[System]
Clan: Oja - a really small clan containing only one Oja and two vassals. They currently reside at the borders of the Shima Clan with a small farm.
Title: Yang of the Oja
Gender: Male
Age: 20

Race: Human
Height: 6'0
Weight: 180 lbs.
Appearance:

Occupation: Selling Dumplings and other street foods

Notable Skills:
Swordsmanship - Despite his sword's size, Kenji is remarkable with it. He can also wield regular swords with expert skill as those swords were his first and training weapons.

Martial Arts - If the opponent is not at all a threat, Kenji would not bother to brandish his sword but instead use his fists and feet to handle the problem.

Tea Brewing - No one can deny the delicious flavor of Kenji's tea whom he dutifully serves to his Master Takeshi as well as to guests and friends. Ironically, Kenji does not prefer to drink tea and would rather drink water.

Cooking - Kenji is not great at it but someone needs to make money for the Oja Clan. If there is another capable cook, he will happily let him/her have that role.

Magical Abilities:
*Kenji is innate in the arts of healing thus he could cast restoring magic on the wounded. His own wounds also heal faster than average.
*The restoration magic can also empower objects and make them more durable but not any more deadly like what Kenji does to his weapon to block attacks.
Familiars: N/A

Ki Techniques/Powers: N/A

Weapons:

Other Gear:
=Survival kit (Hunting knife, tools for trapping)
=Tea set
=Money pouch

Personality:
Kenji has a friendly and polite personality and places more importance in the relationship between the humans and the spirits, like the main viewpoint of the Shima Clan and the spear opposite of his fellow adviser, Shinja Harada, who does not believe in such fantasies and focuses more on the politics of Baji.

As his title suggests, Kenji believes in peace and prefers not to fight especially over trivial things. He also respects the spirits and gods of Baji and offers what he could at temples and prays for favors. He does not take it well if these temples are badmouthed, like his rival Shinja usually does, or desecrated or destroyed.

Many people point out his strange wish of meeting the more exotic population of Baji.

Brief history:
Kenji is the childhood friend of Takeshi Oja and after they grew up, Oja's faithful servant. The Oja clan was not a powerful clan but definitely not weak as their military is powerful enough to deal with bandits and Oni raiders who attack their villages with impunity. However, they were not powerful enough to defend their lands against the rising clans and in mere months, the clan was no more. At least, their power was no more.

Survivors of the Oja Clan, including Kenji, fled to the lands of the Shima Clan and, while not joining the Shima, settled there and made friendly ties with the Shima. There Kenji grew up with his future Lord and took an interest in the Spirit World and became more engrossed with the dealings with the spirits instead of the growing conflict between the clans of Baji, something that is constantly pointed out by his fellow servant Shinja Harada who wants to restore the Oja Clan and surviving the inevitable war.

His Lord Takeshi, on the other hand, is very neutral who seem to be content in living the way they are now. While that is not preferable by Kenji, it was certainly better than Shinja's advising of taking power and joining the conflict.

Other:
Takeshi Oja, the last Oja
Shinja Harada, Yin of the Oja

[User]
He just sighed and lowered his head. Though it shouldn't be, but it was completely believable that she wasn't listening to him or taking the time to comprehend what he was saying and why. "There lies a part of the problem, it's your ego. One day it will get you killed, it almost got you killed today. Are you fine with meeting her after the negotiations are over. I've done enough begging today, but I will beg once more. Let me do this, let me prove myself to Shima and help me save the people of Ru. I'm not as strong as you, I'm not as durable, I can't support and heal people like Kenji, but I know that I can speak, I know that I can persuade others. If I fail tomorrow then I won't say another word and take myself out of all future decisions and follow whatever you all think is the best course of action."

There was absolutely no way that these two could stand side by side and speak in harmony with one another at this current time. Sending them both or sending anyone else, for that matter would only complicate things. The entire group couldn't agree on anything, so why would they be able to agree this subject. He had no problem with them meeting her, he planned on introducing the group to her so she would know who they all were.

[Assistant]
Six? There were six more people on the job? Tetsuya couldn't help but feel a touch deflated hearing that, surprised that so many others had been chosen. He had felt special honestly when he'd been assigned the task, hoping it might be a chance to do some good for his Lord and perhaps even show him gratitude for taking him in by solving this crime. In retrospect it was a foolish thing to hope for, there was so much ground to cover and he was inexperienced, but still... Looking between Yuudai and Jiang as they spoke he couldn't keep from frowning, surprised that people who were having such a hard time getting along were assigned to the same job. Whatever petty squabbles they were having should be put aside, they had an important job to do and couldn't waste time bickering over who got to go and speak with who. Mentally rolling his eyes he looked away from the pair, turning back only when Jiang spoke to him.

"I... Already spoke with Lady Ru, so there's no need for you to go and do it again. She agreed to keep an eye out here in Ru, but that's about all she said she could do," Tetsuya explained. If they continued to pester the woman he worried they might lose her support, and seeing as she was their only informant right now he'd hate for that to happen. If these two were going to have a pissing contest and attempt to outdo one another then he would do his best to keep them away, though he hadn't the faintest idea how he might accomplish such a feat. Yuudai could quite literally manhandle him if she so chose to, and while he didn't know much about Jiang he hardly wished to cross swords with the man. Hearing Yuudai only further pressing the matter. Groaning under his breath he put his head in his hands, lifting it abruptly when the Oni mentioned someone else being here.

"Huh? Oh, there was no one else here! No one that I saw!" Tetsuya said hastily, shaking his head as he waved his hands, "I mean... There were her guards and all, but no one else. No Clan leaders or dignitaries or anything like that. Just me, Lady Ru and some guards, that's all!" If these two were to confront Princess Naji he couldn't see anything good come of it, worried one or the other might mouth off or say something out of line. They were here on Lord Shima's behalf, and if they were going to argue like two children then neither of them had any business talking with someone so important to their mission. Hoping to change the subject he smiled meekly, getting up to his feet and shuffling over to the door, "How's about we go ahead and get some dinner, hm? They must have some good food here, what do you say? I'll even buy!"

[User]
Yuudai's normal look turned slightly sharper when the boy dared to speak of ego to her and something finally snapped inside of her after all that happened today and sadly they were in the firing line. "Ego?... You dare speak of ego oh speaker of Shima? Oh Dog of Shima?" Stepping forward she uncrossed her arms, making sure to make herself as open as possible, a move in body language used to taunt as if saying 'you are no threat to me'

"Despite the fact that I have have been working for Shima longer, and have grown up having to deal with people in high standing because of my work, I allowed you to try and prove yourself, to become what you call 'the voice of Shima' and yet despite my humble request to simply stand there and watch you brush me off like nothing. Because I am a women? A half oni? A person? It doesn't matter the reason but make sure you know what you are talking about before even opening your mouth child."

Each of her movements and words were meant to sting but nothing more, nothing deep rooted and she knew just how to say it with negotiation tricks that one would not expect of someone like her. "So petty." She sighed, relaxing only a little bit before turning towards the door, not even bothering to listen to what he had to say, because that way her words would be the forefront of the boys mind. "Also I heard that groan before Tetsu..." She had slight disappointment in her eyes but she had enough by this point and started to head out past Kenji "It is clear you wont get anywhere if you have to listen to reason so I will leave it to you boys and be the bigger person and leave." With that she would just leave without answering them she had enough of their petty arguments and round about ways of doing things.

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

Making her way back towards the main part of the Inn she let out a sigh "So frustrated~ I need a nice girl to keep me company for the night" She muttered to herself as she came to a stop to overlook the Inn, though she would also pass Gin and Metou without even noticing as she went to look outside for any nice looking girls that wanted a escort that night, after all she would like one that caught her eye.

[Assistant]
Jiang thought to himself, "Yes, I'm so sexist that I don't think that a woman can speak with another woman." after hearing her accusations on why he thinks she wouldn't work well with him. She was already contradicting herself and her words, but he kept his mouth shut and not let this drag on any further. Soon, she left the room and Baji just shrugged his shoulders and came in closer to the group and continued their discussion. Tetsuya was being secretive of who was already here, Jiang had heard from Takumi but he wasn't going to out him. "Relax, whoever it is and whoever knows about it is sure to have a valid reason to keep it to themselves. Remember that Tetsuya, and know that we don't judge or condemn secrets kept to ensure the safety of others." After all, he planned on keeping the secret of Lady No and her daughter's involvement.

Baji then went on to continue the discussion about Ru, herself. Things weren't going to look good for either of them if all she would do is keep an eye out. Ru had to be stronger than it is right now for whatever tragedy or war that is coming to this land. Shima and Ru had to become friends and allies. "Well, we're going to need to warn Ru. Before we reached Ru, there was an attack, very skilled and elite bandits attacked a fortune teller. We saved her and as a gift she told our fortune and predicted the future. She said that the nearby villages have to prepare for a dark event to come. They must deal with their own issues if they are going to survive." His voice was as stern and authoritative as he could muster, but he wasn't speaking down to Tetsuya or trying to intimidate him. The survival of those around him was serious business. "I intend to help these people and help Shima. We will be prepared for whatever comes our way."

[User]
Gin didn't know how to negotiate something like this, knowing it was right out of his field of expertise. He had no idea how to deal with other people regarding these situations, seeing them as pretty impossible to get right. Blacksmiths weren't exactly sociable with people they didn't know and even if he was adopted he still shared that trait with his guardian. He never knew who his parents were but it was obvious he didn't belong with them, even if they never outright told him. It was just obvious that someone like him didn't belong with a pair of humans who had obviously been together for as long as he could remember.

Looking to Metou when she asked him a question he gave a quick look around the inn, curious to where they all might be himself. He didn't know where they went off to but they were probably somewhere, seeing how they wouldn't leave either of them behind. Just checking to see if they possibly ended up in the inn he gasped when he heard someone else in their conversation, turning to the strange man who was rather rude to Metou. Showing his teeth at the man he soon let out a huff, folding his arms as he looked back to Metou. That was rather rude and a bit silly too, seeing how they were visitors and threatening them like that didn't give this place a very good name.

