[System]
[Appearance]

Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 124lbs
Gender:
Male
Age:
15

Personality: Ryoma is the quiet type, he'd much prefer the companionship of a good book than a person. But don't be mistaken, if you talk to him first, he'll talk back. A bit awkward but well meaning. He tends to be the calm voice of reason in any group. He's a great listener and doesn't judge people for their problems, if you need someone to vent to, he's your guy. He has this quiet confidence to him that lets people know he has confidence in his skills, but without shoving it in their faces.He's a calm, level headed person who can stay that way in most situations, prefering to analyze things rather than rush headlong into them. Though he comes off as the overly serious type, he doesn't stop others from having fun, he'll remove himself from a conversation if he feels like he's bringing down the mood of it.

Background: Ryoma grew up in the shadows of an older sister who's a famous hero. All eyes were on her, so nobody really expected much from him, which was how he liked it. He could go through life without his parents shoving expectations and pressure onto him. It was good thing too, because nobody was really disappointed when he discovered his Quirk, and everybody realize that it was pretty much useless for everything but a party trick. Despite his family's wealth, and his sister's influence, his parents could get him into a single academy. When they found out what his Quirk was, they laughed at his face and turned him away. They were relieved to find Kosei Academy, and the influence it had on Ryoma. When he wasn't turned away immediately, and even told that his Quirk could be very useful, and that they had classes for supportive type Quirks like his, he suddenly found himself a bit more excited about the prospect of a hero academy. His parents wasted no time in getting him signed up after that.

Quirk: Outline
You know that thing in stealth video games where you can see a glowing outline of the enemy through walls? That's basically what Ryoma can do. It doesn't matter if somebody is in his line of sight or not, near or further away, he can see that glowing outline. Even through most walls, with the exception of extra thick walls and certain types of metal. At the moment, the glowing outline is white, but as his Quirk develops and gets stronger he'll be able to see different colors around people, which can tell him whether the person is an ally or not, and various other things.

This Quirk isn't something that he can just turn on and off, it is always activated. Unfortunately, if he uses it too much, it blurs his vision and gives him headaches. The solution is a simple one, his glasses. The lens are made from a special material that basically nullifies his Quirk and allows him to chose when he uses it. The lens are none perscription, he has perfect vision, but they still aid his sight.

Talents and Skills:Due to a surprising amount of lean muscle, and a lot of training, Ryoma is very good at parkour and free running. He's able to run, jump, and climb his way into, out of, and on to just about anything. Because of his Quirk he's also pretty darn good at not being seen when he doesn't want to be. Great at analyzing situations, picking out weaknesses, and keeping his cool. He could be a great hero if only he could fight his way out of a wet paper bag.

Outside of the hero stuff, Ryoma loves to cook. Any friends he picks up during his stay at Kosei will certainly be well fed.

[User]
@yahoo3422@Tenma Tendo@TaliPaendrag@Superboy
As Dante trailed behind the others she took in the amazing campus. The buildings and the scenery were all.... a lot to take in honestly. She kept her head on a swivel, constantly looking at the next amazing thing that caught her eye. When they finally reached the training stadium Dante let out a low whistle. This place was huge, she could barely contain her excitement and she felt the fire in her grow.
[Cokor=maroon] "aw, man, this is gonna be AWESOME![/color]
As she said this she saw Eir drop some kind of stone thing that then shattered on the ground. .... what-... was that her quirk?
Dante shook her head, it didn't matter. Her opponent was Jefferson.
It was then that a new student joined them, And dear God was she short. It was actually kind of adorable, but Dante was somewhat afraid she would accidentally step on the girl. So Dante simply waved at her with a big smile revealing how excited she was. It was then that Eir told them that she knew where to go. Dante began to follow her, her excitement growing with each step.
"aw-man, this is going to be so much fun."

[Assistant]
From the moment Kosei Academy had come into view, Ryoma's odd purple eyes had been staring at it, taking in everything that the massive school had to offer. Thoughts were racing through his mind, he barely heard anything that was said during the opening ceremonies. What would people think about him when they heard his last name? Thank goodness he had his glasses. How was he supposed to become a hero with a Quirk like the one he had? Those any many more thoughts were going through his mind, but he tried to put his focus on the ceremony.

His lips curled into a frown when he heard about the ranking system. He definitely wasn't the type to go around challenging people for their rank, and it wasn't like he was going to outshine anybody in any other categories. Look like he'd stay a low rank for a while. But that was okay, he was lucky, and grateful, to be accepted into a hero academy at all. He just hoped he could make his sister proud.

Makoto Otonashi, a famous hero, legendary even, with a Quirk that made most people jealous. People of all ages looked up to her. Ryoma did to, but not because she was some amazing hero, but because she was an amazing big sister. Supportive in every way despite the fact that Ryoma's chances of becoming a hero were slim. When they had last spoken a few days ago, she was already talking about the two of them teaming up. Just the thought of that made Ryoma smile.

After the opening ceremony, they were given the chance to explore the campus and really do whatever they wanted. Ryoma instantly felt lost, he had absolutely no idea what to do or where to go. There were so many people going off any doing so many different things. He didn't want to just waltz up to someone and start a conversation, that really wasn't his thing. After a minute of thinking and looking lost, he decided on the perfect thing for him to do.

Ryoma found himself a nice, quiet, spot underneath a tree. He took a seat and pulled out a book from his messenger bag. The bag had been a joke gift from his sister. It was one of those messenger bags they made for a specific hero, this one being Makoto of course. She had even signed it. It was now Ryoma's favorite bag to carry around. The teen set the book on his legs and looked around, the sudden urge to try something rising up.

Curiously, Ryoma looked toward one of the smaller buildings. He reached up and removed his glasses from his face. His eyes were immediately assaulted by white. The familiar glow surrounded the people nearby, and the ones in the building he had chosen to look at. Ryoma let out a whistle. There were a lot of people here and just in that one area. "There are so many people here..." Once again, Ryoma was so glad that he had his glasses. Already his vision was starting to blur.

He put his glasses back on and blinked a few times as his vision readjusted. Now that he had gotten that out of the way, his turned his purple gaze to the book on his legs. Here he was at this massive school full of people with Quirks just like him, and the first thing he wants to do is read. His sister was right, the glasses suited him for more reason than one.

[User]
Hironaka, Severa
First Impressions@NobodiesHero

---

The opening ceremony was less pomp and pageantry than what Severa was expecting, especially considering the rather aristocratic architecture of this place. Just a few speeches by the leadership and everybody was released to do.. whatever they wanted. It was a horrible start to what seemed like a promising prospect. Kosei had a reputation for being more.. aggressive in their Hero training courses than the other academies, and if Severa was going to make up excessive aggression from the previous entrance exam, this was the place for it.

All throughout the introductory speeches, Severa's fiery red eyes lulled with boredom as she crossed her arms, zoning out as she thought up fantasy where she was praised as the number one hero. A bit ambitious but it was just where Severa was setting her mark as she knew she had a good quirk to do well. It was just a matter of proving it.

Severa's daydream ended shortly after the dismissal as everyone around her began moving around. It provided a good opportunity to try and identify some of the people here as anyone likely in her class will have been here by now. Though even her scan of her classmates was found to be lacking as Severa could have sworn a friend of hers would also be here. At least that brat said she would.

Aggravated but out of a stubborn resolve, Severa separated from the group of fresh students and headed for landmark to prop herself up against. In this instance, she found a clearing of landscaping and leaned up against one of the trees as she scanned the cluster of students, arms crossed as she stewed quietly in her quiet aggravation.

More to her annoyance, the new students took their time parting and heading off, most to the training facilities as that was probably the most significant part of this campus. As they did so, Severa's eyes followed an eager group making their way away, catching the distinct figure of someone sitting in proximity to her. Severa turned fully to see a scrawny four-eyes reading. He looked too young to be a part of the staff or even an upperclassmen. No, this was certainly a new student. "Tch!" Severa quietly scoffed turning her gaze back to thinning cluster of new students. ".. What? That confident in yourself that you're going to do well in the competitions or resigning yourself early?" Severa asked Four-Eyes, her mind only settling that people on her notion that people are here to compete and not necessarily anything else. Her tone wasn't mocking either, though her anger at other things was certainly present in her voice. As she was curious to why someone would be so lax at this time. She wouldn't admit it, but she certainly wasn't.

[Assistant]
---

---

KOSEI ACADEMY | FRONT GATE

As soon as the gates of the academy opened, majority of the students wasted no time and rushed in. It was no surprise though; it wasn't everyday that one gets the opportunity to freely explore such an institution. Standing beside the podium, Principal Arata silently watched as the students gleefully entered the school grounds. The awkward silence and empty streets of Kosei were no more; they were finally an academy.

"Excuse me, sir." From behind him, the Vice Principal approached him and called his attention. "I mean no disrespect, but are you sure that letting the students do whatever they please for, even if its just for today, is the right decision?"

Arata simply turned his gaze upwards and smiled. He always found it amusing when she questioned the choices that he made. It was certainly out of character, but it only meant that she was genuinely concerned.

"We're just a bit fanatical when it comes to our values. All we wish is to show the world that there are other ways. Because kids today just have their values chosen for them."

The Vice Principal fell silent as she heard Arata's words. For some reason, his voice had changed; it was heavy and felt oddly depressing. "My father was a detestable man, I'll admit that. But even with his cynical way of thinking, their was merit to some of his words."

INSTITUTE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION
@yahoo3422@Tenma Tendo@TaliPaendrag@Superboy@Araby264

The group of six continued their exploration of the training facility in their hopes of finding a boxing ring they could spar in. From the main hallway, they came across a massive weight room, and another with various exercise equipment, before heading further inside the building. Little did they know, what they were seeing was just the metaphorical tip of the metaphorical iceberg. However, even with just these amenities, it they were certain that Kosei was true to their promise and definitely had a lot to offer to their students.

