[System]
"Calm down, it's not the end of the world. Unless it is. Either way, I'm here, so you can stop your whining now."
Magical Girl Costume:

Powers: Ramona is a master of the forge- fire, steel, smoke, and sharp edges. Her power usually manifests as flaming metal blades or guns that rain molten bullets on her foe. Subtle, Ramona is not.

Dragonscale Armor
Ramona is really, really hard to hurt in her transformed state- even exposed skin is hard as steel. She's also basically fireproof.

Battle-Forged Wings
You know what wings have always needed? Jet thrusters. Ramona grows dragon wings made of flaming metal. She can also channel fire magic through them to give herself a speed boost.

Demigod of Fire and Steel
Ramona bears the mantle of Ignis' divinity. She possesses good health and longevity, even as a mere human. In addition, the gift of the King in Red gives Ramona the knowledge to forge marvelous weapons, and then call them to her side whenever the need arises. Where else did you think all those swords came from? Magic? Ha.

Veins of the Earth
Ramona can sense metal. Particularly precious ones, or ones good for making stuff out of them. Thus, she's never in short supply of... well, supplies.

Howling Blades
Ramona's bread and butter; a mandala of eight molten swords manifests around her, controlled by her will. She can either use them at medium-range to slashy-stabby something, or go straight-up "Gate of Babylon" on someone and fire them as projectiles.

Roaring Dragon Fang
For when the situation calls for "up close and personal." Big effing greatsword made of molten metal. Its use is obvious- crush the foe.

Hell Dragon's Flight
Like Howling Blades, but with guns! Eight rifles that spit molten bullets manifest. Bring on the dakka, with added fire.

Wrath of the King in Red
Ramona's magnum opus: A claymore the size of an apartment building, hurled pointy-end-first at the unfortunate bastard that just pissed Ramona off this much. Get hit with this, and you're not walking away- scraped off the pavement by a street sweeper is more like it. Unfortunately, it also leaves Ramona basically bereft of magical power for a while after using it, so she better make it count.

Source: The Mark of the King in Red- A stylized dragon "tattoo" made of iridescent red metal on her left collarbone. Must be activated with the incantation, "Here standeth the Champion of Fire and Steel! IGNITE!!"

History with Justice Heart:
Ramona ran away from home at the age of 14, due to, "strong differences of opinion." A few months in, she was desperate, still living on the streets, when a man by the name of Cato found her. Apparently a traveler from another world, the man offered her a "Gift," in order to give his Lord a presence in their new world. Not having anything better to do, and hoping this "Gift" could lead to a hot meal, Ramona accepted, and was marked by Ignis, god of the forge in the world he once called home. Ramona became Pyrrha of the Forge, the most fucking metal magical girl of all time. Soon after this, she met Justice Heart.

Their relationship was... rocky, at first. Ramona's obsession with comic books and shounen manga meant that her magical girl antics came with a severe lack of restraint- because superheroes never have to worry about things like collateral damage, do they? In short, accidentally exploding potential allies tends to alienate them. As the gravity of some of her actions began to reach her, and her desperation to belong to the group increased, Ramona was forced to learn the greatest and most difficult of lessons: restraint. Not by much, but she wasn't knocking down buildings left and right anymore. Little by little, she got to be friends with Justice Heart, and eventually allies, culminating in helping her new family banish the Dollmaster into oblivion. Ramona had finally achieved her dream: to be an awesome protagonist, a hero!

History after Justice Heart:
...And then some idiot just had to get knocked up.

As this incident, among others, began to chip away at their group dynamic, Ramona was forced to watch as her new family slowly began to tear itself apart. While she tried to stay in contact with her friends, eventually the pain of watching the group destroy itself got to be too painful, and she struck out on her own. It wasn't easy at first- her marketable skills were all better suited to a life in the Middle Ages, and selling too much gold had a tendency to draw uncomfortable questions from certain authorities. But she managed to find her niche when she discovered that certain nerds were willing to pay a lot of money for some fancy sword from their favorite book or show or whatever.

Nowadays, Ramona is in high demand among fantasy circles, who commission her to smith (supposedly) decorative weapons for them. Heck, she even found love. Twice, in fact. Her girlfriends, Katja and Izzy, help her make her fancy nerd stuff, and keep her grounded when she's being particularly manic. Unbeknownst to anyone else, however, Ramona occasionally still moonlights as Pyrrha, hunting down the occasional monster or bank robber or whatever. But above all else, she longs for the glory days of her youth, when she and the rest of Justice Heart were in their prime...

...She never did like the name "Justice Vermillion," though.

Relationships:
Katja Volk and Isabel "Izzy" Santorini-
"My girlfriends. Yes, girlfriends, plural. Calm your titties. Katja's some kinda Amazon, and Izzy is a punk rock kinda chick with bitchin' blue hair. They help me with my commissions from time to time, but they're mostly the ones who keep me sane."
Cato-
"The guy who gave me Ignis' mark. Some kinda priest in their old world. He's utterly forgettable in his human guise, very Clark Kent. Aside from the glowing eyes, anyway. Haven't seen him since the Big Guy went missing. Wish I knew where he was."
The King in Red, Master of Fire and Steel, Lord Ignis-
"The Boss. He marked me with his Gift, gave me powers, turned me into the literal spitfire that I am now. Apparently he used to be a god in his old world, or something. His true form is some kinda robot dragon or something. I haven't heard his voice in years; not since we put Dollmaster Katherine into a bottomless hole in the universe. But I know he's out there somewhere."
Justice Heart-
"Haven't seen most of the others in years. I catch Isana and Elise around sometimes, especially Isana, when I go out, ah... moonlighting. We still have our little thing going on from the old days. Even though it's obvious that I'm still the strongest member of Justice Heart. I mean, my swords can explode. Can theirs do that? I didn't think so. Check and mate~"

[User]
Carrie walked up to Vivian. The other girl seemed to be alone, which just wasn't right. Not to mention, it was damned dangerous. Sure, she'd never been the most liked member of Justice Heart, what with the villainy and all, but right now, they needed all the help they could get.

"Hey, Viv. I- I think we should work together on this one. Cover each other's backs and whatnot. I recall that was one time we were attacked over by the docks." She left out the fact that it was Vivian who attacked them there with a monster, and it was there Justice Heart turned her good. "If this is Dollmaster- and I will admit to being skeptical on that point yet- it seems she's going back to her old tricks. Maybe there's something left at the location that we can pick up. You know her better than any of us, so you know what to look for."

[Assistant]
Alice Augustine
Exploring the Past

---

During their car ride, Alice spent a lot of time trying to lean on Isana lovingly though the other woman didn't seem all for it. It didn't matter much though, she loved everything about Isana after all. She was still being quite a bit obnoxious while sending a text to Vivian. Sorry about that, I'm sure you were looking forward to dinner too. I'll take you out sometime later! And maybe a bit more if you're interested too~~~ Hehehe." With that, she sent the text and tried cuddling to Isana.

"It disgusts me still how forward you are." Keri said, peaking back at her charge. It was obvious to Alice the woman was just trying to rile her a little.

"Come on Keri, you love me as I am." Alice said with a smile, looking towards the driver.

"Are you sure you're not on any drugs?"

"I am not! Never ever!"

It was about that time they arrived at the abandoned theatre. "Sure, sure. Now here's where you wanted to go. Why did you want to come here of all places?" Keri said as she pressed a button and opened the doors for Alice and Isana to get out.

"Old memories!"

"And I instantly don't wish to know any more. Get out, please. I've TV to catch up on." In the front of the car is a small monitor which flicked on to a show about a detective recounting his past investigations.

As the two exited the car, Alice looked back at Keri and mouthed, "We'll have some fun later, ok?" Keri's reaction was to turn the sound up in the car speakers. With a giggle, Alice turned back to Isana that said she doesn't want to spend too long in there. "You don't want to spend a long time with me in the dark? Geez, aim at a maiden's heart why don't you?" Alice giggled as she lead the way up to the theatre. "This will be interesting at least." She entered first.

[User]
Vivian Everett

Waiting to leave, Vivian came to a stop as she found herself approached after all. Seemed someone did want to take pity on her after all,or at least it looked like it might be that way. She shot Carrie an unamused glance at the mention of the dock attack before reiterating the plan that she had initially espoused. "If it is the Dollmaster, she wouldn't care about that spot in particular," she explained. "I'm going to go check out one of her old hideouts, see if anyone's been in there recently. Even if it isn't her, someone could be using her leftovers."

Personally she thought that she could handle it herself, but as long as Carrie wasn't expressing some deep seated desire to not be involved in this whole thing then she supposed that she could live with it. A second set of eyes to catch things she might have missed would be useful.

It was at that point that something else presented itself to her, causing her to cast her gaze to her default companion yet again. "I only have the one motorbike," she added. She couldn't remember if Carrie had drove here on her own, but this might be tricky if she needed to give her a ride too.

[Assistant]
Fiona definitely appreciated Emily's compliment--she did have a point. Well, they had all been changed, for better of for worse, and Fiona only hoped that she was right. Perhaps once they got to the bottom of...whatever was happening, maybe Fiona would do her part for the team. How ironic, considering she wanted nothing to do with any of these shenanigans. Shenanigans, and yet she was roped into fighting for 'the greater good'. How good could it be if it continued to disrupt her life? Would she ever know what normal was? She had managed to fight fine, all things considered, though she was only so active because chasing around her kids took a lot out of her. That and she was unemployed; taking care of her kids only took so much time, and she had to keep herself fit for her husband! But she never imagined staying fit for this.

"I'm glad," She replied when she would mention her own daughter. She must be so big by now. When it came to the topic of cars, however, her face flushed red. "I-I can...considering I may have totaled my own..." Oh man, she still hadn't called the insurance or let Aster know. Geez, how could she be so irresponsible? "Lead the way."

