[System]
Age: 34 years old
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Affiliation: Currently Independent, Previous Unknown

Picture/Appearance:
With dark hair and green eyes, there are few notable features about his face aside, of course, from the numerous scars and evidence of past injuries. He is usually seen wearing jeans, a rough shirt, a worn-down fedora and a Seattle Police Department SWAT riot vest, though it's been remarked that the red bandana tied to his shoulder seems a little out-of-place for someone so practical.

The man walks through the wasteland with a positive attitude wholly unsuited to one who has seen such violence. Instead, he's usually got a smile on his face, sunglasses on his eyes, and a joke on the tip of his tongue.

Backstory:
Known for his positive attitude and easy-going manner, Hudson has been a welcome sight in the past five years, especially in the BC Wasteland, and those who know him quite like the man. However, not many can quite pin down where the man came from, and when exactly it was that he arrived, though most seem to recall that it was about 2270 or so. He has been a regular staple in and out of Gastown ever since, though he's often gone for days, even weeks at a time, always coming back with unique salvage to trade.

Hudson's history, however, isn't something he likes to discuss very much. He doesn't like to talk about the numerous scars on his arms and back, and certainly not strange brand on the back of his right shoulder, that of a bull with an "X" burned over it. Several who have been insistent about such things have been given clear, no-nonsense warnings from behind the muzzle of Hudson's 12.7mm pistol, Fiona. As of yet, she hasn't had to provide a stronger argument than simply a glare.

Still, Hudson has formed a kinship with the people of the Vancouver Wasteland, and seems especially willing to do whatever is necessary to keep others from harm. He acts with swift justice against any who would try to plunder or pillage at the expense of others, and is especially perturbed by any who try to inflict their will upon others, letting Fiona back up his arguments when his personal charm can't quite seem to get the job done.

But despite his overall "righteous" demeanor, surely one with Hudson's fighting skills had to come from somewhere. And surely a man so determined to cause a ruckus can't avoid notice forever.

[User]
Soon the guns died down, anyone or anything within their targeting path had either ran to safety or had been vaporised into ash. Suddenly everyone with a radio through the wasteland had their channels automatically changed to the Enclave Station.

Greetings citizens of Canada! For too long have we been silent, for too long have people believed us to be dead, scattered and hiding under rocks!

But I, President Thomas F. Irons am pleased to tell you good people that the Enclave is back! Oh yes. Like a phoenix we have risen from the ashes of America to save not just America, not just Canada, but the World!

That's right good people. For too long have we been separate, believing that countries should fend for themselves, that our problems are greater than there's. But they're not! All of us were devastated by atomic fire, all of us have had loved ones lost. That stops today!

Today we regain our humanity! We the Enclave have developed a new cure, one that will help us all, generations of mutant will be eradicated, set our bodies back to the purity that they were before the War! Citizens of Canada, we invite you to join the Enclave in our mission to restore the world!

This is President Thomas F. Irons, not of America, not of Canada but the President of the New World Order, Signing off.

As the broadcasts stops, everyone's radio disconnects from the Enclave channel.

[Assistant] Taking a handful of shots at the raiders and Enclave soldiers had helped thin the crowd a bit, but the fight was still going strong. As Abram watched through the scope of his rifle, he noted some movement further down the line of sight. Spotting someone darting through the trees, he tried to focus in on them, but to no avail. Instead, he sent a few more shots into the raiders and soldiers. That's when the rumbling started from the base. Massive turrets arose from the ground, tracking and lining up with everyone nearby, charging up for their shots. Abram was already in the motion of ducking down, when a body came hurtling at him and tackled him to the ground, with a familiar voice shouting at him to get down. As the two tumbled down, the area Abram had been lying in was suddenly ripped to shreds with turret fire. When the guns eventually died down, Abram looked up at the face of one Garrett Hudson, a former partner and enemy he had worked with in the past. "Well, shit Hudson...at least buy a guy some dinner first." Abram grumbled, rolling out from underneath him, but still keeping low enough to avoid being spotted by the gun turrets. "How about we get out of here, then you tell me just what the hell's going on, eh?" He said, sneaking carefully through the brush, away from the Enclave's newest HQ.

[User]
Somewhere over the skies of Vancouver

The unmistakable sound of rotor blades scrapped the sky. There, battling through the harsh upper winds of Canada was an Enclave Vertibird, clearly heading down south. However, something was off about it. While it was up against harsh conditions, Enclave pilots knew how to fly in these environments, but the Vertibird was all over the place. That's when it began to nosedive directly into the snow below.
There was a faint explosion that was muffled by the wind.

At the crash site was a much more devastating sight. For a moment it had seemed that the personnel inside had survived, looking over the crash site, it wasn't until you saw their blood soaked faces that one could tell something was amiss.

Their armour pieces which had fallen of revealed flesh that continued to peel from the bone and a groaning from the troops was constant. However, these were unlike anything seen before. Not even ghouls acted like this... this was something new.

[Assistant]
Normally, Hudson would be making jokes, but when automatic fire was shredding everything just molecules over his head, his ability to snark was significantly reduced. Instead, his focus was just on making himself, and by extension, Abram, sink as completely into the frozen Earth as possible. He silently cursed himself for even getting into this kind of predicament.

Five hundred caps really isn't worth all this, is it?

Just as suddenly as it began, the turrets wound down. The mechanical whirring slowed, and finally there was mostly silence across the valley. It took a moment for Hudson to realize that he probably wasn't going to die here, and so he risked a look, peering out over the berm.

The guns had moved back into a stationary position, and it looked like the coast was finally clear.

Hudson's impromptu mattress groaned.

"Well shit, Hudson..." The ghoul grumbled, pushing the merc off of himself and rolling out of the non-unimpressive indentation they'd made in the dirt. "At least buy a guy some dinner first."

"Come on Abram," Hudson grinned, pulling up to a crouch and picking up his rifle. "I thought you ghouls liked rough foreplay."

They both glanced about, making sure not to be spotted, and Abrams took the lead, making his way further up above the valley, staying in the brush.

"So what are you doing here?" Asked Hudson in a hushed tone. The ghoul turned back, a bit of chiding in his voice.

"How about we get out of here, then you tell me just what the hell's going on, eh?"

Hudson nodded.

The two continued further, eventually making their way out of what they assumed was the facility's attack range, before finally standing up. Hudson placed his pack and rifle on the ground and stretched his back, swearing he could hear a snap or two as a couple of his vertebrae clicked themselves back into place.

"You know, you're not a comfortable body pillow," said Hudson, twisting his torso and rolling his neck. In doing so, he glanced at his pack.

Right through the transmitter was a shiny silvered slag hole, evidence of a plasma round which had blasted clean through it.

Damn it!

He turned to Abram.

"So, I'll be honest - I don't know what's going on down there. I'm here on Imperial freelance, only. They wanted some southland scouts at five-hundred caps for a two-week contract. Whoever these magic pop-up facility assholes are, I'm sure the Tinsui would pay even more to know they're here, but..."

He indicated the slagged transmitter.

"But with the transmitter busted, the closest Imperial scouting station is about fifty miles north of here."

Hudson turned back to Abram.

"Did you get the same job? Or are you on the Coalition for this one?"

[User]
Abram led Hudson away from the compound as best as he could, his worn sidearm from his service in the Army drawn and aimed at every possible alcove for enemy positions along the way. As they crept, Abram thought to himself Wonder what the odds are on meeting Hudson all the way out here? If I was a betting man, it'd probably be a quite a pretty penny. When they finally reached a seemingly safe position, they both stood from their crouched positions, Abram grunting slightly as his ancient bones readjusted.

"You know, you're not a comfortable body pillow." He heard Hudson grumble, and replied with a quick "You're no Tempur-Pedic yourself.." as he rubbed and massaged one of his shoulders. Abram also noted Hudson glancing over his transmitter, and saw the plasma hole. Hudson then told him about the assignment he had gotten from the Imperials, asking him if he was on the same job, or if the Coalition had sent him.

Abram looked to Hudson and said "Actually, I was out hunting when I noticed those guys come storming through the forest, scared all the game away. So I followed 'em, and lo and behold they're the Enclave. If you aren't aware, the Enclave is some kooked-up army group convinced they can" Abram gives a snarl and some sarcastic airquotes, "'rebuild America' by killing anyone irradiated or mutated, which includes basically anyone not born in a vault. I had a spat with 'em back in 2242 down in California. Some tribal kid blew up their base out in the water, and so the locals got together and kicked the rest of them out of their base on the coast. A pretty decent-sized handful of 'em got away, so it's no big surprise they're back..." He took this time to pull out a cigarette and light it, sucking on it a bit before speaking again.

"Anyway, if they're here, and you're working for the Imperials in this area, they'll wanna know. We should get to that scouting station as soon as we can. We'll have to camp out once it gets dark though, but we should be far enough out that the Enclave won't see us."

[Assistant]
Deep within the base, Davis had moved up into the secondary labs, scientists and technicians were already hard at work getting it up to a fully operational state. Davis panned for the power button and activated it.

Soon the lights revealed the true potential of the lab. In the centre laid a holographic schematic table that brushed through different prototypes including a new Mk.3 'Ultimate' Power Armour. However, on the walls was a more… ghastly sight.

Test subjects encased within Vita-Pods labelled Alpha-001 through-009. These were some form of new FEV super solider program that had been set during the Great War. But was supposed to have been shut down due to ethical reasons.

In front of Davis was the 'Overlord' terminal. This oversaw every section of research throughout the base and where he inserted the new canister of Irons's own FEV and began the replication process.


