[System]
Age: 25

Kingdom: Kingdom of the Barren Lands

Gemstone: Sil'rithil (The Stone of Mind)

Appearance: Edgar appears younger than his age portrays him to be. At times he can be found sporting a short scruffy goatee with thinly trimmed side burns that resemble a chiseled dragons teeth, giving him an older, more mature persona. Though usually he likes it to grow it out during the winter to keep his face warm from the sheer cold fronts of his territory. He keeps his brown hair usually cut just short of his shoulders, as he doesn't like to have much for enemy troops to attempt to grab hold grab hold. He has a slightly slender but highly robustuous, extraordinarily close-knitted, visually cleaved muscular structure. His yellow-ish eyes seem to glow under a star speckled sky, often getting him compliments from women far and wide.
Partial Under ArmourFull Battle Armor

Background: Prince Edgar, son of the late King Armagen, grew up in a land that at the time, was portentously on the brink of total anarchy and even more eminently malnourished. People all around bargaining anything they could from their housing, cattle, clothing, personal valuables; even some men's wives and daughters for more intimate services; all nestled upon a seemingly never ending clearance sale of desperation. Day in and day out, these people would fall deeper into their circumferential despair, just to make sure they had enough worth to make it to another day. In his case however, life was much different on the inside.

He never knew who his mother was, as he was far too young, and his father always seemed far too busy with various tasks to tell him about her; being that he was one of the main councilmen. Since his memories of her were very faint, he hardly ever contemplated about her whereabouts, though his unshaven face is a constant reminder of her elegance. He despises looking in the mirror because of it. He watched as his fathers frustration began to turn to subtle pity as he sought out a remedy for the sick state his land had fallen victim to. He decided shortly there after that he must help restore order and prosperity to his lands. He began to train in many different styles of combat and very versatile with the various weaponry available alongside his father's militia. He took such an affinity to the trade that soon he had surpassed even the highest of dukes ability for the art. It was then did he truly feel worthy of his title as Prince Edgar Leviticus Bartholomew; the Great even!

There befell a day where he had awoken to his father's sudden absence with no prior warnings to his leaving. He had found a note on his bedside dresser sealed in red wax and stamped by his fathers imperial ring. It had stated that he had to attend to a meeting with the surrounding kingdoms pertaining to the utter disregard and the well being of their land, and that he would be gone for a few weeks to a months time. The matured prince was used to his father's work and thought nothing much of the matter. He carried out his daily tasks as usual and took the partial responsibilities in upholding the state of their Kingdom in his fathers stead. The weeks had rolled by and still no word of his father. Not so much as even a message by carrier nor bird. He began to worry slightly and had made clear arrangements to set out with a platoon in search of the King. A week had passed the given month his father had promised. He had lined up the squadron outside the city walls in preparation to set off to the west where he believed his father was. And then almost harmoniously, his fathers horse had appeared reaching out of the horizon, bringing with him a feeling of new found glory. The entire Kingdom seemed to come to life with joy and much aspiration that their Kingdom would be restored to it's original wondrous glory.

Edgar began to see his fathers happiness renewed. It was as if the problems that had long plagued them hadn't existed. The crops had all grown back ten fold with an immense triumph; rich in the nutrients and tastes that they had all provided. The cattle had all flourished lavishly; they too growing back in unbelievable numbers, seemingly beyond their maximum health potential. Industrial wealth and the well being of all the natives had all be replenished critically. It was as if the God's had blessed their land with outrageous increase all for the price of nothing, or so Edgar had initially speculated. Something was definitely amiss in the young prince's eyes. There was this lingering, ominous presence the was conflicting the reality of the everything the prince had witnessed occurring. He noticed upon his father's arrival from the unintended council meeting the King's crown had been bedazzled with the like of jewels he had never seen before but thought very little of it, rationalizing that they had been given to him as gifts from the rulers of the surrounding kingdoms. Little did he realize though; there was Far more to it than that.

Rumor spread expediently of the King's marvel throughout all the surrounding kingdoms, and just as fast so did fear and discrepancies. Edgar noticed his father becoming evermore greedy, evermore Benevolent. People had began to make foul the name of his father and there were no leads as to why. The prince felt as if the plague had returned with a vengeful aftertaste. Sunrises passed, and the condition of his father had not gotten any better. He would witness the King spouting belligerent , ill mannered curses at their people for no reasons at all, flaunting about how they were all worthless and obstacles to his rise of dominance. This went on for months in many different scenarios until the day came where he had to make the difficult decision to partake in an unavoidable war.

For years, the war had laid waste to countless of innocent and guilty alike. Unrelenting fires burning as far as the eye could see. The soil had been soaked in copious amounts of blood. So much so that it had began to take on a rusty color. Bodies lay lifelessly in unorthodox patters with every step. None the less, Edgar was determined that he would not be taken victim. One night under a dimly lit campfire, Edgar had a rather Vivid night terror. He had seen the true intentions of his father's sudden leave some years ago; making a deal with an evil Sorceress named Moriana; the Evil Witch of Eddor'had, and woke up in a terrifyingly cold sweat. By this time, the prince had deemed his own father to be a crowning threat to his, and the many well beings of the entirety of the continent. It was HIS fault and he must atone for the relentless consternation that had transpired.

Immediately, he set off to put a halt to his father's deeds. When finally found him he noticed the jewels glistening vibrantly upon the crown. He felt that unsettling presence that came back with his father that day, though it seemed it had increased far beyond what he had originally felt. With no warning, he charged his father with the overwhelming intention to eliminate him. The battle went on for hours, and finally an advantaged had occurred that would give him the upper hand; and he took it. King Armagen had finally fallen, and with him the crown from his head. In his final minutes of life, he had returned mostly to the person he used to be so long ago. Fatigued, and disgruntled, Edgar seized the crown, and fled the scene.

Once again during the late evening hour, he had been contacted again in his dreams; only this time he had been aware of who it was and what they had wanted. Legend had been foretold about witches in their lands, but ever since the abolishing of witchcraft, few were ever really seen or heard of again to his knowledge, at least until now. The Sorceress sending him these messages went by the name of Shi'larra. He instantly had no doubt in his mind that this was the help he had long searched for, and put complete faith into their mutual proposal. He knew that the crown's jewels would draw much unwanted attention to him; and was also aware the whatever the presence was that had followed him these last few years would be close by; plotting against his will. He decided it was best to intrust four of the jewels to worthy soldiers he had fought alongside during the war and to keep the most menacing one, to him, for himself; at least long enough to have them utterly destroyed once and for all!

Personality: The prince has a very open personality. There is no one thing that can justify who he is. Usually he is charming, witty, optimistic, loyal, sarcastic, while also having striking leadership abilities, stern, forward thinking, bold initiative, independent, all with a high sense of integrity. They are not many who would dare think to get on his bad side. He has been know to become quite unpredictable under such circumstances.

Fighting skills: He has mastered a number of many fighting styles over the years spent training with his militia. From extreme close hand to hand combat, to various kicking and grappling styles. He has mustered the discipline to combine them all into one overall fighting style. He is also highly versatile in man weapons. His main weapons include the Gatling Bow, which he uses usually for long ranged strikes, a pair of custom made Cutlass Swords. He has also been know to use glaives, greatswords, flails, and countless others.
The Mind stone had a compendium of abilities all on its own including; Cosmic Awareness. Dream Manipulation, Divided Mind, Emotion Manipulation, Empathy, Hive Mind, Illusion Manipulation, Mental Manipulation, Memory Absorption, Memory Manipulation, Mind Control, Mind Exchange, Neurocognitive Deficit, Pain Inducement, Precognition, Psionic Equilibrium Distortion, Psionic Inundation, Psionic Shield, Psychic Constructs, Psychic Navigation, Psychic Shadow, Psychometry, Pushing, Telekinesis, Telepathic Communication, Telepathic Perception, Telepathic Reception, Telepathy, and far too many more. (I'll list later) Over use of the mind stone usually leads to intense brain aneurisms, seizures, dementia, short term Alzheimer's, dizziness, loss of all senses. Cases have know to get far worse in users who have no natural affinity for the gem.

[User]
Redoran stiffened momentarily, his hands twitching towards his scabbard, when he saw the hulking wolf. He had been fully ready to come between Alexis and the beast should it pounce. But to his utter astonishment, the wolf merely bowed before skulking away. He failed to conceal his surprise as he looked at the others. No one else was mentioning the wolf. Was he seeing things?

When the Prince arrived, Redoran bowed and touched his gauntled fist to his heart. "I am pleased to see you again, sire," he said, meaning it. But for this man, Obrethon would have been swallowed by the darkness. He would ever be grateful for that.

He ran a professional eye over the newcomer. The knight hadn't introduced himself and stood with his broad shoulders hunched. He was a good head shorter than Redoran, but his eyes blazed in the dim light as a warning to anyone who might take this as an advantage. Not to mention the fact that he very surely possessed a stone.

So this was Shi'larra. He didn't know what he was expecting, but certainly not that ageless face. He didn't have time to fully appraise her though. It looked like events outside were overtaking them. He nodded his agreement and mounted Shamran.

"Where are we headed? South of here lies Naeron," he said, more as an assurance to himself that this was still the realm in which he grew up. "If we are riding into peril, I suppose we must make for the Tower?" And I suppose we must have a plan, he didn't add.

[Assistant]
Bron nodded at the Prince. They had seen each other but a few weeks ago, so he dispensed with any formalities.

He'd never liked wolves, or dogs. They were only loyal so long as you fed them, and he'd seen plenty starving dogs go rogue on their masters. He tightened his grip on his scabbard, despite the animal walking off, but didn't let his face betray his emotions. He'd gotten good at that, as a Hvar-täk player.

So this woman was Shi'larra. He'd only heard Edgar speak of her, and was, to tell the truth, expecting what you'd hear in a child's tale. An elderly crone with a pointy hat. She was quite the opposite, she looked younger than Bron, and was strikingly beautiful. He paid no mind to that and instead spoke for the first time since his arrival.

