[System]
Race: Cat girl - Beast Folk
Class: Warrior Mage

Blessings:
 Immortality - She doesn't age.
 Partial vampirism - can drink blood and draw power from it.

Inventory:
Magic vault bag - has the storing capacity of 1x3 meters chest.
Many random trinkets
Gold and gems.
Amazon clothing.

Necromantic bone scepter – boosts dark magic.
Vampire necromantic robe – boosts dark magic.

Adventurer's clothes - sturdy set of comfortable clothes, suitable for every adventurer.

[User]
Alex fought against the soldiers, mildly examining this newcomer. The stranger wasn't all bad, considering they were both severely outnumbered and they were plowing through them. The Death Knight couldn't help but wonder who this exactly was, she had such a strange powerful air around her. Was she some sort of race of warrior similar to a Amazon or something? This world sure did hold many secrets and lore that she had yet to discover. Then again, she had been dead for most of her time here so she suppose she had a good excuse for knowing shit all. Perking as a hunk of ice was launched at her, the tall woman tsked before swinging her demonic sword and it basically obliterated the frozen water. Kicking chunks of it back, some enemy spellcasters shouted in panic as they tried getting out of the way.

Two of the large men, a Berserker, charged her. She stabbed the first that grabbed her arms though the second swung a axe down on her. Ducking to the side, the blade scraped against the right side of her temple, causing blood to drip down and cover the right side of her face. Still, it felt oddly refreshing to see her own blood spill. Made her feel alive and feel it pumping and pounding, ready for battle. With the swift flick of her wrists, she decapitated both men's heads.

Eyes narrowing as squadron of Paladins came forth with a enormous leader. It was rare to see anyone taller than her and growled in response. Smirking as he chattered, she pointed her blades toward him. "All I hear is all bark instead of a bite! Like those tiny little lapdogs that sit in your rulers lap. Guess there isn't much difference." she sneered before looking to see more of those glowing hair women join the battle. And soon enough, what looked like a airship. Whoever these women were, they sure brought a lot of firepower it seemed.

As the stranger pretty much said she will clean up the rest, Alex paused briefly. The more rash side of her of course wanted to kick these guys ass. But another was worried over the Queen and Naisha. Her best friend and lover had been pushing herself and it was a bit concerning. It felt weird being separated as well, even if it wasn't too far. Turning to the strange woman, the Death Knight nodded and smirked. "Alright, but you better hold your word and beat these assholes. Or I'll come do it for you." she said before quickly returning inside.

----

Karette grimaced as her fists clenched the bed's furs. A familiar presence and voice soon was heard and the Queen managed to open her lilac eyes to try and focus on the one she wanted to see most. Giving a slight smile as she felt her lover wrap her arms around the Amazon's head. Soon closing her eyes again as the witch used her magic to assist Karette in her time of agony.

"Krieli'nas... It's good to see you." she mumbled, feeling a great sense of relief wash over her.

It didn't take long for Alex to bust in the room, instantly going to Naisha's side and put a steady hand on her shoulder. "You doing okay?" she asked softly.

[Assistant]
"Heh, don't worry I will." Selie're said with a smirk as the death knight retreated towards the city, leaving only the army of women with glowing hair outside. The paladins hadn't been prepared for this. An Arcadia's warship appearing along with a full warband of warriors, this was beyond any expectations. The arcanas never left their lands before, their entire military force was always concentrated in protecting their own territories.

 "Tche… cursed witches…" The head paladin swore under his breath as he signaled all present soldiers to attack. He himself began retreating from the battle, no way he was going to die fighting an Arcadia's warship on ground. He was the elite of the elite, his was going to be the glory and the laugh at the end of this!

 He was already some distance away when the arcanas and his soldiers. When the airshop opened fire, the strikes impacted upon the empire's army, he ran away a great distance. Suddenly he sensed a stir in the air and looked up only to see two women blocking his path. They were dressed in what would only appear to be armored dancer clothing and had long glowing hair. They were beautiful… yes. Beautiful enough for one to forget they were armed." Out of my way!" He shouted, swinging a great hammer, but in a matter of a single moment the women vanished from his view. A beautiful calming song filled the air as in the next moment he felt four piercing pains as he had but a moment to see that now he had 4 swords stuck in his chest." Sorry mister paladin, but your head will make a fine gift for our new mistress." Both of them said in melodic unison as they cut his head and headed towards the amazon village.

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

"I'm sorry my love, it took me longer to come this time." Krieli'nas said with a calming smile, still weaving her spells on the wounded amazon to sooth her pain. She felt pain just by looking at Karette in that state, but it was not lost. She felt the poison weaken inside the proud queen. Her lover was going to live and when she was cured of this poison, Krieli'nas was going to give her the great news… about the new life that was growing inside the witch. This was going to cause some chaos… she smiled

 Naisha's mind was strained at the moment as she struggled to fight the poison in all cells across the queen's body. She in number of times almost lost it and the poison nearly invaded HER in return, but managed to beat it. Surprisingly for her, when the witch showed up, Nai felt her power returning. Most likely Krieli'nas channeled her some energy. With that additional power, she managed to fight the poison off a long faster. In fact by the time Alex returned she had nearly finished purging the evil from Karette's body.

 "Alex… I … did… it!" Nai shouted as her body went weak and fell onto Alex. Everyone was amazed, what should have taken a day, she did in about an hour, maybe even less than that. Still the queen was wounded and the cat girl had not the power to heal the wounds or the tissues and muscles damaged by the earlier trashing around of the powerful amazon. Nai turned to the blind elf who by now should have managed to regain some of her power." Almathea, your magic should be able to heal her now. I need… to rest now."

 "The queen will live… she will be strong again, maybe even stronger than before." Nai stated, watching Karette from Alex's arms." How did things go outside? What's with those explosions?" Naisha asked in confusion. The battle was clearly not over, but Alex had returned. Did that meant they were winning or was it that they were losing?! SHe asked herself in horror, but it didn't seem to be a losing battle. She heard no explosions on the inner side fo the walls and there was a strange humming noise comming from the air above the town.

[User]
Karette gave a soft sigh, relaxing and allowing her body to sink and relax against the furs. Opening her eyes again to look at her lover. "It's alright my love. I'm just glad you made it back safely." the Queen smiled, reaching slowly and gently grasping the witch's hand. "I was a little worried there... That I would have join my Mothers before you returned. But I have Naisha and Alex to thank for curing me." she smiled, taking a few deep breathes. Her body ached and was sore, but at least she didn't feel like she was dying.

Alex quickly wrapped her arms around Naisha and held her close. Blue eyes softening in concern over her tired companion. Smiling in relief and kissing the top of her head. "I knew you would." she grinned before looking at the blind elf who reached up and touched Alex's temple. The Amazon's bloody face staining the pale fingers as magic emitted from them. Healing the injury she recieved from a axe.

Amalthea turned her head slightly toward Naisha's voice and nodded, moving to the Queen's bed and moving her hands over her Queen's body. Alluminating a light green glow and casting her healing Magic.

Karette breathing eased a bit as the magic worked its way through her body, healing the torn tissue and muscle.

Thinking a for a moment, Alex grasped Naisha's hands comfortly as the cat girl started to panic. "We sort of got reinforcements via airship and a lot of glowing haired women. They're pretty tough, and looks like they'll be able to handle the rest." she answered.

[Assistant]
"Yes. I called my old people to aid us." Krieli'nas said with a smile and now that Alex mentioned the glowing haired women, Scarlet snapped her fingers as her own hair quickly began glowing with a bloody red color.

 "So you called for help and an airship came?" Nai asked in confusion. Back in Spira the airships were pretty costly things. Here in this world she knew they existed also and were still used for long range transport and military uses. The fact one came meant that Krieli'nas was pretty well connected." Yes, they will explain it later when Karette recovers. They came here to help with the defense of this kingdom." The witch said with a smile, gently running her hand across her queen's hair." Now I will ask everyone who isn't helping anymore to leave the room!" The witch stated as she shot the amazons around with warning looks to get going. She wanted to let Karette rest in quiet while Almathea was finishing with the healing. Of course that didn't include Nai and Alex who were already considered in the Harem." Thank you, you two." Krieli'nas said and looked at Alex and Naisha." I wouldn't have managed to survive to lose my love yet another time like this." She said and hugged the queen.

 Nai blushed somewhat when she saw the sincere expression on the witch's face. She cuddled into Alex more and whispered." What the… she looks so innocent right now. It's making me feel embarrassed." Nai wasn't used to people thanking her so sincerely.

 "Which reminds me, now that the room is basically empty from the all excess people, I can tell you the big news." The witch said, placing a hand on her stomach." Karette, I will be a mother soon. I carry our child!" She said with happy voice.

[User]
The Queen chuckled softly as her lover shouted toward the others in the room, watching as the Amazons jumped at the command as well as a few elves, blink a bit before quickly leaving the room. Mostly everyone knew to do whatever the witch said since she was the Queen's head concubine as well as advisor. Karette knew they were just concerned but she was pretty tired and her body was still sore. Smiling softly as Krieli'nas embraced her, Queen Karette leaned into it and kissed her cheek tenderly. "I'd never leave you. Even if my body crumbles one day." she reassured.

Alex blushed slightly as well but smiled at Naisha, holding her closer and cuddling. "Well.... Guess the toughest of people can show tenderness to whom they love." she chuckled as she thought about it. She herself was a pretty good example about it. The red head always had a bit of a mouth, a temper, quite a bit rowdy and wild to others. She could hardly think of a time where she was particularly mean to Naisha though. More like a happy big puppy following her around. Not like she'd admit that though.

Karette blinked a little curiously as the witch said she had some big news. "Oh?" she said with a amused relaxing smile. Wondering what exactly her lover had to say. Of course, she was quite surprised and it took a moment to take in what Krieli'nas said. Her lilac eyes blinking a bit more, smile disappearing so her face was one of confusion before her body immiedietly sat up as she stared at her lover. Her face soon brightening in one of absolute joy.

