[System]
Nickname: Haru, Nobu, Haru Fujishiro, Hexagon Dragon(Internet Alias)
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Nationality: Japanese
Appearance:

Notable Talents/Skills: Haruka possesses both notable physical agility and mental cunning, such that his most enjoyed hobbies are chess and soccer, which he prefers to be considered 'high stakes'. His tactical mind is his greatest asset.
Card Deck:
(Haruka enjoys delivering decisive strikes and devastating reversals in games, including Digimon. His playstyle is somewhat old, and he prefers the legacy format, due to being able to surprise the opponent with unexpected combinations.)
Pillar of Light, File Island, Holy Angel Castle, Folder Continent, Reload Plugin-Q, Death-X-Evolution, Even Steven, Waterproof, Boost Chip, If I Loose, I'm Taking You With Me!, The Battle I Staked My Pride On, Winning Percentage: 40%!, Winning Percentage: 60%!, Agumon Gotsumon, Gotsumon, Mikemon, Numemon, Numemon, Numemon, Betsumon, Majiramon, Zudomon, SaberLeomon
Personality:
 Haruka is cool and aloof, with a taste for precision. Despite his (pseudo-) sophisticated manner, however, his peers are more likely to view him as respected than well liked. As such, he holds himself in high regard.
Background:
 Haruka was born in Saitama Japan to a middle-class 'salary-man' family as the second child. Despite somewhat lax standards, and being pampered as the youngest child, Haruka almost immediately began taking things rather seriously. His high scores in school and precision and athleticism in both forms of football (soccer and rugby). However, this apparent success and popularity soon became boring for Haruka, and he began to amuse himself with wit and games of strategy. As such, he saw the Digimon game and its related properties as yet another opportunity to excel. He was introduced to Digimon by way of the card game, which his brother Nageki played. Haruka fondly remembers playing for hours, learning how to play, and eventually forging his signature strategy.
Nickname: Kami no hon'nō no te (And variations thereon, if at all)
Stage: Baby
Species: Zerimon
Appearance:

Gender: ?
Techniques:
Acid Bubbles- Spits a froth of acidic bubbles.
Personality:
 A simple, curious Digimon who inspects things by putting them in its mouth. Zerimon appears to be aware of more than is let on at times, but it's hard to tell what this Digimon is thinking.

Stage: In-Training
Species: Gummymon
Appearance:

Gender: ?
Techniques:
Double Bubble- Fires a pair of concussive bubbles.
Personality:
 A toddler of a Digimon who speaks in short, repeated phrases. Gummymon has a comically serious side.

Stage: Rookie
Species: Bakumon
Appearance:

Gender: Male?
Techniques:
Nightmare Syndrome- Expells a mass of undigested dreams and nightmares, in most cases causing unstable hallucinations.
Virus Delete- Expunges a virus from a system.
Personality:
 A quiet, compassionate Digimon who cares deeply for Haruka. Bakumon, however, is unsure of how to express his feelings, and often keeps quiet.

Stage: Champion
Species: Nefertimon X
Appearance:

Gender: Female
Techniques:
Queen's Curse-Fires scorching eye beams from her crown.
Cartousch- Creates a stone pendant with secret writing inscribed.
Personality:
 Nefertimon is a Digimon with grace and ferocity. Her loyalty to Harkua is unquestionable, though at times she worries in silence. She dabbles in the arts of egyptoid magic.

Stage: Ultimate
Species: Cho-Hakkaimon
Appearance:

Gender: Female
Techniques:
Hard-Swung Homerun (Kyoushin Homerun)- Sweeps the opponent into her rocket powered sledge rake and launches them into the distance with a powerful strike.
Dadada Minchi- A whole hog barrage of strikes in rapid succession, usually finished with the teeth of her rocket rake. (During which, she repeats Dadada circ ad nauseam.)
Buta no Maruyaki- When engulfed with a deep desire, her body becomes wreathed in the flames of her hunger.
Personality:
 Overall, Cho-Hakkaimon is a very sweet Digimon. However, she is somewhat clumsy, which leads to her natural concern overwhelming her. Being somewhat sensitive in addition, there are some things that will send her into a tizzy, sometimes of blind rage. Though she'll never ask it, she secretly wants to be pampered. Caring for Cho-Hakkaimon can be difficult.

Stage: Mega
Species: Sanzomon
Appearance:

Gender: Female
Techniques:
To Shishun-kyou- Recites endless words of gratitude to calm even the most wild and savage heart.
Kochoumu-kyou- Manifests the ordeals that it has suffered and showers them on the opponent.
Mugen Danmakushin-kyou- Displays an illusion that its scattered rosary beads are endlessly attacking the opponent from all directions in order to crush their spirit.
Kai Danmakushin-kyou- Uses the power of the Mugen Danmakushin-kyou to recreate previous techniques with her prayer beads.
Personality:
 Sanzomon is a tempered, reserved, decisive Digimon whose heart is filled with dedication.

[User]
Big deal to make over a pre-release that will happen in every shop in Tokyo within a month, and the rest of the world soon after. he thought to himself, remaining quiet, although his thoughts were mildly betrayed by the folding of his arms, and his purposeful lack of eye-contact.
 As the projector lowered, he slid his sharp gaze onto the blank screen, which didn't remain as such for long. The explanation that was given was dubious at best to be sure. Digimon existing in physical space? Impossible. Maybe as some form of hologram, maybe. But being able to interact with objects, especially enough to damage a store, was complete nonsense. And from scrapped concepts no less. Haruka rolled his eyes, scoffing softly at the very idea. It was probably some failed attempt to mask the footage of a robbery, and no one wants to admit that anything was taken- or the thieves failed so badly that they didn't take anything. Either way, it was the only logical reason for the news footage. It wasn't the first time they had gotten something wrong or blown things out of proportion, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.
 That being said, however, he was quick to step up to the opened case. His approach was rapid, making sure he was among the first to reach an appropriate distance. There he stood before Mr. Kuroda, waiting to be given one of the colored D-Scanners from the case- hopefully with a Digimon more interesting than Commandramon. And if he got to expose some shoddy criminals along the way, then all the better.
 "I'll do it, Haruka declared, raising a clenched fist to around shoulder height rather dramatically, "After all, if anyone deserves to be able to do this, it's clearly me," he added with a smug flip of his hair, "Especially more than some half-rate legion of copycats."

[Assistant]
Houkoushi Koutaigo (皇太后 蜂光子 Koutaigo Houkoushi)

She'd seen the 'Cyber Beast' thing on the news too; it was big stuff, even all the way over in Nagasaki, but there had been more of those attacks? And the government or somebody had decided to hide it or something? That was pretty unbelievable at first blush, especially when it sounded like a theory of one of those conspiracy whatsit schlumps, but it actually did make some worrying sense. Stuff like that didn't happen in a vacuum. There had to be some place somewhere for those schmucks to have come from if these D-Connect guys had been working on doing something for it.

This anime thing or whatever went way over her head though. Houkoushi could honestly say that she wasn't so big of a fan; that was her lil' bro, which made this entire thing even more weird for her. Actually shoving those Digimon into like, the D-Scanner things to make real? Not just virtual pet things? Using them to fight monsters? The world never seemed like it was one of those shows she watched as a little brat, but if the rich old guy was gabbing on about it, it was really real?

She stared at the materialising Commandramon in shock, her expression one of surprise even after it was returned to its home. The entire thing was unbelievable. Totally unexpected. Did these guys' know-how do this stuff already? And why her? She was an awesome hockey player sure but not all TV needed a sporty person for a hero? She wasn't that big of a fan too? What was the selection process anyway?

The new D-Scanner before her drew in her eyes.

Man, this was a total surprise. Like, no warning whatsoever.

Houkoushi reached out anyway, carefully taking the device into her hands.

Maybe her bro'd find it cool.

And ... if there were these shmucks hurting people ... there needed to be cool folks like her ready to stop them right?

"Perfecto, padrone," she uttered, accent bleeding through.

It was a lot less heavy than she'd thought it'd be. Huh, weird.

She looked around. Those two older dudes had already taken the thingamabobs too. And the one that looked like one of those handsome drama stars ... wow, that was some serious dramatic posing. And more ego than even her, hahaha.

"Copycat legion, ey senpai?" she asked, her attention now focused on the older boy. She wondered what he was talking about. Sounded like a weird thing to compare himself to when getting a snazzy new monster-hunting device.

[User]
Zakai took his attention off the goofy pretty boy when Kuroda mentioned the Cyber Beast story from the news. He learned about the Cyber Beast rumor from online sources and saw the news clip on the internet as well. When he first heard about it he thought it was kind of funny, because he knew quite a bit about how data worked and humans were no where near manifesting data in such a way. But, Zakai was also well aware that there were things humans did not understand. And when Kuroda made an appearance on the news, it was interesting to him.

Why would Kuroda bother making a statement about a rumor; an event that appeared to be caused by a certain something but had no real evidence behind it and was laughable as even a theory. At the same time, this further peaked Zakai's interest for that same reason. The news was gullible and likely to follow any story for the sake of views, but if Kuroda bothered to make a statement then that could mean there was some kind of evidence to incriminate him. Or was he just interested in publicity also? Zakai did not really know anything about the man.

And then Kuroda answered the truth by explaining similar events were happening all over the world and actually being kept secret. Something was happening, at least, something that was causing danger to people. Still, what did that have to with this tour? Why they were all here? Zakai felt his stomach twist a little as he began to wonder if there really was a stronger connection to Kuroda then it seemed.

Moving closer to the projector, Giga Blast card still unconsciously in hand, Zakai kept his eyes locked on Kuroda as he finally was about to explain why he brought them here. He raised an eyebrow as he saw the Digimon cast and then simply blinked as Kuroda told them they were actually to be apart of Project Destiny, become Digidestined. Kuroda was saying this was real. Before Zakai could even begin to form an opinion on the matter, Kuroda took one of the D-Scanners and did the unbelievable.