"Why should we listen to you... Sorceress? You've given us no proof of your intentions, nor any reason to trust you. I'm not even sure why I've been summoned half across the fucking country, or who's chasing us. Or indeed what."

[User]
Before he could firmly step foot in to the house stable enough the shrill sound of a wolf engrossed the center of his being with a rather resonant presence. A swift tingle engulfed the entirety of him, causing him to stop abruptly in still frame. His eyes first, following the rest of his body quickly jolted in an about-face back out the barely shut door. Wolves, were known to roam the majority of their lands, but rarely are any ever found roaming the outskirts of the city streets, and from the sound of it, any particularly this large in size.

Before passing through the door frame, he was immediately greeted by a sulfuric aroma that masked the air around the outside. Instantly, the startled prince firmly entrenched his stance into the ground; aimlessly but firmly grasping the grip of his right cutlass in regards to his suddenly provoked defense. Realizing that a terrorist like threat wouldn't be much of a considerable reason, he disengaged in a more composed stature fixing his expression in a foul manner, fanning the front of his face and sighing in antipathy as the stench crept up his nasal passage. The thought of exploding barrels of gunpowder crossed his mind, though it was highly unlikely that anything of the sort would be found in a place brimming with many a traveler.

He fixed his attention on Alexis as her sudden words drew his attention towards her. "Likewise" he proceeded, still slightly thrown off by the pungent smell. Unsure of her immediate proposal about where the remaining gem bearers, he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, reassuring himself that they were all indeed, strong trustworthy men. Alexis' sudden action compelled him in the direction of his own steed. He eyed over the back of his horse, pasting his attention back towards the streets, in search of anything seemingly, out of place as he prepared to mount. The familiar sound of trotting horse shoes could be heard off in the distance, followed by the appearance of a random wolf, and a woman perched upon a horse.
As she grew more near, she became instantly recognizable as the one who had been contacting him in his dreams. Her nod of recognition deemed more approving to him than the vague glimpses of her astral appearance would justify, aside from the increasingly more noticeable smell. He nodded back in confirmation of her, and her sense of client to client confidentiality; which was surprisingly poised. He reached into a satchel firmly tied on the side of the horses saddle, and pulled out a palm full of specially made horse feed, listening in at the sorceress but remained without an answer as he palm fed the horse. It was obvious that they wouldn't be there long. None the less, he mounted his horse and hooded himself, snapping the reigns of his horse to prepare it for travel.


[System]
Race: Earth Genasi
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Appearance:
Theme: Go the Distance
Level: 0
Proficiency: +1
Health: 4
Stats:
Strength - 16 (+3)
Dexterity - 14 (+2)
Constitution - 17 (+3)
Intelligence - 8 (-1)
Wisdom - 10 (+0)
Charisma - 8 (-1)

Proficient Skills: Athletics (+4), Survival (+1)
Proficient Tools: None
Traits:
Alignment - Neutral Good
Size - Medium (6 feet tall/182.88 cm, 200 lbs/90.7 kg)
Speed - 30 feet (6 squares)
Languages - Common, Primordial, Dwarven, Undercommon

Earth Walk - Racial Ability. Move across difficult terrain made of earth or stone without expending extra movement.

Merge with Stone - Racial Ability. Acts as the Pass without Trace spell once per long rest with no required material components. Constitution is the ability for this spell. "Each creature you choose has a +10 to Stealth checks and can't be tracked except by magical means. This effect only applies if a creature is within 30 feet of you, both at the time of casting and for the duration. You can choose yourself as well. A creature that receives this bonus leaves behind no traces of its passage."

Deep Miner - Background Ability. You are used to navigating the deep places of the earth. You never get lost in caves or mines if you have either seen an accurate map of them or have been through them before. Furthermore, you are able to scrounge fresh water and food for yourself and as many as five other people each day if you are in a mine or natural caves.

Abilities: None
Inventory: A shovel and a miner's pick, a block and tackle, a climber's kit, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 5 gp.

Background: Genasi seem, at first glance, to be virtually normal humans save for their coloration and perhaps a few features more closely tying them to their element, such as literally flaming hair or gem encrusted skin. A genasi can be born when one or both of their mortal parents are exposed to surges of elemental energy from planar phenomena, but far more commonly they are the result of mixed heritage between some variety of genie and a mortal humanoid, usually regular humans. Some genasi are born of mortal-genie unions, some have two genasi as parents, and a rare few have a genie further up their family tree, manifesting traits that have lain dormant for generations.

Perhaps on first impression, Antaeus could be seen as a normal, deeply tanned, tall and broad shouldered boy--but his skin has a slightly hard texture to the touch, as if his muscles exist in a constant state of tension or his bones are made from wrought iron, and that bronze tone to his skin remains no matter how long he spends in the mines and away from the sun. In direct light, one sometimes even catches the glint from his skin and hair as if it were well oiled, but he is perfectly dry. When he was born to Frontier Town settlers, Antaeus's parents were shocked at his appearance. For the first few years of his life, Antaeus's father treated the boy somewhat coldly--the family never went without, and his parents seemed to care for one another tremendously, but his father never could shake the suspicion that his mother had been unfaithful. If he ever pressed about it, she would only venture suspicions that there must have been a genie in their ancestry, or that his work in the Black Mines might have exposed him to some source of earthen magics. He couldn't stand it. That possibility he was raising another man--or possibly another being's--child. This wasn't helped by the fact that their second child, Antaeus's little sister, was completely human.

It also did not help that Antaeus soon grew taller, and broader of shoulder, than his father. Here, what had been a seemingly masculine indifference--hugs and kisses were from mother, food and shelter and discipline were from father--now became evident as disdain. Strangely enough, his father even seemed to have forgiven his mother--if there ever was anything to forgive--but now projected what was left of those feelings onto Antaeus, as well as favoring the girl child. At first, Antaeus didn't resent his sister for this, and only slowly began to grow embittered towards his father...but, all children learn their behavior from their parents. When his sister began to look down her nose at him from atop his father's shoulders, he could no longer stand being in the same household. He had grown old enough to work in the mines like his father, but here once more his strange blood surpassed his progenitor's, so he soon began delving into the deeper caves and tunnels. Despite his difficulties with his family, Antaeus got along well with everyone else, and was generally known and well-liked as an energetic, friendly, and upstanding young man.

He picked at rock and polished ore and pushed carts up winding ramps, whether night or day--whatever shift his father was on, he asked for the opposite. Whatever days his father was given off, he asked to work overtime. Only rarely did they see each other, and usually at meal times when it was easy to ignore the person at the opposite end of the table. His mother tried to smooth the issue, but at this point it had become a self-perpetuating cycle. Antaeus's avoidance was taken for disrespect, his work seen as an attempt to show his father up at the man's own career, his lack of confrontation as cowardice and aversion to authority. The more Antaeus tried to escape his father's eye, the angrier that glare became.

And yet it was not so simple. More than once Antaeus wondered why the man didn't just leave, back then when he had been born. Why had he stayed? Why had he bothered to raise Antaeus and teach him--in whatever fashion one could say he had--and why had he gone soft on Antaeus's mother, when it would have been her fault had any infidelity truly taken place? And if his father had poisoned his sister against him, why were there still moments when she treated him kindly--why did she still run to his bed when she had nightmares, why did she still ask him to play with her and then become sad when he had to work? And his mother, she had never truly done anything wrong to him, but...why hadn't she stood up more? Why hadn't she defended him more staunchly? Did his family hate him? Were they simply fulfilling their duty towards him, rather than kicking him out?

Maybe it was him. Maybe he needed to do something, change something, about himself. Maybe...maybe if he became someone, someone great, a real hero...

[User]
Cypher

Ethan stared at the pair of winged pests and thought to himself what was the best course of action. First thing he think of was just to turn back and leave the birds as is, second was to sneak around the problem, and third was just to leg it and dash through the two and hope for the best. He rarely encountered beasts like these hawks, the most Ethan had encountered in his trip to Frontier Town would be a stray fox getting to curious for comfort. He would have considered fighting one but those dagger like beak and irritable demeanor made it so that it would be near suicidal to do so...and going back empty handed would only lead to more problems than solutions. 'Guess I would have to sneak my way past.' Ethan thought to himself before, quickly nodding his head. He moves off the dirt road and opts to go around the area with the hawks enjoying their grisly meal and return to the road when a sufficient distance away.

Giving the two winged pests a wide ten meter berth, Ethan goes into a crouching position and carefully weaves around the trees and bushes hoping to make it harder for the birds to detect him sneaking by.

Stealth roll: 14

[Assistant]
---

Cypher

As Kael continued to toil away at looking for his father in the temple's visitor log, he eventually narrowed his search down to around thirty individuals; any of which could have been his father. Dammit! If only he had a chance to speak to the bishop! With the quality of his father's weapon and armor, it was unlikely that any priest other than the bishop would have enough skill to repair them.

Before he could dwell on it any further, the red-haired dwarf who he had spoken to before entered the room. "Oho? Studying the scripture? Do you wish to join our temple perhaps?"

Honestly, up till now, Kael hadn't given it much thought. However, the prospect was rather tempting. "A pleasure to see you again guardian!" Kael exclaimed with a beaming smile as he turned to face her, "Sadly, this isn't scripture, these are the temple's visitor logs.  I'm just trying to find information on my father, as I believe he would have stopped here for repairs before going to slay that dem-........" realizing that he had started to perhaps give away too much information, Kael quickly  changed the subject.

"Am I looking to join the temple? Well, it's certainly tempting, part of the reason I travelled to the frontier was to become a paladin! Now, from what I understand, the only other religious group in this town is the church of Pharasma; whose philosophies I am quite familiar with. Honestly, I do not feel that worship of Pharasma is for me.  The scriptures and practices of Torag however, I am rather unfamiliar with. Based on what I've seen so far, this might just be the place for me. Tell me guardian, does this temple perhaps offer paladin training?"

