[System]
Nickname: CAS
Race: Half Human, Half Ronso
Age:19
Notable Parents:None.

Appearance:

Skin Color: Pale White.
Hair Color: Dark Brown.
Eye Color: Hazel Green.

Proportionality:
shoulders 6in
Chest 12 in
Waist 8-10in
thigh 10-12in
Buttcheek 8x10in
wrist to tip of middlefinger 7 1/2 inches.
pinkie starting digit (base of hand before extending to finger) to thumb digit 4inch
feet (as in my feet) 12 inches

upper arm (weight )3 inches
lower (forearms) 2 1/2 − 3 inches
wrist 2 1/2 − 3 1/3 inches
elbow to wrist 11 3/4 inches
Shoulder to elbow 12 1/4 inches

heel to knee 15 inches.
Knee to thigh 16 inches.

height 5'11 to 6ft.
6 1/2 inches from collar bone to chin.
7 inches from one end to the other (Left to right)

crotch to waist (curves) 9 inches.
waist to belly button 4 1/2 inches
waist to chest (where ribs start) 12 inches
chest to neck 9 inches

Height: 5'11 to 6ft
Weight: 175lbs.

Personality: He is a Snide, Cynical, Sarcastic, Inquisitive, but a logical person who does rarely care for many. He does however try to be considerate, but has a grey sense of morality. Sometimes very leader like mostly because despite his weakness he is strong willed.

Job: Alchemist,Monk/Pugilist
Weapon: Atelier- A Handcannon developed by the Al-Bhed to extract minerals and combine items. Does not fire bullets.
And a Dagger to small Hammers.

Primary Weapon Function: It extracts items from the ground or water to air. Compresses said substances into balls, gems, and gels. These can be used as items that are defensive, offensive, or a restorative to some sort of debuff, buff, to being used by crafters to make new items or weapons.

Secondary Function: Can be used to charge up energy to attack with laser bolts or beams if charged up. Or can use some gems or items as a spray.

Armor: Light, typically blue and black, pretty much a wetsuit with a Harness of some sort to hold his items and weapon.

Weaknesses: Born Anemic, thus at times he is dizzy and or tired. Flat footed, thus his feet hurt and cramp up easily. Has Asthma; thus shortness of breathe at times. His weapon can be slow at times even if he himself is fast. Not very strong, and the Ronso frown on him.

Strengths: Very fast moving, silent walking and running do to him constantly walking using the tips of his toes. Surprisingly accurate. Pretty fluient in Al-Bhed because of his friend Vivvine. Wears a wetsuit for diving.

Backstory: Was born as the result of his mother being indebted to a Ronso. During the Pregnancy she established a connivance store with some of her connections; as a result business flourished enough for her in Luca with her secure shop and constant produce with her trade with the Al-Bhed and Guado.

When her son was born, the father had returned to his homeland, however she was not stricken with grief, she had the luxury of trade, friends, security, and welfare. Her child grew to not knowing his father, and he was okay with that.

She took her son to see Blitz ball games only to discover he rather be active than sitting in a bench watching people hold their breathe for extrenious amounts of time. So rather than make him sit stationary, he helped attend to the shop and run errands, of course he always had a Machina following him to make sure nothing bad happened.

As the years went on, and he reached the age of four-teen. He wanted to go with his friend Vivvine to the Highroads and use an Atelier with her to help mine and learn how things work. His mother was okay with this for she rather him have some experience.
To their surprise he was quite good at finding things to bring back, it did help increase profit with two people rather than just one.

By the age of 16, his heath had deteriorated due to his hereditary ailments he was born with. His mother decided to have him go to Beside to get fresh air with theory that he may find help and healers there to help with his ailments. To his surprise his heath improved as he lived in Beside for the next three years. Currently he is still procuring items with his Atelier.

---

Machina Name: Helios

Height: 1'7
Weight: 20lbs

Abilities:
Healing Ray - Potent heal. 20% of Energy
Party Heal- A weak version of healing ray. 35% of Energy
Restore- Revive ally at low heath. 70% of Energy
Doctor's Prescription - cures ailments. 40% of Energy

Illusion - Projects a holographic image that can distract fiends. 20% of Energy.
Taunt- Recons an enemy to try to attack him. 0% of energy.
Scan- Can read enemy vitals and possible weaknesses. 0% of energy.

Weaknesses: Most of the ray based moves are dependent on Cassius' energy charge.
Weak in terms of defense. Easy to knock down and stagger. Lightning staggers him.

Strengths: Fast, hovers, evasive. Energy efficient. Lightning can be used to power him. Easy to power up.

[User]
As Maximus prepared to fell the Fiend, it surprised him with expertly blocking his blow with it's staff. Twisting a simple movement to send him flying off to the side. He grunted as he hit the ground and rolled to his feet sliding a few feet backwards from the momentum still. He looked back to the fiend to see her unleash three Firaga's on some soldiers who ran in at the wrong time. Standing up straight he pointed at the three men, "Triple Shell!" It would protect them enough to stay alive, they would still get majorly burned though...nothing he could do.

He turned suddenly as he heard multiple footsteps behind him. Four dingo's came at him, slowly surrounding him as he looked. He stroke first, with the tip of his sword and a flick of the wrist he killed the Dingo on his right. The one two over from that first one leaped at him. He side stepped and arched his blade over his head to slice the fiend in two, with a quick strike to the right again at eye level to fell the third before pulling it back to block from the last one as it attacked. But as it had no weapon and his Katana was razer sharp, his block actually cut through the dango's leg. He quickly spun his blade to give it a quick death before looking back towards the larger fiend. Only to hear that it wasn't a Fiend, it was an Aeon, and it had taken over a woman's body? How horrific. He watched as a tall redheaded woman gripped on with all her strength, apparently trying to get through to her friend inside. It was about to cast a Flare, and He reached out to cast a shell, but it stopped as the man who was apparently called Thane, ordered it to grab a woman with strawberry blonde hair. He stood up a little straighter. A very beautiful woman.

Shaking his head, now wasn't the time. He looked back just in time to see the tall redhead try to punch the Aeon in the face, which only angered it, as it cast slow, he reached forth and yelled, "Shell" He would have rather have cast Haste but it would seem the woman wasn't going to let go, almost taking a Flare in the face in doing so.

He then sprinted towards the battle once again, He didn't know what to do to defeat the Aeon with out hurting the woman inside, So he decided to go for the source. He used one of the fallen arches as a ramp to be line for the Announcers box. As he ran he noticed the woman who controlled the Ice was now talking with the man, her weapon sheathed. His eyes narrowed, why would she do that?

He looked to the edge of the arch, and at his last step he leaped, it was a stretch but he was sure he could make it. As she approached the Box he was falling slightly faster than he thought, 'shitmaybenot' he did managed though just barely, he used his momentum to duck forward and roll back to his feet, tucking his sword so it wouldn't cut him or rip out of his hands.

Back to his feet now 'Close one...' he thought without looking back to the edge. He walked over, sword's tip pointed down and away from him. Stopping as he got close enough he noticed it was just a hologram. "Bastard..." he said softly before continuing. "You say you speak for Yevon? I highly doubt that. But I can make an arrangement for you to speak face to face with him in the Farplane's if you so desire."

He looked to the woman, but her only saw her black hair and very revealing outfit. "Are you alright miss?" He asked, perhaps he managed to gain control of her as well, It's possible but he doubted since he knew he was a hologram she probably just sheathed her weapon for the same reason.

[Assistant]
"...Eva..." Thane saying her name and seeing his body relax sent chills down her spine. She was comforted when Urick placed his hand on her shoulder. But she jumped when he yelled "Deamn! Please retrieve the Lady Eva for me. Do not harm her." She looked at Deamn, the Aeon that seemed so dark and horrible. Nothing compared to the Aeons of before.

She crossed her right arm and gripped her left bicep, still scared but trying to make a pitiful attempt at standing strong. Sudddenly Daemn was focused on Alex again. "Oh no..." She pointed and said, "Valefor Distract her!" The Aeon didn't hesitate, it flew up shooting a beam towards Daemn close enough to get her attention but not hit her. She couldn't bring herself to harm her. She tried racking her mind on all that she knew of Aeons, after a moment of thinking she came to that they were pyreflies... Aeon's were the spirits of those who willingly gave themselves up to become one. Instead of the Farplane they would be trapped in stone unless called upon. But Lady Yuna sent them all after defeating Sin...

She perked up. Sending. Course it didn't work unless they were willing to be sent, she remembered hearing it still could be done... it was just a hundred times more difficult, someone with her strength as a summoner couldn't do it. But Lady Yuna! She looked over but shocked to see her hunched over, Bahamut gone. It would seem after twenty five years of not practicing she lost her stamina to keep up the summon. She would have to do it then.

She took a breath and began to dance. It was awkward, she was in the middle of the Battlefield, Urick knocking Fiends away that got too close. As she danced she Started to sing the hymn of the Fayth, her face reddened... as she hated singing in front of anyone. But she had to, it kept her in time with the Dance and helped her focus. Hopefully everyone would catch on to what she was doing and keep Daemn busy enough.

[User]
Bohdan had been following Cassius this whole time. He drew his spear in preparation to help protect him from anything that might come their way. "I suggest letting me be in front, Cassius. I've probably seen more battles comparable to this one than you have." He wasn't exactly lying, but the truth was he'd never really seen anything like this. He gripped his spear tightly and held it in a defensive stance, ready to take one anything that came their way as he tried to position himself between Cassius and any potential danger.

Was that man talking about Yevon just now? Obviously he was, but it seemed strange to Bohdan. From the history he'd learned, Yevon sounded like a mostly positive thing until fairly recently. Had things really gotten this bad? Maybe there had always been underlying problems that just didn't become more pronounced until more recent generations. "With any luck, I'll get to put some of what I've already learned to use before the day's end, better me than innocent people with no combat training. I'm glad you want to support them too."

