[System]
Sex: F

Age: 17

House: Dark Magician House

Appearance: "Very well. Please, show me something amusing."

Duel Disk: Ayami's Duel Disk is shaped a bit like the section of a snowflake, with a design similar to this one. It is a light blue bordering on white, and reflects light similarly (and thus shines when in use).

Personality: Ayami is a bit of a cold person and often comes off as somewhat emotionless at times, causing people to tend to not wanting to interact with her more often than not. As a result, she spends much of her time reading books and stories or watching duel replays online, which only furthers her image as a 'person who acts as if she is higher than everyone else'. That's not really the case, though; while she does have money and does seem like she is disinterested in most things, it does not affect her opinion of people. As a result, Ayami does not hold back against any challengers, for that would not only be disrespectful, but also quite irritating upon herself.

History: The child of an investment banker and a writer, Ayami's life was spent in relative solitude and luxury. She was always surrounded by books and stories that her facter (the latter) would always read to her, planting a deep-seated respect for literature that would keep fast into her adolesence. While her family did have enough of an income to purchase whatever they decided on (within reason), Ayami never desired anything. While her mother was perfectly okay with that facet of Ayami's personality, her father was thoroughly confounded and sought to figure out what his daughter wanted (because it was admittedly difficult to obtain gifts with more variety than 'book' and 'foreign book'). His problems came to a close when he saw Ayami holding a Yu-Gi-Oh card one day and seemed to be looking at it with some degree of intrigue. Taking this as an opportunity, Ayami's father quickly got to work buying cards to assemble his daughter a deck that would work well with the card she seemed to be so curious about.
Years came and went, and Ayami continued to refine that deck ever so slowly before her father suggested she try enrolling in the Saotome Duel Institute, which itself was a sugegstion of one of his old friends. With no real reason to decline, Ayami accepted the offer and has been studying there ever since.

Wish: To find life more 'exciting' than it is now.

Deck: * 2x Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands
* 1x Ariel, Priestess of the Nekroz
* 1x Dance Princess of the Nekroz
* 1x Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz
* 1x Ghost Ogre and Snow Rabbit
* 1x Effect Veiler
* 1x Nekroz of Decisive Armor
* 1x Nekroz of Trishula
* 2x Nekroz of Valkyrus
* 1x Nekroz of Gungnir
* 2x Nekroz of Brionac
* 3x Nekroz of Unicore
* 2x Nekroz of Clausolas
* 1x Hira, Light of the Nekroz*

* 1x Night Beam
* 2x Reinforcement of the Army
* 3x Preparation of Rites
* 2x Nekroz Mirror
* 2x Nekroz Kaleidoscope
* 2x Nekroz Cycle
* 2x Twin Twisters
* 1x Pot of Dichotomy

* 1x Storming Mirror Force
* 1x Solemn Strike
* 1x Dimensional Prison
* 1x Bottomless Trap Hole
* 1x Nekroz Altar*

* 3x Herald of the Arc Light

Hira, Light of the Nekroz [Solar Legacy]
Level 2 Spellcaster type Effect Monster
500 ATK / 1000 DEF
While this card is on the field, all Nekroz Monsters on your side of the field gain 200 ATK.

Nekroz Altar
Counter Trap
When a Monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck would activate it's effect; negate that target's effect, then you can add one Nekroz Monster from your Graveyard to your hand, except a Ritual Monster. If this card is in the Graveyard: during either player's turn, you can banish this card from your Graveyard; Tribute Monsters from your hand or your side of the field, then Ritual Summon 1 "Nekroz" Monster from your hand whose level exactly equals the total Levels of those monsters. You can only use this effect of "Nekroz Altar" once per turn.

[User]
Ayami glanced over as Matt seemed to walk over and gave a slight nod of acknowledgment towards his presence as she drew her cards. If his comment of 'brickdude' was any indication, then the person in front of her was, in fact, the culprit behind yesterday's incident.

All the more reason to handle this quickly, then. Buying cards could come afterwards.

"I wouldn't think that someone who was dense enough to attempt injury and vandalism would be a fan of theatrics, but I guess you need some outlet for your desire for attention," she said, drawing her cards and staring at them for a moment before acting. Her words were vitriolic today--understandably so, given the information she had just learned--but

"My turn. I activate the effect of Nekroz of Clausolas from my hand to add Nekroz Kaleidoscope in it's stead," she said, sending the Monster to the Graveyard and adding the respective card to her hand. "Next, I shall activate Preparation of Rites to add Nekroz of Unicore to my hand."

After a few moments of silence, Ayami followed the move by quietly activating Kaleidoscope from her hand.

"I tribute Herald of the Arc Light from my Extra Deck to summon Nekroz of Unicore from my hand. By Arc Light's effect, I can add one Ritual Spell or Monster to my hand; I'll retrieve Nekroz of Trishula," she continued, watching as the spellcaster materialized in front of her. "Battle Phase. Unicore, attack Mezuki."

Assuming the attack went through, Ayami would end her turn there. Now, it was a matter of seeing if Matt would jump in or not...

[Assistant]
Matt Ronwell

"Zombies versus Ritual monsters. Interesting. That was a neat little combo with Arc Light, I wonder what other tricks you got up your sleeve. " Matt said. From what he knew ritual monsters were generally harder to use than other monsters because they required the appropriate spell to summon. But Ayami had been able to use her cards to search for the appropriate ones as well as prepare for next turn, either pressing the advantage or recovering from a setback. Matt drew five cards simply for fun and imagined what he would do in either players situation, still sitting on the ground casually.

[User]
The one who broods menacingly

~~Rise and Shine, Edgelord~~

An alarm buzzed through Drake's dorm as he got up in a slow and exhausted manner. Today was orientation day, a day likely filled with annoying interactions no doubt. Sighing at the thought, Drake got dressed into his school uniform after finishing the rest of his mourning routine, got his deck and gear ready, and set off. At the Utopian house, an uninteresting opening with their housemaster led into him grabbing a small substantial breakfast, before making his way into orientation

~~Oh no, weak opponents!~~

Drake's cold expression made it clear he wasn't fond of this type of battle. Though life points were doubled, players were expected to go through a gauntlet of battles with no recovery of life. Instead of wasting time and energy finding others to battle, Drake stayed in the corner with his arms crossed, waiting for the opponents to drop and instead having his challengers come to him. By his calculation, this meant that his odds of being the last one standing were high as it seemed most if not all of the other students engaged each other immediately. While they would waste valuable life points, he would reserve his for the survivors and pick them off easily.

[Assistant]
Gabriel shook as he drew his last pathetic card. He dropped to his knees defeated. In his hand: a spell card, Silent Doom, which he had just drawn; and his pride and joy, Great Swallowtail Moth Urania. "I'll activate Silent Doom, special summoning Petit Moth back to my side of the field in defense mode... I-I... I END MY TURN!" he shouted, accepting defeat.

Gabriel dropped down to his knees. "My moths... they've failed me..." he lamented quietly.

[User]
"Draw!" Carnel said, drawing a card from his deck. Examining his card, Carnel nodded. "I'll make this quick," Carnel said. "I Summon Cardcar D in Attack position." A thin blue car appeared on the field, as if driving up from the card.

Cardcar D
Level 2
ATK 800 DEF 400

"Battle! Cardcar D, destroy Petit Moth!" Carnel commanded, and the car was quick to make Petit Moth into roadkill, popping it into yellow sparkles as the car drove into the poor bug. "Stratos, Plasma, direct attack on Gabriel!" Stratos fired his double cyclone, followed up by Plasma's Bloody Fear, both headed straight for Gabriel.

Gabriel: 3900 LP -> 2100 LP -> 0 LP

WIN: Carnel!

---

As the monsters faded, Carnel went over to Gabriel and extended a hand for a handshake. "That was a good Duel," Carnel complimented with his usual polite smile. "Maybe we can Duel again some time."

[Assistant]
600 Life Points were removed from Fyodor's own as the offensive blast from the bishonen sorcerer sent the dutiful zombified manhorse shattering into the boneyard below. The Ghoulish Rider - Traveler of the Highway of Hell stumbled back and rattled some bones. He popped back in his squatting position as he stared at both that scene, and then briefly hatted man who clearly wanted to intrude in the duel as seen by him playing around with his cards.

Fyodor drew his next card.

"Far too dry and clinical, you're no fun.
Witness the construction of the Temple of the Sun." spoke The Ghoulish Rider - Traveler of the Highway of Hell as he performed the move.

In the foreground the Egyptian Temple arose as more decor for this world of rot and bone. Fyodor then activated the Spell Card Foolish Burial.

"From my deck a creature I send to the grave. But despite that cruel and cosmic joke, that isn't the punchline."

Konstantinovich waited for a dramatic pause as he enacted a series of events which led to a rumbling that shook up the bones below.