After a turn and a short stairway, they had managed to stumble upon the ever elusive ring they were searching for, kind of. It was a massive room, but instead of one that was used for boxing, it held nine pentagon-shaped rings; four on each corner and side, then a larger one in the middle. Just from appearance alone, it was obvious that these were far from ordinary. Appearing bulkier and with a more metallic feel to them, the rings were designed to hold and withstand any type of fight.

Slowly making their way inside to appreciate the fighting arenas up close, a deep, loud howl suddenly echoed throughout the room. Most, if not all, immediately turned around, facing the source of the sound.

"Wanahnahnahnah!" With two lit cigarettes hanging from his mouth, and another in hand, the massive wolf-like man laughed out loud as a few puffs of smoke escaped from his mouth.

"Finally, some students!" The wolf said as he made his way towards them. As he drew closer, the difference in size just became more apparent as he easily towered over each one of them.

"The name's Mako Nahino, and this is the academy's main trainin' center!" His face was stern and voice booming, but for some reason, he gave of a welcoming vibe. "Since y'all are here, I'm guessin' that you're hopin' for a fight." Mako grinned, showing off his sharp fangs. "So, anything I can help ya with?"

---

---


[System]
Age: 14
Hometown: Ecruteak City
Appearance (pic preferred):

Starter:
Bio: Shiranui had developed a fascination with fox-like Pokémon from watching the Kimono Sisters performing during his childhood. His favourite Pokémon are Espeon, Umbreon, Delphox, Zoroark and Ninetales. He is generally kind, but has a low tolerance to those who speak ill of his likes. He had been inspired to go on a Pokémon journey ever since he spotted Ho-oh taking off from the Bell Tower at age 8, later catching it during his journey through Johto along with two of the three Legendary Beasts.

He had won the title of Top Coordinator in the Hoenn Grand Festival, second place in the Hoenn League Conference and is now back in Kanto to take on the Battle Frontier as well as the Kanto Contest circuit.

[User]
"Begin!" Lillian announced.
"Sylveon!" Confetti burst from the ball as Sylveon emerged.

[Assistant] "Sapphire, I choose you!" Lots of black streamers, iridescent sparkles and black smoke came out of Sapphire's ball. The smoke coalesced into Shiranui's Sableye.

[User] "Start with Shadow Ball!" Liam ordered.

[Assistant] "Sapphire, time to play catch! Use Fling!" Sapphire caught the Shadow Ball and infused it with dark energy. The move turned into a six-pointed shuriken and Sapphire threw it back at Sylveon.

[User] "Throw it back!" Liam called. Sylveon caught it with one of her ribbons and flung it back, nicking herself in the process.

[Assistant] "Use Poison Jab to hit it back!" Sapphire's fist glowed a putrid purple colour as she wound up and punched the attack back. The combined attack took on a putrid sheen of purple.

[User] "Protect!" Liam called. A Green shield was summoned and it absorbed the poisonous attack.

[Assistant] "Sapphire, Power Gem! Mega Ring activate!" Shiranui activated his Mega Ring and Sapphire was enveloped in an orb. When the orb shattered, Sapphire sported larger fin-like ears, ruby red jewel ryes and the now-Mega Sableye was holding a pink Rupee-like crystal in front of her that was taller than her own height. Sparkly pink light issued from Sapphire's crystal heading straight for Sylveon.

[User] "Dazzling Gleam!" Liam ordered. Sylveon was hit and than fired her own blast.

[Assistant] Koneko defeated both Pidgey's that the lass had and the twins continue further down, reaching another pokemon centre, where they heal their pokemon.

[User] Sapphire used her crystal to block Sylveon's attack and despite getting hit by some of it, the crystal converted the light it did refract into pink laser beams that emitted out of the vertices.

[Assistant] 'Impressive." Liam said. "Now Moonblast!"

[User] "Protect!" Sapphire hid behind her crystal and the Moonblast struck the crystal, making it glow brightly.

[Assistant] "Iron Tail into Shadow Ball!" Sylveon made the Shadow Balls and after briefly juggling them with her ribbons, she used those ribbons to slam them toward Crystal with Iron Tail.

[User]
The twins enter the cave to instantly be greeted by Zubats on their first step in. "What is going on?" Neko said swiping his hand trying to get the Zubats away. The two eventually try to run and end up seeing a trainer.

"We don't have the time for this." Neko replied to the trainer continuing to run. They manage to find a staircase that they end up climbing down. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know but I think we should find the exit to the cave. Hopefully soon."

[Assistant] "Use the light you gathered and fire a Power Gem!" Sapphire pointed her crystal at the incoming Shadow Balls and fired a bright pink laser blast complete with sparkles.

[User] The Shadow Balls were destroyed and Liam lost a good chunk of his points. He called for Moonblast.

[Assistant] "Protect into Confuse Ray!" Sapphire used her crystal to absorb the Moonblast and then the crystal let off a bright pink flash.

[User] "Dazzling Gleam!" Liam called. The flash of light shined through the Confuse Ray.

[Assistant] Sapphire was hit for a lot of damage. "Ride your crystal and use Poison Jab!" The Mega Sableye got on her crystal and used Psychic to levitate it, using it like a hoverboard. Sapphire's fist glowed a putrid purple as she charged at Sylveon.

[User] Sylveon was hit. Time was close to running out, and Liam had fewer points. He had to do something quickly. "Grab the crystal!" Sylveon attempted to grab the crystal out from under her opponent.

[Assistant] "Power Gem!" Sapphire lay on her crystal as Sylveon grabbed it. The crystal unleashed a sparkly ray of light at a point blank range.

[User] Sylveon took the hit. She was on her last leg. The timer was about to expire. "Swift into Moonblast!" Sylveon conjured the stars until they formed together into a huge one. Moonblast was fired into it, causing it to rupture, the countless stars engulfed in Fairy Energy. The impact of which would hurt Crystal, even if the stars themselves didn't.

[Assistant] Sapphire was bombarded by the transformed stars and when the judges saw her revert to her normal form, a buzz was heard as they declared a knockout.

[User] "Crystal the Sabeleye has been knocked out, that means that the Pewter ribbon goes to 'Dragon Master' Liam Coleman!" Lillian calls. The audience cheered. Liam called Jiriya out to stand center stage with Liam and Sylveon to accept the ribbon. After the ceremonies, Liam went to have his Pokémon healed.

[Assistant] Shiranui had his healed and looked over the map that Scott had given him. "Liam, our first Frontier facility is just off Route 4 and not that far from Mt. Moon," he stated, "Also, Scott only marked six facilities on this map."

[User] "Well, I'm sure they can tell us about the last facility at the Factory." Liam said as their Pokémon were brought back, fully healed. "Shall we go on through Mt. Moon?"

[Assistant] "Sure," answered Shiranui, "We might run into the twins again."

[User] "Well, let's go than." Liam said. Meanwhile, a kid came running into the enter carrying a battered Wartortle.

[Assistant] Shiranui left and made his way along Route 3.

[User] Liam followed. Along the way, the came across a trainer running toward town carrying an unconscious Krabby in his arms. He stopped and told the heroes to be careful.

[Assistant] "Did they try their luck at the Battle Factory?" Shiranui inquired to Liam.

[User] "The Battle what?" The kid asked. "No, there's a tough Pokémon back there near the entrance of Mt. Moon."

[Assistant] "We'll take care of that," Shiranui said to the kid. He was curious as to what the Pokémon would be.

[User] Liam quickly looked at the Krabby. He gave the trainer a Max Revive and some medicine. "Give these to Krabby and let it get some rest." Liam said. He hurried after Shiranui. Liam wondered what Pokémon it was that seriously hurt that Krabby.

[Assistant] Shiranui arrived near the entrance to Mt. Moon.

[User] Liam caught up and began to look. He didn't see any Pokémon or humans around. "It must be hiding." Liam commented. As he stepped forward, A figure leapt from behind a rock and nearly smashed Liam's arm with an Iron Tail. It was a Charmander. "I bet this is what that kid was talking about." Liam said. "Jiriya!" The Greninja emerged. The Charmander tried to use Iron Tail to strike Jiriya in the head. Jiriya used a Power up punch to the Charmander's gut. It was on the ground stunned by how swiftly the air was knocked out of it. Liam grabbed a Luxury Ball and tossed it at the Charmander. It was sucked in and it began to wiggle as Charmander tried to break free.

[Assistant] "That must be a strong Charmander if it could beat a Krabby and a Wartortle despite type disadvantage," commented Shiranui.

[User] The ball pinged shut. Liam walked up and collected the ball. Liam went to the nearby Pokémon Center. Liam altered his team to give space for the Charmander and handed Charmander, whom he nicknamed Smaug and Jiriya over for healing.

[Assistant] "Great catch," praised Shiranui, glad that trainers can enter Mt. Moon without too much trouble.

[User] "Shall we move on?" Liam asked.

[Assistant] "Indeed we shall," answered Shiranui.

[User] The heroes ventured into Mt. Moon. It was dark inside. Liam decided to have Smaug light the way. Smaug turned his nose up to the notion.

[Assistant] "We have a disobedient Pokémon here," Shiranui commented.

[User] Liam sighed. "Smaug return" The Charmander side stepped the beam. He than turned around and pulled on the bottom of his right eye and stuck his tongue out at the heroes. He ran off further into the cave. Liam decided to run after him, now using a flash light.

[Assistant] "Titania, help us out!" Shiranui sent his Gardevoir out and the two joined Liam in his pursuit. He was getting the feeling Smaug had been abandoned.

[User] There was a frightened cry of "Charr!" In the distance. Liam found that Smaug was being attacked by a swarm of Zubat. Liam lunged into the swarm, and began to swat them away.

[Assistant] "Titania, use Psychic on those Zubat!" The Gardevoir waged a mental onslaught with every Zubat in the swarm.

[User] Smaug noticed that Liam had jumped in to protect him. The Charmander started to respect Liam a little. "Are you alright Smaug?" Liam asked. "Char" Smaug said curtly.