Amalthea jumped a little at the Queen's sudden movement, her hands gingerly tapping against the Queen's arms in order to get a good situation on the Queen's new pose. "Your Majesty, please don't move so suddenly you'll reopen your wounds." the blind elf girl said softly, but she had a soft smile as well before continuing her magic, just in case Karette's erratic movement caused some extra damage.

"Really?! That is wonderful news Kri! We're going to be mothers! Best day ever! I can now die happy." The Queen cheered happily, acting like a giddy teenager, before embracing her lover, lovingly pressing their lips together.

"Please don't." Amalthea chuckled softly.

"Whaaa.... hooow?" Alex said in confusion, blinking a bit as she tilted her head at the happy couple. Did the witch go find a man and assist in babymaking or something? Or maybe it's some strange unique magic? If it was, she couldn't recall anything like that back home. It was kinda interesting and cool in that case. It made her imagine a mini Alex and Nai before shaking the thought bubble away.

[Assistant]
"Yeah… That's why I love you too~" Nai chuckled and cuddled into Alex more. She loved the knight a lot and was ready to give her life for her. In a way she already did that once, but was ready to do it again if she had to. Now that they both were basically tamed by the amazon queen, she had feeling for Karette as well and was sure Alex did too.

 Naisha's jaw dropped when the witch let the happy news hit them. She was… pregnant? With Karette's child!? Nai's reaction was exactly like Alex's – HOW THE HELL DID THAT WORK!? Her face was bright red, watching the Queen kiss the witch. She then calmed her mind a little, reaching the conclusion the witch maybe had some weird magical way of that working out.

 The cat girl also caught a glimpse of something in Alex's eyes. She knew her lover well enough to know what the knight was thinking about almost certainly. It also made her think of the same thing – how would their child look? Would it have those… cat features and be big and strong as Alex? Both of their pondering faces must have caught the witch's attention for she smirked and looked at the other two concubines after the kiss with Karette ended.

 "What's this, do you two also want to have a child?" She asked teasingly with a smile. She was completely meaning her question cause she could have made it happen. Though considering those two wanted to travel, she probably wasn't going to have it happen soon. Still it was fun to tease them." So what do you say Alex, want our cute little kitty to carry your child?" At those words, Naisha's face grew bright red and she let out a cute confused noise.


[System]
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Race: Human

Always wearing a suit with a clean appearance, he is for the most part what you would expect to see for a Police Force investigator in a division where the members are titled "Agent".
Status: Investigator in a division of the police force specifically trained to investigate and take down Hexes; not much of note in the past 3 months.
Powers/Abilities: Crack shot - one of the best men in the Police Force with a gun.
Bio: Benson Halthar was born in Michigan and was raised to a somewhat wealthy family of cops. Going through school with decent performance, he took up a career in the Police Force. His aim and a few lucky strikes against class D hexes (and one class B) earned him an opportunity to join the Hex Termination Squad portion of the Police force as a junior investigator, an opportunity he readily accepted. He joined as one of the younger members to be offered the position of agent investigator; he was only 28 when most that join were around 30.
Since joining the force, he has proven himself a capable agent and fine investigator, having assisted in taking down several D's, C's and B's over the past eight years, and twice helping to take down A's (although only one of those he actually managed to take down with a gun, the other died because of his own mistake). He is now respected as being one of the finer hands in the Force and one of the first men to come to a scene with suspected Hex activity.

[User] Ace looked up at the main who claimed to be Lucius and paused look at him dead in the eyes and finally replied sternly "don't lie to me. if you're going to give me a name then give me your real one." She then sighed and tried wobbling back up to stand but ultimately ended up failing and collapsed back down onto her hands and feet.

[Assistant]
He rolled his eyes, sighing as he put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "I am saving your life, miss...?" he began, turning his head and raising the opposite eyebrow to accent his own lack of knowledge of her name. "For now, you can call me vahtevaer you like, as long az I know you are speaking to me. For good reason, if things go south, I'd rather you not know my name, my dear" he concluded with a wink. It was a sound strategy on such jail breaks to not use real names. The theory was, if the group would to be separated or parts detained, it'd be easier for him to cover his tracks. "I am helping you," he started, offering her the rose to pick from his fingers, "...and I am sorry about your situation"
He didn't expect her to give a name in return, only to understand that he was not her enemy. If it could be any other way, he would have liked a chance to get to know the girl, but he figured the circumstances, especially considering this exchange, might make it difficult for them to be much more than associates.

[User] "thank you..." Ace murmured. she paused and looked straight ahead as she got to her feet again. she picked the rose and smelled it once then burned it. as the ashes scattered she replied, "The name my parents gave me was Ace. that is the only name i go by."

[Assistant]
Luciel was silent, standing and gripping his fist to kill the rest of the vines which crumpled and retracted, focusing on repairing itself. "Why?" He asked, intrigued by her hollowness, "Is Ace what they called you in that hole? Is Ace what you called yourself to maintain sanity~?" he cooed, taking a few steps past her while he seemed to focus on trying to orient themselves based on sun position, thinking of a way they could go to maybe throw the certain search party off of their trail. His words ran like treacle, teasing enough to set the stage for his next question. "Of any name you could think...would you rather have it?" he asked before slyly looking over his shoulder out of the corner of his eye to try to catch a glimpse of a reaction, "...or is your past really that valuable?"

People have single names. In this world where we're not seen as people, why should we conscribe to their ideals?

Fear drove humans to do such selfish things. They'd throw their newborns from cliffs if they thought it'd appease a higher power...so to speak. He knew well enough about Hex to know that parents were sometimes a touchy subject; she mentioned them, openly, and apparently kept the name they gave her. It was unlikely that she was picked up after killing them...unless she was that messed up. Luciel shook his head, excusing the feeling before turning back to her. "Never mind me, working alone gives me too much time to think, I am afraid" he said with a chuckle and an excusing hand wave before realizing what he said could have been taken as an offense. "But no, I think Ace is a good name," Luciel sighed, wishing he knew more about the girl as to better appeal to her, "...I only wish it did not carry memories with it~"

[User] The questions of 'why' made the hairs on the back of Ace's neck stand on end and her body feel hot with pure, white rage."....why?! because i don't have any other name, because in that hell hole they called me horrible things! in there what kept me sane was feeling the pain of every beating; telling me that this was all real and not some deranged nightmare! I can't trade my name for another and i wouldn't even if i could! you want to know WHY i was in that prison?! i was in there because i saved my parents she our house caught fire! And they were the very people who turned me in! As soon as i was released from the hospital; i was greeted by the police force! They pined down a confused little girl who just saved her family and called her a monster! so yes! my past is very important! it reminds me i can't trust anybody! not even my family!" Ace growled.

[Assistant]
Luciel was stonefaced during her outburst, either numb to her emotions or expecting it.
Truthfully, I knew words and agonizing pasts could only harm the ones they hold. It was a shame that she was like the rest...

There was no point in sharing his past with her, she was only minutes of being free after who knows how long. Her history and her world was all she had to torture herself with in the hopes that it would be that much less than the abuse. Or maybe it was just one agonizing lump of twisted thoughts that went fetid in the darkness of her cell long before he came to save her. With this though, Luciel resolved himself to leave her be. He was alive, and there was certain to be another prison to bust someone out of if her association failed to pan out. Still, he couldn't help but empathize in small ways with her story...

Luciel's amber-red eyes narrowed in dull skepticism. "I apologize..." he started, pausing to collect his words to respond to her demeanor, "...I am sure it haas been a while since you haf been free" his accent peeking in as he went back to his work examining moss, his voice trailing off. He put his confidence in giving her time to adapt to fresh air, natural sun and grass under her feet...there would hopefully be time to talk when she would be more inclined too.

[User] Ace knew he was lying but she also knew that he was trying."please...i beg you.... stop lying to me with your false pity and apologies... you're just like everybody else... your body trembles when you lie. to the naked eye it can't be seen; even i can't see it. but i can feel it..... when you lie and your body trembles, i can feel the vibration given off through the ground." Ace muttered. "i'd much prefer it if you just told the truth..." she sighed then said. "i kept my name because even though my parents turned me in that day.... i still love them... i've tried hating them but i can't bring myself to hate them... that's why i go by Ace, ok?"

[Assistant] Drex stood there, watching the conversation play through. "A...Ace, I think that's what your name is," He didn't know if it was the right time to barge in but he did any way, "My name is Drex. I am a hex like you. I know you can't walk, but they're sending a search party and they'll probably be here soon, so is it ok if I flew you farther away?" He held out a hand in a friendly gesture.

[User] "Okay" Luciel simply replied to her explanation, dusting his hands off on each other as he stood at the suggestion to continue moving. Flying seemed like a fairly good idea, since it didn't leave tracks. As long as they were careful, they wouldn't have to worry too much about surveillance. "The people I was with before I was alone called me 'Lulu'..." he said, hoping the understanding of his opinion about the name could be conveyed by his tone...he wasn't a fan. "Luciel Lucerne will work just fine...and moving would be a pretty good idea" he concluded, more than ready to drop the subject before he broke composure any further. He liked to remain optimistic whenever possible...

[Assistant] "uh. yeah nice to meet you Drex." Ace replied. she glanced at Luciel and smiled faintly with a slight nod, signaling that she understood and was happy to meet him as well. she turned back to Drex and replied, "okay. let's go."

[User] "There's one problem" Drex began, "I only have enough strength to carry one of you at a time," Drex was waiting for the reaction from the next part he was about to say, "Luciel... You have to stay here for 15 min while I take Ace, she can barely walk, and she needs more help, she's the main priority right now."

[Assistant] "Very well, I can wait" he said with ease, understanding the child's limitations. Luciel also stood a better chance at hiding from the patrols, as he could likely tailor pheromones from a bush to give of the scent of poisonous berries to throw off hounds. "Fifteen minutes..." he mused to himself as he went about finding a good shrub to begin shaping into a suitable hiding spot. His voice held a faint tone of wryness, unfamiliar with Drex and not entirely believing that he'd come back for Luciel.

