[System]
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Race: Human

Weapon: Unlike the majority of Hunters that dwell the broken world of Remnant, Gratia wields two, separate and completely distinct weapons due to her poverty, which has prevented her from obtaining more advanced weaponry. She wields a dull, grey mameluke sabre named Valens, furnished simply with the imprint of her emblem on its hilt. It is utilised alongside her other weapon, an automatic carbine named Valentinian, black and silver and also light enough to be used with one hand.

She also owns an SUV that she acquired from a mafia family after a mission.

Specialty: Capable of dealing with enemies both in close combat and mid-range, Gratia's role on Team VGNB (Vignoble) is to draw the attention of Grimm as she cuts swathes through their ranks in her berserk rage. As such, she is quite the durable warrior, and if time passes, she will only grow stronger as her semblance drains away at the energies of her enemies, making her perfect for her position as the 'tank' of the team.

Semblance: Bibere Vinum - Gratia's lust for battle and power is translated into a semblance that allows her to drain the aura of others in the area in order to strengthen her own physical abilities. In particular, her speed, strength, and endurance. The effects compound over time, and thus while they aren't too noticeable in the first few minutes of combat, the longer one fights her and the closer they are in proximity, the stronger Gratia gets.

Following her conversation with her mother on what it meant to be a Huntress and what she meant to those close to her, Gratia's semblance metamorphosed into a new form, gaining an additional ability based upon her existing powers. Her ability to detect and sometimes recognise other lifeforms in the area has become more powerful, allowing her to inject a tiny portion of her own aura into people upon contact, creating a connection between her and her victim that allows her to track and identify them no matter where they go, and will not be broken unless either of them are dead, or if Gratia wishes it to end. It also provides her basic information on the victim's status, such as their health, mood and general condition.

Personality: At first glance, Gratia appears to be quite a solemn figure, impassive and quiet in the majority of situations. Restraint seems to come easily to her, and there is an aura of professionalism that permeates her every action. It would be obvious, then, to assume that she is a rather serious person, one who devotes her very being to work and believes that everything else is a waste of time. In actuality, this is mostly inaccurate. When she speaks it is generally to insult others, particularly her aggravating teammate Napoli, and her speech is peppered with gratuitous swearing.

She is extremely sarcastic and is quick to point out when a situation does not strike her as favourable. She is also rather arrogant and has a haughty sense of pride that dictates her actions. If someone starts annoying her, her impassive aura is quick to drop and Gratia will instead begin with a spewing out insults. However, she is not entirely horrible, being actually fairly kind to those who she deems as respect worthy and more importantly, not annoying. While she is quiet still, she is more than willing to offer them a helping hand on assignments and other problems.

In addition, Gratia possesses a strong sense of loyalty to her loved ones. If you piss her off or take advantage of her friends she will make your life a living hell. Of course, do what you want to her annoying teammates, especially Napoli, she'll only save them at the last minute when they're about to die. And you're not allowed to kill them. She gets to when they screw up.

When in combat, her normally solemn personality completely disappears, replaced by a crazed bloodlust that seems to consume her entire being (and probably those poor Grimm that she'll murder). In this state, it can be quite surprising to listen to her cackle loudly like a hyena as she terrorises her enemies.

Color: Chartreuse Green (66CD00)

Emblem: Gratia's emblem has a certain religious flair to it, with a solid sabre sitting upon a champagne bottle, which is a chartreuse green to contrast the black and grey of the sabre and background.

Appearance:

Source | NarayanK's Interpretation

Standing at a height of one point seven five metres, Gratia is relatively tall for most girls her age, a trait that is magnified by her rock solid posture. With long, flowing brown-black hair, onyx eyes and a well-defined face (though usually seen bland or scowling), and an athletic build, she can be described as rather attractive (though her compatriot-in-arms would argue the opposite), but few dare comment on her appearance in case she takes offence.

Due to her status as a student from Haven, she dons the snazzy uniform of her "beloved" school when attending class, completely unmodified and always super tidy (it comes at a surprise that to many that she is willing to wear the skirt). When outside of class however, she can always be seen with her signature black turtleneck, brown jeans and her green winter coat, which she is highly possessive of (and possibly willing to murder for, though that's a rumour). As a music aficionado, she frequently wears headphones in order to enjoy her smooth jazz and drown out the incessant chatter of her fellows and her teammates in particular.
Name: Galla Mindaro
Age: 15
Gender: Female
Race: Human

Weapon: Steel Construction I-Beam (W18X40)

Specialty: Without needing the use of a semblance, Galla Mindaro possesses a ridiculously immense amount of physical strength, capable of carrying even the heaviest of construction materials with ease. As such, her lightest blows can easily hit as hard as a freight train, sending her targets flying with little effort on her part. Similar to her more infamous older sister, she is incredibly durable, her numerous years of acting as Gratia's training partner having developed her defenses dramatically.

Semblance: Nemo Curat - Galla's apathy and sense of detachment from the world has been translated into a semblance that allows her to essentially detach a part of her own self, preventing it from interacting with the outside world. She can only induce this state in one thing at a time, and if she wishes to stop another part of her self from being observed by reality, she has to first reattach the originally detached part. An example of her semblance in use would be detaching her scent, thereby preventing anybody from smelling her.

Personality: The younger Mindaro sibling possesses a quiet and stoic demeanour, staying impassive in the face of any situation to the extent that one could easily mistake her for a stone statue. Restraint marks her every action, with each lifeless movement utterly lacking in any form of energy or emotion. To Galla, the rest of the world simply isn't important at all, and it is through this lens of utter apathy that she engages with life.

So great is her sense of detachment that absolutely nothing is capable of fazing her. Everything is met with the same bland air, as if there was a distant chasm between her and the rest of the world. She cannot bring herself to care for it, finding little that can stimulate her dulled emotions into responding. At times, it appears as if Galla lacks a presence beyond simply 'existing', seeming more akin to a cardboard cutout than an actual human.

She doesn't see it as a problem in any way.

However, that is not to say that Galla Mindaro is simply an emotionless mannequin that is utterly incapable of being human. The truth is actually the opposite; the younger of the Mindaro sisters is surprisingly empathetic, capable of understanding the feelings, motivations and experiences of other people to a great extent. It does not change her utter lack of interest and care for them, but if the whim were to come to her, she could interact with others with little difficulty.

It is because of this that, despite her eerie detachment, Galla possesses a bond with her family. Although she rarely shows any sign of concern for them, the younger Mindaro acknowledges her parents in their entirety, and it is evident that she respects her older sister in some fashion. She is also not devoid of friends, being able to, even in her bland and uncaring manner, work amicably with a number of her classmates. Whether or not she is a good friend is debatable, especially when she does not exactly care too much for them.

She is also highly observant of her surroundings, whether they be social cues, appearances or the shape of the world. Information is immediately captured and stored in her photographic memory, although much of it fails to affect her in any manner. She holds few opinions on them, but there are times when she does judge, usually through an arbitrary rating system. When taking action, there are also moments where she may seem rather excessive, unaware of whether or not something may be too much.

Galla may or may not have a sense of humour. It's extremely hard to tell.

Color: Chartreuse Yellow (DFFF00)

Emblem: Galla's emblem has traces of religious iconography, with a pitch-black profile of a rooster, one of the holiest animals of the Mistralese Church, imprinted upon a champagne bottle of chartreuse yellow, its brightness a contrast to the colour of the bird.

Appearance:

Source

[User]
Brewing Storm

It seemed that for every problem they solved another appeared Cian thought to herself as they brought up having to get the generators running again which would prove to be a problem. She did have some dust not alot mind you but a bit that was able to be used in this situation. Though it would be a hard thing to do nodding her head at the pins she took from Jack she started to jury rigging it with her lightning dust rounds it wasn't the best but it would have to do for the moment. Getting into position she hefted Byakko as she carefully took aim she had limited shots best make them count after all. "I'm in position just give me the signal" she said as she waited slowing her breath as she gently started to place her finger on the trigger.

[Assistant]
Luke Schwarz -- Brewing Storm

Good enough to take Cian on a date?

What did she mean by tha—

"Deus volt."

GGHRSFUNINJVG

His mind went blank as the charge entered his body, whatever train of thought he had going shattered as raw white heat filled the ensuing void. He should have known better, known to properly brace himself for what had come. He had just agreed to what was, in effect, being minorly struck by lightning more than being hit by a taser. To go into it without at least some form of self-steeling was incredibly stupid on his part.

And yet.

"RRRRRNGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

He could only hold it in for a moment, before letting loose a cry of pain.

Really, how much could one expect a mental prep session to be able to contend against acting as an electircal conduit like this? It wasn't a question of the mind's fortitude—the scale was simply too different. Bracing for this sort of all-encompassing sensation of white-hot pins and needles was a fool's errand. It wouldn't have mattered.

And it didn't matter.

