[System]
21
Goes by Mal.

[User]
The dull sounds of rain splashing against glass made Aurora look up. In her hands she was carrying a heap of t-shirts, a few pair of panties and a jeans which she quickly crammed inside her backpack. She took a few hasty steps towards the window and stared outside into the darkness. "No no no.. Why? Why now?!" She mumbled slightly frustrated. Aurora stared at her own reflection for a moment or two and shrugged. The death of her parents had brought her to the other side of the country where it was known for being wet and cold most of the time. That said, it had been raining for the past few weeks and tonight was no exception. Nothing her cap and a raincoat couldn't survive. With a deep sigh Aurora continued stuffing her backpack with a few necessities: a flash light, warm clothes to last at least a few weeks, enough pocket money and some of her toiletries. If she was going to run away at night she might as well survive the path through the forest ahead.

There was no way around it: every map she had taken a look at said that the fastest way towards L.A. was south, through a large detour in the mountains at the edge of the forest. But that was if you had a car or something faster than a bike. Spending the night in the valley was not something Aurora wanted to try. Besides, she'd be caught very quickly. That's why she decided going through the forest was the best way to go. Once on the other side, she'd already feel the temperature difference. At least, that's what the Internet had told her.

Her aunt, whom had willingly agreed to take her in after the tragedy, was soundly asleep when Aurora passed by her room. A dim light next to her bed revealed Aunt Agnes with a book in her left hand. Her head was bend backwards against the wall and she was snoring loudly. With the amount of wine she had drank last night she wouldn't wake even if Aurora decided to slam doors.

Once Aurora was out of the door, the cold wind lifted a few long strands of hair and made her shiver. She was all tucked in with a thick sweater, a raincoat and a black cap keeping her long blonde hair in place. The street lights weren't even lid any more and the small village was asleep. "Here goes nothing.." She whispered to herself.

[Assistant]
Sorry, my posts might be a bit short until things really kick off.

Mal, growing up a bit of an outsider in his pack, liked to break some of the many rules of night watch. Two of the most important being a) Don't go near the town, and b) Do not fall asleep. On that particular night, he was happily breaking both rules. In all his time with this pack, only one human had ever wandered into the pack's territory. So most nights he had watch duty were spent near the highways, trails, or backyards, dozing peacefully at the edge of the woods as the soothing white noise of distant cars lulled him to sleep.

He was rudely jolted from his nap by a girl wandering by whose scent was startlingly strong. His tired brain couldn't process it at first, but it sure did surprise him when she just walked off of the path and into the forest. She was only ten feet away and his ink black fur was hiding him, so he decided to have a bit of fun. He waited for her to wander in a bit further, then rose to his feet and silently followed her. His amusement grew when he saw the full backpack. A runaway, he surmised, and he decided to begin his game.

Silently he crept up to her. With a playful growl, he rose onto his hind legs and shoved her forward with his front paws, settling on her back when she fell to the forest floor. He pressed his nose into her neck and snuffled around, gauging her scent. Amazing, he decided. Her scent was indescribable. Maybe something like blankets fresh out of the drier, or the air before a rainstorm. Autumn mist. All intangible, fleeting scents that made one feel comforted.

[User]
Aurora felt slightly uneasy as she tried to find some sort of path through the woods. The panels she had just climbed were a joke. She never really understood why people were so afraid of going into this forest. And her aunt never really told her what was the real reason she was not to go near it. She figured people here only believed in old wives tales as WiFi was uncommon and having sex before marriage was frowned upon.

The uneasy feeling slowly faded away with the sounds of the wind rushing through the trees and the night owls whoo-ing at each other. The moon stood high and gave her just enough light to not walk into a bush or tree. The flash light was for emergencies. The batteries she stole from the remote control were probably not charged the night before.

Suddenly, the sound of a twig cracking sounded. It was a few meters behind her. Aurora squinted slightly but there was no moving shadow to be seen. With a frown she turned around to continue walking. But as she turned around, she felt a hard push on her upper back, making her trip forward. Aurora let out a quick scream. Trying her best to not fall flat onto her face she tried to land onto her hands first. There she was, on the ground, feeling her heartbeat into her throat whilst remaining as silent as possible. Some sort of animal stood on top of her back and was snuffling all around her neck and hair. Aurora closed her eyes and held her breath, hoping the wild animal would soon go away. "Why didn't I listen to my aunt.." She wondered.

[Assistant]
Mal nuzzled his nose against the woman's shoulder, trying to breathe in as much of her scent as possible. Her skull knocked into his nose a bit painfully and he gave a bewildered huff. He shifted, the air around him shimmering like waves of heat off pavement, and his wolf features slowly melted away. All that was left of the wolf was it's playful, mischievous green eyes, greener than the forest in summertime.

He rose up enough to give the girl some air, turned her onto her back, then resettled himself on her hips, straddling her and effectively pinning her to the ground. "Hi there." His voice was deep and smooth, with just a telltale hint of a rasp that gave it a slightly seductive cadence and the lightest hint of an accent. He reached down and wrapped a lock of her soft blond hair around his finger while she was still reeling from his shift.

"You smell really good. And a little bit like old person." He paused, looked her over with an amused glance, and continued. "You're a funny little thing. Are you from town, or are you just passing through?" he asked with a curious smile. There was nothing wicked or corrupt in his gaze. Just this friendly, oddly cheerful aura. Like a puppy, really.

[User]
The animal took a few more seconds to catch her scent and backed away. The strong paws that were pressed against her shoulder blades disappeared and the weight of the entire animal shifted. Unsure what to think about the situation Aurora opened up her eyes again, now completely used to the darkness. Then, the weight entirely vanished and Aurora blinked a few times trying to realise what had just happened. But the excitement didn't end there: her entire body got swung around so she laid upon her back, staring up at what seemed like.. "A human?"

The two most bright green eyes were gazing at her, making her eyes widen even more. The man had taken seat on top of her, clearly making sure she wasn't going anywhere. Aurora couldn't help but to feel confused about the whole situation. Didn't she just hear some sort of animal sniff her down like she was bound to be its next meal? And then, the man greeted her. Just a regular 'Hi' as if their acquaintance was one of the most common ones ever. Aurora tried to process what was happening but the man didn't let her.

"I-I smell nice?" Aurora felt the blood rise to her cheeks, remembering she hadn't even showered that day. She tried to push herself up from the ground but that seemed futile. But he wasn't finished. Though the way he looked at her was as if he had just received a bright new toy to play with and there was not a single damn thing in the world that would keep him from doing so. "Get off me will you?!" She completely ignored his question whilst wiggling her legs around to loosen his grip.

[Assistant]
Mal, a bit surprised by her wiggling, gripped her hip tightly enough to hold her still. The beast in his head was pacing around curiously. He shook his head and sat up straighter. "Sorry, I can't let you go. You were warned not to enter the woods, weren't you? And you don't even have permission from my Alpha or your mayor to be here. So you belong to us now." He realized from her expression that he probably wasn't making any sense, so he expanded.

He never thought he'd have reason to use the speech all wolves on night watch were taught. He couldn't remember most of it, so he just barreled into the story head-first. "A long time ago, there were humans and there were wolves. No one can remember exactly how it happened, but somehow, some of the humans gained the ability to become wolves. Werewolves." He met her gaze. "Most of the legends you've heard aren't true. We aren't grotesque, and we don't change at the full moon. The urge to be a wolf is stronger at that time, though. Honestly, we might be a bit more dangerous than traditional werewolves."

He reached up and tapped the side of his head thoughtfully. "Each wolf has a second conscience, I guess. A wild half up in their heads that's very strong-willed and very persuasive. I'm very good at controlling my beast, but some others are not. You're lucky that I'm the one who found you. As it was, I almost couldn't calm the beast in my head after you wriggled around like that." He waggled his eyebrows, making it very clear what he meant.

"Fast forward. Now, it's two hundred years ago. This town was just getting started. But our pack has been here longer than any human can trace back. Back then, we were trying to learn to live peacefully, but werewolves are a very cautious and, sometimes brutal, race of people. We didn't want humans anywhere near us. Some of the pack killed human children to warn them away. The humans started hunting us. After quite a bit of bloodshed, the leader of the humans and our Alpha made a pact. Any human who enters this forest without permission belongs to the pack. Any wolf who leaves the forest and enters the town without permission may never go back to the pack." He leveled his gaze on her. "You entered the woods without permission, and now you must stay here."

[User]
Aurora felt anger boiling up from the inside when he told her she couldn't leave. And even more so when she supposedly belonged to 'them' now. She couldn't help but wonder who 'they' were and what he meant by that. She frowned and wiggled around a bit more, noticing he tightened his grip more and more. "Whát are you talking about?!" She spat out, not even trying to hide her anger. But none of it would do. The man started to calmly tell her about some sort of wolf story which made no sense to her. He was clearly delusional and this seemed like the the worst nightmare ever.

Though something in the back of her head told her there was some truth to it. Why else would the people of this town build such a shitty fence? Why would nobody really pronounce what was in the woods? Maybe they tried to forget about the past, forget the wolves ever existed? The wars and hunts? "...This is total bullshit, this guy is absolutely nuts!"

"Let me GO!" She mumbled beneath her breath, already feeling tired from moving around underneath his body. "So, what IF there is this tribe of wolves you speak of, what use would I be? Wouldn't I be a burden? Exactly! Now move away, you're c-crushing me!" Her voice crackled from barely getting any air by now. Her tiny lungs were being crushed and her skinny body was sore all over. The ground underneath her back was moist and cold which made the whole situation even worse. Aurora felt like her jeans was soaked and the rain was now slowly starting to affect her undergarments as well.

[Assistant]
"No, you won't be a burden. I'm just going to take you back to the pack. The Alpha will give you a job to do and assign you somewhere to live. Probably with me, since I found you. I'm sorry it had to happen this way, but The Law is The Law. I can't break a hundred years of rules for you. Do you know what would happen if you let it slip to the wrong person that there are werewolves in these woods? Do you know what would happen to us, to our children, if the government or any scientists realized we exist? They'd give us no mercy. They'd turn us into guinea pigs, lab rats. They'd dig through our brains and dissect us, still alive, until they figured out how to recreate what we can do. Or they'd force us to breed. That's no life." Finally, he stood up. He hauled her to her feet, keeping a solid grip on her wrists.

