[System]
Wrestling Name: Seth Ryder
Talent: SHSL Swagger"Professional Wrestler" is generally not the same thing as a "Wrestler", as one is real and one is fake. The occupation titles are unfortunately used interchangeably, so if he were the SHSL "Professional Wrestler", it would imply he was a legitimate wrestler. On the other hand, SHSL Actor, SHSL Charisma, SHSL Grandstander, and SHSL Hype Man all have unfitting connotations, so I went with Swagger.Gender: ♂
Appearance:
Backstory: In his youth, he was an avid fan of professional wrestling. A bit of a mischievous child, he would often mess with fights, at first in minor ways. Since he would regularly attend events, (thanks to his parents both being professional wrestlers) this continued for quite a bit and slowly escalated. By the time he started to cause significant interference with matches, "the Ryder kid" had already gained a reputation for the excitement he induced. Every time he was involved, the matches were guaranteed some sort of subtly provided twist. Since these fights, including their outcomes, are choreographed, it was decided it would be easier to get him in on it rather than deal with a backlash that might occur from banning him. He was still too young to be allowed to wrestle of course, but he was given a wrestling persona, "Seth Ryder", which allowed greater freedom to directly interfere with fights. (For example, from the stage or out of the ring instead of from the stands) He had to abide by the guidelines he was given, but he even pushed the boundaries on that. By the time he was old enough to become a pro wrestler, his character's debut match was already one of the most hyped of the year. While he hasn't been a professional wrestler for long, writers were happy to indulge in his reputation, giving him an undefeated record.
Other information:
- Born and raised in New York.
- Very tall
- He inherited his father's signature "WOO WOO WOO!" cheers.
- Despite gaining a reputation before becoming a wrestler, he did get proper training and developed the body for the job.
- His wrestling trunks have a qr code over the crotch. The QR Code is for his twitter. Has millions of followers.
- Has a wikipedia page (in-universe) where anyone could look up all of the above.

Name: Flint Asidea
Talent: SHSL Recollector
Gender: ♂
Appearance:
Backstory: Flint has been living as a delinquent his entire life, born into poverty and addiction. In particular, he is addicted to a drug known as "seeds of eden", a psychoactive drug that induces a feeling of bliss and specific hallucinations. These drugs are special in that they cause the image of "god", beautiful monstrosities, to appear to those affected. Depending on the mix, the god appears differently, but the same mix yields the same visage, even through uses by different people. For reasons not hard to imagine, peddlers of the drug often thinly veil their trade as a religion, each god promising a different method to get their followers to "that special place", as "interpreted" by that god's "prophet".

The religion he was born into was one Flint is not fond of. Worshipping a "wrathful god", the rites carried out by its prophet were violent, and it was in this manner that both of his parents died.

His current religion by contrast, worships a "god of love". Its prophet, his "father" in a financial and religious sense, instead teaching his clients the importance of "saving" others, by "purifying" the "evils" from their household and helping them see "that special place". Only in saving others from the evils of their household and finding a partner who they can show that special place to can they achieve "salvation".

Simply put, Flint has been living the life of a thief since birth. He's committed countless petty crimes, never paid much attention during the brief time he was in school and has vivid nightmares whenever he suffers from withdrawal. His "father" has sent Flint to the academy "to further his ability to purify the evils of man" and avoid the legal attention he was threatened with.

Any other information you'd like to share:
- Flint was sent off with a supply of the drug to use as he saw fit.
- Flint possesses eidetic memory and memorization capabilities consistent with hyperthymesia
- Flint's talent was first discovered by Hope's Peak faculty when his "father" managed to sell some of his drawings online for a high price, which Flint often makes in his spare time using his memories, real or hallucinatory.
- Picked up random Latin phrases from his "father". Uses them more often than he should.

[User]
Something was wrong. This wasn't the cushioned sofa Alice was so used to. She was laying on her back in a… cave? No, Alice could see the sun through her closed eyes. But the material her back felt like she was lying on a slab of stone. Which meant that Alice was not where she last went to sleep. Unless there was a stonehenge recreation on the floor next to her favourite couch, Alice couldn't piece together how she ended up on a slab on stone. Which meant that someone had moved her. Something was definitely wrong. What happened? Did Alice sleepwalk into a local stone quarry. Or…

Alice would confront those issues as they came. Time to get up. Deal with one issue at a time. Alice had to figure out where she was. Alice placed both of her palms on opposite sides of her and pushed herself to her feet in a single motion. Having done this, she also opened her eyes and saw- a theatre? Like one of those things one would see in a history textbook about Greece? How far did Alice go? Just what was happening. Why did Alice feel like she was forgetting something?

She looked around her surroundings, taking everything in. She saw the seating of the theatre, and she saw No one. Because they were either hiding or already looking at Alice.  One problem at a time. Alice could see behind the Amphitheatre seating some cabins in the distance, and behind those a dock and lake. She could also see several individuals out in the open. She wondered if they knew anything about why Alice had woken up here, although it was entirely possible that other people were in the same situation she was. Generally, when Alice didn't know what was going on, everyone else didn't either. She could also see a fence and gate on the other side of the seating, and finally deduced that they were in a campgrounds of some sort. Alice was satisfied that she had figured out everything that she could from her position on the stage. Except that there may or may not have been a person watching her? The narrator was not sure, and thus Alice was unable to figure this out. Probably?

She slowly walked to the edge of the stage, stretching her arms with resounding cracks, and jumped off of it. The fall wasn't that steep, but her landing was still impressively resolutely. She hardly missed a beat as she sauntered towards the  Gate. Because she felt a sudden and unexplainable urge to remove herself from this situation.  She moved elegantly, and silently, and idly ran her hands down her waist to her skirts before returning them to her side. She had nothing on her, and that was to be expected. A mechanic doesn't sleep with their wrench.

[Assistant]
How things unfolded after Neola spoke surprised her. The boy continued to do exactly what she told him not to do. But the little girl was not only entirely ignoring Neola, but conversing with the boy like nothing had happened. The entire reason why Neola chose to insert herself here was because she heard the adorable little girl scream. Neola didn't understand why she didn't get a thank you for standing up to the boy. When the other girl got up, she didn't seemed to be alarmed by the man's presence. Neola could only sigh. Perhaps she was being weird again. Maybe Byakuya was not the best choice for this situation. It wasn't too late to change into someone else, but Neola didn't like changing her persona so frequently. Instead, she decided to think about what Byakuya might do in this situation. Interrogation of everyone around him was most likely, but Neola didn't feel like doing that right now. Maybe Byakuya would simply get fed up and walk in the opposite direction. With any luck, they would forget about her and then she could introduce herself as someone else. Only, her plan was thwarted by the arrival of another boy. Or was that a man?

 "Hmmm..." The scruffy boy had already managed to close the distance between him and Neola "Well, If Byakuya was a desirable woman instead of some guy who inherited his daddy's fortune, I suppose he'd look something like you." He smirked. "But I'm going to wager that you're actually Neola Akiyama, the ultimate celebrity impersonator."

 Neola fret her brow. "You're rather observant for a commoner. You shouldn't speak so casually with me however."

"I'm not sure if you do requests." His smile was growing by the second. "But I'd be a lot happier if you were Sayaka. I'm not really in the mood for femogami right now."

"It is extreamly rude, even for a neanderthal such as yourself, to tell a woman how she should look or act."

"Yea yea... Please?"

"Hmph." At the very least, it was an excuse to transform into someone more appealing to the young girl. Neola twirled in front of him, and when she stopped she was a different person. "Like this?"

"Oh um." He placed a hand on the back of his head. "That's actually pretty impressive. "

"Even if your 'assets' are a bit bigger."

"Eh?" He raised an eyebrow.

"That's what you were thinking right? I'm a mind reader, you know?"

He raised his other eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

 Neola giggled "I'm just kidding, I just have very good intuition." Yes, Sayaka's character was one that bounced between playful teasing and vulnerable. Neola felt she had "attacked" the boy a bit too hard, and now it was time to let him get some ground back. "But really, I do tend to bind my chest when I'm pretending to be smaller people. But there's only so much I can do with this quick change kit. I hope I still met your expectations."

 "Yea, I think girls come in all kinds of great shapes. Though yours is definitely one of my favorites." He gave Neola one more look before turning to the the smaller girl. "Kara O'Hara right? The ultimate desert chef!" He patted her head. Neola was a bit envious of this new boy, but did her best to hide it. "I hope we can make something delicious later. So long as it's not a souffle, those things are disgusting! But maybe if you made it, I'd like it." He turned to face the second girl, the one that just woke up. "Lilly Hart, the ultimate hacker right?" the scruffy boy extended his hand. "No need to ask for a hand, heh. A lot of people find speaking to me difficult." Then he turned to look at the first boy. "Okay, who the hell are you?" Weird, the scruffy boy seemed to know everyone's name and talent except for that guys. Why was that?

[User]
As you're snapping your fingers to wake up the unconscious girl with pink hair, the small girl asks if you're all in the same boat. As you're about to reply, the girl with pink hair gets up and quickly produces a mechanical proxy to ask you where you all are. That strikes you as odd, but you can imagine why she's using one. For a second time, you address two people at once. "We've all just woken up, and I'm not sure where we are." As you stand up, you notice a particularly hairy man appear, who starts a back and forth with the prickly girl, revealing her as Neola Akiyama, celebrity impersonator. He continues, giving you an introduction of... everyone else. He even swoops awkwardly, offering to help Lilly up. He then demands to know who you are.