"Uhh…charismatic? I don't think I'm that word", he spoke as he looked around himself again, "I guess so, though…uhh, what do you want me to do? I don't do good without guidance…" He didn't join this quest to end up trying to make decisions that could probably end with him being left behind, that was the last thing he wanted. He knew he might end up getting separated if he so much as looked away from the others for two minutes. "Maybe we should just ask a guard…besides, they would probably notice another half-Oni walking around, right?"

[Assistant]
From what Kenji could comprehend, the conversation about who was to meet the leader of Ru turned into a rather sour argument between Jiang and Yuudai, the former not liking to be accompanied and the latter having a problem with that. The Neko tried to calm the situation down but Kenji could only stare and keep quiet, not knowing how to exactly defuse the heated argument. In the end, Yuudai stormed out of the room and left the three men in the Neko's room.

Jiang continued the discussion and told an edited truth to Tetsuya regarding the dark future all of Baji were to face. While Kenji could see the reasons for secrecy, there was a flaw that might bite them in the future. "Secrets kept may ensure safety, but it kills trust. And trust is something we will need in the future, yes?" He voiced out to no one in particular... or maybe everyone in the room.

"But enough about these secrets, Mister Tetsuya has already talked to Lady Ru about Shima. If so..." Kenji turned to Jiang. "I'm sure Lady Ru takes her job seriously and will do more than keep an 'eye out' despite her words." Kenji said. "However, if you insist on meeting her then I recommend you take Mister Tetsuya since he has already met Lady Ru and so will likely smooth out the meeting." He continued.

"But... that is just what I think. Feel free to ignore it entirely." From where things were going, Kenji had a feeling things were not going to be peachy. Perhaps this was the reason his Lord Oja was not very proactive?


[System]
Character Concept: The straightforward musclehead who believes that anything can be solved with his fists.
Gender: Male

Background: Damien was a delinquent through and through. He often skipped school and picked fights with anyone foolish and/or strong enough to accept them. Surprisingly enough, on the occasions he did actually go to school, his grades were decent, although that was probably mainly to get his nagging parents off his case about his lifestyle. One day, though, as he was playing hooky as usual, he spotted a kid across the street playing with a ball. Thinking about how stupid the kid was, Damien was about to ignore him and go to an arcade he frequented when the kid kicked the ball into the street, and of course the kid would run into the street right into the path of a speeding car. Acting on instinct, Damien immediately rushed over and pushed the kid out of the way, though at the cost of putting himself in the car's path. It's easy to guess what happened next.

Level: 1

Class: Brawler

Race: Demon

Attribute: Focus

Martial Arts:
None

Thaumaturgy:
-Hellfire Salvo: Damien can envelop rocks or other small bits and pieces nearby with a black-and-red flame, then levitate them in the air and/or fire them at his target(s) at high velocity. The maximum amount of projectiles is currently at four.

Gift:
Curse of the Demon: Damien can will his arms and legs to transform from his hand to his elbow and his feet to his knees, forming a red rocky exterior covered with yellow markings, with pointy fingertips and toes as well. These limbs are much tougher than normal human limbs, and certainly much stronger as well. Very handy for both offense and defense when he needs to get somewhere fast and deliver powerful punches and kicks to whatever's in his way.

Equipment: Nothin'. Well, except for the clothes on him.

[User]
Hikaru - The Forest

Hikaru managed to keep his nerves in check. That stare was damn uncomfortable, but talking dog held in. Anyway he was glad that it worked, so Hikaru decided to keep his normal dog act for as long as possible. Talking dog had no friggin idea where he was, so he still needed to collect as much information as possible. Plus now with potential party in Hikaru could also scout people and let them do the dirty work. Ha, this works for sure. Being opportunistic had some certain advantages which I wanted to abuse now as much as possible.

Although when he looked at those odd jobs, Hikaru couldn't help but be interested - but what he could do while keep his appearance in check for as long as possible ? Recipe ingridients was a big no - he would probably need to ask what exactly she needed, so it would ruin his cover. Simon Times is a human and no matter how confident Hikaru may be, he still prefered to do something light. So it was rats or goblins... in the end he looked at goblins job and nodded. This one sounds fun (hunting Rats sounds boring) so talking dog decided to move towards outside gates and check the situation. If needed - he may always run away. He just hopes it wouldn't bite him in the f*****g ass !

[Assistant]
Damien looked up at the sun after the farmer announced the ETA of one and a half hours. Of course, Damien was careful enough to shield his eyes from the harmful rays with a hand. That would certainly be a while away, and by then Damien would get bored waiting. Still, the farmer promised a decent meal, and that wasn't something he intended to pass up. Anything free was great for him, even if 'free' meant beating up a few bandits. The metal man appeared to be taking the offer as well, though the fox girl was turning it down. That suited Damien fine. He didn't want to be around her anyway.

Undoing the transformations on his limbs, Damien followed the metal man and Ezekiel the farmer to his home. Looking over at the grumpy scarecrow Shadow, Damien thought about teasing him for a bit, but then he decided that that joke was already done with. With a sigh, Damien wondered how the food would taste. Hopefully good, at least.

[User]
Jemma - The Beach
@Zamokra41

---

Everything happened far too quickly for her liking. The music was too loud, and the temperature was too high. The hot air hung heavy around her, suffocating her like a scarf she could not peel away. Her blonde hair clung to her damp neck, and each breath she drew went down like sandpaper. The more logical side of her consciousness suggested that perhaps she was experiencing a sensory overload, or some sort of shock. Perhaps it was a side effect of the candy. The thought flickered, and then died away just as quickly. Whatever the treat had done to her, she was far past avoiding the consequences. All she could do was push forward, and to the soft spoken young lady, forward meant away.

There was a hand on her shoulder, and a voice in her ear. It appeared someone else had taken notice of her, though fortunately, he was not nearly as demanding as the first. When she rounded on him, she was met with a masked wrestler. This place gets stranger and stranger, she would reflect later, but at the moment, that imaginary scarf was growing tighter.

I have to go, she had to tell them, and her chapped lips opened to do so. But a second vision, still in various shades of blue, caught the words in her throat. The figure of a woman, her eyes wide and lifeless, her thin body moving like a ragdoll as it crashed into the DJ booth. The wreckage was soon consumed by sparks, and the crowd, by unbridled panic.

"They're coming from the sea," the party-goers screamed, and Jemma intoned just under her breath. Just as the other had, the vision violently snapped her back to reality. Now, she was more eager than ever to go.

Cheeks flushed with exertion, and brow sparkling with sweat, she hooked her arms through the two individuals nearest her - the wrestler, and the beast. "Yes," she countered, suddenly recalling something that the furry one had mentioned earlier. "Get away. Private. Good. Let's go." Gracelessly, she moved to drag the two men toward the wooden pathway.

[Assistant]
Egwene got to work digging herself a little firepit, so it wouldn't go all over the place and set the forest on fire. That'd probably be bad. It wasn't easy without a shovel, but her nails seemed strong and the dirt seemed soft, so eventually she had a decent pit filled with leaves that weren't to wet. It was here that she pointed her tail into, and smiled, letting the fire build up on the tip. Once it had finished, she gave the mental command to fire. And nothing happened. Which would have been awkward, in a real fight. So she could charge it up, but the firing required some sort of command.

What it was, she was at a loss for. But, then it came to her in a flash of light, and it was obvious. It couldn't have been anything else, really.
"Fox Fire" she announced, to herself. And in response, the fire shot from her tail and blasted the leaves in the pit. It was enough to burn through flesh, that much she knew - how, was a secret, but she knew - and that was fine. But, the flaming tip didn't recover for about twenty seconds, which meant it wasn't good for a prolonged fight. She needed to aim well before shooting it. The Fire itself was pretty quick, so little chance of it being dodged, unless she shot wrong.

[User]
Orion Stoneheart

These were some weird jobs. The rat job sounded okay, 50g was a lot. Right? Maybe? Whatever, there was no way he was fighting goblins. Goblin's had sword and axes and teeth and stuff. Orion wasn't ready to fight anything without the proper tools and he wasn't eager to pit his body against actual fighting implements. The next one sounded like you had to either be sneaky or able to beat someone in a fight, neither of which Orion was eager to test his skills at. Soup? Soup was okay. But the job was listed as normal when the rats were easy. Just what kind of soup was it? Well maybe he could at least see about the soup. If it involved like dragon's blood or something he could just leave the granny on her own and kill rats. Easy. "Alrighty, I think helping with the soup is going to be easiest and I like soup. If its super hard though I'll just kill some rats for money. You guys can... follow me! Or do your own thing. Just make sure we meet up here later aight?" It looked like the dog left to go scrounge for some food or something, Orino wasn't sure why it was here in the first place. Still with that explanation out of the way Orion checked the list again. Grandma Grinny, house located on the east side. Alright, shouldn't be too hard to find, Orion headed off to find this Grandma Grinny, eager to get some food in his belly.

[Assistant]
Farmhouse:
@Scarifar@NarayanK
 Ezekiel had led the both willingly companions into his noble home. He was unsure of their capabilities, but he acknowledged their uniqueness. It was a strange sight to seem a man of metal yet another man turn into a demonic being. There would have been a barrage of questions he would have led onto the two, but he had other matters.

The farmer was struck back by the question by the metallic man. He found it odd the individual had no clue of his whereabouts. "Do you really have no idea?" Ezekiel stroked his mutton chops. "You're on the outskirts Munitam ," he answered. "Not much you'll find here, but maybe some hunting game and..." The farmer paused and opened the screen door of his house. "Bandits."

 The interior of the home was in great condition. It looked fairly modern and seemed reasonable for family to settle down in. Most of the furniture and staircases were made of wood. The front door opened to the view of living room. The living room was an ordinary lounge area with two love seats and a lengthy sofa. Four bookcases stood tall on the walls; each one was well-equipped with literature of this world. One particular book's spine was glowing brightly-emanating a light that only the two players could see.