"I'm going to let go of you now, and then I'm going to shift into a wolf. You're going to climb onto my back and then I'll take you to where the pack lives." His grip tightened momentarily and his intense green gaze captured hers. "If you try to run, I will catch you. I'm much faster than you are. Please, for your sake, cooperate and this will go easier on you." With that, he let go and shifted back.

He was huge for a wolf, almost horse-sized. Certainly big enough to ride on. His fur was a deep, inky black and his eyes were the same intense green, too intelligent for a mere wolf. He sank to his belly and motioned for her to climb on, giving a menacing growl to keep her from getting any ideas about escaping.


[System]
Age: 27

Gender: Female

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 132 lbs

Appearance: Meryl has an average and balanced figure, not exotic or voluptuous in any way and family members often chastise her for not eating enough. Hair is a soft, dark brown that parts in the center arcing around her eyes to frame her face just a few inches past shoulder length. Face is smooth and symmetrical with only the slightest hint of deviance when she smirks or makes an off-color remark while eyes are heterochromic with right being dark brown and the left being green. She enjoys the outdoors and her skin is a gentle tan while her clothing choice is not exactly fashionable with dark or camouflage patterned capri pants and tank tops with sneakers. She does wear lightly-tinted glasses from time to time while working and rarely any jewelry of any kind.

Role: Computer Expert

Equipment: Meryl has only been allowed to choose from the inventory of Masrani Corp. and not allowed to bring any of her personal equipment. Even so, the offerings presented to her were very Spartan: Pentest equipment with battery pack, RF Hacker, Ubertooth, Proxmark Device, Wifi Pineapple, Alfa Network Boards, a USB rubber ducky, military grade durable laptop, tablet and GPS tracker. She will, however, be sneaking in her own set of lock picks.

Background: When the final list of candidates for tech slot came through for review at the Masrani board meeting only one submission was returned to the recruiters stating, not just 'No', but 'Hell No'. However, what was quickly pointed out in the recruitment staff's rebuttal was that this slot could potentially cost the company virtually nothing if the right selection was made and the right leverage applied, thusly leaving the company more capital to buy much higher for the other team positions. For a company in the throes of bankruptcy and with one last investment to make, it was considered a master stroke and after a few calls by their Washington lobbyist, Meryl Dejarnette was released from custody from the US Marshall Service.

For several years, Dejarnette had honed her corporate espionage craft starting from her first job as a receptionist at a small-town power company to becoming competent enough to sell her skills to top bidders in larger and larger markets. Known by several handles, her most famous exploits came under the names of Shade, Shadetree, and Shadwick. It was under these aliases that she had been hired to infiltrate Masrani. Her client was interested in drawing from the Costa Rican money exchange from international tourism entering the park as well as being a broker of other information related to company's various investments and infrastructure.

Meryl's efforts went largely unnoticed for some time and when she was discovered the link was still not directly traceable. With some help from their American political connections, anxious to be on the forefront of cyber "security", charges were conjured up through the IRS and Meryl was arrested by the Marshall Service and detained in what amounted to a minor media side note as the park continued on in operation. Under the shadow of paid bureaucracy Meryl was being detained indefinitely as a corporate prisoner when the evacuation of Isla Nublar took place.

In exchange for taking the tech position on the team (and subsequent completion of the mission) Masrani has agreed to see to it that all charges brought against Meryl be withdrawn and her record be stricken of all previous counts, flags and connections with corporate and industrial espionage.

[User]
Tuvya had watched as the team members showed up one by one at the ferry slip. He took a mental note of each as they arrived, he had spent the last two day studying their dossiers, it certainly wasn't the team he would have picked, but if it had been there'd be no need for him. He'd only gotten about halfway through his cigar by the time the last one arrived so he put it out against the railing and stuffed it into the breast pocket of his button up shirt as the latest arrival approached him with an outstretched hand which he shook in turn, introducing himself before heading towards the stairs to the ferry's bridge. He had just reached the base of the stairs when he heard her question regarding where to put "her stuff".

He spoke loudly bordering on a shout to ensure he was audible throughout the entirety of the ship. "Wherever you'd like Ms. Berezina! Make yourself at home. That goes for all of you!"

He climbed up to the top of the stairs before continuing. "I'm Tuvya Dahan, I'm here to make sure that none of you get any ideas about going off-script, our goals on Isla Nublar are very clear."

He paused for a moment considering whether or not to continue it was obvious. "In case you need those goals reiterated or weren't clear on them, I am gonna go over them one last time before we set off. First, to search for and aid any survivors we might encounter. Now, to be honest, odds aren't good that we'll find anything but bodies so be prepared for that." He looked at Ms. Dejarnette as he finished that sentence, of everyone there she was the least likely to have seen death before.

"Second, we're gonna be deactivating the security measures that keep the specimens contained, we should be the last humans to step foot on the island so keeping them confined to certain areas is just asking for some overzealous animal rights activists to get themselves killed trying to "Free" them. Our third objective goes hand in hand with that and is why we have the lovely Ms. Loring here" He gestured towards the veterinarian. "As I said this is the last time humans should set foot on Isla Nublar, so it's the last chance they'll get at veterinary care. We don't want to find that the entire island is a lifeless husk six months down the road and then have a bunch of lawsuits on our hands about how we caused the second extinction of the dinosaurs."

He took a deep breath "Our fourth objective is really damn simple, but possibly the most dangerous. As you might know, Jurassic World was home to a particularly dangerous aquatic specimen, a 'Mosasaurus' it is contained in a saltwater lagoon connected to the ocean by subterranean tunnels. Naturally those have been barred off because a Mosasaurus in the wild could cause unfathomable ecological devastation. We need to make sure the confinements are sufficient to hold the Mosasaurus for it's lifespan and if they're not, we need to make them so, and failing that, as a measure of last resort it would fall to us to exterminate the specimen."

"Finally we're going there to DESTROY all research and embryonic specimens remaining on the island, and you're being paid plenty enough for that. If I catch you trying to copy any files or smuggle any research or specimens off the island, then you won't be leaving the island." He paused to let that set in before deciding to continue with something a bit more lighthearted. "With that said, I don't think Starbucks or Pandora are coming back for their stuff, so once we're done with everything else if you see anything you like, feel free to take it. Cappuccino machines, jewelry, clothes, booze, whatever you can carry is yours. Consider it your souvenirs from the very last visit to Jurassic World."

He smirked and rapped his fist against the bridge's window a few times before showing his hand with all five fingers extended to the captain through the glass. "We set off in five, so if you have any mainland related business to attend, you better do it now!"

[Assistant]
The ferry approached the island to a scene that had not been seen in many years. Emptiness, the jetties of the ferry landing were completely abandoned save for a lone dimorphodon that sat perched at the edge and watched for several minutes as the ship approached before departing as it drew close, flying off towards the center of the island. From here it looked like any other small tropical island, and on this clear winter day it was actually kind of beautiful. Without hundreds of people at it's shores the only real indication of the park was the 'Welcome to Isla Nublar' banners that hung above the jetty.

Tuvya borrowed a pair of binoculars from the ship's captain as they came close to the landing. From the stairway next to the bridge he scanned across the jetty and onto what of the island he could see through the thick tropical forest. He was looking for any sign of survivors but was met with nothing, not a single sign of a living human. He noted an abrupt movement of the foliage near the waters edge that he only caught a glance of but dismissed it as likely wildlife, assuming any survivor on the island would be eager to get the attention of any passing ship.

The ferry passed by without incident and approached it's destination, hidden from the ferry landing by a copse of trees about a half a mile north stood the utility dock. As it came into view it's unremarkable features were revealed, a single roomed guard post and a utility shed set atop a large concrete platform the terminated at a dirt road that led onto the island proper. In addition a white and blue crane truck with the Jurassic World logo one the door and a similarly decorated forklift sat parked near the edge of the platform.

As the ship drew closer Tuvya stepped into the ship's bridge and grabbed the PA microphone, clearing his throat before pressing the button on the side and speaking. "If you look to the northeast you can see our destination, when we arrive we'll be disembarking the vehicles onto the utility platform. Once they're on the island the ferry will depart and we'll be stuck on the island until we're done. From there we'll cut across the golf course to get to 'Main Street' stopping at the clubhouse to search for any survivors in between."

He paused before continuing, "Main street might still be overrun with less than friendly dinosaurs, so be prepared for that, I'd defer to Mr. O'Malley on how to handle that eventuality. If you have any questions, now is the last time to ask."

He hung up the microphone and exited the bridge, continuing downstairs to the ferry's main deck. Where he leaned against the grill of the Unimog and reached for the cigar in his breast pocket before thinking better of it. Instead he just stared at the utility platform as the ferry closed in on it's destination.


[System]
Age: 20

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Appearance: Standing at about 5'9" tall, Tiral has a fairly average build for his age, which is kind of strange considering how he's perpetually surrounded by the other Iron Rose Knights who seem to be much sturdier than he. His light brown hair is cut short, but has found a way of remaining a shaggy mess that barely avoids his eyes, even while he is wearing armor. More often than not, though, Tiral opts to avoid the usage of any large plate armor or metal armor, instead only wearing stronger equipment over his vitals and leaving the rest under regular leather garb. His sword will often times be sheathed at his side, ready for combat at a moment's notice.

Personality: Tiral is... Actually fairly deliberate for a knight, if not somewhat bored by the peace of everyday life. His journeys at a young age meant he was already able to experience life in the real world, and since then the dusty old libraries that the mages hold in such high regard have been... Well, fairly dull. This doesn't mean that he isn't devoted to his work, but rather that he does not wish to learn anything unless he finds it interesting. Even so, his patience when it comes to such things is unparalleled. Or maybe it's just the fact that he can slap some ice onto people's mouths when he's trying to focus. That too.

