[System]
Matsuda Takeo
* Age: 16
* Personality: Takeo is known to be quite passive, though cheerful and optimistic. He floats through life with a smile on his face, and is quick to help those whom ask. Though despite his friendliness, he is very hard to know, and has an unwillingness to form bonds. He is quiet beyond idle banter, only truly opening up when asked about his work. He is somewhat lazy and often reluctant to go above the minimum of what he is asked, though he will do nearly anything if pressed. He is quick to laugh and soft of voice, and enjoys food more than most.
* Motive to live: Takeo was selected for the project, and found he could not turn down the offer of working directly with the engineers on his own Framewerk. Part of the bargain demanded he also pilot it to eliminate alien threats to the Earth, but he is ignorant to the true implications of this. In light of this, he fights only because he was asked to.
* Background: Takeo grew up in an outer-rim planet locked in war with the Cruxi. His parents were killed early into his childhood, and he remembers little of them. He was quickly drafted into helping maintain and repair armed vehicles as a combat engineer, and honed his skills over the years. Though his creations lack polish, they are usually strong and functional, and he is capable of delicate operations in the thick of battle. Just after his sixteenth birthday, Takeo was extracted from his home world and brought to Earth to serve in the Framewerks project.
* Notable Deaths: Ivan Sparrow - Six months before Takeo was drafted into the Framewerk project, his best friend Ivan was killed in an explosion during a skirmish with the Cruxi. Takeo still blames himself for the event, and it has led to his emotional vacancy and inability to form new friendships.

________________________________________

Framewerk Sheet

* Framewerk Code Name: Iron Sparrow
* Appearance:

Iron Sparrow is a crude Frame made of thick, heavy, unpolished gray steel. Dexterity is lost upon it - its legs have little mobility, instead requiring powerful thrusters in the feet to aid in locomotion. Its only marking is a white-blue star on the center of the mask, a symbol Takeo also wears on a cord around his neck.
* Signature Weapon System: Paladin - Iron Sparrow is equipped with a massive steel blade, connected at the wrist, and a giant kite-shaped shield plate embedded in its back. The blade can retract along the arm, but the shield is stationary. The blade is not very sharp - rather, it crushes foes through sheer force with the aid of the thrusters on the forearms of the Frame. The shield is rudimentary, but its sheer size and thickness allows it to withstand almost anything while Iron Sparrow protects its comrades.
* Secondary Weapon System: Iron Sparrow contains hundreds of repair drones within itself, allowing minor repairs to other Framewerks. Its own plating is too thick, however, for repair drones to be of any use on itself.
* Flight-Capability/Thrusters: Iron Sparrow uses thrusters mounted on the wrists and feet for movement. It is quite slow, and to make up for this, Iron Sparrow has the unique capability to equip a device known as an Overbooster thanks to the shield on its back. The Overbooster is planted directly on the shield, and is a massive engine capable of propelling Iron Sparrow linearly at extreme speeds. Once its fuel is depleted, it detaches. This allows Iron Sparrow to punch immediately into enemy ranks, where it can do the most good, but does nothing to help with the Framewerk's otherwise poor mobility.
* Sync Ratio: 85%
* Special Ability: N/A

[User]
Well... this is surprising, Ant thought, seeing the girl in an actually somewhat serious state for once. "Oh, wow. The guy's still alive?" was Ant's first statement... but he could see from her current state that it was only making matters worse for her. "So you're telling me Lorenzo didn't finish the job...? I'm as much in the dark as you are, it seems. I left before everyone flipped their shit." Honestly, Ant was surprised Serah wasn't among them... but he kept that thought to himself, coming to the realization that he could actually use her.

"How about we do some investigating on our own, then? You want to know what happened to Ian, and I want to know what the fuck it is they're actually planning on doing with us. And it looks like nobody here's going to be giving any of us bodybags the schedule any time soon." Ant rose to his feet, reinvigorated, and made his way toward one of the exits. He looked at the girl, awaiting a response. "Well? You want answers or not?"

[Assistant]
Serah winced when Antwon mentioned Ian should've been dead. And then the fact Lorenzo was the one who shot him. Really Serah should've been completely broken right now. Crying her eyeballs out. But that's not what was happening. All she could think of now was that bastard Lorenzo. Again he was flaunting his power. Again he treated everyone like a sack of flesh that's only being carried round out of necessity. It angered Serah. It angered her so much the tears stopped then and there. Her body stopped shaking also... Everything else was just replaced by a few fingers curling themselves towards the palm... Forming a fist.