[System]
Age: 14
Gender: Female (Can pass for ambiguous when in her normal state)
Appearance:

Personality: Yume is calm and logical to an extent that may seem cold to others. However, when it is in her ability to be kind and benevolent, she is without hesitation. She is especially caring towards inexperienced magical girls, and wishes no real harm upon anyone. Yume is sorrowful about the eventual fate of magical girls, but has no doubt that it is unavoidable and dismisses any decision made for the sake of passion. She is somewhat a hypocrite, for when someone who she cares for is threatened, she protects them fiercely.
Bio: Yume had an easier life than most magical girls. An only child of two well-off and loving parents, there wasn't much she would sell her soul for. This changed, however, after her mother was discovered to have Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, a rare genetic disorder that slowly and painfully killed her. The day after her mother's funeral, a then eleven year old Yume was offered a contract in exchange for a single wish. Without hesitation, she accepted a destiny fighting witches in exchange for her mother's life. Had she been older and wiser, she would have realized that bringing her mother back from the dead would not reverse her condition. Yume soon saw the suffering she had inflicted on her mother, who was once again doomed to die in constant agony, and ended her mother's life with the blade of her own axe. She was forced to cut down her own father as well, after he went insane from the grief of losing his wife for a second time. Yume became a full time witch hunter after this, and serves every whim of the incubators. She has accepted the balance of despair and hope as a needed force to maintain the universe, and bases many of her actions on what will support it.
Allegiance: Yume is loyal to the will of the incubators, but will form allegiances with other magical girls when necessary, and occasionally will take on an "apprentice" of sorts.
Skills: Yume is incredibly skilled with her axe as a result of her years of experience. While she is not very physically strong, she is very fast and agile, and is a strategic thinker. When trying to be charming, Yume can be exceedingly persuasive.
Weapons: As a magical girl, Yume rarely uses "normal" weapons, but carries a few switchblades for the sake of caution.
Other: Yume has an intense dislike for men, especially adults. She also considers herself a vigilante, and will slay evil humans as well as witches.

Magical Girl Section:

Magical Girl Appearance:

Wish: "I wish for my mother to come back to life."
Weapons:

Yume's main weapon is a large and ornate battle axe, which is chrome in color. Her weapon stems from her idea that destruction is necessary for advance and construction, much in the way that a tree must be chopped down with an axe for a house to be built. She can also summon small throwing axes to use as deadly projectiles.
Powers: Because of the way her wish brought back the dead, Yume uses Life Magic. However, she cannot bring people back to life completely healed. Her abilities allow her to only bring back the recent dead, and they can only reverse the effect of the killing blow, so any long term damage, such as cancer, would be unaffected.

[User]
Halfway through her second wad of chewing tobacco, Violetta looked up and glanced around. She narrowed her eyes, and if she could've flexed her ears like a dog she would've. Something had gone crash, some distance away. In an infinitely large place of trees, the sound of glass and stone was definately an anomaly. She spat, and the black gob flew down and away into the sky, following a branch. That was new. Had that been there before? Violetta turned, trying to guess where the thing had came from. She picked herself up, and pocketed the wad of chewables, before leaping from tree to tree like she was trying to kick them down, like a manic pinball going for the highest score, all in an attempt not to fall into the abyss. It worked, and she'd covered some decent ground before she'd reached the end of the treeline. There was a building there, a brick chimney place with one conspicuous window that had been smashed open. She perched on the windowsil, and looked inside.

It was her. The black bitc- The Hellhound of Aurora. The lady didn't seem to want to trust her anymore, (Not without reason, Violetta's conscious added) so she'd apparantly decided to send her pet hamster to control her. She fumed, internally, and kicked aside some of the glass still in the sil. Her shadow was blocking the light into the place. With any luck, she'd look menacing and intimidating and not as pissed off as she felt. She opened her mouth, and began talking.

"Oi." She began. That seemed suitably dismissive." This is a Valkyrie operation. If you want something, go wait outside and we'll get to you when we can."

[Assistant] Yume took a few steps back, slightly put off by this girl's behavior. "Well, Chloe, I don't necessarily believe in 'destiny'." she shrugged. "Although my previous experiences with other magi have given me some doubt." a slight smile appeared on her lips. "What about you, miss? Do you believe yourself, or are you just playing with me?" Her fingers twitched, ready to defend against a possible attack. Chloe didn't seem threatening at the moment, but Yume had to be prepared for anything.

[User]
"I understand, my Lady," Fantine said and bowed slightly as Maria left.

book of bad juju

Eponine looked up at Violetta, and spoke, in a dry, robotic tone that sounded almost as monotonous and boring as an end-user license agreement, "I hope my presence is not taken as insult. My Lady merely lost contact with one of her operatives namely you; and as is common procedure, sent someone to investigate, namely myself. Though now that your safety has been determined, and you have also expressed confidence in completing the mission on your own, I do not wish to leave the barrier as I would personally rather not have to go through that inverted forest again, so if it's all the same to you, I will aid you in taking down this witch, which I believe is the fastest way to get us both out of this labyrinth. You can keep the grief seed, I will simply report to my Lady that you are well and in process of completing your mission." Eponine stood back up, having almost completely healed, though she did pop her neck in an unsettling manner.

[Assistant]
Violetta jumped down onto the ceiling, and glared at the other girl while the bi- the Hellhound launched into her prepared shtick about what she was sent to do. She listened with half an ear, not even deigning to give the girl her full attention. The edges of the rooms were covered with work posters, half obscured with the darkness. The only real light in the room had been the hole in the window she'd freed up, filling the room with a single beam which little clouds of dust danced and made little words in the clouds. She tried to read one, but it vanished and changed as soon as she made sense of it. Witch logic. A little pop brought her attention back to the girl blending in to the darkness. She stifled a grin, trying to stop the joke about not being able to see her in the dark, and tried to keep a straight face while she briefed her.

"Well, fine. Just so long as you don't try to stab me in the back. Oh, and just so you know, there's a magical girl in the labyrinth the boss wants dead. Try to take her down, silent-like, if you can. Blonde, purple dress. Should stick out like a sore thumb around these parts."

[User]
book of bad juju@Stern Algorithm@TrixyTrix

The wait that had gone by unbidden was now over, and all those currently inside the Witches Barrier would soon notice as Familiars began to appear. They were drawn to the magical energy given off by the various girls when they were in their current form, though returning to simple human would act as a disguise. But at the same time though, it would obviously make them less able o defend themselves if they were to be attacked.

White snow bunnies hopped along, almost cute if it weren't for the razor fangs and glowing red eyes. Their form seemed uncertain though, shifting and shimmering in the light, making it difficult to tell exactly where they were in this whole mess of white and ice, though not impossible by any means.

So they arrived, hopping along the ceiling and moving towards the three girls that had dared to intrude, even if one of them was directly responsible for the formation of the Witch in the first place. The time to talk was over. If they wanted to survive this experience, they would have to fight. And even now, the Witch had yet to enter into her full glory.

[Assistant]
"Another magical girl?" Eponine asked. "I was not informed of this. My Lady said that this was simply a recon mission. Did my Lady specifically order this magical girl destroyed, or is this a result of your own judgment? Did she pose a threat to you, or is she perhaps connected to the location of interest in some way?"

A rabbit familiar leapt at Eponine, who flourished her hammer and loudly pounded the familiar into a bloody pulp in the ceiling. She turned to Violetta, "Also, I don't do 'silent-like'."

[User]
Algorithm

Was that a joke? It was so hard to tell, in the darkness. Violetta blinked, unsure of what exactly to say. Then her brain came up with something good.

"She attacked an officer of Aurora City Authority." she began, gesturing vaguely to her hip. There was nothing there, between all the waiting, but it got a point across. "Assault on an officer of the ACA, Resisting Arrest, Conspiracy to Commit Criminal acts, Unauthorized Invocation of Witches..." She went on, the capital letters slotting easily into place. They had a magic all of their own. They could make you believe what you thought was wrong. She counted on her fingers, trying to sell the lie. "Attempting to deceive an ACA agent in the Execution of their Duties- these aren't petty crimes. We cannot allow such things to be done against the Lady's name, entendido?"

[Assistant] Eponine did not mean her question accusatorily, she merely wished to resolve the information discrepancy. "Understood. Such a criminal should be brought down at once." Eponine sighed, she'd had enough dealing with rogues for one day. "Were you able to ascertain her affiliation, if any? You also mentioned Unauthorized Invocation, so she was responsible for this witch?" Eponine asked this just to connect the pieces, though to someone who was lying, it may have come off as if she were questioning the validity of the statement. The rabbit familiars kept coming, so Eponine assumed her default formation as frontline tank, using her powerful melee and defensive magic to stave off enemies, while allowing Violetta to do ranged area control.

[User]
Chloe pursed her lips, looking up in the sky with her hands in her pockets. "Destiny, huh..." It was a question she had to think about, and that made her anxious. After everything that had happened today, she had out herself in a valuable, if dangerous, position. Was that destiny? Or luck?

"Nah, I suppose you're right. Destiny's just made up." The only acceptable conclusion was that Chloe reached her position through skill, intuition and hard work. Everything else was just passing the buck.

"So, that brings us back to my original question. I dunno who you are, and that's dangerous. Haven't even told me your name yet, and that's just rude. I feel like you're just jerking me around. I don't like that much. Been jerked around enough today. And now I'm tired and frustrated. Need a stress relief." Chloe's sentences got shorter and more terse as she continued speaking, and her muscles tensed in her arms. It wasn't visible, but she was gripping the brass knuckles in her pockets tightly, squeezing them like a stress ball as she worked herself up. She wasn't even that angry at this stranger, but something inside her had shifted gears, putting her in 'fight mode.'

