[System]
Goes By (Nicknames):Tajjus, or Tajje.
Age: Unknown, though he has a mind set of a 19-35 year old.
Gender: Male
Race: Human(?)

APPEARANCE

Portrayed By (Actor/Actress): Unknown. Tajjus has never shown his face since his baby-years. ((I do not really favor an actor and actress, and, I'd prefer to keep Tajjus's facial features a secret anyways. I think you understand.
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: An unnatural pale teal.
Skin Tone: Unknown
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 360 pounds, armor, weapons, and all.
Body Build: Tajjus is entirely coated in armor, but, it is clear due to his armor's build that his own body structure would not be bulky, but slightly lean, though by far bulkier than any elves' body build. He does not have any minute amount of body fat, and is completely muscle and bones.

Weapons: Tajjus is a man who keeps with him a variety of weaponry, both out of habbit and to ensure his survival.

Knives: These are the backbone of his weaponry. These throwing blades range from six inches long to two feet, some jagged, some double-edged, but all insanely sharp. These blades's metal vary between alloys of iron, steel, bronze, and a metal type exclusive to Tajjus's tribe's region: Territh. This metal is a sacred mixture of different alloys of various metals, and is something that is what the majority of his knives are made of. This metal is light, yet extremely resilient. This blade can be thrown farther distances than his other knives, and are naturally the sharpest of his blades.

Daggers: A more heavy-duty variation of knives, Tajjus has a few of these on him, all approximately 3 feet long. These all are coated with a liquid that is extremely flammable. All blades under this category could be considered more dependable than knives, though they can not be thrown as far.

Claymores: Tajjus does not have in his possession a sword, despite this, on his person he has four claymores, each double edged, and as keenly honed as the rest of his melee items in his inventory. These are more reliable to sustain heavy blows than his other weapons, and two of these are coated with said flammable liquid.

Bow and Quiver:
Tajjus is a skilled and acute marksman, and when he desires or is required to engage his enemy from a far, he is not ill-equipped. His quiver is supplied with a fair amount of arrows, and his bow has seldom let him down in it's capabilities, if at all. Some arrows are poison tipped, though only a small handful are.

Overall Appearance (Clothing Included): pre13.deviantart.net/c62f/th/pre/i/201..

PERSONALITY
Likes: Tajjus enjoys time to himself as much as he would enjoy a friend. He will often go off on a long, silent hunting trip or travel for time to himself and time to think. He is considered a wanderer, and for the most part, he is. Tajjus also will never kill owls, and has a personal liking for them. He finds a small appealing to a calculated risk, and will make and take these repeatedly. He enjoys the independence of his occupation, though banishment makes him lonely at times.
Dislikes: Tajjus does not grin at the thought of a more skilled knife thrower, and it is in his subconscious, though he will never admit this, to be the best knife thrower there is. To see someone defeat him in his blades man ship is a disgrace to him. He dislikes pointless killing, but will tolerate it if he must. He also does not appreciate those who do not apply logical thinking, or any form of hotheadedness.
Strengths:
Mental Strengths:
 -Tajjus is a fighter at heart, and will push himself or battle on until either his opponent(s) is dead, or he is. He does know when to retreat and when to attack, but once engaged, Tajjus will only back down if he absolutely has to.
 -Tajjus is a relatively smart man, and has a developed over the years a slightly detective like instinct, as for when he is searching for prey, such as a bounty target, or just an animal.
 -Tajjus is not the type of man who will ever lie, but, if a circumstance does come where information must not be conveyed, he will often remain silent. Until then, he will most often speak the truth.
Physical Strengths:
-Due to his loss of complete vision, Tajjus's hearing, smelling, and touch have strengthened greatly, and he uses these to his full advantage. He can hear the smallest breath if he tones his ears for so, and can distinguish many textures fairly easily, and has an uncanny knack for identifying things.
-Tajjus has incredibly acrobatic reflexes, and can perform the most intricate maneuvers with what seems to be natural prowess, and graceful ease. Tajjus's reflexes are extremely sharp, rival that of an elven warrior's, and eclipse a regular humans reactions.
-Tajjus may have a weakened arm, but, he is still a very capable knife thrower and bowsman. With his light-weight knives, he can almost throw a knife with pin-point accuracy 100 yards away.
Weaknesses:
Mental Weaknesses:
-Tajjus has sunken into the shades of greys many, many times during his travels. He has a strict form of what is right and wrong, and will do what many or some would think questionable and call it right. Tajjus could be considered somewhat ruthless in this way.
-Ever since banishment from his home, and the death of his loved ones, Tajjus believes the sentence of banishment he was given: He is doomed to a life of violence, and isolation. He often is a bit of a pessimist because of this, and since he believes these words or his final destiny, he will plunge into many different dangerous missions, whether it is wise or not wise.
-Though banished, Tajjus keeps himself constricted to his people's ancient teachings: To never expose himself until circumstances are right, and to remain armed and masked. He also upholds many queer religions, such as knocking on doors three times to keep demons away before entering, and he will always usher a silent prayer before ever breathing in an area that has smoke. This prohibits him form entering a place directly—there are also several holidays or sacred times when he believes it would not believe it is his time to fight.
Physical weaknesses:
-Tajjus is color blind, and lives in a world where his blues and greens are forever his greys and blacks. This partially saddens the warrior, as he can never truly admire the beauty or detail of anything entirely, and also an agitation. He will never be able to tell which color is which.
-Tajjus's right arm is slightly weaker than his right, due to an injury that occurred long ago in a hunting trip. It is more sensitive to pain, and cannot support as much weight as the other. This arm will also break easier, and is just a tad slower than any of his other limbs.
-Tajjus has a bit of a bad heart, and though it pumps strong, if he fights too long he will either pass out, fall into a comma—or worse, he will die. Some say he was cursed with such a thing, and that the days are counting down to when his heart will no longer pump, and he will die. Blows to the chest quicken any of these terrible results/ fates, and he often cannot keep up in a long fight for long. He will try though. And that is what may kill him as well.
-Tajjus is also partly blind in his left eye as well.
Fears: Being banished from his only family and tribe has left Tajjus scarred, and he believes that if he has proven to not be strong enough once, he will fail again. Since he knows failure is inevitable, he is constantly haunted by the prospect of not being able to perform the way he will need to, or be able to meet the demands that his tasks give. Tajjus doesn't only fear his failure, he fears his surroundings a bit, in the sense he does not know everything about the place he has been banished to, and feels perpetually paranoid of the sorts of people he meets, and has witnessed many things that have caused him to wonder and be extremely cautious of what black magic haunts middle earth. He has very little trust for dwarves, elves, and orcs.

Overall Personality: Tajjus is on the quiet side, as in he makes sure with every move he hardly makes a sound. He speaks when spoken to for the most part, and keeps any indications of what he is thinking or feeling concealed with a perpetually calm, gentle voice that echoes of some of his experiences, but holds the energy of one who's ready to go through twice more before sitting down for a retirement. Tajjus has learned the quality of patience and acceptance to their fullest almost. Even his closest hardly knew what he thought, and because of this, very few could defned him from banishment, since they could not confirm any of his intentions or innocence. His iron wall has thus thickened, due to his isolation, and feeling of rejection.
Overall, Tajjus is an open yet closed book. He will tell those who ask the answers of many things, but, if someone tried to nag at what he is or who he is, they will find it a bit more difficult to tug those ropes or hit those notes.

BACKGROUND
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: The deserts of a far away land. Little is known about this desert area, save that its residence is a tribe of humans who call themselves the 'Zithe Khan'. A pack of deadly and religious people.
Social Ranking: Stranger, Hunter, foreigner who brings in hunted goods into town for trading. Occasionally Bounty-Hunter
Family: None. All have died.

Other Relationships:

Since he entered Middle Earth, Tajjus has few friends, if any. He knows the basics of being social, he is just having a hard time fitting in, despite how many years he has already been in middle earth.

[User]
Tajjus had awakened only minutes after the sun rose, his eyes now on the house which his prey took residence in. He gave a light huff, as he heard the sounds of voices. So everyone was awake. He leaned forward from his concelaled perch in the bushes, listening intently. There was lot of chatter, and an introduction. Tajjus would catch the she-elf's name. He found it to be something as that came so easily off the tongue, something smooth and elegant that fit the elf perfectly. Tajjus sighed as he reviewed how the elf seemed to have a relationship with the dwarf. It was going to weigh on his conscience some if he had to kill her, but not enough to haunt him forever.

He examined one of his poison coated knives, flipping it lightly in his hands, before sheathing it.

-

Kili tried hard to maintain some forms of patience as he stood where he was. Introductions and whatnot…this was taking forever. Kili gave himself the soft reminder to just remain calm, as much as he wanted to pack up and move towards their original goal: the mountains full of gold, which belonged to Thorin. The thought made Kili furrow a brow; hadn't there been speak last night of how man was only driven by greed? Perhaps the same could be said for dwarves? No. Thorin was just seeking his heritage. And the gold did rightfully belong to the dwarves.

[Assistant]
Patience, young Kili, I hope your brother taught you that. Adventure is ahead of you, and I will be there, but now, let's not have any grudges between me and your kin

Saeril's soft voice sounded without her lips moving, although her luminous green-yellow eyes trailed to him. Yes, since she was blessed to both brothers, there was now a mind-link with them, although she knew that they couldn't communicate with between each other the same way. She was emotionally-linked to both Fili and Kili, meaning she could feel their emotions, hear their thoughts, see their memories, whatever she was accessed to inside their heads, but the brothers can't link with each other alone. If either one of them falls, the elf bonded to them can have an emotional change, making them grimmer and imbalanced. This was certainly the reason why the Fangorn Elves were tasked to protect them.

"She will be joining us for this quest", the wizard sounded in the background, which made the Dwarf prince sigh in annoyance. Another elf. It had to be one of the people who betrayed his grandfather. "You need to reach mountain before the last days of Autumn", Beorn recalled over them. "You are running out of time", he added to them. "Which is way we must go through Mirkwood", Gandalf responded the ski changer, which made Saeril frown at hearing such a place. "That forest lies in the deepest part. Foul things creep beneath those trees. I would not venture there, unless in great need", Beorn warned him with grim in his rough voice.

