[System]
"I'm the daringest devil you ever met, love."
Physical Form
Azavarn is rather human looking for a demon. He stands at 6'4" in height and has a lean, muscular body build. He has long crimson hair that hangs down to the back of his neck and a beard of the same color that runs along his jawline. The only things that breaks the illusion of Azavarn's humanity would be his skin, it being ash grey, as well as his eyes which are a deep blood red and give off a faint glow. He wears a series of pitch black clothes, such as his leather trench coat, black combat boots, and his wide brim hat.

Abilities
"I Just Make It Look Easy."
Azavarn's physical abilities are far sharper than those of a normal mortal's. He moves so fast that he appears like a mere blur of movement. He is so agile and dexterous that he can grab an arrow out of the air and throw it back at its original shooter. He can preform flips, dodges, jumps, and other maneuvers that would put the most talented acrobats to shame.
"I Don't Miss, Darling."
Azavarn is a marksman with no compare, his accuracy is beyond that of mortal men. He can pin a fly to a tree with a single arrow from three-hundred yards away without killing it. He can draw and fire arrows with such speed that he seems like a one man firing squad. His mindboggling marksman skills are not limited to just a bow and arrow, from knives to or pistol if it can be thrown or fired Azavarn will assure it will hit its mark. He has quite recently throwing cards, they are quite good at giving Azavarn the cutting edge.
"Now You See Me, Now You're Dead."
Azavarn is able to step into one of the many passage ways into the hellish Netherworld and use them to transport himself across the mortal world, to others it will appear that he teleports.
"It Is A Bit Cramped In Here."
Azavarn has the ability to possess the bodies of those with a weaker will or those who have sold their soul, completely controlling them. Those with a stronger will can fight back, though it will be incredibly painful for them to try and force Azavarn out. Azavarn can be exorcised with the proper holy items and rituals.
"Lets Make A Deal."
Does a mortal want to be the best sword fighter in their backwater village? No problem. Do they want to be the most breath taking maiden in all the land? Done. Or maybe they want to be so rich that they sleep on a bed of gold? Easy. All of this can be done with a simple deal with Azavarn, and all he would ask for in exchange for is one itty bitty soul. Once a deal is struck there is no going back on it and that soul belongs to Azavarn for the rest of time, or he decides to release it to whomever he sees fit.

Personality
Do you know that no good, snake in the grass that swindled every coin in his pocket away from someone else and would sell there own grandmother if it meant they would get them a good stiff drink? Yeah Azavarn is the guy that taught that guy everything he knew. This demon has a tongue of pure silver, being able to talk the purest angels into sin. The majority of what comes out of Azavarn's mouth is either a sarcastic remark or a incredibly charming lie. He keeps his cool all the time, regardless if he is making a deal with a mortal or if he is in the heat of battle Azavarn keeps the same sly confidence. This demon can be described as the perfect businessman, getting a man to sign away the souls of his whole family for a sack of potatoes. Azavarn has a black heart, caring for nothing and no one save for himself. The way he sees it others are resources to be used to obtain his goals.

Wants/Needs
Azavarn just wants his right to steal, gamble, trick, torture, and kill his little black guts out back. Let him run his business and you will have a happy little demon on your hands.

Relationships
Who do you think coordinates all those demons making deals with so many mortals? Someone has to be in charge and hold all those souls and Azavarn just so happens to be the right kind of clever, evil bastard for the job. Azavarn runs the whole network of crossroad demons that spread across the land, he knows each and every soul that has been sold, stolen, or given away.

Backstory
"You want to know my story? Well pull up a chair, it is story time kiddos! Where do I begin? Hmmm a yes! Once upon a time there was a stunningly handsome demon. He was a master of his trade, helping poor poor mortals get the lives the always dreamed of and asking for so little in return, just their soul. This demon was so great at his job that he was dubbed, The King Of The Crossroads. Things were perfect for the king for a long time, countless amounts of souls coming in, but that all changed when the horrid age of "peace" began. Demon after demon were killed, deals came to a near halt, and the King had to go into hidings. That was about a thousand years ago and now the King is on the rise again, he has been getting more and more deals, more and more demons working for him, and more and more souls. It is only a matter of time before he is on top again! Now what will it take for me to get my hands on that pretty little soul of yours?"

Other
Azavarn is at home in the tavern, it being the perfect place for his work. With the ale flowing and egos boasting making a deal is child's play. It also helps to be so damn good looking and able to drink enough grog and ale that could kill the drunkest of orcs.

[User]
Athinar rode the horse hard, barely noting the kobold fleeing with a 'twitch' of his peripherals. Releasing the reins, he stood up in the saddle, as he came alongside the villagers, who looked up at the massive mans form with hope, however brief it was. Jumping away from the horse, he landed on top of a man's shoulders, forcing him to the ground, and shattering the collarbone, forcing him to writhe in agony, struggling for breath as his heart pumped blood through a broken body. Grinning beneath his mask, he simply stood next to the man's shattered form as the militia, shocked, came towards him in rage, fear, desperation. After all, he was only one man, right?

 Athinar inhaled. A man on the right. Sword. Swinging wildly. Easily deflecting it with the palm of his hand, Athinar grabbed the man's neck, and crushing his windpipe in his massive hand, Athinar knocked him unconscious with a headbutt, leaving him to suffocate to death. Not what Athinar would have wanted, but the Master would value efficiency over pleasure. Licking his lips, Athinar grinned. That would come later.

 The ragtag militia came to a halt, staring at this man who had made short work of two of their companions. The remaining twelve stood in despair. How would they face this man? Athinar, obviously displeased by what he had to do, raised his ice cold voice, chilling them to the bone. "You will drop your weapons. You will not try to attack me, or escape. Then, you will follow me, wearing these." Athinar held up a long chain of shackles that the Master had given him, ordering him to capture as many as possible. The Master saw that Athinar was displeased by the order, but he would follow it to the letter. Then, a balding man, holding a spear, charged him, howling, despite his companion's objections. Grinning, Athinar fell into rock style, and then dodged the spear as it was thrust at him. Shattering it with a massive forearm, he could smell the man's fear. See it in his eyes. It was delicious. Relishing what came next, Athinar punched the man in the face, knocking him backwards.

 The man began to fall down, but Athinar grabbed his shoulder, pulling him towards him. Pulling his fist back, he smashed the little man's face in over and over again with his gauntlet, until it was little more than a meaty paste. Dropping the corpse in front of his companions, Athinar let out a little shiver of excitement. He didn't expect that, but it was welcome. Turning to the others wildly, he held up the chain. They came willingly.

 Athinar called the horse back, and stood at the head of the chain of captives, looking how the iridescent crimson glowed on his gauntlet, when he realized, the blood wasn't the only red thing in the area. A massive, glowing rune appeared in the village proper. Staring, Athinar thought it was the most beautiful thing he ever saw. It was the color of gushing, pouring, holy, blood.

[Assistant]
Kor emerged from the burning temple with his appetite satisfied from feasting on the humanity of two holy men. The scene he witnessed was... nice. Blood pouring through the streets, the delightful melodies of anguish and terror wafting through the air, and a rather lovely looking rune glowing ominously in the middle of it all. Such bedlam was a lullaby for his twisted soul. Alas, it seemed as though things were wrapping up. Already the peasants were being rounded up and lead away as captives, and any real resistance had been crushed. Oh well, he may as well grab a prisoner like he saw the others doing.

Kor clotheslined one of the last stragglers that was running away from some other horror, and then picked up the man by his throat. "I always wondered what the point of keeping prisoners was," he said as the man futilely kicked against the Darkwraith's armor in a desperate attempt to break free. "If you're hungry, eat. If not, just kill it, am I right?" The man could only give a garbled response, and then fell limp. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me! I wasn't even squeezing that hard!" With a sigh, Kor simply ran his sword through the man's torso and hoisted it up onto his shoulder. Eventually Kor met up with the line of prisoners that Athinar was leading, genuinely impressed by the man's efficiency at rounding them up. Some of the humans gave a horrified look at the fresh corpse whose blood and guts were dripping down his skeletal armor and leaving a crimson trail in his wake. Kor grinned beneath his helmet and said aloud, "Geez, its like they've never witnessed an impalement before."

[User]
That Which Consumes Peace examines the glowing ring and smiles broadly.
"This is bound to be delicious.", he says as his smile grows ever more broad. The demon then decides to check up on his demon brethren.

Appearing beside Azavarn, with She Who Bathes in Blood appearing beside That Which Consumes Peace (and complaining with a " "Awe, boss I had just started having fun!"), he greets the fellow demon.
"Ah, hello, Azavarn. Quite an assortment of humans you have here," That remarks, gesturing to the people in chains. While examining them the demon has an idea.
" Say, what would it take to pry about 7 or 8 humans, young adults preferably, from your hands? I'm afraid I cannot offer you my soul", That Which Consumes Peace says to the fellow demon.

[Assistant]
Torrens had been having such a good time, lavishing in the temperatures of the blacksmith's furnace, that he had completely lost track of time. At one point Octavius had popped by briefly to check that the blacksmith had been secured, but despite that brief interruption Torrens may have sat there until all the coal in the house had been consumed, if beautifully sung lyrics didn't drift their way across the entire village. Torrens took it as a wake-up call, and finally crawled out of the furnace and stepped into the room proper. He was in much better condition than at the start of the raid. His skin had gone from a dull to a bright shade of red. The stones beneath his feet were already red-hot after only a few moments of contact. And his incandescence was visible, like that of hot coals.

