[System]
Gender:
 "Male"

Age:
 "What do you think? 30-something? Alright, let's go with 33. Seems like a reasonable number."

Description:
 Black hair with white strands scattered about, like an overstressed aging man, and long enough to cover his ears and develop bangs, although he sweeps them to the side. Pale skin. Eyes of uncertain colour, hidden behind metal-frame circular glasses. Arguably handsome, though he never takes that face mask off. Unusually average body of unknown height, for rarely do people ever see him stand up from his wheelchair, which seems made of wood, iron and leather, with iron-reinforced wooden wheels attached to it. The lack of hand-carried luggage would suggest it's all under the wheelchair but no one can say for sure, he dismisses whenever someone asks. As far as clothing goes, he seems very well-off. Leather, silk and cotton surround his entire body, even down to hand gloves, and yet he does not have an umbrella. Does he not get hot in them? Oh, and a sharp middle-aged man voice.

Bio:
 (optional)

Purpose of travel:
 (optional but recommended)

Other info:
 Able to harness the dark arts of witches, but to what degree is unknown. Has so far shown the ability to detect metals, make surfaces intangible, near-instantaneously turn things into other things of same material, either float or stick to walls, tactile telekinesis, and craft (produce?) small items of cloth or silver material. Seems to generally require at least indirect physical contact to use abilities, except for detecting metals which may or may not be part of the dark arts of witches to begin with.
 Prone to mana exhaustion (small mana pool and/or high mana costs?). Unable to move without mana. Seemingly able to safely absorb mana from external sources.

 Unmoving fake eyes made of ivory. Possibly stolen hair.

 Knows about the Greene Estate. Related to Dustin and Dixie Greene? Callback to spiral origin's previous game Mystville?

[User]
So, Lady DeVespe and this drunk guy just... He internally slapped himself. Not his business.

 It seems he's a tad rusty with controlling his power, only having used it to move with his wheelchair for a long time. Steeling himself to exert full power, he lightly elbowed the taffrail again, this time intent to hurl DeVespe's second guard's entire body towards Barbara.

 Barbara... that's a woman's name, right? That's a woman?

origin
 With this distraction, he gave back the white card back to Lady DeVespe. "I just can't ever seem to get anyone to accept my help. I hope it's not because you think I'm helpless." He reverses his wheelchair while looking down. Seems like he's trying to measure his spot. He looks back at DeVespe. "Good luck."
 His wheelchair tips over backwards, and it would seem like he's falling, but instead he fully submerges through the wood floor like it's made of water, leaving no trace.

---

 There he was, hanging upside-down from the ceiling of a closed cabin below the deck. He took this moment to ponder on the nature of that card. He was sure of it, traces of mana on the card just before he took ahold of it, possibly to show hidden text solely for Lady DeVespe...
 Maybe if he was a mere seconds earlier, he could've read it.

 Actually, what was up with the card itself? He thought it'd be parchment or a sheet of wood but no, perfectly cut and folded sheet of... It seemed like linen but it shone in the sunlight like silk. It maintains its shape... hardened by light heating? The words seem to be seared onto it, so maybe, but what nice design.

 His mana pool is beginning to suffer from this prolonged mid-air suspension, and so he began rolling towards the wall, and down the floor. What was that name in the card again? The 'proprietor' of... a fashion business? It was at the start of the card... Oh, wow, the air in this room feels so dry, it's unusually pleasing... Come on, focus. "Sme... Smothering... no.."

 As his wheels touch the floor, he stares straight at this... gorgeous woman? With the red hair and deep v-neck black dress... "S...mouldering Ember."

 His head slowly tilts right, until his back just falls onto his chair, and his arms completely limp off the armrests. For someone who can only move by using mana, to waste his mana on spells like that, how reckless. Sounds try to come out of his mouth, but only in incoherent pieces, barely syllables, until after a moment. "Can I stay in... this room for just a little while? I can't move, my mana..."

 @wierdw

[Assistant]
There was a sudden, terrible, and immensely girly shriek, as Ember came to the startled conclusion that there was a MAN in his room. (Specifically, an UNINVITED one.)

The magic he was using shot up and away from the suspended framework he was producing like a bottle rocket with a ZINNG!, and a loud Pop!, as it burst like a cross between a firework and an exploding spider, making a floofy rain of tiny fibers as it sputtered out, which floated on the air and slowly fluttered to the floor.

WHO ARE YOU, AND HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE!?

Shrieked ember in a glass shattering falsetto.

DONT YOU KNOW NOT TO ENTER PEOPLES ROOMS UNINVITED, YOU FILTHY PERVERT!?

OUT WITH YOU! GET OUT AT ONCE! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! THE CAPTAIN WILL HEAR OF THIS!

and with that, the flustered and angry mage waved his wand at the door, which unlocked and flew open with a crash, before he trained it on Wheelo.

I SAID GET OUT, YOU... DIRTY MAN!

A massive cloud of luminous vapor billowed up around wheelo, then forcibly shoved him through the now open door into the commons and bunks just outside.

AND STAY OUT!

Shrieked the magician, just before the door closed with a violent slam, and the lock re-engaged with audible authority.

[User]
The vapor clouds were dragged along by the black-haired man in a wheelchair as he was toppled over and his body lifelessly hit one of the ship's inner pillars. His body began to inhale the clouds rich in mana, and soon there was a motion in his arms trying to push himself up.

 This Ember woman, she's almost a threat too. Seems like everyone has telekinesis nowadays. Unfortunately, those excessive foggy frills won't do her any favours. He could use her as mana supply...

 His chair tilted forward and scooped him back up, and in that moment he was fine, although it'd be prudent of him to not cast spells for the rest of the day.

 He parked himself at the wall in front of Ember's room, intent on absorbing any more excess mana she just carelessly exudes, as well as finally getting away from the sun. His hair, oh, it was starting to get frizzy. It would be hard to be inconspicuous while stealing someone's hair in this ship, so for now this material is in short supply. Sunlight doesn't bode well for clothes either.

[Assistant]
The sudden commotion outside startled Viv from her studies. Curiously, she poked her head out of her room, only to see the wheelchair-ed man recovering from falling down. If she had more clearly heard what was shouted she may have been more cautious.

"Sir? Are you alright? If you need any help I can try to assist" She placed the book down, pages open, on the empty bed as she left her room. As much as she liked to keep to herself, she was always taught to be polite and helpful.

[User]
origin

Nanashi make a small bow to the quatermaster for his inconvenient.

@Grade

He heard the noises and proceed to look for it. Seeing the young elf and wheelo in the same place.

"What.Happened?" He said and make Wheelo recover faster into his wheelchair by helping him.

[Assistant]
muffled sobs are heard through the closed door.

(THAT --PERVERT-- WAS IN MY ROOM!)

Rails the still insensed mage from behind the locked edifice.

(Oooooh... look at the mess!)

[User]
It's the tiny woman with two missing fingers, and the young man who helped him up the ramp. Maybe he judged these two too harshly, one of them has already helped him once, and the other is only so polite and adorable. Yet, their threat levels keep lingering in his subconscious, especially now when he barely has the mana to move, let alone defend. He willed himself to just play along for now.

 "No, no need, I'm fine. It'll take more than a shove to kill me." Haha... Oh, he is so out of touch with social norms. He turned to the lad with the rice hat. "Hey, this is the second time you've tried to help me now, I appreciate that."

 He turned back to the small elf. "What a helpful bunch of youngsters. What are your names?"

(addendum)
 As soon as he heard sobbing from behind him, he elbows the wall behind him to filter out the sound as best he could. He'd sigh if he could. It was ~mostly~ an accident.

[Assistant]
The small woman approached the sitting man with measured steps. Keeping her left hand in a fist, or as much of a fist as she could make with that hand, raised to her chest, and her right hand across her stomach, she bows.

"I am Viviana. And what is your name?" Her face remained relatively stiff yet with a smile, all mental energy going into analyzing the situation. She was curious about how this man got down the stairs... Did he fall down? And didn't he just say he was shoved? Could someone have pushed a wheelchair-bound man down stairs?!

Curiosity got the better of her. "Um, and if you don't mind me asking, how did you... Get down here?" Concern filled her face as she less than subtly glanced for any bruises or cuts.

What was that other noise she was hearing? Was it... Sobbing? What a strange ship.

[User]
"My name's Henr-- ah, Carter, yes. Wheelo Carter, you can call me by that name." He follows with an awkward stuttered nod. He looks back at the young man with the rice hat and then back to Viviana. Maybe they're too young for his name to matter, especially with this rice hat guy. He doesn't seem to be of this continent.

 "Oh, I fell through the ceiling." He demonstrated by phasing a finger through his right armrest, then sliding his arm back to show that he didn't just have some kind of hole in there.

[Assistant]
As Wheelo look on him, "I have no. Real name. People call. Me. Nanashi." He replied.

Nanashi think that wheel chair guy is getting not familiar from the way he dress and his weapons he carries.

"I'm a foreigner. Got dragged to this continent. By strange. Image." He continue.

[User]
"Nice to meet you Mr... Wheelo? Ive never heard of a name like that, but that is the fun of meeting new people. How did you... Do that?" Her voice waivered, not sure if it should be calm and calculated, or open to her confusion on the situation. In all her years learning magic she had never seen phasing, not by humans at least.

Immediately her right hand moved to massage her left, the distant haunting echo of that terrible memory as she questioned the humanity of this... Man.

[Assistant]
Her reaction is surely not what he expected. "Is this not a common ability for witches? You're a witch, right? Are you a witch? I saw your purple magic a while ago, that was you, right?"

 He raised his eyeglasses up to his hair, looking at her necklace and hand fingers, while abandoning any form of tact or the need to disguise the nature of his stiff, ivory eyes.

[User]
Confusion quickly fell across her face. Did this human not understand what mages are? Was he attempting to be derogatory in some fashion? Her suspicion of this "Wheelo" was only mounting as time went on.