"You've admitted that you're a magi, so that means you won't die if I hit you, right? Right?"

With a dull flash, she pulled her hands out of her pockets, her brass knuckles turning into her signature giant magical fists, and her headphones shined with a dull light that signified their transformation as well as she changed fully into magical girl form. With her huge hands, she pointed a finger at the girl in front of her.

"I'm nice enough to wait for you to transform today, so consider yourself lucky. In exchange, if I beat you, you're gonna tell me who you are... or else I'll kill you."

[Assistant]
Algorithm

The shifty white blob things were pouring into the building, and the conversation was cut short by the Hellhound turning and pounding a rabbit into so much veal mince. Good thing, too, because Violetta had already drawn her weapon in order to teach the annoyingly curious girl a lesson. Her little pre-act of anger was hidden in all the rush, and presumably the other girl had just assumed she'd pulled it out to fight. And all the better, because now there was a whole bunch of punching bags to take her anger out on. Humans were boring to kill. They screamed, and ran away at the slightest little burn, and the smell always made her hungry. Even witches rarely did more then sit still and throw stuff. She grinned, the fire dancing behind her eyes already, glancing around the room, and taking stock of sightlines.

Screw ranged combat.

She took a pose like a sprinter at a marathon, and charged. She went at a cluster of the things, staying low, her arms cradling her weapon of choice as it spewed out a spray of hellfire to her right. For a moment, it caught the shaft of light, turning the globules into a greasy oil-slick rainbow in the sky, before the pilot light stole the greens and blues, leaving only the red greasy fire. Violetta slid across the inverted ceiling, knocking out a cluster of the hideous things without even slowing down. That was important. You slowed down and you died. She hit the wall, and bounced off it, repeating her maneuver from earlier.


[System]
Age: 19
Exp Points: 0
From Year: 2013
Home Land: New York City

Appearance:

Personality: To those who know her, Abby's name is synonymous with sarcasm. Whether she's having a casual picnic or attending a funeral, a snarky comment is almost always at the tip of her tongue. Unfortunately, the dark humor that might be endearing in some is just the opposite for Abby - her cynicism runs deep, and those who get too close are painted a picture of bleakest despair. The depression Abby has struggled with for so long has seeped into her very soul, tainting it.

The rare few who dare get even closer despite the darkness, however, learn that there's more to Abby than her cold exterior suggests. Harsh judgments are intermingled with daydreams, fancies too embarrassing to speak that one would scarcely expect from such a bitter girl. Despite everything, a spark of hope still gleams within the darkness, a stubborn flame that will not be extinguished. Darkness clashing with fading light - that old, familiar story plays out anew in Abby's mind. Whether the ending will be happy or not is anyone's guess - Abby certainly isn't expecting much.

Biography: A strict but loving mother and a father who saw his daughter as the most precious of jewels - those were the parents Abby barely ever became acquainted with. When Abby was only four years old, the pair of them died in a plane crash, leaving her to fend for herself in a cold world warmed only by a dying fire. The grandmother she was left with was sickly, not prepared to take care of a child. Within a few years she, too, had succumbed to the abyss. After a brief stint in a glorified orphanage, Abby was passed on to a foster family. By then, it was too late. The impenetrable wall designed to protect her from loss had already taken hold.

Before she knew it, high school had come and gone, and Abby had learned only that friends were fickle and lovers more so. Her grades - indicative of superficial understanding of meaningless topics - were good, however, so her foster parents urged her to go to college, and lacking any real ambition, Abby succumbed to their nagging. Before long, she had moved to a fairly prestigious university, living apart from her makeshift family for the first time since falling into their custody.

That was when things started going sour. Without anyone to make her stick to her work, Abby found herself unable to focus on her studies. Instead, she explored her newfound freedom, and before long, she was pushing at its boundaries. At first, she only pulled small pranks - sneak her roommate's possessions into other rooms and the like - but, soon, she became bored with such mild mischief. She turned to thievery. A few wallets here, a tacky necklace there - and then she went too far. She started taking cell phones just to read through the text messages on them - and a few of them had their locations tracked. In what seemed like a flash, not only was she in trouble with the school, but facing criminal charges and the scorn of her foster parents, the only people she thought she could trust to be on her side.

Then... she was reprieved. Everything vanished before she was due to appear in court, replaced by an odd city that looked like it had been plucked out of a sci-fi movie. A new world... and new limits to test.

Powers:

[User]
The world changed in a whirlwind of cotton and silk. Drab clothing that middle class parents could scarcely let their daughter indulge in - all of it was gone, along with that ugly gray sweatsuit. After what must have been an hour of trying on skirts, blouses, and whatever else tickled her fancy, Abby found herself standing in front of a tall mirror, admiring the frilly, dark dress that covered her from shoulders to knees. It was so pretty, complimented her dark hair, yet also surprisingly comfortable. Low-heeled Mary Janes and long, dark socks completed her outfit.

Slowly, her lips curved upward. How long had it last been since she'd genuinely smiled?

"And no matter what I do, injuries will always heal?" asked Abby, turning toward the saleswoman - Carol was her name - who had greeted her upon her arrival. The woman beamed and nodded in response to her question.

"That's right, dearie! Here, nothing is going to hurt you. There's nothing to run from, so you can wear whatever you want!"

Abby put a finger to her mouth thoughtfully, inspecting a longer skirt hanging from a rack. Although Carol's upbeat, squeaky voice made Abby want to press her hands against her ears, she had begrudgingly become a little bit fond of the woman. That would have irritated her if she weren't so absorbed in choosing an outfit.

The gentle chiming of a bell announced the entrance of another customer. Abby glanced upward distractedly, taking in the little girl with curly brown hair before returning to her task. But, as she peered downward at the skirt, examining every inch of it, a pair of bare feet stopped next to her.

Clearly, the child didn't know not to talk to strangers.

"Hi, Adam said you would be a good friend or something about complimenting each other, um. You have nice hair. Would you mind to much if i stuck around with you?"

Abby's first question was 'Who the hell is Adam?', but she didn't ask it aloud. Why on earth would some random kid want to follow her around? Abby was about to tell the kid to go away when she looked over the girl's shoulder, scanned the store for parents.

Nothing.

Abby's hand twitched. She opened her mouth, then closed it again without speaking a word. A little girl all on her own. Why was that tugging on her heart strings so much?

Compassion was a sham. In this world - in any world - you couldn't trust anyone but yourself to watch your back. So what took Abby off guard more than anything was her own response.

"I'm not a nice person, but I guess you can hang around, if you want."

What was she saying? She didn't even know the girl's name!

"Who are you, anyway?" she asked, reluctant to take back her initially response. Damn it - was this new world affecting not just the needs of her body, but her very personality?

[Assistant]
As Grey left the store, he began randomly down the street. He wasn't hungry and wasn't scared of going hungry. He thought about where he might need to sleep tonight, but there was to much to explore before that. He weaved his way through the streets, in his comfy new clothes. He wasn't feeling any pains or tiredness from walking so much either. It was amazing just walking for so long. He awed at the blocks of streets as they changed times and places in the world. He had traveled quite a bit in his time and knew of several different cultures. He guessed that each block was a different culture, and that some of the cultures were from different times as well.

He was beginning to get bored of even this place. It was quite amazing, but nothing was happening. It was too perfect for his tastes. He wanted to understand it more. How did it become this way? Where was this actually at? Why did everyone just go along with everything? What would happen if someone tried something bad? He figured he wouldn't test the last one. He knew of one man who tried to make a utopian village, and basically slaughtered half the village that disagreed with him, while he had his way with the resources and some of the people of the village. This place didn't seem like any of that, but he was curious about a lot of what was going on.

He continued to wander through all of the people and sights looking for someone who seemed more important than a commoner or merchant. No one was really impressing him, that was until he saw another man. He was wearing the same gray clothes he was wearing earlier. He also had some sort of blue man leading him somewhere. He had never seen a blue man before and maybe he was important. He was a few blocks away, but Grey took off running towards the two. He caught up after several blocks, and wasn't quite sure what to say for a greeting, but he needed to do something if he wanted to figure out anything. The man looked like he was a little spanish, but very mixed or something. He was much paler than the spaniards he knew as well. He tried talking to him anyways.

"Hey, it looks like you're new here. I'm new as well, but I already changed my clothes. Do you have any idea what's going on, and who is that you're following?" He pointed to Adam, not knowing anything about him.

[User]
Ricardo was struggling between a sense of wonder and a sense of panic. This world seemed 'too good to be true' as the old saying goes. His original guess of this being a dream was becoming less and less likely; this was far to vivid and consistent. He was now sifting through other possibilities, still shuffling behind the small holographic man.

Lost in thought, Ricardo was caught by surprise when a masculine looking man in comfortable street clothes ran up to him. Ricardo stopped to listen to what the man had to say, while Adam had already turned around, halfway lifting a hand towards the man in anticipation.

As the man spoke, Adam's hand lowered. The man seemed just as clueless as Ricardo. There was no need to distrust him. Ricardo replied honestly, "Hi. Yeah, I'm new here too. As for who I am following, this is Adam. He's a some sort of artificial intelligence hologram. Apparently, anytime you need a little navigating help, he will appear. As for what's going on... that's a good question." Ricardo then turned to Adam, "What is going on Adam?"

