[System]
"Fate? Destiny? Don't believe in them. I forge my own paths."

---

Aliases:
Julia strictly goes by the fake name Jules.

Age:
23

Gender:
Female

Origin:
Naples, Italy

Abilities:
While Jules doesn't have a Stand, she believes she has something better: the Spin.

Appearance:
Jules stands at 5'10, making her a rather tall young lady. Her hair is very light blond and becomes a grayish-white as it nears the middle of her back. When riding, she keeps her hair tied up underneath a black hat bearing a large plume of colorful feathers. Her eyes are a bright blue that are almost always sparkling with either mischief or a sense of adventure.

She wears black riding trousers, a white button up shirt, a black vest, and a black cape trimmed with golden lining. While rather flamboyant, Jules is rather proud of her musketeer-looking get up.

Despite her prim choice of clothing, she lets her appearance grow shabby and unorganized at times. Her hair might be knotted or her hat might be put on backwards. Sometimes it looks like she hasn't gotten good sleep in ages.

Personality:
Cocky, quick witted, and only slightly rambunctious, Jules delights in the thrill of adventure and exploring the unknown. Upon first glance, one might consider her arrogant and aloof, but in reality she enjoys her fair share of fun; she's always up to something, whether it be coming up with games, planning songs, gossiping, and more. While she might seem like a goofball up close, Jules strives to uphold what remains of her family tradition and legacy. She will stand up for what's right and will refute what she deems wrong or immoral. Unfortunately for her, this is easier said than done. Jules cannot bring herself to believe someone is purely good or purely evil.

Jules can be overly proud and overconfident, though she is extremely loyal to the few that are close to them and will gladly lay her life on the line for their safety. She just expects some sort of payment afterwards.

Short Biography:
The eldest child of the Zeppeli family, Julia was always destined for greatness-- at least, that's how her father put it. As soon as she was of age, her father too her under his wing in order to train as a physician. Not just any physician, but one mentally and physically equipped to handle the family's most prized heirlooms: the steel balls. Years passed and, as Julia grew older and more keen with using such blessed instruments, her father began to train her how to wield them in deadlier ways. At seventeen, he told her that she was to be not only a physician but someone who was skilled in quickly and painlessly ending the lives of criminals on the death row. Now that she was a grown woman, she took part in helping her father carry out executions.

It wasn't the nicest job, though she agreed to help her father in order to uphold their bloodline's beloved tradition. Each death took a toll on her, however. These were living, breathing people with families, friends. Who were they to decide that they should die? Why did the Zeppelis have to use their powers to end lives at the behest of a king? Nevertheless, she obeyed her father's wishes; the last thing she wanted to do was bring dishonor to her family name.

Unfortunately for Julia, that day would soon come. At age 20, she was told to execute a certain individual. It was a woman who had poisoned her husband-- and said husband had political standing in Naples. The woman was distraught; hysterical, she clung to Julia's clothing, begging and pleading to be spared. Julia had seen this woman before. Her skin was always blemished with clusters of bruises and her eyes were swollen with tears. She sympathized with her entirely and turned to her father for help. Her father understood the woman's actions, but he claimed that Julia had no choice: she was to carry out the will of the king.

Julia was bewildered. Her father and her argued for hours on end with neither of them budging on their stance. Even though she threw herself at his feet in order for him to at least think about granting the woman some sort of mercy, her father shrugged her off and stated she was behaving like a child. That was when Julia decided to take matters into her own hands. In the dead of a winter night and in the midst of a rainstorm, Julia was able to help the woman escape.

If only she was able to remain unsuspected. Julia guessed that she was lucky that it was her father who found out about her betrayal first. Though it was the first time in all of her life that he looked upon her as a stranger rather than a daughter, and that alone broke her heart into two. He told her to flee Naples and never to return, for if the Neapolitan guard caught wind of her, he would do nothing to stop her own execution.

Julia left Naples with a new name, an adequate amount of money, and a few precious items, two of which being her steel balls that she was definitely not supposed to take with her. For two years, she aimlessly wandered Europe in attempts to settle down and start a quiet life. It was only when she heard of the Steel Ball Run and the absolutely massive prize for the first place winner that she decided to cross the Atlantic and set foot in America.

Equipment:
Jules' most prized possessions are her steel balls-- she keeps them at her hip at all times and grows agitated when people even look at them. They are strangely smooth and green colored. Her other possessions include a raccoon plush, hunter's knife, tinder box, string, yarn, sewing needle, a rusted pot and pan, some cheap silverware, paper, and an assortment of pencils. Some other things might be rolling around in her assortment of items, although they are unknown to others as she never lets people get close to her belongings.

Name:
Greasy Sand

Age:
10

Gender:
Stallion

Appearance:
Greasy Sand!

Temperament:
Greasy Sand is a timid and kind horse that will gladly do whatever he's asked. He never bites your fingers when you hand-feed him, will lie down next to Jules to sleep, and has the patience of a saint. If someone hasn't seen him before, they might think he's a lazy stallion who has a slow gait and a slightly droopy head. He's a curious steed, often sniffing others or butting them with his head.

He's not easily spooked by gunfire, though he's terrified of snakes.

Notable Traits:
There's a reason why Greasy Sand got his name. He's got the quite the slow start when he begins a gallop or trot, but is known for his incredibly fast bursts of speed that can be used to easily overtake those in front of him. As for overall stamina, Greasy Sand bears a decent amount but is prone to tiring out faster than other horses.

He has an incredibly soft nose and has longer ears than usual. Jules jokes that he's part donkey.

[User]
Mentions: Everybody

---

Ahh, shoot. Dagnabbit! That poor little fella, all lost an' on his own. He was so tiny too, even a strong breeze might've blown him away like a tumbleweed. Or maybe a snake bit his horse! There were so many bad things that could've happened and somehow Simon didn't notice anything? He felt like a real..a mutton shunter! Golly, his mama would've been so disappointed if she knew Simon had thought such an unpleasant phrase. But he had it coming! How could he have completely zoned out like that? It was shameful. Simon was feeling all poked up.

So poked up that he only half-acknowledged Neon Ghost floatin' off to go search for Donny. But not poked up enough that he was able to shrug of the scary cowboy's threat-insult combo move. It wasn't like Simon could help his accent, it had been with him his whole life. And this fella had some nerve to act like Simon was some type of bother when he was hunting Jules and had assaulted the majority of the people here.

Not that Simon would say any of that. Confrontation? No sir. No sirree. Thanks, but no thanks.

Where was he?

Oh! Right! Donny. Simon scratched at his beard after mumbling out an apology that he absolutely did not mean at all. When Jules suggested turning in for the night, Simon had an opportunity to do something about it. "Turn on in? I s'pose that's a good idea. Don't want ta get back on th' saddle too tired ta ride. Jus'..lemme get a breath of fresh air first. The campfire's gettin' me a little toasty." Simon very awkwardly excuses himself from camp to go stroll behind some rocks in a very blatantly suspicious manner.

Once behind the rock, somehow confident that his blatant lie had been bought, Simon spoke. "Perform This Way!" And immediately, the strange, metallic ghost manifested in front of him. "Well well well! If it isn't the Sheriff of Pudding. You got a lotta nerve summoning me after manifesting me into that crazy bitch's knuckles, tubby!" Simon frowned. He was bulky, sure, but he certainly wasn't fat. Most of his mass was muscle, but it wasn't like he was about to argue with his aggressive ghost. "S-sorry.."

"Eugh. Your kicked puppy looking face is preventing me from even wanting to yell at you. What do you want, Squirrel Lip?" Squirrel lip? That was- oh, the mustache. Darn, that one stung a bit. "Ah need ya ta see if Donny, the blonde feller from earlier, is alright." Perform This way didn't have facial expressions, but Simon could imagine the smug mug he was wearing right now. "That's all? Pff, that's barely even a challenge. So I won't give you too much of one either. Entertain me, deputy stutters. I want a magic show!"

[Assistant]
And

Just a girl and her socks.

---

Neon had done a pretty stellar job setting up the tent. Well, mostly anyways. There were a few things that still needed to be done, but they didn't take long. It was pretty amazing how such a relatively large tent could fit into the size of a sleeping bag. But at last the large green tent was set up. It was rectangular in shape, and the top was flat, but was a solid head above Annie.

Before stepping inside, Annie retreated to Slow Ride and grabbed a large, light blue blanket. The blanket had an Eagle on it, it's wings fully extended and talons ready to strike. Annie had actually bought this for Neon, but he never uses it, so she decided to take it upon herself to wield the oversized blanket herself. Taking it inside, Annie laid the blanket down on the tent's floor before inviting everyone else over. "Hey y'all! Tent's finished! Come on in!"

---

IN THE MIND OF NEON...

---

How in the actual hell did they manage to lose an unconscious person of all things? Someone wandering off was one thing, but an unconscious person? Well, whatever. The light from his lantern was modest at best, but it should be more than enough to look for Donny.

He had said a hundred feet, but he had likely gone double that. The endless shifting sands seemed daunting. If it wasn't for Slow Ride and the other horses, this desert probably would've killed them. Annie almost certainly so.

The wind began to pick up, and sand began to stir. Not enough to cause a terrible storm, but enough to cause a bit of blindness. Not a good sign. Neon decided here would be a good point to start a perimeter. A square around the area should be fine.

The walk was, for the most part, uneventful. No Donny, or any signs of life for that matter. There might've been a scorpion or something under a rock nearby, but nothing that would cause alarm. That is, until Neon heard the sound of metal against metal at his feet. Illuminating the area at his feet, something silver reflected the light of his lantern. Bending over and scooping up the object, he dusted it off and held it closer to the light.

It was a silver flask, rectangular with rounded corners, and with a large fish engraved on one side. It's scales were intricately detailed, and had wispy fins on it's side and head, and it's V-shaped tail trailed behind it. There was a single, large letter written on the other side. An "S" was written in calligraphy. It didn't look too terribly old, but he wasn't the Archeologist. Maybe Annie would have a better idea about it. Speaking of which, he should probably head back, it looks like he wouldn't be finding Donny. With a new flask in hand, Neon walked back to the light of the campfire, and the big green tent.

[User]
MENTIONS: all of y'all

THREE DAYS LATER...

