[System]
Username: Demon Shinobi
Age: 15
Gender: Female
Country of Origin: Japan (Though she is half Japanese and Half Italian)
Role: Storm Guardian Candidate
Flame: Storm

Weapon/Fighting Style: Asuka utilizes a whip coupled with fluid, quick movements in battle. IN truth this was a weapon she was taught to use by her father, who used a chain sword.
Box weapons:
1) Catena Frusta di Tempesta (Chain Whip of the Storm) - With a grip resembling that of a sword and a 2 yard long chain topped with a kunai like blade at the end, this is the perfect weapon to accentuate her skill with a whip. This chain whip channels and can be engulfed in the Storm Flame at the user's will.
2) Volpe a Nove Code di Tempesta (Nine-Tailed Fox of the Storm) - A small black nine tailed fox, with white tipped tails matching it's white paws. It is incredibly fast. It can fire small balls from its tails made of condensed storm flames. It can coat it's paws in storm flames while running. And it can coat it's fangs and saliva in the flames when biting. All at the beck and call of it's master.
Appearance:
As she stands now, Asuka is a fairly well developed young girl. She stands at about 5'4" with lovely skin and a lovelier figure for her age.

In ten years not much has changed. She has grown taller, standing at about 5'8" and has grown more in the bust and hip areas, though no male (or occasional female) would care about that right? Overall, she had some what larger more accentuated curves than she had as a child.

Personality: Asuke is typically level headed and easy to get along with. Ever intelligent and kind, one might think Asuka is picture of perfection. She does not feel this way. She works hard and strives to be better when necessary. However, she is not oblivious to her looks, and figure and uses it to her advantage when possible. She can be manipulative, a bit of a flirt and somewhat teasing. But that is more so because she finds it fun and humorous. She can be a bit odd and random in her behavior, but she picks her moments. There is a time to play, a time to be serious, a time to fight, etc. etc. Still even with her confidence and somewhat flirty attitude, she is quite innocent can be made to blush if she isn't the one teasing, but the one being teased. Asuka is simply Asuka.

History: Asuka's mother was Japanese and her father Italian. How did they meet? Well her mother was the mayor of Namimori at one point. She was beautiful, responsible, fearless, and much more. She was practically leading the charge against the local thugs and yakuza. Of course, this lead to many wanting her dead. She thought it didn't matter, but others weren't so reckless.

Thus, her father was hired. A bodyguard for hire at the time, his strength was renowned. Even to those yakuza he was not only recognized, but respected for his skill and ability. This was no small feat. His presence brought along much more peace of mind. Even to her mother, though it wouldn't be admitted, at first. Still, as time went on and the two spent more time together, they would eventually fall in love. That love would blossom into the birth of a child.

After that, Asuka's mother resigned. With a baby on the way she couldn't afford to risk her life. And neither could her father. They settled in Namimori since he hadn't had a permanent of his own due to his constant travelling. Without her continuing her work there was no need to further pursue harming her or her future child. Besides nobody wished to cause more problems with Asuka's father.

She grew up normally. Of course, up until she was ten. Then he father began to make her exercise, work a bit a bit more and train so she could be able to defend herself in the case that he wasn't around. He gave her a weapon similar to his. A whip. It could suffice. She learned fairly quickly. Now she'd 15. Her parents are off travelling with full confidence that she can handle herself. She can too. Though not many know, she can fight fairly well. She can take care of herself and does quite well in school. She strive to maintain a good position like her mother did, and still does.

Other: The following are added information.

Hobbies: Asuka's hobbies include reading Manga, watching anime, studying, training, and cooking. She also enjoys the occasional online game and the very rare eroge. But that's a secret.

Likes: Asuka likes having fun, hanging out, making new friends and occasionally a good brawl if it can add a little excitement to her life. However, more than anything, she likes cute things, even if she denies it.

Dislikes: Asuka dislikes jerks and rude people, though can put up with them if she is close to them. She also dislikes killjoys and boredom. She isn't one to take well to being teased, as hypocritical as that sounds. And she doesn't like people messing with or insulting the things or people she cares about.

[User]
Samael | Rooftop

"Hmmmm... Questions, well not really... Everyone here must've been already chosen for one of these 'positions', I think I'd like to know what they are", he knew what these positions were, they were revered among the family. The guardians of the flames, Storm, Mist, Cloud, Lightning, Rain, and the Vongola head's Sky. It was obvious that Luca here was the one who represented the Sky, but what about everyone else? Sam knew his own potential with Mist, so he had some idea.

"And so would they", he added.

[Assistant]
Shi's tail swayed from side to side like a ticking grandfather clock as she waited for the others to pose their questions, however when none came she suspected they understood just what they were getting themselves into, that was fine. Though Samael did pose one about just what they were picked to be, a understandable question after all she did explain about the guardians while they had all met at the shrine so that was what peaked his interest?

"Well, I suppose I can tell you. where shall we start? Ah, with the Guardians? My sister over there trying to feed your future boss-," She gestured to Yuki holding a hotdog on the end of a fork and trying to poke it into Luca's mouth, a rather innocent looking assassin it seems. "She was to join the ranks of Varia, but has forced the issue into becoming one of the Sun Guardian Candidates along with Akane Kimiko." She looked to the others, to make this fast she simply pointed to them in turn and announced what they were to be.

"Samael Mist Guardian Candidate
Naoki Shindo Thunder Guardian Canidate
Minase Hideaki Cloud Guardian Candidate
Rentarou Kanesada Rain Guardian Candidate"

Lowering her hands she waited for a few moments "And of course we have the Storm Guardian Candidate, who belongs too our late dear Asuka Argento" It was this moment this moment that the girl would have come through the door, Shi's ears were not just for show afterall. "You have not missed much, Fon will just fill you in while I explain this: There are also the Varia members, if you are chosen to become one of these you will discover what it means, however as of right now simply focus on the tasks at hand."

[User]
Just as Shi had predicted Asuka would burst through the door she appeared, hearing her name. "Well~ Seems you decided to aid me in making an entrance." She cooed playfully as she took a small bow. "Thank you very much." She smiled as she before giggling at the sight of Yuki trying to feed Luca. It was so cute. Especially given what they'd learned of her background.

Once she scanned the area, making sure she remembered each person who'd showed up, she took a position beside Hideaki before affectionately elbowing him in the side."Where's my key, Mr. Stalker?" She asked in a whisper a bit annoyed after finding that one of her keys was missing from he ring. Of course, she wouldn't be so loud as to make him out to look like a creep before their possible new comrades. Not until more was known about everyone. But she did want her property back.

[Assistant]
With a slight raise of his eyebrow, Hideaki accepted the bento box handed to him by the younger, less foxy Volkov sister. He looked at the drink - grape soda, bad for the teeth - and then peeked into the bento - the usual faire, nothing special. After quickly verifying that there wasn't laxative or some kind of poison tainting his bento, as was usual protocol, he glanced around the rooftop for a free spot. He spotted a suitable seat that was close-but-not-too-close to the group, shaded from the summer sun, and situated nicely against the rooftop fencing, so naturally he seized the opportunity presented to him by walking on over and taking a seat.

Verdict: 1/10. Disgusting, but would still eat instead of fast-food take-out.

He grabbed another bite with his chopsticks and brought it up to his mouth. His pleasantly smiling face belied his true opinion as he ate and drank with his peers. If he was forced to give a formal critique, it would be long and nitpicky - as was the opinion of Minase Hideaki on most things presented to him. Still, he knew that flipping the bento over and throwing his carbonated drink at somebody was not a socially acceptable reaction to 99% of stimuli, so he kept quiet and ate. Hide was a patient person, after all.

And then that happened. Oh boy.

Across more than a thousand parallel worlds, the consequence of Asuka's seemingly innocuous action was met with an equally innocuous reaction from Hideaki. Perhaps he would've ignored her or just given the keys back. Or he might have tossed them over the chainlink barrier or not have taken them in the first place.

Fortunately or not, this was not one of those worlds.

Hideaki's lips curled into a smile that was equal parts amiable and shady as fuck. Suddenly, there was a movement of his closest arm, an incline of the torso, a parting of lips and a vibration of vocal cords. What was he doing? Why did it look like he was going to do a thing that he would regret after a few training montages? A still, silent moment passed and oh shit. Hide did the thing. He had his arm around Asuka' shoulder and was leaning in and whispering sweet nothings into her ear. Well, probably not that, they were still minors and Hide was not, as they say, 'a playah'. Either way after spinning a believable story about how he wasn't the dastardly stalker that Asuka thought he was, he spoke the words that she was dying to hear. Or maybe would rather die than hear, if she was a more melodramatic kind of person.

"...And that's the story all about why I'm disappointed to tell you that, unfortunately, I do not possess your key at this very moment."

---------------------------But this was all a distraction.

Yes. A distraction. A diversion. A ruse. An attempt at subterfuge. An example of prime HideAsu shipping material. A stepping stone to greater heights. Whatever you want to call it, that's what it was. Because while Hide did all that stuff that would probably get him set on fire later, his other hand was busy doing something sneaky. It was dexterously planting the key in Asuka's key pocket as the story went on. In other words, you could say that Hide was being...

...snea-key.

[User]
Asuka was shocked by the sudden actions taken by Hideaki. The look on her face must have given in away. There wasn't a blush though. No, that might have happened had the one performing this were ANYBODY other than this two-faced, four eyed, pessimistic, sassy piece of crap. Still, she understood almost immediately as his little story went on. She knew him too well. All these years and he thought that he could get one over on her. It was as if he really did believe those ludicrous rambling about her being an idiot. He truly should have given her more credit than that.

And yet there was this voice in the back of her head. There were so many things that she could have done. Try to play along as though the surprised look that had appeared was one of childish joy not, the shock of an unexpected horror. Maybe horror was a strong word. Many thoughts race through her head as she got herself together and took a few steps away from Hideaki. Right now, Asuka knew. She had a bit of a plan. And with her skills in acting she could surely pull it off. At least to some of those who didn't know of her and Hideaki's standing hatred of each other. Which for the most part would be everyone.

