[System]
Theme Song:
Gender: Female
Age: OLDER THAN THE ABYSS OF TIME ITSELF(15)
Appearance: "Hah! I am the TRUE darkness of this world!"
Personality: Destroyer of kingdoms! Slayer of kings! Kidnapper of fair maidens! All of these things are not at all an apt description of Amythest as much as she would like others to think they are. Amythest would just love to be seen as a terrible and cruel mistress of black magic who takes pleasure in the suffering of others. She styles herself as such, loudly proclaiming that she seeks to bring evil upon all mankind! ... And yet in action, she cannot ever bring herself to perform truly evil acts. No, in spite of her claims, Amythest is not the evildoer she styles herself as. For every claim of being a heinous monster that she makes, Amythest has likely done something only mildly malevolent or even outright benevolent and kind. She claims she has never done anything helpful for anyone, but truthfully the girl simply is a much better person than she claims she is. She likes children and often has trouble keeping her villainous facade up around them, unless they're finding it entertaining. Amythest is full of confidence and pride in herself, and refuses to back down in the face of danger. Unless that danger is spiders. Amythest does not like spiders.
Favourite Colour(s): Blood red! Like the stains left behind by those who oppose her! Ahahaha! (Pink)
Favourite Food(s): The souls of her enemies! (Cheesecake)
Hobbies: Torturing the innocent! (Pressing flowers) Indulging in the spoils of conquest! (Collecting magical grimoires)
Weapons: Her channeling staff. That is all.
Powers/Abilities: Amythest is a black mage, utilizing primarily offensive spells. These spells are primarily fire-or-lightning-based, such as a bolt of lightning or a ball of fire. Amythest's most powerful spells, however, channel her mana as a beam or burst of purple energy. These spells can be highly hazardous to many organic targets. Amythest isn't very athletic and lacks physical skills, all her focus being on magic.
Biography: Amythest was born to an average family and had an average life. Averagely. Boringly. It was dull. Really way, way too dull. Amythest couldn't stand how boring she felt it was. Sure, she was learning magic, but she never got to do anything with it! That's when she hit upon the idea of becoming a traveler! But not just any traveler... a Dark Traveler! Yes, she would paint herself as the most evil and dark adventurer to cross the lands! ... And it became quite obvious that these claims were only words, as she simply could not actually do anything that evil. But still, she ventures across the lands and proclaims her evilness while doing nothing to back it up.

[User]
Radley
On the high slopes of the Ryu Mountain range a savage wind blew. It whipped at Radley's face, reddening his bare skin with its vicious chill, and, from the corners of his half-open eyes, streaks of tears ran to his hairline. One fist was clamped tightly around the brim of his sugegasa, the conical straw hat that sat upon his head, as the silk ribbon that normally held it adequately was fraying in the wind, and would not doubt have snapped under the force of a particularly strong gust. The hat was tilted slightly forward, in an attempt to further shield his eyes.

It had not been this bad when he started up the mountain pass, but Radley knew the risks taking this route during the early spring; its weather was temperamental at best. Weighing this against cutting at least a week of his travels times had led to Radley deciding it was worth it, which in turn, led to his current predicament. As if to spite him, a solitary figure on the mountainside, the weather took a turn for the worse, and he had to spend two days in a cave eating cured rabbit flesh around a meagre fire whilst waiting for the lashing hailstorm to clear. He had deemed it safe for travel on the third morning, and found that the wind was still as vehement as ever, but it was bearable.

In his other hand, Radley held his trusty staff, an old friend, who seemed to be an extension of his very body, which he currently used to traverse a section of loose shingles, with boulders jutting up sporadically from it. It was tricky; even with Radley's quickstep and light footfalls it began to slide down, and the wind seemed to wish to throw him of balance all the while, forcing him to break into almost a run, until he reached the solace solid of ground.

As he crested the final rise, he was greeted with a downwards slope and a magnificent view; the weather had since cleared up and offered a flawless azure backdrop to the expansive landscape, rolling hills and dense woodlands. He could also see a colourful gem on the horizon, the colloquially coined Starter Town, closer to a small city than a town with all the commerce and foreign embassy it saw.

Back in Bjorfrost, a northern frontier town whose mayor was indebted to Radley, the monk had heard rumours of a coming festival in the South, housed in the town he saw before him. Even that far north the people were excited, and there seemed to be a frantic dash to catch as many Knuckledhead from the icy lakes as possible, and carve trinkets from their sought-after, oversized skulls, which fetched a pretty penny on the southern market. The day Radley had left, the fishing trawlers were out in swarms, practically covering the lake, and it would have been a miracle in no fighting occurred due to disputes over catches. With a sparked curiosity, he had decided it was time to move on, and what better place to go than this renowned festival, and see first-hand if it was worth all the fuss.

He adjusted the pack on his back, and with his spirits raised from the sighting of the town, Radley made good pace down the shallow climb of the mountain pass, and soon trees started passing him as he descended into lands more hospitable. He was headed for the River Aern, which ran straight through Starter Town, and would take him the rest of his journey without much concern for navigation, allowing each footfall to come gaily as his mind wandered and he soaked in the warm sunshine. Once he was alongside the river, which swathed its way through land quickly becoming wooded, he was treated to the merry twitter of birdsong too. The river was illustrious in the sunlight, like liquid diamond flowing free. When Radley rested at noon whilst the Sun passed its zenith, the water did not disappoint; each mouthful was revitalising and so cold it felt like it was cutting your mouth, and it washed away the residual saltiness of the cured meat with welcome efficiency.

Onwards Radley trudged, his boots crunching in the wet sediment of the riverside, his staff offering stability and an extra driving force. He was making good pace, but knew he would not make the town in time; he had only just reached one of the winding dirt tracks that had been trodden in by numerous travellers and trading caravans. He followed this path for close to an hour, only seeing a single rider pass him in this time.

The sky was beginning to stain vermillion with the setting sun, and blue strips of cloud hung in wait of the coming night. Radley turned off the path before reaching the main cobblestone road that ran from Starter Town to New Harbour, and into the woodland running parallel to it. It sloped downwards, forcing Radley to lift his staff up on the ground and trot down so he didn't fall face-first, and likely spill the contents of his pack.

As the Sun touched the horizon, Radley had found a suitable place to camp: a ring-copse of trees, not too far from a road in the hopes wild animals kept away, which he could sling his hide covering between for shelter. In the ring made by the trees there were also several boulders, one of which he used to semi-shelter his fire, from the elements, and any unsavoury eyes, and another he slung his burden over, sitting on the only remaining, and also flattest, moss-covered stone. He yanked of his boots, after unbuckling them, and stretched, wriggling his toes, the nip in the air a welcome change from the sweltering atmosphere of his boots. His arms reached far above his head, his back cracked audibly once, and he let of a yawn.

The camp was easily set up; the covering, a mesh of sewn together animal hides, acted almost like a tent when slung between the branches of three trees, and retained much of the heat from the fire. Radley then went about skinning the three rabbits he had caught and not eat eaten on his journey, intending to feast upon one now, and quickly cure the other two overnight.

The sun was now a semi-circle of blazing fire, dropping slowly into the ground on the horizon.

[Assistant]
The blonde male walked through the busy streets.

Sotaru had been on a two day journey before arriving here in Starter Town. This was his first time adventuring away from his town and he was pretty excited.

However, right now he was focused on other things. Mainly that he was exhausted and really needed something to drink.

Walking through the busy streets, he made his way to a large plaza. There was a water fountain in the middle of it, and he went to sit down at the edge of the fountain. Relaxing and taking some breaths, he looked around at the many people going about.

This place is really nice. It's never this busy back home.

Sotaru's town was much more quiet and peaceful than here.

Eventually he saw a green haired girl near a food stand. After talking there for a while, she began to walk away.

Lots of interesting people here. I need to restock my supplies and purchase a new map. But first I really need to get some food.

Thinking that it might be nice to try to talk with one of the locals, Sotaru got up and walked toward the green haired swordswoman. "Hey!" he waved, finally catching up. "You live around here? I just got to town recently, I'm trying to find my way around. Do you know anywhere I can get some good food?"

[User]
High in the trees of the forest outside of Starter Town was a giant web spanning four different trees made up of a thin steel wire that was only seen as it caught the light of the sun high overhead. In the middle of the web laid a young man in his early twenties who seemed to be sleeping unaware of his surroundings as he rolled over into a gap in the web and fell out. Marcus woke up with one of his arms above him as he hung from the web as the wires were connected to his fingertips, he flicked his pinky finger which engaged the wheel integrated into the top of his glove which pulled him back up to the web as the wire slack was reeled in.

When he reached the web again he sat down cross legged in the middle and held out one of his gloved hands palm up and concentrated on the center. Hovering over his palm two small ice orbs formed from the moister in the air before starting to rotate around themselves over his palm as he started to meditate on the motion of the orbs. He remained in the pose for most of the afternoon with his eyes closed and actually at one point did fall back asleep only to be woken up by a growling stomach which reminded him that he hadn't eaten all day. Marcus grabbed one of the orbs in his clawed fingers as he watched it melt back into water before getting up from his spot and jumping over to the closest branch that was big enough to hold his weight before holding out his right hand and activating the wheel to reel in all the wires that made up the web.

As the sun started to head toward the horizon, Marcus jumped down from the tree and started to walk through the forest at his own pace as he listened for any sounds that could give away where food could be hiding. After a few minutes he saw a fire in a small clearing causing him to slow down as he approached quietly before sending out some wire to pull him into the trees so he could approach from above in the tree branches. He saw a man setting up camp in the clearing and was currently preparing a few rabbits for food which made Marcus' mouth water slightly. He fixed his cloak so that it covered his spool of wire on his back before sitting down on one of the branches that overlooked the clearing. "Hey there. I don't suppose you would be willing to share some of that rabbit? I do have some money if I could buy it off of you." He hoped that the older looking guy was friendly and would allow him to buy some of the rabbit since he was to lazy to head into town and find some food.