"You have both arrived here today, and I am currently taking you to find new clothing."

"No Adam, what I mean to ask is, 'where is here?'.

"Please elaborate your question further."

"What is this city? What's it's name? Where is it in relation to my home?"

"This city is a city. It does not have an official name; inhabitants call it many different names. I'm afraid I am unable to answer your third question."

Ricardo was surprised by how much this Adam character was giving away. He could hardly believe that it didn't strike him before to ask the all knowing computer program. But his last response was disturbing, "Wait, what? Why can't you answer my question?" Ricardo was starting to feel slightly rude, talking to the hologram rather than the man that approached him directly. But if this guy was new as well, Ricardo was sure that these questions were also on his mind.

"I have no knowledge of anything outside this city."

"Then you don't know where I am from or how I got here?"

"I do know where you are from. I do not know how you got here."

"But you just said that you have no knowledge of anything outside this city. Then how do you know where I am from?"

"I have knowledge of everything inside this city; you are inside this city. Therefore, I know everything that you know."

Ricardo hesitated before asking his next question. "Can you read my mind?"

"I scanned your mind upon your arrival. I can do an update scan if I see the need. Currently I see no need."

Ricardo turned away from the hologram, almost in disgust. He would make it a point to interrogate the little guy later, but for now, he was through with questions. Looking back to the man that approached him, Ricardo apologized, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you. My name is Ricardo. What's yours?"

[Assistant]
3
Cammila beamed with joy, even if the lady though of herself as not nice. Adam had said she'd be a good friend, and even though Adam was a foot tall he was still an adult. "I'm sure you're nicer than you think. " Cammila said cheerily before becoming distract by a ring.

It was resting on a maniquin's finger. She took it of and slipped it onto her thumb, before examining it fully. It was golden in color but not weight with a masterwork pattern carved directly into the material. A rough transparent green stone was fixed in the center.

Returning to her new friend Cammila remembered that she had been asked a question. "Oh and my names Cammila, Cammila Thebe Ocaris. What's your name?" She asked, smiling again to enfisize her delight at the girls presence.

[User]
Grey was quite shocked at what he was hearing from the little blue man named Adam. Evidently he was an artificer intelligent hollow gram. Grey wasn't sure what to make of that other than a smart creator of empty weight? Ricardo began to ask Adam questions, but the answers weren't very helpful. All he was able to take from the interrogation, was that Adam knew everything, but wasn't telling anything.

He was still in shock at the blue man when Ricardo introduced himself. After a moment longer of staring, he looked back at Ricardo and introduced himself as well. "I'm Greyken Rest, but you can call me Grey. I don't know why, but I don't like Adam." Grey turned his attention to Adam and decided to try a question. "So this mind scan, does that mean you know all of my thoughts? How big is this world? What do people do here?"

[Assistant]
Abby cocked an eyebrow as Cammila revealed her full name. It was an odd name - certainly not one that sounded like it came from her world. "I'm Abby," she said, not bothering with a last name. "Are you from this place?"

As the younger girl played with a fancy looking ring, Abby turned her attention to jewelry, as well. The store had a wide variety of the stuff available, some of which looked like something she might buy an a department store, and other pieces that featured a more archaic design. A pendant shaped like a sword hung at the end of one silvery necklace, its hilt adorned with a tiny amethyst. Abby tried it on, looking in the mirror. Light gleamed off the small gemstone, sharply contrasting her dark clothing. Abby pocketed it.

"I wonder what other shops are around here," she said, choosing a few other pieces of jewelry. She frowned at the little girl who seemed so pleased to be shadowing her. Would the child stay once she saw Abby's true nature - her desire to test the boundaries no matter what situation she found herself in? In this world, stealing was pointless, because everything was free... but surely there would be other rules to break. Clearly, she wasn't the only visitor in this world - what would happen if she tried to sow confusion among the others, to make them believe the entity that brought them here was up to something malevolent? A sly smile crossed Abby's face at the notion; the results could be hilarious!


[System]
Appearance: Meili stands 65" tall and weighs 110 Lbs. She has brown almond shaped eyes and a fair, youth-filled complexion. She has several scars of varying length across her body; trophies from the many fights she has been involved with. Meili's hair is completely black. She keeps it long, either braided to the rear or in a high ponytail, often tucked inside the back of her armor. Her hair is rarely permitted to splay across her back in an unkempt manner. She is muscular in a lean way, more thin than robust from years of a cardio vascular dominated training regimen.

Meili wears a black form fitting leather body suit with golden markings of dashed lines or highlighting accessories. Her high soft leather boots are also form fitting, giving her additional flexibility during movements. They fit her feet smoothly allowing her to walk quietly when necessary. Atop her head is a hooded cloak and optional helmet she wears when necessary. Generally, when in an inhospitable climate. The hood conceals her face quite easily. When not engaged in the act of her profession, the hood reveals her girlish looks.

Bio:Meili was born in the Guangdong Province of Southeast China, near Hong Kong. Her parents were not wealthy, working menial labor for a local railroad or city government in Hong Kong. Jhang Li and Jhang Mei were happy with their lot in life and bore five sons to help protect their baby sister, Meili. Their second youngest child Jhang Meili was not happy to remain in Hong Kong or China, leaving the family home when she was sixteen years of age to make her own way in the world.

As children, Meili and her brothers practiced unarmed combat, developing their own skills. They fought just like any group of siblings in the world. It was their thing to do. The brothers did not spare their sister. They wanted her prepared to take whatever abuse the world could dish out. There was no way she would be released upon the universe as a delicate untainted flower.

Meili wanted to fight as a warrior, learning what skills she could. She attempted to join the Army, but was denied due to her age. She found a skilled master of Gong fu willing to train her in Wǔshù (unarmed combat) and Quan Fa. Quan Fa is a form of fist fighting similar to Muay Thai. She spent four years training with Master Peng until she attained a black belt in his disciplines. This achievement entitled her to be a master of the basics. There was still a lot more to learn.

At age 22, she was permitted to join the Army. She learned discipline and how to use various weapons including sniper training on the Ruan Rifle, one of the premier sniper rifles designed in the far east. She spent the next four years training as an infantry soldier attaining the rank of 班長, "Officer of the squad" or Sergeant. During her time in the military, she continued to train in Wǔshù and Quan Fa, achieving a second degree in the martial skill during her third year of service.

After four years in the Army, she was ready to try something different. She hired on as a bridge crewman on on a merchant ship and headed for the stars. She trained on a couple of duties including helmsman and navigations. She also continued to keep her martial arts skills honed to a crispness, never allowing herself to become soft. While aboard ship, she trained in the use of a few melee weapons including the Dao, a single edged sword; the Ge, a form of pole axe; bo staff, daggers and throwing knives.

By age 30, she had developed a reputation as a tough fighter, sparring with several ship mates. She has also become skilled at maneuvering large space vessels and plotting their location amongst the stars.

Before her 31st birthday, Meili returned to Hong Kong in order to test for her third-degree black belt in Wǔshù and Quan Fa, which she achieved in three months.

At this time of her life, things changed drastically. She completely fell out with her family. They felt she no longer respected them or the old ways of her culture. She felt they didn't understand her. It was as much a shock to her as anyone who knew the family. They wanted to have nothing to do with her, turning their back on their own daughter. This has left her bitter, but now Meili has taken in with pirates and signed on as a bridge crewman aboard the Endgame.

Class: Assassin
Sic Semper Tyrannus:
Durability: 2
Equipment Load: 8
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 2
Vision: 3
Charisma: 6
Agility: 4
Skill: 1
Luck: 2

Skills:
Stealth
Assassination
Backstab

Equipment:
Beretta Arms M-35 "Puma" Displacement Sword (Blade Length: 65cm/25.6")
Beretta Arms M-17 "Kobun" Hardlight dagger (Blade Length: 20cm/8")
Durandal Arms and Armor D-4 "Ripper" Automatic Displacement Submachine Gun
DSG-4A2 Sniper Rifle, with scope and reflex sight. (bolt action .338 Lapua Magnum)

[User] Be advised: The enemy vessel is small and fast, our window will be just as small, if not more so, and ENDGAME is enormous. If we miss our window, they will discover our Freighter-class Hunter-Killer.

[Assistant] New intel suggests that they may have anti-vehicle munitions on board. These will likely not be easily accessible, and will probably be housed in the armory.

[User]
"This is your captain speaking! Change of plan, guys. I know we're not where we're supposed to be. I see that. I know that we should be orbiting Titan right now, and I know that instead, we are now approaching Europa. Change of plan. I know you guys are about as frustrated as I am, moving 'secret' cargo back and forth and back and forth and BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND- fuck, man. WE ARE UNDERPAID AND UNDERAPPRECIATED, and I AM SICK OF IT. I made sixty fucking credits on the last run. A RUN THAT COST US OVER TWENTY GRAND TO MAKE! What, they think Argon is cheap? FUCK EM! FUCK EM ALL! I can't even pay my own GODDAMN CREW. I'm tired of this shit. I'm tired of being told I can't ask what I'm transporting. I'm tired of being told I can't be paid more because 'it isn't in the budget'. I'm tired to paying you guys under MINIMUM FUCKING WAGE because some asshole thinks he can take advantage of me! I'm tired of fighting off pirates to deliver potentially hazardous shit to sketchy people who tell me it's not their responsibility to compensate us! I'm tired of NO BENEFITS! I'M TIRED OF NO RAISES! I'M TIRED OF GETTING FED SHIT AND BEING KEPT IN THE DARK LIKE A GODDAMN FUNGUS. It's time to show them they can't push us around.