You're immediately suspicious, but your suspicion lessens when you realize that everyone here is from Hope's Peak Academy, and that the identity of most of its students are publicly available. You suppose it makes sense that you're the only one who isn't recognized. You're a foreigner, after all. Even still, as the Ultimate Swagger, you can't let that fly.

For a brief moment, the sun stops being a star. Instead, it shape-shifts into a laser pointer, blasting a blindingly powerful beam on your exact location, spotlighting you and only you, leaving the rest of the planet in a woefully dark ice age. Lesser men would spontaneously burst into flames, but you stand with a stalwart grace. With the light focused on you so heavily, you shine with the force of ten thousand suns. When you smile, the whiteness of your teeth ignites the surrounding trees which burn so intensely that they are made into charcoal. "Most people know me as Seth Ryder," you say, your voice flowing into every nearby orifice like a sweet ambrosia, enveloping your surroundings and causing the entire field to bloom with an array of colorful flowers. "but you can call me Alex."

With your introduction done, the sun reverts into a star, the world is illuminated once more, and everything goes back to normal.

"So who are you? You've introduced me to everyone but yourself."


[System]
Magical Child Name: Nelly = The Giver / Saryn = The Taker

Age: 17

Gender: Female

:

:

Personality: Nelly suffers from dissociative identity disorder (DID) where she seems to bounce between one personality which is believed to be the original Nelly and one other identity that shows itself after certain criteria are met named Syrn. Nelly can be best described as the warmth people want to feel when they're down, in the form of a hug or just general acts of kindness, if someone needs something and Nelly has it she's more than willing to share even if she doesn't have it she'll attempt to go out and get it. Always a cheerful optimist working through depression, loneliness and all of life's problems in a 'glass half full' kind of fashion in a way that almost feels outright obnoxious.

Saryn is a different story from the regular Nelly but unless a person has spent a good amount of time with both one wouldn't notice the change. Sayrn mimics Nelly's personality almost flawlessly the only real change is the thing that motivates her, while the real Nelly will help out of kindness Sayrn on the other hand seeks reward. While on the outside Saryn copies Nelly on the inside she is cold, sadistic, and very loathing of those around her; Sayrn is most likely to back stab Nelly's best friend for literally anything she deems a worthy reward, but she'd do it in such a way that Nelly's reputation isn't ruined; this isn't out of a liking for her other half its simply if people don't trust their face it'll be harder to take advantage of them later.

Nelly and Saryn will swap places with one another at random intervals, usually if one or the other falls asleep, Saryn is most likely to step in if Nelly isn't emotionally capable of handling the situation if the glass is completely empty for whatever reason. Sayrn will sometimes release her dominance over the body out of convenience.

*Side note: Nelly and Sayrn are completely aware of one another's existences*

Gimmick/Theme behind Powers: Sun Tarot card (Both right side up and upside down)

Psychological weakness: Dissociative Identity Disorder

Card: XVII – The Sun (Right-side up is Nelly, Upside-down is Saryn) the constant flipping and rotation of the card changes depending on the personality that is dominant at the time and because of this her skill take on different yet similar effects. Being both the savior and the taker they can be a truly helpful asset when used properly.

Aura of Preservation / Vampire Link: When Nelly is in control she passively has a warm presence that protects and rejuvenates her friends and allies, healing minor wounds, restoring stamina and giving an overall sense of comfort. The shield will absorb a good amount of incoming damage and transfer that energy to become a slightly stronger shield, however if those shields were to break all damage received is reflected upon Nelly while her allies remain untouched.
Sayrn isn't as giving and it is reflected in this ability that allows her to sap energy, and overall health from anyone she comes into contact with, if she touches someone she choose to connect their very life essence to her draining the target until she cuts the line or the victim dies, this stolen energy gives Sayrn a much stronger shield and healing affect while transferring all received damage to whomever she is linked with dividing it up equally ensuring that she goes unharmed. The amount of energy she steals is completely up to her. The immediate immune system of the poor unfortunate soul to be linked starts to shut down allowing Saryn to enjoy the warmth of another while their shivering in the cold and sickness.

Illumination / Blight: Nelly's illumination shines brilliantly through even the deepest darkness, lighting the way and even canceling out most minor illusions granting 'true sight' to allies around her, the initial wave can even exorcise lesser demons. The true sight only lasts for five minutes while the light can last as long as Nelly needs it.
Sayrn possesses the blight a sickly flame the devours anything, it touches friend or foe consuming both the body and soul, she can channel this flame through her vampire line to cause the target more pain to heal her even faster or mealy incinerate the enemy

History: It's completely unclear who exactly was the original personality, because Nelly's name is similar to the name given to the body born it's usually just easier to assume Nelly came first. The name Naphaline wasn't given to her by her birthmother as she abandoned the baby in a basket somewhere in the middle of the street, a rather unlucky beginning for a child who was unwillingly brought into this world. Fortune would smile on the infant when she was picked up by a young woman who adopted the child, gave her a house and food even a name albeit a very unorthodox name.

Growing up was decent enough her mom wasn't the richest person in the world, but she was a hard worker and very loving, Naphaline who didn't know this woman wasn't actually her mom looked up to her like a child would its parent and learned from her. Her mom always strived to be more than she was the day before, getting up early every morning and attempted to better herself and become a good role model for her adoptive daughter this kind and caring approach to child raising laid the foundation for the personality known now as Nelly, but her mostly self-motivated reward driven approach to life also helped bring Sayrn into the world however both were still apart of one whole. When it became harder to support herself and her child the woman took to fortune telling as a side job using the tarot cards her mother gave to her from one of her many travels, though she never used "The Sun" and instead gave it to little Naphaline telling her hold it close.

The split between Nelly and Sayrn didn't actually happen until their mom took deathly ill and Nellphaline was taken away as she wasn't seen fit to take care of a child anymore. Now that she was away from her parent and living in an orphanage was very lonely, her kind personality was often times taken advantage of by the other kids so she would feel used or abandoned when lying in bed at night hoping her mother would get better; it was on such a night that Nellphaline's psyche split in two giving birth to Nelly and Sayrn on one way she would never be lonely again and Sayrn could take care of the harder things while Nelly continued to strive for a brighter future in peace while maintaining her innocence. The dividing force between the two was strong enough to trigger the Tarot card "The Sun" allowing the two personalities some form of synchronous harmony.

[User]
Alastor stood on the balcony overlooking the main gambling floor of his casino, the Starlight Millennium. Still rather new, nevertheless business was high - the natural expectation of a facility where one foolishly believed they could earn fortunes with no effort on their part. Below him tacky music played and the chatter of discussion, of debts, of risks, rewards and consequences reached his ears.

"Damnit, I lost!"

"Honey, maybe we should stop -"

"No, just one more! One more time! I know it'll come this time!"

His lips curled into a small smile as another fool spent his fortunes into his casino, expecting greed to cause a miracle despite such odds being near impossible. Another fool, another victim, another satisfaction for the demon. It was not as if he was harming them - they simply harmed themselves, all he did was give them the means to do so. Not even, he simply made the means exist and they flocked to it of their own will. His old friend would disapprove but even he would know that this was something that would happen with or without Alastor.

He was enjoying his time quietly wallowing in the despair of the recently defeated when a sharp sense pierced his mind. His closed eyes immediately flinching, he got off of the railing he had been leaning on and headed to a window.

"I say, Mister Stahl," one of his employees commented as he was joined at the window by one of the security personnel of the casino, "That airplane's getting pretty dangerously low."

"I agree." Alastor lied through his teeth. "Hopefully it will just pass by."

Alastor knew exactly what that "airplane" was even if none of his employees did. A demon, from the likes of it one who did not gain enough thought nor presence of mind to take a humanoid form - or one who was reckless enough to not do so regardless. What was more problematic than the demon itself, however, were the portals it was leaving left and right - all of them leading to and from who knew where and if it had been through that many places, Alastor could very well soon find himself neck deep in would-be heroic children.

Stepping away from the window, he considered his options. He could, of course, take to the field and defeat the demon before it attracted too much attention. However, judging by the way that it was in flight and with so many portals it was quite possible it was already being pursued. That would simply mean he would get targeted by the magical children who would arrive later...

No, it would be safer if he laid low. Of course, if the children found him and insisted on attempting to exorcise him he would not be adverse to defending himself.

"...Chu?" he called out suddenly, the unexpected situation reminding him that now would be a good time to ensure the safety and security of his... charge? Perhaps that was not exactly the right word, but nevertheless he felt a degree of responsibility over the younger demon. "Chu, where are you!?"

Beginning to walk around the casino in an attempt to find the smaller demon, Alastor reflected on how, in hindsight, it was pretty damn irresponsible of him to let what was essentially a child - a demon, but still a child - out of his sight in the middle of a casino.

[Assistant]
Chu looked out from the eyes of a mouse, turning her attention from the bird outside the window to the rest of the casino and, more importantly, Alistor. It took her a second to realize he was calling her, and by then he had already taken off looking for her. She left the body of the mouse, taking her full form and letting the creature go about it's business, and then clambered onto the railing of the balcony.

"'Tor!" She called, trying to get his attention, but the sounds of the machines drowned her out. She puffed out her cheeks, annoyed, and then began to sing. Alistor had told her not to sing in the building, since it ruined the game for him, but she decided he could probably forgive her this once.

Unlike her normal voice, her Song reached every corner of the giant room, weaving under and between the chaotic sounds of the machines. She sang a song of calmness and joy, tinged with imminent discovery, and for several moments the world in that building stopped to listen to her otherworldly voice.

