[System]
Sex:
Female

Age:
22

Sapphire Necklace
Engraved ring
Small Chalk for writing runes
Student ID
Small bag of gems

Within the confines of Societas Academia, free of religious delegation and protection from the witch hunters of the world, Yuno got to experience a more free form nature of magical growth within the variety of options available to pick up and learn. Obviously, as a Talent she got to remain towards the top of the hierarchy of the student body by doing so. Even as a Ruin Mage however, she had more method to her than fireballs and lightning bolts. Her magic is one that was passed onto her from her mother and her mother before that: Gemstone Focus. The properties of these gemstones seem to have innate magical effect with them, and by mastering it she has given herself a wide range of arcane and versatile pool of magical power. Another use is that these spells are very quick to cast as the gem takes the need of melding the form of the magic into their own properties. From magic missile like bolts to focused blasts these tools are handy, but she also has her own magic to develop of Rune Magic. The art of drawing and crafting runes for rituals and spells which while slower are also versatile and more permanent. Leaving one to write lines to create barriers or leave a cursed mark onto the opponent. The strongest form is the rituals such words, runes, and signs are required for though if one has the time to create such powerful magics. After all, have you ever seen a cult not chant around a magic circle to summon devastation?

Expectations: Yuno's life has been a constant barrage of them. With her mother being a graduate of professor the Societas Academia and top of her class and her inherited magical style that her family has been passing on the fate to carry on the family name moved to rest on Yuno as their only child after her mother's miscarriage with the second. Second was never good enough for the name that needed to continue to excel in the eye of her mother and elder grandmother. Day in, day out was practice from even the youngest of ages to grow crystals, study them, and then use them to their fullest potential. One didn't need society or friends. She only would need the connections her mother already established and the scores to get her by, and Yuno did throughout primary and secondary schooling. But, that was with a longtime friend as her side as well. The person Yuno may confide in when not in her mother's almost torturous and cruel aspect of training.

Gem magic wasn't a large part of Yuno's resentment. Her mother's skill and ability fascinated her to the point where Yuno could kid herself half the time it was fair and right for her mother to expect to much. That she should feel superior from her lineage. Their name would be remembered through generations to come if they kept up, and possibly grow to be a very well established family. But, Yuno wanted to expand that magic and use it for her own will. Develop it organically like a crystal would grow rather than be the strict and uptight woman she was forced into being. Less direct and more graceful Yuno wanted to learn more, explore, and use her magic outside of simple practice and regulated ability. Somewhere that could truly test her skill as well as develop the use of other magic. Her mother usually disparaged her from learning basic rune magic outside her regular studies. Enough to get the top spot was fine in her eyes, but Yuno's best friend used such a magic to more than remarkable abilities. It was always a place Yuno fell behind in, and her goal to get better and continue on the separate path alongside her gems was a more personal goal. At least, until her friend's death due to unforeseen illness.

At first Yuno of course was devastated and alone from this, having not gotten together with others, but at the same time this point was a realization. Her mother was the one holding her back because she was trapped in her shadow. But, she can't seem to find a way out of it. She was a graduate student and a Ruin Mage already. Her path for these years was so completed that abandoning it now would almost be a death sentence to her future. This wasn't what she wanted, and to keep up with the world her friend tried showing her was another goal. Sure, she wasn't her friend. Her friend was a bit to direct, blunt, and needless to say idiotic outside of fighting to be a guide, but the respect Yuno had of it and feeling of going with her own will was what Yuno was inspired by.

Yuno is an elegant combination of grace and cunning wrapped up into a sparkling package. While logical, she looks more onto the positive side of things believing in how ones mindset can change the outcome of a situation. Dedication in all of her endeavors and putting the job above most other things she can come off as cold or teasing at a first glance, but she has the best intentions as well as what she believes is a strong moral compass. With her dedication to her art and lineage though comes at the cost of friends within the Acadamia. Having her studies distract her from such things through a good portion of her life until she finally got out of being a Secondary Schooler and on with the greater freedom as a Ruin Mage. Versatility over one special skill in her magic and daily life left her with many graces and favorable attitudes from her teachers, but some can take her as a show off which leaves her to enjoy the quieter moments of the night and how music can help her take her mind off the troubles of life. More... abrasive and direct anger from others can easily annoy her as the logic of it may pass, but devotion is something she respects even if its not the same devotion as her.

[User]
Nemo opened the door to his room with a rather chipper look on his face. He jogged down the stairs while humming a tune to himself. He quickly entered the room with everyone else. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen." He greeted as he grabbed a plate and got to picking out what to eat. Nemo slid a serving of Belgian Waffles onto his plate and added a few different syrups on top. "What a lovely ensemble you have prepared for us Felix. How generous of you." He commented as he poured himself a cup of tea and set his plate and glass at the end of the table by Raiya. Given his reputation, Nemo was surprisingly pleasant acting most of the time.

Nemo spawned a small black case and set it down on the table as well. He flipped it open and picked out a small white pill from inside and placed it into his mouth in between his back teeth. He shifted around a little bit before immediately stopping when he broke the pill in between his teeth with a audible crack. He swallowed afterwards and let out a small shiver. He shut the case and then despawned it before coming back down to the real world, clearly thinking about something.

"Ah yes, that reminds me." He said as he spawned Raiya's knife from last night in his hand. Nemo abruptly sent it blade first down into the wood of the table right next to Raiya's hand a little too hard. He let go of it once it was firmly planted in and sat down in his seat. "That is a very nice knife." He complimented, seemingly oblivious to his rather aggressive way of giving it back to her.

[Assistant]
"As you wish, Jessie."

Before they could potentially socialize, a rather familiar and curious noise rang from Jesse's pocket. How odd; the sound was like a 'ping', something Travis would expect from like a cash register during a transaction. The new recruit produced what looked like a a small red note. Jessie explained that this slip was to inform her her luggage had been prepared and...Did she say imps? Travis couldn't kindly question her as she made her way up the stars before wishing Travis and Artos well.

"Sleep well." Travis replied, with a friendly wave.

With their newest guest retiring upstairs, Travis returned his focus to Artos as they continued their conversation. However, Artos came up with a rather unexpected offer for the Untalent. The man from the frozen North had proposed himself to serve as a protector of some sorts. Travis was rather taken back by the gracious offer, not that he did not appreciate such willingness, but had never considered an escort before at all. Granted, Travis's was hardly a fighter himself and with only a minimum amount of mana at his own disposal, defending himself would prove difficult if not render a creative challenge.

Just as the offer came, so did Artos' farewell as he too sough to retire himself for the evening. With a bow, Artos departed to seek his own chamber, "I'll...Consider it, thank you. Be well."

All that was left in the lucrative lounge was Travis' own person. Silence soon seeped into the scene as Travis looked around, familiarizing himself with the place and accepting his new fated reality for what it was. The thought for him was still very overwhelming but he knew that he was now apart of something greater than he had ever anticipated. But with everyone gone, Travis too would need to seek his own chamber to slumber in; is real work would begin tomorrow.

"I suppose I should retire myself." Travis said to himself.

Travis eventually decided and found his own amongst the others claimed. The personal chamber was very spacious though he wondered if the other rooms were like this or it was just this one. One very comfortable bed was supported in the one corner of the room with a fancy nightstand to it's side. There were plenty of bookshelves scattered to different ends of the room filled with unknown material and content. Travis was hoping at least some of them were tomes to study. But was perhaps more eye catching was a single large desk opposite of the doorway. It was very well designed and seemed to have enough space to host his research belongings. It was perfect; while Felix said that anyone can claim their own room, Travis had believed this one was destined for him.

Establishing his presence and ownership over the room didn't take too long; much of his belongings and personable furniture was easily accessible from his strange bottomless trunk. All he had to do was mentally imagine the item in his possession and reach into the ebony abyss where his hand would meet the desired object. He had placed most of his charts and stand to the left of his newfound desk along the empty wall and included a foldable table there as well to support anything he needed atop it. Many of his tomes and research notes were stacked at both sides of the desk with much of his current material place conveniently on the fine escritoire for easy access. Travis then juggled the idea of a protective incantation of sorts withing the center space of the room for any experiments he may perform. With his latest and explosive test made formerly within his previously large dwelling, Travis sought the counter of not unintentionally destroying the mansion due to his own curiosity and research. He would rather be the undoing of himself than the entire operation at hand - he just got here too.

