[System]
Age: 16

Gender: Male

Race: Half-Saiyan

Fighting Style: None as of yet.

Abilities: None as of yet.

Appearance:

Biography: Born on Earth under a Human father and Saiyan mother, Kota was lucky to be born with a mix of the two races. Unfortunately, at a young age, his mother had ran out on both him and his father, preferring a life of a mercenary and warrior than a housewife. Due to this background, Kota was never taught how to fight at a young age. Instead, his father raised him to become a respected member of society, like most Humans. Ever since, he has only been to school, but lately has been flunking because of a feeling inside of him...the Saiyan's need for combat has driven him away from his schoolwork. Watching the legendary Mr. Satan and many other combatants in Tournaments has only fueled his desire for combat, the Saiyan side winning in his struggle. He now seeks a master to teach him martial arts...much to his fathers warnings.

[User]
Vanina looked up from her magazine with a surprised look in her eyes. "Oh, I'm up already?" She had hoped that she had more time to ingest more information about this planet and its inhabitants, and maybe even pick up on their fighting techniques to give an edge in the tournament. She thought back to the night before, waking up inside a crashed space pod with no chance of making it back. It was fortunate that the creatures living here weren't very threatening, not like the humongous giga beasts that roamed the surface of Vanassia. But when she learned of a fighting tournament offering local currency, it seemed like the best bet for survival.

The foreign woman rose to a standing position, walking up to her opponent who had already taken his position in the ring. The man was of average height with well-toned muscle covering his body, and seemed rather confused with what he was seeing. "Oi, is this some sort of joke? You think you can scare me with that costume?" Quite befuddled herself, Vanina scratched the back of her head with one set of arms and stretched with the other. "You mean my armor? This is no costume friend, it's some of the best equipment in the galaxy! Although I wouldn't expect primitives like yourself to know that." Realizing that all of Vanina's arms were in fact real, Gregory went bug eyed, taken aback by this bizarre display. Before he had time to come up with a witty rebuttal, the announcer started the match, and the two started to size the other up in a stare down.

Within the next moments each fighter had taken their stance. Gregory decided to make the first move, and delivered a flurry of punches. Vanina was able to juke and jive around some while also taking away the force of some by guarding with her arms. When an opening appeared the alien delivered a double right hook, one punch landing on Mr. Tim's jaw and the other on his chest. They would trade blows for a while, but for every hit Gregory would get in, Vanina would be able to double it. "It's a sloberknocker folks! Punch after punch! Blow for blow! And this strange woman in the ring seems to be pulling ahead!" Feeling in his gut that the match would end soon, Gregory lunged forward in a last ditch effort for victory, and fearing defeat, Vanina did the same. The two collided in a power struggle, and after a test of might, Mr. Tim fell to the ground stuck in a grapple hold. It only took around a minute of punches to the face for Gregory to tap out, signaling the announcer to call the match. "Winner, Vanina!" Satisfied with her victory, she gave a bow to the stands, and retreated back to her own seat, watching intently for the next round.

[Assistant]
Excitement grew in Jinshi's bowels as he peered at his surroundings in the prep room, although the contestant count was only 12 the stances and warm up techniques he observed some from some of them both surprised and amazed him. Jinshi's short bout of journeys leading to this place were quite clam and frankly boring, the Makyan felt a new burst of eagerness and excitement at the very prospect of battling some of those who graced his view now. To his right he spotted a giant of a man with a round stomach lifting weights bigger than some small adults, another contestant a women to his left struck the air with an unusual and swift technique Jinshi had never seen the likes of before.

Hearing a small crowd of cheers, Jinshi followed the source to a stone fighting ring, it's smooth grey surface complimented by the various ornament statues that decorated the facility hosting this small tournament. Finding a comfortable view point, Jinshi watched as the first fight went under way, as the crowd cheered Jinshi analysed every movement and technique used to the best of his ability hoping to see what he could learn. Although the match went for some time, it seemed clear to Jinshi who'd be the winner, the unusual looking person announced as Vanina not only had the advantage of an extra set of arms, it was clear she was trained in a unique technique to use them too! As the fight rolled on Jinshi only became more and more excited, he hoped his opponent is a strong one but most of all, he hoped to learn something that'd make him stronger, win or lose!

When the match came to an end the pale orange skinned Makyan cheered with the crowd from his position on the tall wall separating the preparation area for the fighters and the ring. Growing up Jinshi always loved watching the tournaments on T.V. but regardless of the fact that this wasn't near as big as the annual tournament, watching the event in person was an experience on a different level!

[User]
The announcer, awaking from his daze and tiredness, having watched and narrated the intense right, continued on with his work. "That was one beast of a lady folks! And trust me I know beasts, meet my in law!" he shouted into the mic. Hearing the sound of what seemed like a jet or something dashing around the arena, he put it off as just that, a jet.

"Alright! Next up!" shouted the announced stopping and looking down at his notes... "Er.. Seji! Versus! Kaptain Kaaaage!" the announcer shouted quite loudly, Hearing the last name. He seemed almost famous, though he'd never heard of any person. Regardless, the fight was about to begin!

Meanwhile, half of a kilometer from the arena, Dreyar had just finished doing quick sweeps around the around the arena, from the sky, before landing beside Mel and Manetta. "There's this weird chick with four arms, but everybody else looks normal I guess. I mean besides this one makyo I think I saw. The announce-" he would've continued speaking, had Mel not cut in with a loud "Shut it kid." then turning to Manetta. "Easy right? In and out grab the cash and whatnot?" she said, awaiting a response. The blue Namekian sat still, his eyes closed, as he felt up the people of the arenas powers. "Hem... It should be easy, perhaps slight amounts of retaliation.." Manetta said, beginning to walk to the edge of the arena, keeping from boosting his power at all, as it could possibly spook somebody within the arena.

"Yeah! Bustin heads! Gettin cash! This w-" once again, the boy was cut off by Mel, who was in the middle of wrapping her hand in cloth and chords. "Can you just shut the hell up for two seconds?" quite aggrevated by Dreyar's constant talking. "Fine.." he said.

[Assistant]
The fight amazed Kota more than anything. An alien with four arms, a brutal battle, and a climatic end! This was everything Kota could have hoped for! Looking around, he began to get a devilish idea in his mind. Walking out of the crowd, Kota would look for the Fighters waiting area, hoping to find a way in so that he could talk to the contestants. It was when he noticed some of the fighters leaving a building that he found the waiting area and sneaked inside.

The contestants caught his eyes with wonder, his eyes watching them with much respect and love. There, much to his joy, was the four armed lady that won the competition! Quickly, he approached her as calmly as he could, and poked her shoulder. "E-Excuse me? You are Vanina, correct? I'm a huge fan of you and your fight! It was awesome!" He said, smiling nervously. Honestly, this was his first time talking to a Tournament fighter, and he was filled with excitement and nervousness. His face began to glow a very light red hue, with a big goofy grin forming on his face, as he held his hands together in order to contain his joy.

[User] Vanina turned to the boy who had tapped her shoulder. He gave off a certain wonderlust that only a child could bare, and so it seemed rather unlikely that he was another contestant. She looked to him rather suspiciously, it could be a façade that Kota was putting on in order to seem unthreatening if he was in fact fighting, but this was all speculation at this point. At face value he appeared to genuinely be interested in Vanina and her bout. "A… fan? It was nothing really. Just a simple strategy to outlast your opponent and outperform. A battle of attrition as it were. I learned all about combat and fighting stratagem back home, and having not only the power, but also the intellect will give you an advantage that could push one to victory."

[Assistant]
Seji watched the events unfold around him, seemingly bored. He seemed deep in thought. He looked up once to see Vanina's ffight, but then looked down. He preoccupied with something or another, some seemingly important thing.

Soon, his own battle began, and he stepped into the ring. He casted a glance at the crowd. Not a lot of people.

Good. Crowds made him nervous. Never knew who might be watching.

Seji looked at his opponent. The man wore Sun Glasses, and was very well cut. He wore a pair of ridiculous basket ball shorts.

"You're about to get Kaged!" The man said, to the cheers of those watching.

"I rather think I won't."

The battle begun, and Seji waited as his foe approached. After a moment, Kage closed the gap and swung his fist. It bounced off of Kage, a bit of blue energy materializing to defend him, leaving the mage unharmed.

Kage threw more punches, undeterred, and Seji put a single hand forward.

"Zinthos," Seji finished.

Kage suddenly flew up, rapidly. Seji then yawned, took a step forward, and said a quick phrase. He raised his left hand, just as Kage fell. The man crashed into the shield, grunting in pain from the fall.

"Jotunka."

A burst of fire flew up, ejecting Kage into the sky again. Seji took a step back, maintaining the the shield above him.

The shield lanced out as Kage fell again, knocking the man upward and aeay. He seemed to fly, slamming into the grass outside the arena.

"Easy money." He shrugged and got off the battle arena, returning to the other fighters.

[User]
The announcer stood in awe at the man's ability to knock the other out of the ring without lifting a finger. "By God did y'see that folks? Looks like the only thing getting Kaged is his ego!" he said, a few claps and cheers from the small crowd.. "Ahem... Now then! For the next round! Daishin! Versus!" the announcer paused for a moment, looking around at the small crowd. "Fin 'The Tornado' Henderson!" he added on.