[Assistant]
Cassius staggered back as he was struck by lighting from Naisha. The attack landed flawless; but fortunately his suit was mostly rubber, it hurt him considerably none the less.

Shit. That would have been worse if it was anything like Ice... I guess count your blessings.
He pushed himself up to see Helios making his way over as a ray of light seemed to hit Cassius directly from the eye of Helios.
He could feel some ease enveloping his body. This was more helpful than I thought... unfortunately my shot bounced off.

"Bohdan, behind be, keep any fiends from me." Cassius said as he plug his Atelier into Helios, powering it up.
"Master, might I suggest optical illusions to divert the enemies?"
"Then do it. It can help these people considerably." Cassius finished as he pulled the Atelier out, placing a soil gem into the item slot.

Helios projected a barking canine near Naisha, if this worked correctly, it would possibly distract her from harming those Cassius and Bohdan are fighting with to give them an edge. However, it was also very possible that it would just irritate Naisha; but tiring out such a creature would be considered critical to his plan if he could not hurt it. Helios, regardless moved in on Naisha from a distance to where Helios emulated barking sounds.

He aimed his weapon high as he deployed the soil; as it was airborne from the shot, it moved twords the general direction, this could help block it's field of vision considerably as well as other fiends. If this worked, it could hopefully turn the tide momentary to strike the real threat; the root of the calamity that had unfolded.

He however looked up and saw the aeons around, he immediately questioned if his choice of action was wise, or just prolonging a bad situation to a more hellish one.

His ears seemed to vibrate; not in a literal sense, but in the sense he heard the hymn, he looked about to see a female dancing, one that was being defended by a muscular male. "Bohdan, I want you to go help those two, I'll stay low and try to divert the big threats, as well as provide support for whoever is in danger." He was giving a direct order to someone who was just as much as a civilian as he was. His will was truly an adamant one for doing what was necessary.


[System]
"Allow me to introduce myself... Erm, which name was it, again?"
Age
21, if memory serves.

Gender
No schtick. She is a woman.

Race
Halfling; half elven, half human. The details are foggy, though, especially when she hadn't inherited elven ears.

Blessings
Blessing of Dual Magicka: Basically what you'd expect of a Blessing with that name, the Blessing of Dual Magicka bestows upon the blessed the ability to use two (often opposing) types of magic instead of one. In Emile's case, this is Yin and Yang magic. Although powerful if controlled, it is incredibly difficult to use both types of magic at the same time, as the wielder has but a single gate which both types of magic may access. Those experienced with the blessing are said to be able to quickly use their two magics almost as though they could use both simultaneously. This is much easier in the case of Yin-Yang users, as the quick switching between buff and debuff magic generally don't require constant casting.

Magic
Yin and Yang, though has limited knowledge on her spellcasting save for Shamak and Akra. Return By Death, too.

Personality
Kind-hearted, noble and just are but a few of the things one may call Emile. At the same time she can often be conflicted, confusing, or just enstranged in general. The odd clash between two differing personalities, as though merged together, makes Emile confusing at best and alien at worst. It's not that she speaks another language (even though she can), or that she acts like an oddball. It's simply the things she says often roll off her tongue as though people would know of such things, like a cell phone or a pomme. Naturally this would confuse just about anyone who hadn't come from another world, yet she speaks as though these things are one in the same. She finds deep turmoil in her lost memories, trying to discern what is real and what isn't, and isn't very fond of the topic in general.
Background
Emile's story is a... difficult one. One that she can hardly comprehend herself, in fact. You see, Emile appears to not only have amnesia, but also...

She recollects two entirely different sets of memories as her own.

Life in the Overrealm, commonly referred to by others of a similar position as "Earth", was one of high-quality and pampering. Emile grew up in a country known as France, as the rich little girl of the Pâtre family. She only knows of bits and pieces of her past life in the Overrealm, being a gifted student in school, practitioner and competitor for fencing, and foggy memories of her mother, though oddly not her father. She can recall she had a father, yet strangely no such memories of him directly exist, save for one memory when he finished reading her a bedtime story when she was young and exited the room as she drifted off to sleep. Her mother, on the other hand, was present in many memories, however her face never seemed to show itself, blurred by damaged neurons. Oddly, she can recall her graduation ceremony, from high school clear as day...

On the other hand, she also has memories of growing up in Lugnica, as a noblewoman bound to privacy most of her life. Though she can't remember everything perfectly, she does remember a fair bit more about Lugnica, and the life she lived. Oddly, it was very similar to memories of Earth, achieving good grades in academics, training under the tutelage of a master fencer, and foggy memories of both her parents. Although on Earth she couldn't remember much about her parents, she knew her mother was elven here in Lugnica, and her father a human. She could recall lessons on both light and dark magic, Yin and Yang, from her respective parents, and the one true friend she had in the world: her fencing master. Though she can't quite remember his name and face, there were many fond memories between the two of them, and that for some reason she feels really bad when thinking of him.

Now, waking up from a deep slumber in the middle of a field, Emile needs to find her own place in life, and her memories. Oddly, the only name she can remember, unsure of if it be even her own, belongs to a certain "Emile von Pâtre".

Likes
Kittens!
Kind people.
The like-minded.
Sweets~!
Study, practice, and working.
Games.
Tactics.
Understanding.
Fencing, swordplay.
Magic!
The violin, though she can't play. At all.

Dislikes
The dark ;-; Yes, she's still very much afraid of the dark.
The color red (it reminds her of blood, which she is very much afraid of).
Creatures other than humans, elves or nekomimi.
Mistrust, secrecy and the like.
Bandits, thieves or other such no-good-doers.
Maps. They are impossibly confusing. (Blame amnesia)
Reading and writing, since she can't seem to do so very well. (Blame this on amnesia too)
Bullies.
Death.
Vegetables, save for a select few.
Thinking upon her memories.
Getting anxious.
A lot of fears she doesn't even remember.

[User]
Grian Rothfell_

@noodles

Grian looked at the woman standing beside her, and admired the fact that she didn't give no shit about his attitude. Good. Thats was #1 requirement for lasting even a day with him. With a smug smile on his face he turned his attention back at the building in front of them that was once burning. As if nothing had happened, the whole area seemed completely fine, lacking any distinctive marks that would indicate that there was a fire here before.

Grian was boggled, as there was no magic he knew of that could do such affects. For a brief second he thought about something like magic that could turn time back, but he quickly ruled it out, knowing that such magic cannot exist. He scratched his head at the thought and stretched his arms out. He knew that anyone wielding such high level magic wouldn't be defeated by some athletics before the fight, but maybe he could win a few seconds for Emile. But from what he gathered the girl is way too stubborn to run. Not knowing what lays in front of them, Grian drew one of his swords, and signaled for the woman to stay back.

Grian gently pushed in the door, and revealed the tavern hiding behind it. Nothing out of the ordinary. Air filled with teh smell of alcohol and smoke, small and big tables dotting the place. A bar in the back end, in a palce where it is easy to notice new visitors, and if needs be, tell them to get out. Grian slowly walked in, and sheated his sword, but kept his hand on it for good measures. The barkeeper kept a close eye on him, seemingly cleaning glasses and mugs. There wasn't many visiotrs at this time, but there were still some shady figures hanging around, drinking dubious liquids and talking about god knows what. Grian looked around once more, looknig for signs of magic or fire.

After some looking around, he was disappointed: there were absolutely no signs of fire anywhere. He was happy to leave the tavern before the smells would sink into his fur, and hastly exited the door. "Well, it doesn't look like there are any signs of fire. But maybe..." Grian though for a second, before he finally finished his sentence "Maybe it was just an illusion magic. I doubt it, but that seems like the only logical explanation."

[Assistant]
@Spriggs27 @Lunarlors34 @FamishedPants

"Yea your just murderers." Dante pointed out before the women attempted to make an attack. He held his palm out in attempted to cast a spell, only to notice it probably would have been a few microsecond too late. And yet he wondered why she stopped.

"What do you know of Avery?"

Dante couldn't help but sigh in grief. As he wonders rather not he could try to confirm their guilt. "Gods dang it. Bright purple hair, carries a staff, and is rather a mischievous girl." He asked her. It seems he was ready to face the music. At the begin, He wanted to denial that he falsely accuses the horned girl of wrongdoing, now that he on the ropes he wanted to denied that theses guys were villains, cause even if he could defeat the horned girl the other girl would probably defeat him in the aftermath with her powerful earth magic.

[User]
The lack of a reply from Grian has Emile a little worried now, as was him drawing his sword before entering the bar. She was about to follow him, however the evil which lurked within was far too dreadful for her to handle. Though her fear of the dark was partially shaken by street lamps and lighting from the various housing, her fear of the smell of alcohol was enough to send her deep into the night. Of course, Emile wasn't going to do such a thing voluntarily; she would simply stand outside until Grian would return!

'... The dark is scary... the pub is scary... I want to go to bed...' She mutters to herself in a soft voice, like a shy child. In a sense she basically was, seeing as she has no idea where she is or what she's doing. She figures she could've even technically been born this morning, waking up in a field of green from nothing...

... She didn't like that thought...

Dark areas of the streets became more and more apparent, as the night truly began to set in. Though the stars above shone beautifully, the terrible hazards which may go 'bump' in the night continually found themselves surfacing in the back of the noblewoman's mind. From the rats and mice of the back alleys and pantry's of homes, to larger, more grotesque creatures of foul origin, Emile's thoughts were plagued with night-terrors and tales of demons which surface only upon the darkest hours of the night!

In short, she's afraid of the dark.
Thankfully for her, Grian was out almost as soon as he entered. She almost hugs him as he exits -- she really could go for her big, old, snugly teddy bear Presto right about now -- however stops herself before she can, mentally sulking that she cannot bask in his fur. He did look like a big teddy bear in the dark, she notes, and that if she finds herself lost, it doesn't take much to identify the sword-wielding teddy bear.
Thus, Grian was officially labelled a noble's makeshift living teddy bear.

