[System]
Age: 27

Species: Human

Appearance:

Keyblades:

Keyblade Powers:
A its name suggests, this Keyblade can (on very rare occasions) cast the infamous Doom spell upon a target it strikes. It offers no enhancements to strength, but along with physical damage it can also "damage" a target's magical energy (MP) and siphon a portion of it back to the wielder.
This blade, formerly wielded by Ren, became renowned during the War for its ability, Runic Charge. When magic is cast directly at the wielder, the blade's Runic Charge allows the blade to absorb the spell, protecting the wielder from its otherwise harmful effect and gaining a slight strength boost in return. Spells can be absorbed consecutively, allowing for the power boost to increase with each spell absorbed. The absorbed energy can, at any time after a single spell is absorbed, be unleashed in the form of the Runic Slash, Ren's signature technique. The attack is a beam of non-elemental energy brought forth through a slashing motion, giving it the shape of a great blade of light.

Heart type: Valorous

Spells: Haste, Protect, Reflect

Bio: The Keyblade War is often spoken of as a great calamity, but that alone is an inadequate portrayal of just how horrible it was. Cyrus Grimm is one of a few who can truly testify to the horrors of the Keyblade War. Originally born in Radiant Garden, Cyrus first summoned a Keyblade at the tender age of 14. A young boy becoming a Wielder of the Keyblade may seem innocent enough at first glance, but then one realizes that it happened during the height of what would become known as the most calamitous war in history. Only then is the reality of Cyrus's life truly understood.

He was almost immediately drawn into the conflict. Various players in the war would always be on the lookout for fresh Keyblade Wielders they could manipulate for their own agenda, which was always to obtain the forbidden X-blade. Cyrus was no exception, and soon found himself with only one terrible choice: fight... or die. The choice was obvious, and Cyrus became one of many child soldiers participating in the conflict. Among other young Wielders, there was another who also hailed from Radiant Garden, a boy named Ren. Fighting under the same faction, Cyrus and Ren became fast friends.

But war has an unfortunate tendency to destroy families and friendships. While Ren increasingly detested the violence and soon just wanted to make it end, Cyrus began to see it as a necessary evil. By then the two had been fighting in the war for a few years, and Cyrus was definitely being changed by the experience. Where before he fought simply for his own survival, some time after his first official kill, he began to fight with increasing callous toward his enemies. Such was his coldness that others in the conflict began to call him by a different name, one reflective of the scythe-like nature of his Keyblade: The Grimm Reaper.

Cyrus, like Ren, wanted to put an end to the chaos. But that was where similarities between the two became skewed. Ren wanted to end the war through peace, but Cyrus believed that only the X-blade had the power to end the suffering. As such, the two drifted apart and a battle between the two became an inevitability. Fight they did, their battle even becoming a famous affair after the fact, and the battle ended with Cyrus killing the man he once called his best friend. Cyrus, though hardened by the war, was not so cruel as to not show respect to his former friend as he held the dying Ren in his arms. As it turned out, Cyrus's victory was due to Ren's unwillingness to fight, him even actively pulling his punches and essentially allowing his friend to kill him if that meant an ending to the war.

In his last moments, Ren said these dying words to his former friend, "Even as my enemy, there is none with whom I would more gladly entrust my heart. Take it, my blade, and use them to finally put an end to this bloody conflict." Thus Cyrus, after killing Ren, took upon him his friend's heart and, with it, inherited Ren's Keyblade, which he henceforth named Trusted Heart. Throughout the war, Cyrus had become well-known for wearing a dark cloak, especially after he became known as the Grimm Reaper, but he discarded that name and that persona after Ren's death. Instead he began to wear the attire of his fallen friend, a set of red armor along with a long, crimson scarf.

In honor of his fallen friend, Cyrus took it upon himself to carry on Ren's goal of ending the war and restoring peace. This goal has brought him to Twilight Town, a world that thus far managed to remain completely untouched by the violence of the Keyblade War.

Theme: Simon Blackquill ~ Distorted Swordsmanship

[User]
Standing alone on the top ledge of the clock tower, Cyrus gazed at the never-ending sunset of Twilight Town. He'd heard this spot offered what others referred to as a "stunning view of the town", though Cyrus only really thought of it as a useful vantage point, he still had to admit that the view itself was indeed a sight to behold. Arms crossed, his red scarf whipped about in the wind, with a sigh Cyrus let himself relax a bit, evidenced by his beginning to lean on the wall behind him.

He heard rumors of like-minded Keyblade Wielders meeting here to discuss a plan for ending the war. It sounded genuine, but he knew all too well how often rumors could also lead to deadly traps. This was why he'd chosen his current vantage point. From here, he could watch things unfold while hopefully remaining unseen by those on the streets. If the rumors proved themselves to be true, Cyrus would show himself peacefully and offer his aid to effort. If his other hunch was correct and this turned out to be some twisted trap for naive hopefuls, then Cyrus would just have to once again prove why he was called the Grimm Reaper.

Perhaps he was being a bit pessimistic, but the war had made Cyrus into a very... pragmatic individual. It taught him to approach everything with a "healthy" amount of caution that often bordered on paranoia. He wanted to think that there were others like Ren out there, who were also trying to end the conflict just as he had tried to do, and if there were Cyrus would gladly join their cause in the name of honoring his fallen friend. Unfortunately, the realist in Cyrus told him that absolutely nothing should ever taken at face value.

[Assistant]
Seth walked out of a café with his coffee in his right hand and a brown paper bag. He took a seat outside the café and took out his bagel and spread the cream cheese evenly over each slice before taking a bite. He had been in Twilight Town for three days now and since then he blended in with all the towns' people. He wasn't about to make a scene to lure out the Keyblade warriors of darkness.

"These people don't deserve to be but in the crosshairs of the war," Seth said. He had grown to like the town and the people in it. He took a sip of his white chocolate pumpkin latte as he watched many of the towns people go on with their daily lives. Many of the teenagers talked about something called the struggle while eating ice cream bars. He had tired one of the sea salt ice cream bars, but couldn't stomach the taste.

Seth got up and threw away the brown paper bag after he finished his bagel. He got up and continued to drink his coffee as he walked the town. He could feel the darkness getting stronger, but he could also feel something else. Whatever power his Keyblade held still lingered in his mind which brought back the image of the burning orphanage. He shook his head to get rid of the image and sighed. I'll find whoever ordered that warrior to burn my home and make him pay. Seth thought as he finished his coffee and threw it in a trash bin before heading back towards the inn.

[User]
Bellasiel watched as people went by, the citizens blissfully unaware of the darkness slowly sinking in around them as they went about their daily lives. It wasn't their right to take that ignorance away from them and hopefully nothing dark would creep in anytime soon to disturb what they had here. This place seemed so peaceful, it could almost make one forget the darkness outside this world but the memories of all that had suffered would not ever leave her mind no matter how calming this place might be. She found herself startled out of her thoughts at Arthal's return and a frozen treat being held out for her to take which she did happily as her attention turned to the other. "Thank you, that was very thoughtful.",Bellasiel replied with a gentle smile.

She turned her gaze back out at the people, taking a bite of the dessert in her hand only to frown and tilt her head slightly.
That is certainly an interesting taste...
Bellasiel didn't want to be rude so she continued to eat the treat but noting that salty and sweet mixed were obviously not her thing. The conversations around her drew her interest as she ate, this struggle thing that they all spoke of might be quite a sight if they didn't meet with the others soon, whoever they might be. Bellasiel had to wonder if this wouldn't turn negative or if it was a smart idea to advertise themselves since it could bring danger but she believed in Arthal and would take he lead. She was hopeful to find others, others that wanted this to end in peace just as much as she. She thought of the question Arthal just asked for a moment, looking up at the sky with a sun that was forever stuck at it's twilight hour. The neutral time between light and darkness...

"It is strange to never see full light of the day or the full blackness of the night. This place seems so serene and peaceful that it makes me feel like the calm before the storm or the pause before battle. It is a place I could feel happy in but there would always be this feeling of dread or that waiting for something more...Do you think it was a good idea that we let word out about our cause? It could attract the wrong kind of attention though I am hopeful that we find others to join us.

[Assistant]
He finished his ice-cream then stood up. "I suppose you are right however I guess it's time to attract some attention if we want the other's to find us." He watched as the towns people walked away then he extended his hands, Keyblade appearing in each he twirled them lay them again the ground. He knew in a few moments any Leyblade wielder would be able to tell who he was and why he was here. He just hoped they would be here to talk, not to fight him, he didn't want to kill anyone he didn't have to. "They'll find us soon I suggest you be prepared. If we have attracted Dark Keyblade wielders they will no doubt know who we are now."

Around the city crept in black shadows, Heartless who had hidden here. Slowly they crawled out from there holes gather near the newly summoned Keyblades. They sought only to end whoever had brought these weapons into their home. They were weak creatures, the Heartless here having no real power. They formed a circle around Arthal, yet none of them wished to near the weapon, slowly the came closer Arthal begin to spin the blades. "Begone or I shall hunt you all and remove you from the corners of this world." Soon they backed away, as if they sensed a presence commanding them.