As pixels emerged from the D-Scanner right before him and formed a Digimon, Zakai could only stare wide eyed and utter, "No way."

He watched as Kuroda handed one of the D-Scanners to the guy named Makoto. There was no time to question things. And was he about to miss out on a chance to see something incredible, experience events no other human had? Not a chance. He would accept the offer for now, see what this was all really about. The world might really be affected by this too. There was no doubt, he was doing this.

Zakai faced Kuroda. "I'm in."

[Assistant]
Haruka's gaze slid to the side, locking a cold, acidic glare on the younger girl who had addressed him.
 "Yes, it's quite a shame," he replied, a slight lilt to his voice, still not moving his chilly gaze, shifting his D-Scanner to a more natural position in his hand, "That parents would allow such delinquency in children is simply deplorable."
 Now, he had turned, and was slowly walking towards the back of the room, his sights now anywhere but on the blond girl, though it appeared he was still addressing her- if you could really call it that with his distant, almost disinterested tone and gait.
 "Especially with the birth rate what it is," he remarked again, though it was unclear exactly who could hear, as only the blond girl was likely paying attention, "Abhorrent delinquents like that would never be able to successfully have children," he made as a final, slightly more quiet remark.
 Now near the middle-back of the room on the far side from the door, and facing away from the projector, he held out the D-Scanner in his hand. His eyes were caught by the ring and trigger on one end, and he fitted it onto his index finger, finding that it fit rather comfortably. Holding out his hand, he placed his finger on the trigger, pointing the screen towards the open area on the floor.
 "Alright, let's see what this has got."
 There was the sound of something charging, then a whirring noise, as thin beams of light began to shine out of the screen, hitting near the ground. Soon, more shone out, until they made a strange, shaped grid. Something seemed to be flowing from the device now, filling the free-standing grid, until, with a flash, a brown and white creature floated there.
 The Bakumon drifted in the air on its wispy tail for a moment, before turning to look around the room, its expression placid. Haruka, on the other hand, was fighting back a bewildered, dumbfounded expression.


[System]
Appearance:

Race: Human
Class: Engineer
Main-Hand Weapon: Repeater Crossbow*
Off-Hand Weapon: Toolbelt*
Secondary Weapon: Backpack*
Armor: Cloth
Skills:
Explosives Master: Kelvin is extremely skilled in the handling, use, and creation of explosive devices. Given supplies and a bit of time, Kelvin can improvise a wide variety of tricks and distractions using his skills, as well as disarm explosive traps.
Tinkerer: Kelvin possesses a lot of experience in tinkering and crafting odd things, and has a decent chance at disarming traps, as well as being more than capable of setting them himself on the fly.
Problem Solver: Because of his knowledge, Kelvin is capable of jury rigging and improvising his way through problems (often unconventionally) using both what he has on him, and random local resources. (Can 'observe' and 'search' areas and interact with the environment in advanced ways.)
Weaknesses:
Combatively Incompatible: Kelvin lacks in the close quarters skills, other than 'run fer y'ur life!'.
Half-deaf: Explosions and the like have left Kelvin deaf in one ear, as well as missing a pinkie.
Personality:
Over confident and domineering when it comes to his specialties, Kelvin represents one of those "Stand back and watch this" types of guys. (But really, if he tells you to stand back, there is likely a reason.) In combat, he tends to hang back and shoot from the back, and isn't afraid to run like the coward he really is. This guy tends towards the eccentric, but generally means well for all involved.
Background:
Not much to say, his father was a woodcarver and his mother a daughter of a hunter. Kelvin took interest in both crafts growing up, particularly enjoying making puzzle boxes and toying with the spring power found in bows. He dabbled in smithing for a bit, then alchemy, and finally found good mentor in a larger city. Now he is here.
Other:

Designed for shooting 'slugs' with a fast winding mechanism, making it more like a two step semi-automatic. Their short stature and heavy design make the bolts focus on the impact rather than penetration. As far as accuracy, this weapon's penetration range is maxed at about thirty meters.
4 Torches
Rope
Cord
10 metal stakes
4 Sticks of Dynamite
Bucket
Canvas Tarp
Stack of paper
String
1 Small keg of gunpowder
Extra crossbow darts
Hammer
Screwdrivers (3 sizes)
Shears
Flint & Steel
Chisel
Bear Trap
Pouch of crossbow darts

[User]
Furnace eyes brightened in excitement.
"Exotic words? Spontaneously appearing? Sounds like magic!
And you know it? Please tell me about it. What kind of energy is it? What's it's purpose? Can I learn it?!"
While any other would have picked up on Alula's discomfort and concern immediately Furnace completely failed to notice.
His mind immediately swarmed with questions and half answers. Memories of lessons on spell-craft long ago.

All magic is energy given shape and purpose. The shape is like a vessel for the energy, an instruction that spends the energy to rewrite the laws of nature to a purpose. The purpose is chosen by the entity who gives shape. Shapes can be learned. The most potent shape, the hardest to master but the most versatile of all shapes, is the word.

The voice had refused to teach him how to use words, said it didn't suit him. He had affinity with the natural path, the path of learning to shape energy trough intuition. But that didn't stop Furnace from desiring this knowledge. And suddenly an opportunity stood before him.

[Assistant]
Alula leaned back, eyes wide with shock, when Furnace began to ask her questions in his excited tone. He was smiling, which was a bit of a surprise to Alula. He didn't fear her. Everyone she had ever met eventually became scared of her power. Albeit, he didn't know everything about her. Regardless, it was nice to have him excited.

She leaned back forwards, smiling herself.

"Yes the words are quite different from what you would see in this world. It's not in a common language or elvish or gnomish." She decided to skip around in his questions.

"The words themselves, while not of this realm, are not magic. What is magic is how they got there." Alula looked around, making sure they were far enough away from the group that no one would overhear her. Especially Carver and the children.

"I am an Oracle, one who gets power from the moon. Much like how Carver finds his strength in the sun. The marking on your forehead is the result of one of my powers."

Alula considered explaining further, but decided to stop there. She felt rather dizzy all of a sudden, pulling her hat down over her eyes.

"As for you learning it...I would say...it would be rather impossible..."

[User]
Furnace listened intensely to her explanation.
While he studied her words he thought of the way he could get a hold of energy from deep inside and send it outwards.
He saw a mental image of how he'd move his hands to manipulate the strands and strings that flow trough the ether.
The image shifted to Alula plucking strings from the sky, weaving sharp beams of moonlight with grace and ease.
Then his imagination shifted to an opposite. Carver making the same movements under the sun, weaving bright lances of sunlight with strength and vigilance. Both receiving their power, flowing down from the heavens in a shower of inspiring patterns.

These were energies of a nature strange to Furnace.
Like the positive and negative they were two sides of a coin, but that was were the similarities stopped.
"I understand. Complex forces don't come as natural to me as the more simple energies like light and dark. Or heat."
Furnace looked defeated, yet still curious. He carefully touched his forehead.
"What words are there here?"

[Assistant]
Separ

"Hmm, I suppose it would be better to have some sort of back-up in case I have to fight. Alright, you can come with me." Separ then looked towards Kelvin, however from Kelvin's expression he realized he wasn't going to get that stick of dynamite. He'd have to make due without it. "Okay, once we rescue the girl, all three of us will meet you at the next town over okay? If we don't show up in a few days after you arrive, something must have went wrong and you don't have to wait for us. With that being said, let's go!" Separ swung his hand forward pointing into the direction of the Ravenwood, the fallen town.

A long walk was ahead of them, but with any luck they'd be able to find the girl and escape without detection.

***

A few hours of walking had past and now both Separ and Vis were nearing Ravenwood. Separ cautiously moved forward, sneaking towards the town while hiding behind all manner of trees and shrubs. The town of Ravenwood could now be seen, and Separ figured they had at least a mile left til they reached it. As Separ approached closer, he felt more nervous though, as every little noise was thought to be an ambush of some kind. Eventually however, they both finally made it to the outskirts of town without running into any raiders. Here was where things got interesting though. Without the cover of the trees, only the debris of fallen buildings could hide their presence, and with the girl nowhere to be found, it was only a matter of time until Vis and Separ would be spotted.

"What now?" Separ asked himself, as he slowly examined his surroundings. The only thing he could make out were some raiders which all seemed to be occupied or to far away to notice him, as well as the one giant ettin. Separ examined his options, but wasn't able to think of anything other than just picking a random direction. So instead he looked towards Vis and shrugged, "I don't suppose you have any bright ideas do you?"

[User]
It seemed like a member of their party was in trouble, Alula could feel it. But she also knew that the women had hidden strengths, and was more then capable of taking care of herself. She didn't mention any of this as Separ and Vis made plans to go after her. She wondered if it would really take them days to find Suki. They were likely to run into trouble.

Alula peered out from under her hat, as if waiting for the gnomes expression to change. Hrs it'll seemed excited, and inquisitive. She was pleasantly surprised, as well as relieved, when he ceased his questions. It was true, lunar energy was quite complex. She had trained her entire life and even then some to become as proficient as she was. Alula smiled when he asked what was written on his forehead. She moved closer and moved her hat and hair away from her eyes, in an attempt to make herself see better.

She studied the markings intensely before leaning back away from Furnace. She covered her mouth, as if suppressing a laugh.

If the girls teachers could see her penmanship now they would be appalled.

Alula smiled, uncovering her mouth.

"These symbols..." She paused, thinking. "There really isn't a good translation..." She paused again. "Hm...you would often see these written to friends going through a hardship, a condolence."

She frowned, pulling her hat back down over her eyes. She felt dizzy. "I am not sure what they mean in relationship to you."