[Assistant]
Amythest Malachite, MISTRESS OF THAT HEARTLESS MAGIC THE WORLD CALLS BLACK - Starter Town, Beginnings Boulevard

"WAHAHAHAHA~"

The dark queen of all black magic slammed the tip of her staff down onto the cobblestone! With a triumphant laugh, she ran her free hand through her long, pink hair! Yes, beautiful and deadly! Swiftly it moved to her hip, and she gave the entire town a malevolent grin! Yes, Amythest Malachite, the darkest villain to ever taint the lands with her evil presence, had arrived! Soon these foolish mortals would know true fear! Soon they would suffer under her iron fist of cruel tyranny and tyrannical cruelty! Clearly her throat and flashing a malevolent grin to the crowd before her, she began to speak in the most threatening tone she could possibly muster!

"Greetings, foolish mortals of Starter Town!" she declared, pausing for a moment as she contemplated what a ridiculous name 'Starter Town' was. Seriously? Well, she'd rename it something fitting and evil when she... totally conquered it because that was exactly what she would do! "I am Amythest Malachite, MISTRESS OF THAT HEARTLESS MAGIC THE WORLD CALLS BLACK, WAHAHAHAHA~"

She paused to let the terror sink in for a moment, before closing her eyes softly and resuming her declaration of power and evil! "Now, I know you may all be terrified, and rightly so! But if you surrender to my dark might, you shall all be spared the greater part of the agonies I can inflict! Be forewarned, however, as any who resist me will suffer all the tortures of he-... E-eh...?"

Amythest trailed off as she opened her eyes and realized that, as opposed to cowering in fear, the populace of the town was proceeding along as if she wasn't there. Faltering, she hopped off of her position near the center of the boulevard and waved her fee hand in the air. "H-hey, black witch and all? Mistress of Evil? U-um... I'm right here you know!"

No-one was scared at all, what the hell?!


[System]
AGE: 23
GENDER: Male
ZONE: Zone 1

PERSONALITY: Jared's a laid back kind of guy. Not easily provoked, he tends to brush off any taunts without a second thought - and as such can come across as somewhat apathetic to those who don't know him well. Despite that, he has a sense of humor and is usually perceived as likable, even if his indecisive nature can be a bit grating at times. He's not much of a leader and prefers to follow, but if he really doesn't agree with an order he isn't afraid to simply ignore it and follow his instincts instead.

HISTORY: Despite being the youngest child of a poor family, Jared didn't have a particularly troubled upbringing. His father provided for the family by enlisting in the military, whilst his mother stayed at home to try and manage him and his four siblings. He had a remarkably carefree childhood, considering his families financial situation. Being the youngest child, he tended to go unnoticed by his mother a lot of the time, and as such was able to get away with a lot of things that other kids wouldn't be able to.

He spent a lot of his free time with his older brothers, blindly agreeing to whatever dares they could come up with. He always knew that he was just a source of entertainment for them, but he didn't really care. He just liked being able to amuse them. The rest of his free time was spent on his own, simply wandering around. He always liked being high up, and spent a lot of time climbing up anything he could find. He was never sure what it was about it that he liked, only knowing that he enjoyed the feeling of the wind against his face and the thrill of seeing the world appear so tiny below him. He grew apart from his family when his father was killed in action. His mother was sent spiraling into a terrible depression, and eventually just stopped eating, dying a couple of months after his father. Without parents to keep them all in check, his siblings all slowly drifted apart, most becoming petty criminals or simply staying unemployed.

This all happened when he was 19. He too left his childhood home, getting a typical boring office job and living in a tiny rented apartment. This didn't bother him however, he was just happy to be self sufficient without having turned to a life of crime. He missed his family sometimes, but for the most part managed to keep them out of mind.

APPEARANCE:
PHYSICAL:Jared is slim, but athletically so. He's considered a conventionally attractive man who stands at exactly 6 feet tall, with a strong jawline, piercing blue eyes, a tousled mess of brown hair and a designer stubble lining his jaw. He has tattoos covering his left arm in a patchwork of images and symbols, all of which relate to some defining event of his life.
Because I'm terrible at describing appearances, here's a picture for reference, just imagine more stubble and blue eyes:

IN-ZONE: There are relatively few changes between his physical and in-zone appearances, although the the changes that actually occur are quite striking. His hair becomes longer and pure white, and tends to float around his head as if there is a constant light breeze around him. His piercing blue irises expand to cover his entire eyes, lending him an otherworldly appearance. He also becomes mildly transparent, and if you look at him hard enough you can almost see straight through him.

POWERS:
NEXUS: Jared's power is aerokinesis, giving him control over air and the wind. When using the Nexus Projector, he is able to manipulate the air around him to suit a variety of purposes. He can create gusts of wind or small tornadoes powerful enough to move a small car, but apart from that his powers are severely limited outside of REM.
REM: In REM form, he is able to create much more powerful winds, almost equal to a hurricane in strength, and his tornadoes become that bit more devastating. He also develops new powers, including the ability to manipulate the air around him in order to grant him a form of flight. His powers may sound boring and slightly limited, but he knows how to make the most of them.
He also gains the ability to literally become wind. This ability allows him to pass through objects for a short amount of time at high speeds. The only downside to this power is that since he has technically become a gust of wind, he has to keep moving to maintain it. Even when moving, he can't keep up this power for long.

OTHER: He has an ungodly fear of spiders.

[User]
Henry Olin

---

"It's my home turf, and being in the zone is a million times better than being in a damn wheelchair. So I'm in." Miriam piped up. Henry, who was still rubbing his knee like the bitch he was, also raised a hand. "I've been hearing way to much about the other zones and the Nexus. I've been waiting for two weeks to get in on it. Sign me up." Henry said, raising his hand AGAIN. He knew that when he showed up he would be different than his REM form. But he also knew some other things that would occur with some work. So he wanted to get in on that as soon as he could.

"Hey Eli," Henry said out loud. "What kind of stuff are we going to be facing in Zone One? Some people might want to know what they're going to be up against!" He shouted. He knew full well what they would be facing. Denizens were the equivalent of innocent civilians, while aggressors were their enemy. Big and red and on fire and armed to the teeth. Not fun to deal with, at least by the sounds of it. "Also, should we be expecting anything different from the Nexus projector that wouldn't occur in normal sleep?"

Miriam on the other hand, was ecstatic. She didn't know anything regarding the Nexus or REM stages, at least not yet. She however, did know that in Zone One, she was unstoppable. She wasn't as offensive as Julian or some of the other zoners despite being a fire wielder, but she couldn't be touched by their weapons. She was made of condensed ash and smoke. If they shot her, she just reformed. Her body wasn't affected by things such as bullets or blades. Rather things like water or slime. This mission would be a walk in the park, and an excuse to flex her muscles to show that cancer girl might be a bitch, but she was no wimp.

[Assistant]
Jazz
Location: Unknown

Jazz is satisfied with Bobby's answer, as well as the other man's. She then turns to see their gracious, yet slightly snobby looking host walk in through the door and begin to talk about why they are here. He flashes up pictures of the places where others had been in their dreams, but the foggy wilderness stabs at her heart like a knife. She gasps slightly, grabbing a seat with a shaking hand. She recognizes the wilderness from her own dreams and she imagines those creatures that she has seen in them. It is not a pleasant sight. She looks up as he asks for volunteers to go into the first Zone: the red city. This would be a good chance for her to do some research and studying of these so called "Zones". It's not like she had much to lose.

"I'll go!" she says, standing up quickly. "I'm originally from the foggy wilderness, but this is much more exciting, especially if I get to explore." She smiles and pushes her glasses up on her nose as she looks around at the other people who volunteered: the girl in the wheel chair, another girl and the spastic boy who keeps waving his hand. She smiles. This would be a fun group to go with, but she would some how have to sneak away so she could explore.

[User]
The conversation had long since died to a lull by the time the cafeteria doors opened once more. The procession of service bots indicated that it wasn't just another abductee and the fact that the man at the end didn't wear the scrubs every other occupant had on solidified that. He wondered if the robots would be able to do anything if there were some unhappy souls amongst the two hundred or so individuals around, but quickly surmised that other safety measures had been put in place. Thankfully the "presentation" got underway far quicker than the man in charge had arrived, otherwise Julian likely would have caused an incident. It was one thing to be kidnapped by an organization to face a very real threat. It was another to be kept waiting rather than be promptly briefed.

Although given how roundabout this Eli was making the explanation, the urge to interrupt and simply tell the man to get on with it was hard to clamp down on. A quiet sigh was had when the point was finally made and Julian raised his head as the room's lights flicked back on. With a shrug he stood up among the many still seated around him. "Suppose it's my home turf too." It was rare that Julian worked with others in the "dreamscape", so he didn't particularly care too much about the other volunteers. Still...

It'd be interesting to see what abilities the blonde manifested given she was from the third zone, and he'd yet to hear anything about it. The pudgy kid had his head on right he supposed, the questions were good ones, even if his attitude was rather cheerful for the morbid task ahead. He had no idea who Miriam was in the Zone given the drastic appearance shifts that could occur, so he reserved judgement. The last girl seemed to have her priorities mixed up and her head in the clouds, but, small frown aside, he kept quiet and turned his attention back to Eli.

Now hopefully this was done in a more timely manner than Eli had arrived.

[Assistant]
Elias Winzer

---

Good enough number of volunteers so far. Hopefully, more would chime in. Henry's questions (both of which he already knew the answers to, he just wanted to make a good impression on the new arrivals) would be a decent attention grabber. So, he began to speak aloud once more.

"Zone 1, you've got the Aggressors. Sure a lot of you in the red scrubs have seen them plenty of times. Flaming skin... usually. They carry guns, they travel in packs, and a good deal of them have got powers just the same as you. Surveillance team has picked up footage of several sub-types, most likely all of which you'll be encountering relatively soon."

"And what about the Nexus Projector?" Henry asked with a hint of a fake smile. He knew full well the answer they'd be given. Eli sighed before he continued.

"The Nexus Projector will allow any of you Zoners... that's the title we gave you... to enter a connected hub space between each of the three Zones. From there, you can step into any one you want, regardless if it's your home Zone or not. You can stay connected as long as you want, and the machine has a built-in, fail-safe ejection system that'll boot out anyone who's vitals on the other side get too low. That's all well and good... but there is one catch. The Nexus Projector puts you in a sort of pseudo-stasis in order to maintain a neural link with the surveillance and comm systems. So, you're not fully asleep. Because of that, your connection to the Zones is... a little weaker than usual. Don't know what that'll mean for you individually... but we'll find out in a bit so don't worry about it."