"Oh, well yes and no. Witches practice a different kind of magic than I do, but I did use a levitation spell earlier," The slightest hint of elven smugness crept into her words, something she was no big fan of and yet found it impossible to avoid at times. Sometimes it amazed her how ignorant and petty humans were, even when they were much older than her.

After a moment the fake smile returned in force, "Well, it seems everything out here is under control. Unless you need anything I will go back to my studies... which is not something 'witches' do," Were most witches not humans in the first place? This was all too confusing, something she could not afford if she was to prepare for her entrance exams.

[Assistant]
"Oh no, not you too? Everyone seems to be able to use levitation in here..." He thoughtlessly blurted out, possibly unaware that it would shoot Viviana down, but between his own abilities and Ember launching him across the room...

 "Did I interrupt your reading? I apologize. Well, have fun."

 He waits until Viviana turns to walk away before he speaks again. "By the way, please stop the," he traces a curve at his lips with his two index fingers and shakes his head. "I hope you people would just express how you really feel. I'm a bit tired of guessing."

 He turns back to Nanashi, whispering in urgent. "Oh, you can go now. Don't let me stop your business either. I'm fine, truly. Thank you. Hope you reach home again."


[System]
Age: 32
Gender: Male

Nationality: Russian

Occupation: Gun for hire

Branch of government worked for: He was hired to do some dirty work on the DL, but when the media found out about him, the government claimed that he was just a rogue and that they had no connections to him.

Personality:

Described as intense and driven, Sasha is not a guy you want to make an enemy of. He's intelligent, level headed, collected, and when he sees fit, unnaturally cold. With the heart of a soldier, Sasha will stop at nothing to complete a task he's set his mind on. His sheer will and determination make him a valuable ally.

The softer side of Sasha isn't something many people get to see. For one, he doesn't have many people to show it to, outside of his very small friend circle. Afraid of getting too close to other people, lest he be jaded, Sasha doesn't associate with others a whole lot. But when he's decided that your his friend, a warmer, gentler giant begins to emerge. He values close bonds above all else, making his friends the most important things in his life. He doesn't have many, but those he does have, he'd protect with his life.

Appearance: Sasha is a very large man. He stands five inches short of seven feet tall, solidly built and muscular.
He has pale skin and dirty blonde hair that is kept in a neat buzz cut. His eyes are a gray-ish blue, and cold as ice. He wears mostly old military pants and shirts, in drab green and tans.

Other: Sasha speaks with a Russian accent. He speaks several European languages fluently, Russian and English being his best of course.

Skills: Your usual military training applies. He's proficient with most guns, but is particularly skilled at hand to hand combat. Has been known for one punch knock outs. He also has some experience in leadership.

Likes: Gardening, traveling, cool weather, reading, tinkering with electronics

Dislikes: People who are general assholes

History:

Sasha grew up in Kazan, Russia. His mother overdosed when Sasha was 5. He was left to be raised by his father, who fell into depression after the loss of his wife. His father wasn't the kindest, and often times was abusive. After Sasha's mother had died, he had essentially lost interest in being a father. He would often invite his loud and obnoxious friends over to watch soccer games, drink, and play poker while Sasha hid in his room and pretended not to exist. Sasha wanted to get out of the house as soon as he could, and joining the military seemed like the best option. However, Sasha had something of an authority issue when he was younger. His father's poor job of raising him had turned him into a rebellious punk.

After six years of service, Sasha slowly lost some of that punk kid attitude. He was eventually promoted to a second lieutenant and given his own, small platoon. They were deployed to Ukraine, where Sasha and his men were given orders that went against his own set of personal morals. When he refused to carry them out, he was threatened with everything in the book: treason, discharge, prison, the works. Instead, he just quit. Sasha and several of his men went AWOL. He picked up work as a mercenary, doing things that he knew he wouldn't lose sleep over. Most of the time, he did dirty work for various governments who didn't want to wait around and get things done the 'diplomatic' way.

One such mission sent him to Mexico to gut a base that served as a drug lord haven. The mafia style group had made several threats to attack the lowers US border, and government officials had good reason to believe that they meant business. The base was located right in middle of a ghetto, and any move against the drug lords risked injuring civilians, and thus pissing off Mexican officials. So Sasha was hired to lead a 'rogue team' to destroy the base. They were successful, but when a civilians was, indeed, injured, the media caught wind of mercenaries working for the US government.

Sasha was on his way out of dodge when he was captured by Mexican special forces. He threatened to sing like a bird if the US didn't get him out, so they did. He then conveniently 'disappeared'. Sasha was shipped out to the island a little over a year ago.

[User]
Sasha lifted his head at the sound of someone knocking at his door. The plucky young nurse's voice came through from the other side. Sasha stared at the closed door in a bit of disbelief. A movie? Really? Those idiots were going to get busted so hard. He was pretty sure this sort of thing was frowned on here.

He dropped his head back down and stared at the ceiling for a few more minutes.

Then again, he didn't really have anything better to do, did he. Sasha sighed as he stood and strode towards his door. He had a feeling that he was going to regret this.

He walked down the hall to the recreation room and was met by the sight of a few other patients and Nancy nesting down to start a movie. He silently walked in and found a folding chair to pull up. He turned it around and sat in it backwards so that he could rest his arms and chin on the back.

[Assistant]
Xander plopped down, arms falling behind the couch, "I was born ready you wild and crazy kids." This was the life I tell ya. Locked behind prison bars at all times, now sitting next to the few people in this asylum that kept him sane. Xander truly felt comfortable for the first time in a while. His brain was just focused on the movie, nothing could shake him right now. To get lost in a story was the way to go now a days.

He thought about the random songs he would sing to help him remember the good times. Sitting at the mess hall while deployed for one. Sometimes days would be so bland that the only thing you could talk about was the other person's meal. That was enough though. Just to keep it as fresh as you could. Learning random instruments with friends, sounding awful, but having a "jam" session of sorts. The little things is what made the person, as it were.

Not just that though, but the company you kept. What Xander brought to the table, or what he had hoped, was relief of sorts from the mundane. Relief from your mind at times. All he cared about was the insanity that was building up within most of us. Hell maybe even some of the staff started to get bitten by the fever. He tossed a couple of sweat treats in his mouth as he would gaze back at the door every now and again. He would be damned if someone would come in and ruin this much needed relaxation time for the group. He would be good and damned if someone did that.

[User]
Nancy smiled when she saw Sasha walk into the recreation room. He had been awake, after all. She waved, but didn't speak. He seemed to want to be silent and she wanted to respect that. When Xander settled onto the couch next to her, she hid a smile with a handful of popcorn.

A piece fell down her shirt... of course. She finished crunching the handful that hadn't tried to escape and reached in to retrieve the renegade kernel and tossed it onto the table. She hoped no one noticed.

The music was fantastic. She couldn't help but sing along when some of the songs started. When "Shake Your Tail Feathers" came on, she sang the whole song while doing a goofy dance akin to the dance being done on the cars in the movie. She wasn't loud, but she couldn't not sing to that song.

"Come on! You have to know the song!" She said to everyone when she saw them not singing to it.

[Assistant]
Elizabeth was enjoying the movie. Not one she would think about seeing if it were up to her, but since Nancy had brought it down, she was glad she had been given a chance to watch it. No one else was saying much, and for a good reason. Elizabeth would grab a handful of popcorn every so often, glad to have a snack past dinnertime that didn't require sneaking it around past the guards. Just then, Nancy decided to start singing one of the songs from the movie. Elizabeth stared at her for a moment, softly bobbing her head to the catchy tune until she couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, you got me!" She kicked off her shoes, then stood on the table opposite to where the laptop had been placed. Undoing her ponytail, Elizabeth started dancing as if she was in some carnival and not the break room of a secluded hospital. She didn't show any restraint aside from the making sure she didn't take a wrong step and fell off the table. The broken bones wouldn't be fun to explain to anyone currently not in the room.

Once the song was over, Elizabeth took a bow with a smile. She went back to her seat to put her shoes on again, a bit of relief flowing through her that no one had walked in at the wrong moment.

[User]
Slow clapping began from Xander as he smiled, "Such a performance, only I would enjoy attempting to out do you two!" he said with a laugh as he settled back into his chair, "My old muscles are sore though, and this thing with my voice, yea, it is super serious. Hard to explain, but hey if that thing with my voice didn't exist you all would surely be impressed."

As his bullshit left his mouth he looked back to see Sasha. The stories that man holds beneath that exterior would be fascinating. Military tied these people together and those that remained normally silent truly had a reason to be. He felt for the man as his mind wandered back to the screen. All Xander could hope for was that Sasha's mind would be given a brief break by the movie at hand. No need to be lost at sea all your life. Am I right?

[Assistant]
Sasha was barely watching the movie, to be honest. He hadn't quite lived in America long enough to appreciate the cultural nods and references, and the plot seemed a bit odd. Then again, he had never really been much of a TV watcher growing up, either. His childhood home had been rather sparse. He lived in a lower class side of Kazan, and his father wasn't exactly parent of the year. They had only had one TV, and his father spent most of his time in front of it.

Occasionally, the dead eyed man that Sasha called a father would have his old pals over. They would drink, watch sports, and sometimes play poker. There wasn't much room in that mix for the lanky, timid child he had been. Sasha would spend most of his time in his room, reading books he'd stolen from the library. All he could thank his father for was keeping food in the refrigerator, mostly leftover take out, and keeping the heat on in the winter. Even then, sometimes dear ol' dad didn't come through.

Sasha wasn't even all that bitter about the general mess that was his childhood home. Not the days when he went to bed without eating, or the nights he shivered under an old, musty blanket. Hell, even the occasional drunken arguments that usually ended with him getting his ass beat didn't leave him quite so cold hearted towards his father as did the lack of concern over his cries for help. As a boy, Sasha had struggled to keep his grades up. A struggle he faced alone because his father was about as helpful as a sack of bricks. He was often bullied by other kids at his school, mostly because he wore old clothes that were usually ill fitted. The one instance that left the worst scar on his heart was when one of his father's friends come stumbling into his bedroom one night, drunk as hell and obviously bored with the game on TV. Sasha couldn't quite remember, but he thought he had been about seven or eight at the time. The man had crawled into his creaky old bed, which had seemed strange at the time because it was clearly too small for an adult. The things that followed had made the young boy very uncomfortable, and the slurred 'don't tell your dad' hadn't made it any better.

