danced between each of her friends, "I'll take my leave then. Good night, don't let the ghosties bite." She gave a weary smile before headed away towards her wagon. Elijah nodded and looked to Claire and Solomon, "If I were you, I'd keep that guy close." He waved as he walked away, weaving his way through the various tents and carts that occupied the grounds. He kept his head low, looking at his shoes as he shuffled towards his own keep. From the corner of his eye, he could almost swear he saw a dark figure dancing between the tents. "No need to worry, Elijah... it's just your own shadow." He muttered to himself. He arrived at his wagon and stepped up inside, closing the door and locking it after him. Lighting the lantern that sat on a shelf near his bed, he undressed into bed garments and climbed into his cot. The nervousness consumed him, but he fell to slumber. However, his sleep was disturbed as he tossed and turned, the horrifying event that took place that evening replayed in his dreams, devouring his rest in nightmares. Kate had made it to her own room, but she had not failed to glance over her shoulder numerous times. The grounds were still quite a busy place, with some of the performers opting to celebrate the show with alcohol and social encounters. She ignored the sounds of people outside and allowed her body to relax after she crawled into her bed. She was unable to sleep, however, and she spent the next few hours tossing and turning. She could not put it past her, all that had happened was far too concerning. For some, like Claire, the experience had been an enjoyable one. But all Kate could think about was how a knife, thrown by her own hand, had pierced her best friends neck. The threat of him bleeding out right in front of her was all too real, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She tossed over in her bed and closed her eyes, begging for sleep to aide her in rest. She was finally met with darkness, and she slept through the night uninterrupted. When the sun peaked through her shutters the next morning, she did not wake. Her mind was far too exhausted to be disturbed by the sun's calling at her window. Instead, she remained where she were, tangled in her covers.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn And just like that, Claire had somehow talked both Kate and Elijah into going to bed. Well, if they wanted to turn in early that was up to them. It was boring to say the least, but she wouldn't let it get her down. Not that she cared much for Elijah, but she wondered why Kate was so dismissive of her since she talked had with her cats. She headed towards where some of the other members of the circus could be heard, chatting, laughing and drinking. Solomon followed as if he was a well-trained dog, not a three hundred kilo heavy tiger. "Gimme some of that." She said to a woman with tattoos all over, pointing at the bottle in her hand. Claire knew her name. She couldn't remember it right then though. The woman handed her the bottle with a laugh, after drinking some more of it first. Claire drank what was left to calm her nerves and become more sociable. She had socialized with the performers and crew members often after successful shows. The alcohol made her more interested in interacting with other humans. She passed the first half-hour with them by listening to them speak and joining in with the laughter. As she got more booze into her system, she began to inject her own voice into the conversation and joke with them. The evening turned into night in their company. Solomon was as welcome as Claire among them, even more so almost. At first he enjoyed being the centre of attention and having people pet him, but soon he retreated to lie down behind Claire and take a nap. Elena joined them at some point. There was an awkward mood when she did. Some of them didn't feel like joking as much, which was probably because they had told jokes at her expense. Claire couldn't help but notice that Elena behaved a lot less confidently than she had during her act or even compared to her normal self. Elena left before long, likely realizing that she wasn't entirely welcome among them. Claire remained seated, but soon began to yawn and doze off. She was prevented from falling asleep in the spot by Solomon who kept pushing at her with his nose or his paw. It was getting on her nerves, so she gave in to the tiger and got up on her feet to find a better place to sleep. Claire mumbled her drunken farewells to the few of the group who were still socializing, and then she stumbled away from them towards the cages of her big cats. She was too drunk to feel particularly frightened of the dark or what may be hiding in it. The night was beginning to turn into very early morning as well, so the grey light was slowly replacing the darkness. Claire let Solomon into his cage and was about to head off to her own wagon, but figured there was no need for that. It wasn't like the movements in the shadows she thought she had seen scared her or anything, but she would be more comfortable sleeping with her big boy. Claire reopened the door to Solomon's cage, climbed inside and double checked that she had locked it after her. Finally, she laid down next to Solomon in the hay, who put his paw over her protectively and she felt a lot more secure.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Later into the morning, Kathryn finally stirred. Her body was well rested, but her mind was still weary. Rolling over to face her window, she squinted and tried to judge the time based on the amount of light flooding her living space. "Bloody hell... it's nearly ten." She muttered to herself, but then turned over and shoved her head back into her pillow. A knock at her door caught her attention, and she groaned. "Who is it?" She held her head up, eyes targeted at her door, but there was no answer. She grumbled and sat up in her bed, yelling this time, "Oi, I said who is it?" There was still no answer, but a steady rapping at her door. Frustrated with the mute who was summoning her, she walked to her door and pulled it open part ways, keeping her body behind the wooden frame because she was not properly clothed. "Alright, listen here you-" She poked her head out the door, but there was no one there. Her head stretched further out the door while she tried to glance around and catch whomever had been calling at her doorstep. But alas, there was no one to be seen around her wagon. She closed the door and scratched her head while she yawned. "I swear, I'm gonna kill those two." she murmured to herself, speaking aloud the thought that she believed either Elijah or Claire were teasing her. A flame was lit beneath a pot and the sound of water rolling in a boil filled her room as she got dressed. She made her tea, and sipped on it, allowing the caffeine to brighten her mood and wake her up. When she was satisfied that she wasn't going to pass back out, she put on her shoes and exited her wagon. Kate looked to the left, then to the right. Claire's wagon was to the left, and Elijah's towards the right. She weighed her options, but figured Claire was held up with Solomon anyways. So, she opted for Elijah's keep. She knocked on the door, not resting her fist until he answered. His hair was wild as the animals in the cages down the row, and his eyes were bloodshot and he looked like death itself had paid a visit. "Well, that eliminates one of my suspects." Kate smirked, but Elijah's expression did not change from the flat face which he answered her knocking with. "Uh, you alright there mate?" Kate frowned, and Elijah shook his head. He scratched his scruff and rubbed his hands over his face before looking back at Kate. "I'll be fine, Katie. I just need a bit to wake up. I'll be out later." He smiled weakly and tiredly, but did not give her another chance to speak as he closed he door. From the other side of the door he sighed and looked around. The night had not been good to him, and he felt it. But, he had things to do and he knew he had to get around to it. Kate stood there for a moment and blinked, surprised at her friend's reaction. Well, no use in dwelling on it. She turned on her heel and headed towards the big cat enclosures to accuse Claire of disturbing her and then running off. She arrived at Solomon's cage and saw the tiger protectively lying next to an apparently sleeping Claire. "Alright, nice try. I know you aren't asleep, good effort though." Kate laughed lightly, "Now, how about an explanation for running off this morning, huh?" She crossed her arms and waited for Claire to answer her, though it seemed she was trying to keep appearances up by not making a movement.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire tossed and turned in her drunken state, disturbing Solomon with her movements, but thankfully he was a nocturnal creature so it wasn't like he was going to sleep much anyway during the night. He slept a fair bit either way since he loved to sleep like most of her kittens did. She dreamt surprisingly pleasant dreams when she did fall asleep. Claire talked with her big cats, learned their language permanently and went on adventures with them. There were other people featured in the dream, like Kate, Elena and a few other members of the circus, but they were in the background compared to the animals. Elena appeared as an evil witch at one point. The sound of someone shouting at her was an abrupt wake up call. "Oh my god." Claire cried, and put her arms over her head. "Why would you scream at me in the morning when I have a hangover?" She could feel her head pounding pretty badly by then. The words that Kate had spoken sounded louder than usual, so she had to assume they were shouted. It wasn't just the words Kate spoke either, everything was louder than usual, even Solomon's breathing was getting to her. Claire had no idea how long she had slept, or if she had been given a chance to sleep at all before Kate was on her case again. She had dreamt at least. She wanted to yell at her friend to go away and leave her alone. It would not be the first time they had fought, because everyone fights every now and then, no matter how great their relationship may be regularly. "Solomon, attack…" Claire muttered against his fur, and was rolled over on her stomach when the white tiger got up on all four. He moved lazily over to where Kate was standing outside the cage, put his arm through the bars and tried to hit her with his paw. The whole action was done with such indifference that it was clear he was just following the words of his trainer with no real hatred or commitment behind the supposed attack. He tried to reach Kate a couple more times before giving up, sitting down and cleaning himself with his tongue. Claire had mostly trained him with that command in case she would need him in an emergency, like a guard dog, but no one else needed to know about it so she had told no one else yet. If anything, she had planned to explain it away by saying she was going to incorporate coordinated play-fighting between her big cats in one of her future shows. Solomon was a bit too tame to attack those he knew with any real strength though. "Yeah, that will teach you to bother me in the morning." Claire mumbled to herself, while keeping her arms over her eyes to block out the blinding light. "You are lucky he is locked inside a cage. Who knows what such a wild beast would be to a human otherwise."</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire When the giant tiger stood up at the command to attack, Kate's eyes grew wide and she took a step back from the cage. "Jesus Christ," she had no idea what to expect from the big cat, considering his loyalty to Claire. Much to her relief, he took the order with as little enthusiasm as possible and returned to grooming himself within his enclosure. "What ever will I do if that over-sized house cat decides to purr me to death..." Crossing her arms again, Kate's stare bore into Claire, challenging her to look up. It was obvious that she was well into the consequences that a night of liquor will punish you with, but the way Kate saw it, it was her own fault. "You look like hell," her head shook disapprovingly and she sighed. "Serves you right for drinking the night away." It wasn't uncommon for them to bicker over the topic of alcohol. Kate knew how to drink and have fun, she wasn't a stiff by any means. However, she believed in self control. The minuscule amount of her childhood that she could remember was spent in an orphanage, one that for the most part didn't take too kindly to the children there. And from what Kate could remember, whiskey had quite a bit to do with that fact. That's why she and Claire had decided to run away. It was hard leaving the few that were kind and caring at the home, but not worth living through more of the misery to stay with them. They found solace here with the circus, and so they remained. Kate had just never picked up drinking like the others seemed to have, to her it was more amusing to watch the drunken ones stumble in a stupor than to be one of them herself. Claire was still covering her face and avoiding the inevitable, so Kate simply exhaled and closed her eyes for a moment. "Very well, I'll leave you to suffer. No use in making your misery any worse with my presence." Walking away from the cage, she headed to the commons tent in search of a meal. She hadn't eaten after the show, and her stomach was beginning to call to her for sustenance. She entered the tent and found that there were several items out for the circus workers and such. They did not cook them breakfast, rather the cooks prepared tea and coffee and left pastries and dry cereals out for pecking. Kate grabbed a cup of coffee and a scone, then found a place to sit within the tent. Elijah had finally gotten around to cleaning himself up a bit, but his face still showed his utter exhaustion. Walking to the commons area, he hoped a cup of caffeine would aid him. Kate was spotted at a table not far from the entrance, so he took his beverage over and sat with her and a few other circus workers who were all making small talk over biscuits. Kate perked up when she saw Eli sit down, though he still looked rough. "You feeling any better? You still look a bit unwell." Shrugging his shoulders as he sat down, he took a sip of his coffee and then looked at Kate with tired eyes. "I'll be fine. Rough night," he held up his cup and smiled, "This should get me going though." It was a night filled with nightmares and little sleep, but he had suffered tough nights before and he could do it again. He sipped his drink and contributed to the small talk with Kate and the others as they casually ate their breakfast.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn When Kate mentioned how Claire deserved her hangover, she wanted to tell her how fun people sometimes had to suffer consequences for being sociable and fun, but that Kate could of course not understand this. "Thank you." Claire mumbled to Kate when she left, but doubted she could hear it if she was still around. She attempted to return to sleep. Her headache mixed with the sounds of a circus that was waking up and the light of the sun made it difficult though. After remaining motionless for what felt like another hour without a minute of sleep, Claire had to accept the fact that she would not get better by lying here. Maybe if she got something to help with her hangover or moved to her own wagon it would be easier. She crawled out of the hay, passed Solomon who was enjoying the sunlight and exited his cage. She made a note to herself to never sleep outside when hangover. It wasn't the first time she had claimed she wouldn't do that. Claire locked the cage after herself. She headed in the direction of her wagon, but once she arrived she heard a woman screaming as if terrified from another wagon. She had to put her hands over her ears to prevent the headache from getting worse. She went inside her wagon to get some rest. "Screaming as if she was all alone, no consideration for the rest of us..." Claire muttered as she lay down on her bed. Unfortunately, the screaming woman had attracted more people and soon the area was crowded. Claire heard them chatting through the walls of her wagon, but she was unable to make out any words. She didn't bother trying to sleep for long after that. Claire rose again, probably looking as horrible as she was beginning to feel. She grabbed her lady's umbrella on the way out of the wagon, to have cover against the light of the sun, and stumbled towards the commons area. She hoped they could give her something to eat that may stop the beating of her forehead. Claire spotted Kate and Elijah when she arrived, waved meekly at them, and then went to ask the kitchen staff for anything they may be willing to give her for her hangover. She was given a couple of eggs and a glass of water. "Hey guys, Kate, Elijah." She placed her food next to Kate and sat down. Claire folded her umbrella together, and leaned it against their table. She was about to start eating, but instead threw her arms around Kate in a hug and pulled her towards her. "I'm sorry about earlier." She whispered, hoping that no one else would hear, but for all she knew she was screaming. Claire's hangover still made noises louder than they had any right to be. "I hope you don't tell anyone I taught him that, Kate, or I may have to teach one of them a murder command to keep the secret from getting out." She laughed weakly after that. It was only a joke. She wouldn't want anyone else to murder Kate if she betrayed her. She could do it herself in that case. "It is freaking impossible to get any sleep around here today." Claire grumbled. "Sun is shining like if we were in the southern hemisphere, not Britain and people are screaming blood murder in the morning." She turned to Kate with a faked smile. "At my wagon, not when you woke me up earlier."</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate waved at Claire in between sips of coffee, and continued chatting with Elijah and the others at the table while Claire fetched her breakfast. When she came to sit down, Kate halfway smiled at her, knowing that she still was probably feeling the effects of the previous night's binge. It shocked her a bit when Claire flung her arms around her, so she stiffened under her embrace until Claire whispered her apology to her. A sigh escaped her and Kate patted her friend on the arm with the one arm that wasn't binded by Claire's hug. "It's alright Claire, I'm sorry as well." "Amen to that," Elijah chimed in, raising his cup in approval of her comment about not getting any sleep. He was feeling better though, the caffeine seemed to have helped actually calm his nerves while also waking him up a bit, which very well may be the opposite effect of intention. Soon after Claire's mentioning of the crying woman, people around the commons tent began to grow more noisy. It seemed as if a rumor was spreading around throughout the tent, making its way from table to table. People began to get up and walk out with a brisk step, and Elijah looked around as the area was beginning to thin out rather quickly. "What in the..." Soon, the others who were sitting at their table began exchanging words about a woman, blood, screaming, and other frightening sounding phrases. They rose as well and followed the crowd out of the tent, and the three were left there with only the company of each other and the chefs. "Claire, dear, would you hurry up and eat your eggs?" Kate said as she glanced out of the entrance to the tent. "I've a feeling that there's something we are missing out on." Elijah cleared the table of his and Kate's dishes, placing them in the bin that was reserved for dirty wear. He returned to the table but did not sit down, "You watch tipsy here, I'll be right back." He exited the tent and followed the stream of people towards the wagons that housed the performers and workers. He pushed through the crowd further into the camp and saw that the collection of people were surrounding one wagon in particular. Screams could be heard, and Eli could swear that blood was covering the one window that was visible from his angle. Men were struggling to get the door to the wagon open, pushing and pulling it to no avail. Turning around, he headed back to the commons tent and found Kate and Claire again. "Something's happened. There was blood covering the window, they couldn't get the door open, I... I don't know." Kate straightened up where she sat, her eyes growing wider at the news. "What? No wonder all the jitters among the crowd... I wonder what happened." She looked at Claire, who was still finishing her hangover meal. "I suggest you finish those before you lose your appetite. We should go see what's happening out there now." She stood and waited for her less than 100% friend to join her, and then headed towards the camp.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn It was not long after that Claire had sat down and started eating that people began to run off, and murmur about some woman. Kate urged her to hurry up, and she sighed, not particularly interested in whatever new illusion was happening. Elijah ran off as well to check it out. Claire focused her attention on her meal, eating slowly as her headache was still a pain. She ate in silence, pretending like the rest of the world and the people didn't exist. It calmed her down quite a bit, but then Elijah came back to tell them more about the event, how there was blood and how they were unable to enter her wagon. "Maybe it's just her time of the month." Claire muttered, and finished her glass of water. "There's nothing wrong with my appetite, Kate. It would be better if you all stopped freaking out over whatever though." Claire stood up after Kate, grabbed her umbrella and opened it up to protect her from the light of the sun. She followed her impatient friend to the camp and back to her own wagon. The wagon everyone was interested in was one of Claire's neighbours, she hadn't noticed how close it was to hers before, but there was just one other wagon in between the two. "Oooh, spooky, they almost chose me for this prank." Claire said snarkily, her headache making her quite irritated and not in the mood for another of Elena's illusions. There wasn't even an audience or a show located among their wagons. The backstage crew had appeared with tools to get the door open. They had some of the stronger members of the circus gathered as well to assist them. As they began to pull at the door, the woman screamed and cried out. They kept pulling though, inserting a crowbar between the door and the wall of the wagon. There was a resounding crack as the door broke open, mixed with the last faint scream of the woman and the sound of blood hitting the steps up to the wagon. The sight that met them all was gruesome. The woman wore a bloody nightgown, but her body had ropes fastened to it with hooks that extended inside the wagon and likely caused her great pain whenever she had tried to move. The worst part was how she had been spiked to the door of her wagon, so that when they had managed to open it parts of her back had stuck to the door, been ripped away and finally killed her. She had a hole in her back where the parts of her that was now on the door had once been. The woman's spine and ribs were visible in the hole. Blood was trickling down the remains of her back and her legs. Claire threw up almost immediately, not even caring that there were people standing close to her. She wasn't the only one either. There were those who even fainted. As she stood looking down at her vomit on the ground, she prayed that this was indeed another illusion. Unfortunately, it didn't go away, turn into another scene or disappear when the doctor stepped forward to make a closer inspection. He didn't need to declare her dead, as it was obvious she was, but he did it anyway so everyone could hear. Claire made herself throw up a second time, appreciating the chance to clear her system of any remaining alcohol. It was the most emotionless thought she'd had in a long time. The police arrived at the scene shortly afterwards. They'd likely been called when the blood on the window was detected. They sealed off the scene, told everyone to back up and stay away while they worked. Claire was visibly shaken now. It wasn't something to mock or make light of anymore. Indeed, it had happened too close to her own wagon for her to feel anything less than frightened and worried about what may have happened if she had spent the night in her own bed.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire When they arrived at the large group forming around the wagon, Kate got on her tip toes to peek over the heads of the taller folk and get a look at the wagon. There seemed to be quite a fuss to getting the door open, and indeed blood was splattered across the window. Staying on her toes, Kate watched as the men arrived with a crowbar to pry open the door. Screaming intensified as they did so, but the pulled on with determination. What they witnessed as the door finally broke open would be burned into their memory surely, as it was far too horrendous not to be. A gasp escaped Kate and she turned away from the scene, her hand covering her mouth as she did so. Elijah quickly looked down at his shoes, his jaw clenching beneath the surface of his cheeks while he tried not to egg on a worse reaction from those around him. Claire doubled over as she heaved up the contents of her stomach. Kate tried to focus on Claire instead of the bone-chilling scene laid out before them, so she held Claire's hair with one hand and gently rubbed her back with the other while she retched. The thought that this event had occurred so close to Claire's wagon sent a chill down Kate's spine. What if Claire had actually slept in her wagon that night? Would the same fate have met her? It made Kate sick to think about, so she pushed the thoughts away and comforted Claire as best she could in the condition she was in herself. When the police showed, the scene was blocked off and bystanders were told to make themselves scarce, save for a few they questioned as witnesses. Elijah turned to Kate and Claire and then motioned for them to move. "Let's get out of here, ladies. This is certainly something that need not be witnessed any further." He put a hand on each of their shoulders and pushed them forward gently, herding them away from the bloody backdrop. Kate took Claire's hand and squeezed tightly while they walked, now not wanting either of her friends to be out of her sight. Who knew if the maniac who committed the crime was still running around the tents, waiting for his next victim. She swallowed hard and kept a firm grip on Claire. Elijah had pushed them in the opposite direction of the wagon camp, and they now stood just on the edge of the circus grounds. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face and around his neck. Thoughts were tumbling through his mind. As gruesome as it was, he could not help but come back to the image burned into his mind and wonder. The woman had been bound and staked to the door... then whomever did such a task would have to be inside the wagon during, literally barricading themselves in with the woman on the door. Then how did they escape? To fit out the window, they would have to be a person of small stature, but they were strong enough to tie the woman up? None of it made any sense, and he shook his head. "Do you girls need anything? Water, or perhaps maybe some heavy liquor?" His face was flush but he was trying to prevent them from freaking out further. Kate shook her head, her hands were shaking and she was pale. Elijah went to fetch water anyways, figuring it might come in handy regardless. Kate turned to Claire and threw her arms around her, squeezing tightly. "What if that had been you? Thank bloody God that you're so attuned to sleeping with Solomon now... That secret command you let slip may prove useful."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire had felt Kate's hands on her back and in her hair when she threw up. It would normally have made her feel a bit better, but she doubted anything could improve the situation. She had drunk too much and now witnessed the horrible murder scene of a neighbour. "I can walk myself." Claire muttered when Elijah touched and pushed her. She began to walk faster, but felt someone grasping her hand tightly. Claire thought it was Elijah again and was about to chew him out, then she noticed it was Kate holding her. She raised an eyebrow, surprised that Kate would hold her hand, but she realized she didn't mind it as much as she would have if it had been anyone else. She let Kate squeeze her hand in hers, but didn't return the gesture. "Water would be nice." Claire answered Elijah, feeling her stomach begin to turn again at the thought of drinking any more liquor. "Thank you." Kate threw her arms around Claire when Elijah had left them alone, and she couldn't help but think that she was being very handsy all of a sudden. She supposed it was natural as her friend was genuinely scared for Claire's well-being. "Oh, you don't need to worry about me." Claire said, trying to laugh it off and act like she wasn't affected by what had happened. She failed at it though, fear showing itself in her voice. "Let's sit down, I feel so tired." She waited for Kate to sit down on the grass nearby, then placed herself in her lap. This way she would hopefully calm Kate down and assure her that she was not going anywhere. At least that was what she told herself when she decided where to sit. "I'm not going anywhere, sis." Claire said, and leaned her head against Kate's shoulder, breathing against her neck. She finally felt like she could get some rest, despite having seen that shocking scene her body was not able to catch up fully to the events. "I promise." "I doubt Solomon would be much help though." She laughed weakly. "You were right with what you said earlier, He is too much of an oversized housecat. It would be better if I taught one of the others the command. Maybe Sheila, she can be quite hostile to humans when she feels like being left alone." Claire smiled. "Or maybe I should get a gun or something else to protect myself with. Still, I am not the only one at risk. Maybe they will strike again, somewhere else entirely…" Claire continued talking, but it turned into soft murmurs as she felt her mind and body relaxing for a nap. She moved a bit, to get a more comfortable sleeping position, accidentally pressing her body and chest against Kate. "Fluffy pillow." Claire murmured, some of the few words that were understandable among everything that she mumbled. She just wanted a short nap so her body would get better from the hangover and the tiredness, then they could do what seemed best to deal with all these problems happening around them. She wished things had remained in the same state they used to be in forever, but now the peace had been disturbed at its roots.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate nodded to Claire and sat down with her on a soft spot of grass nearby to where they had been standing. It was a pleasant surprise when Claire plopped down in her lap, giving Kate more of a sense of reassurance. However, a different feeling tingled down her spine when she felt Claire's breath against her neck and her head on her shoulder. Trying her hardest not to let that tingling feeling show outwardly, Kate inhaled and swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn't remember when her feelings towards Claire had taken on a different nature, but she had decided to keep it to herself. After all, this was the girl she ran away with all those years ago, and the last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize their friendship as it was. But lately, it had become harder to not express her affection a bit more. And now with the occurrence of recent events, Kate felt a pang in her heart that tugged in a different way than it had before. All she could do was hope that Claire took it as friendly affection, not anything more that would drive her away. A smile appeared on her face at Claire's agreement to her titling Solomon as a big fluffy tomcat. But then the smile faded at the mention that the killer could strike again, which only worried her even more. The police had been at the scene of the bloody murder to investigate, surely they would follow up and pursue the one responsible, right? They wouldn't let some lunatic just roam around waiting for the next kill, would they? This time, the role was reversed of who was muttering on as Claire sleepily murmured and carried on while she fell asleep. When she moved around to get comfortable, Kate felt the same feeling she had moments ago while goosebumps rose on her arms and her neck. She smiled to herself as Claire muttered her last few words before falling asleep. Kate then put an arm around her and rested her chin on the top of Claire's head. "Alright, here's the-" Elijah stopped speaking when he walked up and saw Claire and Kate muddled together in a bundle, one of the two who appeared to be napping. He raised an eyebrow, but set the canteen of water that he had retrieved down and also took a seat on the ground. It was far too early in the morning to have already been so eventful. He laid back and placed his arms behind his head, looking up at the sky as he sighed. Kate kept her chin lightly on Claire, but looked over at Eli. He turned his head towards her and gave her a warm smile, to which she returned one of her own. It was sort of relieving to sit in silence for a moment and allow their minds to be clear, not frantic about what they had just witnessed. Kate decided to follow in her friend's footsteps and she closed her eyes. Eli was not as quick to settle, and he looked up at the sky again, putting one hand on the spot where he had been stabbed last night. His mind was wandering again while his friends rested, and he tried in his mind to figure out the mysteries that had unfolded the night before and that morning.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire got a chance to sleep off the worst of the hangover and her exhaustion. Hours passed sleeping with Kate as her pillow and bed. She felt a tickling sensation traveling slowly up her stomach at some point, and coming to a halt at her bosom. It made her smile and try to move away from it in her sleep, but whatever it was had gotten underneath her shirt. "Stop it." Claire mumbled, half-asleep. However, instead of stopping it began to fiddle with her bra and squeeze her inappropriately. Claire opened her eyes, quite shocked and appalled. Who the hell would do something like that to her when she was asleep!? She found an arm slipped under her shirt, and discovered that the arm belonged to Kate, who had her eyes closed, but still kept fondling Claire. "Kate! What do you think you're doing?" Claire asked, not amused in the slightest. She shoved the woman so she would cease pretending to be asleep. She had to pull her hand away from her using force, as if it had a life of its own. "Do you think this is funny?" She snarled when Kate had opened her eyes. "How many times have you… been touching me while I was asleep?" She sounded a lot more disgusted by the action than she actually was. If anything, Claire was surprised and unsure of how to react to the situation. "I don't even know what to say to you! I guess it's a good thing I sleep with a tiger instead of alone." Claire grasped her throat when the words came out loud, hostile and revolted. That hadn't been her intention. She stood up, stepped away and turned her back on Kate. The sight that met her instead of her perverted friend was something entirely unexpected and horrifying, but at least she could come to the conclusion that this was all a dream and Kate hadn't been touching her weirdly in real life. At least the real Kate wasn't a closeted pervert, even if the Kate in this dream was. Ahead of her laid a barren, dark and volcanic land of ash. There were rivers of burning fire with black smoke filling the air above them. The tents and wagon of the circus that should have been there were gone. No, not gone completely. She did notice burned down remains of what could have once been a number of wagons. Pieces of fabric that had once belonged to tents could be seen floating on the hot winds that swept the area. Purgatory, was the first word that came to mind to describe the area in this nightmare. Why couldn't she have gotten another pleasant dream about adventures with her kittens? Claire sighed and pinched herself to try to wake back up. It didn't work though. It contributed to the creepy feeling that had inserted itself in her mind about how this was all too real. It made her wonder who the Kate in this dream was, but she didn't dare turning around to check if her friend had changed shape as well.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It had been a while since Kate had fallen asleep with Claire on top of her and Eli to her side. Surprisingly enough, it was a peaceful sleep despite the unrest she had experienced the night before. She was enjoying the rest, pleasant thoughts filled her head until Claire started squirming around. Kate grumbled in her sleep and turned her head, sighing as she slowly started to wake from the disturbance. Kate felt a jolt as Claire pushed her, waking her up fully now. She furrowed her brow when she opened her eyes and was about to yell at Claire for waking her when she discovered her arm was wrapped around Claire, up her shirt and resting on her chest. Kate's eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to say something, but all she could manage was to stutter over her words. She tried to remove her arm but found that she was unable to. The thumping in her chest grew to an audible tone as her heart beat practically out of her chest with panic. Claire pried her arm away and Kate looked from it to Claire, her eyes were frantic. "Wait! Claire, no, I didn't...!" The whole ordeal had woken Elijah, who sat up and felt something trickling down his neck. He subconsciously rubbed the area and looked down to his hand to reveal it was covered in blood. He screamed and scooted back quickly, checking for a wound on his neck but finding only blood that was flowing from some unknown source. Kate looked at Eli when he cried out and her eyes grew even wider, she scooted over to him and put a hand on his neck but couldn't find a hole either. The words left Claire's mouth with hatred and Kate turned her head towards her, the pain of the words visible on her face. Her head started to spin and she looked down at the blood now on her hands as well. She was mortified at the whole situation, it was as if her worst nightmare was playing out before her. Elijah started wheezing, but he coughed and pushed Kate away. "I'm fine," He grumbled and stood. Kate did as well and they were left gazing out at a wasteland that swallowed them from every angle. Kate looked around and thought that this must all be a figment of her imagination, so she closed her eyes and then opened them back up, hoping that she would instead be met with tents and grass and her friends napping lazily beside her. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The same scene extended for as far as she could see, and her jaw hung ajar. "No, no, no. Where the hell are we?" She questioned, fear in her voice. Elijah had stepped away from Kate, for all he knew she had been the one to cause the bleeding in his neck again, making his experience from the previous night all too real. Kate was left with the backs of her two best friends turned to her, trapped in a barren and bizarre land that seemed to only want to make her fall into insanity. "Claire, listen to me. I didn't do that!" She turned to Elijah, "Eli, what's with you?" Tears welled up in her eyes and then streamed down her face as she prayed for it all just to end, one way or another.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn "As if you don't know where we are, you're nothing more than a part of my dream." Claire snapped at Kate. "We are standing among the ruins of the circus." Claire was angered when dream Kate claimed it was not her who had been touching her at all, like she had not caught her in the act of groping her. She clearly thought Claire was a moron, and that was what angered her the most. She turned around towards Kate who had tears streaming down her face, as much as she hated to see her friend cry she had to remind herself this wasn't her real friend anyway. Claire raised her hand and held it in front of Kate. "Look at it! Look at it, Kate!" She shouted, and then slapped Kate across her face. "That wasn't me! I didn't do that, Kate, you must believe. I would never hit you. It was someone else." She bristled with rage, clenched her teeth and felt tears beginning to form in her eyes as well, but they were not of sadness. "Do you take me for a fool?" Claire snarled. "I'm probably just some tamed barbarian with no brain, right? Cause clearly no one else than me would be dumb enough to believe you over their own eyes." Claire felt her anger subside with every heavy breath that she took. Hitting and screaming at dream Kate had felt good, and it helped her calm down, as she had let out most of the anger by taking it out on someone else. "I love the real Kate." She stated simply. It wasn't news to herself or anyone. "I trust her with my life. She would never lie to my face or hide something from me." She went on; speaking words she hoped were truth for Kate about Claire in return as well. "If she wanted to touch me like that I would… probably let her." Well, it wasn't something she needed to consider in reality, but she saw no reason for her to lose her childhood friend over something so silly. Though she hoped the real Kate would have the decency to not do it when she was asleep and unaware. That had been creepy and unwelcome. "I'm not some dumb animal." Claire muttered to herself. "Animals aren't dumb either." She hated the idea that Kate would think about her like some did. Those who whispered behind her back about how she was uncivilized and had no understanding of how human interaction worked so she spent all her time with animals that were as smart as her, but just because she knew how it worked did not mean she wanted to be a large part of it. She was a member of a traveling circus for fucks sake. Claire sighed. "Any suggestions for how I get out of this nightmare into something more pleasant?" She turned to look at each of her friends' dream replicas. "Elijah? Pervert Kate?" She turned back to the area around them. One of her worst fears come alive, her home destroyed and everyone gone. At least she hadn't seen any corpses or signs of her kittens demise, so she could pretend like it was fine. It felt like the walls of her mind that had imagined this wanted to crush her psyche though.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It was unknown to Kate why her friends had suddenly turned their back on her. Were they mad? Or was she? This must be some twisted joke, a hallucination caused by some outside influence. There was no way this could be real, yet it felt as real as anything she had ever experienced. Her eyes held a glossy stare on Claire as she yelled and let out her rage towards Kate. It was when she approached her and put her hand in the air that Kate grew terrified, but before she could react, Claire's hand made contact with Kate's face and sent her reeling to the side, holding her face where a red mark was quickly appearing. A cry escaped her, more out of shock than pain. This trippy simulation was beginning to overwhelm Kate and her frustration was mounting. It was cruel, the way she was being treated by her friends, which told her it must be fake. The words that left Claire's mouth and were directed at her began to gnaw away at the bit of sanity she was keeping here. Kate stood there, frozen in shock at the slap to the face and the hurtful words that targeted her very soul. Now her sadness was turning into anger. Why was this happening? If this were a terrible dream, she would not be able to feel the pain radiating on her cheek like she did. It didn't matter anymore, her hope was fleeting and she was sure she would be trapped forever here in this hell hole of a dream, doomed to live in it for eternity. Elijah had turned when he heard Claire's hand smack across Kate's face. He considered approaching her, but only for a moment before deciding that he was better off keeping to himself. His hand was pressed against his neck, and blood continued to pour down his torso from a phantom wound that could not be found. The sight of the blood made bile gather in the back of his throat and he bent over to heave. He felt a sharp pain as he vomited, and opened his eyes to see that in a pile of puke and blood lie a double-sided blade. Eli gagged and tasted something metallic in his mouth, which he now could not distinguish between blood or actual forged element. This sent him stumbling backwards, eyes wide and arms frantically splayed at his side. He glared at Claire and rolled his eyes, standing and backing away from the two women. His hands were still tightly wrapped around his neck as he used every bit of concentration in his body to keep from having a panic attack and falling into an oblivion of madness. Kate had clenched her jaw and blinked away tears of rage, all the while listening to Claire ramble on. "I am the real Kate!" She said through locked teeth. It did take her by surprise when Claire stated that she probably would let Kate touch her in a different way than friends really should, but she did not take this statement to be true, but rather a result of an angry outburst. Kate threw a hand to her face in an annoyed gesture. She had never thought Claire to be barbaric or unintelligent. In fact when she heard other people from the circus talking behind her back, Kate had threatened to pin them up and use them as target practice if they kept it up. Elijah turned his head towards the pair at the sound of his name, but he scoffed. Kate shook her head and let it hang hopelessly in defeat. "Nightmare? This is more like worst fears come true..." She remarked. But then, her head jumped up and her brain began working. "Wait!" She started thinking about a time when she had visited a gypsy that traveled with the circus. The woman had once said "If you want to be free of your worst nightmare, you must first face your fears. Only then will you have peace of mind." Kate recited those very words and looked from Claire to Elijah, unsure of whether they were a part of her nightmare or trapped in this place with their own, but she knew now the answer to how to escape this terrifying world. "Face your fears."</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire "Do I look like a bloody magician?" Kate directed at Claire, who was being far too sarcastic for her liking at this particular moment in time. "I don't know how the hell we got in here, but I want to get out and your smart ass comments aren't going to help." It didn't matter how they had gotten there to her, at least not right now. The multitude of things that had been weighing on Kate since they woke up in this hell hole just ten minutes ago was beginning to push her to a point of frustration. She was pretty convinced that they all were in fact trapped together in one nightmare, each with a fear to face. For what reason, God may not even know. A look of pure vexation spread across Kate's face as Claire had finally seemed to put two and two together. It was offensive to Kate for Claire to even question her reasoning like that, as if it were really that simple. The laughing that resulted from the accusations was equally perturbing, unsettling her even further than she thought was possible. "Is this funny to you, Claire?" The volume of her voice had raised, and tears threatened to well in her eyes again. "Does slapping me around and ridiculing me make you feel better?!" This was far from the ideal situation to face this particular fear in. A sunny day, picnic lunch, laughing and smiling from ear to ear. That was how Kate had hoped it would be, should she ever want to bring her feelings to light. Then again, maybe that was the point in all of this. Fears would never be faced unless they were breathing down your neck while you shake like a terror-stricken infant. Elijah clenched his jaw at the questioning of his fear. The thing that Claire seemed to be neglecting was that this fear was fresh. Never before had he been shy of the blades, confident in both his and Kate's ability so that he trusted her with his life. All of that changed two days ago when his confidence had been shattered and his neck stabbed. Granted, the whole thing turned out to be some sort of insane illusion. However, the fact that it all mysteriously disappeared did not prevent his mind from becoming fearful of a repeated situation. Both Eli and Kate turned when Claire suddenly quieted. A tiger could be seen approaching a distance away, in its mouth a smaller version of itself. There was something off about it; it seemed to be feral, not tame as the big cats of the circus were. Claire's reaction was proper for coming face to face with something she was not fond of, and Kate felt like commenting on it. However, she quelled her frustration in light of the situation. It was not fair for her wish Claire such a terrible experience. Hell, it wasn't fair for any of them to be treating each other like they had. She sighed and stepped towards her friends, weary of the wild animal that had just appeared. If it was part of Claire's fear, maybe it would remain focused on her and away from Kate and Eli. Or at least she could hope it would. Kate looked at Claire and then spoke softly, "It's okay Claire." She refrained from placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, "I'm here for you." Then she turned to Elijah, "You too, Eli." An idea formed in her head and she closed her eyes. When she opened them, three blades were lying in her hands. She looked at Eli and pressed her lips together into a thin line. "Look at me, and relax." She drew her arm back, staring straight at Elijah. His breath grew ragged and his pulse quick. Sweat started to bead on his forehead, but he kept his gaze straight at Kate as she threw her arm forward and released. Not once did he blink, and the blade whirred past his head. He swallowed the lump in his throat and waited for the other two to fly at his being. They too passed without a quiver in their path, and his eyes did not close until the last blade had flown past him, daringly close to his neck. One fear down, two to go.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn "Of course it doesn't make me feel better. Why would it?" She couldn't stop a second laugh from escaping her though, and mumbled to herself. "I hope that groping my breasts made you feel better at least." Despite what Claire had done to Kate when she was under the assumption that she was part of the nightmare, her friend comforted her when she was faced with her own fear. Claire felt grateful that she had someone like Kate in her life, and she had felt like that more times than she could remember. "Thanks, Kate, I appreciate it." Kate summoned blades out of thin air. She threw them at Elijah and missed him as she had intended to do. Claire wondered if it was truly that easy to defeat his fear. He was afraid of getting hit, not letting Kate throw blades at him, right? It seemed to work and make him more at ease though. Claire would have hit him and healed his wound if she had been in Kate's shoes, to show him that getting hit wasn't the end of the world. Claire had her own fear to deal with. She had to disregard her two friends and focus on the wild Solomon that was coming closer. Why were there two of them? She understood that it made sense for a number of her fears to be symbolized by Solomon, but why not just one white tiger? Solomon kept circling her, growling and whining at her. He never came up to her though. Claire had to think about which one of her fears she was actually facing here. It occurred to her that it might have something to do with what would have happened to Solomon if they had never met. His life had been made better because she had adopted him, but what if she had never been able to do that or inadvertently hurt him in some way by bringing him up? There were times when she had doubted her skills as a lion tamer, and thought about what harm she could have caused to her kittens if she had been careless. She had never wanted to hurt an animal in her life, but were they really better off living in a circus than living in the wild? She doubted they could be returned to the wild once tamed, but still, it was a disconcerting idea. Claire closed her eyes like Kate had done, and thought about her whip. She could feel it in her hand before she opened her eyes again. If she were to face her fear, she had to deliberately hurt Solomon. The thought alone made her feel to her very soul. The white tiger dropped his younger self on the ground, bared his teeth and inched closer to her. She used the whip on the ground next to and in front of him, but he didn't react at all. He grabbed Claire's clothes in his mouth and growled at her. She couldn't get herself to do it anyway. Solomon bit her leg and drew blood, but while she screamed and felt the pain she figured she could endure it. It wasn't until she heard the crunching of her bone that she closed her eyes hard and used the whip on the face of the tiger. He released his grip on her leg, and Claire opened her eyes. She saw the mark of the whip across his face, but he looked tame, like his usual self and somewhat sad about having hurt his master. He tried to lick her wound clean before he bothered acknowledging his own. She bent down and hugged him, crying against his fur. "I'm sorry." She felt him fade in her arms, and the only proof left that there had been a feral Solomon in the first place was the cub he'd left behind. Although baby Solomon wasn't whining anymore, he was running around her and playing with her clothes, as energetic as ever. She breathed a sigh of relief, and wiped the tears from her eyes. The only one who hadn't faced their fear yet of the three of them was Kate. Claire looked at her, trying to contain her smile and laughter. It actually was funny to her now though, because Elijah and herself had fears she could understand. Kate's was a bit silly in comparison. "How do you want to face your fear then, Kate? Do you want to start where you left off?" Claire giggled, but put her hand over her mouth.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah and Kate stepped back as the big cat began circling Claire, growling and appearing rather intimidating. It was unknown to Kate what fear this was, or why there were two tigers instead of just one. However, it made sense to her that it involved a version of Solomon. Claire's life revolved around those beautiful creatures, and without them she wouldn't be the same. When the big cat grew more aggressive and bit Claire's leg, Kate instinctively took a step forward. Eli grabbed her arm and shook his head, pulling her back towards him. "She needs to do this." The pair watched nervously as the whole scene played out. Something as simple as striking the tiger with a tamer's whip ended the gruesome event and Claire fell to comfort the now tamed beast, which soon disappeared. All that was left of the ordeal was the charming baby tiger, as if it were the reward and symbol of a fear overcome. Claire and Elijah were now fear-free, or at least of one of their fears. It all fell to Kate now, who looked nervously from Claire to Eli as she questioned what she was supposed to do. "Well, uh..." It occurred to her that she didn't really know exactly what she was afraid of. Was she afraid of Claire finding out about her feelings? No, not really. She had pondered the idea of telling her before. Was she afraid of herself? Of others finding out? No, and no. Kate wasn't one to entertain the opinions of others, nor was she uncomfortable in her own skin. Thinking back to the events of when she first woke up in this horror-ridden wasteland, she remembered how her arm had decided to take it upon itself to feel up Claire. Recalling that she was unable to move her arm, she thought that may have something to do with it. Why would a part of her body fall under something else's control? Kate would never imagine touching Claire while she was asleep or unknowing of it, and she was certain that she wouldn't subconsciously do it. The reaction though... the reaction that Claire had at the discovery was of pure disgust and broken trust. That was what had gotten to Kate so badly, it had shaken her to the core. Kate realized she wasn't afraid of Claire finding out her feelings, she was afraid of losing Claire over them. That was the reason she had never decided to tell her, because having her as her friend was invaluable compared to driving her away over some silly emotions. That was what scared her the most, not having Claire in her life because she didn't feel the same way. "Claire..." Kate turned to her and scratched at her neck nervously. Yet she still didn't know how she was supposed to face this fear. She supposed the only way would be to fess up and face the consequences, no matter what they were. "First of all, I swear that I had no control over what happened earlier. But, if I'm being honest..." her feet shifted nervously under her, afraid that all Claire will be able to do is giggle at her. "There is something I've been needing to tell you. I don't remember when I started thinking of you differently, but, I uh... I need you to know that I think of you as more than a friend." She winced at the sound of her words, knowing how silly it must sound. "I fancy you, Claire. There, I said it." But she didn't feel any different, the words that she spoke were true and yet she still felt afraid. Nervously, she swallowed and looked at Claire. "Oh, for God's sake. Screw it." Kate stepped towards Claire and pressed her lips against hers in a gentle kiss, closing her eyes and praying that when she opened them, it would all be over with. Elijah stood off to the side, trying to contain the smile and chuckle that was threatening to burst out.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate kept her eyes squeezed shut, not wanting to see the look on Claire's face since she had practically just assaulted her face with her own. The blackness of the back of her eyelids was the last thing she saw before falling back into slumber. Her body was relaxed while her mind caught up to the switch in realities. Slowly, she stirred. Peeking her eyes open, she came to. Met with the same scene that she had originally fallen asleep to, she was pleasantly surprised. It made her question if the nightmare she had just experienced was some crazy lucid dreaming or an unfortunately real event that took over her subconsciousness. It took her a minute to realize Claire was still sleeping on top of her, her head on her shoulder. Kate's arm was still wrapped around Claire too, but luckily this time it was resting comfortably on her side. She breathed a sigh of relief and figured that the whole experience had just been some terrible dream brought on by the gruesome scenes she had witnessed over the past two days. Unfortunately, that meant that the warm fuzzy feeling that she felt with Claire in her arms wouldn't be a shared experience, but something she was doomed to keep to herself. Gently, she rested her chin on Claire's head again and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment before the others woke. Eli groaned and rolled over, his eyes cracking open and squinting while his vision turned from fuzzy to clear. Blinking, he looked over at Kate and Claire, who appeared to be sleeping. He sat up and rubbed his face, a hand passing over his neck at the memory of his nightmare. The water he had fetched earlier was still sitting to the side, and he took a drink. Kate noticed Eli was awake, and she thought she could see Claire's eyes moving beneath her eyelids. Still, she whispered when she spoke. "Did you enjoy your nap, Eli?" She asked, knowing that hers was not as well as she could have hoped. He looked over and greeted her with a smile, but it didn't last long and he shook his head. "No, I had an awful nightmare." Kate's eyes narrowed at him and she took on a questioning tone. "As did I, you and Claire were both in it." With that news, Eli's face went flush and he shook his head in disbelief. "You two were in mine as well... It wasn't, I mean, did you-" His eyebrows raised and he motioned towards Claire, who was still lying on top of Kate. Kate's eyes grew wide and her face grew hot at the realization of what Elijah was insinuating. So it was all real, afterall. Hesitantly, she nodded at him and her face showed the concern she felt. "What sort of craziness is going on here?" She questioned.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire blushed fiercely after she had heard the conversation between Elijah and Kate. She pressed her face against Kate's shoulder as if to escape and hide from the consequences of the nightmare. It took her a while to realize she was pressing herself against the person who made her want to sink into the earth to begin with. She didn't actually want to hide from Kate, but how was she supposed to react to the two of them talking about how they had kissed in some strange shared dream. Elijah probably knew Claire had returned the kiss as well, since he'd been there watching. They probably thought it was funny. Claire had found it funnier when Kate had been so bothered about groping her in her sleep and lied about how she hadn't done it intentionally. The thought made her very aware of how their two bodies were touching one another. Claire lay on top of Kate, gravity pressing her body down on the other woman's body. Their bosoms were pressed together, and their legs were intertwined. It wasn't the first time she'd slept with Kate, but now it took on a whole other meaning. She'd never slept with Kate like a man would sleep with a woman. Women weren't supposed to be doing such things with each other, were they? She wondered when Kate had first realized she wanted to touch and kiss her. Had it been when they were younger? They had had more than a few sleepovers in each other's wagons, laughing and having fun. Claire had compared her body to Kate's, because she thought it was more attractive and she seemed to be attracting more attention from boys. She blushed when she remembered asking Kate if she thought she was attractive, as she had been wearing nothing else than her nightgown. Maybe the rumours about the two of them being involved like that had never been Claire's fault as she had assumed. People always talked more about her than Kate as far as she could tell, so it had been logical to assume they thought Claire was a pervert. They said she slept with her big cats after all, but maybe they had known something about Kate she had not. A stranger thought made her feel warm inside, because someone wanted to touch and kiss her. No one had confessed to wanting to do that before. She was scared of what would happen if anyone else found out about it. She shouldn't be having such thoughts about female friends, but now she knew Kate was and had been thinking about her like that. Claire kept her eyes shut though, as all these thoughts rushed through her head, so she figured she could continue pretending to be asleep. She soon begun to fake her snoring, as if to make the other two believe she was fast asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah shrugged his shoulders and looked down at the ground, piddling with a few blades of grass as he pondered. What in the world would cause them all to share the same nightmare? It was a mystery to him, but he was beginning to look at the bigger picture, the strange events that had been occurring around the circus. First had been the horrific incident with his and Kate's act. That had never happened before, sure she had nicked him before but nothing ever came close to his carotid like that had. It was almost as if the knife had strayed from its path, an invisible breath of air that sent it a few centimeters off course, right into his throat. The following acts all experienced similar irregularities, though none were quite as violent. Still... there was something off about each of them. Not to mention the ring master, Elena's final act. It almost looked of witchcraft. The thought made Elijah question the possibility that their boss had something to do with what was occurring. "Something strange is going on here..." He looked at Kate with his brow in a knot. "Do you think it has anything to do with that weird chanting Elena did last night?" Kate shook her head and pressed her lips together in thought, "I don't know. She's done chanting before, it's all part of the act. But that was some strange stuff she was managing to conjure up." Kate felt Claire sink into her and she looked down at her. She looked troubled while she slept. Surely she wasn't still trapped in a nightmare, was she? Or perhaps flung into another? No, otherwise the incident with the tiger would not have been resolved so convincingly. Kate wondered what was bothering her friend, but she decided to let her sleep. After all, she was probably still feeling the effects of her hang over. Her mind wandered to the murder that they had the unfortunate privilege of witnessing earlier. The oddity of it made her wonder, how was such a feat pulled off without leaving a trace? Granted, the police had had little time to investigate much further. Still, she thought that such a bloody ordeal would've definitely resulted in a equally bloody trail to follow. "What of the woman this morning? Do you believe that to be of the same nature?" Kate questioned. He looked down in thought for a moment and then nodded slowly. "If I had to take a guess... yes. I don't see another explanation for it. And that nightmare that we were all thrown into? Together, no less? It all has to be related, so many freaky events could hardly be coincidental." "Well if that's the case, we need to get to the bottom of what's happening. At least to save our own skins. I don't know about you, but I'm not fond of the idea of being thrown into a demented nightmare every time I close my eyes." Elijah shook his head with widened eyes, "Oh, hell no." Kate laughed lightly, trying not to disturb Claire who soon started snoring. Something sounded off though... Claire wasn't usually a snorer. At least not like that, to Kate's knowledge. She narrowed her eyes at the woman in her lap and patted her. "Claire... I know you aren't sleeping anymore. Wake up, would ya?" She gently shook her friend, "We've got some stuff to talk about."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire listened to them speak, and thankfully they changed the subject away from what had happened in the dream. Maybe Elijah hadn't noticed how Claire had returned the kiss after all, or they just didn't want to talk about it when she was right there. Maybe they'd prefer talking about it behind her back like everyone else. The topic they talked about concerned Claire as well. If there were truly something sinister and evil going on at the circus, then it concerned all of them. She had to wonder if Elena had ever meant to take it this far. She didn't particularly like her boss, but she had thought of her as competent and well-meaning up until now. After what had happened, she had to question that though if it turned out that Elena was involved in more ways than one. Claire was surprised by Kate's apparent selfishness. Personally, she wanted most of her circus family to survive as well, not just save her own skin and get away with it. If that was all Kate wanted to do she may as well leave and find another circus, no? She doubted this curse, or whatever it was, had struck them all. She pushed her head against Kate's shoulder when the woman shook her and told her that she knew she wasn't asleep anymore. She couldn't know that for certain, so Claire tried to convince that she was in fact still asleep. Claire kept snoring, even going so far as to make the noises louder. "I am asleep." She muttered, but of course that gave the fact that she wasn't sleeping away. "Oh, bother…" Claire opened her eyes, rolled off of Kate and raised her knees to her head in a sitting position. She wanted to hide, not talk about whatever had happened between them, assuming that was what Kate wanted to talk about. She blushed and looked down at the ground, keeping her head pressed against her knees. "What stuff?" She asked after sitting quiet and motionless for a moment. "I thought we had talked enough for today. There's no need to talk about anything." Claire coughed and stood up. "I can't talk at all. My voice is hoarse and you wouldn't understand what I'm saying. Also, I need to go check on my chores and big cats now." She nodded determinedly and spun around to walk away. "Yup, no need to talk about anything's that happened. It's all a bunch of elaborate illusions." She doubted Kate would take her seriously though. If anything, she might take it as dismissive and rude. As she walked away slowly she felt her cheeks turning hot and she had to stare down at the ground so no one else would notice it. She didn't want Kate to get the wrong idea, but she had to figure out what that was to begin with.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate rolled her eyes when Claire tried to convince them further about her sleeping state. Elijah chuckled and shook his head as he watched Claire roll off of Kate and give up on the antics. He tossed a canteen of water towards Claire, since she had been the one to request it earlier when he had left. Kate sat up after Claire had moved off of her, brushing the grass off of her back and arms. There was a crick in her neck, a result of what she presumed to be sleeping so awkwardly for those hours. Her hand rubbed the base of her neck and she raised an eyebrow at Claire, who seemed to be sitting uncomfortably a few feet away. She wondered if something was bothering her, perhaps what had gone down in the crazy dreamland. Kate didn't have to ponder on it long though, because Claire's sudden ramblings confirmed that something was up. All she could do was hope that her actions hadn't caused some sort of rift between them. That was exactly why she hadn't acted on her emotions beforehand, but she really didn't have a choice in the nightmare if they all wanted to get out of it without going mad first. "Well, we need to-" Kate opened her mouth to respond to Claire but was cut off when the woman decided to talk at an increasingly fast pace. Elijah looked over at her and they exchanged looks of concern and confusion before standing up after Claire. It seemed as though she was just searching for excuses to escape the conversation and get away from the pair, or more particularly, from Kate. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Kate said as Claire turned around to leave. Regardless of if she was uncomfortable around her, they were all probably better off sticking together considering recent events. Kate quickly closed the distance Claire had made from them and reached her hand out, grabbing Claire's arm to stop her from leaving. "Claire, wait. It isn't wise to just run off by yourself." She realized that she was still holding on to Claire's wrist, and she quickly released her grip, fearing it may just make her want to get away even more. Kate took in a deep breath and sighed. "Look, what happened in the 'illusion' as you call it... I understand if you don't want to talk about it." She shifted uncomfortably on her feet and looked at the ground. "We don't have to talk about that right now. You can pretend like it was all some mind trick, but look at everything that's been happening. Something sinister is going on around here and we need to stick together." Kate looked to Eli for some support, before Claire tried to run off by herself. He nodded his head, "Kate is right. If you want to check on the animals, that is fine. But we should go with you."</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire stiffened when Kate grabbed her arm. She would have thought Kate would be smart enough to not touch her when she was behaving like this, but maybe the pervert just wanted a chance to grope her again. She did remove her hand again, and Claire felt disgusted with herself for thinking such a thought about her best friend. She had said she would be fine with it if Kate wanted to touch her when they were in the dream. Funny how reality was able to mess with her mind and confuse her feelings even more than a nightmare. Claire listened to what Kate and Elijah had to say, with her head turned, not looking directly at them. She didn't know if what Kate suggested she do what was she wanted to do. How could she not understand that she might need time to process everything that had happened? Maybe Claire needed to tell her to back off and give her a chance to think, because at least then she would be left alone long enough to consider the odd prospect of them being more than friends. "I never said that's what I wanted, Kate. Maybe you need to stop talking long enough for the rest of us to think!" She muttered. "That's what I want to do, so leave me alone to do so." She wanted to walk off and leave them standing there, but then they had some good points. Someone had just been murdered brutally, and that wasn't the only unexplainable event that had taken place lately. Claire could claim they were illusions all she wanted, but it clearly would not stop them from hurting her or possibly ending her life. "Fine then. I suppose sticking together is best for now if you're afraid of being alone." Claire finally said and sighed. They needed her with them more than she needed them with her when she had her big cats. "I wouldn't be alone either way though. I've got my family of kittens to protect me. Maybe they'd protect you too if you behave." Claire straightened her clothes, and then she headed towards the part of the circus where the animals where kept. There should be nothing to fear. She wanted to think it so badly that she would likely think it until death was staring her in the face. She could try to escape with her cats, but this was her home. "What do you suggest we do then?" She asked, going back to the conversation they had had about how they should get to the bottom of things.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate sighed and stepped away from Claire, shaking her head to herself. As much as Kate didn't want Claire to go off alone and be a potential target to whatever forces were at work here, she couldn't ignore the cold tone and distaste that Claire was directing at her. It was clear she didn't want to be anywhere near her at the moment, but they were under some unfortunate circumstances. Claire was right though, she probably would be perfectly safe surrounded by her big cats. If not for their fierceness, the sight of them alone would be enough to stave off any potential attacker who was not familiar with them. Kate supposed that if she wanted to be left alone then she would give her space once they made it to the animal keeps. "Fine. If you want to be left alone with the cats then so be it." Kate mumbled before walking in the direction of the cages. She cared about Claire's well being, but she wasn't going to stick around if she was going to be treated coldly by her most valued friend. Kate supposed that once Claire was safely with her creatures, Kate would leave her alone as she wished. The effects of the dream seemed to have no negative effect on any of the trio's awakened life except Kate's. Elijah and Claire had been freed from a fear, while Kate's was slowly developing before her eyes. It scared her, but she decided to not worry until Claire had had time to process what exactly Kate had admitted to her in the dreamland. Kate didn't feel like talking anymore after Claire's comment, so she left the answering of her question to Eli. He followed behind the girls and shrugged his shoulders. "Well first we need to figure out what we're dealing with. And I think in order to do that we need to figure out what kind of mumbo-jumbo Elena was rattling off in the big top. But I doubt she'll be willing to just tell us, so you two better grab your spy gear." He chuckled, trying to lighten the damp mood that was surrounding the group, but to no avail. They walked the rest of the way in silence, arriving at the cages a few minutes later. There was a peculiar feel to the area, but Kate attributed it to her general nervousness. Kate stopped when they got nearer to Solomon's keep and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well here we are, if this is where you feel the safest then Eli and I will leave you to it. Besides, it would serve us well to go gather some of our blades to keep on hand anyways." Kate didn't bother making eye contact with Claire again after the looks of resentment that she had already thrown her way, so she turned to walk towards their training area where the weapons were kept. "We'll be back later, holler if you need."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Yes, I do want to be left alone to think. Thank you for finally listening to what I'm saying, Kate. That's so very considerate of you to do after forcing me to snap at you. She tightened her fists as she thought about screaming those words at Kate. Ugh, she was being even more insufferable than she usually was when Claire turned her down. "That's nice." Claire said. It was all she could manage without screaming at Kate that maybe finding out someone you'd known since you were children suddenly wanted to fuck you wasn't something a normal person would react any better to than she had. She was so glad when Elijah interrupted the silence and actually answered her question. "I don't know. I think she may be willing to talk if she's still around." Claire said. "Elena never seemed like an evil person to me, even if she may be hard to deal with at times. Competition is fierce even when you're the biggest and best like we are." Claire shrugged. They could always try to talk with Elena afterwards too, as long as they didn't get caught trying to find out what the woman had been doing. They were more than her as well. Claire didn't want to start a witch hunt, but they could probably rile up enough people from the circus that wanted answers as well. Elena would be pressed to answer them somehow then. They reached the cages, and Claire sighed in relief to find the area undisturbed. She'd not been all that afraid that something may have happened to her kittens, but at least there were no nasty surprises waiting for her either. "Of course this is where I feel safest." Claire smiled with her whole being. It was her home among home, her sanctuary where she could feel protected and be left alone when others wanted to bother her. It was where her family lived, even though she had never had a large family she had one when she had her cats. "Cheer up, Kate." She sighed, but apparently it had to be this way because Kate couldn't give her even one hour to gather her thoughts. It wasn't like she could do anything about the confusion she felt. If Kate wanted to distance herself from Claire because of it, it would be a shame, but it would not be her fault in the end. She hoped this would just be another one of their fights years from now, assuming they had survived the events at the circus by then. Claire entered the cage of Solomon, after making sure the rest of her big cats were well fed and alright. She sat herself with her back against his stomach where he was lying. She spent a long while trying to gather her thoughts, but she felt mostly annoyed by the way Kate had acted. Finally, she managed to gather her thoughts about the two of them together as more than friends by talking to Solomon. She kept her voice low and whispering.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah and Kate walked mostly in silence as they weaved their way between wagons and tents towards the weapons range. Kate's mind was heavy as she trudged along, her eyes aimed at her feet while she silently cursed and had arguments with herself. Why was is that she was the one being punished here? She hadn't done anything wrong, other than profess her suppressed feelings for her best friend. Ugh, if she had just suppressed them further maybe they would have disappeared altogether and they wouldn't be in this mess right now. Of course it was her fault, she couldn't just be 'normal' like all the other people in the world. No, that would be too easy. Instead she had to have the most difficult rendering of reality possible for her. Then again, she didn't deserve the disappointing look that Claire threw at her either. After all, if she hadn't done what she had they would probably still be trapped in that crazy nightmare, forever doomed. She continued to mumble to herself and throw her hands around like a mad person while she walked. Eli raised an eyebrow at her but let her be while they walked, nodding to passing coworkers while they walked through a commons area and shrugging when they pointed at Kate with a confused expression. They arrived at the place where they kept their weapons and practiced their acts all too often. But something was off. There was some type of gelatinous goop covering the chests that the weapons were kept in, and the wooden targets standing several yards away appeared to be bloodstained. Kate approached cautiously, blinking several times and rubbing her eyes before turning to Elijah. "You... see this too, right?" She asked. "Unfortunately, yes..." He approached the chest and opened it up. The contents were liquefied, the slimy substance coating the entire thing and filing it nearly to the brim. Eli grimaced, but kicked the chest over to empty it out. It nearly appeared as if the weapons had been dissolved by whatever the stuff was. It spilled out in a giant plop, coating the ground. "We should get out of here before whatever did this comes back... I've got more blades at my wagon, we can stop by there before heading back to Claire." Kate said as she had to keep herself from gagging at the sight of the gelatin goo that spread from the crate. Elijah nodded and wiped his hands with a kerchief from his pocket, tossing it to the ground after his hands were cleaned. They made it to her wagon and both entered, cautiously at first after what had been witnessed earlier near the wagons. Once Kate saw it was safe, she closed the door behind them and opened her closet. She retrieved her own throwing blades and holster before handing a larger knife to Eli, which he placed at his side. "You know, Katie, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Eli said after a few moments of silence. To which, she raised her eyebrow in speculation. "With Claire, I mean. Give her some time, you just dropped something big on her. 'Bout damn time you did too." "Wait, you knew?" Her mouth fell slightly agape. Eli chuckled and nodded, "Well, it wasn't that hard to figure it out. Not after the multitude of times you ignored my attempts at flirting that is." He smiled softly, "I wondered why you blew me off, but then I started to pay attention to the way you looked at her, every time she was around." Kate's face turned red and she let her jaw drop. It had never occurred to her that Eli had tried to make advances on her, though now that he mentioned it... she swallowed the lump in her throat and had to sit down. "Why didn't you tell me?" He shrugged, "What was there to tell? I love you Katie, but I've moved past those feelings for you. You love her, you just need to let her realize that." Kate was still a bit embarrassed, but she was able to gather her thoughts and talk to Elijah about it. Strange as it may be, it made her feel better about the situation. She realized she needed to back off and give herself and Claire a break. They finished their chat after a while and decided it was time to head back to the big cat enclosures to make sure nothing strange happened there like back at the practice range.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Yes, I do want to be left alone to think. Thank you for finally listening to what I'm saying, Kate. That's so very considerate of you to do after forcing me to snap at you. She tightened her fists as she thought about screaming those words at Kate. Ugh, she was being even more insufferable than she usually was when Claire turned her down. "That's nice." Claire said. It was all she could manage without screaming at Kate that maybe finding out someone you'd known since you were children suddenly wanted to fuck you wasn't something a normal person would react any better to than she had. She was so glad when Elijah interrupted the silence and actually answered her question. "I don't know. I think she may be willing to talk if she's still around." Claire said. "Elena never seemed like an evil person to me, even if she may be hard to deal with at times. Competition is fierce even when you're the biggest and best like we are." Claire shrugged. They could always try to talk with Elena afterwards too, as long as they didn't get caught trying to find out what the woman had been doing. They were more than her as well. Claire didn't want to start a witch hunt, but they could probably rile up enough people from the circus that wanted answers as well. Elena would be pressed to answer them somehow then. They reached the cages, and Claire sighed in relief to find the area undisturbed. She'd not been all that afraid that something may have happened to her kittens, but at least there were no nasty surprises waiting for her either. "Of course this is where I feel safest." Claire smiled with her whole being. It was her home among home, her sanctuary where she could feel protected and be left alone when others wanted to bother her. It was where her family lived, even though she had never had a large family she had one when she had her cats. "Cheer up, Kate." She sighed, but apparently it had to be this way because Kate couldn't give her even one hour to gather her thoughts. It wasn't like she could do anything about the confusion she felt. If Kate wanted to distance herself from Claire because of it, it would be a shame, but it would not be her fault in the end. She hoped this would just be another one of their fights years from now, assuming they had survived the events at the circus by then. Claire entered the cage of Solomon, after making sure the rest of her big cats were well fed and alright. She sat herself with her back against his stomach where he was lying. She spent a long while trying to gather her thoughts, but she felt mostly annoyed by the way Kate had acted. Finally, she managed to gather her thoughts about the two of them together as more than friends by talking to Solomon. She kept her voice low and whispering.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah and Kate walked mostly in silence as they weaved their way between wagons and tents towards the weapons range. Kate's mind was heavy as she trudged along, her eyes aimed at her feet while she silently cursed and had arguments with herself. Why was is that she was the one being punished here? She hadn't done anything wrong, other than profess her suppressed feelings for her best friend. Ugh, if she had just suppressed them further maybe they would have disappeared altogether and they wouldn't be in this mess right now. Of course it was her fault, she couldn't just be 'normal' like all the other people in the world. No, that would be too easy. Instead she had to have the most difficult rendering of reality possible for her. Then again, she didn't deserve the disappointing look that Claire threw at her either. After all, if she hadn't done what she had they would probably still be trapped in that crazy nightmare, forever doomed. She continued to mumble to herself and throw her hands around like a mad person while she walked. Eli raised an eyebrow at her but let her be while they walked, nodding to passing coworkers while they walked through a commons area and shrugging when they pointed at Kate with a confused expression. They arrived at the place where they kept their weapons and practiced their acts all too often. But something was off. There was some type of gelatinous goop covering the chests that the weapons were kept in, and the wooden targets standing several yards away appeared to be bloodstained. Kate approached cautiously, blinking several times and rubbing her eyes before turning to Elijah. "You... see this too, right?" She asked. "Unfortunately, yes..." He approached the chest and opened it up. The contents were liquefied, the slimy substance coating the entire thing and filing it nearly to the brim. Eli grimaced, but kicked the chest over to empty it out. It nearly appeared as if the weapons had been dissolved by whatever the stuff was. It spilled out in a giant plop, coating the ground. "We should get out of here before whatever did this comes back... I've got more blades at my wagon, we can stop by there before heading back to Claire." Kate said as she had to keep herself from gagging at the sight of the gelatin goo that spread from the crate. Elijah nodded and wiped his hands with a kerchief from his pocket, tossing it to the ground after his hands were cleaned. They made it to her wagon and both entered, cautiously at first after what had been witnessed earlier near the wagons. Once Kate saw it was safe, she closed the door behind them and opened her closet. She retrieved her own throwing blades and holster before handing a larger knife to Eli, which he placed at his side. "You know, Katie, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Eli said after a few moments of silence. To which, she raised her eyebrow in speculation. "With Claire, I mean. Give her some time, you just dropped something big on her. 'Bout damn time you did too." "Wait, you knew?" Her mouth fell slightly agape. Eli chuckled and nodded, "Well, it wasn't that hard to figure it out. Not after the multitude of times you ignored my attempts at flirting that is." He smiled softly, "I wondered why you blew me off, but then I started to pay attention to the way you looked at her, every time she was around." Kate's face turned red and she let her jaw drop. It had never occurred to her that Eli had tried to make advances on her, though now that he mentioned it... she swallowed the lump in her throat and had to sit down. "Why didn't you tell me?" He shrugged, "What was there to tell? I love you Katie, but I've moved past those feelings for you. You love her, you just need to let her realize that." Kate was still a bit embarrassed, but she was able to gather her thoughts and talk to Elijah about it. Strange as it may be, it made her feel better about the situation. She realized she needed to back off and give herself and Claire a break. They finished their chat after a while and decided it was time to head back to the big cat enclosures to make sure nothing strange happened there like back at the practice range.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire feared what would happen if things didn't work out between them, even if Kate got what she seemed to want there were no guarantees. They had worked great as friends for years, so perhaps they would work just as great as a couple. What if they didn't though? What if everything continued to fall apart after they solved this situation? Maybe they had been inevitably pushed down a slippery slope towards an end neither wanted by all of these events, but then she should try to hold onto her friend through the fall, right? Another aspect to consider was how thoroughly inexperienced she was with any of this. Her first kiss had been in a strange shared nightmare, like half an hour earlier, so by any count it probably hadn't even happened yet. How could it have if it was a dream? She wondered if Kate was more experienced than her, or if it would dissuade her from pursuing any relationship with Claire. Weirdly, that made her feel a bit sad and angry at the same time. She'd been led to believe men wanted to marry inexperienced women, so why would Kate think she had any right to judge her based on that? She calmed herself down by telling herself all of those concerns were in her head. She couldn't possibly know what Kate wanted in a partner. She thought she could have once, but clearly she must have been so wrong. Claire had teased her for being into Elijah, assuming they did things together when she was not around that would make others blush. Now she had to wonder if all they ever did of that nature was talk about what Kate wanted to do with Claire. Were they like two guys in that way? That made her blush. Claire went to retrieve her whip after she had remained motionless in thought inside of Solomon's cage for what felt like too long. She needed to distract herself from thinking, not think more; especially not along the lines she had been doing it. She found snakes where she would have usually stored her whips. It confused her at first, but she picked them up and threw them in a nearby barrel. Only one of her whips were still around, apparently someone had thought they were being funny when they exchanged the rest with snakes. She returned to Solomon's cage, where she found her friends waiting. Claire didn't know what she was supposed to do to show she was at least accepting of Kate as she was, no matter what that meant. In the end, she went up to her side and took her hand in her own, squeezing it lightly. "So what do we do now? Go slay the evil witch?" Claire made a bad attempt at a laugh, which sounded more false and nervous than anything else. "I don't think Elena is any worse than any other boss normally, so maybe we should hear her out before we do anything drastic?"</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah and Kate had made their way back to the animal enclosures and poked around to see where Claire had run off to. Eventually she resurfaced, whip in hand. This time, Kate stood still and kept quiet instead of opening her mouth again. What Eli had said still sat fresh in her mind and she knew she needed to leave Claire be. It took Kate by great surprise when Claire took her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. She did her best not to react too greatly to the gesture, simply smiling ever so slightly and returning the squeeze. Her heart thumped in her chest at the notion that things were going to be alright. Hopefully at the very least their friendship would remain unharmed throughout the process, she could only hope. "Well, I didn't bring my pitchfork with me or else I'd say we should burn her at the stake." Elijah returned the nervous laughter with a less awkward chuckle, shaking his head. "We might as well see what she has to say, at the very least she may have some answers that could prove useful to us." He shrugged his shoulders. Kate nodded in agreement, "That's true. I don't suggest we act until we have an idea of what's really going on." She doubted Elena had done anything like this on purpose, and it was hard to believe that she was capable of such magic. That is until recently, of course. Too many oddities had occurred to deny such forces could exist. "Very well then, let's go pay the boss a visit, yeah?" Elijah tucked the blade that was on his waist into his trousers and covered it up with his shirt. No point in looking threatening if there was no need, especially not with all of the cops patrolling the grounds for their investigation. He set off leading the way, checking over his shoulder to make sure the girls were following. "Well, what are we going to say to her? We can't just knock on her door and say 'Hey Elena, mind telling us about that voodoo stuff you did the other night? Seemed a little murderous if you ask us.' She'll probably send us to the same fate as that poor woman earlier." Kate questioned. Elijah raised an eyebrow at her, but kept walking. "I think maybe you should leave the talking to me or Claire, Kate. Your way with words seems to be fleeting today." He flashed a grin, which she returned with a huff. "We should probably start vague, wait to see if she fesses up before we have to bring it up ourselves."</s>
<\|description\|>Ro'lithe Slaavex Age: 103 Gender: Hermaphrodite Race: Human Height: 6'1 Weight: 110 Appearance: Equipment: Force Staff, Ro' wears gold plated armor over her breasts and a gold colored thong of sorts to cover his male and female genitalia, her two horns are gold armored as well as her spiney tail, knee high gold colored boots accompanied by elbow length gold armored gloves complete his attire. Powers: Doombolt- Bolts made of raw chaos energy are launched by the sorcerer against his enemies. Warptime- The sorcerer alters the flow of time around himself, allowing for attacks with supernatural precision. Wind of Chaos- The sorcerer calls forth the corruption from within his soul, unleashing a golden cloud of rapturous agony or a rain of hypnotic light. Pavane of Slaanesh- The Psyker utters the forbidden dances of Slaanesh, forcing his opponents to jerk and spasm until their bones break. Sensory Overload- The Psyker overloads the nervous and sensory systems of their enemies. Siren- The sorcerer assumes the form of someone to whom the enemy, out of love or admiration, would never cause harm. Beam of Slaanesh- The sorcerer unleashes a ray of rainbow colours that confuses and disorients the enemy. Touch of Slaanesh- A delicate caress by the sorcerer renders his enemies insensible and unable to defend themselves. She Who Thirsts- Having dealt a mortal blow to his enemy, the sorcerer rips out their very soul, causing fear in those around the unfortunate being. Teleportation- Allows the sorcerer to teleport short distances. Rank Among Chaos: Chaos Lord Bio: Ro'lithe is from the twin moon Slaadux, the larger of the two moons that orbit the gas planet Disktrit, whereas Disktrit is uninhabitable both its moons are considered paradise, Slaadux is a sandy satellite with warm blue coastal waters and purple trees. Slaadux is large in comparison to its twin Razaleft but both moons are incredibly small compared to the planet they orbit. Slaadux is inhabited by a large population of humans who look to Slaanesh as their god, they are best known for their sexual nature and are leaders in the gas trade. Ro'lithe discovered her Psyker abilities and heavily endulged herself in the carnal nature of her powers, killing a large portion of the planet and its inhabitants, what was left of the Slaanesh followers quickly allied themselves with her and worshiped her for nearness to the god they so loved. Her and her followers began corrupting the twin moon Razaleft and its few human occupants. Ro'lithe received attention from Slaanesh as he blessed her with a second gender, horns and a tale, moving her followers into an even deeper state of cultish carnage, Ro' releashed the Warp once more across her planet and its neighbor causing another wave of death and destruction and spurring the remainder of the population into a cultish frenzy, Ro' continued to build their loyalty until he was called to the crusade. Aligned: Slaanesh Retinue: Ro's cultist numbers on both twin moons center around four thousand, they were able to find and recruit five hundred psykers. The moons have</s> <\|message\|>Lord Ligarius, the Diseased. The Plague Terminator, Lord Ligarius was the next to respond, his voice heavily distorted and disturbing from the ravages of the diseases festering inside him. His voice was deep, yet menacing, and his wounds festered. Blood poured from various orifices, as did pus and other instruments of the Plague Lord. It took barely a glance to recognize whom he sided with; as he was firmly, and devoutly a follower of Nurgle. In his six centuries however, six centuries of wars, petty squabbles, and service furthering Grandfather Nurgle's cause, he had never met the Dark Apostle, nor had he ever set foot in the ship he now stood on. Having heard of tales about the Chaplain Erebus, he was at once honored to meet such an early follower of Chaos itself. However, just because he was honored, did not mean he bowed prostrate or even acknowledged the Dark Apostle, save for a reverent tilt of his head. When the man finished speaking, he turned his head to the Great Unclean Ones who always guided him, always appeared to him, even if the others never saw them;He turned and spoke to them. "Great Unclean Ones, you have heard the Chaplain Erebus speak. I would heed your advice, if you give it." "Follow him. Serve the Cause of Nurgle, and rip out the False Emperor's heart!" Grimegal was the first to speak, the most enthusiastic of the three. "Mmm, if it fits the cause, why not serve?" Bleaz, the second spoke, always the more apathetic of the bunch. "Rip the head off of the False Emperor, and claim it in the name of Grandfather Nurgle! Spread virulent disease across holy Terra and make the people cry out to the Grandfather for salvation only HE can provide!" Zaeleaz said, the most violent of the three, and the one to hold the most sway over the Plague Terminator. Their piece said, their voices faded into the background, and the Plague Terminator raised his head and raised his mace above his head. When he spoke, his deep voice boomed off of the walls, resounding with a kind of devotion only found within the forces of the Plague God. "Dark Chaplain Erebus! We, the Forces of the Plague God, will carve straight to holy Terra, and rip the head from the body, spreading disease to a dying empire. It will be done."</s> <\|message\|>Kallax The Divided Lord Ghroul's arrival was not a gentle one, heralded by the cry of the Headsman's Axe and Warpfire as he was pulled through the warp. The fires of his rage didn't die down until the closest cultist felt the teeth of his axe. Surrounded by the remains of an enemy that barely fought back killed his mood, bringing his fire back to ice. Giving a dismissive grunt, Ghroul left the meat to the scavengers and looked upon the being above him. "Erebus." he rasped through a ravaged Vox com, this wasn't the first time he had met the Dark Apostle. Lord Ghroul had seen the man several times throughout the Heresy, always by Horus' side and whispering secrets into his ear. At the time Ghroul couldn't appreciate the Architects methods, being a slave to the Butchers Nails as he was, but with clarity came appreciation. His scheming lead to many battles against the Corpse Emperor, none of which have matched the scale of the Battle for Terra. Back then he was behind the betrayer, Kharn, when the World Eaters broke through and the real slaughter began. What the Architect now offered, a chance of redemption for his fellow legion and honor for Khorne. Well, he wouldn't disappoint. When the Plague Lord spoke it ground against his frayed nerves, hitting every point and saying all the wrong words. Bringing the spiked end of his axe into the floor, Ghroul rasped [i]"Your rotton god will not claim the Corpse Emperors head plague worm, the skull throne will have his skull even if I have to pry it from his shoulders!"[i] His fist tightening around the haft in preparation for battle should the plague worm wish it.</s> <\|message\|>Captain Axe Captain Axe sat sharpening his skinning knife, it had been a few days since he had cleaned a skull for Khorne, and spilled blood in his name. The act of sharpening his knife was almost a religious experience for it was the tool used to please his god. As he slid the whetstone across the blade he felt an odd feeling in the pit of stomach. That old familiar pull he received as he was drawn to another place to shed blood and harvest skulls once more. Standing in the back of the room he listened to the large, bald man run his mouth. The details didn't matter to Axe, all he cared for was getting back into battle once more. His interest was piqued finally when the man said that they were there to cut a bloody swath to holy Terra. Finally a battle to fight once more. He drew his knife and kissed the blade, pledging once more to spill blood for Khorne and gather skulls to decorate his throne.</s> <\|message\|>Major Varl In the midst of the chaos on board this and every other vessel in the fleet, from gabbering sorcerers who mumbled incoheriently to themselves and shouted questionable statements at any who wandered too close, to the cowering and ravenous mutants who scrounged for food and really anything on board. And were not above killing or eating their fellows if their mood called for it. To large Chaos marines that thundered through the aged and creaking halls. Dispassionatly killing those who stood in their way. And yet in an odd display, for chaos worshippers especially was a large company of men. Each one wearing matching uniforms and helmets. Standing with ramrod straight postures and in drill perfect lines and columns in perfect silence. Any muttering or unsightly movements and twitches were long since beaten out of them by the corprals and sergeants who already walked down the ranks and dealt blows and slaps to them men in preperation for this announcement. Their boots were polished to a sheen and their rifles were well kept and carefully cleaned. Another stark contrat to the writhing masses that worrounded them. They stood out as possibly the only show of discipline and proper order in a sea of disharmony. And at the head of this odd little display was the masked figure of major Varl. His smooth and featureless face ebtrayed nothing of what he may have thought about the boldness of the dark apostle's statement. Or the claims he was making. He found that he was not as prone to mood swings and following the illusions of emotion as many followers of chaos seemed to be. He may not be in the imperial military anymore but he still valued their insistance on thinking tactically and making a strike only when you knew you either had all the cards in your favour or taking the chance was worth the risk. And right now he was debating how this little crusade would end. After twelve attempts all made by the same commanders one would think they would shift tactics and try to compensate for their obvious shortcomings. One would think anyway..... While he was happy to lead his men into combat and victory he was less enthusiastic about leading them straight to their doom. And one of the few things he learned after turning to chaos was that most of their commanders didn't always think in the grande scheme of things. They became overly focused on a single goal and outcome to the point where they all but dismissed thoughts and suggestions that it could not be achieved. And if ten thousand years of history and wars against the Emperor were to say anything it was that these plans never suceeded.... ever. Most cultists and even chaos marines only thought about their next kill, their next sexcapade or injection of some foreign substance. They rarely planned for the long term. And in the case of Tzeentchians they planned too far into the long term. All but dismissing any short term complications that often arose that threw their careful planning into immediate disarray. And then there was the back stabbing.... As an imperial soldier he always wondered why the arch-enemy fought amongst themselves so often. Entire battles and wars were won because Massed imperial columsn smashed straight into quarraling enemy forces as infighting ran rampant. And after joining them and fighting alongside them for the last sixty plus years he still didn't have an answer to that question. Often they were petty disagreements or worse, over no cause at all other than the servants of one god really dislike the servants of another. Or simply boredom. Hell he didn't even declare any extreme loyalties that would give cause for others to label him as an enemy but still he had at least a score of assassination attempts made against him in the last two years alone! And the Bribes!.... oh dark gods below the bribes politics and bribery. As it turned out well equipped companies of trained and disciplined soldiers were in high demand and frighteningly short supply. And many minor and major lords have already made bids for his loyalty or at least support. Offering him all manner of gifts and lies in the hopes of securing his support and arms if they made a coup or move against a rival. He suspected at least a few to try and usurp his position in some way and try to assume command over his men. He would need to be extra watchful while he was on board this ship of both his men and his enemies. But he would remain resolute and independant for as long as he could. A difficult task but one he was determined to suceed in. But for the immediate future he would need to make sure that his men were prepared and trained to add yet another battle honour to the hallowed standard and name of the marauders. And not sacrificed or cast aside for the over ambitious zeal of some insane chaos lord looking to rise beyond his station.</s> <\|message\|>Skumdog Gutgut Everybody on the ship took in the sight of the passing orks as if they were looking at a illusion or a mirage, this was the first time they had been released by Khorne and they were raring for a fight, but none stepped forward giving the orks a wide berth as if they were one of Nurgles own, the fact that orks following a chaos god was rare enough was just enough for them to be given that room but the sheer fact they were orks caused them to be avoided that much more. The orks walked into the room just as the conversation was dying they strode into the middle of the rooming regarding everyone around them. Then the biggest one spoke. "Gess Who? And if anyne is takin eads round ere eets us! Raaagh" The leader spoke and the two nobz that stood with him echoed his growl. The big one raised his hands and the nobz quieted down to a whimper as if afraid of the big ork. "We is going to take more eads becausz orks ar teh bestest!" The leader shouted, taking in everyone in the room the nobz echoing his "We ar teh bestest." Statement, but then a fist from the leader knocked one of the nobs to the ground effectively shutting them up. "And nun of you humies best git in deh way. WAAAAAGH" The Ork shouted and he let the nobz join him this time in his shout filling the ship with the sound of their warcry.</s>	<\|message\|>Ro'lithe Slaavex Ro'lithe moved out of the shadows, her long armor plated tail seemed to snake itself out of the wall as she glided elegantly forward, her bare hips swinging wide with each step as she passed the warrior named Captian Axe brushing her hand up his back side she let her purple eyes linger on his face as she passed him, the lust in her pupils made them glow a deep purple as she drug her gaze from his eyes. Leveling her large gold tipped horns she moved like liquid grace toward the group and to face Erebus, her body naked save for the meager gold plated bra and thong. Stopping just short of the bald legend Ro'lithe bowed deeply letting her long tail spiral outwards behind her and her long horns brush the floor before she straightened herself "the Chaos lord of Slaanesh is happy to partake in the death of the emperor, we are happy to strike the final killing blow and do what we like with his limp corpse" Ro'lithe's voice echoed through the room loud and landed upon listening ears like a lovers caress. Holding her staff by her side she gave a large mischievous smile before stalking back behind the group of gathered warriors.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexia 5' foot 7' inches 118 Ibs Age: Twenty-Seven Gender: Female Personality: Forged from the fires of insidious creation, dusted with the ash of what little remains of her former, and meek self, Alexia is a strong-willed and powerful woman. The taint of the crag's magic transformed her, almost completely shifting her character. Playing with the hearts of those she can use, molding them like clay in her hands. Her time in Meidiba is normally spent conning things off of merchants, flowing through the crowds of those like her like a stream of water, too fluid to be seen - noticed only when she bats her lashes. Alexia is proud, and carries herself with a strong resolve, a fiery depth in her amber eyes. Not known to be entirely trustworthy, considering her line of work.. History: Alexia traversed lands vast and wild, though nothing in her travels could prepare her for what lay in wait - a hungry beast with a heart of pure black, never filled despite the souls it devoured. She would find herself trapped in the belly of the beast, never to resurface. Hearing tales of the crag, young Alexia, a shaman in the making, headed off to uncover the mysteries surrounding the veil of darkness that shrouded itself over the split that spread apart their world. The horse she borrowed from the cluster whinnied below her, it's steps getting progressively heavier, ears tilted back. Something was wrong. She could feel it in the air, engulfing her slowly, bathing her in warning. 'Turn back', it said, 'There is naught but despair on this path you take.' Yet, she pressed forward, heart purged by curiosity and the whispers promising that she would be the first to undertake the magic, to embrace it so closely. The shroud of darkness lay just ahead, hiding the crevice within from prying eyes, the magic was plainly visible, hovering in the air and shimmering, hiding the taint with a welcoming burst of warmth. Just before crossing through the veil of magic, the white horse she was riding bucked, lifting her high off of it's back and onto the muddy floor below, still wet from last nights storm. Landing with a thud that knocked all of the wind from her lungs, Alexia watched helplessly as her horse ran from the shroud of magic - from her. Taking a deep breath and wiping her face of mud splatters, Alexia shakily rose on her legs, light blue eyes searching the area for any sign of the white coat of her horse. She searched to no avail, not trace of her horse remained beside the hoof-prints left behind in the mud, already leading far off. Pursing her lips, the young healer turned back to the seemingly thicker blanket of magic, raising a brow at it with ample curiosity. Lifting a hand, she placed her palm flat against the veil, closing her eyes as a flood of warmth flushed over her skin, listening as the whispers claimed her mind. Her hand pressed further, passing through the magic was like pushing through water, a slow process, but refreshing. The whispers grew louder, egging her on, pushing her forward. The magic took it's time, seeping into her, swirling around her. It was everywhere, even in her head. The change was almost instantaneous. The mass of magic taking over, molding itself to her, flowing through her veins and swallowing her whole. She pushed against the mass of water-thick magic, tears streaking her face, "Please, let me go!" She screamed into the abyss while falling, always falling farther and farther. There was no exit, no white horse, no light. It wanted her, to feed from her magic. Or, so she thought. The whispers calmed, slowing until they became nothing more than a dull hum of memory, ringing in her ears. The pressure of the warm magic was gone, she could see the woods once more, the density of the forest a welcome comfort. Turning around, she noted that she was once again on the other side of the veil, she closed her eyes, quickly backing away from the tug of magic, shutting out the start of whispers. She had followed her horses tracks all the way back to Meidiba, taking refuge in the dark town until she could send word to her cluster. Deciding to wait a day, to let the shock wear off, Alexia took what little gold she had packed away with her, thankfully she'd decided to carry that, and not put her coin purse on that horse as well. She'd managed to barter with the innkeeper about the price of her stay, if only by a few coins, and was sent to her room with a gilded key. After cleaning herself off, she traded her muddy dress for a new sky blue one, soft and easy to maneuver in. Once she had settled, Alexia laid back onto the hard bed, closing her eyes and hoping to find sleep. An immense warmth began to overtake her body, whispers calling to her amidst the dark of her room. She gasped, feeling a familiar pressure against her body, slowly beginning to overtake her. The whispers roared in her head, confirming her fears, that the magic had become a part of her. The brunette could feel herself slipping, falling ever more into the inescapable abyss, letting the whispers grow into shouts, kindling the warmth into a burning fire that raged within her. It didn't take long for her to fall completely into the darkness. Waking with a start, Alexia sat up from where she had collapsed onto the ground, her brows raising at the dull glow reflecting off of the wooden floor. Averting her gaze down, she looked at her hands, tears forming in her eyes. Her hands, they were discolored, tainted into a purplish haze, like the tips of a freshly lit flame. Letting her eyes travel up her arms, tinted a deep red, the colors would be comforting, if they didn't belong to her body. Wasting no time, she rushed off to the restroom, careful not to wake or disturb anyone - hard as it was, considering she was glowing like wall torch. Moving was increasingly hard however, as her head had something on it, something she'd tried to remove along the way, but with no luck. Entering the bathroom, she moved to light the lamp beside her, only to jump back in surprise as the lamp began to light the room, lit with a flame. Though, what truly surprised her, wasn't the lamp at all. It was herself. Mouth agape, the tears that had been brimming in her now glowing red eyes streamed down her cheeks. She was a monster, magic rippling around her skin, horns upon her head and eyes aglow. The whispers started to speak once more, this time sounding similar to her own voice, a reassuring presence in her mind. Her warmth grew, and the tears turned into steam, drifting into the air around her, swirling beside the purple bursts of magic. A knock at the door interrupted the whispers, "Are you all right in there, lass?" The innkeeper. Turning her head away from the door and back to the mirror, Alexia took herself in, her eyes burning darkly. "Oh yes, dear. I'm fine." A smile stretched it's way across her face, "I'm perfect." Abilities: Human * Skilled in persuasion, she can be quite the diplomat, dominating the verbal battlefield. * A gifted Pyromancer, she is able to create and manipulate fire. * Her time in the cluster provided her with knowledge of plants with toxic, and healing properties. * Minimal hand to hand combat experience. * Influence within Meidiba's merchant place. Magical Entity * Enhanced pyromancy. * Able to plant subconscious suggestions in the mind of hostiles. * Agile, though strength is greatly reduced. Anything Extra: Theme</s> <\|message\|>Fox Ironwall Her dark eyes blink open slowly, taking in her surroundings. The same drab walls look down at her as they have every day. There's whispering in the back of her mind and she sits up, her hand immediately going to the black and red necklace around her neck. It's still there. She lets out a sigh of relief and climbs to her feet, stretching. Muscles across her back and shoulders pop loudly and she pops her neck as well. She walks over to her wardrobe and pulls out a pair of soft leather boots, black trousers, and a loose white shirt. She slips into these things before grabbing a cloak and pulling it on over everything. She pulls the hood up around her face and she walks over to the mirror. Perfect. She looks exactly like a guy. She smiles and touches her necklace again. Power thrums through her fingertips and her ruby lips pull back over her teeth. She walks out of her little apartment and down the stairs to the front door. She walks out into the street and sees that it is already bustling with activity. She notices someone jump down from the roof of a building and she rolls her eyes. Probably an adrenaline junkie of some kind. She then proceeds to scan the street for some victims, looking for people to pickpocket. She, of course, never kept the wallets. She would always track the person to their home and steal valuable things to sell more than she would steal money. But if she ever did steal money from the wallets, then she would just return them to the house. She had no use for the wallets anyways. She notices a young woman a few feet away and she proceeds calmly toward her. She "accidentally" bumps into the woman and slips her hand down into her bag, pulling out a small little coin purse. She apologizes in a deep voice resembling a male's, telling the woman that she hadn't been watching where she was going. The woman bought it and walks off, talking with her friends, which Fox's bright brown eyes laugh as she tosses the coin purse up into the air and catches it, thinking of how easy a target she was. She whistles while she walks, her eyes scouring the crowds for more victims.</s> <\|message\|>Strogobor Moravec Early morning in Craftsmen District. A crack of breaking wood. A window destroyed. A slam of a body hitting the cobbled road in front of The Fletcher Inn. A cry of pain at the rough landing. Gasps of local folk. A tall figure with strange hair exits the inn through the crumbling window and kicks the squirming body in stride. He mutters something in a foreign tongue and spits sideways, saliva missing his long mustache only barely. The one on the ground tries to unbalance him by grabbing him by the leg, but it only makes the big one start kicking the prone man repeatedly, followed by a barrage of curses, cusses and insults. The last kick is directed at his jaw and blood splatters onto the street. Teeth make a rattling sound as they roll down the street. Onlookers step back from the scene. The murmuring of the gathered crowd is pierced by a voice from within the inn, clearly shouting at the tall man. "What are you doing, you stupid easterling?! Who is going to pay for all this damage?!" The man fumed, ready to throw chunks of broken wood at the brute, blinded by frustration. Unfazed by the words of the innkeeper, the big one crouches by the now toothless, unconscious body and yanks the coin purse off, ruining the pantaloons in the process with a loud rip. He shakes out the coins into his hand, throws the purse away and collects ten gold coins. He then tosses them toward the innkeeper. Though surprised, the shouty man still manages to catch them. Then, the tall one bellows out to him. "To cheat Strogobor at cards is one thing. To admit him that is another thing. Neither ends well. Relay that to other patrons." Strogobor places the rest of the coins into his pocket, walks up to his horse in front of the inn and unties her. And then, he walks down the street like nothing happened, guiding the mare through the city. He pats Wojda twice as they go and begins whistling a tune of a battle song he used to sing when his people went to war.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexia Helpless is the drowning soul, for all their effort, may they never truly break the surface, never truly gasp in a gulp of air - of life. That's what it was, wasn't it? Magic was a slow drowning. Once you've drenched yourself in it, it'll wrap around you until it's swallowed you whole. Still, she's drowning. The whispers are getting worse by day, and by night, the magic calls to her. As if she were still basked in the darkness of the crag, choking on her realizations, on her naivety. She was still shaken from last night, the transformation had been abrupt, uncontrolled. It was a strange thing, this magic. Though it wrought nothing but despair, leaving a broken tattered mess in it's wake, the young woman couldn't help but feel privy to such things. It had chosen her. In a way, she cherished it, basking in the glorious pain and wreck it left for her. She was losing herself in the storm, falling farther and farther into the abyss. Light could barely seem to breach the crack now, but...It was still there - somehow the illumination was still there, waiting for her, calling her back. The pull from both sides left her head aching, and heart confused. The power was intoxicating, but she knew the cost. It had gotten worse lately, that familiar tug at the back of her mind, the whispers, her demeanor had even taken a plunge. Alexia knew that the headache could no longer be the route of the problem anymore. She knew what it was, though it was horrifying to imagine. The water was rising, pushing away any part of her that once was, making room for the vile magic that consumed her - that was slowly pushing forth, close to reaching the surface. Only one of them could breathe at a time, and she knew - Oh did she know, her time at the surface was diminishing. Opening her eyes slowly, avoiding the stranger in the mirror, Alexia hurriedly changed into her velvet trimmed, red dress, admiring the soft feel of the attire before gathering what remained of herself, and heading out of her room and into the main hall of the Inn. Her hair neatly tied back in a soft brown braid, the woman scanned her still tainted eyes about the room, measuring up all those inside. So far, the day had been relatively quiet, compared to it's normal bout of laughter enough to rile even the sanest priest. All in all, today was quite the day. A day to seize, nevertheless. Clenching her fists, and providing the most pleasant smile that could ever adorn the human face, Alexia strode about the room, commanding glances her way. A promising start, now all she had to do, was ensure that she maintained this composer. She was still shaken, and though she could do it well, she could only cover up the involuntary twitch in her hands for so long. Hopefully she could muster enough willpower to keep going, she had a reputation after all, meetings to attend - money to smooch off of others, and perhaps a little stop at the town square would do her some good, fresh air couldn't hurt.</s>
<\|description\|>Rhian 'The Priestess of the Damned'. "The fact that I am blind does not mean I cannot see" 5ft 5in, her eyes have been ripped out. There is nothing but ragged holes where they should be. Age: 33 Gender: Female Personality: I care for those that the rest of society leaves for dead. When others hiss at the disfigured, the diseased, or the insane, I care for them. I treat them with the kindness and the compassion they deserve, and I bring the word of the gods to them. They are the Damned of Society, and I am their Priestess. They are my flock, my children. Like any mother, I grow angry whenever my children are threatened. Specifically, I kill those who threaten them. I'm really typically nice and peaceful. Just don't threaten my children, or I'll show you what it really is to be damned. I have a stubborn streak a mile wide, it should be said. History: I was blinded at a young age. I don't remember who did it, or why. I only remember the intense pain of having both eyes carved out of my head, and passing out. As I slipped into blissful unconsciousness, I assumed I was going to die. Afterall, typically when you lose your eyes that violently, you bleed out. But, I didn't die. I was visited by a multitude of beings of shadow. They were too dark to make out more than just their forms, but they spoke to me. I won't go into the details of all they said, as that would be a telling that would take days. They told me I had been chosen to guide the damned, the forgotten, and the shunned. I had been chosen to save them from themselves, and protect them from the rest of the world. They would give me the powers necessary to both overcome my blindness, and protect my flock. I accepted their offer gladly. When the only other choice is death, you don't accept an offer any other way, do you? The going was hard, at first. After all, no one respects a little girl, least of all a blind one in the slums, near the crags. But my Gods provide. Those who threatened me paid dearly for their insolence. Those who merely ignored me were forgiven, and later brought into the fold. As I grew, so did my powers and my ability to understand people and comfort them. It is harder than you think, to make someone open up to you. Especially near the crag. These people have been hated, insulted, and attacked their entire lives. Getting them to open up to me, to my Gods, and to let themselves be comforted. I suppose that's where my stubborn streak came from. I refused to give up on them, no matter how many times they threw me back. No matter how many times they screamed an insulted me. I always came back. Now, there's a tension in the air. There's a trembling through the lifeforces. Something is coming. I don't know what, but I do know one thing. I will weather the storm, and I will protect my children. As I always have. As I always will. Abilities: Lifeforce sight- My magic, a gift from the Gods, more than makes up for my lack of sight. I can see the life force of people and animals like burning candles in the dark. Even inanimate objects can be seen by me, a dark grey glow. They even have their own colors, according to the person's personality. I can also erase some objects from my sight, like my mask. After all , it would be ridiculous to be blinded because I couldn't see through my mask. Thanks to my power, I know better than most how easily the flame of life can be snuffed out. I've watched it happen. Healing- I can heal wounds, though naturally the more severe the wound the longer it takes. A minor stab or cut takes seconds. A mortal wound to the heart takes days. Hellfire and Black Lightning- I can wield the nastier versions of fire and lightning. My Hellfire, a lovely blue, burns the soul as well as the flesh, and burns with a greater intensity than your average flame. So those struck with it might recover quickly from the physical wounds, the spiritual pain would last for years. My black lighting is as dark as night, and rather than only just throwing the lightning bolt and praying, I can manipulate it unnaturally. A lighting whip, or a ball, or a sword. Things like that. It too leaves a lasting spiritual damage. If this sounds unholy, good. She gives a small smile.I am a priestess of the Damned after all. Disease immune- Be they plagues or common colds, I am immune to them.</s> <\|message\|>Alexia Helpless is the drowning soul, for all their effort, may they never truly break the surface, never truly gasp in a gulp of air - of life. That's what it was, wasn't it? Magic was a slow drowning. Once you've drenched yourself in it, it'll wrap around you until it's swallowed you whole. Still, she's drowning. The whispers are getting worse by day, and by night, the magic calls to her. As if she were still basked in the darkness of the crag, choking on her realizations, on her naivety. She was still shaken from last night, the transformation had been abrupt, uncontrolled. It was a strange thing, this magic. Though it wrought nothing but despair, leaving a broken tattered mess in it's wake, the young woman couldn't help but feel privy to such things. It had chosen her. In a way, she cherished it, basking in the glorious pain and wreck it left for her. She was losing herself in the storm, falling farther and farther into the abyss. Light could barely seem to breach the crack now, but...It was still there - somehow the illumination was still there, waiting for her, calling her back. The pull from both sides left her head aching, and heart confused. The power was intoxicating, but she knew the cost. It had gotten worse lately, that familiar tug at the back of her mind, the whispers, her demeanor had even taken a plunge. Alexia knew that the headache could no longer be the route of the problem anymore. She knew what it was, though it was horrifying to imagine. The water was rising, pushing away any part of her that once was, making room for the vile magic that consumed her - that was slowly pushing forth, close to reaching the surface. Only one of them could breathe at a time, and she knew - Oh did she know, her time at the surface was diminishing. Opening her eyes slowly, avoiding the stranger in the mirror, Alexia hurriedly changed into her velvet trimmed, red dress, admiring the soft feel of the attire before gathering what remained of herself, and heading out of her room and into the main hall of the Inn. Her hair neatly tied back in a soft brown braid, the woman scanned her still tainted eyes about the room, measuring up all those inside. So far, the day had been relatively quiet, compared to it's normal bout of laughter enough to rile even the sanest priest. All in all, today was quite the day. A day to seize, nevertheless. Clenching her fists, and providing the most pleasant smile that could ever adorn the human face, Alexia strode about the room, commanding glances her way. A promising start, now all she had to do, was ensure that she maintained this composer. She was still shaken, and though she could do it well, she could only cover up the involuntary twitch in her hands for so long. Hopefully she could muster enough willpower to keep going, she had a reputation after all, meetings to attend - money to smooch off of others, and perhaps a little stop at the town square would do her some good, fresh air couldn't hurt.</s> <\|message\|>Jasce Nighteye Jasce slowed to a stop, looking around. He had been imagining the conversation in his head when he bumped in to Lev and toward the end of it, he imagined a certain question his friend would ask, "Zoobie," he muttered, knowing perfectly well said girl was not behind him. He put his hand to his face with a groan before turning on his heel and hurrying back the way he came, wondering where on earth he managed to lose her and where she would have managed to run off to. She was never exactly where he left her. He climbed back up on to the sign post looking around for any sign of her, "Ah damn, this sucks... dude's gonna rip me a new one," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He looked around the crowd, hoping maybe she hadn't wandered too far away this time. However there were plenty of things to make him forget why exactly he'd been standing up there in the first place. He spotted the coin purse as it was victoriously caught in the air. He smirked a little, shaking his head seeing as everyone around her was so caught up on their own business they didn't even notice. He didn't get a very good look at the victor, due to the fact they had on a cloak and they were mixed in the crowd rather quickly. He could hear the commotion down the street and he leaned to try to get a sight of whatever it was. The second he spots the horse, a somewhat uncommon sight for a town where people often never left and newcomers were usually frightened off or too disgusted to stay, so horses weren't usually necessary for travel. His attention was taken away quite again as he heard some other people near him talking as someone was coming out of the inn. He saw the subject of their attention wa a rather attractive young lady though he tilted his head feeling that something was kinda off, he just didn't know what it was. He jumped as he heard someone shouting at him and looked down, giving a smile and a wave to the store keep who was raging at him to get down before he broke the sign. Jasce was about to defend his case before the keep started looking for something to throw at him. He quickly climbed the rest of the way up, back on to the roof, his memory returning as to what he had been doing. Right. If he didn't a valiant effort to find Zoobie, Lev was probably going to hurt him for losing her again. He looked around, only to spot one of the bosses lackies posting a job on the board near the crossroads, "Oh, money!" He said and jumped to the next building, deciding to take the roundabout route to get to the board. He had to get it first- he was already bored out of his mind</s>	<\|message\|>Rhian 'The Priestess of the Damned'. A flash of light. A groan of pain, rapidly turning into relief. That was how hours of tedious magical healing ended, as Rhian healed her patient. He wasn't one of her children. In fact, before now he had sneered at her and her children as they walked by. 'Monsters and freaks, governed by their whore of a shepherd!', he would call out. Rhian had repeatedly held back her children from seeking vengeance. Words would not hurt her, and she could see by his lifeforce that he would do nothing more than shout insults. He was too attached to life to risk anything else.He would be one that would never be converted, she could tell. But he came crawling to her when death seemed to be knocking at his door. He threw away all his pride and claims against her, to cling to life. She could have rejected him, let him die. But then she would have been no better than him, and how can such a person take care of all of her children? So she accepted him into her makeshift healing room, and set about healing all the ails that were killing him. Minutes turned into hours, and she lost track of time as she steadily hunted down and fixed everything she could in his body. When she was done, she sent him on his way. He left, leaving only a humble thank you. Three days. Then he'll be back to screaming insults. Rhian thought idly, sighing. Standing, groaning herself as she stretched muscles that had shifted very little in the past several hours, the Priestess of the Damned glanced behind her at Zek. Her silent guardian stood in his usual place, next to the door, in his rusted armor with his fanatically well kept mace. Years ago, she had found him nearly dead in an alley. nNked, brutally burned, beaten, and stabbed, his tongue cut out, death seemed certain. Yet she refused to give up on him. Saving him had been the longest and most strenuous act of healing she had ever done, and ever will do. Six whole days, stopping only briefly to eat, drink, and take care of necessities. When she was done, they both collapsed into a deep sleep. He awoke before she did and left soon after finding out who healed him, via written notes. When Rhian has awoken and heard the news, she shrugged, thanked her nameless Gods for giving her the strength to save him, and continued on her way. Not everyone would embrace her Gods. She had learned this at a young age. But Zek had defied all expectations and returned, wearing rusted armor and carrying a gleaming mace. From their written conversation, Rhian gathered that he had sworn a debt to protect her life from all harm, that his armor was rusted and never to be cleaned because of his previous sins and failures, and that he would never leave her side. After a few weeks of trying to get him to stop being only her bodyguard, Rhian had given up. Now his presence was as familiar and welcome as her own magic. "Well, come on Zek. Lets see if there's anything interesting going on around the town. Sleep is a long way off for me, and I know you're just going to follow me on my rounds." Zek merely nodded his rusted head, a slight screech being the result of this movement, and followed her out the door. "Probably will stop by the job board, just to see what's going around the town that might affect us. Do you think there are good chances we'll meet one of the children, or convert another? Or do you think it's more likely that someone will be stupid enough to try and rob or mug us? I'm placing my money on the latter, I'm afraid. Not all of the Damned are my children." She continued like this, amicably talking to him about everything from the weather to the likely hood of seeing a thief get caught, as they walked to the middle of town. Interesting things always happened there.</s>
<\|description\|>Rhian 'The Priestess of the Damned'. "The fact that I am blind does not mean I cannot see" 5ft 5in, her eyes have been ripped out. There is nothing but ragged holes where they should be. Age: 33 Gender: Female Personality: I care for those that the rest of society leaves for dead. When others hiss at the disfigured, the diseased, or the insane, I care for them. I treat them with the kindness and the compassion they deserve, and I bring the word of the gods to them. They are the Damned of Society, and I am their Priestess. They are my flock, my children. Like any mother, I grow angry whenever my children are threatened. Specifically, I kill those who threaten them. I'm really typically nice and peaceful. Just don't threaten my children, or I'll show you what it really is to be damned. I have a stubborn streak a mile wide, it should be said. History: I was blinded at a young age. I don't remember who did it, or why. I only remember the intense pain of having both eyes carved out of my head, and passing out. As I slipped into blissful unconsciousness, I assumed I was going to die. Afterall, typically when you lose your eyes that violently, you bleed out. But, I didn't die. I was visited by a multitude of beings of shadow. They were too dark to make out more than just their forms, but they spoke to me. I won't go into the details of all they said, as that would be a telling that would take days. They told me I had been chosen to guide the damned, the forgotten, and the shunned. I had been chosen to save them from themselves, and protect them from the rest of the world. They would give me the powers necessary to both overcome my blindness, and protect my flock. I accepted their offer gladly. When the only other choice is death, you don't accept an offer any other way, do you? The going was hard, at first. After all, no one respects a little girl, least of all a blind one in the slums, near the crags. But my Gods provide. Those who threatened me paid dearly for their insolence. Those who merely ignored me were forgiven, and later brought into the fold. As I grew, so did my powers and my ability to understand people and comfort them. It is harder than you think, to make someone open up to you. Especially near the crag. These people have been hated, insulted, and attacked their entire lives. Getting them to open up to me, to my Gods, and to let themselves be comforted. I suppose that's where my stubborn streak came from. I refused to give up on them, no matter how many times they threw me back. No matter how many times they screamed an insulted me. I always came back. Now, there's a tension in the air. There's a trembling through the lifeforces. Something is coming. I don't know what, but I do know one thing. I will weather the storm, and I will protect my children. As I always have. As I always will. Abilities: Lifeforce sight- My magic, a gift from the Gods, more than makes up for my lack of sight. I can see the life force of people and animals like burning candles in the dark. Even inanimate objects can be seen by me, a dark grey glow. They even have their own colors, according to the person's personality. I can also erase some objects from my sight, like my mask. After all , it would be ridiculous to be blinded because I couldn't see through my mask. Thanks to my power, I know better than most how easily the flame of life can be snuffed out. I've watched it happen. Healing- I can heal wounds, though naturally the more severe the wound the longer it takes. A minor stab or cut takes seconds. A mortal wound to the heart takes days. Hellfire and Black Lightning- I can wield the nastier versions of fire and lightning. My Hellfire, a lovely blue, burns the soul as well as the flesh, and burns with a greater intensity than your average flame. So those struck with it might recover quickly from the physical wounds, the spiritual pain would last for years. My black lighting is as dark as night, and rather than only just throwing the lightning bolt and praying, I can manipulate it unnaturally. A lighting whip, or a ball, or a sword. Things like that. It too leaves a lasting spiritual damage. If this sounds unholy, good. She gives a small smile.I am a priestess of the Damned after all. Disease immune- Be they plagues or common colds, I am immune to them.</s> <\|message\|>Levlongir Runstoffa "Lev" "No." Nothing is more awkward than one of your mothers asking for a ...favor. Lev used the shock of his rejection to escape the premises, jumping out of the open window, on the third story, to the two story building that neighbored it. Wasting no time the man launched himself forward full sprint, clearing blocks in half the time by jumping across roof tops. After he had left the building far from his sights he took a moment, thinking about what all needed to be accomplished within the daylight hours. As per the norm, his over dedication to seeing his assigned task threw immediately had left him with a rather large vacancy in active objectives, he could check some contacts but honestly he knew they would have nothing for doing. Jayce was more than likely being an idiot, and is likely in trouble or blissfully unaware of what he actually needs to accomplish. Or is ruining something Lev had been working on. Or making jokes at Levs expense..... "Speak of the idiot..." Lev spotted his cohort a few buildings down, up to no good yet again. How many times can he say it, we don't need change we need money. Yet his friend continues to risk life and limb for what is likely enough for bread. Lev moves with a speed almost inhuman, clearly driven by the need to correct his friend....He stops atop a moving horse and notices something far more terrible than his friends bad habit, the absence of a small cloaked figure."HE LEFT HER AGAIN!" While he was going fast before, his speed seemed to triple with his rage and worry. Lev's shadow gave enough warning to his companion of his arrival. He stood behind him, his eye brow already twitching. Not a word left his lips but Jayce new an explanation was expected.</s> <\|message\|>Alexia Smiling in kind at the admiring faces around her, crimson tainted eyes seeped through the crowd, searching for anything askew. The faint whispers in her head tugged at the back of her mind, pushing past the surface thoughts and demanding attention. There was something, perhaps someone, of interest in the area. Though there was no way to make certain of what it indeed was, as that would require her to sift through the many different tones and whispers at once. All of which would take far too long. Taking a deep breath and reaffirming her attention on the small crowd around her, Alexia cranked up the smile on her lips and flowed through the mass of people, careful not to walk too close to any person in particular. A skilled con such as herself knew better - as did half of the victims in this town. As she managed to make her way out the thick of the crowd, she took note of another similar situation to hers. Except the folks crowding around didn't seem to be smiling. What made her raise a neatly trimmed brow, however, was the sight of a lone horse amidst the sea of bodies. Beside it, a large man stood, incredibly intimidating - if of course, she was easily threatened. In close combat, she knew that this man must truly be a thing of fierce and brutal nature. It made one wonder, whether or not he was as intelligent as he was strong. Normally, the brutish types didn't hold many morals, resulting of a lack of education. Normally. Though the weathered look in his eye wove a different tale. As he trudged off with his horse, Alexia headed her own way. Despite the distraction, she managed to pick her way through the streets, notably easier than most days, a lot of people had stopped to ponder that particular spectacle, so it left a nice path for her to travel. Perhaps she should see about getting some kind of leverage on those with names that could send shivers up even the most hardened mercenary's spine. They held power that anyone would love to have, the kind that with one glance, you could kill. Magic could only give you so much, but politics - to control not only yourself but others, that was true power. Alexia hummed at the sensation fluttering around in her chest, pleasant and uplifting. The first sign that last night's bought had started to wear off. Good, there was no way she would resort to going to the priestess. She'd almost gone to her after she'd first turned, when the initial affect's had started to wear off, and she'd regained some sense. The whispers forbade her to get to close to her, however. It seemed like the magic wasn't fond of this priestess, perhaps it was afraid of her. It was a curious thing, no doubt, but Alexia couldn't ponder it long, as she caught sight of her target. The best way to get started in overtaking any in a high up position, is to get close to them. First, you'd need to get in their "ranks". One of the best ways to do that, was not to join yourself, rather, to convince someone to do your bidding from the inside. Small jobs at first, but then a little more pushing, and with the particular person in a good position themselves, they'd be able to convince other's to start a little civil conflict from within. From then on, she would take over what remained of the band of mercenaries, thieves, and the like. Power was practically knocking on her door, and she was ever so eager to answer. Licking her lips, Alexia straightened her posture, and headed off to where she knew she could find someone working for the infamous three. With silver-tongue at the ready, and power floating just beyond the tips of her fingers, the maiden headed off to the crossroads.</s> <\|message\|>Jasce Nighteye He was half a step away from leaping down to that lovely, rickety job board, about to find himself something to actually do when a particular chill went down his back and his previous train of thought. "Right," he turned around, pointing at him, "Look, dude, she was behind me like ten minutes ago, I really have no idea how the hell she keeps managin' this whole... disappearing act, but I swear, man, I thought she was right behind me...." He sighed, realizing this was not in anyway shape or form going to save him from that eye twitching look his friend was currently giving him, "We ain't finding her around here, you know it as well as I do. Last time I lost her here, she ended up on the far end of Bloodthirst territory and the last time we went lookin' in the same place we found her before, she ended up here, waitin' on us," he said, then motioned to the board, "I-I was gonna get a job for us to do since technically we were on one when we found her once bef- please don't hurt me, dude, and if you do, not the face," he finally conceded realizing that his best bet was going to be to just shut up and try and figure out where Zoobie was, "We splittin' up or do you have an idea of where we should start lookin'?" He glanced back at the board with almost a pout that he was getting chastised about doing small jobs, especially since all the "big" jobs sucked and took too long. But he didn't miss the thief heading that way, the Priestess kind of stuck out whenever she went anywhere, her giant lunking shadow half the reason why, and now the man with the big ole horse was heading this way more obviously so than before and the real pretty lady cut her way through the crowd. "Think we should test our luck and see if anyone down there actually saw her? I mean, she may be short but she kinda sticks out."</s>	<\|message\|>Rhian 'The Priestess of the Damned'. It was always an interesting experience to go out into the crowds. Their lifeforce's all mixing together to form a mass of different colors, changing based on their emotions. Rhian made her way through the sea of ever changing color, her guardian right behind her."Ah, Zek I wish you could see this. The colors, the changes! That man is angry, that man is afraid. That woman is suspicious, and that merchant is happy. They all have their base colors, and they are all constantly having minor changes. It's really quite beautiful." As expected Zek gave no reply, verbal or otherwise. Still, she talked to him like he could respond and he hadn't yet given any indication that he wished she would stop. "All these customers and merchants will leave this place, and go back to their families, not a care in the world for those left behind. The orphans and the plagued. The criminals and the homeless. And some of those left behind won't see the morning. They'll starve or die of thirst over night, or be killed for what little they have...or trying to steal from others more fortunate. The remaining ones are carved into three groups. Those who join gangs, the 'boss', Lady Z, Bloodthirst, and all the rest. Those who strike out for themselves, and try to survive all by their lonesome. And those who join us. Those precious few Damned who accept my nameless Gods and I." She smiled to herself as they slowly made their way through the crowd. "Each of the three groups look after their own, but we can at least honestly say we don't actively try to gain more power or take on other gangs. We're happy to do what we can, try to make our 'territory' better for ourselves. We try to keep to ourselves. Sometimes, however, the others forget that just because we don't actively seek violence and try to avoid it, that we will not defend ourselves. Then we must remind them why it is not a good idea to fight with the damned. We've gotten better at it since you and the others joined. You know, the ex-mercenary, the former guardsman, and quite the number of former thugs." It was true. Ever since her flock had gotten someone besides Zek who had a decent amount of experience fighting, most of them had sought lessons. They were slowly becoming more adept at defending themselves. Requiring Rhian to get involved in the occasional fighting less and less. A familiar, large, clashing lifeforce caught her attention, leading a horse with him. "Speaking of thugs." Rhian muttered, halting as Strogobor drew closer. After they had first met, Rhian had made it a minor point to keep an eye on the giant of a man. It was rare to find such a...contradictory lifeforce, and it interested her. As Strogobor stopped, she smiled at him before greeting him warmly. Her image of friendliness was slightly offset by Zek stopping a step behind Rhian, a hand on the hilt of his mace. "Strogobor. It's been a long while. I believe the last time we met you were explaining to me, as I healed your minor injuries, why you were the cause of three broken jaws, four broken ribs, eight cracked ribs, one broken femur, two shattered kneecaps, and five cracked skulls. What can I do for you now?"</s>
<\|description\|>Sessamaru (pronounced: SES-Uh-MAAR-OO; also known as "Sess") Sessamaru's Original Character Race: Dearmadta/Spirit hybrid Gender: Male Age: 23 Occupation: Wandering Swordmage Personality/Interests Sessamaru is a kind and compassionate youth, revering all forms of life with a sense of joy. Comfortable as a wanderer, he does not let his own personal baggage weigh down his steps and he never looks back on the pain brought upon him. The swordsman tends to be polite and well-mannered, despite being an easily distracted goof. Sess, by his very nature, prefers his own personal freedom and despises oppression, whether it's directed at him or at someone else. Easy-going and lax, it is difficult to anger the young man and even more difficult to coax into a fight. He is quite clever and intelligent, which he uses to his advantage in order to avoid harming or killing those who happen to force him into a fight. He hates the idea of killing others, though he is quick to protect anyone in need of help. Sess is notorious for his modesty and lacks pride, though he has a realistic view of his own power when up against an opponent who either underestimates or overestimates his abilities. He is unwilling to take credit for anything that he has done or in things others believed that he has done, and is quick to give credit to someone else, especially if it gets him out of an unwanted bind. However, in serious matters, he will not allow anyone to be judged or punished for crimes that they have committed, never once speaking out about it, giving his opponents a chance to atone for their sins. Sympathetic, the half-breed is ruled by his own emotions, whether for a goofy act or for serious matters. He refrains from acting on his anger, keeping a cool-head in the heat of battle. Regardless of all his upcomings, his greatest downfall is his appetite and curiosity. He tends to eat multiple meals in a single sitting, as though his stomach was a black hole. In truth, he eats, not only out of pleasure and the scarceness of food in his travels, but because of the amount of energy he tends to expend during his "meditations" and "training" in the wee hours of the morning and the coming of twilight. His curiosity, too, tends to get him into trouble, often entering disputes and forced to resolve them, and then some. He tends to be an amateur philosopher as well. Though he's like a soaring bird, he lives by his own code. A highly moral person, Sessamaru possesses a sort of honor that differentiates right from wrong. He is unwilling to partake in a two-on-one battle, unless it is only him against two other people. He refuses to let anyone be harmed on his behalf and prefers to protect others, even if it isn't his affair. Though he dislikes people getting hurt, he is willing to hold himself back as an ally or friend is willing to fight a losing battle out of respect for their pride; though once his ally falls in battle, he will intervene before a deathblow can be dealt. Appearance Though of average height and weight, Sessamaru is plenty agile. Slender, yet toned, and a natural acrobat, he appears as a traditional swordsman. His hair, long and milky white, is held in a high horsetail with the front free flowing, the bangs brushing his high cheekbones whilst the sides grace his collarbone. He possesses fox ears, the same color as his thick mane, which are sensitive to sound and twitch quite often. His eyes are almond-shape and pupil-less, with only glowing green irises. Like the rest of his race, he is clean shaven by nature, incapable of growing facial hair and body hair. He has smooth, alabaster skin, giving him a marble-like appearance. In the end, he appears prominently as what one could equate to an "angel" with a bestial deformity (his ears). Details Body build: Slender/Athletic Hair: Long Hair color: White Skin color: Alabaster Eye/Iris color: Green, pupil-less Height/Weight: 5'7"; 135lbs Notable Features: He possesses fox ears instead of the typical ears of most humanoids. Clothing Description Sessamaru wears an amalgamation of traditional clothing from Japan and China, giving him the appearance of an expert martial artist. Arms/hands: Yellow Kote Torso: Green Changshan Waist: Yellow Obi (a sash/belt used for kimonos) Legs: Yellow Changshan pants Feet: White Tabi (socks), waraji Equipment Weapon(s) Katana Powers Basic Illusions Capable of using harmless visual illusions, Sess can employ this tactic to trick his foes into thinking he has a larger repertoire of magic and abilities. He can use this to summon a ball of flame that does not burn which produces a realistic light, for example. However, the illusions he conjures are incapable of any tactile or psychological influence (which greatly differs from a fox spirit's ability to produce illusions). Enhanced Speed and Reflexes A trait he inherited from both parents, he is naturally swift as a Dearmadta from the Halcyon Tribe, as well as the offspring of a kitsune. He is faster than even the most practiced martial artist. With the aid of Aeromancy, his speed is well above superhuman and is his greatest strength (coincidentally, he is not physically stronger than a physically peaked human). Abilities Longevity Sess's Dearmadta ancestry allows him a long life and eternal youth. Old age to a Dearmadta is similar to humans, in which the body starts to shut down after long use (age). However, Dearmadta never age physically and are prone to disease and poison much like any normal mortal. However, mortals who are familiar with the Dearmadta assume they are god-like simply because of their vast lifespans and their inability to show wrinkles. Heightened Senses Sessamaru's Kitsune ancestry gives him enhanced senses, such as sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. His instincts are also heightened, allowing him to be much more aware of his surroundings. Though strengths, they are also a weakness. High pitched whines harm him and his sense of touch makes him far more vulnerable to pain. He can hear full conversations from a fair distance and can even select a particular conversation from a room full of crowded people. He can easily differentiate people simply by smell and can tell the difference between fabrics and subtle changes in weight. His sense of taste is heightened to degrees where he can enjoy foods more and even tell the chef if he used too much salt. Resiliency (Will Power) Unlike most martial artists who are resilient due to constant training, Sessamaru derives his resilience through sheer will power. Due to his strong character, he refuses to give up even if he is in immense pain. His bones can be easily broken like a normal humans, but his will power alone keeps him from giving into pain. Despite his stubbornness, too much physical damage can surpass his pain tolerance and force him into submission via unconsciousness. Metamorphosis [Locked] Talents Swordsman Tactician Acrobat Magic Aeromancy Wind/Air Magic, Aeromancy is a multifaceted school of magic capable of both offensive and defensive strategies. Aeromancy allows the user to manipulate wind and air currents, as well as being able to increase their own speed by decreasing air resistance and capable of flight. Wind can be focused into a concentrated blade and can pierce steel as though it were paper, and perhaps through harder substances depending on the amount of energy and concentration used. Cyclones and whirlwinds can be conjured to deflect thrown objects or energy. Ultimately, lightning can be generated and focused, though only to a single spot, by simply causing enough friction with the air currents. However, Aeromancers are unable to manipulate the lightning due to the intricacy of electromancy (meaning it's a whole different school of magic). The use for Aeromancy is versatile, though the elements are quite fickle; especially when used to summon the fickle elementals. Chloromancy Plant Magic, Chloromancy is a school of magic that uses plants as a means of misdirection, despite being used for both offensive and defensive strategies. Due to Sessamaru's unique nature as a half-spirit, he can tap into this magic far easier than the most practiced sorcerer, able to use his own magical energies to conjure otherworldly plants, becoming a metaphorical "seed" to spawn plants that do not exist in this plane of existence. He's able to create realistic clones of himself out of rose petals (for example), as well as use a flower of any sort to conjure a spirit-made weapon for a short amount of time. Bindings and Seals Sessamaru knows the fundamentals of magic and how it works, the intricacy involved and how to crack it. No matter the school of magic, the principles of binding and seals follow the basic rules of magic, no matter how complex. The key is to find the "key" component of the seal/binding. Sess is able to dispel barriers by finding the overall formula that "binds" the spell together. However, he himself is not skilled in creating powerful barriers, bindings, and seals, and is thus only able to make "adequate" suppression spells to hold off an untrained opponent/ally (untrained meaning "someone with little to no experience in magic"). Other: Sessamaru's Theme Historia: "She's very polite and comes from an interesting background." Saha: "A little wild, but I think she's a good person, deep down." Katelia: "Though misguided, she's quite the pragmatist." Julio: "He's very quiet... it makes you wonder what he's thinking about." Azzrix: "He's dangerous, yet there's a sense of righteous honor that he seems to carry." Margaret: "An interesting woman, to say the least. I wouldn't mind going on an adventure with her!" Naida: "She's quite lovely and is very kind. I would hate to get on her bad side, though." Drubbins: "He tries hard and he's very motivated at wanting to learn. I can't help but smile." Mysaren: "She tries too hard to be accepted... hopefully my friendship will help her understand the truth." Tahira: "There is an air of power about her. It is warm, yet distant; like the Sun." Rimau: "I... would prefer to wait until he has his coffee, first." Claire: "Her sadness permeates my being when I'm near her." Viggo: "His music carries my soul, yet his presence makes me question the life he lived." Rouen: "He has a very dangerous way of thinking... yet I know he must be trying to do the right thing." Felan: "It is impossible to not value his presence. He carries nature with him like a sheathed sword." NPCs [WIP] Advanced Bestiary [COMING SOON TO AN RP NEAR YOU!]</s> <\|message\|>Mysaren Mysaren considered Azzrix's offer, then shook her head. "No thank you," She said, "I don't want to go on an adventure with someone I just met. Thanks for the drinks though." She grabbed one of the drinks that was brought out and downed it, letting out a sigh of relief. It was a bit early to start drinking like this, but she hadn't had a nice cold drink in a while, and getting drunk did sound like a fantastic idea right now. No, she couldn't. She had too many things to do, too many reasons to stay on her guard. A few drinks never hurt anybody though... She watched everyone else in the bar, noticing some of them crowded around that jobs board. A job would never hurt. She wasn't exactly above an honest living, it was just too unrealistic for someone who spent their life traveling most of the time. There was talk of plenty of rewards for the missions, though, and if she could find a few good allies, then she'd be happy to take one on. For now, she just sat at the bar though, considering what to do while she was here, and when she should leave.</s> <\|message\|>Mysaren I'm dumb.</s>	<\|message\|>Sessamaru (pronounced: SES-Uh-MAAR-OO; also known as "Sess") [Priest] Priest turned his attention from the board to Naida, his smile widening. "Ah, Miss Marcoon!" He greeted cheerfully, taking a small break from hanging the requests. "It's a pleasure to see you again, and don't worry about adding your job. It helps pay for the Church, too, you know! Always a pleasure that the proceeds go to the orphanage. Poor kids..." His expression went from cheerful to melancholy in quite a short span. However, before he could continue his conversation with Naida, Rimau stole his attention. Priest listened to him with a smile on his face, taking the jokes with much patience and good humor. Priest laughed before Rimau did, extending a hand. "Well, I was an orphan and had the darkest of days, friend," Priest told him when all was said and done. "I woke up with no memory to my past and I was ignored on the streets. When all was bleak, and the storm clouds closed in, there was a light... an elderly man from the Church came to me and took me in. He taught me to read and write, to love and to see the light in this world. It was his teachings that shown me the way. Without it, I would be just as cynical as you are," Priest jested. Before Priest could get his handshake, however, a new person came to him. A tall, muscular knight seeming eager to know about Remnants. "O-oh," Priest began, his expression worrisome. "The Remnants aren't as active as they were. The past several weeks, there was nary a sight of them. I think the only job referencing them is the one involving a mysterious gem in a cave. It's infested with them, and those are the only ones found." He explained, frowning. Then another patron approached him, a beautiful woman, asking about the quest involving the mages and the gem. "I don't know much, honestly. It is the Arcane Collective, the mages' guild here in Belheim, and the gem they seek is quite rare, almost legendary. It is a jewel said to be formed from areas heavily concentrated with magical energies. However, it is being guarded by Drakas, Remnants from the continent of Shoba. I highly suggest you bring a few more people before taking the job... otherwise, their sheer numbers would overpower you." He explained, fully, concern shadowing his once-cheerful face. [Sessamaru] The half-breed waited eagerly for his food, too focused on eating to pay any attention to Priest. When Naida finally grabbed him another bowl, he began to eat it with ferocity equal to the initial dish. He finished the meal swiftly and raised the bowl again. Naida subtly suggested he do a mission and he contemplated on it. Perhaps I should... but not on an empty stomach! he thought, smiling brightly. "I think I will, Miss Naida. It has been a while since I last enjoyed the outside world." He told her, eyes shining. "But first! More food, please!"</s>
<\|description\|>Mysaren Race: Bean Nighe Gender: Female Age: 22 Occupation: Unemployed, robs graves for a living. Personality/Interests On the surface, she seems like a very easy person to talk to, someone who you can trust, someone who knows a lot about the world. On the inside, though, Mysaren just desperately wants to be accepted by people. One of her biggest fears is people not liking her. Mysaren can be seen as somewhat manipulative, lying and cheating to people often to get her way, although this is something that she is trying to fix. She's definitely not above dirty tricks in order to get what she wants, or sometimes needs. She's very good at feigning confidence, which is how she does her "job", by either brute force or pretending that she's supposed to be in area's that she's not supposed to go. Despite this, she's definitely loyal to those she cares about, and definitely tries to help her friends in family in any way she can. Mysaren is somewhat hot-headed, and has a very quick temper. On the inside, she's a very sensitive person, though. She takes a lot of things literally, and doesn't really appreciate jokes or teasing at all. She cares immensely about her family at home, and her greatest fear is something bad happening to them. Her entire life has been spent trying to support them the best she can, even stealing and cheating in order to get money. She's often very cheap, not liking to spend money frivolously, even if she has money. She has a bit of a mistrust for anyone with large amounts of money as well. Appearance Mysaren is a rather tall women, having the look of a warrior. She's muscular, with a chiseled, prominent jaw and square face. She has short, curly black hair, which barely goes past her ears, although her bangs cover her eyes if not pulled back. She has dark brown skin, which is marred with various scars. Her eyes are deep-set, and blue eyes that look like the deep end of the pool. Freckles cover a large amount of her face, and are lightly sprinkled on her shoulders. Details Body build: Muscular, well built. Hair: Short, curly. Hair color: Black. Skin color: Dark brown. Eye/Iris color: Dark blue. Height/Weight: 6'3, 185. Notable Features: Freckles, her arms and legs are somewhat covered in scars. Clothing Description She tends to wear long, dark purple robes with a gold trim around the edges, and a hood. Underneath, she wears a black tunic, a normal pair of pants which are brown, and a belt, which is covered in various small pockets and bags. She carries a larger, messenger bag that's made of black leather and has several runes carved into it. She also wears thick, black leather gloves, and rather strong, worn boots, made for travelling. Equipment A spell book and several other books, a few healing and mana potions, various materials for her spell work, a shovel, a lantern, and a bottle of oil. Weapon(s) Her wand, a knife, and a small sword. Powers Due to her years spent living in the darkness, she has a heightened sense of sight. Abilities She is able to tell when someone is about to die, although she can't get specifics on who/why/how. It's usually just a loud, wordless muttering in the back of her mind. Talents Hand to hand combat. Petty thievery Her persuasive power. Magic Deals primarily in Necromancy. Talking with the deceased, being able to call upon them in times of battle. Sessamaru - "He seems level-headed, but I am envious of his rather joyous personality." Historia - "A naive little bird. I do hope she at least knows enough to stay out of trouble." Saha - "Never much liked snakes." Katelia - "An annoyance." Julio - "He knows how to keep his mouth shut. I can respect that." Azzrix - "Pompous ass. I can't help but respect his ability to kill rich people though. Keeps me in business." Margaret - "I don't much respect greediness, but she's at least a good companion otherwise." Naida - "Rather nice. Pretty cute as well." Drubbins - "An idiot. Lovable, but an idiot." Tahira - "One of them brainy types, and not so good with people. Kinda painful to talk with her." Rimau - "He has a very similar sense of humor as me, and he's pretty friendly. I like him a lot." Claire - "Rather shy, but not bad to talk to. Could be a good friend." Viggo - "I can't stand him or his music." Rouen - "Some pretty rich boy who thinks he knows how the world works because he's lived in a nice castle all his life." Falen - "I respect him a lot. He kinda scares me sometimes though..."</s> <\|message\|>Historia Saurvale Historia glanced over at the door when she heard...she thought her name was Miss Katelia and the....big...cat Hel...Historia shuddered slightly. She had had enough of cats for today...So she turned her attention right back to the woman that she had sat down beside. "Claire, that's a nice name." Historia said with a smile. She looked over to Miss Claire again. There was something on her that didn't look weathered, which was the sash around Miss Claire's waist. It was a really pretty sash, and it made Historia wonder if perhaps it had some sort of special meaning to Miss Claire or if she just really liked it. "As for food," Historia said, responding to what Miss Claire told her, "I was thinking of ordering some myself in a minute." She added before turning around to Miss Mysaren. Historia didn't really notice before that she smelled a bit...funny...and she was covered in dirt...Perhaps she was a grave digger or something like that? "Will you be ordering something yourself?" Historia asked her. No sooner had Historia asked that though, did Historia notice that there was some music playing. She looked slightly past Miss Mysaren to see a man playing on the little makeshift stage. The tune was lovely, though Historia didn't know if it was a common tune or if the musician had written it himself as she was still getting used to this country. Historia then turned her full attention back to Miss Mysaren, deciding that perhaps she would talk with the musician later.</s> <\|message\|>Mysaren Mysaren Location: Blue Moon Tavern Mysaren looked up at Historia, smiling again. "Hm? Oh, uhm, probably just a drink or two," She said, seeing no reason to lie. She'd left behind that part of her self, or at least, she liked to think she did. "I was actually looking to get a room here for a while." She was still a bit intimidated by the bartender, owner, who ever he was. He seemed to be able to look through everything about her, and it made her a bit twitchy. She felt her stomach flip at the smell of food cooking, and she hadn't eaten in a while, but she couldn't afford it, not if she wanted to get a room. She'd have to sell off her loot soon, or she may have to live off of whatever she can find for a while. She heard the music start, and turned her head to watch the man playing perform. He wasn't bad, she had to admit. She wasn't a fan, but there was skill, she could appreciate that much. She turned back around after a while though, only half listening. The tune almost sounded familiar, but she couldn't put a name to it. She sighed, desperate for a drink and a nice, hot meal.</s> <\|message\|>Naida Marcoon Naida Blue Moon Tavern A ruckus could be heard outside the tavern, banging and rumbling. Suddenly, the doors to the tavern burst inward and a shower of glitter follows behind a speeding streak of blue and white. Naida skids to a stop in the middle of the tavern and looks around with a large smile on her face. "Woah! Fast start to a day huh?!" she says rapidly, looking around. "Sorry I'm late!" She flies over to counter, pulling on her skirt apron and giving Bernard a kiss on the cheek. "Hey Bernard baby!" Her silvery blue and white hair flies about her head as some of the people at the counter begin shouting orders at her. She smiles quickly and says, "Coming right up!" She whips out a drink mixer and begins to pour the orders, pouring faster than any normal bartender could go. She pushes the drinks down the bar to the customers and she grins again. Before Bernard can even ask, Naida is out at the tables, taking orders and moving faster than those other waitresses could even go. She smiles at each of the customers and gives them each her best attention. "You want an omelet? Sure! I can whip that up in a jiff. What about you, hun? A bloodied steak? Coming right up!" Moving as a blur, she flits back over to the kitchen and shouts orders to the cook before turning around and smiling at Bernard again. "I think that makes up for a little of my tardiness, don't you think?" Before he can answer again, she wanders back over to the bar and looks around. She notices Historia in the corner and yells, "Hey darling! Glad to see ya here!" She also notices that she's talking to a new girl and says, "Hey, girly! You look great!" She turns back to Bernard and asks, "Has the demon been in yet?" She chuckles kindheartedly, thinking of Kat. She should really begin to try to get along with her, but she really can't. It's in her nature. She looks around and notices Sessamaru in a corner, hovering above the ground. She grins and, moving quietly, she walks over to him sneakily. "Hiya, Sess!" she says loudly, right next to his ear.</s> <\|message\|>Felan the Wolf .</s> <\|message\|>Azzrix Grimmor Azzrix had a large bag full of going coins on his belt, this was thanks to his latest thievery from a greedy noble who had unfairly taxed the peasants and robbed them of their money. While he didn't give a single bit of care at the unfairness that was done to the peasants, he did however like stealing the man's money and got a laugh when he heard the man's screams of anger upon seeing that he had been robbed. Azzrix was now going to celebrate his success with his thievery. He came to the Blue Moon Tavern as the early lights of the morning began to come over the horizon, and Azzrix wanted to get a drink and was willing to share his wealth with the lucky people who were in the tavern at the time. He grinned at the thought of having the best food that the business could over and he was going drink till he fell to the floor. He quickly walked up to the tavern and came with a loud boom as he made the door bang open, and he gave them all a smile. Azzrix held up his bag of gold coins and shook it making it create a jingling noise. "Bartender! A plate of your finest meat and cheese and drinks for me and everyone in here! I am here to celebrate my recent amass of wealth." he said to everyone with a big smile. He hoped that this act of generosity would make him liked among the tavern goers and help get him some allies in case a mission came up that he would need assistance with.</s> <\|message\|>Drubbins A few minutes pass before the door opens again. However, none of the fresh morning light seems to make its way inside. There's something blocking its passage completely. A single massive arm works its way inside, grabbing the top of the door frame as the being ducks its head to poke into the room. Its head seems small in comparison to its everything else as it twists its body to the side to slide through the door. It almost seems to explode into the room, the scarred pale skin of its bulk suddenly taking up the entire entryway as it draws itself to full height and casts its gaze about the room. This sudden appearance seems to shock those near the door into inaction as it takes three loud lumbering stride and opens its black toothed maw to speak. "A bloke told me," He calls out over the music in a deep, rumbly voice that seems to climb all the way up from his gut. "Dat dere was people what would deal with me here!" He'd heard that very clearly from that fancy bloke near the city gate. He'd turned to this other bloke as soon as Drubbins had walked past their carriage and said it. Blue Moon Tavern. He'd even gone back to ask that bloke, but couldn't get a proper answer on account of the bloke going very still when he'd come up to the window. But just a name was better than nothing, especially when he'd been wandering for what felt like a good long time with no one to tell him what to do. There were the problems of not knowing where the tavern was, and not knowing how he'd know when he saw it on account of him not being able to read, but fortune smiled on him as he made his way through the sleepy streets. He'd seen something come from around a corner and streak past him down a side street, something that was awfully blue, and figured whatever that was must be going to a place called the Blue Moon Tavern. He was really proud of putting that one together. That was an example of good thinkin'. He'd taken off after whatever it was as fast as he could, which was deceptively fast for a creature his size. It was a benefit of being so tall and not having to worry about anyone getting in your way. The thing he was chasing though was so fast he'd only caught sight of the tail end of it a few times. If its route hadn't taken it down a few long streets he would have lost it completely. But with luck he'd kept up and saw it streak into this building, which turned out to be full of blokes who looked like they were celebrating something. They were probably the boss of this places boys. Speaking of which... "Somebody point me to Da Boss!"</s>	<\|message\|>Mysaren The flurry of activity made Mysaren shrink a bit, still on edge. The man bursting in caused her to jump, her hand flying to her blade, before she heard what he said. Food, and drink, all for free. She turned to see Azzrix, smiling. "Thank you!" She yelled happily, glad to not have to pay for any food or drink tonight. More money that could go to better purposes. She couldn't wait for the food to come, her stomach feeling much better now that she knew food was coming. Maybe she could stay here a bit longer, her hand slowly slipping from the handle of her sword. She got comfortable, finally dropping the hood from her cloak, the sudden candle light making her blink. The orc, however, was a different story. Again, she jumped, her blade half drawn when the orc burst in. She watched in slight horror as he started yelling something about the boss? She had no idea who the hell he was talking about, and frankly the outburst made her nervous. Her hand was still on her sword when the orc finally stopped speaking, and she didn't know what to do. She felt the sudden need to run, but her heart race slowed as she realized that no one was going to die, not yet. The screaming hadn't started in her mind, and everything was still all calm. No one meant any harm here, and she could rest a bit easier knowing that no one was going to die any time soon.</s>