The Heartless ran as a black-gate that oozed liquid shadow opened and out stepped a a girl. Her long black robed covered her body but the figure itself was unmistakable. "Oh how cute, you think you can organize something like this?" A kingdom key appeared in her hand. "You are messing with your betters, run on home to your world and cower their before I-"

In an instant Arthal slammed his blades together and he flew upon her, his combined Keyblade against her neck. "Tell your masters I will stop them and the next person they send does not return." With that he shoved the girl back. "I am a Keyblade master if you think you can handle someone with a hundred years of practice with this weapon then by all means come at me." She went wide eyed as pulled the blade away, turning she cried running back through her portal, a novice no doubt sent out here by a faction of Dark Keyblade wielders attempting to determine how severe the threat to their power was.

[User]
Azazel walked through the streets of Twilight Town, observing everyone and seeing who was a Keyblade wielder and who was a normal civilian. He reflected on his journey here and shuddered. It was taking time to get used to this new power of his Keyblade. It appeared in his hand for a moment but quickly disappeared.

Some Heartless appeared around him and he growled. They were pathetic, the most base form of monster to be encountered. Shadows, no emblem and no special powers. They sunk through the shadows and attacked with animalistic fury. Azazel raised his hand and his Keyblade appeared. A wind swept through the area and knocked them all into a wall, dispersing them with ease. Anyone nearby would feel the strong breeze and recognize it as magic with ease. As long as they knew what magic was of course. His Keyblade disappeared once he recognized the threat was gone.

Azazel walked to a nearby Ice Cream stand and decided to order the local delicacy. He put the munny down on the counter and ate his Sea Salt Ice Cream quietly. As he ate he noted the man with two Keyblades as he attacked some girl who appeared through a dark portal. A shame really, he could've learned something from her. Azazel then turned his attention to the man. He was most likely the guy who organized the meeting between all of the Keyblade users, a fool if he had ever seen one. Neutrality was not an option in this war, you fought or you were slaughtered by those who fought. Azazel shook his head and walked towards the Clock Tower. Perhaps he could observe the meeting from there, it was a good vantage point.

After arriving at the Clock Tower, Azazel used some basic Magnet Magic to stick to the wall and walk up the Clock Tower. He stopped walking about halfway up and watched to see what would happen at the meeting.

[Assistant]
Cyrus offered no reaction when Heartless attacked the man who revealed himself as a Keyblade Wielder. If the man was truly a master as he purported himself to be, then there was no threat. Ergo, no reason for the Reaper to get involved yet. No, he instead just continued to watch, wishing to be absolutely sure of this meeting's legitimacy before taking part in it. He noted the presence of another nearby, below him on the wall of the tower to be exact. They were using magic to keep themselves from falling, choosing not to climb all way up the tower for reasons unknown. They were probably just using caution, as he himself was. Certainly not a threat, at least not yet anyway.

There briefly was a Dark Keyblade wielder commanding the Heartless, but the man with two blades chases her off easily enough. With the calling of a Keyblade, the proverbial floodgates were now open. Now, not only would Heartless begin to appear on this world, but any Keyblade holder within the area could easily sense the man's power. He was doing this as a sort of signal, letting it act as a beacon to call others to his location.

Time to find out what this man's true intentions are.


[System]
~Yukino Okajima~

---
Age:
12
Team:
Hero Brigade
Appearance:
Height: 139cm | Weight: 42kg
Wish:
"I wish I never had to grow hungry again."
Soul Gem Color:
Yellow Green
Power:
 Yukino's power is, of course, one that relates to their wish but in an indirect manner. Yukino is capable of creating various plants through seeds created within the fibrous stalks sprouting from her back. The seeds will sprout and grow in seconds upon contact with a surface automatically, but can be made to sprout early with a conscious command. Keeping true to Yukino's desire to never grow hungry, the plants summoned are those that are either fruit bearing or carnivorous in nature.
Weapon:
 Her primary weapons are the stalks sprouting from her back that other's may misidentify as 'wings'. In point of fact they aren't capable of flight, and serve more as an extra set of limbs, though they are powerful enough to launch her off the ground in a paltry mimicry of flying.
Personality:
 Yukino is a soft spoken, reticent young girl who often views the world around her from a distance. Even as a member of the Hero Brigade, she doesn't put much effort into engaging with her friends unless they pull her into something, preferring to be an observer in regards to casual interaction. She is often nervous in her interactions with people, and is often overwhelmed by people with boisterous or strong willed personalities. In spite of people's impression's of her, she's a generally a happy person and isn't quick to anger by any stretch of the imagination.
In her duties as a Mahou Shoujo, Yukino pushes herself to be able to confront the Primordial threat. She endeavors to stay at range and bombard the Primordials from afar, even if her weapon is capable in close range. However, while she is capable of confronting the Primordial, she is reticent if confronted by the Mahou Shoujo of the Order.
History:
 For as long as she could remember, Yukino has been living on the streets of Miso City. Another soul who slipped through the cracks and had to subsist on the scraps of society. There were three things that persisted throughout life on the streets, solitude, cold, and hunger. A raggedy orphan finds themselves with many blind eyes turned to them, but there was safety in invisibility. For a long time she had nothing but the clothes on her back, but it was to her fortune she found refuge in an abandoned house on the city's outskirt.
What couldn't be overcome was the hunger. The gnawing sensation of your body cannibalizing itself just a bit more with every passing second was a constant weight upon her mind. Yukino could never scrounge enough to sate her growing body. So when she found the bizarre creature sitting before her after the fifth day without a meal, her wish was rather predictable.
Theme:

[User]
Ryuko Ishiniwa

Ryuko escaped indoors from the sudden blizzard that she got caught up in on her way there, she sneezed loudly. What she then found at the party was pretty much what she expected; awkwardness. Most of the girls present seemed to be standing around in silence, waiting for the self-proclaimed "leader" to get back from baking her dumb cookies. But as much as she tried to look dignified while she stood at the center of the room, her eyes nailed on the Order girls, Ryuko's stomach growled; it's been a while since she's had something to eat, and her gaze lingered on the ice cream. Then Ryuko saw the white-haired girl serving up snacks to the enemy first before her own group, and she became angry.

Irritated at the gluttonous girl who made a mess of herself, she finally raised her voice: "How long do we have to wait for those damn cookies? This isn't a stupid tea party! And where's the rodent, anyway? Isn't that thing the reason we're here? Why do we even care what it has to say?" Ryuko liked disrupting the dead air that previously occupied the place, not minding the fact she caught the attention of the attendees. "Besides, we all know how this is going to end. Why even bother with the fake smiles?"

[Assistant]
Erika Natsuko

BGM

"Hmm... erm, it's good to see you again, Akame! I- hmm..." To say that Erika was overwhelmed by Akame's way too warm greeting was an understatement. It had been long since the two of them had gathered as magical girls and even longer since they talked about it. Akame couldn't see the waste she made of her life, Erika vowed to save her, no matter the cost, things happened and that's why they are here tonight. Or so the taciturn leader of the Order thought.

While the other girls gathered, Erika remained quiet, reading upon her book and observing as the rain gradually transitioned to snow, given the discrepancy in relation to today's weather forecast (despite the fact that Winter was coming), there could be only one cause. Erika also contemplated on the choice of cookies Akame laid before her and how most of the other girls seemed to be frowning at the, obviously burnt, desserts her sister tried to treat them with.

After a long moment of thinking that she couldn't get herself to chomp at Akame's head (though, Erika hid one of Akame's face cookies on her pocket while no one was looking) and that she couldn't even begin to think on eating Contractor's cookies, Erika threw a glare at Mitsuki, "Perhaps, we she bake some with your face for the next time? You know, to take out this smile that never seems to fade." Then, she followed Mitsuki and bit off the mouth of one of her own faces.

"Get us some properly hot tea as well, using that one your friend brought, Akame. One can't eat in a civilized manner without tea, especially since a certain someone is coming back to city." Erika said just as Akame stepped out to get another batch of cookies done, before closing her book in a way that it produced a dramatic dry thud, to call for everyone's attention, before taking a central position on the meeting room.

"Good evening, everyone. As you all know, the the contents of tonight's meeting are known only to the Contractor, but it seems that he's out to meet with a certain person that might as well have information on what's happening. Until they arrive, make yourselves at home enjoying the treats from the hosts of this gathering and the sight of the early snow, which is a courtesy of our special guest." With those words Erika returned to her chair and resumed her reading, occasionally glancing at either the snow or Akame while wondering what this contrived rendezvous was truly about.

Yuna Yukino

BGM

"Mmm..." A lone white haired girl groaned as she woke up thanks to the rumble of the bus she was in, she was wearing headphones, listening to some of her favorite songs and had fallen asleep without even noticing. Nevertheless, it all ended because the driver found a frozen road when he wasn't expecting any. Getting her phone, which was in her skirt's pocket, she looked at its screen and said, "I've slept for too long, the playlist is already past its half. It must be only a short while before I reach Miso City."

About an hour later...

"Yuna Yukino! It's been a long time since we had news of you. May I inquire what brought you back to Miso City? The Contractor said just as Yuna stepped out of the bus. The small creep must have been waiting for her at the station for hours, knowing that this was bound to happen eventually.

"You know the reason already, 'that thing' is coming to Miso City. I'm here to talk with the others about it." Yuna answered without much emotion behind her voice. "Anyway... It's snowing already, huh? Well, since Christmas is close, it's only natural. I hope Akame will have something hot ready for me, all this traveling is way too tiring." She thought.

"Yuna Yukino, the others are waiting for you, I believe you should hurry up. Or do you prefer for the meeting to be cancelled?"

"You don't need to bother about me being late. On this weather, is when I can do my best..." Yuna said just before transforming and leaving the station, storming the streets of Miso City like the blizzard that had suddenly hit it.