[User]
"I think I saw one running there!" yelled one of the guards, who were now actively patrolling the perimeter. Just like several others, David managed to escape from his bars thanks to the strange intrusion of some plant guy. He didn't see much of him, he did see a few other people making a run for it. Some already made it for the forest. David was short on their heels. With adrenaline pumping through his veins and a heart ready to break his chest he hid around the corner. It wasn't far now, he could see the forest from where he stood.

"Hey you!" David, distracted, had not noticed the lone guard. The man pointed his gun straight at the youth. "Hands in the air, now!" he commanded. In panic, David blinked. In equal terror as the youth the guard began to violently look around. Pointing his gun everywhere. A second later and David stood behind him. In an effort to knock the man unconscious, David flung his fist against the head of the guard. But mid swing something sharp formed over his fingers. So in reaction, he opened the fist and the claws ripped open the side of the man's head. In horror he saw how the man dropped dead with 4 gapping slashes in his face. But the horror was soon replaced by an odd excitement. The sweet smell of blood energized him.

Though he couldn't revel in it for long. More guards were coming. He made a dash for the forest. "There! I saw one!" he heard yelling behind him. Which made him blink again, straight into the forest and losing the guards. Within the forest he was horribly lost. David was not familiar with the surrounding terrain. Though he did hear voices talking in the distance. After a quick blink up towards a sturdy looking branch, David began to observe his surroundings. Two blinks later he was above Luciel, watching him.

[Assistant] Ace felt the vibrations from David's "blink" which startled her for the sudden appearance of another stranger. she pretended not to notice as she quickly levitated a small rock then flung it at the intruder, hitting him on the forehead and knocking him out of the tree. She walked up to him and looked him in the eyes with a cold look, warning him not to do anything stupid.

[User]
Luciel stopped, about to pull the front of the shrub closed before a sudden spike of Hex essence. The best he could discern was that it was close, whatever it was. He was in the process of standing up to better be on guard before noticing the rock sail into the tree directly above him. Cynically, his first thought was that she was trying to get a cheap shot at him while he was busy and happened to have terrible aim. The next, the most believable one considering the value of proof, was that he was right about his ascensing and that their visitor-PHWUMP!

Without even a second to prepare, Luciel and his work was crushed by David as he fell out of the tree. The lofty shrub helped to soften the impact, although it was still a mess which left Luciel underneath it all. "Bonjour..." he groaned from underneath David.

[Assistant] Apollo was placed in his metal box, the patrol then moved out into the woods. Apollo was trying to keep calm, but he was so enraged. All he could think of was that his stepfather (the man in the white coat) told him that his parents were killed by Hex. He wanted revenge so bad that he would do anything, including... What he thought of made him smile as he began to make the orbs around him glow brighter.


[System]
Epithet/Moniker
Man of many names, the old lord

Age
67

Gender
Male

Construct
A sword with a few ornamental spikes on it. These will be pulled into the blade if attempted to make contact with them and at will of Neme, granting a few extra centimeters per spike

Morality
Neutral Good

Appearance
He looks like Father, from FMA Brotherhood, only with his hair grey instead of blonde.

Personality
"Neme, magnificent bastard that you are, come here!" - Neme's brother, about his personality
Neme likes to fool around with people, using his many names as a way to do that. He also likes reading and martial arts, mainly to watch though, he isn't all that good at them. If one were to offer him a peaceful way to resolve things, he would go for that option, but he has no problems at all with killing. Neme also likes to use other people as unwilling pawns in his plans, it even doesn't have to be that they do something they wouldn't otherwise do, just that it works for him, most people wouldn't like what he does though.
Neme also is an Magnificent bastard

History
Neme was born into a family of weirdos, not that he minded it, no, he loved his family, especially his brother, Meron, or as he actually was called, Meron Nawor Cari Pzor Bres Krion Grar, yeah, his parents were out of name ideas with his brother. Neme's father was a world known business man, who was mainly known for always making some coin of even the most impossible of operations. His mother was just that, if not a tad bit crazy.

Neme would start manipulating people at the age of five, trying to get a few coins of his bullies, he started by trying to become their target once more, because they had found another target. Once he regained their attention, he also worked himself up their ranking ladder, and even took out their main rivals when it came to bullying. He made some money off of them, but he ultimately decided that that was not his style. He learned in order to become a more influential person, and succeeded. At the age of twenty, he had attained the title of 'Lord', but unfortunately, at the age of thirty, he lost everything in an incident. Forcing him to become a beggar. He still was influential though, and soon he had build up his own form of an empire, ruling the streets through beggars. Nobody ever suspected him to be the one who ruled them though, as he also took on the lowest rank, of an 'eye' for himself. Some people weren't happy with that though, and they started calling him 'old lord', revering to both his age at the time (45) and the fact that he used to be a lord. His kingdom however, didn't last for too long, when the Onyx virus came, he was infected, luckily, he became an Onyxian, unluckily, everyone saw it happening.

Skills
Trained martial arts: Neme is trained in the martial arts.
Manipulative: At a very young age, Neme had learned that manipulating people was the way to go through life, he lives by that philosophy.

Other
-

[User]
An old man was sitting on the corner of two streets crossing, observing all that happened. He looked at what happened to the survivors who ran out. How would his actions look to the hunters? He wasn't yet torn apart by invalids, so that was a plus, but if he was a survivor, would they gun him down? Would the hunters think of him as a threat? Because he, an old man, had survived for so long? Or would they take him in? As an adviser on how to avoid Invalids, that would be funny, if not outright awesome. Of course, he would help them, all he wanted was to take back this city of his, not destroy the people living in it, the survivors would be his first target.

He walked towards the carnage that was going on near where the people who hunted arrived, sneaking past all of the Invalids, he acted as though he didn't want to be caught, by any guards that were stationed near the first landing place. He really just wanted to see what they would do if he told them how to sneak past Invalids. Not that he knew how, he just wasn't noticed by them until now.
So, what would happen, if he would... Now. He stumbled behind a guard patrol, not attracting a lot of attention, just enough to be noticed by one, maybe two people. He put his hands in the air.

He was a survivor, seriously! He did his best not to grin, he knew he had the advantage here, they maybe knew the terrain, they maybe had backup, but if they attracted the attention of Invalids, however short the distraction, he could be gone. Now all that was left to do was to wait for their reactions, maybe they were those who first asked, maybe they were those who didn't help, maybe they were those who shot first, all that mattered, they were human, they were prey.

[Assistant]
Mao gave a heavy sigh as he looked away from his half eaten jar of peach preserves onto the grit and blood caked streets below the apartment complex that he'd taken refuge in for the night. How long had it been since he'd been trapped in the quarantine zone? The hell if he knew. However long it had been, it was long enough for him to know when the helicopters started flying by overhead to drop off groups of armed men and women that something big was going down. Perhaps they government was finally taking back the island that they'd lost so long ago, or maybe there was some sort of cure to the virus that ravaged the island's inhabitants somewhere in the city. Whatever the case, Mao was determined to stay out of whatever was going on for as long as he could, unless of course, a chance to escape presented itself.

A snuffling sound at the door sent a cold chill up Mao's spine. The man stood stone still and clasped his hands over his nose and mouth to mask any noises he may have produced while breathing. The smell of vinegar still wafted heavily in the air from when he'd poured it around the front doorway to mask his scent. The creatures, the invalids, he'd learned pretty early on that they couldn't see worth shit, but that didn't mean that that their other senses weren't working just fine. Keeping under their radar was tricky -especially during nights like these, when the beasts were especially riled up- but thus far his methods had been effective in keeping him from ending up as a meal. Only when the snuffling subsided did Mao dare to lower his hands. "This fucking sucks." He whispered bitterly to himself as he took up his meal and scooped out another chunk of peach with grimy fingers.

Mao quickly and quietly finished his meal before wiping his hands off on his pants and taking the opportunity to see what resources he had left. The fullmoon was a pretty piss poor light source, but it did the job. Five pounds of food remained, he would have to go out and scrounge for more soon, his canteen contained about half a liter of water -another issue to be dealt with, however the filtration straw seemed to be in working order, he was still full on bandages, and the flint and knives where a tad chipped but still in working order, as was his dao. Mao brought out his hand gun and examined the weapon for any signs that it might've been rusting or broken, then checked the magazine to ensure that the fourteen rounds he had left where indeed fourteen before quietly sliding the mag back into the weapon. Everything seemed to check out, all he had to do now was wait. Night hunts were risky, but they yielded a higher chance for reward since other survivors usually chose to hide at night. All Mao needed was a bit of patience, and he'd have his chance to move.

[User]
Delilah

---

Delilah was silent throughout the entire orientations, her smirk saying all that she needed to. She regarded Lady Jun with the ghost of a nod before filing into the massive helicopters like all the rest. A silent beginning gave way for an equally silent arrival to the Hunter's base. Delilah scanned the area, raising an eye at some of the people she saw, before heading to a small corner.

It was there where she would bide her time, flipping a lone knife in her palm, until the time to initiate the mission began. Soon enough, she was out in the contaminated city, bathed by the pale moon light and walking along with her squad. Her knife sheathed in its place, she continued with her ever calm demeanor even as night fell down upon them all.

That was when she sensed the alien presence that was tagging along. Still, her reaction was nothing more than her smirk getting slowly bigger. She soon picked up the pace until she walked right beside the leader of their squad. Keeping an eye on their little Alice, she continued to walk slowly and act as the Rabbit. Then when Alice went for the Rabbit hole…

"Sir, you should probably know that we have a straggler following us. Your orders?" she asked, lazed smirk persistent on her features even in the dark.

[Assistant]
Jing exhales, the taste of cheap menthol coating his tongue in wet sticky beads, the only lights available to him being the moon and the faint orange ember hovering just before his lips. The air is cold atop the street lamp tonight, though he counted his blessings. He was still too far from the university to be concerned with hunters, at least just yet. "Must be getting near the winter months..." he thought, marveling at how quickly it had gotten dark. He had left his temporary camp earlier in the day. The neighbors (a small band of humans who were managing to hole up in a autoshop) where abuzz with news. Evidently they'd been radio'd by a friend, saying there was a huge rescue force amazing in Fukuoka university. At least that is what he could hear from eves dropping near the shops perimeter.