Serah almost forgot the older boy was still there until he said something again. They wanted to investigate this event with her... But does she really want to? It's not like she'll find Ian without a clue... No. She's best off just telling everyone that... Wherever he is, Lorenzo is probably not taking care of Ian. "I refuse." The blue haired girl spat out. "Whatever we do, it's futile anyway. As long as we're being tossed around by that guy, anyway. Fucker couldn't keep the loyalty of a dog if he tried..." She hated him so much. She hated the commander so much. But it's out of Serah's power to change anything. She shook her head, trying to shake off her true feelings. "...This is so unlike me..." The girl stood up, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry... You saw me like that. I'm... I'm going to the bathroom." With that, Serah left Ant alone again.

[User]
This can't be happening. Ian got hurt, and yet you still won't stop with the senseless violence? It's a nightmare.

Elora slid down on the floor, her legs betraying her, and started crying before Ritsu intervened along with a couple of soldiers, and put an immediate end to the brawl. Ritsu was strict, but she was actually a reasonable person, and when she helped Elora up and gave a handkerchief to her the shy girl responded: "Yes, lieutenant. I'm sorry."
Elora had to become stronger, since she couldn't let her emotions run free lest she risk the professor's wrath. But more importantly, she wanted to be someone Sigma would trust and believe in. Not because she was her superior now, but because she's her friend.

Elora blew her nose on the handkerchief, and took a quick look at the others. She didn't even realize Iskander was carrying weapons before they were confiscated from him. She didn't think he was the kind of person to use them on anyone here. Then again, she saw first-hand how aggressive he can be on the battlefield, even against a support unit like her. She didn't know what to think. Then she saw Takeo, and how he was crying. This wasn't easy to anybody, not even someone who seemed as laid back as he was. But to Elora, showing emotions was not a fault, it was a sign of being a real person with real feelings, unlike Zan who appeared to be more robot than human. Though she did wonder why he and Korie started to fight.

They were soon surrounded by two of the scary soldiers. They seemed to be in a better mood than the helicopter pilots, but Elora didn't think much on that, being too distracted by the intense situation. They were then escorted to the cafeteria, and Elora sighed in relief: she could finally get something to eat. Even if it was disgusting synthetic gruel she would take it. She then spotted Serah and Antwon sitting at a table, and she wanted to join them once she filled her tray. However, Serah left the table before she could reach it, and left the mess hall once Elora sat down. "Oh," Elora said, disappointed.

Having lost her chance at talking to her she decided to stay there. She then started eating. She didn't feel like talking to Antwon, so she just kept quiet. Her thoughts ran back to Ian, Zan and Korie's fight, and finally, to Ritsu's words. There was a lot to think about.

[Assistant]
Of course, Ant thought. Why did I figure she would be useful in the slightest? He stood there, insulted by the refusal.

"Yeah, great fucking attitude", Ant let her know, his voice echoing in the empty room as she walked off. "Give up on your friend. But I guess you're a-okay knowing he's in good hands, right?" It was becoming clear to Antwon that nobody seemed to care that their life expectancy here was going to be short... very short, at least under this leadership; or they were too stupid or afraid to see it. No... it seemed at every turn, he was alone...

...and then, he turned around. "GRUH!" Ant let out awkwardly, genuinely startled by Elora's sudden appearance. He quickly tried regaining his cool composure, then sat himself back down. "Jesus, you really are a mouse", Ant said. Then, almost as quickly as she left, Sunshine came charging back in... unfortunately for Ant with her usual disposition, as if the rainbow switch was flipped in the back of her head.

Ant let out a moan, leaving Elora's table to find his own private corner. He could tolerate the girl when she seemed to have some thoughts going on in the little head of hers, but she would rather put on a chipper facade; who the hell could be happy with this situation? Ant put in his earbuds once more in an attempt to drone out her grating, high pitched voice, and laid on one of the other long cafeteria tables. He needed to take a short nap, regain his senses... it seemed he would need plenty of it to stay sane in this place.

[User]
Serah didn't react to Ant as she left. She just couldn't. She was going to put on that grin again, beam like a rainbow and be the Serah everyone wanted to see. Nobody would like her in this state. They'd all just prefer the cheery little fluffball, the one who goes around life without a care in the world and makes others smile as much as she does. Entering the girl's bathroom, she quickly opened the faucet to let the water flow. Serah reached out her hands, letting a bit pool up before splashing it in her face. This was repeated around three times before a grin appeared on her. "No need to stand around like that, Serah~!"

The young girl wipes her face off with a paper towel before going outside again, back to the cafeteria she left so saddened-looking. Nobody needs to see me sad right now. I'd only bring them down, too. Eventually she made it over there, seeing Elora already having started to eat. "H-Hey! No fair!" she called out, running over to her table and taking a seat. Serah's cheeks were puffed up, all the while crossing her arms. "Come oooon! I leave for a bit to go to the bathroom and you start without me, Elly? No faaaaaair... You're mean..."