The blacksmith backpedaled away from Torrens as he walked ahead, in case the demon had decided to turn on him, but Torrens instead went for the door and opened it, leaving a blackened imprint of his hand about a centimeter deep in the wood. He poked his head outside and looked both ways, and discovered that the raid was almost at a close. There were bodies down the main road, some with mortal wounds or mutilation, others just stone cold dead, some unhurt but unconscious and unmoving. The other raiders were leaving the village, with prisoners in tow, and some raiders were leaving the village in a great hurry. And near the center of the village stood Emily, facing away from him and singing next to part of the giant glowing red rune which encircled the whole village. He had noticed, when he was standing on the roof, Emily doing something flying around the village shooting lines onto the ground, so he figured this must be it.

Torrens stepped out of the blacksmith's and motioned for his captive to follow. "I think we're done here. You go join that lot over there," Torrens said to the blacksmith, pointing to the group of prisoners being led out of the village by Athinar, "Hurry over, surrender yourself to them, and you should be fine. Tell them that Torrens the fire demon sent you. If you flee, they'll murder you. Run along now." Left with no real option, the blacksmith hurried to catch up with the group of prisoners being led by Athinar.

Torrens, on the other hand, turned and walked towards Emily. There was no rush. No panic. No fear about the possible effects of this massive rune. After his veritable feast and brimming with overconfidence, Torrens felt nothing short of a lake or a village-obliterating explosion could threaten him. He figured that dumping a lake on the village would be unlikely for Emily to do and a little silly, with what knowledge he knew about her, and one does not stand willingly in the epicenter of village-leveling explosions unless it was a suicidal last resort, so it probably wasn't the second option either. And so Torrens walked casually until he was standing about 15 meters from Emily, positioned far enough in front of her to have entered Emily's vision.

Torrens nonchalantly leaned against a house, the stone wall and the dirt beneath him slowly starting to melt, and listened to Emily's song for a few more lines before speaking out. "Lovely song. If you can't respond, I understand, but what will this rune do?"

[User] "You know how this works old sport, you get nothing for free. I am running a business after all." Azavarn said with a side glance to his hellspawn brother. "Besides eight humans is quite the request, especially if one is expecting it for free." He said he looked over his crowd of human cattle. "Though I may be open up for a trade of sorts, no souls required." The red haired demon said as he looked passed That Which Consumes Peace and directly at She Who Bathes in Blood, giving the smaller demon a wicked wink.


[System]
Female
Age: 24
Height: 5'7
Green eyes, warm beige skin tone, black hair.
Hair that goes all the way down but doesn't touch the floor. (Refer to image)
(Mixed race of Asian and Caucasian)

(Image does not accurately represent the age of the character, but only her hair style and initial clothing. Her skin color is warm beige.)

Primary Ability (Main)
Darkness Manipulation: The ability to manipulate the shadows around her and to create darkness. (As the RP progresses, she will display a variety of skills that revolves around darkness which I'll add onto this character page)

Secondary Ability (Minor)
Time Warping: The ability to manipulate the time of a specific area, such as accelerating and slowing time within that certain area.

Zuri has been sealed within a large dark crystal for thousands of years (roughly 2000) by a group of magic users due to her overwhelming ability to manipulate shadows and create darkness, which resulted in her being sealed up into a large crystal shard and hidden away within a catacomb. Her memories were lost as time goes by, distorted and shattered memories, she can only recall her name and rediscovers her ability to control darkness when she awakens. The crystal has started to give out dark energy from within the core, pulsing at a very slow rate.

Since Zuri wasn't born into this age and time, she doesn't know much about the current world. A factionless Talent without any friends and little to no memory of her own past. A clueless, mysterious and potentially dangerous girl.

Zuri lacks the ability to socialize with others due to the long period of time that she has been bound to the crystal, it's almost as if she's reborn as a blank slate but only feint memories of her past that could possibly change her. She's quite rebellious and can act a bit defensive if people try to get close to her at an unreasonably fast rate.

Zuri is quite simple-minded, willing to do anything to protect the people she likes and is quite direct with her thoughts, not giving a second thought to what she says and does not understand consequence. She doesn't like to keep her feelings bottled up and is quite vocal with her thoughts. She also says whatever she wants and acts upon her own instincts. Zuri has problems with following orders that she disagrees with, with few exceptions, but she can he kind and caring at times.

[User]
Alya listened to Felix as he explained the situation. 'I always suspected Thadeus to be forceful in getting his way and underhanded but this is insanity. He is having people killed just to satisfy his lust for power. The end of the world does not sound good either.' From all the previous events that had been happening and seeing just how Thadeus acted a while back she easily believed Felix's story.

Alya nodded at Felix's request. "My offer still stands, I will gladly assist you in stopping Thadeus." Alya turned her head towards Zuri. "You should come with us, it will be far less confusing that just wandering around here. If Felix is correct then you must of been trapped there for a really long time." Alya suggested, putting a bit of emphasis just how long Zuri had been sleeping.

[Assistant] Zuri was a bit confused about what's going on, and what Felix said was a bit hard to take in all at once, but she has somewhat of an idea. She was put on the spot, and walking out of such an offer would be pretty stupid. 'I need to figure out what is going on, and since these guys aren't hostile and seem to have good intentions, I'll just stick with them.' Zuri thinks to herself. "Sure, I'll tag along." she says in a sincere but casual tone.

[User]
Raiya had passed out almost immediately when reaching her room. Almost immediately she found herself in the abandoned city of her dreamscape once again. The dull greyish blue glow from the fully clouded sky covered everything.

She continued to wonder until she found herself walking down a dirty alleyway. At the far end of the alleyway, a little girl with black hair was huddled in the fetal position. The girl looked to be about three years of age, but Raiya couldn't tell with how far away she was from her. From where she stood, she could hear the girl whimpering. Raiya walked toward the girl, the whimpering increasing in volume. Eventually she was standing just before the girl, and the whimpering was so loud it was almost deafening. Bending over she reached out to touch the girl. Immediately as her hand came into contact with the girl, the whimpering turned into a deathly scream of pain. The girl shriveled up and fell over dead. That was when Raiya saw it, her hand that she had touched the girl with, it was pure white. Raiya gasped in horror. Looking over at a puddle, she caught her reflection, but what looked back at her wasn't her own reflection, but was Nemo's. Nemo's face, Nemo's white eyes, Nemo's white hair. She raised her hand to touch the her face and the reflection did so also. She looked down at her body and saw a naked pure white, male chest.

She let out a scream of utter horror, fear gripping her. Then she woke up. She walked over to the mirror, and was relieved to see her own reflection, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She walked back over to her bed and attempted to get more sleep but it wouldn't come. After a few hours she looked at her mana dial and saw it was only 6:15. She walked down stairs, no one awake yet. She decided to start a fire in the fireplace, and sat down on a leather sofa in front of it.

---

Felix was relieved that his initial rejection to Alya's joining the group had no bearing on her joining now. And was equally as relieved to see Zuri joining as smoothly as well.

Felix closed the first rift and drew another cross glyph in the air, creating another rift. This rift opened an entrance to a comfy looking living room with a lit fireplace.

"Let's go then," Felix said, before walking through the portal.

Felix appeared in the living room, and saw that Raiya was sitting in front of the fire place.

Before Raiya could say anything Felix said, "We have new members..."

[Assistant]
Not far off from Raiya's own seating, a mass of blankets laid on the chair Nemo had been sitting on earlier. Raiya's presence, along with the sudden arrival Felix seemed to cause a stir in the them. Nemo then emerged from the pile, apparently having slept on the chair the whole night, that, or he had been waiting.

"Ohayou Raiya-san!" Nemo greeted her with a pleasant voice. "Yoku neta?" (Did you sleep well?) He asked afterwards. Nemo had clearly remembered what Raiya had said earlier about liking to speak Japanese. For a perfectionist and notorious actor like Nemo, his pronunciation was good. However the extent of what he knew was up in the air.

Nemo fully moved the covers off him, he had clearly undergone a wardrobe change for the occasion some time earlier at night. He had on a collared black silk pajama shirt with white polkadots, thick white and black downward striped pajama pants, and a pair of comfy white night slippers. He seemed to also still retain his jewelry, along with his black glove.

Felix's comment seemed to perk Nemo's attention, however he said nothing yet.

[User] The warmth of the fireplace on the other side of the rift felt welcoming as warm light shone through. She could see people waiting on the other side, and the interior of the building looked inviting. "H-Hello." Zuri waves her hand as she steps through and starts subtly scanning her surrounding with her eyes. She held onto the ragged cloth that was the only thing covering her. Everyone seemed to be quite well-dressed, as opposed to what she was wearing. Zuri held onto the little she was wearing, afraid that it'll fall off. If someone saw, they would most likely assume she's just cold, which is also the case. She walks over to the fireplace and sits on a chair close to it.

[Assistant]
Alya stepped through the portal and arrived in the living room. She saw Raiya and Nemo, but there was no sign of her previous opponent, Travis. "Hello." She greeted the two after Zuri did. Alya knew she was fatigued from both the lack of sleep and the previous day, but she did not show it, and thankfully was able to mitigate most of the fatigue with a bit of self-cast healing magic in the form of a minor rejuvenation spell. "I'm Alya Summers, I am-... Was part of the Catholic Arcanocray. I specialize in healing, defensive magic. Pleased to meet all of you." She said in a genuine tone.

Alya took a few steps closer to the fireplace and remained standing after her short introduction to the group.

[User]
Raiya was zoned out, looking at the fire. And when Nemo emerged from his pile of blankest Raiya let out an audible short yelp. Placing her right hand on her chest, her heart beating fast with the new shot of adrenaline she just received from that scare.