He crossed his arms again before continuing. "Any more questions, Olin?" He said aloud to the group, "Or can I get some more volunteers? C'mon, people!"

[User]
Malcolm Graves

Malcolm listened intently to Elias and everyone else. So this was sort of like joining the army? Well, maybe not but I guess it's how he'll help the earth defend against the invasion and that was enough to bring Malcolm on board for the project. Then was the call for volunteers and four or five had already put their name down. "I'm in too!" Malcolm called, being one of the first with the number three on their shirt. The red city sounded nothing like Malcolm had faced before when he dreamt, so like any boxer should think, this will be a chance to improve himself as a fighter with a new environment and new opponents.

[Assistant]
Ursula Elwyn

---

With a slight jump, Ursula vaulted back to lucidity, suddenly very much aware of her surroundings and the sheer amount of people that had been packed into this cafeteria along with her. A quick push of her glasses allowed her to scan the surroundings and find that quite a few were dressed in similar scrubs to her. Black and red, with a large number 1 on the arm. Others were dressed in scrubs with the numbers 2 and 3 on them. Zoners? Nexus Projector? The severity of the invasion threat was not lost to her, but these words were flying right over her head entirely, leaving her to sit in her seat and softly mutter a drawn out 'uhhhhhhhhhhhh' to herself. She breathed in and out rapidly, beginning to sweat and panic once again as her glasses fogged up from her rising body heat. The mention of her family only served to accelerate this process, very nearly bringing her to weeping tears. Her family was being 'taken care of'? What was happening to them? What were they going to take care of? Is this some terrible organised bloodsport deal? Was she going to be released into the wilderness to be hunted as the most dangerous game? She felt sick. She felt her stomach lurching and moving erratically as her mind raced.

With a desperate leap, Ursula kept her head lower than the others around her and looked for the nearest trash receptacle. With a wet retch, she promptly voided her stomach of her previous meal and a small amount of her stomach acid. Her throat burned and stung as she slumped against the wall, managing to slur out in a quiet, pathetic tone, "Is my family dead? Are they dead?" Her voice was soft and shaking with panic. She was familiar with Aggressors, the red-skinned terrors that seemed to be spawned from her worst nightmares. She could play this game, if it meant her family would be safe. She stood slowly, ignorant of the looks of pity and disgust she was receiving.

And then she raised her hand.

"I submit myself. Just don't hurt my family. Please."

[User]
Jared listened intently as the same man that had appeared on his TV screen began talking about everything that was going on. Well, he wasn't particularly listening at first but his attention was drawn when he heard the mention of the red city, and the voluntary mission there. He was somewhat surprised when the man started mentioning 'aggressors', having never seen them himself - but then it dawned on him that he had never actually been into the city, always preferring to glide across the skyline.

"What the hell, I'm in." He shouted at the man. "Weirdly enough, I've never actually been low enough down to see these aggressors - or whatever you called them. I reckon it's about time I started learning."


[System]
Age: 11
Sex: Female

At around 4 foot tall, Linnea is a thin and tiny girl with a kind face that is used to smiling and vivid light-green eyes that hide Linnea's yearning for freedom from the prison that is her frail body. Slow of movement, a quiet voice and long, ethereal white hair give her the feeling of a wintry ghost in slow motion. She wears oversized hand-me-down dress shirts and sweaters over dresses and skirts for convenience sake, but prefers jeans and pants whenever she has the strength to put them on.

Personality: Linnea is a melancholy mix of kindness, sadness, curiosity/naiveté, and in stark contrast to her weak body, an iron will and determination. She has found it her personal calling to be kind-hearted and almost always has a smile on her face and a greeting for others. But, Linnea doesn't really laugh. She smiles often, most of them forced, but she's used to it. Her sadness and anguish comes from the fact that she feels she is a burden on her family, and that she misses them so much. Her smile is a way for her to hide/push away the sadness so that others wont worry over her and to show how appreciative she is.
Because of her sheltered upbringing, she is very curious about the outside world, it's peoples and cultures. She can be very curious about strangers, but too shy to ask too many questions. She loves all cuisine and is always willing to try new food. She also really loves flowers! Her most used color is white, but her favorite color is yellow. She has a strange and almost unconscious habit of picking up small objects to fiddle with while she is deep in thought or engaged in conversation, and then later realizing she has the object and not knowing where she got it from.

Background: Linnea grew up in a loving but struggling family with a single mother who worked herself to the bone, and an older brother who dreamed of going to college, then making it big and bringing prosperity to their poor family. Linnea always had a weak health and constitution, but a year ago she was diagnosed with a rare muscle disease. She could still walk, but she got tired very quickly and easily, and the doctors said it would only get worse.
It was then, because of expensive medical costs, that her brother decided to quite school to take on multiple jobs and help out the family, but the mother wouldn't allow it and there were many arguments. They finally decided that the brother would at least finish high school before joining the workforce, but even then, the mother was heart broken that her hard work couldn't even allow her son to go to college. Linnea saw all this. Saw how much they loved her and worked hard for her. She loved them So much! But she could do nothing for them. So she smiled for them. Even if she would cry and cry on the inside, she would and least smile and show her appreciation for being loved so much.
On her eleventh birthday they took her to a nearby flower plantation where they had a fun and peaceful day enjoying the flowers, the sun, and a picnic. Her mother and brother both got her a white poppy flower each, which made Linnea really happy. But then, her mother cried. She cried and begged for forgiveness for not being able to give Linnea a better birthday, a better life. Linnea and her brother both tried to soothe her, but they both ended up crying instead, all of them holding onto each other.
The next day, Linnea packed a duffle bag, left a loving goodbye note on the kitchen table, and left home...

Powers: Linnea's powers basically give her stereotypical ghost abilities. She can hover as if she is in a zero-g state, but she can control her direction and orientation with ease. She can't fly very fast (yet), only at normal walking pace. She can also become immaterial and phase through objects and people. Eventually, she may be able to make objects and other people fly and phase like she can, as long as she is touching it/them.

Personal Motive: Linnea doesn't know how she will ever be able to do it, but she wants to one day become able-bodied and financially successful so that she can take care of her mother and brother, who have both sacrificed so much to care and love her. She wants to return that 10 fold.
A small goal in her life is to sample/experience all the types of food from around the world.

Mementos: Other than a duffle bag of clothing, she brought with her a family photo album with 2 pressed white poppy blossoms in it (one with a blue ribbon, and one with a green ribbon). Linnea felt really bad for taking the photo album, but she needs it, and will occasionally look through it to reinforce her determination.

[User]
In the middle of his slow and well paced backing away, Coco found his hairs standing up at the sound of rustling foliage, his body turning sharply. What he found was no little bird (thank God, he'd gotten sick of those), but rather a small ... tiger? Curiousity caused Coco's head to tilt as he leaned forward for a closer look and- yes, that was a tiger. The only time he'd seen one was in a cage the City Man's friends brought in once, but he was sure the stripes were a tell-tale sign. The colour was a bit different thou-

Coco flinched back at the tiger's sudden release of a growl, the hand he hadn't realized he'd been reaching forward quickly pulling back. "Good kitty," hushed the small man, crouching lower to try and seem less intimidating (something which he wasn't used to doing given that, well, he usually wasn't all that intimidating), reaching a hand to try and console the small feline.

The response he received was nothing short of welcoming. The clay tiger roared, leaping forward to try and ward Coco off, the dark skinned man releasing a surprised yelp. Before he knew it, in the panic, his body had heated up once more, and when he pulled his hand away accidentally brushed against the tiger's ear. Coco held his hands close to his chest, having fallen back on his bottom, looking over the tiger in panic only for it to change to curious shock.

The little thing was... meowing(?), its ear having hardened and causing it to tilt to the side. It wobbled awkwardly towards Coco before its ear landed on the ground with a soft and solid thud, Coco's hands having cooled down and reaching over his 'o' shaped mouth. Did he do that? Oh crap he totally did that.

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry," he said, starting to crawl towards the tiger once more (but at a distance where he knew both of them were safe), "Are you okay? I'm sorry- can you talk? Also I don't know how to fix you, sorry." A beat. "But it was mostly your fault for trying to pick a fight."

[Assistant]
It felt kinda strange to be towering over people.

Plus, judging from how these people reacted, including that one behind her, it was clear as day that they were from the real world as well.

"I uh... thought you had your sidearm. Stannis Krolikov, formerly of the 75th Ranger Regiment, United States Army Rangers." The man started speaking. "I was hiking, went to sleep for the night, woke up, got lost and then found this dirt road. Not long after he found me," Gesturing to the scared man down the road with his head, "Then you showed up."

"I see. Juno Aulia, police officer." She looked around at them, noticing the spearman, Stannis, was sneaking looks at her horn. "I assume everyone here is heading to the village on account of some dream?"

All of them seemed a bit... young.

[User]
Chad Formost

 Chad began walking, farther and farther into the woods it seems. No sign of any humans anywhere. This was until he hurt a scream, a bit of murmuring, something about a sandwich, and some yelling. Chad gave a smile. Finally, people. He didn't stop to think that the yelling was a sign of anger. He was just happy to hear voices, voices he could understand.

     After walking a little ways the voices grew louder and clearer. He got there just in time to hear a woman say something about being a police officer. Along with saying something about a dream and a village. Chad immediately stepped into ring of people. "Hey everybody." He gave a bright smile and a wave. "I'm Chad, Chad Formost. Please to meet you. I'm really sorry for butting in but I'm a little lost and could use some help. Do you think any of you could help me?" He looked at the woman and spoke, "I heard something about you being a police officer. You also said there was a village near. Could anybody take me there?" Chad felt embarrassed. It wasn't like him to butt into a conversation uninvited. He didn't like interrupting people while they talked, but he need the help. He waited for a reply.