With everything now set for now, Travis locked his chest and robed himself ready to sleep. But while he had established his presence, something Yuno said made him ponder about the current version of his current rune. Could it be improved? Could he possible alter the formula and wording to alter its effects? As he thought more about it, he remembered Artos' demonstration of his ice magic. Could he possibly use his real world knowledge to reverse-engineer that talent into another rune? The mere thought had Travis eagerly going. So much so, he jumped out of bed and pulled his note pad and pen from the desk brought it back to the berth.

"Let me see, what would be the proper translation for ice...?" He mused as he began writing the draft of the new rune, "Ah, Glacies..."


[System]
Gender: Female
Age: 30
Appearance: Jade has a relatively tan complexion, although she is considered pale on Valencia. She is of average height and leanly muscular. Jade has mossy green eyes and thicky, wavy hair that is a dark brown color. Her hair is usually pulled back away from her face in a ponytail. There are calluses on his hands from wielding a variety of weapons, although she will always prefer either a rather lightweight sword or a pair of daggers. She dresses simply and practically, never one for golden armor if iron would perform the job better. Jade is always wearing a pair of sturdy boots and has long, thin fingers.

Affiliation: Assassin

Description: Jade's parents were relatively high-standing members of the League, so it was only natural that Jade was trained to be an assassin as well. She is an only child, and he has a close relationship with both of her parents, who retired from active duty in the League when Jade was twenty-seven. Jade isn't very talkative, and she has few close friends. She tends to keep to herself and doesn't socialize much. However, she is ferociously loyal to the League, and has a fair amount of pride in her as well. To Jade, the League's values are sacred and she upholds the code of conduct like it's law-which it technically is. Her childhood consisted of rigorous training and tutoring. Jade is primarily motivated by her hereditary allegiance to the League, but there is always the matter of money as well. She is fairly indifferent toward the Guild, and is always willing to take out contracts that target members of the Guild. Jade's family is very wealthy, and Jade herself is rich in her own right from the myriad of contracts she has successfully completed in her lifetime. Se doesn't harbor a fierce hatred of the Guild, but no love is lost between her and the band of thieves. If she gets a contract to kill one of them, she kills them. If she doesn't, then she leaves them alone, although if a thief steps out of line enough to provoke Jade, she will not hesitate to attack, contract or no contract. Jade is always thinking, always trying to get one step ahead. She's never been one to solely focus on the present, and prefers to think about the "big picture". Her mind is fine-tuned for strategy and she has a highly analytical brain, which can work to his disadvantage when she is dealing with people who rely on their emotions. She also finds herself awkwardly standing to the side and unsure of what to say when confronted with particularly sensitive topics and heart-to-heart conversations. Jade's never been a people person, and he frequently steals away to brood over one thing or the other or simply to be alone and read. She has a tendency to play by the book, even in unexpected situations. Jade is shrewd and calculating, and pays a lot of attention to small details. She is the third-in-command of the League.

[User]
Jade watched as the thief closed Elia's eyes. They must have been close,  she thought to herself. Then, he stared at Jade with an oddly innocent look on his face, studying her closely. Jade met his gaze evenly, and then he finally spoke.

"Elia wanted to align the Guild with them to shift the balance of power. I warned her not to. But I came anyways. Wanted to watch; observe. Didn't know she'd die. Didn't know others were already dead," he told her, and looked down at Elia's body with a frown. Then, he re-focused his attention to Jade and said that he would help if she had a plan.

Jade was mildly surprised at his proposal and how perceptive he was. After all, if he'd been close to Elia, then he probably was one of the higher-ranking members of the Guild himself. Most members of the Guild wouldn't hesitate to take any opportunity they could to bring down the League. Jade grimaced slightly. "Thanks for offering, but I have no plan yet," she admitted sheepishly. "But I would really appreciate some help. Tell you what-I'll head back to headquarters, let Syra know what's going on, and come up with something or the other by tomorrow. I have a feeling that something bigger than both of our organizations is going on, so the first step in the plan would probably to get more information. Some reconnaissance work, yeah? I know that the Guild is very skilled in recon, but the League's strength is more in its stealth, and, ah, fulfilling contracts." Jade paused for a second to catch her breath. She glanced at the thief's face, and satisfied that she didn't detect any sign of hostility, continued. "If you could help with finding out what the hell  this guy is doing around the island, well, frankly, it would be a huge help. Some of the assassins aren't so great at blending in with the crowd."

"So what do you say?" Jade questioned, tilting her head slightly and appraising the thief. An alliance in between the Guild and League was very unlikely, but not impossible.......and Jade had a feeling that they would have to work together to uncover what the Eltevian man was truly doing on the island.

[Assistant]
He stared at her, before frowning down at the corpse that used to be Elia. He let out a sigh, and leaned slightly to the side, as if a breeze was pushing him. He stared at her, before appearing to completely ignore what she said, and started, well, looting Elia's body. Coinpurse, daggers, her saber, her belt, the hood and cloak that marked her as a Guild member. He wrapped them up, and pulled out a piece of fabric- which he unfolded into a sort of bag. He stuffed her non-sharp items inside, before slinging it around him.

And then he took three of the four knives from Elia's body, and slipped them into various parts across his body. The last one, he offered to the assassin, along with the saber, scabbard, and accompanying belt.

In a lighter, lilting, foreign accent, he spoke, still not entirely familiar with the language. "Take them. Keep them. Wear them. I will work with you, and you will not be attacked while carrying Elia's things. I will spread word. Meet here in a fortnight, I will keep you posted. Will interrupt any attempts to murder. You have my word."


[System]
Age: 19

Sex: Male

Race: Human

Appearance:
Basically that but without the glasses or piercings.

Occupation: Almost like a coast guard. Oversees trade at the port town he lives in, handles any trouble and deters pirates.

Skills: Auron favors physical attacks and hasn't dabbled too much in magic. He's a swordsman at heart, the only weapon he's really used in his line of work. Other than that he's particularly strong, mildly dexterous, and has a bit of stamina and hardiness. From living in a coasal town he has most of the knowledge and skills a sailor or "police-man" would know, such as tying knots, living on the sea and handling a boat, knowledge of the law system, etc.

Description: Born and raised in his how town of the Storm Coast, Auron is a respectable, dependable, and hard working man. He has a strong sense of justice and doing what's right, and he's chosen his career path to fit just that. He does his job well and he puts as much effort as he can, knowing that what he does help's the world around him. Brave, honest, and kind-hearted, he would give the shirt off his back for anybody who needed it, and will always defend those who cannot defend themselves. Nothing was handed to him in life, and he respects others who also work hard in their profession. However, meeting lots of people in the port town of his, he's very open minded.

Point of Interest: The Storm Coast is the home of Auron and a bustling city-state. It makes a majority of it's income off of trade and harvesting fish and the like from the sea. It gets it's nickname from the nasty storms it gets from time to time, making the storm coast not much of a vacation place. Most come and go, but the inhabitants are hardy. Mostly human, they have grown and adapted to hard conditions, and most work a blue collar, working/middle class life.

[User]
Frontier Village
Time: Morning, End of Winter

Winter is almost at an end, as the frigid season makes its last dying gasps, spring starts to shine through. And with spring around the corner, preparations are well underway across the small trade route stop known simply as Frontier Village. Snow is being cleared off rooftops, orders are being put in for items to be obtained from other towns and cities, work is being done to prepare for the spring influx of tourists and merchants making their way along the Golden Road. Each person has their daily routines, their routes they take. There's always something to do, and even if someone were to claim they have nothing to do...why that would be a lie of course, there's just finding that something to do!

Ah but as spring draws close to its first day, there's more bustle than usual. A few of the locals were already planning to travel to the upcoming trade festival, where people of both the Kingdom of Norad and the Sechs Republic(Along with the other two nations of a more minor note) were to come together and celebrate the arts. However, tragedy has struck, in the form of a natural disaster befalling the site where the tents were to go up, as a sudden uptick in monster spawning has forced the site to be shut down. With the festival delayed an unknown amount of time until the monster infestation, rumored to be quite bad, is cleared out, many of those who intended to go are now stuck in town, and well, tensions are bound to flare. Hopefully no one will take advantage of the ruckus to cause some trouble?

So begins another day in Frontier Village…

James, the Innkeeper

"My, would you look at that, what a shame. I was looking forward to the stories from travelers. I suppose it can't be helped though, ahaha."  Standing in the village square, James sighed softly, the elder Innkeeper rubbing his chin at the news given to him by the town news board, before turning, shrugging as he did, and walking back down the short distance to his inn. At least those stranded at the village until things at the fairground cleared up would be paying for their rooms, though he'd lowered the prices out of respect for those who were coming through. Innkeeper he may be, he was no highwayman, nay, he cared dearly for his patrons. At least this meant he could do some spring cleaning. Sure, he was getting up in years, but keeping the inn running, combined with a good diet, kept him in shape. Still, part of him was concerned about the infestation news. He hoped it wasn't a sign of something worse. Hopefully an Earthmate would come through and fix the presumably imbalanced Runes, and go on their way.