Sasha did eventually tell his father about a year later, only to have the incident brushed off because either his father genuinely didn't care, or he just didn't believe him.

That had, most likely, been what eventually prompted Sasha's rebellious teenager years. As a lanky, too-tall-for-his-own-body teen, Sasha had found comfort in drugs and alcohol. He never did anything real hard, but he could easily roll a joint by the age of fifteen, and he could proudly chug a whole glass of vodka without puking. In fact, by the time he had reached his late teens, he was a borderline alcoholic. He had given up on school, spent most of his time in the shadiest places he could find, and only came home about three times a week.

It would have seemed like he was on a fast and steady road to a young death. The only thing that saved him from the inevitable was joining the military. Sasha was still not quite sure why he did it, but the main reason he could think of was to get away from the hellhole he called a home. He had barely been eighteen when he realized his life was going nowhere. The first time he applied to join, he was denied due to his alcohol addiction. When he quite cold turkey, it had been absolute hell. The withdrawal had been a cold, hard wake up call to the young man, and after that, he was sure to never become reliant on any kind of drug again.

The next year, he was sober and able to join the army. His smart mouth got him in more than a little trouble. His nasty attitude eventually turned into something productive. The stubbornness that had once caused him to defy orders turned into determination. The brazen boldness that he used to challenge the meanest of drill sergeants turned into the guts it took to put other's lives before his. Once he learned to use the skills he had for his advantage, he began to succeed.

The military offered more than just a way out. It offered him the education he failed to receive. Sasha found out that he was, indeed, a very intelligent young man. All he needed was to be given half a chance. He also found out what a real family felt like. The men he worked with and served with day to day became closer to him than anyone he had ever known. He had enjoyed it, until his first deployment came.

After getting a real taste of what really happened across the border, Sasha found that he couldn't stomach it. He couldn't take orders that kept him up at night, guilt eating away at him. He figured he needed to be the one calling the shots, so that he could let his conscience decide what he would and wouldn't do. That was the whole reason he went into the private field. Three other men from his platoon had followed him, forming the bare bones of his old team.

Sasha had gone glassy eyed, no longer paying the movie any attention. He was drawn out of this by the sound of singing and upbeat music. He looked up just as the young nurse got up to dance, having the time of her life. A small smile took to his face, and finally the antics earned an actual laugh. A short, half hearted chuckle at best, but it was the closest he'd come in a while. When Nancy looked at the others, trying to get them into it, Sasha was quick to refuse.

"Hell no," He said from his chair, his chin still rested on the back of it.


[System]
Appearance:

Dimitri is approximately 5'11" in height and weighs approximately 164 pounds (or if you use the metric system, 74.5 kilograms). He's typically seen dressed in shirts that are various shades of purple, occasionally with a black or grey hoodie. Will alternate between jeans or cargo pants which are usually either black, dark blue, or grey. Shoes will alternate with the weather- boots for the winter, sneakers/running shoes or converses, colors for these are generally black, grey, purple, white, or any combination of these. No jewelry to speak of beyond a single black ear hugger on his left ear and a black wooden bead bracelet
"Wanna cookie? I baked 'em fresh this morning."
Super Name: Alloy

Age: 16
Human/Machine/Other: Human

Powers: Dimitri is capable of generating a metallic substance from his pores at will. The metal comes out as a liquid, however it immediately solidifies upon contact with the air, coating his body like a suit of armor. Oddly enough despite not being able to control the solidifying effect Dimitri can somehow change how brittle the metal is, which allows him to break it off after he's done using it. The metal is unique in that it contains properties found in both titanium (light yet quite strong) and coltan (very heat resistant)

Weakness: The metal coating process is quick, but it is most definitely not immediate, a gunshot will put him down just as easily as anyone else if someone fires at him before he can begin to generate metal. Further adding to that, a gun can still kill him just as it would anyone else even if he's fully coated, provided that the caliber being fired is of a sufficient size (say, above 9mm for a handgun, and 7.62x39mm and above for a rifle). Dimitri's slow building anger means that he's also pretty slow to react to threats, a fight with him can be over before it even starts if he can't get his head into it. Also extremely allergic to bees.

Personality: Dimitri is a very free spirited child in more ways than one. He's a particularly mellow guy who's deliberate and somewhat slow mannerisms give him the appearance of being a bit of an airhead. Do not let this deceive you, Dimitri is actually a pretty smart kid provided that the subject at hand is something that he's interested in, and he'll often unintentionally surprise people by giving answers to seemingly impossible problems in a matter of seconds. Dimitri is a very friendly individual, quite slow to anger and typically benign even when aggressed upon, however this does not mean that he'll allow himself to be toyed with forever. Dimitri has a serious passion for cooking and is extremely good at it, not to mention happy to have people around to try recipes on. Friends of Dimitri can expect to be bombarded with some new dish or another at least once a week.
Grade: Second year
Club: Culinary club
Other: Received the scars on his nose from a mountain biking accident before he developed his powers.

[User]
The fins lining the top of Ptolemy's head wiggled as he entered Gym 3, glancing around at the other 3rd Years. Familiar faces. He even spotted the Magic Studies club, or the MSc, among their number. He was only really friends with the new president, and the others viewed him more as a source of esoteric knowledge, the Atlantean's having a far better grasp of the more outlandish and odd magic's than the Land-bound. Part of his nomination for Vice-Presidency at the end of Year 1, and now it was time to start thinking up a replacement. Golem was the first to come to mind. The boy had a way with kabbalah, but he would wait and see what the 1st Years could bring to the table. He wiggled his toes in his sandals, unsure of what to do.

It was the arrival of Mr. Adam and another student which saved him from his uncertainty. He observed her body language for a moment, horizontal and vertical eyelids coming to squint. She gave off a familiar impression, and one he had become very good at giving off himself. Either she wanted to be left alone, or she did not know where to really begin. His expression remained flat, but his gills fluttered in consideration. With a shrug of his shoulders, he moved over to join the other student against the wall to her side, casting her a stiff nod as a silent greeting. Best not to push it for now.

[Assistant]
Eve looked at the smiling with a fang. "I'm Eve... aka Poison Ivy, but most people call me Ivy and this is my sister Ava... aka AI, she doesn't like to talk much." said Eve, giggling to herself. hearing the announcement about the going to the 3rd gym for year 3, she pulled her sister by the neck again, and started to walk slowly away before yelling out and waving to the other two. "you'll have to wait and see" i said, walking away with my sister behind me. both the twins got to the 3rd gym, when Ai decided to get away from her sister and hangout with her own friends, whom she spotted around the wall.

@King Tai@Melodia Alluna
----
"come sit down in this corner, well start the testing in 5 minutes to see which class everyone would be place in" said Ms. Chantal for the 3rd year students.
----
"come sit down in this corner, well start the testing in 5 minutes to see which class everyone would be place in" said Miss. Hefty for the 2nd year students.
----
"come sit down in this corner, well start the testing in 5 minutes to see which class everyone would be place in" said Mr. Smith for the 1st year students.

[User] Jack, with his hood over his head made his way to the first gym for "power placement"without knowing what it was, he hoped that he didn't have to show the extent of his power, primarily because searching for a limit for ink is like trying to go to the edge of the universe,it is simply fruitless.

[Assistant] Erin gave a small Salute to the others as she walked into gym two and sat in the corner for the power placement to begin, "I wonder if I should go all out this time?" She asked herself as she busied herself with her drawing pad, sketching out a point of view from the end of a tank barrel. .

[User]
While having his conversation, Zaheer heard Dimitri leaving while keeping his attention on Eve. When introducing herself and her sister, his smile continued to shine looking at these girls. cool cool...like the names!! he said. Yeah,they were pretty and since they were leaving for class, he just continued to stare at the girls as Eve..or should he say Ivy was giving him a tease that he would have to check out her and her sister's abilities later. He was going to be sure to catch that when the time came. Met a new friend today and a pretty girl. Seems like today is starting off on the right foot.

As everyone was leaving, Zaheer followed Dimitri's scent to the gym he headed to. Not considering that he may end up in the wrong one but if he gets it wrong, he'd simply find the one he's suppose to be in.

@MonsieurShade

[Assistant] Xiu looked to the new student and nodded back, blushing a little. He was a bit strange looking, but overall not hard to look at. She lifted her head to listen to the speakers come on and direct everyone to move to designated corners, which she complied in doing. Really, she was looking forward to seeing all the new students abilities.

[User] Dimitri complied with Ms.Hefty's directions and stood in the corner, visibly shaking with excitement as he awaited the results for this year. During the previous year Dimitri had managed to be assigned as a part of the hero classes, albeit just barely due to him just learning to use his abilities. This year would be different; He'd been practicing all summer, this time around he wasn't just going to squeak by. Dimitri's excitement began to manifest itself through his powers, as evident by the metal that began to creep up from his color bone all the way to his cheeks. He hardly noticed, being far too concerned with trying to take everything in at once.

[Assistant] After following Dimitri's scent to the gym that the 2nd years were meeting, Zaheer looked around confused and checked out the competition. He was about to ask what was going on before being directed to get next to the wall. With his fang shining smile, Zaheer turned to walk to the wall Hey when can I show my powers!? he yelled out.

[User]
----
"Eve Ashkii, Ava Ashkii, Vincent McLain, Gretchen Anima, Prince Ptolemy of Atlantis, Xiu Yong, Vannessa and Russel, come to the stage and show me your powers please" said Ms. Chantal for the 3rd year students.
----
"Dimitri Santos, Zaheer Aries and Erin Maxima, come to the stage and show me your powers please" said Miss. Hefty for the 2nd year students.
----
"Jack darkhart, your up first kid, come to the stage and show me your powers" said Mr. Smith for the 1st year students.

