[System]
Gender:
Female

Birthday:
18/01/82 BC

Age:
50 (Appears 17)

Height & Weight:
160 cm
56 kg

Appearance:
Kára is a busty blonde beauty. Though of relatively short stature, her long, ever so slightly curly hair reaches past her waist creating an air of elegance. Oftentimes when not a goddamned motherfucking dinosaur, she is wearing a suit of plate mail crafted to perfectly fit her body shape. The helmet has a cute little feather.

Equipment:
Full suit of plate armor, standard viking shortsword, meat rations, waterskin. Relatively sparse equipment-wise due to most combat of hers occurring while she is in her dinosaur form.

Psychoanalysis

Merits:
Undying Courage- Will rarely, if ever, back down from any battle.
Gentle Soul- Very kind and gentle at heart despite her reputation, profession, and skill in said profession.

Flaws:
Stubborn Courage- Will rarely, if ever, back down from any battle even if a loss is likely.
Thug's Demeanor- Despite her appearance manages to be fairly frightening and imposing even when she wishes not to be.

Tragic Flaw:
-

Personality:
Though her purpose in life is war and the transport of souls to Valhalla, Kára is a kind person at heart. Unless she is indiscriminately and viciously slaughtering foes on the battlefield, she is a quiet and gentle person, even shy when it comes down to it. If one were to get to know her, they would find that she is not, in fact, the terrifying, bloodthirsty warrior she seems on the battlefield but instead just a sweet girl. Even so, a combination of her reputation and magic has prevented her from making many close bonds with those other than her raven Diego. She does not seem to mind very much, however. Truly, she is the most kawaii despite being seen as kowai.

Recorded Information

Culture and Country:
Germanic

Languages:
German, Latin

Public Record:
Over the course of her many years as a Valkyrie, Kára have racked up plenty of kills as well as souls-delivered. In general, she traveled from place to place allowing herself to be hired where she saw fit, and proceeded to aid in the decimation of enemy forces by means of her velociraptor transformation. As a result the "Primordial Beast," as it were, is relatively well-known, but not famous by any means.

Private Information:
Unless she was on the battlefield, Kára generally kept to herself. As such she has very few interpersonal relationships, though she likes to be with small animals. They're great companions in human form and great meals in dino form.

Faction Information

Loyalty:
Despite being a member of Arnbjorn's Blue Bears, she only truly fights for the dinos of the world.

Military Rank:
-

Magical Girl Rank:
Heroic-Iron

Magic

Soul:
0/10

Magical Familiar:
Diego the raven. Kind of a snarky jerk when he speaks, not that he does so often. Despite this, he generally has good intentions at heart.

Magic Trait:
Positive-
Battle Immunity (Grazes, minor wounds, and weaker attacks cause no damage)
Frenzy (In battle, all attributes are increased, but their fighting style becomes animalistic)
Negative-
Lead From the Front (They're at the front of the charge, for good or ill)
Frenzy (Not in total control of actions. If stress occurs, there's possibility they will lose control of them self for a period of time. If ego loss occurs ??? happens)

Magic Abilities:
Flight- 1
Animal Form(Velociraptor)- 3
Standard Bearer(Intimidate)- 1
Fear(M)- 1

Power Manifestation:
Flight- As a Valkyrie, Kára has a pair of wings that she can use to have access to limited flight.
Rule by Fear- Due to her skill in both intimidating her allies into following her as well as frightening her enemies into losing morale, Kára is able to control the fear of those around her to a degree. This generally entails a vague power over level (a lot, somewhat, a little) and type of fear (fight vs flight).
Scary Monsters Primordial Beast- Kára has mastered her ability to transform into a fear-invoking, flesh-rending velociraptor; a beast from ancient times unknown to the majority of men. While in this form Kára is absolutely ruthless, ripping her enemies to shreds with no remorse and harnessing speed and strength beyond the power of most modern animals. While in this form, however, Kára's ability to think logically drastically decreases as penance for using the dinosaur's awe-inspiring power. Due to her skill in this ability, Kára retains a small amount of the velociraptor's speed and strength in her normal form.

Skills and Metastatus

Skills:
Light Weapon(Viking Shortsword)- 2
Armor- 2
Demagogue- 2

Fate:

Miracle:
(???)

[User]
Oh.

I guess the weird subhuman did not want to play.

A pity. Such was the life of weirdos Oriana supposed. Perhaps she could have convinced the other to understand the greatness of Octavian, her belief in the man who would restore Rome. Such barbarians should be happy that they would be under the foot of the Romans as slaves. Truly, a wasted potential. However, that is why she followed Octavian. He would make Rome once against great, as her patron goddess dictates. As a citizen of Rome, it was her duty to ensure that only the greatest ruled. That only the ones to provide strength and determination to the city of Rome; the the nation of Rome; the people of Rome.

And that was Octavian to her. That was the legend she had believed. An individual so great one would be willing to place their heart and soul into their determination to ensure their will would be administered. After all, what is a nation without it's ruler? Nothing more than a squabble of people biding themselves towards a power struggle, locked within eternal conflict.

But Octavian would fix that, right~? He would not let such frivolous squabbles falter the true heart of Rome, right~?

"Oh, I guess you don't want to play~," Oriana said after seemingly being ignored by the German. "That is okay~. It is not like you are obligated to play with me or anything~."

The troop was on a mission; an objective. To ensure that this would come to fruition, Oriana would simply obey the orders given. It was not like it was against the orders to scrutinize with her fellow ... mission-goers(?) ... and as such she felt it would be a fun experience to speak and understand how such strange folks who have rejected the true graces of the gods and worshiped false idols outside the rule of the only righteous-willed government acted. Were they even people? Oriana had only seen them as slaves captured during wartime, so it was not like she understood anything about them. They were just "the other": non-Romans. She supposed they were not as important as a Roman, but that still did not mean they were not "people". And children naturally enjoy the right to play.

[Assistant]
Road to Knowledge

"I think it would be best if we had as many ravens flying and helping scout as possible, so of course you would be welcome if your raven is to join ours in taking turns." Amelia assured the new Valkyrie with a smile. Even as she spoke, Elov appeared and perched on her shoulder.

Taking a moment to consider the possibilities, she figured she should at least try and get along with Oriana. If her isolation - or, Odin forbid, racial arrogance - separated her from the war maidens and caused friction, it would be bad.

"Oriana, do you have anything that could help keep an eye out?" She spoke, her voice a little louder than her normal speaking voice to account for her distance from the germanic maidens. "The more, the merrier, and the ocean is a wide, wide place."

[User]
The soothsayer smiled at the girl's words. "Well Oriana, we will see how you can help me to aid Octavian. I'm looking forward to see what you have to offer me, and by extent him. Tell me, what is it you are skilled in? Or rather, who do you favor as your patron among the Olympians?"

If he was to be around these new 'priestesses' he would learn what he could of them. This one especially intrigued him, her eagerness to take part in Octavian's cause was appreciated, even if it was perhaps a little too close to hero worship for his taste. Still, such a comrade could be more than useful for what their master might make of Rome, if it could indeed survive the coming storm. The Etruscan was pulled from his thoughts as the shipmaster and his first man began shouting orders to depart, their cargo loaded and secure. Oarsmen took their positions and began their steady pace, each and every man working in time to move the vessel out into deeper waters. Soon the sails would be dropped, and they would be on their way to Athens. Cuinte ran a hand against his book as he thought to himself, he would open one of the livestock and see what awaited them, in time though. For now he was content to watch the land slowly shrink away into nothingness before the vastness of the sea.

[Assistant]
Road To Knowledge

Oh, there was another maiden of the All-Father? When did she get there? Is that what Jocasta was chirping at when Godelvia got on the boat? Eh, either way, she seemed like a decent person, offering her raven and everything. Hopefully, she would be able to help Goldevia while they were on the sea.

Wait, shit, she'd probably need to interact with her. Time to act like a normal, sociable, Valkyrie.

" Yes, your raven can go after Amelia's. Hello, I am Godelvia. Nice to meet you. "

Perfect, spot on.

Of course, it totally sounded like she was a socially inept fool, but Godelvia was decently proud of herself. For a girl who spent most of her time around animals, which usually didn't speak, talking to other humans was really odd. All of these formalities, and so on. She just really wished there was some kind of book for this.

Amelia was asking the Roman girl if she had anything that could help scout, so that meant less social interaction for Godelvia.

Once the left the port, Godelvia finally realized how important her part of the mission was. Not only did she have to care for the lives of 2 other Valkyries, a 'priestess' and a haruspex, but she had a lot of her animals on the boat. She needed those.

[User]
"I have wolfy I guess~," Oriana said with a bit of childish aspirations. Of course, for Oriana, her spirit animal was similar to a "friend" of sorts. A being that would guide her to her desired goal. A spirit that would protect her to the best of her abilities as long as she continued to serve her patron goddess. After all, it was commonplace for a magical girl to have some sort of companion for their quests involved both treachery and danger, so a being that could provide such companionship would be expected.

Of course, by "Wolfy", she was referring to the spiritual animal she was contracted with. A wolf. Who would have guessed? Either way, she was unsure if Germanic magical girls were able to see her animal, but at the very least she understood that Cuinte would not be able to see her animal at the very least. Those without powers tended to be ignorant about the miracles of the priestesses, at least from what Oriana was told.

"They should be able to see any dangers around us~. They are really smart."

Well, about as smart as one would expect a spiritually contracted wolf to a magical girl to be. Smart by Oriana's standards anyway.

"But I think we should all be friends. I like making friends~. They are the best. You too~. Although I might be young, I think that we can at the very least have fun together~."

Of course, Oriana referred to the shirking, antisocial-seeming "priestess" or "Valkyrie" or whatever they wanted to be called. Although not as young-seeming as Oriana, she did display a bit of youthful bliss. Even if Valkyrie were minded to have the perception of one much older, they still retained their youthful flare, or what could be considered such, within their bodies. Although Oriana did not know such information,

"I don't know your name, but I don't think that one needs to know another's name in order to be friends. I was friends with a lot of people that I never even knew who they were called. We even played together before. Isn't that fun~? I think I told you my name, but I want to know yours."