[User]
I know, I know. This just seems to be taking a wee minute longer than it needs to. Kili returned, as he stood casually to the side, Mirkwood…that'll be an interesting shortcut. I don't believe I've been in those parts before. He mused. It was then that it doned upon Kili he had yet to say a word. He arched his brows, before blinking twice. It had been as if the Saeril had been right beside him, talking to him in a quieting whisper. Kili forced himself to not look in the elfs direction. She probably was going to be wearing a smug or amused teasing smile. He could use without that, and he didn't need to look like some dwarf fixated upon Saeril's good looks like any other man would. He didn't need any of that. So how was this elf pulling off this little trick? He had no idea, but something was telling him that Saeril was going to be enjoying this part of the adventure. Well…I hope the adventure starts soon then.

-

Tajjus had his own reasons to be amused. He had the elf in his sights, his bow was drawn back so that an arrow was pointed right for her chest, the poisoned dart was drugged to nock her out. He had yet to fire though. He simply was waiting for a clear shot. He was already routing a good escape route. It was when a man robed in grey with a strangely large hat appeared. Tajjus had been journeying in the land lon g enough to know that someone with that garb was a wizard—who were not the type to trifle with. If his target—or Saeril as she preferred to be called was brought down now it may not end well for him.

So he continued to listen, 'You need to reach the mountain before it turns Autumn' Tajjus thoughtfully lowered his bow. 'The mountain'. They had a destination, which meant if he lost them, he'd be able to track them. Assuming he'd be able to decipher what 'the mountain' was. These were dwarves…what was important about their location, or their objective to it? I'll find out soon enough.


[System]
W a k a k o

Personal Dossier

---
Age

15

Origin

Tomakomai, Iburi Prefecture, Hokkaido, Japan

Physical Description

Wakako is a very ungirly girl. She is distinctly muscular, possesses broad shoulders and is well beyond the average female height (6'1). She tends to have her hair short and reasonably well kempt. Her uniform is always neat and tidy, but whenever she can get away with it, she prefers to wear casual clothing, anything that wouldn't be considered too "prim and proper". She also likes to be a little showy if she can manage it.

Although it will not be immediately apparent when her midriff is not exposed, an extendable cannon barrel is built into the centre of Wakako's stomach region, around where her belly button would be (although significantly larger). The recess the barrel sits in is circular and made from a steel alloy.

Characterization

-Boisterous
-Amiable
-Obedient
-Resentful
-Bullheaded
-Show off

Personal History

Wakako is the daughter of Sanae Tanegashima, a hero known for travelling around northern Japan by sea, and for being a graduate of Ishin Academy. Wakako's father, Kenta, played the role of stay-at-home dad and raised Wakako during her formative years as Sanae did her work. Wakako was raised on tales of her mother's heroism and of a romanticised life on the sea. Wakako naturally had two goals growing up as a child; become a hero, just like her mother, and sail on the sea, just like her mother. She wanted to be nothing less than one of those swashbuckling heroes that swooped and and beat the bad guys, and then party on a boat afterwards. When Wakako turned 10, Sanae, during one of her visits to her own house, offered to take Wakako on her boat as an apprentice. She wouldn't be doing any fighting, she'd just get to experience sea life and do a little work here and there. Wakako enthusiastically agreed.

It was not long after stepping on board her mother's boat that Wakako began to deeply regret her decision. Far from the romanticised sea life she'd always imagined, life on her mother's boat was harsh and cruel. Having only met her mother every so often, Wakako had never really gotten to know her as a person. Being under her direct care, Wakako quickly learned that she was an extreme disciplinarian. As she put it, life at sea was about absolute obedience to the captain of the vessel, and a failure to follow instructions required correcting. All Wakako was expected to do was haul things around, swab the decks and help with the rigging, but even the slightest failure on these parts was met with harsh scrutiny from her mother. She never spared a moment to tell Wakako that her father had been far too lenient with her, and it was about time this all changed. Wakako's illusions were thoroughly shattered, and while she remained a largely obedient girl, she grew to resent the life she once idolised.

While Wakako had in fact been planning to become a hero since she was a small girl, Sanae had never intended to give her a choice in the matter. Her daughter would be made in her own image, as that was what was best for her. This not only meant instilling in her a regimental lifestyle, but also physical development beyond typical means. Sanae Tanegashima is well known for being something of an amazon; both tall and obscenely muscular for a woman. Wakako had long since inherited her genetics as far as her height went, but now she began to grow her mother's musculature too. Only a few years back, a younger Wakako would have relished the idea of being just like her mother. Now she hated what she saw in the mirror.

On her thirteenth, Wakako quietly made a resolution. She would not become her mother. While she never once openly rebelled against her, she would take any opportunity to distance herself from her image. Where her mother was cold and distant, Wakako tried to be more warm and welcoming. While her mother preferred conservative, modest attire, Wakako preferred casual clothes that were brightly coloured. While some of these traits she had already possessed as a young girl, now she employed them as a means of quiet resistance. Her mother was no fool, and she saw the growing trend. She dismissed it as a youthful fancy. It was just a phase. The foolish girl would soon realise that no amount of contrarianism would mean anything to her plans to make her a better person.

The clincher to her plan was, as she had always planned, for Wakako to attend Ishin Academy. Sanae was sure that her old school would quash any remaining foolish thoughts in her daughter's head and turn out a proper, civilized hero. Wakako, with little choice but to follow the path her mother had set her upon, prepared herself mentally and physically for the rigours of studying at Ishin. Wakako would not be a rebellious, petulant student, but she would never be a "perfect" one. If they sought to make her an automaton, she would not be broken. She resolved to always be her own person.

Character Development & Conceptualization

Taking some inspiration from Etranger, I decided to create a character that in some ways fit the culture of the school, but not necessarily in a willing fashion. Wakako is a girl that has had obedience and discipline forced upon her, and she is not the type to go around committing wanton acts of disrespect and delinquency. However, she neither likes nor wishes to model herself upon the culture of the school. She may be a giant of a girl, but she has a little girl's heart, and she still wants to be the light hearted hero she imagined being as a child. The school may yet try to break her, but she will resist it passively to the end.

I initially considered making her more sullen and cynical due to her experiences, but not only do I feel like there's enough of those types of characters around, and the idea of her being almost deliberately cheerful just to passively spite her mother appealed more to me. Technically speaking, a lot of her characterisation is based on spiting and resisting her mother and rigid cultural values, but at the same time, to be a cheerful, loving hero like All Might (direct inspiration pending confirmation of his existence).

Abilities & Talents

---

Quirk Type

Mutation

Quirk Description

Navel Artillery – This quirk involves the person having a battleship-esque cannon built into their stomach area. The cannon barrel can be extended and retracted at will for whatever purposes suit the user. The ammunition is generated inside the user's body and funnelled into the cannon by muscle movement. Despite their biological origins, the shells are exactly what you might expect from a naval gun; possessing a metal shell and exploding on impact. The cannon presently has a maximum range of 24 miles, dependant on environmental factors.

Not being magically immune to their own explosions, the user must avoid firing in a manner likely to have their shells explode in their own face, unless they're feeling suicidal. Firing the cannon also creates a large kickback effect, which can have creative applications, but is likely to be a liability depending on the person's user's surroundings. The user must ingest ingredients conducive to creating artillery shells in order to maintain the viability of their quirk, and while the user has a biological tolerance to the presence of such substances in their body, ingesting them is by no means a pleasant experience.

Other Talents & Attributes

-Raw Physical Power: As part of her mother's campaign to make her in her own image, Wakako was pushed into a brutal physical training regimen. She got enormous muscles and a big lifting capacity out of it at the expense of looking like an absolute ogre.

-A Tolerance for Tedium: Wakako has lived the last five years of her life toiling on a boat, lifting things and cleaning. She has developed a tolerance for being subjected to boring tasks and doing what she must in order to avoid belligerent shouting from overbearing authority figures. It also makes her great at maintaining an exercise routine.

[User]
---

Straightforwardness was a positive attribute, at least in Asuka's book. She couldn't help but notice the once-over look, with Asuka keeping on a polite smile as she suggested getting settled in their room. They were still wary of one another, but if this was going to be her roommate for some time to come, then she believed that it was best if they got along. Making more friends was always for the better, anyway, but she couldn't imagine how miserable their time together would be if they spent it bickering.

For now, Asuka would take advantage of the current neutrality, nodding in agreement as she made sure she had a grip on her own luggage. That said, what should they talk about? Should she go ahead and assume this is a green light in getting to know one another? She had jumped the gun asking Yasuhide-san about his quirk and felt like she'd probably get a harsher response from Mizuhana-san. Small talk was probably the safest route.

Once she decided, Asuka brightened up her smile a little. "Did you have an alright time getting here?" She asked. "I'm from the Tochigi Prefecture, so I had quite the journey to get here." She explained.

---

Conversing with @Inkarnate

[Assistant]
Location: Ishin Academy, Sapporo, Japan -- April 7th

Interacting With: Asuka @Hero

---

"Tochigi, huh?" Yoshiba mused, remembering the prefecture's location.

The blue-haired girl wasn't particularly good at academics or geography. Not with a map or textbook in front of her, anyway. Of all of her skills, she lacked a lot when it came to academia, geography, and in general remembering things. Names were hard for her at times if she didn't repeat them in her head five-hundred times, and despite being one-hundred percent Japanese she sometimes had to pause for a minute to remember where smaller prefectures were.

Tochigi Prefecture. Nikko. Utsunomiya. Mount Nantai. Right. She knew where it was now. It was famous for Twin Ring Motegi Circuit Racing. That was cool, she guessed. At the very least Yoshiba was happy she wasn't being quizzed. She had nearly melted during the application process when she sent her application through the mail.

