[System]
Appearance Description: Mike has a height of 6'1" and weight of 216 lbs. He has black and short hair, dark brown eyes and an athletic constitution. He has no scars, piercings, tattoos or any other distinctive signs. Mike likes to dress casually. You'll never see him in a suit or anything that resembles that. He also likes to wear clothes that he feels confortable in, ignoring fashion trends or stuff like that.
Nickname: Mikey, Atlas(his underground fighting nickname)

Age: 32

Gender: Male

Nationality: English-American

Role: The Heavy Gunner

Personality: Mike is a quiet person that dosen't talk much and when he usually does, he likes to go straight to the point. He can be quite hateful sometimes and can even lose his temper if the right buttons are pushed. Aside from that he's pretty calm. A gentle giant. He has a taste for violence and when he starts dealing it, it becomes hard for him to stop. He hates knives, saying that they create too much of a mess, preffering firearms, knuckledusters or even the plain old fists and kicks. Behind his rough and tough guy image however, lies a good person, loyal to his friends and to the team, that will never abuse a woman and that likes to go for a drink with his friends. This image however...he keeps only for himself and those that know him for a long time. Whenever he does anything he likes to follow his heart and not his brain.

Biography: Mike's mother was an imigrant from Birmingham, England. She came to the United States seeking a better life. She married an american, a daredevil, performing dangerous stunts on a dirt bike for an audience. Eventually the man died after performing a really dangerous stunt that even his own crew told him to reconsider. After his father's death, Mike and his mother struggled to earn a decent existence and to live a normal life, but it was hard without a man in the family, so Mike did his best to fit that role and helped his mother with anything he could. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the US Marine Corps passing all the steps and successfully becoming one. This decision however, costed him his relationship with Maria, a cuban-american and Mike's high-school sweet heart. However at just 24 he decided to quit because of continuing problems in his family which he desperately wanted to resolve. There were many attempts to make him reconsider but Mike was unshakeable.

Apparently his mother was diagnosed with lung cancer and Mike wanted to be there for her, badly. Cancer treatment was expensive and Mike was getting desperate. Eventually, forced by the situation he decided to make money the only way he could. He got involved in the world of underground cage fighting with the nickname Atlas and decided that he won't wait to make money legally and watch as his mother slowly and painfully dies. Mike was an instant hit. He won fight after fight and was very appreciated for his strength, intensity and never back down attitude. Now he also had the money to pay for his mother's cancer treatment, which he did. Almost all of it was going towards that direction with very little remaining for him. At the fights he also met a weapons dealer. Mike and the dealer instantly became friends and Mike started working for him as his assistant, looking after his weapons and always making sue that they are in top shape so the clients can be satisfied. More money came from that direction too.

Mike's mother eventually managed to overcome her cancer after years of fighting. There were many times when she felt like giving up but Mike was always there to lift up her spirits and pour money in various treatments. He never told her anything about how he got the all that money he put in her treatment. Now that he didn't had to worry about his mother anymore Mike started concentrating on himself more. He stopped working for the weapons dealer but the two remained friends and keep in contact. He also opened up his own business. A small car shop which, in time, he expanded a little. He still participates in underground fighting but not as often as before.

Equipment: Well that depends. In normal everyday life aside from his phone, wallet, home keys and car keys he dosen't carry anything else. He usually leaves the guns at home. Cops can be a real pain in the ass sometimes. When he's on a job he usually carries a .9mm Beretta 92FS as a backup gun and a Vector Arms AK-47 w/ folding stock as his main weapon. Of course he has plenty of other weapons stashed away nicely but these two are the one's he uses the most. Also when on jobs he always covers his face with a black balaclava in order to not be recognised and wears a pair of black leather gloves in order to not leave finger prints in case he touches anything else besides his weapons. He also has some M18 smoke grenades back home, taken from his arms dealer friend. He usually takes one every heist, just in case the team needs to cover up their escape or something.

Relationships:
Juan Medina: "Aaaah yes, dear ol' Juan. If we'd have a real boss, you know? A mastermind? He's the one i'd definetly vote for the job. He does his best to keep us all in line and always seems to have the right words to say. Max respect to him!"
Werner Coetzee: "The guy is a mistery to me. I mean he never talks, he never says anything. Sure i'm a pretty quiet guy too but i'm nothing compared to him. I like the fact that he's straight edge though. He dosen't smoke, he dosen't drink, he dosen't hang out with women. Who does that anymore nowadays? With so much temptation surrounding us. Anyway he's a really nice guy and always wants to be helpful. Plus an excellent driver, he pulled our asses out of the fire many times before. We'd be in prison for the rest of our lives now if it wasn't for him."
Angelo Ortega: *chuckles for a couple of seconds then he stops* "Why do we need two drivers anyway? I mean were just a handfull of men robbing banks and other places with valuables. Do we really need two drivers for that? But whatever. It dosen't take a psychologist to realize that the guy has issues. It's like...two different people in one package. Plus I even saw him take drugs once, I don't know...I think it was LSD. He seems to be good behind the wheel though. But if we were to have one driver and I was supposed to choose between him and Werner, I think i'll go for the quiet guy. At least he dosen't take drugs. I hate drugs!"
James Stewart: "I swear to God I love James. If I was a woman I would definetly fall for him!" *starts laughing and slaps his right foot with his right hand, stopping after about 5 seconds* "With all seriousness though, he's one of those types of people that are very easy to get along with. Usually hackers are kind of arrogant. They think their the best shit since the invention of the wheel, but James is not like that. Also, he does one hell of a job for us behind the monitor, good hackers are hard to find and James has successfully made our jobs 10 times easier so far. And I like the fact that he always does his best to get along with everyone. So yeah...max respect to him too!"
Charlotte Chambers: "She is an intelligent woman. I can sense that by the way she talks, acts and all that. She probably graduated some big ass university or something, I don't know. She's a lot like Angelo, two different people in one package. When she's not on a job she's very nice and easy to get along with, but when she's on a job, she transforms into this over-confident, sexy, seductive feline that is hard to pass by. And since most men think with their dicks it's obvious they fall for her and she does a perfect job in handling them too. She's okay in my book!"
Jim Stark: "The guy is a loose cannon and no matter what the situation or time of day, he always seems so damn angry. He's defintely not the kind of guy you'd like to meet in a dark alley, if you're a helpless person that is. Which is not my case. Overall I don't trust him very much but I don't let it show. Would I put my life in his hands? No way! I'll keep a close eye on him. If he stabs us in the back, it's gonna be his first and last mistake."
Alexander Mauk: "Who? Oooh yeah, the cleaner. Sorry but I really can't say anything about him, I mean, the guy is a ghost, nobody has ever seen him, and quite frankly I don't trust him. Not one bit. I don't like to deal with people who are too scared to show their damn face."

Miscellanous:
- Mike is an active 2nd amendment supporter, participating at many protests against some measures that the government have been taking in time;
- He loves music and listens to it alot. He prefers rock, metal, and a little electronic too;
- Mike is a good cook. He loves food, he likes to eat but has a good metabolism and always manages to stay in shape.

Theme Song:
The Prodigy - Warrior's Dance

[User]
Juan found himself in a brand new city, and, out of restlessness or anxiousness or a combination of the two, he found himself waking up early that day. Stepping outside, it appeared as if the rest of the crew had the same idea. Coffee in hand, he was just about to dial Werner when Jim and James showed up outside the hotel.
"Morning, Jim. I'm freezing my ass off, and I'm not entirely sure if those are clouds or a curtain of smog, but.. This coffee isn't bad, so I suppose all is not lost," Juan said with a grin, nodding a friendly greeting to James before taking another sip. The crew had split into two units prior to their arrival in Chicago, for the purpose of remaining undetected while planning their next hit. It wasn't anything grand; half the team simply stayed nearby and rode with one driver, while the other half did the same somewhere else in the city. For the three of them, Werner was their ride -- and the American man pulled up next to them mere minutes after their sidewalk meeting.

"I've taken the liberty of renting us office space on the corner of Wells Street and Jackson Boulevard. We're on the fourth floor, that'll be where we meet up and plan," he told Werner, getting in the shotgun seat of his car. "We're posing as a Financial Consultant Firm, so try not to look like assholes when you go through the lobby. Or.. Maybe.. Do look like assholes. Just, rich assholes." Juan smirked and shrugged his shoulders, glancing back at Jim and James. "I'm as clueless as everyone else is about this job, so I'm hoping Alex has all the details ready for when we get there."

[Assistant] Angelo yawned as he kept driving towards the park where he would pick up Mike and Charlotte so they would go and learn what their next job was. Angelo took a few more of his gummies filed with acid then he proceeded to hide them. Last thing he wanted was to share his innocent looking gummy bears and have them tripping balls before the job even started. Angelo did a cool drift into a Parallel park to the entrance of the park and Angelo laugh "still awesome" Angelo said laughing then he honked the horn for them so they could get in, Angelo tried to avoid getting out of his car if he has the option. Angelo then waited for them to get in his car so he could drive to the meeting place...

[User]
Mike just finished his hotdog and started looking through his smartphone at all the music he downloaded before he got on the plane to Chicago. He made a mistake and lost all of the music he had on his SD card after he changed from his previous phone to this Samsung smartphone that he bought a few days ago. Well James helped him a lot with that too, since Mike wasn't very big on technology. All of it rock and metal, especially KoRn. Mike loved KoRn, he was a big fan. There was also some Prodigy there too. That was the only electronic music that Mike was listening too. The rest of it was pretty much crap, especially that EDM shit. That was really driving him crazy. Anyway as Mike was busy with his new toy, Charlotte arrived as she saluted him with a rather cold tone and passed him by, sitting on a bench and asking him about Angelo.