[User]
Ramona Saturday
"Pyrrha"

---

Any good feelings Ramona had about returning to the hangout spot of her sordid youth was burned away almost instantly at the mood that greeted her when she arrived. First Vivian being catty, then Isana and Alice leaving in a hurry (at least they didn't seem pissed off at her like everyone else), followed by... well. It looked like nothing had changed between Emily and Elise. Ramona glared at the ground sadly as Emily swept past her, throwing one last barb practically over her shoulder as she stormed out with Fiona in tow. Ramona sighed- there were myriad reasons why Justice Heart collapsed the way it did, but Ramona's ire always fell on Emily first and foremost. It was her stupid decision to get knocked up that knocked everyone else down the slippery slope to where they were now.

She grit her teeth, then moved toward the last two she was left with. Without saying another word, she practically dashed over to Elise, wrapping her old friend in a tight hug. Aside from Isana, Ramona had always had the most kinship with Elise. "The Ken to your Ryu," she once referred to herself as, their friendly bickering over the "Strongest" title always having been good for a laugh. It would be nice to get back into the swing of that again.

"Hey, Flower Girl," she said, giving one last squeeze before backing up. "Saw you on the news today. Didn't think I'd given you permission to use my title," she laughed with a crooked grin. She turned to Courtney afterward.

"To answer the question that everyone's been askin', by the way? No. I don't know why I wasn't attacked. Maybe the dragon-girl thing scared 'em off?" She shook her head. "Anyways, as much fun as this is going to be, let's try and get it done ASAP, a'kay? I got swords to finish." At Courtney's suggestion of her taking a cab, Ramona shrugged. "I mean, I don't know if you guys remember, but I can move under my own power. If any of you can ride, you can take the bike. Though, don't tell Katja. Or wreck it. She'll kill me dead if she finds out someone else touched her baby..."


[System]
Age: 4 years younger than her companion.
Type: Gambler. Trickster. Pickpocketer.
Equipment:
-open fingered gloves
-belt with a dagger and pouch hung on it
-Her awesome fists
-handy dandy multi-purpose satchel, containing: Tiny smoke bombs, a roll of lock picks, dried meat, cooking spices, a flask of ginger ale, a smoking pipe along with some mysterious herbs wrapped in brown paper, a map.

[User]
Kayleigh was getting bored. For the whole evening, she had been gambling with a group of male strangers - seduced into inviting her into their games by her charm and extravagant act of feministic qualities. She didn't even know their names, and never bothered to ask. And for the entire evening, Kayleigh had been losing more often that she had won. But no matter!

"What yours is mine, right?" She remarked casually to her temporary companions, seemingly out of the blue. Kayleigh batted her eyelashes and smiled sweetly. Eventually, she added in her mind.

"Anything you say babe," they answered unanimously, dazzled by her flirtatious acts and beauty. They had failed to consider the malicious intent behind those casual words, and promptly resumed the game.

Time was ticking. A quick glance to the darkest corner of the tavern acquainted her sight with Jackson, her stealthy companion. She gave him a wink.

Then, the door to the tavern was unceremoniously thrust open.

"I DEMAND THE SURRENDER OF ALL OF YOUR FINEST ALE," a voice boomed across, reaching far into the depths of the tavern. Before silence could descend upon the place, there was a clatter of both light and heavy footsteps and a dozen or more men emerged from the gloom of the night outside to join their master. Kayleigh had caught sight of the almost imperceptible shift in posture of her fellow partner-in-crime, and confirmed the identity of the coarse, unpolished newcomer.

"The rest of you," the man snarled, meeting each fearful gaze with a cold, bloody stare. "Get out."

The desired effect was instantaneous. People scrambled to their feet and shot straight for the double doors of the tavern. When the pandemonium subsided, only Kayleigh and Jackson were left. Both stared nonchalantly at the man and his lackeys, while Kayleigh repeatedly tossed a bag of coins up into the air. Her other hand slipped four more into her satchel.

[Assistant]
Jackson kept leaning back, taking another sip from his drink, as the men began spreading out and leering at his companion. The closest one was still a table or two away from her when he decided to speak up, hidden in the shadow to the casual glance.

"I'd best advise you be stoppin' right there, mate. Wouldn't want to lose a finger, see, and then your arm, and then your head. She's a feisty one, and she'll probably kill you all in about three times the time it would take me to do so... so let's go with about, oh, fifteen seconds?"

The captain turned towards him, opening his foul, rotten mouth to begin speaking, before being interrupted.

"What was that, cap'n crunch? Didn't hear what you said there."

He got angry, and was about the shout when he interrupted again.

"What?"
A smirk followed.

"What was that you said?"
Jackson was enjoying yourself.

"GET-"
"What was that you was sayin'?"
He just looked about fit to burst.

"Alright cap'n crunch, sit right on down and have a drink on me."
This time, he made no move to stop him as the pirate screamed, "I'LL NOT BE HAVING ANY MORE OF THIS! GET 'EM!"

The first man to rush towards him collapsed soundlessly, the beginning of his warcry dying as fast as his heart, a knife protruding from his chest. And yet, Jackson had barely moved his arm, though he now set his mug down, and stood up. The other pirates all stopped, barely even starting, and Jackson smiled warmly at each one of them, scaring the shit out of them with just his eyes.

"I like to think myself a doctor for hire. I take out the rot in the society, see. Now you all rot, or you all civilized men who deal like 'em?"

[User]
"You show em!" Kayleigh gave a loud whoop, all her pretended dainty, feministic mannerisms vanishing in that mere instant. She stood up and stomped her way towards the Captain, who towered over her. His men, upon seeing her advancements moved in to intercept the woman, but a malicious, threatening glare from the friendly assassin halted them in their tracks.

Kayleigh stared him down (or up), looking at him squarely in the eye. "Whatcha gonna say to surrendering all your treasure before Mr. Badass here-" she motioned gruffly towards Jackson "-detaches your head from the rest of you?"

"It's not like you're gonna bring all that cash to meet your great-granny anyways," she added, finding it a perfectly logical statement, so she was genuinely confused when the Captain rejected her request by bellowing in her face.

"KILL THEM!" He screamed, his voice bordering between shrieking cats procreating and the worst opera singer in the universe.

"Okay, whatever," she grumbled. "SMOKE BOMBS AWAY!" Kayleigh yelled gleefully.

With a deft movement of her hand, there was a faint thud as multiple rounded objects hit the floor, before throwing out puffs of smoke that expanded and billowed. Visibility was now close to zero.

Out of the chaos, a sharp whistle could be heard, the signal for the assassin to strike.

[Assistant]
He stood up wearily, as if he really didn't want to but he had to, and called out, "All right everyone, kill me and she'll scram." He stood still as the half dozen men came charging through the smoke, roaring in rage and confusion. One of them accidentally ran his friend through; another crashed into him, knocking them to the floor.

Two more were nearly on him before Jackson moved, and when he moves, he moves. Both his hands were filled with his axes in a heartbeat, and he was spinning out of the way, the axe heads biting through the first man's side as he used him as a wall. By the time he had fully put him between his friend, his side was cut up and his arm was a bloody mess. He collapsed, and his bud took his place- a single swing took his throat, and he fell to the ground on top his fellow.

The assassin dealt with the others in a similar fashion, leaving the captain alive and unharmed, standing in the smoke cloud, roaring with anger and hate. He taunted him, all the while.

"Where's your henchmen, mate?"

"Did your guards decide to take a nap?"

"Are you playin' hide'n'seek or somethin'? Why wasn't I invited?"

[User]
"Ow!" Kayleigh complained as one of the bumbling buffoons stumbled into his crewmate, then into her, before rushing forward in the direction of her companion. And while Seth was busy ridding themselves of the garbage swamping the tavern, Kayleigh simply stood with a hand on her hip. For the most part, smoke bombs were good and all, but she couldn't see. Jackson on the other hand, could rely on his exceptional sight and hearing to kick ass.

Before the smoke had even begun to dissipate, the Captain quickly caught on to the current state of affairs. The gradual, descending silence that marked the air along with the dying cries of his crew were an obvious indicator of what was happening while he stood, rooted to the spot in the midst of the smoke-engulfed tavern. Subsequently, with a fearful cry, he attempted to make a rush for the exit, boots stomping heavily on the wooden boards. I'M HERE, COME GET ME, they practically yelled.

What an idiot, Kayleigh sighed. Following her ears, she pursued him.

When she emerged out into the open and cool night sky, Kayleigh was greeted with a crowd of men who had, she suspected, surrounded the entrance of the tavern long ago, having anticipated the events following the entry of the Captain of the ship. Except… it seemed that there were now two Captains.

Confused, Kayleigh rubbed her eyes, and blinked once. She blinked twice.

Her next thought was: Balls.

"I suppose good ol' Benedict deserves a reward for spilling the beans about you two brats," the real captain laughed. Beside him, the man whom they had originally thought was the captain of the ship removed his disguise, revealing a simple person underneath who hosted one too many features akin to the individual he had just attempted to impersonate.

"Fire," he smiled gleefully.

A net was thrown over her, sprung from the nozzle of an elongated hand-held mechanism, and in a split second she was unceremoniously and roughly dragged into the herd.

[Assistant]
Hell, they were so stupid. He would've called after the girl if he thought she would listen so instead he made to follow her. Had he not been making sure the mens' throats were slit, he'd have been caught in the same trap as his companion. As it was, his blood boiled under the thought of them taking his companion- like hell they were going to take his punching bag.

He was standing in the doorway, more or less, but they didn't notice. He had a feature that let gazes slide over him if they weren't particularly looking, combined with his clothes and the already dim tavern, plus their attention focused elsewhere, he might as well have been invisible.

It was the same invisible demon that strode out of the doors, not really bothering to hide his approach, as the herd of a dozen or so turned towards him, already prepping another net-bow thing.

