[System]
"...don't make me get the Spectral Fishing Rod."
Gender: Female

Age: 17

Personality: One would expect the so-called eccentric club president of an Occult Club, a person with vested interest and belief in the supernatural, to be an audacious, broad-speaking, probably kinda chuuni class of being. In this particular case, one would be horribly wrong. While in her youth, Mitsuko did in fact fit that description rather well, the trials of being told "Ghosts aren't real, you dummy" over the course of her life have worn her down, turning energy into resignation. Rather than excitedly grabbing someone by the shoulders and shaking them whilst yelling about the existence of a ghost, Mitsuko is the kind to dryly roll her eyes as she denounces the empirical beliefs of another. Mitsuko can thus be compared to a high-class ice queen who does not find passion in the occult, but merely asserts it as a fact of life.
In her interactions with others, she is straight and to the point, seeming to want to end conversations as quickly and efficiently as possible. Thus, while she is not bad at reading the atmosphere, she often takes on the traits of someone who is. For instance, someone with said deficiency might walk into a funeral, look around, and say "Oh wow, who died?" whilst being oblivious to the event being a funeral. Mitsuko would walk into a funeral, look around, and say "Oh, who died?" whilst being perfectly serious about the question. Of course, given that she's not some sort of emotionless robot with no sense of social cues, this is an exaggeration.
In sum, Mitsuko's simply a standard kuudere who views the supernatural as an internalized premise rather than a horizon's goal.

History: A simple life, on the whole. Mitsuko was raised by a mundane family, and was a rather standard child. Like any other child, she believed in the classic supernatural stories told by parents to their children. Her life continued on in a predictable manner, the young Mitsuko going through school happily; her academic performance didn't stand out, and she could be called a precisely mediocre individual.
This, however, changed around the time she was twelve. While her classmates had outgrown those childish stories of ghosts and monsters under the bed, Mitsuko constantly yammered about their existence, carrying a net in her backpack to catch ghosts in case she found any, and trying to recruit classmates for the task of battling the supernatural. As a result, she became something of a pariah, "that weird ghost girl". Mitsuko was initially unchanged by this treatment, but over the years gradually became more withdrawn on the matter. It wasn't that she believed in the occult; to her, she knew the occult was real, but the mindless dregs around her simply refused to face that truth. Dismissing them as useless for failing to acknowledge this truth of the world, Mitsuko ceased to outwardly express these beliefs of hers, and instead simply focused on herself. In that sense, she largely became a "normal" individual again, an ice queen who fit into the school demographic perfectly. While her prior beliefs remained the same, the expression of them became less present. There are some rumors present regarding secret activities she has taken over the past few years, though, chief among them the creation of multiple "ghost hunting" tools. Regardless, as she no longer outwardly acted like "that weird ghost girl", her ostracization was largely weakened.
A short while after the beginning of her final year at Yurei High, after numerous appeals, Mitsuko finally managed to get faculty approval for the re-establishment of the Occult Club, which had been disbanded several years prior.
Come to the first meeting!

Skills:

Occult Knowledge: Mitsuko's mental compendium of the occult can be considered unmatched among the students and faculty of Yurei High, as well as the surrounding prefecture. While this sounds impressive, her overall occult knowledge is actually low, considering how large the pool is, but among humans this is still pretty impressive.

Photography: Quick with a camera and possessing excellent finger-focused reflexes. If she was more deviant, Mitsuko could probably make a living by selling panty shots.

Item Creation: The talent to combine mundane and supernatural items to create "magitech artifacts" which transcend human reason, reaching into the realms of the possible and impossible. Providing she possesses one supernatural artifact to serve as the "spark", and one mundane artifact to serve as the "base", she has an uncanny knack for combining them into a single cohesive existence. This skill can incidentally also be known under the moniker of "Duct Tape Ownership".

Other: -

[User]
Charles wandered through the halls, taking turns trying to find the hallway that would lead him to the door. Lousy club. At least I'll get a few days free from this supernatural shit. Charles scowled as he thought about the time he had just spent in the Occult Club. Stupid Mitsuko, what right does she have to blackmail the king of Yurei High? I never even wanted to be in this dump of a school, let alone this freakshow of a club. I could have been blackmailed into Rugby, Football, even photography, but no, I was blackmailed into the crappiest and weirdest club in the whole school.. Charles went to get out his phone to continue where he left off in his game, but to his utter dismay, he realised he had left it in the room in his haste.

Charles swore and yelled, and began the journey back to the Occult Club, occasionally ripping down a poster or kicking a locker on the way back in his rage. Lousy club, it's even making me forget my damn phone. God, this will be embarrassing when I get back to the club.. "Ooo, come back have you?" Charles mocked Mitsuko's voice, his face getting more and more furrowed in frustration as he got closer to the dreaded room 2-A. Charles seriously considered running in there and attacking everyone, this would be a good time to grab Seiko and Mitsuko's phone and make a run for it. But he couldn't. Even if they weren't expecting him to be there, they would most likely tuck their phone back in their pockets at the sight of him.

Finally, Charles arrived at the door of the Occult Club. He let out a quiet sigh. He could easily just leave his phone and entrust it to the people in the Club. But Charles knew that he couldn't do that. Makoto would probably break it, and Seiko would get her prying hands all over it, reading his texts, checking his pictures, messaging people from his account. He hastily glanced into the room, same old people, but there was someone else in there, someone that, unlike most of the other people in the club, he actually knew and liked. Eli! Charles thought with a smile. Ahh, this guy is a total bit of banter. He speaks English too. That means he could tell him about what was going on without the risk of unwanted ears prying into the conversation. Charles opened the door.

He quickly darted to his seat and grabbed his phone, which was lying face down under the desk. Untouched, thankfully. He checked it just to make sure. No embarrassing texts sent from him, no pictures added or deleted. He sighed in relief. Then he turned to Eli, and spoke in his posh, accented voice, but this time in English.

"Hey, I know you! How are you Eli? What are you doing here in this freak show? Blackmailed as well? Well, whatever the reason, watch out for Makoto, she punches, and watch out for Seiko, one tiny mistake and you're screwed. Big time.".

[Assistant]
Yurika Yurumiya
Class 2-A, Yurei High School

Yurika was slightly hurt ,but did not show it, by the expression Mitsuko had on her face when she had asked about the brownie recipe. Moreover, the hasty response given by her president gave off the feeling the girl was hiding something. Or maybe she is just shy, haha... Before Yurika could give a response, Mitsuko had moved over to the girl who hit by the stapler. Yurika's gaze fixed on Mitsuko for a while and if this was an anime, people watching would have their yuri goggles levels at maximum. She heard the stapler girl introducing herself to Mitsuko and then talking to Makoto. Octavia...quite a unique name for a foreigner. The duo seem to be speaking english as Yurika had a bit of trouble understanding what they were talking about.

She then turned to see a newcomer who had arrived late who seems to be yet another foreigner. She saw Charles re-entered the room after slamming it shut moments ago. Did he forget something? She noticed Charles's mood improved a bit when the newcomer came and heard him saying the name 'Eli'. Isn't that usually a girl's name? Yurika saw Seiko and Mura talking to each other. She had considered walking over to them to join their conversation. However, her thoughts were still on the white-haired girl who was now standing all by her lonesome by the table. She slowly walked over and stood beside her president.

"Why are you standing here all by yourself and not mingle, oh dear president? You should talk with your members and get to know them...not just for a standard Q&A. Sorry if I am annoyed you with my weird questions all afternoon...its just...I want to be your friend and I hope you will let me," said Yurika who tried to put the most friendliest and sincere smile she could on her face to try to get Mitsuko to open up. She really hoped for a positive friendly response. "We could do many interesting things or just hang out together!"

[User]
Yeouch.

The girl that turned to face Eli looked...serious. Like, waaay too serious. That was the kind of look you only got when you've seen some shit and somehow walked away from it. If Eli had to guess, going off every single detail he knew about her (absolutely zilcho), then he would say...murder. This cold mama probably killed a couple fools on her way here this morning. Probably runs a massive criminal empire to boot.

Eli felt himself grinning despite his current predicament. Alright, so his little analysis of the girl was most likely downright wrong on so many level. Too many movies, Granny would say. But Granny also thought aliens were trying to abduct her cats so...maybe not linger too much on that bit of criticism. In any case, Eli managed to calm himself before he so rudely burst out laughing like a madman. The girl sized him up, then launched into a spiel that sounded...well-rehearsed? If not, somebody get this chick an award for some epic improv skills.

She introduced herself as Matsushima Mitsuko
that was a bit of mouthful
, and confirmed that this was indeed the Occult Club, of which she was president. Eli let out an audible sigh of relief, and his entire body seemed to relax and loosen up. He'd take being late over being lost anyday. But as the girl went on with her speech, he couldn't help but feel as if she seemed a touch...annoyed? Miffed?