He felt his muscles contract still tighter as the grip he held upon the wires was no longer even his own. He'd read about this phenomenon once. It was called "passing the 'Let-Go Threshold'", where the amperage passing through the arm was great enough that involuntary contractions of it and the hand were too powerful to resist— and thusly leaving the shocked person unable to "let go".

That's fine, though.

Whether it was his aura bolstering itself in response to the new threat to the body, or simply an odd case of a sharp pain clearing the head, a thought managed to pass.

He didn't care which explanation allowed for it, just that it was there. Grabbing onto it with everything his screaming mind had, he forged on.

I can't let go.

I don't want to let go.

I won't let go.

If it weren't him, then it would be Lauren. Reason enough to grin and bear it. She may have been a tough girl, he never dared deny that, but this was a job he and his gifts were meant to take.

I would never want my sisters to feel this.

Little, or big.

I need to hold out here.

Easier said than done.

[User]
Gratia Mindaro - Infirmary

She had detected the feline boy's approach before he had even rounded the curtain, but that did not, in any way, stop Gratia Mindaro from immediately turning her piercing, onyx eyes upon him, an expression that was as utterly bereft of emotion as an icy tundra was of warmth. Her gaze did not falter a single inch. She recognised the Beacon student from their 'guided tour' weeks earlier; he was the inept fucktard whose foolish bumbling had nearly ruined their pizzas. What then, was the reason behind his visit to Nuit's bed? She would not tolerate any further nuisances to her teammate, especially if the irksome cat decided to reenact the pathetic flailing of a lobotomised lobster in the midst of an epileptic seizure.

A medical bay was no place for some retard to drop their spaghetti.

He's already redder than the fucking sauce.

It was immediately obvious to her that the state the feline Faunus was currently experiencing had likely been instigated by Bianca Nuit's appearance. The rapidly-reddening cheeks, increased heart rate, overly pronounced swallowing ... that was sufficient evidence for even the blind to realise that the Beacon student was, in some manner, attracted to her comrade, likely even if it had not been so utterly fucking obvious. It was not shyness at work; with the way his eyes were trapped by Nuit's own and the sheer amount of nervous energy present, there were only two possibilities: he had found a new emergency food supply, or he was pining like so many other inferior douchebags had been doing in the past.

Beauty and wealth combined were quite attractive prospects for suitors, after all.

The teenaged Huntress could have spoken up, but there was no reason for her to waste her breath. Nor did Nuit seem to want her to become involved. That wasn't a problem with her. As long as there was no bullshit being peddled by the cat, she didn't need to intervene. She would only watch Kuhaku Shiro impassively, her emotionless gaze never wavering from his body.


[System]
Nicknames: N/A
Team Position: Assault/Supporting fire
Age: 21
Gender: ♀
Year at Ace Academy: 2nd Year
Appearance: Rio is a tall and slender woman, standing at a proud 1m86. She usually wears a bit of lipstick and eyeshadow, but doesn't touch other make-up. Her face is thin and sports small features, making her eyes and mouth seem further apart than they really are. She has ruby eyes. Her hair is long, minty geen but usually tied up into a ponytail which reaches 3/4ths down her back. Even when not in uniform, Rio prefers to dress formally so you'll usually see her sporting a suit of some renown.

Personality: Rio's a bit stuck up and snobbish, looking down on everyone but only letting it show ever so slightly. That's not to say she's heartless, you can certainly get a good conversation going with her if she lets you, but Rio's not the type to easily hand out compliments.

Biography: Born in the Hamasaki family, Rio wasn't missing much when she grew up. The Hamasaki's built their legacy on selling high-quality electronics and eventually got into the Gear business, making quite a bit of revenue come their way. This lead to the classic case of 'Rich Kid Syndrome' for Rio, as she was enlisted in some of the most expensive academies Japan had to offer. She was constantly pressured into studying, leaving her a bit of a loner up until the later years of her highschool life where she formed a small clique of friends. Rio never really had a boyfriend, which pains her enormously because every guy she's ever had a crush on either rejected her or were already together with someone else. They also tended to all be interested in Gears, so she herself decided to dabble into it as well.

Much to her parents' dismay, this caused Rio to choose to become a Gear pilot rather than inherit their business, but she figured they could shove that responsibility on her two years younger brother. She's kind of stuck down this path, too, as she actively lashed out against her parents to let her do this.

She was enlisted in Ace and soon was faced with the harsh reality that there were, in fact, people that were better at this whole piloting thing than she was. She repeatedly got crushed in combat, and it frustrated her at the time, but she at least humbled up a bit and stopped being a stuck-up bitch to everyone. One of these crushing encounters was against Bill Atlas - now her team leader - in which he delivered swift justice with his fast melee style. Rio learned that, even though she is a ranged combatant, she can still let melee gears slip through if she lets her guard down. It doesn't prevent her from holding a grudge about it, though. The studies were much harder than she expected, too; while she'd been breezing through much of her schooling up to that point, she had troubles keeping up with Ace Academy. Now she's going to try and prove herself this year after barely scraping by last year. She's not going to be the problem child of the Hamasaki's!

---

Combat Section

Strengths: She's a calm thinker and is quick to adapt when things go south. Great at thinking up both short-term and long-term strategies when the situation calls for it. She isn't the greatest at mid-range, but she performs above average if nothing else due to a steady aim.

Weaknesses: Arrogance leads to overconfidence, so she can bit off more than she can chew sometimes. She doesn't like being ordered around, especially when it goes against what she personally thinks is 'best'. Despite having good theoretical skills, she can flake when putting it in practice. She's not great in the short range either, mostly due to having little experience with gears that come up close.

Neutral Values: Long-range combat and support roles.

Other: N/A

---

Gear Section

Gear Designation: Hamasaki Manufact. Customized Model 43CHUTE

Nickname: Union

Weapon(s):
Union is equipped with a Kinetic rifle that fires automatic rounds. The clip is reloaded as it fires, but can't go on endlessly. A set amount of bullets are loaded in, and if Rio continuously fires she'll end up depleting her clip before it can catch up. They're meant to pierce armor, but deal less damage to the gears themselves. This is a weapon meant for softening up the foe rather than outright killing them.

Union is also loaded with a couple of energy grenades (4 per combat) that, similarly, don't do much to damage the foe but rather pierce through shields. Unfortunately, this is a rather slow way to punch through their defenses and is more used for forcing the enemy to move.

The last of Union's weapons is a short range energy dagger. It's not meant to fight a melee Gear head-on, but serves as a last line of defense in case the enemy comes close. Unlike the previous two weapons, this one is designed to deal extreme damage on contact, but is hard to hit due to being so short.

Base Parameters:
Strength: C
Endurance: C
*Armor Quality: B
*Shield Quality: C
Agility: D
Energy Level: B
Long Range Quality: B
Short Range Quality: D

[User]
The door of the Campus Cafe opened up, a small bell above the door chiming and letting those that cared to know that someone else had entered the quaint little eatery. The contemporary and classy wood and marble decor was largely lost on Sara as she entered the building, her arms wrapped around a large encylopedia of GEARs, and her eyes scanning the screen of a tablet that sat on top of it.

The morning for Sara had come and gone in what felt like the blink of an eye- she rarely had so much free time- with her classwork generally taking the lion's share of her time. Now that she was a competitive pilot to boot, her time was even more strained than usual, which was why she was happy for the brief reprieve of lunch, where she could prepare herself for classwork before she got too behind on her studies. Looking away from her tablet from a moment, Sara was surprised to see Rio sitting at a table, her eyes glued to her phone. Sara cocked her head to the side, not expecting to see her team-mate, despite the fact that this was a fairly high traffic area. It was probably because of her status and stature- Sara expected her to spend her time at more high end places.

"Hamasaki!" Sara called out in a soft voice, as she approached Rio's table. "I didn't expect to find you here."

Sara offered the tall girl a smile. "Mind if I sit?"

[Assistant]
"Hamasaki!"

Rio flinched as she heard her name being called, whipping her head around to see her pink-haired teammate standing next to the table she was sitting at.

"...Hayakawa," Rio replied, a hint of delight hidden in her voice. Her face didn't show it, though. She pocketed her phone again to be polite and took a sip of her tea- luckily still lukewarm. The other girl asked to sit, which Rio quickly replied to with "not at all." She glanced outside the window again, spotting a familiar orange-haired boy. Hopefully he didn't notice the two of them as well, since Rio's perception of him is less than positive. She then remembered Hayakawa asked a question, calmly turning back to face her.

"Why is it so surprising, anyway? Everyone knows this place is a lot better than any other café you can find in this town. I'd be a fool to miss out," Rio joked with a wry smile, taking another sip of her tea. Rio glanced around, watching the waiters frantically serve drinks and clean up tables. It might take a while for Hayakawa to get something at this rate. Since she isn't terrible company, Rio might as well strike up a conversation.

"I've called off the meeting, by the way. I figured practicing with the team would be more important than fulfilling my father's ego. Say, speaking of teams... I noticed you're a second year. What team were you on last year?"