[User]
𝕬 𝖓 𝖙 𝖆 𝖊 𝖚 𝖘

Forest >> Salt Lake

---

Geez, just how big is this thing? Antaeus wondered as he followed the trail of scarred trees. He knew deer often rubbed trees for some reason--he had always kind of wondered if they had to sharpen their horns--but this was the first time he had seen such marks so high off the ground. Still he followed them, a growing knot tightening in his chest, but he hadn't seen anything to make him give up yet.

The White Stag defied expectations yet again, heading towards the lifeless Salt Lake rather than the grassy meadows. Antaeus had also heard that the best places to hunt were salt licks, as animals would return to them almost as frequently as they searched for fresh water. At the Salt Lake, he wondered if they waited for the water to dry up a bit or if they just drank it straight--he had heard men at the docks talking once when he delivered ore to be shipped somewhere else. They had said that when a man became stranded at sea, the moment he drank the salt water would be the start of the end for him. He didn't understand why that was, but maybe it was different for animals for some reason?

Antaeus had never been to the Salt Lake, but he knew that it was still dangerous, and many of those newcomers who came through on caravans every so often usually had to be warned away from the place if they decided to hunt. The Red Bear didn't wander this far, so all of the creatures that fled when it established its territory had either gone here, or to the grassy meadows. And the meadows offered too little cover from prey, too little shelter from the elements, so more than likely the larger beasts remained here. Again Antaeus felt his body tensing. He was starting to sweat.

He stopped among the cover of underbrush, just within sight of the lake but hopefully out of sight of everything else around him. As he sat for several moments in silence, the only sounds the ones coming from inside himself, he realized what danger he was truly in here. He had only a few spears and darts, no armor, no experience, no training. Who knew what beasts he might find--wildcats? Mountain Lions? Boars? Something worse? Something bigger? Even the least of these could kill him. He didn't think he could outrun a wild animal, even though he was fairly spry for his size. He knew for sure he couldn't outfight one, even with all of his strength.

"Constant thought, boy! Constant thought! If you walk around with that dumb look on yer face all the time, sooner or later you're gonna trip over those big stupid feet of yours and bring this whole cave down on top of us! Think about what you're doin' every time you swing that pick!"

That's right. This was not the first time he faced death. In the mines, at any moment a cave-in or a natural gas leak or a sinkhole could claim lives. One misswing could spell death not just for the miner, but the whole crew. He hadn't even been there all that long, and he had seen numerous people injured by simple mistakes or lack of foresight. He had seen at least one death. He had lived with that, worked with that burden hanging over his head just as surely as the stalactites, and he had managed to survive.

So he closed his eyes, forced himself to swallow, and calmed down. When he opened them, he looked out upon the shores of the lake, and all around it, and around himself. What was here? What could he see? What could he use, what could he do? And what beasts, if any, awaited him?

Antaeus performs a Perception Check.
1d20 + (0) WIS
Result: 5

1 Quest Book - 5 lb
1 Shovel - 5 lb
1 Miner's Pick - 5 lb
1 Block and Tackle Set - 5 lb
--Pulleys
--Cable
--Hook
1 Climber's Kit - 12 lb
--Pitons
--Boot tips
--Gloves
--Harness
1 Set of Clothes, Common - 3 lb
--Roughspun Tunic
--Roughspun Pants
--Ragged Boots
1 Belt Pouch - 0 GP
1 Hunting Trap - 12 lb
1 Backpack - 5 lb - Holds 30 lb
1 Waterskin - 5 lb (full) - holds 4 pints
1 Tinderbox - 1 lb
1 Hempen Rope - 10 lb - 50 ft
2 Javelins - 2 lb Each
6 Darts - .25 lb Each

Total Encumberance: 71.5/240 lb (Light)
+Bookie has agreed to write a letter to Captain Ork at the Garrison. I should kill an animal in the forest and take it to Captain Ork to prove I'm adventuring material.
--The animal can be anything from the Forest. Bookie suggested a deer or a boar.

+Barthen has requested me to hunt a White Stag in the Forest, and has given me a free hunting trap for this purpose. If I don't succeed I should probably bring the trap back.
--I should try to find the Redchaser, she might be able to help me.

+Barthen is paying 1 GP per pound of Medicinal Herbs from the forest.


[System]
"Sis, cover your ears."
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Arcana: Strength
Equipment: School uniform, work uniform, bicycle. Also a pretty standard smartphone, a set of boxing gloves, and a pair of knuckledusters a friend once gave him as a joke.
Skills: Good runner, pretty strong, and a shockingly effective brawler. Not because he's exceptionally skilled (though he doesn't lack too much in that regard, either) but because Daisuke is known to never, ever stay down. Efficient worker, too, and one of the best in his restaurant. Almost supernatural ability to commute from home, to school, to work, to home in exceptionally low amounts of time.
Appearance: A little taller than most young men his age, Daisuke could probably be called handsome. If you're not one of the people who only get to see his face when it's schooled into an expression that could be called "demonic smirk". That's an admittedly small group, though. Most people see the casually irreverent grin, set under bright green eyes and slightly untidy brown hair. He wears the school uniform (begrudgingly), but the jacket doesn't usually stay fastened. Or necessarily actually on his body. A pair of sunglasses are usually tucked into his chest pocket, and they usually go on his face the instant he's outside. When he doesn't have to wear the uniform, he generally defaults to jeans, a simple shirt, and a black jacket. An outfit that generally shows his musculature much more easily.

Much less commonly, mostly because he works far from the school, closer to his own neighborhood (and because his pride would take an irreparable hit if someone did) he can be found almost every afternoon in a fast food uniform in the low-income district's most efficient McDonalds.
Personality: At a glance, most people would say 'delinquent'. Daisuke is not a meek young man, and doesn't seem like he's ever been afraid to speak his mind in his life. He doesn't go looking for trouble, but he generally seems to find it anyway. If someone has thrown down the gauntlet, verbally or physically, he won't hesitate to pick it up. He has no patience for bullies, either, or arrogant people. He doesn't strike most people as exceptionally bright, either, and his grades are pretty average.

Beyond that first glance, though, Daisuke is driven to succeed. He works his job enthusiastically and without complaint, and never misses an assignment for school no matter how little time he has. He has an exceptionally soft spot, albeit one rarely glimpsed, for the downtrodden. And his little sister. Especially his little sister. Most people who get to know him would agree that there aren't many people you could trust more to have your back, even if he wouldn't admit it.
Biography: If the Miyamotos were ever wealthy, it was a long time ago. That's not to say they don't get by; Daisuke's parents work hard, and they make enough money to support their family. Their frugal spending ensures they always have a little to fall back on, but even the most efficient expenditures can't make more money out of thin air. Daisuke and his little sister, born three years after him, grew up in Shikatsu's lower income districts. Neither their neighborhood nor their school were the nicest of places, and if you didn't keep your wits you were liable to lose your money. The first time someone tried to rob a young Daisuke of his money, he capitulated out of fear for the consequences. And the second time. And the third time. Then he started to decide he'd had enough. His sister went to the same school, and he realized it wasn't the example he wanted to set. Timidity, he decided, had never gotten a Miyamoto anywhere. The fourth time he refused, and earned himself a bruise or two and a trip to the headmaster's office with his would-be robber. The fifth time he hit back. And after the fifth, despite some disciplinary action, his lunch money was never unsafe again.

That time as a little kid pretty much set the tone for the rest of Daisuke's life. Bold, stubborn, and the antithesis of timid. He had a little sister looking up to him, and that made the almost larger than life refusal to leave bullies be worth it. Not that it was all sunshine and roses. Those visits to the headmaster weren't the last, and as he got older playground scuffles turned into schoolyard brawls.

Which he just couldn't keep up. He had a job to hang onto, almost the instant he was in high school. The fast food industry wasn't much, but it paid. Education was paramount to the young Miyamotos' parents, too, and they started pressuring him to perform better in school. So he forced himself to mellow out a little. Employ a little more diplomacy before he jumped straight to "punch the problem in the face". His parents' frugal habits had paid off, too, enough for him (and his sister, when she was old enough) to get into Uchima Senior High instead of the closer, less prestigious school he had been attending. Keeping on top of it all tends to take a lot of his time, but hey.

He had an example to set.

Persona
Name: Benkei, formerly Oniwaka
Appearance:

Traits:
-Reflects: -
-Absorbs: Fire
-Void: -
-Resist: Pierce
-Weak: Electricity
Abilities:
-Evil Touch
-Cleave
-Bash
-Single Shot

[User]
Arina Mifune – Uchima Senior High School

That's fucking stupid. School is over! Arina bowed, "Alright." She swiped the detention slip from the teacher's hand, reaching behind, placing the slip into her bag and left. As her journey to the parking lot neared the end, the detention was in her mind, how stupid it was for her to get a detention for this. Of course rules were rules, this was not America were it was common for students to question the authority of teachers. Though she should have kept her uniform on, but she realized that but her ego scoffed at the thought of that.

And she made her trip into the city.

--

Arina Mifune - Shikatsu (師勝町) - A Pharmacy in the City

After that hour of shopping for groceries, now it was time for his mother's medicine. The dreaded Pinkeye was it, for her mother's prescription was ready at the local drugstore. It was a large pharmacy and was equitable to CVS Pharmacy or Rite-Aid back in America. Though it did not have a lot of people when she originally entered, a few customers shopping around, employees stocking merchandise, it was quiet, which was somewhat odd at first but the she liked it as she sat on a chair near the pharmacy counter. She scrolled through her Instagram, looking at her friend's photos with harmony, waiting until the intercom call for her mother's medicine.

[Assistant]
Lining the eastern boulevard away from Uchima Senior High, cherry blossom trees stood in stoic rows and silently awaited their turn of seasons. Nevertheless, afternoon sunlight dappled the verdant leaves and spilled over onto the ground, mingling with the shadows of tree trunks and students passing underneath. The weight of Japanese tradition literally hung over the heads of each successive generation who would attend and graduate from Uchima; only one exception was finding physical and mental difficulty in accepting it. That is, Kiritsugu found it his daily annoyance to brush away the lower hanging branches interfering with his movement.