Adjacent to the living room was the kitchen. The cooking area had a worn stove and tile floors. There had been a lot of elbow grease put into this room from the condition of it. It was obvious to see there was always effort put into the cooking. The dining table and cooking prep tables had stains and a few crumbs present.

The living room and kitchen had a hallway leading to a staircase and several other rooms. There was a locked panel on the floor that must have led to the basement.

 The farmer quickly opened up the fridge and began pulling out some vegetables. Opening up the cupboards, he began pulling out some cutting material. "I'll have to work fast. Everyone okay with a chicken salad?"

---

 The scarecrow stared at the pit and the fox girl. His gaze never left her.

Forest:
@Kejmur@Holy Soldier

 The party was too focused on the new settlement and the odd jobs that they did not see the disappearance of Sonia.

---

 Hikaru followed the directions given on the wall; the paper request was precise with its location as Hikaru did find his objective. The goblins that were mentioned in the wanted sign were present. They were huddled around a tree and appeared to be scheming mischievous activities. There were four of them and they were not alarmed by the strag dog roaming around.

---

 Orion was introduced by a row of small houses. The village was fairly small and so were the houses. They were exactly the same in style and size with slight differences. The particular house Orion was looking for was not difficult to spot. He figured he would have to do some cooking of some type considering the ingredients wish. He noticed one house with a broken window and black smoke coming out. The smoke was followed by yelling of obscenities.

[User]
"Munitam, huh..."

Considering that he was going to probably brutalize a bunch of bandits after eating, the calm and peaceful atmosphere of the house unnerved Hephaestus. Still, he took what he could from the mood and decided to enjoy the taste of bloodless air.

Raising a hand near his chest, he generated a few shards of metal and let them float about for several seconds. Indeed, he had the ability to manipulate metal, though he had no idea on whether he would be able to expand upon his gift. He could feel it- he could create much more metal, but creating shards in the middle of a peaceful house was not a good idea. Hephaestus decided to save the testing of his abilities to their full extent once he got outside again.

It would be problematic if his weight destroyed one of the chairs, so he decided to try making his own. Composing shards of metal, he directed his hand to one side of the table and slowly formed his very own chair. It took a bit to get used to constructing one quickly, but he quickly got the hand of it and ended up making a chair that looked more like a throne. So much for not showing off.

As the metal mage sat at his newly made chair(?), Hephaestus chuckled. "Anything is fine," he clarified for the farmer. A taste of chicken did sound somewhat pleasing...

[Assistant]
Unlike the metal man, Damien had little interest in where he was. To him, one place in the middle of nowhere felt like the same as another. Damien turned his head left and right to examine the interior of the house as he entered. It felt... homely, for lack of a better word. At the very least, it felt as good as his old home. Now that he thought about his old life, though, he wondered what everyone was thinking about him now. If he died, how were his parents? How was the child he had saved? Shaking his head out of the clouds, Damien returned his attention to the present. There were more important things to think about right now.

Looking for something to distract himself, Damien's eyes eventually landed on a bookcase. What made this one stand out from the others was the glowing book. Curious, he walked over to it and pulled it off the shelf, giving it a look over. As the farmer announced that the meal would be a chicken salad, Damien dismissively said, "Yeah, sure," as he opened the book, wondering what was so special about it.


[System]
Species: Purebred Vampire

Age: 479

Appearance: Bernard appears to be a tall (6'1"), well-built man in his early thirties. Raven-black hair that falls around his ears and shoulders frames the typical red eyes of his kind.Coarse but closely trimmed hair covers the lower half of his face, making the visible pale skin around it stand out more. A scar creates a hairless pink line from above his right eye, across the bridge of his nose, and down to his jawline. The remainder of his features are sharp and reminiscent of predatory beasts.

Preferring understated styles, Bernard usually wears dark t-shirts and similarly colored jeans. He generally wears hiking boots, as well as a black duster-style leather coat.

Personality: Often described as 'a bear of a man,' Bernard makes no attempt to act otherwise. His gruff demeanor tends to get most humans to leave him alone, which is what he wants. When passionate or pissed, he tends to lose sight of caution and react violently and without hesitation. Aside from that, he is level-headed and dependable, and his outbursts are tempered from centuries of survival. Thick skin and the obstinance of a bull makes him hard to manipulate unless you push the right buttons.

Equipment: Bernard prefers to rely on his own two hands in a fight, but does carry more than that. An inside pocket of his duster carries a Taurus 4510PD-3SS Revolver. His coat pockets also typically include the usual fare of wallet and (forged) identification.

Background: Though both of Bernard's parents were vampires, he has no recollection of his mother. She would have died during labour because of complications during the birth, but his father, Gerald, did not allow this. Before Bernard was even completely in the world, his mother was drained of her lifeblood.

His upbringing after that was harsh and centered on survival and little else. Bernard's father was cruel, uncaring about his progeny except that he not reveal them and not get in his way. Blood stained the path they walked, and no survivors stirred in their wake. Eventually, this caused the younger vampire to turn his back on his sire and look for a better way. Turning to the then recently formed Society, he sought a new family.

The rules of the Society became Bernard's way of life, and its members his family, distant and different as they were. Free of the violent influence, he turned his attention to higher minded distractions of fine art and literature for a time, withdrawing almost completely from the world as a whole. He maintained contact with the Society and those members that were near him, but was rarely seen among humans except to feed.

Even with the companionship of the Society when compared to that of his father, Bernard grew lonely over the years. Recently, in his hunger and despair, he turned a young woman who caught his eye and revealed to her the truth of her new life. For reasons unknown even to him, he has chosen not to reveal his identity to her yet.

Extra: Bernard is the vampire who turned Maxine, and is rather protective of her. Any violence directed toward her by hunters or other vampires is met in kind, though out of view of the public.

[User]
Max reached her building safely. She made the trek up the four flights of stairs to apartment 4013. The elevator never seemed reliable enough in her opinion and besides, she walked to and from work so what was another few minutes of walking? Godzilla by Blue Oyster Cult blasted loudly in her ears. She hummed along to the catchy tune. She slid her key into the door handle but the door popped open before she had a chance to turn it. That's odd, she thought. Living alone in the city had always made Max a cautious person. She never left the house without locking the door.

She pulled her headphones out of her ears, still hearing the music blasting loudly. She pushed the door open all the way but didn't step in yet. She looked around. Her sight was better than a human but the room had blackout curtains and she couldn't see much of anything. "Hello?" she called out. Yes, because the robbers will be sure to announce their presence for my comfort. Stupid girl. She took a few steps forward into the front entry way. The living room was directly in front of her but the kitchen was around the corner to her left and her bedroom and bathroom were down the hall on her right. The doors to both rooms appeared closed from where she could see.

She made a few more steps in, taking her jacket off slowly and dropping it with her cell phone to the floor. She peered down the hallway, hoping her eyesight would adjust to the darkness in time to spot any danger. She listened for a sound and heard nothing. "Pandora?" she called out. Her stub tailed alley cat usually greeted her at the door, begging for food. This can't be good. Just as the thought entered her mind, she heard a slight creek in the floor. She froze. Silence filled the air. Maybe it was just the cat? Maybe my super opened the door and didn't lock it when he left? Maybe I'm just being paranoid? She tried to relax but failed miserably. "Pandora?" she called out again. The silence still lingered. Well, I might as well get this over sooner than later. If someone had broken in, Max would most likely be able to overpower them enough to scare them off.

She reached for the lamp sitting next to the door and clicked it on. Immediately an ashen face, blonde woman leaped at her from the middle of room. Max was startled and knocked off balance. The blonde landed on top of her as they both hit the floor. Max reached out and grabbed the stool pushed up against the wall beside her. She cracked it over the blonde's head, catching her off guard enough to stun her. Max squirmed out from beneath her and ran toward the hallway. She kept a loaded 9mm in her bedside table for protection. It wouldn't kill the vampire but may subdue her enough for Max to get away. The blonde recovered, leaping up and tackling her again. This time she took Max down hard. Her skull cracked against the hard wood flooring, blurring her vision. The blonde crouched above her face, grabbed her around the throat and laughed. "He told me it would be easy. You newborn vampires are hardly stronger than humans. But your blood…that's definitely stronger. And I'm starving." Max tried gasping for air as she took in the woman's words. This was a feral vampire and Max's life was in danger.

The blonde traced her free hand along the side of Max's face. "You know," she smirked, "you're almost too pretty to kill. If I wasn't so hungry, I think I'd try to convince you to my side of thinking. You'd be a wonderful pet." Max was thankful that this woman seemed to like to play with her kills. It gave her enough of a chance to catch her bearings and choke out a few words. "How did you find me? Did…did he send you?" She didn't want to think that her sire had a reason to kill her - she always liked to think of him as more of a guardian angel - but she didn't really know. The blonde's grin widened. "Yes. He did. He knows where all you newborns live. He said I could choose whoever I wanted to eat. But I didn't know you'd be beautiful. It's a shame really." The blonde tightened her grip on Max's neck. "But no more talking… I need to eat." Max looked around for something to grab or some way to escape as the blonde leaned down to her neck. Black spots dotted her eyes as the remaining oxygen left her body. The blonde's teeth grazed her neck and Max gasped.

[Assistant]
Azreil stood in the midst of a travelling crowd with both hands on his cane smelling the air, a number of people had stopped and stared at him. Who knows maybe they were expecting a show? Lord knows it looked like he could start a performance at any time, but they would be sadly mistaken when he had finished analysing the air. To maximize his sense of smell he had already blinded himself by closing his eyes, numbed his sense of feeling through willpower, and clogged his ears with the drowning crowd that surrounded him. Ignoring the more obvious smells like perfume, cologn, beer, urine, feces, pizza, spaghetti, and such he caught wind of mixed blood, the smell he had been looking for earlier.