See that ship out there? They're carrying something valuable. Something we transported. I put a tracker on it. Yeah, it's fucking illegal, what do I fucking care? I tracked this piece of crap all the way here, and apparently, it's worth something, just like EVERY OTHER THING they have us move. Let's take it back. Let's see how badly they really want it.
I'll tell you what, though. Check your lockers. I've got a little something special in there for everyone. Took me forever to build, but they are fucking fantastic. Sorry about yelling, Mei, when you tried to open up the observation deck, but I had them in there, and I wanted to keep them secret.

Smith, for you, I've got a custom combat suit, completely modular, with a magnetic band around the waist for all your tools and shit. Suit's powered to give you an edge in hand-to-hand, a little extra strength. Check your sword too. Notice the bigger handle? Bigger microbattery, more power. Fuck em up.

Mei, for you, a custom stealthsuit, with more stable active camo, modified for faster reflexes. They'll be lucky to even see you now. You may also notice that little blue box on your SMG. It's a UV laser. If my calculations are correct, it should give it greater range and accuracy, by giving the bolts a line to run down.
R-Three, you may notice that you're a tad heavier now. If you check your back, you'll see a brand new gridded-ion thruster. Now you're a heavy mech who can get the jump on even the fastest scout shuttle. Oh, yeah, and that extra barrel on your carbine is a big harpoon. Yeah, it's electrified. Try not to dry-fire it, I haven't tested it a lot.

Alright, guys, here's the plan: Smith, fuck something up. I don't care what- actually, try not to break anything vital. We need something worth repairing. I also need you to put together an EMP device. Something big. I'm talking argocide here. I'm talking something big enough to be a ship-killer.

Mei, I need you to sneak it onto their shuttle if you can. Once we've got them crippled, we'll hold them captive. Then we board.
R-Three, you'll be our vanguard on that. Get in there, be scary, see if you can convince their Mech that it would be in its best interest to join us. If it refuses, use that new harpoon.

Oh, and I've got a bottle of 2008 Chardonnay for anyone who brings me the head of Jakar Rhiner. You know Rhiner, that asshole who contracted us? THE ONE WHO SIGNS OUR FUCKING CHECKS? I'm gonna put that fucker's head on ice and look at it when I'm sad.
ALRIGHT! LET'S GET GOING, PEOPLE! TIME IS MONEY, AND WE HAVE NO MONEY!"

[Assistant]
Still woozy after cryosleep, John sat up straight and rubbed his eyes. After attentively listening to the captain for a few seconds, he stood up, grabbed his drill and placed it on his arm. Pressing the button and creating a shallow, but stinging hole in his skin, he opened his medkid and started disinfecting the wound. At least he was awake, that was for goddamn sure. After cleaning up the wound, he put a band-aid on it and activated his comms.

"Err, cap'n, I think I must've been a bit sleepy when you said that. I thought I heard you say we were going to hit a ship, you got us new armor, I need to build a shipbuster EMP and I need to do the exact opposite of what you pay me for? I mean, I'll admit I'm all for it, but did you really just say all that?"

While waiting for an affirmative response, John started collecting the tools he'd need, listing them to himself as he went along. "I'll need some metal for the casing, an energy source, some wire too...Cap'n, I'll need your left sock. I'll be coming to pick it up since I need to sabotage something anyway."


[System]
Appearance: Vanessa stands at a fair five feet and six and a half inches. Not short, but not terribly tall. Vanessa has fairly pale skin. Vanessa's natural eye color is a bright blue, though this changes to red when she is using her ability to see in the dark. Vanessa's teeth are well kept, and essentially perfect. There are two distinct fangs within her mouth and they're easily noticed on even the slightest smile should one be watching carefully. Vanessa's hair is extremely long, reaching just beyond her knees. It's loose and flowing, though it always seems to keep itself out of the way of trouble.

Vanessa has a fairly thin build. Her bust is relatively small, and easily hidden. Her waist is slim, and her hips follow suit. This frequently leads to her being mistaken for a male, but she's quick to correct this with a laugh. Vanessa wears a black suit and dress pants, both complete with silver buttons and cuff links. Beneath these she wears a white dress shirt and a black tie. Vanessa also wears a pair of white dress gloves and a pair of thick black leather boots. Vanessa also wears a pair of comfortable white stockings to keep her feet from chafing against the boots she wears.

Vanessa also wears a pair of small glasses. These used to correct her vision, but now they're unnecessary. Vanessa keeps them on as decoration.

Species Name & Description: Vampire. Vanessa hails from a planet shrouded in eternal twilight. She's but one of many, though you don't frequently see them outside of the few planets that are dark enough. Vanessa is a specific oddity in that she isn't affected by general UV light, but concentrated UV light. (Like a spotlight.) will knock her out cold.

Favourite Side Dish: Blood. That's all she can really consume for subsistence. Tea is a favorite, though only for the flavor.

Useful Skills & Abilities: Vanessa is a crack shot with her Martini-Henry rifle. It's not as flashy as laser beams or whatnot, but the power of a well placed .303 british round is not to be underestimated. Vanessa is also extremely flexible and physically more capable than an average human. Vanessa may also alter her physical appearance, including clothing, at will. On top of that, Vanessa may see in total darkness with ease, but while doing this her eyes glow red, instead of their natural blue, which betrays her nature as a vampire. Vanessa is also capable of melting into a shadow, teleporting or transforming into a bat.

Vanessa may also sing, dance, and twirl her gun like a baton.

Membership Number: #830303. It's actually a hex code for color. It turns out to be blood red...

An Inspirational Quote That Sums Up The Character's Personality: "Don't mind the fangs. I don't bite unless I'm hungry. No, I'm not currently hungry."

History: Do what comes natural.

[User]
The Engine did it's thing, carefully jetting out just the right amount of Unreal to propel it through the layer of stuff that kept our galaxy (voted "Best Galaxy of the Year" every year since the prize itself was announced) separate from another galaxy that theoretically existed. Navigating through the Unreal was a delicate process, partly because of the mathematics involved in actually reaching your destination, but mostly because staring out the window to check where you were gave most people a blinding headache. There were all sorts of things that could go wrong too, a flask failure in an engine could see an entire ship flooded with the super-dense material of the Unreal, sinking the ship and damning the crew to a life of something quite unspeakable. The bubble of Real could burst. Space madness could set in. The coffee machine could stop working. Pirates could strike. A miscalculation could see a ship reappear dangerously close to a star, or uncomfortably close to an ex-boyfriend or, in the case of Stellar Whales, both.

Fortunately for the crew of the Quest for Flavour, none of these terrible things, or any other terrible thing really, happened as they breached the divide from the Unreal to the Real. From the outside looking in, the ship squeezed itself out through an invisible crack and wobbled slightly before seeming, well, real once more. For those inside the ship, there'd be a loud "pop!" and space outside would look normal as the protective bubble bursts. The Engine went back to sleep, letting red-hot components cool. A few of the marshmellows that the Bees had left on sticks nearby the Engine for just this moment began to brown.

The ship appeared a mostly-safe distance away from the planet of Ofromia. It was swelteringly close to the star of the same name. The original inhabitants weren't particularly inventive when it came to naming, so "Ofromia" refers to the sole inhabited planet, the whopping great big star it orbits, the two satellites that orbit the planet, the main continent of the planet and it remained one of the most popular family names on the planet, until Governor Ofromia introduced "Ofromia's Law #53527", which assigned families new names to stop the confusion. Even from a respectful distance out, you could see (if you cared to look), the giant dome that covered the capital city, Ofromia. It was big. Larger than it had any right to be, really. Striped with reflective panels and solar cells, it positively shone, and did a fairly good job of harvesting power to fuel whatever went on within the dome. Underneath the thin atmosphere, the rest of the planet seems rather underdeveloped - a few settlements here and there, but no sign of anything like the great continent spanning cities of Londis IV, or really much of anything.

Ships came and went, a chain of commerce and tourism that connected Ofromia with the rest of the civilised galaxy. A few artificial satellites hung in orbit of Ofromia (the planet), most of them festooned with solar cells to harvest power from Ofromia (the star). The local ship manufacturer mirrored Ofromian cultural sensibilities, and so nearly every other ship was a long, sleek looking thing with gentle curves and over-stuffed leather seating. If there was a military presence, or even a police presence, guarding the space around the planet, it was very well hidden indeed.

The speakers dotted about the ship crackled into life. The familiar voice of the AI rang out through the corridors, though it did sound as if it was distracted by something. Considering the state of the AI, this probably made it sound even more familiar to those who had spent any time with it.

"Crew to the bridge, crew to the bridge, we're back, in the, uh, I mean, we're at Ofromia, there's... uh, not a problem, just, uh, to the bridge, crew to the bridge, they're wanting to communicate..."

The bridge was a badly curated museum of technological wonders accquired from across the galaxy. From the bleeding-edge technology used in the seat warmer of the pilot's chair to the rather out-of-date weapons control system, it was a small miracle that any of it could function alongside any other thing. There was a knack to it, of course, because getting a NaviComp developed by a species of sentient dogs to talk to a scanner cobbled together by Engineer-Monks of the Blind Brotherhood wasn't always easy unless you routed the information through the set of wireless-enabled fuzzy dice. This, at least, explained why nobody had got rid of the fuzzy dice. Of all the bizarre and wonderful technology on the bridge, none was more bizarre or wonderful than the communication system. It was a red telephone, with a rotary dialler. Wires connected it to various other things within the bridge, and quite how it functioned was something of a mystery. A post-it note attached to the side of the telephone reminded users that you'd need to "Dial 9 For Outside Line".