About the twelfth tree down the line, Kiritsugu had enough of bending over to leaves whipping his face, and leaned back against its trunk, allowing those of better fitting stature to pass by him. Their usual drone of merrily chatting about their weekend plans, abound in Shikatsu, did not escape his ears. He shielded his eyes from the filtered Sun as he averted his gaze upwards towards the canopy. Sunlight's one thing, shadow's another. Can't win with both problems.

The surrounding fields of rolling green captured Kiritsugu's attention next. An image flickered in his mind's eye, and the blank panorama transformed for him. Apartment complexes rose out of the ground, followed by skyscapers in the distance, reaching to block out the Sun and cast their looming shadows. At the base of it all, familiar restaurants and shops opened up to direct the flow of customers as the crowd increased in size and intensity. Kiritsugu relaxed against a traffic light, and listened to the buzzing conversation of Cantonese speakers walking past him, merrily chatting about their next stops in Kowloon. His hand felt around for the button to activate the crosswalk signal...

...instead scraping it against the bark. Kiritsugu kicked behind him, and let out a disappointed sigh when the "thunk" of the tree trunk was heard instead of the hum of metal. His eyes swam in the white light before readjusting to the ample shade, and he held an arm out to steady himself before continuing his walk down the boulevard. Gritting his teeth as he emerged out of the last of the cherry blossoms, he'd just remembered the irony of his Japanese surname, as he entered the initial suburbs marked by family houses.

//

Let's think of something a normal person would for once.

Not much homework today. The weather's gotten to me, so no martial arts practice. If I'm indoors, at least I have to finish learning C++. Meh, programming's a bore.

Okay, any manhua I feel like rereading? Nope, still need to buy the next volume of Ravages of Time. That means waiting for mother to come home for longer than a day, and coinciding with a literature expo in Nagoya. Unless the heavens tear asunder and I can make a trip to Tokyo.

Oh look, here comes a truck. At least here I won't get run over looking both ways in the wrong order.

[User]
"Yeah. There's a bike rack out back for employees." Daisuke started walking the bike next to him , headed away from the school down towards the street. He supposed Kimiko probably hadn't seen it before. He was usually gone by now, before most people had made their way out of the building. So it made sense that she'd be curious. She was like that. Curious, that is. "It's decent enough. Gets me where I need to go."

"So, how've you been?"

[Assistant]
"I'unno, Senhime..." you murmur thoughtfully, fingers gripping the links in the fence by reflex.

Takauji wasn't the only one having a funny feeling about it, that was for sure. Even if your initial dismissal was correct, you wouldn't ever really know for sure like this, would you? And even if you were told after it passed, you'd always be left with that "what-if" burning through your mind, about a possibility that it could have been something supernatural and strange and mysterious.

It's always best to see things for yourself, and for what they truly are.

You turn, wearing that cheshire grin once more.

"Let's go check it out!"

With a little extra bit of pep in your step, you bound towards the door for the staircase.

You were, all of a sudden, feeling pretty energetic today. Something good must have happened over there.

[User]
@Zenphilvian@Mistress Dizzy

"J-Jin-san. I..." Sakura started, bewildered at their invitation. Part of staying in the background like she chose to meant people didn't get to know you well enough to invite you anywhere. Jin was the only person up to now who had managed it, and it left her confused as to how to react. Luckily, that choice was taken from her hands as she heard someone complaining outside the clubhouse.

"Hey where are you taking me, What happened in that room?"

Completely forgetting about the bow in her hands and the conversation she was just having, Sakura took off at a full run, heading for the front of the school. She almost collided with two other students coming outside. She recognized the girl being pulled from her class, and thought the boy looked familiar too, but before she could talk to them, the boy was already beelining towards the clocktower. Curious despite herself, Sakura took off after them.

[Assistant]
"I've been alright. I went to school today."

As they left the school grounds, Daisuke dragging his bicycle behind him, Kimiko pulled out her allocated pack of Friday gum - not a pack at all, truly, a large circular box containing enough Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape (TM) to put a Megazord on a leash. She tore off a strip about as long as a finger, rolled it into a tight circle, and popped it into her mouth.

A whole new kind of bubble, she thought in approval as they began traveling a route of streets familiar to them both.

"I don't know what I'm going to do this weekend, though. I think my parents are out of town. House gets quiet." She tossed her hair over her shoulder (perhaps not coincidentally, the left shoulder; thus affording protection to her auburn mane from the gum she chewed on the right side of her mouth) and made it bob slightly with a shrug. "I'll think of something. I usually do. What's up?"

[User]
Arina Mifune - Shikatsu (師勝町)

The intercom called for her name and the medicine, and after retrieving her mother pinkeye medicine she got another text. Mom wants her medicine ASAP. Arina ignored the text for it annoyed because of "Mom." Either way she was glad her trip to the city was finished and she exited out of the pharmacy. Arina was walking over to the nearest bus stop. Checking the schedule of bus arrivals online…she was going to be late.

Stepping into overdrive mode, she was fast walking down the boulevard to reach the bus stop at the borders of the suburbs. It made her, noticeable because of that but also because of her outfit (obviously). Her brown skin and her blue eyes, rare for an Asian person made her stand out walking down the boulevard. She checked her phone again, noticing the time, the bus would arrive now. She picked up the pace walking harder, and less gracefully holding her mother's medicine in a plastic bag.

With so much focus on reaching the bus stop, she did not notice her surroundings and bumped into a man that towered over her short physique but she did not stop, "Sorry about that" as she moved to the side as she said hastily but then tripping, falling face first into the cold hard pavement.

--

[Assistant]
"Not much. Having to cut back on my hours a little, boss is trying to groom the new guys. And one of the teachers was bitching about me looking too tired." The (reformed) delinquent snorted, a puff of air exiting his nostrils to produce the sound. The noise, really, summed up his opinion on the perceived lack of sleep. Still, he changed gears pretty quickly towards a slightly related line of thought instead of lingering on it. "Been trying to keep up with homework. Make sure sis does hers."

"Not much. All in all."


[System]
Above: Kalak. Bellow: Queen Cio-Cio
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Race: Selkie
Homeworld: Crystal Chronicles
Key-Weapon: Key-tar
Magics:
Cure
Reflect
Silence
Might
Control
D-Links: Mirabel Madrigal
Job: Beastmaster
Appearance: Kalak is a Selkie with long, blue hair and an effeminate face, he is often mistaken for a girl. He wears what looks like animal pelts that show a lot of his skin. Over these pelts are a series of patchwork leather armour, complete with a small pair of metal, dragon-like wings poking out of the back of the shoulders. He also has a similar pair on a circlet that he wears on his head, as well as a pair on the heels of his plate boots.
Brief History: Kalak was born as the son of the Fisherman of his village and trained with a spear with his father, learning how to catch fish, but also learning the art of combat with the Axe from the local Lilty Blacksmith. When he was 18, he was allowed to join the Crystal Caravan as it went to gather the Magical Dew in order to keep the crystal of the village glowing and keeping the terrible Miasma and monsters out. He travelled across the world with the caravan, seeing all sorts of sights, both beautiful and horrifying, all breathtaking in one way or another. At the end of the year, when the Caravan returned to the village with the Crucible full of dew and ready to revitalize the towns Crystal. As he got ready to go to the ceremony, he was distracted by a small, cute, black creature with glowing yellow eyes. Following it, he discovered a strange black swirling portal, before he knew it, another of these things jumped on his back and he lost his balance, falling through the portal and into the void.

Like being cast into a great, black sea. Looking around, he could see the sky full of stars and, soon, felt the pull of his heart toward something. That's when more of the cute creatures began to surround him and, before his eyes, the Axe would appear in his hands, but this was different, it had wires and was covered in Butterflies. As he took the axe in his hands, he began to run his hands across the wires to produce a harmonious sound. As one of the creatures lunged for him, he swung the axe at it, cleaving it into a black puff of smoke and a bright, pink heart began floating upwards towards the sky. More and more came after him, the more he cleaved, the more that showed up. As he began to weaken, he ran his hands across the wires again, but this time, a creature seemed to hear him, something from this space between with an equal hatred of the Heartless, a large Butterfly. He managed to make his way to a strange portal, which took him to a strange world where he met... Well, a whole lot of people that he had no idea who they were. He had never seen any of their kind before. They told him that this place was called Ivalice and he soon found himself adopted into a clan of Bangaa and Viera.

Eventually he left Ivalice and discovered the man known as Xehanort, who told him exactly what he was and explained to him about the Butterfly was a symbol of the one that he was linked with by destiny. He also showed him how to use his Keyblade Glider, as well as summon his armour. and began travelling with a Nobody by the name of Oko, who claimed to be a Heartless Hunter. Oko took Kalak under his wing to teach him about how to travel the Space Between, with them sailing between worlds on his immense Gummi-Ship. During their time working together, they constantly came under attack from a young, highly antagonistic Nobody by the name of Perthe.
Other: Kalak is a total romantic, believing that his duty in life is to marry a fair Princess. He is also a Pacifist, refusing to raise his axe to hurt others. But his Butterfly does not feel the same way. It's a Spirit Dreameater he calls Queen Cio-Cio that fights enemies on his behalf whilst he uses his his magics to buff his allies and debuff his enemies.

He also carries a pair of strange devices on his belt at all times.

[User]
As everyone showed up through the portals. Kalak approached each to shake hands. Cio-Cio seemed to buzz behind their heads, looking into their dreams to deem what kind of person they were. She didn't seem that appalled by anyone. "Thanks for showing up, guys. Not sure exactly who this princess is, but i hope the old man is right about this. One step clo-" Before Kalak could finish his sentance, the peace was shattered by the loud slamming of a door, Cio-Cio seemed to have a small heart-attack from shock as her eyes bulged for a second, before panting heavily. As everyone looked around, they would see a large, intimidating, hairy man in a lion themed costume storm straight towards the group with a large keyblade knife in his hands. He had a look of utter fury in his eyes. As Cio-Cio jumped into action, trying to put herself between the man and Kalak, both of them preparing for a fight, the man stopped.