He shadowed the group as they began heading towards the university an hour or so later. There was little emotional concern for their safety on his part. Over the last four weeks he'd neither said, nor been seen by, any one of them. He was certain that they knew of him, at least distantly. Shots in the night at the occasional invalid that wandered to close to his own hiding spot, missing rations, or the occasional Cabal of Invalids who would simply just wander away were hard for them to just write off as coincidence.

Following them was a calculated act of altruism, as was leading away the cabal of Invalids now slapping blindly at the base of the pole confused as to where the origin of the smell that had lead them on a four mile chase was hiding. Regardless of if the sudden increased presence of J.S.D.F was a rescue mission or not, hunters would soon follow. After all, noone was out to save him or other Onyxians. He'd want know what they were doing in when he ran afoul of a hunter, sooner rather than later. "And if it is a rescue..." He thinks, dropping the spent cigarette onto the invalids below, the pack tearing at the offending smell. "The good press from the survivors about how 'safe' the area was should buy me some time before I need to move.".

He begins heading back towards the convince store the survivors made camp in, confident he had dealt with the last of invalid problems they would have for the night, leaping from street lamp to street lamp as casually as stepping stones. He writes a chill of unease running down his spine off as yet another symptom of the oncoming winter, and vows to scavenge a coat as soon as he gets the chance.

[User]
Abe

---

Abe listened to their "leader" without many qualms. As their leader began to speak about being hunters, about the enemy being beasts, Abe couldn't help but grimace. She made it seem like it was a game, like she was holding back beasts to unleash upon a gated hellzone. At least, that's how Abe interpreted it. Still, a personal disapproval wouldn't stop him from sharing his disdain for what was on the other side of that wall with the others. He shook his head in disapproval as he prepared what little equipment he brought with him; the clothes on his back, a broom, and a revolver. He entered one of the last helicopters, along with the others.

The trip was short, but it seemed like such a long moment in time. Abe didn't move while on the helicopter. A mixture of fear and duty compelled him not to move, but inside, a shard of excitement brewed. He wanted to slay the beasts. Not for the thrill of hunting, not by any stretch. He just didn't want anyone else to experience the pain that he had. As such, he needed to remove the cause of pain. The helicopter began to lower as Abe prepared to touch down.

As the helicopter planted its metal feet on the ground, Abe leapt out of the helicopter. His broom in hand, he began to roam the relatively empty area, sweeping for any invalids that may have been around.

Coconuts

---

Coconuts watched the helicopters as they flew from above from a small window in a cellar. Her initial opinion was distrusting, to say the least. She instantly ducked, hiding her entire body. After a few moments had passed where nothing had happened, she slowly rose up and observed some more. Some Chinooks and Black Hawks; names Coconuts only knew because she remembered the training while she served in the JSDF. She quickly scrambled to grab her notepad from somewhere in the room. She didn't really know where it was. She forgot where she put it. She looked around, quietly tearing the place apart while she searched for her notes. At last, she found them, but it was too late. The helicopters were too far away from her now.

Her afraid demeanor quickly ended. She wanted to see what was happening. What was going on; what would warrant the JSDF coming here again. She grabbed her bag, filled it with a day's worth of food and water, her medical tools and supplies, and her notepad and pen. She opened the small window and slowly climbed through it. Upon reaching the other side, she closed the window and covered it with some scraps that hid it from view.

As Coconuts walked through the streets at the rising light of morning, she spoke to herself extremely quietly. "Not afraid... Not afraid..." She chanted in a hushed tone. She was quite afraid, to be honest. But, her thirst for knowing what was happening got the better of her. She took out her pen and notepad. They made her feel safer.

Luckily, the streets that she walked upon were empty, except for the rubble and violated corpses that lay along the path of the road. Coconuts wrote as she walked. More accurately, drew. It seemed to be a safe road, but the mixture of old and new carcasses made her think that something passed through the streets every once in a while. She stealthily continued to write and walk.

Coconuts continued to walk. More aimlessly, if anything.

[Assistant]
The old man approached the unit, and as he did that, he put his hands higher up. "I swear, I was not tailing you, I was trying to find you, but I was not tailing you." He bowed to the leader of the squad. "I am a survivor, and I wanted to ask you one thing, can I stay with you, for at least a little while? I have skills that you could use, and I know this city." He said it all without dropping a single hint about his identity, and he didn't want to share it at all.

He looked up at the leader, and then at the woman standing next to the leader. Her lazy smirk was somewhat unsettling to him, probably because usually he was the one wearing such a smirk. But here, here he was the one who had the disadvantage, he didn't like it, but he would live with it. "May I know what your squad is doing here? I thought that this place was safe already."


[System]
Pilot Character Sheet
Appearance:  5 foot 5 inches.

Age: 22

Personality: Kxeyun is very clingy, due to her past and her separation anxiety. To help cope with this, she can be found playing with dolls in her room and has named one after herself. When someone tries to leave her alone she immediately goes for a hug and begs them to stay. If she likes said person as a close friend she panics when they leave, thinking she's done something wrong, only comforted by reassuring words or their return. To stay close to people, she strives to outperform her whole team, thinking it'll help her be liked.

For other interactions, she tends to be really open about herself and arches her back to show off her body. Her goal in life seems to be getting as many friends as humanly possible and never leave them behind. She's also very kind but will kill to protect her friends. She likes sharing with her friends, like food, music, toys, and random facts. Some of her hobbies is making food and giving little treats. Due to her past, she is VERY strong willed.

Backstory: Kxeyun's history beyond being part of Denver is unknown due to family-hopping and being in a rural area. Originally part of Denver-Vegas, Kxeyun was in the Reality Games for recognition, as an NC pilot. However, her effectiveness with her Reality Game NC was noted to be above the norm. Due to her efficiency in the hunting grounds and exceptionally high killstreaks, she was offered a slot into the military despite being extremely competitive with other NCs, unsurprisingly as a pilot. she was part of the force dealing with other corps, specifically NCs and large force movements.

Her NC was a prototype, essentially a Pseudo Hunter-Killer NC. They never expected it to work well, considering Denver uses ranged weapons and this NC called "Sahaquiel", meaning "Ingenuity of God", is an all melee build. It is not known if the NC manufacturer is religious or not, though Kxeyun isn't, leading the name to probably just be a stylistic point. When placed in battle, upon recognizing how well it worked against other NCs, they put development into new equipment for it. One of these equipment pieces was a mouth, added in case if an enemy restrained both arms.

During that time, an unknown individual approached Kxeyun and taught her of Haven and Red-Star. They offered her and Sahaquiel a way to get to Haven too, she regrettably accepted. On her way to Haven via a cargo ship, a Denver-Vegas capture NC intercepted, they CLEARLY didn't want her to escape. The Denver NC reportedly boarded the ship and began scanning. Kxeyun managed to sneak into her NC and engage the Denver NC, which didn't expect it to be ready to fight. Sahaquiel reportedly tore the capture NC to bits in a surprise attack. No surviving pilot of the capture NC was found. Denver gave up after that.

Since then, Sahaquiel and Kxeyun were left alone and got to Haven safely, they were accepted. Kxeyun was checked and has a high synch rate with Sahaquiel, 89.6. Other NCs drop considerably lower, 76.5 on average. As such, she has Sahaquiel as her designated NC.

Tactical Preferences and Skills: Kxeyun's personality makes it hard for her to stay at a distance, she WANTS to charge in and rip an NC to shreds. Her vision with an NC is solid, same with outside one. She's a good assistant for Sniper NCs as she can get up close and distract the enemy, or grab and position them to be hit by long-range units.

Notes: Kxeyun has a favorite song.

------

NC Character Sheet

Code-name: Sahaquiel, Ingenuity of God.

Appearance:  (ignore scale models in the corner)

Body Type: Bipedal, bulky.

Type of NC: Heavy Melee

Equipment & Armaments:
Dual Engines: This mecha has 2 engines. Primary is for main body functions, the secondary is for the thrusters and arm-mounted shield piercers.

Shield Piercers: This mecha has reverse engineered shield modules in the heavily armored arms, allowing the arms to bypass shields entirely. However, notably, this means the arms are unprotected when the shield piercers are in use.

Heavy Claws: This mecha has heavy claws, designed for ripping through buildings and other NCs. However, notably, this prevents the NC from using traditional weaponry like assault rifles or pistols.

Shields: This mecha has a set of energy shields, designed to stop kinetic and energy rounds. When the shield piercers are active, this NC cannot extend these shields to the arms, leaving the body and legs shielded.

Mouth: This mecha has a mouth, not meant for consuming things, but meant to rip through things with a powerful bite. This mouth is nearly impossible to see when closed and near undetectable on sensors.

Viper Thrusters: This mecha is equipped with hidden Viper Thrusters, giving it additional temporary boosts of speed and punching power when activated, this helps make the mecha faster than normal Heavy Class NCs

Ejection Pod: This mecha is equipped with an ejection pod, that ejects Pilot (and Passenger) with core system data, to prevent capture by the enemy. The pod is boosted by rockets and lands 80-150 meters away from the NC, depending on the firing angle. When it fires, a large metal plate on the back slides down, and if it cannot, it is ejected by separation thrusters.
Notes: This mecha is unusual, it stands at 6 meters for normal height and when it stands fully up 8 meters. It also has a 3 jointed leg system.
The mecha also has a secondary passenger seat where someone can accompany the pilot in battles. It serves no function other than showing camera and sensor feed to the passenger.
It has been noted that the Pilot tends to vocalize growling/roaring and has it come out of the loudspeakers, the reason for this is unknown.
Sahaquiel's roars sounds like this.

[User]
Mariano felt fear.