[Assistant] "That sounds more like sass than gratitude," stated Shiranui. Titania was keeping a wary eye on Smaug.

[User] "Well, the more I see of Smaug, the more I think that he has had a troubled past." Liam said. "While it doesn't make how he's acting alright, it make it understandable as to why he does act that way."

[Assistant] "All it'll take is time and a bit of rehabilitation," Shiranui replied, agreeing with Liam's point.

[User] "Well, we'll get there." Liam said. Smaug was standing there waiting while the humans conversed.

[Assistant] "You feeling alright?" Titania asked Smaug.

[User] "I don't trust humans. This one that caught me seems to be nice, but foolish." Smaug replied in his mind. The part that Smaug wouldn't tell Titania was that he remembers his mom was held by a poacher. She distracted the poacher so he could get away. He heard a loud crack, followed by his mother roaring in pain, followed by a thud. Since that he had encountered four cruel humans. He than decided to set up a home here and tried to keep himself from being hurt.

[Assistant] "You sound like a Ralts I met a year back," stated Titania, seeing Smaug's memory of the poachers in his mind, "Your new trainer is very capable of taking care of Pokémon, being the son of the honourable family of Nurse Joys that run every Pokémon Centre around the world. My trainer on the other hand has a Pokémon who had the worst start to life you could imagine and it was here in Mt. Moon that he turned over a new leaf and pledged his loyalty to him." The Gardevoir shuddered in fear at the mention of Shiranui's strongest Pokémon.

[User] Smaug was not happy about his personal thoughts being invaded. He decided to simply light the way as Liam had asked.

[Assistant] Titania decided to wait until the time was right before she divulged Smaug's backstory to Liam. Shiranui saw Smaug start complying with Liam's order.

[User] In the distance, Liam saw two figures in the distance, but there wasn't enough light for Liam to discern who it was ahead.

[Assistant] Shiranui however had better night vision thanks to his ninja training and was able to make out who was up ahead.


[System]
Race: Bangaa

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Appearance:
Li is a muscular Bangaa of average height with pale purple and white scales and sharp, reptilian features. His ears are of flat and medium length with two piercings. Despite his less civilized sea rat roots, Li carries himself with a proud and upright posture that makes him seem a bit taller than he really is. Despite his sharp teeth and a long tongue, Li's default expression is a toothy grin that looks almost a bit doofy and conveys a strange amount of warmth. His accent is particularly thick, and he's very heavy on the S's (even for a Bangaa).

Job: Soldier

Clothing/Armor: Li tends to keep his armor on the lighter side considering he's a sailor first and a soldier second, but he wears enough to keep himself safe while on the job. Aside from a spiked neck plate held in place by a leather harness, Li wears a pair of heavy cloth trousers with metal shin plates supported by an armored belt. Li's hands and forearms are protected by metal gauntlets with articulated fingers and sharp claws, although he prefers not to wear these when he's not in battle.

Weapons: Li's not a particularly experienced warrior and up to this point he's not yet felt the need to acquire a well crafted weapon or even take care of the one he has. Li's trusty blade is nothing more than a beat up old machete that hasn't had a proper sharpening for a good long while. Nevertheless, it gets the job done and it has yet to let Li down. It is sheathed at his waist, attached to his belt in a rudimentary scabbard that's no more than a few loops of old leather. Li's only other weapon is a small knife he keeps tucked in the fold of his armored belt, nestled in the small of his back. While it is only a simple fisherman's knife meant to gut fish and cut lines, it is still sharp and can be used in a pinch if Li is disarmed.
Machete

Inventory: Li is a simple country Bangaa and has few possessions to his name, most of which are kept in a small cloth satchel he slings across his back when he's not in battle.

* Water Canteen (satchel)
* Flask of cheap rum (satchel)
* Map of Ivalice's western coast (satchel)
* Wallet (kept in the fold of his belt, tucked in his waistband)
* Bandages (satchel)
* A length of fishing line (satchel)
* A broach made of coral, received as a gift from his mother (satchel)

Attributes:

* HP: A-
* MP: E
* Attack: C+**
* Defense: B+
* Magic: D-
* Resist: C*
* Speed: C**

Abilities:
~Rush~ (Tier 2, Physical)
In a sudden, visceral movement, the user dashes forward and delivers a lunging two handed overhead blow with all their might. The sudden unexpected burst of speed and strength will catch most opponents off guard if implemented at the right time. Even if the blocked, the blow is of such strength that it will often throw the opponent off balance and break their stance, and if it connects outright, it has a tendency to knock the opponent of their feet completely. However, the maneuver is tiring and becomes easier to dodge if it is predicted, meaning repeated use of the Rush is ill advised. Considering it is an unsubtle and inelegant maneuver, experienced swordsmen will find this technique telegraphed and unrefined, especially if the user's speed stat is relatively low.

~Vicious Bite~ (Passive, Tier 1)
Your character's strong jaw and sharp teeth allow them to inflict painful bite wounds on opponents in battle, and also lets them bite through wood, leather, thick rope, and some other solid objects with ease.

Personality: Li grew up an easy-going if unmotivated Bangaa with simple tastes and humble aspirations, but upon reaching young adulthood he developed a taste for adventure and exploration that made him into a much more outgoing person, but to a certain degree he's still something of a hapless country bumpkin to this day. Li grew up among entirely Bangaa in his small fishing town, and as such he is perhaps overly wary of the cultural variety of Ivalice and its many intricacies. He is in particular very suspicious of magicians, as he was brought up thinking magic was the work of monsters and dark spirits, a common belief among rural Bangaa (who are mostly warriors with little magical proficiency). He is fascinated by people with interesting stories despite his sheltered upbringing, and he currently endeavors to see if this clan business will help him create some legendary tales of his own. Li can be abrasive and blunt at times, as he has a rather plain way of articulating his thoughts, but he makes a genuine effort to treat others well if he thinks they deserve his kindness. He respects seasoned adventurers and strong warriors above all else.

Backstory: Li'Kemnon was born to a fisherman and his wife in the small fishing town of Gallowmere, located about a day's ride from the mouth of the Ulei River on the Western Coast of Ivalice. An unremarkable hamlet in its own right, one of the few reasons why anyone would pass through Gallowmere was to ride the ferry across the river, although the construction of a bridge half a day's ride further inland made the ferry nearly obsolete. Li grew up enjoying his simple life as a fisherman's son, and although his family was poor and he had very little, he was content with the idea of becoming a fisherman himself and living out a quiet life like his father before him. Sailing up and down the river and spending relaxing evenings fishing and drinking rum with his friends seemed to be enough for the young Bangaa. While he enjoyed stories of Bangaa heroes slaying monsters and going on adventures, he knew in his heart that he wasn't meant for that kind of life.

On one lazy afternoon on the river, Li ran into an old wayfarer who asked him for passage across the river. A wise and mysterious Nu Mou, the man immediately recognized Li's surname, claiming that he had once heard of Li's father, Bal'Kemnon, back during the golden age of clans in Ivalice. Apparently Li's father was more than just an old fisherman from a no-name river town; he was once the leader of a notorious pirate clan who sailed the seas looking for treasure and adventure, although back then he went by the name of Captain Bikke. Shocked that his father would keep such a secret from him, Li returned home that night with more questions than ever.

Reluctantly, Li's father shared his tale for the first time since he'd given up piracy. He was indeed the famous Captain Bikke, although he found his deeds to be far less glamorous than the old sailor tales made them out to be. He explained that he gave up his life sailing the seas because of a fateful voyage that cost many of his faithful crew members their lives. Bal had insisted that the crew set out to slay the mythical sea serpent, Leviathan, in order to bring great honor to the crew and have their names go down in history forever. Despite the reservations of his crew, they set out after Leviathan and attempted to defeat the beast. The attempt failed miserably, however, and nearly half of the crew died in the ensuing battle. After such a tragedy, brought on by his own hubris, Captain Bikke dissolved the crew and went into hiding, taking up residence in Gallowmere to live out the rest of his days in peace.

Rather than being disgusted or ashamed of his father, Li was strangely invigorated by his father's lamentations. He now knew that he had the blood of a true adventurer flowing through his veins, and he endeavored to create his own stories of adventure and renown to live up to his father's legacy. Against his father's wishes, Li left Gallowmere and sailed for the city of Cyril, leaving his home behind in search of glory and excitement. It was at this point that he realized he knew very little of Ivalice, as he had rarely dared to venture far from his home until now. At the advisement of another traveler he met on the road to Cyril, Li decided to form an adventuring clan to help him get off the ground. Whether these errant adventurers would be the motley crew that would help him put his name in the history books or simply be a handful of grunts he'd dump once they stopped being useful had yet to be seen.

Wallet: After the long journey to Cyril, Li's already paltry savings have dwindled down to 20 gil, all in silver coins.

[User] Chapel merely shrugged "I have more or less just summed up my entire life up to this point. It might not have been a very exciting or eventful life, but it was my life, and I wouldn't trade it for any other in the world." Was his simple answer. While the no show mage was a little upsetting, it seemed that the others here were decent people. 'We might have just met, but I can see myself working with these people for quite sometime. Although...Brother Moni always did say I could be overly optimistic. I hope we don't run into any bandits, since I doubt we could talking things out peaceful. No use complaining about it now I suppose.'

[Assistant] Sarina raised her hand like a schoolgirl, "Oh I have a weird snake companion! Her name is Kashaka." She tapped Kashaka's head lightly to wake her up. Kashaka rippled and 'stood' on top of Sarina's head looking at her new-ish companions. She simply yawned exposing her small fangs and then slithered down and resumed her more comfortable position around Sarina's neck. "She's super sweet and my best friend. Uhm, other than that I can do a little magic and I'm here to learn more about, well everything." she said cheerily. Sarina hoped Chapel was right, she wasn't sure how'd she react if they had to get into a fight. All she could do was hope that they didn't. If they did well... she would figure it out then.