"Cowards..." he stated, the russian accent thick on his breath, looking all of them in the eyes. "Come to kill some pathetic creature for money." he spat on the ground in front of them. "No stomach for a REAL mans fight." He motioned the knife at all of them "If you wish to test your mettle against a TRUE quarry, put a bounty on your own head and let Kraven come for you." He then pointed the blade at Cio-Cio "Fear not, tiny creature. Kraven only hunts the most dangerous prey." He laughed. Kalak grabbed hold of her scruff as she got mad and tried to lunge at him. Kraven looked around at the world "Nothing of that sort exists here..." He looked each of them in the eyes, meeting Canaan for a second, he pointed the knife at him and waggled it up and down for a second, before laughing and turning around, running his blade through the air as he rended a hole to The Space Between and said "Do not take mad queen's offer, no honour in it." as he stepped through.

"Well, that was an interesting viewpoint on the matter." Kalak stated, turning to the others to check if they were ok. Another creature came jogging through the door and straight between the party, running out of the castle. This creature had large blue eyes and green skin, complete with a pair of green antenna and a fly-like mouth.

"Stuka u pediniki leer, mee'm koona tah be noota." It seemed to laugh as it ran off into the field towards the forest.

"I..." Kalak started "I don't think he's got a problem "Killing pathetic creature for money" as the other guy did..." Kalak laughed, slipping into a bad russian accent. "Come on, let's see what "Mad Queen" wants" He laughed again. He seemed to enjoy the bad russian accent. As they walked through the door into the dark room, they saw that this dark room was a cavernous throne-room with thick, velvet curtains blocking the light, with a beautiful queen sat upon her throne.

"Come before me, mercenaries and bounty hunters." She beaconed "For i have a task for thee." With a wave of her hand, a table appeared in the middle of the room, a box appeared appeared atop it. "Your queen demands a tribute to be paid to her. Within the woods lives a maiden, fair of face, but black of soul. She has committed attrocities unto my kingdom too... Too horrid of which to speak." She draped a dainty hand across her face as if to prevent herself from being moved to tears. "So disgusting is her crime, that so disgusting is her punishment. You will find this maiden and cut out her heart and place it in this box... That it may never know the rest of the grave." She waved another hand and a large pile of gold and jewels appeared "Do this for your queen and your reward shall be most agreeable." She sneered. Kalak looked at the box and then back to the party, before shrugging, as if asking them how to respond.

[Assistant]
Bell was never much one for words- they preferred actions over flapping their lips. It's how they got this far, after all. Which was why this whole scenario stunk to high Heaven, even without the old man's warning that something was amiss; they didn't trust anyone who used so many words while saying nothing at all. Ones like this "Queen," who seemed to think she was putting on a good act, but who oozed contempt from every pore.

So, this "maiden" is probably the Princess that the old man mentioned, thought Bell to themselves, a file casually rasping across their nails as they watched and listened. Seems even hardened bounty hunters can tell this job stinks, they continued, thinking of the strange lion-man and his knife. And yet, if this girl was the Princess…

The bitch wants this girl's heart. That's never a good sign.

Bell's heels clacked on the stone floor as they casually strode forward, pocketing their nail file.

"Your Grace. I understand that it might be difficult, but I'm afraid we need to know what it is we're getting into. If this girl's crimes are so heinous, then she is no doubt dangerous. Perhaps you could enlighten us, even the slightest bit, as to the nature of her misdeeds, so we may be better prepared to deal with her…"

They finished with a slow bow, eyes never leaving the Queen's.

Let's see what lie she tries to concoct here. Or, on the off-chance she's telling the truth, what we're in for in those woods.

[User]
Grimhilde watched as one of the odd looking beings stepped forward to ask her for more information. Her eyes narrowed with every question that passed his lips. Her perfect lips curling into a sneer. "You are mercenaries, are you not. Soldiers who fight for gold, rather than loyalty. The details of her treacherous actions are of no concern to you. Will you perform the duty and be paid, or will you slink away with your tail betwixt your legs? For i promise you that others are also on their way to this maiden and whoever brings me the heart will be paid." She waved her hand and the pile of gold and jewels disappeared.

"No problem for me, your highness" Came a thick New Yorker accent from behind them. As the crew looked around, they would see a large man in a black costume with skull and bone motiff to it. "Take the box, bag a broad, bring her the heart in said box, badda-bing-badda-boom, don't even bother with these losers" he laughed, pushing them aside to grab the box. "Just make my piles of moolah out to one Crossbones and we're golden." He gave her a two-finger salute, before turning and walking back out, again, making the effort to shove Kalak to the side. Cio-Cio buzzed into Crossbones' face and the pair stared each other down for a second. "Killed plenty of your kind before, tiny." He laughed, before walking out.

"As you can see, i have no shortage of people wishing to perform this duty to their queen." She got up and waved her hand, an identical box appearing on the table, exactly where Crossbones had just grabbed one. "So, i ask again, will you do as you are told or waste more time with pointless prattle?" She asked.


[System]
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Rank: Noble
Species: Human
Appearance: Miral stands at about five foot nine without heels on and is of a rather slender build, though there are muscles in those slender arms. She has tanned skin from spending a good amount of time outside training with her cousin. She had a few scars on her arms and a couple of her thighs from her getting too cocky, and him reminding her of her place as far as fighting goes. She has long blonde hair and she keeps it in a wrap of sorts to keep it out of the way. She is of high breeding though so she has smooth skin, aside from her scars, and typically has on at least a little powder to try and reign in her tan. Her eyes are typically hazel, but they turn a fiery orange whenever she's casting magic.
Personality: Miral is a "take no crap" kind of gal. She knows what she wants, and she takes it. She is a fierce competitor that will never surrender in a fight or a challenge, even if she's losing- you're going to have to knock her out or completely obliterate her chances of victory before she'll stop. She's also more of an ask forgiveness, not permission person; she doesn't have time for you to decide if she's allowed to do it, but she can stand and listen to a lecture when she's finished if she wasn't supposed to. She's always been high-born, her parents pampering her and honing her magic skills so that she can stay in the high society, so she's got an inherent over developed sense of self-worth, but she also has a strong drive to improve herself and continue learning new magicks so that she can climb the ladder. She isn't satisfied with "enough" if there is more to be had. She's stubborn, willful, and passionate, though aside from her cousin, she hasn't learned how to have a sense of camaraderie with others.
History: Miral, as previously mentioned, was born with a silver spoon. From the moment she first showed her ability to use magic, she had the best tutors that the city had to offer. Her parents were pleased with where they were in society. They were high enough to be pratically nobles, but not high enough that they had to deal with the inner politics of the castle. For Miral, it was like listening to crazy people when they talked about where they were being "good enough." She quickly outgrew her tutors and began getting books from the university- the place where scholars honed and created new magicks for people to learn, a sort of high society of their own as people understood they were the reason for the city's advancement. She would study and study and hone her skills until she herself was worthy of competing for her own place in society.
Her parents couldn't argue with her determination, even if they hadn't wanted an elevated position. They had to move up with her as her skills outgrew their rank, but with this mission, she is proving herself an adult ready of being free from her parents watch, which will allow them to thankfully move back down in society. When they moved up in the world, they decided that Miral would need some sort of protection to watch her back against those who would play dirty to get ahead (Black magic and blood magic are forbidden taboos, but that doesn't mean people don't still try to use them), and so they hired someone they knew they could trust. They hired her cousin Ryfon. Ryfon had zero magical capabilities, but he was more than capable with just about any weapon. He and Miral would train together, and she became increasingly frustrated that while she excelled in magic beyond most adults capabilities, he would school her with his sword skills. So she decided she too would learn to use a weapon, though Ryfon insisted since his whole purpose was to protect her that she would use something that would allow her to keep some distance between her and her enemy.
With Ryfon's guidance and her own wild determination, she became rather proficient with a heavy ended pike. She discovered spells that could help back the weapon lighter in her hands and also some that could set the thing ablaze. She and Ryfon became quite close through their training so when Miral heard of this venture and that the lower class could accompany them, one for each noble, she signed Ryfon up with her, not really asking if she was allowed to as she would have no one else watching her back.
Extra: Her main spell set, though she knows a good deal more, is creating an area that burns anything that enters it, using fire as sort of a booster to move her forward (a launcher so to speak), her two main weapons spell, creating a hot air vortex that can essentially cook an opponent if they stay in it long enough, and if she can get her hand on someone/something, she can set it on fire from the inside (Not a spell she uses often, but she uses it more than others).