Mike put his smartphone on a pocket and turned around towards Charlotte. "First off, good morning to you too. It looks like someone is having a bad day...or night! Am I right?" Said Mike reffering to Charlotte. "Anyway...I have no idea where Angelo is. Although knowing him he's probably somewhere getting high. If you know what I mean." Said Mike as he crossed his arms and looking at Charlotte sucking off from that electronic piece of crap which by the way was nowhere near healthier then an ordinary cigarrete. But whatever...Charlotte had the right to do whatever she wanted with her body. Then Angelo finally decided to grace them with his presence. And he did it in his usual manner. "Dude you're such a showoff! Let's get out of here. Juan is probably waiting for us." Said Mike after getting inside Angelo's Charger, on the passenger seat.


[System]
Appearance
Age:
21

Brand:
Body

Weapon/Rune:
Storm runes tattooed on the backs of her hands

Faction:
The Covenant; Covenant of Body

Personality:
Brash, hot-blooded, and quick-tempered, Mercury has a pension for getting into fights that sometimes gets her into trouble; a bit of a problem child from the start. That said, there's a heart of gold buried beneath that rough exterior. She's always willing to lend a hand to those in need, and will never hesitate to stand against any perceived injustice. Hot-blooded though she may be, she is a wonderful friend.

Background:
Mercury grew up poor, spending most of her time prowling the streets of New Wickenborough, usually looking for things to steal for the sake of self-preservation, because god knows her incompetent whore of a mother couldn't do it. The house she was supposed to live in didn't feel like a home, it barely felt like a house, and her mother didn't help the situation with giving the local 'gentry' far more attention than she'd give Mercury. Most of their interactions consisted of screaming matches and Mercury taking a backhand or two. This went on until roughly the age of 13, when she encountered Eiichiro, or rather, a pack of his more unruly students, in an attempt to pick-pocket one. Keeping an ever-watchful eye, Eiichiro watched as they began to pick on young Mercury, ready to step in at a moment's notice should they overstep any line. Mercury, however, was the one who decided when a line was crossed, and, as is in her nature, swung first. Much to Eiichiro's surprise, she was able to hold her own for a while, but being outnumbered, she quickly lost ground, at which point Eiichiro himself intervened. He explained to her that he and his students where visitors from Xiao, on an outing to seek more worldly knowledge and experience. After a short discussion, and hearing of Mercury's plight, he offered to take her in. It didn't take much to get Mercury on board with the plan. She left nothing more than a note explaining that she was leaving and never coming back for her mother to find. 8 years later, and Mercury has blossomed into a beautiful woman, and a fierce fighter, bearing the brand of body magic. She travels the world now, largely in pursuit of competition fighting events to earn her living. Far from a master of her martial arts, she has applied the skills she does have, dissected and woven them into her own brand of street fighting, creating a unique fusion of precise technique and blind instinct; a genuinely wild style of combat.

Other:
A common practice among those who train in the use of body magic is a technique used to harden their body to a stone-esque state, mostly as a means of defense. Mercury's use of this ability is no different, but her ability to harden her body surpasses even some of the strongest body magic users. While for most, their skin would appear no different, Mercury's body will turn black and smooth like polished onyx in the effected areas. While not unheard of, this is a rare trait in body users.

[User]
Johnny Conagher

Storm

"Roger that" was all Johnny managed as he kept his eyes peeled for a gap in the mist. Once he spotted it, he nearly raised his six shooter at it before realizing how likely it was that he could hit Yoshimi.

Instead, Johnny just closed the gap with a quick combat roll and stabbed at the gap in the mist.

[Assistant]
Storm

Damn, this bastard's persistent... At least they're slowing him down, which makes it just a bit easier for Mercury to prepare her technique to stun him.

>"Those who make enemies of the Queen are not welcomed in our world!"

Oh... Oh, fuck you!

"It's not your world, asshole!"

Now sufficiently furious at their adversary, she draws out a bolt of electricity, as though readying a staff for combat. It takes her a few short seconds to narrow her focus down among the rain of light bolts before hurling her lightning like a bolt from Zeus. It won't have great destructive power, that much she knows, but if this guy's anatomy is any sort of normal, it'll put him out of commission for a while. She's a good shot, but where her partners' efforts enough to keep him still?

[User]
Duff finished cutting the hole through Xenan's attempt at a prison. Now his colleagues could get out. It was then that he noticed the prison weakening itself, as Gregor executed control over their opponent's magic. Nice, the old soldier thought, turning to engage Xenan at a range most might not expect him. Moving faster than his limp might suggest, Duff closed the distance between him and Xenan, flanking with the big warrior Daud. He wasn't ignorant of the shards of light raining down; even with the resistance he had built up against magic, they'd hurt. The thick steel chestplate and vambraces he wore would stop most of the shards from hitting him, but the one or two that got through seared and stung as they cut into his arm and shoulder.

It wouldn't be enough to stop him; and he suddenly popped up behind Xenan. "Nice trick," he grunted, bringing his Voidstone sabre up and going for one of the injuries Xenan was having difficultly healing. "Got a few of my own, though, eh?"

---

As if she had formed straight from the Mist, Astrid was already flanking the movement with Johnny. "Good eyes, cowboy," she said, spinning her blades into the hole in the Mist. "Let us see how well sse hides when sse is bleeding!" Her blades were sharp and willing to cut. There was very little that would be able to stop them if their target wasn't armoured. Hopefully a bleeding bitch was easier to track, as they had to let Yoshimi get herself set up or this would end up in a shambles.

Astrid didn't do shambles.

[Assistant]
Yoshimi/Galette

@Ember Storm
With the melee strikes from both Astrid, the elite was revealed. Steadily the illusion began to fade, crumbling around them. Bastards... The masked woman fell down, heavily wounded. You think you've won here? You can't stop our progress... Kill me or not, my death will not change our future victory.

Yoshimi, still charging up an attack, stepped forward, Get away from her, she might have an explosive on her! If she tries to run I'll blast her. What did she mean by progress? Just what were they planning here, Yoshimi wondered. Astrid, you have that file don't you? What are the specific contents of it? Read it out. She said, still holding Galette up in case she tried anything cleaver.

Gotthard... Is that why you came here? To find him? He's too far gone for any of you... Galette said with a quiet laugh, Poor man... Poor Old Path... Spent so long after the "traitor knight" they didn't expect the greater one right in front of their eyes.

What are you talking about? I don't care about the Old Path!

---

Gregor/Xenan

The bolt hit dead on, electrocuting the supposed immortal. Going down on his knees, he acted as anyone would after taking such a powerful shock. Commenting on it, Gregor smirked Maybe immortal, but not invincible. We should hurry before Gustrag comes here as well. Get to his quarters.

Storm
On contact, the Voidstone blade would slice through Xenan's body like a knife through butter. His wound didn't even bleed like his previous ones. Rather his sound resembled crumbling stone, as if Xenan was a walking stature. While his wound was healing, it looked like it'd take far longer than the others. Steadily, the stony craggy appearance began to appear over the rest of his body. He had pushed himself too far as he did with his fight with Daud. Heh... So you got me. Crumbling away, Xenan shook his head, You're not getting out of here alive. In a few minutes, more of the Elite of the Children will be arriving here. Call it a bit of clean up. If you call this a victory, you have your head up your ass. Get whatever you're after here, very well, but how will you last against a whole squad of the Children's Elite? Xenan said, smirking, not once did his tone or expression convey one of defeat.

As Gregor slowly began to realize the situation... He gasped, looking to the door to Gustrag's quarters. Guys we need to go! Bluffing or not!

[User]
Johnny Conagher

Storm
At Yoshimi's instruction, Johnny backed away from their wounded foe, keeping his six shooter trained in case Galette tried anything funny. Just what in sam hell was she talking about, anyway? Was she one of these artificial amalgams?

"Ah've got some of th' papers, Yosh. Astrid might too."

With that, he searched around for where he'd stashed them away. As he searched around, it occurred to him to ask a question.

"What d'you even mean by 'progress'? Progress towards what?"

[Assistant]
>"...a whole squad of the Children's Elites?"

"Shit..."

While Xenan himself went down against the four combatants with relative ease, a larger group of people with his magical prowess would prove a much more significant issue. She pumps magic through her legs, muscles tightening, spring-loaded to send her across the room as quickly as possible.

With a powerful kick she closes the distance between herself and Gustrag's private quarters in a split second, her upper arm and shoulder turning black with her hardening technique to smash through the door. Key card be damned, they need to get in there now.

[User]
Astrid pulled back alongside the cowboy as her Mist faded from the air around them, spinning her blades impatiently, just waiting for her opponent to reveal a bluff. "What do you mean about dhis 'greater one?' What purpose does it serve to break dhe Old Padh from within? Dhey are nearly obsolete."

As Johnny replied about the papers, she nodded. "I have some, yes."

Here was hoping there were answers somewhere... if not here, then with the other group, should they have survived their own fight.