…

Alright, to be honest, that was fair. He WAS about thirty minutes late to a one-hour meeting. If her speech normally took thirty minutes and she pretty much just condensed it down to...less than one? Well, yeah, he'd probably be a bit annoyed himself if he were in her shoes. He had a decent excuse in his mind but...well, even a great excuse was still just an excuse. He'd have to figure out how to be a bit more punctual for next time. If need be, he'd talk to coach. He really didn't WANT to have to do that, but if his hands were tied then…

Oh. Earth to Eli, come in Eli. What had she just said? He had been a bit wrapped up in his own thoughts that he hadn't been paying full attention to her speech. Well, asking her to repeat herself was out of the question. She might not be some sort of mafioso, (or would it be yakuza here?), but he for whatever reason felt like it would be in his best interest to not get on Madame President's nerves any more than he had already done. He did manage to pick up a few things, some of which may be important. Something about the Halloween Extravaganza and a ghost hunt at the school. Some more about a waiver to be returned by Thursday. There was also something about brownies.

Eli gave her a couple nods, indicating that he was following her - which he did, for the most part. "Thank you very much." he called to her in whatever bastardized form of tongue that he was trying to pass as Japanese. Strolling over to the table with the waivers and brownies, Eli glanced around at the other students chatting lowly. He was just double checking, but no, he really DIDN'T know anyone in the club. He'd have to change that. Maybe this Halloween event then? Probably.

"Hey, I know you! How are you Eli"

Huh? That sounded pretty close. Eli turned around - just in time to see Charles. Eli grew a big shit-eating grin, before launching into some short choppy laughter. Well shit haha...if it ain't my boy Charlie! What's good, son?"He lifted up a fist and held it out for Charle to bump.

He liked Charlie well enough. Granted, being two foreigners in a majoratively Japanese high school...in Japan, might have had just a bit to do with it, but Charles actually wasn't a bad guy either. Maybe a bit delusional at times, but hell, who wasn't these days?

"What are you doing here in this freak show? Blackmailed as well? Well, whatever the reason, watch out for Makota, she punches and watch out for Seiko, one tiny mistake and you're screwed. Big time."

Eli laughed again. They couldn't be that bad. Charles had a bit of a flair for drama at times. Still, part of his mind went back to the President. If she really was using blackmail or bribery just to get members to join her club...well maybe she really WAS the head some criminal organization?

…

He wouldn't cross it off the list just yet.

"Heh, ain't no blackmailing or sexual favors for this guy. So I guess I'm just one of your freaks." He ended with a shrug. "But uh...what about you? You mentioned blackmail...do they really
 have anything on you?" He paused for a moment, considering his buddy. Of course they did….

 "That bad?, eh?"

[Assistant]
Classroom 2-A, Yurei High School

Mitsuko was jolted out of her thoughts when Yurika approached her, the girl tilting her head to the side slightly at Yurika's question. Had she come across as antisocial? She was just waiting for the people who said they wanted to talk to her after the club meeting to do so, after all, but maybe that could have come across as not wanting to converse with her club members? This was hard.

"Ah, you don't have to worry about your questions, Yurumiya-san. I won't ask you to forcefully restrain your personality while in my club; that would hardly be my goal. If you would like to be my friend, then I will be happy to consider you as one." She replied with a rather curt nod. While there wasn't an overt amount of excitement present in the occult eccentric's tone, a slight lilt formed in her voice towards the latter half of her statement, what seemed like an attempt at a smile playing along the edges of her express.

"I do hope you didn't take my mother's business as a personal insult, though. I really just don't want to inconvenience her more than she already is, but if she ever has the time, I will mention your request."


[System]
Species: Jyraimon
Gender: Male
Level: Baby: 1
Appearance: There don't appear to be any variations in his appearance, other than the Digital Hazard Mark on his back, of course.
Height: .3M
Personality/Backstory: An odd digimon that seems to wander around a certain area, lost and confused. Jason, as he likes to call himself, seems to constantly be looking for something. What that may be is anyone's guess. Jason also occasionally mumbles about strange things, and digimon observing him from a distance have since decided to keep that distance due to the digital hazard marking on his back. Thus far, he has yet to see another living thing other than the various plants in this world, and Jason just seems all the more confused because of it.

Family: Dragon's Roar
Attribute: Virus
EXP: 0/0
Techniques:
-Name: Fire Bubbles Type: Baby Technique Element: Fire Effect: Damages the opponent with fire that looks a bit like bubbles.
Features:

Ember Mirage - Digimon with this Feature may use their Power Based Fire Techniques to distort the air around them and transport to a location within their Movement range as a stream of embers in a short amount of time, and can do so three times daily. While not true Teleportation, Ember Mirage allows all Movement in battle to be taken as a Mini action when used. Use of Ember Mirage cancels Freeze, but all other status ailments remain and take their effect. This Feature can not travel through water, and distance traveled over water is reduced by 50%. However, this Feature may travel between gouts of flame or active Magma Vents for additional movement. Digimon using this Feature must make a roll of 2d6 plus Dexterity Modifier for successful transport. (Free- Requires Fire Technique or Flame like Body features.)

Deathly Power - Digimon with Deathly Power gains an extra 5 points of Power at creation, and for each level gained, but incur a 50% increase in Energy Costs to Techniques that utilize Power.(Free.)

Stats:
---Hit-Points: 3/3 (Current/Max)
---Energy: 4/4 (Current/Max)
----------Power: 5
----------Endurance: 4
----------Force: 5
----------Fortitude: 4
----------Dexterity: 4
----------Agility: 4
----------Vitality: 4
----------Wisdom: 4
----------Cunning: 4
----------Generation: 0/17 (Used/Total) [The GM has approved of this]
----Weight: 5g
Equipment: None at the moment.

Name: Alan Smithee
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Height: 5'7"
Appearance: Alan, due to the coldness of Colorado, usually wears a thick, white jacket, and a pair of denim jeans. He's fairly skinny, and has short brown hair, which, for some reason always makes it look like he has bed head, and brown eyes, and pale skin. His nose is somewhat large, his eyebrows are very thick, and the same color as his hair, obviously, and his head, as a whole, is somewhat more spherical than average.

Bio: Alan was always the quiet one, never really wanting to talk to anyone, for whatever reason. If someone at school said 'hi' to him, he'd just wave, rather than actually talk. The first six years in school went relatively well, with students generally ignoring him, or thinking that he's 'creepy', and just leaving it at that. The reason they all thought he was weird was because he always seemed to be writing something down in his notebook. Everyone during those years assumed it was something pertaining to them, that he was stalking them, or something, but on his seventh year of school, the school bully finally decided to pay him attention, and the first thing that bully did? Steal his notebook and show it to absolutely everyone. The notebook itself was full of drawings of dragons, something Alan really liked to do, whether he was actually good at it or not. The other students, no longer seeing him as creepy, no longer ignored him, and always tried to be his friend. By now, Alan thought of himself as a loner, so all this attention just made him try to avoid the other students for a while. The school counselor eventually got him to stop that by the 8th grade, but he still didn't talk to the other students much, if ever.

By the time high school came around, he had his own small group of friends, though, much like him, they also didn't like talking to others very much. Interestingly, the more popular kids seemed to come up with a new label for his group every week, and each one was worse than the last. Of course, the others in his group were outraged, but Alan didn't really care, or even notice what they were calling him, as long as they let him work in peace, he was fine. He took whatever art classes he could, and typically excelled at them. However, whenever the teacher wanted Alan to actually sell his art, as in, a silent auction the school put together in order to get more funds, he'd get mad, and just take it back home with him. Even to this day, he thinks his art is the worst, thanks to that bully and how those kids reacted back in 7th grade... even if everyone else has been telling him otherwise. Oddly enough, he's actually incredibly upbeat, just not the most social person you could come across, which caused other students to originally label him and his group of friends as 'emo'. That label obviously didn't stick when the group was seen outside during a sunny day, and talking about normal things rather than death or suicide.

His senior year in high school started off with him finding something very odd. Some strange, red and black device, which he quickly used to doodle a dragon or two on, just due to a habit of his. He then showed the device to as many students and teachers as he could, which wasn't easy, given that most of his speech consisted of 'Um...' and 'Uh...', that is, assuming he worked up the courage to actually talk to any of them. Nonetheless, nobody has been able to identify the device, or whatever use it might have, the art teacher even assumed it was another thing Alan made in ceramics and tried to get him to sell the thing, Alan, obviously, refused. Alan then hid the thing, and figured that he'd look it up online, once classes were done, and what ended up happening right then and there, at his home computer, while he was holding onto the odd device, might just end up changing his life.
-Stats: (List in *(Stars))
Morale: **
Athleticism: ***
Spirit: *****
Knowledge: *****
Psychology: *****
(I'll keep track of the Morality points)
Inventory: 1 mostly empty backpack (it has a textbook and a notebook that has his drawings in it), the clothes on his back.
BITS: 0

[User]
A playful smirk caught the young girl's face as her posture righted. She saw the somewhat plain looking boy some closer-the reason for the expression, and toyingly popped her hip out in his direction.
"Hey boy, I'm not in for that now, m'kay?" she teased, pausing a moment before bursting out into laughter, shaking her head at her own joke.

