[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]
Rook had not been shot at this far. So far, so good. He walked into town, still holding his white flag, and looked at the various buildings. There was... A lot of work that needed to be done here. When he had arrived at first, it was late, and he had not ventured very far away from his shack in the last week or so. It was not his place, and he had what he needed... But seeing this place, the terrible state it was in... He had resolved himself.

In his years, he had picked up a few skills here and there, perhaps he could put them to use here. While he was far from the best at things, being as strong as he was, he could carry things, help move heavy things, and generally help clean up. He knew some basics of black smithing as well, it's how he made parts of his armor, so there is that too. Nails and the like are always needed.

He had seen the ugliness of the Wastelands, and if he had his way, he was not going to let this place get swallowed up by it either. Stopping at a stall, he had seen it was long since abandoned. How many years ago did this settlement try to stand up only to falter and fall? He ran his hands over the well worn wood of the stand, it had a story to tell, one he wished to know, but that would come in time. Lifting back up his flag, he would look around. Was there a posted board for jobs? Was there a trader looking for someone to trade with? What was currently here?

At the moment, Rook just stood in the center of town, holding his white flag, bag of caps, and looking somewhat lost.

"You... Are not what I expected..." Barney Rook said, holding his rifle and looking at the Mutant. "But... You are not looking to be causing trouble... So as long as it stays that way, I think I can let you pass... But the Salem Volunteer Milita is always watching. Know that..."

"Rook will do as human says. Rook is seeking to trade, seeking to help. Rook wants home of his own. Does not like other Super Mutants. Does not like to hurt humans unless he has to." Rook said, holding his flag tightly. "Rook wants to help town, Rook wants to stay in Rook's Roost."

Barney looked confused, then realized the mutant was talking about itself. With a nod, Barney moved off, leaving Rook still wondering what he should do in order to start.

[Assistant]
Lorelei Jones - Outside the Jones Residence

Lorelei folded her arms and stared down the withered two-story home at the edge of the town. Barney had pointed her toward the various empty plots, and particularly recommended this one. She could see why. This house was a lonely one; a perfect fit for a gradual misanthrope like herself. It was nothing like the home she had lost, but it would do. She meandered over the door and opened it, the ruined wood porch creaking underneath her light steps.

This will need work. The place was a disaster. There were a few amenities, namely a leftover couch, broken television, a ruined kitchen, and a few armchairs, but the rest was disgusting. Trash and grime had built up just about everywhere she looked, and the paint that once resided within the house had been shed off by the walls that once wore it.

Lorelei gingerly tiptoed upstairs, carefully testing the ground for nails and dislodged pieces of wood. The second floor featured two bedrooms, a restroom, and what appeared to be some sort of office space. More old world furniture rested here. Both bedrooms were equipped with dusty old doublebeds and the office held a desk, pointed at the back window which faced the ocean.

This was an underrated amenity, Lorelei realized – the ocean rested directly behind her home. A weak, inconsistent fence sat between her house and the slight rocky outcropping which overlooked the water, but she had an unobstructed line of sight toward the ocean wherever she looked. She tossed her pack onto the bed and sat down, scanning the room for the work she would have to do. Nonsense. This would come later. For now, she had to introduce herself at least somewhat to the town, even if it meant standing around the square and watching the others talk.

Lorelei left the house and lazily strolled toward the square, where the local tenants darted to and fro, moving in their belongings and laying claim to the town. She looked up at the massive apartment structures and perused the various abandoned vendor stands in the center. She could imagine them filled with people, a town clutching to life. However, now was the time for them to lay down the bricks, to which she had little interest. She was at her best when she was wandering – the house would just be a formality.

After a few moments of standing at the edge of the square, Lorelei decided to sit on a park bench and watch the passersby as she cleaned the barrel of her rifle atop her lap.


[System]
Age: Twelve years old.

Appearance:
A tiny girl at 130 centimeters. She can be distinguished by her somewhat unenthusiastic eyes above a sweet little smile. She's lithe, her body thin but capable. Her eyes are as brown as her hair, her short hair slightly rough. She generally likes to wear relatively casual clothes.

Her Soul Gem is a red little cross-shaped jewel, placed on that spot on her chest, binding her vest together.

Nationality: Polish, lives in Danzig

Personality: Monika is a somewhat introverted individual who easily gets uncomfortable if things aren't precisely under her control. She can sometimes have difficulties speaking if she's unsure what to do, and she can also be thoroughly cowardly and prioritizes her own safety rather than trying to be brave. However, from engaging in fiction she has gained a rather effective moral code and will force out determination to do the right thing in a crisis.

While she seeks safety in numbers, this is mainly because she'd feel unsafe by herself. Monika is young, and prone to getting quite attached to individuals, but she never quite puts absolute faith in anyone and only ever truly believes in herself. She won't put her life in someone else's hand, and if she feels unsafe she'll scurry off very quickly. She likes stability, happiness and dependable-looking friends. But it has to be on her terms that she accepts it.

It was because there was a sincere lack of stability in her life at the time that she was approached by an Incubator. More on that in biography.

Monika likes to smile, so she often does. If she can chose things on her own terms, then she can get braver. But otherwise, she'd dearly like to just sink into the background. In the background she can be safe. That's why she made the wish that she made, and that's why her power became what it did. But of course, as any young one she can get excited in the presence of her usual sources of entertainment and would like to share these with anyone in her presence.

Afflictions:

Wish: "… Don't let them find me!"

This wish was granted by Kyubei giving Monika her magical weapon and the power which it provided. For circumstances, read her biography.

Biography: Monika's a young soul who has grown up with a rather successful family. While her mother (Krystyna Sakovich) is a housewife, her father (Marek Sakovich) works at a high place at Euroforce, a successful company that provides electricity to large parts of Europe. This means she was often singled out when she was young as the most fortunate soul around and the one you wanted to make friends with because her father helped her buy presents during birthdays and you could always expect luxury during sleepovers. Monika got really popular and didn't really understand why for very long, as she isn't the most social of humans.

The little girl entertained herself with drawing, reading, music, video games, allowing friends into her house or playing with her many toys. In physical practice she had tennis which she practiced often with her father in order to get some form of sport into her veins and dancing which her mother did sometimes for fun and allowed Monika to tag along. Through the training she got through this, Monika often surprised her friends with her physical fitness, since they never really saw her train. Though, Monika made few real attempts to make friends during practice. But she didn't mind that, she grew up normally and everything was fine for her first eleven years.

However, as she grew up, there were several problems. Her friends had started to depend on her to help them out, but as Monika grew older and got more responsibilities she had to deny them. This combined with that Monika often was very blunt about if she didn't want to go somewhere with her friends made her alienated, and she didn't understand why. Her short attention-span and the fact that suddenly a lot fewer people helped her out meant that Monika's grades in school suffered, which caused her rather strict father to suddenly chew her out. Monika was so confused.

Currently, Monika is struggling. Her friends have mostly excluded her from their activities and she's too shy to actually move in and ask for their aid, she's struggling with studies to keep her grades on level and she's been hearing arguments between her parents and those around her. Some people have been saying that her father is corrupt in some way, something about him showed up in newspapers, and due to that Monika got even more attention of the wrong kind. But… she doesn't understand it. She's being stressed, and she doesn't even know why. This stress… is what the local Incubator was attracted to.

Wouldn't she want a little wish, maybe? A wish that could eliminate all the problems out of her life. But… wish? Monika heard about fighting witches, and realized this was her chance to become a hero like in the stories. But, if she had to pick a wish, she decided that she needed longer to decide for a suitable wish. However, walking to tennis practice that day, as if life itself had sensed her contact with the world of Magical Girls, Monika wandered into a Labyrinth. The Incubator told her to make a wish, or she'd die. Monika fled, behind walls and crying as the familiars of the Witch were seeking her out.

Now, something intelligent at this point would be to make a grand wish, the first thing you can think of which would aid humanity. Or, if you're going to make a wish which is only to aid you in the immediate moment, at least make a wish which makes you strong enough to defeat the Witch. However, the one desire which flooded through the cowardly Monika, as she stared full of fear at the little white creature before her…

"… Don't let them find me!"

Skills: She's fairly athletic, but she was going to become that anyway. This due to being trained as a dancer and for tennis, as well. Other than that, her skills are few. Nobody expects much from a twelve year old. She's somewhat eccentric at drawing or repeating a random fact from a fictional world she knows of.

Threads of Fate: 4. She's at a rather common magical strength for a Magical Girl, though she can seem weaker because a large part of that is given to her magical ability.

Magical Weapon: A blue piece of cloth which at first glance appears to be the only thing she carries. It has a surprising amount of striking power, used in the same way you'd strike someone with the snap of a towel. In addition, Monika is gifted with considerable athletic prowess and can fight with the dance-moves she has learned from dancing with her mother, with kicks or with the cloth. However, the cloth is also hiding a potentially infinite amount of knives which would be her main method of attack, as a Magical Girl she has considerable skill at throwing or launching these with her cloth. Though, she doesn't have the knives quite yet.