Brief Backstory: Having been orphaned a young age due to an illness that wiped out the rest of his village, Tiral was taken in by a priestess of Mayon who was moving with a group of travelers to bring aid to those in need. Though he was never explicitly religious, he greatly appreciated the efforts put forth to save his life, even then. As he grew up alongside these people, the priestess soon found that Tiral had an aptitude for magic. With a recommendation from her (and the goading of those around her), Tiral went off to the capital to further his studies of magic. Sadly, the monotonous life of a studying magician was not quite what the then-young boy had expected of magic.

It was then that he heard of the Iron Rose Knights, whose feats were oft recorded in the books he was forced to pore over. Deciding that the life of a knight was much more entertaining than the life of a magical scholar, Tiral packed up his things once more and went to join the order. Learning the sword came about as easily as magic did to him, but the combination of the two (and his somewhat strange insistence on learning both at once) made him particularly noteworthy among that year's recruits. Since then, Tiral has been honing his abilities, both magical and physical.

Equipment: Other than his rather 'unique' set of armor, Tiral wields a shortsword and a small ceremonial dagger. While the sword is standard-issue, the dagger is mainly used as a catalyst for some of Tiral's larger spells. It may be used as a glorified kitchen knife, but he'd probably never stand for that. More often than not, this dagger is tucked away in his shirt or under his breastplate, but it never leaves his person.

Skills: Contrary to many of his peers, Tiral has chosen not to solely specialize in the way of the blade; rather than just being proficient with his shortsword, Tiral is also proficient in the usage of magic in combat. This magic, focusing mainly on the manipulation on water and ice, has become particularly noteworthy for those who are particularly religious. He, quite frankly, just sees it as sort of a coincidence; his specialty being water does not mean that anything was pre-ordained by the gods.
Probably.

[User]
Sir Tyaethe Radistirin

The incoming troll's attack was slow--too slow, too harmless. She could have avoided the grab, dropped down or dodged out of the way; a troll well on the way to losing half its blood simply didn't have the reaction times to keep up, even with the drugs keeping it on its feet. That, however, would have gotten in the way of attacking. And so, with the shield on her right hand, she broke its fingers. Though, in the heat of the moment, she'd rather forgotten that wouldn't stop it from trying to grab, even if it could no longer do so...

Another hand dropped to the floor. It wasn't long before the troll itself followed, chest split by the repeat blows and no amount of drugging able to keep it going once its heart was split in two. Yet the paladin was already on the move before it was still, cutting down an orc and looking for another of the beasts--if, indeed, they were still up. At least they weren't much of a threat to her.

---

Lilianna Belwiss

How did any of what she'd said translate to "run at the nearest troll?"

[Assistant]
— Brennan —

The trolls were beginning to be engaged and taken down one by one. He stood up in his stirrups and reached into the leather satchel he had taken with him. The single clay tile inside had an inverted form of the rune he had used to heat his tea earlier. This absorbed heat and even now it was coated in a layer of frost.

Indrau unwrapped it carefully and threw it over the heads of his own troops. He noted the positions of Tyeathe and others within the orc formations and galloped over to a flank furthest from them. He threw it out and when the tile smashed it let out all of the stored heat, everything from sitting in a forge fire overnight.

The orcs nearest were incinerated in their armour, steel melting. Others were knocked down by the blast and burned.

— Brennan —

She spun out of the way, avoiding most of the impact and taking the rest on her shoulder. It's reaction told that it was possible to break through the haze of drugs. As fast as its charge was she had an easier time avoiding it than she had the airborn orc.

With one hand she grasped one of its arms, pulling to add to its momentum. On the other side she met the charge head on. With her elbow.

The result was a stomach churning crunch as it met the trolls face and sent a jolt up her arm. Unsure if the blow would have enough of an effect she followed it up with an overhead strike from her other elbow.

The troll dropped like a humongous sack of bricks. Salz stood over it, panting slightly through the mail covering her face. Underneath was an expression of rage. The orc that had been thrown at her moved and she stepped over to it, delivering a kick that snapped its neck and sent its helmet flying.

[User]
Tiral nodded quietly as he watched the troll that he had been focusing on begin charging towards him. He had already accepted that the possibility of getting it's attention was almost 100 percent, and so it was almost a given that his barrage of magic would continue on. One after another, the magical weapons continued to fly out at the troll, turning the enemy into a walking pincushion. Ideally, someone or something would topple it from the back to send all the weapons through its body (or, at the very least, cause them all to shatter and cause internal collateral damage so that others could finish it off), but until that moment came he would continue here.

The moment he heard the voice of a child, though, Tiral's head immediately snapped to face the source. With no trace of anyone having been there, though, all the mage could do was try and make sense of the very obvious warning for the Captain's safety. Pausing his own magic for a moment, Tiral turned towards the battlefield and squinted in an attempt to find the Captain in the middle of the chaotic battlefield. Luckily enough, it wasn't very difficult to differentiate between the two forces, though they were off in the distance, and it didn't take long for the mage to pick out that the Captain was indeed engaging with one of the enemy trolls.

Unlike some of the crazier Knights, though, she wasn't particularly built for dealing one of those monstrosities alone. After thinking for a moment, Tiral turned his magical barrage towards the troll attacking Fanilly before shouting at the people around him.

"Listen up! The second we get that second troll's attention, we're going to begin to move around and drag them away from the rest of their main forces! Do not, under any circumstances, stop attacking them! If we remove the larger threats and allow the rest of the Knights to clean up what's left, then we can systematically clean up the rest! Are we clear?" he declared, not waiting for an answer before snapping the reins of his horse with his spare hand. With the dagger still aimed at the other troll, Tiral calmly began to move his horse around, his eyes snapping between both targets in case any of them moved into a lumbering sprint.

Hopefully, they wouldn't be able to in their state, but it was never bad to be safe here.

[Assistant]
Fleuri Jodeau

Granted a brief reprieve from battle by the orcs' disorganization and the trolls' singleminded charge forward, Fleuri raised his visor to better scan the battlefield. He still could not spot the form of the Knight-Captain, however, and he could not afford to stand around doing nothing; he had to act. What would the Knight-Captain desire that he do in this situation?

She'd want me to not worry about her, and with the townspeople still safely behind the walls, she'd want me to aid my brothers and sisters, he silently concluded, just as he spotted Klaus battling a troll some distance away. She had maimed it quite handily, but it was still going, oblivious to what ought to be both unbearable pain and serious bodily distress. As you would command, Captain, he thought as he lowered his visor and tightened his grip on his zweihander.

"For Reon!" shouted Fleuri as he charged. Without his horse it took more time to close the distance, but he was deceptively fleet of foot even fully armored. The scarlet garbed knight rushed in from behind, swinging his sword horizontally into the back of one of the troll's knees. He preferred to strike killing blows as quickly as possible, but with the troll's great stature and hunched posture, there wasn't any place where he could decisively cut it down from behind, not without more strength than he could muster. And with the damage Klaus had already inflicted to the beast's arm, a grievous enough leg injury would leave it more or less immobile, and by extension, vulnerable to a killing blow.

"Klaus, finish it off!" he shouted to his sister-in-arms.

[User]
The troll under assault by the combined efforts of the enormous wolf and his mistress toppled backwards, its great head hitting the ground with a wet thump as dark red blood spewed onto the grass. Beheading a troll was hardly a common feat, to say the least, and some of the defenders on the town walls looked on in awe. This truly was the work of the Iron Rose Knights. The Order of Justice that destroyed the wicked and protected the innocent.

Indeed, now three of the trolls were dead(though one was possibly simply unconscious), and another had fallen, vulnerable to a lethal blow. The orcish forces were failing, but they did not yet seem ready to retreat. And still there stood six trolls on their feet. One troll swatted an unlucky knight to the ground, baring down on him. Even his armor wouldn't protect him from a direct blow, and he couldn't feel his left leg...!

Fanilly ducked under a swipe from the troll's clawed hand. It bellowed, perhaps in frustration. The blonde girl was well aware her weapons were not the best suited to killing a troll on her own. But she knew of weaker points across their bodies, places where their natural armor was thinner. Under the arms. The back of the legs. If she could hamstring the beast, too, its neck would be within striking distance! Another swipe nearly took her off her feet, but she jabbed its hand between two fingers. It snarled in pain, but soon was distracted when a hail of icy weapons struck it.

"Ah?! Sir Tiral?!"

The mage knight had come to her aid! The troll, along with the first of its kin that had been drawn by the arrows and magic bombarding the creatures, began to lumber away... though it was considerably slower, as if reluctant to leave its current foe. From this angle, however, Fanilly could strike its heel and bring it to the ground!

And yet...

Tiral would absolutely see it. And as a mage, he would have some inkling of what it was. There was what almost seemed like a spark of purple light from a distant treeline, and suddenly a rush of light and sound as something tore right towards the captain and the troll. Only ceasing his bombardment and trying to create some kind of barrier could possibly intervene...!

[Assistant]
Klaus
Klaus gave no time to waste, as she knew the anatomy of trolls well enough. No matter how durable they are, the heart, if stabbed, will let them lose consciousness. Just like the training this morning, Sir Fleuri has carved up another opportunity for her. And she wouldn't let it go away, not this time.

Klaus, with her one hand grip on the edge of the handle, thrusted her left hand towards the troll, making a slight twist as the tip sinks into the troll's heart. Her 'Piercing Moon' style was that same familiar technique that is used on various occasions, and she only uses that when she was certain she could kill her enemy.

Withdrawing her blade from the foul coloured corpse, Klaus sliced the body into pieces to lighten the falling weight of the troll's body. After all, an attack must have a beginning and an end. Despite thinking that way, she didn't bother shaking the blood off the blade. With her blade's fuller still thick with troll's blood, she galloped her horse towards another troll. She splashed the blood at the troll's eyes by making one rough swing of her sword, pulling the rein just ahead of the blinded troll's reach to observe what that thing would do next.