With it he smelled burning flesh, that one generally meant hunters. Or a rash case of idiocracy either way it could be worth checking out, or it could be a bit of a stale situation. He decided to track the smell of mixed blood, after all his job leaned more towards ferals as opposed to hunters. Of course a normal hunt would not ne this detail and could easily be confused by the myriad of smells in a city, but his were heightened by many folds from cutting off his other primary sense. As he stepped forward the crowd became curious, with his exagerated limp he could sense a few of the crowd memembers become embarrassed. That's what you get for being overly curious. he thought to himself wanting to snort but refused so he did not loose the scent trail. Before long he came to a certain street block and hid in the shadows watching the area.

Azreil noticed something that he knew only meant trouble, a limousine circleing the block, much like a shark would close in on chummy water, quite a few number of times before coming to a halt. He sighed inwardly, only one person would do such a thing and not care. A very high profile person who cared little about attracting attention, the son of his late master and the face of the Octus. Giving a moment to the thought of actually telling the purebred that he was in the town gave him a string of mental problems, the first of which was a chewing out. Although that would be much worse later than sooner the outcome would be the same, and then there was always the possibility of extra demands. Then again Octavious seemed to understand the need for singular pursuit, but who knew exactly what he would require from Azreil to stay within his good graces.

He sighed as silently as inhumanly possible and pulled out his shelltop phone slamming in a message. To Octavious:My deepest appologise that I have not contacted you sooner about entering the city. as I have been scouring Chicago, but I do believe that I see your limousine circleing the block. Is there sommething I should be cautious of in the area? sending the message he grew anxious over the next few moments. He really did not know who he thought he was fooling, as the purebred would know full well that Azreil would have had an idea of what was in the area. However what he wanted to know was what Octavious knew.

[User]
Long strides brought Bernard to his destination in relatively short order. He hadn't stopped long to feed, and had walked with purpose since. Now nearing her building, he stopped and moved to one side of it. Not wanting to chance her spotting him on the stairs or elevator, he would take another route. As he disappears into the shadows of the alley he closes up the front of his duster. It would make less noise and obscure him more that way. Rolling his shoulders, he starts to extend his wings. There was a separation between the mantle and the main body of the coat, allowing him to fly with it on and otherwise easily conceal nearly anything on his person.

Crouching down low, the purebred makes a standing vertical leap. Between his legs and his wings, he is able to to get onto the roof of the next building over with little effort beyond the jump. He was just above Maxine's apartment now, and could see light splash against a window as a door opened. Listening intently, he could barely make out her voice as she called to her cat. That was unusual, for the feline was usually at the door. Bernard had run across Pandora several times, and the cat always eyed him curiously. While considering the possibilities, a muffled crash returned his attention to what was actually going on. He heard another voice now, another woman, and that decided it.

After considering the angle for a moment, Bernard pulls his wings back under his coat. With a running jump, he hurls himself towards Maxine's window. In the air, his hand dives into a pocket of his coat to retrieve his Taurus. He hit the glass feet first, crashing ingloriously to the floor on the other side. Righting himself, he doesn't take the time to consider the situation. Lining up his revolver with a mass of blonde hair, he squeezes the trigger. The first shot throws the woman's head forward, bouncing it off the floor. Before the assailant can react five more shots ring out, causing it to fall to one side of Maxine.

The stranger starts to weakly push itself up, unsteady but clearly still alive. Thoroughly worked up by now, Bernard isn't done. As he walks toward the crumpled blonde he throws the empty revolver at it with enough force to crack what remains of her skull. When he reaches her, he picks her up by the neck and forces her against the wall. Now he could see the fangs in her open mouth, and it clicked.

"Feral trash!" he snarls, slamming the limp vampire into the wall again. He raises his free hand, driving his stiff fingers into the base of her throat. His claws part her skin easily, allowing him to hold her up with that hand while moving the other. Repeating the motion, he takes a grip at the bottom of her jaw. Muscles straining, Bernard rips the feral vampire's head from it shoulders with a grunt of effort. Still seething, he looks over at Max with wild eyes. There was no telling what she would think of his sudden appearance, and he longed to rush back to the window. It was too late now though, she would have had plenty of time to see him in action.


[System]
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Appearance:

Theme:

Specialty in the mirror world: Farmer (Makes helpful items, handles and tames beasts, has decent physical stats but poor at magic)

[User]
It was easy to lose herself in thought as she waited which is what Naomi allowed herself to do as she adjusted to the less hurried pace of life here on this new world.

A brown notepad came out and Naomi drew her pen writing

First rule of Adventuring Assay your situation. We are Strangers in a Strange Land with a sprinkle of Connecticut Yankee and Authur.

As little as we know each other we know anyone locally even less

Next is secure support in the form of valuables converted into local products more useful than the item (Check Pockets for items that came through with party some may be cheap to us but locally treasures

Myself
1/2 carat blue diamond white gold setting earring pair
6 silver finger rings
1 gold thumb ring/antique class ring
4 toe rings silver
Natural crystal prism 6"
two silver magnifying glass Victorian
Various trinkets that will need appraising
In desperation, I will sell my other items

She looks at what here most likely amounts to a small moderate sum but knows she will push hard on her diamonds to see it grow to a good start.

So knowing the vagaries of travel with no true leader she settles down spreading out her long dress into a sweeping fan then reveals why she didn't carry a backpack or purse; her dress hid in its folds 7 deep pockets

She sniffled as she spread out her AT keychains
Her tiny little polished stones
Her Elk horn handmade rune chips
9 jolly ranchers 3 apple 4 blue 2 orange
A repurposed tobacco pouch containing tea leaves and a stainless tea strainer.
2 collapsible 8 oz cups silicone rubber red
2 6 oz baker's dark chocolate bars
1 Prince Albert can containing small Rider Waite tarot deck in dark blue silk scarf
1 leather pouch not for sale nore its pipe and lighters 3 purple bic lighters
Her solar firestarter / Mag glass

[Assistant]
Relieved that his horse had calmed down before hurting anyone, Donny approached his mare and patted her face. "Good girl. Scary wasn't it?" Donny would have to let her roam a bit to help calm her down before hitching her to the wagon. As she started to graze Donny looked to the others. "Well then. Not exactly how I'd like to start our little adventure. Is that going to happen a lot?"

Donny would've remembered this Odum person if he had fought the wolves with them, but Donny did not. He was just some stranger who presumably was with this group, however he was obviously the black sheep of the mysterious flock. Frankly Donny didn't like him since he showed up and started to try and take orders and command the place as if he knew what was going on. And while Donny might've not had the same level of power or education as some of these people, he at least was local and actually knew where he was and the situation in the area. If Donny had let them all lose last time they'd probably just end up attacked by more wolves, even with Tawny's abilities with animals. Or worse, soldiers.

[User]
"Almost is better then someone actually pulling a gun on you. Besides which Odum's always an ass, that's not going to change.
 I just thought you might simply want to make it less easy for him to want to pull the gun on you in the future." Lance shrugged at his own comment, it wasn't like the matter could be forced. "One day him pulling the trigger could be what keeps you alive.
 Plus right now we need the numbers, if he's going to shoot you I'd rather he do it later rather than sooner."

He then glances over to Donny from his elevated position on the wagon. "I'd imagine that answers your question. Normally everyone just ignores his rants. But ignorance can't always be bliss, unless of course you don't care too much." Lance finishes as he stretches his arms above his head before folding them over his chest and stretching his legs out. Whilst he had the whole wagon to himself he'd make the most of the available space.

Cypher@Azure Flame

[Assistant]
Odum said nothing, he was walking with the white haired lady, but saw a women, Tawny, he believed was her name.All he did was smile and walked away, "Anyhow," He said, trying change the topic, "I haven't caught your name, also, not to be needy or anything, can I have my rifle please?" He asked while looking down.

@Raptra

[User]
The lady gave Odum a sly smile as Tawny and Reina showed up.

"Well well well. Looks like not all is lost after all. I'm guessing these are your friends? Enta's the name."

She waved at the two girls before turning around. She took a few steps forward before peeking behind her and the three.

"Mhmm. You should use this chance to make things right. Not everyone gets a second chance! Learn how to get along with them and be the better person, even if they won't. I'm sure we'll meet again. Toodles~"

Enta slipped off back into the forest, blatantly ignoring Odum's question about his gun as she vanished into the brush. She was going to have fun with his weapon.

[Assistant]
"Little bi-" He looked back, "Sup, so I guess were going to city?" He said in a friendly manner.

Yet, he knew his Rifle would be okay, having a weird intuition that they were in good hands, or so he thinks.

He hopes gets it back, put at least, he has his pistol, not as good, though infinite is infinite.

As he walked back toward the group, he was quiet, mostly playing with his pistol, spinning it.

[User]
Tawny nodded in acknowledgement at the woman with a light smile, thinking it polite enough since she had waved at them and introduced herself. She turned to Odum after 'Enta' left, as he mentioned the city.

"Well, yes. That was where we going to leave for before you went off on your own," she replied, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

With all on her mind, she was able to ignore the awkwardness as they made it back. Upon reaching the others, she strode up to the wagon and hopped on, Ash leaping on right after her.

"Time to go," was all she said, hoping nobody else would say anything to aggravate things again, at least not at the moment.

@Zaphander @Azure Sea

[Assistant]
@Azure Flame@akirashadow@Azure Sea

Naomi collected her things back into her pockets

Then she stood and looked at the road ahead and what she now considered behind her before turning to Donny/@Lucius Cypher and the others near the wagon.

She smiles a bit theatrically her tone a soft request

FlameMay I know our planned course as in That-a-away till you come to

Lucus is an Elven Ranger and can scout ahead I can walk the obvious road and make sure our party isn't surprised; if that's cool with the lot[/color]

[User]
"Tch. Sounds like the current lord." Donny was obviously disdainful. He hitched his horse up to the wagon as he went on his own rant. Donny seemed to grow even more furious than he had before, even more then when he was fighting for his life against the wolves.

