[System]
Age: 18

Gender: Female

Appearance: Standing at a height of a metre eighty, Sonoda Yuka is surprisingly tall for a woman of Japanese descent, and combined with her powerful, athletic build, she cuts a figure of great intimidation. Indeed, her expressions merely serve to reinforce this image, with the taut muscles, unimpressed thin mouth and scowling golden eyes proving that she is very willing to fight anyone who dares to obstruct her path of justice. Her hair is cut short, the fuzzy brown-black locks flowing down towards her neck, fringe hiding away her forehead. In all, she exudes an aura of power but also reliability, her very appearance seeming to tell others that she is one to always keep her promises, and one that messing with would be unwise.

When not fighting crime in her identity of Metallica Weapon, Yuka works as part-time intern at an office building, and is dressed in garb fitting of her occupation; a combination of a light blue dress shirt and either a dark pencil skirt or trousers is her standard clothing, though when performing leisurely activities, her outfits can change far dramatically and will depend upon the weather. However, her grey combat boots, a permanent fixture of her outfit, show that she is always prepared for conflict, along with the leather motorcycle gloves that she for some reason dons frequently despite not actually owning a motorbike. She is also especially fond of a tattered yellow scarf that she has owned since her youth.

As the powerful hero of justice, Metallica Weapon, the "suit" that completely envelops her body is grey and nondescript, exuding sleek professionalism and power through its androgynous form. Nothing on the "armour" can be considered especially defining or revealing, as if its wearer is not truly a human but a mere copy of one. It is a threatening visage to ponder upon, as the only major aspects of the suit are the four emerald lines that run down her arms, and simple black v-fin that sits between its ominous, pale-red eyes.

Powers: A partially cybernetic human, the experiments that were performed on Sonoda Yuka to unlock her true potential have converted much of her bones, muscles and ligaments to "Solid Photonic Energy" equivalents that provide her with immense durability and strength, and the two miniaturised cold fusion reactors that are safely encapsulated within the area where she once possessed lungs replace her need for respiration, giving her near-limitless stamina and the ability to function in locations usually impossible for the normal human. However, her ultimate ability is to transform into a steely heroic warrior, a state that provides her with the ability to manipulate gases.

Weapons: Though a competent hand-to-hand fighter, Yuka possesses remarkable skill with a glaive, which she utilises to its maximum effect when transformed into the Metallica Weapon.

Personality: A seemingly stoic figure upon first glance, the superheroic Yuka is quite calm in the face of danger, dealing with whatever problem that befouls her with nary an emotion and supreme grace. Her comments usually show little spirit, though at times it seems there is a certain grandness to her words. However, underneath the surface is her boiling blood, fiery emotions that fuel her every action. She is relentless and driven, absolutely devoted to bringing about justice wherever she goes, even if from a skin-deep view she seems almost bored of her duties. Indeed, she will stubbornly fight for what she believes in what's right, and will crush all in her path to saving others.

She has her own eccentricities as well (though not incredibly obvious to others), the most prominent being her tendency to narrate in her own head, frequently delving into inner monologues about whatever crosses her mind at the time. These monologues are quite eloquent and poetic in comparison to her usual succinct (though nevertheless still sophisticated) speech. She is also a literary fan, and will make reference to notable works from time to time.

As Metallica Weapon, she is brutal and quick in her fights, aiming to incapacitate as rapidly as possible. She is also somewhat wordier than usual when in the midst of combat, but they usually simply carry through the zeal that envelops her as she fights to serve justice.

History: A native of Neo-Tokyo, Yuka was once a normal Japanese high school student in a normal Japanese high school, sharing a class with a group of supernatural warrior hunters fighting a secret guerilla war against the forces of evil. It was a rather peaceful life, albeit a life filled with higher school fees in order to repair the collateral damage brought about the powerful entities that resided at her facility of education, but it was not one filled with superheroics and drama for her.

Then came Cerebral Intelligentsia.

A shadowy organisation responsible for a spate of monster attacks, it kidnapped her and many others to be experimented on to create an ultimate army that would conquer Japan and then the world. Through these horrific tortures, in which her body was converted with cybernetics, her latent powers were activated, influencing Cerebral Intelligentsia to craft her into the first of their elite shock troopers, the "Weapons". Under their scientific machinations, she became a transforming cyborg warrior completely devoted to the mysterious cause, fighting in the shadows under the banner of CI.

However, sympathetic scientists would break her free of the reprogramming at the cost of her memories, faking her death and throwing her out of the secretive CI facilities and into the relative safety of the world. Lost and confused, with only the name "Weapon" to guide her, the teenage girl found her way back to Neo-Tokyo, subconsciously avoiding Cerebral Intelligentsia's forces as she tried to find her place. It would be during these struggling journeys that she met the original Sonoda Yuka, an ill, hospitalised girl whose dreams inspired her to become the hero "Metallica Weapon".

And when the original Yuka died of illness, the cyborg warrior took upon the name in tribute, using it in her secret civilian identity at a local high school until she would finally recover her own memories.

Weakness: Despite her superior physical prowess, Yuka is utterly lacking in range and mobility, having been described as a "masked runner" whose ability to achieve her ends is limited by her lack of vehicular transport (thereby preventing her from moving distances), nonexistent access to weapons or powers that could provide her the ability to consistently strike at aerial opponents (for any manoeuvres performed above solid ground are temporary at best), and in essence the mobile capabilities of the average human (she can walk, run, and float a bit with gas manipulation, but that's about it). Her fighting style is also quite rough and unorthodox, belying the fact that she isn't exactly the most skilled at martial arts.

Other:
* Theme Song: Hagane no Messiah
* Voice Actor: Romi Paku (JP); Michelle Ruff (ENG)

[User]
Super Cosmos

Cosmos accepted the autograph with the hand that wasn't holding a miraculously unspilled alcoholic beverage and gave it a look. The inspiring message, combined with the inspiring person who wrote it, gave Cosmos warm fuzzies and elicited a warm smile from the star traveler.

"The audience should be enough. I'll work my way to him from there, I suppose. I appreciate y-" The rest of Cosmos' statement was cut off as the two were beamed onto the...

---

Video Star
Cosmos hadn't used a decontamination room in many universal age units, instead using the heat generated by exiting and entering atmospheres in conjunction with the radiation and vacuum of space to cleanse himself of microbes. It didn't seem to bother him as much as it did Pterrordactyl - in fact, Cosmos considered it a novelty.

The Newdurs led Cosmos to the audience area once he was cleaned. He made his way to a fairly good seat that was miraculously vacant and turned his attention to the stage. Just moments after sitting down he learned why the seat was vacant: the alien next to him made a huffing sound, then spat radioactive goop on his arm. Though he was entirely unharmed by the action, Cosmos knew when he was unwelcome, so he brushed the slime off and moved to a less appealing seat.

---

"BIG MONEY! BIG PRIZES!" Cosmos roared with the crowd, caught in the excitement that flowed through the audience - or so he'd tell anyone who asked, though if he were honest he'd say that he was ecstatic that his favorite contender had finally earned his way into the Lightning Round. His inner fanboy was pleased, and he'd been there to witness it in person!

However, Cosmos still had business to attend to. He fought his way through the crowd, which was heading away from the stage while he intended to approach it. By the time he got past the crowd, Spandez had left the stage and headed back to his office. Not willing to give up easily, he caught a staff member's attention - by shouting as loudly as he could.

"Hey! I've got business with your boss - business of the highly important variety! I'm the rightful owner of the planet he's offering as a prize in this game!"

[Assistant]
Sakura sprung from her plush and large bed, kicking her soft white blankets off she turned her legs to the side of the bed and placed her toes on the floor.

"Wuaaaa! Another day another crime!"

Standing up she stretched in her pink Onesy with white little rabbits. Quickly Sakura grabbed her school uniform and changed her clothes, Packing her bag she put her work uniform inside and grabbed her Uzi from the nightstand, turning on the safety she kissed the barrel and tucked it away with two magazines. Her Katana had been cleaned the night before so all she had to do was sling it across her back. A customary ring of her doorbell had Sakura cheery and giddy more than ever. Tying her eye patch on she ran out of her bed room and down the flight of stairs.

As always Yukoshi stood at her door, ringing more than needed. "Sakura'Chan your always late. " Yukoshi stated not agitated at all; In fact she liked the way things were with Sakura'Chan and wouldn't want to change them at all. The closed door opened showing Sakura slipping on her Uniform shoes. Her short black hair never looked dry or messy and complemented her red eye, Yukoshi never really knew what Sakura's other eye looked like. She rarely ever took her eye patch off and when she did; it was always closed shut. Her short and athletic frame held feminine curves to it, not as much as Yukoshi but still sculpted wonderfully. Yukoshi smiled at the bread crumbs her friend left sloppily on her face and shirt. "Your a mess. " she teased, picking and wiping the crumbs off and flinging some away.

"I didn't get to finish my math homework!...KoKo'chan can I borrow your notes!?" Yukoshi never did mind when Sakura called her KoKo'chan and sorta took a liking to it. Sakura pouted cutely as she closed and locked her Aunty's door. They began walking their usual way to school.

"Yea, did you think of a superhero name yet?" Yukoshi asked waiting for the amusing answer she'll get for sure.

"Y-Yea!!!" Sakura yelled, trying to hide the fact that she was lying.


[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]
FRIEDA RICHTER - Salem Diner

Rook seemed to make a point of replying to her such that Brandy wouldn't hear. "Rook is disappointed in Shooter Lady. Rook would have expected her to learn some kind of tolerance in the wastelands. Now you will be looking for a reason to just murder Rook and justify it by saying Rook was being bad. Shooter Lady is no different than the raiders in the Pitt."