For once in her time in Haven, she shook. Badly. Her confidence was shot to shit. But more importantly, she had to try to be strong, courageous for the final battle. The enemy was out there, right there! They threatened innocent lives and taunted them and more. But Mariano shrank from her duty. She heard what Adam said. She knew what Adam ordered them to do. And most of all, she was part of a team.

But she couldn't, she just could not move. Not a step, not a movement of her hand, not even a twitch. But she did shake in her place. Her knees were transforming into useless branches that kept her up. Her arms were sagging as they trembled along the sides of her body.

And within her, her heart just performed like a wild drummer. She thought she would feel her heart burst out between her ribs, breaking the cage that held it in, that prevented it from doing what she feared. But more importantly, hopefully, it would stop her heart from shattering within if it could not come out violently.

She tried to snap out of it. On her own. But that didn't work.

Mariano was paralyzed. It lasted for a moment until the Irish sang his song. It reminded her, barely, of what she had to do. Of what cause she was fighting for.

The lyrics was one thing. But the music was another. Both worked together to somehow snap her out of the grip fear had on her almostly as quickly as an ice cold bucket of water would if it had been poured over her head.

When courage barely triumphed for her against that feeling, she lifted her right hand, trembling as it was, and turned it into a fist and proclaimed on top of her lungs, "¡Vamonos!"

Later, much, much later, she found herself piloting her machine of war. Together with her AI and the core of her own rumbling, big-as-life tank, she felt some confidence return and a bit of courage to keep her going forward. Her tank left slowly but gradually picked up some speed so it was decently travelling, simply going towards the coast. Once it stopped there, Mariano ordered as she aimed at one of the guns of the missile cruiser and requested permission to fire from Adam. She said, "This is Covenant, I have locked on a target on the missile cruiser. Permission to fire?"

The 95mm Coil Gun was already humming with life, the AI and the pilot eager, anxious enough to fire on the enemy's weapons. She was dealing with an itchy trigger finger now that she was waiting for the word to be said. She just had to wait. She was going to support them first, to give covering fire. Then she'll get on that cruiser too.

[Assistant]
Terra Laedo
Hisako L. Kobayashi

The plan had been set. With the three of them ordered to attack the Red-Star ship directly for a disable-and-rescue mission, and that it actually seemed possible to do so, the choice was clear. They needed to be absolutely certain that their NCs were up to the task. Suiting up now - Hisako was no longer in the Red-Star uniform she had come in - they headed for the hangar and Terra immediately ordered that Id, Grand Sword Star, and Sahaquiel be fitted and calibrated for heavy signal jamming and emergency wire communications if any of them were lacking. While there was no guarantee that this would block out Osamu, it was what they needed to prevent anyone from doing anything with those tanks, even cause their own radar and such to foul up if at a high enough concentration. Terra explained while this was being done, in case there was any misunderstanding.

"Enemy sensors must be completely jammed for this to work. If the tanks have on-board systems programmed to react to specific scenarios, such as specific counter-measures, evasions, or just the auto-destruct, their guidance must be confused enough through the jamming to not have the input required to react. That is the only way in which Hisako can safely operate. If we cannot maintain a heavy jamming field to allow Grand Sword Star to cut through the necessary connections, we can't do anything to the tanks at all."

"It should only take one to do it, but I'm guessing we're all doing this, just in case."

"Correct. Anything can happen on the battlefield, so we may as well prepare for it. Naturally, our own communications will also be out of commission, and probably our own sensors, to a degree. Anything besides visual scanners may not operate properly, and we'll have to speak with wire-transmission, as needed. When they realize we're not there to simply destroy the tanks and leave, they will send someone to stop us."

Terra now turned to the Denver-Vegas pilot, specifically.

"Kxeyun, I know it's going to be a bit more difficult for Sahaquiel to get to the enemy ship. Just do the best you can and meet us there."

The time or preparation was soon over and the time of launching was at hand. Commander Narra was having them all synchronize their NC launches with the time of the kinetic barrier dropping, so that they would be in the area of it shutting down when they headed out at full speed. This meant that different mechs at different speeds would be launching later or earlier than Terra herself, depending on how fast they were normally. Terra could have punched it with her Overclock Engine, but there was no need to do that. Soon...it was time.

"Id Neural Combatant systems all green, preparing to launch."

AND GO!! The former Red-Star experimental mech launched from the base at high-speed, right along with the others. Her machine was built for speed, so it actually proceeded after Hisako and Kxeyun would have launched, all of them closing in on the barrier at the same time before it suddenly vanished, allowing them to pass through. There was a moment of exposure, and then someone called "Incoming!" over comms, but Terra did not stop. Their orders were to proceed directly for the Red-Star hovership, and to that end...the moment had been prepared for. A vessel had been tasked towards momentarily shielding them and Haven from enemy bombardments. A good plan. Terra broadcasted now on a secure Haven-only channel.

"Squad, prepare to jam frequencies upon confirmation of the targets. Haven combatants, be advised: My team will be out of radio contact for the duration of rescue. There is no other way to do it."

With that, Id was making its way towards the ship, presumably Grand Sword Star and Sahaquiel, as well. If for some reason Kxeyun couldn't make it, Terra wouldn't hold it against her. Right now, she wasn't holding anything against anyone, except maybe herself.

Mother, father... I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything for you before. I'm sorry that my plans could not include you. I'm jjust grateful for the chance to remove you from this mess.

All scanners were activated for now to locate these apparent super-tanks that Red-Star had deployed...


[System]
Age: 22
Gender: female
Race: Human
Hailing from warm, southern lands where people are naturally more dark-skinned then their northern brethren.

Nature: A kind heart, ready to reach out to those in need, sometimes even at the expense of her own immediate self-interest. She doesn't like seeing innocent people get hurt, and holds altruism and noble "effort"(understood as self-sacrifice) as the highest virtue. And what higher kindness can there be, how better can she protect the good humans and non-humans of this world, if not by eradicating the evil lurking in the shadows?

Yes, this world is full of corruption, vice, depravity, ever-threatening the well being of innocents and sometimes, even very existence of Idomea. During her rigorous training in the Monastery she was taught the value of self-restraint and temperance. Righteous must be ever vigilant and ever observant, else the evil will go unnoticed and unpunished. She rarely speaks more then it is necessary, and she's always wearing an artificial smile to mask her true thoughts and emotions- a veil to cloud the minds of corrupt so to speak..or a shield to give courage to the innocent.

She also speaks with a slight, yet discernible accent, which marks her as foreigner in these lands.

Looks: Standing at 5'4 she's rather on the "short" end of the spectrum- especially compared to other warriors, most of whom are male and often, a foot or two taller then herself. Her short height and female gender sometimes makes a potential employer question her ability, especially if she's visiting someplace new where they didn't hear about her or her Order.

Like most southern people, she has an easily distinguishable tanned skin and sharp, edged facial features. What differs Elisha from her brethren, though, is her hair color-while most of her brethren are black, even "raven"-haired, she is a natural blonde-a sneaking suspicion that her ancestors might have been immigrants from the north. She usually keeps it no longer then at jaw-lenght, so that it won't interfere during combat.

First and foremost, she's a swordfighter, but she's also been trained in basic martial arts, wrestling and crossbow shooting. Her sword, like most of her order's equipment, is a masterwork of it's kind, forged deeply in the halls of the Monastery by expert blacksmiths who devote all their lives to the art and duty of crafting the finest equipment for the warriors of the Guardian.

Under the long, brown cloak, Elisha's wearing a studded leather armor, preferring it's relative lightness to heavy plate armors or chainmails usually associated with Paladins. Because she's working alone, and often, traveling alone, she can't afford not to be flexible.

Class: A warrior hailing from a Cult of Guardian Rose, a southern off shot from the main religion, that emphasizes physical combat as a best way of crusading against the evils of this world-with a strong emphasis on resisting, detecting and eradicating supernatural corruption, such a demons, undead, black magic....Famed for it's Paladins, who's mission is to travel the world, either alone or in small groups, working as mercenaries for the righteous causes and eradicating evil whenever encountered. However, sword and might alone often fail against magic-therefore, these warrior monks are trained in the art of Detecting and Resisting magical enchantments, psychic manipulation, and all other forms of body and mind altering powers that they might encounter. Elisha's abilities are especially potent against magically infused weapons and objects-both in the terms of recognizing such items and resisting their influence. This, however, has it's price-using such objects herself gives her physical pain, and might even be lethal in the long term. That's why she doesn't use any enchanted weapons or armors, nor potions, nor anything that might have even a slight drop of magic in it. All such items are extremly rare anyway.

Story: Like most Paladins of this particular Cult, she has been sent off to Monastery-a huge, training complex serving also as Guardian Rose's HQ- at the age of 10. It wasn't a sad occasion-the locals hold the cult in the highest esteem and both she and her family were proud that Elisha has been selected as a potential recruit. There, she received a rigorous training in fighting-chosing a sword as her weapon of choice-strategy, Paladin's magic and anti-magic arts, literature, history and geography. And of course, a religious education in the spirit of this particular theological doctrine.

Unfortunately, she never saw her family again. Around two years after she left, her village was devastated by a plague, and everyone died. She was it as a divine omen -God, the Guardian, saved her life for greater purpose. Ever since then, she's been training her hardest, and when the day of graduation came several years later, she was on top of her class in almost all disciplines, hailed a prodigy and offered a rank and place in one of their famed mercenary corps.

However, Elisha refused, explaining that her calling is to travel the world alone. In fact, she was just sick of all the pompous formality surrounding her comrades and superiors-and feared that either she or the cult lost it's way. So she left, and like many other like minded Paladins, she traveled the North, enlisting as a mercenary, a sword-for-hire or an investigator, learning, observing, growing in character. Sometimes as a warrior of the Guardian Rose, sometimes incognito. However, during these years of adventuring, she always kept to the moral code that has been drilled into her along with the knowledge of the sword, and never stained her hands with the blood of the innocent- something not all of her friends can proudly admit to. Not long ago, she's met one of her classmates back from her training days-and to her disgust, discovered that she's now a renegade, a mage killer for higher. Their branch of faith does not condemn all magic-just the branches labeled as "evil"-and thus, killing all and any mages for anyone willing to pay was a heresy, and a betrayal of the order's most basic principles. And so, around 5 years since she left homeland, Elisha found herself traveling back south in order to report this and other disturbing news from the northern lands....