All the while, a certain team continued to walk. Mostly in silence, except for the occasional attempt at a sentence by Dreyar, only to be turned down by a loud "Can you not.", followed by a grunt from Manetta.

[Assistant] Android 12 looked over the contestants. There was the four-armed alien, the magician, the...er.....fan? A Makyan, and some random fighters to and fro. He quickly scanned the boy, the fact that he had a tail was unusual. Was he a.....? 12 searched his data banks. He might be a Saiyan. Well, in any case, he wasn't a fighter. He scanned the magician, and determined his strength wasn't in his fists or body. It was his magic. He might be able to counter that, and any energy that was used against him would be nice. Also, he had an advantage. He couldn't get tired. While his enemy was worn down, potentially from being drained, 12 would possibly be stronger than at the start. That would be nice.

[User]
This was by far the one of the odder 'lesser' tournaments Yoyo had ever been to. Going to these sort of events, or hustling idiots in street fights and bars, was the primary way she had been funding her travels about the world and keeping her belly full. While she was confident in her abilities to win lager more lucrative tourneys she was sort of trying to keep a low profile. Family wasn't exactly fond of the idea of her running off to be a wondering martial artist. They hadn't been super fond of the idea of her taking up the family martial arts to begin with. She didn't want to put her name out there, else her father or grandfather may show up to drag her home. Why they could continue to treat her with kid and not like the proper warrior she was.

Anyhow, back to her initial thought. The participant in this tourney were definitely not the normal fair by any stretch. Sure the occasional actual player or odd ball or two had been at the other competitions she had participated in. But for there to be this many odd balls, people showing signs of being above the average martial artist ( or the combination there of ) was highly unusually.

She may actually have to take these fights half seriously if she wanted to take home that prize cash. She really needed some zeni in her pocket, another she didn't want to spend the evening nickel and dimeing thugs in arm wrestling contests at a bar or back alley brawls. A wolfish green spread across her fetchers. Then again, it would be nice to have a challenge again. She began to take deep cleansing breaths and focus on the burning fire of the Ki inside of her. She had her own tricks up her sleeve. With an almost predatory smile, she turned bright eyes to the ring to observe the matches remaining before hers with intense interest.

[Assistant]
Aiden listened to her and stood there in silence. Was that really all it took? Just outlasting your opponent? It sounded almost too easy. Then again, he had never been in an actual fight before, so he had no room to really think like that. Either way, he was excited to talk to her. "Yeah, I'm a huge fan. Uhm...if you don't mind, I was wondering where you learned how to fight, hehe. I never really learned how and I've always been interested." He sounded nervous, obvious by the blush growing on his face. He was honestly embarrassed with telling her that he was weak, especially since she was a fighter.

Of course, he still paid attention to the fights, since they grabbed him so easily. In his mind, he began to wonder what kind of fighting he could practice. Would he be using quick and precise strikes or wide and powerful hits? His mind was beginning to go blank with wonder.


[System]
Age: 97
Species: Werewolf
Goals/Faction: Mattias is a loner travelling the world to eliminate all hostile vampires from existence.
Backstory: In his life before leaving Alaska, Mattias found that he greatly disagreed with his pack's principles. That all vampires were the scum of the Earth, and that all humans were ruining the planet. He knew that vampires and humans were both capable of great evil, but he was also aware that where there was the capability to do wrong, was also the capability to do right. Mattias wanted to protect the innocent people still out there from harm, so he left his pack and began his travels.
Before all of this and during the Nightwars, Mattias was one of the few that refused to take up arms with Magnus against the humans, believing the former to be crazy and his plan absurd. He was ridiculed at the war's start for not conforming, and then resented at the war's end for being right. This only contributed to his self imposed exile from the pack.
Mattias often considered attempting to join Soldier, but deigned that tying himself to a set of rules might impede him somewhere along the line. He's still not certain if that is the right choice.
Personality: While Mattias has faith in human and vampire-kind, he is far from an idealist. He knows that people are inherently selfish, and that most vampires would sooner suck a human dry than attempt to coexist with them. He does however know that GOOD people are being made victims of violence every day.
Powers/Skills: Aside from the typical strengths and weaknesses of a werewolf, Mattias also possess greatly improved senses, being able to pick up the scent of a vampire and track it to the source from a significant distance away. He also boasts night vision and impressive hearing.
Equipment/Weapons: He's strong enough even in human form that he doesn't require much in the way of weaponry.
Themesong: Uhh… Eye of the Tiger? I actually think that might be somewhat accurate.

[User]
The pain for the most part finally left him, but the weakness it left behind was just as relentless in its memory. Mithias awoke to find himself properly bound in some kind of interrogation room that was eerily reminiscent of the ones Soldier used. His right arm had grown back, only to be shackled against the arm of the chair and rendered useless again. His body had healed enough to support vital functions, but he was weak. Looking down at himself, his shirt was still torn open in front, and vaguely, he recalled a young man attempting to save his life. Mimicking the thoughts of his most recent influence, Mithias regretted that his elegant suit had been completely destroyed.

A man, no, a vampire, sat across the table from him. He looked middle aged with brown hair and brown eyes, and his voice flickered between barely contained malice and the joy of a sadist's anticipated satisfaction. Mithias knew right away that, like most vampires, this one was another psycho. He couldn't recall much of what had happened, but he knew he had ended up in the wrong hands.

With dirty, blood encrusted and singed hair half hanging in his face, Mithias stared blankly at the vampire at first. Finally, the memory returned to him, and he spoke the name as it came to him, "Erickson." The Nightwars hadn't been that long ago, and Mithias had studied his enemies well. Deon Erickson hadn't been heard from for several decades. It appeared the slithering snake had survived.

"Do you know why I brought you here? Mithias."

Mithias briefly pulled up on his arms, realizing he was immobilized. He really was at his enemy's mercy, a very disconcerting predicament. Had he been someone else, he might have made a mocking speech about being here so that he could have his heart ripped out and watch it eaten before him as he died. ...But he really didn't have the energy for all that. Hunger panged him, and he focused back on Deon with disdain. There was a real good chance Erickson was going to end him. Mithias could only hope there was a some reason he hadn't done so already. Finally, the grey knight chose his answer. "Revenge. ... You want to kill me, slowly."

[Assistant]
Deon Erickson

It seemed it was taking time for Mithias to get use to being pinned the way he was. Truth be told, Deon would as well. The pressure in the room made it hard for any bodily function to work. Especially when your bodily functions were exposed for the world to see. Then Deon Erickson got the answer from his table buddy. "Revenge. ... You want to kill me, slowly." Erickson laughed at the remark. "Kill you? If I was going to kill you I'd..." He stopped to think about what he was going to say. "Wait no I would pretty much do this just to make you watch as I tore you apart. But no. That's not why you're here tonight." Deon stood up form his chair, though since the chair was apart of the floor it didn't move when he stood up. "No, at first I was going to bring you here to mindfuck you. Then send you back out into the world to cause some mayhem and distrust with the mortals." He paused, doing a small chuckle as he starts walking around the table. "But I couldn't. Which I find odd for many reasons. The first being, no one can totally block my ability, maybe resist it but no one can block it. Not even old bloods. Now granted I am smart enough to know not to do it to them because they can resist it and would get totally pissed off." He was now behind Mithias, continuing his speech. "I am guessing you have a gift that Soldier was unaware about. Which is good to know about now but that means I have to find a new way to cause panic within the ranks of Soldier. But no worries, I prepared for a situation like this. Though... they all involved you being dead."

Deon walked around to the opposite side of the table again, leaning on the back of the chair, looking Mithias dead in the eyes. "But I have other reasons to keep you alive now." He smiled, at his guest. "I know what you're thinking, I am some crazy psychopath that plans to end the world killing all mortals, well you're wrong. That would be the crazy thing known As Fergus O'Brian. But in about thirty or so minutes that won't matter. What does matter is that I don't feel the same way as our crazy friend. You see, I don't want to wipe out the mortals. I just want to put them back in their respective places as servants to their gods. The problem is the mortal to vampire ratio is not super good in our favor Mithias." He let go of the chair, getting close to the rebel vampire. "I do plan to limit their population again. To a more... manageable level. I just need you out of the picture to do that. You inspired too many vampires in the last war to join the wrong side. So now, I am going to let you sit in your cell to hear all about the new war well your mortal friends die. Then once the war is over you will be tried for treason. Then you will be killed very slowly and painfully. I can promise you that."

[User]
Awesome@BurningCold@The Grey Dust

The ambulance charged off, practically having to kick Lucan to the street to deny him a ride in the cabin. Thankfully, the other Soldier operatives were able to intervene and calm the freaked out youngster, nearly dragging him back and assuring him the vampire was in good hands. Promptly a caravan was begun, meeting up at the big city hospital shortly thereafter.

Elmhurst was a huge complex, their facilities top notch for the country. The ambulance had gone straight into the emergency entrance, but the rest were forced to park and filter through the main entrance. It was late afternoon, and the place was crawling with people walking in and out. The building maps were confusing, and even color coded hall markers failed to give any adequate sense of direction. Finally, they found the appropriate waiting room and their anxious vigil began.