She let out a sigh as she finally turned to face him. "I can't believe you!" She scoffed before turning away again, wiping a fake tear from her eye. "I'll have to change each of my locks tonight." She placed her hands over her face and shook her head, her hair draping over to add to the effect. "I thought if there was anybody I could trust it would be an old friend like you. Somebody I'd known since childhood. But you're just as bad as other guys!" She spoke between sobs as the tears continued to flow more strongly. Going as far as to cry. Crafty. "A dummy. A beast. A pervert." She went on with the list before finally stopping and crossing her arms over her chest, light tears still noticeable, though she seemed finished. "I just hope you won't be so unprofessional when on the job. It's bad enough you chose now to try and make such a daring move. I thought I'd told you enough that I wasn't interest in you like that."

With that she finally turned to everyone else. "Sorry you had to see that. It was never my intention." She said before giving a slight bow. Immediately she was make her way to Luca and pat him on the back assuming he'd accepted his position like she had along with everyone else, though it was all hopeful speculation. "NOW!~ Where were we? Has everyone made a decision and what not yet?" She said a bit more cheerily.


[System]
Theme:
Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy

Gender:
Female

Species:
Lessereurm

Appearance:
Green with blue mixed in.
She looked like a fantasy version of a skink lizard, her head being more bony with scaly outcrops along her snout and over the ridges on her eyes. Though she had no back legs, her front limbs had become somewhat longer and stronger. While she didn't have true thumbs, her claws had been reduced to three digits, two of which were longer and the third of which was shorter, thicker, and set at an angle to the others. It was a bit like a human's hand making a constant "Spock-hand" by holding the index-middle and pinky-ring fingers in pairs and curling the thumb. The joints of these "fingers" and the natural curl of her claws gave her a stronger grip that she could feel even as she began to pull herself along the ground--she would be able to pull, or to scoop and dig, quite fast if she felt so inclined. She was roughly twice as long as her previous form, though not so heavy-set throughout her body. As her tail instinctively lashed behind her, she would likely feel confident that she could easily contort herself in a variety of shapes.

Goals:
Rain has only a few major goals:
-Follow any instructions from the mysterious Demon King
-Make the most of this second chance, no matter the cost
-Become the King's favorite, at any cost (selfish reasons, really)

Past Life:
There were few things more important to Rain in her short life than secrecy, alertness, and speed. She was not stronger than most, she was not at healthy as most, but with those three key factors helped to keep her alive and ahead in the dirty streets of an unnamed slum deep in the heart of Detroit.

Born to teen parents who didn't want her, it was a life of hardship from the start. She looked to her parents and was left wanting, before being abandoned at the age of six. She was a street urchin with a lack of trust and a thirst for better.

She scraped by, year after year, by honing these skills and not being afraid to be ruthless with the other filth left in the gutter, the gangs and the deranged.

Her life, however, was cut short by someone just a bit smarter and faster than she was, who happened to slip a knife between her ribs at the age of 16.

Given a second chance, she's going to do it right this time.

Transformations:
Fanged Lizard -- Lesserwurm

Inventory:

[User]
"Ed, Come on! I know you ain't weak shit. Don't tell me you're down after a couple of shots!" A familiar but gruff voice spoke to him in the darkness. 'Who was this? His voice is so familiar...' Ed thought to himself before a new voice interjects a comment. "Oi, don't be too hard on Eddie! He ain't a drunkard like you getting smashed every other night Rob!" The new voice adds before ending with laughter. "Oi! Fuck you too Sam!" Rob rebuts Sam before joining Sam in the laughter. It was so noisy that Ed couldn't keep his eyes shut and opens them to see two men in front of him, laughing. This sight was very familiar to Ed. Yes. He remembers now. Rob had graduated and called together his two oldest and best buds for a good ol' pub crawl. Ed thinks this was the sixth-no-maybe the last pub of the crawl.

The two men sat across Ed in the booth. The brawny bearded brunet man was Robert, while the shorter skinnier oriental-ish man with thick rimmed glasses was Samuel. "Goddammit boys, you're giving me a helluva headache here..." The laughter slowly dies down between the two idiots and they apologize to Ed. "Oh c'mon Ed. You know you love us." Rob smiles to Ed before reaching over to Ed and patting his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. After we drink one more shot. We're done here right? We can go crash someplace?" The two drunks in front of him nod as sagely as a drunk can. Ed just chuckles slightly and offers them a gesture that signified that he was good to go.

The drinks served and consumed in lightning speeds and soon the group of three are shambling through the pub. Everything was fine until he heard someone shouting. "Watch were ya going you drunk piece of shit!" Ed turns to see Sam being held by the collar by someone. It seemed that Sam had knocked someone's drink and he wasn't too happy about it. Rob and Ed tried to calm the situation down and apologizing in their friend's behalf, that is until the racial slurs were spat out against Sam. Ed sent his fist careening into the man's face and the metaphorical shit hit the fan. Ed and friends were doing okay, considering their inebriated states.

Then there was a painful force that smacked Ed at the back of the head and he fell to his knees. He pauses and groans in agony before he places a hand at the back of his head before looking at it. The head wound was severe and had smeared Blood all over his hand. It was then he felt his anger burst and lost all control. He was on the man who hit him in seconds and repeatedly smashed the man's head on the floor until he laid face down in a pool of his own blood. Ed didn't stop there, he grabbed the nearest patron he could get his hands on and killed her like a rabid beast would. The process repeated over and over. Ed's grin grew wider and wider as he killed one opponent after another. Soon he stood amidst the broken bodies of his opponents...and even his best friends and laughed in euphoria.

"Ed...is that you?" The bar had disappeared and he was in a white plain. The grin and joy disappeared in a blink of an eye. He had turned to face the source of the voice. It was his dear baby sister standing before him, confused. He could never mistake that old grey Mario hoodie and the messy hair bun she always styles her hair to. "A...Audrey?" He was frozen in place and could only stare at her. "Ed, w-why are y-you covered in b-b-blood?" She takes a step backward, her eyes filled with concern and fear.

The fear in her eyes made him unwittingly grin. 'NO NO NO NO! STOP!' His body refused to listen and he was forced to watch, powerless to do anything, as his body went closer and closer to his sister that was frozen in fear. His bloodied hands wrapped around Audrey's neck. 'PLEASE NO! GOD, ANYONE BUT HER!' He felt his grip tighten around her neck as she began to choke and sputter, feebly trying to wiggle out. Tears flowed freely down his face but his body refused to listen to him. His ceaseless and constant begging for his sister's life was only stopped when he felt and heard a pop, before his sister went limp in his grasp. He finally regained control of his body and collapsed as Ed cradled her body. His gazed upon the lifeless body of his sister.

You like hurting things don't you Edward? 'No!'
LIES, you killed them Edward. 'NO!'
YOU. KILLED. HER. 'PLEASE GOD NO!'
"YOU REALLY ARE A MONSTER, ED..."
---------------
"NO!" Ed shot up from his deep slumber, hitting the roof of the small crevice with his head and body. Ed groaned in pain while his heart beat a mile a minute. He looks around to see that he was back in the real world."It's just a nightmare...It's just a nightmare." He assured himself while he let himself settle down before looking out of his sleeping spot. He saw the wisp, Danny if he remembered correctly, having a kerfuffle with a bunch of others and there was some sort of mess going on where the campfire was as well as the light near, what he assumed, the cave entrance had grown brighter than yesterday. The interaction with the other 'humans' yesterday was a complete disaster and he didn't want to make that mistake again. The bonfire was a dangerous place and was completely out of the question and the light near the cave entrance was not really interesting to him.

With a heavy sigh, he goes to a low stance to avoid detection and keeps his sharp ears open for anything out of the ordinary cave sounds. Ed sneaks out of his crack in the wall and decides to try his luck in trying to find his way back to the nest.

LVL: 2
HP: Stable
SP: Full
MP: ???

SKILLS:
Beast Sense (1.2)
<UNUSABLE> Muffle (0.2) <UNUSABLE>
<UNUSABLE> Material Analysis (0.2) <UNUSABLE>
<UNUSABLE> Magic Analysis (0.1) <UNUSABLE>
<UNUSABLE> Monster Analysis (0.4) <UNUSABLE>
<UNUSABLE> Faster (0.1) <UNUSABLE>
<UNUSABLE> Rabid Fit (0.8) <UNUSABLE>

Inventory:
-None

[Assistant]
Events by the bonfire were far more hectic than he had expected. And of course, Mourningstar seemed to be near, if not at, the centre of it all.

On one side of things a small group of Goblins fought a Lizard, one writhing on the floor clutching their leg while the other two beat the lizard with weapons. Another Goblin stood further back, this one a little more distinct with makeshift clothing and various markings on his body, not to mention the ball of fire clutched between his hands.

As Oberon watched another Pixie dropped down from above, dragging the Goblin's hat over his eyes and nearly falling into the fireball as he did so. Before the Goblin could try to recover another Lizard, one Oberon recognised as Orochi, ran out of the darkness and bit into his ankle; the fireball spluttered and died, his eyes began to bug out and he dropped to one knee. The Goblin clutched at his throat in panic before ceasing up and freezing as he was, not even falling to the ground; was he dead?

Meanwhile, Mourningstar tried to interject herself into the conflict between the Goblins and the Lizard. Of all things she was trying to intimidate them, reason with them and recruit them; this went about as well as anyone could expect when one of the Goblins walloped the Wisp with the rock held in his hand.

Deciding that was the more pressing situation right now, Oberon flew forward to help even as Mourningstar began attacking the Goblins. Off course she would try to fight instead of running away.

Oberon quickly cast a Shield spell on the Wisp, only the level 1 version, as he floated down and took up a position behind Mourningstar and in front of the downed Lizard.

Seeing the Wisp charge into one of the Goblins, Oberon followed up on the attack by firing a Mana Shot at it, the ball of magical energy forming between his hands shooting forward energetically.

Still clutching a mana crystal in each hand, Oberon squeezed one until it cracked; the crystal burst apart immediately before being absorbed.