Except this time, when the man opened his mouth to say "Fire!" a knife persuaded him otherwise. A knife that had gone straight through his open mouth and lodged in the back of his throat. All the others started in shock, and the launcher man fired anyways, panicking. He was the next dead, and his net sailed over empty air as the assassin dropped to the ground and rolled to the side. He was met by three men, rushing over to take advantage of him being down- except it wasn't a weakness for him.

A three-second-long whirlwind later, all three men were down with their legs torn to bits, and both of Jackson's axes held in both hands, a murderous glint in his eyes.

And the pirates, foolish as they were, thought they had the upper hand because of numbers, despite facing a man who had faced armed, armored guards and had the advantage of night over him. He disappeared into the shadows, leaving the men to rush forward to try to catch him anyways, and swing back around to quietly cut open his companions net and give her a rare smile, if a little bloodthirsty.

[User]
A series of incomprehensible grumbles and mutters escaped Kayleigh's throat.

"I had it all under control," she lied through her teeth, as Jackson nimbly severed the bounds which had only a few seconds ago strictly confined her movements. Naturally, she was butt hurt that her capable self had to be ashamedly rescued. Oh, the embarrassment.

It took a while for the pirates to realize that their temporary captive had escaped, but when they finally did, Kayleigh and Jackson already had their feet planted firmly behind their Captain. Glinting eerily in the moonlight, the woman's dagger rested snugly on the grooves of his rugged throat.

In one smooth, merciless motion of her hand, the poor brute's throat was slit open.

"Do I get three-thirds of the bounty this time?" She prodded the assassin. "I think it's only fair," she pouted, giving her companion a hopeful glance.

[Assistant]
Jackson smirked in response, saying, "You get one thirds of the bounty for getting captured- even though that's the same amount you always get paid. Besides, I know you're going to take all these guys' coinpurses when I'm done with them."

This was met with a grumbling among the remaining mercenaries and pirates, and they decided, once again, to attack. Fortunately, they were standing some distance away, at this point, and Jackson had enough remaining throwables to throw.

Half of them were dead by the time they reached him, four knives sticking out of their heads or chests, piercing measly, cheap leather armor. The rest turned and ran instead of facing the deadly man. How the hell could he fight so well, they would think.

Unfortunately for them, or for anyone, Kayleigh included, no one knew where Jackson learned how to fight- only he did, and he had yet to reveal.

[User]
An instant after the remnants of the Captain's crew had fled off, Kayleigh immediately set to looting their belongings, her fingers rummaging about their pockets, satchels, searching their clothes in an expert and thorough routine. Any passerby who happened to glance at the woman would have spotted her gleeful expression from a mile away.

Kayleigh loved her job, to say the least.

"You'd think these pirates would have more valuables on hand after pillaging from a hundred others," Kayleigh complained aloud. Grasping her hands around a considerably weighty pouch and yanking it out of the dead captain's belt, she tossed it in Jackson's direction. Then, her fingers felt the contours of a dry, wrinkled piece of paper. That, she removed from the deceased as well, and with a curious gaze, scrutinized it.

It was a note.

Greetings, Captain.
I'm writing this on behalf of no one other than yourself. Expect to meet a pair of mercenaries in your travels soon, both of whom will be after the bounty on your head. I have been tipped about their whereabouts. They will be at Galberd's Gallow, noon through dusk. Take care.
- Benedict

"Who's Benedict?" Kayleigh narrowed her eyes. How on earth had he anticipated their movements? "Well, whatever," she rolled her eyes. It mattered not, considering how they had the situation under control despite having their location being tipped by some unknown informant.

"So-," she begin, "-shall we get to collecting the bounty? I'm sure Balthazar is expecting us." Mentally, Kayleigh calculated the approximate time needed for them to travel to Vargoth City. Two days, perhaps?


[System]
Height/Weight: 5"4, 110 Pounds

Age: 22

Personality:Ryan is a very contradictory individual. He constantly pushes himself to the brinks of death as he trains constantly to become the best at what he does, but he can spend entire days doing absolutely nothing as he just lies down and stares at the sky. He's an easily excited individual who can never focus on one thing for long periods of time, but the dedication he puts into his marksmanship is rivaled by few. In battle though he seemingly becomes a new person as he pinpoints enemy weaknesses and environmental advantages and disadvantages. He doesn't talk during battle either, he instead let's his bullets do the talking. Few things faze him as he becomes a machine dedicated to his current goal. He can be serious outside of battle, he just prefers not to. His life motto is, "Life is already too serious. Why make it more so on purpose?"

Home Island/Sea: East Blue

History:Ryan was born on a pirate ship known as The Horsemen of War. They had kidnapped a prostitute and one of the crew members had a child with her. They kept it well hidden until the child was born, the crew killed the prostitute and the crew member. The captain, Quiet Shot, refused to kill the child and instead has the rest of the crew take care of him. The boy grew up fast, he learned to shoot with the best of them and every so often he went treasure hunting with the rest of the crew too. It was at the age of 13 that life changed for him. The Navy was finally cracking down on them and there were few people besides the captain left. Quiet Shot sent Ryan away on the last lifeboat as the Navy closed in on them, for the last time. Five years pass by and Ryan is hunting for treasure on an unnamed island in the middle of nowhere. He digs up a chest and after breaking it open he finds a bunch of fruit. He gets pretty pissed and throws a lot of it into the ocean. As he's about to throw the last piece his stomach growls and he realizes just how hungry he is. He has some fruit, so why not eat it. He immediately regretted that as he tasted oil mixed with dog crap. He swallowed it begrudgingly and almost immediately felt something wrong. He passed out for a bit, when he woke up his left arm was gone, with only oil spilled all over the beach sand. After about five minutes or so of panicking he began hoping and praying for his arm to be back, it began reforming out of the oil. He then realized exactly what happened. He had heard rumours of Devil Fruits from other pirates, he had just eaten one. Fast forward 6 years and he's traveling the seas in search of a worthy captain and a worthy goal.

Fruit: Oiru-Oiru no Mi, Logia Class
The Oiru-Oiru no Mi allows the user to turn into Oil, and use said oil for anything oil may be used for. The user can produce large amounts of oil and can liquefy their entire body if needed. If the user wanted to hide in a small bottle then they could, they could also power a vehicle with their own body if they wanted. Typical weaknesses apply, the user cannot float on water using the Oiru-Oiru Fruit. They will just solidify into their body and sink as usual. The major weakness of the fruit is the users own weakness to fire, when turned into oil they are highly flammable.

Fighting style: Ryan uses guns, lots and lots of guns. While most people can only hold two guns, Ryan can form arms of oil to hold more guns and fire more bullets. He is also adept at reloading fast, but there is a limit to how much he can multitask. More complex tasks will require more attention, while simple things like loading and firing a gun is easy for him to do. He tries to stay away from the enemy, but he's no slouch in close combat. He uses typical Logia tactics like liquefying to avoid hits, but he also uses the oil he produces with incendiary bullets to create fires and in extreme cases, explosions. He keeps 10 guns on him at minimum at all times.

Ship Positions: TBA, could be maintenance guy.

Bounty: 0

[User]
Tristan was quickly and decisively ending each marine who charged at him, using as little force as possible, so he could save more energy for one of the higher ups he was bound to fight eventually. After knocking out quite a few men he got close enough to the big battle for one of the Marine officers to take notice of him. She was fairly beautiful and dressed oddly in his opinion, he saw her walking towards him and readied himself, however she closed the distance in almost an instant.

 He was suprised but for a moment at her impressive speed, her outfit making a little more sense to him now " Those guys, don't worry I only knocked them out. I didn't use nearly enough force to kill them. " While he responded to her statement he took notice of her expression and her movements. As he talked his eyes moved from hers and to her leg which was being raised for an attack. Her heels seemed to be made of some heavy material and heading for his stomach or his abdomen. If the attack made contact in either location it would deal some pretty massive damage.

 Tristan thought his next moves over in his head "From the angle of the attack if I lean back I could avoid it and get a blow in on her knee. No..that won't work, with her speed she'd most likely be able to bring her leg down on me the moment I leaned back dealing even more damage. What should I do...I got it!" Tristan turned his body to the side out of the way of the attack. The moment his foot made contact with the ground again he spun behind her his back facing hers and grabbed her arms. Once he had a hold of her arms he sprung off the ground and planted both feet on her back, pushing off with a decent amount of force, pushing her away and pushing himself away off of her, flipping midair, and landing back on the ground facing her again. " Your speed is impressive, as is your strength, you could prove quite the challenge. " Without taking his focus off the Marine lady he was fighting he shouted back to the Fishman " Same goes for you big guy! "

[Assistant]
Sylas

The woman seemed to try to block the hammer, a foolish move. But to Sylas's surprise she was launched out of harm's way rather than crushed underneath his attack. She had done something clever with her sword, but even then the power behind the attack didn't allow her to land easily or smoothly. The lieutenant had landed on her side and skidded to a halt, while the hammer was shattered once again. "A dodge," Sylas muttered to himself as he began to recover from the attack by standing upright. But before he could the woman taunted him and fired her pistol again. The ex-captain, exhibiting astonished speed and reflexes, jumped to his side right as she fired. The bullet sailed past him again, confirming that the first time she had missed wasn't an accident in the least.

"A clever strategy," Sylas began again, tossing the glass handle at the woman lazily. Even if it hit her there was no real force behind it to cause damage; it would likely just break once it hit the ground. "Dodge my attack and counter-attack before I can fully recover. A technique that is easier said than done. Had you been fighting a lesser foe you would've succeeded." His right hand moved up to his forehead, dramatically pushing his hair back as he struck a pose with his left hand pointing towards Hanna. "But you will not defeat me with tricks like that. No Marine can stop me. Neither can any pirate nor beast. I am Shattering Sylas! Conqueror of the West Blue! I have survived war, mutiny, and thousands of seakings! Your crew will just be another notch in my belt."