They spent the nights taking turns being on watch. It was the first time they actually cooperated with one another on peace. Jules found the brief rests to be surprisingly refreshing due to the fact she didn't have to constantly worry about someone robbing her while she was asleep. At least, the group didn't seem like the type to steal. The only thing that did bewilder her was the fact that they shared a tent-- never did she have the body of another person, a total stranger, so closely pressed against her. Well, except for those times...

It was their third day out in the desert. The journey had so far been taxing, with the sun and heat and all, but their group began to grow on her little by little. Annie and Jojo cooked decent food and the latter of the two slowly seemed less and less intimidating. Nevertheless, Jules kept her guard up. She was still considered a prisoner, after all; she wondered if he'd believe her side of the story, if and when she told it. Maybe she could start with explaining herself to Simon and Annie. That way, she could work her way up and they could take her side when she confronted Jojo. She shook her head. It was easier said than done. Simon would probably see her as a criminal and Annie and Neon Knight were bound to not care, but that didn't bring her much comfort. They weren't the problem. The tall, dark-haired man that rode in front of her was.

She watched the back of his head before she let her eyes slide down his figure. Honestly, Jojo wasn't a bad-looking fellow. Jules wondered what his story was. How long had he been a bounty hunter? What was his life like before that? Did he have parents, children, a wife? Why was he in this race to begin with?

They trekked through the gritty sand dunes, talking amongst themselves. That was another thing-- they'd grown talkative during their travels. At least Jules could bring herself to sing and joke, especially since the swelling in her face had finally gone down and the bruising had begun to melt away into a mix of pale blues and greens. She had finally taken a break with her singing in order to turn her attention back to Joseppi.

"Jojo, you sure we're going the right way? I think we should be heading north after passing that ravine, right?" Jules asked. Jojo was the one with the map, and though she was sure that all of them had a good sense of direction, she found all of the sand, rocks, and cliffs rather confusing. People probably got lost here all the time. Who was to say they weren't?


[System]
Gender: Male
Appearance: Skubli is remarkably small, even among goblin folk. Standing at a pathetic 3 foot 5 inches, Skubli is smaller than most goblins you'll meet. He possesses a hunched posture and and sleek shape. Skubli's skin is a shadowy green shade, contrasted sharply by his piercing yellow eyes. His lack of hair persists throughout his entire body, even across his scalp. The small goblin wears the typical dark loincloth, however he differs in the fact that he wears a small mantle of black cloth over his shoulders.
Physically, this goblish creature is rather fragile. His hands possess sharp nails and flexible fingers. His nose hooks downwards over his mouth, giving him a sleek form.
Personality: Skubli is not a particularly warm creature. While his loyalty is undying, his trust is a hard thing to come by. Skulbi won't cause you trouble if you leave him alone, however the little guy can be surprisingly spiteful if you cross him; however, due to his size, Skubli tends to ere on the side of timidity and not anger the big fish in the pond. He finds his anchor in familiarity, such as the black mantle he wears. The surrounding grasp of the cloth brings him comfort. If the goblin can lend you a hand without causing himself too much trouble, he'll usually do it, however Skubli will always try to get something out of it.
While he is known to think for himself, Skubli is not a cruel creature. He despises senseless pain, however he has learned that it is simply a fact of life.
Past Life History: Skubli's human life had everything that he needed to survive, but not much more. He grew up in the slums of Detroit. He kept his head down and did his best to avoid trouble. His parents weren't the best, however they were always there for him. His mother was a bit of a drunk and his father had an issue with anger, but they raised him as best they could. He never had any siblings to look out for him, so he grew up learning how to take a hit and how to stay out of serious trouble. Skubli always knew that unsuspected acts of violence always happened, but he had become so accustomed to being able to avoid trouble that he never considered he could be a victim. One wrong look at the wrong guy ended up with him living his last few minutes in the corner of an ally, slashed up and bleeding out his last pint of blood.
Skill: Skubli's small form, sharp claws for climbing, and dark skin/mantle let him be pretty sneaky. Nothing too astounding, but it takes a pretty sharp goblin to catch him.
Other: The mantle he wears is basically his comfort blanket. It keeps him warm and hides him from other people. Without it, he loses a lot of his vitality.
Additionally, he's so small that he will probably never be the mightiest goblin.

[User]
Lomen's screech did the job, and the injured boar turned to face him. As he did so, Kishi maneuvered himself to it's side, before driving the spear through the mighty beasts flank. The feeling of flesh give way as easy as air caused the goblin to grin. Surely, this is how the wolves must have felt. Killing something so easily... It made Kishi grin. Not out of happiness, but out of satisfaction. He was going to kill anything and everything that threatened his kind, his family. This boar was no exception. Kishi held the spear firmly, before twisting it and letting it go. The boar trembled slightly, almost as if it was trying to fight the fact that it nearly died, before it's legs simply gave way. The eyes of the creature rolled back in it's head, and it remained still. A long, drawn out breath exited, and the creature expired.

Kishi grinned.

The fear of death was gone, at least temporarily. It was imposible for him to die, at least right now. He refused to die as long as there was one creature that threatened the goblin existence. His kind were not meant to be stepping stones, as food. Not anymore, at least.

Lomen moved close to the east and began to extract the heart, which Kishi had honestly thought was destroyed. Lomen turned to the goblin.

"You should eat a bit as well before we take this back to camp. I think it would be best to share our hunt with the clan since I am well fed and we still have a wolf I need to show you how to skin."

Kishi's eyes turned towards the tusks of the creature, and he carefully removed his spear so as to not harm Lomen. Kishi quickly slashed at the two blade-like bones with his spear. Both broke off cleanly, and Kishi tossed one of them to Lomen. As Kishi replaced the horn of the rabbit with the tusk, he gave out his response.

"I refuse to eat this. At least, right now. I will not eat this until every other goblin in our home has had their fill. Grandfather especially. He is far to old to be doing his own hunting."

Kishi wasn't going to let any goblin in his home die, even if they couldn't hunt. If he had to, he was going to feed every damn one of them himself. The tusk was curved and, as a result, Kishi's spear was now more akin to a halberd than anything else. Kishi gave the weapon several practice swings before Lomen spoke again.

"Also, Kishi, I do not know what happened when you made your screech earlier, but I have gotten a skill called 'challenge'..."

An intense wave of pain flooded throughout all of Kishi's body. All around him was pure blackness, and an intense feeling of hunger consumed his being. Slowly, the hunger faded, leaving in it's place a cold numbness. Just as soon as it appeared, it faded away, and Lomen's voice reappeared.

"...something like this after the fight with the wolves?"

Kishi breathed heavily, a look of fear in his eyes. He tuned away from Lomen, and gave out his reply.

"...I don't know what you're talking about, Brother Lomen."

A wetness appeared on his face, and Kishi reached up to remove it. As he pulled away, a red liquid followed.

...Blood?

Kishi wiped away the fluid quickly, before moving to the rear of the beast and grabbing hold of it's hooves.

"...We should take this back home. We can divide up the parts back there. Besides, this thing is too large to carry back with anything else, and the blood will draw lot's of attention."

The fear of death had returned.

4 Winds,@Jangel13

[Assistant]
Lomen

---

"...I don't know what you're talking about, Brother Lomen....We should take this back home. We can divide up the parts back there. Besides, this thing is too large to carry back with anything else, and the blood will draw lot's of attention."

 "So you mean to say you have never acquired any skills from your previous battles? Not even any special strikes or the kind? I was hoping I could possibly see if I could learn a few of your skills and teach you some of mine. Either way, I agree that we need to take this back together brother Kishi."

 Lomen smiled and helped lift the boar and started them off towards the cave. He kept an even pace so that Kishi would match it and they would be able to get back to the cave within a good amount of time. Meanwhile Lomen kept his ear open to Kishi and enjoyed the clean air of the forest as a small breeze brushed past. Lomen sniffed the air to see how it smelled and also to see if there was anything unusual upwind that would be better off avoided.

@Duoya

[User]
Zectoll

---

First Blood

As quickly as it had began, the conflict between Goblin and Horned rabbit was over. Zectoll's savage strike ended the Alpha's life quickly, before it could attempt to fight back. The feeling of slaying a beast in such a fast and complete fashion was exhilarating to Zectoll. He could feel the new skill he had learned, without reading its description. The skill savage strike and predator stance had begun to affect his mind, and how he felt. Crouching down eyes narrowed and ears alert, Zectoll observed his surroundings, for any potential threat.

For a moment he thought that perhaps he should find Lomen and Kishi, but the thought soon faded, replaced by a desire to feast upon this fresh kill. Zectoll ripped the Alpha's large horn from its head and used it to puncture the fallen rabbits throat. A stream of blood, still warm with fading life began to spill from the wound. Zectoll lapped up the blood greedily. After draining much of the blood from the carcass, Zectoll hoisted the kill onto his back. In his new found predator stance Zectoll stalked through the shadows of the forest quietly, making his way back to the cave.

[Assistant]
@demonspade64

-After a flower-

The flower was dead and as such once they figured out what to do with the remains they soon saw that it was starting to get dark. The remains of the flower had many uses with its petals being able to be created into a bag even the lure was useful as it could make small animals like horned rabbits come to eat it. The flower was useful and their was no doubt a live flower next time could be even better even as a primitive form of defense if they thought to use the flower that way.

---

@The 4 Winds

As the goblins spoke the sun was starting to set showing that it was dark and while they were no doubt productive in gaining such a large bounty they would no doubt need to hurry back before it got to dark. The meat was hard to carry back even if they ate some before trying to carry it back. The tusks were very sharp and perfect to made into a weapon which one of the goblins already did. No doubt tomorrow would be an even better day considering they didn't need to worry about food with the meat they brought back so tomorrow they would be able to relax without worry of starving.