An exchange of names is similar to an exchange of understanding. To create a classification for another, falsely or otherwise, was important to Oriana at a conceptual level, even if she herself did not understand why she would insist on such.

It was then that Oriana noticed that Cuinte had spoken to her.

"Oh~, my patron is the mother of Rome herself, Juno. Pretty cool, huh~?"

[Assistant]
Kára smiled. It was a heart-melting smile. Both of her fellow Valkyries had deemed her able to aid in their endeavors. "Praise the All-Father! I'm glad to be of some help. You hear that, Diego? You're on scouting duty after the raven that's after this one, alright?" In response, the bird stared for a moment before deciding to groom its wing. Finding this rather cute, Kára patted her familiar on the head. It retained a blank expression. Possibly because birds lack the ability to change their expression.

It appeared that the one named Amelia was now in discussion with another one of the people who was to be on this vessel, so Kára turned her attention back to Godelvia. "That's a nice name. I like it. Graceful. Mine is Kára. Pretty simple compared to yours, isn't it...?" The girl chuckled to herself in a slightly nervous fashion. She by no means disliked her own name, but it was a simple fact that most people she met had much more grandiose-sounding ones.

She just kind of stood there. Kára did not lack social skills, she was merely bad with strangers. If her fellow warriors had instead been puppies or squirrels or something of the like, maybe she would have been slightly more comfortable. But alas, such was not the case. And so she stood.


[System]
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Race: Human

Weapon: Unlike the majority of Hunters that dwell the broken world of Remnant, Gratia wields two, separate and completely distinct weapons due to her poverty, which has prevented her from obtaining more advanced weaponry. She wields a dull, grey mameluke sabre named Valens, furnished simply with the imprint of her emblem on its hilt. It is utilised alongside her other weapon, an automatic carbine named Valentinian, black and silver and also light enough to be used with one hand.

She also owns an SUV that she acquired from a mafia family after a mission.

Specialty: Capable of dealing with enemies both in close combat and mid-range, Gratia's role on Team VGNB (Vignoble) is to draw the attention of Grimm as she cuts swathes through their ranks in her berserk rage. As such, she is quite the durable warrior, and if time passes, she will only grow stronger as her semblance drains away at the energies of her enemies, making her perfect for her position as the 'tank' of the team.

Semblance: Bibere Vinum - Gratia's lust for battle and power is translated into a semblance that allows her to drain the aura of others in the area in order to strengthen her own physical abilities. In particular, her speed, strength, and endurance. The effects compound over time, and thus while they aren't too noticeable in the first few minutes of combat, the longer one fights her and the closer they are in proximity, the stronger Gratia gets.

Following her conversation with her mother on what it meant to be a Huntress and what she meant to those close to her, Gratia's semblance metamorphosed into a new form, gaining an additional ability based upon her existing powers. Her ability to detect and sometimes recognise other lifeforms in the area has become more powerful, allowing her to inject a tiny portion of her own aura into people upon contact, creating a connection between her and her victim that allows her to track and identify them no matter where they go, and will not be broken unless either of them are dead, or if Gratia wishes it to end. It also provides her basic information on the victim's status, such as their health, mood and general condition.

Personality: At first glance, Gratia appears to be quite a solemn figure, impassive and quiet in the majority of situations. Restraint seems to come easily to her, and there is an aura of professionalism that permeates her every action. It would be obvious, then, to assume that she is a rather serious person, one who devotes her very being to work and believes that everything else is a waste of time. In actuality, this is mostly inaccurate. When she speaks it is generally to insult others, particularly her aggravating teammate Napoli, and her speech is peppered with gratuitous swearing.

She is extremely sarcastic and is quick to point out when a situation does not strike her as favourable. She is also rather arrogant and has a haughty sense of pride that dictates her actions. If someone starts annoying her, her impassive aura is quick to drop and Gratia will instead begin with a spewing out insults. However, she is not entirely horrible, being actually fairly kind to those who she deems as respect worthy and more importantly, not annoying. While she is quiet still, she is more than willing to offer them a helping hand on assignments and other problems.

In addition, Gratia possesses a strong sense of loyalty to her loved ones. If you piss her off or take advantage of her friends she will make your life a living hell. Of course, do what you want to her annoying teammates, especially Napoli, she'll only save them at the last minute when they're about to die. And you're not allowed to kill them. She gets to when they screw up.

When in combat, her normally solemn personality completely disappears, replaced by a crazed bloodlust that seems to consume her entire being (and probably those poor Grimm that she'll murder). In this state, it can be quite surprising to listen to her cackle loudly like a hyena as she terrorises her enemies.

Color: Chartreuse Green (66CD00)

Emblem: Gratia's emblem has a certain religious flair to it, with a solid sabre sitting upon a champagne bottle, which is a chartreuse green to contrast the black and grey of the sabre and background.

Appearance:

Source | NarayanK's Interpretation

Standing at a height of one point seven five metres, Gratia is relatively tall for most girls her age, a trait that is magnified by her rock solid posture. With long, flowing brown-black hair, onyx eyes and a well-defined face (though usually seen bland or scowling), and an athletic build, she can be described as rather attractive (though her compatriot-in-arms would argue the opposite), but few dare comment on her appearance in case she takes offence.

Due to her status as a student from Haven, she dons the snazzy uniform of her "beloved" school when attending class, completely unmodified and always super tidy (it comes at a surprise that to many that she is willing to wear the skirt). When outside of class however, she can always be seen with her signature black turtleneck, brown jeans and her green winter coat, which she is highly possessive of (and possibly willing to murder for, though that's a rumour). As a music aficionado, she frequently wears headphones in order to enjoy her smooth jazz and drown out the incessant chatter of her fellows and her teammates in particular.
Name: Galla Mindaro
Age: 15
Gender: Female
Race: Human

Weapon: Steel Construction I-Beam (W18X40)

Specialty: Without needing the use of a semblance, Galla Mindaro possesses a ridiculously immense amount of physical strength, capable of carrying even the heaviest of construction materials with ease. As such, her lightest blows can easily hit as hard as a freight train, sending her targets flying with little effort on her part. Similar to her more infamous older sister, she is incredibly durable, her numerous years of acting as Gratia's training partner having developed her defenses dramatically.

Semblance: Nemo Curat - Galla's apathy and sense of detachment from the world has been translated into a semblance that allows her to essentially detach a part of her own self, preventing it from interacting with the outside world. She can only induce this state in one thing at a time, and if she wishes to stop another part of her self from being observed by reality, she has to first reattach the originally detached part. An example of her semblance in use would be detaching her scent, thereby preventing anybody from smelling her.

Personality: The younger Mindaro sibling possesses a quiet and stoic demeanour, staying impassive in the face of any situation to the extent that one could easily mistake her for a stone statue. Restraint marks her every action, with each lifeless movement utterly lacking in any form of energy or emotion. To Galla, the rest of the world simply isn't important at all, and it is through this lens of utter apathy that she engages with life.

So great is her sense of detachment that absolutely nothing is capable of fazing her. Everything is met with the same bland air, as if there was a distant chasm between her and the rest of the world. She cannot bring herself to care for it, finding little that can stimulate her dulled emotions into responding. At times, it appears as if Galla lacks a presence beyond simply 'existing', seeming more akin to a cardboard cutout than an actual human.

She doesn't see it as a problem in any way.

However, that is not to say that Galla Mindaro is simply an emotionless mannequin that is utterly incapable of being human. The truth is actually the opposite; the younger of the Mindaro sisters is surprisingly empathetic, capable of understanding the feelings, motivations and experiences of other people to a great extent. It does not change her utter lack of interest and care for them, but if the whim were to come to her, she could interact with others with little difficulty.

It is because of this that, despite her eerie detachment, Galla possesses a bond with her family. Although she rarely shows any sign of concern for them, the younger Mindaro acknowledges her parents in their entirety, and it is evident that she respects her older sister in some fashion. She is also not devoid of friends, being able to, even in her bland and uncaring manner, work amicably with a number of her classmates. Whether or not she is a good friend is debatable, especially when she does not exactly care too much for them.

She is also highly observant of her surroundings, whether they be social cues, appearances or the shape of the world. Information is immediately captured and stored in her photographic memory, although much of it fails to affect her in any manner. She holds few opinions on them, but there are times when she does judge, usually through an arbitrary rating system. When taking action, there are also moments where she may seem rather excessive, unaware of whether or not something may be too much.

Galla may or may not have a sense of humour. It's extremely hard to tell.

Color: Chartreuse Yellow (DFFF00)

Emblem: Galla's emblem has traces of religious iconography, with a pitch-black profile of a rooster, one of the holiest animals of the Mistralese Church, imprinted upon a champagne bottle of chartreuse yellow, its brightness a contrast to the colour of the bird.

Appearance:

Source

[User]
Mindaro Mondays - Galla

"10/10."

[Assistant]
Luke Schwarz

Got it in one. Not bad, Lucas, there may be hope for that brain of yours yet.

"It took me a second to realize," I explained, rolling out the stiffness in one of my wrists. "Your sister's... in a word, intense. A whole lot of intense, under that surface."

A harsh taskmaster, a natural at taking charge, and let's not even get started on the mouth she had on her. I'm by no means an innocent child with pure, freshly fallen snow for ears or mentality, but Gratia Mindaro slings more curses around than the average video game debuff table. Bluntness was about as much as you could hope for with her words, but with Galla...

"You seem a lot calmer. I guess it threw me off a little."

Which was saying a lot, given Gratia was already paradoxically calm, in regards to her outward demeanor, in relation to her acid tongue. Of course, if you got her talking about something she gave half a damn about, you got a window into the storm inside, but good luck making that happen. The Mindaros were just a stoic bunch, I guessed...