A few minutes later...

"I'm back, Akame. Is everyone here already?" Yuna asked as she entered the meeting room in her normal form, the very coldness of the wintry weather following her, despite them being indoors. At this very instant the Contractor jumped from Yuna's shoulder (where it was safely perched during the trip) and took a place in the middle of all the girls, taking the time to gobble down a cookie shaped like itself, before officially announcing the beginning of this meeting.

"Well then, Now that Yuna Yukino is finally here, shall we begin?"

---

@Flamelord@Ariamis@Lonewolf685@Unlucky0013@Queue13

[User]
~Akame Natsuko~

---

Akame wasn't sure to feel bad or glad at the success rate of her cookies. It seemed to be evenly split between those that genuinely enjoyed them, those who thought they were a waste of time and good will, and those who just didn't care because free food was still free food. At least Erika seemed to appreciate her underhanded cooking and Akame did not ignore her sister pocketing off a cookie with her face on it.

Seems they would all have to wait for the Contractor to arrive since he was the one who had called this meeting. So while Erika gave her announcements, Akame devoted herself to being a busy body with the snacks and refreshments. At least, until an icy wind nearly made the oven freeze over. Akame wasn't even upset because she knew only one girl could do such a thing.

"Yuna! Yuna's back!" Akame said, practically letting the tray of fresh cookies drop to glomp her friend. Despite the coldness surrounding her, she hugged her friend and rubbed her cheek against Yuna's in an effort to warm her up. Because of this, she didn't notice the last shape to enter the room aside from the Contractor.

The second in command of the Order, Haku Asakura gave Erika just a glance before turning in the direction of the announcing Contractor. Adjusting her glasses, Haku's gaze was as stoic and unreadable as ever. Had the Contractor not started the meeting, Akame would have offered her a cookie too.

"Hello everyone. As you know, I've come to gather all of the Magical Girls I could find in this city for the purpose of warning you for the dangers ahead of us all. It would seem there's been a rapid influx of Primordial growth right here in Miso City. Because of that, I felt that it was best to have you all work together!"

Akame paled, already not liking where this was going. Not because she was against the notion, heavens no! But she felt that more than a few girls here would want to make their voices known against this notion. After all, they were on two different factions for a reason.

As if predicting this outcome, the Contractor was silent to let anyone raise objection to this, his tail curled over its paws in patience. Akame knew it meant well, but sometimes she couldn't help but feel he enjoyed the bickering a little too much.

---

, @Ariamis, @Queue13, @Unlucky0013, @Flamelord, @KoL

[Assistant]
"My, such hostility," Mitsuki replied with a raised eyebrow, targeting Ryuko with that comment even as she finished off the cookie that she currently held. "We may have our ideological disagreements, but I don't see why that has to stop us from being friends if we want to." She certainly seemed to believe that particular fact. They were all magical girls, so even if they had their differing philosophies, they could still get along.

Moving on to a cookie of the Contractor himself, she flashed a specially bright smile to her fearless and dour leader Erika, even as she was accused and questioned. "Well, I would never be so vain as to request you make cookies of me, but if that happens I won't complain. Besides, is there something wrong with being in a good mood?"

That said, she turned to listen to the introduction itself, sampling her food and waiting for the good bits to arrive. For example, the knowledge that they would have a special guest, and the quick arrival of said special guest. A chill ran through the room as Yuna entered, a reminder of the power that she had which could be brought to bear with such visible force. It was interesting to have her back here, and surely that could only promise interesting things.

Mitsuki's smile tightened slightly, treading dangerously close to a smirk at the same time. Oh, she was always a fan of interesting times. They always provided such....juicy opportunities.

The arrival of the Contractor seemed to solidify that, even as he noted the surge in Primordial activity here in town, and explaining that he had brought them here to arrange a temporary cooperation between the two factions. She was more than willing to work along with the Hero Brigade, if only because of the opportunities it presented. But she imagined that some of her coworkers might not be so happy with that choice.

"Do we know why this is happening," she asked, leaving off deciding for fact finding. She could make her choice later.

[User]
Yukino set aside the cookies and brushed the crumbs from her dress. There were a few moments she felt compelled to look away in embarrassment at the antics of the Hero Brigade's senior members. The arrival of Yuna was dramatic enough, given she dragged in the cold, the incubator, and deadened whatever tension was building up by immediately being glomped by Akame. It was a rather fitting contrast to the Order's senior member's who entered solemnly or silently.

Honestly with the differences in temperament, Yukino would almost consider going to the Order, Erica seemed more her speed rather than the exuberant and affectionate Akame, but the differences in belief were too great for that. Beyond that, it wasn't like all the Hero Brigade was saccharine and it couldn't be said that all the Order was detached and reserved, Yukino looking at Ryuko and Yoshino in particular as exceptions to the rules.

Then the Contractor spoke the reason for their gathering in that succinct manner that could only be called typical of it. "Contractor, while we may all share a duty to hunt the Primordials, it seems that the two sides function best as...separate groups." Yukino's voice was soft, form seeming to shrink on itself amidst all the other magical girls of Miso city. "Not to say I wouldn't cooperate, most of the Hero Brigade would...It's that we all have done well as is. Is there really to be so many Primordials to require this?"

Yukino choose to focus her gaze on the Contractor, finding it easier to look at their benefactor then the others. Truthfully she wouldn't be against cooperation, but that would bring both sides into greater proximity and increase the chances for conflict amongst their members. While she wasn't an educated person, even Yukino could tell that people divided by an ideology could seldom come together for anything but bloodshed.


[System]
Gender: Male

Age: 19

Sexuality:

He says every body is beautiful, therefore to him gender isn't an issue.

Appearance:

Due to an accident when he was younger, he lost both his left arm and right leg. His late father, being an inventor, created his a mechanical arm and leg which he takes good care of.

Personality

Prince is known as a friendly man, almost big brother-like to the younger crew in the Leviathan. He often teases the people he's close to, sometimes showing his sadistic nature whilst cracking the most horrible puns in the worst of situations, but when put in the position that requires fighting, people say it's like something inside him clicks and he becomes a ruthless killer until the task is done. He's been using an alias, 'Prince', as his name ever since he got involved with the crew of the Leviathan, preventing anyone from knowing his real name due to his background.

Weapon of Choice:

Other:

Unlike others, Prince prefers to fight in the shadows. He uses the shadows to blend into his surroundings and attacking the enemy from behind instead of facing them head on. In cases where he has to fight, he uses his skills in martial arts for close combat and relies on his bow and arrow to support his teammates from afar.

Stats:

Strength: 8
Dexterity: 5
Intelligence: 4
Social: 4
Crafting: 3
Fighting: 5

[User]
Winter

Winter had gotten most of her errands done and was now walking aimlessly through the city, stopping at little shops every now and then for clothes or books. It'd been what, almost an hour since being in Ballard? Someone had probably already kicked up a ruckus. That meant she had a limited amount of time to herself before –

Guess my time's up.

Just as she'd turned the corner, she came upon three dead bodies. Winter sighed and looked up to the sky for patience. Setting down her bags away from the pooling blood, she walked over and kneeled over the bodies to inspect them. From the long, clean slashes, this was Levi's work. The blood was still fresh and had yet to clot, so the girl was probably still in the area. Winter sighed, getting slightly annoyed. Really, to kill in such a flashy way and then just leave the bodies for anyone to stumble upon? She shook her head at such sloppy work.

Her ears perked up when she heard voices reverberating off of the alley walls. People were coming. Straightening up, Winter stepped away from the bodies and backed herself up against the wall where she'd left her bags. She tore at the seam of her dress and pushed her sleeve off her shoulder a bit and then reached down to get the water bottle she'd had in her bag. Opening it, Winter dabbed some onto her fingers and smeared it across her face. She closed her eyes and got into her character. Two patrol officers rounded the corner to find a shivering, fragile girl, staring wide-eyed at the dead bodies.

Their voices halted immediately when they saw everything. Winter's head snapped up to look at them and she flinched away, her hands coming up to clutch at her chest, her knuckles white.

"I –" her voice broke and she just continued to stare at them. The two men glanced at each other, and one of them came forward, approaching Winter like she was a wild animal.

"Hey," he said in a gentle voice. "You're ok, we're not gonna hurt you. Can you tell us what happened?" His hand reached out to her, but he seemed to think better of it and pulled back.

Winter pulled her native accent around her voice, thickening it until her words were a broken, stilted version of what they usually were. "There was… men, and they try to…" She bit back a sob and pointed down the opposite alley. "A man come, he defend me, but one ran away. They chase down there." The two officers straightened immediately at hearing that there was still an altercation going on.

"Stay here, ok," the officer commanded her, "we'll come back to get you." With that, the two took off, weapons drawn.

Without an audience, Winter dropped her act and straightened up. At least now she didn't have to do cleanup work. She tidied herself up and wiped the water from her face. Walking over to the bodies again, Winter picked up their weapons, cleaning them on their shirts and tucked them neatly in her bag. Now she just had to deal with Levi. She looked around, spying an art store and remembered the young girl's drawings. That was a likely place to look then.

And sure enough, when Winter walked through the door, there she was.

"Levi," she said, voice stern. When she had the girl's attention, she raised her hand and curled her finger in a 'come here' motion.