Turning around to face the Lizard that had been attacked by the Goblins, Oberon examined it to see if there were any obvious injuries caused by the hit it had taken earlier. He wasn't an expert on Lizard anatomy, but he could at least tell that there was no bleeding and no obvious wound, so it probably wasn't a life threatening situation as far as he could tell. Broken bones or internal bleeding were another matter entirely though.

"Hey, can you hear me? You were talking earlier right? Are you human? Do you need any healing?"

[User]
Asura was very slightly amused that the mother slime shrank back after he spoke. It seemed he had a small defense in case her instincts took over again to try and assimilate a slime. He remained stationary when her pseudopod touched him to transfer her thoughts to him. As safe as we can. Defense not perfect. But yes, eat more, eat bigger. He thought back to her.

Some residual memories were passed to him, at least that's what he thought they were. Or was she looking in multiple directions in comparison to his binocular vision. A brief touch again came from him. Before attack, let me talk. Special creatures nearby. He thought, trying to convey his desires to her. With that he rolled up into his ball shape and started to roll. He rolled right over the small ledge with a plop before going towards the groups of monsters.

[Assistant]
Reason felt the satisfaction of her fangs digging into the little bastard coming for her, a strange crackling in her mouth from the venom. It was odd, but it had definitely done it's job.

WHACK

Rain felt her body lose contact with the ground as the world rolled and flipped before coming to stay.... Upside down? Why was the world upside down?

She blinked a few times, slowly, her tongue flicking in and out slowly, as the realization set in.

That bastard hit me.

She rolled, shaking her head carefully. Nothing seemed to be busted, but she hurt. Her head was tender from the impact, and she took stock of the chaos, feeling a little unsteady on her feet.

Crispy was.... Vulnerable. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. The goblin she'd gotten was laying down, obviously affected by the poison coursing through his veins. The Wisp seemed to be having some difficulties, but was holding her own... Maybe?

There was the girl goblin with the weapons and pot skills. But she hadn't acted yet.

Something was talking to her. Talking?
Healing?
"Won't say no. No talk. Kill. We'll talk once they're all dead." she spat out, not even giving the creature a glance. Direct enemies were more important, didn't they know anything!

And there was a goblin right here....

As the Wisp rammed into it Rain shot forward, adding her own tackle. Assuming the goblin fell, she'd go straight for it's neck to repeat what she had done to that rat the night before. Bite, clamp, shake viscously.

Assuming that went well, if the third goblin wasn't dead from Mourningstar's attack and anything else, she'd charge up a Glob and attack the goblin with it.

Soon Crispy.... Soon...


[System]
HAIR COLOR:
Black

EYE COLOR:
Pale blue eyes (Think Husky eyes)

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES:
Rather pale and rarely smiles.

SCARS AND BIRTHMARKS:
Three long claw marks that have yet to fade run along her back. They're from a griffin she wasn't fully prepared to deal with.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY, PEOPLE THEY SURROUND THEMSELVES WITH?
She used to wander with her mother, her only living relative. That was until she was ripped apart by the very same Griffin who attacked both her and her group. Now she wanders alone. She prefers to be around people who are intelligent and have a quick wit. Aro also values humor in a person, even though her kind of joke isn't exactly the cleanest.

WHERE WERE THEY BORN? WHERE HAVE THEY LIVED SINCE THEN? WHERE IS HOME?
Aro was born in a small unnamed grove but hasn't seen it since the day she was carried away in her mother's arms. She doesn't remember the place, she only remembers her mother's stories of it. Aro is a Vagrant, she lives on the road. To someone who wanders, home is where they are. They don't have a special building or a special place, to them, especially to her, home is where the heart is.

WHERE DO THEY GO WHEN THEY'RE ANGRY?
When upset, Aro used to run into her mother's arms. Now, without her, she has nowhere to go but inside of herself. When she's angry she traps herself in her thoughts, not paying attention to the world around her. That is until something knocks her out of her mind. Then she will focus her unbridled rage and the thing that took her out of the one place she considers safe.

WHAT IS THEIR BIGGEST FEAR? WHO HAVE THEY TOLD ABOUT IT? WHO WOULD THEY NEVER TELL?
Aro's biggest fear is being abandoned. Having someone that has stayed with you through thick and thin suddenly leave you for something they consider better is something that will always make her feel pathetic and weak. She hates even the idea of being left behind. The only person she's ever told about her fear was her mother and a few of her fellow travelers, who are all now dead. Aro is the kind of person to open up to anyone who asks, so it's not really much of a secret that she's afraid of such a silly sounding thing as being abandoned.

DO THEY HAVE A SECRET?
Aro's secret is that she was the real reason her group got attacked. She was the watch for the night and should've easily spotted the monster that killed her mother. But she was distracted, something that the group would shame her for. Aro didn't notice the Griffin until it was already upon them, ripping her friends and family apart. She ran as fast as she could, the monster only catching her once before she made it into cover. Ever since, Aro has felt like she doesn't deserve to be near anyone, for she would only get them killed. She keeps this secret buried, and hasn't let it breathe since the day it happened.

WHAT MAKES THEM LAUGH OUT LOUD?
Aro enjoys a kind of slapstick humor, and if anyone falls down or hurts themselves in a ridiculous way, she's bound to laugh.

HAVE THEY EVER BEEN IN LOVE?
Once, but they too fell victim to the Griffin that has scarred her in more ways than one.

DESCRIBE THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE HARD FOR THEM TO PART WITH.
Aro takes personal gifts very seriously and will put up a fight for them if they're taken. She has two gifts, a necklace given to her by her mother, and a scarf which was hand-made by the leader of their group's mother.

LOOK DOWN AT THEIR FEET. DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SEE.
Fawn brown shoes covering small, pale, dirty feet. She prefers walking barefoot, so if she doesn't think she needs to, she won't wear shoes.

WHEN THEY THINK OF THEIR CHILDHOOD KITCHEN, WHAT SMELL DO THEY ASSOCIATE WITH IT? WHY DOES IT RESONATE?
Aro really never had a kitchen, but her group had always gathered around a fire to share stories while some sort of red meat was being cooked. To her, dirt and cooking meat are the smells of home.

DESCRIBE ONE STRONG MEMORY THAT HAS STUCK WITH THEM FROM CHILDHOOD.
Aro had seen first hand what the Griffin had done to her mother, and has never been able to remove the thought from her mind.

WHAT DO THEY WANT MOST OF ALL?
Aro wants to be love without fear that they will one day die. She wants to feel that it's alright to care and that she won't be the reason that her loved ones will perish.

RIGHT NOW, IN THE FIRST MOMENT OF OUR STORY, WHAT IS THEIR BIGGEST PROBLEM?
Lost in an angry thought, Aro wasn't paying enough attention to her surroundings. She is now stuck, hanging upside down with her feet tied from a rope hanging from a rather large tree. Her pack is on the ground, along with any sharp objects she could use to free herself. At this moment, Aro is waiting for whatever set the trap to arrive and kill her. That is unless she finds a way to free herself from the trap.

[User]
CHAPTER 3

---

Aro swung in the air, her only support being the vines wrapped around her feet. They were what got her in trouble in the first place. Lost in thought, like usual, she stumbled upon a trap. She really needs to pay better attention to her surroundings, especially if she was going to walk around in forests that were most likely enchanted.

Aro blew her black hair out of her eyes, only for it to fall back in front of her face. She could call for help and hoped someone heard her, but she didn't want to risk looking like a fool. So, she tried to sit up and reach her feet. After a few attempts and a lot of struggling, she finally got a grip on the vines. Aro was curled in a ball, twisting in the air.

Aro placed her hands on the knot that held the trap together. As soon as she tugged, the vines released. She flew towards the ground with a loud yelp, surprised at the sudden drop. She smashed against the ground, which was apparently hollow. Aro fell into the cave that was under the trap. She smacked the ground, the air being knocked out of her for the second time. The pale rocks fell around her, making small noises compared to the initial CRACK of her breaking the ground beneath her.

Aro groaned and rolled onto her side, her back aching from both falls. "Today..." She spoke through gritted teeth, "...is not my day."

----------

The ground coming apart at the seams was loud enough to reverberate throughout the entire forest. Birds flew away from the scene, afraid of a sudden Earthquake. Rabbits ran into their holes, nothing but black eyes looking out. It sounded like thunder, but there couldn't have been any, with the lack of rain. The forest quickly regained it's composure as the earth settled. The forest seemed to agree with Aro as she sat in a cave, pebbles puttering down from the collapsed roof. Today was not her day.

[Assistant]
"There's got to be something here somewhere!" Sunny dodged a long-reaching flower and scrambled up the sloped side of a boulder to peer over it -- but there was nothing to see except the fluted white trunks of ferny trees, flowers the size of horses leaning sideways by their own weight, and curiously spiraled stone structures that shone like the night sky, looping up out of soft and squishy moss like statuesque serpents. The air here was thick with moisture and the pungent aromas of the heady flowers; sunlight filtered and flickered through the canopy, casting a golden dappled glow on the shifting grasses.

This was the place on the map -- their next destination, finally reached after days of hiking and hitching rides with friendly wagoners, camping under the stars or in a gracious farmer's barn. Finally -- their feet sore and the sun hot on their skin -- Rymoln Wood was all around them, but it occurred to Sunny that they had no idea what they were looking for.

"Helloooooo!" she called into the dense forest, hands around her mouth. Sunny turned suddenly, certain she'd just seen something move -- but there was only a tree. She was certain that tree hadn't been there a moment ago.

There was something about these woods that constantly felt out-of-place, but she never actually saw anything moving.

Sunny felt something tugging at her hair, and she waved away a little orange flitterdid -- pudgy, squeaky, buzzy things the size of dragonflies that liked to steal whatever they could get their tiny paws on. A lazy swarm of flitterdids had followed the coterie since they entered Rymoln Wood, and Sunny had warned her companions to keep close anything small and valuable.

There was no birdsong here -- no sound of toads or insects or wildlife. Apart from the flitterdids, there was little wildlife to be found at all -- just the hush and creak and rustle of the trees and flowers in the breeze. It was as if nothing lived here at all.