Rio wasn't on any team last year, so she hoped the question wouldn't be bounced back. It would be extremely embarrassing to admit she was a pilot that sparred with other pilots from every team and nothing else... it's a miracle they even let her pass. Still, it might be nice to get some insight on Sara. If she could learn about the team she was from, maybe they could get an edge if they happened to face them this year. Of course, with Hayakawa gone there would be no guarantee that the team is still the same as it was last year...

[User]
As Atlas looked over the schematics sent to him from the engineers who worked on his Gear he received a message from Kiril. It turns out he had found a team that his sponsors really wanted him to join, and despite the fact that he had hoped to stay with CS he had to leave. Bill sighed he wondered if Rio was going to ditch him next? Maybe Sarah? Was his dream going to die before it started? Would he need to crawl back to the Thrones and ask for a place there? He hoped not. Yasumi was counting on him. He was a slacker but he was a good man who stuck by Bill. As Bill sat on his hands and wondered what was next for him he couldn't help but feel like things were falling a apart. Tests were tomorrow. He needed to buck up and take his place as leader. As Bill sat alone by himself suddenly a team approached. Third Year Gear Pilot: Yoko Hasagawa. Yoko was known on the indie circuit as a BIG possible name for recruitment when she graduated. In her first year she not only beat the top pilot in the school...but she did it by herself. Sponsored by a big company from Germany she was vicious, and dangerous as an assault type pilot. Her team was Static Sequence known for their brutal offensive.

"What's up Billy Boy? Got a problem with your team or somethin'?" commented Yoko kindly as she flaunted gorgeous figure in front of Bill. He tried not to frown at her. She had crushed him the first time they met last year. But that was with his old gear Exalted was not his old gear by any means. She wasn't a complete asshole on purpose but her chipper happy go lucky attitude made him not like her as much as the other people did. Beautiful, talented, and a generally better gear pilot than he'd ever likely be he wondered if Yoko acted the way she did because she was pitying the others around her. "No I just wanted to get some paperwork out of the way, and do my studying. Knowing my enemies, and my tasks gives me an advantage I need to have." Bill commented as he stared up at Yoko trying his best not to let his gaze wander. "The other guys say they think CS is finished. I hope not that team has been around forever. Good on you for sticking with it. I can't wait to battle you in the tournament! You got MASURAO that machine is freaking nuts! I saw your cousin fight in that thing. He tore up his competition like Swiss cheese!" commented Yoko as Bill finally understood what was going on here he gave a mental resignation to this situation.

[Assistant]
"I just figured you'd have more expensive tastes is all," Sara said with a noncommittal shrug. People in Hamasaki's position weren't exactly unheard of at the academy- there were plenty of kids whose parents owned major companies and manufacturers, a lot of them were in their own little rich-kids clique.

Sara watched Rio as she spoke- the tall girl was an interesting thing. She certainly looked the part of many of the rich kids on campus- many of which didn't spare Sara the time of day- scholarship kid and all. Sara waved away a waitress who came to take her order, the store looked busy enough that it'd be a while before she got any food, and she didn't feel particularly hungry. Sara tilted her head to the side in mild amusement as Rio asked Sara about what team she was on last year.

"I wasn't on a team last year." Sara explained, "I didn't have my own GEAR, so I couldn't be a part of the competitive scene even if I wanted to- they're not exactly affordable for someone of my economic status." she said with a sigh, looking out the window.

"I spent most of last year test piloting test models for different manufacturers. I think I did the trial runs for your family's 'PARA' line GEARs. I tested with Lockheed Martin last winter and over the summer they offered to lend me my Valkyrie for extended stress testing."

"I did watch a lot of the matches though- what about you?"

[User]
Hayakawa did bounce back the question. This meant that Rio was suddenly very interested in her chamomile tea as she took another delicate sip, her left eye briefly twitching from the drink having cooled down quite a bit. Luckily it seemed like the pink haired girl was too distracted by the outside to really notice, but Rio was still in another pickle. How was the woman going to answer? Laugh it off with a 'hey, me too'? No, that'd be embarrassing. Lie about it and pretend she had a team? No, that's a bad idea as well. She'd need to think up of a name, and if the other girl asked and snooped around Rio would be caught very quickly. Avoiding the issue was clearly the best option here...

"Ah, I see. As I recall, the PARA line came into production after my Union. Brawlers, right? That means you must pilot a lot of different types of GEARs. It's impressive you're able to handle your new one so well, then, even if you had some prior experience."

The compliments weren't entirely empty, as it was quite a feat to be able to switch GEARs at the drop of a hat, considering every single one has a bit of customization attached to it and weapons functioned slightly differently. Sara must be quite knowledgeable with how to utilize all kinds of GEARs, so she must also have an excellent idea on what to do if the team were to face them on the field... maybe Rio should bring that up with Atlas at some point. Though it left a bit of a sour taste in Rio's mouth- Hayakawa seemed to be able to do just about anything. She had arguably the best performance in the simulation with a relatively foreign GEAR and was able to give tactical insight to just about any team composition- although the latter of those was just Rio's assumption. Maybe she should just change the topic for now...

"It must be pretty odd to have not had a team last year, and then be thrown into this one... though I can't say I regret my choice just yet. We certainly have a very... interesting cast of characters, don't we?"

Rio didn't honestly want to think about how 'interesting' some of her companions were. Laudat and Atlas were tolerable, but Gurevich was absolutely insufferable. She hoped somewhere that he went ahead and joined another team. Sure, his replacement Yasumi looked to be just as bad as Laudat in the slacker department, but at least he didn't get on her nerves with every breath he took. Not yet, anyway.


[System]
Race: Cait Sith

Position: Personal servant to the Winter Queen

Age: Unknown, even to him. (Approx. 3,000 years)

Personality: Grim always seems to know something others don't, and constantly has a wicked grin on his face. He takes delight in the misfortune of others and great joy in causing it himself. This does not mean he can't be well-meaning and helpful, but it is a rare occurrence and any help offered is generally in the form of a riddle or bittersweet compromise. Grimus loves riddles and music, and is ever attracted to a warm fire or lap. In the end he seeks only to further the ends of himself and the Winter Court.

Appearance: Grimus's true form is that of a large and well-groomed black cat with a white spot on the center of his chest and the general shape and build of a lynx. His fur is smooth and sleek, his teeth resemble those of a shark, and his eyes glow gold. In this form he uses his Glimmer as a way to fade from notice and apparently vanish from sight.

Aided by innate magic, Grim can take a humanoid form at will. This form is a tall and lean man with shoulder-length black hair and pale skin. His eyes do not change color, and he wears violet-tinted glasses to hide this. This form generally wears a sleek black suit with a white dress shirt and black bow tie, but can be made less conspicuous with a Glimmer.

Background: From the very beginning of the courts, there has always been a Grimalkin in service to the Queen of Winter. Serving as ambassador, assassin, confidante, and personal servant, this position has many roles and has been filled many times. Every time the current servant passes on, a new one is chosen from among the most powerful and demented of the Cait Sith.

Grimus is the direct descendant of the previous Winter servant, though there is a generation or two between them. He had been groomed for the role most of his life, and spent a considerable amount of time among the Winter Fae. When finally his grandfather passed from the world, Grim was more than delighted to fill his shoes. As the Winter Queen's right hand, he has proven a capable servant in many ways. He uses his connections and power wisely, and is careful to never cross the will of his Queen. Constantly he waits for her call, ever ready to sow misfortune and havoc among humans and the lesser Fae.

[User] Voices. This is what she heard, one was talking to whom she thought was her, though she could barely make out the words. The tone though, the individual was trying to save her. Yes, she was positive of that. Whoever, or whatever it was, wanted her to live. She tried to open her eyes again, only managing to crack one a bit, the figures before her appearing to be nothing more than shadows. Live...yes...I must...live... she thought just before passing out. Her dreams were strange, she dreamed she was alive once more in this strange landscape, dancing among the trees as the wind blew her hair around. It was as if she were happy and content for once, as if she was part of the landscape herself. She felt at home, strangely enough. If it were anyone else, it might have been strange for them to feel that way, but not her. The best way for her to describe it was that she was meant to be here, as if it was meant to be her home. Her dream stopped when a shadow loomed over her, darkening everything around her. Was she scared? Not in the least. She was curious, who was this shadowed figure? Would she ever know? Before she could figure it out, her eyes slowly began to open. As they adjusted, she found she was no longer in that strange place. Well, she was, but not where she had been to begin with. She looked around, slowly sitting up as she scanned her surroundings. More of them. More of those twisted, yet oddly beautiful objects surrounded her, but they weren't like the ones she saw before. Her mind then suddenly recalled her wound, which she immediately touched, finding nothing there. No mark, no scar, nothing. It was as if it never existed in the first place. "How is that possible? I could have sworn I was dying..." she said out loud, clearly confused by the whole situation.