[System]
Gender: Woman

Appearance:
Gina looks just like a male goblin with only a few features that differentiates her from her male counterparts like her long hair and her almost flat breasts. Aside from her looks, she also is plague with 5 major scars that she got from traversing the outside world. Born also with green eyes, and strong legs. One of her scars can be seen right on top of her forehead, which she got when she fell from a nearby tree near the cave, scrapping one of the rocks and giving herself a small horizontal cut on forehead. Three of the scars can be seen on her right arm, which once house two vertical lacerations and another deep wound. And the final scar is located just on her left foot, which looks like more of a bruise or a large clunk of her feet was lost, which she is embarrassed to tell about and makes a clear effort to hide it.

Personality: She sees the world as a place of adventure and fun, optimistic and full of energy. She likes to work up and swear and never likes doing nothing in a long span of time. Her optimism often blinds her judgement and would often leave her with a painful reminder of her mistakes.

Past Life History: In her past life Gina was named Silvey, an orphan that had to earn her own food every day. Though she could never steal anything sneakily, she could easily get away with the loot. So with a few of her friend they would steal food from the vendors and she would be tasked with running away with the loot.

After a while the police found their hideout and was dragged into an orphanage. Though the nuns where easily the kindest people that she ever met in her life, she felt sad and irritated because she missed her free life out in the world. After a few years she was adopted by her new family, where her new father was a parkour instructor. Watching him practice, Gina knew for a fact that she wanted to learn to parkour.

Being her usually self she quickly learns the basics and was doing all such of stunts around and near her house. A lots of which gotten her lots of scars. After years of training and horning her skills she was able to catch up with her father and was able to compete in various small time competitions.

 then one day, in her first ever tournament their car was hit by a truck. Killing her instantly, her father left with only one good leg, with only her mother being able to survive without much injuries.

Skill:
Parkour: She is good in traversing all manner of terrain, from climbing, and running, she can easily outrun anyone, hiding around the environment or even using the environment to fight her enemies.

(This will be filled in later as the rp goes on, for now just leave this part blank)
EXP:

Inventory:

Acquired Skills:

Titles:

Blessings:

Curses:

[User]
Goblin Gina

---

Dᴀʏ 4

@Wildman13 @ReusableSword @Kangutso @demonspade64 @Duthguy

As the girl offered her a hand in killing her pet and her partner saying to lay off. Gina chuckled as her rabbit starts hissing. And in an moment to confused and surprise them Gina picked up the rabbit and put her on to her head. Her pet still hissing and acting aggressively at the new found people and giving the girl a fluffy horned helmet in return. As she stabs the ground with her rusty sword, the way it looked is that she was like a knight now, a naked one at that as her clothes are still no existent and her only clothing is the hissing aggressive hat she has on. Smiling proudly or weirdly at the potential new disciplines in front of her.

@Darked13

"ZAT I HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU!" She shouted urging him to come near her as she forms a fist behind her back. "I REALLY WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING GREAT!" She follows up with a suggestive smile. A hint of anger in her eyes while clinging to her sword that lunged into the ground as support. Of course this was clearly obvious and visible to the goblin behind her.

---

EXP: 44

Companions:
pet rabbit, the rabbit is now tamed and will help the goblin and comfort the goblin whenever needed. If trained can become a great attack rabbit or guardian.

Inventory:
Makeshift net

Ancient sword.

Acquired Skills:
Ancient script: this goblin now knows the ancient language of humans past allowing her to more easily read and write things in such a language.

Amateur carpenter: This goblin has learned the basics in the art of carpentry, she can now understand how to make simple contraptions with wood as its base like a table or chair, more knowledge of the subject will allow the goblin to create much more complex items like siege weapons

Claw Climbing:

Devastating double strike: devastating double strike allows the user to quickly make a direct strike and follow up with a second strike just as quickly. The strike when used properly can create an opening wound and the follow up can destroy the internal organs or bones

Capture:

Titles:
Bunny Catcher,

Blessings:
Blessing of the eternal mother (Shirila): The goddess of earth has given the first blessing in decades to her newest priest. She has been given strengthening muscles and bones to handle more damage and a now eternal connection to the earth (now easier to evolve into earth-based creatures)

Curses:

[Assistant]
Goblin Luz

@Duthguy@Kangutso@Jangel13@Wildman13@Darked13@Jangel13

Luz then gave the female goblin an odd looked when she picked up the rabbit and place it on her heads WHILE IT WAS HISSING AT THE GROUP! Luz though the female was going to get attacked for sure but for some reason the rabbit left her be. How this female does it was an an...interesting mystery that snapped her out of her bloodlust. She actually did a silence clap for the female now watching to spook the rabbit on her head. "Bravo!" Luz told her she now admires the girl's bravely after performing such a task, so as a sign of respect she decided to leave the rabbit be, for it fate was now in the hands of its owner.

Afterwords Luz then joins up with Gird for the next hunt. it was at this point Luz's stomach was practically roaring for she hasn't eaten since this morning, not to mention she was also tired yet she soldier thought it in order to look tough in front for her fellow goblins for a future Leader could not look weak in front of their future subjects. "Ready to go?" She asked Gird and who joined there hunt with her signature warm smile.

[User]
@ReusableSword @Kangutso @demonspade64 @Darked13@Wildman13
Goblin Zats
Day four morning

Never even considering that Gina might hurt him or something Zats saw no reason not to check out what she wanted to show him, the way she smiled just sealed the deal. Even he had to admit though that the rabbit helmet and sword were unusual but she had always been a little strange and interesting in his eyes.

"Sure Gina, lead the way. Without any worry about what she might be planning he approached her. He was a bit nervous though and he was sure she and some of the others noticed but that was because he had decided to tell her how he felt when they were alone. "Honestly I'm just glad you're okay."

EXP: 4

Inventory:
Rabbit-spear, Rabbit hide, Sharp bone
Acquired Skills:crush, knowledge of the three, pole arm combat beginner

Titles:

Blessings:

Curses:

[Assistant]
Goblin Zats & Goblin Gina
Day three outside

---

As Zat makes his way up to her, Gina starts readying her fist waiting for her moment to strike his unprepared belly. Keeping up her smile as a looming pent up frustration and anger starts to loom with her every moment. Memories of him leaving her and not giving her the right answer with her trial in the past. It was stupid at first but, it dawns to her why would she care so much. Who was he really to her the emotions started to swear every time he got close to him.

Yes, he left her all alone, yes he didn't follow her, yes he wasn't the one that found her first, and Yes he didn't take care of her but, he didn't need to, he wasn't obligated to, he was just the first very goblin she talked to but, what was this feeling it was strange.

So she forms her fist as before, closing her eyes as he closes in and goes closer to him. It was an aggressive advance as she pulls out her punches a small trinket of tears flowing from her eyes as she goes into him. Her eyes close and her pet rabbit hissing thankfully hopping away avoiding stabbing him in the eyes as she hissing in the sidelines making way for her master to go in for the attack.

---

It didn't take long before Zats realized something was up with Gina, though he still had no idea she was planning to attack him until she threw her punch. Caught by surprise as he was, he didn't react in time and got hit. Obviously angry he tightened the grip on his spear and was about to strike her with the blunt end when he noticed the tears in her eyes.

He had no clue as to why she would be attacking while crying but he knew him using his weapon against her wouldn't solve things. Hoping he wouldn't regret it he dropped the spear in hopes that the evidence he didn't want to fight would calm her down.

"Gina please, tell me what's wrong. I swear I wasn't planning on showing them our secret spots, but I figured I might need their help if you were in danger or hurt or something."

Not knowing what else to do he kicked the spear away as a sign of good will and trust, but made sure it stayed close in case she went too far and decided to use the sword.

---

As her punch connected she followed it up with a tight hug, her tears flowing as she feels him back once again. "I hate you, you idiot." She said as her emotions starts to flow. With every second her grip tightens as she holds him as tightly as she could like her life defended on it. She still didn't know why but, her heart demanded on it.

"Please stay with me…" She said as she buries her face into his shouldered silently crying. "Please Shirila help me understand what I feel." She unconsciously prayed to the goddess hoping that everything would make sense and reveal itself to her.

---

When she hugged him instead of attacking again he calmed down. He hugged her back and was glad that everything was okay between them. He started gathering up his courage to tell her how he felt, but quickly discovered she hadn't sorted her feelings out. He had no idea how to proceed, should he tell her what he though she felt or should he let her figure it out on her own? the fact that he wasn't sure about her emotions answered his question for him.

"I'm pretty sure I understand what you feel, but I also think it wouldn't be fair to not let you find out yourself, no matter how hard or difficult it might be. All I'll say is that yesterday I realized I felt the same about you."

---

She didn't listen, she was afraid all she really knew was that he was someone she cared for, he was special in a way she knew but, she wasn't sure and at the same time afraid. She was scared of what would happen next. So as he spoke and told her she felt the said about her the pain in her chest subsided for a while her shaking hands and arms where calmer as he hugged her back.

What she knew to do was prayed to the eternal mother for guidance and wisdom. She wanted to run away, to explore and to go on an adventure but, how can she if she can't leave him behind? She prayed and prayed silently looking for the answers she desperately needed. [color=red] "TELL ME WHAT AM I FEELING!"[\color] She yells out as her feeling erupt.

---

EXP: 44

Companions:
pet rabbit, the rabbit is now tamed and will help the goblin and comfort the goblin whenever needed. If trained can become a great attack rabbit or guardian.

Inventory:
Makeshift net

Ancient sword.

Acquired Skills:
Ancient script: this goblin now knows the ancient language of humans past allowing her to more easily read and write things in such a language.