Only served to make my family seem so much more insane and lively in comparison. If these two idiots break something, I don't know them. I have no connection to them. They can feel the weight of the consequences alone.

[User]
Mindaro Mondays - Galla

"You're not the first to feel like that."

Her words and tone were as matter-of-fact and calm as the older teenager had said they were. Luke Schwarz would not be the first to be thrown off by her personality after meeting her big sister, and from the ponderous undercurrent to his voice, it was particularly obvious to Galla that her current companion was still thinking over the unexpected differences between her and Gratia. It was a common reaction to their relationship, given the physical similarities.

They were perturbed by the lack of Gratia's intensity in her.

"She's always like that," she added, a tidbit thrown out in a voice that never changed at all.

It never mattered to her.

[Assistant]
Luke Schwarz

I smirked.

"Yeah, I imagine you'd get that a lot, huh?"

A rhetorical question. It was blindingly obvious that she got that a lot, for what little it seemed to faze her. In fact, it even wasn't beyond reason to suggest that she got it so often she didn't care about it at all any more.

Well, that's a good half-truth if I ever came up with one... After all, whether it was necessarily wrong or not, her generally uncaring demeanor suggested it to not be a direct cause and effect type of situation.

"Still, for what it's worth... That intensity of hers has proven to be a big help for me." I continued. "Without it, I doubt she'd be half as good at getting things through my skull. If she's always like that, then..."

I would have a long and arduous, painful road ahead of me. One full of mutual frustration and annoyance.

I won't lie.

Gratia, at times, could be very hard to work with. It was like having to dodge wrenches to practice dodging balls. In addition to the grind of not getting something, I also had to contend with her acidic, contemptuous words whenever I didn't grasp something she found simple right away...

But at the same time, those only came because I was hard to work with too. People always overlook how much of a two way street teaching is, and for what it was worth? That same intensity that let her so casually and flatly deliver the most scathing critiques was also what gave her the determination, the motivation, and the genuine patience to see me through to having the concept down. I'd enlisted her help for a mere two, or even only one-and-a-half weeks, and yet she was already so willing to force me through when any reasonable person would call me a lost cause.

Hell, myself included.

"I'll be in good hands, for sure."

If there were ever a living example of the adage about books and covers, one could look no further than Gratia Mindaro. Although, come to think of it...

"Actually, does she help people out like that often? With grades and such, I mean."

Obviously a Huntress is going to help people in danger.

[User]
Mindaro Mondays - Galla

"Only if she likes you."

Those who didn't irk her big sister were those she would be perfectly willing to lend a helping hand to. Gratia had always been too prideful to refuse those requests for assistance. However, most previous instances occurred in smaller time intervals, and tended towards less demanding work, so the help that she was giving to Luke Schwarz was not something she had exactly observed before. Her sister was definitely spending more time and effort on him.

Gratia likely considered his inoffensive nature tolerable.


[System]
Age: 24
Personality: Keepa comes off as a charismatic sweetheart, interested in others' doings and especially human culture. Kind and elegant in their tact to the point of bordering the uncanny valley with their often lack of reaction to hostility and hatred. Its suspected that this is mostly a ruse to lure in prey which ended up being defining characteristics of their personality out of instinct and habit. When threatened, Keepa shows the stark two-face of his coined behavious; violent and vindictive, determined to extinguish even the potential of ongoing threat to themselves and whatever they may care about. As a dragon, this is the sort of behavior that gives them a bad name. As a demon, such behavior classifies Keepa as 'wild', a shunned ranking of caste from his homeland which regards him as predictable as a starved, crazed dog. As a human, hes seen as a liar and a murderer. In all reality, he would rather be left alone, although his nature and physiology compels him to seek out life. He isn't bad, per se, just built poorly for the civilized world...or built perfectly for it. The judgement is mostly left to interpretation.

Magic-like Abilities
- Keepa has a refined control of life energy, mostly for the purpose of consumption and personal perseverance. The process is similar to a leech, although the rate is controllable on some levels. With a max range of about five meters and a max effectiveness with skin-contact, affected individuals feel a slight sense of exhaustion which grows from prolonged exposure (1 hour feels like 2, 2 hours feel like 5). This can be suppressed at will, although Keepa lives off of others, parasitically and the thought of stopping doesn't often occur. This can be applied to all living beings, though it functions considerably slower on plants then it does other living creatures.

= While absorbed energy is added to their mass, it is possible for Keepa to reverse-burn his own mass into a subject for the purpose of healing even nearly fatal wounds. However, this consumes a considerable amount of mass in order to 'sew' life back into the subject, piecing them back together or replacing lost flesh. Wounds healed in such ways are stained with jagged black scars that eventually fade over the course of a week to a month depending on the severity. With the mass required to heal severe wounds, Keepa may not be able to fully heal a subject without taking on considerable mass from outside sources in the process. This is a procedure which has not been often implemented and is highly inefficient.

Standing at 170cm (roughly 5'5ft), the skin of his human form has little give and has a strange porcelain smoothness to it.

Taking the appearance of an adult dragon with ink black skin with a brilliant smooth sheen as if devoid of scales. While in this form, a light black mist continuously drifts from their figure, slightly obscuring themselves if they stood still long enough.

The rippling dark mass which Keepa is made from shrinks and grows with the tide of energy they consume. In their true form, their magic is at its most powerful although the light of the sun (and other lights to a far lesser degree) burns away their mass. This is The only way the humans have found to contain Keepa, by shining spotlights on his human form day in and day out to discourage the use of this form. Fire is a functioning substitute, Keepa is otherwise highly resilient to most elemental and physical damage.

Where I am from? Hrm. That is the wrong question to ask, as I am faraid I have no feelings for that nameless land. They...had rather I left, I suppose you could say. Hmm...yes..no, I would not be here if I could be there as I am sure you understand. Heh heh~
It has been a while since I've had any company. If you don't mind me saying, it is quite hard to see you from here...ma'am? Sir! Right, my apologies. You are very quiet, and you keep it so bright. Where was I? Ah, well, starting from the beginning is what I am best at, wouldn't you agree? Hmm~? hu hu hu~!

I was once the talk of the town, a saber-slicker in their own right before being propositioned by a handsome young human. His claim was his soul against my sword, that he could strike me down and I would never again stand without even a single scratch upon his armor. Foolish as I was, so eager to eat souls that I~

Oh, come now, don't ruin the ending before it had even happened! A threat? Why, I would never stand a chance against your human engineering. Look at me now. What threat could I pose, chained to a wall in broad daylight for all to see, with only your painted white line to entertain on the off hours. You might see a line, I see a wall that divides two people. And what would I have to gain? I belong here, after all. On that, we can both agree, yes? I...deal...with your human prisoners, and in turn...well, I actually have no idea what you all get out of this.

Maybe you just like me~
I cannot entirely entertain an ideas as to why, though... *sigh*
Compliments!? Oh my, maybe today is a good day. You're nothing like the others that tried beating me or flaying me for scales I do not have. Pretty smart; pretty and smart~
Just a joke, just a joke! I only figured you would like a compliment in return. Oh, come on, don't leave!
______________________________

The subject has repeatedly insisted they be called an array of different names, all of which come with various backgrounds and variations of cooperation. They have settled on 'Keepa' now, although the staff refer to them simply as 'The Liar'
Liar was picked up on the outskirts of the Gold Village after reports of bodies found in alleys. Most were armed and considered either muggers or the like, but concern arose with the note that none of the bodies possessed significant wounds and had simply perished from apparent heart failure. Regardless of their crimes, it was official that we had a situation on our hands. Liar was later recovered in the middle of its apparent feeding on another victim, subdued with UV lights and transported to the prison before it could recombine. The Liar was held for three years before the breakout and is still considered at large. Little is known about the subject and caution is encouraged. Their whereabouts are unknown as of the moment.
Did they escape the hunters prison?: Yeeeessss?

[User]
Lynx's eyes glistened with awe as the two headed dragon preformed her stunt. He had no idea that dragons could learn such delicate magic. He looked around to see all the dragons around him, thriving as a society. It amazed Lynx. He was extremely happy that he was able to experience this moment.

The feeling of awe turned to horror as he heard one of the dragons growl with what seemed to be anger. Lynx tensed up a little, ready to flee if he felt necessary. His attention turned to one of the very large dragons who seemed to be running this whole event. Another dragon turned to the dragon who was holding Lynx, which Lynx now knew was called Nexias, about knowing what his guests were. Lynx's anxiety levels were at a maximum, as he thought the other dragon was referring to him. He felt a surge of fear run through him. He still wasn't sure if dragons hated demons or not, but from the looks of it, it seemed as if they wanted them dead just as much as the humans did.

[Assistant]
Draken
The black haired individual watched the young dragon's display, a much more prettier and passive approached compared to most of his other hatchlings who often tried to be bold and just as outrageous with their magic as his own. He supposed it was not a bad thing however, Damia was still quite a young dragon and pretty flowers could have thorns. Her magic simply didn't quite grow them just yet. But still impressive enough he supposed. If used aggressively, she might not do so bad.

At Ezekiel's question, the Dragon God simply chuckled. "One of my youngest offspring. Damia I believe her mother named. I admit, she doesn't have quite the force as the others, but having the only one to have grace with their magic. Especially for a two headed dragon." he mused before turning his head as a familiar scent drifted in his nose and a voice called out.

Glancing his red eyes to the approaching figure, a amused smirk crossed the elder's lips as he saw the dragon Nexias. Who eagerly spoke to him in the usual fast crazy manor. Of course, dragging along demons. Nexias was a odd individual, perhaps just like Draken but in a slightly different way. But that's what made it fun really. Their magic was also not quite so different if one thought about it, which was perhaps why they got along well. That and both enjoyed driving just about everyone else insane.

"Awe Nex, it indeed has been a long time. We have been well, though some hatchlings decided to swipe Ezekiel's mask. It's been a long time since he's been without it." he mused before smirking a little at the chicken comment.