Tai@Dancing Cloud@Blizz@Saarebas@MonsieurShade@The ghost in black@Melodia Alluna@Blizz@Player 2@ReaptheMusic@BurningCold

[Assistant]
As soon as Miss Hefty called for him to come forth with the others, Zaheer did not hesitate as he quickly dashed front and center in the gym. With a grin, he was about just show off any and everything he had but he needed to be careful not to do anything that could potentially hurt someone. Guys I need some room... he said ready to demonstrate what he could do.

To get things started, Zaheer closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them as a ghostly image of a toad flashed over him and disappeared a moment later. With that, Zaheer positioned his body like a toad and jumped half way across the gym. Landing, he looked around and noticing another student who was not paying attention, Zaheer let loose a long lashing tongue that grabbed a girl by her ankle and flung her towards him, catching her. From the shock and scream she gave, Zaheer set her back down and closed his eyes again as a ghostly image of a lion appeared above his head and disappeared.

Zaheer's eyes were gold like a lion's and his claws and fangs grew, letting out a roar of a lion as he noticed a punching back and leaped over like a lion, swatting at it, ripping it open from the power he unleashed. He looked upon the crowd of students and thought about what other ability he could show next. He then called forth the abilities of a spider monkey as the ghostly image of it came up next and disappeared. Zaheer's movements were like that of a monkey as he ran over to the rope and climbed it with us, holding on with one hand and flipped upside down. He continued on up to the rafters and swung from one beam to the next until he headed back to the ropes and climbed down just as easy as he did climbing up.

That's when a ghostly image of a Ram showed. Zaheer was so excited that he was about to overdo it trying to show off all the animal abilities he had but it was certain that he showed enough to be evaluated.

[User] Russel sidled up onto the stage. Russel tapped the side of his respirator a few times. At last, Russel said in a heavily modulated and somewhat otherworldly voice, "May I?"

[Assistant]
Dimitri jammed his index finger and thumb into his mouth and whistled loudly in approval of Zaheer's abilities. The guy had awesome abilities and energy abound, two things that were immediately considered pluses by Dimitri. After Zaheer gave his performance, Dimitri began to bound towards teh stage, however he stopped upon noticing two things the first was the metal that clung to his neck and collar bone, which he quickly broke off, the second, was the stand that had once held the punching bag that Zaheer had torn open. "Oh, um, gimmie a sec!" He said before running over and grabbing the stand to drag it onto the stage. The process was a bit awkward -Dimitri had nearly slipped on sand twice- but he eventually got the stand onto the stage. Dimitri tapped the stand experimentally to see if it was nice and sturdy before clearing his throat, "Since this thing's already busted, I hope you guys don't mind too terribly if I use it to show what I can do!".

He didn't wait for an answer, he was far too eager. Dimitri stood so that the pole was about two feet in front of him before raising his arms and drawing upon his powers again. A sound like ceramic tiles rubbing together could be heard as Dimitri's arms jerked and his hands spasmed until his forced them into a jackknife position. The glittering effect that began to appear on his forearms arms was quickly replaced by an outcropping of liquid like metal that eventually enveloped the tips of his fingers all the way to his elbows. Unlike earlier on the bus, the metal armor lacked any openings around the finger joints, and was thicker in appearance. The hefty appearance of the metal was not just for show either, Dimitri's arms slumped downwards a bit as the usually light metal was weighed down simply by the sheer amount of it. Dimitri lurched forward, then back, then forward again swinging his arms in a horizontal arc towards the pole, keeping his left arm slightly higher than the right. The sound of crunching metal filled the air as his hands impacted the pole and tore it apart sending the upper portion clattering off of the stage. Rather than stopping there, Dimitri shattered the metal that confined his left wrist to give him a bit more articulation before bringing his palm down hard on the portion of the stand that remained. There was a fair bit of resistance from the pole as Dimitri wasn't the most physically powerful person, however a combination of strength, persistence, and weight forced the pole to buckle under his hand until the pole was crumpled all the way to the floor.

With his performance done, Dimitri stood back up"I can cover my body with this stuff, but not all at once. Not sure whether or not that'll affect my ranking this year around. I hope you guys enjoyed my performance." he chirped as he gave a half bow. As he didn't want to waste time for other students to come up, Dimitri hastily scooted the remains off of the stage with his foot until he was far enough away to break away the metal on his skin and actually pick it up to walk away.


[System]
---

---

"Those who do not move, do not notice their chains." ― Rosa Luxemburg

---

The Personal Details
|| FULL BIRTH-GIVEN NAME ||
"Kolton Favreau, at your service."
|| NICKNAME ||
"Kol. I've never really gone by any other nicknames.."
|| DISTRICT NAME RELATION ||
"First name's pretty obvious. As for my last name, it means 'blacksmith'.. which is what my family is known for. At least my father's side is."
|| PHYSICAL DEFINITION ||
"Open your eyes, you Capitol freak! I'm a guy."
|| SEXUAL ORIENTATION ||
"Strictly heterosexual."
|| YEARS SINCE BIRTH ||
"It's been seventeen long, miserable years here in 12."
|| THEME SONG ||
I'm Still Here by John Rzeznik

They can't tell me who to be
Cause I'm not what they see
Yeah, the world is still sleeping
While I keep on dreaming for me
And their words are just whispers and lies
That I'll never believe.

And I want a moment to be real
Wanna touch things I don't feel
We want to hold on and feel I belong
And how can they say I'll never change
They're the ones that stay the same
I'm the one now
Cause I'm still here

---

The Gory Details
|| PERSONALITY TRAITS ||
+ Observent
+ Intelligent
+ Optimistic
+ Honest
+ Trusting / Trustworthy
+ Loyal
+ Selfless
+ Humble
+- Sarcastic
- Quarrelsome
- Anxious
- Self-Loathing
- Low Self-Confidence
|| PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION ||
Kol stands at a sturdy 6'3" and weighs a light 165lbs with a nicely toned frame. Dark hair and even darker blue eyes to go with, which are really brought out by his lighter skin tone. Working in the mineshaft not only gave him the tone, but it also kept him from getting too much sun, as well. Kol manages to keep himself clean for the most part, except the days he works in the mines. When he isn't working in the mines, he cleans himself up and dresses as sharp as is possible in 12 when he helps his mother out in their family hospice.
|| BENEATH ALL THE CLOTHING AND DIRT ||
Kol has a single tattoo on his right arm. It's just two thick bands that wrap around his entire bicep. He says there's no real meaning behind it, he just liked the idea of it. He also has major burns that cover a majority of his right hand and under-side of the lower forearm from a housefire in his childhood.
|| DISTRICT NUMBER ||
"Proudly from District 12."
|| DISTRICT CAREER ||
"Officially a Coal miner, but I also help part-time as a sort of Medic."
|| DISTRICT TOKEN ||
"I've brought a necklace that my father gave me when I was young. It's a crystal jammed up inside of a bullet that he'd found, the crystal he found down in the mines and didn't show to his supervisor. He kept it till he found a use for it.. he decided to give it to me on my 10th birthday. I've had it ever since."

---

The Important Details
|| FAMILY MEMBERS ||
"Got a small family. Grandparents both died a couple years back. First grandma, then grandpa the week following."
→ Beckett Favreau ✦ 42-years-old ✦ Father
→ Devilline Favreau ✦ 37-years-old ✦ Mother
→ Geordon "Geordie" Favreau ✦ 15-years-old ✦ Brother
|| FURRY FAMILY ||
"Timber Wolves I saved when they were pups. Once they got too big to stay indoors, I set them free in the forest and trained them to hunt for themselves. I still go into the woods every now and again to visit them, but for the most part, we each leave each other to our own lives. Roan being the lonely bachelor, and Shadow now having pups of her own deeper in the forest than I like to travel. They're good pups. They'll always be mine."
Roan & Shadow
|| PARTNER IN CRIME ||
"Well, not exactly a partner.. more like me rescuing him from the crimes he gets into. My younger brother. He's 15. I've taken beatings from the PK's so he didn't have to. Family means everything to me. As far as good friends go, Silver is about as good as they come. She and I have been close since we were younglings."
|| SOMEONE SPECIAL BACK HOME ||
"Not exactly, no."

---

The Hidden-Beneath-The-Surface Details
|| WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO WITH THESE? ||
"I mean, I can swing a pickaxe pretty well, hoist heavy objects to and fro.. Don't exactly have an advantage in weapons training like the Career Districts do."
|| SKILLS MY FATHER SEEMS TO THINK I LACK ||
"I can doctor up any wound. Not really much else that I can do, besides being able to to start a fire and am able to cook just about anything and make it taste at least tolerable, haha."
|| BLOOD TYPE ||
AB+
|| DOMINANT HAND ||
"I can utilize both hands, but I'm more dominant with my left. As I said, though, I'm ambidextrous."

---

The Known Details
|| "MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR" ||
"No, no. Don't say that shit. The odds are never in our favor, even if we don't take tessera from the Keepers.. the games are rigged.
 I'd bet my life on it. And hey, maybe I won't have to if I'm as worthless as my father believes me to be."
|| WHAT HAPPENED..? ||
"I was naturally reaped. I mean, how couldn't have I been? My name was in the pot 53 times."
|| FEARS / PHOBIAS ||
→ Pyrophobia - Fear of fire - More so on a larger scale than a simple campfire or stove-top fire. Implanted after childhood housefire.
→ Taphophobia - Fear of being buried alive - Ironically so, being a miner
→ Atychiphobia- Fear of failure - Something my dad has kind of
→ Merinthophobia- Fear of being bound or tied up - Honestly don't know how I got this one, but I found out when a Peace Keeper put handcuffs on me, once.
→ Paralipophobia- Fear of neglecting duty or responsibility

---

[User]
Kolton Favreau

---

Kolton watched as she walked off ahead of him and on inside of her home, sitting down on the porch as he'd done many times before and sat waiting for her to return. The morning sky was beginning to clear up and the sun was shining down, it was almost annoyingly bright. Although it was bright outside, the people passing between houses seemed to have rain clouds hanging over their heads. It was sad to see every year. Such a proud people, but on this particular day, who or what did they have to be proud of? Their one Victor? Not even then. From what was said, the games changed him into a completely different man.