"Some young fool, only a year or so older then me. His father, the previous lord, died recently due to an illness plaguing the lands. It was sudden. His son inherited the position but he's always been a spoiled brat even now. Spends all his time hunting and playing with his sword instead of learning how to take care of his lands or learning a lord's duty. So of course when he came to power the first thing he did was start using it. Increased our taxes to purchase furvious luxuries for his home, and buy arms and armor for his soldiers. But not to protect his lands, certainly not. No barely a month into his lordship and he conscripts the men in our village to join in him some foreign war so that he could gain glory and prestige."

Then Donny looked to Lance with a look of hatred in his eyes. But not directed to him, but just spite in general. "And it's your kind of thinking that allows something like that to happen. 'Maybe he'll do some good' or 'at least he's on our side'. Cowards talk I say. Instead of protecting his lands or working in his people's best interests, he intends to sacrifice us just so he could have some tall tale to boast about and flex that flaccid cock he calls an ego. If this Odum is that type of person, this journey isn't going to end well for him. I don't care what powers you strangers have here, I'll tolerate tyrants no more."

And with that, he saw Odum, Tawny, and Reina return. He snorted at their arrival. He had figured Odum would've put up more of a fight, perhaps arrive by opening fire first. Though Odum hasn't done anything to personally bother Donny yet (aside from shooting his house and scaring his horse), he was mainly projecting his hatred of the lord o to Odum. When they finally got into the wagon Donny said nothing as the wagon took off.

"Well take the road about ten miles towards the main village. There I'll gather some more supplies, get information about the roads ahead, and speak to some others. It won't take long. Go ahead and scout ahead if you wish, wolves typically stay out of the open roads but the same won't be said of any brigands if they had decided to set up shop around here. Just be careful. If you're going to scout, come back and tell us before you get ahead of yourself and pick a fight."

[Assistant] "Sounds good to me." he said, noticing as Odum returned. Not wanting to deal with him at the moment, he decided to go and scout ahead right then and there. "I'll go a bit ahead and see if the way is clear. I'll return and state whether it is or not and we can proceed. I'll stay a bit ahead and return with any news." With that, Lucas headed off in the direction they were headed, taking to the trees, surprised with how easy it was thanks to how nimble he had become. He leapt from branch to branch, keeping silent as he scanned the road ahead.

[User]
"Only when standing before the Abyss will the true cowards show their hand." Lance mumbled, he wasn't entirely sure what he himself had meant and he felt thankful that he'd been quiet enough to keep it to himself as Donny ranted in his general vicinity. Seeing the others return Lance scooted his feet back toward himself as Tawny and Ash had joined him on the wagon. "Welcome back, I assume the situation is somewhat defused now?"
@Lucius Cypher

[Assistant]
Reina tilted her head slightly as she looked at the woman with Odum and blinked.
"Who's the woman with you Odum?" Reina asks with a curious tone of voice wondering if Odum had somehow managed to get himself into trouble just minutes after running from the group.

[User]
"It would appear so," Tawny replied Lance as she watched Lucas disappear into the trees. "However, it's possible that may be the case because they are still apart. We should keep it that way for now."

She usually felt secure around her group of friends, but with the sudden eccentric behaviors displayed by a few of them, it felt to her like they might as well have been total strangers. She shifted closer next to Lance and leaned against the side of the wagon, glad to be near a member of the group who still seemed level-headed enough. She hoped that no more of them would start to lose it the longer they remained in this unknown world.

Reina's question then reminded her of the stranger they had seen with Odum. Curious as well, she listened in to his reply from where she was.

Sea @akirashadow @Typhon

[Assistant] "No one, but a little bitch who's going to get bullet through her skull." Odum said calmly

[User]
Naomi had already headed off at a skipping pace as if she held no cares in this world a simple young woman unprotected on a lark.

She stopped and smelled the flowers even tucking three small yellow lilies behind her left ear, the quarterstaff she used like a stage prop as she sang love songs to it or danced to some music only she heard in her head she made sure to delay her forward progress by allowing the others with the wagon to see her a few seconds before she headed back up the road ahead of them.

This was going to be a long trip for those that wanted instant resolution and they were more than just physically lost on this world, they had no idea of its history, its common laws, just how involved the local deities got, how this society viewed the rights of women, and so much more like how money worked here not to mention magic.

To Naomi this meant when they arrived at the first city with a University no matter how small she would avail herself of their knowledge so that she didn't stumble around blindly.

[Assistant]
Once everyone had gathered, the trip to the village was short and uneventful. The roads were bumpy since it was just a dirt path and aside from one or two wolves watching them, nothing came by to attack the group. They would travel for about an hour before they reached the village, which was a collection of stone and wooden huts, with a few young men armed with leather armor, spears, and swords on their belts patrolling the area. They didn't pay Donny any mind and he didn't bother them; they were just the village militia. The village was already busy with their own work turning crops into produce, with many women gathered around a large home weaving and looming cloth out of various fibers, more young men hauling wood or baskets of rocks into workshops, and children running about tending to animals or playing games. A few stared at the strange group of travelers but none approached. At least none until an old man, who was hobbling and walking with a cane, approached Donny.

"Well hello there son. That's not the usual goods you bring to the village. Friends of yours?"

"Elder Namara. These strangers saved my life when I was in the forest, near the Traveler's Shrine. They seem lost and uncertain about where they are, so in thanks I'm going to take them to the city. I'd appreciate it if I could gather some supplies for the journey ahead. not only that, but there's some other matters I need to discuss with you..."

Donny and the elder spoke for some time before parting ways. Donny turned to the others, handing them a single bag containing a mixture of silver and copper coins. "Welcome to Wayward. It's a small village but I'd like to think that we do well for ourselves here. I need to do some trading so I'll be off for a while. This is just some spending money if there's anything in particular you want in here. Please don't cause any trouble and don't steal from anyone. While I have most of the essentials already, anything in particular you want, clothes, knick knacks, snacks, feel free to buy. This is just some money the elder owed me, so I came to collect." Donny hopped off the wagon and followed after the Eldar to get the rest of the things they'll need for the trip.


[System]
Age: 23

Race: Human

Appearance: Standing at five feet and three inches with a somewhat thin physique, Rebecca by no means embodies the look of a warrior. Her pale skin tones and demure features suggest someone that does not spend much time outside. Her mousy brown hair goes down to her shoulders, but it is usually either kept in a ponytail or in a bun, leaving her clear blue eyes unobscured. Her muscles are hard to discern, merely possessing the strength of one who is occasionally expected to move machinery about when assistance isn't handy.

Attire: Rebecca wears clothing tight enough not to get caught in any mechanical devices she may be working on, more specifically a grey shirt with long sleeves and black pants. Most of her outer layer of clothing, specifically her coat and boots is made of leather tanned and cured from the hides of demons, the material's strange properties protecting against the raw magical energies that she often works with. Her boots are tall and sturdy, designed for a somewhat dangerous working environment, but also serving well for travel. Her coat is black, long, and trailing, with a texture akin to a more traditional leather coat and toting many pockets to store whatever tools may be especially useful at the moment. Metal is rarely used in her clothing, in fear of accidentally conducting any magic or otherwise altering experiments, but when it is, such as in buttons on her jacket, it is generally iron, or any similar metal that insulates against magic. Her most favored accessory is the hat she earned upon being accepted as a researcher. While her clothing is normally adorned with various markings indicating her as a member of The Choir's research and development team, these were removed prior to her mission. As researchers rarely leave the recesses of Tour de Rouge's laboratories, almost none know of their uniform in Falke.

Bio:
The Crescent bloodline carries much prestige in the Twilight Fields, being comprised of the family that founded the area's famous mining industry as well as one of The Order of the Crescent Sun's greatest mages.

 Rebecca seemed to almost be born to disgrace the prestige of this bloodline, being born small, sickly, and frail with no magical ability to speak of after her older sister Veronica seemed to be turning out to be a perfect child. While Rebecca's parents loved and cherished her, she never felt she received quite as much favor as her sister did, aside from her grandmother's occasional visits when she wasn't on some diplomatic errand or hunting demons in the Nethergate Wastes. They talked often on those visits, the two always seeing much in common with one another. Unfortunately for her, such visits were quite rare.

 She managed to make do, though. She had quite the inquisitive mind even from a young age, disassembling and reassembling whatever machinery she could get her hands on as well as tagging along with Veronica in her magical studies. She loved to think about how things worked, even if she couldn't make use of them herself. Of particular interest to her was the old golem in town, who wandered offering protection and general assistance with any task he could provide help for. As the golem grew older and began to break down, and Rebecca grew more experienced with her craft, she took it upon herself to keep the old golem running, maintaining and swapping out whatever parts she could. An odd friendship began to form between the two, despite their difference in intellect and stature.

 No machine runs forever, however. Eventually, when she was thirteen years old, the golem broke down to the point that acquiring new parts was more trouble than it was worth to just about anyone in town. It remained as a statue in the center of town. Shortly after, Veronica left for The Choir, and it felt to Rebecca as if she was left on her own. She resolved to follow her sister, hoping to use The Choir's great resources to further her own studies. She spent the next several years studying, growing closer and closer to producing a new stable form of using magic and machinery in tandem. When she turned 19, she asked her grandmother to pull a few strings and set off for Tour de Rouge. Her thesis on what she called Resonance Theory was enough to get her accepted into The Choir's research and development division, with her own laboratory, with the task of producing equipment utilizing Resonance Theory before the deadline. Rebecca worked hard, eventually producing a portable launcher of her own design. Unfortunately, her superiors' reception to it was somewhat… underwhelmed. They decided that such a thing would need field testing, and with Falke recently having beaten their forces back across the bridge, they felt it would be wise to have someone see what magic they had at their disposal as well.

 They decided that Rebecca was just the person for both jobs. Though she didn't feel that she was the best at espionage, simply laying low and cataloguing whatever magical items of interest she could find eventually turned out to be simple enough. The problem of returning home, however was not. With the bridge out and tensions riding, she needed a more covert way to return home safely.