"Excellent, Nex, I knew you could accomplish such a feet. Those under the chaos of the Chickens of the Night shall never know what shall befall them." he chuckled with a hum before glancing back to the young green dragon. "Awe yes, I believe that one there is the youngest, last child aged dragon of my hatchlings. She's a bit more passive and graceful compared to the others more destructive power, but she's still young and her magic can prove promising with time." he said before looking to the demons.

"I see you're enjoying bringing in new creatures with you." Draken mused before listening to a growl come from the three headed elder.

As the elders spoke, Draken simply smirked in amusement, obviously showing very little to no worry upon his calm mischievous expression.

"Oh do show control of your temper dear elder. Wouldn't want be called going senile now would you? The poor hatchlings have worked so hard to show you what you got, the least you could do is pay attention rather than worrying about little flies." Draken mused with a smirk before looking to Nexias.

"If your plan was to annoy the Great Grandparents, I quite approve." he chuckled to the younger dragon.

Damia

The two-headed dragon shifted uncomfortably as she listened and watched the elders carefully discussing. Her long body shifting side to side as if to to slightly pace in place. Nervous about if she would make it or not or if she did well enough. She trained extra hard after hearing Draken was here and she wanted to do her best. It was a lot of pressure on her and being one of his hatchlings.

As the final verdict was given, the two headed dragon brightened as she was declared a teen. Both heads chirping and flapping the wings excitedly as she flew in circles.

"Yes yes yes yes!" the left head cheered joyfully.

"Hah! I knew I could do it! No sweat!" the right head smirked more confidently.

"Oh shush! No need to brag so much! We were soooo nervous!" the left head spoke before both head bowed a little to the elders before fluttering out from the clearing, spinning and flying in twists and circles energetically.

"Thank you Chu!" Both heads chirped as they flew over the earth dragon.

Aster
Aster blushed a little as the earth dragon wrapped a arm around him and kissed his cheek. Ever since they had returned, the earth dragon had been... Quite lovey Davey as Myrtle would put it. More so than the regular flirting he usually did. Despite how easily flustered he got, Aster found that he didn't really mind it. Even though he called Chu a idiot for coming into the Hunters Guild to rescue him after trying to keep him safe, it felt nice that someone would come from him. Expecting the same abandonment he felt as a hatchling.

When Chu mentioned Damia, Aster smiled as he watched the child dragon perform. "Yeah she's been working hard so I'm sure she will do fine." he said before blushing deeper as Chu asked what to do and the dual magic dragon shrugged a little. "U-Um.. A walk through the forest doesn't sound so bad." he answered, his face reddening deeper at the nuzzles before Damia finished and passed, then he started pausing as a elder started growling.

At Chu's suggestion on leaving, Aster nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me." he answered before lightly kissing the earth dragon on the cheek briefly before darting off ahead of him towards the forest.

[User]
The shells of Keepa's eyes rotated inwards, slightly as the watched the figure come about themselves. They went about explaining themselves, an expression which settled with the demon in a strange way. Fluctuating their brows to express hesitant concern, Keepa lifted his hands to the figure's shoulder region before pulling back, remembering the...not which was the figure who showed no reminisce of a pulse of any sort. So detached, there was nothing for Keepa to cling to. The lack of sensation left a bad taste in his mouth.

~~~
"My, that sounds like an unfortunate hand you've been delt" I say with a small chuckling inflection, relieved that what, or from what he said, 'who', was at least in control of themselves. "Thankfully none of the damage...ehh" I started, unsure how to reassure him in regards to the damage he'd done. So much damage had been done with the needless outbursts of the demons; the loss calculated in both blood and gold...there would be so much sadness caused by today's events and for what?

"Well, I suppose its best not to dwell on what you couldn't control. If only others were as fortunate as to have the ability to simply come back. Hm~" My words coming with genuine disappointment as I broke character, seeing no reason to deceive something I couldn't make a gain from. His comment on the other demon reminded me of the situation. I was weaker then when I had started, thanks to the flames. In that, there were many reasons to hate my new associate...and the numbers seemed to stack up by the minute.

3:05 and 9:50...9:51. I have to remember to synchronize the hands.

"We should" I muse as I turn to trot back down the ally I had hid in, checking my clothes to make sure they had reformed the way I liked them, even down to the slight heel of the boots which echoed light clicks with each step.
~~~~~~~~~

Emerging from the other side, Keepa was almost run over by a guard who was running in the direction of the event. "Oh! I'm sorry, ma'am. You should get to safety! There are reports of a demon in the vicinity!" he says in urgency, looking down the street as the sounds of screams of his fellow soldiers robbed him of the last of his resolve. He turned back to Keepa, "Uhh, let me get you to the garrison, it'll be safe there" taking their arm and starting to drag them off down the street. "I- I should be fine, sir. I-" Keepa tried to explain, looking back at their nameless friend with a 'what do I do?' expression. The guard hadn't even noticed Azous, more concerned about finding an excuse to not be slaughtered like the rest.


[System]
Age: 17

Year: 2nd Year

Appearance:

Personality: Excitable, Childish, and Thoughtful.

Background: Ever since seeing the Star Build Strike Gundam in the 7th World Tournament, Nanashi has become obsessed with Gunpla. Although he loves battling, he loves building much more. Having built replications of custom Gunplas like Maohs X Gundam and Ricardo's Wing Gundam Fenice.

Battling/Building Ability: Although Nanashi's battling ability is average, he makes up for it with his Gunplas superb making. His Gunplas performance and Nanashi's Gunpla knowledge keeps him from losing to other extremely talented battlers.

Mobile Suits:
-Name: Origin Strike Gundam
-Description: A pure white enhanced Strike Gundam with black features and an opening in the back of the neck that creates a plavsky particle scarf. The suit gains color depending on what Striker Pack is Equip. The Origin is also equipped with 4 circle shaped funnels that can create a particle shield and shoot independently. The Scarf can move around also like a pair of sub arms, being able to wrap around opponents to restrict them or to help repair broken off limbs.

-Name: Origin Zaku Warrior
-Description: An enhanced Zaku Warrior that's just painted white instead of green.

-Name: Origin Zaku Phantom
-Description:The Origin Zaku Phantom is the upgraded version of the Zaku Warrior, using parts from a Zaku Phantom kit. It has the two shoulder shiels as well as a thired one on its back. All shields hold a beam tomahawk and multiple missile pods, all able to fire homingh missiles. Lastly, the rifle is replaced with a beam sniper from a GM sniper unit.

Mobile Armors/Support Fighters:
-Name: Skyscraper
-Description: A support flier that equips and delivers Striker packs to the Origin Strike Gundam mid battle. It can utilize the effects of whatever pack is equipped. It's been modified to be remotely controlled by the Origin Strike Gundam.

[User]
"That would be great!" said Shouji said with a big smile. Then he glanced over at the now-snoring Sousuke, "Just, um... don't tell Sousuke. He's always had trouble accepting things from others... maybe it's a pride thing, I'm not sure." that was when Shouji decided to take a break from working on the Joker. Instead he pulled out an entirely different carrying case from under the hospital bed. This wasn't portable, and opened up to reveal an incomplete Gunpla and its remaining parts. Nanashi would recognize it as the SD Master Gundam that Sousuke had tried to build before. But even in its incomplete form, this Gunpla completely trounced its earlier incarnation. Not only design, but in that Shouji was actually adding customizations to it. He had even repainted the parts. No longer were they black like the standard Master Gundam, but were a bright crimson as if invoking the spirit of the Red Comet himself.

"Er, don't tell Sousuke about this Gunpla either." asked Shouji with a polite bow, "I'm trying to surprise him, you wouldn't believe how hard it is to keep this thing hidden in here." then he laughed a bit, "It's nowhere near finished yet, but I have a good feeling about it. I think it might even surpass the Joker."

[Assistant]
---

* * * April 28th * * *

Natsu felt an odd sensation the next day as he laid on his poorly-made bed. It was deeper, darker. A vortex of emotion that threatened to swallow him hold ... and yet, it was near impossible, no matter how much he wanted to, to ask for help. He trudged onto the edge of his full-size bed, his jogging pants a mess of wrinkles, his hair a old blue feather duster. He sighed and with that felt an ever-so-light release of that miasma in his heart.

I don't wanna go to school today ...

After washing up and putting on his uniform he opened his door, only to see Yuma sleeping across the narrow hallway. He was wrapped tightly in his white linen, his eyes staring intently at Natsu. They demanded that he stand still. "Natsu you're depressed, bro. Over something completely understandable but you can't avoid me because of it."

Natsu tightened his jaw. "You don't think I know that?"

"Most people do, doesn't stop them from running away from it."

Natsu was at a lost for words. So he remained quiet. "If you need to talk come to me, Natsu. I'm not only your brother, or your Gunpla builder, less not forget I'm also your best friend." Yuma shrugged off his covers and stood up, revealing how bonny he had become. Natsu turned his eyes to the floor. "I met a kid 'round my age yesterday in the hospital. I think his illness was terminal."

"...Oh. That's why you wrecked your room last night?" he accused. "So what man, you'll be okay. I got this from smoking and I'm sure that kid got his from somewhere too, you don't get sick like this out of the blue. So don't worry." Yuma reached out to clasped his shoulder but Natsu sidestepped it in a fit and started the down the stairs.

"Natsu?"

He hurriedly grabbed his backpack, slid on his shoes, and slammed the door behind him.

"Natsu!" Though he was out door, he imagine his brother ruffling his black hair in frustration. "Shit!"

* * * * *

The moment he got near school, he felt the grey overcome him and jumble everything together. His eyes glazed over with a sense of boredom. Knew he wouldn't get it. He ruins everything by jumping recklessly ahead ... I was happy it wasn't me. That it was him on the chopping block instead.

The school day was host to a new endless tone, even as he was called on, he let auto-pilot handle his life. At least he would until a bit of color emerged during Gunpla Club.