[Assistant]
Takeo felt Zan's heavy fist slug into his cheek, knocking him down, but could not will himself to lift even a finger as he was dragged back to his feet and berated by the large youth. Takeo was not the tallest boy, and his feet dangled as Zan held him there.

 "Are you going to stay down there like the piece of shit you are, or are you going to get up and train so you will actually be useful in the war against the Cruxi!?" Zan tossed the mechanic to the ground once again, finishing his criticism.

 Takeo was used to being pushed around by kids with bigger bodies, and kids with bigger egos. He had learned to accept it in his position, and he never held it against them. Zan was no different. Indeed, Zan's attack might have been just what he needed. Some of his words stuck.

 He's right. I can't break down when we lose a fighter. There is still so much to protect. Takeo looked up at the other boy, determination in his eyes, but before he could speak, Korie stepped between them. Then, the lieutenant was there, ending the conflict and helping Takeo to his feet.

 "Also, aren't you supposed to be like a 'Paladin' of sorts?" Ritsu asked when the boy was standing again. "Falling down so easily isn't like you, Matsuda. Stay standing, and wipe that awful look from your face, would you? You look better with a smile."

 Takeo nodded, an automatic response, and gave a small sideways grin. But I still can't forgive you, lieutenant. Or this place. He looked to the other cadets around him. A Paladin. I'll protect all of them, or die trying. No more tears.


[System]
Age: 23
Species: Human

Keyblade:

Keyblade powers: When the Power of Rip Jaw is invoked, the user is given the ability to lose all sense of pain and given a slight power increase. However, the down fall of this power is: should the user continue the battle for a long period of time. His sanity slowly diminishes until he can no longer tell friend for foe becoming a sort of wild animal that's lost all sanity. The power of the Keyblade can only be invoked by calling out its name and saying, "Give me the strength to protect those around me."
Heart type: Heart of the Guardian
Spells: Cure, Fire, and Thunder
Bio:
From the very beginning Seth was a fighter. He would protect those who couldn't protect themselves and living in an orphanage in Radiant Garden, Seth found himself as the other kid's protectors. When the heartless attacked he stood between them and the children of the orphanage. All he had was a wooden sword and his fists as weapons, but he soon found out those wouldn't destroy the heartless. He wished for a power to protect everyone, to keep everyone safe. That's when the Keyblade appeared in his hand. He could hear a voice in his head telling him its name. Rip Jaw, a fearsome looking weapon. However, it was the perfect weapon to protect the children in the orphanage.

He was only 14 when he fought off the heartless and protected the orphanage and everyone in it. However, he knew the heartless would be back and he needed to stop them before they could return. That's when he found out about the Keyblade War. He has trained for nine years with the various warriors in Radiant Garden to hone his skills and unlock the capabilities of his Keyblade and his own power. When he returned for training one day he stopped dead in his tracks. His home, his friends, and family. All were screaming in pain as the orphanage burned to the ground. Standing in front of the burning building was a man. A Keyblade in his right hand and flames in his left, but what Seth saw on the man's face was the most disturbing. He turned to Seth and his sadistic crooked smile only grew. The man talked about how he had tracked down a Keyblade warrior to this very orphanage and instead of just finding them, he simply would destroy everyone to make sure the warrior of light wouldn't survive.

Seth's Keyblade instantly appeared in his right hand. The anger inside of him continued to rise as he continued to listen to his family and friends suffer in the flames. He didn't know why this man wanted to kill innocent people. However, he would never forgive him for what he had done. In the years of training he had discovered what his Keyblades power was. One of his mentors told him he shouldn't use the power with heighten emotions because his sanity might slip faster, but at that very moment he didn't care. He invoked his Keyblade power and in the end: he destroyed the man who made his family and friends suffer. In the man's last breath, he told Seth about the Keyblade war and the two factions. Seth decided the heartless would need to wait. Those who fought for the darkness had to be stopped, had to be destroyed before anything like this could happen again.

Seth now finds himself in Twilight Town. The train from Radiant Garden took him to this place for some reason. Whatever the reason, Seth knew he needed to end the war. For his family and friends, for those who had been hurt by the chaos of the war, and for the sake of all worlds corrupted by the battle between light and darkness.
Theme:

[User]
Arthal finally lay his head to the pillow and rested, his room silent. He felt as if he was back home, relaxing in his tree house. Strumming on his harp as he watched the priestesses care for the world tree, his life had been simple yet now he was expected to be strong, yes he had been taught and even traveled to other worlds before. His teacher had fought in that first great battle that buried the temple. Yet now he was without guidance and he was leading them, what he knew came from his heart and his head. He just had to hope it would be enough to protect his home, the war could not reach Elf Burrow, he wouldn't let it.