"Mezuki I banish you to pardon the one who received that execution. Bring forth Il Blud."

Emerging from the grave and near the Temple arose the shadowy headed and gargantuan prisoner Il Blud, with his outfit zipped shut.

"Empowered by the Temple of the Sun vitalizing his revival, he has gained 300 attack for a new total of 2400 Attack Points." Fyodor casually pointed towards Nekroz of Unicore.

"Kill it." Il Blud rushed towards Nekroz of Unicore to slam down upon it. Fyodor, still squatting, watched to see how the scene unfolded before preparing to move on to the last bit of his turn.


[System]
"Broadsides" Captain Cedric D. Boone - Captain/Navigator/Marksman
Bonesword "The Mushroom Kid" - First Mate/Swordsman
"The Wolf of the Blue" Caesar Inu - Fighter
"Black Hood" Dirk Messir - Scout/Thief
"Oilburn" Slick Drake - Cook/Weapons Engineer
Lilliana Merrycure - Scientist
"Fitness" Feya Nelson - Doctor/Nutritionist
Wafer D. Kite - Shipwright

---

---

Enemies
Shrimp Brigade, Division A
The Vice's Strongest attack force
Specialize in teamwork, coordinated strikes, and ballet dancing.
First encountered in South Blue when they boarded the Rum Runner via torpedo designed for human transportation. Displayed supernatural levels of teamwork and awareness, when sufficiently injured would vanish and reappear from another member. Discovered to be one man that ate a devil fruit.
Quirks: See themselves as superheroes, protectors of the innocent, rather than bounty hunters. Have a flair for dramatic poses. Never go anywhere without theme music.

"Shrimp Brigade" Shotaro Saban
The Vice's first mate
Fifteen foot tall goliath of a man, ate the waru waru no mi, turning him into a split man.
The true form of the Shrimp Brigade, a single man that ate a devil fruit allowing him to split himself or any object he touches into multiple copies, at the cost of each copy having a fraction of the original's power/ability/intelligence/all other traits. While relatively friendly and balanced when split into the Shrimp Brigade, Shotaro Saban goes crazy with power and egomania when all together, a trait not entirely unearned. Displays insane strength and durability, once he took his "prime" form, he alone requires the entire Red Rum crew to defeat. Turned on Krabbe's crew, declaring his assault as the judgment of Justice, and that only the innocent would survive. Is ultimately defeated by the Red Rums and John Krabbe teaming up, but escapes and reveals he has other body copies out in the world.
Quirks: Sincerely believes he has the muscles of a god and that his wrath is divine judgment. Anybody he kills is justified because only the wicked can be harmed by his "godly might." Has an incredibly tiny head for his massive body. Is very self-conscious about it.

Shrimp Brigade Pink Mizu Shikihara
Cipher Pol 8 Agent
Agent of the World Government that had signed up to be part of Shotaro Saban's Shrimp Brigade, now shadowing the Rum Runner
Little is yet known of this government agent, but he is a master of disguise and expert spy, as well as proving to be extremely fast.
Quirks: Overly flirty with women. His immense pride causes him to think he's god's gift to the world, so everything he does warrants a "your welcome."

---

Allies

Bartholomew K. Runch "The Cereal Killer"
Captain of the Krunch Krew
User of the Bori Bori no Mi, the Crunch Crunch Fruit
33 million berry bounty

"Flying" Smith Smithson Smithington III
First mate of the Krunch Krew
Master of Ninja Arts

Hachirou H. Hachirou "The Beast King"
Navigator of the Krunch Krew
User of the Neko Neko no Mi: Model Lion, the Cat Cat Fruit: Lion

Wutong "Malpractice" Ken
Doctor of the Krunch Krew
Master of Drunken Boxing

Joanne Schrodinger "Trickshot Jo"
Sharpshooter of the Krunch Krew
Strong Independent Black Woman Who Don't Need No Man

---

It's Complicated
John Krabbe "The Vice"
Professional Bounty Hunter
Last captured pirate worth 25,000,000 Belli
First encountered in South Blue aboard his ship, the King Crab. Battled Red Rums to get their bounties using his customized warship the King Crab, incredibly strong and resilient, battles with both a sword and special armor with a crab claw vice. Engaged primarily with Fitness Feya until his first mate went mad with power. Battles alongside the Red Rums to defeat Shotaro Saban, losing his trademark armor and weapon in the process. After the battle, let's the pirates go without further conflict, even giving them a log pose.
Quirks: Though devious and with legitimately sound plans, always ends up accidentally telling the enemy what the plan is, either by monologuing or forgetting the microphone is still on. Frequently forgets about his claw and tries to use it for things only a normal hand can do.

[User]
"Oilburn" Slick Drake
Amsterdam@yoshua171

Slick had followed along without saying much, mostly marveling at the cannons and guns all over the island as they made their way to their arena. When they finally made it they introduced to their opponents, Slick scanning all of them to see how worthy they were of being art. The one in the gas mask intrigued him the most, Slick wore a gas mask while making his art. Maybe he was an artist too? He would have to be looked into further. Doggy went off to grab some popcorn, Slick didn't bother following. He was going to get whatever Doggy left behind, he would be the first to fight just so he could get it out of the way as soon as possible.

Food Pyramid lady tried to rope him into exercise, but Slick just ignored her this time. The game of dodgeball that was about to happen was much more interesting. Sure enough, a few seconds later Doggy had tossed his popcorn to Slick and was the first up to bat against the dodgeball lady. Slick spread a bit of butter across the popcorn and began chowing down as the match started. Wrench man tried to nudge him towards Feya, but he smoothly sidestepped it without even taking his feet off the ground. On an unrelated note, the ground where he had been was suddenly much more slippery then it had been.

And so the match began, once the orchestra of explosions sounded off Slick suddenly knew that Doggy was about to lose. It didn't help how lazy Doggy was being about it, only beginning to try halfway through the match. If he had gone full force from the beginning he might have had a chance, but the motion of the ocean was just too strong once he had let it get going. As the match continued, if anyone bothered looking at Slick they would have noticed something very concerning. He looked serious. For the first time since he had joined the crew, he looked like a sane person who was taking a situation seriously. As Mag crawled around etching arrows into the ground, he threw the bag of popcorn behind him and sighed. "Lilliana. Caesar is going to need medical attention in a minute. Get ready."

Sure enough, Caesar wasn't able to account for the powers of the beku beku woman and was destroyed by the erratic pattern of the cannonball. As Caesar slumped forwards Slick shook his head quietly and looked at Mag neutrally. "Not bad, but you're a one trick pony." Slick walked towards the hole that had been left when the ball was lost at the beginning of the match, returning after half a minute with a cannonball in hand. The cannonball still had an arrow etched into it. "In a real fight you would have been demolished. You need to be able to leave a mark on the cannonballs you want to affect with your Devil Fruit." If anyone bothered looking at Slick in shock and awe, he would just smirk. "What? I'm not completely insane. Just enough so that I can make my works of art."

Slick walked towards Mag with a grin on his face as he dropped the ball at her feet, looking her in the eye as he cracked his neck. "You're going to be my next work of art. And I'll even paint in your style. Dodgeball."

[Assistant]
Oof.
Lifting @Old Amsterdam and talking directly to @Spiffy

Bonekid stayed silent as he watched the dodgeball game go down, with the occasional chuckle occurring because he heard a funny insult whether it was aimed at Caesar or Mag. He had to hand it to both sides, they knew how to give a serious insult. Bonekid had assumed eveything was going fine until he heard the same crunch that indicated Caesar's arm snapping, following up with a heavy wince. By the Gods, that sounded like it hurt once the pain set in. Bonekid stood up as that happened, but he didn't walk over onto the field and cause Caesar to immediately lose.

Well, he did walk onto the field when he saw Caesar slump over in the end. He ran over to Caesar's side and patted the man's back softly before placing his hand on the ground. "Kojo-Kojo-Lift." He calmly said as vines lifted up from underneath Caesar, carrying him upwards off the ground and slowly weaving their way towards the stands with him, specifically towards Lilliana. Bonekid walked beside his makeshift stretcher.

"We were bound to lose one match. Let's not this one loss discourage us. Caesar's loss proved that we must keep our guard and expect the unexpected."

"Feya is right. If we let this discourage us, we won't be making it out of here with any losses under our belt. Caesar did his best, and we need to treat him like he did. The odds were stacked against him." With that, Bonekid turned to Captain Boone and unsheathed his blade. "Cedric, we're ready to go in if need be." Bonekid placed his sword on his shoulder as he spoke to his captain, the over sized nature of the blade really standing out against the rest of the kid. Then he noticed Slick. "Err... Slick's got this first, then."