[Assistant]
Linnea hadn't flown very far, but high enough where she noticed smoke from the nearby village. As she was about to head off, she heard the commotion by the dirt path, and turned around to see more people showing up. Becoming curious, Linnea floated as close as she dared, but staying inside tree cover to see what they were talking about.
A policewoman? A soldier? They looked scary, but maybe it would be safe to be with them. At the very least, they were the closest to being authorities as she was going to find out here in the forest. It was after the happy looking young man asked for the village that Linnea made a decision. These were probably the others from Earth, so might as well work together. If anything bad happens, she can just fly away.

Linnea floats over to the group, revealing herself, but keeping above them so that they cant reach her (through normal means).
"Hi, um- hi. Eh-Excuse me, the village..." Linnea stops to take a deep breath, and points, "The village is over that way. It's not far, but maybe it will take us a while to get there... maybe."

[User] "...Rickie, was it? Why does it feel like there's some sort of meeting going on?" Kirrian asked him while they both walked down the road.

[Assistant]
Dusty yawned, slowly shifting in his sleep. He reached to his side to scratch his leg and felt something furry. He opened his eyes and looked down at the small furry intruder that was climbing into his lap. It was some sort of rodent, similar to a mouse, but different from any he had ever seen. He calmly brushed it away, and leaned his head back against the tree he was propped up against. But he didn't fall asleep. He went to sleep in his bed, not against a tree. He opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.

Raising his hand to his forehead to block out the sun, Dusty looked at the wildly large trees, and the local wildlife, completely different to the largely reptile population of home. He slowly stood up, talking to himself. "I didn't know there were forests like this in Arizona..." he said, turning around, and almost tripping over the rifle at his feet. Dusty bent down and picked it up. It was a musket, only capable of firing a single round a time. Not very high tech, but it would do. He grabbed it by the strap and slung it over his right shoulder.

Dusty then looked to his clothing, which was a distinct change from the boxers he went to sleep in. He was wearing some sort of uniform or working attire, and a pistol sword combo around his waist. A voice had told him in his dream he had been brought here with others, but Dusty didn't know there others. Could he trust them? He didn't believe in leaving it entirely up to chance. He unslung the rifle and loaded it, tightening the wheel lock, and pouring in powder from the small horn he was wearing around his belt. It came very naturally to him.

With the rifle loaded and in this hands he set out to find the others. Quickly he found a trail through the woods. Something big and strong with human feet had been through. It left a trail like an elephant, rampaging. Or maybe it wasn't. Dusty just found it easy to track, almost as easy as breathing. He followed it, quietly, almost completely silent at all points, and only audible within a few yards. He followed the trail to a small brook and then to a clearing where a large group of people and something Dusty assumed made the trail conversed. He stayed yards away in the tree line, listening without intervening, rifle lowered as he tried to discern the intentions of the group and if they were ultimately friend or foe.

[User]
Edwin thought he heard the man with the spear mention that he was some kind of Army Ranger... that didn't ring true to Edwin, the man looked barely older than him. Still, best not argue with the man holding a spear. It's probably good for my health.
Edwin plastered an awkward smile on his face and slowly walked forward keeping his hands spread out and away from his body.
"Hi, Soldier...Krolikov? Am I pronouncing it right? That is a very big and sharp looking spear you have there. I must admit it is quite intimidating, certainly much larger than the dinky little crafting scalpel in my left pocket. Well I suppose size isn't everything, or am I saying that to make myself feel better?" giggling in nerves Edwin took one last hesitant step forward, now to the left of the tall officer, thinking it best for him not to be behind an officer of the law with an admitted potential weapon.

"And yooooooou are a... tall drink of water Officer Aulia. Might I say that is a very fetching dress you are sporting. The colour suits you." Edwin stalled for a moment once his eyes locked on to Juno's horn. "I can't say that I am here for any particular reason, I'm not in the habit of taking advice from my dreams."

"Now where are my manners, my name is Edwin Gordon, artist by passion and by trade, it is a pleasure to meet such... strong, capable looking individuals, but I really should be looking for my little Clay Tiger." as Edwin was about to beat a hasty retreat a little girl's voice sounded above him inquiring about a village. Nerves now thoroughly frayed Edwin started wondering if his imagination had left him playing without a full deck of cards.
"Oh, hello flying girl. I don't suppose you got here by taking the second star to the right, and heading straight on till morning? I am so sorry, that was in bad taste..." coughing awkwardly Edwin asked "I, uh, didn't catch your name?" Edwin only slightly regretted asking, since now he was certain that his Clay Tiger was getting further away from him, but felt that manners demanded that he stay and listen to the floating girl.

[Assistant]
Linnea looks at the man with exciting hair and becomes curiously excited about this supposed clay tiger.

"Ah, my name is Linnea Falk. Now that we're together, maybe we shouldn't split up too much? I'll can help you look for your tiger, if that's ok?"


[System]
Age: 25

Gender: Male

Appearance: Here.

Personality: Always kind and pleasant on the outside. If he sees a poor unfortunate soul having trouble of some sort, he won't hesitate to help. He talks about God quite a bit, saying that He is always watching and will take care of those He loves. He can be quite charismatic, However, despite being a priest, even he has a few guilty pleasures. There have been rumors that he is a pervert who likes to feel up women, although that has never been proven to be true (mainly because Alexander makes sure no one sees it happening when he does it). He is also sometimes seen gambling, and is quite good at it too, able to maintain a smiling poker face while bluffing his opponents down to their underwear.

Backstory: Alexander was born in quite a religious family who expected their son to follow in their footsteps. In other words, do exactly as they said and never talk back. Even the slightest mistake resulted in a smack on the hand with a wooden stick.

Alexander then made a few "friends" who taught him some tips and tricks for certain unethical purposes. Alexander practiced them a few times and found that he was rather good at them.

During the day he would obey his parents' every word, at night he would sneak out a window and hang out with his friends. This continued for many months, until his parents found out about it and disowned him.

Fortunately, Alexander was lucky and was taken in by the local church, where he lived for the rest of his life until he turned 18, from there renting an apartment while still working at the church as a priest.

Skills:
Calm: Alexander is able to stay calm when others would have freaked out and panicked.
Silver tounge: Alexander can make almost anything he says sound like the truth. As one would expect, though, this takes a lot of quick thinking and clever words.
Smooth hands: Alexander has a lot of practice with his hands, whether it be pickpocketing someone, feeling up a girl's behind, or other such tricks.
Cheating: what kind of gambler would Alexander be if he didn't know how to cheat? Whether it be with cards, chips, or what not, Alexander has quite a bit of experience with it.
Fist fighting: let's just say he has gotten into a bit of trouble with his cheating ways, as well as dealing with drunkards, and had to learn how to fend off would be attackers.

Name: Megumi

Gender: Female

Appearance: Here.

Personality: Always serious about everything. She has no sense of humor and will not hesitate to strike down someone she doesn't like. Megumi is almost always silent, apart from short replies and various short sounds. However, she is not without kindness, although it takes quite a bit for her to reveal it.

Abilities:
Observational: Megumi has far better sight than a human could ever hope to have without the aid of vision enhancements. She can also see with the use of both night and thermal vision.
Speed: Megumi is, of course, also faster than any normal human could hope to achieve. This includes reflexes as well.
Cloaking: Megumi is capable of turning invisible. Other forms of vision such as thermal are incapable of detecting her as well. Also, while not related to her ability yet also worth mentioning, she is silent enough to escape the detection of human ears.
Acrobatics: self-explanatory.
Poison: her weapons are coated with poison. Effects of the poison are slowed reflexes, blurred vision, increased fatigue, and enhanced pain sensitivity. Just the kind of stuff that makes you wish you were dead. Effects will wear off after about 5 minutes.

Weapons:
-A pair of short swords.
-A seemingly endless amount of kunai and shuriken.

[User]
"We decree you, executed."

The squirming, writhing mass did not scare her. The Pawns behind her impaled the writhing creature by the sides, holding it up to let her grip remain unneeded as she took a step back and motioned to the Knight awaiting her orders. One simple phrase -- a phrase so often used by her sister that made her giggle inwardly to use -- gave signal to the Sentinel to take up his sword for the sake of murdering the creature that remained strapped in the marble weapons.

"Off with its head!"

The words came with a soft laugh as the broadsword sliced through the Puppeteer, chopping its body in half before the Pawns ensured its death by using their halbards to separate what remained of its corpse into pieces. With a dismissing wave as the misty creature faded from its own "life", The Transient Princess turned her head to the young girl she held and smiled.

"There we are, Alice. Chasing rabbits always gets you into trouble. Now, where shall we take you? You must have been terribly bored to want to wander down such a dark path -- and without a Cheshire in sight to keep you away from the bad things! Just say where you'd like and I, the White Queen -- well, Transient Princess, rather, will indulge in whatever whims you'd have right now. Shall we play a game?~"

The Doll had managed to retain her regality completely throughout the executing, and with a sweet tone to boot. Hopefully, this would ease the girl's worries. After all, a young lady should not be placed under such stress.

[Assistant]
Eren considered his options. He had to somehow neutralize the dollhunter. He had his pistol, but not his knife. He was a damn good fostfighter, but he figured he'd rather not go toe to toe with that nail fist thing.

At the very least, his dress would get ripped. Worst case, his flesh would. Both were a no go.

So...an ambush. He'd have to ambush the man. But how? He could fire from the shadows, but if his initial few shots failed to take out the dollhunter, the retaliation could be quick and dangerous.

He almost flinched when the beholder landed on his shoulder, but then frowned.

Ready to talk?

Eren raised an eyebrow, and glanced to see the giant eye.

A lightbulb lot in his mind.

Eren trusted Nuul's shadows to hide him as he peered out. The moment the dollhunter moved, he would unload every bullet of his pistol on the man but two. Eren had 6 shots in the clip. If that failed, Eren would shot himself in the leg for the last one, grazing the flesh so as not to cause permanent damage. He would then limp out and act wounded, playing the part of a wounded hostage in order to catch the dollhunter off his guard.

Hooefully, the final bullet would and the fight.

Eren briefly wondered if he could gove the blood from shooting his leg to Nuul to power her grimoire. That could be a back up plan.

For now, Eren waited, pistol aimed and ready.