---

"Mercury, you an' Daud go grab the journal in Gustrag's room. Gregor, you an' me should cover 'em. We've got range on pretty much anythin' that might come through here." Duff said as he stowed his sabre and revolver and began reloading his rifle. "Hurry now, eh? We can be outta here before anyone else arrives." He grimaced in pain. His shoulder was probably bleeding something fierce. Once they were out, some bandages and painkillers would suffice until he could heal naturally. Hopefully this didn't fuck his shoulder up like that one Amalgamate did his leg all those years ago. "Go!"

[Assistant]
@Ember Storm
You would like to know, wouldn't you? She said, chuckling I have no reason to tell you anything. I have failed here, it's either die by your hand or die by the Queen's. I choose to withheld information, best I die with my honor and loyalty intact.

As Galette bluffed, Yoshimi however, went through the files, reading them. Detailed processes of just what the making of an artificial amalgamate was. Injection of certain magic components, exposure to magic boosting properties to unstable levels... Yoshimi's eyes widened. They're... Turning people into Amalgamates through scientific means, but at the same time they're planning on keeping the person human. "The mind and sanity of a caster, but the power and capabilities of an Amalgamate. With neither of the weaknesses."

Gripping at the floor, Galette was silent, behind her mask, she was seething in anger.

Guys... The Old Path was a cover up for their operations. They wanted the Old Path to get flak and be the center of attention. So they could take the blame instead.

So that the rest of the factions in Kokotha could could weaken themselves fighting against "Gotthard's Path" Galette said, speaking up.

---

Gregor

Gregor, now sprinting, looked at a device to the side of the door. A magic based key system... Just the right size for the keycard from earlier. There is a handle, dear! Gregor said, slightly sarcastic, but at the same time this wasn't quite the time for jokes. I just wanted to come here to gain undeserved profit! Why am I getting myself wrapped up in this mess?! Holy shit!
Storm
We fought an elite, sure, but can we take on 2 or 3 at once? What about a whole squad of them? They'll tear this place up if they have to! Gregor said, now standing at the doorway Mercury had broken down, pistol in hand. Hurry and work those fast hands, Kid! The Children travel through Yim, they could be here any moment.

Through Yim...

I think I got an escape route. Can't say the same for the others, but they should be safe! Just cover me because I've never done this under stress!

[User]
Before Gregor even steps into the room, Mercury is in the process of searching for anything that looks important. Documents, journals, anything she can fit into the small pack strapped to her waist.

"Whatever your escape plan is, it better be good. Fighting our way out is basically guaranteed death at this point."

She retrieves a book from a desk drawer, rather ornate and sporting a small lock. She snaps the lock off with ease, and begins flipping through the pages, looking more for Gustrag's handwriting than any actual evidence of anything. At this point she's just taking whatever might be important.


[System]
Age: 211, to his best estimate
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 192 lbs
Race: Vampire
Birthplace: England, circa 1667 (Elizabethan era)
Short Bio: Born in the Elizabethan era and surviving into the Victorian, Vail has seen the rise and fall of two centuries' worth of dynasties—not just human, but supernatural as well. As a member of the Hygrace family, he was raised in the wealth and prestige of the most powerful vampire clan in London. His uncle, Lord Reginald Hygrace, was a respected leader, known across the nation for offering protection to any vampires who needed sanctuary from The Order of the Saints: an influential group of men and women who tracked down and killed the "demons" for a living.

For nearly a century, Reginald's efforts kept both his family and the rest of the vampires safe. However, around the year 1750, he made the mistake of taking in a man named Lord Elias Wynter. At a glance, Elias seemed like just another refugee seeking sanctuary with the Hygrace family, but in truth, he sought to overthrow the ruling dynasty completely.

Unbeknownst to the Hygraces, the Wynters had been plotting for quite a while to take over and change the way that vampires lived in England altogether. They believed that as "superior beings," they should fight back against humans instead of hiding from them in fear. They saw the Hygraces were weak and cowardly, unfit to lead their kind, and so started a rebellion.

When he commenced his attack, Elias managed to kill Reginald, but his attempt to finish off the rest of the oldest generation was cut short by his victim's younger brother—Vail's father—Peter, who went on to take over as the leader of the Hygrace clan in his sibling's stead. Unfortunately, the Wynter family refused to give up after just one defeat and has continued to fight for power against the ruling dynasty ever since.

For Vail, the following century of his life was spent predominantly in hiding. As the son of the most powerful vampire in England, he had to look out not only for members of the Saints but the Wynters as well. With such a large target on his back, he learned how to fight and wield a gun in order to protect himself. Both skills have saved his life since.

Of course, he can't spend all his time in seclusion without going stir crazy, so he finds time to attend parties and other large gatherings put on by other aristocrats in London to get out of the Hygrace manor on occasion.

[User]
Lady Victoria definitely preferred the sensual prelude to the vampiric feed, herself. As he leaned over her more, she took in a deep exhale, she felt her chest rise and fall more rapidly. She was closer than he'd ever been before. Though she knew it were inevitable that he would soon sink those fangs into her flesh for the taste of her sweet blood he found himself already addicted to, she was still nervous in the build up to it. She knew what was coming, she just anticipated how.

As Vail expressed that he liked the power over her, her beating heart skipped a beat. She had her suspicions but hearing him confirm it with his own voice, sent shivers down her spine. She liked that he liked it. She liked it a little too much. Especially when he trailed his fingers up her chest, which caused a small moan to escape her lips. She almost covered her mouth in embarrassment, but she had a feeling he would like her reaction to his touch. He seemed to enjoy watching her every twitch and facial expression in response to his puppetry over her body.

When his tongue lapped over her modest bosom, she almost trembled but she exhaled another moan of excitement. Each lap caused her to grasp at his waist and dig her long nails into his flesh. Her other hand gripped the bed cover beneath her. She let him lick her wherever he wanted to. He took his time with her though this evening. Perhaps he wanted to indulge in her while he still could. Like savouring a fine rare wine before it ran in. His teeth finally sank in without much warning, which made her flinch slightly, hiss upon feeling the pain and contort her body. As she didn't have anything restraining her, she clung onto him, causing her entire lower body to firmly press against his as he fed on her blood. How he held her by her hips helped her to feel secure and stop her from flighting at the pain. The pain soon subsided though as that first break of skin occurred. The pain only returned when he pulled his fangs out of her bust.

But what they never had was an aftermath sensual session. After his feed, he had no reason to stay. However tonight, she'd give him a reason to stay longer. What she did next even surprised her. She didn't plan on it, she only felt the urge to do it. As Vail sat up exhaling with satisfaction, she let her hand reach over to her the puncture wound and felt where the holes were. Instead of holding her hand over it, she pushed down to make it bleed onto her hand. She then brought that hand to her lips and she smeared her blood over her mouth and licked it off her hand. Now her tongue would smell and taste of her sweet nectar for Vail's further enjoyment. It was like she was daring him, provoking him further to gauge more sensual behaviour from him.

[Assistant]
Vail glanced down at the floor, where his clothes still laid in a pile. Now that he'd gotten what he had come for, he knew he should get dressed again. He and Victoria had already talked before he'd fed on her, so there wasn't anything else for him to say to her. As much as he enjoyed being around her, it would have been a better use of his time to simply return to his family's manor and wait for her to signal him another day. He had no more reason to linger at the inn.

However, before he could move to get up from the bed, his attention was drawn back to Lady Crest as she suddenly smeared her own blood across her lips like paint. The sight captivated him. He'd never seen a human taste their own blood before. The way she licked her scarlet-stained fingers was both intriguing and seductive to him, and he had a feeling he knew what she was trying to do. He swallowed, tempted by her enticement.

Even though he was attracted to her, he was still leery about getting closer to her than he already had. They were naked together, but he had avoided pushing any boundaries that might lead to anything romantic between them. It was dangerous for a vampire to fall for a human, and he had avoided doing so for most of his life. He knew he was toeing the line with Victoria though. She was already attractive enough to him. Her personality was captivating and her figure was beautiful. If he took things farther, he doubted he would have the willpower not to get emotionally attached to this enchanting vixen. She stimulated him in ways that no other woman had before.

Still… His eyes were fixated on her ruby lips, and he absently swept his tongue across his teeth. He couldn't deny that even though it was risky, he did want to let her in—to push past their predator-prey relationship into something more. What was the difference, really? He was already addicted to her blood, and he was already tempting fate by sneaking out to meet with her when he would surely be killed if he was caught. It was no different than the actions of a smitten lover pursuing a forbidden romance in the night.

Unable to hold back any longer, Vail took the Lady suddenly by the waist and pressed his lips to hers. His heart pounded wildly, and the metallic tang of blood wetted his tongue, which only made the kiss all the more exhilarating to him. He leaned into her passionately with ardor that was almost desperate in its intenseness. He hadn't realized just how fierce his desire to close the gap between them had been until after he'd finally done it.

"You're trouble," he breathed when he pulled back again. His eyes only met hers for a moment before lowering to her lips as he kissed her again. He only paused once more as he added, "I'm beginning to wonder if you like having control over me..."

[User]
Victoria's gut instinct was right, her idea worked, it made Vail want more of her instead of dressing and taking his leave, he stayed. She saw how his eyes were captivated the moment she licked the blood off her fingers. It wasn't long after he literally pounced her without even so much of a word. She practically squealed with delighted surprise as his lips latched onto hers so feverously. She had no idea the inner turmoil he was having regarding falling for her despite knowing the risks. She just wanted his attention, it was the only thing she had to look forward to. Otherwise she would be completely alone. She enjoyed feeling his lips upon hers.