---

Noche

Predator heads back-

The goblin soon enjoyed its kill eating the remains of his prey happily. This goblin was soon gaining the skills necessary to be a great killer but not just any killer but a predator in his own right. As the goblin went into his predators stance his steps seemed not to make a sound making the trip back safe. The sun was setting and it was time to head back anyways as he soon found himself at the cave first and Grandpa only noticed the young one when he was near him "You were so quiet. Make some noise when you walk you could have given this old goblin a heart attack" He said panting a little still surprised but smiling at the young one being able to be so quiet would no doubt serve the young one well

[User]
Overall, the trip back home was long and arduous. The boar, which was larger than either goblin and weighed many times more, offered no assistance, and the wound that Kishi had inflicted had made the fur slick with blood in certain parts. Overall, the trip was spent with idle chit-chat and labored grunting. After Kishi had given his response to Lomen, he continued on his discussion of these so called "Skills"

"So you mean to say you have never acquired any skills from your previous battl-"

Once again, Lomen was cut off. Darkness had encompassed all of Kishi's view. All that remained was a light pain in his stomach, and the sound of waves in the distance. Kishi could feel soft sand beneath his body, and the scent of ocean air filled his senses. By the time he tried to grasp any meaning on the strange event, it immediately vanished, with Lomen returning to his view.

"-we need to take this back together brother Kishi."

"I apologize, but I do not know what you mean when you refer to these skills. I agree, we seem to develop traits and actions quite easily... But I never got a skill with a name. Perhaps you are special in that regard. You should ask Grandfather about it. He is quite wise in regards to the ways of the world."

After he finished giving advice, Kishi slowly lifted the boars back legs, and the rest of the trip consisted of chit-chat and Kishi instructing Lomen on the directions he needed to follow in order to not slam into a tree or trip.

---

What felt like hours passed by, and by the time the goblins had finally reached the cavern, it was already dusk, the sun turning the sky into a crimson expanse. Slowly, the boar was carried inside, much to the envy of the less fortunate goblins in the family. The boar was laid at the feet of Grandfather. It wasn't until Kishi wiped the sweat from his face that he noticed Brother Zectoll was standing next to Grandfather, and looked... much more threatening than he usually did. Dismissing this thought, Kishi lightly tapped the side of the boar, creating a soft slapping sound that echoed throughout the entire cave. Kishi began to speak.

"Greetings, Grandfather! I apoligize that I interrupted your conversation with Brother Zectoll, but I bring great news! Brother Lomen and I have returned with a feast for the family! If you would be so kind, I would be in your debt if you distributed this to those who are unable to catch their own food. If brother Lomen-"

Kishi turns to face both Grandfather and Lomen at the same time.

"-is done claiming his share, it would be an honor to allow you the first cut."

Kishi grinned happily. Surely, this boar would be able to feed the rest of his kin. His people would be able to live another day. And all it cost was the life of one disgusting monster!

@The 4 Winds@El Noche

[Assistant]
Stegs

---

After Stegs successfully tore one of the petals off he placed the berries and plants he collected on it and used the petal as a makeshift bag. He didn't really see what uses the other parts of the plant could be, but maybe that goblin who made the spears could think of something and if not there were still plenty of future bags so on the way back he made sure to memorize the path.

Once he arrived at the cave Stegs heard some goblin talk about a feast for the whole family which was convenient cause he was starving, though the downside was that both Grandpa and the weapon maker were busy. Impatiently he waited until either the old goblin was free so he could try and convince him to help identify his loot, or until he could tell the weaponmaker about the flower and the possibilities it might offer.

@demonspade64

[User]
Skulbi slept for hours, his eyes fluttering back and forth beneath his closed lids. Haunted dreams and dark half memories led to surreal hallucinations, however they blurred together into nothingness.

When the goblin awoke, he was further into the cave than he last remembered, snuggled warmly in his mantle. A few goblins murmured faintly near the mouth of the cave.

Skubli allowed himself to rest, trembling slightly as he reflected upon his newfound life. He had been keeping a mental barrier to remove himself from the negative emotions of his existence since the moment he was born, however it was at its breaking point.

The small goblin trembled violently in his warm mantle, unable to handle the thought of his new life.

Time passed, and eventually he made his way out to the rest of the cave to continue his life.


[System]
Female
Age 24
Appearance
5'6"
Lean flexible athletic build
Light skin (Japanese)
Appears to have shoulder length jet black slightly spikey hair from the front. However her hair splits into parts, taking the longer half and tying it together at the neck into a downwards facing ponytail that reaches her middle back.
Medium sized ahoge, more of angular/rigid spike shape, changes based on their mood/emotions. And electrical charge in battle.
Dark drab blueish-gray/steel left eye.
Yellow right eye with a slit shaped pupil.
Eyebrow over her left eye has a slit break in it towards the outer middle.
Irezumi tattoos:
Right arm- Nagasode style sleeve tattoo extending down to her wrist. Nara black wind bars for a background, with a green snake with a red belly coiling down her arm with it's head ending at her outer wrist.
Left arm- Shichibu style sleeve tattoo extending down to her middle forearm. Nara black wind bars for a background, with a blue snake with a yellow belly coiling up her arm with it's head resting on the front of her upper shoulder. Kanji for Mamushi 蝮 (pit viper) tattooed in black on the inner blank space of her forearm.
Back- Her entire back is covered in large nara black ink clouds for a background. And a large tattoo of the giant 8 headed and tailed snake Yamata no Orochi, various flowers, and lightning bolts in the foreground.
Slightly elongated fang canine teeth on the top and bottom as compared to normal people. Teeth are overall sharper.
Ear piercings- Left: Two slim steel rings on their lobe. Helix cuff.
Right: Circular silver stud on their lobe. Smaller steel cuff at the middle of the outer ear/lower helix.
Black painted nails.

Customized slightly oversized black leather asymmetrical moto jacket. Worn unzipped with belt hanging loose.
Steel curb chain necklace that extends down to her chest. Medium sized silver upside down cross pendant.
Zip-up black hoodie. Worn under her jacket with the hood laid over the jackets collar. Worn unzipped often with the sleeves pulled up to her elbows.
Vintage oversized heavy metal band T-shirts, some with the sleeves cut off. Worn over fishnet shirt. (Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, Megadeth)
Long sleeve black fishnet shirt. Sleeve extends into a fishnet fingerless gloves on the left but is cut off at the wrist on the right.
Silver signet ring on right middle finger with an upside down cross engraved in it.
Mokume-gane Ouroboros shaped ring with pink jeweled eyes on left index finger.
Steel cuban link chain bracelet on right wrist.
Steel studded black leather belt.
Steel chain hanging down at her right side. One end attached to a belt loop, the other to a pocket watch manadial.
Worn/faded slim dark indigo Japanese selvage denim jeans. (Black or stonewash alt. colors)
Black with white accents Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 running shoes.
Black calf length open toe and heel socks.

Secondary hairstyle reference (Somewhere in between the two)

Close type of ponytail style reference

Raiya specializes in destructive magic. She is a master of electrical spells, and ruinous spells. She has a great foundation in most all Catholic magics as well as some Japanese Zen Buddhist/Shinto magic. As with her fascination of Japan, she also has a great fascination with snakes and has developed snake themed fighting style and magic. Every so often she sheds her skin, this makes her immune to aging. With her magic powers, she also has the ability to control certain light metals.

Raiya's parents, Japanese immigrants, owned a successful Japanese cuisine restaurant chain in New York City. Both parents died in a burglary gone wrong leaving Raiya orphaned in infancy. With a large mana constitution, Raiya was immediately adopted by the Catholic cathedral and put into mage training. Growing up in the New York Cathedral, she always shadowed Felix and thought of him as her older brother. Raiya was always proficient in magic, and her studies reflected that. Raiya achieved the rank Grand-Mage at the age of seventeen. At the age of twenty she was sent with two other grand-magi to investigate the sudden disappearance of a remote village in Italy. The village was razed, not so much as a 2x4 left standing upright. Investigating the trace of mana waves left by the spell she made her way to a nearby mountain where she found on a cliff-side the definite point of origin of the spell. Looking around the point of origin she found footprints. The foot prints looked exactly like the sole tread of a typical Catholic Magi officer. The level of destruction and the fact that the mana waves left by the spell accounted for only one spell, coupled with the footprint meant the evidence pointed toward an Arch-mage or higher to be the cause of the destruction. Once she returned to the Vatican, she provided the evidence in a council meeting. The council thanked her for the evidence provided but stated that they would be conducting the investigation from then on. Even though the council told her to no longer investigate this issue, Raiya continued the investigation on her own. Looking into the records of those who were gone the night of the destruction of the remote village, she narrowed it down to two, Arch-mage Thadeus and Arch-mage Felix. After obtaining this information, Raiya investigated both Thadues and Felix's living quarters. She discovered that Felix had never even worn his uniform boots, as he wore his own more comfortable combat boots. Thadeus, on the other hand, did not have any other pairs of footwear besides the ones on his feet, which were the uniform boots. Learning of this information but knowing the Vatican council would never listen to her, she approached Felix whom she knew was innocent. She told Felix all of the information she had obtained, but Felix brushed her aside saying that the Vatican was conducting their own investigation and to go against their demands to keep the investigation within their selected team would mean excommunication, even if the information was correct. Felix told her that he would not tell anyone about her own investigation, but pleaded with her to keep quiet about the issue until the Vatican completed their investigation. Raiya couldn't believe what she was hearing, that her cold hard evidence was being brushed aside because of protocol. But what's more, that the investigation team was comprised with Thadeus's brother as a member meant surely that Thadeus would never be convicted of this crime. All of this put into perspective Raiya's membership with the magi, and soon after she left the magi and Catholicism altogether. When she left two others left with her, the other two grand-magi that were on her initial investigation team with her. Soon after they left, they returned to NYC. Because the Vatican saw them as Apostates, they froze all their accounts and social security information, forcing them to make money through means less savory. Instead of falling into despair, Raiya and her two peers adopted the shady lifestyle altogether. Through their magic abilities, it wasn't long before they were running the biggest criminal organization in NYC. Raiya still resides to this day in NYC with the other two magi as her right hand women.

Raiya is seemingly devoid of any positive emotion. Her normal demeanor could be described as aloof. She is seen as a hard nosed, unwavering leader. This makes her well respected by her subordinates in the gang she runs. Though, to those who know her well enough she can be lighthearted. She has a short temper and a low tolerance for annoyances. In her annoyed state she has no problem threatening her friends with one of her sushi knives she keeps in her inner coat pocket, or electrocuting them with her magic. She loves Japan, even though she wasn't raised there herself. Her fanaticism for Japan runs so deep that she has Japanese tattoos, and has even taught herself the language perfectly. She is an excellent chef and specializes in Japanese cuisine. Even though she isn't very sociable, the few friends she does have are kept close to her and she protects them.