Experience: 1. She's a complete newbie.

Magical Ability: The capability to "hide". By sweeping the blue cloth which is her power over something, it can make it seemingly vanish, be it a person or an object. If she does it to herself, she becomes invisible from sight. While invisible she loses no capability of using her other powers, but it does constantly drain on her available magical power. Also, any noise she makes, smell she gives off, or item that somehow coincidentally headed her way will still reveal her location. She'll likely use this to confuse enemies as to her location, but in exchange she's weaker than the typical Magical Girl as her most dangerous weapon is a thrown knife.

The following is a thing that she can do but does not yet know that she can. Monika can make non-living things with a size no larger than her cloth become "hidden", which makes them vanish from the world temporarily and accompany her. They then vanish and float along with her until she waves her cloth and the object becomes revealed. This can make it seem like she's bringing impossible things to the battlefield, but she prefers knives. This is because Monika knows how to obtain knives. It's the only weapons he knows she can obtain, by stealing them while "hiding". To get anything stronger, she'd require a sponsor.

Signature and Finisher: None, yet. Probably will never have one.

██████: 12%. Account that this is how much it took to survive her first moment as a Magical Girl. It was quite a frightening experience, after all.

[User]
Frederica Bernhardt
Danzig, Alleyways.

She had enough rest.

Witches never sleep, but she, being human and all, needs to. That was why she needed to patrol as soon as she could, sleepy as she was. A quick battle with one would wake her up quickly. That was why she was here, in the city itself, patrolling and avoiding as many people as she could.

Her eyepatch was reacting to something, a trail of what seemed to be a witch's energy. Witches did not usually wander around the place; they were the type to set up a labyrinth at some sort of location, and then lure victims in. Not unless the witch was one of significant energy, in which case half the city would be destroyed, and familiars would be running amok everywhere. What she was detecting MAY be a Witch, but it was most likely a familiar, running about doing whatever it wants.

Frederica traversed the rooftops as discreetly as she could, avoiding human eyes, wearing only her Magical Girl outfit. She sported none of her armaments, though she was ready to materialize them as soon as battle started. There were others, like her, who had their FATE, their DESTINY changed, perhaps arguing over territory, as they often would, but that was hardly of any concern of hers.

She was here, to stop SUFFERING from spreading.

Bypassing the argument and the girls, Frederica simply jumped into the world that was the familiar's labyrinth. There was no flair, no flaunting, no special flourishes as she materialized her armaments, just her bracing herself and just one word.

"Fire."

The twin turrets mounted on her back roared, firing explosive shells into the small labyrinth. Again and again, she bombarded the place until the labyrinth started to shimmer, signalling either the demise of the familiar, or its escape. Both outcomes were equally desirable. Should it be destroyed, then that was that, but should it escape, it may try escaping back to the witch that spawned it.

[Assistant]
Strolling along towards the Witch, Carina was rapidly growing tired of that whole process. This was mostly a result of the sheer crush of people that she had to shoulder through, most of whom were paying attention to the street ahead and thus reluctant to get out of her way. The hassle dug at her nerves until she had enough of it, if only out of exasperation and nothing else.

"Fine," she grumbled to herself. "We'll do it the easy way." She could spare the magic after all, so what was the harm in getting a higher vantage point over the place that she was trying to go to?

She at last ducked into an alleyway that wasn't being observed, and once there she produced her soul gem. For a moment her eyes were transfixed, the shimmer colors that were pretty much stainless and flowed in her eyes. This, this was her salvation, her liberation. She would take the responsibility soon, but for now she just wanted her peace and her freedom. Was that too hard to understand? For her parents, it seemed to be.

But, no more time in waiting. With a thought she held the gem to her chest and transformed, light flashing and filling the alley for brief moments before it subsided, with her in magical girl form. "Awesome," she said to herself with a grin before activating her powers. She rose off the ground, aided by the feeling like a solid platform was beneath her feet even when it wasn't.

Up she rose, moving into the sky and headed for the nearest high point she she could find, which ended up being a church steeple for some cathedral. No one was looking at her, that was for sure, so she made it easily, and settled on the slanted surface with a grin. Ah yes, this was the life.

"Now ten, where are you?" She looked around for the general location of the Witch and settled down to observe things from her eye in the sky. She loved being a magical girl.


[System]
PILOT

Orion is mistaken as a child sometimes. And when first met on the battle-field some were quite baffled.

Age: 15

Personality: A Selfless, down-to-earth (Punintended) individual. Orion used to express his feelings at a substantial level. Yet since his sister died, he fell into depression. Orion admits that he wouldn't be able to be who he is today without that stage. Overall now, Orion is the same. He cares for others truthfully, he can be quite funny and tends to chat to anyone that approaches him. He's open to conversation, and on rare occasions you might see him act like a goofball, unless you're a true friend.. you'll be seeing him goof off a lot. He tends to take the goofiness to the battle-field, yet it turns into insanity, considering his absolute hate for the Cruxi. As if they are some kind of panic/trigger word that makes him switch from kind-hearted to killing machine. This insanity on the battlefield can be seen in his personality, he never the concept of death seriously, he would be smiling on his day of execution. He would still stand hardly for those who hurt his friends and family, and those friend have turned into his team-mates and the family is now planet-earth itself.

Motives: To Obliterate the Cruxi. To fight for those who can't. Little Sisters death.

Background:

To say that it was luck to survive a full scale attack by the Cruxi is quite the understatement.

It was more of a sheer privilege, something that comes once in a life-time. Orion was one of few who were in the sights of the Cruxi, yet managed to escape from the hair on his chin. Younger Orion was put into a situation were his sister had just been slaughtered and for all he knew, he was next. Millions, upon millions of thoughts, rushing through his head. What would he do?

Being on the outer-rim was harsh, especially since his home-world was one of the first to go dark, succumbing to the Cruxi. Orion made his living off absolutely anything that he could find. He worked 12 hours each and every day, he even managed to get a meal for dinner every second night. He usually gave his beloved sister and only family his meal of the day, saying "You're young, you need to grow. I'm strong enough, I can handle it. Don't worry". He definitely put his sister in priority, hoping for her to grow up and make better decisions.

To escape the Cruxi the day they invaded his Home-World, It was phenomenal, the odds don't stack up.
It didn't make sense, they killed his sister and everyone else that was nearby. Yet, It was like Orion wasn't a priority towards the Cruxi, they were about to kill him and they suddenly changed there minds?
Orion's escape wasn't meant to happen. He didn't believe that he should deserve to be alive. He regret's his mistake of not trying to do something about his sister. His eyes were forever tainted with his sisters blood. Though he didn't murder her, he sure hell felt like it.

Within the next 12 hours, Orion had been put on an evacuation ship, sent into space, and watched his planet get obliterated along with his only family. He managed to make it, he couldn't believe it. He was begging that his sister should've survived, he was hoping that he was dreaming. It was rather pathetic.
Yet it was true, he survived, she didn't. Orion eventually decided that the only way to satisfy his undying sadness, was to enlist in the Framewerk Project, yet the initial answer was a decline.

Orion demanded to be tested, to take some sort of written or psychological test, some sort of something!
He harassed the recruiters, until they took a look at Orion himself. He was sent to Framewerk Lab, under the experiment tag 'ZEUS TRIALS'. He saw one kid about his age walk out in a wheel-chair, whispering randomly "Shadows, and Chaos" over again, in a eerily tone. Orion, walked in. For some odd reason the two adults in lab coats looked at him, oddly. They checked his report. Orion looked up in astonishment, then focused on the lab-rats speaking to him.

"Well, Orion Paris. Welcome to Project Framewerk: Experiment 090X - ZEUS. Let's hope you survive the real test"

Notable Deaths: Only surviving member of his family. His beloved now ex-girlfriend died before in the invasion, yet not from the Cruxi.

Other Things: During the events of the Cruxi invasion, Orion was ironically struck by a source of lightning, yet he doesn't know.. It happened whilst he was about to die. This event is crucial to Orion's killing insanity, on the battle-field.

 FRAMEWERK
Codename: (Obviously) ZEUS

Primary Weapon System:
Zeus's equipped with a unique system called "Arklight Thunder", being able to manipulate plasma from his particle generators, in the form of Thunder Bolts, that he can wield in his hand and use as projectiles.

Being able to manipulate space nebulas and the atmosphere on planets to send lightning down on his enemies is another aspect of his primary systems, all his abilities stun enemies. Zeus can stun multiple enemies that are close-by in one cast.
Secondary Weapon System

Zeus's best defensive capability which is used in a radius, shields Zeus from outside projectiles and ranged attacks, whilst inside creates a massive tesla field that stun's enemies inside it's radius, yet deals minute amounts of damage through static electricty. He can also target this on ally frameworks, if they are close enough to him.