A super mutant judging me? That's definitely a first.

Rook called for a beer for her, and the man introduced to her as Ace popped off the lid of a darker coloured beer while Brandy popped out from behind the bar with beers, herself.

Well, all right! No complaints on this development. She made to take a swig when the grubby fellow took the liberty of sitting next to her and extending his hand.

"Thomas Beauregard Sykes the III, entrepreneur extraordinary, purveyor of wares far and wide. I do not believe I've had the pleasure of gazing upon such graceful flower before. Your beauty surely lights up this bleak and sad wasteland."

Frieda blinked, but did not shake the man's hand. "Um...thanks. It's Ric -- Frieda," was all she could manage in response.

"To new friends and a new home, CHEERS!!!" Brandy chirped, raising her beer and looking at Frieda expectantly.

"Sure. Cheers," she replied, holding up her own bottle a little timidly. She took a good mouthful of the dark beer, impressed at its taste. There were at least a couple folks back home who brewed their own beer regularly, and the taste of the stout reminded her of them. "What did you say this was called? It does taste fresh."

"You know Brandy, you tug at my belt, put your hand in my pocket…Call me old fashioned but some guys like to be wined and dined before they get this far," Ace said with a smirk as he sipped on his whiskey, "I'm not just a piece of meat you know."

Frieda took another swig when suddenly Brandy slammed the bottle down and covered her mouth, spitting beer into her hand, and causing Frieda to jump. Brandy looked up at her then to Ace and turned towards Frieda, "Oh my God," she blushed, "I didn't me…I didn't mean it like that." She waved her hands at her face fanning herself, "Frieda, that doesn't make me a floozy, does it?"

Frieda burst out laughing. "A floozy? Certainly not. Unless...well, did you really put your hand into his pocket?"

Brandy let out one more long exaggerated breath, "He is cute," she whispered.

"Well, then go for it," Frieda murmured back. "If he ever breaks your heart, I'll kick his ass, myself."

A short woman with curly hair drew up to the bar, smiling and bubbling on about being the proprietor of the inn. Frieda noted the information for later. She was getting tired of lugging her stuff around and with it getting dark, she would have to look for some kind of apartment in the morning.

I guess that means I'm going to need a job. A real, paying job. She sat quietly as Brandy introduced herself to the woman who called herself Celeste and continued to sip on her beer, watching Rook scarf down a veritable mountain of food out of the corner of her eye. He said something about the beer to Brandy, but Frieda didn't catch it. The beer was going down very easily.

She idly watched Ace take several orders at once and struggle to fulfill them at all quickly. It would seem that serving bar wasn't exactly his natural talent. She took another drink just as Brandy was whispering to her, again.

"Will you come with me?"

"I -- wait -- what?" Frieda stammered, caught off guard. She noticed Brandy dabbing at the front of her dress where the beer had landed on it, while sneaking glances at Ace and grinning sheepishly. "...oh. Uh..." She looked at Rook, seemingly completely focused on his food and drink. "Uh, sure. Okay. Lead on." Frieda had a flashback of being twelve and thirteen all over again, when her classmates used to giggle and dash around to avoid the boys, while seemingly, desperately, wanting their attention.

Sometimes, it worked.

Frieda tossed back the rest of the stout and plunked the bottle onto the bar, before rising to follow Brandy.

[Assistant]
Eliza Weaver
 Salem, Massachusetts

 Eliza couldn't believe that it was actually her, after all this time it was her. What tears Eliza had left to cry slowly trickled down her exhausted face. She mustered enough strength to speak but her words were soft and her tone was forlorn. "Shelby?" Her voice was weak and it was clear that she was trying as hard as she could just to speak. "All of this time, and here you are." Eliza struggled to hold Shelby's hand but she managed to, even if her grip was feeble and cold. "I missed you so much…..I'm so sorry."

 Shelby's grip was much different than Eliza's, it was warm and strong, bringing Eliza comfort she had long since given up on finding. "You're all I have left Shelby…..everyone else…they're dead." Eliza started to weep uncontrollably, her emotions were starting to overwhelm her. "I'm so sorry......." She couldn't speak any more, her body had reached it's breaking point. Her eyes shut for what felt like the first time in her life while her shallow breathing continued. Eliza had someone to live for again, and the life that person meant for her but death still sought it's quarry. Except Eliza no longer embraced her death, she didn't want to die......not now.


[System]
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Job: Priestess Missionary
Appearance:

Name: Symphony
Gender: N/A~ Answers to male pronouns.
Species: Spirit
Job: Ayrie's Familiar
Appearance: Symphony appears as a slightly larger than average Fennec Fox with white fur and red eyes.

Name: Astoria
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Job: Priestess
Appearance:

Name: Gerrick
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Job: Priest
Appearance:

Name: Darrin
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Job: Priest
Appearance:

[User]
"As it is mine, for Ayrie is Astoria reborn. She is my chance to set things right. Asran is a good demon, and yes I know to most if not all such a concept is alien. But, the demon serves his duties in keeping the balance of all things. He does not go to extremes like the other sins do, and usually keeps to himself. Only ever extending a hand when he sees he is needed. However, as he weakens the other sins become emboldened. Leading them to wreak havoc on the world, and soon a war will break out. Which is why to restore the balance Ayrie must stay here, she must fix what she's done in her past life. To set right the mistaken judgment," Nadia said soothingly.
She walked over to them carefully as wind spirits unpacked the priests things. Nadia set a gentle hand to Gerrik's shoulder healing his limp. Then smiled at him again it was so serene.

[Assistant]
Tears welled in Gerrick's eyes as his knee was healed. It had been hurting him for close to ten years, and the lifting of that pain quite literally felt like the lifting of a heavy burden. He couldn't say anything in return, so Darrin spoke for him when he noticed the straightening of Gerrick's body.

"Thank you, mistress. His knee has been paining him for some time." He bowed his head, grateful for the easing of his friend's pain. "But I must say, I do not know that we could ever see this Asran as a 'good' demon. We will accept him, for now, as a necessary part of our lives. There will come a time when we must answer to our Church, and I am not so sure that they will allow us to ally with him for long."

----

Ayrie went along with Mara, her eyes peeled and waiting for an attack of some kind. Her heart was racing, and the hairs on her arms were still standing straight up. She wasn't sure if it was simple nerves from the earlier attack or if her gut was trying to tell her something, but she was uncomfortable.

[User]
Nadia seemed to tense angrily at those words. She then let out a sigh as she regained her calm composure. "It is not my place to color your judgment. I've already learned once what results from it. Just know this, without him I would not be here to heal you. I will protect you from Wrath I know of ways to deter her, and the demons who wish ill upon the three of you. While also allowing the lord of Gluttony to come near."
She clasped her hands in a praying pose then chanted an elven prayer into them. Light flowed forth between them slowly she opened them causing the light to pour forth, and take shape. They took the shape of three rings made of intwined silver, and gold engraved on the inside were blue runes. Nadia then offered them to the priests.
"Wear these, and those who wish to see you come to harm. Shall be unable to harm you. For inside these rings lay guardians who only need to be fed a small portion of your energy. Which can easily be replenished by food, water, and sleep."

[Assistant]
Darrin and Gerrick took the rings and slid them on, grateful for the protection. Looking up they saw Ayrie approaching in the distance, a demon with her.

"She returns to us." Darrin said, relaxing further as he saw his charge. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, and the hole in her dress where she had been wounded gave away that it had been no accident. As she approached she tried to hide it by balling up the torn segment in her fist, but he had seen it before she could do so.

"Ayrie..." Gerrick whispered, concern evident in his voice.

----

'Here we go...' Ayrie thought as they neared the house. She saw a shimmer of magic over the car outside, a car surrounded by a woman she recognized but couldn't place, and the priests. 'So much for hoping they hadn't found out what was going on here...'

She balled up the ruined part of her dress and tried her best to hide it in her fist while not looking conspicuous, and smiled as they approached.

[User]
Nadia sensed Ayrie, and used a shadow elemental to surround her. They teleported away before Ayrie could see Nadia's true face. She trusted the priests to say nothing of this. Though just to be sure she had an air elemental whisper in their ears, "Do not tell Ayrie any of this. Give her the remaining ring."

——-/

Asran looked out the window his eyes tired, but he remained awake worried. Worried that Wrath would try something without him there. "Damn this curse, damn you Astoria. Why did you have to betray me? Was I not good enough? Did I not prove myself good enough to be loved? Why, why did you betray me for him?" All of this talk of Astoria by wrath had dredged up awful memories. Of Astoria turning to a man clad in a godly holy glow. The man that founded a church upon his pain a man that used Astoria's magic and then her life as a martyr to help him ascend. How could a man like that become a god? A god of lies, a god who builds temples dedicated to his supposedly good name on the mass graves of his people. He held his head as the pain caused by these memories courses through his head. He screamed out in agony as he remembered her name be buried by his pope, and bishops. Becoming only something whispered about by the supposed nuts of the church.

[Assistant]
"Who was that woman? Why was she here?" Ayrie asked Gerrick, as he handed her the remaining ring.

"Put that on, and let's go inside to talk." He said, watching her slide the ring onto her index finger. "We have much to discuss."

"First, why don't you go change into something more comfortable, Ayrie? I can see that you are hurt, there is no reason to wear something you cannot get comfortable in." Darrin said as they turned toward the house. "We will talk for a while and then we will go to bed."

Ayrie looked at the demon that had escorted her, "Thank you for seeing me home. I would appreciate it if you let Asran know right away that we made it safely."

With that the three of them turned and went inside, Ayrie to her room to change, the priests to the living area to make a comfortable spot for Ayrie to sit while they talked.