Walking up the short steps onto his porch, James moved to the rocking chair he kept just outside, to the left of the two door entrance to his inn, and sat down, taking in his surroundings, the well dressed keeper crossing one leg over the other, starting to rock the oak wood chair back and forth with the other hand. Nothing to do for the moment but enjoy the quiet, before someone else in town lost their head over the news. He was silent now, the only sound that of his chair, rocking back and forth, creaking as it did so, the rustle of fabric as his clothing shifted. Just enjoying the time that an old man like him could get between customers, or shipments.

GM Notes
So begins the first "arc," Festival Tension. This will be a backdrop tale, unless players decide to directly interact, as it will sort itself out on its own, but of course, you may use it to your advantage. That said, with this up, the rp has begun! Do enjoy yourselves, and feel free to begin your own character story arcs. Bon voyage!

[Assistant]
Shikoi Doro
Time: Morning, End of Winter

Another fruit was plucked up from the soil in which it had grown. Shikoi was working hard on harvesting all of the remaining crops."There we go," Shikoi thought to herself as she plucked the remaining fruit left. Rubbing her arms for a little bit of warmth, before bringing in the basket full of fruits and flowers into the house. After setting the basket on the counter, she left through the front door. Walking outside she took a few steps down until she was on the flat ground.

Looking around, she noticed a person looking at her. She shot them a glare in which they promptly turned away, quickly. Sighing, she shook her head and proceeded to take a walk. Why did they have to throw her a look of pity, or curiosity. It was none of their business to give her intruding stares. Besides she didn't want anything to do with them, so much so that she felt like she needed to slam her head against the nearest hard surface in order prove a point. The only person who she tolerated was the old man, and even though he was slightly annoying. Shikoi continued her walk down the road, relaxing as she enjoyed a moment of peace while ignoring everyone around her.


[System]
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Disposition: Two things are seen as an inevitability by Maia: that something bad will happen, and that she will be the one to clean it up.

Living a hardscrabble life, first as a refugee and then as a merc fighting her way to a better life, has caused Maia to take a generally dismal and bleak outlook on life. In order to keep from cracking under the negativity, she has a small list of mental defenses. The first being bad jokes, the second being hedonism, the third being anger. Anything past anger, and she starts to break down.

Living a desperate life tends to make you distance yourself from others. Maia has a hard time saying anything meaningful, or sharing anything personal, with anyone else. She doesn't mind working with others as long as they keep their distance, and respect her space. She'd rather not think of anyone that dies in the line of duty as a friend, if she can help it.

She is very sensitive to changes in her environment: noises (even if inaudible to others), bright light, and quick motions bother her.

She also has an addictive personality, and is rather irresponsible with her money.
Background: Even before the war, things weren't exactly great for the inhabitants of the PU's northern territories. Maia Leventis was born in a small mining town nearing the end of its mineral reserves. Once the mines dried up, the mining company rolled into town. They gave the townsfolk a few months to either find another vein, or be forcibly relocated to an industrial center. Maia's family chose neither. They chose to flee over the strait, into OSU territory. That was when the troubles really started.

Turns out the nice men that helped her family cross weren't so nice. They were used as free migrant labor in an underground narcotics manufacture for five years, until a raid by the local police ended their business. Maia was fourteen years old at the time.

She was made a ward of the state after the destruction of the drug den resulted in the deaths of her parents, since they couldn't find anyone to claim her in the PU. In spite of her rough past, she drove on, and eventually earned the right to call herself an Osbanian citizen. After a brief and hectic stint in the Osbanian military that ended up in her dishonorable discharge due to mental health, she became a freelance mercenary, working first as infantry for eight years, and eventually earning enough to afford her own FRAME. At her age, however, she's decided that being a freelancer is too little pay for too much risk. She's hoping that her stay with the Panthers will provide her with the financial security she needs.

After all, cigarettes, booze and video games won't buy themselves.
Appearance: 5'6, dark-skinned, with an aquiline nose, brown eyes, and sharp facial features with curly black hair and bushy black eyebrows. Her eyes have nigh-perpetual bags under them, and there are more wrinkles on her than her age would suggest. She has a muscular and reasonably toned frame, although an unhealthy lifestyle is definitely starting to take its toll on her waistline. She has a burn scar on her forehead, and a slash mark on her collar bone from a close call she'd rather not talk about.
Inventory:
.45 automatic handgun, "Certified Asshole" carved onto the slide.
Plain steel hipflask, usually containing the cheapest rotgut she can find.
Cigarettes. One pack a day.
Funds: 55750
Other: Suffering from undiagnosed post-tramatic stress disorder.

Name: ACS-3G Zaruga, "Mad Dog"
Height: 4.1 meters
Weight: 5230 kg
Armor: 20 mm durasteel alloy
Speed (Walk): 65 kph
Speed (Skate): 91.6 kph
Sensor range: 5 km
Communication range: 25 km
Operating range: 600 km
Extra Systems: ECM suite, laser target designator
Power: 130
Weight: 80

Armaments:

Equipped:
AFC-40/L Autocannon x2 (16)
MG27 Light Machinegun x2 (4)
LP-90 Light Rocket Launcher (24)
(6 spare weight)

Storage:
MGR-2A Anti-tank Missile (20)

[User]
Edward took the initiative and turned on his ECM barrage jamming engaging the enemy with his AFC-40/L Autocannon while simultaneously making sure to paint targets with his target designator for his allies. "Painting targets for ya'll" he said to his new comrades. Adrenalin rushing through his body he was not sure how well it would end, putting some faith in his team but not enough to act as a decoy.

It was not long before the enemy pinpointed his location, followed by the most hail of projectiles. He held his ground while still retaining his aim so that none of the cargo would be hit but it was not an easy task.

Damn he muttered after which he informed his allies "Taking hits, changing cover" as his left shoulder got a few hits making him switch cover so he'd not get taken out on his first mission.

While he broke contact, he scanned the nearby area as he did not want any unpleasant surprises.

[Assistant]
Harold was already moving, intending to check to see if his anti-safety countermeasures worked properly. By default, one usually had to stop and deploy to skate across the ground, to prevent accidentally deploying and rolling when the feet needed to grip. He just made it so that when he deployed them, they deployed, regardless of whether or not he was in the proper position.

Three large steps and then he activated the rollers, unusually skating along behind their XO, as if wearing roller skates instead of self-driving skids.

---

---

He silently dropped into position, and shut down Jupiter Grounded. The others were straight mechanics- they kept their machines in shape, didn't do much to the actual machines themselves. He, on the other hand, routed power so that the moment the mech started up, power would flood the hydraulics. For the moment, it was a rough job- he'd have to tune it and make sure it won't burn itself out later. Right now, though, it'd serve to get him moving immediately after starting up, before the systems were even fully online.

This meant he could open fire first, but also meant that he'd be moving sluggishly for a bit longer than everyone else. He locked the arms into place as he took his position, autocannon already ready.

And then the order came, hostiles moving across the bridge.

He, being Juppy, immediately fired it up, unlocking the arms to dash forward on silent, slowly-starting legs. It took a new kind of coordination to keep the mech from falling over- it wavered and moved weakly, though enough to keep its own weight and move fairly decently. He hit a tree, and ground his shoulder against his, letting its bulk and strength hold him up, as he aligned his missile launcher.

A couple seconds later, another of the newbies started opening fire, painting several mechs that were now turning towards him. It only took a couple seconds for everyone to open fire- he was probably the first one to move, and last one to fire.

It was obvious why, when an anti-tank missile burst from its nest and shot off, burying itself in the first mech that had been painted. As his reactor finally warmed up, he pulled back and took his own weight, stepping away from the tree to give his autocannon room, and his rockets a clear shot. He eyed the mechs cautiously; a couple mechs turned to him in response to the AT missile knocking out one of their own. For a moment, none of their rounds hit, then they started slamming into him.

He turned everything; he faced forty five degrees away from them, giving them armor that was now almost twice as thick, and then leaned forward, so his armor would have a greater chance of ricocheting enemy rounds, and surviving the impact if they didn't.

He waited a moment for one of the mechs to start moving ahead of the cargo vehicles- and the moment that Juppy saw empty space between the mech and the cargo vehicles, he unleashed all his rockets, taking care to aim them carefully. The arc messed him up slightly, but that just meant that they started slamming into the enemy's legs, instead of his chest or thick shoulders.