Inventory:
* Rebecca's finest invention, this truly bizarre weapon makes use of both magic and machinery that defies both explanation and expectation. Taking a form similar to a combination of different brass musical instruments, The force rune and launching mechanisms are controlled by a timing mechanism near the "keys" on the side. By breathing into the device, a projectile is created and launched forwards, independent of gravity, and lands against a target, on which point it bursts into kinetic energy, knocking both people and objects caught in the blast radius away. The pitch of the "note" created affects the behavior of the projectile. Higher notes will impact and detonate sooner afterwards, while lower notes will reverberate and spend more of their energy bouncing off of surfaces before detonating. The weapon works on a system of "measures," with the projectiles detonating at the end of each one. The size of the projectiles depends on how long the note is held and therefore how much of the measure it takes up. Attacks can be released with a series of small impacts akin to a decent punch (sixteenth notes) or one with the force of a charging bull (whole note). Though projectiles are all launched at an incredibly fast speed, the loud noise and slow activation make heavier strikes unwieldy. The vast excess of energy created by the device is released as sound and heat. The device is unfortunately still a prototype, and is vulnerable to explode if wielded incorrectly as well as to water, unable to function even in rain. To counteract the latter flaw, it is typically carried in a sturdy, locked case on Rebecca's back. The case itself is reinforced against almost any form of attack, making it both an effective shield and a surprisingly powerful impromptu weapon for anyone who would underestimate her enough to be caught by it. The launcher has a safety mechanism that, when turned on, allows it to be played like a normal instrument.
* A satchel case filled with a variety of tools and maintenance devices that would bring envy to any aspiring tinkerer. Though they're mostly used for maintenance concerning Rebecca's own creations, the tools are versatile enough to be used for many different machines. Some can be used for defense in a pinch, even if they aren't a match for a true weapon.
* A small, magic bottomless bag, the opening large enough to contain a partially filled journal and a quill enchanted to never run out of ink.

Skills:

Magitech Developer: Rebecca is one of the premiere developers of stable magitech, despite having no magical ability of her own, and as such is incredibly knowledgeable in the sciences of both magic and machinery. There's hardly a spell or machine that she couldn't pick apart and dissect on the continent, given enough time.

Big Band: As the creator of her RTPR-01, she is perhaps the only one who could wield and maintain it without destroying it. Her de facto fighting style is based around it, using her projectiles to chip and blast away at the enemy, knocking around loose objects in their general facility, and generally causing havoc from a distance. She is far less useful in close range battles, however; her options are limited aside from creating more distance or a powerful but unskilled and unwieldy strike from a tool or the launcher's case.

Languages: Abbalic

Current Location: Falke

[User]
[Calieo]

       Though she only had to wait a fraction of the planet's rotation, any time not spent searching for the key was considered wasted in Calieo's eyes. How long she had before that benevolent vagabond passed by to check up on her again, the warrior had no idea. He'd come looking for her though, and it would complicate things to no end. Bitter thoughts circled about the knight's head as she waited, growing upon themselves with every passing minute.

       As Calieo's thoughts began to border on the edge of obscenely violent, the jagged and rocky form of the merchant's beast finally showed itself. Atop it the merchant clung to the creature's back, waving towards Calieo once she drew closer. While the knight was prepared to take out her pent up aggression on her soon to be guide, the woman's question disarmed such thoughts and Calieo listened carefully to the pronunciations of what she would have to call them.

       "A name, yes," Calieo grinned, pride welling up from within as she thought of the awe her name had inspired with a few of the mountain people she'd met. "I am Calieo. Embodiment of your day star, ruler of all that is pure, bain of the night, and the soon to be the saviour of this world," the gilded knight announced, emphasizing her words with a flourish of her hand. She'd met a few mountain people on her way to this settlement, a few dropping to their knees and a few taking offense after her short introduction. Those that acted against her had been cleansed. Rather than give praise however Denise followed up with another question regarding how they were to depart, the forward thinking appreciated though Calieo felt a little confused without recieving such a dramatic reaction.

       "A horse? No I do not have a horse, yours is the first I've encountered," Calieo began, looking up at Helvyra assuming that it had been what she meant. The idea of riding something was a little conflicting; on one hand it proved dominance over another creature, but it also meant reliance on it. While she took a moment to consider a response, a vaguely familiar voice pulled her from such thoughts and gained the knight's attention. It took a moment to recognize the figure approaching, but Calieo soon realized it was the girl she had pushed aside in the market earlier. At first the knight assumed she just wanted to complain more, but her question proved quite relevant to the quest at hand.

       "You mean you seek information on such things as well?" Calieo inquired, turning away from Denise and her rock creature to better face this curious stranger. Whoever she was the girl looked odd to say the least; short, oddly dressed, and carrying quite a lot with her. "Tell me, do you know anything of an artifact about the size of a human head, shaped like a circle with three points? It's of the utmost urgency I find it and this wares pedlar here claims it to be in some place called Nevergate." Calieo gestured towards Denise at her mention, staring down at the girl with a sort of judgmental scrutiny.

[Assistant]
Falke – Mail Gates

 Chambala was pretty happy at how fast they were moving through the city, headed towards the exit. All she wished right now was to get as far away from the blasted chaos these two 'nations' were stirring and leave them to sort it themselves. Probably by either getting the majority of their populations killed to the point peace was the only alternative to mutual destruction or till one side decimates the other. She knew the reason why they burned the bridge was to buy time... Didn't matter by the time things got worse, she should be back home and avoid the stupidity of men.

 Just as they had reached the gates, Chambala's perfect feeling vanished the moment she saw the golem thing, it's rider and the goldie thing. There were the problems... all … over … again. Those 3 things were so eye catching that she suspected they'd attract guards attention before long. Especially the gold armor. She suspected someone of high stature would try to demand it sooner or later... Chambala just wanted out of the city and be in nature. Among trees and plants, forests were the best.

 "Good luck... just be careful. We are at the gates, guards here are the greatest in numbers." The huntress stated as her friend moved to talk with the goldie thing.

 Chambala couldn't help, but sigh from the side as she watched her new friend go and talk with the woman who seemed significantly more interested in discussing when the subject of it was something she wanted to talk about, it seemed. Not that Chambala was surprised about that. Most people were like that, no reason for this goldie to be different from the rest. While thinking about that she noticed a certain very low noise that attracted her attention. Since she was some distance and by the side of the group, she could see a certain someone scale down the tower... To his credit Chambala was impressed. If she wasn't at this right angle, she may not even have been able to hear or even less see him. She didn't look directly at him, instead her long wild hair hiding her eyes as she very discretely following him move down the stone surface. 'Better go grab Rebecca and we leave before that man causes some commotion and we get trapped inside the walls.. or be chased off by the guard.' The huntress thought, quickly walking over to her new friend and the goldie.

 "Rebecca, we'd better leave now..." She said quietly to the woman with serious voice." Any discussions could be done once we are outside..." Chambala added, not really too interrested into the gold clad woman.

[User]
Falke, Main Gates
 Rebecca initially felt somewhat intimidated by the other woman, beginning to see her armor and stature as somewhat imposing, but she could only stare with bewilderment when she was asked such a bizarre question. She could only assume that she meant "Nethergate," though the mistake made her wonder who in the world she could possibly be.

 "That's a pretty vague description," Rebecca answered. "Why would something like that be in Nethergate? There's not much there except for demons and hunters with shoddy tools. How much do you know about this thing, exactly?" Rebecca leaned back a little to listen to Chambala as she spoke to her. Rebecca shrugged in response. She didn't really know what could prompt her to take on that tone of voice and still not tell her what the problem was, but she supposed it was better to trust her friend in case they ended up getting into more trouble over it.

 "Do you mind if we continue this conversation outside?" She asked the gold-clad woman, gesturing to the gates with her free hand.


[System]
Rank: Chief Apothecary (Skulltaker)

Personality: Cantus was inducted from a Feral World, and as such has always had somewhat of a short and sharp temperament; he does not, will not, suffer fools and imbeciles to deride him or question him - whether they be a Marine or the Chapter Master himself! Nevertheless, after introspective conditioning and contemplation, he has gained somewhat of a stoic but easygoing quality to his persona - at least as much as an Astartes actually can - complimented for his patient and soft bedside manner, especially to ease the passing of the dying, as well as his near unreadable face. Although he hides his emotions well, his loyalty to the Emperor and to his Chapter as a whole cannot be questioned, he does take many things emotionally hard, but he would willingly die for any of his Battle Brothers.

Appearance: Slighter than some of his more muscularbrethren, though taller than average for a Space Marine, Serviel could easily be mistaken for a son of Sanguinius; curling golden locks of a medium length frame his almost perfect features, his marble-white skin unmarked by time or wound, and his glacial blue eyes always watching above his slender aquiline nose and thin lips which, when peeled back, reveal what could well be mistaken for vampiric fangs. No-one, not even he, really knows why he looks more like a Blood Angel - some suggesting that there was a mix up with the gene-seed and others that his people were of Baalite stock - whatever the reason, he is assuredly the picture of what Ancient Terrans believed to be an Angel.

In terms of his armour, it is a standard suit of Mark VI 'Corvus' power armour in the colours of his Chapter - except with the usual penchant for white, and the customary blood red Prime Helix symbol, found to be the province of all apothecaries. The only reverse being that, unlike his brothers of the Warp Skulls, his beaked Diagnostor helmet has a central stripe of red running from front to back.

Mutation(s): None, as of yet; he is one of the 'lucky' few that have not been subject to any mutations.

Bio: After being taken from one of the many warring tribes of his homeworld, a world and people he can no longer remember, by the nomadic fleet of the Warp Skulls very soon after their unleashing on the rest of the galaxy, it was noticed that apart from his deceptive strength he was also possessed of a keen intellect and more than willing to learn.