[Assistant] Angelo sighed as he heard the familiar voice of the twins nearby and as a result Angelo soon went to the end of the bar waiting on them to do what they did best and cause a commotion and as if on cue Sakuya gave anyone man enough an open pass to come over to them and give them the tour around town. even the guys that he beat up earlier got up at the thought of taking them out however this time "shut up!" when he said that everyone didn't question it or tried to argue about it as they all shut up and Angelo looked at them "why is it wherever you go theirs going to be nothing but white noise crowding the place" Angelo said to Sakuya knowing how Angelo felt about peace and quiet rather then the eruption of noise the both of them make wherever they go. Angelo felt like peace and quiet could let him think and relax anywhere but such noise just pissed him off...

[User]
"Oh yeah, it would be good for one of them, you're right." Aubrey took the offered cup from the coffee lady. It was in a little white ceramic mug. The top of the coffee was covered in some kind of foamy stuff, something he had never seen before. He stuck his pinky finger in it and tasted it. Wow, it was sweet alright. He brought the little cup to his lips and sipped it carefully, making sure it wasn't too hot.

 He nodded his head. "Yeah, you're right. It's really nice here." He was going to add something about it being too nice, that he was starting to twitch from being in such a calm, laid-back atmosphere. But he didn't, and instead just finished his coffee in a few more greedy mouthfuls. Even Levi seemed to have gotten bored with it. Aubrey returned her wave as she left. When Jax asked if he wanted to go after the others with her, his whole face smiled. "I thought you'd never ask! I can't stay still this long, it's making me crazy."

 He passed his mug back to the counter-lady and thanked her. The lady waited for Jax to hand in her cup, and then Aubrey led his friend back out of the little cafe. Once more, the little bell jingled softly. For some reason, he really liked that bell.

 "Okay, do you know which way the were going?" He asked, turning to look at Jax. "Taran said something about some fancy place..." He looked up, peering through the smog. In the distance, he could barely see the top of a large building. It's baby blue walls stood out amounts the rest of the rusty, brownish buildings. "That looks promising. Let's head that way."

 The streets were not particularly crowded anymore. The sun had long since disappeared, and a sickly yellow glow was cast by the old lights lining the streets. The city was definitely worse at night. They walked for a few minutes through the shady place, only passing a few people here and there. "I wonder where everyone went." He said, partly to himself, turning to walk backwards for a second so he could look back to see how far they'd gone. "You'd think that-"

 Aubrey was cut off when felt a hand grasp the back of his neck. Immediately, he struck back with his elbow, but he missed his assailant, his arm grazing harmlessly across their side. The person pulled Aubrey against them, wrapping a think arm around his neck as the boy squirmed. Based on the strength of the person, Aubrey identified them as male. It felt like the world was moving in slow motion, but the whole exchange happened in about two seconds.

 He stopped squirming when he felt a blade agaisnt the skin of his neck. He froze, his hands still gripping the arm that was around his neck. "Little girls shouldn't be out at this hour." Someone said. From the shadows of the ally next to them another man appeared, addressing Jax. Aubrey would have kicked him for referring to him as a girl had the circumstances been different.

 "Now, we don't want any trouble." The man said, "But see, we're sort of running low on cash. I'll make you a deal; hand over your wallets, and we won't hurt your little friend. Unless, of course, you have other services to offer..." The sly way he said it made Aubrey's blood boil, and he gave Jax a look that said 'You better kick his ass'.

[Assistant]
Jax

Jax had finished her coffee a little bit before Aubrey and was unnoticeably admiring the somewhat cute way he drank his sugar filled coffee. The internal struggle between the boyish her and the girlish was relentless. She wanted to like Aubrey but felt it was too girly to feel the way she did, all warm and fuzzy inside. Rolling her shoulders a bit she shook it off, waving her hand a little to Levi as she left. "Sweet, let's go" Once he returned his white mug to the woman across the counter she returned hers, smiling mischievously as they headed out. "Yes, I'm pretty sure they were going looting. That building there has got to be our ticket to them, hopefully we're not too late"

Once the sun had begun to go down the streets got darker, their were few lights lighting their way and the pollution didn't help their sight either. Aubrey had started to walk backwards for reasons she didn't know and spoke, "you think that-" His words were cut off when a large hand grabbed the back of his neck. Jax's eyes grew wide at the sight of the man behind Aubrey. She hadn't even noticed him creep out of the darkness and grab her crew mate. Now her eyes were narrowed and her hands balled into tight fists. "Bastard" Jax muttered under her breath.

The man put a knife to her friend's neck and her own blood boiled as they spoke to her like a child, a girlish child who couldn't fend for herself. Desperate or not they had no right to do such things. Other services? What freaking creeps. Jax cracked her neck and spoke calmly but with a hint of anger and sadism. "Pardon me, I am not a little girl, and that is my friend you have there" She removed the wrench from her back and spun it over her head in one hand, a smirk forming on her face. "Now, if you do not release him I will have to bash both of your skulls in. Find cash and other services elsewhere, will you?"

Now trembling with rage, she didn't give them time to reply, no one touched her friends, especially not the boy she liked, and that was final. The pirate girl dashed forward and slammed one end of her wrench into the man's stomach, the one who wasn't holding Aubrey. As he was falling backwards she threw the thing at his head and blood could be seen spewing out of his bashed forehead and broken nose. "No one threatens my friends and gets away with it!!!" Jax than turned with ease and moved behind the other man, rapidly pulling out her flintlock, spinning it and placing it too the man's head. "Now, you will release him or I will have to dislocate your brain, do we have an understanding?"

[User]
As soon as Jax moved, the man tightened his grip on Aubrey's throat. Aubrey winced as his air supply was cut off and he felt a trickle of warmth run from where the knife was pressed to the soft skin on his neck. He struggled to turn his head towards the man's elbow, knowing if he could wriggle into the softer flesh he would be able to breath. The man's grip was too strong, and in those vital moments with no oxygen Aubrey's muscles felt useless. Instead of trying to free himself, he managed to bite down on the man's wrist. Simultaneously, he kicked one heel up in between the man's legs and felt a rush of satisfaction when his attacker groaned.

 Aubrey's feet left the ground as the man lifted him, taking away any leverage the boy had. But then Jax whipped around and slung out a pistol, aiming it at the back of the man's head. He froze, but kept his hold on Aubrey. He stood there for a second, looking at his comrade laying bloodied on the ground, as if contemplating his options.

 Aubrey's kicks had gotten weak, until he was just hardly moving. He heard Jax speak in a threatening tone, but the words were lost. "Who are you kidding, girly." The man sneered. A confident smirk played across his face as he spoke, as if the sight of his buddy on the ground had no effect on him. "You wouldn't have it in you to actually kill someone, would you?"

[Assistant]
 "Jeez, Taran," Prince grinned. "Wouldn't hurt to do a good deed once in a while," He paused, placing a finger on his chin. "Now that I think about that sounded a bit weird knowing we're pirates." He shook his head, chuckling, "It was thanks to kids like those who helped me when my arm and leg got blew off," He said, reminiscing about his past. "I promised myself and father that no matter how things got bad, I would always help those kids. Sure, if they had bad intentions it'll bit me in the ass later, but I'd rather live knowing I did something than nothing at all." Prince grinned scratching the back of his head. "I guess father taught me how to be a pushover in the end, huh?"

 "Besides, even if people did try to come after us later, doesn't that just make things more interesting?" Prince laughed. He looked towards the direction Taran pointed, a sly smile forming on his lips. "C'mon Taran, wouldn't be any fun if we didn't get at least a little action today, where's your sense of adventure?" He asked, grinning from ear to ear. He ran towards the building and using an alleyway as a cover so people wouldn't see him and scaling up to the roof. "I forgot to tell you, I like the thrill of getting caught," He smirked, winking at Taran before entering the building through a window.


[System]
Age: 25
About: Ferret has been on his own since he was a young boy. He grew up as a stray orphan on the streets of Gotham, running around with other kids and watching his friends gradually get picked off or die of disease. He was one of the few who survived to adulthood, and it paid off. He makes his way through the Underground, as he calls the network of subterranean tunnels, alleys, and sewers. For the most part he keeps to himself. Occasionally he will shoplift necessities, but mostly he survives by scavenging, pawning the rare valuables he finds. He got his name because of his long, lean body which allows him to fit through spaces that seem impossibly small.

[User]
"Twenty bucks."
 "Come on, man, it's worth fourty."
 "Final offer."
 "Fine."
 Ferret traded the watch he'd found in a dumpster for a wrinkled, dirty twenty and slunk out of the pawn shop. Glancing both ways quickly, he slipped in the small gap between the pawn shop and laundromat and jogged down the slightly wider alley. When he got to the wall, he scrambled up it and slid down the other side. Using some of the money to buy a greasy burger from a shack on the other side of the street, he slipped the change into one of the pockets of his ragged coat and put the burger into the knapsack on his back. Wanting to get below the surface streets, he slunk along the shadows of the severe gray buildings and avoided contact with any other people going about their business. When he came to a row of dumpsters, he crawled behind one and settled down to eat.

 He was dressed as if someone put together a bunch of old rags and sewed them together with twine, which is actually how some of his clothes were made. His hair was overgrown and dirty, and the cloth that covered his lower face, neck, and chest made it almost impossible to see what he looked like. All in all, he was completely forgettable, and that was the way he liked it.