[User]
The week rolls by in the blink of an eye with a repetition of practice fights after practice fights against the CPU of the Battle Simulator until finally, Sunday. The day of the Practice tournament between Ichikawa, Hokuten, Nobuya and Karasato. The four (Mika following to watch) had to ride and switch trains twice before reaching Nobuya Private High School, where the tournament would take place.

The Ichikawa group all stood outside of the large school, the premise easily dwarfing Ichikawa High. Nanashi shivered a bit at the sight, "Man, I'm just getting shivers about this y'know." He said to the others "Well, I'll be relying on the both of you alot for today, so lets do our best and hopefully improve." He said with a fist pump.

Just as he finished, a van with the symbol of Karasato Academy (@Dezuel) stopped behind the group. "Oh? Seems like some of our competition arrived."

[Assistant]
Sousuke probably seemed the least nervous of the three. To be fair, he essentially had more tournament experience than either Nanashi or Natsu. Didn't stop the feeling of staring up at what would become a battleground, especially if it were one's first visit to said location. Sousuke breathed deep, then quickly adjusted his hat, "These are real battles, 2nd Year, that means I'll be billing you for the rounds we compete in." he said, adding a sly smile that made it impossible to tell if he was just joking or being completely serious.

Almost immediately a van pulled up bearing the symbol of Karasato Academy. Another school that Sousuke had never been to nor interacted with, so both of these teams would be entirely new encounters for him. But sometimes, it was devil you knew that could be more intimidating than a perfect stranger. Speaking of which, another van came rolling to a stop. This one bore the all-too familiar symbol of Hokuten Academy. At this Sousuke tipped his hat downward a bit, "And here we go..." he muttered.

Two Days Earlier

"All right, Team Chaser! That should do for our regimen today!" said Keiichiro, almost shouting. He took command rather easily, and the fact that he had a voice that seemed perfectly suited for barking orders made it even easier for him to assume the role of Captain. The team had been training with their usual regimen that day. Simulations depicting reenactments of famous of battles during the One Year War. Sometimes Chaser would be on the Zeon side fighting the White Base, other times they would be on the Federation side fighting against various mobile suits flown by Char himself. It made for great discipline building and tactical training, giving the team an almost professional aura.

"We'll be using tomorrow to rest and mentally prepare ourselves, so use your time wisely so we can-"

"Um, Sempai?" asked Sakuya, who was rereading the invitation letter, "Seems there was a last minute change to the turnout."

"Don't interrupt me when I'm giving a speech Sakuya!" Keiichiro barked dismissively.

"It's just that, this new school... Ichikawa. Isn't that where Sousuke-san transferred to?"

That got Keiichiro to stop dead in his tracks, "Huh?" he said, almost comically loud before snatching the paper, "Let me see this! Ichikawa Batlte Club... no name... members... Kanzen, Nanashi... Saisei, Natsu... AAHHHHHH!!!" he suddenly yelled with an almost comical fire in his eyes, "Kikkawa SOUSUKE!!!"

"Ahem." Tsukasa coughed quietly, "I thought you were past that now?" she asked coldly.

"What? Of course I am! Keiichiro Asaka doesn't hold grudges. Do I look I'm holding a grudge?" he asked, making a pitiful attempt at hiding his feelings, "New plan Team Chaser, we're having an emergency practice tomorrow!" and then Keeichiro stormed off.

The very next day, Keiichiro put Team Chaser through different training simulations. This time they were all against the Crossbone Vanguard. Clearly he wanted them to be prepared to counter anything Sousuke throw at them.

[User]
---

* * * April 28th * * *

Natsu stood between Nanashi-san and Sousuke-san, staring up at the grand institution known as Nobuya Academy. There was a notable irritation in his dead blue eyes. Even as he stood dumbfounded by the gray color of the extravagant school--which was a mildly-futuristic outlook of his own--he felt that prod of familiarity again.

The question. Have I been here before? arose three times.

Natsu Saisei watched Sousuke tip his hat down with a foxish flare. The blue-themed boy stepped to mimic his position and firmly grabbed his own neck. A tightened push on one side created a crackle of noise. With a sigh he said, "I'm ready to pummel'em all. Also, Nanashi-san, on the way here I was thinking of a few names for our group ..." He paused, slightly abashed. "The Definities. I thought hard about it and we're near nothing alike but we all have our definitions of Gunpla. It brought us together and I think it makes us who we are. So ... why not?"

[Assistant]
They had finally arrived to the Nobuya high school grounds where the practice tournament would take place.

Kayl had kept reading through a magazine throughout most of the drive to the place, with every now and then the occasional comment regarding the subjects Syo were discussing with the driver of the van. Kayl was dressed in his school uniform with a broché attached to his chest, marking him as the leader of the Karasato gunpla club. The symbol itself seems to very much resemble the icon for ZAFT.

He had stored his gunpla safely away in a shoulder bag, a bag which most would consider to be a tad too feminine for a guy. It didn't seem to bother him the slightest though. It was the perfect way to carry both boxes containing his gunpla, books and other important things. Behind him in the van sat Ternal, wearing a vest and longsleeved white shirt. He had remained silent during most of the ride, listening to music and getting into the spirit of fighting.

His gunpla were carried in a more regal manner, in the form of a black suitcase which also contained spare parts, building tools and some other things which were connected to what they were going to do. In the front seat, next to the driver of the van sat Syo. Who looked out of place from the other two students, he looked very much like a delinquent. His school uniform jacket was opened and his shirt was slightly unbuttoned, he carried his own gunpla in a black backpack with a skull on it.

The first one to exit the van was Syo, his shoes hit the ground and he let out a loud whistle as he looked over the school building, his backpack swung casually over his shoulder.

"Sheesh. These guys are trying to act big. Time to put them into their place." He tilted his head to left and right, before setting his eyes on the students from Ichikawa. He allowed an amused smirk to form on his lips as he approached, Kayl and Ternal taking abit longer to get out of the van.

"Yo! So you are the sad lot we are going to wipe the floor with today? Good grief. I thought we would actually get some challenge. Not some kids with defective gunpla." Syo put his left hand at his waist and stood tall and with his chest puffed out, obviously trying to taunt his opposition. A mocking grin on his lips. If he could trigger some reaction out of them he might be able to disqualify them if they went physical. It was all too easy. A couple of moments passed before Kayl and Ternal caught up to him.

"Syo, stop that crap right now. I don't want you to badmouth our sparring partners." Kayl walked up and past Syo, giving the latter a look which would tell anyone present that he did not approve of it the slightest.

"Sorry about that. I'm Kayl Lanzer of the Karasato gunpla club. Pleased to meet you." He reached out his hand towards the Ichikawa school members. "Let's have some fine fights allright?" Syo on the other hand gave the Ichikawa students a glare each with obvious dislike, not interested at all in shaking anyones hand. "Tch.."

The third member of the group, Ternal had approached aswell and had set his gaze on Lisa. "My my, I did not expect the opposition to have such a beauty amongst them. If you fight as good as you look, then we are in for a treat indeed. I'm Ternal, Ternal Dawning." Ternal did a courteus bowing motion to Lisa, and gave her a wink which could very well be considered seductive, complete with a soft smile.

[User]
Nanashi chuckled as he walked up in between their two groups, smiling at all three of the Karasato high schoolers. "Hello, nice to meet you all. The names Nanashi Kanzen, president of the Ichikawa Gunpla Battle Club."

Mika sweatdrops at Ternals comments towards her (I'm assuming). "The names Mika Ryuga, team manager." She said with a small bow.


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

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

[User]
Lore
Eric faintly blushed a little when she kissed him on the cheek like that. Anyway, he and Emily would follow her along those tunnels and such. They were careful in the darkness. They were quiet for a time as well. Emily and Eric both glanced around, but they could barely see anything. The flames helped them see just a little bit.

They both blinked when Aela stopped in her tracks like that. They ended up stopping in their tracks as well. Emily frowned. Eric whispered to Aela.
-"What is it?"
Eric frowned when he heard what aela said, and so did Emily since she heard it too. They both were just as confused as she was.

"What could this mean?"

Eric glanced between his sister and Aela.
-"I am.....not sure."
He took a breath, thinking.

[Assistant]
The lavender flames floated together and merged causing a bright flash. The flames turned into a rose red and split into several pieces as freagents of the flames flew to stone torches. Aela approached a torch carefully feeling it's stone surface.

"There's mana in this torch... this isn't ordinary maybe this is supposed to happen? Maybe we follow the lit torches?"

[User]
Lore
Emily blinked. She gave a confused frown.
"...…."

Eric glanced around. He frowned. He nodded once.
-"Perhaps."
He looked at Aela.
-"What do you think? You have a say in this as well after all."

[Assistant]
Aela thought for a moment, and spoke calmly.

"The book says that fire would lead the way, and it is the same shade as glow from the roses. They must be connected that way for a good reason. I think this is our best bet. What do you two think? "

[User]
Lore
Emily and Eric looked at each other for a moment. Then, they looked at Aela again. The two of them both shrugged. Emily spoke first.
"I suppose. It would not hurt to investigate at least."

Eric nodded.
"I agree."
He faintly smiled a bit at Aela for a moment. He stood right next to the woman he loved as he said that.

[Assistant]
Aela nodded to Emily's suggestion and blushed slightly as Eric gave his response and stood beside her. Their hands were brushing each other's and she lanced her fingers in his. "Okay we can check it out and if there is a slightest hint of danger we come back here."

Instead of taking the lead she let Emily or Eric go ahead to lead. As a wave of exhaustion began to settle over her and her pain retreated into a dull afterthought.

[User]
Lore
Eric blinked. He looked at their hands.

Emily nodded. She blinked when she was suddenly allowed to take the lead. She sighed and started walking.

Eric kept glancing at Aela as they walked, following the flames. The tunnel would seem to go on and on. It was quite a while before it showed any sign of ending.

[Assistant] Aela began to slow down before eventually collapsing to her knees once at the entrance. Eric noticed while she held his hand she gradually got colder. Until his hand was warmer than hers. Aela huffed a few times a bit confused as to what was going on..but her pain had completely stopped the feeling was...fantastic.