Slowly taking damage, he opened fire with his autocannon, trying to place rounds carefully, rather than opening fire and hoping he'd hit the right spot. He used the laser designator on his arm as a reticle- he locked his hand so the designator would be facing the same line that the line of fire from the autocannon would, and used that to place rounds in the very center of the hostile mech's chest, hoping for penetration to kill the pilot, or to hit a joint and knock off an arm, leg, or sensor.

Considering that they were facing, more or less, directly at him, with armor that wasn't any more than 50mm, versus an autocannon that could penetrate up to 65mm, he figured he had a pretty good chance of shooting out the pilots without getting shot himself, whatwith a great big angled shoulder inbetween himself and himself in his cockpit.

[User]
Unlike many of the other pilots, Ryder did not offer any time to react after the bridge went down. She would take the lead of her group to direct their fire to herself.

With a slam of her ignition, Ryder, too, would take initiative, but contrary to her teammate Edward, Ryder would be seen rushing forth. Her agile Zaruga skated hastily onto the road from her spot in the forest. Her eyes would lock onto her screen, another FRAME in sight of her. As she neared the convoy, Ryder and Theta, surprisingly didn't stop, despite being in range to fire her autocannon. Instead, her frame skated forth at its quick speed, lowering its mass seconds before slamming into the midsection of her opponent. Ryder's FRAME, of course, sustained damage, but with the her dropping her FRAME's weight lower to the ground, She managed to stagger her opponent without ruining Theta.

Ryder, now in a jeopardized position, put on a determined look. She was definitely a target now that she was out in the open. She glanced down to her controls, inputting a few commands in a specific order. Ryder started with Theta's MG27 Light Machinegun. At such close quarters, she figured, peppering the opponents with a barrage would be better than firing her Autocannon and risking a miss. Within a few seconds, the barrels of Theta's LMG lit up, sending forth a battery of bullets. That would at least keep them all from jumping on her.

Her main adversary, of course, would not stop after Ryder had already heavily damaged him. Rounds from his Autocannon flew forth towards Theta, contacting Ryder's FRAME with a bang each time. Ryder paused for a mere second and no more in thought. She was not going to run. Either way she would be damaged, so she might as well do some damage in return. It seemed Theta was temporarily immobilized as Ryder was shelled. Ryder sighed as Theta's arms moved into position with her own AFC-40/L Autocannon.

Ryder let off a few blind shots before allowing her FRAME to backpedal. She managed to trade blows with her opponent without sustaining any system breaking damage before she got to the side of the road the convoy had been on. It seemed she was allowing her FRAME a momentary respite before another attack. She was definitely not running at full capacity now, but that didn't seem to discourage her as she readied to charge into melee once more, her communications line still utterly silent.

[Assistant]
Scattered thoughts rushed forward through the haze of boredom that was quickly breaking in Maia's mind. She took a deep breath, tried to find her center. Being here and there in the middle of a firefight wasn't a good thing.

Edward had pulled a bit of fire to himself, and Ryder and Harold seemed eager to rush into the gap. Maia's plan, by comparison, was a bit simpler.

She ran around, going towards the front of the convoy. Loosing half her salvo of rockets ahead of them by a margin of 75 meters, just close enough to make them hesitate. Her autocannons focused, loosing fire at the Dreqs at the lead of the convoy, strafing as she went. Tearing them open would be good, but her main goal was to get the trucks between her and her opponents. Logic would dictate that if they were valuable enough to have such a large escort, they'd be valuable enough for the escort to not turn their guns on. That'd make them the perfect cover.

She just needed to get to it.

Her skates went on as he got onto the open road, and she crouched as low as she could as she skirted around and onto the bridge. Her guns didn't stop firing until she was close to the trucks, and couldn't afford a stray shot destroying the thing they were sent to retrieve. Her logic seemed sound enough. Let's just hope that the enemy had the same line of thought.


[System]
"What's the point in being this skilled a warrior if you can't even score once in a while?"

Sprite:
Nicknames/Title: The Crimson Cavalier, Hot-headed Horseman

Gender: Male

Marital Status: Single and looking ;)

Age: 18

Sexuality: Straight

Family Ties: Merchant family in Jotenvarr (Mother, Father, Sister)

Class: Cavalier

Weapon Mastery(ies): Sword, Lance

Inventory: Steel Sword, Steel Lance, Vulneraries (3), Trail Rations, Fiction Novel (Tales of the Hero-King)

Personality: As his title might suggest, Scott is quick to temper and is known to over-react to even trivial things (sometimes in in overly positive way as well). At heart he is bold, brave and eager to prove his worth to whoever will bear witness... preferably hot babes. Not only does he know he is a talented combatant on horseback, he makes sure everyone else does too. If his persistence was a tangible currency he'd be a very wealthy man, except in those instances where he empties his gold pouch to buy drinks for the lady of that particular night. On his feet one could even call him immature, but on his steed "Maple" he is a serious and focused force to be reckoned with.

Biography: Raised by a wealthy merchant family in the capital city of Jotenvarr, Scott's childhood was fairly easy. Spoiled by his parents, he lacked any sense of responsibility. Once they finally had enough with him, Scott's parents sent him to the Knight's academy to become a soldier of the royal army. Finishing his training but still lacking the formal decorum needed to live and function as a knight, he left the army and became a sell-sword.

After a long absence from home, a postman tracked him down and delivered a message to him from his family; his younger sister, Michelle, had fallen gravely ill. Losing the use of her legs, her health only continues to deteriorate. The family's once overflowing wealth had run dry in an attempt to find a cure and provide treatment. Then, having returned home to visit Michelle and witnessing her terrible condition, Scott vowed to become a world-renowned warrior and earn as much money as possible to further the cause. He would go on to win several jousting tournaments, complete many arduous missions and build the reputation he has today.

Finally, word of the King's request reached Scott. Seeing this as the ultimate opportunity to potentially save his sister, Scott made his way back to Jotenvarr from the colder lands of Frosspeak in hopes of joining this elite army.

[User]
Aika Lennone

By now, Aika's hysteria caused her to slump onto her side on her bed, her long icy hair making a large wave as she crashed on the less than comfortable pillow. The starchy cushion did little to quell her laughter, as she rolled onto her back, facing up to easily see the antics as well as her new friend. "Is this normal for her?" she asked Pauline while gesturing her left thumb up and over to Diana.

From on her back, she was now able to see a new face standing before her and Pauline, a slender looking fellow with long red hair, and carrying what looked like a katana, claiming the name 'Fredrick.' "Oh, hello, ehehehe," she mustered through the giggling. "I'm Aika, and I've said my name about four times today, hehe."

[Assistant]
Hyakuya

Hyakuya simply nodded when Aika pointed out that it was how they called Manaketes in their region. In all honesty, the dragon didn't know much about other regions so he wasn't aware of other names of his kind. He then stayed silent, happy with merely listening to these young folks talking around. He then proceeded to sit on his bed with his back leaning on the wall and was now facing Azi...

Whose tail was being caressed by Diana. A smile made its way to his face as he watched the whole incident. Hyakuya had only noticed that he was facing a laguz. He had not known much about the race but he had encountered the dragon laguz tribe when he was but a child. he remembered it to be quite an experience, seeing other transforming dragons who didn't need the use of stones. His attention was soon taken back by Diana and Azi when he started to whimper. Ah, of course, a tail was always the most sensitive part of an animal, same can be told with those humans who had their own tail.

And he turned his head towards the door when someone kicked it, a blond haired fellow walked in, greeting everyone there. And so it was safe to assume that he was part of Squad Triginita since Hyakuya assumed that 'retards' was actually pertaining to his teammates. Whatever happened in their trial would have to be different from what happened to their own trial. Not that it mattered much to the manakete. He fell back into silence with a smile on his face as he watched them all talk with each other.

[User]
Mikhail Fuast

Mikhail found himself staring at the door to the barracks. The man pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a defeated sigh as he felt the first prickle of a headache start to surface. The racket coming from within was already deafening and the inexplicable boot mark on the door did little to ease his growing dread. "Should have spent more time checking on the damn horse," he muttered to himself.

Having satisfied his sour puss tendencies for the time being, Mikhail gathered his resolve and calmly opened the door. He was fully prepared to go about his business in silence and claim any bunk still available. However, the sight that greeted him at the entryway caused his normal frown to sink into a grimace.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't molest my squad mate," the cavalier directed to the pink haired bombshell that was currently enchanted by Azi's tail. "It'd be a shame if you broke him before our next trial." Both his voice and facial expression made it difficult to determine just how serious he was being, although he hardly seemed concerned for Azi's sake.