Her roommate seemed to want to know where she was from, which in her mind was good. Her favorite subject was herself and being from Kagoshima meant that she knew everything about it without hesitation. The girl had mused about the "journey" she had taken from her prefecture which was much closer to Sapporo than Kagoshima was. She wondered if the girl would think she was one-upping her. She doubted it, but Yoshiba knew she was prickly or at least seen that way. Not that she cared. She had come to Ishin to become the top hero, not to make friends. But if she didn't care about making friends why was she caring so much about what her roommate might think of her in the first place?

She mentally slapped herself. She was doing it again. Just like at the orphanage.

"I'm from further south. Kagoshima." She responded coolly, like she hadn't just struggled to remember where Tochigi Prefecture was. "I had to get up early, I guess. I hate trains. They're way too crowded."

Yoshiba continued forward, now making her way through the courtyard.

"So, Sakurami-san. How do you feel about this? Being left to our own devices for a whole day. I think its lame. Obviously."

[User]
Sapporo, Japan
Ishin Academy. April 7th

---

Wakako confirmed once more that this girl was even more nervous than she was. It was like that phrase about animals being more scared of you than you were of them, or however it went. It was a mixed portent for Wakako; she felt bad for Kana evidently feeling so awkward it was written all over her face, but it also gave her a small confidence boost for knowing people were as, if not more, nervous as her about this whole process. She was worried she would be surrounded by overbearing dominant types. Kind of like her mother. Of course she yet might have a few of those to deal with. That was definitely the impression she got from that Adrianne person.

Aia's tumble drew Wakako's attention, but she consciously decided not to look for long. She was sure she didn't want people gawking, at it looked like Shun had the situation under control.

"Ah, yeah, it'd probably be a good idea to set up our rooms, wouldn't it?" She had almost forgotten they had yet to get around to the task of setting up camp in their new home. What a strange thing it would be for her to set down roots for longer than a few months for once. "Let's get going then!" Wakako started in the direction of the Chiheisen building, where Aia had told them all the girls were to be housed.

"Oh,would you like me to take your stuff? I can lift things real easy, you know." Although a part of Wakako was ashamed of the body she had grown into, she had to admit it had it's advantages. She already had a pretty heavy bag given she was carrying some lifting weights in there, but she figured she might be able to manage Kana's too if it wasn't overly heavy. One part of Wakako was just trying to be helpful and make a good first impression, while the other admitted she would take some pleasure in showing off. Mother always said a task worth doing was a task worth doing efficiently. Wakako preferred to use the opportunity to impress.


[System]
Age: 16

Power: Currently Unknown. But his powers seem to deprive from the creature that is part of him, be it a manifestation of emotions or just a part of him that grew in power over the rest of him, no one will be able to know. Outside the host body, the being would manifest into a black cloud in the form of an animal, any animal it chooses. In this state, James would be faster and more agile, and the creature would be able to fight alongside him. But in this state is when James would be at his most powerful but most vulnerable as well. If the being was inside, James wouldn't die to just anything, a bullet to the brain would mostly likely only cause a scratch as the being strengthens his body. But outside, the being would leave it's more vulnerable part inside him. Thus it would push the pain and injuries on James, showing in minor injures that slowly start to increase in severity.

Appearance:

Bio: James was a strange child, even from birth. People and parents saying they found things happening around him, whenever he was in danger that he came out alive and well where others would be dead. At the age of 7 would be when it was found out what was happening with him, a group of bullies pushed him around and finally corner him. Him with a black eye and looking like he was going to be hurt more, but suddenly the bullies were being hurt. Being pushed around and even tossed around a bit as a dark cloud flowed from a cut on the top of his hand that never healed. Opening to show the darkness flowing from it and attacking the bullies. Sending them running before taking at first the look of a cat. The darkness flowing around it as it looked at him, that day was when things changed for the child. Thrown out after the stories became increasing against him, he never trusted others. Even those he thought he could trust betrayed him. He was seeing it more and more while on the streets with the creature that called itself a "Void" as a friend. He saw people like him, different and strange, bullied and hurt and rejected by society. He didn't like such prejudice against people like him. Soon him and his "Friend" would be doing what they can. Stealing from the usual "Normal" Society and giving to the supernaturals. Finding homes for others. Cautious about others but always trying to be a friend to those that he can learn to trust. After spending some time at an orphanage, he and Neric would have stumbled upon a flyer to the camp. James having to convince his friend to go, soon the two would have been on their way to the camp and to what may hopefully be some time away from everything.

James: "So what's the plan today my shadowy friend?"

Neric: "I believe that you can't plan the future, it's in constant motion. We can only think, hope and see about what will be."

James: "I couldn't agree with you more."

[User]
A Moose

Lin waited until she was certain Ivy was out of earshot before trying to catch the green-haired girl's eye. "Careful! She's uhh...easily distracted." Lin finally began to follow Ivy's path. "So? Cloak-and-dagger huh?" she eyed the girl skeptically. "I didn't know we needed code names." Thinking for a moment, she tapped her chin thoughtfully with a gloved hand. "Hmm, think of me as....you know? I'll have to get back to you on that!" she chuckled, eyes returning earthward to track the youngest girl's footfalls.

[Assistant]
James would smile as Kyle reached the top, himself reqdy to go up. But waited for Kyle's turn. Cupping his hands over his mouth as he slightly shouts out. "Good job Kyle!" Chuckling softly, getting himself ready before heading up as well.

Neric would rather enjoy the scratching, almost not noticing James starting up as he shakes his head. Blinking before looking over. "Oh James! Flying off Cecilia's shoulder and bolting towards the boy, though he would collapse into his cloud form and smack against the wall. Forming into a type of lizard as he looks at James, crawling up the wall as James climbed. Though Neric easily does it, James is still human. But he still is climbing fairly well and quickly.

"Nice of you to join me buddy." James would chuckle as he climbs. The Void shaking his head a bit, but a little of the cloud would flow over the cable a good distance above James. Though it isn't doing anything, not tugging or pulling. Seems this Void is more or less protective if James slips. Though he doesn't as he nears the top, sighing softly as he looks at the Void with a smile. Tapping any bell up there if there is any before letting go to slowly be lowered down, though when he lets go the Void would grip the line for a second before realizing that he was going down. Letting go after and quickly diving back to the ground and forming into the cat.

[User]
Cecilia gazed at the wall, feeling more emboldened with each and every successful pass at it. James would be next to tackle it, and she wanted to let him know she was supporting him. So before he started his advance up the structure, she would call to him: "You got this. I know you can do it," she said with certainty, her hands clasped together as she watched his ascent closely. Much to her delight, James, along with Neric's oversight, handily made it to the top, then returning to terra firma in a matter of minutes. "I knew you could do it..." she'd say quietly, her attention drawing again to the wall, which looked taller from where she was standing while getting hooked up to the line. Now she had only herself to worry about, and after all the runs she'd seen by everyone, she'd wouldn't be satisfied unless she made it to the top herself.

Kyle, during his turn, seemed to study the wall, likely planning a course in his head. It certainly made for a sensible plan, so Cecilia decided to do the same, peering from hand-hold to hand-hold, all the way to the top. Elbow and knee pads where they should be. Helmet in order. Line was secured, even after the third time she checked. Soon she didn't have anything left to prolong her climb, and, after a deep breath or two, she began her own ascent. Soon forming a good rhythm, guiding her way with her hands and using her legs to lift herself upward. She may have had to remind herself more than once not to look down, but her pace was steady and with a surprised grasp of her hand, she had reached the top, taking a moment to admire the view (which sounded like a good idea at the time) before quietly being lowered down. She was both relieved that she had made it, and anxious to have her turn over with as soon as possible. After being unhooked from the line, she lingered a bit by the wall's base, calming herself down and breathing a little easier, at least for now.

[Assistant]
James would smile to Neric, rubbing his head a bit as he looks to Cecilia with a smile. Hearing her words heading up was a nice boost to his confidence doing it all. Unhooking and letting the next person head up as he watched Cecilia head up to the wall, smiling widely as he called out to her like she did for him. "You can do this Cecilia. I know you can do it!" He couldn't help but feel really happy right now, looking down at Neric as the little Void rushed to the wall. Doing what it did for James and crawling up to the side of her, some of its cloud flowing over the cable. Though it wouldn't have any affect as James looked on, watching the two eagerly.

Neric wasn't tugging on her line or anything, mostly just there as a sense for her that he'll catch her if she loses her grip or footing. But once she reaches the top, he would chuckle softly as he looks to her. "Knew I didn't need to help you, you could handle yourself." The Void would say before he would watch her lower to the ground, heading for the ground himself. Smacking into the ground in his cloud before walking out as the cat again. Seeing James there waiting with a smile on his face, Neric looking back at Cecilia and walking off to the side for the two.

More or less James would have walked up to her, smiling as he speaks. "You made it look easier then I did." Chuckling softly before walking away from the wall, eagerly taking her hand if she wanted to.

[User] Although she was running largely on adrenaline throughout her turn, Cecilia did appreciate James' vote of confidence. She didn't turn to him, too focused on the task at hand to work up a response. But it it felt good to know he was in her corner as well as knowing Neric was overseeing her progress from higher along the cable. Standing up on the wall, she made sure to nod appreciatively to the nebulous Void, out of breath largely because of how excited she was for making it and how eager she was to get back down, especially after she had looked down from the top (which was a mistake in her opinion). Making it down on ground level, she looked up at James, her composure returning to her and a smile growing on her face. "R-Really? C-Cause it felt a lot longer from where I was," she spoke lightly, still a little restless. "But you were really amazing too...! And Neric? Thanks for looking after us," She spoke out to the two before taking James' hand when he offered. She was greatly relieved, her expression being evident enough of that. But her hand shook a tad, it would be a few moments more until she'd settle down.