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<\|description\|>Elizabeth Moon. Liz for short @JELDare Photo: Age: 19 Gender: Female Abilities: Able to transform her body into a body of water. In this form she can control bodies of water without spells at all and at faster speed then most specialized water mages. This mastery of the water element does have some weaknesses. She can not control any magic until she turns into her water form which requires a chant for focus. In her water form she is also weak to certain elements like ice and lightning in exchange for a large resistance to physical attackers. How you could work in a team: A mix of most elements in a team. In her water form she can use water both offensively in the form of whips and concentrated water blasts and defensively by creating high pressure water barriers that would slash flesh which would make contact with it. Liz can also be a decent front line defensive against physical attackers who can do little damage but would not be able to take this role against element attackers. Personality: Cheerful and outgoing most of the time, Liz tries to talk and get along with everyone she meets though has given up with some people or those who have upset people she cares about. She is also quite hard working on her magic training trying to work on her water control most of the time. History: Grew up on a small isolated island somewhere out in the ocean, she never reveals quite where when people asks. The people on the island saw how Liz had at a young age had a strong connection to magic, back then she could use all the main elements of magic though she was always strongest at water. Though one day something changed when the village did something to her permanently sealing away all other elemental magic apart from water and giving her the new form she can enter. There is more to it but I don't want to go into it right now. Other: Shes left handed and loves chocolate.</s> <\|message\|>Deus Ira Deus Deus smiled, as he felt his body was being removed from Space-Time itself. He vomited blood. "It's better of If.....I never existed in the first place.....That way, My parents would never have had to get killed....I don't care about power....or knowledge......I don't care if you have walked the Path of Destruction, If you walked the Path of Destruction.....Then I walked the Path of Revenge.....You have it lucky...You have Power...Friends...Haha...." Deus made the Black Hole dissapear. More like it was forced to. "You....may think that....I'm just a child taking....My anger out on the world...maybe you are correct, But If I dont take it out on someone, then....I'll just end up killing myself in the process..." A dark Aura began to come from Deus's body. Deus screamed in agony as he felt his body burning and melting away. But that wasn't going to stop him, he'll endure the pain, just like he has always had to. Chase's abilities and memories had returned to her. Deus's eyes began to change to a grey color. He grew some small horns and a tail. He screamed in agony again from the Melting and Burning sensation and from the transformation. He then began to speak to his teammates telepathically. Guys, I bought you some time, she won't be able to use her powers for 2 minutes, give it all you've..... go..t. Deus blacked out, but in the spot, another figure appeared. It was still Deus's body, but there were some differences. first he had horns and a tail. And second he had A Dark Aura that would make anyone want to walk away. Ara, Ara. So he finally decided to use me. Merlin was right, I guess. But I don't even have half of my original powers, He's still not ready...This sensation..this carnage he feels..It feels great!" --- Cornelia "So the attack didn't work, Ot course it didn't, I mean we are talking about one of the greatest magicians who ever lived." Cornelia bowed down to the Mahoushi. "My name is Cornelia Gamma. The reason I attacked you was for fun, just to see how much stronger I had become in the span of I don't know how long. Now you expect me to say spare me or something, Hahahah." Cornelia smirked, after she sensed that Aura. It was Lucificus alright. Deus had unlocked his seal, but he wasn't as powerful as when he was alive. Yara, Yara...Deus is willing to go this for just for a stupid sparring match, Honestly that Kid seriously never learns does he...Well them Missus Mahoushi, care for a spar?"</s> <\|message\|>Ryan Alon @TheHangedMan Ryan wanted to yell as everyone started using their strongest attacks. If it weren't for the several containment spells put up to prevent destruction, they would've destroyed the school AGAIN by now. He heard Mutt, but decided to ignore him in favor of making sure nobody died. He heard Deus and a psychopathic grin appeared on his face. "Alrighty then, let's get this show on the road! Grimoire Art: The Judgement!" Ryan's entire body glowed as a heavenly warrior formed around him. He drew his sword which had amplified to a massive size along with himself and swung it at Chase. The sword was made out of Light Magic making it extremely powerful. Even if it didn't hit, it would send a massive shockwave towards Chase, which would be almost impossible t dodge. Add on to the fact that Light Magic only hurt who Ryan wanted to hurt and he didn't have to worry about friendly fire.</s> <\|message\|>Sol Sol grinned, well it seemed now was as good a time as any. Maybe they could "win" this afterall. All or nothing time, "Secret Wind Art: Gungnir!" Sol shouted as the swirling winds hyper condesned into the form of a spear. The weapon emitted a fericous amount of power and within the spear itself one could see winds rotating vicisouly. Sol hurled the spear foward directly at Chase, a loud BOOM echoing as the weapon raced through the air. Sol quickly drew power from the runes closest to Chase, if she was somehow going to dodge then it was going to be very far away so it wouldn't trigger these ones. This time he was clearly gathering time magic as the air around him began rippling and warping unevenly, he had to make sure Chase stayed where she was or the whole thing was pratically pointless.</s> <\|message\|>Meruin Hazy & @floodtalon & @BranchOfSin & @Dash375 & @Slendy Overwhelming power. That was what was being sent towards Chase right now. In a different context, this would mean nothing, for Chase was an existence above overwhelming power, and should she choose feel like it, breaking even the powers sent at her would take but a flick of her wrists. However, Chase had all but promised them that they would have a shot at winning. She would limit herself and be patient. She would test them to their utmost, and see if she could teach them what it meant to hold power. That was her purpose - Reina might be a better teacher, but that does not mean that Chase cannot impart wisdom every now and then. While trapped in the sphere of earth, Chase could still feel the world outside. Despite her limiting herself, she was still the Embodiment of Destruction, so naturally everything that fell under her purview was open for her to see. She could see the powers aimed at her, their will to destroy her coming from behind every charge, she could feel the blood-lust rolling of Deus in waves as he surrendered his body to the demon within him. She looked upon all of them and sighed in disappointment. Not a single one had learned a lesson. As her prison of earth exploded with the force of four elements, Ryan's sword bore down on her, accompanied by the crescendo of Sol's wind. 'Very well. I suppose it's time to outline the lesson for this day,' thought Chase. Explosions rocked her place in the sky, and for a moment, there was nothing but dust in the air. When the dust settled, there stood Chase, her expression sorely disappointed and completely unharmed. "Chase Asu Du Morgan, Third Tier Art: Redirection Of Mass Destruction," she said loudly enough for them to hear. "It's not a fire spell, so it was something quite readily available to me despite you draining me of my abilities, or did you think in the long time I had lived plus the knowledge I had gained amounted to only fire spell?" She shook her head, not bothering to explain further. She ignored the time being warped around her and stared at Deus. "You, boy, if you can here me, then let me say now: I am very, very annoyed with you." "Path of Revenge? I'm lucky? What in the world is that supposed to mean, boy? Are you so immature as to actually think that your small, insignificant lifespan is able to compare to mine? No matter how painful or tragic your past is, it is nothing compared to what I have had to experience in the years of my life. This is not arrogance, it is nothing but cold, hard facts. The death of your family means nothing to the world at large, and certainly means nothing to me. It means much to you, and that is how it should stay - don't go and push that burden unto other people." Chase said all this to the Demonic Deus in a calm manner. What he had become didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. Of course it wouldn't. The enemies she faced on a daily basis to kill time where far more terrifying . . . not to mention nigh undecipherable. Compared to avatars that embodied insanity and the end of existence itself, a being that could be understood, reasoned with even, was never going to shake Chase, no matter how powerful it was. She swept her eyes across the field, her gaze piercing into everyone. She was no longer smiling. "I am sorely disappointed in you all. A waste of talent, the lot of you, even you, Meruin. I can feel you assembling your spell no matter where you hide, and you know I can shoot you down from there," she said, staring into the distance. "Now, I am nothing if but merciful to children, so I will give you another chance. Come." --- Reina regarded Cornelia coldly. "I expect nothing from a rude child that attacks without introducing herself first. In the same manner that you would not expect anything from me, including mercy." Suddenly and without warning, barriers of every kind sprung to life. The earth at Conrelia's feet shot up and enclosed her entire body, before becoming a strange, silver material that hurt to look at. It was an alien metal, not something that could possibly exist, and yet here it was. It was a metal stronger than any alloy on earth, immune to spells, that could regenerate from damage in the blink of an eye, and prevented energy from being released around it. In the next second, no less than a billion magical barriers formed around Cornelia. Each barrier had the physical durability of a planet, and were similarly resistant to magic, and each of them had a property that made them exist out of time and space, effectively becoming perpetual and unmovable through any means. They also protected each other, like cogs working in a grand gear, and could not be absorbed or changed by anyone other than the caster. All of this in less than three seconds, and Reina had done it with nothing but a look. "Chase is disgruntled, so there is bound to be an interesting occurrence soon. I will observe it, then deal with you afterwards," said Reina dismissively.</s> <\|message\|>Sol Sol was somewhat disgruntled. How in the nine were they supposed to beat her if she could if she could redirect any of their attacks effortlessly? Well perhaps he could try to take a page out of her book, she was still human right? And it simply wouldn't be possible for her to generate oxygen; after all she specialized in destruction not creation. Perhaps a long shot but it seemed direct force was pointless. Storing the charged magic he had for now in case he needed a rewind, he began his next trick. Activating the circle of runes that were prepared along the edge of the barrier a sudden surge of magic appeared. All the air, specifically the oxygen in the air began moving. Sol grabbed, with the help of the prepared runes, all the air in the area and removed it. Now Chase should both be unable to use a majority of her fire magic or at least have its effects dampened and suffer from oxygen deprivation. Sol of course could directly fill his lungs with oxygen so it wasn't a problem for him; he did the same for his allies hoping that this trick would have some affect on her. Perhaps attempting to use destruction on the empress of it was not such a wise idea</s> <\|message\|>Cornelia Gamma Deus [Lucifer] "Really Merlin, Is every single Magician just like you? A bit arrogant aren't we Magician? You speak of knowlegde when I am most likely older than you and have more knowledge than you. I was there when God had created this Universe. My powers may be gone, But I can still Fight." Lucifer said. He then resumed talking. "Also You shouldn't underestimate the Potential of these Young Ones, for all you know, They could have already planned out their moves just like in a game of chess. Giving them a second chance was a horrible choice, because now, they have something to fight for.." Lucifer said and then sighed. "I really am bad at Motivational Speeches like these aren't I, Sigh." Lucifer turned to the children. He laughed seeing their Auras. These kids, they just might be able to win if they were at their prime..Of course, I can unlock their potential, but that would be boring now wouldn't it. Lucifer then looked back up at Chase and sighed. He then walked away, wanting to spectate the fight, more than take part in it. "I'll be watching" --- Cornelia "Missus Reina was it? I suggest you don't turn your back on an opponent, That could be your downfall, Also before I do this, I just want to remind you that this is not Magic, So I'm pretty sure this Ability would work on these things." Cornelia said as a wide grin appeared on her face. Having the Power of Subjective Manipulation, equaled having Space Time Manipulation powers. So she was able to do the following. "Event Negate." Everything that just happened, never happened. This Ability can negate any sort if event, whether it's outside of Space Time, or inside of it. Cornelia could have also used Subspace Travel to get out of there, but that would've ended in her demise. She looked at Reina. "See what did I tell you?"</s>	<\|message\|>Elizabeth Moon. Liz for short (Why is this happening now! REVENGE!) "Heh, arrogant as ever." Liz chuckled struggling to stay awake as she looked over at Chase "I planned to use that spell when you were at your strongest, you can stop it with a fraction of your strength? Nice dream." She spoke and coughed at the end. "World creation, they say back when this world was created by using the 4 different elements coming together and the remaining energy formed the elemental which now roam this earth they created. This is the only spell I can use in this form, a small recreation of this event with you at its core with only one condition, the spell keeps reforming until one of two things happen, I die, or the core of the new world is destroyed without a single trace left! That core became you the first time you got trapped!" Liz shouted in triumph as the same 4 elements started to surround Chase again "You will run out of magic before you give up your pride and go back on your word to not kill me.!"</s>
<\|description\|>Aery Okay, I lied, I'll do this now. I'm going to be posting more characters as time goes on; for now, just this one. Age: 17 Gender: Female Race: Human, albeit a little bit different than humans today. Appearance: Aery has fair, unblemished skin, curly dark brown hair, and bright blue-green eyes. If one looks closely at her eyes, she has tiny gold circuit-board patterns implanted in them that enable her to look at anything and magnify it as far as she wants to, or get a panorama view on anything. Covering her right arm and shoulder and spiraling up the right side of her face are more circuit-board patterns, these ones containing memories of every scientific research database ever uploaded to the intergalactic networks. Special abilities/skills/Powers: She has a photographic memory and can write extraordinarily fast, but nothing really special per se. And she doesn't believe in specialness anyway; rather everyone gets the same amount of potential and the harder you train the more of that potential becomes actuality. Position on ship: Scientist Backstory: Aery spent her whole life up to this point on Kalos, an only child of two adoring, if a little bit overly academic, parents. She's spent thirteen years studying xenobiology (life science of "aliens") and chemistry. When Charlie offered her the opportunity to go with him to explore the cosmos, she took it with glee. Now she could see and interact with these other species that she'd only ever read about in her textbooks. Other: n/a</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery went to brush past Charlie to get to the science lab, having already scarfed an energy bar. She frowned as she passed him and came back to look at what he was tinkering with. "Charlie, god in heaven, you've got to eat something or you'll starve yourself." She poked him in the ribs none too gently. "No meat on your bones as is. What's so interesting that you had to skip breakfast?" She waved an energy bar in his face.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie he would grunt and look at Aery and sigh rolling his eyes "someone has to keep the ship running" he says "so what if that makes me not eat breakfast"</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery would unwrap the granola bar and stuff it into Charlie's mouth. "If you die of starvation, I'm screwed, because I don't have any idea of how to run this thing. You tend the ship, I tend to you and to my experimental projects."</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie would stumble back coughing and hacking, then look at her "...don't just try to shove something down my throat" he says with a cough "that's not how you 'tend' to someone either" he sighs shaking his head at her "that's just how you choke someone" he groans and rubs back of his head "i'll try to eat more alright, I guess I just get to focused on my job"</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery rolled her eyes. "You would have just thrown the granola bar away and said you'd eaten it if I hadn't just stuffed it into your mouth. But seriously, eat that before you get back to tinkering." She would brush past him, headed back to her lab. And then she nearly had a heart attack. Standing on top of one of her experiments, studying the terrarium intently... Aery blinked to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. A tiny girl with... wings? Dragonfly wings. Stood on one of Aery's terrariums, studying the butterfly inside. "Okay, who are you?" Aery asked, reaching for the butterfly net that she kept in her lab lest one of her charges get loose. The girl giggled. "Does it matter?" "Yes, it does." "My name is Antikythera. Most call me Kiki for the sake of their tongues." She giggled, flapping her wings and flying up to Aery's head height. "Okay...? Kiki, then. Why the hell are you here, in my lab?!" "To help you. Or rather, to help my people, and to help you in the process. You're a xenobiologist, right? Well, here I am, an example of another sentient organism. I'm a Lilliputian, if you must know. And I'm not going to leave you alone, Aery." "Wha... You know my name." Aery said it very calmly, her hands trembling. Very calmly, very slowly, she left the laboratory to go find Charlie. "Hey, Charlie, what would you do if I told you that there is a Lilliputian girl who has cybernetic wings in my laboratory, who happens to know my name? Purely hypothetically speaking." Her face had gone pale and she was clutching her holographic drawing tablet so hard that her knuckles were white. She was absolutely terrified of the little tiny girl.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie would be taking a bite of the bar while at a console in the engineer bay. he'd look towards Aery "..well I wouldn't do to much" he says "sense it's mostly pointless.. they are fairly harmless because of their size, so most people will either help them if they need anything, or just ignore them" he states "though normally you can't ignore them.. they may be more or less harmless but they can be annoying... and judging by your face, and hands.. this isn't hypothetical..." he sighs.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery nods. "Yes... There is one of them in my laboratory and she knows my name and I've never even seen her before... Did you know how good their cybernetics program is? This girl has wings that look like saran-wrap and wire, but they move just like a part of her body..." She laughed despite herself. "Already looking at it like a scientist, aren't I? Oh well. At least they're mostly harmless, so I can let her help me in the lab without worrying about her stabbing me with a neurotoxin or something." She grins at Charlie and heads back to her lab, to see the Lilliputian girl dancing around with a pencil on a sheet of paper, writing down observations about the creatures and plants that Aery keeps. Aery looks closer; the notes are formatted in exactly the same way she always formats them. Without pausing in her twirling, the lilliputian girl says, "I thought you would like some help. I can be useful around here, you know. I wouldn't be able to look out for Charlie, but since you're so good at that, I can take care of at least this part of the science-y things." Aery's hand balled up into a fist, her circuit-patterned nails digging into her palm. This girl... So arrogant... And she'd probably had to have been watching for weeks or months, in order to learn so much about Aery. Very quietly the girl asked, "Where have you been hiding?" And the lilliputian laughed. "In the air filtration ducts, where else?"</s> <\|message\|>Charlie "well all to their own" he says chuckling as she left and shrugs then goes back to snacking and working, humming slightly... as suddenly the gravity shuts off "ah shit.." he says as he starts to float off the floor.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery groaned inwardly, already propelling herself towards the fishtank. She only kept them to see the effects of space-travel on aquatic organisms, and at times like this they were definitely more of a hindrance than of benefit. She slammed the lid on tightly, slowing the leakage of water, even as Kiki came hurtling out of nowhere with duct tape. Aery taped the lid in place and then let go, dodging a few other animal crates. She checked to make sure her biospheres, softball-sized globes with miniature ecosystems and miniature creatures inhabiting them, were safely secured to their stands, and then she propelled herself down the hall with the handholds scattered around for just that purpose. She saw Charlie floating in a cloud of tools and sighed, gathering up screws and bits of wire lest they impale themselves in anyone's eyes. "Why'd the gravity turn off?" She asked. "Did I catch my foot on the wire again or something? I swear I've been careful."</s> <\|message\|>Charlie he looks to her then chuckles at what she says, him having his legs crossed as if in a sitting position "well either something hard enough hit us to jolt the system off.. or the gravity generator is on it's last legs" he states.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery frowned. "Either way that's a bad thing. Why'd we get this dinghy anyway? We knew it was old and about ready to be retired." She giggled rather insanely and shoved the piles of screws and wire bits that she was clutching into a random toolbox. She too crossed her legs, only to curse as a sound of clanging erupted from down the hallway and Kiki was dragged in by Aery's canary. "Aery, the blasted birds figured out how to get out of their cages!" She let go and was flung into a wall face-first, to come bouncing off right into Charlie. "Sorry!" she squeaked in her overly high-pitched voice. Aery sorted out the bird dilemma, strapping each terrarium to the wall, and reorganized her notes and pinned them to clipboards (rather than leaving them strewn all over as she usually did) and floated back in to chatter with Kiki and Charlie. Her hair floated in a cloud around her head; in exasperation she yanked it back behind her head into a loose braid and tied it off with a spare silicone band.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie chuckles shaking his head "not sure how they can fly so well in zero gravity.. sense there is no air to push off on." he says "..we bought this because it's only thing we could afford.. it's lasted for a few months enough for us to get enough money to get it repaired enough to last longer.. we need a big job if we want a new ship." he states.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery rolled her eyes. "No, you idiot. It's zero gravity, not zero pressure. The vessel is airtight so it will hold air in, and the air molecules are bouncing around randomly since they have no "down" onto which to orient themselves. How could we breathe if there was no air? And we could have waited for three more months and bought the next size one up. As it is, based on our relativistic speeds versus the earth-clock, at our next stop my savings account will have increased to approximately 30 times the amount that was there before, and I had a fairly substantial sum to start with, having saved up for xenobiologer school. Using just my money we could probably get a nicer ship than this."</s> <\|message\|>Charlie he sighs "yet again you take what I say wrong" he shakes his head "think about it.. try to move like a bird sense we can 'fly' now.. you would barely move at all, because there is no friction in which to push yourself against, because there is no gravity to allow air to have friction, unless you push off something it's very hard to move" he states then shakes his head "and not really, I would of probably lost my money" he states "besides we had to leave quick or be stuck there for a lot longer than a few months" he looks to the console and taps on it looking at a few things "...ya it looks like the gravity unit is failing pretty bad, have to manually check on the damage or if it's just done." he says.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery sighs too. "Okay, here: Define friction. Friction is the rubbing together of atoms. There's still atoms of air bouncing around, so thus there's still friction. Gravity has no bearing on friction whatsoever. Also..." She used her circuit-memory to bring up several documents on flight in space and brought them up on her holo-tablet. Articles ike this one and passed it to Charlie to let him scroll through it. Kiki floats over to the control panel, chasing the wiring around inside. She can't believe what she finds on the gravity unit. It is horribly corroded, rusted entirely through in spots. She follows the wires out and pokes her head back up out of the opening in the circuit board. "The gravity drive is pretty much useless. It's rusted through and corroded in so many spots that it's a wonder it ever worked at all."</s> <\|message\|>Charlie he looks at Aery and groans some her not at all understanding what he is saying, then looks at kiki "....that is just the control panel" he states "..the gravity unit is else ware" he sighs.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery rolls her eyes too. "Okay, you know what, I'm just going to go pretend that I'm doing something useful and keep programming my labyrinth holo-game." She hurries back to her lab and pulls herself against the bunk that usually serves as her bed and cries over people not understanding her scientific-ness. And then laughs hysterically watching the teardrops bouncing around in the zero-gravity. Kiki titters at Charlie and zips out the door, into the lab, only to get hit full in the face by a flying teardrop. She goes bouncing back out into the hallway, twittering in Lilliputese at the stupidity of the human race.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie he sighs.. then would go down the railing to a different part of the ship.. and gets to work.. very quickly soon comes out of there and has a switch in his hand, and heads down the hallway to the lab thinking '...all I was saying was basic things and she just keep going super scientific on me...' still floating kicking off the wall to move.</s>	<\|message\|>Aery Aery, done crying for the moment, (crying really hurts in null-gravity, after all!) pushes off the bed and goes to check on her biospheres. Havoc is being wreaked on them, as in the Forest biome the contents of the lake has floated up and treed the birds, and the deer and fish are trying to swim in the air. The aquatic globe is okay, but the fish are bouncing around all over the place. For whatever reason, the globes terribly amuse her, how disordered they all are. Kiki, after realizing there are no more flying teardrops, comes zooming in chattering at Aery in a mixture of Common and Lilliputese. "You know, you can't take everything he says personally, or you're going to be in here bawling your eyes out more often than actually out there. Are you going to make observations on your creatures now, or are you going to keep skulking?" Aery giggles. "Thanks, Kiki. Oh, that reminds me. We should rig up a place for you to sleep." "Consider it done." Antikythera flies into the tiny gap underneath Aery's cot. Aery keeps it mostly full of boxes of stuff, but there is a small opening that could serve as a little bunk for Kiki. "I lined it with scraps of cloth from when you had to take in Charlie's clothing the last time. And from when you had to take in your own shirts." Aery sighed and started typing observations into her holopad. While she was doing it, she might as well digitize her data from the last week, and get rid of all the papers that were floating around on clipboards.</s>
<\|description\|>Aery Okay, I lied, I'll do this now. I'm going to be posting more characters as time goes on; for now, just this one. Age: 17 Gender: Female Race: Human, albeit a little bit different than humans today. Appearance: Aery has fair, unblemished skin, curly dark brown hair, and bright blue-green eyes. If one looks closely at her eyes, she has tiny gold circuit-board patterns implanted in them that enable her to look at anything and magnify it as far as she wants to, or get a panorama view on anything. Covering her right arm and shoulder and spiraling up the right side of her face are more circuit-board patterns, these ones containing memories of every scientific research database ever uploaded to the intergalactic networks. Special abilities/skills/Powers: She has a photographic memory and can write extraordinarily fast, but nothing really special per se. And she doesn't believe in specialness anyway; rather everyone gets the same amount of potential and the harder you train the more of that potential becomes actuality. Position on ship: Scientist Backstory: Aery spent her whole life up to this point on Kalos, an only child of two adoring, if a little bit overly academic, parents. She's spent thirteen years studying xenobiology (life science of "aliens") and chemistry. When Charlie offered her the opportunity to go with him to explore the cosmos, she took it with glee. Now she could see and interact with these other species that she'd only ever read about in her textbooks. Other: n/a</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu The man smirks. "For a human, that was quite an analysis...however, there are a few things you're forgetting. Hypothetically, if I had let him live and pilot the ship, who's to say he wouldn't have compromised us through a self-destruct sequence? Furthermore, this being a pirate ship, it would more than likely had been targeted and shot down by planetary defense mechanisms or simply raided by other rivaling pirates. In hindsight, he's better off dead. Also, if you wish to speak of a waste of life, what would you call what just happened to his crew-mates, hmm?" He responds, countering with his own theory on what might have gone wrong.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery bites her lip. "We've not actually done anything with them yet. They're still back there struggling against those wires." A choreographed look of shock passes across her face. "Goodness. Since it seems like we're not going to kill each other, yet, anyway, perhaps introductions are in order. I'm Aery. I don't have a surname. This is my friend Charlie. Similarly, no surname." "My name is Antikythera Reluken." The Lilliputian girl zips in, hovering just over Aery's shoulder on her magnificent circuit-board wings. Aery raises an eyebrow at her. The mini girl raises one back. "Anyway, what's your name? And your occupation, since you are so clearly... In control... of this situation?"</s> <\|message\|>Charlie he would raise an eyebrow at the man and get slightly annoyed "..what are you even doing here" he states.</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu @olcharlieboi (I'm moving the location of his mark down a notch, considering he's wearing gloves.) All of these questions accompanied by Charlie's annoyed tone simply causes the man to chuckle, running his right hand through his hair, revealing what to some may seem like an abnormal tattoo on his right arm. "A human, Cybertronian, and a Lilliputian...what a ragtag group. The name's Hibatsu. Let's just say that I do what I can to get by. It was my job to hunt these imbeciles down. It seems you've made things easier for me...I have a proposal for you. Allow me to hitch a ride on your ship, and I'll cut you a portion of my paycheck. Judging by how pirates of this stature were able to board your ship so easily, it would seem it's in need of dire repair...whaddya say? Do we have a deal?" He inquires. Of course, if they were to decline his offer for whatever reason, it would be certain that this exchange would not end well.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery raises her eyebrows. "We need a more concrete deal than that. For one thing. The cargo and spare parts of this ship. What is to be done with them? Also, the other pirates. What will be done with them? And finally. And most importantly. How can we know we can trust you?"</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie nods "my partner makes a good point how about answering" he states, already sensing any tools and weapons on the man, and using his Nanites to disable them</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu @olcharlieboi "Tch..you're a human through and through alright. Always so inquisitive. No matter. I suppose I'll enlighten you further. Everything on this ship is in my possession. Ergo, if you were to assist me, I'm willing to give you a portion of what's aboard this vessel. The ship itself, however, as a part of my job, will have to be disposed of. In regards to the remaining pirates, my employer requires them to be dead. It seems I'll have to finish what you started. As for trusting me...only you can decide that. Nothing I say will be able to convince you otherwise. I'm more accustomed to settling matters with force anyhow...now then, if you'll excuse me, I have some pirates to kill.." With that being said, he simply walks past the trio, heading towards the remaining of the ship's crew. As Charlie searches for any sort of weapon or tool on Hibatsu, he realizes that the man has been unarmed this whole time.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie "...well then to bad for you.. they'll already out of your reach" he states, as he has already sent them away on a life pod.. heading directly to a prison planet, "and your probably in worse location to threaten us" he says, as he has full control of their surroundings, prepared to defend them if need be, and more.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery raised her eyebrows. "Well, since we've got nothing better to do. We may have to tow our ship behind this one, however, since it was in rather rocky condition to start with and it did just get jostled pretty badly." She grins slightly. "So you search my comrade, simply because he looks dangerous, and neither me nor my diminutive assistant?" Not that he'd find anything. "That's biased if I've ever seen anything of the sort. Why do you search us, anyway, if we're going to be... allies?"</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu @RomanAria Hearing everything being said, Hibatsu just sighs, deciding at random to simply sit down and mull over everything that's being directed towards him. "I haven't done so much as breathe in your general direction. You'd seriously consider terminating my offer by threatening where I stand? You don't even know what I'm capable of, let alone my current occupation. If anyone is searching anyone, it's your pal Charlie. I could tell earlier from the look he was giving me that he was utilizing nanites to disable any weapon on my person. However, like I told you before, I prefer to let my fists do the talking in combat." He then shifts his calm amber gaze toward the Lilliputian. "Antikythera Reluken...tell me, from one alienoid species to another, do you deem me trustworthy? Have I done anything to get on the bad side of you or your friends yet?" He inquires, seeming that the Lilliputian's answer may influence him in some way.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie would raise his eyebrow at Hibatsu then looks to his team mates then looks on his data pad as everything in the cargo appears in his data pad "..interesting stuff...... whats this.." he says as he starts walking deeper into the cargo bay.</s> <\|message\|>Aery The tiny girl tilts her head slightly, her wings fluttering. "If you'd have wanted to hurt us, we'd probably be bloodstains on the floor by now." she says, quite matter-of-factly. "I don't trust you, but I don't distrust you either. If that answer is too roundabout, then I'm sorry, but I'm a Lilliputian and that's how I've always talked." Aery facepalms at the idiocy of all of the humanoid creatures surrounding her. "Please forgive my partner's harsh attitude. He's just irritated that someone else has more leverage in this situation than he does. And he has absolutely no diplomatic training whatsoever. We mean no threat, nor any harm to you. Where is your final destination? For if it is the same as ours, we'd be more than glad to bring you along with us." She shoots a warning glare in Charlie's direction.</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu "Thank you, Antikythera. I've worked with your kind before. Therefore, that was the kind of answer I was hoping for." Hibatsu replies to the winged girl in Lilliputian, before swapping back to English to speak with Aery. "Don't worry about it. I've been in similar situations before, so I can understand how he feels. As for my final destination, that would be Nakata." He explains as he stands up, dusting himself off and cracking his gloved knuckles out of a force of habit.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie would be cracking open the crate "...I can't believe one of these are here.." he simply says "wakey wakey .....Tarsona Speeder" he says as a mechanical sound Is heard and something is standing, though unable to see what.. being much taller then all of them... barely able to fit in the cargo bay.</s> <\|message\|>Aery "Charlie, you idiot, what part of "do not disturb" don't you understand?" Aery waved at the side of the box, where bright red paint did indeed mark out the words. "What on earth is that thing, anyway?"</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie would just grin "you really don't know cybertronian tech now do you" he states "my people are the best at making things... this is a Mech bot, named Tarsona Speeder.. these machines have high A.I. so they can think and act on their own. but when needed cybertronians can pilot them... our home planet consist half of machines of different types and half of organics..." he says "if I bothered I could go into bio-engineering without to much trouble, in my blood after all" he says with a chuckle "this is a special model.. the first of the design... a leader type...." he says "Named after it's creator, and the name of it's class of machines" he states.</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu "Hmph. You Cybertronians and your toys have always been a damn nuisance...despite this one being a leader type, they go down just as easy as the rest. It's the swarms you've got to watch out for." Hibatsu remarks, eyeing the mech warily despite his recently given opinion. On ground, they were easy pickings. In a close-quarters starship...he has yet to experience such a fight. Personally, he'd rather not have to at this given moment.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie and the machine would look towards Hibatsu "you must of never fought a combat type class" he says "..This is a speeder class, one made for combat and she can hear you... so I'd watch what you say" he states. "say that after fighting one of the combat oriented machines we have... heck just look at the behemoth class and you'd probably crap your pants" he states then looks back at the data pad "hm.." he thinks to him self wondering why she is here.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery and Kiki, having been left behind at a pile of crates packed with various textbooks, heard the boy's voices raised and exchanged looks, quickly picking their way around the crates to get to the boys. "Um. Why did you wake it... Sorry, her. Why did you wake her. Why not just leave them asleep until we get back to Nakata...?"</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Charlie looked at them "because she is alive just like us and deserves to be awake and not shut down like an object" he says to them then looks up at the machine. She would look at Charlie and a Sweet Female voice comes out "thank you for wakening me... I've been stuck here for some time... some people blindsided me and my crew.... and that is last thing in my memory banks.." she tells them.</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu "Tch, it'll take a lot more than some machine to scare me. I didn't get where I am now by hiding in fear." The man responds, glaring at both Charlie and the female mech-bot. He would have even gone as further as pointing out how she had failed to prevent these pirates from taking out her crew and somehow shutting her down altogether. However, Hibatsu felt it was a waste of breath, so he kept his mouth shut about it for now.</s> <\|message\|>Charlie He would shake his head at Hibatsu then look back to the machine "i see... and Tarsona is more powerful then you think, she has special functions rest of her class doesn't have" he states and would then look back at the data pad "hm.... lets see what else is here... o ya Tarsona your welcome to join us for aslong as you wish until you want to return back home" he says looking up with a smile then walks off. Tarsona would nod then glance at hibatsu before moving around slightly in the cargo bay.</s> <\|message\|>Aery Aery would look up at the mech. "Excuse my forwardness, but would you permit me to analyze your circuitry patterns? I promise it will be non-invasive. I've just never met one of your kind before, Lady Tarsona."</s> <\|message\|>Charlie Tarsona would look at Aery "...you do realize in the terms of other races... you pretty much just asked to see me naked" she states to Aery</s> <\|message\|>Hibatsu Still steaming over Charlie and his new companion, Heat simply punches a nearby wall out of anger, making a visible indent. He then walks off, deciding to try and calm himself before he did something to the mech that he might regret. Being an angry human is one thing. That doesn't even compare to Hibatsu's rage. However, matters definitely could have been worse had he decided to treat the now quartet of crew members as any other hostile force that got in his way.@RomanAria@olcharlieboi</s>	<\|message\|>Aery Aery would blush at the comment. "Well, I never said I was a very diplomatic individual, now did I?" She would ask, trying to conceal how mortified she was. "I'm just a scientist. It's in my nature to be coarse and unfeeling." Kiki saw out of the corner of her eye Hibatsu storming off. Not knowing what to do about Aery trying to pass as uncaring and unfeeling, she followed after Hibatsu. She saw him punch the wall and frowned, fluttering her wings absently. "Why do you so physically express your anger?" she asked. "Why not confront them about it?"</s>
<\|description\|>Hilda Age: 24 Civil clothes: Her civil clothes consist of loose fitting clothing(Cotton blouses, leather trousers, etc.), usually to make her look more masculine than she is. With loose clothing the girl is able to conceal her gender, or at least look androgynous. Thief clothes: In her thief clothes, Hilda wears a thick iron breastplate revealing her abdomen and a pair of tight fitting leather pants for easy mobility. Her upper torso(Arms, etc) is where the most armor is found. Weapon: Rapier, close combat axe, pocket knife Tools: Twine, Smoke Bombs, Poison Bio: TBA Other: Usually quite silent and brooding.</s> <\|message\|>puzle accepted. Kalardia's capital city, Ivek. Night was started to fall once again over Ivek, some stars were already visible and the streets started to get crowded, the people could enjoy the fresh air of the night after a hot day of work, the merchants took this opportunity to make more money and so lowered the price of their products, children ran across the streets playing hide-and-seek or with balls made of leather while some adults yelled at them worried they may cause an accident. The guards looked at everyone who passed by suspiciously. Hotarubi was in the square, leaning against a tree, with a sweet smile on her face she watched the children play without worries. "I'd love to see everyone was this happy..." She told herself, watching children play was what she enjoyed the most, however there was a job to do that night, Hotarubi was wearing her thief clothes under her kimono, ready for the mission, but was not the time yet.</s> <\|message\|>Crow. Deep inside of one of Kalardia's most grandest towers, a cloaked shadow moved swiftly in the twinkling moonlight. There was nothing on his form to make him noticeable, although his face - grim, scowling, and slightly symboled was evident. A length of parchment - a document written in golden ink - was skillfully folded and placed within a hidden pouch on his leg. As he dashed passed a guard, the cloaked shadow suddenly leaped up like a crow, disappearing out of the Tower's top floor without a sound. If one looked up at the night-sky, they would see a long, sharp, dark purple and black crow gliding through the air. A bit more concentration would show that the giant crow was, in fact, a human.</s> <\|message\|>Hilda Hilda let out a small huff as she carried a hefty crate filled with spices. She had been consuming her time all evening with aiding a merchant whom had just received his goods from a foreign country. The young woman usually spent her days as such just to have a small amount of pocket money to roam about with. Though she did receive pay from picking off enemies, she did dabble a little in peasant life to make just a little more for herself and others if needed. "There you are my boy!" The old merchant patted Hilda's back as she set the crate down in front of him. "You've been working hard all day, I hope this isn't troubling." Hild shook her head in reply and wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her cotton blouse. "Here you are, take a little extra for being such a hard worker. You'll be quite a fitting man." The merchant placed a few coins in the palm of the presumed male's hand and wandered back into his shop, leaving Hilda to finish off her day. She shoved the coins into a small leather pouch holstered onto her hip and sauntered off. Her figure had disappeared into a looming spot in the alleyway and just as suddenly her armored silhouette had shimmied up walls and stood up on the roof.</s> <\|message\|>Mason Amer Mason walked quietly down the streets. Her pink kimono felt tights around her but mainly due to her wearing her bright colored fighting gear beneath her kimono. She was heading towards where she had hid the rest of her supplies for the red haired girl had a job to do. She hated her hair being up in it's stupid bun but she did it for the sake of disguise.</s> <\|message\|>Fleur de Antelle Fleur snuck up behind Hilda, before suddenly clasping the woman's shoulder. "Busy watching, I see?" Fleur giggled. She was dressed in her thief clothes, with a bag slung across her shoulder. "I just got away with some gold myself. It won't be long before everyone is on alert" Her giggling continued. She had woken up with a spark to do her duty and to make the poor happier. "What have you done today?" She felt in the mood for a good brag, she took a deep breath and stretched.</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad walked through the crowd timing his movement with the rich looking merchant behind him and then suddenly stopped. As soon as the merchant bumped into him Simbad whirled around and got up into his face while simultaneously ripping the mans coin purse from his belt and shoving him. As always the rapid input of pushes left the poor merchant bewildered and totally unaware of his unfortunate loss, "Watch where you're going money bags." Simbad spat at the man disdainfully at the man the weapon at his belt keeping the man from arguing and walked away leaving him confused and a bit less wealthy. He quickly turned down an alleyway and looked at the loot he got, more than his usual pulls, this would be able to feed him for at least a couple weeks. As he glanced around he saw the red-headed girl in the pink kimono, Mason was her name, walking somewhere purposefully. Curious to see what she was up to he stalked her carefully keeping someone between them and several feet back.</s> <\|message\|>Evanglina Corter Evanglina leans up against an alleyway near the square. She looks across the way and sees Hotarubi standing there quietly. Evanglina smiles, running her sharpening stone against one of her katanas. Her black wig hair fell in front of her face and she brushes it out of the way furiously. She hates the wig, but she has to keep it on in order to keep her secret. She looks at Hotarubi, waiting for her signal to go whenever she does. Hotarubi is still in her civilian clothing and Evanglina rolls her eyes. She wouldn't stay in her civilian clothing. Not this night at least.</s> <\|message\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Vallyn stared at his own left hand for the longest time, staring at the alabaster skin with a scrutinizing gaze. Every time he looked at his hands, all he saw were bloodstains. His entire life had been spent on revenge, and those around him had suffered fates worse than death. Allies, enemies, passerbies. They all died. The young man had remembered the King collecting him and the others for a task, the building of the guild, three months after his incarceration. "A chance to atone," Vallyn muttered to himself, clasped in the deepest shadows of the sewers. "Though will these acts ever clean these hands of mine?" The thief lamented. Dropping from his perch in the sewer, he landed upon the walkway with practiced grace and made his way towards the ladder. Like a spider, he managed his way up the rungs and slowly, and as silently as he could, removed the lid to the sewer. Propping himself out and quietly replacing the lid, Vallyn hastily made his way to the next shadow and followed it in the utmost silence. There was a job to do, after all.</s> <\|message\|>puzle accepted. From the corner of her eye the petite thief could see Evangelina sharpening her katanas. "Everything is ready..." Hotarubi thought and smiled, the time had come. A royal carriage and wagon could be seen coming slowly, due to all the people on the street,the guards were doing their best trying to keep the crowds away from the carriage and wagon, which was full of gold and jewels. "I have been planning this for a really long time, so there can make any mistake..." Hotarubi used a red string to tight her hair in a high pony tail, this was the signal for Evangelina to lit the fireworks...</s> <\|message\|>Evanglina Corter Evaglina sees the signal and grins, running over to the fireworks near the center of the alleyway. She strikes her sharpening stone once more against her katanas, creating a spark. The sparks hit the fuses of the fireworks and she runs back, watching them go up into the night. The fireworks explode with green and pink sparks, and she looks to the carriage. She sees the horses beginning to freak out and the guards trying to calm them. She smiles again and lights off another batch. She would have to keep this up until the job is done.</s>	<\|message\|>Hilda Hilda turned her head to the side and simply shook her head as Fleur pestered her with boundless energy. "I moved crates and made money..." She mumbled in reply, shrugging her shoulders as she turned her head to stare at the fireworks distraction. "I won't do much tonight... And you, smaller one... What have you done today?"</s>
<\|description\|>Fleur de Antelle Age: 18 Thief clothes: (See Picture) Weapon: Whip Tools: Knife Bio: tbr Not important info: Strong Acrobat</s> <\|message\|>puzle accepted. Kalardia's capital city, Ivek. Night was started to fall once again over Ivek, some stars were already visible and the streets started to get crowded, the people could enjoy the fresh air of the night after a hot day of work, the merchants took this opportunity to make more money and so lowered the price of their products, children ran across the streets playing hide-and-seek or with balls made of leather while some adults yelled at them worried they may cause an accident. The guards looked at everyone who passed by suspiciously. Hotarubi was in the square, leaning against a tree, with a sweet smile on her face she watched the children play without worries. "I'd love to see everyone was this happy..." She told herself, watching children play was what she enjoyed the most, however there was a job to do that night, Hotarubi was wearing her thief clothes under her kimono, ready for the mission, but was not the time yet.</s> <\|message\|>Crow. Deep inside of one of Kalardia's most grandest towers, a cloaked shadow moved swiftly in the twinkling moonlight. There was nothing on his form to make him noticeable, although his face - grim, scowling, and slightly symboled was evident. A length of parchment - a document written in golden ink - was skillfully folded and placed within a hidden pouch on his leg. As he dashed passed a guard, the cloaked shadow suddenly leaped up like a crow, disappearing out of the Tower's top floor without a sound. If one looked up at the night-sky, they would see a long, sharp, dark purple and black crow gliding through the air. A bit more concentration would show that the giant crow was, in fact, a human.</s> <\|message\|>Hilda Hilda let out a small huff as she carried a hefty crate filled with spices. She had been consuming her time all evening with aiding a merchant whom had just received his goods from a foreign country. The young woman usually spent her days as such just to have a small amount of pocket money to roam about with. Though she did receive pay from picking off enemies, she did dabble a little in peasant life to make just a little more for herself and others if needed. "There you are my boy!" The old merchant patted Hilda's back as she set the crate down in front of him. "You've been working hard all day, I hope this isn't troubling." Hild shook her head in reply and wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her cotton blouse. "Here you are, take a little extra for being such a hard worker. You'll be quite a fitting man." The merchant placed a few coins in the palm of the presumed male's hand and wandered back into his shop, leaving Hilda to finish off her day. She shoved the coins into a small leather pouch holstered onto her hip and sauntered off. Her figure had disappeared into a looming spot in the alleyway and just as suddenly her armored silhouette had shimmied up walls and stood up on the roof.</s> <\|message\|>Mason Amer Mason walked quietly down the streets. Her pink kimono felt tights around her but mainly due to her wearing her bright colored fighting gear beneath her kimono. She was heading towards where she had hid the rest of her supplies for the red haired girl had a job to do. She hated her hair being up in it's stupid bun but she did it for the sake of disguise.</s>	<\|message\|>Fleur de Antelle Fleur snuck up behind Hilda, before suddenly clasping the woman's shoulder. "Busy watching, I see?" Fleur giggled. She was dressed in her thief clothes, with a bag slung across her shoulder. "I just got away with some gold myself. It won't be long before everyone is on alert" Her giggling continued. She had woken up with a spark to do her duty and to make the poor happier. "What have you done today?" She felt in the mood for a good brag, she took a deep breath and stretched.</s>
<\|description\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Age: 23 Civil clothes: Thief Clothing (see bottom) Thief clothes: He tends to wear leather armor lined with chainmail and a long dark cloak. He also tends to wear a long red scarf. Weapon: Long sword Tools: Lockpicking tools, daggers, razor wire Bio: TBR Not important info: Swift and acrobatic, excellent with a sword and dagger, natural pickpocket, and incredibly stealthy.</s> <\|message\|>puzle accepted. Kalardia's capital city, Ivek. Night was started to fall once again over Ivek, some stars were already visible and the streets started to get crowded, the people could enjoy the fresh air of the night after a hot day of work, the merchants took this opportunity to make more money and so lowered the price of their products, children ran across the streets playing hide-and-seek or with balls made of leather while some adults yelled at them worried they may cause an accident. The guards looked at everyone who passed by suspiciously. Hotarubi was in the square, leaning against a tree, with a sweet smile on her face she watched the children play without worries. "I'd love to see everyone was this happy..." She told herself, watching children play was what she enjoyed the most, however there was a job to do that night, Hotarubi was wearing her thief clothes under her kimono, ready for the mission, but was not the time yet.</s> <\|message\|>Crow. Deep inside of one of Kalardia's most grandest towers, a cloaked shadow moved swiftly in the twinkling moonlight. There was nothing on his form to make him noticeable, although his face - grim, scowling, and slightly symboled was evident. A length of parchment - a document written in golden ink - was skillfully folded and placed within a hidden pouch on his leg. As he dashed passed a guard, the cloaked shadow suddenly leaped up like a crow, disappearing out of the Tower's top floor without a sound. If one looked up at the night-sky, they would see a long, sharp, dark purple and black crow gliding through the air. A bit more concentration would show that the giant crow was, in fact, a human.</s> <\|message\|>Hilda Hilda let out a small huff as she carried a hefty crate filled with spices. She had been consuming her time all evening with aiding a merchant whom had just received his goods from a foreign country. The young woman usually spent her days as such just to have a small amount of pocket money to roam about with. Though she did receive pay from picking off enemies, she did dabble a little in peasant life to make just a little more for herself and others if needed. "There you are my boy!" The old merchant patted Hilda's back as she set the crate down in front of him. "You've been working hard all day, I hope this isn't troubling." Hild shook her head in reply and wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her cotton blouse. "Here you are, take a little extra for being such a hard worker. You'll be quite a fitting man." The merchant placed a few coins in the palm of the presumed male's hand and wandered back into his shop, leaving Hilda to finish off her day. She shoved the coins into a small leather pouch holstered onto her hip and sauntered off. Her figure had disappeared into a looming spot in the alleyway and just as suddenly her armored silhouette had shimmied up walls and stood up on the roof.</s> <\|message\|>Mason Amer Mason walked quietly down the streets. Her pink kimono felt tights around her but mainly due to her wearing her bright colored fighting gear beneath her kimono. She was heading towards where she had hid the rest of her supplies for the red haired girl had a job to do. She hated her hair being up in it's stupid bun but she did it for the sake of disguise.</s> <\|message\|>Fleur de Antelle Fleur snuck up behind Hilda, before suddenly clasping the woman's shoulder. "Busy watching, I see?" Fleur giggled. She was dressed in her thief clothes, with a bag slung across her shoulder. "I just got away with some gold myself. It won't be long before everyone is on alert" Her giggling continued. She had woken up with a spark to do her duty and to make the poor happier. "What have you done today?" She felt in the mood for a good brag, she took a deep breath and stretched.</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad walked through the crowd timing his movement with the rich looking merchant behind him and then suddenly stopped. As soon as the merchant bumped into him Simbad whirled around and got up into his face while simultaneously ripping the mans coin purse from his belt and shoving him. As always the rapid input of pushes left the poor merchant bewildered and totally unaware of his unfortunate loss, "Watch where you're going money bags." Simbad spat at the man disdainfully at the man the weapon at his belt keeping the man from arguing and walked away leaving him confused and a bit less wealthy. He quickly turned down an alleyway and looked at the loot he got, more than his usual pulls, this would be able to feed him for at least a couple weeks. As he glanced around he saw the red-headed girl in the pink kimono, Mason was her name, walking somewhere purposefully. Curious to see what she was up to he stalked her carefully keeping someone between them and several feet back.</s> <\|message\|>Evanglina Corter Evanglina leans up against an alleyway near the square. She looks across the way and sees Hotarubi standing there quietly. Evanglina smiles, running her sharpening stone against one of her katanas. Her black wig hair fell in front of her face and she brushes it out of the way furiously. She hates the wig, but she has to keep it on in order to keep her secret. She looks at Hotarubi, waiting for her signal to go whenever she does. Hotarubi is still in her civilian clothing and Evanglina rolls her eyes. She wouldn't stay in her civilian clothing. Not this night at least.</s>	<\|message\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Vallyn stared at his own left hand for the longest time, staring at the alabaster skin with a scrutinizing gaze. Every time he looked at his hands, all he saw were bloodstains. His entire life had been spent on revenge, and those around him had suffered fates worse than death. Allies, enemies, passerbies. They all died. The young man had remembered the King collecting him and the others for a task, the building of the guild, three months after his incarceration. "A chance to atone," Vallyn muttered to himself, clasped in the deepest shadows of the sewers. "Though will these acts ever clean these hands of mine?" The thief lamented. Dropping from his perch in the sewer, he landed upon the walkway with practiced grace and made his way towards the ladder. Like a spider, he managed his way up the rungs and slowly, and as silently as he could, removed the lid to the sewer. Propping himself out and quietly replacing the lid, Vallyn hastily made his way to the next shadow and followed it in the utmost silence. There was a job to do, after all.</s>
<\|description\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Age: 23 Civil clothes: Thief Clothing (see bottom) Thief clothes: He tends to wear leather armor lined with chainmail and a long dark cloak. He also tends to wear a long red scarf. Weapon: Long sword Tools: Lockpicking tools, daggers, razor wire Bio: TBR Not important info: Swift and acrobatic, excellent with a sword and dagger, natural pickpocket, and incredibly stealthy.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane hissed at the new recruit like a cornered serpent preparing to strike, her teeth, they were even sharp as one, a common trait of elves who became feral. If she wanted to, she could have killed the girl any second and bat not a single eyelash towards it, one slice across the throat would be all it took, but....Hotarubi probably wouldn't appreciate Nira slaying their new members without remorse, also....she must've frightened her a bit too much, judging by the stray tear streaming down her cheek. Without warning Mira caught the tear upon her finger, a peculiar expression to her own face, and gently wiped it away, then ruffling the girl's hair, the mute's gesture of apology. There was a commotion going about the rest of the guild, yet Nirayane paid no mind to it, she was never that close to her guild mates anyways and often, she preferred solitude. Of course she realized it was the fifth of Morning Star, a day...or rather a night many of the wood recognized as Veralyn's, Maiden of the Stag and Goddess of the Hunt. Tonight, for many a seasoned archer, it was the ripe time to display their innate prowess with the bow, for the moon would be full and the forest teeming with life as the heavenly huntress descended from High Alti above unto the trees, drawing her arrow to the sky and signaling the hunt to commence. Nira, she mostly hunted alone, but...perchance this one could join her, first however...she needed to see something. Rather curt of the elf, she snatched the girl's bow from her hand and oddly...sniffed of it. Just as she thought, ash wood, light, malleable, good for an intermediate bow, but Nirayane suspected this girl's skill was above intermediate, and a bow of a thicker, heavier wood may suit her better, something crafted of pine or cedar. Upon further inspection pulling back the drawstring, she also discovered the string was thin and woven of flax fibers. Impressive, but given her experience, she wasn't much a fan of plant fiber. It wasn't thick enough and too much pressure would snap the string in two. She handed the bow back to the girl shaking her head in disapproval of the flimsy weapon, not bad but could be better. She, though not able to speak, told her to stay put, then scurried off to her sleeping quarters in the cistern, stopping at the table everyone had gathered around with the chest of gold coins atop it and setting down the crown she stole in front of Hotarubi with a stern nod. Then, once she returned from her room, clutched in her hand was another bow, crafted by Nira's own two hands from thick, knotted cedar and for the string, only the coarsest fibers of horse and elk hair woven thick with a supple draw weight and enough to send an arrow soaring leagues away. With another curt nod, she set the bow in the girl's hand, a present if you will, for welcoming her to the guild. And though she preferred to hunt alone...perhaps she wouldn't mind taking this one with her. Going back to Hotarubi, she looked her leader dead in the eyes and signed to her a simple message, I'm going hunting and I'm taking the young lass with me. We shall return at yea break of dawn with meat and venison for everyone.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Looking at the bow given to her another tear trickled down her cheek. "Thank you. This... this bow its.. its amazing. i mean just the way it feels is almost magical. Did you make this?"</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad weaved his competently through one of the many paths that led to the thieves guild and tossed a bag of money on the table, "Here's the guild's cut." he said curtly and grabbed a drink and sat down at one of the several tables.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane nodded yes, but her eyebrows furrowed again when she noticed another tear fall from the girl's eye. Strange...why would she be crying? Nirayane was not meaning to offend, she merely offered a better style of bow for the girl to use. Once more she wiped the tear away, and then she brandished her own bow, showing that she too was an archer, though she figured this new one was her equal or perhaps surpassed her a bit, who knew? I have told the others I am going hunting, and I wish for you to come with me. I would love to see your skill with a bow. Is what she would have said if the elven girl could speak, but unfortunately all Nira could do was gesture in some way that made sense....and the only gesture that would make sense was just grabbing the girl(Chloe) by the hand and pulling her towards the exit. No time to waste when the perfect night for a hunt came only every few moons.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "oh my gosh its brilliant. i cant wait to test it out, but i guess thats where we are going." Chloe said pulling up the pure white hood up covering her shiny blond hair which was covering her deep brown eyes. she shouldered the bow and grabbed her quiver as the elf pulled her by the hand</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze They were just about to leave the sanctity of the cistern, until Nirayane paused forgetting something, or rather someone. With a whistle, nearly echoing off every moss covered wall of the hideout, she called to her other hunting companion. The hawk was perched on the table picking at a small rat he caught earlier and was swallowing some of the meaty morsels down his gullet, until he returned with a screech and flapped his wings taking to the air, flying past the other guild members and Hotarubi before landing on Nira's outstretched arm. She scratched Dmitri lightly under his beak and petted his head with a wry smile crossing her lips. Now we can go. A short nod to the other archer and off they went with Nirayane pulling her hood of wolf fur over her head and pushing back her shimmering sapphire hair behind her pointed ears, revealing her eyes of amethyst. There were many ways in and out of the guild's infamous hideaway under Ivek, from just simply dropping into the sewers by one of the many aqueducts and tunnels that bristled and snaked below the cobblestone streets, or for a more discreet approach, there were the few secret entrances spaced about the surrounding forest, and it was through one of these doors Nirayane and the other girl, human no less, emerged from. Aye and how beautiful it was for an evening hunt. The Moon of Veralyn hung high in the sky and the Earth Mother's children were at play through the forest, cute rabbits, squirrels and other tiny creatures frolicking about the grounds covered in dead autumn leaves, but small game they were compared to what Nirayane was out for this night, deer, elk, maybe a moose or two if she was feeling brave, a test of skill it would be to the other archer as well. After all, for Nirayane any could hit a standing target, but the true showing of prowess was chasing a wild beast. Pulling an arrow from her leather quiver and nocking it, she nodded for the other girl to follow her and have her bow ready as well, for in the thick, ephemeral mist of the woods she could hear it from afar, the clip-clopping of hooves...south of them. Tonight, we shall feast upon your bounty, Lady of the Hunt.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Chloe looked at the tracks. "Doe. was here 30 seconds maybe 40 heading south." she pulled arrow from her Hardwood quiver and leant it against the side of the bow ready to fire. she looked to the Elf and made a gesture to look towards the small bush. Chloe was decent at making animal calls and attempted her best do Call. Surprisingly a doe made an appearance near the bush.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane's eyebrow rose quite surprised at the girl's tracking skill. She was a natural at it, and impressed the elven girl, same with the animal call that brought the doe into their presence, the first kill of the night. Ever silent, she stalked their prey through the bushes and thorns, trying to place herself in the ample position to strike, her fingers, sharp, intertwining around the drawstring of her weapon and slowly pulling it back with a fresh arrow nocked. Nira kept her breathing steady, gradually her inhales and exhales becoming shallower until almost no breath at all escaped her lungs and passed her lips by. The doe, proud and majestic as any of the forest creatures, she was bathed in the light of the full moon cascading through the dappled shadows of the trees, her cream white fur seeming to glow almost ethereally in the midst of the thicket of red snowberries of she was nibbling on. Carefully Nirayane rose from a crouched position, closing one eye and zeroing in on her target, and then...she let loose of the arrow and watched as it soared along its path with a snap of the bowstring, almost in slow motion, until it thunked into the meat of the deer, releasing a hurtful yelp before scampering away to safety. Nirayane quickly took off after the escaping animal, the scent of fresh blood upon her nose, but kept back a bit so she didn't end up getting skewered herself by the deadly dart of her hunting companion, plus wishing to see how good of an archer she was.</s> <\|message\|>puzle accepted. "Hehehe yes i did! Did you enjoy the fireworks? they were beautiful! Too bad someone is always so negative and ruins the fun..." Hotarubi said referring to Vallyn. She then continued to play with Nadia's hair "Piggy tails!"</s> <\|message\|>Evanglina Corter Evanglina rolls her eyes at the two girls and says, "Yes. Thanks to me, the one who stole the fireworks and lit them, you actually were able to carry out your plan." She hated not getting credit for being in on the heist, but she tried not to be too bitter about it. The heist was still a success.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "duck" Chloe shouted Firing an arrow over the head of the Elf and piercing the neck of her prey. the doe continued to run for a few seconds before collapsing to the floor. Chloe ran over to inspect the kill. pulling out the arrow from her first kill of the night she cut off its ear and placed it on the floor and began to speak a quiet prayer of thanks to Atremis god of the hunt thanking her for their kill.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nira quickly ducked just as the arrow flew over her, missing her by a fraction of a second, and carefully she lifted her head just to see the beast fallen by an arrow in its neck, not to mention the other stuck in the side. They made their way to the animal, suffering in its final waking moments of pain....so much pain. Atremis? What divine be he? Nirayane thought, nevertheless thanking Veralyn for their prey this night and giving an offering of blood by slitting the doe's neck and petting her softly as she died. May your death not be in vain, O kin of the forest. May your meat give us nourishment and your fur clothe us from the cold, and may your bones become ashes and return to the earth from which you were birthed. May Veralyn bless their next kill. But after their prayers were given to the respective deities, Nira went to work, first gutting the beast of undesirables and taking what meat she could from the animal. It bothered her slightly, the girl cutting off the ear, but Nira didn't pay it much mind. She was impressed indeed with her skill, a nice, clean shot.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "we should set up some snares for smaller animals." Chloe said jumping up after finishing the prayer. looking in her back pack she pulled out a small length of wire and made a small snare on the floor. "that should catch us a fox or a rabbit" She said shouldering her bow again</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane nodded to the idea, even smaller game was worth the catch, but as she finished dressing the doe and stuffing the hide in her leather satchel, she heard another noise, this of men, drunkenly chortling and disrupting the tranquil night, and worse as Nira overheard them guffawing and rudely chattering amongst themselves.....they were poachers, cruel, and a spit in the eye of not just Nirayane, but the goddess as well, may Veralyn bring justice by the hand of the huntress. In her anger, Nira snarled clenching her teeth in paroxysm and grabbed up her bow taking off into the woods, her ears burning with their scathing bite, "Heh! Look at this, lads! Ain't she a beaut?" "Aye Maevus! Good on ye digging that pit! Poor thing never saw it coming haha!" "Well don't just stand there ye lazy bastard! Gimme a hand wi it!" "Well ye gonna kill the damn thing first?" "Bah! Son of a bitch is gonna die anyways! Now help me skin it! We'll get good coin for this fur. Might fetch a little extra for the antlers too." What vileness, what defilement of the forest kin, treating a kill as nothing more but monetary gain. They were a disgrace to Nira, these four drunken bastards, even sullying the sacred hunting grounds with discarded flaggons of ale and mead....for this, they had to die. Nira drew her bow to the first poacher she singled out, and then she let loose on him, her arrow sticking him through the throat, a sadistic grin as she watched him scream in horror and choke on his blood. "By the gods! We're under attack!" They soon shouted and tried to run...but none would escape, especially when the other hunter joined Nira in dealing the justice of Veralyn and Atremis upon them.</s>	<\|message\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Vallyn snorted at Hotarubi, shrugging. He then turned to the other guild members and shrugged. "The next heist, I will plan. It will involve stealth and no bloodshed. Honestly... I was thinking that we keep low and make them think we fled somewhere far off. We meet with the poor, fill their pockets with riches to feed them for a month. If we want to help the poor, we must first fade into the shadows. That is the role of a Master Thief. Not fireworks." The thief scolded, finding their childish acts a bit taxing to his own nerves. "Unless, you think, it is better to have the city guard double its ranks each passing heist we do that involves revealing ourselves." As if to emphasize his point, he reached within his cloak and retrieved twelve coin purses. "During your escape, I managed to get us some loot. I have to say, you're all at least helpful as a distraction." A sly smile appeared on his pale face, as if daring Hotarubi to question his capabilities of being a thief.</s>
<\|description\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Age: 23 Civil clothes: Thief Clothing (see bottom) Thief clothes: He tends to wear leather armor lined with chainmail and a long dark cloak. He also tends to wear a long red scarf. Weapon: Long sword Tools: Lockpicking tools, daggers, razor wire Bio: TBR Not important info: Swift and acrobatic, excellent with a sword and dagger, natural pickpocket, and incredibly stealthy.</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Welcome back" Nadia smiled at the people that just got back. "How was the hunting?" She asked, taking out a cookie from somewhere on her and eating it.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "We got a Doe and set some traps for smaller animals. we also bagged some poachers."Chloe said grabbing a small loaf of bread from her pack. she broke a piece of and ate it. she pulled down her hood allowing her hair to flow free. "where'd you get the loot?" she asked</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Took them from a house. It's enough for today's work I guess, seeing that there was a ruckus. It was a good distraction but if too many things are stolen the king would notice" Nadia said, munching her cookie and looking at the new person. "You're new. Want a cookie?" she asked, holding out a cookie to Chloe "Took them from a house. It's enough for today's work I guess, seeing that there was a ruckus. It was a good distraction but if too many things are stolen the king would notice" Nadia said, munching her cookie and looking at the new person. "You're new. Want a cookie?" she asked, holding out a cookie to Chloe</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Chloe leaned over and took the cookie from the girl. "Thanks, Im Chloe By the way. ive got some bread left it you want some?"</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Im Nadia" she beamed. "It's alright, you should eat it. Get more energy" she smiled</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane smiled wryly to the two before straying off to a chair next to the crackling, warm hearth and sat beside it removing her fur cloak. Nadia, she was always a friendly face, quite possibly the youngest of the guild, a smile that could warm the heart of even an ice giant. It made the elf giggle on the inside, seeing her share her cookies with the newblood, but then came Dmitri swooping in and yanking it from her hand. Nira hissed at the hawk and tapped his head firmly making him release the cookie from his sharp beak. Don't you be stealing from her you cheeky bird!</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Nice to meet you." she said i biting into the bread again. she placed her bow in her lap and began to study the bow, it was expertly crafted. Nira must have had years of practice for it to this good</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Ah, don't be mad at him" Nadia said, looking at Nirayane. "He's more than welcome to have some cookies" she said with a smile. "Do you want some Nirayane?" she asked, tilting her head and holding out a few more cookies</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Cantankerous as ever the hawk screeched at her, but Nira just rolled her eyes again at the cheeky bird, carving a slender chunk of raw venison from the slab and feeding it to him while he was perched on her shoulder. Her mind seemed to trail as she sat alone, gazing softly into the demure glow of the fire bathing her in comfort. She thought back to those days, raiding villages with the Black-Horns, ruling over the most feared bandit tribe in the Empire....and of course...him, the orc war chief...her king...her beloved... She sighed, wrapping her cloak around her once more and leaning back in her chair, a distant frown finding its way to her face. Yet halfheartedly she smiled again and shook her head at Nadia's offer, as sweet as it was.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "hey, Nira you ok. you look sad." Chloe said looking at Nira. she wondered for a moment why she had yet talked to her.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane sighed to herself once more while staring at the flames undulating from the fireplace, so entranced in her distant memories that she hardly could have noticed Chloe standing next to her, at least until she inquired about the elf's well-being. Nira glanced up at her, a tinge of lament still in her eyes, yet softly she smiled and shook her head. She motioned to the chair next to her, in a way asking if Chloe would like to sit near the fire.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "thanks. anything i can help with?" She said taking a seat. She looked at nira, Something about her, the way she acted made her warm inside and smile. Something she had not experienced in a long time. Nira was her only real friend at the moment within the guild along with Nadia, She just seemed to feel a connection to her, similar to earlier when she was out hunting. She just felt..happy when she was near</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze The elven woman looked to Chloe and simply shook her head, though in a considerable manner to show gratitude for her concern. She turned to the fire again tossing a handful of kindling in to keep it stoked. It was always cold in the guild hall anyways, at least to her. How quaint she felt so warm though, and she was sure it wasn't the hearth. The girl, Nira had only met her just this day, but just like that they were friends. Chloe was a brilliant hunter and her skill with a bow, remarkable. But there was...something else that drew the elf towards her besides fascination. But what exactly?</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad shook himself out of his stupor. He should really pay more attention to his surroundings, if he did that anywhere else he likely would've been killed or worse expelled. He turned to face the pair that had brought in the meat and moved over to sit by them. Simbad normally wasn't terribly social but for some reason he felt a need to strike up a conversation. "Hello there, heard you two had a little adventure while looking for dinner." he said attempting to break the ice.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze In a gentle trance was the elf, somewhat incurred by the presence of Chloe, how quaint it felt. Yet Nirayane broke from it turning towards the male speaking to her and the girl beside her. Simbad, a regal looking fellow with a patch over his right eye, Nirayane wondering how he may have lost it, either in battle or some...unfortunate event in his lifetime. Surprising one of these few thieves haven't lost a limb or something more precious in value. Twas a rough and arduous line of work not without its tribulations, but indeed it was rewarding....if by rewarding meaning seeing the meek and the downtrodden graciously given to. She knew of Simbad for some time, and always he struck the elf as mysterious clouding his past, but then again she wasn't much of an open book either. She nodded to the male and pointed to the burlap sack of venison, the bottom coated in salt to keep them fresh. Of course, it would be up to the hunter to cook. Without a word, Nira excused herself from the two and made her way over to the table where she first laid the pouch full of meat, still bloody and not a single hint of rot in it. She sighed skewering the meat onto a spit and then carrying it over to the fire. In the instant the flames began licking at the slabs of raw deer meat, the intoxicating aroma overtook the stench of the sewer.</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) Nadia yawned slightly, feeling rather sleepy. It had been a long day and perhaps she should get some rest. "Hotarubi, I'm going to go and rest up now" she said with a lazy smile and stopped her from playing with her hair. She hadn't really have an actual meal yet but she didn't really have an appetite. "Goodnight everyone, Nira, Chloe, Simbad, Hotarubi" she said and walked off towards a couch, dragging a blanket there and lying down on it, closing her eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Night Nadia" Chloe called after the girl. Nira had gone off to prepare the food they had earlier killed leaving her with the man who had approached them. "Hi, im Chloe. im new here" she said her hand outstretched</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nira turned the spit every once in a while, making sure one side wasn't cooked more than the other or burnt, trying to distract herself from the ever pleasant aroma of venison roasted on the fire, mainly because she hadn't eaten in days. With a gentle nod she bid the young Nadia goodnight and gave a smile to Chloe as well. After a few minutes or so, the meat was finished roasting, and carefully Nirayane lifted the slabs from the fire, carving them into slices alongside some potatoes and carrots she roasted as well. Always the hunter's job to cook, but Nira was used to it. Plating the meat and vegetables, she set them about the table and signaled to the others with a whistle that dinner was served. Poor Nadia. A shame she already retired for the evening. The least the elf could do for her young companion was set her a plate aside for when she awoke. Hopefully that red-tailed sneak-thief wouldn't swoop in and grab it or Nira would have to clip his wings, that or let Dmitri get so fat he couldn't fly anymore. Her eyes turned to the hawk, still perched atop the elf's chair, even after she left, his beady yellow eyes gawking at Simbad's eyepatch as he tilted his head and ruffled his wings a little.</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad turned to face the new girl and shook her hand with a firm grip as the elf hunter left to cook the meat. "I'm not much of a veteran here either to be honest but a month or two of experience goes a way for you i suppose. I would ask what brings you here but everyone has a story and its their choice to tell." He glanced back at the Elf when she whistled showing that the food was ready. The meat looked wonderful a testament to the hunters experience in cooking. He quickly grabbed a plate and loaded up on the delicious looking food. Simbad nodded his thanks to Nirayane, the Elf had always interested him, it was incredible to see how she got by in such a tough world while being entirely unable to talk. He pondered what he would do without the ability to talk as he set to eating the meal. Simbad frowned at the bird noticing it glancing at his eye-patch, from what he had seen the bird grabbed anything it was interested in and he had no intention of losing his eye-patch to the creature, he decided he would just watch it carefully.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Hearing the whistle Chloe turned her head to see a large table filled with food. She stood up and began to make her way over to the table. the food looked perfect. How was she so good at cooking she though lifting a slice of the meat onto her plate. even the vegetables, which she loathed, looked tasty.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze The huntress smiled as she saw the others enjoying her food and cut away a small sliver from the venison on her plate with her knife, popping the morsel into her mouth and savoring the sweet, earthy flavor of nature's bounty. To her, especially seeing everyone at the table eating, drinking and merrymaking, it felt more this band of rebel-rousers known as the Thieves Guild were more akin to a happy, yet dysfunctional family, similar in many aspects to a family of her past life. She could hear them again, the clanking of tankards filled to the brim with mead, the hearty laughter over a few bawdy, raunchy jokes passed around along with a shanty or two sung by haggard drunks passionately....and the voice, the gruff yet gentle song of Torvald Stone-Hide. The guild was her home now, yet her heart ached for the days of a brigand. As she drank of her ale and took another bite of venison into her jaws, she happened to notice that nosy hawk of hers eyeing Simbad's eyepatch, only expecting for the cheeky bird to take flight again with it in his talons. Damn thing, he was always grabbing whatever, maybe for a jest or just natural curiosity. There was one time Hotarubi returned with an amulet she pilfered off a merchant, a very beautiful bauble with a lovely, center-cut diamond encased in purest silver, but then Dmitri caught shine of it and away he was with the amulet in his beak, unfortunately dropping it in those filthy sewer waters. It took Nira all night just to find the thing, and when she did, she and the amulet reeked with filth. They would have been lucky to get a few coins for it at the fence. To dissuade the red-tail from any mischief, she glared over to Dmitri and shook her head. He got the message clearly and instead of making off with Simbad's patch, the bird instead flew over to the couch little Nadia was sleeping on and landed, covering his head with his wings and going to sleep himself. Nirayane then turned to Chloe, giggling on the inside. She was a woman, mature indeed, yet she acted as if a child pushing her vegetables aside.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Nira, where did you learn to cook like this. its really good." she asked the elf curious to what her secret was. the food was a lot different to what she had been used to. for starters it was warm and you could actually taste the meat</s>	<\|message\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Vallyn kept silent when the guild began to pile up, tossing eleven of the twelve coin purses onto the table. He left the room, leaving the sewers, wrapping his cloak tightly about him with the cowl pulled low. The shadows of his hood hid most of his face, giving him a somewhat intimidating presence. It didn't take him long to reach his destination, either, only a couple of blocks of wandering to the local tavern. He walked in and closed the door, not paying any mind to the action nor to the curious glares of its hardened folk. Eventually, there was an eruption of welcome. "Vallyn! 'Bout time you came!" The patrons cried, save for the new, burly looking man. Vallyn raised a hand, solemnly walking towards the bar. He dropped three gold piece onto the bar. "Mead and mutton. This should be enough to pay whatever is put on my tab, plus tip." The young man told the barkeep, who, upon looking at the money, nodded with a big smile on her plump face. The woman went about, bringing him the mead and running to the kitchen to prepare his meal.</s>
<\|description\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Appearence: BTW I drew that, heehee ^_^ Age: 32 Civil and Thief clothes are the same, made of fur and leather hides from the animals she has hunted. When she is on the hunt she will have her face painted in tribal war paint Weapon: A pinewood bow with thick, gauged horse hair twine, and a sharp, curved dagger Tools: A quiver of arrows, caltrops, small vials of various poisons (hand crafted by her), and a sage green ocarina which she plays now and again. Not necessarily a tool, but essential to her, her hawk companion Dmitri Bio: Life was not always so grand growing up in the eastern Elven Empire of Telnivir. Rather, it was monotonous to the young elven girl. Born to a family of nobles, Nirayane had everything handed to her upon platters of the finest gold, lavish, elegant clothing, precious, priceless gems and jewelry that sparkled so radiantly, wealth, all that a noble elf's daughter could ask for...except for her of course. She was smothered no less, protected as though she were nothing more than a priceless trinket. Her parents had even betrothed her to a wealthy and handsome steward of the Imperial Court, yet Nirayane felt no love for him, nor any sort of affection. Nay, what she longed for was freedom, liberation from her gilded cage, her tightly clenching shackles of obligations to the haughty and stuffy nobility. Such came for her one fateful evening, when she had finally made her decision to cut all ties with her family and free herself from the bondage of her elegant lifestyle. She had only made it so far through the thick of the forest, until suddenly she was set upon by a rowdy clan of brigands, named the Black-Horned Elks, led by a brutish orc war chief named Torvald Stone-Hide. Torvald took the girl captive and chained her up in his personal quarters at the abandoned fortress of Raven's Perch, believing certain she would fetch a pretty coin from her family, but as the years waned on, his cruel treatment of Nirayane lessened and he slowly became smitten with the elven maiden. Nirayane the same had grown attached to the orc, developing romantic feelings for him, and soon the two were lovers. Through her time together with the bandits she became molded by the brutality surrounding her day in and day out and developed her own kindred bloodlust. Her orc husband took note of this and allowed her to participate in raids, pillages, and heists to satiate her fearsome appetite. She became skilled with an assortment of weapons, yet favored the bow above all, her prowess in archery nearly unmatched as she could kill a target from almost leagues away, earning her the title Shear-Breeze. Other attributes she learned from her savage companions were how to live off the land, to hunt for meat and for hides and to gather special herbs and reagents for brewing potions and poisons, and to tame wild animals, except for her husband of course. Yea life was wonderful for the newly crowned Queen of the Elks, yet...how cruel fate be that this life as well be shattered. Twas upon one grim day when a couple of bandits returned to the fortress from a recent raid, spattered in blood and with eyes widened in fear. The chief Torvald asked them of what they had done, and the men simply answered....unknowingly they had killed the wife and daughter of the Imperial Guard Captain. In his blind, berserk rage the orc beheaded them both and ordered to Nirayane and their men...prepare for battle. It wasn't long after, the Captain and his men came thundering towards the fortress with only one goal in mind, burn it to the ground. The battle was quick, bloody, and with numerous, grisly casualties upon both sides, one of which was the bandit queen's lover. Nirayane could only witness in horror as her beloved Torvald was skewered by many a sword blade before he fell to his death from the stone tower of Raven's Perch. She fled the fortress with her remaining men, and through several dark and harrowing times, they traveled towards the west to the kingdom of Kalardia. It was during that period, the queen's crown began to falter, as did her leadership over the unruly brutes. They made several forceful, unwanted advances upon her, and soon the elven maiden was once again a slave. In her desperate bid to be free of her tormentors, she had no choice but to slay them in cold blood. As if Fate herself had frowned upon her, the brigand's luck only grew worse, as she was seized at the border of Kalardia and imprisoned awaiting execution, seething with anger behind grit teeth and glaring eyes. Luckily however, the King of Kalardia, Igolvert, offered her amnesty from the headsman's axe, only on the grounds she join the Thieves Guild. Nirayane, no less, took the offer and since she has remained loyal to the Guild, but never forgetting her beloved Torvald and the orc chief's courageous sacrifice for her. Not important info: She's mute.</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Ah Hotarubi" Nadia smiled as she heard her say her name. She was already used to be petted like that from her and she didn't mind at all. "So you cause the ruckus earlier?" She asked, looking up at Hotarubi.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "AHHHH. what the hell are you doing." Chloe said bolting up and drawing an arrow from her quiver and aiming it at her heart. she noticed that she too was also from the guild. "I'm so sorry, you scared me. please forgive me." She said a small silver tear Dripping down her cheek and onto the ground.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane hissed at the new recruit like a cornered serpent preparing to strike, her teeth, they were even sharp as one, a common trait of elves who became feral. If she wanted to, she could have killed the girl any second and bat not a single eyelash towards it, one slice across the throat would be all it took, but....Hotarubi probably wouldn't appreciate Nira slaying their new members without remorse, also....she must've frightened her a bit too much, judging by the stray tear streaming down her cheek. Without warning Mira caught the tear upon her finger, a peculiar expression to her own face, and gently wiped it away, then ruffling the girl's hair, the mute's gesture of apology. There was a commotion going about the rest of the guild, yet Nirayane paid no mind to it, she was never that close to her guild mates anyways and often, she preferred solitude. Of course she realized it was the fifth of Morning Star, a day...or rather a night many of the wood recognized as Veralyn's, Maiden of the Stag and Goddess of the Hunt. Tonight, for many a seasoned archer, it was the ripe time to display their innate prowess with the bow, for the moon would be full and the forest teeming with life as the heavenly huntress descended from High Alti above unto the trees, drawing her arrow to the sky and signaling the hunt to commence. Nira, she mostly hunted alone, but...perchance this one could join her, first however...she needed to see something. Rather curt of the elf, she snatched the girl's bow from her hand and oddly...sniffed of it. Just as she thought, ash wood, light, malleable, good for an intermediate bow, but Nirayane suspected this girl's skill was above intermediate, and a bow of a thicker, heavier wood may suit her better, something crafted of pine or cedar. Upon further inspection pulling back the drawstring, she also discovered the string was thin and woven of flax fibers. Impressive, but given her experience, she wasn't much a fan of plant fiber. It wasn't thick enough and too much pressure would snap the string in two. She handed the bow back to the girl shaking her head in disapproval of the flimsy weapon, not bad but could be better. She, though not able to speak, told her to stay put, then scurried off to her sleeping quarters in the cistern, stopping at the table everyone had gathered around with the chest of gold coins atop it and setting down the crown she stole in front of Hotarubi with a stern nod. Then, once she returned from her room, clutched in her hand was another bow, crafted by Nira's own two hands from thick, knotted cedar and for the string, only the coarsest fibers of horse and elk hair woven thick with a supple draw weight and enough to send an arrow soaring leagues away. With another curt nod, she set the bow in the girl's hand, a present if you will, for welcoming her to the guild. And though she preferred to hunt alone...perhaps she wouldn't mind taking this one with her. Going back to Hotarubi, she looked her leader dead in the eyes and signed to her a simple message, I'm going hunting and I'm taking the young lass with me. We shall return at yea break of dawn with meat and venison for everyone.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Looking at the bow given to her another tear trickled down her cheek. "Thank you. This... this bow its.. its amazing. i mean just the way it feels is almost magical. Did you make this?"</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad weaved his competently through one of the many paths that led to the thieves guild and tossed a bag of money on the table, "Here's the guild's cut." he said curtly and grabbed a drink and sat down at one of the several tables.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane nodded yes, but her eyebrows furrowed again when she noticed another tear fall from the girl's eye. Strange...why would she be crying? Nirayane was not meaning to offend, she merely offered a better style of bow for the girl to use. Once more she wiped the tear away, and then she brandished her own bow, showing that she too was an archer, though she figured this new one was her equal or perhaps surpassed her a bit, who knew? I have told the others I am going hunting, and I wish for you to come with me. I would love to see your skill with a bow. Is what she would have said if the elven girl could speak, but unfortunately all Nira could do was gesture in some way that made sense....and the only gesture that would make sense was just grabbing the girl(Chloe) by the hand and pulling her towards the exit. No time to waste when the perfect night for a hunt came only every few moons.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "oh my gosh its brilliant. i cant wait to test it out, but i guess thats where we are going." Chloe said pulling up the pure white hood up covering her shiny blond hair which was covering her deep brown eyes. she shouldered the bow and grabbed her quiver as the elf pulled her by the hand</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze They were just about to leave the sanctity of the cistern, until Nirayane paused forgetting something, or rather someone. With a whistle, nearly echoing off every moss covered wall of the hideout, she called to her other hunting companion. The hawk was perched on the table picking at a small rat he caught earlier and was swallowing some of the meaty morsels down his gullet, until he returned with a screech and flapped his wings taking to the air, flying past the other guild members and Hotarubi before landing on Nira's outstretched arm. She scratched Dmitri lightly under his beak and petted his head with a wry smile crossing her lips. Now we can go. A short nod to the other archer and off they went with Nirayane pulling her hood of wolf fur over her head and pushing back her shimmering sapphire hair behind her pointed ears, revealing her eyes of amethyst. There were many ways in and out of the guild's infamous hideaway under Ivek, from just simply dropping into the sewers by one of the many aqueducts and tunnels that bristled and snaked below the cobblestone streets, or for a more discreet approach, there were the few secret entrances spaced about the surrounding forest, and it was through one of these doors Nirayane and the other girl, human no less, emerged from. Aye and how beautiful it was for an evening hunt. The Moon of Veralyn hung high in the sky and the Earth Mother's children were at play through the forest, cute rabbits, squirrels and other tiny creatures frolicking about the grounds covered in dead autumn leaves, but small game they were compared to what Nirayane was out for this night, deer, elk, maybe a moose or two if she was feeling brave, a test of skill it would be to the other archer as well. After all, for Nirayane any could hit a standing target, but the true showing of prowess was chasing a wild beast. Pulling an arrow from her leather quiver and nocking it, she nodded for the other girl to follow her and have her bow ready as well, for in the thick, ephemeral mist of the woods she could hear it from afar, the clip-clopping of hooves...south of them. Tonight, we shall feast upon your bounty, Lady of the Hunt.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Chloe looked at the tracks. "Doe. was here 30 seconds maybe 40 heading south." she pulled arrow from her Hardwood quiver and leant it against the side of the bow ready to fire. she looked to the Elf and made a gesture to look towards the small bush. Chloe was decent at making animal calls and attempted her best do Call. Surprisingly a doe made an appearance near the bush.</s>	<\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane's eyebrow rose quite surprised at the girl's tracking skill. She was a natural at it, and impressed the elven girl, same with the animal call that brought the doe into their presence, the first kill of the night. Ever silent, she stalked their prey through the bushes and thorns, trying to place herself in the ample position to strike, her fingers, sharp, intertwining around the drawstring of her weapon and slowly pulling it back with a fresh arrow nocked. Nira kept her breathing steady, gradually her inhales and exhales becoming shallower until almost no breath at all escaped her lungs and passed her lips by. The doe, proud and majestic as any of the forest creatures, she was bathed in the light of the full moon cascading through the dappled shadows of the trees, her cream white fur seeming to glow almost ethereally in the midst of the thicket of red snowberries of she was nibbling on. Carefully Nirayane rose from a crouched position, closing one eye and zeroing in on her target, and then...she let loose of the arrow and watched as it soared along its path with a snap of the bowstring, almost in slow motion, until it thunked into the meat of the deer, releasing a hurtful yelp before scampering away to safety. Nirayane quickly took off after the escaping animal, the scent of fresh blood upon her nose, but kept back a bit so she didn't end up getting skewered herself by the deadly dart of her hunting companion, plus wishing to see how good of an archer she was.</s>
<\|description\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Appearence: BTW I drew that, heehee ^_^ Age: 32 Civil and Thief clothes are the same, made of fur and leather hides from the animals she has hunted. When she is on the hunt she will have her face painted in tribal war paint Weapon: A pinewood bow with thick, gauged horse hair twine, and a sharp, curved dagger Tools: A quiver of arrows, caltrops, small vials of various poisons (hand crafted by her), and a sage green ocarina which she plays now and again. Not necessarily a tool, but essential to her, her hawk companion Dmitri Bio: Life was not always so grand growing up in the eastern Elven Empire of Telnivir. Rather, it was monotonous to the young elven girl. Born to a family of nobles, Nirayane had everything handed to her upon platters of the finest gold, lavish, elegant clothing, precious, priceless gems and jewelry that sparkled so radiantly, wealth, all that a noble elf's daughter could ask for...except for her of course. She was smothered no less, protected as though she were nothing more than a priceless trinket. Her parents had even betrothed her to a wealthy and handsome steward of the Imperial Court, yet Nirayane felt no love for him, nor any sort of affection. Nay, what she longed for was freedom, liberation from her gilded cage, her tightly clenching shackles of obligations to the haughty and stuffy nobility. Such came for her one fateful evening, when she had finally made her decision to cut all ties with her family and free herself from the bondage of her elegant lifestyle. She had only made it so far through the thick of the forest, until suddenly she was set upon by a rowdy clan of brigands, named the Black-Horned Elks, led by a brutish orc war chief named Torvald Stone-Hide. Torvald took the girl captive and chained her up in his personal quarters at the abandoned fortress of Raven's Perch, believing certain she would fetch a pretty coin from her family, but as the years waned on, his cruel treatment of Nirayane lessened and he slowly became smitten with the elven maiden. Nirayane the same had grown attached to the orc, developing romantic feelings for him, and soon the two were lovers. Through her time together with the bandits she became molded by the brutality surrounding her day in and day out and developed her own kindred bloodlust. Her orc husband took note of this and allowed her to participate in raids, pillages, and heists to satiate her fearsome appetite. She became skilled with an assortment of weapons, yet favored the bow above all, her prowess in archery nearly unmatched as she could kill a target from almost leagues away, earning her the title Shear-Breeze. Other attributes she learned from her savage companions were how to live off the land, to hunt for meat and for hides and to gather special herbs and reagents for brewing potions and poisons, and to tame wild animals, except for her husband of course. Yea life was wonderful for the newly crowned Queen of the Elks, yet...how cruel fate be that this life as well be shattered. Twas upon one grim day when a couple of bandits returned to the fortress from a recent raid, spattered in blood and with eyes widened in fear. The chief Torvald asked them of what they had done, and the men simply answered....unknowingly they had killed the wife and daughter of the Imperial Guard Captain. In his blind, berserk rage the orc beheaded them both and ordered to Nirayane and their men...prepare for battle. It wasn't long after, the Captain and his men came thundering towards the fortress with only one goal in mind, burn it to the ground. The battle was quick, bloody, and with numerous, grisly casualties upon both sides, one of which was the bandit queen's lover. Nirayane could only witness in horror as her beloved Torvald was skewered by many a sword blade before he fell to his death from the stone tower of Raven's Perch. She fled the fortress with her remaining men, and through several dark and harrowing times, they traveled towards the west to the kingdom of Kalardia. It was during that period, the queen's crown began to falter, as did her leadership over the unruly brutes. They made several forceful, unwanted advances upon her, and soon the elven maiden was once again a slave. In her desperate bid to be free of her tormentors, she had no choice but to slay them in cold blood. As if Fate herself had frowned upon her, the brigand's luck only grew worse, as she was seized at the border of Kalardia and imprisoned awaiting execution, seething with anger behind grit teeth and glaring eyes. Luckily however, the King of Kalardia, Igolvert, offered her amnesty from the headsman's axe, only on the grounds she join the Thieves Guild. Nirayane, no less, took the offer and since she has remained loyal to the Guild, but never forgetting her beloved Torvald and the orc chief's courageous sacrifice for her. Not important info: She's mute.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nira smiled wryly and nodded again in reply to her gratitude for the bow, gesturing for her to keep it. A good hunter needed a good bow after all, and the girl, she was quite the avid archer and knew the way of the forest well. It was a shame the elf couldn't speak. She would've liked to ask her for her name or say that she thought her hair and her eyes looked pretty, but nevertheless Nirayane could only smile...as much as she had in a long time.... While she was preparing to return to the guild, a sudden breeze caught her fur hood and whisked it from her head, her sapphire hair flowing freely before she caught her hood again and pulled it back with a slight blush of her pale cheeks.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Im Chloe by the way." She said turning and extending her hand towards the elf.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Chloe.... it was a nice name for a girl, Nirayane thought with a soft smile, her hand reaching slowly to take Chloe's lightly and give it a shake. Of course, now she had to give her name. She glanced around for a bit, nervously nibbling at her bottom lip before she had an idea, snatching one of the arrows from her quiver and kneeling towards the ground. She wrote her name into the soil, but unfortunately all she could write in was the elven language, just three obscure, runic symbols comprising her first name, Nirayane. Hopefully Chloe could understand it. If not, then Nira would just have to learn the human language then write her name. Standing again, she brushed the dirt off her knees and called Dmitri to her, the hawk returning with a small rodent clutched in his talons, as if the cheeky bird didn't eat enough already. Nirayane petted him and smiled back to Chloe, motioning for the two of them to return home...or at least what counted as home.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Nirayane. Well nice to meet you" she said. turning to walk back towards the guild</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze So she could read elven, Nira thought while treading along the pathway through the forest, back towards the hollowed tree in the center, where yet another entrance to the guild hall lied. At least someone knew her language, but strange how for most humans, even the most astute of scholars, it took almost months to learn a fourth of the elven alphabet, and even more to speak the language fluently. Yet Nirayane disregarded the notion and kept waking. Someone understood her. That was all that mattered. Once they were safe and sound in the cistern, Nira approached Hotarubi and the others. Meat, just as promised. She gestured, setting the bloody sack full of venison on the table and snatching a few coins from the chest for herself, an old bandit habit.</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Welcome back" Nadia smiled at the people that just got back. "How was the hunting?" She asked, taking out a cookie from somewhere on her and eating it.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "We got a Doe and set some traps for smaller animals. we also bagged some poachers."Chloe said grabbing a small loaf of bread from her pack. she broke a piece of and ate it. she pulled down her hood allowing her hair to flow free. "where'd you get the loot?" she asked</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Took them from a house. It's enough for today's work I guess, seeing that there was a ruckus. It was a good distraction but if too many things are stolen the king would notice" Nadia said, munching her cookie and looking at the new person. "You're new. Want a cookie?" she asked, holding out a cookie to Chloe "Took them from a house. It's enough for today's work I guess, seeing that there was a ruckus. It was a good distraction but if too many things are stolen the king would notice" Nadia said, munching her cookie and looking at the new person. "You're new. Want a cookie?" she asked, holding out a cookie to Chloe</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Chloe leaned over and took the cookie from the girl. "Thanks, Im Chloe By the way. ive got some bread left it you want some?"</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Im Nadia" she beamed. "It's alright, you should eat it. Get more energy" she smiled</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane smiled wryly to the two before straying off to a chair next to the crackling, warm hearth and sat beside it removing her fur cloak. Nadia, she was always a friendly face, quite possibly the youngest of the guild, a smile that could warm the heart of even an ice giant. It made the elf giggle on the inside, seeing her share her cookies with the newblood, but then came Dmitri swooping in and yanking it from her hand. Nira hissed at the hawk and tapped his head firmly making him release the cookie from his sharp beak. Don't you be stealing from her you cheeky bird!</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Nice to meet you." she said i biting into the bread again. she placed her bow in her lap and began to study the bow, it was expertly crafted. Nira must have had years of practice for it to this good</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) "Ah, don't be mad at him" Nadia said, looking at Nirayane. "He's more than welcome to have some cookies" she said with a smile. "Do you want some Nirayane?" she asked, tilting her head and holding out a few more cookies</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Cantankerous as ever the hawk screeched at her, but Nira just rolled her eyes again at the cheeky bird, carving a slender chunk of raw venison from the slab and feeding it to him while he was perched on her shoulder. Her mind seemed to trail as she sat alone, gazing softly into the demure glow of the fire bathing her in comfort. She thought back to those days, raiding villages with the Black-Horns, ruling over the most feared bandit tribe in the Empire....and of course...him, the orc war chief...her king...her beloved... She sighed, wrapping her cloak around her once more and leaning back in her chair, a distant frown finding its way to her face. Yet halfheartedly she smiled again and shook her head at Nadia's offer, as sweet as it was.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "hey, Nira you ok. you look sad." Chloe said looking at Nira. she wondered for a moment why she had yet talked to her.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane sighed to herself once more while staring at the flames undulating from the fireplace, so entranced in her distant memories that she hardly could have noticed Chloe standing next to her, at least until she inquired about the elf's well-being. Nira glanced up at her, a tinge of lament still in her eyes, yet softly she smiled and shook her head. She motioned to the chair next to her, in a way asking if Chloe would like to sit near the fire.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "thanks. anything i can help with?" She said taking a seat. She looked at nira, Something about her, the way she acted made her warm inside and smile. Something she had not experienced in a long time. Nira was her only real friend at the moment within the guild along with Nadia, She just seemed to feel a connection to her, similar to earlier when she was out hunting. She just felt..happy when she was near</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze The elven woman looked to Chloe and simply shook her head, though in a considerable manner to show gratitude for her concern. She turned to the fire again tossing a handful of kindling in to keep it stoked. It was always cold in the guild hall anyways, at least to her. How quaint she felt so warm though, and she was sure it wasn't the hearth. The girl, Nira had only met her just this day, but just like that they were friends. Chloe was a brilliant hunter and her skill with a bow, remarkable. But there was...something else that drew the elf towards her besides fascination. But what exactly?</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad shook himself out of his stupor. He should really pay more attention to his surroundings, if he did that anywhere else he likely would've been killed or worse expelled. He turned to face the pair that had brought in the meat and moved over to sit by them. Simbad normally wasn't terribly social but for some reason he felt a need to strike up a conversation. "Hello there, heard you two had a little adventure while looking for dinner." he said attempting to break the ice.</s>	<\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze In a gentle trance was the elf, somewhat incurred by the presence of Chloe, how quaint it felt. Yet Nirayane broke from it turning towards the male speaking to her and the girl beside her. Simbad, a regal looking fellow with a patch over his right eye, Nirayane wondering how he may have lost it, either in battle or some...unfortunate event in his lifetime. Surprising one of these few thieves haven't lost a limb or something more precious in value. Twas a rough and arduous line of work not without its tribulations, but indeed it was rewarding....if by rewarding meaning seeing the meek and the downtrodden graciously given to. She knew of Simbad for some time, and always he struck the elf as mysterious clouding his past, but then again she wasn't much of an open book either. She nodded to the male and pointed to the burlap sack of venison, the bottom coated in salt to keep them fresh. Of course, it would be up to the hunter to cook. Without a word, Nira excused herself from the two and made her way over to the table where she first laid the pouch full of meat, still bloody and not a single hint of rot in it. She sighed skewering the meat onto a spit and then carrying it over to the fire. In the instant the flames began licking at the slabs of raw deer meat, the intoxicating aroma overtook the stench of the sewer.</s>
<\|description\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Appearence: BTW I drew that, heehee ^_^ Age: 32 Civil and Thief clothes are the same, made of fur and leather hides from the animals she has hunted. When she is on the hunt she will have her face painted in tribal war paint Weapon: A pinewood bow with thick, gauged horse hair twine, and a sharp, curved dagger Tools: A quiver of arrows, caltrops, small vials of various poisons (hand crafted by her), and a sage green ocarina which she plays now and again. Not necessarily a tool, but essential to her, her hawk companion Dmitri Bio: Life was not always so grand growing up in the eastern Elven Empire of Telnivir. Rather, it was monotonous to the young elven girl. Born to a family of nobles, Nirayane had everything handed to her upon platters of the finest gold, lavish, elegant clothing, precious, priceless gems and jewelry that sparkled so radiantly, wealth, all that a noble elf's daughter could ask for...except for her of course. She was smothered no less, protected as though she were nothing more than a priceless trinket. Her parents had even betrothed her to a wealthy and handsome steward of the Imperial Court, yet Nirayane felt no love for him, nor any sort of affection. Nay, what she longed for was freedom, liberation from her gilded cage, her tightly clenching shackles of obligations to the haughty and stuffy nobility. Such came for her one fateful evening, when she had finally made her decision to cut all ties with her family and free herself from the bondage of her elegant lifestyle. She had only made it so far through the thick of the forest, until suddenly she was set upon by a rowdy clan of brigands, named the Black-Horned Elks, led by a brutish orc war chief named Torvald Stone-Hide. Torvald took the girl captive and chained her up in his personal quarters at the abandoned fortress of Raven's Perch, believing certain she would fetch a pretty coin from her family, but as the years waned on, his cruel treatment of Nirayane lessened and he slowly became smitten with the elven maiden. Nirayane the same had grown attached to the orc, developing romantic feelings for him, and soon the two were lovers. Through her time together with the bandits she became molded by the brutality surrounding her day in and day out and developed her own kindred bloodlust. Her orc husband took note of this and allowed her to participate in raids, pillages, and heists to satiate her fearsome appetite. She became skilled with an assortment of weapons, yet favored the bow above all, her prowess in archery nearly unmatched as she could kill a target from almost leagues away, earning her the title Shear-Breeze. Other attributes she learned from her savage companions were how to live off the land, to hunt for meat and for hides and to gather special herbs and reagents for brewing potions and poisons, and to tame wild animals, except for her husband of course. Yea life was wonderful for the newly crowned Queen of the Elks, yet...how cruel fate be that this life as well be shattered. Twas upon one grim day when a couple of bandits returned to the fortress from a recent raid, spattered in blood and with eyes widened in fear. The chief Torvald asked them of what they had done, and the men simply answered....unknowingly they had killed the wife and daughter of the Imperial Guard Captain. In his blind, berserk rage the orc beheaded them both and ordered to Nirayane and their men...prepare for battle. It wasn't long after, the Captain and his men came thundering towards the fortress with only one goal in mind, burn it to the ground. The battle was quick, bloody, and with numerous, grisly casualties upon both sides, one of which was the bandit queen's lover. Nirayane could only witness in horror as her beloved Torvald was skewered by many a sword blade before he fell to his death from the stone tower of Raven's Perch. She fled the fortress with her remaining men, and through several dark and harrowing times, they traveled towards the west to the kingdom of Kalardia. It was during that period, the queen's crown began to falter, as did her leadership over the unruly brutes. They made several forceful, unwanted advances upon her, and soon the elven maiden was once again a slave. In her desperate bid to be free of her tormentors, she had no choice but to slay them in cold blood. As if Fate herself had frowned upon her, the brigand's luck only grew worse, as she was seized at the border of Kalardia and imprisoned awaiting execution, seething with anger behind grit teeth and glaring eyes. Luckily however, the King of Kalardia, Igolvert, offered her amnesty from the headsman's axe, only on the grounds she join the Thieves Guild. Nirayane, no less, took the offer and since she has remained loyal to the Guild, but never forgetting her beloved Torvald and the orc chief's courageous sacrifice for her. Not important info: She's mute.</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (No one knows her last name) Nadia yawned slightly, feeling rather sleepy. It had been a long day and perhaps she should get some rest. "Hotarubi, I'm going to go and rest up now" she said with a lazy smile and stopped her from playing with her hair. She hadn't really have an actual meal yet but she didn't really have an appetite. "Goodnight everyone, Nira, Chloe, Simbad, Hotarubi" she said and walked off towards a couch, dragging a blanket there and lying down on it, closing her eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Night Nadia" Chloe called after the girl. Nira had gone off to prepare the food they had earlier killed leaving her with the man who had approached them. "Hi, im Chloe. im new here" she said her hand outstretched</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nira turned the spit every once in a while, making sure one side wasn't cooked more than the other or burnt, trying to distract herself from the ever pleasant aroma of venison roasted on the fire, mainly because she hadn't eaten in days. With a gentle nod she bid the young Nadia goodnight and gave a smile to Chloe as well. After a few minutes or so, the meat was finished roasting, and carefully Nirayane lifted the slabs from the fire, carving them into slices alongside some potatoes and carrots she roasted as well. Always the hunter's job to cook, but Nira was used to it. Plating the meat and vegetables, she set them about the table and signaled to the others with a whistle that dinner was served. Poor Nadia. A shame she already retired for the evening. The least the elf could do for her young companion was set her a plate aside for when she awoke. Hopefully that red-tailed sneak-thief wouldn't swoop in and grab it or Nira would have to clip his wings, that or let Dmitri get so fat he couldn't fly anymore. Her eyes turned to the hawk, still perched atop the elf's chair, even after she left, his beady yellow eyes gawking at Simbad's eyepatch as he tilted his head and ruffled his wings a little.</s> <\|message\|>Simbad Simbad turned to face the new girl and shook her hand with a firm grip as the elf hunter left to cook the meat. "I'm not much of a veteran here either to be honest but a month or two of experience goes a way for you i suppose. I would ask what brings you here but everyone has a story and its their choice to tell." He glanced back at the Elf when she whistled showing that the food was ready. The meat looked wonderful a testament to the hunters experience in cooking. He quickly grabbed a plate and loaded up on the delicious looking food. Simbad nodded his thanks to Nirayane, the Elf had always interested him, it was incredible to see how she got by in such a tough world while being entirely unable to talk. He pondered what he would do without the ability to talk as he set to eating the meal. Simbad frowned at the bird noticing it glancing at his eye-patch, from what he had seen the bird grabbed anything it was interested in and he had no intention of losing his eye-patch to the creature, he decided he would just watch it carefully.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Hearing the whistle Chloe turned her head to see a large table filled with food. She stood up and began to make her way over to the table. the food looked perfect. How was she so good at cooking she though lifting a slice of the meat onto her plate. even the vegetables, which she loathed, looked tasty.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze The huntress smiled as she saw the others enjoying her food and cut away a small sliver from the venison on her plate with her knife, popping the morsel into her mouth and savoring the sweet, earthy flavor of nature's bounty. To her, especially seeing everyone at the table eating, drinking and merrymaking, it felt more this band of rebel-rousers known as the Thieves Guild were more akin to a happy, yet dysfunctional family, similar in many aspects to a family of her past life. She could hear them again, the clanking of tankards filled to the brim with mead, the hearty laughter over a few bawdy, raunchy jokes passed around along with a shanty or two sung by haggard drunks passionately....and the voice, the gruff yet gentle song of Torvald Stone-Hide. The guild was her home now, yet her heart ached for the days of a brigand. As she drank of her ale and took another bite of venison into her jaws, she happened to notice that nosy hawk of hers eyeing Simbad's eyepatch, only expecting for the cheeky bird to take flight again with it in his talons. Damn thing, he was always grabbing whatever, maybe for a jest or just natural curiosity. There was one time Hotarubi returned with an amulet she pilfered off a merchant, a very beautiful bauble with a lovely, center-cut diamond encased in purest silver, but then Dmitri caught shine of it and away he was with the amulet in his beak, unfortunately dropping it in those filthy sewer waters. It took Nira all night just to find the thing, and when she did, she and the amulet reeked with filth. They would have been lucky to get a few coins for it at the fence. To dissuade the red-tail from any mischief, she glared over to Dmitri and shook her head. He got the message clearly and instead of making off with Simbad's patch, the bird instead flew over to the couch little Nadia was sleeping on and landed, covering his head with his wings and going to sleep himself. Nirayane then turned to Chloe, giggling on the inside. She was a woman, mature indeed, yet she acted as if a child pushing her vegetables aside.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Nira, where did you learn to cook like this. its really good." she asked the elf curious to what her secret was. the food was a lot different to what she had been used to. for starters it was warm and you could actually taste the meat</s> <\|message\|>Name Vallyn Desp'Ana Vallyn kept silent when the guild began to pile up, tossing eleven of the twelve coin purses onto the table. He left the room, leaving the sewers, wrapping his cloak tightly about him with the cowl pulled low. The shadows of his hood hid most of his face, giving him a somewhat intimidating presence. It didn't take him long to reach his destination, either, only a couple of blocks of wandering to the local tavern. He walked in and closed the door, not paying any mind to the action nor to the curious glares of its hardened folk. Eventually, there was an eruption of welcome. "Vallyn! 'Bout time you came!" The patrons cried, save for the new, burly looking man. Vallyn raised a hand, solemnly walking towards the bar. He dropped three gold piece onto the bar. "Mead and mutton. This should be enough to pay whatever is put on my tab, plus tip." The young man told the barkeep, who, upon looking at the money, nodded with a big smile on her plump face. The woman went about, bringing him the mead and running to the kitchen to prepare his meal.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze She was about to answer Chloe, but was caught off guard by Vallyn just upping and leaving the guild hall. Where was he off to? And without a single adieu given to his mates? Although, Vallyn never seemed to care much at all for camaraderie among them, always so cynical and staunch. So further Nirayane paid no mind and answered Chloe's question, writing down words on a scrap of parchment, You learn alot when you had to cook for a band of rowdy men and a hungry orc. She smirked and resumed eating.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters "Really. Sounds like a load of fun." Chloe said imagining her among the men. and what about an orc.</s> <\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Fun...... True, some of the best times she had in her life were with the Elks, but not always was the case. If it wasn't for the war chief, Nirayane wouldn't have rose to the ranks of bandit queen. A slave she would have been, chained, beaten, spat upon, and abused every night by a different tormentor, such as those she was forced to slay while fleeing towards the border....the last of the most feared brigands...now reduced to a lowly elf. Her smile softened a little and her lips began a gradual downward curve as her eyes fell upon her empty plate. Memories, joyous and painful, they forever plagued Nirayane.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe Winters Seeing Niras smile fade from her face chloe immediatly knew she had offended her. "Nirayane, im so sorry. i didnt mean to upset you" She said trying to comfort her.</s>	<\|message\|>Nirayane Shear-Breeze Nirayane managed to keep at least a shred of a smile on her face as she turned to Chloe profusely apologizing to her. Offended? In what way had she chided Nira? She shook her head lightly to the other archer, damn...if only she could speak. Twas already late for the elf, and by now everyone had retired it seemed, except for them three and Vallyn wherever he be. Nirayane stood from the table stretching and silently yawning, bidding Chloe and Simbad goodnight before retiring to her room. Along the way, she smiled to Nadia still slumbering peacefully with Dmitri watching over her. Once she was in her room, she let the thick drape made from deer hides fall over the doorway and slipped off her fur boots and her quiver. Her eyes trailed about the quaint abode....until they fell upon her shelf, atop it, an old, rusted dagger and a cracked steel helm missing one of its horns. Carefully, Nira's hands reached for the helm, and softly...and somberly she rubbed her cheek against the cold worn armor, closing her eyes.</s>
<\|description\|>Seo Cappell Age: 19 Gender: Male Arcana: The Chariot School: New Light University Occupation: N/A Weapon: Lowlander Great Sword Personality: Seo is playful, and tends not to take much to seriously. He isn't someone you'd call for tactical advice, or any advice for that matter. Seo also tends to be very curious and enjoys a good talk with someone if he gets to learn more about them. He is also somewhat bold, and can act like how he does around friends, when he is around strangers. He does, however, tone himself down sometimes if he feels the people around him aren't feeling it. History: Seo was born and raised a happy child. His father was a pharmacist and his mother a teacher, together they lived pretty well and he was living in a middle-class family. His father loved sports, and would often have Seo play them with him when not at school. Seo was ok with this, he was an active kid. He enjoyed most of the sports his father introduced him too, but his favorites were boxing and basketball. Now in middle school he would never really have the chance to box much, due to the lack of other kids his age and weight who were interested, so he was usually found in the BBall court. He was decent at it, but didn't stick out much, others on his team were usually the ones making most of the points. As he entered high school, he was able to switch it up more. He was quite lucky to go to a high school that had a boxing team, even if they weren't all that spectacular. He was one of the top three on his team, and usually was competing for 2nd place. It was during this time in high school that he figured out what he wanted to do with his life, he wanted to coach. He found great joy in helping others improve their athletic abilities, as well as their academic ones. He decided to follow in his moms footsteps, but instead he wanted to teach at the college level. But to do that, he would need to go to college first! ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Persona: Tūmatauenga Arcana: Chariot as well. Skills: Sonic Punch / Tarukaja / Evil Touch Strengths: Resist Physical Weaknesses: Fire / Ice</s> <\|message\|>Akiko Kozue Eaglecrest High - 4:30 PM "A-Akiko-senpai, here is the monthly expenditure..." Akiko looked up from her desk at the Student Council's new treasurer. "Ah, yes." She said, "Thank you." She took the sheet from the nervous girl's hands and gave it a quick once-over. She was a new transfer student at Eaglecrest, she had come from Japan just like Akiko had. There were many Japanese students in Eaglecrest, even though it was technically an American school. The new transfer student was incredibly nervous, which was somewhat understandable, but she had gotten the position of Student Council Treasurer by herself which said something of her abilities. "This report is good," She said, handing the paper back to the girl. "You're doing fine you know," She added, "You don't have to keep asking me about each report." "A-ah, yes Akiko-senpai..." The girl said as she turned away "Oh, one last thing, Reiko-san," Akiko said, the girl's name suddenly coming to her mind, "Just call me Akiko." The girl nodded and gave some kind of weak acknowledgement before turning away and leaving the room. Akiko was the oly one left in the room now, and immediately, the smile faded from her face. People change so easily. She thought. Well, it doesn't really matter does it? She'd watched people enough to learn their patterns, how they tended to react, common strengths and weaknesses. Not out of any specific desire to read people, but simply because there was nothing else to do. But now she knew the limits, and she'd grown bored yet again. She looked down at her watch. The car should be here now. She thought, I should go. Kozue residence, Akiko's room - 5:00 PM Akiko lay back in her bed, idly staring into space. Her mother wasn't home yet, the maids always left her alone... She sighed. Why is there never anything to do? She looked over to her bedside table, an old carefully folded note and a gleaming golden revolver lay on it; inherited from her father. She took the note and read it again. More for old time's sake than anything, she'd read it more than enough. He had died so many years ago, leaving her and her mother confused and bewildered... I still don't understand... Putting the note back onto the table, she instead picked up the golden revolver, the only other thing her father had left for her. She ran her hands over the cool, lustrous metal of the gun, savouring the cold feeling on her skin. It was oddly comforting, even with its history. Her father had taken his life with this revolver, and if what the note said was true, so had his father, and a few more fathers beyond that. It wasn't as if the gun was cursed, but... She sighed again. Thinking like that isn't going to help. She turned onto her side, removing her glasses and reaching out to put them on the table in front of her. Then she curled up where she lay, and closed her eyes; revolver still in her hands.</s> <\|message\|>Touko Shiragami New Light University - 4 and.... something How fast time passed while one was talking with their friends, yes. Touko's classes had already finished, but she was talking and gossiping with some of her friends after school. It was a good way to kill off time, of course, but she still like wasting her time in other ways, aside from drawing manga... Like reviving her chuunibyo from when she was still in Japan. It was fun to go back to pretending she was a vampire again, from time to time. Just like today, that she was playing around while moving stealthily through the shadows, avoiding the sun rays. She had a satissfied look in her face, no, more like an accomplished one, as she moved through the shadows of buildings. "Kuh.... So, the society is still after me for my betrayal, huh? I can't afford to let my guard down, not even for a moment." She said, overlooking her accent completely while she was playing around. Though she felt the rigors of being an adult from time to time, she still had enough time to fool around like this. She had the day off from her part time work and the deadlines for the new doujinshi were far, far away. "And to think that my own kin would go after me...." She continued on crawling across the wall of a building, until she heard a familiar voice and stopped right on her tracks, with a surprised face and a ridiculous pose. "Touko? What are you doing over there, Touko!" A girl, from across the street, called Touko's name. Touko quickly straightened out and adopted a normal pose, before her friend could catch up on what she was doing. The girl looked to both sides of the street before hurrying to Touko's side. "Hey there, Touko! Um, what are you doing?" She still tilted her head, as Touko's eyes swam around and her face blushed furiously. She just hoped that her friend didn't catch up on what she was doing, it'd definitely creep her out. She wasn't a middle schooler any longer, after all. "Oh, nothin', nothin'. Dun' mind me." Touko said, going back to her usual self. "Anyhow, what's up? Weren' ya in class 'till 4:30 or somethin'?" Her friend looked disheartened. She just couldn't believe her friend was so much of an idiot. Well, being an idiot was one thing, but being such an idiot that you actually forget the time and can't even associate two events with each other. It was sad, very much so. "It's already 4:47 already, you know? I got out of class a while ago." Touko looked really surprised, so much, it even irritated her friend. "Don't give me that and just look at your damn wristwatch!" Touko's Apartment - 6:00 PM After talking with her friend, and getting something to eat too, Touko finally got to her apartment. She opened the door to her not at all modest house, it actually looked more like a penthouse rather than a normal apartment. She took her bag off her shoulder and threw it away somewhere, making sure it wouldn't hit anything and making it land safely on the sofa of the living room. "Tadaima~" Touko said, after stepping into her house and taking her shoes off. Some habits died hard. "Yeah, right, I dunno what I was expectin'. It'd actually be terrifyin' if someone answered." Touko walked all the way to her bedroom. She turned on the lights and before she knew it, she was already falling face first to the bed. It was comfortable, really comfortable. The bed felt as if it was pulling her towards it, kind of like a magnet. "Nooo.... I've to work on that script, or they'll come 'ere and bark at me..." She still lived in the USA and not in Japan, though, but her circle was vicious, they'd fly all the way to her house just to scold her for not hurrying up. "No, I really need to at least complete the cover." She was now decided, as she hopped to a side of her bed. After yawning and rubbing her eyes, she finally stood up and walked all the way to her work desk. She sat there, feeling a bit drowsy, but she had to get on with things. She took a pencil in her hand, put a sheet of paper right in front of her and started drawing. Her hand moved around the page with a lot of dexterity, and soon, the drowsiness left her. Well, she could work on the cover until she felt like it, and it was better than doing nothing.</s> <\|message\|>Alyss Nikael New Light University – 3:00 PM Alyss yawned, a large motion that caused her small mouth to gape much wider than what would seem possible. She flopped on to the libraries counter and promptly huffed to blow the ice white hair that had fallen over her eyes out of them. She was bored. She had finished classes for the day and was roped in to working the afternoon shift at the New Light Library…not that much of it was really new these days. The building was still to go through an upgrade and it sure as hell needed one. Alyss' emerald eyes flicked up the lights that hung from the high arching ceiling and laughed "That's so fucking 80's it's almost cool" she said to herself as she stared at the bright orange fabric that ensconced the lights as a way to diffuse the brightness "almost" she huffed once more, sending white hair back into its proper position: sticking up as if saying fuck off to gravity. She stretched out her legs and leaned back in the recliner, arms stretching up and causing the knuckles and joints in her back to pop with satisfying sounds. She grinned and settled down into the chair, pulling out a battered copy of Alice in Wonderland to read to pass the time. Alyss' Apartment – 9:00 PM Alyss collapsed into her lounge after stumbling through her door. Kicking off thigh high boots was a problem easily rectified by laying down. She grinned a little and flexed her toes, happily sighing as she was now free from responsibilities for the rest of the day. She pouted slightly as she looked at the chipped pink polish on her toe nails and nodded to herself as she decided she would need to repaint them tomorrow…but this evening called for video games! She slid off the couch and changed quickly into her most comfortable oversized shirt before turning on her computer and launching Skype to annoy her friends on. Tonight's game of choice was a MOBA. Alyss grinned and settled in for a long night.</s>	<\|message\|>Seo Cappell New Lights University - 3:17 PM Seo just awoke from his nap! Normally this was good, but now it was exponentially shitty. His nap was in his math class, one of the two he was borderline failing. The teacher was boring, and the material even moreso. It was his last math class he needed to pass in order to get what he needed, but he could never bring himself to pay much attention. He could post most of his classes without putting in too much effort, but math was his nemesis. The Grendel to him, the Beowulf. However, he had himself a secret weapon! One that had yet to fail him completely. He employed a tactic used by a few other students he knew, he recorded the class on tape! His parents were able to afford a small HD recorder for him, which he could use to make the lessons a little more 'digital'. Now he could watch the classes over a gain, and binge on the knowledge whenever it was necessary. Anyhow, he took up his camera and gave the classroom a once-over, no one was there. He looked at his watch and it read 3:17 and then turned to 18. His class had been over for about 33 minutes! The fact no one bothered to wake him up sucked, but what sucked even more was that now he had to get rid of all the extra useless video he had recorded. Seo's Apartment - 7:31 Seo sat his computer, with a bowl of cereal next to his mousepad. He was trying to figure out what parts of the lectures he could crop out, and what others he could keep. Already 1/2 of it was gone, and all of the non-verbal information could just be frame-cropped and turned into low-quality pictures to memorize and study later. He took two bites of his cereal and had trouble getting it down, it had gotten soggy. So he pushed the bowl a bit farther away from him, he was done eating for now. He did not want to finish off the soggy crap, just thinking of the taste and texture made him shiver. He figured he would pour himself a second bowl once he was done making his personal study guide.</s>
<\|description\|>Mikael Bolten Age: 17 Gender: M Arcana: Emperor School: Eaglecrest High Occupation: None Weapon: Fists Appearance: Personality: Most people would call Mikael an abrasive, hot-headed jerk--and they'd be right. He's brutally honest about his standing on everything, though he generally doesn't share it if people don't ask. This is actually quite the opposite with his emotions, however, as he's consistently in the sour mood of "I'll-punch-you-in-the-face" and refuses to talk about why. Ironically, he also shows how much he cares about someone in the same way, albeit with a much more light-hearted tone than normal. History: Mikael was fairly lonely as a child. Not that he minded it; he usually ended up fighting with other kids, anyways. With his father gone as a traveling salesman and his mother just... aloof, he was used to doing things on his own. Many saw him as a delinquent in school, despite him actually being one of the smarter students. Despite being perfectly comfortable with how he was seen, Mikael was suddenly noticed when he punched out a notable bully. People crowded him because of this, but, to his surprise, he enjoyed having others around him. However, this was short lived. His father had finally returned, bringing news that Mikael wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or overjoyed by: his father had gotten a permanent job in New Light, and they'd be moving there in a few days. When they got there, Mikael reverted to his secluded self. Persona: Grazham Arcana: Emperor Persona Appearance: Skills: Pain-Eater, Dia, Safeguard Strengths: Resist Dark, Resist Light Weaknesses: Electric/Ice</s> <\|message\|>Akiko Kozue Eaglecrest High - 4:30 PM "A-Akiko-senpai, here is the monthly expenditure..." Akiko looked up from her desk at the Student Council's new treasurer. "Ah, yes." She said, "Thank you." She took the sheet from the nervous girl's hands and gave it a quick once-over. She was a new transfer student at Eaglecrest, she had come from Japan just like Akiko had. There were many Japanese students in Eaglecrest, even though it was technically an American school. The new transfer student was incredibly nervous, which was somewhat understandable, but she had gotten the position of Student Council Treasurer by herself which said something of her abilities. "This report is good," She said, handing the paper back to the girl. "You're doing fine you know," She added, "You don't have to keep asking me about each report." "A-ah, yes Akiko-senpai..." The girl said as she turned away "Oh, one last thing, Reiko-san," Akiko said, the girl's name suddenly coming to her mind, "Just call me Akiko." The girl nodded and gave some kind of weak acknowledgement before turning away and leaving the room. Akiko was the oly one left in the room now, and immediately, the smile faded from her face. People change so easily. She thought. Well, it doesn't really matter does it? She'd watched people enough to learn their patterns, how they tended to react, common strengths and weaknesses. Not out of any specific desire to read people, but simply because there was nothing else to do. But now she knew the limits, and she'd grown bored yet again. She looked down at her watch. The car should be here now. She thought, I should go. Kozue residence, Akiko's room - 5:00 PM Akiko lay back in her bed, idly staring into space. Her mother wasn't home yet, the maids always left her alone... She sighed. Why is there never anything to do? She looked over to her bedside table, an old carefully folded note and a gleaming golden revolver lay on it; inherited from her father. She took the note and read it again. More for old time's sake than anything, she'd read it more than enough. He had died so many years ago, leaving her and her mother confused and bewildered... I still don't understand... Putting the note back onto the table, she instead picked up the golden revolver, the only other thing her father had left for her. She ran her hands over the cool, lustrous metal of the gun, savouring the cold feeling on her skin. It was oddly comforting, even with its history. Her father had taken his life with this revolver, and if what the note said was true, so had his father, and a few more fathers beyond that. It wasn't as if the gun was cursed, but... She sighed again. Thinking like that isn't going to help. She turned onto her side, removing her glasses and reaching out to put them on the table in front of her. Then she curled up where she lay, and closed her eyes; revolver still in her hands.</s> <\|message\|>Touko Shiragami New Light University - 4 and.... something How fast time passed while one was talking with their friends, yes. Touko's classes had already finished, but she was talking and gossiping with some of her friends after school. It was a good way to kill off time, of course, but she still like wasting her time in other ways, aside from drawing manga... Like reviving her chuunibyo from when she was still in Japan. It was fun to go back to pretending she was a vampire again, from time to time. Just like today, that she was playing around while moving stealthily through the shadows, avoiding the sun rays. She had a satissfied look in her face, no, more like an accomplished one, as she moved through the shadows of buildings. "Kuh.... So, the society is still after me for my betrayal, huh? I can't afford to let my guard down, not even for a moment." She said, overlooking her accent completely while she was playing around. Though she felt the rigors of being an adult from time to time, she still had enough time to fool around like this. She had the day off from her part time work and the deadlines for the new doujinshi were far, far away. "And to think that my own kin would go after me...." She continued on crawling across the wall of a building, until she heard a familiar voice and stopped right on her tracks, with a surprised face and a ridiculous pose. "Touko? What are you doing over there, Touko!" A girl, from across the street, called Touko's name. Touko quickly straightened out and adopted a normal pose, before her friend could catch up on what she was doing. The girl looked to both sides of the street before hurrying to Touko's side. "Hey there, Touko! Um, what are you doing?" She still tilted her head, as Touko's eyes swam around and her face blushed furiously. She just hoped that her friend didn't catch up on what she was doing, it'd definitely creep her out. She wasn't a middle schooler any longer, after all. "Oh, nothin', nothin'. Dun' mind me." Touko said, going back to her usual self. "Anyhow, what's up? Weren' ya in class 'till 4:30 or somethin'?" Her friend looked disheartened. She just couldn't believe her friend was so much of an idiot. Well, being an idiot was one thing, but being such an idiot that you actually forget the time and can't even associate two events with each other. It was sad, very much so. "It's already 4:47 already, you know? I got out of class a while ago." Touko looked really surprised, so much, it even irritated her friend. "Don't give me that and just look at your damn wristwatch!" Touko's Apartment - 6:00 PM After talking with her friend, and getting something to eat too, Touko finally got to her apartment. She opened the door to her not at all modest house, it actually looked more like a penthouse rather than a normal apartment. She took her bag off her shoulder and threw it away somewhere, making sure it wouldn't hit anything and making it land safely on the sofa of the living room. "Tadaima~" Touko said, after stepping into her house and taking her shoes off. Some habits died hard. "Yeah, right, I dunno what I was expectin'. It'd actually be terrifyin' if someone answered." Touko walked all the way to her bedroom. She turned on the lights and before she knew it, she was already falling face first to the bed. It was comfortable, really comfortable. The bed felt as if it was pulling her towards it, kind of like a magnet. "Nooo.... I've to work on that script, or they'll come 'ere and bark at me..." She still lived in the USA and not in Japan, though, but her circle was vicious, they'd fly all the way to her house just to scold her for not hurrying up. "No, I really need to at least complete the cover." She was now decided, as she hopped to a side of her bed. After yawning and rubbing her eyes, she finally stood up and walked all the way to her work desk. She sat there, feeling a bit drowsy, but she had to get on with things. She took a pencil in her hand, put a sheet of paper right in front of her and started drawing. Her hand moved around the page with a lot of dexterity, and soon, the drowsiness left her. Well, she could work on the cover until she felt like it, and it was better than doing nothing.</s> <\|message\|>Alyss Nikael New Light University – 3:00 PM Alyss yawned, a large motion that caused her small mouth to gape much wider than what would seem possible. She flopped on to the libraries counter and promptly huffed to blow the ice white hair that had fallen over her eyes out of them. She was bored. She had finished classes for the day and was roped in to working the afternoon shift at the New Light Library…not that much of it was really new these days. The building was still to go through an upgrade and it sure as hell needed one. Alyss' emerald eyes flicked up the lights that hung from the high arching ceiling and laughed "That's so fucking 80's it's almost cool" she said to herself as she stared at the bright orange fabric that ensconced the lights as a way to diffuse the brightness "almost" she huffed once more, sending white hair back into its proper position: sticking up as if saying fuck off to gravity. She stretched out her legs and leaned back in the recliner, arms stretching up and causing the knuckles and joints in her back to pop with satisfying sounds. She grinned and settled down into the chair, pulling out a battered copy of Alice in Wonderland to read to pass the time. Alyss' Apartment – 9:00 PM Alyss collapsed into her lounge after stumbling through her door. Kicking off thigh high boots was a problem easily rectified by laying down. She grinned a little and flexed her toes, happily sighing as she was now free from responsibilities for the rest of the day. She pouted slightly as she looked at the chipped pink polish on her toe nails and nodded to herself as she decided she would need to repaint them tomorrow…but this evening called for video games! She slid off the couch and changed quickly into her most comfortable oversized shirt before turning on her computer and launching Skype to annoy her friends on. Tonight's game of choice was a MOBA. Alyss grinned and settled in for a long night.</s> <\|message\|>Seo Cappell New Lights University - 3:17 PM Seo just awoke from his nap! Normally this was good, but now it was exponentially shitty. His nap was in his math class, one of the two he was borderline failing. The teacher was boring, and the material even moreso. It was his last math class he needed to pass in order to get what he needed, but he could never bring himself to pay much attention. He could post most of his classes without putting in too much effort, but math was his nemesis. The Grendel to him, the Beowulf. However, he had himself a secret weapon! One that had yet to fail him completely. He employed a tactic used by a few other students he knew, he recorded the class on tape! His parents were able to afford a small HD recorder for him, which he could use to make the lessons a little more 'digital'. Now he could watch the classes over a gain, and binge on the knowledge whenever it was necessary. Anyhow, he took up his camera and gave the classroom a once-over, no one was there. He looked at his watch and it read 3:17 and then turned to 18. His class had been over for about 33 minutes! The fact no one bothered to wake him up sucked, but what sucked even more was that now he had to get rid of all the extra useless video he had recorded. Seo's Apartment - 7:31 Seo sat his computer, with a bowl of cereal next to his mousepad. He was trying to figure out what parts of the lectures he could crop out, and what others he could keep. Already 1/2 of it was gone, and all of the non-verbal information could just be frame-cropped and turned into low-quality pictures to memorize and study later. He took two bites of his cereal and had trouble getting it down, it had gotten soggy. So he pushed the bowl a bit farther away from him, he was done eating for now. He did not want to finish off the soggy crap, just thinking of the taste and texture made him shiver. He figured he would pour himself a second bowl once he was done making his personal study guide.</s>	<\|message\|>Mikael Bolten Eaglecrest High - Time to get a goddamn watch Mikael never actually kept track of time during school; he got on the bus in the morning and went through his boringly-easy, craptastic classes before getting on the bus home. However, he'd decided to join a club where he could do his homework at school. However, taking the late bus had finally made him realize something; most people had a cell or something to tell the time, but his parents never bothered to get him a watch, much less a cellphone that he wouldn't call anyone with. "But damn," Mikael thought as he adjusted his shades. "How long is it going to take to get to my goddamn stop?" New Light University Plaza - 4:57 PM As the bus finally pulled up to a plaza, Mikael looked up to a clock in the center of it... The heck? It was already five? He wasn't sure if it always took that long, but he never noticed if it did. "Tch," He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He would have saved some of his homework for the bus ride if he'd known how much longer the late bus took. Sleeping was not an option. "I won't be tired enough to sleep at home if I take a nap now..." He scowled slightly. "This is just a pain," Mikael muttered to himself, venting his building frustration in those few quiet words.</s>
<\|description\|>Lucrecia Granton Age: 21 Gender: Female Arcana: Empress School: New Light University Occupation: Student and homemaker Weapon: Hammer Appearance: Image Personality: Lucrecia is a responsible and determined individual. Her primary motivation in life is to do right by her family and friends. She has a strong sense of right and wrong, but she prefers not to be pushy about it outside of a truly serious situation. She can come across as a cold and reserved person, as she tends to maintain a polite and formal tone with people, but she rarely means ill and will try to be friendly with those that speak to her. As part of a group, she tends to take on as much responsibility as she can, assuming she isn't stepping on anyone's toes. History: Born the second child in a family of five children, Lucrecia was initially raised in a household of mild prosperity. Her dad's job as an engineer kept the family living comfortably, and Lucrecia wanted for nothing for 13 years of her life. However, Lucrecia's father lost his job one day, and never fully recovered his confidence, becoming something of a broken man. The family's fortunes dwindled, and the lot of them were soon forced to live in a shoddy apartment. Her mom tired of the situation, and left her dad, eventually finding a successful career of her own to pursue. Lucrecia and her siblings ended up in between two worlds, as they lived with their affluent mother one week and their povertous father the next. No matter where they went, however, neither parent was really there for them at that point. Mom was busy working, and dad was busy feeling sorry for himself. There was a gap to fill in the family, and Lucrecia eventually took it upon herself to fill that gap. She essentially became the mother of the family, keeping house and looking after her siblings, both older and younger, while also living the life of a student. She was never the most outgoing of people due to her busy schedule, but she wasn't unhappy. She was almost happy to feel that she was able to keep everything flowing smoothly in their household. Amazingly enough, Lucrecia was able to perform well enough to earn a scholarship while still up-keeping her role in her family. She took the opportunity and entered New Light University, though sometimes she wonders just what she really wants to do with herself and her higher education. Nevertheless, she continues with her studies, focusing on political science which she feels a certain affinity towards. Persona: Maa Durga Arcana: Empress Persona Appearance: Image Skills: Bufu, Bash, Rakukaja Strengths: Resistant to ice attacks Weaknesses: Weak to fire</s> <\|message\|>Alyss Nikael New Light University – 3:00 PM Alyss yawned, a large motion that caused her small mouth to gape much wider than what would seem possible. She flopped on to the libraries counter and promptly huffed to blow the ice white hair that had fallen over her eyes out of them. She was bored. She had finished classes for the day and was roped in to working the afternoon shift at the New Light Library…not that much of it was really new these days. The building was still to go through an upgrade and it sure as hell needed one. Alyss' emerald eyes flicked up the lights that hung from the high arching ceiling and laughed "That's so fucking 80's it's almost cool" she said to herself as she stared at the bright orange fabric that ensconced the lights as a way to diffuse the brightness "almost" she huffed once more, sending white hair back into its proper position: sticking up as if saying fuck off to gravity. She stretched out her legs and leaned back in the recliner, arms stretching up and causing the knuckles and joints in her back to pop with satisfying sounds. She grinned and settled down into the chair, pulling out a battered copy of Alice in Wonderland to read to pass the time. Alyss' Apartment – 9:00 PM Alyss collapsed into her lounge after stumbling through her door. Kicking off thigh high boots was a problem easily rectified by laying down. She grinned a little and flexed her toes, happily sighing as she was now free from responsibilities for the rest of the day. She pouted slightly as she looked at the chipped pink polish on her toe nails and nodded to herself as she decided she would need to repaint them tomorrow…but this evening called for video games! She slid off the couch and changed quickly into her most comfortable oversized shirt before turning on her computer and launching Skype to annoy her friends on. Tonight's game of choice was a MOBA. Alyss grinned and settled in for a long night.</s> <\|message\|>Seo Cappell New Lights University - 3:17 PM Seo just awoke from his nap! Normally this was good, but now it was exponentially shitty. His nap was in his math class, one of the two he was borderline failing. The teacher was boring, and the material even moreso. It was his last math class he needed to pass in order to get what he needed, but he could never bring himself to pay much attention. He could post most of his classes without putting in too much effort, but math was his nemesis. The Grendel to him, the Beowulf. However, he had himself a secret weapon! One that had yet to fail him completely. He employed a tactic used by a few other students he knew, he recorded the class on tape! His parents were able to afford a small HD recorder for him, which he could use to make the lessons a little more 'digital'. Now he could watch the classes over a gain, and binge on the knowledge whenever it was necessary. Anyhow, he took up his camera and gave the classroom a once-over, no one was there. He looked at his watch and it read 3:17 and then turned to 18. His class had been over for about 33 minutes! The fact no one bothered to wake him up sucked, but what sucked even more was that now he had to get rid of all the extra useless video he had recorded. Seo's Apartment - 7:31 Seo sat his computer, with a bowl of cereal next to his mousepad. He was trying to figure out what parts of the lectures he could crop out, and what others he could keep. Already 1/2 of it was gone, and all of the non-verbal information could just be frame-cropped and turned into low-quality pictures to memorize and study later. He took two bites of his cereal and had trouble getting it down, it had gotten soggy. So he pushed the bowl a bit farther away from him, he was done eating for now. He did not want to finish off the soggy crap, just thinking of the taste and texture made him shiver. He figured he would pour himself a second bowl once he was done making his personal study guide.</s> <\|message\|>Mikael Bolten Eaglecrest High - Time to get a goddamn watch Mikael never actually kept track of time during school; he got on the bus in the morning and went through his boringly-easy, craptastic classes before getting on the bus home. However, he'd decided to join a club where he could do his homework at school. However, taking the late bus had finally made him realize something; most people had a cell or something to tell the time, but his parents never bothered to get him a watch, much less a cellphone that he wouldn't call anyone with. "But damn," Mikael thought as he adjusted his shades. "How long is it going to take to get to my goddamn stop?" New Light University Plaza - 4:57 PM As the bus finally pulled up to a plaza, Mikael looked up to a clock in the center of it... The heck? It was already five? He wasn't sure if it always took that long, but he never noticed if it did. "Tch," He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He would have saved some of his homework for the bus ride if he'd known how much longer the late bus took. Sleeping was not an option. "I won't be tired enough to sleep at home if I take a nap now..." He scowled slightly. "This is just a pain," Mikael muttered to himself, venting his building frustration in those few quiet words.</s>	<\|message\|>Lucrecia Granton Eaglecrest High - 4:20 PM Marcus tapped his foot impatiently as he sat there with Sophie. He thought he might get used to waiting for a car after all these years, but it never got any less annoying. All his friends either had people to pick them up immediately, or had their own cars, or could just plain walk home. His mom's house was too far away to walk to, and she was so paranoid she refused to let them use the bus. Having long since exhausted any form of mobile entertainment he had, he was forced to just wait it out with his sister, who was sub-par company at best. Eventually, sweet deliverance arrived; Lucrecia was finally there, in the family car. "Finally..." He muttered, already making his way over. "Hey guys, how was your day?" This was the question Lucrecia greeted them both with when they arrived. "How do you think?" Marcus replied curtly. He had told her how much he detested the school experience enough times for her to get the picture. As she started the car up, she asked another question. "Well, did anything new happen to put you in such a foul mood?" "I was just trying to get to my next class and happened to nudge Mr. Saunders lightly on the way out. So he feels the need to stop me and give me a lecture on how I should've got down on my knees and opened the way for him. I have classes to get to, why do I need to stop for some asshole's power trip?" "I see." Lucrecia knew better than to encourage Marcus' ranting with a more significant response. "And how about you, Sophie?" Sophie had been spending her time in the car so far staring down at her shoes. She only looked up when Lucrecia spoke to her. "I-I'm fine." She replied, but almost in a whisper. "Jesus, Sophie, SPEAK UP." Marcus exclaimed exasperatedly. "This is why everyone thinks you're a lonely little freak." "Don't talk to your sister like that." Lucreica told him flatly. Marcus' first impulse was to argue, but he had learnt through experience not to bother arguing with Lucrecia other something like this. They spent a few minutes of travel time in silence after that. Eventually, Marcus' impatience got the better of him. "I want my own car." He stated. He tended to voice his opinions spontaneously like this a lot. "You could start by getting a license." Lucrecia answered, partly to be genuinely helpful, but also to re-iterate that getting a car wasn't something she could really do for him. "How can I get a license when no one can take me where I need to go? Everyone's busy." "It can't be helped. You'll just have to hope someone has some free time eventually." "Yeah, whatever." Lucrecia's answers had hardly satisfied Marcus, but he didn't feel like complaining anymore than he already had. After Lucrecia picked up Eliza, their youngest sibling, from elementary school, the family would finally make their way home. ---- De Luca Residence - 7:33 PM Lucrecia always took a sliver of amusement from the fact that the five people typically found living in the "De Luca" household were all named Granton. This was of course due to them all being born before their parents split up and ended up living in two different homes. Not that it ever felt like Mr. or Mrs. De Luca actually lived in the house, since they both worked until so late at night it was only a short while before most of the Grantons were sound asleep. But they paid for the house and kept the fridge stocked with food, so they had every right to be the name everyone heard when they rang the answering machine. Still, it was Lucrecia that kept this middle-class household from turning into a complete pig-sty. With Elliot, her older brother, already in the workforce, she was the only Granton child that cared to clean up for themselves, and everyone else by proxy. She didn't complain though, as she had taken it upon herself to do so a long time ago. The only time she planned to stop was when she finally graduated and moved away. But that wasn't today, and it probably wouldn't be for some time. For now, she was just going to enjoy the brief moments of free time she enjoyed outside of her responsibilities...</s>
<\|description\|>Leonardo "Leo" Silverstone Gender: Male Age: 18 Arcana: The Star School: Eaglecrest High School Occupation: Student Weapon: Yo-yo (Because where is a high school student supposed to get a real weapon?) Appearance: (Ignore the Pokemon stuff plz.) Leo is a tall young man, standing at 6'0". He is physically fit and quite strong, with a toned athletic physique that he is quite proud of. Due to living in a tropical place most of his life, and because he often goes outdoors, his skin is lightly tanned. His face is round, free of blemishes, and rather boyish. Marked by large expressive blue eyes, a small nose, and a usually smiling mouth. These features give him a rather youthful appearance. He has short, close cropped black hair, with messy bangs that cover his forehead, and go to his eyebrows. A strand of hair on top of his head always stands up, no matter how much he tries to comb it down. Except for the top of his head, and eyebrows, the rest of his upper body is void of any hair. For clothing, Leo generally wears what is comfortable. Usually, whatever he pulls out of his closet that day. It usually includes a pair of jeans or cargo shorts, and sneakers or sandals on his feet. He can often be found without a shirt. This is because he was rather scrawny when he was younger, so now that he's put on a little muscle, he likes to show off the results. When he must wear a shirt, it will usually be a skintight tank top, or something low cut/not buttoned/zipped up all the way, and without a shirt underneath. He's not comfortable wearing cloaks or heavy clothing that covers him up too much. He will dress up for formal occasions and colder days when he needs to, but he usually takes it right off when he's able. He wears a pair of aviator goggles on top of his head. He doesn't use them, he just thinks they look cool. His favorite outfit is a red, form fitting tank top, with black stripes on the sides, and a zipper down the front on the top, and a pair of jeans held up by a belt on the bottom. His sneakers are red and black, and have wheels in the soles. The wheels can pop in and out when Leo puts weight on his heels, allowing them to function like roller skates. He carries his things in a simple pink backpack. Personality: Leo is a bright, cheerful person, with an optimistic view on life. He can often be found with a smile on his face, even when things look bleak. As such, he often makes jokes, and does silly things when the situation is tense to lift people's spirits, but his attempts to make people laugh sometimes backfire. He believes there is some good in everyone, and for that, he is very trusting of others. A genuine nice guy, he is always willing to help someone in need. Often putting the needs of others ahead of his own. Sometimes though, he can be too nice, to the point of gullibility, and people often take advantage of him for it. Leo is very outgoing and social. He likes meeting new people, and making new friends. He is not afraid to strike up a conversation with a random stranger. Being used to having to watch over his little sisters, he's become accustomed to taking care of people. He is loyal, empathetic, and very protective of those he cares about, making him a good friend to have. Leo is very energetic. So much so, that it is very difficult for him to sit still and concentrate on one thing for long periods of time. Because of this, he likes to actually do stuff, instead of sitting there reading about it. While he is able to think quick on his feet during intense situations. he often acts impulsively, and jumps to conclusions without thinking first. Unlike a lot of guys he's known, Leo is the type of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. His feelings are there for everyone to see, and he's pretty easy to read. For example he cries openly during the endings of sad movies, and is affectionate towards close friends. Due to his cheerful nature, it is usually difficult to anger him. Leo is not perfect, and is prone to having bad days just like everyone else. When he gets overwhelmed, he has really bad angry outbursts where he just lashes out at the most appropriate target. That said, Leo isn't one to hold grudges for very long, and is very quick to forgive people. Leo has an affinity for cute things, and is not ashamed about it at all. One of his favorite things at the moment, is the TV show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, which he watches regularly with his youngest sister. He is an unabashed Brony, he has a collection of merchandise from the show, and often makes references to it in everyday conversation. He's aware how silly it might look for someone his age to be liking a show aimed at little girls, and generally he has a good sense of humor about the whole thing. (However, he does get defensive if someone makes fun of him for it.) He's had bad experiences with bullies as a kid, and he fears having to experience that again. He likes fantasy and fairy tales, and he developed most of his idealistic beliefs from them. He also likes other things some would consider childish as well. He can cook well, due to having to make dinner for the family when his mom was working. He particularly enjoys making (and eating) desserts, though he keeps it in moderation. History: Leo was born in Miami, Florida. He was the oldest of three siblings, and the only male among the three. His parents' relationship became strained after his father, Leroy, lost his job shortly after the youngest daughter was born, and the family started experiencing financial troubles. It was not helped by Leroy turning to Wine to drown his sorrows, which worried the rest of the family. Leroy and his wife, Luisa, often argued loudly during the night. While things never escalated to physical violence, but the yelling still made the three kids uncomfortable. Despite the drama, Leo tried to put on a brave face, and hoped things would work out in the end. Eventually, Luisa got a promotion at her job that made up for the loss of income, but by then, the damage was done, and Leroy filed for divorce. Leo currently lives with his mom, and his younger sisters Lilly and Lucy. He is much closer to his mother than with his father. They were not wealthy, but they weren't poor either. Being a single parent, Luisa often had to work long hours, leaving Leo responsible for looking after his sisters, and taking care of household things while she worked. Unlike a lot of other boys though, Leo didn't really mind this, and actually enjoyed it. As a result of this, he became accustomed to taking care of people. He also learned a lot of domestic skills, and became very good at cooking. He was a rather scrawny child, and he was often picked on by bullies who thought he was weaker than them. It did not help that he was a sensitive kid, and he had a taste for things that are usually considered girly by others. He would come home with bruises on a regular basis. His father did not help matters by suggesting that living in a house full of girls was turning him into one. While all the bullying upset him, he kept up a cheerful demeanor in front of others, not wanting to burden them with his problems. He believed that if he thinks positively, things would get better. Around the time Leo entered puberty, things started to change. His mother announced that her office was transferring her to a place called New light and that the family would be moving there. His situation began to improve when he started High School. Deciding that he no longer wanted to be a wimp, and a constant bullying victim. He started working out and getting into sports, which resulted in him putting on a little muscle, and making new friends. Due to his social personality, he quickly became quite popular on campus, particularly with other girls. He also maintained good grades. Life was actually starting to look up. Despite how well things were going, he didn't let it get to his head. He still remained the same sensitive kid he always was. Now that he's a senior, the time has come to start thinking about his future. Leo is not exactly sure what he wants to do with the rest of his life yet. Persona: Phoenix Arcana: The Star Persona Appearance: Skills: Agi, Dia, Patra (The Persona Q version of Patra, where it heals any status condition of one party member.) Strengths: Resist Fire Weaknesses: Ice</s> <\|message\|>Mikael Bolten Eaglecrest High - Time to get a goddamn watch Mikael never actually kept track of time during school; he got on the bus in the morning and went through his boringly-easy, craptastic classes before getting on the bus home. However, he'd decided to join a club where he could do his homework at school. However, taking the late bus had finally made him realize something; most people had a cell or something to tell the time, but his parents never bothered to get him a watch, much less a cellphone that he wouldn't call anyone with. "But damn," Mikael thought as he adjusted his shades. "How long is it going to take to get to my goddamn stop?" New Light University Plaza - 4:57 PM As the bus finally pulled up to a plaza, Mikael looked up to a clock in the center of it... The heck? It was already five? He wasn't sure if it always took that long, but he never noticed if it did. "Tch," He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He would have saved some of his homework for the bus ride if he'd known how much longer the late bus took. Sleeping was not an option. "I won't be tired enough to sleep at home if I take a nap now..." He scowled slightly. "This is just a pain," Mikael muttered to himself, venting his building frustration in those few quiet words.</s> <\|message\|>Lucrecia Granton Eaglecrest High - 4:20 PM Marcus tapped his foot impatiently as he sat there with Sophie. He thought he might get used to waiting for a car after all these years, but it never got any less annoying. All his friends either had people to pick them up immediately, or had their own cars, or could just plain walk home. His mom's house was too far away to walk to, and she was so paranoid she refused to let them use the bus. Having long since exhausted any form of mobile entertainment he had, he was forced to just wait it out with his sister, who was sub-par company at best. Eventually, sweet deliverance arrived; Lucrecia was finally there, in the family car. "Finally..." He muttered, already making his way over. "Hey guys, how was your day?" This was the question Lucrecia greeted them both with when they arrived. "How do you think?" Marcus replied curtly. He had told her how much he detested the school experience enough times for her to get the picture. As she started the car up, she asked another question. "Well, did anything new happen to put you in such a foul mood?" "I was just trying to get to my next class and happened to nudge Mr. Saunders lightly on the way out. So he feels the need to stop me and give me a lecture on how I should've got down on my knees and opened the way for him. I have classes to get to, why do I need to stop for some asshole's power trip?" "I see." Lucrecia knew better than to encourage Marcus' ranting with a more significant response. "And how about you, Sophie?" Sophie had been spending her time in the car so far staring down at her shoes. She only looked up when Lucrecia spoke to her. "I-I'm fine." She replied, but almost in a whisper. "Jesus, Sophie, SPEAK UP." Marcus exclaimed exasperatedly. "This is why everyone thinks you're a lonely little freak." "Don't talk to your sister like that." Lucreica told him flatly. Marcus' first impulse was to argue, but he had learnt through experience not to bother arguing with Lucrecia other something like this. They spent a few minutes of travel time in silence after that. Eventually, Marcus' impatience got the better of him. "I want my own car." He stated. He tended to voice his opinions spontaneously like this a lot. "You could start by getting a license." Lucrecia answered, partly to be genuinely helpful, but also to re-iterate that getting a car wasn't something she could really do for him. "How can I get a license when no one can take me where I need to go? Everyone's busy." "It can't be helped. You'll just have to hope someone has some free time eventually." "Yeah, whatever." Lucrecia's answers had hardly satisfied Marcus, but he didn't feel like complaining anymore than he already had. After Lucrecia picked up Eliza, their youngest sibling, from elementary school, the family would finally make their way home. ---- De Luca Residence - 7:33 PM Lucrecia always took a sliver of amusement from the fact that the five people typically found living in the "De Luca" household were all named Granton. This was of course due to them all being born before their parents split up and ended up living in two different homes. Not that it ever felt like Mr. or Mrs. De Luca actually lived in the house, since they both worked until so late at night it was only a short while before most of the Grantons were sound asleep. But they paid for the house and kept the fridge stocked with food, so they had every right to be the name everyone heard when they rang the answering machine. Still, it was Lucrecia that kept this middle-class household from turning into a complete pig-sty. With Elliot, her older brother, already in the workforce, she was the only Granton child that cared to clean up for themselves, and everyone else by proxy. She didn't complain though, as she had taken it upon herself to do so a long time ago. The only time she planned to stop was when she finally graduated and moved away. But that wasn't today, and it probably wouldn't be for some time. For now, she was just going to enjoy the brief moments of free time she enjoyed outside of her responsibilities...</s>	<\|message\|>Leonardo "Leo" Silverstone Leo's Bedroom - Evening Leo lay comfortably on his bed. With school over for the day, and his homework for the night finally finished, he now had some free time before it was time to go to bed. So, he turned on the Wii U he had gotten for Christmas, and spent his time watching My Little Pony videos on the web browser. He wasn't in the mood to play an actual game, that would have required effort. While Leo wasn't known for being lazy, after spending eight hours in school, and more hours doing homework, sometimes you just want to sit around and watch videos on Youtube. He would've used the computer, but his sister Lilly was using it, as per usual... But that was fine, his Wii U had a fabulous web browser anyway. He went to Youtube, a pulled up a video. Lately, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic had become one of his favorite shows, despite it being aimed at little girls. According to the internet, there were tons of teenage boys who liked the show, they called themselves Bronies. Sadly, he was the only boy in school he knew who would admit to being a fan of the show offline, but whatever. It was there loss, and there was nothing wrong with liking a cartoon about ponies. Besides the adorable animation style, one of the things he liked about the show was the awesome music. As Leo sang along to various pony videos, there was suddenly a loud knock on the door. Lilly's annoyed voice soon followed. "Hey could you keep it down in there?! I'm trying to study for my exams tomorrow, and you're obnoxious singing is ruining my concentration!!" "Oh... Sorry about that." He whispered politely as he lowered the volume on his gamepad, and thought of a quiter way to pass the time.</s>