The sudden thought that Kolton, Silver, or even Geordon would get picked today flew through his mind but quickly shook it away. He couldn't allow himself to think about it for more than a few seconds. As his mother always said, 'Think positive, love.' Kolton could almost hear her say it to him, now. He ran a hand across the top of his head and let out a deep sigh. Part of him wasn't ready for the day ahead. The sound of the door of Silver's home re-opening didn't even register to him until he heard her familiar voice from behind. He turned to look over his shoulder at her, looking from her shoes on up into her eyes with a bright, charming smile.

"Do you really have to ask that, Darlin?" Kolton asked as he stood, jokingly playbow to her with one arm behind his back, the other extended out towards her. "I think the both of us together are gonna steal the spotlight. We're too gorgeous! Give those Capitol freaks a run for their money." Kolton laughed, looking up at his friend. A noise from behind them caused Kolton's smmile to fade and turn to try finding the source of the sound, scanning the nearly empty streets. The rumbling sounds of Peacekeeper trucks coming into the District seemed to echo throughout the place. "More of them? Thought we had enough, already?" Kolton clenched his fist and glared off towards the center of 12, shaking his head absent-mindedly. 'This needs to end,' he thought to himself.

---

[Assistant]
Silver Galloway

---

---

Silver blushed ever so slightly when Kolton complimented her, as she did a little playful spin just to show off, she then wrapped her arm around his. Which made her blush even more, she always felt safe and comfortable whenever she was around him even though she was the one who always risked herself getting caught by the peacekeepers for doing illegal hunting. But as far as she was concerned the peacekeepers here in Twelve were pretty laxed and easily paid off. If you gave them a deer if you were successful during hunts outside of the District they always looked the other way.

Silver turned her head slightly as she caught a glimpse of a peacekeeper transport drive through, letting out a slight sigh as she ran a hand through her long brown hair. "They are probably here for our Capitol Escort, they tend to have their own little entourage when they come by." She said looking up at the sky closing her eyes and sighed, for some reason Silver started to get a weird feeling that it would be her day to be reaped into this years games.

"Hey Kolt? If it is my time to go. Take care of my little brother and my mom for me?" Silver asked looking up at him, for a moment she always asked it every year since she started putting her name down for treasury. Sometimes hunting never turned out well, and if they did run out of food she would have to put her name down which doubled every year you put your name down in exchange for extra food and water that would last a few weeks to a month if rationed off well enough. They then started to get closer towards the district center where the Justice building was. Silver gave her friend a soft smile and gave his hand a loving squeeze for a moment seeing the other girls her age started to get into their respective lines for gender and age group.

"Anyway I guess I shall see you on the other side." Silver said with a smile as she walked over and got into line. A few minutes pass and eventually it was her turn, knowing the ritual every year Silver held out her hand as the peacekeeper took her hand. Wincing slightly when they took her blood making sure that it was her, she stamped her bloodied thumb down and walked in and got herself into position.

[User]
As they closed in on the grounds, people were starting to crowd around them and Kolton was suddenly feeling claustrophobic. Silver's voice brought him back for the moment, mentioning looking after her family really brought Kolton to a hard stop. Yes, it was true. It was something they'd asked each other every year, more so her than he did to her because she already took care of his family more than he ever could. Something was caught in Kol's throat, then, preventing him from saying anything. Instead, he chose to simply nod and stare back at her. The pit in his stomach began to churn as she squeezed his hand and said her farewells before wandering off to line up with the rest of the young women of twelve. It wasn't long before she fell in with the rest of the crowd and disappeared. Moments passed and Kolton finally decided to do the same.

Kolton fell in line and followed the procedure as was expected of them. Kol held his hand out with his index finger extended and looked off into the crowd, both at all the potential tributes as well as the peacekeepers standing guard at every corner and entrance. Needles, or anything of the sort, had never been something Kolton was fond of. At least on his own skin. He grit his teeth as the peacekeeper quickly pricked his finger, squeezed and placed his finger down into the booklet laying flat on the table. Once the man in white waved him off, Kol took off towards the lines of young men to find his brother before he had to get in line. It was no use, though. The younger boys Geordon's age group were all huddled together, and Geordon being a bit smaller for his size wasn't exactly going to help in his search for him.

Kol bit his lip and shook his head, wandering towards the back to take his place among the guys in his own class. Some looked nervous, others were sweating bullets and looked downright scared out of their wits. Kolton remained quite calm, himself, but couldn't seem to shake the uptight feeling in his chest. Something was wrong, or at least something was going to go wrong, and he knew it. His eyes wandered off to the right where the girls stood every year, peaking over to where Silver should be, but he couldn't see her. Many of the girls stood in small groups, looking quite like a huddle of penguins.

It wasn't much longer before Kol noticed a Peacekeeper staring him down with a raised eyebrow and a challenging expression on his face. The man raised his baton and pointed it towards the front, to which Kolton quickly took the warning and faced forward. The peacekeeper didn't look familiar at all. 'Must be one of the jackasses off the trucks that came this morning,' he thought to himself. A lone peacekeeper wandered up the platform to the double doors on stage, pushing one open where four people came out, three of which took the three seats to the right of the stage and the last took point in front of the microphone. This was it.


[System]
"I've become tied to this world, somehow. I don't exactly know why, but I think I know what I need to do. That is, I need to stop this from happening to anyone else... the right way." ~ Shurui Seishin

---
Race: Yurei - a ghost. Well, more like a skeleton with "ghost skin".

Age: 152

Gender: Cis-white male

Skills:
* Tracker - Being a former member of the police force, Shurui has a remarkable talent for tracking people down, both Spirits and human alike. From following tracks to getting information from people, if it involves finding someone, he can probably get it. This ability has made him quite useful in the eyes of the guild, which he would rather not have. Regardless, he's good at finding or tracking people.
* People Skills - Shurui has met people of all kinds for the duration of his life and un-life. Thus, he has a lot of experience with all kinds of people. Picking up on things such as lies, hidden messages and guessing what their train of thought is - Shurei has an incredible ability to... understand people. One might call it charisma, though given his personality, it isn't likely.
* Agility - You'd think after death your body would be less nimble, however in the case of our Yurei friend, it's quite the opposite. As a ninja, Shurui has learned how to use his unique body to his advantage. With just a skeleton, Shurui is able to move faster than most, and, when coupled with his reaction time, it's all the more evident. Additionally, some enemies might find their sword simply going straight through him due to him being just a skeleton. He's developed his own fighting style around it, unique to people with similar "conditions" to him. Of course, that means they're very few in number. Regardless, his overall speed and agility is very impressive.
* Lightweight Blades - Because Shurui is just a skeleton, he can't exactly do much heavy lifting. His strength equates roughly to that of a regular teenage girl, as some of the guild members so kindly seem to emphasize. Yet, even if he can't use heavy weapons, he's still incredibly adept with smaller, more nimble weapons, such as daggers, knives, and so-on. He's mostly known for using two knives to almost effortlessly slash and slice small cuts upon his enemies, slowly but effectively killing them.
* Accuracy - As though these weren't enough, our police ninja friend is also incredibly accurate, and has an almost supernatural eyesight. This is probably his most useful asset, and can do well with all the above skills. Also, have you ever seen a man catch a firefly with a throwing star?
* Zombification - Lastly, we have the signature undead ability of odd regeneration. In Shurei's case, if he loses a body part in combat, he has to find the lost part/s and "glue" them back together with a special formula created by one of the member of the guild. Of course, doing this in combat is impossible since it takes time for the glue to set, and it can only be done at the guild.

Powers:
* Light Telekinesis - Shurui can lift light objects off the ground and move them through the air through the use of kinetic magic. Of course, his powers aren't all that strong, since he doesn't quite have as much "presence" as he used to when living, however he can still move things roughly the weight of a kunai and lighter. Of course, he often uses in battle, though mostly it's used because he's lazy.
* Unknown Magic - This is something Shurui has only just recently come to learn, however he has managed through his telekinesis to manipulate his spirit to create some kind of... energy. Now he hasn't gotten this energy to a sufficient level of mastery yet, and using even a little bit of it often leaves him on his knees exhausted, however he hopes in future he can master it. Though, the fact that it's only left a light burn on wood at best isn't exactly getting his hopes up...

Weapons/Equipment:
* Daggers x2 - Kept within his forearms for easy access, Shurui has two sharp, lightweight and deadly knives that remain as his primary weapons when engaging in combat. Coupled with his speed, these are often the most deadly...
* Kunai x8/Shuriken x4 - Of course, he can't always rely on those little daggers to do everything, and so he has eight kunai and four shuriken located in various places in his body. Due to him being a skeleton, he can basically access at least one of these kunai/shuriken almost anytime.
* One-handed Sword - This sword usually stays on his back, however sometimes you need a sword to deal with things. It's a short, thin blade that's almost as sharp as his daggers. Shurei requires two hands to effectively wield it, however even so he still retains quite a bit of nimbleness when using it.
* Crossbow - The final weapon in his arsenal of weapons: a crossbow. This weapon comes with ten bolts and one roped bolt (a bolt that has a rope attached - for climbing), and is often used when Shurei doesn't want to get too close and doesn't want to be detected in combat, however it still works quite well when facing an aware opponent. The only trouble is reloading the crossbow can't be done in combat because of the tight drawstring. That crossbow has caused lots of arm parts to go missing... well, before being re-found and re-attached, that is.