[User]
Mara saw the rings, and her eyes widened they glowed for a moment. Those were powerful magic! But who could have given them to these eyesores? She couldn't attack now, not one on one. Those guardians would destroy not even dust would remain. Quickly she fled going to lady wrath.

Wrath was pissed she'd trashed the guest house in a fury. Fire dancing around her body as she screamed for blood, and murder. "Damn that priestess! Who is helping her," she screamed. When Mara arrived she had calmed down some, and was now plotting her revenge. Somehow someway she would need to deceive Ayrie in taking off that damn ring.

[Assistant]
Ayrie sat down on the edge of her bed to rest a moment before changing her clothes. It felt good to rest after the long walk from the clinic. Her side hurt, and her shoulder was throbbing. The doctor had given her something for pain, but it was wearing off and soon she would need to make some more. As she sat she looked at the ring that Gerrick had given her. It was simple, and though she hadn't looked at it before sliding it on she could feel powerful magic coming from it. A tiny spirit whispered in her ear that it was for protection, and that she should never remove it, even for a friend.

She wondered who the woman was, she had obviously come to help the priests and she was thankful that she had, but she wondered why she hadn't stayed to speak to her. The nagging feeling that she should know her wouldn't go away. She sighed and stood, standing a bit too quickly and nearly passing out.

"Darrin?" she called. "Gerrick? Could I get some help in here?"

They must not have heard her because they didn't come. She felt odd, but let it go as she slowly straightened and walked to her suitcase which had obviously been packed in a hurry. She changed into a pair of sleeping pants and tank, and threw a robe over her shoulders. She regretted not bringing a pair of slippers with her and vowed that if she ever had the chance she would get some.

Astoria.

Ayrie startled at the name, looking around for the source. 'That med the doctor gave me sure is playing tricks on my mind.'

ASTORIA. Remember who you are!

This time Ayrie whirled around to see a beautiful woman standing in the doorway. She had long red hair and a face reminiscent of Ayrie's, as if she could be a long dead relative. The woman was staring at her, hard, as if she were angry that Ayrie couldn't remember.

Ayrie suddenly noticed that the room had turned grey, the woman beckoned for her to follow and lead her outside. As an astral projection Astoria took her on a spiritual journey through Astoria's past. Where they landed, Ayrie saw a giant black armored figure standing in the center of a burning village screams echoing from all sides. In their hand was a tattered doll stained with blood.

[User]
Asran had come to this village in peace. Had observed them from afar. Of the horrific things they did to the beast folk. Seen how much sick glee as they tortured them. He'd found a dungeon filled with bodies. He thought maybe not all were bad that there were some that deserved to live. But, he was wrong. The woman he'd found in the dungeon she had been chained to a wall burned, and cut into. Her husband he'd found hacked to pieces, and stuck on spikes in their cottage. While the little girl.... god the thought made him sick.

His grip tightened on the doll he'd made for the child, and he turned to look at it. He held it in on hand so easily. A man came screaming at him brandishing a hoe at him. Asran caught the tool with his spare hand pulling it close, and then grabbed the man. His helmet cracked open pouring forth blue hellfire, and he bit the man's face off before chucking the still alive man into a burning building.

The screams even though sweet to his ears brought him no solace. He turned to look at the doll again the thing was so tiny in his giant hand. Just as the girls hand had been. He sighed out strongly, NO. He could not, would not ever be this weak. He chucked the doll angrily into the fire.

[Assistant]
Ayrie looked at Astoria and saw pain and sadness there, then looked back to the scene around her and shuddered with horror. Even in this vicious scene she could see the kindness and willingness to do good for others in Asran.

'Look, now.' Astoria said, pointing at a figure cresting the top of a street path. It was a younger version of the redheaded beauty, and she carried with her a light sword like the one Ayrie had used earlier that night against Wrath. She was headed directly for Asran, but as she approached she watched him toss the small doll into the flames. She stopped, put away her sword and approached cautiously.

She said something to Asran that Ayrie couldn't hear so much as remember.

"I am Astoria, sent here to stop this madness, and to stop you." She said, "But I see that it is not you that I should be stopping." She motioned to the building that Asran had thrown the man into and the screaming stopped. "I will not abide unnecessary suffering."

She stood, her red hair blowing in the wind, almost daring Asran to come after her, as if she feared nothing. Ayrie envied that confidence.

The astral vision of Astoria then took her hand and lead her down a different path, to a different memory, a scene of Asran and Astoria sitting in an unplowed pasture. She was telling him that he didn't have to be violent, that he could care about people and do good with his power even if it was dark. She was interested in the demon, as he showed more signs of caring about the balance of the world than the other Sin Lords did. She wanted to aid him in creating and maintaining that balance, so that scenes like the first wouldn't have to be repeated across the world.

[User]
"Oh, You've come to stop me? A little girl in over her head," Asran said. He grew bigger as darkness rolled off him in waves blocking out all light behind him. His eyes bursting with blue energy making it look like his eyes were made of blue fire.

When they were at the pasture Asran huffed out in annoyance. "Jeeze, you're annoying. The only reason I didn't kill you was because I realized dealing with the repercussions from killing a light would be far more trouble than the meal would be worth." He crossed his arms looking away from Astoria. "Besides even if I did want to help people. Which I don't because you're all annoying.... It's not like they'd actually hear what I have to say. People are terrified of demons, and especially terrified of demon lords."

[Assistant]
"If you presented yourself differently, you would not be so terrifying to them." Astoria said. "Just because you are a demon lord does not mean that you are automatically terrifying."

The astral Astoria actually smiled as Asran spoke, and Ayrie heard in his voice his annoyance.

'So similar to the way he talks to me when I question him.' she thought to herself, but when Astoria looked at her she realized her thoughts were not her own here.

The memory Astoria went on. "You have seen the kindness of these people, and their determination to survive far outlasts that of the other races. Why not become their friend through kindness and compassion? Why not help them rid themselves of evil by choosing to eat only those like the man you threw into the flames before? Your immortality gives you the ability to see the larger picture, and one such as you would be doomed to a hollow existence if you continue the way you have."


[System]
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Job: Priestess Missionary
Appearance:

Name: Symphony
Gender: N/A~ Answers to male pronouns.
Species: Spirit
Job: Ayrie's Familiar
Appearance: Symphony appears as a slightly larger than average Fennec Fox with white fur and red eyes.

Name: Astoria
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Job: Priestess
Appearance:

Name: Gerrick
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Job: Priest
Appearance:

Name: Darrin
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Job: Priest
Appearance:

[User]
"With me having your sacrifices it is now time to imbibe in fine food, drink, music, and dancing." they heard Gluttony say.

"That's our que." Markus said, standing. "Come, watch the dancers with me. They are truly beautiful to watch, and will take your mind off of what you saw." He extended a hand out to her, smiling.

"Okay." Ayrie said, taking his hand and allowing him to lead her to a table near the dais. She supposed as a high priest he was able to sit wherever he wanted, but he chose to seat them on the opposite side from Gluttony. She didn't see the mayor anywhere, but she supposed he might be busy with other things. Or at least, that's what she chose to believe. She did spot Nadia seated near Gluttony, and waved at her with a smile. 'If she's okay with things here, maybe there's hope for me yet.'

She turned her gaze to the dancers, and watched them with amazement. Their movements were breathtaking, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy at their skill.

"It must take years for them to learn to do that..." Ayrie said breathlessly as she watched them.

"Years, and a lot of dedication. Many of them have less time for family and lives outside of dancing." Markus said to her, nodding. He was watching the lord, wary of the mistake he had made in allowing Ayrie to come to the festival alone and unhindered.

[Assistant] Asran just stared at Markus. Not only did he let Ayrie come to the main temple. Now he seats her at his table? Was he trying to give him heart palpitations? He rubbed at his forehead sighing deeply. Then turned back to the dancers. So much for enjoying himself by talking to his priests. While in this smaller state of his, his voice was normal. Meaning if Ayrie heard him speak she'd know just who he was. So he ate quietly as he observed the dancers. The urge to speak strong making him tap his claws on the table. He even avoided drinking in danger of becoming loose lipped.

[User]
Someone placed a plate of food and a wine glass in front of Ayrie as she watched the dancers, and she happily started eating. The bread was soft and buttery, and the wine they brought her was sweet rather than bitter. This was a pleasant surprise as she disliked bitter wine.

"Why is the food here so delicious? I should never return home if I keep being fed like this!" Ayrie exclaimed, taking another bite of food.

"The Lord's power keeps our feilds and animals healthy, and the fish in our rivers and lakes plantiful. We want for nothing here." When she looked at him quizzically he added, "Not that we do not work, that is. The Lord doesn't allow us to have what we do not work for, and true laziness is not rewarded. I would not be surprised if he finds something for you to do other than trying to advocate for your...ahem, friends." He stopped himself from saying Church and she caught on.

"Well, I'm not averse to work. I tried to fix my water pump this morning, but I need a new handle." She said. "I can do all sorts of things without tutelage, for some reason things just come naturally to me in that way."

[Assistant] Asran ate slowly listening to Markus, and Ayrie talk about him. As if he wasn't sitting right there. He grumbled a little in annoyance. But, it did work out for him at the same time. He wanted to get up to go shift to his human form so he could properly enjoy himself. But, if he so much as stood everything would come to a crashing halt. Gods bellow he truly was royally screwed. He gave Markus a steady glare then turned to Ayrie. Hearing she needed a new pump handle he created one with magic. Offering it to her trying to motion to the symbols to tell her it was enchanted. To offer crisp clean, and delicious water, all without speaking.