Amateur carpenter: This goblin has learned the basics in the art of carpentry, she can now understand how to make simple contraptions with wood as its base like a table or chair, more knowledge of the subject will allow the goblin to create much more complex items like siege weapons

Claw Climbing:

Devastating double strike: devastating double strike allows the user to quickly make a direct strike and follow up with a second strike just as quickly. The strike when used properly can create an opening wound and the follow up can destroy the internal organs or bones

Capture:

Titles:
Bunny Catcher,

Blessings:
Blessing of the eternal mother (Shirila): The goddess of earth has given the first blessing in decades to her newest priest. She has been given strengthening muscles and bones to handle more damage and a now eternal connection to the earth (now easier to evolve into earth-based creatures)

Curses:

EXP: 4

Inventory:

Rabbit-spear,

 Rabbit hide,

 Sharp bone

Acquired Skills:

crush,

knowledge of the three,

pole arm combat beginner

Titles:

Blessings:

Curses:


[System]
Age: 40

Race: Male Caucasian, 6'2", 180lbs. Short Black hair, "Commonwealth" style moustache and blue eyes. Health and in excellent shape Steve has a few mirror scars on his chest and a talon 3rd company tattoo on his Right shoulder.
Sex: Male

Skills: Guns and engineering/repair. Has dabbled in other areas but not notable skilled.

Personality: although not particular warm Steve is usually Polite and friendly unless you annoy him. somewhat pessimistic and untrusting person, as Steve has often has to relive on himself when other failed him.

Weapons & armour/clothing: A grimy brown leather jacket wore over a pale shirt. Dirty Tan Slacks with leather belt, various punches and a gun holster attracted to them. USA Army issue combat boots and metal studded gloves.

For weapons Steve uses a Desert Eagle, level action rifle and a Talon company issue- combat knife which he keeps tucked into his boot.

(Previous) Occupation(s): Talon company combat engineer (and team leader), slaver, raider, caravan Guard, Town repairman, shop assistant, slave auctioneer, detective & slaver hunter, courier, "cook", smuggler, hitman and childminder

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

Backstory: Born in the capital wasteland in 2249 Steve was the son of a former raider and his jet-addicted whore lover. Raised in an impoverish household (With most of the money coming in spent on booze and jet) he was regularly beaten and blamed for the state the family was in.

Things changed however when his little sister Susan was born, Steve was able take a beating by now but a small defendless baby? Hell No. Steve doesn't remember clearly what happened when he stood up to his parents but it ended with them both dead and their shithole of a shack on fire.

Dropping his little sister off at Little Lamplight Steve spent the next few months wandering the wasteland, barley surviving until he was caught by the Paradise Falls slavers but lucky for Steve he was not sent to the Pitt or brought by some sex pest but instead he was purchased the Talon Company.

Although Brutal and deadly Steve was able to pass the Talon Company training regime, scoring high on the technical tests Steve joined the III Company as a combat engineer and would spend the next 17 years in the company.

By 2279 the Brotherhood's war with the enclave was over and they had turned there to attention to the talon company, capturing fort banister and then wiping out the strike force gathered at Jury Street to retake the fort.

At the time Steve was leading a small group of Talon mercs at SatCom Array NW-05a, guarding the place for some ghoul who was using attempting to control some per-war military satellite. With it only being a matter of time before the Brotherhood showed up Steve decided flee north, hoping the brotherhood would not send anyone after him.

Steve would spend the next several years drifting around north east coast, taking various odd Jobs, getting drunkenly married once and perhaps fathering more than one child in the various towns, slaver or raider dens and tribal villages he visited.

Eventually he would be stumble into the commonwealth and found plenty of work in the chaos that followed the Brotherhood and instuite destruction but after hitting 40 Steve decided it was time to settle down.

[User]
Inquisitor Carver- Crater House

"Inquisitor," an Acolyte spoke, interrupting before Abraham could reply to Carver's queries. "We have a visitor, another of Atom's faithful," he continued, gesturing to a figure beside him- a hunched, hooded figure. "He has asked to see our congregation's confessor...as you are the closest thing we have to a Confessor, I thought to bring him to you."

"I apologize, Abraham, but I must handle this matter," Carver spoke, politely ending his previous conversation. He walked up to the hooded figure, unsure of what to make of him. The visitor was clearly altered by Atom's light, possibly ghoulified, but Carver had never seen a ghoul that carried itself like the being that now stood before him. The hunched, bandaged figure leaned upon what appeared to be a massive flail, and carried on his waist many bottles of liquid, glowing with Atom's light. Beneath his hood, his face was covered in bandages, and his eyes glowed not unlike that of the most Glow-imbued ghouls. A most strange fellow, unlike any I have ever seen before. As Inquisitor, it was his duty to scrutinize him, to ensure that this new arrival was not a threat to the word of Atom.

"What is your name, visitor? Where are you come from? And why have you come to this congregation?" Ian asked, stooping down to look the figure in the eyes.

[Assistant]
Dr. Arthur West - Salem Clinic

With the fighting seemingly done, Arthur crawled out from the storage space he'd been taking cover in and examined the damage. The Deathclaw had finally been killed and he was surprised to find a mutant now standing in his clinic holding an unconscious Steve. He froze for a brief moment when he saw the hulking green humanoid but quickly regained himself.

Another non-aggressive mutant? He thought to himself. No wait...

Unlike the previous mutant he'd come across in Salem, Rook he believed was his name, this was was different. It wasn't one of his. This mutant must have been created with a different strain of FEV. The physiological characteristic were all distinct from Commonwealth mutants that had been created by Bioscience. Perhaps to the untrained eye the mutants might look the same, but there were indeed visible differences.

He continued watching the mutant as the lumbering mass of muscle picked up the ghoul, evidently having been his companion, and then just simply walked out. Arthur stood gawking out the door for a couple minutes, the wheels in his head turning rapidly thinking up new theories as to where the mutant might have originated from, when his thoughts were interrupted by Frieda,

"Thanks for visiting! Have a fantabulous-fucking day!"  She called out. Arthur looked over to her with a puzzled expression.

"Sorry, I just…" Frieda blushed, again. "Sorry."

"Its quite alright," He said, "Its been.....well I was going to say 'stressful', but doesn't really cover today's events very well....I err....Frieda?" He realized Frieda had begun changing her shirt and immediately looked away with a slightly reddened face.

"Well, that's a little better, hm?" She said finally, "Can I help you with anything?"

Arthur opened one of his eyes tentatively, before opening the other. He re-composed himself and adjusted his glasses,

"Uh, well yes actually," He said, clearing his throat, "I don't suppose you'd be willing to go out and see who might need medical attention? And help them to the clinic if they need assistance of course. I'll begin treating Steve as best I can and then start on anyone else who might need help. Afterwards I'd like to have a good look at one or all of those Deathclaws...if possible..." He pondered aloud, "I've just...well...I've never seen one before...in the flesh that is.."

Hooded Figure - Crater House

"What is your name, visitor? Where are you come from? And why have you come to this congregation?"

"I'm a humble servant of our lord, just as you are holy Inquisitor," The hooded man replied. He turned his ragged head and looked up at Ian with glowing eyes, "I'm a wandering holy man to some: a demon to others. The truth is I simply serve the will of Atom, preach to those who would listen, and chastise those who might offend. I've gone by a number of different names in my long years, but you may call me Zhelk if you wish."

Zhelk got up from his seat and stood before the Inquisitor, leaning on his staff for support. Hunched and malformed, he was an embodiment of decay and a conduit for the glow. Even as he stood there, radiation quite literally emitted from him, and especially from the spiked censer attached to his staff.

"I've come here because Atom has led me here. He has shown me visions of a town in need of Atom's guidance. Of an ancient darkness that lurks among the unwitting and a fell shadow that threatens to engulf them all should it be allowed to. We must lead the people of Salem to Atom's holy glow brother, and thereby save them from the evil that dwells among them."

Zhelk began pacing back and forth, his censer swinging ominously as he did so, and the room itself seemed to glow brighter with radioactivity,

"Yes, it us up to us. Don't you see?" He muttered, "Atom's chosen. Atom's children. The glow must pierce the dark and thereby shine through to the outer void. The void beyond the stars...yes...yes.."

The tone of his voice became quickened, almost frantic,

"The great enemy has revealed itself. The great deceiver...that eldritch abomination and the hated foe of our Lord! Ug-Qualtoth!"

After uttering the name, Zhelk smashed his staff hard against the floor, and a great wave of radiation burst from him, illuminating the entire house like a beacon. Afterwards, Zhelk breathed heavily and calmed himself. He leaned against his staff as if clutching it for dear life.

"Forgive me," He said, "But Atom's words come through me like a tempest sometimes. Its difficult to control: a curse in many ways. I would very much like to visit Salem soon brother. We must do Atom's will. Convert those willing to listen and watch for the right signs. Will you join me in this? You and all in this congregation?"


[System]
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Power: Regeneration
Appearance:
 Height: 5'6"
 Complexion: Caucasian/Pale
 Hair Color: Blond
 Eye Color: Brown
Personality: Meek and humble, Parker often talks poorly of himself and highly of others, even those who may not be very deserving of praise. Despite having his own hopes and dreams, he'd rather help another achieve theirs because he doesn't view himself capable of being a "major character."
Biography: A new recruit into the Department of External Affairs, Parker had only recently graduated from college when he was scouted for the experimental procedures. Due to his belief that he had no notable talents or skills, he agreed to the conditions. After the evaluation, it was decided that he would be granted the power of regeneration, in which the pills administer an influx of white blood cells and increase the strength of the naturally occurring ones.

[User]
It had always been Parker's dream to be a hero; as silly and idealistic as it sounded, he'd always admired the protagonists in those comic books. They always succeeded, no matter the strife that they had to endure, and in the end, everything would be fine once more. Social order would be restored, the guy would get the girl, and everyone but the villain would be just peachy. Possessing such strength, such courage, was what Parker had always aspired for, but on his own, it was impossible. He was just one of those faceless background characters, the nameless taxi driver or waiter, or, even worse, one of those who the villain killed in order to show just how ruthless he was. He didn't really matter. He was just there to amplify the superhero's persona.
 He was just average.
 Finally, though, he'd been given an opportunity to be so much more than that. It was all thanks to the Department of External Affairs. He would never be able to repay them for that, but even if it cost him his life in interest, he'd be willing to shoulder that debt.
 "Well, I could always stand in the open and wait for something to happen," Parker replied, tilting his head upward a bit in order to meet his taller companion's eyes. He smirked. "Kidding, kidding, before you go into one of your episodes. But I'm not willing to leave until we complete our mission. I'm not going to make a fool of myself before we even have the chance to get in our first kill."