She was almost sad that he pulled back the first time, but she had to come up for air too. She grinned when he commented that she was trouble. "I know…" She gazed at him mere moments before he dived in again and she ran her hands up his bare spine. She gasped again as he pulled back for a second time. She blushed when he suspected she liked having power over him. She couldn't deny that she liked knowing she could drive him crazy. "I do.." She repeated his own answer. Her hand then gently caressed his cheek as her eyes twinkled in the dimly lit room where only flickering flames crackled in the quiet rural countryside inn.

So they both admitted they liked the power game over each other. She was excited by it purely because she was a human having power over a vampire. Not many humans could wield such a power. This alliance with him would serve her well. She told herself she was only using him in the beginning for protection. However, the dynamics had changed. She wanted to see him for the sake of spending time with the man she'd grown fond of over the weeks. She just wanted him to want her for her mind and body. Whether he wanted her blood or not was no longer her worry. She just hoped he liked her more than just as his prey. Otherwise, what was the point of even fooling herself?

The charming, captivating and graceful vampire had caught her eye from the get-go. Those hazel eyes behind the mask. Eyes that told her there was something more to this man that met he eye. A deep wise and thoughtful individual. She wanted to dance with him as much as she could, it gave her true enjoyment at the ball. She hadn't danced with his equal yet and believed she would never. He still owed her another dance.

[Assistant]
Vail hadn't known he could feel this way about a human. His attraction to Victoria nearly frightened him in its intensity. He was used to being the one in control, the one with power over his prey's thoughts and emotions. It was the way things had always been. However, as unnerving as it was, he was discovering that he liked being at Lady Crest's beck and call. At first, it had just been her unique blood that had drawn him to her side again and again, but now, she had trapped him physically as well. He would come back to her because he wanted to feed on her blood but also because he wanted more of her. The mind and body attached to the food source was even more enticing than the food itself. He wanted as much as he could get.

When Victoria admitted she liked having control over him, his lip curved upward in an amused smile. He knew quite well just how exhilarating it could be to have power over someone else. He was also aware that no other human could boast of taming a member of his kind. Their situation was unheard of—at least, he didn't personally know any other vampires who would let themselves get so close to someone outside their own species. He had heard rumors of it happening before, but the tales had always been cautionary, and he was unsure if they were true. Either way, he had always been told that no good could come of such a relationship. It was only a matter of time now before he would find out if he should have heeded the warnings.

Knowing it was too late to turn back, he pressed into her lips again, gentler now that his initial desperation had faded. This was the route he had chosen to take, and he would just accept whatever consequences came with it. They had to be worth the exciting feelings he had when he was with this woman. He just hoped the repercussions wouldn't come too quickly.

Pushing what remained of his unease aside, Vail shifted to lay on top of Victoria instead of at her side as he kissed her. He had already crossed the line when he'd met her lips in the first place, so there was no point in holding back any longer. He wanted to have her, the alluring Lady who had continued to tempt him to push his boundaries since the day they'd met. By her reactions until now, he was sure she wanted him too.

He trailed his fingers up her arms and pressed her hands into the mattress, still toying with the power dynamics between them. His heart raced, and he moved away from her mouth to kiss her neck. Though he didn't bite her, he dragged a thin, shallow cut through her fair skin with one fang. The scent and taste of her blood only stimulated the vampire more, encouraging him to finally break the rule he'd lived by for so long and sleep with the human who'd ensnared his heart.


[System]
Age: 32

Gender: female

Appearance: Ramia stands just under 6 feet. Her hair is on the darker side of brown and extends just beyond her shoulders. Ramia's shoulders are quite broad in comparison to the rest of her body. Her face is quite pretty - though the large burn marks on her left cheek mar the overall image.

Her left arm has been also burned badly and has been reinforced with a second grade bionic enhancements of sub par quality - with some of the remaining burnt tissue still visible and the fake skin peeling off here and there to reveal the metal underneath it.

Ramia's right eye still has it's icy blue color and piercing stare, but the left one has been replaced with a bionic prosthetic that occasionally flickers between green and red-ish orange.

Most distinct feature of Ramia's clothing is the gray officer's jacket of her's and a black leather trench coat that's obviously two to three sizes too large for her - so it has obviously belonged to someone else in the past.

Personality: Ramia can be at times a real pain to work with - though she adapts well to all kinds of situations she'd still rather handle things her own way. Keeping the Xian Federation in check for nearly 4 years has taken it's toll on her, making Ramia even more cold, calculating and cynical.

Deep down she is a caring person - not that she'd admit it to anyone not extremely close to her - and will put the safety and even well being of others over her own.

Strengths: Expert tactician - in both space and ground combat, charismatic leader and a very gifted speaker, is an ace pilot.

Weaknesses: Ramia is able to get very little sleep at nights due to the pain caused by the haphazardly installed bionic arm of hers, she also has a nasty habit of underestimating people based solely on first impressions.

Equipment:

Of the very few resources Ramia still has at her disposal the Guardian Mark IV Bipedal Flight Suit is perhaps the most awe inspiring even if it's missing nearly three quarters of it's armaments.

The humanoid shaped Flight Suit stands at nearly 50 feet tall and is armed with a pair of high caliber machine guns that are mounted on it's left arm - admittedly the Mark IV should have a pair of shoulder mounted missile pods, but those have either been removed or there has not been any time to actually install them. The right arm should also contain a high powered laser cannon, but judging by the very shoddy wiring and barely held up plates that has been removed as well.

The only two parts of the BFS that seem to be in remarkable condition are the thrusters mounted on it's shoulders and feet - and the cockpit situated inside the machine's chest. The Guardian's paintwork is peeling off here and there, but the stylized spear emblem of the Xian Federation can still be seen on it's chest.

Biography: Ramia Zeon was born in a space colony to a family of soldiers. Many generations of the Zeon family had been soldiers with variable success. Ramia herself showed interest in warfare at an unnervingly young age - first in simulations ofcourse, but at the age of 16 she had already taken part in her first real battle. She rose through the ranks at an alarming speed - mostly by the qualification of being one of the few remaining officers alive after nearly any conflict. At the age of 26 - to her own amazement and to the amazement of those around her - Ramia was given the title of a general, which wasn't quite unheard of, but still caused quite a fuss.

She however quickly proved that she was just as good - if not even better - at leading the troops and fighting with them on the front lines. By 27 she had earned the nickname of Halcyon General for her remarkable ability to keep her cool even under the most dire situations.

At 28 Ramia let a coup at a small colony called Xian, crushing all resistance without suffering nearly any casualties. The Xian Federation was born soon after and Ramia was appointed as the acting head or the High Lady. She spent her time playing mind games with the other main members of the coup, slowly causing infighting and making her hold over the Federation even tighter.

Some might say that she should have seen what was coming - the few remaining originators of the Federation finally saw through her plans, Ramia was deposed and - in a moment of utter imbecility on the behalf of the new leaders of the federation - actually left alive. She was imprisoned, but managed to escape by again manipulating the leaders, causing another wave of infighting.

She lost an arm and an eye during her escape and only managed to hijack a Guardian BFS instead of any of the newer models - the one she got wasn't even fully armed, but that was not the most important thought in Ramia's mind back then. The fact that she had survived was. As she flew away to relatively safety from Xian she saw under her the colony - her Federation - literally disappear in to flames.

A year has passed, some people are still wary of the Halcyon General, some say she died when the Xian colony was destroyed, but some people know better.

Romance: Yes.

[User] Ramia glanced at both Huzuni and Belle with a dry little smile on her lips. The last thing she really needed now was conversation, but at least she could get to know the two a bit better. Hastily the dark haired woman leaped out from the Flight Suit's cockpit and adjusted the black trench coat of hers. "Oh I just tested the... durability of the cockpit's frame that's all." She answered Huzuni's question with a little amused smirk before glancing at Belle while the bionic eye switched color to a blue shade. "I'm fine, just a bit vexed and tired due to things that have happened recently. Nothing you should worry about." Ramia turned her back on the two and did her best to seem like she was examining the Flight Suit.

[Assistant] "Hmm, What was that about? Also, hi there, you must be Belle. How are you doing?" He asked, as he did so, something blinked. That image... back onto his head... but this time, it was starting to make him weirded out. Every single time he saw Belle. He had a bad felling. But, just like last time, tried ignoring it.

[User] Seeing Belle alone with the newest addition to their group, Artyem walked over to the nano-suited man and offered his hand. "my name is Artyem, pleasure to meet you." Then, turning to the purple-head he said, "Hey Belle, can you meet me here later? I want to know if you can put some upgrades onto my drone, since it's only a basic production model."

[Assistant]
They where nearing the warp gate. He always liked the way they looked for some strange reason. he then aimed straight for the gate." well that took long enough. with that he enterd the gate. when entering it seemed like the ship was concealed in a giant bubble wich was surounded bye black and nothing else expect a few white flecks who gave the idea of stars. He then stood up heading for his bedroom. Evi be a dear and watch the rest of the crew for me will ya.""of course sir anything else some tea or a massage perhaps."?"well you could just shut up but i think that would be asking to much now would it"?

he grinned and shut the door behind him just hearing Evi say. asshole. He ignored her and lay on his bed watching the stars and he fell to sleep into a horrible nightmare.