She stayed silent for a while after that, her eyes closed, and as the sounds of the casino returned to fill the void, she simply sat on the banister and relaxed.

---

Naomi was relaxing in a small Seattle cafe when she noticed something wrong. Her vague feeling was soon confirmed by a voice in her head.

"A demon." The voice rang, and she turned around to look at the sky, one hand going to the dragon earring she wore. She quickly spotted the bird flying too quickly to be anything natural, and tracked it silently. As soon as it ripped through it's portal, She quickly abandoned her tea and took off running, taking a back alley to avoid being noticed. She coiled her legs and jumped, touching one wall and leaping again, keeping her momentum all the way to the top. For a normal person, she knew these things would be impossible, but for her it was a simple matter. As she took a running leap off the rooftop, she touched her earring and time seemed to almost stop as her entire body was coated in energy. In a flash, she had transformed and sailed through the portal left by the demon, and after flashing through a few different locations she found herself above a vaguely familiar cityscape.

"Somewhere in Europe, definitely..." She muttered to herself as she fell. She caught sight of a clocktower in the distance, and it clicked into place. "London then. Pretty far way to go."

She looked down at her landing area and noticed two others already there. "It's been a while since we teamed up with anyone. It'll make a nice change."

Positioning her shield below her, she bore down on one of the birds, crashing it into the ground and softening her landing. She bashed another on the head and turned to the other two girls there.

"Do either of you know the story here?"

[User]
"You feel that, huh?" A girl whispered with devilish intent behind her words "That's your immune system shutting down next comes your actual body to decay I hope you drank a lot of vitamin C and milk demon" she continued one her hands gripping its skull playing with it as it screamed in agony, its flesh starting to peel off.

This was quite the rough fight for her counterpart because of her nearly all defensive abilities even then establishing a connection with this creature was a challenge in itself as she has to make contact with a target for at least two seconds and being punched in the face was not a way to do it, something Nelly found out the hard way. Unfortunately, they have two separated minds yet they share the same body so one punch too many and Saryn hijacked control to finish the job Nelly couldn't. The vampire link was already set at this point she was just holding on to him to be mean, all the strength and health left the poor creature as now belonged to Saryn even when it tried to wrestle its way to freedom she just snapped its legs like they were made of twigs because of how decayed his bones were becoming.

'Saryn shouldn't we let him go?' Nelly said, echoing through their shared subconscious mind 'Like hell I will the jerk sucker punched you and trash talked me' Saryn shouted back, letting go of her prey only to grab him by the arm breaking more of his weak bones causing it to scream bloody murder.

"Oh shut up you wuss, it's rare anyone even last direct contact, this long you must be a healthy boy" Saryn said aloud being that there was no one around that knew her or Nelly she was free to let her real personality out. Somewhere in the middle of her little rant, she felt the presence of another demon somewhere far away, Saryn then began to drag her mobile health pack to the nearest gate like a child dragging a stuffed bear.

'Do you know where we're going?' Nelly asked 'Who cares, we just have to feel it and we'll make the jump to the right location' Saryn replied "Ready for a field trip mister cuddles?" looking back at her captured demon who was still in considerable pain as he died ever so slowly "Kill me now!" she begged tears rolling down its eyes "Aww he's excited" she laughed before making the jump to London

The warp itself was too much for the demon and it died upon arrival which made it very strange to see a girl dragging this rotting corpse around the skin already completely gone the muscle rending and rotting away. It hasn't had to find other magical girls thanks to Nelly's want to protect others, magical girls were like giant bonfires of 'help me please'. Being dead already the demon soon turned into dust and his ashes were scattered away with the winds when they made contact with the others.

'Ugh, I hate meeting new people' Saryn though to herself, releasing control over the body, allowing Nelly to take over "Um H-hello" Nelly greeted Naomi with a nervous smile and a warm blush across her cheeks.


[System]
She Sings To Me
Song Of The Sea
Peaceful Or Quiet
Searching Fiercely

____________________________________________________________________
  ___________________________________________
(sor-sha)
 Reid
 Sorie

 A G E

____________________________________________________________________

25
 Dec 21, 1995

 O R I E N T A T I O N

____________________________________________________________________

Bisexual

 G E N D E R

____________________________________________________________________

Female

 S P E C I E S

____________________________________________________________________

Selkie Witch
 mythological beings capable of therianthropy,
 changing from seal to human form by shedding their
 skin. they often wear their seal skin as clothing
 while in human form.

 H O M E T O W N

____________________________________________________________________

Gardenstown, Scotland

 B I O

____________________________________________________________________

 L I K E S

* The sea.
* Fish.
* Storms.
* The Moon.
* Iced Coffee.
* Lakes. And Fish.

 |

 D I S L I K E S

* Poachers.
* Hot Weather.
* Violence.
* Whales.
* Big Cities.
* Liars.

 |

 O T H E R
____________________________________________________________________

Sorcha;s travels have been mostly be funded by one of the witches back in her home town. An old lady called Ailaa, who Sorcha befriended when she was a teenager. The woman considers Sorcha her adopted daughter and has been planning to leave all she owns to the young woman.

[User]
Sabor
Location: Lemmas Interacting with:@KZOMBI3@Enarr@Kidd

 "We're gonna be rich..." Brody uttered in awe. "We're gonna be famous!" Stacy shouted, stars in her eyes. "This could well be the greatest historical find of our generation!" Persephone mused with wonder. "I don't know, Sephi, I got a bad feeling about this..." Randy complained. The hikers had been investigating rumors of a yeti kidnapping tourists at the South Pole, but what they couldn't have prepared for what they found. Embedded in the snow had been a three foot by three foot cube made of silver and lapis lazuli, intricate symbols and designs engraved into every surface. It took them most of the day to uncover it, partially due to Randy not helping since he was the one who twisted his ankle tripping on it. They decided to set up camp right there in order to study it thoroughly. It was late evening when Persephone finally discovered the locking mechanism on the outside of it. After an hour or so, she had managed to unlock it. An aperture opened on one of the cube's sides, and Persephone leaned her head in for a better look. The cube was furnished on the inside, with the floor being covered in an incredibly plush fabric, the walls and cieling being draped in cloth. The interior had the look and feel of a lavish bed chamber, except the bed was the chamber. Even more bizarrely, while the cube itself was exactly three foot by three foot, there was easily five square feet worth of space on the inside!

 Persephone stuck her head back out and shouted "Come here, you guys, you gotta see this!" before eagerly peering inside again. She could hear her friends approaching when she spotted it. In the center of the cube, sunken into the otherwise pristine fabric, was a shriveled, mummified corpse. It's body was wrapped in loose, colorless threads that once looked to be some kind of garment. On it's head was the fossilized skull of a sabre-toothed tiger. Persephone slowly reached forward, gingerly attempting to retrieve the mummy without damaging it at all.

 As Brody approached the strange cube, Persephone suddenly let out blood freezing shriek as she began to pull herself out of the cube, only to dive back in. Brody ran over to the opening and looked inside. The last thing he saw was a pair of golden eyes just behind Persephone's bloody corpse. The mummified corpse launched itself out of the cube and tore into Brody. Stacy screamed in terror, unable to do anything else, while Randy fled as fast as he could. As he sprinted across the snow, he heard Stacy's screams cut short. He continued sprinting at full speed. If he could just get back to the van! It had a full tank! It had snow tires! It had a friggin' radio!!! If he could just make it- but he didn't make it. The corpse tackled him to the ground, sinking it's own sabre-toothed fangs into Randy's thin neck.

 Twenty minutes later, the hiker's bodies remained, but all trace of their blood was gone. Revitalized, Sabor slowly made his way back to the mysterious cube he had emerged from. His memories were fractured, as they always were after sleeping for centuries. This cube... He thought. It's not mine... why was I in it... that's right... that wizard... he and I had been traveling. After a very brief investigation, Sabor concluded that the wizard must have gotten them trapped in a blizzard where he died. Which means that the wizard school's fancy magic cube is all mine. Sabor thought, the edge of his lip lifting into a poor attempt at a smile. Sabor climbed atop the cube and sat down, cross legged. The cube instantly began to respond to his will, turning fifty-two degrees north and, lifting a foot off the ground, began hovering in that direction. Sabor road his unusual mount into the night, taking hours to reach the nearest human settlement.

 Or, at least, that had been the plan. After only a few short minutes, the scenery changed. He was suddenly surrounded by humans dressed in strange garb. One was dressed similar to the fools who had woken him, the other two were not dressed for the cold at all. Suddenly, Sabor sensed something; a powerful entity. He turned his attention to it and found himself locking eyes with a tall, old man. The man looked ancient, and Sabor could sense he was. Only a fraction of my age, but that in itself is an achievement. In the old man's eyes he could read distrust, as well as the merest veil of threat. Sabor simply looked away, uninterested in the stranger's accusatory gaze. As he began examining his surroundings, Sabor came to realize he and the old man were not the only unnatural entities in the vicinity. "Interesting..." he muttered. The stranger approached the crowd offering warmth and food. The last time Sabor had accepted such offers from a robed figure, it had sealed his destiny. And now... he would do it again. Sabor rode his magical cube up to the Inn itself before "parking" it outside and following the group in.

[Assistant]
Ryan"I needed this," Ryan sighed, the wine coaxing her to give in and drop her elbow on the table. She took another sip as a newly engaged couple eyed her from their seat and exchanged glances. Who would slouch like that in such a high end restaurant?