The clawed creature was making her uneasy. Something about him seemed... wrong, and his speech pattern was just... bizarre. A quizical glare locked on the scene as the one with the claws and gnarly looking wing vest back handed the ground-tadpole. Nadica wasn't sure what to make of this.

Pabumon sat, relatively quiet, a slow mist of bubbles emanating from the outer layer of the soft digital body. There was little to be done at the moment, so the Digimon's eyes closed, thinking about what would come next. For the time being, safety from larger Digimon had been attained, and thoughts soon drifted off in a somnant manner.

Becoming the center of attention, the masked creature leaned to the side, only to slowly rotate, placing a clawed hand to his face, as if lounging mid air. The eternal grin within the mask seemed to grow wider as he let out an almost giggling laugh.
"Close, meature, but you're wrong on the not part," he replied.
A slow, almost hearty chuckle left his throat as the small fuzzy Digimon approached. Slowly, he drifted down, then patted the other rather belittlingly on the head. Perhaps in a more disorienting way than before, the Digimon spread out his hands, rotating to stand once again on his feet before them.
"Yes, everything," he answered, sounding rather annoyed, almost drained, before perking up once more, "I, am Dracmon," he announced rather enthusiastically.
Punctuating his annunciation, his hands opened, claws tensing upwards, revealing two reeling eyes set within his palms, each iris matching the color of the corresponding eye in the mask.

A soft yelp left Nadica's lips at the exclamation, and specifically the gesture. A soft line of sweat gathered along her brow, and she seemed to be making a point of brushing her hair rather excessively over her left eye, which had been covered by this point. Her hands shook slightly, and, were it not for the conscious clinging of Pabumon, the small Digimon would have tumbled to the ground.
"C'mon... keep it together Nadica," she muttered to herself, posture seeming rather pensive.

[Assistant] Not really surprised by anything due to him just saying that this place was some sort of literal digital realm, or something, I almost expected him to have an extra set of eyes in his hands, after all, given everything up to this point, it was oddly normal, and as such, I had an 'unimpressed' face, or some sort of equivilant. He then told me his name, and was probably hoping I was too scared to continue talking, but I just asked, starting to get a little bored, honestly "So, Mr. Dracmon, any ideas on where some sort of civilization might be... or, anywhere where I won't get killed?" Alan backed away from what's-her-face, who was talking to that new guy. I would have told Alan to introduce himself, but I had a feeling that he was kinda, well, shy. I then start thinking, even if we found some sort of civilization, what kind of money would they have? Do they just let what they consider toddlers to roam around? Do these so-called toddlers have to pay for anything, or is there any sort of guardianship from the supposedly older, and most likely more powerful creatures? I assumed that even if I asked that, our guide here wouldn't even answer, heck, I'd be surprised if he answered the question I already asked him. I then overhear the girl muttering, and finally catch her name, though, if I just addressed her by name immediately, she'd think, or, rather, know that I was eavesdropping, and she was one of the few normal people here, I'd rather not lose her help... or, at least, whatever help a second, and now third, as someone else just ran into the scene, forgot to notice that earlier, person could provide.

[User]
Remus was enchanted by the strange creature that lounged on his shoulders, perplexed by its form but also what it was telling him "Look around you, out of all these other humans I chose you. They each seem capable people but I can tell you have a eye as discerning as mine, a cunning and wit to match those eyes and above all a spirit to hold on tight to what you want and this Zurumon wants to be your partner in crime! Your Femme Fatal!"

He looked into the creatures beady little eyes and grinned on part of its talk of his character but also that such a amorphous being was considering itself a female, this in turn caused Remus to take in more of the wonder of where he was and break free from his stupor, his mind no longer foggy he was able to not only see the being calling itself "Dracmon" but understand what it was saying, more importantly he understood that Dracmon was not only insulting him and the others but also unnerving one of his companions.

Despite the possible danger Remus made his way over to the imposing digimon, he stood in front of the girl and her bubbly digimon "Well Dracmon was it? You certainly seem to know a awful lot or is it you are simply hiding behind that mask? I think it would be easy to feel like a person of importance when surrounded by toddlers, after all "In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king. So enlighten me if you please, what do you want from us?"

[Assistant]
The Digimon's clawed fingers turned up, wiggling for some strange reason, as though they were playing something like a piano.
 "For you," the Digimon replied, pointing to the small red slime Digimon, "There can be no sanctuary. Not with that mark you bear," his tone exhibiting a childish mocking, if not a hint of knowing something behind his words.
 He then rotated in the air, facing the boy in the large coat with the white hair, upon whose neck a Zurumon roosted.
 "It is not the question of toddlers, only this one," he retorted, before laughing as one laughs when hearing something wholly ignorant, and finding it amusing, "It is best for those not to question that which they do not know, until the time is right. And for you, that's me."

 "So," she began, taking a moment to clear her throat, the unease still in her voice as she ignored some of those around her, focusing on the matter at hand, "What... exactly, do you want from us?"

 "Me? Oh, nothing," Dracmon retorted.

[User]
I was about to ask the odd creature even more questions, but, given the fact that he doesn't seem to want to answer anything, I just decided to start heading in a direction, thinking that I'd find what I'm looking for eventually. "Come on, Alan, this guy's not answering anything anymore, we're leaving," I say to Alan who shrugs and starts following me through this forest. This place, not to mention this forest was still foreign to me, so I thought I was lost a few times but eventually, Alan and I made it to another clearing alive, and in one piece. "Ha, see, that wasn't so bad. We can do this without that guy answering questions, I mean, what does he know anyways?" I checked to make absolute sure that I didn't have any weird mark on my body, and from what I could see, I didn't have a single one... at least, not one that I wouldn't consider 'normal', so I assumed that the guy was lying just so I'd keep wandering around in the wilderness, and distrust other... whatever these things were.

 "No sanctuary, not with the mark you bear," I mock in front of Alan, adding "Yeah, that invisible mark that only I can see. What? You can't see it? What a shame," my tone of voice was obviously a mocking one, given that neither Alan or I could find any unusual markings... but, then again, neither of us knew what we were looking for, and for all I knew, this marking was in a spot where I couldn't see it... I suppose I'd find out as soon as I entered some sort of civilization, I just hoped that Alan could run away fast enough if these... er... things decided they didn't like me due to what that weirdo from earlier said. Now, if I could just find another creature of the same species, maybe I'd be able to at least have Alan figure out what that mark is, because it would be the only difference between myself and that other creature. I think as I was just about to start wandering around in the other clearing, somewhat north of the one we were in before, however, before I do, I look back at where the others could be, and even tell Alan "Wait... we shouldn't abandon the others. Even if we don't know them, I'm sure they'll help us out in the future," I then stay put, waiting for anyone else to head towards this clearing.


[System]
Offline_

Appearance:

Age: 21

Major: Criminal Psychology

Part-time Job: Saya currently works as a bouncer at a bar a few blocks from the university.

Personality in 3 Words: Observant, stubborn, empathetic.

Dream Job: Detective

Online_

Appearance:

Username: Duskwalker

Class: Knuckle Master

Current Level: 11

General Combat Style: Support, finds weak points in the enemy, distracts and draws fire, lets others do the heavy hitting.

General Playing Style: More of an explorer and treasure hunter than a fighter. Excels at finding and disabling traps.

[User]
Offline_Aika's Apartment_

"I really wanted it to be a different shade of blue."

Nodding, Aika would select the color on the picture. "Were you imagining a lighter or darker shade for the dress?" She asked her client.

"Uh...maybe if it was just...bluer."

Temporarily muting the call, Aika threw her head back and let out an annoyed groan. In her line of work, she was much too used to people constantly nitpicking her work. Actually, it came naturally; her job was to bring their ideas to life, her commissions however came from her own mind, and it may not fit what her clients wanted. She was always able to adjust, making sure to take every detail they desired down, and tried to go above and beyond if it meant a job well done at the end of the day. It may have started as a hobby, but it grew into a passion of sorts, and it wasn't a bad way to pay her bills, either.

But of course, once in a while, she got those sorts of customers.

Her current client's request seemed simple at first. An animated girl with black hair and a blue dress, both being blown by the wind as she looked at her town. First, the girl's hair was too long. Then the dress wasn't as flowy as it should have been. After that, she felt that the girl should have a more innocent look on her face. Time after time, every complaint came no matter what she did, and just as Aika thought she was home-free, she was proven wrong. And so she started a one-way video call with audio going both ways, making sure to share her screen so she could see if there was a way to salvage the request. "Was there a specific shade you were thinking of?" She asked as she unmuted herself.

"Maybe...cornflower blue?" The voice asked. As Aika clicked it into place, however, she sighed. "Oh, is that what that looks like? I always thought it was a prettier color..."

Aika cycled through various blue colors until she got an answer she liked. "Alright, I'll email you the final product." She said, ending the call. Taking her headset off for a moment, she let out a long, sad sigh. Why did people have to be so picky? As she closed the programs, she resisted the urge to chuck her computer out of the window. Placing her head on her desk, she let out a small wail, though a notification caught her attention.