With a yelp, Sunny leaped suddenly while a stray vine snapped away from her feet. It would have caught her ankles if she'd been any less vigilant. "Watch where you step!" she called to Laphi and Nyte, and she stopped in a grove of spiral-stones to turn and check on the others. "Find anything yet? I get the feeling these woods are trying to catch us or eat us." The sentiment was said with a grin. "Is it just me or are these trees moving?"
*CRACK*
The trees shook and shuddered with a sound like the strike of lighting or the split of a gigantic egg; the ground beneath their feet shuddered from a sudden impact. The flitterdids scattered and zoomed in all directions, spooked. Sunny smiled wide. "There!" she shouted, speeding off in the direction of the great noise, crashing recklessly through the mossy brush. "This way!"

Meanwhile, Aro would find herself laying in soft pale grass, bathed in a pool of sunlight that only reached her through a new split crevice in the rock high above. All around her, wherever the sunlight didn't penetrate, was darkness -- but she would get the feeling, by the way the space smelled and the way sound echoed faintly whenever she moved, that she had stumbled into a cavern that was far more enormous than it at first appeared.

Should she explore the place where she had fallen, she might find that the grassy spot where she stood was only as big as the floor of a small cottage -- beyond that perimeter it dropped off suddenly into a dark abyss. She had been lucky to have fallen upon this little island of safety.

On one side, shadowed by the thick darkness, was the beginning of a precarious staircase that spiraled down ... and down.

Aboveground, Sunny skidded to a stop when she spotted the crevice in the ground; it was the shape of a hungry mouth, or a hollow eye, gaping dark among the heavy flowers and shifting trees. "Helloooo!" she called again -- this time, hopeful.

[User]
Nyte sighed, a branch Sunny had pulled back suddenly smacking the knight in the face and nearly sending her helmet flying off. This was not the first time this had happened during their long trek through the carnivorous woods, and it would certainly not be the last. Her armor, much less angular than her previous set, did well not to catch on any of the hanging vines or curiously large flowers.

"I'm sure we'll find what we're looking for eventually," Nyte responded brightly, wagging her finger before a flitterdid tried to pry it from her gauntlet. "I'm just slightly worried about what exactly it may be that we find here."

She waved her hand lazily, spooking the pudgy little creature from trying to steal her fingers. It had been a long journey, of course, and all for an unknown object, but the sights had been wonderful, and having a goal in mind was surprisingly much nicer than endless wandering. As her companion called out, just as she had to her in the forests outside Occurro, Nyte spotted a tree that hadn't been there the last time she looked...

"I miss the birds," Nyte muttered sadly to herself, holding her palm out for a flutterdid to rest on. "I wonder why it is that birds don't like this place?"
*CRACK*
Nyte froze for only a moment, watching her small buzzing friends fly away scared as the trees and ground shook from what must have been something very large falling over. She hoped whatever had fallen was okay! Nyte bolted after her companion, armor surprisingly quiet compared to her old, clanking set she wore previously, but she made sure Laphi did not fall behind.

"Holy moly," she muttered as Sunny came to an abrupt stop in front of a crevice. "Was that the noise...?"

[Assistant]
The greeting reverberated through the cavern, making Aro's ears ache along with her back. It took her a moment to realize that the noise came from a person and not some horrible creatures cry.

Aro rolled on her back, the sun hitting her eyes. "Yeah?" Aro groaned. She didn't really want to talk, feeling foolish and angry about what had happened. Plus, talking meant moving, and she wasnt quite up for that. She painfully moved her arm over her eyes, blocking the sun.

"I uh," Aro thought about whether or not she wanted to admit what had happened to a stranger. She figured she was in too deep now.

"I'm in quite the precarious position," Aro rolled her head back onto the soft grass, her arm still on her face. "Moving doesn't seem like an option right now. I uh, fell and landed on my back. Twice." Everything hurt, but she didn't want to move anything. She didn't want to talk anymore, she didn't even really want to breathe.

"Some help would be greatly appreciated."


[System]
Alias: The Kind Stranger
Age: 20
Race: Angel (creature race)
Class: Sage (uses staves to heal)
Appearance: Photina stands at 5'10" and is relatively slim. She wears an ocean blue-green robe with a white cloth wrapped around her waist. She has a thin face with blue eyes with a golden ring around the pupil, so they can look anywhere from ice blue to leaf green. Sometimes, the golden ring is a visible entity on they iris, appearing as though Photina has two irises, one gold and one blue. Her hair is a bleached white color, trailing down to her shoulders, but usually kept up in a neat ponytail.
Mana colors: White/Blue/Green
Role: Defender - uses spells to summon weak tokens, buffs/debuffs, and healing to allied forces.
Personality: Photina is the kindest woman, taught to treat each creature with care and kindness. She is also the most skeptical woman you'll meet. Being nice doesn't mean to ignore the intentions of those you meet. Photina will start off being respectful, but not helpful immediately. She will help anyone who needs aid, but she must be sure that they actually need aid and are not trying to decieve her.
Theme song: Avant la Tempete
Spell list: (counting the double-sided ones as 2 spells each)
Beck//Call
Supply//Demand
Artful Dodge
Absorb
Bant Charm
Heal the Scars
Healing Leaves
Orim, Samite Healer
Samite Healer
Healer's Headdress

APPROVED

[User]
Moans drift across the henge as the gathered planeswalkers wake to a bright morning sun. The bright light burns the eyes at first, though it lessens as the eyes become accustomed to the light. Heads throb throughout the group, perhaps the only thing these planeswalkers share, but no there is another thing that binds them, and they all know it. They are all from the same plane, one that has vanished completely. Who, why, and how this happened is a mystery to the gathered planes walkers. There does't appear to be anyone else around, though the woods are thick not far beyond the henge, so who can say for sure?

Mot woke quickly, and wished he hadn't. The throbbing was debilitating and he did his best to push it to the back of his mind and was mostly successful. He listened carefully, but heard little besides the groans of those around him. Carefully, he rose, using part of the henge to steady himself with one hand, while the other made certain the his mask was in place, which it was, and then he pulled the cowl of his cloak up over his head. He shifted his feet, stumbling into the shade of a lentil, sometimes the heavy black cloak was a disadvantage, such as now. The light breeze did little to soothe the stifling heat of radiating from his own cloak and he wondered just how long they'd been laying there. Mot put his back to the stone he was leaning on, his legs still stiff, and gazed across the henge at the gathered plainswalkers. He didn't recognize any of them, but something told him that he could trust them and he didn't doubt it.

From the lower branches of a tree not too far away, a goblin peered through heavy foliage, trying to see what lay within the henge, but not daring to move any closer or make a sound lest he draw attention to himself. Instead, after a few moments, it slid around the trunk, and then climbed down the tree, and stole quietly away before those gathered could gather to much of their wits for the throbbing recesses of their minds.

[Assistant]
Photina awoke with a headache throbbing. Ugh, what ever did I do to deserve this? I was trying to heal someone's wounds. Everything went bright. What is this place? Seeing someone else up, she arose slowly, making sure to not make the headache worse. "Excuse me," Photina politely aimed her greeting at the standing male, "do you know where we are?" She notices all of the others around her, all groaning from, supposedly, the same or similar headache Photina had been subject to. She decided on making the best of it by trying to heal them. I don't have the power to heal all these people... At least, not quickly...
 Pushing away her negative thoughts, she decided to find a small spell to heal the other upstanding planeswalker. She took a second to remember a grassy forest she had visited when she learned to heal using nature's power. She minorly healed the standing planeswalker and rested. That took too much energy after having just awoken, but kept herself from falling over. Photina stretched her wings out and tried to fly, but was too sore to get more than half an inch off the ground before being unable to continue from fatigue. With that, Photina decided to start walking, slowly, towards the standing planeswalker.

[User]
Victoria awoke with a jolt. Without thinking she shot a spell of lightning into the air above her. It struck one of the stones of the hedge and bounced harmlessly but threateningly to another. The stone was not harmed but blackened by the heat. She slowly rolled over onto her stomach. She rose to her knees while holding her head. She was dizzy and confused. While she had been drinking recently, She knew she had not drank enough for this. As her managed to obtain her balance, she looked around her. Spotting several beings were around her. Varying in race and make. Friends or Foe it mattered little to her. Two were awake, more asleep. The two awake had the advantage over her. The fact displeased her.

Victoria stood up on her feet and takes a few steps back away from any nearest person. She watched and observed everything and everyone around her. Her left hand pulled her white cloak over her while her right rested comfortably on her dagger.

[Assistant]
As the angel rises and stumbles my way my headache fades away, though it was obviously at some cost to herself. And then lightning is bouncing around, and I duck reflexively but it bounces off the stones relatively harmlessly. It's caster however was rather blearily standing while eying him warily. That amused him, did she think she'd have been given the chance to rise if he'd wanted her dead? Oh well, if she had anything close to the headache he'd had moments ago, thinking straight would be difficult even if it usually came naturally, which might not be true in either of the other two's cases. Mot held out an arm, for the angel to steady herself on, while he spoke to the wary woman.

Peace child, if we meant you harm, you'd never have woken. let your lack of bindings and state of health speak for our intension's. None of us are here at our own behest, and none of us can go back.

Mot takes a moment and decides that having some mana on hand might be useful if anyone else woke up ... violently. Closing his eyes he recalls with a grim smile, hidden by his mask, the deep swamp where he first learned to summon the guardian's he'd become so fond of, and then opening his eyes he summons one of Oona's Guardians and bolsters it with the ever useful Skeletal Grimace. He hoped he'd have time to summon the cultist if things got nasty, but knew doing so now would be provocative and so opted for the obviously defensive move.

[User]
Teysa the Chaotic Resurgent

Wakie Wakie, Eggs and Bacy

She had been particularly enjoying a good nap beneath the soothing warmth of the sun until lightning crackled and broke through the air directly into the mountainside beneath her. Sharply, a pair of ruby red draconic eyes would open as the vertical pupils narrowed upon the source. From a distance, she could easily grasp the fact that the gathered group was ill at ease, and displeased with what had happened to them.