Day turned into night, and the Soldier operatives had all left except one. Strangely, he wasn't the only one that had shown up concerned for the same patient. A metro-looking blonde in a suit was also present, gathering what information there was to be gathered. As the hour dragged on, the lady at the desk refused to give any solid answers, and it became clear that both of them had the same purpose for being there. They might as well talk.

[Assistant]
Katya flinched as she heard the shots fired outside the club, followed by sirens. fuck she thought to herself as the sirens grew louder. "EVERYONE BACK TO THE VAN. WE GOT A SHOOTER ON THE STREET" She yelled sprinting outside Ashley following real close behind. When they got to the van Sonja had already gotten into the drivers seat hearing the shots first being outside. A voice came over the radio in the Van. "Hunter Squad return to base immediately. Theres too much heat on your squad. The Merc and the Werewolf can continue to operate if they want to find out who shot up the civilians."

(OOC Sonja and Ashley are now Inactive being grounded in the SOLDIER base until SOLDIER can prove that they didnt shoot up the civilians.)

"Allison, you and Mattias are gonna have to find out who gunned down the civilians. We cant help out in the field until you can clear our names." She said into the radio to make sure they knew.

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Kate Porter & Liam Kelling | 2100 hrs | NYC USA
"Liam, you sure this guy will be able to help us." The short white haired woman said leaning against the wall outside The Cupid's Kiss. The man stood next to her took one final drag from his cigarette and quickly discarded it."From what I heard I'm sure he'll help us a little even if it is just with information." He said pulling his jacket forward a bit to make sure his .44 Revolver was still in its holster. The Woman beside him did the same. Their 'heavier' weapons had been left in a dead drop for them to go back for later. "Kate, whatever you do, Do not under any circumstance look him in the eyes." The man entered the club, his companion following closely behind. He made his way to the bar and ordered two light beers. He leaned over to the waitress behind the bar.

"Excuse me miss, is your boss in. I must speak with him, it is a matter of utmost urgency. Tell him a Mr Kelling and a Miss Porter are waiting for him at the bar." He said pulling down his hood, the woman next to him following suite.


[System]
Epithet: The Vulture
Age: 31
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 195 pounds
Race: Human
Class: Warrior
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Eye Color: Amber
Weapons and Equipment- Two three kilo bearded sparth axes with snap button sheathes for fast access, skinning knife, blowgun and darts with inland taipan venom, teeny little leather pouches of spitting cobra venom, rubber soled boots with three eight inch steel claws on each foot, steel chestplate and spiked pauldrons, steel shinguards, underclothing made from dragonhide (like an extremely tough form of chainmail with no gaps), trained pet vulture acting as a spotter, black steel mask, "bracelet of inoculation" (runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Inoculation_b..), fingerless iron gauntlets, combat/berserker potions.

(The axe "Jancro", slang for Vulture in Jamaican)

(The axe "Hot Steppa", slang for Free Criminal)

Appearance- Zande is a tall, lean man whose musculature is best likened to that of a starved jaguar. The dense, tube-like muscles adorning his long arms and legs allow him to exude a great air of physical prowess despite his thin and wiry look. Unwashed dreadlocks hang over lurid, amber eyes whilst high cheekbones accentuate his abnormally sized jaw muscles, the feral aspect pushed even further by sharp, filed teeth. He often wears the skulls of recent victims upon his belt and is rarely seen without his rubber padded, steel clawed boots and black steel tribal mask. Zande's cape, however, is by far his most recognizable feature. A clearly visible skull and crossbones is sewn upon the ratty black cloak, neatly surmising the headhunter's affinity for bones and death.

Physical Abilities/Skills- Zande's untamed strength is far greater than his appearance would suggest, albeit reasonably less than that of a formidable professional weightlifter. He can wrestle and subdue wild beasts with just his bare hands and overpower a stronger opponent through pure tenacity. These traits greatly pale in comparison to his incredible biting and striking power. He can and has killed men with a single punch, and never neglects to train his jaws by chewing through blocks of wood and chunks of rubber, being capable of chomping clean through an unhusked coconut with a single bite. The magnitude is most impressive near the back of his molars, where he can leverage out enough brute force to rival the PSI of a dire wolf. Equally impressive is Zande's great speed and agility, which his lean body is practically built for. He can scurry up and down trees in the blink of an eye and move with a silent swiftness that puts to shame his native brethren. He can amplify the potency of his physical capabilities by consuming a special potion, which grants him animalistic power at the cost of sanity and health (I.E, internal bleeding).

Background~ In the darkest depths of a savage jungle wilderness, shrouded in dread Congo secrets beneath a sky of eternal blackness, there existed a tribe of maneaters. One would think that there would be no bottom amidst the depths of their depravity. Yet, a young boy native to this landscape of monsters found it. The word "bloodthirsty" is often thrown about. However, no other description of Zande holds so true. He was exiled from his village for his excessive brutality and became a freelance mercenary and bandit leader, as well as the most feared man in Western Gielinor.

Looking out from the entrance to Zande's lair. The inside is remarkably large, yet with so little elbow room.

[User] As Tanya neared the Museum she'd be able to notice a large, pitch-black vulture circling over the structure. If she remained within the area, It would let out a sharp, ululating cry and drift overhead to ring rosies above her instead. The bird didn't seem large enough to pose a real threat, but it was eerie as shit. If Tanya chose to move further in towards the library, the vulture would try to dip down and soar in through the broken doors first, diving into the shadows within.

[Assistant] Tanya crept carefully towards the museum, and seeing no immediate threats, made her way towards the front entrance. As she neared the threshold, she heard a scream overhead that chilled her blood. A tremendous shape was diving heavily towards her, and she dived into the museum as it swept into the darkness ahead. She landed in a lithe roll, slid on her feet as she attempted to keep track of this strange assailant. She peered upward, pulling her scarf down and away from her face, searching for the shape that had alerted her to the fact that she wasn't alone. Darkness there, and nothing more. Black feathers followed her trail into the building, illuminated by silvery lights of what could be flame perched in sconces ahead. She pressed her back to the wall to the right of the doorway, and made some feathers of her own. She pressed her hand to her chest and felt a familiar warmth grow and spread, tingling across her arms and back with the crackle of magic. She summoned the Feather of Innocence, lines of ink suspending in the shape of feathers and surrounding her body. Used this way, her Signature Technique could be used as a cushioning shield, able to deflect normal strikes and dampen the impact of stronger blows. She focused again, and protected herself further. The telltale sigils of Binding Contract sprouted in the image of each feather, ensuring that physical strikes to her protective cloak of feathers would have a paralysis effect, and that the sheer quantity of her circles would be difficult to disrupt via magic. Thus prepared, she crouched low, kept her eyes open, and her back to the wall, ready for anything.

[User]
Zande would have been crouching behind a pillar across from where the woman moved, topless save for his grimy black cloak. He'd be sheltered in the darkness, watching the woman roll inside after being startled by his pet. The moment he had heard its initial cry, he'd have darted to his vantage point to scope out the situation. A lone woman. And she was white. The headhunter was just about to reveal himself to try and seduce her when suddenly the freak sprouted some ink wings. Dayum. He hadn't seen any white woman like that before. Better safe than sorry. He'd remove his bamboo blowpipe and black dart, taking just a moment to poke it the top of a small leather flask before loading it into the pipe. Inland taipan venom. Without medicine, a poke to the limbs meant that death would come in roughly an hour. Incapacitation in forty minutes. Dizziness, severe muscle crampimg, and physical illness in fifteen. If it struck the neck, all of that would occur in less than half the time.

He'd take a moment to pick up a small rock, weighing it in his hand and watching the woman. He'd wait until she was looking away before giving it a good chuck into the air, aiming for it to fly up and out of view before clacking on the other side of the room. He wanted her to be distracted. He wanted her to concentrate nice and hard on something for a second, and leave herself open. He wanted to nail her left calf, where the wings might be unlikely to get in the way were she to be startled. Zande would time his shot to occur an instant after the rock landed, desiring the faint "fwup" of the blowpipe to be partially disguised by the noise of the much louder echo of the rock. The dart would be virtually invisible in the dim lighting.

[Assistant]
The air was cold and still as projectiles sped through the air, the silence brief before it was broken, and the battle was truly begun. CLACK. The sound of the unknown enemy's maneuver echoed through the museum hall. It was true that Tanya's attention flicked toward the source of the noise, but as no stranger to violent experiences, she spared no more attention than was necessary to register the danger, and react. Her adrenaline beginning to rise, she barely perceived the crackle of magic at the back of her consciousness, the sensation of the dart snuffing one of the feathers draped around her body. She knew not where her enemy was waiting, and so she was forced to choose a target.

She leapt up and kicked off the wall once in a flip, her shroud of feathers allowing no purchase to further pecks, and began to fly up close to the ceiling of the museum. Even that wretched bird from before would likely have trouble following her movements at this speed, and what was more, she decided it was time to go on the offensive. As she got up closer to the ceiling, she landed lightly on one of the long rafters crossing the sides of the museum gallery. Shadows perched like crows above the stone, keeping her movements hidden as she kept her palm pressed tightly to her chest.