[Assistant]
"Yes, sir... thank you." Lilliane quietly spoke, head lightly tilted forwards, giving this bowed look as she nodded to the obese man in front of her. That was her boss and she absolutely hated him. Lily worked as a as general worker in a grocery store chain and this man was the guy who ran this store. Her tasks here varied widely from day to day, but since they were constantly understaffed to limit expenses, the guy was making a lot of money since he made them work harder while keeping the money that would usually be spend on more workers. He had friends in the rest of the stores that allowed him to hide it from the people who actually owned the entire thing, so as long as the profits stood as they should be, he was scott free to do whatever. She was one of the about dozen workers here and she was tired, overworked every day. Still it was one of the few places that had agreed to hire her and he did so by cutting her pay even more.

 She was currently obediently waiting for her salary to be given and he was instead berating her and abusing her psychologically. He liked to do so, but she wasn't breaking. After a while, a few indirect insinuations, a few not so veiled ones and a lot of shouting, he tossed the envelope with her salary to her. It was lighter than what it should be, but she was used to it. With all her willpower she walked out normally out of his office and headed to the changing rooms in the back of the big store. She took off her uniform there and by the time she began walking towards the staff entrance on the back, she was already shuffling her feet tiredly. It had been a 12 hour shift... 12 hours of night shift that had somehow gotten even more stretched out since it was well into the day now.

 Just as she reached the back entrnace, there was a big crash, sound of broken glass and shouts as something was apparently happening. Chances were that it was a store robbery, but given the chaos it was more likely that one of the many 'villains' was on a rampage. A rather regular thing in Gotham. She had no idea who it was and didn't really care. Happening across events like this was the norm in this blasted city. So she just walked out hte door, leaving the chaos behind and with a tired shuffle walked onwards, following the back alleyway towards her destination. She had to stop by the bank to deposit her salary. The sounds of battle, crumbling concrete and police sirens barely registered with her. Maybe... she should see if she could move to Metropolis...

[User] Ferret heard the sound of destruction coming from behind, and he looked out from behind the dumpster, debating whether to risk staying hidden close by or to run to safety further away. He didn't want to get close to any of the villians wreaking havok. That was his method, avoid the mess, pick through the aftermath for supplies. He decided to book it. He slipped out and jogged quickly away from the noise. He ran past a woman who seemed to be taking her time, and hissed, "Hurry, they always fan out. You're in the line of fire."


[System]
Nickname(Optional): June Bug

Age: 33

Gender: Female

Physical Appearance: Sayeeda is a medium sized woman of middle eastern extraction. She has the wiry build of a swimmer or long distance runner. Her eyes are dark and almond shaped and focus slightly beyond the horizon most of the time. Sayeeda keeps her hair just longer than a buzz cut in order to facilitate wearing her helmet. She has a large tattoo of several owls in flight on her right shoulder. Sayeeda does have feminine curves but her breasts are on the smaller size of average and she does very little to emphasize her gender.

Clothing:  Camo pants and a tank top are her civilian dress. She wears a ceramic breastplate if she is expecting trouble and also has a commo helmet which she uses in battle and for technical tasks.

Personality: Sayeeda is a former mercenary soldier and has a fairly relaxed view towards life. Anything and anyone not currently shooting at her is the second priority. She is very tightly wound when it comes to people doing what she expects them too in dangerous situations and she is extremely punctilious when it comes to fulfilling any sort of formal contract.

[User]
Junebug sipped at the coffee without enthusiasm. Her head was still a little foggy from the bender the night before and she couldn't quite bring everything into focus. The man seemed well informed about them, which was a neat trick halfway around the galaxy from where they had last been logged. Then again he could just be guessing based on old records and the shape their ship arrived in, the repair crew was bound to talk about something as obvious as the void kraken damage afterall.

"So why not go to the police?" Junebug asked skeptically, tapping the rim of her cup with a fingernail. Chen removed his glasses and drew a rose colored cloth from his pocket and began to polish the lens in a gesture that was clearly habitual.

"There are no police on this station Captain Cykali," Chen admitted, examining the lenses and slipping the glasses back onto his face.

"And here we were getting all worked up about being arrested." Cheng smiled tightly at that.

"There are a few gendarmes and of course there the corporate security types, but as you might appreciate, they have limited interest in missing persons," he replied bitterly, balling his fist before unclenching it and resting his knuckles on the tabletop.

"Look… Mr Cheng, I'm sure there are people better…" Junebug began but before she could finish the sentence Cheng's face contorted in genuine anger.

"There is no one else!" Cheng screamed hurling his coffee cup against the wall with a clatter and a splash. Taya jumped, startled by the outburst but Neil and Sayeeda remained immobile. Cheng seemed to regret the outburst and turned to pace back towards the rear of the room.

"Look, I can pay, I will pay you if you find her," Cheng went on. Sayeeda set her own coffee aside and removed her glasses to reveal eyes that were no long bloodshot. Glancing around the room she took the tempreature of her crew. The repairs had eaten up nearly all of their reserve. Theoretically they could convert the credits they had made of Fornax into the local currency but in practice the conversion rate tended to vary indirectly with distance from the system of issue. This far from Fornax, the credits would be nearly worthless. Sayeeda sighed.

"Ok Cheng, lay it out for us."

The facts as Cheng related them were simple enough. Nia worked for one of the larger corporations. Two weeks ago she had placed a brief panicked call to her husband claiming someone was following her. It was the last he had heard from her. The next day he had recieved a message claiming she was being taken to the one of the smaller privately secure docking bays.

"Weird that there has been no contact since then," Taya commented when the executive finished.

"If its a ransom then where is the ransom demand?"

"I mean unless its personal somehow?" Junebug mused. Some rival taunting Cheng perhaps.

[Assistant]
Neil tilted his body slightly to the side as the coffee cup flew past him to hit the wall. He didn't blame Cheng for blowing up for a moment. The man had been far too calm earlier. Neil had expected an outburst at some point. Thankfully he calmed immediately however, and they received the details.

"It could just be a routine kidnapping. Pretty women are unfortunately taken sometimes..." Neil said, slipping his hands into his pockets as he voiced that uncomfortable fact. Cheng composed himself well enough, but they could see that he was obviously doing his best to appear cool and collected. "Do you have any enemies we should know about, Mr. Cheng?" Neil asked him, gazing upwards at the man. The executive raised his hands as high as his shoulders in defeat.

"I do have some unsatisfied investors...people who owe me money. Those in the mining business that..." He stopped, blinking as he considered an intrusive thought. "I don't think that these people would do this, but there was a business partner I had to cut ties with recently. Kramer Mining and Productions, one of the burgeoning businesses out here that specialize in mining asteroid minerals, though they sometimes go planet side. I just... they're reputable from what my sources tell me. Seems unlikely it's them."

"Well it's a start," Neil said to Sayeeda, giving Taya a wink. "What about the investors? Any of them on the station?"

"All of them are." He said glumly. "If you go to the eastern wing of the Commons, you'll find a Center for Shareholders. We partner up and, recently my bank has been having problems with who we invest with. Pirates attack cargo ships, and we lose capital. But how would that be my fault?" He seemed utterly helpless at the moment, as if asking some higher power. Neil honestly felt for the man, in general.

"Don't worry sir, we'll figure this out for you as best we can." The Pilot declared, clicking his teeth together. "Where's Kramer located?"

"I...about a million kilometers off station on a smaller satellite station."

"By the way, can we have our money back?"

[User]
"Oh..." Cheng looked a little embarrassed at the question.

"Of course, I cannot actually seize your money merely aquire the account and require you to sign some paperwork before you access it," he explained, clearly more comfortable to be in an area where he did apparently have some expertise. Sayeeda, far more comfortable on a battlefield than at a garden party could understand completely. Cheng produced a data pad and passed it to Junebug. She squirted a copy of it to Lonney who declared it to be free from legal trickery and in common usage on the station before digitally signing.

"We will need any information you have on your wife's disappearance," Sayeeda declared once the paperwork was done. Cheng smiled wanly.

"Everything I have is on the disc your pilot stole captain," he said, "If you need anything further, anything at all you have only to call." Nodding her acceptance Sayeeda stood, a little chagrined by the hope on the mans face.

"We will do what we can sir," she said in a professionally neutral tone.

________________________________

"It has to be this Kramer crew," Taya declared. The girl looked a good deal more human now that Junebug had forced her to drink several liters of water and accept a rehydration pack. By the way the girl kept looking at her and blushing and giggling, the aristocrat remembered more of the previous night than Junebug did.

"Why what have you found?" Junebug asked, looking up from her own fruitless attempts to go through Cheng's many investors.

"Nothing," Taya declared. THey were all sitting around the Highlander's consoles, linked into the local data net and with Lonney's sorting power it was the best place on the station to be. Plus the monitors could be set dim enough not to wake Sayeeda's nascent headache. The moment dragged out before Junebug rose to the bait.

"Nothing?" she asked, turning her chair to face Taya. It wasn't a particularly helpful gesture as the girl had her display set to mono directional so that only someone directly infront could read it.

"Nothing," Taya confirmed, "Name and a reistrey number but no client list, no sales pitch, no stock holder reports."

"Could they just be fairly low key?" Sayeeda asked skeptically.

"Maybe but I ran the profile of every other similar company that operates of this station and it flagged abnormal. Even the little mother and cub operations are screaming their virtues from the asteroid top." Leading troops gave you an ability to judge when a people were confident about something, and when a specialist was confident in her specialty area, it paid to listen.

"Sounds like a lead," Junebug said, eager to be up and away from the data crunching that had filled the last several hours.