[User] "Right, testing the frame. Gotcha." Belle says, cocking an eyebrow at Ramia. Before she could say anything else, two more members of the crew began to speak to her. "I'm alright." She says in reply to Huzuni, petting her bird before shaking the hand of Artyem. "Yes, I'll be sure to meet you here, sometime soon. First, though, I believe someone called in saying they needed help. Unfortunately, I didn't bring a cargo crate full of scrap metal with me, but I'll see about helping fix that thing up with what I've got. Hey, if we need some metal, there is always Penny." Hearing this comment, the robot bird quickly took off and fled to a doorway, clicking onto the ledge and turning to look at Belle with what would, if she could actually show it, be a glare. Belle knew Penny well enough, and just laughed off the glare. "Baby, I was kidding." She says. The bird lifts it's head like royalty, and Belle rolls her eyes before moving off to grab tools. Moments later, Belle comes back with a toolbelt laden with tools and a single datapad strapped there. She began to get to work on Ramia's flight suit.

[Assistant] The samurai shacked his hand with Artyem, since he's not so social with people due to how he was raised, and replied with "My name... is Huzuni". He then took a small step back and said "We must be going through the gate... Hmf, if what is after this is peace, then I'm happy. If not, I guess I'll just need to show them what I've been tought. Anyways, I'm going to restart my nano-suit. Who knows what we'll find on the other side?" With that, he headed to his room and did what he said. While doing such, he tought "I think I'm going to have a hard time on the other side... oh well, just more people or creatures who stand in my way..."

[User]
All these people are so different than the one's I've used to working with... Better watch my step just in case... Ramia thought as she smiled very faintly while following the interactions between Belle and her little robot. The Halcyon General had already made her own assumptions about the younger woman - she was at least a capable technician if she really had built that little robot all by herself, also Belle was quite pretty too. The fingers of Ramia's right hand instinctively moved to touch the burn mark on her left cheek and the color of her bionic eye changed to a very pale shade of blue - nearly as cold as her normal eye.

These people don't seem to care about my past - either they simply do not care, or do not know who I wa- am, who I am. Ramia shook her head ever so slightly and glanced at Artyem. There was just something about him... Maybe it was the REMOD rifle, or the overall appearance - the dark haired woman decided it would be best for her to keep her guard up even more when the man was around.

Would they react differently if I told them more about myself? Would they trust me more or less? I doubt anyone of us trusts each other at all... At least I don't trust any of them before... She barely got a good look at Hazuni, but she guessed the fellow was much more than what meets the eye. He seemed like a calm person, maybe one who would either be good at giving orders or receiving them.

Ramia turned her attention back to Belle and tried to sound as friendly as possible - her best wasn't quite the friendliest tone, but at least she didn't sound condescending or impolite. "I don't think that li'll thing would have enough metal in her to even fix the cup holders. Anyways... Uh... Thanks for checking up on the Flight Suit." The dark haired woman sounded a bit like she was having difficulty talking to someone who was equal instead of being beneath her.

[Assistant]
As the nano suited man walked off mumbling to himself, Artyem quickly became bored and decided to return to his room. Motioning to Jack, he walked back to his room, but before leaving he turned to Belle and said, "Hey Belle, I'd appreciate it if you didn't use your bird to spy on me. Next time you do, I'm accusing you of being a voyeur." Done with his warning, Artyem quickly hurried back to his room.

 Locking the door behind him, he began inspecting his ammunition blocks. They were simple blocks of metal that his REMOD rifle would shave off to fire. He had 5 basic block was capable of providing 100 each in rifle form, and 10 in railgun. He also had two blocks of Tungsten blocks for personnel armor and light vehicles. Finally pulling out the final ammo block, Artyem pulled out the block of depleted uranium, which he reserved for tanks and the like. Satisfied, Artyem "ordered" Jack to keep watch as he went to sleep after he placed everything away.

[User]
Huzuni, who was still as unsocial as he is, tought to himself that maybe if he gets the crew to know him, they might trust him better. And perhaps, help him find answers about his death, and also who killed his master, long ago.

"They probably won't be much help, but having people who I can call "Friends" would be good... maybe if I settle arround in a public area... it's going to be awkward for sure... but maybe they'll understand."

With such, he decided to walk arround the ship, to see if there was a crowded area. He didn't go to the cockpit cause he didn't want to disturb who was having an eye on it, so he didn't bother. He didn't go to any are where members of the crew were working, for the same reason as the cockpit. So he ended up finding pretty much no one.

"Should have know they're all busy... oh well, I guess I'll get some sleep. Don't have better things to do anyways" And so he went to his room, layed down on his bed, and slept away.

[Assistant] "No problem," Belle replies to Ramia. After tapping her wrench on the side of a plate to check it, she looks up at Ramia, cocking her head. "Ramia, you're sounding a little off," Belle says, pulling herself up, looking straight into the eyes of Ramia. "Tell me," She says, tilting her head. "Tell me, tell me, tell me." Belle speaks quickly, smiling at the other woman kindly. There was suddenly a loud clunk as something lands on top of the flight suit, sounding more like it slammed into it, and peered it's head over to stare at them. Belle looks up at Penny, then looks back down at Ramia with a little giggle.

[User]
Ramia smiled. It was a sincere smile - one that she nearly had forgotten how to do. She averted eye contact nearly instantly and shook her head, the smile dying down as soon as it had appeared. What am I going to say to her? The dark haired woman blushed ever so slightly, but resisted the urge to turn her back on Belle. "I-it's nothing... I... I just..." Oh god! I sound like a nervous schoolgirl... Get a hold of yourself, damnit. She coughed a bit nervously as the color of her bionic eye switched to a beautiful gold.

After an awkward pause Ramia was able to collect her thoughts slightly. "I just find it really weird that none of you have asked any questions - like who I am, where did I come from, why do I have a Guardian Mk. IV Flight Suit with me that has seen better days?" She twitched noticeably when Penny landed on the Flight Suit and glanced at the little robot "O-oi! You break it you buy it li'll rascal." The dark haired woman giggled with sincere amusement.


[System]
age: 19/20
appearance: girl in the first post picture.
role in the story: one of the twins
powers(if any): unknown
other: unknown

name: Eric Phillips
age: 19/20
appearance: guy in the first post picture.
role in the story: one of the twins
powers(if any): unknown
other:
unknown

[User]
Aela wasn't too big of a fan of the nickname but continued on after Emily. The swamp her mind wandered with possible threats within the swamp. Both magical and non magic threats. It made her nervous and quite on edge.
"We could set up camp outside of the swamp and focus our journey through it tomorrow? Or we could try to trek through it as much as we can and camp somewhere in a middle point?"

[Assistant]
Lore
Emily sighed.
"It is getting late. It might be best if we wait until tomorrow to try and make our way through it."
She looked at her brother and Aela.

Eric shrugged.
-"Whatever you think is best, aela. I....have bad judgement when it comes to this stuff."
He gave her a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head a bit.

Emily rolled her eyes.

[User] Aela thought for a moment with Emily's advice and glanced at the sun they didn't have too long. "You're completely right Em. Let's find a place to camp and we can start the trek through the swamp in the morning. Look for a spot and I am going to start gathering everything for a fire. I'd like to conserve my mana if that's alright. Once the fire is started and going I will start on dinner."

[Assistant]
Lore
Emily nodded.
"Alright."
She got to work and helped out.

Eric nodded as well.
-"ok."
He also got to work. He helped find a place to hide out when the camped. Luckily, there was a dirt cave in a hillside not too far away. -"Found it!"

Emily walked over to Eric. They set up things they would need since they would all be spending the night there, while Aela helped start a camp fire.

[User]
Aela gathered the materials she needed and with Emily and Eric's help was able to start a suitable fire and get a pot of water boiling. She was able to make a stew out of some of the supplies she brought with stag jerky, potatoes, cheese, and various herbs and spices with a side of moist bread rolls. Once dinner was ready she offered bowls and spoons to her companions to consume the stew with.

"I hope you enjoy it, eat what you can. You will need the strength and energy I'm sure about it. If you guys need me for any reason just come back to the campsite. Other than that be careful as you wander around in your animal forms, even if you have fangs and claws we don't know the creatures native to these parts."

[Assistant]
Lore
Eric nodded. He looked at Aela. He faintly smiled a bit.
-"Thank you."
He took a bite of stew. He blinked.
-"This is good."

Emily nodded and said 'Thanks' as well. She blinked after she took a bite. She agreed with her brother and kept eating.

-"I'm glad you came with us."
"Me too."
They both, then, glanced towards the sun. It was a good thing they camped. It WAS getting late, the sun was almost setting...almost.

[User] Aela smiled, "At least I will be good for something right?" She teased hoping to lighten the mood right before their torture began. She felt fairly sorry for them and needed to be strong in case they needed her.

[Assistant]
Lore
Eric half chuckled. He shook his head.
"Don't joke about that. You are skilled in everything you do."

Emily nodded. She had already finished her food. She had been quite hungry.

Eric would finish his food some time later. Then, they both glanced towards the horizon.

[User] Aela stood up and glanced over at the horizon. "Good luck you two. If you need any help tonight you know where to find me." Aela finished her meal and began to wash her dishes to put things away back into her bag. She carefully removed the iron pan from the fire and set it aside for it to cool down.