<\|description\|>Aiko Yanagi Age: 17 Gender: Female Arcana: The Magician School: Eaglecrest High Occupation: She helps out at the local library. Weapon: This Book Appearance: Personality: At first glance, Aiko appears as a shy, quiet and hard to approach girl. Once you're past first glance, this doesn't change. She is slow at opening up to people, and even slower to trust them. This is because she has a fear of being judged by others. Even when she finaly opens up, she doesn't change much. She's still the same timid girl, only now she trusts you, and will be there to help, if she can. She spends more time with her books than with others. History: Most of Aiko's life has been uneventful. She comes from a rather wealthy family, so she was free to do a lot of things most others wouldn't be able to. However, her fathers work also forced them to move to a lot of different countries. During this time, Aiko learned to speak several languages, but she also became more secluded, spending more and more time on her own, reading, rather than meeting people. This was because she knew that they'd probably move soon, so meeting new people and finding new friends, as she would loose them anyways. So she didn't develop strong social skills. However, she always did well at her new schools, scoring the highest on her tests. Two years ago, her family moved to New Light, a place she really started liking, so when her parents had to move again a year later, she chose to stay. A decision that was met with mixed reactions from her parrents, who were pretty overprotective, but at the same time, they wanted her to not only learn to live on her own, but also to find people to rely on. Persona: Ravynne Arcana: The Magician Persona Appearance: Skills: Agi, Zio, Dia Strengths: Null fire and Dark, Resist Lightning. Weaknesses: Air, Ice, Light, Physical.</s> <\|message\|>Mikael Bolten Eaglecrest High - Time to get a goddamn watch Mikael never actually kept track of time during school; he got on the bus in the morning and went through his boringly-easy, craptastic classes before getting on the bus home. However, he'd decided to join a club where he could do his homework at school. However, taking the late bus had finally made him realize something; most people had a cell or something to tell the time, but his parents never bothered to get him a watch, much less a cellphone that he wouldn't call anyone with. "But damn," Mikael thought as he adjusted his shades. "How long is it going to take to get to my goddamn stop?" New Light University Plaza - 4:57 PM As the bus finally pulled up to a plaza, Mikael looked up to a clock in the center of it... The heck? It was already five? He wasn't sure if it always took that long, but he never noticed if it did. "Tch," He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He would have saved some of his homework for the bus ride if he'd known how much longer the late bus took. Sleeping was not an option. "I won't be tired enough to sleep at home if I take a nap now..." He scowled slightly. "This is just a pain," Mikael muttered to himself, venting his building frustration in those few quiet words.</s> <\|message\|>Lucrecia Granton Eaglecrest High - 4:20 PM Marcus tapped his foot impatiently as he sat there with Sophie. He thought he might get used to waiting for a car after all these years, but it never got any less annoying. All his friends either had people to pick them up immediately, or had their own cars, or could just plain walk home. His mom's house was too far away to walk to, and she was so paranoid she refused to let them use the bus. Having long since exhausted any form of mobile entertainment he had, he was forced to just wait it out with his sister, who was sub-par company at best. Eventually, sweet deliverance arrived; Lucrecia was finally there, in the family car. "Finally..." He muttered, already making his way over. "Hey guys, how was your day?" This was the question Lucrecia greeted them both with when they arrived. "How do you think?" Marcus replied curtly. He had told her how much he detested the school experience enough times for her to get the picture. As she started the car up, she asked another question. "Well, did anything new happen to put you in such a foul mood?" "I was just trying to get to my next class and happened to nudge Mr. Saunders lightly on the way out. So he feels the need to stop me and give me a lecture on how I should've got down on my knees and opened the way for him. I have classes to get to, why do I need to stop for some asshole's power trip?" "I see." Lucrecia knew better than to encourage Marcus' ranting with a more significant response. "And how about you, Sophie?" Sophie had been spending her time in the car so far staring down at her shoes. She only looked up when Lucrecia spoke to her. "I-I'm fine." She replied, but almost in a whisper. "Jesus, Sophie, SPEAK UP." Marcus exclaimed exasperatedly. "This is why everyone thinks you're a lonely little freak." "Don't talk to your sister like that." Lucreica told him flatly. Marcus' first impulse was to argue, but he had learnt through experience not to bother arguing with Lucrecia other something like this. They spent a few minutes of travel time in silence after that. Eventually, Marcus' impatience got the better of him. "I want my own car." He stated. He tended to voice his opinions spontaneously like this a lot. "You could start by getting a license." Lucrecia answered, partly to be genuinely helpful, but also to re-iterate that getting a car wasn't something she could really do for him. "How can I get a license when no one can take me where I need to go? Everyone's busy." "It can't be helped. You'll just have to hope someone has some free time eventually." "Yeah, whatever." Lucrecia's answers had hardly satisfied Marcus, but he didn't feel like complaining anymore than he already had. After Lucrecia picked up Eliza, their youngest sibling, from elementary school, the family would finally make their way home. ---- De Luca Residence - 7:33 PM Lucrecia always took a sliver of amusement from the fact that the five people typically found living in the "De Luca" household were all named Granton. This was of course due to them all being born before their parents split up and ended up living in two different homes. Not that it ever felt like Mr. or Mrs. De Luca actually lived in the house, since they both worked until so late at night it was only a short while before most of the Grantons were sound asleep. But they paid for the house and kept the fridge stocked with food, so they had every right to be the name everyone heard when they rang the answering machine. Still, it was Lucrecia that kept this middle-class household from turning into a complete pig-sty. With Elliot, her older brother, already in the workforce, she was the only Granton child that cared to clean up for themselves, and everyone else by proxy. She didn't complain though, as she had taken it upon herself to do so a long time ago. The only time she planned to stop was when she finally graduated and moved away. But that wasn't today, and it probably wouldn't be for some time. For now, she was just going to enjoy the brief moments of free time she enjoyed outside of her responsibilities...</s> <\|message\|>Leonardo "Leo" Silverstone Leo's Bedroom - Evening Leo lay comfortably on his bed. With school over for the day, and his homework for the night finally finished, he now had some free time before it was time to go to bed. So, he turned on the Wii U he had gotten for Christmas, and spent his time watching My Little Pony videos on the web browser. He wasn't in the mood to play an actual game, that would have required effort. While Leo wasn't known for being lazy, after spending eight hours in school, and more hours doing homework, sometimes you just want to sit around and watch videos on Youtube. He would've used the computer, but his sister Lilly was using it, as per usual... But that was fine, his Wii U had a fabulous web browser anyway. He went to Youtube, a pulled up a video. Lately, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic had become one of his favorite shows, despite it being aimed at little girls. According to the internet, there were tons of teenage boys who liked the show, they called themselves Bronies. Sadly, he was the only boy in school he knew who would admit to being a fan of the show offline, but whatever. It was there loss, and there was nothing wrong with liking a cartoon about ponies. Besides the adorable animation style, one of the things he liked about the show was the awesome music. As Leo sang along to various pony videos, there was suddenly a loud knock on the door. Lilly's annoyed voice soon followed. "Hey could you keep it down in there?! I'm trying to study for my exams tomorrow, and you're obnoxious singing is ruining my concentration!!" "Oh... Sorry about that." He whispered politely as he lowered the volume on his gamepad, and thought of a quiter way to pass the time.</s> <\|message\|>Takashi Miyuzaki New Lights University-11:16 AM Takashi Miyuzaki sat quietly in one of New Light University's many lecture halls. He was listening to his teacher breakdown a diagram that depicted a modern day car engine, he was going over the various parts and how they all worked together. Takashi was usually a good student, paying attention and taking notes. But today was different, it was only 11 AM and he was starting to doze. Perhaps it had something to do with getting home from work around 5 then getting up at 7 to take Megumi to school. Regardless of the circumstances Takashi knew he had to keep himself awake. So he devoted himself mind and body to taking notes, every word the teacher uttered found it's way into his notebook. ----------- Miyuzaki Apartment-6:22 PM "Megumi! What did I tell you about you about eating your vegetables?" The elder Miyuzaki questioned, his voice loud enough he wouldn't be surprised if the neighbors heard. The younger was however ignoring him completely and watching TV, her new favorite show being something about Titans, titans who were teenagers or some such. Honestly Takashi didn't pay to close attention, it was on a reputable kids channel and that was really enough for him. "Hey! Don't you ignore me!" He called, the girl still facing away from, her light blonde hair shining nearly silver in the light from the bare bulb above their heads. He stared down at the small coffee table they were eating at, the paper plates held a home cooked meal Takashi made himself. He sighed as he ate the rest of his chicken alfredo pasta creation. Finally an idea popped into Takashi's head. "Alright, if you don't eat your broccoli I'll just have to find someone else to share that cake in the fridge with." His voice was light and unassuming, knowing exactly what his sister's reaction would be. Best part was it was chocolate cake, her favorite. Immediately she turned towards him, her emerald green eyes gleaming in challenge as the siblings had a staredown. "You gonna eat the broccoli or not?" "...Yeah...."</s>	<\|message\|>Aiko Yanagi Eaglecrest High – Library: 12:02 PM Aiko peeked around the corner of the bookshelf she was hiding behind, and looked around, making sure that she was no longer being followed. At the beginning of the break, a younger boy, a first year student, she guessed, had approached her. He had stopped her in a hallway, and she had, politely, returned his greeting, and told him unless he needed something, she'd like to be alone. Apparently, he wanted to eat lunch with her, but when she declined, he persisted. She tried to walk away, but he followed her. This, in turn, caused her to panic. She ran without looking back, pretty certain that he would chase her. Without knowing why, she had run to the library. From where she was standing, she could see the boy run past the doors to the library, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Getting her bearings, she found herself close to the door leading to the old book section. Eaglecrest had a, for a high school, pretty big collection of old books from around the world. These valuable, sometimes irreplaceable, books were written in a variety of languages, and varied in ages between a few hundred to almost two thousand years old. Anything from handwritten decrees to mass printed lexicon could be found here. Of course, due to the age and rarity of these books, the room in which they were kept had to have its temperature and air moisture regulated, as to better preserve the books. Aiko slowly pushed the heavy glass door open and walked in. She had often found herself in this place when she needed to think. A smell of old, musty leather and paper filled the room. She breathed deeply. The collection of knowledge and history in the room was, as always, impressive. She ran her index and middle fingers along the weathered spines of some medieval, handwritten tomes. "How often have I been here since I started at Eaglecrest, I wonder..." she asked, as if talking to the books. They, of course, didn't answer. She stopped her fingers, and pulled the book out of the shelf. It was a logbook, written by a French nobleman who had taken part in the crusades. He wrote of his experiences in the holy land, and of the trip there. While not exactly the most interesting thing to read, she still sat down at one of the tables with it. I guess waiting here for a few minutes won't hurt. she thought to herself. </s>
<\|description\|>Wonder Woman Diana Prince Cosplay by Meagan Marie. (Click the link to see more of her incredible work) Age 18 Powers/Abilities All Amazons share the same powers and abilities, though each differs on which aspect they are best in. * From Gaia they gain the power of the Earth. This grants them strength beyond normal and also allows quicker healing when in direct contact with Earth. * From Athena they are granted wisdom, intelligence, and military prowess. This also helps her learn new languages rapidly and retain them easily. * From Artemis they are granted the "Eye of the Hunter". This gives them enhanced vision and hearing. * Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, granted them the ability to be more resistant to fire, both natural and magical and origin. * Aphrodite granted each woman beauty and a kind heart. At this point Diana does not have the ability to fly. In canon it was granted by Hermes, who was a guy, so in this timeline she has not meet him yet because no man (God or not) can walk on Themyscira. Diana also had won items on Themyscira that she brought with her, * Aegis of Athena: Her bullet proof bracers. Not only can they deflect bullets but they absorb the kinetic energy. Because of this they are also useful to minimizing blast damage. * Tiara: It's a boomerang. * Other objects she doesn't have yet: Her Magical sword and Lasso of Truth. Weaknesses Diana had increase her power "ten-fold" by removing her bracers. However prolonged use of her abilities without her bracers will driver her insane. Diana is not bullet proof. Nor pointy object proof. She can be stabbed, shot, or blown up. She is also susceptible to poison. And is moderately susceptible to mental attacks. She doesn't lose her powers if she is tied up by a guy (because I'm not going there). She's naive about how the world really works. Back story/origins Diana was born on Themyscira, the isle of the Amazons also known as Paradise Island. It was an Island granted to women by Athena (The Greek Goddess). The events leading up to this gift are not relevant to Diana. Suffice it to say the Greek Gods enchanted the land to protect the women who lived there from men and hid it from the world. Diana's mother is Queen Hippolyta, making her the Princess of the Amazons. The Amazonian women are all fierce warriors though not all of them employed as such. They practice peace overall and the gentler arts are very much appreciated. Since the Isle was gifted to the Amazons they have never had true war. Diana's life on the island was the same as all the other women, or sisters as they call each other. While being a Princess she wasn't raised differently from all the rest, apart from the two women assigned to be her body guards. Diana's early life consisted of training both her body and mind. She learned the Amazon's code of Love, Peace and Equality. Warriors of Paradise Island didn't fight for themselves. They fought for each other and their way of life. When Diana was young she was taught of the world she lived in. This included "Man's" world as her sisters named it. They taught young Diana all about the horrible things that happened and are happening there. Diana however was fascinated by the outside world. Even her biased teachers couldn't curb her. She would day dream in her leisure time about life off the isle. For was it not a basic tenant of Amazon philosophy to teach their way of life to others? Of course she always struggled with that lesson. She lacked self discipline above all else. She was a little blood thirsty and tended to lack compassion to those who would seek to wrong those she called sisters. It was a lesson her younger sister (by blood) didn't struggle with. Donna was almost five years younger than Diana. The two were quite inseparable. But Donna also didn't have any desire to leave her home. It was their one point of contention. So when Diana left in the night like a thief she didn't bring her tender hearted sister with her. Currently Diana has no secret Identity, though later the press will dub her Wonder Woman. Arc ideas Lasso of Truth: First and foremost she needs to get her Lasso of Truth. It was made by Hephaestus for Hestia so maybe Diana can do something for Hestia in order to be given the Lasso as a gift/payment? Doctor Psycho: He's probably one of Diana's deadliest foes and gets little screen time. Right out the gate I'd like these two to clash. He'd be her main villain. This arc would be their first introduction to each other. I think he would be good because he's extremely sexist and having him one of Diana's first villains would only highlight the terrible aspects of the world at large. Sisters: Since Diana did run off without a word her bodyguards will come looking for her. They want to take her back home. Diana disagrees with them.</s> <\|message\|>AQUAMAN A monumental wave burst over the beach of America's East Coast, spitting a blonde haired ruler onto the dry space he'd originally called home. Resolutely, he marched across the shore, trident in hand. His orange upper garment reflected it's tangerine glimmer onto everything he passed. He'd actually come to Metropolis a great many times throughout his life. In this state of emergency, the king of the seas found it much more imperative that he arrive in a timely manner, and so he did. By foot, by cab, and by unguarded motorcycle he made his way through the danger zone. He followed the trail of destruction until he was face to face with the mightiest individuals he could've come upon. Gotham's Dark Knight, Metropolis's Man of Tomorrow and a stunning brunette with metals as polished as his own were but a sample of his contemporaries. "Hello. I see you are all in the middle of something, but I beg that any of you assist me in my endeavor to protect my people, the residents of Atlantis."</s> <\|message\|>Clark Kent or... Justice League Origins "Hello. I see you are all in the middle of something, but I beg that any of you assist me in my endeavor to protect my people, the residents of Atlantis." Clark turned around to see yet another super powered being step into the group. That made seven. The group stood in a circle on top of the rubble, dozens of the machines scattered the road. Before anyone could respond, a massive bubble materialized out of the Brainiac skull. within seconds it covered the entire city in the air and began curving to the ground. "That can't be good." Green Lantern was the first to speak up. He powered up his ring creating an emerald aura around him. As the bubble slowly moved to the ground, the invaders began to chant in their alien language. The only audible word to Clark being 'Kryptonian.' "Sorry fish man, but it looks like if we don't take care of that skull you won't be able to reach 'Atlantis'." Clark said in a worried tone. Please let Lois be okay. He jumped as high as he could trying to reach the skull, leaving the group behind. Before he reached it, dozens of the flying machines broke off from the circle. He activated his sporadic heat vision before retreating back to the ground. "Not a solo job then." "No, we need a plan." Clark took a second to think, the machines had returned to the circle in the sky. Pursuit was apparently not important anymore. The bubble was getting closer to the ground every second now. "Okay, we need a distraction. About three of us should stay behind and get the guards to chase you." "Distraction's my middle name." Lantern winked at the woman after he said so. "Okay, we need two more volunteers to help him out. Everyone else get up to the skull." "How do you expect us to do that, I can't fly." Flash spoke up, it was a good point. "I can do that too," Lantern said. He created a massive slingshot out of green energy that covered most of the street."If Supes here can make a good hole in that thing's side, I'll send you all through." Superman nodded and flew into the sky headed straight for the skull. Lantern's distraction kicked in just in time, massive green anti-air shells began exploding in the faces of the robots. Chunks of dead metal began falling to the ground. It seemed that the Lantern was conceived as a serious threat because a large amount of robots nose dived for the ground. Clark dodged through the last of the guards taking out some every now and then. Finally he reached the skull, its massive tentacles attacked of their own accord. He flew up and down avoiding the attack. The adrenaline in his veins must have been keeping him in the sky. Any flying backup that he had was dealing with the same. He used heat vision to sever one tentacle but another hit him in the back. He turned and caught it under his right arm. With all of his strength, he tore it off sending sparks and explosions up through the machine. The massive skull turned its head and stared at Clark with its menacing red eyes, one of which was large enough to fit his squad into. "Kryptonian, you are becoming an annoyance." The massive red eyes instantly became brighter. The sound of it charging its energy beams were audible even on the ground. It fired, Clark couldn't dodge the beams. They would have taken out two city block if they hit the ground. A massive green shield blocked the skull's attack from hitting Clark. Lantern's shield didn't last long, it did give Clark just enough time to fly under the attack and fly straight towards the eyes. Once the emerald shield broke, the attack was interrupted. The shattering sound of both forms of energy braking was defining. With both fists, Clark flew into the skull's left eye. The resulting explosion destroyed the entire 'eye socket' and left a big enough entrance for the rest of his squad. The problem however was that now the invaders that had attacked the distraction team were now heading back to protect the ship. From inside, small drones began to attack. Their energy beams were much smaller and served to be no more than small annoyances. Clark punched out a wall on the far side of the 'socket.' On the other side is what must have been the ship's true interior. The sight shocked Clark, so much so that he barely noticed his squad make their "graceful" landing coming off of Lantern's slingshot. The inside of the ship was dark, only illuminated by the occasional green or purple light illuminating bottles with what looked like model cities inside. Pools of liquid surrounded the ship, and power lines connected to the walls in bizarre areas that were impossible geometrically. He jumped down from his vantage point inside the eye and onto the floor. The light blue goo splashed onto his legs and gave off a putrid odor. "Nice mothership you have here Brainiac."</s>	<\|message\|>Wonder Woman "Superman is it?" Diana asked as she walked up to them. "Are you with or against those Brainiac robots?" Diana's hands were held loosely at her side. However she was coiled and ready to defend at a moment's notice. This Superman gaped at her for a moment. Perhaps he had never seen a woman warrior. A lot of men in this world had the same reaction. It wasn't gratifying. It was annoying. She was tired of being treated like something new. She missed her sister's comradeship in arms. "Uh. Looks like we're on your side." The Superman said. Though he didn't seem very sure. Maybe all the muscles went to his head. Still, Diana wasn't about to reject potential allies, even if they weren't very smart. "Us too." Diana opened her mouth to respond when a man in green descended from the heavens. A green bubble was next to him. In which she could see a black clad form. She tensed, ready, but he didn't move towards her. "I'm a Green Lantern, and this is Batman. Bats here didn't really want to come." The Green Lantern released his prisoner from the green bubble. Kidnapping wasn't something tolerated on the Island. Diana knew it also wasn't tolerated in Man's world. Was this Green lantern exempt? No one else seemed to care. But then again, there was a more pressing issue of giant robots. Not that everyone else seemed too concerned as introductions continued. "Superman, this is Doctor Fate apparently." "And I'm the Flash." By the time the man in red showed, Diana was looking around the area for a better weapon. She cased one of the robots. Perhaps she could use the metal from it to make a makeshift sword. She crouched down next to the robot and looked over it. "I didn't catch your name." "Yeah, I was wondering that too. Ever been in space?" Diana looked up from her examination after she realized she was being spoken to. She stood up and held her head high, ignoring Hal's advances. They weren't anything she didn't have to contend with back in Baltimore. Diana had found ignoring them was the best way to make them go away. Apart from injuring them, but that was a last resort. "I am Princess Diana of Themyscira." A smile tugged at her mouth. "But people here call me Wonder Woman." "Hello. I see you are all in the middle of something, but I beg that any of you assist me in my endeavor to protect my people, the residents of Atlantis." Like a herald of bad tidings, motion from above caught her attention. She watched as the main robot emitted light that covered the city like a tent. "That can't be good." "Sorry fish man, but it looks like if we don't take care of that skull you won't be able to reach 'Atlantis'." The sounds of Diana's new compatriots was nearly drowned out by the chanting of Brainiac's robots. Diana didn't waste time crouching back down and pulling out the most manageable metal piece she had found. She bent one part with her foot, tore a leather strap from her skirt and wrapped it around an end. Around her she could hear the others discussing the problem. Distraction and Attack. Divide and Conquer. Diana Approved of the Blue Man's planning. "Okay, we need two more volunteers to help him out. Everyone else get up to the skull." "I will aid the Green Man." Diana said. She could distract and without a suitable weapon, she was hard pressed to take down the lesser robots. A good general knew their own weaknesses. As the Superman flew off, a mass of robots headed right towards them. Diana smiled as the first robot hit. She waded into the fray, using the numbers of the enemy against itself. She lost her makeshift weapon again and went back to hand to hand fighting. The most annoying thing about the robots were the tentacles. She'd go to punch one robot only to find her arm caught. She'd have to rip off the tentacle and once she was finished, there'd be one on her leg. And so it would go until she got so annoyed, with a war cry, she'd grab a metal arm and toss it into a few of its' fellows. Diana did make sure to say near the Green Lantern. Not because she liked him. But because he was their ticket up to the Prime Robot. If he fell, it would be the Superman's job. Having only one person in battle who can get close to Brainiac Prime was not a good thing. Which Brainiac obviously knew, for it was concentrating on the two biggest threats to it's existence.</s>
<\|description\|>Gog gro-Magog Here's my application, I hope it's all fine Race: Orc Age: Young Adult Appearance: Gog is tall and burly. Standing at about six foot, he's not noted as a particularly tall Orc. However he still towers over many elves and men. His muscles ripple out from underneath his pale green skin and jutting out from his maw are two teeth large enough to be consider tusks. Gog's thick black hair is tied back into a braided pony tail that runs half way down his back and his face is clean shaven. A dark red scar runs across his cheek from a previous encounter. Gog wears only fur boots and a kilt made of pelts, though he occasionally dons cloaks woven from the skin of animals. At his side, Gog almost always has two orcish axes ready for a fight. All in all, Gog gro-Magog is an intimidating sight for all to behold. Equipment: Fur boots Fur kilt Fur cloak Orcish Axe x2 Background: Gog gro-Magog, born the son of Magog gro-Shadrak, spent his early years in the town of Chorrol. His father was a blacksmith and his mother a leather worker. They lived a modest but successful life and the family was well regarded by the townspeople. While his parents were busy selling their goods in the town, Gog would run out into the forests to play alone. He had a natural affinity for befriending animals and one day, he found a young wolf cub near the corpse of its mother. Bringing it home, his parents allowed him to keep it and he aptly named it "Wolfy". Wolfy would remain as Gog's only friend throughout his childhood. Gog was a quiet and thoughtful boy, and preferred solitude to the company of his fellow children. As he grew older, Gog developed an ever more obvious talent for elemental magic. Fire, frost and shock came to Gog as easy as talking the more he tried. The Synod briefly observed the boy but found that he had no aptitude for any other form of magic, eventually dismissing the idea of his admission all together. Gog's parents used to note how he was perfectly suited to shamanism and that if they had been living in a stronghold, Gog would receive the spiritual education he needed to properly harness his powers. One day, Gog left in the night with Wolfy in tow and enough supplies to last a week or two. There were no Orcish strongholds in Cyrodiil, but he knew of some in the northern lands of Skyrim. Once he ran out of supplies, he lived off of the land with the help of Wolfy - whom he eventually named 'Wulf' in his maturity. Eventually, he reached the Orc stronghold of Largashbur and was admitted entry. He spent the remaining years of his childhood and adolescence in Largashbur where he trained and honed his abilities, contributing as best he could to the small tribal society. After some years, Gog - now a young adult, left Largashbur in order to return to his parents in Chorrol. He missed them greatly and desired to check on their well being. When he arrived in Chorrol he found no trace of his family and when questioned, many of the townspeople told him that his parents returned to Orsinium following his own departure. With Orsinium being so far away, and with no appetite to return there, Gog decided to remain in Cyrodiil, wandering the forests and making a name for himself. With Wulf at his side, he roams the forests, mountains and valleys. At current, he finds himself in Anvil, having just completed a few local jobs to fill his coin purse.</s> <\|message\|>Faraldir, Sword-in-the-Snow Faraldir spat, and a chicken bone skittered across the wooden board set before him. He sat at the head of the table, a long thing of roughshod driftwood fit for a dockside tavern like the Flowing Bowl. He was joined at dinner by his prospective party, a ragtag group of a dozen men, mer, and beastfolk. He knew some of them by name already. Lijah Cuu, the Breton from High Rock, good with a blade, better in the shadows. Allectus Valeres, a swordsman hailing from the Imperial City. Gog gro-Magog, wolf-friend. And Brother Gaius, priest of Arkay, who sat at his left and picked at his venison with knife and fork. Their meal was coming to a close. It was time to speak, Faraldir knew, and some of the men had turned their eyes to him. The Nord took a long draught of ale, and set the goblet down on the table. He offered them a wolfish smile. "Gaius," he said after a moment, slowly and surely, "how much do our guests owe for this feast?" he asked. A feast it was. Fine wine, venison, roasted chicken, mead and ale. No expense had been spared, and there had been plenty of expenses. "Nothing," Gaius answered. The wolfish smile struck him again. "Nothing," Faraldir repeated. He took another draught of the ale. "All this, paid for with my own gold. Me, a poor Nord, a sellsword who lived by the meager profits of his blade for the better part of his life." He paused a while, turning his eyes to the dark brew in his goblet. "And I was poor. Before I went beneath the earth." Faraldir stood, draining the goblet of ale and reaching for a bottle of Alto wine. "This man to my left is Brother Gaius Tarso," he said as the wine flowed. "He is a priest, a man of the Divines, and a learned man of great knowledge. In our travels, he told me of the Ayleids, the ancient elves who once ruled these lands. He told me of their ruins." Faraldir set the bottle of wine down and drank of the gold liquid. "He told me where I might find one near to us, and I descended into those dark depths." He drank deeply once more, and set the goblet back on the table. "You see the profits of my expedition before you. You have eaten of it. Drunk of it. And I am offering you an opportunity to take it for yourself. Join me, and you'll see a great many feasts more." And Faraldir sat, leaned back in his chair, and smiled that wolfish smile.</s> <\|message\|>Sheila Sheila sat at the table, nursing a fourth tankard of grog. The feast laid out before her had been entirely too rich for her tastes; she has always preferred tougher stuff, and more importantly it wasn't food she had obtained through her own deeds. The grog, however, was less watered down than some of the seedier watering holes, and its bitter taste was enough to keep her in her chair. The orc half-listened as the nord went on about riches in some caver or other. Him and the priest were being far too dramatic about his job for her tastes -- it sounded as if they were trying to sell her a horse -- so Sheila cast her eyes on the others Faraldir has gathered for his little "expedition." A shady-looking Breton, who looks like he'd happily stab her in the back if it suited him. The Imperial might as well be a walking caricature with his austere visage and that stick that had quickly lodged itself in his ass the moment he saw the orcs at their table. Sheila bet that he'd go out of his way to find a way to stab her in the back, even if inconvenient. The young orsimer was the one who Sheila deemed the most respectable of the lot; but that wasn't saying too much. He was a still a man, and a fairly young one at that. There was something in the orc's eye that annoyed her; what it was, she didn't know. A ramshackle group if ever she saw one. It'd be a miracle if they could cooperate when danger reared its head. So, all in all, they were your typical co-workers. Sheila turned her gaze back at the Nord as he finished his little speech -- Sheila wondered if he had stayed up last night preparing it for their sake -- and watched the man lean back and smear a shit-eating grin over his face. "Gratitude for the meal," Sheila began, "But if you would hire me on I would ask that you pay me in more than feasts. I would ask that we come to specific terms of payment before you ask me to risk my life exploring some abandoned cave. You offer coin? Or share of presumed treasure to be found? If the former, what is the sum? The latter, how do you intend to compensate us in the case your Brother's ruin is naught but an empty tomb?" There was no point in wasting words; if you don't clearly agree upon terms, some slimy human or elf will cheat you out of your fair reward.</s>	<\|message\|>Gog gro-Magog Gog had switched off to the words of the Nord somewhat early in the sales pitch. Typical human, he had thought to himself. Nevertheless it seemed like a good deal. Gog had wandered near these Ayleid ruins and yet had never steeled himself to go inside of one. It would be an understatement to say his innate curiosity was getting the better of him. He had heard tales of the ruins, of the creatures that are found within their walls. Not to mention the more unsavory and... supernatural. Ultimately he was brought back to the present by the blunt words of his fellow Orsimer. Gog knew none of his would-be companions, however the presence of an Orc reassured him slightly. Though Gog knew better than to trust anyone on face value, he also knew that an Orc was more likely to be hardy and ready for the dangers ahead. He felt safer knowing an Orc - and one older than him as well - would be fighting on their side. Her point in this instance was clear - she wanted an obvious agreement on how the loot would be split and how the companions would be paid. A fair point and one he would happily second. "I too, would like to know what our agreement is. I'm more than ready to delve into these ruins, as is Wulf. But for what exactly am I risking my hide for?" Gog sat back in the chair and took another bite from a chicken leg he had been gnawing for the last few minutes. The Flowing Bowl wasn't the worst tavern he had been to, and the food he had sampled tonight was acceptable. However he couldn't help but feel that the usual customer experience was less than stellar.</s>
<\|description\|>Zaegar Username: Eklispe Age: 20 Gender: Male Allegiance: Self Weapon: Body, Flames, Blades. Pokemon Species- Combusken Combusken Ability- Speed Boost: Speed Boost raises the user's Speed stat by 50%, at the end of each turn in battle. Moveset -Mirror Move -Flame Charge -Protect -Brick Break Personality: Zaegar is a cold uncaring individual, he watches out for #1 over all else. At least that's what he tries to look like. He reality he has a soft spot for other homeless folks or orphans like himself. His tough attitude will fool anyway on first look but after a day or so the cracks in his facade become noticeable. Zaegar is tenacious to a fault and has a hard time letting go of something he's set his sights on. He can be a bit of a Kleptomaniac at times if he finds something that really grabs his attention. Biography: Zaegar grew up on the streets of on of the many corruption filled cities that dotted the continent, a street waif with only one thing to his name, a strange colored stone on a necklace. He lived the way all the other street urchins did, by stealing. It was a hard life growing up and Zaegar became used to hardship. As he grew up he learned to control his Morphing powers and often used them to save himself from a pinch. Partially transforming made him stronger and gave him more speed that saved him from many a danger. Zaegar did whatever he had to in order to survive but as he grew older and his powers grew stronger and he began to change. Instead of solely stealing to feed himself he would often give food to younger kids. Soon he became a hero to the kids that lived on the streets and was given a bounty. Quote: "Deal with it yourself, aw fine take this, but don't tell anyone alright kid? Can't let those stinking nobles hand you out to dry."</s> <\|message\|>Lady Millicent "Milly" of House Cheviot Nouvelle, Lugere --- Millicent Cheviot Commotion on near the edge of town was drawing quite the crowd. There was a vicious fight at the Chanson tavern, which was one of the rougher places in town due to its proximity with an unrecognized circus group who sat outside Nouvelle. Generally poorer than other artisans of the city, their only entertainment and time off came from booze and hooches. It wasn't just this circus group, however, as many traveling performers came to Nouvelle for recognition and a shot at fame and wealth. But with this city, everyone knew that you start out on the edge of the town, performing for the circuses or taverns, working your way into the heart of the city. Every performers' goal was to eventually find themselves on Cheviot Hill, where only the most famous and expensive talent was located. On top of that, many starving artists and writers also tried to lay a claim to fame here. Like the performers, they started out at the edge of town, selling their work for minimal pay hoping someday that they achieve success. The crowd gathered just outside the reach of debris that a crazed Ursaring caused. A few guards, armed with pikes and burly squad of Machoke, threatened anyone that came in for a closer look. A few men were arrested and pinned by the threat of death. The Ursaring that caused this was slain and lying dead just inside the tavern. The chaos that was within was quelled late the previous night and guarded up until now. They waited command from a superior on what to do with the detainees but they were in for a shock on who would give the order. -- Millicent Cheviot had been up and about earlier this morning with a training regiment that Mel and herself did every morning. It helped them both stay fit and in fighting condition. On her way back she saw that a crowd had gathered and went to investigate. It wasn't just her as father insisted an escort follow her in town and despite Milly's nature, she was okay with that. The people in this town were always looking for recognition and the people on the edge of town were the most desperate. They would never stop pestering her, or worse like threatening her, for her to recognize their talents. The guard, which consisted of four armored swordsmen, two armored Gallade, and two armored Machamp, kept a lot of those pesky beggars away. Milly approached and, like a disease, people noticed that a Cheviot was nearby and they swarmed in. The guards held firm and weren't afraid to shove anyone back. The people hollered and pleaded for Milly to read their work, watch their performance or buy their painting. Half probably didn't even know her name. "Get back you filthy lot! Lady Millicent wants nothing to do with you!" The lead guard shouted as he and the two Machamp pushed their way through the crowd, parting it. It wasn't always this bad and the closer you are to the center the better it is, but the loss of their precious tavern must have made them extra desperate. Once Milly reached the tavern, the combined guard force formed a phalanx and blocked out the commoners. Mel just behind Milly as she entered the building. "Lady Millicent!" The commanding officer at the scene sounded shocked but hastily bowed and saluted. The two other guards, guarding the prisoners did the same. "At ease boys." Milly said with slight tone of boredom. "What's the deal here? What happened?" The guard stiffened and explained the story of the brawl and how the Urasing that was lying dead had rampaged and caused most of this destruction. The detainees, as he explained, were the most violate in the brawl. After hearing the synopsis, Milly rubbed her forehead as she compiled all the data. She walked over to the largest man, likely a circus strong man and who reportedly was the instigator, and inquired about the brawl. "You started this and now you have to answer for it. Why?" She asked sternly. Despite the man's massive size, his voice wavered a bit as she spoke. "I-I wasn't the one who started it! Honest! Some punk bumped into me and sucker punched me! I swear!" Of course this guy would try to avoid blame and not face due process. Probably a bold-faced lie, seeing as how he didn't name anyone in arrested so the sucker puncher fled. Still, Milly was fair. "Very well. I'll take that into consideration. Give your description to the guard and if we find him, you'll be spared. If not, you get full blame. Until then, you wait in a cell. Five days is all I give you." The man wanted to protest more but Milly turned and addressed the guard. "Get the description and put a bounty on him. Five days and then execute whoever has full blame. Understood?" The guard stiffened again, "Understood, Lady Millicent!" Without further word, she left the tavern, having her guard force themselves through the crowd and back into the city. Bahariya Oasis, Ayero --- Emile Varrot The harsh desert wind picked up and buffeted the small community of Bahariya. The town was bustling this early in the morning as everyone was trying to beat the day's heat. But the heat was already creeping in and people were already ducking under the shade of umbrellas and awnings. Emile Varrot, a man of Lugere, was not accustomed to the heat of the Rust Desert and underneath his Keffiyeh scarf, his head was moist with sweat. "Fuck the heat..." The man of twenty years of age said under his breath. "Fuck these sand snakes." He said in a harsh whisper as he navigated his way through the busy main street of Bahariya. Emile didn't belong here but he sure played the part. He was covered from head-to-toe, hiding his pale skin from the sun, only a thin strip showed his piercing gray eyes studying every passerby. He effectively blended in and the only dead give away that he was from somewhere else was hidden in plain sight. Emile's shadow was dark and very profound, unlike every other shadow on this street. Something was stalking him but Emile knew what it was. Darkrai crept along in Emile's shadow because he too, wanted to avoid the sun. He would only drift away from his master's side to stir any sleeping creature out of its dream with a great fright. The occasional yelp and squeal of mental agony delighted both Darkrai and his companion. Darkrai's sadistic hunger for dreams sustained him and Emile relished in his companion getting a good meal. He needed Darkrai to be at his best for what was to come. -- A few hours would pass and the party of Emile and Darkrai would achieve a few things in that time. First was a quiet raid on Morph hideout. Much to their dismay, it produced no new leads. At this point, Emile decided to abandon this worthless town. This wasn't what he had expected as somewhere in this massive desert was a small Morph community who he would just love to meet... That same day found a caravan leading away from the city and decided to sign on and hopefully escape this desert heat. The caravan was set to depart this evening when the sun's heat would be receding from these lands. So Emile found a cozy spot in one of the caravan's covered wagons and slept. Darkrai was free to wander but by he loved to occasionally come back just to haunt his companion's own dream.</s> <\|message\|>Formally called Korrigan Umbraisis, Informally called Korrey Sebastian Nouvelle, what a strange place to find oneself in, with it artists everywhere, all working to perform for the Cheviot family, their ambition so great, it made it a requirement for the members of the family to walk arpund town with an escort if guards to hod the rabble back. Guards he was currently trying to avoid, as he had sorta started a fight in the nearby tavern, but he couldn't help it, the guy had come up to him, all big and tough, only to go down with a couple punches. The man Ursaring hadn't liked that, and went crazy trashing the place. That was the moment when Sebastian made his escape, not wanting to lose his head for a crummy barfight gone south. Now, the Ursaring lie dead, soon to be followed by the big man that had challenged him. A pretty good way to end things, in his opinion, though it'd be better when he left the city. Currently, he was hiding on a nearby rooftop, looking down as the Cheviot woman and her guards looked around for him, though it was obvious the woman didn't believe the man and was only doing this out of courtesy. Stupid courtesy, if not for that, he'd be gone by now. 'It's fine, she is busy looking on the ground for the culprit. Nobody ever thinks to look up high for anything. Such is human nature.' And so, Sebastian waited for the eoman and her guards to leave, so he'd be able to make his escape.</s>	<\|message\|>Zaegar Zaegar looked around cautiously as he headed closer to his destinantion. He was just about to snatch the poster off the wall when someone beat him to it and ripped the papar apart angrily tossing it to the ground. Zaegar looked in dissapointment at the shreds, seemed that whenever he got near one of these posters they always got destoryed somehow. And everytime it happened he got more and more curious to actully learn more about this "Triumvirate"</s>
<\|description\|>Tatsuo Viper Age: 15 Weapon: What Did You Do To Get Your Soul Corrupted: Murder and Torture. Other: Always has a fox mask with her</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo felt a cool blade on her throat. The skin broke and a drop of blood began to form, trickling down Tatsuo's neck. More blood began to flow down, standing the collar of Tatsuo's kimono. A fox mask fell from her face as Tatsuo began to crumple to the ground. She landed on top of her most recent and final victim. Her breath ragged, and shaky, Tatsuo reached for her mask in her dying moments, placing it on her face as the young girl's breath stopped. Her killer stood above her, admiring his work. He had killed a murderer. Justice had been served. Tatsuo's eyes opened. She was at an altar. In a moment of panic, Tatsuo looked around for her mask, relieved when she found it was in her hands. Dread began to set in as questions arose in Tatsuo's mind. Where was she? Was she dead? What would happen now? Would Tatsuo find others or would she journey alone?</s> <\|message\|>Unknown, known by many as "Dark haired woman", "Dark haired beauty", "Dark haired witch" "So you are finally awake" A feminine voice said, a beautiful woman stepped out of the shadows. holding an open book, it's words were impossible for Tatsuo to understand. "As you are thinking, you are dead, your corrupted soul ended up in the deepest part of reality, this is the Hell. The woman got closer to Tatsuo and caressed her head with a smile. "But worry not, I know a way to get out of here, that's if...you trust in your strength. If you die here in hell you will surely reincarnate as a snail or ant, but if we succed you will return to the living world as a human and then...well, take revenge." The woman explained, then placed a scythe on Tatsuo's hand, knowing she would accept</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo curled her hand around the scythe. Revenge. Such a sweet word. Sure this was hell, but hell offered revenge. And Tatsuo was going to take it. Tatsuo's smile widened. She felt better with a weapon in her hand. And a beautiful red scythe like this one felt just right.</s> <\|message\|>Simon Scott Scott ran dodging gun fire from a countless number of cops."Freeze!" One of them shouted. He ignored the cops statement and answered back by firing a gun he previously stole from a cop he just murdered. Scott ran to an intersection and pointed the gun at a car signaling the man in the car to get out. By now the cops cought up with Scott and surrounded him. Scott held the man as a hostage and aimed the gun at his head. "Let him go o-or will shoot!" A cop demanded. Scott laughed , he knew it was over but he didn't want to die in prison , he wanted to go out in a band. On a near by roof top a sniper was readying his gun for the signal to shoot. When Scott directed his gun at one of the cops everything seemed to be in slow motion. Before Scott could fully aim his gun one of the cops raised their hand and "BANG!" The sniper fired aiming directly for Scotts head killing him instantly as the bullet reached his head. It all happened in the blink of an eye. Scott jolted up rubbing his head as if it was hit very hard. " What the....were am I?" He stood slowly looking around and noticed he was standing on a alter or something." Were ever I am it looks pretty cool." He smiled devilishly.</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo looked down at her scythe. Admiring it. The red shade of the blade was beautiful. It wouldn't be stained with blood. Tatsuo put the scythe on her lap, Her white kimono clashing slightly with the red scythe.</s> <\|message\|>Unknown, known by many as "Dark haired woman", "Dark haired beauty", "Dark haired witch" "Alright, it seems you have decided already. If that's the case then let's get going" The woman said and opened the rotten wood door of the shrine the altar was in, as soon as she opened Tatsuo could feel the hot air of hell, much worst than any desert in the living world, the sky was bloody red, not possible to tell if it was day or night. The woman walked out of the shrine "I need you to find a key, well not a key, it's a sword, a really old one" The woman said, she was about to keep talking but for some reason she didn't, suddenly she felt to the red sand, an axe stuck at the back of her head. "Damn you killed her! She was really hot! We could have had fun with her!" A huge man holding a sword said while walking from behind some big rocks. Four other men appeared holding swords and daggers "Sorry sorry! I didn't aim to her head!" One of them said. "Well...I guess this one will do.." The huge man said while walking towards Tatsuo _____________________________________-Scott's path_______________________________________ "You are in hell my dear~" The dark haired woman seductively whispered in Scott's ear, then sat on his lap with a smirk. "I hope you enjoy your stay in the deepest part of reality. It will be a long way to get out of here. If that is what you want" She then wrapped a flail around his neck as if it was a scarf. "But..I must warn you, if you die here in hell you will surely reincarnate as a bug or something worse." The woman said knowing Scott would not get scared of something like that</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo looked at the men, then back to the woman on the ground. An axe to the back of the head. Brutal and too messy. Kill four, let one live and torture him. That was Tatsuo's plan. Well, if you could call that a plan. Tatsuo ran towards the men, scythe in had. She needed o give the scythe a name. She would do that after the battle. For now, attack the legs of the men, make them fall, then make your move and kill.</s> <\|message\|>Simon Scott "Hell...." Scott repeated to himself as a smile appeared on his face. He didn't mind being in a seducive situation but once he heard the dark haired beauty say he could die again that could only mean one thing." Excuse me, but if I can die again doesn't that mean I have to be killed?" He asked possibly knowing the answer." If so ,that means the same thing applys to my victim. Then I can kill who ever I won't and don't have to deal with any one bull shitting." Scott joyfully hugs the black haired woman." I'll happily enjoy my stay here!"</s> <\|message\|>Unknown, known by many as "Dark haired woman", "Dark haired beauty", "Dark haired witch" _____________________________________-Scott's path_______________________________________ "Oh my you are so full of energy~!" The woman said a bit surprised by the hug and smiled from ear to ear. Once free from the hug she covered Scott with a thick gabardine. "You better wear that or you'll freeze to the bones!" She then covered herself with another gabardine and kicked the door of the shrine, a cold violent wind pushed her a little bit. "Welcome to hell!" She said and then walked out. "Alright, firs of all, I need you to get a shield for me, not a common one. I would do it myself but I can't get close to it" _____________________________________Tatsuo's path____________________________________ The huge man ran towards Tatsuo holding his sword high, he knew one hit was enough to cut the girl in half</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo saw the raised sword. She would need to dodge that. So Tatsuo went as fast as she could, darting around. She sliced the man's leg, running towards his companions. They would fall to her blade.</s> <\|message\|>James Hunter James slowly awoke. "Damn...my head...where am I...?" He looked around, realizing where he was. "Oh yeah...that's right..." He remembered the feeling of the arrow entering his throat, and his life slowly draining from him. "Shit..." He slowly got up, looking around again.</s> <\|message\|>Unknown, known by many as "Dark haired woman", "Dark haired beauty", "Dark haired witch" ___________________________________________Tatsuo's path_______________________________ The huge man fell to the ground, screaming in pain, he could not believe such a petite girl cut slice his big fat leg off. The others freaked out as soon as they saw this, they slowly stepped back and tripped. "W-We are ead meat!" ______________________________________James's path____________________________________ As soon as he got up the face of a woman appeared really close to his. "Hello there, it looks like this place isn't for you. Lucky you, I can get you out of hell but first I need you to get something for me. However I must warn you, it will be a loooong adventure that will take you to the ends of hell, as if you die, well you will reincarnate as a bug. The dark haired woman said, then place a weapon on James lap, she already knew he would accept</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo slid her mask over her face. She had a habit of wearing her mask when killing or torturing, it kept blood for falling on her face. Tatsuo decided the largest man she would keep alive, the others were dead. Tatsuo ran over to the tipped men and sliced their necks. She then returned to the fallen man and sliced off his other leg. She wouldn't be running anywhere.</s> <\|message\|>James Hunter James's eyes seemed to shine as he saw the weapon and he grinned, getting up as he picked it up. "Hell yes."(no pun intended) He smirked. "I'll gladly fight my way through this damned place to get out."</s> <\|message\|>Unknown, known by many as "Dark haired woman", "Dark haired beauty", "Dark haired witch" ________________________________-Tatsuo's path The huge man screamed even louder, he could not move anymore, he just waited death to come and so it happened, a sword pierced his head as if it was butter, the sword belonged to no other but the dark haired woman, who looked as if nothing happened to her. "Seesh this guys are so annoying!</s> <\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo looked up at the woman. "Come on, you ruined the fun," she complained. Tatsuo wiped the blood of her scythe. Satsugai-Sha That would be the scythe's name. It meant 'slayer', a fitting title for a scythe. "Oh, and how are you alive?" Tatasuo asked, confused.</s> <\|message\|>Unknown, known by many as "Dark haired woman", "Dark haired beauty", "Dark haired witch" __________________________Tatsuo's path_____________________________________-- The woman looked at Tatsuo with cold eyes, as if she was another person,and in a way, she was. She wiped the blood off her sword and sheathed it under her robes. "Let's just say the "real me" is not able to get in the underworld, and even if she did she would not be able to get out. However she found a way to interact with the underworld, that way is us: Doppelgängers. However we are not as strong as the original" The woman explained, then continued walking not interested if Tatsuo followed her or not ____________________________________________James's path_________________________________-- "Then Let's get going!" The woman pushed James of the altar, making him hit the dusty floor with his face. he quickly opened the door of the shrine. As soon as she did a purple liquid started to get in. The woman looked outside and saw something that looked like an octopus, a really really huge octopus. "Well....Show me if you are worthy my time..."</s>	<\|message\|>Tatsuo Viper Tatsuo followed the woman. "Dopplegangers? Like shadow clones?" she asked. Tatsuo had a slight linguistic downside. She was fifteen, Japanese, and not exactly from modern Japan. However Tatsuo did know a lot about samurai and ninjas. That was fun.</s>
<\|description\|>Devon Drakehart Appearance: Devon Years of training has gifted Devon with strength and a body to match, but his years on the battle field has also given him a multitude of scars in varying stages of healing and fading. His skin a natural caramel, it's only darkened by his time in the sun. Matching his hematite like sheen as a dragon, his hair is a silky jet black, usually pulled up and out of the way. His dragon form towers above his human one, his jaw and forehead framed by sharp horns and spikes, though his scales lay smooth and flush to his skin. Age: 25 Species: Shifter Personality: At first meeting, Devon is stand-offish and quietly angry seemingly all the time. Defensive and sarcastic, he keeps nearly everyone at arms length or farther. He is used to being treated like a horse or a sword, and considers himself a tool and not really a person. Underneath it all he is really quite insecure and just wants those one or two people to cling to, he yearns for a family he thinks he doesn't deserve. Background: Devon grew up without a family, his father never mentioned and being given a different story about his mother each time he asked. He quickly gave up on ever figuring out his parents and instead clung to a fellow orphan. Kidda was his first and only friend, and when he was drafted into the military for being a dragon shifter, she followed. They became a well tuned machine on the battlefield, working together almost as a single unit. Strengths: Speed, flight maneuverability, seems to be liked by cats Weaknesses: Cold, other people, subtlety Fears: Losing the few people he likes, other dragons, Other: He cannot breathe fire like some other shifters, relying more on his strength and speed to divebomb and throw enemies and weapons.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Devon groaned, his head pounded, his body screamed out in pain. He didn't want to remember, but he did. Kidda's scream, the fireball, the fall. "You'll be okay, Devon. You'll find someone. Find someone, for me, okay?" He hiccuped, swallowing a sob. That was it then, he was alone. Gold eyes opened to try and mask the memories that played in his mind, to a plain medical room in the barracks. Bare wood walls, a small wood burner, dry sink, and window were the only break in the woodgrain. He shakily let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. A small meow sounded from the door, he turned to look and saw Kidda's fat tabby cat had nosed open the door. Mr. Muffin she had named him, he was probably looking for her. "Hey." he whispered, voice cracking. It felt like he hadn't used his voice in weeks, how long had he been out? Judging by the healing of his wounds, a couple of days maybe. The tabby softly padded over and jumped up onto the bed, curling next to Devon's side. Flexing his arm, he gingerly brought it up to pat the cat's head, already fast asleep. "Guess you're my cat now, huh?" He tried to joke, but his voice came out flat. Suddenly he could feel something cool drop down onto his neck, touching his cheek, he realized he hadn't stopped himself from crying.</s> <\|message\|>Luka Petrov Luka paced up and down a quiet corridor of the barracks, eyes scanning the papers on his clipboard. The sound of shoes hitting wood in a steady rhythm was calming to him, but it wasn't nervous pacing, not quite. Perhaps apprehensive was the word. He'd never been given a task quite like this before, and he wasn't entirely sure how to go about it. Not the medical proceedures, that was simple. He'd been able to stabalize Devon and care for his wounds quick enough to save his life. But, the patient was scheduled to wake up within the hour, and Luka wasn't quite sure what to expect. "He's a difficult creature," one of the higher ups had said. "Wouldn't cooperate with anyone that wasn't his rider. And now that she's ... Well, we're afraid it'll be impossible to get him to work with anyone else." He gave Luka a smile a clapped a strong hand on his shoulder. "But you're a charismatic young man, Luka. If anyone can get him working again, it's you." He had talked about Devon as if he was broken and just needed a few repairs, but Luka wasn't a psychologist. What if he messed this up even further? Luka shook his head and halted his pacing. Worrying about it wasn't helping anyone. With as much conviction as he could muster, he rounded the corner and walked a few doors down to the medical room. Fist raised to the wooden door, he took a deep breath before knocking three times, then opening the door. He had expected to see Devon awake, but not with a cat on his lap. "I'm Luka Petrov," he said, eyebrows still slightly furrowed in confusion. "I've been taking care of you for the last few days. How're you feeling?" He smiled and took another small step into the room, not yet closing the door behind him.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Mr. Muffin's ears twitched as the door creaked open, he had only registered hearing someone pacing down the hall a few seconds prior. At least his hearing was mostly unscathed, though perhaps he was a bit delayed in cognizance still. The shifter tilted his head only slightly, just enough to see the newcomer. He looked the medic up and down slowly, eyes lingering a few seconds more than what he knew would be comfortable before looking back down to the cat pushing his head into his hand. "Sore." he stated sharply, flexing his other arm to test it's movement. He took a breath, a sharp pain echoed through his chest, "Bruised rib, my right. Slight whiplash. No broken bones. Flesh injuries seem to be taken care of, so you can at least do that." He rattled off, mentally taking count of his injuries. Devon had had worse done to him, no point in complaining further. Flinching, he started to pull himself up to get out of bed, if he had been laying there for a few days then that was enough. His arms and back screamed out in protest as he twisted to get leverage, he could do this, he had been through worse, right? The tabby by his side grumbled and batted at him to lay back down and continue petting him, which only earned his a sharp look from the shifter.</s> <\|message\|>Luka Petrov Luka felt his cheeks grow warm under the shifter's stare. He moved his eyes to glance around the room, generally unimpressed. The barracks on the humans' land were significantly more modern, made of sturdy concrete and housing more resources and materials. He supposed these were nice too, in their own sort of way. The wood gave the place a home-y feel that was the slightest bit comforting. His eyes returned to Devon as he started speaking, and he listened attentively as he talked about his condition, writing the necessary information on his clipboard. His eyes snapped up and the sound of bed springs creaking. "Whoa, slow down," he protested with a small laugh, stepping toward the bed. "You've still got at least a couple days of bed rest in front of you. Gotta give your body time to recover properly." He knew better than to reach out and push him back into bed, regardless of how gentle he would be. Instead, he positioned himself between his patient and the door. "How's your appetite? Hungry? Thirsty?" He shot another inquisitive glance in the direction of the cat, but decided to save that question for later.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Devon pursed his lips into a scowl, he could do this, he knew he could! But, maybe sitting down for awhile longer wasn't a bad idea. He pulled his legs back under the thin blanket and leaned against the bed's backboard, he was nothing if not stubborn, he was at least sitting up for now. And anyways, he could wait until the doctor was gone to try and walk around a bit again. He wiped away the tear stains from his cheeks and rubbed the crust from his eyes, no appearing weak to others, that was unacceptable. "Yeah, food." he admitted, he was damn hungry now that he was thinking about it. "Food is a good idea." Mr. Muffins picked himself up and trotted over to the shifter's lap lazily, and made himself comfortable again. Devon jumped as the cat stepped on a few bandaged gashes across his thighs, but managed to keep from yelping. "And a bowl for water for this thing here. Since he's mine now I guess." he nearly growled, grimacing at the pleased looking cat.</s> <\|message\|>Luka Petrov Luka nodded, eyes on his clipboard as he scribbled down a few more words. Looking at the writing, he remembered how his sister used to whine about his illegible handwriting. She ended up showing him how to write neater, and his handwriting still held some of her influences. A faint nostalgic smile pulled at his lips before his attention snapped back to his patient. He caught a glimpse of the shifter wiping his eyes and briefly wondered if he had been crying. With all that had happened, he probably wasn't in the best shape emotionally, even if his physcial wounds were healing rather well. "I'll go down to the kitchen and grab something for you and your friend," he said with a grin and set his clipboard down on the bedside table. Luka walked to the door and hesitated for a second before turning around. "And please stay in bed. The longer you let your body rest, the quicker you'll be out of here." He gave Devon a hard look before closing the door and walking to the kitchen. His first encounter had gone better than expected. He wasn't sure why everyone else had acted like Devon was a monster.</s>	<\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Devon grumbled and looked away from the medic, did he even really want to be out of there? He'd have to return to the training grounds, be broken in by a new rider. He wondered who they would choose to claim him, normally it was the shifter who would die, not the rider. He'd probably some masochistic ass to break him with his luck, the shifter knew he was too stubborn to be given to some new rider. Kidda had known how to work with him, it was almost as if they read eachother's minds, but he wouldn't get that lucky again. He couldn't get Kidda back. He growled, deep and painful, throwing his pillow across the room in anger, a rip in the seam spilling out feathers as it hit the opposite wall. Covering his face in his hands, Devon shuddered as he tried to clear his mind again, but all he wanted to do was tear everything in his sight apart. He just wanted to leave this room, this war, this... could he just leave? His mind stopped and changed directions, could he just leave and never come back? No, on second thought, he was too valuable to do that and not be followed. He would be hunted down and taken back in. Maybe if they weren't at war, but the battles weren't likely to end soon.</s>
<\|description\|>Luka Petrov Age 23 Species Human Appearance Luka stands at 5'10 with a fairly lean build. He has fair skin with few blemishes. His hair is short and dark brown and his eyes are dark green. He typically wears contacts, but has a set of rectangular frames he wears every once and a while. Personality Luka's often been described as charismatic. He's friendly and easy to talk to. His patience knows no bounds, but when he starts to get irritated he gets a bit sarcastic and snippy. He's caring and protective, especially when it comes to his family. He also has a tendency to be a smartass. He's quite modest and becomes flustered easily. Background Luka was born to a doctor and a blacksmith, and despite his parents being exceptionally busy people, they made sure to spend plenty of time with their children. This mean Luka, his older brother, and his younger sister helped their parents with their jobs often, all of them becoming knowledgeable in the ways of forging and mending. Luka preferred working alongside his mother, the doctor, while his older brother had a knack for blacksmithing. Their younger sister didn't seem too interested in either, instead training to work with dragons and other animals. When the war began, his sister became a rider while his brother entered as a foot soldier and Luka as a medic. Strengths medicine, sword wielding, persuasion Weaknesses would do anything for his family, oblivious, any other kind of combat Fears loosing his family, not being able to save someone, being alone Other One of the reasons he was chosen to be Devon's primary doctor was because he had experience with dragons thanks to his sister.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Devon groaned, his head pounded, his body screamed out in pain. He didn't want to remember, but he did. Kidda's scream, the fireball, the fall. "You'll be okay, Devon. You'll find someone. Find someone, for me, okay?" He hiccuped, swallowing a sob. That was it then, he was alone. Gold eyes opened to try and mask the memories that played in his mind, to a plain medical room in the barracks. Bare wood walls, a small wood burner, dry sink, and window were the only break in the woodgrain. He shakily let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. A small meow sounded from the door, he turned to look and saw Kidda's fat tabby cat had nosed open the door. Mr. Muffin she had named him, he was probably looking for her. "Hey." he whispered, voice cracking. It felt like he hadn't used his voice in weeks, how long had he been out? Judging by the healing of his wounds, a couple of days maybe. The tabby softly padded over and jumped up onto the bed, curling next to Devon's side. Flexing his arm, he gingerly brought it up to pat the cat's head, already fast asleep. "Guess you're my cat now, huh?" He tried to joke, but his voice came out flat. Suddenly he could feel something cool drop down onto his neck, touching his cheek, he realized he hadn't stopped himself from crying.</s> <\|message\|>Luka Petrov Luka paced up and down a quiet corridor of the barracks, eyes scanning the papers on his clipboard. The sound of shoes hitting wood in a steady rhythm was calming to him, but it wasn't nervous pacing, not quite. Perhaps apprehensive was the word. He'd never been given a task quite like this before, and he wasn't entirely sure how to go about it. Not the medical proceedures, that was simple. He'd been able to stabalize Devon and care for his wounds quick enough to save his life. But, the patient was scheduled to wake up within the hour, and Luka wasn't quite sure what to expect. "He's a difficult creature," one of the higher ups had said. "Wouldn't cooperate with anyone that wasn't his rider. And now that she's ... Well, we're afraid it'll be impossible to get him to work with anyone else." He gave Luka a smile a clapped a strong hand on his shoulder. "But you're a charismatic young man, Luka. If anyone can get him working again, it's you." He had talked about Devon as if he was broken and just needed a few repairs, but Luka wasn't a psychologist. What if he messed this up even further? Luka shook his head and halted his pacing. Worrying about it wasn't helping anyone. With as much conviction as he could muster, he rounded the corner and walked a few doors down to the medical room. Fist raised to the wooden door, he took a deep breath before knocking three times, then opening the door. He had expected to see Devon awake, but not with a cat on his lap. "I'm Luka Petrov," he said, eyebrows still slightly furrowed in confusion. "I've been taking care of you for the last few days. How're you feeling?" He smiled and took another small step into the room, not yet closing the door behind him.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Mr. Muffin's ears twitched as the door creaked open, he had only registered hearing someone pacing down the hall a few seconds prior. At least his hearing was mostly unscathed, though perhaps he was a bit delayed in cognizance still. The shifter tilted his head only slightly, just enough to see the newcomer. He looked the medic up and down slowly, eyes lingering a few seconds more than what he knew would be comfortable before looking back down to the cat pushing his head into his hand. "Sore." he stated sharply, flexing his other arm to test it's movement. He took a breath, a sharp pain echoed through his chest, "Bruised rib, my right. Slight whiplash. No broken bones. Flesh injuries seem to be taken care of, so you can at least do that." He rattled off, mentally taking count of his injuries. Devon had had worse done to him, no point in complaining further. Flinching, he started to pull himself up to get out of bed, if he had been laying there for a few days then that was enough. His arms and back screamed out in protest as he twisted to get leverage, he could do this, he had been through worse, right? The tabby by his side grumbled and batted at him to lay back down and continue petting him, which only earned his a sharp look from the shifter.</s> <\|message\|>Luka Petrov Luka felt his cheeks grow warm under the shifter's stare. He moved his eyes to glance around the room, generally unimpressed. The barracks on the humans' land were significantly more modern, made of sturdy concrete and housing more resources and materials. He supposed these were nice too, in their own sort of way. The wood gave the place a home-y feel that was the slightest bit comforting. His eyes returned to Devon as he started speaking, and he listened attentively as he talked about his condition, writing the necessary information on his clipboard. His eyes snapped up and the sound of bed springs creaking. "Whoa, slow down," he protested with a small laugh, stepping toward the bed. "You've still got at least a couple days of bed rest in front of you. Gotta give your body time to recover properly." He knew better than to reach out and push him back into bed, regardless of how gentle he would be. Instead, he positioned himself between his patient and the door. "How's your appetite? Hungry? Thirsty?" He shot another inquisitive glance in the direction of the cat, but decided to save that question for later.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Devon pursed his lips into a scowl, he could do this, he knew he could! But, maybe sitting down for awhile longer wasn't a bad idea. He pulled his legs back under the thin blanket and leaned against the bed's backboard, he was nothing if not stubborn, he was at least sitting up for now. And anyways, he could wait until the doctor was gone to try and walk around a bit again. He wiped away the tear stains from his cheeks and rubbed the crust from his eyes, no appearing weak to others, that was unacceptable. "Yeah, food." he admitted, he was damn hungry now that he was thinking about it. "Food is a good idea." Mr. Muffins picked himself up and trotted over to the shifter's lap lazily, and made himself comfortable again. Devon jumped as the cat stepped on a few bandaged gashes across his thighs, but managed to keep from yelping. "And a bowl for water for this thing here. Since he's mine now I guess." he nearly growled, grimacing at the pleased looking cat.</s> <\|message\|>Luka Petrov Luka nodded, eyes on his clipboard as he scribbled down a few more words. Looking at the writing, he remembered how his sister used to whine about his illegible handwriting. She ended up showing him how to write neater, and his handwriting still held some of her influences. A faint nostalgic smile pulled at his lips before his attention snapped back to his patient. He caught a glimpse of the shifter wiping his eyes and briefly wondered if he had been crying. With all that had happened, he probably wasn't in the best shape emotionally, even if his physcial wounds were healing rather well. "I'll go down to the kitchen and grab something for you and your friend," he said with a grin and set his clipboard down on the bedside table. Luka walked to the door and hesitated for a second before turning around. "And please stay in bed. The longer you let your body rest, the quicker you'll be out of here." He gave Devon a hard look before closing the door and walking to the kitchen. His first encounter had gone better than expected. He wasn't sure why everyone else had acted like Devon was a monster.</s> <\|message\|>Devon Drakehart Devon grumbled and looked away from the medic, did he even really want to be out of there? He'd have to return to the training grounds, be broken in by a new rider. He wondered who they would choose to claim him, normally it was the shifter who would die, not the rider. He'd probably some masochistic ass to break him with his luck, the shifter knew he was too stubborn to be given to some new rider. Kidda had known how to work with him, it was almost as if they read eachother's minds, but he wouldn't get that lucky again. He couldn't get Kidda back. He growled, deep and painful, throwing his pillow across the room in anger, a rip in the seam spilling out feathers as it hit the opposite wall. Covering his face in his hands, Devon shuddered as he tried to clear his mind again, but all he wanted to do was tear everything in his sight apart. He just wanted to leave this room, this war, this... could he just leave? His mind stopped and changed directions, could he just leave and never come back? No, on second thought, he was too valuable to do that and not be followed. He would be hunted down and taken back in. Maybe if they weren't at war, but the battles weren't likely to end soon.</s>	<\|message\|>Luka Petrov As Luka walked to the kitchen, he couldn't help it as his mind wandered to what was happening on the battlefield. Truth be told, the only reason he had become a medic was to stay as close to his siblings as possible. His sister, Anna, had been the first of them to join the war effort. She'd always been too daring and brave for her own good, but Luka knew the dragon she was paired with would take care of her. She'd been working with the dragon since she had hatched, and Luka had even gotten to ride her a couple times. His older brother, Russel, followed Anna almost immediately, enrolling as a foot soldier. Russel had always been protective of Anna, and with his knowledge of weapons and how to handle them, he made for a very valuable soldier. Luka had debated whether to join them in the army or stay back with his parents, but ultimately he knew he wouldn't be able to stand staying at home with his siblings out risking their lives every day. When he got to the kitchen, Luka asked the chef if anything new had happened on the field. They made idle chat while the chef fixed up a plate and a glass of water for the patient and got some water for the cat. Luka carried everything on a tray through the halls, his mind at ease after talking with the chef. Everything seemed to be going in their favor, but it was still early enough for the tide to shift completely. When he got to the door, Luka again knocked three times before entering. He sat the tray down on the bedside table and picked up his clipboard. "Dig in," he said with a grin. It quickly faded, as he knew his next words wouldn't be nearly as lighthearted. "To make sure there aren't any gaps in your memory and to confirm we have the record of the event correct, I need you to explain what you remember before waking up here."</s>
<\|description\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) Age: 25 Appearance: Her clothes: History: Amelia has spent a lot of time on the streets or in workhouses. She was raises by a handful of women who were also very poor. They moved from place to place finding work where they could. How she got a basic education was a miracle in it's self due to her humble upbringing. She set off on her own at age 18 when things became particularly difficult for her patchwork family. Since then she had taken up residence in a large city and helping with the excavation work.</s> <\|message\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) She was sitting on the ground now with her legs crossed Indian style. There wasn't any point in doing anything while he lectured her. He was throwing a temper tantrum. She looked up at him while covered in dirt and couldn't help but laugh at him. Was his pride so fragile that one homeless person not giving him his 'act charity for the day' sent him off the edge. Did he help any of those people who blatantly asked him for food or money? No, he ignored them. Instead he stalked after the one person who didn't ask for his food or money. Yes, this was considered stalking at this point. He acted like he gave her a choice on whether or not she was to accept his so called 'kindness', when in fact he simply bulled his way through everything. He didn't take 'no' for an answer so he simply kept forcing his way. She didn't take his offer, so he took her job, probably thinking if she was left without options, she would now see his actions and accept them with loving arms. He said she was trying to be her friend. What friend blatantly ignores someone telling them that they didn't want their help and continues to force their 'kindness' on them? How delusional privileged men were. Yes, privileged. He obviously didn't hear the word 'no' much in his life or at least he acted like he didn't. The man continued to call her names but after years of living on the streets, she had developed a thick skin for it. Breathing loudly, she tilted her head at him. The last sentence made her smile. Was he actually giving her a choice? If he had simply given her a choice at the beginning perhaps things would have plaid out different, but no he continued to act like a spoiled child. Amelia wondered if she should chose her words carefully. It wouldn't surprise her if he had gotten violent if she told him no again. At this point, she had nothing else left to loose. Might as well be honest. "You don't get told 'no' much do you? I said it once and I'll say it again to make things as clear as possible. I don't want your food! I don't want your so called 'act of kindness'! What I want from you is a job. Now, if you can't do that for me, then maybe you should go help someone who ASKS FOR IT!" Her words dripped with hate. If he was going to hit her then so be it. It was true she was hungry, but she wasn't about to accept this lunatic's offers. She would find food on her own. It may not be good or warm but at least it didn't come with a hulking deranged stalker.</s> <\|message\|>Rhett Lovelace He shook his head and plopped down on the ground across from her, throwing his cigar into a dirty puddle. "Tell you what. I'll offer you a job. How does my personal assistant sound, hm? Cuz that's the only damn job you're getting from me. You'll get paid well....well, well enough. How'd you like to go help those smart men in the tunnels look for treasure!? You may even get a cut if we find any." He leaned up against the wall across from her, studying her irritatingly stubborn face. And finally he leaned forward and said "I'm your only friend in this city. And I'm offering you a job that will give you more money than you've ever seen in your little, irritating, bitchy, stubborn life." He leaned back up against the wall. "But hey it's your choice. Oh, and if you accept, we're gonna get you a meal in ya and new clothes. Because you ain't working in that and you can barely hold empty buckets, Honey." He put emphasis on the last word.</s> <\|message\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) "....Are you serious?" She could see it in his unblinking eyes. He wasn't lying. A job as his assistant? The man was nuts! He had just turned her former boss's nose from a convex surface into a concave one not but a few minutes ago. He offered her money. The greedy little street rat within her hopped for joy. In essence they were both getting what they wanted. Amelia wanted a job and he gave her one. The stranger wanted to treat her to dinner and apparently clothes. She bowed her head looking at her over-sized multi-layered frock and laughed. Other than the occasional glass window and still water buckets, she rarely got to see her own reflection. She would imagine that she looked awful, but looking good didn't keep a girl warm. The word honey made her flinch, but a chuckle quickly followed it. "I'll take it!" She grinned looking like a filthy smiling dirt clod.</s> <\|message\|>Rhett Lovelace Wow, when she smiled it was almost...pleasant. Weird. She seemed in a much better mood now. He got to his feet and motioned for her to follow him. "I know this great place we can get a bite to eat, but, we gotta get you into something else." he leaned over and sniffed. "And a shower." They made their way into the city and walked a couple blocks and stopped at an Inn on the street corner. They went inside. A bell chimed as they opened the door, a plump women popped up from behind the counter with rosy cheeks and a kind smile. "Ah Rhett dear, how are you?" she exclaimed. He smiled at her "Just fine, thank you." He took a key from his pocket and handed it too her. "There's a bathroom in room 28. My room. I'll bring up some better clothes after your done."</s> <\|message\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) Slowly rising from the mud, she didn't even bother to wipe any of it off. Her stomach grumbled and reverberated to the point that she thought she saw a layer of her rags shudder. Her body was weak from hunger, but she moved surprisingly quick when he said they were getting food. The offer still seemed too good to be true. It probably was, but how often does a girl get offered a job, food, a bath and new clothes? If worse came to worse and the man did turn out to be a serial killer, at least she would be fed when she died. He mentioned she needed a bath and she shrugged. After a while, she stopped being able to smell herself. It was good for her but bad for anyone else. Slopping into Inn, Amelia almost froze in the doorway. It was warm and smelled wonderful. Not saying anything and not looking at anyone, she followed behind him. She could feel people looking at her, but it was worth it if she could eat something. There was a roll on one of the tables. She looked at the plump lady who saw her eye-ing them. The woman at first, saw her like someone who saw a large disgusting bug for the first time, but seeing Amelia was hungry and Rhett was getting a room, she nodded for her to take the roll. "Thanks" Amelia breathed taking one roll and hurriedly stuffing it in her mouth. The woman winced at her then smiled politely at Rhett like she wasn't uncomfortable with Amelia's awful table manners. Receiving the key and with bulging cheeks filled with bread, she gave him a muffled "Fankshh." The room wasn't hard to find. It was what some would consider small, but it looked like a leisure palace to her. Still working on the roll she shoved into her face, she walked into what she presumed to be the bathroom. Locking the door behind her, she looked in the mirror. "UGh!" She jerked. There were dying animals that looked like they were in better shape. The hot water felt so good, that Amelia was content to sit in the tub until the end of days. It took a very long time for her to successfully rid herself of all the layers of dirt. Her hair was matted to the point where she thought that cutting it all off would probably be a better solution, but there weren't any scissors. "Woah.." She mused seeing how pale her skin was underneath all the grime. For months, she was under the impression that she might have gotten some sort of tan due to living outdoors, but apparently she had developed enough dirt to conceal most of her skin from contact with the sun.</s> <\|message\|>Rhett Lovelace Rhett's heavy boots fell on the wooden floorboards as he stepped into the room. It sounded like the girl was still in the shower. He set a bundle of clothes on the bed. It was a dress made for working purposes. It should be good for the job. He left the room and went back down stairs. He saw the Inn keeper going over a ledger and he sauntered over to her, flashing her a smile. "Excuse me, Ms.Ida, but could we have two bowls of beef stew for the table in the corner?" She smiled warmly. "Why of course dear, they should be out by the time your...friend, is done washing up." He grinned and tugged the front of his hat down. "Much obliged."</s> <\|message\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) After stepping out from the bath, Amelia slowly opened the door and peered her head out to see if the coast was clear. She had heard someone walk into the room earlier, but they must have left. Spotting a couple boxes with cloth sticking out, she shot from the door, grabbed them, then ran back to her bathroom fortress. Locking the door behind her, she opened the boxes hurriedly. It was more from being excited than anything. Holding up the dress, she pressed it against her and smirked. Not bad, it might not be too big. It had been a long time since she found a piece of clothing that fit her better. She put it on and turned in the mirror. It was a little bit big, but loose was always good for moving around. The guy made a very good guess. Then her eyes lingered down to the other box, that she knew probably contained shoes. Glancing back at her old rotting one, she leaned down and grabbed the box. They were standard leather work boots. Not ornate in the least, but practical, which she liked. After getting fully dressed, she pulled her wet her back with a cord from her old boots. It would have to do until she could afford a better method to tie up her hair. Amelia glanced back into the mirror one more time and nodded. Though she looked very thin from being malnourished, she didn't look as bad as she did before. Not a bad look to starting talking about the job she accepted. Pocketing the room key, she made her way down stairs into the Inn lobby. It took her a moment to spot his hat then she slowly walked over to the table. Not bothering to ask permission to sit, she pulled out the chair across from him and plopped down rather ungracefully. "Thanks for the clothes and shoes and..well the other stuff." She said rather quickly while straightening up then extended her hand for him to shake it. "I should tell, my name is Amelia. The lady called you Rhett, should I call you that or simply boss?"</s> <\|message\|>Rhett Lovelace He watched her walk over to him. She didn't look too bad, a bit thin, but he could fix that. She sat down and properly introduced herself and he shook her hand. "Just call me Rhett, darling." he replied. The innkeeper's daughter, a pretty blonde girl, came up to their table with two big bowls of beef stew, she set it down with a shy look at Rhett then hurried off before he could thank her. "Bon Appetit." he said, picking up his spoon.</s> <\|message\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) Darling? Again? She arched an eyebrow at him. Though it was normal for women to be addressed this way, she didn't like it. It would suggest closeness when there was none. Especially with Rhett, the idea of closeness made her stomach lurch. Not only was he a stranger to her, but he was also a pushy obnoxious man who seemed to have a white knight complex, not that she wasn't currently receiving benefits from it at the moment. Amelia eyed the younger blonde girl and smirked at her with her elbows on the table. She picked up her spoon and gestured at her once she scurried away. "I think she fancies you.", she chuckled then took quite a few spoonfuls of stew. It tasted great, but anything would taste wonderful to someone if they hadn't eaten properly in a long time. Looking up at him between large spoonfuls, she slurped and wiped her mouth on her bare wrist. "This is very good, thanks.", she gulped then belched through her nose. Not thinking to excuse herself, she continued, "What sort of work would you have me do? I can read and write and do some manual labor." She knew he was going to mock her about the last bit. Once she had a few good meals, she would build up her strength again and would be more useful.</s> <\|message\|>Rhett Lovelace He refrained from smiling at her comment about the girl. Then she asked about the work. "Digging through dirt. That's all we'll be doing. Protecting the scholars from grave robbers that won't come. It's an easy gig, if a bit boring." He ate a big chunk of meat from the bowl. "They usually have wade through the mud looking for bits of stone and crap, but that'll be your job now. When they want me to go into a cave filled to the brim with bats, you'll go in instead." He slurped up some of the juice. Maybe she'll take that stick out of her ass if she thinks she's useful. The Inn door slammed open and a rowdy bunch of men came in, being loud and smelling bad. Rhett's eyes narrowed. They're from a local gang, this is probably not gonna end well.The men went up to the counter, and talked to the Innkeeper. She had an indignant look on her face that turned quickly to fear. Rhett scowled and got up, and started walking towards them.</s>	<\|message\|>Amelia Thorn (Lia for short) She nodded when he mentioned the details. She wouldn't blame him for wanting to stick her with the dirty bits of the job, but she was fine with it. Bats didn't bother her too much. She saw plenty rats in her lifetime and bats were a lot like rats to her except for the whole flying bit. Finishing her food, she leaned back and sighed feeling full and tired. Amelia watched as a group of men came into tavern. She knew their faces. It was time to go upstairs before things got rough. She didn't live to be 25 by being stupid. Watching Rhett get up to confront them made her snort. Looks like someone wants to play hero, fine then. While Rhett rough housed with a bunch of men, she would be sleeping in the first bed that wasn't filled with bed bugs in years. Amelia took the long way around to get to the stairs and made her way back to the room. The possible violence also reminded her that she probably needed to obtain some sort of knife. A gun would be silly for close quarter altercations. (edited)</s>
<\|description\|>Louis Vincent Appearance: His uniform Age: 24 Blood Type: O- Occupation: Chef Specialization: Blades Starting weapon: Belle, his trusty chef knife Background: Originally from The Big Easy, Louis' early life was pretty rough. A deadbeat mother and only god knows who the hell his father is. His Nan took care of him until she died when he was five and then his aunt took custody of him and the moved away from Louisiana to New York City. As he grew up he learned he had a passion for cooking and thanks to his talents. Eventually he got recognized and became a rising star in the culinary world. Thanks to his fame the Royal Palms decided to hire him as their new Head chef. With all the money they were offering and the fact that he got to live on a luxury island for free, he thught this was his dream job. The zombies happened, go figure. Other: Talks with a slight Cajun accent. Currently passed out drunk in the Kitchen.</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor raced down the hall, his heart in his throat. Visions of gore and carnage were all he could see. Corpses littered the hallways and blood was everywhere. The smell filled his nostrils and he just couldn't take it any more. Turning his head to the side, Victor vomited against the wall. He watched as the moss green splotch of his stomach contents mixed with the crimson red surface of the wallpaper. Fuck. This was a bad situation and as far as he knew there was no one else alive. Suddenly, Victor heard what sounded like a woman crying coming from up the hall. He frantically placed his ear to each consecutive door on the way, attempting to pinpoint its location. He finally rested on a door towards the end of the hall. He could hear the sound clearly now. It was definitely coming from the door in question. "Hey is anyone in there?" He banged on the door with his pipe. Suddenly, a human like form lunged at him from the floor, yelping in fear, Victor took a mighty swing with the pipe in his hand. Splat! The creature's brains were dashed across the thinly carpeted floor. "Please!" He called to the crying woman inside the room. "Let me in! I think more creatures are coming!" He rapped on the door again, urgency in his voice. "Open the door please! I beg of you!"</s> <\|message\|>Sgt. Alexander White "Uh, haven't had a hangover like this since... high school I think? Ow," Alex said as he rose from his bed. He looked across the room to see his little sister still resting. Well, she wasn't little anymore, but to him, Cass would always be his little sister. Not wanting to wake her, he quietly went to the bathroom and found some ibuprofen to help his headache. As he was sipping a glass of water, he couldn't help but hear a faint scratching sound coming from outside their room. Again, he quietly moved across the room, this time toward the door. He looked through the peephole, but something was blocking it. He opened the door, only opening it a few inches since he had forgotten to unlock the top lock. Suddenly, a decayed face appeared in the space between the door and the wall and an arm shot through the gap soon after. Alex jumped back, away from the walker, and looked at it for a few seconds, his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. He then jumped into action, running toward the Beretta in his suitcase while also shouting for Cassandra to wake up. He came back toward the door and pointed the handgun at the walker's head. "Back away from the door or I will fire! I'm giving you to the count of three! Three... two... one!" He readjusted his aim and shot a single bullet at the walker's knee cap. It fell on its now injured knee, but kept trying to get in anyway. "It's not even human," Alex said before firing another shot at its head, killing it. He then turned around toward Cassandra. How much had she seen?</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Confusion was only one of the words that described Louis' reaction. Crazed freaks trying to eat him was one thing, but watching some admittedly ripped guy bust in out of nowhere and then proceed to bash the heads in of said freaks was completely unexpected. He brought himself to his feet again still holding his wound. "No idea." A small grin as he tapped one of the bodies with his foot. "Judging from your little stunt I'd say you have a better grasp on the situation then I do, Mon'Ami."</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe ran over to the door and opened it to reveal a man. He had not yet become one of those things. She pulled him inside quickly and locked the door. "help me put this wardrobe in front of the door" she yelled</s> <\|message\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele Isabella groaned loudly as she felt the suns bright rays hitting her face, she slowly opened up her eyes looking over towards the closed glass door that led to the balcony. She remembered opening up for last nights festivities with her band, it was one of her best nights she had performing and her first time in Banoi. Isabella slowly got up from her bed walking over towards the mirror in her room adjusting her hair, her red hair was a huge mess she was just happy that the hotel staff gave her and her whole crew private rooms. Adjusting her hair and tying it into a ponytail. "Help me!!!" Isabella turned around hearing a woman's cry for help she quickly turned around towards the door and opened it, just in time to see a woman being tackled down what looked like her manager except he was completely bloodied his white buttoned up shirt covered in blood. The woman dropped a crowbar she could hear the woman screaming in pain as the man sunk his teeth into the woman's neck, Isabella grabbed the crowbar by her feet that the woman had dropped. Shortly after Isabella's zombiefied manager turned his attention to her, his teeth all bloody, and blood sliding down his chin before Isabella could do anything he charged right at her tackling her back into her suite getting the wind knocked out of her Isabella hit her back against the hard bedframe. Bringing her arms up to protect herself Isabella cried out in pain as she felt teeth sinking into her arm, using the sharp blunt end of the crowbar Isabella brought it over his head hearing and feeling something sickening pop as the end of the crowbar caved in part of his skull. Isabella laid there breathing heavily intense pain shooting through her whole arm. "Fuck.." She muttered pushing the dead body off of her, looking around Isabella reached for the bed sheets under the comforter to grab the blanket below it. Isabella ripped a small piece of the fabric and quickly went for bathroom running hot water over the bite wound, the sink started to turn slightly red. When she thought it was clean enough Isabella quickly tied the torn sheet of paper over the wound wincing when she tied it off so it would stop the bleeding. Going over towards the corpse that was once her boss Isabella quickly yanked the crowbar from out of his skull Isabella walked over towards the girl he had attacked getting a better look he had torn out a big chunk of her neck, she would have bled out in seconds. "What the hell is going on?" Isabella said to herself as she stood up and started to run towards the elevators luckily they were still in working order.</s> <\|message\|>Cassandra White It was a very fun day yesterday because she and her brother were having parties! It is something that they truly love. Cassandra was sleeping in her brother's room. Well their room. Yes they still sleep in the same room, doesn't matter. She suddenly woke up hearing her brother's voice, quickly stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom to put on some clothes really fast. A few seconds later she was out and went to her brother. "Can you let me sl..." she stopped seeing a body on the ground. "What is this, brother..?" It smelled really bad too. What the hell was going on...?</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma "Eh, smashing their head works wonders." Okoma replied easily, twirling his multi-use wrench between his fingers before gripping the light-weight, steel weapon in calloused hands. "Name's Okoma, from the New York Warlords, although that probably doesn't matter." His deep voice took on a friendly tone as he offered the man an unbloodied hand. His mom taught him respect, after all. "We should probably get out of here soon. The dead's raising up pretty quick." He had already calmed down from the situation, adapting to it, like he did on the court, in the ring, and on the field. One of his skills, he guessed.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent So his rescuer was a football player? That explained a lot. Louis chuckled before he took his hand and got up off the ground. "I'm Louis, head chef of this fine resort." The sarcasm practically dripped from his voice. This place had been a dream come true a few months ago, but now he couldn't wait to get out. He flourished his knife and kept it ready, if the head was their weakness his girl would be more than enough protection. "You don't have to tell me twice. Let's go."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma Okoma nodded seriously, only pausing once to grab what seemed to be a lead pipe off of the ground, near a luggage cart. Couldn't have too many things to wack heads with. Storing it in his bag, Okoma headed in a slow gait towards the entrance of the resort, the sunlight streaming through the dark, grimy glass door. With a broad shoulder he slammed it into the door, slamming it open and revealing them to the outside world. He couldn't enjoy the scenery, however, as his gaze was quickly zoomed in on a zombie, eating the dead carcass of a female maid. Eyes steeled with resolve, Okoma darted forward, slamming his heel against it's head...once...twice. It didn't get up. "Fucking parasites."</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent After a little bit Elizabeth regained her emotions and pushed the few tears away. Standing up she walked over to her door and looked out the little peep hole. Seeing blood splattered on the walls she knew this wasn't something contained to outside. Grabbing a light sweater she threw a bottle of water into the pocket before opening the door slightly. Moans filled the hall as she poked her head out and seen that there were a few dead looking bodies walking at the one of the hall. Holding her breath she pushed the door open and ran for the staircase. Once she was on the other side of the door she slammed it shut as some of the walkers headed towards her. "What the hell is going on here, is anyone even left alive?" She questioned softly before heading down the stairs making sure to look down to the lower levels as she did so. On one level a door was opened and when she went to close it a walker jumped at her. Seeing their eyes as is pinned her down she could tell that the person was a walking corpse. Throwing her arm up with she scissors she stabbed them in the side of the head after struggling not to get bitten in the face. Standing to her feet again and taking a breather she ran down the rest of the stairs busting into the lobby thinking open space was better then a cramped staircase.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis started after Okoma and winced reminding himself of the bite on his arm. The bite had managaged to break the skin and was bleeding but not incredibly bad. Remembering the hotel kept a first aid kit behind the front desk he walked over to it. Not only could he bandage up the cut, but he'd bet they'd have need of the kit later anyway. He stepped over a few corpses before vaulting over the desk. The area behind it was a wreck showed sign of a struggle. Sure enough leaning against the wall was the body desk attendant, a large chunk of his neck appeared ripped off. Whatever had killed him was either gone or one of the ones his new companion had killed on his entrance. Louis sighed before grabbing the kit he was looking for. The body of the attendant lunged suddenly but he had already moved out of the way and the zombie fell face first into the desk. Louis shove his knife through the back of its skull before it could even move. He could hear a small sound coming from the body and had suspected it wasn't as dead as it claimed to be. "Rest in peace you poor bastard." He muttered just as he vaulted back over the desk and the door to the staircase opened again, a girl emerging from it. "Whoa! You're normal, right?"</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent Breathing quickly when she broke out of the door Elizabeth was slightly shocked to see someone. Standing there she allowed herself to regain her bearings making sure she heard him right and that he was alive. "Yeah I'm normal, can only guess you are to seeing you don't look dead and can talk." She replied while walking towards the man. She didn't know what was going on here but it was better to be around others for safety reasons.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis relaxed a bit knowing the girl wasn't like one of the dead. "You would be correct with that assumption." His voice light and joking again. "Anyway you should stick with us, strength and numbers and all that." He pointed towards the door where Okoma was standing outside. "Me and this guy were just on our way out."</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent "I completely agree about strength in numbers so I would be more then happy to go with you, it's probably safer in the open were we can see them coming from a better distance." Elizabeth replied as she tried to keep herself calm about all the shit that was going on around them. Walking for the doors she couldn't help but wonder how far this epidemic had spread on the island or what caused it.</s> <\|message\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele As the elevator went down each floor slowly Isabella leaned against the wall letting out a slight grunt in pain, she looked down at her arm seeing that the rag she had grabbed and wrapped over her arm had turned slightly red. When a it finally got to the first floor Isabella quietly looked around the room was full of bodies as well as luggage, tables, and chairs that had been flipped over. She quickly ran down the hallway remembering the way to the lobby, she stopped to see two people by the stairs. "Good to see some none zombies here." She said softly as she started to approach them.</s>	<\|message\|>Louis Vincent "I'm with you on that I don't want to have deal with these things in cramped spaces." There was no telling how many zombies where still in the hotel, and if they're would only be some many places to run in the hotel. He was following the girl when he heard another one approach them from the opposite hallway. His mood lightened considerably seeing that there were people who had survived. "Likewise. You feel like getting out of this hellhole? Cause that's what we're doing."</s>
<\|description\|>Blaine Okoma Age: 23 Blood Type: O- Occupation: Football player. Specialization: Blunt Starting weapon: A heavy-duty wrench that he found in a luggage cart, along with a metal pipe. Background: Blaine was always an athletic, smart-minded kid. Going to college on a full football scholarship, his mind was made up on what he wanted to be in life; and he succeeded. He got into the big leagues quickly, at the young age of 17, being one of the top players the Warlords ever had. When he came to this 'paradise', on a vacation trip, he wasn't expecting zombies, however. He'll deal with it, though. Other: N/A</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor paced back and forth, nervously wringing his hands. He had locked himself in his personal hotel room but he knew he couldn't stay there for long. While he didn't think there'd be a problem with anything getting inside, his primary problem was with himself. Hunger. Other than a snack sized package of potato chips he had eaten a few hours earlier, his room was completely devoid of food. Victor also figured it was only a matter of time until the pipes quit running without anyone to maintain them. Not to mention, he wasn't about to drink any of it anyway. Who could tell it wasn't something in the water that had caused all this? Weighing his options, he decided he'd have to make a run for the kitchen, grab all the food and bottled water he possibly could, and then return to his room and hunker down until it was all over. Searching for a weapon, Victor had an idea. In a section of his closet, was a few rusty old pipes still attached to the wall because the hotel owner hadn't hired anyone to disconnect them yet. Using all of his strength, Victor managed to rip out a particularly thick section of pipe to use as a makeshift weapon in case his mission for food went south. Gripping it in his hands, Victor tapped it experimentally against his leg. It was old, heavy, and full of lead. Perfect for bludgeoning someone chasing after him. Putting an unsteady hand on the thick wooden door to the hallway outside of his room, Victor took a deep breath and readied the pipe on his shoulder. He was ready to go. He swung the door wide open and dashed out of his room. In the back of his mind, he almost hoped he wouldn't have to return.</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent When the rays of sun filled her room Elizabeth had finally decided to crawl out of bed. Walking to the dresser across the room she grabbed a bottle of water and cracked it open before grabbing two advil and popping them into her mouth. Once she had managed to swallow them with the aid of the water she walked out to her balcony and leaned over it slightly before taking another sip from the bottle. "Damn I really need to learn when to stop, the headache the next morning is so not worth it." She muttered to herself as she noticed something in the pool. Rubbing her eyes in disbelief for a moment she looked carefully and seen it was blood and a few floating bodies. Throwing a hand over her mouth in disgust she started to back away when she watched a body from the floor above her fall over the edge, even with it happening so fast she could tell it didn't look right. Once back in her room she quickly closed the doors to the balcony and grabbed the phone calling the front desk. Frantic about wanting to know what was going on she grabbed a sewing kit and looked through it till she found a pair of scissors. Realizing no one was on the other side of the phone she just left it on the floor and started to cry a little.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe dropped the paddle to the floor and put her hands on her head and began to cry. she sat for a few minute before standing and going over to her balcony and looking over the edge. she stumbled back when she saw the horror that had set upon the once beautiful resort. there were bodies strewn everywhere, the pools were red with blood and more zombies walking around on the ground. "What the fuck is happening" Chloe said to herself</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis ran down the hall clutching his knife in his right and covering the bite wound with his free hand. The yelling creatures were still chasing after him and he was doing everything to evade them. Knocking over any luggage cart still standing. When he reached the end of the hallway and he tackled it as hard as he could, forced it open, and as soon as he was on the other side he closed it just as quickly and shoved a nearby maintenance cart in front of it. He leaned against the cart with a relieved sigh. Now that the adrenaline was starting to leave he noticed he was in the front lobby and could finally see the full damage. Corpses littered the room and it was almost impossible to find a spot that was covered in blood. "What the hell is going on here?" The front desk phone started ringing. as soon as the noise broke the silence of the room he saw one of the corpses start stirring. "Oh fuck my life."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma A loud hammering sound came from a nearby door, close to Louis, and then an emergency door was kicked wide open with a loud crash. Okoma growled lowly, brutally throwing the slow zombie off of his form, only to gasp as another one fell from the door and onto his neck. Before it could take a crunch out of his flesh, the young man plowed it's face in with his fist, making it fall against a shopping cart. Okoma was on his feet in a second, curb-stomping the mush out of the zombie's head while yanking his useful tool from his belt. The first zombie was back on it's feet, and lunged towards the larger man. On nimble feet, Okoma side-stepped it's clumsy lunge, gripping his wrench with both hands and swinging the light-weight, durable metal tool towards it's head. SPLAT Gore sprayed along the wall, covering his shoes and the bottom of his pants. "...Fuck." Okoma groaned, staggering back a step and panting slightly. His eyes wandered up, taking notice of Louis' form, and he straightened, walking forward. "Hey, the Hell's going on?" His deep voice had taken a confused tone as he eyed the chef; his TV hadn't been working. Maybe this other man had heard news?</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor raced down the hall, his heart in his throat. Visions of gore and carnage were all he could see. Corpses littered the hallways and blood was everywhere. The smell filled his nostrils and he just couldn't take it any more. Turning his head to the side, Victor vomited against the wall. He watched as the moss green splotch of his stomach contents mixed with the crimson red surface of the wallpaper. Fuck. This was a bad situation and as far as he knew there was no one else alive. Suddenly, Victor heard what sounded like a woman crying coming from up the hall. He frantically placed his ear to each consecutive door on the way, attempting to pinpoint its location. He finally rested on a door towards the end of the hall. He could hear the sound clearly now. It was definitely coming from the door in question. "Hey is anyone in there?" He banged on the door with his pipe. Suddenly, a human like form lunged at him from the floor, yelping in fear, Victor took a mighty swing with the pipe in his hand. Splat! The creature's brains were dashed across the thinly carpeted floor. "Please!" He called to the crying woman inside the room. "Let me in! I think more creatures are coming!" He rapped on the door again, urgency in his voice. "Open the door please! I beg of you!"</s> <\|message\|>Sgt. Alexander White "Uh, haven't had a hangover like this since... high school I think? Ow," Alex said as he rose from his bed. He looked across the room to see his little sister still resting. Well, she wasn't little anymore, but to him, Cass would always be his little sister. Not wanting to wake her, he quietly went to the bathroom and found some ibuprofen to help his headache. As he was sipping a glass of water, he couldn't help but hear a faint scratching sound coming from outside their room. Again, he quietly moved across the room, this time toward the door. He looked through the peephole, but something was blocking it. He opened the door, only opening it a few inches since he had forgotten to unlock the top lock. Suddenly, a decayed face appeared in the space between the door and the wall and an arm shot through the gap soon after. Alex jumped back, away from the walker, and looked at it for a few seconds, his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. He then jumped into action, running toward the Beretta in his suitcase while also shouting for Cassandra to wake up. He came back toward the door and pointed the handgun at the walker's head. "Back away from the door or I will fire! I'm giving you to the count of three! Three... two... one!" He readjusted his aim and shot a single bullet at the walker's knee cap. It fell on its now injured knee, but kept trying to get in anyway. "It's not even human," Alex said before firing another shot at its head, killing it. He then turned around toward Cassandra. How much had she seen?</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Confusion was only one of the words that described Louis' reaction. Crazed freaks trying to eat him was one thing, but watching some admittedly ripped guy bust in out of nowhere and then proceed to bash the heads in of said freaks was completely unexpected. He brought himself to his feet again still holding his wound. "No idea." A small grin as he tapped one of the bodies with his foot. "Judging from your little stunt I'd say you have a better grasp on the situation then I do, Mon'Ami."</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe ran over to the door and opened it to reveal a man. He had not yet become one of those things. She pulled him inside quickly and locked the door. "help me put this wardrobe in front of the door" she yelled</s> <\|message\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele Isabella groaned loudly as she felt the suns bright rays hitting her face, she slowly opened up her eyes looking over towards the closed glass door that led to the balcony. She remembered opening up for last nights festivities with her band, it was one of her best nights she had performing and her first time in Banoi. Isabella slowly got up from her bed walking over towards the mirror in her room adjusting her hair, her red hair was a huge mess she was just happy that the hotel staff gave her and her whole crew private rooms. Adjusting her hair and tying it into a ponytail. "Help me!!!" Isabella turned around hearing a woman's cry for help she quickly turned around towards the door and opened it, just in time to see a woman being tackled down what looked like her manager except he was completely bloodied his white buttoned up shirt covered in blood. The woman dropped a crowbar she could hear the woman screaming in pain as the man sunk his teeth into the woman's neck, Isabella grabbed the crowbar by her feet that the woman had dropped. Shortly after Isabella's zombiefied manager turned his attention to her, his teeth all bloody, and blood sliding down his chin before Isabella could do anything he charged right at her tackling her back into her suite getting the wind knocked out of her Isabella hit her back against the hard bedframe. Bringing her arms up to protect herself Isabella cried out in pain as she felt teeth sinking into her arm, using the sharp blunt end of the crowbar Isabella brought it over his head hearing and feeling something sickening pop as the end of the crowbar caved in part of his skull. Isabella laid there breathing heavily intense pain shooting through her whole arm. "Fuck.." She muttered pushing the dead body off of her, looking around Isabella reached for the bed sheets under the comforter to grab the blanket below it. Isabella ripped a small piece of the fabric and quickly went for bathroom running hot water over the bite wound, the sink started to turn slightly red. When she thought it was clean enough Isabella quickly tied the torn sheet of paper over the wound wincing when she tied it off so it would stop the bleeding. Going over towards the corpse that was once her boss Isabella quickly yanked the crowbar from out of his skull Isabella walked over towards the girl he had attacked getting a better look he had torn out a big chunk of her neck, she would have bled out in seconds. "What the hell is going on?" Isabella said to herself as she stood up and started to run towards the elevators luckily they were still in working order.</s> <\|message\|>Cassandra White It was a very fun day yesterday because she and her brother were having parties! It is something that they truly love. Cassandra was sleeping in her brother's room. Well their room. Yes they still sleep in the same room, doesn't matter. She suddenly woke up hearing her brother's voice, quickly stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom to put on some clothes really fast. A few seconds later she was out and went to her brother. "Can you let me sl..." she stopped seeing a body on the ground. "What is this, brother..?" It smelled really bad too. What the hell was going on...?</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma "Eh, smashing their head works wonders." Okoma replied easily, twirling his multi-use wrench between his fingers before gripping the light-weight, steel weapon in calloused hands. "Name's Okoma, from the New York Warlords, although that probably doesn't matter." His deep voice took on a friendly tone as he offered the man an unbloodied hand. His mom taught him respect, after all. "We should probably get out of here soon. The dead's raising up pretty quick." He had already calmed down from the situation, adapting to it, like he did on the court, in the ring, and on the field. One of his skills, he guessed.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent So his rescuer was a football player? That explained a lot. Louis chuckled before he took his hand and got up off the ground. "I'm Louis, head chef of this fine resort." The sarcasm practically dripped from his voice. This place had been a dream come true a few months ago, but now he couldn't wait to get out. He flourished his knife and kept it ready, if the head was their weakness his girl would be more than enough protection. "You don't have to tell me twice. Let's go."</s>	<\|message\|>Blaine Okoma Okoma nodded seriously, only pausing once to grab what seemed to be a lead pipe off of the ground, near a luggage cart. Couldn't have too many things to wack heads with. Storing it in his bag, Okoma headed in a slow gait towards the entrance of the resort, the sunlight streaming through the dark, grimy glass door. With a broad shoulder he slammed it into the door, slamming it open and revealing them to the outside world. He couldn't enjoy the scenery, however, as his gaze was quickly zoomed in on a zombie, eating the dead carcass of a female maid. Eyes steeled with resolve, Okoma darted forward, slamming his heel against it's head...once...twice. It didn't get up. "Fucking parasites."</s>
<\|description\|>Victor Hamilton Appearance: Age: 29 Blood Type: B+ Occupation: Bellboy Specialization: Blunt Starting weapon: Lead Pipe Background: Victor arrived on the island when he was twenty years old. Fresh out of the Midwestern United States, he was desperate to find something drastically different from life on the farm. Due to being employed for almost ten years he has extensive knowledge on the hotel as well as many other parts of the island. As of the moment, Victor heard and saw firsthand what was happening on the island and he has currently locked himself in his personal hotel room. Other:</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis groaned as he staggered up off of the cold floor of the hotel kitchen. His head was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode at any second. "Merde! I need aspirin..." He put his hand to his right temple as some sort of small relief while he tried to recall what the hell he was doing before to end up here. With the massive headache he had it was obvious he'd definitely been drinking. Like a lot. Liquor and him were going to have to take a break for awhile after this one. He plucked his favorite knife from the board it was held in to make sure nothing had happened to it while he was out just as someone started banging on the outside of the kitchen door. Louis grabbed his head in pain. "Guy with a hangover in here!" The banging continued in earnest and he groaned again before going to pull it open. Probably one of the kitchen staff who'd forgotten their key. Without warning the person burst through before he'd even fully opened the door, knocking him to the ground. "What the hell is...your..problem?" He found his voice leave him as he looked at the gray-skinned girl in front of him. The girl standing over him was definitely one of his kitchen staff, her uniform covered in drying blood. Large chunks of skin were missing in visible places. He didn't even get a chance to ask if she was alright before she was on top of him, growling and snapping her jaws at his neck. He tried his best to keep her away but still dazed from his hangover he wasn't having much luck. Belle had fallen from his hand when he fell over, and he reached for it with his free hand. As soon as his fingers felt the handle of his trusted knife, the girl had managed to sink her teeth into his arms. He yelled out and pain and on instinct clutched Belle's handle and drove the blade right through the top of the girl's head. The girl twitched slightly before slumping perfectly still on top of him. He pushed her off and yanked the knife free from her skull. His hands shook as he did so looking at the girl again he could definitely tell whatever the hell she was, she wasn't human. A loud inhuman yell came from from the direction of the door the girl came entered from. He didn't know what it was nor did he care. He ran straight for the door in the opposite direction leading into the hallway, whatever was yelling following behind him.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe awoke on her bed surrounded by towels she went to sit up but everything went hazy and she fell back to her bed. she could hear her friend in the bathroom making a gurgling noise. "are you still throwing up from last night." she noticed the bite on her arm and turned a deep green and had begun oozing puss. "shit, claire are you alright" the monster that had once been her friend turned slowly to face her. parts of her face had peeled off revealing the muscle and tissue beneath. the thing jumped at her, quickly she grabbed the paddle from under her bed and swung it at the zombie caving its head in, but still it got up "WHY. WONT. YOU. DIE" she screamed beating it repeatedly</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma Deathly, grim silence. Blaine Okoma rose up from his bed, eyes still half-asleep as something groaned from inside of his bathroom. Great...just great. Did he somehow have sex with a female before he went to sleep? He couldn't have; he hadn't drank anything that would have made him stupid enough to risk an STD or pregnancy, and drinking was a no-go for a football player, anyways. The muscular young man stumbled onto the floor, instincts automatically making him steady on his feet. The groaning got louder, and there was...a clawing noise, and then splashing, and then a louder, more inhumane groan. Okoma, now alert and cautious, snuck closer to the bathroom door, quietly trying the door-knob. Whatever was behind it got quiet, and then a low moan sounded out, and a body slammed against the wooden door, cracking it. Instinictively, with a grunt of surprise, Okoma leaped back, before narrowing his eyes and squaring his shoulders, as if he was getting ready for a game-winning tackle. Another claw, and the wood peeled back at face-level, revealing a horribly decomposed, graying face of a cleaning lady. He charged. His powerful tackle sent him through the wooden door in a hail of splinters and splaying body limbs. Instincts kicked in, as he locked powerful, tan arms around the thing's torso and slammed it head-first onto the toilet. Bringing back a fist, he abruptly sent if flying forward, a shower of gore coming from it's rotten head as he repeatedly slammed it's brains in with his fist. Once it stopped groaning, Okoma panted, crawling backwards and falling onto his butt. Now that he could see clearer..."Holy shit..." The normally cool football player gasped. A zombie. A motherfucking zombie. And he had just killed it. Standing on slightly shaky legs, Okoma glanced around once. He needed to get out of here. The room was stinking unbearably, and the darkness didn't ease his caution. Looking around for practically anything, Okoma grabbed what appeared to be a medpack off of the table, along with one of those compact, heavy-duty wrenches that was used for multiple things. He strapped it to his belt-loop, before narrowing his eyes and turning around. Just as he was about to dash into the hallway, he saw his figure in the mirror. Tall, muscular, tan - obviously of Native American descent. Short hair, handsome visage, wearing nothing but a bloodied white wife-beater and jeans/sneakers. Not the most durable of outfits, but it would work for now. Grabbing his NFL backpack as he ran out the door, Okoma strapped it to his back and began heading down the hallway at a decent speed, on the look-out for any rotten douchebags. He was seen as a cool, collected, and rather badass player in football and other sports such as MMA and Wrestling, but this...this was crazy.</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor paced back and forth, nervously wringing his hands. He had locked himself in his personal hotel room but he knew he couldn't stay there for long. While he didn't think there'd be a problem with anything getting inside, his primary problem was with himself. Hunger. Other than a snack sized package of potato chips he had eaten a few hours earlier, his room was completely devoid of food. Victor also figured it was only a matter of time until the pipes quit running without anyone to maintain them. Not to mention, he wasn't about to drink any of it anyway. Who could tell it wasn't something in the water that had caused all this? Weighing his options, he decided he'd have to make a run for the kitchen, grab all the food and bottled water he possibly could, and then return to his room and hunker down until it was all over. Searching for a weapon, Victor had an idea. In a section of his closet, was a few rusty old pipes still attached to the wall because the hotel owner hadn't hired anyone to disconnect them yet. Using all of his strength, Victor managed to rip out a particularly thick section of pipe to use as a makeshift weapon in case his mission for food went south. Gripping it in his hands, Victor tapped it experimentally against his leg. It was old, heavy, and full of lead. Perfect for bludgeoning someone chasing after him. Putting an unsteady hand on the thick wooden door to the hallway outside of his room, Victor took a deep breath and readied the pipe on his shoulder. He was ready to go. He swung the door wide open and dashed out of his room. In the back of his mind, he almost hoped he wouldn't have to return.</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent When the rays of sun filled her room Elizabeth had finally decided to crawl out of bed. Walking to the dresser across the room she grabbed a bottle of water and cracked it open before grabbing two advil and popping them into her mouth. Once she had managed to swallow them with the aid of the water she walked out to her balcony and leaned over it slightly before taking another sip from the bottle. "Damn I really need to learn when to stop, the headache the next morning is so not worth it." She muttered to herself as she noticed something in the pool. Rubbing her eyes in disbelief for a moment she looked carefully and seen it was blood and a few floating bodies. Throwing a hand over her mouth in disgust she started to back away when she watched a body from the floor above her fall over the edge, even with it happening so fast she could tell it didn't look right. Once back in her room she quickly closed the doors to the balcony and grabbed the phone calling the front desk. Frantic about wanting to know what was going on she grabbed a sewing kit and looked through it till she found a pair of scissors. Realizing no one was on the other side of the phone she just left it on the floor and started to cry a little.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe dropped the paddle to the floor and put her hands on her head and began to cry. she sat for a few minute before standing and going over to her balcony and looking over the edge. she stumbled back when she saw the horror that had set upon the once beautiful resort. there were bodies strewn everywhere, the pools were red with blood and more zombies walking around on the ground. "What the fuck is happening" Chloe said to herself</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis ran down the hall clutching his knife in his right and covering the bite wound with his free hand. The yelling creatures were still chasing after him and he was doing everything to evade them. Knocking over any luggage cart still standing. When he reached the end of the hallway and he tackled it as hard as he could, forced it open, and as soon as he was on the other side he closed it just as quickly and shoved a nearby maintenance cart in front of it. He leaned against the cart with a relieved sigh. Now that the adrenaline was starting to leave he noticed he was in the front lobby and could finally see the full damage. Corpses littered the room and it was almost impossible to find a spot that was covered in blood. "What the hell is going on here?" The front desk phone started ringing. as soon as the noise broke the silence of the room he saw one of the corpses start stirring. "Oh fuck my life."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma A loud hammering sound came from a nearby door, close to Louis, and then an emergency door was kicked wide open with a loud crash. Okoma growled lowly, brutally throwing the slow zombie off of his form, only to gasp as another one fell from the door and onto his neck. Before it could take a crunch out of his flesh, the young man plowed it's face in with his fist, making it fall against a shopping cart. Okoma was on his feet in a second, curb-stomping the mush out of the zombie's head while yanking his useful tool from his belt. The first zombie was back on it's feet, and lunged towards the larger man. On nimble feet, Okoma side-stepped it's clumsy lunge, gripping his wrench with both hands and swinging the light-weight, durable metal tool towards it's head. SPLAT Gore sprayed along the wall, covering his shoes and the bottom of his pants. "...Fuck." Okoma groaned, staggering back a step and panting slightly. His eyes wandered up, taking notice of Louis' form, and he straightened, walking forward. "Hey, the Hell's going on?" His deep voice had taken a confused tone as he eyed the chef; his TV hadn't been working. Maybe this other man had heard news?</s>	<\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor raced down the hall, his heart in his throat. Visions of gore and carnage were all he could see. Corpses littered the hallways and blood was everywhere. The smell filled his nostrils and he just couldn't take it any more. Turning his head to the side, Victor vomited against the wall. He watched as the moss green splotch of his stomach contents mixed with the crimson red surface of the wallpaper. Fuck. This was a bad situation and as far as he knew there was no one else alive. Suddenly, Victor heard what sounded like a woman crying coming from up the hall. He frantically placed his ear to each consecutive door on the way, attempting to pinpoint its location. He finally rested on a door towards the end of the hall. He could hear the sound clearly now. It was definitely coming from the door in question. "Hey is anyone in there?" He banged on the door with his pipe. Suddenly, a human like form lunged at him from the floor, yelping in fear, Victor took a mighty swing with the pipe in his hand. Splat! The creature's brains were dashed across the thinly carpeted floor. "Please!" He called to the crying woman inside the room. "Let me in! I think more creatures are coming!" He rapped on the door again, urgency in his voice. "Open the door please! I beg of you!"</s>
<\|description\|>Elizabeth Kent Age: 23 Blood Type: O- Occupation: Fashion Designer Specialization: Blades Starting weapon: Scissors from a sewing kit. Background: Elizabeth always had a thing for fashion so it felt natural when she got into the industry herself. Even though she seems harmless she loves to collect swords from around the world and has been trained to use them. Taking a vacation from her work she soon found out it might be the biggest mistake in her life when she wakes up to find the whole place has gone to hell. Other:</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent When the rays of sun filled her room Elizabeth had finally decided to crawl out of bed. Walking to the dresser across the room she grabbed a bottle of water and cracked it open before grabbing two advil and popping them into her mouth. Once she had managed to swallow them with the aid of the water she walked out to her balcony and leaned over it slightly before taking another sip from the bottle. "Damn I really need to learn when to stop, the headache the next morning is so not worth it." She muttered to herself as she noticed something in the pool. Rubbing her eyes in disbelief for a moment she looked carefully and seen it was blood and a few floating bodies. Throwing a hand over her mouth in disgust she started to back away when she watched a body from the floor above her fall over the edge, even with it happening so fast she could tell it didn't look right. Once back in her room she quickly closed the doors to the balcony and grabbed the phone calling the front desk. Frantic about wanting to know what was going on she grabbed a sewing kit and looked through it till she found a pair of scissors. Realizing no one was on the other side of the phone she just left it on the floor and started to cry a little.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe dropped the paddle to the floor and put her hands on her head and began to cry. she sat for a few minute before standing and going over to her balcony and looking over the edge. she stumbled back when she saw the horror that had set upon the once beautiful resort. there were bodies strewn everywhere, the pools were red with blood and more zombies walking around on the ground. "What the fuck is happening" Chloe said to herself</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis ran down the hall clutching his knife in his right and covering the bite wound with his free hand. The yelling creatures were still chasing after him and he was doing everything to evade them. Knocking over any luggage cart still standing. When he reached the end of the hallway and he tackled it as hard as he could, forced it open, and as soon as he was on the other side he closed it just as quickly and shoved a nearby maintenance cart in front of it. He leaned against the cart with a relieved sigh. Now that the adrenaline was starting to leave he noticed he was in the front lobby and could finally see the full damage. Corpses littered the room and it was almost impossible to find a spot that was covered in blood. "What the hell is going on here?" The front desk phone started ringing. as soon as the noise broke the silence of the room he saw one of the corpses start stirring. "Oh fuck my life."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma A loud hammering sound came from a nearby door, close to Louis, and then an emergency door was kicked wide open with a loud crash. Okoma growled lowly, brutally throwing the slow zombie off of his form, only to gasp as another one fell from the door and onto his neck. Before it could take a crunch out of his flesh, the young man plowed it's face in with his fist, making it fall against a shopping cart. Okoma was on his feet in a second, curb-stomping the mush out of the zombie's head while yanking his useful tool from his belt. The first zombie was back on it's feet, and lunged towards the larger man. On nimble feet, Okoma side-stepped it's clumsy lunge, gripping his wrench with both hands and swinging the light-weight, durable metal tool towards it's head. SPLAT Gore sprayed along the wall, covering his shoes and the bottom of his pants. "...Fuck." Okoma groaned, staggering back a step and panting slightly. His eyes wandered up, taking notice of Louis' form, and he straightened, walking forward. "Hey, the Hell's going on?" His deep voice had taken a confused tone as he eyed the chef; his TV hadn't been working. Maybe this other man had heard news?</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor raced down the hall, his heart in his throat. Visions of gore and carnage were all he could see. Corpses littered the hallways and blood was everywhere. The smell filled his nostrils and he just couldn't take it any more. Turning his head to the side, Victor vomited against the wall. He watched as the moss green splotch of his stomach contents mixed with the crimson red surface of the wallpaper. Fuck. This was a bad situation and as far as he knew there was no one else alive. Suddenly, Victor heard what sounded like a woman crying coming from up the hall. He frantically placed his ear to each consecutive door on the way, attempting to pinpoint its location. He finally rested on a door towards the end of the hall. He could hear the sound clearly now. It was definitely coming from the door in question. "Hey is anyone in there?" He banged on the door with his pipe. Suddenly, a human like form lunged at him from the floor, yelping in fear, Victor took a mighty swing with the pipe in his hand. Splat! The creature's brains were dashed across the thinly carpeted floor. "Please!" He called to the crying woman inside the room. "Let me in! I think more creatures are coming!" He rapped on the door again, urgency in his voice. "Open the door please! I beg of you!"</s> <\|message\|>Sgt. Alexander White "Uh, haven't had a hangover like this since... high school I think? Ow," Alex said as he rose from his bed. He looked across the room to see his little sister still resting. Well, she wasn't little anymore, but to him, Cass would always be his little sister. Not wanting to wake her, he quietly went to the bathroom and found some ibuprofen to help his headache. As he was sipping a glass of water, he couldn't help but hear a faint scratching sound coming from outside their room. Again, he quietly moved across the room, this time toward the door. He looked through the peephole, but something was blocking it. He opened the door, only opening it a few inches since he had forgotten to unlock the top lock. Suddenly, a decayed face appeared in the space between the door and the wall and an arm shot through the gap soon after. Alex jumped back, away from the walker, and looked at it for a few seconds, his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. He then jumped into action, running toward the Beretta in his suitcase while also shouting for Cassandra to wake up. He came back toward the door and pointed the handgun at the walker's head. "Back away from the door or I will fire! I'm giving you to the count of three! Three... two... one!" He readjusted his aim and shot a single bullet at the walker's knee cap. It fell on its now injured knee, but kept trying to get in anyway. "It's not even human," Alex said before firing another shot at its head, killing it. He then turned around toward Cassandra. How much had she seen?</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Confusion was only one of the words that described Louis' reaction. Crazed freaks trying to eat him was one thing, but watching some admittedly ripped guy bust in out of nowhere and then proceed to bash the heads in of said freaks was completely unexpected. He brought himself to his feet again still holding his wound. "No idea." A small grin as he tapped one of the bodies with his foot. "Judging from your little stunt I'd say you have a better grasp on the situation then I do, Mon'Ami."</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe ran over to the door and opened it to reveal a man. He had not yet become one of those things. She pulled him inside quickly and locked the door. "help me put this wardrobe in front of the door" she yelled</s> <\|message\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele Isabella groaned loudly as she felt the suns bright rays hitting her face, she slowly opened up her eyes looking over towards the closed glass door that led to the balcony. She remembered opening up for last nights festivities with her band, it was one of her best nights she had performing and her first time in Banoi. Isabella slowly got up from her bed walking over towards the mirror in her room adjusting her hair, her red hair was a huge mess she was just happy that the hotel staff gave her and her whole crew private rooms. Adjusting her hair and tying it into a ponytail. "Help me!!!" Isabella turned around hearing a woman's cry for help she quickly turned around towards the door and opened it, just in time to see a woman being tackled down what looked like her manager except he was completely bloodied his white buttoned up shirt covered in blood. The woman dropped a crowbar she could hear the woman screaming in pain as the man sunk his teeth into the woman's neck, Isabella grabbed the crowbar by her feet that the woman had dropped. Shortly after Isabella's zombiefied manager turned his attention to her, his teeth all bloody, and blood sliding down his chin before Isabella could do anything he charged right at her tackling her back into her suite getting the wind knocked out of her Isabella hit her back against the hard bedframe. Bringing her arms up to protect herself Isabella cried out in pain as she felt teeth sinking into her arm, using the sharp blunt end of the crowbar Isabella brought it over his head hearing and feeling something sickening pop as the end of the crowbar caved in part of his skull. Isabella laid there breathing heavily intense pain shooting through her whole arm. "Fuck.." She muttered pushing the dead body off of her, looking around Isabella reached for the bed sheets under the comforter to grab the blanket below it. Isabella ripped a small piece of the fabric and quickly went for bathroom running hot water over the bite wound, the sink started to turn slightly red. When she thought it was clean enough Isabella quickly tied the torn sheet of paper over the wound wincing when she tied it off so it would stop the bleeding. Going over towards the corpse that was once her boss Isabella quickly yanked the crowbar from out of his skull Isabella walked over towards the girl he had attacked getting a better look he had torn out a big chunk of her neck, she would have bled out in seconds. "What the hell is going on?" Isabella said to herself as she stood up and started to run towards the elevators luckily they were still in working order.</s> <\|message\|>Cassandra White It was a very fun day yesterday because she and her brother were having parties! It is something that they truly love. Cassandra was sleeping in her brother's room. Well their room. Yes they still sleep in the same room, doesn't matter. She suddenly woke up hearing her brother's voice, quickly stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom to put on some clothes really fast. A few seconds later she was out and went to her brother. "Can you let me sl..." she stopped seeing a body on the ground. "What is this, brother..?" It smelled really bad too. What the hell was going on...?</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma "Eh, smashing their head works wonders." Okoma replied easily, twirling his multi-use wrench between his fingers before gripping the light-weight, steel weapon in calloused hands. "Name's Okoma, from the New York Warlords, although that probably doesn't matter." His deep voice took on a friendly tone as he offered the man an unbloodied hand. His mom taught him respect, after all. "We should probably get out of here soon. The dead's raising up pretty quick." He had already calmed down from the situation, adapting to it, like he did on the court, in the ring, and on the field. One of his skills, he guessed.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent So his rescuer was a football player? That explained a lot. Louis chuckled before he took his hand and got up off the ground. "I'm Louis, head chef of this fine resort." The sarcasm practically dripped from his voice. This place had been a dream come true a few months ago, but now he couldn't wait to get out. He flourished his knife and kept it ready, if the head was their weakness his girl would be more than enough protection. "You don't have to tell me twice. Let's go."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma Okoma nodded seriously, only pausing once to grab what seemed to be a lead pipe off of the ground, near a luggage cart. Couldn't have too many things to wack heads with. Storing it in his bag, Okoma headed in a slow gait towards the entrance of the resort, the sunlight streaming through the dark, grimy glass door. With a broad shoulder he slammed it into the door, slamming it open and revealing them to the outside world. He couldn't enjoy the scenery, however, as his gaze was quickly zoomed in on a zombie, eating the dead carcass of a female maid. Eyes steeled with resolve, Okoma darted forward, slamming his heel against it's head...once...twice. It didn't get up. "Fucking parasites."</s>	<\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent After a little bit Elizabeth regained her emotions and pushed the few tears away. Standing up she walked over to her door and looked out the little peep hole. Seeing blood splattered on the walls she knew this wasn't something contained to outside. Grabbing a light sweater she threw a bottle of water into the pocket before opening the door slightly. Moans filled the hall as she poked her head out and seen that there were a few dead looking bodies walking at the one of the hall. Holding her breath she pushed the door open and ran for the staircase. Once she was on the other side of the door she slammed it shut as some of the walkers headed towards her. "What the hell is going on here, is anyone even left alive?" She questioned softly before heading down the stairs making sure to look down to the lower levels as she did so. On one level a door was opened and when she went to close it a walker jumped at her. Seeing their eyes as is pinned her down she could tell that the person was a walking corpse. Throwing her arm up with she scissors she stabbed them in the side of the head after struggling not to get bitten in the face. Standing to her feet again and taking a breather she ran down the rest of the stairs busting into the lobby thinking open space was better then a cramped staircase.</s>
<\|description\|>Sgt. Alexander White Appearance: Age: 23 Blood Type: A Occupation: U.S. Marine Specialization: Guns (duh) Starting Weapon: M9 Beretta with one clip on back-up that he took with him on the trip. Background: Alex was the firstborn in the White family. He was never really motivated during high school to do much work, which made joining the Marines a pretty easy choice for him. The Marines changed him for the better, changing him to become more committed and respectable than the lazy slacker he was. He came to Banoi with his younger sister, Cassandra, to celebrate his return from yet another tour of duty unscathed. His skills will certainly be put to the test now that the undead are rising though. Other: N/A</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis groaned as he staggered up off of the cold floor of the hotel kitchen. His head was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode at any second. "Merde! I need aspirin..." He put his hand to his right temple as some sort of small relief while he tried to recall what the hell he was doing before to end up here. With the massive headache he had it was obvious he'd definitely been drinking. Like a lot. Liquor and him were going to have to take a break for awhile after this one. He plucked his favorite knife from the board it was held in to make sure nothing had happened to it while he was out just as someone started banging on the outside of the kitchen door. Louis grabbed his head in pain. "Guy with a hangover in here!" The banging continued in earnest and he groaned again before going to pull it open. Probably one of the kitchen staff who'd forgotten their key. Without warning the person burst through before he'd even fully opened the door, knocking him to the ground. "What the hell is...your..problem?" He found his voice leave him as he looked at the gray-skinned girl in front of him. The girl standing over him was definitely one of his kitchen staff, her uniform covered in drying blood. Large chunks of skin were missing in visible places. He didn't even get a chance to ask if she was alright before she was on top of him, growling and snapping her jaws at his neck. He tried his best to keep her away but still dazed from his hangover he wasn't having much luck. Belle had fallen from his hand when he fell over, and he reached for it with his free hand. As soon as his fingers felt the handle of his trusted knife, the girl had managed to sink her teeth into his arms. He yelled out and pain and on instinct clutched Belle's handle and drove the blade right through the top of the girl's head. The girl twitched slightly before slumping perfectly still on top of him. He pushed her off and yanked the knife free from her skull. His hands shook as he did so looking at the girl again he could definitely tell whatever the hell she was, she wasn't human. A loud inhuman yell came from from the direction of the door the girl came entered from. He didn't know what it was nor did he care. He ran straight for the door in the opposite direction leading into the hallway, whatever was yelling following behind him.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe awoke on her bed surrounded by towels she went to sit up but everything went hazy and she fell back to her bed. she could hear her friend in the bathroom making a gurgling noise. "are you still throwing up from last night." she noticed the bite on her arm and turned a deep green and had begun oozing puss. "shit, claire are you alright" the monster that had once been her friend turned slowly to face her. parts of her face had peeled off revealing the muscle and tissue beneath. the thing jumped at her, quickly she grabbed the paddle from under her bed and swung it at the zombie caving its head in, but still it got up "WHY. WONT. YOU. DIE" she screamed beating it repeatedly</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma Deathly, grim silence. Blaine Okoma rose up from his bed, eyes still half-asleep as something groaned from inside of his bathroom. Great...just great. Did he somehow have sex with a female before he went to sleep? He couldn't have; he hadn't drank anything that would have made him stupid enough to risk an STD or pregnancy, and drinking was a no-go for a football player, anyways. The muscular young man stumbled onto the floor, instincts automatically making him steady on his feet. The groaning got louder, and there was...a clawing noise, and then splashing, and then a louder, more inhumane groan. Okoma, now alert and cautious, snuck closer to the bathroom door, quietly trying the door-knob. Whatever was behind it got quiet, and then a low moan sounded out, and a body slammed against the wooden door, cracking it. Instinictively, with a grunt of surprise, Okoma leaped back, before narrowing his eyes and squaring his shoulders, as if he was getting ready for a game-winning tackle. Another claw, and the wood peeled back at face-level, revealing a horribly decomposed, graying face of a cleaning lady. He charged. His powerful tackle sent him through the wooden door in a hail of splinters and splaying body limbs. Instincts kicked in, as he locked powerful, tan arms around the thing's torso and slammed it head-first onto the toilet. Bringing back a fist, he abruptly sent if flying forward, a shower of gore coming from it's rotten head as he repeatedly slammed it's brains in with his fist. Once it stopped groaning, Okoma panted, crawling backwards and falling onto his butt. Now that he could see clearer..."Holy shit..." The normally cool football player gasped. A zombie. A motherfucking zombie. And he had just killed it. Standing on slightly shaky legs, Okoma glanced around once. He needed to get out of here. The room was stinking unbearably, and the darkness didn't ease his caution. Looking around for practically anything, Okoma grabbed what appeared to be a medpack off of the table, along with one of those compact, heavy-duty wrenches that was used for multiple things. He strapped it to his belt-loop, before narrowing his eyes and turning around. Just as he was about to dash into the hallway, he saw his figure in the mirror. Tall, muscular, tan - obviously of Native American descent. Short hair, handsome visage, wearing nothing but a bloodied white wife-beater and jeans/sneakers. Not the most durable of outfits, but it would work for now. Grabbing his NFL backpack as he ran out the door, Okoma strapped it to his back and began heading down the hallway at a decent speed, on the look-out for any rotten douchebags. He was seen as a cool, collected, and rather badass player in football and other sports such as MMA and Wrestling, but this...this was crazy.</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor paced back and forth, nervously wringing his hands. He had locked himself in his personal hotel room but he knew he couldn't stay there for long. While he didn't think there'd be a problem with anything getting inside, his primary problem was with himself. Hunger. Other than a snack sized package of potato chips he had eaten a few hours earlier, his room was completely devoid of food. Victor also figured it was only a matter of time until the pipes quit running without anyone to maintain them. Not to mention, he wasn't about to drink any of it anyway. Who could tell it wasn't something in the water that had caused all this? Weighing his options, he decided he'd have to make a run for the kitchen, grab all the food and bottled water he possibly could, and then return to his room and hunker down until it was all over. Searching for a weapon, Victor had an idea. In a section of his closet, was a few rusty old pipes still attached to the wall because the hotel owner hadn't hired anyone to disconnect them yet. Using all of his strength, Victor managed to rip out a particularly thick section of pipe to use as a makeshift weapon in case his mission for food went south. Gripping it in his hands, Victor tapped it experimentally against his leg. It was old, heavy, and full of lead. Perfect for bludgeoning someone chasing after him. Putting an unsteady hand on the thick wooden door to the hallway outside of his room, Victor took a deep breath and readied the pipe on his shoulder. He was ready to go. He swung the door wide open and dashed out of his room. In the back of his mind, he almost hoped he wouldn't have to return.</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent When the rays of sun filled her room Elizabeth had finally decided to crawl out of bed. Walking to the dresser across the room she grabbed a bottle of water and cracked it open before grabbing two advil and popping them into her mouth. Once she had managed to swallow them with the aid of the water she walked out to her balcony and leaned over it slightly before taking another sip from the bottle. "Damn I really need to learn when to stop, the headache the next morning is so not worth it." She muttered to herself as she noticed something in the pool. Rubbing her eyes in disbelief for a moment she looked carefully and seen it was blood and a few floating bodies. Throwing a hand over her mouth in disgust she started to back away when she watched a body from the floor above her fall over the edge, even with it happening so fast she could tell it didn't look right. Once back in her room she quickly closed the doors to the balcony and grabbed the phone calling the front desk. Frantic about wanting to know what was going on she grabbed a sewing kit and looked through it till she found a pair of scissors. Realizing no one was on the other side of the phone she just left it on the floor and started to cry a little.</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe dropped the paddle to the floor and put her hands on her head and began to cry. she sat for a few minute before standing and going over to her balcony and looking over the edge. she stumbled back when she saw the horror that had set upon the once beautiful resort. there were bodies strewn everywhere, the pools were red with blood and more zombies walking around on the ground. "What the fuck is happening" Chloe said to herself</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis ran down the hall clutching his knife in his right and covering the bite wound with his free hand. The yelling creatures were still chasing after him and he was doing everything to evade them. Knocking over any luggage cart still standing. When he reached the end of the hallway and he tackled it as hard as he could, forced it open, and as soon as he was on the other side he closed it just as quickly and shoved a nearby maintenance cart in front of it. He leaned against the cart with a relieved sigh. Now that the adrenaline was starting to leave he noticed he was in the front lobby and could finally see the full damage. Corpses littered the room and it was almost impossible to find a spot that was covered in blood. "What the hell is going on here?" The front desk phone started ringing. as soon as the noise broke the silence of the room he saw one of the corpses start stirring. "Oh fuck my life."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma A loud hammering sound came from a nearby door, close to Louis, and then an emergency door was kicked wide open with a loud crash. Okoma growled lowly, brutally throwing the slow zombie off of his form, only to gasp as another one fell from the door and onto his neck. Before it could take a crunch out of his flesh, the young man plowed it's face in with his fist, making it fall against a shopping cart. Okoma was on his feet in a second, curb-stomping the mush out of the zombie's head while yanking his useful tool from his belt. The first zombie was back on it's feet, and lunged towards the larger man. On nimble feet, Okoma side-stepped it's clumsy lunge, gripping his wrench with both hands and swinging the light-weight, durable metal tool towards it's head. SPLAT Gore sprayed along the wall, covering his shoes and the bottom of his pants. "...Fuck." Okoma groaned, staggering back a step and panting slightly. His eyes wandered up, taking notice of Louis' form, and he straightened, walking forward. "Hey, the Hell's going on?" His deep voice had taken a confused tone as he eyed the chef; his TV hadn't been working. Maybe this other man had heard news?</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor raced down the hall, his heart in his throat. Visions of gore and carnage were all he could see. Corpses littered the hallways and blood was everywhere. The smell filled his nostrils and he just couldn't take it any more. Turning his head to the side, Victor vomited against the wall. He watched as the moss green splotch of his stomach contents mixed with the crimson red surface of the wallpaper. Fuck. This was a bad situation and as far as he knew there was no one else alive. Suddenly, Victor heard what sounded like a woman crying coming from up the hall. He frantically placed his ear to each consecutive door on the way, attempting to pinpoint its location. He finally rested on a door towards the end of the hall. He could hear the sound clearly now. It was definitely coming from the door in question. "Hey is anyone in there?" He banged on the door with his pipe. Suddenly, a human like form lunged at him from the floor, yelping in fear, Victor took a mighty swing with the pipe in his hand. Splat! The creature's brains were dashed across the thinly carpeted floor. "Please!" He called to the crying woman inside the room. "Let me in! I think more creatures are coming!" He rapped on the door again, urgency in his voice. "Open the door please! I beg of you!"</s>	<\|message\|>Sgt. Alexander White "Uh, haven't had a hangover like this since... high school I think? Ow," Alex said as he rose from his bed. He looked across the room to see his little sister still resting. Well, she wasn't little anymore, but to him, Cass would always be his little sister. Not wanting to wake her, he quietly went to the bathroom and found some ibuprofen to help his headache. As he was sipping a glass of water, he couldn't help but hear a faint scratching sound coming from outside their room. Again, he quietly moved across the room, this time toward the door. He looked through the peephole, but something was blocking it. He opened the door, only opening it a few inches since he had forgotten to unlock the top lock. Suddenly, a decayed face appeared in the space between the door and the wall and an arm shot through the gap soon after. Alex jumped back, away from the walker, and looked at it for a few seconds, his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. He then jumped into action, running toward the Beretta in his suitcase while also shouting for Cassandra to wake up. He came back toward the door and pointed the handgun at the walker's head. "Back away from the door or I will fire! I'm giving you to the count of three! Three... two... one!" He readjusted his aim and shot a single bullet at the walker's knee cap. It fell on its now injured knee, but kept trying to get in anyway. "It's not even human," Alex said before firing another shot at its head, killing it. He then turned around toward Cassandra. How much had she seen?</s>
<\|description\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele Appearance: Age: 21 Blood Type: O- Occupation: Singer. Specialization: Guns Starting weapon: Crowbar. Background: Bella as she goes by her friends and family as well as her fans, ever since she was little Isabella always loved to sing even singing in small local events which she ended up turning into her career. When she turned nineteen she ended up getting a record deal releasing two albums already, on her first tour her first stop to Banoi with a few other celebrities there after drinking and partying to much she ended up passing out drunk in her hotel room. Other:</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma A loud hammering sound came from a nearby door, close to Louis, and then an emergency door was kicked wide open with a loud crash. Okoma growled lowly, brutally throwing the slow zombie off of his form, only to gasp as another one fell from the door and onto his neck. Before it could take a crunch out of his flesh, the young man plowed it's face in with his fist, making it fall against a shopping cart. Okoma was on his feet in a second, curb-stomping the mush out of the zombie's head while yanking his useful tool from his belt. The first zombie was back on it's feet, and lunged towards the larger man. On nimble feet, Okoma side-stepped it's clumsy lunge, gripping his wrench with both hands and swinging the light-weight, durable metal tool towards it's head. SPLAT Gore sprayed along the wall, covering his shoes and the bottom of his pants. "...Fuck." Okoma groaned, staggering back a step and panting slightly. His eyes wandered up, taking notice of Louis' form, and he straightened, walking forward. "Hey, the Hell's going on?" His deep voice had taken a confused tone as he eyed the chef; his TV hadn't been working. Maybe this other man had heard news?</s> <\|message\|>Victor Hamilton Victor raced down the hall, his heart in his throat. Visions of gore and carnage were all he could see. Corpses littered the hallways and blood was everywhere. The smell filled his nostrils and he just couldn't take it any more. Turning his head to the side, Victor vomited against the wall. He watched as the moss green splotch of his stomach contents mixed with the crimson red surface of the wallpaper. Fuck. This was a bad situation and as far as he knew there was no one else alive. Suddenly, Victor heard what sounded like a woman crying coming from up the hall. He frantically placed his ear to each consecutive door on the way, attempting to pinpoint its location. He finally rested on a door towards the end of the hall. He could hear the sound clearly now. It was definitely coming from the door in question. "Hey is anyone in there?" He banged on the door with his pipe. Suddenly, a human like form lunged at him from the floor, yelping in fear, Victor took a mighty swing with the pipe in his hand. Splat! The creature's brains were dashed across the thinly carpeted floor. "Please!" He called to the crying woman inside the room. "Let me in! I think more creatures are coming!" He rapped on the door again, urgency in his voice. "Open the door please! I beg of you!"</s> <\|message\|>Sgt. Alexander White "Uh, haven't had a hangover like this since... high school I think? Ow," Alex said as he rose from his bed. He looked across the room to see his little sister still resting. Well, she wasn't little anymore, but to him, Cass would always be his little sister. Not wanting to wake her, he quietly went to the bathroom and found some ibuprofen to help his headache. As he was sipping a glass of water, he couldn't help but hear a faint scratching sound coming from outside their room. Again, he quietly moved across the room, this time toward the door. He looked through the peephole, but something was blocking it. He opened the door, only opening it a few inches since he had forgotten to unlock the top lock. Suddenly, a decayed face appeared in the space between the door and the wall and an arm shot through the gap soon after. Alex jumped back, away from the walker, and looked at it for a few seconds, his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. He then jumped into action, running toward the Beretta in his suitcase while also shouting for Cassandra to wake up. He came back toward the door and pointed the handgun at the walker's head. "Back away from the door or I will fire! I'm giving you to the count of three! Three... two... one!" He readjusted his aim and shot a single bullet at the walker's knee cap. It fell on its now injured knee, but kept trying to get in anyway. "It's not even human," Alex said before firing another shot at its head, killing it. He then turned around toward Cassandra. How much had she seen?</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Confusion was only one of the words that described Louis' reaction. Crazed freaks trying to eat him was one thing, but watching some admittedly ripped guy bust in out of nowhere and then proceed to bash the heads in of said freaks was completely unexpected. He brought himself to his feet again still holding his wound. "No idea." A small grin as he tapped one of the bodies with his foot. "Judging from your little stunt I'd say you have a better grasp on the situation then I do, Mon'Ami."</s> <\|message\|>Chloe King Chloe ran over to the door and opened it to reveal a man. He had not yet become one of those things. She pulled him inside quickly and locked the door. "help me put this wardrobe in front of the door" she yelled</s> <\|message\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele Isabella groaned loudly as she felt the suns bright rays hitting her face, she slowly opened up her eyes looking over towards the closed glass door that led to the balcony. She remembered opening up for last nights festivities with her band, it was one of her best nights she had performing and her first time in Banoi. Isabella slowly got up from her bed walking over towards the mirror in her room adjusting her hair, her red hair was a huge mess she was just happy that the hotel staff gave her and her whole crew private rooms. Adjusting her hair and tying it into a ponytail. "Help me!!!" Isabella turned around hearing a woman's cry for help she quickly turned around towards the door and opened it, just in time to see a woman being tackled down what looked like her manager except he was completely bloodied his white buttoned up shirt covered in blood. The woman dropped a crowbar she could hear the woman screaming in pain as the man sunk his teeth into the woman's neck, Isabella grabbed the crowbar by her feet that the woman had dropped. Shortly after Isabella's zombiefied manager turned his attention to her, his teeth all bloody, and blood sliding down his chin before Isabella could do anything he charged right at her tackling her back into her suite getting the wind knocked out of her Isabella hit her back against the hard bedframe. Bringing her arms up to protect herself Isabella cried out in pain as she felt teeth sinking into her arm, using the sharp blunt end of the crowbar Isabella brought it over his head hearing and feeling something sickening pop as the end of the crowbar caved in part of his skull. Isabella laid there breathing heavily intense pain shooting through her whole arm. "Fuck.." She muttered pushing the dead body off of her, looking around Isabella reached for the bed sheets under the comforter to grab the blanket below it. Isabella ripped a small piece of the fabric and quickly went for bathroom running hot water over the bite wound, the sink started to turn slightly red. When she thought it was clean enough Isabella quickly tied the torn sheet of paper over the wound wincing when she tied it off so it would stop the bleeding. Going over towards the corpse that was once her boss Isabella quickly yanked the crowbar from out of his skull Isabella walked over towards the girl he had attacked getting a better look he had torn out a big chunk of her neck, she would have bled out in seconds. "What the hell is going on?" Isabella said to herself as she stood up and started to run towards the elevators luckily they were still in working order.</s> <\|message\|>Cassandra White It was a very fun day yesterday because she and her brother were having parties! It is something that they truly love. Cassandra was sleeping in her brother's room. Well their room. Yes they still sleep in the same room, doesn't matter. She suddenly woke up hearing her brother's voice, quickly stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom to put on some clothes really fast. A few seconds later she was out and went to her brother. "Can you let me sl..." she stopped seeing a body on the ground. "What is this, brother..?" It smelled really bad too. What the hell was going on...?</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma "Eh, smashing their head works wonders." Okoma replied easily, twirling his multi-use wrench between his fingers before gripping the light-weight, steel weapon in calloused hands. "Name's Okoma, from the New York Warlords, although that probably doesn't matter." His deep voice took on a friendly tone as he offered the man an unbloodied hand. His mom taught him respect, after all. "We should probably get out of here soon. The dead's raising up pretty quick." He had already calmed down from the situation, adapting to it, like he did on the court, in the ring, and on the field. One of his skills, he guessed.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent So his rescuer was a football player? That explained a lot. Louis chuckled before he took his hand and got up off the ground. "I'm Louis, head chef of this fine resort." The sarcasm practically dripped from his voice. This place had been a dream come true a few months ago, but now he couldn't wait to get out. He flourished his knife and kept it ready, if the head was their weakness his girl would be more than enough protection. "You don't have to tell me twice. Let's go."</s> <\|message\|>Blaine Okoma Okoma nodded seriously, only pausing once to grab what seemed to be a lead pipe off of the ground, near a luggage cart. Couldn't have too many things to wack heads with. Storing it in his bag, Okoma headed in a slow gait towards the entrance of the resort, the sunlight streaming through the dark, grimy glass door. With a broad shoulder he slammed it into the door, slamming it open and revealing them to the outside world. He couldn't enjoy the scenery, however, as his gaze was quickly zoomed in on a zombie, eating the dead carcass of a female maid. Eyes steeled with resolve, Okoma darted forward, slamming his heel against it's head...once...twice. It didn't get up. "Fucking parasites."</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent After a little bit Elizabeth regained her emotions and pushed the few tears away. Standing up she walked over to her door and looked out the little peep hole. Seeing blood splattered on the walls she knew this wasn't something contained to outside. Grabbing a light sweater she threw a bottle of water into the pocket before opening the door slightly. Moans filled the hall as she poked her head out and seen that there were a few dead looking bodies walking at the one of the hall. Holding her breath she pushed the door open and ran for the staircase. Once she was on the other side of the door she slammed it shut as some of the walkers headed towards her. "What the hell is going on here, is anyone even left alive?" She questioned softly before heading down the stairs making sure to look down to the lower levels as she did so. On one level a door was opened and when she went to close it a walker jumped at her. Seeing their eyes as is pinned her down she could tell that the person was a walking corpse. Throwing her arm up with she scissors she stabbed them in the side of the head after struggling not to get bitten in the face. Standing to her feet again and taking a breather she ran down the rest of the stairs busting into the lobby thinking open space was better then a cramped staircase.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis started after Okoma and winced reminding himself of the bite on his arm. The bite had managaged to break the skin and was bleeding but not incredibly bad. Remembering the hotel kept a first aid kit behind the front desk he walked over to it. Not only could he bandage up the cut, but he'd bet they'd have need of the kit later anyway. He stepped over a few corpses before vaulting over the desk. The area behind it was a wreck showed sign of a struggle. Sure enough leaning against the wall was the body desk attendant, a large chunk of his neck appeared ripped off. Whatever had killed him was either gone or one of the ones his new companion had killed on his entrance. Louis sighed before grabbing the kit he was looking for. The body of the attendant lunged suddenly but he had already moved out of the way and the zombie fell face first into the desk. Louis shove his knife through the back of its skull before it could even move. He could hear a small sound coming from the body and had suspected it wasn't as dead as it claimed to be. "Rest in peace you poor bastard." He muttered just as he vaulted back over the desk and the door to the staircase opened again, a girl emerging from it. "Whoa! You're normal, right?"</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent Breathing quickly when she broke out of the door Elizabeth was slightly shocked to see someone. Standing there she allowed herself to regain her bearings making sure she heard him right and that he was alive. "Yeah I'm normal, can only guess you are to seeing you don't look dead and can talk." She replied while walking towards the man. She didn't know what was going on here but it was better to be around others for safety reasons.</s> <\|message\|>Louis Vincent Louis relaxed a bit knowing the girl wasn't like one of the dead. "You would be correct with that assumption." His voice light and joking again. "Anyway you should stick with us, strength and numbers and all that." He pointed towards the door where Okoma was standing outside. "Me and this guy were just on our way out."</s> <\|message\|>Elizabeth Kent "I completely agree about strength in numbers so I would be more then happy to go with you, it's probably safer in the open were we can see them coming from a better distance." Elizabeth replied as she tried to keep herself calm about all the shit that was going on around them. Walking for the doors she couldn't help but wonder how far this epidemic had spread on the island or what caused it.</s>	<\|message\|>Isabella "Bella" Steele As the elevator went down each floor slowly Isabella leaned against the wall letting out a slight grunt in pain, she looked down at her arm seeing that the rag she had grabbed and wrapped over her arm had turned slightly red. When a it finally got to the first floor Isabella quietly looked around the room was full of bodies as well as luggage, tables, and chairs that had been flipped over. She quickly ran down the hallway remembering the way to the lobby, she stopped to see two people by the stairs. "Good to see some none zombies here." She said softly as she started to approach them.</s>