[Assistant]
@Prince of Seraphs@Belle

Brenna had finally gotten into Winter Court territory and was trekking through the snow, a fur cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Even the Summer-born got cold in Winter Court. The outlaw she'd captured was stumbling along behind her as they walked, begging incessantly for his freedom. She didn't bother wasting any breath on shutting him up, until she suddenly heard voices ahead. She spun around and clamped a hand over her prisoner's mouth before creeping forward quietly, the fae moving slowly behind her, all to aware that this could mean danger. As she drew closer to the voices she saw two humans, a dog, and a fae. She crouched in the snow, watching, and waiting for them to move on before she continued on to the Winter Palace.

[User]
Tarani withdrew her hand, somewhat agitated that the young beauty had turned down her aid. She didn't let it bother her though, her thoughts on the presence of the other Fae in the trees above them. Interesting he hasn't shown himself yet.

She bid the young one a farewell, "As you wish, Young One. I pray thy safe passage onwards toward the Palace." Tarani bowed in formal respect; a pet the girl may have been, but an important one to Lord Tegvan no doubt. It seemed as if the trees themselves moved in tohether, Tarani's power urging them to obscure Aisling's path.

With the human girl gone, Tarani's full attention was focused on the Fae that still hasn't revealed itself. She decided that she'd wait. It shouldn't be long now.  As she predicted, the Fae had realized it was best to introduce oneself.

"Such a direct question, without an introduction is quite rude, I dare say." A minor game, one she was sure the Satyr wouldn't play. "It doesn't matter anyway. I've heard you, Lost the Satyr," Tarani smiled pleaseantly.

It was a pleasure to know so much in the Fae realm and a privelage...one she did not dare take for granted. "To answer your question, young Satyr, though are most welcome to join me this festive year. And I dare say...a Hunt this shall be indeed." A sinister laugh escaped her lungs, sending chills through the trees.

I could use this one. Some knowledge. A silver tongue. Yes...useful indeed.  Tarani moved forward, graciously gliding over the rotted ground. She tilted her head towards Lost, back turned, "You may call me, Anya. One of many of the Fall Kings vast Legions."

Her gnarled path took her onwards, towards the Fall Kings palace...a beauty of its own masterful kind. The fall leaves compared to nothing.

[Assistant] Max scowled a tiny bit, he didn't like being called a slave, or being treated as an inferior, when it seemed like his only benefit was not dying." Alright, I see your stick," He said, and drummed his finger on his legs," Now where's my carrot?" He asked as he trailed along after him,"What positive incentive do I have to not make this as difficult as I can for you?" He clarified, "With all due respect that is." He added, not wanting to upset his "master".

[User]
Lyra - Summer Land

Looking up Lyra saw The Tree Lady, as she called her, and smiled brightly. "Looking for Ba-Ba," she answered. "I want Ba-Ba."
She wasn't saying this in a bratty or demanding way, but matter of factly. It was no secret that the King of Summer spoiled the little girl. When she wanted something, within reason, he usually procured it for her. And right now she wanted him. She was still too young and innocent to that ways of the world to undetstand that sometimes the things you want do not appear the second you want them to.

A gurgle came from her stomach. "My tummy is talking." Lyra giggled. Lifting up her arms in a silent plea to be picked up, Lyra trusted The Tree Lady to help her until her Ba-Ba came.

Once The Tree Lady picked her up Lyra laid her head on the dryad's chest, drawing comfort in another female's presence.

[Assistant]
"I'm sorry my Lady. I was sure someone of your stature already knew of my presence." Lost wasn't so haughty as to not give puffed up words to others, especially his elders. He enjoyed it himself when those younger than he gave him respect and if he should expect then he should give it as well.

"I'm very honored that you would remember my name, but I suppose that is in your wisdom to remember every name, even nicknames." The laugh that escaped her lips after she accepted his request, sent chills up his spine. No one should enjoy taking lives this much. He very much enjoyed ruining lives or taking control of others, but taking lives was not something he deeply enjoyed. It had been a while though and maybe she would reward him if he helped her in the hunt.

"Thank you Anya. I have heard of you as well, but not by any other name than The Lady. You are a grand hunter and though you are one of many of his Legions, not many stand above you." He continued to follow her on her left and just a step behind her.

"Would you like some music on our treck? I can play anything you like. Or help you feel any way you want. It would really be a shame not to enjoy the beauty of this place and I can help make it all the more enjoyable."

[User]
It had been quite sometime since Tarani herself had been out of her Estate, and it took her at a bit of a shock that the young Satyr had known of her, and by The Lady no doubt. "I won't lie, Lost. I'm rather surprised you remember such an old name. It has been many years since I have been called by that name--the last Fae War to be exact."

A sense of unease rattled Tarani's bones, "The Satyr must have some unease about me." It was expected for her to be feared, power being one of the many things she continuously sought after with every fiber of her being. Still, she did have a soft side, and she would put aside her malicious nature for a while, if even a short while. "Do not be frightened. I shall not harm thee. I only wish a bountiful Hunt, and revenge for the wrongs done to us Fae. Many Deals have been struck and many Promises broken by Humans. The Hunt is a way to balance that. It is only natural that I, an Earth Nymph, take part in one of the many ways of Balancing the Realms."

Then, of course, there is Lord Falk's own reasons for the Hunt. If it pleased the Fall King, then it pleased her. Her sole purpose in life is to serve the Fall King.

The two continued forward upon a path known only to a select few--it's beauty for those privileged enough to have inherited the knowledge of knowing where it is. The wind danced lightly around, light glinting from the fractures and breaks in the trees, adding to the surreal feeling of calm. As they walked the leaves fluttered at their feet, creating a kaleidoscope of color. It wouldn't be long and they would reach the palace.

"Pray tell, Lost. How did thee come about the young girl earlier? And why did the Satyr not rush to her side? There were indeed outsiders in Fall territory?" Tarani knew of Lost quite well, and had even met him in Court and passing bys, but she did not know however, the true extent of his loyalty to the Fall Realm. "Does Lord and Lady upset you, Little One?" A wry grin forming on her face.

"Music shall come later. First we shall converse and become much better acquainted."

[Assistant]
Naime of Summer

 Naime awoke to her husband shaking her up. For a moment, she was simply Meredith the Summer Born again. And then she remembered who she really was. She glared at her husband, and he backed up confusedly. He had never seen her give that look before. Meredith had been the epidimy of goodness, always  smiling.  How unlucky for her that she had actually been a reincarnated seductress without knowing it. Her husband was a nice man, with mousy brown hair. He was on the chubby side, with a weak jawline and big hands. Meredith had found them comforting, but Naime found them disproportionate and undesirable. She quickly fixed her facial expression, making a quick excuse along the lines of "you scared me!". Twenty minutes later she was up and ready to go to court. Her husband had to leave earlier than her, because he was higher up in the ranks of Fae, almost right beside the Summer King himself. So Naime floated out the door a half hour after him, landing softly on the green forest ground. Her home as Meredith was a big treehouse, sprawling up into the canopy above and disappearing somewhere. She took a leisurely stroll, trying to get back in character as Meredith, a happy go lucky Summer Born, when she tripped over a tree root.
 "SHIT!" She screamed, landing on her face. She looked up, seeing a little girl in a tree and cursed again in her mind. She didn't see the dryad, just a plain tree. "Um...Hey little one, what's going on?" Naime attempted, trying to channel an annoyingly happy girl. "Shouldn't you be..." Naime trailed off. "Somewhere else?" She guessed, looking around the empty forest. The congregation of Summer Fae was nowhere near here, that was for sure.

@2b3heart

[User]
"No need to feel so pressured. I'm not going to lash out at you for the slightest mistake. Not today anyway, I'm in a good mood. Even so, you would have to really irk me to cause me to desire to harm you, and that is no longer easily done. For now, at least, feel no need to guard your words or treat me any differently than an acquaintance who could murder you at the slightest whim." Grim spoke as one bored, leading Max on a wandering path through the woods. No straight line would lead them directly to the Winter Court, but they would get there in due time.

"As for your proverbial carrot, I admit that I have failed to explain to you the benefits a mortal can find in our humble home. If there is music or art you desire to behold or make yourself, you will find no lack of either. Nearly any food or drink you can imagine, and many I am sure you cannot, are merely a request away. And you in particular have the pleasure of answering only to myself and my Queen. Few others will challenge you so long as they know you belong to me. You will want to take heed of our knight, though. I believe she does not like me overly much. Something about that honor nonsense..."

Grim smiled to himself as he walked, reaching out to let his fingers trail along the bark of a tree. It seemed incredibly sudden that they stood at the treeline, looking down at the ice palace that housed the Winter Court. It was his second favorite place in the entire realm of Faerie, and the home of himself and his Queen. It appeared that nearly everyone was out about there own business at the time, and since he had heard no response from his Queen, Grimalkin decided that he would take the time to help Max settle in.