He finally drifted off to sleep when he could have sworn he heard the sound of rain. He was dreaming, bowed before his master the rain hammered outside against the dojo. He master summoned his blade and Arthal summoned his, his master spoke in a quiet voice but one that commanded respect. "I will try to his the target dummies behind you, your goal is simply, stop me." With that the old Elf charged.

Arthal and his blade met Arthal shoved him back the to the other side of the room. "Come on old man! I thought you Thon Sho, not Thon Slow!" Laughed the young apprentice, as he was suddenly froze in place Thon walked over smacking each dummies head into him.

"You failed boy, now clean the dojo and start again." They practice that fight for five years before Arthal won his first match. Not by defeating his master but stalling him while he moved the dummies outside of the dojo where his master couldn't get to them. He felt so proud in that, he treated himself to trip to the World Tree, the source of the forests and food for all Elves. Their he gathered fruit and and bathed in pools, even attending a cutting ceremony for newly weds. He missed it, he the days when he was in hundreds, barely more then a child with Thon teaching him and training him.

The dream fell away and the World Tree moved farther and farther away, the safety of its branches the warmth on the sun glittered through its leaves leaving him. He stood up two keyblades in his and hands and turned around slowly, he was back to somewhere he didn't remember, Thon remembered it though. Fire burned around him, a village under attack? By who, he froze when he locked into house and saw something terrifying, Orcs. Orcs had raided and attacked Elves years ago, at the time of Arthal's birth they had been wiped out however. He saw the Knights of the World Tree, the order Thon had founded to train warriors who could fight anywhere any time with magic and blade.

As things happened around him he could only watch, the knights fighting and cutting down Orc raiders. Yet after the Orcs ran they chased, it he saw Thon upon a hill looking out in horror as the Orcs homeland blazed and burned Knight of the World Tree cutting them down. He saw happening again and again, the Orcs attacked and the Knights responded with something even more brutal.

Then it happened, Thon helped the Orcs. He thought to save their race from genocide at the hands of the knights he had formed. Yet when the last battle between Orcs and Elves ended, every Knight lay dead as well as every Orc. Thon returned home, in the years to come he would take one apprentice, Arthal. Naming him the last Knight of World Tree, Arthal thought he would be a hero, now he knew a truth. The people he had so long revered were monsters as much as the Orcs were, he would not be them. He would not commit genocide even if it was for the greater good.

[Assistant]
As Azazel lay awake, waiting for the morning to come, he reflected on his journey through the worlds. He reflected upon how he watched Heartless consume worlds, how he documented the effects of losing one's heart. He watched innocent people become consumed by Shadows, noting how they screamed as their bodies were torn apart. He looked into the mirror and saw it in his eyes. His own Heart screaming to save those people and his cold logical Mind silencing it so that he could find out how to control it. Control the Dark, so that the rest of the multiverse could live without fear of the shadow.

As Azazel lay awake, he tried not to reflect on before. Before the Darkness ate Eden. Before every time he closed his eyes, he saw the death of everyone he knew. Before he unlocked his Keyblade, before he slaughtered thousands of Heartless with Magical Destruction. Before he used Wind to tear apart Soldiers, before Magnets could be used to create a black hole from which nothing could escape, before Ice turned all it touched into a tundra. Before he knew Magic was a weapon and before he was even Azazel.

He was Chen Chideta, a simple magician in a simple world. He entertained children, he solved problems. Not once had Chen imagined that life could be anything but happy. Sure there was minor stuff, like a bad breakup, a family member dying. He could never imagine another human being dying of something other than time. He couldn't even fathom the idea of any being hurting another being. Not in a world where violence didn't exist, the closest thing to perfection one could imagine. But that passed.

The Darkness came. Never-ending Darkness, swarming through the streets. Where there was once boys and girls playing in the streets, now there was nothing but Shadows. He once remembered laughing with his best friend at the ice cream store on a bright Sunday morning. Now all he remembered was the screaming coming from the open windows as a Fat Body crushed the lady who owned the store. Chen remembered the smell of freshly baked cinnamon pie rolling through his window as he looked at another person's problem and wondered, 'How can I help?' Now all he remembered was the burning flesh as swarms of Red Nocturnes fired upon those he had called friends. Every time Chen closed his eyes, he saw burning. And he screamed, he pleaded, he cried and he prayed and he wished for just one chance. To turn back time so he could tell everyone, nobody was safe, tell them that they needed to run.