Then Nemo spoke in Japanese, and Raiya didn't know whether or not to be offended. His accent wasn't horrible. Though, he didn't understand the subtle inflections actual native speakers would add in conversation, and that was apparent. But she humored him anyway.

"Iie... demo- watashi ga dekiru saizen o tsukushimashita... Jōkyō-ka de. (No... but- I did the best I could... under the circumstances."  Raiya replied.

Then a portal opened up with Felix stepping through and then a few others. Raiya was a bit confused but trusted that Felix wouldn't be stupid enough to bring random people, or enemies, into the hideout.

Raiya listened to Alya giver her introductions and gave a halfhearted wave.

---

"Make yourselves at home. There are a few unoccupied rooms up those stairs," Felix pointed to the stairs behind the sofas and to the side of the kitchen. "And there is all kinds of snacks in the kitchen. I'm sure everyone here will introduce themselves to you while I'm gone." Felix explained.

Felix then made another glyph rift and walked through it disappearing once more.

[Assistant]
"Sou ne." (I see) Nemo replied, a fairly pleased expression on his face after he managed to get a somewhat good reaction out of Raiya. However the arrival of the two newcomers had diverted Nemo's attention before he could respond.

So this is the source of those manawaves from before... how very interesting. After a few moments of thinking, Nemo got up from his chair and walked over to Alya and Zuri. "Salutations you two, my name is Nemo Smiley. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He said as he extending his arm out to Alya after taking a bow. In his sleepytime slippers Nemo didn't look all too threatening, but to someone like Alya, they very well could already know who he is, on top of already seeing him work earlier at Nevar's expense. Nemo turned to Zuri afterwards. "And who might you be?" He asked.

[User] "M-Me?" She gives Nemo a slightly confused look as she tilts her head just a little bit, pointing at herself. "I actually don't know.. But my name's Zuri, nice to meet you Nemo!" Zuri gives him a genuine smile as he looked into his eyes before getting really close to him before saying "Nice eyes." before backing a few steps, returning to where she was earlier. "Do you have fancy powers just like Felix?" Zuri asks.


[System]
Gender: M

Age: 26

Career/Class:Soldier / Ex-Soldier

Weapons:
* Basket Hilted Broadsword
* Imperial Dagger
* Norscan round Shield (Took from his first felled enemy)
* Aged Pistol

Physical Description Cyrdic is tall and lean, but solidly built, standing an inch over 6 feet in height. His eyes are reminiscent of shaped wrought iron. His face is ruddy and echoes a youthful appearance, though battles and training had roughed him into the look of a mature soldier. He has quite the rugged quality about him. Two scars mar his face. One parallel to the bottom of his left eye, and another scraping across his right jawline. His legs are long and his his facial hair is only a coarse, 5'oclock shadow thanks to his knife. He's clad in fine and tough leather over a chainmail hauberk, with sturdy traveling shoes and a worn belt.

Mental Description/Personality: Cyrdic isn't a fool. He spent a year apprenticed to a Quartermaster (as punishment for recklessness) and learned how to read and write (to a degree). The best way to describe him would be a hardened, rough soldier at the brink of his youth. He'll use what he can in his disposal to win, though half the time it turns out he'll need to fuck someone up anyway. His fierce independence and rough nature can only be matched by his determination to survive. He's not tactically intelligent, but he has a sense of how battlefields shift and can command smaller troops with his powerful voice. He tends to have a take-no-shit (unless it's from a superior officer) lookout on life. He's amiable to certain people however, and will have a dry wit around those he enjoys (or to people he wishes he could be more honest with). While fighting and killing and marching has been his entire life, he's not particularly fond of being thrust into impossible situations and doesn't lack a healthy sense of self preservation. He's gotten quite tired of working for corrupt officers. He's a devout Sigmarite thanks to his upbringing, and has a hammer chained necklace upon his breast to signify this.

[User]
Amal grinned when the Dwarf had commented on his bandit-like look. It was strange seeing a Dwarf so deep within a human city. He had dealt plenty with the squat people in his native land, but always by the docks to trade and sell wares before departing again on human ships or the strange steel contraptions they used to go under the waves. He had heard stories late at night on where the Dwarf homeland resided, and he guessed they were simply closer to it here in the Empire.

The Dwarf let out an "Oooh!" when he saw the crown, thick fingers twiddling in the air as if being near the thing brought him tingles. As he lifted it up carefully, Emmaline placed a few of the other items that they had procured down on the table, though Nobby's attention was wholly on the crown at the moment. Amal took this opportunity to peek outside, a horse-drawn carriage clopping past on the paved stone streets. Emmaline trusted the establishment, and he would too. But he didn't trust any other like as not unsavory customers that made their way in.

"This crown is fifteen hundred years old, fashioned by fairly skilled men-folk smiths. Very well preserved..." He turned the circular base of it around, his eyes boring into the make of it unlike any human could. "If I'd hazard a guess, and that's what I bleedin' do, this might be the lost crown of Boris Goldgather." The epiphany had Emmaline gasp slightly at their impeccable fortune if Nobby was right, and he'd never been wrong before.

"Boris Goldwhat?" Amal remarked curiously.

"Boris Goldgather." Emmaline corrected. "He was an infamous and unpopular Emperor in the distant past. He died of plague, apparently. Buried in an unknown location." Amal had already started laughing before she even finished her next statement. "Which means we beat the shit out of a dead Emperor."

"You did what?" The Dwarf asked incredulously.

"How much is it worth?" Emmaline asked while Amal tried to get ahold of himself. By his perspective it was quite funny, traveling to his girlfriend's home country and robbing her ancient liege lord. Amal would be in high spirits all day. Nobby scoffed at the very question, raising the crown up again to admire the fine craftsmanship.

"Normally it would be around sixteen hundred gold peices, but considering the historical value? Likely thrice that, though it would be hard for even me to sell it on that premise. The Reiksgard would be at my door in an instant. As for the other stuff..."

The Dwarf spent the next minute appraising the items, which came down to the pendant being of elven make and costing around eight hundred gold coins, the brass teacup costing three hundred silver schillings due to historical significance, and the Emperor's arming sword costing around one hundred and fifty gold, though if they found the other bit of the blade it would quadruple in price unless they sought to give it to the Imperial academy. The silk was standard but well preserved, easily being a twelve hundred silver schillings. It seemed they had a lot to think about, and if they wanted to sell all of them to Nobby they would need to wait a day while he procured funds.

"While we think, what's the situation been like in Altdorf?" Emmaline asked her old friend.

"Oh, you can call this city an authentic Dragon Pearl if you catch my meaning." The Dwarf said, causing Emmaline to blush. "Old Franz sent most of the army north to handle those Chaos boys in Archaeon's horde. You'd think that would give us a bit of a reprieve but the good Marshal Ludendolf and his Reiksgard have the streets under strict watch, and there's even some White Wolves sniffing about. Not that is stops the gangs, only now they're getting more dangerous. Thieves in this city used to be respectful to each other. Now they kill one another on sight so the witness doesn't tell anyone willing to pay who stole what."

It sounded like an exciteable win win to Amal, particularly because they'd double their riches this time tomorrow.

[Assistant]
"This is genuine isn't it?" Nobby asked, looking up at Emmaline with sudden suspicion in his eyes. She spread her hands in a guesture of mock innocence.

"You wound me Master Dwarf," she protested, lips curving into a smile. Nobby scowled at her and tapped the ruby with a finger, verifying to his old miners senses that it was the real thing. Emmaline couldn't blame the old fence for being suspicious, certainly she had passed enough fake coins and faux antiques in her time to recognize that his suspicion was well justified.

"If I find the real stuff I don't need to fake it," she told the dwarf. Nobby grunted and reached under his desk to retrieve a heavy purse which clinked satisfyingly on the bench as he slapped it down. The dwarf was careful to keep his meaty fist gripped around the throat of the leather bag.

"I have eight hundred marks for the pendant, the rest of it will take time for me to pull together, find buyers you know," he told them bluntly. Emmaline arched an eyebrow, to be able to part with eight hundred marks meant her old acquaintance was doing better than he let on.

"I'll have to arrange to have someone test the crown of course, plus it will take time to find a buyer," the dwarf rumbled, sliding the pouch across the counter to Emmaline who pulled it open and ran her fingers through the coins with a satisfying clink of gold. Nobby gave an amused chuckle.

"Don't worry, I know better than to try to pass fake coins to one of your kind Emmy," he chortled. Emmaline smiled, but tested the coins with her magic anyway. Someone had scraped their edges a little, but you would be hard pressed to find a coin in circulation that hadn't been shaved down at least a little.

"We are on our way to Marienburg," Emmaline temporized, wanting to move the process along if she could.

"Suit yourself, but you know the crown wont fetch the same price there, historical interest here in Altdorf and all. A half dozen noble families would kill for the crown, so they can trot it out and claim some kind of link to the throne. Emmaline frowned, not having thought of that.

"Well I suppose we aren't on any real schedule, we can wait to have it tested," she conceded. Nobby nodded agreeably.

"I can hold on to the valuable until I can arrange it if you like?" he offered. Emmaline was already sweeping the valuables back into her rucksack.

"Master Haraldson," she said with an air of mock injury, "I know we humans are short lived compared to your folk, but I was not, in fact, born yesterday."

[User]
"Well he seemed nice." Amal remarked.