[System]
Guard Corporal
◤≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡◥24 | Reformed Human | Female
◇Physical Description◇
 Thundering Cloud (Cloud to her friends) stands at 5 feet and eleven inches tall and with a build that looks like it may have been softer once. Nowadays, all the softness has been chiseled away, and while she isn't flat by any means, her build leans more towards boyish. Her skin is a light coffee color, topped with neck-length curly black hair that she usually keeps in a tight bun. Despite her build, her facial features remain soft, and she has expressive green eyes that always seem to be slightly widened.

She has a small scar that runs alongside and above her left eyebrow, as well as a gunshot scar just a few inches above her navel.

◇Personality Elements◇
* Loyal to her friends and superiors.
* Open-hearted and minded.
* Still believes there's good in the world.
* Distrustful of those from outside the Equestrian colonies.
* Haunted by memories.
* Light smoker.
* Terrified of centipedes.
* Has conflicted feelings about the re-education programs, however she understands it's the only solution so far.
* Secretly a bit of a sadist. (There's just something about pulling the trigger and dropping a threat that brings her a measure of peace.)

◇Biography◇
 Cloud was born into a military family, to a mother that worked at ONI (US Office of Naval Intelligence) and a father who was stationed in Florida at the time of The Rending. She spent most of her time with her father, living and going to school wherever he was stationed. She had trouble making friends, and as such was mostly withdrawn and more concerned with being independent. By the time she was 13, she could cook and clean for herself, and her father had given her an M1911 handgun for her 14th birthday for her to own when she "got older."

She only knew of her mother because her father had told her. Apparently, she'd chosen a career at ONI over the family life.

Cloud had just turned 13 when the Equestrians made first contact, and her life became a blur at that point. Her father was redeployed every few months as US Command struggled to address the novel issue that foreign entities could now teleport directly into their cities. Unsurprisingly, she found herself fascinated by the Equestrians and their magic.

She was 14 and home alone when the world was plunged into terror. When the screams died down enough outside, she waited for her father. For anyone, really, but nobody came, and after several days of hiding indoors, she was forced to leave the house to survive. She took the gun her dad gave her for her 13th birthday and braved the horrors of the outside world.

Cloud could never have prepared herself for what she'd witness. She kept to herself, spending most of her time hiding and scavenging when it was quiet. She avoided other kids as well, but she couldn't stay hidden forever. a month before she was found by the Equestrians, her little hideaway was discovered by a band of looters. She managed to escape with her life, having to shoot one of the deranged adults to escape. The rest of the group vengefully pursued her for a couple of weeks before giving up the hunt.

When the Equestrian search parties looking for survivors found her, she was in depressing shape. Malnourished, traumatized from months of a living nightmare, and desensitized to the horror.

After reform and re-education, Cloud decided she wanted to help the Equestrians reclaim her world. At least, that's her goal. She managed to get into the Guard and not a single step higher.

Cloud's 21st birthday rolled around and she joined the Guard and started training. Initially, she didn't quite take to fighting head-on with a spear, but in time she got the hang of it and started her service. She quickly found to enjoy the few times she was deployed outside of the settlement, even though she came back with a bullet in her stomach the last time.

Over the years, the memories have started to trickle back in. She remembers "Charlotte" but she doesn't know who's name it is yet. She remembers she had a family, but she cannot recall anything about her mother. She knows, at least, that her father was a soldier. She doesn't remember why a handgun was among her possessions, but she's also inexplicably fond of it. She deals with the memories as they come.

Currently, she has around three years of service in the Guard, and has some experience fighting mutated horrors and bandits, although she's more used to helping keep the peace. Overall, her service record is quite good, although she has made the occasional slip-up in the past.

◇Skills and Talents◇
 Thundering Cloud is a soldier above all. She knows how to read a situation and make the right call, and has a solid mind for tactics. She's proficient with the use of the spear and her handgun. She also knows how to survive outside the settlement for extended amounts of time, an instinct retained from before her reformation.

◇Relics, Spells, and Techniques◇
 Cloud has her "survivor's endurance." She survived The Rending and the months after by her lonesome, and just when things seemed bleakest and death seemed to call her name, she pulled through and survived. In dire situations, Cloud can keep herself extraordinarily calm or tank through serious injuries (although she has her limits), and if pushed too far she might do something irrational in her desperation.

 She also retained small bits of her paranoia from the time of The Rending, and many can attest to how difficult it is to catch her by surprise. She has a knack for noticing things at the last second or catching particularly small sounds.

◇Gear◇

-Guard Armor sized for a human.
-Respirator
-Worn belly rig (She uses most of the pockets and magazine pouches for random stuff, but she is also currently carrying two magazines for her M1911
-Sturdy spear
-A Trusty M1911 Handgun chambered for .45 ACP.
-Pack of old cigarettes (currently has four)
-Slightly rusty Ka-Bar bayonet (Usable as a backup weapon/utility knife.)
-Soldier's rucksack for whenever her duties take her beyond the settlement's boundaries (Bedroll, compass, weapon maintenance kit, journal, water canteen.)
-3 pairs of adjustable cuffs. (Usable on humans/ponies)
-1 Unicorn horn-dampener (for apprehending those dang unicorns)

Sorry for jumping the gun on you like that. I had these unshakable assumptions that there'd probably be a decent amount of human military stuff left over but I was wrong and it's fixed now hopefully.

[User]
Beeline | Bellbrooke --> Bellbrooke Reform School

---

A pale green earth pony watched as Beeline fiddled with the straps on his armor, repeatedly tightening and loosening the bindings holding the plates in place. "Where ya headed so soon, Bee?"

"T'the reform school," Beeline grunted after a few seconds, satisfied with the fit of his armor. It wasn't until he was deep into his coat that his roommate asked a follow up question.

"What for?"

"A job." He looked up from his coat's zipper. "Didn't say what fer, jus' told me the pay was good. Kinda job only a pony o' my caliber could perform." He slung his rifle over his shoulder, the hunk of mismatched metals fitting into a pair of loops on his saddlebags. "Figure there ain't nothin' wrong with havin' a look, right?"

"But what about the artifact? You know, what we all came here for? You're still going to help us, right?"

"Look. Fer all our sake, this magical, wish-granting whoozimawhatsit'd better be hearsay some merchant cooked up ta drive business out 'ere," he said as he adjusted his hat, "'Cause I reckon if it is a real artifact, that can grant wishes..." With a derisive snort, Beeline stepped backward, through the doorway and out into the hall. "I don't want any part in it. How do ya surmise Earth got the way it is?"

Beeline left while his friend was still distracted. He knew nothing he could say would dissuade the scavenger. The Artifact as he, and many others he'd come in contact with, had begun to call it, dominated every conversation. It was an obsession. Beeline could sense every ounce of it, and the simultaneous desire to feed upon and distance oneself from that gross mass had bred nothing more than resentment for his host.

He needed somebody new to latch onto. Preferably, somebody that wouldn't lead him into a pit of greed and betrayal.

It didn't take long for Beeline to cross the gap between the walls of Bellbrooke and the reform school. "Hello?" he called into the lobby as he shook the snow from his legs, "I'm here to see the headmaster."

[Assistant]
Crepuscular Rays
Location: Bellbrooke Reform School
Interacting with: (Following Beeline @Ramzam

---

After the tip, Rays set off again, this time headed for the old human castle that had been re-purposed into a reform school for reeducating human youths. He cast notice-me-not once he was outside the adventurer's hall and kept it active as he traversed the city streets and the path to the school.

He reached the front door just as a brown unicorn called out into the entryway, "Hello? I'm here to see the headmaster."

"What a coincidence, so am I."

Rays allowed his notice-me-not spell to fail as he approached the other unicorn from behind. After a quick prestidigitation to clear the snow of his legs, he joined Beeline in the old castle's entry hall. Spotting a bench, he pulled out a book and sat down to wait for their presence to be noticed by the school's denizens.


[System]
Rank (If applicable): Commander

Species: Sangheili

Appearance (for his armor, at least):
Height: 7'10"

Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership.

Preferred Weapons/Equipment:
* Type-1 energy sword
* Type-25 plasma rifle
* Type-57 carbine
* Active Camouflage

Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish.

Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience.

In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant.

Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space.

Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.

[User]
For the last two days, Aviza had done what she could to make use of the free time upon the Mammoth that they had all been granted. During this time, she had ran a full inspection on all of her gear to ensure it was still in top condition, or near it. Along side this, she also spent time with her fellow squad-mates, conversing with them and getting to know them better, beyond the soldiers they were. During the day she would patrol the exterior of the Mammoth, occasionally stopping by the interior to inquire on how everyone was doing. During the night, she would run system checks on the Mammoth and gather detailed information about their surroundings for future reference.