[Assistant]
Lore
Eric and Emily both nodded. Then, they both sighed.
"Thanks."
-"Thank you. Don't worry about us. We'll be fine."

They let her take care of the dishes as they sensed the curse would trigger soon. And so, they ducked out of sight, especially when the sun began to set. They expressed a bit of pain, and then their forms had changed again. Once it was fully dark, they were in animal form once again.

This time Emily was a duck. Eric, this time, was some kind of toad. They both had human sadness in their eyes as they looked at each other.

[User] Aela tended to the dishes and to the fire. She was sharpening her short sword and dagger with a bit of pain began to bother her. She would need to empty mana soon. But with their surroundings she didn't feel confident she could do it safely. What's more was that she felt she was being watched. She wondered what kind of wild life lived in the swamp. Emily didn't seem to elaborate too much. How many of the creatures were magic based? Did several species favor human flesh?

[Assistant]
Lore
Emily moved around a bit. But, she kept falling. She wasn't used to walking with the webbed feet of a duck.

Eric also had some difficulty. He was a toad. He had to hop to get around. Of course, being drawn to flies did not help either.

Anyway, they managed to make it to the entrance. Eric wanted to check on Aela. He wanted to make sure that she was alright. Emily stayed close to Eric. Emily accidentally made a sound. Eric looked at her. He would have frowned if he were in human form.

Eric managed to turn around to look where Aela was again.

[User]
Aela had moved on to sharpening her blades. She was working with a stone over her blades she seemed lost in thought to Eric. The glow of the fire danced across her casting her in a warm orange light. When the fire was low she would tend to it kindly, and return to sharping her swords.

Her mind continued to race even as she laid out a blanket to lay down on she glanced up at the stars with the fire there and her sword skills she wondered if they would be enough. Part of her joke was part of a worry that gnawed in the back of her mind. She had to support the chosen ones.

[Assistant]
Lore
Emily and Eric, even though they were both in animal form, peaked outside. They looked right at aela. They would have frowned if they were in human form, and they would have sighed as well. They felt bad. They wished they weren't so helpless. They felt they would be more helpful if they did not turn into animals because of some curse.

The sooner they got to that sorceress queen, the better. They both agreed on that. Sunrise could not come fast enough in their opinion. Eric stayed to the shadows and tried to hop to Aela.

[User] Aela was dozing lightly her short sword on the opposite side of her injured arm. Her hands were crossed across her torso and she was breathing calmly. The fire after a while should have gone out, instead it continued to burn even without fuel.

[Assistant]
Lore
Eric continued to hop. The toad that was Eric got close to Aela. He saw that she was sleeping. Once he made sure that she was alright, he turned and tried to hop back.

Emily was watching. She waited, anxious.

[User] Aela stirred in her sleep "Eric? Emily? Are you two okay? Do you need something?" Aela began to sit up and looked around a bit tired and out of it.

[Assistant]
Lore
Eric not speak. The only sounds he could make were that of a toad.

Emily was in the same position. She could only sound like a duck.

Both had the human worry in their eyes though.

[User]
She noticed a duck and toad. "Oh, that was not what we were hoping for...Okay you two come here Aela began setting out places for them to relax. Get some sleep or relax, I will take the night watch."
Aela moved to the front of the outer radius of the fire listening for any sounds or feelings acc

[Assistant]
Lore
Eric and Emily has saddened looks in their eyes. They didn't get to choose what animals they turned into each night. It was always random. Anyway, they rested beside Aela on either side. Eric would have leaned next to her, but he couldn't as a toad. He just sat there quietly, resting as best as he could, hoping for no dangers to come. Emily was hoping for the same thing.

[User]
As both Eric and Emily leaned against Aela, a sound of movement caught her attention. She quickly moved to her feet, focusing her attention on listening. In the thicket of trees a shadow of something large was moving through the swamp. Branches broke and the trees seemed to crack and snap as it moved. It was big and that thing had massive amounts of mana.
"Eric, Emily if that thing comes out here get behind me immediately. For now just remain calm, and it should leave us alone."

[Assistant]
Lore
Eric froze. Emily froze as well. As animals, especially ones that were normally prey animals, they were helpless. They did not know what to do. Then, they heard Aela. They would have nodded had they been in human form. However, the look in their eyes said that they understood. They stayed close to her for the time being. They, then, began to wonder what was out there just then.

[User] Aela held her breath until the movements move away and the sound fades. Aela relaxes and sits back down, breathing a sigh of relief. "That might have been close...that beast seems to be a magical one. I'm not sure as to why mortals would risk going through the swamp. Should we continue to go through it? Does the book say we have to? What if we try to go around?"

[Assistant]
Lore
Emily could only make a duck noise. Eric could only make a toad sound. Then, they both gave saddened looks. They had no human voices when they turned into animals. If one could read their thoughts, they could communicate that way. But, alas, they doubt that anyone had such an ability.

Emily simply wondered back to where she and Eric had been hiding. She tried to drag the book to Aela with her beak.

[User] Aela noticed Emily waddle away she approached her carefully with what she was trying to carry in her mouth. She noticed it is the book. Aela helped with Emily handling the book. "Is it okay if I read this again?" With a confirmation from the two she opened the book and began to read the next step starting from the previous step they completed with the bright roses and going to a place where light ends.

[Assistant]
Lore
Emily gave a look that said it was ok. Eric gave the same look. They both watched as Aela opened the book and read it.

The book said that after the swamp, there was a mountainside. They had to keep going until they reached the smallest little mountain and then take the short tunnel cave. There was a glowing tunnel that only those who could use magic would be able to notice and reveal. They were to take that tunnel until they sensed fire magic.

[User]
Aela knelt down with Emily and Eric letting them see the book too she read the passage aloud. She paused and looked at the circumference of the swamp. "Seems according to this we don't have to cross the swamp. Instead, we could go around."
Aela ran a finger over the pages reading the passage of the tunnel and paused at fire magic.
"Fire magic... like my own magic? Or could it possibly be different?"

[Assistant]
Lore
Emily blinked. Eric blinked. There was that human confusion in their eyes. They were silent, and not just because they could not talk. They watched as Aela continued to read the passage, but she read it out loud for them to hear.

Emily wished that she had a voice so she could think out loud and be of help. Eric felt the same way. They would have both sighed at that point if they were not in animal bodies.

They could only managed to glance at each other, and then at her again.

[User]
Aela realized she was voicing her thoughts aloud. "Sorry about that. Just focus on relaxing and in the morning after breakfast we can start moving around the swamp to reach the mountains."

Aela returned to her blanket and set out two spots close to her that Emily and Eric could relax she layed down and began to doze again. This time the campfire had burned through all the wood and kindling yet it still blazed by them.

[Assistant]
Lore
Eric had a look in his eyes that said he understood. Emily had the same look in hers. They watched as Aela set up the blanket and such. They barely looked at the fire. They still glanced at the book from time to time.

Soon enough, they would lay on that blanket. They tried to save their energy, their strength. The transformation back tended to be just as bad as the change into animals. Anyway, they waited for sunrise, resting. Then, they would become humans again and the journey would resume. They had to get past the swamp and find that mysterious mountain tunnel in question.

Time would pass slowly in their minds....

[User] Aela began to drift off to sleep once again. The night seemed pretty calm. Soon Aela fell asleep deeply and after some hours passed the sun began to rise slowly. At the time, Aela was in a deep sleep. Her breath was calm and even. This time she dreamt about meeting other mages who could use fire magic.

[Assistant]
Lore
Emily and Eric barely rested. They were helpless animals and this made them feel worried and anxious. They kept on guard and kept their eyes out for any trouble during the night. They could not wait for sunrise. Time would pass. However, it would seem to pass rather slowly. Eventually, night time would end.

The sun would rise. When it did, they would change back into humans. They would be ready to resume the journey some time after that. They waited for Aela and such though. They could not risk hurrying along too soon after all.