He goes on to say what she already presumes is true: that nothing points to a fire having existed in the first place in the area, and that the townsfolk have no clue, either. "That wouldn't explain why the townsfolk haven't seen such a thing take place." Retorts the Shepherd at the mention of illusion magic. It was a solid explanation, however she has no idea what kind of magic could simulate that kind of fire. In fact, upon thinking about it, she realises she doesn't even properly know her own magic! 'Best not to think about that at the moment...' Quickly the thought is shaken from her head, and she thinks not about what made the illusive fire pop up, but rather, why? "Perhaps..." She begins, a thoughtful look on her features. "Sorry to change topic so soon, but perhaps what we should truly be thinking of is why someone would want to cause an illusion in the first place? Is it a meager spell gone awry, or perhaps something more... sinister? A distraction to grab the attention of the select few who can remember this event transpiring, only to be a decoy for the true ploy to unfold?"

She takes a look at her surroundings.

"Then again... we are in what appears to be a slum. Who would be trying to lure people out here, or rather to here, when the city guard will remain active throughout the day and night anyway? And from my understanding, these people don't have a whole lot left to give..." Her tone turns soft and sympathetic to those who live in the area, looking at the broken homes with eyes of pure care and consideration. Despite being powerless, she truly would like nothing more than the strength to help the people of the slum out of whatever situation plagues them. Yet, she has no options - for now, she cannot do a thing.

Emile breathes a sigh of fresh air to clear her head, and smiles up at her new teddy bear.

She was perfectly truthful in saying so, however she was keeping her embarrassing amount of terror on the down-low. Emile wants nothing more than to lay down and sleep in a nice, soft, cozy royal bed fit for a princess right about now, however she had no money to speak of - she's checked every pocket and she has not a single piece of, well, anything! So it was either freeload off of her teddy bear or sleep in the dark, scary streets. As much as she hates freeloading, she hates the dark even more, and she was seriously wanting a nice snooze to catch up on her beauty sleep right about now. Alas, this all came down to whether or not her companion felt the same way, and if he was nice enough to help a lady out.

In fact, she wouldn't mind a nice, hot spa either, or a warm refreshing shower, even! To text and to play games well into the night until she has little stamina to continue, cuddling Presto as she drifts off to sleep, thanking generations before her for their sacrifice to pave the way for her pleasant dreams. And of course, a delectable ice cream not usually afforded by the lower classes, to give her that extra level of sweet once again!
Ahh, childhood...

With that thought coming and going so fast she doesn't even realise she's lost her memory, Miss Amnesia awaits her teddy bear's reply, the gentle breeze of the night tickling her -- inviting her -- to a slumber which is much needed.

"Pikachoo~!"

... As well as inviting an old tradition from her childhood to resurface upon sneezing. "S-sorry."


[System]
Xavier Price
Spring Casual | Summer | Fall | Winter
Winter Professional | Formal

The Basics
A G E
26
B I R T H D A Y
Fall 09
G E N D E R
Male
O C C U P A T I O N
Town Physician
A Lil' More In-Depth
P E R S O N A L I T Y T R A I T S
Generous, Gentle, Caring, Curious, Eager to try new things
Strong moral compass, a little dismissive at times
Bit of a chatterbox, Distant, Naive, Scatterbrained
F A V O R I T E S E A S O N
Spring
F A V O R I T E C O L O R
Yellow
F A V O R I T E F O O D
Peach Cobbler
L I K E S
Trying (and failing) to raise a garden, cooking, sewing,
learning new things, animals, spices and spicy food, sweets
D I S L I K E S
Rainy days, cold days, smoke, being crowded,
being stuck in a small space, snow, feeling uncertain
D O Y O U B E L I E V E I N M A G I C ?
Xavier doesn't really believe in the Harvest Goddess or magic of the like, but he entertains the idea because the thought of it is nice. He plays along when others sincerely believe in it, and he has seen the very real effects of "The Rot," but he doesn't contribute any good or bad fortune to supernatural forces like magic.
Past and Present
F A M I L Y M E M B E R S
Xavier is an only child, and his parents live kind of far away in the city, their names are Clara and Ethan Price. His mother Clara is a real-estate agent and his father Ethan is a nurse at the city's hospital. His father's work combined with some other factors in his life guided him on his path to medicine.
A N I M A L F R I E N D S
Xavier cares for a few small rabbits:
Nami (black), Muffy (white), and Celia (brown)
H O M E L I F E
Xavier's home is Space 4 on the map, and also doubles as the Root River Clinic
The building is a moderate size, and the entire first floor is dedicated to the clinic. It features a curtained off resting area in addition to exam rooms. The second floor is a bit smaller and features a kitchenette, bedroom, bath, etc.
Behind the clinic is a small hutch for the rabbits and small yard. Xavier is by no means a vet but he does let animals rest in the yard if they need to be quarantined from their home farms.
S T O R Y
Despite his more recent reputation as a former city slicker, Xavier's family used to live in Root River. Xavier, his parents, and his grandfather Francis, had a modest home in the town as Xavier was growing up. They enjoyed a very happy family life, but Ethan worked long hours and had a long commute. His wife also wanted to move into the city, but Xavier was resistant. He loved his grandfather (who had no desire to move) and the town, but ultimately he had no say in the matter. When they could afford it, Xavier and his parents moved away and his grandfather remained in town. Living the city life, Xavier studied hard to get into med school, and spent nearly all of his free time working towards his goal. That and questioning his sexuality, that is. Despite that, the smog and dense populous, it wasn't an unpleasant life.
Xavier's grandfather Francis was a hearty man, but eventually time caught up with him and he needed someone to look after him. Xavier and his parents would travel back and forth from the city to Root River to keep an eye on Francis, as the old man didn't want to leave his home. The town's local clinic had been failing for the last few years, as more and more residents left for greener pastures and rumors that the entire town would be leveled spread throughout. The diminished services of the clinic meant that sooner or later Francis would have to leave Root River as well if he wanted to get the care he needed. However, Root River had always meant a lot to him as the place he grew up and met his late wife, and so after a couple years he passed peacefully in his home. His old house in Root River was sold to BigCo. by none other than Xavier's mother, since the family had inherited it. This incident caused quite a big fight in the family and although Xavier and his mother have since made up, the situation made up Xavier's mind and, now an adult, he moved back to Root River. He borrowed some money from his parents and a city bank to buy out the old clinic and fix it up. He still owes a lot.
He thought, 'No one should have to leave their home so far behind just to get care!' Using the medicinal knowledge he'd acquired from schooling in the city, Xavier hopes to revitalize both the small clinic and the town. Just to note: Xavier doesn't have a doctorate, so whenever the residents call him "Dr. Price," he gets a little embarrassed and has to correct them! He's working on it though, and continues his schooling online and some infrequent trips back into the city when needed.

[User]
---

❀ Spring 1 • Year 1 ❀

Location: General Store

---

"But..."

Well, Luna's declaration wasn't exactly unexpected but... it still wasn't what Xavier wanted to hear either. This was his nice freshly cleaned Spring outfit! He supposed it wasn't the worst case scenario though, after all she could have been yelling or blaming him, and he did technically have a hand in spreading the mysterious soot around even if it was an accident. Plus she said "help," not "clean this up yourself." All in all, he got off pretty easily once he thought about.

"Okay," he sighed, depositing his small basket of goods on the counter for her with a weak smile. He'd get started while she was ringing him out to make the clean up go as quickly as possible. He still had to get home and actually make something for the potluck after all. Speaking of the event, Xavier wondered if the store would be open all day or if the young shop keep would be joining the rest of the town for the festivities. Xavier was pretty sure the mayor must have called everyone in town given how excited his message made him sound. He glanced back at Luna. She didn't really seem the "festive" type but everyone needed some downtime now and then right?

"...um, if you have any advice for the New Year's picnic," he started, figuring some kind of small talk to fill the space would be nice. At the very least it would be nice for him. "- I'd appreciate it. It's been a while, I'm kind of stuck on what to bring. I was thinking, well, ah, apples if it wasn't already apparent."

---

[Assistant]
Location: Abernova General Store

---

"The picnic?"

Luna tightened the apron around her dress as her dead, cold eyes looked to Xavier as he agreed to help her clean the soot from her shelves and product.

Xavier's wonderment of Luna's advice felt strange, admittedly, though Luna hadn't ever been asked for her opinion on many things. The fact the Mayor, in his infinite wisdom, wanted her to participate in such a useless waste of time wasn't a surprise to Luna, but the idea that she was expected to bring something was still lingering on her mind. Outside of just taking something from her stock and writing it off, there wasn't a lot she could consider. Unless the Mayor expected her to unveil her talents before the entire village like she wanted attention, and that wasn't something she would ever humor, there were not a lot of options for the pink-haired general store owner. Xavier had thought apples was enough, a rushed, on-the-fly gift. She doubt the Mayor would've contested much, even if he wanted more from his cherished guests.

As Luna tossed something to help Xavier clean the soot with the pink-haired girl sighed.

"He wants a present, too. I'm not sure apples will be enough. I suppose you could bake it into a cobbler or pie."

---

[User]
---

❀ Spring 1 • Year 1 ❀

Location: General Store

---

Oh, a kind response! It was more than Xavier could have hoped for given the scenario. Pleased, he couldn't help the small grin that settled onto his face. He turned to more enthusiastically talk to her when a rag came flying from the young woman's direction and landed squarely on his face. When Xavier swiped the cloth away and remembered oh yeah, clean soot the smile was still in place.

"Cobbler or pie, hm? Good idea." The young physician started with the largest areas of the mess, wiping down the shelving with care. He may have been eager to get home and make something, but he wasn't about to do a half-assed job either, that would just be rude. As he worked and mulled over the benefits of a cobbler versus a pie, he figured he may as well continue getting advice from Luna while she was in the mood to give it. After all, though he had a sweet tooth and could cook a simple meal, he wasn't very well-versed in baking. He knew to stick to a recipe though.