[User]
LoreEric noticed the feeling in her hand. He glanced down. He gasped, eyes wide.

-"Aela?!"

Emily soon saw for herself. She gasped as well, her own eyes wide. She ran up to Aela.

Eric pulled her into his arms.
-"What's wrong?!"
He frowned with extreme worry and concern. The feeling was showing in his eyes.

[Assistant] Aela was able to regain her breath after a bit and glanced to them both with a smile. "Sorry to worry you both. I haven't used my powers this much this often... it seems that I have run out of mana for the time being. And... for the first time I am not in pain. " Aela began to cry with happiness from the pain being gone, she was able to feel alive and free for the first time despite how exhausted she was.

[User]
Lore
Eric blinked. He was still worried though. Emily was the same way. Anyway, Eric tried to help her up. He also tried to pull her into his arms. He frowned.
-"Do you wish to rest?"

Emily nodded.
"We can stop and rest if you would like, even if it is only for a little while."

[Assistant] Aela accepted Eric's help to stand, however she was a bit unbalanced she laughed a bit nervously. "We shouldn't slow down.. what if night falls and we are still trapped in the cave? We need to keep going. I should be okay."

[User]
Lore
Eric blinked. He nodded once.
-"If that is what you want."

Emily blinked. She sighed and nodded.
"Very well."

They started walking. Eric made sure Aela was balanced against him so that she would not fall down and such. They continued to follow the path and everything.

[Assistant] Aela leaned on Eric lightly as they continued on, her exhaustion continued to weigh on her yet at the same time everything felt so....light? Almost like a weight had been lifted her chest as she approached the end door which several torches were lit and the door was ready. As soon as Emily moved toward the door it opened into a wall of flames. However they weren't as hot as one would expect, and none of the flames left the door frame.

[User]
Lore
Emily followed along.

Eric led Aela all the way towards that door in question. He blinked and almost gasped along with his sister when they saw those flames. However, they were confused as to why they were not hot.

Eric looked at Aela.
-"What do you think?"

[Assistant] Aela glanced at Eric and Emily she let go of Eric and moved forward toward the flames she stretched out her hand and the flames retreated like a curtain. "It seems that we literally have to walk through flames. But it was an extra precaution in case of intruders. The flames feel the same way the ones on the stone torches do. I'm guessing with them lit we can continue on."

[User]
Lore
Eric blinked. He looked at Aela. He nodded once.
-"If you say so, my love."

Emily blinked. She nodded as well.
"Very well."
She took a deep breath, as did Eric. The two of them helped Aela get through that doorway and such. They needed to continue on after all. The twins closed their eyes, expecting something to happen.

But, nothing did. They were confused, but then both figured Aela was correct and such.

[Assistant] As Aela got through with the help of Eric and Emily she walked through the flames. They were cold and didn't harm her, she walked until the end of the hall of flames and leaned on the door to the next area wondering what would come next. However, the door gave way under her leaning against it. She falls on her back, and lays there a moment before rolling on her side to get up.

[User]
Lore
Eric gasped.
-"Aela?!"
He tried to help her up as Emily gasped. She tried to help Eric keep her balanced and off of the doorway. Eric frowned. His worry and such got much worse.

-"Are you alright?"
Erics' voice gave away how he was feeling at that moment.

[Assistant]
Aela was a bit shocked when she heard both Emily and Eric gasp. As Eric ran to her side she was already on her knees about to push herself up. Eric's strong arm wrapped around her own to help her up. Aela noticed the concern in his voice, she glanced at Emily who seemed to share the seemed sentiment.

"I am okay, just a little tired and not used to this feeling and my situation. I'm sorry Eric and Emily for worrying you. I really am okay. Do either of you know what we need to do next?"

[User]
Lore
Eric still frowned. But, he nodded once.
-"Be careful though."
The worry never left his voice. Emily nodded in agreement.

They blinked and looked at each other when Aela asked them if they knew what to do next.
-"I am afraid not."
"Neither do I."

They both sighed. Eric pulled out that book after he got it from Emily and he handed it to Aela carefully.

(You can make up a few things too, if you want. )

[Assistant]
Aela leaned against Emily and Eric as she opened the book in between them. Only to find the pages blank. The book began to glow and increased until light melted all of them for a moment. Once the light died down the book had vanished along with the light. Aela's hands slowly fell to her sides from the positions of holding the book.
"It looks like we are on our own. All we can do is move forward."

Aela wandered through narrow tunnels overrun with moss and spider webs. Light of the sun began peaking through the mouth of the exit. It seemed to be a bunch of ivy. She pushed it aside to revealed a breath taking view of hills and villages. But one thing that caught Aela's attention was the wall of smoke and fire nearby.

[User]
Lore
Emily sighed. Eric sighed and nodded.
"Alright."
-"Very well."

The two of them stayed close to Aela. Eric wanted to hold her hand, again, but just kept himself from doing so. Now was probably not the time, he thought.

Anyway, they followed her, walking alongside her. They both gasped when they finally saw what was beyond the obstacles, all the spider webs and such.
"wow....."
-"wow...…."

They were speechless.

[Assistant]
Aela glanced back to Eric and Emily, she was a bit tired and decided to kneel down and rest a few moments. A feeling was settling over her on top of being out of mana with her pain being gone she felt mana all around her in the air in the grass in the village and in the flames. It was sudden and overwhelming.

She smiled at them. "We made it to the other side. How are you two feeling? Any different?"

[User]
Lore
Eric blinked. Emily blinked too. They both, then, looked at Aela, and at the same time.

"Um......i.....wow....."
Emily was still not sure what to say. That much was obvious.

Eric cleared his throat a bit.
-"It....it's um.....nice....um....wow."
He was almost rather speechless himself at the moment. But, then he became concerned about Aela again, and so did Emily, who frowned. Eric spoke up first that time.

-"Are you alright, Aela?"

[Assistant] Aela's smile slightly wavers. "I'm getting used to this whole magic world. And my connection to it apparently. I wonder what the effects are from the other side. But I won't know until my mana is replenished. We should probably plan on where to stay tonight and how we are to move forward. I'd assume we would need to know how this world functions and works."

[User]
Lore
Eric and Emily both nodded. Eric, however, really frowned a bit.
"yes."
-"Alright."

Eric glanced around.
-"Are you thinking that, perhaps, we should camp out for the night? again?"
He wondered if she had wanted to do that again.

Emily blinked.

[Assistant]
Aela smiled while finishing catching her breath she stood up. "If we want to find a camping spot we better start looking before nightfall. And I can start a fire and cook a meal for you two, maybe lay down for a bit."

Aela led them down the path to the left it was a bit steep, as she moved carefully and was finally able to reach the base of the cliff. What caught her eye was the village to the group's far right was on fire. Aela jumped slightly at the sudden wall of flames, "That is strange I suggest we find shelter quick seems like bandits are raiding. Or do you think you two are up to face some combat?"

[User]
Lore
Eric nodded. Emily did as well.
"Alright."
-"Very well."

The twins followed her down the path. The path was, indeed, a bit steep. They tried to be careful and such. They both blinked and gasped when they saw the fire. Eric narrowed his eyes. Emilys' eyes were wide. They both looked at Aela.

"I....I....."

-"Well....what would you like to do?"

[Assistant] Aela glanced nervously at the flames then back at them. "Well, I would like to help the villagers. But, I am out of mana. And not too much energy in me. I will try not to slow you two down if you wish to engage."

[User]
Lore
Eric and Emily both blinked. They looked at each other for a moment.
"......"

-"......."

They were unsure of what to say. However, when Emily saw one of the bandits chasing a little puppy.....

She got angry and suddenly, he was lifted into the air and he landed on the ground far away. Emily gasped.

[Assistant] Aela drew her sword and stayed close to the twins Mainly behind. When she saw Emily throw a guy practically she turned to Emily surprised and shocked. "That was amazing! Keep doing whatever you are doing."

[User]
Lore
Emily backed away.

"I....I don't even know HOW I did that."

She looked quite nervous.

Eric blinked. He frowned and became worried. He was not sure what to do to help. Emily kept backing away.


[System]
Title: The Gull
Age: 22
Class: Pirate
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Home: Bern originally

Equipment: Hand axe
Economy: 500 gold

Personality: For the most part, Al can be summed up as being for the most part laid back and calm like the sea on a clear day, though much like the sea he can suddenly become restless and violent in an instant. He is prone to long periods of relaxation and savouring the little things followed by bursts of extreme energy, excitement and passion. More often than not related to treasure and the prospect of attaining it or some form of adventure. That said, he is smart enough to know an impossible fight when he sees one and is more than happy to switch sides or ditch a job if it means he gets to live another day.

Alignment: Chaotic neutral, good or evil depending on those around him

Simple description: A toned but overall small form with salt soaked blonde hair and green eyes. He wears the typical swashbuckling pirate attire of a ragged shirt and long pants tucked into worn brown boots with a long blue overcoat and sailor hat, most of it appearing oversized and mismatched from more than just one region's style of clothing.

Level: 1
Basestats: Allocate points to the following stats. You have 45 points available at level 1, with 3 extra per level above (level 2: 48, level 3: 51 etcetcetc).
Health Points: 18
Strength/Magic: 7
Skill: 1
Speed: 8
Luck: 4
Defense: 5
Resistance: 2

Growths: Allocate the odds for levelups in the following stats. You have 360% available to allocate, or if you're promoted already you have 200%
Health Points: 70
Strength/Magic: 40
Skill: 10
Speed: 30
Luck: 50
Defense: 50
Resistance: 20

The Gull lay slumped against the starboard side of the docked ship peering over the wooden railing to stare dully at the port town while regretting his entire existence, the part of that existence he regretted most of all was the throbbing pain in his head from the excessive amount of alcohol he had consumed the previous night, much to the entertainment of his shipmates. Turning down a free drink was something he could never bring himself to do, not when everything in the world was so often held out of reach until he fought hard for it. He brought a canteen of fresh water to his mouth and took a sip, swirling it around then spitting it out to try and bring about some semblance of freshness or at the very least wash away the taste of regret.