Motive:...when she was contacted by the messenger of King Gonagas...and given how Helsset is on the way south, decided to get sidetracked for her last quest.

[User]
No sooner than she walked up did Elisha almost run into her. Illumina shrugged "It's fine.". Illumina looked her over more closely, out of the rest in the group Elisha looked more...proffessional than the rest. She certainly looked like she knew what she was doing more than farmboy over there.

And now that she mentioned it, she was right. They never really had time to introduce themselves, nor did they really talk that much. Was kinda a bummer, the group seemed interesting enough.

With a smile she spoke, "Names' Illumina, Illumina Nightblade. Nice to meet you." The kid eventually revealed the name of the flower, which she never heard of before. Don't really get many flowers in the slums or market aside from stands or the occasional wild flower growing through the cracks trying not to get trampled on.

"Kid seems kinda odd..never heard of this flower, not that it looks like any'll grow here anyway. Mostly just rock and weed." Illumina spoke, low enough the kid couldn't hear, high enough that Elisha should be able to.

"Also never heard of a flower curing deppression..not even sure if any medicine like that exsists." Illumina shrugged. Kid seemed shifty, or maybe it was just a certain degree of stupidity, she couldn't tell.

[Assistant]
By rule, almost all things in Idumea have a spirit of some kind. Not all spirits are usable and exist just to sustain life. There are no flowers close by, just weeds and grass.

"Hey kid! What's your name?" The boy heard Steven ask him. In his still childish mind and being timid, it took a moment before the question sank in. He was focused on his task to find a detèmine for his sad mother. He walked around the boulder and after ensuring that there was nothing the boy lifted his eyes from the ground to look at Steven. Carefully he studied the group of strangers. Instinctively he turned his feet slightly inwards and again cast his eyes down. "Säätur", he said, "from Avveel".

The sun was just about to reach it's apex at this time of the year. Though the town was still somewhat far away in the distance, the town hall bell marking the midpoint of the day could be heard clearly enough. It's light and happy sound echoed pleasantly in the valley. A steady stream of people begins to slowly flow to the fields in the distance. The most eager workers have ended their break and are now returning to work.

The sound of the bell made Säätur jump slightly and he stared at the town in the distance. Quickly he moved on to the next boulder and continued his careful search.

[User]
Steven cocked his head sideways at the mention of the boy's name, as it was pretty weird by his standards. But he shrugged it off, as it was likely how it was around here, and didn't think much more about it. He turned back to his travelling companions and continued to talk.

"Anyway, if you wanna help... Säätur find a flower for his mom, you can stay here and help, but..." Steven said.

Steven looked around once again, to confirm. No grass in sight, no flowers. Beaten road. Little plant life. Something as delicate as a flower would need protection and soil, and the lack of flowers here proved him right, meaning it'd either be further down the road near more hospitable territory, or it'd be up somewhere high...

"It might involve some climbing. Maybe." Steven continued. "It might not, but it'll be hard to find anyway, because I'm pretty sure none of us are from around here."

Steven looked around the group as he talked, seeing that two of the group were engaged in conversation.

Looks like they won't be helping. Steven thought.

"In all honesty," Steven said. "It'll probably take a while, so whoever wants to go ahead should just go and leave whoever wants to help this kid."

[Assistant]
Lyra shook her head, and sighed.

"It's time to work. If we dally here for too long, we might have to wait until evening to even find the supervisor for our training, but..."

She glanced at the boy.

"Go on. It shouldn't take too long; besides, he's of age to work. The adults might be worried about him if he's shirking his trade."

She knew it was wrong to leave her group behind, considering that she was one of the oldest members (which, by all mannerisms, obligated her to be a role model). Still, the boy was but a boy, and perhaps he was right; she'd meet up with her group again soon, anyway. They'd tell her if the boy even had a mother.

"Saatur," Lyra started, "how long have you been searching for this flower?"

She, as softly as she could, stepped closer and continued to feel for any signs of life. In truth, she was terrified at the prospect of leaving herself vulnerable; greater spirits had a habit to hex her or avoid her if at all possible, calling her a "gross thing defying all order and sense". The worst thing was that she couldn't communicate anything but an aura of death, so she couldn't clarify anything unless it was through some elaborate ritual or instrument, neither of which she had any possession or conception of.

[User]
I see. A slight smile crept across Abel's face as Steven asked the group for a second time if anyone wanted to head into town. He was really trying to convince them to leave and Abel felt he had finally figured out why. He inwardly shook his head and chuckled to himself. Why hadn't he figured this out sooner?

"Steven, was it?" Abel said seriously as he stood up and dusted a bit of dirt from his knee with his gloved hand. In a low voice that was just barely audible to Lyra and the others, he asked "Are you perhaps scared to head into town alone? I wouldn't mind accompanying you if that's the case-- and don't worry. It's perfectly natural for a kid your age to be scared... I think."

Without giving Steven a chance to answer, he quickly turned to Lyra, "I'll see if I can't find this shoemaker who told the kid about the flower. Come on, Steven-- let's go." He started walking in the direction of the village, gesturing casually for Steven to follow him.

He considered bidding Illumina and Elisha goodbye, but didn't want to interrupt their conversation. They seemed to be talking about Saatur, so he figured they planned to help Lyra. Either way, he shouldn't need their help to escort Steven into town. What's the worst they could encounter there anyway? The village drunk?

[Assistant]
Elisha nodded. She haven't heard of such a flower either; but that's hardly surprising. She's a fighter, not a herbalist nor a healer. True, back in monastery they did receive basic medical education-how to stop bleeding, how to cleanse the wound, how to set broken arm, how to detect and prevent poisoning...and anything else which can be potentially useful in their line of work. That didn't, obviously, include learning northern herbs and flowers.

In the south there are is…little vegetation, so to speak. Dry, hot climate and, most importantly, omnipresent sand make lush forests and jungles of the other lands impossible. Wild plantlife would only be found alongside main rivers and irrigation channels, but these are already occupied by human agriculture. Throughout her childhood she didn't know anything beyond grass, algae and crops-but then, her village wasn't that rich either. Later she learned that in larger settlements people are well enough to cultivate various plants in their gardens and some aristocracy, inspired by northern people, even developed their own version of the so called "flower language", making flower arrangement into a form of art. However, such things were, again, beyond her interests.

 Name's Elisha Veer. Nice to meet you.

For a brief moment, she considered extending her right hand for a handshake, but ultimately, not knowing the customs of wherever Illumina was from, she gave up on that idea.

I haven't heard of such a flower either. I don't think you can cure depression with herbs

Unless these are "magic flowers" that some of their mystics were known to grow, use, and abuse…but she didn't say that out loud. At any rate, it didn't seem that there are any magic or mundane flowers growing anywhere here, so it didn't matter.
She sighed. Then it's decided.

 At any rate, I think we should keep going as the others suggested.

Poor boy will have to keep looking for his flower without her help.

To be honest, there are worst things in this world then depression. The boy looked pretty miserable, but what child doesn't, in this day and age? She's a warrior, not a charity. As much as she'd like to solve poverty, hunger, and other plagues that trouble the world, her mission was something else. Besides, it looked like the Albmot was definitely leaving… she could use the opportunity to talk to him and determine what sort of magic he's using, if any, and whether he's a friend, or potential foe.


[System]
Basics
Nickname/title: Maus (Mouse - because carried a toy mouse to school all the time as a kid)
Gender: M
Age: 20
Build/physicality: 6'2'', average build.

Appearance:

Background

Psychological status: He is clinically sane, although he suffers from insomnia and anxiety from time to time due to reasons I will state below.
Quirks, ticks, conditions, sensitivities to the paranormal: Healthy, save for occasional tinnitus and visual noise that remains a secret medically unchecked because his fathers political party on the rise (the Nazis) does not tolerate genetic or any other deformities.

Magical potential (Y/N): No potential
Personality: Fond of football (yes, I mean soccer) and fishing. You can find him watching the matches of different sports at the university grounds or riding a burrowed bicycle to go and hang out with the local fishermen. He comes off as pessimistic at times. He's got a certain routine he likes to follow every day, starting with morning body exercise and library visit and all up to an evening cigarette and coffee at the bar after all the classes.
More to be revealed throughout the RP by showing his inner thoughts.
Hometown: Hannover, Germany
Education: Currently a student
Occupation: Student of linguistics
Achievements: Nothing worth mention; several published stories and poems in magazines.
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Religion/philosophy: Baptised, although not very devout. Interested in studying pre-Christian European religions.
Marital status: Single
Family status: Father Frank (45); Mother Anna (42); Sister Erika (18)

Biographical writeup: Emil has come to Arkham to study at the Miskatonic University. His father thought it would be a good idea to send his son abroad in times of political turmoil in his homeland. He was born in Berlin, but they moved to Hannover soon after due to business reasons.
(I also plan to reveal more throughout the game.)
Miscellaneous information

Combative belongings: Nothing but a pocket knife he brought with him for no specific reason.
Noncombative belongings: A few books of fiction in his backpack, some spare clothes, an English dictionary, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, reading glasses, a notebook and a pencil.

[User]
Jeremiah Dupree
Physical State: Healthy
Mental State: Alarmed

"My per- ah, yes. You have it for here as well." Professor Dupree looked at the desk that had been lodged against the door - he was no fool, this had clearly been no accident. Perhaps while everyone had been watching the man jump to his end, or waiting for the authorities to show up? Of course, none of this explained why someone would do this.

"I'm rather sorry, I can't say for sure. I'd guess perhaps a few years since he'd visited Africa? Again, Dr. Steiner knew him better than I had. He might also know why someone took it upon themselves to search this office and what, if anything, is missing." Now there was the true problem. Professor Dupree honestly couldn't tell if anything had been stolen - everything was out of order and in chaos. No gaps, because it was all upside-down and sideways and every which way.