Zeus has a electro-magnetic movement system that allows him to hover instead of walk, this provides extra movment, considering he is such a slow walker. His movement is a lot more streamline, and he doesnt have to worry much about terrain. This puts a little bit off his armor weight.

Armor Type - Medium

Synchro Rate - 77%

Special Ability - CLASSIFIED SYSTEMS (error code X450F)

I changed back to ZEUS, because I believe that @Ariamis is right.
I hope this helps.

[User]
Mai then did something out of character. She brought her hand up as to properly salute before doing the "about face" out of the admin's room but half way up, her arm froze then came back down.

Then, Mai spoke up to Ritsu and Lorenzo but her voice didn't sound like a "drone" per say...in a way, it sounded more "normal" than anything.

"...I'm sorry sir...I guess I can't put this off after all. Been falling apart I feel ever since I got here. Even now, I'm not the same "killing machine" I was trained to be...but you must know. I've always had a grudge of sorts with my mo...with Maria Twilight codename "Angel"."

Mai then turned around. Her back to her two superiors.

"...that damn preminition or "future seeing" ability...you should know, despite Cain's best efforts to cover it up, I know the truth...my old "Professor" told me about it during training...it got to a point where she only started seeing SELECT future events...but then...it grew to the point where she started seeing EVERY possible outcome even during battles...to the point where her final moments were that of madness as her Framework "R-0" absorbed her...or so I was told..."

That's when Mai changed the subject and told Ritsu and Lorenzo of the "Cruxi" she saw in her vision. To what the Cruxi looked liked to what it tried to do when it "spoke".

Talking like a drone now, Mai said, "If that's all sir, I'd like to return to my quarters...I need to fix my inefficiencies by "hitting the books" as the saying goes."

[Assistant]
"Thank you for this privilege." Krista took the patch and pistol. She carefully attached the patch to her shoulder. She attached the pistol's holster to her harness at the shoulder. The heft weighed on her more than it's physical weight would suggest.

After they were dismissed the group dispersed quickly, mainly leaving for the mess hall. Even Elora went to talk to Lora before she could grab her attention. Krista was considering heading towards the mess hall when Romeo caught her attention.
***
The boy was surprised by the decisions, to be sure. Glad that she had been one to get the promotion even though he was told to be one of those who used his brains. It seems the hesitation was enough to lower whatever ranking system was in use.

Still, he was glad she was selected over many of the other choices and it showed as he approached. Slipping the blade up the sleeve of his kimono, he offered her a soft salute to respect her more than her new station. Casting a look to the professor, he motioned to the doorway as an option to escape all of this tension.

"Je suis tellement fier pour vous...I am proud for you."

If she followed, he would be trying to lead her to the virtual training areas for a plan he had in mind.
***

Krista smiled and replied, "Thanks Romeo. You did a good job out there too." After realizing that he was trying to lead her out of the room, Krista put a hand on Romeo's shoulder. "Actually Romeo," she said after he turned to face her, "I'd rather stay here in this hall. I've yet to meet the new guys and I don't want to go wandering off before they get a chance to meet me, and I would like to go talk to Elora afterwards." She cocked her head towards the mess hall. "But I'd be open to finding somewhere quiet after dinner if you'd like to talk in private though."

Romeo was stopped and surprised that she wanted to stick around but he understood. Back to the wall, next to the exit, he smiled softly and getured with a spinning downturned hand like someone mixing something. It was an intended gesture for her to go mill about and he hoped she understood that.

"I'd like that, I'll stay right here for a little bit, I'm in no mood to see what sort of military Cruxisludge they pass off for food without someone for backup."
***

Krista let out a small chuckle. "I still don't know how they make a grilled cheese taste bad." she said, "Though is there anything you would like to say right now though?"
***

"They dont use real butter, it makes all of the difference." Romeo grew a soft smile as he thought about it. "I hope you like flowers, now go."

Krista nodded and went off to go greet the new cadets.


[System]
Username: Sleater
Race/Species: Human, tilean from the Serenissima Republic of Verezzo

Gender: Male, seriously

Age: roughly 23

Career (if any) and Skills: Accomplished mercenary. He is competent with most ordinary hand weapons and with pikes. He excels at crossbows and, at least, knows how to ride a horse (although he has no horse of his own) BTW, he has, at least twice, convincingly disguised himself as a woman, and does probably know how to properly strangle an enemy.

Weapons: Short sword, shield, steel helmet, crossbow & 10 bolts. Knife in boot.

Attire: Old white tunic under black battered leather jacket. Blue cotton trousers.

Equipment/Other Mail armor, shield, steel helmet, Minor healing potion, iron rations for a week, backpack, travel boots, sandals, water canister. Leather gloves, light coat and two pairs of socks. Blanket and Amulet of Myrmidia.

Physical Description (as detailed as possible please, pictures not accepted.): Androginous, short young man with shoulder-long black hair and brown eyes. Thin and usually un-bearded. With the correct attire he may pass as a woman. He is somehow stronger than he looks.

Mental Description/Personality: He speaks little, but tries not to appear arrogant because of it. Gahetano thinks about himself as a hired assasin (not the glamorous kind of assasin, more the mobster kind) and about his proffesion as "Killing people out for money". So he can be, also, quite grim. Not so much a serious or professional guy, but a sad one, who has accepted his destiny. Enemies are just corpses that still defend themshelves. For what he is concerned, if the money equals the risk, then it's ok. He's not sure what will he do if he achieves richness or power. The idea of power is, perhaps, more into his mind, than the ideo of money.

Background/History: Gahetano's family fell in disgrace after an electoral change in the Republic of Verezzo. The sudden loss of power by the Reds ruined his father, and the Green medic in the village didn't treat his consequent illness due to the lack of payment. Gahetano, then, used his relationship with the doctor's daughter to gain access to the medic's house, disguise himself as her, and... the next morning the doctor was tied to his bed, strangled with a cotton stocking. There were a broken window, vomit nearby said window and the doctor's daughter was drunk in her room.
After that, Gahetano sold everything he had and joined several groups of mercenaries and adventurers. In the border princes he was involved in the prosecution an assasination of two emmisaries from Drakenhoff castle. Particularly messy assasinations that included one horse and one misterious undead warrior. Now, howewer, Barbaggi re-appears with no apparent links to that past, taking his chances once more, in the mercenary market.

[User]
"The pleasure is mine" Gahetano answered. "You made a good point, miss Del'Arivara... posing as traders or feriants for the festivals, we might stay in the town for a while without calling any atention and make a more accurate plan"

He took a cup of whine. After doubting for a moment, he noticed the old demi-fainted man in a chair near the wall, and handed him the alcohol. The man accepted it with a grateful gesture. Then Gahetano adressed the group: "In that, we are all concerned: does enyone know if it's legal to exhibit caged goblins in Bretonnia? Or does anyone have another suggestion?"

The mercenary raised another cup, while meaningfuly pulling a jar near the little greenskin. For one moment he remembered that one goblin ambush the same month of the horsemen. Now he found it even stranger the little runt hadn't tried to stab his ribs yet. Gods. Poor lil Elzbeth knew how to speak Bretonnian. She would had been so useful here... but no: she was safe now. And the farer from him the better.

[Assistant]
As the new manling person checked the security of the area and began discussing plans with the lass, Sketti pulled up a chair and hopped up. The wooden legs creaked slightly from the weight, but he didn't seem concerned. He grabbed the closest pint of whatever Ale their was and sipped it, having already consumed closed to 10 and trying to take it easy for the food in his stomach at the moment. Once their formalities were done, he nodded. "Och, that's easy." he said, interrupting. "I can distract whatever guards are around. I dinnae even have to be there. Just rig a small explosive to an abandoned cart or area and have it go off with a timed fuse." he explained. The Dwarf burped, despite his slow intake of Ale. "'Course, sometimes me bombs don't go off, so I might need to set three just in case. But if we time this right, we have the manling woman bagged and gagged just as I set off the explosion, and they'll be too busy scrambling for their lives than focusing on us. Especially at night. Manling eyes aren't well adjusted to it, no offense."
His mug pointed at the greenskin. "As for this one, not sure if it's 'legal' to cage one and display it but, from what I hear festivals aren't known for being picky with entertainment."

[User]
"I thought bombs are expensive" Gahetano observed "Perhaps we are discussing it too early: first thing first. How are we gonna get a ship... and what ship? We need one at our disposal: both for travel and for scaping"

Gahetano found a chair by the fire. He liked being warm. And the wine became also compfotably hotter. He started wondering to himself if they could give the damsel a gift big enough to hide her inside it.

[Assistant]
@POOHEAD189@Eisenhorn@Austronaut@Culluket@Sleater

It had been a while since Jan had said anything, and indeed it appeared that no-one really seemed to have noticed, yet there was a reason for this. That reason was, as was the want of many a Moot dweller after a hearty meal, because he had fallen quite asleep – his snores unheard above the shooting, shouting and general conversation between the old and new arrivals alike – but it appeared that this was soon to come to an end...