"Do you bake, Ms. Abernova? A cobbler is simpler, right? I do like a good pie though... I'd like to try that." Xavier hummed, taking a step back to make sure he hadn't missed any spots before moving on to the next area to be wiped down. "Any recipe suggestions?"

---

[Assistant]
Location: Abernova General Store

---

"Mm."

Xavier was the town doctor, and as far as Luna could tell he was a jittery weakling. She figured she could easily outmuscle him, even if the thought of actually committing to her threats seemed like a waste of time. As she began moving to the produce, particularly the apples, she thought how best to get through to him. An idle, vague threat seemed like the best option rather than anything forceful or direct. The pink-haired girl considered her response. She didn't care to put into the energy of lying about things. There was too much work in creating false dichotomies and perceptions. She enjoyed that many of the villagers only really interacted with her to buy things and ask stupid, mundane questions about the weather; and she wanted to keep it that way.

She tossed a look at her acquaintance, showing that she was all business. A look that not many witnessed--a slight turn of the head and a wide smile. Somehow it was worse than a death stare.

"Sometimes. I like to do anything that doesn't involve this stupid village. Plus, people buy it. Don't go telling everyone I like cooking, though. You seem smart. I'd hate for the town doctor to go missing."

Removing eye contact, she returned back to his previous question, as if she had not just threatened to put the town doctor on ice.

"Suppose I could show you a simple recipe. If you'd like to."

---

[User]
NatalieSpring, Day 1 - New Year's Day
The Forest
Offense Roll: 6

 "Werewolves? Haven't really ran into any, unless Mahina counts." Natalie joked. While she was focused on getting what they needed for the picnic, she was also focused on keeping Ferris safe. The huntress didn't want to risk putting him in danger. But they should be fine as long as they didn't stray far into the woods. The monsters only appear in the dark, after all!

 ...Right?

 Feeling something wasn't right, Natalie flinched when she heard the sound of someone, something approaching them. She spun around to see half a dozen dark blobs of sludge, large ones, after them. She couldn't believe it.

 "I-I was wrong...!?"

 Ferris hiding behind her snapped the huntress out of her thoughts. She quickly pulled out a pair of twin crossbows, and started firing at the blobs. "We need to get out of here, NOW!" Natalie was more than willing to escape back to town, she had to let Michael know the situation was getting worse, not to mention she still needed to protect the lumberjack.

[Assistant]
❀ Spring 1 • Year 1 ❀

Location: General Store

---

Xavier's small joy at seeming to catch the store owner in a good mood was quickly taken over by some other feelings. Confusion, fear. Definitely fear. "Oh."

He stared at Luna, taken aback at pretty much everything she said. The half-admission, the threat, the offer to show him a recipe - a very nice offer, but also, a threat? That was a threat, right? She looked away and Xavier laughed nervously, voice a bit higher pitched than he would have liked. Everyone in town could gather that Luna wasn't particularly happy with their little down, but for some reason she wanted to keep something she liked a secret?

"I don't want to go missing," he said. Yep, real smart. Still, his voice had gone back to normal and the tone of his statement said he took her words seriously. He wouldn't divulge her secret. At least not on purpose. He'd try his best. He didn't want to give her one more reason to hate Root River - besides, it'd make doctor's visits really awkward. Almost as awkward as this store clean-up was threatening to become. Xavier didn't think he could ignore the threat on his life quite as easily as the one who made it, but if she'd moved on already then best to follow suite... and think about some self-defense classes, maybe. "That would be good. I'm a more hands-on learner, anyway."

Xavier tried to keep his mind focused on the task at hand but after a little while his eyes wandered around the store. People buy it, the pink-haired girl had said. Were there any Abernova originals in the shop now? "...so you sell your own handmade things?"


[System]
Gender: M
Age: 27
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Rank: Cause
Objective for the Grail: Hemlock is too prideful of his family's art to throw it all away and reach the root using some cup, so he intends to wish for a solution to the annoying roadblocks that stop them from reaching that level on their own terms.
Command Seal: A paintbrush with a splatter of paint. The splatter will disappear first, then the head, and finally the shaft.

Personality: Hemlock gives off the impression that he would probably still be totally committed to painting even if it had absolutely nothing to do with his magecraft. Since first-hand observation is the best for painting, he doesn't mind venturing out of his workshop at all. Indeed, he generally lacks pride and has no problem stooping down into the dirt or grovelling. The only exception is his painting. The mention of art completely washes away the detached and calm persona, giving way to the emotions he bottles up inside. A conversation with a lover of art can turn him into a charming guy with a bright smile, but someone who insults his work will suddenly be face-to-face with a violent and vindictive artist.

Bio: The Reguim family is based in the English countryside, within arm's reach of the Clock Tower. They've always been open to co-operation with the Association, but there was little reason to, especially as they began to stagnate a bit. The goal of their art is to "paint the root" and the use that painting as a means to reach it. Hemlock spent lots of his childhood outside and often travelled to different exotic places in order to paint them. His family was fairly mellow since they spent all their time painting, so he was allowed to make non-mage friends and hang out with them in his spare time. Even so, Hemlock could tell that his relatives had started to despair about ever advancing their craft, and as a skilled young heir, the pressure was on him. Leaving behind his social life was his own choice, rather than something forced on him, but in the end, he became just another anti-social mage looking for easy solutions to fulfill ancient pride.

---

Magic Circuit Switch: Imagining a black canvas.

Number of Magic Circuits: B

Quality of Magic Circuits: B

---

Elemental Affinity: Earth and Water

Magecraft: In addition to basic magecraft, Hemlock is highly proficient with his family's traditional style, which uses paintings. The focuses of this are essentially "bounded fields" and "curses" that make use of paintings to boost their effectiveness. A painting can be used as the centrepiece of a boundary, tuning its purpose to a function related to the painting. A painting of a sturdy house or castle would make for a protective field, and so on. In regards to curses, it's a matter of painting a representation of a target, and then making alterations to the painting to mirror the effects onto a target, similar to a "voodoo doll". In both cases, a painting made from immediate observation instead of imagination or memory will be more effective, and one that contains materials from the subject will be even moreso.

Crest: 6 Generations

Weapons:

 Vibrant Arsenal: An artist's palette, to which normal paints can be applied at will. The paint becomes filled with mana and fails to be removed by the standard jostling one experiences during battle. In order to apply it, the specialized brush must be flicked against a dollop of paint, causing the liquid to fly off in a blade-like arc. These are physical attacks that deal damage on contact, with the type of damage corresponding to the colour used as one would expect.

 Paintings: Stacks of Hemlock's past work, useable with his magecraft. Various pieces such as forests, dark alleys, castles, violent brawls, and stormy seas are present here.

 Portable Speed-Painting Kit: A small case that unfolds into a stool, canvas, and everything else Hemlock would need in order to sit down and do some painting in dangerous situations.

[User]
---

Hector
Studio Apartment, Core District

---

"Ahaha"Hector let out a warm, heartfelt chuckle as he drew in closer to his master and met him in the proposed handshake, delivering it firmly to tell him that he had no intention of being anything other than a loyal servant.

"Servant and Master are fine by all means... Just forgive this old man if he forgets everyonce in a while eh son?... Well never mind to much about that Master." He scratched his chin thinking to himself that something wasn't quite right about that last part. But moving on. "Ahhh yesss... Now that is definitely something this old man can tell you much about. You see it seems I have been summoned into the Lancer class, although that is not too important but that can be saved for later. My true name however... Well how do I put it. I am the eldest Prince of Troy, Hector of the Shining Helmet they called me in life. I hope this old man is up to your standards eh? That time surely was full of great heroes but in the end its me who was pulled towards you haha." He spoke lightheartedly with his master about himself but there was something a little more serious that he wanted to ask in return...

"Hey master, its alright if you don't know but by any chance do you people of the modern age know how that war turned out in the end?
 You see I had a message for my brother Paris but eh well... The nature of that message left things in a way where I wasn't alive to see if it ever got to him." That message of course was the weakness of the hero Achilles that he had engraved secretly on his own body before the end of their duel... If it had gotten to Paris perhaps everything was alright in the end. That might be a bit much to ask for huh...

---

Lucienne
Residential District > ?

---

"Great! You are looking wonderful tonight Caster." she greeted her servant once more as she descended the stairs, delivering a polite bow to wrap all the pleasantries up in a neat bow. It might be considered rather odd for a master to treat a servant in such a manner but Lucienne couldn't help but feel that she was still the lesser of the two despite the terms of their contract. Well an amicable impression surely can only be a good one in the end. But perhaps if I over do it my manners may be mistaken for a weak will. That was something that the young master of Bordeaux had always fretted over. She was always concerned with pleasing the one who se was interacting with but perhaps it would feel better to be a rather stern person for once. But perhaps that is best left for my craft and my enemies hmm?

With great courtesy she led the way out from the workshop that she had spent the day constructing and into the street. It was a quiet night in this part of Paris, it seemed that the neighbouring houses would be full of families relaxing, perhaps watching television or reading a book. But either way this street was oblivious with the strange pair that now took up one of the houses of this street.

"Well Caster... ahem... On second thought that might not be a good thing to say out loud. Will Marguerite do for now? As you are the guest here so to speak where would you like to go first? The Opéra Bastille could be a fun place although I am not sure what is showing there currently. Otherwise we could make a trip to another part of the city, perhaps one of the parks? Intentionally leaving the question open for whatever Caster may choose she spreads her arms out to stretch. Although she seemed to be rather relaxed she was not so naive to just be walking around sightseeing. As expected of a master it was more of an excuse to scout the city, to scope out their opponents if the chance occurred. She had no doubt that this was on Casters mind as well. Well at least she hoped it was.