His hand on his head moved down and he dropped out of his dramatic pose, regaining a fighting stance as he aimed both his hands at the lieutenant. "Hari Hari no Anchor!" Glass began expanding from underneath Sylas's feet, rapidly expanding in a direct line towards Hanna. Once the glass was underneath her feet it would grow upwards, moving to catch her legs and stop her from moving. While this trapping technique was expanding, Sylas brought his hands down to his sides. "Hari Hari no Saber!" Two glass sabers grew from his palms and he gripped them each tightly as he rushed at the lieutenant again. Despite running over smooth glass he seemed uninhibited in the least. "My story is nowhere near ending. It's just beginning!" Though clearly not an expert with swords, Sylas leaped towards Hanna in a spin, intending to slash her several times and use sheer force to defeat her rather than skill or tactics.

[User]
DYING IS NOT REPAYING A DEBT
ONLY WEAK MEN WOULD DIE AFTER SOMEONE SPARED THEIR LIVES

---

The tall man was dealing with the marines easily, as expected. Zell knew that his man was no ordinary man in a single glance at him, Zell himself felt a great aura radiating from him. Zell quickly moved between the battles and he took out some marines without attracting much attention from the other marines. The marines were focused on this tall man known as Tristan. So, Zell took an advantage of it and knocked the rest from behind. However, another storm was fast approaching, this time it was a big marine lady with golden yellow hair that attracted all eyes onto it. This man was being cornered by her upper kick. Fortunately, Tristan himself shouldn't be taken lightly and he quickly countered the attack.

Zell glared at the scene, his hands were gripping the katana tighter as he was itching to jump into battles. Zell scratched his head as he was confused on how he should make an entrance in this mayhem. A grin could be seen soon as he got the answer to his question. The marine lady was having a small chat with Tristan, and only showed several movements. It seemed both of them were trying to taunt each other, hoping for one of them to attack first. In a blink of an eye, Zell rushed towards Tristan and the marine lady, Zell raised his katana to the waist line and he approached the big marine lady in quite a speed. As he reached a good distance, he raised his sword and swung it downwards, trying to slash the marine lady's arm with his katana. The marine lady was big enough so she was a bit easy to aim unless she moved in an incredible speed. Should she quickly move, Zell would rush backwards and would a great distance between them. Zell smirked, "It seems you're having a trouble with her. I should lend you a great help." said Zell to Tristan.

Honnaji @Yorutenchi @The Irish Tree

[Assistant]
Brenda wobbles under the weight of the cannonball, and is more than happy to let one of the others take it from her. "I thought we could build a catapult and throw it back at them. Stop them sinking more ships." she explains, pointing at Countless, and adding "He can aim."

Of course, the middle of a battle is hardly the time for deep strategy discussions. Brenda can do her part to help there as well, as she grabs some bricks from the collapsed tavern and leaps atop a downed marine. At first, it looks like she's about to beat him with it, but instead Brenda yells "Mix-Mix Combine!" and lifts the marine's uniform with one hand as she brings the brick down with the other. The unfortunate soldier finds his arms restrained by a suddenly solid stone shirt, and Brenda moves on to do the same trick on more marines.

[User]
Able took some deep breaths returning from his fishman rage. Things seem to be going down at the port but first he wants to help his ally Ahio. While these pitiful swords held him back he still wishes to focus on his swordsmanship. He looks around and see's a lone marine standing there with his sword drawn weak at the knees. Obviously he is terrified of Able after seeing him rip Takahito arm off. Able approaches the obvious novice marine and holds out his hand then states "You're blade" the novice marine nods and hands Able his blade. Able observes the blade and see's its a better quality blade then his last one, but nothing noteworthy. Able smelled piss coming from the novice marine, and Able yells "Begone" and the novice marine runs off fearing his life.

 Able begins to approach Ahio and the marine he is fighting and states loudly "The only one who will lose their life will be you marine."Able tosses the marine with the poles Takahito arm letting him see what may happen to him as well.

@Invisible

[Assistant]
Ryan shrugged and had some oil tendrils sprout from his shoulders. He grabbed the cannonball and lifted it above his head with a small struggle. "So we're heading towards the docks then? Cool. Let's go!" Ryan began wandering in the general direction of the docks, but stopped.

"Are you guys coming or what? Because I don't know how to build a catapult." He asked with a confused expression. A nearby marine began to rush Ryan to try to take him down, Ryan promptly pulled out a gun and shot him in the knee. The marine collapsed to the floor and Ryan reholstered his gun. He smiled and began wandering towards the docks again.


[System]
Species : Elf
Gender : Female
Age : 54
Height : 175

Jazdia is a tall elven woman with a pale complexion, blue eyes, and long, waist-length platinum blonde hair that she often let untied. Elves are all born beautiful and Jazdia was no exception. Her attractiveness is often described as an eternal winter barely touched by the sun's embrace. But that's just another way for the gentlemen to adore her face that seemed to always sport a perpetual frown. At least that's original.

Former leader of a peacekeeping organization, Jazdia understands it would be in her best interest to omit such details from her MO. Not that she is a wanted criminal or anything; she ended her tenure on a relatively high note actually. The thing about working as law enforcement is you will have no shortage of old enemies who would persistently try to even the scales with you even after retirement, and Jazdia does not wish to be tangled with such... nuisances.

So now, she is just Jazdia. An adventurer, restaurateur, and tea connoisseur. Yeah, just put that in her business card.

Traits and spells:

-Blood Phobia (passive)
Taking damage would result in lower combat efficiency. Jazdia will start sweating, having a shaky aim and blurred vision. At a certain threshold, her Ultravision cannot be activated.
-Curse of the crimson flame (passive)
Resting near any fire or under the sun would slowly regenerate her power and heal her wounds. However, any healing magic cast on her would instead deal damage.

-Arrow Enchantment.
Channels magic into her arrow. Can only use one type of arrow in a single turn. Has three flavors:
A. Crystal Arrows.
Glorified fireworks with an equally destructive explosion contained inside. Can be programmed to either explode upon impact, delayed, or remote detonation.
B. Crystal Arrows
Non Explosive variants, but hot as hell it pierces through plates and mails like a hot knife through butter. Armor Piercing, nuff said.

-Counter
Any close-range attack will be answered with heavy retribution. Figuratively speaking, sometimes this extended to the non-combat situation. Proceed with caution.

-Ultravision
Channeling magic to enhance her vision, Jazdia can see pass through solid objects and magical manipulation such as illusion and darkness. Imposes varying degrees of strain on her body depending on the area covered and elapsed duration. Prolonged abuse of this skill might result in myopia and gradual blindness.

-Vengeance
At this point, taking heavy damage would no longer weaken her. Now she is faster and deadlier and angrier. The third flavor of her enchanted arrows unlocked:
C. Poison arrows. Deals heavy damage over time. The enemy killed by this arrow will have their body burst into a swarm of black lepidopteran that attacks nearby hostiles until either they or the caster died, or the effect expires. At the end of its fleeting lifespan, the insect will return to the caster and heals her wounds. Has 3 days of cooldown.

Equipment
-Lurea
A recurve black bow adorned with gold and silver linings on its limbs. Has an absurdly light draw weight of 44 pounds.
-Maugrim
A long knife with ivory handle and elven runes inscribed on its blade.
-Medium-sized satchel bag
A plain-looking bag that doesn't seem too out of fashion despite being designed with function in mind.
-Pocket watch
A momento from her father. Well maintained and functioning properly.
-Medikit
Generic first aid kit.

[User]
Much to Kaito's surprise, Veronica seemed to share his opinion about the potential of this whole situation being a trap and that it was safer to move in full force. However the point about what if the prince isn't there is still valid. If they moved to one location and their target happened to be in the other that would be a drag. Their captors might relocate him and finding a lead again would take a considerable amount of time and time was the thing they were rather short on due to all the happenings in the capital.

The fox smiled. The presented dilemma was certainly entertaining. For him it was like a puzzle that was begging to be solved. "Maybe we should take a few minutes to think this through. Have any of you ever wondered what the enemies' end game is? Like what they truly are trying to achieve? They tried to kill the king, right? But they only kidnapped his son? If you want to seize the throne, why let the prince live? As long as he's around, he will always have a stronger claim than whomever wants to sit on Fredrik's chair. It makes little sense to me to try to kill the king but keep his boy alive."

Kaito paused a bit before he continued to speak. " Anyway, what I am trying to say is that if they have kept the prince alive till this point, he represents more value alive to our enemies then dead. It does not seem logical to kill him if we moved to the wrong place. I think they will either stay put where they are or relocate if that were to happen. Someone could keep an eye on Fangorn while the rest move to Pesti or the other way around. If they move out, we spot them and can trail them to their next hideout."

For a moment the kitsune thought deeply about the situation. Killing the father while kidnapping the son was a strange sequence of doing things. He could totally imagine that someone would kidnap the prince to gain leverage over the king but well, that required the king to be alive so in such a scenario the assasination attempt on the king made little sense. If they would try to take the throne, keeping a competitor alive seemed like a bad choice. Unless that competitor was actually running out of patience waiting for his father to kick the bucket. Could it be that the prince was involved in a different role than just a helpless victim? In Kaito's mind that was certainly plausible but he decided not to share this string of thoughts with the rest of the group. Some of them seemed to be fiercely loyal to the king and would probably not like such insinuations.

Noticing how Jazdia had activated her eyes, Kaito quickly looked around just to see if the elf was looking at something specific. However that did not seem to be the case. The fox just guessed that it was a sign that he should shut up. "I'll shut up now and let you ladies decide our course of action."

[Assistant]
[NPC Post]

"I care not about your rescue, mister bear." Reinhold pointed out the reminder, that his purpose here wasn't the same as the rest of them even if the two goals were reasonably aligned. "There are men I want dead in that place, whether your group decide to attack it or not. I'll go myself if I have to."