But his prayers remained unanswered. On that day, Chen Chideta died. Only Azazel was left, Azazel and his insane goal to grab the Darkness, to grab it and direct it. Azazel would make sure that no family, no child, no city, no world was ever destroyed like his. Even if he had to throw away his Heart in the process. He would become one with the thing he hated most. But not yet, now he would journey with these Keyblade Wielders, those who remained in the Light he had fallen from. But for now...

For now, Azazel lay awake.

[User]
Arthal awoke that morning feeling worried and alone he steadied himself and collect the dark vessel, storing it safely in a bag. He then walked into the warp room carefully setting the orb on the pedestal near it he a map of the universe, pulsing dark locations appeared over world. He began to check the co-ordinates and positioning getting the close to the piece after they arrived it would simply be a game of hunting and finding the piece. More importantly avoiding getting attacked by either side of the war or individuals out their who would want to take the pieces for themselves.

Arthal finally got things together then he headed into the main hall reaching into the cupboard he paused pulling out two fresh fruits from the world tree. He reach back in and a cup of honey tea sat before him he pulled out sitting down he carefully took a bite from one of the fruit before sipping the tea. Perfect as if he made it himself or another elf had, it even had a hint of cinnamon in it. It was as if the temple itself had read his mind and brought him what he wanted.

The Elven man smiled and at then slowly sipped on his tea until it was completely finished, after putting his cup in the sink and fruit cores in the trash he went to each door and knock."Wake up, get yourself something to eat from the cupboard and get ready. I know where were going." He told them each after he knocked upon their door, finally he finished that and moved to wait by the warp room. He wondered if the cupboard would give them each what they desired for breakfast.

[Assistant]
Seth sighed as he moved his arm away from his eyes. After the nightmare, he wasn't too eager to get back to sleep he didn't know when the nightmare woke him up, but after about four hours (He assumed) Arthal knocked on his door to wake him up.

"I'm coming," Seth said as he sat up and shifted to the edge of the bed. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. This is going to be a long day Seth thought as he stood up and stretched. He walked over to the door and opened it. As he stepped out into the hall, the uncomfortable pit in his gut came back. I know, it's terrible isn't it the voice said.

"it's way too damn early for me to be dealing with you," Seth said before he headed to the kitchen. He looked around, but didn't see a fridge or even a stove. He scratched his head and said, "How the hell are we going to cook?" Seth opened the cupboard and was surprised to see a mug of coffee and a bagle with cream cheese.

"Guess that answers my question," Seth said as he took the plate and mug before sitting down and eating.


[System]
Age: 23
Sex: Male
Race: Human

Appearance: Lucien takes after his grandfather, with dark, boding features and athletic stature. His hair is short and curly, often unkempt. Lucien dresses plainly after spending a considerable amount of time with common folk, especially the sailors and traders of his fathers merchant fleet.

Personality: Nostalgic at times, Lucien holds his family in somewhat mythic regard, and his personality is molded by his subconscious desire to impress. He is honorable, but has a furious temper when things do not go his way. Somewhat of a ladies man, although his romantic notions are set aside when family is concerned.

Biography: From an early age, Lucien was obsessed with the sailing vessels that regularly moored in Venara Harbor. He would insist that his father or older sister take him down to the docks to view the massive trading vessels and watch the sailors climb the masts to dizzying heights. He could not fathom at a young age, how the men could so carelessly balance on the ropes, where certain death was but a misstep away, all the while singing the joyful sounding songs to keep rhythm with their labor.

As a teenager Lucien would ditch his family bodyguards and creep aboard a vessel for a closer look. Once he climbed aboard the Inspired Maid and found himself at sea for several months where he was soon discovered. Lucien managed to conceal his identity and was put to work aboard the vessel. When a sailor serving Luciens father recognized the lad, the captain shit himself and headed for home immediately. Lord Delorano was displeased but not angry, and Lucien convinced Leon to allow him to sail on the Maid a few more times and learn to be a sailor.

On these precious few voyages, Lucien glimpsed other parts of the world, but was forbidden to leave the ship, never allowed to set foot on foreign soil. On the last voyage, the ship had a close call with a pirate sloop, and Lord Delorano forbid anymore excursions by his son. Lucien was sent to study economics and trade instead.

Lucien was in the dormitories at University when word came of his fathers death. Enraged Lucien returned home with his bodyguards seeking revenge.

Position In House Delorano: 2nd Son of Leon Delorano
Equipment:Black Cloak and Cowl, Leather jerkin, boots and trousers, Silk Tunic, Small Dagger, Flintlock Pistol, Fine Dueling Rapier. Lock of Hair from his father.
Skills: Human, +1 to choice skill (Gunnery)
Gifted: Acumen +4 , Dueling +4
Above Average: Gunnery +3, Athletics +3, Reputation +3
Deficient: Brawling -2, Archery -2
Unlisted Skills:
Athleticism
Grace
Soldiery
Skullduggery

[User]
Juniper Delorano
"makes an ass out of herself, again."