[Assistant]
Bright Ideas. Vis was never the sharpest sword on the rack, however this time he was wracking his brains to think of a solution. Then it hit him. "Yeth, I haf one idea." Vis turned around and began to rummage through his backpack until he found what he was looking for, the black poncho he took off the dead raider. He pulled it on and ducted it off from most of it's dirt and mortar dust. "I go in drethed as one off them and you'll be my prithner."

Vis didn't know whether this was a good idea or not, he rarely had them but it seemed feasible, as long as no one asked him what he was doing with a living prisoner, everything should be alright.

Meanwhile back at the tree, Khat was missing, she had gone after Vis and the shirtless man.

[User]
"Intresting"
Furnace pondered his forehead calligraphy.
"Are these words given by or to me? I wonder what hardships the could be. They aren't future ones are they?"

[Assistant]
Separ

Separ considered the thought for a moment, pretending to be a prisoner, and a raider huh? It was just crazy enough to work, though it was also incredibly dangerous. While Separ would have liked more time to think up and discuss plans, time was of the essence. Finding and saving the girl would not be a simple task by any means. "Alright Vis, we'll go with your plan, let's just hope we can find the girl fast enough so we can get in and slip out though."

Separ faced away from Vis and held out both of his hands behind him. "Bind my arms loosely if you have the means too. It should help us really sell it."

[User]
His expression remained locked during the man's reply. No, he didn't grasp the concept at first, but it didn't catch until the man further expounded the idea. Then it made all the logical sense in the world. He still wanted that two hundred a month lowered- no matter what the man said about what he could make them in profits, that all was dependant on actual trade being performed. Which, while Kelvin was all for employing his services as an engineer, they would need to actually get loot to sell for any large profits.

Carver stepped in before he could counter, but the man was right. They needed to move. The little gnome had an impressive grasp of math though. It made Kelvin wonder what else he was capable of, recalling his past experience of having his profession practically guessed by smell in the bar. He waited a bit, considering ways to lower that monthly price, letting the numbers roll through his head like cogs in a wheel. The girl and the gnome had their chances at conversing with the merchant. Kelvin was a bit surprised that the man replied at all, considering the innocence of one and the emotional nature of the other. Men like this weren't usually so patient, even with the venom he used in his wordings. Then Carver planted himself between them.

The knight was right in all respects. Kelvin nodded, blinking away the haze of bargaining and numbers. He had a tendency to focus too much on one task, when it came to anything resembling an intellectual challenge. Part of the job. He had turned back to their gear when the seer started speaking. The girl? Kelvin slowly turned about. She was missing alright. He froze. Was she part of the raiding party? He hadn't seen her until Separ had arrived last night- but it would make sense for her to head back if she was. Slip away and rejoin the group, then bring down an avalanche of enemies on their heads. He practically ignored the extra boy who had joined their group. Just another possible survivor, people joining them wasn't as concerning to him as people leaving.

Then of course, Separ said his peace. He was your typical hero. Not that it was a bad thing… Kelvin could use more blind optimism in his life. The guy was crazy to ask for dynamite. It wasn't that Kelvin was stingy with his gear, but there was plenty to go wrong with that. All he had on himself was flint and steel anyway- which would take a bit of time to light dynamite with. It wouldn't be much for close combat. Only the gnome had a dependable way to light it up on the fly. He was relieved when the man turned away, and a bit ashamed. Separ and the half-elf left, the little girl going off to pout next to a tree. He spared a glance towards the gnome and seer. She had pulled back the little guys hair and exposed the mark. Kelvin felt a chill go through his spine watching them, flexing his gloved hand unconsciously. That would have to wait for later.

"Carver is right." He nodded at the merchant, promising further discussion later in the motion. "We need to be moving, as much as I hate to leave so many team members behind." He didn't feel like alerting the others that, assuming the girl was a traitor, Separ and the elf were going to their deaths. "We can leave behind their packs here, since we don't need the extra gear. When they come back this direction they can pick it up on their way past." He looked about, counting their people. Not so bad… He recounted, and then frowned. Where was the girl. He slowly counted everyone again. Kelvin stared hard at the roots where she had been a moment ago. Various expletives ran through his head in a flash. Kelvin turned sharply to Carver.

"The other girl is gone too… I doubt she would have gone anywhere but..." He glanced in the direction of the burned-out town. "I understand if you want to go after her, but let me make a recommendation. Leave behind your armor and take your sword and shield. You will need to travel fast, and if you get bogged down in the fighting you could doom Separ and the elf as well as that girl." He sighed, a sinking feeling in his stomach. It would be simpler if the knight chose to just push on with the party, but that sense of honor would possibly be Carver's undoing. Go after the two girls, or press on to safety with the other innocents in the party. Not a great choice for a paladin to make.


[System]
Age: 19
Year: 1st
Gender: Female
Species: Faerie [Dullahan]
Physical Description:

In Depth Physical Description:
For all intents and purposes Claire is fairly average in terms of body build. She stands at a modest 5'6'', being neither skeletal nor particularly chubby. Even frequent rides on Thanatos don't give her much muscle considering the unnatural smoothness of his gait. Her hair is a very light brown, nearing a dull orange, and goes down to mid chest in a messy fashion with windswept bangs. There's little more she does to it than running a brush through the strands, at most putting it up in a ponytail or bun. Claire also has a spattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and along the skin of her arms, said skin being fairly pale and having only a hint of sun kissing it, due mostly to the fact she'll burn rather than tan. Her eyes are a light grey-blue, though when her head isn't attached they slowly start to lose the color until only her pupils set against the white background remain. Speaking of which, whenever her head isn't attached a dark blue, almost black smoke covers what would otherwise be grotesque openings, and even when attached it's obvious there's something wrong with the skin – since her head never truly is fully connected.
Due to this Claire has a habit of covering her neck, either with scarves or high neck clothing such as turtlenecks. It's rare to see Claire without something patterned in her family's tartan as well – usually a sash across her chest or waist.

Personality: Perhaps it's the never wavering grin on her face, or her tomboyish looks and excitable personality, but Claire has always been known as a goofball. The former isn't an exaggeration either – as a dullahan Claire can literally never stop grinning, and finds the range of emotions others can show with their face fascinating. Due to this she loves watching people, almost in a creepy fashion, even while talking a mile a minute. In truth she loves other people in a sort of detached way, often describing others as 'amusing'. Even when she grows close to them it's almost as though she views them as a pet - which to Claire doesn't sound that bad; Thanatos is a pet and he's her best friend! Though no matter what she doesn't enjoy saying others' names and will often refer to those she knows by nicknames, the only exception being Thanatos.

Hobbies: Origami [mostly when she's bored and has nothing to do with her hands], Ice Skating, People Watching, and Botany [Claire mostly grows cacti – she has a secret stash of flowers but Thanatos keeps eating them if they're left out].

Familiar: Thanatos, a great black shire horse.

Extra: When roaming places Thanatos can't be – such as school halls or her dorm – Claire has mastered using her magic to turn the great undead beast into a tiny stuffed horse. Smells faintly of human.

[User]
Lyla Warren

"I'll be fine, jus' a little in over my head," Lyla said, beaming up in the general direction of the Lycan as Niall went to clean up the mess she had made. "Thank you for your con... cont... consh... Ah... thanks for caring, though." Despite her insistence, she couldn't help the mild slur that had crept into her speech, or the fact that her head still hurt and she was still sitting back against the counter. Lyla didn't look like she wanted to get up or go anywhere any time soon.

"Niall is right though. I wasn't really made. I have biological parents like every human in the world. Only, parts of my DNA were switched with that of a bat. Dr. Higgins didn't create me, but he did change who I ultimately became." While it was pretty much only the most basic explanation she could offer, Lyla didn't really feel up to going into more detail just then. Once her head cleared a bit, she would be able to give Felix more information as to what exactly was changed and maybe even how it was done. There was a lot about the latter she didn't understand, but after living with Geoff for most of her life she had a decent grasp on the basics.

"Um... would someone mind getting me some water? I need something to drink but I don't think more alcohol is a good idea at this point..." she said, not addressing either of her conversational partners in particular. Hopefully the water, and a few minutes spent sitting on the floor, would help her to recover.

---

Morgan Selwyn

Morgan smiled as Kiara took the ice lotus from him, genuinely glad that she liked it despite the fact that he could feel the beginnings of a blush forming due to her compliments. It was her mention of the Winter Court that brought his attention back around and made him think for a moment. He had to remember that she was as dangerous as she was gorgeous, and that things could go badly if he didn't keep his wits about him when she was around. As much as he liked her, he wasn't prepared to get stuck in the Fae Realms or end up dead over a crush or lustful tryst. All of that, however, went out the window as soon as her lips touched his.

At first, he was so surprised that he was stunned to the point of immobility. As realization sunk in his cheeks started to burn as blood colored his face and neck. But by the time Kiara brought her other hand up to draw him closer, Morgan was already lost in the moment. She tasted of the whiskey, which he decided wasn't so bad after all. Her proximity inspired a number of passionate desires, which he only really managed to resist due to his reserved nature. Though he longed to pull her against him, he settled for the simpler notion of resting his right hand just above her left hip and leaning closer to her.

When Kiara finally pulled away, Morgan was both disappointed and relieved. The source of his disappointment was obvious, but he was also glad to be able to breathe relatively freely. His breathing was ragged as he regarded the Faerie, and it felt like the whole of his body was burning up. He smiled again, somewhat crookedly, and looked down toward the flower with the hope that it might be easier to calm down if he wasn't staring into Kiara's eyes.

"I'm glad you like it," he mentioned, leaving out that he was glad the flower hadn't simply shattered when he tried to turn it into a prism as it had many times in the past. "You did ask, after all, and I'd hate to disappoint. It should last for a while on its own, but you'll want to get it someplace cold if you want to keep it. Though I suppose it wouldn't be that big of a deal for me to make you another," he mentioned, paying no heed to the minor lie. He could surely repeat the feat of magic, but it was mostly luck that had allowed him to complete it as it was. While he searched for something more to say, Morgan kept getting distracted by the fact that Kiara's fingers were still tangled in his hair and that they were still so close to one another.