Probability of success? Zero, basically. Maybe he can take down a couple with a well-prepared ambush and traps, but there's no way a lone hunter like Reinhold can fulfil his revenge without aid. But he will make the attempt anyway - results be damned. A man got to have principles, aye?

[User]
[NPC Post]

"As you've said before, I have no direct command over you." Matilda glared at the elf without hiding her annoyance, momentarily considering how satisfying it would be to throttle that reedy neck. But calm down, calm down. The enemies were close. No need to take it out on an ally, no matter how belligerent. The orc took the communication device, steely gaze never leaving Jazdia's figure. "Fine. Splitting the force it is. Solomon, start sending your shadows now. I want eyes on both villages. Veronica, I need report on both place's potential hostile, now."

Independent contractors, bah. If given the choice, Matilda would've just took a regiment of the army and be done with it.

[Assistant]
Twenty years in the organization and Jazdia perfectly knew how exactly she sounded like. Not every people find her leadership style... convenient, and she knew it often stems from her ability to see what most people could not. She had tried to tone it down many times, obviously, but now due to her being pulled out of retirement, she forgot some of her settings. But hey, Matilda always had the option to decline her plan and devise her own. If it was sensible enough, of course.

As if anything she ever planned was sensible enough...

"Why do we need Solomon's shadow in both villages again? You are going to Pesti, will you not? And I will proceed to Fanghorn. I don't think you will need summoned entities. One because once discovered, it shows hostility from your side, and two, what purpose does it serve? Communication? You already have one."

Jazdia shrugged. "But, hey, don't let me stop you. You are the boss, right?"

A plus-one if fighting broke out? Could work, but she doubted it would be anything Matidal couldn't handle. Besides, the head was always a precious commodity, and whoever dares to lay finger on Fred's myrmidon was either a madman or someone who could live without a head, or four other limbs.

But a madman though...

"Well, you picked the commpass..." said Jazdia, smiling rather gleefully. Who cares if the orc Paladin looked very irritated by her brazenness? She decided to roll with her plan anyway. "Try to give each other sitreps whenever possible, okay? If you think the place is an obvious trap you lots couldn't handle, please inform me immediately. I will need Mister Solomon to go with me. Of course, if he doesn't mind. If anyone else wants to tag along with me, you should consult Matilda first."

[User]
Solomon Sparrow
Location: River Crossing, Kindeance

---

 With a plan reaching finalization, Solomon went ahead with summoning his shadows. Cedar might recognize some of the motion and energy, as it was very similar to when he animated Birk back at the watery tower ruins. Despite the silver in the energy, there was no light. Solomon held out a hand and began to mutter under his breath. His sleeves shifted off his arms revealing the bareness and age of his skin. His fingers were partially held out, his palm swirling energy and particles of blackness. The energy he cast emanated from the large tome strapped to his back, and circled around his torso down his outstretched arm. Then suddenly the power went straight into the ground.

 "I call upon thee, shadows. Heed my command and come forth." said Solomon softly, barely over a whisper. From the ground a pool of black nothingness began to form, absorbing the little light that was cast upon it. Slowly at first, then faster as they began to emerge, vague shapes of humanoid entities rose out of the pool. Like silhouettes, no details could be made from them save for their profile. Some appeared to be male, female, short, tall, but things such as age or species remained impossible to tell. About ten of them stood on the ground, soundlessly, and perfectly still. The energy faded, and what remained were the shadows and Solomon.

 "You need not worry about their discovery. I guarantee they will not. Much like their name, shadows cannot produce sound, nor can they interfere with man. They can hide in any crevice that houses darkness and any space shaded from the light." said Solomon. He turned his head slightly so that he appeared to be facing Jazdia though the shadows of his hood concealed his face. He let down his arm, the sleeves of his overcoat sliding back down to conceal his arms. Solomon whispered silent words. Those close enough could hear his breath exhale, but would not understand what he said. The shadows immediately reacted, collapsing into the ground. They resembled actual shadows of people standing in the light, though no figure existed to cast them. With speed superior to that of their horses, the shadows moved towards either village, gliding across the ground. In mere seconds, they were out of sight.

 "They will monitor the villages where we cannot. Should something of trouble arise, they will approach you as subtlety as they can. Of course, they will not reveal themselves to anyone not present here. They will keep a close eye on either manor for the prince should they attempt to smuggle him. They know as much as I, so I trust their discretion. Though they cannot speak, I understand them. For anyone else, treat their appearance as a warning."

 "As for the plan at hand, if Guard Captain Matilda has no objections, I will gladly join Jazdia. The prince is close at hand, and we should be careful not to squander the opportunity. Lady Veronica and Cedar have great skill when it comes to location, so I trust them to successfully locate him. Guard captain Matilda, it is not just the King who has trust in you. We should stand together on this."

[Assistant]
Kaito sighed. As usual Jazdia was drawing her own plans again without any regard for what others thought or said. That elf could be such a pain in the ass at times. And yet it was one of the traits the kitsune liked about her. She was never boring and complacent. It was truly a miracle that Madame Mathilda hasn't exploded yet because of Jazdia's way of communicating. It would surely be a sight to behold. However the orc showed a degree of remarkable patience that he hadn't expected of her.

"I don't believe in coincidences. I still think the fact that we suddenly broke through with scrying is entirely intentional from their side and that us splitting up is exactly what they want us to do. But hey, why listen to someone who specializes in trickery and misdirection….." Spoke the fox mildly annoyed as he was convinced that this whole situation was an obvious trap.

For a moment he contemplated what to do next. The decision was already made to split up so there was little that could be done about that. The only thing that wasn't clear yet was who would go to what place. "So about this splitting up thing. Who's going to tag along with Mathilda to Pesti and who's going with Jazdia to Fanghorn? Can I assume that you ladies have thought about what abilities you want on what front?"

[User]
"I don't believe in coincidences. I still think the fact that we suddenly broke through with scrying is entirely intentional from their side and that us splitting up is exactly what they want us to do. But hey, why listen to someone who specializes in trickery and misdirection….." Spoke the fox mildly annoyed as he was convinced that this whole situation was an obvious trap.

Jazdia's glowing eyes stared at Kaito in a way it was intended to bore his skull open. Sure she didn't mind an alternative plan, but so far nobody offered none, save what Matilda has planned, and if putting all eggs in one basket could be considered a plan that is.

"Then what is it that the enemy does not want?" she said, though on low voice, the belligerence of her tone was apparent. If it was someone else, she would have forgiven it, but Kaito was one of her agents, and he doubted her like he was yesterday's recruit, no... not even yesterday's recruit would dare to say that. Unless he is smart enough to devise his own plan.

"Ten minutes have passed! We can't stay here long. If any of you folks have another plan, say it now." declared Jazdia, there was a hint of challenge in it. "How we should handle this interference? My plan essentially is to check all avenues and cut their escape route, and improvise with the upcoming situation. We have the means to communicate now so coordination can be done easily. It is not a perfect plan, no plan is, but at least a flawed plan is better than idling about with no clear direction."


[System]
* Age: 21
* Sex: Male
* Appearance: I like Dreamselfy okay? :c
* Personality: Kirrian is a very quiet and introverted person, usually found somewhere obscure and calm playing his guitar. Shy around people and not all that keen on them either. Even with the few friends he does have there's not much that comes out of the guitarist's mouth.
* Background: Kirrian was a bit of a spoiled child, really having had everything a kid needed due to his rather wealthy parents. They spent time with him too, quite often in fact but it didn't really help with how shy he was later down the line. Apparently they never had the common sense to see someone about his relunctant nature, so instead just gave him whatever Kirrian wanted... Which wasn't much. At young age, sure, he had all the toys. Once hitting around 11 though a fascinating interest with guitars popped up, which he like any child, begged his parents to get him one. And lessons soon followed. At first it looked hopeless, often not having enough patience but once they got going it quickly picked up. Fastforward to middle and high school, people didn't really look at him aside from the odd dye-job in Kirrian's hair. Whenever someone WOULD try to talk he'd just give short answers and back off. The few stubborn ones that kept trying eventually broke through his shell, so lonely he never was. But their patience was constantly tested due to multiple vanishing acts and general avoidance. Now he was in college, with only minimal contact with his highschool friends. Mostly it's been replaced with his roommate, a freakishly medical obsessed girl that had gone mute due to an accident. In return for reading her rants about some new medicine she'd listen to his guitar playing. It was always something calming. Kirrian still oftentimes visited his family, why wouldn't he with how well he was raised? Also, as for he what was in college for? He'd planned on doing isolated work as a computer programmer, so that's what he studied for.
* Powers: With a guitar in hand he can play simple songs to invigorate allies or demotivate enemies, sort of like a bard. For now that's it, simple songs that can manipulate emotions a small amount. The other thing he gained was something more subtle, an ability to mute out the surrounding area. For now, it only affects him, only the things Kirrian wants to hear is what he hears.
* Personal Motive: Kirrian is unsure. Some guilt is there at leaving everyone who knows him, more for their sake than his own, but on the other side there wasn't THAT much to go back to. For now his goal is just to figure out what he wants, or needs, to do.
* Memento(s): The scarf in the image is a silk one he recieved as a gift from his original guitar teacher. Honestly, Kirrian was impressed they had the patience to put up with him and even more so when recieving such a gift. They weren't particulary fond of scarves, but this one he's rather fond of.

[User]
Despite himself, Coco couldn't help but giggle. He had managed to take hold of the tiger, but in his nervous petting accidentally heated up its other ear- when the precious thing tried to walk around, it hobbled from side to side, each ear landing on the ground.

"Alright," said the dark skinned man, cradling the mewling tiger in his arms, it being too big for his childish hands. He'd already apologized about not being able to end it's misery by heating up the rest of it and evening it out. Sadly, Coco hadn't been given much of a chance to try and figure out his special abilities. Petting the hardened clay parts of the tiger, the man nodded- "I suppose I'll take you in till I figure out to fix you."