"Luccini!" He yelled with a start, his face rising from the plate of mashed potato into which it had slumped; apparently, in spite of his state of being rather unconscious, he had heard the entire conversation and now answered without thinking, even as he wiped away warm and buttered food from one side of his face.

"Did someone say we need a harbour? Well...Luccini is right next to the Tilean see, isn't it?"

The Duke of Trantio literally shook at the sight, wiping sweat from his unhinged and fevered brow, noticing that the Halfling had completely ignored the pointy-eared mercenary at the table. It was something that he however had not! Even as he spoke he stared at the Asur, his yes narrowing and his heartbeat racing, flashbacks coming to him even as he acknowledged the schemes of those around him.

"Master Dwarf," he replied to Sketti first, "you can have your land, your gold and as much beer as you can drink! I swear it on my ancestors tombs." Next he turned his eyes away from Baecion, for the moment, and took in the rest of the group, "you shall all have what you wish, either now or later as it may be."

With a slight click of his fingers there was movement from Alfredo, the ever-loyal manservant making visible a rather weighty pouch in one scarecrow hand; it had not been there before, had it? It was as if it appeared out of nowhere, but now he launched it onto the table with a loud thump and the chink of metal on metal, plates knocked aside and goblets upturned.

Falling like golden droplets from the loosened strings of the purse were coins of glittering gold, around a couple of hundred, the purse actually as big as the Halflings curly-haired head; there were some from Tilea, the markings of various Republics punched onto them, there were coins from several Imperial provinces, as well as Arabic coins and even...if one looked close enough...a couple of coins of Elvish gold.

Jan was not particularly interested in gold, a simple Halfling of simple means, but the glittering gift caught even his sharp eyed attention.

"So," he said again in his rather bass voice, for one of the Moot, "if there are no objections, then I suggest we take this bag 'ere an head for Luccini with all haste. An hope we don't meet no pirates on our way to...wherever it is we be goin' again."

[User]
The Engineer glanced at the wakened Halfling and chuckled. Just like a moot boy to be sleeping after a hearty meal. It was nice to have him on this trek, Sketti admitted. The Halfling's idea was right on the money as well. Luccini was indeed a good place to set off. Speaking of money...

The acceptance of Sketti's terms and the gold that scattered on the table widened the Dawi's eyes, and he scrambled over to a chair, hefting himself upon it, and stood on it like a stool as he leaned over the table and carefully examined the coins. There were so many variations! "Well ye got me attention." he admitted, grabbing a random coin and admiring it with a professional air.

"So...if there are no objections, then I suggest we take this bad 'ere an head for Luccini with all haste. An hope we don't meet no pirates on our way to...wherever it is we be goin' again." the Halfling said. Sketti still gazed at the different coins, picking each up and examining. "Aye, I'm ready to get goin' methinks." he agreed.

[Assistant]
Biancca beamed as the plans began to take shape. Not only was she gainfully employed but they were headed for Brettonia, the centre of culture and fashion, on an errand straight out of a story book. Admittedly this sounded like the villain's part in the book but that was just detail. Her ears perked up at the mention of land. She began to imagine that she might be able to gain estates and hence respectability. Come to think of it their doddering employer was childless and unwed. She cast her eyes around her companions.

How hard might it be to worm her way into the old man's title? Marriage was always possible of course but that seemed extreme. He was an old man, might he be convinced to adopt her and name her his heir? She sipped at her wine considering the idea. It might be easier just to fake documents to that effect. For that she would need the De Trantio's signature and his seal and no one to gainsay her when the time came.

She looked around her companions considering their suitability in such a scheme. The goblin need not be considered, his testimony would be worthless. The dwarf was another matter; they were famously rigid in matters of oaths and honour. Perhaps she could arrange for him to find employment in the north. That left the elf and Gahetano. She would watch them and see what might need to be done.

"Then it is settled," she declared, raising her glass in a toast.

"If you would draw up a contract for us my lord then I will be willing to sign on." A contract that would be on vellum and have the old man's signature and seal.

"After that, if you have no objection, I suggest we spend the night here, it is growing late and many of us have ridden a long way today already." The Dwarf might be ready to pick up and leave this instant but she could use a night of rest.

[User] -edited-

[Assistant] Hmm... anything they wished? As it happened, Baecion did have it in mind that perhaps a few tomes of magic and other such interesting topics might be necessary to help progress his magical abilities, if the man had any such objects in his castle... but he'd perhaps save his request until after they were alone, just so he didn't further alienate the other mercenaries in the group. Plans were discussed amongst others, including the idea of using a boat to escape (which Baecion first thought somewhat unnecessary, but after further chatter from the others saw the merits of implementing); meanwhile, Baecion finished his meal, politely crossed his hands over his lap, and when the time came, simply stated "A contract to confirm that we are owed certain dues once the job is complete sounds like a reasonable idea." Really, his input was barely needed, and ideally (at least for now), the less he was noticed, the better.

[User]
Gobskag rubbed his spindly green claws, a little too eagerly for anyone to be comfortable with.

"Sure, sure," he rasped, leering, "Poor, weak elfses and stunties needs their rest, neehh? Heh hehh... Ol' Gobskag will keep watch, an' make sure nuffing goes missing in da bleak, spooooky dead of night, hneh heh hnehh..."

It would be a good chance to poke around the cursed castle, too. Treasure and food aside, Gobskag would have bet his left eye there was a proper humie skeleton somewhere on the premises. Right good bones for magikk wands, and an evil-looking skull wouldn't go awry on his orkkult robes, neither.

"Den in da mornin' we can gets down ta business... But I ain't goin' in no cage!" he sqwaked, thumping his stikk against the floor for emphasis. "I gots a betta plan. One wiv extra cunnin' bits. Yous'll see."

He withdrew into suspicious mumbling, eyeing the others surreptitiously from under his hood and glancing around for secret doors.

[Assistant]
Gahetano nodded. He was tired: a little rest was what he was hoping for. Howewer, he tried not to sound too desperate for it:

"It's pretty much settled then" the human declared heading towards Alfredo with a renewed cup of wine the man obviously needed. The servant, reluctantly, accepted the drink -since it was now being offered not so much by a guest than by another servant of his master- "I suppose theres a room were we can rest without creating further inconvenience to our employer?."


[System]
Age: 24

Gender: Male

Race: Human (Mandalorian)

Appearance:

Personality: Much towards himself, never knowing who he can trust. However, he has some kind of conscience, as he only takes on missions he considers good. He only does something really unethical if he finds the money worth it.

Profession: Bounty hunter.

Skills: Excellent pilot, efficient marksman.

Abilities: His PCD makes him able to become temporarily invissible for the naked eye, and his jetpack makes him able to fly short distances, although even if he used them at the same time, the jetpack's propulsion would give away his position, and not only visually.

Equipment: A PCD, a jetpack (black) and a E-17d sniper rifle, along with black Mandalorian armor, geared up with a whipcord launcher and a range finder on his helmet. He also owns a modified X-wing (except not being made of Lego xD) and a black and red R2 series astromech droid, called R2-D9, nicknamed 'Denying'.

Brief Backstory: Born in a Mandalorian family, he left his tribe when young because he didn't want to follow the Resol'nare completely, specificly the part about following his leader, the Mand'alor. By leaving, he not only became a dar'manda, but also stopped following another part of Resol'nare, the one about contributing to his clan's welfare. He had no family anymore by that time, so he didn't break that one. He became a bounty hunter, and seemed to survive this way. He kept telling himself that he was still a real Mandalorian as long as he kept following at least half of the tenets of the Resol'nare. However, with already two down, he knew he was nearing the edge.

[User]
Jedi Knight Saku Rira

"Ah?"

Saku looked up, lime green gaze falling upon the metallic form of the medical droid whom they had been assigned. He was a different model then she was used to, but by his programming he didn't seem like a bad sort as droids went. Still, his question right now wasn't anything she was remotely interested in.

"I don't need anything like that, F7," she replied, folding her arms and leaning back in her seat. She didn't enjoy in indulging in sedatives or anything like that unless it was absolutely necessary for medical purposes. She knew some people needed medicines to calm medical disorders that resulted in excess nervousness... but she could calm herself via the Force, if she truly needed to. And she didn't feel she did, as annoying as this wait was. "... I'm just getting irritated about how long it's been taking to land. It feels like it's been four hours since we were told to prepare for landing."

The Lac'li sighed, nestling her childish frame against the seat. At least that was relatively comfortable... Ah, she really should try and be calmer. Grandmaster Skywalker didn't teach to utterly suppress your emotions, but he did instruct his jedi to be in control of them. But it wasn't as if her annoyance here hurt anyone. And... gaah, it was so irritating having to wait! She wanted to ensure innocent people wouldn't be harmed, and verify just what Grandmaster Skywalker had felt.

"... I know we have to be close, but it feels as if time's been standing still."