[User]
"Alright. fair enough." Raiya conceded, "How about this then. 12 rounds, using two guns. I'll use this 1911 and my USP and you use whatever revolvers you want. But they cannot be shot at the same time. We must both use our pistols one after the other. Manainventory is okay to use, but no akimbo." Raiya suggested

---

 Felix raised his right eyebrow. "This is good. Very good. You analyze the data you've obtained while I brief Zuri on what we've discovered so far. This is a lot to deal with right before starting a mission. However, it's better we figure this out now rather than risk something catastrophic happening in the future."

[Assistant]
"I suppose that's acceptable." Nemo said as he holstered his short barreled black revolver and spawned his more standard sized silver colored colt. Nemo reached his hand out and used a basic spell to move one of the targets to the side of another, creating two targets for them at an identical distance away.

 "I have to warn you though Raiya, I'm not going to go easy on you." Nemo said, spinning his revolver idly and waiting for the signal to start.

[User] Travis couldn't hide back the quizzical look directed at the Magi, "Having a sample will certainly help uncovering this curse or whatever it really is, however, its not guaranteed to tell us the full story. Honestly it is going to take time to dissect this snippet before coming up with a, practical, solution."

[Assistant]
Felix nodded, "I don't expect an instant miracle. Just do what you can before tomorrow's mission. I'll join you in the lab in a bit." Felix patted Travis on the shoulder before walking past him and stopping at the couch where Zuri was laying.

 Felix sat down on the wooden coffee table that was in front of the sofa Zuri was on so that he could level with her. "Well, how are you feeling, Zuri?" Travis asked.

---

 Raiya took in a breath, "Alright." She materialized a small firecracker that looked like a miniature stick of dynamite, the size of Raiya's pinky, which was fairly small. The wick, however, was large, about 10 inches. "We used these fireworks at festivals in Japan. I still have a few left over from a few years ago. It will serve as our start signal. I will also use my manadial to record this competition so we can analyze the results" Raiya grabbed the inlay crystal of the manadial and tossed it up in the air, instead of falling back down to the earth, it hovered in place about twelve feet above the ground, glowing blue. Raiya placed the firecracker in a small mound of soil so that it was stuck facing wick up. She snapped her fingers on the tip of the wick casting a small spark spell that ignited the wick. The spark trailed slowly along the wick with a hissing sound. Raiya readied herself, pistol in hand. After about 14 seconds the firework made a loud pop signifying the start of the competition. Immediately Raiya aimed at the target, firing as fast and consistently as possible. She counted each round, dropping the gun at the sixth round, immediately absorbing it into her mana inventory, trading it out for her USP. It took her an extra 1.8 seconds to retrieve her USP and aim it accurately. She unloaded six rounds, the pistol slide stuck open signifying it was empty. After all was said and done all her bullets hit the target within 12.4 seconds.

[User]
With one his revolvers still in the holster, Nemo kept spinning his main gun until the firework blasted. Nemo abruptly stopped the spin and began to fan fire off all six shots into the target. Once it was empty, Nemo didn't despawn the gun back to his inventory, instead he tossed it high into the air like a juggling pin and drew his other pistol. Nemo proceeded to fan off the second gun's cylinder full of lead into the target as well before catching his first revolver before it hit the ground. The entire ordeal was completely in roughly three seconds. The speed which Nemo fired made the shots almost seem automatic, except for the small break as he drew his next gun.

 After Raiya was done, Nemo spun his silver gun back into it's holster and began to reload his main gun. He had no doubt won the competition, but strangely Nemo wasn't filled with the familiar sensation of accomplishment and pride that he usually felt. Nemo looked over to Raiya now, realizing why. He had always been an extremely competitive person, but in this instance he had really hoped she would win. If winning meant that she would have to lose it really left a bad taste in his mouth.

 "Well, it was a pretty good try, Raiya, but there's a reason my skills have been so highly valued in my time. I certainly paid for them myself as well." Nemo said. "But at least I know people don't call you Lightning Raiya for your gun-play now." Nemo added, putting a hand over his mouth to hold back a chuckle.

[Assistant] Raiya's jaw dropped open as she witnessed the quick speed and accuracy of the shots fired by Nemo. After a moment of silence she bowed her head and held out her hand, spawning a white headband with an imperial japanese red rising sun in the center. She tied the headband around her forehead and knelt down on the ground, sitting down on her legs. She then held out her hand and spawned a traditional wakazashi short knife and pointed it towards her abdomen. "I should have known this would be the result... Well, Nemo, it has been a fun time. Saiyonara." She said as she began inching the blade closer to her abdomen.

[User]
Nemo smacked the blade out of Raiya's hands, emitting nervous laughter as he patted her on the back and removed the headband. "Hey, but on the bright side, I'm sure I can teach you how to carve off some seconds on that trigger finger of yours. Don't be so glum!" He assured.

 "However Raiya, a deal is a deal, winning means you'll have to do a favor for me." He noted. "I can think of a couple different ideas, how about I cash that in right now?" Nemo proposed, marking his face with a sly grin.

[Assistant] Raiya picked up the dagger and the headband and stored them back in her inventory. Standing up, she gave an uncaring smile and shrugged. "Remember what I said, though. The favor has to be within reason. If it's too out there I still have the right to refuse." Raiya answered.


[System]
Leda Storm
Character Quote: "When it rains, look for rainbows. When it's dark, look for stars."

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Character Summary
Aliases: Leddie, Princess Rainbow Unicorn
Age: 16
Birthday: November 28th, 2002
Ethnicity: British
Birth Place: Los Angeles, California
Godly Parent: Iris
Cabin Number: Cabin 14; Year Round Camper
How Many Years At Camp: Two
Gender: Female
Occupation At Camp: Shrine Maintenance and Upkeep
Languages: English, Ancient Greek, Spanish

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Appearance
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 120 pounds
Body Type: Skinny
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Blonde (Rainbows)
Skin Tone: Tanned (Rainbows)
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: Scars on her knees
Personal Style: Leda generally will wear a jean jacket, a tie-dyed Camp Halfblood t-shirt, white shorts, and converse sneakers. Any deviation from that usually means that her grandparents are coming to visit her in the United States and they tend to expect a little higher dress for outings. She loves to style her hair and explore with various colors, which makes sense given her godly parent. Of course, even if it is fashionable, it has to be comfortable and practical or she won't wear it. Heels for example are out - monsters would so show up to fight the instant she put them on and she does not want to get permanent blisters.

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Psychology
Creative * Idealistic * Empathetic * Careless * Insightful * Two-Faced

Sexuality: Bisexual
Relationship Status: Dating Rebecca Eventide, Daughter of Hecate
Personality: (One paragraph or more)
Fatal Flaw: Excessive/Personal loyalty
Habits: Fidgeting, braiding and unbraiding her hair
Hobbies: Running
Fears:
* Wasps
* Enclosed Spaces
* Complete Darkness

Likes:
* Reading
* Nature
* Wide Open Areas
* Marshmallows
* Colors
* Sweets
* Celestial Auroras
* Design and Construction
* Comic Books
* Thunderstorms

Dislikes:
* Tripping (fuck you, Zeke)
* Dismissal of any god/goddess
* Bigots
* Modernism
* DC Movies
* Any man who tells her to calm down
* Coffee
* Cliques

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Skills
Demigod Abilities:
* Superhuman Speed
* Rainbow Manipulation

General Skills:
* Greek Mythology
* Singing
* First Aide
* Weaving
* Lock Picking
* Driving (Car)

Combat Skills:
* Sword-Fighting
* Agility
* Endurance
* Flexibility

Magic Item:
* Enchanted Compass: It always points where to go, as long as a question has been asked.
* Ultraviolet: Celestial bronze sword disguised as a necklace, gives off a faint hue that varies depending on Leda's mood

What Do They Carry On Them:
* Clothing - Denim jacket, camp necklace, tie-dyed camp shirt, white shorts, black converse, rainbow socks
* Purse/Wallet - 20 Gold Drachma, picture of her grandparents, $100, £50, driver's license, lucky silver Drachma
* Celestial Bronze Sword (appears as her necklace)
* Witch's Pendant - gift from her girlfriend, Rebecca
* Swiss Army Knife - Celestial Bronze
* Light purple backpack
* Baggie of Ambrosia Squares
* Assorted Twinkies
* Water Bottle
* Enchanted Compass
* Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Possessions In Cabin:
* British and American Passports
* Wardrobe of Winter and Summer Clothing
* Shrine Maintenance Kit
* A crate full of Twinkies
* Letter from her mortal mother; unopened
* Kindle
* Celestial Bronze Sword
* Remaining Harry Potter books
* Polaroid Camera
* iPod
* Earbuds

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History
Biography Leda was adopted by her grandparents, as her mother was deemed unfit to raise a child. She was too free spirited and flighty, claiming that Leda didn't have a father and that her mother was a goddess. It was strictly speaking nonsense. Contact from her mother was forbidden and since she a little under two years old when her grandparents took her in, Leda didn't really feel like she missed out on much growing up. She loved her grandparents dearly and they took good care of her - so what that she didn't know her mother or father?

Her grandparents were rather rich and wealthy Brits, living in southern England. They paid for her to attend the very best schools, especially when she was diagnosed with severe dyslexia and ADHD. She could never quite sit still. Her teachers complained that although she was sweet and bright, she was wild and undisciplined. There was some improvement when she joined a running club, discovering that she was easily faster than anyone her age. Yet when she could easily outrun all the other kids without breaking a sweat, she was accused of using performance enhancing drugs and kicked out of the school.

This pattern kept on happening, causing Leda to withdraw slightly into herself. She quit running and would instead sneak out of her house in the middle of the night. Her grandparents, while good to her, were fairly easy to trick as they were getting rather old. She didn't really have any friends and of course, that meant that she had more than enough bullies. One night the bullies were chasing her and she was heading for the water - and something told her to take that leap of faith. She dashed across the water's surface, going faster than she ever had before, as if she were some sort of superhero.