Adjusting her glasses slightly, her eyes skimmed through the email, widening by the time she reached the end of it. "What the--" She stopped herself, fishing her cellphone out from her pocket. As she began to dial, she noticed the time. She wanted to text someone to see if they knew if this was real, but it looked like she'd have to log in and see for herself. For the moment she ignored her higher leveled character and selected her lower leveled one--the one her friends knew her as--and dived into The World.

Online_Mac Anu_

Cyann came to life, though a loud yawn escaped him. He liked to think that whenever he was offline, he was sleeping. The whole roleplaying aspect of the game was something he was curious about, but for now, the thought was put aside as he immediately headed towards the Gate. How could a game cause comas? Sure, there were rumors about it, but Cyann was always skeptical. It was suspicious that CC Corp denied the rumors--why even bother giving them attention if they weren't true? If he fished around, he was sure he could find more on it, but he felt that he needed to confirm KISU's message first. Something just didn't sit right about all this.

Tapping his foot on the ground, he wracked his brain as he tried to remember the keywords. Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground. Oh yeah, those words weren't omnious at all. Letting out another sigh, Cyann entered them, watching his surroundings change as he was teleported.

Online_Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground_

"Holy crap," Cyann blinked, looking around. He half expected to get bounced back, but it looked like the place was real after all. Scratching the back of his head, he noticed some familiar PCs. No KISU yet, though. "Anytime you think you have a grasp on this place, something completely new pops up," He said out loud, clearly distracted by their surroundings.

[Assistant]
Offline_Home_study_

Setsuo Akenomu was currently researching some local new cafes and restaurants, as it was part of his job as concierge at the hotel he worked at. Setsuo worked at a fairly high-end hotel and never gave the name of it, wanting to keep his professional life and personal life separate. That said, none of his friends would ever consider Setsuo to be deceptive or sneaky. Setsuo was a warm person who loved helping others in his own way. He just so happened to love scouting places to eat or venues to enjoy and was able to use his talents to help locals and tourists alike. To him, it was important to give everyone the best experience and recommendation possible. For now, his job as concierge was one he truly enjoyed. Having patrons return fomr an outing and thank him for his insight, was such a delight.

As he was recording some possible places to check out, he'd surely invite his friends as he often did when doing such research, he caught sight of a sudden new email. Setsuo opened it and found the contents rather upsetting. As someone in the service industry, English had been an important class to take and he had taken a few of them under Nanae's guidance. His stomach lurched at the vision of her in a hospital, bound to machines, likely alone and afraid. He didn't think Kohe needed to be doing anything online and needed to be by her side. Still, it wasn't his place to say such a thing and decided he had to meet him in order to get a better picture of things.

Online_Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground_

He logged in and his black hair was replaced with long flowing honey hair. He had on a long brown cloak and had a stern looking bayonet attached to his back. Roamer quickly went to the new location and found himself in a very strange place. It was quiet and it was secluded. He hoped whatever was waiting for him wasn't some horrid trap. Right behind him, a young girl appeared who had an absurdly large sword attached to her own back. Since she didn't look at all familiar, he had to guess she was Kohe, using his mother's account. Above her head it read: KISU.

"Hey, are you the one who sent-"

"Yes." Kohe interrupted him. "Come on." He said as he walked down the long stone walkway. Roamer followed and soon the pair emerged on the opposite side of the church's doors. While Kohe was glad for Roamer's appearance, he had braced himself for one or two individuals. He was deeply surprised, and moved when he saw such a collection of concerned people. These people were ones who cared for his mother and he was grateful that they had come, even just to listen to his tale of mystery and woe. "I can't believe you all showed up." He said, the female character walking further into the cathedral, down the center as Roamer stayed a bit behind him. "I mean. Thank you." KISU corrected himself. "I was nervous that some might scoff at this kind of invitation, I know it sounds hard to believe but...I do believe that there is some correlation between this game and my mother's comatose condition."

"That's a bold statement." Roamer spoke up. If it was possible, CC.Corp would be having some kind of PR nightmare which he couldn't fathom at all. "Plus it sounds-"

"Impossible. I know." KISU cut him off once again, turning to give Roamer a glance before his attention went toward the others. "I don't know anything concrete yet but I am sure if we retrace the places my mother went, the areas, then...then I am sure we'll find some clues." KISU insisted. "There's also another means in which we will operate but..." He paused and swallowed. "The way I'm thinking, we have to find a way operate and move beyond the system itself. If there are secrets in this game, we'll have to be bit more brazen than regular players."

"Like hacking?" Allegory spoke up. "Wouldn't we be banned?" She asked, glancing to her friends. They had all worked so hard to save up for The World and to put it on the line for a hunch was a big favor to ask of someone. She glanced down, not sure if she felt comfortable breaking the rules, even to help a dear professor of hers.

"Believe it or not quite a few hackers go unnoticed. If they're good, anyway. There's millions and millions of players and only a limited amount of Admins monitoring player activity. I'm not suggesting we do anything grand or overt. I just know in order to collect as much information, we need to bend the rules and dig deeper." KISU said. He knew it was a tough sell but hoped even a few of them would agree to his line of thinking. "I can give you a quick example if you'd like. It's nothing scary and your data would be perfectly safe." He offered them.

Walking closer to the group, Roamer gave KISU a sideways glance. "You picked this Lost Ground because Admins don't really bother to keep tabs on who goes and does what. Right?" He commented. KISU nodded. "I guess I don't mind seeing what crazy trick you've got up your sleeve, kid." Roamer shrugged. He felt bad for Kohe and was sure the kid was doing his best to find his own way to help, even if Setsuo disagreed with his methods. Even if a game could put someone into a coma, what would proving that do for Hitsu? How would it help her wake up?

Allegory held onto her staff. "I suppose I have to admit...I am a little curious." She said quietly.

[User]
Hulle Granz Cathedral
"Well, I'll definitely have to remember the keywords to this place for a later time. Who knows what I could learn by sticking around and examining it more closely..." no surprise there. Kotaro enjoyed studying new area types, and this looked about as unique as it could be. But he had to keep the reason they all came in mind, "...ah, but first thing's first. I already asked my circle of friends on the forums if they had heard anything about players going comatose, but didn't wait for a reply, so after this maybe I should switch to the Discussion Forum and check for a response-"

He probably would have rambled a bit if not for entrance of few more. First Dusk, then Cyann. A short greeting was exchanged but then another pair arrived. One was Roamer, and the other was a familiar Heavy Blade named KISU. Hitsu's character. Kohe did say he would be using his mother's account for the investigation. That was when the debating started. Roamer appeared to be skeptical of idea of a game causing a coma. More to the point, however, KISU voiced his intention to bend the rules, break them entirely if necessary to get to the bottom of this.

"Hmm..." Grim didn't speak just yet, instead waiting for Al to speak her piece. She made it clear she didn't feel comfortable going outside the rules like this. To be honest, Grim had his doubts as well, but did at least think of a way for them to make a compromise.

"Going outside the system could be dangerous, and probably not a wise choice." he sounded like he was agreeing with Al but then quickly added, "...At least not one we all should make. In fact," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "whoever does go outside the rules would be wise to have people who are still on the inside, who aren't actively drawing attention to themselves, just in case someone on the inside is indeed needed." to put it simply, Grim agreed with KISU to a point, but offered a compromise for anyone not willing to go that far.

"But I digress. Kohe - er, I mean KISU, you said you wanted to show us what you mean by all this?"

[Assistant]
Online_Delta Server_Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground

Duskwalker offered a smile as Allegory tried to comfort her, but in the wrong way. She hadn't said this place was scary, or dangerous, she had said it felt too peaceful. There was something very off about this place. But she didn't bring it up, the gesture was still very nice. There wasn't time to bring it up anyway. Marill and Cyann showed up shortly after that. Duskwalker was happy with the amount of her friends that were willing to show up, she had really thought that she'd be the only one to care about this.

Before there was much time to chat, two more people showed up. One was Roamer, the other was KISU. But the person behind KISU wasn't the usual one, even if she hadn't known that already she would have been able to tell, they way they moved even as the same character, was completely different. Duskwalker was silent as KISU began to explain everything. She nodded when she mentioned the possible connection between the game and the coma, if her own theory was right then that was very true.

When KISU mentioned the possibility of investigating outside the game, or hacking the game and going beyond what normal players would, Saya sat up a little straighter, and Duskwalker who's head had been down as she listened, suddenly snapped up. "I'm your girl for that. Hacking isn't my strong suit, but I can learn, and I'm already working on some theories outside the game. Speaking of, I've got some questions to ask you about your mother and her condition, might help us get closer to the truth."

Duskwalker put her hands on her hips. "I do agree with Grim though, if we're going outside the rules of the game, we need people on the inside as well. It's gonna be dangerous. But, what's an investigation without a little danger?" Duskwalker was clearly excited about the possibility of doing a real investigation for once. Of course the situation was tragic but it wasn't as if the professor was dead, comas could be reversed, people came out of them all the time. If they could find out what caused the coma, it would help doctors bring her back.