[User]
Ayrie looked over at Gluttony, again wondering about his appearance. He handed her a handle he created out of thin air and was pointing at the symbols on it, she supposed trying to tell her without speaking what it did.

"He means to tell you it will provide water when you need it, just attach it to the pump you have now and then press here.." Markus indicated a symbol on one end, "and it will bring up water without any extra effort from you. It will also allow you to fill a bath without needing to trek back and forth from the pump."

Ayrie nodded her understanding, "Thank you, Lord Gluttony." she said. She wondered why he hadn't spoken, as he clearly could speak, he had done so before. The similarity in the markings on his hand, the clear blue eyes, and white hair, along with the absence of the mayor was beginning to nag at her, and now he wouldn't speak.

She nearly gasped aloud, but instead kept quiet as it all clicked into place. 'He doesn't want me to know that he is Gluttony, and he thinks that I've not yet figured it out or doesn't want me to know.' she thought. 'Well, I'll just keep it to myself for now, especially in case it's for my saftey.'

"Excuse me for a moment, my lord. I'm going to go find the ladies room." she stood and made her way to a building to find a place to freshen up.

[Assistant] Asran nodded somewhat trying to convey Markus got some of it right. Then he looked to Ayrie seeing her eyes widen just for a second. That split second that only he saw. 'So she knows... great. Who's puppy did I kick to deserve a priestess with light magic. Figuring out my human form is the fucking lord of Gluttony? Fuck all kinds of duck. Maybe a memory wipe? No, if I tried that it'd hurt like a bitch. Probably do permanent damage too with how tired I am.' He sighed internally then motioned that she could go. With her gone he grabbed a bottle of wine, and started drinking. Nadia gave Asran a brief look, with her magic eyes she could see Asran's aura was deeply troubled. Then turned seeing Ayrie's aura had a deep fear. Putting two, and two together made her chuckle slightly.

[User]
Ayrie managed to find a washroom on the bottom floor of the building, and took advantage of a sink and mirror to wash her face. She was beginning to feel the effects of the training she had done with Markus, but she was still wired with energy despite the weariness of her muscles. She wiped her face and smoothed her dress, still smelling the lily soap she had used earlier despite it having been several hours now.

She fixed a few wisps of hair that had come loose from her braid, and retied the ribbon. Happy again with her appearance, and now composed after so many shocks in one night, she started to head back to the table to finish her food. She noticed a group of children dancing with each other and stopped for a moment to watch them.

'Everyone here is so happy, it can't be all that bad to have a leader who eats criminals...' she thought to herself.

[Assistant]
Asran yawned as he finished off his bottle of wine, and set it aside. He began thinking of a way to get out of here, and shift forms. Illusion magic? Yeah that would work. "Markus since you decided to bring Ayrie to my table. You're gonna cast a little illusion spell. Show me in this form while I go head back inside, and shift forms." Markus looked hesitant, but with the look Asran gave him he nodded quickly. Then cast his magic while Asran slipped away.

He went inside the temple shifting to his human form. He also took the time to use the washroom. To clean his face off of dried blood. Then put on comfortable clothing a simple blue silk shirt, and jeans. He made his way outside, and sat beside his illusionary self. Maybe, just maybe it'd confuse Ayrie enough that she'd reconsider that he was the lord of Gluttony.

[User]
Ayrie walked back to the table and took her seat, barely noticing at first that the mayor had arrived at the table.

'Wait... Didn't I just decide that the mayor is Gluttony?' she thought to herself, looking at the mayor and at the form of Gluttony. The mayor looked like a human designed to match the lord. She looked at Markus, who seemed preoccupied but was eating as if everything was normal.

"Mayor." she said sweetly, "It's good to finally see you. I hope everything went the way you planned." Something was amiss, but she couldn't pinpoint it. All she knew for certain was that this man was somehow tied to Lord Gluttony. 'It could be an illusion, a trick to get me off his scent if he thought I figured it out.'

Ayrie was naieve, but she wasn't ignorant and knew about illusions from her Church's teachings. They had said that illusions were the work of evil people, and that those who were good would not lie in that way. She knew of course that an illusion was not always meant to harm or to lie, sometimes it was meant to protect. She didn't know how to find out the truth other than trying to reach out and touch Gluttony, and she was not about to do that as it would reveal her suspicions.

[Assistant] "It's good to see you Ayrie. How have you been enjoying the festival thus far? Sorry I couldn't join earlier. There was a scheduling fiasco I had to go deal with," Asran said. He knew he was lying through his teeth. But, let's face it if he didn't she would know exactly who he was. He still didn't fully trust her after all it would be a simple manner for her to do him harm. Especially with how weak he was.

[User]
Ayrie smiled at him, "It has been interesting, to say the least, but I'm sorry to hear of your troubles. Large events have a way of attracting fiascos. I hope it wasn't too troublesome."

She snagged another piece of bread from the plate in front of her and tore off a bite. She looked again at Markus who seemed to now be deep in thought, and then back at the lord Gluttony, a mischievous idea forming in her mind. She wouldn't oust him, but she could make him work for it if he was lying.

"Thank you again, my Lord, for the water handle. It will make life so much easier." She said, smiling brightly. "I see now why you have so many who adore and protect you. You give so easily and generously."

From the corner of her eye she could see Markus's brow furrow slightly. If it was an illusion, it took concentration to make it move naturally, and she had just challenged whoever might be casting it to make it acknowledge her praise.

[Assistant] Asran stared at Ayrie, was she being cheeky? "My lord tends to focus on eating when he's hungry. Even despite the sacrifices the answered prayers take a bit out of him. I'm sure he's very happy to have helped you though," he said smiling. "Though him helping you for free is quite something. He must see something in you. What he sees I haven't the foggiest. After all you can be quite annoying." He then shrugged with hands up. If she was being cheeky he was going to be cheeky right back.

[User]
Ayrie had to hold back a laugh at what the mayor said to her, as it only made sense if he was in fact trying to hide behind an illusion.

"Well, I am in his debt then. I'll have to meet with you later to discuss what jobs there are for me around here to repay it." She said, her green eyes glinting as she looked at the mayor with a smile.

She took another bite of her bread and glanced over at Nadia who seemed to also be stifling laughter, though at what Ayrie couldn't guess.

[Assistant] Asran stared at Ayrie a little blank faced. Then stoooed smirking in amusement. 'You cheeky little minx.' He leaned back as he stared at Ayrie. "Well, I would but I can't always make time to hold your hand. Now can I? I mean I am the mayor after all. But, I guess if it's for my lord I could squeeze you into my busy schedule." For the first time in a long while he felt lighter than usual, happier.

[User]
"Oh of course, I'll meet with you at your leisure, or with one of your subordinates perhaps, Mister Mayor." She said, again with a smile. She was enjoying this, perhaps more than she should have considering the circumstances and what she had just seen less than an hour ago.

'Hold my hand indeed. I didn't ask for him to come pounding on my door last night.'

[Assistant] Asran couldn't help the chuckle that came out of him. He cleared his throat trying to stop the giggles. Maybe he drank too much? He did chug an entire bottle of wine on his own after all. Then again it takes a hell of a lot more than that to get him even buzzed. "Yeah, come by my office tomorrow after lunch. I'll talk to you then about a job you can do."

[User]
"I'll be there." She said.

She wasn't sure if it was the wine or the mental stimulation, but Ayrie suddenly had the urge to do something.

"Will there be more to this festival than sitting and watching the dancers? I have a sudden urge to join them." She said, watching their graceful forms twirling for their audience.

[Assistant]
Asran motioned a hand to all the surrounding people dancing around the performers. Doing their best to mimic the dances the performers did to the beat of their musical counterpart.
"Go ahead, and dance. If you feel the urge to dance then do so. For Gluttony is fulfilling what you desire most. No matter the consequences."


[System]
Age: Unknown (Part of the mystery!)

Race: 'Gifted' human

A healthy, radiant complexion and brilliant emerald irises make for a pleasant first-glance at the woman. Though the lack of sun-starved, pale skin may leave one wondering if the woman isn't from some sunbathed region. The smooth accent rolling from her tongue indicates otherwise, though it is difficult to place.

Keen features add to the intensity of her gaze; high cheekbones and a sharp jawline furthering the appearance of ferocity that goes well beyond the woman's underlying wolfish nature.

Raven locks fall to her lower back--assuming the woman has actually let them loose. It's more often she's seen with her hair twisted into a careful knot or a neat ponytail.

The result of ceaseless, almost obsessive, training is difficult to conceal behind any given attire. Her thick frame is undoubtedly more muscle than fat--though it offers a contrast to the sharpness of her visage if one takes the time to note the curvature of her figure.

Few scars are visible on her form, though on the occasion they are it would seem the woman bears very few. Faint lines cross her chest diagonally, similar lines replicating the effect on her upper back. Nicks and slender markings are scattered over her flesh here or there, the lines having grown so faint it is difficult to take note of them at all.

She exudes confidence bordering on a cocky attitude. Every graceful step is taken with a sureness, a sense that the woman is never second-guessing where she's headed; even if it's simply to slip inside a tavern for an evening drink.

Elizabeth has an unusual set of powers. While she is known for her excellence in studying shadow oriented magics, her origin leaves her with the additional benefit of her God's blessing; sharp eyesight, a sensitive sense of smell, and a pair of canines that seem almost out of place though they are relatively small. Her athletic abilities are increased as a result of this blessing. (See history for further explanation!). She has training in acrobatics, necessary medicine (field medic), and maintains the ability to utilize materials to create curious little trinkets littered with magic that produced unusual results.

Throughout Elizbeth's form the glint of steel is noticeable.