As Tanya ran towards the center of the museum, she flung her feathers outward in every direction, sweeping the darkness of the ceiling with a hail of all but invisible blades. At the same time, a new coat of feathers started growing around her as she moved. She presented few obvious openings for attack-- if this assassin wanted to play shadow games with her, they'd have to take a hell of a lot more chances this.

[User]
Zande's vulture had a name. She was called Ezili. And it just so happened that Ezili would have been sitting right on the rafter Tanya had alighted upon. The bird turned to look at the woman who had just flown up beside her. A moment passed. Then her eyes bulged with ridiculous surprise. Ezili was so startled she just comically froze, beak agape. Spotters weren't supposed to get this close. At any rate, she would have missed her cue to warn Zande.

Back on the ground, Zande watched his prey zip up the wall with eyes as sharp as those of his bird. He had fought many spellcasters, but this was a new style he hadn't seen before. He watched with utter bewilderment as his prey somehow managed to pop a squat right beside his helper. But also, it looked like she had been throwing black shit off of her along the way. What could it be? Something sliced his left ear in two. A hot pain streaked down his back. Several somethings clattered on the floor. Arrows!? Without sparing a second Zande tore his battleaxes free from his belt and held the broad, seven pound blades up before his face and body like a pair of small shields. Just in time. Several more feathers rattled against the axes. He had recieved a good slice on the back. In that moment, Zande decided to no longer fuck around. If his spotter was killed, he'd truly be in danger. Without a second pair of eyes his options would be cut right in half. He sat down his right axe just long enough to remove a flask from his belt and gulp down the contents. Like his cloak, the flask had a skull and crossbones emblazoned upon it. In his homeland it was known as a super Zamorak brew, named after the dark god of chaos. As its effects began to take hold of him, he darted silently over to another corner across the room where his tribal mask lay. A black steel faceplate, which he put on only in certain situations that required him to briefly lose himself. If he reached it, then no sooner than he had strapped it on would the power of the brew hit him full force.

The cannibal would hunch over, vomiting violently upon the floor. His lean muscles heaved and twitched as spasms shook his body. Tanya would be able to easily notice him at this point. The lanky man, now more closely resembling some sort of wretched demon, threw back his head and howled. Streams of blood would run down the beastial warrior's mouth and streak his chest.

[Assistant]
The vulture's scream pierced the darkness by the rafters-- Tanya had landed right next to it! It's shrill cry shocked her for a brief moment, but heart pounding, she flicked her blades at it as its menacing caw scraped her eardrums. She could waste no time in pressing more than a cursory attack, but perhaps it would be enough to punish the beast for being caught even more flat footed than she had. She had a feeling that the real danger was lying in wait below, but that didn't mean she didn't have time to send a shotgun like spray of magic at a sitting duck vulture.

"What... the fuuck?" She intoned.

Tanya darted across the rafters as fast as she could, one shadow anonymous among many. The rush of movement made her forget the cold, though the inky blades she flung in every direction were a painful reminder for whoever it was had the same idea to loot the museum. The darkness surrounding her made it difficult to track her quarry, but it seemed that she didn't need to track much. A demonic roar echoed through the hall, it's vibrations probably enough to stir even the museum's famous ghosts. A familiar itch at her forearms screamed danger, and her thoughts raced to handle the threat of the animalistic figure gathering it's power in the gallery below.

She slid to a stop as she got to a corner of the room, moonlight layered with dust, dust outlining the magic traced around her body. She pressed her hand to her chest again, ignoring attacks from the bird for the moment. Instead she gathered her magic once more, coating herself with another cloak of the Feather of Innocence, weaving them once again with the Binding Contract. It was taxing spellwork, but it the more she put into it, the more it would give her. As things stood, she wore two layers of her feathers, the tracings of them floating around her in what appeared to be a small cloud. The outer layer was interspersed with changing, mutating, symbols-- time and energy spent to paralyze the foe beneath her. He didn't seem to know where she was waiting yet, and the element of surprise was a decisive advantage. At the first sign of his movement, she planned to leap from the catwalk and sling her razor sharp feathers down in a paralyzing rain, creating a widespread lane of mezzing Binding Contracts if he decided to charge. If he went for a direct attack at range, she was confident that two layers of protective magic and fast moves would deflect the worst of the blows. All in all, Tanya was terrified, but Tanya was ready. She balanced on the balls of her feet, and got ready to leap.


[System]
Gender:
Female

Appearance:
Four foot tall ugly piece of work like the rest. However, Nish's skin tone has a slightly lighter shade of green to it, leaning towards the blue color of the spectrum. She has two small sharp horns that protrude from the top of her head, with pointed ears. A messy head of disheveled black hair falls from her head, usually falling in front of her red colored eyes. Her canines are uncharacteristically sharp, and she has clear musculature indicating she's probably on the stronger side physically, at least as far as goblins go.

Personality:
Generally speaking, Nish is silent, calm and doesn't talk much. Because of this, she can come off as somewhat aloof, or arrogant. However, this might be a bit far from the truth. While she does indeed not talk much, that is only because she prefers to think about her words carefully. That said, she does generally dislike the company of others and often times can come off as slightly grumpy or antagonistic, especially if someone interrupts her if she's doing something. The young goblin prefers quiet, and can probably often be found sitting silently somewhere contemplating...well, things. She spends most of her time thinking. And drinking. She can often be found with a drink around her somewhere if available.

However, despite her calm one should be quite aware, that if you successfully manage to piss her off, you're going to have a bad time. She's incredibly stubborn in her ways, and the word 'change' doesn't mean anything to her. If something is done efficiently enough and correctly one way, then what's the point of messing that up? Plus, while she is smart she dislikes complicated problems and tends to get rather lazy if she has to do something that could take awhile, and she might often feign sleep. In a fight, this translate to her preferring to finish things quickly and as fast is possible - usually relying just on brute forcing things if they don't always go her way.

Past Life History:
As far as she can remember, she was once a rather well respected scholar of some sort. She can't remember what field, but she remembers awards, lots of boring meetings, and other scholarly things. Not the important part, really. The important part, is that she was smart, and knew quite a bit about world history - especially archaeology - and other academic subjects. It was quite likely she herself was an archaeologist of sorts in her past life, with a somewhat romanticist view on travel.

From what she also remembers, was that she tended to take care of herself physically. While she wasn't some champion fighter or weightlifter, she did take care of herself. She remembers spending a lot of time jogging, doing light work outs and eating healthily aside from the heavy occasional drinking. While she was no world-weight boxing or fighter champion, she was more fit than your average human. This has translated to her being more fit than our average goblin.

Talent:
Scholarly Interest
In her past life, she was a scholar. As such, she still retains her scholarly curiosity and interest in almost every field of it, and is likely a quick learner in almost every scholarly regard.
Muscle
While she's probably not going to be as strong as some other goblin who focuses on their strength and fighting skills, one should note that Nish is a little above average when it comes to strength. Later in life, she's probably going to benefit from some increased strength as well.

Skill(s):

 -Dark Eye - Allows one to see more effectively in the darkness. (Passive) E-Rank

 -Absorption - A monster specific skill. This skill allows monsters to gain the skill(s) of the creatures they devour. The amount of skills gained in this process is limited to a 6 time usage. Choose your stolen abilities wisely. Uses will reset to 6 upon Ranking Up regardless of the amount you have used. (Remaining Uses: 6)

[User]
Among the goblins who woke up from their slumber, Gork was probably the slowest; he spent awhile simply trying to open his eyes, and he saw other goblins going about their business. He then turned his head, and saw a round rock at a corner of the cave, and took it. He didn't know why, but his mind was filled with possibility and potential, and he could see innovation and progression where there was not. After he found a sharp stone, he used it to carve the round rock into a cup, as he felt like he wanted to create. But more instinctively, he wanted to learn how.

So Gork crawled to the cave entrance, and taking leverage from the wall, stood up. The bright sun scared him, but he was driven by ambition greater than any cowardice the creature may have had. Sure, he might be walking to his death at the jaws of a hungry predator, but hardships and possible sacrifice was necessary in the path of science. So he set out into the wilderness. He first found a sturdy stick, and used some springy roots to tie up the sharp rock he used to carve his cup into the stick, crafting a spear. With the weapon in his hand, Gork felt comfortable searching for plants, mushrooms, berries, herbs, anything goblins didn't want to eat but he could use to grind up in his cup and brew into something useful.

[Assistant]
Sound, the first sense any newborn has sight developed shortly after, the mother was usually the first thing one saw. Sounds filled the ears of a certain goblin who yet had to get up and join her new family. The words wake up played in the goblin's head and repeated over and over like a song on an i-pod that was set to repeat the same song. A thought soon followed, a rather simple one and one that felt right. However, the sounds coming from around her took her attention, her ears picking up on all the sounds close to her. The sounds varied as if each sound was moving in a different direction, each sound being unique in timbre. The said goblin in question soon twitched moving its arm, the first movement she had made since she could remember.