[Assistant] Noting how restless she was after, especially when her hand shook. But feeling it slowly fading and returning put a smile on his face. She did rather well, he wanted her to know that. But maybe later on, right now he would stand to the sidelines with her. Watching the rest of the campers climb as he sighs softly. "Well you did very well Cecilia, just know that. But now it's over and we don't have to worry about it. Saying with some reassurance to his voice, smiling softly at her before looking at the Void curling up at their feet. Its eyes closed and not moving at all, maybe Neric is resting now. James chuckling softly as he doesn't take his eyes off his void as he speaks. "I remember one story he spoke of, saying he helped a group with climbing a very high up cliffside and stopping some group. Didn't go into specifics though..." Shrugging before smiling again, watching the climbers go as he squeezed her hand gently.

[User]
@KatherinWinter

Carrie allowed the feverish, frenetic girl lead the way, trailing behind her alongside Lin, the blonde girl. When Lin hinted at skepticism towards the name Cloak N. Dagger, Carrie only chuckled. "I don't believe we do need code names, Miss Lin, and I can assure you that Cloak N. Dagger is not one." she lied, her lips in the form of a smirk. "You see, it's a prank my family pulled on me before I was born. They gave me such a name because they wanted people to believe I was lying every time I introduced myself. It's annoying, but actually quite good, as far as larks like that go. Worry not, however. I got them back."

[Assistant] Cecilia savored watching the other campers try their hand at climbing the wall. There might have been a participant here and there who looked as though they were having trouble, but they soon managed to also reach the top, each a delightful turn of events. She smiled warmly; if she could make it, anyone could. James' commendation meant a lot to her, and although she wanted to say that however well she did, he took to the activity much better, she got the impression he didn't want to hear her depreciate her accomplishment or sell herself short. "Thanks James. I kinda surprised myself," she responded graciously, her cheeks a little red. "I kind of wonder whether or not there's another stage after this that we'll have to climb." As she mentioned this, Neric seemed to rest at their feet, James then mentioning one of the Void's anecdotes from before. "Oh yeah, he mentioned something about climbing an icy wall during the Cold War. Maybe that's it." It wasn't a guarantee that the two instances were one and the same, but it seemed interesting enough to mention. After giving Neric a warm look, she moved a bit closer to James, letting her full arm curl down his. Her eyes softened, content to spectate along with him.

[User]
@Framing A Moose
Following Ivy was like following a hummingbird. Except that Ivy didn't have the dedication of a hummingbird. She didn't go from flower to flower. She went from one interesting thing to another. She would start down the trail to camp but find a rabbit to follow. After a minute she would return to the trail but never long. A trip that should have only taken a matter of minutes would take nearly half am hour.

[Assistant]
Lin dutifully scampered after Ivy, alongside the other girl. Something about the way the girl talked obscenely reminded Lin of when she'd snuck into the Marina Theatre in San Francisco to watch Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith as a kid. This Cloak girl's last sentence reminded Lin an awful lot of Yoda and it was taking all she had not to giggle aloud.

"Still," she remarked casually after only a couple seconds of thoughtful silence. "That's a bit of a weird prank. Why would your parents want you to lie? And what the heck is a lark?" Lin added that last question, her grin fading somewhat into puzzlement.

[User]
"A lark is something mischievous one does for no reason other than for fun. Similar to a prank." Carrie replied, smirking as she watched their redheaded guide take her time leading them back to the camp. "And it's not exactly that my parents wanted me to lie. I suppose it's hard to explain to someone who didn't know them. They were an odd bunch, my family."

@Mistiel

[Assistant] Lin nodded. "I guess I can see it. Me personally, I haven't really had a family since I was little. Must be nice having parents!" Her smile was a little rueful, but she kept her eyes focused ahead on where she was going. Ivy's random course rife with distractions seemed to have led them off any established trail and the ground between the trees was a bit uneven with roots and pine cones and things. "So where are you from, huh?" she asked this Cloak person casually. "I'm from San Francisco. West side represent, ba-BY!" deepening her voice for emphasis and throwing up a peace sign.

[User] James would smile as he felt her arm around his, blushing softly and not speaking for a short time. Just wanting to enjoy the moment with her, his other hand slowly placing on hers around his arm. This was rather nice, thinking as he sighs softly. Looking to her as he smiles, leaning in closer to whisper and let only her hear. "So, this considered a date then or?" Him teasing her while also curious if she thought it was. Never having been in a relationship or having a family behind him has really took a toll on his social capabilities. She can tell he wasn't trying to embarass her or anything. Rubbing her hand gently with his as he looked down, hoping he didn't make her feel uncomfortable about that. Looking back to the wall as he speaks again. "I think everyone that is going went, I hope what you said before isn't the case and there is another part of the climbing to do..."


[System]
Tex's epic bad guys
Many details are withheld.
Age: 24

Gender: Male

Appearance: Medium build, wearing the common white marine uniform with a long 'justice' cape draped over his back. Rigid features, a wide nose, strong square jaw, thin Caucasian eyes, thin cheeks, medium neck width. Roughly 5'9'' tall, and weighs about 160 lbs.

Personality: Arrogant, self centered, and cowardly.

Name: Zilto Juma

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Appearance: Light build with very slender arms and legs. His facial features are sharp, and he has a long mane of beautiful blonde hair. He wears the standard navy uniform. Stands 5'8'' tall and only weighs about 130 lbs

Personality: Arrogant, a show off, easy to anger.

[User]
The man appeared to be happy, a bit on the other side of what the normal spectrum usually allowed, but that was surprisingly the majority for most of the people who called the sea their home. So Abigail didn't think much of it. The man was in chains and that was probably enough to justify just how eager he appeared to be. Silently she watched and listened as he explained who the man on the line was. "So he's a slaver then." The red pirate's eyes narrowed at the thought. Slavery wasn't something she was a personal fan of. The man was talking so she blinked and turned her attention back to the man as he started talking about a picture of Treant. "Oh. Well, that's a shame, but I'm sure we'll see him soon enough. I get the feeling he's not the kind of man who'd let anything play out otherwise."

Abigail opened her mouth, expecting for more to come out but she stopped mid-breath when she caught a glimpse of the posters. "Oh." Her hand tightened on her sword. "I see." She paused for a moment, trying to choose her words carefully. "By any chance are you just a fan hoping for an autograph?"

[Assistant] "An autograph?" He rasped, stuffing the wanted fliers into his pocket, "That depends, kiddo. 15 million berries aint nothin' to be too proud of! But still, havin' yer face on a poster... Hmmm..." The man rubbed his chin with a smile and turned towards where Zypha had run off to, suddenly widening his eyes. "30 million berries is pretty nifty though, that Zypha is pretty interesting! Especially for a startin' bounty! What'd you two do to catch the attention of the government? Kill some marines? Hmmm?" The man bent his knees rhythmically and hummed to himself. "Regardless of whether I'm a fan or not, I don't, or rather can't, bring in pirates that have a pure heart!"

[User]
August slammed his fist against the desk; he was in disbelief that there was nothing of value. "What kind of pirate crew doesn't have maps or treasure?" His finger danced through the books on the shelf. Sucking his teeth, he began to complain. "I can find books anywhere."

 Fletcher was planning to pocket most of his findings. What the female captain didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Fortunately, there was nothing for him to pocket saving him the trouble of lying. "How much do these books go for?" August picked a book out of the shelf; he blew the dust of it and began skimming through the pages.

"I'm really not going to anything for this," he said as he threw the book on the desk. Fletcher walked out back to the deck and chose to see how everything else was going.

[Assistant]
Zypha watched as Croma ate and thanked her, ever on her guard just in case. Thankfully such guard was not needed despite the bloodlust as the woman thanked her for the food. "Don't thank me just yet, this crew was just a bunch of lousy crownies, I don't doubt the man behind this will try to get back his merchandise." Zypha looked Croma over more closely when she said merchandise, just to see what the slavers had almost had.

Croma was a pretty woman, slim and skilled with a sword, or scabbard in this case, as she never unsheathed her weapon during the battle. From what little she remembered of the other, non-crazy, prisoner was he had been somewhat of a blond pretty boy. In either case there was little doubt the two would have been worth quite a bit on the slave market. Even if they had managed to escape on their own, it would have been impossible for them to effectively pilot the large pirate vessel and they would have been captured again. It seemed that fate had decided her ship should arrive that day.

"Well, I'll expect you to pay me back for the food at least." Zypha added with a smirk. "Still, I am curious as to how you managed to fall into slaver's hands. Piss off the wrong type of people maybe?"

[User]
"What? Why? What did we do?" Small pause. Abigail's eyes narrowed into two tiny slits towards the man. "There shouldn't be any berries for me at all. Period." She watched the man, hand on her sword. It was hard to tell if she should draw it or not. Was he a threat? She was sure of it. Was he going to attack her? If she tried striking first she had little doubt. Would he attack her anyways? That was where her problems lay. She just couldn't tell. "Personally I had nothing against the marines, but they struck first and when they did several of my..." She paused, because as far as social circumstances went she never liked exaggerating a closeness. "Working colleagues were killed. We just followed the marine's own rule and dealt them some absolute justice. If anything they should be sending us flowers for stopping Yami and his crew's corruption."

"Pure heart?" She looked around to see if there was anyone behind her. "Who? Zypha? Are we going to get off the hook because of Zypha, because I don't have any problems with that." It was tempting to nod enthusiastically at the idea, but a little voice in Abigail's head told her not to, and who was she to argue with that.

[Assistant]
The man's smile disappeared and he begun walking towards Abigail with slanted eyebrows. "Blah blah blah, I've other things to do with my time! Where the hell do you get off lying about your piracy?" He asserted, summoning a small gavel in his right hand and patting it across his opposite palm. "Let yourself be judged by my Judge-Judge-Fruit! The truth will come forth regardless of the legitimacy of your words!" The man continued to approach abigail, patting the mallet in his hand against the air between them. It started to grow bigger, and bigger, changing color from a light green to a deep yellow, until it was blood red.

"It won't hurt if you're innocent!" He assured her, raising his hammer above his head once it reached the size of a small boat, nearly 4 meters in diameter. It was almost comedic to behold.