[User]
His gun arm unflinching and his eyes tightening, Gehrman couldn't help but keep his guard up. He was used to the Dolls making the first move against him once his hostility was made clear, but this one stayed back and attempted to provoke him, goading him into attacking first. In his time of slaying these creatures, the only ones who did so were more intelligent, and thus far more dangerous. He also didn't forget the missing woman, who was likely still hiding. He had to keep sharp, and not fall into any trap the Doll seemed to be setting.
He decided to counter the banter.

"Is that what you call your spawn? A fiend of lore should know better than to spout obvious contradictions like that. Why don't you come and show me how deadly your actual hands are?"

[Assistant]
Masami

As Masami, her Master and his cat walks through the streets of Saulbine, one house catched her eyes. She could see the inside of the house is actually lit with some lights, therefore someone should be in the house. She hoped the people inside are kind ones, not trying to harm her. her Master or the cat.

"Hey, Master. Let's knock that house's door, shall we?" Masami calmly pointed at the house, with a sign of smile on her face.

[User]
The Boy

"Right." He nodded to the doll. He stepped to the door, raising his arm hesitantly. They had done this many times before, but he still couldn't help but feel nervous. They'd been rejected plenty of times, and accepted an equal number of times. Still, he was acutely aware that he had nothing to offer to anyone and no one really had to take him in.

Every time a door was slammed in his face, he took a shot to his self-esteem, but as long as he had Masami he knew he'd be alright. Without hesitating another second, he firmly rapped on the door.

---

Nuul

"Hmph. I am no simple fiend, and these are no simple spawn." Nuul said, her voice heavy with contempt. "Do you think someone who has been an enemy of your church for so long would rely on dime-a-dozen neophytes to survive?"

As she spoke, the swarm of Beholders around chittered angrily, and the large Beholder's pupil started glowing with an angry red light.

"These are a part of me, they are extensions of my body, extensions of my will."

The Beholder started to emit a high pitched keening noise and the red glow started glowing more intensely.

"Make no mistake, hunter. These are my hands, and they will crush you."

The keening reached it's peak, and a beam of red energy shot out of the Beholder's eye straight towards the hunter.

[Assistant]
Annalee Diaz

Just as Annalee was about to open the door to her bedroom, she heard a knock at the front door. Who could that be? At this hour? Annalee started down the stairs and, seeing that her parents were both no longer in the living room, opened the door.

"Good evening! Who may I ask is-" She stopped her greeting short when she saw the two standing in front of her. They both looked like children, one a young boy holding a white cat who looked about Lucas's age, and the other a strangely dressed girl who looked as if she could have been anywhere from the boy's age to the same age as Annalee.

The look on the boy's face made Annalee think that he was waiting for something bad to happen, and then she realised that she had been staring at them. "Oh! I'm sorry, hello. Im just not used to answering the door for other children, at least not at this time of night. Are you lost? Please, come in." She stood to the side, waiting for them to enter.

---

MiRRor (Ashling)

"Well, should we go find them then? I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get out of this house." Ashling walked over to a window and, after looking out for a moment, jumped out.

"Well? Are you coming?"

[User]
Ryan Macfield

"I'll make up an excuse. I had to do this because my parents would suspect me of being insane if I shouted at you. Sorry." Ryan wrote to a paper, before throwing the paper, which he aimed at the ground near his Doll, with some margin for mistakes that could happen. Ryan then got out of his room, and went to talk with his parents. After some excuses, Ryan managed to make the parents allow him out, but only for this time. He quickly dashed over to his doll. "Sorry for making you wait, and throwing the paper near you! Now, let's punish them!"

[Assistant]
Alexander
As Alexander entered his apartment room, he sighed in relief. Home sweet home. Going over to a nearby chair, he sat down and took out the money he earned from his gambling run, placing it down onto the table. He then began to sort the money based on value and intended usage. Naturally, he set aside a small portion of bills for the church, and another portion for bills and food. Unfortunately, that didn't leave much for personal use. Oh well, he still had a stash lying around. All there was to do now was figure out what he was going to do next.

Megumi
After taking a quick shower, Megumi dried herself off and covered herself with the towel, then exited the bathroom. There was the food waiting for her, a simple sandwich and some oatmeal. She honestly preferred some rice, but she didn't want to be picky. She clapped her hands together in a customary "thank you" gesture and closed her eyes as she bowed, then proceeded to eat. The oatmeal was still warm, and she ate in a refined manner. Finishing off the oatmeal, she proceeded to begin to eat the sandwich.

However, before Megumi could take a bite out of it, she heard the knock on the door. There was no one in the house except herself, Annalee, and Annalee's kid brother, so that immediately made her cautious. Annalee was her Doll Master, and Megumi had to protect her at any cost. Changing into more respectable clothing, she grabbed her weapons and silently made her way down the stairs, having already turned invisible so as to not draw any attention to herself.

As she examined the ones at the door, alarms bells began ringing in her head. The boy and the cat was of no threat, but that girl...

That was almost definitely a Doll. Not many others would be carrying around such a large... whatever it was. If that were the case, then that would mean the boy was most likely the Doll Master.

Acting quickly, Megumi ran over to the door and pushed Annalee away while slamming the door shut and locking it. Uncloaking herself and placing her back on the door, Megumi said, "Sorry, but don't trust them." as she drew one of her short swords. As she looked through the door with her thermal vision, she readied herself for potential combat. Any other Dolls just couldn't be trusted.


[System]
Gender: Female
Appearance: The most feared warlord of Sengoku-era Japan... has been reborn as a petite girl with long, silky black hair and crimson eyes. Her body is almost like that of a doll, pale and slender, and she has a fondness for military clothing, both more traditional and more modern.
Goals: To put it simply, Nobunaga's goal is to do what she was unable to do in life due to Akechi Mitsuhide's treachery: Unite, or in this case create, a powerful and forward-thinking nation. Tradition will be celebrated and maintained, but not treated as something that should restrict progress.
Past Life: The life of Oda Nobunaga is a well documented one. Rising to power during the Sengoku era of Japanese history, he conquered much of Japan with a combination of brilliant strategy and pragmatic use of new technology. Favoring both the old and the new, yet not allowing the old to restrict progress, Nobunaga came within a hair's breadth of fully uniting Japan and taking the shogunate for himself. However, the shocking betrayal of Akechi Mitsuhide at Honnoji ended Oda Nobunaga's ambitions and his life... until...
Abilities: In terms of personal skills and capabilities, Oda Nobunaga is skilled when it comes to Japanese swordsmanship and marksmanship, particularly with matchlock rifles. Unless granted one from the start, she will be swift to pursue the creation of a katana modeled on her favorite sword, the Hesshikiri Hasebe. While she is curious about western weaponry, her preference when it comes to wielding swords lies in those she is used to. The pursuit of guns will also be an immediate concern. Nobunaga's legendary skill in the matters of strategy, both military and diplomatic, is her greatest asset. Her approach to infrastructure is also one of her greatest assets, as she introduced many popular and lasting reforms.
Inventory: NA for now

[User]
Novak
"A lot happened in the temple that needs to be discussed, but if you're getting ready to meet the Kyrinth, we can worry about it later." Novak paused for a moment, then spoke back up. "Well, actually there one thing you might want to know first, we think we might have learned why the Kyrinth is upset with the village. Lazhira told us that the covenant with the Kyrinth was to give up worship of the Illuminator. And we think that some of the hunters are still secretly worshiping the god of knowledge in defiance of the deal. I'm not asking you to take my word for it, but if the Kyrinth doesn't bring it up, you might want to ask about it."

Admittedly, they didn't actually have proof of it, and they didn't even have any faces to go with such serious accusations. With any luck, the Kyrinth would be able to confirm or debunk their suspicions.

"Actually, it's worse than that," Novak continued, a bit hesitant, "We're pretty sure some of them tried to kill us when we were in the temple. When we were leaving, we saw evidence of an ambush at the entrance, and when we didn't come out, somebody lit a fire in at the entrance try to flush us out or suffocate us. If we hadn't found another exit, and if it weren't for Lady Mie sending help to guide us back safely, we might not have been able to elude them out there."

Again, he had no proof for this, but perhaps the mention of Lady Mie's involvement might help lend credence to it. He also began to wonder if sure whether it had been wise to reveal this to Enli. Could it put Enli in danger, to be told these things? Would the meeting with the Kyrinth go smoother if he stepped into it ignorant of the possible cause of the Elder Beast's displeasure?

"Oh, one last thing, this meeting...is this just between you and the Kyrinth, or could I come along? I still don't know understand the context of some of what I saw and heard in the temple, and if I were able to hear the Elder Beast's side of things it might make those things clear."

[Assistant]
"Specifications..."

To that, Misaki found herself glancing downwards, one hand upon her chin as she considered the possibilities in front of them. Obviously, scale would mean that something akin to a large wall scroll would have been ideal; resizing the paper would take extra effort regardless of which size they chose to make, but that size seemed acceptable enough to not have to worry about the logistics of the drying process at length. After all, it was far easier to cut something large down to size than vice versa.

"...Half a square meter... Maybe? That'd give us a proof of concept to present, at least," she concluded, nodding her head as she continued. "Not so big that we'd have to invest too much effort into creating it, and not small enough to write off as worthless. I think that might be worth it as somewhere to start, at least."

Of course, Lazirha's unusual discomfort regarding the situation did not pass by Misaki unnoticed, and the foxgirl silently took note of how anxious she was acting. As much as she would have liked to help her resolve that issue, given what she knew, there was nothing that she could really have done to set her mind at ease.

It was Narkissa's following comment that promptly brought the foxgirl's focus back from Lazirha's wellbeing, well-timed as it was to coincide with their host's hasty departure. Honestly, there was no reason to leave Narkissa out of the loop at this point—not when it was likely that everyone who was resting in this house would get wrapped up in this web of troubles sooner or later.

"With regards to the Kyrinth, though... Apparently, this village used to coexist alongside what I would be inclined to call... Hm... Well, native god may not be quite right, but I suppose that's the closest I can get to explaining the Kyrinth. The arrival of this 'God of Knowledge' split the village's faith, so to speak, and his attempts to unseal something here have only furthered that rift."