[User]
Moguri thought for a second on what Li had asked him. Had he known in chocobo rustlers? He couldn't recall any if he had. Honestly, Moguri was best suited for thief-combat because of his dexterity and sleight of hand. He really hadn't established a name for himself as any sort of criminal, and certainly wasn't familiar with any chocobo bandits in Baguba. However, he was just as unfamiliar with Cyril in general. The recent startup of clans had drawn back the airship business in that area. Moguri's first trip had been this one. "I hate to be unhelpful but I can't say that I do. If it was anyone serious though I'm sure we would know who it was, kupo." After speaking to Li, the group boarded Mr. Klauser's wagon and began their journey.

Moguri listened quietly to the others' brief description of their introduction to clan life before beginning his own story. At first he was unsure how to go about explaining his situation, as he could not recall the majority of it. He decided to start at the last place he remembered. "I used to be an airship mechanic, kupo. My last flight I was working on becoming full fledged mechanic. We were flying to Cyril to deliver...something, I don't recall what, but it was important. Next thing I remember was waking up here, injured and...without a crew. I decided to try something different. And here I am, kupo. The last 'kupo' sounded more like a sigh than enthusiasm. As he finished, Moguri placed his head in his hands and let out a quiet "Kuuuupooooo....". His pom pom drooped as he covered his eyes momentarily, partially to wipe away tears, and partially so his fellow adventurers wouldn't see. Unconsciousness had made it an easy thing to forget. But it was much harder, more painful, to remember.

[Assistant] Speaking her thoughts again, but speaking clearly enough for all to hear her aloud thoughts."so there we have it" she mused. "A guild-daughter, a pacifist, a magical snake charmer, and a mechanic-turned-thief. Then our guildmaster. Plus a no-show mage. What a bunch we are." Realizing she spoke her mind aloud and it was loud enough for all to hear, Cecelia covered her mouth with the hand her chin was resting on as her eyes grew wide and looked around.


[System]
Minus the purple eyes, just make them brown

5'9'' or 175cm

Hearsay: According to his peers, Jeremy keeps to himself a lot, so there are mostly just rumors about him. He gets extremely defensive of people looking at what he's doing on his laptop, leading others to believe he may be doing illegal activities on it. He rarely participates in class, but the times where the professors call out on him, it's shown that he's very knowledgeable. He's nowhere to be seen on campus during the weekends, even though he has a dorm. His roommate, Douglas, usually complains about getting woefully cold during the night when Jeremy sleeps even though the heat works in the dorm. People generally tend to avoid him because of this, but he's sometimes caught looking lonely in front of his laptop.

[User]
Jeremy raised an eyebrow when she didn't instantly greet him as per usual, but instantly understood when he looked at her phone. It was hilarious- the many bugs that came from a Bethesda game on release were always hilarious. A lot of their discussions about Skyrim or Fallout turned into glitch-swapping parties, like an elderly nord who glitched through the floor or absurd model stretching. Needless to say, it earned a laugh from him without any further explanation.

"Really? I'm not sure whether to be surprised or impressed," he commented, staring up at the ceiling with her. She did have a point, though. Between Rena's expertise and Douglas's suggestions, the two had been pretty much everywhere on campus and the surrounding shops. It wasn't that they didn't have money, though, he could guarantee that. She was sighing like something was troubling her, which made him worried. Maybe she's finally had enough of him?

Regardless of his suspicions, he truly wasn't expecting the question that followed all of this. Wanna go to my place? Come to think of it, she did live off campus, but... what? Jeremy wasn't completely dense anymore. Was she implying that they...?

No. He wasn't going to allow himself to get flustered in front of her when he wasn't even certain that was it. She outright said she didn't like him like that, but that was a month ago. Still, maybe she just wanted to show him her gaming setup or something stupid like that... Yeah, that seemed a lot more likely, especially since every mention of dating from her was a joke. She couldn't possibly see him in that way if she still joked like that... right?

Jeremy turned to look at her and nodded after looking like he was deep in thought for a few seconds. "Sure, that sounds good to me," he said, giving her a smile.

[Assistant]
"Cool... cool. Was all Rena responded with, it really wasn't a big deal as she thought, although she did notice his very slight hesitation, or maybe it was all her imagination? An exaggerated grunt accompanied her as she rose from the chair, she then retrieved a red backpack, this time she actually had her belongings on her. "Come along then, it's not far but we still got a walk ahead of us." She waited until Jeremy was ready to move out before leading the way out of the library.

---

Some thirty minutes later the pair arrived at their destination, as Rena said it wasn't too far distance wise, but navigating the city streets make the trip a good deal longer. Rena's home was unsurprisingly an apartment complex it didn't look much, actually in fact it practically was a glorified motel by appearances alone. There were a total of five floors so certainly it wasn't a small building, unfortunately there wasn't a working elevator, the only one was closed for maintenance at the moment. "We have to use the stairs, but hey you're not too out of shape right?" Rena threw the remark over her shoulder, of course with a smile like always.

Rena climbed up to the third floor, a few times glancing back to make sure Jeremy was keeping up and didn't do something stupid like get lost. It wouldn't be wrong to say she was somewhat feeling anxious, much more than usual, but the reason was pretty obvious really. When they arrived on the right floor the girl continued down the hall, a line of doors were on the left and to the right was nothing more than a safety railing that looked out to the city beyond, the only thing that separated them from the ground far below. Rena stopped when she reached the fourth door, room 304.

"Well... here it is, now a fair warning it isn't much, but yeah it's home." Rena fished the keys out of her hoodie pocket, then obviously unlocked the door and opened it. She wasn't wrong, it really wasn't much; a one bathroom and bedroom is tiny after all. Right away the first thing to note is the "lived in" feel of the apartment, the first room was simply a living room with a couch and TV set with a connected kitchen. While the room wasn't a mess, it really wasn't tidy, books were left scattered all over the couch, days old dirty dishes were left on the kitchen counter, and these were just a few examples. Located in the short entry hall there are doors on both sides, the left goes to the bathroom and the right to the bedroom.

Right away Rena ran to the couch and quickly gathered the books to make room. "Sorry for the mess... heh... this was sort of a spur of the moment thing really, and I haven't cleaned up... like at all." Rena laughed only slightly uncomfortably, being a little embarrassed. She threw her bag down next to the newly made stack of books, then was about to make her way to the kitchen. "Make yourself at home, and all that cliche jazz. I'm gonna get us water."

[User]
The trip was to be expected; she did live off-campus after all, and Jeremy still wasn't completely in shape. He certainly was trying, though, but even a long walk such as this still tired him out. Things like this really made him want a car or a bicycle or something, and the stairs leading up to her apartment didn't help either. "Not like I was," he replied back to her with a slight chuckle and smile, pulling his legs up each step.

Rena opened the door after warning it wasn't much. Still, it was probably better than the tiny living space Jeremy had to deal with in the dorms.

Honestly, though, Rena was right. The state of her apartment seemed to be about as carefree as the girl who lived in it at least. Jeremy chuckled, really not sure what else he expected from her as he plopped onto her couch. "Don't worry about it, I'll try not to judge too harshly since this is you we're talking about," he teased. If this would have been a month ago, he would have tried to keep his mouth shut and stay polite around her, but he was sure that Rena would appreciate the joke. She wasn't sensitive like that.

Jeremy did wonder why she brought him here, though. If they wanted to game or something, why not just stay at the library? If they wanted to eat, there were several restaurants around town that were probably better than either of their cooking. Was this a way of her showing him her trust or something? Of course, there was still the possibility that she was up to something else. He didn't entertain that possibility very much because it was still unlikely.

"I hope you didn't bring me over to clean or something," he said with a chuckle, hoping to keep up a lighthearted tone. There was the possibility that she'd actually make him clean due to saying something like that, it was fine with him. The place, while it might have been untidy, wasn't a complete mess. Besides, helping her was something he'd actually want to do anyway.

[Assistant]
"Ha ha..." Rena mocked a laugh in response to his comment. "I'd like to see your dorm sometime then, I can't see you being a paragon of cleanliness yourself." She teased back without missing a beat, strange to think a month ago Jeremy would've instantly clammed up rather than try his hand at beating her wit, oh how things change.

Rena threw open the center most cabinet, due to the unfortunate circumstance of how high the cabinet was installed she had to stand on her very tippy-toes to reach the top shelf; that's where the glasses were stored. For probably the hundredth time Rena questioned why she kept them way up there... especially now where she had to embarrass herself in front of Jeremy of all people. Once she had the glasses in hand, Rena went along as if nothing happened, least of all wanting Jeremy to comment on her height or something... she really wasn't even short.

"Hey, ice or no ice?" She asked him, now she wanted ice but she wasn't quite sure on his ice-drink preferences. Despite whatever response was given she still went over to the freezer to scoop the ice for herself, and Jeremy provided he wanted some. The water she filled their glasses with came straight from the sink, he'll have to deal with the tap water.

Now with their drinks ready, Rena rushed back to the couch to hand Jeremy his before taking her place next to him. At this point she was sort of lost what to say next, she invited him over, but it's not like she had a motive, did she even need one? If anything Rena was beginning to feel nervous again, seriously why did she invite him here again? "So... uh... what do you think of the place... I guess?

Was that all she can manage? Some small talk? With Jeremy?

[User]
Rena's comment to him instantly made him laugh. "I might not be, but Douglas is, and he'd kill me if the dorm wasn't spotless," he admitted with embarrassment. There have been more than a few confrontations with his roommate about leaving dishes out and the like, but it's overall helped him keep a relatively tidy dorm.

Jeremy watched in amusement as Rena struggled to secure a glass from the cabinets that were clearly too high for her. She was the type who would get worked up if her height was commented on, so he kept those thoughts to himself, but maybe it'd just be wiser for her to get a tiny stool she could stand on? She wasn't even that short, so it didn't have to be huge like a stepladder or something. "Either is fine, it's just water," he answered, looking forward to a good drink. He didn't even care if she got water from the tap; those stairs made him thirsty.