[User]
Croma continued to eat ripping into the food till there was nothing left even taking upon herself to suck the bone a little trying to get what more nourishment she could and sighing in contentment, still hungry but it would tide her over for a while. Listening to the woman talk explaining her situation admittedly she didn't know anything about how she got in that cell as she merely woke up there. "I'm looking for the captain I wish to check something, " she said, her hand wrapped around the handle of Kichi "As well as pay them back for putting me in a cage" Croma finished picking at the plate making sure she didn't miss anything and leaned back.

"I don't know exactly how I got there all I remember is being hungry and passing out on my boat, then I wake up in the cell, " she recalls her ears perking up with Zypha mentioned paying her back and immediately remembered she had no money "I have no coin of my own but I will certainly try to pay you back"

[Assistant]
Abigail almost took a step back, the stranger's expression had changed so quickly, but she managed to force her feet to stay anchored where they were. He talked a lot for someone who didn't have time. Why did they always talk so much when there wasn't time? By the time he stopped rambling on about judging her there was a mallet over his head, huge and ready to come barreling down on her like a giant's food over a red bug.

"Judgement?" Abigail's mind flashed. It danced around the man's words and she quickly came to the conclusion that anyone willing to allow their fate to be dictated by some relic, be it a god's or the devil's, could never be innocent. innocence wasn't something which came from some sky king's decree, but from the understanding of right, wrong, and the deliberate choice to act accordingly. "Screw you, and screw your judgmental cartoon mallet." She pulled out her blade and rushed at the man, fully intent on swiping at his chest before he could bring down the weapon.

"If I wanted to keep on serving some pretentious version of right or wrong I would've never left home!"

[User]
As August walked back outside, he was stunned at the sight of conflict. He backed himself against a wall instinctively and kept his observation at a silent level. There was not much to infer from the battle. It looked like the crazy guy from before chose to fight one of the pirates.

 Relaxing his muscles, he kept watching the two fight. The crazy guy was equipped with this giant hammer; there was no telling where he had pulled that from. His opponent was a female pirate carrying a sword. Other than that, there was nothing August could speculate.

August decided it was better to view the people on board. Interfering wasn't going to help him in the slightest, and viewing the others might give him more of an idea of what he is temporarily stuck with.

[Assistant]
"Don't worry about money, I'll figure out some way you can repay me." Zypha Got up and stretched her arms a little to relax her tense muscles. "For the moment you're free to tag along if you prove yourself useful." Zypha took a glance at the woman's sword to which she seemed very attached to.

"The name's Zypha, Zypha Celtus if you must know the full name and I...well became the captain of this small vessel quite recently." The events of their last landfall still haunted her a bit even though she was already plenty used to death.

"Well if you want to find the enemy captain he should still be knocked out over there, maybe you can get some answers from him. Well I better take one last look over there before we hightail it out of here. I am not about to get captured by slavers!"  Zypha gave the side of the cabin a sudden smash quite suddenly, the wood creaked a little.

Zypha turned and exited the cabin, turned back toward the ship only to see the largest hammer she had ever seen! "What in the Grand Line is that!?" From her vantage point she could really only see the hammer and not who wielded it and who was on the receiving end. With a quick curse, she made her way back on the vessel to see what was going on.

[User]
The crazed man tilted his head from side to side as Abigail spoke. His pupils wandered like a pair of unbound marbles, ignorant of what the woman was saying to him. He didn't care about her excuses or moral contradictions! This was a courtroom now!

"Podium-" The man howled. Suddenly, a tube of mass, in the same shape of his judgement hammer, appeared under his feet and rose him up, letting abigail's sword strike it. Her blade went right through the 'podium' though, cutting it like cheese. "Ohoho~? You can cut my podium?" He mused, shrinking his hammer back down to a gavel-sized tool, and looking down at Abigail from his podium of power, "Let me assure you, my dear pirate," The man wheezed, pulling another wanted poster from his pocket and hanging it over Abigail's head.

"My judgement isn't pretentious or flawed!"

The poster showed a rather unflattering portrait of the crazed man sticking out his tongue and making a pair of 'OK' signs with his hands.

'Judge' Mathias
350'000'000 Berries

"We Shichibukai are a little smarter than the navy that's hired us!"

[Assistant]
While everyone was distracted with the things Mathias was doing, they failed to notice that one of the ships that was still at the docks had been manned by a large group of pirates. They boarded the vessel, which headed towards the Lotus ship and the first enemy ship at great speed. There was a total of 50 men visible on deck, one of which stood out from the large crowd with a greyish cape, to show that he was the captain.

"ONWARD MEN!!! SHOW EM WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE, WHO MESS WITH THE RUSTSILVER PIRATES!!!" The captain roared, as the ship was about to ram into the first enemy ship. It aimed specifically for the first ship, as Mathias's giant hammer had attracted most of their attention. At the way things was going, it appeared that nobody would have the time to act at all.

[User]
Mathias turned towards the oncoming ship when the man on board shouted. He frowned. How dare they!? "This courtroom is..." Mathias began, putting his old wanted poster away and jumping across the deck towards where the enemy ship was approaching from, "CLOSED!"

With that last word, his gavel increased in size again until it was utterly massive, and he brought it down into the bow of the enemy ship, nearly tipping the entire vessel over with the force of his blow. Ultimately, the front 3rd of the rust-silver pirate ship that came to attack ended up in shards, splinters of wood shooting off in every direction. The remaining part of the ship began to sink into the water, but crashed into the ship holding Zypha, Abigail, and the escaped prisoners, jostling the entire platform violently. "Oops!" Mathias cried, his hammer already disappearing. He retreated back towards the group of pirates behind him with a nervous smile.


[System]
"Why am I here? I can understand the question. I am not the strongest, or the fastest. I'm not extremely persuasive or clever. All I have is my blade and my resolve. Therefore, I'll prove myself, so that no one questions me or my abilities."
Appearance: A lanky man with a tense air to him, his eyes wandering unless in conversation or actively focusing on something. His hair was black before, but his Noble Arm's toll caused him extreme stress in the past, to a point where his hair began graying. His hands are unusually big, and covered with rough calluses as a result of constant training with his NA.
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 190 lbs
Build: Fit and lanky
Age: 24

Nationality: Greek

Noble Arm Name & Appearance: Helios Rod, an ornate golden and white saber.

Noble Arm Rank: B

Power: B-A (S) (Sun Stoked)
Speed: C-B (S) (Sun Stoked)
Range: E-D+ (S) (Wildfire Dance)
Persistence: D-C (S) (Sunsetter)
Precision: C-B (S) (Sunsetter)
Potential: D (S)

Helios Rod slowly grows and changes as Nico practices with and understands how to use the sword. However, this growth is held back by a combination of Nico's lack of experience and Helios Rod's volatile nature.

Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range: Support/Melee, Sun and Fire, close-to-mid-range

Noble Arm Abilities:

Burning Edge: Nico can coat his sword's edge in flames, making the sword akin to a plasma cutter, melting through most mundane metals with ease. When the edge makes contact with Moon- or Dark-themed NAs, Helios Rod flares up in an attempt to burn away the darkness. Nico isn't immune to this ability, so if Helios Rod touches him, it will burn. (Sun Stoke makes the edge burn white hot, turning almost anything mundane touched into ashes)

Inner Sun: Helios Rod gives Nico slight pyrokinesis, granting his unarmed strikes an explosive effect. The force of the explosion is equal to double the force of the original attack. Nico has to worry about the recoil from these strikes, as too many consecutive blows can cause damage to his joints. (Sunsetter delays the explosive force for a few moments, giving the strikes an element of surprise and mitigating the recoil of the strikes.)

Sun Stoke: As day approaches, Nico's speed and power are increased a rank higher than his usual, trading defense and subtlety for raw, overwhelming power. Helios Rod burns brighter and responds faster, and Nico's reflexes and strength rise to match. This makes him seem like a living comet, rushing through the battlefield to get into close range combat. However, this isn't without costs. The more Nico uses his enhanced power, the more he heats up, running the risk of hyperthermia as a battle drags on.

Radiant Burst: A wave of light extends in a 20 foot radius centered on Nico, accelerating the healing process of himself and any allies in the AoE, closing up most moderate injuries (ie. slashes, burns, and small caliber gunshots). It also blinds any enemies caught within the radius, similar to a flash grenade. This ability shifts targets depending on who Nico considers an ally or enemy at the time, so even those fighting beside Nico may be blinded if he doesn't trust them.

Wildfire Dance: During the hours of 11AM to 1PM, Nico's strikes release waves of fire. These strikes can hit targets up to 100 feet away with the force of a missile. These attacks pass through allies harmlessly, following the rules set by Radiant Burst.

Sunsetter: As night approaches, Helios Rod's abilities alter. It increases Nico's persistence and precision by a rank, giving his strikes more finesse in trade for less raw power. This gives him immunity to his own flames and boosts his regeneration to a level where most superficial wounds heal instantly (ie. scrapes and glancing blows). Sunsetter also hones Nico's mind, making his senses 4 times more acute than the average person.

Vanishing Step: Nico disappearing from one point for an instant and reappearing in a different point. This is a result of him using Helios Rod to mark a location, Nico maneuvering the opponent into having that spot outside their field of view, and returning to it in order to launch a surprise attack. He must stay within 30 feet of the mark, otherwise it dissipates.

Godspeed Dance: During the hours of 12AM to 2AM, Nico's precision reaches a point that rivals even well trained Noble Arms Masters. He can act and react to the world around him in mere milliseconds without stumbling or pausing to reposition. However, this godlike precision is costly. It severely wears down on his stamina, so he prefers using it in short bursts, making rapid movements and evasive action.

Misc Abilities:

Alertness: Nico barely needs sleep, being able to get a good night's rest in 3-4 hours. He's constantly assessing the environment, taking note of strange objects and people alike.

Multilingual: Nico knows English and French, along with his native Greek. He learned French and English as electives in school and kept studying until he was able to hold conversation with tourists and the like.

Compass: Nico's internal compass is better than the average citizen. He can ignore the sun's glare and the darkness of night to find his way back to wherever he slept before.