The two had gathered their things, having told Emmaline's friend farewell for the day and now had the herculean task of finding a nice one bedroom in the middle of Altdorf. Sure they had the money, and it seemed they were about to no less than quadruple their current riches, but it wouldn't do to advertise themselves as people with means. Not yet anyway. The streets were robust and the buildings were towering, the top floors leaning over the streets as if they were about to crumble any moment to Amal's foreign eyes. Emmaline seemed to know where she was going at least, breathing in the air as if it was refreshing.

"He is, in his own way." She replied. "He's helped me out of a few tight situations now and again."

"He and I have that in common." Amal grinned, the blonde blushing and eyeing him, trying to decipher if that was a jab or not. Seeing Amal was being cheeky but not mean spirited, she merely gave him a nudge with her shoulder.

"Where are we going?"

"The only place we can go to in this city without being found or searched." She concluded, halting before the next road. The sun had yet to set, but it seemed the lights of the lanterns and the festivities of some sort were brighter and more loud than anything else in the city. Two to three story buildings, mostly made of wood though some were ostentatiously wrought with various brass or gold trimmings or filigree on the architecture. It was clear that nearly every building here was a place to find a drink or a bed to sleep in. "The Street of a Thousand Taverns."

"It sort of reminds me of home." Amal admitted.

"Let me show you around." She said, taking his arm in both of hers.


[System]
Age: 29

Gender: Male

Profession: Rifleman

Nationality & Affiliation: Danish; EU

Born: Earth, Denmark, Køge

Appearance: Daniel stands at 168 centimeters and is a rather well built fellow. His brown regulation haircut matches his beard he's grown mainly to conceal a scar running from his right ear to his chin. He has blue eyes, typical for his country, and is rarely seen without a Danish military field cap.

Strengths:

* When he sets his mind onto something, he won't be distracted easily. This can can backfire, however, as he might be focused on something less important instead of something more important.
* Daniel is extensively trained in close quarters combat and urban warfare, making operating in confined spaces easier for him.
* The safety and well being of his squadmates are paramount to him and he will go out of his way to ensure it if he can.

Weaknesses:

* Daniel never expects things to go well. This can make him irritate other people or make him focus on perceived or non-existent threats in stressful situations.
* He has a hard time adapting to unexpected situations when out of contact with a superior.
* Due to nearly drowning in his youth, Daniel suffers from aquaphobia and can start panicking whenever he gets as much as splashed with water unexpectedly.

History: Daniel was raised on the outskirts of Køge. With fields and forests on one side and a public sports center on the other, he fell in love with sports quickly, leading to a good physical condition. He enlisted at the age of 22. In addition to basic training, he underwent specialised urban warfare training, but never progressed through the ranks due to his indecisive nature. He volunteered for the Willman Laboratory mission mainly to gain new experience as he never left Earth before.

Family:

* Father - Thomas Østergaard
* Mother - Annemette Østergaard (Nygaard)
* Uncle - Peter Østergaard
* Aunt - Nora Østergaard (Sørensen)
* Cousin - Anniken Østergaard

[User] *Marie calmly plays with the straps on her overalls, smiling and kicking her feet causing them to hit the seat infront of her.*{What shall I gather or fix while I'm there? Oh I hope to find a new plushie to bring home! I wonder who else is on here probably no one I know... What if someone on here also as a bunch of tattoos! Oh how much fun it would be talking about our tattoos together!} *She giggles at this thought as a huge goofy grin grows across her face and she teaches for her bag and pulls out her two plushies and hugs them both tightly* {Big Bro is probably so proud of me right now!}

[Assistant] Jethart sat there quietly. "Who are these people, what was up with that guy saluting me before. This whole place is messed up. I just hope I can return to her. I'd hate to leave her all alone in this world." He thought to himself. He decided to get up and walk about, stopping at certain things and thinking to himself. "I wonder what type of threat we're going to face out there. Hopefully one not to tough as I'd certainly love to make it back alive." He returned to his seat, legs out infront of him and closed his eyes. "Wake me when we get orders to move out."

[User]
Erin Middaugh - Astrobiologist

The clicking of her own nails was driving her mad. Every hangnail and chip was now a sharpened edge on which she stood, poised over a cliff of nervousness and excitement. The mystery of the unknown. The calling of a letter filled with such intrigue that she could barely contain herself. Yet, the daunting prospect of an entire group of people she didn't know...that was enough for such anxiety. She stood before the meeting room, a ticking time-bomb of awkward stuttering that would no doubt develop into a flood of barely relevant phrases graced with nervous laughter.

She gulped hard and stuck a finger between her neck and the collar of a slightly wrinkled button up dress shirt; her attempt at business wear. Her slightly-too-long jeans bundled up under the heels of her shoes enough to make her feet ache. Enough to get her moving into the room as well, where she cautiously glanced about the individuals that had already passed her by without notice. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she chuckled nervously and stood near a wall to observe the pow-wow from a distance. All the while, she reassured herself that this would be worth it. This would be a discovery worth fighting for. Tis okay, Erin, ya've got this. You always do.

[Assistant]
At the door stood a lone guard, armed with a military-grade assault rifle and supported by a veritable army of surveillance cameras on the nooks and walls overlooking the entrance. Inside and around the perimeter were undoubtedly countless more armed guards, patrolling one of the most valuable structures in all of Europe. The Lavit Launch Facility was not an anomaly in their security measures: indeed, all launch facilities had similar defenses. In the spacefaring age, each bloc's launch facility was their only way to set sail into the New World. Any kind of damage or destruction would set them back decades.

John had never been inside the Lavit Facility, and had indeed never launched from Earth anywhere else than at Lincoln Station, the American launch pad thirty miles north of Washington, D.C.. With a nod of affirmation from the entrance guard, he was allowed access into the building and noted with mild approval that the layout was rather familiar, just with changes in décor. The Lavit, as well as the Lincoln, were both years after the creation of the Global Coalition; as a result, they and all other more modern facilities tend to share the same design and characteristics, as they were overseen by GC architects and officials. John made his way through the building, past reception and some administrative offices before reaching the elevator which took him to the same level as the launch pad, on the fifth floor. After that, he walked over the enclosed bridge separation the facility from the launch structure (a crude utilitarian structure far different in design from that of the sleek administrative building) and watched as the walls around him turned from smooth white to rough concrete; everything became bleak and wrought iron. He opened a door to the outside and was buffeted by a chill wind, intensified by the height. Sitting just inside the launch facility, and looking out of place on the pad itself, was a stylish vessel of dark gray steel and seamless curves, that put many of the old, clunky military transports John had rode on to shame. It was the Sentinel, the new American freighter that had been completed not two years prior, and which was loaned to the GC for the Willman Expedition.

John greeted the Lavit prep crew on the bridge and was ushered into the vessel's airlock, where the door was closed behind him, and after a few seconds the one in front of his face opened into a kind of lobby, with seats already occupied by a handful of people. Of them, he recognized only the German, Jethart Igneal, along with the Dane, Daniel Østergaard, two of the soldiers who were serving under John, whom he had just met the day prior. However, the brief time that they were in the room the day before was almost exclusively dedicated to training: what was different about fighting in the colonies, and how best to adapt to the new conditions. As a result, John knew their names and ranks, and not much else. Beyond Jethart and Daniel, the rest were civilians: a young, optimistic woman sitting near Jethart, and another lady – a scientist, John was sure – observing at a distance, along with a scholarly man standing apart from the rest, and the two pilots: one a wiry man with a witty smirk, and the other a woman lost in time. She gave off the distinct look and feel of the 20th century, with a cigar between her lips and her hair done up neat. Her style threw John off, but he didn't really show it. On the contrary, he kept his military composure, nodding at Jethart and Daniel before taking a seat apart from the others and running a hand through his hair with an almost inaudible sigh.

[User] Jethart nodded at John and took his sleep-like position again. "Nice to see someone I know here, wasn't expecting you John." He looked around before letting his hair down and shaking it about. "It's always nice to not have to leave it up when in a prep room" he muttered. He grew tired of sitting and started to walk about the room, pausing at a few locations like he did before. He kept his military composure while he was up and about. Drill was stuck to his brain like a magnet is to metal, he would use it for anything and everything. After a while he sat down at his original location and tied his hair back up and let his head fall over as if he was trying to take a nap.

[Assistant]
Miora Sphere: Pilot and Rather Disappointed

Mentions: Gera & Doctor Metal @BurningCold, Horror Girl @The1Rolling1Boy, Mr. Sleepy Sensitive @CrazyShadowy, @Kaiachi Ms. Nervous Giggles, and @FortunesFaded Mr. Mountain Lion

---

Miora's red lips lost their humor, fading into a downturned frown with dulled eyes as she looked over the non-responsive crew that was trickling in. Well, at least one of them seemed to have ears. Everyone else seemed...boring. Flat. One-dimensional. Totally below average. Great. This journey was going to be long, wasn't it? Someone tapped her on the shoulder. She looked at the wiry man, raking him over with her burning gaze. 'Old fashioned' huh? Well, at least he had a bite to him. She grinned.

"Oh, so yer the co-pilot then, are ya?" she looked him over with blade-sharp eyes, hands on her hips, though her head didn't quite come up to his chin, "Aye, I suppose ye'll do." She gave a curt nod. "At least yer more awake than this lazy lack-witted lot," she grinned, those words being as close to a compliment as her sharp tongue usual got, "Gera, huh? Well, I got a few rules, as I am sure ye do as well. And since we'll be flyin' together, I hope we can at least set up a decent f*cking system." She held up a finger, getting close to him, head turned up almost as if she were scolding him...or seducing him.