He made his way through the greenery, wondering aloud if- "Do clay animals need to be fed?"- when the sound of distant, echoing cracking raised his small head. He was too small to see much above the great trees, by he did see a plume of smoke. Dark and ominous, Coco wondered what couldve caused it, and if he should be standing around instead of running.

It seems as though he had little running to do, two other figures starting towards him. They looked panicked, for the most part, and Coco was confused but already backing away in case whatever caused the smoke in the sky was right behind them. Large almond eyes narrowing, Coco waited until he felt they were close enough before calling out a curious- "Who are you running from?"

[Assistant] "Fire! Lots of fire!" Kirrian called out to Coco when they asked the question, only stopping his running briefly to stop and inform them of the situation. "Okay, so, Rickie here," The white haired boy pointed behind him, hoping the guy who played with fire didn't collapse already. "somehow managed to set a tree on fire. We're now running like hell because who knows what we might've attracted with that."

[User]
Rickie was panting by the time Kirrian reached the new guy, and he set his hands on his knees, breathing with difficulty. He held up a hand to confirm despite his red face and panting, that he was okay.

"...waitamin..."Rickie managed to get a few words."how...you...do...Name...Rickie..." He took a deep breath."And yeah, it was weird, I just did some stuff like this."

Arcane words were pronounced again, the Fireball spell coming in a fast gout of flames from his hand again, describing a fast collision trajectory to a tree.

BOOOM

"Huh" Rickie scratched his back. "Well I wanted to ...eh...do a example. Well, that's it. Let's start running again..." Rickie added, and started to run again.

[Assistant]
Ah, it was clear as day now. All of them who was here was going to the village, regardless of that person's er... compliments? Whoever it was that pulled them here was horrifyingly indiscriminate in their choice. One of them was but just a kid. What sort of sick person sends a kid to help with matters involving a whole realm? What if they died? Or even worse? That Chad person certainly didn't have any sense. He just waltzed into their group without so much as checking whether they were hostile or not. Fortunately for him, they weren't a bandit ring. Not a person she could count on.

But she can't just leave the kid either, or any of them. Some of them looked like they can fend for themselves but still...

"Well. Despite the uh... Flying girl," The soldier guy, Stas, pointed back at the artist and the flying one with his thumb, "And Edwin's missing small clay tiger. We have a direction now to the village. What do you think we should do?"

Juno looked at him for a moment, before looking towards the others. At the very least, they should be somewhere safer, like in the village.

"Alright." She spoke loudly, slamming her fist into her palm. "I'm sure most of you have your own questions to ask, I know I do, but for now, we need to get to the village. We don't know what's in this forest that might have a hankering for us, and I sure as hell do not want to find out. That clay tiger can be replaced, but if you die, you die, so we best move. Now," She looked up towards the sky. "Before it gets dark."

With that, Juno led the way, towards the village.

[User] "FOR CHRIST'S SAKE RICKIE!" Somehow the overweight magician managed to shoot ANOTHER ball of flames onto ANOTHER tree, causing a second wildfire. "If you keep this up the whole forest's going to burn down!" Suddenly a very sick feeling came into Kirrian's stomach. It started twisting and turning, clumping together. But it wasn't because he needed to throw up. No, instead, it was a gut feeling of something really nasty going to happen if they stuck around here. "Ugh! Yeah, I agree. We need to run. You better run too," Kirrian adressed Coco ", before we get eate by some stray animal that noticed the fire. Introductions can happen later!" After that last bit Kirrian followed closely after Rickie and managed to easily get ahead of them.

[Assistant]
Fire? As in, flames? Hot? Coco was too shocked to register the sudden gibberish out of the older one's mouth, too shocked to scream at the appearance of flames. His hands rose as the blast hit a tree, it cracking and splitting as it fell. Fire.

They did this somewhere else, too? They were in a fucking forest- with trees and birds and COLOUR- and these two... children were setting forests on fire! "Augh!" screamed Coco as the heat registered, flames licking at his cheeks. He stepped away in shock, the clay tiger leaping from his arms into the flame.

He couldn't fix the fire problem. He didn't know how. So, Coco did what he did best when in a situation he didn't understand- he ran. The clay tiger leapt out of the flames, fully cooked if you will, and throughout evened out. "Come on," called Coco to the small tiger, as he ran ahead of the two others, not willing to spend a moment with them. They were crazy, causing forest fires. And Coco had enough to worry about.

In the middle of his run he picked up the clay tiger, his body heating up from the running. He'd never run so much before, not without eating. But he was doing pretty well. And he could see it was there- light. In the distance he could see- wait, wait. Break time.

Coco slowed to a stop, his new little tiger friend stopping in front of him before backtracking. "Thanks," wheezed the boy, wiping sweat off his dark skin. "Short break first. I'm pretty hungry- do you know what hunger is?"
The tiger looked up at him with annoyance, it's ear flicking before it stepped towards a dirt path in nonchalan-

Wait dirt path?

Roads meant people. People meant cities. Looking back to see if the two lunatics had followed, Coco burrowed after the tiger through foliage, his very small body leading him towards a path. "Jesus Christ, what am I doing here."

[User]
Linnea flinched a bit from the power Juno emanated. Juno and Stas still made her anxious, but she needed to get over that if they were to work together.

"Yes ma'am. I'll stay higher to make sure we are going the right direction."
Linnea flies up, looks around, and almost immediately flies back down with renewed anxiety.

"Officer! I, I see 3 men running towards us! They'll be here any second now!"

[Assistant]
Things were strange. The police officer had a horn and was over two meters tall, there was a self proclaimed soldier with a spear and a flying girl that could fly like out of a story book. Despite all this Edwin surprisingly calmed down.
Huh, I must be in shock, so many silly things have just shut me down.
Shaking the stray thoughts from his mind Edwin finally responded to Linnea's offer of help regarding the tiger
"Sorry about that, I'd appreciate the help. I last saw it heading..." pausing Edwin sniffed Is that burning? Am I having a stroke? then Juno slammed her fist, shocking Edwin out of his thoughts, while giving orders.

"I'm sure most of you have your own questions to ask, I know I do, but for now, we need to get to the village. We don't know what's in this forest that might have a hankering for us, and I sure as hell do not want to find out. That clay tiger can be replaced, but if you die, you die, so we best move. Now, before it gets dark."

Edwin was a bit offended by the dismissal of his art as something that can just be replaced, it was a work of art after all, but he bit his tongue and rummaged through his pockets for anything that might be useful, finding only his scalpel and a lump on clay unused in his tiger piece. Glancing up at Linnea a stray thought crossed his mind
I suppose Wendy could do with a Tinker Bell. then something struck Edwin as odd. Officer Juno said something about it getting dark? But over there it looks kinda bright... and it's getting brighter! biting his lip Edwin debated speaking up about the situation then Linnea mentioned people running this way from the direction of the light.

"Officer Hightower, Colonel Klink and Wendy Darling, I think we should really pick up the pace. I smell burning and it doesn't exactly look like it's getting any darker." with that he took his own advice and started off at a slowly increasing pace after Officer Juno.

[User] Kirrian heard voices off in the distance talking, clicking his tongue on the upper lip. They're too far away to properly hear what they're saying, but if Kirrian has to guess they're going for Rickie's improvised bonfire... No more attention needs to be drawsn to the two. He jumped into the woods, out of sight, and then tried to find a different route to the village through it.


[System]
(From left to right - Adali Pritchard, Rosa Kimbell and Tiffany Ida, fresh out of the automobile factory.)
Age: 21
Sex: Female
Sexuality: Bisexual
Relationship Status: Single

The Body

Height: 5'2"
Weight: 132lbs
Hair: Black, wavy
Eyes: Dark brown
Skin Tone: Mixed Race
Appearance: Stocky and short with a passion for linen, Rosa dresses in waist high slacks and simple yet modest clothing for most of her day to day life. Her body is spattered with the scars of various bumps and bruises, her freckles show up under her eyes more prominently during the summer and she seems to cut her hair every weekend in an everlasting bid to contain it. She has a gap toothed smile and a wary eye. Her favourite colour is Burgundy and gold - she wears some of each whenever possible.

The Soul

Likes:
 Exercise
 Good food
 Stories
 Meeting people
 Parties
 Naps
Dislikes:
 Idleness
 Bureaucracy
 Cold weather
 The countryside
 Coffee
 Zoos
Skills:

* Psychometry (with no control over it)
* Good with mechanical engineering (Bad at theory)
* Methodical (and stubborn)
* Bilingual in French (but not too good at reading it)
* Quick and agile (but can't take a hit)

(From left to right - Rosa Kimbell, Adali Pritchard and Tiffany Ida, arrested for breaking and entering)

Brief History:

* Louisiana born and bred to a francophone African mother and an Irish American father.
* Grew up in a Catholic boarding school.
* Apprenticeship in her father's autoshop.
* Papa died during the Great War.
* Worked in an automobile factory after her mother fell ill.
* Pushed into robbery out of desperation.
* Uncle Joe moves in, looks after Maman and Rosa.
* Maman died 1919.
* Sold the deed to the autoshop to move in with Uncle in New York.
* Psychometric abilities manifested.
* Made pocket change as a shitty repairman in their apartment block.
* Struggled to find work after newfound abilities.
* Applied to the agency on a whim.