[Assistant]
Sebastien sighed in exasperation and shook his head slightly while pulling a bottle from his pants pocket. After unscrewing the lid, he shook a few pills loose and popped them in his mouth, chewing on them. For the last year, aspirin had become his second best friend and must have gone through at least two bottles per week. He knew it was unhealthy, but the pain in his head was unbearable to deal with day in and day out. Though it didn't make it disappear completely, it was relief nonetheless.

He fell into a short silence as he racked his brain for a plan. Despite the pain he knew it would cause, he grabbed his glasses from the pocket on his shirt and put them on. As soon as he did so, the world came into view clearly and exploded around him as his eyes absorbed all the information his surroundings had to offer. It knocked him back a few inches as if he'd been physically hit, but at least he'd learned to stay on his feet when the overstretched rubber band snapped.

"Alright...the ladder residing in that alleyway to our two o'clock leads straight to the roof. It's only three stories up, but if one of us climbs that ladder to the top we will have a clear view of a three block radius. They will see us up there and if we cannot find them, then they will come to us. I will climb to the top and take up an observation post." He smirked slightly and crossed his arms. "It technically was your idea, was it not?"

[User] Almost frantically, Parker said imploringly, "Yes, it was my idea, but only for [i]me[i] to be the one out in the open. You may be smarter than me, but I do still have eyes, you know. If they're near, I'll notice just fine." He unzipped the pocket of his coat, taking out the orange bottle of pills. Unscrewing the cap, he knocked out a couple of the blue capsules. "I'm the one who's designed for the whole "getting shot" sort of thing. If I need you, I'll call you up. Otherwise, stay here and be a good boy, okay?" Swallowing the pills, wishing that he had remembered to bring a bottle of water in his haste, he headed towards the ladder. As he got closer, he safely stashed the bottle back into his coat.

[Assistant]
Sebastien cursed under his breath and glared at Parker's retreating form. "Just because you have the healing abilities doesn't mean you have to be the one in danger." It was a selfish thought that was probably only brought on by his annoyance, but if he knew Parker would have the ability to heal himself, then was there really a point for him to have joined in the first place? As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he already knew the answer to that and wanted to kick himself in the ass for even thinking such thoughts. They had been together, stuck life glue since they had met in the second grade and there was no way he could allow Parker to go to war without him doing so as well; that sounded eerily like the Vietnam War to Sebastien, as the rich, smart college students stayed behind while the lesser fortunate had to fight a war that wasn't theirs to fight.

He slowly walked towards the alley to get a better view as Parker begun his ascent to the top. "Don't fall because I'm not carrying your ass back," he yelled at him, only half joking.

[User]
"Don't jinx me!" Parker hissed back down, glaring down at him. He immediately regretted looking down, as the vertigo rushed to his head. One hand, becoming clammy, slipped on the rusted metal of the ladder; barely refraining from letting loose a shriek, both of his arms lashed out in order to wrap around it. As he felt himself become sure of his balance once more, he heaved a sigh. Yes, he would have healed after a few minutes, but that didn't mean he exactly liked the idea of landing on the cement below. And yes, he was barely ten feet in the air, but what if he hit his head? "From now on, just be freaking quiet when I'm trying to do something like this, 'aight?"
 Huffing, he continued his ascent--more successfully--until he planted both feet firmly on the rooftop. From up there, he could see the bustling city below. The streetlights flickered, cars shadowed each other as they sped past, and on the neighboring sidewalk, a few pedestrians could be seen stumbling home. He eyed them carefully, but ultimately decided that the middle-aged woman in a parka and the drunken businessmen were not genuine threats tonight. Moving carefully to the edge, he said to Sebastien, "I don't see anything unusual. You still don't sense anything?"

[Assistant]
"I've got nothing," Sebastien said as he looked around. As his eyes fell upon certain objects, his eyes saw something that could be compared to an invisible matrix of numbers and letters as they calculated in his mind. The ominous shadows that were cast on the other side of the windows as people passed by were observed to make sure their postures didn't pose a threat, empty alleyways were surveyed to make certain there were no possibilities of other hidden in them, observing vantage points that assailants could use to their advantages to attack unnoticed, etc. The world was nothing more than a large mathematical problem to him and it was up to him to solve it. Once his mind was truly put to work, the pains dissipated drastically since he had bigger things to focus on.

After taking one look at the top to make sure Parker made it to the top safely, he walked to the mouth of the alley and leaned against the wall before pulling out a smoke from his worn brown leather jacket. He usually wasn't the type of person to condone the use of drugs and other substance, but the nicotine helped calm his nerves. Once the cigarette was lit, he took one inhale of it before instinct warned him to look down the street.

Just as he looked, a figure wearing a dirty, ragged long coat rounded the corner and was walking straight for him. The figure looked innocent enough, but someone told Sebastien to keep an eye on the figure as it approached, so he did. Though he tried not to, he stood up straight as his own body tensed as he saw noted the tension in the shoulders of the person, knowing that they were a loaded gun about to shoot.

The seemingly homeless individual stopped just in front of Sebastien and looked him directly in the eye; definitely the eyes of deceit. "Could you spare a smoke, friend?"

It took a moment for Sebastien to respond, since he was practically in a comatose state as his mind kept reeling in the information of the current situation presented. His training had taught him what to do and could perform his duty near flawlessly, but upon seeing his first target while on the job it was too surreal. Everything seemed to be happening too fast yet in slow motion at the same time.

"Sure," he finally said as he slowly reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, never taking his eyes off the intruder. "Do you have a light?" Just as his hand grasped the handle of his specially made trench knife, the assailant seemed to notice what he was doing and raised his hand to strike at his chest. Not knowing what type of power he possessed, Sebastien jumped back as far as he could to prevent contact with the hand, slamming his back harshly into the wall as he struggled to get the knife out of his coat pocket.

"Parker!" Just as Sebastien was about to strike, the assailant tried grabbing at his throat and he shoved off the wall to roll to the side of him. As he pushed himself up with the momentum of his feet, he slashed at him, but when he made contact with the blade it came back partially melted. "What the...?"

[User]
Upon hearing his partner's cry, Parker rushed down the ladder. At the end of the alleyway, he could see Sebastien and a homeless-looking man facing each other off. Deliberately, he shouted out, "Sebastien, are you okay?"
 Immediately, the man yanked his head around; his arm then lifted, one finger on the trigger of his revolver. Though shaky, it remained aimed at Parker, who gave pause about five yards from the two. He then looked back at Sebastien, and said, "You must have had some sort of power to know what I am. So what about your friend here, huh? What can he do? I'm assuming he can't dodge a bullet."
 He then smirked, and in one fluid motion, fired.
 The bullet sunk into flesh, and Parker released a hiss of pain as he looked down at his stomach. Blood oozed from the wound, soaking through his coat until it began to dribble onto the ground.
 "That was just a warning shot. Now--what?" The man's eyes widened as he watched Parker take off his coat calmly, reaching through the tear in his shirt in order to dig his fingers into the wound. Though it was true that he could heal, bullets could be rather tricky in the future; his skin healed, but he couldn't just allow the bullet to stay in there and make a new home out of his intestines, now could he?
 "And there we go," said Parker cheerfully as he flicked the bullet onto the ground. He then looked back at the man, smiling. "I've been waiting to meet one of you for so long! And here you are! It's my third biggest dream come true!" He reached for the holster on his hip, taking out the semi-automatic pistol. "But I'm afraid I'm not here to make friends. What's that phrase? 'Shoot first, ask questions later?' Yes, that's what my superiors expect of me."
 He fumbled with the gun, brow furrowed in confusion.
 "What, boy? Don't know how to use a gun?"
 "Sebastien, how do you turn the safety off again?" Parker sighed.

[Assistant]
"How did you graduate from training again?" Sebastien said, shaking his head. The guy raised his gun to shoot Parker again, but wasn't going to allow it; just because he could heal didn't mean he wanted to see his friend in pain. He threw his knife to the ground and reached into the back of his jacket to pull his own gun from his holster, taking aim. Now that he had the advantage over him and the guy lined up in his sights, he didn't know if he could take the shot. Utilizing your abilities was one thing, but he honestly didn't know if he was capable of murder; wasn't that part of his job description now, though?

"Drop your weapon or I will blow a hole through the back of your skull!" he said in a demanding tone, gripping the gun with both hands to steady the aim; hopefully he didn't notice the shaking in his hands. "Drop the gun...drop the gun... There had never been a prisoner taken into custody before, but had the DEA even attempted to capture one alive?


[System]
586 posts in 821 days
Online
Alias: Justice Yellow

Age: 31

Current Appearance:

Costume: Yellow top with crossed black lightning bolts, a white skirt, yellow stockings, white boots, and a yellow cape with crossed black lightning bolts. She also carries a metal staff that doubles as a lightning rod. "I look like a battery ad, but it could have been worse..."

Powers: As one would expect from her costume, Carrie's powers are all themed around lightning and electricity.

Lightning Leap: More of a utility move than anything else, Carrie turns herself into a bolt of lightning that travels a short distance before she reforms. Basically a short-range teleportation.

Thunder Breath: Just what it sounds like.

Electric Explosion: An area of effect ability, Carrie summons a dome of electricity that slowly grows and damages all in its path.

Electric Pillar: Carrie conjures a ground-to-air lightning strike to hammer a single opponent.

Wrath Of The Storm: A barrage of lightning bolts strike Carrie's staff, charging it up before unleashing an electric wave motion gun effect. Her finisher.

Source: A pair of lightning bolt shaped earrings.

History with Justice Heart: Carrie was one of the original Justice Heart girls- in fact, though she cringes at it, she came up with the name. She was always in the thick of the fight, thinking that the best defense is an overwhelming offense. Naturally, this led to her getting a bit of a reputation as a hothead. Her friends didn't like it at first, and it led to some arguments between over how best to defeat monsters. However, when she charged after Katarina alone one dark night, the Dollmaster beat her badly, and if it wasn't for her friends intervening and driving the villain off, she probably would have died. This led to better relationships with her teammates, as well as a calmer attitude in fights. Still, she had a good heart, and was a valued member of the team.