[System]
Age: 211, to his best estimate
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 192 lbs
Race: Vampire
Birthplace: England, circa 1667 (Elizabethan era)
Short Bio: Born in the Elizabethan era and surviving into the Victorian, Vail has seen the rise and fall of two centuries' worth of dynasties—not just human, but supernatural as well. As a member of the Hygrace family, he was raised in the wealth and prestige of the most powerful vampire clan in London. His uncle, Lord Reginald Hygrace, was a respected leader, known across the nation for offering protection to any vampires who needed sanctuary from The Order of the Saints: an influential group of men and women who tracked down and killed the "demons" for a living.

For nearly a century, Reginald's efforts kept both his family and the rest of the vampires safe. However, around the year 1750, he made the mistake of taking in a man named Lord Elias Wynter. At a glance, Elias seemed like just another refugee seeking sanctuary with the Hygrace family, but in truth, he sought to overthrow the ruling dynasty completely.

Unbeknownst to the Hygraces, the Wynters had been plotting for quite a while to take over and change the way that vampires lived in England altogether. They believed that as "superior beings," they should fight back against humans instead of hiding from them in fear. They saw the Hygraces were weak and cowardly, unfit to lead their kind, and so started a rebellion.

When he commenced his attack, Elias managed to kill Reginald, but his attempt to finish off the rest of the oldest generation was cut short by his victim's younger brother—Vail's father—Peter, who went on to take over as the leader of the Hygrace clan in his sibling's stead. Unfortunately, the Wynter family refused to give up after just one defeat and has continued to fight for power against the ruling dynasty ever since.

For Vail, the following century of his life was spent predominantly in hiding. As the son of the most powerful vampire in England, he had to look out not only for members of the Saints but the Wynters as well. With such a large target on his back, he learned how to fight and wield a gun in order to protect himself. Both skills have saved his life since.

Of course, he can't spend all his time in seclusion without going stir crazy, so he finds time to attend parties and other large gatherings put on by other aristocrats in London to get out of the Hygrace manor on occasion.

[User]
At least Victoria seemed to desire his touch as much as Vail craved hers. He relaxed into the mattress as she drew closer and nestled her head beneath his chin. Her lithe body fit comfortably against his, staving off the slight chill in the air with its warmth. He was glad he had ventured to put his arm around her. Their current position was quite comfortable, only adding to the bliss he already felt after achieving physical satisfaction with her. He was nearly tempted to fall asleep as he was, though he knew he needed to remain alert so they wouldn't linger at the inn too long. They still had time left before dawn, but that didn't mean they didn't have a deadline to observe.

As she joked about him trying to get rid of her, he rolled his eyes but couldn't help the faint smile that pulled at his lip. Like her mischievousness, he found her bold humor endearing. Her willingness to poke and tease a man she barely knew was something that separated her from the other human women who lived their lives in boring meekness. It wasn't very respectful, but respect for social convention's sake was overrated anyway. He much preferred when she spoke her mind without fear of how she would be perceived by him. Her honest personality was refreshing, and he knew he could expect her to tell him what was on her mind without any tricks or games.

He liked her unapologetic affection too. While he had been nervous to even wrap one arm around her midriff, she seemed to have no trouble cuddling up to his side and even nuzzling his chin with her head. Her obvious comfort helped him relax enough to stroke her back with his hand, less concerned about her opinion now that he could see that she enjoyed their closeness just as much as he did. It was funny how quickly they had gone from predator and prey to this. He never would have imagined there would come a day when he would call a human his lover. Yet, here they were, resting in each other's embrace in the hazy euphoria of post coital felicity.

Despite his query about her sleep, Vail was glad that Victoria preferred to stay longer with him. He was content lying beside her until the minute they had to leave. As she settled down against him with the intent to rest, he closed his eyes as well. Of course, he wasn't going to let himself drift off with her, since one of them had to keep track of the time, but he wanted to unwind a little too. As long as he made sure he didn't grow too tired, he was confident he could last until close to dawn.

He passed the rest of the time by letting his mind wander to meaningless things and simply enjoying the feeling of Victoria's body pressed warmly against his. Knowing she was probably more tired than she let on—he didn't know any humans who operated nocturnally like his kind did—he let her sleep until about an hour before sunrise when he finally roused her with a gentle shake of her shoulder.

"We should get going," he murmured, stifling a yawn as he sat up on the bed. Even though he was used to staying up all night, it was nearing the time when he would normally settle down to sleep for the day. His exhaustion was beginning to catch up with him, and he could feel it. "Will you contact me the same way next time?" he asked, attempting to keep his thoughts off his weariness by conversing with the Crest heiress.

[Assistant]
Victoria had drifted off happily into a light slumber as she felt warm and relaxed by his side. His soothing stroking of her back helping her to feel so calm. As he shook her lightly awake, she stirred and didn't want to move. At some point during their nap they had gotten underneath the bed covers. She slowly opened her eyes and realised she wasn't actually dreaming, she was still here laying with Vail, naked beneath the covers. She hadn't let go of him once throughout the night as if she were latching onto him for dear life. She protested at having to let him sit up on the bed. She remained laying down and even buried her head into the pillow. Alas, it was time to go. She sighed and pushed herself up weakly. She only needed to ride back to the manor and creep back into her bedroom before Gerald came back to discover her gone.

She leaned up as Vail enquired if she would contact him the same way next time. She really hadn't thought about that. She didn't know how she would be contacting him in future. "I…don't know. I will try to if I can, but it may not be hat simple or easy being under such heavy watch. I'm sure I'll think of something though. And if you don't hear from me, stay away, it won't be safe..." She could only imagine it would get harder to communicate with him. Maybe she could get some messenger pigeons somehow. She sighed thinking about it. She joined him sat at the edge of the bed. "I do want to see you again." She reassured him she wasn't backing out of their deal even now. "But I no longer hold you to your end of the bargain…about killing Spencer." She revealed sadly as she stood up but not before planting a delicate kiss on his shoulder joint. "I don't want to see you get hurt over me again." She ventured toward the chair where her clothes sat neatly folded. She began to cover herself over little by little to Vail's probably disappointment.

It seemed the dynamics of their affair kept evolving even now. She couldn't see a way past killing Spencer without having the whole Wynter clan wreaking havoc on Vail's family. It was too dangerous for him now. But that meant if he didn't kill Spencer, she had to do it herself somehow. Maybe it meant letting him feed on her, catching him with his guard down. Yet she couldn't know the extent of Vail's jealousy of that plan. Gerald knew about Vail so if she did not return, he'd blame Vail and go after him. She still needed many answers from him about her father. "I don't know when I'll get to see you again…so just keep safe until then." It was clear she cared deeply for him, she cared about his welfare and his safety. It was ironic that a human worried for a vampire's safety. The clever thing about having removed all her clothes was no risk of getting them blood stained. All she had to do was keep her bite marks covered. With the last of her garments put on, she moved to slide her legs into her knee-high boots.

She had a feeling she would be thinking back to this night for a very long time. It was not only her first ever intimate encounter, it was an encounter with an intoxicating vampire she was beginning to fall for. Although she knew it best to keep that to herself for now. She knew it would be taboo for a vampire and a human to become a proper couple. She knew it could never happen that way for them. And she also knew that one day she may grow tired of just one nights with him here and there that it would be too much to be without him on the days she didn't see him. She knew eventually she'd want more, a full-time relationship. If she survived the Order and Wynter ordeal that is. She turned to face Vail once more as she finished putting her boots on. She didn't know if kissing him goodbye was a good idea. It would only leave her to crave more of him again. She already had trouble tearing herself away from him. Was it in fact she who had now grown addicted to him?

[User]
Vail nodded contemplatively when Victoria explained that it might be difficult for her to contact him again while she was being watched. To some degree, he understood that she was right, but it was difficult for him to imagine what would prevent her from reaching out to him. He hadn't seen the measures the Order had taken for himself. He didn't know how many guards were stationed at the Crest manor nor the kind of steps they had taken to keep Alexander's daughter safe. All he could do was guess based on the way she had described her situation to him earlier, trapped in her room against her will.

As she added that he shouldn't come to find her if he didn't hear back, he said nothing. Even though she spoke wisdom in advising him to keep his distance, he knew it was too late for that. He hadn't even been able to stay away from her for a week the first time he'd tasted her blood. Now that he had grown accustomed to feeding on it regularly, he had a feeling his cravings would only become worse if he lost access again.

Additionally, after tonight, he was invested in her even more than just through his physical addiction. He disliked the thought of abandoning her to the Saints and the Wynters. If either of those groups laid claim to her, he was sure he would be unable to see her again. He wouldn't get to drink her blood, nor would he be able to touch her or even talk to her. The thought of suddenly losing all of that made him tense. He wanted her all to himself, even if it meant he would have to put in a little more effort to hold onto what they had.