<\|description\|>Remy Ramsey Age: 22 Race: Humam Height and Weight: 5'9'' Appearance: A man with short blond hair and starry green eyes. Stick thin, but dresses smartly with a white shirt, black dress pants and button up vest, and a pink bow-tie. Bounty: 0 Beli Personality: Remy is very eager to please, accommodating to a fault, and doesn't have very much self worth. His confidence is a shaky sort that crumples at even the slightest criticism and he can't really accept praise without thinking that its just pity. He's sort of like mush; you can't really build him up, but you also can't break him down. This is why he continues to follow his dream in the face of all criticism, even though he also considers it an impossible one to achieve. History: Remy is a chef. He knows for a fact that he is a chef. His heart is the burning heart of a cook. It is unfortunate, then, that he is such a terrible cook. It's not even about nutrition. What he cooks is edible. It may even be nutritious. It will certainly keep you alive, it's just that you'll wish you were dead. He can't help it. Ever since he was a kid helping out in his parents restaurant he's been awful. The boy can't even boil something without seemingly sapping all its flavor away. His father realized this early in his career and forbid him to ever even enter the kitchen. Instead Remy acted as a waiter, which he was actually good at. He was an amazing waiter, it was like he was born to do nothing but wait tables. But Remy wasn't a waiter. Remy was a chef, and so at sixteen he took all the money he'd saved up and set out to the sea to try and improve. Being laughed out of every school he could find and in most cases thrown off every ship where he touched the food, his wanderings eventually led him to Lougetown where he's been trying to book passage to the Grand Line. Because "Black Leg" Sanji sailed the Grand Line, and he ended up the best chef ever. So maybe it would spit him out a somewhat average chef. Abilities: Remy is the worst cook ever. In the history of time. His dad used to joke that if Remy was the chef on it you could sail a ship up and down the Calm Belt without fear of sea kings, because they'd spit you out as soon as they ate you. It's not even that the food will make you sick, it just tastes bad. This is in contrast to his skills as a waiter, because he's perfect at it. Not only does he have an air-tight memory, but perfect balance. He could walk across a tightrope carrying a stack of plates 30 high and not drop a single one. While blindfolded, if someone told him to just walk straight. He can also just toss things. He can chuck a plate of soup out the kitchen door and land it right where he was aiming, face up, without having spilled a drop. He can also do this trick with bowls, glasses, and at one point a whole party platter. Techniques: Traits: Inventory:Really just the clothes on his back and a set of cookware that he keeps diligently shined.</s> <\|message\|>Elvira 'Chibi' Foy Possible OP? Chapter 1: New Legends... 10 years have passed since Straw Hat Pirates made it to One-Piece. Luffy, becoming the pirate king he so desperately fought for, his story is told throughout many pirates and marines. The Straw Hat Pirates one day up and vanished, gone without a trace and no one knows where. When news spread of this rumors were quickly formed. Were they killed? Did the marines get them? But one rumour peaked many peoples interests, is the One-Piece up for grabs? The marines have announced that they had a part in the disappearance of The Straw Hat Pirates but no one believes them. Many pirates have been called to Loguetown, a city on the Polestar Islands in the East Blue, where a certain group will announce if the chase for One-Piece is finally started. A pirate crew known as 'The Silver Eyes' called out to many pirates for this meeting. Upon arrival you can see many pirates, the stores flooded and the piers almost overflowing with ships, big and small. Up on the execution stand three people were looking over everyone. On the left was a little girl with long red hair, she wore the cliche pirates hat with a black trench coat with a white frilly thing at her chest, sat on the edge, with her feet dangling off the side, she couldn't be older than 15. She had what looks like a small cutlass on her waist, her name is known among many, Elvira Foy. On the opposite side of her, to the right was a medium sized man with curly yellow hair. His chest was covered in belt's, that were then covered with about 8 pistols, all firing 4 bullets. He had two swords on his waist and he stood to attention, hands behind his back, feet together and back way too stiff, his name is none other than, Ray Stryker. In the middle of both of these people was presumably the captain. A purple haired man, looking very interesting at the crowd. He wore a black goth like clothes and appeared to have no weapons on his person. His name is Drake Winmore. This crew is now one of the last great crews, just these three is all that is left. Stories say that these three helped Luffy on his quest in multiple occasions. One more hour until the meeting starts...</s> <\|message\|>Zerry Bell A day before the meeting. Zerry had traveled to East Blue by ship but he was planning to take a less obvious path to Logue Town, partly because he could partly because as per the agreement with the crew he would have to pay at arrival. About half an hour of off the Polestar Islands' coast he jumped overboard to swim the rest of the way. As soon he left the ship he made sure to dive as deep as he could knowing the human sailors wouldn't be able to follow him. As he swam to the island he caught some fish and collected seaweed for food. Avoiding the harbor in order not to draw attention to himself the fishman got onto shore thanks to a shallow inlet. He could see Loguetown in the distance and guesstimated it would take him about 45 minutes of walking through the forest covered hills to get there. However since he had no intention of paying to sleep in an inn, he instead made a campfire to cook on. After he was done eating he put the fire out and headed back into the water hoping to spend the night undisturbed. The next day at dawn he headed towards Logue Town. Ordinarily an unknown Fishman would draw a lot of attention in a city outside the Grand Line, but thanks to all the pirates and other tourists he was simply another face in the crowd. Zerry went straight to the center of town since this was one meeting he didn't want to be late too. Once he got there he sat down on the ground across from the Execution Platform and patiently waited until it would start.</s>	<\|message\|>Remy Ramsey Remy walked along the long avenue of the busy fish market, eager to see what the fishermen had trawled up. He was happy to do this, though it had taken some serious convincing to allow his boss Mr. Gordon to allow it. The man had dragged him out to the docks and thrown him into the water one day and still wouldn't rule out the theory that he had some sort of ability or curse that spoiled food on contact. Remy didn't blame him for it. Hehadn't ruled out the possibility that he was cursed, even if he was sure he didn't get it from eating a fruit. But at least Mr. Gordon seemed satisfied that it only took effect when he tried to cook. Just carrying food back to the restaurant wouldn't do any damage. They were going to need it, too. For some reason the place was even more packed than usual. Not just the restaurant either, the streets were packed with large, tough looking men. Men of the sea by any measure of the word. Was there something going on today? He wondered if one of these sailors would finally take him to the Grand Line, but then he was distracted by the sight of- "A Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna!" He said excitedly, running up to where two large fishermen where carrying the exotic fish off a boat to marvel at it. "Hey there Remy." The Captain, a gruff looking weatherbeaten man said as he hopped off the ship and set to follow his sons. "Beauty, isn't she? Last time one of them showed up 'round these parts was 10 years ago." "Do you need any help carrying it?" said Remy, following along after the man. "You're still working, boy! Gordon'll give me hell if I send his favorite waiter back smelling like seafood." He replied, as the tuna was already drawing a crowed of onlookers. Remy looked around nervously, and felt the reassuring weight of the money in his pocket. "What if I buy it from you?" He asked quickly. The fishermen turned and looked at him, saw the eagerness in his eyes, and gained the far away look of a man who must tell his paraplegic daughter that her dreams of becoming a ballerina are just never coming true. He puts one large, fatherly hand on Remy's shoulder and looks deep into his eyes. "Now son, you're a good boy." "Yes sir." "You're always coming down here, you've made yourself helpful." "Yes sir." "I like to think we know each other pretty well." "Yes, sir." Remy said, already seeing where this was going. "So I see that look in your eye, and I know what it means." "Yes sir." The man signed deeply, before continuing. "I would kill you before I let you desecrate any part of this fish with your strange voodoo." There's a long moment of silence while Remy reflects upon these words. He looks down at the ground for a bit, before glaceing back up and says, defeated, "Well thank you for your honesty." The man gives him a few sympathetic pats on the shoulder. "Now get to your shopping son, before you piss off Gordon." And with that he turns around and the procession begins again, the ever expanding crowed around the tuna drifting away like a dingy on the open sea. Remy sighs, shrugs his shoulders, and sets off amongst the market stalls.</s>
<\|description\|>Hector Ward Age: 15 Gender: Male Personality: [Archetype] Paragon - Hector has a strong sense of justice cultivated by years of prejudice and mistreatment. He will try to aid anyone who asks him and isn't hesitant to put his body on the line when shit hits the fan. Rather than intense purity or naivete, Hector has a talent for seeing a person's true colors and accepting others misgivings. He has a forgiving spirit so long as the perpetrator seems to genuinely seek atonement. Hector's desire for peace and fairness often conflict with the black and white mentality of those around him. [Talent] Strong Body - A life of grueling physical labor and almost daily beatings has given Hector a sturdy body and some natural resistance to pain. He is quite strong for his size, and sacrifices neither agility nor speed. [Talent] Cooking Skills - Being a cook has given Hector a strong sense of memorization and a practiced manual dexterity. He can use a knife in combat without harming himself. Cutting lumber to build cooking fires has also given him basic mastery of a lumber axe in combat. Being around exceptionally hot kitchens has built up a moderate resistance to intense heat. [Flaw] Inexperienced - Hector has little to no combat training and is prone to getting in over his head due to his reckless nature. [Flaw] Uneducated - Hector has never received a formal education and is ignorant of many social customs and study-related facts. Role/Title: Hopeful Cook History: Hector was born a bastard child to a broken noblewoman, and therefore inherited the surname Ward as a sign of his illegitimate birth. He never met his father, and his mother was murdered by an unknown assailant when he was only six. Hector would have probably ended up like any other kid in his position and be quietly brushed under the rug, but he was picked up by a 'nice man' named Gande, who put him up in a warehouse with numerous other children. As it turned out, the children were forced into terribly intense manual labor and paid a paltry sum that they knew no better than to accept. In addition, the costs of their living expenses were being tallied in the background and were subject to 'interest rates' as the children aged. It was a brilliant and terrifying scam that circumvented the need for actual slavery and masqueraded as charity. Even if he made it out of the 'orphanage' alive, Hector's body would be broken long before he would be able to pay off all of the debts. Even so, Hector accepted his position with a strange maturity. Maybe it was his inborn pride as a noble, though Hector himself was completely unaware of his heritage and he had no reason to think this way. He looked after the other children, taking the brunt of their work as his own burden. He even learned how to cook in order to feed himself and the others, though their meals amounted to little more than scraps. Despite his best efforts however, the other children were not as strong as Hector and one by one succumbed to exhaustion and illness until Hector was the only one left. He thought there would be others, but Gande expelled him from the house when he came of age at 14. For the past year he had been working as a cook in a tavern for food and board, though his freedom was still firmly locked behind an impossibly high wall called "debt." When Hector heard of the expedition from rumors in the tavern, he was skeptical at first. He wasn't sure it would be enough to escape Gande and his shady backers, but when he discovered it was to liberate a plagued village from monsters he signed on for the mission thinking that the debt collectors would avoid him at all costs. Despite his young age he was technically an adult, and his cooking and labor skills made him ideal as a worker and support for the voyage. His only goal is to prove his worth and make a name for himself, and hopefully receive a commission to become a knight in order to escape his life of endless poverty. Anything Extra: [Talent] Magic Potential - Unknown even to Hector himself, he has the makings of a fine magician given careful cultivation.</s> <\|message\|>Balan Windfall "Sir, do forgive my... rudeness, but I feel it is completely unwise to be leaving the city with a bunch of vagabond want to be heroes." "Your concern is noted. Why do you think I'm bringing you along?" A smirk tugged at the cheek of the burly man in his white armor as he leaned slightly on his shield. They were meeting their group of recruits in the front gardens within the castle gates, still surrounded by his guards and the safety that was his home. Esmeralda insisted she was coming down, she wasn't about to let him leave without seeing his companions. And he wasn't going to make her go all the way down in to the actual city just to do that much. "Your attempt at humor never works on me, you realize this?" his blonde knight captain sighed, closing her eyes as she shook her head, tapping her own shield on the ground. "You can't blame me for trying. Look, most of the people who are going to be here are going to have an agenda to further their family names in some form another, and none of them would do that if I were to die on the way because everyone would be suspect and all assumed to be lying and Esmeralda would probably have them all killed," he said as he looked over his shoulder as said Empress made her way out of the front gates. "I won't mention to her that you just depicted her to be quite the blood thirsty monster," the blonde muttered before turning and looking at the currently open gates, waiting to see when their new "companions" would start to arrive. She had no doubt that they would have some sort of an agenda, even if they didn't realize it at first. Why else would they go in to a part of the empire that was plagued and overrun by vicious monsters? Then again they could just be crazy. "Ah good, I got here before they did. So I won't miss a thing," Esmeralda said as she stood next to Balan, crossing her arms behind her back, her white gown, dragging on the ground lightly, much to her maids dismay the blonde was sure. "Aww, it's like you're trying to match with me," Balan teased her seeing that she was wearing white and just laughed lightly at the less than amused look that both women gave him.</s> <\|message\|>Thomas Milliner Thomas has always made a point of being early to places: people appreciate an eager attendee, and it gives him some quality time to plan ahead. This rule applies doubly when dealing with the titled: rarely does a Lord accept anything less than punctuality, and Thomas only assumes that this is a trait shared by his Emperor. The gates were open when Thomas approached the fortress: he must not have been as early as he had hoped. He is dressed sensibly - a worn -in pair of boots, comfortable, unassuming clothes, and borrowed suit of chain for safety, worn under his light semi-formal shirt. Unable to afford a horse, and not in the best shape of his life, Thomas is sweating and slightly out of breath as he approaches the gates. He catches his breath, dropping his pack on the ground. Thomas silently bemoans the necessity of bringing such a weight, but science is too important to be stopped by his laziness. Hopefully he'll be given a horse. Hopefully. With his breath having been caught, he picks his pack back up and proceeds through the gate after presenting his credentials. Thomas is suitably impressed by the gardens - he always means to go visit the Academy greenhouses, but always manages to get distracted before going. Oblivious to the Emperor and Empress, he finds a place to sit and produces a small book, courtesy of the Academy printers, and begins to read absentmindedly.</s>	<\|message\|>Hector Ward The smell of burning oil, of raw meats and starchy larders, of great heaping barrels of ale… Hector would long for none of it when he was gone. The Spotted Trout Tavern was a paltry watering hole and an even worse inn, and some would say the only thing worse than its reputation was its food. At least, until a year ago that is. To Hector it was many things. It was his life. It would most likely be his death. It was the place where he worked away his nights and days. It was not, however, his home. He would never call it home. There were no friends here, and nobody who cared if he was present or absent, or alive or dead. His room was little more than a bed of hay and a pile of personal effects, adjunct to the tavern's stable, with a rank odor that never once relented in this regard. His possessions - what few he had - were diligently arranged and sorted as well as one could expect them to be, but there was nothing more here that could help him on the journey to come. The clothes were tattered and even his best outfit, which he was currently wearing, was deeply stained from long hours of toil and sweat. He had no money and no trinkets, and he could never in his life bring himself to become a thief. It wasn't because he wanted to become a knight, no... The countless pains Hector had endured to avoid stealing up to this point were, at least to him, worth more than any amount of money in the world. A trip to the ends of the Empire, not to mention the ever-present threat of death… It just didn't seem like a place where he, a pauper even in name, belonged, yet here he was about to risk everything he'd ever known, for what? Nothing more or less than a chance at a life worth more than the one he had now. Hector wondered aloud if there was anything to be gained from this venture. He wondered too, if there was anything for him to lose. Rumors said the Emperor would take any able-bodied man who dared to volunteer, and that's all that Hector could claim to be. Hector had always relied on his good fortune and hard work to get him through in life, and it would have to be the same for him now. He didn't know any other way to live but to work, and surely the expedition would be rife with hungry adventurers. One out of the lot of them must have brought some extra supplies, and if there was one universal truth in this world it was that good food made good company! People needed to eat, and adventurers were notorious for being mooches and traders - that is, if his experiences in the tavern were any indication. "Guess this is goodbye," Hector whispered to what was left of his old life. The door to his little shack opened into the morning light, and a few errant rays across Hector's face spurred him to shield his eyes. The sun was still lurking behind the city's distant walls when Hector snuck out of his own dwelling, shouldering a pack he assembled from his only worthwhile companion… a blanket. It was here he carried a few bits of leftover bread, a dirty apron, and a once torn waterskin that Hector had painstakingly restored to serviceable condition. Truthfully, Hector would have liked to head out before the dawn, but he dutifully completed his morning chores at the same old pace. Nothing good could come from leaving things messier than he had found them, and Hector felt bad enough already for leaving his job and not telling the tavern keeper. He did it more for his own safety than the old proprietor's. The men from the orphanage would no doubt come looking for the runaway Hector, and the tavern keeper wouldn't have batted an eye before deciding to sell the boy out to them. Well, they'd find out where he'd gone soon enough - with or without accosting the workers at the Spotted Trout. The palace? "Well, it probably meant a lot to somebody somewhere," is what Hector would tell you if you asked him. Could a fish that had never left the water understand the grandeur of the sky in the world above? He may have been poor as dirt, but Hector wasn't a hick. He'd lived in the city as long as he could remember, and there were plenty of big buildings that were full of big things, but they were as much a part of the background as the sun and moon. That is to say, Hector saw them as things that were forever outside of his reach. The palace gardens, however, were a different story entirely. Even during festival nights in the city, where the streets ran wild with drunks and vagabonds, the atmosphere was never as lively as this. What kind of person, Hector wondered, was able to wear an expression like that at the cusp of what could be a life-ending endeavor? Even the Emperor, standing like a great ivory tower at the head of the pack, was laughing idly with his retainers and... Hector's heart, woe as he was to admit it, skipped a beat when he saw her. The Empress Esmerelda, the lady of the city, the jewel of Caradia that was the spitting image of the twin goddesses. There was not an artisan in the world, Hector suddenly felt, that could cut a jewel in such an image of perfection as had already been attained by this woman. For a moment Hector let himself be taken by a fancy, that maybe, just maybe, if he could get even a bit closer to her, that a pauper cook from the lowest end of town could catch the eye of the woman that even the most jaded nobleman regarded as a goddess. He felt envy not for the first time, but in a new way, for the Emperor in the ivory armor. These foreign feelings were a powerful new sensation for Hector, for a whelp that had never once known the touch or taste of a woman, and he was silently grateful for his smaller than average presence. If any of the other volunteers had seen the look he was giving the Empress, the flushed face of a man's first love... Well, he might die here of embarrassment before the journey even began. Hector quickly pulled away and made his way deeper into the pack, the scarlet shame still dyed deeply on his cheeks.</s>
<\|description\|>Mari Age: 14 Appearance: Short in height, about 5'2" with an athletically lean body she has shoulder length white-blonde hair with a light wave to it framing a round, childish face with large icy-blue eyes. Name: Cade Age: 216 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Mari The air was cold, soft flakes of snow drifted gently towards the ground, adding to the thick layer of soft powder already covering the ground. Twilight was upon the abandoned city beyond the Wall and although most still slept one walked the streets, surrounded by crumbling building and reminders of the past. Some of it was caused by natural deterioration of the stone; a lot of it was caused by fights between the inhabitants. For life to the south was hard; especially during the winter when food was so scarce. Feet padded silently through the snow as the horse sized creature moved slowly, four log legs kept the dark body out of the show. Its movements were reminiscent of a hunting cat, the way it seemed to stalk even when there was nothing around. Sensitive ears listened for the slightest of sounds, any kind of movement that could have been caused by something unlucky enough to become dinner. For daemons were up amongst the highest of apex predators. The same as the sharks installed fear in sea-farers and crocodiles and alligators terrorised the swamps and waterways the daemon was the fear of the south. There was no creature on land that they feared. Daylight was swiftly disappearing and the darkness was taking hold, their natural element as their bodies camouflaged perfectly with the night. However a crumbling city was hardly a place one would think to see creatures like this. Yet it had been the place the daemons had made their home. The city itself was surrounded by forest, though with the winter the trees were bare and offered no protection against the cold, wind or snow. Beyond the forest was a small stream, iced over now with the winter chill and partially covered in snow, a large stone bridge still managed to make a safe crossing point. Beyond that stream was the Wall; a high testimonial of stone easily taller than a house secluding them away from the rest of the world. Over the years small holes had appeared in it and some ever foolish or curious humans had crossed over for reasons unknown. Most were never heard from again. What actually lie beyond the wall was a mystery to him, however. For even though humans had thought to invite themselves into the daemon's domain, no creature of darkness had ever crossed over to the human side. It remained a mystery to them. And they were content to leave it that way.</s> <\|message\|>Jeffrey Rails Jeffery stared out at the massive wall taking in its many cracks and splotches of foliage that had managed to grow from it. The wall may have been beautiful at some point but now it was worn and run down much like a sock. Though its appearance was less then great it was still awe inspiring to Jeffery who had dreamt of what was on the other side for years now and today was the day he would put his dreams to rest and cross over. The boy carefully and quietly had snuck his way out of his home that night and was now making his way through the hole in the wall that he marvelled at for years. As he crossed over to the other side he saw a stone bridge that crossed over a frozen stream. Carefully he made his way towards the large bridge trying to stay as quiet as possible.</s> <\|message\|>Mari At first it was a faint scent that hit his nose. Lifting his head Cade sniffed the air and hissed dryly. It was a scent he recognised, a scent that he shouldn't be smelling. Walking along with a more dangerous intent he shifted so that he was lower to the ground and began stalking through the forest on the outskirts on the city, following the scent as it began steadily growing stronger. Eventually the soft sound of crunching snow reached his acute ears but still the predator remained hidden. He'd circled around the figure fumbling through the now, so that he was between him and the wall, making direct escape much more difficult. A soft, but impatient hiss escaped the daemon's mouth as he began closing the gap between himself and the intruder. It had been a long, very harsh winter and he was very hungry. Humans were hardly his idea of a meal and this one wasn't fully grown yet, hardly a meal. However it was better than nothing and humans often made an easy meal, especially when they wondered so willingly into daemon territory like this. He had sometimes wondered why they did this, was life on the other side really so horrible that they would rather risk life with monsters? Or, perhaps they did just not know better. Finally deciding to move the creature began closing the gap and stepped out of the darkness, its dark body shining in the moonlight. A dry hiss escaped the creature's mouth, the dry noise causing fog the air from the heat of his breath. However even as he stepped closer yet another dark shape appeared out of the darkness just to the right of him, another Daemon, though this one was female and slightly smaller. Cade turned to her instantly growling, the deep noise rumbling deep within his chest as she hissed back at him. The pair of creatures stood rigid as they stared each other down for what seemed like the longest time before Cade burst forward in an unbelievable display of speed for a creature his size and shot straight towards the female, who screeched; a noise reminiscent of tearing metal, as his claws slashed at her side. On almost the other side of the city the screeching noise woke up another residence of the land south of the Wall. Bolting upright she looked around herself for a moment before quickly hurrying off towards the sound of the noise once she realised her den-mate was missing.</s> <\|message\|>Jeffrey Rails Jeffery stopped after hearing a hissing sound but dismissed the sound as nothing more than his imagination. He knew he had an overactive imagination and this justified his put off of the hissing noise. Though he put off the hissing as his imagination he knew that the growling and fighting noises were not his imagination. He turned around for a brief second to see the monsters fighting but began running the other way across the bridge and farther into Daemon territory in the hopes of escaping the monsters.</s>	<\|message\|>Mari The cold air stung his lungs as he ran, feet flying through the snow. All around him other dark shapes of daemons were starting to emerge from their dens, some of them looking at him curiously as he ran past, no doubt wondering why he was in such a rush, or perhaps why he was awake at all. Soon the entire clan would be awake. But he didn't care right now. The only thing that mattered was getting to Cade. He needed to see what all the fuss was about. Another deafening screech echoed through the forest. Now her sight wasn't nearly as good as the others during the night, hence why she elected to sleep during the darkest hours and did her own hunting throughout the day. As such she didn't see the other figure running in the opposite direction until it was too late and the pair collided, sending both sprawling onto the cobblestone road in the snow. Mari was the first to recover and she pushed some of her hair out of the way as she jumped back, glaring at the… the human? She'd just smashed into. A confused look crossed her face before she pulled a sharp looking dark blade from beneath her clothes.</s>
<\|description\|>Cyanak Thoraak Race: Rock Gnome Age: 72 Gender: Female Appearance: Short, of course, with brown skin and blond braided hair. Her clothing's relatively light - a plain tan shirt and vest, a grey skirt, and black boots and gloves. Class: Sorcerer Alignment: Neutral Bio: Cyanak was born in Tinkertown, though her affinity for magic over technology resulted in her leaving as soon as she could, at age 40. She skipped over the Northern continent, opting for the less-stable Western continent and its constantly shifting map for a few reasons. For one, she was quite fond of the chaos - as long as she kept her head low and didn't openly support any regime, she was regarded as useful by more than a handful of people over the years. She sold her brewed items to whoever was willing to pay her cheap prices and, if things got too exciting, she packed up shop and moved to another kingdom. When things began to grow relatively stable, she found herself becoming bored and finding new ways to keep herself amused - offering her services as a utility mage to adventurers wanting to explore the desert, studying alchemical recipes, kidnapping people's pets, all sorts of things. The last one ended up getting her arrested eventually and she would have been beheaded had an adventurer's group not bailed her out - they needed a magic-user to support them, and they'd be keeping her around for the long run. Cyanak agreed since, sure, she needed something to do anyhow if she wasn't going to be executed. The last time she saw them, the barbarian and rogue threw the halfling fighter into the dragon's mouth at his request and were hoping he'd be able to cut through as he promised. She still has no idea if he ever did. Personality: Cyanak is, at a glance, extremely sweet and kind. She'll gladly chat you up if you're interested, will not bother you if you aren't, will volunteer for raids without demanding compensation beyond healing and supplies used, and will likely gush over your animal companions. She seems content to use her magic for support as opposed to front-line fighting, and she barely seems capable of lying. She believes in honoring any promises she made and that she should be as upfront as is comfortable. That all said, she also seems to have an intense love for fighting and killing, and her love of magic tends to emphasize how she can turn a fight around with a flick of her wrist and a word. It also cannot be emphasized enough she should not be left alone with small animals. While promises are important, she doesn't hold any particular loyalty to anyone, considering herself a drifter. A good teammate if you can put up with her rather inconsistent personality, a villain if you cannot. Equipment: Alchemist's crafting kit, crowbar, one set of caltrops, two flasks of oil, four empty flasks, four sets of rations, a waterskin, a bedroll, a sling, sling bullets, spell component pouch, and of course a backpack.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar sighed and slumped down in the first open chair he could find in the tavern he had just walked into. Bozidar had walked into town less than 2 days ago and he already desperately wanted to return to the secluded druid grove. His charisma had originally led Ollin to tell Bozidar that getting allies would be easy... then he got to the city. As soon as he entered at least 4 guards had commented on his "oh so pretty face" and he had been call miss and fair lady far to much. And whenever he corrected someone they either started laughing hysterically and start addressing him as "lady-boy" or just walked away whispering uncomfortably. He had dropped in to every tavern in town and any would-be allies just laughed him off and told him to run home to daddy... he had resigned himself. So he sat in a corner, trying as hard as possible to not be seen. If no one in this town wanted to adventure with him than he would just head back to the grove, and let the druids handle it. Deep down though, he desperately wanted to succeed, and prayed to Freyja that SOMEONE would join him... preferably someone with adventuring class levels</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak The door barely swung open as the female gnome waddled in, weighed down by the backpack that seemed to threaten to topple her over at any second. She didn't seem to have a lot to say, though her expression remained cheerful as she plopped down her bag and pulled herself onto a barstool, right next to a wizard who had a bat familiar visible. Whether or not the wizard was trying to eavesdrop didn't matter; the gnome piped up right then, in a rather cheery voice: "Hi there! Your familiar's so cute!" Boy, didn't that get the wizard's attention real fast! The older wizard looked over her traveler's clothing and scowled before sliding off his stool. The gnome reached for him, continuing to speak. "Hey, hang on, I just wanted to pet him! Or her! Or whatever they want to be!" She wasn't quick enough, though, and instead fell on top of her backpack with a faint crushing sound. "Uh-oh." Now forgetting the wizard and his adorable pet, the gnome slid off her backpack and opened it up. Sand, glass shards, powders, and the like decorated her items now - though she was to note not everything had broken. Still had some supplies. But jeez, what a start to freelancing.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar couldn't help but giggle at the gnome and her little fall, though the wizard had been a bit rude. However the gnomes apparent love of animals brought Bozidar back to the grove, where all the animals he had grown up with were, druid or not the animal domains speak with animal ability really helped him making friends with all the little creatures of the forest. He decided that maybe a bit of friendly conversation would lighten up his day. Bozidar got up from his seat and walked over to the worried looking gnome and, in his soft voice, "Are you alright? Break something in your pack? That wizard was pretty rude huh?"</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard "Now that was a tad bit impolite of you, sir wizard." The blue cloaked fellow stated very politely. "None of my business however." He just passed by the wizard who now was looking at him like he'd probably look at something that has crawled out from a sewer. Toshiro shook his head slightly and seated himself on the stool the wizard had been occupying earlier. "Such a mess, such a mess... You ok there" He glanced down at the gnome while finally pulling down his hood. "Hope you didn't hurt yourself." He smiled politely and turned his attention to to the barkeep. "A pint of water, please."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Wow. Cyanak was not planning on being the center of attention but already two people had come over to make sure she was ok. And they even agreed that the wizard had been rude. She wondered if they were traveling together and, perhaps more importantly, what they'd think of a sorceress. The wizard simply stared at the blue-cloaked man before dismissing his familiar and walking over to an empty table. Cyanak decided not to pay him further attention, instead focusing on the two who had asked if she was okay. "He, was, yeah. I'm alright, though. Lost a few things - I can make them again myself, it'll just take a while." She wouldn't dump the bag for now, if only because it'd take a while to unpack everything, and dumping a mixture of slumber sand, flash powder, powdered water, and burning dust in a busy tavern could have consequences. If nothing else, she fancied herself as the kind of person above making silly mistakes. She closed the backpack and considered asking if either one would be interested in buying her a drink. Then again, she was pretty certain her Alchemist's Mercy was somewhere in that mixture too, if nothing else. Oh well. She wasn't going to buy water, though, not when her waterskin was still full. She stood back up straight. "Really, I'm fine." She beamed. "Though I guess I feel a bit sorry for whoever hires me. That was a lot of good stuff, ready to go." She tapped the backpack with her foot, gently to prevent further damage.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown "Hires you? For what sort of work?" Bozidar thought he knew the answer, he would be any amount of gp on it cause it was such a no lose bet. Someone in a tavern looking for work, in a tavern, with a pack full of supplies? This was Bozidar's chance! Maybe he could finally get some help! And the gnome hadn't called him miss or lady yet... Though she hadn't called sir or mister either... "You... wouldn't happen to mean adventuring would you? Just wondering since you have such a well supplied pack... looks like you'd be ready for quite a journey."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Her eyes gleamed. Well, maybe the losses would be worth it, if she already found a group. "As a matter of fact, I do. Sorry I don't have a business card-" She curtsied, pulling up the hem of her skirt. "-I wasn't expecting anyone already and figured I'd have time to make some." Out of cocktail napkins and disappearing ink, admittedly, but they'd be better than nothing, she supposed. "But you can call me Cyanak. Utility mage for hire. I only ask you cover fees associated with brewing, rest of the loot is yours." She dropped her skirt hem, look decidedly a bit colder. "So-" And now she really looked over the one who asked, and oh god. This was just like the elves all over again. She made a note to avoid all pronouns until further notice. "-uh, well, I don't suppose you're looking for assistance in clearing a drow lair or killing a dragon- at all?" And had to catch herself from using 'sir' or 'madam' reflexively. This was going to be fun, if this person said yes.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar positively beamed, his soft features practically glowing. "Well, a pleasure miss Cyanak, I am Bozidar Greencrown, Cleric of Freyja. I am indeed looking to hire multiple fellow adventurers, and I'm sure I can easily cover your brewing costs." He glanced at her bag and hoped she hadn't broken anything to incredibly expensive, he wasn't overflowing with gold. "Though our quest is a bit less... straightforward than slay the dragon or clear out the drow. Though first I must ask, what arcane caster class are you? You call yourself mage but if you don't mind I'd like to know your exact class." And finished the sentence with a cheery smile</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro smiled faintly as he began sipping the water he had ordered and listened to Cyanak and Bozidar. He had long since reached the level that he wouldn't be growing physically older - and butting in on someone's adventuring party when you are atleast by very rough estimate a handful of levels above them might make you seem like a bit of a not very polite person. Still he was very curious and the little voices in the back of his head reminded him that it's a Paladin's duty to provide help to those in need - if they accept it ofcourse, if they don't want your help then you can just leave them be, forcing your help on others would be very impolite. "Terribly sorry to cut in to your conversation here, but from this distance I couldn't stop myself from overhearing that you are putting up an adventuring party." He paused for a moment, he was either thinking very carefully what to say next or having some kind of an inner debate. "I am Toshiro Mizu, a Paladin of the Sapphire Guard." He intentionally left out the 'honorary' part out since it really wasn't needed except when filing paperwork. A spot check might bring out the fact that this paladin isn't actually wearing heavy armor or carrying any kinds of weapons, but who really checks those things out? Or does a lore check about paladins?</s>	<\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Cyanak blinked at - the paladin, huh? ...Best not to attract too much attention to herself then. "Oh. Thought you were already traveling with... Bozidar." She gestured at Bozidar. Sounded like a male name. Maybe they were a guy. It didn't seem that implausible, really. "I guess if he can afford you too, I'm not gonna object." And hopefully, that wouldn't set off a speech about how 'he' was a female, followed by a flurry of arrows. "Anyways-" She turned back to Bozidar. "I'm a sorceress, if that's not a problem. Sure, some people might advocate for the wizard, but they can't cast as much and if you needed something else anyways, you're out of luck for the day either way. Besides, I've never met a particularly friendly wizard." In fact, she'd probably only gotten the silent treatment from that one because she wasn't dressed in casting robes. "So I guess if you need diplomacy-" She seemed less than enthused about the idea that the mission was not killing a dragon or the like. "-A sorcerer's still a better bet for not irritating everyone." And then the pep in her voice was back, and she was smiling. "So, yeah, short version, utility sorceress, alchemist, hope those aren't problems!" Cyanak glanced at her bag, which she had noticed Bozidar looking at earlier. "...those don't count, though, I mean when I actually start brewing things while working for you."</s>
<\|description\|>Cyanak Thoraak Race: Rock Gnome Age: 72 Gender: Female Appearance: Short, of course, with brown skin and blond braided hair. Her clothing's relatively light - a plain tan shirt and vest, a grey skirt, and black boots and gloves. Class: Sorcerer Alignment: Neutral Bio: Cyanak was born in Tinkertown, though her affinity for magic over technology resulted in her leaving as soon as she could, at age 40. She skipped over the Northern continent, opting for the less-stable Western continent and its constantly shifting map for a few reasons. For one, she was quite fond of the chaos - as long as she kept her head low and didn't openly support any regime, she was regarded as useful by more than a handful of people over the years. She sold her brewed items to whoever was willing to pay her cheap prices and, if things got too exciting, she packed up shop and moved to another kingdom. When things began to grow relatively stable, she found herself becoming bored and finding new ways to keep herself amused - offering her services as a utility mage to adventurers wanting to explore the desert, studying alchemical recipes, kidnapping people's pets, all sorts of things. The last one ended up getting her arrested eventually and she would have been beheaded had an adventurer's group not bailed her out - they needed a magic-user to support them, and they'd be keeping her around for the long run. Cyanak agreed since, sure, she needed something to do anyhow if she wasn't going to be executed. The last time she saw them, the barbarian and rogue threw the halfling fighter into the dragon's mouth at his request and were hoping he'd be able to cut through as he promised. She still has no idea if he ever did. Personality: Cyanak is, at a glance, extremely sweet and kind. She'll gladly chat you up if you're interested, will not bother you if you aren't, will volunteer for raids without demanding compensation beyond healing and supplies used, and will likely gush over your animal companions. She seems content to use her magic for support as opposed to front-line fighting, and she barely seems capable of lying. She believes in honoring any promises she made and that she should be as upfront as is comfortable. That all said, she also seems to have an intense love for fighting and killing, and her love of magic tends to emphasize how she can turn a fight around with a flick of her wrist and a word. It also cannot be emphasized enough she should not be left alone with small animals. While promises are important, she doesn't hold any particular loyalty to anyone, considering herself a drifter. A good teammate if you can put up with her rather inconsistent personality, a villain if you cannot. Equipment: Alchemist's crafting kit, crowbar, one set of caltrops, two flasks of oil, four empty flasks, four sets of rations, a waterskin, a bedroll, a sling, sling bullets, spell component pouch, and of course a backpack.</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Cyanak blinked at - the paladin, huh? ...Best not to attract too much attention to herself then. "Oh. Thought you were already traveling with... Bozidar." She gestured at Bozidar. Sounded like a male name. Maybe they were a guy. It didn't seem that implausible, really. "I guess if he can afford you too, I'm not gonna object." And hopefully, that wouldn't set off a speech about how 'he' was a female, followed by a flurry of arrows. "Anyways-" She turned back to Bozidar. "I'm a sorceress, if that's not a problem. Sure, some people might advocate for the wizard, but they can't cast as much and if you needed something else anyways, you're out of luck for the day either way. Besides, I've never met a particularly friendly wizard." In fact, she'd probably only gotten the silent treatment from that one because she wasn't dressed in casting robes. "So I guess if you need diplomacy-" She seemed less than enthused about the idea that the mission was not killing a dragon or the like. "-A sorcerer's still a better bet for not irritating everyone." And then the pep in her voice was back, and she was smiling. "So, yeah, short version, utility sorceress, alchemist, hope those aren't problems!" Cyanak glanced at her bag, which she had noticed Bozidar looking at earlier. "...those don't count, though, I mean when I actually start brewing things while working for you."</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar was caught a little of guard by the "paladin" himself. Though spot wasn't a trained cleric skill, his wisdom bonus of balanced that. Though he noticed the lack of any sword but, he didn't have ranks in knowledge (nobility and royalty) so he assumed that it was some weird custom or whatever. "Well... if your interested by all means your very welcome to join us Sir. Toshiro, we need someone other than me for frontline combat anyways!" Bozidar turned back to Cyanak, "Finally! Do you have any idea how many people have addressed me as miss or m'lady since I arrived? I'm glad someone finally sees that I am, in fact, a man. Regardless, your both obviously hired, if you wish to join me that is. As for quest specifics, a powerful magical artifact was recently stolen from the druid grove where I was raised and trained as a cleric. The thief was very powerful, and managed to steal the artifact before any of our higher level druids could even get involved. We need to find out where the artifact is, who took it, and then we need to get it back... unfortunately I don't have a tracker and unless one of you has cross class ranks in survival AND the track feat we need to find the culprit a different way..." Bozidar sighed at what That way was. "So, you two still interested? "</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro scratched his left temple and again fell silent for a good while. He was obviously weighing his options about possible rewards and risks. "I'll gladly join you good sir, but there are just a few things I will make clear." He finished his pint of water and got on his feet. "I'm not that kind a paladin who upholds the law to the letter - you know, those fellows who nag at you for jaywalking or something like that. I'll accept some minor thievery if it is necessary for completing a task. You need not worry about me marching in to a bandit camp to challenge them in to honorable combat or something like that - except if we need a distraction so the rest of the group can sneak in through the back." He glanced ever so slightly to his left and stared at the farthest wall of the inn before again continuing. "However I will not accept doing something wrong for the sake of it being 'cool' or 'awesome' - I will not accept killing children or other innocent noncombatants, be they of any race or alignment if they do not pose a threat to us." Toshiro adjusted his cloak slightly. "Oh... and for me being a paladin is a profession, not a class." He flashed a little smile - one of those smiles all old monks had even without it being a class feature. "I am a monk with 18 levels under my belt - so this'll probably be my last adventure anyways, though if things go well and we all live through this I'll gladly join you on a second adventure as well." He again paused and swung his head to the other side like he was listening to a very quick conversation between several people. "Since I'm a member of the nobility having me in the group will perhaps give us alteast some advantage in our quest - after all we don't have to constantly go lurking in the side alleys and might even get some help from the city guards of many places. We might get even more help if our travels happen to take us close to Azure city."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Cyanak shrugged. "I had to dump a stat somewhere, and I needed some Strength to carry my alchemy crafting kit, so Wisdom went out the window." That was a short way of saying her Survival skill would not be adequate for tracking, even if she had invested ranks into it and gotten the feat for whatever reason, like it'd somehow be reasonable to get Tracking when the terrain was generally sandy. "But hey! I'm in for cutting the guy's head off when we find him and getting your artifact back!" Hopefully Bozidar would make a fine reference later for other jobs. "So when do we go? Now?" She glanced up at Toshiro. Wow. She was only - what, level 12? Just picked up her first sixth-level spell before opting to find a new employer. "Question - can you really make a person's heart explode? That might be cooler than decapitation." It was a valid question. Hey, if he wasn't really a paladin, maybe he wouldn't object to her proclivities.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown "18 levels huh? Well... that would be very useful. And I've no intention on hurting anyone who doesn't deserve it, I am Neutral good after all. Though I'm not sure how close to azure city we are going to get... but we may pass by eventually." as Bozidar said this he wasn't really sure about it... or anything really... well at least now he wouldn't have to go back to the grove and ask the druids to handle it. "Well... I suppose we should make some sort of official contract or... something right? I'm kinda new yo this whole adventuring thing... you know I've only got 9 levels of cleric so... I may be lower than both of you... but I can still be an effective healer. Plus I'm kinda forming the group so I can really be... fired... so anyone have paper or something? "</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard "As it so happens yes, yes we can." Toshiro glanced at Cyanak with such excitement in his voice that it was difficult to think him as lawful aligned. "Though I personally prefer doing nonlethal damage - takes people out from the fight same way as lethal damage, but I'm not taking lives." He added with a bit more subdued tone. "Ah, nice of you to mention that, sir Bozidar. I just so happen to have an adventuring contract here." The monk had actually just appropriated a roll of parchment and ink from the bartender when the fellow wasn't looking - so either he had used sleight of hand which wasn't a standard monk skill or somehow had utilized his flurry of blows ability to snatch the items in a sort of a disarming roll which too was very unorthodox. "As you can read from here my terms are simple - the ones I already mentioned and in addition to that I'd be most honored if I was given the first pick if we happen to find any magical items that might be of more use for my class than yours. Also I can take most of the guard shifts during our little trip thanks to my magical ring. I don't need to eat, drink, worry about bodily functions... oh and I only need two hours of sleep as long as I have this thing on. So... let's see... I'll just add my signature here... aaaand..." Toshiro passed the contract, ink and quill to Bozidar. "Seem a fair enough deal?"</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak "Well, we'll still need to rest a full eight hours. Magic and all." Though at least nice to know the likelihood she'd need to take a shift was low. She'd done it before, going a few days without full rest and rationing out her spells, but she tended to run out of first-levels rather quickly and then regret doing so. Besides, actually, didn't a cleric need rest anyhow? She didn't really pay a lot of attention to those who ordered from her, not that Bozidar needed to hear that. And no fair, the contract was well over her head. Even standing on her tip-toes, she couldn't quite read it. Though she was assuming Toshiro had slipped in other terms. "What kind of magic items does a monk need anyhow?" Monks were just unheard of, though considering gnomes took an inherent negative to the strength stat, well, hopefully he wouldn't be claiming any dexterity or charisma bonuses.</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro smiled politely "Well I could always use more strenght, a bit more wisdom... A dash of dexiterity, you know, all that. Mostly I'm looking for magical items that noticeably boost my monk abilities - such as Monk's Belt or an Amulet of Mighty Fists... Ofcourse a Ring of Divine Power wouldn't hurt either..." The monk shrugged his shoulders and shook his head a bit "Though coming up with the latter items would be a bit difficult except if we happen to run in to a wizard who happens to be exceptionally proficient in crafting items, but what would be the odds of that?"</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar giggled at bit as the gnome clearly wanted to get a better look at the contract, "Cyanak if you want to read the contract for yourself just ask amd I'll show it to you. As for magic items we may have to discuss wisdom boosting ones Sir. Toshiro as I need wisdom for my spells. But we can work that out as we find such items, so the contract seems fine to me so I'll sign you on!" Bozidar took the quill and ink and signed his name on the parchment. After that Bozidar took and placed it on a chair for Cyanak to see it. "Alright, as soon as Cyanak here confirms her agreement we can stop this ridiculous contract simulator and get to adventuring! I can hardly wait... of course it's for a serious reason but I don't see why I can't have fun on my first real quest."</s>	<\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak "Alright then. Hope you picked the Magic Domain, because I didn't pick Identify." After all, many were loath to give the needed material component, so Cyanak had deemed the spell useless and avoided it. She glanced over the contract, just enough to skim it. It was a formality; so far, she hadn't heard anything that was a particular dealbreaker. "Anyway, sounds good. The most important part of any journey of bloodshed and robbery is to have a good time." She paused and then glanced up to the other two. "I have a feeling that didn't apply to either of you. Disregard it." Right, not home. Totally different continent, in fact. She signed her name, ending her name with a flourish, and carefully rolled it up to keep the ink from staining the contract. "Glad we got that settled. So you mentioned a druid's artifact, huh?" Did Knowledge (Arcana) cover knowing whether or not it would make sense for druids to have an artifact? Might as well make the check.</s>
<\|description\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Race: Human Age: 56 Gender: Male Appearance: Very average looking fellow, only details that make him stand out are his green eyes and a light blue lock of hair amidst his now gray hair that's cut relatively short. He wears the white and blue outfit of the Sapphire guard. Class: Monk Alignment: Lawful good, damnit! Bio: Toshiro had a rather uneventful childhood - apart from his father dying when he was 7 years old and him surviving two weeks in the wilds all on his own with seemingly divine assistance alone. Toshiro grew up to be a bit of an odd fellow - he could just stare to the distance for several minutes before springing in to action, be it eating or watering plants or the occasional fight. Fighting seemed to come naturally to Toshiro - more often than not he'd be the one getting his friends out of trouble they had managed to get themselves in, first with diplomacy and then with his fists. He ended up training in a monastery soon after the death of his father and held the Sapphire Guard paladins of Azure city as the very pinnacle of warriors. He had however made his choice - if you become a monk you stay a monk, none of that phony Prestige Classing! - thus he could only emulate the ideals of the Sapphire Guard so far. As luck would have it Toshiro ended up befriending several paladins of the Sapphire Guard - even going on a few adventures with some of them. His friends - due to quite a strike of luck - ended up in high positions in the Sapphire guard and granted their monk friend a honorary title of Paladin. Though it did not come with all the perks of a full member of the Azure Guard - namely it lacked the excellent dental plan - it was enough to satisfy Toshiro's dream of being a paladin. Some months ago he departed Azure City to travel the world - in his own words he had "Seen too little to truly know the 12." Some of his friends wondered if they'd ever see Toshiro again as they had waved goodbye to him from the city's walls. Personality: Toshiro really really really tries to be a paladin - not one of those overzealous, downright foolishly lawful people, but noble, honorable, kind and all that. He seems a bit slow at times - even his friends were not quite sure if he really had an intelligence score of 9 or if he really is talking with the 12 Gods. He has the air of a kindly old man about him, but if he for instance catches someone stealing his purse and hasn't gotten it back after a diplomacy check or two he just might teach you a thing or two about the wrongs of stealing someone else's property - most likely with his fist. Equipment: Improved Ring of Sustenance, Ring of the Horse, Several feet of rope, bedroll, a backpack</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak The door barely swung open as the female gnome waddled in, weighed down by the backpack that seemed to threaten to topple her over at any second. She didn't seem to have a lot to say, though her expression remained cheerful as she plopped down her bag and pulled herself onto a barstool, right next to a wizard who had a bat familiar visible. Whether or not the wizard was trying to eavesdrop didn't matter; the gnome piped up right then, in a rather cheery voice: "Hi there! Your familiar's so cute!" Boy, didn't that get the wizard's attention real fast! The older wizard looked over her traveler's clothing and scowled before sliding off his stool. The gnome reached for him, continuing to speak. "Hey, hang on, I just wanted to pet him! Or her! Or whatever they want to be!" She wasn't quick enough, though, and instead fell on top of her backpack with a faint crushing sound. "Uh-oh." Now forgetting the wizard and his adorable pet, the gnome slid off her backpack and opened it up. Sand, glass shards, powders, and the like decorated her items now - though she was to note not everything had broken. Still had some supplies. But jeez, what a start to freelancing.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar couldn't help but giggle at the gnome and her little fall, though the wizard had been a bit rude. However the gnomes apparent love of animals brought Bozidar back to the grove, where all the animals he had grown up with were, druid or not the animal domains speak with animal ability really helped him making friends with all the little creatures of the forest. He decided that maybe a bit of friendly conversation would lighten up his day. Bozidar got up from his seat and walked over to the worried looking gnome and, in his soft voice, "Are you alright? Break something in your pack? That wizard was pretty rude huh?"</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard "Now that was a tad bit impolite of you, sir wizard." The blue cloaked fellow stated very politely. "None of my business however." He just passed by the wizard who now was looking at him like he'd probably look at something that has crawled out from a sewer. Toshiro shook his head slightly and seated himself on the stool the wizard had been occupying earlier. "Such a mess, such a mess... You ok there" He glanced down at the gnome while finally pulling down his hood. "Hope you didn't hurt yourself." He smiled politely and turned his attention to to the barkeep. "A pint of water, please."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Wow. Cyanak was not planning on being the center of attention but already two people had come over to make sure she was ok. And they even agreed that the wizard had been rude. She wondered if they were traveling together and, perhaps more importantly, what they'd think of a sorceress. The wizard simply stared at the blue-cloaked man before dismissing his familiar and walking over to an empty table. Cyanak decided not to pay him further attention, instead focusing on the two who had asked if she was okay. "He, was, yeah. I'm alright, though. Lost a few things - I can make them again myself, it'll just take a while." She wouldn't dump the bag for now, if only because it'd take a while to unpack everything, and dumping a mixture of slumber sand, flash powder, powdered water, and burning dust in a busy tavern could have consequences. If nothing else, she fancied herself as the kind of person above making silly mistakes. She closed the backpack and considered asking if either one would be interested in buying her a drink. Then again, she was pretty certain her Alchemist's Mercy was somewhere in that mixture too, if nothing else. Oh well. She wasn't going to buy water, though, not when her waterskin was still full. She stood back up straight. "Really, I'm fine." She beamed. "Though I guess I feel a bit sorry for whoever hires me. That was a lot of good stuff, ready to go." She tapped the backpack with her foot, gently to prevent further damage.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown "Hires you? For what sort of work?" Bozidar thought he knew the answer, he would be any amount of gp on it cause it was such a no lose bet. Someone in a tavern looking for work, in a tavern, with a pack full of supplies? This was Bozidar's chance! Maybe he could finally get some help! And the gnome hadn't called him miss or lady yet... Though she hadn't called sir or mister either... "You... wouldn't happen to mean adventuring would you? Just wondering since you have such a well supplied pack... looks like you'd be ready for quite a journey."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Her eyes gleamed. Well, maybe the losses would be worth it, if she already found a group. "As a matter of fact, I do. Sorry I don't have a business card-" She curtsied, pulling up the hem of her skirt. "-I wasn't expecting anyone already and figured I'd have time to make some." Out of cocktail napkins and disappearing ink, admittedly, but they'd be better than nothing, she supposed. "But you can call me Cyanak. Utility mage for hire. I only ask you cover fees associated with brewing, rest of the loot is yours." She dropped her skirt hem, look decidedly a bit colder. "So-" And now she really looked over the one who asked, and oh god. This was just like the elves all over again. She made a note to avoid all pronouns until further notice. "-uh, well, I don't suppose you're looking for assistance in clearing a drow lair or killing a dragon- at all?" And had to catch herself from using 'sir' or 'madam' reflexively. This was going to be fun, if this person said yes.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar positively beamed, his soft features practically glowing. "Well, a pleasure miss Cyanak, I am Bozidar Greencrown, Cleric of Freyja. I am indeed looking to hire multiple fellow adventurers, and I'm sure I can easily cover your brewing costs." He glanced at her bag and hoped she hadn't broken anything to incredibly expensive, he wasn't overflowing with gold. "Though our quest is a bit less... straightforward than slay the dragon or clear out the drow. Though first I must ask, what arcane caster class are you? You call yourself mage but if you don't mind I'd like to know your exact class." And finished the sentence with a cheery smile</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro smiled faintly as he began sipping the water he had ordered and listened to Cyanak and Bozidar. He had long since reached the level that he wouldn't be growing physically older - and butting in on someone's adventuring party when you are atleast by very rough estimate a handful of levels above them might make you seem like a bit of a not very polite person. Still he was very curious and the little voices in the back of his head reminded him that it's a Paladin's duty to provide help to those in need - if they accept it ofcourse, if they don't want your help then you can just leave them be, forcing your help on others would be very impolite. "Terribly sorry to cut in to your conversation here, but from this distance I couldn't stop myself from overhearing that you are putting up an adventuring party." He paused for a moment, he was either thinking very carefully what to say next or having some kind of an inner debate. "I am Toshiro Mizu, a Paladin of the Sapphire Guard." He intentionally left out the 'honorary' part out since it really wasn't needed except when filing paperwork. A spot check might bring out the fact that this paladin isn't actually wearing heavy armor or carrying any kinds of weapons, but who really checks those things out? Or does a lore check about paladins?</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Cyanak blinked at - the paladin, huh? ...Best not to attract too much attention to herself then. "Oh. Thought you were already traveling with... Bozidar." She gestured at Bozidar. Sounded like a male name. Maybe they were a guy. It didn't seem that implausible, really. "I guess if he can afford you too, I'm not gonna object." And hopefully, that wouldn't set off a speech about how 'he' was a female, followed by a flurry of arrows. "Anyways-" She turned back to Bozidar. "I'm a sorceress, if that's not a problem. Sure, some people might advocate for the wizard, but they can't cast as much and if you needed something else anyways, you're out of luck for the day either way. Besides, I've never met a particularly friendly wizard." In fact, she'd probably only gotten the silent treatment from that one because she wasn't dressed in casting robes. "So I guess if you need diplomacy-" She seemed less than enthused about the idea that the mission was not killing a dragon or the like. "-A sorcerer's still a better bet for not irritating everyone." And then the pep in her voice was back, and she was smiling. "So, yeah, short version, utility sorceress, alchemist, hope those aren't problems!" Cyanak glanced at her bag, which she had noticed Bozidar looking at earlier. "...those don't count, though, I mean when I actually start brewing things while working for you."</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar was caught a little of guard by the "paladin" himself. Though spot wasn't a trained cleric skill, his wisdom bonus of balanced that. Though he noticed the lack of any sword but, he didn't have ranks in knowledge (nobility and royalty) so he assumed that it was some weird custom or whatever. "Well... if your interested by all means your very welcome to join us Sir. Toshiro, we need someone other than me for frontline combat anyways!" Bozidar turned back to Cyanak, "Finally! Do you have any idea how many people have addressed me as miss or m'lady since I arrived? I'm glad someone finally sees that I am, in fact, a man. Regardless, your both obviously hired, if you wish to join me that is. As for quest specifics, a powerful magical artifact was recently stolen from the druid grove where I was raised and trained as a cleric. The thief was very powerful, and managed to steal the artifact before any of our higher level druids could even get involved. We need to find out where the artifact is, who took it, and then we need to get it back... unfortunately I don't have a tracker and unless one of you has cross class ranks in survival AND the track feat we need to find the culprit a different way..." Bozidar sighed at what That way was. "So, you two still interested? "</s>	<\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro scratched his left temple and again fell silent for a good while. He was obviously weighing his options about possible rewards and risks. "I'll gladly join you good sir, but there are just a few things I will make clear." He finished his pint of water and got on his feet. "I'm not that kind a paladin who upholds the law to the letter - you know, those fellows who nag at you for jaywalking or something like that. I'll accept some minor thievery if it is necessary for completing a task. You need not worry about me marching in to a bandit camp to challenge them in to honorable combat or something like that - except if we need a distraction so the rest of the group can sneak in through the back." He glanced ever so slightly to his left and stared at the farthest wall of the inn before again continuing. "However I will not accept doing something wrong for the sake of it being 'cool' or 'awesome' - I will not accept killing children or other innocent noncombatants, be they of any race or alignment if they do not pose a threat to us." Toshiro adjusted his cloak slightly. "Oh... and for me being a paladin is a profession, not a class." He flashed a little smile - one of those smiles all old monks had even without it being a class feature. "I am a monk with 18 levels under my belt - so this'll probably be my last adventure anyways, though if things go well and we all live through this I'll gladly join you on a second adventure as well." He again paused and swung his head to the other side like he was listening to a very quick conversation between several people. "Since I'm a member of the nobility having me in the group will perhaps give us alteast some advantage in our quest - after all we don't have to constantly go lurking in the side alleys and might even get some help from the city guards of many places. We might get even more help if our travels happen to take us close to Azure city."</s>
<\|description\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Race: Human Age: 56 Gender: Male Appearance: Very average looking fellow, only details that make him stand out are his green eyes and a light blue lock of hair amidst his now gray hair that's cut relatively short. He wears the white and blue outfit of the Sapphire guard. Class: Monk Alignment: Lawful good, damnit! Bio: Toshiro had a rather uneventful childhood - apart from his father dying when he was 7 years old and him surviving two weeks in the wilds all on his own with seemingly divine assistance alone. Toshiro grew up to be a bit of an odd fellow - he could just stare to the distance for several minutes before springing in to action, be it eating or watering plants or the occasional fight. Fighting seemed to come naturally to Toshiro - more often than not he'd be the one getting his friends out of trouble they had managed to get themselves in, first with diplomacy and then with his fists. He ended up training in a monastery soon after the death of his father and held the Sapphire Guard paladins of Azure city as the very pinnacle of warriors. He had however made his choice - if you become a monk you stay a monk, none of that phony Prestige Classing! - thus he could only emulate the ideals of the Sapphire Guard so far. As luck would have it Toshiro ended up befriending several paladins of the Sapphire Guard - even going on a few adventures with some of them. His friends - due to quite a strike of luck - ended up in high positions in the Sapphire guard and granted their monk friend a honorary title of Paladin. Though it did not come with all the perks of a full member of the Azure Guard - namely it lacked the excellent dental plan - it was enough to satisfy Toshiro's dream of being a paladin. Some months ago he departed Azure City to travel the world - in his own words he had "Seen too little to truly know the 12." Some of his friends wondered if they'd ever see Toshiro again as they had waved goodbye to him from the city's walls. Personality: Toshiro really really really tries to be a paladin - not one of those overzealous, downright foolishly lawful people, but noble, honorable, kind and all that. He seems a bit slow at times - even his friends were not quite sure if he really had an intelligence score of 9 or if he really is talking with the 12 Gods. He has the air of a kindly old man about him, but if he for instance catches someone stealing his purse and hasn't gotten it back after a diplomacy check or two he just might teach you a thing or two about the wrongs of stealing someone else's property - most likely with his fist. Equipment: Improved Ring of Sustenance, Ring of the Horse, Several feet of rope, bedroll, a backpack</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Cyanak blinked at - the paladin, huh? ...Best not to attract too much attention to herself then. "Oh. Thought you were already traveling with... Bozidar." She gestured at Bozidar. Sounded like a male name. Maybe they were a guy. It didn't seem that implausible, really. "I guess if he can afford you too, I'm not gonna object." And hopefully, that wouldn't set off a speech about how 'he' was a female, followed by a flurry of arrows. "Anyways-" She turned back to Bozidar. "I'm a sorceress, if that's not a problem. Sure, some people might advocate for the wizard, but they can't cast as much and if you needed something else anyways, you're out of luck for the day either way. Besides, I've never met a particularly friendly wizard." In fact, she'd probably only gotten the silent treatment from that one because she wasn't dressed in casting robes. "So I guess if you need diplomacy-" She seemed less than enthused about the idea that the mission was not killing a dragon or the like. "-A sorcerer's still a better bet for not irritating everyone." And then the pep in her voice was back, and she was smiling. "So, yeah, short version, utility sorceress, alchemist, hope those aren't problems!" Cyanak glanced at her bag, which she had noticed Bozidar looking at earlier. "...those don't count, though, I mean when I actually start brewing things while working for you."</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar was caught a little of guard by the "paladin" himself. Though spot wasn't a trained cleric skill, his wisdom bonus of balanced that. Though he noticed the lack of any sword but, he didn't have ranks in knowledge (nobility and royalty) so he assumed that it was some weird custom or whatever. "Well... if your interested by all means your very welcome to join us Sir. Toshiro, we need someone other than me for frontline combat anyways!" Bozidar turned back to Cyanak, "Finally! Do you have any idea how many people have addressed me as miss or m'lady since I arrived? I'm glad someone finally sees that I am, in fact, a man. Regardless, your both obviously hired, if you wish to join me that is. As for quest specifics, a powerful magical artifact was recently stolen from the druid grove where I was raised and trained as a cleric. The thief was very powerful, and managed to steal the artifact before any of our higher level druids could even get involved. We need to find out where the artifact is, who took it, and then we need to get it back... unfortunately I don't have a tracker and unless one of you has cross class ranks in survival AND the track feat we need to find the culprit a different way..." Bozidar sighed at what That way was. "So, you two still interested? "</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro scratched his left temple and again fell silent for a good while. He was obviously weighing his options about possible rewards and risks. "I'll gladly join you good sir, but there are just a few things I will make clear." He finished his pint of water and got on his feet. "I'm not that kind a paladin who upholds the law to the letter - you know, those fellows who nag at you for jaywalking or something like that. I'll accept some minor thievery if it is necessary for completing a task. You need not worry about me marching in to a bandit camp to challenge them in to honorable combat or something like that - except if we need a distraction so the rest of the group can sneak in through the back." He glanced ever so slightly to his left and stared at the farthest wall of the inn before again continuing. "However I will not accept doing something wrong for the sake of it being 'cool' or 'awesome' - I will not accept killing children or other innocent noncombatants, be they of any race or alignment if they do not pose a threat to us." Toshiro adjusted his cloak slightly. "Oh... and for me being a paladin is a profession, not a class." He flashed a little smile - one of those smiles all old monks had even without it being a class feature. "I am a monk with 18 levels under my belt - so this'll probably be my last adventure anyways, though if things go well and we all live through this I'll gladly join you on a second adventure as well." He again paused and swung his head to the other side like he was listening to a very quick conversation between several people. "Since I'm a member of the nobility having me in the group will perhaps give us alteast some advantage in our quest - after all we don't have to constantly go lurking in the side alleys and might even get some help from the city guards of many places. We might get even more help if our travels happen to take us close to Azure city."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak Cyanak shrugged. "I had to dump a stat somewhere, and I needed some Strength to carry my alchemy crafting kit, so Wisdom went out the window." That was a short way of saying her Survival skill would not be adequate for tracking, even if she had invested ranks into it and gotten the feat for whatever reason, like it'd somehow be reasonable to get Tracking when the terrain was generally sandy. "But hey! I'm in for cutting the guy's head off when we find him and getting your artifact back!" Hopefully Bozidar would make a fine reference later for other jobs. "So when do we go? Now?" She glanced up at Toshiro. Wow. She was only - what, level 12? Just picked up her first sixth-level spell before opting to find a new employer. "Question - can you really make a person's heart explode? That might be cooler than decapitation." It was a valid question. Hey, if he wasn't really a paladin, maybe he wouldn't object to her proclivities.</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown "18 levels huh? Well... that would be very useful. And I've no intention on hurting anyone who doesn't deserve it, I am Neutral good after all. Though I'm not sure how close to azure city we are going to get... but we may pass by eventually." as Bozidar said this he wasn't really sure about it... or anything really... well at least now he wouldn't have to go back to the grove and ask the druids to handle it. "Well... I suppose we should make some sort of official contract or... something right? I'm kinda new yo this whole adventuring thing... you know I've only got 9 levels of cleric so... I may be lower than both of you... but I can still be an effective healer. Plus I'm kinda forming the group so I can really be... fired... so anyone have paper or something? "</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard "As it so happens yes, yes we can." Toshiro glanced at Cyanak with such excitement in his voice that it was difficult to think him as lawful aligned. "Though I personally prefer doing nonlethal damage - takes people out from the fight same way as lethal damage, but I'm not taking lives." He added with a bit more subdued tone. "Ah, nice of you to mention that, sir Bozidar. I just so happen to have an adventuring contract here." The monk had actually just appropriated a roll of parchment and ink from the bartender when the fellow wasn't looking - so either he had used sleight of hand which wasn't a standard monk skill or somehow had utilized his flurry of blows ability to snatch the items in a sort of a disarming roll which too was very unorthodox. "As you can read from here my terms are simple - the ones I already mentioned and in addition to that I'd be most honored if I was given the first pick if we happen to find any magical items that might be of more use for my class than yours. Also I can take most of the guard shifts during our little trip thanks to my magical ring. I don't need to eat, drink, worry about bodily functions... oh and I only need two hours of sleep as long as I have this thing on. So... let's see... I'll just add my signature here... aaaand..." Toshiro passed the contract, ink and quill to Bozidar. "Seem a fair enough deal?"</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak "Well, we'll still need to rest a full eight hours. Magic and all." Though at least nice to know the likelihood she'd need to take a shift was low. She'd done it before, going a few days without full rest and rationing out her spells, but she tended to run out of first-levels rather quickly and then regret doing so. Besides, actually, didn't a cleric need rest anyhow? She didn't really pay a lot of attention to those who ordered from her, not that Bozidar needed to hear that. And no fair, the contract was well over her head. Even standing on her tip-toes, she couldn't quite read it. Though she was assuming Toshiro had slipped in other terms. "What kind of magic items does a monk need anyhow?" Monks were just unheard of, though considering gnomes took an inherent negative to the strength stat, well, hopefully he wouldn't be claiming any dexterity or charisma bonuses.</s> <\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard Toshiro smiled politely "Well I could always use more strenght, a bit more wisdom... A dash of dexiterity, you know, all that. Mostly I'm looking for magical items that noticeably boost my monk abilities - such as Monk's Belt or an Amulet of Mighty Fists... Ofcourse a Ring of Divine Power wouldn't hurt either..." The monk shrugged his shoulders and shook his head a bit "Though coming up with the latter items would be a bit difficult except if we happen to run in to a wizard who happens to be exceptionally proficient in crafting items, but what would be the odds of that?"</s> <\|message\|>Bozidar Greencrown Bozidar giggled at bit as the gnome clearly wanted to get a better look at the contract, "Cyanak if you want to read the contract for yourself just ask amd I'll show it to you. As for magic items we may have to discuss wisdom boosting ones Sir. Toshiro as I need wisdom for my spells. But we can work that out as we find such items, so the contract seems fine to me so I'll sign you on!" Bozidar took the quill and ink and signed his name on the parchment. After that Bozidar took and placed it on a chair for Cyanak to see it. "Alright, as soon as Cyanak here confirms her agreement we can stop this ridiculous contract simulator and get to adventuring! I can hardly wait... of course it's for a serious reason but I don't see why I can't have fun on my first real quest."</s> <\|message\|>Cyanak Thoraak "Alright then. Hope you picked the Magic Domain, because I didn't pick Identify." After all, many were loath to give the needed material component, so Cyanak had deemed the spell useless and avoided it. She glanced over the contract, just enough to skim it. It was a formality; so far, she hadn't heard anything that was a particular dealbreaker. "Anyway, sounds good. The most important part of any journey of bloodshed and robbery is to have a good time." She paused and then glanced up to the other two. "I have a feeling that didn't apply to either of you. Disregard it." Right, not home. Totally different continent, in fact. She signed her name, ending her name with a flourish, and carefully rolled it up to keep the ink from staining the contract. "Glad we got that settled. So you mentioned a druid's artifact, huh?" Did Knowledge (Arcana) cover knowing whether or not it would make sense for druids to have an artifact? Might as well make the check.</s>	<\|message\|>Toshiro Mizu, Honorary Paladin of the Sapphire Guard "That.... is ofcourse one way to put it..." Toshiro mused with some amusement in his tone at Cyanak's comment about the oncoming trip. "Less the bloodshed we have to cause the better in my opinion, but still." He nodded politely to Bozidar and shrugged his shoulders slightly "Tell the truth I don't quite feel the need for extra wisdom - so you can more or less keep anything wisdom related." He paused again for a good while and glanced around the inn again. "Just a thought - and please, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't druids be technically counted as a religous order of sorts?" He lacked many things - knowledge (arcana), sneaking skill, or move silently skill - what he did have however was a reasonable amount of points in Knowledge (Religion), so he decided to roll that just to get a feel of what they were working with.</s>
<\|description\|>Graguth Appearance - (On top of a mountain peak) Skills - a master of close combat. Quick, smart, and reasonably strong, he is a force to be reckoned with on any battlefield. Though sometimes a dragon with good enough magic can put him down. Magical abilities(If needed) - besides knowing basic healing, Graguth has never learn magic. As an after effect of fighting his corrupted father, his fire is purple. While it burns a little hotter than normal dragon fire, it also produces toxic fumes that seem to slowly eat away at living materials. Has no effect on Graguth. Backstory - Graguth is the grandson of Rylarth. Born to his son Bigray, and an unknown mother. He was raised by the Elder Council along with his brother, Drumagth. While his brother study the ways of the mind, Graguth learned the ways of the warrior. Study tactics, and simple tricks to win a fight. This was before Rylarth's ascension, so him and his brother were both taught by the elder dragon. Though he and his brother were practically royalty, they went through the same treatment as any to learn properly. By the time the brothers had become juveniles, the corruption of the past had begun to slowly revile itself. Small groups of undead suddenly attacking, whole kingdoms falling into madness, and Graguth's father eventually falling to the corruption. The brothers had begged their grandfather to let them join the war, but they were told that they were to young. That this type of war is not meant for those so innocent. The two were ordered to stay while Rylarth lead his forces after the corruption. The two managed to escape from the Sundered Peaks, fallow the army undetected. They had marched north, to the frozen wastes. The army had fought the cold more then the undead. Upon reaching the source of the corruption, they discovered the son of Slonith had built a fortress of ice and death. Oh the walls of the fortress stood the long dead king, Gigeth Next to him, Bigray stood proudly. Mocking his father. The battle that took place was far worse than the shadow lands campaign. The brothers manged to sneak past the undead army that had greeted Rylarth, and get into the fortress unnoticed. They attack Gigeth and their father, only to be slapped around like the children they are. During the fight Bigray managed to hold Graguth down, and begun to breath fire into his jaws. Drumagth had managed to free him by distracting him with lightning. Rylarth eventually came to their rescue, but not before Gigeth corrupted Drumagth. Rylarth wrestled with his son while Graguth attacked the dead king. The battle was wild, Gigeth moved with amazing speed. Never seeming to tire. Though he got cocky, and Graguth set him aflame. Defeated, Bigray grabbed his now corrupted son and ran. The battle was won, but Rylarth was gravely injured. He passed away a month later, unable to recover. Graguth spent the rest of his youth years honing his his skills. As an order by the Elder Council dragons under their command must know some form of first ad, giving him his only experience with magic. By the time he was an adult he had become revered for his combat skill. Though he was offered a position in the honor guard, but refuses to help the general people. Holdings (If needed. First come first serve)- none Current location- between Moditoft and the Watchlight forest. Allegiance- independent, tries to be friendly with most beings Other- in honor of Rylarth</s> <\|message\|>Balerion the Black Dread Balerion "I was not given an invitation..." Balerion mentioned quietly as he watched the other dragons with Drumagth land. "...The Rose," mumbled the black wyrm. "I know of it well. It seems as if an eon has gone by since I last seen its hellish petals. I fought alongside Rylarth against Corruption, as you may already know." Balerion would shortly say, recalling his past. "This is a lot you are asking of me, Drumagth... but I know the Rose's power better than almost anyone. I know what it is capable of, the power it has locked away. Too once again see the horrors of that war, I would see it destroyed once and for all." The Black Dread would then eye Drumagth with a queer eye, the second part of his message was much more of a harder question to answer. "Smaug? Ha, I did not think that was ever possible." He then stopped to gather everything that was said, but he quickly gave a small response to allow him some needed time, "Give me a moment," replied Balerion. A few seconds would pass and Balerion quickly continued, "You are not the only one to question the Order, Drumagth." He said, implying that he himself never truly trusted them for rather obvious reason. "Very well. I shall lend you my wings, but do not dare mention this to anyone. For if the Order found out that my allegiance was no longer a sure thing, they would surely see to my end, albeit if they are brave enough to approach my land..."</s> <\|message\|>Scolopendra Scolopendra After Graguth left its land, the black serpent decided to linger in the area for just a bit longer. It stared at the body gnawed up by the dragons unique fire, the remaining corpses and the scorched earth where the fire burned, earlier. Deep in thought, Scol cared little about its followers slowly increasing in numbers to witness the rare sight of their god-like entity. The hydra remained for almost an hour, at which point a caravan of cultists began their journey from the Serpent's Temple to this very location, accompanied by the oracle itself. Scolopendra had sent images of the meeting with Graguth to its subordinate, and expressed the order for them to pick up the ashes of the odd fire, to preserve it until further notice. The same moment said caravan was set into motion, Scolopendra retreated from the borders of its land, towards the shores and its hidden cave system. The trail of destroyed fauna describing this little journey would likely be visible for a year or two, before the rapidly healing jungle would swallow every trace of it.</s> <\|message\|>Krag and Grak Krag and Grak The twins looked at each other at the mention of a counsel. They had been out of the loop for quite a while and they were pretty oblivious to most going ons even though the counsel had been around a while but they figured the dragon wanted to help them out in some way and they were happy to comply. "I'll take this one brother." Krag said to Grak whom nodded in agreement "Well to keep things short we sorta got run outta our home a... Well a long time ago. We fled our home and found our way here while looking for some dragon like us. Lots of heads and... How to put this lightly..." He pondered at how to put his powers "Dead people powers?" Said his brother "yes, Dead people powers. Now we've just been living here training our powers and skills such as our magic, fighting and smithing." He said finishing up.</s> <\|message\|>Graguth Graguth "hmm, interesting," he said as he thought of his next response. It was most likely that they were talking about Scolopendra. "I have just come from the Watchlight forest. There is a dragon there who matches the one you spoke of." looking the twins over for a moment before continuing,"I had spoken to him about forming an alliance just as I have come to you about." Graguth settled himself as he remembered the words, "The Council would wish to offer you a hand in an alliance. You would receive protection and other benefits if you accept. All we would ask is that you support us." scratching his jaw as more of the details came back to him,"As you might know to the north is the frozen wastes, and your islands are in a strategic position to defend this part of the middle sea." he let his words sit for a moment, hoping he didn't forget anything. Then with a bow,"we would Honored if you joined us." Drumagth "They'd be fools to try to attack an ally of mine," he said in an angry tone at first, then relaxing, "I am glad you would side with me old friend, and worry not. I don't plan on speaking to the order about any of my plots." he paused, thinking his next words over. "If you are willing I could have some troops or guards place under you. Maybe give you some political weight." in a half laugh now,"it'd almost ironic, corruption in the order of corrupted beings. Flicking his tail at the corpse of Bezya laying between Bigray and Gramonlon. "Smaug managed to kill the solar drake. I do plan on passing through your lands to Ro's. I have had positive dealings with him before, and I believe an ally could be made out of him." leaning towards the Black Dread,"between you and me, he could be the changing point between a war against the Order or the Council."</s> <\|message\|>Balerion the Black Dread Balerion Balerion would chuckle silently in regards to Drumagth's comments about corruption being in the order of corrupted beings. It was quite humourous despite the current circumstances. The black wyrm would then comment on his offer, "There is no need for that, Drumagth. I am still able to take of myself, despite my age. The name Black Dread still holds firm water throughout Aiskore. It'll take an army to stand against I, Balerion the Black Dread!" He commented, boasting his deeds and name. "Ah, and what is this? Beyza is no more?" Balerion said surprisingly, but not that it bothered him. Balerion knew Smaug as not to be underestimated for he knows the red drake well. As Drumagth spoke of Ro, Balerion began to piece the puzzle together. He knew Ro would not willingly be allied with the Order or the Council, but with a bit of bargaining Ro could be swayed into joining Drumagth's secretive army. "And I bid you luck, for Ro shall remain stubborn despite your gift..." Balerion was about to make his way off before he remembered something Drumagth said earlier. "You mentioned the Council, Drumagth... that the Order were trying to reach them? Perhaps I could lend aid in this regard. I have fought alongside their founder long ago. My name alone should give me an audience with them."</s> <\|message\|>Krag and Grak Krag and Grak The twins bothe had their mouths agape. They stared at the dragon, nay, the god before them who had told them the very words they had been waiting to hear all their lives. On the one hand he knew of the very dragon they had sought out for all those years only to fail to find and then ask them for an alliance say he would be honoured. Finally the magician of the two broke the silence "you say you would be honoured if we joined you? If that's what honour is to you then expect out honour to be that of yours tens-fold!" The dragon said trying to hold in its excitement "what my brother is trying to say is we would be honoured to ally ourselves with you and your counsel. What's ours is yours." Said the other.</s>	<\|message\|>Graguth A little surprised by their awe, but overall pleased,"I thank you for your choice. I am sure the Council will be just as pleased. now starting to stand and move from the twins, "he lives to the northeast of you. In the Watchlight forest, but I would suggest waiting till that storm passes." he finished with a flick of his tail towards the the west. A wall of gray had started to move this way. "for now I must head for the Council, I ask you to stay safe." with a few powerful flaps he was in the air, heading towards the Sundered Peaks. His mission had been a complete success. Overjoyed he flew home as quickly as he could. Graguth looked forward to relaxing, and spending some time with his fellows. Passing through the edge of the Hunted Sands, the whispers of its long dead scratched softly against his mind. He did not enjoy the fact that something this evil could be so close to his home, but there was nothing he could do. With orders to do nothing towards the actions of Ro, all he could do is to continue to hurry home. As he reached the Peaks he began to see a small dark blur moving up a path to the highest peak, were the Elders held their meetings. Following it were three silver blurs. Upon reaching a closer point Graguth mad out the forms of the three jopes, Man and Dwarf kings and Elf Queen, fallowing what seemed to be an undead. Landing on the large path before the group, "May I ask why we're letting an undead to see the Elders?" his voice was unaggressive and calm, and his gaze was steady but suspicious. The voice of Besimious answered through the small corpse before the three could,"I have business with your Council. I suggest you move from my path." Drumagth With a bow of his head, "I thank you, and if you are willing, when the time comes will I will make sure that you are repaid." standing with a yawn,"things are about to get interesting my friend, and I hope we come out on top. I will see you later my friend, and I hope you and Smaug can get along." he laughed then turned to his fallowers. Looking them over before flapping his wings and continuing east. The group fallowing on his tail. Passing through the rest of Balerion's lands the group was quiet. As the Ghost Tower came upon the horizon, Drumagth looked back to see his followers reaction. Bigray uncaring and Gramonlon unmoved, only Dirath held a deep interested in his face as they approach the tower. This was the first time bringing moat of them here, but was unsurprised by their reactions. He knew his followers well enough. Only Dirath looked at all troubles by the voices as they landed. Shooting a mental image to his father, Bigray dragged Bezya's corpse in front of him. Waiting for a moment, "Ro of the east, I have brought you a gift and ask for your time. I understand it's been some time since we've had a meeting." the group sat there, waiting for a reply.</s>
<\|description\|>Scolopendra Appearance - Appears like in the picture, as a six-headed snake-like dragon. Not seen in the picture is the long 'tail' of the creature and the two leg-like appendages protruding at roughly one third of its length. They are used as feet when moving across terrain, but can be utilized like hands when needed. Skills - Can breathe infinitely in water. Produces large amounts of brightly purple glowing bile that reacts like acid and eats through all sorts of organic tissue and anorganic materials in a matter of seconds, but has no effect on bones. Scales of other dragons are able to withstand the liquid decently, though if applied to gaping, open bite wounds it can have poison-like effects. Scolopendra has no wings and is thus unable to fly, but can move at an unexpectedly high speed over terrain and water through a combination of snake-like movements and short lunges using its two 'feet'. It can not speak to humans directly. Magical abilities - Is dabbling into sub-branches of necromancy, but only has very limited power over the dead. Scolopendra is ironically unable to uphold more than one undead existance at once, making this ability virtually useless outside of communication with humans. Scolopendra was part of Rylarths crusade through the landscape of darkness and undeath. It followed him to the top of Kothrath and saw the terrifying effect of the black rose. After Rylarths forces retreated from the devastated fields, Scol remained, intrigued by the magic that kept the undead fighting long after their bodies became useless. It stayed just long enough to observe Slonith fall victim to the roses corruption and fled into the Middle Sea on a self-imposed quest of quarantine, fearing both infection and infecting others. It took decades for Scol to be sighted again, its body changed by the fleeting influence of the black rose, but its mind had resisted the seeds of corruption. The once majestic dragon lost its wings during the long period of watery isolation, its scales blackened, devolved into a poison spewing monstrosity. Seeking contact to a human settlement at the cliffs near Witchlight Jungle, Scol found itself unable to communicate with the mortals, its frightening appearance causing panic and chaos. After remembering part of its studies on undead bodies back in the lands of shadow, it began to interact through the use of simple, undead emmissaries. While those too were met with suspicion and distrust at first, the dragons claims to protect their settlements if payed adequate respect soon led to a cult emerging from the locals. Time passed and the humans began to trust Scolopendra, began to worship it and built a temple at the cliffs in its name. While the 'Serpent's Temple' served as a home only to the cult directly worshipping the dragon, people in settlements all over the jungle enjoyed its protection and patronage. While it occasionally supplies its people with food and riches, neighbouring villages and settlements distrust those in favor of the sea beast, causing the population of the Witchlight Jungles to seclude themselves from political interaction and commerce with other cultures. The only thing Scolopendra demanded from its followers was one thing: bones. The bones of their dead, the bones of their livestock, the bones of their quarry. It remains a mystery what the creature needs bones for, and even the cult only knows that they are hoarded in large underground caves below the Serpent's Temple. Dishonoring their dead was a low price for the alliance with such a mighty being. After Scol established its reign over these jungles, it employed a human cult leader with the authority to enforce its will. It frequently shows itself to the cult, but only directly communicates with a chosen circle of cultist leaders. Only the inner circle is aware that the beast raids commerce shipments all over the Middle Sea to collect the treasure and goods it provides its country with, leaving no survivors to tell about it. Officially, ships simply...disappear. Nobody knows that Scolopendra is in fact using the people under its command only to hoard more bones, and that it would abandon them in an instant if it would lead to a favorable position. Holdings - Witchlight Jungle, northeastern parts of the Middle Sea The people in the Witchlight Jungles essentially hold no military strength, as they're living like an assortment of tribes, rather than a unified nation. Their housings often don't surpass clay or wood huts, as the terrain is mostly comprised of swampland and bogs. Their occasional temples are built from stone, and while they use metal tools and weapons the dragon supplies them with, the extend of actual metalworking is limited to small objects like earrings and accessories. There are four seperate tribes in the Witchlight Jungles, and while they keep seperated from one another most of the time, they have no tension or conflicts between one another. They are all more or less religiously bound to the dragon, which ties them together and isolates them from others. All four tribes can join the cult equally and are treated the same. The cult resides around the temple built in Scolopendra's honor, though there are few other temples scattered across the jungle. Members of the cult are generally respected by the entire population and retain certain privileges, like shelter or food no matter where they go, all tribes abide to this law. However, it is generally not regarded as a law, rather a matter of courtesy - there usually is no need to enforce it. While the dragon has never encouraged - nor disapproved of - the application of superstition and primitive magic, the people of the Witchlight Jungles are known for their unsettling practices and rites that gave the area its name to begin with. The cult is comprised of the inner circle, the official cult, voluntary cult workers, the dragons emissary and one, in very rare cases two oracles. The inner circle is a number of trusted members of the cult who are handpicked by the dragon itself. Age is not as much of a matter for this choice as is devotion and loyality. One of the inner circle is proclaimed the cult leader, and though the leader must come from this chosen group, the circle may vote for or decide on a leader independently, unless the dragon enforces the title upon someone specific. Members of the inner circle are not secret to the rest of the cult, but other members usually do not inquire, so the precise number is not known. The inner circle has no higher privilege than any other cult member, and their special tasks are unofficial in order to avoid jealousy, competitive ambition or treason. The cult as a whole represents the dragon and acts as its eyes. They act as a reminder that Scolopendra has many heads and countless pairs of eyes, and spend most of their time worshipping the beast, maintaining the temple and overlooking the settlements of all four tribes. Typically, cult members are seen in black cloaks and wearing masks depicting dragon heads similar to those of Scolopendra. As an initiation ritual, all cult members have to touch an artefact given to them by the dragon, one of its corrosive scales. This process burns the palm of one - typically the left one - of their hands, visually scarring it and rendering it numb and unable to feel pain. In rare cases, if the tissue regenerates enough to restore the sense of touch to that hand, it is seen as an omen and the person is often introduced to the inner circle as a result. Those gifted humans then go through aptitude tests to see if they are fit to act as oracles, which may communicate with the emissary - and thus the dragon - directly. Oracles attempt to foresee the future of the land, and to a lesser degree travel routes of merchant ships so that the dragon may intercept them at sea. The emissary is the dragon itself, manually controlling a single undead construct to communicate with the cult. Often it uses dead seafarers for this ordeal, but if none are available it may use newly deceased cult members. The emissary is not openly identifying itself outside of formal occasions and frequently 'infiltrates' the cult or regular villages to secretly check on its subordinates. There are rumors about this process but no official confirmation, not even in the inner circle. The people of the Witchlight Jungles have numerous cultural festivities at which they gather around one of their temples and feast, dance or chant accordingly. Not all of these events are in honor of the dragon, and not all of them include all four tribes. Current location - Middle Sea, Southwest of the Witchlight Jungle Allegiance - Independent. Personality - Scolopendra is a wrathful being, who violently defends its territory as long as it seems the favorable option. Trespassers should either beware, or approach the land of the serpent with formidable military prowess. It generally avoids contact to other dragons if possible. It assumes others, dragons and lesser races alike, to mistrust its tainted appearance, and thus welcomes them with an equal amount of suspicion if contact happens to occur. Any kind of creature that dares to enter its cave system without being summoned is met with uncontained hostility. While Scolopendra does not seem to be subject to a split personality disorder, like many other multi-headed dragons are, it has a rather bipolar personality. When speaking with other dragons, the six heads speak in a canonical manner, sometimes several of them at the same time, sometimes switching from head to head with every word. in honor of Rylarth</s> <\|message\|>Scolopendra Scolopendra The six headed serpent let loose a thundering growl from all its heads simultaneously, sounding much like thunder in a great distance and only very remotely like a single, short laugh. 'Lord Scolopendra' was certainly no title anyone ever thought of adressing it with before. It kept its distance while the dragon spoke, and only after he finished Scol opened the maw of its main head and two smaller ones so speak in the old dragon tongue, incomprehensible for its human followers, and further distorted from not really using its vocal chords in centuries. Even to Graguth it would sound thick with accent and rattling with the burning acid in its throat. "DESCENDANT. OF. RYLARTH." Every word came from the main head, but also from one of the insignificantly smaller ones, and the latter changed with every word. The monster nodded all of its heads once, paying respect to the bloodline for a brief moment before picking up again. "WHAT. KIND. OF. EXPERIMENT." Though the pile of corpses was a rather obvious tell, Scol didn't know just how much the council knew about its abilities. It didn't bother with how far the rumors originating at the borders of the Witchlight Jungle travel around the world. For the first time, it pondered how much good or bad the spreading superstition could do to its plans. Either way, it would have Graguth spell it out himself, eager to learn if the world was over- or underestimating its abilities.</s> <\|message\|>Smaug Smaug Yet as Beyza sped towards the mighty Smaug, the crimson dragon was already ready for a counter attack. He snarls as his belly began to light up with a fiery hue and blasts fire all over his enemy. He will not allow such a measly dragon to beat him! He then swoops towards Beyza, trying to latch onto his giant side horns.</s> <\|message\|>Graguth Graguth was slightly surprised by the accent, but tried not to show it. He did have a small shine of excitement in his eyes in his otherwise composed expression. "The experiment would consist of you raising one of these bandits for me to breath fire around. As is rumored my fire is corrupted and creates a toxic smoke that eats at living materials." He gave a moment to collect his next train of thought. " Though I have no idea if it has any effect on the undead," he said with a glance towards the west. Then with a sort of surprised yip, " not that I would plan to use it against you, or any number of those who serve you. I would rather you consider some form of alliance with the counsel. You seem like a very honorable dragon. Truth is Graguth would have loved to even try to ask his brother if it had an effect on the undead, but he was sure it would lead to some form of fight. Though meeting with Scolopendra was a good compromise. A dragon that had fought along side his grandfather was a very good compromise indeed.</s> <\|message\|>Ro Ro Ro roosted on top of his tower, unable to enter it due to his massive form his massive wings spanned out over the entire top leaving very little room for the group of followers who were arrayed out near the stair well. One of the mages he had in charge of necromancy bowed and spoke very nervously. "My lord, it's ready." Ro raised his head and looked the nervous man over. "Good..." He said, his voice shaking the man to his core, as the dragon rose and the minions quickly cleared the top of the tower as he took flight. His wings making a large gale of wind as he circled the tower and landed in the village square. As he drew near he heard what seemed to be a million voices enter his mind, the voices of his most loyal followers. "Master" They seemed to whisper in his head, as the undead in the city hailed their great leader. He owned them body and soul and he loved it. He heard the sounds of the door to the tower opening and out came a hideous beast, a dragon that had been twisted. Grafted onto it's skin were metal plates, and it's mind entered Ro's and it spoke in gibberish. Ro tried asserting his will over it but it resisted it's mind too broken it would need to go back and more experiments performed on it before he could control it. "It's no good, it won't listen go back to working on it." Ro snapped at the gathered mages who trembled at their lords anger. "Yes Dead Father." Said the leader who bowed and exited, rolling the beast back inside. Ro looked at the black legionnaire who seemed frightened of him. "Go and gather your leaders and empty the land we are going without the beast. And anyone who stands in our way will fall." Ro said, his voice calm but the anger that boiled beneath the surface came out, the legionnaire bowed and ran to go notify his leaders as once again Ro took flight and flew over his city more and more voices filling his mind as they cheered their leader and the aspect of feeding on the living.</s>	<\|message\|>Scolopendra Scolopendra repeated the small eruption of a laugh. Graguth was either quite blatantly trying to flatter, or his assessment of Scol was terribly off. Either way, the six heads implied a nod. "VERY. WELL." Curious about this peculiar flame breath itself, Scol began to perform its magic, a process that was never witnessed by human eyes before. It would give them an idea of how defenseless their deity was when performing this kind of magic, but that mattered little for the serpent. At this point, the humans would not consider rebelling, Scol simply gave them no reason to. Two of its heads fell into a low channeling tone, taking breath in turns so the deep sound would never be interrupted. They both stared blankly at something in the far distance beyond Graguth. Another two heads of the beast kept focused at the destined corpse, conducting snake-like movement through the air but keeping quiet. The main head spoke a few words, older than the dragon language itself. Words the corruption wrote into its mind, words not even the serpent itself fully understood. The sound of its voice nothing more than a whisper, but at the same time all-present and seemingly coming from all directions at once, including from inside the listeners head. After a few minutes of this procedure, the body slowly rose, with exhausted movements and visually tormented in incredible pain when the dead muscles broke free from the stasis of death. The undead turned around to face Graguth, and as its lips moved, so did the mouth of the sixth head of Scolopendra. The only sound however came from the still intact vocal chords of the dead man. "Go ahead." And he spread his arms as if to embrace what was coming his way.</s>
<\|description\|>Scolopendra Appearance - Appears like in the picture, as a six-headed snake-like dragon. Not seen in the picture is the long 'tail' of the creature and the two leg-like appendages protruding at roughly one third of its length. They are used as feet when moving across terrain, but can be utilized like hands when needed. Skills - Can breathe infinitely in water. Produces large amounts of brightly purple glowing bile that reacts like acid and eats through all sorts of organic tissue and anorganic materials in a matter of seconds, but has no effect on bones. Scales of other dragons are able to withstand the liquid decently, though if applied to gaping, open bite wounds it can have poison-like effects. Scolopendra has no wings and is thus unable to fly, but can move at an unexpectedly high speed over terrain and water through a combination of snake-like movements and short lunges using its two 'feet'. It can not speak to humans directly. Magical abilities - Is dabbling into sub-branches of necromancy, but only has very limited power over the dead. Scolopendra is ironically unable to uphold more than one undead existance at once, making this ability virtually useless outside of communication with humans. Scolopendra was part of Rylarths crusade through the landscape of darkness and undeath. It followed him to the top of Kothrath and saw the terrifying effect of the black rose. After Rylarths forces retreated from the devastated fields, Scol remained, intrigued by the magic that kept the undead fighting long after their bodies became useless. It stayed just long enough to observe Slonith fall victim to the roses corruption and fled into the Middle Sea on a self-imposed quest of quarantine, fearing both infection and infecting others. It took decades for Scol to be sighted again, its body changed by the fleeting influence of the black rose, but its mind had resisted the seeds of corruption. The once majestic dragon lost its wings during the long period of watery isolation, its scales blackened, devolved into a poison spewing monstrosity. Seeking contact to a human settlement at the cliffs near Witchlight Jungle, Scol found itself unable to communicate with the mortals, its frightening appearance causing panic and chaos. After remembering part of its studies on undead bodies back in the lands of shadow, it began to interact through the use of simple, undead emmissaries. While those too were met with suspicion and distrust at first, the dragons claims to protect their settlements if payed adequate respect soon led to a cult emerging from the locals. Time passed and the humans began to trust Scolopendra, began to worship it and built a temple at the cliffs in its name. While the 'Serpent's Temple' served as a home only to the cult directly worshipping the dragon, people in settlements all over the jungle enjoyed its protection and patronage. While it occasionally supplies its people with food and riches, neighbouring villages and settlements distrust those in favor of the sea beast, causing the population of the Witchlight Jungles to seclude themselves from political interaction and commerce with other cultures. The only thing Scolopendra demanded from its followers was one thing: bones. The bones of their dead, the bones of their livestock, the bones of their quarry. It remains a mystery what the creature needs bones for, and even the cult only knows that they are hoarded in large underground caves below the Serpent's Temple. Dishonoring their dead was a low price for the alliance with such a mighty being. After Scol established its reign over these jungles, it employed a human cult leader with the authority to enforce its will. It frequently shows itself to the cult, but only directly communicates with a chosen circle of cultist leaders. Only the inner circle is aware that the beast raids commerce shipments all over the Middle Sea to collect the treasure and goods it provides its country with, leaving no survivors to tell about it. Officially, ships simply...disappear. Nobody knows that Scolopendra is in fact using the people under its command only to hoard more bones, and that it would abandon them in an instant if it would lead to a favorable position. Holdings - Witchlight Jungle, northeastern parts of the Middle Sea The people in the Witchlight Jungles essentially hold no military strength, as they're living like an assortment of tribes, rather than a unified nation. Their housings often don't surpass clay or wood huts, as the terrain is mostly comprised of swampland and bogs. Their occasional temples are built from stone, and while they use metal tools and weapons the dragon supplies them with, the extend of actual metalworking is limited to small objects like earrings and accessories. There are four seperate tribes in the Witchlight Jungles, and while they keep seperated from one another most of the time, they have no tension or conflicts between one another. They are all more or less religiously bound to the dragon, which ties them together and isolates them from others. All four tribes can join the cult equally and are treated the same. The cult resides around the temple built in Scolopendra's honor, though there are few other temples scattered across the jungle. Members of the cult are generally respected by the entire population and retain certain privileges, like shelter or food no matter where they go, all tribes abide to this law. However, it is generally not regarded as a law, rather a matter of courtesy - there usually is no need to enforce it. While the dragon has never encouraged - nor disapproved of - the application of superstition and primitive magic, the people of the Witchlight Jungles are known for their unsettling practices and rites that gave the area its name to begin with. The cult is comprised of the inner circle, the official cult, voluntary cult workers, the dragons emissary and one, in very rare cases two oracles. The inner circle is a number of trusted members of the cult who are handpicked by the dragon itself. Age is not as much of a matter for this choice as is devotion and loyality. One of the inner circle is proclaimed the cult leader, and though the leader must come from this chosen group, the circle may vote for or decide on a leader independently, unless the dragon enforces the title upon someone specific. Members of the inner circle are not secret to the rest of the cult, but other members usually do not inquire, so the precise number is not known. The inner circle has no higher privilege than any other cult member, and their special tasks are unofficial in order to avoid jealousy, competitive ambition or treason. The cult as a whole represents the dragon and acts as its eyes. They act as a reminder that Scolopendra has many heads and countless pairs of eyes, and spend most of their time worshipping the beast, maintaining the temple and overlooking the settlements of all four tribes. Typically, cult members are seen in black cloaks and wearing masks depicting dragon heads similar to those of Scolopendra. As an initiation ritual, all cult members have to touch an artefact given to them by the dragon, one of its corrosive scales. This process burns the palm of one - typically the left one - of their hands, visually scarring it and rendering it numb and unable to feel pain. In rare cases, if the tissue regenerates enough to restore the sense of touch to that hand, it is seen as an omen and the person is often introduced to the inner circle as a result. Those gifted humans then go through aptitude tests to see if they are fit to act as oracles, which may communicate with the emissary - and thus the dragon - directly. Oracles attempt to foresee the future of the land, and to a lesser degree travel routes of merchant ships so that the dragon may intercept them at sea. The emissary is the dragon itself, manually controlling a single undead construct to communicate with the cult. Often it uses dead seafarers for this ordeal, but if none are available it may use newly deceased cult members. The emissary is not openly identifying itself outside of formal occasions and frequently 'infiltrates' the cult or regular villages to secretly check on its subordinates. There are rumors about this process but no official confirmation, not even in the inner circle. The people of the Witchlight Jungles have numerous cultural festivities at which they gather around one of their temples and feast, dance or chant accordingly. Not all of these events are in honor of the dragon, and not all of them include all four tribes. Current location - Middle Sea, Southwest of the Witchlight Jungle Allegiance - Independent. Personality - Scolopendra is a wrathful being, who violently defends its territory as long as it seems the favorable option. Trespassers should either beware, or approach the land of the serpent with formidable military prowess. It generally avoids contact to other dragons if possible. It assumes others, dragons and lesser races alike, to mistrust its tainted appearance, and thus welcomes them with an equal amount of suspicion if contact happens to occur. Any kind of creature that dares to enter its cave system without being summoned is met with uncontained hostility. While Scolopendra does not seem to be subject to a split personality disorder, like many other multi-headed dragons are, it has a rather bipolar personality. When speaking with other dragons, the six heads speak in a canonical manner, sometimes several of them at the same time, sometimes switching from head to head with every word. in honor of Rylarth</s> <\|message\|>Tsim Tsim Taking a step back from his great library, Tsim gazed upon it fondly as a new scroll was added to the collection. This one on the Razor-Quill Boars that made their home in the Desert of Flames. They really were quite interesting beasts. How they could survive the heat of the day was beyond him yet but he would learn eventually, he just needed to commission a scholar and maybe a hunter. Being as big as he was did have some disadvantages, alas there was no way of changing that. With That though he went on his way, it had been so very long since he had taken time for himself and decided now would be the time. Walking upon his great wings like a macabre bat Tsim left his cave and took to the skies after a long stretch of his odd wings. Soaring through the sky brought out a great glee from Tsim, for all his eloquence and knowledge he was still a dragon. Deciding to indulge on his baser pleasures he quickly flew and dove into the great sands of the desert and began to move through it like a serpent of the seas in search of a meal. Traveling swiftly through the sands Tsim found what he was looking for, relatively. Stopping his movements, Tsim raised from the sands slightly, only enough for his horn and snout to leave the sand. Smelling the air Tsim unveiled his target to be a Gurn, a large lumbering thing with tough meat but alot of it. The creature was old, exceedingly large, and at the end of its rope. Perfect. Dipping down back into the sand, Tsim dug deep before surging upwards and exploding from underneath the beast. Up in the air it rose as Tsims jaws punctured its rough hide and crushed the organs underneath, its death was painless and swift. After gorging on the soft innards and larger meats of the creature, Tsim took to the air once again and left the rest for the scavengers. After several circles he found the largest rock in the Desert of Flames, the uppermost part of a once great mountain, and laid himself upon its surface. Preparing for a long nap upon its sun warmed surface.</s> <\|message\|>Mist Mythrill Mist Mythrill – In the Jungle of Fangs Mist was lying in a tree, one of the very few tree's that that were able to support a dragons weight and size. From this perch of hers she could see her claimed land, land that she would fend of opponents if she has to. Mist was quite a knowledgeable dragon. She could tell if a wound was going to get infected or if a wound was going to kill you, but was also sweet kind and gentle to those that give her the respect she deserves. Mist then decided to clean her nice pristine scales and feathers, before she goes for a routine fight around the Jungle of Fangs making sure that no intruders were sneaking in and was watching her prey. Mist was making sure she knew where her prey moved to as she was going to hunt later and she would need to remember the route in which they take.</s> <\|message\|>Graguth Graguth The silver dragon watched in awe was Scolopendra raised the corpse. He had never see the dead raised, actually he'd hardly ever had to deal with the undead. It seemed that he was normally kept away from the east. Maybe the counsel feared that he might be even more corrupted if was on that side of the world. "Go ahead," the words brought him back to the matter at hand. Shaking his head, "Thank you for this. Making sure that Scolopendra was upwind of the resurrected corpse, Graguth circled the corpse. Breathing his corrupted purple fire around it. Making sure that he didn't set it on fire, he made a full circle. In closing the undead in a dark purple fire. The flame crackled lightly for a few moments producing no smoke until the it made a loud snapping noise. An almost clear cloud started rising from the corrupted flame. For a second it stopped, as if it was trying to plan it's next course of action. Then it inclosed the erected corpse in a grayed ball of smoke. Slowly it ate at the corpse's body. Within a few minutes it was little more then half eaten bones and bits of skin. It still seemed to be able to move, it was just fragile now. Graguth put out his flames with his claws then sat, he's eyes seemed to cloud with thoughts.</s>	<\|message\|>Scolopendra The constantly chanting main head of Scol didn't lose focus on the undead for even the fraction of a second, so it could observe in great detail what the effect of Graguths breath was. Not particularly impressed by the ability to melt away the already weakened flesh of an undead, it did wonder how the descendant of Rylarth had come to undergo a development of this kind, for the acidic nature presented in his breath was usually a trademark of corruption. Yet, he showed no signs of it, much unlike the beast before him. Also, it was delighted to see the bones of the dead bandit leader relatively unharmed. Though they would possibly give in to the corrosive gas, they could at least resist for a while. The great serpent pondered this silently, however. It gave Graguth several minutes to brood before it spoke up again, the sudden thunder of its otherworldly voice making the humans around them jump. The 'lesser' heads had wound down as well, recovered from the ritual. "WHAT. NOW." It became evident that Scolopendra wasn't quite used to this form of communication, but it also adressed multiple things at once. What would the dragon do with this knowledge? Was the result to his liking? Were there more experiments to be conducted? Many possible questions, and all the answers were of interest to the black hydra.</s>
<\|description\|>Scolopendra Appearance - Appears like in the picture, as a six-headed snake-like dragon. Not seen in the picture is the long 'tail' of the creature and the two leg-like appendages protruding at roughly one third of its length. They are used as feet when moving across terrain, but can be utilized like hands when needed. Skills - Can breathe infinitely in water. Produces large amounts of brightly purple glowing bile that reacts like acid and eats through all sorts of organic tissue and anorganic materials in a matter of seconds, but has no effect on bones. Scales of other dragons are able to withstand the liquid decently, though if applied to gaping, open bite wounds it can have poison-like effects. Scolopendra has no wings and is thus unable to fly, but can move at an unexpectedly high speed over terrain and water through a combination of snake-like movements and short lunges using its two 'feet'. It can not speak to humans directly. Magical abilities - Is dabbling into sub-branches of necromancy, but only has very limited power over the dead. Scolopendra is ironically unable to uphold more than one undead existance at once, making this ability virtually useless outside of communication with humans. Scolopendra was part of Rylarths crusade through the landscape of darkness and undeath. It followed him to the top of Kothrath and saw the terrifying effect of the black rose. After Rylarths forces retreated from the devastated fields, Scol remained, intrigued by the magic that kept the undead fighting long after their bodies became useless. It stayed just long enough to observe Slonith fall victim to the roses corruption and fled into the Middle Sea on a self-imposed quest of quarantine, fearing both infection and infecting others. It took decades for Scol to be sighted again, its body changed by the fleeting influence of the black rose, but its mind had resisted the seeds of corruption. The once majestic dragon lost its wings during the long period of watery isolation, its scales blackened, devolved into a poison spewing monstrosity. Seeking contact to a human settlement at the cliffs near Witchlight Jungle, Scol found itself unable to communicate with the mortals, its frightening appearance causing panic and chaos. After remembering part of its studies on undead bodies back in the lands of shadow, it began to interact through the use of simple, undead emmissaries. While those too were met with suspicion and distrust at first, the dragons claims to protect their settlements if payed adequate respect soon led to a cult emerging from the locals. Time passed and the humans began to trust Scolopendra, began to worship it and built a temple at the cliffs in its name. While the 'Serpent's Temple' served as a home only to the cult directly worshipping the dragon, people in settlements all over the jungle enjoyed its protection and patronage. While it occasionally supplies its people with food and riches, neighbouring villages and settlements distrust those in favor of the sea beast, causing the population of the Witchlight Jungles to seclude themselves from political interaction and commerce with other cultures. The only thing Scolopendra demanded from its followers was one thing: bones. The bones of their dead, the bones of their livestock, the bones of their quarry. It remains a mystery what the creature needs bones for, and even the cult only knows that they are hoarded in large underground caves below the Serpent's Temple. Dishonoring their dead was a low price for the alliance with such a mighty being. After Scol established its reign over these jungles, it employed a human cult leader with the authority to enforce its will. It frequently shows itself to the cult, but only directly communicates with a chosen circle of cultist leaders. Only the inner circle is aware that the beast raids commerce shipments all over the Middle Sea to collect the treasure and goods it provides its country with, leaving no survivors to tell about it. Officially, ships simply...disappear. Nobody knows that Scolopendra is in fact using the people under its command only to hoard more bones, and that it would abandon them in an instant if it would lead to a favorable position. Holdings - Witchlight Jungle, northeastern parts of the Middle Sea The people in the Witchlight Jungles essentially hold no military strength, as they're living like an assortment of tribes, rather than a unified nation. Their housings often don't surpass clay or wood huts, as the terrain is mostly comprised of swampland and bogs. Their occasional temples are built from stone, and while they use metal tools and weapons the dragon supplies them with, the extend of actual metalworking is limited to small objects like earrings and accessories. There are four seperate tribes in the Witchlight Jungles, and while they keep seperated from one another most of the time, they have no tension or conflicts between one another. They are all more or less religiously bound to the dragon, which ties them together and isolates them from others. All four tribes can join the cult equally and are treated the same. The cult resides around the temple built in Scolopendra's honor, though there are few other temples scattered across the jungle. Members of the cult are generally respected by the entire population and retain certain privileges, like shelter or food no matter where they go, all tribes abide to this law. However, it is generally not regarded as a law, rather a matter of courtesy - there usually is no need to enforce it. While the dragon has never encouraged - nor disapproved of - the application of superstition and primitive magic, the people of the Witchlight Jungles are known for their unsettling practices and rites that gave the area its name to begin with. The cult is comprised of the inner circle, the official cult, voluntary cult workers, the dragons emissary and one, in very rare cases two oracles. The inner circle is a number of trusted members of the cult who are handpicked by the dragon itself. Age is not as much of a matter for this choice as is devotion and loyality. One of the inner circle is proclaimed the cult leader, and though the leader must come from this chosen group, the circle may vote for or decide on a leader independently, unless the dragon enforces the title upon someone specific. Members of the inner circle are not secret to the rest of the cult, but other members usually do not inquire, so the precise number is not known. The inner circle has no higher privilege than any other cult member, and their special tasks are unofficial in order to avoid jealousy, competitive ambition or treason. The cult as a whole represents the dragon and acts as its eyes. They act as a reminder that Scolopendra has many heads and countless pairs of eyes, and spend most of their time worshipping the beast, maintaining the temple and overlooking the settlements of all four tribes. Typically, cult members are seen in black cloaks and wearing masks depicting dragon heads similar to those of Scolopendra. As an initiation ritual, all cult members have to touch an artefact given to them by the dragon, one of its corrosive scales. This process burns the palm of one - typically the left one - of their hands, visually scarring it and rendering it numb and unable to feel pain. In rare cases, if the tissue regenerates enough to restore the sense of touch to that hand, it is seen as an omen and the person is often introduced to the inner circle as a result. Those gifted humans then go through aptitude tests to see if they are fit to act as oracles, which may communicate with the emissary - and thus the dragon - directly. Oracles attempt to foresee the future of the land, and to a lesser degree travel routes of merchant ships so that the dragon may intercept them at sea. The emissary is the dragon itself, manually controlling a single undead construct to communicate with the cult. Often it uses dead seafarers for this ordeal, but if none are available it may use newly deceased cult members. The emissary is not openly identifying itself outside of formal occasions and frequently 'infiltrates' the cult or regular villages to secretly check on its subordinates. There are rumors about this process but no official confirmation, not even in the inner circle. The people of the Witchlight Jungles have numerous cultural festivities at which they gather around one of their temples and feast, dance or chant accordingly. Not all of these events are in honor of the dragon, and not all of them include all four tribes. Current location - Middle Sea, Southwest of the Witchlight Jungle Allegiance - Independent. Personality - Scolopendra is a wrathful being, who violently defends its territory as long as it seems the favorable option. Trespassers should either beware, or approach the land of the serpent with formidable military prowess. It generally avoids contact to other dragons if possible. It assumes others, dragons and lesser races alike, to mistrust its tainted appearance, and thus welcomes them with an equal amount of suspicion if contact happens to occur. Any kind of creature that dares to enter its cave system without being summoned is met with uncontained hostility. While Scolopendra does not seem to be subject to a split personality disorder, like many other multi-headed dragons are, it has a rather bipolar personality. When speaking with other dragons, the six heads speak in a canonical manner, sometimes several of them at the same time, sometimes switching from head to head with every word. in honor of Rylarth</s> <\|message\|>Balerion the Black Dread Balerion Balerion was now on his last crisped mammoth carcass. He had already consumed the others quickly, not wanting to be out in the open for lengthy periods of time. They are spies and assassins everywhere and Balerion's recent atrocities would surely bring unwelcomed visitors to his land. He was just about to finish up the meal, but before he latched his jaws around the mammoth he could faint flapping of wings. Balerion paused momentarily, taking the time to peak over the horizon. It seems a few figures were approaching him, but from this distant he couldn't tell who was coming. Although, by their pace they didn't seem hostile. Balerion however decided to finish up his meal before a potential confrontation takes place. He turns back towards the mammoth and takes the entire thing in his jaws, lifting his neck up and swallowing the mammal whole. It was then that the four mystery dragons landed, taking the attention of Balerion who turned around slowly. The carcass could be seen in his throat, slowly moving its way down. Balerion licked his lips, now knowing who in front of him. "Much time has passed indeed, Drumagth, a pleasure as always. By all means," Balerion stated. "You may enter through my lands without fear of me. You've earned my respect many years ago, friend." There was a small pause before Balerion continued, "News? What news brings the mighty Drumagth to my realm?"</s> <\|message\|>Graguth Graguth With the call of approval, the silver dragon landed beside the twins. He bowed for a moment, "hello, I am Graguth grandson of Rylarth. The Council has sent me to seek you out. " he paused for a moment, looking over the dragon in front of him. Little was known about the twins, but he was told that they could be a good ally. Figuring he should find out some information,"and if you don't mind, could you tell about yourselves." Graguth hoped he was not being to forward, but was interested in the odd pair before him. After a moment he realized that the smell of old death was in the air. Looking around he saw the old corpse's of the long dead dwarves. Hopefully this didn't effect the Council's choices. Drumagth Settling himself before speaking, "you do me honor Balerion. I was somewhat surprised you didn't attend this meeting." the other three dragons settling down behind him, resting for the long flight ahead. Continuing now, "after about a hour or two of useless bickering, I addressed the Order with the matter of the portal in the north. As you know we are not like our forfathers. Who had no will of their own. With the fact that a doorway to that weed is around is both helpful and hindering. If we allow the rose to take back control of use then the world would be pushed into another pointless war that it is not ready for. I have persuaded the Order to march on the shadow lands to destroy the bush. At the moment we are working on building our armies, also we are trying to reach out to the Elders." The last part of his monolog seemed to stick in his throat. As if it was not happy to come out. With a sigh, "I would like to ask that you be loyal to me instead of the Order. I do not trust the ones I work with,and I'd rather not lose such a powerful ally." thoughts seemed to cloud his eyes. His gaze shifting to the west for a moment before snapping back, "Also, your neighbor has joined us." He flicked his tail towards the direction of Smaug's lands.</s> <\|message\|>Balerion the Black Dread Balerion "I was not given an invitation..." Balerion mentioned quietly as he watched the other dragons with Drumagth land. "...The Rose," mumbled the black wyrm. "I know of it well. It seems as if an eon has gone by since I last seen its hellish petals. I fought alongside Rylarth against Corruption, as you may already know." Balerion would shortly say, recalling his past. "This is a lot you are asking of me, Drumagth... but I know the Rose's power better than almost anyone. I know what it is capable of, the power it has locked away. Too once again see the horrors of that war, I would see it destroyed once and for all." The Black Dread would then eye Drumagth with a queer eye, the second part of his message was much more of a harder question to answer. "Smaug? Ha, I did not think that was ever possible." He then stopped to gather everything that was said, but he quickly gave a small response to allow him some needed time, "Give me a moment," replied Balerion. A few seconds would pass and Balerion quickly continued, "You are not the only one to question the Order, Drumagth." He said, implying that he himself never truly trusted them for rather obvious reason. "Very well. I shall lend you my wings, but do not dare mention this to anyone. For if the Order found out that my allegiance was no longer a sure thing, they would surely see to my end, albeit if they are brave enough to approach my land..."</s>	<\|message\|>Scolopendra After Graguth left its land, the black serpent decided to linger in the area for just a bit longer. It stared at the body gnawed up by the dragons unique fire, the remaining corpses and the scorched earth where the fire burned, earlier. Deep in thought, Scol cared little about its followers slowly increasing in numbers to witness the rare sight of their god-like entity. The hydra remained for almost an hour, at which point a caravan of cultists began their journey from the Serpent's Temple to this very location, accompanied by the oracle itself. Scolopendra had sent images of the meeting with Graguth to its subordinate, and expressed the order for them to pick up the ashes of the odd fire, to preserve it until further notice. The same moment said caravan was set into motion, Scolopendra retreated from the borders of its land, towards the shores and its hidden cave system. The trail of destroyed fauna describing this little journey would likely be visible for a year or two, before the rapidly healing jungle would swallow every trace of it.</s>
<\|description\|>Tsim Appearance - Skills - Tsim travels quickly through the sands, swimming through it like a great fish or worm. This ability has also taught him the mastery of ambush. However Tsim is a scholar first and for most, with a wealth of knowledge, relics, and treasures at his disposal. Mostly willing to trade stories and talks of Culture rather than devour you. Magical abilities - Tsim has extensive knowledge in the magic of illusion and is able to cast from a wide pool of spells. His only offensive abilities is his breath, taking the form of a solid stream of intense heat. Backstory - Tsim has always been an advocate for peace among dragon kind, staying out of any and all major conflicts in recent history much like his forbears did. Sure when he was young and reckless he would go out and fight like a sword on the wind but those days have long since past after a run in with a very large and very powerful dragon. The batter was short lived and it shattered Tsim's confidence in his indestructability gained from youth. After nursing his wounds, Tsim dedicated himself to the work his ancestors started, the advancement and preservation of knowledge. Through this pursuit Tsim has traveled throughout many lands, scouring desolate ruins from long dead civilizations and digging for their knowledge, treasures, and secrets. During one of these expeditions Tsim traveled to a dwarven hold, so ancient it was nearly recognizable as being such. In it he found many things, old tomes, hordes of gold, and mighty arms and armor. However there was something dark inside the depths, something that could never reach the surface nor could anyone else find it. To prevent its discovery Tsim called upon his strongest mystical allies and together they hid the opening with a powerful illusion, causing anyone to come close to voluntarily decide to turn around and leave. In addition he moved his holding to the Desert of Flames for further protection and now lives as the guardian of Ulthage. Holdings- The Desert of Flames Current location- The Horde of Knowledge, Tsim's personal library. Allegiance- Independent, several colleges of study and research. Other - IN HONOR OF RYLATH - In generally a pacifist, but will fight tooth and nail when provoked. - Harbors no ill will towards humans or dwarves, no one is responsible for their ancestors actions. - Has a live and let live policy with the corrupted and even has a friend among the more mellow members.</s> <\|message\|>Smaug Smaug An hour after he took flight from his home at Lonely Mountain, he encounters the dragon who disturbs his rest. Beyza. He comes to a halt as his wings continued to put him afloat. "WHO ARE YOU that would stand against me?" he answers back with a growl and a flare from his lips, "You have disturbed the peace of my land. You have awakened me from my beauty sleep, including my WRATH that comes with it! Turn back now, while you still can, or I will rip you apart, limb from limb!"</s> <\|message\|>Beyza the Hunter Beyza. A huff of smoke expelled from his barely visible nostrils, a crimson hue emanating from his chest. This dragon must have been corrupted or something, to believe that he could travel into his territory and command him to leave was direct challenge to himself. He flapped his wings harsh, throwing the currents towards the challenger. "You're in my land," he told him, a growl echoing in his throat. "You have but one more chance before I send you to Rylarth."</s> <\|message\|>Smaug Smaug Smaug was not daunted by Beyza's display. Soon, his chest began to glow a fiery orange hue from his chest, with fire brewing right at the back of his throat. He then suddenly boasts out a laugh as his wings also began to beat faster. "Rylath you say?" Smaug sneers as his voice begins to boom, "You are forsaken... no HELP will come!"</s> <\|message\|>Beyza the Hunter Beyza. "I need no help for the likes of you. I will rip your wings you and send you spiraling to the depths." He flew off towards Smaug, spiraling in a fashion that brought him over the large reptile. He brought his talons down onto space that connected his shoulders and wings, ready to through his flight off balance with powerful force.</s> <\|message\|>Smaug Smaug As soon as Beyza began to speed at him, Smaug roars as he speeds towards him with thundering speeds. Yet it fell short once his wings got caught by the talons of his enemy. Roaring in rage and pain, his neck then bites Beyza's tail, allowing him to escape the talons and beginning coming back for another attack.</s> <\|message\|>Beyza the Hunter Beyza. Pain rippled up his tail, making him release the dragon in hurry. In the next moment however, he sped towards the dragon. It was a risky move but risks were meant to be made. He let out a fierce roar and charged the beast, hoping to pierce his back or wings. A dragon's wings were pretty weak, even if they were bulky and strong.</s> <\|message\|>Scolopendra Scolopendra The six headed serpent let loose a thundering growl from all its heads simultaneously, sounding much like thunder in a great distance and only very remotely like a single, short laugh. 'Lord Scolopendra' was certainly no title anyone ever thought of adressing it with before. It kept its distance while the dragon spoke, and only after he finished Scol opened the maw of its main head and two smaller ones so speak in the old dragon tongue, incomprehensible for its human followers, and further distorted from not really using its vocal chords in centuries. Even to Graguth it would sound thick with accent and rattling with the burning acid in its throat. "DESCENDANT. OF. RYLARTH." Every word came from the main head, but also from one of the insignificantly smaller ones, and the latter changed with every word. The monster nodded all of its heads once, paying respect to the bloodline for a brief moment before picking up again. "WHAT. KIND. OF. EXPERIMENT." Though the pile of corpses was a rather obvious tell, Scol didn't know just how much the council knew about its abilities. It didn't bother with how far the rumors originating at the borders of the Witchlight Jungle travel around the world. For the first time, it pondered how much good or bad the spreading superstition could do to its plans. Either way, it would have Graguth spell it out himself, eager to learn if the world was over- or underestimating its abilities.</s> <\|message\|>Smaug Smaug Yet as Beyza sped towards the mighty Smaug, the crimson dragon was already ready for a counter attack. He snarls as his belly began to light up with a fiery hue and blasts fire all over his enemy. He will not allow such a measly dragon to beat him! He then swoops towards Beyza, trying to latch onto his giant side horns.</s> <\|message\|>Graguth Graguth was slightly surprised by the accent, but tried not to show it. He did have a small shine of excitement in his eyes in his otherwise composed expression. "The experiment would consist of you raising one of these bandits for me to breath fire around. As is rumored my fire is corrupted and creates a toxic smoke that eats at living materials." He gave a moment to collect his next train of thought. " Though I have no idea if it has any effect on the undead," he said with a glance towards the west. Then with a sort of surprised yip, " not that I would plan to use it against you, or any number of those who serve you. I would rather you consider some form of alliance with the counsel. You seem like a very honorable dragon. Truth is Graguth would have loved to even try to ask his brother if it had an effect on the undead, but he was sure it would lead to some form of fight. Though meeting with Scolopendra was a good compromise. A dragon that had fought along side his grandfather was a very good compromise indeed.</s> <\|message\|>Ro Ro Ro roosted on top of his tower, unable to enter it due to his massive form his massive wings spanned out over the entire top leaving very little room for the group of followers who were arrayed out near the stair well. One of the mages he had in charge of necromancy bowed and spoke very nervously. "My lord, it's ready." Ro raised his head and looked the nervous man over. "Good..." He said, his voice shaking the man to his core, as the dragon rose and the minions quickly cleared the top of the tower as he took flight. His wings making a large gale of wind as he circled the tower and landed in the village square. As he drew near he heard what seemed to be a million voices enter his mind, the voices of his most loyal followers. "Master" They seemed to whisper in his head, as the undead in the city hailed their great leader. He owned them body and soul and he loved it. He heard the sounds of the door to the tower opening and out came a hideous beast, a dragon that had been twisted. Grafted onto it's skin were metal plates, and it's mind entered Ro's and it spoke in gibberish. Ro tried asserting his will over it but it resisted it's mind too broken it would need to go back and more experiments performed on it before he could control it. "It's no good, it won't listen go back to working on it." Ro snapped at the gathered mages who trembled at their lords anger. "Yes Dead Father." Said the leader who bowed and exited, rolling the beast back inside. Ro looked at the black legionnaire who seemed frightened of him. "Go and gather your leaders and empty the land we are going without the beast. And anyone who stands in our way will fall." Ro said, his voice calm but the anger that boiled beneath the surface came out, the legionnaire bowed and ran to go notify his leaders as once again Ro took flight and flew over his city more and more voices filling his mind as they cheered their leader and the aspect of feeding on the living.</s> <\|message\|>Scolopendra Scolopendra repeated the small eruption of a laugh. Graguth was either quite blatantly trying to flatter, or his assessment of Scol was terribly off. Either way, the six heads implied a nod. "VERY. WELL." Curious about this peculiar flame breath itself, Scol began to perform its magic, a process that was never witnessed by human eyes before. It would give them an idea of how defenseless their deity was when performing this kind of magic, but that mattered little for the serpent. At this point, the humans would not consider rebelling, Scol simply gave them no reason to. Two of its heads fell into a low channeling tone, taking breath in turns so the deep sound would never be interrupted. They both stared blankly at something in the far distance beyond Graguth. Another two heads of the beast kept focused at the destined corpse, conducting snake-like movement through the air but keeping quiet. The main head spoke a few words, older than the dragon language itself. Words the corruption wrote into its mind, words not even the serpent itself fully understood. The sound of its voice nothing more than a whisper, but at the same time all-present and seemingly coming from all directions at once, including from inside the listeners head. After a few minutes of this procedure, the body slowly rose, with exhausted movements and visually tormented in incredible pain when the dead muscles broke free from the stasis of death. The undead turned around to face Graguth, and as its lips moved, so did the mouth of the sixth head of Scolopendra. The only sound however came from the still intact vocal chords of the dead man. "Go ahead." And he spread his arms as if to embrace what was coming his way.</s>	<\|message\|>Tsim Taking a step back from his great library, Tsim gazed upon it fondly as a new scroll was added to the collection. This one on the Razor-Quill Boars that made their home in the Desert of Flames. They really were quite interesting beasts. How they could survive the heat of the day was beyond him yet but he would learn eventually, he just needed to commission a scholar and maybe a hunter. Being as big as he was did have some disadvantages, alas there was no way of changing that. With That though he went on his way, it had been so very long since he had taken time for himself and decided now would be the time. Walking upon his great wings like a macabre bat Tsim left his cave and took to the skies after a long stretch of his odd wings. Soaring through the sky brought out a great glee from Tsim, for all his eloquence and knowledge he was still a dragon. Deciding to indulge on his baser pleasures he quickly flew and dove into the great sands of the desert and began to move through it like a serpent of the seas in search of a meal. Traveling swiftly through the sands Tsim found what he was looking for, relatively. Stopping his movements, Tsim raised from the sands slightly, only enough for his horn and snout to leave the sand. Smelling the air Tsim unveiled his target to be a Gurn, a large lumbering thing with tough meat but alot of it. The creature was old, exceedingly large, and at the end of its rope. Perfect. Dipping down back into the sand, Tsim dug deep before surging upwards and exploding from underneath the beast. Up in the air it rose as Tsims jaws punctured its rough hide and crushed the organs underneath, its death was painless and swift. After gorging on the soft innards and larger meats of the creature, Tsim took to the air once again and left the rest for the scavengers. After several circles he found the largest rock in the Desert of Flames, the uppermost part of a once great mountain, and laid himself upon its surface. Preparing for a long nap upon its sun warmed surface.</s>
<\|description\|>Bradley Stanwick Age: 16 Appearance: Image, description, or both: Attire: Usually wears jeans, tight v-neck short sleeve shirts and low Adidas shoes. Often can be seen wearing a varsity jacket of Brewster High. Grade: 14/15- Freshman 15/16: Sophomore 16/17: Junior 17/18: Senior Schedule: 1st: Contemporary US studies 2nd: Algebra II Homeroom 3rd: Chemistry 4th: Art Lunch 5th: Gym 6th: Spanish 7th: English 8th: Varsity Football Bio: Bradley is a local brought up in a home of two loving parents and an older brother. His mother Melissa works as a nurse at the local health clinic. His father Sean, a local football legend during his high school days who's career was cut short after a back injury, now owns a small hardware store. His abruptly ended career and bitterness that followed made him push Bradley to his limits which put a significant strain on the boy. Brad, unlike his older brother Michael, had shown some of his father's talent did not go to waste which made his old man push him even further, aiming to send his son to the NFL - a personal goal of his from the old days. However, his father's obsession with athleticism rubbed off too strongly on his son who believed it is the only thing he should focus on, making him almost completely disregard his education, averaging at C- in his Sophomore year. His brother, although a douche like his younger sibling, is currently attending college in South Carolina. Bradley's fanatical love for sports and a head injury here and there made him somewhat of a meat head, although he's not a complete imbecile. Though he may not be very interested in schooling he's very familiar with partying, underage drinking and smashing mailboxes while intoxicated. His friends describe him as the kind of guy that is the soul of every party - a loud, funny, sometimes obnoxiously drunk and rude, yet stupidly charming (usually with ulterior and non-chivalrous motives) young man. His best friends are two jocks he grew up with, Matthew Reed and Tyler Burke.</s> <\|message\|>Bradley Stanwick As the sunlight protruded through the curtains and crawled up to Brad's bed, the young man was still sound asleep. He partied the night before in total disregard for the first day of school, celebrating the last day of summer with his best friends. The room was fuggy and reeking of alcohol. The smelly socks and sweaty t-shirts lying around the room and a half eaten pizza from last week didn't help either. Surely enough, he even forgot to set the alarm. Luckily, his mother knows her Brad's bad habits and decided to wake him up personally. The stumping of her feet as she climbed the stairs to Brad's room jerked the boy out of sleep as a reaction to an uneasy feeling whenever he hears someone coming over. He didn't quite get up, though, he waited with his bleary eyes for his mother to enter the room and tell him to get up instead, as if the extra few seconds actually matter. The doors shrieked open as a woman in her mid forties entered it with caution and to her surprise almost immediately covered her nose with her hand to tone down the stench: "Christ, Brad. Get up. You'll be late for school." "I'm up, ma."- said the boy from under the cover in slow-motion, almost as if he was sedated. "Now."- the irritated mother responded as she turned around to leave before diverting her head back again in disgust: "And for God's sake, clean up a bit". It took him about 10 minutes rolling in bed before finally creeping out and slowly making his way to the closet to pick out something to wear, before going for a shower. The cold water in a warm summer morning felt like a good idea. In fact, it felt so good it took him another twenty minutes just to get out and dry off before dressing. As he made his way down the stairs to get something to eat, he found his parents sitting and drinking coffee by the dinner table, his father reading newspapers while his mother cleaning up after the two in a rush. "Oh shoot, can I have some cereal?"- he asked politely, realizing he's late for breakfast. "I told you to get down like half an hour ago."- his mother snapped back in annoyance -"If you want to eat something make it yourself. I'm late for work, and I suggest you hurry up because your school starts in less than twenty minutes". At this point Brad glanced over the clock that was hanging off the wall in their dining room, realizing he's in a bad spot "Ohhh crap crap crap!", he repeated as he rushed over to the cupboards to take out the cereals and then stepped over by the fridge to take out the milk. He quickly poured the two in a bowl while continuously looking back at the clock. This chaotic behavior was observed by his father who was calmly slurping his last drops of coffee: "You might wanna pack some books while you're at it". Young man instantly squirted the milk back into the bowl to his father's disgust as he suddenly understood he forgot to pack his backpack. He quickly spilled the bowl in the sink and rushed back up to his room to get his things ready. Okay, okay. Calm down. It's your school, bro. What could happen? You're never late. Classes are just early. -he encouraged himself as he rushed back down with the backpack hanging off from his right shoulder and stormed through the front door while casually raising his right arm to say bye to his dad. As he got out he checked his wrist watch that now said he had only 10 minutes left to get to class. Alright. No problem. I just gotta drive a bit faster. I can totally pull this off. -he thought as he sat down in his '68 Camaro and took off in a rush.</s> <\|message\|>Briar Peyre Briar was dying. She was sure of it. That could be the only explanation to what felt like a power drill making several hundred holes in her skull while her brain was being trampled upon by a herd of elephants. She attempted to open her eyes, which took a lot more effort than she'd remembered, and immediately found that an extremely bright light kept her from being successful in her endeavor. Was she in heaven? That couldn't be. She was pretty sure if there was an afterlife, she already had a throne set up for her in hell. "Hey," a booming voice pierced her eardrums next, "wake up. Your sister is here." Oh. She was definitely in hell. Briar groaned, which only proved to make her headache worse, but she forced her eyes open. She stretched her limbs and allowed her eyes to focus on the room again, thankful that the light had been turned off. As the burning of her eyelids lessened, memories from the night prior began to rise up to the forefront of her mind again. "You were pretty smashed last night, bro." Briar waved her hand dismissively at Hans, a heavily-muscled brute that Briar discovered really had a heart of gold. He'd been her right-hand man since she entered high school. Briar turned to the bedside table and grabbed the glass of water set there. After she took it along with some advil, she extended her hand for Hans to help her up. The 'last-day-of-vacation' party the night before had been particularly wild, and Briar understood why. Most of the people there were seniors, and they hadn't seemed prepared to handle a world outside of their high school kingdom. "You're going to be late." Briar shrugged as she entered Hans' bathroom. "Don't really care," she replied, which got her a light-hearted chuckle from Hans. Briar showered and got her things ready, which didn't really take more than half an hour. She donned her usual attire - a band shirt and ripped jeans paired with her converse - and put on a pair of sunglasses. She walked out of Hans' apartment, with the man handing her a stick of cigarette on her way out, and entered her sister's car, ignoring Aster's stern glare. She rolled down the window and lit the cigarette, much to Aster's dismay, and watched as the scenery passed them by. The car soon came to a halt outside the high school's gate. "Make this year different, Briar," Aster pleaded with her. Briar scoffed and took a final drag of her cigarette as she got out. "Gotcha, Herr Fuhrer." She added a salute to that before turning on her heel and walking away from her sister. She flicked the cigarette in the direction of a random freshman, and made her way inside. She looked for her locker, knowing that with the administration's hate for her, it'd probably be placed near the bathrooms or the AV club room. To her surprise, her locker was placed along with the other juniors' lockers and she grinned. She stepped beside another junior - Isabella or whatever, Briar didn't really remember. She seemed to be having a bit of trouble opening up her locker, and the noise was making Briar's headache act up again. "Here," she offered, not waiting for a reply before she hit the edge of Isabella's locker with her fist. When she saw that it opened, she moved to open her locker with ease.</s> <\|message\|>Wyatt Howie A siren echoed through the whole house, louder and louder. Wyatt slowly opened his eyes, "Silver" he said quietly. A another voice spoke, but it wasn't that of a humans, it sounded more like a robot... "Yes Master?" it said. Wyatt sat up on his bed, "Alarm off, please" and just like that the siren stopped. Wyatt got up and sluggishly walked to the shower, "Shall I have breakfast ready master? Toast?" it asked. "Thank you silver, whatever will be nice." Once Wyatt was out of the shower he put on his Grey hoodie, black jeans and skater shoes. "Have fun at school, master" was all that could be heard as Wyatt left his house. He looked around the neighbourhood and his face never changed, bored. He put on his ipod and headphones and proceeded to walk to school. Wyatt knew the layout of this school like no one else. He knew the ways to get to where he wanted without any human contact. Wyatt headed straight for his first class, Contemporary US Studies.</s> <\|message\|>Bradley Stanwick (For your enjoyment, play "Jet - Are you gonna be my girl" while reading) Loud screams of tires and the smell of burnt rubber was spreading through the town as Brad didn't hold back on the gas pedal trying to get to school in time. The sound of "Are you gonna be my girl" was bursting out from his radio as was evident to everyone in the school yard before he even got there. The smoke from the exhaust pipe of his old Camaro rising above the school's fence alerted everyone that Hot Menace is back, baby! -as he noted to himself. He made a sharp turn while still in gear and entered the school parking lot where there were still kids hanging out and going towards the school. I don't even know why I doubted myself. Self five. -he thought as he came to understand he made it just in time. He got out of his well kept old-timer and took his bag from the back seat before heading towards the school entrance. As he made his way people he passed by gave him casual stares, almost as if they were disappointed he was back. But he took it as a welcoming committee and let out his signature loud whistling noise- "WOOO!" -as he slammed the front door behind him. He had a relaxing walk towards his locker while hand-clasping a few buddies and saying hello to some girls along the way with only two minutes left before the class started while everyone around him was in haste. He left the excess books in the locker and proceeded to his first class - Contemporary US studies.</s> <\|message\|>Merle Sol Merle walked to her locker, head down ignoring everything around her. She fumbled with her locker but managed to open the stupid thing. Merle hoped with all her might that there weren't any of her 8th grade classmates in her class. They hated Merle. The had bullied Merle almost all of last year and Merle did not feel like repeating that hell. Merle grabbed her books and headed to her first class. Merle's first class was world history. Fabulous. history first thing in the morning. Nothing exciting just history, in a class filled with already tired students.</s> <\|message\|>Jake Daniels Jake walked into the school. He was given his schedule early, and found out that he had Contemporary US Studies, one of his honor classes. If Jake wasn't a musician at heart, he would be a history teacher. He found his way to the class, being a minute late. "Hey there! I'm guessing you're Jake?" A man in his late 20s said this. "Yeah. Sorry about being late, it won't happen again." He said this and sat down. "It's ok, haha. I know you just moved here." The man laughed a bit as he said that. "Nice shirt, by the way." The man pulled up a PowerPoint, and explained the class. "My name, if you haven't had me, is Mr. Weber..."</s>	<\|message\|>Bradley Stanwick As Brad entered the classroom the first person he noticed was his bro, Tyler - a 6-foot-one African American wide receiver who immediately smiled at him as his eyebrows raised in excitement at the sight of his best friend. Brad sat down by Tyler as was their usual place, in the back of the classroom. "Bro, have you heard from Matt?"- Tyler interrogated. "Nah, man. What's up?"- Brad curiously answered back. "I heard he got in trouble with his parents after coming home last night."- Tyler explained with a slight grin on his face- "Apparently he mistakenly went to his parents' bedroom and went all out pissing on their bed." The sheer thought of this 5'11 goofy kid who's their best friend drunk as a skunk, wobbling while attempting to hold balance, skipping from one foot to the other, urinating on his parents' marital bed made them burst out in laughter. The chat was cut short as at that point the teacher walked in. "Good morning, class. I am Mr. Daniels and I will be your teacher this year"- the man said who was apparently in his mid forties. He is wearing a plaid shirt under a sweater and some pants and loafers. He has an unusually thick brown hair with some patches of grays on the sides and a pen that was hanging off his sweater pocket on the right side of the chest. "I am going to skip the introduction with you guys so I can focus more on the subject."- he said confidently while standing above his desk looking over the classroom- "I will learn your names as time goes on and I expect you all to do your homework and studying on time". Sure thing, boss.- thought Brad as looked at his new professor in annoyance. "The first topic is the Reconstruction period of 1865-1877. after the Civil war, so please open your books to page 5."- Mr. Daniels continued as the class obediently followed his instructions.</s>
<\|description\|>Drysyval Magiavan Occupation: Councilmen of the The Order of The Silver Twilight Race: Breton Class: Mage Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: Drysyval comes off as a good person, wiling to do whatever it takes to keep his people (Mages) safe. He has a thirst for knowledge that will never be quenched as long as their information he doesn't know. Unlike others, he doesn't prohibit the study of any magic, believing that all magic is a form art that must be studied, and practiced. The magic itself isn't evil, only the person who uses the magic. All in all, the masses view him as a good man who wants nothing more than to advance magic further to assist people. Now for the kind of person Drysyval really is. While is thirst for knowledge is a fact, he cares very little about the mages who work for him. They are nothing more than pawns who serve his ultimate agenda, Divinity. His desire is to learn a way to ascend to godhood through power and magic alone. He wants to become the ultimate being, one who could submit all before his might, even the gods themselves will tremble before this supreme deity. He is charismatic, and this has led him to help create the new guild. Weapons: Staff of Frost Atronach, Hood and Robes of fortify Conjuration, Rings and Amulets of Fortify Magika, Ring of Spell Absorption and boots of resist Frost. Bio: Drysyval was born to a family with a long line of mages in High Rock. His family focused on Conjuration, all forms of it. Young Drysyval was no stranger to corpses, and making them do his bidding. He was considered a prodigy in this art, and brought on the envy of his peers. People within the magical community, especially Conjuration, began to speak of the young man, not that he truly cared. All he cared about was being the best, and the impressions of others meant nothing. Even at a young age, Drysuval was studying, and trying to find the key to ascension. He would use his fame, knowledge, and skill to find out the secret, and become the greatest. He even began to study enchantment, in the hope that the key could be hidden within the art, especially with soul gems. When he became of age, and his fame had done nothing but continue spread around Tamriel, he and several other mages opened up a new Mage guild, one that wouldn't turn away any form of magic, and embraced the idea of furthering all magic. Since it is his job to spread the guild's influence, he has made friends with many mages during his travels. He is currently trying his best to spread it around Tamriel, and will do all in his power to do so. His best strategy is Cheese for Everyone.</s> <\|message\|>Skharn Chapter One: The Teeth in the Darkness He remembered little of that night, some years ago. Just flashing, blurring images that played themselves over and over in his primitive, little brain. A warrior of steel and darkness, ambushing him as he dozed through another winter's night in the frozen north of Skyrim. It was a brief, but fierce battle. He could not remember clearly, how he had howled as the blade cut his flesh, and he could not remember with certainty the taste of his adversary's life blood on his fangs. The only thing he knew with certainty, was that he became afraid, and he fled. He abandoned his home, running like no creature ever should, from a warrior of steel and darkness. And that memory was a pain that his simplistic mental mechanisms could not understand. Though, a more advanced creature, such as Man, would describe it simply as hurt pride. As it happened, hurt pride was a big issue for such a beast as Skharn. As the bear reached the the summit of the icy peak, he paused briefly to take a much needed respite. The snow was pouring down in droves, and even his thick mane was a meagre defence against the bone cutting chill. But the cold did not trouble this bear, for primitive thoughts of revenge were means enough to keep him warm. Skharn was a name given to the bear by the Forsworn, a peoples he had stalked for many days and nights as he continued his search for the warrior of steel and darkness. In their native tongue, it simply meant "Anger" - their only true means of summing up the monster that took more of their number with each passing day. It meant little to the bear, but enough to know the word was a warning of danger. The name Skharn had spread, as tall tails of a seven headed dragon covered in fur made its way to all four corners of Skyrim. Indeed, famed hunters had pursued the beast, but with little luck. Despite no sightings, the stories never went away, and indeed, countless dozens of deaths on the country's remote roads and city outskirts were often attributed to Skharn. So when the bear heard he name "Skharn", it knew someone had seen him. Knew someone was afraid. Knew someone was about to try and kill him. The dim lights of Winterhold's ruined form were of little concern to Skharn. He hadn't travelled to the frozen north, covering three hundred miles in three days, to look upon another human settlement. Nor had he come to take note of the giant man made mountain behind it. No, he was following someone. An Altmer - the Elderborn - had happened by the bear's temporary dwelling a week previous. Though Skharn lacked the mental capacity to reason well, he understood immediately that the Elf was someone of power. Someone, who if not attacked in the correct manner, could very well kill the bear. So as Skharn, not wanting to bite off more than he could chew, went to resume his slumber, he noticed something else. He didn't know what it was, but it agitated him, spreading unrest into his mind and limbs. A man may have romantically referred to this as the hands of fate, pulling Skharn to his destiny. Whatever it was, Skharn felt the urge to follow the Elf. And follow he did. For days and nights, the bear shadowed the Elf, always keeping out of sight and using his nose to follow his quarry's trail. As the ground turned to ice, the further North they went, the scent became harder to follow, and for a time, Skharn lost his target. It was only the very brief memory of a settlement nearby, and a bear's natural talent for remembering pre-travelled routes, that he was able to find Winterhold. And now Skharn would wait, watching from the blizzard for an Elf whose importance to him made little sense.</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Brannus chuckled, the Argonian was no novice, nor was she a fool. "I can assure you, miss, everything here is as it should be, I've no use for trinkets and gems, and the wood provides us with more than enough fresh meat and water. Now, as you said, let us not stand here in the cold for too long, the chill must be much worse against your scales, and many beasts are fond of roaming the snow. So, let us talk of payment, what are you prepared to give in exchange for these goods?" The snow and glacial winds battered against the large nord's armor ice crystals forming over colder steel. Snow began to cake the many pelts and furs Brannus wore draped over his shoulders, and the wyrm skull mounted upon his right shoulder-guard. The smell of the raw meat and decaying flesh were all that could be found amid sterile snow and ice, their decay and rot slowed by the cold, ice holding some of the mutilated bodies together, slowly cracking and shifting as the chill began to fill each and every crevice of necrotic flesh. Wolves could be heard, howling in the distance, as was common of the tundra, they seemed to join the great winds in song, crying out for blood, to take their prey together with claw and frost.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma overheard the conversation and lifted her head off of the counter, she almost fell asleep again, She leaned in a tiny bit and started listening, hearing something about "werewolfs" and the "champions" She also noticed that now pretty much everyone was Staring at her, even the list of "trustable" ones She started to doubt she was in the right place again, might as well ask the bartender where she was, with a voice of worry she asked the Reptilian bartender excuse me uh, which city is this?</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "Hmm. You don't seem like the type whose bartering in septims, and the fact that food is involved suggests you aren't looking for necessities. I have access to several armorers and are carrying a good load of steel in the hull, and perhaps you're interested in a more... high grade protection. I have access to materials which technically require Imperial shipping permits, but considering there are at least three separate standards in the places I travel that is not too much of a concern. I don't barter in crewmen or 'favors.' I'd be obliged to hear what you're looking for out of this," Walks-In-Light said with a ponderous tone. Canis, managing to put aside the brief period of revulsion, sorted through the goods with a deft eye as the captain addressed Brannus, attempting to mentally price the jewels and furs for the purposes of ascertaining how much they could reasonably go for on the open market.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia the bartender replied saying Winterhold and Asuma realized her big mistake. She made a big wrong turn Ughh!, I knew I should've gone west! She gotten a bit angry, but not for long, it didn't matter now she'd found pretty much everyone. muttering a curse she'd did a facepalm, the bartender left and started serving some other drunken nord customers just my luck...</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Tarja heard the girl hissing under her breath, having realized a most humorous folly, and snickered to herself standing up and approaching her. A strange weapon she had in her possession, a blade, slightly curved, but not as harsh as the scimitars of Hammerfell, those damn guards going on obsessively over them damn curved swords. No, this appeared more the blade style of Akavir, Tarja only knowing of the mysterious race through many a tale passed about a warm fire and a cold mug of ale. "Lost are we?" She said. Gods..compared to the youth, she must appear as a giant looming over her, casting a shadow that could eclipse even Masser. And still, she had no recollection at all of where she had seen the girl last but was certain she knew of her. "What's your name lass?"</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg A hardy laugh rang from behind the Nord's helmet at the merchant's words. "Oh, I understand, such 'favors' tend not to be worth what I'm giving in the first place. However if you were so inclined, after this transaction I wouldn't be opposed to the two of us exchanging one 'favor' for another." A couple of the other deserters joined their leader in a short laugh, before he spoke again. "Either way, it sounds like a good trade, Falkreath provides for the men, but not for our forges. I'd also be very gracious to have some of those more... elusive goods that you spoke of. After all the Empire no longer holds this land under their regulation. I'm certain our collective company can handle the exchange and loading, your man there does seem to know a thing or two about the merchants trade. While they take care of that, why don't I buy you something to fend off the chill while you're still in port? We can celebrate the beginning of a hopefully long and beneficial partnership." The four accompanying Brannus grumbled softly to themselves upon hearing Brannus' order, but a quick, silent glare from their leader silenced them. Once more the tarp was draped over the goods, protecting it from the flurry of snow and ice that assailed the entirety of that desolate Hold. Cargo secure, they lead the hourses back toward the town, and towards Walks-In-Light's ship.</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "I'll gladly buy our drinks. I only like favors when other people owe them to me. Also I don't want to deplete what stores of septims you all have. Canis, I assume you can do the math while I entertain our guest," Walks-In-Light said, with a mild grin. "Aye, captain. Let's see here..." he said, going into much deeper levels of mental math as he attempted to ascertain the amount of material this booty was worth. "Captain, I'd estimate that we can reasonably offer about 20 ingots of the stuff, 30 steel ingots, and 40 ingots of iron for the haul sans the 'specialty meats.' Does this sound reasonable?" Canis said with an air of deference around him. "Canis, I appreciate the formality, but calm down a little please. And yes, assuming that Brannus here accepts, I feel we should have a deal, am I wrong?" Walks-In-Light said, turning towards the tavern. " I'm going to be a Snow Elf if I don't get out of this cold soon. I'll get our drinks. You seem like a mead type, no?" Walks-In-Light said over her shoulder to her apparent admirer as she began approaching the bar.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia You could say that Spooked Asuma, because she nearly fell off of her bar stool with a look of fear in her face and pissed off the Drunken nord beside her, the drunken nord made a grunt and went back to drinking his life away. Asuma grabbed the counter too stop herself from falling again she blinked a couple times, she noticed the Really big warrior woman in front of her, so big that she was actually casting a shadow over Asuma, Blinking a couple times more again she told the Woman nervously, Yeah just made a wrong turn and ended up here ha.. the laugh was incredibly fake, Should I tell her my name?...its not like I'm a criminal or anything. Guess it couldn't hurt Uh my names Asuma She told the giant of a woman</s>	<\|message\|>Drysyval Magiavan Drysyval was enjoying nice conversation with friends until somebody rudely interrupted him. The man didn't even see 'pardon me', as he cut Drysyval short. All he said was 'Greetings', and then asked for directions. Drysyval would smile and nod at the man, but he would have preferred a bit nicer of an intrusion. " Uhhh, sure. I don't think that I'm the best person to go to, as I'm not directly associated with the College, but I don't mind giving you directions. Where is it you need to go? It is rare to see students as old as you attending the College, but it is never to late to start studying magic. They also usually have someone show you around the school, but it is fairly late. " Drysyval apologized to his friends, wished them a good night, and stood up from where he was sitting. Even if the man was just asking for directions, Drysyval would probably just end up bringing him there physically. It was much easier than giving directions verbally, and probably faster than writing them out. Hopefully, this would be over and done with soon, and he could lay his head somewhere for the night. He also hoped that his friends wouldn't be too upset that he had to retire for the night, but they probably weren't. Probably.</s>