It was on the second night that Spartan Aviza had decided to actually allow herself to rest, she had found a dark area of the Mammoth that was away from prying eyes. Propped up against a few pillows, and some bags filled with something soft. Aviza had managed to drift off into a deep, relaxing, dreamless sleep that was held for many hours before being jolted awake from the sudden stop of the Mammoth. The message about unidentified Covenant ships being spotted on the horizon drew Aviza's full attention.

Once fully awake and ready for any trouble ahead of her, Aviza assumed that the squad would gather upon the command deck of the Mammoth. With a quick pace, she headed through the Mammoth, heading towards her destination. Once she arrived, she found that a few members from Aegis had already gathered, Vael being among them.

"No, there have not yet been any additional orders given, Ben." said Spartan Aviza as she approached the group that had gathered around Vael, only now appearing in the entryway behind them. "I am here to change that though." Aviza maneuvered past the present members of the squad and was now positioned next to Vael, upon his immediate right. "At the moment, I assume we do not know if those those ships and their crew are hostile, but we should assume so until proven otherwise. Everyone that is not part of Team Aegis is to stay inside of the Mammoth and hold position until we give the all clear. We should head in the direction of the ships on foot and use the cover of night to our advantage, do not engage any targets unless absolutely necessary. Let's move out, keep your head on a swivel."

Without wasting any time, Aivza would head in the direction of the nearest exit of the Mammoth, and would shortly there after be out on the desert sands.

[Assistant]
Spartan Lucas Ryker

During the interim between their escape from the initial swarm of Sentinels and their sudden stop, Lucas let his old Black Ops cell training take over. He had claimed a space on top of a couple of longer crates and spent the time he wasn't training and cleaning his weapons sleeping, catching every extra wink of rest he could. This had the capability to turn into an extended operation without any warning depending on how well they moved up on the rendezvous point for the Rebels and Brutes undetected and he wanted to be able to stay awake for as long as he could should the need arise. He spent a lot of time working on his form with the wrist mounted energy dagger, familiarizing himself with the fastest way to both activate it and deactivate it for maximum stealth and surprise.

When the Mammoth halted without any prior warning, the seemingly dead-asleep SPARTAN-IV rolled off the side furthest from the entrance, an energy dagger coming free of it's sheathe and his silenced magnum coming up as he rested his pistol-holding wrist on the dagger one. However, he stood down and holstered the magnum as he sheathed the dagger as the driver made their announcement, retrieving his gear from where he'd stowed it nearby along with a few extra clips before joining the others. He arrived after Aviza, but he was able to hear her orders as he walked up, so he simply nodded and then turned and jumped off one side of the mammoth. A flare of his jumpjets slowed his landing and he drew his DMR and started sweeping. "Fire Team Lead, recommend moving in pairs. Keep everyone honest and keep us all covered."


[System]
So, I know I said 2, but I only have inspiration for 1, so sorry

Player name: Dreamcaster
Position in RP: Witch
Age: 20
Occupation before coming to the Island: college and waitress job
Reason to Come to the Island: Dom was tired of her life and wanted something better for herself, maybe even make some friends.

[User] Dresden thought about the answers given now and the questionnaire they were given back on the boat. He then wrote one his personal diary asking 'Was that first questionnaire part of the first class?'

[Assistant] The set of questions that you answer when you were given the your Personal Diary was the beginning of your classes. When you are ready and done with your asking of questions, you will be given your next set of questions. You will doing a new class today as well as your first class. As you progress through the various classes you will be gaining Enlightenment.That is why the classes are called Steps to Enlightenment. The First Step of Enlightenment is Discovery of yourself through a questionnaire. The Second Step of Enlightenment is Exploring your answers.

[User] Dresden thought for a few moments then looked at Molly. He asked her "Do you have anymore questions? I have asked all the questions that I have now. So if your all done we should get started with the second class.

[Assistant]
"I can't think of any more at the moment so I am ready to move on." Molly spoke as she typed.

You may study and do most classes where you feel the most comfortable. Do you mind if a second person join your group? You may answer after you answer the set of questions. Here is your next set of questions.
18) Will you be able to leave behind all of the worldly things that you know:
19) What things would be impossible to leave behind:
20) What would happen if you were to lose everything that you own in the world:
21) What if you could have access to both worlds- one without worldly possessions and one with them, would you be happy?:
22) Who in the world do you need contact with and why:
23) What does money mean to you:

[User]
Dresden looked over the questions that just showed up on his screen. He then answered each carefully and thoughtfully so he didnt forget anything.

18)Will you be able to leave behind all of the worldly things that you know: yes
19) What things would be impossible to leave behind: helping people who are in great need.
20) What would happen if you were to lose everything that you own in the world: I would rebuild from the ground up.
21) What if you could have access to both worlds- one without worldly possessions and one with them, would you be happy?: I am unsure about how I would feel
22) Who in the world do you need contact with and why: No one, I wasnt close to anyone
23) What does money mean to you: Money is an item use too much in the world to show power. It should be used to help those in need. Not show who is better then who.

[Assistant]
Molly began to type her answers
18) Will you be able to leave behind all of the worldly things that you know: Maybe not all but perhaps with a substitute item, I could.
19) What things would be impossible to leave behind: Just my gameboy and books......
20) What would happen if you were to lose everything that you own in the world: The only thing that is logical- start over,
21) What if you could have access to both worlds- one without worldly possessions and one with them, would you be happy?: I would be as long as I don't have to talk to anyone from the outside.
22) Who in the world do you need contact with and why: I have no family left who cares about me so I have no need to contact anyone.
23) What does money mean to you: Just a means to buy what I want and need.

It is time for you to start Enlightenment Step Three. Please meet with the two servants and follow their instructions.

Two servants were standing close be.

"Shall we go and see what the next step is all about?" Molly asked nervously.

[User] Dresden looked at Molly then at the two servents after reading the meassage about the next step. After a brief moment he turned too Molly and said "Isn't it strange how the servents arent tbere one moment then are tere the next. They must have some way to travel quickly and quietly through the halls." After contemplating this thought for a minute or two. He stood up saying "Oh well I think I've wasted enough time thinking now. Lets see whats next shall we." He then offered his had to help Molly get up.

[Assistant] After a few minutes, Dominique got up from the bed and went to her closet. Inside, there was a cart, and when she opened it she found all of her items. She wondered how the cart had gotten there. It was probably just another mysterious part of the island that she may discover the workings of later. She took out her items and started setting up her room.

[User]
In Dominique's Personal Diary, a new message was sent to her.
You may eat in the dining room and eat the snacks in the lounge area. They are located on the first floor. You may speak to any of your fellow Initiates there as well. It is considered a meeting area.

 Molly took his hand with a smile. "Yes, let's go see what the next class is all about."

 Not very far away were two servants who were escort them to their next class.

"Please follow us."

The two servants lead them to a room that had individual stalls.
"This is where you will take off all of your clothes. Your clothes will be cleaned and placed in your room. Once you have disrobed, please come out for the next step." One servant spoke from inside of the cloak. One could not tell whether the servant was male or female.

[Assistant] Dresden looked at Molly quequestionally. He found it odd that they would have him and her just step back out completely naked even though they were different genders. From the look of the servents though he doubted they cared about gender much. He stepped into one of the stalls and started taking off his clothes. He felt kinda odd doing that when he was about to step back out again. Only this time naked and in front of people he didnt know and was only starting to know. While he took of his clothes he said to Molly "This place keeps getting weirder and weirder by the minute. It kinda makes me wonder whats gonna happen next."

[User]
"I do understand... it will be embarrassing but let's try to do it anyways." Molly spoke softly as she entered the stall. She took off her clothes and placed them in a pile on the bench. She came out and stood by Dresden to wait for further instructions.

 Once they were out, one of the servants spoke. One servant spoke from inside of the cloak. One could not tell whether the servant was male or female. They stood together with their hands in their robes waiting.
 "Through that door is a pond. The pond has various temperatures of water. It does not matter who goes first, but leave two minutes between you. This is a serious class where you relax and meditate for answers to your questions. Lay back in the water and float. Then allow the water to take you on your own personal journey.
The first question to ask is what is your inner name that no one knows of. Do not tell anyone what this name is. Only record it in the proper space in your Personal Diary. You will know when your journey is done because you will bump your head against the wall. Take the path back to where it ends. There will be a gown waiting for you. The color does not matter. You may proceed."

 Molly simply looked at Dresden's face and spoke softly "You or me?"

[Assistant] Dresden looked back at Molly and said "I was raised on the statement of "Ladies first". So after you I guess I'll see you at the end." He then stepped back to let her get to the door to the pond more easily. He started to think of the questions that they were gonna have to meditate about in the pond.

[User]
"OK.... I'll go first and hope for the best." Molly spoke. She walked to the door that the servant held open. Once she was outside she followed a path until it went around a bend. She saw the most pure blue pond that she ever saw in her entire life. She saw that there was multiple entrances to the pond. She counted them and found that there were ten entrances. She chose number 7 to go down.