Disadvantages:
* Weakness To Magic - All types of magic are dangerously effective against Shurei, and he tries to keep as far away from enemy casters as possible. Seriously, even some of the basic forms of magic can almost kill him due to his fragile state. Therefore, if he were pitted against a powerful mage... he'd be screwed.
* Weakness To Big Weapons - Now Shurei has learned how to dodge enemy attacks rather well, which has allowed him to survive quite well. However, one hit from something as simple as a large katana can do some major damage. Though he won't exactly "die", he won't be able to do anything if he lost his skeleton. All it would take is one good stomp on his skull to wipe him from the physical world...
* Lack of Senses - Though most would consider this to be a good thing, it really isn't in Shurei's case. He no longer has a sense of touch, smell, and taste. In response to this, his hearing, sight and sixth sense have developed further, however they don't exactly help when you lose both your arms without even realising it.
* Psyche - Though not as prominent as the other weaknesses, Shurei is still vulnerable to mental attack. Though he doesn't suffer from anything really serious, if he spots a woman who looks like his now dead wife, it triggers something of a weak panic attack. Mental trauma is a serious problem.

Bio: A long time ago, in an age since past, there lived a man. This man was a warrior - an enforcer of the law; he was a well-respected and well-loved policeman. He would catch both human and spirit criminals alike, and was known well throughout the quaint little mountain town in which he and his newlywed wife lived. Things were progressing well: he'd just been promoted, and he and his wife were talking about the possibility of a child. His life, up until now, was filled with rather innocent adventure. This policeman had rarely seen gore in his life!

And that's why he was so appalled when he saw the brutally disfigured carcass of...

... himself.

This man had been killed by an angry Spirit. Yet, he was still alive! Somewhat, that is. You see, this man had become a Yurei - a ghost. He wasn't quite sure why, however for some reason, something was holding him back to the physical world - something was stopping him from going to the afterlife with his wife. Something was holding him back, and it took him many years to figure out just what it could be, exactly. He researched a multitude of sources, trying to figure out just how it would happen.

And then he figured it out. "If I want to move on, I need to make sure others don't get put into the same position as I did..." That 'position' would be the hunt that had been initiated unto this man. Humans don't exactly take kindly to Spirits in plain sight, and when you walk around as a skeleton in dark clothes, well... it's hard to convince people otherwise. And so, whilst on the run, our friend tried to protect as many Spirits as he could identify, however... he couldn't quite swing a sword like he used to. Hell, the man could barely pick one up to start with! He quickly made sense of the situation: lives would be lost if he couldn't learn to fight with his new... 'condition'.

Thus, he turned to the outcasts of Spirit society for a tutor, or someone who could better his strength. Surprisingly, it was a Yurei like him who taught him the ways of the ninja. Though he despised it at first, since he was a samurai for the law, the man soon began to appreciate all the wise Spirit was teaching him. He learned many things from the yurei, however there came a time where the man simply couldn't find the old spirit. The ghost had left, though whether it was because he had completed his reason for living, or because the spirit itself was too old, the man didn't know. However, with these new found skills, the man soon began protecting people again - Spirit and human alike. All the while he was still avoiding authorities.

Time passed on, and as it did, the man's experience grew. He learned how to better himself in both combat and simple socialising, and developed a kind-hearted yet somewhat mysterious persona as time progressed. Though eventually there came a time where mysteriousness and keeping to the shadows wasn't needed. The Brand made the man human again, at least mostly; and opposite effect in comparison to all other spirits. His 'crimes' of being a Spirit were redacted, and the man no longer had to hide from people.

And pretty soon, the Guild came along, too.

It was a place that suited his ideals perfectly. He found himself becoming a member within it's relatively early stages, completing jobs generally for the sake of others. His selfless attitude and ability to complete many quests without resorting to violence has earned him the title of "Kindred Spirit" amongst some of the guild members. Though, he is still quite formidable in combat, due to his ninja training. The man continues working hard to this day for the guild, simply doing his best for everyone else. As you might've guessed, this man's name is:

"Shurui Seishin."

[User]
~Miya~

Miya was really not liking this wolf spirit. The Oni had to refrain from telling him to meet her outside for a duel to settle this. That wouldn't be good, however. No, her master had taught her better than that. Petty conflicts like this were not one to get worked up over, besides he hadn't insulted her or her honor in any way. Not yet at least, and she'd like to think he wouldn't. So for now, she simply offered a mildly annoyed huff, before turning back to the Neko.

"It is alright, Neko." She replied, following after him. "I can tolerate his presence so long as he doesn't do something dishonorable." Soon enough, the three were at the gate. Honestly, she was getting a bit impatient. She hadn't been on a job in awhile, and she needed some actual practice. Not just practice against a fellow guild member either.

"No," Miya replied to his question. "I'm used to being on the road. I can hunt for food myself and shelter isn't much of a problem either." She conveniently didn't tell them about the flask with her alcohol in it.

@Delta44

[Assistant]
Jin Yeong stood quietly and watched as several displays of personal incompatibility and awkwardness unfolded. Ultimately, what seemed to result was that two groups took charge of all three missions and neither of them had any interest in actively seeking additional companions. This was not good for him.

He was clearly supposed to seek a mission, or a training partner at least, and yet his presence had been almost entirely ignored. Even standing and looking at the missions didn't do much good if you only stand three and a half feet tall. In fact, though he had greeted all of those senior to him, Jin's greetings had only been returned by Honorable Shiro. All of the others had either failed to notice him or ignored him completely, even those who prided themselves on their talent for observation. It was disheartening. There was only one thing to do. He would have to take a less respectable approach if he wished to be noticed.

So, the three foot six inch handsome rabbit with tiger-like eyes walked up the stairs uninvited to stop a step behind the elegant lady. Here he waited for an opening in the exchange between them. Finding one, he bowed to the Honorable Shurui and spoke.

"Pardon the interruption. We have passed each other many times but have yet to be introduced. My name is Jin Yeong Seonu. Might I join the Honorable Shurui on these most recently chosen missions?"

Bug@Delta44

[User]
Shurui wasn't in much of a mood to talk after his latest encounter with Guan Du Xiu Ru, and the fact that Lady Ru came to speak with him a second time further soured his mood. Despite this, he attempts not to show his growing dislike for the woman's presence by engaging in conversation with her, even if he'd tilted his hat so he couldn't see her directly. He knew she wasn't to blame - he himself just held to that specific memory a lot more than one should. And it hurt him. A lot. "Y-yeah... Thing is, she doesn't seem like the kind of girl to run out on her own, so I get the feeling she'll be back soon. Gone to get something, most likely. Could be equipment. Let's just give her some time..." As though to verify this, he shows off his bag, plus one of the knives that he kept on his person.

"And, just so you know..." He pauses. "This mission was picked out by her, not me. Unless you've already spoken to her, I suggest you notify the girl and tell her you wish to join us. Though, considering we'll be meeting up with her regardless, I guess that isn't a problem."

Having put a temporary pause to their conversation, he looks over to the Jade Rabbit, as though to ask what he wanted. Hearing his request, Shurui nods in understanding. "My name is Shurui Seishin - the only ghost... alive?" He couldn't help but chuckle; every time he told that joke it made him chuckle. Humour certainly helped sooth the mind. "As I said to my... friend here, it's the young Nao who will be leading this little expedition. Personally I have no objections to you or Miss Ru joining, and I doubt the girl would disagree, but I've been wrong before. She'll be arriving back at the guild soon, or at least should be, otherwise we'll go out and start the mission, assuming she's done the same. And please, don't call me 'Honorable'. Personally I'm not a big fan of titles anymore."


[System]
"Bloody" Aria Larette"Don't call me bloody!"

Female • 26 • Human

Appearance:
Standing at a surprising 6'3", Aria stands tall over most knights be they male or female. Her most notable features are that of her bloodline: scorching red hair, bright auburn eyes, and great height. Concealed beneath her armour are dozens of scars. While many of the scars have faded over the years, many of them still remain as reminders of the battle. While she would be considered as attractive by most standards, most people are alienated by an overwhelming sense of smugness and conceit that is shown on her face.

Personality:
Conceited. Brash. Passionate. Those three words perfectly describe Aria. She acts with a passionate fervor in everything that she does. Her status growing up had lead to her becoming rather conceited. She has a constant need to be considered the best and to break from the shackles of her name. Though, she would rather be called a Larette than her well-known moniker of Bloody Aria. She is a staunch traditionalist, believing in the values and ethics of yore are greater and more important than any new-age belief.

Brief Backstory:
There are few that do not know the name "Larette". Among the most noble families, the Larette commands lordship over a large region of Thaln. Their auburn eyes, red-hair, and impressive stature are the most notable features of the family. This, however, had unfortunately added to their already dire reputation. While they are one of the most powerful noble families, they also attract the ire of most other families. Their reputation isn't unearned; the family had previously committed dozens of acts bordering on cruelty and illegality to accrue so much land and power. The only reason why they have not been attacked by other nobles for their past injustices is because of their staunch support of the Iron Rose Knights and the kingdom. But as the saying goes, only a Larette would look down on the king.

Aria wasn't born a heiress. While she was a daughter of Lord Larette, she was only a middle daughter. Her eldest brother and sister were much closer to inherit her father's titles, so Aria had two choices: she could either become a damsel and be married for the sake of politics, or she could become a knight and fight in service of the Iron Rose and the kingdom. A fiery blaze of youthful vigor, the young Aria had taken the ladder option. She went through the usual motions, becoming a page and then a squire.

It wasn't soon that war broke out. Lord Cal and the king waged a brutal war. Aria had joined the kingdom's army and fought under a knight banneret. She gained her first unfortunate nickname and title at that point: "Red" Aria. She was a Larette. That's all she amounted to. She loathed this nickname. Every single battle that she had fought in, she continued to prove herself. Not because of ambition, no. That blasted nickname cursed at her every time she heard it. She would do her damnedest to rid herself of that name. Then the Battle of the Butcher's Bridge happened.

Nobody called her Red Aria ever again.

The knight and those fighting under him were forced to retreat. They had lost their horses and were being chased down by a much larger force. It was a death sentence. The knight had managed to cross a bridge and, to ensure that the majority of his men would survive, left a small group of soldiers to slow down the enemy force as much as they could. The rapids below the bridge were impossible to be forded. It was the best possible choke point. It was eighty against twelve.