[System]
Age*(We only except people 15 to 25): 16

Gender*: Male

Abilities*: Is an expert with various Elemental Magics. Considers himself a Jack of all trades, a master of none.

How you could work in a team: Is a precise powerhouse, can't tank hits unless wearing an elemental armor, but if he can get a solid hit in, he will end the fight.

Personality (You can keep it short if you wish)*: Is somewhat awkward around others in social situations and doesn't understand much about relationships or friendships.

Other: Number 7 on Student Council.

[User]
ghost in black
Sol glanced at the scales rapidly covering Eris's body with interest. A strange magic that seemed to increase her strength, no matter he had no intention of letting her regain momentum. Logically it would be best to cancel the match and then retrieve their braces before continuing but it would be no fun to end mid-match. Sol's eyes narrowed as he traced the path of the rapidly moving metal orb and as soon as it crossed onto his side of the court Sol was there smashing it straight down, coming down on Eris's side mere centimeters from the net. Simultaneously he caused a distortion to warp into existence around the bubble slowing down time all around it, even if Eris would normally be able to move fast enough to block the attack the time warp should've been more than enough to slow her down long enough for him to score the winning point. Even if he didn't score a point he was still in a good position to spike the ball once again, he thought grinning confidently.

---

Elza yawned and looked around dazedly when she heard some announcement about bracers, it seemed she had accidentally fallen asleep again. Oh well she was fresh and ready to go now so she eagerly grabbed a brace from the teacher. Her eye's flickered into shadow as she viewed the strange magic of the bracer flow into her and meld with her own, an interesting device. Her eyes returned to their normal color and she glanced around, Meruin was here along with several other people she didn't know very well. Elza retreated to a corner and examined her new device thoroughly curious to see how it worked and waited for classes to be announced.

[Assistant]
, @JELDare

As Cruz gave what she assumed was his title, Meruin's eyes suddenly had a very disturbing glint in them. It was by no means malicious, but it was suitably manic - the kind you see on mad scientists. The cause, of course, was not so much that Cruz mentioned he was a technomage - which had perked her interest enough - but because ue had mentioned he was the last of his kind. That sent Meruin's interest flying into the realm of the unhealthy.

"The last Technomage, you say?" she muttered audibly. "Very interesting . . . tell me, would you be willing to partake in a few experi- tests?"

For now, Slick was now pushed into the back of her mind, though part of her was resolute in talking to him more later on.

[User]
Liz waved to Meruin, she planned to walk over on her own anyway. When she arrived at the classroom she quickly went up and claimed a bracer "oh, a new design." She smiled happily and put it on her wrist and winced a bit when she drained her magic in it, for a while the bracer did not settle on its color but finally it came to a light blue clear, the color of the sea. Smiling and breathing a sigh of relief from that being over and the pain subsiding. Looking around it seemed like most people had arrived to collect their bracer as well.

Looking around the room Liz walked over to Meruin "Just a quick update~ Euphie says you are good to have a fight with her after classes today as long as she gets to have a chat with you first, if she mentions Chase just lie and say you don't know where she is though please." Liz chuckled and looked at Elza who had retreated to a corner "Talk later Meruin." She quickly dashed off and jumped in front of Elza likely spooking her "Hi there, you must be new here! Whats your name? Any questions?" Liz asked bombarding the new girl with questions.

[Assistant] Marcus stood to his feet slowly and slipped his hands into his pockets. He turned towards the school and walked deep in thought about his battle with Liz. He didn't care about how he looked like a giant mummy roaming and hunting the school. To him his appearance didn't matter. What really mattered was what the hell actually happened during his battle with Liz. He entered the classroom silently and retrieved his bracer from the teacher , applying it onto his right arm on top of the bandages. Although he didn't react to the tiny pain the bracer caused. Marcus noticed the others but was to caught up in his thoughts to acknowledge any of them. He grabbed a seat in the front row by the window and kicked his feet on top of the desk. Marcus stared out the window not noticing his bandages slowly stretch over the bracer.

[User]
The announcement woke Alex up from his daydreaming. About time... he thought while getting up from his seat, yawing. He made his way towards the classroom and watched as others in the line in front of him each took their braces. He saw Slick using some kind of flame power to change the color of his bracer, Huh...that's a pretty neat feature

Once he received his bracer, Alex wore it on his left forearm and quickly felt it digging in on his skin, "so this is how the whole concept works huh?" Alex said to himself out-loud. He turned and walked towards one of the seats in the class and sat down. So...let's see if I can do the same as him... Alex thought and looked at his bracer for a moment. He closed his eyes and pictured his ability as an aura and focused it on his forearm. Suddenly the bracer turned white and mathematical symbols started appearing on it until everything was covered with said symbols. Alex opened his eyes and took a look at the changes, ...whatever he thought, pressed the button on his MP4 and continued listening to music. Although he didn't need to attend the rest of the lesson, Alex was too lazy to stand up from his seat again...

[Assistant] Eris rushed towards the ball but suddenly felt the effects of magic similar to time dilation, when she felt this she stopped and had her sword appear under the ball and launch it into the air above her before she jumped and slammed the ball over sol's head surrounding I'd with spinning light blades to cut through his wind.

[User]
ghost in black
Sol grinned, as he thought his opponent had quickly reacted appropriately to the situation, but he wasn't done yet. Just before she launched the orb with those strange swords of hers Sol wrapped the Orb in devastatingly powerful wind currents and hurled it past Eris to the furthest corner of the court. The bubble of slowed time followed the ball catching Eris in it and hopefully stopping her from being able to react fast enough to stop his assault.
---

Elza blinked rapidly and looked up startled her shadow already forming itself into a spear and nearly launching itself at Liz before Elza realized that she wasn't under attack and her shadow quickly returned to its original form. "Um sorry didn't see you there, My name is Elza. Everything has been pretty simple so far so my only question is, what kind of classes do we have here?" she said still somewhat surprised by the sudden conversation but her natural curiosity quickly taking over.

[Assistant]
Cruz Meister, Pamela Armellia and Lynda "Lyn" Hermit
Location: Common Room

Of course, that look wasn't pleasuring in the very least and it made Cruz think about what kind of tests and experiments she wanted to perform on him. But as he was going to ask, Pamela came forward to interrupt and do a scandal. In her mind, she needed one. "Whoa whoa whoa, hey hey hey, hold on! Performing tests on him? He's not your lab rat! And plus, I don't think that your intentions are good in a single bit!", she said, taking front. "Hey... Pamela? I don't think that you know, but she isn't the kind of person that likes to be disturbed...", he said. But she wasn't going to give attention to him. Not when she was doing something that the paparazzi would come and take photos to publish on the journals. After all, every worldwide diva makes a scandal here and there, so why she wouldn't make one?

Lyn sighed. All that scene just proved that Pamela was an idiot and that the level of respect between them was going to be really small. Lynda isn't the kind of person that likes the weak. She just has a friendly acquaintance with Cruz because of who he is. She never saw his power directly, but she had expectations.. "I'm heading to the classroom. You coming, Cruz?", she said. "I guess I'm kinda in trouble here, so I'll go later...", he said. "Hey, no going in class until I take some answers out of this girl!", Pamela butted in. With a face of diappointment, Lyn left the common room towards the classroom, leaving Cruz and Pamela behind.

[User] Ryan recieved his bracer and didn't even flinch when the painful magic was inserted into him. The bracer turned somewhat crimson. His head snapped towards Meruin when he heard experiments. He glided over to Slick, Cruz, and Meruin and barely restrained a grin. "Did someone say, experi– I mean tests! Tests, not experiments. Experiment implies pain." He muttered to himself that last part.

[Assistant] Deus watched as the Bracer was inserted into him. He didn't feel any pain, he began to laugh. He was already used to this kind of pain, but worst. He walked up to Agni seeing as how Cruz and He had arrived at the same time. 'Agni...He really interests me.' He looked at Agni for a long time before he began to speak. "Hello Agni we meet again at last. My name is Deus if you didn't hear me before, the one who had that little skirmish with you yesterday. So how are you doing?" Deus was extremely interested in him, not in the experimental way but the way that he would like to know about him.

[User]
Agni Blackheart
Location: Common Room

As he was leaving the common room, a dialogue against his will started. While reading the Word of Hatred, Agni simply moved his eyes looked at the person who was talking to him. The question that Deus asked made Agni know that he wanted to make some kind of friendship or another thing. However, he was just cold as he ever is to answer. "... Why do you even ask? If you are expecting any sweet answer from me, throw those hopes in the trash. I don't believe in the slightest that you care about how I'm feeling and how I am now.", he said, walking towards the exit. But before leaving, he closed the Word of Hatred, looked forward and spoke one last thing. "... You all are liars. More of those people who use masks to hide what they really feel. I don't have reasons to be speaking with people that prefer to fake happiness instead of throwing out the hatred they feel. After all, inside of your tiny little heart... You. Hate. Me.", he said. After that, he opened his grimoire once more and finally left the room.