"Donna go faintin' on me or nuthin', ye ken? I can't stand that sh*t. Don't touch my seat or anythin' therefore attached to it. And most of all:" she grinned slowly, rolling the cigar in her other hand a bit as she leaned back, placing the scolding hand on her hip and tilting her head up haughtily. "Donna go gettin' butthurt about nothin' I say, ye ken? I donna hate no one and I donna pick on no one. I jus' like using more interestin' words, yea? Keeps things fun." Tipping her head to the side slightly, she gave him a lazy almost downright devilish wink.

And fun was something they were going to need, by the looks of this crew. Her gaze went around the room once more. Some gloomy looking guy with overly intelligent eyes and a duffle bag. Creepy kid-like girl blue hair hugging stuffed animals (Miora shuddered; she thought stuff like that was like something out a horror movie). Confused meathead who was probably so locked inside his head that he had to close those eyes of his and try to sleep, ordering whoever heard to wake him when it was time to get debriefed. A woman with nibbled on nails who was standing up against a wall, most likely trying not to faint from the looks of how nervous she was. That and the two soldiers, this crew was looking less like experts and more like a random assortment of weirdos and loons. Her included. She chuckled to herself and shook her head.

"At least we ken the ship will be a working high class beauty, even if the rest of us aren't even close," she scoffed lowly, knowing Gera would probably be the only one to hear the rather rude comment. But she liked being rude. It kept things interesting. A man entered, looking every inch the awful cookie-cutter military man he must be. Her burning dark eyes hit him like a laser on target. And they stayed there too, following him as he moved like a predator through the slowly enlarging group.

Rolling the synthesized cigar in her fingers once more, she put it up to once more smirking red lips. Wisps of scentless smoke-like vapor trailed from her mouth like a dragon licking its lips in anticipation. Something fun to play with, was written all over her face. Almost like the look she had when she had seen the Sentinel, the classy freighter she'd be in charge of pushing to it's young limits. She felt like she could relate to the ship, much like an owner could relate to their pet. Somehow the two just paired well. Her and Mr. Mountain Lion though... Well, they'd just have to see, now wouldn't they?

And with Gera, the smart-mouth co-pilot, there to lend all his skill (which she was fast coming to trust, due to those first biting words he had smoothly laid out), at least they could believe in getting to their destination as fast as possible. In one piece and without damage... She looked the crew over once more and frowned. Well, at least they'd get to their destination as fast and as efficiently as possible.

"It ought be interestin' anyhow," she scoffed to herself, then smirking at Gera as if letting him in on a secret joke.

[User]
Something, or rather someone, tore Daniel away from his thoughts for the second time today, and it was also a pilot to boot. What was it with these people? Given her glare, attitude and the way she spoke, working with her was going to be a treat. "Our stations? If there is one, I'd be happy to know where mine is. As far as I know, my station is a bunk until we reach the laboratory, but since nobody delivered the promised briefing, What do I know?" he thought.

In the time he spent sitting there, wondering about the colony and what awaited them, the lobby was filling up. "We lose contact with a colony and they send a large group of questionable individuals instead of four guys to fix their busted communications array or something. This is going to be a bloody circus." he thought chuckling at the thought of this group reaching the laboratory, only to be faced with a trivial problem. The arrival of the team's ranking officer improved his mood a bit, as it meant someone who most likely knew more than him about the situation was at hand at last.


[System]
Age: 254
Sex: M
ID: I-D0C0Z-82384ddq-B

Appearance: A middle-aged man, standing about 178cm and weighing 80kg, Mond is barrel-chested and quite stout, and though past his prime, is still clearly well built. He has olive skin, face well pocked by acne scars and the onset of wrinkles quite evident around his cheeks and mouth. He sports copious body hair, with arms, legs and a chest that would have been the envy of the 1970s, much different from the artificially bald gigolos that were all the rage back on Earth. He keeps a dense beard on his chin and cheeks, greying as his stem-supplements begin to wear off, and he keeps his hair a curly mess.

ROPO: "Mr Mond has been visiting, totally voluntarily might I add, for decades now, a few years after losing his job-"

"He was in those Nescafe commercials wasn't he? The Synthetic Caffeine guy?"

"I believe so! But anyway, despite his refusal to admit it, he seemed a profoundly sad human being. I suppose that's what happens when you're unregistered offspring get recycled. But he knew the game he was playing. But recovery came with time, and the side of him I feared we had lost returned. He was considerably intelligent, though modest despite his knowledge, but maybe more alarmingly he seems to have higher levels of sympathy than the average person. But he paid enough to keep that off the public files."

"Was he aggressive?"

"Quite the opposite, he seemed a docile man, not argumentative at all, very secure in his own thoughts and capabilities. We tried to prescribe him anxiety inducers, but all implications point to him never having taken them."

"So he's unruly?"

"Maybe, not in line with party doctrine, certainly. Dangerous? No."

"Why did he come to counselling? If he was so well off to begin with, knowing he would be scrutinised for his behaviours?"

"Maybe he was lonely?"

"Do you think anyone would miss his absence here on Earth?"

"I doubt anyone would admit it."

"..."

"..."

"What position would you recommend him for?"

"Hm... Captain? He's a deviant, likely to take more care of his crew than his orders. If he fails, it would be a good reason to put him in his place. If he succeeds, he can be used as a showcase for the good that the space-forces do in rehabilitating the obtuse."

"Noted, thank you for your time doctor." "No, Thank you."

- Dr Dandrew Balker, clinical psychologist, Mental Welfare Center, Beverly Hills Administratoraite

 - Recommended Course of action: Apply fine of 60% to liquidity, claim remaining 25%, order compensation via voluntary-mandatory 100-year minimum campaign as captain for a ZELTA company.

Traits:

* Good Natured: Kind and considerate, Mond is concerned with the wellbeing of others. He makes himself approachable and composed, with an ethic towards doing the right thing by other people. (True Good - Lawful Good)
* Urbane: He speaks with a relatively high register, and candour that clearly detonates a vocation in drama. This sophistication extends to his knowledge of matters in general, knowing a bit of everything, with the exception of sailing and literature which he knows a lot about.
* Conscientious Objector: A lifestyle dedicated to the arts has left him unable to kill, not that he minds when other people do it, but he himself cannot raise a weapon and slay someone. That being said, incapacitating them by other means is fine.

Your Agreed Contract:

In order for you to fulfil your responsibilities to the party within the depths of space, you are hereby to receive a weekly supply of rations with a class of a C- anti-ageing compound mixed within.

You will receive a class C (bare minimum) training for your intended role upon the ship.

You hereby acknowledge that refusing this contract will incur a fine of roughly 32 million liquid currency in accordance with the penalty of wasting party time. You also hereby that dying or failing to fulfil the duties given to you by the time your work contract ends will apply this fine to yourself, or if you die, to your next of kin.

Remember: Exceptional service may get you potential application as a party member!

Remember: Poor performance may be realized as the improper commitment of applied duty and you will be billed for your lodgings, rations, equipment, medical services, air, gravity, power usage and human on human contact.

You [  ] agree to the terms and conditions of this contract and will fufill as the ship's [  ] until your 100 years of commitment is complete.

Disclaimer: the authority has the right to decrease or increase the commitment years of this contract as they see fit.

[Personal Relationships]

List each player drove character here and your characters thoughts/ relationship with them. Update this as your relationships develop.

EG: Bob the Engineer: That guy's a total nutter, I'd avoid him but he's too much fun to not watch.

Package:

* ATTITUDE ADJUSTER
* SUPPLY PERMISSIONS
* ADDITIONAL MEASURES

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[User]
Picard. Void Treader. Angel Dust. Red Room. Lucy. Soup Server. Harpoon. Picard. Void Treader. Angel Dust. Red Room. Lucy. Soup Server. Harpoon. Mond's eyes flicked between each one, glancing about at the exteriors. The long and slender yacht, the body and robust cargo ship, and the multipurpose vessel grabbing his attention the most. Though without knowing what was going on in each individual ship, all the choices were basically going to be made on face value. Mustafa considered each one for a final time. The yacht would be nice, but likely the insides were stripped clean by servicers over the years; the cargo ship, a repossessed vessel, would simply make them a target for any Corsair looking to make a quick buck. But Lucy. There was definitely potential.

"I suppose, with a lick of paint and a new name Lucy could be adequate." He spoke, over the rabble, minimizing the AI's sprite to occupy a small corner, apologizing to Cake, as he brought up a slowly spinning projection of the Ship. "Why someone would want to get rid of it is also a small concern, as it doesn't seem to have been repossessed, and no reason for sale is given." Agreeing with what Astrid had said about perfectly good ships. He mulled over it a little longer, before knocking a knuckle against the display, confirming his choice in his mind. With no small help from Cake's Prognosis and Astrid's, who seemed tech savvy, agreement with the AI. Mond was reasonable, and airing towards the Lucy anyway, if the rest of the crew liked it, then certainly it would be the best choice.

"And if it turns out to be utter garbage, well, I suppose if we all pick it there will be no one to blame."

[Assistant]
DOCKING PHASE

The vast horizion of ships stare blankly at the crew from all directions, a vague indescriminate pale light reflects nothing in the vizors and hulls of the audience as the name of their decision echoes down into the infinite of scrap before them. A slow whirling crunches tension under it in a loud, grinding activity of metal tendons hidden away that thrust the platform forward then stops with a sudden force. Then meekly it starts again moving gently across and over the scalps of the many stored ships. A electronic voice fizzes out.