It felt unnatural but the goblin soon slowly opened her eyes revealing her amber-orange eyes. The rush of light was blinding as the dark was banished elsewhere. The goblin quickly to shut her eyes once more though decided to get up, a slow process since she had never moved before and so her body would need to get used to the idea of it. First, the fingers on each hand began to awaken and move as if they had a life of their own, a tingling feeling began to rush through the goblins fingers, her hands soon receiving the same strange tingling feeling. The tingling was strange and hard to describe, numb was probably the best word to use. The creature then began to turn her hands and wrists, yet another strange feeling. Her wrists and hand only rotating as far as they possibly could.

The arms and elbows followed and like everything else before it the strange feeling she felt turned up there as well. The goblin still listening to the sounds around her, still afraid of using her sight due to the overwhelming light. The creature soon turned herself over so she could hold herself up from the ground using her newly used arms. Her arms jerked every so often but the goblin did not fall or crash into the cave floor. More senses began to emerge, the feeling of touch began, an important sense. She could feel something, it was small, hard and somewhat round, the goblin soon tried to open her eyes once more though this time the light was not as blinding. Her sight was blurry yet over a short time began to correct itself, her head turned to what she could feel in front of her.

A greyish stone was pushing against her and next to that was another object, it was short and brown. More of the said objects could be seen dotted around the cave. However, her attention was now on the other goblins around her who seemed to be standing up or at least trying too. The goblin soon looked down seeing her body and something attached to the said body. The goblin had to once again change position which was hard when her legs had yet to wake up. The goblin found herself sitting on her butt as she soon glanced at her legs, the strange tingling soon went to her legs. The feeling in her legs did not hurt and they were numb as life began to flow through them, the odd twitch happened here and there.

Rubi soon tried to lift herself off the ground so she could stand, what happened when she tried was her crashing to the ground like a tonne of bricks. The feeling of pain was now introduced, it was shocking to feel such a thing for the first time. This goblin would not try to get up again until her legs stopped feeling this strange feeling of numbness. While she waited she suddenly could smell things, all the smells were new and her nose was rather sensitive to all the new incoming scents.

[User]
His first moments were chocked and strangled, filled with struggle as death became life. In those first minutes the thing that would become Ro sat in the dark, eyes refusing to open in a vain attempt to return to the comforting darkness that belched him into existence. When it refused to return to him, Ro let out a low and feral growl from the deepest pit of his stomach and forced himself to accept the day. With a scowl that'd curdle milk the young goblin crawled from his spot in the cave, snapping and growling at anyone who got in his way or weren't moving fast enough.

The sun hurt his eyes, a hiss escaping his throat in retaliation as he scampered off somewhere darker. It didn't take too long, hiding in the shade of a tall rock Ro had a great view of the cave opening and all the goblins that left it. Many were shaky and uncertain, but nonetheless getting used to their legs, while others had more drive. One had put a pointy rock on a stick, another was using sticks to help move, and another was just looking for...something. To be completely honest it was all quite boring and the lack of direction made him...antsy. With a sneer and a spit, Ro began dredging for trouble.

[Assistant]
- Speaking to briefly
- Speaking to, walking with.

First, her vision came to her. Her eyes blinked open, a hand covering her eyes to shield them form the momentary light. Something seemed...off. She didn't know what, but she seemed to have had an odd dream last night of...somewhere else. For a few moments, she just laid there collecting her thoughts, trying to recollect the dream. She wasn't in any hurry to get to moving, after all, though the others seemed to be waking up quickly. And eventually, with all dreams hers faded. She tried to recall more, but it was a futile endeavor in the end.

Wake up!

The loud voice telling her to wake up didn't help either. In the end, she simply sighed and pushed herself up to a sitting position. Curiously, she looked around the room she was in. It was a cave, and though dark she could see fairly well anyways. A lot of other goblins were moving around, getting used to their bodies and attempting to walk. She supposed that was a good idea - some of the others were even making their way towards the edge of the cave, and well, curiosity demanded she learn what the outside world looked like.

She stood, legs shakily supporting her weight as she did so. Chances were, she'd fall if she just attempted to move right away. She moved her feet and legs instinctually, taking a more balanced stance to prevent that from happening. How she knew such a thing, didn't matter much. She knew it, but there was little reason to question it. Perhaps it had something to do with that dream last night? No matter, in the end. Before she headed towards the cave though, she noticed one of the other goblins falling and having trouble getting up. She walked over slowly and quietly, speaking carefully to the other.

"Take it slow at first." She advised the fallen goblin, though she didn't linger. While she couldn't be sure her advice would work...well, it seemed to be working for her, so that's all she could really go on. "One step at a time. Take a minute to get to know your legs a bit more."

With that, she took a few hesitant, slow steps forwards towards the entrance of the cave. Slow step after slow step eventually carried her there. Maybe not the fastest, but definitely the one with the least injuries and falls or supports.

When she arrived, she shielded her eyes from the harsh sun once again, and observed her surroundings. Looked like there was a small clearing at the entrance of their cave, before the clearing gave way to a forest. Curious. Perhaps there was something interesting she could find out there in the forest. She certainly felt rather...defenseless? Was that a good word? She looked down at her hands. Something seemed to be missing. She didn't really know what, but she'd find out later.

For now, she took a few more sure steps out into the forest, and took a look at her body in the light. She was wearing simple rags, barely covering her body. Most of the other goblins skin color was green, and so was hers - but it was a lighter shade with a mild hint of blue in it. Curious. There had to be a reason for that, and one she'd likely find out later so she didn't linger on the thought.

The forest was quiet large, from what she could see. Just how large? Well, she'd find out later. Her curiosity was driving her to find out, but she couldn't do something like that without something to defend herself with, could she? She needed something. Even a crude weapon would do. But...what exactly sort of weapon? She noticed another goblin grab a sharp rock and a long stick, tying them together with some sort of plant.

Well, now there was an idea!

She fell silent again as she observed her surroundings, unconsciously placing a hand on her chin. It took her a few seconds of observation, but she finally found a large enough rock to suit her needs. She hefted it with a grunt, it was much heavier than she had expected but it'd do. Next, she found some of those springy roots the other goblin had used and tied the rock onto the end of a smaller, arm length branch.

A makeshift club. Now that was something she could use. Now where did that other goblin go? It'd probably be a good idea to stay close. Safety in numbers and all that. Finding him just a few feet away, she walked over to the other Goblin.

"Hm...I'm Nish." She said slowly, resting the head of her newly made club on her shoulder. "Walk together? Who knows what's in this forest."


[System]
* Appearance:
4'9", 90 lbs. compared to his 6'0" 150 lbs twin brother.
* Age: 14
* Personality: He has big shoes to fill and he is trying his best. But the doubt can be seen, its in his pose and in his voice. He acts uncertain when made to over-think things, he is 'passionate' when driven and reckless to prove himself.
* Motive to live: "I fight, flora beautiful world."
* Background:
Imagine that you're holding on to two bottles and they drop on the floor. What happens? They both break. But it's how they break that's important. Because, you see, while one bottle crumples into a pile of glass, the other shatters into a jagged-edged weapon. You see, the exact same environment that forged older brother into a warrior crushed baby brother. Now here's the twist, the runt is the older brother.

Its no surprise the world was hell in a handbag, day by day it was getting more different. The two boys thought they were safe in aristocratic society, one of those big folk who buy their way out of trouble. The kids engaging in pointless arts like horseback riding and rapier fighting, that is until the colony they lived on was destroyed. The two survived in an escape pod worth more than most spaceships and worth every penny. They were rescued and prepped for having survived first contact with the enemy, the bigger stronger brother was fitted for an armor, but he couldn't take the stresses of the training and took his own life. "The world is so, damn, ugly." Those were the last words on his bloody lips.

Initially, his brother was meant to be the great hero, Now that it was passed to him, he asked for a number of changed made to the system. His brothers frame was causing massive synchronization failures as he felt he was fighting his brothers ghost in the machine like bickering siblings. He went back to formula and plugged into the system as he designed a new frame of aesthetically pleasing form whose function would be built from. He went from negative synchronization to over sixty in days. Well worth the heavy price as he signed over all family holdings and companies to continue the funding for the project. No, for the survival of the species and a beautiful world.
* Notable Deaths: His twin brother, the one who the frame was made for.
* Other things:

Synchro Rate: 86
_=-=_
* Framewerk Code Name: Rose
* Appearance:
* Signature Weapon System:
Rose whip: A reached melee weapon system made for adaptability on the field, each section is its own separate motor capable of gordianknot contortions and ease of replacement between missions. The two main attack functions beyond lashing until a constriction can be made are the piston jabs of the thorns once wrapped around a limb for deeper penetration or each independently spinning to grind whatever it is to dust and crimson mist
* Secondary Weapon System: Rose bouquet: Retracting both of the 'hands' and dropping the head into the chest, the flowers on the crown and wrists openwide to function as a shield while the frame looks a lot like a rosebush
* Armor Type:
Medium protection melee assault armor built to endure long enough to land terrible blows. The 'vine wrap' on one leg is actually a depiction of 'either/or' for BOTH legs once he closes to melee range as his brother was originally going to use Savate for combat.
* Special Ability:

[User]
Harold's questions produced interesting answers. She kinda guessed that they would be rushed into service, but learning that the Cruxi had teleportation technology made her think of another question. She did disapprove of the drug use though.