So was she, this agonizing headache wasn't helping any. Aside that, the Dragon spread the magnificence that was her wings wide as she dove from the cliff top. With a monstrous size that rivaled the mountainside that she had leapt from, as she got closer, the draconic plainswalker swiftly shrunk into a humanoid state.

Even though the crown of her being, two long horns from her crown emblazoned in gold and sweeping back into the maddening thickness of her red hair, still very much remained. The mark of her species, her pride in being who and what she was. Sweeping the translucent cloak of crimson behind her, the Dragon strode to curiously watch the two others who had woken sort out their difference.

If they would sort them out at all, that is.

[Assistant]
Photina noticed the bolt, but merely flinched. The headache and fatigue was wearing on her reflexes as well. She turned to the caster, noticing the man's intent in speaking, and joined him, saying "aye, dear. If we meant harm, we would have already been inflicting it. I'm a healer anyway. Do you have any wounds needing to be tended to? It would take but a few seconds to conjur the mana needed to heal you. As a show of good faith, I shall greet first. Now," turning so that either 'walker was to either of her sides, and raising her hands in surrender, but remembering an open field where she learned of the Samite people, who were very apt healers, so she could summon one
 "I have a healer I can summon. My name is Photina, and I am a travelling healer of sorts. Known in some parts as 'The Kind Stranger'. I'm going to summon my healer now." Lowering herself to the ground, she touched it, creating a circle which contained part of a plain on the ground. One of the Samite people appeared in a shower of light, to which the portal closed.
 "Sir, please prevent damage from the lass over there, please." The healer nodded back to her. "He cannot directly heal wounds, but can prevent them. I'm summoning him as a guard for your protection as a benevolent sign." The angelically ascended woman then smiled warmly at the female, with a hint of wariness, purely due to uncertainty.

[User]
Fiora, The Chains of the Sea

With a bang, Fiora woke from the ground and stood up, silently looked at the others in the room, definitely being planeswalkers but it didn't matter at the moment as she needed to assess her situation. The painful throbbing in her head can wait for latter, as she pulled her cloak over her head and then pulled a scarf to cover the majority of her face leaving only her eyes to be seen. She although being merfolk, her time on land she had grown adapted to the modesty of the races that had lived on the land, adopting some of the clothing to make her look less of a sore-thumb. She looked at her 'companions' as she silently observed them, deeming that two of them were at least decent enough to trust, especially the Healer. The Dragoness was an intimidating individual but in a match of smart and wits she could probably win, but she wouldn't chance that and either way the girl was on her side for now. Then there was the problem of the two shady individuals who she knew could never be up to any good, and placed a mental note to keep her guard up.

With nothing better to do, she closed her eyes, before she gently pulled in the strings of energy that she could feel pulling in the light that touched everything in its kingdom and water from nearby that she wished she could disappear in. She took her time collecting the energy of the land that was unfamiliar to her, recognizing the feel of the energy of this plane before casting her spell. The space around her hardening before a barrier was formed that would protect her from damage, and friendly fire... Feeling decent enough she let her guard down slightly for the mean time and watched the other planeswalker interact with each other, keeping to herself.

Force Bubble - Fiora

[Assistant]
Mot looked around and realized that things weren't going to get started all on they're lonesome. So he pushed himself off the stone he'd been leaning on and began the introductions.

Most call me Dread Cultist Mot. Whatever I was before today, I stand now changed. I seek to regain the plane that was taken from us, or if that should fail, to take recompense from the fool that stole it from us. I will use whatever force, tact, or scheme is necessary to achieve my goal. I do not ask you to follow me, or even to work with me, only that you would not stand in my way. I have no wish to cause any harm to any of you, the only beings left of the plane I call home. Will anyone here stand between me and my goal?

[User] Photina turned to the one calling himself the 'Dread Cultist'. "Nay sir, I would only seek to aid anyone who wishes to regain a place we had in common, yet lost. I would join you. I also wish for my home plane back. I wish no one harm, less they threaten to harm any ally of mine." Photina looked around, checking for hostilities betwixt those gathered tween the stones. Then, focussing intensely, she then remembered an island she knew of that had to be crossed by four miles or so of natural grass-seas, with not but a handful of trees to be seen. It was there that she remembers the call of the birds. After taking a dozen or so seconds to backtrack to the island in memory, Photina summoned four birds to scout in the local area. "These birds will help us see things. They will report back to us and we can find a path to travel on after that." The birds flew in four, seemingly cardinal, directions. Scouting almost a mile in each direction. This summoning truly drained Photina to the point of almost collapsing. With that, she sat down instead. "So what are the names of you all?" the healer politely inquired, adding "I know you now, Sir Mot."


[System]
Age: 23
Height: 5 ft 5
Weight: 150 lbs.
Allegiance: 'Hope'
Distinguishing Traits: Iris has a scar on her left hand, located on the wrist which was gained a few years back. No other scars but due to her pale skin Iris tends to bruise easily. Personality wise she is quite head strong, stubborn and isn't afraid to voice her opinion. Although she has light blue eyes in contrast to her fair skin in certain lights her eyes can be mistaken for grey.

Short Bio: Growing up in Aspiria sounded wonderful and it was if you were on the upper side. Iris however had grown up with her father on the rougher side, the commoner side of the city where you lived within your means. If you couldn't afford dinner well you wouldn't have dinner, it was as simple as that. It didn't really matter to her though because she had a loving family, her father worked hard day in and out and her mother kept the house maintained and food in their stomachs and it worked for them.
It all had changed when her mother fell ill and sadly passed away not long after. She had outright refused to use their money on medicine that would help her, and she was a stubborn woman a trait Iris had inherited. That death however sparked a rebellion, it fuelled her father's courage who gathered as many men, women and even teens that was willing to fight. He called it hope, hope for those wanting that better life.

Years had passed with many strikes; fights and a war had started between the two. Neither side wanted to relent, and her father Regis was focused on bringing down the hierarchy. His intentions had been pure at the start but since he was considered the leader of this rebellion, he had become accustomed to the ease of everything. Food on the table, weapons and money all donated to this cause and it fed his greed. He hungered for more, but no one knew that side. Not yet.

Now he had raised his daughter following his beliefs, ensuring that she bore just as much hatred for the higher ups as he did. He constantly twisted and manipulated her mind making her mother a martyr, ensuring that she believed it was their fault and that they had killed her mother and as Iris knew nothing else, she was left to believe such stories. Now being a young adult, she had trained herself to fight in this war, she could use a gun if needed but she much preferred being stealthy favouring a dagger. Using her size to her advantage and her skills in stealth she often gained information as leverage, but she had yet to kill someone, she had yet to have blood on her hands.

_________________________________________________________________________________

[User]
"I have," Cas rubbed his arm as he admitted that he'd attended formal events often. After visiting the districts—if 'visiting' was even the right word for it—he was a little uncomfortable talking about the life of luxury that he was accustomed to. It wasn't something that he could feel guilty about, since it hadn't been his choice to be born into royalty. However, knowing that Iris had been poor for the entirety of her life made it awkward to discuss things like balls and gallas that she could never attend. "Honestly, they're a little overrated," he went on. "I've always preferred the atmosphere of the bars a lot more, because everyone is so much looser and more fun. The people who show up for formal events are pretty snobbish, and they spend all their time gossiping about anyone who doesn't look or act in ways that they've decided are acceptable in high society."

"Yeah, even my family doesn't like going when we get invitations," Miles nodded in agreement. "I'm pretty sure my mom and dad purposefully take on jobs overseas whenever there's a galla, just so they have an excuse not to show up. My sister is the only one who gets excited about going."

"That's because her life's goal is to be a sugar baby," Jay snickered.

"I wish I could say you were wrong, but she's told me that almost word-for-word before," Miles wrinkled his nose. "It's so creepy watching her flirt with all the old men at those events like she's trying to be picked to join one of them at their playboy manors."

"It'll be even creepier if her plan works and one of them proposes to her," Jay teased. "Imagine having a seventy-year-old brother-in-law!"

Miles gagged in disgust.

When they drank their champagne, Caspian held the cool liquid on his tongue for a second before he swallowed it, enjoying the crisp flavor. He'd silently limited himself to one glass, since it would take some time before he wanted to get drunk again, so he was savoring the contents of his glass. He didn't want to burn through it too quickly or he wouldn't have any to sip at when their food arrived. The light champagne would pair nicely with the salmon pizza he'd ordered, and he was just enough of a connoisseur to appreciate the combination of flavors. Just because he had a hard time distinguishing between cheap and luxury wines didn't mean he didn't like rich meals, after all.

"This was a great choice, Cas," Miles nodded approvingly as he set his flute back down on the table. It seemed like he and Jay were pacing themselves too, because the glass was still more than halfway full.

"Thanks," he replied. In truth, he'd just grabbed one of the first bottles he'd seen on the shelf, but he was glad that his selection was praised. He glanced down at Iris, noticing that she had only taken one small sip of her drink. Remembering that she'd liked mimosas when they had shared drinks at his family's private bar, he was a little surprised that she was hardly touching her beverage now. He couldn't tell if she was drinking slowly because she didn't like it or if she just wasn't very interested in having alcohol at the moment, but either way, he wanted to assure her that she didn't have to feel pressured to conform.

Subtly, he reached down to rest his free hand in his lap, touching her upper back gently with his fingers and tracing absentminded patterns on her skin.

"So, how have you been doing since we busted you out of the hospital, Iris?" Jay asked, taking no notice of the prince's discreet gesture behind her head. "You've got more color in your cheeks today. Seems like you're getting on despite the fact that you're stuck here with Miles."

[Assistant]
Iris smiled just listening as Cas called the formal events overrated and how he preferred the atmosphere of bars, still another place she doubted she could go too. A part of her wondered if he had said it to make her feel better, especially as he went on to say the events were kind of snobbish and full of gossip. It was hard not to be curious about it, but it was just a grim reminder of the fact she would never attend something like that, she probably wouldn't even go into the bars or anywhere in the Capital. At least in the districts she didn't have to hide, and she could go where she pleased, not that there were many places to visit but she didn't have to hide away for fear of arrest.