The young woman across from her didn't mind. Piper laughed at her sister and finished the water she had. "It was your idea," she said as a waiter cleared his throat to give them the check. Piper smiled apologetically and took it from him as Ryan managed to sit up and make a face at him. "Aaand your treat?"

Now Ryan laughed and reached to take the paper. "Duh." In return for his contempt, Ryan didn't add a tip to the automatic 18% gratuity--not that she had any qualms about the price. The restaurant was her choice, after all--a reward to herself for finishing a particularly difficult commissioned piece for a winter wedding. She had ranted to Piper moments before, demanding the reasons for a winter wedding: people already had the holidays to worry about and now a wedding? It's too cold. Way too much white if you go with a snowy theme. Not to mention the last minute demand for a dress. Ryan sighed again, handing her card and check to the waiter.

As he walked away to charge her card, Ryan finished her wine. "I'll run to the ladies room, then we can go," she said to Piper, who nodded and took the alone time to pull out her phone.

---

Moments later, Ryan finished washing her hands and took a moment to look in the mirror. She adjusted her red dress: it fell just above her knees and boots and stockings kept the rest of her legs warm in the New York winter. It sat loosely and comfortably on her, but didn't hide her slim figure. She smiled, running her hand over the wide neckline and turned to admire how it matched the red bow tied in the back of her hair. Satisfied, she shrugged at herself in the mirror and turned on her heel to step out of the ladies' room...

...and into snow. Ryan blinked at the whiteness around her. Her hands rose and she hugged herself tightly against the sudden cold. "Huh?"

She looked around at those around her: an old man who looked like something out of a fantasy show, a woman with the fashion choices of a teenager, a well dressed man, and...a cosplayer? With an ice cube? Ryan was stunned to silence, her brown eyes lingering on him the longest before looking back to the old man. She wasn't properly listening to most of it, but did catch an opportunity to get out of the cold that bit at her legs and arms. Dozens of questions were bubbling up in her mind, but Ryan still managed to bite her tongue for now. She just wanted to be warm and stepped to follow him. She hoped the others would do the same.

[User]
Sorcha had gone a day without stop. She had been driving through the snowy roads of the Switzerland countryside. Her eyes felt heavy with sleep and her stomach twisted with hunger. The snacks she had picked up at the last gas station had only lasted her for a few hours and had done a very poor job in keeping her full.

Sorcha was close; she could feel it in her chest. If she powered through another sleepless night, she would be able to finally catch up to the bastard that stole her skin. The thought of him made Sorcha grip the steering wheel of her car and glare at the road ahead. How could she have been so stupid? Trust someone enough to tell them her most tressured secret only of it to stab her in the back. Sorcha should have listened to her family, trusted them and not that man.

Cold.

She felt cold and tired. Sorcha craved a hot chocolate, like the one the old witch made for her during harsh winters. Maybe Sorcha could stop by the nearest town. Just for a few hours to rest up and eat a decent meal for once. She glanced to the side where her phone was perched up and began to search for a town or a rest stop, or anything.

Nothing. Sorcha found nothing within a reasonable distance from her. She wasn't going to risk it and go back to the town she had just left. She would have to power through the hunger and sleepiness for tonight as well.

With a loud yawn, Sorcha continued to drive towards the direction of the hex. She drove past snow-covered trees, one after the other. They seemed to lull her, making her forget the reason why she was even driving. Forget that man and her missing skin. It was almost relaxing to the point of sleep. Her eyes had become heavy, so heavy that Sorcha closed for a second or for what felt a second before she realized she was still driving.

With a jerk, Sorcha opened her eyes to the sound of metal hitting wood. It doesn't a bad crash, but her car was definitively in a ditch at the side of the road. Great. Just great. With some force, Sorcha pushed her door opened and climbed out of the car to examine the damage. In no way was she going to be able to back up from this place.

"Just what I needed. Good job on falling asleep, idiot." Sorcha groaned as she got her phone from the car to dial 112. Nothing. No ring, no signal, nothing. Another great was heard from Sorcha as she climbed up the dirt and snow towards the road. She stood there for a minute, just staring down the road where she was supposed to be heading. Great. Fucking great. He was getting away, and she was stuck here.

The hunger and the exhaustion mixed with frustration was only making her head pound with a massive headache. Sorcha was never great at expressing her frustration outwards. Most of her emotions overwhelmed her until she cried, and right now was one of those moments.

After a few seconds, she wiped her cheeks cleaned and turned back to her car but a warm light caught the corner of her eyes. Lights! Sorcha turned towards the source of the light and squinted her eyes as if it would help her see better. Those were definitely lights!

Sorcha ran to her car, grabbed her backpack and phone charger before she hurried past the tree line towards the lights.

It was a house decorated in Christmas lights followed by another house, then another. She continued to walk until she was standing in the middle of what seemed to be the center of this town.

"What the fuuu..." Sorcha had been sure she hadn't seen any towns nearby the last time she had checked the map. It didn't matter though, the feeling in her chest, the little tug returned to her for just a second.

He was here.


[System]
Race: Genetically Enhanced Human

Appearance:

Personality: Wishes to end suffering, disease, and death. He will help anyone who isn't his enemy, as long as it doesn't mean risking his own life too much.

Skills: Expert: Genetics, Biochemistry
Skilled: Implant Technology, Surgery
Experienced: MMA fighting

Non-standard Abilities: Enhanced immunity (Mostly disease, but some radiation), Enhanced healing (10x rate, plus complete limb regeneration, though it is slow), Adrenal control (adrenaline burst gives him superhuman strength and speed, and, at higher levels can place him in the alpha state, ie, bullet time, though it tires him more the larger the burst of adrenaline)

Equipment: Prison jumpsuit, Tracking/disable collar, medical sterile suit (carbon nano-tube reinforced polymer weave with a built-in forcefield for the head, to function as an emergency hazmat suit.), self-prepared Med kit (Programmable Antharan stem cells, various pain meds, bio-glue, various anti-viral and anti-bacterial agents, 5 full shots of adrenaline), Neural disruptor circlet (for use in restraining patients.)

Bio: Born on Kalasis, a planet in the Proxima Centauri system, he witnesses the death of millions at a young age when a plague infected his planet. It took over a year for the Galactic Medical Society to find a cure for the disease, by which time both of his parents had died. He was raised by his grandparents, and vowed to put an end to suffering and disease.
By the time he was an adult he had a degree in genetics and had begun training for his doctorate in medicine. He started conducting medical research in his own home, selling the results of his experiments to the GMS whenever they had need of them. Shortly after graduating, however, the Antharan Security Force found that he was testing his genetic treatments on larval Antharans. While they had no protection under Antharan law, and weren't even officially recognized as sapient beings, he was linked to terrorists with interests in biological weapons, have used them to get supplies on the black market, which gave the authorities probable cause to search his lab. There they found evidence of other crimes, and he was arrested.
He was released from prison three weeks ago on probation, and then arrested a few days later on charges of practicing medicine on a revoked license. The military secured his temporary release on the grounds that he help with the Lone Star.

Quote: "They have a 95% death rate before reaching the metamorphosis to second stage. The Antharans don't even consider them to be sentient beings until then, but their second stage will adapt to any physical hardship they come under during larval stage. Imagine if all species could adapt to physical hardship and trauma in such a manner."
-Explaining to an officer why he was experimenting on larval Antharans

[User]
Suddenly the airlock doors ground to a halt, the opening barely two meters wide. Inside the ancient mechanism the Dust felt around before finding the fault, the ancient cogworks which were intended to operate the aperture had been damaged, but not through age. This damaged seemed deliberate, intentional, as though someone had jammed grenades into the workings and metaled them together into an unsalvageable mass of slag.

From inside the docking bay small pieces of debris, disturbed by the door's meager activity, began to float out into the void. Scraps of metal and wrappers from low since consumed ration packs drifted passed Hundred in a small cloud. Moments later something else emerged from inside the bay, a small misshaped droid with a single piercing blue optic, barely the size of her hand. Silently in the vacuum the droid scuttled over the hull towards the Gygan as several more of its equally misshapen brethren emerged from within the ship.

[Assistant]
The Syndarin scoffed in mock anger at being rebuffed so rudely by the pilot, though she was privately amused by how he easily dismissed her, as if he was the king of this tiny little shuttle. Then again, there was no arguing the fact that cockpit doors built to withstand sudden and violent decompression meant that the little king was safe in his undoubtedly cramped throne room. Realizing there was little else she could do but settle back into her seat, block out the sounds of the odd couple and their frankly hostile mating calls, and wait for the one currently in the shuttle airlock to pull out the welcoming mat for the rest of the team.

Then it hit her.

"Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no, there is no way someone is getting inside that ship before me," the Syndarin snarled as she grabbed Jemini (Jemini Cricket, Sevyn's Ardie) and the rest of her and began pounding on the airlock door, willing for the atmosphere to flood back in faster, with Jem protesting in her loud, usual, chirpy ways.

It was a long painful minute while Sevyn waited, followed by another as the atmosphere vented back into space. By the time Sevyn drifted off the shuttle and aligned herself with Jem, a person shaped figured was already outlined against the stark grey of the Lone Star, already at the ship's airlock door. The Syndarin began swearing heavily as her "teammate" reported success with the airlock, her mouth almost as dirty as Jemini's. The drone complaining directly into the Syndarin's comm channel the entire time as Sevyn tightly gripped onto a handlehold on the drone's slick frame, with the drone itself still stuck magnetically as it had been ever since it was forced into space.