Personality: As a newbie to the war business, Nico attempts to not let his doubts get in the way, burying them under a veil of pride. He's not arrogant and enjoys connecting with other people, wanting to learn more about the lives of those outside of Athens. For Nico, powers are something given to those who earn it. As such he tends to take training very seriously, being annoyed at lazy Arms Masters, particularly the strong ones, who for him are choosing to waste the strength they were given. At the same time, he wishes that the weak be allowed to grow on their own and walk newer paths, a gift granted to him that he wishes to help spread to everyone. Nico is out here to prove his resolve to the world, his pride is at stake. As for the Big Three, Nico tolerates Seven Virtues, thinking of them as a bunch of pricks with the right idea and bad execution, but sees Downward Descent as psychos and nihilists, viewing their ideals as complete insanity.

 *Likes: Spicy food, sour drinks, cheese, parties, all nighters

 *Dislikes: Sweets, bland food, quiet places, lazy people, elitists, Downward Descent

 Fears: Spiders, snakes

Bio: Nico always had a fascination with knights and heroes of legends, having grown up in a country where some of the most famous myths came from. He was born in Athens at exactly high noon, a good omen. His family ran a small hotel near Athens Airport, so there was always some new person to meet, and a new story to hear. His mother and father encouraged his curiosity as a kid, letting him help around the hotel and talk to the guests. Once Nico left for university, he kept a hotel key with him as a memento.

Helios Rod appeared a month or so after Nico graduated from uni, at exactly high noon. Awakening his Noble Arm led him to take up swordplay just in case something ever happened. As he got better with the sword and his form improved, he realized that wanting to help people didn't mean much if there weren't many people in need of help. In lieu of the Greek Debt Crisis, he became a freelance mercenary for some form of steady income. Working with ASEAN gave Nico a chance to put his abilities to the test, to forge his will in fire.

*Current Goal: Protect those behind and beside him, and give others a chance to walk their path.

Military or Civilian Rank: Freelance Mercenary
Nico's Theme

[User]
Briefings had never been fun, and this one wasn't much of an exception, bored to no end Nil passed through Noel's spiel with an impassive face and a couple slight nods, masquerading her internal panic at seeing the next mission would have a lot of water AND sand, she never hated sand but now she worried for some reason… it wasn't very stable ground.

Apparently they were going on a, mister Jose? ah it's a ship, Nil wasn't sure what was worse, being on a boat or staying on a small sandy island, the latter seemed worse given the recent experience. Maybe she'll just put on the new earmuffs and ignore the briefing for a while, better to make sure they work now than later.

Then a few different people started talking, probably discussing the briefing and other of that stuff, both the ice cream making green woman and the teleporter Callie started talking. It would be interesting to hear what they had to say, what made them worry and what made them tick, but right now Nil preferred to calm down and hey, the earmuffs worked.

More people joined in, everyone bringing in their fashion and mannerisms, or lack thereof, this Task Force would sure look like a carnival from the outside.
Then glancing to her right Nil saw a man trying to speak to her, taken a bit by surprise she looked at the man for a second, lowered her headphone-looking gear to her neck and replied.
"Yes."
despite having no clue what the original question was.

[Assistant]
---

Carefully watching the presentation in the auditorium where the briefing appeared to be focusing on Mischief Reef which was the site of the next mission, there was the defector named Qingshe in the middle of their forces while Nemo was gone. She had narrowly avoided being burned alive by the man who wielded the same kind of Noble Arms she had or the same power it had with it.

With her kunoichi bodyguard going away quietly and leaving Fuyuko on her own, the Japanese princess was a little confident that she could start putting in teamwork without the protection of a bodyguard. After the projector's pressentation ended, the lieutenant allowed some questions or concerns to be made.

"I second what Second Lieutenant Larsdottir spoke of." When it was her turn to speak, the Japanese royal spoke formally. "I did not think I got to know you too well, sir, so it will be a pleasure to get a chance to talk with you more in spite of my introversion. That and where I can best work with whatever assigned team I will be in."

[User]
Nico was almost too energetic to be of service during the meeting, and far too hungry. Perhaps midnight training was a bit much, especially considering he didn't get as much sleep as he would prefer after the fact. While he could easily function on 3 hours of rest, it was in no way ideal. Godspeed Dance took a lot out of him, and the long hours of rigorous swordplay and close quarters practice in the days after his encounter with Diligence were slowly beginning to show. Nico's large hands were wrapped in bandages, and even those were charred at the ends. He hadn't quite had time to grab anything to eat, so he had munched on a couple pieces of jerky from a rations box on the way which, while not filling, kept his stomach from growling during the important proceedings and debrief.

At first, Nico was content with just relaxing through the meeting, but decided to keep an ear listening and an eye out in case anything piqued his curiosity, or his anxiety. And there was already something that set him on edge. Or rather, someone. Bloody prick, but can't blame her. There was always something about Qingshe that unnerved him, and it wasn't helping his anxiety any. Still, Nico pushed down his unease and listened to the First Lieutenant give the debrief. It was the general explanation of what the next mission was, and the general theater of battle. A reef was less than ideal for him, but it was also likely a night battle, which meant his swordplay would be at its best.

Nico fiddled with a rather well-cut diamond in a bandaged hand, smirking a bit at some of the snark Noel was letting seep into his debrief. It definitely made it a bit more bearable to sit through than if it was all business. He clenched a bit at the name of Ren Huo, but relaxed at hearing that his brother was helping them out. His power would be a great asset for the team, especially considering their lack of defensive options. When the First Lieutenant finished his presentation and opened the floor to questions, he sighed and stood up.

"Volunteer Nico Makri. A question about the mission. And a few concerns of my own." Nico's accent is thin but noticeable. He raised a loosely closed bandaged hand, sticking out a finger. "This first one is a rather important one for me. What time exactly is the mission taking place? My Noble Arm is rather time sensitive. While I believe that I'd be of service no matter what time it is, the time does play a role in what capacity I'm able to aid the task force." He opened his other hand, letting his saber appear in his grasp, the familiar surge of heat going through his body. He took a coin out of his pocket and tossed it a bit into the air a few times, smiling a bit.

This trick never stops being fun to do. After a few tosses, he tossed the coin much higher than before, flicking it as it came back down. The miniature explosion caused by his pyrokinesis practically shot the coin into the ceiling. He shook his hand a bit, wincing at the recoil. "During the day, I become more physically powerful and faster, and I become more precise and durable at night. So I'd prefer to be aware of what I should prepare for.

He took a deep breath and sighed. Now or never, Nico.  He readjusted the burnt bandages on his hands giving them a little tug to tighten them, dismissing his blade. "Now for my concern. One of the pricks from Seven Virtues came after me. A blondie by the name of Diligence. He asked me to be the leader of their organization, and said that Alan Turing was after me and Hannie. Obviously, I refused his offer, but I worry that he will try to force me to join. Turing is another matter in himself, but I don't know if he's as immediate of a threat as those Seven Virtues pricks are likely to be." He sat back down, cracking a couple of knuckles passively. This was all a lot more than he thought he would be doing in the field of battle, but it hadn't deterred him quite yet. If anything, it only solidified his resolve to fight for his own sake, as well as those who weren't able to on their own.

He relaxed a bit as he thought about new things to do with the time he had. Perhaps get some actual breakfast, sleep a bit, train, or even get a good sparring session in before things got started. Nico's mind was racing for something to do or something to happen, and he was good at masking that excitement. But all the same, a small smile was plastered on his face, despite his stress. What a day this is going to be.


[System]
(サラ ・ ラインハルト)
Sara Ráinharuto

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Alias:
Sara Ackerman, Miss/Lady/Lieutenant Ackerman (or Reinhardt), Ma'am, Pale Titan, The Angel (of Humanity).

Species: Human, Intelligent Titan.
Gender: Female
Birthdate: April 18th.
Age: 25.
Height: 5' 7" (Human), 14 m (Titan)

Relatives/Relationships:
Kenny Ackerman - Biological Father (alive)
Rosa Reinhardt - Biological Mother (deceased)
Fae Reinhardt - Biological Sister (unknown)
Kuchel Ackerman - Biological Aunt (deceased)
Levi Ackerman - Biological First-Cousin; Older (alive)
Armin's Mother - First-Cousin/Once-Removed; Older (deceased)
Armin Arlelt - First-Cousin/Twice-Removed; Younger (alive)

Current Residence: Utopia District in Wall Rose.
Former Residence: Underground of Wall Sina.
Occupation: Elite Survey Corps Member, Lieutenant.
Affiliation: Survey Corps; Scout Regiment.

Hair Color: Platinum-Blonde.
Eye Color: Blue.

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Personality:
Even when she was a child, Sara always seemed to hold a sense of maturity, and very strong independence upon her being. Even though she grew up in a very corrupted and chaotic society, she stays quiet, calm, and level-headed - hardly ever losing her cool, even in the face of danger. However, when expressing such an emotion, Sara proves to be fierce and quite aggressive, especially when resorting to physical violence. Apart from this, she is a very methodical and patient individual, who always analyzes a situation before making any advances - although she does not always find this necessary, as she does have her impulsive moments.

After waking up, with the powers of a Titan, and not have much recollection of her early life, Sara seldom smiles, and gives off a rather cold, almost-stoic disposition, having to never give any signs of distress during escalating situations, and keep her head on seeing a mission to its end. She claims herself to be "not good with feelings", and admits on having a hard time making friends; personally, this makes Sara more of a socially-awkward, introverted person, rather than one who is antisocial, in spite of being seen alone, and using her own resources. Furthermore, due to all of her time fighting, and attempting to fulfill her purpose, Sara hasn't put in a lot of time being social.

Often very distant, and preferring to study people before giving away any personal info,

However, for all of her toughness and seemingly-detached nature, she does possess a more vulnerable side, even when it involves making close connections - especially romantic and familial ones. In fact, Sara is so noble, maternal, compassionate, and loyal on the inside, she will give protection, strength, comfort, and reassurance to anyone who might need it, giving off the impression of an "angelic" individual; hence the nickname "The Angel of Humanity". It's because of these traits that Sara is a fierce and determined fighter: She will do anything for the survival of herself and others, to the point where she's constantly finding ways to get out of predicaments.