"You make it really hard to think straight sometimes, you know?" he admitted, not really considering his words as he turned his gaze back to Kiara's eyes. Her whole being was captivating, but her expressive, color-shifting eyes seemed to draw Morgan the most.

[Assistant]
Morgan's hand remained just above her left hip, still warm from the passionate heat of their kiss. He was reserved, a gentleman even, his thumb only slightly brushing the exposed skin from her barely-there faerie outfit. Kiara hoped he didn't move it, not unless he was doing so to touch her somewhere else. At the moment, that seemed unlikely as his breathing was ragged and his whole face had turned just about the same color as those "strawberries" she never got to try earlier.

"I'm glad you like it," Morgan broke the post-kiss silence and explained what to do if she wished to keep the sculpture longer. Kiki just kept quiet, a rarity for the vivacious faerie, and studied his features. He was quite handsome with a strong chin and dark, mysterious eyes - eyes that kept nervously glancing at her right arm. "You make it really hard to think straight sometimes, you know?" he admitted before looking back into her eyes.

Kiara offered a gentle, feminine smile but the shift from pink to red in her eyes would betray her true intent. "Well, I like to make it hard." she bit her lip after making the double entendre. It was quite obvious that she wanted more than just that stolen kiss, but it was his turn to play in this game of cat and mouse.  "And there is really nothing to think about. I like you, Morgie, and more than just for--" she caught her whiskey-loosened tongue before it said too much. It would have been an honest slip, faeries can't tell lies after all, as she really did want him as more than just her next meal ticket… but, perhaps admitting how she sustained herself this early on would be a bit too forward, even for her.

"More than just for your pretty sculptures." she said instead before leaning forward to gently put the flower on the coffee table next to her empty cup. Kiki snuggled back into the couch, content in the warmth that his proximity and the alcohol provided. Her ruby-hued eyes watching him with the hope that he might drop his reservations kiss her again, better yet, ask her back to his room… or hers… or any nearby closed off space.

[User]
"Well, that was a bust. Look like I worried over nothing." A thump at her chest had Claire glancing down, her grin widening just that extra touch to split her face at seeing the stuffed black horse had thrown his head back to look at her. Still she couldn't help but sigh, lifting her one free hand to rub the surprisingly realistic fur that consisted of Thanatos' toy mane, turning her gaze from the beady black eyes. "Yes Thanatos, I told you I'm fine. Jaw's a little sore, but seeing how the wet blanket just shook off the teachers? Sheesh, I'm lucky I only lost my head." Yeah, that had been embarrassing. A casual flap of wings back at the ball had her carefully positioned head dipping forward, her body stumbling in an attempt to keep balance but, sadly, couldn't also keep her head up. Which is how Claire ended up with not only a light bruising growing against her jaw, but also wet hair that smelled faintly of fruit.

Yup, her head fell in the punch. Surprisingly this wasn't the first time in Claire's life this had happened.

After fishing out said head Claire had stayed and watched the theatrics for a bit, hugging a bowl of pretzels to her chest and eating but when all was said and done the mood was dead and full of anger. It left her feeling odd, almost giddy, but there was no room in that hall for partying anymore. She had skedaddled while everyone was preoccupied, eager to get out before the rush – and hopefully unseen by anyone with the crystal bowl of snacks under arm. Claire doubted she would even get to go for a ride on Thanatos with how on edge everyone was going to be, which dampened her mood further. At least the food was good.

"Pft, and my parents got me this fancy dress for nothing. I guess I can wear it to the next, er, social event. If we have one." Thanatos tossed his heads again at her words, butting the back of his head against her chest from his position snuggled in the front of her plaid sash.

"Whaddya mean I can't? … Tasteless?! That's just silly! Honestly Thanatos, I think I'd know more about human fashion than you. Oh don't roll your eyes at me." To anyone else it very likely seemed that Claire was talking to herself, but she and Thanatos had a bond that ran through their very species. After all, what was a dullahan without their horse, and an undead horse without its rider? And maybe he didn't actually roll his eyes, but Claire knew the sentiment was there. His muffled snort was confirmation enough!

It was because of this bond that Claire noticed how Thanatos' head cocked to the side, one of his stuffed ears raised as though searching for something.

"Whashup?" The dullahan asked eagerly, words muffled and contorted by a full mouth. Thanatos rolled his eyes – again – at Claire, but tossed his head towards one of the buildings and made some motions. Luckily Claire finished swallowing before her mouth fell open.

"No way, no one could be throwing a party after that disaster! … Why did I not think of it first? Come on, let's crash!" Thanatos made another muffled snort, it seeming to echo and not truly come from the stuffed horse, but Claire was already off towards the sounds Thanatos heard. He could've kept his 'mouth' shut… but at least Claire was excited again.

It didn't take long for the dullahan to find the party between Thanatos and herself, and a little bit of a complete disrespect for locks, and Claire paused only briefly to whisper to Thanatos.

"Is my hair still wet?" A whinny. "… Eh, I can deal with smelling like punch. As long as that one girl isn't there – I don't know if she's a fruit bat!" Guffawing at her own joke had Thanatos, one again, putting his hoof to his face. Claire barely got her laughter under control to make her grand entrance – which consisted entirely of just walking in and brandishing the crystal glass bowl from a very familiar setting.

"He~y guys, is this an open party? I brought possibly pilfered snacks!" Not that Claire needed an invitation. She was already going towards the bar to drop the offering off on the counter beside some others. Was just barging in rude? Didn't some get really offended about not waiting for others to be invited? Wait, no, that was something about vampires. Eh, she could deal with a ticked off vampire if the need arose. The real thing to be concerned with was how did a student go about getting a pull away bar in their dorm?

"Damn that's snazzy."


[System]
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Height: 6'1
Weight: 84 kg.
Build: While he's not a beast he looks as if he could survive one or two tavern brawls. He definitely has some muscle, but not overly so.
Equipment:* The most prominent piece is a large staff that seems to be longer than he is tall by a decent bit. It is made out of very rare and no less expensive, sturdy wood engraved with all kinds of runes and magic symbols that holds a large, reddish orb at its top. Vadym doesn't need it in order to wield magic in general, but as a channeling device it is definitely helpful and a requirement for some of the stronger rituals.
* His clothes are mainly comprised of dyed wool with some decorative elements stitched on it, but he also has a set of more combat-ready leather armor. He doesn't like to wear it in a civil environment though.
* A riding horse.
* Coin, food and water for several days.

Powers: Vadym has been taught a broad array of spells for daily use both in and out of combat, but out of this array there is nothing that would truly stand out. His true and in-depth profession is one of a more dark and often considered sinister nature. Not necromancy, but disturbingly closely related to it. It is reserved for those cases where some petty fireballs out of his hands don't help.

The nameless
(that is... until he meets someone who gives him a name!)

Gender: Male
Species: Gargoyle (created by human chiseler)
Height: 8'7"
Weight: 524 kg
Build: Moving wall and meteor with wings
Equipment: What kind of equipment ? While his very existence is due to humankind and their weird desire to decorate their sacral buildings with statues in order to deter evil spirits he is pretty much unrelated to them at least so far.
Powers: Brute strength and the ability to fly can make him very dangerous when provoked, but he is not of a malicious nature by himself.

[User]
Vadym had hoped for finding some kind of settlement in order to have several days of rest before continuing a journey that never seemed to end. Port Vale however, after having had some first looks at it, appeared to be on the very borderline of acceptability for the battle mage -- and that was taking into account the fact that the king's men had just left the place already. With that annoying bunch of people around Vadym would probably have tried to find his away around this town.

A tavern was found quickly and without the difficulty of choice -- there simply was just one tavern renting rooms in Port Vale. Vadym made sure he'd have a place to stay for the night, then continued to venture deeper into the arrangement of buildings. At least there seemed to be some more basics available: food stores and a blacksmith very always good to have. Then something stopped him: A small piece of paper lying on the ground. Apparently someone had disposed of it since there was no obvious source to be seen in the area, and it had become so wet and dirty already that 'deciphering' was a more appropriate term then 'reading' when Vadym decided to pick it up.

It was saying something about four adventurers for some kind of quest. They should gather at... that was the part where damage had taken the greatest toll. All Vadym could read was that the place had to be some kind of magic store. Well... shouldn't be too hard to find in Port Vale, should it ? There hardly could be more than one of those around here.

[Assistant]
Gaia slunk out of the shadows, her ears perked up as she listened for any sign of other person around. She looked at the piece of paper again, A magic shop. She thought before she fanned her wings out slightly, her impressive wingspan making a large shadow on the ground. She relaxed before she moved along quickly, her stomach gave a snarl- Finding wherever she needed to go would have to come later, first she had to sate the appetite.

She moved to tilt her chin up to the sky, breathing in slowly and her tail swayed. She followed her nose, literally, to find where food was.

---

Untying himself was going to be a lot harder than escaping the Guards, Blake realized.
He had slipped from the Guards pretty easily, everything he had still intact and everything. He looked at the ropes tying his hands together with a frown.

"Rightio." Blake spoke to himself, "This'll be... Fun." He looked around, he knew that the city of Port Vale was close, which was good, but explaining himself would end up being rather... Difficult.

[User]
Vadym had a not so comfortable time trying to evade the almost ubiquitous amount of dirt that was lying on the streets, rotting and waiting to be dilitued and washed into the sea with the next rain. That dress of him had not been that cheap after all, but never was it in so much danger than in a town like this. The mage almost considered using some kind of spell to alleviate the task, but what would the people around him say ? According to his experience by far not every commoner was open-minded with regard to such things, especially in regions where education was a more rare thing to be seen.