[Assistant] Deus scratched his head and then put on a serious face. 'Liars huh, that word resembles everyone including you.... Lies are what shapes us, at the end of the day we are just human, nothing else....Our hearts can rot, all that matters is what we believe in..' Deus thought, his thoughts weren't in order more like Disarray, that's why everything he thought was unclear, he didn't even know what he was thinking. 'A dark aura, surrounded by loneliness and hatred...He must have gone through a lot.' He walked around the common room for some time. He noticed Marcus and walked to him. "Hey Marcus, you alright now, that was a pretty good fight out there, all you need is training and you'll master that power if yours, Anyways how are you feeling?"

[User]
Meruin frowned. "I assure you, whatever my intent, what I have planned may benefit the both of us," she stated. She gave a questioning look to Cruz. "I'm afraid she's an unfamiliar face to me, Mr. Cruz. Is she yours, or is she playing a joke on you too?"

She was referring to her interaction earlier with Sol and Cornelia, but of course, neither of them knew that.

"And yes, Ryan. I offered to preform a few . . . tests for Mr. Cruz, not on. I'm quite generous, aren't I?" said Meruin in an awkward attempt to make her offer seem better.

[Assistant]
@floodtalon

Cruz Meister and Pamela Armellia
Location: Common Room

Cruz looked at Pamela and looked back at Meruin. "Uhh... how am I supposed to answer that? Let's see... well, she's just a firend I met here in the academy.", he said. Inside her own space, Pamela was heartbroken for hearing that, but she still stood up for him. "A-Anyway, you totally changed the phrase! Now you said for, when in a moment ago you said on! And what's this about benefit both of you?! I don't see ANY benefit in this thing for him!", she said, angry.

[User] "Are you making this difficult on purpose?" stated Meruin bluntly. The girl was starting to get on her nerves, mostly because she was very loud. "This is a matter between me and Mr. Cruz, if you want to get involved, I will not stop you, but kindly have the sense of grace to at least be polite and tone down your volume, otherwise I will disregard everything you have to say."

[Assistant] Liz chuckled and took a seat on the floor in the corner beside her "What kind of classes, well I guess its split into 3 main types. Fitness classes like gym and such, Magic classes to help us refine our magic skills and finally academic classes like math and other languages." She paused "However, you don't really have to go to all of them just enough. For example someone like Meruin over there might not go to the fitness classes as much but makes up for it with going to the other two types where as I would likely skip basic classes and just focus on fitness and magic." Liz finally explained "Does that make sense?"

[User]
Cruz Meister and Pamela Armellia
Location: Common Room

"Hrrrrgrrrr... you're getting on my nerves...", she said. Cruz took the front this time and spoke. "... Alright. We'll do this test for me and on me. After class, you decide where we're going. Pamela will come with me.", he said. "But Cruz-", she tried to speak, but he held her back.

[Assistant]
Meruin raised a brow. "Are you sure? I haven't even explained the nature of the tests. Do not get me wrong; I am glad you accepted, but this whole affair has become needlessly complicated."

Why it became complicated, Meruin left unsaid, but her pointed look at Pamela was a dead giveaway.

[User] Ryan nearly screamed in joy. Performing tests on a Technomage was insane in theory. "You can take the lead on these tests. I am just glad I can participate."


[System]
* Age: 15
* Gender: Female
* Appearance: "The only point in being here is to train to be the best Tuner possible!" Rika is very short for her age.
* Personality: Rika is usually rather serious. She firmly believes that her reason for being at the Akiyama-Kreuz Academy is to become the best Tuner she can possibly be, moreso than anything else. She is also very stubborn and fixated on this purpose. She believes all that is needed to be a powerful Tuner is the willingness to succeed and the will to help from her Receiver, and she is likely to blame her Receiver for any failure. Rika dislikes what she perceives as foolishness, stupidity, or perversion, often chastising those who so such behaviors very vocally. She is easily angered and quick to resort to minor physical punishment(dope slaps, for example) for what she believes is stupid or foolish behavior. However, Rika genuinely desires to help people and keep them safe, and this is a large part of her motivation for her desire to become the best possible Tuner. Still, she is also a prideful and stubborn girl who is quick to snap at others. She is also easily flustered, and very jealous of girls who are taller and more mature than herself. Rika wants a receiver who will truly and honestly attempt to help her and nothing else.
* Type: Weapon-Type
* Weapon: Currently, as Rika lacks a Receiver, she cannot generate her own weapon. She has, however, managed to take a family heirloom katana with her. While this is normally strictly prohibited, as long as the weapon is made available to historical researchers its presence has been tolerated. Her weapon will likely be some form of sword, and potentially use this katana to trigger its formation.
* Skills: Rika was trained by her father in traditional Japanese swordplay. She is also fairly well-versed in Japanese history. However, Rika is a horribly, terribly bad cook, much to her embarrassment. It could be considered an offensive skill by itself due to the near-toxic status of her cooking.
* Brief Backstory: Rika was born to the Maki family, a family in touch with its roots, and a father who ran a dojo. He lavished training in Japanese swordplay on his daughter, and instilled her with pride and a deep desire to succeed in all she does. She went on to do her best, to attempt to do everything she could to ensure she did her best, in everything she tried to do. However, due to a tragic event in her childhood that nearly killed a close friend, Rika has become even more dedicated to the ideal of becoming the best possible Tuner, stubbornly fixated on this ideal beyond everything else.
* Receiver: None as of yet.

[User]
The appearance of the display above his dead was nothing short of 'surprising', but James found it more apt to not be crushed by a bunch of other students before turning his head up to take a good look at it. The ordering was a mess, for sure, but... Well, no, actually, there was no upside. Geez, the infrastructure for this facility needed a serious overhaul in the future; it was a miracle that they got anything done, even with the equipment that they had. Seriously, it had to take skill in order to goof structure this badly! At least make the damn thing alphabetized!

"Fuckin'... Okay, let's see here... James, James, James... There! Okay, my name's still in English, which saves me a lot more headache. And the winner is... Someone by the name of Akiya Nobuhiko. Hrm. Well, he doesn't stand out too much..."

Sighing, James looked around momentarily before the din of other students searching for their partners started becoming too much for him to bear. Seriously! Whose idea WAS it to set it up like this? Were they TRYING to blow out everyone's eardrums on their first day here?

"Son of a.. Alright, let's see if we can't..." he swore to himself as he slipped his way through the crowd in order to arrive at a somewhat-less overcrowded location in order to... Well, in essence, use the nearby equipment as a platform to get a better look around. Ruining his voice was overrated, and... Seriously, who would be able to see jack shit in this mess?

---

"Oh no. Oh no, it's happening..." Mari sighed, shaking her head as the list of names flashed brightly overhead, lording over the students (as it should); the cacophony that was every pair trying to find one another than soon followed made her instinctively shrink back. That was only temporary, though, as her ears got used to the blaring noise reminiscent to that of a concert (or so she assumed; she'd never been to one, but she'd seen enough online to assume). The listing seemed to be organized by the names of the Tuners, which meant that it would end up being more of a hassle to hunt for her partner that it would him... Or her... Well, whatever worked.

With that in mind, Mari quietly moved to the back of the room and... Well, waited. It'd be much easier to find her partner (and vice versa) if the rowdy ones did their jobs first. Granted, it'd take a bit longer this way, but if it meant not having to shove her way through this sea of people...

[Assistant]
Rozmonda raised an eyebrow as the head researcher simply flushed red and looked down at the floor, stammering something she couldn't make out before dropping her question in favor of a more 'on topic' one asked by another student. With a sigh, the foreign student barely listened to the familiar explanation that served as the normally nervous woman's answer. She, personally, held a low opinion and little faith in the personality-based pairing system that the Academy used. That was no surprise, as it had utterly failed to come up with a suitable match for her yet.

So it was with a look of mild curiosity mixed with resigned boredom, and just the tiniest twinkle of hope, that she turned her attention to the pairing results that appeared in the air. Cute, anime, anime, handsome redhead!, cute smile, adorkable, bland, blander, anime, adorkable, bland, bland... The girl gave brief assessments of the pictures shown next to the names as she skimmed through the list, coming to her name and image after a moment. She frowned at the picture of her they had decided to use, thinking it outdated and only useful for identifying her thanks to her atypical-to-japan looks.

Putting that aside, she flicked her eyes over to the name next to her own. Alexis Thorburn sounded foreign to her, making it unlikely she'd have to deal with the particularities of a Japanese upbringing in her partner. Flicking her eyes over once more to the picture beside the name, she concluded that her partner was also positively adorable. Despite her general outlook on the whole situation, Rozmonda found herself interested in meeting her partner to be.

Deciding that it would be far easier for them to find her than the other way around, the tall redhead simply stood off in a patch of shorter students and looked around for any approaching faces that matched the picture.