"I'm rather sorry, Officer Lexington, but I honestly doubt I have any further information I can share about this man. I knew him best at the end of his life, and not particularly well before. I have contributed what I can, and I doubt I can contribute much more without ending up underfoot."

[Assistant]
Emil Günther
Physical state: Cold
Mental state: Frightened and paranoid

Scared, Emil thought it best not to head to his room, or anywhere near it. Police! It still rang through his ears. To one watching him, he must have looked like a paranoid drunk looking over his shoulder every five seconds and unable to hold his head still as he made his way through piles of thick snow. Police! When he reached the trail leading through the yard of the university grounds and eventually the street, his legs were soaking went, and he was freezing. Hypotermia. A million needles piercing me. Like when we hiked in Telemark that year. She fell into it. Lucky not to have her lungs inflamed.  Suddenly the police badges invaded his thoughts and sirens and bars, too. He hurried.

A block away warmth and delicious smell suddenly hugged him. Turning to his right, he saw he was in front of a pub. Sean. He entered and Sean was inside indeed, by some coincidence. Emil recognized him, or his back, sitting at the bar, while the rest of the place was almost completely vacant, with maybe a quarter of the chairs taken by either scoundrels or those who'd avoid going home by all means until late at night.

"Am I lucky to see you," Emil said, sitting on the stool next to Sean's and asking for a beer, an order to which the bartender reacted with a squint. And Irishman and a German.
"Where the fuck have you been...?" Sean asked, his glass pausing just in front of his lips, he looking at Emil's pants and shoes, gesturing at them with his hands. "Have you pissed yourself?"
Beer. Looks like it when you're sick. "Funny," Emil said. "But not. Long story. I just need to warm me. Myself, I mean." Mich.
"You're a weird fucking sort, man, you know," Sean said and took a sip.
"Tell me that when I all this shit happens in a second in one of our universities. It's unnatural."
"I'm feeling ya. I can't get that bloke's head out of my mind."
Pretend. "Did the police say anything?"
"Fuck if I know. I'm staying away, I've had enough."

The bartender put the foaming glass of beer right in front of Emil, without a word, and subtly slammed his hand on the bar, displaying intolerance. Cracked skin. Too many dishes. And a... He gasped. His heart beating like mad.
"You alright?"
"Bartender" Emil says, almost stuttering. "Can I have a glass of water, please?"
"Hell, man..."
The man fills the glass and puts it next to the beer glass. F. D. The initials, tattooed with poor skill on his hand, right where the root of the thumb begins. No mistake. Must be an army tattoo. His wife. Girlfriend. Child. In trenches, with ink. He rose quickly, trying to act normal.
"I need to use the bathroom, excuse me."
He went away as fast as his freezing legs let him, right into the dirties bathroom in all Arkham. Fshhhhhhhhhhh. Cold tap water filled his hands and he washed his face. Me. He looked at the cracked, greasy mirror that distorted his face. Frightened. It's only a coincidence. Calm down. Yes. Pay and go.
Somewhat calm, he went back into the bar, put he knew not how much money next to his unfinished drink, told Sean to drink it for him, and went out before they knew it.

Having looked left and right, he ran across the street, and went left towards the dorm, not noticing the cold anymore. Silly. Soldiers do it all the time. The street was quiet, he made the only sound with his feet. Shortcut. He turned into an alley on his right, to cut the way short. His stomach growled with hunger. What day is it? I wonder what we have for lunch at the cafeteria. Cooked wine, like we do for Christmas. With chocolate cake and sweetened bread. Warms you up really nice. Stands with Danish pastry. Good croissants.  A loud ring of metal followed by an aggressive meow of an escaping nightblack cat interrupted him. The animal had turned over the trash bin and scared itself. They never let you pet them or touch them. Look at you and disappear. Dogs are not like that. Friendlier. He rolled the bin with his foot towards the wall, pulled it up, went for the lid and placed it on top of the can. F. D. On top of the lid, written right under the handle. He looked at it thrice to make sure. "No..." he mutters and starts backing up. Am I insane? The icy ground proved to be a foe, for his sole slipped and he fell on his back. Not pain, but Steiner was the last of his thoughts before he started running, and running.

[User]
August Dupin
Physical State: Uneasy-Coming down from Adrenaline Rush.
Mental State: Intrigued.

"Shit, thing are never as simple as they seem, are they? Take a look around; if someone took the time to check through this mess, it must mean that there is something of importance here. I'll take that permission of yours, Dr. Dupree, if you don't mind."

After closing the opened window to stifle the incoming winter chill August did just what Barry suggested and began trying to find something-anything-whithin the chaotic puzzle before them. Sure, August agreed chances were there had been something here-the real question was if whoever had beat them here had found whatever they were looking for. If they had in fact found whatever they were after...well, thatd just have to be Barry's problem. He reminded himself he was he for his own reasons and wouldn't get sucked into Barry's case-even if that case was extremely intriguing. Still though August found himself unable to stop himself from pondering over the thought that just maybe someone had stolen the late Dr. Atkins suicide note? Perhaps someone didn't want something in that note read? Perhaps-

His train of thought was cut off as Barry's familiar voice snapped him back to reality. Apparently his old friend had found something that lead him to ask what August thought was a rather random question."Well what is this? My strange days in Belgian Kongo...How long is it since Dr. Atkin's was in Africa, Dr. Dupree?"

Professor Dupree answered in a way that the giant August believed to be completely genuine. "I'm rather sorry, I can't say for sure. I'd guess perhaps a few years since he'd visited Africa? Again, Dr. Steiner knew him better than I had. He might also know why someone took it upon themselves to search this office and what, if anything, is missing." After surveying the chaos again Dupree was quick to add "I'm rather sorry, Officer Lexington, but I honestly doubt I have any further information I can share about this man. I knew him best at the end of his life, and not particularly well before. I have contributed what I can, and I doubt I can contribute much more without ending up underfoot."

Giving up on a pile of papers that seemed to be translating some dead language August let the documents fall back to the floor. He apparently didn't seem to mind adding to the mess. "I can't speak for Barry but in my oppinion you've been very helpful Professor." August suddenly chimed in. "And if your previous offer of help still stands I would greatly appreciate it-that is if Investigator Barry here doesn't mind us two making our exit here? If it helps at all I can vouch for the Professor here-just givein the likely time frame of all these...odd events...I can honestly say Dupree couldn't have had any hand in this." He let his massive right hand gesture at the chaotic mess that was once Dr. Atkin's office in an effort to specify what this was. "I've been with him too long."

Clearly not liking what he was hearing but unable to come up with a good enough reason to hold Dupree and August here Barry finally relented. "Fine. Fine, but no promises I won't have more questions later"

August nodded without breaking eye contact. "Of course. I myself am staying at Nightshade's Inn, if you wanna stop by to question me over a beer or just catch up-come on by anytime. Room number 13. Watch out for the owner though, he's a bit...odd. Now I hate to leave you alone on some Cambodian expedition but the Professor and I should really get going." He reopened the wooden door that was the exit; somehow it had reshut itself in the middle of all the previous commotion. "After you, Professor?" He finished asking in a way that was not only directed at Dupree but also made it very clear he was in fact done talking with Barry. He was well aware he was probably one of the few men that could do such a thing and go unscathed.

The truth was if August had been alone in the room with his old war Buddy Barry he would have no trouble telling him that his gut was pointing in the direction of Steiner-but the fact was his one solid lead was also in the room, a lead August didn't want to risk upsetting in the slightest. In actuality though he didn't really know what the truth behind this odd suicide; but that deep nagging part of him that had kept him alive so many times before kept telling him that in some way or another most roads lead to one name.

Steiner.

[Assistant]
Johan Myers

With Emil running towards wherever he was going bumping into the nervous student who was walking towards the cafe to get something to eat, He had so many thoughts running in his mind like the crime and who could be behind it and also if this something had to do with the imganiary friends that he had.

Since his mind was elsewhere he was not looking he bumped into Emil sending him backwards and landing hard on his behind,"So...rry..." The nervous man said in a hushed tone of voice. Trying his best to get up back on his feet profusely apologizing to the other man for being so careless.


[System]
Age: 19
Year: 1st
Gender: Female
Species: Faerie [Dullahan]
Physical Description:

In Depth Physical Description:
For all intents and purposes Claire is fairly average in terms of body build. She stands at a modest 5'6'', being neither skeletal nor particularly chubby. Even frequent rides on Thanatos don't give her much muscle considering the unnatural smoothness of his gait. Her hair is a very light brown, nearing a dull orange, and goes down to mid chest in a messy fashion with windswept bangs. There's little more she does to it than running a brush through the strands, at most putting it up in a ponytail or bun. Claire also has a spattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and along the skin of her arms, said skin being fairly pale and having only a hint of sun kissing it, due mostly to the fact she'll burn rather than tan. Her eyes are a light grey-blue, though when her head isn't attached they slowly start to lose the color until only her pupils set against the white background remain. Speaking of which, whenever her head isn't attached a dark blue, almost black smoke covers what would otherwise be grotesque openings, and even when attached it's obvious there's something wrong with the skin – since her head never truly is fully connected.
Due to this Claire has a habit of covering her neck, either with scarves or high neck clothing such as turtlenecks. It's rare to see Claire without something patterned in her family's tartan as well – usually a sash across her chest or waist.

Personality: Perhaps it's the never wavering grin on her face, or her tomboyish looks and excitable personality, but Claire has always been known as a goofball. The former isn't an exaggeration either – as a dullahan Claire can literally never stop grinning, and finds the range of emotions others can show with their face fascinating. Due to this she loves watching people, almost in a creepy fashion, even while talking a mile a minute. In truth she loves other people in a sort of detached way, often describing others as 'amusing'. Even when she grows close to them it's almost as though she views them as a pet - which to Claire doesn't sound that bad; Thanatos is a pet and he's her best friend! Though no matter what she doesn't enjoy saying others' names and will often refer to those she knows by nicknames, the only exception being Thanatos.