The water was warm and swirling around her legs as she kept walking out to where she could lay back into the water. After she laid in the water she began to float easily. She felt something keeping her afloat. As she floated along the pond's edge, Molly felt various degrees of warmth, none of the temperature were too uncomfortable. As she floated along her mind began to wander to the various nicknames that she had acquired over her lifetime. As she slid past the willows that had branches fell over the water, her mind cleared and she felt drawn towards a cool spot.
The water felt very good to her skin. She smiled as she closed her eyes. Names flowed over her mind and suddenly a name stuck there not allowing any other names to flow by. She floated for a few minutes until she bumped against a wall where she placed her feet down on the ground and looked ahead of her. An exit was ahead of her and she slowly walked to where she found a ramp that lead out of the water. As she walked up the ramp, she saw the line of robes in all colors of the rainbow and beyond. She chose the light grey robe and put it on. She walked to a door and went through it into a room. There were chairs around a table in the room as well as their personal diaries. She sat down and placed her name in the proper line. Laidain or the grey lady.

[Assistant] About 2 minutes after Molly left Dresden walked through the door. After the bend he walked to where the pond was. It was a beautiful pure blue pond. He looked at the 10 enterances and walked to the tenth one and walked into the water. The water was cool not to warm or too cold. He laid back in the water and started floating. As he floated he closed his eyes and thought of all the names he was called throughout his life. He didn't have one stick until he passed through a warm section of water. Then the name came to him just as he hit his head against the wall. He stepped out of the pond and walked over to the robes he looked at them and grabbed the black robe. Once it was fully on he walked through the door. He nodded to Molly and grabbed his personal diary. Then typed in the name Albus Militis or white knight in English.

[User]
The servants were there off to one side.

"Please follow us to your next class. It is a short lecture then a decision will be needed to be made."

  Molly followed the two servants to a small room with a table and four chairs. She sat down at one of the chairs since the two servants stayed outside of the door. She opened her Personal Diary and there was a new folder.

 There are levels in the community. These levels are constantly changing as more members are added.
Levels of community are as follows:
Higher Power or Enlighten Ones- The Highest Known Rank
Those who have gone on before us. They have no name here on this plane of living.

Next is the Elders Triangle which consist of Null Servant 1 and Servant 2
These are the ones who are searching for the Enlightenment of Life and are leading all who live here.

Most members will be the Members who are rank according to their own personal triangle
Males have one triangle while Females have the other triangle.

The last Level is the Initiate- Ones that are deciding on Community Aspects
1) Questioning your goals and commitment, to the Community
2) Accepting your Personal Goals.
3) Your Searching
a) Personal Deity- the one who will guide you in Life. This Deity is usually closely related to your own Commitment to the Community.
b) Personal Familiar- the one who will assist you in your Duties.
c) Personal Companion- the one who will share in all that you do. It can comfort you, give you joy and encouragement. It will keep Your Secrets so that You May Have Someone that You Can Trust.your

Outsiders are the groups of people who are:
1) Workers- Those who decide that they wanted to be part of the Outside Community.
2) Guests – Ones who are invited here but have not Committed themselves to the Community yet.
Your next three tasks you will take are Your Searching for and in this order: Personal Deity, Personal Familiar, Personal Companion.
Are you ready to Search for Personal Deity?

[Assistant]
Dominique's Personal Diary began to beep and the longer it beeped the louder the beeps became until she answers it.

 We would to move you up a day, Dominique so that you may catch up with the group before you. Please answer the following questions.

18) Will you be able to leave behind all of the worldly things that you know:
19) What things would be impossible to leave behind:
20) What would happen if you were to lose everything that you own in the world:
21) What if you could have access to both worlds- one without worldly possessions and one with them, would you be happy?:
22) Who in the world do you need contact with and why:
23) What does money mean to you:

[User] Dom looked at her Personal Diary and read it. Come to think of it, she was kinda hungry. She decided to head down to the lounge. She walked quietly, musing on her life here now and memories of days gone by now lost and remembered only by her. But she suppose that was the way memories were, only kept alive by those that recalled them. She entered the lounge and got some food, noticing the room was empty. No fellow Initiates here. She sat down at a table and took a moment to enjoy her food before choosing to take out her Personal Diary.

[Assistant]
The Personal Diary was beeping when Dominique pulled it out and so she quickly answered it. Nice, speeding up to catch up with the others? Should be fun. There were more questions to answer. Dominique almost felt like she was at school, with all these questions that she had to think about. Still, she didn't complain and took the time to answer them.

18) Well, maybe not everything, but I could leave behind a fair few things.
19) art, music, books, the momentos of my family and childhood
20) I would feel rather alone, because I have no friends and my family all died.
21) That would be perfect. I would be happy with that.
22) Well I guguess by coming here I dropped out of college, so I guess no one.
23) Money can get people the things they need. It is also a symbol of status and power.


[System]
---20ish Years old---
---Current Information---
Rena is the only daughter to the Falkren family, the currently leading monarchy in Eskar. Started traveling with Ichitatsu Noboyuki as the acting guide on the quest to defeat the Demon King.

So yeah, bare bones was right for sure, but my plan is to update her information as we continue on, think I mentioned this before. Eventually I plan for a little saga to be recorded here, neat thing to recount what's happened from her perspective in some kind of a journal format, guess think of the end result as a storybook more than anything.

[User]
When she started coughing and suffocating on whatever she was eating, Noboyuki couldn't help but feel a bit worried. He'd had stood up to check on her, but given how his foot was, it wasn't something he wanted to do right now. Yes, the pain may be gone, but one never knew. The thing was a bit too exposed for it to be safe to be moving aorund without a worry in the world. He thought it'd be better for him not to stand up, Rena wouldn't kick the bucket just because of that. "H-Hey, don't go choking on me right now. We are still only halfway to wherever that guy is, ya know?" After she finally stopped coughing, Noboyuki let out a relieved sigh. "Oi, oi, the one that was about to be a goner is me, not you. Don't start choking over nothing, will you? You surprised even me." He said.

Well, after that, Noboyuki felt relieved that he didn't wake up Rena at all, but when she let the bomb drop on him, Noboyuki almost felt like spitting out the juice he was drinking. He held off that urge and gulped it down with a lot of effort and even if a bit of exaggeration. "WHAT. THE. HELL! You don't try and fix up some guy when you know next to nothing about medicine!" While he was a bit mad, he was still grateful. As far as he knew, his foot was better, but that might as well be an effect of the girl's holy shield.

"Ya know, let's just... let's just leave that aside for now. My foot is fine enough for me to walk, at the very least. See, let's go away from that. What would you like to do today?I've got an idea, if you don't mind hearing it. Do you know what a date is?" Nobyuki said, with a happy expression on his face.

[Assistant]
Well wasn't that a least bit rude to say, going about as if she was some clueless girl without a sliver an idea how to wrap simple cloth around someone's foot... did she say that? Rena was obviously somewhat concerned for how Noboyuki healed over the night, and it was very possible that she could've tripped up somewhere when managing his wounds, as she was inexperienced in medical practices, not a complete idiot in any way. Rena glared at Noboyuki as she silently fumed over her thoughts, probably wouldn've have been best to say anything, despite how she wanted to verbally tear into the loose lipped hero, and that time those were her true feelings, none of that aloof act she had been maintaining.

Then at the mention of a "date" her scowl turned into a look of confusion, not that she didn't know what a date was, Eskar was a civilized kingdom after all so the concept of courting someone wasn't usual and even expected, at least among the nobility. Now the question was why did Noboyuki want to date her? Was he joking? Rena thought she knew the man well enough to at least get a feeling about his true intentions, and well he looked earnest, strange as it might be. For a brief moment Rena almost panicked at the idea of him being romantically interested in her, which was the absolute opposite of what she desired, still before her shock could really show she decided it might be best to query a bit further, Noboyuki's definition of a date could be vastly different from her own, with his being from another world of course.

"I... know what a date is yes. Its quite common for a man to court a woman as such in Eskar, I'll say that much, also I'm assuming a 'date' is the same from both our worlds... so." Rena stared into Noboyuki's eyes with conviction, "What is your reasoning behind asking for a date, hmm?"

[User]
Noboyuki should have expected this. It seems Rena took it as him wanting to get closer to her, in a romantic way. Well, it was funny in its own way. Noboyuki let out a snicker at the sight of her, being a little flustered, even if it was over her usual demeanor. Noboyuki supported his head on his hand with a confident smile on. He seemed to be mocking her, in one way, but he was actually just interested in her vision of a date. "Coutship, huh? Back where I come from, it isn't uncommon for a man and a woman to go on one with those intentions. Though, you can also have one just as friends." Noboyuki explained, while moving his finger with his other hand. "In other words, miss princess, I just want to relax for a bit. It'd be nice to get acquainted with the town too."