Rena hurried back with their drinks and sat next to him. Jeremy instantly took his glass and sipped from it. It wasn't the best water in the world, but hey, water was water, and it was from the sink. It wasn't too surprising for him. What did surprise him, though, was the silence that fell between them afterwards. He could hardly believe that Rena of all people was having trouble thinking of what to say.

She asked him a question; a rather simple one compared to how easily they talked before. "It's pretty good, especially since you don't have to room with someone," the youth admitted before taking another swig of ice water. She was acting incredibly strange... maybe it'd be better to just ask her outright what was wrong instead of waiting for something unexpected to happen. He placed his cup onto the coffee table, deciding to ease into it a little first. "Hey, are you okay? You're acting a little... off..." he pointed out, hoping to get a clear answer. This was Rena he was talking about, though, so that probably wasn't going to happen.

[Assistant]
When Jeremy placed his glass on the table, Rena actually jumped a little at the clatter. It looked like he noticed her off balance demeanor, which made perfect sense the guy for sure knew her well enough. While his comment did bring some unneeded attention to her nervousness, the new found self-consciousness manifested itself as some fidgeting, it did do some good. Rena shook her head, and put on her best possible grin, you know given the circumstances. "Na, don't you worry about me, I'm fine... just uh not used to bringing guests over. Just something a bit unfamiliar, that's all. Yeah, exactly that's what was happening. It's not often she gets to play hostess.

"I know! I got a decent collection of books and whatnot, knowing you're a nerd you can maybe find something in it." Rena actually didn't have an inkling if Jeremy was into books or not, reading simply has never came up in their conversations. "They're right over he-" She swung her arm over to point at the messy pile of books, well that's what she wanted to do. While talking Rena must've misjudged the distance between her and the coffee table, because she ended up knocking Jeremy's glass over... and right onto him.

It took a moment for Rena to register what happened, but when the realization hit home, it hit hard. "Oh God, so sorry... uh, yeah, ha-ang on... uh a towel! She mentally cursed herself for being so damn clumsy, how the hell what she failing so bad today? Maybe she stood up too quickly, maybe she was still nervous, maybe it was just an unfortunate combination of many things, but when Rena tried to stand up her footing failed her, she slid backwards and because it happened so quickly she couldn't stop herself from falling.

Next thing she knew Rena was face down in something wet... still clearly dazed she pushed herself up, and then came to be looking up at Jeremy. It clicked instantly, she fell right onto his lap... onto Jeremy's lap... onto goddamn Jeremy's lap! Rena's face was blushed something fierce, it being a very obvious shade of bright red. It exactly reflected the neigh lethal levels of embarrassment she was experiencing at the moment. What the hell was she supposed to do now!?


[System]
Appearance: Morgan is a thin, petite Caucasian woman with refined features. She has a fair complexion and dark hair that she keeps in a short pixie cut. Her most notable feature are her vivid green eyes.

When working, Morgan carefully hides her identity. She wears dark clothing and a baggy charcoal-gray sweatshirt, with the hood consistently up. A long blond wig hides her hair, while an antique M40 gas mask with tinted lenses keeps her face out of view.
Alias: Damselfly

Age: 31

Gender: Female

Personality: Outwardly, Morgan Duchesne is a serious-minded New York career woman, with an ill-defined office job, fashionable Central Park West apartment, and membership in a biweekly wine club- no one exciting, really. However, her boring and stuffy image is carefully cultivated. She is a greedy and calculating woman, coldly figuring out how best to use the people around her. While she is not without empathy or scruples, and has been known to form genuine relationships, her foremost concern is advancing her own position.

Weakness: Her ability to fly is enabled by the fact that her skeleton is lighter and less dense than the average human. Accordingly, she is highly susceptible to blunt trauma and breaking bones and is generally more on the fragile side.

Powers: Morgan possesses two primary abilities. One, she has four separate wings (clear and veined, like the insect she has named herself after) that she is able to retract into her back. These beat rapidly, affording her great maneuverability in the air and even the ability to hover. She has a top flight speed of around 230 MPH.

Secondly, she has the ability to consciously give off certain pheromones that essentially force the brain not to acknowledge her presence. If these are activated, she can be in the room with someone and they will not see or hear her or any signs of her presence. Prolonged exposure can even cause people to forget her existence. However, cameras or other electronic surveillance detects her with no difficulty, and there is a certain threshold of activity which breaks her "invisibility".

Abilities: Her time as a burglar has given Morgan a set of skills associated with breaking and entering. She is a talented picklock and safecracker, and has enough familiarity with burglar alarms to be able to deactivate or otherwise circumvent them. Additionally, she has a number of criminal contacts (particularly fences) in the New York City area.

Gear: Morgan travels light. When on the job, she typically only carries a few items: a small toolkit, a roll of lockpicks, a small but powerful flashlight, a telescoping baton, and a small caliber pistol for extreme emergencies.

History: Morgan Duchesne was born in Middletown, Ohio, part of a large family with numerous other children. All of the Duchesne children were well taken care of, except Morgan. Concerned teachers at school noted that when the girl showed up to school at all (although Morgan claimed to attend every day), she seemed underfed and dirty. Social services were called, and the baffled elder Duchesnes seemed to be unaware they even had a daughter named Morgan living in their house. Their custody of Morgan was revoked, and the young girl was sent to live with a series of foster families all over the state- all of whom seemed to get slapped with neglect charges. By the time she was sixteen, Morgan had lived with nine separate families in different parts of Ohio, never forming any real bonds with any of them.

Gradually, Morgan became aware of her ability to be unseen and forgotten, and through self-discipline taught herself to control it, to be able to turn it off and on. She would often use it to pocket small items in stores, walking in and out uncontested. As she became more interested in the other sex, occasionally she would use the ability to sneak peeks as well.

As puberty hit her, Morgan's wings eventually grew from her back as well. Learning to fly was an exhilarating, freeing experience. By the time she was eighteen, the system more or less had given up on her, leaving her alone. In order to support herself, she began to steal, relying heavily on her abilities. As her talents grew and she gained more understanding of her powers, her heists became more and more sophisticated. Eventually she settled on a workable and simple MO: she would fly to the balcony or window of a luxury high-rise, either an apartment or hotel. Letting herself in, she would then help herself to cash and valuables, using her ability to be unseen to waltz directly past the occupants. This worked nicely for a while, netting her a respectable fortune. However, Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati only had so much to offer. She needed to go where wealth was associated with how high up you lived, and the New York area fit the bill.

To most, Morgan is only a young and well-to-do career woman, believed in her upper-class social circles to be a lawyer or doctor, something of the sort. However, she only makes these society friends to gain information on which penthouses are worth breaking into and enforce her cover.

Hobbies: Morgan has come to appreciate some of the finer things in life. She enjoys fine wine (often stealing bottles for her own consumption) and art. However, she also enjoys less refined pursuits- an amateur guitarist, she'll relax by playing along to Boston or Steely Dan and she occasionally thinks about joining a classic rock cover band.

Other: United.

[User]
Edgar didn't know he was out of his house and at a carnival, what was the point? He would never feel happy or feel the warmth of people's happiness. Maybe he was just being desperate to try and find some sense of normality in his life. Whatever shred of happiness he would make the Coat of Madness would take it away.

"I never understood why you humans congregate for such joyous events, it's revolting to me. Maybe a little chaos would make this torture more bearable" his coat spoke to him and Edgar got horrible visions what the coat would do to the carnival if wasn't tethered to him..

"Shut up! We're not killing people" he replied with a growl and his anxiety was going up, what if the coat tried to make him create a riot and kill people? It could cause a lot of destruction. He was contemplating whether he should leave the carnival or not when the deadly gang known as the Raiders attacked the place and Edgar felt fear rush over him, he was afraid of what he might do to the gang. But when the gang started hurting people, Edgar knew he couldn't do nothing.

"I need you, give me some of your power" he said to his coat and he heard it give a laugh in his head.

"Finally I will have some victims to drive insane and slaughter, let's get to it" it said in a menacing voice and Edgar went into action. He held out his right hand and a blast of pure energy shot out of it. It flew straight towards the group of gang members and caused a loud explosion. Edgar then drew deeper into the dark powers of the Coat of Madness and created a large spectral demon of horrifying appearance. the creation was not solid and was merely illusion, but it looked extremely real and was making loud roars.

[Assistant]
As the fight raged around her, Morgan continued to intently study the terminal on the massive tank, even as time continued to count down. It had to be fairly simple, right? If Raiders (not known for being Ivy League graduates) were expected to use something like this in the heat of battle, it would have to be.

The interface wasn't terribly intuitive, though. Old-fashioned and clunky, it was clearly cobbled together from some outdated tech. 80s stuff, really. It took her a few moments of fiddling to reach what she wanted.

SUSPEND TIMER? YES/ NO

"Hell yes I want to suspend the timer," Morgan said triumphantly, unheard and unnoticed amid the general chaos. She punched at a few more keys.

ACCESS DENIED

"Damn."

FINGERPRINT AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED

"Damn!"

Maybe this would be a good time to just cut her losses and fly out of here. Morgan wasn't motivated by altruism or heroism, really, just more a feeling that someone had to do something. She was tempted to just extend her wings, even beginning to flex the muscles required to extend them from her back.

But then serendipity reared its head.

The horrific, towering demon abruptly appeared in the midst of the crowd, making an unusual day even stranger. Long story short, the end result was one of the Raiders backpedaling in abject terror, firing clearly ineffective rifle rounds at the abomination.

Right towards Morgan.

"You just might do," she mused, reaching into her purse and closing her hand on the familiar weight of the telescoping baton. Sure, it was a bit of an old-fashioned weapon, but it did the trick nicely. She knew that physically attacking someone was too obvious even for her natural camouflage to disguise, so she had to make this decisive.