Abilities:
Omni-Directional Mobility Gear & Blade-Wielding : Sara is so physically-excellent in blade-wielding and with her ODM gear, rumor has it that she may have been personally-trained by her more-proficient cousin Levi, or if she ever used it before joining the military; she would rather not tell. Her level of experience just might be a few inches higher than that of Mikasa.

Expert Combatant : Even before joining the military, Sara Reinhardt was trained extensively in hand-to-hand combat, having to do feats that would allow her to fight dirty and overpower others. This has been extended into her Titan form, which makes her all-the-more dangerous. Considerable in her peak physical condition, she is also a strong and fast athlete with great reflexes in her maneuvers.

Hunting Expertise/Intuition : Controversy surrounds Sara with this skill. Considering that her father was an infamous serial killer, it is highly-possible that she may have learned tactics on how to pursue and avoid her targets, having to hold extensive knowledge on the ways of stealth, tracking, luring, and trapping, of which proves itself useful in her fight with the Titans - even while operating as one. This would arguably have made her the perfect assassin. She also shows some knowledge in gun-wielding, as well as creating and mixing edibles, whether medicinal or poisonous.

Awakened Power : Coming from a nearly-extinct bloodline of the Ackerman warrior-family, Sara inherits some kind of dormant power that can only be triggered whenever she's expressing the strongest of emotions, allowing her physical attributes to become far more developed than that of an average human; perhaps a "byproduct of Titan science".

Power of the Titans : Sometime in her early years, Sara acquired the powers of a Titan-Shifter, becoming referred to as the "Pale Titan"; the only Intelligent Titan with albino traits (like herself), whenever she transforms; nearly-identical to the Female Titan, in both the physical sense and special ability (skin hardening and willful regeneration). Standing at fourteen meters, Sara can easily dominate pure Titans, overpower a few Survey Corps members (who attacked her out of fear and confusion), and even rival herself with other Titan-Shifters.

Voiced By:Live-Portrayer:Theme Song(s):

[User]
She remembered herself as a bit mellow and soft, as she was growing up, but then, the last thing she knew that was (supposedly) happy, was being in her mother's presence, and being told by an older male, to find Eren Jaeger. Everything was a blur, and the notion of where her mother Rosa, and her unknown father might be, had dissipated in time, since the incident. There was darkness, and then, she found herself in the middle of nowhere, within the body of a Titan, where Levi and Erwin have found her. They didn't know who she was, until blood ties became more apparent during training. She was nineteen-twenty years old, at the time.

She never saw her parents in the same frame, mainly due to her unknown father not being part of the picture, in times of need. However, it was only one day where Sara remembered crossing paths with a mysterious man in a hat on the streets, a few times without her mother's knowledge, and having to be secretly taught things that would definitely benefit the both of them. The name of this man was a sliver, but she happened to recall the name 'Kenny', from time to time, to which was all-too familiar for her cousin. She wasn't even sure if he or Rosa were even still alive. In her mind, Levi was all she had in biological relations, although she did remember her mother briefly mentioning about her sister, who happened to be cadet Armin's own mother, making him count, pretty count.

Perhaps she was much more comfortable in her more professional persona, since she found it to be a much easier mindset during interaction. The memories of her childhood came out as shards, as it wasn't entirely cheerful, while having to be quite gray, mostly revolving around books, discipline, and survival. Sara didn't have a lot of friends, or really any, mainly due to the fact that she was mainly soft-spoken, quiet and, if one looked more closely, shy. Her training and professionalism only made her a bit more hardened, although it seemed that Kate was able to make her outer shell briefly crack. She spoke again, after a moment, with the softness still evident within her voice.

"Alright then...Katherine"

Perhaps the other young woman was right that, in a way, Sara could try to show who she really was, underneath her usual businesslike temperament, to which the platinum-blonde completely shrouded, since she had been found, all those years ago, starting with her stepping away from using the usual titles. It would be, at least, fair that Bellows would do the same for her, by calling Sara by her first name, rather than by her professional one.

Would it be possible that Kate was under a similar umbrella? That her real self may be shrouded by the one she currently displayed? It could explain the girl's efforts in keeping her emotions buried. That very thought was in her mind, once more, as she continued to look at her with soft yet concentrated eyes, from the other side of the table, as if the woman was trying to pinpoint on whether if she was right or not, at the very moment.

[Assistant]
Funnily enough, Sara was pretty close to being on the mark about Katherine's own guarded feelings. The only significant difference was that it was actually a case of protecting the one she was inside from that which was outside. There were things in the world that her psyche couldn't handle, so it had gone and locked up to kkeep from being harmed. The Titans were, strangely enough, not the root of the cause. They just didn't help. Sara's attempts to figure Kate out would not fail to understand certain things. If Kate were hiding her real self, then her outbursts had to be a definite unsurpressed Kate that would be more outgoing and free, if not for something. She didn't let herself 'out' as often because it wasn't safe. She felt exposed in these circumstances, and that led her to 'burrow in' and wait out the danger.

The only times that she had outbursts were when she simply could not contain what was bothering her or making her happy, and of course during he more savage moments when attacking Titans. Kate wasn't well-adjusted, but emotionally skewed and trying to push herself back into balance with her intellect. More to the point, it wasn't as though she lacked emotional ties, but rather had trouble forging them, so whatever ones she had were ultimately important to her. Imagine the trouble that Eren had been in, and how that affected her. She wasn't as seemingly close to him as Mikasa was, but like Armin, she was devoted and would probably take any news of something bad happening to any of the trio pretty badly. Kate had invited Sara to that short list of people she felt secure around, although...when you think about it, it wouldn't be as hard as you might think.

Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but...in all the praise of her mother or Hange Zoe, or even her own abilities, did you notice that she never mentioned her father? Well, in any case, it might be that they had things in common, or that Kate really wanted to get to know Sara because she'd decided that the Lieutenant was ultimately trustworthy to some capacity. She smiled as Sara appeared to ease up, maybe even let down her own guard, as well. Or perhaps...it had been down right when they had started talking. Katherine made mention of her discomfort, yet she had apparently endured other people who referred to her professionally without comment. That was a definite sign that she wanted Sara to not be her cold self around her, at least when she didn't have to be. She was almost finished with her meal now, when the Brunette spoke up again.

"So, any plans before tomorrow? Once I deliver the 'beans', I'll be all set."

[User]
Sara could only hope that whatever was bothering Kate, would come out on a more gradual scale. Rather than force the answer to reveal itself, the lieutenant was instead going to be patient with her, as it was in her nature to wait things out, before making her way to her goal. In other words, she was going to proceed, slowly and carefully. She will give her the time to open up, even if they start having a way-too personal conversation. However, once again, the white-haired was going to be patient with the other. She didn't know of Kate's inner thoughts, but then, she assumed that the smile on her face said that she was satisfied with Sara acknowledging her request. Perhaps there was a chance for them to bond, in order to get both of them to open up, at the same time. The other woman responded back with a slow smile of her own.

She didn't know whether if she was right, but perhaps, that smile said something else, be it a sign of the other woman very, very slowly giving off a rather genuine peek of her own inner emotions. The poor girl has been losing touch with her true feelings, which was what Sara had already assumed, shortly after getting the nerve to observe her, from afar, over the past few months. Once more, in her more neutral yet downward state, there were melancholic feelings, along with those of isolation, while having to be agitated and enthusiastic when in her high. It wasn't a very good balance for one person, emotionally and mentally, meaning that there was more behind the facade that Kate seemed to be masquerading, therefore she admittedly became Sara's rather-curious point of interest for quite some time.

She didn't know a lot about her background, considering that the lieutenant had never gotten quite personal with her fellow soldiers...other than the fact that her aunt happened be a Section Commander of the Scouting Legion, which was quite evident by their shared-enthusiasm. All of her thoughts, if anyone asked about Katherine, were good ones, and that the brunette's unique abilities have proven themselves to be benefitting for the Scouts, and Sara could only show her proudness silently with a thin smile. The white-haired female sighed once more, before rubbing her eyes again, by the time she heard the other speak once more, having to respond back rather casually yet sincerely. It's like as if her soft voice was her mostly predominant trait.

"As long as Erwin doesn't call a meeting, I don't. Why do you ask, Kate?"


[System] Danielle Raymonde

[User]
Danielle234 Maiden LaneThe Wee Small Hours of the Morning

Dani shivered as the wind pierced her peacoat. She sat alone in the courtyard of a high-rise apartment that was quite beautiful to behold, though it paled in comparison to hers. She shakily opened her purse and retrieved her gold-plated lipstick. She needed to look immaculate. She was meeting someone tonight and could not make any mistakes.

"There she is," remarked a voice from the shadows.

"You made sit in the cold for thirty minutes when I could be warm in your apartment," muttered Danielle as she began applying the deep red to her lips.

"And what, meet my wife? Don't make me laugh, Dani," said the man, who was now visible in the moonlight.

Danielle huffed and folded her arms but did nothing.

"If you don't like how I play, you can find yourself another agent," said the rather ordinary looking man. "…though you know what He will do if you break the rules."

"What do you want?"

"Relax, my dear. I am not here to tell you that this is your last night on Earth. But I am here to warn you." The man took a seat on the gilded steel chair across the outdoor table from Dani.

"I get to live another day looking over my shoulder at every turn. What more could I be thankful for?" retorted Danielle.

"You are going to behave, and you are going to treat Him with respect," said the agent.

Danielle repeated herself. "What do you want?"

"I want to know what you told the two NYPD detectives that paid you a visit." The agent lit his cigarette and cast a puff of smoke into Dani's face. "And I want your word that you will never again be stupid enough to use your real name on a ledger in His hunting ground."

"Word travels fast in Manhattan."

"It does when you've bought the souls of half the NYPD."

"Yet, for all of your money, your people couldn't afford Calvin Lovegrove," said Dani with a smirk now residing on her face.

"Lovegrove… What a joke. If He wasn't having so much with him, he'd be dead already."

"...Yet he isn't."