Noboyuki suddenly lost all of his spunk and looked a bit sadder. "After all, we are stuck in here for a while." Noboyuki felt ashamed of himself. He was supposedly the hero of legends and he was done in by a forgotten God. How pathetic was that? Jonghua or not, Noboyuki made it one of his goals to finish the thing once he was able. It was more of a grudge rather than actual worry for the village, though.

He shook his head, before looking at Rena once again with his spunk restored and his confident smile again in his face. "Besides, wouldn't it be good for you too to get acquainted with people over here? Ya know, representing your father and whatnot? Loyal subordinates come from a friendly relationship with them, I hear."

[Assistant]
What he said did take sense, at least his last statement having a good personal relationship with common folk was never a bad proposition. Problem was it was hardly pragmatic, no human ruler could ever effectively do such a thing, the feudal system was in a place for a reason, a commoner reports to the mayor or elder, who reports the to local lord, who reports to the local duke, and so forth. Really a king was only expected to deal with twenty some odd direct vassals. Noboyuki probably didn't understand this system, again remembering he's not of her world, Rena decided that saying anything wasn't worth the effort. Plus after some consideration it was decided that she was overthinking the topic.

Rena sat in silence only staring down Noboyuki, in all consideration she couldn't figure out why he wanted to go on this date. Now she had to admit there wasn't really a problem if it was only out of friendship, and certainly Noboyuki was considered to be a friend. In the end Rena conjectured that maybe something like his version of a date wouldn't be all that bad.

"I suppose I see what you mean... maybe spending some time exploring this hamlet would not be a waste." In one movement Rena stood from her spot, determined to take part in this foreigner's brand of dating. "I hope your foot wouldn't be a problem if we walk about, right?" Now she couldn't help but not to look concerned, after all Noboyuki had only a night to heal, still the man should know his own limits.

[User]
Noboyuki smiled, a bit arrogantly, if anything else, when Rena agreed to go on a date with her. If he ever went back to his world, he would be able to brag about this to his friends, if he ever went back, that is. After all, it isn't everyday that you get a date with a princess of a great kingdom like that. Well, should they get on with it? He had just finished his breakfast too.

Noboyuki stood up as well, not before cleaning his mouth carefully with the handkerchief he kept inside his breast pocket. It was only bits and crumbs of bread, so it wouldn't get so dirty, otherwise, he wouldn't use it so lightly. It was one of his favorite things, after all. Made him seem classy. "Then, shall we get going?" Noboyuki simply said, while looking at the girl with a big smile.

And then, she seemed to get worried about his foot. Well, it had hurt at first, but it was nothing right now. "Now, don't look so down like that. It makes me feel bad for my foot again. Anyhow, don't worry. Your shield is keeping anything bad at bay, I'm sure of it." Noboyuki said, before making his way towards the exit of the restaurant, before turning his head around at the girl with a smile. "You aren't going to just stand there and wait, right? Let's go. We'll worry about things once they happen, so let's just enjoy ourselves for now."

[Assistant]
His words were actually comforting, as it really did put here more at ease about Noboyuki's injury. The hero could be putting on brave front for all she knew, at least his strength was admirable. Rena didn't hold back a sigh, "You are a grown man of course, but... if you fall in the streets due to your wound, you will have to drag yourself home." She then turned on her heel to start leaving the hall and off to the outside world. All the same though, despite her words Rena was somewhat more soften spoken, and in other subtle ways more gentle, not even in ways she realized herself.

The pair were walking just out of the taven, that is assuming Noboyuki decided to follow her lead, not that Rena would've expected him to run off to who knows where. That day was fair, clear skies without a wisp of a cloud. There was only a slight breeze hanging in the air, just enough to ruffle Rena's hair as it fluttered in time with each minute gust. Now that she wasn't rushing around, like before, Rena this time around took in the surroundings. Nearby fields were bountiful with heavy, golden grain, fortunately for the people the harvest was promised to be grand this year, in fact laborers were already beginning inital preparations for the scheduled week of harvest itself.

It was now that Rena thought about how they really had been traveling for an entire month, when they started these very fields must've been only half its current height. Late autumn had arrived. The girl walk alongside her companion quietly, it was far from an awkward one, at least the way Rena perceived it, but just a simple calm, she didn't dare to ruin it. Now after say five minutes of continued silence, the princess looked up Noboyuki, "Its peaceful isn't it? Hard to believe this is almost the same place we encountered that momster... but I like it, this current calmness that is."

[User]
As expected the princess took the lead and guided him through the town. It was a beautiful sight, and it made Noboyuki feel.... odd, to be honest. It wasn't nostalgy, because in the city he used to live before there wasn't anything quite like that. In fact, it was a rare sight. It was, yes, refreshing, it was refreshing. For a change of pace, nature was good. Noboyuki went on with the silence Rena didn't dare temper with. Noboyuki smiled with a lazy smile that was already an habit of his while he was in his own world. Speaking of changes of pace, this was a change of pace in his current lifestyle. A relaxing stroll through town, different to their everyday battles.

When Rena finally spoke off, Noboyuki turned to see her with the same lazy smile still in his face. "Yeah, hardly seems like there was a monster that horrible before. God or not, I still find it hard to believe people actually worshipped that thing." Noboyuki said. Well, this was just about the right time for a smoke. He hadn't been smoking lately because he didn't have that many cigarettes in the first place. He had to make them last, otherwise he'd be stranded in that world without any way to entertain himself. Of course, also because it wasn't that healthy to be smoking like a damn chimney.

He also had his very own, specially made lighter. A metal, shiny lighter of silver color with the kanjis for his name engraved on it. He searched through his breast pocket until he produced a single white cigarette and put it in his mouth, before lighting it and take a good smoke out of it. After that, he let the smoke come out of his mind with a relaxed sigh. It wasn't his favorite kind of thing to do, but damn, did it relax him like no other thing. "Do you smoke, Rena? Wait, do you even have cigarettes here?" He asked, curious of whether or not he'd be able to get more of them in that world. Still, he planned to guard those he was carrying with him with his life. It was his favorite brand, after all.

[Assistant]
Rena coughed of the stench of the buring tobacco, not that she knew what it was seeing as the plant was not native to Eskar, or maybe even to that world. Whatever a... cigarette was it smelt like disease to her, really begging the question why Noboyuki would ever think of placing it in his month in the first place. The girl just marked this as another outlandish element from the hero's true home. "*cough* *cough* ...I don't know what a cigarette is but that smell alone makes me question you and your people. Ugh."

Rena fell silent again, however after not too long she continued, the time just seemed right to ask something she had being dying to know for long while. "So, Noboyuki you... don't talk about your home that often, well really at all. Also..." Rena stopped mid sentence unsure if it was within her rights to ask, "...What about yourself? I'll admit even though we're a month along I don't know you. What I mean is every man has a history, even then you are still a blank book to myself."

Rena looked thoughtful as she spoke her thoughts, staring at Noboyuki with curious eyes, obviously not exactly in line with her established character. "We have a long road ahead of us, and is there anything wrong with wanting us to finally start learning about each other?"


[System]
Gender: M

Age: 35

Place of Birth: Seattle, WA

Sexuality: Hetero

Relationship Status: Vin was engaged to a girl he'd been together with since his late teens, and through unforeseen circumstances, the relationship ended.

Occupation: Co-partner of several tattoo shops along the East Coast of the United States, mostly located in upscale areas, Buckhead being one of them.

Skills: A vast background in traditional art, with a focus on tattooing and the use of various inks and their properties.

Power: Tattoo & Body Art Manipulation

Essentially, a telepathic ability that allows him a certain degree of control over the ink used for the tattoos, thereby giving "life" to an otherwise static image on his (or a chosen target's) skin. His ability is most potent when used on his own tattoos, allowing him to lift the imagery from the skin, solidifying it, and giving it a brief independance from the host body. (i.e. A crow tattoo on his chest can "peel" away, transform into solid mass, and fly around).

Natural tattooing inks created by plant dyes, animal minerals, salts and various other natural sources, etc work the best. Synthetic inks are generally weaker.

As a defensive mechanism, if threatened, the tattoo ink will protect itself (and the host), adapting and shielding Vin from physical attacks for a limited amount of time.

Areas that are covered in tattoos also have the potential to heal much quicker, as the artwork essentially "repairs" the affected area. The more severe the wound, the longer time it takes to completely heal and the more mental exhaustion is incurred.