With a practiced flick of the wrist, she deployed the baton, and then went to work. Two quick strikes- wrist and elbow, forcing the man to drop his weapon. A third to the temple, just behind his gas mask, and a fourth again just to be sure. The Raider went limp, crumbling like empty clothing. Morgan knew that now she was visible and had to act quickly. She quickly tore the mask from the man, fitted it over her own face- both to protect her identity and for protection should the gas be released despite her efforts.

Then she grabbed the man's limp hand and pressed a thumb up against the terminal, hoping he would have sufficient access to curb this madness.

[User]
Collab between datadogie's Sif/Mack and CLIW's Kat

In all of the chaos (bullets had passed through Katrina's consciousness at least twice now), the woman noticed that one of the cars parked to hole everyone up in the carnival was unguarded. She had a quick peek inside and felt a small spark of surprise: the key was in the ignition. She glanced outside. A group of Raiders were moving toward the stage, where people were working to disarm the gas canister and get answers out of the Raiders' leader. They'd be outnumbered if no one did anything about them.
Her physical body opened its eyes as her consciousness reunited with it. She strained to look outside the tent and make sure the way was clear as it more or less had been during the projection, took a deep breath and started to move toward the empty car.

Jennifer bit her lip as she got onto the stage. The area was chaos, and she had to focus to not panic at all of the gunfire. Swerving through the crowds had spent a bit of time, and by the time she was approaching the tank there were others already on the stage. Captain and someone else were interrogating the man, and a woman with a gas mask was attempting to get a fingerprint of a Raider onto the terminal of the tank.
"That's not going to work," Mack says into Jennifer's ears, as the latter jogs quickly to the tank. Jennifer repeats what Mack says. "That's not going to work," Jennifer pants, sliding onto her knees, her tablet sliding out of her pocket. Her eyes widen, and she quickly turns around, grabbing her tablet off the ground, cradling it in her hands. "You've got to get a harness for that thing," Mack says, as Jennifer lets out a breath. Not taking a glance at the gas-mask woman, Jennifer speaks to her. "It's a regular Raider. He won't have sufficient permissions to edit the parameters of a device that is programmed to respond to a higher official." She taps one of the top corners of the tablet against the terminal, which connects the two wirelessly and electronically. "I'm not sure I could turn it off, there are too many options, but I may be able to change the parameters to allow those of a lower ranking standard to change the options of the device." Jennifer taps on her tablet, and then a few times on the terminal, and then she continues to fiddle with her tablet, Mack helping her along the way.

The door was unlocked, which was a huge relief. Ducking below a spray of hot lead, Katrina climbed into the driver's seat. "I'm going to lose my license," she whispered to herself, and turned the key. Someone shouted at her to stop, but of course she ignored it. She started to drive, got the car pointed toward the group of Raiders running toward and shooting at the stage, who apparently hadn't noticed Katrina. It was time to take care of business. She stepped on the gas.
Her aim had been true. The sound of bones shattering and crunching under tires made her nauseous, and before she could do anything--it was all so fast--she had driven straight into the stage. She rocked with the impact and undid her seatbelt, panting. Shakily, she opened the car door; this took a bit of elbow grease because of the damage done to the front of the car. She stepped out of the vehicle and put her hand on the handle of her knife, which she planned to use in case any of the bastards had survived the impact.

The sound of a crash made Jennifer jump just as she was going to finish. She looks around, and sees that a car had driven straight through a crowd of Raiders, a stray few remaining from where the car had assaulted them. Jennifer blinks as the driver exits the car, and exhales as the person looks - from her angle - unharmed. Though, it takes Mack saying, "Hurry up, that thing is still timed!" for her to turn and press the last few buttons on her tablet. "There. It's set to change the settings at his fingerprint," Jennifer says, beckoning to the man's finger.

[Assistant]
Morgan nearly jumped out of her skin when the other woman ran over with a tablet. Her wings almost came out involuntarily, but she caught herself just in time. It'd be a shame to shred her top, at any rate.

She relaxed, though, when the other woman began working to help her. "Relaxed" was a relative term, considering the two of them were trying to disarm a deadly chemical weapon together, but you have to take what you can get in this situations. Morgan took a moment to glance over the melee. The Raiders seemed to be getting the worst of it, by far- here a car mowed down a group of them, there more were cut down by heavy bullets.

And all the while the countdown ticked on unabated.

After what seemed like an eternity, punctuated by gunshots and the cries of wounded, the newcomer announced she had reconfigured the timer to accept the captive's fingerprint. Unwilling to speak and knowing the mask would muffle her voice, Morgan flashed a thumbs up with one slender hand, then grunted as he strained to lift the dead weight of the limp man's hand to the terminal. She pressed his thumb against the screen, heart in her throat as she waited to see what effect it might have.

COUNTDOWN SUSPENDED

She wanted to jump for joy and scream, but instead settled for a satisfied nod. The danger was far from passed, though. Someone could easily detonate the weapon remotely, or even a few stray rounds might puncture the seal. With that in mind, she took up her baton once more, crouched down and looking for a more permanent solution to the problem.


[System]
Age: 30

Race: Caucasian

Sex: Female. Approximately 5' 11" tall, with blonde hair, steel grey eyes, and an athletic figure as per her military pedigree. Objectively quite stunning in her attractiveness.

Skills: ace pilot, energy weapons

Personality: highly intelligent but generally, socially clueless. She comes off as cold and unfriendly but truly, she doesn't have a natural propensity towards small talk and casual conversation. Smoker.

Weapons & armor/clothing: Enclave-issue plasma pistol, mismatched light armour pieces suitable for a travelling merc. Also carries a small knapsack full of items of sentimental value, such as a photograph of her and her twin brother, various medals and pins earned within the Enclave (including her dog tags), and a pocket watch featuring an engraving.

Occupation: Mercenary/security guard for hire.

Faction (Minutemen, Institute, BOS, Railroad, None. Etc): Formerly Enclave, now unaffiliated.

Backstory:

Frieda was born seven minutes before her fraternal twin, Brian, but spent the majority of her life living in his false shadow. Their father was a high ranking official who lost his life during a mission while the twins were young. Subject to the same vigorous physical and weapons training through her life in the Enclave, no matter what she did, somehow her brother was favoured even when their skills and scores were on par. Where Frieda was more acerbic in personality, her brother's stoic demeanour tended to be extolled. Eventually, she was to be trained as a pilot, whereas her brother was destined for the front lines and recon. Her natural ability to focus on her task at hand while under pressure and make clear, logical decisions, saw her rise quickly through the ranks as one of their best pilots.

Despite the artificial rivalry their peers and superiors tried to place upon them, Frieda and Brian were inseparably close. They celebrated each other's achievements and differing designations. Brian was the only person in her life constantly validating her own skills, when so many others preferred to compare her to her brother. They held up and supported each other. When her brother left on a recon mission, never to return, his loss was a devastating blow. The Enclave considered his and his team's mission a failure, and did not send a rescue team.

Frieda wandered through the months that followed in a total daze, unable to find any peace in the thought that her brother was gone for good. He had been a grounding presence in her life, and without him, she found it impossible to find meaning in staying with the Enclave. In a daring move, she packed her most valuable things into a knapsack, stole a Vertibird, and decided to look for her brother, herself. Unfortunately, she miscalculated the trajectory of a rad storm, and found herself completely off course and crashing into the woods of what used to be New Hampshire.

Alive, but without any caps to her name nor desire to return to the Enclave, she wandered east, taking small mercenary type jobs from various settlements until she reached the ocean, and arbitrarily chose to wander south. She found herself wandering into Salem, hoping the sparse settlement could use some full-time muscle, until such time she was able to begin the search for her brother anew.

and:

Name: Celeste Brown

Age: 24

Race: Caucasian/mixed western European

Sex: Female. Barely 5'1", with shoulder length, very dark brown, curly hair, and bright blue eyes. She carries a stout figure with a noticeably voluptuous chest.

Skills: cooking, bartending, bartering

Personality: very charismatic, friendly, and genuinely sweet to everyone she encounters.

Weapons & armor/clothing: Wasteland settler garb including t-shirts, sweaters, skirts, dresses, slacks, and sneakers. Carries small sentimental trinkets, such as a pair of her mother's earrings and other inherited jewelry, and her father's first set of knives.

Occupation:  Barkeep/innkeep

Faction (Minutemen, Institute, BOS, Railroad, None. Etc): None

Backstory:

Celeste has a very plain and lackluster backstory. Originally from a settlement on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, she was born to two, loving, hard working parents. Her mother operated a successful trading business, having set up at the border, and her father was a talented baker and chef. She learned the best of both occupations from a young age; the art of the deal from her mom, and how to create the flakiest pastry and well-balanced soups from her dad. Through her late teens, Celeste started to feel the wanderlust. While a steady stream of folks came through Niagara Falls between the two pre-war countries, so did their stories. Celeste started to dream of the world beyond the river and the escarpment, but for many years, seeing it for herself remained a dream. A caravan travelling from Burlington near Ronto, en route to the eastern seaboard, thrilled Celeste with their talk of the bright and beautiful Diamond City, that she insisted she go with them. She chipped in her own caps for the protected passage, said a bittersweet goodbye to her parents, and was on their way.

The travel would prove to be very harsh on sweet, tender Celeste. Slogging through the terrain, surrounded by hostiles at every turn, and fearing for her life, all had begun to tarnish her shiny impression of the world outside her childhood home. Chronic optimism kept her going, but a very small part of her began to consider that she had made a huge mistake.

Celeste would never make it to Diamond City. The caravan made a stop in Salem in an attempt to top up on purified water, and Celeste would fall in love with the town. The setting, the buildings, everything felt so beautiful and comfortable to her. She had a pocket full of caps and stars in her eyes. After a convincing conversation with the caravan, who assured her that Salem could become part of their regular route, she decided to settle back down and merely travel through the wasteland as she always had: by the stories and tales brought in by others.