Hobbies: Origami [mostly when she's bored and has nothing to do with her hands], Ice Skating, People Watching, and Botany [Claire mostly grows cacti – she has a secret stash of flowers but Thanatos keeps eating them if they're left out].

Familiar: Thanatos, a great black shire horse.

Extra: When roaming places Thanatos can't be – such as school halls or her dorm – Claire has mastered using her magic to turn the great undead beast into a tiny stuffed horse. Smells faintly of human.

[User]
The verbal mention of the Dark Court was enough to pull the faerie's infatuated mind from the lakeside fantasy. It was the wolf that warned her about the whiskey earlier, and he was talking about her - saying that she had 'fleeting emotions', as if he knew her personally or something. Who did he think he was?! And then he'd really done it, he mentioned the possibility of her ascending the throne and being Moriganne's kin. Kiara squeezed Morgan's hand angrily and her cherry-colored hair floated off of her shoulders because the waves of emotional magic pulsating through her. It seemed as though whatever potion was used on her earlier was beginning to wear off. Hopefully, for the party-goers' sakes, it wasn't wearing off too much.

Suleykaar responded to the lycan promptly, and the proximity of his voice startled the dark faerie. Since when was he standing this close to her? His body language radiated possessive masculinity and Kiki wasn't sure if that made her want to spit at his feet or take her clothes off. A little bit of both, if she was being honest with herself. The dragon's attention shifted from Niall to Morgan. His words were cruel and rude. Cruel was something the dark court supported and even reveled in, but rudeness was not tolerated by any faerie. That, and the fact that he thought himself worthy to block their exit... Honestly, what was with the rampant arrogance tonight?

"Kiara" The dragon addressed her more softly then he had the others. The narrowing of her eyes showed that she was having none of his shit. He didn't even attempt to follow it up with the actual apology, to which she was owed. Suley declared his 'innocence' and attempted to remove blame from his name about the events that had unfolded earlier. He even "allowed" Morgan a chance to speak, as if he was in some way his superior. Kiara was practically vibrating with the hot-headed need to speak her mind and smack that smug smile from his lips. "Just like your mother…" her father would say.

Still holding Kiara's hand, Morgan gathered the courage to speak. His words were calm, steady, and surprisingly relaxed. While Morgan reflected the the calm tranquility of his element, Kiki resembled the devastating volcanos and quakes of hers. Perhaps that's why they were falling for each other in a way that the dragon couldn't hope to compete - earth and water function best together.

When it was finally Kiara's turn to talk, she couldn't have been any more ready. The faerie stepped away from Morgan slightly in a direct challenge to the dragon. At 6'5", he stood over a foot taller than the petite faerie, so, to the outsider, jabbing her bony index finger into his chest would seem quite comical. For everyone in the room, however, her Unseelie aura was overwhelming.

Imagine that feeling you get when you are completely alone. When it's so dark that you feel like you'll never see the light again. And you hear a noise under your bed, a bump in the night… and you know you're not really alone. You feel a breath at the back of your neck and it makes you hair stand on end. You want to scream, but when you try to, you realize you're suffocating. You try to run, but your arms and legs are shackled down, and you just know… you're going to die.

Yeah, that's the feeling. True, deep, fear. That is how any Unseelie faerie can make you feel at the drop of a hat. They aren't called the Nightmare Court without reason, fear is their strongest weapon; It is why mortals who enter their court seldom leave with their sanity intact. So, yes, while a 5'2" pixie of a girl challenging a towering male might look silly, you'd have to be dumb, deaf, and blind to not feel at least the slightest bit intimidated. And all of this was because Suleykaar had dared to block her path. Kiara had had enough of his rudeness tonight to last a whole lifetime - and faeries lived for a very long time.

"Who do you think you are? More so, what do you think I am to you?" Kiki studied his face for any sign of response. "Your treasure?" she guessed before dissolving into an eerie and insane fit of laughter. She caught her breath before attempting to speak again."Hear me: I will never be anyone's possession, let alone that of a dragon who can't keep his treasure safe from his own brother." Her words were calculated and intentionally venomous. "Now, you will step aside and watch as Morgan and I leave." Kiara demanded. An idea struck her and a devilish grin appeared on her face. "Unless, of course, you wish to make up for your transgressions by joining us. Show me a good enough time, and I just might forgive you. Maybe…." the last word was little more than a breathy whisper as the finger against his chest flattened into a palm that pushed him aside. Feeling confident, victorious, and all the more eager to get out of there and put this energy into better use, Kiara lead Morgan out the front door by his hand.

[Assistant]
Lyla Warren

Someone else bid Laurel farewell from nearby, prompting Lyla to turn her head slightly. She wasn't sure if she had heard the voice before. The Splice was feeling better, but it was still slowly that she raised her head to take another sip of water from the cool glass that her right hand never left. The first slice of bread was gone, and the fingers of her left hand rested on the second. Between each bite or drink, she would return her head to the table and wait for it to stop spinning.

Lyla heard the door open and close again, and the room fell hushed. The tension was nearly palpable, and it wasn't hard to understand what was going on. The ballroom had nearly the same feeling earlier. There was friction again, and voices and names soon told her who was involved. The Dragon again, and the Dark Court Faerie. A Warlock seemed to have been caught in it as well this time. She wasn't listening very close to words, but the tone of each voice gave her a general idea of what was happening.

The earlier events had carried much more tension, much more potential for violence, Lyla felt, but it still made her nervous to consider what might happen if someone reacted aggressively in such close quarters with so many bystanders. Hopefully they all had enough sense to leave off before it got that far. Her ears flicked toward the center of the room as Kiara started to laugh and delivered her venomous response.

"Maybe a party wasn't the best idea after all," Lyla considered quietly from her place at the table. She certainly wasn't feeling any better for it.

[User]
Niall
Niall simply shook his head at all the commotion. This had to be the worst drama he'd seen since Laurel had nearly killed several students. This dragon was nothing but trouble, absolutely nothing but it. That was when Niall heard the wild howls, the noise would be easily recognized. They'd missed the ball but by the moon's sake they were here now. He could hear their heavy paw steps and their snarls and yips as they bumped into one another as they came down the hall. How they came up the elevator was a mystery, in the front he could hear the heavier steps of his brothers and towards the backs the lighter ones of some of the younger males.

Unlucky for him Laurel had not latched his door and he watched carefully as a snout flung the door open. He counted them and recognized their faces and scents. This was the only place they dared bust into his place but the door had been open. Here he was Niall, at home he was the Heir but they still owed him a fair amount of respect. Their ears were back and down and they didn't look him directly in the eye but they bustled through the door, bumping into one another and changing forms as they did so. They were as wild as the form they'd been in before, eyes alight with mischief and laughter as they slunk through his room. He nodded to each of them in turn as they headed directly for the bar, oblivious to the tension in the room.

Like most Lycans they were unconcerned with the problems of others, most issues occurred within the pack itself instead of with other groups. It was mostly interspecies aggression that was spoken of when discussing Lycans but even then they seldom killed one another though it did happen. His own mother had killed numerous bitches in the fight to win the right to be Queen. Ordeals were a time of horrific violence but they were rare now. His pack mates were unconcerned with the drama in progress in his room and it was nice to be reminded of the freedom he generally enjoyed, there were pros and cons to being everywhere. Now filling the small apartment like dorm room he recognized each of them easily, his brothers André and Bjørn along with his pack mates Xavier, Dirk, and the twins Damien and Daniel.

His younger brothers crowded him giving him a punch in the shoulder before focusing in on Lyla@FateWeaver, the Splice. "Your ears are so cool! Do you hear super good?" his youngest brother Bjørn questioned of her, his brilliant blue eyes belying his curiosity. Bjørn's voice was much like Niall's in that it was warm and husky with notes of darkness despite his fair colored looks. That was one thing Lycan's weren't known for, being shy. "Bjørn, please. The lady is not feeling well. Lyla, this is my youngest brother." The young male sighed a bit, "Shit, I'm sorry. Do you need anything?" Bjørn questioned of her, feeling bad for assaulting her with questions so loudly.

André however was focused on someone else entirely, the other beautiful dark court faerie. Her name was Claire from what Niall knew and his brother had slid up next to her at the bar, "You've made a fine choice of beverage m'lady." This was Niall's darker brother, his complexion was much darker than Niall's and his hair was black as night like Niall's coat in his lupine form. His eyes, however, were a brilliant green.

[Assistant]
Welp, that was a bust. Again. It looked like the dragon and faerie, and now another, weren't interested in more than being at each other's throats. A shame really, this was some quality drink – more for Claire she guessed!

Luck, however, seemed to be in a partying mood after earlier, if their newest editions were to say anything about it. Claire immediately brightened and almost bounced on the balls of her feet at the first snout poked into the room. More followed, all huge bumping bodies, fur and excitement. She was almost a little disappointed when the Lycans changed – they were rather cute. Even Claire knew better than to ask to pet one though – at least outside of certain circumstances. The best part though? They were completely uncaring about the tension in the room!

It was an excited Claire who greeted the Lycan who sidled up next to her because of this, her ever-present smile prominent and showing her teeth carelessly. As soon as the dark male's words were out of his lips the dullahan was already reaching for the bottle she set aside to happily pour her new companion a drink, and top off her own.

"What can I say, you get raised in certain circles and soon enough you're picking out drinks with the best of snobs," She slid the drink over to Andre, all bright eyes and brimming excitement. "But I'm all about sharing – especially since it's his bar I got it from." A little nod over her shoulder to Niall, accompanied by her wide grin and a little wave as though to thank the host before her attention turned back to his brother to meet his gaze politely. Well, polite for a human anyway.

"I'm Claire, this is Thanatos, and you?" The faerie gestured to her chest where the stuffed black horse tucked neatly into the plaid sash seemed to huff, tilting its head to glare at their new guest. Well, as much as beady little black eyes can glare with no eyebrows. It wasn't very effective, honestly. Claire merely playfully rolled her eyes and leaned in to whisper, "He's moody."