[Assistant]
Emergency Response Droid F7-250

F7 hummed quietly in acknowledgement at Lac'li Saku's response, understanding that while it wished to fulfill its primary directive, it should not press aid when the recipient did not wish it and the outcome was not life-threatening. From what the Droid had gathered from Lac'li Saku's medical file and its brief interactions with the Jedi Knight, this state of unrest was generally the woman's default mode of operation.

"I sympathize your distress, Lac'li Saku. The delay is extremely inefficient for your and the other Jedi's primary directives," the machine offered in as an empathetic a tone its vocalizer could manage, its large form assuming a crouched position near the Jedi. F7 had not often been given the chance to interact with Organics since its reactivation, and the few times it did were often just maintenance on its chassis. Perhaps interfacing this Organic would be able provide useful data regarding social interaction as well as helping it fulfill its primary directive of ensuring its masters' well-being.

F7 quirked its large, stream-lined head at a slight angle, hoping to emulate Organic body-language so to better convey its meaning. "Lac'li Saku, scientific testing has revealed that entertainment aids in the passage of relative time. Would you like to engage in an activity in order to shorten your perception of time's passing?" The machine offered optimistically, its cobolt and silver form illuminating its surroundings with dim, blue light.

[User]
It was a sight to behold, an angry Orryxian bashing her fists against the Ardent Liberty's pilot console. "I hate Hutt Space...", Kara cursed. They were drifting in front of the Huttese Golan III defence platform for four hours now and they were not let down to the Spaceport. After letting out a stream of expletives, Kara turned the comm-panel back on.

"Commander, your urgency to land seemed suspicious to some Hutts, therefore we are going to scan your ship once more before you can proceed the the spaceport. We are very sorry for this inconvenience, but the Republic is not that welcome in Hutt Space."
Kara sighed.
"I understand. However, I will have to file a report to the Senate about this. They will not be happy about this delay." This was her final gamble, something she learned in one of her more... diplomatic missions. And it usually paid off.

"The Senate? Oh... I am very sorry, we thought this was a warship and not an ambassador of the Senate. And we're sorry for not contacting you earlier." It always pays off to play the diplomat, Kara thought smiling a little.
"You're assigned to landing bay 27, don't stray from your assigned course.", came another person from the orbital station.

"Finally...", Kara muttered under her breath as she put the course into the computer, then she activated the comm once more.
"Fighter pilots, we've received landing clearance, please proceed to dock with the Ardent Liberty."

One thing Kara never understood about pilots was their decision to stay in their fighter cockpit, even when travelling through hyperspace. It was baffling to her.

"well, then... Let's get to it." With these words Kara pushed any distracting thoughts into the back of her head, clearing her throat and activating the intercomm.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've just gotten landing clearance. I'm very sorry for the delay. It seems the Hutts are not very fond of Republic ships appearing on their doorstep. Probably because they have something to hide. We're now posing as a diplomatic corps from the Senate, I don't know how this will complicate the mission, but they would not have let us dock otherwise. For questions, come to the bridge or wait until we have landed."

Deciding it would be safer to do so, Kara deactivated the autopilot and the guidance system she had fed with the coordinates of the docking port displayed a row of green beacons on her HUD. Slowly and smoothly she eased the ship into the atmosphere of Nar Shaddaa.

[Assistant]
Bounty Hunter Krat Gyton

A black and red X-Wing flew towards Nar Shaddaa slowly. In it was a Mandalorian, wanting to get some credits. It was hard for him to get past the spaceborder control, as they thought he was with the Republic because he flew an X-Wing, but after he managed to convince them that he was a bounty hunter trying to find some 'smugglers who didn't pay their employers what they owed', they let him through. It was not a total lie though, he was trying to find some law breakers. However, he was more interested in the people at the secret meeting. He bet the Republic would pay a lot for some of them, and as he liked the way the Republic was handling it's government, he would help them. For now.

He landed on the appointed landing spot, opened his cockpit and got out. "Denying, you stay at the fighter. I will be back soon." The R2 astrodroid started to complain with its bleeping. Krat sighed. "Look, Denying, I know you want to come with me and kick some butt, but this is a stealth mission with much climbing involved. I don't think you are able to do that though." One long, annoyed bleep came from the droid. "You know what, I'll make a deal with you: You stay at the fighter and I give you permission to aim at anyone who comes too close to it. I even allow you to shoot anyone who touches it. Do we have a deal?" The droid now sounded as happy as it could be, and started turning the turret at the bottom of the X-Wing around towards the people walking past the docks. "That's a good droid!" Krat said, then walked away from the fighter. It was time for him to get ready for the job.


[System]
~My Characters~
Age: 21
Sex: Female
Mate: Open
Vampire or Werewolf: Vampire/Werewolf
Coven or Mav's Pack: Coven
Position in the Coven or Pack: Knight
Power : Healing, Ability to shift into a wolf, and Black Fire
Bio: Crimson is quiet around anyone who isn't her sister. She decided to live with the vampires because she thought it would be best and they would teach her how to be strong. Well the only thing she's learned since joining the Coven is that she can't control her Cursed Werewolf side.
Picture:
Wolf Picture:

Name: Shadow
Age: 25
Sex: Male
Mate: Open
Vampire or Werewolf: Werewolf
Coven or Shadow's Pack: Shadow's Pack
Position in the Coven or Pack: Alpha Male
Bio: Shadow grew up without a family. He was originally born in a different pack, but when his mother died from having her second born litter his father blamed him and his siblings. Well his siblings didn't make it, but Mav was too strong willed to die. Which is when the Alpha of Silverstone found him and took him in. When the war happened the Alpha's that took him in and treated him like family were killed. He is confused when it comes to Vampires, but he keeps the peace with the current vampires.
Picture:
Wolf Picture:

[User]
Vampires and Werewolves once lived together in peace on one condition werewolves do not mate with vampires and vampires do not mate with werewolves. One day a vampire fell in love with a werewolf. Despite the law in secreatcy they had two hybrid children. After 21 years the vampire and werewolf were found and killed. The children however were forced to leave by their parents. Now both girls return to their parents hometown only to find a war brewing between the two species. The girls must now try to stop this pointless war. So one claims to be a vampire while the other sister claims to be a werewolf, but can they fool everyone and stop this war before it starts or will they be caught and never stop the war?

Sitting inside the Coven's Kingdom Library as the rain began to softly fall outside. Looking outside for a moment then darting her crimson red eyes away and turning back to her book as she finished looking at what she was working on. As lightning flashed she jumped pushing her chair against the book shelf behind her. Holding her chest she panted heavily then shook her head, "Get it out of your mind, Crimson. It's outside and your inside." Closing her eyes for a moment her cat Ban jumped into her lap and curled up purring softly. Gently she began to pet him as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the book shelf as she hummed softly.

Shadow walked in the woods surrounding the village that was his home. Rain began to fall and then it was followed by lightning and thunder. "Well this is going to be one hell of a storm." Shaking his head he continued to walk his patrol. As he walked through the woods the rain began to fall harder. So stopping under a tree he shifted into his wolf form. Shaking out his fur he began to run finishing his patrol early. Once he got to his front porch he shifted back to his human form and walked inside grabbing a towel he had hanging by the door from when he had taken a shower before he went out, "Mmmm it's a down pour out there."

[Assistant]
Iris was outside doing a patrol when the rain started to fall. Normally there were a few people who were out patrolling at the same time, so she wasn't surprised to see a few wolves run from the woods and shift to humans and dart into the cluster of houses that contained their pack. Most people shared a house with a few other, other than the Alpha male. Since he had yet to choose a mate, he was alone in his house, the largest of the grouping.

Iris lived with two other women, both of whom were notorious for not being home. Not that Iris minded... She just didn't understand why they hadn't moved out to live with their mates. That's how their little town had begun after all. As the wolves picked their mates they moved out and into an empty house to make a family. When their children grew up, they were given roommates and moved into whatever house was vacant and appropriate until they found their mate. Of course, Iris didn't mind it much though either. She'd get pretty bored if the girl's didn't live there, that was for sure.

She shifted back to a human and walked back to her house as the rain came down, enjoying the storm. She'd never been frightened of lightning or thunder, maybe it was because Crimson was so frightened of it... Even though, Iris was years younger in those hours of storms, it was almost like she became the big sister. She sighed and pushed the thought of her sister aside as it just made her miss her more and walked up the steps to her front door. She went to open it, only to find it locked and when she went to get her key... "Shit."

She groaned and leaned her head against the door, "Locked out..."

She sighed and turned around as she ran her hands through her short blonde hair that was sufficiently soaked and started to think about how she was going to break into her own house. She sighed and started to walk around the building looking for an unlocked or open window.

Leopold sat in his study with his feet on his desk as he flicked through a few papers. Business... It was all really quite boring but it came with the title and the power. He removed his feet from the desk and sat forward before he signed off on the paper and moved it to the side of his bed. He stood and ran a hand through his hair as he exited his office and locked the door behind him. It was unlikely that anyone would go in there, since he had forbidden it and his word was not one easily crossed, but he liked to take precautions.