Over time he became interested in the sciences and processes of the Astartes physiology, undergoing the specialist training required of all Apothecaries and coming away from it as nearly a completely different person.

During his time with the Chapter he eventually reached the rank of 'Skulltaker', a specialist rank held by the Chief Apothecary of the Warp Skulls, pretty much just a fancy title that was bestowed on one who had achieved great things and daring feats in the field, something that Cantus most certainly had - yet also involved recovering the heads of your fallen comrades after death.

Over the course of the Chapter's campaigning he has saved multiple lives, saving wounded brothers while under fire, and even saving the life of the Chapter Master on one occasion. He has no idea if his superior still remembers this, but he shall never forget it.

Now, however, he has become ever more withdrawn upon discovery of mutation among the Chapter - something he and his fellow Apothecaries should have seen long before any bodily warping could occur. This was sadly not the case, and he now works every waking hour to find the root cause of these abominable changes, something that may not seem to concern others (such as the Librarians) but that is slowly causing him to grow more annoyed and even panicked.

So, a meeting is soon to take place between the highest ranking of the Chapter...and he shall be with them when the fate of their Chapter is decided.

Deeds: W.I.P

Weapons and Wargear: Apart from his Hesh M38 Mk II bolt pistol, with chain-bayonet, and a Mark XI Pattern Chainsword, as an Apothecary he also equips himself with the items of his position and rank; the Narthecium and the Reductor, one for healing his wounded comrades, and the other for removing the precious Progenoid Glands from those that have fallen or will not survive.

[User]
Rokurou Caras

The Chapter master listened as his Captains called for war, his veterans advocating the Chapter fight against the Inquisition, believing a positive outcome could arise from it. Perhaps that was the only way he thought... perhaps no other choice was present. Until the Forge-Adept Valius spoke up, followed by Master of the forge Constantine, advocating they run. Rokurou though on this... and made his decision. He raised one of his great gauntleted fists up, calling for silence within the room. Once the assembled chapter command fell quiet, Rokurou addressed his Chapter, "It would appear, as if only the Master of the Forge and his adept can see the truth. We cannot simply 'fight' the Inquisition, and the Explorators are not likely to support us if we do. We must avoid contact with them at all costs. But... this brings its own questions.", the Chapter Master paced about the room, his wings absent-mindedly furling and un-furling against his back, showing he had at least some control of the great emaciated appendages.

"Where can we go? What place is safe? Where will the Inquisiton not follow us. and where can we continue to serve the Primarch and the Emperor?", Rokurou feared he knew the answer... feared what it would mean for his chapter.

It was then he recieved the notification... a ship was incoming, currently un-known. One ship? It quickly dawned on the Chapter master who exactly it was. He turned to his assembled council and spoke of this new development, "It appears as though the tithe will come eraly brothers... a ship approaches, I believe it may be the inquisistion... Serviel,", he turned the massive bulk of his terminator armor to face the chief Apothecary, "You must recieve them. You are one of the pure, you must stall them whilst we deliberate further. Once we are finished we may... discuss what must be done with whatever, or whoever arrives.", Rokurou hasd the council doors opened to allow the chief apthecary to exit... he was going to be needed quite soon.

[@Everyone]

[Assistant]
Medeis was glad to have Skyrax on his side. The Vanguard Captain was often more abrasive and rash than the Chief Librarian liked, but at least the man had his head screwed on straight. Both the Master of the Forge and the abomination he'd been tasked with babysitting advocated retreat in the face of resistance, however, and the idea brought him as close to physical illness as he'd ever been brought by something someone had to say. The left side of his mouth curled up slowly, forming an unforgiving snarl as he listened to their traitorous words. "Cowards..." he grumbled, having to fight to keep the Voice of the Legion out of his whisper. Then, as if to throw the veterans' loyalty back in their faces, the Chapter Master agreed with the horrific construct sitting across from them. Now he felt physically ill. It didn't last long, thanks to his physiology, but he'd never been closer to throwing up in his entire existence as a space marine. Not only had he been saddled with a sickening psychic automaton that he was supposed to keep alive and functional, now the Lord of Battle he'd followed without question for decades, the one person he respected above all, was refusing his advice in favour of that most heretical thing he'd ever seen in the Light of the Emperor.

"Ships get lost in the warp all the time." he observed casually, but with a tone that implied he wasn't talking about some disappointing news he'd heard from someone who's friend's distant cousin had mentioned it in passing over drinks. There was barely-veiled venom in his words as he continued to speak, though no supernatural power entered his voice yet. "The Opulence Excelsior incident wasn't all that long ago... Maybe they got caught in an aftershock or something?" purely conjecture on his part, but a decent story, and once that the Inquisition wouldn't have much choice but to buy, assuming the evidence was disposed of properly. Even the best ships could succumb to the warp, seemingly at random.

He wondered how obvious it was that he was now fighting simply to prevent the repugnant atrocity that served as a Forge Adept, from being right. Lucky for everyone involved, he had yet to be able to physically manifest his hatred. The closest he got was feeding it like promethium into his psychic flamethrower, but he couldn't very well unleash that in the War Room. Instead he was stuck hoping that something else catastrophic might happen if he focused hard enough. Even if he could just get that abhorrent obscenity's excuse for a psychic hood uncomfortably hot, maybe the thing would get the picture. Then again, it was still here, and he was pretty sure he'd made it clear his stance on the whole issue.

Letting his humours get the best of him, Calvaria stewed silently in the depths of his robe, the air in his immediate vicinity roiling quietly and beginning to smell faintly of ozone. The Chapter Master had said this would be a meeting, but he was beginning to think it was going to be much closer to an issuance of orders. The man in charge just needed a sounding board before he interacted with anyone in an official capacity. Slowly containing the rage he normally attributed to Skyrax, the Chief Librarian resigned himself to yet another ignominious duty, and hoped this one might get the loathsome, heretical construct hiding behind the Master of the Forge to disappear.

[User]
Skyrax was the first to leave the meeting hall after Apothecary Serviel. As the master of medicine moved to intercept the Inquisitor, Skyrax strode off towards his company quarters with his brows furrowed in anger. His seneschal, Sergeant Gamriel, fell in behind him.

"Brother-Captain, may I ask what matter the Chapter Master wished to discuss? Are we to ready the company for battle?"

His voice barely above a whisper, Skyrax answered his subordinate without looking back. "No Gamriel, we are not to ready the company. The Chapter Master wishes us to... fall back. To flee from the foe." As always, his voice was quiet and cordial but now ran through with an undercurrent of contempt.

"Surely not! The Warp Skulls do not run without meeting the foe! What enemy has forces the Chapter Master's hand so?" Unlike his commander, Gamriel's voice openly showed his disbelief and dissatisfaction.

"This enemy is not like our normal foes. Not a brutish ork, nor a bloodmad heretic."

"What does it matter who are enemy is, brother-Captain? We are the Warp Skulls! It is the enemy who should flee before us!"

"You are welcome to approach the Chapter Master with those words Gamriel, but I said as much in the meeting to no avail. It seems we must wait still longer to once more feel the joy of battle."

"I... I would not presume to doubt the Chapter Master's word. I misspoke and will hold my tongue in future, brother-Captain."

Skyrax waived a hand dismissively "It is no matter, think nothing of it. Tell the Veterans of the council's decision, I intend to go and greet the ship that has just docked."

Bringing one fist sharply up to his chest in a warrior's salute, Gamriel turned off down a corridor to carry out his Captain's orders. Skyrax continued to walk towards the docking hangars. True, the Chapter Master had ordered Serviel to greet the Inquisitor but he had not expressly commanded that Skyrax not do so as well. So Skyrax would go and see the one appointed to judge him. And his battlebrothers, of course. And should Serviel falter in doing what must be done, he would assist him...

[Assistant]
"You must receive them. You are one of the pure, you must stall them whilst we deliberate further. Once we are finished we may... discuss what must be done with whatever, or whoever arrives."

For the entirety of the meeting, an assemblage of every one of the Chapter's highest ranking members, as well as their most decorated warriors, Serviel had sat himself in silence - half concealed by shadow and silent throughout - not too far from the side of his Chapter Master; he had listened closely to each course of action that was proposed, his angelic and untouched features never shifting from an expression of utter neutrality, not even when some of the more militant among them began forming a 'war faction' right before his very eyes. These particular Astartes had always been of the violent type, so it came as no surprise to him, nor did it shock him as others declared under the guise of a suggestion that they should flee into the far reaches of space and avoid any potentially combustible situations.

When Rokurou finally turned and addressed his Chief Apothecary, the warrior-healer had been deep in thought, yet once his superior gave him an order, well, he really had no choice but to obey it. Swiftly, he lifted himself from his seat and gave the sign of the Aquila to all present, moving around the table and through the open doors and into the hallway; it was here, in the more open spaces of the fortresses decks, even as his feet carried him toward the hangar where a member of the Emperor's Inquisition awaited him, that he ran scenarios through his mind as to how best to distract them. None seemed all that suitable, they were trained to detect lies...human lies, he was a Space Marine though, and he knew that it was more difficult for mere mortals to read them.

Before long he was present at the doors of the hangar, momentarily considering whether to conceal his face behind the helmet in the crook of his elbow, then deciding against it. No, instead he took a breath, a nice long one, and while slowly releasing it he made his way into the hangar and across the expanse to the entourage of the female he could clearly tell was in charge here.

"Lord Inquisitor Kilrit?" He asked once he was only a couple of feet away, his voice carrying over any distance as it rumbled from deep within his chest, "it is an honour to have such an esteemed member of the Holy Inquisition here but..." letting his words hang in the air for but a moment, his tone changed to one of quite genuine puzzlement, "our tithe is neither prepared, nor is this collection as per our agreed schedule, at least that is why I assume you are here?" Cutting off any further words, he simply allowed his eyes to rest on the smaller figure and his face to once more become as expressionless as a statue of marble.