Sevyn could already see the ship's airlock slowly sliding open, causing her to swear even more profusely as she furiously typed in a rough trajectory for Jem to fly in since the drone refused to do so itself, insisting that there unknown objects moving about near the person-figure.

It was then that it hit her again.

Derelict ships shouldn't have anything moving about in them.

The mercenary immediately grabbed for the rifle placed on her back as she magnetically attached herself to the shuttle, adrenaline clearing her head and her senses as every sight suddenly came into perfect clarity. Sevyn unwaveringly trained her sights on the tiny slit the person-figure had opened, slightly below and to the right of the figure's armpit. Almost on cue, bright blue orbs which blazed harshly in space popped out of the hole, followed by several others. Sevyn's sights snapped immediately to the first one, her finger tense on the trigger should the small drones prove hostile.

Somewhere off to her left, Jemini gave a single mocking whirr.

[User]
Felix frowned as the airlock status blinked up as active on his display. He hadn't given anyone permission to leave since the Gygan had almost forced her way out of the 'lock, and at least she'd asked for him to let her out, in her own way.

For a moment he worried that the argumentative posturing he'd heard coming from the two who'd obviously been wanting to rip into each other from the moment their glowering eyes had met had taken their spat to the next level, but a quick check of the internal cameras confirmed the two were still in their seats hissing and growling each other like a pair of Coripas Oranguhogs.

Stabbing a finger into the commlink he opened a channel. "Whoever just activated the airlock, report in immediately." Even as the words left his lips the pilot realised he was too late. Already a figure was moving off from the ship towards the looming hulk.

"The airlock is viable, pilot. Dock." @Tenish the Mighty

Turning his attention away from the unauthorised space walk Felix checked his navigational sensors and saw the docking bay doors had opened, only to freeze up again with only a couple of meters clearance. "I know you all consider me a miracle worker of a pilot, but even I can't fit a ship this size through a gap like that!" He barked, still cooling from the misuse of the airlock and taking his stress out unfairly on the Gygan. So far she was the only one of the 'specialists' he was carrying who'd actually managed to achieve anything.

With a deep sigh he let his temper calm before thumbing the mike on again. "Look I'm sorry but I guess the dock's a no go. I'm going to try and bring the ship close enough to get a lock on the maintenance hatch with the umbilical. Anyone care to volunteer as my co-pilot?"

[Assistant]
Farvis listened to the pilot's explanation and nodded. Typical government compromise, he thought. Half the people want to decrease military spending, and half want to keep the military as strong as it was, so, instead of decreasing the number of ships and keeping them on par with mercenary equipment, you compromise. You decrease the budget AND keep it the same size, leading to all of the military gear being worthless. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few backroom deals involved in those contracts, either.

He walked back to his seat and listened to the others try to come up with a plan. That was, until Marga addressed him.

"Now that's an idea, Farvis, how about you and I spend some time together on one of the Askarian moons and have a little fun when all this is over? For old times sake."

"Oh, I'm definitely up for spend some "quality" time with you. I hear there are nude beaches there where the views are stunning. Of course, with you there I have no doubt of that they will be." Of course, they'd never actually been together, but the Ex didn't know that, and playing along would get her even more on his side. "As soon as the mission's over and we're free, I'll go make a withdrawal from one of my hidden accounts and buy us a cabin on a cruise liner heading there." Hopefully the last part would be enough to convince the Ex that they'd been together.

He watched as one of the crew got up and irritatedly entered the airlock with a robot of some kind. The pilot demanded that they identify themselves, but apparently they had already jumped ship. He walked over to the airlock, but the indicator panel showed that there wasn't any air inside. Well, so much for boarding the station. Judging by the pilot's comments, things were going to well outside the station either. He wasn't a pilot, though, so he couldn't help.


[System]
Age: 24
Height: 6'-0"
Weight: 170lbs
Allegiance: Aspirian Royalty
Distinguishing Traits: Wherever the party is, Cas is bound to be there also. He's a free spirit with a tendency to act without thinking through the consequences, although due to his cushioned upbringing and high status, he rarely has to face them. Despite his wild lifestyle, however, he has a soft side and has been known for taking in stray and injured animals he finds in the streets of the capital city.

Short Bio: As the son of the reigning king, Atlas Maydestone, Caspian has lived the entirety of his life in the capital of Aspiria. He was born with a silver spoon in hand, enjoying the finest luxuries the country had to offer even when he was as young as five years old. This experience shaped him as a person. He grew up seeing the glass half-full and believing Aspiria was every bit as perfect and amazing as his father wanted him to think it was.

As a child, he spent most of his education being groomed to take over as the next king but never really took his future duties seriously. In his mind, it was so far off, there was no reason to worry about it. That is, until his father's health took a sudden decline when he turned eighteen. Suddenly slapped in the face by the reality that he was actually going to be the next leader of an entire country, he began to pay more attention to his teachers and did his best to understand all the different jobs he would have when his father died. However, the more he studied, the more he realized how unqualified he was for such an important role.

To deal with his rising sense of insecurity, Cas delved back into any and every social event he could find around the capital city. Partying and drinking with friends took the edge off his fears and helped him to forget about the impending future of his kingship. Deep down, he knew his coping strategy wouldn't change anything, but for now, it was good enough to keep him from getting absorbed in the weight of it all. He would just continue to put it off until he had to face it, the same way he handled the Scourge.

The rebellion (better known as the Scourge by everyone who lived in the capital) was the other big, glaring problem he tried not to think about. To make the enemies seem less imposing, he and his friends would make crude jokes about them and discuss all the creative ways the king could punish them for treason when they were eventually defeated by the state, but secretly, he was always on the lookout for anyone who seemed suspicious. As the crown prince of Aspiria, he'd heard the threats the rebels spat about himself and his family, and he was concerned about what could happen if they ever managed to get inside the stronghold walls.

He just hoped the military was strong enough that he would never have to find out.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

[User]
Iris felt herself just stare at the words on the letter a little while longer before she finally looked back at Jacob who had seemingly made up his mind on what to do. "W-What?" Frowning slightly as she wasn't entirely sure on how to process the offer, it was out of character, and she had expected him to just haul her back off to prison. Not that she was complaining because this was the best possible outcome, he could easily sneak her back in and she wouldn't need to worry about that. "You would do that?" It was clear to see how stunned she was over the small gesture from the guard.

"You're not just saying this for me to go quietly and then trick me and throw me in prison? This… this is a genuine offer to take me back home?" It was hard not to question it; Iris knew this guard was a man of his word as he was the reason, she had probably survived the first round in prison. Then there was the fact he had covered for the King at the time when it came to her escape from the hospital and now there was an easy way out of all of this.

Glancing back at the letter in her hands she placed it on the table before rising to her feet, she could feel her stomach churning at the idea of actually leaving Cas. Returning to the destroyed districts and Ethan who would hopefully stop threatening the monarchy and drop all the rebellion like agreed when he threatened her on the phone. "Cas… he can't know though. That you did this." Rubbing her arm, she doubted he would tell him, but at the same time she had to be sure as she needed to be the bad guy so he could move on.

"I have to be the bad guy in this story, else I fear he would do something as stupid as follow me into those districts to bring me back." Sighing Iris knew it was for the best though, "At least if he doesn't know he will think it was all me, that I just left and didn't even consider trying to work it out with him. This way I get to be the bad guy and he gets to move on without any further issues." She was certain that after a bit of time he would easily move on with life and do what was best for him.

This was it; she had her way out and she could get home without any issues. Iris knew she could stop Ethan now and Maisie would help her with it all, Jacob didn't need to know anything about that side of it. This was her problem to deal with and this would be her sacrifice to make. Being the bad guy wouldn't be so bad, she could handle knowing that Cas would hate her if it kept him safe from all the trouble in the districts.

[Assistant]
Maybe it was a mistake. Iris had been a member of the Scourge and the daughter of its late leader, no less. Returning her to the districts beyond the capital was a gamble, but after speaking with her again, Jacob didn't feel like she was a large enough threat to the kingdom to deserve another prison sentence. Her attachment to the king helped as well. While he couldn't support them as a couple, he wasn't concerned about her turning on Caspian and trying to kill him again. Even if she rejoined the rebellion—and even that felt like a big 'if'—he didn't expect her to do anything to target the monarchy this time.

"It is. And I would prefer to leave now," he replied casually when she asked if his offer was serious. Taciturn by nature, he didn't elaborate or share his reasoning for coming to the decision that he had. She didn't need to know more than he'd already told her: that he was going to drive her past border patrol and let her go back to her home. If she had questions, they could discuss the matter further after they were on the road. He didn't want to be out longer than he had to anyway, since his presence would be missed at the palace if he dawdled much more than he already had.

When Iris gave him her condition for leaving, the guard listened silently and then nodded once. "I won't tell him a thing," he assured her. He'd never had any intention of telling Caspian that he'd helped her slip out of the capital. It was better if the young king believed she had left of her own volition, because she was right. In his current state, it was very likely that he would spend every spare minute he had trying to bring her back. It would have been even worse if he left to look for her, himself. Abdicating the throne would leave Aspiria in a perilous position, so they had to make it look like she had broken up with him and didn't want him to come after her. It was the only way they could make sure he didn't do anything reckless.

He knew Caspian wasn't going to take it well, but it was for his own good. His and Iris's. With that thought in mind, Jacob offered her his own pair of sunglasses as a simple disguise and stepped over to the door to lead the way out. "Follow me and keep your head down," he said curtly. "It's a fifteen minute drive to the border." He only glanced over his shoulder once to make sure she complied before he headed out of the suite, leading her down to his car that waited in the parking lot in front of the resort.