"CONFIRMED: MOVING D.P.U TO DESIGNATION 355 OUT OF 2509" In a neutral, nearly screeching chord of a voice so loud it's akin to shoving a dirty microphone in your ear.

As the platform moved across two barely visible rail lines the light lost it's sickly, equally dispersed effect on the ships, just for a minute you could swear a ray of relfection followed you all down after hearing the designation akin to akwardly examining eyes. You pass through many ships, some forces the platform rises up to that of a small building to pass over while their empty maw of their massive cannons yawn at you and others were so small that anything short of a child would have to crunch themselves up to sit in. A series of beeps blurted out as it got closer, followed by that same voice estimating the remaining minutes to arrival. It took 20.

"DESIGNATION ARRIVAL IN 3"

A vast military ship tries poorly to blend in, a sleek set of wings sprayed out like a proud eagle as its long, spear-like gun reaches far overhead of another ship. The Platform passes it like shrubbery.

"2"

Another heavy, robust brick of a ship that was a mock re-imaginating of a truck from earth grinned at you with it's grill front. You see a massive array of cargo space and the vague light of little pleasures through the window. A coffee machine and a vertiable small army of little animal figurines wave you off with a smile, not moving as you go on.

"1"

So many ships were lined together on your approach. Was it the sleek looking ex-race ship, you could still see the slick numbers of 11 painted but worn out on it's back. It's thrusters were big and imposing, bigger than its own hull. No. You pass it, it must be the ship next to it, a yacht of luxury. Still fresh white, lacking any weapons but you could see the jacuzzi glowing slightly inside. Then it appeared, rising up from between the two.

It didn't take a degree for you to recognize what exactly Lucy was.

A class S+ versatile light ship developed by the Orchinko corperation on Earth, known as the Star Seer. You also know that this make is roughly around 500 years old and one of the first ever ships to become commercially open to the average citizen. It's a relic. The melancholic blue was scratched off from years of hull exposure and dents bruised its blocky hull all about. You couldn't tell where the armor started and the machine began, the parts seemed to just meld into each other in a vague mash up of abstract shape based art.

As the platform slowly lowered you down you saw three duck-shaped metal feet keeping it to the floor, you swear you could see it tremble and you just hope that was the plat form vibrating approach doing that and not the ship itself. A mirror copy of the ballistic anti-hazard cannon sat below its gut.

You start to suspect that maybe the last owner who vouched for it's quality was a tad....little bit...perhaps just slightly...affected by a personal sentimental value for her. "Best in it's feild" obviously didn't include the date in that assessment.

@Bazmund@Starlance@datadogie@officaz@MythicGaming@Eyelid@Sylvan

[User]
Mond's tablet began to ping and chirp as the lift drew them closer to their ship, his eyes darting around at all the other vessels they passed, marveling and judging in equal measure. For Mustafa the choice was signed and sealed, Lucy would be theirs and they likely would not survive to get another if they lost her. So there was no reason to admire the others. He did regardless. Looking down at the tablet that hung in his hand, he was being bombarded with ship information and specifications, systems and data sheets on every aspect. He brought the tablet to his face and gave the information a glance. On the outside he held his poise, on the inside he was being overwhelmed, as information streamed across his vision. He would need a Cake plugin for his tablet, this much was for certain.

In the meantime he fiddled with the settings, running an algorithm to simplify it to something he could more easily and quickly absorb. Before settling in for the night and giving everything an in depth appraisal. Mond returned to the documents to find that they had all been filed away and instead replaced with a simple but efficient read out.

The previous owner of the ship seemed to be a no-nonsense kind of man, this directly went against what he saw as they approached the ship. 'Sentiment, indeed.' Mond thought to himself, he would have to get Astrid on inspecting the hull's integrity rather soon. The ship was built, it seemed, for bearable, long term voyages, upgraded to improve upon its glaring weaknesses. It was fitted with upgraded hygiene facilities (showers), and automated dispensaries which interfaced with the recyclers somehow (vending machines). Mond approved of the first, hygiene was important, and if he had to suffer the same vacuum 'showers' he had to use for six years, he would be very upset. The cafe was also a choice which he could appreciate, it seemed like on that long journey it was one of the few things that kept him sane, good food, there were days when the food prep AI went awry and they had to subsist off of the ration powders. Had he needed to do that the whole time, he most likely would have lost his composure.

Vending machines were a strange choice, but the more he thought of it, the more sense it made, they were much more convenient than any recycler, they could be reprogrammed as a reward system, and they could host a whole menagerie of goods. Though the read out did not seem to say what they stocked. He would have to check them individually, as much as he wanted to trust the inventory that was supplied by the party, he wanted to take a look at everything himself. However, there were still the added utilities to take into consideration. An improved radar system, with improved capabilities regarding more detailed scans; as well as added external thrusters for tighter maneuvering in times of finesse and egress.

Mustafa was happy with the added extras, though he was sure there would be room for improvement farther down the line, especially as he scrolled through the other aspects of the ship. He frowned, the AI would need more processors, as much as he knew it wasn't a person, he felt like with its role it needed more space than it had. Mond looked up from his tablet as the ship approached, tucking it under his arm and picking up his luggage case. As the platform eased to a rusty stop at the door, he reached forwards, touching the door.

"Shall we rename her?"


[System]
Shou Matsuoka
Age: 29

Appearance:
(Credits to the original artist)
Has a piercing on his left ear on which he swaps between tiny spike or silver ring earrings. Dark circles aren't unfamiliar to his otherwise pale features, and his eyes are a clear, light, chocolate-brown colour which contrasts heavily with his (dyed) silver hair. In his youth, he used to have a select number of streaks in the mess of his locks that he dyed different colours once every two months. Though you can see a cigarette sticking out of his mouth when he isn't at school, it's replaced for a lollipop when he's on the job. Though oddly enough, it's difficult to tell from far away what it might really be...

Height: 6'2" / 188cm

Weight: 177lbs / 80.5kg

Likes: Fresh fruit, discussion and debate, thought-provoking material, philosophy, the sounds of the steelpan, the saxophone and the violin (and even the harmonica on occasion!), (soft spot for) Drum and Bass, oddballs, big dogs, breathtaking natural green scenery, lighting candles, aromatherapy, the colour blue, dressing classy, reading and writing fine literature, art, PC-gaming, white and milk chocolate, lollipops and gummy-bears, herbal teas and black coffees, blue orchids.

Dislikes: Liquorice, dark chocolate, small spaces, papaya, grading papers, his age and authority questioned, late students, the cold, spicy food, beetles, when people try to get him to dance, when things stop working.

Party Trick: Can, pitch-perfect and usually very loudly, whistle any requested song (that he knows).

Profession: Professor at the Shine City Academy (Department of Biology; Genetics specialist).

Bio/Personality:
Shou grew up in classy Shine City itself as the younger of two sons, so it's hard to find a place or trick or turn within it that the young gentleman doesn't know. Though, admittedly, he only came to learn of more of the city in his later years, having been homeschooled as a child and so finishing his education a couple of years early (due to missing out so many much-coveted summers). He landed his professor job through a mixture of sheer luck, his personal smarts and three rather interesting published works on the behavioural study of animals in captivity. This has led to him being a bit of an eccentric man, though he enjoys his fair share of parties as well, accompanied by a new experimental mixed-drink each time if not for a classic favourite of his: A glass of burgundy wine, for his more mature palette.

He spends his days teaching at the Shine City academy, hoping to inspire his students (though he has to admit again, most of them don't seem quite as much as interested in his lectures) to greatness someday. His personal interests are in the areas of Genetics and Zoology.
His young age is often a cause for playful kidding around by the older members of staff, though also gets him a lot of belittling remarks and unsatisfied glances from time to time. He claims he's just as much a student as anyone else, learning from his seniors whenever he can on their respective areas of expertise, and from his juniors on areas such as 'socialisation in the younger-crowds'.
He owns two dogs, a young Jack Russell Terrier called Jinxie and a larger Border Collie/German Shepherd mix called Romeo. Seeing as he lives by himself in a rather comfortable little house just far enough from the bustling city center to have an open yard, the two dogs get on well and don't get bored or lonely too often (special thanks to the dogs of the lovely old woman who lives next door!)

Shou himself is slightly introverted, preferring to be approached rather than approaching someone, though he has no problem doing the latter. He hardly ever is mentioned to say "he's bored", being a strong believer in finding entertainment in whatever one does. He is compassionate towards animals and, oddly enough, plants as well, having a well-tended garden set up in his backyard. He also possesses intensive knowledge on herbal remedies his mother taught both boys, Shou and Yuusha, when they were young. Being described as 'eccentric' due to his often chuckling at the most inappropriate moments, or his somewhat morbid love for setting things alight, or even his irritability on Thursday evenings when the weekend is so close, yet so far, he garners the positive attentions and affections of many others, particularly the schoolgirls at the academy impressed with just how young he is.
Or maybe they're just taken by his looks and undeniable quiet, mature grace.

As for his personal skills, outside of teaching and aromatherapy, Shou can also play the violin himself, whereas his brother picked up the saxophone when they were children. Though, to make up for it, he thoroughly neglected cooking in his youth and survives on the most basic meals, usually burnt or improper in some way, shape or form, but laden with spices each and every time.

In addition, it's been about four years since his long-term girlfriend and later much-beloved fiancée Alessandra (lovingly 'Alex') has passed now, the victim of a horrendous accident. Shou has mostly come to terms with it, though it isn't something one can recover from easily and he still thinks of her time and again, though still gets easily flustered around pretty women due to not being exposed to quite as much contact since her passing. It undeniably leaves him a little lonelier and 'emptier' than he'd like, and he often is solemn when he admits to that.