---

Since her mother's death, the act of having family dinners had always been a point of contention between Juniper and her father. She was quite fine with eating in her room, alone, unbothered, where she wouldn't have to make small talk with her aunt and cousin as they pretended to give a single shit about how her day had been, and she wouldn't have to lie and say that it had been fine—it was unbecoming of a lady to complain, or so her tutor had said, but apparently dishonesty was considered an attractive trait. She didn't have to worry about where she was to put her elbows, or which fork she was to use, or how high she had to count before she could take another bite. Yet father would not allow her to skip out on their tradition, and so she would shake the silverware as she stomped into the dining room and slouched into her seat, muttering ungrateful words under her breath before eating a few bites of her meal and quietly excusing herself when her father was distracted by another. The only exception to this rule came when it was only Juniper and Leon attending dinner; then it was just shouting matches, slamming doors, and going to bed hungry. Now, never again.

Juniper had entered the dining room in silence with her head hung low, her arms wrapped around her body as if she was afraid she would fall into pieces if not for them holding her together. She had sunken into her usual chair, the one that was far enough from the head that one would have to raise their voice to address her, and worked on making herself as small as possible in it until she disappeared entirely. Eventually she found a way to make herself little more than a black dress with white, gawky arms and a mess of brown hair and red eyes resting her chin on her knees. No sound came from her corner except the occasional muted sniffle or the scrap of a fork on a plate as she moved food around, none of it ever coming even close to going into her mouth.

I don't want to be here.

How long would it take before one of them felt obliged to come over to her, squeeze her on the shoulder, and lie through their fucking teeth while saying that everything would be alright? Would she be able to even try to force a smile, or a nod, or even make a noise of some acknowledgment that didn't come out in the form of an ear-shattering shriek accompanied by the orchestra of her plate crashing against the wall? Would she be able to stop herself from diving a fork into their flesh and, if she did, would they then leave her alone? I want to go. Nobody would blame her for just leaving, nobody would dare to even try. Yet if she got up she would draw attention to herself, and right now she wanted to be nothing more than invisible, forgotten, nonexistent.

I should just go.

A sword clattered on the table and she jumped, her chair rocking precociously backwards before it found all four of its feet again. Juniper watched as the red wine pooled out from the pitcher, the liquid seeping into and creeping across the tablecloth as it darkened into a deep red like that of dried blood. Her eyes went wide and she felt her breath catch in her throat as her body went rigid, her knuckles white on her knees as her heart hammered against her chest. She had seen him, her father, lying on that table, carved up like their meal, his body contorted into an impossible position, his face frozen in a look of horror, his blood pooling around him, staining the tablecloth, staining Mother's favorite tablecloth. The sound of Mel's voice as it broke the silence as broke the phantasm, and Juniper's eyes fell to the floor lest she caught someone staring at her.

From the floor she followed Nalia's feet as they approached the head of the table, her body bristling as her older sister sat in her father's chair. Juniper didn't care what the will said, she didn't care that Nalia was the new head of their house, that was father's chair, not her chair, just like how her aunt's chair was not her aunt's but her mother's. They should remain vacant; there was no filling them. The tension from her fright did not soften as Nalia began to speak, already falling so easily into the role that had been left for her. She had always been so good at commanding the respect and attention of others, and it was only natural that she should be the next head of house.

Still, that doesn't mean that she had to sit in his fucking chair, not the same fucking day they had f—Juniper took a deep breath. She had to trust that her sister knew what she was doing. Nalia was smart, she wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize their house—are you fucking kidding me, Lorenzo? Does that mean he'd lead us if Nalia dies?

Juniper could understand her sister not picking her, no way would she be able to deal with the responsibility needed, but it should've been Lucien. Juniper stared in horror, her jaw slack, as her own brother kowtowed to their sister's colossal mistake. If not Lucien than certainly Pieter would've been a better option. It didn't matter that he wasn't really their blood, he was more family than Lorenzo. Their cousin might share their surname, but he was a Gatterro bastard through and through. He even wore their crest on that damn armor of which he was so damn proud. Plus, he was a creep; how much of their estate would he throw away in an attempt to lure in another woman into his bed? She watched with daggers in her eyes as her aunt squeezed her son's shoulder. No, no, no, this isn't what Father would've done. This is wrong, wrong, wrong.

I'm gone.

The young woman came up fast and her hands came down faster, the plates on the table rattling as she hit it with a sharp bang. Her chair had lost its balance in her upswing, and it hit the floor with a heavy, loud thud. She looked down the table, new tears forming in her bloodshot eyes as she fixed Nalia with a challenging staredown. Her sister had asked that they try and enjoy their meal in relative peace but, well, Juniper never really was good at any family dinners.