Mikhail met the laguz's pitiful gaze with an ice cold stare and a raised eyebrow, as if to say, "Your mess, you clean it up." Not waiting for a response from either of them, he made his way to one of the bunks in the back. It wasn't until he threw his pack down that he realized that he had ended up next to Claude.

"I take it the boot print on the door was your doing," he said to the merc casually.

[Assistant]
Hiro Anu

To be honest, it isn't all that great most of the times. First, if we brought home an animal, we would have to skin it then get all of the best meat out it, though we don't let anything go to waste. Anyways, if we didn't catch something then we might have to eat only bread but most times we would just skip on eating," Hiro began before stopping to think about what animals were the best to hunt during what situation. "I suppose we typically hunted stags and boars because of all the meat they provided but if we needed something quick then we would go after small birds or squirrels."

[User]
Claude

The others had not exactly received the new recruit warmly, so Claude decided to be the better man (what an odd ocurrance) and welcome him.

"Yo, Fredrick. Hope ya get used to all these other retards, and I also hope you can swing that sword arm for something other than cutting vegetables." The man snarked and then laughed a bit.

He then decided to take some well deserved rest, but the green cavelier seemed to have other plans for him.

Mikhail approached him, claiming him to be the culprit of the footprint stamped on the door.

"Har. Can't you tell by the size of the boot? Hope you ain't a clean freak, though. Once a guy like that made me clean my whole outfit. Worst fucking day ever. My fingers were all like raisin'"

The man gritted his pointy teeth at the best of his ability.

[Assistant]
Tybalt Argyris

As they conversed, Tybalt took a seat on the bed across from Hiro, listening intently to his words. Being of noble birth, Tybalt had not had the kind of experience people like Hiro had. He did not get to see the world like they did, he had to learn what it was like to survive on his own, not be brought up in poverty and have survival constantly on his mind.

"Incredible, you used all of the beast you say? Is that where you got your clothing?" He asked, motioning to Hiro's attire, visually shuddering a little bit from the idea of wearing dead animal skins right off the beast. "That sounds like an incredibly difficult life, but the fact that you sit here now is a testament to the amount of drive you truly have. I'm glad your skills let you survive until now, and apparently much more. Boars and stags made good target practice from the sounds of it, comparative to flying horses, even!" He quipped, letting a laugh slip out after his joke. "Then again, I figure squirrels and birds would be much harder to hit...all the more reason to respect such marksmanship. Let me say I would not want to be on the end of your bow."

He glanced to the others, cracking a smile as he saw the merc and the cavalier leering at one another. Rising from his seat, he clapped Hiro on the shoulder and motioned to the others. "Come, let's go meet the other squad while we still have time."

Hoping the archer was following him, the mage briskly strode over to the others, placing a leg on a chair in front of him to boldly announce his arrival into the conversation with Hiro in tow.

"Hello, my new friends!" He spoke to the cavalier, mercenary, and swordsman, a bold grin on his face. "I believe I have not introduced myself. My name is Tybalt. Talented mage, noble on the rise, and easy on the eyes if I do say so myself." He proclaimed to the three. "And what fine gentlemen may I be speaking to?"

[User]
Joan Croce

A woman, dressed in the traditional pink suit of a troubradour, though she wore a short pink and white skirt along with a white cape skirt that reached her knees, made her way towards the dorm where squad Quinque and squad Trignita.

When she arrived and was about to open the door, she noticed the foortprint on it. Her hand twitched back as she raised an eyebrow.

How unsightly, what kind of person would do this? Ruining a fine piece of architecture like this... well, Joan could only reprimand them later on.

The woman opened the door to the dorm, but perhaps her push was a little too strong or the Claude's previous kick had kind of messed up the door, but the door slammed against the wall once she opened it.

"Oh my." She brought a single hand to her mouth as she said so.

That would certainly turn the attention of more than one of her squadmates to her.

Instead of panicking, the noble woman smiled at the other squads and then bowed down, "I hope this evening finds you well. Please, forgive my blunder. I will try not to repeat it in the near future. In any case, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Joan Croce, and I've been assigned to squad Quinque starting this evening."

The woman quickly introduced herself, and then went on with the question some of them probably wanted to ask, why the hell was she lacking an squad?

"Sadly, I am the sole survivor of squad one. Most of my squadmates rushed in thoughtlessly and were swiftly killed by a flurry of arrows." The noble woman then cupped her cheek as she remembered the events from this morning.

Her eyebrows knitted together as she thought about it.

"If it weren't for my cute Merin, I don't know what I would have done. She dashed forward and dodged all of the arrows, before running over the man we were supposed to fell. I would like all of you to meet her at some point." The girl smiled again and then nodded. "But just look at me, rambling over and over. I am sure my personal circumstances are of little interest to you people. I hope we can get along."

She bowed down again and move on to one of the empty bunks, leaving a bag with her things beside the bed.

[Assistant]
Hiro Anu

Hiro was going to go speak to someone else before hearing a new person enter the room, a new member for squad Quinque too. He heard her speak of her whole squad dying and it was a bit saddening but he knew that she could move on. He moved over and said "Welcome to squad Quinque, I am Hiro Anu. It is sad to hear that your entire squad died, but now you with us! We lost a man as well, so I know a bit of your grief. Be that as it may I hope you find some comfort." Hiro gave Joan a small smile, hoping to make her feel comfortable at the very least.


[System]
Nickname: Rusty Randy
Race: Demihuman (Red Squirrel)
Age: Twenty
Gender: Male

Proportionality:
Weight:305 lbs
Height:6'11"
Frame: A large frame, very bulky and muscular under the fur and large gutted  Use a hider.
_______________________

Personality:- Bruno is often defined as the quieter and distant type, and he really is. Although that doesn't mean he dislikes the company of people, in fact depending on the person or sometimes simply where the company is well appreciated. His distance is more seen in often a quietness and lack of expression or something simple such as asking about the weather unless it suits a particular need of some sort or another. On the other hand he can often daydream when doing some repetitive task or while being alone, being quite oddly perverse in the confines of his own mind. Bruno's lack of expression is occasionally connected to the weirder sides of himself such as obsession toward certain people often crushes are role models or in new technology seen and brought to him. Another darker piece of Bruno though rarely seen since childhood conflict is an odd enjoyment of the fight often when he himself is the one being beaten down and somewhat less the other way around. If there is a kindness available to be done, and nothing particular in its or Bruno's way, often he will do it out of an odd sense of duty to do so rather than just being kind, or it is speculated as such.
Job: Engineer/Repairman

Fighting Style: Bruno, doesn't subscribe to a particular fighting style, depending at first if possible avoiding combat is the tactic. Beyond that, he goes with whatever the hell gets the job done. Whether it be punching, elbowing, clawing, pulling or a swift kick or knee to the groin area if necessary. He's more swift in his attacks than actually being powerful in them and more often used to absorbing and taking on multiple powerful blows. When in tight spaces or in panicked moments often using the arms to redirect blows and instead go with a knee or a swift kick to any vulnerable part.

Weapons from strongest to weakest: Wrench, mallet

Armors/Outfits He doesn't really tend to wear much that can be defined as 'armor' perhaps occasionally a welding mask and tough gloves for work in the past. Beyond that, often Bruno is simply found in basic grey overalls, some pants underneath often with a convenient fanny back and a small leather pouch attached onto its waistband.

Familiar:

Familiar Abilities: Lighting & Wind, Absorb electricity, resist wind, weak to ice, booming blasts of sound or music that can push back projectiles and smaller foes, can eat weak or defeated foes

Trance: (none of this found yet) Trance is more often caused by lust and strong resolution for Bruno. While in trance, his stomach and chest expand and practically 'puff out' to a degree as if to form a masculine wall. His defense quintuples and speed doubles, because of his familiar's nature, Bruno can levitate or 'fly' sort of with gusts of wind normally being noticed below his feet and appearing as small tornadoes.

- The way Trance is activated is through stress and emotions. So tension can induce this.
- Your body can shift form due to the sheer power. Such as changing figure a bit.

Racial Advantages
Pros- He can hold multiple weapons
Cons- As a human he is limited to having very few magics that are not his Familiar's.
Self advantages
Pros- Bruno's main strengths combat wise is his durability and speed. Beyond that simply may be his techno-know-how and engineering skills
Cons- While Bruno is fast, what he has in speed is what lacks from his average if not below attacks. Seeing as his combat has no real technique, rather it is simply beating up the opponent with whatever comes to mind it can difficult to combat some who have fighting technique on their side.