Romeo

German Shepherd x Border Collie
Adopted from the local shelter as a tiny pup, Romeo is now nine years old and an aging boy, but holds himself with a pride and loyalty to his master like no other. He makes an excellent companion on long walks, and in addition, an even more wonderful pillow to cuddle with when lonely.

Jinxie

Jack Russell
Jinxie is hyperactive and playful despite her six years of age, possesses a love for life itself any everything it brings. She's forever curious and could be called the polar opposite of Romeo, if not for the friendliness they both possess. She used to belong to Alessandra, but Shou has taken responsibility for her ever since Alex passed.

Theme(?)

[User]
Zac lays a hand over Nori's free one while telling her to calm down and it grounds her for a moment, but then Sabine sucks the ice cube down along with the DJ's fingers and Nori panics because she's half certain the other girl is going to bite her.

She doesn't, thank God. Instead, Sabine is surprisingly gentle, sucking at the blonde's fingers and laving them with small, kitten licks. After a second or two she pulls off with a loud 'pop', a string of spit connecting them briefly before it breaks away. In any other instance it would have been sexy, but right now Sabine is pale and her eyes look dazed, like she doesn't know what's happening to her anymore. She murmurs something Nori can't make out over Ryva's song, before swaying once and going completely limp, collapsing into the DJ's lap.

The feeling of dread builds and begins to form knots in her stomach as Nori looks down at where Sabine is splayed across her lap, the other girl's eyes barely opened and still just as unfocused before. "Guys, is she-," Kyle starts to ask and Nori hadn't even realized he had made it back. He goes on to say more but the blonde doesn't register it, too focused on helping arrange the unconscious girl so she can be carried by Zac.

The rest is a blur. One minute they're in the club, the next Sabine is being hastily loaded into the ambulance with Zac climbing in after her. The second the doors shut the vehicle speeds away, sirens shrieking into the night. 'I won't even know if she makes it,' Nori thought, wringing her hands as she stares off in the direction the ambulance went.

"Now," Nori hears Kyle say, so she turns around to face him. "I think they'll be ok. What about you? Are you going to be alright?" The blue eyed man asks, slumped over against the wall with a worn out expression on his face.

"M'fine," she lies, taking advantage of his position by muscling her way in so she's standing between his legs. "You did so good," Nori tells him, running her hands up and down Kyle's arms and pressing their foreheads together gently, letting her lips quirk up into an small, appreciative smile. "Thank you," she said in a hushed tone before finally bringing her arms up to hug Kyle, adjusting so she could press her face into the crook of his neck. "Thank you," she says again, her breath huffing across his collarbone.

@Verdaux@BeastofDestiny

[Assistant]
Warm. He wasn't hot from the events, or cold from the weather, he just felt warm, glowy even. She found her way into his arms, embracing him in a tight hug and thanking him. Her face retreated into his neck and her breath sent small shivers up his spine, but he didn't blush and time didn't feel real. To Kyle, it just felt like the two of them in this small personal bubble, together and separate from the world and it was like his exhaustion just washed away.

"Thank you.

Appreciation, given in such a simple phrasing and yet with enough emotion and meaning, can have such a sigficant impact. "Anytime," he smiled softly, his own arms had already snaked around her and his cheek rested against her head, he raised his hand and gently stroked her hair, "You did a good job too you know." He didn't know why, but now his heart was beginning to race, maybe it was this girl pressed so close to him, the gentle appreciation in her voice, her scent slowly filling his senses. "Hey...Nori, um, I..." she lifted her head up from the crook of his neck and their eyes met. She had that same look in them, that sunset, but it felt fiery and it almost felt directed at him, like she...

Maybe he was just tired, amped up on the nights events still or maybe there was this insanely beautiful woman gazing at him like no one else had, but he had the terrible urge to just... Suddenly, without hesitation, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her for only a moment before pulling back to meet her gaze once more with a flushed face.

Dollie

[User]
"H-hanky...panky?" Shou huffed, shooting a glance at his friend. Before he could say much more, the increasingly intoxicated raven haired woman shuffled closer and closer, until she literally was sitting on the man's lap.
...and she...wasn't staying very still.

O-oh...god.

He grimaced against the feeling she brought on. As much as he wanted to ride above that, he knew, as well as any biologist knew, that all he was was a man.
"No...thank you." he yelped back at his old friend, shifting uncomfortably in his stool, that suddenly seemed incredibly tiny. He felt her weight shift as he leaned over to talk to the dealer, and breathed a tiny sigh of relief as the weight shifted away from...well...

"It...sounds like a good time." he murmured, half to the people at the table and half into his drink, gulping down the remaining beverage in his shaking hands. "I'll...leave you two to it, then..."

Silently, he thanked the dealer for the release, and for the first time in the evening, he put his hands on the woman's waist. They trailed lower, slightly, to her hips, and he lifted her up with the gentle strength (as possible, though his hands were still trembling) of a man carrying something incredibly delicate. Fighting the urge to pull her to him again, the...stimulation leaving him breathless without a doubt, and evidently wanting, something told him that it was not tonight.
It must not have been the right time.

Boom.

A distant clap of thunder only served to strengthen this belief.

"Forgive me, Miss Mochizukki, and..." he gazed over at the dealer, still having not caught his name. He did offer the man a nervous smile, cheeks still flushed and his body warm. "I...I don't have much else I can lose, hah. Luck with gambling has never been on my side. Fortunately, however, I've had the good luck to meet you, Miss Mochizukki, and a dealer no less charming. Thank you, for...teaching me a new game, tonight. I might...stop by again."
His sentences were disjointed and forced, words slurring into each other, and as he used his hands on the woman's hips to manoeuvre her, the silver haired man slipping out of the chair on shaky legs, and placing the delicate young lady back where he was just sitting, he bowed his head to the couple, innocent and nervous still, but at least he still had his head.

...the slight bulge in his trousers told a different story, along with one of his fists balled hard, so the nails pressed into his palm. He exhaled shallowly, before wrapping the scarf he wore a little more tightly around his neck. Unfortunately, on attempting to walk, well...

"S-shit." he swore under his breath. His head was light from standing up after so long sitting down and his vision was bleary. This often happened to our beloved biology professor, though he hated it incredibly much. The momentary incapacitation when standing up suddenly...

"O-Ollie..." he stuttered, his words breathy and him using a hand against the table to steady himself.

"...can I ask you to...take me home? The old Ford's out...by the parking lot. Believe it or not...I still stay where we used to, hah. Just on the outskirts of the main city."

He paused, placing a shaking hand on his friend's shoulder. "...you've been gone for four years. I think there's a lot to...talk about."

-----------------------------------
Time Skip to later at night! (Write up your final posts before wrapping up for the evening. It will be ~3 am. Note, there's a storm coming, with rain and thunder and lightning. Keep safe!)


[System]
Username: Vongola_Hasayo
Age: 14

Gender: Male

Country of Origin: Italy/Japan

Role: Soon-to-be Vongola XI

Flame: Sky

Weapon/Fighting Style:

Appearance:

Personality: In some ways Luca is similar his predecessor in middle school and in others they are complete opposites. Luca isn't the most socially adept, spending a lot of time by himself in the schools music room or his own at home. He's not as poor a student as Tsuna was but he's not making the honor roll anytime soon. His confidence is lacking and he has a fear of leadership that rivals that of Tsuna's fear of Reborn. Their similarities aren't all negative though. Despite all his short comings Luca has incredible perseverance. His confidence may be lacking but that doesn't mean he won't try and give everything he can. He has a good-heart and wouldn't wish harm upon others. At the same time he doesn't like to see others get hurt. That's were the similarities end.

Luca is a much more reckless and impulsive person, throwing himself in the middle of trouble. Though somewhat timid he can be quite the hothead around certain people. More over his aggression towards those he sees as enemies and scum comes as an intimidating glare that only targets them and only reassures the people he cares about. He's not as forgiving as Tsuna but given time he'll come around. While he's never quite sure if he can do something it never stops him from giving his all. There are only two things Luca refuses to do though: try to lead and play the piano inn front of others.

Luca can be somewhat oblivious but her it's actually very sensitive to the hidden feelings in a person's heart. In the end though he might try and keep his distance his warm and inviting air is ever present revealing his own true feelings in the moment.

History: Luca was born in a small town in Italy known as Trespiano to Katsuo and Felicita Yuuki.

Other: Luca is a talented pianist and enjoys writing music though he'll never perform in front of anyone.

[User]
Luca turned hearing Yuki's voice and have her a bashful smile. "Sorry, yukatas aren't really my thing..." After looking over the snowy haired girl he averted his gaze and blushed slightly. "Y-You look really nice though~" He was glad she asked about the booth. The change of subject was surely needed our there might be a repeat of the afternoon's events. "Actually, I have no idea where it is. Though knowing the president probably snagged the best spot long before anyone else could." As if on cue he heard Asuka's voice over the crowd. Locating the source he saw the booth along with the president waving them over.

They made their way through to the booth. Noticing the other person working on the bananas and rice balls, Luca didn't expect to see the Archery Club captain here. Most of Namimori middle admired Hideaki. He was an ace archer, a model student and as far as Luca's heard a friendly person. Of course he's not lacking in looks either as evidenced by squeals from girls when he's mentioned in conversation. Even with all that Luca didn't feel like he knew anything about the bespectacled archer. And not just because they've never really spoken to one another. Meanwhile Asuka had that cunning look in her eye that she often had and Luca couldn't help but gulp feeling it had something to do with him. "Let's get started I guess." He said with a meek smile.