Name: Ryfon Valtoris
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Rank: Servant/Guard
Species: Human
Appearance: Ryf, as he goes by for short, stands at exactly six foot out of armor. He typically has a tan when he's been training a lot, though he doesn't tan as easily as his cousin. He keeps his dirty blonde hair at about mid-length and short on the side. He almost always has a little bit of stubble, but his face hair grows slow so he just tends to trim it so he doesn't look like a child with it completely gone. He has an 'x' scar over his right eye, though he will never say how he got it. He is fairly muscular from training and just in general preferring to be in shape.
Personality: Ryfon is the definition of the silent type. Through his military training, the idea was beaten into his head that you only speak when spoken to. His family was not one of the ones willing to risk their reputations for a nonmagic child and so he was basically disowned at a young age, handed off to some other nonmagic relative, so he doesn't really form attachments with people easily. He keeps his head down, but stays alert always to what's around him, both physically with what people are doing, but also to what they're saying and he can sometimes even pick up on what people are feeling, just through observation. He plays on the fact that people treating him like he's invisible to serve a purpose. That being said, he is fiercely loyal to anyone he does form a connection to and would lay down his life to save someone he cares for. He's a little more upbeat and just a tad bit more talkative when he's in his cousin's company since she has allowed him to open up so much in their time together, but when there are other people around or it's a serious moment, his stern, stone cold expression returns.
History: Ryfon lived with his parents for about five years. At that point, his parents decided he would never use magic as he had shown no potential to thus far. They sent him with a servant to their family in the slums and never contacted him again. He was young and for the first year, he was terribly depressed even with everything his new family did to try and cheer him up. But in the slums, getting help from a healer, or even a merchant that sells poultices and potions is difficult and costly, so his family didn't last him long here either. He was eight when the last member of the family he'd been sent to died. He didn't tell anyone that he was alone once their bodies had been removed (all bodies of the poor are cremated to prevent the temptation of necromancy, the rich have warded graves and sarcophagi to keep that sort of stuff from happening), and spent two years lived through thievery and being a pickpocket.
Just as he was getting good at it, the guards in the slums caught him. Upon learning he had no family to send him to with a scolding, the guards decided to give him a better way of life- an option at being better than he had been. He didn't argue, he got food and a bed, why should he? They didn't push him hard while he was still considered a child, but they did push him, helped him get a leg up now so that as he got older, he could finish his training with ease. He spent his entire teenage life in those barracks, training day in and day out, occasionally going on patrols to get the idea of what to expect while out himself. However, he could not officially call himself a guard of the Empire until he was 20.
He spent five years as a guard, honing his skills further and become a weapon's master's apprentice once he'd shown skill and knowledge of all the different weapon types. However, just as he was about to take up the apprenticeship, his uncle came calling on him. He couldn't turn it down as much as he wanted to, you just didn't do that kind of thing. He answered the call and wanted to groan aloud when he was told he was guarding his cousin, who looked as snooty and uptight as they came. Just as things were finally going his way. But his cousin proved to be better than he expected. She was horrible at first, demanding him to do this and that, but he got her back when they trained. He was better at something than the mage, imagine that- and oh how it riled her. She made a demand that this time he was glad to follow through with. He came to enjoy his cousin's company as she did not treat him like some servant anymore- she finally respected him and his abilities in their own right, though she could never admit that in front of company without her reputation going to shambles. And he didn't want that for her because he couldn't deny she had worked hard to get to her place. He did not argue when she signed up for this life or death journey, gladly willing to go with her and make sure she made it back to keep showing those "stodgy old sages" that she was as strong as any mage in their crystal and steel tower.
Extra: He is ambidextrous in the sense he can wield a weapon in both hands, he can't really write much at all, much less with his left. He prefers a greatsword or a broadsword to any other weapon, though the greatsword allows for slightly faster swinging in a pinch.

[User]
Thomas' attention was drawn to the window by a bird. Thomas opened it and the bird hoped in to his sanctuary. Thomas removed a note attached to the bird's leg and the bird flew off. Thomas read the note and immediately proceeded to head to Flask's place.

As Thomas approached he could hear arguing. Thomas approached carefully. Suddenly the arguing stopped. Thomas quickened his approach he found Flask standing over his nephew. "Don't worry Thomas he is only unconcious." Flask picked up his nephew and put him on a bed. Flask then explained the situation. "So you want me to go in his place? In that case anything you fence for me I keep ninety percent of the proceeds. Also make sure that dumbass nephew of yours stays out of the way until the job is done." Flask agreed. Thomas changed into Calan's appearance. Thomas then went to the wall to meet with the others.

As he approached the walls, he saw a walking suit of armor that he presumed had someone in it, a little girl with a stuffed animal, am extremely attractive woman clearly of noble birth, and an avergage noble man. He walked up and didn't say a thing.

[Assistant]
After saying goodbye to her forest friends, Fietra slipped into her sister's cloak - less questions would be asked that way if she was spotted. Her footsteps were barley audible over the lawns of her neighbours. It was only when she reached her friend's house did she allow herself to be less cautious. Making her way over to Sugar, her friend's horse, she patted the docile creature before saddling him up and beginning her journey to the Imperial City.
She reached the city, just as the sun was beginning to surface from the twilight. It shimmered in the new light; she had to stop for a moment and gaze at it's beauty. Guiding Sugar to the nearest guard's post, she climbed down and asked him where the adventurers would be meeting.
"The western gate" he told her, admiring her horse.
"Ah... And where would that be?" She inquired.
He laughed, "you don't know?"
"I've actually never been here before," she mused.
His eyebrows rose in shock, "well. In that case, go west until you see a big gate. You can't miss it. It's creepy looking."
She gave her thanks and made her way through the dazzling city. She had made a few wrong turnings and had to stop to ask for directions more than once. The sun had raised quite a bit by the time she had reached the gate. There already was a gathering of people waiting. She hoped she wasn't the last one to arrive. Slowly, she dismounted and nervously approached.
"Sorry for the delay..."

[User]
Seeing everyone he was waiting for standing before him, the old man cleared his throat ceremoniously, "Now that everyone has saw it fit to join us and let us be on our way, let me make things impeccably simple. Regardless of what you see or hear in Waylox, your mission is not to stop and help any of their citizens in their struggle. Doing such would incite the rage of their temperamental queen. While an invasion is out of the question, Waylox is a primary trade route. Thus far, it's stayed that way, even in their turmoil. Leave it that way," the last thing anyone wanted was for this idiotic, suicidal bunch to legitimately think they were heroes, "This is a science expedition, nothing more. This map lines out the most direct route to Dragon's Alley, but you'll need to use your own discretion of whether your course need adjusting throughout," he pulled out a large map, looking towards the walking suit of armor, "Can you handle carrying this or will I leave it to the highest rank?"
Normally this would be where Miral would burst into the conversation full forced and demand that map be handed to her before the old man could mistake the noble who weirdly enoughwalked up to the group. At least she hadn't tried to assert herself cause last thing Miral wanted was to get kicked off the expedition before it started for putting her in her place. She looked towards the older mage after a moment, "If the warden doesn't want to carry it, I will gladly do so," she said, putting her hand to her chest. The old mage, of course, didn't answer, waiting for an answer from the person he'd addressed.
Ryfon looked around at their comrades. He wasn't entirely surprised to see the nobles, but there were two that didn't seem quite right. He wanted to ask if the little girl was really supposed to be there- maybe the old man had simply overlooked her- but he knew he couldn't speak out of turn, and Miral didn't seem to care. Of course, she didn't. She assumed that the Grand Sage was all knowing, all powerful, and didn't make mistakes. Last Ryfon heard, the Sage was still human, but then again no one really saw them much to confirm that.... The second was the last male to join the party. Something just didn't seem.... right. He couldn't place it, but he couldn't exactly ask that aloud either- he wasn't sure if the man was noble or not, but that was just kind of a rude question to even ask.
The arc warden agreed with a simple "Will carry", and Ryfon saw Miral purse her lips, "There is a carriage just outside the gate with a guard currently taking care of it until you go out to him. It's got the basic provisions to last you to the next outpost, provided you don't lose any on the way through the dead wood. Those without horses will ride with the provisions, the less time you waste the better. You, boy," he pointed at Ryfon, "You'll let LaMontiya ride your horse and you'll drive the carriage," his tone made it clear none of it was up for debate. Ryfon withheld his sigh and nodded, not saying anything. With that, the sage flicked his wrist and the gates groaned as they opened up to reveal the landscape that surrounded the city, spanning out as far as the eye could see, "The dead woods surrounding the crag are about two days ride away. You're expected to finish this expedition in a month in a half. If you expect it will take longer, send word ahead, or we will assume you have failed and make the appropriate.....adjustments," he said as Ryfon got down from his horse, handing the reigns to his cousin and going towards the carriage.


[System]
Age: 8 months since prime activation

Gender: None, goes by the male pronoun

Race: Machina model based on Mura

Appearance: Built to appear friendlier and to avoid damage through physical abuse, Cecil was built to appear as close to a Mura youngster under the assumption people would be less inclined to hurt a child. Standing at 4'8" he has a surprising weight in his arms and legs while the rest of his body is lightweight and durable. His arms and legs can be removed to change his clothing while the strap across his chest can be unbuckled from the front.

Element Affinity: N/A

Magic: Self-technopathy – Cecil can attach machinery onto his body and control it.

Gear: Power gauntlets used by construction and repair Machina upgraded to the highest spec. Comes with a self-service kit. Cecil's boots allow him to run vertically on surfaces and walk upside-down through the release of magnetic currents. He can't run or walk like this on wood and vibrations can cause him to fall.

Brief history: Part of an experimental range of Machina that are designed to be able to blend in with normal people. Designed to limit Helpers from being damaged, Cecil was due to be released and established as a builder who would help with construction; however, Cecil held little interest in being one of these and seemingly escaped. The exact circumstances of his escape are unknown, even to him as the last memory he has was being out in the great wild world. The programming within him probably knew what he was doing here so the surprise to be had was not massively overwhelming.

Cecil felt he had a purpose if he was being sent to this side of the realm and immediately he was off looking for it, searching for what he was programmed to fulfil. Completely unaware of the troubles and even the Church of the land, his outlook was naïve at best. He was a hard working Machina, he knew that much, and to find what he needed to do was his top priority. He knew how to read but couldn't write, if questioned about his looks he felt he knew the answer, telling people they were for construction work. Those travelling would rarely question him and would either be curious about the maker of his Machina to which would only confuse him.

Cecil didn't know much about this world but learning it from travellers proved fruitful. He learned that people used machinery quite commonly and people didn't appear to know he was just the same as that machinery. Learning from these people was proving to be educational, but he still had some questions that needed answering. Any other Machina he came across and tried to talk to didn't have any sort of leverage for conversation, as if they didn't have a mind like him and was simply 'following the program'. Whether he was following his program or his own curiosity he couldn't quite tell, but he had to find some answers somewhere in his own time. To explore the world and find what he needed to do was his first objective.

Additional info: Despite being a machine, there appears to be something off about this new model of Machina. If the personality he had didn't give enough suspicion, it was almost as if he was more than simply a new design, almost as if he was assimilating a sentient being without internal programming needed.