And now, on the bridge, the telephone was ringing.

[Assistant]
When the ship came up out of the Unreal and back into the Real a small alarm clock that Vanessa had bought specifically to sense this type of transition began to ring. Vanessa pushed open her coffin and placed a hand upon the clock, silencing it. Switching off the alarm to prevent it from ringing again, Vanessa took a moment to stretch and felt several pops resonate throughout her body. Taking up her bathrobe once again, Vanessa donned it and grabbed her previous suit from the clothes chest. With this in hand, Vanessa walked towards the showers at a comfortable pace, her slippers sliding quietly along the floor.

Should Vanessa be uninterrupted, she would reach the showers in a few moments after leaving her room, and would take the suit she had deposited in the wash out and place it within a dryer. Setting it to run, Vanessa walked into a showering room and closed the door behind her. Before locking the showering room to private, Vanessa would make sure that the room was empty of anything that might hamper her showering experience. Once she was sure she was clear, Vanessa would lock the room with a faint click and would shower as before.

When Vanessa emerged from the showering room next, she would once again be both 100% clean and 100% dry. Making minor adjustments to her suit, Vanessa ensured everything was proper and returned to her room to deposit the bathrobe she had worn. Pulling on her boots, Vanessa made sure that everything was once again proper and walked out to the bridge after hearing the intercom play that a message was there. Vanessa would arrive there shortly and, since she was likely the first one present, had little to do other than listen to the phone ring. Vanessa knew that the task of answering this phone fell to the captain of the ship, which Vanessa wasn't. Thus, they had to wait for The Bees and The Will to appear on deck before any kind of official communication could take place.

The phone ringing was really quite annoying, but Vanessa could do little about it until the others arrived, or at least The Bees and The Will. Then the communications could take place. Thus Vanessa waited for The Bees and The Will, along with the other crew, to arrive.

[User]
The ship arrived in real-space, the journey having been fortuitously uneventful and so the bees celebrated/commemorated the successful voyage with a few more ceremonies/rituals/tasks mainly involving diagnostics on the flasks, cleaning out the ghost room, you could get good money for ectoplasm if you could find the right people and finally those bees who were in charge of the engine and the knowledge about the unreal all got drunk in celebration of not being attacked by giant unreal Bee-eaters.

Up on the bridge the phone started ringing, the captain bees were currently scrambling about making sure they weren't about to hit anything or be arrested while they awaited the pilot's arrival. Some of them acknowledged Vanessa's sparkling clean arrival with a hasty good morning as they whizzed past. Finally some went to pick up the phone as the mind began to manifest in the 20 odd bees currently buzzing around the bridge, a strange noise that sounded like a psychic presence giving a yawn and a stretch could be heard as the Mind got ready to lead the odd band of space friends once more.

"Good morning Vanessa. You look like you got up bright and early. I must admit would not have taken you for a morning person" they greeted the currently present crew member before they began the rather odd method of answering the phone.

A two bees arrived, dressed up like they worked in a callcenter, who buzzed up to the phone as it was lifted off the set, one going to the mouthpiece and the other to the ear piece. The dial was spun to 9 as instructed and in an immense act of willpower all of the bees quieted their usual chatter and the bee at the mouthpiece spoke to the caller. Alone.

"You have reached the Quest For Flavour, an Interplanetary Space Friends (Brought to you by Henderson's Ribs) affiliated vessel, how may we help you today"

On odd thing about The Will's manner of speaking was that it did not work through most types of communication devices as it was in fact physically speaking to the individual's minds rather than creating sound. This normally worked, even barely intelligent machines like the server at the restaurant could be spoken to, however a telephone does not have near the complexity to have a psychic presence and thus the Mind was helpless to do anything other than have a specially trained duo to operate the phone.

For convenience, because rotary phones do not have a speaker mode, the mind would communicate whatever the caller said to the second bee to all those present, repeating it word for word so they would not have to explain the call later later.

[Assistant]
Vanessa gave a closed lip smile to The Bees (And, by extension, The Will.) and replied to their greeting with one of her own before continuing. "Among my own people I'm considered both a rarity and weird, so it's nothing too out of the ordinary for me. I also enjoy being in and out of the showers before others. It's more private that way. And, of course, the intercom also said to report to the bridge as quickly as possible. So here I am." Vanessa took a moment to stretch again, raising her arms above her head and stretching from side to side. A few faint cracks could be heard from her back as her spine readjusted herself and Vanessa left out a faint sigh of comfort at the relief of her bones moving back to their proper places.

Lowering her arms, Vanessa tugged her suit back into place and made sure everything was tight. She then tugged on her gloves and ensured that they too were snug against her hands. Wearing a suit was a lot more maintenance than most people assumed, and it was very easy to ruin the look by having something pull itself out of place. The key appeal of a suit was a professional appearance, and failing to maintain that ruined the act of wearing a suit in the first place. This wasn't to say that Vanessa didn't have casual clothes, but wearing a suit was preferable since her old job back on her home planet involved a lot of formal meetings and required your best clothes to be worn on a constant basis.

Depending on how the party was going to go, the crew might have been in for a treat since Vanessa may just end up wearing something that wasn't a suit. Perhaps a fine dress if the party was to be especially formal. Vanessa had several to choose from tucked away, and she was sure that Fiddlesticks would hardly be able to look away. Vanessa felt bad for him from time to time, though she certainly didn't want to reciprocate the feelings he felt lest she inspire him to insanity when he found out that he was growing old and she was no different. Turning him into a Vampire would have been an option were he a pure human, but his rather sparse crew dossier stated that he wasn't completely human. The vampire virus would thus mutate his body horribly, if not outright kill him. Thus, Vanessa was aloof, even if it made Fiddlesticks feel bad.


[System]
BASIC
Goes By (Nicknames): Mel
Age: 2,500 approx.
Gender: Female
Race: Silvan Elf

APPEARANCE

Face Claim (Actor/Actress They're Played By): Ehh, she's never really had an actress per se, it's a drawn picture that I found on google that I use for her but it's just perfect for her xD)
Hair Color: Straw blonde
Eye Color: Ice blue
Skin Tone: Quite pale-porcelain-ish
Height: 6 ft
Weight: No idea tbh XD I'm no good at working out weights lol let's just say she weighs around what she's supposed to for her height
Build: Slender and tall like all of her kin, well-muscled with a strong/sturdy frame overall
Weapons: Bow (which was once her father's, was passed on to her when she was old enough to learn to shoot), Rapier, set of elven fighting knives

Overall Appearance:
Appearance + "Casual" Clothing (ignore the sword and the magic mist stuff, she doesn't have that xD) :

Armor:

Arm guards:

Bow:

Rapier:

Daggers:

PERSONALITY

Likes: The stars/star watching, spending time with her family, killing orcs etc.
Dislikes: Orcs and other such evil beings, watching her loved ones sad/suffering
Strengths: An excellent and swift fighter with both bow and blade, fiercely loyal and devoted to her family and loved ones, will always stand up for her beliefs and friends
Weaknesses: Headstrong and stubborn, does not always listen to others' advice or orders. Often impulsive and rushes into things before thinking of consequences.
Fears: Surviving severe injury but not being able to fight or look after herself properly, losing Legolas or Thranduil, being unable to have her own children someday

Overall Personality:
(huge paragraphs oops sorry-have a basic breakdown in case you don't feel like reading the whole thing xD)
Sarcastic | Untrusting | Loyal | Sharp-tongued/snappy | Compassionate | Sensitive

Mel is a witty, fairly sharp tongued and often sarcastic individual, she is wary of strangers and will take quite some time to trust most she meets, though those who have a child-like innocence about them seem to find her trust a lot easier. However her tough exterior does hide a soft and loving side deep down. To her family and close friends she is devoted and gentle, and would do anything for them. Losing someone that she cares deeply for affects her more than most perhaps, and it would take her a good few centuries on most accounts to reach the point where she can accept it fully and "move on" from it as well as she is capable. Indeed she still feels melancholy at thoughts of her passed relatives but can push it aside if the situation calls for it. Her sense of duty is unparalleled to most, and many a Mirkwood soldier who has served under her command has been known to describe Mel as "hard headed and as determined and foul-tempered as a Warg keeping hold of the last scrap of meat at mealtime". Once she has a job to do, she will not abandon it for any cause, no matter the consequences, until the task is completed.

Mel is extremely wary of dragons and would sooner attempt to kill one than converse with it, regardless of whether it approached her in a friendly manner or not. She has seen the ruin and death that dragons can bring, and indeed she will never forgive the beasts for tearing apart her family, to ask her to befriend one will be met with only contempt, bitterness and hate on her end. Other than dragons, there is very little that sparks enough fear in her to reduce her to a blubbering mess, as Mel is a particularly tenacious individual which is to be expected from someone who has grown up in a forest which has been steadily taken over by darkness and evil. Having to slay and fight with nests crawling with extremely large spiders on a daily basis means it's not exactly a "good idea" for lack of a better way to phrase it, to be afraid of them. However, anything larger than those spiders which she has experienced in Mirkwood is highly likely to leave her rather bemused and more than slightly concerned, as she has never confronted any arachnid of a larger size before in her life. In regards to how she responds to fear, even when Mel is scared to death she is not the type of individual to stand there literally quaking in her boots, whimpering and bawling. Instead she typically takes on the "rabbit in the headlights" kind of approach and tends to completely freeze up, totally unsure of whether to run away or fight whatever puts her in that position.