As she sat next to him on the edge of the bed, he wrapped his arm around her waist, enjoying the feeling of her soft, bare skin beneath his fingertips for a moment longer. It was relieving to him that she seemed to want to see him again just as much as he longed to see her. At least he could be sure his new feelings weren't one sided. He just wished their desire to reunite was enough to make it happen. Unfortunately, as long as the Order was determined to prevent them from closing the distance, he had a hunch that sneaking off to be with her again was going to be nothing short of a nightmare.

He nodded again when Victoria announced that she no longer held him to his end of the bargain. Though he had fought her on the decision last time, he was coming to the realization that there probably was no easy way for him to follow through with killing Spencer for her. The consequences to both himself and the rest of his family were too great to ignore. He would have liked to keep his word to her and help her anyway, but it was better for him to relinquish the deal and keep out of the Wynter's affairs, as the Hygraces had done for the last century.

Her gentle lips warmed his shoulder before he felt her stand up beside him to get dressed. He followed her with his eyes, taking in his final view of her hypnotic figure until she was covered. "I would have done it for you if I could," he assured her as he rose to put on his clothes as well. "Unfortunately, with so many Saints around, it doesn't look like I'll have the opportunity." He truly did think it was unfortunate. He wanted Spencer out of her life perhaps even more than she did now that he had such a strong possessiveness over her body. The thought of backing down and letting a Wynter have his way made him taste bile. Even if he couldn't murder the other vampire outright, he wasn't done trying to think of other ways to steal the Crest heiress out from under Spencer's nose if it was still possible.

"I could say the same to you," Vail glanced up from buttoning his shirt as Victoria told him to stay safe. The members of the Order may have been claiming to protect her, but he didn't trust that brood of vipers for one second. After Gerald had risked her life in the basement the other night, he was sure any one of them wouldn't hesitate to put her life in danger if they thought they could benefit from doing so. She was a sacrificial lamb to them, to be used and thrown away the instant she was no longer valuable.

When they were both finished getting dressed, Vail lingered near the door. He wasn't sure how to part from her now that their relationship was changing. Leaving with just a simple 'goodbye' would surely offend her, but he was hesitant to push for anything more, since he was still getting used to the idea of being so close to a human. He shifted his weight. Even though it was strange to him, this was the path he'd chosen to take. He would have been fooling himself if he believed otherwise. There was no reason to keep pushing back against where that path was leading them.

Having made up his mind, he stepped over to Victoria and rested one hand on her hip while using the other to coax her to lift her chin to him. He held her gaze for a brief moment before leaning in to press one more tender kiss to her lips, savoring the feeling of her mouth moving against his. "Goodnight, Victoria," he breathed when he pulled back from her again. "I'll be awaiting your correspondence." With that, he turned and headed out the door, leaving her to return to her family manor alone.


[System]
Gender
Cisfemale

Age
18

Appearance
Na is a young and beautiful adult with long ash red hair that stops around her lower back, purple blue eyes and fair skin. Standing around 5' 4", Na is often seen dressed in a slightly over sized navy blue raincoat with simple clothes underneath. She normally has on skirts or shorts on and always has on a dirty pair of combat boots.

Personality
Peace, love, and harmony is Na's main objective. Most are instantly be swept away by Na's rustic charm and pleasant demeanor, enchanted by her wide array of conversation topics. She can be reserved and formal at first. But once you get her talking, a five minute conversation can morph into a three-hour philosophical discourse. Because Na seeks compromise, she dislikes conflict and anything that feels "unfair." In fact, that's the only time one would probably see her angry. Her system simply can't tolerate it. She's a natural diplomat who will do everything to negotiate between warring parties that just can't get along. She can accurately see both sides to a situation, and often resolve disputes in an equitable way for all involved. Although she hates doing such, Na will use her natural charms and good looks to manipulate others into taking care of her or doing her bidding. When it comes to her own decision-making, she has an even harder time and will vacillate between "Should I?" or "Shouldn't I?". And when it comes to her little brother, she'll glad fight for him and take his side in almost every argument.

Family
Alistair "Al" -- Younger Brother

Trivia
- Na has a strange habit of biting her nails when stressed out to the point of biting her fingers if she isn't paying attention.
- Na has a very soft Irish accent so most would think she's fragile and small despite that being far from the truth.
- She doesn't sleep that often as she's scared to leave her little brother alone. Literally she wouldn't ever leave him out of her sight.

Name
Nino [REDACTED]

Gender
Cismale

Age
14

Appearance
Nino is a very small and sickly young boy with short pinkish purple ombre hair that stops around the nape of his neck, purple blue eyes with noticeable bags under them, and naturally pale skin. Standing just under five feet, Nino often wears baggy clothes, hoodies, and worn out hand me downs that fit his bony frame. He normally doesn't have shoes and instead just wears socks.

Personality
Nino can be tricky to spot. With his reserved and sick persona, he seldom starts a conversation or express interest in others openly—unless he feels out the situation first or its his older brother; and even then, he has a hard time talking to others in general. Once you get him to open up, however, he shows a vast amount of silent love and appreciation towards said person. Known to read people as easily as a children's book, Nino seems to just KNOW all secrets, soft spots and fears. His focused attention can be addictive, and even painful when it's pulled away. While he doesn't give up his loyalty and trust easily, once he does, he'll stick with you through thick and thin. Don't even think about double-crossing Nino or his sibling, though, because he WILL unleash his fury on you despite his sick body, divulging all of your secrets and airing your dirty laundry. On a positive note, Nino is the perfect person to talk to about anything as his patience is incredibly high. He secretly yearns for the very thing he fears: true intimacy with others, but it takes a lot for Nino to reveal his vulnerability until it him right in the face (i.e. getting sick). As Nino opens up and learns to show his shadow side, he can heal in ways that are truly profound.

Family
Giovanni -- Older Step Brother

Trivia
- Nino suffers from severe epilepsy, often experiencing tonic clonic seizures more than the other variations.
- Has a terrible immune system and is known to stare off into space if left alone for long enough.
- Nino easily feels guilty and thinks that his brother would probably be better off without him. He would never say something like that out loud though.

[User]
"Who the hell cares if you aren't related by blood?" Al asked, practically seething at this point. "That doesn't make you a burden! I don't care what he's done for you! You're a human being, and he's talking like you're a ball and chain strapped to his feet! You should talk back to him, otherwise he'll keep treating you like crap forever!"

He gave the frail boy a vigorous nod when he mentioned his sister.

"You're damn right, I do! And unlike your scumbag brother, I like to make sure she knows it."

He paused, before nodding resolutely and standing up.

"You know what? I'm not letting things go this way. Tonight, we should leave. Make our escape while that jackass is still asleep. Maybe then he'll realise how important it is not to treat the only people who like you like crap!"

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Giovanni continued to relax on the bed.

"Tempting, but I think I'll pass. Leave practising what you preach to the people who actually care about being called a hypocrite."

He sighed as she got up to leave.

"Well, at least you understand a little." He said. "Once you'be finished eating, get some rest. Big day tomorrow, and we wanna be up an leaving pretty early in it."

Once she's left though, the tired, easy going smile on his face warped into a frown, and he rubbed his temples in frustration.

"I guess I said something pretty shitty again, huh?"

[Assistant]
Nino flinched as Al steadily rose his voice, urging him on to talk back to his older brother. And while the younger boy thought he had every right to stick up for himself, Nino was still skeptical.
"B-But...talking back is like, super disrespectful isn't it? I don't want him to be mad with me or else he'd really leave me behind." He responded with a saddened expression before lowering his head to stare at the ground. Somewhere in his mind, Nino was agreeing with Alistair entirely, but how could he talk back to someone that's been so willing to help him out for so long?

Hearing that Al often let Na know what was on his mind, Nino could only keep his mouth shut. He's had multiple chances to say what would on his mind to Giovanni, but whenever the chance came, he would always quiet or go along with what he said. Was it natural to verbally show gratefulness and disdain for someone you're suppose to look up to?

Nino had been so caught up in his thoughts, he visibly straightened when Alistair stood, the ombre teen now staring up at him. Hearing what the redhead had to say caused Nino to gawk at the young boy with a frown.
"You want us...to leave my brother and your sister, basically run away from them, just to prove a p-point?" He whimpered, eyes wide with fear as he frantically shook his head. "I couldn't! Th-That would put you in danger! We could die o-out there without my brother!" The ombre teen panicked, his eyes wide and his frame shaking.

---

"Sure thing, Mr. Hypocrite." She hummed in response as her gaze remained on the brown haired man for only a few seconds longer before she took her leave. As she was almost to the door, Na hesitated as Joe had a few more words for her. Without turning, she responded. "Got it, I'll make sure the others are in bed before that." Na mentioned before leaving the room.

Since all the rooms were occupied by the three boys, Catrina opted for sleeping downstairs. But after the events of earlier in the day, she ultimately decided to crash on Al's floor for the night. He might not like it, but she rather make their 'guests' comfortable.