Drawn from her thoughts by what Jay said she looked up about to ask what he meant by a sugar baby, but thought better of it closing her mouth as she listened to them talk on slowly understanding by what they truly meant. It was weird to think that some people where into that, just having an easy life without having to do anything. Some sort of sugar baby was a new concept to her, but you couldn't really get those in the districts. Of course, there were people that would sleep around to earn something extra, but nothing on that kind of level.

"Yeah." Iris smiled agreeing with the boys about it being a good choice, though it wasn't her taste she felt like chiming in, so she didn't seem too out of place here. Perhaps she would enjoy it more with the food and that was the hope because she didn't want more things cropping up to highlight how she didn't belong, not when it was already playing on her mind.

Even with her worries she felt like Cas had caught on, she felt the gentle touch on her back, tracing patterns and it began to calm her. It was such an appreciated gesture and it made her feel better that she wasn't openly drinking the champagne, he had to understand what she was feeling she hoped he did. Though it did bring up the question of what kind of future they could have together, something she didn't want to think about but found it hard to stop wondering on the subject matter.

"Oh!" Smiling as she caught Jays question she nodded, "I'm feeling a lot better, despite being stuck with Miles and having to put up with him daily." Making a playful comment as she relaxed a bit more at the fact she was close to Cas and she could feel his touch soothing her. "I've been taught a lot more card games, well remembered how to play. Also, can we talk about the crap reality shows you have here? Do people actually watch that kind of rubbish? I was so shocked and well, curious I couldn't stop watching it at first. Honestly I don't get it!" Laughing as she looked towards the door hearing the buzzer of the door again for their food. "I hope that's the food!"

[User]
While Jay and Iris talked, Caspian sipped idly at his drink and glanced at Miles, who was also listening to them talk. The other high born's gaze was fixed not-so-subtly on Iris's face, making it obvious that he was still enamored with her. He fought the urge to roll his eyes. Even though he'd just talked to her and gotten confirmation that she didn't want to be with anyone other than him, it was annoying to watch one of his friends become infatuated with her too. He was even a little surprised by the strength of his frustration. He'd never guessed that he would be the possessive type, but then again, he'd never had feelings for the same woman as Jay or Miles before, so they'd never competed. Now that he and his friend were both interested in Iris, he felt the irrational urge to lay claim to her even though nothing would happen between her and the other man.

Trying not to dwell on it, he turned away from Miles to listen more closely to the others talk. Jay shook his head when Iris brought up the reality TV shows that were popular in the capital. "I don't like them either," he agreed with her. "Why watch something like that when you could be watching exciting action movies instead?"

"You just don't like anything that doesn't have guns, hot women and cars," Miles debated with a scoff. "I think the drama is fun, and so do a lot of other people. It's also easy to turn viewing parties into drinking parties really fast."

At the sound of the doorbell, they both glanced at the bedroom door along with Cas. "Should be," Miles confirmed to Iris, standing up from the sofa. "I'll go get it." He headed out the door again to get their food, and Jay made himself comfortable right away by sprawling out with his legs up on the couch, taking over the whole piece of furniture.

"He can sit on the floor when he comes back," he justified, resting his head on the arm of the sofa with a sly smile.

"He's gonna sit on you," Cas warned amusedly. He'd known Jay and Miles long enough to expect that when the latter came back, they were just going to end up wrestling over the couch because of the former's shenanigans. It happened almost every time.

He turned back to look at Iris, deciding to participate in the conversation she had started up before. "I think reality shows are popular because a lot of people here like the idea of being on TV," he posed. "There are so many different ones with so many different themes that pretty much anyone can send in an audition to join. Especially the dating shows. I bet they get hundreds of applicants every season." He paused, then added, "And a lot of people just like judging the cast over everything they do wrong." He shrugged. "I like a few of them, but they're pretty hit or miss for me as a genre."

[Assistant]
"Yeah I think even I'd prefer watching the action movies. Some of it was just absolute dribble. I was not a fan." Shaking her head in amusement as Jay happily conversed with her, it was nice to just have a casual conversation with someone else. Someone other than Miles for the past week and Jay seemed genuinely interested which was nice. That and she knew Jay had no intentions of making any sort of moves on her unlike Miles, it felt strange to think of that because she had honestly been so oblivious to it but now it seemed so obvious she couldn't believe she had missed it.

How will I even approach that subject? Maybe we are over thinking it. Maybe he doesn't like me. Iris thought to herself as she glanced down at the flute of champagne in her hands that she had barely touched. Glancing up for a second nodding as Miles said he would go get their food, a part of her nervous to try this new pizza that she had never tasted before. It would be interesting to see if she did like it, hopefully she did because she didn't want to feel different from the others over it or be pestered about not liking it. Again just another thing she knew she was overthinking, but everything was building up for her especially when she felt like she had no one to talk too.

Chuckling as she watched Jay get comfortable on the sofa, she rolled her eyes when he said Miles could sit on the floor, "As if he would. You better not be ruining my bed there I don't want to sleep on the floor." Making a fun comment to keep the mood light and happy, especially as she was enjoying the company of everyone here even if she would rather prefer spending it with just Cas.

"Really? Why do people want to be on TV? I don't get it, especially knowing that all those people would watch." Iris shook her head not liking the sound of it at all, but then it was different for others they might be more in tune with things like that. "Dating shows? Oh gosh I bet there are some hilariously bad ones of those." Grinning as she looked up at Cas considering his next words around how people liked to judge others. There was so much truth in those words, people liked to judge others and their lifestyle. Always having an opinion when it was none of there business, "I guess… I don't see the attraction, especially if you're just going to pick out all the fault when they do wrong. Speaking of TV, I did watch a really strange film. A part of me thought I had made it all up! But again, I didn't have much else to do so I ended up watching a lot of rubbish. It kind of makes me miss going outside."

Finding her gaze look over at the window looking towards the outside wondering on when she could go out, if she could even go out. The back of her mind still convincing herself that she should just go back to the districts. Maybe I could slip out one night without anyone noticing?


[System]
Age: 16
Gender: Female

Appearance: Short, pale, and slightly pudgy with short brown hair and green eyes. The type of girl people talk about when they say "but she has a great personality." A boring, average looking girl that probably would not be noticed.

When forced to go out supervillaining she wears a long, dark blue coat covered in pockets, black gloves covered in metal plates on the outside and very thing material on the inside, and a metal helmet. The helmet covers her entire head and face and has a blue screen going right down the middle that glows. The effect is very Daft Punk. Intentionally so.

Personality: Irate, high-strung, driven, dutiful, paranoid

Powers/skills: Allison is a Technomancer, a wizard who uses technology as a medium through which to cast spells. Like all technomancers she can commune with technology to try and get it to do what she wants through a combination of appeasement and coercion, though she can't do so to things like engines because she "doesn't speak that dialect." She can commune with most things that "have wires" but is specialized in phones and phone lines.

A few notable things she can do with a phone line are:

1). The most basic thing is the ability to scramble where your call came from, send your call bouncing all over the network until it becomes impossible to trace where it originated from.

2). Listen in to it to try and peel out information. When you say something into a phone it doesn't disappear when it comes out the other end, it stays in there. This doesn't even just apply to things people say into the phone either. Since phone lines were built to "carry information" even things people say near them can get sucked up in there and carried around the lines. You can even find where someone is so long as they're speaking near a live line. You have to know what you're looking for, though, otherwise you're just listening to random snippets and the white noise that everything left in the line eventually becomes.

3). Travel through them or trap people inside of them. Moving like this you can get anywhere the line connects in record time, but it's extremely dangerous and knowing your exact route is a must. She hates doing it. You could get stuck in a mire of white noise, get creamed by a call coming down the line, or eaten by a monster. Speaking of that last one...

4). Telefangs. Phone demons. Emotion left in the line that coalesced into a monster that lives there. Comes in positive and negative varieties. They try to piggyback out of the lines on similar emotions and into human bodies. If you've ever felt particularly good or terrible after a phone call that was one of them getting into you. They're harmless like that, but Allison can draw them out of the lines and bind them to her will. The monsters come in as many varieties as there are emotions, though the general rule is that the positive ones help and the negative ones hurt. Can only exist for long periods of time in the real word when Allison is on hand and puts forth effort to maintain them, otherwise they dissolve into noise and vanish within a few hours.

There are other applications of phone magic, but these three things are what she's most skilled in. She is, however, a ritual caster. She can't just quickfire these spells willy nilly. It also goes without saying that she needs a phone line to be able to do any of these things.

Equipment: Like most wizards she has a workshop hidden in the middle of nowhere where she works to perfect her craft. It's underground, filled with technical manuals, arcane grimoirs, parts, junk, and tools. Anything she needs to build and maintain her equipment. It's also where she lives.

Her helmet (includes a voice changer).
Her gloves (Actually powerful shock gloves she can turn on with a command.)

Her Spellphone. A simple blue flip-phone with the number replaced with arcane symbols. After tireless effort she's managed to turn it into a portable magic tome capable of casting simple spells with a few dials. It includes a simple magic blast, a weak defensive shield capable of stopping anything up to a hale of small arms fire, and a longsword mode for close up offence. It also includes storage space for a single Telefang. It's held back the abysmal hour long battery life and being prohibitively expensive to produce. It had to be assembled basically from scratch, being carefully enchanted all the while. It is bleeding edge technonmacy, but a work in progress.

Short Bio: Allison has most of her entire life on the run with her father, the original Phone Freak Archibald Bell, helping him commit crimes in order to fund their research. She never knew her mother or a normal childhood. As far as she knows she's been a supervillain for about as long as she could walk, taking a supporting role in robberies, scams, magical duels, and every sort of mercenary work you could imagine. Her father always treated her more as a student than a daughter, and as she got older treated her as a peer and colleague. All the money they won was channeled into the research, always striving toward that next big step.