She had never been happier than in that moment.

How Long Have They Been At Camp Half-Blood: Leda didn't tell anyone at first. They would think she was insane - she even went to comic book stores, reading about the Flash and trying to figure out how she could run so quickly. Unfortunately, her scent grew stronger and attracted a group of Empousai. They cornered her in the locker rooms at her school and would have killed her, had her powers not triggered and she blasted them with rainbow light. The monsters crumbled into dust and a satyr located her soon after, taking her to Camp Half-Blood.

As a daughter of Iris, she feels safe staying at camp year round. The entire concept that she didn't actually have a father but rather a divine mother still confuses her... Yet given that Iris doesn't have a cult of worship, Leda has gotten interested in the restoration and maintenance of shrines to all gods and goddesses, minor and major. She created one for her mother.

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Additional Information
Theme Song: E.T. by Katy Perry
Extra Information:
I agree to follow the rules for this RP and understand that if I do not follow the rules, the GM or Co-GM may kick me out of this roleplay.

[User]
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🌈 Leda Storm 🌈

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Location: Cyclops Manor - Outside ->> the Road ->> Motel 6 - Greensboro, North Carolina
Skills: Driving (Car)

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 "Yeah well if you break my compass, I'll feed you to the cleaning harpies," Leda warned Kristin. She was a bit protective over her things, but she again wasn't stupid. She knew that staring at the compass constantly and looking at maps while trying to drive would just be a distraction, a risk. Besides, Kristin's mother was the goddess of battle strategy - maybe that applied to finding the best route to get to a motel as well. Once everyone was buckled up, Leda adjusted her seat, making sure that she was the appropriate distance from the steering wheel. She was extremely tired, but the nerves of driving gave her a jolt better than a Red Bull. She didn't consider either Kristin or Zeke to be her friends, yet she didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of them... and she didn't want to get them killed either.

 Once they were on the road, Leda turned on the radio and started scanning through the stations, constantly hitting skip until she landed on a station playing Billie Eilish. She could live with that. "Couple of cyclopses with antiquated ideas of gender norms," she answered Zeke. "Once we get some distance between us and the house, I'll stop for gas. And then look for a motel."

 She rolled down the driver's side window slightly, letting the night air drift in and tickle her face, helping her to stay alert. The drive was long and it was late into the night, about ten o'clock, when they pulled into a Motel 6 parking lot in North Carolina. They had gone about 200 miles from Virginia. About halfway through, Leda had stopped to get gas and buy some snacks from a 7-11. She parked the car and killed the ignition, slipping the keys into her pocket. "I got about $80 left - you two?" she asked. She had spent $20 at the 7-11. An empty can of Red Bull was on the ground by her feet. "And 50 quid, but I doubt they take that..."

[Assistant]
Ezekiel Kel

Location: Motel 6 -- Greensboro, North Carolina
Skills:

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 Ezekiel listened to his own music for most of the way, although he did tune in when Billie Eilish came on. He yawned and stretched when they finally made it to the motel. ]"Drachma only on my end so I suppose that means I get stuck in the truck ya?" Ezekiel was a full time student at camp so he didn't generally have the US currency on him. It didn't matter much to Ezekiel where he slept anyways. If he could drive he probably would have taken over for Leda for as long as he can. They were on a deadline after all and stopping didn't seem like the best idea to him. It just gave monsters more time to find them.
 "Although I wouldn't mind stealing a shower in the morning," he noted. If they were going to stop in a hotel, may as well use the running water to his advantages. He started to shift his pack to make a pit of a pillow so it would be a bit more comfortable. At least in this vehicle you could tuck the seat belts away so they weren't digging into your back.

[User]
Kristin Reynolds

Location: Cyclopes Junkyard/Pasture, -> Motel 6 - Greensboro, North Carolina
Skills: N/A

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Kristin leaned back while occasionally looking at the compass on the dashboard watching it rather closely during the whole car ride, she didn't really like Billie Elish's music. But Leda was the only one who had a drivers license out of the two of them, so she'd be fine with it, she rolled the window down and let her arm hang out enjoying the cool night air as well. Looking at the clock was around ten in the evening, she was getting pretty tired as well and luckily they were able to refuel and find a Motel 6 nearby as well. Kristin climbed out of the truck and stretched slightly letting out a slight yawn.

She pulled out her wallet and looked at the fifty dollar bill she had on her, looking at Leda asking about how much money they had left on them. "I have a fifty and thirty drachma on me. It should be enough for us to sleep for the night." Kristin said, while looking over at Zeke, though she didn't like him that much she didn't want him to end up getting killed by a monster while sleeping in the truck by himself, Kristin handed Leda back her compass. "You really should come in with us, sleeping alone isn't really smart at all." Kristin said to him and looked at Leda. "Lets go and get checked in." She said as she made her way towards the office of the building itself, inside she saw an older looking man watching some hockey on the TV.

"Hi there, i'd like a two bedroom please?" Kristin said as she handed her part of the money onto the counter, and once Leda gave the man her portion as well he handed Kristin the motel room key. "Last room on the second floor." He said as he went back to his game, Kristin nodded and made her way towards their assigned room, inside was pretty basic, a microwave, two beds and a futon as well in the corner of the room.

[Assistant]
🌈 Leda Storm 🌈

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Location: Motel 6 - Greensboro, North Carolina
Skills: N/A

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 Leda raised an eyebrow as Zeke said he'd stay in the truck, only stealing a shower in the morning. "Sounds like a bloody brilliant way to get yourself killed," she couldn't help but say. It wasn't nearly as nice as Kristin's thoughts on the situation, but Leda didn't care. Demigods were in grave danger every time they left Camp Half-blood, especially in groups. Three demigods in one spot was about the largest number they could really do safely in her opinion. If Zeke were to sleep outside by himself in the truck, what happened if a monster came? Who would save his skin?

 She followed Kristin into the motel, each step feeling almost unnatural. Her body was incredibly tired and exhausted, as she was running on fumes. Leda barely even had detailed memories of driving them here for three hours, as most of the road had ended up blending together. She let out an exhausted yawn as she gave her portion of the money over to the motel clerk. As soon as Kristin unlocked their room and they headed inside, she dropped her bag down on one of the beds. She kicked off her shoes and crawled into the bed. "Night, losers," she mumbled, before falling asleep in seconds. She hadn't even crawled underneath the blankets. Her hat covered her head and her face was smooshed into the pillows.


[System]
Race: Human

Appearance:

Personality: Born a military brat, Caiden is a man who lives by the code. At least, while he was on the job. Though he is honest, his penchant for loyalty has taken a strong hit with his forced resignation from the force.
Caiden is a man of action. You won't find him hanging in front of the tv, or settled down with a good book. He has a passion for fitness, working out when off-duty to keep himself into shape. Another source of relaxation that Caiden turns to, would be the local nightlife. No matter where "local" would be for him at any time during his deployments, he would find time to hit the bars.

Skills: Give the man a gun, and he'll blow you away. An excellent marksman through and through, there doesn't seem to be a weapon that Caiden can not handle. From the old-fashioned shotguns from earth, to the high-tec Revenant Assault guns favoured by the force, he knows his way around them.
Still, his fighting skill does not stop at merely guns. A firm believer in being prepared for the worst, Caiden is also adept in hand to hand, favouring techniques relying on strength over those depending on agility. Though he is far from a wooden figure, he is not particularly light on his feet.

Equipment:
Assault Rifle – The RX-74 Ravager, a semi-automatic rifle packing large rounds. Kitted out with stability dampers and a thermal scope, he favours the gun for longer-distance gunfights, or providing cover for others.
Heavy Pistol – AQX Avenger. Though by now almost hopelessly outdated, Caiden's heavy pistol still packs quite the punch. Passed down to him by his father, one would almost think he carries it purely out of sentiment. Do not be mistaken, however. The Avenger is a highly accurate and reliable pistol that can cause plenty of damage.
Small Explosives etc – Part of the standard bounty-hunter kit -if there were such a thing -, Caiden carries a few small grenades of several types, including smoke, tear-gas and flash-bangs.
Sundries: Handcuffs, Torch, Communication device.

Bio: Caiden was born to a militairy family, with both his father and mother serving. While he was young, his mother temporarily stepped back from the action to take care of him. She was, however, not much of a housewife. Even to four-year old Caiden, it was clear that she was itching to get back in action. By the time he turned five, his mother had once again resumed active duty.

Caiden followed up in his parents' footsteps. Aged 15, he enrolled himself into the militairy space program, keen to join the ranks. Despite a mere-average intelligence in academics, he rose through the ranks quite quickly by merit of his above average marksman ship and excellent tactics.
He was facing a promising future, with promotion almost within grasp when he first got tangled with Kahjo. Now, that future is all but shattered. Facing dishonourable discharge when his indiscretions surfaced, he begrudgingly resigned. With no other real skills but the life that he knew, Caiden turned to the life of a bounty hunter.

--
T here's a start. I shall edit it a bit more later.

[User]
It took a crew to fly a spaceship. Sure, a shuttle could be manned by one, or, if you had the know-how or the money to man it with AI, then there was always that option. Sadly, it wasn't an option that Caiden could afford. Not by a long shot. The amount of credits it took was far beyond his wage. It certainly didn't help he had lost his one steady source of income.

Even though it had been months, there was no denying that Caiden was still bitter about his severance from the force. He had loved the job. It was in his blood. It was in his genes, goddamnit. All stripped away from him over a stupid indiscretion. How was he supposed to know the woman he had met in a club, had been a wanted criminal? Was he supposed to background-check every woman he was considering to screw?

It certainly had been overkill to force his resignation. Certainly some disciplinary action, a little tap on the wrist, would have been sufficient. Instead, his whole career at the force had been destroyed. He was told he had been lucky he had been given the choice of resignation, for a dishonourable discharge would've ruined his career in virtually any field, too. Not that it would've mattered much. Caiden's heart had been in the army. There was no other carreer he wanted to pursue. Nor were there many he was qualified for.