Still Vadym made it, only his shoes had turned into a pile of mud. Carefully and with eyes wide open he knocked against the door, hoping that someone was still there to respond.

---

In the meantime some strange happened near Port Vale's only church... Just like with many other sacred buildings people had not been hesitant to attach weird looking statues to them. Grotesque creatures of fantasy that looked horrifying, but actually were meant to demoralize and scare away evil spirits. Those arts of work were meant to cling to the walls forever, but unknown to most people very few of them didn't. Now the night was coming and one of them separated itself from the high spire it once had been mounted on. A hulking beast that didn't come crashing down since it unfolded giant wings, now gliding through the dark skies with almost disturbing silence. It would try to roam around the streets this night, trying to find out more about its environment.

[Assistant]
The door creaked open as it was pounded on, the shadows of the street being struck by the rays of soft, warm light from inside the store.
A large hanging jar, filled with moving light; potentially fireflies or something magic, hung from either side of the door.

The store was stocked with shelves against the walls, the floor space in the middle of the store was bare, covered by a large navy blue rug.
A large counter sat near the end of the room, a pair of doors seeming to lead off to other places. Behind the counter was a large cabinet that hunt open, revealing the shelves inside and on the walls, stocked with different coloured vials or stones.
The air of the Magic store was light and full of warmth. A figure sat behind the counter, their head down as they focused on the book in their lap.

---

Gaia's ears twitched as she heard what sounded like knocking. She had gotten to the Inn, but people looked at her out the windows, and she heard the doorbolts lock in place to keep her from entering.

The dragonwoman let out a low grumble as she moved on, she guessed it was time to find the magic place, she'd go hunting in the morning.
She walked along quietly, knowing she was getting the glances through the windows.

---

Blake flexed his hands quietly, trying to see if he could untie his hands himself. He frowned as he couldn't, flexing his wrists a bit more before he sighed, walking into Port Vale, past the Old Church before he saw the Gargoyle leave his spot.
"Fuck!" He swore, moving to hold his hands up to cover his mouth, he didn't mean to be so loud.

[User]
Vadym dared to clear his throat somewhat artificially in order to get the shop owner's attention. "Erm... excuse me ? I have something for you..." The mage was quite straightforward: He simply put the piece of parchment he had found onto the counter and tapped onto it with his index finger in order to indicate what he was referring to. "Did you write this or is this merely the intended rendezvous point ?"

Silently, but no less scorchingly hot something came to Vadym's mind: What if this was just a fake ? Some more or less bad joke intended to annoy the shop owner by luring random people to his place in large numbers. Or maybe even an attempt of sabotage ? Vadym now expected pretty much anything between 'I don't know anything.' to a full scale rant and tried to prepare himself mentally. At the same time he, of course, tried to get a good view at the shop owner. If he was the author if this parchment indeed Vadym wanted to know who was about to hire him... not every contractor was trustworthy after all...

---

The enormous shadow that had separated itself from Port Vale's church now was almost invisible against the already dark sky. Despite its size it hardly made any noise as it tried to glide as much as possible instead of flapping its wings, also it flew at high altitude. It would take until later in the night for the creature to come down and wander. Too many people were still roaming around on the streets that could spot it and become afraid or, even worse, call to arms.

[Assistant]
Ash looked up at Vadym as he spoke, his silver eyes trained on him carefully.
"It is both." He stayed seated behind the counter. "I am waiting for at least 2, maybe 3 more to arrive as well." He motioned his hand to the note, the edges rippling with magical energy. "I got them to find the best travellers they could find."

Footsteps echoed from the outside, Ash's eyes moved to the door before his eyes narrowed.
Gaia paused at the door, her tail swaying before she moved to push it open. She pushed her head through the door quietly, locking eyes with Ash and glanced to Vadym.
"Ah. I see I am not the first." She said as she slipped into the magic shop.

---

Blake watched the shadow disappear and shuddered, moving into the little town a bit faster.
"I need to get these off somehow.." He said as he entered the town properly. He looked around to try and find somewhere that was open or that would help.

[User]
"Well, I'd not be so sure if spreading a simple piece of parchment on the street would only attract the best ones, but personally I've come here with the very serious intent if picking up that job you're offering. I'll try to do my best." Vadym spoke slowly, but seriously. He was partially busy thinking already and that was quite obvious, but still he didn't break his visual focus onto Ash.

Then Ash entered, causing Vadym to turn on his heels and starting to inspect her briefly.
"Hm. It seems now we're already two. So one or two more and we're ready to go, right ?"
Vadym approached Ash and stretched out his large hand, smiling gently.
"Sorry. I probably should have introduced myself first to you: I'm Vadym, mage. And you ? I'm curious..."

---

While circling in the air and waiting for the last rays of light to disappear, the gargoyle had no true path to follow. He wasn't aware of any Blake and that this certain guy was getting the impression of being pursued by the enormous flying creature, he just was waiting. However and probably to both their fortunes light was fading away rapidly now and the gargoyle started to reduce his altitude gently. When the last light was gone he landed on an open and empty path a few dozen yards away from the village, his eyes being able to penetrate the night. Now he'd need to take care of the candlelight coming out of more and more windows, but this was a rather minor issue. Also he'd have to be careful about his incredible weight causing thudding steps in the mud...

He did not expect anyone to roam the streets currently, at least he had not spotted blake. So as the gargoyle entered the village carefully an unexpected encounter could very well occur.

[Assistant]
Ash smiled at Vadym's first words, moving to speak before Gaia entered. He inspected the Dragonwoman before he turned back to Vadym.
"They are not simple letters master mage." He said with a small, slightly cheeky, smile. "I am Ashton Gias, please just call me Ash." He continued before his eyes rested back on the beastwoman.

Gaia stayed back and listened, her ears drooped and eyes narrowed in the light around them. She tucked her wings further into her body in order to stop herself from slamming her wings into things.
"As you may sense, Master Mage." Ash said, returning his eyes onto Vadym, "I am also a magic user; although not in the way you are. I am a Mystic, in fact, the last mystic."

---

Blake saw the beast disappear, part of him relaxed, while the other part just worried that he was the beasts next prey.
He moved into the village, looking around quickly but noticed all doors and windows were closed.
"Musta been the beast..." He uttered out loud with a frown, "Now how am I going to get these cuffs off."

[User]
"Hello Ash!" Vadym reciprocated the greeting before pondering about the other words. "Not simple letters you say ? Well, I think that depends on your point of view. For the average reader they obviously are intended for giving the pattern of their distribution they so far must seem to be. So would you like to introduce me deeper into the reason for their existence ? I'm not entirely sure who the last mystic is and what his deeds might be ?"

Now Vadym truly was curious. One could see how he concentrated much more on Ashton than on anyone else in the room, including the precense of the dragon woman who clearly was outstanding in her own right as well.

---

The gargoyle was a humongous beast, leaving behind deep, clawed traces in the mud of the roads that had the potential to leave people behind in fear the next morning. However he too was bound to the force of gravity and thus couldn't avoid this to happen without flying, but he couldn't to anything else while flying. On the plus side for some people it might be rather ease to keep track of him for Blake...

Now the gargoyle too encountered one of the mysterious parchments that still happened to lie around. He wasn't a good reader though, so deciphering and understanding the meaning of the message would take a considerable amonut of time.


[System]
Race: Human

Age: Twenty-Seven.

Gender: Male.

Appearance: Joseph has a face of triangular structure, with softer features and a fair complexion. His hair is likely his most defining feature, golden in color and bizarrely well-kept for a sailor. While still tousled in places, his hair sits well in a middle-split. At the back of his hair and scarcely dotted around longer parts, it's easy to notice a few beads tied into improvised braids in his hair. Lastly His eyes are an unremarkable, dark blue.

At 5 feet, ten inches in height, Joseph isn't really of a remarkable height, and at 160 pounds, he isn't particularly heavy, either. Naturally slender, though bearing some build from his short life as a sailor, Joseph has the build of a gymnast or an athlete. He's not suited for much heavy lifting, but is an adept climber and runner. He bears no scars or tattoos, proof of a short sailing career. (Cutsey chibi Joey art)

Clothing/Armor: Tawdry and perhaps a little showey, Joey either enjoys loose clothing, or is as brazen as he comes off. He sports a white, ruffled shirt with a neck that starts just below his chest, over which he dons a blue, low-fastened vest. He bears a flashy, but undoubtedly cheap necklace, and decorates his fingers equally well, with two rings for each hand. These are less often seen, however, as he usually wears a pair of fingerless leather gloves. Brown, cuffed boots cover his feet and a pair of unremarkable tan breeches cover his legs entirely. Around his waist he secures a sash with a buckled, offset leather belt and sheath.

Weapons: Joseph only carries a single weapon. A plain, light sabre sword. The blade is a dull steel though has a decent enough edge. It's a notably light weapon, with a long, thin, curved blade. It looks like it could cut well, but the dings and dents along the blade imply it's seen more use defensively. Joseph always wears this in the sheath at his hip.

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.

Skills/Abilities:
Fleeting Swordsman: Though "Swordsman" is a generous way to put it. Joseph carries the blade but only has a handful of fights worth of experience. He tends to focus on defense, ever-concerned with his own safety.
Charisma: Joseph generally knows his way around people. He knows when to sweet-talk and he knows when to tell a good lie. Be it for his survival or simply to swindle a free drink or a handful of coin.
Deft Hands: Less a thief and more a conman or a swindler, Joseph is generally good with his hands. He can pick basic locks with the tools he keeps on hand in his vest, and can usually improvise slight-of-hands.

Magic: N/A

Backstory: Born far from the Isle to Harlous and Malle Mercer, Joseph always proved to be a foul and disobedient child from a young age. What was thought to just be a poor phase soon turned into a years-long struggled. Even as his brother, Alex, was born when Joseph was six, Joseph remained insubordinate and bratty. It was a normal enough childhood for two boys born to a lesser family, but Joseph's frequent bouts of disobedience lead to frequent disciplinings. This only spurred on his embitterment for his parents as he grew into a teenager.