[User]
Ace Makovich – Clinic – Afternoon
Ace sat on the chair holding the rag to his wound. He had found a sewing kit on the table and started to suture, his slash. It wasn't bad, but this would help the wound close faster. He focused on his work but kept an eye on that mutant that walked back in. He was wary of the creature, but Ace was not in fighting conditions at the moment o do anything.

He listened to the creature as it gave its story on how it acquired those tags, It made him angry to know that this creature would even consider itself an equal to the brotherhood. Had the Midwest Brotherhood become so corrupt as to allow a super mutant amongst its ranks? It seemed ludicrous and absurd.

However, what truly angered him was the fact that this creature exiled itself and kept its tags, while Ace was stripped of his by his once family. He clenched his fist, but controlled his emotions. There was no need to do anything too hasty at the moment. He listened as Steve tried to make sense of what the creature spoke.

He shook his head, "The Brotherhood never rebelled from the Enclave, Steve. In fact the two are bitter enemies, but where never one organization… This mutant would have never served with the New California Brotherhood, if anything it would be the Midwest chapter… a misguided group if anything…"

Ace finished stitching, and again pressed the rag on the wound. He walked over to Brandy and held her hand, "Don't worry kid, I'm here for you."

[Assistant]
Rick Noel - Diner

Rick looked around the diner, it was a mess, but one that could be cleaned and repaired. Celeste left, headed for the inn, and the waitress grabbed a broom and started to sweep, while cursing under her breath. Rick stood by the door and looked over to where the body of the large deathclaw was. Some other folk, whom he hadn't seen nor met, were cutting into the creature. Were they planning to cook it?

The thought itself both disgusted and intrigued him. What does it taste like, would it be full of nutrients and other properties? He would recommend to Doctor Arthur to study the meat, at least to see how it compares to "regular" animals. He looked back at the diner, and decided he would make himself useful and help out in doing some cleaning.

He was careful with the broken glass from the front window. It would be hard getting an intact replacement. He knocked some of the dangling glass down and crashing on the floor. He turned back to face Betty, who without saying anything just threw him another broom. He brought an empty garbage can from outside and started to gather and throw away the broken glass.


[System]
Elise Annabelle Byrne

---

Basic Info
Title: Princess of Vale
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Heterosexual

---

Appearance
Reference Images: Exploring the Mountains and A Tragic Death. Not exact references, but strong inspiration.

Physical Appearance: Elise looks very much the princess, but not yet the queen, to put it shortly. She stands at 5'8" and has a lovely figure, but her features are somewhat girlish, making it quite impossible for her to appear imposing or threatening. Not that she tries. Her hair is a light blonde, wavy and full, and she keeps it just past shoulder length, typically wearing it free and loose. Her eyes are a soft, light blue, her skin fair and not quite light enough to be described as pale. Though she's feminine in her appearance in just about every way, she does have strength, a soft layer of muscling just beneath the surface. Clearly not enough to be physically overpowering, but she can hold her own, and her athleticism is quite apparent.

Her Clothing/Armor: Elise has not trained in full armor, and so as of the RP's start, she wears only modest protection, relying on enchantments to protect her from harm. She wears a cropped vest top of sturdy white leather over her silver undershirt. Her jacket is fur-lined leather and also cropped at around the base of her ribs. Her arms are well protected and her preferred method of intercepting attacks if she has to, with light, flexible, sturdy plates of finely crafted steel, including pauldrons and forearm guards and bracers. Over her hands she wears leather gloves.

On her lower body, she wears white leather, close-fit trousers, with knee-high leather traveling boots plated along the front. Around her hips is a sword belt, the sheathe on her right side, as Elise is left handed. Her neck holds an amulet engraved with the symbol of her family, and to those with the ability to detect it, it rather obviously emanates magic.

---

Combat/Magic
Enchantments: Elise's amulet has a powerful warding enchantment upon it, which serves to redirect blows thrown at her, in close combat, ranged combat, basic magic, anything. It has limited strength, and can be worn down to ineffectiveness with enough use in a short period, but it allows her to forgo superior armor without sacrificing protection. Usually. Certain powerful magic can render it instantly nullified, but Elise has never had cause to encounter such magic. Her pauldrons and armguards have light enchantments upon them, to decrease their weight, as well as offer her minor boosts to strength and the swiftness of her strikes.

Magic: Elise has no ability to cast spells, but her bloodline is imbued with a power that had long gone dormant.

Combat: Elise's training far outmatches her experience, something she hasn't fully come to terms with. She's a skilled duelist with her sword, and has great potential, but hasn't fought much at all outside of practice sessions. Theoretically, her skill, quickness, grace, footwork, and swordplay should be enough to make her effective in battle, especially combined with the protection her enchantments offer.

In practice, she has a great deal left to learn. Real fights are not duels of honor, but bloody, desperate affairs, and Elise hasn't gone through a great deal of adversity as a warrior. She'll tire too quickly against multiple opponents, and she isn't at all used to being wounded. A few damaging hits will likely bring her down.

---

Personality
Elise is unerringly brave and courageous, and compassionate in equal measure. Her outlook on the world is often brighter than those around her, and indeed, she views the Kingdom of Vale as a more noble place than it likely is. Due to the peaceful upbringing she had, the only child and beloved daughter of the King and Queen of Vale, Elise struggled with little early in life, which enabled her to often do as she pleased, seeing much of her small Kingdom, and becoming well-loved by the people. Her home of Vale has no laws requiring males to inherit rulership, meaning that once her father passes, Elise would become Queen, and rule with whomever she chose to marry. Thus, her father has poured resources into her, to ensure her success.

She's very empathetic, often able to identify and feel what others are feeling, and in general feels very strongly about things. It's difficult to convince her to budge on a sticking point. She's confident in her morals, decision-making, and the belief that she's a good person, and slightly less so in her abilities. She acknowledges that she has potential, but sometimes struggles with her confidence in her ability to lead, or to fight, etc. Nevertheless, she is resolved to do her best, and hope that it can help.

[User]
The Pale Princess

---

---

 Elise set one foot in front of the other, making her way slowly into the icy cave. Every time fear or uncertainty crept up within her, she reminded herself what her target had done, and her resolve was strengthened. She would not turn back now.

 She was thankful her amulet even warded against the cold, for she wasn't wearing enough layers for this far into the mountains. The fragment of the teleportation rune in her leather-gloved hand hummed softly now, a sure sign she was getting close. This had to be it. Her heartbeat quickened at the thought of what lay ahead for her, but she reminded herself again. This wicked man, Valence, had murdered her mother, the Queen of the Vale, after her father refused to go to war. After he showed up in person, after slitting the Queen's throat in her bed, and demanded they throw themselves in a war they had no part in. He was a vile, despicable man, and Elise was determined to force him into conflict, a fight he couldn't flee from. She told herself he would not be so sure of himself, fighting an opponent who had her eyes open.

 Repeatedly she'd been warned. Her father's advisors cautioned her against reckless action, but she would not sit idly by while the King was wracked with grief. The wizard she took the rune fragment to knew what she planned, and warned not to risk herself. But how could she not? After what he'd done? She was skilled. She had to try. The wizard gave her the key, the knowledge that these such runes could be magically charged even after their use and destruction, and that the fragment would seek out the whole that it came from. With luck, it would lead her right to him.

 He had hidden himself away in the mountains, where barbarian clans roamed, beyond the safe territory controlled by Vale's armies. Elise had enlisted twenty of the Vale's best knights, to hunt and kill the murderer of their Queen, but by some accident, a narrow ravine pass had been subjected to a collapse of ice and rock, separating Elise from her allies. With no way back, her only option was forward, and she would not give up this chance. When she didn't so much as come across a single clansman of the mountains, she began to suspected that Valence had intended this. That he'd killed her mother to draw her into action, so he might find an easier time of dispatching her next. The way was too clear, too easy. She felt eyes upon her for much of the journey, which began at dawn but ended near dusk. Her legs were weary from travel and climbing, but she refused to turn back. She would have justice.

 And finally, the rune fragment led her into the cave, and she cast it aside, wanting her hand free for combat on a moment's notice. He would be here somewhere. He'd intended to meet in this place. The footing was slick in places under her boots; Elise tried to stick to the snow, where she sank in better, had less chance of slipping. Light filtered down through holes in the ceiling, reflecting off icy formations, giving the entire cave a crystalline appearance in places. Elise might've remarked on its beauty, were she in a state of mind to care for such things.

 Around the next corner, below a bridge of ice that had to have been formed with magic at some point, knelt the man she sought, his back turned to her. His armor, his hair, they were unmistakable to her, as she had remembered each and every detail of the man when he'd appeared in their great hall, and demanded their support after murdering her mother. She could not forget if she wanted, the moments when he'd locked eyes with her. She did not know she was capable of the hatred she'd felt, and some part of it frightened her. But if she could harness it to bring him to justice, it would be worth it.

 She knew this for a trick, as she had recognized the other steps along the way. Elise would strike down at the illusion, recognize it as such, but not soon enough to avoid the blow that came from elsewhere. She was only willing to play his game to a certain point, and this was the end of it. He would face her, here and now, and she would kill him if she could. Her sword gleamed in the reflected light of the cave.

 "I've come to face you, murderer!" she called, her voice echoing off the walls, as she looked around for where Valence might be hiding. "You wanted me alone, here I am. You may find I am more challenging to defeat than a sleeping woman, defenseless in her own bed!" Elise huffed a steadying breath. She could almost hear her sword instructor, reminding her to keep her composure, keep a level head. It was nearly impossible in this moment.

 Elise had never killed anyone before. But if she could defeat her mother's murderer, she would not think twice about it.

[Assistant]
The Warlock Warrior

---

 Valence Valentine of Valryk had been watching her for some time, yes. She was quite intelligent, this one, she saw everything for what it was. A shame, though, that she knew the illusion for what it was. It would've been disappointing, if she had believed the illusion of himself to be real, but still- it would've been easier for everyone for her to have fallen into the trap.