When it came down to it, he was a man of action, not thoughts. He had no real diplomas, no real academic achievements to write down on his CV. For over twenty years, the army had been his life. He had grown up in it, trained in it, worked in it. And now, he had been spat out by it as well. Left to the side like yesterday's leftovers. Penniless and prospect-less.

And he really would've loved the pennies right now to afford an AI crew.

"Seriously, Micraea, if you don't drop it now, I will drop you at the nearest space station." Caiden groaned, indexfinger and thumb rubbing his temples.

"I'm just saying, Caiden. I don't think it's healthy to be chasing after your ex." The stone-faced woman spoke, shaking her head slightly.

"Scrap that. I'll throw you straight out of the airlock." The man grumbled, sending the Kayrhad woman a slight glare. Of course, the threat seemed rather idle. At an imposing 8 feet height and with an almost frighting amount of muscle, Micraea was anything but microscopic. Yet, her appearance was deceiving. As rough and intimidating as she appeared, it did not stop her from trying to mother him on occasion. And Caiden did not want to hear it.

"I'm concerned, Caiden. It;s too personal. The woman broke your heart" Micraea spoke.

"She didn't break my heart. She ruined my career. There's a huge difference."

"You cared for her."

"I did not. She was just a screw. And not even a particularly good one." Caiden shot back.

The look the woman gave him made it clear she did not believe.

"Whatever." Caiden grumped. "That's not what this is about any way. This is about the bounty. There's a huge bounty upon that perky little arse, and I'm going to cash it. This is business. Nothing more, nothing less. And if anything, she has this coming to her."

"If you say so." Micraea merely shrugged. Shaking her head slightly, the tall alien turned her attention back to the console before her, large body cramped in the somewhat small space. For a few minutes, a slightly heavy silence lingered between them.

"So, we stick to the plan." Caiden spoke. The Kayrhad nodded.

[Assistant]
The ground beneath Kahjo started to come into focus, at long last. The fall through the atmosphere of the unknown planet had been frigid, with the outside of Kahjo's fingers currently turning blue - from the cold and not from her genetics as a Thuboisii half-breed. She pulled the toggle for the parachute to open. Nothing happened. Well... fuck. Kahjo twisted as she fell, tumbling in a demented forward-roll fashion, trying to grab hold of wherever the backup cord was to be found. By the time the thief had found the life-saving toggle, the ground was looking scarily close. Thankfully when she yanked on it this time, the parachute shot out of her pack and sprung into action, thankfully slowing down the alarming speed she was approaching the ground below at.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Kahjo took her physical condition into action, giving herself the once over as she drifted lower and lower. The explosion from the Navy shuttle and it's ensuing blast of debris had earned the notorious criminal quite a few cuts and abrasions, the worst of which was a nasty looking gash across her ribs that blood was flowing out of, drenching her clothing. Indeed, the blood had made it's way down the expanse of her torso and was currently running down her leg, heading straight for her black, leather boots.

Kahjo looked down at the landscape below, looking for a good place to land. The sight that met her emerald coloured eyes didn't please her. Nope, not one bit. For as far as her eyes could see from her high vantage point, there was only desert. Sand, a few rocky outcroppings and oh, more sand. Grrreat. Kahjo steered her descent to what looked like the flattest area to use as a runway for her landing. The landing was less than smooth, the sand giving way underneath Kahjo's feet making her stumbled and trip, causing the parachute strings to wrap around her. When she eventually stopped rolling, she looked like a fish caught in a fisherman's net. Letting out a groan of irritation, she started slicing her way out with the help of her trusty taser-knives that were strapped to her knuckles.

Stretching, Kahjo winced at the sting her wound, now full of sand, was causing her. She would have to cauterise the wound with some of her chemicals that she kept for bomb making in her messenger-style bag. It certainly wouldn't do to loose too much blood and become light headed - the sun would already take care of that. Kahjo made her way over to a rocky outcrop that had a slight overhang to it, offering the injured woman a sliver of shade from the blazing sun and heat. She slumped against the stone and reached into her bag, then started pulling apart a grenade bomb and mixing it with a viscous, purple liquid. Kahjo watched it as it sizzled, then lifted up her top, trying not to wince as she did so. This is gonna hurt... And it did. She had to bite her lip hard to not cry out when the concoction of the chemical cocktail touched her skin. It would be painful for several more days before it finally started to heal and scar, but at least for now the wound was closed and there was little chance of infection. As for the smell of her blood attracting any lurking, hungry predators, she was out of luck on that one. Kahjo cringed, taking into account all her blood splattered garments. Grumbling, she stood up and look around.

"Well, I better get a move on..." Kahjo mumbled to herself, then started moving towards the mountains she had seen on her descent.

[User]
"We've got her on radar." The voice of the ship's pilot, Sam Hutchins, sounded through Caiden's headset. With a slight nod to Micaea, Caiden raised himself from his seat, making his way from the crew's quarters to the command deck. The title was perhaps a little bit grand for what it truly was: A small cockpit from where Sam flew the ship. There was a second seat for a co-pilot, though there was no official occupant for it.

"There you are." Sam spoke by way of greeting as Caiden entered the area. He barely even glanced up from his screens as Caiden took a seat beside him.

"Right. What do you have to show me?" Caiden spoke, eyes scanning over the radar before him.

"I still don't see how this is a good idea, Caiden." Sam spoke up. Caiden stifled a groan. His crew of three all seemed to share the same thought, and apparently only Zilantia had managed to keep her thoughts to herself. Sam, his pilot, only seemed to picking up where Micraea had left off.

"Don't care, Sam. I hired you to be my pilot, not my judge." Caiden shut the man down. Though the two went a long way back, Caiden had no desire to listen to any more judgements upon his judgements. He could tell his snippy response wasn't received too well.

"So, I'm not supposed to say anything about the fact that we are stalking a naval ship?" The man shot back sarcastically, a single red brow arched. "I don't know what you're planning, Caiden, but if it involves meddling with enforcers of the law, I'm out."

"We're not."

"Well, that's what it looks like." Sam muttered. "So, what is it that we are doing that requires us to closely follow a thief that is already in custody?"

"I'm not the first officer she screwed. I doubt I'll be the last." Caiden spoke dryly. "She's a slippery one. And when. Not if. When she slips away, we'll get her."

"That's just pathetic, Caiden. She's in official custody. There's no way she's getting out. Sh- FUCK"

Sam's sentence was abruptly cut short by his surprised yelp. Before his very own eyes, an explosion tore through the very ship they had been following, shredding the metal into a thousand razorsharp pieces, hurling through space at lethal speed.

Hurtling right towards them.


[System]
1. Establish Presence. You can't achieve your goal without a base. Increase your staying power, be it by making allies, increasing public opinion, successfully keeping yourself entirely hidden or by making yourself stronger by any means.
2. Disrupt Enemies. There are far too many possible threats to the plan milling about. Keep them distracted, fighting one another, thinking you're not a threat, or otherwise simply utterly destroying them, leaving nothing behind.
3. Contribute to the Empire. Give what you do not need so girls in other worlds can do their job easier. This involves sacrificing captured monsters, magic items and magical girls to Asengav, opening a special portal and see Asengav's tentacles dragging it into the void...
Name (Before Magical Girl): Lina Herring

Age (Magical Girl): 15

Age (Before Magical Girl): 4 (Horror doesn't care.)

Gender: Female

Gender (Before Magical Girl): Female

Appearance: Mariette is a tall girl of slender but otherwise average frame. Her hair is long and white straight when transformed, blonde wavy when untransformed. She typically has a calm expression on her face. She tends to dress somewhat extravagantly, her transformed state wears elaborate black dresses while her untransformed self typically also endorsed herself with accessories. She's often seen squeezing a large stuffed animal in the shape of a rabbit. Her right eye is constantly under an eyepatch, but she hasn't actually lost it. There is a reason behind this.

Untransformed, she looks like a very regular blonde 15-year old, wearing glasses and regularly overdressing herself in hats and coats as well as generally gazing off into the vast distance with no purpose.

[User]
"Heh, gottem!"

— Tonya "Mac" Murphy

Age: 24/11 | Gender: Female/Female | Illusion, Gravity
Body | Power of Friendship, Regeneration, Third Eye | Moirai
Coercion, Soul Jar, Martial Training, True Sight, Parasite, Gifted, Awareness, Overcity Shift, Mystic Artifact

Magical Overload, Paragon, Blessing, Gifted Item | Monster Form, Big Brother, Arrogance, Vendetta
Redirected Magic, Second Specialization | Non-Standard Limbs, Destroyer

STR: 05 | AGI: 04 | VIT: 05 | MAG: 03 | LCK: 03
+46
STR: 21 | AGI: 21 | VIT: 21 | MAG: 20 | LCK: 20

Earnings this post: Zilch

Remaining: 7 Gold, 30 Silver, 39 Bronze
Total: 11 Gold, 162 Silver, 183 Bronze

As if Mac hadn't gotten enough drama already, she happened to wander back to the snow forts only to notice everything was a giant puddle now. She didn't personally mind, as it was easier to hide her footprints in- wait, no, wet sand was not the best for hiding footprints. At least her footprints from earlier wouldn't be a concern.

As for the current debacle? Mac didn't really care how Dan chose to run his island. MDP was annoying, but Oros took it too far by forcing herself on top of her. That didn't really excuse Penny from, uh, tickling Oros with punches? It was whatever. She just wished she had stuck around so that she could feel the warm water run over her skin again. Showers were the best. Though freezing out here afterwards would sorta suck.

---

"We live in a society."

— Oros

@Majoras End@FamishedPants

Because BP was totally omitted from a collab that involved their own character, they now have to write a catch up post to awkwardly arrange action and dialog in a scene that they probably should have been around for.

It was not difficult to tear Oros away from Magical Dream Princess. Not because Penny was strong, but because by that point Oros had gone as far as she wanted to. She wiped her mouth off as if she had just gotten done taking a big swig of a strong drink.

"Oh hi there robu-"

Penny rocked her fist and Oros's head together. You could probably liken it to a jolt counter, but that wasn't correct. Mostly because there was no jolt and no counter. A jolt counter works when a boxer throws a punch, and the weight carrying them forward makes the incoming counter punch that much stronger. Being slammed into a fist like a pair of cymbals is a different animal entirely, as Penny had complete control over Oros's momentum. Curb your "Hajime no Ippo" for another post, young man.