As she approached her own room, she could hear the other two having a conversation with each other. She didn't really think anything of it, so she simply walked in, only to tilt her head in confusion.
"Why are you standing like that? Did you finish your food? If so, then go to sleep. I'll be crashing on your floor, just as a heads up." She said, eyeing both boys with a mostly oblivious expression.

[User]
"What? No!" Al said quickly. "We wouldn't be leaving my sister, I could never leave her behind! Your brother, on the other hand, has done nothing but act like a right bastard, both to us and you. And let's be honest, I reckon we're more likely to die with him than without. Hell, I nearly killed him before, and it was easy! That doesn't sound like someone who could protect us. It doesn't sound like someone who can protect anything."

However, he quickly stopped talking when Na walked back in.

"Yeah, I'm done." He replied to her. "I guess I'll turn in too. Not much to do now that it's dark anyway..."

He gave Nino one last look, before heading to the other room. Despite his words, he wasn't anywhere near prepared enough to put his plan to action just yet, but if Nino was wrong, if that jackass couldn't protect them like Nino was saying, then he would sure as hell be working on it.

[Assistant]
Nino frowned at what Al had to say about his brother. He didn't understand how much of a lifesaver Giovanni could be when it's a life or death situation. The ombre teen was about to voice his thoughts too, it it hadn't been for Catrina entering, halting their entire conversation from escalating any further. He kept his mouth shut as Al bid his farewells for the night, the both of them sharing one more glance before the younger one left. Nino shook his head slightly before bringing his attention to Catrina who was now eating.
"I-I'm go and dispose of this plate then go to bed. U-Uh, fill free to stay here until you're finished." He mumbled, as she slipped on the rather comfortable shoes before making his way down the steps. He took his sweet time too as he would rather not have a girl watch him while he's asleep; but it was her room so he couldn't just tell her to get out...

---

Catrina looked back up when Nino returned from his trip downstairs. It was clear as day that he was nervous and avoiding any form of eye contact, but a few minutes after his head hit the pillow, he was completely knocked out. He must have been really tired still...and on edge from being in such a new place. Not wanting to bother him any longer, Catrina gobbled up the rest of her food quickly before hurrying out of the room. They had a big day ahead of them and she knew she would need to sleep to keep up with it.

---

Before she even knew it, Catrina's phone blared to life, a soft chime ringing throughout Al's room. Having crashed on the floor, and placing the phone on the dresser at the other side of the room before doing so, Catrina let out a sleepy mumble as she shifted on the floor, her eyes still closed and expression showing she was still in dreamland. Despite this, however, the redhead spoke up to the other occupant in the room.
"Could you get that for me Al?" She grumbled as she curled up to a more comfortable position.

[User]
Eyes wide, Al ran for the phone, turning it off before shaking his sister awake.

"There are people standing outside the house." He whispered into her ear, before slowly backing away. Nervously, he reached backwards and grabbed the javelin before positioning himself by the door.

Meanwhile, Giovanni had already woken up, taking an instinctive look through his window to see the people outside.

"Ah, hell..." He slowly mumbled to himself. Before he could even begin to get himself ready for the coming fight however, he felt a mild yet searing pain in his chest, and let out a silent sigh. Yep, that was heartburn, alright. That was going to lower his kickass fighting skills by quite a bit.

So that meant he'd have to go with plan B...

As quietly as he could, he moved through the house towards Nino's room, softly shaking him awake.

"Nino, they followed us. Be as quiet as you can and follow me, ok?"

After making sure his brother was behind him, he continued down the corridor to Al and Na's room.

He gently opened the door, only to have to bend into a limbo position to avoid the javelin that otherwise would've gone straight through his neck. Barely catching himself from falling backwards, he gave Al a wide eyed, frustrated glare, before turning to Na.

"We need to leave, as quickly as possible."

"DRIFTERS!" A gruff voice shouted from outside. "YOU'RE IN THERE, AREN'T YOU?!"

Joe had to forcefully stifle the urge to reply with a loud 'No', realising that unlike usual, he probably wouldn't be able to take on all these loser at once. Not just because of his not only because of his now very bad heartburn, but also because he had to protect two more people than usual. Instead, he turned to the others, an unusually serious look on his face.

"Alright, if this house has a back door, use it now. Just like before, keep away from any windows, I'll stay up here and distract them, got it?"

[Assistant]
Na probably would have went back to sleep if the memories of the days prior hadn't immediately come back to her. Within the next few seconds, the redhead was up and alert, believing every word Al said despite not looking herself. Why were they people here? Were they like Nino and Giovanni who were trying to break in? Or were they an actual threat trying to attack them for who knows what? Watching her little brother prepare himself with the javelin, Na did what she could with what she had, and grabbed the nearby lamp, gripping it tightly as she situated herself on the other side of the door.

Meanwhile, Nino woke up to the sight of Joe looming over him. While he knew something had to be wrong if that were the case, the ombre haired teen was still terribly drowsy as the symptoms of his fever had yet to fully subside. However, being rather use to this, the boy nodded halfheartedly before shuffling closely behind Giovanni. As they made their stop in front of Al's room, Nino let out a yelp as surprise when Giovanni suddenly leaned back towards him, covering his mouth quickly after.

Catrina let out a shaky sigh of relief when she saw it was just the Italians, lowering the lamp in her hands.
"R-Right, b-but what about our thing--" The redhead was cut off by an unfamiliar voice. Fear flash on her face for a quick second before she wrapped an arm around Alistair and grabbed Nino's hand. "Be careful okay?" She whispered before she pulled the other two down the hallway and the staircase. Getting a little close to the front door when it was still slightly broken was making Katrina nervous, but she tried to remain quiet as she forcibly pulled the younger boys towards the kitchen and into the living room where the back door was just one hallway away.


[System]
* Age: 17 years old
* Gender: Male
* Race: Human
* Appearance: Standing 5' 11" and a sleek 155 lbs, Lucas carries himself with the graceful posture of both an athlete and an artist. His smile is polite and unassuming, his eyes are bright and steel-coloured, and his hair is as white as snow.
* Personality: Although a little withdrawn in light of the relatively recent death of his parents, Lucas is slowly but surely returning to his old self: A warm and friendly young man who will always seek to raise his friends spirits, whether it's with an unfunny joke or an arm around the shoulder and an open ear. He also has an odd quirk of being fearless. Not courageous, no - courage requires the presence of fear - but complete fearlessness. Danger simply does not move him. He has somewhat of a darker side that went undiscovered until he started weapons training... he does like to 'talk a little trash,' seeking to press the emotional buttons of his opponent and get them off their game. It is a little jarring to witness, for anyone that knows him, to see him in this arrogant and malicious state. Aside from that, he likes card games, climbing trees and reading books about heroic deeds, adventure and rescuing princesses.
* Brief Backstory: Lucas Storm was born to Penny and Harold aka 'The Storms' - a double act in a travelling circus troupe that lived on the roads of Thain. They were not quite the main event, but between Penny's acrobatics and Harold's knife-throwing expertise, the two had their act down to a tee and made a good living at the top of the card. Lucas however, had shot into stardom as a gifted trapeze artist and worked with his parents friends often as the main event. Every night he risked his life to entertain the audience, and strangely the dizzying heights or the danger had never even slightly bothered the boy, not even the first time.

Life was good. Simple, yes, but contented and full of love. Living on the road meant one was always an outsider and so the troupe had a trust and loyalty between them that went beyond community. More like family. They looked out for each other, lied for each other (certainly when thieves and pickpockets in the troupe began to make their extra money off the current town,) and they would no-doubt die for each other... something many of them eventually did. This circus life would indeed come to an end when they were assaulted in Velt by slaver unit. The troupe resisted as best they could, but were no match for amply-armed slavers. Many of them died, including Lucas' parents, Penny and Harold. Lucas was taken prisoner and caged, ready for sale.

No more than three days after Lucas was thrown into a cage, the slaver encampment was set upon by a mercenary band who captured the place after a bloody battle. Lucas was awestruck as a hero straight out of one of his books, fought evil men valiantly and freed him from the cage. That man, he would find out, was Gerard Segremors. From that day forward, Lucas Storm wanted to be a hero, like in his books. A hero like Gerard Segremors. His first act a free person again, was to go to the quartermaster of the mercenary band and request to be recruited. Perhaps the quartermaster took note of the young lad's strong body and graceful gait. Perhaps it was the look of determination and fearlessness in his eyes. For whatever reason, Lucas' request was accepted and he began training under the quartermaster.

This life as a mercenary did not last long however, as no more than some weeks - maybe months - later, the mercenary band was dissolved and folded into the military arm of the Church. Lucas didn't care, he simply waited to see what Gerard would do, and when his idol joined the Blades of Iron Roses, Lucas followed him into the order.

Now, Lucas finds himself training under a real regiment, in an order of knights where he might truly become a hero from his books - a hero like Gerard Segremors. And he works hard to make it happen.
* Equipment: A set of battered plate mail. A longsword. All standard basic Order issue. He likes to carry several daggers on his person, preferably balanced for throwing or using in a tight situation.
* Skills: Free-climbing. Juggling. Dizzying acrobatics. Knife throwing. Hold Em Poker. Pickpocketing. Cheering friends up. Sneaking.