- A total of 10 throwing blades rest at her thighs, three strapped to the outer thighs, two to the inner thighs. This protects those vital arteries as well as provides additional weapons!

- Two daggers are sheathed at her hips, carrying a curious, deep violet glow.

- The inside of her boots are lined with much smaller blades, far too small to be adequate weapons in combat. Each was coated with a carefully crafted poison.

- A flintlocke bearing ornate designs, elven in nature, remains holstered toward the back of her belt.

- A bag clearly impacted by magic carries far more than it should.

- Though her pauldrons are small in appearance, clever tinkering has lead to their lining... tubing that connects one pauldron to a canister concealed in the other. When activated it releases a gaseous neurotoxin.

- Hidden beneath her leather bracers is a spring activated blade (Assassin's Creed style yes, sue me!).

South of the primary human Kingdom of Peilos rests the much smaller, secluded Kingdom of Lyceum (lie-see-uhm). The walled in region is tucked away on the southern coast, buried in a sea of pines and everpresent fog. The constant rain makes it a least favorite destination on any tourists lists, and if that didn't scare off the average traveler, the stories very well might. The Lycians (lie-see-ahn) were a separate community of humans, defected from their primary peoples thousands of years prior to the culmination of the great war between the elves and the humans. Though it began as a religious community, the dedication of their priests brought them the gift of their god. He was known simply as 'the great wolf'. If he had a name, no one spoke it, and the rumors that trickled from the once open city were twisted and altered over time. The humans there had been granted exceptional strength and speed, their grace no less benefited from the blessing though they become a brutal foe. The grin of a Lycian offered a showcase of pearly white, deadly teeth. The signature of these "creatures" as they were now deemed, was the brilliant yellow coloration of their eyes.

Elizabeth overtly was nothing particularly special. With a heavy hood to hide her features, none would know she carried any such blessing. Dark leathers constantly adorned her form, the woman's choice of accessory always the glint of steel. She was but a simple traveler if she was allowed to keep that hood on. This comfort did not last.

In the beginning she was known only within the walls of her own home. An accomplished assassin, rising through the heavily corrupted ranks of her city. Having separated themselves with thick stone walls and heavy iron gates, the citizens of the region had become reclusive, and ultimately infighting had begun. Their newfound immortality (or so it is rumored) lead to the realization that none would pass on to allow another to inherit title, to work along the ladder of nobility through not only achievement but the death of others. Assassination was more than a carefully concealed profession within these walls, it was a lifeblood. The very essence of the city. It's recent history was bathed in blood.

It was no surprise then that during the war a curious letter found itself on Elizabeth's desk, a sophisticated loopy script detailing the events of the greater world beyond those gates, and the need for someone as talented as her. She left the safety of her walls, of the towering pines and constant storm clouds, only to find herself ostracized.

While her work in the war had earned her heavy praise from her allies, her enemies were far less keen, and those bright yellow eyes made it clear she was not 'pure' in her humanity. Her home likewise had turned, shutting their gates in the interest of maintaining their reclusive status, naming Elizabeth nothing short of a traitor to their tiny nation.

[User]
@Faerah@Cerces22

Liz was calm as she listened, curious to hear the exchange of words that followed. There was little more than an eyeroll as Thortan spoke, her posture remaining as stiff as ever.

"Liz, my somewhat more unstable counterpart. Would you like to introduce me to your friend?? I know what you saw must of been wild, but trust me, you were never in any danger at all, despite the fact that one of the embodiments of the basic five elements dwell within Lia. I am more than confident that I could handle him on a rampage. I am Thortan Masters, owner of the House of Rejects, I see you met Liz, her bite is definitely worse than her bark. But I am sure a scratch behind the ear will relax her, although I value my hand to much to try. My I inquire as to who you are??"

A simple hum was offered at Thortan's word, though even the simplistic sound dripped with sarcasm. Yellow eyes flicked toward the new face, and then eventually to Lia. She was exceptionally cold toward others, as were many of her kind...perhaps that was part of why they were so largely unpopular. She could care less if a training session resulted in death, albeit, the more powerful people they had training here, the higher the chance of future success in the currently stalled war. If nothing else, she was smart enough to recognize that Lia was a powerful ally, a desirable one if she was going to maintain that control over her abilities.

She had remained silent during the briefly tense moment as a result of the new man's words. She understood the usefulness of the desert elf, but she had not yet acquired enough attachment to bother defending the woman. She simply waited quietly until Lia had turned and moved away. Her gaze returned to the newcomer finally.

"In combat I most often utilize hand-to-hand and melee techniques simply empowered by the shadows, but if you are seeking to flex your nullification muscle, so to speak, I can provide you with shadow specific offensive spells. Considering the Dark Queen herself trained me, along with her consort, I am confident it would provide you with an adequate practice session, even if you have become advanced in your art."

[Assistant]
The king sat atop his throne looking down on this pitiful excuse for a creature. His disdain of having to be in the room of a water elf made his skin crawl. He heard stories of his ancestors helping these creatures defeat a supposed goddess bent on destroying to world, he could care not. He was angry that they would not teach him the secrets of their magic. He couldn't believe that humans were incapable of controlling magic. The king sighed heavily to himself.

"If she cannot tell us how it is to use magic, she is of no use to me. Death is required for this affront." He said indifferently, the woman began sobbing, promising that the humans would be punished by their god Erebus. "Elf, if he were to exist, I would have his head as well. If your kind won't teach me magic, than you will all be put to death!!"

-------------

Thortan waited, and waited for the still unidentified high elf to move or say something. He looked over to the panther lounging around looking bored as well. He split himself, one version stayed sitting in the chair, the other went down to the field.

"Good elf, it's ok if you can't fight, many suffer from performance issues. I am sure next time you will find the strength to fight. Now let's go inside and relax, I am sure there is something we can do." He turned to Liz. "Come girl." He whistled softly to her.

His other self had removed the shadowed stage and made sure Lia and the panther made it safely to their feet.

"My dear, have I told you when I almost started a huge incident?? Seems someone got it in their head that I was trying to bed the high priestess of the Mountain Elves. Here I was giving her women advice. But their queen still wanted my head to be on the safe side. It wasn't until the priestess showed up to my big death gala with her new girlfriend on her arm did I get released." He laughed out loud at his own expense.


[System]
Age: 17

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Weapon:
Twin Daggers - Twin daggers, they respond to aura more easily than other material, allowing him to make his imbued strikes.

Dust imbued coat - The coat creates an after-image of him whenever he uses his Semblance. It looks really cool, and can be disorientating to fight, and makes it harder to keep track of him.

Lightning Pins - Throwing knives with a unique design to attract electricity. Using these knives he can set up his Lightning Rod skill's directions, giving him more versatility of approach. They can be used as ranged weapons as well, although they are weak in that regard. Due to their small size, he can carry a large amount of them, and throw a large amount of them with relative ease, and can dash to each one mid-flight, allowing him to really mix things up.

Specialty: Fast, i
ncredibly fast, coupled with his lightning-speed semblance, Jack Orpheus is nigh impossible to hurt or catch. His speciality is in distraction work, anti-personnel and duels. His incredible speed allows him to force opponents on their toes, and eventually pressure them until even a split second opening is created, which he will exploit, or against larger opponents, he can reach harder-to-strike areas much more quickly than others. It is reported he is fast enough to assault one opponent from more than 5 directions (thanks to his Lightning Rod skill he created). Obviously, even a little bit of damage on him will hamper his mobility, so even a minor strike on him can be a big thing.

Semblance:
 Midnight Lightning - Only called so because of it's black and navy blue appearance, it appears to eat the light around it, creating an ethereal or unnatural appearance. This semblance allows Jack to zip in straight lines at lightning speed, and usually without pause. As he passes opponents with it, he is able to slash at opponents, and can even imbue his blades with his Semblance in order to make his strikes sharper and deadlier. He has a special technique with his Semblance called "Lightning Rod", allowing him to do multi-directional dashes as long as he hits a reference point, such as a tree, poles, etc. Against larger opponents, he can even use their limbs, allowing him to deal extra damage as well as maintain mobility.

Midnight Railgun - By zipping around with his semblance, he builds up his aura and eventually glows slightly. The brighter he glows, the stronger the attack. Railgun is executed as a long range rushing attack in a straight line, and it's maximum range is a sniper rifle's. He can charge it manually like a power-up stance, allowing him to prepare an entry, or charge it in the midst of battle by using his semblance.

The move has an insane amount of power, and when used he becomes essentially a living light-speed bullet when fully charged, but can still be used at low charges, but that would mean he would have to charge it up again once used.

Full charge is shown by a change in hair and eyes, as well as his aura becoming very visible around him.

Personality: An incredibly fast mind equipped with wit and mouth that talks fast enough to keep up with it. He is often seen as an idiot due to how he is usually unable to read atmosphere, possibly because he sets his own pace, which turns out to be faster than many can keep up with. He can be seen as tactless, but he is not without merit. He doesn't seem to mind the little things, and he is able to work together and cooperate, on the other hand, others may find him disagreeable. He handles himself and others in a largely informal way, so he also comes off as rather rude.

Appearance: I'm gonna draw a new one. You're gonna have to wait till next week though due to assignments.

Color: Midnight Blue

Emblem: Twin lightning bolts in a V shape.

[User]
Bing bong, bing bong, Combat was over. Mokuren smiled at Skyra, and then fled with great haste from the hall, the conversation deviating to a point she really would rather keep buried in a pitch ditch, and occasionally stab with a pitchfork of fire and Noble Man-Eater Bugs. Fleeing was a much better open, one she did with great gusto, not really paying attention to what class was next, until she had arrived, taken a seat, and opened a text book. She then read the first page, and got a few questions.