Background:
 Bruno was born and raised in Lindblum and for the most part it still remains home to him in many aspects. He used to live there with his father and mother under the same house, though the two divorced when he was eight after some big fight. He had seen the two actually fight which lead to his mom, shoving the other down and the floor and quickly leaving, soon the divorce happened and Bruno's dad who had been wealthily employed in the engineer business had received custody. Often through the years there were a few troubles that plagued Bruno's childhood and up. Rumor spread that Bruno's father, Barret was a weakling and had been beaten up by a woman though the source of this rumor has still been unknown to this day what followed after it was a bunch of bullying and fights from others around at the time. Barett, seemed to change over the years as well despite Bruno helping with projects, his dad always seemed to belittle or insult him over the years, and oddly always had to know where Bruno had been.

 Over the years of this, Bruno just started to grow kind of silent and took what came at him. The pain was seeming normal, just something that would have to occur. On certain days, Bruno would just stick up in his room and lose himself in daydreams and oddly growing perverse dreams around the age of twelve. In secret, he began working on some of his own projects one of which was trying to create a blue automation named Reveater or 'Rev' for short. It took a few close calls and lies to hide the project. After a while, he grew worried that the project would be discovered, after it grew and grew so he looked for a place to hide it. Soon after, he found where his mom was staying and planned to visit, but more bullies blocked the way and Bruno had to take a bit of beating before arriving, some of the project was destroyed in the process but not all. It wasn't long after finding his mother, Clarece that she agreed to keep the project hidden, on one condition, that Bruno start protecting himself. She didn't specify any particular tactics, besides a move that redirected punches and lead up to a swift knee to the ground and abdomen and saying to fight for himself, although Bruno could see the fact that she wanted to step in for him instead. She couldn't handle more trouble at the time because of even more bitter rumors and many watchful eyes wanting to taker her down at a moment's notice.

 Bruno, soon did as Clarece had asked of him. Fighting back felt good, and eventually from it most of the previous bullies were no longer challenging him. Oddly, he had missed the fights, having even developed a pleasure in them but more in receiving the blows, after a while of them they ceased to even hurt. Years, and years later around sixteen had Bruno stopped working on projects in secret, despite Barrett calling most of the projects inferior or terrible with some word or another. He felt as if he had to do something and make more projects, as only a year before had Clarece disappeared (though some claimed she was arrested) along with 'Rev'. As years passed by more and more projects were taken under, even simple neighborhood projects for people that needed repairs or replacements for old rusted pieces for something or another and that's how Bruno Randaplh earned the name 'Rusty Randy' although he couldn't tell if that was a positive or negative name. He continued on in silence, enjoying the work and even to some degrees becoming obsessed with it, the innovations in the field and some of those who led it. At the age of eighteen 'Rusty Randy' was moving on up and was asked to work on airship, this day perhaps being the strongest in memory. Not only did Bruno's father seemed pleased, he seemed nearly excited about it and threw a small going away party for the work. Rusty Randy, continued his work after that and never returned home.

[User]
Although Karn would rather get the hell out of the forest asap, with their now slow pace, it was probably better to head to the rest of the ship. In case a few of the others were still hanging around there for some currently unexplained reason. Hopefully none of the severe reasons. Some of them probably could help assist carry Randy or heal him. Karn would gladly admit she was a tough little shit. Strong and fast. But like it or not, she was still small. She didn't have some behemoth strength to carry someone like Randy over her shoulder.

"Yeah, though ya know when I have someone on top of me, one of the things that are on the kinda 'no' list is being crushed to death. Too bad you're not a flying squirrel, you big lug. Squirrly, you owe me a carrying me around session after this." the blonde joked, though she kept pace, her shoulder didn't seem to agree with this action. Even though she hadn't put most of her comrade's weight on it.

Finally, when they neared the ship, Karn picked up the familiar scents of non-monsters out to gobble them up. Most were the newcomers, alongside the Boss and Blank. Along with the crew. Go figure. She should of expected them to not listen and just head to the ship anyhow. It was fine though, complications and all. Mist probably got in the way of getaway route out of the forest. Still, as long as they were alright, that's all that mattered really. Entering inside the wreckage, Karn's ears perked, though were slightly trembling, twitching, shivering, despite how her face remained a calm stagnate which soon formed a calm familiar grin.

"Oh good. We're all here in the ship wreckage. Fits in with the setting of being in the misty spooky forest." Karn said as she dismissed Hercule, letting the panther crossdresser and Blank take Randy. She stood straighter and rolled her shoulder, right ear flicking at the twinge of pain but otherwise ignored it. Glancing to the doll that had assisted guiding them, gently pat its head as the animate object hugged her.

"Thanks bud." The feline humanoid said as her emerald eyes watched it return to the fox before her gaze snapped to her boss as she listened to her crewmate, Blank. Nose twitching at the scent of brandy, her eyes rolled as she walked over and lightly tapped the toe of her boot against the Boss's foot.

"Geez Boss, here we all worried for you, and here you are on your ass and pigging out on our surviving stock of brandy. We can't stay here to sniff out truffles ya know." Karn said, mildly grinning with mild amusement before glancing over the crew and toward the princess. They still had to get twinkle toes to Lindblum. But the boss looked too exhausted and drunk to be much good now. Actually probably everyone was exhausted. Wandering around in the forest now wouldn't do much good in all their condition.

Her shoulder hurt, and she was out of potions. Maybe some survived the crash, probably will have to scout. Her hand touched one of the pouches on her utility belt before her emerald gaze glanced outside. Still was dark, too early to take the medicine. It would help her injury, but it wasn't a good idea to get off schedule. So she took her hand away and crossed her arms over her chest. Eyes examining the shredded ship and clicked her tongue. The Prima Vista really was a wreck. Torn in half, and the one of the half's is buried in the muddy marsh of this forest.

[Assistant]
Wylde helped Karn carry Randy over to the wrecked ship and when the injured crewmate was taken away by other people who were at the crash place, she let a sigh of relieve and looked around. Well this ship was not going to fly again... that's for sure, not with how it was torn in pieces. If it had only crashed they may have been able to patch it up, but with this amount of damage, there was just no way. The structure wouldn't be able to take the stress... the entire remains of the hulk probably were filled with small cracks and the like that were invisible for the naked eye, but weakening the entire structure. She knew that pretty well, for that was a thing to look in one's weapon. A small barely noticeble crack could lead to the entire blade shattering in the worst of moments. Ships weren't that different from the same principle.

 With that, while everyone else was doing their own thing, she pulled her rapier from it's sheath briefly and checked it's condition. It wasn't damaged... yet. Still she was going to have to have someone do some basic maintenance to it, the moment they get to a town with a blacksmith. Putting the blade back in the sheath, she walked to Karn.

 "So... what do we do now?" She asked, looking around." We cannot stay for too long inside this forest, has your boss decided on a course of action?" She asked.


[System]
Akane

---

---
Age
"16"
Birthday
"December 24th"
School Year
"High School 2nd"
Height
"154 cm"
Weight
"42 kg"
Magic Color
"Purple"

---

Appearance
""

"Transformed"

Personality
""

Background
""

Powers
Card: VII - Justice
""

Skills
""

Weapons
""

Equipment
""

Other
""

[User]
Mura Sahashi

Mura stroked her new cat a little and recited some more of the poem. Looking around, she walked to some other machines; like the fighting games. There were some people on them, and she watched for a couple minutes as they battled with the computer characters. Becoming relatively bored and still holding her cat, she went to exit the arcade; but only to see a new revelation in the stars. The sky had turned a mysterious shade of bloody red, and the moon had enlarged past its normal diameter. And then she heard the voice; a woman of unknown intent asking for Mura to draw a card from her deck. Maybe even to reveal her fortune; which sounded like a cop out, but it was always worth a shot.
"These are tarot cards, correct? I have seen some before..." she said, walking up to the woman now sat behind a table in the middle of the arcade; but the arcade could not be seen. Then she walked forwards, stretching out her hand and drawing the top card of the deck.

The Hermit

But of course; what other card would she receive? Flicking the card between her fingers, she propped her cat atop her head and bowed to the woman. It was a nice gesture for a stranger to give you a card from their deck to keep, but that wasn't quite right as the woman had disappeared almost as soon as she had appeared. If Mura was correct, mysterious women sat at tables with decks of cards apparating out of thin air and disappearing almost immediately wasn't a very common occurrence in Miso City; it must have been her lucky day. Now that she was stood from her bow, she placed the card into her bag and took the cat into her hands before leaving the arcade finally. She looked up to the skies, seeing the blood tinted hue of the atmosphere and the abnormally large moon that hung above Earth. Then she turned and made her way out of town and to the orphanage she lived in, cradling and stroking her toy cat as she went; reciting another part of the poem she remembered for unknown reasons.