As Joseph grew more and more able to venture out on his own, he spent less time by the day at home. The boy sought out company and cheap thrills at any street corner or dock. As years passed, time away from home grew, and Joseph began to experiment with ways to mooch what coin he could. More coin meant he could stay out longer. That first time he begged a meal off a tavern-going woman wasn't something he'd care to tell stories of, but it was the first budding attempt of what would be a lifelong chain of swindles. It was a thrill, and it payed. The boy was hooked.

As adulthood threatened to near at around age seventeen, Joseph's mind began to wander for lands unknown. The excitement from his home had long since ebbed. But to walk to the next town over on swindled coin? The man knew better. Necessity brought about a thought on an otherwise regular passing of the docks. Sailing, he thought. Pay for work, and an opportunity to travel as far as the seas went. The man always lusted for more. Gold, people, places. Soon, every ship that sailed into port found Joseph there to greet and nag for a position.

First attempts were, as always, not terribly successful. The man was barely eighteen. He lacked much build, a weapon, and a large among of sailing knowledge. It was only when that It was only when that fateful schooner docked into port that Joseph got his "Lucky" opportunity. Ratty and manned with only a skeleton crew, the ship's captain was notably desperate. Desperate enough to recruit Joseph, much to a soured feeling of accomplishment for the boy.

Years passed, at twenty, after a painfully long and turmoil-ridden shift on the unnamed, half-rotten schooner, an opportunity was presented. After a dealing with a second privateer ship, Joseph, along with the rest of the crew, were offered a place on the second ship. Larger and finer, though still barely manned, Joseph and a few others heartily agreed. It didn't occur to the man why such a ship was so poorly manned. Though it did not take long for that to become clear.

The first battle was hard, the second harder. Joseph hadn't seen a ship take cannon fire before. The ship before would surely sink from a single hit. But this ship? This ship was something hardier. War-bred, but with a crew that betrayed that image entirely. The Dread Corsair, she was called, and her crew was one of thugs and cutthroats. Coin kept Joseph's unease with the position silent for years to come.

At twenty-two, and after a particularly harsh defeat, the Dread Corsair only barely limped into bay at Waeldeshore. When a ship repairman was hired, the crew was ordered to scatter to the town to wait out the repairs. It was only after the first night in a tavern that Joseph met Piper Pim , the daughter to the hired boat builder. Their meeting was, like all of Joseph's, initially a little overwhelming. Though after his usual bout of flattery, the two began to connect more personally. A friendly chat turned into an enthused exchange, which turned into a jovial drunken bout at the Ugly Mug. Drunken escapades turned out to be the downfall of his career. Night after night they continued, even as words of an escalating war reached the pair's ears. The two were too young to worry about that, even as the reports grew worse. It was after a particularly hard night that Joseph rose from a drink-induced sleep and headed for the docks as he always did... Or always tried to. It had been a few days. The man only discovered an empty dock, and with a panicked flurry of questions to the nearest dock worker, found that the ship and its crew had fled the war-torn land. Luck, it seemed, had cursed him.

The next five years of Joseph's life were taken to with some difficulty. Gone was his sailing career, the man was reduced to tricks and odd jobs once more, and as the Silver Lilly Isle grew more and more war-torn, the chance of leaving grew slim. Thankfully, the man had a companion for most of his hardship. Piper, as it turned out, had a set of equally sticky fingers, and the two flourished as much as on-and-off thieves could over the years. Joseph even had enough to rent a room at the tavern for most nights.

Now, Joseph is twenty-seven. Waeldeshore proved an odd town to adapt to, but through old tricks and the help from a now close friend, the man carved out something of a living in the place. He had no home of his own, sure, but he had his life and his freedom still. At least, that's what he used to reassure himself.

[User]
Of Witch Hunters and Merchants

---

Edict sits on a well used stool, sipping a pint of ale whilst listening to the blabber of the Ugly Mug. He leans his head back, takes a huge gulp, and slams his mug down on the counter. Edict, the Witch Hunter is in town on the account of rumors that a mage is planning to attack once again. A mage that he has been looking out for for 5 years. The hunter pays the bartender and leaves the pub. It's too crowded in the Ugly Mug for his liking, he would have to find another place to sleep for tonight.

 As of right now, though, he wanders over to the merchant's booths lining the near by street and browses the merchandise. While glancing at a booth, the owner of it speaks to him, "Hey, uh, what's going on with your shield there... It looks a little... Uhm... Magicky... You wouldn't happen to be a... Magic user of any kind would you?", the merchant rattles off somewhat nervously, while glancing over Edict's shoulder.

Edict's eyes narrow at the booth owner, aware of the two guards behind him, ready to strike.
"It's the complete fucking opposite." the merchant seems almost stunned by Edict's harsh tone.
"Do you know what anti-magic is? Of course you don't. Let me spell it out for you. It is anti-fucking-magic. The opposite of magic. Now I suggest you tell those two guards to fuck off before you piss off the best defense you have against any magic that may or may not be coming this way.", the Witch Hunter basically spits at the merchant. Edict turns, pushes passed the stunned guards, and quickly leaves the immediate area.

"This is why I work alone", Edict's deep, hollow voice, almost sadly, says to his boots as he wanders the streets, looking for somewhere to stay the night.

[Assistant]
"So anyways, anyways." she avidly told her friend, a mug of ale clasped in one hand with a bit of liquid trickling between two sticky fingers, "Th'nex' day th'firs' mate comes runnin'n down to'th'cap'n's quarters an' he wails, 'Cap'n! Cap'n! They's twenny Imperial sheps on th'orizon! What d'we do?!'" she threw forward her head as she told the joke, preemptively breaking out into her own chuckling and snickering. She had to take a moment to calm down before she could go on, "Righ', righ'. So th'firs' mate asts, 'Should w'git'che yer red shart?' an' th-th--" she broke into another bout of laughter. This joke was always far too funny, "Righ'. So th'cap'n says, 'No lad. Git-- Git me m'brown trousers!'" this earned a roar of laughter at her own joke. She raised her mug and took a drink, sputtering a little from her own amusement.

The day had just begun for the two, but Pip would be damned if she didn't start off her "morning" without a drink. She wasn't the type to sleep in, but she also wasn't the type to run on too little. The redhead had become accustomed to waking at noon every day, enjoying a drink and a good chat, and heading out for their daily work early in the afternoon. She used her free hand to prick more seeds from her eyes. Where did those things keep coming from?

"Anyway, anyway. I know y'must'a 'eard that'un b'fore, bu' I swear it don't make it any less funny. Gimm-Gimmie m'brown trousers. Bloody brilliant!" another gulp of the drink yielded empty. She peered into the cup in disappointment, as if she simply wasn't seeing the rest of her beverage. When her observation came up fruitless, she set the mug down on the counter,

"Y'finished wit'cher drink, Joey?" the girl inquired, resting her arms against a leg that'd been propped on the stool, "Figger s'a good time t'be 'eadin' out?" admittedly, she was always excited. When every day was a party like it was for Pimmy, what wasn't there to anticipate?

[User]
Joseph stared at the barely touched froth that peered over the edge of his own mug. Drinking in the morning, a quirk of Piper's that he'd never adjust to. It just felt so wrong. He quickly took up the excuse of paying attention to another sailing joke, but couldn't help but grin lopsidedly at her enthusiasm regardless. The man pivoted sideways in his seat, his left arm braced on the counter of the bar, while the left took up place on his hip. He knew this one, or one like it. He'd heard every sailor joke a thousand times over. "...Brown trousers." He spoke in sync with her, which at least earned more of a smile, which eventually bubbled into a quiet laugh. Old as these jokes were, Piper's demeanor rarely failed to life his spirits.

"Ha. Only once." He lied. "Most folks tell their jokes to amuse their company, not themselves, y'know." He waggled his brows at her and gave her a prod at the shoulder, before he reclined right back. One leg slipped from his stool as he turned out to face the rest of the tavern. He was growing restless, something his companion had no doubt grown used to over the years. Near every night in the Ugly Mug didn't exactly leave him craving more. The morning crowd was equally disappointing, barren save for a few select, miserable individuals. He hoped they weren't like them. No, he knew they were.

As Piper's empty mug went down, he peered over to her hopefully. He hoped she didn't fancy seconds today. He could barely keep down one in the morning, two dragged him down for a day and half a night over. He flicked a look over to his own drink, only half-touched. "...But I've hardly touched mine." His tone oozed sarcasm, and he gave her a jovial look. When she continued, he bared his teeth in a wry smile. His left hand slapped on the counter, and the man was on his feet but a moment after. "And here I thought we'd have another inside day. Ha! New ships in port, you know what that means." He gave her a knowing look, jerked his head over his shoulder towards the door, then turned on his heel. With Piper presumably in tow, the man slipped out of the entrance. He squinted from the rush of daylight, but how glorious it felt. A sign of good fortune, he thought, today might just be that lucky break he'd waited on.


[System]
Nickname/Codename- Val
Age- 230
Gender- female
Species- fae
Familiar- Richard, pelican
Origin- Earth, Dimension 1784b
Skin- caucasian, about what you'd expect from someone from London
Eyes- irises are black
Hair- yellow hair in a braid that drags the floor if she doesn't pick it up
Appearance- she's classically beautiful, as most fae are, but 6'4" with her shoes. She tends to dress in shorts, some form of top (fae have a looser meaning for "shirt"), and her leather jacket, which has quite a few bullet holes in it. Sometimes she wears her hat, a wide brimmed felt hat her familiar likes to sit on.
Skills/Abilities- fire magic, accelerated healing, running in stilettos.
Race/Ethnicity- English
Personality- while she's ultimately a good person, she's got no qualms about breaking the law or doing things that could be considered "bad" in order to ultimately do what's right. She's a highly capable leader and highly successful pirate, though some criticize her for being too harsh.
History/Current Status- she's successfully gained control of most illegal activity in and around London, and has and is taken steps to take down human trafficking worldwide. She met Ukase a a couple of years before, and is working with him to stay on top, as well as dating him.