The embers of anger began to stir behind the agent's eyes. "What did you tell them?"

"Nothing. I gave them a dead lead. It will take them weeks to realize that it is a dud."

"Good. It is fortunate that you made this choice. He was not happy to hear that you were named a person of interest in this case. Another mistake and it will be your last."

A shiver ran up Danielle's spine. She'd used up all the goodwill she'd earned with Him, and now she would spend her days obsessing over every tiny detail as if it could be the one that kills her. "Okay."

"Do these detectives seem competent? Do we have something to worry about?"

"Yes. And no."

"Explain."

"Detective Lovegrove is the only cop in the NYPD with the imagination to catch him." Danielle gestured vaguely at everything around her. "He's the only one who knows how all of this works."

"But?"

"But…like I said, he knows how to play the game. Once he learns the truth—the entire truth—he won't want to make an arrest."

The agent chuckled under his breath and took another drag from his cigarette. "Sweetie, even -you- don't know the entire truth."

"No. But I know enough."

"What about the other?"

"Detective Gallagher?" Danielle laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"He's a stubborn cow of a man. Incorruptible. He'll see it through. Lovegrove may fall into line upon discovering the truth, but Gallagher?" She shook her head. "If they find a way to work together—and that prospect is looking bleak—it will be the closest thing He has to a real adversary."

"What do you suggest?"

"It's simple. If you want insurance, kill Gallagher," said Danielle.

"That simple?"

"Yes. Then He can have all the fun he wants. Calvin may crack the case, but when he truly understands, he will slither back into his hole, and you will have nothing to worry about."

"You know about his wife, right?"

"I do. How do you?"

"He sent an actor to Ossining General Hospital to pay the detective's wife a visit. I am sure that wherever Lovegrove is, his mind is not having the best possible time."

It worried Danielle to hear this. She had used every possible bluff to deflect His interest in removing Calvin Lovegrove, yet what she was hearing was even worse. Evelyn was no adversary of hers. Cal's wife was the only bit of humanity that he had left, and it wasn't long for this world. "If you knew enough to pay her a visit, then you know that she is sick. Leave her alone."

The agent laughed. "Noted, and respectfully declined."

Furious tears began to well up in Danielle's eyes. "Fine."

"We'll be in touch, my dear. After all, you need a new movie to occupy your time. This work drought has given you too much time to think." With that, the agent disappeared into the high-rise to his family, one that was blissfully unaware of what was being built here.

[Assistant]
"Emerald"
Outside Club Carousel

The club's doors slammed shut behind Emerald and she hunched her shoulders, her mink shrug doing nothing to ward off the night's chill, and the delicate fabric of Ashley's dress doing even less. Goosebumps prickled at the surface of her skin. She sighed, her fingers trembling as she brought a cigarette to her red lips, cupping a hand around its end as she sparked it up. Stupid plan, stupid night, and a very stupid, stupid detective. She rolled her eyes, groaning audibly and tilting her head back in frustration, searching the night sky for an explanation for her downright foolish behavior. It stared silently back at her, answerless.

Every time she'd bothered to trust someone besides herself, they had let her down. Of course this time had been no different. Now she had nowhere to stay, no way to get out of this part of town. A big, fat 'murder me' sign sat above her head in heady neon. She felt her shaking subside as a drag from her cigarette floated sweetly through her.

Emerald squared her shoulders and set down the sidewalk, determined to at least make it a couple blocks before her inevitable end.

It was by chance that she spared a glance into the alleyway parallel to the club, and caught the figure, hunched over himself, breathing so heavy she could see the erratic rise and fall of his shoulders. Perhaps it was also by chance that she recognized the jacket slung over said shoulders. "Detective?!"

The figure didn't move, and she approached, leaning over and gingerly reaching out to place her hands on either shoulder. "Detective." She spoke sternly, with more purpose, willing him to answer her. He didn't, but she got a clearer view of his harrowed expression, his skin white as a sheet, as if he'd seen a ghost. Her tone softened instinctively. "Hey, hey, you're okay. Tell me what's going on…" She moved to crouch in front of him, ducking so she could meet his gaze. "Ashley, I'm frightened."

 His eyes finally rose to meet hers and he stilled. After a beat, he abruptly stood, and she followed, pulling her shrug tight around her shoulders with one hand, and leaving the other perched on his shoulder. In a rush of motion, he took her face roughly into both hands, almost pulling her off her feet. "Ashley!"

 "You… you're… you're okay." The detective murmured, almost tenderly, examining her face closely. Life seemed to snap back into him and he unhanded her, clearing his throat and averting his eyes. "Thank god you're okay."

 "No thanks to you!" She snapped, but her heart wasn't in it. "I could have my throat slit upstairs by now and you'd be none the wiser! What could have possibly possessed you to abandon me like that!" Much to her dismay, she sounded more frightened than angry, but she continued, unable to stop herself. "And then I come out here... and find you like this, christ!" She bent and snatched up her shrug that had fallen in the mud amidst the commotion. "No more games, no more elaborate plans, this is my -life- you're putting on the line!" Emerald couldn't tell if she was angrier with him, or angrier with herself for placing so much trust in him.

 Ashley held his hands out, as if soothing a spooked horse. "I know, I know, and I'm sorry. Tonight went to shit, that's all. Ain't nothing else to say about it. I'll play it safe from here on out, you have my word, just please…" He gave her an imploring look. "Please don't go off on your own, let me drive you back." He was asking her to stay. So be it.

 Emerald stepped in close, her face inches from his, and paused a beat before snatching his keys from his trouser pocket. "You're such a fool. You're in no state to drive." She muttered angrily, spinning on a heel and stalking out of the alleyway.

Ashley Gallagher
Central Police Station

 If it weren't in the middle of the night-- and if he weren't as sober as a judge, Ashley might have fancied himself hungover. He was dreadfully exhausted, a bit queasy, and nursing quite the headsplitter. The drive back to his apartment had been one of stony silence. He had dropped Emerald off at his apartment, and much to his surprise she offered no complaint when left promptly thereafter. The only way to make up for such laughable, shoddy detective work, was to obsess over the case files until the wee hours of the morning, and that was precisely what he planned on doing. He wondered what Lovegrove would have said if he had witnessed such a messy display as tonight.

 Ashley rounded the corner of the dimly lit precinct, and as if a devil summoned by the mere thought of his name, Cal appeared. The man was sprawled out, feet kicked up on the desk, sleeping soundly. Ashley cleared his throat pointedly. "Haven't you got somewhere better to sleep, Lovegrove? This is a precinct, not your living room."

[User]
Central Police Station, Ad Vice

Ashley rounded the corner of the dimly lit precinct, and as if a devil summoned by the mere thought of his name, Cal appeared. The man was sprawled out, feet kicked up on the desk, sleeping soundly. Ashley cleared his throat pointedly. "Haven't you got somewhere better to sleep, Lovegrove? This is a precinct, not your living room."

Calvin slowly opened his eyes. Through the thin morning light that pierced the blinds, he could see Detective Gallagher standing before him, arms crossed. "Good morning."

At that, Detective Lovegrove slid his feet off the desk, stood up, stretched, and sighed. "Coffee?" He sauntered over to the middle of the office where an espresso machine—the dividing line between Cal's half of the office and Ash's—awaited him. "Eh, no matter. I'll make you one anyway. We have a lot to talk about." Sweat stains had accumulated under the suspenders he had fallen asleep in. He looked a mess.

Calvin haphazardly filled two cups of black coffee, spilling some of it onto the floor as he poured. He seemed alarmingly unaffected as he handed Ashley a mug, one that dripped some of its contents onto the floor as it was handed off. Cal sat on his desk and took a deep swig.

"I have always come to understand that you are thorough and don't make many mistakes." Detective Lovegrove sighed. "Yet, last night was a disaster of your own making. You left our most valuable witness alone like a fancy piece of bait, and I had to be her knight-in-shining-armor myself. That is not the kind of police work they brought me to do. That's your game."

"…And that's not even the beginning of it. The Florist knows where you live. I interrogated a witness last night who saw him watching you…and…her…in your apartment. You're being sloppy, and it's going to get both you and she killed."

Cal sighed "Evidently, he also knows that I live in Ossining. He paid my wife a visit in the hospital. She thought he was me, Ash. That does mean that we have a mild physical description. Brown hair, early 30s, six-foot-four."

A pervasive fog of terror lingered in Calvin Lovegrove's head, but he could just barely see through it enough to know that Ashley had become a liability. In many ways, so had he, but the enigma of Danielle Raymonde would have to wait. He set down his mug of coffee and replaced it with a glass of scotch.

"So, here is what is going to happen. You are going to get your shit together and be of some use to me before more people get killed, or I am going to formally recommend that you be removed from this case. Between the death of Detective Smith and your brazen lovefests with our biggest witness, you are way too close to all of this."

Lovegrove sighed and took a hearty sip of his scotch, a content yet unnerving hum escaping his lips from the taste. "Vacate your apartment until this case is closed or you're willingly killing yourself. Judging by what happened to Detective Smith, I am astonished that you are alive at all." He muttered something unintelligible under his breath before continuing. "Then, go back to Club Carousel, find 'Emerald', and either keep her in police custody for her own protection, or implore her to hotel-hop under a fake name." Calvin noticed that Ashley's eyes had continually wandered toward the case files. "I presume you are here to look at these, but they are of no use to you if our only sane witness is dead."

"If you can do all of this, then we might have a chance of getting this case restarted. As of now, it is in limbo, and half the fuckin' Manhattan underworld is laughing at the NYPD." Calvin's true form started to shift into focus. "There's more at stake here than the lives of a few shiny whores at Club Carousel. If the underworld cannot respect the abilities of Ad Vice, then we have nothing to bargain with and this gig is meaningless."

Calvin stood up from his desk and tossed the case file onto an armchair. "While you are out saving that poor girl's life, I'm going to go find the other witness. Perhaps with a bit more motivation, I might be able to find out something interesting." He smirked down at the handle of his pistol. "…And then I'm finding a place in the city to live. Off the record."