It was at this point, though, that the young woman paused, as if trying to figure out how to piece together what Lazirha had said upon her return with the situation she knew thus far.

"...And apparently, that if he was successful, this place would be flooded outright. Of course, we attempted to propose a deal to the Kyrinth to re-establish that bond by placing it in a more secular position in this town—namely, a teacher of sorts—but the details of the negotiations as they are to proceed today are yet to be seen. I suppose we'll find out how they went later, though."

With that, Misaki took a deep breath before glancing out the door, lost in her thoughts for a moment before continuing.

"Hopefully things should proceed without too much issue. In the meantime, though... I suppose we should get to work. I'm not particularly looking forward to pounding plants to a pulp, though; would that I could automate this with a waterwheel or something similar."

This@Rune_Alchemist

[User]
Augusta was intrigued in what she was learning from what she would basically call an operation. Somehow, she was unsurprised that the elf was unable to learn much about Octavia. Her eyes were being rather evasive about certain bits of information about Octavia so she was hoping that she'd be able to learn more from Rullphana but... Well... She'd need to find out in other ways. "As much as I'd love to learn more about her, I think it'd be a bad idea to keep her here with you overnight. Mostly because I can just tell how irritable she is now being poked and prodded. I believe it's in everyone's best interest to reprieve from this for the moment." She went over to the pup and stroked her head. "I'm going to have to feed her some good food tonight so she isn't too angry with me now." The woman said with a slight giggle.

She hoped that Rullphana would come up with some more information with the blood sample. In all likelihood, Octavia was still probably connected to the seed which Augusta assumed was just a part of that demon and if it grew, everyone would have a bad time. If there was a way "Though, I forget. In terms of money, I have no money. Isidore bought this rapier for me so he has some, I should have asked him for some." She gave a slight sigh before she picked up Octavia. "That said, I look forward to working with you and learning from you in the near future, Miss Rullphana. Until tomorrow then, dear Teacher." Augusta said, turning to the exit. Unless the elven mage stopped her, she would take Octavia and leave, heading elsewhere.

[Assistant]
Narkissa Langdon

@PKMNB0Y

A square meter. That too, would have been easy, except…

"Hmm. You know, it occurs to me that we're not going to have any rulers or standardized measuring equipment, whatsoever. I mean, I'm sure I can approximate a meter to within a couple dozen centimeters or so, but still, something to consider." Something like creating a standardized set of universal measurements… like reintroducing the metric system, for example. Narkissa was sure that even if some country did have some system set out, it would probably be terrible like the imperial system. Base-ten was superior, after all.

"Right, regardless, I can do that. I'd say the most difficult part would be getting the right mix and consistency of the pulp. Get the ratios wrong and we get a communion wafer on one end, and a poorly manufactured rag on the other. Wonder if we'll have the time to get it right, really, but it's still worth a try."

Aside from the papermaking matter, there was also the Kyrinth, which Narkissa was beginning to realize was a bigger deal than she had originally thought. In fact, it tied directly into her run-in with the Illuminator, actually. The context she gained was… enlightening, but not exactly reassuring.

"Huh. That… explains a lot of what we ran into yesterday, actually. I knew that god was up to no good." If Misaki didn't know already, she gave her an edited recollection of her run-in with the god of knowledge. "Sounds like this Kyrinth is the way to go, here, but I'm studied well enough in the classics to know that making deals with any sort of gods –especially ones in a pantheon—is only going to end in misery for mortals. Hopefully things work themselves out," she agreed.

"Right then. You have fun with the plants… building a waterwheel will be a project in and of itself. I'll need to find some good wood from somewhere to work with, in the meantime."

[User]
The Journey Begins

~ Unknown Mountains ~

Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist

Nick managed to evade the grab, snow and dirt flying all over the place. Great! His next actions fared less better, though. The giant let out a chuckle at Nick's hopeless situation, raising its other foot to punt the otherworlder into Lord-knows-where. Fortunately, the giant was still slow in its attack so Nick imagined he would be able to dive to the side and avoid the powerful kick. But he knew he couldn't just be dodging forever, the giant was bound to catch him at some point.

Nick's pleas for help at least earned the warrior woman's brief attention. But he could not look as he still had a giant on him who was about to send him flying probably kilometers away and several feet into the air. The giant began to swing his foot and Nick prepared to dive to the side. But the giant foot coming towards him was huge, was a dive enough to avoid it? It needed to a complete dodge for a small graze can do significant damage to him.

But then, another giant crashed into the first one and the two tumbled down the mountain. Nick scrambled away, barely avoiding the two flesh boulders going down the snowy mount. He didn't need to guess who sent the giant flying. What did puzzle him was how the warrior woman sent the gigantic adversary into the air. Did she lift the creature and hurl? Was she that strong? How did that even work? This world continued to surprise Nick.

She didn't need to tell him twice. Nick was too tired to reply and climbed his way towards the warrior woman. There were still two giants though and his eyes widened as he instinctively summoned a bit of strength to yell. "Hey, hey! Watch out!" Nick pointed at the two giants with spears who looked just about ready to attack.

[Assistant]
Malphas
Employment@Rune_Alchemist
The offer given to Malphas was quite a tempting one. A steady income, knowledge of what this land finds valuable, and the potential to have his own business in exchange for his loyalty. Of course, one would assume Malphas, the man who had almost considered slaying his fellow cohorts just earlier, would be appalled at such an oath. While there is evidence that a man such as himself would not be afraid to fill a back with knives should it be revealed to him, the contrary is certain. Malphas is happy to bend the knee for others, especially if there is something in it for him, something that would particularly catch his eye...

In this case, it was dollar signs.

"But of course! You humble me with such an offer, Lady Mie. What a perfect way to utilize my talents, as well... Ah, but there is one more thing that I may ask of you. My identity has been... tarnished, as you know. If I am to successfully work with you, I would need a new identity, a new name, a new face. Perhaps before we shake on this agreement, we should take heed to what name is signed along the dotted line, hmm?"

Malphas stroked his chin exaggeratively, pondering on a new identity for himself. It was then that his wings came to mind.

"You wouldn't happen to have an avian mask, would you? Perhaps that of a wise owl, or a grand eagle? Ah, no... the royal and regal raven is likely the best for my sort, isn't it? Black is the new black, after all..." Malphas stroked his hair. "Ah, perhaps I should find a way to change my hair up a bit, as well."

[User]
That theme that had sounded melodic the other day now sounded so very disconcerting. And the one playing it...

An elderly man in fine clothing, tinged with silver. There was little doubt in her mind over the nature of the one she faced. Nobunaga had guessed he may make some move. It wasn't unlikely he already knew of her intentions.

That did not, however, change anything.

She faced the enemy general. The Illuminator sought her attention. Just as all gods did, he wished to take a part of her time away from something far more immediately important.

And as such, the petite girl would instead respond with her opening move. A first attack, so to speak.

"Forgive me, but I have little time to spare," Nobunaga began, "Should you wish to speak with me, you must wait. Like anyone else."

Bowing politely, as she would to any ordinary person, she continued on her way without further delay.


[System]
Age:
19
Gender:
Male
Appearance:

Though Lewis is capable of transfiguring his very looks, there's one form he sticks with normally. His default appearance, if you will. In this, he's a man of Vietnamese-Korean descent with pale skin and a lanky build, with very little muscle of fat on his bones. Standing at only 5'5", most would make the mistake of assuming Yung is younger than he really is. His hair is black with light hints of white laced inbetween strands. He keeps it long and disheveled. Partly because he can never find the time or money to style it, but mostly because he likes the 'rugged, wild youth' look, even if it makes him look somewhat of a hobo. His almond eyes are a rich, dark brown, dark enough to look black. Lewis holds a devil-may-care attitude towards his wardrobe. Not that it matters. Stylish clothes are a luxury he can't afford (literally). His clothing is composed of plain shirts, jeans, and jackets. Usually hand-me-downs and cheap buys from the local thrift store. The fanciest thing he owns is a silver, dove-shaped pendant that he never takes off, even when he changes his appearance.
Skills/Talents:
>Lying
>Pickpocketing
>Charming
>Acting
>Quick thinker
Brief Backstory:
Life wasn't just hard for Lewis. It was broken down apartment, share your clothes with your sister, no money for a meal difficult. But that's what happens if you're born in the Outer Ring. You suffer, you struggle, you survive. No questions asked, no complaints made. That's how things were. And the thing is, Lewis wasn't that mad about it. If he had to work, he worked. If he had to steal, he stole. Morals were only there to make him feel guilty for a second before moving on. His dad was some stranger who didn't even know he had a son, but y'know what? He didn't need one. He had his mom. He had his older sister. And that was enough.

But of course, that had to change.

Like everything, it started small. Lewis' sister, Sara, would be asleep in her room. The next morning they'd find her in the closet, confused but okay. The initial answer was simple: sleep walking.
Then it grew. It always did. She'd be sitting in the kitchen. One blink. Now she was sitting in her room. They would find her in the fridge, or hanging from the ceiling fan, or even on the roof. Sleepwalkers couldn't do that. Metahumans, teleporting metahumans, could. Lewis was fascinated. Their mother was in awe. The neighbors were terrified. A girl with that power could mean nothing but trouble, they whispered. Soon those whispers became rumors. She was dangerous. She was vicious. She was a monster that had to be stopped.

And so she was.

They came silently, like owls on the hunt. They swooped down in the middle of the night, slipping into the tiny apartment, leaving behind a broken corpse of a girl. She had been twelve, then. Lewis, ten. It wasn't until later that he learned to know and hate their name: The Pure.

The incident left his mother ill and silent, never leaving the house or speaking to anyone. Bills piled up. Food was scarce. Lewis needed a way to keep the remnants of his family behind.

The answer came when he woke up one morning with green eyes. No contacts. No surgery. Just a look in the mirror and there they were. Not dark, void black, but green. Brilliant, emerald green. Turns out Sara wasn't alone with her abilities. A bit of experimentation, a pinch of practice, and in a matter of time Lewis learned to control his newfound power. This time, however, he kept it a secret. There was no need for a repetition of the incident. He found stealing easier. Difficult cons now childsplay. Money, food, medicine for his mother. All of that came as easily as a drop of a hat.