"Pilot Stukov attempted to harness the Framewerk's inner potential, but failed. The electricity he generated to coat the Framewerk's armor layers overloaded the systems. And to think how much promise he showed; to waste that potential on such idiot is a shame. I expect you to learn from this, Shinkai." Lorenzo suddenly turned to Lora's direction, his eyes boring into her. "At your current stage of development, you should also have a deep enough connection with the Framewerk to utilize its power. However, you are only to release it in an emergency; it is highly probable that you are unable to control it, just like Stukov, and while he only killed himself, you could cause even more destruction. You must train your concentration and mental capacity every day from now on so you can control it reliably, understood?"

It made sense that overloading the system would cause it to blow up, but Krista assumed that there were safety measures in place to prevent that sort of thing. She was apparently mistaken.

Lorenzo then resumed walking back and forth. "As for pilot Miles, he was reported to not have put on his suit, and due to the lack of protection he is now a vegetable due to a concussion-induced coma. A fool, and an arrogant one at that. People like them don't deserve to pilot my beauties. Anyway, next question."

Krista was shocked at the news that she'd made Miles a vegetable. Granted, so many of the cadets had ganged up on him so she couldn't rightly say that she was THE one to put him in the hospital, but she couldn't help but feel guilt. He was an asshole but he didn't deserve that. Either way, Krista was wrapped up in thought as the others asked their questions. She was surprised at the boldness of Romeo's question and even more surprised that the Professor actually answered it.

The virtual reality question also had a fairly interesting response, though she still thought that it wasn't worth damaging the Framewerks. Still, she started to raise her hand for another question.

Then Ryan Goodwell spoke up.

She stood shocked at his outburst. She recoiled as the Professor laid into Elora. She had barely registered that he was armed before the Professor swiftly subdued him. She felt sick at the sound of Ryan's arm breaking.

"Is there anyone else who would like to test their luck? We can either stand here and do this all day, or I'll announce the squad leader. Your choice." Krista slowly lowered her arm, mumbling that her comment could wait until afterwards. She stood waiting, trying to quell her rolling stomach.

[Assistant] -:Deleted:-

[User]
Mai quietly watched as everything went down...obviously, emotions got the better of a few. And sadly, one paid a high price. Yet ANOTHER pilot goes down.

...maybe I'm not the only inefficient one here, Mai thought.

But it was the way Lorenzo's perhaps inhuman response time to Ryan's attack that got her attention. Clearly, that alone suggested that Lorenzo was more than just a scientist...the way he reacted...the strength he possessed...the way he suddenly changed from a Professor lecturing his students while eating a sunde to trained soldier in her opinion...

"Is there anyone else who would like to test their luck? We can either stand here and do this all day, or I'll announce the squad leader. Your choice."

"...I will as you say "test my luck" sir", Mai droned all of a sudden.

Not even waiting for an order to do so, Mai stood up from her seat, at attention then walked up to the front of the room approaching Lorenzo. Perhaps getting some stares from the other framework pilots. Yes, what she was doing was flat out insuborniation but for Mai, there was something that she wanted to see for herself.

Even if it means she got seriously hurt in the process...or worse...but Lorenzo's rapid movement...she had seen it before. Only in her previous frameworks division. But...only highly skilled framework pilots who had seen lots of combat had those kind of reaction time and speed. But perhaps she was wrong..."dead" wrong perhaps. But she needed to be sure. Especially...if she was going to take orders from him.

"...sir...throw me out of this division if you must...but I need to evaluate you. What I saw just now...I wish to see again", Mai droned.

That's when Mai suddenly got into a defensive hand-to-hand stance, right there in front of him.

"...attack me sir", Mai droned.

[Assistant]
Romeo was satisfied for the moment as he took a step back and to the side closer to Krista. He could understand what would drive anyone to do what they did. This was not the man eating a sunday, this was the man of loss he could follow orders from, not some child-killing data-miner. When the other drew the knife to attack, he made a soft lunge forward. Not to attack or protect, but to get a better view of the play out.

When the knife fell, Ramirez took a ste to the side, the dagger disappearing in the folds of the cloth as he took a step back as Mai stepped forward. Perhaps this professor had more in common with them than he would care to admit. His brother had attempted cybernetics on order to increase the synchronization rates, he had settled for paralytic synaptic conversion. A shift in his robes, and the youngest was handling the blade now as he pondered it and the chainsaw sword to make for his own.


[System]
Chemist of the Night
ALIASES AND NICKNAMES: Jar, Chemist of the Night, JRock, The Cook.
AGE: 57
TURNED: June 4th, 1982

PERSONALITY:Fun-loving, dark-hearted, musical, calculating, hot-headed, passionate, mean-spirited and extremely ambitious. Don't let the rocker looks fool you, his business acumen is unmatched. His intelligence also makes him prideful and hard to get along with at times. Jareth also does everything with a dramatic - often theatrical and bordering on flamboyant - flair.

BIOGRAPHY: Jareth was at his prime in the late seventies and early eighties. He spent his days sleeping in and his nights getting drunk, high, and making music with the boys. Jareth was the lead singer and guitarist for Crim Son, a little band he started in his foster parents' garage - before they kicked him out, that is. I guess they didn't like the drugs, or his friends, or his music, or… him.

Even before vampirism - even with the excessive drug use - Jareth had a great mind, talent, and ambition on his side. His little garage band took off in the local Portland region, gaining a decent following and, fortunate for the boys, a few groupies. After a show one night, Jar was smoking out in the alley behind the bar when a hot little thing with fiery hair and a leather miniskirt approached him. Thinking her another groupie and always being one to objectify women, Jareth pinned her against the brick wall and kissed her hard and fast.

At his brutish reaction to her charm, the vampire woman clutched her hand around his chin and switched their position only to slam him against the wall with enough force to make him shudder. "No, no, little beauty. I'm going to teach you how to submit." She said in a purr.

Jareth can't remember much of what happened next, he remembers pain similar to getting a tattoo, except one his neck. He assumes that's when she bit him. But she didn't turn him then, oh no, that would have ruined all her fun. When he woke up he was tied up in leather and chains, coated in his own blood. She did things to him, evil torturous things, sometimes pleasurable things, and in a way it may have seemed like she was doing these things to show him that the way he treated women was wrong. But that wasn't the case, she was just evil, and her behavior only caused his hatred to grow, but Jareth was clever in his hatred. Such a clever boy.

The ruby-haired woman promised that if he should ever learn to submit to her, she would make him strong like she was, and he could be hers forever. Strength, Jareth craved to feel strong again, so he put his mind to work. He had convinced her that she had broken him, that he had come to love her in all the torture and time. So she turned him into a vampire, and as soon as he was able, he killed her.

It didn't take long for Jareth to figure out what his special powers were. His strengths in life became his strengths in death, as his brilliant mind constantly worked in overdrive. In the dawn of modern science, Jareth had a knack for things like chemistry and synthesis. And what did he do with his awesome powers, well he figured out how to make money, of course. Vampires, especially old vampires, get bored easily -They have an eternity to live, to explore, to contemplate, and they can't even get high? And what do vampires have a lot of, especially the older ones? Money, and they are more than willing to spend it, especially on the darker things in life.

Jareth got to work synthesizing a drug that works on vampires. He figured out a way to genetically and chemically alter human blood so that it gave vampires the effect of being high, a high much like that of tripping on acid. All vampires react to O-neg a bit differently, but for Jar, it gave him back the only thing he missed about his humanity: a way to escape his own mind. For some vampires it felt like ecstasy, or just pot, or acid, it could take you all the way up and then let you crash through the floorboards. For Jareth, it gave him back the inspiration he needed to continue with his music, it stopped the endless thinking, thinking, thinking…

Vampires took to O-neg like kids in a candy store, and before long, Jareth was one of the youngest extremely wealthy vampires in the US. Wealthy, but not famous, Jareth wasn't stupid; He kept his recipe hidden in his head and his work severely underground. In his travels, Jareth met Theo and they bonded like two f**ked up peas in a pod. Jareth is the money and brains behind Blod, and Theo is the brute strength. Theo was just the person that Jar needed to find in order to keep him safe from his own ambitious ways.

FAMILY: Rogue – Blod family member. Jareth keeps his membership to Blod a secret, much like his O-neg lab. Even Adelisa wouldn't recognize him as a Blod member… the only one who knows, and the only one who matters, is Theo.

POWER: Brilliant Mind. The whole idea of people having a stronger left brain or right brain doesn't apply to Jareth, he excels at both the arts and sciences. He is what the humans would call a bonafide genius. That being said, his mind is his own strength and weakness – it is impermeable to compulsion and mental manipulation, but his intelligence hinders his perception of social cues and morality.

SIDES: Downright evil. He likes other vampires, but he seeks out the fall of the other established families in the city, desiring to have the whole city in O-neg's grasp. Jareth is more than willing to drink from and kill humans. He is also known to be an extreme misogynist.