[User]
"Hm, Jorvind huh? I think it's a great name!" Ethan said cheerfully, though internally he questioned it a little. Jorvind huh, was that Ydran for something? He couldn't ask because it would make Amuné suspicious, what with having her think he was one of her kind and all. The horse didn't much seem to mind it, giving a satisfied whinny as it was pet by the young girl. That just left the other horse without a name, and until they found out whether it was a boy or girl naming it would have to wait. "A break is never a bad idea. If we just worked all the time then we'd burn out, and then we wouldn't be helping anyone now would we?" the Magi spoke with a nod, smiling again as he held up a finger as he made a point, "If we can't help ourselves then how can we expect to help others? Makes sense when you think about it." He'd been told that time and time again by Kinsgrove's guards, how sometimes you couldn't help because it meant putting yourself in danger. There was risk and then there was being reckless, they'd say, and if you ended up in trouble then who rescued the rescuer?

Ethan was ecstatic at the idea of sharing a hearty meal with everyone, forgetting even for a moment there may be no chance of it happening. It would be so nice to have everyone gathered around a table together, laughing, eating, sharing stories, he could imagine it already. "I know, but you can come for the company! Plus there'd be all sorts of story telling!" the Magi answered back, smiling as he addressed Cecil, "Plus you'd get to meet Amuné's parents, wouldn't that be fun?" He thought so, it was always nice getting to meet new people... Most of the time. Glancing down at the Ydran girl when she spoke to him again, Ethan's face fell slightly when his reason for traveling was questioned. Glancing straight ahead again he put back on a smile, trying to not let his worry or uncertainty show. "I'm going to meet my friend in one of the cities, he's waiting for me there," the Muran replied with a chuckle, closing his eyes as he broke into a sheepish grin, "I just forget where he is, and I don't have any way of getting in touch, so I've been having to look. He got in a bit of trouble I guess, so I'm going to clear him and take him home with me." And he would too, it didn't matter where he was being held or who had him. Ethan would grovel if that's what it took to see Cedric home safely, or even trade himself in turn; everyone loved and knew the old man back home, so seeing Cedric returned mattered more than himself returning.

"Hm... Is that right? So your problems were forced on them?" Nymira asked for clarification, frowning before nodding to herself, "I see... They're good people then. Anyone can turn a blind eye to someone in need, but they helped. They're honorable and have good hearts, that much I can tell now. Even if he might be a bit of an idiot." A well intentioned idiot at that, but an idiot nonetheless. From hereon out she'd be having more of a say in their decisions without a doubt, just to offer some common sense into what was done here; though she herself was still relatively new to these other cultures Nymira thought herself more worldly than the rest, and thus better able to make decisions. Besides that she knew how to handle diplomatic meetings and how to appease even the toughest of people, leaving her in a far better position than Ethan.

"Listen... From this point on I will be making decisions, it's only right that I do. Not only am I of a higher rank than those two, but I know what I'm doing. I need you to support me when I tell the others later, understood?" Nymira asked, glancing back at Cecil sternly, "I will not take no for an answer. It sounds like we all have a lot to do and no real direction to do it. If you want to find your answers then just follow my lead." Ethan would be useful for his knowledge of the land, perhaps Amuné as well, but she'd limit their guidance to that. They were in essence her attendants, meaning they weren't meant to tell her what to do or where to go; she'd accept ideas and suggestions, but if they thought they were going to be able to order her about...

As the sun had begun to set and the sky darkened the group had finally settled on a place to stop along the road. Splitting off from the main stretch was a path leading down a hill, and at the bottom of the hill was a river which ran from some place beyond the road and well past their field of view. Its rapids were not terribly loud meaning they could keep an ear open for any potential threats. The river seemed deep too, giving them a natural buffer from the other side of the banks, leaving them pretty well protected on that end. After leaving the horses along the banks to graze and roam a bit, the group had set up their camp a bit further inland. Ethan had begun setting up a fire pit before anything else, managing to find some fallen branches and twigs that had washed up along the shore. Lighting them was no easy task, but after plenty of attempts he managed to get a fire going, illuminating the immediate area with a warm glow.

"There... We... Go! Fire's all set, now to get the tent put up!" Ethan announced as he dusted his hands off, satisfied with his handiwork. Lighting wet wood was always such a pain, but if you managed to find those few fibers that were dry then it was still possible. They had probably best consider getting some food as well, and with luck they could catch a few fish in this river without too much trouble. But who to ask? Amuné probably was too small to wade in far, and Cecil wasn't waterproof. Nymira might know how, but seeing her sitting off by herself and not offering to help any didn't instill much hope. So that left fishing to him then did it? "Man... Guess I'm on chow duty as well," he mused silently, smiling as he pushed himself back to his feet and stretched out, "Hey Amuné, know how to set up a tent? Maybe you and Cecil can do that while I fish?"

[Assistant]
Campsite

Amuné accepted Ethan's explanation of his goal without question, though she made a face when he said he'd forgotten where he was supposed to meet his friend. "You should have marked it or something, so you wouldn't forget," she scolded him. "I bet he's really worried about you, since you're gonna be late."

Once they stopped for the evening, the girl helped gather firewood and lay the fire. Wyth prowled around the campsite, glad to be on his feet after so long in the cart. Amuné looked at the man across the fire when he asked her about the tent. "Um...no, I've never done that before. Why don't you give me the rod and maybe I can catch something? I mean, I could try, and Old Dan says it's mostly waiting...." Her expression turned to disbelief when Ethan's face fell. "What do you mean, we don't have a rod? If you were planning on fishing, you should have gotten one!" the child exclaimed. Ethan could be so...thoughtless at times. She sighed. "I'll try to help with the tent, I guess, but I don't know how much use I'll be. Though it doesn't look like it's going to rain, and it's not really very cold. Do we need to use the tent?"

Her gaze drifted over to where Nymira sat, and the child frowned. "She should help too, I mean she's travelling with us after all." Amuné looked at Ethan. "For someone so bossy, you'd think she'd be more hands-on."

[User]
Cecil didn't know what he was supposed to think towards seeing someone he had never met before. He had never been in that scenario, even when it came to meeting Norman considering he had to find someone who could help if he was to remain online. It wouldn't be right to get all excited over someone he had never met knowing they may not actually be alive, even if chances were they probably were still alive. He didn't know if it was just him who thought like this, but when you had no social skills whatsoever regarding normal society it was a little hard to imagine meeting someone and having all sorts of fun with them when he had no idea what they were like or if they even liked him back. So many people had shown they didn't like Machina so it would be no surprise if Amuné's parents were like her when they first met him and seemed startled that he was a Machina and not an actual living person. Giving Ethan a side glance at the subject he soon sighed and simply nodded, finding it just too difficult to respond accurately without sounding like a complete downer.

With Nymira trying to talk to him now he felt confused by her initially before guilt sunk in, knowing he was the reason they were all travelling together on the run from who knew what. He didn't know if that guy they encountered on the bridge was all part of it too, but he was certain he was the cause of the attack back there. He did want to say something about it but Nymira was quick to tell him his problems were forced on them only making him feel worse about it. "I wouldn't want to wish that on anyone I know, even if they're the first people who have ever wanted to get to know me. I am not well received by others".

While he did have doubt over his place in the world he still had a desire for friendship, even if other Machina probably didn't feel the same way. Staring at Nymira for a moment his eyes soon started to wander when he thought she was done with him, only for her to come up with something that sounded rather strange to him. "Huh? But…huh?" He didn't understand what she meant by 'rank' or how that granted her authority over everyone else when it came to decision making, all of it simply sounding strange to him and fairly unlikely that the others would take that well. "You leave me with little chance of making a choice for myself with your inability to take a possible 'no'…"

Cecil had been thinking about it the entire way and when they finally stopped to set up camp he did forget that is what normal people did when it got dark rather than continuing on. He was often fairly forgetful about their desires to stop to rest, seeing how many hours it wasted out of the day. Night time wasn't all that dangerous if you could see what was happening, but turns out their own batteries seem to die down when the light disappeared. It really confused him but he was still willing to keep trying to understand how they worked.

Watching as everyone started to get settled down his eyes wandered, wondering if they were too much out in the open to be here for so many hours. Sighing lightly as he moved close to the fire he looked off in Nymira's direction before gasping when his name was mentioned, turning to Ethan. Something about setting up a tent, whatever that entailed. Looking to Amuné for an answer to what that was like to set up a tent it didn't sound like she was really wanting to do it either and was even questioning Nymira's role. She was not helping by being all the way over there, that was for sure. "Are tents dangerous? Is that why she is all the way over there? Is she scared of the concept of setting up a tent? Did she give orders to do these things?" He was feeling rather confused, especially after what he was told when they were travelling. She didn't appear to be leading anybody or telling the others what to do, he thought she was wanting to be the leader too.


[System]
Appearance: Black hair (but can turn into flames) red eyes, pale skin.
Age: 14
Power: Powers over death
Bio: The son of Hades (from Hercules the animated movie)

[User]
Angel
 "So what do we do now just wait?"  Roman asked looking at how far along the other students had gotten their dishes. He knew the would be graded on their complexity but then agin there was a team making a omelet.

[Assistant] " Pretty much. Humans can have their meat pink it just can't be completely raw. Lucky for you I don't like having my meat completely done. I don't know who your parents are so you should be able to know what type of meet you like. Once mine has a bit of pink inside then you can turn it off."

[User]
Angel
Roman shrugged,  "Hey there's nothing wrong with a little blood sautéed on top of your meat, it adds flavor hahaha."  He laughed as he spoke. As he begun inspecting the meat he saw that the meat was becoming more cooked he lifted the meat for him slightly out of the pan and let the rest cook Intel pink. Her quickly took it off the burner and put it to the side.  "Well I'm done."

[Assistant] Jay was growing more frustrated her calling him a child, clenching his teeth a bit, trying to stop himself from snapping at her loudly. "I'm not going to get a good grade at this rate..." Jay thought as he happened to look at Inigo who was on the other side giving him a certain look. Jay knew what was on his mind and frankly he was starting to be all for it. It's not like the peaceful approach was helping him in the slightest, he nodded his head. Inigo smiled and quickly scurried over up to Katherin fully ready to get her a bite on the leg.