[User]
Iris nodded knowing that time probably was of the essence, who knew how Cas' meeting was going with the warden as they spoke. For all she knew he could very well have gotten rid of her warrant already and lingering only meant the risk he would take her back to the palace. It was only by some miracle that Jacob was willing to take her back to the border, it would mean she had to somehow make her own way back through the districts and back to that rundown home that had sat empty for so long.

Taking the sunglasses silently she put them on thinking about how similar Jacob and Cas where when it came to things like this. Remembering how Cas had given her sunglasses as a disguise on the way in and now she was wearing the same things leaving. Keeping her head down she began to follow the guard out of the hotel room as a huge wave of anxiety hit her full force at leaving. This had been the first time she'd have left anywhere for so long; it had been weeks not being able to go out into the fresh air and now all of a sudden, she felt anxious to leave and it wasn't because she was a criminal or anything.

Hesitating in the hall for a moment she found it hard, each time she had left a place had been fuelled with adrenaline but now this was different. This was just a casual walk to his car and drive to the border. They weren't running from anything, and it took her just a few moments to gather herself before she started to move again thankful no one had come out and seen them look a bit odd. "Sorry." Whispering an apology to Jacob, she didn't bother explaining what had just happened because she doubted, he cared or even understood. Instead, she just walked on trying not to think about it.

Focusing on putting one foot in front of the other she tried not to think on it at all, right now she was making the best decision because Cas would be free of her and all the dramas she had come with. Their future could never work, not when she had caused all of this in the first place by allowing the rebellion to kidnap him. That was all her and no one would or should forgive her for that even if Cas had.

Taking her first steps out into the open didn't feel as big of a deal as she originally thought it would have, but seeing his car made her stomach drop. It was finally about to happen; she had an easy pass back home without any sort of effort required. Wordlessly she got inside the car, there was no need to make small talk especially with a guard who probably hated her. In fact, he was probably over the moon she would finally be out the picture, perhaps this was even a trap. Luring her to his car to say he'd take her back to the districts and then just kill her and no one would know. No one would miss her except probably Maisie because Cas would certainly get over her.

[Assistant]
Walking down the hallway, Jacob only noticed that Iris had stopped following him when he neared the corner that would take them to the elevator. He turned around with an impatient frown, prepared to tell her to keep moving if she was having second thoughts. Now that he'd found her, she had no other option anyway. It was his duty to make sure that her involvement with the king came to an end, and he was going to do that one of two ways: either by returning her to the districts or by dragging her off to a prison cell. The choice was hers, but he did hope she would choose the former, if only because he didn't think she deserved to go through more questioning and torture.

Fortunately, he didn't need to say anything before she kept walking, and they made their way to the elevator lobby. He didn't bother responding to her apology either. Knowing that it was difficult for her to leave Caspian, he didn't feel entitled to any of her specific thoughts on the matter. As long as she went with him, that was all he cared about. She could open up to him if she wished, and he would listen and perhaps hare a word of advice, but he wouldn't probe her to start that conversation.

Being the middle of the day, most of the other people staying in the hotel were already busy exploring the recreational activities on the other floors, so they didn't run into anyone on their way down to the ground level. Jacob preferred it that way as he led Iris out into the parking lot and to his waiting car. The less people around to question who he was with or what he was doing with a criminal, the better.

He unlocked the doors and made sure she climbed inside first before he sat down behind the wheel and put the car in drive. The silence between them continued to drag on as he headed out toward the highway that would take them to the border. Unlike Caspian who always listened to music on the road, the guard left his stereo off in order to pay full attention to his surroundings. It was easier that way for him to drive safely as well as listen for alerts on his phone, in case anyone at the palace tried to reach him while he was out. He was still the head of security, after all, so his job was his priority even above the favor he was doing for Iris.

As they neared the wall that curtained the capital off from the rest of the kingdom, he began to slow his speed. "Let me doing the talking when we pull up to the checkpoint," he told Iris without looking away from the back of the car in front of him. He had brought them to a crawl as they joined a short line of other vehicles that were on their way out of the city. Most of the others were military transportation and delivery trucks that were going to be picking up goods and supplies that were produced in factories in the districts.


[System]
Clan: Shima
Title: Halfling
Gender: Male
Age: 15

Race: Half-Oni
Weight: 90 lbs
Height: 4'10"

Appearance:

Occupation: Blacksmith

Notable Skills: His strength is unmatched by any human which only grows with his anger. He's fair good at running fast and climbing trees and rocky surfaces.

Magical Abilities: Can use his spirit energy as an extension of his body to an extent. Using it to pick up stuff isn't something he's learned and using it too much drains him until he eats or sleeps again.

Ki Techniques/powers: Manipulation of his own spirit and turning it into 'blue fire' energy, a trait shared with certain groups he tries to remove himself from. When he loses control of his temper his inner demon shows itself, advancing his features, increasing his strength and durability. Because of his Oni inheritance he has advanced healing, taking mere days over weeks to recover from injury.

Weapons: "Lion's Tooth" as pictured. A folded steel sword he crafted himself.

Other Gear: None.

Personality: Gin is a small, gentle young man who remains loyal to those he befriends. He goofs off sometimes and be fairly playful but can become serious and focused when he needs to be. He may act pleasant and human most of the time, but he may lose himself to his Oni side and become vicious and difficult to control. Despite not making friends with people not enjoying his company he hides his frustrations well, making excuses that he would have no skill if they didn't make time ignoring him.

Brief history: When he was a young boy he was found hiding in a tree by travellers, malnourished and filthy. The group saw what he was by his distinguishable pointed ears, red tint to parts of his skin and his red hair; however, they couldn't let a child die. It was thought best to take the child to someone to help teach him how to integrate himself into the human world and not with the brutish Onis, the best choice being the neutral Shima clan. With a family assigned to him, Gin found his niche in helping at the blacksmiths; however, the call for battle proved strong in Halfling Gin. He practised for many years in his spare time, learning the ways of the sword before crafting one himself to help balance his strength. Even if those around him didn't trust him because of his heritage he was determined to show he can help protect them from the growing aggressive climate Baji was falling under.

When the sacred relics were stolen away from the Shima clan, Gin knew he had to help take them back. They needed his strength to retrieve them. He had the strength of three warriors, three which would benefit the Shima clan by remaining on their defences. Offering himself as one of the travellers to gather the relics, disregarding his age and background.

Other:  Gin doesn't take a family name; people who took him in were his carers, not his family. Raw meat can be a difficult trigger for him to handle, the smell and sight of it making it hard to control his voracious nature from his Oni heritage. He can eat more than the average human. The symbol on his clothes is the blacksmith's marking which is stamped on everything made there, on his blade it can be found on the hilt.

[User]
Takumi didn't know much about Lady Ru personally but as he headed to find some people to question he answered with what he knew. "Like I said she mostly known for being a warrior and not really having interest in proper bajin custom. Can't tell you too much about her personality beyond that, but her beauty is well known. You often hear about people coming to try to marry her, mostly warriors who feel they deserve their own clan and want it through her." More than a few men from his island had attempted to do that, all to return in failure like those before them. Jiang's next question made him chuckle a little, before he went ahead and gave him the bad news. "Most clan leaders are men, so if you want some beautiful men there are a few of them. But even then most of them are old men at that. Very few female leaders are around, and those that do exist are mostly just temporary until a a son or bother returns home or in some cases until a grandson becomes of age." He doubted they would encounter any female clan leaders outside of Ru for a very long time, if at all.

The town square wasn't very lively when Gin and Metou reached it, it was getting late and most people were at home wrapping up training or preparing to bed. Many of the traveling trader were still around though, trying to sell their merchandise to the Naji soldiers as well as people of Ru who were still out and about. While there was no immediate sign of the musician they were looking for, many merchants and traders saw the two were clearly outsiders and began trying to get their attention. Not many traditional Ru food and good were being offered to them, but plenty of foreign objects and snacks were being waved around in Gin's face with various types of makeup and clothing pushed to Metou. They had nothing to do until they set out for the morning, so they just offered stuff to anyway who may not have seen or might possibly have a decent amount of money. None of them had the instrument in question but if any of them were asked about the woman, they would be able to point the duo in the direction of the right inn.

[Assistant]
Yuudai turned to leave until Kenji's hand was placed on her shoulder to stop her from leaving, her body relaxing slightly at the offer that he wouldn't mind going along with her. Suddenly she turned around to Kenji, one hand trying to grab and hold his hand as the other came up to gently rest on his chin if she was allowed to do so. Her face had a much softer look to it than it had ever since he had seen her back in Shima "Thanks for the offer but it is kind of personal..." Lowering her hand a smile came across her face, bearing her fangs a little as she did so. "Besides it will only take me a little while. Wait for me in the Inn and we will continue to talk since you seem so eager"

With that she started to walk away slow at first but soon her steps became a powerful stride before building into a sprint, heading not for the gate but for the wall that surrounded Ru! "Halt right th- Eh?!" The guard was shocked as the half oni did not answer his order by stopping but instead speeding up! She would have readied her weapon if Yuudai did not leap into the air, over both the guard and the fence in one bond, leaving the poor girl confused and slumped down on the floor from slight shock.

--- Leaving Ru ---

She didn't expect it to be as short a trip as it was, pretty surprised by the fact the fight took place so close to Ru or maybe she had just improved a leg muscles? Either way she finally made it to the place where the 'battle' took place. She had a hard time seeing with the dying light around her but it was then that her eye caught a glint of silver on the ground, many pieces in fact.