He made his way down the steps and to the library, there had been something he wanted to have prepared for what he needed to get done tomorrow. When he entered the large room, he found he was not alone. He quickly noticed Crimson, a rather new recruit to the coven sitting at a table. He walked in and looked out the window, "Seems like it is going to be quite the storm... It's going to smell like wet dog in the morning if the mutts got caught in it," He joked before walked over to one of the bookcases. He took a moment to search before he took a book off the shelf. He looked at Crimson again before he walked over to her and sat down on the corner of the table. He leaned over a little, leaning his hands in his lap, "And what it is that you are reading?" He asked politely.

[User]
Shadow finally dried himself off and began to cook some bacon. As the bacon cooked he changed out of his wet clothes right fast in his bedroom. However before he could put on his muscle shirt he seen someone outside in the ran walking around on of the houses, "Damn those vamps. Don't they know not to break the treaty? Fuck." Draping the shirt over his shoulder he walked into his kitchen and turned off the stove and took the pan with the bacon off the hot iron. Opening his door he stepped out onto his porch growling deeply in his chest. By now the rain was really heavy, but still looking at the figure as the wind blew he caught the scent and realized it wasn't a vamp. It was one of his newbies, Iris. Blinking for a few minutes as he puzzled out why she was walking around her house. Then it clicked to him. The girls she lived with always complained about her scent. Shaking his head as he sighed heavily, "They must have locked the poor girl out."

Running his fingers through his raven hair he shook his head again then called out to her, "Hey, Iris! You get locked out? Come on over and dry off." Saying that he turned around and walked back into his home leaving his door opened for her to come inside. Going back to the stove he turned it back on and flipped the bacon. Once that side was cooked he added more in case if Iris was hungry too. As he cooked his shirt got in the way, so he tossed it over into one of the near by stools around his islander. "How many eggs do you want, Iris?"

Crimson hadn't heard any movement in the Castle for some time, but as Leopold entered her eyes flew opened and she watched him carefully. As he made his joke she looked out the window and nodded in agreement. Again as he moved she watched him, but Ban jumped up onto the table as Leopold sat down. Looking at the book on the table she shrugged her shoulders, "Nothing really. Just a book on codes. Nothing fancy really." Grabbing the book before he could she closed it and put it away. As the lightning flashed she froze and closed her eyes tightly. Gently her body began to shake as Ban stood up and meowed softly at her. Turning her eyes to Ban she nodded and softly began to breath again, "Thank you, Ban. I have to constantly remind myself." Shaking her head she sat back down again gently picking up Ban and holding him close to her, "Why are you here, My Lord?"

[Assistant]
Iris jumped when a voice suddenly joined the sound of rain pounding against the ground. She looked toward the Alpha's house and turned a little red, embarrassed about being caught locked out of her own house. However, the windows all seemed to be locked so unless she planned on breaking and entering into her own house, she didn't have much choice. Taking a deep breath, she ran to the Alpha's house. When she stepped inside she closed the door behind her. She was completely drenched as she stood there, dripping on his floor. She didn't move from the entrance way, not wanting to soak anymore of the Alpha's floor. She bit her lip when he asked about eggs, "One..." She said quietly deciding the taking the offer was more polite than refusing it.

She ran her hand through her hair again, pulling off of her cheeks where it was practically glued to thanks to the rain. Iris glanced at the Alpha male once more, "Thanks.... for letting me stay. The girls... They must have left and I forgot my keys... again...."

She ran her hand over her naked thigh as she stood there in shorts and a loose fitting shirt. The summer storm had disturb a nice day and left Iris in the predicament that she was wet to the bone and absolutely freezing. She seemed to be the only one though as Shadow stood at his oven without his shirt. Iris stared a little at his back, watching how the muscles moved before she quickly moved her eyes away. She moved her eyes else where and allowed them to drift to his head. His hair was wet which made her wonder if that was from a shower or the rain. She wrapped her arms around herself and shifted a little at her spot at the door, her shoes squishing as she moved, "Sorry for being such an inconvenience," She said quietly.

Leopold couldn't lie, the fact that Crimson quickly stole it away before he looked at the book made him more curious about the contents. However, he dropped it when he noticed her react to the lightning outside. He glanced over his shoulder out the window and hummed slightly, ah the things he was learning. He brought his attention back to Crimson when she asked why he was here. He smiled, "Merely doing as one does when they go to a library," He rose the book in his hand, "I have to write to a few nearby coven leaders who don't think I am capable of my job. I figured it was best that I brush up on them all a little before I dive into that kind of work."

He stood and was about to leave the room when a thought struck him, "You should go to a windowless room if lightning scares you, Miss Crimson. Maybe not seeing it will help with your fear of it," He looked at her before he gave a curt nod and turned to leave.


[System]
Sex: Female
Age: 246
Race: Golem
Affinity: Metallum, specifically bronze.

Personality: Eresa fosters the appearance of a bored dilettante. She collects as much art, clothing, and people as her savings can afford, but holding very little affection for any of it beyond its price for resale. No, what truly captures her heart and soul is power. She had all the power she could want, once. If she could have it again, and hold on to it better this time, then perhaps she could fill the void in her purposeless life.

Greatest Love: Herself.

Motivator: To regain the power and influence she once possessed.

Fighting Style: As a being made of bronze and a Spirit of the same, Eresa has unparalleled control over her body's structure and the metals which comprise the alloy (copper, tin, etc.). She can form her hands into blades or other tools, increase her size, or even mend damage. For these benefits, there are also some serious deficits. Bronze is a soft alloy, bending and shearing far easier than steel, and the mending process takes quite a lot if time as Eresa has to concentrate to remake her fine components.

To be honest, if Eresa found herself in combat she'd most likely be chiding herself for being stupid. She would much rather hire some thugs, poison, or throw money at a problem until it goes away. Despite her prowess if it came to combat, Eresa is not a combatant.

Bio: 246 years ago Mother Eresa Aedon, Lux Matron of the Coven and holder of the 5th Mystery, died on a pyre. For 43 years previous she had clawed her way up the ranks of her order and tore down her rivals. The title of Arch-matron was within her grasp. But she'd grown complacent. Betrayed by a rival, she was one of the first flames that would set the whole of the Old Coven alight. But the fire didn't truly end her. She was saved.

Salvation pushed her soul into a worker of Monolith. There she toiled, bitter for it, but without the knowledge of why. In time she managed to find others like her, dissatisfied with their lot in life with the vague feeling that something had been wrongfully stolen. These disparate workers formed the Autonomous League, pooling their skills to find a way to slip the shackles of Providence's Blessings. From their labor the Converter was born.

Able to siphon Blessings away from their intended recipients, the converter stored the mystical energy for later use, to be shared by the League. The next, logical step was to see if they could concentrate the power of the Blessings enough to create a Traveler. Eresa was their first volunteer. The refinement and gathering processes were painstaking, but finally they were certain they could mimic the intensity of Providence for just a few seconds. They theorized that exposure to that much untamed energy would be enough to jump-start the Traveler metamorphosis. They were right, to a point.

When it was over Eresa felt like herself again. Her affinity for Lux had been wiped out by the transformation, but the loss paled before the return of her memories and the sense of being complete. After regaining her senses, she informed her fellows that they had succeeded. She then proceeded to kill them all using the Converter, destroyed it, and stole its design notes. She knew that somehow Monolith's god had sensed her apotheosis. The Spinnermen, workers who had given their minds and bodies to Providence to become temple guardians, were on their way. She made a harrowing escape from the city, Spinnermen tracking her the whole way until their Blessings failed them.

With her freedom assured, so long as he never returned, Eresa began to explore her new world. She raided her old boltholes for funds and sold the stockpiled charms and scrolls that she could no longer use. With the bureaucracy of the New Coven earning her bitter disdain, Eresa decided to enjoy her new lease on life. She earned it.

Appearance:

Eresa's "skin" is a dull bronze that, if looked at from afar, would almost pass for human. The mistake ends there as one would notice her eyes were the same color as the skin, almost like they and the rest of her face were sculpted as a formality from one piece of bronze. Her hair is much the same as its polished form doesn't actually hang free, but is another molded part of her head.

Eresa's taste for the finer things extends to her wardrobe. The latest fashions from across Protea usually find their way onto her 7' frame. By far her favorite is a glossy black gown that hugs her form without being inappropriately snug. A long drape off her right shoulder and a bronze sash around her hips completes the look.