Name- Ukase Grey
Nickname/Codename- Uki (by Valkyrie)
Age- 25
Gender- male
Species- human
Origin- Earth, Dimension 1784b
Skin- tan, but not white person tan, asian tan.
Eyes- deep hazelnut, always look like he's up to something.
Hair- black, cut short.
Appearance- he's somewhere around 6' tall, which is way above the average height for Filipino men. He's powerfully built and can very clearly handle himself in a fight. He has a leather coat similar to Val's, but his brushes his knees.
Skills/Abilities- crazy tech smart.
Race/Ethnicity- Filipino
Personality- he's kind of unprofessional, but nonetheless a capable pirate. He relies more on cleverness than brute force to get the job done. He loves puns and making dad jokes, but can get serious when he has to - and can get scary when he does. He's friendly and generally easy going and doesn't want to hurt anyone; he's fairly idealistic about the whole pirate thing.
History/Current Status- he dropped out of military school after a disagreement with higher ups about what the military should do. Since then, he's built a ship, gathered a crew, and got a fearsome reputation through use of rumors and publicity.

Name- Scarlet
Nickname/Codename- none (yet...)
Age- 190
Gender- genderfluid (he/him most of the time)
Species- fae
Familiar- Artemis, frogmouth
Origin- Earth, Dimension 1784b
Skin- caucasian. Has intricate tattoos on his upper body, mostly on his back and arms but the ends around to his chest and up the back of his neck.
Eyes- irises are black.
Hair- bright red, pulled up into a ponytail that comes down to his mid-back.
Appearance- he's 5'5", classically beautiful because he's fae, and slightly muscular. He doesn't believe in shirts, but wears pants most of the time.
Skills/Abilities- fire magic, arcane magic, accelerated healing, being a nerd.
Race/Ethnicity- American.
Personality- he's a huge nerd, but a powerful mage. He's fairly cautious and careful, but can have trouble keeping his mouth shut in certain situations. While he's pretty laid back most of the time and will be friends with just about anyone, he'll rarely forgive anyone he doesn't like.
History/Current Status- he's lived most of his life in New York, working off Broadway as a theatre tech. He moved to London with his then boyfriend a few months before they broke up and Ukase hired him to help with mechanical things on the ship.

I'll probably post pics here once I make good drawings of them

[User]
"Whoa!" Zephyr was nearly bowled over by the sheer awesomeness of the magnificent craft in the sky. As an air elemental, he couldn't help but admire the beautiful way it soared through the sky. Pity about those engines, but not everyone could be so gifted as himself.

Rena regarded the new developments critically, ignoring the noisy ship with so many minds and focusing on the small landing party. Determination was the primary emotion she felt. They seemed.. diffrent. Not like other Quadrans she'd met.

Landon waved. "Good morning! Fine day for a nature walk, isn't it?" He shouted, exuding friendliness.

"Landon." Rena's tone held a note of warning. "I'm not sure we can trust them."

"I'm sure it will be fine, Rena. Besides, the bigger our group, the safer we'll be here in the Wilds."

[Assistant]
The woman looked over her shoulder at them, somewhat suspicious. She put away the device and turned towards them: "...hello."

The two men with her turned too, and the taller one smiled and waved. "They seem friendly enough."

"Don't let your guard down." The woman muttered, shooting him a look. Then she addressed Zephyr, Landon, and Rena. "Can we help you?"

[User]
"I was actually wondering if we could help each other." Landon said, with a friendly smile. "The Wilds is no place for those who are unfamiliar with it. I thought it may be good if we travel together through it."

"Hey. What kind of ship is that?" Zephyr cut in, stepping between Landon and the other group. "That was totally awesome the way it just FWOOSH! and then--" Zephyr made sweeping motions with his hands, the air currents kicking up the leaves and forest debris at his feet until it almost formed a tornado around him.

[Assistant]
"Uh...a class 2 airship...?" The taller man glanced at the ship and back at him.

The woman was still suspicious. "How do we know we can trust you?"

"Val, chill, if they were gonna steal our stuff they probably wouldn't have stopped to chat first." The taller man put a hand on her shoulder. "And the ship isn't unoccupied, so we don't have to worry about our cargo."

"Fair enough..." She picked up her braid to keep it from dragging the ground as she walked over to them. "You're natives here?"

[User]
"Here? No." Landon said, looking around at the lush vegetation with a degree of longing. "Some days I wish I did, but no. We've traveled here to see how the place fared after the storms."

Landon turned to Rena as he felt foreign twinges of fear, suspicion, and concern. Her eyes were obscured by dark glasses, but the firm set of her mouth was enough to tell him that she didn't think too highly of these three. "It's all right. I'm sure they mean us no harm." He said softly, turning back to the group.

"My name is Landon. May I have the pleasure of making your acquaintance? It's rare to find someone who still shows an interest in The Wilds."

[Assistant]
"Hey, I'm Ukase, this is Valkyrie and Scarlet." The taller man said, ignoring the look the woman gave him.

Scarlet waved slightly; the woman rolled her eyes and pulled out the same device she'd been holding earlier.

"We're looking for fuel, actually." Ukase said, "you know where the nearest city is?"

[User]
"Heh. The nearest city is the Capitol, where we just came from on that shuttle. It's about a two hour trip via shuttle, but I just be that thing could get us there faster." Zephyr said, looking up at the sky with his hands on his hips.

"The shuttle isn't due back for a week, though. We're on a camping trip, remember?" Landon said.

Rena continued to monitor the three strangers, hoping to get clues from their emotional states. They seemed almost alien, and she was having a bit of trouble reading them. Why would they be so concerned about their cargo? As far as Rena could tell, the airship and the minds onboard were still aloft, fairly safe and inaccessible to anyone without a rope or strong air elemental skills.

[Assistant]
"How much fuel did we have left again?" Ukase looked over at Scarlet.

"Um..." he pulled out a small device and clicked a few buttons, "37 and a half gallons."

"Shit, that's not a lot." Ukase thought a moment. "Think you three can point us towards the Capitol?"

[User]
Zephyr turned to look at the landing space at the shuttle had used, then up at the sky in that direction. "Uh.. That way, I think. Or did we take a turn on the way here?"

"Don't look at me." Rena said.

"I'm not sure either. I was just enjoying the view and looking forward to our camping trip." Landon said, shrugging.

[Assistant]
Valkyrie rolled her eyes. "We'll figure it out."

"Hold on, we don't have any idea where we are and how to get to that city." Ukase said. "We should at least find someone who can tell us where we are in relation to it."

"A map can do that." She tapped on her device. "Damn...something's disrupting it..."

"Yeah?" Ukase looked at it over her shoulder. "Oh, man, you're not bouncing off any signals."

"They have flying vehicles, they should have radio signals." She frowned.

[User]
"Radio signals? We haven't used radios in years." Zephyr said, looking at them. "What isn't done by psychics is done with L-waves. Not many relays way out here, though."

"Where did you say you were from, again?" Rena asked.

A crack of thunder caused both Landon and Zephyr to look to the sky.

"Uh oh." Zephyr said, lifting a hand with a palm up to the sky. "Currents are changing."

[Assistant]
"Great..." Ukase pulled out a radio and said into it: "Guys, there's a storm coming, pull in the sails."

"Roger that, captain," a voice on the other end responded.

Valkyrie looked at her device again and frowned. "L-waves...if there're any relays within two hundred miles, I can pick them up on this; problem is I can't pick it up if I don't know what I'm looking for..."

[User]
Zephyr sidled over to look at the device more closely. "Well, it's a pretty simple algorithm.." he said, reaching for the device.

Something made him stop mid-motion, and look up. "Whoa."

"What is it?" Rena said. She had felt the spike in Zephyr's awareness.

Zephyr's bright blue eyes darted toward Rena for a moment, before he chuckled weakly. "Eh.. Nothing. It's probably just--." He stopped and looked up again. "Hey, uh.. Ukase, right? How's your airship do in a storm? Does it have an anchor.. or something? This one feels like you're going to need to do more than fold the sails."

[Assistant]
Ukase looked up too. "Uh...you guys seeing this?" He said into his device.

"Yeah, captain," the person on the other end responded. "I'll take care of it, don't worry."

"Thanks, Tsering." He glanced between Zephyr and Rena. "Anything we need to be really concerned about?"

[User]
"If it's anything like the storms lately, yes." Rena said. "Landon, I thought you said the weather reports were favorable."

"They were." Landon said, putting a hand on Zephyr's shoulder. "What do you think, Zeph?"

"Uhh.. I wasn't here for the last storms.. but this. This feels massive." Zephyr said, his eyes scanning the clouds above that were starting to darken and thicken. "We really should find some cover."

[Assistant]
Ukase sighed. "This oughta be fun."

"There's a gully over there, we can probably go there..." Scarlet looked around.

"I guess," Valkyrie looked up at the sky, "we could get in the ship, though with this weather I don't think we can guarantee anyone's safety."

[User]
"Uhh. I would highly recommend we not be in the sky in the next few minutes." Zephyr said, his glances toward the sky turning nervous.

Landon closed his eyes for a moment. "It feels like there's a cave system nearby." He said, opening them. "We'd just have to keep an eye out for flooding."

"That doesn't sound fun." Rena said.

[Assistant]
Scarlet glanced around. "I know a couple of spells to stop up water. With some help I might be able to make them work on a larger scale."

"I might be able to help..." Valkyrie looked at him. "You have your book?"

"Uh, no, it's on the ship." He replied.

She pulled out a communicator and said into it: "Richard, get down here, and bring Scarlet's book when you come, we're gonna need all the magic we can get in case this cave floods."