[Assistant]
---

Latin District, Hotel Workshop

---

Idiot!? Worthless!?!? LESS than worthless!?!?!?!?!?! Such a rapid fire attack without warning simply could not be defended against. D'Art fell to the floor in an agonizing wince, clutching at her chest all the way down.

With a shaky raspy voice alike a man on death's door she replied. "Milady please…-" She cut herself off to spring up and provided the previously offered handkerchief, before throwing herself back to the ground to resume as if she had not been cut off at all. "...-your words wound me deeper than you can know, were I not blinded by your beauty-.."Another sudden stopping off, as she nodded to each of the others in turn, smiling ear to ear and with a twinkle in her eye, "- And your beauty, and your beauty, and of course last but not least your beauty-..." Annnd back to the wince. "...then I would have flawlessly assessed the situation without pause. Indeed it is not my shortcomings my sweet, but your own unearthly loveliness!... And yours, and you-"

It would take a moment to get her back on her feet and properly attentive of the actual situation proper, once the rapid fire flattery had run its course. In the end, D'Artagnan left the apartment and hit the streets with Diana on her arm and the others in tow, all the while swearing up and down that her choice had been at random and based in no sort of favoritism whatsoever as they would all get a turn before the night was up.

Things would get a little easier once she worked out the proper schedule to give all the girls an even amount of attention, afterall she was a ladies man, but for tonight they'd have to wing it.

---

Heading out into the Latin District Proper, with her hunnies~♡ @ssw

---

---

Canal District, City of Science and Industry Museum

---

Mirai was taking this far worse than she appeared, as it was something quite entirely dreadful to have your life's work, no rather generations of work, be seen as something of a pet project that was nothing more than a good base to work off of. Of course she knew that such an appraisal coming from this person of all possible people was nothing short of honest, his craft was the absolute pinnacle which no one would reach again in this age of dying mystery, but this did little to assuage her anger.

His charms on the other hand did, and in abundance. Not his handsome face and apparent devil may care attitude that had planted his head in her lap before she could even think to refuse him, but the literal charms that he wrote into being as she watched. For the skilled craftsman there was nothing quite so mesmerizing as watching a job well done, which was several orders of magnitude removed from the effortless and fascinating perfection with which Caster worked.

Indeed Her ire at being confronted with her own inferiority was in fact subdued almost entirely by her satisfaction in the superb status of her summoning, a blessing far greater than she could have ever begun to anticipate. Even just existing in the same workshop as him as he worked was enough to improve her technique by the end of the seven days they would spend together, nevermind if she actually made an effort to learn from him.

In fact so swiftly and precisely did he work that there was little she could do to even assist despite his flattering of her role in it. So with things as they were she busied her hands with what would otherwise be totally menial work that was usually quite entirely beneath her, except the one that stroked at his hair and played with his ears. Four others moved in perfect concert, providing fresh paper, moving that which carried the wet ink of fresh charms, fanning the ink dry, and folding the finished charms into a neat stack when dried.Indeed despite the relaxed nature of their leisurely postures they had become something of a living assembly line.

The fifth hand seized the future, as if to answer Caster's question. Not in the literal sense, but rather it seized one of the threads hanging as it began to glow and hum. Her eyes closed for a second, lashes fluttering and settling heavily before flying wide.

"I had planned on stroking your ears all night, but it seems we have some rather unsightly neighbors." She spoke with a definite tone of disdain, and after giving his head a few more pats she rose rather unceremoniously despite his place in her lap. "Come Caster, we must teach them that the inelegance of such creatures will not be tolerated in my territory without swift retribution."

She grabbed her parasol, tucked four of her six arms deep into her kimono, and opened the door. "Let us make haste now. The sooner it is done and over with the sooner we can begin proper preparations- and return to giving you the attention you've no doubt sorely missed in this last millennia."

---

2

[User]
Apartment Workshop, Core District

---

Hemlock's eyes shone. The warrior prince of Troy was his Servant. Once that name touched his ears, the simple "colours" which had conveyed Lancer's basic parameters to him expanded, blossoming out to paint a much greater picture of a strong martial fighter with excellent tactical abilities and a versatile weapon of great power. This hero was everything he could have hoped for. It had been smart, he thought, to use an open-ended catalyst like a chunk from Troy's gate, leaving room for the Grail to send him an ally based on compatibility. However, the next words Hector spoke troubled the painter slightly...

"Are you saying you don't know? The Grail is supposed to send Servants into the world with an understanding of modern language, technology, and history, but did it leave out the ending to your own story? Hemlock paced around the room for a moment. "In that case, I hate to be the one to tell you, but Troy did fall. The king of Ithaca hid men inside of a large wooden horse presented as a gift to your people. They emerged in the night and opened the way for armies to enter the city. If it's any consolation to you, your brother did slay Achilles some time before that."

He gestured to an armchair silently. If Hector needed time to process that his home had been destroyed, his Master would let him take a seat and bring him something to drink.

"I'm sorry. I'm hoping to make a move in the war sometime tonight. With your abilities, we can suss out what our enemies are capable of without major risk. When you're feeling up to it, there are a few Servants converging on that tower." The mage nodded to the apartment's largest window, which gave a view of the city's most famous landmark against a gorgeous night sky. His gaze lingered there, focused on something.

Aah ... That's quite good. I'll have to paint that before some idiot knocks it over.

Based on what his familiars told him was happening there at the moment ... He captured the image in his mind, just to be safe.


[System]
Age: 22
Gender: Female, but dresses and travels as a male
Race: Mura
Adrianna has dark straight hair with green eyes. Her complexion is a bit pale, largely unmarred with freckles or scars. Adrianna is very lean, but toned, and stands at 5 feet 7 inches tall. She binds her chest beneath a loose undershirt, though her chest is rather flat anyway. As she has cut her hair and dresses like a man, she looks much younger than she actually is. She does not have facial hair, and her voice sounds like she might not have hit puberty yet. She has no tattoos. If one looked closely, they might see that her ears are pierced, though it has been years since she wore anything in them.
Clothing:
Face:

Magic:
Healing- Adrianna can manipulate her own energy and the energy of others to heal. While her healing does not remove all scarring, it has saved lives before. Healing a lot wears her out, and she has traditional non-magic healing capabilities as well, which she uses more frequently than her magic.

Light Orb-Adrianna can create and control an orb of light to illuminate a dark area. It does not put off heat, however. She has good control over its size, and has recently learned how to "throw" it at people to startle or confuse them. It disappears if she loses concentration or it gets too far away from her.

Gear: She carries herbs, salves, and some basic medical supplies that she has gathered together in a pouch that hangs on her waist. Adrianna carries a small dagger in her left boot, and a two section bo staff, split, one on each hip. She also carries a sling-shot, and is able to use a bow, though she doesn't currently have one.

She carries flint and firesteel, some dried meat for rations, and a container of water in a satchel over her shoulder. In there is also a small book and writing utensil, in which she has drawings and information about plants and their many uses for healing, eating, and poisoning.

History: Adrianna currently travels as a man, as she is "on the run" from the Church. She doesn't usually think anyone is looking for her, though occasional bouts of paranoia keep her in hiding. When she first left, she was nervous about being a young woman traveling alone, and so she put on a guise and became a "healer for hire." She mostly uses non-magic healing, though occasionally infuses a bit of magic to prevent infection or prevent mortal wounds. The group she has traveled with for the last two years does not know for certain she is a mage, or even that she is a she…though there have been suspicions when men were able to walk within a few days of grievous injuries. No one asked, and "Adrian" didn't tell. After all, every man in their company of bandits had a story, and few of them wanted to share their own. Still, she could not stay in their company any longer…"Adrian" should have started growing facial hair, his voice should have deepened, and overall it was too much of a risk. So off she went.

[User]
Amuné pressed back against Wyth when the man with the pale hair approached, looking from him to the healer. They offered to let her travel with them into town, which was maybe kind and maybe very dangerous. Wild animals she could understand. Monsters weren't so common. But people -- people were dangerous.

Adrian distracted her by asking another question, and she blanched, fear squeezing the breath right out of her. But she had to answer, that was the rules. She could barely get her answer out, and when she did she knew at once what she'd ask. "Away. ...How did you know?!" Amuné tried to keep her voice quiet, barely a whisper and a shaky one at that. She stiffened when Adrian leaned towards her, but he was just trying not to let anyone else overhear.

You aren't the only one who has had to run away.

The child stared at him, slack-jawed and wide-eyed. Who had he run away from? Why? ...Was he maybe a proper healer instead of just a mundane one, then, a Magi like her mommy? Or had he run away for some other reason? She couldn't ask that, of course -- if nothing else, it'd be rude -- but that didn't stop her from wondering.

She was so caught up in the slew of questions that Adrian's hand on her shoulder made her jump. Was she coming with them?

"I-I...." Amuné looked from one face to another, and she couldn't hide the shudder that ran through her. "I'm not supposed to go places with strangers," she managed, though it wasn't a no. The girl was visibly conflicted, pulling her arms and legs in tighter to her body.

Behind her Wyth made a noise like a cough and lurched to his feet, depriving her of her warm pillow and nearly sending her sprawling. For him things were simple. His girl was no longer near the bad people. This one, the one that smelled like his man's mate, had helped her. Both this one and one of the others had offered food, which the girl needed.

He put his face in the small of her back and pushed, and now Amuné did overbalance, catching herself on her elbow. "Hey!" she protested, and would have said more if he didn't add a rough-tongued lick that left a whole clump of her hair sticking up at odd angles. People could be scary, but Wyth would keep her safe -- and if they needed to run away he was very fast. "...I guess we will. For a little while."

[Assistant]
Yarri stayed aside when the situation suddenly became complicated by the appearance of the two children. She half of her mind was focused on a magical mark which she had on the tiger, which was still apparently circling around them. From a large distance, for now, but she didn't doubt in time it would get much more daring and come closer. That was the reason Yarri neglected all the signals that Shaela was giving her about someone coming. She thought the cougar was just nervous from the dangerous animal lurking around.