Things haven't changed from then and now. Lewis still takes care of his ill mother, buying her what she needs with less than legal schemes. He's gotten involved with more than a few gangs and made quite a bit of unsavory deals, but hey. That's just how things are in Rivière.

Power Information
Power Class: Biological Super-System
Power:
Shapeshifting
Lewis is able to alter his cells, allowing him to completely change his appearance. Although he is able to change specific factors of his body (i.e. eye color, hair color, skin color etc), he specializes in full body mimicry. No matter the age or gender, he is able to copy others with simply a look.

Voice Mimicry
Along with appearance, Lewis can parrot the voice of whoever he wishes, granted he's heard the voice before. This aids in his disguises or tricking others through phone calls. Plus, it's really funny seeing people flip when a little girl speaks in a deep voice.
Limits:
Lewis is able to only alter living cells. Note the word 'living'. He can't will an open wound closed, or undo a bruise. Additionally, Lewis' transformations are far from perfect, and he can only copy from what he sees. If he sees only the face, then he can only do guesswork when trying to mimic the body or any minor details. His transformation time differs with the how much change he's undergoing. Small changes like hair color can last barely three seconds, but changing his entire body can last five to ten minutes depending on the size.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Believe it or not, but having your bones and muscles stretch can hurt. A lot. While eye and hair color involve an odd sensation at worse, processes that involve his body shrinking or growing drastically can leave him with an uncomfortable ache and drain his energy. Often times, full scale changing will leave him hungry and fatigued. Multiple major transformations in a short time span can actually cause bodily harm, or worse.

Relationships

Family:
Pam Yung -- Mother -- Alive
???-- Father -- ???
Sara Yung -- Sister -- Deceased

Dynamics:
Basically your character's relationship with other characters.

 {Character Name}  |  {Impression (Good/Bad/Neutral}  |  {Relationship (Friend, Rival, Crush, etc)} | {Character Thoughts via in-character quote} |
-Description of Relationship here-

Other
* He's a nicknamer. Doesn't matter who, he will give them a nickname and stick with it.
* He's currently unregistered in the NEST database and prefers to keep it that way. Makes things a hell of alot easier.
* The pendant he constantly wears formerly belonged to his sister. It serves as constant reminder of her and the reason for his power's secrecy.

[User]
Seraphine Campbell

Veronica had left, and Seraphine felt the weight leave her shoulders like Atlas stepping out from beneath the sky. The woman was dangerous, that was a certainty, and she had no respect for the way this city lived and worked, which was perhaps even more dangerous than whatever abilities she might have. It was unnerving, having someone in this office she knew nothing about, and so she set about correcting that problem.

The camera in the corner of the office would have got a good shot of her face, and she went through it until a suitable mugshot presented itself. She didn't want to have to use the picture yet, if this woman was what she suspected then it might cause more issues for Seraphine if she released a photo to the appropriate authorities. She would put out feelers though, take advantage of her contacts in NEST and the city police department. Maybe one of them would be able to give her a list of possibilities, narrowing it down from there would be child's play.

Her phone buzzed, it wasn't a burner phone, like most people who dealt in information would use, oh no, this was yet another tool of blackmail and coercion. There was enough dangerous information on her phone to ensure that it would never be checked into evidence, and as a result she would never be arrested, it would be too expensive.

She picked up the expensive smartphone and checked the caller ID displayed on the screen, it was Garrett Dovanon, one of her informants. He worked mostly at one of the nicer hotels, just on the desk, but that meant he saw who came and went. Knowing that was valuable in this town, though it was interesting that he would contact her like this. This must be something lucrative, it wouldn't do to have mere employees call her, so he would have been redirected through a secure switchboard before being connected to this phone. She would not have been happy if it wasn't valuable information.

Her voice was smooth and silky, every inch the sophisticated socialite. "Yes Garrett, I do hope this is valuable, you know I don't like people calling uninvited…"

Eli Scott

"Camilla…"

He took a moment to savour the name, perhaps this woman was here to try and rob him, or kill him, but he might as well enjoy himself while he was at it. He might not be particularly muscular, but he had a certain slender appeal, and his easy confidence, plus the fact that he worked with a lot of women, and indeed men, who made a living out of seduction meant that he wasn't exactly poor at it himself.

"I'm Eli…"

He turned to the bar, ordering a glass of the bar's most expensive whiskey, which was probably still swill next to the stuff Seraphine swapped, not that he cared, he would drink anything if it got him drunk. He bought a cocktail for the lady, in a place like this cocktails were always a better idea, the heavy sugar disguising the sharp bite of cheap alcohol. He took a moment to obviously check her out, before sipping from the whiskey. She was pretty, sexy even, but he spent his working life surrounded by beautiful, sexy women, women who knew how to use what their genes had given them. This woman did not, but it didn't mean she wouldn't appeal after a few more whiskey's, maybe she would be better company than she was ornament, although Seraphine's girls had that too, they could entertain in other ways than on their back or their knees.

He nodded at the pendant hanging from her neck, nestled conveniently in her cleavage, taking the excuse of its presence to admire the view. "What story does that tell?"

[Assistant]
---

 Garrett Dovanon

---

 Garrett had dealt with dangerous people in the past. He had been shouted at, chased, threatened, held at gunpoint, and in one special occasion, shot at. Still, no one could unnerve him quite like the way Seraphine did. He liked to read people, but it bothered him when they returned the gestures. And Seraphine, well, to say that her eyes are piercing would be quite the understatement. Regardless, she had a reputation, and Garrett had long learnt that beggars couldn't be choosers.

 "I am well-aware, ma'am. Had to make one without appointment though, given the unexpected nature of their request."- He spoke curtly, preferred not to go into too much details over the phone. - "While the jobs aren't too lucrative, I just thought you'd be interested in our clients. They requested a meeting later today, after the festival."

 But before he could hear her reply, a customer approached his stall. – "Excuse me."-He muttered quickly, before hanging up abruptly. It might not be the wisest move, all things considered, but he knew Seraphine would hate to be eavesdropped. Regardless, if she would meet then, she would contact him. Through a message or something. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind as he shoved the phone into his back pocket and went to attend to the customer.

 It was a man this time. Obviously of asian origin, black hair and dark eyes and all, though there was something about him that Garrett didn't often see in tourists. His eyes too hard, accent far too faint, and the way he carried himself showed neither curiosity or unfamiliarity. It wasn't enough to draw any conclusion though, so Garrett brushed those thoughts aside and grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler behind him.

 "Here you go."- He handed over the requested item, collected the bill and gave the man back his changes- "Would that be all? I highly suggest trying the chilli dog. Lots of people have enjoyed it."- Continuing with a grin, he gestured to the hanging menu with a finger."

@Inuyasha

[User]
The man extended an offer to Wei, but Wei was not listening. It was now that Wei was paying closer attention to the man, something he had done before. Something tugged at the back of his mind, but he could not quite place what his conscience was trying to tell him. He studied the man for what seemed like the longest time, although it was only mere seconds. The two men were almost identical in height, and Wei's dark eyes met his muted blue eyes for a split second. Wei shook it off, reaching out and grabbing the water from the man. "That's all," he said, looking at the man for only a second longer before rudely flicking the coins he had recieved as change at the man in the form of a tip, and promptly turning away.

Garrett stared at the man's retreating back, before reached out for the coins he had let clattered on the counter. Just another rude customer, nothing new. Such was a life of one working in hospitality. However, the man did stand out. Who knew, maybe they would run into each other again. Not that Garrett was looking toward to that. He shrugged, putting on a smile for another group of customers.

[Assistant]
"Oh, this old thing?" Lewis twirled the pendent's silver chain around his finger, his smile faltering ever so slightly. The mettalic dove gleamed in the dim light of the bar, it's miniature wings outstretched as it flew eternally still. It was as old as Lewis, and older still. Yet even now, the silver bird remained unchanged, untarnished by time. How many years had he had this old thing? Nine? Eight? Added to time when it had belonged to...

No. His hands folded over the pendant a bit too tightly as the bittersweet memories churned his stomach. No. Not now. He couldn't think about her now. It had been years ago, but the memory was still an infected wound in his mind. All memories were. That's why it was better to push them back and keep moving.

Lewis chuckled flippantly, though no amount of voice adjustment could disguise the faint forcedness of it. "It was my sister's, simple as that," he dismissed, reaching for the drink, "And I'm sure whatever story it tells won't interest someone like you.". The drink was a nice distraction, but the taste was like watered down diabetes with a side of after-party breath. But it did a fair job of masking the not quite foreign yet not quite familiar trace of alcohol and gave him a nice buzz that would give him enough energy to turn back, though leave him in a near camotose state for a while.

His brief moment of tension faded like the wind as his eyes took on their familiar, mischievous light. "So, Mr. Gentleman," he began as he finished the last of his sugary drink, "are you excited about the celebration? It usually gets wilder by the night. Much wilder."


[System]
Age: 22
Birthday: May 1st
Magic: Negation. Angel has the ability to block all physical magic directed his way in an attack, whatever type or element. He can choose to reflect this energy back as though the attack bounced off a rubber field, or launch the same type of attack back once at an opponent. He can only stack one of these stored powers at a time.
Magic Level: A-B
History: Angel was born to a single father deep in the Boundary Forest, far to the north of Fiore. The reasons for his societal exile died with his father when Angel was seven, but he had been taught enough rudimentary skills about survival to fend off the monsters that infested his home that he wasn't torn apart within weeks or anything. Rather, as he grew, he honed his skill in hunting and cooking until he proved self-sufficient enough to turn the weeks of survival into months, then the months into years.