One day, Archibald left her behind. She was confused, until the power went off later that night. She got the news later that he'd set off to steal something from the hero Cyber Shaman, and the resulting duel scrambled communication throughout mainland North America for about four months. No one ever really learned what happened during that fight, Cyber Shaman certainly didn't brag about it, but Archibald never came back. He'd left her, alone, to continue the work. She'd inherited his research, his workshop, and his contacts. She was 12 years old.

She'd been handling it pretty well by herself for the past four years, stealing what she needed, doing various jobs to fund her way of life, working on how to do with wireless signals what Archibald had taught her to do with landlines, and most importantly: keeping anonymous. Allison Bell was a ghost. The people who contacted her only knew Phone Freak. She'd completely divorced her villain persona from her actual person. It was all going swimmingly until the day she got that call.

On her Spellphone.

The one she'd just recently built.

The one that didn't even have a listed number.

And the voice on the other end used her name...

[User]
---

---

40 Miles from Cochem, Germany
1189
11:23PM

---

---

Conrat trudged in the red stained snow, dragging his giant weapon behind him as if to draw a trail straight to him. His breathing was heavy, and his armour was just as bloodied as the snow. Whether it was mostly his blood he couldn't say. He fell to his knees, exhausted mentally and physically. Men he'd fought alongside had fallen by his blade. Men is pushing it. Demons he'd fought alongside had fallen by his blade.

A rustle in the bushes brought him to one knee, gripping the handle of his blade as he readied for another fight.

But the fight didn't come. All that came was waiting. Endless waiting for years upon years, watching the birds flutter by and the lost families discovering the mysterious stone man in the forest.

---

---

Present Day

---

---

Conrat stood, overlooking the warehouse from a vantage point. His armour, freshly polished, gleamed in the moonlight as he raised his scarf to cover his mouth. Truth be told, he wasn't as angry at The Presence as much as the rest of the group. Of course, he was wary, for all he knew this was a trap. But in his eyes this could go one of two ways. They'd been brought together to actually work together, and Conrat had gone without companionship for too long to pass that up, or it would end up in battle, not as good, but not bad either. His sword felt heavy on his back for the first time in centuries. Not because it had become burdensome, but for the first time in ages, Conrat actually felt anxious. Not the type of anxiety he usually got before a battle, a type he'd never felt before. Like a child on his first day of school.

He watched as the warehouse doors slid open, and began making his way down towards the warehouse. By the time he'd caught up, many of the members were already seated. Noticing the lack of anonymity among much of the group, par a few here or there, he brought his scarf down, revealing his scarred, but grinning face.

The grin was not one of sly knowing, nor was it one of evil scheming. It was merely one of foolish naivety.
"Sorry I'm late!" He said, hardly taking a chance to look at the group before continuing. "I'm Conrat!" He said, not bothering with the alias. He took a seat, taking his extraordinarily large sword and sheath from his back and resting on the floor at his side. "Have they told us why we're here yet?" He inquired, finally taking a look at the group.

They were a motley crew for sure. Opposite him sat what looked to be a normal teenager, Andrew Talbot. Of course, Andrew was far from a normal teenager, normal teenagers might have some hair growth problems, but none had the ability to talk to wolves. Conrat gave a grin to, Mako, he always did like jesters whenever he got to see one back in the day. Of course, the true extent of his power was not something to be joked about, no matter how ridiculous his outfit was. Jackal also sat at the table, another morpher unbeknownst to, Conrat. The pale white of, Jackal's hair combined with his age reminded, Conrat of his first few days after waking up from his forced sleep. The amount of colours within people's hair was astounding, he'd need to ask one of the members of the group what made people's hair such strange colours in the 21st century.

Loud Love was, well Loud Love was naked. Conrat had never seen someone act so normally while in the nude. It took balls, if you'll pardon the pun. Thule, now there was something interesting. He had seen his little scuffle outside, and could tell just from the way he moved that he could handle a sword. Which kind, he couldn't tell, but he guessed something light, like a saber or a fencing sword. Phone Freak and Maverick shared a hidden face. Phone Freak, however, went the extra mile and covered their voice and the whole of their head. Conrat felt uneasy hearing the voice, it reminded him of...well let's not talk about that. Maverick, however seemed like the most level headed member of the team so far. Metallia, and to a lesser extent, Loud Love were things that concerned, Conrat. He too had gotten into the business of evil from a young age, even if he was forced into it and he bore the scars to prove it.

Next up was, Dianna Lear, magician extraordinaire. Of course, all Conrat saw was a rather formally dressed young girl with a cat. If he had been witty, he'd have been sure to make a joke about Andrew when the cat was around, but that was for another time. Her outfit was a stark contrast from, Queenie and to a lesser extent, Harpy. As soon as, Conrat saw the two, who he had been trying to avoid gazing at for the entirety of his time there, he turned almost bright red.

For Christs sake, back in his day you'd be lucky to see a girls ankle, let alone all Queenie was showing. If Harpy's shorts of all things were too much for him to handle without blushing, then he'd definitely be trying to avoid, Queenie. He put his hands up to cover his face, he was embarrassed to blush, but he'd be damned if he'd show it.

[Assistant]
"Free ice cream, huh??? Where?!" Queenie looked around of something she quite adored. Frozen sweet treats. Mmm. "Oh. You were kidding n_n Nevermind then!" Her voice was slightly high-pitched and rather sing-songy. She skipped behind the naked boy with the tats, keeping her mallet close as to knock whack any of the walls or doors. She never answered his question about why she was there, she had either forgotten he had asked or just didn't want to respond, it was hard to tell with her. When Loud Love turned to her and spoke she smiled big at him. Oh so he was /in fact/ a boy. Flipping her multi-colored hair from side to side as they walked through the long hallway the young woman responded. "I'd LOVE to know what I missed!" At once the young woman plopped down in a chair at the end of the hallway. She had kept walking forward until she had entered the room that the metal door had led through. It was nice, lots of shiny things and BIG TV screens. Wooo TV!! Her mallet rested between her legs and against her shoulder so the large part on the end was right near her head. If she needed her weapon it was near that's what mattered, right? Sure.

Queenie looked around at all her new group mates with a wide grin which could show how excited she was, had she not always kept that grin on her face almost at all times. When the weird voice spoke and the even weirder symbols were shown Queenie tilted her head. Those symbols, every one of them, were unfamiliar to her. It had been long since she was in school and had forgotten basically everything she learned except the English language.  "Ooo Circus?! Where?? When?? Let's all go!" A newcomer, like herself, glanced at her and then covered her face, a reaction she got a lot. Queen turned her attention to him and spoke  "Go ahead and blush, soldier boy! We're all familiars here." What she was trying to say was that he shouldn't be embarrassed.

[User]
Phone Freak didn't enter right away. This latest show of theatrics was even more comforting than the last, be despite that she spent some time in the doorway letting the others pass her by as she ran her fingers slowly along the door frame. Occasionally she let a tiny spark, like static electricity, leap from the tips of her fingers into the door frame as she reached out with her will. This door was obviously controlled electronically, but she wasn't trying to subvert or undermine it. Just establish contact, see if she could get a read on its...state of mind, for lack of a better word. Machines had them. Most things had them, really, especially things built my humans. Life tended to rub off on things, and usually resulted in what could be considered a very simple emotional state. Doors, for example, tended to enjoy being used and built up loyalty to those that used them often. Normally this loyalty had no bearing on whether or not the door opened for someone, but if it was new and it's master didn't frequently make use of it or wasn't around often enough to make any impressions on it that would make it more open to, well, opening up for some kind technomancer who was locked in a room slowly filling with deadly poison spiders. The little sparks were like entreaties, more effective if she could get at the wires directly, meant to establish trust in the symbolic way that the ritualistic sharing of blood often did among people.

When it came to magic symbolic gestures were often the most important ones. It really was the thought that counted.

No matter what she discovered about the door she would eventually do as she was told and take her seat, picking out the one nearest the computer and claiming it as her own. After all, it wasn't like she had much choice. She had to trust that, even if they were suddenly locked in, there was enough of them here that they could find a way to escape before they were waist deep in horrible hairy spiders. She looked around and could swear that their number kept growing by the minute. There must be some combination here that could save them if things went pear shaped.


[System]
* Age: 24
* Gender: Female
* Appearance: Dark red hair, light skin, dark red eyes. The jacket is dark blue with light blue trim, and the shorts are blue jeans.
* Personality: The younger of the two daughters of the Ando family is usually a rather outwardly normal girl. She's friendly towards others, and not unapproachable. She tends to be somewhat talkative and general willing to be helpful to others. Of course, this behavior is only a fraction of Ando Asami's character. While she is no longer as close to the rest of her family as she once was, Asami still holds their ultimate ideal inside herself. Even if her belief in obtaining it has faltered, she cannot pass up the chance to reach the Origin of All Magic, the great repository of knowledge and magical power that so many magi strive for. As a mage, Asami is dedicated and intensely focused, taking some pride in her abilities as a practitioner of magic. Asami does not like killing but will do so if she must. It is not easy to anger Asami, but when something truly makes her angry there is little she won't do to put a stop to it. One particular thing that angers her is the abuse of magical power against the innocent mundane humans. Another is her sister. She deeply dislikes her older sister, Ando Toshiko, but only wishes for her to be punished as opposed to killed.
* Abilities: As a member of the Ando family, Asami's affinity is Fire and she possesses a high amount of high-quality mana. Naturally, this means that she has the most skill in spells relating to flames, projecting them or igniting objects. While she does have a number of spells based on this, her most powerful offensive spells utilize a rather unusual technique. Instead of what most would expect from fire, Asami's signature fire spells form a bizarre flame with a solid outline. Sometimes it even boasts a blue or green coloration. This solid fire is projected into beams, unlike the flaming orbs or streams or instant ignition commonly used by other fire-using magi. These spells are based on an incredibly old technique, of the ancient magi of Babylon. Her family believed using such ancient magic may have pushed her closer to the Origin itself. Asami also boasts defensive spells and self-enhancement spells, allowing kicks and punches to shatter concrete and using circular shields to deflect damaging attacks. Among her unusual offensive spells features a shotgun blast of "solid" fire, thin beams of it, and a slow-moving "arrowhead". Of course, her most powerful technique is a creation devised from the ancient spells of Babylon.