Regardless of the terminology, It was still a mighty hard punch. Anyone could see the large bruise forming on her cheek. But it was a bruise that Oros didn't feel at all. When she was like this, nothing could hurt her. She laughed in Penny's face as a second strike came, but by that time Dan had intervened. Even when Dan gave her the second noze modification she received this season, that only accompanied her laughter with an annoying squeaking noise.

Tetrad had seen her fare share of torture videos, and had been the one inflicting the pain on people for a while. So seeing such savagery unfold in front of her was nothing new. It was just a little unsettling seeing a grotesquely muscled dolphin guy however. "Yikes…" She caught a glimpse of Eliza running away. "Crap. Uh, hey Sam?" She turned towards the assassin. "I'm going to go after her. Wanna make sure nobody becomes an even bigger pain in the ass?" After giving her a wave, she took off after Eliza.

---

"Ahhhh."

At last, her laughter stopped. She pressed on the back of her spine until her back cricked before doing the same thing with all of her other limbs. She wasn't entirely sure what she was suppose to do here. Any time she spoke, her nose would blurt out a honk, which made a serious apology difficult to deliver. But Oros had to make herself a second nose, so making a third wouldn't be that troublesome.

She pinched off her clown nose, at which point a brand new nose formed in it's place. The red clown nose squeaked as she turned it over in her hand. Then she raised it over her head… before tucking her hand under her arm and bowing.

"I apologize, ma'am. I allowed my emotions to boil over. Between my date getting tied up, walking off on me, and my friends making out right in front of me to rub it in, I had little recourse. Please understand that while today might be the fourth of July, the holiday is not so magical for everyone." Oros stood back up with an oh-so-pleased smile on her lips. There was a muffled honking noise coming from her arm pit. "I will not apologize for what happened during the snow fight. That was an expensive item that only works in this dimension. Premium content does give an unfair advantage to whale players, but we also keep the servers live. However, I'm willing to have a do-over on the kiss thing. Would a hug be okay?" When Oros extended her arms, MDP shuffled behind Penny, probably, to which Oros shrugged and lowered her arms. "I'm not really sure why I'm apologizing to ro-butt here, so I won't. Or rather, I can't!" She chuckled. "I mean what do I say? I'm sorry? And for what? She watched Baby here tie up my girl before giving her these rapey glares. I'm definitely not apologizing for using my sky cannon on dipshits like her. And why isn't Baby required to apologize to El? Why didn't you want me to apologize to her, didn't that make more sense? Unless…" She rubbed her chin. "Oh, I get it now!" She pointed at Dan. "You don't really give a shit about us, do you? It's all about making sure this is a great place to feed on happy emotions!" A makeup kit appeared in Oros's hand. She took a brush and used it to dab white paint all over her face. "Meh, you do you, Dan. Not like either of us are this way by choice." Once Oros finished with her makeup, she put on a curly haired wig. "Don't suppose you're gunna apologize, eh? Admitting you're in the wrong is too far below a queen." She looked at Penny while pulling the clown nose out of her arm pit. "That's fine. in the long run, this is pretty small compared to the other shit you've done. I don't want or need an apology for a weak ass punch. Just remember that Dina worked pretty hard to convince me to leave Sanctuary alone. I'd hate for you to undo her work over a spat like this." Oros placed her clown nose on top of her original one before sprinting off.

---

Oros didn't have time for robots that wouldn't apologize or dolphins that ate happiness like tumblr users. She had a race to win! Well, complete. Being among the fastest people wouldn't get her any prizes, but speed running was more about quantity than quality.

Oros rolled up in a unicycle that she had stashed in her hammerspace, still dawning the nose and makeup of a clown. Her curly Afro made her pretty hard to miss too. As soon as the race started, she wheeled down the hill. The sound of laughter and honking following her wherever she went.

[Assistant]
While things escalated elsewhere, Alicia had done her best to help FanFan. She wasn't sure it had worked, but she'd done her best. Without being an Emotion spec girl, she had to do things the old fashioned way. Somehow she had the feeling that this was not an issue that could be solved in a single conversation.

Was she thinking of FanFan, or herself? Who could tell these days?

At least Kimble pulled a smile out of her at the glowing review of their date and pseudo Christmas. "That's good." Tactfully, she refrained from discussing what her competition was. Some memories didn't need to be dragged out. Better that Kimble was enjoying it now.

Before she could go no, Dinah approached the group. It seemed that she had finished with her singing, and was now looking to join them. Alicia did have some mixed feelings, but nothing too strong. Not much had happened after their last conversation to change her opinion after all. They might as well take advantage of the moment while it was here.

"Hello Dinah," she replied with a respectful nod. "That was a nice song. I suppose you've had a lot of time to work on your singing over the years, right?" No doubt Dinah was trying to play peacemaker while they were all here, though she hadn't been paying enough attention to know if it was working or not.

@AtomicNut

[User]
'Alright, now listen,' Jelena said, focusing intently on her students on skis in front of her. On her own feet, Jelena had her own pair of recently formed metal skis. 'So cross your skis like this, and go slowly forward. There, cool. When you go downhill, lean towards the hill and press your weight down on the ski you want down the hill. So weight on the right leg to turn left, weight on the left leg if you want to turn right. Got it? So…' Jelena said, instructing at length on how to actually ski.

'… Yeah, I got this already,' Victoria boasted, easily sliding down while in full control. She was already basically skiing all over the place with her ice-powers.

'Wo-ho, haha! This feels weird!' Mayra said, almost losing balance but constantly adjusting herself with tiny bursts of fire from her molten body.

'U-uh…' Mariette hesitated, shaking, wide-eyed, staring down on her skis and then down the slope. Despite normally heading down way vaster distances and regularly standing atop platforms high above the cityline, staring down a ski-slope she was supposed to head down standing only atop a pair of interestingly-shaped twigs was way scarier. Still, she was trying to keep her skis crossed, and-

'Wait, no, AH-!' Mariette cried as she accidentally straightened her skis in a turn and then gained way more speed than she was comfortable with, and-!

'Ah, darn, I gotta-!' Jelena dashed into action, intending on rescuing the runaway leader-!

Except that's when a tentacle shot into the snow from Mariette's position, grabbing a tree and accidentally flinging herself down the slope. She was about to crash again, when she made another tentacle grab onto the nearest tree, redirecting her but once again lost grip of the tree, throwing her further down. She sent a tentacle to a tree, and… and so it continued, Mariette unintentionally flinging herself down the hill.

'Hold on, Mariette, we're not racing yet!' Jelena shouted after her.

'SHE'S GETTING A HEADSTART!' Mayra shouted in realization, grinning wide-eyed as she leaned forward and held both her arms behind her. 'YOU'RE NOT GETTING AHEAD OF ME!' she shouted, before bursting fire from both hands and rocketting down the slope, melting the snow as she went in a straight line.

'Heh, can't make them think they get ahead of me when it comes to speed in my own element…!' Victoria boasted, and dove downwards, freezing the snow in front of her so it became smoother and lost basically all friction, allowing her to glide down at ludicrous speeds… which she could all the way until she was about to pass Mayra, who proceeded to shoot fire at her to prevent her from coming down first. Victoria, of course, replied by duplicating into numerous skiers and throwing ice in return, resulting in a battle of ice and fire heading down the ski-slope.

'Geesh, you guys…' Jelena sighed at them. She then took a deep breath, before setting up on a leisure skiing trip down the slope. She knew she couldn't compete with the speed of her students, so she may as well simply enjoy this unique chance to do some happy skiing again. For once, she could just enjoy herself, taking in some speed as she enjoyed her time on the slope. This was what skiing was all about. Yupp. Giant metal arms and all.

---

'Oooh, I've missed this,' Deni sighed out, smiling as she looked down the slope.

'There hasn't been a lot of time for this as Magical Girls, huh,' Eli chuckled. The two were wearing a pair of matching snowboards under their suitable ski-jackets that they'd equipped for this purpose.

'Well, I'm done waiting! Let's go!' Deni said, giggling as she nudged her legs so as to point the tip downwards, starting to accelerate.

'Right behind you,' Eli said, pulling herself to follow right behind.

And so, they were off. Having once upon a time been a single girl with two personalities, they both somehow had the same muscle-memory, and as such two precisely as skilled girls headed down the slope, smiling and laughing as they intentionally went close to one another, and used their Magical Girl athleticism for some fancy tricks and jumps just because, and headed down for fun.

---

Somewhere else, a blonde girl and a spider-girl were taking a girl sledding. They were having a lot of fun.


[System]
Age: 27

Gender: Male

Appearance: Skinny man, who is smaller then most. He does not have much muscle. He wears the regular Navy uniform. His hair is short, flat and black, with green eyes.

Personality: Arrogant, loud, overconfident

[User]
Asus had been listening to his new captain's speech and while it was too dramatic for his tastes he saw no reason to complain."ARE YOU GUYS WITH ME?" "Don't worry about me after all I asked you if I could join, and besides the presence of both Abi and Zypha ensures that I'm practicality guaranteed to stay." He said the last part in a joking tone, hoping neither of the girls would feel offended.

---

As the day spent sailing Asus had many chances to pull pranks on his crewmates, but the fact that he neither knew them well enough to be able to predict their reactions and that he sill felt his navigational skill were only barely adequate for the Grand Line meant that instead he spent most of his time watching the weather as well as looking out for any coral reefs. That didn't chance the fact that by the time Erdol Island came in to view he was bored out of his mind. He quickly rushed to the side of the deck and caught the captain and the guy he presumed to be their doctor talking about supplies.  "Well if you really need money I was planning to sell the pistol and bullets I took Arlen's Bar, though I would prefer to keep the profits for myself, medical supplies are important enough for me to part with the money."