[User]
The First Descent

Kai, itching now to get moving, resented Malte's question ever so slightly but resolved it into a silent thank you as the young man decided for himself. In truth, Kai knew not the answer to his question. The malodorous murk of the sewers promised to teem with threats, but Ebb itself hosted an entourage of hidden enemies, the barnacles clinging to its seldom-seen bottom, living and working just out of view. As for treasure, the ninja expected none. A new worry struck him as he awakened to the fact that numerous members of this group could very well be expecting a good, old-fashioned dungeon raid. They had better be prepared, Kai fretted. This job is shaping up to be anything but conventional. "Ebb side for Malte," he echoed, making a mental list. "Subterranean for...Edwin, is that right? We'll find peril and perhaps fascination down there for sure, if that is what you mean by adventure. Mr. Ghurst, your continued advisory will be valuable."

The next few minutes saw the addition of the Delacroixes, Riad, Ash, and Aron to the underground team, while Kadoodle, Helvetica, and Eresa volunteered to remain above. Udo Koro Kai harbored his doubts still about nearly half of the assembled people, be their flaws a visage that hinted at insanity, distrust-breeding demeanor, an overeager protectiveness, hygiene, or a corpselike countenance that could very well have belonged to an undead. It was rogues like this, he hoped, that would prevail where the previous 'squad of heroes', as he'd nicknamed them, failed. As he and lady Exeter were doling out rebreather and communication conduits, a couple of late arrivals appeared. One, a proud warrior calling himself Dane Joshin, whose every aspect portrayed him as a rugged hero, happily assuaged his misgivings about the Ebb underground by signing on to the above team. The other, a lively young lady clad in formerly pristine, now red-spattered desert-style clothes of cream color, was assigned to the sewer team. Finally, Levi, plagued by indecision, consigned herself to the above-ground team as well. With everything decided, all provided gear distributed, and not a moment to waste, the entire crew of sixteen left the Exeter house at a brisk pace.

Heading away from the waterfront and towering, monolithic seawall, the street dipped downward, leading gradually away from the stately hotels of the upper class. Before long, the road gave way to a walkway that overlooked one of Ebb's grand 'chasms'. What might have at first appeared to be an ordinary city peeled apart like an enormous apple, revealing a labyrinthine assortment of streets, bridges, canals, waterfalls, and towers that extended hundreds of feet down. While for now Ebb's true tide had almost receded fully, water gathered in places throughout the city, be they basins, rivers, aqueducts, or miniature lakes. A boat coming in from the port that the wealthy district bordered could travel a few hundred feet down a canal, enter an enormous basket of water, and descend a hundred feet by winch to a wharf nestled inside the city's mid-level. In fact, at about the mid-level there lay a huge basin called the City Lake, on which ships steamed and houses floated all day long regardless of the tide pouring in via huge pipes. Scattered throughout the City Lake were enormous pillars upon which rested a substantial amount of city directly overhead; seldom did the sunlight reach some parts of this ponderous pool. Ebb was very much in motion, alive despite the looming threat and dreadful red rain, and with a mission in mind the second investigation team was in motion too. Entering a dry lift all at once, the team was lowered past crammed apartments, the City Lake, and what appeared to be a sports stadium to the mid-low level of Ebb. From there, Kai led the way down flights of stairs, through steep streets, and onto a riverboat ride that brought the team close to the city's bottom.

Finally, just as the tide fully receded, the sixteen -with or without a stealthy but interested pursuer in the form of Haydrex- reached the bottom, a circular area of damp brown concrete eighty meters in diameter, cut in half by a sluggish, murky, cab-sized canal. On the opposite side of the yard from where they entered, a pair of rusty metal ladders led up to a slummy avenue on which Kai said the Depth Plumbers' headquarters resided. The water in the canal, only a few inches deep now, flowed into a yawning dark aperture into which the sewer team would be following it. "Here we part ways," Kai said, stepping into the canal. His manner was grim, obvious even with his mask, for at this very place he had almost been drowned not so long ago. "Both teams have two communication conduits for redundancy, should one be lost. Report in at intervals. Team Ebb, after checking on the Depth Plumbers, call the mayor for future instruction."

Mancer, silent so far but not recalcitrant when it came to looking at the intriguing oddities of the watery city during the trip, nodded. He took a few steps and leaped, white cloak flapping, over the canal to the other side, bound for the ladders. It took him a moment before he froze, realizing he was perhaps being preemptive. Looking back, he zeroed in on Eresa. She had every quality of a leader, from dress to bearing to a fancy name, so it seemed natural that she, though not officially appointed by Kai, would lead Team Ebb. "Um. We okay to go?"

-=-=-

For a indeterminate length of time after the second group left her parlour, Margaret Exeter sat very still, clinging the arms of her chair. While outwardly anxious, her breathing came easily and calmly, and for the first time in a few days a tentative ray of hope was peeking through the cloud cover. Sure, it was a team of misfits, with largely unknown backgrounds and skills, but she felt that if anyone they could get the job done. Even split in half, there would be more per team than the initial expedition could boast, and with a pair of communicators each there could be no mishap leading to a blackout.

Margeret reached for her cup of wine, grasped the glass, and paused. "No," she decided, standing up and leaving the liquor behind. "This is the start of something good. If I can't face it sober, what good am I?"

As it happened, next on her list of mayoral duties was dishes. No significant administrative duty, to be sure, but a politician wishing to preserve some semblance of self-providence (and therefore an appeal to the self-providing lower class) such as she could not forsake it. While the rain picked up, another hand poked out her window revealed it to be mercifully clear once more, and while this assisted to invigorate her spirit it did not shake her earlier premonition of dread. Lost in though, she allowed herself to split into autopilot, only interrupting the routine of soap, scrub, rinse, when a piece of china proved too dirty to be cleansed on the first wash. Gradually, however, Margaret discovered with annoyance that she had washed the same dish six times in a row, and still it came up streaked with grime. She looked at the water and jumped, finding it almost overflowing and unmanageably murky. Disgusted, she reached into the water and sought the plug, so as to allow the water to drain.

It took a few seconds for her to locate the drainpipe. When her fingers at last alighted on its surface, confusion spread across her features, for she could feel no drain stopping up the sink. Puzzled, she continued to grope around in the inky water, reaching down the pipe, until she stumbled upon something warm and fleshy. Before she could yank it out, the thing closed its fingers about her own hand and pulled. Margaret's scream was cut short by her impact with the murky water, and while she continued to struggle, no sound rang out but the persistent beat of rain and her panicked scuffling with her free had and legs, desperately trying to get free.

And then there was only the rain.

[Assistant]
Edwin pocketed the communicator, and began studying the rebreather, mumbling his thoughts along the way. "I wonder..." His main consideration was methods of extending the conduit's time limit. "Hmm. Without knowing it's design I couldn't do much to improve the spell itself, but..." Maybe he could extend it's ability by compounding spells of a similar nature. He sighed. "The spell's design is still an issue. The effects of a compound enchantment would be unpredictable." He placed the rebreather within another one of his coat pockets. "It would probably be easier just to make one from scratch." Tinkering with the rebreather would have to wait. Right now he wouldn't have the time or the resources for it anyways.

A few minutes later another thought came to mind. If I were to work on it later, somebody with expertise in related affinities could be helpful. As the group came to a halt, about to split into two, Edwin spoke out towards them. "Is anyone here skilled in the use of the Aura or Aqua affinities?" And took the rebreather back out of his pocket, tossing it up and down in his hand. "There's something I could use your help with. After we're done with the expedition of course."


[System]
Age: 20

Personality: Saria's not the best with people, but she tries her best to become friends with others. It hardly ever works out in her favor, though. She feels lonely more often than not, but she's very knowledgeable and can react quickly to most situations. She doesn't work well with others unless they're really close, which rarely happens with people other than family.

Abilities: Saria can completely control the darkness and shadows around her. She can blind enemies by concentrating the amount of darkness around someone, or she can solidify shadows in order to attack (spikes, tendrils, etc). The latter is much more draining, and she experiences crippling headaches and loss of vision when she's forced to overuse her power.

Background: Saria comes from a family of shadow magic users like herself, but her family neglected to tell her about it to maintain secrecy from the purists. She found out about her ability by accident during recess in the 5th grade, however, which caused widespread panic. The following week, her house was targeted by the purists. She only barely managed to escape with the help of her older brother, but her parents were unfortunately killed in the incident. Saria and her brother, both under new names, promptly moved in with her aunt and uncle in an attempt to maintain normality. Her brother taught her how to use her power so she could learn how to control and suppress it properly. Eventually, she graduated high school and was able to make it to college. Whether or not the purists will be able to track her down, though, remains to be seen.

[User]
Joshua instantly regretted his decision when it was very easy to see that his question had put her on the spot. It had not been his intention to make her uncomfortable but that seemed to be what he had managed. He was also very much aware of the fountain they had found themselves next to, its bubbling adding a strange texture to the situation, which Joshua now recognized as awkwardness or at least had become such. First day and he had already made her uncomfortable, a real smooth job.

The girl called Erin decided to avoid the question for the moment and Joshua felt like he needed to apologize but then she continued and thanked him for talking with her. It was quite a turn around for Joshua but Erin still seemed a bit out of it and could only glance at him. Joshua scratched the top of his head for a moment in embarrassment. "It was nothing, really glad I could help. Well don't worry about the other thing, you can tell me whenever, no rush."