[System]
Nicknames/Alias: Drake
Height: 172cm
Weight: 75kgs
Age: 16
Gender:  Male
Nationality: Polish
Hometown: Krakōw
Date of Birth: 21/01/02

Family: Nightburden
Status: Scion
Weapon of Choice: Kusarigama or Rapier & Parrying dagger
Magic: Tenebris Sanguine;
This shadow magic is triggered by blood. It solidifies darkness into 'shadow stuff', a dangerous malleable substance that can change its properties in an instant. From soft waving and stretching tentacles to high speed razor sharp projectile daggers.
To activate this power blood must be dropped into an area of shade or darkness. This power is stronger (produces stronger shadow stuff) in darker enviroments or with the spilling of more blood. Strengths: Influenced by demons blood, he is faster, stronger and more durable than the average human, this coupled with his altered genetics and heavy strict disciplined training make him quite the formidable opponent.
Weaknesses: Fissured reality; Drakus is sometimes haunted by visions and nightmares during his waking moments. This can cause all manner of distractions and unable to believe his own eyes, this constantly causes him to question what he see's.
Desperation and losing control; Unable to ever make anyone proud, he still fears disappointment. He has learned to push beyond his limits to prevent failure however doing so comes at a cost of drawing on the demon blood within him and giving up some self control.
Fears: Ostracisation; to be looked down upon, considered as less, pitied, laughed at.
Madness; the fear of losing control, losing the ability to think rationally, becoming overwhelmed and driven by emotion, losing any sense of self and identity, acting inappropriately or bringing himself shame, these things scare him terribly.

Personality: Cold, distant, elitist, controlling, condescending, perfectionist. These are all terms that have been used to describe Drakus, and none of them would be wrong. Self centred he cares for little else beside his stature among others. He has known little of camaraderie or friendship but experienced a life time of hierarchy and obedience.
There is no place or time for emotions and weakness in the heart of a warrior. Discipline and riggerous training will triumph in a world where the strong rule the weak and only the fittest survive. Drakus was born a survivor.

Likes:* Order and routine.
* Lierature
* Sharp things
* Manners and etiquette
* Heirachy
Dislikes:* Chaos
* Excuses
* Disrespect
* Weakness
* Dirt
Backstory:Drakus is more or less essentially a creation and has always been treated as so. Less a child and more the successful results of many morally questionable experiments in a long line of failures, a living standing testament to a new age of modern science and knowledge, a purpose built commodity of deliberate design and careful specification.
There was no love to be lost in his household. Sure he was looked upon with pride, but it was not pride in his own actions or achievements but instead a self pride from the viewers eyes like that of a craftsman pleased with what he produced.
Drakus could get no credit for anything he had done or achieved, instead owing it to those that overlooked him. However failures and disappointment were always his to wear alone. He was raised by ever changing nurses, constantly monitored by scientists and educated of discipline in strict military fashion. Sure he did not have to go through this alone. He had many siblings, in a sense.

None of the children in this breeding farm knew who their mothers really were but some of the kids displayed similar appearances and or abilities. In fact most did in some way or another but they were so accustomed to it, seeing hardly anyone else, they barely recognised the signs. In the end, getting close to this family wasn't worth it. One by one they began falling sick and eventually dying or being taken away. Often there were no goodbyes, yet still that was preferential to what else was going on with the others. A madness began to sweep over a minority, pure insanity. Sure some of it was simply unnerving babble and unpredictable erratic behaviour, but as haunting as that could be it was nothing compared to the masochistic violence that some of the children burst out with. Or the sickening displays of sadism that they unawaringly stumbled upon.

But of course such a vile place could not be sustained or remain hidden forever. The powers that be shut it down. In the end, before their separation, Drakus was one of six remaining children. It is still unknown what happened to them, if they even survived at all.

Life changed for Drakus after that point. He was adopted into a wealthy and respectable family. While taught little of demons he was still unexplainably trained in the martial arts to combat them. He had a strict regiment of daily tasks and chores followed by endless hours of repetitious drills and exercise. Still, no matter how hard he was pushed, he remained grateful. For this was far better than what had come before.

One day finally sense was made of everything. All the unasked questions were answered and he learned much of the demons, his powers and the truths of the world. It also became apparent that at least one other child had survived, up until that day anyway. Defeated by a demon. Drakus was to continue his training at the school of death, the last and truest test.

Those early years of Drakus childhood still hang with him. Unable to be forgotten they were filled with the things of other children's nightmares. Since hell had become his norm, his nightmares had to become made of something worse. Still, as they revisit him again and again, he can't help but notice they grow stronger and deeper every year. Drakus eternally haunted and unable to ever escape them. Even now, years later he still is plagued by the same dreams as before, now they no longer even wait for him to sleep, preying upon and terrorising him even in the wake of day. A constant torment on an already fragile mind.

Hobbies/Interests: Drakus has learnt to enjoy the familiarity of repetition. Never having had time to persue his own interests he has since found old routines to become an escape from his own mind. Therefore martial practice and training is his first hobby.
When the body is done he will sharpen the mind with books of philosophy or important literature. Always striving to remain educated and of equal stature and knowledge as those of the higher circles. Less he be considered less than them or be made a fool of on conversation.
Other: Possible plot hooks -

[User]
Deborah's eyes turned from the crowd back to the Lionheart, she had heard that name before, as it was typical for students of the great houses. "Ah, La petite princesse. Delighted to meet you. I am Deborah Nibelung, Scion from Burgundy, France." she then placed a hand in her own hips, raising one eyebrow. "Oh, and thank you for the worry, but I have the modesty issue covered well. You see, it's all not unlike a battle, you need situation awareness, to know where your body stands, to know from where enemies could be looking, to account for natural hazards. Oh! And, of course, resource management, you need to reach your objective using the least resources, but you cannot risk a shortage." as she spoke, she turned around and stepped back to face Alex, leaning her back against some railing.

"But fret not, you can always count on your allies to cover your flanks in such battles." she placed a hand on her torso, before doing a little finger gun with said hand, pointing towards Mei as she had just approached. "The rearguard as well."

Her eyes then continued to scan the surroundings, eventually sighting a silver-haired, golden-eyed, student. She remembered seeing him in the halls, and once again she had met his gaze, though she had also noticed him looking at Alex before. "Hello again." they had, of course, never talked to each other before, the words were an acknowledgment of the other passenger scout.

@Dark Light@Reshy134

[Assistant]
@Calatrava @Poppirious
Mentions: Ryanne and George, Enzo and

---

Levi Hall

---

After Levi placed the stolen money into his back pants pocket, a pair of dark gray jeans, he finally started noticing the cold air rushing past his arms. Giving a light shiver, Levi tugged on the fleeced jean jacket that was wrapped around his waist. Rubbing his hands together, creating friction to give them a bit of warmth, Levi started scanning the area again.

His eyes landed on a very beautiful creature, a black lab, sitting next to a short red-headed girl. He wanted to reach out and touch the creature. He loved dogs, truthful all animals, but he never was allowed to have one himself. He almost asked if he could pet the lovely creature, however now looking closely he could tell it was a service animal. He was certain that petting such animals were frowned upon.

Biting his lip he turned away from the pair and walked toward the larger group of students. Stopping next to a boy that was about his own height with auburn hair and matching eyes. Few seconds later he was being called a weirdo by a guy who introduced himself as Enzo. Levi watched the little introduction from the corner of his eye. He was waiting for an opening, just a few seconds would do, the Enzo kid looked pretty wealthy he should be able to lift something good.

Yet as he was about to make his move Enzo started having a coughing fit. This made Levi give pause, watching him finish his sentence and pointing toward his eyes for the other kid to see.

Damn, I can't steal from a dying kid.

[User]
Ryanne patted George's head as he growled at someone passing too close, then stood up slowly and stretched. Her red hair was messy after being cooped up in the ship for so long, but otherwise she was clean cut. She grabbed hold of George's halter once more and he lead her back to the crowd. She matched his pace easily, and found that no one was bumping into her, probably thanks to George's occasional growling.

"George, be nice." She was worried he would upset someone, as it was already iffy enough to have a dog in such a large crowd of people. Of course she doubted anyone here suffered from such a small thing as dog allergies, but there could be any number of people who didn't like dogs. A big dog like George, even one highly trained, could draw all sorts of attention, and not all of it would be welcome.

They made their way to another area to wait, and George lead her to an area relatively clear to wait for the next direction. As she stood she overheard someone coughing, and felt bad. For someone who was sick the trip must have been difficult. Then she heard him say something about having been through a lot, presumably to another student. George brushed his head against her hand and she scratched his ears absentmindedly. For someone who was blind Ryanne felt as though her life had not been hard enough to rank her with the other students. She had been born to a wealthy family, raised in a boring town in Texas. An entirely uneventful life compared to some of the stories she had overheard as other students conversed.

She sighed, reminding herself that she had been invited to the school on her merits, and she wouldn't have been if she didn't warrant at least a chance. Helping the world appealed to her, and the possibility of magic wasn't exactly overlooked by her either.

[Assistant]
Perhaps it was from being caught in his accidental gaze, or maybe it was just simply because he found her more attractive than he care to admit, either way something caused Drakus to act even more reserved and spiteful than usual.
His eyes found hers, the French girl from before, and his intense gaze tore away at any superficial pleasantries building between them. Bare and ruthless. With his voice low and cold, void of any emotion, he spoke soft and slowly. His tone reverberating with condescending arrogance.
"You are in my way." he said simply, giving little acknowledgement to anything or one around him.

With his words said, Drakus allows his eyes to fall back to the floor where he tries to inconspicuously scan the ground for that elusive shadow amongst the darkness... it was gone, he had lost it. Was it even ever there.
He mutters a near silent curse under his breath as he rubs the vision from his eyes.

Capybara