[System]
* Age: 16
* Gender: Female
* Appearance: "Of course you are." Chinatsu is short, at under five feet in height.
* Personality: Chinatsu is a serious-seeming girl who is also rather down to earth and practical. However, in spite of this attitude, she also has quite an aggressive temper and a deeply sarcastic side she is liable to unleash rather freely. However, Chinatsu is also very focused on her goals, and frequently channels her temper into combat. At the same time, when she becomes angry enough she may begin to misjudge what she is doing and make mistakes. Regardless, she is a rather snarky girl even when not in a bad mood, deadpan sarcasm or biting insults being her preferred way to display mild irritation. Chinatsu dislikes stupidity, and she will loudly voice her discontent with anyone behaving stupid. Chinatsu is confident in her abilities as a fighter, but lacks self-confidence in a number of other areas, such as her lack of physical maturity, or her height. She is also very easy to make flustered or embarrassed, in spite of her serious and confident behavior. At the moment, her aggression is largely directed towards ascending the ranks and taking on the Student Council President herself.
* Backstory: Chinatsu is hardly very forthcoming about her history, but it seems she was raised by a relatively average family until her father died in a sudden accident. It wasn't long after that her mother, too, fell ill and died. Without parents, raised by a family friend, Chinatsu ended up focusing on the use of AE Devices, particularly Ryu, the sword owned by her family. This singlemindedness lead to her being referred to as the Bloody Assassin during Junior High. After spending only a short time at a different High School, she suddenly left and transferred to Shiroyama. On her first day, she declared her intent to defeat the Unbreakable Student Council president, something no student has ever achieved. Her fellow students thought this was ridiculous, as she was a Rank 0 regardless of her reputation in the past. Shiroyama's standards are quite high, after all. After being harassed by a Rank 10 student during lunch, Chinatsu defeated him almost effortlessly, sending her immediately up to Rank 5.
* Inherent Engine Skill: Flash Step - Chinatsu can perform what is seemingly teleportation, but is in fact a sudden acceleration to ridiculous speed, for a split second. This causes her to seemingly disappear and reappear to avoid attacks or suddenly close a small gap between herself and a target.
* Active Engine Device: Ryumaru - A glowing, red, straight-bladed katana referred to as "Ryumaru" by Chinatsu, this AE Device crackles with red energy when unsheathed. Naturally, it is capable of a basic, straightforward function. That is, cutting things. It's rather effective at doing so, slicing through mundane materials easily. It is normally carried sheathed on Chinatsu's lower back. It has a few different functions.
	+ Shoheki Taberu: An attack designed to destroy mana core-based defenses, Shoheki Taberu surrounds Ryu with energy and forces itself into the outer layer of shielding. Then, it releases this energy, in a move designed to dissolve the barrier from the inside out be directing its own energy through the barrier's structure. However, Shoheki Taberu has no use against physical barriers, or any IE skill that directly hardens the body. In addition, the attack must hit point first.
	+ Fukusū no hōkō Jikkō Kōgeki: An attack that causes Ryumaru's blade to alter its course in an impossible way, striking at two different angles on a single target simultaneously. This ability is not impossible to block, but it does certainly offer a difficult attack for an opponent to deal with.
	+ Ansatsu Mode: A "kill or be killed" last ditch effort attack, Ansatsu Mode transforms Ryumaru into a large, even sharper form, the blade splitting and producing red energy to length and enhance its cutting capabilities. This form begins to draw off of Chinatsu's vitality, quickly draining her of all her remaining ability remain on her feet, but is incredibly dangerous to her opponent and very capable of winning a battle in a single blow, if she can land it before collapsing.
* Skills: Chinatsu is an awful, awful cook, to the point of her cooking being considered an "alternate weapon". Aside from that, she is extremely fast and light on her feet, a capable and speedy girl who can even briefly run along walls.
* Rank: 5th
* Club: Chinatsu has no allegiance to any clubs for now.

[User]
"Well, I'll tell you how we're going to do it when I get that far," Mori replied, releasing Daichi from his (admittedly non-serious) grip, and patting him on the shoulder. "Gonna need a lot of prep work. I'll get around to it when I have the time."

If Daichi wasn't getting excited then it was hard for him to get excited about this. It was pretty long in the future as far as he could tell, he'd give it time.

He wanted to keep it secret partially because Getter Robo was also kind of like that, a little bit. The lab was fighting against an evil force, the Student Council wasn't exactly evil but they sure did act like it sometimes. They'd be sourcing their own funding anyway, and they weren't gonna be using the grounds for testing. Why tell them anyway? Still it definitely sounded better in his head than when he said it out loud.

"Well, I'll try and grab somebody else for Karaoke, see you tonight!" He called out as he left the Repair Club.

Thinking about Getter Robo got him thinking about pilots for it. Well, it could certainly be the repair club but they weren't the best candidates ever. Not like they were making the best machines every either, but surely it was the thought that counted. Well... no that was stupid. He just wanted an excuse to go bother some people.

Outside of the repair club the people he really knew were few and far between. Sure, lots of people knew him, but not so much the other way around. There was one particular student he was thinking about. The new transfer student who had been generating some measure of attention. He... didn't remember what her name was, but he had her in his dossier. Hard to not write somebody like that down.

"Where is it..." He muttered flipping through the pages. "Here we go..."

On top it was written; "Sword was cool. Think up a cool name.."

Well, he had come up with a couple good ones, by this point, actually. 'Hot Sword.' On a more serious note, 'The Flash Flameblade', 'The Flashflame Blade', 'The Flame Flashblade?' He wasn't sure whether she could shoot fire yet, but that was his head-canon at this point in time. The sword was red hot so what else was it going to be?

She was also short. The main reason he wanted to find her was she looked like she'd be fun to heckle.

"Now if I were a passive-but-aggressive loner with no patience for other people where would I go?" He said aloud.

Rooftop it was.

[Assistant]
"Tally ho!"

It was amazing how quickly it had happened. Daiji's plea for assistance was barely out of his mouth when a girl flew feet first into view as though she had been spring loaded, a bullet in a gun waiting for this moment to be fired. She planted the bottom of her sandals into the side of the still standing delinquents head, sending the boy sprawling onto the cafeteria floor.

She landed with a short "oof" and a few metal clanks. One of them was the long pole that she'd used to launch herself at the delinquent, clattering to the ground just inside her reach, but the other was her helmet. It had fallen off as she vaulted through the air and was left spinning on the floor behind her.

The fact that she'd been wearing the helmet wasn't the only thing odd about her. She had a cheaply made scrap metal shield strapped to her back, armor on her legs, and a raging fire in her eyes as she hopped up and placed herself between the delinquents and Daiji. All in all she looked like she was halfway to dying gloriously for her country as generic CGI footsoldier #314 in Hollywood's next fantasy epic.

"Hear me, oh dogs of the dark lord Chie." She said, kicking her pole back up into her hands and leveling it at the two. "I know not what vile deeds you had intended for this middle aged man, but on my honor he will not be your only foe. I am Fukano Yume, knight errant. Rise, and name thyselves!"

Yume didn't actually need to know their names. After all, she knew them. She knew every member of Yamamoto Chie's insidious cabal of ne'er do wells, by face and attitude if not name, and had battled many of them at some point or another as they levied their unjust taxes upon the poor of the student body. Though now it looked as though they had graduated to assaulting the elderly! It made her sick, and with the fire of the noontime sun burning in her breast she made ready to crush them.

As soon as they were back to their feet, of course. It wouldn't be proper to attack them as they were now.

[User]
What happened to keeping it short?

This weird, polite and not even remotely threatening delinquent club president leader was just sitting down and listing out endless 'perks' of joining her weird delinquent club. Chinatsu found herself staring blankly as the list just became longer and longer. What was the point of a club built around breaking the rules having so many rules? Who even joined this club? And worst of all, it was just taking so long to get through it.

"... So you're a club about breaking the rules... that has a million different rules?" Chinatsu questioned, tilting her head at the somewhat taller girl, "What kind of sense does that make?"

She didn't wait for Chie to respond.

"You're wasting your time, anyway," continued the small brunette, pigtails bobbing as she folded her arms across her chest, "I don't have any interest in joining your club. At all."

Taking money from other students? Even if Chinatsu had interest in any clubs that was hardly going to catch her attention. And it wasn't as if she had any concerns about having her own pocket change stolen. She was quite confident that wasn't going to happen, to begin with.


[System]
Alias: None, though some have called him Snow on account of his oddly white hair.
Age: 23

Appearance:

Personality: Eryx is quiet and calculated, his eyes are almost never still. He has claimed that the world moves slow to him, and he doesn't like it. This makes him irritable at times, but he's always reliable when he's assigned a task.

Bio: Eryx was arrested at a young age for violent outbursts, he is cold and uncaring yet completely honest. He has never spoken a lie to protect himself. He was always a fast thinker, using this to get into and win fights, stealing, and calculating how to get away with theft. After stealing from the wrong people there was an unfortunate event where in an act of revenge, he took the fight to an enemies family to teach a lesson.

Eryx has been off grid for half a decade, and what has returned in a much more quiet man. He doesn't seem as prone to violence, only acting in self defense. Nobody has matched his defensive capability, most would be too tired to keep fighting by the time he strikes back. People who remember him can speak for how viscious he was, and that his hands aren't to be underestimated.

Skills:
-Basic Lockpicking
-Advanced hand to hand capabilities.
-Agility and flexibility, effective but crude.

Equipment: A pair of sturdy gloves, steel plates are on the both sides of the palms, as well as the backs of the fingers.

[User]
Kai stumbled back a few steps as the caravan started to move, just only managing to keep his balance. He caught a glimpse of Roxy when she appeared out in the open to distract the guards as the man in white was driving away. He was puzzled, not expecting her to ever do such a thing, and hoped that she would be able to escape with most of the guards' attention currently on her. Not having to face any more guards for the time being, he lowered himself to lie on his front so as to reduce the possibility of falling off of the moving vehicle.

Just as he had crawled his way to the front porch, the man shouted some instructions to him. Grab some coins? That seemed like a rather strange thing to get him to do. He would comply for the moment, considering the current situation, but knowing the reason for the confusing request was probably important as well. He dropped himself off of the edge onto the front footboard, right behind the horse that the stranger in white was riding.

"Aye, Sir! But what for?" He asked as he threw the front doors of the carriage open hoping to see some coins lying about.

Right when he had stepped in, however, he heard an unusual sound coming from behind the back doors of the carriage. It sounded like someone was moving back there. Did a guard manage to get onto the caravan? Not wanting to engage in a sword fight inside the moving caravan, he wrapped his fingers around the grip of the flintlock pistol tied at his waist as he waited for the back doors to open. He wanted to end this one quick, and he had one shot. He hoped it would be all he needed.