Mokuren stared at the page for quite some time, and then casually drew Sarasagi and started hacking the book into paper-y chunks with the sharp end.
"Die foul spawn of all that is evil!"

[Assistant]
Lauren Negasi

Lauren had dropped out of the argument after Gratia's eye-poppingly hateful [and soon-to-be-viral, thanks to handy Scrollwork on the boxer's part] rant at her teammate had taken BASL and Luke by storm. Now she was sitting quietly between Ben and Amy, trying not to nod off as the chatter around her faded into a dull buzz. For all she knew, it was 4 in the morning, she was zoning so hard. Only a tap on the shoulder kept her from closing her eyes and resting her chin on her chest in peace.

When she opened them, Ben had placed a couple sheets of paper and a pencil atop her desk. About to turn and insist defensively that she didn't need the prompting to jot down dumb formulas, she caught sight of Schwarz, who nodded understandingly at Shiro. That made much more sense.

Tearing off a sheet of her own paper, she pushed the note taking supplies with the tips of her fingers down to Shiro with a grin.

[User]
Luke Schwarz--Math

Satisfied that the apparent pariah of a faunus was duly taken care of, he turned back to Jack, who in a very Jack-ish manner had plopped into the seat on the other side of him without his notice. This, unfortunately, diverted his attention away from Napoli, the fencer's comment falling on deaf ears as a victim of nothing more than circumstance.

"Oh, hey. Not really, but I've heard some horror stories. Was more about everyone leaping down eachother's throats just now. Bad vibes, y'know?"

Flipping his pencil idly around his thumb, he waited for class to start proper.

"If anything, Math's probably the only thing I'm close to good at. Certainly better than fighting." he said, with a slightly embarrassed smile. "So I'm hoping this ends up being one of the few I can hold my own in."

Not aiming for the top, by any means. That was begging to crash and burn into a disappointed heap.

...But I should at least do better than destroying my textbook.

Try as he might, he still had real trouble getting Mokuren. The fox faunus was not only an enigma, at times she almost seemed to be actively trying to confuse those around her.

Only time, he supposed, would tell him her secrets.

"Hey, uh, Mokuren?" he called over to the fox faunus in a decidedly diplomatic tone "That's not evil Grimm Runes or anything. It's just a math textbook."

It can't hurt you.

Physically, anyway.

[Assistant]
Cian Kuze

Math class was something she was ok with while not the best she did decent enough all things considered. Plus one thing that remains for certain was it would be a haven for her now after the combat class went the way it did. She was never one to hate someone but at times Professor Goodwich really came close a good strategist knows when they been beaten. For Oum's sake it was practically a given she would lose with her own style of fighting compared to Gratia's and her semblance. Shaking her thoughts she decided to focus back on her math something to distract her mind with rather than the obviously unbending even though wrong judgment of Goodwich. Letting her mind fall back and try to figure out the numbers she let out a quiet sigh and muttered under the breath "one of the best or not she obviously has no idea on how stupid it would be to continue a figt that one would lose anyway."

[User]
Sapphire Rode - Math Class
Sapphire smiled at Oswald's comment before Ben tried to get her attention with his middle finger. Nothing that he said really bothered her all that much. As he spoke she gave him a silent and scathing look before returning to her books. In fact that only thing that had really annoyed her about his rant was the fact that he'd called her 'Gemstone'. Saph she didn't exactly like but didn't mind, Saphy she could barely tolerate, Blue she could easily ignore but Gemstone? That was just insulting.

Ignoring that and what Napoli said about sticking his fight out the the end, (there had barely been a fight, he'd just stood there and won cause of a misplaced swing and some bad aura levels, it hadn't lasted longer than two minutes) Sapphire pulled out a sheet of loose leaf paper and began to sketch. She'd had a rough idea for this over the weekend but flushing out exactly how it was supposed to work took time and a fair amount of loose sheets of paper.

The device she was trying to create was meant to be worn on the hands and feet. When it was on it would emit a tripolymer that would form around any object no matter the shape. The central area of the polymer would then recede creating a vacuum between the device and the surface it was touching. The practical upshot of which was that it would allow anyone to stick to any surface at a seconds notice and detach again as needed. Because it was a vacuum that kept the device in place it could handle almost any weight. It was meant to aid Sapphire in her acrobatic maneuvers and give her more options in battle on any kind of terrain. Now that she thought about it the device might also be able to act as climbing gear. She'd look into it further when she got a prototype made.

As Sapphire was going through this in her head Mokuren started to hack up her book. Sapphire wasn't exactly sure what was up with that girl. Not that they'd have much contact but from the little she'd seen of the fox faunus in classes it seemed that either she was mentally handicapped, had some form of brain damage, or just wanted everyone to think that she did. Every time Sapphire saw Mokuren do something strange she wasn't exactly sure which of the three it was. Surely someone with psychological damage wouldn't be admitted to Beacon. Maybe it had happened since she'd been accepted. Perhaps she'd gotten her head knocked around during the first mission last Friday. Who could say for sure.

Sapphire looked up from her drawing and turned to face Mokuren. "You know you have to pay to replace those and textbooks cost like 7000 Lien."

[Assistant]
Robert Fallson - Math Class

His offer to help having gone unnoticed, Robert shrugged and returned to his seat to stare at the paper in front of him. "Wha- What is this? Are those... letters?! Why are there letters? I thought this was Math? Make up your mind, is this Math or English? Ugh, this is horrible," the defeatist said as he slumped in his chair. "No. No, this is no time to give up. I will get through this. I shall prevail over this obstacle! I shall-" Our hero never got to finish that sentence though as the dogfight going on above took its first casualty. Emerald's paper airplane, having been knocked out of the sky by Ebon's, was now on a crash course straight toward Robert's face. "OWW! Why me?!" he shouted as the tip of the plane hit his right eye head-on, just narrowly avoiding his glasses which rested above his nostrils.

The red-haired teen, his eye now watering from the earlier impact, looked back down to the problem at hand. He was pretty sure that he had seen problems like this before, despite his earlier complaints, but he just couldn't find anything useful in his eighteen year old mind. "Can't I just go back to bed? At least there'd be a whole lot less danger of getting injured. And I still have Practice today! What's-her-name is probably going to rip into me yet again for something that is, I admit, something I deserve to be yelled at for." Robert let out a sigh. "I'll just do what I know and be done. You can't fault me for trying," he said as he began to work on the page in front of him.

[User]
Jack Orpheus | Math Class

If anyone turned back to Jack you would distinctly see him falling asleep after finishing this day's material at record speed... Given he got a bunch wrong, but they were all simple mistakes and he wasn't really into it. He wanted Math to pass by as soon as possible, and sleeping was one of the most effective ways to do this. Hopefully. He didn't really care about the snarky comments all around him, they were background noise to him. He just didn't want to be in math.

"Luuuke, wake me up when this class is over", he entrusted this task to Luke, before falling asleep completely.

[Assistant]
Luke Schwarz -- Alarm Clock

Sending Cian a brief wave, he frowned as he looked back down at his leader.

It wasn't like he didn't get the sentiment. Far from it, actually. Junior year he'd dozed off dozens of times, and had recieved the sharp reprimands for each with little more than the token grumble.

But.

His grades had also suffered, and he'd even had to stay late once for remedial sessions. That, he knew would be far more tortuous for Jack than anything the actual class itself could be. His next actions weren't out of any misplaced sense of justice, and certainly not in the interests of being some teacher's pet. Instead, he simply wanted to look out for his fellow man. He knew full well how high Beacon's standards were... Genius or otherwise, sleeping was asking for trouble.

"Come on, man." he pleaded, shaking his leader by the shoulder, albeit not in an overbearingly rough manner. "Try and stick this one out."


[System]
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Race: Human

Appearance:

Personality: Juze is fascinated by the stars, and even more so by the prospect of life beyond Earth. Once the Saiyans arrive, he will be ecstatic rather than worried, at least at first. He also learned the Falcon style primarily to protect himself. It was only at his master's insistence that he may end up fighting other superhuman martial artists--some who may be less than savory--that he regrettably decided to learn its more powerful (and dangerous) techniques. He tends to be obsessively neat and organized, and, while outgoing, tends to be careful, not liking to take risks.

Still, just because he doesn't like to take risks doesn't mean that he won't do so when necessary, and he's been known to help others in danger whenever he can. He's also notable for not keeping his martial arts as much of a secret as he probably should, as he uses them in his everyday life, be it flying to class when he's running late or making a nice campfire with his flame powers. If his master chose not to on the day he was almost kidnapped, why should he?

Juze can sometimes be a little prissy as well, due to his rich upbringing. His training with Master Wu largely conditioned this out of him, compared to his earlier days, and he tends to keep his discomfort to himself, but he's definitely not used to the horrors of battle. While Master Wu warned him about conflicts with other ki users, it certainly hasn't happened yet.

History: Juze was born into a family of prominent astronomers, and as a result, Juze grew up surrounded by scientific knowledge. Scientifically-literate at an earlier age than most, he often dreamed of the stars as a child. And he could afford to do so, as rich as his family was through his father's groundbreaking research.

It was a near-tragedy, however, that completely changed his trajectory in life. When he was 14, on the way home from a party late at night, a gang of kidnappers shoved him into a car at gunpoint, shoved a bag over his head, and drove off with him inside. Almost as soon as the car had taken off, however, it was stopped dead in its tracks, even as the tires squealed in protest to the driver still trying to floor the accelerator. Juze didn't know what was happening, but the kidnappers around him started screaming in panic and metal could be heard tearing. Gunshots were fired, the sounds of fighting were heard, and before he knew it, the bag was ripped off of his head.