<\|description\|>Drysyval Magiavan Occupation: Councilmen of the The Order of The Silver Twilight Race: Breton Class: Mage Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: Drysyval comes off as a good person, wiling to do whatever it takes to keep his people (Mages) safe. He has a thirst for knowledge that will never be quenched as long as their information he doesn't know. Unlike others, he doesn't prohibit the study of any magic, believing that all magic is a form art that must be studied, and practiced. The magic itself isn't evil, only the person who uses the magic. All in all, the masses view him as a good man who wants nothing more than to advance magic further to assist people. Now for the kind of person Drysyval really is. While is thirst for knowledge is a fact, he cares very little about the mages who work for him. They are nothing more than pawns who serve his ultimate agenda, Divinity. His desire is to learn a way to ascend to godhood through power and magic alone. He wants to become the ultimate being, one who could submit all before his might, even the gods themselves will tremble before this supreme deity. He is charismatic, and this has led him to help create the new guild. Weapons: Staff of Frost Atronach, Hood and Robes of fortify Conjuration, Rings and Amulets of Fortify Magika, Ring of Spell Absorption and boots of resist Frost. Bio: Drysyval was born to a family with a long line of mages in High Rock. His family focused on Conjuration, all forms of it. Young Drysyval was no stranger to corpses, and making them do his bidding. He was considered a prodigy in this art, and brought on the envy of his peers. People within the magical community, especially Conjuration, began to speak of the young man, not that he truly cared. All he cared about was being the best, and the impressions of others meant nothing. Even at a young age, Drysuval was studying, and trying to find the key to ascension. He would use his fame, knowledge, and skill to find out the secret, and become the greatest. He even began to study enchantment, in the hope that the key could be hidden within the art, especially with soul gems. When he became of age, and his fame had done nothing but continue spread around Tamriel, he and several other mages opened up a new Mage guild, one that wouldn't turn away any form of magic, and embraced the idea of furthering all magic. Since it is his job to spread the guild's influence, he has made friends with many mages during his travels. He is currently trying his best to spread it around Tamriel, and will do all in his power to do so. His best strategy is Cheese for Everyone.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma leaned back a bit again, this time more cautiously so she doesn't fall again. She really didn't want to tell her, but she had no choice, she felt like she would break into a thousand pieces if she mentioned Riker's unfortunate.....passing... a frown forming on Asumas face, a tear appearing in her eye, She told Tarja the bad news in a sudden Ear-piercing yell, alerting everyone in the bar except for a Unconscious nord Hes dead! and then started to cry like a mother when she heard her sun died in a war, her hands on her face as she cried.</s> <\|message\|>Flavia Augusta Decimus The college of winterhold; a place of learning and advancement for some, for others, a place to hate. The town around it was certainly as dead as a door nail. It didn't help that the empire had long been pushed out, and the entirety of skyrim was now under nord control. It was little concern for an Imperial such as herself- generally well accepted by most races of Tamriel(Sans the Altmer, though they tended to look down on everyone anyway), she tended to have freedom of movement without aggravation or annoyance by locals. She had been sitting down in the lobby of said college when a high elf had come in and started doing some large magic. She continued to read her book unabated. Flavia hadn't come to the College because she had any particular person to speak to, or an item to collect. It was simply a bit more quiet here than the tavern she was staying at. Since she was someone with a vast amount of contacts, it wasn't hard to come here and just sit in the lobby.</s> <\|message\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak Murkan decided that after so much of the Breton's droning, he would at least numb the pain. He came to the point that he don't care if his employer is robbed or killed. "Breton, be silent. You talk much like imperial women.." His eyes trailed off to notice the young Imperial talking to the hardened Nord. He tried to listen into the conversation, curiosity may kill the pig-man. The young lady seemed familiar. Every time he chased the thought, it evaded him somehow. Murkan gave a slight frown when the lady started to cry. The Breton mocked him for it. "Orc has feelings? I thought you lot were into killing and whats nots?" Something inside of Murkan snapped, maybe it was Malacath defending his own, maybe he was just sick of the Breton being a dimwit. The brute put one hand around the Breton's neck and squeezed. The Breton kicked, gasping for breath, the stool was knocked over. The Merchant was slowly lifted in the air. "Murkan is not pig. Murkan is not monster." He finally let go before the Breton passed. The Man crumbled to the ground, clinging his throat, gasping for air. The Mer sat down, looking straight ahead at something that didn't exist.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma had a face of Horror, watching the gigantic Green giant smash the Mage, HES on the trustable-people list!?, She wasn't used to people fighting, but this was obviously what it was like, what it was like when the Soldiers found her village, this is what probably happened to her father More thoughts went through Asumas mind, Her eyes were glued to the Orc beating up the person, however, a feel of release had came to her as the giant let the man live, But it still lingered in her mind.</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Just as Tarja feared. Such grim words to hear, Riker, dead, and certainly not by age, for the old man had the strength of a full-grown mammoth and could fare more than a few harsh winters in old Skyrim. Just by the painful lamentations and sobs of poor Asuma, shedding every last burning tear she could bring to her sore, melancholic eyes, the Forsworn woman could only believe his death was not a peaceful one, that there was foul play afoot, hence why Asuma would be in search of her father's last known companion, at least from what Tarja could tell. Well, Hircine rest his weary soul upon the verdant plains of the Great Hunt, and may someday Tarja join the man Riker again on another outing with the Stag Prince under the Blood Moon. "There there, child." Tarja whispered kneeling down and resting a comforting hand on Asuma's shoulder. "This is grave news indeed you bring from Cyrodiil, but your father was a warrior, strong and courageous. His death was not in vain if it were to protect you, his only kin." Given, she may have wrapped the weeping youth in a hug, yet Tarja wasn't much for showing that sort of emotion. "You need to dry your tears, Asuma, and carry on, for the sake of your father Riker. He'd be proud to see the warrior you've blossomed into." And just as her hand retreated to her side, a commotion sounded from behind her. Tarja turned, just in time to catch eye of the Orismer roughing up that mouthy Breton he was escorting. A tad bitter was the sight, since Tarja, though not a Breton herself, was fond of the people of High Rock, and in a curt motion she drew her dagger and leveled it at the Orc just as he released the man, leaving him on the floor to cough and wheeze at his throat nearly crushed by brute strength. "Ease that temper, Orismer! Or it shall be my blade in your throat!" Tarja snarled clenching the hilt of her dagger tighter. Not only did the big green bastard rough up a Reachman, but he also evidently terrified poor Asuma with his show of natural Orcish brutality, just making the situation worse it seemed.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma felt a bit better, She stopped crying mostly,her eyes still wet with tears she stopped facepalming, Knowing that atleast One person cared about her father and possibly....mothers.....passing, Asuma felt a motivational push, a push to take up arms and follow her Fathers Path, a Push to find the person who took Asuma's parents without asking A push to become a warrior, Asuma lifted her head and watched the gigantic woman Deal with the orc, Someday its going to be Asuma up holding the Sword, someday</s> <\|message\|>Drysyval Magiavan Drysyval was taken a little off by the man's laugh, even if it was a small one. It had to have been something he said, but he couldn't really figure it out. If he was a teacher, he would have known his way around, and why would someone who is already trained in magic come here with no warning? Something is suspicious, but Drysyval would need to think on this a little more before doing anything. Other than saying his name, Dyrysval needed to address something the Altmer told him that irked him. It was something small, but it did bother him greatly. " Of course, it would be rude to not introduce myself. My name is Drysyval, and I am here discussing some business with college. Now, for future reference, I would prefer it if you didn't address me as "boy" again. Now that we have got that cleared up, what brings you out to the college? And where exactly do you need to be taken? "</s> <\|message\|>Keldir "Of course, I mean no ill will" said Keldir in response to Drysyval telling him off for calling him a "boy". However this did not change the fact that in the Altmers eyes Drysyval was still a boy as Keldir was much older and more experienced than he. Really Keldir should have known better as Bretons, as skilled as they are, always seem to quickly anger over the fact that they have a much shorted lifespan than their elven counterparts. Keldir knew he would have to be more careful not to let out a slip of the tounge regarding the matter in the future. "I have come far and wide" Keldir began "From Vvardenvell to Daggerfall and other places in Tamriel I have searched for knowledge, arcane knowledge long forgotten by mortals and magics forbidden by the creators" Keldir sighed "Alas my travels have been fruitless for the most part so now am I forced to search the backwaters of the world like this. In short Im looking for the libary"</s> <\|message\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak As the dagger was pointed at him, Murkan drew both of his, ignoring Tarja. He looked in the direction of the She-Nord, but his gaze seemed to go to something that was beyond her."Deceitful one." He growled. A wicked grin slowly began to dance on his lips. "He is no merchant!" Murkan knelt down and forcefully shoved his hand into the Breton's coat. He fumbled for awhile as the Breton kept trying to push the beast away. The Orc found what he was looking for, a small box of polished mahogany. Murkan opened the box, revealing a darkly colored gem. "Not merchant, death mage." He declared with a sting of distaste.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia In the meantime Asuma sat on her little wooden barstool, watching the two and Eyeing the strange Gem. it looked, Weird, Something you don't usually find every day. She felt a bit worried, the Orcish person seemed to be helping Tarja, and the breton must be a Mage?, Asuma never really saw a mage, except for one time when a Mage came strolling through</s> <\|message\|>Drysyval Magiavan With his apology out of the way, Drysyval could like him a little bit better now. He still wasn't pleased with the man's introduction, but his pursuit for knowledge is noble. You would think with him having passed through Daggerfall with a pursuit of knowledge, Keldir would have heard of him. It is a bit of a shame, but getting swept into knowledge and ignoring the outside world wasn't anything surprising. However, he didn't like how he described this part of the world. Any place that housed knowledge wasn't backwater, only places that live to breed idiocy, and destroy knowledge. " Ah, you come to further pursue knowledge? That is an excellent goal, and a goal I do share with you. I have already studied the texts of the College, but that had to have been a decade ago. It has been some time since I have last been to the College, but I'm happy to have returned, even if it was for a business trip. " Drysyval began to walk towards the library, remembering the layout of the college as he did. It really had been a while, but he remembered the College pretty well.</s> <\|message\|>Keldir Keldir walked beside Drysyval following him to what he assumed would eventually be the libary or wherever else the college stored their knowledge. Keldir was also quite pleased when he heard that he and Drysyval shared the same goal, for it was always good to meet one of your ilk who happens to share similar goals to you especially after a long journey like Keldir had "Im glad to hear we share the same goal" he said "It is a pity so many mages our days are satisfied with only the most basic of the arcane and whom dont seek for knowledge that lays beyond our mortal realm. For if we had more mages like us our knowledge in the arcane would jump by leaps and bounds! Think of the glorious things we could achieve!" Keldir stopped himself because he realised he was on the border of entering a ramble and so he strained himself to let Drysyval speak before he began to speak once more.</s>	<\|message\|>Drysyval Magiavan " Of course, if all mages had a true thirst for knowledge, I am sure we would be far more advanced. Sadly, given how most modern mages us, we will continue progress at an incredibly slow rate. Hopefully, by the time I depart from this world, I will have been able to inspire the majority of mages in Tamriel to look for all forms of knowledge. No knowledge should be kept away if we want to advance as a people, as magic is the only way to do so. " Drysyval assumed that he was going to live forever, but Keldir didn't need to know this. Either way, The Order of The Silver Twilight was going to take a hold throughout all of Tamriel, and knowledge will reign supreme around the continent. Of course, not everybody was going to have access to this knowledge, but once again, nobody needed to know that besides him. The walk to the library wasn't a very long one, so they arrived there fairly quickly. " And here we are. This isn't the largest library I've seen, but it does have quality over quantity. "</s>
<\|description\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Occupation: Bandit chief/Veteran legionnaire Race: Nord Class: Warlord Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: A dour man, with little in the way of a sense of humor, and a determination that could break down walls just as easily as the many siege engines he used and repaired in the civil war. Often in ill humor, he sees life by loss and gain, the age old rule that all power demands sacrifice. Be it your time, the lives of your men, or an entire country, all power demands sacrifice. Weapons: Steel Broadsword, Steel round shield, Steel Dagger. General Appearance: (look above~) Bio: Born into a military family, Brannus knew that he'd find himself in legion armor one day as well, he didn't expect to be wielding a legion sword against his own neighbors though. He spent much of the civil war siegeing and defending fortifications and camps, along the way gaining an appreciation for the bluntness and calculable nature of siege warfare. Brannus quickly found himself being promotoed to a Captain, and in a position of command over a fair number of soldiers, enough to occupy and defend one of the many smaller forts that dotted skyrim's landscape. For a time he and his men were on the front line, archers taking pot shots back and forth at each other from behind and outside of the fortress' walls, him and his men entrenched for months outside of the crumbling stormcloak bastion. As with any man or mer, time spent breaking the wall could break a man of his spirit, just as easily as defending the wall could. The men grew tired, and little in the way of support or even correspondence was available to him and his men, while the stormcloaks where holed away, doing all they could to try the Captain's patience. Then, like a miracle, or a curse, the siege was broken in almost an instant; not by one of the catapults, a charge through the battered defenses, or any sort of surrender, but by a dragon. Fear ran through the ranks on both sides, but all Brannus could feel was unbridled anger, at his situation, at his superiors, at the enemy, and at the damnable wyrm who had reared its head. Though small, the dragon was enough to break the defenders, and those who were not burnt to a crisp by its flames, hid within the fort while it toppled ontop of them. Others ran from the fort, scrambling past the imperial troops for safety in the wilds. His own men on the verge of breaking, and the losses mounting past acceptable, Brennus slew the closest man to him, bashing his face in with his armored hand, and as the soldiers, imperial and stormcloak turned to him, awestruck, he roared. "This, is the price of cowardice! That wyrm may rip you apart, swallow you whole, or burn you ash, but that is NOTHING compared to what I will do to you lot, if you do not hold!" His speech echoed like a warsong through the trenches as his men rallied, turning their great siege weapons to the fledgling beast. It was a shot through the neck with a ballista that felled the creature, leaving its lifeless body on the ground. Silence washed over the decimated remains of the two forces, as they watched Brannus Krieg, his broadsword in hand, sever its head. It was this battle that drove Brannus, and what remained of his men and the opposing army, nearly thirty men all together, to desert. Why should they fight this war, when the world itself seemed to be crumbling? Dragons, the Thalmor, and the assassination of the Emperor? He and his would have no part of it. Taking what they had with them, their horses, armaments, even the great ballista which ended the wyrm, they traveled, spending the remainder of the civil war moving from encampment to encampment, finally settling in a fort in the south of Falkreath hold. Strangely, the inhabitants, a band of orcs, were all dead,and in the basement, it seemed that someone had taken something precious from a pedestal. Luckily the stockpile of food, wines, and cheeses had yet to spoil, there was enough cheese for everyone. Brannus ordered his men to string the corpses from the walls of the keep, and to perch the ballista atop the small fortress. For the last ten years, Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg, and those few men who survived, have spent their time, raiding, stealing, ransoming, and fortifying, taking every chance they can to obtain resources, and slay the horrid dovah that now litter the skies of Tamriel.</s> <\|message\|>Tagorn Nightthorn The night air howled like a wild beast as wind blew snow in a blinding haze, one would just barely be able to see the torches and lamps that were hung in front of the simple buildings of the small province of Winterhold. Most of the city's if it could even be called that, were either settled into their homes for the evening or were making the attempt to drink their problems away at the Frozen Hearth. Sitting just a stone throws away from the village stood the imposing fortress know as the Collage of Winterhold which loomed over the homes of Winterhold, filling the residents with a strong mixture of hatred and fear. The occupants of this collage were of course mages, studiers of the arcane arts of magic, and it would surprise no one that they were unfazed by this gods forsaken weather in their borderline castle. Aside from the awful weather it seemed that this was a usual night for this little spot in Skyrim, but like for so many other things appearances were deceiving. As only a hour away was a convoy of Thalmor agents, traveling in secret through enemy territory to the Collage of Winterhold. Despite the little transgression, that is what the Thalmor call the murder of dozens and attempt to forcefully take over the collage, that transpired a decade ago these elves were ready to ask for help from the mages. They were ready to write the whole event off as some extremist acting on his own accord. The Thalmor wanted a base of operations to place a few of their agents in Skyrim and the Collage was the perfect place, as it stood ever neutral to the political affairs of the nation. What a meeting between these elves and the mages would bring can only be guessed at, but rest assured this will not be the only story told tonight.</s> <\|message\|>Drysyval Magiavan Drysyval didn't mind the cold of Winterhold. It was similar to that of his home in High Rock, and if anything, made him feel more relaxed in Skyrim. He was recruiting members to his guild all throughout Skyrim, and he was going to end his trip within the College of Winterhold. Thankfully, he had already met several of the people within the college during his travels, so getting within to converse was no trouble. He came to the college with one goal in mind, and that goal was to donate to the college. Drysyval was going to donate a large sum to the college, to further magical studies and training for a new age. Of course, Drysyval was incredibly young, and was probably already considered part of the new age, but that was irrelevant. Now, it took quite a bit for the college to accept such a donation, but he eventually convinced them that it would be for the best. On top of that, Drysyval would continue to fund everything the college needed, for as long as they continue to further magical thought, as well as keep some ties to The Order of Silver Twilight. Oh well, he would just sit in the courtyard talking to his friends. He rarely spoke to them face to face, so it was good to talk to them, and much easier than writing letters. Speaking of, he needed to write more letters tonight. He probably had more friends then needed, but who rejects friends?</s>	<\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Brannus sat in the sole tavern of the, or rather what was left of the city of Winterhold, he and the four men he had taken with him on this little excursion gathered round the fire pit in the center of the room. The furs draped over his armor began to drip, the snow-clad pelts beginning to thaw as the frost which covered the metal plates encasing him began to dissipate. One of his cohorts, an imperial clad in fur, and what remained of his legion armor, shivered and cursed at the chill. "This damn province, why'd we have to come all the way up to the middle of a glacial field! Why don't those mages do something useful for a change and find a way to fend off the cold in this gods forsaken place?" Another Nord smacked the back of his head, his iron gauntlet giving a loud thud when it made contact with the imperial's leather helm. "Quit your bitching and just get some mead, you damn Imperials are all the same, can't handle a little nip in the air, almost as bad as those damn lizards always whining about their scales and cold blood." Brannus paid them no mind as they argued and squabbled, and after warming himself on the fire, returned to meet the rest of his men, who stood outside guarding the horses and cart. The cargo was covered by a large burlap tarp, strung tight over the wooden frame of the cart to protect its contents from the harsh elements. A large, lightly armored Orc, and a Redguard clad in both furs and steel, stood guard, weapons sheathed and hands never too far from them. The Orc gave Brannus a nod, and grumbled. "What exactly are we doing here, sir? We went straight across the whole province, we should be back at the Keep, we coul-" "Why we are here is not your concern, the fact that I told you we were to come here is what matters, whelp. Now, be patient, we shan't need to stay out in the cold for much longer, and we will return to the Keep soon enough. But if the cold is too much or you, I'll be glad to remedy that, just a quick slice along the throat, and soon it'll all be numb." The Orc decided it best not to respond to that.</s>
<\|description\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Occupation: Bandit chief/Veteran legionnaire Race: Nord Class: Warlord Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: A dour man, with little in the way of a sense of humor, and a determination that could break down walls just as easily as the many siege engines he used and repaired in the civil war. Often in ill humor, he sees life by loss and gain, the age old rule that all power demands sacrifice. Be it your time, the lives of your men, or an entire country, all power demands sacrifice. Weapons: Steel Broadsword, Steel round shield, Steel Dagger. General Appearance: (look above~) Bio: Born into a military family, Brannus knew that he'd find himself in legion armor one day as well, he didn't expect to be wielding a legion sword against his own neighbors though. He spent much of the civil war siegeing and defending fortifications and camps, along the way gaining an appreciation for the bluntness and calculable nature of siege warfare. Brannus quickly found himself being promotoed to a Captain, and in a position of command over a fair number of soldiers, enough to occupy and defend one of the many smaller forts that dotted skyrim's landscape. For a time he and his men were on the front line, archers taking pot shots back and forth at each other from behind and outside of the fortress' walls, him and his men entrenched for months outside of the crumbling stormcloak bastion. As with any man or mer, time spent breaking the wall could break a man of his spirit, just as easily as defending the wall could. The men grew tired, and little in the way of support or even correspondence was available to him and his men, while the stormcloaks where holed away, doing all they could to try the Captain's patience. Then, like a miracle, or a curse, the siege was broken in almost an instant; not by one of the catapults, a charge through the battered defenses, or any sort of surrender, but by a dragon. Fear ran through the ranks on both sides, but all Brannus could feel was unbridled anger, at his situation, at his superiors, at the enemy, and at the damnable wyrm who had reared its head. Though small, the dragon was enough to break the defenders, and those who were not burnt to a crisp by its flames, hid within the fort while it toppled ontop of them. Others ran from the fort, scrambling past the imperial troops for safety in the wilds. His own men on the verge of breaking, and the losses mounting past acceptable, Brennus slew the closest man to him, bashing his face in with his armored hand, and as the soldiers, imperial and stormcloak turned to him, awestruck, he roared. "This, is the price of cowardice! That wyrm may rip you apart, swallow you whole, or burn you ash, but that is NOTHING compared to what I will do to you lot, if you do not hold!" His speech echoed like a warsong through the trenches as his men rallied, turning their great siege weapons to the fledgling beast. It was a shot through the neck with a ballista that felled the creature, leaving its lifeless body on the ground. Silence washed over the decimated remains of the two forces, as they watched Brannus Krieg, his broadsword in hand, sever its head. It was this battle that drove Brannus, and what remained of his men and the opposing army, nearly thirty men all together, to desert. Why should they fight this war, when the world itself seemed to be crumbling? Dragons, the Thalmor, and the assassination of the Emperor? He and his would have no part of it. Taking what they had with them, their horses, armaments, even the great ballista which ended the wyrm, they traveled, spending the remainder of the civil war moving from encampment to encampment, finally settling in a fort in the south of Falkreath hold. Strangely, the inhabitants, a band of orcs, were all dead,and in the basement, it seemed that someone had taken something precious from a pedestal. Luckily the stockpile of food, wines, and cheeses had yet to spoil, there was enough cheese for everyone. Brannus ordered his men to string the corpses from the walls of the keep, and to perch the ballista atop the small fortress. For the last ten years, Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg, and those few men who survived, have spent their time, raiding, stealing, ransoming, and fortifying, taking every chance they can to obtain resources, and slay the horrid dovah that now litter the skies of Tamriel.</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Whiteout, that's all she could see around her for miles upon miles stretching across the frostbitten lands, a thick veil of snow and sleet obscuring her vision, whipping about her hardened face and blistering her fair skin with the callous chill of another infamous winter, here in a hold much deserving of its name, Winterhold. The ice storm had increased in severity since the woman first tread upon the grounds coated in frost, thick layers of it too. Just behind her lied a military outpost, a few closely clustered barracks of wood and cracked stones having been erected out here in these godsforsaken plains forever cursed with winter's fury, surrounded by thick trunks of freshly powdered pines standing tall but buckling amidst the rancorous winds terrorizing the tundra. There were three sentry towers overlooking the outpost, each positioned at the corners of the triangular layout, torches burning bright through the frost laden storm, the eyes of the enemy ever watchful, but not once did they catch eye nor hair of the Forsworn, the dreaded child of the Reach. Now, aside from the whipping winds roaring through fair Winterhold and chilling the woman's bones, not a sound befell the old fortress of Fellhammer, silence...dead silence. If one were to cross the scene, what words would they utter with hushed tongues and eyes ablaze with fright....as they stared headlong in shock upon the mounds of mutilated corpses littering the fort's grounds and dyeing the pure white frost into a frothy, red slush? Yes, bodies, hundreds of them ripped to shreds, limbs, entrails, and sinew scattered to and fro across the bloodstained walls that still shrieked with the horror that befell it not long, a werewolf attack, and how much Tarja relished the screams and lamentations as she tore into their flesh, squished their skulls in her ebony claws, yanked their intestines through their throats and feasted as a queen upon their ravaged carcases...leaving the rest to freeze out in the callous chill of Skyrim's most brutal of seasons. But no sympathy for those she slaughtered without giving quarter, for they were slayers of her kin, werewolf hunters known as the Silver Hand, mainly just a pack of uncivilized brigands, yet the killing of were-folk alike gained the Forsworn's ire, and that of her Prince Hircine. May their blades never harm a wolfblood ever again and may Hircine see that they are devoured by beasts of the Great Hunt. Twas a long journey from the fort left in ruin to the town, a journey that saw many a scrape and squabble against a few unruly frost trolls and ice wraiths, so easily dispatched by her quick prowess with a bow, but soon Tarja found herself shambling coldly into the forlorn town, gazing from the cowl of bear fur draped over her towards the immense structure that stood ominously and yet valiantly amongst Ysmir's furious winds, the telltale College of Winterhold, a place for mages and spellcasters alike to learn and practice their craft with peace of mind, well...as much peace of mind someone could get smack-dab in the middle of Stormcloak territory. Even now, it felt as if that gas-bag Ulfric was breathing down her neck, making her ill with anger towards the fiend and his alleged Sons of Skyrim, those responsible for the deaths of many near and dear to her...including one she so deeply cherished with all her heart, a heart shattered upon the bloody, sharp rocks of the Reach one horrible eve of Frostfall, a heart now shadowed...by hatred. But enough dabbling in the haunting memories of the past. She needed to get out of this gods damned storm. Ah, and what luck there was a tavern nearby. Pushing the door open, she startled a few, noting some of them to be clad in that wretched shade of blue. Stormcloaks no less. Praise Hircine she didn't have a dagger drawn to their necks already, or an arrow in their....chests. She approached near them, but gave not a glance or a word, why should she give the murdering bastards any sincerity? She discovered an empty table in the midst of the tavern and sat down, unfastening the hawk-skull broach that held together her thick pelt and let it fall revealing her armor, not to mention her face, said to be quite the fairest among the Forsworn. Aye, but not as lovely as the face of the woman who made her a Forsworn.</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light Walks-In-Light stood at the front of her ship, looking over her gathered crew members. Her ship, The Cliff Racer, bobbed and swayed with the low waves of Winterhold's shoddily constructed harbor, a wooden dock connected to a steep wooden staircase that ascended the cliff face. It looked much older than it was, her few inquiries suggesting that it had been built in the last decade. The crew, a scruffy mix of Nords and Saxheel, or Argonians in the more common tongue, as well as a small minority of Dunmer and the occasional Redguard, stood half expectantly, the weathered crew still shivering at the bitter winds of this desolate colony. "Now, I understand you're complaints about the lack of... services in this town. But, it is out of my control. I was asked to negotiate with an 'independent trader,' who felt that he could not trust the security of a larger hold. We also have a need to restock, and while Windhelm has a much greater selection, we need provisions to last us in a trip to Solstheim and back to the open oceans, and it is apparent many of you cannot stomach Dunmer staples," she said, mildly discontented murmuring escalating as people complained about the lack of decent mead and the fact they'd be eating Horker meat for days. Silencing her crew with a loud hiss, she continued. "Now, we shall not be here long. I'm taking the first mate and... you four," she said, picking out three Nords and a Dunmer crewman. "You'll come with me. The rest of you... make sure everything is in good condition. Sit around for all I care. I'll need some of you for carrying goods." With that conclusive statement the crew grumbled into motion, and a weathered Redguard stepped up to her. "The crew's going to have trouble focusing for a week, aye Cap'n?" he said mischievously. The crewman she had noted walked towards the captain, keeping a respectable distance. Walks-In-Light eyed her first mate with a degree of mock exasperation. "Canis, you could be on the ocean floor if this was an Imperial vessel. Come on, we're heading to the tavern for this meeting," she said, gesturing to her entourage to follow her down the gangplank and up the stairs towards the city. Canis caught up to his captain with due haste. "So what's really going on?" he asked, with a mild grin. "Some bandit king from Falkreath hold. Looking to move some goods. I'm thinking Vvardenfel is our best bet in getting them out of our hands," she said, ascending the steps with a noticeable caution, a layer of ice and snow covering the surface. Canis nodded silently, and they reached the town with tired legs. They entered the tavern in a generally undramatic manner, and approached the group of men who looked out of place by the fire place, approaching the man who looked most in charge, steel plate shining with a dull light under his layers of furs. "Would you happen to be Brannus?"</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma kept on running and running, until the orange light of her former village disappeared, Asuma felt.....drained, the adrenaline she had earlier had ran out, feelings came to Asumas mind, about her parents, Sadness had smashed her like a tidal wave hit the sand, quick, and leaving a mark forever, she found a tree, just a lone tree in the middle, she walked up to it, well, more like. Limped up to it. and sat down, she didn't want to keep moving, why would she have too anyways? she already fought, She'd ran for miles. her dad would accept it if she gave up... she pulled out her sword from her Stealth, aiming it at her stomach, the cold metal of the sword was right at her chest, she didn't give up yet, but she would, closing her eyes. she dropped the blade at her side, a tiny clank sound could be heard from the slim metal thing, she laid back on the Rough wooden tree, Sleeping, she wasn't quitting, her father would have died for nothing, so would her mother. but now, she was just going to lie down for a bit.</s>	<\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg The large Nord turned from the fire to face the Argonain woman, standing to greet the merchant, and brought his fist to his chest, a simple salute, but appropriate for one who lead men and mer. His men followed his example, saluting the newcomers, before resting their hands at their sides, ready to draw their weapons if anything should go wrong. Brannus looked over the Argonian who matched his great height, sizing up the many curves and contours of her body, he had to admit, rather stunning, confidence was always attractive. "I am Brannus, I take it you are Walks-In-Light? Its a pleasure to finally meet you. Now, if you'll just follow me, my men are waiting with the goods I promised." It was a short walk back to the carriage, a far enough way that it would not be noticed or actively pursued by the local authorities. Motioning for the Orc and Redguard to move aside, the warlord pulls the tarp from the cart, revealing piles of pelts, venison, jewels, jewelry, and all manner of pilfered wines,goods, and other necessities. Opposite these more typical goods, was a small pile of bodies, toppled upon one another in various stages of mutilation, decay, and composure. "Browse my wares, there's plenty of fresh water, drink, and meat to provide you and your crew with more than enough provisions."</s>
<\|description\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Occupation: Bandit chief/Veteran legionnaire Race: Nord Class: Warlord Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: A dour man, with little in the way of a sense of humor, and a determination that could break down walls just as easily as the many siege engines he used and repaired in the civil war. Often in ill humor, he sees life by loss and gain, the age old rule that all power demands sacrifice. Be it your time, the lives of your men, or an entire country, all power demands sacrifice. Weapons: Steel Broadsword, Steel round shield, Steel Dagger. General Appearance: (look above~) Bio: Born into a military family, Brannus knew that he'd find himself in legion armor one day as well, he didn't expect to be wielding a legion sword against his own neighbors though. He spent much of the civil war siegeing and defending fortifications and camps, along the way gaining an appreciation for the bluntness and calculable nature of siege warfare. Brannus quickly found himself being promotoed to a Captain, and in a position of command over a fair number of soldiers, enough to occupy and defend one of the many smaller forts that dotted skyrim's landscape. For a time he and his men were on the front line, archers taking pot shots back and forth at each other from behind and outside of the fortress' walls, him and his men entrenched for months outside of the crumbling stormcloak bastion. As with any man or mer, time spent breaking the wall could break a man of his spirit, just as easily as defending the wall could. The men grew tired, and little in the way of support or even correspondence was available to him and his men, while the stormcloaks where holed away, doing all they could to try the Captain's patience. Then, like a miracle, or a curse, the siege was broken in almost an instant; not by one of the catapults, a charge through the battered defenses, or any sort of surrender, but by a dragon. Fear ran through the ranks on both sides, but all Brannus could feel was unbridled anger, at his situation, at his superiors, at the enemy, and at the damnable wyrm who had reared its head. Though small, the dragon was enough to break the defenders, and those who were not burnt to a crisp by its flames, hid within the fort while it toppled ontop of them. Others ran from the fort, scrambling past the imperial troops for safety in the wilds. His own men on the verge of breaking, and the losses mounting past acceptable, Brennus slew the closest man to him, bashing his face in with his armored hand, and as the soldiers, imperial and stormcloak turned to him, awestruck, he roared. "This, is the price of cowardice! That wyrm may rip you apart, swallow you whole, or burn you ash, but that is NOTHING compared to what I will do to you lot, if you do not hold!" His speech echoed like a warsong through the trenches as his men rallied, turning their great siege weapons to the fledgling beast. It was a shot through the neck with a ballista that felled the creature, leaving its lifeless body on the ground. Silence washed over the decimated remains of the two forces, as they watched Brannus Krieg, his broadsword in hand, sever its head. It was this battle that drove Brannus, and what remained of his men and the opposing army, nearly thirty men all together, to desert. Why should they fight this war, when the world itself seemed to be crumbling? Dragons, the Thalmor, and the assassination of the Emperor? He and his would have no part of it. Taking what they had with them, their horses, armaments, even the great ballista which ended the wyrm, they traveled, spending the remainder of the civil war moving from encampment to encampment, finally settling in a fort in the south of Falkreath hold. Strangely, the inhabitants, a band of orcs, were all dead,and in the basement, it seemed that someone had taken something precious from a pedestal. Luckily the stockpile of food, wines, and cheeses had yet to spoil, there was enough cheese for everyone. Brannus ordered his men to string the corpses from the walls of the keep, and to perch the ballista atop the small fortress. For the last ten years, Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg, and those few men who survived, have spent their time, raiding, stealing, ransoming, and fortifying, taking every chance they can to obtain resources, and slay the horrid dovah that now litter the skies of Tamriel.</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Tarja turned to the Nord next to her hearing him speak, a pinch of a wolfish gleam in her frosted eyes glancing toward him. He was wolfblood alright, but then so was she a creature of the moon, a newborn child of the Stag Prince. "Trust me. It isn't difficult pinpointing the mighty warriors of Jorrvaskr." Tarja replied with a small chuckle, the young barmaid having brought her another tankard of ale, mainly out of good faith though Tarja paid her a few septims in return. she took a drink, sighing gruffly and setting the iron tankard aside before resuming. "Tarja." She introduced herself with a curt nod. "And like you, I too am far from home, far from the steep hills and stones of The Reach. So Companion, what brings you towards these gods-forsaken lands of snow and peril? The only damnable reason one would travel to Winterhold is just for their esteemed College of mages....or to join those gods-damned Stormcloaks." Just mentioning their name, it left a bitter bite upon her tongue, and not that of the ale she swallowed down her gullet. Yet how strange the woman wasn't much for speaking, yet here she be carrying on a conversation with the brutish Nord beside her. Then again, she did feel at ease sensing the essence of wolf-blood within him.</s> <\|message\|>Skharn Chapter One: The Teeth in the Darkness He remembered little of that night, some years ago. Just flashing, blurring images that played themselves over and over in his primitive, little brain. A warrior of steel and darkness, ambushing him as he dozed through another winter's night in the frozen north of Skyrim. It was a brief, but fierce battle. He could not remember clearly, how he had howled as the blade cut his flesh, and he could not remember with certainty the taste of his adversary's life blood on his fangs. The only thing he knew with certainty, was that he became afraid, and he fled. He abandoned his home, running like no creature ever should, from a warrior of steel and darkness. And that memory was a pain that his simplistic mental mechanisms could not understand. Though, a more advanced creature, such as Man, would describe it simply as hurt pride. As it happened, hurt pride was a big issue for such a beast as Skharn. As the bear reached the the summit of the icy peak, he paused briefly to take a much needed respite. The snow was pouring down in droves, and even his thick mane was a meagre defence against the bone cutting chill. But the cold did not trouble this bear, for primitive thoughts of revenge were means enough to keep him warm. Skharn was a name given to the bear by the Forsworn, a peoples he had stalked for many days and nights as he continued his search for the warrior of steel and darkness. In their native tongue, it simply meant "Anger" - their only true means of summing up the monster that took more of their number with each passing day. It meant little to the bear, but enough to know the word was a warning of danger. The name Skharn had spread, as tall tails of a seven headed dragon covered in fur made its way to all four corners of Skyrim. Indeed, famed hunters had pursued the beast, but with little luck. Despite no sightings, the stories never went away, and indeed, countless dozens of deaths on the country's remote roads and city outskirts were often attributed to Skharn. So when the bear heard he name "Skharn", it knew someone had seen him. Knew someone was afraid. Knew someone was about to try and kill him. The dim lights of Winterhold's ruined form were of little concern to Skharn. He hadn't travelled to the frozen north, covering three hundred miles in three days, to look upon another human settlement. Nor had he come to take note of the giant man made mountain behind it. No, he was following someone. An Altmer - the Elderborn - had happened by the bear's temporary dwelling a week previous. Though Skharn lacked the mental capacity to reason well, he understood immediately that the Elf was someone of power. Someone, who if not attacked in the correct manner, could very well kill the bear. So as Skharn, not wanting to bite off more than he could chew, went to resume his slumber, he noticed something else. He didn't know what it was, but it agitated him, spreading unrest into his mind and limbs. A man may have romantically referred to this as the hands of fate, pulling Skharn to his destiny. Whatever it was, Skharn felt the urge to follow the Elf. And follow he did. For days and nights, the bear shadowed the Elf, always keeping out of sight and using his nose to follow his quarry's trail. As the ground turned to ice, the further North they went, the scent became harder to follow, and for a time, Skharn lost his target. It was only the very brief memory of a settlement nearby, and a bear's natural talent for remembering pre-travelled routes, that he was able to find Winterhold. And now Skharn would wait, watching from the blizzard for an Elf whose importance to him made little sense.</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Brannus chuckled, the Argonian was no novice, nor was she a fool. "I can assure you, miss, everything here is as it should be, I've no use for trinkets and gems, and the wood provides us with more than enough fresh meat and water. Now, as you said, let us not stand here in the cold for too long, the chill must be much worse against your scales, and many beasts are fond of roaming the snow. So, let us talk of payment, what are you prepared to give in exchange for these goods?" The snow and glacial winds battered against the large nord's armor ice crystals forming over colder steel. Snow began to cake the many pelts and furs Brannus wore draped over his shoulders, and the wyrm skull mounted upon his right shoulder-guard. The smell of the raw meat and decaying flesh were all that could be found amid sterile snow and ice, their decay and rot slowed by the cold, ice holding some of the mutilated bodies together, slowly cracking and shifting as the chill began to fill each and every crevice of necrotic flesh. Wolves could be heard, howling in the distance, as was common of the tundra, they seemed to join the great winds in song, crying out for blood, to take their prey together with claw and frost.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma overheard the conversation and lifted her head off of the counter, she almost fell asleep again, She leaned in a tiny bit and started listening, hearing something about "werewolfs" and the "champions" She also noticed that now pretty much everyone was Staring at her, even the list of "trustable" ones She started to doubt she was in the right place again, might as well ask the bartender where she was, with a voice of worry she asked the Reptilian bartender excuse me uh, which city is this?</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "Hmm. You don't seem like the type whose bartering in septims, and the fact that food is involved suggests you aren't looking for necessities. I have access to several armorers and are carrying a good load of steel in the hull, and perhaps you're interested in a more... high grade protection. I have access to materials which technically require Imperial shipping permits, but considering there are at least three separate standards in the places I travel that is not too much of a concern. I don't barter in crewmen or 'favors.' I'd be obliged to hear what you're looking for out of this," Walks-In-Light said with a ponderous tone. Canis, managing to put aside the brief period of revulsion, sorted through the goods with a deft eye as the captain addressed Brannus, attempting to mentally price the jewels and furs for the purposes of ascertaining how much they could reasonably go for on the open market.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia the bartender replied saying Winterhold and Asuma realized her big mistake. She made a big wrong turn Ughh!, I knew I should've gone west! She gotten a bit angry, but not for long, it didn't matter now she'd found pretty much everyone. muttering a curse she'd did a facepalm, the bartender left and started serving some other drunken nord customers just my luck...</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Tarja heard the girl hissing under her breath, having realized a most humorous folly, and snickered to herself standing up and approaching her. A strange weapon she had in her possession, a blade, slightly curved, but not as harsh as the scimitars of Hammerfell, those damn guards going on obsessively over them damn curved swords. No, this appeared more the blade style of Akavir, Tarja only knowing of the mysterious race through many a tale passed about a warm fire and a cold mug of ale. "Lost are we?" She said. Gods..compared to the youth, she must appear as a giant looming over her, casting a shadow that could eclipse even Masser. And still, she had no recollection at all of where she had seen the girl last but was certain she knew of her. "What's your name lass?"</s>	<\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg A hardy laugh rang from behind the Nord's helmet at the merchant's words. "Oh, I understand, such 'favors' tend not to be worth what I'm giving in the first place. However if you were so inclined, after this transaction I wouldn't be opposed to the two of us exchanging one 'favor' for another." A couple of the other deserters joined their leader in a short laugh, before he spoke again. "Either way, it sounds like a good trade, Falkreath provides for the men, but not for our forges. I'd also be very gracious to have some of those more... elusive goods that you spoke of. After all the Empire no longer holds this land under their regulation. I'm certain our collective company can handle the exchange and loading, your man there does seem to know a thing or two about the merchants trade. While they take care of that, why don't I buy you something to fend off the chill while you're still in port? We can celebrate the beginning of a hopefully long and beneficial partnership." The four accompanying Brannus grumbled softly to themselves upon hearing Brannus' order, but a quick, silent glare from their leader silenced them. Once more the tarp was draped over the goods, protecting it from the flurry of snow and ice that assailed the entirety of that desolate Hold. Cargo secure, they lead the hourses back toward the town, and towards Walks-In-Light's ship.</s>
<\|description\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Occupation: Bandit chief/Veteran legionnaire Race: Nord Class: Warlord Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: A dour man, with little in the way of a sense of humor, and a determination that could break down walls just as easily as the many siege engines he used and repaired in the civil war. Often in ill humor, he sees life by loss and gain, the age old rule that all power demands sacrifice. Be it your time, the lives of your men, or an entire country, all power demands sacrifice. Weapons: Steel Broadsword, Steel round shield, Steel Dagger. General Appearance: (look above~) Bio: Born into a military family, Brannus knew that he'd find himself in legion armor one day as well, he didn't expect to be wielding a legion sword against his own neighbors though. He spent much of the civil war siegeing and defending fortifications and camps, along the way gaining an appreciation for the bluntness and calculable nature of siege warfare. Brannus quickly found himself being promotoed to a Captain, and in a position of command over a fair number of soldiers, enough to occupy and defend one of the many smaller forts that dotted skyrim's landscape. For a time he and his men were on the front line, archers taking pot shots back and forth at each other from behind and outside of the fortress' walls, him and his men entrenched for months outside of the crumbling stormcloak bastion. As with any man or mer, time spent breaking the wall could break a man of his spirit, just as easily as defending the wall could. The men grew tired, and little in the way of support or even correspondence was available to him and his men, while the stormcloaks where holed away, doing all they could to try the Captain's patience. Then, like a miracle, or a curse, the siege was broken in almost an instant; not by one of the catapults, a charge through the battered defenses, or any sort of surrender, but by a dragon. Fear ran through the ranks on both sides, but all Brannus could feel was unbridled anger, at his situation, at his superiors, at the enemy, and at the damnable wyrm who had reared its head. Though small, the dragon was enough to break the defenders, and those who were not burnt to a crisp by its flames, hid within the fort while it toppled ontop of them. Others ran from the fort, scrambling past the imperial troops for safety in the wilds. His own men on the verge of breaking, and the losses mounting past acceptable, Brennus slew the closest man to him, bashing his face in with his armored hand, and as the soldiers, imperial and stormcloak turned to him, awestruck, he roared. "This, is the price of cowardice! That wyrm may rip you apart, swallow you whole, or burn you ash, but that is NOTHING compared to what I will do to you lot, if you do not hold!" His speech echoed like a warsong through the trenches as his men rallied, turning their great siege weapons to the fledgling beast. It was a shot through the neck with a ballista that felled the creature, leaving its lifeless body on the ground. Silence washed over the decimated remains of the two forces, as they watched Brannus Krieg, his broadsword in hand, sever its head. It was this battle that drove Brannus, and what remained of his men and the opposing army, nearly thirty men all together, to desert. Why should they fight this war, when the world itself seemed to be crumbling? Dragons, the Thalmor, and the assassination of the Emperor? He and his would have no part of it. Taking what they had with them, their horses, armaments, even the great ballista which ended the wyrm, they traveled, spending the remainder of the civil war moving from encampment to encampment, finally settling in a fort in the south of Falkreath hold. Strangely, the inhabitants, a band of orcs, were all dead,and in the basement, it seemed that someone had taken something precious from a pedestal. Luckily the stockpile of food, wines, and cheeses had yet to spoil, there was enough cheese for everyone. Brannus ordered his men to string the corpses from the walls of the keep, and to perch the ballista atop the small fortress. For the last ten years, Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg, and those few men who survived, have spent their time, raiding, stealing, ransoming, and fortifying, taking every chance they can to obtain resources, and slay the horrid dovah that now litter the skies of Tamriel.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia the bartender replied saying Winterhold and Asuma realized her big mistake. She made a big wrong turn Ughh!, I knew I should've gone west! She gotten a bit angry, but not for long, it didn't matter now she'd found pretty much everyone. muttering a curse she'd did a facepalm, the bartender left and started serving some other drunken nord customers just my luck...</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Tarja heard the girl hissing under her breath, having realized a most humorous folly, and snickered to herself standing up and approaching her. A strange weapon she had in her possession, a blade, slightly curved, but not as harsh as the scimitars of Hammerfell, those damn guards going on obsessively over them damn curved swords. No, this appeared more the blade style of Akavir, Tarja only knowing of the mysterious race through many a tale passed about a warm fire and a cold mug of ale. "Lost are we?" She said. Gods..compared to the youth, she must appear as a giant looming over her, casting a shadow that could eclipse even Masser. And still, she had no recollection at all of where she had seen the girl last but was certain she knew of her. "What's your name lass?"</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg A hardy laugh rang from behind the Nord's helmet at the merchant's words. "Oh, I understand, such 'favors' tend not to be worth what I'm giving in the first place. However if you were so inclined, after this transaction I wouldn't be opposed to the two of us exchanging one 'favor' for another." A couple of the other deserters joined their leader in a short laugh, before he spoke again. "Either way, it sounds like a good trade, Falkreath provides for the men, but not for our forges. I'd also be very gracious to have some of those more... elusive goods that you spoke of. After all the Empire no longer holds this land under their regulation. I'm certain our collective company can handle the exchange and loading, your man there does seem to know a thing or two about the merchants trade. While they take care of that, why don't I buy you something to fend off the chill while you're still in port? We can celebrate the beginning of a hopefully long and beneficial partnership." The four accompanying Brannus grumbled softly to themselves upon hearing Brannus' order, but a quick, silent glare from their leader silenced them. Once more the tarp was draped over the goods, protecting it from the flurry of snow and ice that assailed the entirety of that desolate Hold. Cargo secure, they lead the hourses back toward the town, and towards Walks-In-Light's ship.</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "I'll gladly buy our drinks. I only like favors when other people owe them to me. Also I don't want to deplete what stores of septims you all have. Canis, I assume you can do the math while I entertain our guest," Walks-In-Light said, with a mild grin. "Aye, captain. Let's see here..." he said, going into much deeper levels of mental math as he attempted to ascertain the amount of material this booty was worth. "Captain, I'd estimate that we can reasonably offer about 20 ingots of the stuff, 30 steel ingots, and 40 ingots of iron for the haul sans the 'specialty meats.' Does this sound reasonable?" Canis said with an air of deference around him. "Canis, I appreciate the formality, but calm down a little please. And yes, assuming that Brannus here accepts, I feel we should have a deal, am I wrong?" Walks-In-Light said, turning towards the tavern. " I'm going to be a Snow Elf if I don't get out of this cold soon. I'll get our drinks. You seem like a mead type, no?" Walks-In-Light said over her shoulder to her apparent admirer as she began approaching the bar.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia You could say that Spooked Asuma, because she nearly fell off of her bar stool with a look of fear in her face and pissed off the Drunken nord beside her, the drunken nord made a grunt and went back to drinking his life away. Asuma grabbed the counter too stop herself from falling again she blinked a couple times, she noticed the Really big warrior woman in front of her, so big that she was actually casting a shadow over Asuma, Blinking a couple times more again she told the Woman nervously, Yeah just made a wrong turn and ended up here ha.. the laugh was incredibly fake, Should I tell her my name?...its not like I'm a criminal or anything. Guess it couldn't hurt Uh my names Asuma She told the giant of a woman</s> <\|message\|>Drysyval Magiavan Drysyval was enjoying nice conversation with friends until somebody rudely interrupted him. The man didn't even see 'pardon me', as he cut Drysyval short. All he said was 'Greetings', and then asked for directions. Drysyval would smile and nod at the man, but he would have preferred a bit nicer of an intrusion. " Uhhh, sure. I don't think that I'm the best person to go to, as I'm not directly associated with the College, but I don't mind giving you directions. Where is it you need to go? It is rare to see students as old as you attending the College, but it is never to late to start studying magic. They also usually have someone show you around the school, but it is fairly late. " Drysyval apologized to his friends, wished them a good night, and stood up from where he was sitting. Even if the man was just asking for directions, Drysyval would probably just end up bringing him there physically. It was much easier than giving directions verbally, and probably faster than writing them out. Hopefully, this would be over and done with soon, and he could lay his head somewhere for the night. He also hoped that his friends wouldn't be too upset that he had to retire for the night, but they probably weren't. Probably.</s> <\|message\|>Keldir The young man seemed to have a slight scowl on his face as his conversation was interrupted by Keldir, and Keldir gave no heed to the annoyed expressions of the group. When the man said "Its never to late to start studying magic", Keldir gave out as short laugh as he tried to suppress it but he found it rather amusing that some young mage, probably a apprentice of one of the teachers at the College, would make such a comment to the likes of Keldir, a master of the arcane. This muffeled laugh turned the look of annoyance of the groups faces to one more akin to confusion as they probably now thought Keldir as some sort of madman, which he was not. After the young man departed from his friends and bid them goodbye, Keldir gave the man a slightly, and only slightly, better greeting "Thank you boy, I appreciate your kindness. The name is Keldir by the way, might I know yours?"</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn The taller Forsworn glared at the haggard before turning back to the heavily flustered Imperial quite underneath her, the woman thinking it a bit cute how frightened she looked towards her. Imperials, while most opinions of Nords were well biased and well venomous of the milk drinkers of Cyrodiil, Tarja had none such towards them, though she was half-blood of the alleged true sons and daughters of Skyrim, but she accounted herself more as a child of the Reach, her old life gone with the passage of time. Asuma....the name struck a bell, a bell that rang ceaseless through her mind, trying her damndest to connect the girl's face to that particular name. ....Then it clicked. "Riker's kin..." Tarja breathed astounded. Her heavy hand fell on the girl's head and ruffled her hair as lightly the savage woman chuckled. "You were but a wee lass last I seen you, child. You grew these past winters. Tell me, where be Riker that old dog?" Riker, he was a stout hunter, skilled with a bow as much in the way of the sword, yet he had a bit of a folly during their last outing, during the Blood Moon of Hircine no less, when they were chasing Sinding through Bloated Man's Grotto. The man, he was wolfkin, just as Tarja, yet the Prince ordered for the lad's death, and swift as it was...but not without a fight. She and Riker nearly escaped with their lives while the rest of the hunters were torn to shreds by the lycan. For that, he owed the woman his life. But years it has been since that last excursion, and seldom did Tarja make contact with the Imperial after.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma didn't know what to say, Or perhaps. Didn't know what she wanted to say, she didn't want to be the messenger of death, so why tell her?, Asuma made up a lie in her head. and then Lying to the Humongous Person, Scratching the back of her head Oh yeah, We were uhm just heading to Whiterun for a tiny vacation I kinda got Separated and came here by accident, tough luck huh. the lie was pretty obvious, Who would take a vacation in whiterun at this time of the year?,</s>	<\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg "It sounds like fair bargain to me, now, enough business, lets drink." The large Nord chuckled to himself as he and the Argonian woman walked back to the inn, escaping the cold and relaxing as the fire and cooking pits radiated heat. Brannus took a seat in the corner of the tavern, he didn't mind whatever drink she might get, as long as it could warm the blood. He took a moment to survey the rest of the patrons, for such a ghost of a town, the inn was rather busy that evening, all sorts were there, Bretons, Orcs, fellow nords, there was a wood elf dressed in the robes of the college, a High elf seemed to make his residence within the right most room, and along with Walks-in-Light, it seemed all they were missing was a cat to create a microcosm of Tamriel.</s>
<\|description\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Height: 5'4'' Weight: Roughly 120 lbs, slightly muscular build Occupation: Bounty Hunter/Mercenary Race: Half Nord/Half Redguard/Werewolf Class: Archer Gender: Female Age: 27 Attitude: Cold, taciturn, and a woman of only a few words, Tarja isn't much when it comes to speaking, or smiling for that matter. Rather she mostly communicates through stern glares and harsh body motions. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty (or bloody) and has an absolute hatred for the Stormcloaks. For her, there is only one thrill, and that is the thrill of the hunt, but when it comes to matters other than hunting, Tarja enjoys to be out and about in nature, as it is where she feels most tranquil, whether it is traversing the high, jagged rocks of The Reach or taking a peaceful dip in the sparkling crystal waters of Lake Ilinalta. Tarja is also a bit more fond of women rather than men, though either man or woman, she finds it hard to trust others and mostly prefers to work alone. Clothing: Her attire is mostly a mix of Ancient Nord and Forsworn armor known as the Armor of the Huntress. She even has a hood that she wears when she is out hunting. Weapons: A Dragonbone Bow with Forsworn Arrows, a Forsworn War Axe, and a Steel Dagger. She also carries various poisons to coat her arrows and her blades with, all made by herself Interesting facts/Bio: Born in Markarth to a Nord silver smith and his Redguard wife after the Stormcloaks took the Reach, the woman was originally under the family name Cathis, and was being raised to craft beautiful silver jewelry just like her father. Over the years, her family accumulated such wealth in their trade and was among the most astute of merchants in Markarth, despite being under the thumb of the Silverblood family, making a name for themselves. Yet tragedy was soon to strike one horrible evening as the family traveled together, husband, wife, and their young child Tarja, from Markarth and through the treacherous terrain of the Reach, on their way to Solitude to trade silver and jewelry. Their wagon was attacked and seized by a band of savages known as the Forsworn. Her father tried to stop them and save his family, but in a matter of seconds the man was skewered with arrows. Tarja was even forced to watch as her mother was descended on by the savages and torn to pieces. All that was left...was her. She tried to run but was soon caught and about to have her throat slit, until the men were stopped by their chieftain, an intimdating Breton woman named Aeryn Eaglethorn. Aeryn was a fearsome Forsworn, having earned the title Eaglethorn for her deadly skill in archery. She could pin a moth to a tree from nearly leagues away and when it came to hunting her targets, she was downright ruthless in her pursual.Chief Aeryn ordered her Forsworn not to harm the girl, but nevertheless Tarja was taken prisoner, the Forsworn believing that since her family was prominent in Markarth, they would receive a generous ransom for her. They chained Tarja to a post outside the camp leaving her out in the cold without any food, and for years they abused her phsyically and verbally, yet it was only the men and a few women who engaged in such vile behavior towards her. The chieftain would have none of it, it seemed. A few months later while the rest of the camp slept and Tarja lied awake in pain during the night, the chieftain unlatched her from the post and brought the girl to her tent. As she tended to Tarja's wounds and fed her, Aeryn spoke of how she was in the same situation long ago, and how she disapproved of Tarja's treatment by her Forsworn, but decided to let them continue....because she was testing Tarja's strength and her resolve. She spoke of how impressed she was the girl stayed strong, even through months of rigorous torture, and that despite she wasn't a Breton, she had what it took to be a Forsworn. The girl held anger though for the woman killing her family, but nevertheless she decided to become a Forsworn...to survive longer. A few weeks after that night, the woman came to her again releasing her from her bounds. She told Tarja that they were going hunting and that she wanted Tarja to join them, despite what the others thought of the girl. It was there upon the jagged, tall rocks of the Reach that Tarja made her first kill, a lowly mountain goat. Eventually, she began hunting more often with the chieftain and her tribe, becoming more and more skillful with a bow every day, until she too was a formidable archer, just as the woman who trained her. She had even gone with them on raids of nearby villages and killed her fair share of people. Soon she began to lose touch with her old self, shedding away the doughy exterior of a rich, snobby debutante of Markarth and truly becoming....a child of the Reach. The other Forsworn began to accept her as part of the tribe and to the chieftain she became a valuable ally and a close companion, perhaps...even more...as there was talk among the tribe of the chieftain taking the girl to her tent each night. The Forsworn also taught Tarja other valuable skills, such as alchemy and close combat. Soon, Tarja had no desire at all to return to Markarth. She was happy with the Forsworn, the tribe had become her family, and the chieftain Aeryn....the woman she loved dearly. But...this happiness of hers would not last. On the night of the anniversary of King Madanach's rebellion, the Forsworn celebrated with a feast under the light of the moon, but their festivities were met with bloodshed as during the feast, the tribe was ambushed by a batallion of Stormcloaks sent to wipe out their camp. Many fought and many died, leaving only Chief Aeryn and Tarja alive. Tarja, though terrified her clan had been slaughtered, she tried to fight back, but Aeryn stood before her. Suddenly, the woman changed, her bones cracking and her limbs stretching, her body contorting into some mosntrous shape. Her fingers became sharp, vicious claws and her skin was covered in a thick black fur. Tarja couldn't believe her eyes. The woman...Aeryn...she was a werewolf! The werewolf's claws tore through the Stormcloak's ranks, limbs flying, blood spraying all over the place with horrible screams of agony. Tarja, as much death she had seen with the Forsworn, she couldn't even bare the sight of her beloved ripping apart men piece by piece, yet as horrible as it was, she couldn't look away, frozen with eyes wide as Masser above. Not only would she witness the slaughter of the Stormcloaks by Aeryn's hand, but she would also bare witness to....the woman's death. In her gory and violent frenzy, the werewolf was run through with a silver sword and wrenched back with a blood curdling howl of pain. She fell to the ground, trembling in such agony, trying her damndest to pull the wretched blade from her gut, but it was too late. The silver charred her flesh and boiled her blood with such a horrific heat. With her last breath, the chieftan called Tarja to her. Tarja fell to her knees by the woman's side, still in her beastly form, and sobbed into her chest as she felt the woman slowly fading into the distance. It was then, she gave one final request......drink her blood. Tarja did so....and as the woman died in her arms, she wrenched her head to the sky and cried out, her cry...turning into a howl. Soon, by the light of Masser falling upon her, she became the very beast Aeryn was, wolf blood now ran through her veins. She stormed off into the night with only one goal in mind, and soon that goal was met. The Stormcloak Camp in the Reach, by morning, nothing would be left of it...but nearly a hundred rotting, mutilated carcasses left strewn about their blood spattered tents and bedrolls. And it didn't just stop there. Soon, Tarja was seeking out all Stormcloak Camps across Skyrim, either leaving them bloody massacres after her werewolf form took over or picking off troops one by one with her deadly bow. Her savage deeds however didn't go unnoticed. After returning from another night of bloodshed, Tarja, now a woman in her mid twenties, rested beside Lake Ilinalta. Twas there, she was met by a ghostly apparition, taking the form of a majestic white stag. Tarja drew her arrow to the ethereal beast, but instead of flee...it spoke to her in a male voice. This was the voice of the Hunter, the Daedric Lord Hircine. Hircine was impressed with Tarja's ruthlessness and her keen hunting skills. He offered to make her his champion and give her power like no other, but at a cost. Tarja, being wolf-blood now, her soul would belong to Hircine, and when she died, she, like many, would become part of the hunt. Nevertheless, Tarja swore fealty to Hircine and was sent on her first task, kill another werewolf named Hrothi. Hrothi was a bandit chief, who led a gang of vagrants in Hjalmarch, he was also once a champion of Hircine as well, but abused his power for his own gain. It wasn't long, Tarja tracked Hrothi and his miscreants to a cavern in Hjalmarch. The lesser humans she easily picked off from the shadows with her bow, but Hrothi proved much of a challenge. Taking on his wolf form, he engaged the woman in a fearsome brawl, which ended with Tarja ripping his head off and carving the skin from his flesh as offering to Hircine. Twas from this skin Hircine made for her armor, cristening it the Armor of the Huntress. By wearing it, Tarja became an even deadlier foe. Her skills became sharpened. She could draw an arrow faster than before, her stamina and her speed increased and another effect...it allowed her the ability to transform whenever she felt, no longer needing the light of a full moon to provoke her. Now Tarja uses the power of Hircine to hunt and kill across Skyrim, taking whatever job she can find, mostly bounties out on the heads of notorious bandit leaders, but still her devotion lies with her Lord....and of course....to Aeryn, as she now carries the woman's title of Eaglethorn to honor the chieftain's memory. Other: To Oblivion with your damn cheese and your Wabbajacks! HAIL THE STAG PRINCE!! HAIL THE HUNT!!</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Brannus chuckled, the Argonian was no novice, nor was she a fool. "I can assure you, miss, everything here is as it should be, I've no use for trinkets and gems, and the wood provides us with more than enough fresh meat and water. Now, as you said, let us not stand here in the cold for too long, the chill must be much worse against your scales, and many beasts are fond of roaming the snow. So, let us talk of payment, what are you prepared to give in exchange for these goods?" The snow and glacial winds battered against the large nord's armor ice crystals forming over colder steel. Snow began to cake the many pelts and furs Brannus wore draped over his shoulders, and the wyrm skull mounted upon his right shoulder-guard. The smell of the raw meat and decaying flesh were all that could be found amid sterile snow and ice, their decay and rot slowed by the cold, ice holding some of the mutilated bodies together, slowly cracking and shifting as the chill began to fill each and every crevice of necrotic flesh. Wolves could be heard, howling in the distance, as was common of the tundra, they seemed to join the great winds in song, crying out for blood, to take their prey together with claw and frost.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma overheard the conversation and lifted her head off of the counter, she almost fell asleep again, She leaned in a tiny bit and started listening, hearing something about "werewolfs" and the "champions" She also noticed that now pretty much everyone was Staring at her, even the list of "trustable" ones She started to doubt she was in the right place again, might as well ask the bartender where she was, with a voice of worry she asked the Reptilian bartender excuse me uh, which city is this?</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "Hmm. You don't seem like the type whose bartering in septims, and the fact that food is involved suggests you aren't looking for necessities. I have access to several armorers and are carrying a good load of steel in the hull, and perhaps you're interested in a more... high grade protection. I have access to materials which technically require Imperial shipping permits, but considering there are at least three separate standards in the places I travel that is not too much of a concern. I don't barter in crewmen or 'favors.' I'd be obliged to hear what you're looking for out of this," Walks-In-Light said with a ponderous tone. Canis, managing to put aside the brief period of revulsion, sorted through the goods with a deft eye as the captain addressed Brannus, attempting to mentally price the jewels and furs for the purposes of ascertaining how much they could reasonably go for on the open market.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia the bartender replied saying Winterhold and Asuma realized her big mistake. She made a big wrong turn Ughh!, I knew I should've gone west! She gotten a bit angry, but not for long, it didn't matter now she'd found pretty much everyone. muttering a curse she'd did a facepalm, the bartender left and started serving some other drunken nord customers just my luck...</s>	<\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Tarja heard the girl hissing under her breath, having realized a most humorous folly, and snickered to herself standing up and approaching her. A strange weapon she had in her possession, a blade, slightly curved, but not as harsh as the scimitars of Hammerfell, those damn guards going on obsessively over them damn curved swords. No, this appeared more the blade style of Akavir, Tarja only knowing of the mysterious race through many a tale passed about a warm fire and a cold mug of ale. "Lost are we?" She said. Gods..compared to the youth, she must appear as a giant looming over her, casting a shadow that could eclipse even Masser. And still, she had no recollection at all of where she had seen the girl last but was certain she knew of her. "What's your name lass?"</s>
<\|description\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Height: 5'4'' Weight: Roughly 120 lbs, slightly muscular build Occupation: Bounty Hunter/Mercenary Race: Half Nord/Half Redguard/Werewolf Class: Archer Gender: Female Age: 27 Attitude: Cold, taciturn, and a woman of only a few words, Tarja isn't much when it comes to speaking, or smiling for that matter. Rather she mostly communicates through stern glares and harsh body motions. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty (or bloody) and has an absolute hatred for the Stormcloaks. For her, there is only one thrill, and that is the thrill of the hunt, but when it comes to matters other than hunting, Tarja enjoys to be out and about in nature, as it is where she feels most tranquil, whether it is traversing the high, jagged rocks of The Reach or taking a peaceful dip in the sparkling crystal waters of Lake Ilinalta. Tarja is also a bit more fond of women rather than men, though either man or woman, she finds it hard to trust others and mostly prefers to work alone. Clothing: Her attire is mostly a mix of Ancient Nord and Forsworn armor known as the Armor of the Huntress. She even has a hood that she wears when she is out hunting. Weapons: A Dragonbone Bow with Forsworn Arrows, a Forsworn War Axe, and a Steel Dagger. She also carries various poisons to coat her arrows and her blades with, all made by herself Interesting facts/Bio: Born in Markarth to a Nord silver smith and his Redguard wife after the Stormcloaks took the Reach, the woman was originally under the family name Cathis, and was being raised to craft beautiful silver jewelry just like her father. Over the years, her family accumulated such wealth in their trade and was among the most astute of merchants in Markarth, despite being under the thumb of the Silverblood family, making a name for themselves. Yet tragedy was soon to strike one horrible evening as the family traveled together, husband, wife, and their young child Tarja, from Markarth and through the treacherous terrain of the Reach, on their way to Solitude to trade silver and jewelry. Their wagon was attacked and seized by a band of savages known as the Forsworn. Her father tried to stop them and save his family, but in a matter of seconds the man was skewered with arrows. Tarja was even forced to watch as her mother was descended on by the savages and torn to pieces. All that was left...was her. She tried to run but was soon caught and about to have her throat slit, until the men were stopped by their chieftain, an intimdating Breton woman named Aeryn Eaglethorn. Aeryn was a fearsome Forsworn, having earned the title Eaglethorn for her deadly skill in archery. She could pin a moth to a tree from nearly leagues away and when it came to hunting her targets, she was downright ruthless in her pursual.Chief Aeryn ordered her Forsworn not to harm the girl, but nevertheless Tarja was taken prisoner, the Forsworn believing that since her family was prominent in Markarth, they would receive a generous ransom for her. They chained Tarja to a post outside the camp leaving her out in the cold without any food, and for years they abused her phsyically and verbally, yet it was only the men and a few women who engaged in such vile behavior towards her. The chieftain would have none of it, it seemed. A few months later while the rest of the camp slept and Tarja lied awake in pain during the night, the chieftain unlatched her from the post and brought the girl to her tent. As she tended to Tarja's wounds and fed her, Aeryn spoke of how she was in the same situation long ago, and how she disapproved of Tarja's treatment by her Forsworn, but decided to let them continue....because she was testing Tarja's strength and her resolve. She spoke of how impressed she was the girl stayed strong, even through months of rigorous torture, and that despite she wasn't a Breton, she had what it took to be a Forsworn. The girl held anger though for the woman killing her family, but nevertheless she decided to become a Forsworn...to survive longer. A few weeks after that night, the woman came to her again releasing her from her bounds. She told Tarja that they were going hunting and that she wanted Tarja to join them, despite what the others thought of the girl. It was there upon the jagged, tall rocks of the Reach that Tarja made her first kill, a lowly mountain goat. Eventually, she began hunting more often with the chieftain and her tribe, becoming more and more skillful with a bow every day, until she too was a formidable archer, just as the woman who trained her. She had even gone with them on raids of nearby villages and killed her fair share of people. Soon she began to lose touch with her old self, shedding away the doughy exterior of a rich, snobby debutante of Markarth and truly becoming....a child of the Reach. The other Forsworn began to accept her as part of the tribe and to the chieftain she became a valuable ally and a close companion, perhaps...even more...as there was talk among the tribe of the chieftain taking the girl to her tent each night. The Forsworn also taught Tarja other valuable skills, such as alchemy and close combat. Soon, Tarja had no desire at all to return to Markarth. She was happy with the Forsworn, the tribe had become her family, and the chieftain Aeryn....the woman she loved dearly. But...this happiness of hers would not last. On the night of the anniversary of King Madanach's rebellion, the Forsworn celebrated with a feast under the light of the moon, but their festivities were met with bloodshed as during the feast, the tribe was ambushed by a batallion of Stormcloaks sent to wipe out their camp. Many fought and many died, leaving only Chief Aeryn and Tarja alive. Tarja, though terrified her clan had been slaughtered, she tried to fight back, but Aeryn stood before her. Suddenly, the woman changed, her bones cracking and her limbs stretching, her body contorting into some mosntrous shape. Her fingers became sharp, vicious claws and her skin was covered in a thick black fur. Tarja couldn't believe her eyes. The woman...Aeryn...she was a werewolf! The werewolf's claws tore through the Stormcloak's ranks, limbs flying, blood spraying all over the place with horrible screams of agony. Tarja, as much death she had seen with the Forsworn, she couldn't even bare the sight of her beloved ripping apart men piece by piece, yet as horrible as it was, she couldn't look away, frozen with eyes wide as Masser above. Not only would she witness the slaughter of the Stormcloaks by Aeryn's hand, but she would also bare witness to....the woman's death. In her gory and violent frenzy, the werewolf was run through with a silver sword and wrenched back with a blood curdling howl of pain. She fell to the ground, trembling in such agony, trying her damndest to pull the wretched blade from her gut, but it was too late. The silver charred her flesh and boiled her blood with such a horrific heat. With her last breath, the chieftan called Tarja to her. Tarja fell to her knees by the woman's side, still in her beastly form, and sobbed into her chest as she felt the woman slowly fading into the distance. It was then, she gave one final request......drink her blood. Tarja did so....and as the woman died in her arms, she wrenched her head to the sky and cried out, her cry...turning into a howl. Soon, by the light of Masser falling upon her, she became the very beast Aeryn was, wolf blood now ran through her veins. She stormed off into the night with only one goal in mind, and soon that goal was met. The Stormcloak Camp in the Reach, by morning, nothing would be left of it...but nearly a hundred rotting, mutilated carcasses left strewn about their blood spattered tents and bedrolls. And it didn't just stop there. Soon, Tarja was seeking out all Stormcloak Camps across Skyrim, either leaving them bloody massacres after her werewolf form took over or picking off troops one by one with her deadly bow. Her savage deeds however didn't go unnoticed. After returning from another night of bloodshed, Tarja, now a woman in her mid twenties, rested beside Lake Ilinalta. Twas there, she was met by a ghostly apparition, taking the form of a majestic white stag. Tarja drew her arrow to the ethereal beast, but instead of flee...it spoke to her in a male voice. This was the voice of the Hunter, the Daedric Lord Hircine. Hircine was impressed with Tarja's ruthlessness and her keen hunting skills. He offered to make her his champion and give her power like no other, but at a cost. Tarja, being wolf-blood now, her soul would belong to Hircine, and when she died, she, like many, would become part of the hunt. Nevertheless, Tarja swore fealty to Hircine and was sent on her first task, kill another werewolf named Hrothi. Hrothi was a bandit chief, who led a gang of vagrants in Hjalmarch, he was also once a champion of Hircine as well, but abused his power for his own gain. It wasn't long, Tarja tracked Hrothi and his miscreants to a cavern in Hjalmarch. The lesser humans she easily picked off from the shadows with her bow, but Hrothi proved much of a challenge. Taking on his wolf form, he engaged the woman in a fearsome brawl, which ended with Tarja ripping his head off and carving the skin from his flesh as offering to Hircine. Twas from this skin Hircine made for her armor, cristening it the Armor of the Huntress. By wearing it, Tarja became an even deadlier foe. Her skills became sharpened. She could draw an arrow faster than before, her stamina and her speed increased and another effect...it allowed her the ability to transform whenever she felt, no longer needing the light of a full moon to provoke her. Now Tarja uses the power of Hircine to hunt and kill across Skyrim, taking whatever job she can find, mostly bounties out on the heads of notorious bandit leaders, but still her devotion lies with her Lord....and of course....to Aeryn, as she now carries the woman's title of Eaglethorn to honor the chieftain's memory. Other: To Oblivion with your damn cheese and your Wabbajacks! HAIL THE STAG PRINCE!! HAIL THE HUNT!!</s> <\|message\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak Murkan decided that after so much of the Breton's droning, he would at least numb the pain. He came to the point that he don't care if his employer is robbed or killed. "Breton, be silent. You talk much like imperial women.." His eyes trailed off to notice the young Imperial talking to the hardened Nord. He tried to listen into the conversation, curiosity may kill the pig-man. The young lady seemed familiar. Every time he chased the thought, it evaded him somehow. Murkan gave a slight frown when the lady started to cry. The Breton mocked him for it. "Orc has feelings? I thought you lot were into killing and whats nots?" Something inside of Murkan snapped, maybe it was Malacath defending his own, maybe he was just sick of the Breton being a dimwit. The brute put one hand around the Breton's neck and squeezed. The Breton kicked, gasping for breath, the stool was knocked over. The Merchant was slowly lifted in the air. "Murkan is not pig. Murkan is not monster." He finally let go before the Breton passed. The Man crumbled to the ground, clinging his throat, gasping for air. The Mer sat down, looking straight ahead at something that didn't exist.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma had a face of Horror, watching the gigantic Green giant smash the Mage, HES on the trustable-people list!?, She wasn't used to people fighting, but this was obviously what it was like, what it was like when the Soldiers found her village, this is what probably happened to her father More thoughts went through Asumas mind, Her eyes were glued to the Orc beating up the person, however, a feel of release had came to her as the giant let the man live, But it still lingered in her mind.</s>	<\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Just as Tarja feared. Such grim words to hear, Riker, dead, and certainly not by age, for the old man had the strength of a full-grown mammoth and could fare more than a few harsh winters in old Skyrim. Just by the painful lamentations and sobs of poor Asuma, shedding every last burning tear she could bring to her sore, melancholic eyes, the Forsworn woman could only believe his death was not a peaceful one, that there was foul play afoot, hence why Asuma would be in search of her father's last known companion, at least from what Tarja could tell. Well, Hircine rest his weary soul upon the verdant plains of the Great Hunt, and may someday Tarja join the man Riker again on another outing with the Stag Prince under the Blood Moon. "There there, child." Tarja whispered kneeling down and resting a comforting hand on Asuma's shoulder. "This is grave news indeed you bring from Cyrodiil, but your father was a warrior, strong and courageous. His death was not in vain if it were to protect you, his only kin." Given, she may have wrapped the weeping youth in a hug, yet Tarja wasn't much for showing that sort of emotion. "You need to dry your tears, Asuma, and carry on, for the sake of your father Riker. He'd be proud to see the warrior you've blossomed into." And just as her hand retreated to her side, a commotion sounded from behind her. Tarja turned, just in time to catch eye of the Orismer roughing up that mouthy Breton he was escorting. A tad bitter was the sight, since Tarja, though not a Breton herself, was fond of the people of High Rock, and in a curt motion she drew her dagger and leveled it at the Orc just as he released the man, leaving him on the floor to cough and wheeze at his throat nearly crushed by brute strength. "Ease that temper, Orismer! Or it shall be my blade in your throat!" Tarja snarled clenching the hilt of her dagger tighter. Not only did the big green bastard rough up a Reachman, but he also evidently terrified poor Asuma with his show of natural Orcish brutality, just making the situation worse it seemed.</s>
<\|description\|>Walks-In-Light Occupation: Merchant/Smuggler (Does both) Race: Argonian Class: Rogue (Thoroughly but incompletely trained in Shadowscale assassination methods, but also uses a lot of street fighting) Gender: Female Age: 32 Personality: A somewhat mischevious but charismatic buisnesswoman, she has a strong love of the sea and foreign cultures, something she heavily dislikes about the cultures of Skyrim. General Appearance: Ruddy scaled with small protruding fins jutting from near the top of her head. Roughly 2 meters tall and quite imposing, with a long tail and generally well defined muscle structure for her race. Tends towards masculine and practical, if high quality, clothing, owning to her past and present activites and also the problems members of her race often face with tailoring around tails. She has a full set of She has a full set of Stahlrim light armor she keeps roughly wherever she is in case she expects trouble, adding a fur cloak if she does to hide her advantage. Weapons: While her primary weapons are two ebony daggers with fire enchantments, nicknamed Smoke and Fire, which she keeps on her person constantly, both out of fear of theft and being caught off guard. Said knives are heirlooms from her father, and are not unknown to blood by any stretch of the imagination. She also has training with a bow and is quite skilled in it, but bows are generally impractical in her line of work. Bio: Walks-In-Light was born as the only child, a bastard, of Jeizuaru, one of Cyrodil's last Shadowscales. Disenfranchised with the removal of his group's training centers and finding nothing but ruin and desolation from the other branches of the Dark Brotherhood, Jeizuaru was firmly convinced that Sithis had grown displeased with their complacency to the existence of groups like the Morag Tong, and, abandoning whatever was left of the Dark Brotherhood, he journeyed into Skyrim and to the seaport of Winterhold, gaining employment as a sailor on a small transport to Solstheim. He began his campaign of murder with suprising success, drawing on virtually all of his skills to confuse attempts by the group to find the murderer. While his intial spree ending successfully, the picking thinned as the group grew cautious and Jeizaru grew older, finding himself burdened further with a child after an ill-thought out night of passion with a female dockworker, who had grown sickly soon afterwards, the cold having evidently damaged her constitution to an extent that even her natural resistances could not protect her. Jeizuaru, raising the child, Walks-In-Light, decided to do something rather unprecdented: teach this child, born under the sign of the Thief, the skills of the Shadowscale, in order that the techniques not die completely. Of course, between raising a child, working legitimately, and continuing his crusade against the Morag Tang, something had to give. In this case, it was the man himself, finding himself dead at the hands of his enemies after a botched assassination attempt. Walks-In-Light still remembers the day she opened the box her father had said to open only if he gone when his ship returned. It contained two daggers of a demonic quality, noted as heirlooms in what documentation was contained within, as well as a letter explaining, with as few details as possible, that he had obligations to a higher power that took precedence even over him being her father. She'll always remember the last line, a reference to some folk tale he often referenced: "Cheese. Cheese, for everyone." Walks-In-Light found herself on the street at the age of 12 with only her skills, numerous as they were, and her wits, as well as suprising luck. Managing to scrap out a living in Windhelm, she managed to scrape out a living as a thief of sorts, before she accidentally tried pickpocketing a Thieves Guild member. Rather than punish her, the man saw potential in the confident young pickpocket, and took her back to Riften, getting her quite a way through the command structure on the back of her training. Eventually she decided to make a name for herself on her own in the town she once called home, following in what she knew of her father's footsteps and using her hoard of septims to found a small shipping company at 21 to ride on the back of a weakened Empire's susceptibility of smuggling, and has managed to become a major trader in Skyrim and to a degree throughout Cyrodil. While her main routes are to Argonian colonies in Vvardenfel (for liquor and ebony smuggling) and Solstheim (Stahlrim being a highly desirable mineral with the ongoing war), she has traveled much of the world and traded across most of it at one point or another, notably having managed to open the Forsaken to trade for their silver resources, as well as a famous trip that netted her the largest supply of Sload soap seen in one place in at least an era, something she's still riding off of financially. The slowly collapsing Empire worries her to some degree, but with a lack of political bodies to replace it and a war she lacks any real interest in outside of economics, she has resigned herself to whatever comes, at least until something better comes up. It's worth noting she still maintains a strong connection with the Thieves Guild, her boats occasionally used to smuggle thieves out of a city if they touched something too hot or get some into warehouses and other such locations where a crate is welcome. In turn, the Thieves Guild has helped "convince" competitors to halt certain activities and provide a willing buyer for certain materials, substances, and items of a dubious legality or ownership. Other: Knows quite a large amount about poisons and the anatomy of man and mer, as well as good old fashioned pickpocketing and lockpicking.</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg Brannus chuckled, the Argonian was no novice, nor was she a fool. "I can assure you, miss, everything here is as it should be, I've no use for trinkets and gems, and the wood provides us with more than enough fresh meat and water. Now, as you said, let us not stand here in the cold for too long, the chill must be much worse against your scales, and many beasts are fond of roaming the snow. So, let us talk of payment, what are you prepared to give in exchange for these goods?" The snow and glacial winds battered against the large nord's armor ice crystals forming over colder steel. Snow began to cake the many pelts and furs Brannus wore draped over his shoulders, and the wyrm skull mounted upon his right shoulder-guard. The smell of the raw meat and decaying flesh were all that could be found amid sterile snow and ice, their decay and rot slowed by the cold, ice holding some of the mutilated bodies together, slowly cracking and shifting as the chill began to fill each and every crevice of necrotic flesh. Wolves could be heard, howling in the distance, as was common of the tundra, they seemed to join the great winds in song, crying out for blood, to take their prey together with claw and frost.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma overheard the conversation and lifted her head off of the counter, she almost fell asleep again, She leaned in a tiny bit and started listening, hearing something about "werewolfs" and the "champions" She also noticed that now pretty much everyone was Staring at her, even the list of "trustable" ones She started to doubt she was in the right place again, might as well ask the bartender where she was, with a voice of worry she asked the Reptilian bartender excuse me uh, which city is this?</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "Hmm. You don't seem like the type whose bartering in septims, and the fact that food is involved suggests you aren't looking for necessities. I have access to several armorers and are carrying a good load of steel in the hull, and perhaps you're interested in a more... high grade protection. I have access to materials which technically require Imperial shipping permits, but considering there are at least three separate standards in the places I travel that is not too much of a concern. I don't barter in crewmen or 'favors.' I'd be obliged to hear what you're looking for out of this," Walks-In-Light said with a ponderous tone. Canis, managing to put aside the brief period of revulsion, sorted through the goods with a deft eye as the captain addressed Brannus, attempting to mentally price the jewels and furs for the purposes of ascertaining how much they could reasonably go for on the open market.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia the bartender replied saying Winterhold and Asuma realized her big mistake. She made a big wrong turn Ughh!, I knew I should've gone west! She gotten a bit angry, but not for long, it didn't matter now she'd found pretty much everyone. muttering a curse she'd did a facepalm, the bartender left and started serving some other drunken nord customers just my luck...</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn Tarja heard the girl hissing under her breath, having realized a most humorous folly, and snickered to herself standing up and approaching her. A strange weapon she had in her possession, a blade, slightly curved, but not as harsh as the scimitars of Hammerfell, those damn guards going on obsessively over them damn curved swords. No, this appeared more the blade style of Akavir, Tarja only knowing of the mysterious race through many a tale passed about a warm fire and a cold mug of ale. "Lost are we?" She said. Gods..compared to the youth, she must appear as a giant looming over her, casting a shadow that could eclipse even Masser. And still, she had no recollection at all of where she had seen the girl last but was certain she knew of her. "What's your name lass?"</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg A hardy laugh rang from behind the Nord's helmet at the merchant's words. "Oh, I understand, such 'favors' tend not to be worth what I'm giving in the first place. However if you were so inclined, after this transaction I wouldn't be opposed to the two of us exchanging one 'favor' for another." A couple of the other deserters joined their leader in a short laugh, before he spoke again. "Either way, it sounds like a good trade, Falkreath provides for the men, but not for our forges. I'd also be very gracious to have some of those more... elusive goods that you spoke of. After all the Empire no longer holds this land under their regulation. I'm certain our collective company can handle the exchange and loading, your man there does seem to know a thing or two about the merchants trade. While they take care of that, why don't I buy you something to fend off the chill while you're still in port? We can celebrate the beginning of a hopefully long and beneficial partnership." The four accompanying Brannus grumbled softly to themselves upon hearing Brannus' order, but a quick, silent glare from their leader silenced them. Once more the tarp was draped over the goods, protecting it from the flurry of snow and ice that assailed the entirety of that desolate Hold. Cargo secure, they lead the hourses back toward the town, and towards Walks-In-Light's ship.</s>	<\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "I'll gladly buy our drinks. I only like favors when other people owe them to me. Also I don't want to deplete what stores of septims you all have. Canis, I assume you can do the math while I entertain our guest," Walks-In-Light said, with a mild grin. "Aye, captain. Let's see here..." he said, going into much deeper levels of mental math as he attempted to ascertain the amount of material this booty was worth. "Captain, I'd estimate that we can reasonably offer about 20 ingots of the stuff, 30 steel ingots, and 40 ingots of iron for the haul sans the 'specialty meats.' Does this sound reasonable?" Canis said with an air of deference around him. "Canis, I appreciate the formality, but calm down a little please. And yes, assuming that Brannus here accepts, I feel we should have a deal, am I wrong?" Walks-In-Light said, turning towards the tavern. " I'm going to be a Snow Elf if I don't get out of this cold soon. I'll get our drinks. You seem like a mead type, no?" Walks-In-Light said over her shoulder to her apparent admirer as she began approaching the bar.</s>
<\|description\|>Vaynce the Slayer; surname unknown. Occupation Companion/Mercenary Race Nord/Werewolf Class Slayer One-handed/Two-handed, skill, grit, and strength. His 'class' is basically using his hard-earned skill, strength, and athleticism to just eviscerate the opponent. His weapon depends on his mood for the week, but generally you can see him wielding a large two-handed axe, or two long, jagged, and razor sharp swords. His defense is his offense, and the enemy is generally gutted and decapitated before he even knows what happened. Gender Male Age 28 Personality Vaynce has lived on the edge for quite a while, and thusly, he is experienced in many matters. For one, he is a distant man. Not in an 'edgy, going through puberty' way, but he's just, in general, a man that has outlived all of his family and friends, and thusly, not interested in making anymore. If someone would walk up to him in a tavern, he'd give them an acknowledging nod or a grunt, depending on his mood, before returning to whatever he had been doing beforehand; when you meet him, don't expect him to bow down and tell you the tales of his past; his past isn't fun, and he'll probably punch you in the face if you ask. That brings the topic to another stance; he's not passive-aggressive, but enough bothering, and you're asking for a gutting. Vaynce is a distant, powerful man that prefers the term 'actions speak louder than words', so if you try to talk him into a frenzy, he'll ignore the pre-battle banter and just decapitate you where you stand. He isn't one for joking, even though he himself has a rather vulgar plethora of jokes from past friends, and will probably ignore you. He enjoys cleaning his weapons, taking care of troublesome bandits and scum across the land, and generally his nomadic, mercenary lifestyle. A tough, but solitary and rewarding living, that keeps his battle senses sharp, and his sword and axe arm sharper. General Appearance Being a Nord, Vaynce is already rather large, standing at 6'3 or so, with a ripped, muscular build that boasts extreme strength, agility, and stamina, what with his long legs and defined calves. His skin is rather calloused, although it still holds the pale effect that most Nords have from their time in the cold, where the sun doesn't shine as much as in Cyrodiil. His hair is thick and long as well, like most of his Nord brethren, being dark and tied back into a few war-braids where the long, thick locks doesn't just go backwards down his shoulder-blades. His body is littered with scars, both from war and from battles with Giants, wolves, Frost-bite spiders, trolls...the list goes on and on. The most noticeable ones are the scars that litters his upper torso, and a lightning-bolt-like scar that is a livid red, going from his left pectoral, all the way to his right hip bone. His clothing consists of armor he crafted himself - Thick, durable armor made of the bones of his different enemies - and he has fought possibly every beast out there, and wrapped with the scaly hide of frost trolls, along with Nordic-Carved boots. He doesn't wear a helmet, preferring to keep his long hair free - a wolfish trait. His armor leaves not a skin uncovered, other than his muscular arms - for more agility and strength with his swings. Weapons A walking weaponry, Vaynce has two swords that has since served their purpose; an ebony, razor-sharp blade that he found poking around a vampire's lair; blessed with Fire enchants, along with an Orcish sword, also blessed with Fire enchants; a reward for beating an Orismer war chief in fair battle. A Skyforge-steel, lightning-enchanted battle axe is strapped to his back, the weight absolutely not bothering him - a gift from the companions. On the pouches on his legs, he keeps a few other necessities, like lock-picks, throwing darts, the likes. Bio Ah...the Bio...something Vaynce hates to remember. Born to a wandering bandit group, life on the cold, harsh roads were not very...safe for a little Vaynce. His father was a harsh Nordic warrior, and so was his mother, and thusly, he had to cope to growing up young. Life back then wasn't as lawful as it is now. He learned how to wield a sword at the age of three, and how to swing a battle-axe at the age of six. At the age of seven he was running with the wolves after elk, and at the age of ten he was already pillaging caravans and small village encampments. When he was merely a wee lad - around the age of twelve, he was already known by some caravans as the 'Little Slayer'. Of course, at that age he was no longer little. Already face-to-face with most eighteen year olds, and with the strength to toss a battle-axe and the speed to catch a dashing buck, no one messed with him. His parents were proud of the Slayer they created, and as if life was made to make them all animals, they abandoned Vaynce at the age of thirteen, so that he could learn and thrive on his own. He did. He continued to ambush and destroy caravans, using the Septims to buy him armor, food, water, and weaponry for more raiding. Life continued like this until the age of sixteen, where caravans were now wary of the teenager, and he had to settle for a more...fair and lawful trade. Mercenary work. He traveled the world, taking contracts from Jarls and shady business-men. Take out the Giant ravaging their crops? Easy enough. Chop off the hamstring, when they fall jump of their shoulder, and decapitation with the axe. His prodigal skill in slaying began to be known, and more contracts flew in, almost becoming over-encumbering. Eventually he became stressed with the work, and whilst taking out an entire cave of trolls and spiders, he slipped up, and death was upon him - what seemed like nine trolls tearing apart his steel armor and slamming into his chest, his ribs...Death was close, until he heard it. A wolfish roar. A large, furry...thing came charging from the cave's entrance, and even as the trolls fled, it leapt after them with beast-like grace. A werewolf. It made quick work, and it changed back, becoming a nude woman in only her breeches. Vaynce was enamored, and that night, was a night of passion. When he awoken, the female had invited him back to her home - The Companions. They had heard of him, and he was welcomed with open arms, eventually moving up in ranks to become their new Harbinger, at the age of twenty. He became a Werewolf, but rejected the invitation for Harbinger, not wanting the ties it would bring him. Life continued on, and eventually, battle happened, people died. It was his wife; the same one that saved his life two years ago. She had been attacked by Forsworn, and killed in cold blood. That night, he snapped, throwing away the condolences and ravaging the country side - unstoppable. He dashed into that place, and tore...shit...up. More then fifty deaths happened that night, the nighttime darkness and surprise allowing him to kill swaths of the bastards before they even knew a beast was upon them. Even as he changed back into his human form, he smoothly unsheathed his two blades and was upon them like a cyclone of snarls and roars, steel whistling as he decapitated, eviscerated, and dominated. This was the marking of his solitary life, and he never loved again, becoming a distant, powerful ally to the Companions; he no longer stayed there. They were still loyal, and he to them, but he lived in the cold, unforgiving mountains of Skyrim, no one seeing his face in any towns, only if he went in for a resupply of necessities; smithing, cooking, alchemy - he did it all on the road. Mercenary life became his life for the next six years; he was like a mystery, appearing in different locations to take out threats that no one else had the gall to. Giants, dragons, bandit encampments, Forsworn, Vampires...they all fell to his blade. Life stayed the same for him. He never took sides in the plenty wars that happened, only cutting people down when they acted aggressive with him, or innocent folks. The Slayer remained, and still is, a staple in today's history, being a previous villain, to a rather intimidating and scary mercenary that enjoys his meat raw. Other Cheese is not complete without milk. He has a pet wolf-bear; Yes, a wolf-bear. A bear bred with a wolf, creating a creature that has the large, bulky, and muscular body of a bear, but with a wolf's sharpness and head. It's called 'Fang'.</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma kept on running and running, until the orange light of her former village disappeared, Asuma felt.....drained, the adrenaline she had earlier had ran out, feelings came to Asumas mind, about her parents, Sadness had smashed her like a tidal wave hit the sand, quick, and leaving a mark forever, she found a tree, just a lone tree in the middle, she walked up to it, well, more like. Limped up to it. and sat down, she didn't want to keep moving, why would she have too anyways? she already fought, She'd ran for miles. her dad would accept it if she gave up... she pulled out her sword from her Stealth, aiming it at her stomach, the cold metal of the sword was right at her chest, she didn't give up yet, but she would, closing her eyes. she dropped the blade at her side, a tiny clank sound could be heard from the slim metal thing, she laid back on the Rough wooden tree, Sleeping, she wasn't quitting, her father would have died for nothing, so would her mother. but now, she was just going to lie down for a bit.</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg The large Nord turned from the fire to face the Argonain woman, standing to greet the merchant, and brought his fist to his chest, a simple salute, but appropriate for one who lead men and mer. His men followed his example, saluting the newcomers, before resting their hands at their sides, ready to draw their weapons if anything should go wrong. Brannus looked over the Argonian who matched his great height, sizing up the many curves and contours of her body, he had to admit, rather stunning, confidence was always attractive. "I am Brannus, I take it you are Walks-In-Light? Its a pleasure to finally meet you. Now, if you'll just follow me, my men are waiting with the goods I promised." It was a short walk back to the carriage, a far enough way that it would not be noticed or actively pursued by the local authorities. Motioning for the Orc and Redguard to move aside, the warlord pulls the tarp from the cart, revealing piles of pelts, venison, jewels, jewelry, and all manner of pilfered wines,goods, and other necessities. Opposite these more typical goods, was a small pile of bodies, toppled upon one another in various stages of mutilation, decay, and composure. "Browse my wares, there's plenty of fresh water, drink, and meat to provide you and your crew with more than enough provisions."</s>	<\|message\|>Vaynce the Slayer; surname unknown. A tall, muscular man in armor made of bone and fur sat at the bar, his shoulders lowered and head facing downwards. Even in the inconspicuous position, one could see burning amber eyes narrowed at the wooden table in front of him. "Whiskey. Fire." His low, deep, and gruff voice growled out, sounding like it belonged more to a wolf than an actual Nord. The bartender - a female lass by the name of Mildred - nearly jumped, but thankfully kept her composure. The man hadn't spoken at all to her before, only walking in and taking a seat. He had been sitting there for at least half an hour, simply cleaning his blades before writing in a small tablet, before finally ordering. He was a startling Nord. "Right away!" She affirmed. Vaynce watched her mix the strong liquid, amber eyes drinking in the scene before he released a low hum and sat back. His business in Winterhold was simple; the innkeeper had given him a bounty some of the Jarl's men had left lying about, and it was to take out Skull's Creek - a cave nearby, holding an ample amount of cave-bears. Simple and easy. As if reading his thought, Fang, from where it had been resting by the fire, stood up and released a mighty yawn.</s>
<\|description\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak Ex-Legionnaire/Sellsword Orc Warrior Male 37 years Personality: Murkan is short-tempered and sullen, preferring to cleave Man, Mer, or beasts in half rather than talking situations out, and to act rather than to ponder. Being raised in a stronghold, he was brought up to believe in bringing honor to him and his family. He'd rather die with honor than to fight and live as a coward. He has a sort of distaste to outsiders, those from outside the Imperial Legion and his stronghold, and comes off as wary to them. He also has a stronger and more violent distaste towards those whom dabble in the schools of magic, believing they are cowards and less honorable. Height: 5' 9" Weight: 202 lb Weapons: Orcish Battleaxe, 2x steel daggers Bio: Born in one of the strongholds of Skyrim, Murkan grew up learning the ways of the orcish smith, the ways of the warrior and the "Code of Malacath". Most of his life was confined inside the wooden palisades of the stronghold. One of his seven brothers and himself were destined to challenge their father, the Chieftain, in order to succeed leadership. Murkan had no desire to become chieftain and strayed away from the squabbles of his other siblings. When the Stormcloak Rebellion raged out, Murkan was one of the several brothers who went to join the Imperial Legion. Murkan had his own influences. He desired for adventure and to prove himself as a capable warrior to Malacath, hoping to gain favor. He also heard that the Stormcloak leader, Ulfric Stormcloak, used his magical voice to murder the High King Torygg, which Murkan viewed as a cowardice act. Murkan was sent to the front lines, along with one of his other brothers. They were encamped with around thirty other men. They endured cold days and even colder nights, lurking wildlife, and the looming threat of Stormcloak soldiers. During one of the coldest nights, Stormcloak troops snuck past look-outs that were stationed around the camp. It was a downright slaughter. Murkan came back from gathering firewood to watch as his brothers and comrades were slaughtered in their sleep. He let out of a bloodcurdling roar, which woke up the soldiers who weren't being gutted. They quickly gathered together to repel the attack. Murkan charged a duo of archers with his brother's battleaxe. He tore them apart before setting upon the rest of the Stormcloaks. Murkan and his band of the tired and wounded managed to send the Stormcloaks back to the depths of the night. When morning arose, only the frozen bloodied bodies of the fallen remained. Murkan and the rest had to move back and join up with another unit to maintain full strength. Later in the day, Murkan received word that some of his other brothers died in similar attacks to the one he experienced. By the time Murkan had joined the war, it had soonly ended. The Stormcloak had taken Solitude and Castle Dour, the Fourth Legion that was stationed in Skyrim had crumbled. Word was spread that the Stormcloak had won. Instead of retreating with the rest of the Imperial Legion, Murkan shed his soldier's clothing and took up arms as a sellsword. For years after the war, Murkan worked for Jarls, merchants, noble families, anyone who could afford him. He preferred working alone, using his brute strength to get the job done. He knew he could work all over, gaining vast amounts of wealth, but he could never get the will to leave Skyrim, as if something was keeping him there. Other: Has armor as shown in image above.</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light Walks-In-Light stood at the front of her ship, looking over her gathered crew members. Her ship, The Cliff Racer, bobbed and swayed with the low waves of Winterhold's shoddily constructed harbor, a wooden dock connected to a steep wooden staircase that ascended the cliff face. It looked much older than it was, her few inquiries suggesting that it had been built in the last decade. The crew, a scruffy mix of Nords and Saxheel, or Argonians in the more common tongue, as well as a small minority of Dunmer and the occasional Redguard, stood half expectantly, the weathered crew still shivering at the bitter winds of this desolate colony. "Now, I understand you're complaints about the lack of... services in this town. But, it is out of my control. I was asked to negotiate with an 'independent trader,' who felt that he could not trust the security of a larger hold. We also have a need to restock, and while Windhelm has a much greater selection, we need provisions to last us in a trip to Solstheim and back to the open oceans, and it is apparent many of you cannot stomach Dunmer staples," she said, mildly discontented murmuring escalating as people complained about the lack of decent mead and the fact they'd be eating Horker meat for days. Silencing her crew with a loud hiss, she continued. "Now, we shall not be here long. I'm taking the first mate and... you four," she said, picking out three Nords and a Dunmer crewman. "You'll come with me. The rest of you... make sure everything is in good condition. Sit around for all I care. I'll need some of you for carrying goods." With that conclusive statement the crew grumbled into motion, and a weathered Redguard stepped up to her. "The crew's going to have trouble focusing for a week, aye Cap'n?" he said mischievously. The crewman she had noted walked towards the captain, keeping a respectable distance. Walks-In-Light eyed her first mate with a degree of mock exasperation. "Canis, you could be on the ocean floor if this was an Imperial vessel. Come on, we're heading to the tavern for this meeting," she said, gesturing to her entourage to follow her down the gangplank and up the stairs towards the city. Canis caught up to his captain with due haste. "So what's really going on?" he asked, with a mild grin. "Some bandit king from Falkreath hold. Looking to move some goods. I'm thinking Vvardenfel is our best bet in getting them out of our hands," she said, ascending the steps with a noticeable caution, a layer of ice and snow covering the surface. Canis nodded silently, and they reached the town with tired legs. They entered the tavern in a generally undramatic manner, and approached the group of men who looked out of place by the fire place, approaching the man who looked most in charge, steel plate shining with a dull light under his layers of furs. "Would you happen to be Brannus?"</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma kept on running and running, until the orange light of her former village disappeared, Asuma felt.....drained, the adrenaline she had earlier had ran out, feelings came to Asumas mind, about her parents, Sadness had smashed her like a tidal wave hit the sand, quick, and leaving a mark forever, she found a tree, just a lone tree in the middle, she walked up to it, well, more like. Limped up to it. and sat down, she didn't want to keep moving, why would she have too anyways? she already fought, She'd ran for miles. her dad would accept it if she gave up... she pulled out her sword from her Stealth, aiming it at her stomach, the cold metal of the sword was right at her chest, she didn't give up yet, but she would, closing her eyes. she dropped the blade at her side, a tiny clank sound could be heard from the slim metal thing, she laid back on the Rough wooden tree, Sleeping, she wasn't quitting, her father would have died for nothing, so would her mother. but now, she was just going to lie down for a bit.</s> <\|message\|>Brannus "Wyrm's Bane" Krieg The large Nord turned from the fire to face the Argonain woman, standing to greet the merchant, and brought his fist to his chest, a simple salute, but appropriate for one who lead men and mer. His men followed his example, saluting the newcomers, before resting their hands at their sides, ready to draw their weapons if anything should go wrong. Brannus looked over the Argonian who matched his great height, sizing up the many curves and contours of her body, he had to admit, rather stunning, confidence was always attractive. "I am Brannus, I take it you are Walks-In-Light? Its a pleasure to finally meet you. Now, if you'll just follow me, my men are waiting with the goods I promised." It was a short walk back to the carriage, a far enough way that it would not be noticed or actively pursued by the local authorities. Motioning for the Orc and Redguard to move aside, the warlord pulls the tarp from the cart, revealing piles of pelts, venison, jewels, jewelry, and all manner of pilfered wines,goods, and other necessities. Opposite these more typical goods, was a small pile of bodies, toppled upon one another in various stages of mutilation, decay, and composure. "Browse my wares, there's plenty of fresh water, drink, and meat to provide you and your crew with more than enough provisions."</s> <\|message\|>Vaynce the Slayer; surname unknown. A tall, muscular man in armor made of bone and fur sat at the bar, his shoulders lowered and head facing downwards. Even in the inconspicuous position, one could see burning amber eyes narrowed at the wooden table in front of him. "Whiskey. Fire." His low, deep, and gruff voice growled out, sounding like it belonged more to a wolf than an actual Nord. The bartender - a female lass by the name of Mildred - nearly jumped, but thankfully kept her composure. The man hadn't spoken at all to her before, only walking in and taking a seat. He had been sitting there for at least half an hour, simply cleaning his blades before writing in a small tablet, before finally ordering. He was a startling Nord. "Right away!" She affirmed. Vaynce watched her mix the strong liquid, amber eyes drinking in the scene before he released a low hum and sat back. His business in Winterhold was simple; the innkeeper had given him a bounty some of the Jarl's men had left lying about, and it was to take out Skull's Creek - a cave nearby, holding an ample amount of cave-bears. Simple and easy. As if reading his thought, Fang, from where it had been resting by the fire, stood up and released a mighty yawn.</s>	<\|message\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak The wind howled and screeched as snow was blanketing the view ahead. The fact it was night made it only worse. The threat of wolves and other wildlife was ever prevalent, along with the fact there was no light to guide the way. The moon didn't seem to exist at that moment. The path ahead was covered with knee high amount of snow. The darkness made it hard to see where the cliff was. "Orc, it's so damn cold. I can barely feel my fingers." A Breton merchant cried out. Murkan grunted an affirmative response. "Does this weather not affect you, Orc?" The young Breton asked. Murkan ignored the question and continued forth, braving the elements. The Breton's father hired Murkan to escort and protect his son, along with a cart full of assortment of goods. The pay was to be negotiated upon arrival, and gold was at a shortage for Murkan so he had no choice but to accept the terms. It was several nights from Markarth, their starting point. The Breton hugged himself with his fur coat, riding on the cart as a duo of horses pulled it, leaving Murkan to travel by foot. "Weather is not what worries me, Breton. Your four-legged beasts are attracting attention." Murkan finally spoke, the air was so cold that his words froze as he said. "What are you talking about, Orc? There is only us." The Breton stuttered while he tried to mock. Murkan turned his head, as if he was addressing what attention was being drawn. The man only saw the vastness of darkness and snow. The Mer's eyes followed small shadows that danced around them. "Wolves." Murkan has watched the beasts track them since the storm began. He knew that the wolves sensed that the horses were getting tired and if they didn't reach the "safety" of Winterhold, the wolves would be upon them soon. It seemed as if the horses figured out what was happening too, they moved quicker, forcing Murkan to quicken his pace to stay along side the cart. Murkan gave only a slight grin that was hidden by his helmet. As they got closer, if night and the storm weren't upon them, the duo would've been able to see the College of Winterhold and the village it casted its' shadow over. They could see fragments of light fight through the darkness. "We are there, Orc. We shall rest at the tavern and then in the morning, we discuss how well you did." The Breton managed to smile through the wind. A dark outlined loomed over the duo, to both of them it was obvious it was the College. As they entered town, they could see how small it really was. Murkan had never been to Winterhold before, his distaste towards mages and magic made it an unacceptable place to go to, until now. As the Breton rode his cart into a narrow space, Murkan looked around. There were few shops, a tavern, and the Jarl's longhouse. "The chests are locked, and I don't expect anyone to try to carry them away during this storm." The Breton tuck a small box into his coat and pointed towards the tavern. "What of the horses?" Murkan asked. The Breton shrugged, "Father can always get more." and with that the duo entered the tavern. Warmth wafted over them, Murkan was silently relieved that they finally arrived. The Breton was quick to make his relief public. "Ah, time to let these fingers thaw and down some mead to really help with the warmth." Murkan ignored his companion's comment yet again, his eyes went over the patrons of the tavern. He noticed what seemed to be an Argonian and a rather large Nord speaking to each other. Another rather large Nord was at the bar, peering at the table before him. A houndish beast laid near the fire. The Breton called Murkan over to a small table in the corner, where the fire casted very little light, whom quickly joined the merchant who was already ordering up cups of mead for the both of them. "With these goods, Father shall be pleased, maybe he will let me take care of the family business while he is away." Murkan gave a quick frown, then proceeded to bring the Nordic swill to his lips. It tasted awful, but the feeling afterwards made the tips of his ears warm. The Orc downed it while the Breton took his sweet time. "So, Orc." The Breton set down his mead. "What were you doing in Markarth at the time?" Murkan's memory casted him back. At that time, he was busy with helping clear out Dwemer machines that were uncovered in a new part of Nchuand-Zel. The Breton continued to wait for the Orc to respond. "Murkan was helping in the Dwarven ruins." he finally responded. The merchant's eyebrows raised sarcastically as he brought the cup to his mouth. Murkan was getting annoyed with this Merchant's son, he wanted his coin and then to leave Winterhold.</s>
<\|description\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak Ex-Legionnaire/Sellsword Orc Warrior Male 37 years Personality: Murkan is short-tempered and sullen, preferring to cleave Man, Mer, or beasts in half rather than talking situations out, and to act rather than to ponder. Being raised in a stronghold, he was brought up to believe in bringing honor to him and his family. He'd rather die with honor than to fight and live as a coward. He has a sort of distaste to outsiders, those from outside the Imperial Legion and his stronghold, and comes off as wary to them. He also has a stronger and more violent distaste towards those whom dabble in the schools of magic, believing they are cowards and less honorable. Height: 5' 9" Weight: 202 lb Weapons: Orcish Battleaxe, 2x steel daggers Bio: Born in one of the strongholds of Skyrim, Murkan grew up learning the ways of the orcish smith, the ways of the warrior and the "Code of Malacath". Most of his life was confined inside the wooden palisades of the stronghold. One of his seven brothers and himself were destined to challenge their father, the Chieftain, in order to succeed leadership. Murkan had no desire to become chieftain and strayed away from the squabbles of his other siblings. When the Stormcloak Rebellion raged out, Murkan was one of the several brothers who went to join the Imperial Legion. Murkan had his own influences. He desired for adventure and to prove himself as a capable warrior to Malacath, hoping to gain favor. He also heard that the Stormcloak leader, Ulfric Stormcloak, used his magical voice to murder the High King Torygg, which Murkan viewed as a cowardice act. Murkan was sent to the front lines, along with one of his other brothers. They were encamped with around thirty other men. They endured cold days and even colder nights, lurking wildlife, and the looming threat of Stormcloak soldiers. During one of the coldest nights, Stormcloak troops snuck past look-outs that were stationed around the camp. It was a downright slaughter. Murkan came back from gathering firewood to watch as his brothers and comrades were slaughtered in their sleep. He let out of a bloodcurdling roar, which woke up the soldiers who weren't being gutted. They quickly gathered together to repel the attack. Murkan charged a duo of archers with his brother's battleaxe. He tore them apart before setting upon the rest of the Stormcloaks. Murkan and his band of the tired and wounded managed to send the Stormcloaks back to the depths of the night. When morning arose, only the frozen bloodied bodies of the fallen remained. Murkan and the rest had to move back and join up with another unit to maintain full strength. Later in the day, Murkan received word that some of his other brothers died in similar attacks to the one he experienced. By the time Murkan had joined the war, it had soonly ended. The Stormcloak had taken Solitude and Castle Dour, the Fourth Legion that was stationed in Skyrim had crumbled. Word was spread that the Stormcloak had won. Instead of retreating with the rest of the Imperial Legion, Murkan shed his soldier's clothing and took up arms as a sellsword. For years after the war, Murkan worked for Jarls, merchants, noble families, anyone who could afford him. He preferred working alone, using his brute strength to get the job done. He knew he could work all over, gaining vast amounts of wealth, but he could never get the will to leave Skyrim, as if something was keeping him there. Other: Has armor as shown in image above.</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn She seemed as if she paid no mind at all to the squabble behind her, which ended just as swift as it began with a few heavy blows, yet it wasn't easy to ignore a typical bar-room tussle as this. When at first the drunken braggart did swagger and sway about the lowly tavern, Tarja was already anticipating a fight to commence, one hand casually rested upon the table clutched around her tankard of spiced ale while the other was discreetly yet vigilantly held over her steel dagger, should she have to draw it and give it a quick plunge into the bastard Nord's neck. Luckily, no violence had to follow from the Forsworn woman, because if it were her having to join the fray, that drunken buffoon would be bleeding from more than a busted nose and mouth. With a gruff sigh, she merely scowled to herself thinking of what a fool the Nord made of his self in front of everyone, yet a smirk at how the other dealt with him, so brash, so brutal and unrestrained...well slightly restrained actually. A common attitude of someone carrying...wolfblood in their veins. Tarja sighed again and downed the last of her ale, clattering her tankard against the stout, pinewood table, which garnered the attention of the barmaid Mildred. "Can I get you anything else, lass?", with a sweet chime she asked the Forsworn. Tarja only glanced at her with a pair of hardened eyes, empty eyes practically void of any emotion at all, and shook her head quietly before Mildred gathered her tankard and whisked herself away feeling a tad nervous of the slightly taller woman. She stood from her table giving a stretch and cracking a few bones in her neck before turning around, inadvertently facing the victor of the brawl. Vaynce was his name, as given roughly by his own voice to the drunk left bleeding and out cold on the wooden floors of the tavern, small plits of red here and there from where his teeth were caved in on the spruce planks. Tarja looked at him for a moment, shaping him up it seemed. He was a burly lad for sure, a physique worthy of Ysmir himself, yet Tarja could sense, even feel from a few paces away the ferocity oozing from his pores in such a foreboding aura, well...foreboding to some. Then, just for once did the woman's lips part, and soon she spoke, low, almost inaudible, and with a heaviness to her voice, "You fight with the strength of Ysgramor, Companion." He outed himself to the woman, easy to tell he was of the Companions. Tarja only knew of them from her travels of Skyrim, having stopped in Whiterun for a night of rest and hearing from Hulda of the Bannered Mare of the mighty Companions and their Harbinger, a powerful and noble warrior. Jorrvaskr where they made their home, the mead hall atop the hill of stone leading to the Skyforge, where the fires blazed hotter than the steam billows of the Rift. Yet, what she also heard was talk of how the Silver Hand once led an attack on Jorrvaskr, claiming the life of the former Harbinger, a Kodlak Whitemane. From there, Tarja just put two and two together. Only a particular reason they'd gain the ire of those worthless buffoons with their fancy swords. Tarja sat beside Vaynce at the bar, her eyes forward with a distant gaze elsewhere while she spoke, "Wasn't expecting to run into the finest warriors of Whiterun here in Winterhold. Long way from home, aren't you?"</s> <\|message\|>Keldir A strong blizzard was sweeping through the frozen forests of the north just outside of Winterhold, something Keldir had forced himself to try to get used t through his travels but had never managed to get over it, so being in the harshest place in skyrim during a blizzard was not the most pleasant experience for Keldir. "Damm this frozen waste" Keldir said to himself as he pulled his hood down even further while trying to navigate through the icy wind and ground deep with snow "If there are no books worth my time here im going to sink the rest of that dammed town into the sea" he said bitterly for the last few years he had not come across any books worth his time which only added to his irratble state as he thought about it as he marched on. After a few more hours of trekking through the snow, Keldir saw a stream of blue light coming out of the ground, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him at first but sure enough as he got closer he saw the great stone beast that was supposedly the College of Winterhold, the only reason to come to Skyrim and even then it wasnt a very good one. Keldir marched further down the hill towards the town until he reached the gates of the College. A young elven woman greeted him and after explaining for what he had come for and a rather grandioese display of magic, Keldir breathed a sigh of relief as he was allowed in. Keldir, now unsure where to go exactly as the elven woman had given him no directions, looked around for someone to give him some. Keldir spotted a young man sitting in the courtyard and approached him "Greetings, would you be able to give me directions by any chance?"</s> <\|message\|>Asuma medillia Asuma opened her eyes and gotten back up off of the cold dirty ground near the tree, picking up her stuff she pulled out her map, the map was much like the notes in her fathers basement, old and crusty, the air was cold, but there wasn't any snow too her surprise she was actually closer to whiterun than she thought, infact she was almost next too it, just a few miles, Asuma ran to the north, following the map, soon tiny white snowflakes fell to the ground, soon the entire ground was snow. Thank the empire for boots Asuma should feel cold, but she didn't really, maybe the armor was doing something or she was just simply, not cold, Hours passed, about 5 and she saw the distant ruin of a village in the distance, she felt a bit disappointed, her father always told her about whiterun, about the college of mages and the city. But the village was pretty much a wreckage except for a single store, town hall, and a bar The sky was gray with snow clouds and the bar was small and wooden, she walked up to it and opened the bar, the atmosphere changed as quick as a jackrabbit running across a hill, the bar had a tense atmosphere, like a fight was about to breakout, but at the same time a happy Atmosphere Asuma pulled out her map, she noticed the map led straight to the Bar, whats so damn important about a bar?! wait a minute, she noticed a Orc, a Forswornish girl, a guy with big black hair and pretty much, almost everyone her note mentioned, it was like her father meant for her to be there, at that time</s>	<\|message\|>Murkan Gro-Dushbak "You're so interesting for an Orc, where did y-" The Breton was cut short, a drunken Nord was about to topple on them, until another one grabbed the drunk by the throat. What happened next was rather interesting. The drunk was swung about and ended up on the ground. The other one was bending down over the defeated man. "Name's Vaynce." the Nord said. "Go get a room. Long night." Murkan said to his employer. So the Breton went over to the bar and sat down, waiting for Mildred to come back. Murkan continued to look at the man before him. "Pathetic...weak.." He mumbled. Embry must have heard the Orc ridicule him,"Shove off, you pig." The man said through what was left of his teeth. Murkan frowned and ignored the man, he walked over the man and to the merchant. "Makin' friends are we Orc?" The Breton chuckled. Mildred finally came back. Murkan noticed the barmaiden give a few quick looks at the Nord who seemed to end some of her disguist, and a lass who was talking to the Nord. The lass was quite the specimen, she was rather tall, taller than some of the men-patrons who were in the tavern. She was also somewhat built, not a rare sight on a Nordic women, but impressive nonetheless. The pair of Nords seemed to have a type of aura about them that the Orc couldn't quite figure out. The Breton ordered up around for himself and the Orc, yet again. Murkan was silently slamming his mead whilst his companion was trying to interrogate him. "Like I was saying, where did ya come from, Orc? You from out of Skyrim?" The Breton peered from behind his cup. "Murkan thinks you ask too many questions, Breton. Drink more, talk less." Murkan stamped that with a slam of his cup, signifying it was empty. Mildred came over to get him more, he put his hand over the cup, signifying he didn't want anymore. The Breton continued on, asking questions and annoying the Orc as much as he could.</s>
<\|description\|>Keldir Occupation: Exile, Traveller, and a Court Wizard from time to time. Race: Altmer Class: Mage (Destruction, Conjuration, Thaumaturgy, Alteration) Gender: Male Age: 102 (Elves can naturally love from 200-300. It has also been known for powerful wizards to live even longer) Attitude: Once rash and arrogant, when Keldir was a young man he saw everyone as a inferior, unable to match him in the arcane, he especially looked on those who were not the same race as himself with the greatest disdain. But through his travels and exposure to the new lands and people he has become more tolerant to new ideas and customs. Furthermore he has even become a little friendlier albeit still reserved, often too deep in thought to focus on the happenings around him. Despite his travels, however he still thinks most people are dimwitted fools incapable of appreciating the world of the arcane. Hair Color/Style: Blonde, long and flowing Eye Color: Purple Height: 6'0 Weight: 130 lbs Weapons: Staff of Storm Atronach, Magic Items: Boots of Fortify Health, Hood and Robes of Magika Regeneration, Ring of Fortify Magika, Amulet if Forify Magika Interesting facts/bio: Keldir had always shown a affinity for the arcane but he was always drawn to the forrbidden and sometimes lost schools of Magicka, usually for good reason. It was not long before He found himself dabbling in ancient arts long forgotten by society. He locked himself in his study and with each day passing his power grew. Rumours began to spread about the strange lights and sounds coming from Keldirs study and soon enough he was being investigated by the authorities. The investigators easily managed to uncover the forbidden magics he was practicing as the unexpecting Keldir had not hidden his work. With a few strings pulled by the few family members who still stood by him Keldir only had to spend a few days in prison and was granted exile. Since then he has roamed the continent, working in the courts of several kings but never staying for long as his thirst for knowledge always drives him on. While he has been in Exile the Thalmor have come to power in Summerset and they have begun to recruit exiles who wronged society and were once renowned in their chosen school. It will not be long before they find Keldir Cheese for everyone! Or at least those who can match Keldir in skill.</s> <\|message\|>Walks-In-Light "Ah. My thanks. I'll take this in account for the bargaining. Now, onto the goods themselves. The 'research material' might not be viable on the market. The ride to Vvardenfel means those will probably be Bosmer leftovers by the time we make it to port. The rest interests me more. There's a bunch of newly rich men in Vvardenfel who are sick of ash yams and saltrice and swaddling themselves in layers of linen to keep warm in the more dusty and desolate regions. They could use some furs and Nordic wines and real, red blooded meat rather than the pickings of some beetle. Jewelry will always sell, and the father we get it from Skyrim the better I'm able to price it considering the circumstances. Now, if you're screwing me you're not moving any goods out of Falkreath until the next Era, so if you have any goods that may not be up to snuff I'd ask that you point them out to me. Then we can get to work. It's too damn cold to be standing around out here anyways," Walks-In-Light noted, lightly ruffling through the takings through a gloved hand. Canis looked on with interest and perhaps mild revulsion, the dead bodies not being an olfactory pleasure for anyone involved. The crewman correctly stood a good distance back and attempted to listen to as little as possible.</s> <\|message\|>Vaynce the Slayer; surname unknown. It had only taken the barmaiden a few seconds to completely mix the strong liquid, and Vaynce accepted it with a large, calloused hand, the large mug feeling cold against his naturally warm skin. The sound of the tavern's door opening caused him to glance over with only his eyes, his head still facing the counter as his abnormally strong nose sucked in the scent of the burning fire whiskey. An Orc in commendable armor walked in with what appeared to be a regular Breton merchant. Probably a sell-sword, the Orc was. He appeared competent and strong enough for the job, and his hardy armor and rough form would shade him away from the cold winter. Satisfied with his observation, Vaynce returned his gaze to his cup. "'Scuse me lass," A snivelly, yet deep voice croaked nearby. A drunken man - A Nord, most-likely - had stumbled into the tavern, and immediately was fixed on the rather attractive barmaiden. The man was tall and bulky, like quite a lot of his race, and had fiery red hair and a salt-and-pepper beard; putting him around his mid to late 30s. An iron war-axe was strapped to his side, and otherwise, he wore a regular green tunic, pants, and a furred coat that looked to be made of goat-hide. A regular worker or miner. "Can you be gettin' me som' of 'at fiiiiine ale?" As he spoke, the man had collapsed onto the chair beside Vaynce, some of his bulk leaning against the quiet Werewolf. Ignoring the feeling of anger, Vaynce merely returned to his drink, although his ears were now on the conversation. "Y-Yes, sir." Mildred murmured shyly, barely contained disgust in her warm honey irises. It was obvious that the drunken man had been eyeing her rather exposed cleavage as he said those words, and she knew what he was talking about. Vaynce hated men like that; perverse men that had nothing to do but to get drunk and bother other people. He took another gulp of his whiskey, loving how it burned all the way down into the pit of his gut. Good stuff. "So, what's yer name, stranger?" Damn it. Vaynce didn't respond, opting to simply sit his mug down and stare into the amber liquid. Don't get mad. Don't get mad. Of course, the Wolf inside of him was howling, and Vaynce needed the stress relief before leaving Winterhold. A fist-fight would do him good. "Yer not going to tell me yer name?!" The drunken man slammed his hairy fist down near his whiskey, sending the mug falling onto the warm wooden floor. Vaynce calmly took off his gauntlets. The man had one more time, before actually beating his ass would be justified, and wouldn't get him in trouble with the law. He didn't really feel like cutting down good men today. The barmaiden, apparently knowing where this was going, sat down the mug of ale with a small smile and wink. Good. Embry, as expected, grabbed the mug and tried to throw the cold liquid in Vaynce's face...as expected. His fists now bare, Vaynce lashed his wrist upwards, slamming it into the mug before it could tip over. It went flying into the fire, sending a gout of flame into the air, and also alerting Fang - whom promptly stood up on two feet, towering over some of the occupants near him. It roared, as Embry took a step back and readied his fists. "Let's go, wise guy!" Vaynce still hadn't talked. Smoothly standing, the Slayer immediately blasted forward with a haymaker that sent Embry flying back with a broken, bloodied nose and lip - but, Vaynce grabbed him by the neck before he could fall onto the Orc and Breton duo that had just entered. With brutal ease, he swung Embry over-head, slamming the slightly shorter Nord deep into the wooden floor. Eat those splinters. The Slayer bent down. "Name's Vaynce." He growled lowly, into Embry's ear, so that only Embry and anyone nearby could hear. A pained groan accompanied his name reveal. With a disgusted snort, Vaynce sat back down at the bar, giving the barmaiden a head incline and an apologetic grimace. "A few septims for the trouble." Vaynce spoke quietly, lying a hefty pouch down on the counter. With a smile and a 'Thank You', Mildred skipped off to help other customers.</s> <\|message\|>Tarja Eaglethorn She seemed as if she paid no mind at all to the squabble behind her, which ended just as swift as it began with a few heavy blows, yet it wasn't easy to ignore a typical bar-room tussle as this. When at first the drunken braggart did swagger and sway about the lowly tavern, Tarja was already anticipating a fight to commence, one hand casually rested upon the table clutched around her tankard of spiced ale while the other was discreetly yet vigilantly held over her steel dagger, should she have to draw it and give it a quick plunge into the bastard Nord's neck. Luckily, no violence had to follow from the Forsworn woman, because if it were her having to join the fray, that drunken buffoon would be bleeding from more than a busted nose and mouth. With a gruff sigh, she merely scowled to herself thinking of what a fool the Nord made of his self in front of everyone, yet a smirk at how the other dealt with him, so brash, so brutal and unrestrained...well slightly restrained actually. A common attitude of someone carrying...wolfblood in their veins. Tarja sighed again and downed the last of her ale, clattering her tankard against the stout, pinewood table, which garnered the attention of the barmaid Mildred. "Can I get you anything else, lass?", with a sweet chime she asked the Forsworn. Tarja only glanced at her with a pair of hardened eyes, empty eyes practically void of any emotion at all, and shook her head quietly before Mildred gathered her tankard and whisked herself away feeling a tad nervous of the slightly taller woman. She stood from her table giving a stretch and cracking a few bones in her neck before turning around, inadvertently facing the victor of the brawl. Vaynce was his name, as given roughly by his own voice to the drunk left bleeding and out cold on the wooden floors of the tavern, small plits of red here and there from where his teeth were caved in on the spruce planks. Tarja looked at him for a moment, shaping him up it seemed. He was a burly lad for sure, a physique worthy of Ysmir himself, yet Tarja could sense, even feel from a few paces away the ferocity oozing from his pores in such a foreboding aura, well...foreboding to some. Then, just for once did the woman's lips part, and soon she spoke, low, almost inaudible, and with a heaviness to her voice, "You fight with the strength of Ysgramor, Companion." He outed himself to the woman, easy to tell he was of the Companions. Tarja only knew of them from her travels of Skyrim, having stopped in Whiterun for a night of rest and hearing from Hulda of the Bannered Mare of the mighty Companions and their Harbinger, a powerful and noble warrior. Jorrvaskr where they made their home, the mead hall atop the hill of stone leading to the Skyforge, where the fires blazed hotter than the steam billows of the Rift. Yet, what she also heard was talk of how the Silver Hand once led an attack on Jorrvaskr, claiming the life of the former Harbinger, a Kodlak Whitemane. From there, Tarja just put two and two together. Only a particular reason they'd gain the ire of those worthless buffoons with their fancy swords. Tarja sat beside Vaynce at the bar, her eyes forward with a distant gaze elsewhere while she spoke, "Wasn't expecting to run into the finest warriors of Whiterun here in Winterhold. Long way from home, aren't you?"</s>	<\|message\|>Keldir A strong blizzard was sweeping through the frozen forests of the north just outside of Winterhold, something Keldir had forced himself to try to get used t through his travels but had never managed to get over it, so being in the harshest place in skyrim during a blizzard was not the most pleasant experience for Keldir. "Damm this frozen waste" Keldir said to himself as he pulled his hood down even further while trying to navigate through the icy wind and ground deep with snow "If there are no books worth my time here im going to sink the rest of that dammed town into the sea" he said bitterly for the last few years he had not come across any books worth his time which only added to his irratble state as he thought about it as he marched on. After a few more hours of trekking through the snow, Keldir saw a stream of blue light coming out of the ground, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him at first but sure enough as he got closer he saw the great stone beast that was supposedly the College of Winterhold, the only reason to come to Skyrim and even then it wasnt a very good one. Keldir marched further down the hill towards the town until he reached the gates of the College. A young elven woman greeted him and after explaining for what he had come for and a rather grandioese display of magic, Keldir breathed a sigh of relief as he was allowed in. Keldir, now unsure where to go exactly as the elven woman had given him no directions, looked around for someone to give him some. Keldir spotted a young man sitting in the courtyard and approached him "Greetings, would you be able to give me directions by any chance?"</s>
<\|description\|>Sha The rest of my team: Gender: male Species: Houndoom Level: 74 Side: Trained Description: Sha has been with Lucas since right the start, as Lucas' starter Sha was the one he used to rescue Zarkju. Sha and Zarkju have a friendship that can not be broken, because of this bond Sha is never far behind from Zarkju and Lucas. Name: Poof Gender: Female Species: Dragonair Level: 73 Side: Trained Description: Poof was found by Lucas and Sha right before Zarkju became part of Lucas' team. She hatched a few days after Zarkju was rescued. She was an extremely cute Dratini, and she has kept that cuteness. Name: Carl Gender: Male Species: Lucario Level: 72 Side:Trained Description: Carl was trained by Jean Claud in secret. When Lucas fond out he instantly made Carl part of his team. Using his ability to sense aura's Carl helps Lucas discover who he should help and who he should fight. Name: Ming Gender: Female Species: Pangoro Level:71 Side:Trained Description: Ming is a Pangoro that Sha and Carl saved from a Revo camp. Lucas and Poof nursed her back to health and she had owed Lucas her life, but he would not allow her to give her life to him. He let her free, but she stayed and helped Lucas knowing that he would appreciate it. Name:Jean Claud Gender: Male Species: Zangoose Level:74 Side:Trained Description: Jean was Lucas third Pokemon. Before Poof was born or hatched Lucas found Jean on the road trying to rob people. Now Lucas beliefs in second chances, so after stopping Jeans robbing spree he used Jean to aid him in helping people.</s> <\|message\|>Sha "I smell fear around here, from something small a..., Pichu if I'm not mistaken. Boss?" Sha looks at Lucas waiting for an answer,"Yes find them and bring it back here I think it might be a friend of the Zoroark over there." Sha quickly heads in the direction of the Pichu he smelled quickly followed by Carl silent as ever.</s> <\|message\|>Ventus Serph smirks, amused by how cautious they are around him. "My name is Serph..it's an honor to be considered a threat in front of a group of your prestige..considering I'm currently outnumbered, I'd rather not fight right now. More importantly, I would be putting my friends in danger if I were to battle you here...one stray attack and it would be lights out for just about anyone. Anyhow, in regards to the music you speak of, my partner is indeed in possession of the remaining Poké-flutes in existence. They're rather hard to come by. Luckily, during our time in the Kanto region, he received one as a gift." He explains, going into a bit of detail regarding the flute. However, as soon as he noticed Ai-yu, he briefly took on a look of surprise before bowing before the Celebi. "My apologies, milady..I was not aware of your presence. You're quite welcome to join us here, if you'd like.." Then, Serph switches back to his telepathic link with Ven. "I have good news. The group of Pokémon I've encountered are not only traveling with a human, but Celebi is also among their ranks!" The boy freezes slightly at this revelation before a joyous grin displays itself on his face, preparing to play his flute once more. "I see...well, let's give her a warm welcome!" With that being said, he begins playing this song. This song seems to lift the spirits of those nearby, causing the assortment of Scattered Pokémon from nearby to dance happily, as if this were a grand celebration. "This song..that can only mean one thing.." Sera says, deciding on the reasoning behind the sudden change of tune with a simple nod, now as cheery as ever. Aside from the current effects of the song being played, Aqua is rather happy once she hears Rythian introduce himself. "Rythian! It's me, Aqua! It's been so long!" She then proceeds to dance in a circle around him, perfectly in sync with the song. At the mention of Darkclaw, her smile temporarily becomes a sad one. "He's a Revolutioneer..? Oh man..what made him decide to work for them?" She asks, rather curious about the subject now.</s> <\|message\|>Zarkju Zarkju hearing the tune fly's over to sit next to the boy on the stump. "You know what, I know for a fact that Lucas can make poke flute's. It's what he and his family did before..., well before everything happened." He gives and almost sad expression. Lucas walks himself over to where Zarkju is sitting,"And I know from Carl that your hiding your aura. Let it go man. And before you ask yes I can actually make poke flutes and poke balls, I was trained by Kirk or Kurt? I can't remember his name but it was one of those." After begin told to stop repressing his aura Zarkju sighs slightly and to all aura sensitive Pokemon a wave of doubt and anger flows through/past them.</s> <\|message\|>Sephie "Well, I'm typically not one to dive into fights with strangers anyway. My name's Sephie, and it's a pleasure to meet you." Sephie introduces herself with a small bow, which ends up unraveling her scarf a bit. While she hurries to put it back on, she listens to Serph's words concerning the pokeflute, and she grins. "Ah, so your friend is a human, then. I was wondering just how many people dared to be out adventuring anymore. Those Revolutioneers...they've done some considerable damage, it would seem...even to me." Her tone grows darker as she unconsciously reaches a hand up back to her scarf and grips it. Ai-yu blinks at the Lucario, and the little shiny Celebi is flooded with glee at having the Lucario so pleased to see her. For the first time in awhile, she speaks up, "T-thank you..." "Ah, so the little one speaks! I was beginning to wonder if you'd lost your voice for real this time, Ai." Sephie laughs, seeming to have forgotten all about whatever dark moment she'd had just a moment ago. Sephie turns to Serph again, gesturing to the Celebi clinging to her shoulder. "This is Ai-yu. She was a gift from the future. Another Celebi, dying, entrusted her to me..." When the music from the flute starts up, Sephie's group of Pokemon are caught by the joyous feeling, and start dancing amongst each other. Ai-yu does loops and whirls in the air, Sephie dances with both Pipley and Euphoria, and even Raven and Sachiko are caught moving to the beat a little, however much they try to hide it. In the middle of the dance, however, Ai-yu slows to a bit of a stop. Her eyes glow bright green, and lose their pupils for a minute while she stares off into space. Sephie catches this almost immediately, and, moves closer to the odd little Celebi. "Hey, Ai, everything okay?" Sephie asks. "...Someone.....is over there...they're hostile towards us..." Ai-yu murmurs quietly. "Hm...is that so?" Pipley mutters. "Well...Ai-yu's never been wrong before. Tch, and we were having such a good time. A pity, it is..." Instead of any of her Pokemon picking it up, Sephie picks up the doubtful, angry aura from somewhere close. It only adds to her concerns about what is to come... "Aqua...?" Rythian echoes, staring down at the Eevee. The name does ring faint bells in his head. He grins. "Well, well. How nice to see you again! Glad you're still well. Just as cheery as ever." He's partially unaware of the fact that he's also moving a bit to the beat of the song all the while. He thinks for a moment on Darkclaw's motives. "Well...I believe he's just a power-junkie. I used to be with him, as a Revolutioneer. But...as soon as the real carnage started, I decided to bow out. I pretended to be dead to get out of it, and I've been here ever since. I've got two other friends I look out for...a rather odd Pichu, and a rather odd Meowth. I wonder where those girls could be..." "Hey, do you hear that?" In their part of the forest, Mystarii can just faintly pick up the sound of Ven's flute. Electricia perks up her ears. "Y-yeah, I think I do! The song changed, but there's surely can't be two pokeflute users here, can there?!" Electricia's eyes light up with a bit of relief. "Sweet! Now all we have to do is follow the sound, and-EEEEEP!" Mystarii suddenly lets out a cry of surprise when a tall, powerful figure rushes out in front of them, bringing the two Pokemon to a complete and terrified halt. "Stop right there." The female Lucario in the cape narrows her eyes at the two trembling pokemon before her. Her mind is protesting, pointing out how cruel it is for her to terrorize such small pokemon, but she pushes those back. 'Think about Tatakumei, Aruba. Think about Tatakumei...' "Are you two of the Trained?" Aruba growls. "N-no, miss! We're just Scattered..." Electricia whimpers. ""Y...You're a Revolutioneer, aren't ya?!" Mystarii's fur spikes up with fear. "P-please! Don't kidnap and torture us! W-we're just lost!" In the middle of the ongoing please from the two smaller Pokemon, Aruba picks up auras coming towards her, as well as the sound of a flute in the distance. Only a human could play it that well. She has to be quick about this if she wants to get something done. Aruba turns back to the two smaller Pokemon in front of her. "I won't kidnap you if you point me in the direction of that flute. There must be those of the Trained variety there." Aruba tells them. "Y-yes ma'am! They've got to be that way! Down there, I-I think! We're lost, so..." Electricia points her in the direction that they came from. "Very well. Speak of me to no one, or else." Aruba turns and rushes off in a hurry, under the cover of the tree's shadows. She grows ever closer to the flute, having the slight urge to dance...but finding the strength to overpower it through thinking strictly about her work and her daughter's fate.</s>	<\|message\|>Sha Sha appears before the Meowth and Pichu, "Hello little ones get on my back I can take you to where your friend the shiny Zoroark is." Carl walks up behind him and whispers something in his ear, "Yes follow the aura if you can Carl just don't get hurt." Sha tells Carl who heads off in the direction of Aruba's aura. "Sir Mountain, Darkclaw is making his way back to report. Shall I have Spookton go meet him?" The small cloaked figure ask's the leader of the Revo's.</s>
<\|description\|>Ventus Gender: Male Age: 16 Abilities: Quick-footed, usually silent movement. He is also not only talented in the art of using a Poke-Flute, but also, like most aura-sensitive Pokémon, can see the auras of both Pokémon and humans; this ability makes blinding him virtually ineffective. Furthermore, through vigorous training with the wise Xatu, he has learned his own version of Teleport, in which case he normally uses for traveling short distances or crossing large gaps. Next, after journeying to Newmoon Island to visit Darkrai, he learned how to command the shadows, able to turn them into Corridors of Darkness, allowing him to traverse the world freely. Last but not least, Ven then trained under Cresselia, allowing him to utilize Lunar Dance, either able to use it as a last resort heal or attack. Regardless, this will drain him of all of his energy and more than likely have him faint. Side: Scattered Description: A 5'10" male with black hair, brown eyes, and wears a black coat (Basically, he is wearing what the picture on the link indicates, but will remove his hood every now and then). When he utilizes his aura-reading abilities, his eyes take on a red color. He also has a Mega Bracelet that he received from Steven, allowing him to mega evolve Serph and Sera. Ever since his brother Vanitas joined the Revolutioneers, he vowed that he would do whatever it takes to bring him back and so that they could fight side by side again. Team: Serph (Lucario), Sera (Gardevoir), Aqua (Eevee) Other: He wields an assortment of ninja tools. As a gift, he received a Lunar Wing from Cresselia, which he keeps on his person at all times as a necklace. Name: Serph Gender: Male Species: Lucario Level: 100 Side: Scattered Description: Ever since he was a level 5 Riolu, Ventus and Serph had been the best of friends. They traveled everywhere, learning new things from one another, and communicating through their auras. Whenever the "Age of Awareness" had first began, Serph remained by Ventus' side. To the two of them, the line between trainer and Pokémon was no more. From then on out, they were close comrades, looking after one another. Name: Sera Gender: Female Species: Gardevoir Level: 100 Side: Scattered Description: Ven had first met Sera as a Shadow Ralts, opening up her heart through a close emotional bond. Soon enough, along with Serph, Sera would be a warmly welcomed third edition to their party. Now, as a purified shiny Gardevoir, it pains her to see both Pokémon and trainers turn on one another like this. She continuiously has been trying to convince Ventus to fight for the Trained and help the Revolutioneers see the error of their ways. Name: Aqua Gender: Female Species: Eevee Level: 25 Side: Scattered Description: Although she is slightly timid, Aqua is brave in the face of danger and has proven to be just as loyal as Serph. She joined Ven's party after being found alone on a shore famous for its beautiful show of bubbles made by Krabby's and Kinglers alongside a dazzling sunset. Name: Vanitas Gender: Male Age: 16 Abilities: Unlike his brother, Vanitas opted to learn how to cause people to have nightmares from Darkrai, allowing him access to Dark Void. This means he has no use for a Poke-Flute. Also, he decided against visiting Cresselia, feeling he'd find all of the power he could need through the nightmares of others. Aside from those few differences, the two have picked up the same abilities through their travels. Side: Revolutioneer Description: A 5'10" male with white hair, yellow eyes, and wears a black coat (Basically, he is wearing what the picture on the link indicates, but will remove his hood every now and then). When he utilizes his aura-reading abilities, unlike his sibling, his eyes remain the same color. He also has a Mega Bracelet that he received from Lysandre, allowing him to mega evolve Heat. He feels that by being a Revolutioneer, his brother Ventus will be spared and remained unharmed, secretly working to destroy Montainum's army from the inside out. Team: Heat (Garchomp) Name: Heat Gender: Male Species: Garchomp Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Ever since he was a level 20 Gible, Vanitas and Heat had been the best of friends. They traveled everywhere, learning new things from one another, and always testing each other's strength. Whenever the "Age of Awareness" had first begun, Heat remained by Vanitas' side. To the two of them, the line between trainer and Pokémon was no more. From then on out, they were close comrades, looking after one another. Name: Taka Gender: Male Species: Staraptor Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Taking a walk through a forest one day, Vanitas stumbled upon a lone Starly, one that had quite a bit of trouble with flying due to being heavily injured from a defending its territory. The boy immediately decided to take the bird Pokémon with him on his journey, changing the young Starly's life in a major way. By nursing it back to health, Taka quickly regained his ability to fly, finding newfound strength in his human partner. Once the "Age of Awareness" began, Taka was delighted to be able to finally verbally display his gratitude towards his friend, vowing to continue to fight alongside him for as long as possible. Name: Charon Gender: Male Species: Dusknoir Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Upon reaching the Spear Pillar, Vanitas is greeted by a portal. Before he can even investigate the other end, a shiny Duskull comes flying out from it, seeming to be rather fond of the boy that stood before it. Capturing the Pokémon within a Dusk Ball, the two become close within a few days time. Once the "Age of Awareness" came about, Vanitas quickly learned that the Duskull he had caught so long ago, it now being a Dusclops, had come from another timeline, one from which the Revolutioneers had succeeded with their plan, turning the world as they knew into something akin to a wasteland. Gifting him with the name of Charon, Vanitas vowed to help Charon prevent that future from happening within this world.</s> <\|message\|>Albert (Bisharp) "Umm..." A kid states seeing the two fighting Pokemon as he entered the part of the forest from a nearby river followed by a Bisharp that was holding rocks quite pleased with himself. With his fishing poll he snags a berry from the two frighting Pokemon and pops it into his mouth enjoying the taste like he haven't had food in a while. He then snags another one for his friend the same way after that he went back to the river followed by his Bisharp.</s> <\|message\|>Sha "Well hey now that a nice turn of events. New people near my part of this forest." A guy walks out of the woods and onto the path where the girl sits. On his shoulder is a Lugia, but not an ordinary Lugia but one that radiates shadows, it's scales are black, his spines are a light blueish gray, and his eyes are a blood red. "Well at lest they aren't with the Revo's you know." The Lugia states, hearing his voice you know that he is most definitively an male. "That is true Zarkju but are they safe?"The guy replies to the Shadow Lugia. "We'll just have to find out know won't we Lucas?" Zarkju says. "Yes we will." He walks up to the girl and her Pokemon. "Hello the names Lucas ShadowSnow Leader of Team ShadowSnow, and this," he points at his Lugia,"Is Zarkju."</s>	<\|message\|>Ventus Unlike everyone else, Ventus and the rest of his team were simply taking a break in a nearby clearing from a long day's trek. As Ven sat down on a tree stump, pulled out his Poké-Flute and began playing, Sera and Aqua danced to the joyful tune alongside a small group of other Scattered Pokémon nearby. Serph, vigilant as ever, was leaning on a nearby tree, checking the surrounding perimeter for any interesting auras. The closest he found would be Sephie's group, their auras very...new to the veteran. Utilizing Sera's capability of a telepathic connection for himself, he now spoke with his long-time partner. "Ven...can you sense the girl's aura?" The hooded boy smiled as his eyes gleamed red, tracking down the aura in question. "Yes..however, the aura given off by that Sylveon of hers...it's rather unnerving. Be wary of any possible attacks..." He responded, not letting the slightly disturbing discovery throw off his playing.</s>