---

Sora found herself wondering exactly why the researcher did allow her hair to be in such a manner, silently thinking that perhaps a shorter haircut would help her out in at least a purely ease of care manner. The older girl who had asked, clearly, seemed to have aesthetics in mind, though. In any case the question went unanswered, replaced by one that Sora already knew the answer to. She listened intently to the more confidently delivered answer all the same, not wishing to miss out on any new nuggets of information.

Unfortunately, though not unexpectedly, there were no new nuggets to be found from such a simple question. The studious young girl had learned all this long ago, though she personally suspected that genetics played a closer role than the school might think due to it's potential influences on personality. Such theories were hard to test, however, due to the issues of separating the effects of nature from the effects of nurture. In any case, she didn't disagree with the explanation provided nor the dismissal of genetics as ultimately being marginal.

The pairings list was displayed shortly after the researcher finished answering the sole legitimate question, Sora adjusting her glasses slightly as she quickly skimmed down the list in search of her name and picture. A light frown tugged at the edges of her lips as she noticed the glare of her glasses made her eyes hard to see in the photo, rendering her even more generically average than normal. Her partner, a boy by the name of Plancy and somewhat average looking himself, would have a hard time picking her out from the various other girls that had similar looks.

As the students matched up and cleared out, the ease of finding each other would rise. However, due to the mild chaos and sheer number of students, that could take quite awhile to work out. So, there was merely one efficient and acceptable option. Making her way over to the exit, standing off to one side, she raised one arm straight up in the air.

"Olivier de Plancy?" She called out in a clear tone, measuring the loudness to be just enough to cut across the chattering noise of the other students.

[User]
Kurihashi Keiichi
Keiichi kept looking at the nervous researcher, before hearing someone comment on her hair. The question made the researcher even more nervous, annoying the emotional boy. As he decided to look away from the researcher, Keiichi noticed the researcher decided to change the topic to the process of pairing Receivers and Tuners together, with a less nervous voice. While he indeed wanted to hear that and the researcher being less nervous is a good thing, it annoyed the boy more at the same time, since he didn't want to have the topic changed without any warning. Soon, the researcher notified everyone in the room that the pairings came, with her voice seeming less nervous just like when she was talking about the pairing system.

Soon, a list appeared in Keiichi's vision, with his name listed next to "Kougami Mari", which seemed to be female from the picture. He quickly decided to start moving to find the woman, which took some time. However, it didn't take long to find the woman, which is exactly the woman in the picture. Keiichi shoved some people to reach the woman, softly smiling as he talked.

"Hello, Kougami-San. I am Kurihashi Keiichi. I am your partner if I am right. Nice to meet you." Keiichi slightly blushed while looking at the woman, thinking of her as a good-looking person.

---

Tatebayashi Eri
Eri briefly looked at the list, noticing some people have their name in their own language, with a smaller, and transliterated versions of their name that above the name, with the languages for the transliteration varying with their partner's mother tongue, at least from what the girl could see. Among the names, there was the slightly blonde-haired girl's name without a transliterated version of it, meaning she was to be paired with a Japanese person.

Looking at the name next to hers, noticing she was paired up with a person called "Akeya Kagura", with a picture of a girl with a long, black hair next to it, indicating her appearance. The slightly blonde-haired girl looked at the crowd of people which started to scramble around the room, with some of them waiting for their partners to come. As Eri decided to start moving, she noticed the person which was exactly like the girl in the picture found the slightly blonde-haired girl first, proceeding to greet the girl with glasses.

"Yes. I'm Tatebayashi Eri. Nice to meet you, too." Eri kept her reply simple and proper, hoping the black-haired girl in front of her is a kind person.

[Assistant]
The Twins
Michi had crossed her arms over her chest, listening intently to what the researcher had to say about genetic compatibility. It was when she mentioned the compatibility of relatives being stifled by protectiveness that she faltered, almost sputtering a protest out loud. She held her tongue, though. There was no way the researcher had meant her and her brother. She couldn't be that protective of him. Sure she looked out for him and did everything she could to keep her naively innocent brother out of trouble, but she wasn't detrimental to his growth. Was she?

Her brother didn't seem to have noticed the implications of the researcher's words, or possibly just wasn't bothered by it. Instead, he stood on his tip toes look up at the projection with wide, bright eyes, "Ohhhh, Michinee, you're paired with someone pretty cute~ How lucky~! Now to find my name..."

"It's weird to call your-" Wait, wait, wait. Naoki wouldn't call himself cute like that. Furthermore, why would he need to find his name? Michi looked up at the list and had to do a double take. Sure enough, she was paired with a girl she didn't know, "What...? But I thought... why aren't we paired together?"

"Ehhh, its a little disappointing," Naoki mused tapping his chin, "But this way we'll make new friends, right? I think I see my partner, I'm gonna go say hi."

Before Michi could protest, her brother had already wandered away through the crowd of students. She sighed. Dammit, what was she supposed to do now? She didn't want to paired with someone else, but she also didn't want to go against the school's decision.

Well, she might as well take a chance to get to know her partner. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad? Naoki wasn't wrong, after all. The girl did look pretty cute...

While his sister was still having her dilemma, Naoki easily moved to the center of the group and appeared in front of a girl who was standing oddly still. Not that he seemed to notice, as he leaned back on his heels and smiled pleasantly at the much taller girl, "Hello, I'm Naoki, you're my new partner, right?" He barely came up to her chest, but that didn't deter his eagerness to make a new friend.

[User]
Fighting her way through the crowd was a pain. Rika had to keep slipping past people, who were all attempting to find their partners. Was this chaotic mess really the best option? She didn't know, but it sure did annoy her regardless. Still, given everyone was in the same room, it didn't take all that long to find her partner. The white-haired girl looked... distracted or something. Which was a state she better not be in more often then this.

The black-haired girl promptly forged her path forward, grabbed the taller girl by the wrist, and began pulling her out of the crowd. Several other students, surprised, clearing the way slowly to allow her a path out. Now they were moving, finally. They probably only noticed because of what she was doing though. Idiots.

"There's no way we'll get to talk in a crowd like this," she said, finally, as she neared the edge of the mass of students, and finally broke free, stepping out into the hall with her new partner. She released Michi's wrist, and turned to face the taller girl, planting her hands firmly on her hips as she looked up at her.

"Now, let's set a few things straight, Masayuki-san" she began, "I'm not here to make friends or anything stupid like that. The deciding factor in our relationship is my doing my best and your desire to help me. That's what will make me the best Tuner possible, and that's what I care about. This is like a business partnership, so I don't need you trying anything stupid."


[System]
ABSTRACT: Sweethearted aristocrat-to-be (unless she has anything to say about it).

DETAIL: Maria was born to a pair of middle-class citizens who run a candy shop on the banks of the Seventh River, with their apartment on the second floor. Growing up, she learned how to make her own sweets, and even helped out in the shop from time to time. Every night, she would lie on her bed and look outside at the Wall, and try to see what had been added on since the last night. Eventually, the people she saw began to take on lives of their own in her head, and she started imagining what their lives were like, up there in the clouds, looking down at the rest of them, who surely seemed so tiny amidst the great wide majesty of the sky and the lands beyond the Wall. Unfortunately, her parents' candy shop began to go into decline, and her father, with nowhere else to go, beseeched an influential billionaire for his help. He gave it, but under one condition; that he take Maria as a wife. Naturally, this did not appeal at all to Maria or her parents, so they accepted his aid, then had Maria flee onto the Wall. She came equipped with as much candy and as many clothes as she could pack, a pad of paper and a pencil (for her sigil), and mixed emotions; she was finally going to be able to work on the Wall and see beyond it, like she'd always dreamed, but she was also being pursued by a ruthless billionaire who wanted her for a wife. Nonetheless, she won't let that dampen her good spirits, and greets everyone with a sunny smile and a piece of homemade candy.

MAGICAL INVENTORY: Maria has one sigil, which she memorized just before she left for the Wall. It turns whatever it's written on into what's essentially a mine, but instead of exploding, it emits a great burst of air, enough to propel someone several steps back or into the air briefly. Normally, this only acts as a distraction while Maria legs it, but up on the Wall, one wrong step can mean your doom.

THEME: Unidentified Flavorful Object

[User]
Vincent shook his head. "There were. We lost track of them." So much had happened that even his ability to remember everything he has seen could only help so much. Much of his efforts had been in keeping himself alive. He remembered when the others were separated from them, but he hadn't noticed what happened to them.

Vincent opened his mouth in realization. He remembered that incident. Something about it had felt off. At the time he simply dismissed those thoughts as his imagination going wild, and besides there was a girl he was interested in at the time and thus he had better things to do with his time.

He knew the sigil that the city made up quite well. After all, Father made sure that he knew at least the history of sigils as they were after all a part of the basis for a rune mage's knowledge.