A serious-faced old man was staring back at him, and the car around him was an absolute mess. The engine in front was smoking, the doors had been ripped clean off, and the kidnappers around him were either groaning in pain from their shattered bones or out cold.

From there, the expected happened. He was escorted back home, the police got involved, a news crew showed up at his house, and the old man was seen as a citywide hero for saving a child.

But Juze, after his shock faded, wanted something more from his savior. He wanted to learn how to do what the old man did that night, so that it could never happen again. The old man, who introduced himself as Master Wu Lin, agreed to teach him as a normal student at his dojo, though it was quite a trip to get there, being several miles outside of town, in the nearby mountains. His parents agreed that Master Wu would tutor Juze every summer between school years, and the training became a harsh, if regular, ritual of his life.

Every year, he would be driven up the mountain road to Wu's dojo, and he would tolerate the rustic conditions (he was a rich city kid, after all), while he learned the way of ki-infused martial arts. The stuff he learned was nothing short of fascinating. He learned to fly, lift trees and boulders over his head, sense the energy of nearby individuals, and learned Master Wu's specific style of martial arts: the Falcon school, a martial arts school that focused on harnessing one's own ki to release elemental-infused attacks. There were many directions a Falcon student could go into once they completed the general training, as the school opened up access to the Five Elements, or godai: Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, and Void.

Now in college, Juze continues his training, but has much more to learn. But he would have never imagined that beings from the stars he cherished so much as a child would visit Earth during his lifetime, and wouldn't have dreamed he would need to punch them in the face!

Techniques
--> Earth Shell: By using his ki to grab onto the dirt, stone, or metal round him, Juze can manipulate earth from the nearby ground into super-dense stone or metallic body armor capable of absorbing ki attacks by infusing the earth with his own energy. If he puts it on a striking surface such as his hands or feet, strikes do significantly more damage. Of course, the durability of the armor is limited by his own strength: Attacks from stronger beings will compromise its integrity, and it may even break it outright if they truly outclass him.
--> Flame Sphere: Juze can release a sphere of plasma-like ki-infused flame from his hand, which he can shoot at an opponent and detonate in a large explosion, or choose not to detonate it and strike the opponent with the mass of flame, setting them alight. Juze does not like to use this technique because of how dangerous it can be if mishandled. While Juze can put out the flame and end the technique if someone or something is caught in the crossfire, it's still risky.
--> Water Barrage: Juze can coalesce ambient water molecules into droplets (or generate water from his ki, though this takes significantly more energy to do), infuse them with his ki, and shoot it at the opponent in a barrage of ki projectiles.
--> Wind Rush: By harnessing the air around him (or even generating it from his ki, though this is taxing and rarely necessary), Juze can dramatically enhance his speed, soaring towards an enemy and usually unleashing a barrage of blows.

[User]
En Route to the Archipelago
@IceHeart@Eviledd1984@Chev@Weird Tales@mattmanganon

As as he flew, Negi occasionally glanced behind him, noting the handful of people who had chosen to follow him. So he at least managed to gain a few allies. It was no army, not by a long shot, but it would have to be enough. One of which had blue skin of all things, indicating a similarly extraterrestrial origin. Something to worry about later, for now there were other more pressing matters. Negi didn't exactly offer much in the way of conversation. His time on this planet had turned him into a man of few words, preferring to let his actions speak for themselves. Still, these people needed at least a basic understanding of who they were up against.

"The Saiyans were a warrior race, born and bred for battle and conquest. They're infamous through out the galaxy for their fighting instinct and strength that only grows with each battle they survive. Those green monstrosities were Saibamen, a technology the Saiyans co-opted for themselves and started using as grunts and disposable training opponents." really there was a lot more that could be explained, but for the time being Negi focused on the most important parts, "When you fight the Saiyans, target their Tails and Scouters. Their tails are sensitive and squeezing it can render even a ferocious Saiyan warrior completely unable to move. The Scouters they wear on their face lets them track your energy and communicate over long distances. Destroy them and they will be forced to fight blind and be unable to call for help to boot." Of course, these tips applied to Negi himself as well, and part of him didn't feel right about giving strangers the exact strategy that could be used against him. But if these people were going to be his allies, then they needed to be well-informed lest they bumble into their own demise.

But then, Negi stopped without warning. His own Scouter fired up and without warning he heard a voice going off on him with threats and taunts. As if that weren't enough, he spotted a figure in the distance flying right toward them. When they were close enough, he spotted the Scouter and armor that let him identify her as a fellow Saiyan. But her Scouter looked damaged, and the message he received was further away, coming from the group's destination. So this Saiyan was not the same person. Negi made a gesture to his would-be allies to hold a moment, wishing to confront this Saiyan on his own for now. Negi floated a little bit closer to the Saiyan woman, reaching up to turn his Scouter back on and broadcast back to the one who had threatened him. He wanted them both to hear what he had to say.

"How old are you?" he asked the voice on the other end of his Scouter, "10? 12? It's obvious you weren't there that day. I'm guessing everything you know about our Planet is second-hand, isn't it? And as for you..." his gaze went to Tabaga and suddenly he was addressing both of the Saiyans, "I'm going to ask this one question of you both. What path do you intend to follow? The Warrior, who fights in earnest? Or the Soldier, who fights in order to blindly follow orders? Think about that question, and think about it long and hard. I won't fight you yet, because I'm not your enemy and I don't think you really believe that either. My brother is my only true enemy, and if he ends up being the only Saiyan I have to fight against then I would consider that a good day."

Meanwhile, back at the Archipelago, Korun found himself in agreement with the pipsqueak for a change. "Now there's an idea. We transform and reduce this entire pathetic mudball to rubble. Kill 'em all nice and thorough so we turn this place into home without having to deal with any annoying resistances." of course, Korun was taking the idea quite a few steps further than what Po suggested. As for the Commander, his usual cool stoicism cracked ever-so-slightly as they shot his two companions an uncharacteristically angry glare.

"No." Jagen said, his commanding tone a bit uncharacteristically hotblooded before it cooled back down again, "We do this as warriors. As Saiyans."

[Assistant]
Archapeligo

Tah constantly pulled faces as Negi spoke. "Get a load of this guy?" He giggles as he pretended to listen. "OoH lOoK At mE!" He jeered at the other 2. "I'm tHe GoOd gUy." He reached over the back of his head and pulled his nose. "I dOn't wANt tO FiGhT aNyOnE!" He then turned on the mic "IF YOU DONT WANT TO FIGHT, THEN WHAT THE HELL KIND OF SAIYAN ARE YOU!?!?!?" He screamed down the mic. He then fell over laughing.

"Well, actually, I... I'd rather not fight him." Po said.

"Agreed." Toh finally piped in.

"Well tough, because King Okura told us to take his head and I plan to deliver it still fresh!" He kipped up to his feet.

"You know, you sound an awful lot like Es when you say stuff like that."

"Screw that guy!" He sighed. He then noticed that the mic was still on. "AWW DAMN!!!" He groaned before turning it off. He then immediately stopped laughing as Korun suggested levelling the planet. "HEY!!! WE CANT DO THAT!!!" He cried. "They've got this AMAZING stuff called Ramen that is, like, the BEST stuff ever, we gotta bring someone that can make it back to Okura, he's gonna give us such a-" he then saw the look of death on Jagens face. "Shutting up..." he whispered. He then heard the news that they were fighting him as warriors. "AWWW YEAH!" he pumped his fists "We are gonna get songs sang about us! Boys, we're gonna be LEGENDS!" He then erupted in a burst of white aura. "Take us in, boss!" He saluted to Jagen.

[User]
Bururi

He stopped where he was was listening to what the man had to say, He only heard of second hand accounts of the sayians but mostly form the bar patrons at his mother's bar. "So these sayians are the cause of these saibamen coming to earth and destroying cities?" He asked Negi feeling his blood boiling form the reckless abandonment of human lives. Listening to the tips he was being given he knew what he should mainly target, But these sayians would be more powerful then the saibamen they had fought before. He was not sure he would be skilled enough to deal with these sayians.

Turning to face the sayian Negi with and getting into a fighting stance having noticed the figure's tail and scooter, He waited until the right time to strike. But for the most part he was going to let Negi do the talking and was waiting to be given a signal to start fighting. Again he was scared that he was going to die fighting these sayian.

[Assistant]
"I'm going to ask this one question of you both. What path do you intend to follow? The Warrior, who fights in earnest? Or the Soldier, who fights in order to blindly follow orders? Think about that question, and think about it long and hard. I won't fight you yet, because I'm not your enemy and I don't think you really believe that either. My brother is my only true enemy, and if he ends up being the only Saiyan I have to fight against then I would consider that a good day."

Tabaga stared at Prince Negi with an unreadable expression on her face for a few moments before finally speaking up. "I won't lie. This isn't how I expected this day to go when I woke up a few hours ago." She said quietly. "I'll help you fight them but I don't want to see innocents caught in the war-zone."

She floated closer to Prince Negi and bowed her head towards him. "My name is Tabaga. I don't know that much about this planet to be honest. I just woke up a few hours ago after my attack ball crashed. But what I do know is that our people either have to change or die. There's just not enough of us left to carry on the way we used to."

She extended her hands towards the prince. "If you'll have me. I'll help you protect this world."


[System]
HAIR COLOR: N/A
EYE COLOR: N/A
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: No physical form, bad puns.
SCARS AND BIRTHMARKS: N/A

WHO ARE THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY? WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE DO THEY SURROUND THEMSELVES WITH?
Nyte has no family, but enjoys having many friends with people of all kinds. She prefers surrounding herself with kind and loving people, and those who enjoy the beauty of the world just as much as she does.