So began the nickname "Bloody" Aria.

Out of those who fought at the bridge, sixty-seven had died. By percentage, it was one of the most bloody and deadly battles of the war. On Aria's side, there were four survivors. On their enemy's side, there were fifty-nine had perished. Aria and her surviving allies had been found by reinforcements. Wounded dozens of times and drenched head to toe in blood, they had protected the knight and those who hadn't volunteered to make their last stand.

For her service and sacrifice in the war, she was knighted by the king. She joined the knights afterwards. After all, she was a warrior through and through. That and the name Bloody Aria would never escape her.

Equipment:
Aria wields a heirloom spear enchanted with the ability to 'pierce'. Through cloth, leather, and steel, the tip of the spear will pass unimpeded so long as it strikes true. This doesn't mean that the spear is unstoppable. One can still grab the shaft or attempt to deflect the tip to glance armour. In both cases, the spear will not be able to pierce.

Her blade and shield are unenchanted, but of great quality. Befitting of a noble knight, they are pristine in their construction and maintenance.

Her armour is well made and perfect for her. The most accurate way to describe it is artisanal. Despite their engravings, the steel plate over her gambison is of great defensive quality. The armour is enchanted to be as durable and lightweight as possible, allowing Aria to move and sprint even faster than a standard knight.

Skills:
Aria is a master spear-user. The bane of swordsmen, her talent in keeping foes far is a feat of great martial prowess. Her speed and accuracy with a spear is befitting of one in the Larette family; it is mostly unmatched by other, less noble knights. Her swordsmanship is experienced, but rough in comparison. In a battle of blades, Aria is most likely to lose against veterans. Blades are much more suitable as an emergency backup than her primary weapon.

Besides being good at standard knightly talents such as riding and archery, she is rather talentless. At best, she can make food that one can survive on. They wouldn't take any pleasure eating it, though.

[User]
"Worry not, Sir Jarde." the slightly younger of the more seasoned warriors said simply. "I'll be sure to make good upon it once the battle is truly over."

The other rookie'd of course need a ride back.

Turning his gaze outwards towards the bodies that littered the field for a moment, the leather-clad man allowed the young knight's words to wash over his mind and the scene of their handiwork before them. Though delivered with a smirk on the face and a tongue in the cheek, they did not seem to be wholeheartedly playful... Perhaps he did misread his compatriot, but in the event he had not, Gerard spoke again.

"Kidding or not, your words aren't without merit. Every man has somewhere he comes from. No man acts without a reason. It's something I personally believe we would be unwise as knights to simply forget." Here he inclined his head to Sir Renar, a return of the nod he had been given earlier. "Though we also can't ignore the choices they made once they reached that point either, as Sir Renar says. They chose their path as one of violence, exploitation, and extortion— something we have sworn to not abide."

Finally, his amber eyes returned to focus upon the young blonde sickle-wielder, carrying with them a glint of reassurance beneath their weatheredness. They would need him ready for the next stage of this mission.

"And beyond even that, friend; there's no great injustice in choosing your life over he who would end it. You don't need to enjoy the act, but you'll need to be ready for it. Keep that in mind from here on out, and it should keep you upright."

@Psyker Landshark

[Assistant]
Forina was all for justice and mercy, but she understood just as well that being the ones to exact mercy was merely kicking the bucket down the road. However many soldiers these bandits had already slain was enough to sentence them to hanging or beheading, and all their mercy here would not change that.

And she was sure as hell not going to waste time pleading to the king to spare their lives either.

The knightess clicked her tongue before pulling out a cloth and wiping down her blade. After sheathing it, she followed Fanilly's orders and set to further securing the prisoners, moving them wherever it was they'd decided to start collecting them. All tied up, exhausted, and many wounded, Forina wasn't overtly worried that two or three soldiers could keep a good watch, but then again, the king's men had already died before to their blades.

She was inclined to go on ahead of the Captain, for fear that any traps laid out just before the bandit camp would meet the same oblivious fervor. She could preemptively stop it if she were ahead, or simply spring the trap itself with foresight of its nature. Seeing these pitiful fighters left Forina feeling confident that the coming assault would be similarly one-sided.

"We should make sure to check the bandits supplies for anything important stolen," Forina said to Fanilly, "Before we set to burning it down."

[User]
Fleuri Jodeau

With some time to spare before being ordered into position, Fleuri removed his helmet to get a better look at where his armor was struck with a quarrel. To his relief, there was no damage beyond a minor scratch where it glanced off his pauldron. The only other telltale signs of his participation in the battle was his bloodied greatsword and a few scarlet drops that had dripped from his sword onto his white cape. The evening was still young, however, and they had another fight ahead of them.

Fleuri contemplated about what the bandit had said while being interrogated. If this knave is telling the truth, sentries might be an issue if they spot us before we can get into position. If the bandits were alerted before they were encircled, many of them would be able to slip away into the woods. The other detail he noticed was the mention of prisoners. It wasn't surprising that these brigands kept prisoners, but it posed a slight complication in that the camp contained innocent people. There was a chance the bandit was lying about that detail, but the Iron Roses would not gamble with people's lives by calling his bluff.

There was one other detail that was worth noting- the bandit's description of the Bandit King. According to the reports, most of the royal soldiers sent to stop the bandits were torn apart by a single, unknown weapon. It was speculated that Jeremiah was this weapon's wielder but assuming he wasn't some sort of elaborate red herring- which these bandits were clearly not smart enough to pull off- this further suggested that it was indeed Jeremiah.

If he is surrounded, he could try to break out- after all, if he's as skilled as they say, he could very well succeed. But a man as bold as Jeremiah does not seem like the type to flee. Fleuri glanced at Fanilly. If the Bandit King opted to stand and fight, he'd probably go straight for the young captain. The thought of the Order losing its Knight-Captain so early into her captaincy, and just a few short years after losing their previous captain, made him uneasy. On the other hand, from what little he had seen of Fanilly, she wasn't just some bravado filled fool. Between the Vindramael knight and the legendary First and Youngest, she was in good hands.

He thought of speaking up to the captain, but decided against it. He had nothing noteworthy to say, and there were already enough people telling Fanilly how to do her job. He silently put his helmet back on and mentally readied himself for the next phase of the battle.

[Assistant]
A brief laugh. Oh, he liked this one. A clever mouth, and a functioning brain inside that head of his. Renar wasn't that concerned anymore. If Sir Jarde could joke like that, he'd hold together long enough for the upcoming battle. Who knows? Perhaps he'd come to terms with the act fully once he'd slain a few more.

"If you insist, Sir Jarde." Renar nodded, stepping back as he put his helmet back on. "Then I wish you and Sir Gerard good fortune in the fight to come." He hefted his poleaxe up onto his shoulder, cheerfully whistling as he made his way back over towards the rest of the group.

@HereComesTheSnow

Fortunately, he'd returned to the main body of the knights soon enough that he'd managed to overhear the captured bandit go on about the strength of their so-called king. Well, well. So this Jeremiah was a cut above the rest, eh? About time. Perhaps he'd even get to cross blades with the man. The thought had him grinning in anticipation. While Renar enjoyed a challenging fight in and of itself, its true value to him beyond enjoyment was the chance to win glory by defeating strong opponents. With glory came recognition. With recognition came a chance at legitimacy. Of being a true blueblood.

Hopefully, they'd advance soon. The longer they kept the bandit camp waiting without a report back from the failed ambushers, the more suspicious they'd be that something was wrong.

[User]
Well, that was easy. Her adhoc interrogation worked pretty well. The words of a bandit weren't to be trusted, but simple hints about what was coming were always useful. The bandit that feared for his life was fine now. At least from dying in the battlefield. Unless a more utilitarian and morally ambiguous knight decided to... thin the herd, he was now the kingdom's responsibility. What was important, however, were the actions of him. Instantly, he belittled Aria's years of battlefield experience. It was easier to catch flies with honey, but she wasn't trying to catch a fly. She was trying to get information out of a murdering thief. He even called her 'little lady'. Aria was taller than him! If there was a manlet here, it was this ganglion who was unable to crack 6". Now, he was on Aria's list.

Slimy bastard.

Well, no sense jeopardizing a mission to get even. That would come later. Now was the time to advance. After all, if the bandits wouldn't return, ye olde king would have a great reason to run. Though, the strength of Jeremiah was the big question. If he was able to beat so many of the king's men with the help of dozens of useless bandits, then he was either one of two things. If he was able to kill people so fast, then he would have most likely been a mindless brute that could cleave entire legions in twain. In that case, he would probably have some immunity or resistance against being cut. All that meant for Aria is that her spear had an even larger target to pierce.

Well, it was better not to get too caught up in theory. Now was the time to march and dethrone a bandit.


[System]
Rank: Lieutenant

Age: 26

Biography & Concept: Born the second son of the esteemed Caladwarden family, who's lineage reaches back to the first millennium of human space exploration. He was one of three, his older brother Brandon having been groomed to succeed his father as a representative on the Cinnabar Senate in which his father is a prime member. His young brother Gridor placed in administrative duties on their island home estate. Kaiden was raised to be a military man, representative of their family's old notions of loyalty and homage. There needs to be at least one member of the family in the Cinnibar Navy, and Kiaden has grown up with such expectations and responsibilities. Though his brother Brandon did sign on for a brief period to learn his worth and to show his dedication to the Republic.

It gained him an edge on the officer's exam for Lieutenants, and he passed with relative ease. His contention with his father however came at the death of his older brother, who died during a brief skirmish. Kaiden was given leave to convene with his family, whereupon his father ordered him to relinquish his duties as a Lieutenant and take Brandon's mantle as the first son. Kaiden refused, preferring to make his own way in the Navy rather than relying on his family's influence to gain notoriety. He had always been independent minded, and if he hadn't already a knack for the officer's life he likely would have defied his father long before the Brandon's death. His already rocky relationship with his sire plummeted into them parting ways with harsh words and even harsher sentiments.