"What the..."

Kneeling down to the shards she could hardly believe that they were pieces of her rusted blade as the insides were a spotless sheen of some kind of silver like metal wrapped within the outer layer of rusted steel. Confused by the sight she almost didn't hear the two men and a women coming up from the forest. Two of them flanking as they were unsure what to make of the seemingly defenseless person suddenly out in the middle of the road. At least they were right to think this was no normal person as one of them tried intimidation before a fight.

"Hey, you. This is our scavenging spot, so unless you... Want..."

Yuudai stood up from the ground, towering over the little man that had decided to walk up and act all tough and with a powerful backhand she knocked his hatchet to the side, sending it spinning and stabbing into the ground beside one of the others, that were also shocked. "You are far too young to be doing this. Go back to Ru." She glared down to the 'bandit' before her but as he tried to speak back to her she made sure to get her point across by grabbing his face and tossing him like a rag doll into the girl, his mask coming loose to shock a younger than expected face. Kids trying to act tough and 'play bandit' so to speak. but there were much worse here and they were in danger.

"LEAVE!"

Frightened they started rushing back towards Ru, the girl even carrying the boy just to get away. "Tch, kids. Don't know the dangers out here. Damn I need a real fight or some fun soon." Picking up the pieces and the hatchet she made her way back towards Ru herself, entering the forest for a faster way "Excuse me" Making sure to step over the real bandits she dealt with while she was on the way here...

--- Return to Ru ---

After jumping back over the fence she made her way back to the Inn, wondering if Kenji did wait as she said. After all she did not take long just as she promised. She just ignored the few stares she got, she was use to it.

[User]
While they were on their way to search for their lead, Metou answered Gin's questions in a plain and to-the-point fashion. "Any instrument you don't recognize is a possibility we can investigate," Metou said, assuming that there wouldn't be so many musician women that they had to be picky on who they talked to. "And if she's not here, then there's nothing we can do, is there? We'll have to find some other way of tracking the thieves."

It was later than Metou realized when she and Gin arrived at the town square, and there was no longer any music to be heard at all. Nobody was left but some people passing through and traders noisily peddling things that Metou couldn't care less for. Gin was being swamped with traders as well, almost to the point of separating them, but at least he was being pelted with snacks. One merchant rushed up to Metou waving a bottle of unidentifiable fluid in her face, and began saying, "Buy my miracle tonic, and look better than you have in decades! This oil will make you look twenty years younger, I guarantee it!"

"Thanks for the offer, but I already have something like that," Metou responded. With the woman they were looking for seemingly absent, Metou felt a need to ask someone who was here the whole day where she might have went. However, these merchants seemed pretty preoccupied with making a bit more money before setting out, and Metou got a vibe that they wouldn't be inclined to help someone who turned them down. She spied a cheap-looking trinket the man also had in his hands, a small wooden emblem on a string to use as a necklace. Metou pulled a single coin out from under her cloak and said, "However, I'll buy that wooden necklace you have there, and maybe you can help me find what I'm really looking for."

After getting the information she needed, Metou pulled Gin out of the crowd and started taking them both in the direction the man had pointed her in. "One of the merchants told me where we can find our woman," Metou said, letting go of Gin when they were out of the town square, not that Metou had anything close to the strength she would need to pull Gin against his will. Once they were free from the pack of merchants there was no longer cause to hurry, so Metou slowed to a more comfortable pace and told Gin what inn they were headed to.

"Our target might be relaxing at the inn if she was playing in the middle of town, and might not have her instrument out. Look for anyone carrying an unusually shaped case that could be containing an instrument as well, maybe something this big or this big," Metou said to Gin on their way to the inn, and with her hands she made an imaginary shape to demonstrate the rough size and shape of a case that could carry a lute or guitar, and then a case that could carry a smaller instrument like a flute. After thinking for a few seconds she added, "If you don't see anyone with an unusual musical instrument or case, look for someone with an unfamiliar style of clothing." It wasn't long before they were at their destination and headed inside, and Metou scanned the inside of the inn, paying particular attention to the patrons near the walls, looking for someone playing a foreign instrument, sitting near their instrument in a box, or someone who looked like they may be a traveling player.

[Assistant] Baji was even more determined to hit things off with Ru if she was going to be their only guaranteed attractive woman that they would meet on their travels. Him not being use to Bajin customs made this meeting even easier since he wouldn't have to remember things to say or do that are seen and common formalities amongst individuals. Hopefully this neko truly was a member of Shima and left Lady Ru with a wonderful impression. "Well, let's hurry up and find this neko so I can see what he knows."

[User]
Gin was really not sure he could handle this, he hadn't been in a crowd like this before and his guardian was always the one to go and get all they needed from the market. He got bullied too often to go by himself most of the time and while this place may be more accepting than his home town he still felt overwhelmed by it. Trying to keep up with Metou while watching where everything was he was happy enough when the town square wasn't showing itself to be too busy, he could handle this, but he still couldn't see who they were supposed to find. Something about a strange instrument and he would probably be quick to try and catch them for questioning.

Only giving Metou a quick glance he was soon caught off-guard when the merchants had caught sight of them and was immediately on their way to try and appeal to their tastes to get their goods sold. Pulling back with a gasp as they made their advancement on him he found it hard to focus on just what one was saying nevermind all of them at once, his eyes going to the strange objects before the snacks caught his eye. He was getting rather hungry, but he didn't know how much more money he would be making along their journey if he was to spend it all on snacks here. Feeling inclined to turn them down he was just about to turn away when one of the merchants showed him a trio of dango in a series of bright colours.

Gin's eyes lit up, the sweet dumplings being his favourite snack and here they were in a series of colours that appealed to his nature. "Ah! Ah! Look at them…!" he spoke up suddenly, his hands going to his face in excitement for a brief moment; however, just as he lowered them as if to get some money out his hand was suddenly grabbed by Metou and he was pulled away, never to get the dango he saw so appealing.

Stumbling along with Metou he felt rather sad for a moment at his lost opportunity, looking to Metou sadly before he let out a sigh when she let him go. "Oh, good…great. The woman…" While he did feel a little down he might get some another time, if he lived that long. Looking back at the town square he started to pace himself better, pulling his cloak around a little more as Metou gave him the lowdown on what might need to look for he felt a little disappointed. "A woman with a big case…? That's it then?" he frowned, staring at Metou as she gave further hints. It sounded like an awfully complicated method to try and find someone and if they accidentally bothered the wrong woman then they would be in trouble. Upon finally arriving at the inn he entered cautiously, his eyes instead going to the people who lined the inn, already feeling incredibly nervous when a few took interest in their entering. "Uhh…most definitely a woman, right…"


[System]
Character Information
Alias
None
Age
25
Race
Earthling; Human
Gender
Male
Occupation
None currently
Height
5' 10''
Weight
160 lbs
Hair Color
Black (shaved head)
Eye Color
Green
Visual Appearance

Written Appearance
Yang generally sticks a with simple blue martial arts gi as seen above. However, he's not above wearing more casual attire if an occasion calls for it. In those cases, though, he tends to keep it to a simple shirt and jeans. Beyond that, there's not much else to tell about his wardrobe. He stands at 5' 10'', a slightly above average height. He weighs a similarly average 160 pounds, at least that's usually the average for one spending his life in rigorous training anyway. He keeps a clean-shaved head, believing that growing his hair long would prove tactically disadvantageous in situations where the wind blows it in front his eyes to block his visibility, or provide opponents something to grab him by if he is not careful.
Personality
Focused and serious-minded, Yang takes his training very seriously and practically scoffs at anyone who doesn't. The martial arts have been one of the only things he's known for most of his life, and so that is the thing he has come to latch onto more than anything else in the world. Of course, this also means he knows little about city life and finds most of it to be frivolous and without meaning, which can and has rubbed many people the wrong way. He's also slow to trust others, but on the flipside his trust is almost always permanent once it's been earned. That also comes with the caveat of his trust being nearly impossible to regain should it be broken or betrayed. In battle Yang is equally as distrusting, often spending the first several moments of any fight purely on the defensive. Most opponents mistake that for fear or hesitation, but they learn soon enough that this so-called hesitation is really just Yang's way of studying his opponent until a suitable weakness can be found and exploited.
Background
An orphan since childhood, Yang knows nothing about his parentage and where or if any of his living kin live. And strangely enough, the young man has never had any desire to go searching for those answers either. He was taken in at an early age by a wandering hermit known only as Master Feng. Feng happened upon the orphan Yang being bullied by bandits, but before the old man stepped in he noticed the young child was quick to go on the attack to defend himself. The child didn't stand a chance, but there wasn't even the slightest hint of fear in the boy. Intrigued, Feng finally stepped in and easily frightened off the bandits with his superior skill. He took the boy home with him and trained him ever since.

Yang trained for years under Feng, learning what was known famously as the Crane School of Martial Arts. After beginning to master the School's style and even its most iconic technique, Feng surprised Yang one day when he told the newly-turned-20 year old student that he had nothing left to teach him. Unfortunately, Feng had focused Yang so much on training that the young man was at a complete loss for what to do. This was indeed the issue that Feng hoped to solve. Perhaps by sending Yang away to experience the world on his own he would learn to love and appreciate other things besides Martial Arts training. Always a loyal student, Yang obeyed his master's wishes and left to travel the world on his own.