---

Total number of hornets in Asus's body 75. Number of hornets used for combat 50. hornets currently in use 0/50 dead hornets 0/50

[Assistant]
"Probably, I couldn't tell." Lenwood scratched his head as he answered the question from Zypha. Lenwood approached the abandoned village a step closer. Another girl called Abigail began to ask permission for her action. Well, Lenwood felt a bit awkward about that since everyone could do anything they wanted and not being limited by Lenwood himself. "You're free to do anything.." He stopped for a moment. "At least, don't do anything stupid." Lenwood chuckled. Lenwood changed his attention once again towards Satoru. "Wonder if there's a way to fix one's pirate's name and fame." He wondered if there was a pirate crew that had a good name among the people of the seas. However, he quickly dismissed the thought as he thought it was impossible to find that kind of pirates. Lenwood himself could be a cruel person when situation called in. "Yes, as I said before, you can do anything you want, really." He restated his previous statement as Satoru asked for another permission for his action.

 "I hope we can find some great supplies here as soon as possible. I'm afraid if one of us is injured and we don't have any needed medical supplies." Lenwood's ear caught Asus's statement. Lenwood replied jokingly, "Well, you're part of the crew now. I'm your captain so your money belongs to me too. Don't take all the profits by yourself." He was happy that Asus came with a plan to sell his loots, at least, it could help them with the medical supplies. He scanned the area quickly while took few steps forward every 30 seconds. For a moment, he let his guard down.

[User] Lenwood headed deeper into the seemingly abandoned town. Upon closer inspection, Lenwood would see some people stare through their windows, quickly hiding themselves as Lenwood turned to face their direction as he looked at the houses. A small girl, about nine years old, ended up bumping into him. "Oh, sorry sir-" The child muttered, abruptly stopping her words. Her face turned pale as she realised that the man before her was one that she had never seen before, and wearing a strange outfit. It realised that Lenwood was in fact a pirate, and could kill her at any moment's notice. It simply stared at Lenwood, paralysed in fear.

[Assistant]
Asus honestly didn't think a single pistol and some bullets would get them that much money but he felt no need to mention that. So instead he followed Lenwood off the the ship and onto the island. When he noticed how empty it was he didn't trust it at all though rather than simply look around all the time he released ten hornets to do the spying for him, one at a time. He tried to do it with any of his crewmembers noticing.

The released hornets immediately set out to follow Asus' orders. Six of them headed of in the distance and the other four scouted the nearby area, all of them looking for large groups of people with weapons. Because of those order they completely ignored the girl that Lenwood would bump into.

---

Total number of hornets in Asus' body is 75. Number of hornets used for combat 50, hornets currently in use 10/50, dead hornets 0/50

[User]
While several of the crew headed into town Zypha was giving the old tub a thorough look over. So far she had already located a few weak points in the hull thankfully her search had revealed nothing major so all the boat really needed was a little reinforcement to make sure the hull stayed stable. "At least our captain didn't get a total lemon..." Zypha checked all around the hull to make sure she did not miss anything. Finally satisfied she decided to leave the ship and head toward the town, good chance there was at least some opportunity there.

When she arrived deeper in the town she saw a rather stupid sight. A young girl, who apparently had not gotten the memo to head indoors, had bumped into Lenwood and was now frozen in pure terror. She also noticed Asus putting his hornets to good use but that wasn't of too much interest, the poor girl, with eyes wide as saucers and nearly shaking in fear caused Zypha to laugh out loud. "Ha ha ha! Captain it seems you have just gotten your first fan, I'm touched." She wiped a mock tear from her eye and stalked over to the pair, a big grin on her somewhat handsome face.

Zypha unceremoniously plopped herself down, cross-legged in front of the girl. "You know, when you meet a big nasty fellow you should probably run instead of stare." She grinned at the young girl and attempted to ruffle her hair. "Still I'm pretty sure you got nothing of worth on ya so you'll be fine kid, heh you look better off than I was back then."

[Assistant] The girl, frozen in fear, began to calm down a bit as Zypha ruffled her hair. She stared at her and gave a small smile. "Um.." Was all she managed to say. A door from a nearby house opened, and some people ran out, heading over towards the child. "Kira! Get away from them!" A man shouted, and rushed over, hugging the child. "I told you to stay inside!" He said, staring at Zypha and Lenwood in fear. "Please...leave my daughter alone. I will give you all we have...even my life if you wish. But let her go." He said. The other people who stood behind the man were most likely his wife and son. The people who remained in the houses watched the whole scene unfold through their windows, but appeared to be too frightened to do anything.

[User]
Asus was sure that the girl's father had nothing to worry about, and as such he used his appearance to split off from the rest of the crew. He still wanted to keep his DF powers a secret if possible after all, mainly for pranking reasons but also because he still wasn't one hundred percent sure he could trust them. He had no idea how successful how his attempts were so far, but if for some reason all ten hornets returned at once they would certainly find out.

As he walked through the village he came across a path heading into the woods. After making a small arrow out of pebbles pointing in the wood's direction as well as an A so they could tell it was his, so that if something happened the others at least had a chance to find him he decided to check them out.

---

Total number of hornets in Asus' body is 75. Number of hornets used for combat 50, hornets currently in use 10/50, dead hornets 0/50

[Assistant] Lenwood scanned the area, his eyes met several eyes that peeked through the window. "It seems they are here after all" He sighed from disbelief. Lenwood could feel a small bump near his leg, he encountered a small girl. Lenwood stared for a moment without uttering a single word, the girl seemed frightened but that wasn't Lenwood's intention after all. Lenwood tried to smile, "It's oka..." but his words were interrupted by Zypha's presence as she started to laugh. Lenwood shifted his attention to approaching Zypha, "Don't try to scare her, Zypha.". When Zypha ruffled the girls hair, Lenwood noticed the fear in her eyes disappeared. "I didn't know you're good with children" Lenwood teased. As soon as they finished talking, a group of people rushed out from their homes, retrieving the girl. The whole town was covered in fears, "We're not trying to do anything. We only want to resupply and trade. That's all." Lenwood tried to calm the situation down. He looked straight at Zypha, begging her to say few words to reassure the people.

[User]
"I didn't know you're good with children." Lenwood teased Zypha, causing the young woman to give a little sigh on the inside. "Keep joking like that and I might punch your lights out." She thought, then the parents came out to protect their daughter, hugging her and begging for her to be spared. "Yep she defintely has it better than I did."

Zypha got off the ground and brushed the dirt off her pants as Lenwood tried to calm the people down. The he saw him panic and turn to face her his eyes pleading like a lost puppy. "You're kidding right? You're asking me to take care of this?" Zypha's face scrunched up in disbelief, then relaxed as she gave a long sigh, a huge puff of wind escaped her lungs.

Well there was only one way to go about this then...make a scene. "Took your asses long enough to show up, ya bunch of cowards!" She raised her voice for as much of the town as possible to hear. "Well at least one family has some guts," she grinned at the man and his daughter. "I see the look in your eyes and I know it all too well, you've given up and lost all hope it seems. Well fine, I don't give a crap what you guys do every time someone comes here to take advantage of ya, but one thing I can tell ya. You can either cower all ya want in your little hovels or you can all get to work and open up shop right now! So what's it gonna be? You gonna stay and home and let us just take whatever the heck we want or are you actually gonna give us some service and sell us your junk? Just one look around tells me you guys can't survive much more of people just taking whatever."

Zypha felt was if she had just given the worst and most stupid speech imaginable. It would have been easy pickings to just take whatever the heck they wanted but seeing that little girl, well it hit home to be sure. "Oh and if you're man enough to open shop don't try to jack up the prices cause I'll know! We need supplies: foodstuffs, water, medicine, some wood to reinforce the hull, anything else of use for a voyage. Now get to it or I'll just be rummaging around on my own for stuff!"

Yep, today she was a bit of an idiot.

[Assistant]
Abigail nodded. Seemed easy enough, or at least it seemed like it was going to be that much harder to do something that could be considered out of line. "Alrighty then." She gave the captain a short nod, not wanting to overdo it and started heading towards the village off in the distance, behind the other members of the crew.

She had traveled a few yards before she stopped and noticed a small trail leading off in a different direction. "Hmmm." She scratch the tip of her nose with her finger and thought about it. "There's probably a better variety of foodstuffs up in the village." She nodded as that made sense. "But supposing this leads to one of those little secret shops that are always being mentioned in all the adventure books that can't stay in the village proper because the owner gives everyone else the willies?" Her nose scratching got a little harder. "Maybe I'll find something really fresh or with special healing properties. I'm sure those things exist down a path like that." Her hand went down to her purse and she jingled it. "I've got some money left over from earlier so I'm sure there'll be enough to get something interesting and then head back to the village to get the actual supplies." She started down the path.

[User]
The girl's smile got even wider as Zypha finished her speech. "You're...you're really nice!" She said to Lenwood and Zypha. Some people began to leave their houses, while others remained. Those who remained were still struck with fear. It was clear that these people had a lot of pirate troubles in the past. An old man came out, as well. He began to speak.

"Excuse me, pirates...I am the village elder. I am sorry to say...that we do not have many materials left. The Navy forces who were ordered by the World Government to protect our island, along with many pirates who came here in the past, have taken everything from us. When these Marines came, the pirates stopped terrorising our homes...but now, these Marines took advantage of the fact that this island is very far away from the Navy Headquarters. The Navy Captain abuses his power without the World Government to keep an eye on him, and makes us pay him 300 gold every week in order for him to protect us. We do receive trader's ships from time to time, but we have run low on supplies ourselves. Most of our gold, including other materials that we had is now within the Navy Base. It lies there, within the forest." The old man said, pointing at the path that led into the forest.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Asus headed down the path, he would see many trees on his left and right, seemingly without end. The forest was quite large, but the path was surprisingly well-maintained. As he headed further within, he would see five Marines in the distance, standing guard upon the path. They did not spot him yet.

"Oi, are those pirates gonna arrive now or what? They haven't even put the village on fire yet! I bet Rick was making that whole story up! There were never any pirates!" One of them shouted, yawning. He pulled out a flask of ale and drank from it. "Hey, you shouldn't drink! Captain's gunna kill us!" Another shouted. "Don't ya tell me what to do George! I'll do what I want!" The first Marine responded.

As Abigail appeared beside Asus, she ended up stepping on a branch that was on the ground. It made a loud snapping noise, and the Marines glanced over towards Asus and Abigail. "Pirates! Let's get em!" One of the Marines shouted. The five men drew their blades, and charged at Abigail and Asus in an orderly fashion, their blades at the ready.