<\|description\|>Ventus Gender: Male Age: 16 Abilities: Quick-footed, usually silent movement. He is also not only talented in the art of using a Poke-Flute, but also, like most aura-sensitive Pokémon, can see the auras of both Pokémon and humans; this ability makes blinding him virtually ineffective. Furthermore, through vigorous training with the wise Xatu, he has learned his own version of Teleport, in which case he normally uses for traveling short distances or crossing large gaps. Next, after journeying to Newmoon Island to visit Darkrai, he learned how to command the shadows, able to turn them into Corridors of Darkness, allowing him to traverse the world freely. Last but not least, Ven then trained under Cresselia, allowing him to utilize Lunar Dance, either able to use it as a last resort heal or attack. Regardless, this will drain him of all of his energy and more than likely have him faint. Side: Scattered Description: A 5'10" male with black hair, brown eyes, and wears a black coat (Basically, he is wearing what the picture on the link indicates, but will remove his hood every now and then). When he utilizes his aura-reading abilities, his eyes take on a red color. He also has a Mega Bracelet that he received from Steven, allowing him to mega evolve Serph and Sera. Ever since his brother Vanitas joined the Revolutioneers, he vowed that he would do whatever it takes to bring him back and so that they could fight side by side again. Team: Serph (Lucario), Sera (Gardevoir), Aqua (Eevee) Other: He wields an assortment of ninja tools. As a gift, he received a Lunar Wing from Cresselia, which he keeps on his person at all times as a necklace. Name: Serph Gender: Male Species: Lucario Level: 100 Side: Scattered Description: Ever since he was a level 5 Riolu, Ventus and Serph had been the best of friends. They traveled everywhere, learning new things from one another, and communicating through their auras. Whenever the "Age of Awareness" had first began, Serph remained by Ventus' side. To the two of them, the line between trainer and Pokémon was no more. From then on out, they were close comrades, looking after one another. Name: Sera Gender: Female Species: Gardevoir Level: 100 Side: Scattered Description: Ven had first met Sera as a Shadow Ralts, opening up her heart through a close emotional bond. Soon enough, along with Serph, Sera would be a warmly welcomed third edition to their party. Now, as a purified shiny Gardevoir, it pains her to see both Pokémon and trainers turn on one another like this. She continuiously has been trying to convince Ventus to fight for the Trained and help the Revolutioneers see the error of their ways. Name: Aqua Gender: Female Species: Eevee Level: 25 Side: Scattered Description: Although she is slightly timid, Aqua is brave in the face of danger and has proven to be just as loyal as Serph. She joined Ven's party after being found alone on a shore famous for its beautiful show of bubbles made by Krabby's and Kinglers alongside a dazzling sunset. Name: Vanitas Gender: Male Age: 16 Abilities: Unlike his brother, Vanitas opted to learn how to cause people to have nightmares from Darkrai, allowing him access to Dark Void. This means he has no use for a Poke-Flute. Also, he decided against visiting Cresselia, feeling he'd find all of the power he could need through the nightmares of others. Aside from those few differences, the two have picked up the same abilities through their travels. Side: Revolutioneer Description: A 5'10" male with white hair, yellow eyes, and wears a black coat (Basically, he is wearing what the picture on the link indicates, but will remove his hood every now and then). When he utilizes his aura-reading abilities, unlike his sibling, his eyes remain the same color. He also has a Mega Bracelet that he received from Lysandre, allowing him to mega evolve Heat. He feels that by being a Revolutioneer, his brother Ventus will be spared and remained unharmed, secretly working to destroy Montainum's army from the inside out. Team: Heat (Garchomp) Name: Heat Gender: Male Species: Garchomp Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Ever since he was a level 20 Gible, Vanitas and Heat had been the best of friends. They traveled everywhere, learning new things from one another, and always testing each other's strength. Whenever the "Age of Awareness" had first begun, Heat remained by Vanitas' side. To the two of them, the line between trainer and Pokémon was no more. From then on out, they were close comrades, looking after one another. Name: Taka Gender: Male Species: Staraptor Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Taking a walk through a forest one day, Vanitas stumbled upon a lone Starly, one that had quite a bit of trouble with flying due to being heavily injured from a defending its territory. The boy immediately decided to take the bird Pokémon with him on his journey, changing the young Starly's life in a major way. By nursing it back to health, Taka quickly regained his ability to fly, finding newfound strength in his human partner. Once the "Age of Awareness" began, Taka was delighted to be able to finally verbally display his gratitude towards his friend, vowing to continue to fight alongside him for as long as possible. Name: Charon Gender: Male Species: Dusknoir Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Upon reaching the Spear Pillar, Vanitas is greeted by a portal. Before he can even investigate the other end, a shiny Duskull comes flying out from it, seeming to be rather fond of the boy that stood before it. Capturing the Pokémon within a Dusk Ball, the two become close within a few days time. Once the "Age of Awareness" came about, Vanitas quickly learned that the Duskull he had caught so long ago, it now being a Dusclops, had come from another timeline, one from which the Revolutioneers had succeeded with their plan, turning the world as they knew into something akin to a wasteland. Gifting him with the name of Charon, Vanitas vowed to help Charon prevent that future from happening within this world.</s> <\|message\|>Sephie Aruba stops traversing the ant tunnel-like passageways in the Revolutioneer base when she gets to a certain door. She looks through the grated window to see if anyone else is inside, but the coast is clear. She slips into the room, lined with rusty cages with different insignias on them, some broken, others warped and rusted as well. They're all recognizable team symbols from the past, Team Rocket, Team Galactic, ect. The Revolutioneers stole them for jailing purposes, but as of now, only two Pokemon are jailed within the cages. No humans now. The last one left just yesterday, and the large bloody handprint on the floor near a cage with its door ajar is evidence. Aruba moves to the second cage from the left side. The creature inside stirs. "Tatakumei..." Aruba whispers. She produces a ball of glowing blue aura in one of her paws to light up a small surrounding area, like a candle. From the cage, a frail-looking Riolu steps forward, clutching at her dirtied, slightly torn red scarf. Despite her shabby appearance, her face is graced with a hopeful smile. "Mom?" The female Riolu grips a rusty metal bar at the from of the cage. "Tatakumei, I have a bit of time now, so I'm going to try again." Aruba steps back a bit, and holds her aura sphere with two paws. She starts charging it up. "Mom, w-wait, you hurt yourself last time!" Tatakumei reminds her mother, looking at the wound on her shoulder. "It'll be fine. I can dodge this time, if my aura isn't strong enough." Aruba insists. She uses almost all the energy she can muster, creating a huge aura blast, and fires it at Tatakumei's cage. the aura attack is blocked just an inch from the cage's bars by a suddenly-visible purple magic barrier. The sphere stretches the barrier, looking as if it might actually break through and destroy the bars this time, but it is then sent back at Aruba with a slingshot effect. She dives out of the way, and it hits the thick stone wall behind her hard enough to leave cracks. "Damn it...!" Aruba growls furiously. "That stupid Mismagius's power...!" "Mom, it's okay..." Tatakumei tries to assure her mother. "I'll be fine for now. Just don't hurt yourself, please." "....Well....at least you have a friend here, right? That little Growlithe-" Aruba starts, looking at the other cage with something inside. "-He's gone." Tatakumei cuts her mother off with a murmur. "...He hasn't moved since last evening...at least, that's what time I think it was..." Aruba is hit in the stomach with a wave of despair and dread. She gets back up to the bars of her daughter's prison and squeezes her paw in to hold her daughter's paw. "Tatakumei, I'm not going to let that happen to you. No mater what I do, I'm not going to leave you here and let you disappear." "I know..." Tatakumei grins softly. "Just keep going, Mom. Remember that you're the best to me, no matter what happens!" Sephie and her Pokemon turn to observe the presence of the strange boy walking around with a tiny Shadow Lugia. Euphoria is the first one to have much of a reaction, suddenly sporting a large, almost frightening grin. "Ooh, new people to play with! Are you a dark type...?" Euphoria takes a step towards Lucas, staring at Zarkju. "Fairies just LOVE dark types~!" "Euphoria, no. Not yet, at least." Sephie scolds, then turns her attention back to Lucas. "Hello there, Lucas. I'm Sephie. This is Pipley, Raven, Sachiko, Euphoria, and Ai-yu." She points to each Pokemon respectively as she says their names. "Team ShadowSnow..." Pipley narrows his eyes at Lucas. "...Sounds almost like Team Flare, or one of those groups. If you're here to try and steal Pokemon, then I suggest you go somewhere else. Preferably 100 miles away or more. Depends." "If he turns out to be bad, can I play then? Huh?!" Euphoria begs Sephie, hopping around with excitement. "Tch, c'mon guys, give this one a chance." Sephie chuckles a bit. "I mean, if he really was here to try and steal a Pokemon, why wouldn't he just do it? Why would someone introduce themselves as part of a criminal team, and then try to steal a Pokemon? That's illogical." "Good point..." Sachiko nods slowly. The trainer girl and her Pokemon are suddenly hit with the sound of a pokeflute from just a little ways away. "Sounds like someone else is in the forest...you think it's a Pokemon?" Raven asks Sephie. "I'm not sure. It's someone, but maybe not a Pokemon. Not sure where a Pokemon would get a pokeflute, or where they'd learn to play it, either..." Sephie shrugs, standing up from her tree stump and stretching. "Wanna check it out, then?" "Wouldn't hurt." Pipley agrees with a faint smile. "Or would it~?" Euphoria giggles, still eyeing Zarkju in an intimidating way... Mystarii and Electricia are still arguing, when suddenly, a berry is snagged from Electricia's paws with a fishing rod. Both pokemon pause for a moment, shocked. They're even more so when another one is suddenly stolen the same way. They both wwhip around to spot the culprit and his Bisharp. "OI! WHY IS THIS FOREST FILLED WITH THIEVES THAT AREN'T ME?!" Mystarii cries aloud. "WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE THE ONLY THEIF?!" Electricia shouts at her friend. "Ugh...I swear, they'd both die if I wasn't here..." Rythian shakes his head at the two squabbling pokemon, then perks up his hears at the sound of a pokeflute nearby. Mystarii and Electricia seem to stop and listen as well. "Someone nearby?" Mystarii purrs curiously. "I wonder if they've got any loot on 'em..." "You should be ashamed! Someone out there is making this beautiful music, and your first thought is to steal from them..." Rythian turns to scold the Meowth. "I'm soooorrrrryyyy, Ry! It's just in my nature!" Mystarii whines. "Same old excuse..." Electricia snickers, earning a glare from Mystarii.</s> <\|message\|>Sha Zarkju returns the stare. "No, I'm not a dark type, well not exactly.I'm a psychic and dark type. But I was made into a dark type." He lifts his head to the sound of music. "Pretty, reminds me of when you used to sing with Sha at night." "Yeah good times. And no I don't steal Pokemon I help them. I am also the only human on Team ShadowSnow. The rest are my Pokemon.", He turns to where the music is coming from. "Wonderful even more people." Thinking to himself 'Why are so many people passing through here?' "Boss." A Houndoom comes running out of the woods, "Hey boss more...", hearing the music he looks at Lucas, "Oh you can hear music out here. Oh hey are those the others I smelled earlier?" "Yeah." "Cool. My name is Sha." He bows his head to Sephie's group.</s>	<\|message\|>Ventus Sensing many different auras nearby and on the move towards his location, the boy chuckles, grinning underneath his hood. "Let's give them a show to remember, everyone." He telepathically says to his whole party, causing Sera to regroup with Ven and Serph while Aqua simply continues to have fun with the other Scattered Pokémon. He then begins playing this song. Once the song begins, Sera Utilizes both Lucky Chant and Double Team, creating a rather solid defense around Ven. Next, Serph, sensing the nearby Jean, uses Extremespeed to sneak up on him, now standing atop a tree branch as he then switches to using Swords Dance and Bone Rush, now holding a light blue bone in his right hand. "Who are you and what do you want with us?" Serph asks the Zangoose, seeming as if he'll show no mercy if he receives an answer he doesn't like.</s>
<\|description\|>Ventus Gender: Male Age: 16 Abilities: Quick-footed, usually silent movement. He is also not only talented in the art of using a Poke-Flute, but also, like most aura-sensitive Pokémon, can see the auras of both Pokémon and humans; this ability makes blinding him virtually ineffective. Furthermore, through vigorous training with the wise Xatu, he has learned his own version of Teleport, in which case he normally uses for traveling short distances or crossing large gaps. Next, after journeying to Newmoon Island to visit Darkrai, he learned how to command the shadows, able to turn them into Corridors of Darkness, allowing him to traverse the world freely. Last but not least, Ven then trained under Cresselia, allowing him to utilize Lunar Dance, either able to use it as a last resort heal or attack. Regardless, this will drain him of all of his energy and more than likely have him faint. Side: Scattered Description: A 5'10" male with black hair, brown eyes, and wears a black coat (Basically, he is wearing what the picture on the link indicates, but will remove his hood every now and then). When he utilizes his aura-reading abilities, his eyes take on a red color. He also has a Mega Bracelet that he received from Steven, allowing him to mega evolve Serph and Sera. Ever since his brother Vanitas joined the Revolutioneers, he vowed that he would do whatever it takes to bring him back and so that they could fight side by side again. Team: Serph (Lucario), Sera (Gardevoir), Aqua (Eevee) Other: He wields an assortment of ninja tools. As a gift, he received a Lunar Wing from Cresselia, which he keeps on his person at all times as a necklace. Name: Serph Gender: Male Species: Lucario Level: 100 Side: Scattered Description: Ever since he was a level 5 Riolu, Ventus and Serph had been the best of friends. They traveled everywhere, learning new things from one another, and communicating through their auras. Whenever the "Age of Awareness" had first began, Serph remained by Ventus' side. To the two of them, the line between trainer and Pokémon was no more. From then on out, they were close comrades, looking after one another. Name: Sera Gender: Female Species: Gardevoir Level: 100 Side: Scattered Description: Ven had first met Sera as a Shadow Ralts, opening up her heart through a close emotional bond. Soon enough, along with Serph, Sera would be a warmly welcomed third edition to their party. Now, as a purified shiny Gardevoir, it pains her to see both Pokémon and trainers turn on one another like this. She continuiously has been trying to convince Ventus to fight for the Trained and help the Revolutioneers see the error of their ways. Name: Aqua Gender: Female Species: Eevee Level: 25 Side: Scattered Description: Although she is slightly timid, Aqua is brave in the face of danger and has proven to be just as loyal as Serph. She joined Ven's party after being found alone on a shore famous for its beautiful show of bubbles made by Krabby's and Kinglers alongside a dazzling sunset. Name: Vanitas Gender: Male Age: 16 Abilities: Unlike his brother, Vanitas opted to learn how to cause people to have nightmares from Darkrai, allowing him access to Dark Void. This means he has no use for a Poke-Flute. Also, he decided against visiting Cresselia, feeling he'd find all of the power he could need through the nightmares of others. Aside from those few differences, the two have picked up the same abilities through their travels. Side: Revolutioneer Description: A 5'10" male with white hair, yellow eyes, and wears a black coat (Basically, he is wearing what the picture on the link indicates, but will remove his hood every now and then). When he utilizes his aura-reading abilities, unlike his sibling, his eyes remain the same color. He also has a Mega Bracelet that he received from Lysandre, allowing him to mega evolve Heat. He feels that by being a Revolutioneer, his brother Ventus will be spared and remained unharmed, secretly working to destroy Montainum's army from the inside out. Team: Heat (Garchomp) Name: Heat Gender: Male Species: Garchomp Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Ever since he was a level 20 Gible, Vanitas and Heat had been the best of friends. They traveled everywhere, learning new things from one another, and always testing each other's strength. Whenever the "Age of Awareness" had first begun, Heat remained by Vanitas' side. To the two of them, the line between trainer and Pokémon was no more. From then on out, they were close comrades, looking after one another. Name: Taka Gender: Male Species: Staraptor Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Taking a walk through a forest one day, Vanitas stumbled upon a lone Starly, one that had quite a bit of trouble with flying due to being heavily injured from a defending its territory. The boy immediately decided to take the bird Pokémon with him on his journey, changing the young Starly's life in a major way. By nursing it back to health, Taka quickly regained his ability to fly, finding newfound strength in his human partner. Once the "Age of Awareness" began, Taka was delighted to be able to finally verbally display his gratitude towards his friend, vowing to continue to fight alongside him for as long as possible. Name: Charon Gender: Male Species: Dusknoir Level: 100 Side: Revolutioneer Description: Upon reaching the Spear Pillar, Vanitas is greeted by a portal. Before he can even investigate the other end, a shiny Duskull comes flying out from it, seeming to be rather fond of the boy that stood before it. Capturing the Pokémon within a Dusk Ball, the two become close within a few days time. Once the "Age of Awareness" came about, Vanitas quickly learned that the Duskull he had caught so long ago, it now being a Dusclops, had come from another timeline, one from which the Revolutioneers had succeeded with their plan, turning the world as they knew into something akin to a wasteland. Gifting him with the name of Charon, Vanitas vowed to help Charon prevent that future from happening within this world.</s> <\|message\|>Zarkju Zarkju hearing the tune fly's over to sit next to the boy on the stump. "You know what, I know for a fact that Lucas can make poke flute's. It's what he and his family did before..., well before everything happened." He gives and almost sad expression. Lucas walks himself over to where Zarkju is sitting,"And I know from Carl that your hiding your aura. Let it go man. And before you ask yes I can actually make poke flutes and poke balls, I was trained by Kirk or Kurt? I can't remember his name but it was one of those." After begin told to stop repressing his aura Zarkju sighs slightly and to all aura sensitive Pokemon a wave of doubt and anger flows through/past them.</s> <\|message\|>Sephie "Well, I'm typically not one to dive into fights with strangers anyway. My name's Sephie, and it's a pleasure to meet you." Sephie introduces herself with a small bow, which ends up unraveling her scarf a bit. While she hurries to put it back on, she listens to Serph's words concerning the pokeflute, and she grins. "Ah, so your friend is a human, then. I was wondering just how many people dared to be out adventuring anymore. Those Revolutioneers...they've done some considerable damage, it would seem...even to me." Her tone grows darker as she unconsciously reaches a hand up back to her scarf and grips it. Ai-yu blinks at the Lucario, and the little shiny Celebi is flooded with glee at having the Lucario so pleased to see her. For the first time in awhile, she speaks up, "T-thank you..." "Ah, so the little one speaks! I was beginning to wonder if you'd lost your voice for real this time, Ai." Sephie laughs, seeming to have forgotten all about whatever dark moment she'd had just a moment ago. Sephie turns to Serph again, gesturing to the Celebi clinging to her shoulder. "This is Ai-yu. She was a gift from the future. Another Celebi, dying, entrusted her to me..." When the music from the flute starts up, Sephie's group of Pokemon are caught by the joyous feeling, and start dancing amongst each other. Ai-yu does loops and whirls in the air, Sephie dances with both Pipley and Euphoria, and even Raven and Sachiko are caught moving to the beat a little, however much they try to hide it. In the middle of the dance, however, Ai-yu slows to a bit of a stop. Her eyes glow bright green, and lose their pupils for a minute while she stares off into space. Sephie catches this almost immediately, and, moves closer to the odd little Celebi. "Hey, Ai, everything okay?" Sephie asks. "...Someone.....is over there...they're hostile towards us..." Ai-yu murmurs quietly. "Hm...is that so?" Pipley mutters. "Well...Ai-yu's never been wrong before. Tch, and we were having such a good time. A pity, it is..." Instead of any of her Pokemon picking it up, Sephie picks up the doubtful, angry aura from somewhere close. It only adds to her concerns about what is to come... "Aqua...?" Rythian echoes, staring down at the Eevee. The name does ring faint bells in his head. He grins. "Well, well. How nice to see you again! Glad you're still well. Just as cheery as ever." He's partially unaware of the fact that he's also moving a bit to the beat of the song all the while. He thinks for a moment on Darkclaw's motives. "Well...I believe he's just a power-junkie. I used to be with him, as a Revolutioneer. But...as soon as the real carnage started, I decided to bow out. I pretended to be dead to get out of it, and I've been here ever since. I've got two other friends I look out for...a rather odd Pichu, and a rather odd Meowth. I wonder where those girls could be..." "Hey, do you hear that?" In their part of the forest, Mystarii can just faintly pick up the sound of Ven's flute. Electricia perks up her ears. "Y-yeah, I think I do! The song changed, but there's surely can't be two pokeflute users here, can there?!" Electricia's eyes light up with a bit of relief. "Sweet! Now all we have to do is follow the sound, and-EEEEEP!" Mystarii suddenly lets out a cry of surprise when a tall, powerful figure rushes out in front of them, bringing the two Pokemon to a complete and terrified halt. "Stop right there." The female Lucario in the cape narrows her eyes at the two trembling pokemon before her. Her mind is protesting, pointing out how cruel it is for her to terrorize such small pokemon, but she pushes those back. 'Think about Tatakumei, Aruba. Think about Tatakumei...' "Are you two of the Trained?" Aruba growls. "N-no, miss! We're just Scattered..." Electricia whimpers. ""Y...You're a Revolutioneer, aren't ya?!" Mystarii's fur spikes up with fear. "P-please! Don't kidnap and torture us! W-we're just lost!" In the middle of the ongoing please from the two smaller Pokemon, Aruba picks up auras coming towards her, as well as the sound of a flute in the distance. Only a human could play it that well. She has to be quick about this if she wants to get something done. Aruba turns back to the two smaller Pokemon in front of her. "I won't kidnap you if you point me in the direction of that flute. There must be those of the Trained variety there." Aruba tells them. "Y-yes ma'am! They've got to be that way! Down there, I-I think! We're lost, so..." Electricia points her in the direction that they came from. "Very well. Speak of me to no one, or else." Aruba turns and rushes off in a hurry, under the cover of the tree's shadows. She grows ever closer to the flute, having the slight urge to dance...but finding the strength to overpower it through thinking strictly about her work and her daughter's fate.</s> <\|message\|>Sha Sha appears before the Meowth and Pichu, "Hello little ones get on my back I can take you to where your friend the shiny Zoroark is." Carl walks up behind him and whispers something in his ear, "Yes follow the aura if you can Carl just don't get hurt." Sha tells Carl who heads off in the direction of Aruba's aura. "Sir Mountain, Darkclaw is making his way back to report. Shall I have Spookton go meet him?" The small cloaked figure ask's the leader of the Revo's.</s>	<\|message\|>Ventus Having heard this song on multiple occasions, it doesn't seem to have the same effect on Serph. However, he does feel a bit happier than he normally would, a small smile displayed on his face as proof of such feelings being harbored within him. However, the smile soon fades at the mention of a possible enemy approaching their location. The safety of his friends being the first thing to come to mind, he takes off without a word, utilizing his own aura reading abilities to locate the unknown being nearing the clearing. Luckily, he locates the other Lucario right away. Two, in fact, for he senses Carl heading the same direction he is. "Two enemies? Wait...her aura seems familiar..." Serph thinks to himself as he senses Aruba's aura drawing nearer, trying to figure out just where he has felt her aura before. He then forces himself to focus on his main priority, deciding if he's given the chance, he would question the female Lucario later. Michael, luckily well-versed enough in auras, is able to distinctly tell the difference between Aruba's aura and Zarkju's negative aura. "Serph, be careful...if this is who I believe it to be, you and her will be evenly matched..." He says to his partner, becoming a bit anxious as he alters the song to where the side effect of having the urge to dance fades, simply keeping the overall feeling of happiness going, perhaps meant to keep the other Scattered Pokémon from panicking. Sera, catching on rather quickly, decides to aide Serph by sending a Double Team clone in her stead, it appearing right by his side. "I'll be acting as your support for this fight...it might be best to try and reason with her first, before we have to use force..." She suggests to her friend. "I see..well, maybe one day, we can change his mind and have him be on our side!" Aqua states, seeming rather optimistic about the possibility of her being reunited with two of her closest friends prior to meeting Ventus and the other members of his party oh so long ago. "You've made friends too, huh? I can't wait to meet them! Well, maybe if they're lost, we should go look for them." She suggests, the possibility of that just now crossing her mind.</s>
<\|description\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Nickname: Little Dragon Gender: Female Age: 14 Age Admitted into Riverwood: 13 Ability: Dragon-esque abilities. Breathing fire, fire resistance, dragon wings, dragon talons, etc. Limits to Ability: Ryuu cannot control the heat of her flame, and may loose control over her dragon instincts. Personality: Ryuu is sweet and innocent. Much like an ideal younger sibling. She almost never gets mad and loves to help. She great house hold skills and is quite mature. Though on the rare occasion Ryuu gets mad, she is a sadistic, short tempered, violent, and over all terrifying person. Background: Ryuu was born to a poor family. She was the middle child in a family of 7. Upon her birth her parents saw that Ryuu had dragon wings, but they decided they did't want to leave their daughter. So instead they decided that they would have Ryuu wear a jacket and fold her wings in in order to hide them. Ryuu tried to live as normal a life as she could. She took care of her siblings and family. But as Ryuu got older she found it harder to control dragon instincts. One night she went on a rampage. Ryuu burned down her house, wounded her siblings, and broke house hold objects. Though upon awaking from her rampage, Ryuu was devastated. She decided to leave her family, hoping that they would be safer without her. And so she arrived at Riverwood. Other: Likes meat.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Ryuu sat at the edge if her bed, singing her legs. She looked at her hands, observing her long nails. They resembled talons and the skin around them was scaly skin, an emerald green color. The same color as the scaly wings protruding from her back, hidden under Ryuu's hoodie. Ryuu smoothed her soft pink hair back as she slid off her bed. She began to walk towards the room, where the newcomer had been carried. She silently slid the door open, stepping inside. Ryuu stood next to the door, trying not to intrude, merely curious.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine Looking at the floor Lucas slowly makes his way to the room the newcomer is in, all the while grumbling to himself. "Hope the newbie isn't a "normal", man I swear there are too many "normals" around only that pink girl what was her name Riyro, Ryor, Ryuu isn't a "normal". I think it was Ryuu." When Lucas reaches the room and and lifts his head to see if anyone had made it there before him, he notices Ryuu standing in the door way. "Hey pinky what was your name again? I can't seem to remember."</s> <\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia Cammy shuffled along the hallways, pulling on her shoe as she went. She had been napping when they brought the new girl in and wished she hadn't been. She would have liked to have been there when she woke up. "Oh well" she sighed to herself as she turned the corner, noticing Lucas ahead of her. She followed quietly behind him as he muttered to himself about normals. It was slightly comforting to know that he thought of her as normal. She didn't even consider herself normal. Hell, the word "normal" felt weird to her now. As Lucas stepped inside the room and questioned Ryuu about her name, Cammy squeezed between them and took a few steps towards the bed. She made sure not to get too close though, knowing that this girl had been through an ordeal and had just woken up in a strange place, surrounded by strange people. She didn't want to frighten her more than she was already. "Hi" she said, almost sheepishly with a little wave, "I'm Cammy. How are you feeling?"</s> <\|message\|>Dolor Oublier "We'll see you soon, sweetie." Those were the last words Dolor Obulier's parents told her the moment Riverwood took her away. It felt like centuries ago but in reality, only six years had passed since that faithful morning, when men in hazmat suits simply knocked on her door and told her dear old mother and father that their daughter had to be taken away for 'safe keeping'. Keeping hazardous children locked up like dogs, trying to keep the general public safe from themselves. Whenever it was explained to her like this, she felt worse then the previous time. Safe? To keep people safe, who had done nothing to benefit her, she was the one that had to suffer? What a load of bullshit. And in all honesty, she wasn't even mad at the academy for taking her in so suddenly, Dolor was more angered towards her parents. They just gave her up like nothing was wrong, they never wrote letters, or called, or even bothered to check up on their daughter. Probably too concerned with their normal child to bother checking up on their older one. It was like they sent her on a vacation of some sort, as if she was meant to be enjoying her time her. Regardless, Dolor had to deal with what she had, and soon she had adapted to her lifestyle at Riverwood Academy. This place seemed to get more students every day too, so it wasn't like it was some sort of ghost town. Plus the occasional fights that broke out were fun. Ever see a human tree go up against fly? No? It's hilarious, trust me. This place wouldn't be a permanent gig, not forever. The young girl was shuffling out of bed, stretching her arms out and moving her hair out from her face before realizing the small droplets falling on her face. Ugh, again? Her bed and pillow cases were completely soaked, her hair a large body of water rather then its usual dark locks. Dolor quickly snatched up her bedspread, hurrying out the room dragging them. Shit, shit. She had to get these dry, now, before classes started up. Plus, she had to get dressed out her PJs. Rushing out the room, she barley missed bumping into someone as her body buzzed out into an array of dust, each particule rejoining as her body reformed. The sheet however, didn't help, as it ended up wrapping around the other frame, pulling them down. "Crap!" She yelped, quickly stopping to help unravel them. "I'm so sorry, fuck,I didn't see you there."</s> <\|message\|>Anshel Zenohoth From a dark corner emerged one of the eldest members of the academy. Of course, most everyone knew him as his new persona, "Black." Though this was not his true given name, he preferred if people would merely refer to him as that. He had some issues with his family. In fact, he didn't even mention it. As far as he knew, no one had heard anything about his past, or his name, and he intended to keep it that way. Regardless there was this new girl... he looked her over and sighed. She was still pretty young. Her being here ultimately meant a tragedy had just occurred in her life, poor thing. He looked around at the others in the room and smiled, addressing each one as he approached the newcomer. "Lucas, remembering your friend's names is an important and challenging feat. We are here because we are the only ones who are willing to help and protect each other, and becoming more of a family is a great step in achieving these wishes. Ryuu, I understand your concerns, but please, do not be so furtive in this situation. First of all, it is important for this girl to feel welcome to her new home. Secondly, imagine if she were oblivious to your presence, then caught you in her sights. I mean no offense, but to her, someone who we can generally assume has no background of knowledge with mutants, the shock could lead to even great issues amongst us. Cammy, I understand the human need to sleep, and I understand our days have been stressful, but they're no less busy. Be selective with your naps, as we are in danger every minute of every day... by the way, I don't watch you while you sleep if that's what you're thinking. I merely was passing by your room when I received word of the newcomer's arrival. Maria... good morning, I apologize for being so critical," he said, bowing when he reached the nurse, "You are well aware, however, of how important I feel our image and actions are." He turned back to the others, "I must apologize to you all to. I mean no ill will of course; I only wish to give you benevolent and harmless advice. Lastly then, hello young one. Welcome to Riverwood. My name is Black, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Should you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them," he concluded. Finally he sat down in one of the chairs in the nurses suite, waiting for something else to happen.</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pamela was awake. She never slept much. It was hard at night, or any other time, to sleep. Her dreams were often weird and cryptic, which just caused her to have a headache. Of course, her abilities caused her to have a headache more often then not, so she was use to the pain. t didn't mean she had to like it. Her dog, Lance, looked up at her, and gave a whine. She smiled, rubbing the chocolate brown lab, and rose, grabbing his leash where she had left t, over the bed railing, and buckled it on. While she could technically 'See' with her abilities, Lance still helped her. At times, her mind and sight could be confusing, and Lance help her not run into things. "Alright boy, We'll go for a walk and then some food"</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "Oh yeah that was your name Ryuu." Lucas smiles happily now remembering Ryuu's name. "Yeah welcome to Riverwood if you ever need me which I doubt. You can find me either outside near the flowers or in the kitchen eating peanut butter. Oh and before I forget I am Lucas Ursaine." Lucas leaves the room and heads towards the kitchen. Grumbling to himself again as he walks,"You know what I'm going to go take a nap in a bush." So instead of going to the kitchens he walks outside and crawls inside of a bush and promptly falls asleep, snoring loudly.</s>	<\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Ryuu stepped further into the room. Black was right. It would be better if Ryuu did not hide, though Ryuu still didn't want to get too close. Her nails were quite sharp after all. She didn't want to accidentally cut anything. " Hello, I'm Ryuu Tatsuo, I hope you'll enjoy Riverwood," Ryuu told Terry. She hoped that Terry would soon feel at home in Riverwood.</s>
<\|description\|>Cammy D'Alia Nickname: Friends and family often refer to her as "Jay" because of a slight obsession with bluejays when she was younger. She has given herself the nickname "Trauma". Gender: Female Age: 17 Brief Personality: Cammy used to be a lot happier and friendlier than she is today. But certain events have left her depressed and with a much darker personality than she used to. She tends to be quiet and somewhat moody but when she has something to say or gets angry then she's more than capable of vocalizing her thoughts. She's not fond of people touching her, mostly out of fear of what her power may inadvertently do to them. Ability: Cammy is able to transfer other peoples pain to herself and others by touch. In addition to this, and possibly as a coping mechanism, her body is at peak human condition. She is faster, stronger, more agile etc. than a normal person. She doesn't need to eat or sleep as often as would normally be required and she doesn't seem to tire from exercise or strenuous activity. Limits to Ability: When Cammy gets emotional, she can't fully control her ability. If she absorbs too much pain at any one time, her body may not be able to cope with it and she has, on at least one occasion, fallen into a coma after absorbing too much. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Cammy was born in Mumbai, the middle child to an Indian father and an American mother. Both of her parents were doctors and Cammy idolized them. She always dreamt of following in their footsteps. When Cammy was six, she and her family moved to America, for reasons Cammy was never fully aware of. Her parents opened a small clinic to treat the poor and underprivileged and Cammy was fond of helping out, often talking to the patients and easing their minds. Many people often remarked that they felt better just having Cammy around. This was a sentiment that seemed to echo throughout Cammy's life. People always liked her. Her parents patients adored her, her friends at high school loved her. She was a talented athlete with what seemed like boundless potential and it seemed like Cammy was altogether destined for a great life. And then it happened. Cammy remembers her mother's scream every day. While helping out at her parents clinic, Cammy heard her mom cry out from one of the examination rooms in the back. The young girl rushed into the room and saw the most horrific sight of her life. There was a man with a knife standing over her bleeding mother on the floor. Without even thinking, Cammy rushed to her mothers side, pushing the attacker aside as she did. When she held her mom in her arms, Cammy's powers seemed to kick in. The poor girl felt every second of her moms pain as she died. But Cammy remembers the gentle smile her mother gave her as she passed. Cammy was filled with rage though. As her mothers attacker advanced on her, seemingly intent on ending her life too, Cammy lashed out and tackled the man to the ground. In a blind rage she punched him over and over again, transferring every ounce of pain running through her body to him with every blow. She almost beat the man half to death and admits that she would have finished the job had she not blacked out. When she awoke a few days later, she found herself in an old motel room with her father and younger brother. Confused and heartbroken, Cammy listened to her dad explain that her mom was dead. She already knew this. What she didn't know was that her attacker had seemingly escaped in the confusion. Not only that but some men had apparently come looking for Cammy. Her father, seemingly knowing who these men were, had whisked Cammy and her brother away. He was concerned for their safety. He explained to Cammy about his plan to send her to a special school. One that could help her learn about her abilities and keep her safe. Under normal circumstances, Cammy would have protested against this. But these weren't normal circumstances. And Cammy wasn't the same person she had been. She felt completely numb. Completely numb except for the dull ache at the back of her mind. After arriving at the school, Cammy kept to herself mostly. The happy, friendly Cammy seemed to be gone. In her place was a quiet and moody young woman who would rather be by herself than around others. She finds it hard to connect to other people the way she used to and is still haunted by the face of her mother's killer. Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Terraline Gray It was night when it happened. Sleep was not coming easy to Terraline as she lay in bed, her hair sprawled messily over the pillow. The room was silent with the exception of the sound of the ticking clock. It was often that the girl stayed up, deep in her own thoughts. She knew she probably thought too much into everything. With a sigh, she sat up and picked up a notebook off her side table. She had written at least twenty songs in here. Whenever she needed something to do, she'd write a song. They always came easily to her. Terraline relocated to the window sill so the moonlight would cast upon the page. As she smoothed down her night gown and readied her pencil, the sound of a sudden thud came from outside her room. Terraline jumped to her feet and moved to the door faster than a person normally would. Someone else might stop and wonder in fear if a robber was in their home. Terraline was not the type. She threw caution to the wind on most occasions. She opened the door to find her dark-haired brother getting to his feet. His piercing blue eyes met hers as he towered over her. "Go back to bed." He said simply, his expression cold and empty. "No Xander, what are you doing?" She demanded. Xander was a hard boy to understand. Though closer with him than with her sister, she would not be able to guess his thoughts in a million years. There were times he'd be smiling and charismatic to people then alone or with his family he never smiled. All the girls in school were head over heels for him. She guessed he fit the tall, dark and mysterious boy girls swooned over. He seemed able to make anyone he want like him at any time. No one even bothered trying to run against him for class president. Intelligent, handsome and charming, what more could one want in a person? Terraline begged to differ. Something had always been off about him. Maybe it was in the same way her sister was insane but at a more subtle level. Something was wrong with him. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance at her inquiry then suddenly he was gone. She rubbed her eyes and looked left and right in shock. Where the heck did he go? She shrugged, deciding she was just tired. Terry spun on her heel to go back into her room, only to stumble at a sudden loud scream. Mom. "Mom!" Terraline bolted out of her room and down the staircase, her heart beating rapidly against her ribcage. The scene she found in the living room made her freeze midway down the stairs. There were several people in all black uniforms and masks that hid their faces completely. One of them held a small, brown-haired woman by her hair. She looked up at Terry with sad, tear-filled eyes. She began mouthing things as a knife was brought to her neck and her head was roughly yanked back by her hair. Run. I love you. Blood spilled over her silk button-down as the knife dug into the flesh of the woman's neck. Terraline felt like she forgot how to move or speak. Her gaze traveled to the unmoving male that had once acted as her father as the woman felt lifeless to the floor. She took a step back and cried out as she tripped. Her body painfully hit a couple stairs before she sat up in time to find her parents murderers staring at her. "The order was to eliminate the offspring whether or not they showed any signs." came a voice, Terry wasn't sure which one of them said it. "Roger that," someone else answered. She hastily got back on her feet and climbed up the stairs, only for her a bulky hand to wrap around her ankle and drag her back down. Terraline screamed and kicked at her attacker as they dragged her down the stairs. "Don't worry, little girl, it won't hurt too bad." The man grabbed her and sat her on her knees. She had never felt a stronger grip in her life. A knife was placed to her neck, the cool metal slightly digging into her skin, "Any last words?" A sharp pain entered her arm as she tried to get up despite the odds. Her gaze fell on the large needle entering her arm. Movement had suddenly become impossible. She felt as if her limbs were frozen. "Aw can't we play a little first with her first? She's so cute." A shudder went through Terraline's spine as a rough finger caressed her cheek. "No. There's two more in here somewhere and we got around five more houses to do before the end of the night." came a woman's voice. The finger traveled down her chin and neck, "Maybe I can just keep her for myself then..." "Kill the bitch already, god damn it!" groaned an impatient male. "Fine!"The coolness disappeared from her neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as a knife was brought fast through the air and toward her neck. She shut her eyes tight, tears threatening to spill. However she felt no sudden pain in her neck. She waited a few seconds before opening her eyes. There was no longer anyone holding her. The door was wide open as more people poured into the room. With now blurry vision, all she could do was watch as figures moved around the room, unable to decipher anything they were doing. Though still paralyzed, she fought to move. Where was Xander? Josie? Why was this happening? Maybe this was all a dream. Her eyelids became heavier and heavier as darkness came to drown her. The room disappeared into blackness. When she opened them again, she found her body under a warm, white blanket and her head on a big, soft pillow. The room around her was a bright white. Nausea and dizziness swept over her as she slowly attempted to sit up, her long hair unfortunately falling blocking half her vision as it messily fell over her head. "Now, now don't sit up too fast, dear. You almost died, you know that?" Terry stared groggily as a young woman took her shoulders and laid her back down. "They got you good with that poison." Confusion made her head hurt twice as much as it had been already, "What? Where am I?" She asked softly. The memories suddenly hit her like a speeding train. Her parents bloody lifeless bodies... Her mother's last words... It really all happened. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she hastily glanced up at the bright ceiling light to keep them inside. The woman put some ice on her head, "Oh where are my manners? Welcome to Riverwood Academy: your new home." She smiled sadly at her, patting her head, "whether you like it or not I'm afraid."</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Ryuu sat at the edge if her bed, singing her legs. She looked at her hands, observing her long nails. They resembled talons and the skin around them was scaly skin, an emerald green color. The same color as the scaly wings protruding from her back, hidden under Ryuu's hoodie. Ryuu smoothed her soft pink hair back as she slid off her bed. She began to walk towards the room, where the newcomer had been carried. She silently slid the door open, stepping inside. Ryuu stood next to the door, trying not to intrude, merely curious.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine Looking at the floor Lucas slowly makes his way to the room the newcomer is in, all the while grumbling to himself. "Hope the newbie isn't a "normal", man I swear there are too many "normals" around only that pink girl what was her name Riyro, Ryor, Ryuu isn't a "normal". I think it was Ryuu." When Lucas reaches the room and and lifts his head to see if anyone had made it there before him, he notices Ryuu standing in the door way. "Hey pinky what was your name again? I can't seem to remember."</s>	<\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia Cammy shuffled along the hallways, pulling on her shoe as she went. She had been napping when they brought the new girl in and wished she hadn't been. She would have liked to have been there when she woke up. "Oh well" she sighed to herself as she turned the corner, noticing Lucas ahead of her. She followed quietly behind him as he muttered to himself about normals. It was slightly comforting to know that he thought of her as normal. She didn't even consider herself normal. Hell, the word "normal" felt weird to her now. As Lucas stepped inside the room and questioned Ryuu about her name, Cammy squeezed between them and took a few steps towards the bed. She made sure not to get too close though, knowing that this girl had been through an ordeal and had just woken up in a strange place, surrounded by strange people. She didn't want to frighten her more than she was already. "Hi" she said, almost sheepishly with a little wave, "I'm Cammy. How are you feeling?"</s>
<\|description\|>Cammy D'Alia Nickname: Friends and family often refer to her as "Jay" because of a slight obsession with bluejays when she was younger. She has given herself the nickname "Trauma". Gender: Female Age: 17 Brief Personality: Cammy used to be a lot happier and friendlier than she is today. But certain events have left her depressed and with a much darker personality than she used to. She tends to be quiet and somewhat moody but when she has something to say or gets angry then she's more than capable of vocalizing her thoughts. She's not fond of people touching her, mostly out of fear of what her power may inadvertently do to them. Ability: Cammy is able to transfer other peoples pain to herself and others by touch. In addition to this, and possibly as a coping mechanism, her body is at peak human condition. She is faster, stronger, more agile etc. than a normal person. She doesn't need to eat or sleep as often as would normally be required and she doesn't seem to tire from exercise or strenuous activity. Limits to Ability: When Cammy gets emotional, she can't fully control her ability. If she absorbs too much pain at any one time, her body may not be able to cope with it and she has, on at least one occasion, fallen into a coma after absorbing too much. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Cammy was born in Mumbai, the middle child to an Indian father and an American mother. Both of her parents were doctors and Cammy idolized them. She always dreamt of following in their footsteps. When Cammy was six, she and her family moved to America, for reasons Cammy was never fully aware of. Her parents opened a small clinic to treat the poor and underprivileged and Cammy was fond of helping out, often talking to the patients and easing their minds. Many people often remarked that they felt better just having Cammy around. This was a sentiment that seemed to echo throughout Cammy's life. People always liked her. Her parents patients adored her, her friends at high school loved her. She was a talented athlete with what seemed like boundless potential and it seemed like Cammy was altogether destined for a great life. And then it happened. Cammy remembers her mother's scream every day. While helping out at her parents clinic, Cammy heard her mom cry out from one of the examination rooms in the back. The young girl rushed into the room and saw the most horrific sight of her life. There was a man with a knife standing over her bleeding mother on the floor. Without even thinking, Cammy rushed to her mothers side, pushing the attacker aside as she did. When she held her mom in her arms, Cammy's powers seemed to kick in. The poor girl felt every second of her moms pain as she died. But Cammy remembers the gentle smile her mother gave her as she passed. Cammy was filled with rage though. As her mothers attacker advanced on her, seemingly intent on ending her life too, Cammy lashed out and tackled the man to the ground. In a blind rage she punched him over and over again, transferring every ounce of pain running through her body to him with every blow. She almost beat the man half to death and admits that she would have finished the job had she not blacked out. When she awoke a few days later, she found herself in an old motel room with her father and younger brother. Confused and heartbroken, Cammy listened to her dad explain that her mom was dead. She already knew this. What she didn't know was that her attacker had seemingly escaped in the confusion. Not only that but some men had apparently come looking for Cammy. Her father, seemingly knowing who these men were, had whisked Cammy and her brother away. He was concerned for their safety. He explained to Cammy about his plan to send her to a special school. One that could help her learn about her abilities and keep her safe. Under normal circumstances, Cammy would have protested against this. But these weren't normal circumstances. And Cammy wasn't the same person she had been. She felt completely numb. Completely numb except for the dull ache at the back of her mind. After arriving at the school, Cammy kept to herself mostly. The happy, friendly Cammy seemed to be gone. In her place was a quiet and moody young woman who would rather be by herself than around others. She finds it hard to connect to other people the way she used to and is still haunted by the face of her mother's killer. Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Terraline Gray "Calm down. You're safe here. Who's this Josie and why does she have you so upset?" Terraline begged to differ. Any place Josie was in was not a safe place. "Well she's my sister but we don't get along so to say,"She told the girl briefly and slowly sat up. "Careful, the paralysis they gave you was also poisonous. It almost killed you so take it easy. They take many measures to try to make sure the person dies. Consider yourself lucky. "Xander said dryly, taking her shoulder, "Save the parade of questions for later. There's a orientation for the new year. They're going to hand out class schedules and everything out. You can ask questions there." He winked again at the girl before turning to go into the next room. He paused seeing two newcomers."What is this a side-show? You people have nothing better to do huh? "He sighed, brushing between the boy and girl to Josie's room. Terry took a deep breathe. Poisoned? She still had no idea what was going on. She found she did not care what had just happened to her. There was no way she was going to lay around in this stupid bed. "Oh, no, no, I'm so sorry." came a female voice, "We didn't mean to intrude, we just-" "-Had to see the new students." another voice finished. It belonged to the handsome boy beside the first girl. Terry hadn't seen anyone so beautiful before. She stared at him for good ten seconds before snapping out of her trance. They introduced themselves at Eilowyn and Sage. They seemed friendly enough but Terry didn't want to stick around here for too long. Josie wasn't far. "Hi! Nice to meet you, I'm Terry," She got up on wobbly legs and stumbled to her feet, only to slip. She caught the side of the bed and held her throbbing head in pain. "All students report to the auditorium in the next five minutes!" came a voice on the loud speaker.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!?!?",Lucas gets up and brushes himself off before he heads off to the auditorium. Upon making it to the giant auditorium, he walks to a very far corner far away from the people gathering in the auditorium, hoping people didn't try to sit next to him. He pulls out an iPod, puts in some headphones, and then with some difficulty he turns it on and pulls up his music app. He pulls out one of his headphone buds.</s>	<\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia As Terry explained who Josephine was, Cammy found herself thinking about her own family. She hadn't seen them in such a long time. Her dad had taken her younger brother, Charlie, into hiding and while they made contact every now and then, Cammy had no idea where they were. Her dad had told her it was safer that way. The implication had been that it was safer for Cammy but she knew the truth. He meant safer for Charlie. If the people looking for Cammy somehow managed to find her, chances were they would want to know where the rest of her family were in order to make sure none of them had powers too. Cammy understood the logic but it didn't make her feel any better. Despite her father's warnings on the danger, Cammy's older brother, Mohan, had elected to not go into hiding and instead stayed in college. He had so far managed to avoid any kind of trouble. Inexplicable as that seemed to Cammy. She had a feeling he would be safe though. Mo had always been strong and independant. He knew how to take care of himself. Cammy had practically idolized her older brother while growing up and wanted to be just like him. She loved her family to pieces and they had returned that love. That's why it seemed so strange to her that Terraline was so afraid of her own sister. Xander then winked at her again and Cammy could only narrow her eyes in confusion. She wasn't sure what to make of this guy. Sure, he was cute and all but he seemed utterly heartless. She was almost glad when he left, pushing his way past Eilowyn and Sage. She noticed the look Eilowyn gave Xander as he left and the awkward length of time Sage and Terry made eye contact for. It was almost like she was invisible by the bedside. In days gone past, Cammy would probably have been more upset about being practically ignored by her fellow students. After all, it wasn't like she hadn't gotten to know them in the year since her arrival here. But these days she honestly didn't mind. She wasn't really interested in socialising anymore. She had retreated into herself since her mother's death and seemed to only really talk to others when they addressed her first. Her desire to help others was really what had driven her to find her way to Terry's room, rather than the random curiosity of the others. When Terry began to get out of bed, only to stumble, Cammy was quick to grab hold of her to stop her falling to the floor. This time she didn't bother asking for permission and put her hand to the other girls head, instinctively knowing that she was in pain. Terraline would begin to instantly feel the pain leave her and her head clear as Cammy used her power. Still holding onto Terry, Cammy dropped her head slightly as a dull throb coursed through her skull. The ain quickly dissipated however and Cammy was quick to smile at Terry in assurance that everything was alright. "All students report to the auditorium in the next five minutes!" a voice bellowed over the tannoy. "We better go" said Cammy to the room "There'll be hell to pay if we're not there." Still holding gently to Terry's arms, Cammy informed the girl "Trust me, you're safer here than anywhere else. And if that sister of yours tries anything, she'll have me to deal with." She gave Terry her friendliest smile before turning to the others and saying "Come on. Let her get dressed. We'll wait outside." She made a show of shooing them from the room and right before closing the door, she looked over her shoulder at Terraline and informed her with a smile "Welcome to Riverwood"</s>
<\|description\|>Anshel Zenohoth Nickname: Black Gender: Male Age: 20 Brief Personality:Anshel is what you would call a mother figure to his underclassmen. Yes, that's exactly what I mean. He's overbearing, strict, and at times nagging, but really it's all for their sake. He enjoys cooking, cleaning, teaching, and sparring. He's close friends with Seraph and the two counterbalance each other in multiple ways, both in battle and in life at the academy. The mutant also is a major artistic person, being proficient at playing electric bass, as well as writing. He can often be found just noodling in his room with his white bass. On the other hand, Anshel is an extremely paranoid and anxious person. He can't stand being alone for too long, and will be the first to break a silence if one occurs. This also plays a part in his mother figure status. It causes him to be very overprotective of his "children" figures. This includes anyone who is younger than him, or even older people that haven't been attending for as long as he has. He'll openly attack people who he believes are putting others lives in jeopardy, make brash decisions to attack government officials if he thinks they have injured one of his friends, and even display his power in public to get others out of harms way. This is what makes him both dangerous to himself and to his opponents. Ability: Shadow Control - Anshel's ability to control shadows is unique in that they loose most of their required properties. He can mold three dimensional objects, or send them around as two dimensional entities. He can completely control their movement, but they can only move as fast as their size permits (bullet sized objects act like bullets, steel girders will be like throwing a steel girder, albeit somewhat easier due to his shadow manipulation). He can only use shadows that already exist however, as in, he can't generate his element. Limits to Ability: Anshel requires shadows to use his ability. Also as mentioned, he has limits to the speed and size of shadows he can easily control. Direct, focused light can dissipate the shadows as well. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background:Anshel went a surprising amount of time without anyone noticing his mutation. It's in it's nature to be hard to notice anyways. Odd shaped shadows are the last thing a normal person would consider "magical." He herd about Riverwood from a friend of his, and they arrived together on their own terms. His friend passed away from untreated pneumonia after the trip however, and Anshel made it his goal to make sure he didn't loose anyone ever again. He soon befriended Seraph, and the two have acted as a team ever since. Anshel is considered a "big dog" on campus, but he's more of the person to turn to for friendly advice then the intimidating and powerful figure that his friend is. He refused to disclose his real name, and so people referred to him as "black" by the nature of his hair and powers. He has since adopted the name as his own alias, rarely ever explaining to people that his real name is Anshel. Appearance: See above Other: He likes kittens</s> <\|message\|>Terraline Gray Terraline groggily sat up and stared at the room before her. There seemed to be a girl with pink hair watching her. Her parents would have killed her if she had ever dyed her hair that color but still, it was rather pretty. However, that wasn't the strange part. This girl's nails looked like bird talons. Was this a dream after all? Some other boy joined and began questioning her. She wondered what they were all doing here. Were they here for her? Maybe she was the oddball here. After inhaling deeply, she tried to compose herself and push away the traumatic memory for now. Apparently she was in some sort of school. "How the heck did I end up here?"She muttered under her breath. Another girl squeezed between the two people and came toward her bedside. "Hi" the girl said with a wave, "I'm Cammy. How are you feeling?" "Hey... You can call me Terry. I'm kind of confused to be honest."She admitted. "I have no idea how I ended up here." Some other guy introduced himself as Black and spoke of making sure she should feel welcome in her new home. he also mentioned how she had no knowledge of mutants. After speaking to the others, he had addressed her finally with, "Lastly then, hello young one. Welcome to Riverwood. My name is Black, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Should you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them." He was not the only one to introduce himself. The pink haired girl introduced herself as Ryuu. Although, the other boy seemed to have departed. "Nice to meet you guys. Well for starters, what are mutants and how did I end up here?" Terraline inquired.</s> <\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia Cammy fought hard not to roll her eyes at Black's admonishment but was unable to prevent her tongue from poking out of her mouth at him. Thankfully she managed to pull it back in before he noticed...She hoped. She sat on the end of the bed as Terry introduced herself and said "Nice to meet you guys. Well for starters, what are mutants and how did I end up here?". A lump began to form in Cammy's throat. She wasn't entirely clear on how this girl had ended up here but if the circumstances surrounding her arrival at the school were anything like Cammy's...She tried not to think about it. Too many of the kids around here had tragic stories. "Those are both great questions" she said, forcing a smile onto her face "And I'm sure Black will be happy to answer both of them and any more that you have. But for now...take my hand". Cammy reached her hand gently out towards Terry, trying her hardest to keep a friendly expression. She knew that she could take away any physical pain Terry may be in from whatever caused her to be brought in unconscious. She just had to touch her for a moment. It was easier to do it this way than to try and explain her strange ability.</s> <\|message\|>Ellowyn Clark A loud scream interrupted Josephine's tranquil thoughts. The girl's mind had been focusing on how she would achieve first chair for orchestra. For some reason, Anna was ahead of her. Did the teacher not see the potential and greatness Josephine had? It was abysmal how they disregarded her talent. She had bene playing piano since the age of three. It disgusted her as well. If Mrs. Lyell didn't allow Josephine to try out for it again and succeed, then Anna was going to have a tragic accident. How she would was not yet thought out. Nonetheless, it would happen. No-one, no-one, out did Josephine Gray. She snapped back to reality. Her fingers froze over the newly polished piano keys with her light brown hair stroking the edges of it. Josie picked up her head. The scream had emitted from her mother. Why? What the hell was going on? Had her mother finally lost her mind? As she considered the scream, she could hear the agonizing fear and panic behind it. Josephine knew she hadn't set up any maniacal or diabolic trap that day. She rose to her feet, sincerely perplexed. As she crossed towards the room to her door, it banged open and flew off its' hinges. Josephine inhaled, jumping backwards and glaring. Four tall figures clothed entirely in black barged rudely into her room. Josephine stared at them, and then gathered herself. "Who the fuck are you - the 2015 Ninja Squad? God, you look awful. Your wardrobe is shittier than my sister's." "That must be the other sister." commented a male. His voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Josephine wondered why her ears were not bleeding yet. "Damn straight, dumbass." Josie snapped and grabbed her baton from the wall. "Get the fuck out of my room. No wonder you cover yourselves up - too cowardly and ugly to show yourselves." "Eliminate her. Now!" A woman to the right of the first male's voice. "She's so annoying." "Is that the only insult you came up with?" She moved into an offensive position. Her adrenaline began to rush. Josephine could feel her heart pounding tremendously against her ribcage. The noise reminded Josephine of a large elephant running from a pack of lions. Another scream - Terraline's - filled her ears. At least someone was going to get rid of the useless girl. Terry was going nowhere in life. Her mother and sister's screams were announced; but what of her brother, Xander? Had he escaped? Whatever. She didn't care. All that mattered was that she managed to survive. The figure to her right lunged at her. Josephine swung out with her baton, the tip making contact with their elbow. It was then that she realized it was a woman by the high-pitched cry. The others paused, evaluating their comrade's injury. "Son of a bitch!" She roared in pain, holding her now broken and shattered elbow. The woman's arm hung awkwardly and limply. "I'm not a son although my mother is a bitch." Josephine responded and jumped into the air. She kicked her in the chest with both feet and sent them stumbling backwards. The woman collapsed on the floor, dazed by the pain. Josephine landed catlike on her feet and glared viciously. "Who's next?" The group evaluated her, immobile. They glanced around at one another, silently communicating. "What are you, telepathic?" she taunted, a wicked smile curling her lips. This seemed to make the male - who was bulky and toned - look at her sharply. His neck had moved so fast that Josephine wondered why it did not break. If he didn't do it himself, then she would. "Get her." The woman ordered, her voice strained by the agony of her broken elbow. "Yeah, catch me if you can." Josephine laughed and avoided the man's lunge. She wrapped her leg around his and pulled hard, knocking him down. She composed herself and lunged at him to throw him off balance. It was successful, because he staggered. She head-butted him and twisted off of him and onto the floor. Just then, the unidentified figure grabbed her shirt- her designer shirt. Josephine screeched as the individual slammed their fist into the back of her neck. They threw her to the floor and kicked her aside. She bit back a cry of pain and rolled onto her hands and feet as quickly as possible. She was dizzy, but refused to give up. She was not losing her life because of a few idiots. The tall man and unidentified figure remained. "Too sexy and quick for you," Josephine smirked, her blue eyes gleaming with joy. That's when the man took out a gun and aimed it at her. The smirk faded, and then pulled back up. "That's all you brought - a stupid little handgun? I laugh in the face of danger." Josie quoted, laughing maliciously. The figure glanced at the man, then began to slowly edge their way around to the back of Josephine. "Oh I see how it is - tag teaming. Clearly you know I'd kick your ass solo." Josephine kept her eyes on the man with the gun, but was watching the other in her peripheral vision. The figure was taking out some silver, shining object. "Afraid?" the man taunted, waving his gun mockingly at her. Did this man think a gun was going to take her out? She was tougher than that. "Hardly," she replied dryly, keeping her stance and holding her baton. The figure was out of her view now, which only infuriated Josephine. She relied on her sense of awareness and hearing. The man smiled at her; then raised his gun and locked it into place. She tensed, wondering which way she should move both attacks, if possible. The gun was more important. The figure behind her was not as threatening. They were not as fast as a bullet. His finger circled the trigger; then fired. The figure behind her lunged at her as well. That's when the room exploded into flames from every direction and angle. _______________________________________________ Josephine's eyes opened. Her vision was slow to come back. She discovered she was in a hospital room. There was something on her face that was uncomfortable. Her breathing sounded loud in her ears. Her breaths fogged up the oxygen mask, she realized. This brought her to question why she had an oxygen mask on. The night's events replayed in her mind slowly, like a faucet dripping water. There was a group of black figures that were murdering everyone in their house. They had attacked her... She almost was shot... Josephine inhaled sharply, clouding the mask. The man had shot. But after that what happened? Josephine couldn't remember the rest; all she remembered was the fire afterwards, the nothing. She tried to sit up, but ended up coughing and clouding her mask even more. There were burns all over her body, and the scent of smoke was strong. "Whoa, easy there," A doctor came over and gently pushed her back down. Sadly, Josie didn't have the strength to fight and laid back down much to her dismay. How dare this man touch her! Josephine stared at him and narrowed her gaze. "You're confused- I can tell – so I'll explain. Your family was attacked by the X-Force agents. To save you and your siblings, you were transported to Riverwood Academy. This academy is for people with superpowers – much like you." He smiled down at her. "Yours seems to be pyrokinesis, Ms. Josephine, gathering by the sudden fire. Welcome to Riverwood, we are happy to have you." This man would come to regret his words.</s>	<\|message\|>Anshel Zenohoth Black smiled warmly as Terry introduced herself and began to ask questions, At least this means she's somewhat comfortable with us, he thought to himself. Though this wasn't a light topic, he was happy to take the opportunity to educate the girl on what exactly was going on, solemnly, yet in a calm voice, he began his explanation, "What are mutants? That's a loaded question really. We're a lot of things: outcasts, aliens, beasts, terrors, fears, and targets, but also beautiful, unique, and misunderstood. We, you and I, and all the students here at Riverwood are mutants. People like us have... how do I put this... well... mutations really. Superpowers for lack of a better term. If you'd take Cammy's hand, that give you a good idea. Personally..." Black flicked his hand and a little ball detached itself from his shadow and flitted around the room, "I'm able to control shadows. Mutants all have their own unique abilities, think of it like a supernatural fingerprint. I can say with faith that you have a power as well, although you might not have figured it out yet. As for how you got here, I don't have as thorough of an explanation, but most likely you were attacked by X-Force, a group of people who want to destroy all mutants. They view us as threats. It's possible tha---" he was interrupted by some ruckus in the neighboring room. He chuckled "Busy day huh Cammy? Mind keeping Terry company while I go investigate the noise?" After receiving his answer, he left for the next door doctor's room. He came upon a doctor dealing with another girl. She looked older than Terry, and had notably more severe injuries. It did seem, however, that she was abounding with energy based on her body's disposition and the look in her eyes. More new people... not a bad thing, but not exactly how he planned on spending his Sunday nevertheless, he choose to skip the formalities with this girl, as the doctor had already dealt with most of that. He made his presence known, "A pyrokinetic huh? I'm always welcoming to new people such as yourself. My name is Black, an I'm an umbrakinetic myself. How are you feeling?"</s>
<\|description\|>Christopher Valentine Nickname: Chris Gender: male Age: 19 Brief Personality: Chris is probably one of the most laid back people you will ever meet. He usually is usually never mad, he has a very good reign on his emotions. Well he gets mad, obviously, he is just better at hiding it than most. Valentine is out going and social, and is actually really smart. He likes to pretend he is dumb just to catch people off guard as to further solidify his persona of being laid back. It's when Chris or his friends are in a dangerous situation when he becomes serious. He becomes calculating, but still calm. Chris will do anything to protect his friends and those close to him. He also will help any mutant in need because he knows how bad life can be as one and feels a sense of camaraderie. Chris is also a music enthusiast, and plays the guitar quite well. He won't admit it but he also writes songs and is a really good singer. But his singing is usually restricted to the shower or his notepads. Ability: Sunakinesis: User can create, shape and manipulate sand, a naturally occurring loose, fragmented/granular sedimentary material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles ranging in diameter from 0.0625 mm (or 1⁄16 mm) to 2 mm. Limits to Ability: Liquids can make his sand heavier and harder to manipulate. Enough liquid can turn his sand into mud, which makes it virtually useless. Intense heat can turn his sand into glass but he would still be able to manipulate it. Age admitted into Riverwood: This is his first year Background: Chris didn't discover his ability until his 18th birthday. Somehow the X-Force got wind that he was a mutant, must have been some kind of genetic test run at the doctor's that seemed like a normal appointment. They came for him at night, but he got lucky and escaped. Valentine realized what had just happened and had to run away. There was no time to write a letter to his family, which he regrets to this day. Appearance: Chris stands at a tall height of 6'2" and has an athletic build, weighing in at 170 pounds. Other: None</s> <\|message\|>Ellowyn Clark A loud scream interrupted Josephine's tranquil thoughts. The girl's mind had been focusing on how she would achieve first chair for orchestra. For some reason, Anna was ahead of her. Did the teacher not see the potential and greatness Josephine had? It was abysmal how they disregarded her talent. She had bene playing piano since the age of three. It disgusted her as well. If Mrs. Lyell didn't allow Josephine to try out for it again and succeed, then Anna was going to have a tragic accident. How she would was not yet thought out. Nonetheless, it would happen. No-one, no-one, out did Josephine Gray. She snapped back to reality. Her fingers froze over the newly polished piano keys with her light brown hair stroking the edges of it. Josie picked up her head. The scream had emitted from her mother. Why? What the hell was going on? Had her mother finally lost her mind? As she considered the scream, she could hear the agonizing fear and panic behind it. Josephine knew she hadn't set up any maniacal or diabolic trap that day. She rose to her feet, sincerely perplexed. As she crossed towards the room to her door, it banged open and flew off its' hinges. Josephine inhaled, jumping backwards and glaring. Four tall figures clothed entirely in black barged rudely into her room. Josephine stared at them, and then gathered herself. "Who the fuck are you - the 2015 Ninja Squad? God, you look awful. Your wardrobe is shittier than my sister's." "That must be the other sister." commented a male. His voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Josephine wondered why her ears were not bleeding yet. "Damn straight, dumbass." Josie snapped and grabbed her baton from the wall. "Get the fuck out of my room. No wonder you cover yourselves up - too cowardly and ugly to show yourselves." "Eliminate her. Now!" A woman to the right of the first male's voice. "She's so annoying." "Is that the only insult you came up with?" She moved into an offensive position. Her adrenaline began to rush. Josephine could feel her heart pounding tremendously against her ribcage. The noise reminded Josephine of a large elephant running from a pack of lions. Another scream - Terraline's - filled her ears. At least someone was going to get rid of the useless girl. Terry was going nowhere in life. Her mother and sister's screams were announced; but what of her brother, Xander? Had he escaped? Whatever. She didn't care. All that mattered was that she managed to survive. The figure to her right lunged at her. Josephine swung out with her baton, the tip making contact with their elbow. It was then that she realized it was a woman by the high-pitched cry. The others paused, evaluating their comrade's injury. "Son of a bitch!" She roared in pain, holding her now broken and shattered elbow. The woman's arm hung awkwardly and limply. "I'm not a son although my mother is a bitch." Josephine responded and jumped into the air. She kicked her in the chest with both feet and sent them stumbling backwards. The woman collapsed on the floor, dazed by the pain. Josephine landed catlike on her feet and glared viciously. "Who's next?" The group evaluated her, immobile. They glanced around at one another, silently communicating. "What are you, telepathic?" she taunted, a wicked smile curling her lips. This seemed to make the male - who was bulky and toned - look at her sharply. His neck had moved so fast that Josephine wondered why it did not break. If he didn't do it himself, then she would. "Get her." The woman ordered, her voice strained by the agony of her broken elbow. "Yeah, catch me if you can." Josephine laughed and avoided the man's lunge. She wrapped her leg around his and pulled hard, knocking him down. She composed herself and lunged at him to throw him off balance. It was successful, because he staggered. She head-butted him and twisted off of him and onto the floor. Just then, the unidentified figure grabbed her shirt- her designer shirt. Josephine screeched as the individual slammed their fist into the back of her neck. They threw her to the floor and kicked her aside. She bit back a cry of pain and rolled onto her hands and feet as quickly as possible. She was dizzy, but refused to give up. She was not losing her life because of a few idiots. The tall man and unidentified figure remained. "Too sexy and quick for you," Josephine smirked, her blue eyes gleaming with joy. That's when the man took out a gun and aimed it at her. The smirk faded, and then pulled back up. "That's all you brought - a stupid little handgun? I laugh in the face of danger." Josie quoted, laughing maliciously. The figure glanced at the man, then began to slowly edge their way around to the back of Josephine. "Oh I see how it is - tag teaming. Clearly you know I'd kick your ass solo." Josephine kept her eyes on the man with the gun, but was watching the other in her peripheral vision. The figure was taking out some silver, shining object. "Afraid?" the man taunted, waving his gun mockingly at her. Did this man think a gun was going to take her out? She was tougher than that. "Hardly," she replied dryly, keeping her stance and holding her baton. The figure was out of her view now, which only infuriated Josephine. She relied on her sense of awareness and hearing. The man smiled at her; then raised his gun and locked it into place. She tensed, wondering which way she should move both attacks, if possible. The gun was more important. The figure behind her was not as threatening. They were not as fast as a bullet. His finger circled the trigger; then fired. The figure behind her lunged at her as well. That's when the room exploded into flames from every direction and angle. _______________________________________________ Josephine's eyes opened. Her vision was slow to come back. She discovered she was in a hospital room. There was something on her face that was uncomfortable. Her breathing sounded loud in her ears. Her breaths fogged up the oxygen mask, she realized. This brought her to question why she had an oxygen mask on. The night's events replayed in her mind slowly, like a faucet dripping water. There was a group of black figures that were murdering everyone in their house. They had attacked her... She almost was shot... Josephine inhaled sharply, clouding the mask. The man had shot. But after that what happened? Josephine couldn't remember the rest; all she remembered was the fire afterwards, the nothing. She tried to sit up, but ended up coughing and clouding her mask even more. There were burns all over her body, and the scent of smoke was strong. "Whoa, easy there," A doctor came over and gently pushed her back down. Sadly, Josie didn't have the strength to fight and laid back down much to her dismay. How dare this man touch her! Josephine stared at him and narrowed her gaze. "You're confused- I can tell – so I'll explain. Your family was attacked by the X-Force agents. To save you and your siblings, you were transported to Riverwood Academy. This academy is for people with superpowers – much like you." He smiled down at her. "Yours seems to be pyrokinesis, Ms. Josephine, gathering by the sudden fire. Welcome to Riverwood, we are happy to have you." This man would come to regret his words.</s> <\|message\|>Anshel Zenohoth Black smiled warmly as Terry introduced herself and began to ask questions, At least this means she's somewhat comfortable with us, he thought to himself. Though this wasn't a light topic, he was happy to take the opportunity to educate the girl on what exactly was going on, solemnly, yet in a calm voice, he began his explanation, "What are mutants? That's a loaded question really. We're a lot of things: outcasts, aliens, beasts, terrors, fears, and targets, but also beautiful, unique, and misunderstood. We, you and I, and all the students here at Riverwood are mutants. People like us have... how do I put this... well... mutations really. Superpowers for lack of a better term. If you'd take Cammy's hand, that give you a good idea. Personally..." Black flicked his hand and a little ball detached itself from his shadow and flitted around the room, "I'm able to control shadows. Mutants all have their own unique abilities, think of it like a supernatural fingerprint. I can say with faith that you have a power as well, although you might not have figured it out yet. As for how you got here, I don't have as thorough of an explanation, but most likely you were attacked by X-Force, a group of people who want to destroy all mutants. They view us as threats. It's possible tha---" he was interrupted by some ruckus in the neighboring room. He chuckled "Busy day huh Cammy? Mind keeping Terry company while I go investigate the noise?" After receiving his answer, he left for the next door doctor's room. He came upon a doctor dealing with another girl. She looked older than Terry, and had notably more severe injuries. It did seem, however, that she was abounding with energy based on her body's disposition and the look in her eyes. More new people... not a bad thing, but not exactly how he planned on spending his Sunday nevertheless, he choose to skip the formalities with this girl, as the doctor had already dealt with most of that. He made his presence known, "A pyrokinetic huh? I'm always welcoming to new people such as yourself. My name is Black, an I'm an umbrakinetic myself. How are you feeling?"</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (last name not found) Nadia followed the person into the kitchen, wondering why he was bringing her there. Maybe he was gonna give her food, that would be really nice of him. She saw a girl in the kitchen and blinked. "I'm Nadia" she said upon her question. This person seems nice.</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pamela smiled and said "Sure. I was heading that way in any case. Follow me" She said brightly, starting to walk, looking back to make sure that Nick was following. "Hopefully there's someone who can cook. I'm not going to try cooking" She said, her voice seeming to go distant as she spoke. "We can discuss classes too. There's the usual, and then there's power classes. learning to control, classes on responsibility and all that." She rolled her eyes, Lance giving a yip, she pushed open a door to the kitchen, and gave Lance a pat. "Don't worry. You'll learn this place pretty quickly. Most of the other students are okay, but I haven't talked to them too much. Haven't been here that long, really. Just a few weeks"</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Well, that's still a few more weeks than me. Minus 2 days, anyway." Nick said, absorbing all the things she said. Power control classes, responsibility classes, and probably quite a number of other ones she hadn't mentioned, which sounded alright so far. He was curious about how to control his power. As far as he knew, he just knew where everything around him was, kind of. Rather awkward when you can see through walls sometimes. That said, would power control mean that he could increase his range? That might be good. But he'd also like to control what he 'sees', because he doesn't want to be called a pervert. [i]Best not to mention the seeing through walls part.[i] Nick thought. That said, the classes seemed fine, at least for now, so he shouldn't have any problems. "Well, if I can least skip out on maths, I'm set." Nick muttered. "My arithmetic is abysmal." The door to the kitchen was open and Nick stuck his head in and looked around. He spotted a few students in the reasonably large kitchen and called out to them. "Hello? Anyone who can cook?" He called.</s> <\|message\|>Dolor Oublier She blinked, a chuckle coming from her voice. "Well, looks like you are in the right place, sandman." Dolor balanced her things for a moment, making a jerking movement with her head to follow. "C'mon, we better you get registered, unless you already know whats going on here?"</s>	<\|message\|>Christopher Valentine Chris grinned and eagerly followed the girl. "Oh! I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Chris Valentine," He said with a smile. "May I ask who you are? And no, I have no idea how things work around here. All I heard about this place is that I could come here to be with people like me." Valentine walked with his hands clasped behind his head, as if he didn't have a care in the world. As of now, he felt like he didn't have any. The running was over, but who knew what this school would hold? Sticking a crapload of super powered teenagers in a school was bound to have it's drawbacks. Especially the guys, some guys were assholes normally, assholes with superpowers had to be a bitch to deal with. "Sooo, does it get crazy around here at all? I'm sure it can't be peaceful all the time right? Bunch of cooped up super powered teens." Christopher wondered what the people would be like. There was one thing he knew for sure, this was definitely going to be interesting...</s>
<\|description\|>Nicholas Cayne Would you enjoy another blind person? Nickname: Nick Gender: Male Age: 16 Brief Personality: Nick is a cheerful, light hearted kind of person who is constantly trying to find ways to lighten the mood or make people happier in general. He can make jokes about bad things that happen to him, but is sensitive and tries not to tread on any toes. He likes people and dislikes loneliness. Ability: Nick has an intrinsic 'awareness' of things in a certain radius around him. He knows the shape, location and details of any object within a certain range of him, like an area where he can sense everything. Kind of like a sixth sense. It's useful in fog because fog doesn't hinder it. Limits to Ability: Currently, its range is quite short, sitting at about 10 meters. Also, his awareness doesn't give him an awareness of colour, or light in general. His ability is apparently limited to matter and solid objects, though he can perceive gaseous substances similarly to heat waves. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Nick was always a fairly cheerful kid since he was born. He liked hanging out with his friends but was kind of average otherwise. That changed when he got into a car accident. The car accident scarred his eyes and made him put a bandage around them for all of his life. Life got more difficult for him, in more ways than one. The first reason was because he had to adapt to a life without sight. The second reason hurt him more, however. People didn't really talk about the incident. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like people were avoiding him. And they kind of were. Beforehand, most of his class could talk to him, and he had a lot of friends and acquaintances. Now, only his closest friends were around him. It made Nick feel alone in class, because he couldn't see anyone and they wouldn't talk to him. One day, however, his powers awakened. Everyone was shocked at how it was like he could see again. The atmosphere became close to like how it was before. But his parents wanted him to go to Riverwood. They had heard rumours of what the government did to kids with strange powers, and they didn't want it to happen to him. At first, he objected, but he realised the pain he would put people through if he died, rather than if he disappeared. So Nick left, and travelled to learn at Riverwood. Appearance: Nick has short, brown hair and is around 160 cm. He's got a rather average build, and is rather average altogether, save for the bandages he has around his eyes. Other: Nick likes soft things, because they are soft. Also, Nick isn't that great at combat. Because he's blind, he can't read or see colour. He almost can't write.</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pamela pursed her lips for a second, shaking at the brief image that flashed through her sight, she jolted and stepped out the way as someone, a guy, came out of his room. She thought it was his room in any case. She heard the click of the door, and Lance, so excitable with others, wriggling, his butt shaking in pleasure as he sniffed around the guy. "You're meant to be well behaved, you know. I think you got wild as we traveled here" She shook her head at the dog, before turning to the guy, her pale eyes studying him. He appeared rather average looking, but...she didn't seem to be able to tell. He didn't have a clear image of himself, and that was how Pamela figured out what people looked like. He had bandages over his eyes, and perhaps that effected how he saw things. Saw himself. She frowned. "Sorry. I nearly walked into you. I'm Pamela, and this ball of fur is Lance. He like a guild dog. Just energetic"</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (last name not found) "Ah" Nadia said as she came across a huge building. The gate was opened and the walls seem to stretch on for miles. She blinked and looked at the building curiously. For some reason, she felt the need to go inside it. Like as if she would find something for her inside. She stepped into the strange building, pulling away a few leaves from her hair and trying to make herself seem presentable. She had been wondering in a forest for days so she most probably do not look good. She looked around and saw some people there, perhaps they were staying in this building? Whatever the case, it didnt seem like she had to go to them at that particular moment. She wandered around and found another building within a building. She looked around, this time however, she saw classrooms. There were people inside of the classrooms and she peeked at one of them. It was empty, however, and she turned away. She soon found a toilet for girls and went inside. Looking at her reflection, she tidied her hair up and washed her face with the water. After what she assumes is as presentable as she can get, she went out and wandered around again. "I wonder where I am" she said to herself. She walked around the hallways and past some classrooms and soon, she decided to walk back to the entrance where she had came in from. Once she was there, she noticed there was a few more people. She went up to one of the students and tapped their shoulder. "Excuse me, where am I?" she asked</s> <\|message\|>Owen Bounder Rebound lay on his bed in his room, staring up at the ceiling, his arms behind his head. The look on his face was a frown, but then he almost always had a frown or some other unpleasant look on his face. No one had ever seen him smile. The best they could hope for was an expressionless face if he wasn't interested in them. That was quite often the case. He was interested in very few people here. In fact, he couldn't think of any at all... except one perhaps. But she was a special case. He sighed and sat up in his bed, smoothing his hair back behind his ears. There was already a lot of activity in the building. He'd heard that several new students would be arriving today, and one had apparently been rescued from... Them. His teeth gritted at the thought. He couldn't help but feel a sort of pity for the poor girl, but then again, who was she to him? It wasn't like there was any shortage of students here who'd had an encounter of some sort or another with..Them. He stood up, his thoughts turning down darker memories as he opened his door and stepped into the hallway, making his way down it. Memories of pain, darkness, then bright lights, needles, and worst of all, the images that They had caused him to see by use of drugs. He shivered at the memories, then shook his head roughly, his hair shaking around as he tried to shake the memories out of his mind. However, at that moment he walked straight into another student who was coming from another direction. With anyone else, they would have both fallen over, but because of his ability, he didn't even flinch as the girl's kinetic energy transferred completely into him. He pushed the hair out of his face and glared down at her, growling, "Hey! Watch where you're..." But then he stopped as he realized who he'd bumped into. The one person at this school who held any interest for him. "Oh, it's you Mia."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine Waking up do to hunger pangs Lucas rolls out of the bush he was in. Falling face first on the ground he gets up, seeing the new girl and hearing her ask where she was he says,"Riverwood Academy for the medically unusual." He turns away and walks back inside heading straight for the kitchen,and upon making it to the kitchen he walks up to one of the cupboards and takes out a jar of honey labeled, "Lucas' touch and get mauled." Lucas then opens it walks back outside and begins to eat the honey with apparent pleasure.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Ris put the book back where he had grabbed it from. He sighed as he remembered the twists and turns he had endured as he had read the novel. He might just pick it up again in a few weeks. He bent down to pick up his stuff from where he had left it and he checked to see if his feet were still touching the ground and not metal. The last time he did that, the poor girl had been in the infirmary for more than a week. It was not his fault though that he could not control his power. He tried every day to contain it, but failed to direct its currents. He grabbed his bag and walked out of the library, the sun shining into his eyes. He moved his right hand to block it out as he moved towards the dorms, not wanting to give the faculty another excuse to lecture him about control, when they did not know in how to contain him. He carefully made his way that way, hoping not to touch someone and cause any problems.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick jumped slightly as someone came into his range, surprised at there being someone. "No, I'm sorry." Nick said as she apologised. "It's fine." Surprisingly enough, it was a girl. And even more surprisingly... "Oh my god, is that a dog?" Nick asked. And indeed, there stood a Labrador, looking at him with inquisitive eyes. Nick bent down to pat it and it nestled against his hand. Nick was really happy, though. He loved dogs. They loved to run up to you and check you out. And they sometimes they liked to tackle you -especially the big ones- but hey, that was part of the charm, right? "Oh, where are my manners." Nick said suddenly. He realised that he hadn't introduced himself. "My name's Nick." He said, standing up. "I'm an average blind guy with something a little special! Though; wait..." He thought for a minute. Riverwood was a place for people with something a little special, meaning that he was actually kind of normal here. "Well, everyone here has something special, so I'm just an average blind guy here; but nice to meet you, Pam." Nick said, grinning. "Can I call you Pam?"</s> <\|message\|>Dolor Oublier Ouch, mutant? That was rough. She continued to bundle the sheets as they began to slip to the ground. "...Depends, what exactly are you looking for?" Dolor wasn't stupid, she knew about the theorist and investigators that sometimes tried finding the location of Riverwood. While many turned up empty handed, very few individuals managed to get in, in the small time she had lived here.</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Maybe this place wasn't so bad. Pamela was just treating it as a haven, as somewhere to stay and survive. As somewhere to yes, just be normal. She smiled, Lance had his tongue out happily as Nick pet him. "Sure. Pam is fine by me. Blind is never average though" she said musingly "after all, to be able to hear thing s others might? Or catch a scent? Or to be able to know what something is by its texture? It's amazing." She said. She looked down at Lance and said "he's meant to have one of those coats, that says seeing eye dog, but it..." Burn in the fire. "Got lost on our way here" not the truth, but then she would have to exain why she survived the fire. And she didn't want to go there. "He really on helps me not walk into things now"</s> <\|message\|>Christopher Valentine "What am I looking for? A place to be safe from them... I've been on the run for the past year, they came for me on my 18th birthday. If I can't stay here can I at least sleep here for a couple a days? I'm sick of the running, too many people have died because of it. Last week, a group of them came after me, they didn't even care about the civilians... They shot two people, a husband and wife in an attempt to kill me. Two innocent people, who weren't the only ones, died because of what I can do. That, is why I am here." Chris opened his hands, "do you need me to prove that I'm not... Normal?" Valentine proved his point very blatantly, as his skin began to turn into sand. In a few seconds his body was made of sand, but still kept it's shape. "See?" he said as he turned back to normal.</s>	<\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick thought for a moment, and realised that Pam was right. He'd been able to use his other senses a lot better after he lost his sight, which was a useful party trick some times. It was good to remember that, in retrospect. Pam had pretty good insight. "You're right." Nick announced. "You're a good person." She went on about her dog, lance, and Nick was reminded about his parents when they were debating whether or not to get Nick a guide dog to help him with living. In the end, they decided not to because it was too expensive. At that point, he wondered if he could learn echo-location, but he later decided that it would be ridiculous. Regardless, having a guide dog a positive thing. "Well, that's good." Nick said, replying to her comment about her dog. Nick bent down to pat Lance again, marvelling at its soft fur. "You take care of her, you here?" He said to it. As Nick got up again, he remembered that he wanted to talk someone who'd been at the school for some time, and Pam might just be that person... "I'm new to this school, so uh... What should I be doing right now?" Nick said. "I got a tour and everything, but I don't know what I'm doing."</s>
<\|description\|>Nicholas Cayne Would you enjoy another blind person? Nickname: Nick Gender: Male Age: 16 Brief Personality: Nick is a cheerful, light hearted kind of person who is constantly trying to find ways to lighten the mood or make people happier in general. He can make jokes about bad things that happen to him, but is sensitive and tries not to tread on any toes. He likes people and dislikes loneliness. Ability: Nick has an intrinsic 'awareness' of things in a certain radius around him. He knows the shape, location and details of any object within a certain range of him, like an area where he can sense everything. Kind of like a sixth sense. It's useful in fog because fog doesn't hinder it. Limits to Ability: Currently, its range is quite short, sitting at about 10 meters. Also, his awareness doesn't give him an awareness of colour, or light in general. His ability is apparently limited to matter and solid objects, though he can perceive gaseous substances similarly to heat waves. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Nick was always a fairly cheerful kid since he was born. He liked hanging out with his friends but was kind of average otherwise. That changed when he got into a car accident. The car accident scarred his eyes and made him put a bandage around them for all of his life. Life got more difficult for him, in more ways than one. The first reason was because he had to adapt to a life without sight. The second reason hurt him more, however. People didn't really talk about the incident. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like people were avoiding him. And they kind of were. Beforehand, most of his class could talk to him, and he had a lot of friends and acquaintances. Now, only his closest friends were around him. It made Nick feel alone in class, because he couldn't see anyone and they wouldn't talk to him. One day, however, his powers awakened. Everyone was shocked at how it was like he could see again. The atmosphere became close to like how it was before. But his parents wanted him to go to Riverwood. They had heard rumours of what the government did to kids with strange powers, and they didn't want it to happen to him. At first, he objected, but he realised the pain he would put people through if he died, rather than if he disappeared. So Nick left, and travelled to learn at Riverwood. Appearance: Nick has short, brown hair and is around 160 cm. He's got a rather average build, and is rather average altogether, save for the bandages he has around his eyes. Other: Nick likes soft things, because they are soft. Also, Nick isn't that great at combat. Because he's blind, he can't read or see colour. He almost can't write.</s> <\|message\|>Ellowyn Clark A loud scream interrupted Josephine's tranquil thoughts. The girl's mind had been focusing on how she would achieve first chair for orchestra. For some reason, Anna was ahead of her. Did the teacher not see the potential and greatness Josephine had? It was abysmal how they disregarded her talent. She had bene playing piano since the age of three. It disgusted her as well. If Mrs. Lyell didn't allow Josephine to try out for it again and succeed, then Anna was going to have a tragic accident. How she would was not yet thought out. Nonetheless, it would happen. No-one, no-one, out did Josephine Gray. She snapped back to reality. Her fingers froze over the newly polished piano keys with her light brown hair stroking the edges of it. Josie picked up her head. The scream had emitted from her mother. Why? What the hell was going on? Had her mother finally lost her mind? As she considered the scream, she could hear the agonizing fear and panic behind it. Josephine knew she hadn't set up any maniacal or diabolic trap that day. She rose to her feet, sincerely perplexed. As she crossed towards the room to her door, it banged open and flew off its' hinges. Josephine inhaled, jumping backwards and glaring. Four tall figures clothed entirely in black barged rudely into her room. Josephine stared at them, and then gathered herself. "Who the fuck are you - the 2015 Ninja Squad? God, you look awful. Your wardrobe is shittier than my sister's." "That must be the other sister." commented a male. His voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Josephine wondered why her ears were not bleeding yet. "Damn straight, dumbass." Josie snapped and grabbed her baton from the wall. "Get the fuck out of my room. No wonder you cover yourselves up - too cowardly and ugly to show yourselves." "Eliminate her. Now!" A woman to the right of the first male's voice. "She's so annoying." "Is that the only insult you came up with?" She moved into an offensive position. Her adrenaline began to rush. Josephine could feel her heart pounding tremendously against her ribcage. The noise reminded Josephine of a large elephant running from a pack of lions. Another scream - Terraline's - filled her ears. At least someone was going to get rid of the useless girl. Terry was going nowhere in life. Her mother and sister's screams were announced; but what of her brother, Xander? Had he escaped? Whatever. She didn't care. All that mattered was that she managed to survive. The figure to her right lunged at her. Josephine swung out with her baton, the tip making contact with their elbow. It was then that she realized it was a woman by the high-pitched cry. The others paused, evaluating their comrade's injury. "Son of a bitch!" She roared in pain, holding her now broken and shattered elbow. The woman's arm hung awkwardly and limply. "I'm not a son although my mother is a bitch." Josephine responded and jumped into the air. She kicked her in the chest with both feet and sent them stumbling backwards. The woman collapsed on the floor, dazed by the pain. Josephine landed catlike on her feet and glared viciously. "Who's next?" The group evaluated her, immobile. They glanced around at one another, silently communicating. "What are you, telepathic?" she taunted, a wicked smile curling her lips. This seemed to make the male - who was bulky and toned - look at her sharply. His neck had moved so fast that Josephine wondered why it did not break. If he didn't do it himself, then she would. "Get her." The woman ordered, her voice strained by the agony of her broken elbow. "Yeah, catch me if you can." Josephine laughed and avoided the man's lunge. She wrapped her leg around his and pulled hard, knocking him down. She composed herself and lunged at him to throw him off balance. It was successful, because he staggered. She head-butted him and twisted off of him and onto the floor. Just then, the unidentified figure grabbed her shirt- her designer shirt. Josephine screeched as the individual slammed their fist into the back of her neck. They threw her to the floor and kicked her aside. She bit back a cry of pain and rolled onto her hands and feet as quickly as possible. She was dizzy, but refused to give up. She was not losing her life because of a few idiots. The tall man and unidentified figure remained. "Too sexy and quick for you," Josephine smirked, her blue eyes gleaming with joy. That's when the man took out a gun and aimed it at her. The smirk faded, and then pulled back up. "That's all you brought - a stupid little handgun? I laugh in the face of danger." Josie quoted, laughing maliciously. The figure glanced at the man, then began to slowly edge their way around to the back of Josephine. "Oh I see how it is - tag teaming. Clearly you know I'd kick your ass solo." Josephine kept her eyes on the man with the gun, but was watching the other in her peripheral vision. The figure was taking out some silver, shining object. "Afraid?" the man taunted, waving his gun mockingly at her. Did this man think a gun was going to take her out? She was tougher than that. "Hardly," she replied dryly, keeping her stance and holding her baton. The figure was out of her view now, which only infuriated Josephine. She relied on her sense of awareness and hearing. The man smiled at her; then raised his gun and locked it into place. She tensed, wondering which way she should move both attacks, if possible. The gun was more important. The figure behind her was not as threatening. They were not as fast as a bullet. His finger circled the trigger; then fired. The figure behind her lunged at her as well. That's when the room exploded into flames from every direction and angle. _______________________________________________ Josephine's eyes opened. Her vision was slow to come back. She discovered she was in a hospital room. There was something on her face that was uncomfortable. Her breathing sounded loud in her ears. Her breaths fogged up the oxygen mask, she realized. This brought her to question why she had an oxygen mask on. The night's events replayed in her mind slowly, like a faucet dripping water. There was a group of black figures that were murdering everyone in their house. They had attacked her... She almost was shot... Josephine inhaled sharply, clouding the mask. The man had shot. But after that what happened? Josephine couldn't remember the rest; all she remembered was the fire afterwards, the nothing. She tried to sit up, but ended up coughing and clouding her mask even more. There were burns all over her body, and the scent of smoke was strong. "Whoa, easy there," A doctor came over and gently pushed her back down. Sadly, Josie didn't have the strength to fight and laid back down much to her dismay. How dare this man touch her! Josephine stared at him and narrowed her gaze. "You're confused- I can tell – so I'll explain. Your family was attacked by the X-Force agents. To save you and your siblings, you were transported to Riverwood Academy. This academy is for people with superpowers – much like you." He smiled down at her. "Yours seems to be pyrokinesis, Ms. Josephine, gathering by the sudden fire. Welcome to Riverwood, we are happy to have you." This man would come to regret his words.</s> <\|message\|>Anshel Zenohoth Black smiled warmly as Terry introduced herself and began to ask questions, At least this means she's somewhat comfortable with us, he thought to himself. Though this wasn't a light topic, he was happy to take the opportunity to educate the girl on what exactly was going on, solemnly, yet in a calm voice, he began his explanation, "What are mutants? That's a loaded question really. We're a lot of things: outcasts, aliens, beasts, terrors, fears, and targets, but also beautiful, unique, and misunderstood. We, you and I, and all the students here at Riverwood are mutants. People like us have... how do I put this... well... mutations really. Superpowers for lack of a better term. If you'd take Cammy's hand, that give you a good idea. Personally..." Black flicked his hand and a little ball detached itself from his shadow and flitted around the room, "I'm able to control shadows. Mutants all have their own unique abilities, think of it like a supernatural fingerprint. I can say with faith that you have a power as well, although you might not have figured it out yet. As for how you got here, I don't have as thorough of an explanation, but most likely you were attacked by X-Force, a group of people who want to destroy all mutants. They view us as threats. It's possible tha---" he was interrupted by some ruckus in the neighboring room. He chuckled "Busy day huh Cammy? Mind keeping Terry company while I go investigate the noise?" After receiving his answer, he left for the next door doctor's room. He came upon a doctor dealing with another girl. She looked older than Terry, and had notably more severe injuries. It did seem, however, that she was abounding with energy based on her body's disposition and the look in her eyes. More new people... not a bad thing, but not exactly how he planned on spending his Sunday nevertheless, he choose to skip the formalities with this girl, as the doctor had already dealt with most of that. He made his presence known, "A pyrokinetic huh? I'm always welcoming to new people such as yourself. My name is Black, an I'm an umbrakinetic myself. How are you feeling?"</s> <\|message\|>Nadia (last name not found) Nadia followed the person into the kitchen, wondering why he was bringing her there. Maybe he was gonna give her food, that would be really nice of him. She saw a girl in the kitchen and blinked. "I'm Nadia" she said upon her question. This person seems nice.</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pamela smiled and said "Sure. I was heading that way in any case. Follow me" She said brightly, starting to walk, looking back to make sure that Nick was following. "Hopefully there's someone who can cook. I'm not going to try cooking" She said, her voice seeming to go distant as she spoke. "We can discuss classes too. There's the usual, and then there's power classes. learning to control, classes on responsibility and all that." She rolled her eyes, Lance giving a yip, she pushed open a door to the kitchen, and gave Lance a pat. "Don't worry. You'll learn this place pretty quickly. Most of the other students are okay, but I haven't talked to them too much. Haven't been here that long, really. Just a few weeks"</s>	<\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Well, that's still a few more weeks than me. Minus 2 days, anyway." Nick said, absorbing all the things she said. Power control classes, responsibility classes, and probably quite a number of other ones she hadn't mentioned, which sounded alright so far. He was curious about how to control his power. As far as he knew, he just knew where everything around him was, kind of. Rather awkward when you can see through walls sometimes. That said, would power control mean that he could increase his range? That might be good. But he'd also like to control what he 'sees', because he doesn't want to be called a pervert. [i]Best not to mention the seeing through walls part.[i] Nick thought. That said, the classes seemed fine, at least for now, so he shouldn't have any problems. "Well, if I can least skip out on maths, I'm set." Nick muttered. "My arithmetic is abysmal." The door to the kitchen was open and Nick stuck his head in and looked around. He spotted a few students in the reasonably large kitchen and called out to them. "Hello? Anyone who can cook?" He called.</s>
<\|description\|>Nicholas Cayne Would you enjoy another blind person? Nickname: Nick Gender: Male Age: 16 Brief Personality: Nick is a cheerful, light hearted kind of person who is constantly trying to find ways to lighten the mood or make people happier in general. He can make jokes about bad things that happen to him, but is sensitive and tries not to tread on any toes. He likes people and dislikes loneliness. Ability: Nick has an intrinsic 'awareness' of things in a certain radius around him. He knows the shape, location and details of any object within a certain range of him, like an area where he can sense everything. Kind of like a sixth sense. It's useful in fog because fog doesn't hinder it. Limits to Ability: Currently, its range is quite short, sitting at about 10 meters. Also, his awareness doesn't give him an awareness of colour, or light in general. His ability is apparently limited to matter and solid objects, though he can perceive gaseous substances similarly to heat waves. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Nick was always a fairly cheerful kid since he was born. He liked hanging out with his friends but was kind of average otherwise. That changed when he got into a car accident. The car accident scarred his eyes and made him put a bandage around them for all of his life. Life got more difficult for him, in more ways than one. The first reason was because he had to adapt to a life without sight. The second reason hurt him more, however. People didn't really talk about the incident. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like people were avoiding him. And they kind of were. Beforehand, most of his class could talk to him, and he had a lot of friends and acquaintances. Now, only his closest friends were around him. It made Nick feel alone in class, because he couldn't see anyone and they wouldn't talk to him. One day, however, his powers awakened. Everyone was shocked at how it was like he could see again. The atmosphere became close to like how it was before. But his parents wanted him to go to Riverwood. They had heard rumours of what the government did to kids with strange powers, and they didn't want it to happen to him. At first, he objected, but he realised the pain he would put people through if he died, rather than if he disappeared. So Nick left, and travelled to learn at Riverwood. Appearance: Nick has short, brown hair and is around 160 cm. He's got a rather average build, and is rather average altogether, save for the bandages he has around his eyes. Other: Nick likes soft things, because they are soft. Also, Nick isn't that great at combat. Because he's blind, he can't read or see colour. He almost can't write.</s> <\|message\|>Owen Bounder Rebound nodded and shook her hand gently for a moment before dropping it, his gaze locking onto her eyes for a moment, then he quickly looked away. "Yeah, uh, you're right. This happens to you about, umm, I think every two or three weeks." He began walking towards the lounge, assuming that she would follow him. "Today's Saturday, so we don't have any classes today. Plus, it's kind of a weird day cause we've got so many new students arriving today." He waved his hand towards the rooms they were passing and said, "These are the girls dormitories, and we're about to enter an area that has some classrooms in it." Sure enough, they began to pass a few classrooms soon after that, some set up like normal classrooms, while others seemed like places for training. Then they went down a flight of stairs and he said, "Down here is the main floor, where the guys dormitories are, as well as most of the recreational rooms. There's a gym, a lounge, a library, a game room, a cafeteria and so on." He stopped and turned back to her, raising an eyebrow. "You know, most of this you can get from your map. If there's somewhere specific you want to go right now, I can take you. Otherwise, you might as well find your way with the map. How about it? Anything in particular you're feeling you want to do? This place is huge, it has..well, just about everything you could want." His eyebrows drew together in a scowl for a moment. "Well, except normal humans. Good riddance, I say."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "Nah I can't cook at all." Lucas yells in response to the question he has just heard. He walks his way past the two people in the main doorway making his way to the lobby. Upon reaching it he notices Levi up and about the almost empty room. "Hey whats up dude looking for something? Oh by the way a couple of new people are in the kitchen." He leaves the room and heads back outside running into Dolor and Chris (although he doesn't know that Chris is his name yet)."What more new people? Guess I should come to expect new people seeing as this place is for protecting people with our special needs."</s> <\|message\|>Dolor Oublier "Hm?" He wanted a name? Her hair began turning from water to a liquid iron, each strand a strip. "Chris Valentine, wasn't that the name of like, a character? Resident Evi-- Anyways, you...can call me Dolor Oublier. Everyone just calls me doll though. You'll get used to it, trust me. I mean, you're here now, you really don't have a choice." Some part of what she said was serious, while other parts held humor. "Trust me, it gets crazy..You should see the fights! They're hilarious."</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pamela chickled "maths isn't so bad. But then, I have a good memory. Not like I could just look at paper as a kid and go "oh, two plus two is four!" No, I didn't even know what numbers looked like until I was 12, so I had to remember tha 12 times 36 is 432. If you want, I can help you with your Maths" she said. She blushed as she realized how she was rambling and cleared her throat as Nick asked is anyone could cook. At the reply of no, she sighed and looked to Nick. "I can cook toast. If you are happy with toast" she said, with a shrug. Although she herself was sick of toast, she ate it still. She was also sick of fun food, but she didn't want to do any more fancy cooking, scsred of the risk of fire.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Toast, huh?" Nick said. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'm down for pretty much anything at this point. But if I just..." Nick strode over to one of the pantries and opened it. Once open, he quickly grabbed the thin, rectangular box and took it out. "Here we go!" Nick said, revealing a box of cereal. Cornflakes, to be exact. Thankfully, his power made it so that he didn't have to look very hard. He knew where everything he needed was as well. "I'm really glad that this place has cornflakes." Nick said, rifling through another cupboard. He withdrew his hand to reveal his prize: Sugar. He moved to another cabinet to grab a bowl and spoon, and came up arms full with breakfast materials. Nick Loved cornflakes, obviously. He liked their delightful crunch and the way they went down so easily. He could tell they were good quality cornflakes judging by the shape and the thinness, and he liked adding sugar to it. His friends used to say that he had some obsession with cornflakes. There was one time he justified it by saying that he might do worse in his studies due to lack of motivation coming from cornflake deprivation, but that hadn't really worked out. Regardless, cornflakes were justice. But he knew he'd need more than just cornflakes, so he went to another cupboard and reached for an item he knew was there. "Jam for toast!" Nick declared, retracting his hand with strawberry jam in his clutches. He added it to his pile and made his way to a table, carefully placing the items onto it, but Nick noticed there was something missing. Nick thought for a moment and remembered it. He went back to one of the cupboards and pulled out another bowl and spoon, as well as 2 plates for the toast and 2 cups. He then put them onto the table and went to the fridge again, grabbing a bottle of orange juice. By placing it on the table, the table was set. "Tadah!" Nick said, stretching his arms wide, as if to show off the table. He turned back to Pam and grinned. "Breakfast preparations are complete!" He announced, smiling widely. "Now we just need toast and we're good to go. Oh, actually, what about Lance? What does he eat?"</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Ryuu looked over at Nick, who was preparing a meal of cornflakes and toast. She moved her bacon on a plate and sat down. Ryuu carefully grabbed a piece of bacon, trying not to stab it. She are it, thankfull that she knew how to cook most meats pretty well.</s> <\|message\|>Terraline Gray "I'm sorry for your loss."Terraline said quietly. She felt guilty for being a bit rude to the girl. This was not a joke and she knew that deep down. Truth was she wasn't quite over what had just happened. Her emotions were all over the place and she had never felt so confused in her life. It felt so dream-like. However, every time she pinched her arm, nothing happened. She had to try to face this with an open mind if they were going to get anywhere with this. It seemed that the only reason she was still alive was because of the people who brought her here. The many questions she had would have to wait. Surely there was someone in charge who could explain everything. This girl had went through the same thing as Terry. Cammy was also kind enough to use her free time to help a stranger. Terry at least owed her some respect and understanding. In fact, she had felt a rush of pain relief in the brief moment that she had held hands with Cammy just the way she described it. "I... I will try to humor you but the thing is: I have no special or bizarre reason. I'm unaware of anyone in my family having-"She broke off as her mind went back to the memory of her brother appearing and disappearing before her eyes. What exactly had he been doing...? With impeccable timing, Xander strolled into the room. Dressed in his usual all-black attire, he made his way over, taking a bite out of an big apple he clutched in his hand. He loomed over the girls with his startling height with slightly interested blue eyes. "Morning, sis. Heard you almost got your throat slit. That sucks." Terry traced the shallow cut on her neck, the memory returning. She swallowed hard. "You okay?" He asked her, plopping down on the bedside. They had never been super close but they could be considered at the least friends. He seemed genuine enough with his inquiry. "Yeah. I'm fine." Terraline replied, "You?" She couldn't help but wonder where he had been in the mess and what had happened to him. "So I'm guessing you know what happened, right?" "Well yeah. I asked around so I can inform your clueless ass. Our parents got murdered by some secret government force and they were gonna kill us too when a bunch of guys showed up and saved us. They then took us to this school to live in. Neat, isn't it?" He took another bite of his apple as his eyes traveled to Cammy, "Hello there beautiful." He gave her a warm smile and a wink. "Thanks for keeping my sister company. It's very sweet of you." "How are you so calm ...?"Terraline asked in surprise. He was acting like none of this was happening. It was just another day to him. "Well no reason for me to freak out. Life happens and we move on." He shrugged and grinned suddenly, "Better get out of here. Josie's right in the next room. " The color drained from Terry's face and she sat up fast, "What?"She whispered. "She's here." "Yep... "He glanced back at Cammy, "Say, cutie, what's your name?"</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pamela watched as Nick went through gathering breakfast stuff. Lance watched, clearly hoping for some food. She went over to a fridge, and managed to find some food for him, looking over as Nick asked about Lance. "Whatever this meat and such is" She said "don't let him fool you if he give you puppy dog eyes for some of your food. It's enough for him" she said, putting it in a bowl, and filling another bowl up with water for Lsnce, putting it down so that Lance could eat and drink" She went to the toaster, starting to cook the toast. It unnerved her and made her feel nervous to be responsible for someone else's food, but then, Nick seemed to enjoy cornflakes. As the toast was ready, she dished it out, and went over to Nick. She smiled nervously "there we go"</s>	<\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Thanks." Nick said, taking his plate of toast. There were 2 pieces, and he grabbed one of them in his hand. With his other hand, he opened the Jar of Jam and grabbed a the butter knife on the plate. Nick took some jam on the blade and spread it around, coating the surface of the toast with thick red jelly. He took a bite and was satisfied with the taste. "This is pretty good." Nick said, chewing the taking another bite. He quickly finished the slice of toast and dusted off his hands. "That was tasty." He said, satisfied with it. "Though maybe butter might have been a good idea... Oh well." Nick took the box of cornflakes and poured some into his bowl. He liked the sound they made when they dropped into the bowl, and he remembered that if you angled the bowl just right back home, the light would make them seem like gold. It made an impression on him when he was young, so maybe that was why he was obsessed with cornflakes. Nick finished pouring cornflakes and put the box down near where Pam sat, so that she could get some if she wanted it. Suddenly, Nick remembered that there was another person eating breakfast on the table. "Ah, I'm being rude." He said. He picked up his plate with the remaining slice of toast and offered it to the girl eating bacon, who was sitting close to Nick and Pam. "Sorry for ignoring you." He said sheepishly. "Would you like some toast?"</s>
<\|description\|>Nicholas Cayne Would you enjoy another blind person? Nickname: Nick Gender: Male Age: 16 Brief Personality: Nick is a cheerful, light hearted kind of person who is constantly trying to find ways to lighten the mood or make people happier in general. He can make jokes about bad things that happen to him, but is sensitive and tries not to tread on any toes. He likes people and dislikes loneliness. Ability: Nick has an intrinsic 'awareness' of things in a certain radius around him. He knows the shape, location and details of any object within a certain range of him, like an area where he can sense everything. Kind of like a sixth sense. It's useful in fog because fog doesn't hinder it. Limits to Ability: Currently, its range is quite short, sitting at about 10 meters. Also, his awareness doesn't give him an awareness of colour, or light in general. His ability is apparently limited to matter and solid objects, though he can perceive gaseous substances similarly to heat waves. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Nick was always a fairly cheerful kid since he was born. He liked hanging out with his friends but was kind of average otherwise. That changed when he got into a car accident. The car accident scarred his eyes and made him put a bandage around them for all of his life. Life got more difficult for him, in more ways than one. The first reason was because he had to adapt to a life without sight. The second reason hurt him more, however. People didn't really talk about the incident. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like people were avoiding him. And they kind of were. Beforehand, most of his class could talk to him, and he had a lot of friends and acquaintances. Now, only his closest friends were around him. It made Nick feel alone in class, because he couldn't see anyone and they wouldn't talk to him. One day, however, his powers awakened. Everyone was shocked at how it was like he could see again. The atmosphere became close to like how it was before. But his parents wanted him to go to Riverwood. They had heard rumours of what the government did to kids with strange powers, and they didn't want it to happen to him. At first, he objected, but he realised the pain he would put people through if he died, rather than if he disappeared. So Nick left, and travelled to learn at Riverwood. Appearance: Nick has short, brown hair and is around 160 cm. He's got a rather average build, and is rather average altogether, save for the bandages he has around his eyes. Other: Nick likes soft things, because they are soft. Also, Nick isn't that great at combat. Because he's blind, he can't read or see colour. He almost can't write.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo "No thanks, I'll stick to my bacon. I like meat better anyways," Ryuu responded. Meat had always tasted better than nah other food type. Probably because of the side. Ryuu clamped a hand over her mouth. She felt fire rising in her throat. Ryuu was able to breath fire whenever, but sometimes if she hadn't spit fire, it would make her breath fire. So Ryuu quickly stood up. She ran outside as fast as she could. Lucky she made it outside fast enough, and when Ryuu opened her mouth, the building was untouched by the jet of white hot fire.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Walking into the dorm rooms, Ris felt the hard cemented ground turn into sleek tile floors. He stretched his toes, feeling some relief from them as the electricity went straight down. He smelled something from the kitchen. He began to feel curious as most people would be out and about at this time of day, going to classes and having a "normal" life, or at least as "normal" as one can be at Riverwood. He was about to enter when he saw a pink-haired girl run out of the building, hand over her mouth. Ris stopped as she went by, heading for outdoors. He sighed as he thought of the many accidents that had occurred here from the students' lack of control. He began to head outside to check on Ryuu as she may want some help. He had been lectured enough about his lack of control and the many dangers to the human populace. It is not his fault that he cannot control his powers. Ris had tried many times to direct his power and he had been awarded by some control, but it was like a static shock when he consciously used his ability. When he was not paying attention...well, you would just have check the infirmary for his latest victim. He lumbered out the door to see Ryuu was shooting out flames. "Are you okay?" The flames seem to be encircling into the sky. His eyes drifted to it, watching as it made the many shapes fire tended to make.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo "I'm okay. Just..." Ruth hesitated. How would shy phrase her problem. It wasn't even really a problem. It just kind of happened every now and then. Smoke rose from Ryuu's mouth. Her wings felt cramped in her jacket. That always seemed to happen after letting out large amounts of flame. So Ryuu took off her jacket, wearing a blue tank top with slits in it underneath. She spread her wings wide, loosening them up.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Ris watched as Ryuu took off her jacket and saw her wings as they unfolded. He was taken in at the length of them and he turned towards the sky, feeling a gentle breeze past by them. He felt a small jolt go through the air as he was taken aback, but he did grab a hold of the release and draw it back into his body. He did not want to hurt another person, especially someone with the gift of flight. "Those wings...are you able to fly with them? If yes, you are one of the luckiest people to be alive."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine Lucas walks his way back to the kitchen, knowing well that this is the most he has been in the school since he got there. Always preferring the outdoors, he is starting to become uncomfortable with his surroundings, he reaches the kitchen and puts up his honey, grabbing a jar of peanut butter with the same label the honey jar had. "So anyone want to know why I'm here?" he goes to a drawer and grabs a spoon." I'll tell you if you open this peanut butter." Lucas places the jar on the table close to Nick.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick watched the small girl clamp her hands over her mouth and run outside, quickly disappearing out of his range. He doubted she was doing it on purpose, and he was sure she had her reasons, but Nick was saddened that she didn't want the toast. He was genuinely sorry for ignoring her, and it appeared that his feelings didn't really go through. Regardless of that, Nick stared out in the direction she left, wondering what happened. "I've never seen such an adverse reaction to toast." Nick said, curious. He soon realised the stupidity of his statement, laughed to himself a little and put the plate down, toast and all. He grabbed the milk and started pouring it out, but he felt like he was forgetting something again. The 'something' in question placed a jar of something in front of nick and he remembered what it was. There were 2 people in the kitchen before him and Pam. One was the girl cooking bacon, the other had bear-like features. A little weird, but he'd have to get used to it. "Ah, sorry." Nick said, grabbing the jar. With a little effort, the lid popped off of the jar and Nick got a wiff of the contents. Peanut butter? He thought. "Were you here for breakfast?" Nick asked, offering the jar to the bear-handed boy.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo "I can fly with these wings, but I don't consider myself the luckiest person at all" Ryuu told Ris. Sure, flight was considered a great gift. But she had a fairly large price to pay for her flight. White hot flames, animal instincts, and talons all made her dangerous. And she wasn't in control of her animal instincts all the time.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "Yeah, now that you opened it I'll take off my gloves and hat." Lucas does this and after he begins to tell his story to the two obvious blind people. "I came here when I was six, I had no memory of parents or a family, hell I didn't even know how I got here." he sits down in a chair."I have always been a bit of an oddball here because of the fact that people like you scare me. I mean people who aren't animalistic aren't real mutants they are just people who have super natural abilities." He puts his spoon into the peanut butter."My feature if you can't smell are bear like. I've got bear paws and ears. That's why I wear the hat,although judging by how you've guessed that I am eating peanut butter, because I know you blind people have great sense of smell and hearing ,you might have put two and two together that Bears and a few other animals love peanut butter." Lucas pulls out the spoon and puts it in his mouth taking the peanut butter off of it with glee. "Now why am I scared of 'normal' people like you guys well it's almost natural to me to be afraid of you guys."</s> <\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia Cammy watched as Xander strutted into the room, all swagger and confidence. She hadn't met this guy yet and wished she hadn't been sitting down when they did meet. He was intimidatingly tall and those eyes were...Wow. She stayed quiet as the conversation played out between Terraline and the boy she found out to be her brother. Cammy was pretty disturbed by how calm he was when he spoke about his parents murder as though that type of thing happened all the time. As though echoing Cammy's thoughts, Terry questioned her brother on his oddly calm nature. The response only made Cammy dislike him even more. And then Xander informed Terraline that someone named Josie was in the next room. They had another new girl? Damn it! Cammy mentally chastised herself again for taking that nap and missing so much. Terraline almost started to freak out at the news of this Josie's presence. When Xander turned to Cammy and asked her name, she gave him only a slightly disgusted look before turning to Terraline and with her most calming voice said "Calm down. You're safe here. Who's this Josie and why does she have you so upset?"</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut "And why do you think you are the unluckiest person? Personally, I wish I could have wings and maybe whatever else comes with it, because then I could escape from reality. By flying, you are entering another world. I have read many novels, but reality never measures up." Ris took a short breath after this long speech for him. He had not spoken to a single person as long as this. He was actually getting into the conversation. "I hurt people. I don't mean to, but just this week, I touched a strip of metal unknowingly and...caused a young girl, maybe your age, to be taken to the infirmary." The image that was brought up by this made his knees start to shake as he thought of his own personal curse. "I have to watch my every step, never wear shoes, not even look at a television. I don't even know the latest news until it is printed!" He put some more emphasis at the end to explain his meeting. He bent his knees and began to brush the dirt with his hand, dust moving into the air. Noting that no metal was visibly there, he took seat there and looked up at Ryuu. "That is why I envy you."</s>	<\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick began listening as the bear boy took off his hat and gloves, but Nick didn't reveal that he already knew what was under them. First impressions count for a lot, after all, and ignoring their presence gave off a bad one, without adding the fact that he can see through walls and stuff. He didn't really want to be called a creepy guy, but if they knew, he wouldn't blame them for thinking that. As Nick listened to the bear-boy's speech, he poured milk onto his cornflakes, and then spread some sugar onto it. Still attentive, he started taking spoonfuls of cornflakes while listening to the boy's story. Nick began to think. The bear boy had mentioned some stuff that made think about people like Nick. And Pam, the bear boy, and the girl eating bacon. He'd only arrived at Riverwood 2 days ago, but he'd met a lot of different people of different stages of life, as well as some 'weird' stuff he'd never known. When Nick awakened his 'power', he thought that it was a good thing. It was useful, at the very least, to navigate his life without trouble. But on arriving at the academy, he met more people who were 'different'. It was clear that their new 'powers' were a gift to some, and to others like the bear boy, they were a curse. Nick kind of knew what bear boy went through, though. Nick's powers, while useful, were strange nonetheless, and if anythinng, people talked to him a little less when he had them. He noticed that, in the brief period he'd had them. He noticed that people feared strange things. It must've been a lot worse for people with... physical manifestations, such as the bear handed boy who'd been talking to Nick and Pam. Nick ate another spoonful of cornflakes as the bear boy finished. He crunched thoughtfully in the silence that followed, thinking of what to say. "You know, I get where you're coming from." Nick said tentatively. "You've probably heard it a lot, and I probably don't really know where you're coming from, but I think I get it a little bit." Yes, he did understand. One of the things he'd taken for granted when he had his sight was companionship. He thought that his life would always be the same, and when the accident happened, suddenly things weren't. "The isolation was bad, and the silence almost killed me." Nick said contemplatively. "But hey, I'm not afraid of me. And there are good people here." That statement was aimed at Pam, whether she noticed or not. She was his first friend in Riverwood so far, and he was glad to have her around. He liked friends, he liked companionship. One thing that people take for granted was the light and the noise. With the light gone, the noise stopped, and Nick's world had been painfully empty. Maybe he would find something to fill the gaps here in Riverwood, one step at a time. "With that in mind, let's be friends!" Nick said suddenly, grinning. "My name's Nick. What's yours?"</s>
<\|description\|>Nicholas Cayne Would you enjoy another blind person? Nickname: Nick Gender: Male Age: 16 Brief Personality: Nick is a cheerful, light hearted kind of person who is constantly trying to find ways to lighten the mood or make people happier in general. He can make jokes about bad things that happen to him, but is sensitive and tries not to tread on any toes. He likes people and dislikes loneliness. Ability: Nick has an intrinsic 'awareness' of things in a certain radius around him. He knows the shape, location and details of any object within a certain range of him, like an area where he can sense everything. Kind of like a sixth sense. It's useful in fog because fog doesn't hinder it. Limits to Ability: Currently, its range is quite short, sitting at about 10 meters. Also, his awareness doesn't give him an awareness of colour, or light in general. His ability is apparently limited to matter and solid objects, though he can perceive gaseous substances similarly to heat waves. Age admitted into Riverwood: 16 Background: Nick was always a fairly cheerful kid since he was born. He liked hanging out with his friends but was kind of average otherwise. That changed when he got into a car accident. The car accident scarred his eyes and made him put a bandage around them for all of his life. Life got more difficult for him, in more ways than one. The first reason was because he had to adapt to a life without sight. The second reason hurt him more, however. People didn't really talk about the incident. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like people were avoiding him. And they kind of were. Beforehand, most of his class could talk to him, and he had a lot of friends and acquaintances. Now, only his closest friends were around him. It made Nick feel alone in class, because he couldn't see anyone and they wouldn't talk to him. One day, however, his powers awakened. Everyone was shocked at how it was like he could see again. The atmosphere became close to like how it was before. But his parents wanted him to go to Riverwood. They had heard rumours of what the government did to kids with strange powers, and they didn't want it to happen to him. At first, he objected, but he realised the pain he would put people through if he died, rather than if he disappeared. So Nick left, and travelled to learn at Riverwood. Appearance: Nick has short, brown hair and is around 160 cm. He's got a rather average build, and is rather average altogether, save for the bandages he has around his eyes. Other: Nick likes soft things, because they are soft. Also, Nick isn't that great at combat. Because he's blind, he can't read or see colour. He almost can't write.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Ris began walking back into the kitchen, carefully walking from a distance from the fridge and oven as he headed towards the cabinet on the far side. He did take notice of two new guys talking to good ol'Lucas. He was always outdoors, wandering about. When you could find there, he was always stuffing his face. However, Ris always liked that facet about him as he did what he wanted. He opened up the door to the cabinet and reached in for his donuts, way in the back. He felt the back of the cabinet first and he began grabbing the air, hoping to make contact with the bag. He searched in there like a moron for awhile before making the connection. Where had his donuts gone?!</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine Distracted by the entrance of Ris and the re-entrance of Ryuu, Lucas turns to see what Ris is doing and when he doesn't pull out his donuts like usual he looks quizzically at him. "Yo Sparky what's wrong no donuts?" Lucas gets up to help Ris look for his food. Using his acute sense of smell to follow the trail of donut smell he walks out of the kitchen/cafeteria and walks straight into Mia and Rebound still hot on the trail of the donuts. "Oh hey you two seen Sparky's or is it Ris yeah that's hi name Ris, still like to call him Sparky. Anyways have you two seen his donuts?" His nose twitches the smell of donuts fading quickly he starts to head back to the kitchen/cafeteria walking slowly so that he can hear the response of his question.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Ris began to panic as he could not find his food. He had those specially bought with some of them with strawberry filling and some others with a butterscotch topping on others. They were really hard to find, but he knew of a store in the city that would make them. Sparks began to fly as he became nervous and began to throw things from the cabinet. Eventually running out of things to throw, he turned to see that Lucas was gone. Ris's eyes narrowed and his nostrils began to flare up as small bits of electricity began to run through his fingertips. His hair, surprisingly enough, did not stand up. However, the oven began to flare up and the fridge began to make a weird noise as Ris began walking out of the kitchen and outside where he saw Lucas talking to Rebound and Lucy. Lucas seemed to be enjoying himself as he talked. Ris outstretched his hand where a small ball began to form there. It spun around as it grew to the size of a grape. "Hey Paddington, where you heading to? Trying to run off? Escape the scene of your crime?"</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "YO MAN I MAY LIKE DONUTS BUT THOSE WHERE YOURS AND I DON'T STEAL." Lucas turns to see Ris sparking, and creating his ball lighting, in Lucas' hand is his peanut butter jar. He holds it up for Ris to see,"See I got my peanut butter,not your donuts. I left the kitchen to find your donuts, I was using my keen sense of smell to find them." He slowly raises his hands above his head.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut "Trying to deflect now? How pitiful." The ball began to quickly grow in size to that of a baseball. The air around him was becoming filled with electricity with Ris staring at Lucas. Why would Lucas take his food? It had to be someone else. It had to! Or maybe, he was just hiding it, attempting to parry off guilt. "Where did the trail lead to? Come on, speak up." Ris wanted to get to the bottom of this. He was hungry and his stomach could not hold out any longer. It needs nourishment! Food!! With that, Ris toppled onto the ground, the ball returning to his cells.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "It lead off towards the guy's dorms." Lucas say's before Ris falls down, Lucas walks over to him and picks him up throwing Ris' arm over his shoulder he gets Ris standing up right. "Come on friend let's go get you some toast for now then we'll go get your donuts." Lucas walks Ris over to the table in the kitchen and sits him in one of the chairs, Lucas then goes and make Ris some toast and gets him a glass of Orange Juice. Placing the toast and juice in front of Ris he sits down in the chair next to him still waiting for Nick to tell how he got to the Academy.</s> <\|message\|>Owen Bounder Rebound nodded and said, "Sure. Uh, the cafeteria is this way." He turned down a hallway, passing several other rooms, some with students hanging out, and some that were empty. He looked sideways at Mia as she asked about the school. "Yeah, this is a school for those who have some sort of special ability or another." However, when she said something about how she thought that stuff was only in movies and books, he stopped. He frowned at her and said, "You're kidding, right? You mean you forgot that even?" He sighed, shaking his head. "You do know that you're one of those kids too, right? There's a reason you forget everything every few weeks you know." He looked thoughtful for a long moment, then he said, "You know, if you want, I can show you what I mean." He faced her then, putting his arms behind his back and he looked her in the eye, his face serious. "Try to hit me. Hit me as hard as you can. Several times, even. Don't worry, it won't hurt me, and it won't hurt you either." He let the smallest smirk grace his face. He liked showing off his powers, though, the list of people he was comfortable doing that around was very small. Mia happened to be on the list. He pointed to his stomach and repeated, "Come on, take a swing at me. Aim right here, as hard as you can."</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Ryuu saw Lucas sit Rid down. She slid some of her bacon in front of him. He was as nice person, plus Ryuu had enjoyed talking him and she was almost done with her bacon now. Ryuu walked over to the fridge and opened it. She looked inside and eyed the meat. There was some but they should probably get more before the day was done. Ryuu shrugged and sat back down at the table, filing her talons.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick watched the events unfold with some amount of incredulity, as another boy arrived with a vengeance, screaming about missing doughnuts. Nick stared on quizzically as Lucas tried finding the doughnuts and doughnut boy summoned a ball of lightning and then promptly passed out. Nick didn't know what was stranger, the lightning or the fact that everyone was used to it. The bacon girl had come back, and it turned out that she had wings. It would explain the other dragon like qualities (her teeth and claws) and it was certainly impressive, but Nick wondered about the lightning guy passing out. He took a quick look around and noticed that no one in the kitchen was really fazed. Lucas, the dragon girl, even Pam. They didn't really react. Perhaps this was something he'd have to get used to. "Um..." Nick said tentatively. "Does he... do that often?"</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "Yeah, thats his thing you know, last time he did that I think he broke the 72' plasma screen T.V. we had in the lobby." Lucas replies to Nicks question, "Again I gotta ask what made you come here?" he asks almost tiredly, with so many people gathering in the kitchen he gets up and begins to nervously pace back and forth, he then walks over to the cupboard, puts the lid back on his peanut butter and returns it to it's cupboard. Putting back on his gloves and hat he continues to pace.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Ah, right." Nick said, remembering what Lucas asked him. "Hmm..." Nick ate another spoonful of cornflakes as he thought about it. Why had he come here in the first place? If he was honest with himself, he'd say that he didn't to die. It wasn't a bad thing, but it was kind of selfish, so Nick was somewhat reluctant to say it. But the reason he didn't want to die was partly because he didn't want to pull anyone into it. According to his parents, people who awoke strange powers had been dying in freak accidents, along with their families. House fires, car crashes, that sort of thing. Nick was reluctant to leave, because he didn't want to leave his world behind based on rumours, but he saw the worry in his parent's eyes. They didn't want anything to happen to him. Nick decided to leave, because even if he wasn't there, they could at least take solace that he was still alive. Ultimately, the reason he came to Riverwood was to live, but he didn't know what to do after that. What would he do? Would he spend his entire life in Riverwood? "Well..." Nick said slowly. "I just came here because my parents heard that I might get killed if I stayed." He decided that there wasn't anything wrong with saying that, because if the rumours were true, then there would be many in Riverwood with the same reason. But he had to confirm something. "Are the rumours true?" Nick asked. "That the government comes in to kill people like us?"</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "The truest man the hunt us because we are different than normal we aren't like them so they hate us." Lucas say's straight faced. "Very rare is it that you come here on your own volition. I did and so did, Black I think was his name he also came here by himself."</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Well, that's still a good amount of people..." Nick said, thoughtfully. He was finished with his cereal, so he took the other piece of toast and spread some more jam on it. He took another bite as he resumed talking with Lucas. "But how many people are in this place, anyway?"</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "Never counted but I think Black or Levi might know, although if you really want to know Levi is in the common room or lobby." Lucas turns to Ris and smacks him lightly on the cheek, "Dude wake up." He stops and turns back to Nick,"Yeah anyways people come in all the time so counting them would be difficult."</s> <\|message\|>Pamela Pam was silent, eating her food, watching and listening to what everyone was saying, trying to concentrate on what was being said, as her abilities gave her what people looked like, as well as more of the environment around them. It sometimes threw her off, and it was better for her to be quite and focus through it. Lance gave a whine, as if sensing her difficulty, and he laid his head on her knee. She scratched him behind the ears and smiled, reassuring him that she was okay. So also found it easier to focus on Nick, as she had been around him longer then the other students. And he might understand the struggle she was going through. At the mention of why they were here, and the government killing people, Pam froze for a moment, before continuing to eat, but she only took a few more bites, and then pushed her food away. the fire flickered, violent and with a an intensity that frightened Pam. Lance barked, and pushed her, nudging her outside, even as she shouted to her parents... It was still so vivid in her mind, and she rose shivering lightly. "I'm sorry. I'm Pamela. um. I need to get some things from my room for the day. I'll see you all later" She said, hoping she sounded normal, and smiled, hoping it looked normal.</s>	<\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne "Oh. Um, see you later?" Nick called after her. Pam soon disappeared out of the kitchen, and Nick was sure that he'd said something wrong. According to Lucas, someone was hunting 'strange' people down, and Lucas had mentioned that few came to Riverwood of their own volition. This meant that a lot of people must have had... bad experiences before coming here. And if the rumours were to be believed, then it wasn't exactly a topic to bring up at the breakfast table. In fact, he was starting to feel bad about bringing it up. He was sure that he shouldn't have brought it up, and he didn't know if he'd unintentionally hurt Pam or not. Nick quickly swallowed the rest of the toast and put the dishes in the sink, which he'd probably come back to wash later. He wanted to see check if Pam was alright or not first, and made for the door. "Well, thanks for the talk, Lucas, but I want to get some stuff too." Nick said, reaching the door. "We should hang out some time." He shot a smile at the boy and girl still in the kitchen and walked out quickly, following Pam.</s>
<\|description\|>Ris Vidyut Nickname: Leaves it up to the school Gender:Male Age:19 Brief Personality: Careful of what he does, Ris attempts to think of what he does before he acts. He may, though, forget to take into account random variables. He tries to be tolerant of what every does, but if made angry enough, may become aggressive. Ability: His cells have learned to hold a large electrical charge, which may cause a accident if dealt with in the correct fashion. At his top output, the machine used to measure his voltage exploded. Limits to Ability: He needs to have his bare feet on the earth to act as a ground or else random disasters may occur. Also, he has not been able to handle any kind of electronic since his change. Age admitted into Riverwood: 15 Background: Ris at a young age loved to explore and was curious of his surroundings. He would touch power sockets and lick metal spoons. He eventually mixed these two likes into one and a giant shock went through him, rupturing several blood vessels. He was rushed to the hospital where it was found that no physical damage had been found and that the vessels were healing fine. The only real sign that he had been hurt were his blood-shot eyes. The hospital staff, worried of who he might be, contacted the authorities, where Ris became recorded. He began to be monitored until he was 14, when he was brought to the attention of Riverwood. Other: He does like to walk and is 6'1". A bit less than 2 meters.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Walking into the dorm rooms, Ris felt the hard cemented ground turn into sleek tile floors. He stretched his toes, feeling some relief from them as the electricity went straight down. He smelled something from the kitchen. He began to feel curious as most people would be out and about at this time of day, going to classes and having a "normal" life, or at least as "normal" as one can be at Riverwood. He was about to enter when he saw a pink-haired girl run out of the building, hand over her mouth. Ris stopped as she went by, heading for outdoors. He sighed as he thought of the many accidents that had occurred here from the students' lack of control. He began to head outside to check on Ryuu as she may want some help. He had been lectured enough about his lack of control and the many dangers to the human populace. It is not his fault that he cannot control his powers. Ris had tried many times to direct his power and he had been awarded by some control, but it was like a static shock when he consciously used his ability. When he was not paying attention...well, you would just have check the infirmary for his latest victim. He lumbered out the door to see Ryuu was shooting out flames. "Are you okay?" The flames seem to be encircling into the sky. His eyes drifted to it, watching as it made the many shapes fire tended to make.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo "I'm okay. Just..." Ruth hesitated. How would shy phrase her problem. It wasn't even really a problem. It just kind of happened every now and then. Smoke rose from Ryuu's mouth. Her wings felt cramped in her jacket. That always seemed to happen after letting out large amounts of flame. So Ryuu took off her jacket, wearing a blue tank top with slits in it underneath. She spread her wings wide, loosening them up.</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Ris watched as Ryuu took off her jacket and saw her wings as they unfolded. He was taken in at the length of them and he turned towards the sky, feeling a gentle breeze past by them. He felt a small jolt go through the air as he was taken aback, but he did grab a hold of the release and draw it back into his body. He did not want to hurt another person, especially someone with the gift of flight. "Those wings...are you able to fly with them? If yes, you are one of the luckiest people to be alive."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine Lucas walks his way back to the kitchen, knowing well that this is the most he has been in the school since he got there. Always preferring the outdoors, he is starting to become uncomfortable with his surroundings, he reaches the kitchen and puts up his honey, grabbing a jar of peanut butter with the same label the honey jar had. "So anyone want to know why I'm here?" he goes to a drawer and grabs a spoon." I'll tell you if you open this peanut butter." Lucas places the jar on the table close to Nick.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick watched the small girl clamp her hands over her mouth and run outside, quickly disappearing out of his range. He doubted she was doing it on purpose, and he was sure she had her reasons, but Nick was saddened that she didn't want the toast. He was genuinely sorry for ignoring her, and it appeared that his feelings didn't really go through. Regardless of that, Nick stared out in the direction she left, wondering what happened. "I've never seen such an adverse reaction to toast." Nick said, curious. He soon realised the stupidity of his statement, laughed to himself a little and put the plate down, toast and all. He grabbed the milk and started pouring it out, but he felt like he was forgetting something again. The 'something' in question placed a jar of something in front of nick and he remembered what it was. There were 2 people in the kitchen before him and Pam. One was the girl cooking bacon, the other had bear-like features. A little weird, but he'd have to get used to it. "Ah, sorry." Nick said, grabbing the jar. With a little effort, the lid popped off of the jar and Nick got a wiff of the contents. Peanut butter? He thought. "Were you here for breakfast?" Nick asked, offering the jar to the bear-handed boy.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo "I can fly with these wings, but I don't consider myself the luckiest person at all" Ryuu told Ris. Sure, flight was considered a great gift. But she had a fairly large price to pay for her flight. White hot flames, animal instincts, and talons all made her dangerous. And she wasn't in control of her animal instincts all the time.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "Yeah, now that you opened it I'll take off my gloves and hat." Lucas does this and after he begins to tell his story to the two obvious blind people. "I came here when I was six, I had no memory of parents or a family, hell I didn't even know how I got here." he sits down in a chair."I have always been a bit of an oddball here because of the fact that people like you scare me. I mean people who aren't animalistic aren't real mutants they are just people who have super natural abilities." He puts his spoon into the peanut butter."My feature if you can't smell are bear like. I've got bear paws and ears. That's why I wear the hat,although judging by how you've guessed that I am eating peanut butter, because I know you blind people have great sense of smell and hearing ,you might have put two and two together that Bears and a few other animals love peanut butter." Lucas pulls out the spoon and puts it in his mouth taking the peanut butter off of it with glee. "Now why am I scared of 'normal' people like you guys well it's almost natural to me to be afraid of you guys."</s> <\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia Cammy watched as Xander strutted into the room, all swagger and confidence. She hadn't met this guy yet and wished she hadn't been sitting down when they did meet. He was intimidatingly tall and those eyes were...Wow. She stayed quiet as the conversation played out between Terraline and the boy she found out to be her brother. Cammy was pretty disturbed by how calm he was when he spoke about his parents murder as though that type of thing happened all the time. As though echoing Cammy's thoughts, Terry questioned her brother on his oddly calm nature. The response only made Cammy dislike him even more. And then Xander informed Terraline that someone named Josie was in the next room. They had another new girl? Damn it! Cammy mentally chastised herself again for taking that nap and missing so much. Terraline almost started to freak out at the news of this Josie's presence. When Xander turned to Cammy and asked her name, she gave him only a slightly disgusted look before turning to Terraline and with her most calming voice said "Calm down. You're safe here. Who's this Josie and why does she have you so upset?"</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut "And why do you think you are the unluckiest person? Personally, I wish I could have wings and maybe whatever else comes with it, because then I could escape from reality. By flying, you are entering another world. I have read many novels, but reality never measures up." Ris took a short breath after this long speech for him. He had not spoken to a single person as long as this. He was actually getting into the conversation. "I hurt people. I don't mean to, but just this week, I touched a strip of metal unknowingly and...caused a young girl, maybe your age, to be taken to the infirmary." The image that was brought up by this made his knees start to shake as he thought of his own personal curse. "I have to watch my every step, never wear shoes, not even look at a television. I don't even know the latest news until it is printed!" He put some more emphasis at the end to explain his meeting. He bent his knees and began to brush the dirt with his hand, dust moving into the air. Noting that no metal was visibly there, he took seat there and looked up at Ryuu. "That is why I envy you."</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas Cayne Nick began listening as the bear boy took off his hat and gloves, but Nick didn't reveal that he already knew what was under them. First impressions count for a lot, after all, and ignoring their presence gave off a bad one, without adding the fact that he can see through walls and stuff. He didn't really want to be called a creepy guy, but if they knew, he wouldn't blame them for thinking that. As Nick listened to the bear-boy's speech, he poured milk onto his cornflakes, and then spread some sugar onto it. Still attentive, he started taking spoonfuls of cornflakes while listening to the boy's story. Nick began to think. The bear boy had mentioned some stuff that made think about people like Nick. And Pam, the bear boy, and the girl eating bacon. He'd only arrived at Riverwood 2 days ago, but he'd met a lot of different people of different stages of life, as well as some 'weird' stuff he'd never known. When Nick awakened his 'power', he thought that it was a good thing. It was useful, at the very least, to navigate his life without trouble. But on arriving at the academy, he met more people who were 'different'. It was clear that their new 'powers' were a gift to some, and to others like the bear boy, they were a curse. Nick kind of knew what bear boy went through, though. Nick's powers, while useful, were strange nonetheless, and if anythinng, people talked to him a little less when he had them. He noticed that, in the brief period he'd had them. He noticed that people feared strange things. It must've been a lot worse for people with... physical manifestations, such as the bear handed boy who'd been talking to Nick and Pam. Nick ate another spoonful of cornflakes as the bear boy finished. He crunched thoughtfully in the silence that followed, thinking of what to say. "You know, I get where you're coming from." Nick said tentatively. "You've probably heard it a lot, and I probably don't really know where you're coming from, but I think I get it a little bit." Yes, he did understand. One of the things he'd taken for granted when he had his sight was companionship. He thought that his life would always be the same, and when the accident happened, suddenly things weren't. "The isolation was bad, and the silence almost killed me." Nick said contemplatively. "But hey, I'm not afraid of me. And there are good people here." That statement was aimed at Pam, whether she noticed or not. She was his first friend in Riverwood so far, and he was glad to have her around. He liked friends, he liked companionship. One thing that people take for granted was the light and the noise. With the light gone, the noise stopped, and Nick's world had been painfully empty. Maybe he would find something to fill the gaps here in Riverwood, one step at a time. "With that in mind, let's be friends!" Nick said suddenly, grinning. "My name's Nick. What's yours?"</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ursaine "The name is Lucas Ursaine. And your the first non animalistic friend I've got besides maybe Levi or that shadow guy. Man I wish my memory was better." Lucas continues to eat the peanut butter. "So now that you know my story what's your's?" He looks at Nick knowing full well that he'll probably forget it in a week, but it would be nice to know someone else's story, and although he is starting to feel uncomfortable he is warming up to sitting down and talking an unusual occurrence if you knew Lucas at all.</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo "I don't consider myself the unluckiest either. I mean, flight is a great thing to have," Ryuu told Ris. "It's just that I have other abilities besides just flight. I have dragon talons and dragon flames. Both of which are actually pretty cool. But they come with animal instincts I'm not always able to control. I'm no person to envy. Personally I think,you should envy the people who don't have any abilities at all. They doing have any downsides at all."</s> <\|message\|>Ris Vidyut "That may be true. The people with no abilities may find it safer, but if you were in a crowd, you would be unable to point to a single individual. Our abilities is what sets us apart. It is what makes us who we are. Every day, we must deal with our own problems while the rest of them may have to deal with the same one. It takes true character to be one of us without resorting to absolute destruction." Ris laid onto the ground and began to look into the far-reaching blue sky. "And, isn't that why you are here? Do you want to control your instincts or do you want to be led?"</s> <\|message\|>Ryuu Tatsuo Ryuu nodded. "We are unique, but even people who are ordinary are unique and special. If you took away my wings and flames I would still be me. There are things that make everyone unique. So we may be able to muster up more courage and character, but we lack the courage to be in a bustling society without learning how to control our gifts. So really, ability or not there are downsides. Pros and cons. "</s>	<\|message\|>Ris Vidyut Ris closed his eyes as he thought of her response. It is true that each person is their own individual, but from what he had witnessed, a lot of them were sheep, following the lead goat. However, he thought through her fourth sentence. Lacking the courage to be in a bustling society without learning how to control our gifts. "If we did have the courage and not have the control, how many people would be harmed? Isn't that why they hunt us now? Because tey fear us and the unknown?"</s>