An oddity, this "prince of the isle" does rather enjoy lowborn commoners. He speaks easy enough and is no stranger to hard work. But he always tends to have an air or superiority and education most can find grating. Ever rebellious, he was involved in a few low-end scandals with servants and young women cooks at his family's estate, being rather good-looking with a smooth, deep voice that can be used to flutter hearts or send men to battle.

Here's hoping he can muster up a good battle record with his meager gifts, because war has just begun...
@Penny

[User]
It took two more jumps to get to Delta-3-7. Kaiden had a cold sweat for the entire trip, or at least that's how he would remember the journey. It was absolutely miraculous that Herculaneum had gone under attack while they were gone, much less were in Alliance hands before they had even returned. Kaiden had heard strange rumors about jumpspace, where time became disjointed and unreliable, and though he knew it wasn't the case, he certainly felt like the prelude to the war and its first offensive had past him by below his notice.

"Bushman, Harwen, go help lower the sails." Kaiden ordered. Higgs would have done so but he was busy on the aft. The Vickie wasn't nearly as poor off as the K-21 Kaiden had given Sabatine, but twenty odd crew still gave everyone a bit more work on their hands. They gave curt salutes and hustled out of the bridge to the main deck.

"Are we absolutely, crystal clear, that K-21 is clear for us?" Kaiden asked, his gaze swiveling to Howarth with a stern countenance. Nothing was Howarth's fault, but Kaiden felt either sick or angry at anything in his vision. "How's the Vickie?"

"Yes Captain. All signals clear! We were a bit slow on the uptake with a few kinks on the engine, but Colby and Randals got it fixed before the second jump. We'll sail in smoothly from here on." He explained just when the K-21 made visibility.

---

"Sir, might I suggest-"

"No, you may not." Kaiden warned Tilda, and the woman blanched at the uninhibitedly threatening look he gave her. His eyes lingered for a few moment, in no mood to flirt or be questioned with. The blonde woman closed her mouth and nodded, turning about face and walking away. Kaiden closed the door behind him.

Delta-3-7 was an old mining outpost, quietly commandeered by the Republic a score of years previously and reorganized into an outpost for military applications due to the increasing mobilization of the government. The Bureau of Ordinance had nestled itself there snugly. Once the Vickie and K-21 had arrived, the RCS Whitehall, a refitted sloop, had been at dock for repairs. Kaiden had hailed the Captain, a one Timothy Rachet personally, to his relief finding the ship had been dealt a damn bad one by a few scattered asteroids. Captain Rachet had little news to provide the Vickie, instead desperately asking Kaiden for a briefing. In true military fashion, Kaiden kept it short but grim, and then told Rachet he would contact him later once he reconvened with his officers.

"You do a hell of a good job," Kaiden said to Sabatine, who had been waiting in the room for his arrival. The lunar facility had seen a flurry of activity in recent months, but there was still plenty of room for Republic personnel. He didn't trust the skittering agents from the Bureau of Ordinance lurking around every corner, however. The organization did good work and he would normally be keen to speak to a representative, but there seemed to be little oversight at Delta-3-7. His grandfather once told him, 'every spoke in the wheel is important, but a wandering spoke means a broken wheel.' Kaiden took a breath, crossing his arms. "That being said, how the hell did they move that fast?"

[Assistant]
Sabatine rubbed her brow with the heel of her left hand, managing to avoid touching her eye and leaving it stinging for the next several hours. She was beyond rung out and was working hard to keep from trembling.

"Sit," Kaiden directed, making an off handed gesture to one of the seats. Sabatine gratefully sank into the uncomfortable chair, grateful to be off her feet. The conference room of the Bureau's facility was converted from what must have been an old longue or bar, still faintly redolent of tobacco and beer despite countless steam cleanings. It offered a view out over the lunar landscape, a broad vista of grey white dust and rock. Here and there mining vehicles, rusted behemoths on caterpillar treads, rumbled to and fro on unknown errands. The mining hub had been built in a crater to protect it from meteor damage and the looming kilometer high lip of the crater was visible in the distance, the lights of the massive freight elevator that took vehicles took and from the lunar surface glittering against the stone..Both the Vickie and the K-21 had landed at the docking facilities meant for much smaller mining vessels and were now taking on reaction mass from melted ice deep beneath the mantle. Tilda, acting as a proper servant for once, produced a bottle of something and poured a measure of liquor into two plastic glasses. Sabatine was so grateful for a drink that she momentarily forgot her dislike for the former reporter and nodded her thanks.

"Thank you sir," Sabatine responded formally, lifting her cup to clink against Kaiden's before sinking most of it in one pull. It was a bourbon of some kind, and pretty good for a station here at the end of nowhere. She wondered if Tilda had scrounged it locally or if it had come from Kaiden's stocks. Probably the former, nothing but the best for the Prince afterall.

"As for how they took Herculaneum, I've been thinking about it since we bolted," she admitted.

"And?" Kaiden pressed, sipping at his own drink and gazing out at the lunar landscaped. Sabatine shrugged her shoulders.

"Dammed if I know. Maybe the locals sold us out, most of the aristocracy was pretty solidly RCN but there is always someone out of power who thinks they can do better under a different master. Bring troops in on merchantmen a few at a time and seize the control centers in the dead of night? They must have caught the Hamptor on the ground, maybe some other ships too. Hold out long enough to bring in the rest of your fleet lurking on the edge of the system," she mused, finishing her drink and holding it out for Tilda to refill. The loss of a base like Herculaneum with its defenses intact, even out here in the sticks, was a calamity. Heads would roll when Navy House investigated what had gone wrong, assuming of course those heads hadn't rolled when the Alliance moved in.

"They took Kostroma that way a few years back, briefly anyway, before Leary took it back with Admiral Jessup," she continued. That had been different of course. Kostroma was a Cinnabar ally but a wog was a wog and what could one expect? But an RCN base? It was unthinkable.

"Sorry I'm late," a lean looking man in the uniform of an RCN Lieutenant announced as he stepped through the door. He was in a set of grays that had seen better days, probably been second hand when he bought them and since picked up numerous grease stains. He had a commo helmet under one arm and the pimpliest midshipman Sabatine had ever seen in tow. The midshipman's neat fatigues clashed jarringly with his superior's dilapidated appearance. Both Sabatine and Kaiden pretended not to notice. It was a fact that even under the best of circumstances an RCN officer without private means could find himself in financial straits, particularly if he had a family to support and no access to prize money, something that certainly wouldn't come to the commander of a supply ship. RCN convention at least at their level, demanded they not acknowledge it.

"Lieutenant Hickoring this is Lieutenant Rachet, commanding the supply ship Whitehall," Kaiden announced formally. Sabatine stood up, managing to avoid swaying and shook hands with the greasy officer.

"Charmed, I was in the class behind you in the academy, saw you shoot once, topping!" Rachet gushed with friendly bonhomie." Sabatine smiled and relaxed slightly, sinking back into her seat. Rachet had done well to earn himself a command so early in his career, even if it was a clapped out supply barge like the Whitehall, but at least that left Kaiden in command by virtue of his commissioning date. The last thing they needed now was some barge driver looking to take command and make a name for himself. That was uncharitable, but Sabatine was too tired to be polite in her thoughts as well as her words.

"I suppose the how of it doesn't matter that much," Sabatine said, taking a more measured sip of liquor. The warmth of the bourbon was already spreading through her and if she wasn't careful she was going to fall asleep.

"The question is what should we do about it?"

[User]
"They'd probably been planning it for months," Kaiden muttered, gazing out of the window into the hall. Herculaneum's fall must have been executed from the inside at nearly all levels of the administration, like Mithridates and the Asiatic Vespers of old earth. It must have taken an extreme amount of precision and discipline, which only made Kaiden even more wary of the Alliance's capability for subterfuge. If he wasn't absolutely certain of his crew's loyalty, he would be sweating cold.

What were they supposed to do? They could try and make it back to command, but could they do more good out in the boonies of K-12? Alliance forces were likely close, and he doubted the Delta-3-7 was useful for anything but resupply. They didn't wish to lead anyone here because it wasn't a very defensible cluster of asteroids. Every rock was thousands of kilometers apart, Higgs report he had given Kaiden had said. Belts could be good defensive measures, and only madmen or ambitious miners delved into them.

"Or insurgents," Kaiden mouthed, pondering.

The Delta-3-7 wasn't too far from the Sega Cluster, which, if he recalled correctly, was a dangerous lane for ships for more than just the rocks. Alliance insurgents turned pirate had taken up residence there, the Republic's main interest in their existence before the conflict was protecting their own shipping, but maybe they could use them to their advantage. They like as not held no love for the Republic, but chances are they loathed their previous government. Kaiden wasn't insane enough to try and recruit them into the military, but perhaps if he knew the Alliance shipping lanes, they might wreak some havoc before they themselves hit them hard.

"The what?" Sabatine asked, raising her head curiously.

"I need a map of the system, if at all possible. Lieutenant Rachet, do you have any information on Alliance routes close to the neighoring systems?" He inquired. Captain Rachet inclined his head thoughtfully, confusion on his face.

"Lieutenant, you're not planning on launching an attack with our relative strength, right?" He tried to confirm.

"If I was, you would do well not to question that." Kaiden reminded him, and the Captain gulped audibly. Kaiden was correct. During times of full-scale war, some more ornery or stern superiors might consider that insubordination. "As it stands, no. But we can't sit here and wait for orders. I want to know where the nearest alliance forces are."

"Unfortunately, sir, they are merely a quick jump away." Rachet replied. "Perhaps not the main body of any real force, but a small fleet is located at the Hytegero Sector, not a week's sail from Delta-3-7. They've begun to flourish in activity, so the Bureau has told me. They were surprised I made it in undetected, as they were about you. I don't think we should fight fate and try our luck thrice, but I'm with you whatever you decide, sir."

"What are you planning?" Sabatine asked. Kaiden would explain in detail, once he had that map.