@FalkiThomas @Sleeth @King Tai @SantosGabriel77

[Assistant]
This commander was now becoming aggravating. Isago was about to leave for the alley but the commander was hindering that by continuing his attack. He had to play dirty. Seeing how the man was going to try and cripple him this time, Isago couldn't just dodge or block the swing that was coming down. Isago felt that if he couldn't run back, he'd push forward. Isago went for a shoulder tackle to use his strength and to get on the inside of the sword attack to knock the commander off balance as he called out. "SABA!!" He shouted while a few more guards came his way to attack Isago. Someone came from out of the alley with a large jar and holding onto the handles, spun around for momentum and managed to toss it over to the guards breaking when it hits the ground revealing it was filled with oil and with a torch in her hand, tossed it to start a fire that would hopefully hold some of the guards off while the carriage headed off.

Isago heard Roxy and nodded rushing to pass the prostitute he was with and rushed to run after the carriage to jump on.

@Raptra@KatherinWinter@Sleeth@FalkiThomas

[User]
Ratte slipped through the door of the museum and darted towards the carriage. She could see Kai and a guard clinging onto the back and roof of the carriage, whilst Isago ran for the coach behind with a woman she didn't know. @King Tai The rest of the guards were taken care of; a thin cloud of smoke rising up between them and the carriage where someone had created a barrier with flames. Another man, yet again one that she hadn't seen before, ran from a tumbling pile of crates towards the carriage. @SantosGabriel77

She frowned, not sure exactly what to think of the situation. She couldn't think for too long. She gritted her teeth and launched herself at the carriage, flinging her body forward and slammed against the side, gripping it tightly with her hands. She gasped and winced as a shooting pain shot through her hand. Something had twisted or hit the wooden panel and was going to bruise but again she pushed it aside, focusing instead on her footing. She arranged her feet on the thin strip of wood lining the base of the carriage and reached up to grip onto a wrought iron lantern hook. The lantern itself had long since blown itself out and the cage was rattling against the side of her wrist. She narrowed her eyes at it before shouting up to Kai, "Kid! What's going on? Where's Roxy?" @Raptra @KatherinWinter

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The commander grunted and landed with a thud after the impact of Isago's charge. He gasped, winded, and rolled onto his side, trying to catch his breath before the thieves escaped. He heard horses and footsteps trampling in every direction and frowned, watching a good half of his men turn and run after a girl dressed all in black leather. Her face looked familiar. "H-Hey!" he wheezed, "They're... they're getting away!" With several more grunts and groans, the commander got to his feet and was immediately affronted by a wall of heat. He covered his face and staggered back, coughing.

He dropped his hand and let out a long shaking breath. He was at a loss. They had the horses and the carriage and one of them had seduced his men in the opposite direction. He gripped his fist tightly and set his eyes on the retreating figures. One, two, three, four, five, six. Black, purple, orange, white. Rat, kid, snow, black, prostitute, spider. He memorized their sillhouettes and their fading features, before allowing himself to keel over and hold his aching chest. He would find them again.

 @Sleeth

[Assistant]
Eryx was calm at this point, they'd just about made it into the clear. Now though they'd head for the slums, riding directly for the church where undoubtedly beggers would sit in wait form alms. "Toss whatever you picked up!" He calls over his shoulder as they storm down. It was a trick as old as time, money in the streets to build a wall of people.

After they'd passed that point, the carriage slowed down to a trot, bringing them through just fast enough that if someone had the bright idea to try and rob them he'd have no issue trampling them. "Right then, where too kid?" He ponders, looping up to slip back out of the neighborhood as he looked for pursuing guards.

[User]
Kai could hear more instructions from the stranger in white in the background, though, he currently had something more urgent deal with. The back doors of the caravan were then kicked open. Before the guard who had been behind them could take more than two steps towards him, Kai had cocked his pistol, aimed, and fired. The sound of the gunshot echoed through the area. The guard stumbled back and fell off the back of the carriage. Not pausing to check the condition of the guard he had just shot, he then grabbed a small bag of coins and threw it out onto the street. People flocked over to pick up what he had tossed, blocking any more pursuing guards from reaching them. The boy had to admit, he was rather impressed by the idea.

He then spun around when he heard another voice. The other woman in the group had somehow made it onto the carriage and was asking him about Roxy. He slammed the back doors shut before dashing back to the front to pull her inside.

"She ran in the other direction," he replied, sliding the pistol back through the cloth tied around his waist. "I hope she managed to get away too."

When the man in white asked Kai where to go next, he hesitated, knowing not to give the location of their hideout away to a stranger. Sure, he had helped them through the entire job, but the boy was not about to take responsibility for anything that might go wrong at this point. He glanced at Ratte, and then at Isago, who had also managed to get on, before speaking up again.

"We uh... should look for someone," he said, hoping that Roxy would show up soon. Had there also not been another man with them?

@FalkiThomas @King Tai @KatherinWinter @SantosGabriel77

[Assistant]
Tai@Raptra@SantosGabriel77@FalkiThomas@Sleeth

Roxy watched to make sure they made it on to the wagon. She breathed a sigh of relief when they didn't. She wasn't worried about the guards identifying the others. She was sure that they had had posters with their faces on it before. They would hide in the shadows until the heat died down. They were more than capable of taking care of themselves. She doubted any of them noticed or cared that she wasn't with them.

She glanced over her shoulder wondering if it would be better to let the guards grab her. She was going to 0ay for failing either way. She sighed and shook her head. She wasn't a coward. She wouldn't take the easy way. She ran into the shadows using her smaller frame to hide from the guards that tried to find her. One of the benefits of only being fibe foot was that she fit into alot of places that others didn't.

Once the guards were out of the alley she climbed to the roof tops. She had to report her failure. It was no one's fault but her own. She silently made her way over the roofs of the buildings. But she didn't head to the slums. No she headed towards the noble district.

[User]
@Raptra@FalkiThomas@SantosGabriel77

Managing to get away from the commander, running on the roof while his prostitute friend left the area as well. She didn't jump on the carriage but she was sure to meet Isago in the slums soon too. Isago jumped onto the top of the carriage and noticed Kai shooting another man off.

While they managed to get some distance, Isago breathed a little heavy. "Well that was a mess but...seems we got out regardless.." He said looking back. When the guy in white and Kai talked, Isago noticed that Roxy wasn't there. What was she trying to do? Did she get caught or is she sacrificing herself? She didn't have to. Isago spoke up. "Roxy's not here huh? I'm tempted to go back to see if she's fine...she did get us together and it would be a waste if she gone and died right after getting the loot." he mentioned.

He turned to the guy in white. "And you...I appreciate your help and all but who are you?"

[Assistant]
A crowd gathered behind the wagon to gather the coins. Despite the handfuls of gold that Kai throw out there was still plenty of coins. There was a barrel for each of them. It wasn't quiet what Roxy had promised but it was more than most of them could earn on their own. In a way she had kept her word. There was no sign of her as they made their back to the base they would have one their own.

It was now evening. The shadows were starting to fall. There were plenty of ways that the group could go their separate ways if they chose to do so. If they returned to the base they would find nothing but an empty room. There were no clues to where Roxy might have gone or who she might have been. Being an assassin she was very good at hiding from the world.

[User]
Ratte felt surprisingly alive and awake. She supposed it was her mind buzzing with questions, annoyance and debate. Their leader had disappeared and for no real reason. Ratte was certain that Roxy had better fighting skills than her and had more stamina. She had crept up on Ratte, who had declared herself queen lack-of-surprise to anyone that had listened. So why forfeit the fight like she had?

There was also a new person here. She didn't trust him. She was certain now that he wasn't trying to claim their gold for his own, but she still had her doubts. She let her eyes drift over him. He was unusual; all white to her darkness, yet beneath the exterior she sensed the history that he had built himself on. She sighed and looked back down at the barrels of gold they had managed to acquire.

She had stuffed her satchel full of gold coins and hidden a few in her boots. The rest remained in the barrel and she sat watching it, perplexed. In her hand, she held a small knife and she flicked it absent-mindedly. She hadn't thought about the sheer amount of gold that they would be getting - she had expected a few gems that she could pawn off later, but never this much. She didn't have anywhere to put it. She would have to hide it somewhere. "That's it..." she mumbled, "I'm becoming a pirate."

She looked across at Kai, "Hey kid, how do you make a treasure map?" she asked, flicking the knife and catching it, "I want to hide my treasure..."

Tai@KatherinWinter@Raptra@Sleeth

[Assistant]
Eryx gives a quick wave as he's greeted, peering over to the Pirate. "A friend." He says simply, vague was good for the moment. As the haul was out though, he took a few coins, seeming rather uninterested in any larger haul. "I'll never get this whole getting rich thing people go for. So much less effort to steal nice things than to steal the money to buy them."

He opens the door to the empty hideoutx seeming disheartened that they'd arrived to this. "Not much of a secret hideout though. I got involved for this? I thought there would actually be contacts around." He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck before turning to face the small group. "Nevermind though, people get followed back to places all the time, probably best to keep moving."

Eryx reaches up and pulls his hood down, though as the snow white strands come into view, it's hardly a change of scenery. The small mask that covered his mouth is then tugged away, letting a smooth and narrow jaw come into view, bearing his grinning lips. Golden eyes flicker across them, seeming somehow just as amused.

"I'm Eryx, I used to live here, had to switch scenery for a little while. You leave for a few years and, well," He directs to the ex-hideout, now cleared and spotless. "Old friends are hard to find."