The first child looked like she had been in the forest for weeks alone and Yarri wondered how she survived that. Probably her cat keeping her alive, but it must have been very uncomfortable, eating raw meat and sleeping out in the forests. She let the others deal with the girl, Yarri wasn't good in dealing with normal children, let alone such traumatized ones.

The other child she remembered from the ship. There was something strange about the boy, not just the look of someone who had been in a horrible accident and barely survived, but something else. Yarri couldn't really put a finger on it. But even Shaela, which seemed to be happy to play with every other child on the ship, always kept her distance from this one, growling quietly whenever she passed by him.

While the girl was talking to Adrian, Shaela walked over to the moorcat, sniffing the air around it carefully. Then she lowered her head, so their muzzles nearly touched. The cats stayed like this for a few seconds, looking into each other's eyes. Shaela must have been satisfied with what she had seen, because she just turned around and went back to Yarri. "Did you guys have a nice chat?" Yarri whispered to Shaela's ear, absent-mindedly stroking her soft fur. The cat licked her hand and lied down on the ground, which was a clear sign that there was no immediate danger.

Yarri walked over to the young hunter and tried her best not to sound hostile when talking to him. "We should keep moving if you want to reach the town before dark, especially now with these children to slow us down."

[User]
"Oh, Ethan! Ethan Campbell. Nice to meet you, Cecil!" Under better pretenses, he wished, but at least they had run into nice people; bandits could just as well have found them. Bandits... Another reason for them to keep moving. There was so much risk for those back on the beach and here they were, stood around and chatting casually. Ethan looked around at their group, with two more - three if you counted the moorcat. It was far from a small rescue party now and with how many people they had it made settling down for camp even less practical.

Which made him roll his eyes when Yarri suggested they keep moving. You were the one who suggested stopping in the first place. Ethan let that thought remain as just that: a thought. It wouldn't do any good to start arguing among themselves. "Yeah, we should get moving. And we can help carry the kids if you're so worried they'll 'slow us down'." He suggested, frowning as he glanced sideways towards Yarri. "Or we can take our time. Who knows, we might end up finding more people!" He was kidding but now Ethan worried he'd just jinxed them; no town was going to accept twenty or thirty people out of nowhere; if that were the case then they should have just brought everyone from the ship with them.

"We should keep the kids in the middle of the group. That way they're safe if we get anymore... Uh... Surprises." Somewhere in his oft-hapless mind was the training he'd received from the Church, training which he was now clambering to retrieve. There were protocols for everything and this was no different - at least he didn't think it was. Ethan smiled at Amuné, then Cecil, and clapped his hands together. "Why don't you and... Adrian?" He asked, glancing at their resident healer for confirmation. "Why don't you two walk together? Cecil, you can... Uh... Well walk in the middle of the group! And Yarri, maybe you can take the rear? You and your... Cat, can help make sure nothing's following us!"

One of the privy sailors spoke up about the proposal. "And what will you be doing exactly?"

"Leading, of course! Someone has to!" Ethan's confidence and smile waned under the doubtful look of the sailors. He had asked which direction to travel in right out of the gates, naturally people were going to doubt his navigation skills. And they were right to. With a reserved sigh, he shrugged his shoulders and looked back at Adrian. "How about you lead, then? I can uh... Watch Amuné?" Maybe he was trying to put things in their place that didn't need to be. But any successful escort mission - and that was what this had become, thanks to these two kids, involved forming a perimeter and keeping people safe. A little tricky to do given their group, but this should solve that issue.

Another sailor let out a groan and rubbed at his face. "I should have stayed back at the beach..." Another seconded his complaint, leaving Ethan standing at the front of the group with an awkward smile. Thank goodness for his training, otherwise he'd seem like a total idiot... Instead of just a partial idiot. Maybe he should have stayed at the beach too.

[Assistant]
Adrianna had no intention of forcing the kid to join them. Frankly, it would have been a relief if she had decided not to join them. They had a whole ship-ful of hurt people they had to get help for, and a stray kid wasn't going to make her job any easier. But the girl's pet seemed to think that joining them was a good idea, as did the boy, so their numbers went up. The white-haired man introduced himself as Ethan, and after a brief back and forth with Yarri, Adrianna perceived a bit of a struggle as to who would proclaim themselves leader of this ragtag group. Fortunately, they would only be together for this walk, so she didn't imagine things would come to a mutinous end.

Ethan decided, after a bit of back and forth, that Adrian would lead the group, and the children would be in the center. Yarri, with supposedly the keenest senses, would take up the rear and keep an eye out for tigers or stray children, as these forests seemed to be riddled with both. It wasn't a bad suggestion, but the nature of it reminded her a bit too much of the most basic training done by the Church. Just a coincidence. She told herself. You're being paranoid and seeing something where there is nothing. But paranoid was what kept her alive, and she couldn't help but feel a bit more on-edge about being so close to the man.

"Sure." Adrianna, unlike the sailors, made no fuss about the assigned post, and moved up to the front of the group. She set a somewhat brisk pace, though she slowed when she put too much space between her and the others. With everyone on alert, Adrianna didn't begin to start up another conversation with the girl or Ethan, and the others were too far away. It was probably better to just stay quiet to not attract unwanted attention.

As they settled in more comfortably, Adrianna's senses began to wander. She glanced back at Ethan, feeling something…off about the man. They had already been walking together for some time, and she hadn't picked up anything before. But now… No, she was sure of it, he had gotten hurt. But how? When? All they did was make camp, and…well, he got run over by a child, but surely the boy couldn't have caused that much damage. Adrianna turned back to see Cecil's gauntlets. Well, perhaps he had. He clearly had some sort of modifications, and if the blunt ends of those things had smashed against the wrong part…Ethan could have gotten seriously injured. He likely wasn't, in this case. All she could sense was some blood clotting in his chest. It would probably form a nasty bruise, but it was nothing worth fussing about. What's more, the injury was not the type she should even be aware of.


[System]
Age: 33

Race: Human (Sub-Saharan African in appearance)

Appearance: Rintor is a smallish, very dark-skinned man in his early thirties, wiry but muscular. He has dark grey-brown eyes and is vaguely handsome. However, he suffers from Alopecia Universalis, which renders him completely hairless across his entire body. He usually dresses in a simple black robe, with black leather boots, loose black pants, a handful of fur pelts, and a thick brown leather belt with a trio of leather satchels around his waist. In his youth, he would often wear a mask that covered most of his face. However, he doesn't wear it anymore.

Role: Linguist, assassin, scout

Bio: Rintor comes from Boshir, a powerful fiefdom in the south, where he was the third son in a family from his country's equivalent of the landed gentry. His father and grandfather had both served with distinction in the king's army as armed scouts in previous conflicts, rising to become commanders. Rintor seemed destined for the same path, and indeed demonstrated considerable aptitude as a child. However, he manifested somewhat unexpected magical abilities upon puberty and was sent for schooling in the arcane arts. He showed little promise with higher magicks, but excelled at what was called 'lightbending', which, in short, allows him to bend the visible light spectrum so as to appear all-but invisible. Before long it appeared that he had reached a dead-end. While lightbending was a useful skill, people who trained at the academy of thaumaturgy were strictly forbidden from using the abilities learned there for violent ends.

When war erupted with a neighboring Elven kingdom, Rintor, then only seventeen, remained at the academy. He had flourished during his years there and grown into a thoughtful young man. However, after a year, the military situation turned for the worse, and he was personally pulled out of the academy upon orders of the king and placed into the army as a commissioned officer. Whatever his moral qualms, Rintor served as his father and grandfather had before him. If his swordsmanship was subpar for his station, he had little use for it during scouting missions. However, one can only last for so long in a war without resorting to violence. Forced to kill an enemy scout who would have revealed his army's position, Rintor had shed his first blood. Surrounded by martial culture, his guilt was quickly assuaged.

From that point onward, he became the leader of an advance party that quickly became infamous for its lightning strikes, guerilla warfare, and sabotage. His lightbending skills made him almost absurdly effective, and before long Rintor was doing more than scouting. Assassinations came next, followed by long missions deep into enemy territory. His initial moral objections having become a thing of the past, and fed a steady diet of awards, honours, propaganda, and berserker mushrooms, Rintor became a gleeful killing machine. Gifted a pair of finely honed daggers by the king himself, the lightbender's trail of bodies grew until he was feared, revered, and loathed across much of the continent. It became something of a legend that he would always appear out of nowhere a bare moment before striking the fatal blow, smiling like the devil himself.

His high (or low) point, came when he infiltrated the bedchambers of the Elven king and murdered him and his entire family in cold blood. This plunged the country into civil war and forced their interim leadership to sue for peace terms. Back home, Rintor was hailed as a hero, but with the war over and the accolades, drugs, and honours drying up, he felt increasingly hollow. He longed for purpose, which he attempted to find in hunting, bloodsport, and horse racing. All were dead ends. The academy had long since severed all ties with him and he was not allowed to return there. At some point, he disappeared from society altogether.

Nobody is entirely certain where he went for seven years, but when he reappeared, he was able to speak six new languages and he seemed to have found his peace. He sat outside of the academy in meditation, drinking only one bottle of water each day, for twenty-six days and nights until he was finally granted an audience with the provost. The price that he paid for readmission to the academy was considerable: all of his lands, honours, titles, and possessions save what he had carried with him, as well as a solemn vow of non-violence to be broken upon pain of a degenerative curse that will slowly and painfully cause him to waste away.

For the next three years, he ensconced himself within its hallowed halls, re-emerging at around the same time that the opening of the portal was announced. He appeared before the king, dressed in his simple black robes, and requested that he be the first of his nation to step through the portal. Given his status as a war hero, it was a request that could hardly be refused. Nobody knows what his motivation is except for Rintor himself, though one would assume that it has to do with the fascination of exploring a new land and finding redemption in the process.