<\|description\|>Ellowyn Clark Nickname: Ellie, Elle, scar-face. Gender: Female Age: 18 Brief Personality: Feisty, though soft-hearted, is how Ellowyn functions. She keeps secrets to the grave and is as loyal as a dog. With a humorous and joking nature, little seems to bother her. However, when she needs to be serious, she can act as such. Ellowyn is sweet, caring and kind. She doesn't enjoy being mean or harsh, but will if she has to. Mysterious, with an eerie aura around her, Ellie comes off intimidating. However, there is more than meets the eye. Ability: Necromancy Limits to Ability: Her emotions correlate to her power. For example, when she's fearful, she sees more ghosts or will accidentally summon more. They can be terrifying and out of her control as well. Raising the dead drains her for the next 24 hours. She can also become possessed by spirits and ghosts. Age admitted into Riverwood: 17 Background: Ellowyn was born and raised to a caring mother and father. She grew up in a normal, suburban home. Life was simple for her. She was enrolled in self-defense courses and trained to defend herself. Everything seemed fine - up until That Day, as she calls it. Other: Name: Sage Lockheart Nickname: N/A Gender: Male Age: 16 Brief Personality: Quiet and reserved, yet brave, would describe Sage the best. While noble and a gentlemen, he is not one to underestimate. Sarcastic, witty, and with remarks rolling off his tongue, he seems to know what to say at any given moment. Tough, though with a hint of sensitivity, Sage tries to come off strong. However, he will commit to cunning methods if he deems it necessary. Reckless, with an almost-carefree attitude, Sage tries to enjoy life and live in the moment. Ability: Molecule Manipulation Limits to Ability: Sage cannot create molecules, nor against those who have control over their own. He is unable to fly or lift himself off the ground. Additionally, healing is excruciatingly painful and drains him of energy. If he induces pain, it takes a deal of concentration, thus leaving him with a throbbing headache. Age admitted into Riverwood: 15 Background: Born into a rich family, Sage grew up with whatever he needed. Asking was hardly a chore, since his want would arrive soon. It became dull to Sage as he became older. The highs of the rich life became irksome; constant parties, exotic trips to faraway countries. His parents grew displeased with him and began to criticize him. Despite their wishes, he also donated money to people who needed it. This only infuriated them. Thus, Sage became an outcast of the family - especially when he began to engage in sports and have less-than-acceptable friends. His family distanced themselves from him and stuck to one another. As such, he was slightly lonely. Nonetheless, he pursued life and enjoys it. Other: Name: Josephine Gray Nickname: Josie, Pyro Gender: Female Age: 18 Brief Personality: Josephine would be what society considers abnormal. From the day she was born to the ripe age of 18, she was labeled eccentric, quirky, and unpredictable. With an unreasonable ability to be charming, she has risen in popularity amongst her peers. A portion of her day is spent gazing in the mirror and admiring her reflection. With zilch regard to people's lives or right's, Josephine has become infamous. However, she has the strong ability to deceive others with an Innocent smile and bat of her eyelids. Impulsive would not suit her - this girl thinks through everything and plans far ahead. Whatever stands in her way, will be given devastation. Ability: Pyrokinesis Limits to Ability: Must always be in control of emotions and thoughts - if not, fire spirals out of her control, causing damage. She can burn herself if the heat's too intense. Smoke inhalation is not her friend, and she needs oxygen. Hydrokinesis will affect her greatly as well. Age admitted into Riverwood: 18 Background: The day that Josephine was born should have been a happy one. And indeed it was, up until she reached the age of two and began terrorizing people. She learned that throwing toys at a window would break them. This became a fun habit of hers. As she grew older, her parents thought her acts might wither away - but they did not. In fact, Josephine began to grow worse over time. She caused trouble and blamed it on Terraline. As for Xander, she would enchant his guy friends, date them, then break their hearts in two. Rumors would escalate from her, thus destroying their reputations and Xander's as well. Josephine charmed and witted her way out of trouble most of the time. Her tactic became clear: act charming and persuasive in society, and nutty and cruel around her siblings. Other: She is seen with a lighter fairly often, despite it being confiscated multiple times.</s> <\|message\|>Terraline Gray Terraline groggily sat up and stared at the room before her. There seemed to be a girl with pink hair watching her. Her parents would have killed her if she had ever dyed her hair that color but still, it was rather pretty. However, that wasn't the strange part. This girl's nails looked like bird talons. Was this a dream after all? Some other boy joined and began questioning her. She wondered what they were all doing here. Were they here for her? Maybe she was the oddball here. After inhaling deeply, she tried to compose herself and push away the traumatic memory for now. Apparently she was in some sort of school. "How the heck did I end up here?"She muttered under her breath. Another girl squeezed between the two people and came toward her bedside. "Hi" the girl said with a wave, "I'm Cammy. How are you feeling?" "Hey... You can call me Terry. I'm kind of confused to be honest."She admitted. "I have no idea how I ended up here." Some other guy introduced himself as Black and spoke of making sure she should feel welcome in her new home. he also mentioned how she had no knowledge of mutants. After speaking to the others, he had addressed her finally with, "Lastly then, hello young one. Welcome to Riverwood. My name is Black, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Should you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them." He was not the only one to introduce himself. The pink haired girl introduced herself as Ryuu. Although, the other boy seemed to have departed. "Nice to meet you guys. Well for starters, what are mutants and how did I end up here?" Terraline inquired.</s> <\|message\|>Cammy D'Alia Cammy fought hard not to roll her eyes at Black's admonishment but was unable to prevent her tongue from poking out of her mouth at him. Thankfully she managed to pull it back in before he noticed...She hoped. She sat on the end of the bed as Terry introduced herself and said "Nice to meet you guys. Well for starters, what are mutants and how did I end up here?". A lump began to form in Cammy's throat. She wasn't entirely clear on how this girl had ended up here but if the circumstances surrounding her arrival at the school were anything like Cammy's...She tried not to think about it. Too many of the kids around here had tragic stories. "Those are both great questions" she said, forcing a smile onto her face "And I'm sure Black will be happy to answer both of them and any more that you have. But for now...take my hand". Cammy reached her hand gently out towards Terry, trying her hardest to keep a friendly expression. She knew that she could take away any physical pain Terry may be in from whatever caused her to be brought in unconscious. She just had to touch her for a moment. It was easier to do it this way than to try and explain her strange ability.</s>	<\|message\|>Ellowyn Clark A loud scream interrupted Josephine's tranquil thoughts. The girl's mind had been focusing on how she would achieve first chair for orchestra. For some reason, Anna was ahead of her. Did the teacher not see the potential and greatness Josephine had? It was abysmal how they disregarded her talent. She had bene playing piano since the age of three. It disgusted her as well. If Mrs. Lyell didn't allow Josephine to try out for it again and succeed, then Anna was going to have a tragic accident. How she would was not yet thought out. Nonetheless, it would happen. No-one, no-one, out did Josephine Gray. She snapped back to reality. Her fingers froze over the newly polished piano keys with her light brown hair stroking the edges of it. Josie picked up her head. The scream had emitted from her mother. Why? What the hell was going on? Had her mother finally lost her mind? As she considered the scream, she could hear the agonizing fear and panic behind it. Josephine knew she hadn't set up any maniacal or diabolic trap that day. She rose to her feet, sincerely perplexed. As she crossed towards the room to her door, it banged open and flew off its' hinges. Josephine inhaled, jumping backwards and glaring. Four tall figures clothed entirely in black barged rudely into her room. Josephine stared at them, and then gathered herself. "Who the fuck are you - the 2015 Ninja Squad? God, you look awful. Your wardrobe is shittier than my sister's." "That must be the other sister." commented a male. His voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Josephine wondered why her ears were not bleeding yet. "Damn straight, dumbass." Josie snapped and grabbed her baton from the wall. "Get the fuck out of my room. No wonder you cover yourselves up - too cowardly and ugly to show yourselves." "Eliminate her. Now!" A woman to the right of the first male's voice. "She's so annoying." "Is that the only insult you came up with?" She moved into an offensive position. Her adrenaline began to rush. Josephine could feel her heart pounding tremendously against her ribcage. The noise reminded Josephine of a large elephant running from a pack of lions. Another scream - Terraline's - filled her ears. At least someone was going to get rid of the useless girl. Terry was going nowhere in life. Her mother and sister's screams were announced; but what of her brother, Xander? Had he escaped? Whatever. She didn't care. All that mattered was that she managed to survive. The figure to her right lunged at her. Josephine swung out with her baton, the tip making contact with their elbow. It was then that she realized it was a woman by the high-pitched cry. The others paused, evaluating their comrade's injury. "Son of a bitch!" She roared in pain, holding her now broken and shattered elbow. The woman's arm hung awkwardly and limply. "I'm not a son although my mother is a bitch." Josephine responded and jumped into the air. She kicked her in the chest with both feet and sent them stumbling backwards. The woman collapsed on the floor, dazed by the pain. Josephine landed catlike on her feet and glared viciously. "Who's next?" The group evaluated her, immobile. They glanced around at one another, silently communicating. "What are you, telepathic?" she taunted, a wicked smile curling her lips. This seemed to make the male - who was bulky and toned - look at her sharply. His neck had moved so fast that Josephine wondered why it did not break. If he didn't do it himself, then she would. "Get her." The woman ordered, her voice strained by the agony of her broken elbow. "Yeah, catch me if you can." Josephine laughed and avoided the man's lunge. She wrapped her leg around his and pulled hard, knocking him down. She composed herself and lunged at him to throw him off balance. It was successful, because he staggered. She head-butted him and twisted off of him and onto the floor. Just then, the unidentified figure grabbed her shirt- her designer shirt. Josephine screeched as the individual slammed their fist into the back of her neck. They threw her to the floor and kicked her aside. She bit back a cry of pain and rolled onto her hands and feet as quickly as possible. She was dizzy, but refused to give up. She was not losing her life because of a few idiots. The tall man and unidentified figure remained. "Too sexy and quick for you," Josephine smirked, her blue eyes gleaming with joy. That's when the man took out a gun and aimed it at her. The smirk faded, and then pulled back up. "That's all you brought - a stupid little handgun? I laugh in the face of danger." Josie quoted, laughing maliciously. The figure glanced at the man, then began to slowly edge their way around to the back of Josephine. "Oh I see how it is - tag teaming. Clearly you know I'd kick your ass solo." Josephine kept her eyes on the man with the gun, but was watching the other in her peripheral vision. The figure was taking out some silver, shining object. "Afraid?" the man taunted, waving his gun mockingly at her. Did this man think a gun was going to take her out? She was tougher than that. "Hardly," she replied dryly, keeping her stance and holding her baton. The figure was out of her view now, which only infuriated Josephine. She relied on her sense of awareness and hearing. The man smiled at her; then raised his gun and locked it into place. She tensed, wondering which way she should move both attacks, if possible. The gun was more important. The figure behind her was not as threatening. They were not as fast as a bullet. His finger circled the trigger; then fired. The figure behind her lunged at her as well. That's when the room exploded into flames from every direction and angle. _______________________________________________ Josephine's eyes opened. Her vision was slow to come back. She discovered she was in a hospital room. There was something on her face that was uncomfortable. Her breathing sounded loud in her ears. Her breaths fogged up the oxygen mask, she realized. This brought her to question why she had an oxygen mask on. The night's events replayed in her mind slowly, like a faucet dripping water. There was a group of black figures that were murdering everyone in their house. They had attacked her... She almost was shot... Josephine inhaled sharply, clouding the mask. The man had shot. But after that what happened? Josephine couldn't remember the rest; all she remembered was the fire afterwards, the nothing. She tried to sit up, but ended up coughing and clouding her mask even more. There were burns all over her body, and the scent of smoke was strong. "Whoa, easy there," A doctor came over and gently pushed her back down. Sadly, Josie didn't have the strength to fight and laid back down much to her dismay. How dare this man touch her! Josephine stared at him and narrowed her gaze. "You're confused- I can tell – so I'll explain. Your family was attacked by the X-Force agents. To save you and your siblings, you were transported to Riverwood Academy. This academy is for people with superpowers – much like you." He smiled down at her. "Yours seems to be pyrokinesis, Ms. Josephine, gathering by the sudden fire. Welcome to Riverwood, we are happy to have you." This man would come to regret his words.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire had only meant to take a quick nap where no one would find her, but as she woke up she realized it was early morning. The sky was turning light grey outside of the cage, and through the bars she could see the movements of shadows and silhouettes. The workers of the circus must be up early to prepare for the first show tonight. They'd arrived outside of London yesterday afternoon, and there had been a lot of work for everyone, like it always was when they arrived in a large city. She ran her hand through her mess of a hair, picking a few straws of hay out of it. It was easy to sleep in Solomon's cage, since he enjoyed the company and got more hay to sleep on than her other cats. He was rather rare as a white tiger, so he was treated as a king by most. "Oh bother, why did I wake up this early…" Claire mumbled to herself, rolled over on her side to try and find a more comfortable position to sleep in. She came face to face with the white tiger in the cage. He observed her for a moment, then opened his mouth and yawned. Claire pushed his mouth away from her when she felt the stench of his morning breath. "What did you eat kid, you stink." Claire laughed, and petted his back. He leaned into her and purred loudly. The circus had bought Solomon when he was just a small cub. He'd likely been taken from his family in the wild by hunters or poachers. He'd been scared at first, often crying out in the middle of the night for someone who would never be there for him again. Claire had recognized herself in him, and as she was the lion tamer she'd let him stay with her in her wagon. In time, he got too big to live with her though, so he moved to his own cage. He didn't like it much at first. He became anxious when Claire wasn't around. She was the only one who he thought of as family, so she'd visited him as much as possible until he got used to life with the circus. Claire loved all of her big cats. The lions, the tigers and the panther, but Solomon was special because he was her little kid whom she'd raised. He was as large as any of the others now, but she still thought of him like that. She considered getting out of the cage before someone did find her, but the thought soon passed when she fell asleep again. Elena Dragomirov was the proud manager of the Wanderlust Circus. One of the biggest traveling circuses anyone had heard of. She usually woke up early to prepare for the night's performance, but today she'd barely been able to sleep. Once she noticed that night was turning into day she put the book that had disturbed her sleep down on the desk in front of her, and sighed. It was time to make sure everyone else was doing what they were supposed to be doing, whether they wanted too or not. Some were late sleepers and some were just plain lazy, but she couldn't have that on a first day performance in a city like London. That simply would not do, not for her circus. She had a reputation to uphold, so she got dressed in something warm, made and ate breakfast alone, then stepped outside to deal with whatever problems had already reared their ugly heads. "Dobroe utro." She shouted loudly to no one in particular. It was a kind of alarm, and something she said every morning. Anyone who dared to sleep past the initial warning that their boss was awake might come to regret it.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire The rising sun peeked through the shutters of the wooden wagon, falling upon the face of the brunette who lie tangled in the sheets from the previous night's sleep. Her eyes opened slowly and she squinted against the bright rays that invaded her living space, placing a hand up to block the blinding light from her face. She slowly sat up and stretched, yawning as she did so. Kathryn sleepily stood and stretched again, grumbling and rubbing her eyes. She lazily lit a flame of a lantern and placed a pot of water over it, placing tea leaves in to steep. As she waited for the warm liquid to boil, she walked to her closet and retrieved her clothes for the day, placing on a red top with worn brown trousers and black boots to finish it off. She poured herself a cup of tea and slowly sipped on the bitter liquid as she looked out her window. As she finished off her first cup, she heard the call from the boss, signaling that it was time to begin the day. Kathryn walked over and opened up a chest that sat in her floor, pulling from it a holster and a set of shining knives. She placed the holster over her head and fingered the sharp blades before placing them along her side. The blades were decorated with intricate Celtic knotting and shone like brand new silver from the blacksmith. As she walked outside, she took in a deep breath of cool English air and smiled to herself. She walked past the wagons that housed the traveling circus members to one very familiar to her. Stepping inside, she grinned. "Good morn---" Her face turned to a blank as she discovered her companion was not in her room. Well, she isn't one to rise early... Kathryn raised an eyebrow and closed the door to the wagon, walking past her next stop and banging on the door. "Elijah, I hope you're decent." She poked her head in and saw the young man sitting inside sipping on a cup of tea also. "Calm down, Katie. I'm up." She grinned and gave him a wave, "Alright, I'll see you at the practice ring then in twenty minutes. Don't be late." He laughed lightly and waved her off, sipping again on his tea and gathering his things for the day. Kathryn walked over towards the big cat enclosures, taking care not to make too much noise as she moved through. She made her way to Solomon's cage and peered inside. There she found Claire, cuddled up with the giant tiger in slumber. "Claire... Claire...!" She whispered. She noticed the big cat eyeing her, and from her pocket she pulled out a piece of jerky and slipped it to him. "Easy now, boy." After her friend had stirred, she gathered an apple from her satchel at her side, and held it up at her. "Good morning sunshine, time to get to work." She grinned wide and tossed the apple at her, placing a hand on her hip after she threw it.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire woke up too soon again when she thought she heard someone calling her name. She could feel Solomon moving next to her, and sat up to check what he was doing. Claire was greeted with a good morning by her best human friend. She caught the apple that Kate had thrown to her. She must have given Solomon something to eat as well, because he was chewing on it. "Oi, don't you know not to feed the wild animals?" Claire asked then bit into the apple. "What if it develops a craving?" She stood up; a bit unsteady on her feet and stiff after sleeping where she'd slept. "It could try to break out of its cage just to find more." She undid the lock on the cage from within, and stepped outside next to Kate. "What would you do then?" Claire took another bite of the apple and grinned with her mouth full. Solomon stretched in his cage, noticing that the door was open and lay back down to sleep. "Oh, and there's Solomon too." "Thank you for waking me." She said with a sly smile, and to show how much she appreciated being awakened early in the morning she pulled Kate into a tight hug. Claire rubbed her cheek against Kate much like a cat would. She mostly did it to tease her friend, because she knew she smelled even more like a tiger than usual, both the smell and the hay she had on herself would be on Kate too now. "It's such a nice gesture." Claire locked Solomon's cage back up after she'd hugged Kate. She felt a pain run through her right shoulder, an old scar that still made itself known every now and then. She gritted her teeth, and didn't move for a moment. "Well, I better go clean myself up, not that it usually helps for long. If at all." Some would say she'd adopted too many of the characteristics of her cats. Elena in particular didn't like her tendency to sleep as much as they did if she wasn't given any tasks to do. However, she also had the constant smell of tiger or lion in her clothes. At least she hadn't given up being human completely yet, which was what mattered in her opinion. If she felt like it she could probably have escaped with her kittens and lived happily in a jungle. That was a silly dream, and she'd miss some things with human society, like Kate and the food. "What are you gonna do now?" She grinned. "Train with your manly assistant, I bet." Claire stretched her arms above her head. "Thankfully, I'm so experienced and respected with my feline assistants that I barely need practice." That was just bragging, because they'd always find some way to mess with her carefully planned routine unless she kept them in line with regular practices. Elena had been furious with her once after she'd been too laid back, and it's resulted in a disorganized performance. Once Elena had made sure everyone was either up or had been notified that if they weren't up in the next half hour they'd need to find a new job, she returned to her own wagon. She needed practice herself. She wanted to make sure that the show tonight would be unforgettable to everyone attending. She would check on the performers later the same day, but they should already know the schedule and order, so there wasn't much she needed to do for now. Elena soon found herself distracted by her book.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kathryn watched as Claire stood up, almost as if she were drunk, and mosey on over and out of the cage. "I guess it's a good thing I have more food to bribe that animal with then." She grinned back and pulled another apple from her bag, but instead she took a bite out of it this time. When she saw Claire coming in for a hug, she tried to escape because she knew what would follow next. But by the time she tried to make a move, it was too late, and she was trapped in Claire's embrace as she rubbed her feline odor and mess all over her. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her lips turned to a small smile and she shook her head. She began to pick the straw off of and dust herself off as Claire closed up the big cat's cage, but she noticed her friend pausing for a brief moment. She frowned for a second, knowing that Claire must be having another pain from memories long passed. However, she regained herself and Kate restored the smile back to her expression. "Just try to stay clean longer than five minutes this time, yeah?" Kate grinned and shook her head, knowing that almost as soon as she stepped foot outside again, she would find someway to return to the feline-like character that defined her. "Well, I'm sure my manly assistant would love it if I did not impale him in the chest with a blade, so yes we are off to train." She laughed a bit and twirled a knife between her fingers with ease before returning it to its sheathe. Then, Kate bowed, placing a hand behind her back, "Oh, yes, your highness. You are far too incredible to require regular practice." She didn't hold the pose for long because laughter escaped her. "However, I do believe you may want to give it a try, if for nothing more than to keep Elena off your back." Kathryn then waved goodbye to her friend, "I will see you later then. Best make yourself look useful today, you know how the boss gets when we have a big show coming up." This time she tossed a piece of jerky to her friend and made her way to the practice range. There, Elijah was already setting up the targets and laying out the arrangement of weapons to choose from for the night's performance. "Eli, look at you go. You impress me sometimes." Kate grinned at him and laid her blades on the table as well. It was no question that they would be part of the act, as they were her most prized possession and she felt as if they were an extension of herself whenever she threw them. Elijah shook his head and smiled, "You have so little faith in me Katie." He picked up a bow and placed an arrow on the string, taking in a deep breath before letting the arrow fly to its target. He grinned and raised his eyebrows. Kathryn merely shook her head. "Alright, alright. You impress me often. Now let's get to practicing." The two began to test out different weapons: a crossbow, spears, knives, and pretty much anything that was sharp and pointy and could be thrown or shot. There they would remain for a few hours until it was time to break for lunch.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire snorted. "I can stay clean for days if I wanted too, alas my sweet kittens would miss me then." She finished eating the apple and threw it away. "Well, I am queen of the kings of animals." She pouted when Kate laughed at her, brushing some hay out of her hair. "More than anyone else could claim." "Yeah, Yeah. I can handle Elena. She's just another lioness, albeit of a more terrifying kind." Claire laughed. It was too true a description regarding the circus director. She waved farewell to Kate as well when they parted ways. Her first stop was to clean herself up in one of the baths. As she wasn't particularly fond of water she didn't spend long doing that, and returned to her own wagon to find that someone had been inside it. She hoped they'd just come looking for her and not gone snooping through her belongings. Either way, she changed into a different set of clothes. They were torn here and there, because it seemed more realistic if her kittens did scratch or roar at her while she did her lion taming act. No one wanted to watch a bunch of big cats lying still, enjoying being petted and purring loudly. It wasn't what they paid for. She picked up one of her whips as well, and then headed back towards the cages of the big cats. On the way there she made sure to pass by Elena's wagon, since she wanted to check if she was in her wagon or walking around keeping an eye on everyone. Claire heard chanting coming from inside the wagon, not a rare occurrence, but usually it was in a language she could recognize as a language. It didn't sound like Russian or English. It sounded like she was speaking in tongues. Claire raised an eyebrow, but kept walking, confident in the fact that Elena wouldn't be coming to check up on her anytime soon. Claire released a couple of her kittens that were already awake. The panther and a lion to be more specific. The panther walked out of its cage with its head turned upwards, acting like a true prima donna. Claire petted her on the back, and got a glare in return. "Oh shush, Sheila." The lion acted more like he was glad to see her, putting his paws around her neck and purring. "Good morning, Scar, lovely day." She spent a couple of hours going through their routine, changing which one of her feline partners she trained with every now and then to make sure no one was going to try to act more wild or playful than usual that day. Sheila was the only one with an attitude on her, but she was always like that and still performed with the most grace during training and show. Claire only had to use her whip once, and even then she hit the ground to make two of the tigers stop play fighting and pay attention. The sound of the whip alone was usually enough to control any one of them. She hated when she had to actually use it, so it had happened that situations had gotten out of control before she went that far. Once her stomach began to complain, Claire decided it was time to take a break. The animal caretakers would come and feed each of her partners, but she had to find food herself. She headed over to where Kate would be practicing and found her alone. "Oh, did your manly assistant not want to eat dinner with you?" Claire teased. "I guess only the wild cats dare approach someone as sharp as you. How about eating something, or would you rather get another hug?"</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It was a long practice for Eli and Kate, but they both had to be perfect if each of them wanted to limit the number of stab wounds on their bodies. As the hours passed, they moved from weapon to weapon and act to act, planning out the night's show so that it went off without a hitch. Eventually, it was time to practice the spin board: a giant round piece of wood that rotated on a pole, and on it was a silhouette of a human body, about the size of Elijah. "Alright now remember, tonight that'll be me in the flesh... try not to kill me, yeah?" Eli walked up to the board and gave it a tug, sending it spinning around in circles, the target dancing around in rotation. Kate drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them. She sent out three knives, one after the other in steady rhythm, and listened as they each hit the board milliseconds after the one before. Eli stopped the spin board and grinned, "Very well done, Kate. Try to replicate that tonight." He looked up at the sky and then around, noticing it was lunchtime as people were moseying about with their food. "Well, I've got animals to feed before I find my own meal. Don't have too much fun without me." He waved as he walked off and Kathryn was left alone to clean up from practice and find herself supper. She had just finished putting away her blades when Claire strolled up, chipper as ever. She opened up her arms wide and grinned, "Well, why not both? At least you smell better this time." She gave a quick wink and a chuckle along with it before embracing her friend. "Now, what shall we eat? I do believe I have some more apples in my wagon if this animal you speak of has developed such a craving." She laughed but finished putting away her blades and then dusted off her hands. "How about we head to the commons tent and see what they've got cooked up? Might be something worth while since we are in London after all. It at least has to be better than that rubbish we got during the Dublin show." She patted her friend on the back and began walking towards a large white tent that sat to the east of the main camp. Within meters of the tent, the smell of food could be smelt as the aroma drifted out the doors and into the open air. "See, it already smells better." Kate grinned and walked inside, looking over to a line of tables where cooks had arranged the day's meal. Nothing fancy, but a sufficient amount of lamb and roast summed up the protein, while potatoes, cheese, and bread rounded out the rest. Kathryn grabbed a plate and filled it with meat and bread, staving from potatoes due to the aforementioned Irish tour, where potatoes were in every meal of every day. She waited for Claire and then exited the tent to find them a nice place to sit, finding a sunny, grassy area on a small hill that overlooked part of the circus camp. "Well, Queen Feline," She took a bite of lamb, "how are your creatures today? Should I expect an excellent show, as always?"</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire was a bit surprised and considerably disappointed when Kate took her threat as an invitation. While she had nothing against hugging her friend and she had taken a bath, it would not do if others began to notice that she was tame and huggable, not wild and a bit of a misanthrope - preferring the company of Solomon over most humans. She followed Kate to the commons tent, where the smell of meat permeated the air and made her stomach grumble. "Mhm, I need meat if I want to keep up my reputation." Claire said in response to the comment about the Dublin show. "Raw meat doesn't taste that good even if they were willing to share." They hadn't been though. Not even Solomon. Claire put lamb and roast on her plate until those working the kitchen commented on how she should be eating other things too, to which she responded with a growl. She did take some bread and quite a bit of cheese as well though in the end. When Kate left the commons tent, Claire raised an eyebrow and wondered why they wouldn't be eating there. She wasn't so much of a savage that she didn't know how to use a chair and table, as uncomfortable and crude as those in the tent may be. She went with her anyway, and sat down with her back against a rock. It was a nice view from up here. They could see part of their home while eating, how very quaint. Claire picked up some of the lamb with her hands and began to eat it, so that when Kate asked her a question about her part of the show she could only mumble a response. She quickly swallowed and put the food down. "Queen Feline…?" She grimaced, but then grinned. "So what should I call you? Pretty princess with a bow?" Claire laughed, then bit off another piece of the lamb to chew on. "My kittens are just dandy. Some of them are a bit playful like usual, and Sheila is a bit temperamental like usual. Of course you should expect an excellent show from me, and I better see one from you as well. Do I finally get to see you miss your target and hit your man, huh? I'd like to see the shock on everyone's faces if you do." She smiled at Kate. "Especially your own." Claire returned her full attention to the food, but made sure to listen to whatever Kate had to say. It wasn't uncommon for her to talk and Claire to simply listen. She enjoyed simply being around the other girl who'd escaped with her from the orphanage all those years ago. To Claire, it was enough to sit in silence at times. Once she'd finished eating, greedily gorging down the meat and then finishing off the meal with the bread and cheese, she changed her position so she was lying down in the grass and closed her eyes. That rock had been a bit painful against her back. She knew she may fall asleep for a short nap if she didn't watch herself, but at least Kate was right there to wake her up. Unfortunately, Kate already knew that Claire didn't smell bad this time around, so she had nothing to dissuade her from doing it. She sighed, and smiled.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It was a long practice for Eli and Kate, but they both had to be perfect if each of them wanted to limit the number of stab wounds on their bodies. As the hours passed, they moved from weapon to weapon and act to act, planning out the night's show so that it went off without a hitch. Eventually, it was time to practice the spin board: a giant round piece of wood that rotated on a pole, and on it was a silhouette of a human body, about the size of Elijah. "Alright now remember, tonight that'll be me in the flesh... try not to kill me, yeah?" Eli walked up to the board and gave it a tug, sending it spinning around in circles, the target dancing around in rotation. Kate drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them. She sent out three knives, one after the other in steady rhythm, and listened as they each hit the board milliseconds after the one before. Eli stopped the spin board and grinned, "Very well done, Kate. Try to replicate that tonight." He looked up at the sky and then around, noticing it was lunchtime as people were moseying about with their food. "Well, I've got animals to feed before I find my own meal. Don't have too much fun without me." He waved as he walked off and Kathryn was left alone to clean up from practice and find herself supper. She had just finished putting away her blades when Claire strolled up, chipper as ever. She opened up her arms wide and grinned, "Well, why not both? At least you smell better this time." She gave a quick wink and a chuckle along with it before embracing her friend. "Now, what shall we eat? I do believe I have some more apples in my wagon if this animal you speak of has developed such a craving." She laughed but finished putting away her blades and then dusted off her hands. "How about we head to the commons tent and see what they've got cooked up? Might be something worth while since we are in London after all. It at least has to be better than that rubbish we got during the Dublin show." She patted her friend on the back and began walking towards a large white tent that sat to the east of the main camp. Within meters of the tent, the smell of food could be smelt as the aroma drifted out the doors and into the open air. "See, it already smells better." Kate grinned and walked inside, looking over to a line of tables where cooks had arranged the day's meal. Nothing fancy, but a sufficient amount of lamb and roast summed up the protein, while potatoes, cheese, and bread rounded out the rest. Kathryn grabbed a plate and filled it with meat and bread, staving from potatoes due to the aforementioned Irish tour, where potatoes were in every meal of every day. She waited for Claire and then exited the tent to find them a nice place to sit, finding a sunny, grassy area on a small hill that overlooked part of the circus camp. "Well, Queen Feline," She took a bite of lamb, "how are your creatures today? Should I expect an excellent show, as always?"</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire was a bit surprised and considerably disappointed when Kate took her threat as an invitation. While she had nothing against hugging her friend and she had taken a bath, it would not do if others began to notice that she was tame and huggable, not wild and a bit of a misanthrope - preferring the company of Solomon over most humans. She followed Kate to the commons tent, where the smell of meat permeated the air and made her stomach grumble. "Mhm, I need meat if I want to keep up my reputation." Claire said in response to the comment about the Dublin show. "Raw meat doesn't taste that good even if they were willing to share." They hadn't been though. Not even Solomon. Claire put lamb and roast on her plate until those working the kitchen commented on how she should be eating other things too, to which she responded with a growl. She did take some bread and quite a bit of cheese as well though in the end. When Kate left the commons tent, Claire raised an eyebrow and wondered why they wouldn't be eating there. She wasn't so much of a savage that she didn't know how to use a chair and table, as uncomfortable and crude as those in the tent may be. She went with her anyway, and sat down with her back against a rock. It was a nice view from up here. They could see part of their home while eating, how very quaint. Claire picked up some of the lamb with her hands and began to eat it, so that when Kate asked her a question about her part of the show she could only mumble a response. She quickly swallowed and put the food down. "Queen Feline…?" She grimaced, but then grinned. "So what should I call you? Pretty princess with a bow?" Claire laughed, then bit off another piece of the lamb to chew on. "My kittens are just dandy. Some of them are a bit playful like usual, and Sheila is a bit temperamental like usual. Of course you should expect an excellent show from me, and I better see one from you as well. Do I finally get to see you miss your target and hit your man, huh? I'd like to see the shock on everyone's faces if you do." She smiled at Kate. "Especially your own." Claire returned her full attention to the food, but made sure to listen to whatever Kate had to say. It wasn't uncommon for her to talk and Claire to simply listen. She enjoyed simply being around the other girl who'd escaped with her from the orphanage all those years ago. To Claire, it was enough to sit in silence at times. Once she'd finished eating, greedily gorging down the meat and then finishing off the meal with the bread and cheese, she changed her position so she was lying down in the grass and closed her eyes. That rock had been a bit painful against her back. She knew she may fall asleep for a short nap if she didn't watch herself, but at least Kate was right there to wake her up. Unfortunately, Kate already knew that Claire didn't smell bad this time around, so she had nothing to dissuade her from doing it. She sighed, and smiled.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire "I'm afraid if I miss my target I may very well be out of a job, so let us hope that is not the case." Kate laughed and pecked at her food, going on with the conversation. "And I am a pretty princess, thank you for noticing." She grinned and then looked out over the camp. The Big Top was not set up yet, but the workers could be seen setting the support beams and assembling the large tent in preparation for the night to come. Kate set her plate to the side, but continued talking to Claire, even though responses were few and far between. She had a bad habit of rambling on about many random things that had no particular relevance, but she was glad to have a friend that was willing to listen to her endless talking and not beg her to shut up. "So I heard the horse trainers had to go out and catch the equine after someone left the stable gate open. Crazy things are happening around here, let me tell ya. People need to be more careful..." She kept talking, about anything that came to mind. It was several minutes later before she realized she had not heard from Claire in many moments. "Oi, are you still hanging in there? I know I've said a mouth full, but-" Kate saw that her friend was lying on her back with her eyes closed. The sun was beaming down, warming their skin and marking a clear and beautiful day, which was something of a pleasant surprise. Kate watched Claire for a few minutes. How at ease she was and how confident she was with herself and her big cats, it impressed Kate. She wished that she could have that same confidence, but she was happy as she were with her life. She allowed herself to reminisce about all those years ago, before either of the girls were here with the circus. They were miserable, left alone in an orphanage with little hope of being adopted. Sure, the caretakers there were kind and caring of them, but for Kate at least, she craved more even at that young age. That's how they ended up here, in one of the best and most renowned circus shows in the entire world. She smiled to herself as she thought about it, realizing she never would have had the guts to leave or to join a circus had it not been for Claire. Looking down at the camp, she began to notice people stirring again, as the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon. Kate gave Claire a shake and grinned. "Wakey, wakey. I hope you enjoyed your cat nap, but we have a show to perform in just a few short hours."</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn "Of course you are a princess. I noticed long ago, and would have tried to ransom you to a noble house if anyone had wanted you." Claire teased. Kate's rambling was soothing, too soothing, so it didn't take that long for Claire to fall asleep. She was awakened by Kate shaking her and telling her to wake up. "Who said I was asleep?" Claire stretched her arms, legs and yawned. "You should relax more, princess." She got back up on her feet, but when Kate was about to stand up as well she decided to have a bit of fun. Claire wrestled Kate to the ground, sat herself on top of her and put her hands under her shirt to tickle her stomach. To Claire, it was exactly like the innocent play fighting they'd done when they were kids. She had done it to make Kate laugh countless of times back then. Now some would think of it in a whole different way than two kids playing games. If Claire had cared or even listened at all to what others gossiped about her she'd know they talked a lot about how she was too into her cats or spending too much time with just Kate, both rumours implying the same thing. However, Claire had little to no interest in that part of life and being human. She'd already decided she would have no kids; for fear that they would suffer the same fate she had when ending up at an orphanage. What purpose did coitus serve then? "I guess we better get going." She said, but remained motionless where she sat on top of Kate. The sun hit her face and the wind messed up her blonde mane. "Well, I've got time to spare, but you should get a move on since your act is before mine." She grinned at Kate with closed eyes, until her friend would take some kind of action to get her to move off of her. The circus tent was packed with the first audience for their stay in London. The orchestra was playing some relaxing music, while everyone was preparing and getting ready behind the curtains. Elena would be the first to enter and do a brief but bombastic presentation of who they were. It was mostly a formality, because everyone knew who they were. There posters all over London by now. As the orchestra stopped playing, and a drum roll began, Elena stepped up to the curtain. She walked out from behind it, when the drum roll reached its peak, to meet the cheers and applause of the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen! Young and old!" Elena's voice boomed through the big top tent. "Welcome to the Wanderlust Circus." She did an elaborate bow, removing the top hat from her head and pulling out a bouquet of roses from inside of it. After she'd straightened her back and put her top hat back on her head, she threw the bouquet into the air above her where it exploded into a number of small yet colourful fireworks. "Have we got ever the show for you tonight, my friends!" Her voice boomed. "You have my word as the director of this circus that it will be an unforgettable experience." Elena bowed once more when they cheered and shouted in return, then she turned around to walk back through the curtain, but instead of moving she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Elena reappeared backstage. Fireworks and smoke were the tricks of children and normal magicians, however, what she had prepared for her magic act of the show towards the end was truly unforgettable.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire smiled at him when Eli grinned. At least he was not too traumatized by the horrible event that he had gone through, or maybe he was good at hiding it. She noticed how Kate reacted to his grin, so she figured it was likely the latter of the two. "I'm glad you're both alive." Claire said, with a guilty expression. "Despite what I said earlier today that it would be fun to see you hit him, it wasn't as funny as I'd imagined." "Oh, isn't it so wonderful, Kate." She exclaimed when Kate mentioned what had happened during Claire's performance. "I could understand Solomon, and Sheila and Scar. Scar has got an excellent singing voice, who knew!" Claire calmed herself down quickly when someone else approached within earshot. She didn't want others to hear her talking about how she had spoken with her animals, because then she'd be in an asylum before long. "Ah, yes, it is indeed strange." She grinned excitedly at Kate with her whole face, when she was sure no one else was looking, but hid the expression as fast as it had appeared. Elena had changed the order of the performances so that she was last. Well, next to last if you counted the part where everyone was supposed to enter the ring together, take a bow and perform some basic tricks. The show had been somewhat unforgettable already with some of the illusions and magic she had exerted upon the acts. Now it was her turn though, and she would be damned if she let her underlings upstage her. No, she had a special surprise at the end, not to mention that the act she had prepared for this show was different than anything she had planned previously. She entered the ring once more, but she had changed clothes since when she had introduced them in the beginning. Elena was wearing a rather nomadic getup, with pearls, braids and a fur coat. She had visible tattoos and jewellery made of bone. It was more fitting for her personality and her act than the black suit and top she had worn when doing the introduction. Elena began with some minor albeit extraordinary effects, like setting fire to a napkin and freezing the fire itself, planting a seed and having it grow into a bush in front of everyone, swallowing a hissing snake and then pulling it out of her arm. These all got the audience's attention like nothing else had that night or maybe in their entire lives. She felt smug and showed it with a confident posture. "For my next trick, I will have two assistants." Elena said. Two young boys that worked at the circus doing a number of different chores walked into the ring to join the magician. She put the boys into two separate boxes, that only showed their heads and their feet, which she locked. Elena picked up a saw and held it so that the audience could see it. She began to saw through one of the boxes. At first, it was like any other instance when she had performed the trick, but soon the boy in the box was screaming in pain and crying. There was blood dripping out of the box, forming a puddle on the ground. Elena kept at it until she had sawed the box in half. The boy had gone mad by then, and his friend in the other box was clearly afraid when Elena stepped up to saw his box in half. The same thing happened with the second boy, he screamed in pain, and blood stained the ground beneath the box. When Elena had finished sawing the boxes in half, the four of them began to move around in a circle before they stopped. The boys had been wearing different shoes, so it was easy to see that it was not their original boxes that had paired up together. However, Elena went through with the act of putting them together, changing their bodies into new forms that combined the two original ones. She opened up the boxes to reveal that the halves of the bodies had indeed been switched. The audience had mixed reactions to this. There were a few who threw up, thinking the illusion was way too real. There were those who were appalled. The majority of them cheered, whistled and clapped frantically though. The first boy passed out, and had to be carried away. The second one ran away screaming as if death itself was giving chase. Elena bowed. She pulled out the book that had helped her improved tonight's show from within her coat, opened it up and read the passage she had been trying to pronounce right earlier that day. Her voice turned into chanting, taking a much darker tone than usual and spouted utter gibberish to anyone listening. Unfortunately, she didn't get it quite right this time either. Instead, she sounded as if she'd been possessed by a demon while chanting and a number of shadows began to manifest themselves around Elena. She forced the book to close with pure willpower, but it was too late to contain the shadows. They dispersed into the audience and disappeared out of the big top. She got a pale expression on her face, fearing whatever she had unleashed as she had honestly no idea what they had been. Thankfully, the audience thought it was another illusion. Londoners weren't particularly bright. Elena could finish her act, pretending that everything had gone as planned. Everyone entered the ring to take a bow to the audience and finish as they always did. The show ended without any further complications.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kathryn stared blankly at her friend, she understood her unconditional love for her creatures, but she was a bit too... overjoyed with the fact that she literally heard animals talk. Not to mention she roared as if a tigress was trapped within her diaphragm and had been unleashed unto the sound waves. "Wonderful...? Perhaps." She smiled a bit and shrugged her shoulders, "But I think bizarre was the word I was looking for." She laughed a bit, unable to squander her best friends happiness, although the source of the euphoria was something quite peculiar. Elijah was also donning a small smile, trying to suppress the panic that was threatening to erupt from the inside out and consume him into madness. Although he hid it well, he was quite frightened over the whole incident. He couldn't help but think something was going on behind the scenes, some outside force affecting the show and those in it. His train of thought was interrupted though when Elena stepped out to do her act. Just as they had all the others, Kate and Eli watched their ring master during her act as she closed off their show. The first thing that Eli noticed was that Elena now carried herself with a different air about her, one that seemed more determined and mighty than usual. He found that strange, although she usually held a power of authority and confidence. Kate looked on with her two friends, looking on out to the main ring and expecting a routine that was similar to all the ones she had seen before. Elena was quite the magician, very good at illusions and tricks. But of course, they were all just that: tricks. That is, until their leader began to do extraordinary things. This act was unlike any other she had done before. Kate's jaw hung open in awe and she looked to Claire, "I've never seen her do such things. This is incredible." She and her friends continued watching. It was no surprise that Elena was able to pull off such feats, it was just quite the change from her regular performance. When it came time for the last act, two young men who worked odd jobs around the circus were called out to assist in a feat. "Oh, this must be that trick where she pretends to cut them in half and then-" Elijah's words were cut off as the first boy began to scream in pain, blood pooling around his feet. Kate gasped and put a hand over her mouth, the blood seemed so real. "Th-that must just be a balloon of fake bl-blood..." Eli stuttered as Elena moved to the second boy and did the same. As the boxes floated around, it made him dizzy in combination with the blood. When the boxes arrived in the wrong pairs, each held their breath for just a moment. Kate had to look away after the first boy fell limp and the second ran away with terror in his eyes. Her heart was thumping against her chest, but her attention was drawn back to the ring when she heard a frightening tone coming from Elena as she began to chant. Another terrifying illusion out of the way and the show was over. When the three walked out together to join hands and take a bow, the tension could be felt in not only Kate's but Elijah's body, though they each held their posture to hide it. They each tentatively bowed, did their send-off tricks, and then took their leave. Kate walked backstage, seeing that her friends were in tow. When she reached an area outside of the tent and checked to make sure there was no one within ear shot, she looked at Claire and Elijah. "What the hell was that?" Her face showed her distress and concern, maybe she was over reacting, but she felt like it was all too convenient to just be a coincidence.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire's mood was dampened a bit when Kate said she thought it was bizarre. She could understand where she was coming from, but it was great too…right? She had wanted to fully understand her kittens for as long as she could remember. She understood most of their body language, but there were moments when they would do something she did not entirely grasp the meaning of. Maybe the bizarre part was not that she had understood them, but that they had appeared to only her as if they were speaking her language and she had spoken to them in turn. Elena entered the ring eventually, and Claire remained with Kate while their boss carried out her own act. "Oh, so that is incredible, but when I talk to my cats it is bizarre." Claire huffed and muttered to herself. "Double standards." Kate was right that Elena's act was incredible though, but Claire's had been great too. She hoped so at least. It had been for her, so maybe she should not care so much what the others thought. It was rare to be satisfied with your own act, but she felt like she was this time. Claire had to watch as Elena cut the two boys in half, blood pooling on the ground and screams filling the big top. She was too taken by what was happening in front of her eyes to simply look away. Her stomach threatened to turn inside out and make her throw up as that part of Elena's act came to a conclusion, with the two boys being combined into two new forms. "Were you using fake blood as well then, Elijah?" Claire asked. Her jaw dropped as Elena began to chant and summon shadows around her. Maybe that could explain the strange occurrences taking place, but Claire thought that would be the really bizarre event here if it was all caused by the devil himself. No, that could not be. Besides, she would rather not believe in what the Christians claimed to be the truth. She had travelled the world too much for that. The shadows dispersed into the audience who still thought everything tonight were extravagant illusions. Claire wished she could think that too. She held Kate's hand tightly when they had to walk out into the ring, and join Elena, who now seemed a lot less like a lioness and a lot more like some kind of monster. She squeezed her hand a couple of times too, but let go when they each had to do their finishing tricks. Solomon joined Claire and she felt a bit more at ease after that. Claire went with Kate and Elijah to the outside of the big top, with Solomon walking quietly and obediently right next to her side. She raised an eyebrow at Kate's outburst. "What, you mean the bizarre illusions?" Claire joked, then laughed half-heartedly while looking over her shoulder, worrying that there were more of those "illusions" waiting for them in the dark. "I don't think it was anything coming from hell like you claim, Kate." She laughed again, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe it was just something in the food that we ate which made us imagine it all, right? Right!?" She had sounded more panicked repeating that word than she had intended. Claire didn't want to think about the implications of what was going on. She hoped that Elena was not truly as much of a monster as she had demonstrated tonight. One night was enough for this. She could understand wanting to attract a crowd for their stay in London, but this was pushing the limit of what was acceptable. Surely, some of the performers might consider leaving the circus and joining another one if this went on? Claire didn't want to leave, not without her cats at least. "Maybe we should all get some rest and hope it doesn't repeat itself…"</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate eyed Claire when she laughed at her concern, but realized she was probably overreacting and she sighed. Elijah shook his head and added to the conversation, "I don't know that those were illusions, ladies. Those weren't blood bags we were using in our act, and I have a terrible feeling that they weren't in that last one either." He shook his head, but held his tongue for any further comments. "Right well, let's not worry over it now. As Claire said, maybe we all just need some rest..." Kate rubbed the back of her neck and closed her eyes for a moment. They opened again and danced between each of her friends, "I'll take my leave then. Good night, don't let the ghosties bite." She gave a weary smile before headed away towards her wagon. Elijah nodded and looked to Claire and Solomon, "If I were you, I'd keep that guy close." He waved as he walked away, weaving his way through the various tents and carts that occupied the grounds. He kept his head low, looking at his shoes as he shuffled towards his own keep. From the corner of his eye, he could almost swear he saw a dark figure dancing between the tents. "No need to worry, Elijah... it's just your own shadow." He muttered to himself. He arrived at his wagon and stepped up inside, closing the door and locking it after him. Lighting the lantern that sat on a shelf near his bed, he undressed into bed garments and climbed into his cot. The nervousness consumed him, but he fell to slumber. However, his sleep was disturbed as he tossed and turned, the horrifying event that took place that evening replayed in his dreams, devouring his rest in nightmares. Kate had made it to her own room, but she had not failed to glance over her shoulder numerous times. The grounds were still quite a busy place, with some of the performers opting to celebrate the show with alcohol and social encounters. She ignored the sounds of people outside and allowed her body to relax after she crawled into her bed. She was unable to sleep, however, and she spent the next few hours tossing and turning. She could not put it past her, all that had happened was far too concerning. For some, like Claire, the experience had been an enjoyable one. But all Kate could think about was how a knife, thrown by her own hand, had pierced her best friends neck. The threat of him bleeding out right in front of her was all too real, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She tossed over in her bed and closed her eyes, begging for sleep to aide her in rest. She was finally met with darkness, and she slept through the night uninterrupted. When the sun peaked through her shutters the next morning, she did not wake. Her mind was far too exhausted to be disturbed by the sun's calling at her window. Instead, she remained where she were, tangled in her covers.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn And just like that, Claire had somehow talked both Kate and Elijah into going to bed. Well, if they wanted to turn in early that was up to them. It was boring to say the least, but she wouldn't let it get her down. Not that she cared much for Elijah, but she wondered why Kate was so dismissive of her since she talked had with her cats. She headed towards where some of the other members of the circus could be heard, chatting, laughing and drinking. Solomon followed as if he was a well-trained dog, not a three hundred kilo heavy tiger. "Gimme some of that." She said to a woman with tattoos all over, pointing at the bottle in her hand. Claire knew her name. She couldn't remember it right then though. The woman handed her the bottle with a laugh, after drinking some more of it first. Claire drank what was left to calm her nerves and become more sociable. She had socialized with the performers and crew members often after successful shows. The alcohol made her more interested in interacting with other humans. She passed the first half-hour with them by listening to them speak and joining in with the laughter. As she got more booze into her system, she began to inject her own voice into the conversation and joke with them. The evening turned into night in their company. Solomon was as welcome as Claire among them, even more so almost. At first he enjoyed being the centre of attention and having people pet him, but soon he retreated to lie down behind Claire and take a nap. Elena joined them at some point. There was an awkward mood when she did. Some of them didn't feel like joking as much, which was probably because they had told jokes at her expense. Claire couldn't help but notice that Elena behaved a lot less confidently than she had during her act or even compared to her normal self. Elena left before long, likely realizing that she wasn't entirely welcome among them. Claire remained seated, but soon began to yawn and doze off. She was prevented from falling asleep in the spot by Solomon who kept pushing at her with his nose or his paw. It was getting on her nerves, so she gave in to the tiger and got up on her feet to find a better place to sleep. Claire mumbled her drunken farewells to the few of the group who were still socializing, and then she stumbled away from them towards the cages of her big cats. She was too drunk to feel particularly frightened of the dark or what may be hiding in it. The night was beginning to turn into very early morning as well, so the grey light was slowly replacing the darkness. Claire let Solomon into his cage and was about to head off to her own wagon, but figured there was no need for that. It wasn't like the movements in the shadows she thought she had seen scared her or anything, but she would be more comfortable sleeping with her big boy. Claire reopened the door to Solomon's cage, climbed inside and double checked that she had locked it after her. Finally, she laid down next to Solomon in the hay, who put his paw over her protectively and she felt a lot more secure.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Later into the morning, Kathryn finally stirred. Her body was well rested, but her mind was still weary. Rolling over to face her window, she squinted and tried to judge the time based on the amount of light flooding her living space. "Bloody hell... it's nearly ten." She muttered to herself, but then turned over and shoved her head back into her pillow. A knock at her door caught her attention, and she groaned. "Who is it?" She held her head up, eyes targeted at her door, but there was no answer. She grumbled and sat up in her bed, yelling this time, "Oi, I said who is it?" There was still no answer, but a steady rapping at her door. Frustrated with the mute who was summoning her, she walked to her door and pulled it open part ways, keeping her body behind the wooden frame because she was not properly clothed. "Alright, listen here you-" She poked her head out the door, but there was no one there. Her head stretched further out the door while she tried to glance around and catch whomever had been calling at her doorstep. But alas, there was no one to be seen around her wagon. She closed the door and scratched her head while she yawned. "I swear, I'm gonna kill those two." she murmured to herself, speaking aloud the thought that she believed either Elijah or Claire were teasing her. A flame was lit beneath a pot and the sound of water rolling in a boil filled her room as she got dressed. She made her tea, and sipped on it, allowing the caffeine to brighten her mood and wake her up. When she was satisfied that she wasn't going to pass back out, she put on her shoes and exited her wagon. Kate looked to the left, then to the right. Claire's wagon was to the left, and Elijah's towards the right. She weighed her options, but figured Claire was held up with Solomon anyways. So, she opted for Elijah's keep. She knocked on the door, not resting her fist until he answered. His hair was wild as the animals in the cages down the row, and his eyes were bloodshot and he looked like death itself had paid a visit. "Well, that eliminates one of my suspects." Kate smirked, but Elijah's expression did not change from the flat face which he answered her knocking with. "Uh, you alright there mate?" Kate frowned, and Elijah shook his head. He scratched his scruff and rubbed his hands over his face before looking back at Kate. "I'll be fine, Katie. I just need a bit to wake up. I'll be out later." He smiled weakly and tiredly, but did not give her another chance to speak as he closed he door. From the other side of the door he sighed and looked around. The night had not been good to him, and he felt it. But, he had things to do and he knew he had to get around to it. Kate stood there for a moment and blinked, surprised at her friend's reaction. Well, no use in dwelling on it. She turned on her heel and headed towards the big cat enclosures to accuse Claire of disturbing her and then running off. She arrived at Solomon's cage and saw the tiger protectively lying next to an apparently sleeping Claire. "Alright, nice try. I know you aren't asleep, good effort though." Kate laughed lightly, "Now, how about an explanation for running off this morning, huh?" She crossed her arms and waited for Claire to answer her, though it seemed she was trying to keep appearances up by not making a movement.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire tossed and turned in her drunken state, disturbing Solomon with her movements, but thankfully he was a nocturnal creature so it wasn't like he was going to sleep much anyway during the night. He slept a fair bit either way since he loved to sleep like most of her kittens did. She dreamt surprisingly pleasant dreams when she did fall asleep. Claire talked with her big cats, learned their language permanently and went on adventures with them. There were other people featured in the dream, like Kate, Elena and a few other members of the circus, but they were in the background compared to the animals. Elena appeared as an evil witch at one point. The sound of someone shouting at her was an abrupt wake up call. "Oh my god." Claire cried, and put her arms over her head. "Why would you scream at me in the morning when I have a hangover?" She could feel her head pounding pretty badly by then. The words that Kate had spoken sounded louder than usual, so she had to assume they were shouted. It wasn't just the words Kate spoke either, everything was louder than usual, even Solomon's breathing was getting to her. Claire had no idea how long she had slept, or if she had been given a chance to sleep at all before Kate was on her case again. She had dreamt at least. She wanted to yell at her friend to go away and leave her alone. It would not be the first time they had fought, because everyone fights every now and then, no matter how great their relationship may be regularly. "Solomon, attack…" Claire muttered against his fur, and was rolled over on her stomach when the white tiger got up on all four. He moved lazily over to where Kate was standing outside the cage, put his arm through the bars and tried to hit her with his paw. The whole action was done with such indifference that it was clear he was just following the words of his trainer with no real hatred or commitment behind the supposed attack. He tried to reach Kate a couple more times before giving up, sitting down and cleaning himself with his tongue. Claire had mostly trained him with that command in case she would need him in an emergency, like a guard dog, but no one else needed to know about it so she had told no one else yet. If anything, she had planned to explain it away by saying she was going to incorporate coordinated play-fighting between her big cats in one of her future shows. Solomon was a bit too tame to attack those he knew with any real strength though. "Yeah, that will teach you to bother me in the morning." Claire mumbled to herself, while keeping her arms over her eyes to block out the blinding light. "You are lucky he is locked inside a cage. Who knows what such a wild beast would be to a human otherwise."</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire When the giant tiger stood up at the command to attack, Kate's eyes grew wide and she took a step back from the cage. "Jesus Christ," she had no idea what to expect from the big cat, considering his loyalty to Claire. Much to her relief, he took the order with as little enthusiasm as possible and returned to grooming himself within his enclosure. "What ever will I do if that over-sized house cat decides to purr me to death..." Crossing her arms again, Kate's stare bore into Claire, challenging her to look up. It was obvious that she was well into the consequences that a night of liquor will punish you with, but the way Kate saw it, it was her own fault. "You look like hell," her head shook disapprovingly and she sighed. "Serves you right for drinking the night away." It wasn't uncommon for them to bicker over the topic of alcohol. Kate knew how to drink and have fun, she wasn't a stiff by any means. However, she believed in self control. The minuscule amount of her childhood that she could remember was spent in an orphanage, one that for the most part didn't take too kindly to the children there. And from what Kate could remember, whiskey had quite a bit to do with that fact. That's why she and Claire had decided to run away. It was hard leaving the few that were kind and caring at the home, but not worth living through more of the misery to stay with them. They found solace here with the circus, and so they remained. Kate had just never picked up drinking like the others seemed to have, to her it was more amusing to watch the drunken ones stumble in a stupor than to be one of them herself. Claire was still covering her face and avoiding the inevitable, so Kate simply exhaled and closed her eyes for a moment. "Very well, I'll leave you to suffer. No use in making your misery any worse with my presence." Walking away from the cage, she headed to the commons tent in search of a meal. She hadn't eaten after the show, and her stomach was beginning to call to her for sustenance. She entered the tent and found that there were several items out for the circus workers and such. They did not cook them breakfast, rather the cooks prepared tea and coffee and left pastries and dry cereals out for pecking. Kate grabbed a cup of coffee and a scone, then found a place to sit within the tent. Elijah had finally gotten around to cleaning himself up a bit, but his face still showed his utter exhaustion. Walking to the commons area, he hoped a cup of caffeine would aid him. Kate was spotted at a table not far from the entrance, so he took his beverage over and sat with her and a few other circus workers who were all making small talk over biscuits. Kate perked up when she saw Eli sit down, though he still looked rough. "You feeling any better? You still look a bit unwell." Shrugging his shoulders as he sat down, he took a sip of his coffee and then looked at Kate with tired eyes. "I'll be fine. Rough night," he held up his cup and smiled, "This should get me going though." It was a night filled with nightmares and little sleep, but he had suffered tough nights before and he could do it again. He sipped his drink and contributed to the small talk with Kate and the others as they casually ate their breakfast.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn When Kate mentioned how Claire deserved her hangover, she wanted to tell her how fun people sometimes had to suffer consequences for being sociable and fun, but that Kate could of course not understand this. "Thank you." Claire mumbled to Kate when she left, but doubted she could hear it if she was still around. She attempted to return to sleep. Her headache mixed with the sounds of a circus that was waking up and the light of the sun made it difficult though. After remaining motionless for what felt like another hour without a minute of sleep, Claire had to accept the fact that she would not get better by lying here. Maybe if she got something to help with her hangover or moved to her own wagon it would be easier. She crawled out of the hay, passed Solomon who was enjoying the sunlight and exited his cage. She made a note to herself to never sleep outside when hangover. It wasn't the first time she had claimed she wouldn't do that. Claire locked the cage after herself. She headed in the direction of her wagon, but once she arrived she heard a woman screaming as if terrified from another wagon. She had to put her hands over her ears to prevent the headache from getting worse. She went inside her wagon to get some rest. "Screaming as if she was all alone, no consideration for the rest of us..." Claire muttered as she lay down on her bed. Unfortunately, the screaming woman had attracted more people and soon the area was crowded. Claire heard them chatting through the walls of her wagon, but she was unable to make out any words. She didn't bother trying to sleep for long after that. Claire rose again, probably looking as horrible as she was beginning to feel. She grabbed her lady's umbrella on the way out of the wagon, to have cover against the light of the sun, and stumbled towards the commons area. She hoped they could give her something to eat that may stop the beating of her forehead. Claire spotted Kate and Elijah when she arrived, waved meekly at them, and then went to ask the kitchen staff for anything they may be willing to give her for her hangover. She was given a couple of eggs and a glass of water. "Hey guys, Kate, Elijah." She placed her food next to Kate and sat down. Claire folded her umbrella together, and leaned it against their table. She was about to start eating, but instead threw her arms around Kate in a hug and pulled her towards her. "I'm sorry about earlier." She whispered, hoping that no one else would hear, but for all she knew she was screaming. Claire's hangover still made noises louder than they had any right to be. "I hope you don't tell anyone I taught him that, Kate, or I may have to teach one of them a murder command to keep the secret from getting out." She laughed weakly after that. It was only a joke. She wouldn't want anyone else to murder Kate if she betrayed her. She could do it herself in that case. "It is freaking impossible to get any sleep around here today." Claire grumbled. "Sun is shining like if we were in the southern hemisphere, not Britain and people are screaming blood murder in the morning." She turned to Kate with a faked smile. "At my wagon, not when you woke me up earlier."</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate waved at Claire in between sips of coffee, and continued chatting with Elijah and the others at the table while Claire fetched her breakfast. When she came to sit down, Kate halfway smiled at her, knowing that she still was probably feeling the effects of the previous night's binge. It shocked her a bit when Claire flung her arms around her, so she stiffened under her embrace until Claire whispered her apology to her. A sigh escaped her and Kate patted her friend on the arm with the one arm that wasn't binded by Claire's hug. "It's alright Claire, I'm sorry as well." "Amen to that," Elijah chimed in, raising his cup in approval of her comment about not getting any sleep. He was feeling better though, the caffeine seemed to have helped actually calm his nerves while also waking him up a bit, which very well may be the opposite effect of intention. Soon after Claire's mentioning of the crying woman, people around the commons tent began to grow more noisy. It seemed as if a rumor was spreading around throughout the tent, making its way from table to table. People began to get up and walk out with a brisk step, and Elijah looked around as the area was beginning to thin out rather quickly. "What in the..." Soon, the others who were sitting at their table began exchanging words about a woman, blood, screaming, and other frightening sounding phrases. They rose as well and followed the crowd out of the tent, and the three were left there with only the company of each other and the chefs. "Claire, dear, would you hurry up and eat your eggs?" Kate said as she glanced out of the entrance to the tent. "I've a feeling that there's something we are missing out on." Elijah cleared the table of his and Kate's dishes, placing them in the bin that was reserved for dirty wear. He returned to the table but did not sit down, "You watch tipsy here, I'll be right back." He exited the tent and followed the stream of people towards the wagons that housed the performers and workers. He pushed through the crowd further into the camp and saw that the collection of people were surrounding one wagon in particular. Screams could be heard, and Eli could swear that blood was covering the one window that was visible from his angle. Men were struggling to get the door to the wagon open, pushing and pulling it to no avail. Turning around, he headed back to the commons tent and found Kate and Claire again. "Something's happened. There was blood covering the window, they couldn't get the door open, I... I don't know." Kate straightened up where she sat, her eyes growing wider at the news. "What? No wonder all the jitters among the crowd... I wonder what happened." She looked at Claire, who was still finishing her hangover meal. "I suggest you finish those before you lose your appetite. We should go see what's happening out there now." She stood and waited for her less than 100% friend to join her, and then headed towards the camp.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn It was not long after that Claire had sat down and started eating that people began to run off, and murmur about some woman. Kate urged her to hurry up, and she sighed, not particularly interested in whatever new illusion was happening. Elijah ran off as well to check it out. Claire focused her attention on her meal, eating slowly as her headache was still a pain. She ate in silence, pretending like the rest of the world and the people didn't exist. It calmed her down quite a bit, but then Elijah came back to tell them more about the event, how there was blood and how they were unable to enter her wagon. "Maybe it's just her time of the month." Claire muttered, and finished her glass of water. "There's nothing wrong with my appetite, Kate. It would be better if you all stopped freaking out over whatever though." Claire stood up after Kate, grabbed her umbrella and opened it up to protect her from the light of the sun. She followed her impatient friend to the camp and back to her own wagon. The wagon everyone was interested in was one of Claire's neighbours, she hadn't noticed how close it was to hers before, but there was just one other wagon in between the two. "Oooh, spooky, they almost chose me for this prank." Claire said snarkily, her headache making her quite irritated and not in the mood for another of Elena's illusions. There wasn't even an audience or a show located among their wagons. The backstage crew had appeared with tools to get the door open. They had some of the stronger members of the circus gathered as well to assist them. As they began to pull at the door, the woman screamed and cried out. They kept pulling though, inserting a crowbar between the door and the wall of the wagon. There was a resounding crack as the door broke open, mixed with the last faint scream of the woman and the sound of blood hitting the steps up to the wagon. The sight that met them all was gruesome. The woman wore a bloody nightgown, but her body had ropes fastened to it with hooks that extended inside the wagon and likely caused her great pain whenever she had tried to move. The worst part was how she had been spiked to the door of her wagon, so that when they had managed to open it parts of her back had stuck to the door, been ripped away and finally killed her. She had a hole in her back where the parts of her that was now on the door had once been. The woman's spine and ribs were visible in the hole. Blood was trickling down the remains of her back and her legs. Claire threw up almost immediately, not even caring that there were people standing close to her. She wasn't the only one either. There were those who even fainted. As she stood looking down at her vomit on the ground, she prayed that this was indeed another illusion. Unfortunately, it didn't go away, turn into another scene or disappear when the doctor stepped forward to make a closer inspection. He didn't need to declare her dead, as it was obvious she was, but he did it anyway so everyone could hear. Claire made herself throw up a second time, appreciating the chance to clear her system of any remaining alcohol. It was the most emotionless thought she'd had in a long time. The police arrived at the scene shortly afterwards. They'd likely been called when the blood on the window was detected. They sealed off the scene, told everyone to back up and stay away while they worked. Claire was visibly shaken now. It wasn't something to mock or make light of anymore. Indeed, it had happened too close to her own wagon for her to feel anything less than frightened and worried about what may have happened if she had spent the night in her own bed.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire When they arrived at the large group forming around the wagon, Kate got on her tip toes to peek over the heads of the taller folk and get a look at the wagon. There seemed to be quite a fuss to getting the door open, and indeed blood was splattered across the window. Staying on her toes, Kate watched as the men arrived with a crowbar to pry open the door. Screaming intensified as they did so, but the pulled on with determination. What they witnessed as the door finally broke open would be burned into their memory surely, as it was far too horrendous not to be. A gasp escaped Kate and she turned away from the scene, her hand covering her mouth as she did so. Elijah quickly looked down at his shoes, his jaw clenching beneath the surface of his cheeks while he tried not to egg on a worse reaction from those around him. Claire doubled over as she heaved up the contents of her stomach. Kate tried to focus on Claire instead of the bone-chilling scene laid out before them, so she held Claire's hair with one hand and gently rubbed her back with the other while she retched. The thought that this event had occurred so close to Claire's wagon sent a chill down Kate's spine. What if Claire had actually slept in her wagon that night? Would the same fate have met her? It made Kate sick to think about, so she pushed the thoughts away and comforted Claire as best she could in the condition she was in herself. When the police showed, the scene was blocked off and bystanders were told to make themselves scarce, save for a few they questioned as witnesses. Elijah turned to Kate and Claire and then motioned for them to move. "Let's get out of here, ladies. This is certainly something that need not be witnessed any further." He put a hand on each of their shoulders and pushed them forward gently, herding them away from the bloody backdrop. Kate took Claire's hand and squeezed tightly while they walked, now not wanting either of her friends to be out of her sight. Who knew if the maniac who committed the crime was still running around the tents, waiting for his next victim. She swallowed hard and kept a firm grip on Claire. Elijah had pushed them in the opposite direction of the wagon camp, and they now stood just on the edge of the circus grounds. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face and around his neck. Thoughts were tumbling through his mind. As gruesome as it was, he could not help but come back to the image burned into his mind and wonder. The woman had been bound and staked to the door... then whomever did such a task would have to be inside the wagon during, literally barricading themselves in with the woman on the door. Then how did they escape? To fit out the window, they would have to be a person of small stature, but they were strong enough to tie the woman up? None of it made any sense, and he shook his head. "Do you girls need anything? Water, or perhaps maybe some heavy liquor?" His face was flush but he was trying to prevent them from freaking out further. Kate shook her head, her hands were shaking and she was pale. Elijah went to fetch water anyways, figuring it might come in handy regardless. Kate turned to Claire and threw her arms around her, squeezing tightly. "What if that had been you? Thank bloody God that you're so attuned to sleeping with Solomon now... That secret command you let slip may prove useful."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire had felt Kate's hands on her back and in her hair when she threw up. It would normally have made her feel a bit better, but she doubted anything could improve the situation. She had drunk too much and now witnessed the horrible murder scene of a neighbour. "I can walk myself." Claire muttered when Elijah touched and pushed her. She began to walk faster, but felt someone grasping her hand tightly. Claire thought it was Elijah again and was about to chew him out, then she noticed it was Kate holding her. She raised an eyebrow, surprised that Kate would hold her hand, but she realized she didn't mind it as much as she would have if it had been anyone else. She let Kate squeeze her hand in hers, but didn't return the gesture. "Water would be nice." Claire answered Elijah, feeling her stomach begin to turn again at the thought of drinking any more liquor. "Thank you." Kate threw her arms around Claire when Elijah had left them alone, and she couldn't help but think that she was being very handsy all of a sudden. She supposed it was natural as her friend was genuinely scared for Claire's well-being. "Oh, you don't need to worry about me." Claire said, trying to laugh it off and act like she wasn't affected by what had happened. She failed at it though, fear showing itself in her voice. "Let's sit down, I feel so tired." She waited for Kate to sit down on the grass nearby, then placed herself in her lap. This way she would hopefully calm Kate down and assure her that she was not going anywhere. At least that was what she told herself when she decided where to sit. "I'm not going anywhere, sis." Claire said, and leaned her head against Kate's shoulder, breathing against her neck. She finally felt like she could get some rest, despite having seen that shocking scene her body was not able to catch up fully to the events. "I promise." "I doubt Solomon would be much help though." She laughed weakly. "You were right with what you said earlier, He is too much of an oversized housecat. It would be better if I taught one of the others the command. Maybe Sheila, she can be quite hostile to humans when she feels like being left alone." Claire smiled. "Or maybe I should get a gun or something else to protect myself with. Still, I am not the only one at risk. Maybe they will strike again, somewhere else entirely…" Claire continued talking, but it turned into soft murmurs as she felt her mind and body relaxing for a nap. She moved a bit, to get a more comfortable sleeping position, accidentally pressing her body and chest against Kate. "Fluffy pillow." Claire murmured, some of the few words that were understandable among everything that she mumbled. She just wanted a short nap so her body would get better from the hangover and the tiredness, then they could do what seemed best to deal with all these problems happening around them. She wished things had remained in the same state they used to be in forever, but now the peace had been disturbed at its roots.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate nodded to Claire and sat down with her on a soft spot of grass nearby to where they had been standing. It was a pleasant surprise when Claire plopped down in her lap, giving Kate more of a sense of reassurance. However, a different feeling tingled down her spine when she felt Claire's breath against her neck and her head on her shoulder. Trying her hardest not to let that tingling feeling show outwardly, Kate inhaled and swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn't remember when her feelings towards Claire had taken on a different nature, but she had decided to keep it to herself. After all, this was the girl she ran away with all those years ago, and the last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize their friendship as it was. But lately, it had become harder to not express her affection a bit more. And now with the occurrence of recent events, Kate felt a pang in her heart that tugged in a different way than it had before. All she could do was hope that Claire took it as friendly affection, not anything more that would drive her away. A smile appeared on her face at Claire's agreement to her titling Solomon as a big fluffy tomcat. But then the smile faded at the mention that the killer could strike again, which only worried her even more. The police had been at the scene of the bloody murder to investigate, surely they would follow up and pursue the one responsible, right? They wouldn't let some lunatic just roam around waiting for the next kill, would they? This time, the role was reversed of who was muttering on as Claire sleepily murmured and carried on while she fell asleep. When she moved around to get comfortable, Kate felt the same feeling she had moments ago while goosebumps rose on her arms and her neck. She smiled to herself as Claire muttered her last few words before falling asleep. Kate then put an arm around her and rested her chin on the top of Claire's head. "Alright, here's the-" Elijah stopped speaking when he walked up and saw Claire and Kate muddled together in a bundle, one of the two who appeared to be napping. He raised an eyebrow, but set the canteen of water that he had retrieved down and also took a seat on the ground. It was far too early in the morning to have already been so eventful. He laid back and placed his arms behind his head, looking up at the sky as he sighed. Kate kept her chin lightly on Claire, but looked over at Eli. He turned his head towards her and gave her a warm smile, to which she returned one of her own. It was sort of relieving to sit in silence for a moment and allow their minds to be clear, not frantic about what they had just witnessed. Kate decided to follow in her friend's footsteps and she closed her eyes. Eli was not as quick to settle, and he looked up at the sky again, putting one hand on the spot where he had been stabbed last night. His mind was wandering again while his friends rested, and he tried in his mind to figure out the mysteries that had unfolded the night before and that morning.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire got a chance to sleep off the worst of the hangover and her exhaustion. Hours passed sleeping with Kate as her pillow and bed. She felt a tickling sensation traveling slowly up her stomach at some point, and coming to a halt at her bosom. It made her smile and try to move away from it in her sleep, but whatever it was had gotten underneath her shirt. "Stop it." Claire mumbled, half-asleep. However, instead of stopping it began to fiddle with her bra and squeeze her inappropriately. Claire opened her eyes, quite shocked and appalled. Who the hell would do something like that to her when she was asleep!? She found an arm slipped under her shirt, and discovered that the arm belonged to Kate, who had her eyes closed, but still kept fondling Claire. "Kate! What do you think you're doing?" Claire asked, not amused in the slightest. She shoved the woman so she would cease pretending to be asleep. She had to pull her hand away from her using force, as if it had a life of its own. "Do you think this is funny?" She snarled when Kate had opened her eyes. "How many times have you… been touching me while I was asleep?" She sounded a lot more disgusted by the action than she actually was. If anything, Claire was surprised and unsure of how to react to the situation. "I don't even know what to say to you! I guess it's a good thing I sleep with a tiger instead of alone." Claire grasped her throat when the words came out loud, hostile and revolted. That hadn't been her intention. She stood up, stepped away and turned her back on Kate. The sight that met her instead of her perverted friend was something entirely unexpected and horrifying, but at least she could come to the conclusion that this was all a dream and Kate hadn't been touching her weirdly in real life. At least the real Kate wasn't a closeted pervert, even if the Kate in this dream was. Ahead of her laid a barren, dark and volcanic land of ash. There were rivers of burning fire with black smoke filling the air above them. The tents and wagon of the circus that should have been there were gone. No, not gone completely. She did notice burned down remains of what could have once been a number of wagons. Pieces of fabric that had once belonged to tents could be seen floating on the hot winds that swept the area. Purgatory, was the first word that came to mind to describe the area in this nightmare. Why couldn't she have gotten another pleasant dream about adventures with her kittens? Claire sighed and pinched herself to try to wake back up. It didn't work though. It contributed to the creepy feeling that had inserted itself in her mind about how this was all too real. It made her wonder who the Kate in this dream was, but she didn't dare turning around to check if her friend had changed shape as well.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It had been a while since Kate had fallen asleep with Claire on top of her and Eli to her side. Surprisingly enough, it was a peaceful sleep despite the unrest she had experienced the night before. She was enjoying the rest, pleasant thoughts filled her head until Claire started squirming around. Kate grumbled in her sleep and turned her head, sighing as she slowly started to wake from the disturbance. Kate felt a jolt as Claire pushed her, waking her up fully now. She furrowed her brow when she opened her eyes and was about to yell at Claire for waking her when she discovered her arm was wrapped around Claire, up her shirt and resting on her chest. Kate's eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to say something, but all she could manage was to stutter over her words. She tried to remove her arm but found that she was unable to. The thumping in her chest grew to an audible tone as her heart beat practically out of her chest with panic. Claire pried her arm away and Kate looked from it to Claire, her eyes were frantic. "Wait! Claire, no, I didn't...!" The whole ordeal had woken Elijah, who sat up and felt something trickling down his neck. He subconsciously rubbed the area and looked down to his hand to reveal it was covered in blood. He screamed and scooted back quickly, checking for a wound on his neck but finding only blood that was flowing from some unknown source. Kate looked at Eli when he cried out and her eyes grew even wider, she scooted over to him and put a hand on his neck but couldn't find a hole either. The words left Claire's mouth with hatred and Kate turned her head towards her, the pain of the words visible on her face. Her head started to spin and she looked down at the blood now on her hands as well. She was mortified at the whole situation, it was as if her worst nightmare was playing out before her. Elijah started wheezing, but he coughed and pushed Kate away. "I'm fine," He grumbled and stood. Kate did as well and they were left gazing out at a wasteland that swallowed them from every angle. Kate looked around and thought that this must all be a figment of her imagination, so she closed her eyes and then opened them back up, hoping that she would instead be met with tents and grass and her friends napping lazily beside her. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The same scene extended for as far as she could see, and her jaw hung ajar. "No, no, no. Where the hell are we?" She questioned, fear in her voice. Elijah had stepped away from Kate, for all he knew she had been the one to cause the bleeding in his neck again, making his experience from the previous night all too real. Kate was left with the backs of her two best friends turned to her, trapped in a barren and bizarre land that seemed to only want to make her fall into insanity. "Claire, listen to me. I didn't do that!" She turned to Elijah, "Eli, what's with you?" Tears welled up in her eyes and then streamed down her face as she prayed for it all just to end, one way or another.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn "As if you don't know where we are, you're nothing more than a part of my dream." Claire snapped at Kate. "We are standing among the ruins of the circus." Claire was angered when dream Kate claimed it was not her who had been touching her at all, like she had not caught her in the act of groping her. She clearly thought Claire was a moron, and that was what angered her the most. She turned around towards Kate who had tears streaming down her face, as much as she hated to see her friend cry she had to remind herself this wasn't her real friend anyway. Claire raised her hand and held it in front of Kate. "Look at it! Look at it, Kate!" She shouted, and then slapped Kate across her face. "That wasn't me! I didn't do that, Kate, you must believe. I would never hit you. It was someone else." She bristled with rage, clenched her teeth and felt tears beginning to form in her eyes as well, but they were not of sadness. "Do you take me for a fool?" Claire snarled. "I'm probably just some tamed barbarian with no brain, right? Cause clearly no one else than me would be dumb enough to believe you over their own eyes." Claire felt her anger subside with every heavy breath that she took. Hitting and screaming at dream Kate had felt good, and it helped her calm down, as she had let out most of the anger by taking it out on someone else. "I love the real Kate." She stated simply. It wasn't news to herself or anyone. "I trust her with my life. She would never lie to my face or hide something from me." She went on; speaking words she hoped were truth for Kate about Claire in return as well. "If she wanted to touch me like that I would… probably let her." Well, it wasn't something she needed to consider in reality, but she saw no reason for her to lose her childhood friend over something so silly. Though she hoped the real Kate would have the decency to not do it when she was asleep and unaware. That had been creepy and unwelcome. "I'm not some dumb animal." Claire muttered to herself. "Animals aren't dumb either." She hated the idea that Kate would think about her like some did. Those who whispered behind her back about how she was uncivilized and had no understanding of how human interaction worked so she spent all her time with animals that were as smart as her, but just because she knew how it worked did not mean she wanted to be a large part of it. She was a member of a traveling circus for fucks sake. Claire sighed. "Any suggestions for how I get out of this nightmare into something more pleasant?" She turned to look at each of her friends' dream replicas. "Elijah? Pervert Kate?" She turned back to the area around them. One of her worst fears come alive, her home destroyed and everyone gone. At least she hadn't seen any corpses or signs of her kittens demise, so she could pretend like it was fine. It felt like the walls of her mind that had imagined this wanted to crush her psyche though.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It was unknown to Kate why her friends had suddenly turned their back on her. Were they mad? Or was she? This must be some twisted joke, a hallucination caused by some outside influence. There was no way this could be real, yet it felt as real as anything she had ever experienced. Her eyes held a glossy stare on Claire as she yelled and let out her rage towards Kate. It was when she approached her and put her hand in the air that Kate grew terrified, but before she could react, Claire's hand made contact with Kate's face and sent her reeling to the side, holding her face where a red mark was quickly appearing. A cry escaped her, more out of shock than pain. This trippy simulation was beginning to overwhelm Kate and her frustration was mounting. It was cruel, the way she was being treated by her friends, which told her it must be fake. The words that left Claire's mouth and were directed at her began to gnaw away at the bit of sanity she was keeping here. Kate stood there, frozen in shock at the slap to the face and the hurtful words that targeted her very soul. Now her sadness was turning into anger. Why was this happening? If this were a terrible dream, she would not be able to feel the pain radiating on her cheek like she did. It didn't matter anymore, her hope was fleeting and she was sure she would be trapped forever here in this hell hole of a dream, doomed to live in it for eternity. Elijah had turned when he heard Claire's hand smack across Kate's face. He considered approaching her, but only for a moment before deciding that he was better off keeping to himself. His hand was pressed against his neck, and blood continued to pour down his torso from a phantom wound that could not be found. The sight of the blood made bile gather in the back of his throat and he bent over to heave. He felt a sharp pain as he vomited, and opened his eyes to see that in a pile of puke and blood lie a double-sided blade. Eli gagged and tasted something metallic in his mouth, which he now could not distinguish between blood or actual forged element. This sent him stumbling backwards, eyes wide and arms frantically splayed at his side. He glared at Claire and rolled his eyes, standing and backing away from the two women. His hands were still tightly wrapped around his neck as he used every bit of concentration in his body to keep from having a panic attack and falling into an oblivion of madness. Kate had clenched her jaw and blinked away tears of rage, all the while listening to Claire ramble on. "I am the real Kate!" She said through locked teeth. It did take her by surprise when Claire stated that she probably would let Kate touch her in a different way than friends really should, but she did not take this statement to be true, but rather a result of an angry outburst. Kate threw a hand to her face in an annoyed gesture. She had never thought Claire to be barbaric or unintelligent. In fact when she heard other people from the circus talking behind her back, Kate had threatened to pin them up and use them as target practice if they kept it up. Elijah turned his head towards the pair at the sound of his name, but he scoffed. Kate shook her head and let it hang hopelessly in defeat. "Nightmare? This is more like worst fears come true..." She remarked. But then, her head jumped up and her brain began working. "Wait!" She started thinking about a time when she had visited a gypsy that traveled with the circus. The woman had once said "If you want to be free of your worst nightmare, you must first face your fears. Only then will you have peace of mind." Kate recited those very words and looked from Claire to Elijah, unsure of whether they were a part of her nightmare or trapped in this place with their own, but she knew now the answer to how to escape this terrifying world. "Face your fears."</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn "Sure you are, pervert. I totally believe you." Claire rolled her eyes, not particularly amused by the claim that they were somehow sharing the same nightmare. How would that even happen in the first place? "Maybe you could explain how we are in the same nightmare then." It did occur to her that it would not be too strange if that was indeed what was happening, when one considered the bigger picture and the last couple of days' events. She kind of regretted hitting Kate in that case, because now she was beginning to doubt if she was part of the nightmare or real as she claimed. Elijah wasn't much help to anyone. He was acting like a scared animal if anything. Kate did come up with a suggestion for how they could advance or escape. Claire thought it was as good an idea as any so they may as well try it to see if worked or not. However, after thinking about it some more the implications of what Kate was saying hit her. "I am not even sure which is more offensive, Kate. That you are afraid of touching me or that you are afraid of me finding out that you want to touch me." She grimaced. "Either I must be the most repulsive being around in your eyes, or the thought of being honest with me about something personal is horrifying." Claire laughed at the thought, but not because it was particularly funny. It was a bizarre fear, and she was curious about how Kate intended to face it. "What type of monster do you take me for then? Any ideas on how to face this fear of yours?" She had to wonder which fear she was supposed to confront herself though, and how. Claire was surprised at how there were no big cats around whatsoever. There always was in her dreams, but since there weren't any this time she had to confront the fear of losing the circus then? Maybe that was a shared fear among the three if they all experienced this together. No one would be calm and sensible if they lost their home, especially not by having it replaced with the fires in front of them. "If this gypsy woman was right, shouldn't Elijah already be free of this nightmare?" Claire asked and gestured towards the man struggling with all the blood coming from seemingly nowhere. "There are no animals around either, so how am I supposed to face my fears?" The words had barely left her lips before she heard a weak whimper coming from somewhere nearby. Claire closed her eyes, blaming herself for whatever horror she had now unleashed upon her mind. If she had been quiet there would have been no need to involve any animals. There was a part of her that immediately recognized the whimper as belonging to Solomon, but she kept her eyes closed. The sounds of paws against the rocks came closer, and she opened her eyes to find a scarred and beaten Solomon standing a distance away from her. There were ferocity and wildness visible in his eyes that had never been there before. In his mouth, he had a baby white tiger that was the source of the whimpering. As far as she could tell, they were both Solomon, but different ages. "I shouldn't have said anything…"</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn "Of course it doesn't make me feel better. Why would it?" She couldn't stop a second laugh from escaping her though, and mumbled to herself. "I hope that groping my breasts made you feel better at least." Despite what Claire had done to Kate when she was under the assumption that she was part of the nightmare, her friend comforted her when she was faced with her own fear. Claire felt grateful that she had someone like Kate in her life, and she had felt like that more times than she could remember. "Thanks, Kate, I appreciate it." Kate summoned blades out of thin air. She threw them at Elijah and missed him as she had intended to do. Claire wondered if it was truly that easy to defeat his fear. He was afraid of getting hit, not letting Kate throw blades at him, right? It seemed to work and make him more at ease though. Claire would have hit him and healed his wound if she had been in Kate's shoes, to show him that getting hit wasn't the end of the world. Claire had her own fear to deal with. She had to disregard her two friends and focus on the wild Solomon that was coming closer. Why were there two of them? She understood that it made sense for a number of her fears to be symbolized by Solomon, but why not just one white tiger? Solomon kept circling her, growling and whining at her. He never came up to her though. Claire had to think about which one of her fears she was actually facing here. It occurred to her that it might have something to do with what would have happened to Solomon if they had never met. His life had been made better because she had adopted him, but what if she had never been able to do that or inadvertently hurt him in some way by bringing him up? There were times when she had doubted her skills as a lion tamer, and thought about what harm she could have caused to her kittens if she had been careless. She had never wanted to hurt an animal in her life, but were they really better off living in a circus than living in the wild? She doubted they could be returned to the wild once tamed, but still, it was a disconcerting idea. Claire closed her eyes like Kate had done, and thought about her whip. She could feel it in her hand before she opened her eyes again. If she were to face her fear, she had to deliberately hurt Solomon. The thought alone made her feel to her very soul. The white tiger dropped his younger self on the ground, bared his teeth and inched closer to her. She used the whip on the ground next to and in front of him, but he didn't react at all. He grabbed Claire's clothes in his mouth and growled at her. She couldn't get herself to do it anyway. Solomon bit her leg and drew blood, but while she screamed and felt the pain she figured she could endure it. It wasn't until she heard the crunching of her bone that she closed her eyes hard and used the whip on the face of the tiger. He released his grip on her leg, and Claire opened her eyes. She saw the mark of the whip across his face, but he looked tame, like his usual self and somewhat sad about having hurt his master. He tried to lick her wound clean before he bothered acknowledging his own. She bent down and hugged him, crying against his fur. "I'm sorry." She felt him fade in her arms, and the only proof left that there had been a feral Solomon in the first place was the cub he'd left behind. Although baby Solomon wasn't whining anymore, he was running around her and playing with her clothes, as energetic as ever. She breathed a sigh of relief, and wiped the tears from her eyes. The only one who hadn't faced their fear yet of the three of them was Kate. Claire looked at her, trying to contain her smile and laughter. It actually was funny to her now though, because Elijah and herself had fears she could understand. Kate's was a bit silly in comparison. "How do you want to face your fear then, Kate? Do you want to start where you left off?" Claire giggled, but put her hand over her mouth.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah and Kate stepped back as the big cat began circling Claire, growling and appearing rather intimidating. It was unknown to Kate what fear this was, or why there were two tigers instead of just one. However, it made sense to her that it involved a version of Solomon. Claire's life revolved around those beautiful creatures, and without them she wouldn't be the same. When the big cat grew more aggressive and bit Claire's leg, Kate instinctively took a step forward. Eli grabbed her arm and shook his head, pulling her back towards him. "She needs to do this." The pair watched nervously as the whole scene played out. Something as simple as striking the tiger with a tamer's whip ended the gruesome event and Claire fell to comfort the now tamed beast, which soon disappeared. All that was left of the ordeal was the charming baby tiger, as if it were the reward and symbol of a fear overcome. Claire and Elijah were now fear-free, or at least of one of their fears. It all fell to Kate now, who looked nervously from Claire to Eli as she questioned what she was supposed to do. "Well, uh..." It occurred to her that she didn't really know exactly what she was afraid of. Was she afraid of Claire finding out about her feelings? No, not really. She had pondered the idea of telling her before. Was she afraid of herself? Of others finding out? No, and no. Kate wasn't one to entertain the opinions of others, nor was she uncomfortable in her own skin. Thinking back to the events of when she first woke up in this horror-ridden wasteland, she remembered how her arm had decided to take it upon itself to feel up Claire. Recalling that she was unable to move her arm, she thought that may have something to do with it. Why would a part of her body fall under something else's control? Kate would never imagine touching Claire while she was asleep or unknowing of it, and she was certain that she wouldn't subconsciously do it. The reaction though... the reaction that Claire had at the discovery was of pure disgust and broken trust. That was what had gotten to Kate so badly, it had shaken her to the core. Kate realized she wasn't afraid of Claire finding out her feelings, she was afraid of losing Claire over them. That was the reason she had never decided to tell her, because having her as her friend was invaluable compared to driving her away over some silly emotions. That was what scared her the most, not having Claire in her life because she didn't feel the same way. "Claire..." Kate turned to her and scratched at her neck nervously. Yet she still didn't know how she was supposed to face this fear. She supposed the only way would be to fess up and face the consequences, no matter what they were. "First of all, I swear that I had no control over what happened earlier. But, if I'm being honest..." her feet shifted nervously under her, afraid that all Claire will be able to do is giggle at her. "There is something I've been needing to tell you. I don't remember when I started thinking of you differently, but, I uh... I need you to know that I think of you as more than a friend." She winced at the sound of her words, knowing how silly it must sound. "I fancy you, Claire. There, I said it." But she didn't feel any different, the words that she spoke were true and yet she still felt afraid. Nervously, she swallowed and looked at Claire. "Oh, for God's sake. Screw it." Kate stepped towards Claire and pressed her lips against hers in a gentle kiss, closing her eyes and praying that when she opened them, it would all be over with. Elijah stood off to the side, trying to contain the smile and chuckle that was threatening to burst out.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire had to steel herself when Kate spoke her name. She could predict what was coming, and while she thought it was a bit funny she didn't want to laugh Kate in the face when she confessed what it may be. That would be unspeakably cruel to do to anyone who made such a secret known. Kate was her friend no matter what, and she didn't want to lose her by pushing her away. She closed her eyes when Kate told her that she had not touched her willingly, so that her friend couldn't see her rolling them behind her eyelids. Claire doubted her hands had magically moved by themselves. Claire opened her eyes to listen to Kate's confession. She raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly when Kate said she fancied her. What was that supposed to mean? Claire fancied Kate as well. Same thing with how Kate said she thought of her as more than a friend. Yeah, well, duh. Claire thought of Kate as more than any regular friend too. It didn't seem to work either. There was no tangible result from Kate's confession. She opened her mouth to tell Kate to try harder if she ever wanted them to escape this nightmare. Maybe she should try groping her while doing her confession. That brought a smile to her face, but she stopped herself from laughing. However, Claire got no chance to say anything before Kate made an exclamation of frustration, walked over to her and kissed her. Oh, so that was what she had meant when she said she fancied her, was the only thought running through Claire's head. She kept her eyes open and looked at Kate. It reminded Claire of a fear of her own that she had had as a teenager. That no one would be able to love her, and that she would forever remain untouched. She hadn't been a teenager for years now, but um, this was her first kiss of a romantic nature. She had gotten kissed by her tigers, but they used a lot of tongue all over her face. Kate didn't. Claire closed her eyes and pursed her lips, not having a clue what she was doing, but following Kate's lead. The nightmare faded around them. She could feel herself slipping in and out of consciousness, awaking once more to a reality that had gone as insane as any nightmare. She woke up on top of Kate though, feeling her breathing underneath her. Claire wondered if Kate and Elijah had experienced what she had experienced. Had it really been them in the nightmare? If so, did Kate fancy Claire in that way? She wanted to roll off of her before it got weirder, but if Kate had truly been there she might take it for dismissal of her feelings. Claire didn't know how she was supposed to react to such a confession. She took a deep breath, then laid her head back down on Kate's shoulder and pretended like nothing. As Claire heard the beating of Kate's heart, she had a passing thought that sleeping in her arms would be as natural as sleeping next to Solomon.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire blushed fiercely after she had heard the conversation between Elijah and Kate. She pressed her face against Kate's shoulder as if to escape and hide from the consequences of the nightmare. It took her a while to realize she was pressing herself against the person who made her want to sink into the earth to begin with. She didn't actually want to hide from Kate, but how was she supposed to react to the two of them talking about how they had kissed in some strange shared dream. Elijah probably knew Claire had returned the kiss as well, since he'd been there watching. They probably thought it was funny. Claire had found it funnier when Kate had been so bothered about groping her in her sleep and lied about how she hadn't done it intentionally. The thought made her very aware of how their two bodies were touching one another. Claire lay on top of Kate, gravity pressing her body down on the other woman's body. Their bosoms were pressed together, and their legs were intertwined. It wasn't the first time she'd slept with Kate, but now it took on a whole other meaning. She'd never slept with Kate like a man would sleep with a woman. Women weren't supposed to be doing such things with each other, were they? She wondered when Kate had first realized she wanted to touch and kiss her. Had it been when they were younger? They had had more than a few sleepovers in each other's wagons, laughing and having fun. Claire had compared her body to Kate's, because she thought it was more attractive and she seemed to be attracting more attention from boys. She blushed when she remembered asking Kate if she thought she was attractive, as she had been wearing nothing else than her nightgown. Maybe the rumours about the two of them being involved like that had never been Claire's fault as she had assumed. People always talked more about her than Kate as far as she could tell, so it had been logical to assume they thought Claire was a pervert. They said she slept with her big cats after all, but maybe they had known something about Kate she had not. A stranger thought made her feel warm inside, because someone wanted to touch and kiss her. No one had confessed to wanting to do that before. She was scared of what would happen if anyone else found out about it. She shouldn't be having such thoughts about female friends, but now she knew Kate was and had been thinking about her like that. Claire kept her eyes shut though, as all these thoughts rushed through her head, so she figured she could continue pretending to be asleep. She soon begun to fake her snoring, as if to make the other two believe she was fast asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah shrugged his shoulders and looked down at the ground, piddling with a few blades of grass as he pondered. What in the world would cause them all to share the same nightmare? It was a mystery to him, but he was beginning to look at the bigger picture, the strange events that had been occurring around the circus. First had been the horrific incident with his and Kate's act. That had never happened before, sure she had nicked him before but nothing ever came close to his carotid like that had. It was almost as if the knife had strayed from its path, an invisible breath of air that sent it a few centimeters off course, right into his throat. The following acts all experienced similar irregularities, though none were quite as violent. Still... there was something off about each of them. Not to mention the ring master, Elena's final act. It almost looked of witchcraft. The thought made Elijah question the possibility that their boss had something to do with what was occurring. "Something strange is going on here..." He looked at Kate with his brow in a knot. "Do you think it has anything to do with that weird chanting Elena did last night?" Kate shook her head and pressed her lips together in thought, "I don't know. She's done chanting before, it's all part of the act. But that was some strange stuff she was managing to conjure up." Kate felt Claire sink into her and she looked down at her. She looked troubled while she slept. Surely she wasn't still trapped in a nightmare, was she? Or perhaps flung into another? No, otherwise the incident with the tiger would not have been resolved so convincingly. Kate wondered what was bothering her friend, but she decided to let her sleep. After all, she was probably still feeling the effects of her hang over. Her mind wandered to the murder that they had the unfortunate privilege of witnessing earlier. The oddity of it made her wonder, how was such a feat pulled off without leaving a trace? Granted, the police had had little time to investigate much further. Still, she thought that such a bloody ordeal would've definitely resulted in a equally bloody trail to follow. "What of the woman this morning? Do you believe that to be of the same nature?" Kate questioned. He looked down in thought for a moment and then nodded slowly. "If I had to take a guess... yes. I don't see another explanation for it. And that nightmare that we were all thrown into? Together, no less? It all has to be related, so many freaky events could hardly be coincidental." "Well if that's the case, we need to get to the bottom of what's happening. At least to save our own skins. I don't know about you, but I'm not fond of the idea of being thrown into a demented nightmare every time I close my eyes." Elijah shook his head with widened eyes, "Oh, hell no." Kate laughed lightly, trying not to disturb Claire who soon started snoring. Something sounded off though... Claire wasn't usually a snorer. At least not like that, to Kate's knowledge. She narrowed her eyes at the woman in her lap and patted her. "Claire... I know you aren't sleeping anymore. Wake up, would ya?" She gently shook her friend, "We've got some stuff to talk about."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire listened to them speak, and thankfully they changed the subject away from what had happened in the dream. Maybe Elijah hadn't noticed how Claire had returned the kiss after all, or they just didn't want to talk about it when she was right there. Maybe they'd prefer talking about it behind her back like everyone else. The topic they talked about concerned Claire as well. If there were truly something sinister and evil going on at the circus, then it concerned all of them. She had to wonder if Elena had ever meant to take it this far. She didn't particularly like her boss, but she had thought of her as competent and well-meaning up until now. After what had happened, she had to question that though if it turned out that Elena was involved in more ways than one. Claire was surprised by Kate's apparent selfishness. Personally, she wanted most of her circus family to survive as well, not just save her own skin and get away with it. If that was all Kate wanted to do she may as well leave and find another circus, no? She doubted this curse, or whatever it was, had struck them all. She pushed her head against Kate's shoulder when the woman shook her and told her that she knew she wasn't asleep anymore. She couldn't know that for certain, so Claire tried to convince that she was in fact still asleep. Claire kept snoring, even going so far as to make the noises louder. "I am asleep." She muttered, but of course that gave the fact that she wasn't sleeping away. "Oh, bother…" Claire opened her eyes, rolled off of Kate and raised her knees to her head in a sitting position. She wanted to hide, not talk about whatever had happened between them, assuming that was what Kate wanted to talk about. She blushed and looked down at the ground, keeping her head pressed against her knees. "What stuff?" She asked after sitting quiet and motionless for a moment. "I thought we had talked enough for today. There's no need to talk about anything." Claire coughed and stood up. "I can't talk at all. My voice is hoarse and you wouldn't understand what I'm saying. Also, I need to go check on my chores and big cats now." She nodded determinedly and spun around to walk away. "Yup, no need to talk about anything's that happened. It's all a bunch of elaborate illusions." She doubted Kate would take her seriously though. If anything, she might take it as dismissive and rude. As she walked away slowly she felt her cheeks turning hot and she had to stare down at the ground so no one else would notice it. She didn't want Kate to get the wrong idea, but she had to figure out what that was to begin with.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate rolled her eyes when Claire tried to convince them further about her sleeping state. Elijah chuckled and shook his head as he watched Claire roll off of Kate and give up on the antics. He tossed a canteen of water towards Claire, since she had been the one to request it earlier when he had left. Kate sat up after Claire had moved off of her, brushing the grass off of her back and arms. There was a crick in her neck, a result of what she presumed to be sleeping so awkwardly for those hours. Her hand rubbed the base of her neck and she raised an eyebrow at Claire, who seemed to be sitting uncomfortably a few feet away. She wondered if something was bothering her, perhaps what had gone down in the crazy dreamland. Kate didn't have to ponder on it long though, because Claire's sudden ramblings confirmed that something was up. All she could do was hope that her actions hadn't caused some sort of rift between them. That was exactly why she hadn't acted on her emotions beforehand, but she really didn't have a choice in the nightmare if they all wanted to get out of it without going mad first. "Well, we need to-" Kate opened her mouth to respond to Claire but was cut off when the woman decided to talk at an increasingly fast pace. Elijah looked over at her and they exchanged looks of concern and confusion before standing up after Claire. It seemed as though she was just searching for excuses to escape the conversation and get away from the pair, or more particularly, from Kate. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Kate said as Claire turned around to leave. Regardless of if she was uncomfortable around her, they were all probably better off sticking together considering recent events. Kate quickly closed the distance Claire had made from them and reached her hand out, grabbing Claire's arm to stop her from leaving. "Claire, wait. It isn't wise to just run off by yourself." She realized that she was still holding on to Claire's wrist, and she quickly released her grip, fearing it may just make her want to get away even more. Kate took in a deep breath and sighed. "Look, what happened in the 'illusion' as you call it... I understand if you don't want to talk about it." She shifted uncomfortably on her feet and looked at the ground. "We don't have to talk about that right now. You can pretend like it was all some mind trick, but look at everything that's been happening. Something sinister is going on around here and we need to stick together." Kate looked to Eli for some support, before Claire tried to run off by herself. He nodded his head, "Kate is right. If you want to check on the animals, that is fine. But we should go with you."</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire stiffened when Kate grabbed her arm. She would have thought Kate would be smart enough to not touch her when she was behaving like this, but maybe the pervert just wanted a chance to grope her again. She did remove her hand again, and Claire felt disgusted with herself for thinking such a thought about her best friend. She had said she would be fine with it if Kate wanted to touch her when they were in the dream. Funny how reality was able to mess with her mind and confuse her feelings even more than a nightmare. Claire listened to what Kate and Elijah had to say, with her head turned, not looking directly at them. She didn't know if what Kate suggested she do what was she wanted to do. How could she not understand that she might need time to process everything that had happened? Maybe Claire needed to tell her to back off and give her a chance to think, because at least then she would be left alone long enough to consider the odd prospect of them being more than friends. "I never said that's what I wanted, Kate. Maybe you need to stop talking long enough for the rest of us to think!" She muttered. "That's what I want to do, so leave me alone to do so." She wanted to walk off and leave them standing there, but then they had some good points. Someone had just been murdered brutally, and that wasn't the only unexplainable event that had taken place lately. Claire could claim they were illusions all she wanted, but it clearly would not stop them from hurting her or possibly ending her life. "Fine then. I suppose sticking together is best for now if you're afraid of being alone." Claire finally said and sighed. They needed her with them more than she needed them with her when she had her big cats. "I wouldn't be alone either way though. I've got my family of kittens to protect me. Maybe they'd protect you too if you behave." Claire straightened her clothes, and then she headed towards the part of the circus where the animals where kept. There should be nothing to fear. She wanted to think it so badly that she would likely think it until death was staring her in the face. She could try to escape with her cats, but this was her home. "What do you suggest we do then?" She asked, going back to the conversation they had had about how they should get to the bottom of things.</s>
<\|description\|>Claire Dunn Age: 24 Appearance: Profession: Lion tamer Bio: Claire was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age, but ended up running away with a friend of hers when she was 8, because she hated living there. The two joined the circus who'd arrived in town and was allowed to travel with the circus as long as they made themselves useful. Claire was amazed by all the animals at the circus, but especially the lions and the tigers. She became the apprentice of the current lion tamer and learned everything from him. In time, he left the circus to settle down and start a family, by then Claire had to take over as the circus' lion tamer. She's got some horrifying scars on her arms and legs, but that was from when she was careless and inexperienced. She smells like one of the big cats herself most of the time, and she's recognized as one of them by now. Name: Elena Dragomirov Age: 47 Appearance: Profession: Circus director/Magician Bio: Elena is russian and took over the circus about ten years ago. She used to be the circus magician before that. There's not a lot more known about her. There's rumours that her magic is more than just tricks and illusions. Name: Solomon Age: 6 Appearance:</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate sighed and stepped away from Claire, shaking her head to herself. As much as Kate didn't want Claire to go off alone and be a potential target to whatever forces were at work here, she couldn't ignore the cold tone and distaste that Claire was directing at her. It was clear she didn't want to be anywhere near her at the moment, but they were under some unfortunate circumstances. Claire was right though, she probably would be perfectly safe surrounded by her big cats. If not for their fierceness, the sight of them alone would be enough to stave off any potential attacker who was not familiar with them. Kate supposed that if she wanted to be left alone then she would give her space once they made it to the animal keeps. "Fine. If you want to be left alone with the cats then so be it." Kate mumbled before walking in the direction of the cages. She cared about Claire's well being, but she wasn't going to stick around if she was going to be treated coldly by her most valued friend. Kate supposed that once Claire was safely with her creatures, Kate would leave her alone as she wished. The effects of the dream seemed to have no negative effect on any of the trio's awakened life except Kate's. Elijah and Claire had been freed from a fear, while Kate's was slowly developing before her eyes. It scared her, but she decided to not worry until Claire had had time to process what exactly Kate had admitted to her in the dreamland. Kate didn't feel like talking anymore after Claire's comment, so she left the answering of her question to Eli. He followed behind the girls and shrugged his shoulders. "Well first we need to figure out what we're dealing with. And I think in order to do that we need to figure out what kind of mumbo-jumbo Elena was rattling off in the big top. But I doubt she'll be willing to just tell us, so you two better grab your spy gear." He chuckled, trying to lighten the damp mood that was surrounding the group, but to no avail. They walked the rest of the way in silence, arriving at the cages a few minutes later. There was a peculiar feel to the area, but Kate attributed it to her general nervousness. Kate stopped when they got nearer to Solomon's keep and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well here we are, if this is where you feel the safest then Eli and I will leave you to it. Besides, it would serve us well to go gather some of our blades to keep on hand anyways." Kate didn't bother making eye contact with Claire again after the looks of resentment that she had already thrown her way, so she turned to walk towards their training area where the weapons were kept. "We'll be back later, holler if you need."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Yes, I do want to be left alone to think. Thank you for finally listening to what I'm saying, Kate. That's so very considerate of you to do after forcing me to snap at you. She tightened her fists as she thought about screaming those words at Kate. Ugh, she was being even more insufferable than she usually was when Claire turned her down. "That's nice." Claire said. It was all she could manage without screaming at Kate that maybe finding out someone you'd known since you were children suddenly wanted to fuck you wasn't something a normal person would react any better to than she had. She was so glad when Elijah interrupted the silence and actually answered her question. "I don't know. I think she may be willing to talk if she's still around." Claire said. "Elena never seemed like an evil person to me, even if she may be hard to deal with at times. Competition is fierce even when you're the biggest and best like we are." Claire shrugged. They could always try to talk with Elena afterwards too, as long as they didn't get caught trying to find out what the woman had been doing. They were more than her as well. Claire didn't want to start a witch hunt, but they could probably rile up enough people from the circus that wanted answers as well. Elena would be pressed to answer them somehow then. They reached the cages, and Claire sighed in relief to find the area undisturbed. She'd not been all that afraid that something may have happened to her kittens, but at least there were no nasty surprises waiting for her either. "Of course this is where I feel safest." Claire smiled with her whole being. It was her home among home, her sanctuary where she could feel protected and be left alone when others wanted to bother her. It was where her family lived, even though she had never had a large family she had one when she had her cats. "Cheer up, Kate." She sighed, but apparently it had to be this way because Kate couldn't give her even one hour to gather her thoughts. It wasn't like she could do anything about the confusion she felt. If Kate wanted to distance herself from Claire because of it, it would be a shame, but it would not be her fault in the end. She hoped this would just be another one of their fights years from now, assuming they had survived the events at the circus by then. Claire entered the cage of Solomon, after making sure the rest of her big cats were well fed and alright. She sat herself with her back against his stomach where he was lying. She spent a long while trying to gather her thoughts, but she felt mostly annoyed by the way Kate had acted. Finally, she managed to gather her thoughts about the two of them together as more than friends by talking to Solomon. She kept her voice low and whispering.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah and Kate walked mostly in silence as they weaved their way between wagons and tents towards the weapons range. Kate's mind was heavy as she trudged along, her eyes aimed at her feet while she silently cursed and had arguments with herself. Why was is that she was the one being punished here? She hadn't done anything wrong, other than profess her suppressed feelings for her best friend. Ugh, if she had just suppressed them further maybe they would have disappeared altogether and they wouldn't be in this mess right now. Of course it was her fault, she couldn't just be 'normal' like all the other people in the world. No, that would be too easy. Instead she had to have the most difficult rendering of reality possible for her. Then again, she didn't deserve the disappointing look that Claire threw at her either. After all, if she hadn't done what she had they would probably still be trapped in that crazy nightmare, forever doomed. She continued to mumble to herself and throw her hands around like a mad person while she walked. Eli raised an eyebrow at her but let her be while they walked, nodding to passing coworkers while they walked through a commons area and shrugging when they pointed at Kate with a confused expression. They arrived at the place where they kept their weapons and practiced their acts all too often. But something was off. There was some type of gelatinous goop covering the chests that the weapons were kept in, and the wooden targets standing several yards away appeared to be bloodstained. Kate approached cautiously, blinking several times and rubbing her eyes before turning to Elijah. "You... see this too, right?" She asked. "Unfortunately, yes..." He approached the chest and opened it up. The contents were liquefied, the slimy substance coating the entire thing and filing it nearly to the brim. Eli grimaced, but kicked the chest over to empty it out. It nearly appeared as if the weapons had been dissolved by whatever the stuff was. It spilled out in a giant plop, coating the ground. "We should get out of here before whatever did this comes back... I've got more blades at my wagon, we can stop by there before heading back to Claire." Kate said as she had to keep herself from gagging at the sight of the gelatin goo that spread from the crate. Elijah nodded and wiped his hands with a kerchief from his pocket, tossing it to the ground after his hands were cleaned. They made it to her wagon and both entered, cautiously at first after what had been witnessed earlier near the wagons. Once Kate saw it was safe, she closed the door behind them and opened her closet. She retrieved her own throwing blades and holster before handing a larger knife to Eli, which he placed at his side. "You know, Katie, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Eli said after a few moments of silence. To which, she raised her eyebrow in speculation. "With Claire, I mean. Give her some time, you just dropped something big on her. 'Bout damn time you did too." "Wait, you knew?" Her mouth fell slightly agape. Eli chuckled and nodded, "Well, it wasn't that hard to figure it out. Not after the multitude of times you ignored my attempts at flirting that is." He smiled softly, "I wondered why you blew me off, but then I started to pay attention to the way you looked at her, every time she was around." Kate's face turned red and she let her jaw drop. It had never occurred to her that Eli had tried to make advances on her, though now that he mentioned it... she swallowed the lump in her throat and had to sit down. "Why didn't you tell me?" He shrugged, "What was there to tell? I love you Katie, but I've moved past those feelings for you. You love her, you just need to let her realize that." Kate was still a bit embarrassed, but she was able to gather her thoughts and talk to Elijah about it. Strange as it may be, it made her feel better about the situation. She realized she needed to back off and give herself and Claire a break. They finished their chat after a while and decided it was time to head back to the big cat enclosures to make sure nothing strange happened there like back at the practice range.</s>	<\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire feared what would happen if things didn't work out between them, even if Kate got what she seemed to want there were no guarantees. They had worked great as friends for years, so perhaps they would work just as great as a couple. What if they didn't though? What if everything continued to fall apart after they solved this situation? Maybe they had been inevitably pushed down a slippery slope towards an end neither wanted by all of these events, but then she should try to hold onto her friend through the fall, right? Another aspect to consider was how thoroughly inexperienced she was with any of this. Her first kiss had been in a strange shared nightmare, like half an hour earlier, so by any count it probably hadn't even happened yet. How could it have if it was a dream? She wondered if Kate was more experienced than her, or if it would dissuade her from pursuing any relationship with Claire. Weirdly, that made her feel a bit sad and angry at the same time. She'd been led to believe men wanted to marry inexperienced women, so why would Kate think she had any right to judge her based on that? She calmed herself down by telling herself all of those concerns were in her head. She couldn't possibly know what Kate wanted in a partner. She thought she could have once, but clearly she must have been so wrong. Claire had teased her for being into Elijah, assuming they did things together when she was not around that would make others blush. Now she had to wonder if all they ever did of that nature was talk about what Kate wanted to do with Claire. Were they like two guys in that way? That made her blush. Claire went to retrieve her whip after she had remained motionless in thought inside of Solomon's cage for what felt like too long. She needed to distract herself from thinking, not think more; especially not along the lines she had been doing it. She found snakes where she would have usually stored her whips. It confused her at first, but she picked them up and threw them in a nearby barrel. Only one of her whips were still around, apparently someone had thought they were being funny when they exchanged the rest with snakes. She returned to Solomon's cage, where she found her friends waiting. Claire didn't know what she was supposed to do to show she was at least accepting of Kate as she was, no matter what that meant. In the end, she went up to her side and took her hand in her own, squeezing it lightly. "So what do we do now? Go slay the evil witch?" Claire made a bad attempt at a laugh, which sounded more false and nervous than anything else. "I don't think Elena is any worse than any other boss normally, so maybe we should hear her out before we do anything drastic?"</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire had only meant to take a quick nap where no one would find her, but as she woke up she realized it was early morning. The sky was turning light grey outside of the cage, and through the bars she could see the movements of shadows and silhouettes. The workers of the circus must be up early to prepare for the first show tonight. They'd arrived outside of London yesterday afternoon, and there had been a lot of work for everyone, like it always was when they arrived in a large city. She ran her hand through her mess of a hair, picking a few straws of hay out of it. It was easy to sleep in Solomon's cage, since he enjoyed the company and got more hay to sleep on than her other cats. He was rather rare as a white tiger, so he was treated as a king by most. "Oh bother, why did I wake up this early…" Claire mumbled to herself, rolled over on her side to try and find a more comfortable position to sleep in. She came face to face with the white tiger in the cage. He observed her for a moment, then opened his mouth and yawned. Claire pushed his mouth away from her when she felt the stench of his morning breath. "What did you eat kid, you stink." Claire laughed, and petted his back. He leaned into her and purred loudly. The circus had bought Solomon when he was just a small cub. He'd likely been taken from his family in the wild by hunters or poachers. He'd been scared at first, often crying out in the middle of the night for someone who would never be there for him again. Claire had recognized herself in him, and as she was the lion tamer she'd let him stay with her in her wagon. In time, he got too big to live with her though, so he moved to his own cage. He didn't like it much at first. He became anxious when Claire wasn't around. She was the only one who he thought of as family, so she'd visited him as much as possible until he got used to life with the circus. Claire loved all of her big cats. The lions, the tigers and the panther, but Solomon was special because he was her little kid whom she'd raised. He was as large as any of the others now, but she still thought of him like that. She considered getting out of the cage before someone did find her, but the thought soon passed when she fell asleep again. Elena Dragomirov was the proud manager of the Wanderlust Circus. One of the biggest traveling circuses anyone had heard of. She usually woke up early to prepare for the night's performance, but today she'd barely been able to sleep. Once she noticed that night was turning into day she put the book that had disturbed her sleep down on the desk in front of her, and sighed. It was time to make sure everyone else was doing what they were supposed to be doing, whether they wanted too or not. Some were late sleepers and some were just plain lazy, but she couldn't have that on a first day performance in a city like London. That simply would not do, not for her circus. She had a reputation to uphold, so she got dressed in something warm, made and ate breakfast alone, then stepped outside to deal with whatever problems had already reared their ugly heads. "Dobroe utro." She shouted loudly to no one in particular. It was a kind of alarm, and something she said every morning. Anyone who dared to sleep past the initial warning that their boss was awake might come to regret it.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire The rising sun peeked through the shutters of the wooden wagon, falling upon the face of the brunette who lie tangled in the sheets from the previous night's sleep. Her eyes opened slowly and she squinted against the bright rays that invaded her living space, placing a hand up to block the blinding light from her face. She slowly sat up and stretched, yawning as she did so. Kathryn sleepily stood and stretched again, grumbling and rubbing her eyes. She lazily lit a flame of a lantern and placed a pot of water over it, placing tea leaves in to steep. As she waited for the warm liquid to boil, she walked to her closet and retrieved her clothes for the day, placing on a red top with worn brown trousers and black boots to finish it off. She poured herself a cup of tea and slowly sipped on the bitter liquid as she looked out her window. As she finished off her first cup, she heard the call from the boss, signaling that it was time to begin the day. Kathryn walked over and opened up a chest that sat in her floor, pulling from it a holster and a set of shining knives. She placed the holster over her head and fingered the sharp blades before placing them along her side. The blades were decorated with intricate Celtic knotting and shone like brand new silver from the blacksmith. As she walked outside, she took in a deep breath of cool English air and smiled to herself. She walked past the wagons that housed the traveling circus members to one very familiar to her. Stepping inside, she grinned. "Good morn---" Her face turned to a blank as she discovered her companion was not in her room. Well, she isn't one to rise early... Kathryn raised an eyebrow and closed the door to the wagon, walking past her next stop and banging on the door. "Elijah, I hope you're decent." She poked her head in and saw the young man sitting inside sipping on a cup of tea also. "Calm down, Katie. I'm up." She grinned and gave him a wave, "Alright, I'll see you at the practice ring then in twenty minutes. Don't be late." He laughed lightly and waved her off, sipping again on his tea and gathering his things for the day. Kathryn walked over towards the big cat enclosures, taking care not to make too much noise as she moved through. She made her way to Solomon's cage and peered inside. There she found Claire, cuddled up with the giant tiger in slumber. "Claire... Claire...!" She whispered. She noticed the big cat eyeing her, and from her pocket she pulled out a piece of jerky and slipped it to him. "Easy now, boy." After her friend had stirred, she gathered an apple from her satchel at her side, and held it up at her. "Good morning sunshine, time to get to work." She grinned wide and tossed the apple at her, placing a hand on her hip after she threw it.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire woke up too soon again when she thought she heard someone calling her name. She could feel Solomon moving next to her, and sat up to check what he was doing. Claire was greeted with a good morning by her best human friend. She caught the apple that Kate had thrown to her. She must have given Solomon something to eat as well, because he was chewing on it. "Oi, don't you know not to feed the wild animals?" Claire asked then bit into the apple. "What if it develops a craving?" She stood up; a bit unsteady on her feet and stiff after sleeping where she'd slept. "It could try to break out of its cage just to find more." She undid the lock on the cage from within, and stepped outside next to Kate. "What would you do then?" Claire took another bite of the apple and grinned with her mouth full. Solomon stretched in his cage, noticing that the door was open and lay back down to sleep. "Oh, and there's Solomon too." "Thank you for waking me." She said with a sly smile, and to show how much she appreciated being awakened early in the morning she pulled Kate into a tight hug. Claire rubbed her cheek against Kate much like a cat would. She mostly did it to tease her friend, because she knew she smelled even more like a tiger than usual, both the smell and the hay she had on herself would be on Kate too now. "It's such a nice gesture." Claire locked Solomon's cage back up after she'd hugged Kate. She felt a pain run through her right shoulder, an old scar that still made itself known every now and then. She gritted her teeth, and didn't move for a moment. "Well, I better go clean myself up, not that it usually helps for long. If at all." Some would say she'd adopted too many of the characteristics of her cats. Elena in particular didn't like her tendency to sleep as much as they did if she wasn't given any tasks to do. However, she also had the constant smell of tiger or lion in her clothes. At least she hadn't given up being human completely yet, which was what mattered in her opinion. If she felt like it she could probably have escaped with her kittens and lived happily in a jungle. That was a silly dream, and she'd miss some things with human society, like Kate and the food. "What are you gonna do now?" She grinned. "Train with your manly assistant, I bet." Claire stretched her arms above her head. "Thankfully, I'm so experienced and respected with my feline assistants that I barely need practice." That was just bragging, because they'd always find some way to mess with her carefully planned routine unless she kept them in line with regular practices. Elena had been furious with her once after she'd been too laid back, and it's resulted in a disorganized performance. Once Elena had made sure everyone was either up or had been notified that if they weren't up in the next half hour they'd need to find a new job, she returned to her own wagon. She needed practice herself. She wanted to make sure that the show tonight would be unforgettable to everyone attending. She would check on the performers later the same day, but they should already know the schedule and order, so there wasn't much she needed to do for now. Elena soon found herself distracted by her book.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kathryn watched as Claire stood up, almost as if she were drunk, and mosey on over and out of the cage. "I guess it's a good thing I have more food to bribe that animal with then." She grinned back and pulled another apple from her bag, but instead she took a bite out of it this time. When she saw Claire coming in for a hug, she tried to escape because she knew what would follow next. But by the time she tried to make a move, it was too late, and she was trapped in Claire's embrace as she rubbed her feline odor and mess all over her. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her lips turned to a small smile and she shook her head. She began to pick the straw off of and dust herself off as Claire closed up the big cat's cage, but she noticed her friend pausing for a brief moment. She frowned for a second, knowing that Claire must be having another pain from memories long passed. However, she regained herself and Kate restored the smile back to her expression. "Just try to stay clean longer than five minutes this time, yeah?" Kate grinned and shook her head, knowing that almost as soon as she stepped foot outside again, she would find someway to return to the feline-like character that defined her. "Well, I'm sure my manly assistant would love it if I did not impale him in the chest with a blade, so yes we are off to train." She laughed a bit and twirled a knife between her fingers with ease before returning it to its sheathe. Then, Kate bowed, placing a hand behind her back, "Oh, yes, your highness. You are far too incredible to require regular practice." She didn't hold the pose for long because laughter escaped her. "However, I do believe you may want to give it a try, if for nothing more than to keep Elena off your back." Kathryn then waved goodbye to her friend, "I will see you later then. Best make yourself look useful today, you know how the boss gets when we have a big show coming up." This time she tossed a piece of jerky to her friend and made her way to the practice range. There, Elijah was already setting up the targets and laying out the arrangement of weapons to choose from for the night's performance. "Eli, look at you go. You impress me sometimes." Kate grinned at him and laid her blades on the table as well. It was no question that they would be part of the act, as they were her most prized possession and she felt as if they were an extension of herself whenever she threw them. Elijah shook his head and smiled, "You have so little faith in me Katie." He picked up a bow and placed an arrow on the string, taking in a deep breath before letting the arrow fly to its target. He grinned and raised his eyebrows. Kathryn merely shook her head. "Alright, alright. You impress me often. Now let's get to practicing." The two began to test out different weapons: a crossbow, spears, knives, and pretty much anything that was sharp and pointy and could be thrown or shot. There they would remain for a few hours until it was time to break for lunch.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire snorted. "I can stay clean for days if I wanted too, alas my sweet kittens would miss me then." She finished eating the apple and threw it away. "Well, I am queen of the kings of animals." She pouted when Kate laughed at her, brushing some hay out of her hair. "More than anyone else could claim." "Yeah, Yeah. I can handle Elena. She's just another lioness, albeit of a more terrifying kind." Claire laughed. It was too true a description regarding the circus director. She waved farewell to Kate as well when they parted ways. Her first stop was to clean herself up in one of the baths. As she wasn't particularly fond of water she didn't spend long doing that, and returned to her own wagon to find that someone had been inside it. She hoped they'd just come looking for her and not gone snooping through her belongings. Either way, she changed into a different set of clothes. They were torn here and there, because it seemed more realistic if her kittens did scratch or roar at her while she did her lion taming act. No one wanted to watch a bunch of big cats lying still, enjoying being petted and purring loudly. It wasn't what they paid for. She picked up one of her whips as well, and then headed back towards the cages of the big cats. On the way there she made sure to pass by Elena's wagon, since she wanted to check if she was in her wagon or walking around keeping an eye on everyone. Claire heard chanting coming from inside the wagon, not a rare occurrence, but usually it was in a language she could recognize as a language. It didn't sound like Russian or English. It sounded like she was speaking in tongues. Claire raised an eyebrow, but kept walking, confident in the fact that Elena wouldn't be coming to check up on her anytime soon. Claire released a couple of her kittens that were already awake. The panther and a lion to be more specific. The panther walked out of its cage with its head turned upwards, acting like a true prima donna. Claire petted her on the back, and got a glare in return. "Oh shush, Sheila." The lion acted more like he was glad to see her, putting his paws around her neck and purring. "Good morning, Scar, lovely day." She spent a couple of hours going through their routine, changing which one of her feline partners she trained with every now and then to make sure no one was going to try to act more wild or playful than usual that day. Sheila was the only one with an attitude on her, but she was always like that and still performed with the most grace during training and show. Claire only had to use her whip once, and even then she hit the ground to make two of the tigers stop play fighting and pay attention. The sound of the whip alone was usually enough to control any one of them. She hated when she had to actually use it, so it had happened that situations had gotten out of control before she went that far. Once her stomach began to complain, Claire decided it was time to take a break. The animal caretakers would come and feed each of her partners, but she had to find food herself. She headed over to where Kate would be practicing and found her alone. "Oh, did your manly assistant not want to eat dinner with you?" Claire teased. "I guess only the wild cats dare approach someone as sharp as you. How about eating something, or would you rather get another hug?"</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It was a long practice for Eli and Kate, but they both had to be perfect if each of them wanted to limit the number of stab wounds on their bodies. As the hours passed, they moved from weapon to weapon and act to act, planning out the night's show so that it went off without a hitch. Eventually, it was time to practice the spin board: a giant round piece of wood that rotated on a pole, and on it was a silhouette of a human body, about the size of Elijah. "Alright now remember, tonight that'll be me in the flesh... try not to kill me, yeah?" Eli walked up to the board and gave it a tug, sending it spinning around in circles, the target dancing around in rotation. Kate drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them. She sent out three knives, one after the other in steady rhythm, and listened as they each hit the board milliseconds after the one before. Eli stopped the spin board and grinned, "Very well done, Kate. Try to replicate that tonight." He looked up at the sky and then around, noticing it was lunchtime as people were moseying about with their food. "Well, I've got animals to feed before I find my own meal. Don't have too much fun without me." He waved as he walked off and Kathryn was left alone to clean up from practice and find herself supper. She had just finished putting away her blades when Claire strolled up, chipper as ever. She opened up her arms wide and grinned, "Well, why not both? At least you smell better this time." She gave a quick wink and a chuckle along with it before embracing her friend. "Now, what shall we eat? I do believe I have some more apples in my wagon if this animal you speak of has developed such a craving." She laughed but finished putting away her blades and then dusted off her hands. "How about we head to the commons tent and see what they've got cooked up? Might be something worth while since we are in London after all. It at least has to be better than that rubbish we got during the Dublin show." She patted her friend on the back and began walking towards a large white tent that sat to the east of the main camp. Within meters of the tent, the smell of food could be smelt as the aroma drifted out the doors and into the open air. "See, it already smells better." Kate grinned and walked inside, looking over to a line of tables where cooks had arranged the day's meal. Nothing fancy, but a sufficient amount of lamb and roast summed up the protein, while potatoes, cheese, and bread rounded out the rest. Kathryn grabbed a plate and filled it with meat and bread, staving from potatoes due to the aforementioned Irish tour, where potatoes were in every meal of every day. She waited for Claire and then exited the tent to find them a nice place to sit, finding a sunny, grassy area on a small hill that overlooked part of the circus camp. "Well, Queen Feline," She took a bite of lamb, "how are your creatures today? Should I expect an excellent show, as always?"</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire was a bit surprised and considerably disappointed when Kate took her threat as an invitation. While she had nothing against hugging her friend and she had taken a bath, it would not do if others began to notice that she was tame and huggable, not wild and a bit of a misanthrope - preferring the company of Solomon over most humans. She followed Kate to the commons tent, where the smell of meat permeated the air and made her stomach grumble. "Mhm, I need meat if I want to keep up my reputation." Claire said in response to the comment about the Dublin show. "Raw meat doesn't taste that good even if they were willing to share." They hadn't been though. Not even Solomon. Claire put lamb and roast on her plate until those working the kitchen commented on how she should be eating other things too, to which she responded with a growl. She did take some bread and quite a bit of cheese as well though in the end. When Kate left the commons tent, Claire raised an eyebrow and wondered why they wouldn't be eating there. She wasn't so much of a savage that she didn't know how to use a chair and table, as uncomfortable and crude as those in the tent may be. She went with her anyway, and sat down with her back against a rock. It was a nice view from up here. They could see part of their home while eating, how very quaint. Claire picked up some of the lamb with her hands and began to eat it, so that when Kate asked her a question about her part of the show she could only mumble a response. She quickly swallowed and put the food down. "Queen Feline…?" She grimaced, but then grinned. "So what should I call you? Pretty princess with a bow?" Claire laughed, then bit off another piece of the lamb to chew on. "My kittens are just dandy. Some of them are a bit playful like usual, and Sheila is a bit temperamental like usual. Of course you should expect an excellent show from me, and I better see one from you as well. Do I finally get to see you miss your target and hit your man, huh? I'd like to see the shock on everyone's faces if you do." She smiled at Kate. "Especially your own." Claire returned her full attention to the food, but made sure to listen to whatever Kate had to say. It wasn't uncommon for her to talk and Claire to simply listen. She enjoyed simply being around the other girl who'd escaped with her from the orphanage all those years ago. To Claire, it was enough to sit in silence at times. Once she'd finished eating, greedily gorging down the meat and then finishing off the meal with the bread and cheese, she changed her position so she was lying down in the grass and closed her eyes. That rock had been a bit painful against her back. She knew she may fall asleep for a short nap if she didn't watch herself, but at least Kate was right there to wake her up. Unfortunately, Kate already knew that Claire didn't smell bad this time around, so she had nothing to dissuade her from doing it. She sighed, and smiled.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire "I'm afraid if I miss my target I may very well be out of a job, so let us hope that is not the case." Kate laughed and pecked at her food, going on with the conversation. "And I am a pretty princess, thank you for noticing." She grinned and then looked out over the camp. The Big Top was not set up yet, but the workers could be seen setting the support beams and assembling the large tent in preparation for the night to come. Kate set her plate to the side, but continued talking to Claire, even though responses were few and far between. She had a bad habit of rambling on about many random things that had no particular relevance, but she was glad to have a friend that was willing to listen to her endless talking and not beg her to shut up. "So I heard the horse trainers had to go out and catch the equine after someone left the stable gate open. Crazy things are happening around here, let me tell ya. People need to be more careful..." She kept talking, about anything that came to mind. It was several minutes later before she realized she had not heard from Claire in many moments. "Oi, are you still hanging in there? I know I've said a mouth full, but-" Kate saw that her friend was lying on her back with her eyes closed. The sun was beaming down, warming their skin and marking a clear and beautiful day, which was something of a pleasant surprise. Kate watched Claire for a few minutes. How at ease she was and how confident she was with herself and her big cats, it impressed Kate. She wished that she could have that same confidence, but she was happy as she were with her life. She allowed herself to reminisce about all those years ago, before either of the girls were here with the circus. They were miserable, left alone in an orphanage with little hope of being adopted. Sure, the caretakers there were kind and caring of them, but for Kate at least, she craved more even at that young age. That's how they ended up here, in one of the best and most renowned circus shows in the entire world. She smiled to herself as she thought about it, realizing she never would have had the guts to leave or to join a circus had it not been for Claire. Looking down at the camp, she began to notice people stirring again, as the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon. Kate gave Claire a shake and grinned. "Wakey, wakey. I hope you enjoyed your cat nap, but we have a show to perform in just a few short hours."</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire was a bit surprised and considerably disappointed when Kate took her threat as an invitation. While she had nothing against hugging her friend and she had taken a bath, it would not do if others began to notice that she was tame and huggable, not wild and a bit of a misanthrope - preferring the company of Solomon over most humans. She followed Kate to the commons tent, where the smell of meat permeated the air and made her stomach grumble. "Mhm, I need meat if I want to keep up my reputation." Claire said in response to the comment about the Dublin show. "Raw meat doesn't taste that good even if they were willing to share." They hadn't been though. Not even Solomon. Claire put lamb and roast on her plate until those working the kitchen commented on how she should be eating other things too, to which she responded with a growl. She did take some bread and quite a bit of cheese as well though in the end. When Kate left the commons tent, Claire raised an eyebrow and wondered why they wouldn't be eating there. She wasn't so much of a savage that she didn't know how to use a chair and table, as uncomfortable and crude as those in the tent may be. She went with her anyway, and sat down with her back against a rock. It was a nice view from up here. They could see part of their home while eating, how very quaint. Claire picked up some of the lamb with her hands and began to eat it, so that when Kate asked her a question about her part of the show she could only mumble a response. She quickly swallowed and put the food down. "Queen Feline…?" She grimaced, but then grinned. "So what should I call you? Pretty princess with a bow?" Claire laughed, then bit off another piece of the lamb to chew on. "My kittens are just dandy. Some of them are a bit playful like usual, and Sheila is a bit temperamental like usual. Of course you should expect an excellent show from me, and I better see one from you as well. Do I finally get to see you miss your target and hit your man, huh? I'd like to see the shock on everyone's faces if you do." She smiled at Kate. "Especially your own." Claire returned her full attention to the food, but made sure to listen to whatever Kate had to say. It wasn't uncommon for her to talk and Claire to simply listen. She enjoyed simply being around the other girl who'd escaped with her from the orphanage all those years ago. To Claire, it was enough to sit in silence at times. Once she'd finished eating, greedily gorging down the meat and then finishing off the meal with the bread and cheese, she changed her position so she was lying down in the grass and closed her eyes. That rock had been a bit painful against her back. She knew she may fall asleep for a short nap if she didn't watch herself, but at least Kate was right there to wake her up. Unfortunately, Kate already knew that Claire didn't smell bad this time around, so she had nothing to dissuade her from doing it. She sighed, and smiled.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire "I'm afraid if I miss my target I may very well be out of a job, so let us hope that is not the case." Kate laughed and pecked at her food, going on with the conversation. "And I am a pretty princess, thank you for noticing." She grinned and then looked out over the camp. The Big Top was not set up yet, but the workers could be seen setting the support beams and assembling the large tent in preparation for the night to come. Kate set her plate to the side, but continued talking to Claire, even though responses were few and far between. She had a bad habit of rambling on about many random things that had no particular relevance, but she was glad to have a friend that was willing to listen to her endless talking and not beg her to shut up. "So I heard the horse trainers had to go out and catch the equine after someone left the stable gate open. Crazy things are happening around here, let me tell ya. People need to be more careful..." She kept talking, about anything that came to mind. It was several minutes later before she realized she had not heard from Claire in many moments. "Oi, are you still hanging in there? I know I've said a mouth full, but-" Kate saw that her friend was lying on her back with her eyes closed. The sun was beaming down, warming their skin and marking a clear and beautiful day, which was something of a pleasant surprise. Kate watched Claire for a few minutes. How at ease she was and how confident she was with herself and her big cats, it impressed Kate. She wished that she could have that same confidence, but she was happy as she were with her life. She allowed herself to reminisce about all those years ago, before either of the girls were here with the circus. They were miserable, left alone in an orphanage with little hope of being adopted. Sure, the caretakers there were kind and caring of them, but for Kate at least, she craved more even at that young age. That's how they ended up here, in one of the best and most renowned circus shows in the entire world. She smiled to herself as she thought about it, realizing she never would have had the guts to leave or to join a circus had it not been for Claire. Looking down at the camp, she began to notice people stirring again, as the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon. Kate gave Claire a shake and grinned. "Wakey, wakey. I hope you enjoyed your cat nap, but we have a show to perform in just a few short hours."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn "Of course you are a princess. I noticed long ago, and would have tried to ransom you to a noble house if anyone had wanted you." Claire teased. Kate's rambling was soothing, too soothing, so it didn't take that long for Claire to fall asleep. She was awakened by Kate shaking her and telling her to wake up. "Who said I was asleep?" Claire stretched her arms, legs and yawned. "You should relax more, princess." She got back up on her feet, but when Kate was about to stand up as well she decided to have a bit of fun. Claire wrestled Kate to the ground, sat herself on top of her and put her hands under her shirt to tickle her stomach. To Claire, it was exactly like the innocent play fighting they'd done when they were kids. She had done it to make Kate laugh countless of times back then. Now some would think of it in a whole different way than two kids playing games. If Claire had cared or even listened at all to what others gossiped about her she'd know they talked a lot about how she was too into her cats or spending too much time with just Kate, both rumours implying the same thing. However, Claire had little to no interest in that part of life and being human. She'd already decided she would have no kids; for fear that they would suffer the same fate she had when ending up at an orphanage. What purpose did coitus serve then? "I guess we better get going." She said, but remained motionless where she sat on top of Kate. The sun hit her face and the wind messed up her blonde mane. "Well, I've got time to spare, but you should get a move on since your act is before mine." She grinned at Kate with closed eyes, until her friend would take some kind of action to get her to move off of her. The circus tent was packed with the first audience for their stay in London. The orchestra was playing some relaxing music, while everyone was preparing and getting ready behind the curtains. Elena would be the first to enter and do a brief but bombastic presentation of who they were. It was mostly a formality, because everyone knew who they were. There posters all over London by now. As the orchestra stopped playing, and a drum roll began, Elena stepped up to the curtain. She walked out from behind it, when the drum roll reached its peak, to meet the cheers and applause of the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen! Young and old!" Elena's voice boomed through the big top tent. "Welcome to the Wanderlust Circus." She did an elaborate bow, removing the top hat from her head and pulling out a bouquet of roses from inside of it. After she'd straightened her back and put her top hat back on her head, she threw the bouquet into the air above her where it exploded into a number of small yet colourful fireworks. "Have we got ever the show for you tonight, my friends!" Her voice boomed. "You have my word as the director of this circus that it will be an unforgettable experience." Elena bowed once more when they cheered and shouted in return, then she turned around to walk back through the curtain, but instead of moving she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Elena reappeared backstage. Fireworks and smoke were the tricks of children and normal magicians, however, what she had prepared for her magic act of the show towards the end was truly unforgettable.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate's eyes grew wide as she realized that just as soon as she had gotten off the ground, she was headed straight back for it with a force from Claire. She struggled and twitched in an effort to avoid the inevitable, but she soon realized she was on the losing end when Claire pinned her down and displayed a devilish grin in anticipation of the attack to come. "No, no, no, no, nonono!" Kate squirmed but was unable to escape the assault on her nervous system as Claire relentlessly tickled her until her abs ached with laughter. She bellowed out and twinged back and forth, her arms wrestling with Claire's as she attempted to cease the tickling. Several more minutes passed before the action was halted, and Kate had just noticed Claire's hands under the hem of her shirt as she removed them. She blushed for a moment, but swallowed and ignored the different sensation that sent goosebumps across her belly as Claire's fingertips left her bare abdomen. Kate grumbled and attempted to roll over, but she was stuck. She kicked her feet a few times and then raised an eyebrow at Claire before quickly throwing her hands at her sides to return the favor, tickling until she fell off of her. Kate sat up and straightened her shirt and hair, then stood up and looked at her friend. "Well, I'm not one to miss my cue, now am I?" She smirked and then motioned towards the main tent, "I'll see ya at the show then. Good luck." She walked with her friend down the hill but then parted ways with her, heading back towards the throwing range where she found Eli staring at a pile of different weapons. Kate walked up, curious as to why he was staring at the instruments instead of moving their things to the big top. "Something wrong, Elijah?" Eli turned his head and smiled as Kate approached, shaking his head. "No, no. We've done this dozens of times by now." His smile flat lined for a moment and he sighed, "This is just such a big show. I've got a strange feeling about tonight... I only hope everything goes as planned." Kate had a concerned expression on her face as she approached her partner. "Eli, do you trust me?" To which, he responded with a nod of the head and a weak smile. "Very well then, everything will be just fine. Don't you worry." She smiled at him and helped him gather their things and head to their station behind the scenes at the main tent. Elijah and Kate both waited backstage for their turn act to come up in the lineup of the show. Kate had changed into a flashier top, one with glittery jewels on it meant to catch the intense light of the ring. Elijah was wearing only trousers with suspenders, his abdomen bare as part of the "proof" that their displays were real. When it was time for their act, they both took a deep breath. Kate looked at Eli and smiled, "Remember, it's all going to be fine. Just like in practice." The announcer called their names, and they both emerged from the curtains and walked to their set up. A table sat with cleavers, arrows, and darts. Kate's knives were strapped in their holster around her. They began their act with the cleavers, each throwing several at targets. Kate even turned around and threw one backwards, where it still hit her target dead center. They progressed through with darts and arrows, where Elijah stood in front of a board as Kate shot flaming arrows at him. To wrap up their act, Kate helped Eli strap into the spin board, where he was left suspended on the circular board. Kate gave it a tug, and he was sent spiraling around like a top. The tension of the crowd could literally be cut by a knife as they all held their breath. Kate pulled three knives from her side, taking in a deep breath as she lined up the first one. Eli was spinning in front of her at a rapid pace, and she let the first knife fly. It hit the board in between his ankles, and the crowd cheered at the feat. Kate blinked hard and lined up her second throw, letting the knife leave her fingertips and soar towards her partner. A thud could be heard and the knife was embedded next to Eli's head, two inches from his ear. More cheers resulted, and Kate swallowed the lump in her throat away as she held up the last knife. She twirled it between her fingers, breathed in, and then closed her eyes as she sent her arm forward, the knife gliding off of her fingers and flying towards the board... When she failed to hear a resulting thud, she opened her eyes frantically to the sound of Elijah gurgling. She looked on in horror to see that the knife had pierced his neck. But how? She was so sure of its path... Blood splattered across the board and and crowd gasped in unison before breaking out into chaos. Kate ran towards Elijah, unstrapping him from the spin board, blood covering her hands. As his feet hit the ground, he looked at her, eyes wide and put a hand on his neck. He garnered an expression of utter confusion as he removed his hand to reveal there was no longer blood or a puncture wound through his carotid. Kate's eyes grew wide, but the crowd erupted in jeer as the incredible feat was displayed as an illusion. The spotlight dimmed on the two of them still gaping at each other in confusion.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate and Elijah shuffled back stage, each of them trying to resist from going into shock after what had just happened. Kate was attached at Eli's hip, but the doctor who had arrived soon split them apart. She pushed her way through the people, making sure she kept an eye on him all the way to an area that was marked off for this very instance. Kate nearly shoved a knife in the doctor's neck when he tried to tell her that she would have to wait outside of the curtains while he assessed Elijah, refusing to let him out of her sight after what just happened. The doctor agreed only after she threatened to strap him to a board and use him as target practice herself. The doctor looked Eli over, noticing the blood splatter that covered his entire torso, as well as Kate's hands. But, finding nothing medically wrong with him, he eyed them both suspiciously. "Is this some trick? I am here for real emergencies, not as a continuation of your little illusion." He scribbled on a piece of paper and pulled back the curtain of the makeshift room to let them both out. "I give you approval for making the incident so realistic, however. You had me convinced with the blood." Kate and Elijah both tried to explain that the blood was real, as well as what they claimed had happened, but the doctor simply waved them off and returned to his station should he be needed for a real accident. Elijah walked away with a hand on his neck where the knife had pierced his flesh. He remained silent, and Kate followed him to a pair of chairs that sat at the edge of the backstage, looking on to the show ring. "Eli?" Kate frowned and looked at her friend, "Are you alright?" Elijah remained silent for another moment, staring out on at whatever act was currently on. He didn't look at her as he spoke, his voice low and unchanging. "You hit me. Your knife pierced my neck. I felt the blood gushing out of me and my vision blurred." He exhaled and looked down at his feet. "And then nothing. The bleeding stopped, I could see clearly, the wound was gone." He looked at her now with glossy eyes, "How?" Kate swallowed hard, knowing that the most damaging part was that she had told him that everything would be okay, and then it wasn't. Her brow furrowed as she looked at him. "Eli, I've no idea what just happened. But please, I beg you, believe me when I say that that knife was not on a path towards you. I am sure of that." Her eyes were pleading him to forgive her, fearful that she had lost his trust for good. Eli sighed again, and remained quiet as he looked at her. Finally, he blinked and nodded slowly. "I believe you. Honestly, the most unbelievable part of the whole bit was that you hit me in the first place." A small smile was restored on his face and he patted Kate on the knee. "But..." his face drew a curious mask, "something odd is going on here..." The two of them watched the other acts as the show continued as it should. As they watched, they began to noticed peculiar differences in this show from any other... minor things that seemed to alter the acts to make them more appealing to the crowds. When it was Claire's turn to perform, Kate watched on curiously, but a hint of nervousness gnawed at her as well. Strangely enough, her performance seemed to go on as planned, that is until she heard something odd. Kate had to blink a few times and scan the ring to make sure her brain was not hearing things. It appeared as though Claire had just... roared? Not like she usually did, a poor human attempt to speak the big cat language. This one sounded astoundingly real. After her act, Claire found Kate and Elijah where they had been watching. She was overly chipper, with a pep in her step, considering the recent circumstances. "Well, we're shaken up." Kate said with a weak smile. "But alive!" Eli butted in with a grin, as he was trying to see the brighter side of the situation himself. Kate raised an eyebrow but said nothing to him, looking back to Claire. "So, uh... when did you learn to speak, oh how do you say... lion? Tiger? Animal?" Kate blinked a few times and stared at her friend, sincerely wanting an explanation for what she had witnessed moments ago. "Something strange is going on here," Eli agreed, nodding his head. He was baffled at the traumatic event that had occurred to him, but more suspicious than anything at the strange events occurring. It definitely was different than anything that had happened during a show before, and it made them all curious.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire smiled at him when Eli grinned. At least he was not too traumatized by the horrible event that he had gone through, or maybe he was good at hiding it. She noticed how Kate reacted to his grin, so she figured it was likely the latter of the two. "I'm glad you're both alive." Claire said, with a guilty expression. "Despite what I said earlier today that it would be fun to see you hit him, it wasn't as funny as I'd imagined." "Oh, isn't it so wonderful, Kate." She exclaimed when Kate mentioned what had happened during Claire's performance. "I could understand Solomon, and Sheila and Scar. Scar has got an excellent singing voice, who knew!" Claire calmed herself down quickly when someone else approached within earshot. She didn't want others to hear her talking about how she had spoken with her animals, because then she'd be in an asylum before long. "Ah, yes, it is indeed strange." She grinned excitedly at Kate with her whole face, when she was sure no one else was looking, but hid the expression as fast as it had appeared. Elena had changed the order of the performances so that she was last. Well, next to last if you counted the part where everyone was supposed to enter the ring together, take a bow and perform some basic tricks. The show had been somewhat unforgettable already with some of the illusions and magic she had exerted upon the acts. Now it was her turn though, and she would be damned if she let her underlings upstage her. No, she had a special surprise at the end, not to mention that the act she had prepared for this show was different than anything she had planned previously. She entered the ring once more, but she had changed clothes since when she had introduced them in the beginning. Elena was wearing a rather nomadic getup, with pearls, braids and a fur coat. She had visible tattoos and jewellery made of bone. It was more fitting for her personality and her act than the black suit and top she had worn when doing the introduction. Elena began with some minor albeit extraordinary effects, like setting fire to a napkin and freezing the fire itself, planting a seed and having it grow into a bush in front of everyone, swallowing a hissing snake and then pulling it out of her arm. These all got the audience's attention like nothing else had that night or maybe in their entire lives. She felt smug and showed it with a confident posture. "For my next trick, I will have two assistants." Elena said. Two young boys that worked at the circus doing a number of different chores walked into the ring to join the magician. She put the boys into two separate boxes, that only showed their heads and their feet, which she locked. Elena picked up a saw and held it so that the audience could see it. She began to saw through one of the boxes. At first, it was like any other instance when she had performed the trick, but soon the boy in the box was screaming in pain and crying. There was blood dripping out of the box, forming a puddle on the ground. Elena kept at it until she had sawed the box in half. The boy had gone mad by then, and his friend in the other box was clearly afraid when Elena stepped up to saw his box in half. The same thing happened with the second boy, he screamed in pain, and blood stained the ground beneath the box. When Elena had finished sawing the boxes in half, the four of them began to move around in a circle before they stopped. The boys had been wearing different shoes, so it was easy to see that it was not their original boxes that had paired up together. However, Elena went through with the act of putting them together, changing their bodies into new forms that combined the two original ones. She opened up the boxes to reveal that the halves of the bodies had indeed been switched. The audience had mixed reactions to this. There were a few who threw up, thinking the illusion was way too real. There were those who were appalled. The majority of them cheered, whistled and clapped frantically though. The first boy passed out, and had to be carried away. The second one ran away screaming as if death itself was giving chase. Elena bowed. She pulled out the book that had helped her improved tonight's show from within her coat, opened it up and read the passage she had been trying to pronounce right earlier that day. Her voice turned into chanting, taking a much darker tone than usual and spouted utter gibberish to anyone listening. Unfortunately, she didn't get it quite right this time either. Instead, she sounded as if she'd been possessed by a demon while chanting and a number of shadows began to manifest themselves around Elena. She forced the book to close with pure willpower, but it was too late to contain the shadows. They dispersed into the audience and disappeared out of the big top. She got a pale expression on her face, fearing whatever she had unleashed as she had honestly no idea what they had been. Thankfully, the audience thought it was another illusion. Londoners weren't particularly bright. Elena could finish her act, pretending that everything had gone as planned. Everyone entered the ring to take a bow to the audience and finish as they always did. The show ended without any further complications.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kathryn stared blankly at her friend, she understood her unconditional love for her creatures, but she was a bit too... overjoyed with the fact that she literally heard animals talk. Not to mention she roared as if a tigress was trapped within her diaphragm and had been unleashed unto the sound waves. "Wonderful...? Perhaps." She smiled a bit and shrugged her shoulders, "But I think bizarre was the word I was looking for." She laughed a bit, unable to squander her best friends happiness, although the source of the euphoria was something quite peculiar. Elijah was also donning a small smile, trying to suppress the panic that was threatening to erupt from the inside out and consume him into madness. Although he hid it well, he was quite frightened over the whole incident. He couldn't help but think something was going on behind the scenes, some outside force affecting the show and those in it. His train of thought was interrupted though when Elena stepped out to do her act. Just as they had all the others, Kate and Eli watched their ring master during her act as she closed off their show. The first thing that Eli noticed was that Elena now carried herself with a different air about her, one that seemed more determined and mighty than usual. He found that strange, although she usually held a power of authority and confidence. Kate looked on with her two friends, looking on out to the main ring and expecting a routine that was similar to all the ones she had seen before. Elena was quite the magician, very good at illusions and tricks. But of course, they were all just that: tricks. That is, until their leader began to do extraordinary things. This act was unlike any other she had done before. Kate's jaw hung open in awe and she looked to Claire, "I've never seen her do such things. This is incredible." She and her friends continued watching. It was no surprise that Elena was able to pull off such feats, it was just quite the change from her regular performance. When it came time for the last act, two young men who worked odd jobs around the circus were called out to assist in a feat. "Oh, this must be that trick where she pretends to cut them in half and then-" Elijah's words were cut off as the first boy began to scream in pain, blood pooling around his feet. Kate gasped and put a hand over her mouth, the blood seemed so real. "Th-that must just be a balloon of fake bl-blood..." Eli stuttered as Elena moved to the second boy and did the same. As the boxes floated around, it made him dizzy in combination with the blood. When the boxes arrived in the wrong pairs, each held their breath for just a moment. Kate had to look away after the first boy fell limp and the second ran away with terror in his eyes. Her heart was thumping against her chest, but her attention was drawn back to the ring when she heard a frightening tone coming from Elena as she began to chant. Another terrifying illusion out of the way and the show was over. When the three walked out together to join hands and take a bow, the tension could be felt in not only Kate's but Elijah's body, though they each held their posture to hide it. They each tentatively bowed, did their send-off tricks, and then took their leave. Kate walked backstage, seeing that her friends were in tow. When she reached an area outside of the tent and checked to make sure there was no one within ear shot, she looked at Claire and Elijah. "What the hell was that?" Her face showed her distress and concern, maybe she was over reacting, but she felt like it was all too convenient to just be a coincidence.