 He stood, from a ledge overlooking the cave- halfway up the walls and out of the light's reach, and even the fractured, reflected light didn't land here. He didn't need that much light to see, with Delphyne, his Wyvern, sitting behind him. He could see through her eyes, and her eyes saw much, much better than his. He had to step carefully- mithril boots had a tendency to ring rather beautifully if it hit something solid too hard, especially ice or metal.

 Delphyne involuntarily growled, an instinctual response at the sight of someone threatening her bonded. Valentine raised his hand, shushing her, but he didn't mind it- it made for a dramatic entrance.

 "Hush, now, Delphyne. We have a guest."

 He sighed, and pulled the gloves off both of his hands, shoving them into a pocket. The cold bit into his hands a bit more than before, but was nonetheless harmless for a few hours. The benefits of the gloves versus bare hand and rune always favored his bare hands- he needed access to the power he had.

 "Welcome, Princess Elise," he greeted, his voice tugging with weariness at the mere thought of why she was here. "I am truly sorry for the circumstances as to why we have met. I would have liked to think that, under more favorable circumstances, we could have been friends, or allies, at the least. Your mother was- is- an unfortunate necessary. Evil, nonetheless. And now you are here, undoubtedly to leave with me dead, or not at all."

 He took a step off the edge of his little alcove, and slid down the slope to the ice shelf that Princess Elise was standing on, not more than twenty or thirty feet away- and now in the light.

 "Well, I suppose I shan't disappoint," he stated, staring at Elise with a certain sadness. "I have my people to save, and you have your Queen to avenge."

 He drew one of his throwing axes, and clenched his right fist- triggering the rune on the back of his hand, which flared bright blue and formed a transparent blue, shimmering shield three feet in diameter. He dropped into a ready position, Mithril and leather boots gripping, more or less, in the ice. His grip wasn't that great, but he wouldn't let Elise know that.

 Staring off the fight, he drew his throwing axe back, and, quick as a whip, slung it end-over-end at Elise, hoping for a quick end- even though he knew otherwise.


[System]
Age: 46

Gender: Male

Personality: A bitter person who seems to live in memories. Not moving forward, nor unable to think in new terms. In a way he's a person who never grew up. This is not in the terms of not adapting and growing more capable to meet the responsibilities of adult life, although the only thing one could say he's managed in terms of that is to keep to the basic necessity of working to keep himself housed and fed, wasting time in idle entertainment. The sense of growing up is the sense of time passing, of growing and changing, of becoming a different being with the passage of time. A person is not the same person as they were a year ago, and people transform day by day as a result of their experiences and newly changing values and wisdoms. The mind and viewpoint of Krause is stuck in the past, not advancing from the days before his accident. Yet people change because they must as the world changes. A person who holds onto a past that only becomes farther and farther distant from the past is a living ghost, a wraith, a mere shadow of a man. The present is something he lives in, exists in, yet his mind and frame of reference is a distorted view from the past.

In a way the most hopeless of people. Misfortunate but also a victim of their own self. Other paths and potentials wither on the vine, unrecognized by the gardener who could cultivate them. He instead deciding to go through the rites of tending to and honoring a tree that has grounded into rot.

While one might assume that he simply wanted to continue on connected to his dream in some manner he simply picked something that fell within his awareness, his awareness of that which seemed unrelated to his pass dull and almost unnoticeable. It isn't that he decided to go into this sort of work consciously, it was more that it was the only option that seemed to exist in his eyes. Living a shell of a life, keeping to himself and keeping to a formless routine in which the days blur in together. Indeed, it would take an amazing shock, perhaps even bordering on the supernatural to open his eyes to the world once more.

But even then a life built on regret, and the pining of the past cannot suddenly give birth to a man. But perhaps this shade, this past shall find itself staring at the future and present for once.

History: Everything that has occurred in their life up until now, which is worth noting. Nobody is allowed to know about the existence of magic, Naraka, or so on. Also, whether born in it, or having just moved in last week, your character must be in the small, largely suburban town of Riversfield at the start of the roleplay.

A man who wasted away, a sad shell who lives only to be a hollow container for dreams that once were and good times long past. A young boy that was the single child to loving parents, a good home, growing up in a small city in the mid west of the United States.

A talent for athletics, specifically Baseball built him up as a rising star. One whose future looked bright with scholarships and a potential to reach the big leagues. His life proceeded smoothly until a vehicular accident on a family trip shortly after his highschool graduation. Hurting his shoulder, and losing his parents. He found himself plunged into a life with the loss of his dream, set life and support.

Life insurance, the liquidation of assets. He retreated from life and stopped living. Withdrawing he simply didn't die, keeping his body running for as long as he could with his life of solitude. Someone who simply lived in memories, not truly there.

Eventually he became a normal worker, becoming a employee for a company that deals with sportswear for children. Despite finding there to be pain in working with things that reminded him of what he wanted and had he nevertheless found that he had nothing else to go for. For a person like him whose thoughts all centered around the past the idea of going for something brand new and starting all over simply did not come to him. Like a wraith living in the past.

Eventually in the present day he came to Riversfield as part of a business trip, one that is coming to a close as something new comes to force itself on the one who never moved on.

Skills:

Hand-eye coordination (degraded): Once a rising star in the baseball scene, Krauss's ability to react, and coordinate his body with himself and mind is higher than most individuals. Even out of practice this ability that is hardly used in his normal life

Good throwing accuracy and speed (degraded): Intent blends in with ability. While hardly anything that approaches a supernatural ability, the knowledge of his capability and his ability to enact his plans in terms of throwing objects, especially baseballs is definitely that which can be recognized as a skill befitting one that could have reached the realm of a famous pro.

A Fine Knowledge on Bad Alcohol:Depression leads to drinking. Hardly a connoisseur, it's more that one is numb to the taste of alcohol and has built a tolerance that those who drink not for the pleasure of the drink itself, nor socially have.

Education: Nothing beyond a standard highschool education. Many facets were perhaps a bit skimped on, or otherwise degraded overtime however.

-Malus: Old injuries left from the accident leave him easily short of breath, and his chest with aches. Stamina is hardly a strength of Krauss in these days.

[User]
Tahp Gundo

"Slowly but surely, my desire will reign supreme!"

---

Witch @FeyBlue

---

"The fuck is this goddamned nerd going on about?" is likely what Tahp would have said if he were in a position to have heard Stein. Regrettably, he simply was not. Instead, he had suddenly appeared in front of a familiar apartment, with all the odd things going on right now. The lack of people didn't exactly bother him, but this was not some episode of Jojo! The sky, in his unhealthily strong opinion on the subject, should remain blue. If it wasn't, then those old paintings he painted when he was a kid would not be accurate, and that was unacceptable!

"Welp, I ought to like kill somebody or something. This sky is pissing me off." he nonchalantly voiced aloud, deciding to head towards the town center from his own apartment in District 1.

He recalled two things he should probably do while he made the trip there. One was of course not speak aloud anymore so as to prevent people from getting his location down so quickly. Another was to actually bother with a cautious approach. There was this really shitty game he started playing that had a similar plot to this one (that being to kill everybody else and be the last one left). In it, often he would suffer a terrible fate due to not checking corners and blindly walking into places that could be covered by another competitor. Video games weren't real or anything, sure, but perhaps to his advantage, Tahp was unaware of this so-called "fact". So, he made his way there at a slower pace than normal, but he'll be damned if he would be killed without a fight!

What an odd dude.

Man, I hope nobody dies before I get set up. I wonder... do we return to where we were before Naraka, or do we return to the real world in the same spot when it ends? I can see that becoming a problem for me if I'm not careful. Oh well. At least I have you, Mr. Hat. Give me the strength to face any adversary, or at least make my head hard to distinguish in case somebody just really had the desire to snipe people.

And so the man and his new hat carried on.

[Assistant]
Gin Ichi

Gin silently listened as this "Yama" lady explained the nature of this "Naraka" phenomenon. It all sounded quite grand, and he would never have believed it were he not in this current situation. Looking at his hand, he wondered just how effective his new abilities would be. Yama may have said that they would not work where they were right now, but that certainly did not stop Gin from trying it all the same. He stared at Yama and tried casting it on her, but it naturally had no effect. With that result, Gin decided not to try his luck any further and instead continued to listen.

The rules and rewards of Naraka were certainly troubling, but not surprising given the circumstances. Any one wish could be granted by the winner, yet the cost was the lives of everyone else participating. Gin thought about what his wish would be, and a thought came to mind: the smiling children of the orphanage. That being said, though, Gin had no desire to kill anyone. Save self-defense, he had no desire to even hurt anyone. He already went through some dark times, and he'd rather not go through darker ones. It seemed like he might not get a choice in the matter, however...

---

As Yama concluded her explanations and Naraka began, Gin awoke to find himself back at the church, where he had originally fallen asleep. He briefly wondered if what he had gone through was merely a dream, but one look at his clothing, as well as at the nearby window, told him that that had been no dream. Naraka was real; one person was going to die each day. Gin stared at his hand, then concentrated, activating his powers to test them out. A small bit of concentration and time was all it took to use each one, and if his understanding of them were correct, then they were very straightforward as well. There was little training that was needed for him, though he figured he could use some experience in actual battles.

Gin now thought about what his next course of action would be. He had already been seen in his priest robes, so the church would probably not be a safe place for very long. Any competent person would narrow his location down to searching through churches. He needed to find a new place to hide and rest up between Narakas. For now, though, there was no rush. If he was thinking correctly, he'd have some time during the first Naraka as people took the time to figure out their abilities, just as he did. That meant he would need to use his time wisely.

First up was a quick change of clothes. He'd be too inconspicuous if he went out with his priest robes, so he decided to go with some casual wear. A simple pair of jeans and a collared shirt would do the trick. Next would be to secure escape routes and shortcuts. "Let's see if I still remember how to do this..." Gin muttered to himself as he stepped out of the church. It was time to get to work.