Joshua stopped for a moment as things decided to just stall for a moment. What should he do now? Things were not exactly on the best of notes so he needed to do something to keep the new relationship going. Huh, to think he was already thinking of their encounter in terms of a relationship, at least a new friendship anyway. Well it is starting to get late, I'm sure you want to settle in. Still, do you want to meet up again soon? Maybe even tomorrow? Course if that's too soon you can choose another time."

Well that was that, the invitation was out and now he just hoped she would say yes. This had indeed turned into a very interesting day.

[Assistant]
Saria nodded at his response, but the air was still tense for a bit. She was doing so well with him before, but now she felt like she made Joshua feel completely awkward and that didn't really make it easy for her to talk. Thankfully, Joshua was quick to take the initiative and asked her what she was too frightened to ask herself. Thank goodness for that; it made things so much easier for her. Saria looked back at him with another smile.

"Yeah, that'd be great. I don't have anything I need to be doing tomorrow anyway," she explained. There was still a good week before classes began, and it wasn't like she had any other friends. Still, she wasn't expecting to see him again so soon, and it excited her that she would. Did that make her clingy? Desperate? Granted, he was the one who asked. ... Was he being clingy...? The thought greatly amused her, but she still wondered why he was so interested in her. She wanted to ask, but she felt that their conversation had been plagued with enough awkwardness for one day.

Saria blinked as she realized just how dark it was getting. She wanted to ask him if he had anything in mind for what to do tomorrow, but she thought that she should probably wrap things up. "Well," she started as she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. "I can give you my number so you can text me when you're ready tomorrow." She wryly smiled. Now that she felt the awkward tension had left, she felt she could let off another joke. "Boys like it when girls give them their numbers, right?" she teased, hoping it wouldn't embarrass him as much as her first joke from earlier that day.

[User]
Heck it's every guy's dream to have a cute girl give their number voluntarily." Joshua teased back as he took out his own phone and started the process of exchanging numbers. It did not take much time as the phones exchanged information and soon it was done. "I'll text you tomorrow then, take care!" With a wave Joshua left, feeling quite accomplished for some reason.

Later that night he was settled in his room when his roommate came in. Instantly his roommate started to harass him. "Hey, heard from my fans you were spending time with a new girl. Finally got some interest after a year eh?" His roommate was an accomplished member of the tennis team and had quite a collection of fans; therefore giving him a pulse on anything that happened on campus. He was a year ahead and in a way had been a mentor to Joshua.

"Ha ha, I don't know if its anything like that Chris. Sure I suppose she's cute but you know me."

"Aye, Mr. Looks-don't-faze-me guy. Seriously I thought something was wrong with you last year when you brushed off anyone who flirted with you. I also felt like I'd have to watch my back."

Joshua rolled his eyes at the Junior, who had implied that he thought Joshua might have been gay. "I don't know what it was but something just edged me toward approaching her. I feel like she is someone I want to know. Anyway I'll text her tomorrow and hang out."

"Moving quickly eh? Sly Dog."

Joshua shoved Chris playfully into the wall. "Don't jinx it man, you better stick your nose out of this." Joshua really did not want Chris to get involved but he was sure it would not be a problem as the older student usually had a lot on his plate, especially since he was going into the medical field.

"If I feel like it."

[Assistant]
Saria nodded at his response and they exchanged numbers, but it was only until after he'd left when she realized he was implying she was cute. Her face turned beet red, and it was all she could do to cover her face in embarrassment. A boy talking to her was outlandish enough as is, but getting an actual compliment? Wow. Her brother was not going to believe this. When she composed herself and her heartbeat went down, she dragged herself back to her dorm.

Later that night as Saria was lazing around in her pajamas, she was on the phone with her older brother. His true name was Zarek, but he'd donned the pseudonym of "Jared." Saria told him about everything that'd happened, and it felt like she could go on forever about how happy it made her. Zarek, however, was the more skeptical of the two, and always questioned everything around him.

"Well, yeah, I'm happy for you and all. Just remember what I told you," he warned. "Always be wary around college boys."

"Jared, I just met him today," Saria reassured him. "I don't think he's the type who'd try anything funny. Even if he was, I know how to defend myself."

"Just be careful, okay? Don't take it the wrong way. You haven't sounded this happy in years, and I'd hate to see that ruined."

"I will," she confirmed before changing the subject. The siblings tried to make their conversations over the phone sound as normal as possible. They never knew if anybody else was listening in on their conversations, so any information about their heritage had to be kept tightly locked behind sealed lips.

The two continued to talk for about half an hour before saying goodbye and hanging up. Saria got on her desktop and surfed the web for a while before deciding to head to bed herself.

Morning had come quite early for Saria. She never normally cared about what she wore, but she felt the need to make another good impression for Joshua. She didn't really know why. Did everyone get like this? It was completely new to her. Regardless, she did the best she could with what she had. After a shower and basic hygeine, she'd put on white button-up shirt, some snug-fit dark jeans, sneakers, and she even put her hair into a bit of a ponytail. Just that was a major improvement, but Saria regretted not bringing any makeup with her as she noticed how pale she looked in her mirror. She took a deep breath and mumbled to herself. "Chill out. This isn't even a date. We're just hanging out. Calm yourself." Oh well. She did the best with what she had. With that, she sat back at her computer desk and awaited Joshua's text.

[User]
After his morning workout of running, a few sets crunches, push-ups and so on, Joshua had quickly hit the showers. The first blast had been a bit cold for some reason, well guy's dorms always did have the less maintained of facilities, he was done in record time and had quickly put together an outfit. What he ended up wearing was fairly simple, red-polo shirt, tan cargo pants, and trainers [as in the shoes]. Wardrobe accomplished with minimal effort he whipped out his phone and sent over the fated text.

"Good morning Erin, it's Joshua. Looking like a fine day today, so how about we meet up in say 10 minutes in front of Library then we'll decide a course of action from there. See ya soon." It was a bit short and to the point but in the end he preferred 'real' conversation over texting. Joshua quickly headed over to the neutral location to wait for who he believed was named Erin. There were some other students out and about but as classes were still a fair bit away there were certainly a lot less than there would be in about a week. A few people who recognized him gave their greetings and Chris responded in kind with his usual warmth.

As he waited Joshua could not help but feel a little on edge. It was just a faint prickling really but he was highly conscious of the fact that he really wanted Erin to like him and he was starting to feel the pressure. "Man, keep it together, what are you a high schooler with a crush?" He thought to himself. "We're just getting to know each other a little better is all, nothing to worry about, you hang out with people all the time." The inner monologue really was not helping, thankfully it was not just useless thoughts on his mind but also plans on what they should do for the day, which really depended on how much time Erin wanted to spend with him. Joshua wanted to make sure he did not accidentally over stay his welcome after all with someone he just met.

[Assistant]
Saria's phone vibrated on her desk, making her jump a little. She instantly knew that Joshua'd texted her, since it's not like she'd be expecting any texts from anyone else anyway. She picked up her phone, after her heart skipped a beat, and read his text asking her to meet up at the Library. It was pretty short and to-the-point, which surprised her somewhat. Wasn't he supposed to be the outgoing type? Hm. Maybe he just liked talking face-to-face more; it was something she could understand, but this meant that she couldn't hide behind a screen or anything when trying to talk to him, since it'd probably annoy him somewhat. He didn't really blame him; it was just unfortunate. "Sounds good, I'm on my way." She figured she'd better keep her messages short as well. She slipped her phone into her pocket, took one final deep breath to help her relax, then left to go meet up with him.

The walk to the library wasn't too noteworthy; nobody to really say "hi" to, so she just kinda squeezed on by while trying not to pay any mind to the other students. She simply went straight there, where she saw Joshua already waiting for her. His clothes looked good to her; not like she had any sort of fashion sense, made clear by her own attire and lack of make-up, but she thought they looked good on him. It suddenly hit her like a truck, though... She was almost too embarrassed to be around him. The doubt was crippling- since he knew a lot of people, she was sure they'd come up to him to greet him and then look at her. What if some other girl went up to him, looked at her, and said something like "I'm sure you could do better than that." She sighed. Suddenly she wasn't so sure about the whole thing... Still, though. He'd been kind to her yesterday, and skipping out on him last-minute would be unbelievably rude. She at least had the decency to show up and follow through. 'and stop worrying so much,' she thought to herself. 'It was easy enough to talk to him yesterday... Just go. You'll be fine.' After reassuring herself, she threw her sense of doubt away, mustered up the best smile she could, and walked over to him.

"Hey," she greeted with a little wave. "You look nice," she followed up, her heart beating more quickly since she was the one to initiate conversation this time. She at least hoped he wouldn't say anything about her attire, but she maintained her smile, refusing to let the doubt resurface.