[System]
Awakened: 100
Mind [35] | Body [40] | Spirit [25]
Facsimile: N/A

---
Nagashima, Masato
Identity: Completely average in looks, smarts, and popularity, Masato only manages to score towards the top of the class due to sheer hard work and tons of exam cramming. He always seems to have his nose to the grindstone in order to keep up with his peers, hardly ever letting up on his studies or responsibilities. His reputation at school is mostly a good one, since he makes himself available to help any student in need - as the president of Kuroshio Ogata Junior High's student council, it is his job after all.

Though he may have earned the respect of most of his peers (something he's proud of), it was hard to say that Masato is actually well liked by them. It wasn't like he was elected to his position either, he got it simply because no one else wanted it, a win by default. His personality is one that runs both hot and cold as if he's struggling to suppress part of himself - most likely his temper, which caused him trouble in his earlier years. Masato has come to be known as someone that will help you out, even if he'd click his tongue and say he should knock some sense into you while he does it, though he is much harsher with troublemakers and rule-breakers. The sound of his grumbling or shouting isn't that rare a thing in Kuroshio Ogata Junior High's halls. On the flip side, he brushes people off if they don't need anything from him. He's never spotted outside of the junior high, the cram school, or on his way straight home from either. He doesn't open up to others, so he has few if any close friends.

Taking everything into account, he has high potential to be chosen for the study abroad program if he can just keep his grades up. He's been trying hard to become a respectable member of society in the future - hopefully one far away from this small town. Although, Masato wasn't always like that. His brother Akito, older by five years, has had a big impact on him and shifted Masato's focus into becoming a "better person," though it wasn't a positive impact.

Akito has always caused trouble for others. Currently he's graduated highschool and has become a layabout in the Nagashima home with no plans for the future. With parents that just enable him, the only one he catches flack from is Masato. Fighting between the brothers is a common occurrence, sometimes escalating to physical confrontations. In the past, the two of them were closer - when Akito was running wild in his school years and bringing up his little brother to be just as much of a nuisance as he was. A bully and petty criminal, Akito couldn't have a weak sibling for other delinquents to take advantage of. It looked like Masato was on his way to following in Akito's footsteps, until a certain incident ended up hurting a friend who suffered the consequences. That opened Masato's eyes to how much of a jerk his brother really was, and he started condemning Akito rather than following his orders.

Now, Masato is determined not to turn out like that - he doesn't want to cause problems and have other people clean up his messes anymore. The new mindset is the reason he joined the student council when he entered middle school in the first place, has been trying to rein in the bad attitude his youth instilled in him, and is working to earn a spot among those chosen to go overseas.
Peculiarity: Masato is extremely dexterous, with superior aim and hand-eye coordination. The school's small baseball team was bitter to lose him to the student council. Besides just pitching or catching, Masato also fields requests from other students to thread needles or help put together model kits. It's not an exaggeration to say he has some of the steadiest hands in school, though its a wonder why when his attitude is anything but. And yes, he is the best at juggling in his class. Besides that he's got a high pain tolerance and a good constitution, recovering from colds in record time.

[User]
𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭
__________________________________________________

Duncan went through a lifetime of emotions in what must've been a matter of seconds. First he thought he was going to die, then that he couldn't, and then that he already had. In the struggle that followed his landing, his world shrunk until there was no space for anyone or anything but him and his opponent. First it struggled under him, trashing in his grip, smashing Duncan's guts against his chest so violently he thought they might fly out through his back next. Then he realized he was the one underneath, and that breathing was really fucking difficult.

But at least he was still breathing. And he would keep breathing longer than this goddamn bear. That was all that mattered; he just had to hold on longer than it did. That was the final thought going through his mind, before no more thoughts could form. Instinctively, he opened his mouth into a shout, but it had no room to leave his chest. Everything felt like fire. His nose and mouth were filled with the reek of blood.

The next he knew, the beast had stopped struggling. Duncan's eyes fluttered open, and all he saw was more blood. His face was covered in it - but so was the monster's, its skull broken and bleeding. Duncan craned his neck, head spinning, eyes unable to focus. He saw Asahi, split into three identical faces somewhere at the end of a quickly collapsing tunnel of light. Even in his hazy state, Duncan realized the other had saved him. But by the time that thought made it to his conscious mind, it had already transformed; Asahi had helped him. And goddamn was Duncan glad he had.

The wolfbear was heavy on the athlete's torn torso, but it didn't move. It was dead, and he wasn't. He'd won.

Ever so slowly, Duncan raised his hand, a blood-covered thumb extended in Asahi's general direction. His eyes closed and lips parted to reveal a grin, pools of blood collecting between his teeth.

And then he stopped moving too.

[Assistant]
______________________________________________________________________

The taste of the wolfbears rancid fur filled her mouth as she tried to hold in her disgust.The taste far worse then any medicine or vegetable she had ever been forced to take or eat. Her efforts squishing up her face as she felt the impact of her move on the wolfbear. The sound of twisting and bending metal filling her ears as the wolfbear and herself went tumbling through the bottom of the bus. The impact sending a jolt through her body as it felt like her lungs were about to burst and her back felt like it had been nearly broken in half. The taste of the wolfbear, the smoke of the fire and burning debris not doing much help to her already struggling lungs.

Ayana tried to get back up to her feet quickly, only to be caught by surprise when a pipe went whistling right by her face and embedded itself like a javelin into the side of the bus. "Woah! Hold on now! who said anything about these beasts using magic to hurl stuff!" Both the wolfbear and Ayana scrambling in the debris as the wolfbear tried to make its escape once it had burst free from the bus. Ayana willing her legs and body to jump out right after it as she skidded across the ground on her heels. Her eyes and head shifting side to side as she tried to track down where the wolfbear had scampered off.

"Hey get back here you coward! You taste horrible! I'll never be able to get this taste out of my mouth!" Ayana complained as she tried to spit the remaining fur out. Bringing up both of her hands to her tongue as she stuck it completely out, trying to use her hands to scrub it clean as best she could. Wanting to get the taste out of her mouth as much as she could as she watched the Wolfbear scamper off. "You bweeter nut com bwack, newxt tiwme iz rouwd twoooo!" Trying to trash talk even while cleansing her tongue.

Deciding not to pursue it, after all it had only been thanks to Shun that she had been able to get the jump on the wolfbear. Without Shun around to distract it, Ayana wasn't sure if she would be able to handle it all on her own. The fact that she was also unfamiliar with the surrounding area also seemed like it would be more trouble than it was worth. Not wanting to get lost in a forest likely teeming with more danger.

Taking a moment to try to recompose herself and gather her strength back, the effort of slamming the wolfbear had taken quite a bit of her energy. Leaving herself covered in soot and other various bits and pieces of debris, little cuts, burns and bruises covering her arms, legs and her clothing. Wrestling a wolfbear in a burning bus was definitely not the most logical thing to do, but Ayana felt like she had no other choice. Finally catching her breath as she turned her attention to Shun and Yuudai.

Seeing that Yuudai seemed to still be alive and conscious as that was a bit of a relief after all that had happened. Letting out a sigh as she wiped sweat from her brow from the heat of the fire as approached the two. "Those things are pretty clever and tough, they have some kind of magic power, first they threw my shoe back at me, then that one hurled a pipe at my head, luckily it missed…." Ayana remarked as she crouched down by the two looking over Yuudai. Completely unaware that Shun had been the one that had actually thrown the pipe. Having a mistaken belief that the wolfbear had some kind of mystical power after the earlier two incidents.

"So how are you two doing? Hopefully neither of you two got hurt too badly…." Concern filling her voice as Yuudai looked a bit worse for wear. As her focused had turned towards the well being of her classmates now that the adrenaline had worn off and the coast seemed to be clear for the time being. However, going unnoticed by Ayana, one of her twin tails had caught fire when she had burst out of the bus in pursuit of the wolfbear. Her attention so focused on the wolfbear, then the well being of her classmates that she hadn't even noticed.

[User]
Masato sucked in a deep breath, breathing heavily and purposefully once the monster was dead. It was definitely dead; it wasn't moving, its throat was torn open, and it had bled enough to drench three middle schoolers. We fucking did it, he thought to himself, still somewhat in disbelief. He didn't feel like saying anything out loud in case it jinxed them and brought something even more terrible down upon the class. He glanced at Inaba on his left, Kogen on his right. Masato lifted a hand as through he were going to pat the other boy on the shoulder...

...but then he finally heaved, crawling away from both students to empty the contents of his stomach. It had been bothering him since the bus crash, and the monster's blood absolutely stunk. Once through purging Masato stood up slowly, wiping his mouth. He was tired, sore, and in pain - but he knew he looked much worse than he felt. His appearance was ghastly, soaked in red and black with torn clothes and a haunted look in his eye.

Still, he was alive. And now that things were a little less dire, he was kind of pissed off. Why did this have to happen to them? Sucked into a Portal, put through a bus crash, and then attacked by monsters. They'd all almost lost a lot more than phones and school notes. Their lives had been in jeopardy - they still were, for as long as they were still in the Otherside. Across the field, Masato could see that the other kids were no longer under attack, but some were laid out on the ground with voices of concern speaking over them. A lot of them had almost died.

Masato sucked in another breath, then drove his foot into the wolfbear's corpse. It was his third year at Kuroshio Junior High and he was so close to keeping his head down and getting one of those scholarships out of that shitty little town. Why the hell did this have to happen? He kicked the beast again, again, once more until the last of his energy started to trickle out of his body. Actually, it felt more like it was evaporating - leaving his limbs cold and his core dense and hot.

"Fuck," he sighed to himself. Alright, it was out of his system now. Time to get things back on track.

He turned away from Inaba and Kogen and approached the girl on the ground nearby. "Suzuki?" he asked, relieved when the girl lifted a hand to give the student council president a thumbs up. She was banged up but otherwise okay. It would be a real pain to carry her with his back like this, so someone else would have to help. They, the entire class of Kuroshio students, had to regroup and figure out what the hell to do from here.