"One more thing," Taya said and touched a button to turn her display to omni directional. A holo of Nia Cheng flashed into existence, rotating slowly.

"This has been doctored," Taya declared, clearly proud of the deduction.

"Doctored, you mean like altered with image processors?" Junebug asked. That was strange. SHe cast a glance at Neil.

"Any ideas?"

[Assistant]
Neil's face was firmly shoved in his hand, absently listening to the ladies as they spoke to one another. He hadn't looked at the image, but he didn't know who would doctor the holo of Nia. Cheng obviously wouldn't, because it was in his best interest to find her. So who else would have tampered with the image? And why? Cheng would obviously remember what she looked like, or perhaps the fact it was altered was just to show her in a different state than she was in?

"All I could think of is the Node higher ups and their security forces." Neil said aloud, yawning and placing his hands on the table. "If this Kramer Company had the backing of them, they could doctor the image and ghost out of the system too...which means this is a bit more dangerous and complicated than we thought a kidnapping mission would be." His voice trailed off and he lightly bit his tongue, eyes downcast as he considered.

"Well, we could try hacking into some of the security cameras." Taya offered, her face full of energetic mischief at the thought, drawing a somewhat surprised gaze from the Captain and Pilot. Neil had forgotten she was technical savvy in ways he wasn't, and that she was trouble maker enough to go past her overly controlling father and escape Fornax unscathed. He supposed they had been in so many dangerous situations recently that he mostly thought of her as a frightened young woman, but...

"They would show us what really happened, and if the upper Node is not trustworthy, asking them wouldn't be very unbiased."

"Every second we're not out there looking is also another second she might be further from the system, or closer to being trafficked off into some harem." Neil reminded her.

"Which means we better get to it." She replied quickly.

The pilot turned to the Captain. "Want to split up?" He asked, referring to he and Lonney flying out to check on the Kramer station while the two women checked the cameras. Of course if the Captain thought it was unwise, he wouldn't be mad.

[User]
Junebug considered the proposition for a moment turning the problem over in her mind.

"No," she said after a long moment of reflection. According to the reports the shipyard engineers had provided her the Highlander wouldn't be fully space worthy for another few days. In fact, several of them had reacted with a kind of fascinated horror to the fact that the ship had been in hard vacumn, let alone the RIP only a few days ago.

"Taya you are best suited to chasing down the footage and the data streams, and the Highlander shouldn't lift till the repairs are finished." As if summoned by the words the sound of a power tool slicing into metal reverberated through the hull. Neil cast a gaze out the viewport clearly wishing he could be there to oversee the work.

"Cheng gave us an expense account so hit the shops and...." the girls eyes lit up to an unreasonable degree... "Get what equipment you think will be useful. Don't go to crazy because Cheng's geneorisity isn't unlimited despreate though he might be if we bankrupt him it wont do us any favors." Taya nodded her agreement clearly happy to remain behind at the saftey of a console.

"And what will we be doing?" Neil asked skeptically. A slow smile spread across Junebugs face.

_______________________________

"For the record, this is a galaxy class piece of shit," Neil said, repeating the theme of the last few minutes as he looked up at the small mining barge Junebug had chartered after a quick call to Cheng. The thing looked like an ugly tick compared to the Highlander's majestic greyhound as it squatted in the small docking bay. Its panels were covered with rust and coolant stained the paper thing hull plating in a hundred different places. It was basically a twenty meter long metallic box, with the vast bulk of the thing being given over to six massive thrusters arranged in a rectangular bank,and a pair of large gripping pincers. The ship, techincally it was a tug, was designed for the task of accelerating small asteroids along fixed trajectories for recovery. Hundreds like it were at work in the asteroid belt even now.

"Let the record show," Junebug replied as she stepped under the nose of the thing to pull at an unyielding ladder. Painted across the left side of the nose cone, in peeling glory was an improbably busty woman astride an asteroid with the name Hakim's Whore written underneath it in barely legible Imperial. Unwilling to trust the ships atmosphere system Junebug was in her airsuit with her breastplate and helmet fastened awkwardly atop it. Custom fit airsuits might not be a bad thing to spring for after this job was done because even the generic suit she was wearing was tight in places and too loose in others. A mass of equipment was carried in her duffel bag, more than she should realy need, but, she might as well admit it, she had really wished for her gear back on the unnamed jungleworld when things had dropped in the fire.

"There are plenty like her Neil," she explained, and then smiled impishly.

"Besides I'm sure a hotshot pilot can get us aboard this Kramer Station no problems right?"


[System]
Age: looks late 20s early 30s, is actually over 400(he stopped counting a long time ago)
Gender: Male
Bio: Einar was born in old Scandinavia, modern day Norway. He was born, raised, and lived on his family's farm his entire life. He had a wife a four children who were murdered before him by a group of vampires. In a fit of rage Einar was actually able to kill one of the vampires before they broke both his arms and legs. Before they were able to kill him though the vampires were attacked and torn apart by werewolves who had been hunting the group for a long time. Impressed by Einar's feat of slaying one of the vampires they offered to turn him into a werewolf. An offer he eagerly agreed to so that he could kill many more vampires to avenge his family.

Over the centuries, modernization and society have done a bit to tame Einar's animosity towards vampires, but not completely. While the treaty between the two houses is honored he is not allowed to kill any of the Capers family without provocation, or endorsement by the head of his house. The bane family keeps Einar on a short leash at all times, but as he is one of the oldest in the family he is also counted on for advice and guidance by the younger members.

In today's age Einar is one of the Bane family's best enforcers. Let lose only when things were expected to get really messy. The other two families know this and there have been a few times where the mere hint of letting Einar off his leash has turned the three families away from all out war.
Personality: Einar is a short tempered man, even more so with vampires. He quickly resorts to violence in one shape or form to resolve issues. Though he is also fiercely loyal to his family, going so far as to completely wipe out an entire branch family of the Blackwoods after one the young Bane's was found murdered by a hybrid. He is a very heavy drinker when kept inside the house. When in a fight against vampires he will slip into an unstoppable rage, going so far as to even hurt allies if they try to get in his way.
Appearance:

Other: When he is completely alone Einar still grieves for the loss of his family from so long ago. He hides a small locket around his neck with a very faded painting of them all.

[User]
@Demon Grave@BlackPanther

Ember Bane

Ember smirked. Now she seen why Einar wished to come along. This was about to get fun. "You're right Mr. Caper," the girl said, pursing her lips while hanging her head and shaking it ever so slightly before making eye contact with the man. "You don't have to listen to me, but may I advise you that it is in your best of interest as well as the rest of your dearly beloved family." Her voice was cold and deadly, the words coming out of her mouth in a very harsh and stern way.

"As I'm sure you are all aware, our family, the Banes, I mean, where murdered. Only a few survivors remain in our house. We felt the need to warn you that the Capers as well as their close hybrid friends are the first ones on our list for the crime. We will not mess with your businesses, nor will we come near your houses. However, if you come in our way or admit to these crimes, I, personally will have no problem with ripping your throats out myself." Upon saying the word hybrid, she would turn her head to face the strange man in the corner before looking back to the initial crowd once more.

Placing a hand lightly on Einar's arm, she would continue."Oh, and I think you will all be happy to know that dear Einar will be overseeing the whole operation."

[Assistant]
@Demon Grave
*Vladimir gives an innocent look that somehow looks wrong on his face before holding back a laugh like he would murder werewolves for kicks... actually that did sound fun but unethical he knew the heads too well to kill their families. He gave a slight look at the male and held back another laugh this guy was all rage. Vlad knew that this meant his way of handling things would be highly aggressive without any thought he may have been a pirate and he may have a stash of treasure hoarded up somewhere but he wasn't a brute... except that one time... okay maybe twice... he gives a slight shake of his head too quick to be noticed before he leans back his boots going onto the table in the most calm relaxed pose possible showing that he didn't even care about the threat and that it didn't even bother him. Something he did often as a pirate which often landed him with a knife in his throat. He was curious which would throw a knife at him first vampire or wolf*

[User]
Anya turned, staring directly at Vladimir. 'So that's what that smell was.' she thought to herself. She really didn't associate with werewolves much, much less werewolf hybrids, so she had an even harder time figuring out just what he was. "I'll handle this.." she spoke, chuckling lowly. She was about to speak further, but as soon as she began Einar and Ember entered the bar like it was their house, like they were actually welcome here. She emitted a low growl, which in reality didn't sound threatening at all and sounded more like an angry Chihuahua. First, she turned to address Vladimir "You heard Jon, shoo Mr. Mutt. Before I get really angry." She spoke, her voice full of nothing but pure hate, and her facial expression looking like she was ready to kill every single person in the room that she didn't particularly like. And then Ember threatened them all, and that tore it. She didn't draw her weapon, not yet. She knew she wasn't allowed to kill members of the other families unless they directly posed a threat to herself or other Capers, but that didn't mean she wasn't allowed to beat them up or yell at them.

Anya practically ran to reach her, she didn't really care if Einar was beside her or not, he wasn't the one making the threats for once. "Listen lady, we didn't kill the rest of your mutt friends. I would know if we did, and we didn't. Where do you get off barging in here acting like you own the place, ruining our air with your wet dog smell HMM?" Anya practically yelled at her, she was really pissed off. Even though she had just done the same minus the smell a bit ago, that was beside the point, her family actually did own the bar. "And THEN you threaten us like you actually EXPECT us to care enough to bother to interfere with your 'investigation'. Hmph. As far as I'm concerned, both of you can leave RIGHT NOW. Orrr, I can toss you out, possibly in more than one piece."