	+ Sainan no Hikari: Asami's most powerful spell, Sainan no Hikari is a deadly beam of "solid" fire. Igniting in her palm from a projected magic circle, the blast is so intensely not the heat cannot even be felt. It simply devastates all that is struck by it, but it requires a few moments to build up sufficient power. In addition, Asami cannot utilize mentalcasting for this spell, and must recite the entire incantation in order to utilize it. On top of this, it is highly draining when utilized even with her high levels of mana.
* Skills: Asami is capable of mentalcasting, but she cannot apply this to her most powerful spells. She has some basic hand-to-hand skills, more than the average person, but otherwise is not particularly strong or fast. She can speak fluent English.
* Equipment: Asami does not require much equipment for the casting of her spells, and as such carries very little.
* Brief Backstory: The second daughter of the Ando family. As a young girl, Asami looked up to her older sister, who excelled in fire magic, and desired to do the same as her. Her family instilled their values into the girl, including the long-held desire to reach the Origin. Asami trained, even learning these unorthodox techniques from the distant past in order to, as her family put it, "draw closer to the Origin". Her older sister was secretly jealous of this, but did not make this outwardly known until much later and still remained friendly and loving. This would not change until Toshiko went to the Tower in London. At the Tower, Toshiko began to lose faith in her family's ideal(as well as being rather cruel to her classmates). As Asami went for her education there, Toshiko decided to denounce her family's ideal with the belief that it was no longer possible for modern magi to reach the Origin. Asami and the other members of her family were stunned, and then angered. The head of the family, Ando Genjuro, declared that such betrayal would be punished with death. It would be a few years before Asami could convince them otherwise, that Toshiko did not need to die. However, Asami still felt betrayed by her older sister, and wanted her to be captured and punished. This desire intensified when Toshiko killed a mage contacted by the Ando family to find her and destroyed several familiars. Still, there is an uneasy peace as of now. In those years, Asami came under fire from Argus Fi Nar Rel of the Tower, an accomplished mage who believed her more unorthodox fire spells were not proper magic. There has been debate in the magi community over this matter, almost as much as there has been about the White Cannon of Japan, Nakamura Kiyomi. Asami no longer believes as strongly in her family's ideal, but desires to remain closer to them than Toshiko. Still, to pass up an opportunity like the White Night of Klarsberg... there was no way she could.

[User]
Watching the white girl's reactions to the guy interacting with her, Kazumi started to wonder if he was trying to pull something shady with her. Certainly, it was pretty obvious that the ghost-girl template was intimidated by him in some way, even if she couldn't hear what was being said.
Kazumi rubbed the back of her head, wondering if she should step in. After all, it wasn't any of her business, and if it was a misunderstanding on her part...

...Damn it, that little girl was just too vulnerable-looking.

Kazumi took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and walked towards them, her mind quickly formulating a believable story to tell.

"...Shiro-chan! There you are!" the bespectacled young woman greeted the girl and strange man with a strangely-high-pitched voice. She was already kicking herself for choosing such a cliche name, but it was a bit too late for a do-over. Better to continue on with her masterfully-crafted story.

"Thank you very much for finding her, sit," Kazumi bowed slightly to the man, a forced smile on her face, "Shiro-chan here is my, uh, cousin, visiting from... Poland. She's kind of silly, and ended up lost. How about that?"

Placing a hand over "Shiro's" shoulder, Kazumi gently guided her to turn as she attempted to leave the scene, "thanks again, sorry for the bother!"

This is one of those 'nailed it' moments, right? Kazumi couldn't help but compliment just how well her ruse seemed to be going. Now, as long as the cute girl played along, at least until they were out of his sight, and as long as he didn't insist on following them for some reason, there would clearly be no reason to doubt her story!

[Assistant]
Thrillseeking Bloodsucker

Having stopped off to collect her car, Elizabeth pulled up outside of a house that, as far as she knew, belonged to a line of onmyouji. Or at least it had up until the last war, so it was quite likely that the Wakahisa were still here. Though they weren't necessarily interested in the ritual, they might be interested in the inevitable magi moving in to pick fights. Another ally against anyone unscrupulous couldn't be passed up... or someone that could safely have the ritual foisted upon them.

Getting out, the vampire readjusted her hood to make sure it covered everything, then rang the bell at the entrance of the traditionally styled and built property. There'd been a little girl here last time, hadn't there? She must've grown up by now, and it'd be interesting to see just how much.

---

Weapon of the Church

As her exploration continued, the nun came across a rather odd sight. A white-haired girl, a white haired young man, and someone that actually fit in with the surroundings rather than sticking out almost as much as she did. From what Lucrezia could observe as she approached from the other end of the street, the man seemed to be harassing the other two. Mindful that it was her duty to help others as much as it was to destroy monsters, the tall Executor stepped forward as the normal girl gave some story about her lost cousin.

Lucrezia didn't believe it for a minute, if only because nothing about the tiny albino seemed Polish.

"I trust that you are not harassing these girls?"

[User]
Drasinian

"Hmmm, for a foreigner, she sure does speak Japanese exceptionally well. Not even a hint of an accent. . . how very curious, indeed." Drasinian spoke with a heavy-air of skepticism, not believing a word the girl had stated for a number of reasons. Behind that, however, was a playful sadism as he began to take steps to follow them. He's planned to kill the observer now and save the dove for later, but know was as good a time as any. Just follow them from a distance until it was time to strike. However, his plan was halted as a voice called to him from behind, causing him to turn around to address the speaker.

Well now, this is a nice surprise. Seems like even the Church has sent their stooges to paint this town red. Funny how an organization that deems magic evil also uses it themselves and is after the Origin. Then again, the Church has always been full of blatant hypocrisy since ut, beginnings, so it's really no surprise.

While some may have assumed the woman to just be your average cosplayer, decades of experience told the homunculus otherwise. From the way she spoke to her way of standing, this woman exuded the aura of a killer, you just had to know what to look for. The nun's question was met with a less than cordial smile, Deasinian letting his mask slip a little as he spoke so as to gauge her reaction.

"Perish the thought, I was only worried cause one of them's shaking like a leaf and the other is a very bad lier. Plus, you never know what can happen to young girls like these on a night like tonight. They might get caught in something they shouldn't have and end up on the front page news. I simply offered to walk them at least partway to their destination, so as to ease my conscious." His words seemed kind, but his tone was cold and subtly menancing. The smile that he gave the nun was one full of sin and dark intentions, as if he were saying, 'I'm going to do horrible things to these girls, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.' It was a somewhat subtle taunt, but whether she got it or not, this woman's actions would decide if the two girls would live through the night or meet a horrid fate at his hands.

What's it going to be, Enforcer, what's it going to be.

Daze

[Assistant]
Hiroko Muneyama - Takaki's Ramen Shop

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Ando-san," Hiroko nodded, as she looked about the restaurant. Maybe it was just her serious expression, but she seemed a bit concerned about something. Casually flicking her hair back, she turned to face Asami once more.

"...It seems like we'll be eating together, Ando-san," She didn't seem disappointed, at least, even if her expression refused to change. "It is... Unusually crowded today. I hope you don't mind." With that, she reached out for Asami's hand and lead her off to a quiet table in the corner, the corners of her mouth raising slightly in a subtle smile. Even though it was so busy, she'd managed to get her favourite seat.

"So what brings you to Rokuro City, Ando-san?" she asked, as she sat down at one end of the table. "Or have I just not ran into you before? I'm pretty sure everyone in the city has been to Takaki's at least once, and I admittedly have something of an addiction to their pork ramen."

[User]
Ando Asami, Closer to the Origin?

Asami didn't really have a moment to respond before Hiroko grabbed her hand and pulled her towards a quieter corner of the shop, settling down there. Well, that was certainly forward. And yet, insofar as Asami could tell, it seemed to fit the blonde-haired girl with the serious expression somehow. Even if it was undeniably something that she wasn't prepared for. She drew her hand away, possibly a little more quickly then intended, as she sat down on the other side of the table, across from Hiroko. As the other girl asked about what she was doing in the city, and explained a few things about the shop and her addiction to pork ramen... well, Asami couldn't help but notice something very specific about her. Was that what an addiction to pork ramen did to the female figure?

Pushing aside such a silly train of thought, Asami quickly focused on Hiroko's question.

"Well, I came here to visit some friends," she began. It wasn't anything she wasn't used to, lying in order to maintain the secrecy of magic. The veil that divided the mundane and the supernatural was one strongly enforced by Mage society. Each circle within the larger organization had their own methods of enforcement, and any given magi was expected to do their best not to make any sort of revelation to those who were unaware. "So far, it's been pretty nice. It seems like Rokuro has the best parts of a city and a small town together."

It was then that the shop-owner hurried over. "Ah, yes... oh, you're eating with Muneyama-san? ... Well, nevermind, er... are you ready to order?"

Asami gave her a smile and a nod. "Yes, I'll have the pork ramen. Thank you."

The shop owner dipped her head and hurried away.

---

Shi, the Quiet Killer

Shi could only manage to weakly open and shut her mouth when a new girl suddenly appeared, claiming that she was her cousin from Poland. This left Shi incredibly confused, though she was far too nervous to do more then tremble slightly as the taller girl took her by her shoulders and attempted to guide her away. She was being touched by a stranger again, she was too close... It was obvious that the girl could feel Shi's slight shoulders shuddering against her hands. The white-haired girl's gaze was downcast as she stared towards the floor, shivering. Too many people... and... and she had to go, she had to...

The tiny girl was vaguely aware that someone, a huge girl(especially compared to Shi herself) in a nun's habit, had approached and questioned the man. Two out of the three people involved were now distracted from her... and the third did not seem like she was prepared for anything sudden... Shi took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm herself. There was one logical solution to her situation.

As quickly as she could, Shi attempted to pull away from the girl and break into a run.