Skills: Rintor can move with the utmost stealth and silence. Even elven ears struggle to detect him. He is almost ridiculously proficient with knives and daggers, though he has sworn never to use them for violence against another sentient being so long as he lives. He is able to draw maps and describe topography in considerable detail, though perhaps not as well as he might've in his youth. He is adept at sabotage, guerilla warfare, and has some tactical abilities, though these are qualities that he tries not to advertise. Rintor is a skilled horseman and reasonably proficient with a bow, though not what one would call 'naturally talented'. He can fast for an extended period of time and possesses basic survival skills. He has an innate ear for languages and has studied linguistics over the prvious handful of years, though he tends to speak with a thick accent.

Magic: Rintor is able to bend light so that he blends in flawlessly with his surroundings for extended periods of time when still and short bursts while moving. This effectively makes him able to turn invisible. However, the ability only extends to the visible light spectrum, and requires considerable concentration. He also struggles to blend into backdrops with especially intricate patterns or with many colours and a great deal of motion.

Equipment: Rintor has the clothes on his back, a flask of water in one satchel, some parchment and a quill in another, and some dried fruits, jerky, and nuts in another. He also has a pair of wickedly sharp daggers gifted to him by the king, but he wants nothing to do with them.

Other: Rintor is quiet and reserved – some would say aloof and subtly arrogant. He never shows his teeth anymore when smiling. He seems to be highly intelligent, though he will rarely correct people's mistakes. He also appears to have little to no interest in women. Though he has tried hard to train it out of himself, he harbours a degree of suspicion towards elves and many near-human beings. Before Rintor went through the portal, the king gifted him his old daggers back and bade him take them through the portal. Rintor could not disobey with so many eyes on him, but he plans to drop them the moment that he steps through, and not just for his own sake. Given his past and his distinctive appearance, I'd assume that he would be known to many of the other characters, at least by name and reputation.

[User]
Ayana

Ayana huffed at the Dwarf's dismissal of her indignation. She didn't like that he thought certain work was beneath him either. But, she didn't want to start a fight the first day on the trip so she left it at that. Maybe he didn't like shoveling dung because he was so short and his nose was so close to it... The thought of it made her giggle and her good spirits were restored. And so, she joined the group as they began walking toward the mountain that loomed on the horizon.

Then, their group leader, or at least the person who was acting as the leader, came up with an idea. "A watchtower? I think that's a great idea! Ayana said brightly. "We can even put a weather vane on top of it! I'm no carpenter, but I'd be happy to help you build it. I helped my family fix up their bar all the time when it needed repairs. It can't be that much different." Ayana walked in stride beside Esailia. She liked the Mithra's "let's get to work" attitude. Plus, she didn't have to feel weird about being the only person with animal ears. It was odd how few kitsune their were in the more urban areas.

@Esailia

* * *

As the party neared the mountains, the grass became thinner, more sparse, and more prickly. The soil gradually faded from a dark brown to a light tan. The temperature was still pleasantly warm, though it was beginning to cool as the sun drooped lower in the sky. By its position, it was now late afternoon, approaching the evening. The mountains were still a half-day's hike away and it would likely be dark before they reached them. Still, the party drew close enough to them now to discern some of their features. They were a series of peaks that seemed to have valleys running through them, and swirling patterns in the stone that were made more intense by the orange backdrop of the sky. By the looks of it, the sun would be setting about 45 degrees away from them, making their mountains North-West-ish by virtue of sunset.

[Assistant]
As they neared the mountains, Zeke paid attention to the sun. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it, though he'd need a few nights to be sure. He didn't know whether this was a heliocentric or geocentric earth - that was, if it was even a planet at all. An idea struck him. What if it was a moon? Were they orbiting a greater planet now, and was that one orbiting still yet another planet? The thought was absolutely ludicrous, though fascinating and thus worth contemplating. But another time.

Kneeling momentarily, Zeke gathered a few solid rocks. They were abundant in this area, so he decided it would be best for him to take some now. He quickly stored them in his pack and pulled out a few of his wood rods. In order to help him make sense of this new world, he would need to run a few tests. That was precisely why he brought these rods, and so he began to work at them, boring holes and cutting notches with a utility knife. Hopefully he'd be ready for his first test by the time they set up camp. If he wasn't, though, it was hardly an issue. Being an astronomer, he'd have to stay up through the night anyway.

Zeke nodded slightly as Esailia talked, but refrained from asking her any more questions. Other group members wanted her attention, and he didn't feel like fighting for it - especially when he had nothing worthwhile to say. When she mentioned that he might work with others to determine cardinal directions or otherwise develop a map, he wasn't very enthusiastic, especially considering the people he was to work with. The halfling - Shel, was it? - didn't seem so bad, but Rhen was a different story.

As soon as Zeke was aware that a changeling would be entering the portal with him, he knew there would be problems. How could anyone trust a creature with the ability to change its appearance at will? It put him a little at ease that the changeling seemed so unsophisticated, and thus less of a threat, but still he couldn't know for certain whether that was accurate. Rhen could be hiding anything.

But as much as the changeling was dangerous, Rhen could be an even more formidable ally - provided Zeke would be able to withstand their apparent lack of maturity. It was for this reason that he approached Rhen and tried to strike up a conversation, thinking long and hard about the first thing he would say. Do you often use your face as a projection of your personal qualities? He coughed. "I've not met a changeling before. If you don't mind, er, what kinds of forms can you take?" he asked politely though curiously, absently whittling.

[User]
The party is still half way to the mountains, the mountains from the distance looked like a wave of rocks, possibly by a lava stream years ago, he's no geologist, but he can guess.

Numzom has not made any friends what so ever in this exploration, bummer, he has an idea, making friends with the Kitsune farmer, since she practically has the same attitude as him, he thought "Maybe ill talk to her, maybe".

The party still is walking, looking for a peak near a stream, and since no one is talking to him, he'll just talk to the spirit and munch an apple.

[Assistant]
Rhen had lapsed into silence after her initial round of flirting. Well, admittedly, she'd not stopped talking, just began dictating the expedition log again. "Was decided to set up camp at mountains visible from portal location due to defense considerations. With entry direction of portal taken as north, as no lodestone offered, mountains are NNE, estimated day's travel on foot. Travel time will be revised after journey completed."

She caught the quill between two of her fingers as the messy human in the blue cloak spoke to her. She had mentally dismissed him as soon as she saw him. Honestly, there were far better looking people to get entangled with, physically, emotionally or politically. He really did look like the bottom of the barrel, but her cousin had made a living down there. Not that Rhen would like it there.

She pulled a party trick she hadn't in a while: her hair turned to a spectrum from right to left, from white-blond through red and brown to deep midnight black. Similarly, her skin went in bands from pale elvish white through dwarven ruddiness and halfling chestnut to the darkest Bashirian black, hitting most human shades along the way. She also sharpened one ear to a fine elven point and the other to a drooping Bashirian lobe.

"I'm the girl of your dreams, honey," she deflected the question while answering it. "Or the man, if that gets you standing." She offered a grin her family had refined to be as charming and sexy as possible on a woman's face. Many a pocket had been fleeced when Rhen and her mother had worked together with that smile. She wiped her face with a hand, resuming the dark, freckled look she had previously. "Or you're not the sort to stand up for anything, are you?"

[User]
"A watchtower would be good," Rintor answered belatedly, having become a bit wrapped up in gently letting the changeling down. He no longer holds much interest in Earthly pleasures, or so he often tells himself. For the past few minutes, he's been trying to get the lay of the land distance-wise. At least the mystery of cardinal directions seemes to have been solved.

"However," he adds, "water must be our first priority, as our supply is not great and a warm stew sounds...delicious." He glances at the halfling and can't help but smile. Helpful little fellow - the type who's the glue of expeditions like this. "That's my reason for heading in the direction of the foothills. Valleys provide natural and predictable places for water to flow and collect. I suggest that we make a temporary camp in a defensible position before sundown. We'll have the entire day tomorrow to scout out and set up a more permanent position."


[System]
Age: 18

Gender: Male

Appearance:

Ryley falls around the height of 5'8''. He normally has a serious look on his face, but he doesn't really realize it, and it changes fairly easily. His hair often gets messy, despite his attempts at combing/brushing/whatevering. He prefers to wear a lighter t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Y'know, the 'usual'. He doesn't really care about appearance that much though, and prefers comfortable, practical clothes.

Personality:
Ryley is a very 'down to earth' type of guy. He can come off as sarcastic sometimes due to this. He won't run away from the truth of things, even when things are rough. However, he'll do what he can to change the 'truth' of matters if he doesn't like it. Also, just because he faces the truth doesn't mean he won't lie.

Ryley respects others' opinions and ideas, as most of them have a good reason or cause behind them. Due to this, many people find him to be friendly. However, he tends to avoid people with ideas he doesn't agree with, if possible. This may seem rude, but Ryley doesn't want to argue others with strong beliefs, as he believes no one wins in those cases.

Ryley enjoys the company of others, though he's not that good at small talk. He's better at having deep discussions. He may throw in a quick quip here or there in normal conversations, but overall he prefers to listen.

History:
Ryley grew up in Unova. More specifically, Opelucid City (W/W2 version). His mother died only 6 months after he was born, so he grew up alone with his father. His father worked as an assistant to the town's gym leader, Drayden. Due to this, Ryley learned a lot about dragon types, especially the legendary duo Reshiram and Zekrom. The idea of truth and ideals fighting always interested him, though it was slightly confusing.

When he was 9 years old, his dad got laid off due to less trainers battling. He couldn't find another job in the city, so they had to move from home sweet home. They ended up moving to Violet City, where his dad got a job maintaining Sprout Tower. Though the lore of Opelucid was great, the history of Sprout Tower, combined with the nearby Ruins of Alph managed to sate Ryley's curiosity.