[Assistant]
Yuki may have retained her stoic expression but her face was bright red with embarrassment as Luca mentioned she looked nice, her mouth was unable to form words for a few moments before changing the subject at hand and making their way to try and find the booth. Unlike when there were others around Luca could render her defenseless like that pretty easily. Not that she disliked it but thankfully she had calmed herself down and with the greeting from the president returned her to her normal disposition.

"Yo"

She gave a small wave as they walked up, it was a nice sized booth, though did it really need all four of them to run it? Giving Luca a reassuring pat on the back Yuki made her way over to help in the creation, putting on some gloves of course. Looking over to Hideaki she gave a small nod in greeting. She had seen him more than a few times when she had been going around all the clubs over the past month, though leg based sports were more her thing.

As Yuki started to work on the rice balls she got a rather evil idea "I didn't know that this was a double date." she said in a dry tone, intending to imply that their president had brought her boyfriend along. She could not help but sneak at least one or two rice balls for herself to eat later, payment so to speak given that she was basically doing this for free, and a nice spot to watch the fireworks.

[User]
While making his way through the merry making crowd, Ren's eyes behind the mask briefly scanned through the area for any suspicious figure. None caught his attention so far, or at least, none that were suspicious by appearance. Laughter of lively children, clacking of wooden sandals against the pavement, chatters between chummy acquaintances, sizzling of a yakisoba grill, yells of merchants advertising their respective stalls; such were the sounds his ears caught at the area. This current area was clear of danger for now, hopefully the figure he was in search of would be in a safe area as well. The raven haired male slightly adjusts his fox mask in place while continuing his search.

It took quite a while of walking till a particular stall was in sight, a professional looking food stall like any other ones he had seen tonight but the only difference was the figure who resembled the picture of the blond Vongola candidate. To make sure it was the boy he had been pursuing after, Ren decided to make a purchase from the stall as a reason to confirm that the appearance indeed resembled the boss candidate. After the last customers left their stall with a stick of chocolate banana for each, the masked male approaches the stall and hands over quite an amount of money to the similarly raven haired female and utters in a quiet tone, "...... I will purchase 20 pieces of rice balls."

The front of the stall clearly lacked a couple of rice balls for his order to be complete, which he hoped would cause the female to leave temporarily so Ren may properly inspect the light haired male while he waited. It was no problem if she didn't do so, at least a careful glance could suffice.

[Assistant]
With Luca and Yuki there, things really began. Customers were coming. Some young guys and girls, guys and girls their age, middle age women. A few of the older women would coo and pinch Luca's cheeks. Asuka couldn't help but giggle at that. The added attractiveness and cute factor did the trick alright. Older gentlemen didn't really come by. Asuka wouldn't have like that anyway. Middle aged men. She shuddered at the thought. Although, some guys and girls just a bit older, maybe in university, came by here and there. That was fun. Most were on dates so there wasn't flirting or anything like that. Not that it would have been appropriate or enjoyable. But they had a certain air about them. Everyone did! The festival was going well.

Still, Yuki's comment nearly made Asuka drop a whole batch of freshly made Chocolate covered bananas. She managed to save it and set it down, but it was still there. She glanced back. "Yuki. Please... Don't ever try and say something like that again. Even as a joke." It seemed that comment was an insult, no, a wound, fatal, struck deep into her heart. She was smiling, sure, but even the smile was nothing less than murderous. That was the severity of how she took even the simple idea or misunderstanding of any kind to relationship with Hideaki.

With that she turned back to the front of the stall just in time to be met with a young masked man already back to her normal cheerful demeanor. "Ah~ Of course." She looked down as she took the money to put it in the box and took out some to return the change. But... They were short. No matter, Hideaki and Yuki would likely bring some soon. It wasn't something that needed to be worried about. "Just a moment please." She gave a slight bow. Luckily there was a freshly finished tray beside Hideaki. Say what you wanted, he did work efficiently. But this meant she was only gone for about thirty seconds. It wasn't a big booth after all. "Here you go." She said placed a small box, she had them under the counter for larger orders like this, in front of Ren.

"Oh and that's quite a lovely mask, if you don't mind me saying." The fox motif was what she liked. But she hadn't had time to pick one up. All she had was a cat themed one given to her by some guy. He did it often. Little things like this. He had a crush, but he was also a jerk. She sighed. "I don't suppose you would want to trade." She gave a small laugh holding up her own mask. Though, in her mind, it was a long shot.

[User]
As the lady who was about to serve him his orders inevitably turned her back to fetch the rest of the lacking items, the fox masked male turned his face towards the blond male attendant. Azure orbs behind the mask intently gazed at him for a good couple of seconds in silence before the female attendant came back with his orders. 'He is the one...', Ren thought to himself, his mental image of the Vongola boss candidate clearly matching with the boy in front of him. As the box of rice balls were handed over to him, he mumbled a soft "... Thank you." He decided to hand them over to one of his men later for safekeeping, as well as distributing them to the others who were famished since he himself had no desire to eat and it was awkward to, half his face hidden while he would bite on a rice ball.

Just when the raven haired male was about to leave with his purchased goods, Asuka's compliment for his mask stopped him in his tracks. A nod of acknowledgment was given in return, he thought it unnecessary to reply back to the compliment. He supposed the fox mask was at least suitable to him but not exactly his tastes. Just when he thought he'd be released from the conversation, his eyes widened at what the female attendant flashed before him. A cat mask. "..........!" Ren's attention was piqued by the sudden appearance of the cat mask, its attractiveness and simplicity drawing him into agreeing to the mask trade. But was it the appropriate time for him to uncover his concealed face? Or was he willing to let this chance pass by and go on without possibly ever finding another cat mask in the festival? He thought for a moment, and a decision was made.

"......... Very well. I consent to the trade." With that, he lowered his mask, revealing the face of the young Kanesada heir. His gaze averted to the side as his arm stretched out with the fox mask in his hand.

[Assistant]
"Hey guys!" Hideaki cheerfully greeted the athletic Russian and the blond-haired mafia boss. He wasn't too surprised Asuka had managed to rope in an underclassman with some underhanded scheme. At least the two workers would be tolerable. He could respect Volkov-chan's abilities. From what he heard, she went around testing all the clubs, not just his own. She also wasn't a rowdy fangirl, so she had that going for her as well. On the other hand, there was Yuuki-kun. He didn't hear much on his end, other than his fights with the resident Disciplinary Wannabe. He could hold his own though, which was good. The archer resumed his work after explaining the necessary processes, and was finishing off a batch when a certain phrase was said.

'Do you think this is a fucking game you impertinent little girl? Me and that fox? How sickening. Just the thought leaves the taste of shit in my mouth.'

Someone was a little bit salty after that date comment, it seemed. "...No," the archer said firmly but politely, having halted in the midst of his snack food assembly, "This is not a double date scenario, no." With that said simply, he resumed creating rice balls as if he wasn't practically fuming with annoyance on the inside. He did a perfect job of it, at least, with the only outward change being that he was now assembling rice balls at a much faster pace. They were still characteristically precise, however. He picked up his batch and moved it back over to restock the front of the stall. "Here you go, Argento-chan," he said, glancing at the other half of the mask trade. Going for a fox mask, what a surprise.

On his return from his station, Hideaki stopped by the post of the young blond-haired student. "So what'd the president do to get you roped up in this?" he asked casually.

[User]
This was going to be a long endeavor. Luca was being smothered by customers, a lot of whom were older women wanting to pinch his cheeks. If this keeps up I'll end up looking like a bloodhound... Out of the corner of his eye he could see the president's clear delight in the success of her well crafted plan. She truly was a cunning and frightening person.

"Hmhm~" With a slight chuckle the shorter off the two figures stood atop Namimori Shrine continued to observe the young heir. "Sawada chose a rather familiar successor." He said, watching Luca fumble around between serving customers and having his face assaulted. "What do you think? He'll be your responsibility very soon." He asked his companion.

After a some time business finally settle down leaving Luca to sink down under the booth exhausted. He rubbed his face trying to find any remaining sense of feeling. "Well, on the bright side this'll make fighting Taiga a little easier..." Muttered Luca with a sigh. "As long as you win I won't tell you're mother that you're out picking fights~" Luca stood up to look up at his smirking father, Katsuo Yuuki. "Then again she probably already knows." Luca smiled sheepishly. "Yeah...so, you want to buy a rice ball or a banana?" Katsuo shook his head. "I'm sure your mother is eating enough snacks for the both of us. I just wanted to check up on you. You seem to be having fun." He said looking around the booth, his eyes lingering on the customer in the fox mask. "I guess so. I'm kinda glad you guys made me come." Luca said bringing his father back to their conversation. Katsuo smiled as his son looked back at Yuki who also forced him to attend the festival. Luca quickly turned back to his father before he could remark on his and Yuki's relationship. "Good. You should let yourself have fun more often." Katsuo ruffled Luca's blonde hair and though he was smiling there was a melancholy undertone to his words and Luca's dodgy chuckle. "Alright, enjoy the rest of the festival..." With a glance at the shrine he turned walk away, Luca noticing worry hidden behind his father's eyes. "And be careful out there." Katsuo added as he left the booth.

Luca's gaze was drawn from his father as he felt someone else's on him. He glanced at the masked customer from his peripheral before being startled by Hidaeki's question. "Huh? Sorry senpai, I got a little distracted. Actually, she didn't have to do much. I owe her a few-actually a lot of favors. Hehe..." Luca chuckled nervously in in the upperclassman's presence.