Hello, I'm Pride And I'm Amazing.
Some Think I'm Vain, But They're Just Hating.
I Am The Best Of All The Sins.
When I'm Around, You'll Always Win.
I Stand Before You, So Unseen
And Only Come When You Succeed.
I'm Everything You Need And More.
I'm Deadly Sin Number Four.

[Assistant]
~Reika Kuroke~

---

Reika sighed as Owari finally arrived to their meeting spot before she then proceeded to barrage her with talk of emotion, or the lack of it. Honestly, everyone knew that the pompous little Egyptian had a thing a thing for the Student President. Flaunt all she wanted in school, not even the luxurious Owari could dream of catching the President's interest. That being said, Reika still considered the other girl a friend, as much she didn't like to show it.

"That's quite a decrease in word choice Mubarak-san. Usually you waste more than asingle breath in trying to persuade me in following pursuit of your underhanded tactics. Are you really Owari Mubarak? Or did someone finally catch your fancy for an autograph?"

The President's own words held little emotion to the air of which she spoke. Love was a complicated thing and something that she neither cared nor had the time for. But at least Owari was trying and that always amused Reika to an extent. Before the white-haired girl could reveal her own smirk, Owari turned away and headed in the direction of their third companion.

"…must we always be so daring?" she muttered, regretfully putting away her mid-afternoon lunch to calmly walk towards the roof. She took her time, unlike the others, before finally standing beside the other two students. A quick glance up confirmed the reddening of the sky, an obvious sign of things yet to come.

"So now what oh fearless leader?" she asked, glancing at Akane with a stoic face.

[User]
Kabeyama Chikage

Mounting her bike Chikage rode down to the arcade with some haste. She didn't like staying out after dark even though she knew a perfectly safe way back home. That and it wasn't as if Chikage had a lot of money to spend for games either: she had a budget of 1000 yen, plus whatever she had left over on her arcade card. If she ran out of money either she was going to go head back home, or maybe visit the bookstore to read manga. She heard there may be a new chapter of Berserk.

"Just master race things... Just master race things... Just master race things... You know Just master race things! OI M8!" Singing some American rap song she found from the internet Chikage rode down a hill and through an alley, over a bridge and past a park. A well worn path that she was very familiar with, and Chikage knew this path well enough to walk it blind. The lights here were bright and blue, and there were two police kiosk on this route. There was a railroad track that Chikage was going to have to go over, or even stop by if she was unlucky. And sure enough she could hear the train's whistle in the distance, signaling the inevitable wait. Chikage began to bike faster, singing harder as if she could make herself more efficient if she kept singing.

Unfortunately Chikage did not beat the train, and soon found herself waiting by the railroad tracks as the train ran before her. Sighing Chikage was content with waiting when suddenly there was a strange hooded woman next o her. "Kya!" Falling off her bike Chikage got defensive until she saw the woman was just some sort of fortune teller and not say, a mugger. She still seemed very shady. "More tarot cards? You're not friends with Midoki are you?" Picking up her bike Chikage was hesitant to accept the strange woman's deal. While there probably wasn't any harm in doing so, she didn't suspect this woman was here by chance. Something about this woman seemed... Off. Unnatural. Chikage would almost dare say magical. But perhaps that's just the sort of charm such a street performer would want to make, wouldn't it?

But if this woman really was more than just a fortune teller, did Chikage really want to risk getting involved? After all she just wanted to go to the arcade. She didn't want to get involved in some grand conspiracy just because she didn't know better. But then again, if her father taught her anything, it's there there's no such thing as chance or coincidences: Only destiny and opportunity. Perhaps this was an opprotunity to do something great with her life. Unbelievable even. "What am I thinking? It's just picking cards." Without much fanfare Chikage reached out and picked up a card. Judgement. "I seem to be getting this card a lot... What does this mean?" Chikage showed the woman her tarot card.

All the while Chikage was blissfully unaware of the changes going on around her. The red skies, the enlarged moon, the never-ending train, Chikage did not know that she truly did step away from her reality into this new, horrifying experience.

[Assistant]
Nadeshiko Kakyoku
"Let us pass, let us pass~" A soft voice could be heard signing gently, along with the sound of a violin being played. Nadeshiko, eyes half closed, her movement gentle and graceful. "Where does this narrow path lead~?"

Almost as if deliberately cue, when suddenly the strange hooded woman was almost waiting in front of her right after the second line of the song. Glancing down at the card, Shiko slowly placed her hand on it, before picking it up. Counting to five, she quickly flip the card around. "The Temperance..." Looking at the card in surprise, she turned her gaze towards the hooded woman. At least, she had attempted to. What was once the mysterious lady, was now nothing but an empty space, as if this had been nothing but a dream. However, Shiko knew it wasn't a dream. After all, she could still feel the air lightly brushing past her, the smoothness of the card held in her hand, and the weight of the violin in her other.

Shifting her eyes down to the card once more, the girl smiled bitterly. "Temperance...a very fitting card, it seems." With a sigh, she pocketed the card, and left her seat.


[System]
Age: 17

Supernatural Race: Fae/Changeling

Ethnicity/Race: Caucasian

Appearance: Fable is of medium height, but extremely pale and thin, to the point that she seems unhealthy. Her hair, in contrast, is very black, and quite long. She tends to wear darker clothes and makeup, and while her right eye is steel-grey, her left is a bright green that seems extremely out of place on her.

Personality: Fable, despite possessing a strange kind of charisma, is deeply wounded inside and hates any kind of reference to her past. Though normally relatively confident and collected, she is prone to violent outbursts of anger, especially when this subject is brought up. Most of the time, though, she seems fine, if a little strange - somewhat quiet and reserved yet still somehow charming. Of course, people who know her heritage are rarely surprised by this. Aside from that, she also seems a little anxious all the time. People who pay attention will notice her scanning for exits in any room or building, and staying close to one whenever possible.

History: Fable is a Changeling, an unwanted Fae child who, as a baby, was secretly swapped with a human child, to be raised by a human family. However, in Fable's case, she wasn't swapped. Her human mother, Diana, caught Fable's biological mother in the process. Fable's mother fled, leaving Fable but not taking the human child that Fable was meant to replace. Diana ended up raising the children as twins - Fable and her "sister", Elise, were almost totally identical in appearance, except for Fable's strange green eye.
It was as the children were growing up that Elise took an interest in the supernatural. Initially, it was a simple interest, but eventually she discovered a group of people called the Hunters. She joined (in the loosest sense of the word - she interacted with and was taught by Hunters, little more) them at the age of 12, and after a few months she felt she trusted Fable enough to tell her, and attempt to recruit her too. She succeeded.
Over the following years, the sisters' education by the Hunters only got more significant. Their grades dropped, and their prior interests were forgotten as they were radicalised to hate the Supernaturals, both unaware of Fable's nature as a Changeling. At the age of 15, they took part in their first hunt. They killed a vampire, together, with an elder Hunter guiding and protecting them.
The pair continued to track and kill Supernaturals together as time went on, whenever they had free time. Their parents worried about them, of course, but the sisters were long gone by this point, metaphorically speaking - they were fanatics, only death could stop them. However, nearly three months ago, Diana died of an illness that she'd kept secret so far in order to protect the sisters from the cruel reality a little longer. In her will, she left something for Fable, a letter. It was from this letter that Fable discovered her true parentage.
Fable fled her home. Within the hour, Elise found the same letter and took on a new hunt, one she has been enacting to this day. Each sister knows the other's methods well, and making it extremely difficult for either to defeat the other. For the most part, Fable has managed to evade Elise. On the few times they have met, is has only ended violently.

Strengths: Intelligence, charisma, weapons training, would make a surprisingly capable Hunter

Weaknesses: Fragile, no allies at present, burned by iron

Stance: Inactive - mostly just trying to survive

Special Power/Skill: A strange Fae power similar to a spell, which charms a person Fable is talking to, lasting for the remainder of the conversation. They will be left dazed, unable to think clearly, and will find themselves treating her better than they otherwise might.

Other:
* Fable still has a folding shortsword from her time as a Hunter.
* Fable is currently (illegally) staying in an otherwise-unoccupied room in one of the apartments.

Name: Elise Elwynder

Age: 17

Ethnicity/Race: Caucasian

Appearance: Elise isn't quite as pale or as thin as her sister, and she isn't heterochromic (both of Elise's eyes are that same shade of steel-grey), but otherwise, the pair look identical.