Eventually, the wild pokemon's aggressiveness became so bad that Ryley couldn't travel to the Ruins alone. He became fairly agitated due to this, and wanted to do something. He tried asking questions around town, and soon found out that the wild pokemon everywhere were being more aggressive, but nobody knew exactly why. He decided he'd try to find out the source of the problem, and solve it. He got his dad's approval fairly easily and signed up for a license. With equipment in hand, he headed out.

Quirks/Habits/Other:
-Likes to learn about lore and history of various things
-Doesn't have much of a taste. He often goes with whatever is healthiest, or he's in the mood for.
-Loves the feeling of when a good plan succeeds.
-Doesn't really realize it, but he's good at predicting what someone is about to do based on their movement and changes in pattern.

Inventory:
- Pokeballs x5
- Burn Heal x5
- Paralyze Heal x5
- Sleep Heal x5
- Antidote x5
- Potion x5
- Two extra sets of clothes
- Old X-transceiver (acts mostly as a phone)
- Camping gear
- Notebook and 3 pens
- $100
- A black backpack to carry everything in

Pokemon:
None

TL;DR: Morally stable, and mentally strong. Fairly social person. Often serious and very curious.
His color is yellow

[User]
~Melody Hemlock~

So apparently, Avery could climb. In fact, Avery could climb like an Aipom.

What… the heck?

In a flash, the boy was up a tree and concealed in the leaves. You couldn't even really see him anymore.

Melody breathed a deep sigh of relief. Thank goodness. She'd been starting to get… well, really worried.

The Onix burst out of the Pokeball in a flash of light. It roared, even angrier than before… and then stopped, seemingly confused, and understandably so. Its prey had just disappeared, of course.

Its tail lashed at the air frantically, barely missing Avery's tree, and it sniffed at the ground. Not for the first time, Melody wished that her hair was… some shade other than brightbrightbright pink, because the Onix found them fairly quickly.

She shut her eyes hastily. The bush rustled, and suddenly she could feel the Onix's hot breath on her face. She tried not to shake, but it was hard, especially since she couldn't see anything and had no clue whether she was about to be eaten or not.

It won't eat me, she told herself. It thinks I'm dead. Besides, Onixes don't even eat meat! Uh… I think.

But she had to stay still. She had to keep her eyes closed. She had to.

A few long seconds crawled by, and suddenly she couldn't feel the Onix's breath anymore. She waited a few minutes, until she was certain that the telltale sound of the Onix's long, rocky body scraping against the ground was fading away into the distance… and then she opened her eyes.

Sure enough, she couldn't see the Onix. Still, she lay unmoving for a moment longer, before she finally deemed it safe enough to sit up.

"It… worked?" she said uncertainly, nudging Ryley, who was lying beside her. There was no sign of the Onix. Tentatively, she stood, and offered a hand to Ryley.

"I think we're probably safe for now," she whispered, unwilling to draw the Onix's attention back to their little group. "Want to head back, and try to find everyone?"

They were alive. They were still alive. That crazy, stupid gamble that she'd taken had paid off, and they weren't dead.

Maybe Arceus was smiling down upon them... or something.

The sun was shining. The Pidgeys were chirping. And they were still alive.

All in all... suddenly, the day seemed so much better.

Melody smiled. It was amazing how good surviving a near-death situation could feel.

[Assistant]
~Abigail Blanchett~

"Uhm...well. Who says we make camp now? I could go for some food."

After receiving no reply, Abigial took a quick look around. Where....? She was utterly alone out here, save for Tyrian who was playing with a blade of grass. Did the others...get killed by the Onix?...

for a moment, her legs felt weak.

"Ugh...well if they got eaten that's their problem." She sighed, somewhat awkwardly as whatever remorse or grief she may have briefly felt vanishing in an instant. Time to make camp then. she'd get an early start tomorrow without those idiots slowing her down. First things first, get her tent up. She reached into her bag, pulling out a small one-person tent that was easily folded into her admittedly rather large purse. She sat laid her purse on the ground, getting to work on putting the tent up.

While she worked, Tyrian went about doing...whatever it was he normally did. He had lost interest in the blade of grass that he was playing with, and instead started snooping inside of her bag. After a few minutes, he found his way to one of the repels she had picked up earlier. Being the curious little pokemon that he was, he started gnawing on the can.

just as she finished putting up the tent, she heard a small cry as Tyrian scurried out of her bag, growling softly as he tried to get the taste of the repel off of his tongue.

"Oi, you little troublemaker! What are you doing now?" She asked, walking over to the small pokemon as he started gnawing on a blade of grass. "What did you do now?" She asked, causing the pokemon to growl towards her bag in response. With a sigh, she knelt down and looked inside, only to find most of her things were now covered in repel.

...well, at least wild pokemon wouldn't be taking her things now.

With a sigh she gave Tyrian a harsh look. "That'll teach you to mess with things." She grumbled, but didn't do anything else. Right...firewood. She needed firewood. It was starting to get cold, and she was still hungry...

having a fire type would be awesome right about now...ah well, she'd manage.

~~~~~~~~

Sometime later, she had a nice little fire going in the small clearing she had found herself in. A water bottle sat empty on the ground next to her. It didn't take her very long to get a nice little meal cooked after getting the fire going. Tyrian was curled up in a little ball next to her, sleeping soundly. She should probably be getting to bed soon too, then. Not like there was much else she could do, but oddly enough she wasn't tired.

She sighed, throwing another stick into the fire. Oh well. She'd buy more at Cherrygrove once she got there tomorrow. She'd also need to find a new partner to travel with since the others seemed to have vanished. Shouldn't be a problem to find a decently competent looking trainer in Cherrygrove, unlike the idiots she was previously forced to partner with.

...speaking of partners, she should really probably check on that Spinarak.

"Alright, out you go." She said as she released the bug type from it's pokeball. The Spinarak looked momentarily dazed, probably still slightly hurting from that beating it had earlier from the Onix. After regaining its senses, it looked up at Abigail, studying her momentarily.

"Alright, we had a deal. Go if you want." She sighed, causing the Spinarak to narrow its eyes slightly at her, as if it was expecting some kind of trick or other form of deception. "Look here, bug, you wanna leave, then leave, I'm not gonna stop you. You're annoying anyways." Abigail huffed. The spinarak still seemed to be studying her quietly, as if it still didn't entirely believe her. Still, it started to turn to leave slowly.

After it was out of sight. Abigail sighed again, and picked up the sleeping Tyrian. "looks like it's just me and you." She sighed. "Ah well, we don't need those losers or that stupid bug, do we? We'll do just fine without them!" She gave Tyrian a huge grin, before giving it a pat on the head. He ignored her, and simply curled back up on her lap.

and that's, when she felt something crawling on her head. Again.

"That's not going to work twice, bug." She said, tilting her head up to get a glimpse of a familiar looking bug. It seemed somewhat disappointed that it hadn't freaked her out like last time. "Dunno why you're back, but if you're coming with me, you're gonna have to do as I say, alright?" She told the bug type, to which it simply rolled its eyes and settled down on her head. "You mess up my hair again by the way, I will feed you to a flock of hoothoot."

She frowned. Damn it...she was still hungry, but she didn't want to eat all of her food.

...oh well, what's the worse that could happen? She'd be a cherrygrove soon anyways. She'd easily get more food there.

[User]
Ryley lay motionless on the ground, not daring to make any movements. The only thought going through his head, besides wanting to not die, was wondering how Avery would react.

"Good idea with the pokeball, there,"

Although the compliment was nice, now was not the time to be idly chit chatting. At least Melody didn't say any more than that. Neither did Avery, which was surprising to say the least. Then again, one could say he spoke with his movement.

There was some rustling, a thud, then more rustling. Did… did Avery try to hide by climbing a tree? Ryley knew he shouldn't be surprised by Avery's randomness by this point, but you can never prepare yourself for true randomness. And Avery was random incarnate.

A roar startled Ryley from his thoughts. The pokeball had lasted longer than expected, luckily for them. There was some thrashing that came shortly thereafter, but no cries of pain. Avery actually hid himself well.

Sniffing followed the thrashing, the Onix apparently searching. And with the two of them in plain view… it didn't take long. Here it was, the moment of truth.

Heated air flew over Ryley's body in slow, measured gusts. His body screamed at him to run, but he was in control, and so he stayed. Well, that and he was frozen to the spot. Can't be fearless, after all.

Time was irrelevant at this point. The only measure was between hot and lukewarm air. Those waves of heat eventually stopped, the Onix moving. When those waves were taken away from him, Ryley was lost. How much time had passed? Was the Onix gone? Why did it feel so cold now? If Ryley were a pokemon, he'd hurt himself in confusion.

Time must have passed, because he eventually felt a nudge. The Onix was back again? No… the touch was too gentle. Ryley hesitantly opened his eyes to see Melody standing, hand extended towards him. Had she said something? Ryley couldn't tell. However, from what he could tell...

"The Onix is gone?"

He took the extended grip, and, with Melody's help, stood up.

"I think we're probably safe for now. Want to head back, and try to find everyone?"

Holy hell, they had survived. Ryley gave a deep sigh of relief, tension escaping his body.

"Yeah… Let's get Avery and group up."

Group… Group… Something about that reminded him of something. He gathered his jumbled thoughts and quickly came to his senses. Oh, right! He turned to face Melody, his composure built.

"Before I forget… Don't ever, ever do that again Melody. There's a reason why we travel in a group, and it's not so you can split off from it. I don't care how noble your intentions are, it only puts us in more danger."

Ryley took a deep breath in. He had needed to get that out of his system. After he said that, he looked around for anyone else. No one, besides the hidden Avery. Geez, if others had shown up, his argument would have been a lot stronger. But still…

He continued to look at Melody, not sure of what to do next. A realization came to him. What if they couldn't find everyone else? That'd mean he'd be stuck with the possible psycho with good intent, and the complete airhead, with what Ryley assumed was also good intent. Good intent aside, that left… Oh Arceus, please let them find the others.