Cost of Power Use: Causes varying degrees of mental fatigue & migraines, and the longer it is sustained, the more lethargic he can become, to the point of unconsciousness if not careful. There are instances where the power, if not kept in check, could lash out violently toward others or the host himself as it begins to take on a life of it's own...
Appearance: Vin stands about 6'1, tall and lean. He generally keeps a closely trimmed beard or clean shaven face, and a neatly comb head of thick dark auburn hair. His wardrobe tends to lean toward a "chic rocker" fashion in blacks & grays, more so to impress the higher-end clientele. His arms, chest and back are covered in various tattoos of fantastical venomous creatures, tribal & gothic patterns, life, death, and various symbols that only he may know anything about.

Personality: Vin comes off as relatively light-hearted and easygoing, and yet can easily be identified as borderline narcissistic due to the fact that he seems to "know everything about everything" and holds nobody else but himself in high regard, which can reflect in his close professional and personal relationships. He is inherently stubborn and critical about a great many things, especially related to artwork, and his intense focus can be misinterpreted as being "socially disconnected" when in the middle of a project as he doesn't tolerate distractions very well.

Generally, however, he's a guy that goes along to get along, and enjoys to socialize in circles where there may be an opportunity for gain or pleasure. As an artist himself, he loves art, especially body art, which he'll gladly discuss with anyone who will listen to his incessant ramblings which inevitably circle around to him talking about himself.

History: As "deceptive appearances" go, Vin had always managed to keep his life running against the grain as much as possible, turning his nose to rules and regulations that seemed to only work for everyone else but him. Although he'd never let on that he had an ounce of the proverbial anarchist in him. Growing up in Seattle during the late eighties, early nineties, he found himself in the midst of the grunge scene, which influenced not only his outlook on life and society, but his love for various rock music and art. His family life was rather eventless (some would even say "normal"); both parents got along, worked hard at their respective blue-collar jobs, and generally made a bearable life in the Lower Queen Anne area of the city. As most good parents did, they both encouraged their son to do something meaningful with his life...

Of course, "meaningful", was a matter of interpretation.

Vin loved the city, especially the underground scenes, and most of his time was spent running with his wayward friends, getting into the seediest dumps to see their favorite bands play or hanging with the best local street artists, painters, and tattoo kings that Seattle had to offer. As his artistic talents flourished, he also reaped the rewards of diligence and hard work. He eventually turned his focus on tattooing, which it seemed everyone was willing to pay good money for, no matter their social status. At seventeen, he'd saved enough from various art jobs to share rent on an apartment in the downtown area, closer to where the action and the money was. Vin was a dreamer, and he wanted to keep the film rolling as long as possible. He'd met, for the first time, a girl he could really see sharing his already chaotic life. A girl who shared many of his own passions and aspirations, which gave Vin the feeling that he could really control the relationship and all its variables.

Funny thing how our own interpretations sharply contrast the harsh reality of things...

Years passed quickly as they would for those living a life that seemed to be an endless party. But for Vin, the fun hit rock bottom when his soon-to-be wife had decided to lavish herself in the lifestyle of another man. A man who seemingly had his shit together and gave her the world. The blowback became a stain that stuck in the forefront of Vin's mind, degrading his outlook of a future he hoped would have been shaped by his own hands. The solid relationship he once had with his parents began to suffer as he spiraled downward and pushed away a lot of people in the process. He eventually made it to a point where was ready to move on, to leave his old life and hopefully never return until he felt ready to return.

And he'd found the perfect way out...

Vincent reached out to James, an old friend who'd moved to the east coast to start up a chain of tattoo and body art shops mainly located in upscale areas. James knew the business, and even the rich enjoyed the opportunity to leave a lasting mark, whether it was social prestige or simply ink on their body, he'd gladly offer it all. Vin, confident in knowing that his artwork would be a great addition to his friend's business, didn't hesitate to take advantage of becoming a co-partner, quickly moving from his hometown of Seattle to a hi-rise apartment in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia.

[User]
At the sight of the mason jar Vin pulled out from the pantry, Nate's eyes seemed to light up. Not so much at the idea of alcohol but more at the memories it brought back. He had shared many a bottle of moonshine with his brothers in arms when the C.O of whatever base he found himself stationed at came down on the boring side of having real alcohol on base. It was usually saved for after a successful mission but it did make those painful days a little more bearable.

A thought flashed in his mind though, prompted by one of the less fun voices in his head reminding him of Vin's earlier shenanigans. The stranger Vin had torn limb from limb was still pretty fresh in his mind. And while the thought of Eli being ripped to shreds was admittedly pretty funny, the idea of it happening to him or, even worse, one of the kids was less entertaining.

He pushed himself up from his chair, forgetting about the pain in his ribs for half a second and then suddenly, violently remembering all about it. He winced and put a hand to the part of his body that hurt the most as he made his way towards Vin before snatching the jar from his hands. "Not to sound like my mother..." he told Vin. "...But do you really think that's such a good idea? I mean do you even remember what happened the last time you lost control of your senses?" He quickly unscrewed the lid on the jar and took a swig, cringing at how bad it was before turning and heading towards Jennifer where he thrust the jar at her like there was no chance she would refuse.

Maybe getting absolutely shitfaced could ease both of their pain.

[Assistant]
Jennifer couldn't hide her disgust toward the moonshine Nate had just shoved in her face. His reaction alone after was enough to discourage her from even touching the jar, but he was persistent, and she didn't feel like fighting him, not when she was hungry, tired, and in pain. Although reluctant at first, Jennifer eventually figured the moonshine would give her an excuse to curl up on one end of the couch and fall asleep while the rest of them stayed up talking about whatever the hell they felt like.

I hate you, she mouthed off to Nate as she took the drink, a worried expression on her face when she looked down and imagined what it would taste like. She'd only ever heard the stories, but backing down now would crumble any credibility she could have with these people, not that there was any to begin with. Jennifer decided to get it over with and forced down nearly a mouthful. Big mistake for her. She nearly dropped the jar as the poor girl covered her mouth with her free hand. Her eyes watered a little bit as she set the moonshine down by her feet.

"That was worse than I thought," she said after being able to speak again, although her voice was somewhat hoarse. Jennifer decided she needed something to get the taste out and slowly got up, walking over to where Vin was standing to get something solid in her stomach.

[User]
Eli laughed at them. It was clear that they didn't have anything apple pie where they were from. Eli took then jar and took a large drink from it. There was no sour face or coughing, just a grin.

Eli walked over and pulled out another, larger jar. This was a darker color. "That'll go down a lot smoother than this one." Eli went back and took his seat.

"Help your self to anything we got. If you have to go into town or meet anyone. You're just tourist camping out and passing by. Don't try to make friends, and damn sure don't tell them anything about you. Lie if you have too. People out here don't like a outsiders. And under no circumstances at all, go a party. They'll use it as an excuse to either beat the shit outta you or kill you if they have too."Eli said after another drink. "People are mostly nice and polite around here but the bad ones are about as bad is it gets. Christabell can tell you about if she feels like it. Just be smart about everything. After a day or two of rest we'll leave here and head up to Nobles holler. We should be safe there for till we can figure something out." Eli finished the last of the jar and placed it by his feet.

"I'm gonna take a look around. You guys try to relax." Eli stepped out of cabin and lit a cigarette.

[Assistant]
"So uncool..." He mumbled as Nate grabbed the jar from Vin's hand and walked away while taking a swig of the obviously disgusting liquid that had probably been stored in the pantry for well over one hundred years. As much of a dick move as that was, however, Nate had a valid point regarding Vincent's lack of control and the brief yet vivid image of the bloodied corpse popped into his head. He'd almost forgotten about that night, considering how quickly it happened, and the shock of the aftermath seemed to suppress the memory up until now. Was it his mind's defensive mechanism numbing the pain to the point where he'd become desensitized to something so horrific? Had it been too many years of horror movies, Slipknot concerts, and designer drugs in his system to dull the last few vestiges of morality he had?

He snapped back from his momentary reverie when Jennifer started gagging on the jar of whatever that hell it was, which apparently hadn't worked out too well for her or Nate, but Eli didn't seem to have a problem knocking back a large gulp while laughing at the ignorant "city-folk". The guy didn't really appear to let much bother him, as though he'd been through stranger things enough in his life that the current situation was just "another day" to him. Or perhaps he just played it off well enough as to not cause unnecessary tension among the group. Vin supposed that was what everyone was trying to do in their own way.

Vincent found whatever MREs had been stored away, opening up a few of the dark grey plastic bags labelled "beef and gravy" and something resembling spaghetti with meatballs, which at this point might as well have been steak and lobster. He poured them into a few ceramic bowls that were stacked in the corner, grabbed some tarnished metal forks from the drawer, and tasted a bit of the spaghetti while simultaneously squeezing his eyelids in preparation for something terrible. However, surprisingly enough, it wasn't half-bad, albeit cold, but still edible, and he slid a bowl over to Jennifer.