History After Justice Heart: When Dollmaster was defeated there was no need for Justice Yellow anymore... but that was kept Carrie going through the day. She had major depressive episodes, and while her grades had never been stellar, they only slipped further. Health issues and bad luck only further crushed her once-indomitable spirit, and she now works as a food court grunt, living with her parents because she's unable to make ends meet on her own.

[User]
Eileen Fang AKA Justice Violet and Judge Cinnamon
7:35PM Driving to Short Distance from Police Bar

@RabidAnubis

As Justice SolarFlare climbed to the roof of Eileen's car, Eileen began slowing down and heading to the side of the road, turning on her emergency lights for good measure. Suddenly, by some fluke, the monster dove straight at her as she was coming out of the car, slashing her arm. Eileen screamed as Fiona finished off the monster.

"Lily..." Eileen panted, holding her arm, and recognizing that she needed medical attention. Looking back at the smoldering ruin of Fiona's car, many, many yards away, she noticed that the plastic monster didn't seem to be coming after them.

"The monsters that haven't been killed are fleeing," Judge Cinnamon transmitted, "Do not pursue, regroup and we can debrief."

"C-can you take us to the bar?" Eileen asked Fiona, suggesting that she drive Eileen's car. Eileen rarely sustained an injury of this magnitude as she was usually suited up prior to an engagement. She was also rather crestfallen that she had not had the opportunity to actually suit up and relive her glory days. Wordlessly, she crawled into the passenger seat, still cradling her arm, and giving the Judge time to move out of her way so she wouldn't sit on him. Eileen had been useless today, what else was new?

[Assistant]
It's...retreating?

Flare narrowed her eyes as the other monster made its hasty retreat, confirmed by Judge Cinnamon's mental announcement. Deciding it was safe enough and unwilling to bear the humiliation of her outfit any longer, Justice SolarFlare would immediately de-transform, her boots turning into heels as she jumped down from the car. She was relieved to be in her much more modest jeans and blouse as she turned towards Eileen, a frown on her face. She would completely forget about the monster entirely as she realized Eileen had gotten hurt.

As much as Fiona wanted to just go home, there was no way she could leave Eileen in that state. At her request, Fiona got into the driver's side, although she couldn't help but give Cinnamon an irritated look. "I don't understand why this is happening," She stated as she would shift the car into drive, continuing on to where seemingly everyone was converging.

[User]
Alice Augustine
Quitting Time

---

Alice finished her little performance and came to the ground where everyone was gathering. Well, perhaps more importantly, where her couch and other items were in pieces... Her heart cried out for the missing pieces... But most of all that couch... How many memories of messing with Isana did she have on that thing? How many woman had she seduced there? How many times did she have 'fun' with a multitude of her... Well... Perhaps it WAS time for a new couch... It was... Justice Verdant that did this, yes?

Before she changed back, it'd probably be a good idea to make people disperse right? She put her microphone-staff close to her mouth and spoke. "Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Justice Heart reunion concert! As you can see, we're all done here so go about your way on your normal day! Thanks for joining us!" She exclaimed, acting as if it were some pop-up concert. Hopefully, her power would make it so normal people would stop paying attention to them. "OH! And don't forget to pick up your own copy of the new anime 'Orange', or even watch it on 'CrispyRoll'! Thank you!" She was shameless as always.

With that, she made her way over to the one who destroyed her couch and changed back to normal once she was sure that no normal people were watching. She walked her way over to Vivian (if the woman were on the ground) and linked arms. "Heeeyyyy.... Vivian. Since you destroyed my couch, you get to have the honor of helping me pick a new one out." She tried her best to use that cutesy voice she used in some anime she was in.

[Assistant]
Vivian Everett

Vivian nodded with satisfaction as her attack smashed the monster and finished it off for good. Seeing Dark Pulse in action always brought a sense of amusement to her with how it could destroy, and it felt much better to do it to that than to the wind monster she had been so completely ineffectual against. With that and one last monster dispatched, it seemed that the fight was over for now.

Pity about whoever's furniture that was, but it probably wasn't relevant. Right?

With everyone relaxing, Vivian took it upon herself to detransform back to normal as she stepped away from her bike for the moment. Much as she would like to go zooming off, she was at least dimly aware of the fact that without everyone else she would have been a smear on the highway somewhere, so she should probably give them some gratitude for the assist.

Before she could say anything though, she found herself approached by Alice. Whoops, turned out that the couch belonged to her after all. Not that Vivian would have done anything different given the situation. "Not a chance," she replied firmly, crossing her arms defiantly. "That couch wasn't coming out in one piece after you let it get possessed by a monster. Besides, I'm sure you're rich enough that replacing that stuff shouldn't be a problem." She wasn't going to give in without a fight.

[User]
'Star' Heart
7:38PM Short Distance from Police Bar

Elise quickly dealt the final blow to the electricity monster to Courtney's cheering, letting out a final electronic scream before coming to an end the thousand cuts were delivered. After cheering her teamate on, Justice Goldenrod insisted on the party working on their choreography, which made Emily roll her eyes to the top of her skull. They weren't pre-teens anymore - did they have to be any more ridiculous? The newspeople weren't really something she was interested in dealing with, and were actually far more concerning to her now than they used to be.
 Especially now that the internet was more of a thing. "Please, Courtney."

Emily watched Isana leave the group out of the corner of her eye - and Justice Star couldn't blame her. She didn't seem to like any of them except for Alice, and it was entirely possible that if they arranged anything Alice would simply pass on the news.

Emily watched as Alice dismissed the majority of the standing crowd with her magic, which solved most of her concerns. As the voice actor approached to complain to Vivian though and enthusiastic high pitched male voice overwhelmed the remaining magical girls.

"WOW! Incredible! After 20 years, the Justice Hearts have returned, and with a bang! White Heart, why don't you tell us what prompted this reuinion concert? Why are the monsters attacking? What's it like now that you've grown up - and where have you been? How's do you plan to balance this with your careers?" The mid twenties reporter spoke with incredible speed, his body practically vibrating with a youthful vigor that somehow made him resistant to Alice's powers. A microphone was in his hand, which he shoved in front of the women's faces.

The remaining magical girls arrived on the spot as Lily passed out, still somewhat drunk.

[Assistant]
Isana Seiger
Sofa shopping

---

Thankfully, the little incident hadn't happened too far from their apartment so it was an easy enough walk back. Just...one small problem...

"Hey!" A cameraman crew and a reporter were chasing after her, likely wanting to get a nice juicy interview with a former magical girl. Isana merely sighed, shoulders slumping in mild annoyance. "You're Justice Gaia, aren't you? Or would you prefer we call you by your solo name of 'Luminous Vale?" The excitable reporter asked. Isana had to refrain from audibly groaning. She'd like to just send these two flying, but that would cause more problems than they'd help.

"Hmm," Isana frowned, stopping and turning to look back at the reporters. "I'd prefer to get back to my Chinese food, and to convince my roommate to by the most expensive couch she can get her hands on." With that simple statement, she stomped her foot on the ground as the earth began to rumble. "Rampart Castle!"

Several, large spikes of earth erupted in the ground between her and the reporters, spreading a thick wall of stone across the entire street, causing some of the street to suddenly have itself closed off and the reporters to have to jump backwards lest they find themselves stuck on top of the rampart. Isana of course, continued on her way back to her apartment. The rampart would dissolve by itself in a few hours, and it was easy enough to return to the scene of the incident.

The building was empty as it ever was at this time, save for someone joining her on the elevator who was giving her a few odd looks. Easy enough to pass her attire off as Cosplay or something. Once back inside she finally transformed back to her regular appearance - meaning just a plain white t-shirt and her underwear. First things first, she picked up the remains of her Chinese food off the ground, a deep, mournful lamenting sigh leaving her lips.

Well, whatever. Her computer was fine so she went about redressing herself in her usual attire. Cheap, but good looking red suit with a black tie and dress pants. After collecting what she could salvage of the Chinese food into a single carton, she headed back down. For now, she just watched idly from the sidelines again. She'd drag Alice off to the furniture store once the crowd dispersed a bit. For now, she'd enjoy the rest of her Chinese food that she could as she watched the rest of the events unfold.

[User]
Alice Augustine
Sofa Shopping

---

Alice pouted a bit. This woman was a bit purposefully daft sometimes wasn't she? "Come on, Vivian. I'm telling you to buy it. Just help me pick it out. I'll even buy dinner." Alice said as she tightened her grip on the woman's arm. She wasn't letting her get away that easy! Nope. Not trying to get in her pants or anything at all. "You owe me this much after all these years don't you? Isana can be such a grouch, it'd be nice to have someone else look too." She added. Vivian was an enemy long ago, but she was a friend now! Or, suppose to be. Alice sort of wondered why a lot of the Justice Heart girls got kind of bitchy about things as they grew up. The rich girl still loved all of them, despite what they might think of her. "Come on, Vivi--"

That was when the reporter appeared in front of her. So many questions she didn't know quite how to answer... "Oh, umm..." Right, they didn't know who she was for some reason. "Well, I'm not sure? I mean, these all took us by surprise I think... Oh, isn't it not journalistic standard to not divulge too much information when you don't have the full of the story? That's that on the monster issue. Otherwise... Ain't I looking good for a thirty-something? I'd like to the think it's a result of having been in the hearts and minds of fans for the last twenty years! Also, I think our careers are fine. Boy-o, would you mind letting us talk? It's a get together after twenty years and we'd love if you'd show a little delicacy." She tried to infuse a bit of her power into it. Hopefully he'll leave with a few of his answers.

[Assistant]
Ugh, the fourth estate. Somebody should just tell them to leave us the hell alone. Back in the good old days, the media's electronic equipment had a nasty habit of overloading or shorting out around Carrie. Not that she'd ever owned up to it. Twenty years down the road, her attitude towards reporters hadn't improved a bit. In fact, it seemed to have gotten worse with age.