"Al!" Came the irksome call of the ship's first officer whom the young man spotted approaching with a wave as he pulled his head away from the townsfolk. "Shhh." Alphonse pressed a finger against his own lip and lidded his eyes. "You're not still hurting from last night are you?" The officer asked with a smirk. "I don't deal with red wine well." Replied Al, more melancholic than usual.

"Well that's a shame given the haul the captain has his eye on next, the local lord's supposedly bringing in a shipment of the stuff tonight, the fancy kind in bottles!"
"Sounds like it'd fetch a nice price at least…" He wasn't too enthused by the prospect, bottles were easily broken after all and finding someone to sell them too wasn't going to be easy.
"Only snag is it's going to be guarded, not like the usual merchant ships, trained men."

At this, Al's eyes lit up and the headache was forced out by a thought. Real guards weren't cheap and chances are they'd have their coin purses with them on the ship, there may even be a few among them that could be ransomed for a decent amount. The pirate stood upright and inhaled a lungful of the sea breeze. "Let the captain know I'll be happy to lead the boarding party."

[User]
Cain inspected the market from atop his horse. Despite the impending hostilities with Bern, the people were in a celebratory mood, and business was moving along nicely. Even the very weather was working to assist the mood, with the sun shining out clearly, and the sky a clear cerulean color. Normally, such a scene would earn his approval - as stern as he was, one of the few things that moved him was the sight of his people prospering - but right now, all he could feel in regards to what he saw before him was a bitter sense of disappointment.

Where were the musters? The armsmen? There was nothing, no hint at all that they were preparing for the inevitable conflict coming to them. Did they think, perhaps, that just because they were furthest from the conflict, that they had nothing to worry about? It was pure folly, and he was here to inform them of it. To that measure, he would need to speak with the village counselors.

He was hoping his status as the heir to the House of Tania, one of the Lycian territories most likely to be hit first, would be enough to allow him an audience. Normally, authority was not much of an issue, but Ravenne was so far off from his own House that it was possible that his words would weigh little with them.

It was as he was making his way to the council meeting when he spied something unusual. It was a woman, beautiful even from a distance, with long red hair that contrasted with her bronze skin and glimmering blue eyes. Her manner of dress, and that of the man accompanying her, gave away her status. She was highborn, of that there was no doubt, which left the question: from where did she come from?

She wasn't Lycian, of that he was sure; he was familiar with all the prominent members of the Lycian houses, and her style of dress was unmistakably Etrurian. But what would an Etrurian noble be doing here at the border of Lycia? They usually had no business here asides from the occasional social events or weddings, and even then, those usually occurred in Ostia.

Unless they were here for reconnaissance . . . ?

Cain's eyes narrowed. Some would say it was a it much to be suspicious of a person you haven't even talked to, but to that, he would say that they weren't in danger of imminent invasion.

Tactically, it made complete sense. Should Bern invade and successfully annex even a part of Lycia, it would substantially boost the mobility of their warmachine, not to mention bolster their supply chain by a huge margi, an outcome that was all too plausible due to the increasing decadence of Lycia's leaders.

If that was the case then Etruria had two choices: to form a defensive pact with Lycia, which was unlikely given the futility of that course of action, or, more efficiently, annex some Lycian territory for themselves in order to stop Berns advance cold.

It was the most logical course of action to take, and he would even give his grudging approval if that was their course of action.

He wouldn't allow them to get very far, but he would acknowledge the utility of the choice.

[Assistant]
Lysander stood in an alley away from the bustling crowd. His dark cloak concealed the upper parts of his face, but one might be able to spot his grimace if they dared looked at him.

He did not like being outside while the sun was still out. He was forced to squint as his eyes never seemed to get use to the natural light. And worse still, he found himself in the middle of the village marketplace, which was naturally lively and full of salesperson and shoppers and possibly thieves.

He had caught the attention of a few children as they passed by him and sometimes they would point him out to their mothers only for them to be shooed away. "Get away from that strange man," they would say in a scolding manner.

"Ouch," Lysander thought to himself. "I don't blame them, but couldn't she have spared my feelings a little?" This was why he preferred books over actual, living people.

He then shook his head and refocused himself on his mission. There was a book on sale in this market that he was dying to get his hands on. He wanted it badly enough for him to leave the refuge of his inn room and seek it out in broad daylight. The merchant with the book was within his sights, just across the sea of people. But every time he tried to step out of his hiding spot in the alley, a rush of people seemed to run by and he has not gotten the nerve to push through the crowd. So instead, he watched patiently, hoping that there would be a chance for him to make his way across to his precious book.

His moment came when a young redheaded girl stopped in her tracks to express her disdain for her company. It was for a short moment but her voice was loud enough where a few people had also stopped and turned to see what was going on. Without missing a beat, Lysander serpentined his way through the crowd. It appeared as if a black shadow was cutting across the marketplace.

When he finally reached his destination, his pale face was flushed from the short sprint he took to get there. But his next challenge was one of the worst yet. He had to talk to the merchant and ask to purchase the book.

If he was lucky, his appearance would spook the merchant enough not to mess with him. But Lysander was rarely lucky, and he knew his shy nature would give the merchant an opportunity to rip him off and overcharge for the book. Still, Lysander had to go for it. He pointed at the book to ask, "How much?" without needing to speak.

The merchant looked at him with a puzzled expression but simply answers,"800 gold."

Lysander felt faint. After all of this effort, he didn't have enough money for what he desired? What could he do now?

[User]
Alphonse cracked his neck from one side to the other as he climbed up out of the rowing boat and onto a sandy beach outside Ravenne, he grabbed his bag and his ever trusty axe from inside the boat then peered up at the morning sun before looking over and across at the village a couple of miles further down the coast. "Well, guess this is it. Can't be riskin' getting too close to the village, y'know." Murmured Peter, the gruff and weathered crew member that had so kindly rowed Al to the shore. "I 'aint gonna' say I'll miss ya' or nuffin' but er...Hope you don't die, alright?"

"Ah, Pate" Al began, speaking softly.
"Pete." He was abruptly corrected before continuing.
"Ah, Pete. Think we both know I don't belong that ship, your kind words are appreciated though, maybe when I've got a ship of my own you can come join me."
"Yeah, right, sure." Pete just rolled his eyes. "Give us a shove off."
With a grunt, the Gull dropped his things on the sand and pushed against the boat to send it back into the sea where the sailor inside it offered a parting two fingered salute and began rowing back out towards the ship he had come from. Al's attention went back towards the town as he picked up his bag and slung it over his back then tucked his hand axe into his belt.

It was not the young man's first time leaving a crew, it was however the first time he had left of his own accord with the good fortune to make it away with not only a rowing boat but also a hefty pouch of gold snagged right out of the ship's hold, granted the crew might not have been so willing to part on good terms if they were aware of that part.

Scrambling up the hill beside the beach that he had landed on, Al hacked his way through a patch of dense bushes before stumbling out onto what appeared to be a well used road, his suspicions of it's use were confirmed when he spied a cart rounding the corner being pulled by a pair of horses. He waved to the driver who halted, looked to be older man, the farming type, though his grey beard rivalled that of any pirate. "You on your way to Ravenne?" He queried in a thick rural accent. "Sure am." Nodded Al. "Don't suppose I could catch a ride?" The farmer seemed sceptical but shrugged his shoulders and gestured to the back of the cart. "Climb in back n' we'll be off." Clasping his hands together in a display of thanks, the seafarer made his way around to the back and hopped up.

The Gull's greedy eyes scanned over the haul of fresh fruit that was stacked in boxes and wooden bowls as he sat down and the cart set off with a jolt, he called out to the farmer as they rode along. "Hey, can I have some of this? Haven't had fruit in ages." The driver looked over his shoulder and simply stared before looking ahead again. "Fine, but just one orange, don't want you dying of scurvy, damned pirates." This caused Al to smirk. "What gave it away? The hat? The axe?"
"The salt in your hair, on your face, and the damn smell too. You'd think being surrounded by water would make it easier to bathe once in a while." The pirate just chuckled as he pulled an orange from one of the boxes and peeled off the skin. "Cheers, and you try staying clean when you've got to sleep and work surrounded by sailors." With a huff, the farmer seemed to retire from the conversation and the rest of the journey passed in a comfortable quiet as the young man enjoyed the sights of greenery giving way to the buildings and small merchant square in the village.

Once the ride was over, the pair parted ways, after Al helped unload some of the fruits of course and was tossed an apple for his help. He stretched and looked over the market, wondering what he should go shopping for first...


[System]
"Look, don't get me wrong. I don't intend to play the part of some grand hero. I mean, that's what I summoned you for, right?"

Gender: Male

Age: 18

---

Personality: A kind-hearted and determined soul who could best be described as "an information hound and a weakling who just doesn't know when to give up". Wes is a bucket of endless curiosity and resourcefulness, and has spent his entire life dedicated to learning and seeking knowledge. Due to circumstances surrounding his youth, he doesn't take kindly to being marginalized or told he can't do something, and he's always had more brains and determination than he's had common sense, getting into trouble frequently as a child.