"Well, it's better than trying to live off paint thinner in a jar." He grinned, wrapping an arm around her and planting a quick peck on her cheek before whispering in her ear. "And, by the way, you're wicked attractive when trying to be impressive..." He said, poking fun at her earlier bold move of drinking some of the moonshine to oblige the natives, regardless of her reservations about it.

"But I'd stay away from anything you can't identify." He said, taking another bite of the pasta and smiling, as a bit of the red sauce ran down his chin.

"Bon apetit!"

He turned to face the open room while shoving another forkful of the spaghetti into his mouth, and focused on Eli as he was headed outside for a smoke.

"Hey, for what it's worth bro, thanks for the rustic dining experience and chef-quality cuisine. I'd give this place one and a half stars at best. Although It probably would have been an even two if it wasn't for the three dead rats over there." He motioned his thumb toward the corner near the pantry. "But hey, at least they're dead." He continued, shrugging before taking another bite of Momma Harlan's home cooking.

"So...Nate, I suppose the question on everyone's mind is...how long are we going to be stuck here and when, if ever, do we get to leave?" He eyed Nate in between finishing up his bowl of food. hoping that at least he had a better grasp on what was going on.


[System]
gender: Female

godly parents:
* Mother: an unnamed Cherubim
* Father: Kagu-tsuchi (Indirectly. A drop of his/its blood was used.)

sphere of control: Blood, Weapons, Mist, and Entertainment

personality: Miriam prefers to ignore just about anything she's not interested in, opting to play some game or stare at nothing and eventually fall asleep instead. However, when it comes to Claire, Yuki, and fighting, a plethora of emotions could rise out of her. She fights for fun, and often holds herself back in mortal fights by using a fragile human vessel.

When an opportunity to fight arises, she becomes ecstatic, excited, and crazed. This is usually calmed by her friends. If they aren't around, however, then she would most likely start many battles. Aside from that, the only times she shows any emotion away from her friends and battle is when she goes to a human convention of various fictional things. She is an enthusiastic expert on cosplaying, and loves to role-play on the internet on various sites such as this one.

sacred animal: Condor

powers:
* Weapon Conjuration
* Ammunition Conjuration (makes it a rule only to create arrows when using this power)
* Red Mist Manipulation (Actually just mist manipulation, but the mist turns as red as blood when she controls it for some reason)
* Mist Travel (can essentially travel to and from thick clouds of mist and fog)
* Blood Travel (only when there's a large enough amount of blood in a given area)

weapon(s): Trick weapons (i.e. a threaded cane, a scimitar scythe, a bladebow, and a trick twinblade/dagger and katana named Rakuyo)

History: Miriam was birthed from blood. Deities may call it ichor, but it is their blood nonetheless. She was birthed from two drops of blood. The first was a preserved drop from a long-dead creature. The second was that of the one who raised her. A cherubim angel, whose name was lost to time. This angel felt that her own end was to come, and so she set out to create an heir. Her attempts were doomed, as the deities refused to accept a creature such as her, whose beastly appearance was...not favorable to them. However, the blind goddess known as Fortuna had admired the cherubim's attempts, and helped her. Fortuna gave the angel a vial that contained a drop of blood, belonging to the deceased son of Izanagi and Izanami. The one known as Kagu-tsuchi, whose blood had created a number of gods from the Japanese pantheon.

By allowing her own blood to mix with Kagu-tsuchi's, Miriam had been created with the body that her mother would have had, had she been born a goddess. Miriam did have a few quirks, though. While the Cherubim wanted her to live as peaceful as the angels did, Miriam was a violent child when unsupervised. When her mother had turned her back, Miriam went down to the earth, where the hidden amazons lived, and slaughtered all but two of them. Miriam would continue to use this method of killing warrior races and mythical beasts as a way to train herself in the ways of combat.

Her mother knew of them, and often scolded Miriam about those instances, but she loved her daughter too much. She taught her how to bend mist and fog to her will, and distracted her from chances of bloodshed with games. Even when she was at her most uncontrollable, Miriam loved her mother, and stood for ideals of peace and love.

When her mother died, Miriam was lost. She traveled from here to there, fighting and killing within every war she happened upon, until she met Claire. Claire took her in, and introduced her to the entertainment that the earth had to offer. The two would live together, even when Yuki arrived. The sister goddesses of the Dusk and Dawn, of Music and Dance, became her closest friends.

other:
* She holds some VERY well-kept secrets. Ones that I don't feel comfortable sharing, for fear of her somehow coming to life, reaching through my screen, and strangling me to death.
* She crafted her weapons herself, then became excited when she found similar weapons being used in her current favorite video game.
* Fortuna, seeing herself as what the humans would call a "godmother" (heh) to Miriam, had blessed her with good luck in games where she played against others.

[User]
of flames01
Landon noticed Rhona as she ran and called out to him about his arm. He turned towards her as he 'felt' her touch his new arm. It was a strange sensation to him and he was surprised he could feel it. He tried to stop Rhona from frantically searching for his arm. "There's no need to search for it. My arm was torn and crushed by one of the wolf heads. It probably ate half of it, wherever it is, but thanks for the help anyways. This arm takes concentration, but it might not be that bad."

Landon turned to Zeltrax and Ghidorah. "I think we have a much bigger problem than just my arm right now anyways. I don't know how we're going to touch that giant. I hope we can keep it entertained long enough for Reese and Yato to take down Zel."

[Assistant]
@blackpanther

Rhona looked at Landon with a upset look on her face as she heard of the fate of his arm. "Yeah... OK... I... I'm sorry... I should have come sooner..." She murmered apologetically as she eyed Landon's frozen arm, touching it lightly once more. "Does it hurt...? Your prosthetic... Can it feel anything...? Does it hurt when it gets destroyed...?"

Rhona hid her face behind her hair as she looked down. "I'm sorry..." She apologized again.

Rhona then noticed the 2 towering giants that stood in the distance. Their sheer size was startling on it's own, but to know that those were to be her opponent, terrified her. Swallowing her fear, Rhona spoke truthfully. "I-I don't know how we will be able to distract such a huge god.... But we have to try... But... I could try blinding it... However, if we aren't careful, I could end up blinding both of you by accident..."

[User]
@Cuccoruler

Yato looked up in time to dodge the fire balls as Zeltrax swung at him in mid dodge. He brought up his katana just in time but almost got knocked down in the process. Using the short pause to get his barring Yato braced himself against the new attacks. The blocks and dodges kept him alive but gave him some bleeding cuts. "I can't hit him if he won't layoff me."

[Assistant]
of flames01@BlackPanther
Landon looked back at Rhona as she began to get sad over his arm. "Haha, you're fine. It was my own choice to rush in dumb." Her touches of his arm helped him adapt to the feelings it gave. He didn't think the dark would connect with him so well inside of the ice. "It doesn't hurt, but it hasn't really been under any real pressure yet. I don't think it will hurt though. I can feel your touch, but it doesn't feel like you touching me, if that makes sense. I can just feel something there." Landon laughed again as Rhona was apologizing. "Haha, you're really fine. This was my fault."

Landon looked back to the three headed beheamoth. He wasn't sure where to begin on distracting it, or slowing it down. He listened to Rhona give her idea, and it's flaw as well. He had a way to fix it and maybe help too. "That might actually work. I'll blackout me and Alec's eyes as you blind it. I'll also sheet the ground with ice beneath it. Alec if you could cut at it's feet, we just need you to get it to try to move. I'll give you solid footing as you move along the ice. It might seem a little goofy, but it might fall. It might just fly as well though. Don't we have anything that can fight on this scale? I don't know how to make myself an ice giant yet."

[User]
Zeltrax felt the sharp wind hit him. He was knocked off balance just momentarily but gained his balance back with an awkward slash at Yato's legs. He continued to slash at the two. Since Yato was cut however he would start to see things as corrupted. He would soon start to change his attacks towards Reese most likely.

Zeltrax took this chance to change his attacks towards Reese now. He fired several more fireballs before following up right behind them. Before the fire balls even hit Zeltrax had sliced through his own fireballs to slash at Reese. This was that power of a god of corruption.

[Assistant] Reese retreated attempting to dodge the fire balls. Being skilled in combat he knows not focusing on the target was a bad choice of action. He didn't even notice Yato taking a hit how focused he was on Zel. Thankfully for focusing on Zel Reese was able to see his sneak attack coming. Though he did see it coming he barely managed to dodge the slash by punching at the ground beneath him the wind shooting him up from Zel's reach. "Damn he's good but hell have to do better to catch a God of War!" Reese spun and swung at the air sending him falling back to the ground at an accelerating rate. As he fell he throw an uncountable amount of punches that even caused his arms and first to become a blur. The funnel of a possible tornado began to erupt from the repetitive gusts of winds.