"Listen, right now we're confused, scared out of our wits, and generally trying to figure out what the hell is going on. No warning signs whatsoever, and this was too coordinated to be an isolated incident. As to whether it's Dollmaster or something else..." she shrugged. "No clue. Now, let us get back to doing what we do, okay?"


[System]
26|5'10"|Male

[ S Y N O P S I S ]

Edward is an enthusiastic reporter hailing from an island within the Ventuian airspace. He currently lives in Edgenook on Ventui's main continent, under the employment of the Winged Gazette (a large news firm in the city). After several years of cajoling his boss, Ed was finally allowed to accompany an expedition beyond the Ring of Thunder, for what Edward promises will be the "story of the century".

[ A P P E A R A N C E ]

The Winged Gazette has a very stringent dress code: no piercings, visible tattoos, or dyed/long hair is accepted at his workplace: only clean, contained haircuts are allowed. There is no rule against facial hair, however, and Ed, having recently learned he can finally grow a full beard, has started to let his hair grow out. He likes the scruffy look, although more importantly he likes not having to shave as frequently.

He stands tall and with his shoulders back most of the time: his boarding-school upbringing was sure to keep slouching out of his life, but now he likes to relax as comfortably as possible when working. Slouching, recline, or flat out laying down are all positions he enjoys, but that militaristic-level of straight-backed standing has never truly gone.

[ P E R S O N A L I T Y ]

Edward is fairly extroverted, with a talent for asking questions and getting answers. He likes talking to others, but he also enjoys his alone time, to recharge his batteries and take deep breaths before the next round of socializing. As a reporter, the line between what is acceptable and what is necessary has become somewhat blurred to him, and Ed has no trouble asking uncomfortable questions if he thinks it will bring him closer to a story. Blunt and to the point is as easy as tactful and roundabout questioning for him.

On the flipside of that same coin, Ed also knows that there are times to be silent, and he is more than willing to keep his mouth shut and listen as well. While notetaking or thinking, he is far less amiable, answering questions or comments with short answers and little focus. He doesn't mean to be rude, but Ed knows that none of the great questions of life were solved by yammering about stupid topics.

[ H I S T O R Y ]

Edward Samick was born with an inquisitve pair of eyes. His mother and father called him "the little hawk", on account of his sharp eyes staring at anything and everything with hunger and obssession, like a tiny litle baby crazy person trying to drink up the world with his eyes. Not that it mattered to him: he was a baby and didn't care about trivial things like being crazy.

As he grew, the little hawk slowly refined his gaze: no longer did he stare with a crazed need. Instead, he gradually transformed the look into one of interest, intensity...query. For many years, he spoke not at all: his parents were worried he had some kind of mental illness, as his eyes bugged out at everything, but his lips remained sealed.

He was four when he started speaking: the doctors had dubbed him a "mute of unknown reasoning", but Ed had simply been biding his time. When he spoke, it was in full sentences. And once he started, Mr. and Mrs. Samick could not get the little hawk to shut up. His first word was "why". In an effort to teach Ed some self control and get some peace and quiet for themselves, his parents sent him away to a boarding school as soon as he was allowed to leave.

Teachers were delighted by Ed's questioning, when compared with the surly little monsters who were his peers. This resulted in a kind of feedback loop where, being rewarded for being talkative, Ed developed into an extrovert slowly and surely. He was generally well-liekd by his peers, although his penchant for asking questions got him in trouble on so numerous an amount of occasions, that he was once nearly expelled when a well-placed question at the wrong time started a riot in the school cafeteria.

Still, Ed was bright, quick to smile, and good at managing his time. His father gifted him with an old pocketwatch when he was 16: it was a family heirloom passed down at the 16th birthday for generations. With the help of that watch, his parents, and a keen mind, Ed graduated school with flying colors, and went on to pursue a degree in Journalism at the prestigious University of Gelbek, a regional university of great renown within Ventui.

College went about the same as his early schooling: he got on well enough with his professors and his peers, despite his absolute need to know all sorts of answers to all sorts of questions. Journalism came easily to Ed, and by the time of his graduation, he had worked several internships with the Winged Gazette in Edgenook, Ventui. He graduated to a well paying job in one of the most exciting cities in the known world, and for several years he worked with an enthusiam that led to quite a bit of success.

It was the discovery of the second obelisk outside the Ring of Thunder that got Ed on the hook. Suddenly there were hundreds of questions pouring into his mind about the outside world, and he really had no way to answer them where he was. So he bgan badgering his boss to let him join a trip down below. He bothered and bothered and bothered until finally his boss he could go and that he'd better get a fucking scoop or so help me god Edward I am going to jam a spoon down your throat--

His path was set. Ed got in touch with the UINC, explained the situation, got the proper clearances, and packed his bags. He said goodbye to his parents, smiled at his scowling boss, and headed out for the biggest story of the history of the world.

[ N O T E S / O T H E R I N F O ]

Edward carries a very old pocketwatch; it is a family heirloom, passed down to the eldest child of the family on their 16th birthday. Through a strange twist of fate, almost all of the generations have been single childs.

He also carries a notebook of waterproof paper and a pen. He has an excellent memory, and will often write down the important details of an event that night, long after they have occured.

[User]
---

---

Juliette Morrison

Location: Ghal-Priyam; The Obelisk.

Post In Collaboration With: None.
Interacting With: Raymond Rahlei.

---

---

It was loud… deafening. The deep rolling voice shouting out to them every few moments, along with the roar of the beating wings that belonged to the planes causing her to cower further into Raymond's chest, seeking desperately the comfort that he offered to her whenever she seemed to need it the most as she lifted her arms up, pressing them hard over her ears.

It was loud… so very, very loud…

The ringing in her ears; was that normal..? Her body being forced to shift slightly against his as Raymond's hold over her changed, Juliette pressed herself even closer into him, her heart fluttering with a slight panic as she felt the backs of her legs brushing up against what she knew was the cold and rough surface of stone, "..n-no-..."

"It's okay, Julie- I'm still here." Cutting her off before she could speak any more than she already had, Raymond made sure that she was sat comfortably and safely upon the stone step before he lifted his hand, his palm pressing against her cheek so that he could run his thumb comfortingly back and forth over the skin just under her eye… She was scared- he couldn't blame her for that. Truth be told; he'd be more worried himself if she wasn't showing any fear for their situation, "..I promise you; I'm not going anywhere. But I need you to be brave okay..? You have to help me… these steps… they're too big for me to carry you up; I'm sorry…"

Lifting her hand up, Juliette closed her eyes, her palm resting lightly over his as she turned her head, leaning it further into his touch as she listened to what he was saying- he was still here; he wasn't going anywhere… he had promised.

"..o-okay; I-... I-I will try…" Nodding her head lightly against the palm of his hand, Juliette lifted her head up so that her ever unseeing eyes were looking in the direction that his voice was coming from, her soft pink lips parting ever so slightly from one another, "..I will try…"

Smiling softly as he managed to catch a glimpse of her bright blue eyes, Raymond reached out with his other hand, gently brushing some stray strands of her long blonde locks back and off her face, neatly tucking them behind her ear before he leant in, pressing a soft lingering kiss upon her lips, allowing the moment to last what felt like a lifetime before he (reluctantly) pulled away, his gaze flicking over to the other two to see if they had started the perilous climb up the steps yet or not.

[Assistant]
Edward stepped back a few paces before jogging forward toward Luna's waiting hands. "One, two, threeee...hup!" He put a foot on her hand and heaved himself up, his fingers just cresting the top of the step. His legs came forward, feet pushing against the wall, and he heaved up. It was a surprisingly smooth motion for him, and he rolled to his back at the step above.

"Okay," he grunted, and turned back to the others. He dropped down his hand. "Come on, Luna!" He glanced at Raymond and Juliette, who were kissing despite the madness of their situation. Despite himself, he rolled his eyes. "Time enough for that later, Ray! Send Juliette up after Luna. No time to waste!"

He looked up to the next step. No, he wasn't crazy: the stairs seemed to shrink as they ascended. Maybe what they were climbing now had never meant to be climbed. Perhaps whatever had been here before had rotted away due to time or neglect.

[User]
Luna grimaced as Edward leaped up, keeping her fingers together so her hands wouldn't fly apart and send him falling on top of her, and tumbling to the ground. She shook her hands out, before taking a small leap herself and grabbing Edwards hand, using her feet to propel herself up, and pulling on Edward, making sure she wasn't going to topple him over, and rolling over the edge of the stair top.

She lay there a moment, gaining her breath, having not realised she had been holding it, before she wriggled to the edge, holding out her hand to help Juliette up as well, smiling brightly, and pushing away her body's weariness. It had been a bit of an exhausting few moments, running from certain death.

"Come on, We have like, what, eight minutes? You'll have plenty of time to kiss later" she said with confidence, grining widely, trying to show she wasn't concerned at all. They'd figure this out. They just had to get a move on. If she let herself think that maybe they wouldn't be okay, that this was death... she didn't know what she would do.

[Assistant]
---

---

Juliette Morrison

Location: Ghal-Priyam; The Obelisk.

Post In Collaboration With: None.
Interacting With: Raymond Rahlei.

---

---

A grunt slipping out through his lips, Raymond ran the few steps forward towards the large step as the other two cleared it, the muscles in his arms and stomach tightening, and his face scrunching up in pure concentration as he used his upper body strength to lift himself up and over the ledge, his body rolling over the stone to lay behind Juliette as he took a moment to catch his breath…

By the Gods, could things get any worse..? No… No, he shouldn't think such things in risk that they might prove to be true…

Shoving the thought out of his mind, Raymond turned over, lifting himself back to his feet before he reached forward, giving a nod towards Luna to let her know that he had this as he took a gentle hold over Juliette's hand, giving it a soft and comforting squeeze as he encouraged her to stand up, his eyes never once leaving her figure, wanting to make sure that she was okay, and away from the crumbling ledge before he moved his hands back to her hips, holding on once more as he carefully lifted her up and onto the next step, starting the process all over again.

"..come on Julie… we can do this…"