Likes/Dislikes: New things, books/Being called "short"

Biography: Born the son of a normal mother and a washed up magus father (think post-Fuyuki Kiritsugu), Wes has always been an inquisitive kid, opting to spend most of his time reading indoors when other kids were out playing. He's gone through multiple phases in his life, obsessing over animals and dinosaurs as a small child, reading mountains of books on history and mythology as a kid and a preteen, and finally shifting over to a more tech-based angle as teenager, tinkering with DIY machinery using online guides before moving on to programming and then inevitably hacking. But as he neared the twilight of his teenage years, he learned about his father's uniqueness through his mother, and began feverishly obsessing over magic, going through his father's old books and any resources he could find online (though he didn't find much at first due to the way most magi avoid technology like the plague). A true self-taught genius, though lacking in both heritage and quality of circuits, Wes liquidated most of what remained of his family's assets and life insurance once his mother passed away suddenly due to an illness she'd kept hidden from him. He used the money to fly to London and set up a meeting with a representative of the Clocktower, to beg them to let him learn magic at the prestigious institution. Perhaps taking pity on him, the Clocktower granted him entrance as a student, but quickly found he was far more trouble than he was worth with his heretical ideas and attitude. He made a lot of enemies out of his professors and fellow students, and whatever ideas he shared about "a new model of magic for the modern world" were laughed at and shot down. Wes didn't quit or back down though, and when news of the Holy Grail War reached him, he bet everything on this one chance to prove he was right and broke bad, taking pretty much every risk he could take or had to take to obtain the necessary resources to be in the War. What happens next doesn't matter to Wes. What matters is that this is the only opportunity he's ever going to get to prove that he isn't a weakling, and that his ideas are viable. The Grail, if he obtains it, is irrelevant (though he'd probably use it to skip past the consequences of what he had to do to become a Master).

Family History: Wes is a second-generation magus, and an infirm at that. Literally only a single step up from the worst of the worst by the Association's standards. However it was weakness that made Wes start thinking outside the box, tinkering with the idea of fusing magic and technology. His father, if he's even alive or knows the boy exists, has been gone for years, never being much of a family man. By all rights he's probably dead, leaving Wes 100% alone in the world. Save of course for the Servant he's about to summon...

Origin: Curiosity

Elemental Affinity: Fire

Number of Magic Circuits: D

Quality of Magic Circuits: C

Od: D

Magecraft: Wes is primarily a practicioner of Formalcraft with a foundation in alchemy, relying on traps, complex magic rituals, and pre-fab magic items that lose their usefulness after one use. Seen as an inherently pathetic and weak form of magic ("magecraft for dummies"), the techniques suit a person like Wes well, who doesn't place too much importance on stature or the ideas of magecraft being some sort of "sacred tradition". Specific techniques he knows/is fond of include* Transmutation: Simple alchemic synthesis, albeit a tad more versatile and advanced than standard chemistry. Skills include brewing poisons, altering the composition of metals etc.
* Mana Dowsing: By collecting samples of the local soil and water, Wes can identify residual trails of mana as well as map out local ley lines. A basic alchemy skill.
* Hypnosis: One of the few basic tricks any Clocktower magus is expected to know to gain entry to the school. Wes has some particular talent with this simple parlor trick, and has found ways to make it work through telepresence.
* Reinforcement: Another simple skill Wes decided to learn to try and compensate for his weak body. Wes isn't terribly good at it though, and all he can really do is reinforce his body to not give out under stress and fatigue rather than the more superhuman feats being performed by those adapt in the combat arts.
* Familiars (Animals): Wes has an affinity for smaller familiars more suited to snooping, and usually makes contracts with the leaders of the local rat population as well as a few cats and small birds like pigeons or crows. He can sustain maybe a few dozen rats due to their small size, but only three to four cats or birds at the same time.

Equipment: Wes has brought with him into the Holy Grail War a grand total of* $50000 US dollars in the form of ¥50 coins, skimmed off the top of various criminal and Association bank accounts worldwide
* 50 pints of animal blood, as well as 6 pints of his own blood in vials drawn over the course of a few years for spells requiring a stronger, more personal touch
* The keys to a smaller sort of shack in the warehouse district near the docks (bought in the first few posts)
* 50 prepaid disposable cell phones ("burner phones") (bought in the first few posts)
* 300 aerosol cans (bought in the first few posts
* 250 detonator caps (bought in the first few posts)
* 100 miniature DYI wireless cameras with night vision lenses and thermal imaging (bought in the first few posts)
* 20 RC cars and five commercial drones (bought in the first few posts)
* 2 laptops; a nicer, higher-end primary model that he uses for school, and a cheaper backup one (bought in the first few posts)
* A portable generator and a few canisters of gasoline (bought in the first few posts)
* A portable stove (bought in the first few posts)
* Matches and disposable lighters (bought in the first few posts)
* 3 12-packs of water and emergency MREs (bought in the first few posts)
* Paintbrushes, straightedges, protractors and lots of stencil paper

Skills: Reading, information synthesis, memorization, observation

Other: He was born with a congenital heart defect that stunted his growth and prevents him from partaking in any overly strenuous exercise or stressful activities. It was the primary reason he spent so much time reading as a kid, and is the reason he is as short as he is (less than 5').

[User]
"I-", Rasputin said, inserting the key into the ignition, "Am the great Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, aide of Nicholas II! And you-", he waved the clipboard, "-Should rematerialize. Time is of the essence and I will be asking you to fill out this paperwork as we drive."

Rasputin placed the clipboard on the passenger seat, revealing a Japanese residency application. He spoke quickly as they pulled out onto the road, the car's front axle groaning softly as it was forced to take turns a car without power steering should never reasonably be expected to take.

"Do not be worrying about personal seal or identification, you will be finding all of them in glove compartment- though I will be needing to make changes to some after mass to be accounting for you being yourself. You are Doctor Alucard Orlock Akula, a 40-year-old phlebotomist- if anyone asks why you look young, you take good care of your skin- with a doctorate in haematology, educated in the Czech Republic. I am a humble electrician. We became friends over the internet due to our mutual interest in Slavic folklore, and have decided to work together to fulfill our lifelong dream of living in Japan, yes?"

Rasputin fished around in a bag stuck in the ashtray, retrieving a handful of washers. He absentmindedly swallowed them one or two at a time as he drove, as if he had somehow become addicted to metallic cough drops. After a few minutes, he spoke again.

"I should probably be telling you this right now: This is a one-church town. I understand that you are also of Russian Orthodox denomination, so please be understanding that, if mistakes are being made, I will be sharing in your outrage."

With that, they took a turn onto a small, tree-lined road. With a little luck, they'd make it to mass before it began.

[Assistant]
Caster blinked, momentarily floored by her Master's words and actions. She had prepared herself for the sort of Master way in over his head and requiring her gentle guidance in order to survive this iteration of the Grail War. Yet here was her Master, having demonstrated his mastery of the mental arts on the peasants, established a secluded love nest for their activities, and proved he possessed strong moral convictions to boot.

"I'm truly the luckiest Servant to ever be summoned if I have a Master like you." Letting the spell tag fade into the ambient prana, Tamamo accepted the offer hand and sat sieza beside her Master's sleeping bag. She was practically glowing with joy as she smiled at him. "You already know my name and legend, there is little more for me to add at this time. Our fate's are intertwined, so you shall have my utmost trust Wes."

The rule about not killing civilians might be an issue in the future. Not that she had any great compulsion to go out and eat their souls, blood, or semen but if it came between pushing an old lady out of the way of a speeding car or keeping her Master safe, she knew what she would do. The insinuation that she was the weakest Servant class stung even knowing she had E rank STR and END, but it wasn't hard for her to justify it as Wes showing concern for her safety. Such a kind Master she had. He likely couldn't imagine life without her now.

"So you are seen as a heretic. Does that perhaps have to do with your wish for the Grail? My wish has already been granted, so I can dedicate myself to bringing about yours!"

A sly grin pulled at her lips as she turned away to leave Wes staring at the top of head and the attentive fox ears. "But if I am to be the best wife I can be, I expect you to work just as hard. I can't reveal my secret garden without you reaching sufficient relationship flags!"

The thought processes of divinity is truly beyond all mortal comprehension.

[User]
"Uh huuuuuuuhhh..." Wes said. He'd address the things she'd been saying later, once he knew how.

"Well, you can still tell me more about your Noble Phantasm and what kind of spells you know, right? As for why I'm a heretic..."

Wes hummed and hoed. How to explain heresy to an ancient fox spirit?

There was another knock on the door. Wes quickly bade Tamamo to dematerialize momentarily, and opened the door a crack once again.

"Hello?"

"<Delivery for a Mr. 'Wes Downgate',>" said the delivery person standing outside the shed.

"Uhhhh..." Wes said, in what was quickly becoming his new catchphrase. Of course the uniform was a dead giveaway that his packages had arrived (was the same day shipping always this fast in Japan?) but he had no idea what they were asking him, and he couldn't very well have Tamamo materialize and ask her at this stage.

Luckily the delivery person just handed him a clipboard and he quickly understood.

"Sign on the dotted line..." he muttered to himself as he scrawled his name. He handed the clipboard back to them and they nodded to their coworker to bring the packages around, of which there were many.

"<We would've sent them via the drones you requested, but some of the items you ordered were too heavy for just five of them to carry,>" the delivery person explained. Wes still didn't understand, but he heard the word "drone" in heavily-accented English and more or less understood where the delivery person was coming from.

The delivery person's partner finished unloading the last package from the truck and laid it outside Wes' door with the rest of the things he'd ordered. Tipping their hat, the delivery person climbed back into the truck.

"<Have a nice day!>" they said as they drove off.

"Yeah, you too," Wes said, but in a spacey, airy way. He was already thinking about what he was going to use these things for.

"You want a good example of heresy in the modern magic world?" Wes said to Tamamo as he started unpacking his orders. "This is heresy."

What he held in his hand was a drone. A small, white object designed to fly the friendly and not so friendly skies, equipped with all the little gadgets and doodads most mages hated. Its design was sleek, able to carry up to 5 lbs, and was silent within a certain distance.

Wes started working with it, plugging in the batteries and connecting it to his laptop, running the necessary software updates. Finally, when he got it working, a live video feed popped up on his monitor, and he started controlling it with his laptop. The tiny machine rose into the air with a soft mechanical buzzing, hovering like a hummingbird.

"Technology. Advancement. Change. These are things the Association we work under would rather pretend don't exist than acknowledge, and they're the basis for my theses on magecraft, not to mention my strategy for winning this war."

That's when Wes remembered something she'd said. Something that just didn't add up.

"Wait, you said your wish has already been granted?"