The Story

It wasn't that Rosa had drank so much that it was difficult to walk; it was simply a combination of dancing for hours and drinking in the breaks that made coordination a little bit more difficult than it would be during the day. Nevertheless, she trundled on with high purpose; they had ran out of cereal. There was a 24-hour kiosk down the road from where she lived with her uncle, run by a sweet Jewish family and almost always open for business as each family member took shifts. Under the cool fluorescent bulbs, anything was possible, everything was for sale. Rosa regarded the boxes of Quaker oats with a deliberate solemnity that the slightly inebriated seemed to always carry about them.
That's probably why Rosa nearly shat herself when a haggard old woman seemed to literally materialise in the slim gap between the grits and the toiletries aisle, weighed down by the endless layers of dulled clothing and tarnished jewelry. Rosa regarded her with awe and gingerly held out the box of cornflakes as a peace offering. "Never mind that, child," came the raspy voice of the lady (Rosa clung to her Kellogg's for dear life) "I am here to give you an opportunity."

"I don't think those are in stock round these parts," murmured Rosa as she started to take a few tentative steps back. She jolted as those withered fingers hooked around her wrist, and avoided looking into those piercing green eyes. "Listen lady, I fix things, I don't live off miracles. My land's the land of the broken, smokin' outcasts of our new automated life."

The old woman tapped one of her lacquered nails on her stomach. The red claw pierced the coating of tassels on Rosa's dress and sent chills running down her body. "Not recently, for certain," she hissed. "Not since the incident."

"You're good at this cold reading shit I'll give you that," came Rosa's nervous reply. The cereal was the last thing on her mind now. "Go on then. Give me an example of my lil' incidents." She blinked - a quiver of fear gave her warning - inhaled, sucking in one last breath of air before being hauled into the musty depths of the old woman's cloaks. Her ear was accosted by the words that the woman spat into them and Rosa recoiled, ripping the hem of her dress on those talons, nearly tripping on her own feet, as she was abruptly let go.

"Uh-huh. Yeah. That'll do it," Rosa stammered, a pool of orange flakes covering the tiles from the crumpled box hanging loosely in her hand. "You on that voudou shit, aren't you? Maman warned me 'bout you." Her free hand reached out and numbly grabbed the advertisement that the woman offered her. "So, does Hobbs take a-...a, uh, a telegram?" She called after the retreating figure. "She got business hours? Don't think she'd be awake right now, uh-huh?" She tottered after the old lady but lost her again in the gap between the aisles - the only proof of her existence was wobbling in Rosa's trembling hand.

Rosa sat on the floor. There wasn't enough bathtub gin in the world to make that up, and she didn't know what degree of sober she had reached, but it wasn't enough to wrap her head around the surrealism of the moment. Lost in deep contemplation, she awoke from her musings when bubbe Cohen shuffled down the aisles, pushed the pile of cereal aside with her little feet and wrapped her shawl around the lost girl, asking her with all the warmth of the street's favourite grandma if she was going to pay for that.

The Ether
Color Code: #800020
Theme Song: youtu.be/01wQa0ctK-Y

[User]
↫ ♛ ↬
Flick. Flick. Flick.

Violet absently opened and shut her knife as she strolled down the street. Looking at the opulent buildings surrounding her, she wondered how many of those windows had illicit activities going on behind them. One thing her experience had taught her was that rich people were much bigger criminals than the working class. Nearly every mansion held a few tales of vice within its walls.

As she approached the right building, Violet closed her knife and stowed it away in her pocket. The Doorman let her in when she mentioned her employer, and she entered the place.

She immediately froze where she stood, the majesty of the lobby hitting her all at once. Her breath left her in a huff, a bewildered smile creeping onto her face. This place was ridiculous. Huge staircase, fancy fountain, gold elevator doors, she wouldn't be surprised if the toilet paper was gilded.

"Damn…"

While riding the elevator, she wondered if she should have dressed a little nicer. She could have at least worn a vest or something.

Miss Hobbs' door led her into an equally fancy foyer full of art and statues that had to be priceless. Violet felt even more out of place, looking like a disheveled kid who hadn't gotten a wink of sleep (which she hadn't) standing in the middle of a damn palace.

She followed the butler into the study, mentally reviewing the bogus backstory she told the cops. She wasn't involved in her parents' business, too scared of retribution to blow the whistle on them. She's never committed a crime in her life, let alone multiple murders. She was totally in the dark about the gang's activities.

Innocent person. Innocent person.

She came face to face with her employer, Miss Hobbs. She was dressed in the way one would expect for someone living in a place like this.

Violet greeted her with a confident smile, "Violet LeBlanc. Nice to finally meet you."

[Assistant]
E6C2FF

She watched as each of her employees entered the room with excitement. Each in turn she greeted with a large smile and a bright and cheery tone that was perhaps lower than one might expect from such a small woman. A voice like whiskey and cigarettes which lilted with a upper class British accent. She doused her smoke in the nearby ashtray and stood, moving toward her desk.

"Since everyone is here then, I will hand out the contracts. They are just simple things I expect from all of you and a packet that will work as an employee handbook with suggestions on what I would like you to wear, gear you might need, and the way you must behave in order to give this company a good name." She collected a stack of papers and handed them out to each person in turn.

Bitsy waited patiently as her bright and shiny new employees signed their contracts. She was so enthused about the whole situation she had to light another cigarette and went to shuffle some papers uselessly on her desk. Finally all of the contracts were handed in and Hobbs immediately pulled out envelopes which contained the $100 and required a signed receipt showing payment had been given. The young woman had no concept of money and did not quite realize was the sign on bonus was the equivilent of $1,300 nor that their weekly pay came to nearly $700 in todays terms. All of this for a sake of a hobby.

"The sign on bonus is to ensure you will have a full clean wardrobe, are able to purchase notebooks and pens, as well as to make sure all of you can eat. A starving investigator is a bad investigator. All he'll want to do his investigate what to put in his stomach." She joked in a jovial and friendly way, as if she had known these people all her life.

Once everyone came down from the shock of the amount of money they had been given, Bitsy decided it was time to get right into it. "Since we have everything signed and ready we may as well start! I already have a case lined up for us. It is through my cousin, he has an archaeologist friend who has had some items moved around or gone missing. He suspects that a fellow colleague may be up to these shenanigans. Any questions before we get on with it?"

[User]
Rosa had seen her fair share of people from all sorts of different backgrounds, which is why she was a little disappointed in the line-up. All of the people here looked as if they could afford breakfast; maybe even luncheons, if she was going to be adventurous with her musing. She was even a little offended that Sam Wu, Esq, had such a fancy-pancy way of speaking. Where was the honour? The integrity, the pride in your own heritage? She dished out some disappointment in her stare. Maybe that'll get to him. Or maybe he'll just wonder why this chocolate ragamuffin was giving him the stink-eye.

Whether it worked or not was irrelevant, Samuel Wu (Esq) still gave out his business cards and Rosa was temporarily placated with the notion of an offering. She didn't quite know what to do with cards like those, especially since her time on the telephone was severely limited after racking up that bill talking to the girls back in Louisiana. However it wasn't hard to spot a bored young lady, and a bored young lady was she. Rosa knew how to amuse herself, and waiting was probably one of her fatal weaknesses. Now she had a card.

Another woman walked in but barely said anything - no introduction this time - as Rosa was perfecting her masterpiece, a paper boat that could weather all the storms and shit you'd find in the New York gutters. It was intriguing to see her handiwork, especially given she was still wearing those gloves and hadn't taken them off when she came in. In fact, out of all the people who came in, the only one that really introduced herself was the dirty young blonde who looked like she'd come from harder times, but hadn't, because she was a LeBlanc. In fact, that name alone made Rosa nearly drop her paper boat.The LeBlancs made everyone's life hell. Even being near one made Rosa bridle with disgust.

This didn't mean Rosa didn't like any of those assembled. It was just-...she wasn't impressed by them. There was something lacking - something they needed to prove to her first before she could really appreciate who she was working with. For Samuel, it was a bit of relatability. For the two unknowns, it was primarily their names. And the LeBlanc-...well, Rosa didn't know how anyone could redeem themselves if they'd openly call out that name in a high rise apartment. But she knew a thing or two about the path to redemption. She was willing to keep an eye out for some sort of miracle.

When the contract arrived, Rosa had completed the business-card-turned-sea-vessel and was ready to set sail into the dangerous waters of binding agreements. She regarded the paper with scepticism. It crinkled under her clunky grasp - but only a little. She inhaled through her nostrils. She rubbed one eye. She looked up at Joseph, then down at the contract. She did not - could not - mention nor react to the absolutely absurd amount of money she'd be making, on a salary. She barely batted an eyelid at the reimbursement clause. She absolutely, positively did not make any sort of indication of surprise or excitement whatsoever, on pain of death, or the loss of such a good deal-...

...A deal too good to be true.

Rosa's finger traced the circle of the symbol painted on the letterhead. She was at least vaguely aware of what her employer was trying to tell her, but her thoughts went back to the cereal gypsy of her ill-fated discovery of the investigation unit. Her blood seemed to curdle in her veins, as if she was dumped into a bucket of ice water. She knew there had to be a condition somewhere. A 'but'. She had an inkling of a suspicion, that had now blossomed into a great big ugly bloom of hypotheses.

When Rosa spoke she stood out immediately, which probably explained why she was so quiet in the first place. For starters, a voice like that didn't come from New York. In fact, it was really difficult to place her anywhere geographically from the sound alone. Sometimes there was a Louisiana drawl. Her consonants had all the heavy heat of Maghrebi plains. The Irish in her came out like a little leprechaun elbowing its way through the sentences. And, as if it were an afterthought, there was that unmistakable New York varnish on top of the entire debacle, as if tossing some loose semblance of familiarity onto the most otherworldly accent known to man would make it a little easier on the ears. It was coherent enough though. You could hear her. She spoke in a way that could be understood.

She said, "Do you know what this symbol means?" Her gaze snapped up to meet Bitsy's in the eye, a ballsy move for someone with more patches in her pants than dollars in her pocket. "Or did you just draw this on for the hell of it?"


[System]
Age:12

Appearance
White hoodie
Black t-shirt underneath
Midnight purple eyes

Power:shadow manipulation

Bio:TO BE REVEALED.