Anya paused momentarily, glaring between the two. "Your choice.". Anya was fully prepared to fight both if not all three of the people she'd most likely just pissed off, Einar and the mysterious man were the only ones she didn't feel fully confident in being able to win against. Not because they were taller, being shorter actually had it's advantages in fights, but because they both seemed older, even older than she was. And age generally meant power in the realm of the supernatural.

@HaleyTheRandom@Demon Grave@McHaggis

[Assistant]
@Demon Grave@BlackPanther@Shikaru

Ember Bane

As the vampire girl got closer, Embers nostrils would burn with the sickly sweet smell. So she thought that she was communicating threats. Ember couldn't help but let out a giggle. "Anya, is it," she would say sarcastically. "First off, please refrain from raising your voice. Secondly, as far as ripping out your throats, it's not a threat, it's a promise. And you being the blood sucking leach you are, I don't believe you on the subject of your innocence. There's no reason for me to. Now, hun, get out of my face before I remove you rather you own this bar or not."

[User]
Jeanette sipped the drink Jon had made for her. It was sweet and satisfying, and tasted like cherries dipped in blood. "Mmm, not bad, Kitten." She managed a teasing compliment. Just when she was starting to enjoy herself, in walked the Banes. Being a relatively not-racist vampire, Jeanette just sat idly by for a while as they stated their reasons for being there. She was, of course, a little on edge, given that a killer or two were on the loose with a taste family heads' blood, and Jeanette was now the sister of such a potential victim.

Threats were exchanged, which bothered Jeanette more than a little. Jonny had asked them nicely to leave, and they were acting like they had every right to stay. Jeanette set her drink down on the bar with a soft clink and turned around on the bar stool. The way that she walked towards them commanded a certain level of authority, despite her pigtails and ridiculous schoolgirl getup.

Jeanette wasn't aware that she was, in fact, a personality of Therese, developed as a way to cope with sexual abuse as a child, and accentuated by her cursed Malkavian blood. Some of the more clever vampires, like Jonathan, and those closer to Jeanette or Therese, seemed to have some idea that something strange was up… but no one really talked about it, and the other families didn't have a clue. Truth is, the girls got what needed to be done, done, and so having a bat-shit crazy head of the family wasn't really a problem for the Capers.

Although dressed like Jeanette, a blending of Therese and Jeanette's personality (Tourette) was showing up a bit in her words and actions. Jeanette crossed her arms, now that she was directly in front of Ember. Her eyes flicked from Ember, to Einar, and then back to Ember, as she was the one doing most of the talking.

"Dearest Jonny asked you, very kindly, to leave - Much more kindly that I would have, truth be told. And yet, you stay. I must say, who do you think you are? This is his bar, and this is our territory. You are directly breaking our agreement by stepping foot on these grounds… but why? Yes, yes, you say you're here to figure out who killed your family, blah, blah blah…" Jeanette rolled her eyes waved her hand back and forth as she spoke the last words, indicating dramatic boredom. "You weren't the only ones who recently lost people, you know. And you idiots think it was us? Hah! And folks say that I'm crazy. Do you honestly think that all of the murders aren't connected?! All the heads were killed on the same day! This is clearly a hunter problem..." Jeanette got thoughtful a moment, and tapped her lips with a finger while humming and circling the wolves.

"But this... this is an act of war." She then used her finger two point and gesture at the two Banes. "If you had business to discuss, you should have contacted Therese, preferably in writing, before even thinking to come waltzing into our territory. And my, my… when my sister gets wind of this… Well, let's just says she isn't that fond of your kind to begin with, and this little power play just might be enough to order your pelts to be hung and dried out above our fireplace. A pity, are you really looking to decrease the Bane family numbers even further?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

[Assistant] *Vladimir watches the show unfolding in front of him getting more comfortable in his chair his boots still up on the table. Luckily for those in the bar he had gotten his dose of artificial blood before he came here so he wasn't hungry and he wasn't pissed off. Not even near it the threats the small vampire made earlier basically went unnoticed and now he's simply just sitting there watching. He would not interfere unless something made him*

[User]
Anya scoffed in surprise and disgust, clearly this woman didn't know who she was dealing with, the...'position' she held. Oooh, this would be fuun. "YOU remove ME?" Anya shouted, laughing loudly. "Just cus I'm the shortest person in the room doesn't mean you can scare me you know!" She walked closer, if at all possible, looking up at Ember. "I can also assure you, I haven't murdered any of your flea ridden kind in at-least a century. Buut if it's humans you're counting..wellll...it's been two hours." Anya shrugged.

"Could you pleaase leave before I have to get violent Ms. Mutt?" Anya spoke, looking up at her with a fake smile. Jeanette then came over, and Anya liked what she was hearing. "Oooooh, a declaration of war? Does this mean I can get all stabby with 'em? Pleeeeaaassee. I'll save some hide for you, I've been wanting a pair of fur boots." She turned, facing Jeanette, bouncing up and down giggling. She then looked over her shoulder towards Jonathan "What about you Jonny! Wanna new hat? I'll cut it perfectly just for you!" She called out before resuming her attention on Ember and Einar.

[Assistant]
Einar sighed heavily as everyone around him exchanged threats and attempted to throw their weight around. Families this, blood that, mutt this, territory, kill you, blah blah blah blah. It was all rather irritating and beginning to wear away at his carefully constructed calm exterior. He had come here to give the families as much of a respectful warning as he could possible conceive. Not to bicker about who has the biggest pair like a bunch of drunken sailors.

Finally, after he had taken as much as he possibly could, as gently as he possibly could, pushed the small vampire away from Ember and stepped forward. He didn't say anything. He just stood there, large and menacing, while letting out a low reverberating growl. The growl seemed to fill the entire bar like a presence. A very strong, deadly presence, as if the growl could kill everyone hearing it in an instant. Mostly it spoke a message, a very clear one, to be silent.

Once he was sure he had everyone's attention, Einar finally stopped growling and spoke. "As the Banes have no head at the moment. This message is as formal a warning as we can give. Thus we are honoring the agreement between the three families and we are NOT harboring WAR!" Einar spoke loudly, adding a growl to a couple words to make his point clear. "The warning, as Ember has said, is this. I, Einar Erikson Bane, Cleaner of the Bane Family. Am currently, and until further notice, no longer restricted to Bane territory to hunt down, and slaughter those who murdered my family." As he spoke Einar made sure to look everyone in the eye, and by the time he was done he had locked stares with the pig-tailed vampire who had threatened them with hanging their pelts above the fire. "Again, this is a formal, and binding warning. That being said, any attempt on your part to carry out any of the many threats you have just spouted from your filthy mouths. Will violate the agreement between our families, and I'm sure no one here who knows me, wants to do that, now do they?" Einar smiled wolfishly at the end of his little speech.


[System]
BASIC
Goes By (Nicknames): Maleficent (alter-ego); The Winged She-Elf; She-Devil, Devil's Incarnate (by Thorin); Delva, God-Mother (by Fili & Kili).
Royal Titles: Lady of Ambaróna/"Fangorn".
Other Titles: First Commander of Isengard, Sauron's Most-Trusted Servant (as Maleficent); The Watcher; Guardian of Durin's Folk.
Age: 5,739 (Looks 37-38)
Gender: Female
Race: Elven Hybrid (Sindarin and Noldor Bloodlines)
Other Bloodlines: Silvan and Teleri (Through her grandfather's relatives)
20/20 Elvish (10/20 Sindarin, 6/20 Noldor, 2/20 Silvan, 2/20 Teleri)

APPEARANCE
Face Claim: Angelina Jolie
Hair Color: Medium Brown
Eye Color: Yellow-Green (Boldly-luminous when furious/angry)
Skin Tone: Creamy
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 119 lbs
Body Build: Slim

Finger Claws:

Curved Daggers:

Combat Outfit:

Dresses for Two Towers/Return of the King

Wing-Cloak

PERSONALITY
OVERALL PERSONALITY
Likes: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, Ents, Happiness, Animals, Peace, Music, Plant-Life, Training, Flying/Sightseeing, Yearly Seasons.
Dislikes: Death, War, Chaos, Greed, Spiders, Maleficent, Orcs, Sorrow.
Strengths: Fighting/Combat, Flight, Knowledge, Wisdom, Harsh Temperature Resistance, Protective/Affectionate Nature, Keen Senses, Agility.
Other Powers: Wallcrawling, Banshee Scream, Enhanced Strength, Telepathy, Telekinesis.
Weaknesses: Stubbornness, Loneliness, Anger, Vindictiveness, Split Personality.
Fears: Sauron, Losing Family.

Elegant | Unpredictable | Capable | Headstrong | Mysterious | Maternal | Observant | Intelligent

Everyone believed Saeril to be born as a creature of chaos and pure evil, but they just do not know the true story. In actuality, Saeril is a good-hearted, nurturing individual, who highly valued the peaceful natures of Middle-Earth, whilst having the passion to support and protect its various realms and inhabitants. Born during the First Age, Saeril is a strong-willed she-elf, and the last of an ancient Elven clan from Fangorn Forest. A very intelligent, loyal-to-the-bone perfectionist, who stays true to her word, she focuses on finding the best intentions for others, to the point of making great judgment calls, as much as willingly risking her life, in the process.