While she is by no means a "damsel in distress", nor does she necessarily act like a "spoilt princess", however she does occasionally act at rather 'high and mighty' as some may describe it, because of her well-off upbringing. Mel isn't a tantrum thrower by any stretch of the imagination, but she does at times react to things which displease her by pouting and/or sulking and then proceeding to make some sort of snide comment on the matter. Snide comments and sharp remarks are something Mel is never short of, which may come as a shock to some as they would expect someone of her upbringing to be "polite and lady-like", though she is far from it. She is not inherently rude all the time, and due to countless lessons from her aunt and uncle in her younger years she is perfectly capable of acting in a civil manner to form treaties, alliances and other such things, and is indeed even rather capable of sitting in on many political matters and being rather persuasive towards her own or her kingdom's need and win the opposing party over - even if it bores her to death! She does not take lightly to insults towards either herself or her family or kingdom, and unfortunately it doesn't take much to get her riled up. Mel is not unknown to take a swing or two at someone who overstepped their mark with her, though for the most part she tries her best to keep herself controlled and will usually just respond in turn with some other cutting remark towards the person who started the whole affair.

BACKGROUND

Date of Birth: I actually haven't been able to work it out exactly just yet XD it's a couple decades before Legolas', though ;)
Place of Birth: Mirkwood (well, back then it was still Greenwood but yeah XD)
Family Relations: Ardor (father, deceased) Thranduil (uncle), Legolas (cousin)

[User]
"Don't move, Dwarf!" Mel's voice rang out as she stopped Kili from trying to run the other way, forcing him and Maleficent to walk back towards the rest of the group which was already surrounded by the rest of the patrol. "Search them!" she ordered the other elves, who began to talk amongst themselves as they searched the group over, confiscating any of the weapons that they had.

"Legolas, hir nin (my Lord)!" called out one, who had taken Orcrist from Thorin. He bowed his head respectfully to the prince and held out the sword for him to take. The elf had recognised it being of elvish make and thought it rather odd that a dwarf would be carrying it.

[Assistant] As soon as the spiders were killed, she had her cloak back on. Before she knew it, a Wood Elf had them both captive, and were forced to stand with the others, who were also surrounded by the Silvan. "Silvan elves. My kin", she whispered to herself as her dagger was given up. "Legolas Thranduilion (Legolas, son of Thranduil)", Maleficent fluently spoke up in Quenya to the leading elf, after she gave a respectful greeting sign of the elves: hand on her chest. She had to prove that she was of the Elven kin.

[User]
"Saeril." Mel murmured softly in recognition, nodding her head slightly in greeting. Though she had not been to Fangorn herself, she had heard tell of Maleficent from the elves in the nearby wood of Lothlorien, which she had visited.

A few of the elves eyed Maleficent warily. If she was one of their kin then why was she dealing with dwarves? But they seemed to brush it off relatively well, though Maleficent was still taken in as a prisoner along with the dwarves.
"Thorin!" hissed Bofur as he was nudged past their leader, over the bridge towards the Gate of Thranduil's kingdom. "Where's Bilbo?!" the hobbit was nowhere to be found.

[Assistant]
Maleficent was other than forced to walk along with her companions towards the gate of the Halls of the Woodland Realm. The fae may be have the respect for the elves, but she didn't appreciate herself being dragged by them. The ElvenKing was another story to her. She knew him, but she really watched him from a distance. She remembered Legolas when he was just a young elfling, when she, again, was watching him from a tree. They did cross paths once or twice unintentionally, but she doubted that the prince would understand, or even remember who she was, minus her newly added horns and wings.

The fae was surprised that she wasn't the one being taken to the dungeons like everybody else, except for Thorin. She did keep her eyes on Legolas, though.

[User]
Mel quickly stepped in front of the guards escorting Thorin before he could be taken with his companions to the dungeons. "Dartho(wait), this one goes to the King." she ordered, and the soldiers obediently pulled Thorin up a set of stairs and out of sight.

Fili growled crossly when one of the elf guards confiscated a knife he'd thought was so well-hidden that they'd never find it, and he was shoved into a cell next to his brother.

"Aren't you going to search me?" Kili boldly asked the female elf who pushed him into his cell. It was a long shot but maybe he could try flirting his way out of this. "I could have anything down my trousers."

Tauriel's eyebrows rose and she looked at the dwarf, quite unimpressed by his attempted charm. "Or nothing." she muttered and shut the door abruptly before he could try to step out. It seemed they were unsure what to do with Maleficent, because she wasn't shut in like the rest of the dwarves.

[Assistant]
Legolas was narrowing his icy blue eyes in every direction of the room as cell doors were being closed repeatedly. Nothing seemed to have phased since he had that cold stare upon his Elven facials until he noticed that the fae was still in the open of the room. "Take her to the king as well. We don't want any new suspicions roaming these halls", his calm voice sounded to the other elves.

Maleficent wasn't in a cell, and was just standing at the stairs where Kili was imprisoned. Eyes slightly widening, she carefully and slowly reached through the bars to at least let him him know that she was still there. An expression of shame filled her, and she didn't like how her own kin would treat her companions.

[User]
(Funny thing is, in the books they weren't actually chucked straight in the prisons, they were only locked up after they started being rude and disrespectful to the Elves...also the conversation between Thranduil and Thorin goes slightly differently, so I'm going to do it sort of halfway between here if that's alright because the book version actually makes more sense xDD)

Maleficent wasn't allowed to stay with Kili for long as Mel's hand rested firmly on her shoulder and forcefully, however still rather gently compared to how rough the other Elves had been, steered her in the same direction Thorin had been taken. The Elvenking's voice echoed towards them as they climbed the staircase towards his throne, where Thorin was standing before him. Two guards stood off to the side, spears at their sides, and silent as they watched and waited in case the dwarf needed to be removed.

"Some may imagine that a noble quest is at hand," Thranduil began as he paced from his throne towards Thorin, who glared at him hatefully, "a quest to reclaim a homeland, and slay a dragon. But I myself am not so sure. Now, you will tell me exactly what you are doing in my woods, and to what purpose, or you will end up just like your friends. You plan to steal something that does not belong to you, I would deem." he nodded curtly towards Mel, who gave her uncle a nod in return, as the she-elf arrived with Maleficent.

"We were just passing through." insisted Thorin stubbornly as he avoided the elf's piercing blue-grey eyes. "We were hungry, and looking for food and shelter." he certainly wasn't going to admit to the Elvenking that they were going to the Lonely Mountain, or he would most certainly demand some sort of bargain from them.
"I do not believe you." Thranduil answered sharply. "Tell the truth, or I will lock you up until the fancy strikes you to stop lying to me, even if it takes a hundred years!"

[Assistant]
For Maleficent, she kept calm as she was steered by the she-elf who was at least the same height as her. Again, memories came flooding back as the fae looked around the halls of the Woodland Realm, and she remembers their Elven leader greatly. Thranduil wasn't one to stick outside his walls, and Maleficent knew that there were some layers to the tall elf that she remembered. But, as she was lead to the top of the stairs, there was Thorin before the majesty himself.

"My lord, we came for a purpose", she spoke up after stepping forward a few times, just about stopping a few feet away from Thorin and the ElvenKing. "I am Maleficent, lady elf of your people", she introduced herself in a proper tone of voice. "I know your son", she breathed out.


[System]
✦ Character Theme | Team Player ✦

"Come on, come on, come on! You're boring me; let's make this exciting!"

General Information

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Age

21
Birth Date

13th of June
Gender

Male
Sexuality

Bisexual
Species

Snake Faunus

Appearance

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Physical Appearance

Jet has a very lean, lithe build and stands at around 6'2". Bolstering a sickly pale skin tone and smooth complexion,
 excluding the slick, chartreuse scales that line the back of his neck and spread down his shoulder blades into his lower back. His diamond shaped face is comprised of a sharp, angular jawline and strong features. Most notably are his eyes, which are a brilliant gold with long,
 slit irises. His lips are incredibly thin, concealing a peculiar oddity; that of an elongated, forked serpentine tongue. His hair is a mop of silky malachite that is purposefully disheveled. Jet is often referred to by his Faunus brethren as human passing. This means that he is able to hide his Faunus traits much easier than other's and be viewed as a full blooded human.
Attire

Jet is a very smart dresser, even when facing off against Grimm opponents. While most fighters would prefer to wear clothes that allow for more freedom of movement, Jet's reliance on his semblance to fight as opposed to a weapon means he is able to take some liberties when it comes to fashion. Boasting a well tailored suit, comprised of a long sleeved white button up shirt, with emerald cuff-links pinned to each wrist. A long, black tie is tucked neatly into a grey vest with a golden chain reaching from below the right chest towards his right hip. Over this Jet dons a black suit jacket and a pair of black trousers with matching dress shoes. Atop his head rests a rumpled hat; a standout in his otherwise pristine outfit.

Personality

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Suave, well-mannered and cunning.

Jet is a sharp tongued charmer always looking for the next thrill. Brought up in the upper class, Jet was always taught that one can get far with good manners and a few words of flattery. This advice has served him well, especially where his romantic interests are concerned. Quick witted, Jet is able to talk his way out of almost any situation. He often finds himself needing this skill,
 due to a very prominent character defect. You see, Jet always finds himself in a state of incurable boredom. He often finds himself forgetting his manners once he grows tired of the person he's talking to, never able to sit still and listen to someone for more than ten seconds. He charges ahead without considering those around him, taking unnecessary risks just to spice things up.