By the age of sixteen, however, Angel had left the Boundary Forest in search of who he and his father truly were. Having never required currency or merchants for anything in his life, he found the journey into civilization difficult, and to support himself he began cutting a swath through Veronica and south down the peninsula, staying a couple months to cook at inns and small restaurants for a couple months. As his purse grew, so too did his culinary repertoire - and, eventually, his traveling party, as his meals impressed one Kaia Iona. The girl became his traveling companion and sous chef as they traveled south into Fiore, where they currently are residing.
Personality: Ferrara is sunny and cheerful, but you wouldn't know it from his tone of voice. He speaks with an odd combination of earnest, confusion, and painstaking politeness coming from having spent the first two-thirds of his life removed from even village society. Idioms and snide remarks often fly over his head at terminal velocity, and he proves almost incapable of being insulted. Instead, his frustration and negative emotion often channels itself into a fierce determination to do right by people, and intense loyalty to his friends.
Guild and guild mark location: None yet
Team Members: Cyare Staunton
Three Strengths:
1. Cooking
2. Grooming
3. Pep talks
Three Weaknesses:
1. Metropolitan areas
2. Sarcasm
3. Alcohol
Greatest Love: A warm meal with friends
Motivation: Engineering a way to end world hunger
Appearance:

Additional Details: He's my trap queen watch him hit the bandooooo~

[User]
Fraquar Alinstar
@Caits@Zarkun

Fraquar nodded in response to Jamie thanking him for the warning. It was the least he could do, as he didn't want to see any harm come to the girl either. Relaxing again, he listened to Jamie and Sanders speak. When it was his turn, his expression was one of worry.
"My guild is only six members strong and we're in a small settlement town. We're attacked often and the attacks are becoming more frequent. While we're exhausting ourselves, the enemy never seems to send the same people twice. In fact, I see more new faces rather then old. And with old and powerful enemies possibly on the loose now, I doubt my guild will last much longer, let alone the town." He said. "As for natural disasters, I have noticed a slight increase but nothing worth troubling over for now. But please, tell us your tale Jamie."

Amelia Averyonna

"Thank you sir." Amelia said kindly, moving closer but keeping a respectable distance from the group before sitting cross legged on the floor. She could tell by how tense some of the guards, especially the one who had talked to her, where so she decided it might be best to let them know that while she would be staying, she didn't mean them any harm. As she sat down, she would let her wings come out from under her shirt and stretch out. The skeletal appendages made no sound as they moved and the six crystals on each wing swayed with the movements of said wings. The crystals glowed dimly, even in the present light, save the purple ones which appeared to be absorbing the light around them slightly.

Jackie

"She was trained to reconnaissance and information gathering, with some combat training. So while she can probably hold her own against most, mages of your power are still beyond her ability to fight without magic. Since she lacks power and glass will do nothing on your jade scales, she used the best course of action she had, which was redirecting your power back at you." Jackie said with a shrug. "She's got decent enough reactions to use her magic with minimal thought but... she still lacks combat experience and you're taking this far to seriously for training."

[Assistant]
Grane Falo | Adamond City, Outer Station @Lmpkio

Before Saya spoke to the armored man, he seemed preoccupied with something but quickly looked up as he heard her voice. "Thank you your reassurance. But do not worry about that. I was just given a message that Aldridge himself will be guiding you through the city. He should be meeting you on the monorail car that is arriving here.".

It took some minutes, but the car finally arrived into the station. As the car door slid open, a ramp extended out to allow two armored guard to marched out with someone else between them. The guards also had a majority of their body covered by their armor and fabric, what could only be seen of their true form was the bluish glow emanating from their helmets. However, the man in the middle has his true form slightly visible enough to be seen. This was the Wizard Saint, Aldridge. Although the guards had their attention focused faced forwards towards the group and Aldridge facing Grane directly, Saya, Grane, and Dochas would feel a strange sensation quickly phase through them. With a hollowed voice, the Saint spoke.
"Grane Falo, it has been about 15 years since you last came here. What business does the Magic Council have here?"

"Two. One involving Dru's current location and second involving help with understanding the recent earthquakes that are occurring in this sea."

Aldridge and his guard stood nearly frozen in place for a few seconds until finally responding. "Then you may enter the city as our guests. Please board car." The guards stepped aside, allowing group to enter first. "But I would like to state right now. Once you enter that car, none of you are allowed to use your magic until you leave the city. If there are no questions, then let's go." Although saying that last part, Aldridge quickly turned away before they could ask a question led the group inside the car.

As they began their walk to the car, a Grane's voice could be heard in everyone's minds except for Aldridge's people. "I suggest that everyone follows his rule of not using magic and not test him on it. Although the title of Saint goes to extraordinary wizards, they usually have good ethics. Of the four individuals who we given the Saint rank to, Aldridge is the one that we have the least information on."

??? | Myrtle Town, Marketplace @Krayzikk@Onarax@Plank Sinatra

As the two wizards entered the market area of the town, there were already a few shoppers at this time. Some chatted with the shop owner, walked around as they viewed each store wares, or simply found a comfortable place while waiting for most of the stores to be open.

"Hey, you two early birds there! Over here!" Not too far away from the two wizards was a man calling them over as he "Greetings fellow travelers, what brings you to this border town? Looking for some nice souvenir of Fiore?"

[User]
Perry the penniless... Again

A cold wind blew through the streets, causing a sleeping teen to shiver himself awake. The surrounding was much different than he remembered leaving it. The night before he had been able to gain a room at a local inn, a comfort he seldom got. He slowly rubbed his eyes, thinking that perhaps that would clear his vision of his room. But this was to no avail.
"Oh great. I wake up in an alley again." He said as he got to his feet, but a sudden wave of nausea caused him to nearly topple over, if not for the nearby trash can that he managed to catch himself with. Upon doing so, the lid was dislodged from its resting place, causing it to fall onto the ground in a clatter that to him sounded like an explosion.
"Ugh. Another one. Elena come on!" he yelled before noticing that he was not in his usual attire, but a red dress that he didn't recognize. "What the hell am I wearing!?"
"Hmhmhm," A voice came from inside his head, each chuckle like a hammer to the poor boy's head. "Come now Perry. I think that look suits you."
Perry knew the voice well, as the two had become inseparable after a botched spell a year ago.
"Elena. Please." Perry pleaded with her.
"Oh fine. You're no fun when you are like this. You can't even enjoy my master prank." She said.
The boy's hand raised to his temple with a small glyph on it. "Healing Magic: Hang Under."
Perry began to feel a wave of comfort go over him, releasing him from the effects of Elena's partying.
"Thank you. Now... WHAT AM I DOING IN THIS DRESS?!" He yelled as he requipped his standard clothing...and a scarf.
Elena burst out laughing while Perry discovered that his wallet was now barren. The realization caused Elena to quiet down.
"Elena. What happened to all of my Jewels?" He asked rage building.
"Well...," she began before taking a deep unneeded breath. "After you went to sleep I took control because I remembered seeing a magic item shop, so I spent 5000 Js to buy that dress you had on and went to a Tavern because I wanted to test the dress and it works really well but I ended up drinking too much and got into a brawl with some guy because he grabbed my butt so I knocked him out with a Table, but the Bartender demanded I pay for the damages and drinks.
Perry sat grasping the bridge of his nose in annoyance, took a deep breath and gently asked, "Alright. That's par for you.
 What does the dress do?"
He could practically hear Elena smile sheepishly, "It has a charm spell on it that makes the opposite sex attracted to you."
Perry rolled his eyes saying, "Typical." before hearing his stomach growl.
"Aw man. We don't even have enough to eat right now."
"Well, I mean, there are some local Guilds here. Maybe you could find an easy job to get some money. Plus, there could be a Wizard in one of those guilds that can help us in our little predicament."
"That's...Actually a great idea!" Perry yelled as he left the alley and began running towards what he thought is the nearest guild, a shining smile on his face.
"You have no idea where you are going do you?" Elena asked causing Perry to slow to a halt.
"Nope. Not a clue." He could feel Elena face plant inside his head. He noticed he has ran straight into the market area of town. He then turned to a nearby vendor. "Excuse me. Do you know where the nearest Guild is? I'm a traveling Wizard and need a job." He asked politely.

[Assistant]
The man running the shop paused what he was doing long enough to have a slightly bewildered look on his face. "You must have been traveling for the last few months to ask that. The nearest guild is here in town, Phoenix Wing. They participated in the Grand Magic Games just a few months ago which was a big deal." Nodding his head slightly he pointed off down the street. "It's in the center of town, big building. Just head five streets down, make a right, two more streets and left, and you should be going down the main road that'll take you by the place. Can't miss it."

Considering the mage was looking for a job the shop owner considered they might not have much money on them. That didn't mean he couldn't make a sales pitch though. "And if you're ever in the market for some jewelry be sure to remember that Ol' Pete pointed you in the right direction." He grinned and pointed to the fign above that read 'Ol' Pete's Fine Jewelry'

---

Ariel - Phoenix Wing Guild Hall
Since everyone that she had been talking to appeared to be busy Ariel wandered over to the job board. There were still a fair amount of things to do. One in particular seems to have been there for as long as she could recall. It was titled 'Myth Or Legend' and was a research mission. Which to be fair didn't sound like the most thrilling job in the world. But it did sound like something not too terribly difficult. Pulling the job off the board she decided that she would do it.

It would probably be a good idea to be sure that everything was cool before she left though. That might be a bit since it looked like the guild leaders were having a meeting. Folding up the paper she tucked it away and headed outside. As per usual things were getting busy in the hall and she could use a little fresh air and sunshine.

Once in the rays of the sun the slight gloom that had settled over Ariel lifted. It felt like things were going to just get more complicated but she couldn't let that get her down too much. As her spirit lifted she changed to her Light magic, the color of her hair, eyes, and clothing changing from blue to a light yellow. Raising her arms over her head she stretched and grunted. "Ah, much better."

[User]
Angel Ferrara - Tourist Trap

"Ooh!"

Of course, Angel and Cyare had met in the capital; it wasn't like they hadn't been to some of the more urban parts of Fiore, and it was pretty unlikely that they'd never return. But Angel hadn't been doing a lot of knick-knack shopping, especially after meeting up with Cyare and Rei, and they hadn't had time on their travels to really enjoy a market.

Plus, if Cyare had half a chance, she would buy him something first - and no doubt refuse to let him pay for anything after drawing first blood.

rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh

"O~kay~!" the mage cheerfully agreed, pulling Cyare by the hand over to the market with a slight bounce in his step. "Good to meetcha! What's it you sell, exactly?"

Oooh, I can get Rei something too!

He got the feeling nobody ever bought Rei presents. That had to be lonely.