WEAPON:Chemical warfare, where he lacks in strength, he makes up for in intelligence and crafty weaponry. Homemade bombs and acids, chemicals and fire, those sorts of things are his forte.

OTHER:Don't let the rocker chic and the charm fool you, Jareth is NOT one of the good guys.

[User]
As Maria spoke, a specter entered. He was in the garb of Knight, a Templar Knight to be exact. He stepped forward looking between them all. "Praetor sends his regrets he could not assist in the rescue, he was attacked by hundreds of rogues after his scuffle last night. I have been sent to as for Lucian to return home for awhile, Praetor wants to help him suppress Dracula. If it not brought under control Lucian will be lost and none of you are in the condition to face him." Spoke the ghost rounding on it's heel, no longer facing the crowd as away.

"The Praetor would like to meet with the other ancients to discuss the issue plaguing us all. Morven, Klaus, Auria, and himself. Alistair and Mira will join them as Clan heads. We must work together to remove the problems in the city... Then we can go back to arguing ideals and methods." Said the messenger fading off and away, his eyes staring daggers into Lucian. As if the man inside knew him from some past life.

[Assistant]
Lucian had been completely prepared to face Alistair, he had planned to show no mercy to the clan head and if it meant slaughtering him in front of all of his family...so be it. But Maria's voice, like light in the fog ripped him from the jaws of his own insanity, his own madness, "Holy father what have I done..." Lucian made the catholic cross across his chest as his eyes turned back to crystal blue and looked to Alistair, "Stay your blade my friend...It's me...for now at least...I'm sorry...He's stronger than ever before..." Lucian turned to Maria and took her hand with both of his and began kissing her fingers, his eyes seeming to tear a bit, like he had found something he had thought he lost forever, "My love...Forgive me..." That's when he heard a familiar voice and looked down to see the specter of a Templar knight, his face seemed familiar and some part of Lucian felt he knew the ghost, But after the message was relayed and the spirit had faded, Lucian turned to face everyone, but his eyes remained locked on Maria, "Praetor is right..." He grasped Maria's hand tightly but with so much love, "I'm going to have to go away for a while...It might be a long time before we see each other again..." He smiled at her the same way he had when they had first met, "Try not to forget about me to quickly my love..." Lucian released her hand and turned to leave..

Despite all the pain he was in Adrian forced himself to stand, his eyes were wild but brave, "You are stronger than this Lucian..." Adrian saluted him in the way he had once saluted William Wallace, "Be strong brother...Be strong in the face of even this...Return to Maria..." Despite his ribs and barely being able to breathe Adrian saluted the vampire, no...The Knight...as he left.

[User]
Adelisa watched the couple with a soft smile. They were just meant to be, she thought. Then she remembered the look in the girl's eyes when she watched her heal her. She saw the blame and the slight anger toward her and she knew why. Adelisa stepped back from the group and looked at them. They were a family unit, something she hadn't seen for such a long time. It was quite the site, a beautiful family surrounded by bodies and destruction. Adelisa smiled slightly. It was definitely a site indeed.

Adelisa looked over at the area Theo's body was supposed to be. She knew something wasn't right, no matter how her much she hoped he was just dead, something was not right.

[User]
Béatrix:

Of course the prophetess was able to see through her façade. Despite Trixy's polished skills as an actress, a few people managed to break through the mask and see the girl beneath it. Morgan just so happened to be one of those people.

"I can see why no one ever plays poker with you." She said as a joke just as she pulled her clawed hand from a now-dead rogue's chest. "I'll be fine." She finished, making it blatantly obvious that she would speak no more on the subject.

The twisted little love scene between Maria and Lucian was enough to make her want to vomit. She didn't want to see this, especially not now. Her feet wanted to run so badly, to find an escape from the guilt and shame. She still couldn't look at Alistair. What a macabre family they were, close yes, but oh so distant.

Mary said her torturer got away, Theo, the leader of this Blod clan. The absence of Theo's body didn't surprise Trixy, she had a feeling she knew the vampire responsible for taking him. A secret for a secret… She took a deliberately deep, albeit unnecessary, breath. When Alistair mentioned Skye Manor, Béatrix was the first to turn foot and head out.

Jareth:

The dead weight of Theo's body was an extreme burden on Jar. He couldn't use the streets, the sun was still up and humans were milling about. It would be a tad out of place to be carrying a seemingly dead person, blood dripping from a gash in his throat, down the street. There was also the gaping hole in his own chest that would cause distraction. Thankfully, this particular lair of Theo's connected to the sewers. So, with Theo slumped over he shoulders, Jareth headed to the only place he knew was safe, as it had no immediately connections to the Blod clan - except for himself, that is.

His apartment. Yes, the very one he brought Madame de la Croix to. Jareth tossed Theo's body down on the bed none-to-gently. All of this over a stupid little pet of his. "Was it worth it, you idiot?!" Jareth said aloud before grasping Theo's face in his hands and shaking it. "Wake up! Wake up!" he yelled and even went so far as to slap Theo. Truth be told, he had no idea how to rouse an unconscious vampire. At least he hoped he was only unconscious…

[Assistant]
Adelisa looked over at Alistair's back and her eyes widened. Is he-? her questioning thought was cut short when he said his final piece. Her smile came before her answer as she said "thank you. Thank you so much." It came out as a whisper at first but then she said the former with a louder voice. She looked over at Maria and smiled softly. This was the woman she came to save. Whether killing Theo was really in her best interest… well that was quite questionable. Adelisa did want Theo dead in the beginning, but this woman… she needed Adelisa much more than Adelisa needed to kill.