She was prepared to give her stupid sister a piece of her mind, ready to unleash a verbal assault on all of them for being okay with all of this shit, and she was certain that her sister could tell by the look on Juniper's face that a storm was about to come in. Yet then Juniper saw the stares of the rest of the house looking back at her, some seemingly surprised to see that she had even been in the room. Her head dropped quickly, and with it so too did the winds of fury die down as her cheeks went as red as the puffs around her eyes. So she had been pretty much invisible. Well, isn't that just typical?

"May I go?" she said, her voice hoarse and shaky, refusing to look at anyone in the room, her arms once again wrapping around her body like a suit of armor. "Obviously I'm not needed here, so…can I go?"

[Assistant]
The Soldier

---

It might have been a comical point in a melodrama, for the Guard Captain to walk in and defuse the situation. Only, of course, for the new and beautiful Head of the House to saunter in and claim the glory of berating Lucien. However in truth, Meldyr respected Nalia and was silently appreciative of her taking the reins. Meldyr was here to keep the peace and protect, but he would rather fight the enemies of the Delorano and not the Delorano themselves. He gave Nalia a small bow as she passed him by, his face more at ease than before.

Just as he was about to take his position, he saw the flirtatious Lorenzo striding in and shaking hands. He shook Lorenzo's hand as well, happy he was here. It was one less thing to handle, at least. He'd rather not go about the House looking for missing family members. Not at such a critical time.

He would not sit with them, for it was simply not his duty to lounge about. It was then he realized there was a distinct lack of protection for the family he was sworn to protect, and Meldyr snapped his fingers thrice. Two men hustled into the room not moments later, swords and pistols at their sides. He turned to them and held up two fingers, and then twirled his hand. They nodded, and set off to take positions parallel to the dinner table, standing at the ready. As they did so, Meldyr strode around the table. His cloak swaying lightly, and one hand on his sword, he almost walked with the air of a tragic hero.

He gave nods to every family member that looked his way as he passed by. He even had a slightly reassuring look to Fiona, for he could see the tears glimmer in her dark eyes. He held no love for her son other than an appreciation of his dueling skills, but he understood what it felt like to lose your home.

He halted just to the back left of Nalia, standing at ease in body, though his gaze was ever wary. Within seconds, he let out a breath, and realized that this was where he needed to be from now on. Lord Delorano was truly dead, and this was the way of things now. He'd served under the command of many people less worthy than Nalia, he knew. He would get used to it quickly, and in fact he already felt himself getting accustomed to it. Perhaps he was just hungry. He even gave a chuckle.

Not everyone could adjust however, it seemed. First Lucien, and now Juniper was openly full of contempt.

"My lady, I could have a few of my men escort the Lady Juniper to her chambers..." he voiced to Nalia.

[User]
If anyone could crack the harsh facade that Lucien had constructed for himself since learning of his father's death it was Pieter. The troubadors smile yearned for others to join it, and Lucien could not help but smirk slightly as he remembered stealing basket-loads of those very same buns from the kitchen as a boy. Pieter and he had ruined many a dinner gorging themselves on the savory treats.

"Lucien, try these cheese buns, they're just like when we were kids."

"Well they are, Pieter,"said Lucien half-heartedly. His anger was subsiding and the shock of the past few days events was fading, replaced by a dismal certainty that nothing would ever be the same in House Delorano. "I would speak to you in private when we have the chance, Pieter," whispered Lucien to his friend. He was about to attempt a lame joke-something about buns-when Lucien noticed the extra guards enter the room and take up position on either wall of the dining hall. Captain Meldyr was strolling along the table, heavy hand on the pommel of his sword.

The casual manner in which the guard captain had spoken to Lucien earlier left a bitter taste in his mouth; and it was on Meldyrs watch that his father had been killed after all. As Meldyr took a position beside his sister, Lucien could not help but feel that the guard captains loyalty would be unwavering to Nalia-something about the way he looked at her unnerved the young lord.

And then their was Luciens sister, unnoticed until now , such was the fury that had engulfed Lucien. Sweet Juniper, Junebug, their mother had called her. Puffy eyed and looking like a wilted flower. A soft spot in Luciens heart opened at the sight of his forlorn sister. The girl was clearly shaken. She must have been up all night in tears, he thought. But their was suddenly a look of contempt on Junipers face and Lucien followed her gaze to Aunt Fiona and Lorenzo. The girl flailed, emotion spilling out and her heavy wooden chair upended, filling the room with a deafening crack. Lucien shifted uncomfortably in his chair, not helped by his rapier digging into his side. He shifted his blade awkwardly to rest on his lap instead.