Jet always finds himself jumping from one idea to the next, never able to follow through with a project. To him, it just became too bothersome too quickly. He tends to come off as an egotistical jerk to many, only interested in his own exploits. He can be incredibly blunt and likes to stir others up just to see their reactions. Needless to say, Jet doesn't make the best team mate.

Combat Information

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Aura Color

Malachite
Semblance

Ouroboros | Jet's Semblance allows him to form Summoning Glyphs that fire a spectral chain with various uses. Multiple chains can be summoned at once and manipulated freely. Each chain has either a serpents head or tail at the end. The Serpent's head can latch onto anything, piercing it to be reeled in towards Jet or as an anchor for him to pull himself to. The Serpent's tail is a sharp, curved blade that allows for ranged attacks.
Weapon

Ophiuchus | More of a tool than a weapon, Ophiuchus is an aura enhancing contraption that straps to the back of his right hand, secured with leather bands that coil around his wrist. The device uses a specially crafted lens that is able to focus even small amount of aura, strengthening the aura to be manipulated by Jet for his Semblance. With Ophiuchus, Jet is able to expend much more Aura than other hunters and keep himself in combat longer.
Fighting Style

Jet is a controller when out on the field, foregoing raw destruction in exchange for being able to manipulate the fight from a distance. Striking at foes with his chains at range, re-positioning both himself and enemies as he deems necessary to offer a strategic advantage in battle. He can be a bit of a trickster when he fights, using his wits to deceive foes and redirect their attention from his allies.

Background

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The young Prince had everything he could ever want. Where's the fun in that?

Raised by a high brow, aristocratic family of hunters, Jet was born into a life of luxury. In his youth he freely abused the privilege he was born into to satisfy every little desire he had. Most would look at the life he had and be green with envy. Never wanting for anything, loving parents and the best education money could buy. In truth, Jet would have thought the same had he not burned through every possible leisurely escapade so quickly. Left with nothing new to try, Jet quickly grew frustrated in his surroundings.
 A spoiled brat pining to his parents for more, despite having the world at his fingertips. Instead of scolding him for being unappreciative, Jet's parents naively succumbed to his whims. Enlisting the service of an esteemed Huntress, Jet would receive his Huntsman training from no one but the very best.

He played around with all manner of weapons and tools, but it was all for naught. Despite giving his best shot at it, he was completely incompetent with any kind of weaponry. Naturally he threw a fit, but no amount of tantrums could change the truth. As fate would have it,
 he would bloom later than most when his Semblance activated. Under the tutelage of the Huntress, Jet learnt to better control his aura and eventually enlisted the expertise of weapon smiths in order to create Ophiuchus; a tool that greatly enhances Aura Manipulation. Wielding his Semblance, Ouroboros, as skillfully as another Hunter would their weapon, Jet was able to fight on the level of his peers.

When the Calm was disrupted by an onslaught of new Grimm, Jet saw not tragedy but an opportunity to prove himself as a Huntsman. Jet's family possessed the resources to defend and relocate themselves, so he did not suffer the losses of some. Yet despite this, he has set out into the new and dangerous world with the intention of killing as many Grimm as he can and earning his stripes.

[User]
Aiden Himura

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He would be trying to calm himself down after his outburst earlier when Sarah came up and started talking to him. He didn't respond but smirked to himself as she walked away. He hadn't met anyone that had similarities, shutting up chatter boxes for example. Considering her suggestion about wanting to talk, he watched to see if she could get a fight with the chatter box. As expected, the instructor said no. Disappointing. He thought for sure chatter box would get his comeuppance. Aiden stood up and was about to push through the crowd again to get to the front when the Headmaster entered the area and he parted with everyone else, even though he didn't want to. He had gotten into enough trouble already, he wasn't looking for any more.

He watched as the headmaster passed by the student accompanying Orenz and listened to what he had to say. When the headmaster referenced him and chatter box, he rolled his eyes, getting slightly angry again before calming himself down. Cobal then mentioned something about needing a team to go beyond the walls, eager to finally go out and get some real action, he raised his hand.

"I'll do it."

He walked past everyone to the front of the crowd. The only reason he volunteered was because he thought that chick from before would join up. He wanted to see how she did in battle. She was one of the only people that he liked so far, they both shared a dislike for chatter box after all. He also figured chatter box would probably join up too. He was willing to tolerate him, but if he does anything to set him off again, he won't hesitate for another scuffle.

[Assistant]
Sarah was a little disappointing with the response she got, she had wanted to explain how it'd be good for him to get knocked on his ass but the headmaster had arrived before she could formulate an argument. She looked over at the headmaster with little difficulty, being a good amount taller than everyone had its perks. And the moment shed been waiting for finally arrived, she had the chance to leave the campus and shoot some filthy Grimm. Her face lit up with a disturbing amount of enthusiasm, "I can go! I'll help! Pick me!" She would say raising her hand up and jumping up and down. Of coarse with her height she really didn't need to but alas she'd already done it.

The temperature around her picked up a little, almost as if her urge to go was so strong it was manifesting as heat in the very air. Of coarse in actuality it was her hidden rage at the Grimm that was behind the temperature shift, buts he wasn't about to admit that. She looked over at the angry kid who had also volunteered, she was excited to see him demolish some Grimm skulls with his might bat. If she had a tail right now, oh boy would it be wagging. Sarah might have looked a little frightening as she giggled while drawing her massive weapon.

[User]
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 Ansgar had fallen into chatting idly with some other Faunus students while the tall girl had went looking to see if she could spar with him as well now, though he missed all of that, being out of ear shot of the whole discussion between the two. When Orenz raised his voice, announcing the purpose and intent of the arena being to train and help others train, and to not let it escalate to anything beyond that, the raven faunus chuckled a bit, arms linked behind his head casually. While he wasn't laughing at the instructor, far from it, being the receiving end of just such a thing sparking off was, well, hard to describe. Interesting, though, since it seemed that Mr. Broody had shown his hand in being fueled by rage. Useful to know, though that would make sparring matches for the purposes of training tricky, since once his partner did something to infuriate him, that could set things off rather quickly.

 "Sure thing Teach, won't go ruffling my feathers over it at any rate." Chuckling at his own bad joke, the arrival of Headmaster Cobal certainly got people's attention. Grinning a bit more sheepishly as the Headmaster pretty much pointed out him and Mr. Broody, he gave a sort of 'what can you do' sort of shrug in response, having no intentions of changing how he acted just because someone got pissed off with him. Besides, when Ms. Goldilocks stepped in before his sparring match started, she had been looking for no holding back. No sense disappointing an audience then, even at the expense of a sparring partner. When the Headmaster mentioned heading out, Mr. Broody and Ms. Giantess spoke up one after the other, both volunteering for the mission. Suppressing the urge to laugh while he spoke, he also stepped forward and volunteered.

 "Well, I could certainly use the opportunity to stretch my legs and head out on a field trip. Besides, a friendly little team building exercise is just what we could use right now, I would bet!" Of course, Ansgar was putting as much friendliness into his tone as he could get away with, hands moving to the pockets of his long coat, continuing to smile and be generally happy. Especially if it was an irritant for certain parties involved, someone needed to learn to reign in their temper after all. That, and with the end of sparring so early, he did have some energy to burn, but whether he would be sent out with those two or not remained to be seen.

[Assistant]
Despite having only been present at the encampment for a couple hours at most, Jet already found himself wasting away with nothing to occupy his mind. It almost made the trip seem like a colossal waste of time. Resting up against a fence with his hands shoved in his pockets, a Cheshire grin permanently fixed from ear to ear, the young Faunus scoured the sparring arena. The battles tickled his fancy a little, but the no semblance challenge that had been set was a major deterrent. No use fighting a battle he knew there was no chance of winning. He settled for just watching today, impatiently tapping his toe while he prayed something exciting would happen. The large, burly teacher stepping in to halt a potentially fatal attack garnered a curious rise of an eyebrow, but was otherwise met with an exasperated sigh.

Jet's attention swapped between the loud mouthed Faunus and the moody human, rubbing his chin with a quizzical expression. They were intriguing, to say the least. He couldn't help but think about how fun they'd be to toy with. Loud, rambunctious and over-eager. It was a recipe for excitement. He'd definitely keep those two in mind if he ever needed a quick rush.

The Headmaster stood at the podium and addressed the campus, bringing Jet out of his train of thought. Adjusting his hat, the young man walked forward and joined the rest of the crowd. Headmaster Cobal was requesting the aid of Huntsman in a scouting mission. Really? A scouting mission? It sounded like a snooze fest. Still, it was better than just sitting around here watching the grass grow. As expected, the squawking birdbrain and brooding tough guy put their hands up to volunteer; as well as a girl who could barely contain her excitement. Jet found her enthusiasm unnerving. In any case, he slowly raised a hand into the air and cleared his throat.
"I must insist you allow me to attend. I fear for my sanity if I am to spend another moment in this place." Jet speech was refined and proper, but his casual cynicism dripped from every word he spoke. A few peers shot him an annoyed look. Perhaps they were questioning who this stranger was, making demands of the Headmaster. Or maybe they were puzzled that someone dressed so finely would even be a Huntsman. Jet paid them no mind, but instead tilted his head to stare directly at the other's who had volunteered. He flashed them a grin that most would perceive as friendly, but a keen mind would notice the rather cold, indifference behind it. It wasn't a sincere smile, but a mere facade of politeness which Jet had made a habit of over the years.