[User]
The cat boy looked as if he had fallen ill on the spot. Worrying for the mans safety; he quietly had the monkey run off. Which it just climbed into a garbage can near by and kept eyes on Cretil.

Are you okay Mr?

He asked though noting this midnight performance in the back of his head. His main focus on the man infant of him who was spurting nonsense all of a sudden. It was strange to see someone go from happy to this, what ever this is. The monkey had given Cretil his ticket before it left and he stuffed it back in his pocket.

[Assistant]
@Blizz@Yukisaa
She looks to everyone else and then to the now unconscious boy. She gulps as she notices the fog starting to form  "Would now be a good idea to say I need to shower?"

She looks at a nearby tree and runs over to it. She snaps a branch off to use as a weapon  "I say you either listen to the now incapable boy or you prepare to fight if we need to defend ourselves"

There was slight glisten in her eyes as she looks towards the stone dome thing

[User]
!

Naureen stopped to get a caramel apple and was munching on it when the first tremor came through. Out of experience she thought that one of the rides had shifted or an overloaded truck had been moved. It happened several times in her apartment over the last year. She shrugged and went on eating her yummy goodness happily.

The lights were bright and the music was loud but the hawkers were louder. Naureen had finished her caramel apple and was thinking about riding a ride or not when the second tremor rumbled through. People began to look worried particularly the hawkers and food stand operators. She began searching for the only person she knew at this carnival- Lucifer. She hurried towards her new home and the last place that she saw Lucifer. As the people started to realize that they should getting out of there, people began to shove, push and yell for each other..... Naureen knowing that she couldn't be heard over the noise of the crowds nor where he was, felt that the best place was back at her tent and perhaps packing a suitcase to flee if she needed to. Fortunately, her tent was away from any large rides.

[Assistant]
"Ladies and Gentlemen...we respectfully request your attention..."

Within seconds of the calm, clearly accented voice projected across the carnival, the tremors soon faded. If one were paying extra attention, a certain shimmer could be perceived across the busier section of the carnival, though the quieter areas continued as before.

"Please do not be alarmed, all issues are being dealt with immediately. Please remember that as this place is meant to provide a dreamlike experience, you are in no danger at this time."

"We have a report of certain technical difficulties in the outskirts at the moment. However, we are already fully equipped to deal with such problems and invite you to remain in the central hub until they have been resolved. In the meantime, please think of it as no more than a slight jolt in this fantasy. Please stay out of the side sectors for the time being, and should any real trouble arise, you shall be notified and safely escorted by our personnel."

"Tante Grazie, for your cooperation. We hope that you will continue to enjoy your time in this wonderland of ours."

Waving his staff a final time to stop the voice projection and secure control over the central carnival sectors, the male behind the voice sighed. It had been a while since he'd had to do this, and he had hoped that it would be much, much longer. It had been hard enough wiping away the events the last time, and of course a large chunk of the staff probably still remembered, even if the visitors didn't.

As he exited his chamber, he ignored the staff members who parted in front of him, giving him a wide berth the moment they saw his scowl.

It was time to go find what idiot had activated it this time and make sure they never did so again.

---

Lucifer didn't stop running until he had made it to one of the normally quiet sectors of the carnival. Admittedly, he had been experiencing a certain sense of unease around here lately, but he didn't think it would escalate so soon. The boy's little visits had never been particularly harmful before, and as long as there wasn't a surge in energies that it could perceive...

Before he could continue on the train of thought, the catlike man found himself facing the source of the disturbances. Exactly as he had feared, the courtyard was exhibiting quite an irregularity. Seeing the mist thickening quickly, he made a few quick motions and summoned a small "fairy light" that followed above his head before heading in. "Hello? Is anyone there? Please say something if you can!"

---

Book

"I'm sorry!" The brunette opened one eye as he looked back up at the man who seemed to be eyeing him with concern. One hand remained at his own scalp as he attempted to fix his glasses with the other, taking a deep breath and seeming to be listening for a second before continuing with a half-hearted smile. "Mi scusa, we'll have to continue this later. My nephew...I mean, I have some business to take care of. In the meantime..."

The twin-tailed cat stopped again as the announcement sounded throughout the area, visibly gulping as he recognized the voice. "A-ah...it might be best if you head to the center for now. There's a tent there where you can wait if you like, or maybe just visit the attractions around that area for now..."

"A-anyway, I'll see you at the performance, I'm sure. A-a presto!"

Quickly, the now-nervous brunette started running. He hadn't gotten a ton from what the link had provided, but it sounded like Lucifer was in trouble already. With the odd announcement as well, he was certain that whatever had happened was big. The master wouldn't have taken control like that if it wasn't necessary, after all.

[User]
still holding Sensei and making sure not to let him go, i looked over to the young men who was talking to me. "trust me, your not dreaming, do you want me to hit you in the arm to see?" smirking.

While Nova was chatting with the young men, Sensei looked around at the sound, hoping that it would be a tasty monster for him to eat. licking his lips, he saw a young woman from the corner of his eye, take a branch from a tree.

Athena@YamiCuoreLaroux

[Assistant]
Naureen was close to running to the voice who seemed to that cat fellow.
"Hello out there with the hat light! Would you be Lucifer? Oh please please please say yes...... I need to know what to do because I felt an earthquake! Even if you aren't Lucifer, please help me!"she pleaded as she hurried towards the sound and light with tears streaming down her face.

[User]
@yukisaa@Lady Athena@Blizz

"That's not good." Lucifer's already pale face lost perhaps a little more color as he noticed the fairy light change it's own to an acidic green. There was something in this mist, and it wasn't anything a newspaper and a spray bottle would get rid of.

"Kido! Are you in there? You need to get out, there's something contaminating the mist! I don't know how long we have!"

At the sound of a familiar voice somewhere behind him, the catlike man began to visibly panic. "Naureen! Go back to the central carnival and get help from the largest tent! This isn't a good place to be right now, and I don't know who else is here!"

"Please, if anyone else is here, say something! We need to get out before--!"
Cut off by a slight tightening of the throat, the bespectacled man stopped to let out a short cough. "Ah...It burns a bit..."

[Assistant]
[@All]

Naureen threw her shawl around her face, picked up her skirts and ran as fast as she could go. She moved around people
as she kept an eye on the biggest tent as her target. When she got to the tent, she stammered out
"I n-n-need h-help!And I-i need it r-right n-now and-d so does L-Lucifer! He says there is a contamination in the m-mist! It's green and-d it is burn-ning his throat!" She stood not far inside the door and hoped for someone to answer her as she looked about with teary eyes.
She panted and was bent over since she was out of breath.

[User] Athenajack nodded reluctantly"I second that"he said as he extended his right arm parallel to his body as a gorging mass of spherical, indigo light emerged, from his arm shaped a cloak with chain mail underneath, a face guard manifested around the bottom half of his face as his eyes lit up"we should defend ourselves" jack slammed the bottom of his scythe to the ground as the blade lit up In the same light.

[Assistant]
@YamiCuoreLaroux@Aisling@yukisaa

Her vision blurrs a bit as she covers her mouth and coughs a bit. Her words muffled "Alright, We will have to keep moving. Keep your guard up, but also try and make it towards the tent"

She stands her guard as she walks backwards slowly towards the tent. She in Jack's direction and roll her eyes at the sight of his scythe. She looks back towards the mist in hope that there is something to fight, she felt as if even if she dies she is happy since she saved some lives.

[User] watching as the others ran around towards the tent, she slowly walked towards a small tent, and away from the others. "well, i think we are lost" saying to the cat in my arms, not noticing that he was asleep from drinking so much. "well your not helping...." as i said that, i ran into a young girl.

[Assistant] Athenajack looked around"It seems this is just a bluff, there's no threat"jack said as he addressed the other person eager to fight, he dispelled his scythe.

[User]
A few performers looked around at each other with worried expressions, whispering for a moment before a couple of them approached the crying girl. "The master just left. Said he was taking Aiace, too, so don't worry. He wouldn't let anything happen to his nephew." The costumed performers tried to lead Naureen further inside to a chair. "It'll be alright, just as long as nobody else gets caught..."

---

@yukisaa@Lady Athena

It took a bit more stumbling about in the mist before the blonde man finally caught sight of three figures in the courtyard. "Ah! I've found you! Please hurry, it's not safe..." As he attempted to reach out to them, he was soon stopped as the fairy light above his head flickered and he dropped to the ground, clutching at his throat.

"...Aiace, mangialo."

A loud whooshing sound filled the air as the mist was sucked away. As it vanished, two figures became visible a short distance away from the entrance to the courtyard: A short one whose eyes shimmered faintly in the darkness left behind, and a taller brunette with a split tail behind who seemed to be sucking in the mist.

When the air finally cleared, the brunette dropped to his knees, breathing out deeply and trying to deal with his sudden light-headedness. As he did so, the second figure stepped forward.

As the slow footsteps clicked along the stone pathway on the ground, Lucifer looked up slowly with some slight fear present in his features. "Master, we--"

Cut off by a fit of coughing, he doubled over again on his knees. The new figure watched carefully for a moment before turning to the rest. A pair of amber eyes glared sharply through the dark, and a venomous tone of voice could be heard as a clearly accented voice growled at them.

"Get out. Now."

Behind him, the brunette had recovered and was now beckoning frantically for the new arrivals to follow. Please...don't make it worse...

[Assistant]
@Blizz@YamiCuoreLaroux

She looks to all the people who were falling to the ground after inhaling the mist. She trusted the brunette much more than anyone else that she had seen. She holds on to her stick and follows close behind without saying a word to anyone else. She felt as if she was alone still, she also felt like she wasnt leaving this place anytime soon, this was her perfect chance to make some friends...

[User] stepped forward and said firmly to the tall one"who are you and where the living hell are we?"he said as he summoned his scythe and held it with the end to the ground like a guard.