WHERE WERE THEY BORN? WHERE HAVE THEY LIVED SINCE THEN? WHERE IS HOME?
Nyte formed in the lands of Patriam, a colossal desert littered with iron pillars that originate deep below the surface. She considers no one place home, exploring and discovering new things with every passing day. New landscapes, new people, new knowledge. At the moment, though, she's staying in an unnamed forest outside of Occurro, a city of walking buildings and swirling rivers.

WHERE DO THEY GO WHEN THEY'RE ANGRY?
Nyte spends time away from her metals to avoid people and escape into nature. Anywhere with a beautiful view, even of the sky, will help her calm and relax.

WHAT IS THEIR BIGGEST FEAR? WHO HAVE THEY TOLD ABOUT IT? WHO WOULD THEY NEVER TELL?
Nyte's biggest fear is attachment in all forms, whether literal or to locations and people emotionally. She has told and will tell nobody, unless she has already given in.

DO THEY HAVE A SECRET?
Nyte has many secrets.

WHAT MAKES THEM LAUGH OUT LOUD?
A good joke, a bad joke, a funny face, impersonations, animals, trees, her own imagination, et cetera...

HAVE THEY EVER BEEN IN LOVE?
Yes.

DESCRIBE THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE HARD FOR THEM TO PART WITH.
Nothing is permanent in Nyte's world, and she has little difficulty parting with most things in her life. Trusted friends are extremely hard for her to part with, however.

LOOK DOWN AT THEIR FEET. DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SEE.
What feet? Do you mean these iron boots? They are quite shiny.

WHEN THEY THINK OF THEIR CHILDHOOD KITCHEN, WHAT SMELL DO THEY ASSOCIATE WITH IT? WHY DOES IT RESONATE?
Though not needing food herself, Nyte has worked in many kitchens during her earlier life, and the smell of warm dumplings and soup often comes to her mind first. It always reminds her of the children who ate it.

DESCRIBE ONE STRONG MEMORY THAT HAS STUCK WITH THEM FROM CHILDHOOD.
Her first time outside of Patriam, when Nyte discovered the color green. The green in the sky, the green in the trees, the green beneath her feet and the green all around her. It remains to this day her favorite color.

WHAT DO THEY WANT MOST OF ALL?
To learn everything that she can, to explore every nook and cranny in the world so that when she has finally succeeded, she may turn around and go back again to see all that has changed.

RIGHT NOW, IN THE FIRST MOMENT OF OUR STORY, WHAT IS THEIR BIGGEST PROBLEM?
Nyte's current set of armor is old and rusted, making it difficult to properly maneuver and looking less and less presentable as time goes on. Spending most of her time in misty forests probably isn't helping. She'd like a new set, or at least a nice shiny pair of gauntlets so she can open doors and hug people!

[User]
Nyte tried to nod, immediately forgetting that she can no longer move in her rusted state. Instead, she gave a brief answer. "Yes, I realize what I am. I cannot change that, I'm afraid..." She sighed gently, listening to the fairy before watching him dart off into the bushes after a second loud crashing noise shook her and nearly sent her falling. "My, yes, I'd definitely help stop whatever is making that racket."

Nyte flexed her metal joints as they slowly cleaned, and she sighed happily. "Thank you, friend. I will go put a stop to the destruction!" She said with renewed vigor, pulling her sword from the ground and sheathing it before posing triumphantly. "Oh, and, uh, feel free to rust any other knights who try to destroy these beautiful sights and sounds."

She coughed loudly into her fist, backing away awkwardly from the fairy before turning and running towards the disturbance. Her boot caught on a root and she stumbled, but persevered and finally arrived to stare bewildered at the clumsy house ahead of her. "Oh no, it must be malfunctioning..." she mumbled, hands on her hips, then looked to the path of destruction it had left in its wake. She sighed sadly, looking back up in time to see the two vagrants stumble onto the porch of the uncoordinated house.

"Not to fear, humble, um, wanderers!" She shouted to the pair, waving her arms and still not noticing that her left boot has vanished, "I can stop this poor thing and set it down! Just, um, hold on!"

She ran beneath the lumbering house as it staggered along, abandoning her armor once she had gotten directly beneath it. She darted invisibly to the whirring metal legs and held on, spreading herself over the dozen contraptions and forcing it to carefully slow to a stop, immediately noticing the lack of strength in the metal. Whoever had built the legs had not planned the weight correctly, and momentum caused it to stumble around clumsily.

She lowered herself carefully, legs bending inwards with loud creaks and groans as they gave way to the weight of the building. It finally slammed inelegantly to the ground, inches away from her old set of armor. She left the bent and crushed legs of the house behind and reinhabited her old set, stretching her much smaller form before jogging to the pair on the porch.

"That was rather easy!" She exclaimed, giving a thumbs up, "Was there anyone inside?"

[Assistant]
A voice shouted dimly over the cacophony of slamming and banging and whirring and smashing, and Sunny opened her eyes wide and leaned over the banister to see the forest-guardian standing, one-legged, waving her arms in the face of destruction. "We're holding on!" she called -- there wasn't much else she could do but hold on -- but she yelped and shouted concern when she saw the forest-guardian run straight under the house, into the chaos of deadly spidery legs.

Sunny stared at the last place she'd seen the forest-guardian, her eyes wide in horror, certain that any moment she would hear the telltale crunch of armor being compacted by the house's merciless legs. The forest-guardian hadn't even been able to move earlier without the assistance of a sword -- how was she going to stop a runaway house?!

And then, the creak and whirr of the house began to slow. Gradually, the tilting stopped, the floor steadied itself, and -- while Sunny breathed raggedly and watched in awe -- the house came to a complete stop.

For a moment there was beautiful silence. A breeze hushed through the trees; a bird warbled. Sunny could hear herself think again, and she loosened her grip on Laphi to check if he was all right -- then yelped when the house suddenly dropped a few inches. She tightened her grip to the sound of creaks, snaps and metallic groans lowered the house in a series of dips and drops -- until a sudden, ferocious thunder of twisted broken metal left the house to the mercy of gravity.

"aaaaaAAAAAAAAHHHH!!"

Sunny was sure she was dead -- but she carefully opened one eye to check. She was curled tightly against the railing, still holding Laphi in a vice-grip, but she was definitely alive and the house was mostly on the ground.

Dumbstruck in awe, Sunny carefully draped Laphi over her back and took a jump down to the grass below, hopping the twisted stump of a spider-leg on her way down. She stared up at the forest-guardian's thumbs-up with a slackened jaw.

"That ... was ..." she hadn't quite gathered her wits after that ordeal. "AMAZING!" A wide grin broke on her face. "How did you do that? You just ran under there and I thought you were a goner but you just destroyed that thing and got us down safe and I couldn't see what you did but it was brilliant and -- you're missing a leg." She blinked uncertainly down at the empty space where the guardian's leg had been.

"H-hello?" A feeble voice called from above; a rickety old man had shuffled to the edge of the porch of the house and stood woozily with a bony hand gripping the banister.

[User]
Nyte looked down to her missing leg. "So I am, wanderer, so I am..." After a moment of deliberation, she pulled off her left arm at the shoulder. "There we are. Now I'm all right."

She snickered and looked to the old man that had just entered the scene. She jammed her arm back into place and walked closer, as if her left boot were still in place. "Excuse me, um, sir! It would appear your home has ventured far from the village. Was it out of control? The legs were too weak, unfortunately!"

She leaned over to Sunny and whispered loudly to her. "I bet he's some kind of mad scientist." She nodded at the vagrant, then straightened, remembering the point of this... quest...?

"Oh yes, sir! Um! Would you mind trading your set of armor with mine? And, uh, contacting Occurro for repairs, or, uh, something?"

[Assistant]
The forest-guardian's arm simply popped off, and Sunny's jaw dropped. "WAAA?! No way!" While Nyte spoke with the old man on the porch, Sunny (with Laphi still balanced, slumped, against her shoulders) rushed over to peer into the armor's arm-socket. "You're empty!' she gasped. Sunny banged her knuckles on the hollow armor, mystified.

The old man, meanwhile, didn't react at all to Nyte's state of dismemberment -- in fact, it was doubtful he could see any more than the blurry shapes of his visitors.

"Heh? My armor? This hunk o' junk?" the old man called feebly. "Are you the ones who stopped my house?"

"Definitely a mad scientist," Sunny agreed confidentially with Nyte.

"I've been tossed and tumbled for four days," the man continued. "I just want off this crazy ride. It's not worth it. I don't care what my son says, I don't care what anyone says, I don't need any fancy tosser of a house. I like my feet on the ground. Can you git me down? Help me down offer this thing, you kin have the whole mess. I'm jess gonna walk home, I'd like ter walk home. My son made this thing and he gave it to me and he says it's some wonderful thing that'll make my life easy, never gotta leave my house, well guess what I'm leavin' and I'm not goin' back in that crazy thing, not if ya paid me, kin ya help me down and I'll gift ya the armor and the full pantry and the whole dang demon-house --"

"Did you say there's food in there?" Sunny piped suddenly, after having tuned out most of what the old man had just said. With renewed interest she rushed over to Nyte. "'Scuse me, forest-guardian? Would you mind holding onto Laphi for a minute?" She hefted Laphicet up for Nyte to take care of him while Sunny rushed and scrambled to assist the old man to the ground.

"If yer hungry," the old man went on while he leaned on Sunny, "there's salted fish and a couple rabbits in the bottom cupboard, and two new loaves of bread, and stacks of potatoes, carrots, plenty of beans -- have at it, you people as much saved my life, I never want to see this thing again, it'll be too soon if I never do..."