[User] grinned as she picked up the lid from the veggies. The pirate spilled the veggies in the middle then place each side on top." Hmmm... Looks good. Thanks for helping me mate."

[Assistant]
Angel
 "See what you can get done when you're not yelling and being rude."  Roman said with a slight laugh as he winked at the girl. She wasn't that bad when she swallowed her pride. Roman still didn't know what to think of the girls cold grasp but it was one of the last things on his mind currently.

[User] " You look like your trying to think about something. Ask me anything and I'll answer honestly."

[Assistant]
Angel
 "Well honestly I have a few questions, one why are you and Eve not on the best of terms? Another would be why do you enjoy giving all the teachers a hard time and finally why are your hands so damn cold?"  Roman asked trying not to be rude hut to show interest instead.

[User]
" It's nothing personal. Not really. The only time I truly got pissed at her was the look. Hook taught me to use the most powerful person there is to your advantage. Besides according to Hook my mother was a mermaid. To be honest I never met the woman. So anything with the word sea in it wins every time. Second father is rather childish and can't stand not getting. Guess I ended up inverting most of that devil's traits. Third would be better to show you." Axel said as she moved towards her chest. This would be hard to explain to Roman as it was allows harder to explain to those who was not there. The chest opened without delay as the pirate shifted everything inside to one side. She opened up the secret compartment pulling out a bright blue lumalcent bottle.

" My father was obsessed with this. The liquid inside is Blue Fairy Dust. Heat it up and continuously stir, add some other things such as a child's blood, there you go. I was taught to take beating since my family has a violent temper. As I growing up Hook decided to make a Peter Pan of his own. I was five when he decided to inject the bloody thing into my bloodstream. The fastest way to get something inside a body is through the heart. Eventally it became apart of me but since I was never born with my powers. Science and Hook gave them to me. The reason my hands are cold is because of you. My normal temp is just a bit lower then a normal person's temp. Since you seem to run hotter the dust inside my blood tries to keep mine lower than whom I'm touching. If I run out then I go into a coma. Anything else Roman?"

[Assistant] Katherin didn't care about Jay's grade. She wasn't always so cold but he had pissed her off so she was going to punish him. In her opinion he deserved whatever grade he got. She frowned when she smelled ferret again. She swore that she could feel fur on her leg. She ignored the sensation. She turned the stove off and handed Jay one of the plates. Maybe some lunch would help improve the day.

[User]
Angel
 "No that pretty much explains everything. Do you have any questions you'd like to ask me?"  he asked as e shifted his weight into the table, Axel had just become a lot more interesting to Roman he was almost captivated by the girl now.

[Assistant] " What is it with you and Eve? You don't strike me as an easily impressed person yet you seem to be around her a lot."

[User]
Angel
 "Honestly it's quite confusing, she appeals to a side of me that's almost been long and forgotten a more primal consciousness. I wouldn't say I'm quite impressed with here but she's caught my interest, as have you."  Roman said with a wink.  "Is that really your only question?"  he asked with a curious look on his face.

[Assistant] " I have caught your interest. How did I do that Roman? I'm just a simple pirate who's always abused but her Captain. I'm a sibling always bullied by her siblings. I'm a motherless because she walked out and found another man after I was born. I'm just a science experiment created to kill my maker's enemies. And this blue liquid keeps me alive. Why are you are you here anyways?"

[User]
Angel
Roman cocked his head slightly,  "You don't give yourself enough credit those are all minuscule aspects of ones personality. I have a much better question for you if your life is so bad why haven't you turned it all off? See I jest that their has to be one thing pushing you to live or els you would have ended it long ago, am I right? Also what do you mean why am I here, at this school or alive?"  Roman hoped he didn't overwhelm her with the questions, not to mention hoping he wasn't getting too personal.

[Assistant] " At this school. The reason I haven't taken my own life is mainly to keep my half siblings safe really. If he had no problem doing this to me then what's to stop him from doing it to the others. I was just the easiest to use due to my mother's absence. Every other person Hook had kids with stayed for the kid's sake. Besides I'm not planning on going back to that nightmare. What was your parents like?" Axel asked trying to dodge what else he might ask about her life while moving the bottle around.

[User]
Angel
 "I'd say I'm here the same as everyone else just lucky I guess. Also my parents are okay fathers a coward, mother loves anything and everything. The only problems I ever had growning up was living in my fathers shadow."  Roman said bluntly as a scowl came across his face.

[Assistant] " Can't see a man being a coward mate. Except for the on in the red hood. That one anyone could take on and win." Axel said a bit loudly.

[User]
Angel
 "Hahaha damn you're gunna hurt the guys feelings or maybe you're just trying to cause some problems."  Roman said with a laugh as he glanced toward the guy in red, Jay didn't like him and it would appear neither did Axel.

[Assistant] " Something about that guy just rubs me wrong. I feel as if there is more to him then meets the eyes. What do you think about this Roman? The whole follow your own path bull. Do you think villains and hero's can get along?

[User]
Angel
 "I believe that everyone can get along with anyone it just depends on if they want too, I have no quarrel with the guy as long as he stays out of my way. Unless you're just another one of these livestock that follow what society wants them to. What seperates a hero from a villain, the need to kill or maybe the need to rule. If you look at it from my perspective you'll see they're all just the same, A king and a tyrant are only separated by the opinion of the subjects. The moral of all of this is keep the people happy and you'll be a beloved king even if you slaughter millions."  Roman spoke with passion he hated kings and queens from the bottom of his heart.

[Assistant] " Huh. Never though about that. Who were your parents?" Axel asked trying to keep from eating righ away.

[User]
Angel
 "Well my parents are the big bad wolf and Snow White."  Roman said shifting his attention to the ground instead of meeting Axels gaze.

[Assistant] [color= silver]" Hmmm... Interesting."[/color] Axel stated as she met his gaze.

[User]
Angel
 "How so?"  Roman asked shifting his weight to stand up.

[Assistant] " Usually heroes marry Heroes and Villians get together. Not the opposites. Makes me wonder if it's possible for people to change." Axel said finally taking a bite of veggies.

[User] Lorane froze as the preperation notes were shoved into her hands. She looked down at the notes, then back at her partner, then back at the notes, and once again at the boy in front of her. Her eyebrow began twitching in annoyance. After a few more moments, she began to speak. "Are...are you telling me what to do? Because your not the boss here. We are a team for now, meaning that we have no leader!" She stealthily stole a glance at the teacher. She was saying all this only for her benifet. If the old lady wasn't in the room, she'd no doubt prove her dominance over the young man. "Besides, you haven't even told me what we're making."

[Assistant]
Angel
 "I guess they just didn't want to conform, you know what I mean?"  Roman asked as he began to ponder the thought of why his parent did end up getting together. He begun thinking to himself about it, "I guess she loved all the wild animals no exceptions."

[User]
A Moose
Leo had already been preparing everything, hoping she was going over his notes thoroughly. Going to fridge immediately pulling what he needed and putting in nearby his cooking station. Glancing to his partner shooting him an annoyed look, as he had an aching feeling she was about to complain. Confirm when she protested, being rather dissatisfied saw how argumentative Lorane had been thus far. Letting out a frustrated groan, and rubbing his forehead. He snatches the paper of notes from her hand starting to grow a little frustrated. As the various things that had already happened, including that he was going to be graded based on the complexity of the dish and teamwork. He already felt he had been unfairly paired right from the start. Like the teacher had it out for him, and he knew his sister wouldn't be so demanding and belligerent against such simple directions. Hell, he was getting hungry and by now they probably would be eating. That's how little faith he had in getting anything done and it showed across his face.

"It says right here, what we're making. It's a hot tomato and vegetable soup, encased in a warm garlic breaded shell. Or in your special case, A cold soup and a cold garlic breaded shell. I\swear that it will taste perfectly good, hot or cold. And I'm not telling you what to do. I'm simply splitting the work load to match are ability level. You can cut all the veggies into tiny pieces without much effort required and I can do the cooking since you told me you can't even get near a flame without sweating. I'm compromising the best I possibly can but I'm not going to let our grades tank because I made something that requires no skill." Leo explained pointing at the paper his tone beyond the point of frustration.

Meanwhile Jay was similarly having no such luck getting along with his female partner, who remained silent practically ignoring his words as he angrily watched Katherin work in her own solitude. He could almost feel the barrier she placed between them both. Jay noticed Inigo had approached right to them both as they both shared a stare and a small smirk on both of their faces making an agreement. As Inigo went to her leg and giving it a firm quick bite hoping it hurt, before going back so he wouldn't be caught. As Jay watched as he couldn't help but cover his mouth letting out a small chuckle trying to not make it obvious, figuring she was paying so little attention to him anyway she wouldn't notice.

"Serves you right."  Inigo thought in his head, also finding her rudeness to be unacceptable crawling up to Jay's shoulder. "Your grade isn't looking good, but...that doesn't mean you have to suffer, maybe if everyone does bad...they'll have to grade on a curve making you look good in comparison." Inigo whispered and Jay almost dismissed him immediately, right off the bat, but took a minute to think about it. The fact it had to do with his grade, maybe it would be beneficial to do so, but he looked at Roman and sighed in his head. Shaking his head at Inigo deciding to not do such a thing after all. "Beside it was probably too risky." Jay told himself waiting to see if his partner would become slightly more aware of her surroundings.

[Assistant] @Bec" Mate I got a question. How it working with a kitty cat? I'm not trying to sound mean or anything I'm just wondering." Axel said as she slowly made her way to the teacher's desk with the bottle in her hand. The pirate couldn't help herself. She poured some of the dust onto the chair making it float. If the teacher wasn't inside the room or wasn't paying attention she would get away with it.

[User]
Angel
"Well miss pirate lady, it can get a bit HAIRY, ha, I'm punny." Avary said with a small chuckle, "He also tends to eat the ingredients when no one's looking."