[User]
While the matter of Sir Rickert's death was by no means forgotten, at least for the moment Fanilly had been reminded that he died in the line of duty.

Still, her heart remained burdened, even if it was slightly less burdened thanks to Sir Renar's words. Still, she was most certainly going to pray for him once more before she slept that night, and again the next day. His just soul would surely reach the Sun and Moon, but aiding him on the way was the only way in which she could now assist him.

"... A-ah, Dame Cecilia..."

Just what was she doing? The Archer Knight had managed to drink almost an entire cask of wine in the same amount of time she had taken only two sips of her glass. Was this some kind of secret skill of hers? Fanilly could only hope she was almost done, or else they'd need to start accounting for the disappearance of multiple casks.

"... I'll consider your proposal, Sir Renar," she said, after a few moments of witnessing Dame Cecilia's stunning skills in getting plastered, "A Knight-Captain should use the skills of her knights to the best of their ability, after all."

Fanilly took another small sip of wine. She didn't want to get drunk, so she had to try and pace herself. She had never pushed her alcohol tolerance before, and feared the worst.

"But I will consider any candidates equally."

While her tone was still subdued, at least she had begun talking about other matters now.

Landshark@Rune_Alchemist

[Assistant]
Renar Hagen

"Of course. As I said, I only ask to be considered." Renar inclined his head towards the Knight-Captain, finishing his second cup of wine and not pouring himself another. He knew when to stop, on both accounts. No point in pushing too hard. So long as he was remembered and had his foot in the door, it'd create one opportunity or another for himself somewhere down the line.

He followed Fanilly's gaze towards Dame Cecilia. Sun and Moon, was she really almost through the entire cask? May as well have just been drinking straight from the barrel at this point instead of pouring. Renar looked wearily towards Cecilia, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"Perhaps I should escort her back to somewhere she can't get deeper into her cups." Renar sighed as he stood, not looking forward to dragging the drunken louche out of the wine cellar. Frankly, he ought to just dump her into the courtyard and wash his hands of the matter.

"Some unsolicited advice, Captain: should you not wish to end up like that," He gestured towards Cecilia. "Take a free night and try to determine your limits. Have one of your maids, preferably one not inclined to gossip, watch over you and determine exactly how much wine it takes for you to become drunk. It helps immensely at social functions where you'd prefer not to embarass yourself."

[User]
Fleuri Jodeau

"Truth be told, I was following Lucas' lead," Fleuri said, firmly patting Lucas on the back. "As exhilarating as it was, I think I'm content on doing it only one time, however. Better to retire from riding wild griffins while I'm ahead and undefeated, right?" Following behind Lucas after having saved him twice before was perhaps not the smartest move, but it certainly ended up being spectacular.

"I like to think that when someone does something very showy and very ill-advised and yet get away with it unscathed," he continued, taking a drink from his mug, "It's the goddess' way of telling you that they're amused enough to give you a second chance, and it'd be disrespectful to the higher powers to squander it, right?" Sure, it was a stupid decision on his part, one that he'd try not to repeat, but he saw it as something to be laughed and joked about in hindsight, not held onto as a mark of shame.

"As for your question, Lucas," Fleuri shifted his topic of conversation, "No, I have no family in the city. Most of them live up in northern Thaln. I've met people from all over the country, but not too many of them here this time of year." Fleuri took another drink, feeling a bit homesick as he reminisced. He hadn't visited his family in a while, after all. Still, it could be worse...at least he still had his family, unlike some of the others at this table.

If he were a more uptight knight, Fleuri would be tempted to strike the Hundi for his uncouth words...but even during the most irresponsible part of his life there were some valuable life lessons to be learned, such as knowing when to loosen up.

@Saiyan@PigeonOfAstora

[Assistant]
"Er, yes..."

Certainly, she didn't want to end up as Dame Cecilia had. The Knight Archer looked like quite a mess. It made Fanilly drink her glass of whine all the more slowly and carefully.

"I think that's very good advice..."

Especially in the face of such a display.

Thankfully for Fanilly, a single glass of wine was no enough to entirely rob of of her faculties, as she had feared. Instead, while she felt something, certainly, this warm, somewhat light and tingly sensation she couldn't quite describe in more detailed words, that was the end of it.

A second glass was pushing it on the Knight-Captain's mind, and she declined it.

After all, she still had her duties to fulfill, and later her prayer for Sir Rickert. It wouldn't do to end up like Dame Cecilia.

After leaving the wine cellar(though she did her best to assist with carrying Dame Cecilia out first), Fanilly's first duty to fulfill was dispatching a messenger to Sir Rickert's family. While nothing could compensate for his death, she had to offer them something.

Then, to change out of her armor and bathe, at last. While Candaeln boasted two communal bathes, one for men and one for women, composed of blessed water that could repair minor injury and always remained warm, the Knight-Captain's quarters had a private bath.

It was there she went to clean herself, and change into something more suitable for her duties at Candaeln. The blue and white of the Knight-Captain's garb was unmistakable, and just as recognizable as the dwarven-forged armor these days.

Landshark@Rune_Alchemist

[User]
Tyaethe

... well, she had no idea what he could be planning with apples, nor did she particularly care to find out. Leaning back into her cushion pile, the vampire closed her eyes and gestured vaguely towards the front door. "I don't see a problem then. Why not see what that messenger wants? Poor man has been standing there since we got back, too scared to just come over here and talk to me. I'll take the plates back to the kitchen later."

If someone wasn't going to approach her despite being simply the other side of the room, the vampire wasn't planning to try and get a message out of him. Whether awestruck or terrified, the odds that he would explain whatever it was incorrectly were far too high.

Besides, she'd rather get some rest after the journey, and between Gerard's earlier exercise and this conversation, that had been quite delayed. At least some good had come of this one, on both sides--Fionn learned about his own magical potential, and she got to eat. Twice, even.

Otter

[Assistant]
"My blood-kin all bit it while I was still on The Keening, so I'm stuck here with nothing to do but sit in this taudis and spit it with a bunch of these whoresons, heh."

It wasn't a very nice feeling to hear that Lein had lost his family too, but his nonchalant tone when speaking on it - together with the feeling of not being alone in having such tragedy in his past - helped Lucas to mask his pity and keep up a fairly up-beat expression on his face. Not to mention, the foul mouthed archer-knight's array of language. Lucas knocked his tankard against Lein's in salute, not at all noticing that what spilled on the table was definitely not ale.

"The Iron Roses are your family now, old buddy, and don't you forget it," he said to Lein. Sergio's response was short and sweet. Fleuri's a little longer. But both essentially gave off the same sentiment. Family was far away. It must've been lonely for them all too, at times. Lucas sure had felt the feeling creep in some nights, when he was alone in his quarters. He had a sudden urge to try and cheer them all up, but suppressed it, for it wasn't very manly to get all mushy. This was a time for drinking and merriment, after all. Still though, he would be mindful of their moods in future, and perhaps (like a bull in a china shop) try and lift their spirits in a time of need. "Stay out of my pockets, eh," he warned mirthfully to Lein, who Lucas had just realised, had scooched up to him moments earlier. He made a show of sliding his chair a few inches away as a joke. But it also wasn't exactly a joke. Growing up in the circus, Lucas had known a few pickpockets.

At the remark about learning from Fleuri, Lucas piped up also. "Fleuri's a great teacher. He knows everything about everything when it comes to swordplay. And he's good at wording it so it goes in the thick skulls of folks like myself." He grinned at Fleuri. "Still, I hope I can continue to amuse the goddesses, cuz I've got a better chance of that than learning how to fight fast enough to keep myself alive on the battlefield. I almost got skinned a few times, if it weren't for good luck. Fleuri saved my life in that first ambush too."

Lucas downed the rest of his ale, standing up and offering to buy a second drink for all before going and grabbing himself another. At the bar, the bartender asked, "What's this about 'griffin riders?'"

"Oh it's just Sir Lein being silly, really..." and Lucas proceeded to tell him about the battle to take down Jeremiah's bandit camp, giving the details also about Lucas and Fleuri's wild decision to mount the griffin and nearly get themselves killed. He decided to leave out the part where they garnered minimal advantage from the situation, and simply ended with the fact that Dame Serenity delivered the final killing blow.

"Reon," the bartender was aghast. "Well, Sir Lucas, that's quite... mounting wild griffins...?" he was flabbergasted. "You Iron Roses sure are something."

"Sounds a lot better than it actually was, probably," Lucas replied, laughing nervously and running a hand through his hair. "Main thing is; the rebels are finally done and dealt with."

As he left the bar, he heard the bartender start relaying the story on to another newly arrived patron and Lucas gritted his teeth as he chuckled.

"I. Will. Sleep. Tonight." He whistled a sigh as dropped back into his chair. "Took it outta me, that mission did. I feel like I'm already tired tomorrow!"