Personality: Elise's mind is cold and dark. An utter fanatic, she hates the Supernaturals, and Fable above all others. Sadistic and psychopathic, there is very little joy in her life, and what there is comes from the thrill of the hunt and the pleasure of the kill. She has none of her sister's charm; the best she can do is hide her worst qualities from people who would react poorly to them; she tends to come across as quiet and strange, and not in a nice way.

History: (Read Fable's backstory for earlier history) Elise was the first of the two sisters to become a Hunter. The group she joined was more like a cult, and years of brainwashing turned her into one of their must trusted agents, though her youth made her less capable. When she discovered that Fable was Supernatural, the very thing that they had been taught to hate, it was the ultimate betrayal, in Elise's mind. She made it her personal quest to kill Fable, and for the past three months or so, tracking down and destroying her twin has been all that's been on her mind.

Weapons: A folding shortsword, similar to Fable's, a hand crossbow, with both normal and iron bolts, and a net made of iron wire

Supernatural Target: Fae

Strengths: Combat training, dedication, intelligence, no moral doubt

Weaknesses: Socially repulsive, blunt, unable to compromise

Stance: Active

Other:
* Not much to say here.

[User]
Darnies found himself blinking as the Detective suddenly vacated his spot and made a beeline for the bathroom, leaving him and Chasa to stare at the empty seat for a second before returning their eyes to Harry and the man who set off the wards. Nervously, Darnies started using the blood from his arm to sketch a Barrier Sigil that covered the entire back area of the bar; the area more focused on the family aspect of the bar. If he could keep the barrier up, the few families and the bar's other regulars could get out the back door. The guy didn't seem to want a fight, or even know what type of bar he just walked into but Harry was unpredictable and-

-And his wards went off again, making him quicken his pace as the girl he swore he had just seen at the bar without setting off his wards announced herself and what she wanted. The Detective slid back into the booth and Darnies gave him an uneasy grin, not even bothering to cover up his little project.

"Ah, uh, Detective...I figured you'd leave after you went to the restroom," He said quietly, not wanting to draw either Hunters' attention anymore than Chasa coming over to protect him already did with the bloody man. Why did Mundanes always find out about the Supernatural this way when they were around him? Could he not introduce the idea to people peacefully?

"No," his mind supplied just as Harry turned around and immediately tried to make situations worse. "because if they weren't in possible danger then you'd never tell them in the first place.' He sighed, conceding to his mind's point as he finished up the ward just as the Hunter man revealed his own weapon.

Chasa was taut as a bowstring next to him. There was a shimmer in the air to show the barrier had been erected before it cleared again and all the Beings on the other side quickly made their way to the back exit, children huddled in the center for protection. Now all that was left were anyone in their booth, at the bar, or in the bathrooms.

"Chasa, protect the Detective."

Chasa shivered as Darnies's order took hold of her, and she felt almost betrayed; not because he gave her an order, but because he was giving her one to protect someone other than himself. "But Darn-"

"Chasa!" Darnies hissed, flipping the second latch on his cane to allow for the easy removal of his hidden blade should he need it. "He is a Mundane in a situation he doesn't understand, I need you to guard him. Get him out if he wants to leave, but don't let him fight or he'll die."

The order doubled and the Chai on her chest shimmered in response to the first True Command the young witch had ever used on her. He had always tried to tell her that she only had to listen to him or help him if she wanted, but he was giving her no wiggle room this time. She felt herself moving to the other side of the booth, leaving Darnies exposed and blocking the Detective from leaving his seat, her large body barring him from any possible bullets. Her thought process felt like it was halting; all she could bring to the front of her mind was, "Protect the Detective, guard him."

Darnies slid from the booth as Chasa stayed sentry by in front of the Detective. He felt guilt twist his stomach at having used her Nature against her wishes, but at least Darnies knew how most Hunters fought if it came down to it. As it was, the nineteen year old licked his lips nervously as he stood, leaning his weight on his cane fiddling with the bloody rag in his other hand.

"Librarian, I really don't think Bec would appreciate another fight in her bar today," Darnies avoided using Harry's name even as he made a last ditch attempt at peace, but kept his personal shield around him just in case. He doubted either Hunter had bullets to kill witches- they rarely do, these days, with him being the only one left. He absentmindedly wondered if the Hunters had any bets on who would take the last True Witch out. He still didn't want to take the chance of not having his shields up. "Let's all just agree to leave the bar alive and live to fight each other some other day." He let his power surface and the crescent moon appeared below his left eye as the air around him took on a green shimmer to reveal both the strength of his magic and the shield he had around him. Chasa's eyes and tattoo shimmered in response to the display of power. He addressed the Hunters in the same calm tone, but his eyes held warning.

"I don't think you two are equipped to fight what's left in this bar."

[Assistant]
Rebecca quickly whipped up Harry's drink, as well as Scott's meal. "Here you go, loves. Enjoy, and don't forget to tip." Then, the shit hit the fan. Oh, boy. I'd hoped it would never come to this, but it seems that it has.

Taking off her necklace, Rebecca revealed her true form in all its gory glory. Even in this sort of company, a walking corpse was probably the sort of thing that would attract everyone's attention. Her voice was a low growl, lacking any sort of warmth. "Ladies, gentlemen- though it seems there's not a representative of either here- I don't know if you saw the incident a few minutes ago, but I refuse to tolerate any fighting in my establishment. That goes double for hunters and supernaturals. I suggest you find a nice, peaceful way to settle your problems, because the first person to do something is going to have to deal with me. I could always use a zombie thrall."

[User]
It all happened so fast.

The first thing he noticed when walking back was that everyone had started taking out weapons. When he slid into the booth, he saw Darnies doing...something. Something that he had never seen anyone do before. Before he could question anything, Darnies ordered Chasa to protect him. Why does he mean by 'mundane'? Watching her move to block him from leaving, he noticed that her chest was glowing. "What the hell is going on?" He asked, to nobody in particular. He could only listen with confusion as everyone spoke, as he was unable to see what was happening.

What was a Hunter, or a Supernatural? Why was the owner talking about zombie thralls? He didn't know, but he could tell that a fight was about to break out. Looking at Chasa, he gave her a desperate look. "The police are on their way. If they don't stand down, it's going to get ugly." He would have asked her what was happening, but everything was moving so fast that he didn't even think of it. "Tell them that. Maybe that will get them to stop." Maybe they would run away, if they knew the police were coming. Then, he could track down the perps and get them into custody without worrying about civilian casualties. And then, he could ask what the hell was happening here.

[Assistant]
Elise frowned in response to the bald scum's ominous threat. It thought that it could kill her, and she had no doubt that it wanted to. That was the thing with Supernaturals: they could be reasonable if it would keep them alive, but ultimately their only purpose had always been to cause harm to others. It deserved death, but she could not give it that while more were present. A group of them might stand a chance against her, and more would be destroyed in the long run if she lived now. Thus, she had no desire for conflict, so did her best to play the bald monster's game.

"Really?" she asked it. "I think the Librarian could use something to set himself straight. Faith, I've found... it gives a certain sense of purpose. Helps a person focus on what's important."

---

Fable was searching for a way out. The only door lead back into the main room of the bar. The window, well, it was a bathroom window. Even though Fable could probably fit her small frame through it, this would not leave enough room to avoid cutting herself on the shards of glass that would be left if she were to break the window. Besides, she'd seen the other window already broken today; Rebecca didn't need to deal with another one. Of course, Fable could hide in a cubicle, but that would be far too obvious once Elise inevitably searched the room. The only viable option she could see was to go back into the main room and try to slip past Elise. Of course, she could try to kill her sister, but unlike her, Fable had lost no love for her twin when they'd been driven apart. She could see now that Elise was evil, but the thought of ending her life still seemed... difficult.

---

Elise found the situation funnier and funnier as more and more people got involved. All this posturing and threatening - typical Supernatural agression - and all she'd done was ask for someone. It was as if they were trying to provoke her, and in a way, they were. She was making mental notes of the faces (and, when she could, names) of everyone who seemed to be Supernatural in this room, something which was pathetically obvious by their hostility towards her and her Brother, the other Hunter.

Turning to Darnies, Elise said, simply "I'm not here to fight. I'm just looking for my sister. You people are right that I don't like you, but is that really my fault? I've walked into a bar and been threatened by a man with a gun, then everyone who involved themselves except that Japanese man has seemed to think I'm the problem here. Can you really blame me?"

Elise hated calling the creatures in this bar people. They weren't, and they should be thanking her for flattering them with such a term. But, of course, she was not in a tactically advantageous position here. She would have to play by their rules, or die.