A hint of recognition briefly flashed on Vincent's face. Of course. He knew exactly the rune that would work for that. The thought hadn't crossed his mind until now. This rune was the basis for the creation of items like his pen. While he lost himself in thought he blanked out part of what the Queen said. Then she turned to face him calling attention to herself with an apologetic expression.

Vincent looked away from the Queen, uncomfortable with her expression and tone. She was supposed to be an authority figure. Someone imposing. This was completely different than how Father behaved towards him. This didn't feel right. Vincent then reminded himself that she was a woman, and women did things differently. Regardless, he didn't want to back down. He didn't want to feel like he lost to her.

At least there was way to destroy the Grit. He had been certain that he had seen the same one twice after it had been killed.

Vincent tightened his lips in thought and let out a low. "Hmmm." He looked at the Queen. "So, you've told us what we should do, but what will you be doing? Staying here with your robots? Or will you help another way?" He knew the Queen had a history of being sickly, but her sitting around doing nothing but wait only left him feeling more irritated. He didn't want to hear the Queen's response, he simply wanted her to think about it.

He glanced around the room looking for ways out and then looked back at the Queen, but not before he looked briefly at Kat. "How do we get out of here? I'm not at all interested in sitting around doing nothing, and there are those of us that have family to save." He had no interest in saving his family, but he knew Kat was particularly close with her family and he imagined everyone else here had their own to worry about.

When he had a moment, he had a few things he wanted to try out anyways.

[Assistant]
As Liam entered through the portal he felt…weird. In an instant he went from standing on solid ground to feeling like he was mid air before finally finding himself in a completely different area.

"Right back at ya buddy. Go team and all right?" Liam said as he started catching his breath and calming himself down. Liam suddenly saw a flash of red as he gave a slight grunt. He clutched his stomach as he was met with a horrible sight. Blood was now dripping profusely from his wound as he slowly bled out. His vision began to blur and his head spun like a top as he tried to find a place to sit.

Suddenly everything went black. Liam felt like he was still standing but couldn't see. It was then that he felt the soft touch and an even softer voice. A voice he had heard all too often and was now accustomed to.

Liam's vision returned to him as he stared at the queen, mouth agape. There standing before him was the actual queen of Periphery. And to top it all off she was touching him. Liam tried to move backwards away from the queen…but couldn't. His whole body was not responding to him at all. As the queen walked away from him, Liam continued to stand in that position as his body slowly came back under his control. With what little movement he had, Liam slowly turned to Vincent, mouth still agape as one trembling finger pointed at the queen. He was about to say something before the medical robots rushed him and began tending to his wounds.

As the conversation between the group and queen carried on, Liam tuned out everything around him, deciding to recount the events of the past day. So what has happened so far? Well let see I narrowly evaded lightning that turned people to stone. I came into contact with a demon rabbit child thing that probably has rabbies and…other things. oh and said rabbit child controlled an army of Grit who were pretty adamant on killing us and eating our flesh. Then said Grit decided that candy tastes way better than meat and decided to fight for the candy instead. Then a robot savior swooped in with that laser pistol and got us here, where the queen..." Liam thought before his ears picked up a part of the conversation.

The realization that many of the group was not present hit Liam hard. With everything that had happened at this point he had forgotten about the rest of the group. In a rage Liam hit himself on the head a couple of times before sinking his head into his hands. "You fool Carter, you fool." He mumbled. As much as Liam wanted to put the blame on himself for the others not keeping up with him, he knew that those who fell behind knew the risks before going ahead with the plan. "If you're up there, keep them safe will you?" He mumbled as he looked towards the sky. Yet again his focus shifted from his thoughts to the conversation between the group and the queen.

Almost instantly Liam sprang up upon hearing those words from the queen, pushing away the medical robots, who were just about done with his wounds anyways. "W-wait. Your saying that we can bring those people who turned back to normal?" He said, a weak smile appearing on his face. "T-that means we can save Da-" Liam immediately stopped himself as his smiled vanished and he realised just how stupid his idea was. Not only would the Grit be swarming the top of the wall, Liam would potentially cause the loss of an innocent life just so he could save someone he had considered a very good boss and friend. "On second thought, forget I said that…er your majesty." Liam said as he stepped back and let Vincent finished before continuing.

"I have to agree with Vincent somewhat, As much as I want to help you and believe me I do, I worry for my family, and unfortunately in this case family comes first. " Liam said, all the while averting the gaze of her majesty. "However I think its very clear that all our families live on very different sides of the city. So unless you have a portal that can get us to our houses very quickly we are going to be spending a lot of time away and worst of all, not in a group. But whatever you guys decide, I'm with you one hundred percent." He said with a smile as he decided to look around.

[User]
Berry
"Good gracious" Berry covered her mouth in shock.

Needless to say The Queens explanation of the situation held a few revelations for her. Being one of those people who held the royal family in very high regard (she even had a few commemorative plates in her display cabinet at home) to think that the Royal Family would even partake in such…ghastly activities simply shocked her beyond belief. Her eyes roved over The Queen not quite certain if she should still be as trusting.

While the news that the people turned to stone could be returned back to flesh and blood came as some relief, the suggestion by a young man that they'd probably end up splitting quickly made her even more concerned than before.

"Absolutely not." She snapped at him a little too harshly.

Berry took a second to collect herself at that moment before she continued, in a softer tone but still somewhat on edge. She knew her mid was playing tricks; making the cavern feel smaller and stuffier than it really was.

"I don't know about the rest of you, I'm going to assume you all met up prior to arriving here. But I was with another group." Berry cast a glance back at the portal they had come from.

Still no-one.

"There were quite a few of us, but they elected to go to one of the weapon stores one of the sentries pointed out I went with the sentry to double check the path was clear. Unfortunately, it wasn't and I…" Berry felt her mouth go dry at the thought that followed on.

"Well." She continued with a controlled breath. "Need I say more. Safety in numbers and all that. Best not spread ourselves too thin at the moment. I'm sorry, I…I know you want to help your family and friends. But…"

Berry wanted to add something. Anything really to make her words seems more than just simple excuses and fearful arguments but, if she was being honest with herself, that's all they really were.

[Assistant]
Maria gave the Queen's hands a quick squeeze, and offered her a smile. "I'm glad to see that you're all right too, milady!" She turned to the gallant robot who had saved her from the stream of monsters that she was desperately trying to put out of her mind, temporarily if not permanently. "Thanks for saving my life, Roy!" She smiled at him, hoping that she was able to convey warmth and gratitude, rather than the chaotic mix of leftover fear, a tint of sadness, and, most of all, fatigue, swirling around inside her head.

At this, Maria's mood seemed to grow sadder. "There were. They... They were hit by the lightning, and got turned to stone." Her thoughts went back to her parents, and to the young man who had saved her life, way back up at the top of the world. "I hope we can save them all..."

Maria was, quite frankly, stunned. Just that morning, her situation was that of an ordinary girl (what she had begun to refer to as her "second thoughts" butted in with "if ordinary girls were being pursued by lovesick millionaires"), and now... Now, she was part of a ragtag group that was comprised almost solely of people who had little to no combat experience. It was all they could do to merely stay alive, and all Maria could do to try and keep everyone's spirits up with judicious application of candy. But now, now that they were out of the heart-pounding circumstance of being pursued by rabid Grit, the true gravity of the situation dropped like a ten-ton weight onto Maria's slight shoulders. How could they possibly manage to stop the Grit?

Almost as if in answer, the speech she had given to Kat and Moth not even an hour prior rose in her mind. The memory made her smile, and she whispered to herself, almost as a reminder, "Hey, that wasn't so hard." Maria looked up at the Queen with an honest smile, and said "You're right, it is kind of a lot to ask. But I don't blame you; we're all in kind of a pickle right now, heehee. And besides, you don't have to worry about us. We've managed to survive this long using only runes, our wits, and candy. And Roy." She waved at the robot again, the turned back to the Queen. "And just think! If we survived so long with so little, just imagine what we can accomplish with real, actual weapons now! Not to mention Milady's support!" She turned around to look at each member of their little party in turn, every member of which Maria felt something almost like kinship: that special kind of bond you get with someone when you survive a life-threatening situation with them. Seeing them all, here with her, filled her with a rush of excitement and happiness. She nodded decisively, then turned back to the Queen. "Yep! With all the awesome stuff we've got, and the bond we have together as friends, there's no way we can possibly fail! I promise you, Milady, we'll do as much as we can to beat back the Grit and save Periphery! And, to make sure everyone's in tip-top shape, I'm gonna share some of my candy with you all!" She tapped her chin and "hmm"ed at the Queen, looking her up and down, while rummaging through her jacket with the other. "You seem like more of a white chocolate sort of person, Milady. So, here you go! One white chocolate cream!" She proudly presented the small, spherical, white treat to the Queen, situated in the center of her palm. It wasn't entirely unscathed, with the top being one large dent, but it still looked plenty appetizing.