She noticed at woman, Beatrix, walk out the door as soon as the manor was mentioned. She knew something was wrong with her, could sense it even, but Adelisa was in no way able to find out what was going on in her head. She, instead, decided to follow everyone as they left, maybe even talk to Maria a bit.
~~~
Theo was in a dark, dark place. Absolutely nothing and no one was there. It was extremely strange, actually. He wasn't in hell, nor in heaven. He was just… there. A voice took him from no where and he opened his eyes to see Jareth. He tried to talk, but his throat had just been sliced open so talking wasn't going to happen. Blood, he needed blood. He took his shaky hand and reached up to his neck, dipping a finger tip onto the blood and raising it to Jareth, trying to show he needed this.


[System]
Personality: Fiery, enthusiastic, emphatic, and practically addicted to hype, Benni is a spirited competitor and friend. She's the sort who never lets setbacks put her down for long, and who sees a lot of value in trying one's hardest. Quick with a joke and able to laugh at herself, she can get along easy even with rough people, only harboring scorn for genuine jerks, criminals, psychos, and those who don't try. Stuff that looks cool carries a lot of water with her, and while she can be a touch insensitive, shallow, or overbearing, most would agree that both her friends and her opponents are in for a good time.
Height and weight: 5'7", 150 lbs
Gender: Female
Backstory: Born in America, Benni and her family moved to Italy early in her life for the sake of her father's work at a famous wine company. Though the apple of his eye, she did not take after his cool-headed sophistication, but instead the wild vitality and energy of her mother that so captivated her father in the first place. Benni spent most of her childhood playing with the boys, oftentimes outside but inside as well once she discovered her real passion: videogames. Anything competitive got her blood pumping, and it was fairly young that she got a taste for fighting games in particular. Her tenacity and never-say-die attitude carried her far, and she proved to have quite the aptitude. In Benni's eyes few things compared to fun and rush of fighting games, although her rather tame version of thrill-seeking branched out beyond that. With the rather paltry fighting game community in Italy, she relied mostly on her games' online to play and improve, but her teenage years would see her flying abroad to attend events the world over.

She developed something of a reputation, and a few times she even appeared on the main stage. When not pursuing her passion, she worked at her father's company in Florence. Ironically, it was her mother's alcoholism that drove her parents to separate, and Benni chose to stay with her dad. The divorce went poorly for him, however, and tough times beset the family. Various frustrations piled up, and Benni ended up ditching her job to pick up another old pasttime: street fighting. Whether online or in real life, it seemed, Benni had a knack for fighting, but this time her ambitions led to more dire consequences.

Benni ended up running afoul of a certain underground fighting group, infamous for a highly unusual variety of tag-team fighting. She found herself on a dizzying losing streak; even the chumps who could barely throw a punch were humiliating her, and those who knew what they were doing showed no mercy. Benni risked more and more, until one night she reached too far. A rock-hard woman known for her savagery punished one of Benni's careless hooks with a killer blow to the head. It broke something inside of her, but not her body, and not her spirit. For as long as she could remember, Benni had seen that face in her dreams: the one with yellow eyes. Memories of her childhood were hazy, but looking back she couldn't help but recall that elusive friend of hers, always by her side to cheer her on. Over the years its face had gotten dimmer and dimmer, dismissed as a child's imagination, but in that fight, lying on her back in the ring, Benni could see it again. A cold hand picked her up from where she lay, and when Benni opened her eyes, she could see the being that stood at her side just as it had so long ago...and she could see the creature floating behind her foe.

Ultimately Benni still lost that fight, but for the first time in a long time it felt like her eyes were open. A whole new world, standing in invisible parallel alongside the old, stretched out before her. She quit street fighting -though she still practiced- and returned to fighting games alongside her work. It wasn't long, however, before people started to disappear. She decided to find out what was going on, but Diavolo found her first.
Appearance:

Stand name: 「Rubberband Man」
Ability: On the end of Rubberband Man's arms are compressible plates, alternatively known as 'thumpers' or 'tenderizers'. When charged and released, which can be done either manually or by striking something, they release a pulse that reconstitutes matter into highly elastic rubber (known here on in as 'made rubber'). The pulses are small and short-range but can be made larger by charging. Made rubber is stretchy but will spring back into shape if stretched and released, potentially at great force. It is also highly resistant to impact damage but easily cut. It is fairly malleable as well. Made rubber will return to its normal state after a brief time, though a charged pulse will keep it rubberized for longer.
Stand cry: Neither the stand nor the user vocalize anything specific when attacking, but as Rubberband Man beats on something each impact makes a very distinct twang
Height: 6'6"
Obtained through: Inherent possession
Appearance:

Extra: Benni doesn't have direct control over Rubberband Man, who is a fairly independent stand with his own consciousness. However, Rubberband Man will often try to mimic Benni in lockstep because both think it looks cool. It is capable of simple vocalization through stretching its own rubber to make noises like laughing or grumbling. Those little hands of his can fold back if need be so that it's just punching with its thumpers.

[User]
Group One:
Malcolm, Benni, and Jon

Current Objective: Search for others who know Diavolo and the room.
Objective 2: ???
Group Two:
The Lucidostella brothers, Sia, Phil, and Cierran.

Current Objective: Search for others who know Diavolo and the room.
Objective 2: ???

[Assistant]
Malcolm d'Volio

In the residence of Malcolm d'Volvio - 4:36pm

---

 Laying down on his favorite (and only) love seat, Malcolm would take a gracious bite of the apple he was holding in his left hand. He would rub his temple in confusion, not particularly understanding the situation fully at hand. This man, Diavolo, was here a mere few moments ago, and he too, had been affected by the curse that was making every individual vanish from thin air. He would sigh, and quickly, very quickly, grab a fresh fountain pen from his bag. He would draw a sketch of the area he had initially been taken too, that bizarre dreamscape that made him choke when he tried to breath. He would then grab the remote to the television, and tape the missing persons report. To the best of his ability, he would make a tally for every single name that he saw on screen, rewinding the tape in his DVR if necessary.

...

 After about 10 minutes of reading names, he would look at his list and sigh in realization. He would count up the tallies he had taken note on. He would turn a page, and another, and another. Over five pages had been filled with tally marks from top to bottom, showing a great indication that this was no regular act of violence... This was the ability of an enemy stand user. He would rub the crease between his eyes and then move his hand to his hair, speaking to himself he said, "A total of over 1,230 people, and the report continues to drag on." He would look back up at the television, and the names rolled on. He would look at his rough hand he continued to eat the red fruit with. He would take another bite, and stand up, and return the pen and notebook back to their respective places in his backpack.
 Malcolm had heard from Diavolo that there was a wide array of power's similar to his own, and at first thought it was a joke, but he now understood what he meant. Malcolm would pop his back and stretch before heading off to find out who had been causing these very odd occurrences. He would stand at the entrance to his door, and extend his arm out to grab and turn the door knob. He would grab his pink rabbit pin, and place it gently on the strap of his school uniform. He would fix up his hair, and then head out the door.

---

In the city of Florence, Italy - 5:02PM

---

 The sky was a beautiful blue and orange, signifying the soon turning of evening to dawn. Malcolm would take a deep breath of the cool city air, filling his lungs with any determination he could muster. He would look at his watch, and take off the face, and place a very broad note that he had received from his father. He would seemingly pray, and then return the face of the watch back to it's rightful location. He would begin to walk around town asking people if they had heard of the man named Diavolo. Most people said "Yes, he is the general governor of Florence, didn't you know that." Malcolm would ponder what he had heard from the sources he gained. Where...? This man... I need to pay more attention to local politics... How did the GG of my own city suddenly vanish.
 He would go to the local pub, and ask anyone "Have you been to a room where you couldn't breath, and it felt as if you had died?". Every response he received was a confused and negative shake of the head. He would ask the bartender for a glass of milk, and continue to personally interrogate every person at that pub, to get a lead on who may have connections to the cause of the mass of missing people. He would look around for any individual who may help.

[User]
Jon, being the odd one out as usual, was at a bar not drinking. Why, you may ask? Well, he was observing people. Their mannerisms, their speech, everything about them. Jon could usually tell the type of person from just a glance in their general direction. The reason he was observing them was for a report he was doing about mental psychology and its effects with alcoholism. So far, he has gotten some funny interviews with an eccentric pair of drunkards, but nothing warranted of writing it down. "Damn," He said. Shaking his head. "This paper is not going to write itself..." He burrowed his hands into his face, stressing about this whole project.

Jon stood up, about to leave. But that was when a catalyst walked into the room. A catalyst that would change his entire life. This green haired man was asking about being in a room where you could not breathe. Jon's first thought was "Isn't that just clinical anxiety?" but everything seemed to unravel around him once Jon got to analyzing. This man knew more than he let on, and it was quite obvious (at least, to Jon). So, the beanie wearing detective-in-training decided to discretely follow the interesting man, gaining intel along the way.

"Bartender, One scotch please, make it smokey and on the rocks please." Jon never drinks, but in order to blend into a bar, you need to have a drink.

[Assistant]
A hearty workout did the body good--Benni felt it during her routine, and however tired she felt now, that satisfaction lingered still. Loose, slightly sore muscles made her walk back home languid, but she did not at all mind taking the stroll at a leisurely pace, especially given the sky at this time. Gorgeous in its vivid, discordant hues, it hung over the earth like a painting in a dream. At moments like these, feeling tired and content, and privy to something beautiful, Benni felt about as high as one could get on life. It didn't get any better than in Florence, either; the sprawling, easy-going town was a far cry from the cluttered floating labyrinth called Venice or the perilous, red-hot hustle and bustle of Rome. She could easily duck into any no-name mom-and-pop cafe on the street here, and without so much as speaking procure a slice of today's freshly-baked pizza or a few ragu-stuffed arancini from the genial locals. It was a lovely day.

Her Nokia's buzzing and vibration broke her out of her reverie, bringing her back to the avenue sidewalk where she meandered in a grateful daze. Benni turned it on to see a call incoming from one Manzo Stufato. "Huh. Whatcha got to say this time o' day, big guy?" She slid it up to her ear. "What's up, dude?"

She reeled back as a burst of overexuberant Italian slammed into her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, chill out!" A few familiar words reached her, in particular 'SkyVer', the common abbreviation for Sky Versus Shattering, a new fighting game IP that came out some time ago in Japan. Just mentioning it got her excited, but she knew her enthusiasm was wasted. While some arcade cabinets might make it out of Japan, the chances of one appearing in Florence were next to zero. Its mention piqued her curiosity, however, but before she could learn more Benni needed to bring her friend back down to earth. "You know I can't follow when you go full native. What's the deal?"

Manzo's frenetic tone came in reply. "It's SkyVer, ragazza! Panepiatto has it! He must have ordered it for the local scene, or something!"

Eyes wide, Benni could scarcely keep from shouting. "Are you serious!?"

Her friend chuckles. "Yeah, yeah! And that ain't it! I'm there now, and I saw the opening on the machine. Remember the rumors saying SkyVer would be crossing over with an older fighter? They sure are, and I bet you can't guess what it is."

Benni's heart was already pounding. "Shut up."

"Heheheheheh," came the voice over the phone. "Come over and see for yourself!" Whatever else he said Benni did not hear. She took off sprinting down the sidewalk, recklessly pounding her feet against the pavement in her mad scramble to get to the arcade. She scarcely notices when her foot calf scraped against a bent length of iron sticking out from a curbside fence hit by a car, but each step after that started hurting more and more. Eventually, the pain overcame Benni's elation and she looked down to find blood flowing freely down her leg. "Aw, crap!" As much as she wanted to tough through the pain, it was a bad cut, one that could leave her lightheaded at best and woozy at worst. At the very least, she wouldn't be taking any sets in that state. Right now, she needed to bind that wound.

Looking this way and that, she spotted a nearby pub. Good enough. Like a woman possessed Benni ran inside, almost shoving past a man with green hair as he went in. "Scusa!" she cried as she hustled to the counter. "Hey! Hello? Do you have any...uh, bandages? Paper towels? Napkins?" One look from the bartender convinced her that he didn't speak a lick of English. With a heavy breath, Benni picked up her leg to show the man her bloody leg. That at least got him moving, and Benni sat down to wait. Her leg was really stinging now, and the bleeding plus the exertion had her feeling lightheaded already. "Man..." she moaned. If only she paid attention. It was such a simple mistake to make, so easy to undo. But Rubberband Man wasn't about that life. Benni looked down to see him partially manifesting, peering at her cut quizzically. All he could do was bounce back, so she would have to, too. Once the bartender returned with some kind of solution for her exsanguination, she could be on her way.