Five years have passed, and Yang now travels here and there, always on the lookout for new training or a new rival to test his limits against.
Weapon & Techniques
Weapon
None
Power Level
1,365
Saga One: 910
Ki Color
White
Techniques
~Zanzouken: More commonly known as the Afterimage technique, the Zanzouken is a phenomenon that occurs when a fighter moves at such speed that they leave behind afterimages of their body in their wake. The images themselves cannot attack, as they are mere images that quickly fade away. Instead the technique is most often used to confuse or misdirect an opponent so that a counterattack can be more efficiently used against them afterwards.

~Taiyouken: Sometimes known as the Fist of the Sun or as the Solar Flare. The user holds their hands next to their eyes and their Ki produces a bright flash of light comparable to looking directly into the sun. It can blind the target and even those around them for several moments, leaving them open for an attack or providing the user an opportunity to escape. The technique can blind an opponent even if they're eyes were closed at the time of the attack, though for a shorter duration. A useful technique, but also easily countered by simply wearing sunglasses.

~Dodonpa: This finger beam attack is the most well known and iconic technique of the Crane School. While most Ki wave techniques rely on raw power and concussive force, the Dodonpa is instead a more concentrated beam of superheated energy. Depending on the user's level of Ki, the beam can pierce through virtually any form of armor or defense, often burning a small hole in the target's body. This efficiency is made even more devastating by the technique being much faster to charge than other more conventional Ki wave techniques. Its speed combined with its small size make for an attack that can be used at overwhelming speeds and with lethal accuracy and precision.

~Kikoho: The user forms a vaguely diamond-shaped "tunnel" with their hands. After gathering enough Ki, a powerful wave fires forward at a downward angle and slams the target with a powerful concussive force. The attack can be repeated multiple times, but with each successive blast draining the user's Ki and even their own life, potentially killing them should they overuse it. Despite the blasts leaving a square hole or crater on the ground, it has often been given the misnomer of Tri-Beam.

~Dokuken: Sometimes called the Venomous Fist, the Dokuken is series of swift strikes that don't appear to actually damage the opponent's body. Instead, the strikes are designed to target pressure points on the body and causing a brief paralysis in the limbs to restrict movement and slow the opponent down for a brief period of time. The more advanced form of this technique is said to not only debilitate an opponent's body but their Ki as well, seemingly crippling their ability to raise their Ki for a short time until they can shrug off the "venom" of the Dokuken strikes.

~Suppression: The ability to lower or raise one's power level. An invaluable strategy for hiding one's presence, though not entirely flawless either. Emotional outbursts have been known to raise one's Ki even unintentionally, so remaining calm and collected is the key to mastering this ability.

[User]
Character Name: Hiko Kyoryu
Race: Pterodactyl
PL: 910
Time/Date: Day 1, Morning
Location:Fighter Waiting Room
Tagging:@williwaw

The heart just about leaped out of Hiko's chest. He had not meant to brush up against this woman with his wingtip. Master Kameina's voice echoed in his mind, reminding him that he should never touch a woman unless it was to save her life. But right now the frightened pteranodon felt like he was the one who needed saving from the amazonian Sheeban.

"I'm so sorry ma'am! I did not mean to disrespect you by touching you." Hiko apologized profusely. The giantess grabbed Hiko's tail and leaned in towards him. The sensation of his tail being clutched by Sheeban was odd. He'd had his tail grabbed before in combat, by opponents who were unaware that it was Hiko's most powerful appendage. But this felt different, it was awkward and uncomfortable. Yet somehow pleasant, though Hiko couldn't tell why. As the woman leaned forward, Hiko could see down her chest. He quickly averted his eyes upward, forced to meet her piercing gaze.

Sheeban barked at Hiko about how people like he and her were not like the tinier tournament participants and that they deserved to be eaten. Hiko, was taken aback by this rhetoric that flew in the face of everything he'd been taught by Master Kameina. Her message seemed the exact opposite of the Tsubasan principles of humility and compassion. All this made Hiko unsure about whether he would want to learn from a woman like this. Especially hearing her say that she was a princess, Hiko could only imagine what the frugal and spiritual monks of his temple would say if he knew he was consorting with royalty.

Hiko tried to squeak out a response, "M-my name is H-Hiko Kyoryu, student of Tsubasa Temple…your highness." He was certain she wanted him to speak louder, but it was the best Hiko could manage with how flustered he was. Plus, he didn't want to cause an even bigger scene. He could already see curious eyes glaring over at Sheeban and him.

[Assistant]
Character Name: Sheeban
Race: Human
PL: 910
Time/Date: Day 1, Morning
Location: Fighter Waiting Room
Tagging: @Slingshot @The Abyss

Well it wasn't much yet but Chanko was fairly sure she would be able to put Hiko on the right path. At the very least he had done a few of the tasks she had told him about. Sheeban had a name to work with alongside the name of his dojo, Tsubasa Temple. Chanko would need to investigate it at some-point if only just to see how much of the basics of sports entertainment that this dinosaur man knew. Some dojos were not as willing to teach the basics of the craft as Satan's Castle was; and Sheeban needed to know just how much he knew before she eventually contacted one of the other members in the organization to bring Hiko in.

But those thoughts quickly dissipated as she was pushed a bit by a spacer, which definitely wasn't super elite. Letting go of Hiko's tail, the monster of a woman let out a snarl as she pointed towards the shorter prey, "SNNNNURK." snorted out Sheeban as her nostrils flared,

"YO FREAK! You think you can get away with pushing The Dungeon's Princess!?" hollered out Sheeban as she clenched her meaty fist and pointed towards Raddik. "SUCH PITIFUL INSOLENCE SHALL NOT BE TOLERATED IN THE COURT OF SHEEBAN." Bearing her teeth in a bestial smile Sheeban glared daggers at the space chimp, "I've broken chumps like you for breakfast without breaking a sweat."

This was followed by yet another scene of braggart flexing of her gigantic muscles "Unlike you, I am an elegant siege machine built to rule and kill. LOOK AT THESE PYTHONS!" declared Sheeban as she once again showed off her arms before moving into another stretch. With another devious smirk she began waggling her finger, "As such a noble ruler, I will give you two options. You shall either kneel before my superior presence or – you will be broken piece by piece."

She held out her left finger before taking her right hand and began to mime pulling it back. "I think those fingers, those joints will be the first to go." remarked Sheeban with a devious glee.

Man, Chanko was in the zone today. There were many sources of inspiration to be had and the show had not even begun! Who knew what inspiration the jeering of the crowd would bring!? But that was for the future, the matter here was that of the present.

"Sooooo..." drawled out Sheeban as the giantess gave out a fervent grin bearing her teeth, "...What is your choice. Choose wisely."

[User]
b]Character Name:[/b] Kin Zoku
Race: Human - Mutant
PL: 910
Time/Date: Day 1, Morning
Location: Fighter Waiting Room
Tagging: @Williwaw @Slingshot

Kin watched the entertainment go on for a bit and when the giant woman went off on the newcomer with a tail, he decided that he should speak up and try and defuse the situation. He took out one of his metal orbs and manipulated it into a ten foot tall and five foot wide barrier of steel that was placed between Sheeban and Raddik. Kin then used his powers to lift himself off of the ground and hovered above them with his arms crossed.

"I think you have said enough for one day. Wait till you're in the ring and try to control your roid rage" he said calmly as he watched the fighters below. He wasn't expecting to be a keeper of the peace, but he was willing to do so if the situation was going to get out of hand. Although the thought did cross his mind that if these two fighters began to tear each other part then that would be two less opponents he would have to deal with in the ring. But Kin wasn't one for hoping that some misfortune befell his competitors and so he just decided that it was best to keep things under control.

"Let's not ruin a great day for the tournament with petty fighting and ego clashing" he stated and was curious to see how the muscle woman would react to him intervening in her tirade at Raddik.

[Assistant]
Earthling Human
PL: 910
Time/Date: Day 1, Morning
Location: Waiting Area
Tagging: None

Yang started to sigh at first. He wasn't interested in conversing with the two women, but at the same time he was probably too polite to actually refuse them. Thankfully, the choice was taken out his hands when a third woman stormed into the Waiting Area. She bellowed about her imminent victory and carried on with her show-boating. Combined with the woman in the hat suddenly bickering with the second woman, Yang no longer had any need to take part in the conversation. That suited him just fine, and he carried on with his meditation.

With his meditation, Yang attempted an uncommon practice known as Image Training. While meditating, a martial artist could potentially project a vivid image of themselves in their own mind. A pair who could meditate on the same wavelength could even spar against each other within their own minds, but as Yang was alone he settled for exercises and kata training. Within his own mind, he was at the bank of a river at the base of a mighty waterfall. The sound of the crashing waters was vivid in Yang's mind, and his image self stood on the shore, performing the usual warm-up exorcises before going into full katas. His hands and feet struck the air at blinding speeds, as punches or chops or forceful kicks. The katas grew more intense until Yang suddenly ended by swinging his arm in a chop aimed at the direction of the waterfall in the distance. The strike was so forceful, so laden with Ki that it seemed to split the waterfall down the middle, but only temporarily as moments later the two streams fused back together into one.

Yang wasn't completely unaware of his physical surroundings during all of this. He was instinctively able to sense the arrival of a handful of others, including a particularly interesting fighter that went into a meditation of their own. Yang wondered if the Pterodactyl was also familiar with Image Training, but chose not to ask in order to avoid breaking the focus of his meditation. But it would only be normal meditation, as Image Training often came with the caveat of being mentally exhausting and Yang didn't want to overdo it before the tournament could even begin.