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire's mood was dampened a bit when Kate said she thought it was bizarre. She could understand where she was coming from, but it was great too…right? She had wanted to fully understand her kittens for as long as she could remember. She understood most of their body language, but there were moments when they would do something she did not entirely grasp the meaning of. Maybe the bizarre part was not that she had understood them, but that they had appeared to only her as if they were speaking her language and she had spoken to them in turn. Elena entered the ring eventually, and Claire remained with Kate while their boss carried out her own act. "Oh, so that is incredible, but when I talk to my cats it is bizarre." Claire huffed and muttered to herself. "Double standards." Kate was right that Elena's act was incredible though, but Claire's had been great too. She hoped so at least. It had been for her, so maybe she should not care so much what the others thought. It was rare to be satisfied with your own act, but she felt like she was this time. Claire had to watch as Elena cut the two boys in half, blood pooling on the ground and screams filling the big top. She was too taken by what was happening in front of her eyes to simply look away. Her stomach threatened to turn inside out and make her throw up as that part of Elena's act came to a conclusion, with the two boys being combined into two new forms. "Were you using fake blood as well then, Elijah?" Claire asked. Her jaw dropped as Elena began to chant and summon shadows around her. Maybe that could explain the strange occurrences taking place, but Claire thought that would be the really bizarre event here if it was all caused by the devil himself. No, that could not be. Besides, she would rather not believe in what the Christians claimed to be the truth. She had travelled the world too much for that. The shadows dispersed into the audience who still thought everything tonight were extravagant illusions. Claire wished she could think that too. She held Kate's hand tightly when they had to walk out into the ring, and join Elena, who now seemed a lot less like a lioness and a lot more like some kind of monster. She squeezed her hand a couple of times too, but let go when they each had to do their finishing tricks. Solomon joined Claire and she felt a bit more at ease after that. Claire went with Kate and Elijah to the outside of the big top, with Solomon walking quietly and obediently right next to her side. She raised an eyebrow at Kate's outburst. "What, you mean the bizarre illusions?" Claire joked, then laughed half-heartedly while looking over her shoulder, worrying that there were more of those "illusions" waiting for them in the dark. "I don't think it was anything coming from hell like you claim, Kate." She laughed again, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe it was just something in the food that we ate which made us imagine it all, right? Right!?" She had sounded more panicked repeating that word than she had intended. Claire didn't want to think about the implications of what was going on. She hoped that Elena was not truly as much of a monster as she had demonstrated tonight. One night was enough for this. She could understand wanting to attract a crowd for their stay in London, but this was pushing the limit of what was acceptable. Surely, some of the performers might consider leaving the circus and joining another one if this went on? Claire didn't want to leave, not without her cats at least. "Maybe we should all get some rest and hope it doesn't repeat itself…"</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate eyed Claire when she laughed at her concern, but realized she was probably overreacting and she sighed. Elijah shook his head and added to the conversation, "I don't know that those were illusions, ladies. Those weren't blood bags we were using in our act, and I have a terrible feeling that they weren't in that last one either." He shook his head, but held his tongue for any further comments. "Right well, let's not worry over it now. As Claire said, maybe we all just need some rest..." Kate rubbed the back of her neck and closed her eyes for a moment. They opened again and danced between each of her friends, "I'll take my leave then. Good night, don't let the ghosties bite." She gave a weary smile before headed away towards her wagon. Elijah nodded and looked to Claire and Solomon, "If I were you, I'd keep that guy close." He waved as he walked away, weaving his way through the various tents and carts that occupied the grounds. He kept his head low, looking at his shoes as he shuffled towards his own keep. From the corner of his eye, he could almost swear he saw a dark figure dancing between the tents. "No need to worry, Elijah... it's just your own shadow." He muttered to himself. He arrived at his wagon and stepped up inside, closing the door and locking it after him. Lighting the lantern that sat on a shelf near his bed, he undressed into bed garments and climbed into his cot. The nervousness consumed him, but he fell to slumber. However, his sleep was disturbed as he tossed and turned, the horrifying event that took place that evening replayed in his dreams, devouring his rest in nightmares. Kate had made it to her own room, but she had not failed to glance over her shoulder numerous times. The grounds were still quite a busy place, with some of the performers opting to celebrate the show with alcohol and social encounters. She ignored the sounds of people outside and allowed her body to relax after she crawled into her bed. She was unable to sleep, however, and she spent the next few hours tossing and turning. She could not put it past her, all that had happened was far too concerning. For some, like Claire, the experience had been an enjoyable one. But all Kate could think about was how a knife, thrown by her own hand, had pierced her best friends neck. The threat of him bleeding out right in front of her was all too real, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She tossed over in her bed and closed her eyes, begging for sleep to aide her in rest. She was finally met with darkness, and she slept through the night uninterrupted. When the sun peaked through her shutters the next morning, she did not wake. Her mind was far too exhausted to be disturbed by the sun's calling at her window. Instead, she remained where she were, tangled in her covers.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn And just like that, Claire had somehow talked both Kate and Elijah into going to bed. Well, if they wanted to turn in early that was up to them. It was boring to say the least, but she wouldn't let it get her down. Not that she cared much for Elijah, but she wondered why Kate was so dismissive of her since she talked had with her cats. She headed towards where some of the other members of the circus could be heard, chatting, laughing and drinking. Solomon followed as if he was a well-trained dog, not a three hundred kilo heavy tiger. "Gimme some of that." She said to a woman with tattoos all over, pointing at the bottle in her hand. Claire knew her name. She couldn't remember it right then though. The woman handed her the bottle with a laugh, after drinking some more of it first. Claire drank what was left to calm her nerves and become more sociable. She had socialized with the performers and crew members often after successful shows. The alcohol made her more interested in interacting with other humans. She passed the first half-hour with them by listening to them speak and joining in with the laughter. As she got more booze into her system, she began to inject her own voice into the conversation and joke with them. The evening turned into night in their company. Solomon was as welcome as Claire among them, even more so almost. At first he enjoyed being the centre of attention and having people pet him, but soon he retreated to lie down behind Claire and take a nap. Elena joined them at some point. There was an awkward mood when she did. Some of them didn't feel like joking as much, which was probably because they had told jokes at her expense. Claire couldn't help but notice that Elena behaved a lot less confidently than she had during her act or even compared to her normal self. Elena left before long, likely realizing that she wasn't entirely welcome among them. Claire remained seated, but soon began to yawn and doze off. She was prevented from falling asleep in the spot by Solomon who kept pushing at her with his nose or his paw. It was getting on her nerves, so she gave in to the tiger and got up on her feet to find a better place to sleep. Claire mumbled her drunken farewells to the few of the group who were still socializing, and then she stumbled away from them towards the cages of her big cats. She was too drunk to feel particularly frightened of the dark or what may be hiding in it. The night was beginning to turn into very early morning as well, so the grey light was slowly replacing the darkness. Claire let Solomon into his cage and was about to head off to her own wagon, but figured there was no need for that. It wasn't like the movements in the shadows she thought she had seen scared her or anything, but she would be more comfortable sleeping with her big boy. Claire reopened the door to Solomon's cage, climbed inside and double checked that she had locked it after her. Finally, she laid down next to Solomon in the hay, who put his paw over her protectively and she felt a lot more secure.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Later into the morning, Kathryn finally stirred. Her body was well rested, but her mind was still weary. Rolling over to face her window, she squinted and tried to judge the time based on the amount of light flooding her living space. "Bloody hell... it's nearly ten." She muttered to herself, but then turned over and shoved her head back into her pillow. A knock at her door caught her attention, and she groaned. "Who is it?" She held her head up, eyes targeted at her door, but there was no answer. She grumbled and sat up in her bed, yelling this time, "Oi, I said who is it?" There was still no answer, but a steady rapping at her door. Frustrated with the mute who was summoning her, she walked to her door and pulled it open part ways, keeping her body behind the wooden frame because she was not properly clothed. "Alright, listen here you-" She poked her head out the door, but there was no one there. Her head stretched further out the door while she tried to glance around and catch whomever had been calling at her doorstep. But alas, there was no one to be seen around her wagon. She closed the door and scratched her head while she yawned. "I swear, I'm gonna kill those two." she murmured to herself, speaking aloud the thought that she believed either Elijah or Claire were teasing her. A flame was lit beneath a pot and the sound of water rolling in a boil filled her room as she got dressed. She made her tea, and sipped on it, allowing the caffeine to brighten her mood and wake her up. When she was satisfied that she wasn't going to pass back out, she put on her shoes and exited her wagon. Kate looked to the left, then to the right. Claire's wagon was to the left, and Elijah's towards the right. She weighed her options, but figured Claire was held up with Solomon anyways. So, she opted for Elijah's keep. She knocked on the door, not resting her fist until he answered. His hair was wild as the animals in the cages down the row, and his eyes were bloodshot and he looked like death itself had paid a visit. "Well, that eliminates one of my suspects." Kate smirked, but Elijah's expression did not change from the flat face which he answered her knocking with. "Uh, you alright there mate?" Kate frowned, and Elijah shook his head. He scratched his scruff and rubbed his hands over his face before looking back at Kate. "I'll be fine, Katie. I just need a bit to wake up. I'll be out later." He smiled weakly and tiredly, but did not give her another chance to speak as he closed he door. From the other side of the door he sighed and looked around. The night had not been good to him, and he felt it. But, he had things to do and he knew he had to get around to it. Kate stood there for a moment and blinked, surprised at her friend's reaction. Well, no use in dwelling on it. She turned on her heel and headed towards the big cat enclosures to accuse Claire of disturbing her and then running off. She arrived at Solomon's cage and saw the tiger protectively lying next to an apparently sleeping Claire. "Alright, nice try. I know you aren't asleep, good effort though." Kate laughed lightly, "Now, how about an explanation for running off this morning, huh?" She crossed her arms and waited for Claire to answer her, though it seemed she was trying to keep appearances up by not making a movement.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire tossed and turned in her drunken state, disturbing Solomon with her movements, but thankfully he was a nocturnal creature so it wasn't like he was going to sleep much anyway during the night. He slept a fair bit either way since he loved to sleep like most of her kittens did. She dreamt surprisingly pleasant dreams when she did fall asleep. Claire talked with her big cats, learned their language permanently and went on adventures with them. There were other people featured in the dream, like Kate, Elena and a few other members of the circus, but they were in the background compared to the animals. Elena appeared as an evil witch at one point. The sound of someone shouting at her was an abrupt wake up call. "Oh my god." Claire cried, and put her arms over her head. "Why would you scream at me in the morning when I have a hangover?" She could feel her head pounding pretty badly by then. The words that Kate had spoken sounded louder than usual, so she had to assume they were shouted. It wasn't just the words Kate spoke either, everything was louder than usual, even Solomon's breathing was getting to her. Claire had no idea how long she had slept, or if she had been given a chance to sleep at all before Kate was on her case again. She had dreamt at least. She wanted to yell at her friend to go away and leave her alone. It would not be the first time they had fought, because everyone fights every now and then, no matter how great their relationship may be regularly. "Solomon, attack…" Claire muttered against his fur, and was rolled over on her stomach when the white tiger got up on all four. He moved lazily over to where Kate was standing outside the cage, put his arm through the bars and tried to hit her with his paw. The whole action was done with such indifference that it was clear he was just following the words of his trainer with no real hatred or commitment behind the supposed attack. He tried to reach Kate a couple more times before giving up, sitting down and cleaning himself with his tongue. Claire had mostly trained him with that command in case she would need him in an emergency, like a guard dog, but no one else needed to know about it so she had told no one else yet. If anything, she had planned to explain it away by saying she was going to incorporate coordinated play-fighting between her big cats in one of her future shows. Solomon was a bit too tame to attack those he knew with any real strength though. "Yeah, that will teach you to bother me in the morning." Claire mumbled to herself, while keeping her arms over her eyes to block out the blinding light. "You are lucky he is locked inside a cage. Who knows what such a wild beast would be to a human otherwise."</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire When the giant tiger stood up at the command to attack, Kate's eyes grew wide and she took a step back from the cage. "Jesus Christ," she had no idea what to expect from the big cat, considering his loyalty to Claire. Much to her relief, he took the order with as little enthusiasm as possible and returned to grooming himself within his enclosure. "What ever will I do if that over-sized house cat decides to purr me to death..." Crossing her arms again, Kate's stare bore into Claire, challenging her to look up. It was obvious that she was well into the consequences that a night of liquor will punish you with, but the way Kate saw it, it was her own fault. "You look like hell," her head shook disapprovingly and she sighed. "Serves you right for drinking the night away." It wasn't uncommon for them to bicker over the topic of alcohol. Kate knew how to drink and have fun, she wasn't a stiff by any means. However, she believed in self control. The minuscule amount of her childhood that she could remember was spent in an orphanage, one that for the most part didn't take too kindly to the children there. And from what Kate could remember, whiskey had quite a bit to do with that fact. That's why she and Claire had decided to run away. It was hard leaving the few that were kind and caring at the home, but not worth living through more of the misery to stay with them. They found solace here with the circus, and so they remained. Kate had just never picked up drinking like the others seemed to have, to her it was more amusing to watch the drunken ones stumble in a stupor than to be one of them herself. Claire was still covering her face and avoiding the inevitable, so Kate simply exhaled and closed her eyes for a moment. "Very well, I'll leave you to suffer. No use in making your misery any worse with my presence." Walking away from the cage, she headed to the commons tent in search of a meal. She hadn't eaten after the show, and her stomach was beginning to call to her for sustenance. She entered the tent and found that there were several items out for the circus workers and such. They did not cook them breakfast, rather the cooks prepared tea and coffee and left pastries and dry cereals out for pecking. Kate grabbed a cup of coffee and a scone, then found a place to sit within the tent. Elijah had finally gotten around to cleaning himself up a bit, but his face still showed his utter exhaustion. Walking to the commons area, he hoped a cup of caffeine would aid him. Kate was spotted at a table not far from the entrance, so he took his beverage over and sat with her and a few other circus workers who were all making small talk over biscuits. Kate perked up when she saw Eli sit down, though he still looked rough. "You feeling any better? You still look a bit unwell." Shrugging his shoulders as he sat down, he took a sip of his coffee and then looked at Kate with tired eyes. "I'll be fine. Rough night," he held up his cup and smiled, "This should get me going though." It was a night filled with nightmares and little sleep, but he had suffered tough nights before and he could do it again. He sipped his drink and contributed to the small talk with Kate and the others as they casually ate their breakfast.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn When Kate mentioned how Claire deserved her hangover, she wanted to tell her how fun people sometimes had to suffer consequences for being sociable and fun, but that Kate could of course not understand this. "Thank you." Claire mumbled to Kate when she left, but doubted she could hear it if she was still around. She attempted to return to sleep. Her headache mixed with the sounds of a circus that was waking up and the light of the sun made it difficult though. After remaining motionless for what felt like another hour without a minute of sleep, Claire had to accept the fact that she would not get better by lying here. Maybe if she got something to help with her hangover or moved to her own wagon it would be easier. She crawled out of the hay, passed Solomon who was enjoying the sunlight and exited his cage. She made a note to herself to never sleep outside when hangover. It wasn't the first time she had claimed she wouldn't do that. Claire locked the cage after herself. She headed in the direction of her wagon, but once she arrived she heard a woman screaming as if terrified from another wagon. She had to put her hands over her ears to prevent the headache from getting worse. She went inside her wagon to get some rest. "Screaming as if she was all alone, no consideration for the rest of us..." Claire muttered as she lay down on her bed. Unfortunately, the screaming woman had attracted more people and soon the area was crowded. Claire heard them chatting through the walls of her wagon, but she was unable to make out any words. She didn't bother trying to sleep for long after that. Claire rose again, probably looking as horrible as she was beginning to feel. She grabbed her lady's umbrella on the way out of the wagon, to have cover against the light of the sun, and stumbled towards the commons area. She hoped they could give her something to eat that may stop the beating of her forehead. Claire spotted Kate and Elijah when she arrived, waved meekly at them, and then went to ask the kitchen staff for anything they may be willing to give her for her hangover. She was given a couple of eggs and a glass of water. "Hey guys, Kate, Elijah." She placed her food next to Kate and sat down. Claire folded her umbrella together, and leaned it against their table. She was about to start eating, but instead threw her arms around Kate in a hug and pulled her towards her. "I'm sorry about earlier." She whispered, hoping that no one else would hear, but for all she knew she was screaming. Claire's hangover still made noises louder than they had any right to be. "I hope you don't tell anyone I taught him that, Kate, or I may have to teach one of them a murder command to keep the secret from getting out." She laughed weakly after that. It was only a joke. She wouldn't want anyone else to murder Kate if she betrayed her. She could do it herself in that case. "It is freaking impossible to get any sleep around here today." Claire grumbled. "Sun is shining like if we were in the southern hemisphere, not Britain and people are screaming blood murder in the morning." She turned to Kate with a faked smile. "At my wagon, not when you woke me up earlier."</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate waved at Claire in between sips of coffee, and continued chatting with Elijah and the others at the table while Claire fetched her breakfast. When she came to sit down, Kate halfway smiled at her, knowing that she still was probably feeling the effects of the previous night's binge. It shocked her a bit when Claire flung her arms around her, so she stiffened under her embrace until Claire whispered her apology to her. A sigh escaped her and Kate patted her friend on the arm with the one arm that wasn't binded by Claire's hug. "It's alright Claire, I'm sorry as well." "Amen to that," Elijah chimed in, raising his cup in approval of her comment about not getting any sleep. He was feeling better though, the caffeine seemed to have helped actually calm his nerves while also waking him up a bit, which very well may be the opposite effect of intention. Soon after Claire's mentioning of the crying woman, people around the commons tent began to grow more noisy. It seemed as if a rumor was spreading around throughout the tent, making its way from table to table. People began to get up and walk out with a brisk step, and Elijah looked around as the area was beginning to thin out rather quickly. "What in the..." Soon, the others who were sitting at their table began exchanging words about a woman, blood, screaming, and other frightening sounding phrases. They rose as well and followed the crowd out of the tent, and the three were left there with only the company of each other and the chefs. "Claire, dear, would you hurry up and eat your eggs?" Kate said as she glanced out of the entrance to the tent. "I've a feeling that there's something we are missing out on." Elijah cleared the table of his and Kate's dishes, placing them in the bin that was reserved for dirty wear. He returned to the table but did not sit down, "You watch tipsy here, I'll be right back." He exited the tent and followed the stream of people towards the wagons that housed the performers and workers. He pushed through the crowd further into the camp and saw that the collection of people were surrounding one wagon in particular. Screams could be heard, and Eli could swear that blood was covering the one window that was visible from his angle. Men were struggling to get the door to the wagon open, pushing and pulling it to no avail. Turning around, he headed back to the commons tent and found Kate and Claire again. "Something's happened. There was blood covering the window, they couldn't get the door open, I... I don't know." Kate straightened up where she sat, her eyes growing wider at the news. "What? No wonder all the jitters among the crowd... I wonder what happened." She looked at Claire, who was still finishing her hangover meal. "I suggest you finish those before you lose your appetite. We should go see what's happening out there now." She stood and waited for her less than 100% friend to join her, and then headed towards the camp.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn It was not long after that Claire had sat down and started eating that people began to run off, and murmur about some woman. Kate urged her to hurry up, and she sighed, not particularly interested in whatever new illusion was happening. Elijah ran off as well to check it out. Claire focused her attention on her meal, eating slowly as her headache was still a pain. She ate in silence, pretending like the rest of the world and the people didn't exist. It calmed her down quite a bit, but then Elijah came back to tell them more about the event, how there was blood and how they were unable to enter her wagon. "Maybe it's just her time of the month." Claire muttered, and finished her glass of water. "There's nothing wrong with my appetite, Kate. It would be better if you all stopped freaking out over whatever though." Claire stood up after Kate, grabbed her umbrella and opened it up to protect her from the light of the sun. She followed her impatient friend to the camp and back to her own wagon. The wagon everyone was interested in was one of Claire's neighbours, she hadn't noticed how close it was to hers before, but there was just one other wagon in between the two. "Oooh, spooky, they almost chose me for this prank." Claire said snarkily, her headache making her quite irritated and not in the mood for another of Elena's illusions. There wasn't even an audience or a show located among their wagons. The backstage crew had appeared with tools to get the door open. They had some of the stronger members of the circus gathered as well to assist them. As they began to pull at the door, the woman screamed and cried out. They kept pulling though, inserting a crowbar between the door and the wall of the wagon. There was a resounding crack as the door broke open, mixed with the last faint scream of the woman and the sound of blood hitting the steps up to the wagon. The sight that met them all was gruesome. The woman wore a bloody nightgown, but her body had ropes fastened to it with hooks that extended inside the wagon and likely caused her great pain whenever she had tried to move. The worst part was how she had been spiked to the door of her wagon, so that when they had managed to open it parts of her back had stuck to the door, been ripped away and finally killed her. She had a hole in her back where the parts of her that was now on the door had once been. The woman's spine and ribs were visible in the hole. Blood was trickling down the remains of her back and her legs. Claire threw up almost immediately, not even caring that there were people standing close to her. She wasn't the only one either. There were those who even fainted. As she stood looking down at her vomit on the ground, she prayed that this was indeed another illusion. Unfortunately, it didn't go away, turn into another scene or disappear when the doctor stepped forward to make a closer inspection. He didn't need to declare her dead, as it was obvious she was, but he did it anyway so everyone could hear. Claire made herself throw up a second time, appreciating the chance to clear her system of any remaining alcohol. It was the most emotionless thought she'd had in a long time. The police arrived at the scene shortly afterwards. They'd likely been called when the blood on the window was detected. They sealed off the scene, told everyone to back up and stay away while they worked. Claire was visibly shaken now. It wasn't something to mock or make light of anymore. Indeed, it had happened too close to her own wagon for her to feel anything less than frightened and worried about what may have happened if she had spent the night in her own bed.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire When they arrived at the large group forming around the wagon, Kate got on her tip toes to peek over the heads of the taller folk and get a look at the wagon. There seemed to be quite a fuss to getting the door open, and indeed blood was splattered across the window. Staying on her toes, Kate watched as the men arrived with a crowbar to pry open the door. Screaming intensified as they did so, but the pulled on with determination. What they witnessed as the door finally broke open would be burned into their memory surely, as it was far too horrendous not to be. A gasp escaped Kate and she turned away from the scene, her hand covering her mouth as she did so. Elijah quickly looked down at his shoes, his jaw clenching beneath the surface of his cheeks while he tried not to egg on a worse reaction from those around him. Claire doubled over as she heaved up the contents of her stomach. Kate tried to focus on Claire instead of the bone-chilling scene laid out before them, so she held Claire's hair with one hand and gently rubbed her back with the other while she retched. The thought that this event had occurred so close to Claire's wagon sent a chill down Kate's spine. What if Claire had actually slept in her wagon that night? Would the same fate have met her? It made Kate sick to think about, so she pushed the thoughts away and comforted Claire as best she could in the condition she was in herself. When the police showed, the scene was blocked off and bystanders were told to make themselves scarce, save for a few they questioned as witnesses. Elijah turned to Kate and Claire and then motioned for them to move. "Let's get out of here, ladies. This is certainly something that need not be witnessed any further." He put a hand on each of their shoulders and pushed them forward gently, herding them away from the bloody backdrop. Kate took Claire's hand and squeezed tightly while they walked, now not wanting either of her friends to be out of her sight. Who knew if the maniac who committed the crime was still running around the tents, waiting for his next victim. She swallowed hard and kept a firm grip on Claire. Elijah had pushed them in the opposite direction of the wagon camp, and they now stood just on the edge of the circus grounds. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face and around his neck. Thoughts were tumbling through his mind. As gruesome as it was, he could not help but come back to the image burned into his mind and wonder. The woman had been bound and staked to the door... then whomever did such a task would have to be inside the wagon during, literally barricading themselves in with the woman on the door. Then how did they escape? To fit out the window, they would have to be a person of small stature, but they were strong enough to tie the woman up? None of it made any sense, and he shook his head. "Do you girls need anything? Water, or perhaps maybe some heavy liquor?" His face was flush but he was trying to prevent them from freaking out further. Kate shook her head, her hands were shaking and she was pale. Elijah went to fetch water anyways, figuring it might come in handy regardless. Kate turned to Claire and threw her arms around her, squeezing tightly. "What if that had been you? Thank bloody God that you're so attuned to sleeping with Solomon now... That secret command you let slip may prove useful."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire had felt Kate's hands on her back and in her hair when she threw up. It would normally have made her feel a bit better, but she doubted anything could improve the situation. She had drunk too much and now witnessed the horrible murder scene of a neighbour. "I can walk myself." Claire muttered when Elijah touched and pushed her. She began to walk faster, but felt someone grasping her hand tightly. Claire thought it was Elijah again and was about to chew him out, then she noticed it was Kate holding her. She raised an eyebrow, surprised that Kate would hold her hand, but she realized she didn't mind it as much as she would have if it had been anyone else. She let Kate squeeze her hand in hers, but didn't return the gesture. "Water would be nice." Claire answered Elijah, feeling her stomach begin to turn again at the thought of drinking any more liquor. "Thank you." Kate threw her arms around Claire when Elijah had left them alone, and she couldn't help but think that she was being very handsy all of a sudden. She supposed it was natural as her friend was genuinely scared for Claire's well-being. "Oh, you don't need to worry about me." Claire said, trying to laugh it off and act like she wasn't affected by what had happened. She failed at it though, fear showing itself in her voice. "Let's sit down, I feel so tired." She waited for Kate to sit down on the grass nearby, then placed herself in her lap. This way she would hopefully calm Kate down and assure her that she was not going anywhere. At least that was what she told herself when she decided where to sit. "I'm not going anywhere, sis." Claire said, and leaned her head against Kate's shoulder, breathing against her neck. She finally felt like she could get some rest, despite having seen that shocking scene her body was not able to catch up fully to the events. "I promise." "I doubt Solomon would be much help though." She laughed weakly. "You were right with what you said earlier, He is too much of an oversized housecat. It would be better if I taught one of the others the command. Maybe Sheila, she can be quite hostile to humans when she feels like being left alone." Claire smiled. "Or maybe I should get a gun or something else to protect myself with. Still, I am not the only one at risk. Maybe they will strike again, somewhere else entirely…" Claire continued talking, but it turned into soft murmurs as she felt her mind and body relaxing for a nap. She moved a bit, to get a more comfortable sleeping position, accidentally pressing her body and chest against Kate. "Fluffy pillow." Claire murmured, some of the few words that were understandable among everything that she mumbled. She just wanted a short nap so her body would get better from the hangover and the tiredness, then they could do what seemed best to deal with all these problems happening around them. She wished things had remained in the same state they used to be in forever, but now the peace had been disturbed at its roots.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate nodded to Claire and sat down with her on a soft spot of grass nearby to where they had been standing. It was a pleasant surprise when Claire plopped down in her lap, giving Kate more of a sense of reassurance. However, a different feeling tingled down her spine when she felt Claire's breath against her neck and her head on her shoulder. Trying her hardest not to let that tingling feeling show outwardly, Kate inhaled and swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn't remember when her feelings towards Claire had taken on a different nature, but she had decided to keep it to herself. After all, this was the girl she ran away with all those years ago, and the last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize their friendship as it was. But lately, it had become harder to not express her affection a bit more. And now with the occurrence of recent events, Kate felt a pang in her heart that tugged in a different way than it had before. All she could do was hope that Claire took it as friendly affection, not anything more that would drive her away. A smile appeared on her face at Claire's agreement to her titling Solomon as a big fluffy tomcat. But then the smile faded at the mention that the killer could strike again, which only worried her even more. The police had been at the scene of the bloody murder to investigate, surely they would follow up and pursue the one responsible, right? They wouldn't let some lunatic just roam around waiting for the next kill, would they? This time, the role was reversed of who was muttering on as Claire sleepily murmured and carried on while she fell asleep. When she moved around to get comfortable, Kate felt the same feeling she had moments ago while goosebumps rose on her arms and her neck. She smiled to herself as Claire muttered her last few words before falling asleep. Kate then put an arm around her and rested her chin on the top of Claire's head. "Alright, here's the-" Elijah stopped speaking when he walked up and saw Claire and Kate muddled together in a bundle, one of the two who appeared to be napping. He raised an eyebrow, but set the canteen of water that he had retrieved down and also took a seat on the ground. It was far too early in the morning to have already been so eventful. He laid back and placed his arms behind his head, looking up at the sky as he sighed. Kate kept her chin lightly on Claire, but looked over at Eli. He turned his head towards her and gave her a warm smile, to which she returned one of her own. It was sort of relieving to sit in silence for a moment and allow their minds to be clear, not frantic about what they had just witnessed. Kate decided to follow in her friend's footsteps and she closed her eyes. Eli was not as quick to settle, and he looked up at the sky again, putting one hand on the spot where he had been stabbed last night. His mind was wandering again while his friends rested, and he tried in his mind to figure out the mysteries that had unfolded the night before and that morning.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire got a chance to sleep off the worst of the hangover and her exhaustion. Hours passed sleeping with Kate as her pillow and bed. She felt a tickling sensation traveling slowly up her stomach at some point, and coming to a halt at her bosom. It made her smile and try to move away from it in her sleep, but whatever it was had gotten underneath her shirt. "Stop it." Claire mumbled, half-asleep. However, instead of stopping it began to fiddle with her bra and squeeze her inappropriately. Claire opened her eyes, quite shocked and appalled. Who the hell would do something like that to her when she was asleep!? She found an arm slipped under her shirt, and discovered that the arm belonged to Kate, who had her eyes closed, but still kept fondling Claire. "Kate! What do you think you're doing?" Claire asked, not amused in the slightest. She shoved the woman so she would cease pretending to be asleep. She had to pull her hand away from her using force, as if it had a life of its own. "Do you think this is funny?" She snarled when Kate had opened her eyes. "How many times have you… been touching me while I was asleep?" She sounded a lot more disgusted by the action than she actually was. If anything, Claire was surprised and unsure of how to react to the situation. "I don't even know what to say to you! I guess it's a good thing I sleep with a tiger instead of alone." Claire grasped her throat when the words came out loud, hostile and revolted. That hadn't been her intention. She stood up, stepped away and turned her back on Kate. The sight that met her instead of her perverted friend was something entirely unexpected and horrifying, but at least she could come to the conclusion that this was all a dream and Kate hadn't been touching her weirdly in real life. At least the real Kate wasn't a closeted pervert, even if the Kate in this dream was. Ahead of her laid a barren, dark and volcanic land of ash. There were rivers of burning fire with black smoke filling the air above them. The tents and wagon of the circus that should have been there were gone. No, not gone completely. She did notice burned down remains of what could have once been a number of wagons. Pieces of fabric that had once belonged to tents could be seen floating on the hot winds that swept the area. Purgatory, was the first word that came to mind to describe the area in this nightmare. Why couldn't she have gotten another pleasant dream about adventures with her kittens? Claire sighed and pinched herself to try to wake back up. It didn't work though. It contributed to the creepy feeling that had inserted itself in her mind about how this was all too real. It made her wonder who the Kate in this dream was, but she didn't dare turning around to check if her friend had changed shape as well.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It had been a while since Kate had fallen asleep with Claire on top of her and Eli to her side. Surprisingly enough, it was a peaceful sleep despite the unrest she had experienced the night before. She was enjoying the rest, pleasant thoughts filled her head until Claire started squirming around. Kate grumbled in her sleep and turned her head, sighing as she slowly started to wake from the disturbance. Kate felt a jolt as Claire pushed her, waking her up fully now. She furrowed her brow when she opened her eyes and was about to yell at Claire for waking her when she discovered her arm was wrapped around Claire, up her shirt and resting on her chest. Kate's eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to say something, but all she could manage was to stutter over her words. She tried to remove her arm but found that she was unable to. The thumping in her chest grew to an audible tone as her heart beat practically out of her chest with panic. Claire pried her arm away and Kate looked from it to Claire, her eyes were frantic. "Wait! Claire, no, I didn't...!" The whole ordeal had woken Elijah, who sat up and felt something trickling down his neck. He subconsciously rubbed the area and looked down to his hand to reveal it was covered in blood. He screamed and scooted back quickly, checking for a wound on his neck but finding only blood that was flowing from some unknown source. Kate looked at Eli when he cried out and her eyes grew even wider, she scooted over to him and put a hand on his neck but couldn't find a hole either. The words left Claire's mouth with hatred and Kate turned her head towards her, the pain of the words visible on her face. Her head started to spin and she looked down at the blood now on her hands as well. She was mortified at the whole situation, it was as if her worst nightmare was playing out before her. Elijah started wheezing, but he coughed and pushed Kate away. "I'm fine," He grumbled and stood. Kate did as well and they were left gazing out at a wasteland that swallowed them from every angle. Kate looked around and thought that this must all be a figment of her imagination, so she closed her eyes and then opened them back up, hoping that she would instead be met with tents and grass and her friends napping lazily beside her. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The same scene extended for as far as she could see, and her jaw hung ajar. "No, no, no. Where the hell are we?" She questioned, fear in her voice. Elijah had stepped away from Kate, for all he knew she had been the one to cause the bleeding in his neck again, making his experience from the previous night all too real. Kate was left with the backs of her two best friends turned to her, trapped in a barren and bizarre land that seemed to only want to make her fall into insanity. "Claire, listen to me. I didn't do that!" She turned to Elijah, "Eli, what's with you?" Tears welled up in her eyes and then streamed down her face as she prayed for it all just to end, one way or another.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn "As if you don't know where we are, you're nothing more than a part of my dream." Claire snapped at Kate. "We are standing among the ruins of the circus." Claire was angered when dream Kate claimed it was not her who had been touching her at all, like she had not caught her in the act of groping her. She clearly thought Claire was a moron, and that was what angered her the most. She turned around towards Kate who had tears streaming down her face, as much as she hated to see her friend cry she had to remind herself this wasn't her real friend anyway. Claire raised her hand and held it in front of Kate. "Look at it! Look at it, Kate!" She shouted, and then slapped Kate across her face. "That wasn't me! I didn't do that, Kate, you must believe. I would never hit you. It was someone else." She bristled with rage, clenched her teeth and felt tears beginning to form in her eyes as well, but they were not of sadness. "Do you take me for a fool?" Claire snarled. "I'm probably just some tamed barbarian with no brain, right? Cause clearly no one else than me would be dumb enough to believe you over their own eyes." Claire felt her anger subside with every heavy breath that she took. Hitting and screaming at dream Kate had felt good, and it helped her calm down, as she had let out most of the anger by taking it out on someone else. "I love the real Kate." She stated simply. It wasn't news to herself or anyone. "I trust her with my life. She would never lie to my face or hide something from me." She went on; speaking words she hoped were truth for Kate about Claire in return as well. "If she wanted to touch me like that I would… probably let her." Well, it wasn't something she needed to consider in reality, but she saw no reason for her to lose her childhood friend over something so silly. Though she hoped the real Kate would have the decency to not do it when she was asleep and unaware. That had been creepy and unwelcome. "I'm not some dumb animal." Claire muttered to herself. "Animals aren't dumb either." She hated the idea that Kate would think about her like some did. Those who whispered behind her back about how she was uncivilized and had no understanding of how human interaction worked so she spent all her time with animals that were as smart as her, but just because she knew how it worked did not mean she wanted to be a large part of it. She was a member of a traveling circus for fucks sake. Claire sighed. "Any suggestions for how I get out of this nightmare into something more pleasant?" She turned to look at each of her friends' dream replicas. "Elijah? Pervert Kate?" She turned back to the area around them. One of her worst fears come alive, her home destroyed and everyone gone. At least she hadn't seen any corpses or signs of her kittens demise, so she could pretend like it was fine. It felt like the walls of her mind that had imagined this wanted to crush her psyche though.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire It was unknown to Kate why her friends had suddenly turned their back on her. Were they mad? Or was she? This must be some twisted joke, a hallucination caused by some outside influence. There was no way this could be real, yet it felt as real as anything she had ever experienced. Her eyes held a glossy stare on Claire as she yelled and let out her rage towards Kate. It was when she approached her and put her hand in the air that Kate grew terrified, but before she could react, Claire's hand made contact with Kate's face and sent her reeling to the side, holding her face where a red mark was quickly appearing. A cry escaped her, more out of shock than pain. This trippy simulation was beginning to overwhelm Kate and her frustration was mounting. It was cruel, the way she was being treated by her friends, which told her it must be fake. The words that left Claire's mouth and were directed at her began to gnaw away at the bit of sanity she was keeping here. Kate stood there, frozen in shock at the slap to the face and the hurtful words that targeted her very soul. Now her sadness was turning into anger. Why was this happening? If this were a terrible dream, she would not be able to feel the pain radiating on her cheek like she did. It didn't matter anymore, her hope was fleeting and she was sure she would be trapped forever here in this hell hole of a dream, doomed to live in it for eternity. Elijah had turned when he heard Claire's hand smack across Kate's face. He considered approaching her, but only for a moment before deciding that he was better off keeping to himself. His hand was pressed against his neck, and blood continued to pour down his torso from a phantom wound that could not be found. The sight of the blood made bile gather in the back of his throat and he bent over to heave. He felt a sharp pain as he vomited, and opened his eyes to see that in a pile of puke and blood lie a double-sided blade. Eli gagged and tasted something metallic in his mouth, which he now could not distinguish between blood or actual forged element. This sent him stumbling backwards, eyes wide and arms frantically splayed at his side. He glared at Claire and rolled his eyes, standing and backing away from the two women. His hands were still tightly wrapped around his neck as he used every bit of concentration in his body to keep from having a panic attack and falling into an oblivion of madness. Kate had clenched her jaw and blinked away tears of rage, all the while listening to Claire ramble on. "I am the real Kate!" She said through locked teeth. It did take her by surprise when Claire stated that she probably would let Kate touch her in a different way than friends really should, but she did not take this statement to be true, but rather a result of an angry outburst. Kate threw a hand to her face in an annoyed gesture. She had never thought Claire to be barbaric or unintelligent. In fact when she heard other people from the circus talking behind her back, Kate had threatened to pin them up and use them as target practice if they kept it up. Elijah turned his head towards the pair at the sound of his name, but he scoffed. Kate shook her head and let it hang hopelessly in defeat. "Nightmare? This is more like worst fears come true..." She remarked. But then, her head jumped up and her brain began working. "Wait!" She started thinking about a time when she had visited a gypsy that traveled with the circus. The woman had once said "If you want to be free of your worst nightmare, you must first face your fears. Only then will you have peace of mind." Kate recited those very words and looked from Claire to Elijah, unsure of whether they were a part of her nightmare or trapped in this place with their own, but she knew now the answer to how to escape this terrifying world. "Face your fears."</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire "Do I look like a bloody magician?" Kate directed at Claire, who was being far too sarcastic for her liking at this particular moment in time. "I don't know how the hell we got in here, but I want to get out and your smart ass comments aren't going to help." It didn't matter how they had gotten there to her, at least not right now. The multitude of things that had been weighing on Kate since they woke up in this hell hole just ten minutes ago was beginning to push her to a point of frustration. She was pretty convinced that they all were in fact trapped together in one nightmare, each with a fear to face. For what reason, God may not even know. A look of pure vexation spread across Kate's face as Claire had finally seemed to put two and two together. It was offensive to Kate for Claire to even question her reasoning like that, as if it were really that simple. The laughing that resulted from the accusations was equally perturbing, unsettling her even further than she thought was possible. "Is this funny to you, Claire?" The volume of her voice had raised, and tears threatened to well in her eyes again. "Does slapping me around and ridiculing me make you feel better?!" This was far from the ideal situation to face this particular fear in. A sunny day, picnic lunch, laughing and smiling from ear to ear. That was how Kate had hoped it would be, should she ever want to bring her feelings to light. Then again, maybe that was the point in all of this. Fears would never be faced unless they were breathing down your neck while you shake like a terror-stricken infant. Elijah clenched his jaw at the questioning of his fear. The thing that Claire seemed to be neglecting was that this fear was fresh. Never before had he been shy of the blades, confident in both his and Kate's ability so that he trusted her with his life. All of that changed two days ago when his confidence had been shattered and his neck stabbed. Granted, the whole thing turned out to be some sort of insane illusion. However, the fact that it all mysteriously disappeared did not prevent his mind from becoming fearful of a repeated situation. Both Eli and Kate turned when Claire suddenly quieted. A tiger could be seen approaching a distance away, in its mouth a smaller version of itself. There was something off about it; it seemed to be feral, not tame as the big cats of the circus were. Claire's reaction was proper for coming face to face with something she was not fond of, and Kate felt like commenting on it. However, she quelled her frustration in light of the situation. It was not fair for her wish Claire such a terrible experience. Hell, it wasn't fair for any of them to be treating each other like they had. She sighed and stepped towards her friends, weary of the wild animal that had just appeared. If it was part of Claire's fear, maybe it would remain focused on her and away from Kate and Eli. Or at least she could hope it would. Kate looked at Claire and then spoke softly, "It's okay Claire." She refrained from placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, "I'm here for you." Then she turned to Elijah, "You too, Eli." An idea formed in her head and she closed her eyes. When she opened them, three blades were lying in her hands. She looked at Eli and pressed her lips together into a thin line. "Look at me, and relax." She drew her arm back, staring straight at Elijah. His breath grew ragged and his pulse quick. Sweat started to bead on his forehead, but he kept his gaze straight at Kate as she threw her arm forward and released. Not once did he blink, and the blade whirred past his head. He swallowed the lump in his throat and waited for the other two to fly at his being. They too passed without a quiver in their path, and his eyes did not close until the last blade had flown past him, daringly close to his neck. One fear down, two to go.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn "Of course it doesn't make me feel better. Why would it?" She couldn't stop a second laugh from escaping her though, and mumbled to herself. "I hope that groping my breasts made you feel better at least." Despite what Claire had done to Kate when she was under the assumption that she was part of the nightmare, her friend comforted her when she was faced with her own fear. Claire felt grateful that she had someone like Kate in her life, and she had felt like that more times than she could remember. "Thanks, Kate, I appreciate it." Kate summoned blades out of thin air. She threw them at Elijah and missed him as she had intended to do. Claire wondered if it was truly that easy to defeat his fear. He was afraid of getting hit, not letting Kate throw blades at him, right? It seemed to work and make him more at ease though. Claire would have hit him and healed his wound if she had been in Kate's shoes, to show him that getting hit wasn't the end of the world. Claire had her own fear to deal with. She had to disregard her two friends and focus on the wild Solomon that was coming closer. Why were there two of them? She understood that it made sense for a number of her fears to be symbolized by Solomon, but why not just one white tiger? Solomon kept circling her, growling and whining at her. He never came up to her though. Claire had to think about which one of her fears she was actually facing here. It occurred to her that it might have something to do with what would have happened to Solomon if they had never met. His life had been made better because she had adopted him, but what if she had never been able to do that or inadvertently hurt him in some way by bringing him up? There were times when she had doubted her skills as a lion tamer, and thought about what harm she could have caused to her kittens if she had been careless. She had never wanted to hurt an animal in her life, but were they really better off living in a circus than living in the wild? She doubted they could be returned to the wild once tamed, but still, it was a disconcerting idea. Claire closed her eyes like Kate had done, and thought about her whip. She could feel it in her hand before she opened her eyes again. If she were to face her fear, she had to deliberately hurt Solomon. The thought alone made her feel to her very soul. The white tiger dropped his younger self on the ground, bared his teeth and inched closer to her. She used the whip on the ground next to and in front of him, but he didn't react at all. He grabbed Claire's clothes in his mouth and growled at her. She couldn't get herself to do it anyway. Solomon bit her leg and drew blood, but while she screamed and felt the pain she figured she could endure it. It wasn't until she heard the crunching of her bone that she closed her eyes hard and used the whip on the face of the tiger. He released his grip on her leg, and Claire opened her eyes. She saw the mark of the whip across his face, but he looked tame, like his usual self and somewhat sad about having hurt his master. He tried to lick her wound clean before he bothered acknowledging his own. She bent down and hugged him, crying against his fur. "I'm sorry." She felt him fade in her arms, and the only proof left that there had been a feral Solomon in the first place was the cub he'd left behind. Although baby Solomon wasn't whining anymore, he was running around her and playing with her clothes, as energetic as ever. She breathed a sigh of relief, and wiped the tears from her eyes. The only one who hadn't faced their fear yet of the three of them was Kate. Claire looked at her, trying to contain her smile and laughter. It actually was funny to her now though, because Elijah and herself had fears she could understand. Kate's was a bit silly in comparison. "How do you want to face your fear then, Kate? Do you want to start where you left off?" Claire giggled, but put her hand over her mouth.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah and Kate stepped back as the big cat began circling Claire, growling and appearing rather intimidating. It was unknown to Kate what fear this was, or why there were two tigers instead of just one. However, it made sense to her that it involved a version of Solomon. Claire's life revolved around those beautiful creatures, and without them she wouldn't be the same. When the big cat grew more aggressive and bit Claire's leg, Kate instinctively took a step forward. Eli grabbed her arm and shook his head, pulling her back towards him. "She needs to do this." The pair watched nervously as the whole scene played out. Something as simple as striking the tiger with a tamer's whip ended the gruesome event and Claire fell to comfort the now tamed beast, which soon disappeared. All that was left of the ordeal was the charming baby tiger, as if it were the reward and symbol of a fear overcome. Claire and Elijah were now fear-free, or at least of one of their fears. It all fell to Kate now, who looked nervously from Claire to Eli as she questioned what she was supposed to do. "Well, uh..." It occurred to her that she didn't really know exactly what she was afraid of. Was she afraid of Claire finding out about her feelings? No, not really. She had pondered the idea of telling her before. Was she afraid of herself? Of others finding out? No, and no. Kate wasn't one to entertain the opinions of others, nor was she uncomfortable in her own skin. Thinking back to the events of when she first woke up in this horror-ridden wasteland, she remembered how her arm had decided to take it upon itself to feel up Claire. Recalling that she was unable to move her arm, she thought that may have something to do with it. Why would a part of her body fall under something else's control? Kate would never imagine touching Claire while she was asleep or unknowing of it, and she was certain that she wouldn't subconsciously do it. The reaction though... the reaction that Claire had at the discovery was of pure disgust and broken trust. That was what had gotten to Kate so badly, it had shaken her to the core. Kate realized she wasn't afraid of Claire finding out her feelings, she was afraid of losing Claire over them. That was the reason she had never decided to tell her, because having her as her friend was invaluable compared to driving her away over some silly emotions. That was what scared her the most, not having Claire in her life because she didn't feel the same way. "Claire..." Kate turned to her and scratched at her neck nervously. Yet she still didn't know how she was supposed to face this fear. She supposed the only way would be to fess up and face the consequences, no matter what they were. "First of all, I swear that I had no control over what happened earlier. But, if I'm being honest..." her feet shifted nervously under her, afraid that all Claire will be able to do is giggle at her. "There is something I've been needing to tell you. I don't remember when I started thinking of you differently, but, I uh... I need you to know that I think of you as more than a friend." She winced at the sound of her words, knowing how silly it must sound. "I fancy you, Claire. There, I said it." But she didn't feel any different, the words that she spoke were true and yet she still felt afraid. Nervously, she swallowed and looked at Claire. "Oh, for God's sake. Screw it." Kate stepped towards Claire and pressed her lips against hers in a gentle kiss, closing her eyes and praying that when she opened them, it would all be over with. Elijah stood off to the side, trying to contain the smile and chuckle that was threatening to burst out.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate kept her eyes squeezed shut, not wanting to see the look on Claire's face since she had practically just assaulted her face with her own. The blackness of the back of her eyelids was the last thing she saw before falling back into slumber. Her body was relaxed while her mind caught up to the switch in realities. Slowly, she stirred. Peeking her eyes open, she came to. Met with the same scene that she had originally fallen asleep to, she was pleasantly surprised. It made her question if the nightmare she had just experienced was some crazy lucid dreaming or an unfortunately real event that took over her subconsciousness. It took her a minute to realize Claire was still sleeping on top of her, her head on her shoulder. Kate's arm was still wrapped around Claire too, but luckily this time it was resting comfortably on her side. She breathed a sigh of relief and figured that the whole experience had just been some terrible dream brought on by the gruesome scenes she had witnessed over the past two days. Unfortunately, that meant that the warm fuzzy feeling that she felt with Claire in her arms wouldn't be a shared experience, but something she was doomed to keep to herself. Gently, she rested her chin on Claire's head again and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment before the others woke. Eli groaned and rolled over, his eyes cracking open and squinting while his vision turned from fuzzy to clear. Blinking, he looked over at Kate and Claire, who appeared to be sleeping. He sat up and rubbed his face, a hand passing over his neck at the memory of his nightmare. The water he had fetched earlier was still sitting to the side, and he took a drink. Kate noticed Eli was awake, and she thought she could see Claire's eyes moving beneath her eyelids. Still, she whispered when she spoke. "Did you enjoy your nap, Eli?" She asked, knowing that hers was not as well as she could have hoped. He looked over and greeted her with a smile, but it didn't last long and he shook his head. "No, I had an awful nightmare." Kate's eyes narrowed at him and she took on a questioning tone. "As did I, you and Claire were both in it." With that news, Eli's face went flush and he shook his head in disbelief. "You two were in mine as well... It wasn't, I mean, did you-" His eyebrows raised and he motioned towards Claire, who was still lying on top of Kate. Kate's eyes grew wide and her face grew hot at the realization of what Elijah was insinuating. So it was all real, afterall. Hesitantly, she nodded at him and her face showed the concern she felt. "What sort of craziness is going on here?" She questioned.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire blushed fiercely after she had heard the conversation between Elijah and Kate. She pressed her face against Kate's shoulder as if to escape and hide from the consequences of the nightmare. It took her a while to realize she was pressing herself against the person who made her want to sink into the earth to begin with. She didn't actually want to hide from Kate, but how was she supposed to react to the two of them talking about how they had kissed in some strange shared dream. Elijah probably knew Claire had returned the kiss as well, since he'd been there watching. They probably thought it was funny. Claire had found it funnier when Kate had been so bothered about groping her in her sleep and lied about how she hadn't done it intentionally. The thought made her very aware of how their two bodies were touching one another. Claire lay on top of Kate, gravity pressing her body down on the other woman's body. Their bosoms were pressed together, and their legs were intertwined. It wasn't the first time she'd slept with Kate, but now it took on a whole other meaning. She'd never slept with Kate like a man would sleep with a woman. Women weren't supposed to be doing such things with each other, were they? She wondered when Kate had first realized she wanted to touch and kiss her. Had it been when they were younger? They had had more than a few sleepovers in each other's wagons, laughing and having fun. Claire had compared her body to Kate's, because she thought it was more attractive and she seemed to be attracting more attention from boys. She blushed when she remembered asking Kate if she thought she was attractive, as she had been wearing nothing else than her nightgown. Maybe the rumours about the two of them being involved like that had never been Claire's fault as she had assumed. People always talked more about her than Kate as far as she could tell, so it had been logical to assume they thought Claire was a pervert. They said she slept with her big cats after all, but maybe they had known something about Kate she had not. A stranger thought made her feel warm inside, because someone wanted to touch and kiss her. No one had confessed to wanting to do that before. She was scared of what would happen if anyone else found out about it. She shouldn't be having such thoughts about female friends, but now she knew Kate was and had been thinking about her like that. Claire kept her eyes shut though, as all these thoughts rushed through her head, so she figured she could continue pretending to be asleep. She soon begun to fake her snoring, as if to make the other two believe she was fast asleep.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah shrugged his shoulders and looked down at the ground, piddling with a few blades of grass as he pondered. What in the world would cause them all to share the same nightmare? It was a mystery to him, but he was beginning to look at the bigger picture, the strange events that had been occurring around the circus. First had been the horrific incident with his and Kate's act. That had never happened before, sure she had nicked him before but nothing ever came close to his carotid like that had. It was almost as if the knife had strayed from its path, an invisible breath of air that sent it a few centimeters off course, right into his throat. The following acts all experienced similar irregularities, though none were quite as violent. Still... there was something off about each of them. Not to mention the ring master, Elena's final act. It almost looked of witchcraft. The thought made Elijah question the possibility that their boss had something to do with what was occurring. "Something strange is going on here..." He looked at Kate with his brow in a knot. "Do you think it has anything to do with that weird chanting Elena did last night?" Kate shook her head and pressed her lips together in thought, "I don't know. She's done chanting before, it's all part of the act. But that was some strange stuff she was managing to conjure up." Kate felt Claire sink into her and she looked down at her. She looked troubled while she slept. Surely she wasn't still trapped in a nightmare, was she? Or perhaps flung into another? No, otherwise the incident with the tiger would not have been resolved so convincingly. Kate wondered what was bothering her friend, but she decided to let her sleep. After all, she was probably still feeling the effects of her hang over. Her mind wandered to the murder that they had the unfortunate privilege of witnessing earlier. The oddity of it made her wonder, how was such a feat pulled off without leaving a trace? Granted, the police had had little time to investigate much further. Still, she thought that such a bloody ordeal would've definitely resulted in a equally bloody trail to follow. "What of the woman this morning? Do you believe that to be of the same nature?" Kate questioned. He looked down in thought for a moment and then nodded slowly. "If I had to take a guess... yes. I don't see another explanation for it. And that nightmare that we were all thrown into? Together, no less? It all has to be related, so many freaky events could hardly be coincidental." "Well if that's the case, we need to get to the bottom of what's happening. At least to save our own skins. I don't know about you, but I'm not fond of the idea of being thrown into a demented nightmare every time I close my eyes." Elijah shook his head with widened eyes, "Oh, hell no." Kate laughed lightly, trying not to disturb Claire who soon started snoring. Something sounded off though... Claire wasn't usually a snorer. At least not like that, to Kate's knowledge. She narrowed her eyes at the woman in her lap and patted her. "Claire... I know you aren't sleeping anymore. Wake up, would ya?" She gently shook her friend, "We've got some stuff to talk about."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire listened to them speak, and thankfully they changed the subject away from what had happened in the dream. Maybe Elijah hadn't noticed how Claire had returned the kiss after all, or they just didn't want to talk about it when she was right there. Maybe they'd prefer talking about it behind her back like everyone else. The topic they talked about concerned Claire as well. If there were truly something sinister and evil going on at the circus, then it concerned all of them. She had to wonder if Elena had ever meant to take it this far. She didn't particularly like her boss, but she had thought of her as competent and well-meaning up until now. After what had happened, she had to question that though if it turned out that Elena was involved in more ways than one. Claire was surprised by Kate's apparent selfishness. Personally, she wanted most of her circus family to survive as well, not just save her own skin and get away with it. If that was all Kate wanted to do she may as well leave and find another circus, no? She doubted this curse, or whatever it was, had struck them all. She pushed her head against Kate's shoulder when the woman shook her and told her that she knew she wasn't asleep anymore. She couldn't know that for certain, so Claire tried to convince that she was in fact still asleep. Claire kept snoring, even going so far as to make the noises louder. "I am asleep." She muttered, but of course that gave the fact that she wasn't sleeping away. "Oh, bother…" Claire opened her eyes, rolled off of Kate and raised her knees to her head in a sitting position. She wanted to hide, not talk about whatever had happened between them, assuming that was what Kate wanted to talk about. She blushed and looked down at the ground, keeping her head pressed against her knees. "What stuff?" She asked after sitting quiet and motionless for a moment. "I thought we had talked enough for today. There's no need to talk about anything." Claire coughed and stood up. "I can't talk at all. My voice is hoarse and you wouldn't understand what I'm saying. Also, I need to go check on my chores and big cats now." She nodded determinedly and spun around to walk away. "Yup, no need to talk about anything's that happened. It's all a bunch of elaborate illusions." She doubted Kate would take her seriously though. If anything, she might take it as dismissive and rude. As she walked away slowly she felt her cheeks turning hot and she had to stare down at the ground so no one else would notice it. She didn't want Kate to get the wrong idea, but she had to figure out what that was to begin with.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate rolled her eyes when Claire tried to convince them further about her sleeping state. Elijah chuckled and shook his head as he watched Claire roll off of Kate and give up on the antics. He tossed a canteen of water towards Claire, since she had been the one to request it earlier when he had left. Kate sat up after Claire had moved off of her, brushing the grass off of her back and arms. There was a crick in her neck, a result of what she presumed to be sleeping so awkwardly for those hours. Her hand rubbed the base of her neck and she raised an eyebrow at Claire, who seemed to be sitting uncomfortably a few feet away. She wondered if something was bothering her, perhaps what had gone down in the crazy dreamland. Kate didn't have to ponder on it long though, because Claire's sudden ramblings confirmed that something was up. All she could do was hope that her actions hadn't caused some sort of rift between them. That was exactly why she hadn't acted on her emotions beforehand, but she really didn't have a choice in the nightmare if they all wanted to get out of it without going mad first. "Well, we need to-" Kate opened her mouth to respond to Claire but was cut off when the woman decided to talk at an increasingly fast pace. Elijah looked over at her and they exchanged looks of concern and confusion before standing up after Claire. It seemed as though she was just searching for excuses to escape the conversation and get away from the pair, or more particularly, from Kate. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Kate said as Claire turned around to leave. Regardless of if she was uncomfortable around her, they were all probably better off sticking together considering recent events. Kate quickly closed the distance Claire had made from them and reached her hand out, grabbing Claire's arm to stop her from leaving. "Claire, wait. It isn't wise to just run off by yourself." She realized that she was still holding on to Claire's wrist, and she quickly released her grip, fearing it may just make her want to get away even more. Kate took in a deep breath and sighed. "Look, what happened in the 'illusion' as you call it... I understand if you don't want to talk about it." She shifted uncomfortably on her feet and looked at the ground. "We don't have to talk about that right now. You can pretend like it was all some mind trick, but look at everything that's been happening. Something sinister is going on around here and we need to stick together." Kate looked to Eli for some support, before Claire tried to run off by herself. He nodded his head, "Kate is right. If you want to check on the animals, that is fine. But we should go with you."</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire stiffened when Kate grabbed her arm. She would have thought Kate would be smart enough to not touch her when she was behaving like this, but maybe the pervert just wanted a chance to grope her again. She did remove her hand again, and Claire felt disgusted with herself for thinking such a thought about her best friend. She had said she would be fine with it if Kate wanted to touch her when they were in the dream. Funny how reality was able to mess with her mind and confuse her feelings even more than a nightmare. Claire listened to what Kate and Elijah had to say, with her head turned, not looking directly at them. She didn't know if what Kate suggested she do what was she wanted to do. How could she not understand that she might need time to process everything that had happened? Maybe Claire needed to tell her to back off and give her a chance to think, because at least then she would be left alone long enough to consider the odd prospect of them being more than friends. "I never said that's what I wanted, Kate. Maybe you need to stop talking long enough for the rest of us to think!" She muttered. "That's what I want to do, so leave me alone to do so." She wanted to walk off and leave them standing there, but then they had some good points. Someone had just been murdered brutally, and that wasn't the only unexplainable event that had taken place lately. Claire could claim they were illusions all she wanted, but it clearly would not stop them from hurting her or possibly ending her life. "Fine then. I suppose sticking together is best for now if you're afraid of being alone." Claire finally said and sighed. They needed her with them more than she needed them with her when she had her big cats. "I wouldn't be alone either way though. I've got my family of kittens to protect me. Maybe they'd protect you too if you behave." Claire straightened her clothes, and then she headed towards the part of the circus where the animals where kept. There should be nothing to fear. She wanted to think it so badly that she would likely think it until death was staring her in the face. She could try to escape with her cats, but this was her home. "What do you suggest we do then?" She asked, going back to the conversation they had had about how they should get to the bottom of things.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Kate sighed and stepped away from Claire, shaking her head to herself. As much as Kate didn't want Claire to go off alone and be a potential target to whatever forces were at work here, she couldn't ignore the cold tone and distaste that Claire was directing at her. It was clear she didn't want to be anywhere near her at the moment, but they were under some unfortunate circumstances. Claire was right though, she probably would be perfectly safe surrounded by her big cats. If not for their fierceness, the sight of them alone would be enough to stave off any potential attacker who was not familiar with them. Kate supposed that if she wanted to be left alone then she would give her space once they made it to the animal keeps. "Fine. If you want to be left alone with the cats then so be it." Kate mumbled before walking in the direction of the cages. She cared about Claire's well being, but she wasn't going to stick around if she was going to be treated coldly by her most valued friend. Kate supposed that once Claire was safely with her creatures, Kate would leave her alone as she wished. The effects of the dream seemed to have no negative effect on any of the trio's awakened life except Kate's. Elijah and Claire had been freed from a fear, while Kate's was slowly developing before her eyes. It scared her, but she decided to not worry until Claire had had time to process what exactly Kate had admitted to her in the dreamland. Kate didn't feel like talking anymore after Claire's comment, so she left the answering of her question to Eli. He followed behind the girls and shrugged his shoulders. "Well first we need to figure out what we're dealing with. And I think in order to do that we need to figure out what kind of mumbo-jumbo Elena was rattling off in the big top. But I doubt she'll be willing to just tell us, so you two better grab your spy gear." He chuckled, trying to lighten the damp mood that was surrounding the group, but to no avail. They walked the rest of the way in silence, arriving at the cages a few minutes later. There was a peculiar feel to the area, but Kate attributed it to her general nervousness. Kate stopped when they got nearer to Solomon's keep and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well here we are, if this is where you feel the safest then Eli and I will leave you to it. Besides, it would serve us well to go gather some of our blades to keep on hand anyways." Kate didn't bother making eye contact with Claire again after the looks of resentment that she had already thrown her way, so she turned to walk towards their training area where the weapons were kept. "We'll be back later, holler if you need."</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Yes, I do want to be left alone to think. Thank you for finally listening to what I'm saying, Kate. That's so very considerate of you to do after forcing me to snap at you. She tightened her fists as she thought about screaming those words at Kate. Ugh, she was being even more insufferable than she usually was when Claire turned her down. "That's nice." Claire said. It was all she could manage without screaming at Kate that maybe finding out someone you'd known since you were children suddenly wanted to fuck you wasn't something a normal person would react any better to than she had. She was so glad when Elijah interrupted the silence and actually answered her question. "I don't know. I think she may be willing to talk if she's still around." Claire said. "Elena never seemed like an evil person to me, even if she may be hard to deal with at times. Competition is fierce even when you're the biggest and best like we are." Claire shrugged. They could always try to talk with Elena afterwards too, as long as they didn't get caught trying to find out what the woman had been doing. They were more than her as well. Claire didn't want to start a witch hunt, but they could probably rile up enough people from the circus that wanted answers as well. Elena would be pressed to answer them somehow then. They reached the cages, and Claire sighed in relief to find the area undisturbed. She'd not been all that afraid that something may have happened to her kittens, but at least there were no nasty surprises waiting for her either. "Of course this is where I feel safest." Claire smiled with her whole being. It was her home among home, her sanctuary where she could feel protected and be left alone when others wanted to bother her. It was where her family lived, even though she had never had a large family she had one when she had her cats. "Cheer up, Kate." She sighed, but apparently it had to be this way because Kate couldn't give her even one hour to gather her thoughts. It wasn't like she could do anything about the confusion she felt. If Kate wanted to distance herself from Claire because of it, it would be a shame, but it would not be her fault in the end. She hoped this would just be another one of their fights years from now, assuming they had survived the events at the circus by then. Claire entered the cage of Solomon, after making sure the rest of her big cats were well fed and alright. She sat herself with her back against his stomach where he was lying. She spent a long while trying to gather her thoughts, but she felt mostly annoyed by the way Kate had acted. Finally, she managed to gather her thoughts about the two of them together as more than friends by talking to Solomon. She kept her voice low and whispering.</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah and Kate walked mostly in silence as they weaved their way between wagons and tents towards the weapons range. Kate's mind was heavy as she trudged along, her eyes aimed at her feet while she silently cursed and had arguments with herself. Why was is that she was the one being punished here? She hadn't done anything wrong, other than profess her suppressed feelings for her best friend. Ugh, if she had just suppressed them further maybe they would have disappeared altogether and they wouldn't be in this mess right now. Of course it was her fault, she couldn't just be 'normal' like all the other people in the world. No, that would be too easy. Instead she had to have the most difficult rendering of reality possible for her. Then again, she didn't deserve the disappointing look that Claire threw at her either. After all, if she hadn't done what she had they would probably still be trapped in that crazy nightmare, forever doomed. She continued to mumble to herself and throw her hands around like a mad person while she walked. Eli raised an eyebrow at her but let her be while they walked, nodding to passing coworkers while they walked through a commons area and shrugging when they pointed at Kate with a confused expression. They arrived at the place where they kept their weapons and practiced their acts all too often. But something was off. There was some type of gelatinous goop covering the chests that the weapons were kept in, and the wooden targets standing several yards away appeared to be bloodstained. Kate approached cautiously, blinking several times and rubbing her eyes before turning to Elijah. "You... see this too, right?" She asked. "Unfortunately, yes..." He approached the chest and opened it up. The contents were liquefied, the slimy substance coating the entire thing and filing it nearly to the brim. Eli grimaced, but kicked the chest over to empty it out. It nearly appeared as if the weapons had been dissolved by whatever the stuff was. It spilled out in a giant plop, coating the ground. "We should get out of here before whatever did this comes back... I've got more blades at my wagon, we can stop by there before heading back to Claire." Kate said as she had to keep herself from gagging at the sight of the gelatin goo that spread from the crate. Elijah nodded and wiped his hands with a kerchief from his pocket, tossing it to the ground after his hands were cleaned. They made it to her wagon and both entered, cautiously at first after what had been witnessed earlier near the wagons. Once Kate saw it was safe, she closed the door behind them and opened her closet. She retrieved her own throwing blades and holster before handing a larger knife to Eli, which he placed at his side. "You know, Katie, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Eli said after a few moments of silence. To which, she raised her eyebrow in speculation. "With Claire, I mean. Give her some time, you just dropped something big on her. 'Bout damn time you did too." "Wait, you knew?" Her mouth fell slightly agape. Eli chuckled and nodded, "Well, it wasn't that hard to figure it out. Not after the multitude of times you ignored my attempts at flirting that is." He smiled softly, "I wondered why you blew me off, but then I started to pay attention to the way you looked at her, every time she was around." Kate's face turned red and she let her jaw drop. It had never occurred to her that Eli had tried to make advances on her, though now that he mentioned it... she swallowed the lump in her throat and had to sit down. "Why didn't you tell me?" He shrugged, "What was there to tell? I love you Katie, but I've moved past those feelings for you. You love her, you just need to let her realize that." Kate was still a bit embarrassed, but she was able to gather her thoughts and talk to Elijah about it. Strange as it may be, it made her feel better about the situation. She realized she needed to back off and give herself and Claire a break. They finished their chat after a while and decided it was time to head back to the big cat enclosures to make sure nothing strange happened there like back at the practice range.</s>
<\|description\|>Kathryn McIntire Age: 23 Appearance: Profession: Impalement Artist Bio: Kathryn, or Kate as her friends call her, was an orphan from the night she was born. She was left on the front walk of an orphanage and nearly froze to death that night until a caretaker heard her weak cries and brought her in. She was raised there, becoming close friends with another young girl who had been taken in. At the age of 7, she and her friend ran away from the orphanage and found themselves as part of a traveling circus. That is where Kathryn was really raised, taking an interest early on in the art of impalement, specifically throwing knives. Eventually, she proved her worth and earned her own act in the show, though she had plenty of scars to show her journey. Name: Elijah Petrova Age: 27 Appearance: Profession: Animal Caretaker/Impalement arts assistant Bio: Eli grew up in the circus, his father being one of the main proprietors of the many animals the circus required for its shows. He knows many trades within the show, after all he basically lives and breathes the ring. After his father's passing, Elijah decided to remain with the circus and continue his legacy with the various animals. He also helps Kathryn with her knife throwing act, since they had met when they were both young, they learned the trade together. She convinced him eventually to let her thrown sharp pointy objects at him, and he eventually grew to trust her with his life.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Yes, I do want to be left alone to think. Thank you for finally listening to what I'm saying, Kate. That's so very considerate of you to do after forcing me to snap at you. She tightened her fists as she thought about screaming those words at Kate. Ugh, she was being even more insufferable than she usually was when Claire turned her down. "That's nice." Claire said. It was all she could manage without screaming at Kate that maybe finding out someone you'd known since you were children suddenly wanted to fuck you wasn't something a normal person would react any better to than she had. She was so glad when Elijah interrupted the silence and actually answered her question. "I don't know. I think she may be willing to talk if she's still around." Claire said. "Elena never seemed like an evil person to me, even if she may be hard to deal with at times. Competition is fierce even when you're the biggest and best like we are." Claire shrugged. They could always try to talk with Elena afterwards too, as long as they didn't get caught trying to find out what the woman had been doing. They were more than her as well. Claire didn't want to start a witch hunt, but they could probably rile up enough people from the circus that wanted answers as well. Elena would be pressed to answer them somehow then. They reached the cages, and Claire sighed in relief to find the area undisturbed. She'd not been all that afraid that something may have happened to her kittens, but at least there were no nasty surprises waiting for her either. "Of course this is where I feel safest." Claire smiled with her whole being. It was her home among home, her sanctuary where she could feel protected and be left alone when others wanted to bother her. It was where her family lived, even though she had never had a large family she had one when she had her cats. "Cheer up, Kate." She sighed, but apparently it had to be this way because Kate couldn't give her even one hour to gather her thoughts. It wasn't like she could do anything about the confusion she felt. If Kate wanted to distance herself from Claire because of it, it would be a shame, but it would not be her fault in the end. She hoped this would just be another one of their fights years from now, assuming they had survived the events at the circus by then. Claire entered the cage of Solomon, after making sure the rest of her big cats were well fed and alright. She sat herself with her back against his stomach where he was lying. She spent a long while trying to gather her thoughts, but she felt mostly annoyed by the way Kate had acted. Finally, she managed to gather her thoughts about the two of them together as more than friends by talking to Solomon. She kept her voice low and whispering.</s> <\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah and Kate walked mostly in silence as they weaved their way between wagons and tents towards the weapons range. Kate's mind was heavy as she trudged along, her eyes aimed at her feet while she silently cursed and had arguments with herself. Why was is that she was the one being punished here? She hadn't done anything wrong, other than profess her suppressed feelings for her best friend. Ugh, if she had just suppressed them further maybe they would have disappeared altogether and they wouldn't be in this mess right now. Of course it was her fault, she couldn't just be 'normal' like all the other people in the world. No, that would be too easy. Instead she had to have the most difficult rendering of reality possible for her. Then again, she didn't deserve the disappointing look that Claire threw at her either. After all, if she hadn't done what she had they would probably still be trapped in that crazy nightmare, forever doomed. She continued to mumble to herself and throw her hands around like a mad person while she walked. Eli raised an eyebrow at her but let her be while they walked, nodding to passing coworkers while they walked through a commons area and shrugging when they pointed at Kate with a confused expression. They arrived at the place where they kept their weapons and practiced their acts all too often. But something was off. There was some type of gelatinous goop covering the chests that the weapons were kept in, and the wooden targets standing several yards away appeared to be bloodstained. Kate approached cautiously, blinking several times and rubbing her eyes before turning to Elijah. "You... see this too, right?" She asked. "Unfortunately, yes..." He approached the chest and opened it up. The contents were liquefied, the slimy substance coating the entire thing and filing it nearly to the brim. Eli grimaced, but kicked the chest over to empty it out. It nearly appeared as if the weapons had been dissolved by whatever the stuff was. It spilled out in a giant plop, coating the ground. "We should get out of here before whatever did this comes back... I've got more blades at my wagon, we can stop by there before heading back to Claire." Kate said as she had to keep herself from gagging at the sight of the gelatin goo that spread from the crate. Elijah nodded and wiped his hands with a kerchief from his pocket, tossing it to the ground after his hands were cleaned. They made it to her wagon and both entered, cautiously at first after what had been witnessed earlier near the wagons. Once Kate saw it was safe, she closed the door behind them and opened her closet. She retrieved her own throwing blades and holster before handing a larger knife to Eli, which he placed at his side. "You know, Katie, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Eli said after a few moments of silence. To which, she raised her eyebrow in speculation. "With Claire, I mean. Give her some time, you just dropped something big on her. 'Bout damn time you did too." "Wait, you knew?" Her mouth fell slightly agape. Eli chuckled and nodded, "Well, it wasn't that hard to figure it out. Not after the multitude of times you ignored my attempts at flirting that is." He smiled softly, "I wondered why you blew me off, but then I started to pay attention to the way you looked at her, every time she was around." Kate's face turned red and she let her jaw drop. It had never occurred to her that Eli had tried to make advances on her, though now that he mentioned it... she swallowed the lump in her throat and had to sit down. "Why didn't you tell me?" He shrugged, "What was there to tell? I love you Katie, but I've moved past those feelings for you. You love her, you just need to let her realize that." Kate was still a bit embarrassed, but she was able to gather her thoughts and talk to Elijah about it. Strange as it may be, it made her feel better about the situation. She realized she needed to back off and give herself and Claire a break. They finished their chat after a while and decided it was time to head back to the big cat enclosures to make sure nothing strange happened there like back at the practice range.</s> <\|message\|>Claire Dunn Claire feared what would happen if things didn't work out between them, even if Kate got what she seemed to want there were no guarantees. They had worked great as friends for years, so perhaps they would work just as great as a couple. What if they didn't though? What if everything continued to fall apart after they solved this situation? Maybe they had been inevitably pushed down a slippery slope towards an end neither wanted by all of these events, but then she should try to hold onto her friend through the fall, right? Another aspect to consider was how thoroughly inexperienced she was with any of this. Her first kiss had been in a strange shared nightmare, like half an hour earlier, so by any count it probably hadn't even happened yet. How could it have if it was a dream? She wondered if Kate was more experienced than her, or if it would dissuade her from pursuing any relationship with Claire. Weirdly, that made her feel a bit sad and angry at the same time. She'd been led to believe men wanted to marry inexperienced women, so why would Kate think she had any right to judge her based on that? She calmed herself down by telling herself all of those concerns were in her head. She couldn't possibly know what Kate wanted in a partner. She thought she could have once, but clearly she must have been so wrong. Claire had teased her for being into Elijah, assuming they did things together when she was not around that would make others blush. Now she had to wonder if all they ever did of that nature was talk about what Kate wanted to do with Claire. Were they like two guys in that way? That made her blush. Claire went to retrieve her whip after she had remained motionless in thought inside of Solomon's cage for what felt like too long. She needed to distract herself from thinking, not think more; especially not along the lines she had been doing it. She found snakes where she would have usually stored her whips. It confused her at first, but she picked them up and threw them in a nearby barrel. Only one of her whips were still around, apparently someone had thought they were being funny when they exchanged the rest with snakes. She returned to Solomon's cage, where she found her friends waiting. Claire didn't know what she was supposed to do to show she was at least accepting of Kate as she was, no matter what that meant. In the end, she went up to her side and took her hand in her own, squeezing it lightly. "So what do we do now? Go slay the evil witch?" Claire made a bad attempt at a laugh, which sounded more false and nervous than anything else. "I don't think Elena is any worse than any other boss normally, so maybe we should hear her out before we do anything drastic?"</s>	<\|message\|>Kathryn McIntire Elijah and Kate had made their way back to the animal enclosures and poked around to see where Claire had run off to. Eventually she resurfaced, whip in hand. This time, Kate stood still and kept quiet instead of opening her mouth again. What Eli had said still sat fresh in her mind and she knew she needed to leave Claire be. It took Kate by great surprise when Claire took her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. She did her best not to react too greatly to the gesture, simply smiling ever so slightly and returning the squeeze. Her heart thumped in her chest at the notion that things were going to be alright. Hopefully at the very least their friendship would remain unharmed throughout the process, she could only hope. "Well, I didn't bring my pitchfork with me or else I'd say we should burn her at the stake." Elijah returned the nervous laughter with a less awkward chuckle, shaking his head. "We might as well see what she has to say, at the very least she may have some answers that could prove useful to us." He shrugged his shoulders. Kate nodded in agreement, "That's true. I don't suggest we act until we have an idea of what's really going on." She doubted Elena had done anything like this on purpose, and it was hard to believe that she was capable of such magic. That is until recently, of course. Too many oddities had occurred to deny such forces could exist. "Very well then, let's go pay the boss a visit, yeah?" Elijah tucked the blade that was on his waist into his trousers and covered it up with his shirt. No point in looking threatening if there was no need, especially not with all of the cops patrolling the grounds for their investigation. He set off leading the way, checking over his shoulder to make sure the girls were following. "Well, what are we going to say to her? We can't just knock on her door and say 'Hey Elena, mind telling us about that voodoo stuff you did the other night? Seemed a little murderous if you ask us.' She'll probably send us to the same fate as that poor woman earlier." Kate questioned. Elijah raised an eyebrow at her, but kept walking. "I think maybe you should leave the talking to me or Claire, Kate. Your way with words seems to be fleeting today." He flashed a grin, which she returned with a huff. "We should probably start vague, wait to see if she fesses up before we have to bring it up ourselves."</s>
<\|description\|>Ro'lithe Slaavex Age: 103 Gender: Hermaphrodite Race: Human Height: 6'1 Weight: 110 Appearance: Equipment: Force Staff, Ro' wears gold plated armor over her breasts and a gold colored thong of sorts to cover his male and female genitalia, her two horns are gold armored as well as her spiney tail, knee high gold colored boots accompanied by elbow length gold armored gloves complete his attire. Powers: Doombolt- Bolts made of raw chaos energy are launched by the sorcerer against his enemies. Warptime- The sorcerer alters the flow of time around himself, allowing for attacks with supernatural precision. Wind of Chaos- The sorcerer calls forth the corruption from within his soul, unleashing a golden cloud of rapturous agony or a rain of hypnotic light. Pavane of Slaanesh- The Psyker utters the forbidden dances of Slaanesh, forcing his opponents to jerk and spasm until their bones break. Sensory Overload- The Psyker overloads the nervous and sensory systems of their enemies. Siren- The sorcerer assumes the form of someone to whom the enemy, out of love or admiration, would never cause harm. Beam of Slaanesh- The sorcerer unleashes a ray of rainbow colours that confuses and disorients the enemy. Touch of Slaanesh- A delicate caress by the sorcerer renders his enemies insensible and unable to defend themselves. She Who Thirsts- Having dealt a mortal blow to his enemy, the sorcerer rips out their very soul, causing fear in those around the unfortunate being. Teleportation- Allows the sorcerer to teleport short distances. Rank Among Chaos: Chaos Lord Bio: Ro'lithe is from the twin moon Slaadux, the larger of the two moons that orbit the gas planet Disktrit, whereas Disktrit is uninhabitable both its moons are considered paradise, Slaadux is a sandy satellite with warm blue coastal waters and purple trees. Slaadux is large in comparison to its twin Razaleft but both moons are incredibly small compared to the planet they orbit. Slaadux is inhabited by a large population of humans who look to Slaanesh as their god, they are best known for their sexual nature and are leaders in the gas trade. Ro'lithe discovered her Psyker abilities and heavily endulged herself in the carnal nature of her powers, killing a large portion of the planet and its inhabitants, what was left of the Slaanesh followers quickly allied themselves with her and worshiped her for nearness to the god they so loved. Her and her followers began corrupting the twin moon Razaleft and its few human occupants. Ro'lithe received attention from Slaanesh as he blessed her with a second gender, horns and a tale, moving her followers into an even deeper state of cultish carnage, Ro' releashed the Warp once more across her planet and its neighbor causing another wave of death and destruction and spurring the remainder of the population into a cultish frenzy, Ro' continued to build their loyalty until he was called to the crusade. Aligned: Slaanesh Retinue: Ro's cultist numbers on both twin moons center around four thousand, they were able to find and recruit five hundred psykers. The moons have</s> <\|message\|>Lord Ligarius, the Diseased. The Plague Terminator, Lord Ligarius was the next to respond, his voice heavily distorted and disturbing from the ravages of the diseases festering inside him. His voice was deep, yet menacing, and his wounds festered. Blood poured from various orifices, as did pus and other instruments of the Plague Lord. It took barely a glance to recognize whom he sided with; as he was firmly, and devoutly a follower of Nurgle. In his six centuries however, six centuries of wars, petty squabbles, and service furthering Grandfather Nurgle's cause, he had never met the Dark Apostle, nor had he ever set foot in the ship he now stood on. Having heard of tales about the Chaplain Erebus, he was at once honored to meet such an early follower of Chaos itself. However, just because he was honored, did not mean he bowed prostrate or even acknowledged the Dark Apostle, save for a reverent tilt of his head. When the man finished speaking, he turned his head to the Great Unclean Ones who always guided him, always appeared to him, even if the others never saw them;He turned and spoke to them. "Great Unclean Ones, you have heard the Chaplain Erebus speak. I would heed your advice, if you give it." "Follow him. Serve the Cause of Nurgle, and rip out the False Emperor's heart!" Grimegal was the first to speak, the most enthusiastic of the three. "Mmm, if it fits the cause, why not serve?" Bleaz, the second spoke, always the more apathetic of the bunch. "Rip the head off of the False Emperor, and claim it in the name of Grandfather Nurgle! Spread virulent disease across holy Terra and make the people cry out to the Grandfather for salvation only HE can provide!" Zaeleaz said, the most violent of the three, and the one to hold the most sway over the Plague Terminator. Their piece said, their voices faded into the background, and the Plague Terminator raised his head and raised his mace above his head. When he spoke, his deep voice boomed off of the walls, resounding with a kind of devotion only found within the forces of the Plague God. "Dark Chaplain Erebus! We, the Forces of the Plague God, will carve straight to holy Terra, and rip the head from the body, spreading disease to a dying empire. It will be done."</s> <\|message\|>Kallax The Divided Lord Ghroul's arrival was not a gentle one, heralded by the cry of the Headsman's Axe and Warpfire as he was pulled through the warp. The fires of his rage didn't die down until the closest cultist felt the teeth of his axe. Surrounded by the remains of an enemy that barely fought back killed his mood, bringing his fire back to ice. Giving a dismissive grunt, Ghroul left the meat to the scavengers and looked upon the being above him. "Erebus." he rasped through a ravaged Vox com, this wasn't the first time he had met the Dark Apostle. Lord Ghroul had seen the man several times throughout the Heresy, always by Horus' side and whispering secrets into his ear. At the time Ghroul couldn't appreciate the Architects methods, being a slave to the Butchers Nails as he was, but with clarity came appreciation. His scheming lead to many battles against the Corpse Emperor, none of which have matched the scale of the Battle for Terra. Back then he was behind the betrayer, Kharn, when the World Eaters broke through and the real slaughter began. What the Architect now offered, a chance of redemption for his fellow legion and honor for Khorne. Well, he wouldn't disappoint. When the Plague Lord spoke it ground against his frayed nerves, hitting every point and saying all the wrong words. Bringing the spiked end of his axe into the floor, Ghroul rasped [i]"Your rotton god will not claim the Corpse Emperors head plague worm, the skull throne will have his skull even if I have to pry it from his shoulders!"[i] His fist tightening around the haft in preparation for battle should the plague worm wish it.</s> <\|message\|>Captain Axe Captain Axe sat sharpening his skinning knife, it had been a few days since he had cleaned a skull for Khorne, and spilled blood in his name. The act of sharpening his knife was almost a religious experience for it was the tool used to please his god. As he slid the whetstone across the blade he felt an odd feeling in the pit of stomach. That old familiar pull he received as he was drawn to another place to shed blood and harvest skulls once more. Standing in the back of the room he listened to the large, bald man run his mouth. The details didn't matter to Axe, all he cared for was getting back into battle once more. His interest was piqued finally when the man said that they were there to cut a bloody swath to holy Terra. Finally a battle to fight once more. He drew his knife and kissed the blade, pledging once more to spill blood for Khorne and gather skulls to decorate his throne.</s> <\|message\|>Major Varl In the midst of the chaos on board this and every other vessel in the fleet, from gabbering sorcerers who mumbled incoheriently to themselves and shouted questionable statements at any who wandered too close, to the cowering and ravenous mutants who scrounged for food and really anything on board. And were not above killing or eating their fellows if their mood called for it. To large Chaos marines that thundered through the aged and creaking halls. Dispassionatly killing those who stood in their way. And yet in an odd display, for chaos worshippers especially was a large company of men. Each one wearing matching uniforms and helmets. Standing with ramrod straight postures and in drill perfect lines and columns in perfect silence. Any muttering or unsightly movements and twitches were long since beaten out of them by the corprals and sergeants who already walked down the ranks and dealt blows and slaps to them men in preperation for this announcement. Their boots were polished to a sheen and their rifles were well kept and carefully cleaned. Another stark contrat to the writhing masses that worrounded them. They stood out as possibly the only show of discipline and proper order in a sea of disharmony. And at the head of this odd little display was the masked figure of major Varl. His smooth and featureless face ebtrayed nothing of what he may have thought about the boldness of the dark apostle's statement. Or the claims he was making. He found that he was not as prone to mood swings and following the illusions of emotion as many followers of chaos seemed to be. He may not be in the imperial military anymore but he still valued their insistance on thinking tactically and making a strike only when you knew you either had all the cards in your favour or taking the chance was worth the risk. And right now he was debating how this little crusade would end. After twelve attempts all made by the same commanders one would think they would shift tactics and try to compensate for their obvious shortcomings. One would think anyway..... While he was happy to lead his men into combat and victory he was less enthusiastic about leading them straight to their doom. And one of the few things he learned after turning to chaos was that most of their commanders didn't always think in the grande scheme of things. They became overly focused on a single goal and outcome to the point where they all but dismissed thoughts and suggestions that it could not be achieved. And if ten thousand years of history and wars against the Emperor were to say anything it was that these plans never suceeded.... ever. Most cultists and even chaos marines only thought about their next kill, their next sexcapade or injection of some foreign substance. They rarely planned for the long term. And in the case of Tzeentchians they planned too far into the long term. All but dismissing any short term complications that often arose that threw their careful planning into immediate disarray. And then there was the back stabbing.... As an imperial soldier he always wondered why the arch-enemy fought amongst themselves so often. Entire battles and wars were won because Massed imperial columsn smashed straight into quarraling enemy forces as infighting ran rampant. And after joining them and fighting alongside them for the last sixty plus years he still didn't have an answer to that question. Often they were petty disagreements or worse, over no cause at all other than the servants of one god really dislike the servants of another. Or simply boredom. Hell he didn't even declare any extreme loyalties that would give cause for others to label him as an enemy but still he had at least a score of assassination attempts made against him in the last two years alone! And the Bribes!.... oh dark gods below the bribes politics and bribery. As it turned out well equipped companies of trained and disciplined soldiers were in high demand and frighteningly short supply. And many minor and major lords have already made bids for his loyalty or at least support. Offering him all manner of gifts and lies in the hopes of securing his support and arms if they made a coup or move against a rival. He suspected at least a few to try and usurp his position in some way and try to assume command over his men. He would need to be extra watchful while he was on board this ship of both his men and his enemies. But he would remain resolute and independant for as long as he could. A difficult task but one he was determined to suceed in. But for the immediate future he would need to make sure that his men were prepared and trained to add yet another battle honour to the hallowed standard and name of the marauders. And not sacrificed or cast aside for the over ambitious zeal of some insane chaos lord looking to rise beyond his station.</s> <\|message\|>Skumdog Gutgut Everybody on the ship took in the sight of the passing orks as if they were looking at a illusion or a mirage, this was the first time they had been released by Khorne and they were raring for a fight, but none stepped forward giving the orks a wide berth as if they were one of Nurgles own, the fact that orks following a chaos god was rare enough was just enough for them to be given that room but the sheer fact they were orks caused them to be avoided that much more. The orks walked into the room just as the conversation was dying they strode into the middle of the rooming regarding everyone around them. Then the biggest one spoke. "Gess Who? And if anyne is takin eads round ere eets us! Raaagh" The leader spoke and the two nobz that stood with him echoed his growl. The big one raised his hands and the nobz quieted down to a whimper as if afraid of the big ork. "We is going to take more eads becausz orks ar teh bestest!" The leader shouted, taking in everyone in the room the nobz echoing his "We ar teh bestest." Statement, but then a fist from the leader knocked one of the nobs to the ground effectively shutting them up. "And nun of you humies best git in deh way. WAAAAAGH" The Ork shouted and he let the nobz join him this time in his shout filling the ship with the sound of their warcry.</s>	<\|message\|>Ro'lithe Slaavex Ro'lithe moved out of the shadows, her long armor plated tail seemed to snake itself out of the wall as she glided elegantly forward, her bare hips swinging wide with each step as she passed the warrior named Captian Axe brushing her hand up his back side she let her purple eyes linger on his face as she passed him, the lust in her pupils made them glow a deep purple as she drug her gaze from his eyes. Leveling her large gold tipped horns she moved like liquid grace toward the group and to face Erebus, her body naked save for the meager gold plated bra and thong. Stopping just short of the bald legend Ro'lithe bowed deeply letting her long tail spiral outwards behind her and her long horns brush the floor before she straightened herself "the Chaos lord of Slaanesh is happy to partake in the death of the emperor, we are happy to strike the final killing blow and do what we like with his limp corpse" Ro'lithe's voice echoed through the room loud and landed upon listening ears like a lovers caress. Holding her staff by her side she gave a large mischievous smile before stalking back behind the group of gathered warriors.</s>
<\|description\|>Alexia 5' foot 7' inches 118 Ibs Age: Twenty-Seven Gender: Female Personality: Forged from the fires of insidious creation, dusted with the ash of what little remains of her former, and meek self, Alexia is a strong-willed and powerful woman. The taint of the crag's magic transformed her, almost completely shifting her character. Playing with the hearts of those she can use, molding them like clay in her hands. Her time in Meidiba is normally spent conning things off of merchants, flowing through the crowds of those like her like a stream of water, too fluid to be seen - noticed only when she bats her lashes. Alexia is proud, and carries herself with a strong resolve, a fiery depth in her amber eyes. Not known to be entirely trustworthy, considering her line of work.. History: Alexia traversed lands vast and wild, though nothing in her travels could prepare her for what lay in wait - a hungry beast with a heart of pure black, never filled despite the souls it devoured. She would find herself trapped in the belly of the beast, never to resurface. Hearing tales of the crag, young Alexia, a shaman in the making, headed off to uncover the mysteries surrounding the veil of darkness that shrouded itself over the split that spread apart their world. The horse she borrowed from the cluster whinnied below her, it's steps getting progressively heavier, ears tilted back. Something was wrong. She could feel it in the air, engulfing her slowly, bathing her in warning. 'Turn back', it said, 'There is naught but despair on this path you take.' Yet, she pressed forward, heart purged by curiosity and the whispers promising that she would be the first to undertake the magic, to embrace it so closely. The shroud of darkness lay just ahead, hiding the crevice within from prying eyes, the magic was plainly visible, hovering in the air and shimmering, hiding the taint with a welcoming burst of warmth. Just before crossing through the veil of magic, the white horse she was riding bucked, lifting her high off of it's back and onto the muddy floor below, still wet from last nights storm. Landing with a thud that knocked all of the wind from her lungs, Alexia watched helplessly as her horse ran from the shroud of magic - from her. Taking a deep breath and wiping her face of mud splatters, Alexia shakily rose on her legs, light blue eyes searching the area for any sign of the white coat of her horse. She searched to no avail, not trace of her horse remained beside the hoof-prints left behind in the mud, already leading far off. Pursing her lips, the young healer turned back to the seemingly thicker blanket of magic, raising a brow at it with ample curiosity. Lifting a hand, she placed her palm flat against the veil, closing her eyes as a flood of warmth flushed over her skin, listening as the whispers claimed her mind. Her hand pressed further, passing through the magic was like pushing through water, a slow process, but refreshing. The whispers grew louder, egging her on, pushing her forward. The magic took it's time, seeping into her, swirling around her. It was everywhere, even in her head. The change was almost instantaneous. The mass of magic taking over, molding itself to her, flowing through her veins and swallowing her whole. She pushed against the mass of water-thick magic, tears streaking her face, "Please, let me go!" She screamed into the abyss while falling, always falling farther and farther. There was no exit, no white horse, no light. It wanted her, to feed from her magic. Or, so she thought. The whispers calmed, slowing until they became nothing more than a dull hum of memory, ringing in her ears. The pressure of the warm magic was gone, she could see the woods once more, the density of the forest a welcome comfort. Turning around, she noted that she was once again on the other side of the veil, she closed her eyes, quickly backing away from the tug of magic, shutting out the start of whispers. She had followed her horses tracks all the way back to Meidiba, taking refuge in the dark town until she could send word to her cluster. Deciding to wait a day, to let the shock wear off, Alexia took what little gold she had packed away with her, thankfully she'd decided to carry that, and not put her coin purse on that horse as well. She'd managed to barter with the innkeeper about the price of her stay, if only by a few coins, and was sent to her room with a gilded key. After cleaning herself off, she traded her muddy dress for a new sky blue one, soft and easy to maneuver in. Once she had settled, Alexia laid back onto the hard bed, closing her eyes and hoping to find sleep. An immense warmth began to overtake her body, whispers calling to her amidst the dark of her room. She gasped, feeling a familiar pressure against her body, slowly beginning to overtake her. The whispers roared in her head, confirming her fears, that the magic had become a part of her. The brunette could feel herself slipping, falling ever more into the inescapable abyss, letting the whispers grow into shouts, kindling the warmth into a burning fire that raged within her. It didn't take long for her to fall completely into the darkness. Waking with a start, Alexia sat up from where she had collapsed onto the ground, her brows raising at the dull glow reflecting off of the wooden floor. Averting her gaze down, she looked at her hands, tears forming in her eyes. Her hands, they were discolored, tainted into a purplish haze, like the tips of a freshly lit flame. Letting her eyes travel up her arms, tinted a deep red, the colors would be comforting, if they didn't belong to her body. Wasting no time, she rushed off to the restroom, careful not to wake or disturb anyone - hard as it was, considering she was glowing like wall torch. Moving was increasingly hard however, as her head had something on it, something she'd tried to remove along the way, but with no luck. Entering the bathroom, she moved to light the lamp beside her, only to jump back in surprise as the lamp began to light the room, lit with a flame. Though, what truly surprised her, wasn't the lamp at all. It was herself. Mouth agape, the tears that had been brimming in her now glowing red eyes streamed down her cheeks. She was a monster, magic rippling around her skin, horns upon her head and eyes aglow. The whispers started to speak once more, this time sounding similar to her own voice, a reassuring presence in her mind. Her warmth grew, and the tears turned into steam, drifting into the air around her, swirling beside the purple bursts of magic. A knock at the door interrupted the whispers, "Are you all right in there, lass?" The innkeeper. Turning her head away from the door and back to the mirror, Alexia took herself in, her eyes burning darkly. "Oh yes, dear. I'm fine." A smile stretched it's way across her face, "I'm perfect." Abilities: Human * Skilled in persuasion, she can be quite the diplomat, dominating the verbal battlefield. * A gifted Pyromancer, she is able to create and manipulate fire. * Her time in the cluster provided her with knowledge of plants with toxic, and healing properties. * Minimal hand to hand combat experience. * Influence within Meidiba's merchant place. Magical Entity * Enhanced pyromancy. * Able to plant subconscious suggestions in the mind of hostiles. * Agile, though strength is greatly reduced. Anything Extra: Theme</s> <\|message\|>Fox Ironwall Her dark eyes blink open slowly, taking in her surroundings. The same drab walls look down at her as they have every day. There's whispering in the back of her mind and she sits up, her hand immediately going to the black and red necklace around her neck. It's still there. She lets out a sigh of relief and climbs to her feet, stretching. Muscles across her back and shoulders pop loudly and she pops her neck as well. She walks over to her wardrobe and pulls out a pair of soft leather boots, black trousers, and a loose white shirt. She slips into these things before grabbing a cloak and pulling it on over everything. She pulls the hood up around her face and she walks over to the mirror. Perfect. She looks exactly like a guy. She smiles and touches her necklace again. Power thrums through her fingertips and her ruby lips pull back over her teeth. She walks out of her little apartment and down the stairs to the front door. She walks out into the street and sees that it is already bustling with activity. She notices someone jump down from the roof of a building and she rolls her eyes. Probably an adrenaline junkie of some kind. She then proceeds to scan the street for some victims, looking for people to pickpocket. She, of course, never kept the wallets. She would always track the person to their home and steal valuable things to sell more than she would steal money. But if she ever did steal money from the wallets, then she would just return them to the house. She had no use for the wallets anyways. She notices a young woman a few feet away and she proceeds calmly toward her. She "accidentally" bumps into the woman and slips her hand down into her bag, pulling out a small little coin purse. She apologizes in a deep voice resembling a male's, telling the woman that she hadn't been watching where she was going. The woman bought it and walks off, talking with her friends, which Fox's bright brown eyes laugh as she tosses the coin purse up into the air and catches it, thinking of how easy a target she was. She whistles while she walks, her eyes scouring the crowds for more victims.</s> <\|message\|>Strogobor Moravec Early morning in Craftsmen District. A crack of breaking wood. A window destroyed. A slam of a body hitting the cobbled road in front of The Fletcher Inn. A cry of pain at the rough landing. Gasps of local folk. A tall figure with strange hair exits the inn through the crumbling window and kicks the squirming body in stride. He mutters something in a foreign tongue and spits sideways, saliva missing his long mustache only barely. The one on the ground tries to unbalance him by grabbing him by the leg, but it only makes the big one start kicking the prone man repeatedly, followed by a barrage of curses, cusses and insults. The last kick is directed at his jaw and blood splatters onto the street. Teeth make a rattling sound as they roll down the street. Onlookers step back from the scene. The murmuring of the gathered crowd is pierced by a voice from within the inn, clearly shouting at the tall man. "What are you doing, you stupid easterling?! Who is going to pay for all this damage?!" The man fumed, ready to throw chunks of broken wood at the brute, blinded by frustration. Unfazed by the words of the innkeeper, the big one crouches by the now toothless, unconscious body and yanks the coin purse off, ruining the pantaloons in the process with a loud rip. He shakes out the coins into his hand, throws the purse away and collects ten gold coins. He then tosses them toward the innkeeper. Though surprised, the shouty man still manages to catch them. Then, the tall one bellows out to him. "To cheat Strogobor at cards is one thing. To admit him that is another thing. Neither ends well. Relay that to other patrons." Strogobor places the rest of the coins into his pocket, walks up to his horse in front of the inn and unties her. And then, he walks down the street like nothing happened, guiding the mare through the city. He pats Wojda twice as they go and begins whistling a tune of a battle song he used to sing when his people went to war.</s>	<\|message\|>Alexia Helpless is the drowning soul, for all their effort, may they never truly break the surface, never truly gasp in a gulp of air - of life. That's what it was, wasn't it? Magic was a slow drowning. Once you've drenched yourself in it, it'll wrap around you until it's swallowed you whole. Still, she's drowning. The whispers are getting worse by day, and by night, the magic calls to her. As if she were still basked in the darkness of the crag, choking on her realizations, on her naivety. She was still shaken from last night, the transformation had been abrupt, uncontrolled. It was a strange thing, this magic. Though it wrought nothing but despair, leaving a broken tattered mess in it's wake, the young woman couldn't help but feel privy to such things. It had chosen her. In a way, she cherished it, basking in the glorious pain and wreck it left for her. She was losing herself in the storm, falling farther and farther into the abyss. Light could barely seem to breach the crack now, but...It was still there - somehow the illumination was still there, waiting for her, calling her back. The pull from both sides left her head aching, and heart confused. The power was intoxicating, but she knew the cost. It had gotten worse lately, that familiar tug at the back of her mind, the whispers, her demeanor had even taken a plunge. Alexia knew that the headache could no longer be the route of the problem anymore. She knew what it was, though it was horrifying to imagine. The water was rising, pushing away any part of her that once was, making room for the vile magic that consumed her - that was slowly pushing forth, close to reaching the surface. Only one of them could breathe at a time, and she knew - Oh did she know, her time at the surface was diminishing. Opening her eyes slowly, avoiding the stranger in the mirror, Alexia hurriedly changed into her velvet trimmed, red dress, admiring the soft feel of the attire before gathering what remained of herself, and heading out of her room and into the main hall of the Inn. Her hair neatly tied back in a soft brown braid, the woman scanned her still tainted eyes about the room, measuring up all those inside. So far, the day had been relatively quiet, compared to it's normal bout of laughter enough to rile even the sanest priest. All in all, today was quite the day. A day to seize, nevertheless. Clenching her fists, and providing the most pleasant smile that could ever adorn the human face, Alexia strode about the room, commanding glances her way. A promising start, now all she had to do, was ensure that she maintained this composer. She was still shaken, and though she could do it well, she could only cover up the involuntary twitch in her hands for so long. Hopefully she could muster enough willpower to keep going, she had a reputation after all, meetings to attend - money to smooch off of others, and perhaps a little stop at the town square would do her some good, fresh air couldn't hurt.</s>
<\|description\|>Rhian 'The Priestess of the Damned'. "The fact that I am blind does not mean I cannot see" 5ft 5in, her eyes have been ripped out. There is nothing but ragged holes where they should be. Age: 33 Gender: Female Personality: I care for those that the rest of society leaves for dead. When others hiss at the disfigured, the diseased, or the insane, I care for them. I treat them with the kindness and the compassion they deserve, and I bring the word of the gods to them. They are the Damned of Society, and I am their Priestess. They are my flock, my children. Like any mother, I grow angry whenever my children are threatened. Specifically, I kill those who threaten them. I'm really typically nice and peaceful. Just don't threaten my children, or I'll show you what it really is to be damned. I have a stubborn streak a mile wide, it should be said. History: I was blinded at a young age. I don't remember who did it, or why. I only remember the intense pain of having both eyes carved out of my head, and passing out. As I slipped into blissful unconsciousness, I assumed I was going to die. Afterall, typically when you lose your eyes that violently, you bleed out. But, I didn't die. I was visited by a multitude of beings of shadow. They were too dark to make out more than just their forms, but they spoke to me. I won't go into the details of all they said, as that would be a telling that would take days. They told me I had been chosen to guide the damned, the forgotten, and the shunned. I had been chosen to save them from themselves, and protect them from the rest of the world. They would give me the powers necessary to both overcome my blindness, and protect my flock. I accepted their offer gladly. When the only other choice is death, you don't accept an offer any other way, do you? The going was hard, at first. After all, no one respects a little girl, least of all a blind one in the slums, near the crags. But my Gods provide. Those who threatened me paid dearly for their insolence. Those who merely ignored me were forgiven, and later brought into the fold. As I grew, so did my powers and my ability to understand people and comfort them. It is harder than you think, to make someone open up to you. Especially near the crag. These people have been hated, insulted, and attacked their entire lives. Getting them to open up to me, to my Gods, and to let themselves be comforted. I suppose that's where my stubborn streak came from. I refused to give up on them, no matter how many times they threw me back. No matter how many times they screamed an insulted me. I always came back. Now, there's a tension in the air. There's a trembling through the lifeforces. Something is coming. I don't know what, but I do know one thing. I will weather the storm, and I will protect my children. As I always have. As I always will. Abilities: Lifeforce sight- My magic, a gift from the Gods, more than makes up for my lack of sight. I can see the life force of people and animals like burning candles in the dark. Even inanimate objects can be seen by me, a dark grey glow. They even have their own colors, according to the person's personality. I can also erase some objects from my sight, like my mask. After all , it would be ridiculous to be blinded because I couldn't see through my mask. Thanks to my power, I know better than most how easily the flame of life can be snuffed out. I've watched it happen. Healing- I can heal wounds, though naturally the more severe the wound the longer it takes. A minor stab or cut takes seconds. A mortal wound to the heart takes days. Hellfire and Black Lightning- I can wield the nastier versions of fire and lightning. My Hellfire, a lovely blue, burns the soul as well as the flesh, and burns with a greater intensity than your average flame. So those struck with it might recover quickly from the physical wounds, the spiritual pain would last for years. My black lighting is as dark as night, and rather than only just throwing the lightning bolt and praying, I can manipulate it unnaturally. A lighting whip, or a ball, or a sword. Things like that. It too leaves a lasting spiritual damage. If this sounds unholy, good. She gives a small smile.I am a priestess of the Damned after all. Disease immune- Be they plagues or common colds, I am immune to them.</s> <\|message\|>Alexia Helpless is the drowning soul, for all their effort, may they never truly break the surface, never truly gasp in a gulp of air - of life. That's what it was, wasn't it? Magic was a slow drowning. Once you've drenched yourself in it, it'll wrap around you until it's swallowed you whole. Still, she's drowning. The whispers are getting worse by day, and by night, the magic calls to her. As if she were still basked in the darkness of the crag, choking on her realizations, on her naivety. She was still shaken from last night, the transformation had been abrupt, uncontrolled. It was a strange thing, this magic. Though it wrought nothing but despair, leaving a broken tattered mess in it's wake, the young woman couldn't help but feel privy to such things. It had chosen her. In a way, she cherished it, basking in the glorious pain and wreck it left for her. She was losing herself in the storm, falling farther and farther into the abyss. Light could barely seem to breach the crack now, but...It was still there - somehow the illumination was still there, waiting for her, calling her back. The pull from both sides left her head aching, and heart confused. The power was intoxicating, but she knew the cost. It had gotten worse lately, that familiar tug at the back of her mind, the whispers, her demeanor had even taken a plunge. Alexia knew that the headache could no longer be the route of the problem anymore. She knew what it was, though it was horrifying to imagine. The water was rising, pushing away any part of her that once was, making room for the vile magic that consumed her - that was slowly pushing forth, close to reaching the surface. Only one of them could breathe at a time, and she knew - Oh did she know, her time at the surface was diminishing. Opening her eyes slowly, avoiding the stranger in the mirror, Alexia hurriedly changed into her velvet trimmed, red dress, admiring the soft feel of the attire before gathering what remained of herself, and heading out of her room and into the main hall of the Inn. Her hair neatly tied back in a soft brown braid, the woman scanned her still tainted eyes about the room, measuring up all those inside. So far, the day had been relatively quiet, compared to it's normal bout of laughter enough to rile even the sanest priest. All in all, today was quite the day. A day to seize, nevertheless. Clenching her fists, and providing the most pleasant smile that could ever adorn the human face, Alexia strode about the room, commanding glances her way. A promising start, now all she had to do, was ensure that she maintained this composer. She was still shaken, and though she could do it well, she could only cover up the involuntary twitch in her hands for so long. Hopefully she could muster enough willpower to keep going, she had a reputation after all, meetings to attend - money to smooch off of others, and perhaps a little stop at the town square would do her some good, fresh air couldn't hurt.</s> <\|message\|>Jasce Nighteye Jasce slowed to a stop, looking around. He had been imagining the conversation in his head when he bumped in to Lev and toward the end of it, he imagined a certain question his friend would ask, "Zoobie," he muttered, knowing perfectly well said girl was not behind him. He put his hand to his face with a groan before turning on his heel and hurrying back the way he came, wondering where on earth he managed to lose her and where she would have managed to run off to. She was never exactly where he left her. He climbed back up on to the sign post looking around for any sign of her, "Ah damn, this sucks... dude's gonna rip me a new one," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He looked around the crowd, hoping maybe she hadn't wandered too far away this time. However there were plenty of things to make him forget why exactly he'd been standing up there in the first place. He spotted the coin purse as it was victoriously caught in the air. He smirked a little, shaking his head seeing as everyone around her was so caught up on their own business they didn't even notice. He didn't get a very good look at the victor, due to the fact they had on a cloak and they were mixed in the crowd rather quickly. He could hear the commotion down the street and he leaned to try to get a sight of whatever it was. The second he spots the horse, a somewhat uncommon sight for a town where people often never left and newcomers were usually frightened off or too disgusted to stay, so horses weren't usually necessary for travel. His attention was taken away quite again as he heard some other people near him talking as someone was coming out of the inn. He saw the subject of their attention wa a rather attractive young lady though he tilted his head feeling that something was kinda off, he just didn't know what it was. He jumped as he heard someone shouting at him and looked down, giving a smile and a wave to the store keep who was raging at him to get down before he broke the sign. Jasce was about to defend his case before the keep started looking for something to throw at him. He quickly climbed the rest of the way up, back on to the roof, his memory returning as to what he had been doing. Right. If he didn't a valiant effort to find Zoobie, Lev was probably going to hurt him for losing her again. He looked around, only to spot one of the bosses lackies posting a job on the board near the crossroads, "Oh, money!" He said and jumped to the next building, deciding to take the roundabout route to get to the board. He had to get it first- he was already bored out of his mind</s>	<\|message\|>Rhian 'The Priestess of the Damned'. A flash of light. A groan of pain, rapidly turning into relief. That was how hours of tedious magical healing ended, as Rhian healed her patient. He wasn't one of her children. In fact, before now he had sneered at her and her children as they walked by. 'Monsters and freaks, governed by their whore of a shepherd!', he would call out. Rhian had repeatedly held back her children from seeking vengeance. Words would not hurt her, and she could see by his lifeforce that he would do nothing more than shout insults. He was too attached to life to risk anything else.He would be one that would never be converted, she could tell. But he came crawling to her when death seemed to be knocking at his door. He threw away all his pride and claims against her, to cling to life. She could have rejected him, let him die. But then she would have been no better than him, and how can such a person take care of all of her children? So she accepted him into her makeshift healing room, and set about healing all the ails that were killing him. Minutes turned into hours, and she lost track of time as she steadily hunted down and fixed everything she could in his body. When she was done, she sent him on his way. He left, leaving only a humble thank you. Three days. Then he'll be back to screaming insults. Rhian thought idly, sighing. Standing, groaning herself as she stretched muscles that had shifted very little in the past several hours, the Priestess of the Damned glanced behind her at Zek. Her silent guardian stood in his usual place, next to the door, in his rusted armor with his fanatically well kept mace. Years ago, she had found him nearly dead in an alley. nNked, brutally burned, beaten, and stabbed, his tongue cut out, death seemed certain. Yet she refused to give up on him. Saving him had been the longest and most strenuous act of healing she had ever done, and ever will do. Six whole days, stopping only briefly to eat, drink, and take care of necessities. When she was done, they both collapsed into a deep sleep. He awoke before she did and left soon after finding out who healed him, via written notes. When Rhian has awoken and heard the news, she shrugged, thanked her nameless Gods for giving her the strength to save him, and continued on her way. Not everyone would embrace her Gods. She had learned this at a young age. But Zek had defied all expectations and returned, wearing rusted armor and carrying a gleaming mace. From their written conversation, Rhian gathered that he had sworn a debt to protect her life from all harm, that his armor was rusted and never to be cleaned because of his previous sins and failures, and that he would never leave her side. After a few weeks of trying to get him to stop being only her bodyguard, Rhian had given up. Now his presence was as familiar and welcome as her own magic. "Well, come on Zek. Lets see if there's anything interesting going on around the town. Sleep is a long way off for me, and I know you're just going to follow me on my rounds." Zek merely nodded his rusted head, a slight screech being the result of this movement, and followed her out the door. "Probably will stop by the job board, just to see what's going around the town that might affect us. Do you think there are good chances we'll meet one of the children, or convert another? Or do you think it's more likely that someone will be stupid enough to try and rob or mug us? I'm placing my money on the latter, I'm afraid. Not all of the Damned are my children." She continued like this, amicably talking to him about everything from the weather to the likely hood of seeing a thief get caught, as they walked to the middle of town. Interesting things always happened there.</s>
<\|description\|>Rhian 'The Priestess of the Damned'. "The fact that I am blind does not mean I cannot see" 5ft 5in, her eyes have been ripped out. There is nothing but ragged holes where they should be. Age: 33 Gender: Female Personality: I care for those that the rest of society leaves for dead. When others hiss at the disfigured, the diseased, or the insane, I care for them. I treat them with the kindness and the compassion they deserve, and I bring the word of the gods to them. They are the Damned of Society, and I am their Priestess. They are my flock, my children. Like any mother, I grow angry whenever my children are threatened. Specifically, I kill those who threaten them. I'm really typically nice and peaceful. Just don't threaten my children, or I'll show you what it really is to be damned. I have a stubborn streak a mile wide, it should be said. History: I was blinded at a young age. I don't remember who did it, or why. I only remember the intense pain of having both eyes carved out of my head, and passing out. As I slipped into blissful unconsciousness, I assumed I was going to die. Afterall, typically when you lose your eyes that violently, you bleed out. But, I didn't die. I was visited by a multitude of beings of shadow. They were too dark to make out more than just their forms, but they spoke to me. I won't go into the details of all they said, as that would be a telling that would take days. They told me I had been chosen to guide the damned, the forgotten, and the shunned. I had been chosen to save them from themselves, and protect them from the rest of the world. They would give me the powers necessary to both overcome my blindness, and protect my flock. I accepted their offer gladly. When the only other choice is death, you don't accept an offer any other way, do you? The going was hard, at first. After all, no one respects a little girl, least of all a blind one in the slums, near the crags. But my Gods provide. Those who threatened me paid dearly for their insolence. Those who merely ignored me were forgiven, and later brought into the fold. As I grew, so did my powers and my ability to understand people and comfort them. It is harder than you think, to make someone open up to you. Especially near the crag. These people have been hated, insulted, and attacked their entire lives. Getting them to open up to me, to my Gods, and to let themselves be comforted. I suppose that's where my stubborn streak came from. I refused to give up on them, no matter how many times they threw me back. No matter how many times they screamed an insulted me. I always came back. Now, there's a tension in the air. There's a trembling through the lifeforces. Something is coming. I don't know what, but I do know one thing. I will weather the storm, and I will protect my children. As I always have. As I always will. Abilities: Lifeforce sight- My magic, a gift from the Gods, more than makes up for my lack of sight. I can see the life force of people and animals like burning candles in the dark. Even inanimate objects can be seen by me, a dark grey glow. They even have their own colors, according to the person's personality. I can also erase some objects from my sight, like my mask. After all , it would be ridiculous to be blinded because I couldn't see through my mask. Thanks to my power, I know better than most how easily the flame of life can be snuffed out. I've watched it happen. Healing- I can heal wounds, though naturally the more severe the wound the longer it takes. A minor stab or cut takes seconds. A mortal wound to the heart takes days. Hellfire and Black Lightning- I can wield the nastier versions of fire and lightning. My Hellfire, a lovely blue, burns the soul as well as the flesh, and burns with a greater intensity than your average flame. So those struck with it might recover quickly from the physical wounds, the spiritual pain would last for years. My black lighting is as dark as night, and rather than only just throwing the lightning bolt and praying, I can manipulate it unnaturally. A lighting whip, or a ball, or a sword. Things like that. It too leaves a lasting spiritual damage. If this sounds unholy, good. She gives a small smile.I am a priestess of the Damned after all. Disease immune- Be they plagues or common colds, I am immune to them.</s> <\|message\|>Levlongir Runstoffa "Lev" "No." Nothing is more awkward than one of your mothers asking for a ...favor. Lev used the shock of his rejection to escape the premises, jumping out of the open window, on the third story, to the two story building that neighbored it. Wasting no time the man launched himself forward full sprint, clearing blocks in half the time by jumping across roof tops. After he had left the building far from his sights he took a moment, thinking about what all needed to be accomplished within the daylight hours. As per the norm, his over dedication to seeing his assigned task threw immediately had left him with a rather large vacancy in active objectives, he could check some contacts but honestly he knew they would have nothing for doing. Jayce was more than likely being an idiot, and is likely in trouble or blissfully unaware of what he actually needs to accomplish. Or is ruining something Lev had been working on. Or making jokes at Levs expense..... "Speak of the idiot..." Lev spotted his cohort a few buildings down, up to no good yet again. How many times can he say it, we don't need change we need money. Yet his friend continues to risk life and limb for what is likely enough for bread. Lev moves with a speed almost inhuman, clearly driven by the need to correct his friend....He stops atop a moving horse and notices something far more terrible than his friends bad habit, the absence of a small cloaked figure."HE LEFT HER AGAIN!" While he was going fast before, his speed seemed to triple with his rage and worry. Lev's shadow gave enough warning to his companion of his arrival. He stood behind him, his eye brow already twitching. Not a word left his lips but Jayce new an explanation was expected.</s> <\|message\|>Alexia Smiling in kind at the admiring faces around her, crimson tainted eyes seeped through the crowd, searching for anything askew. The faint whispers in her head tugged at the back of her mind, pushing past the surface thoughts and demanding attention. There was something, perhaps someone, of interest in the area. Though there was no way to make certain of what it indeed was, as that would require her to sift through the many different tones and whispers at once. All of which would take far too long. Taking a deep breath and reaffirming her attention on the small crowd around her, Alexia cranked up the smile on her lips and flowed through the mass of people, careful not to walk too close to any person in particular. A skilled con such as herself knew better - as did half of the victims in this town. As she managed to make her way out the thick of the crowd, she took note of another similar situation to hers. Except the folks crowding around didn't seem to be smiling. What made her raise a neatly trimmed brow, however, was the sight of a lone horse amidst the sea of bodies. Beside it, a large man stood, incredibly intimidating - if of course, she was easily threatened. In close combat, she knew that this man must truly be a thing of fierce and brutal nature. It made one wonder, whether or not he was as intelligent as he was strong. Normally, the brutish types didn't hold many morals, resulting of a lack of education. Normally. Though the weathered look in his eye wove a different tale. As he trudged off with his horse, Alexia headed her own way. Despite the distraction, she managed to pick her way through the streets, notably easier than most days, a lot of people had stopped to ponder that particular spectacle, so it left a nice path for her to travel. Perhaps she should see about getting some kind of leverage on those with names that could send shivers up even the most hardened mercenary's spine. They held power that anyone would love to have, the kind that with one glance, you could kill. Magic could only give you so much, but politics - to control not only yourself but others, that was true power. Alexia hummed at the sensation fluttering around in her chest, pleasant and uplifting. The first sign that last night's bought had started to wear off. Good, there was no way she would resort to going to the priestess. She'd almost gone to her after she'd first turned, when the initial affect's had started to wear off, and she'd regained some sense. The whispers forbade her to get to close to her, however. It seemed like the magic wasn't fond of this priestess, perhaps it was afraid of her. It was a curious thing, no doubt, but Alexia couldn't ponder it long, as she caught sight of her target. The best way to get started in overtaking any in a high up position, is to get close to them. First, you'd need to get in their "ranks". One of the best ways to do that, was not to join yourself, rather, to convince someone to do your bidding from the inside. Small jobs at first, but then a little more pushing, and with the particular person in a good position themselves, they'd be able to convince other's to start a little civil conflict from within. From then on, she would take over what remained of the band of mercenaries, thieves, and the like. Power was practically knocking on her door, and she was ever so eager to answer. Licking her lips, Alexia straightened her posture, and headed off to where she knew she could find someone working for the infamous three. With silver-tongue at the ready, and power floating just beyond the tips of her fingers, the maiden headed off to the crossroads.</s> <\|message\|>Jasce Nighteye He was half a step away from leaping down to that lovely, rickety job board, about to find himself something to actually do when a particular chill went down his back and his previous train of thought. "Right," he turned around, pointing at him, "Look, dude, she was behind me like ten minutes ago, I really have no idea how the hell she keeps managin' this whole... disappearing act, but I swear, man, I thought she was right behind me...." He sighed, realizing this was not in anyway shape or form going to save him from that eye twitching look his friend was currently giving him, "We ain't finding her around here, you know it as well as I do. Last time I lost her here, she ended up on the far end of Bloodthirst territory and the last time we went lookin' in the same place we found her before, she ended up here, waitin' on us," he said, then motioned to the board, "I-I was gonna get a job for us to do since technically we were on one when we found her once bef- please don't hurt me, dude, and if you do, not the face," he finally conceded realizing that his best bet was going to be to just shut up and try and figure out where Zoobie was, "We splittin' up or do you have an idea of where we should start lookin'?" He glanced back at the board with almost a pout that he was getting chastised about doing small jobs, especially since all the "big" jobs sucked and took too long. But he didn't miss the thief heading that way, the Priestess kind of stuck out whenever she went anywhere, her giant lunking shadow half the reason why, and now the man with the big ole horse was heading this way more obviously so than before and the real pretty lady cut her way through the crowd. "Think we should test our luck and see if anyone down there actually saw her? I mean, she may be short but she kinda sticks out."</s>	<\|message\|>Rhian 'The Priestess of the Damned'. It was always an interesting experience to go out into the crowds. Their lifeforce's all mixing together to form a mass of different colors, changing based on their emotions. Rhian made her way through the sea of ever changing color, her guardian right behind her."Ah, Zek I wish you could see this. The colors, the changes! That man is angry, that man is afraid. That woman is suspicious, and that merchant is happy. They all have their base colors, and they are all constantly having minor changes. It's really quite beautiful." As expected Zek gave no reply, verbal or otherwise. Still, she talked to him like he could respond and he hadn't yet given any indication that he wished she would stop. "All these customers and merchants will leave this place, and go back to their families, not a care in the world for those left behind. The orphans and the plagued. The criminals and the homeless. And some of those left behind won't see the morning. They'll starve or die of thirst over night, or be killed for what little they have...or trying to steal from others more fortunate. The remaining ones are carved into three groups. Those who join gangs, the 'boss', Lady Z, Bloodthirst, and all the rest. Those who strike out for themselves, and try to survive all by their lonesome. And those who join us. Those precious few Damned who accept my nameless Gods and I." She smiled to herself as they slowly made their way through the crowd. "Each of the three groups look after their own, but we can at least honestly say we don't actively try to gain more power or take on other gangs. We're happy to do what we can, try to make our 'territory' better for ourselves. We try to keep to ourselves. Sometimes, however, the others forget that just because we don't actively seek violence and try to avoid it, that we will not defend ourselves. Then we must remind them why it is not a good idea to fight with the damned. We've gotten better at it since you and the others joined. You know, the ex-mercenary, the former guardsman, and quite the number of former thugs." It was true. Ever since her flock had gotten someone besides Zek who had a decent amount of experience fighting, most of them had sought lessons. They were slowly becoming more adept at defending themselves. Requiring Rhian to get involved in the occasional fighting less and less. A familiar, large, clashing lifeforce caught her attention, leading a horse with him. "Speaking of thugs." Rhian muttered, halting as Strogobor drew closer. After they had first met, Rhian had made it a minor point to keep an eye on the giant of a man. It was rare to find such a...contradictory lifeforce, and it interested her. As Strogobor stopped, she smiled at him before greeting him warmly. Her image of friendliness was slightly offset by Zek stopping a step behind Rhian, a hand on the hilt of his mace. "Strogobor. It's been a long while. I believe the last time we met you were explaining to me, as I healed your minor injuries, why you were the cause of three broken jaws, four broken ribs, eight cracked ribs, one broken femur, two shattered kneecaps, and five cracked skulls. What can I do for you now?"</s>
<\|description\|>Sessamaru (pronounced: SES-Uh-MAAR-OO; also known as "Sess") Sessamaru's Original Character Race: Dearmadta/Spirit hybrid Gender: Male Age: 23 Occupation: Wandering Swordmage Personality/Interests Sessamaru is a kind and compassionate youth, revering all forms of life with a sense of joy. Comfortable as a wanderer, he does not let his own personal baggage weigh down his steps and he never looks back on the pain brought upon him. The swordsman tends to be polite and well-mannered, despite being an easily distracted goof. Sess, by his very nature, prefers his own personal freedom and despises oppression, whether it's directed at him or at someone else. Easy-going and lax, it is difficult to anger the young man and even more difficult to coax into a fight. He is quite clever and intelligent, which he uses to his advantage in order to avoid harming or killing those who happen to force him into a fight. He hates the idea of killing others, though he is quick to protect anyone in need of help. Sess is notorious for his modesty and lacks pride, though he has a realistic view of his own power when up against an opponent who either underestimates or overestimates his abilities. He is unwilling to take credit for anything that he has done or in things others believed that he has done, and is quick to give credit to someone else, especially if it gets him out of an unwanted bind. However, in serious matters, he will not allow anyone to be judged or punished for crimes that they have committed, never once speaking out about it, giving his opponents a chance to atone for their sins. Sympathetic, the half-breed is ruled by his own emotions, whether for a goofy act or for serious matters. He refrains from acting on his anger, keeping a cool-head in the heat of battle. Regardless of all his upcomings, his greatest downfall is his appetite and curiosity. He tends to eat multiple meals in a single sitting, as though his stomach was a black hole. In truth, he eats, not only out of pleasure and the scarceness of food in his travels, but because of the amount of energy he tends to expend during his "meditations" and "training" in the wee hours of the morning and the coming of twilight. His curiosity, too, tends to get him into trouble, often entering disputes and forced to resolve them, and then some. He tends to be an amateur philosopher as well. Though he's like a soaring bird, he lives by his own code. A highly moral person, Sessamaru possesses a sort of honor that differentiates right from wrong. He is unwilling to partake in a two-on-one battle, unless it is only him against two other people. He refuses to let anyone be harmed on his behalf and prefers to protect others, even if it isn't his affair. Though he dislikes people getting hurt, he is willing to hold himself back as an ally or friend is willing to fight a losing battle out of respect for their pride; though once his ally falls in battle, he will intervene before a deathblow can be dealt. Appearance Though of average height and weight, Sessamaru is plenty agile. Slender, yet toned, and a natural acrobat, he appears as a traditional swordsman. His hair, long and milky white, is held in a high horsetail with the front free flowing, the bangs brushing his high cheekbones whilst the sides grace his collarbone. He possesses fox ears, the same color as his thick mane, which are sensitive to sound and twitch quite often. His eyes are almond-shape and pupil-less, with only glowing green irises. Like the rest of his race, he is clean shaven by nature, incapable of growing facial hair and body hair. He has smooth, alabaster skin, giving him a marble-like appearance. In the end, he appears prominently as what one could equate to an "angel" with a bestial deformity (his ears). Details Body build: Slender/Athletic Hair: Long Hair color: White Skin color: Alabaster Eye/Iris color: Green, pupil-less Height/Weight: 5'7"; 135lbs Notable Features: He possesses fox ears instead of the typical ears of most humanoids. Clothing Description Sessamaru wears an amalgamation of traditional clothing from Japan and China, giving him the appearance of an expert martial artist. Arms/hands: Yellow Kote Torso: Green Changshan Waist: Yellow Obi (a sash/belt used for kimonos) Legs: Yellow Changshan pants Feet: White Tabi (socks), waraji Equipment Weapon(s) Katana Powers Basic Illusions Capable of using harmless visual illusions, Sess can employ this tactic to trick his foes into thinking he has a larger repertoire of magic and abilities. He can use this to summon a ball of flame that does not burn which produces a realistic light, for example. However, the illusions he conjures are incapable of any tactile or psychological influence (which greatly differs from a fox spirit's ability to produce illusions). Enhanced Speed and Reflexes A trait he inherited from both parents, he is naturally swift as a Dearmadta from the Halcyon Tribe, as well as the offspring of a kitsune. He is faster than even the most practiced martial artist. With the aid of Aeromancy, his speed is well above superhuman and is his greatest strength (coincidentally, he is not physically stronger than a physically peaked human). Abilities Longevity Sess's Dearmadta ancestry allows him a long life and eternal youth. Old age to a Dearmadta is similar to humans, in which the body starts to shut down after long use (age). However, Dearmadta never age physically and are prone to disease and poison much like any normal mortal. However, mortals who are familiar with the Dearmadta assume they are god-like simply because of their vast lifespans and their inability to show wrinkles. Heightened Senses Sessamaru's Kitsune ancestry gives him enhanced senses, such as sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. His instincts are also heightened, allowing him to be much more aware of his surroundings. Though strengths, they are also a weakness. High pitched whines harm him and his sense of touch makes him far more vulnerable to pain. He can hear full conversations from a fair distance and can even select a particular conversation from a room full of crowded people. He can easily differentiate people simply by smell and can tell the difference between fabrics and subtle changes in weight. His sense of taste is heightened to degrees where he can enjoy foods more and even tell the chef if he used too much salt. Resiliency (Will Power) Unlike most martial artists who are resilient due to constant training, Sessamaru derives his resilience through sheer will power. Due to his strong character, he refuses to give up even if he is in immense pain. His bones can be easily broken like a normal humans, but his will power alone keeps him from giving into pain. Despite his stubbornness, too much physical damage can surpass his pain tolerance and force him into submission via unconsciousness. Metamorphosis [Locked] Talents Swordsman Tactician Acrobat Magic Aeromancy Wind/Air Magic, Aeromancy is a multifaceted school of magic capable of both offensive and defensive strategies. Aeromancy allows the user to manipulate wind and air currents, as well as being able to increase their own speed by decreasing air resistance and capable of flight. Wind can be focused into a concentrated blade and can pierce steel as though it were paper, and perhaps through harder substances depending on the amount of energy and concentration used. Cyclones and whirlwinds can be conjured to deflect thrown objects or energy. Ultimately, lightning can be generated and focused, though only to a single spot, by simply causing enough friction with the air currents. However, Aeromancers are unable to manipulate the lightning due to the intricacy of electromancy (meaning it's a whole different school of magic). The use for Aeromancy is versatile, though the elements are quite fickle; especially when used to summon the fickle elementals. Chloromancy Plant Magic, Chloromancy is a school of magic that uses plants as a means of misdirection, despite being used for both offensive and defensive strategies. Due to Sessamaru's unique nature as a half-spirit, he can tap into this magic far easier than the most practiced sorcerer, able to use his own magical energies to conjure otherworldly plants, becoming a metaphorical "seed" to spawn plants that do not exist in this plane of existence. He's able to create realistic clones of himself out of rose petals (for example), as well as use a flower of any sort to conjure a spirit-made weapon for a short amount of time. Bindings and Seals Sessamaru knows the fundamentals of magic and how it works, the intricacy involved and how to crack it. No matter the school of magic, the principles of binding and seals follow the basic rules of magic, no matter how complex. The key is to find the "key" component of the seal/binding. Sess is able to dispel barriers by finding the overall formula that "binds" the spell together. However, he himself is not skilled in creating powerful barriers, bindings, and seals, and is thus only able to make "adequate" suppression spells to hold off an untrained opponent/ally (untrained meaning "someone with little to no experience in magic"). Other: Sessamaru's Theme Historia: "She's very polite and comes from an interesting background." Saha: "A little wild, but I think she's a good person, deep down." Katelia: "Though misguided, she's quite the pragmatist." Julio: "He's very quiet... it makes you wonder what he's thinking about." Azzrix: "He's dangerous, yet there's a sense of righteous honor that he seems to carry." Margaret: "An interesting woman, to say the least. I wouldn't mind going on an adventure with her!" Naida: "She's quite lovely and is very kind. I would hate to get on her bad side, though." Drubbins: "He tries hard and he's very motivated at wanting to learn. I can't help but smile." Mysaren: "She tries too hard to be accepted... hopefully my friendship will help her understand the truth." Tahira: "There is an air of power about her. It is warm, yet distant; like the Sun." Rimau: "I... would prefer to wait until he has his coffee, first." Claire: "Her sadness permeates my being when I'm near her." Viggo: "His music carries my soul, yet his presence makes me question the life he lived." Rouen: "He has a very dangerous way of thinking... yet I know he must be trying to do the right thing." Felan: "It is impossible to not value his presence. He carries nature with him like a sheathed sword." NPCs [WIP] Advanced Bestiary [COMING SOON TO AN RP NEAR YOU!]</s> <\|message\|>Mysaren Mysaren considered Azzrix's offer, then shook her head. "No thank you," She said, "I don't want to go on an adventure with someone I just met. Thanks for the drinks though." She grabbed one of the drinks that was brought out and downed it, letting out a sigh of relief. It was a bit early to start drinking like this, but she hadn't had a nice cold drink in a while, and getting drunk did sound like a fantastic idea right now. No, she couldn't. She had too many things to do, too many reasons to stay on her guard. A few drinks never hurt anybody though... She watched everyone else in the bar, noticing some of them crowded around that jobs board. A job would never hurt. She wasn't exactly above an honest living, it was just too unrealistic for someone who spent their life traveling most of the time. There was talk of plenty of rewards for the missions, though, and if she could find a few good allies, then she'd be happy to take one on. For now, she just sat at the bar though, considering what to do while she was here, and when she should leave.</s> <\|message\|>Mysaren I'm dumb.</s>	<\|message\|>Sessamaru (pronounced: SES-Uh-MAAR-OO; also known as "Sess") [Priest] Priest turned his attention from the board to Naida, his smile widening. "Ah, Miss Marcoon!" He greeted cheerfully, taking a small break from hanging the requests. "It's a pleasure to see you again, and don't worry about adding your job. It helps pay for the Church, too, you know! Always a pleasure that the proceeds go to the orphanage. Poor kids..." His expression went from cheerful to melancholy in quite a short span. However, before he could continue his conversation with Naida, Rimau stole his attention. Priest listened to him with a smile on his face, taking the jokes with much patience and good humor. Priest laughed before Rimau did, extending a hand. "Well, I was an orphan and had the darkest of days, friend," Priest told him when all was said and done. "I woke up with no memory to my past and I was ignored on the streets. When all was bleak, and the storm clouds closed in, there was a light... an elderly man from the Church came to me and took me in. He taught me to read and write, to love and to see the light in this world. It was his teachings that shown me the way. Without it, I would be just as cynical as you are," Priest jested. Before Priest could get his handshake, however, a new person came to him. A tall, muscular knight seeming eager to know about Remnants. "O-oh," Priest began, his expression worrisome. "The Remnants aren't as active as they were. The past several weeks, there was nary a sight of them. I think the only job referencing them is the one involving a mysterious gem in a cave. It's infested with them, and those are the only ones found." He explained, frowning. Then another patron approached him, a beautiful woman, asking about the quest involving the mages and the gem. "I don't know much, honestly. It is the Arcane Collective, the mages' guild here in Belheim, and the gem they seek is quite rare, almost legendary. It is a jewel said to be formed from areas heavily concentrated with magical energies. However, it is being guarded by Drakas, Remnants from the continent of Shoba. I highly suggest you bring a few more people before taking the job... otherwise, their sheer numbers would overpower you." He explained, fully, concern shadowing his once-cheerful face. [Sessamaru] The half-breed waited eagerly for his food, too focused on eating to pay any attention to Priest. When Naida finally grabbed him another bowl, he began to eat it with ferocity equal to the initial dish. He finished the meal swiftly and raised the bowl again. Naida subtly suggested he do a mission and he contemplated on it. Perhaps I should... but not on an empty stomach! he thought, smiling brightly. "I think I will, Miss Naida. It has been a while since I last enjoyed the outside world." He told her, eyes shining. "But first! More food, please!"</s>
<\|description\|>Mysaren Race: Bean Nighe Gender: Female Age: 22 Occupation: Unemployed, robs graves for a living. Personality/Interests On the surface, she seems like a very easy person to talk to, someone who you can trust, someone who knows a lot about the world. On the inside, though, Mysaren just desperately wants to be accepted by people. One of her biggest fears is people not liking her. Mysaren can be seen as somewhat manipulative, lying and cheating to people often to get her way, although this is something that she is trying to fix. She's definitely not above dirty tricks in order to get what she wants, or sometimes needs. She's very good at feigning confidence, which is how she does her "job", by either brute force or pretending that she's supposed to be in area's that she's not supposed to go. Despite this, she's definitely loyal to those she cares about, and definitely tries to help her friends in family in any way she can. Mysaren is somewhat hot-headed, and has a very quick temper. On the inside, she's a very sensitive person, though. She takes a lot of things literally, and doesn't really appreciate jokes or teasing at all. She cares immensely about her family at home, and her greatest fear is something bad happening to them. Her entire life has been spent trying to support them the best she can, even stealing and cheating in order to get money. She's often very cheap, not liking to spend money frivolously, even if she has money. She has a bit of a mistrust for anyone with large amounts of money as well. Appearance Mysaren is a rather tall women, having the look of a warrior. She's muscular, with a chiseled, prominent jaw and square face. She has short, curly black hair, which barely goes past her ears, although her bangs cover her eyes if not pulled back. She has dark brown skin, which is marred with various scars. Her eyes are deep-set, and blue eyes that look like the deep end of the pool. Freckles cover a large amount of her face, and are lightly sprinkled on her shoulders. Details Body build: Muscular, well built. Hair: Short, curly. Hair color: Black. Skin color: Dark brown. Eye/Iris color: Dark blue. Height/Weight: 6'3, 185. Notable Features: Freckles, her arms and legs are somewhat covered in scars. Clothing Description She tends to wear long, dark purple robes with a gold trim around the edges, and a hood. Underneath, she wears a black tunic, a normal pair of pants which are brown, and a belt, which is covered in various small pockets and bags. She carries a larger, messenger bag that's made of black leather and has several runes carved into it. She also wears thick, black leather gloves, and rather strong, worn boots, made for travelling. Equipment A spell book and several other books, a few healing and mana potions, various materials for her spell work, a shovel, a lantern, and a bottle of oil. Weapon(s) Her wand, a knife, and a small sword. Powers Due to her years spent living in the darkness, she has a heightened sense of sight. Abilities She is able to tell when someone is about to die, although she can't get specifics on who/why/how. It's usually just a loud, wordless muttering in the back of her mind. Talents Hand to hand combat. Petty thievery Her persuasive power. Magic Deals primarily in Necromancy. Talking with the deceased, being able to call upon them in times of battle. Sessamaru - "He seems level-headed, but I am envious of his rather joyous personality." Historia - "A naive little bird. I do hope she at least knows enough to stay out of trouble." Saha - "Never much liked snakes." Katelia - "An annoyance." Julio - "He knows how to keep his mouth shut. I can respect that." Azzrix - "Pompous ass. I can't help but respect his ability to kill rich people though. Keeps me in business." Margaret - "I don't much respect greediness, but she's at least a good companion otherwise." Naida - "Rather nice. Pretty cute as well." Drubbins - "An idiot. Lovable, but an idiot." Tahira - "One of them brainy types, and not so good with people. Kinda painful to talk with her." Rimau - "He has a very similar sense of humor as me, and he's pretty friendly. I like him a lot." Claire - "Rather shy, but not bad to talk to. Could be a good friend." Viggo - "I can't stand him or his music." Rouen - "Some pretty rich boy who thinks he knows how the world works because he's lived in a nice castle all his life." Falen - "I respect him a lot. He kinda scares me sometimes though..."</s> <\|message\|>Historia Saurvale Historia glanced over at the door when she heard...she thought her name was Miss Katelia and the....big...cat Hel...Historia shuddered slightly. She had had enough of cats for today...So she turned her attention right back to the woman that she had sat down beside. "Claire, that's a nice name." Historia said with a smile. She looked over to Miss Claire again. There was something on her that didn't look weathered, which was the sash around Miss Claire's waist. It was a really pretty sash, and it made Historia wonder if perhaps it had some sort of special meaning to Miss Claire or if she just really liked it. "As for food," Historia said, responding to what Miss Claire told her, "I was thinking of ordering some myself in a minute." She added before turning around to Miss Mysaren. Historia didn't really notice before that she smelled a bit...funny...and she was covered in dirt...Perhaps she was a grave digger or something like that? "Will you be ordering something yourself?" Historia asked her. No sooner had Historia asked that though, did Historia notice that there was some music playing. She looked slightly past Miss Mysaren to see a man playing on the little makeshift stage. The tune was lovely, though Historia didn't know if it was a common tune or if the musician had written it himself as she was still getting used to this country. Historia then turned her full attention back to Miss Mysaren, deciding that perhaps she would talk with the musician later.</s> <\|message\|>Mysaren Mysaren Location: Blue Moon Tavern Mysaren looked up at Historia, smiling again. "Hm? Oh, uhm, probably just a drink or two," She said, seeing no reason to lie. She'd left behind that part of her self, or at least, she liked to think she did. "I was actually looking to get a room here for a while." She was still a bit intimidated by the bartender, owner, who ever he was. He seemed to be able to look through everything about her, and it made her a bit twitchy. She felt her stomach flip at the smell of food cooking, and she hadn't eaten in a while, but she couldn't afford it, not if she wanted to get a room. She'd have to sell off her loot soon, or she may have to live off of whatever she can find for a while. She heard the music start, and turned her head to watch the man playing perform. He wasn't bad, she had to admit. She wasn't a fan, but there was skill, she could appreciate that much. She turned back around after a while though, only half listening. The tune almost sounded familiar, but she couldn't put a name to it. She sighed, desperate for a drink and a nice, hot meal.</s> <\|message\|>Naida Marcoon Naida Blue Moon Tavern A ruckus could be heard outside the tavern, banging and rumbling. Suddenly, the doors to the tavern burst inward and a shower of glitter follows behind a speeding streak of blue and white. Naida skids to a stop in the middle of the tavern and looks around with a large smile on her face. "Woah! Fast start to a day huh?!" she says rapidly, looking around. "Sorry I'm late!" She flies over to counter, pulling on her skirt apron and giving Bernard a kiss on the cheek. "Hey Bernard baby!" Her silvery blue and white hair flies about her head as some of the people at the counter begin shouting orders at her. She smiles quickly and says, "Coming right up!" She whips out a drink mixer and begins to pour the orders, pouring faster than any normal bartender could go. She pushes the drinks down the bar to the customers and she grins again. Before Bernard can even ask, Naida is out at the tables, taking orders and moving faster than those other waitresses could even go. She smiles at each of the customers and gives them each her best attention. "You want an omelet? Sure! I can whip that up in a jiff. What about you, hun? A bloodied steak? Coming right up!" Moving as a blur, she flits back over to the kitchen and shouts orders to the cook before turning around and smiling at Bernard again. "I think that makes up for a little of my tardiness, don't you think?" Before he can answer again, she wanders back over to the bar and looks around. She notices Historia in the corner and yells, "Hey darling! Glad to see ya here!" She also notices that she's talking to a new girl and says, "Hey, girly! You look great!" She turns back to Bernard and asks, "Has the demon been in yet?" She chuckles kindheartedly, thinking of Kat. She should really begin to try to get along with her, but she really can't. It's in her nature. She looks around and notices Sessamaru in a corner, hovering above the ground. She grins and, moving quietly, she walks over to him sneakily. "Hiya, Sess!" she says loudly, right next to his ear.</s> <\|message\|>Felan the Wolf .</s> <\|message\|>Azzrix Grimmor Azzrix had a large bag full of going coins on his belt, this was thanks to his latest thievery from a greedy noble who had unfairly taxed the peasants and robbed them of their money. While he didn't give a single bit of care at the unfairness that was done to the peasants, he did however like stealing the man's money and got a laugh when he heard the man's screams of anger upon seeing that he had been robbed. Azzrix was now going to celebrate his success with his thievery. He came to the Blue Moon Tavern as the early lights of the morning began to come over the horizon, and Azzrix wanted to get a drink and was willing to share his wealth with the lucky people who were in the tavern at the time. He grinned at the thought of having the best food that the business could over and he was going drink till he fell to the floor. He quickly walked up to the tavern and came with a loud boom as he made the door bang open, and he gave them all a smile. Azzrix held up his bag of gold coins and shook it making it create a jingling noise. "Bartender! A plate of your finest meat and cheese and drinks for me and everyone in here! I am here to celebrate my recent amass of wealth." he said to everyone with a big smile. He hoped that this act of generosity would make him liked among the tavern goers and help get him some allies in case a mission came up that he would need assistance with.</s> <\|message\|>Drubbins A few minutes pass before the door opens again. However, none of the fresh morning light seems to make its way inside. There's something blocking its passage completely. A single massive arm works its way inside, grabbing the top of the door frame as the being ducks its head to poke into the room. Its head seems small in comparison to its everything else as it twists its body to the side to slide through the door. It almost seems to explode into the room, the scarred pale skin of its bulk suddenly taking up the entire entryway as it draws itself to full height and casts its gaze about the room. This sudden appearance seems to shock those near the door into inaction as it takes three loud lumbering stride and opens its black toothed maw to speak. "A bloke told me," He calls out over the music in a deep, rumbly voice that seems to climb all the way up from his gut. "Dat dere was people what would deal with me here!" He'd heard that very clearly from that fancy bloke near the city gate. He'd turned to this other bloke as soon as Drubbins had walked past their carriage and said it. Blue Moon Tavern. He'd even gone back to ask that bloke, but couldn't get a proper answer on account of the bloke going very still when he'd come up to the window. But just a name was better than nothing, especially when he'd been wandering for what felt like a good long time with no one to tell him what to do. There were the problems of not knowing where the tavern was, and not knowing how he'd know when he saw it on account of him not being able to read, but fortune smiled on him as he made his way through the sleepy streets. He'd seen something come from around a corner and streak past him down a side street, something that was awfully blue, and figured whatever that was must be going to a place called the Blue Moon Tavern. He was really proud of putting that one together. That was an example of good thinkin'. He'd taken off after whatever it was as fast as he could, which was deceptively fast for a creature his size. It was a benefit of being so tall and not having to worry about anyone getting in your way. The thing he was chasing though was so fast he'd only caught sight of the tail end of it a few times. If its route hadn't taken it down a few long streets he would have lost it completely. But with luck he'd kept up and saw it streak into this building, which turned out to be full of blokes who looked like they were celebrating something. They were probably the boss of this places boys. Speaking of which... "Somebody point me to Da Boss!"</s>	<\|message\|>Mysaren The flurry of activity made Mysaren shrink a bit, still on edge. The man bursting in caused her to jump, her hand flying to her blade, before she heard what he said. Food, and drink, all for free. She turned to see Azzrix, smiling. "Thank you!" She yelled happily, glad to not have to pay for any food or drink tonight. More money that could go to better purposes. She couldn't wait for the food to come, her stomach feeling much better now that she knew food was coming. Maybe she could stay here a bit longer, her hand slowly slipping from the handle of her sword. She got comfortable, finally dropping the hood from her cloak, the sudden candle light making her blink. The orc, however, was a different story. Again, she jumped, her blade half drawn when the orc burst in. She watched in slight horror as he started yelling something about the boss? She had no idea who the hell he was talking about, and frankly the outburst made her nervous. Her hand was still on her sword when the orc finally stopped speaking, and she didn't know what to do. She felt the sudden need to run, but her heart race slowed as she realized that no one was going to die, not yet. The screaming hadn't started in her mind, and everything was still all calm. No one meant any harm here, and she could rest a bit easier knowing that no one was going to die any time soon.</s>