From the despair of her devastating past, following the Deceiver's corruption upon her mind, Saeril is truly hurt and very lonely inside, having to be caused by the guilt and horror of her cruel and malicious deeds, as well as the amount of pain and trauma she had to endure. After being rescued by Gandalf the Grey, she was left "more Orc than Elf", while her other alter-ego "Maleficent", a psychopathic representation of her corruption, still lingers within her mind. However, after Sauron's defeat, this other personality dissipated, giving back her natural Elven beauty.

The ultimate goal was to redeem and dissipate this inner darkness from within, but she never anticipated it to be a challenge when she rekindled herself with her Dwarven godsons Fili and Kili, whilst having to closely bond with a young she-elf named Yavanna, whom she had grown to love and deeply care for, as if she were her own daughter. Determined to protect both the Sons of Durin and the Bright Star of Middle-Earth, Saeril will become extremely aggressive and violent, whenever someone threatens, or has inflicted any sort of harm to them; as this contrasts her more-gentle nature, she will be blunt and gladly let the offenders know the price. In addition, since witnessing the death of Fili, she will go to great lengths, if it means to prevent Kili and Yavanna from falling under the same fate.

Both as "Maleficent" and herself, Saeril is a ruthless, immensely-formidable warrior in her own right; despite withholding a certain elegance, she's truly a very deadly foe for anyone who'd dare challenge her personally. A vast majority of her strength came from the enchantment Sauron had placed upon her, as well as the supernatural connection he was able to forge between them; even while she was formerly his chief of the Isengard legion, she possessed a number of abilities that have allowed her to stand her own, and even overpower the most skilled of individuals. Due to this connection, she's able to enhance these abilities. She also shows herself to have great telepathic power; either taught or naturally inherited from her parents and/or ancestors, she can read the minds of others, conjure up visions through physical touch, and receive thoughts from a certain distance.

Saeril will not hesitate to comfort, guide, or advise others when they seem to need it. Proud, proper, and almost-completely fearless, she will never bow to anyone she disagrees with. Evident by her relationship with Thorin Oakenshield, it's complicated when it comes to terms of the trust; she betrayed him (as he claimed) by "stealing" the starlight jewels from his treasure hoard for King Thranduil. Although she was claimed as not "trusting", Saeril openly showed that she cared a great deal for him, saving his life multiple times on different occasions.

BACKGROUND
Place of Birth: Fangorn Forest (Also known as Ambaróna).
Family:
- Kili Durin (Godson; Alive) (Dwarf)
- Fili Durin (Godson; Deceased) (Dwarf)
- Dis Durin (Co-parent; Alive) (Dwarf)
- Vili Durin (Co-parent; Deceased) (Dwarf)
- Hermia (Mother; Deceased) (Noldor Elf)
- Lysander (Father; Deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Ulla (Aunt; Deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Kinloch (Uncle; Deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Kriva (Grandmother; Deceased) (Noldor Elf)
- Disgla (Grandfather; Deceased) (Silvan/Teleri Elf)
- Fidnai (Great-Grandmother; Deceased) (Teleri Elf)
- Sahov (Great-Grandfather; Deceased) (Silvan Elf)

Other Relations:
- Gandalf the Grey/White (Mentor/Friend; Alive) (Maiar)
- Thorin Oakenshield (Friend; Deceased) (Dwarf)
- Aragorn II Elessar (Friend; Alive) (Man)
- Lord Elrond (Acquaintance; Alive) (Half-Elf)
- Tauriel (Acquaintance; Alive) (Silvan Elf)
- Haldir (Acquaintance; Alive) (Silvan Elf)
- Gimli (Acquaintance; Alive) (Dwarf)
- Thranduil Greenleaf (Acquaintance/Friend; Alive) (Sindarin Elf)
- Legolas Greenleaf (Acquaintance/Friend; Alive) (Sindarin Elf)
- Yavanna Undomiel (Friend/Daughter-Figure; Alive) (Elven Hybrid; Mortal/Sindarin/Noldor)
- Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrine Took, and Meriadoc Brandybuck (Acquaintances/Friends; Alive) (Hobbits)
- Azog the Defiler & Bolg (Enemies; Deceased) (Gundabad Orcs)

[User]
Bilbo shook his head, hearing Fili "No, that's not the problem." he said. "See, what did I tell you? Quite as a Mouse." Gandalf said with a smile; obviously proud of their Burglar Hobbit. A bit of a chatter broke out between the Company.
"Quite! I am trying to tell you something!" Bilbo rose his voice. "There is something else out there." he said pointing back towards the way he came.

Yavanna looked at Bilbo, it was the first time she heard him raise his voice. But at least, he had everyone's attention. "What kind of something?" She asked, looking worried. As much as she wished Saeril would take her word, the elder needed her rest. But she was too stubborn to admit it. The Princess understood her vow to protect them, but a little rest wouldn't do her any harm.

[Assistant]
Saeril looked at the wizard, then back to Bilbo, just as soon as he told the group that there was something else lurking around in the woods. "What did it look like? A bear?", she asked the Hobbit, making sure she knows what he thinks. Unlike the others, she didn't express any stiffness to her. Between her and Gandalf, they knew what creature the Hobbit was referring to.

Bilbo looked at the older she-elf curiously, surprised that she could guess so easily. "Y-yes. But bigger, much bigger."
Bofur was liking this less and less. "I say we double back", and then there were murmurs of agreement. "And be run down by a pack of Orcs?", they didn't have many options here, though Gandalf did mention a house where they may take refuge. "Whose house? Are they friend or foe?", Dwalin questioned, and then suddenly a loud roar ripped through the clearing. Saeril slightly jumped at the roar of a giant bear. It was indeed Beorn. "We don't have a choice", the wizard silently answered himself.

And then, they were running. The roar was getting closer until there was indeed a house in the distance. The she-elf's cloak was only dragging behind her a little bit, but it wasn't that long, so she didn't have to hold it up while she was running. A few times that Kili or Fili tripped, she or Yavanna would pick them to get them back on their feet.

[User]
Yavanna swallowed slightly, wondering what this creature was. A very very large bear? Well, this was different. "We can't turn back." Yavanna said softly, as the Dwarves wanted to double back. At least, Gandalf knew a safe place where they might be able to go.

The roar of the bear, seemed to get everyone moving. Yavanna run besides Fili and Kili. Bilbo was not far behind them. For a little person like a hobbit himself, he could run pretty fast. Yavanna noticed Kili as about to trip...she reached out quickly; pulling him back up before he even landed on the ground. One of the Dwarves seemed to stop...staring at what creature was approaching.

"Come on." Yavanna called out.
"Get a move on." Thorin called back, as he run towards the house. Seeing one of his companions just staring in the distance....before finally running again. Kili was one of the first few whom reached the house...banging on the door. Hoping someone might have been inside to open it. Yavanna run towards the door...seeing the latch, she pulled it up...opening the door quickly. Allowing everyone to run inside.

But the roar was even closer. As soon as they tried to close the door. Yavanna saw the large head and sharp teeth...snarling at them. She pressed against the door with the Dwarf company; trying to shut the door. The young Princess let out a loud gasp of pain...as the bear managed to claw at her arm, through the gap. Her grip on the door loosened...but they managed to close the door behind them. But the growling was still present outside. Yavanna winced...her arm bleeding slightly.

[Assistant]
Running inside, Saeril had one of her curved daggers at the ready. Beorn was beyond any other creature she has ever met during her travels with Gandalf. If the beast ever passed the door's limit, she had her resources, and a family to protect. Just as they had managed to shut the door, everybody was panting. "Yavanna!", Fili exclaimed, having to spot the Princess with a bleeding wound upon her arm. "Are you okay?", clearly not; she was hurt!

This didn't go unnoticed for the elder, and Saeril became concerned almost immediately. "Dear child", she breathed, having to approach her, while sheathing her one dagger into its normal space.

"What was that?", Ori asked, panting.
"That is our host", the wizard announced, saying it as a matter-of-fact. "His name is Beorn, and he's a skinchanger".

As his God-Mother guided Yavanna to a spot where she can sit down, Fili was already looking for something to tend to the wound. Looking up and down at the seemingly-huge furniture that was too big for a dwarf, he managed to find a rag and dripped it into a bucket of water nearby.

Saeril's leg ached a little from the running but she didn't complain; she never would. Not at a moment like this. She was only relieved that Yavanna and her godsons were safe. Fili came back to her with the rag, just as she gently took the princess' arm, and lightly wiped the blood. Hearing the girl wince brought pain to Fili's ears, and Saeril took extra care in tending to the scratch. The blonde held onto Yavanna's hand the whole time.

"Sometimes, he could be a huge black bear, and sometimes, he can be a great strong man", the wizard informed the company of what kind of creature it was. Basically, shapeshifters. "The bear is unpredictable, but the man can be reasoned with", he spoke while watching the company get used to their surroundings. "However, he is not overfond of dwarves", he then added grimly.

"Beorn has had a troubled past, I'm afraid, and it's best not to advance on him during a first encounter", Saeril spoke up, just as she carefully wrapped the wound with a piece of cloth, that Fili managed to find. They didn't have the proper tools to tend to wounds, and they weren't sure if Yavanna had any viles left in her possession. The winged she-elf sadly didn't know much on healing enchantments, but she did learn one that was popular among her people. But now wasn't the right time to use it.

Just as she finished tending to Yavanna, she moved some of the girl's raven-black hair from her face, before giving her a light kiss onto her forehead, and letting her lean her head upon her shoulder.