Juniper had always been an awkward girl, Lucien remembered, but spirited. Some of the choice words his little sister seemed to conjur from the mouths of sailors had been supplied by Lucien whether by slip of the tongue or her inquiring mind. And it was Lucien who had first shown the girl how to fire a pistol with proper accuracy. The force of it had shot her arms into the air, but the clay pot they had swiped from Anathagos' chambers had been obliterated. "A natural, dear sister!" Lucien had shouted.

"My lady, I could have a few of my men escort the Lady Juniper to her chambers...", said Meldyr.

"I would take her," said Lucien, surprising even himself. "With your leave of course, M'lady?" Lucien asked Nalia, perhaps a bit too sweetly. Whether or not Nalia consented was irrelevant, at least Juniper would know she still had an ally in her brother.


[System]
Age: 29

Race: Human

Sex: Male

Skills: Survival, Sneak, Melee Weapons, Small Arms, Animal Husbandry

Weapons & armor/clothing:
1x Mismatch of tribal and raider leathers as armor
1x Hunting Shotgun
1x Hunting Knife

(Previous) Occupation(s): Caesar's Legion (former), Wanderer

Faction (Minutemen, Institute, BOS, Railroad, None. Etc): None

Backstory:
Royce hails from the Hangdogs, a tribe located in northeastern Colorado near Denver, the tribe mostly kept to itself and with it's obsession with hounds, it was inevitable that Royce was trained to running with his own pack of wild dogs from the hordes that infest Denver. The worship of dogs was common among his tribe, seeing them as their spirit animals. Royce was 12 when the Legion tore through his tribe's encampment and enslaved them to become legionnaires.

Royce spent the next 16 years within the legion forced into becoming a soldier against his will. It was 16 years of forced conflict that hardened him to the horrors of war and made him grow to resent his platoon's leader; little more than a slavemaster to his people. Little did Royce know that the life of the legion took its toll on his superior too. In the dead of night during a cold September, the slaver fled his camp eastwards. Royce didn't waste a second taking the brief chance given to him to flee east and chase the man down, hellbent on making him pay for the atrocities he has committed onto Royce's people and the ones who got in their way.

After months of travel, Royce's hunt lead him to the commonwealth. It was there that he tracked his former slaver, who has picked up mercenary work for quick caps. With vengeance still driving him on, Royce made quick work of locating him and confronting him.
The slavers current employer intervened, only to turn out to be an extra scalp on his belt. Without the fiendish drive of vengeance to spur Royce on in his travels he now wanders aimlessly, seeking a new purpose in this unfamiliar land.

Appearance/Personality:
Royce is a large man, withered by the never-ending wars raged by the trials that come with three decades of survival. Enslaved for more than half of his life to a ferocious army hellbent on ruin, Royce thrived as little more than a conscious weapon used against interlopers before his recent escape. If he ever had a name beyond this one, it has been long forgotten. The story of his youth is burnt into history through the scorch of flame and the spilling of blood on soil.

Running with wild dogs by night and day, his dark skin is littered with grisly scarring from the jaws of hounds. Each one is received as a blessed penance, for his people worship these apex canines as deities. His body is unkempt and unshaven, with dark wiry hairs running over the bare patches of sinewy skin, halted only by aging scars and scattered lacerations.

Like the hound, he is known for displaying the extremes of loyalty and ruthlessness. He is unforgiving to those who trespass him and persistent with his desires. His slavery has stripped his morals to bare bone through the years and alleviated him from much of the restrictions of fear, leaving him an intimidating opponent and deadly enemy. Though world-wise and experienced in many ways, he is oblivious to the sciences and technology, robbed of any means of education.

[User]
Rook - Boat Dock

Rook had spent nearly half the day hauling the ship in. He had helped to reset the ropes as well, making use if the additional pulleys he had brought to add more mechanical force to things. It didn't ever take long for a number of things, but this took a lot longer than Rook had expected it to. It did remind him of hauling a car out of the water to be used for making a lot of metal tools when he was near one of the Great Lakes, as it had been called.

Still, by the end of it, Rook was sweating, his body was sore and hurt, and he would need a few hours to recover. The boat had been another beast to be beaten, something else claimed from the fires of a war far older than anyone could dream of. The fact they had so little working boats was something that Rook had always wondered about. He had seen a man restore a pre-war tank and modify it to use the nuclear motors of various other cars, but he so rarely had seen boats...

Well, there was one raider gang based out of a Marna. They had sail boats, but they weren't anything special. He used rocks and grenades to skin those. When it was all said and done however, Rook sat down on the side of the dock, looking over the water.

"Can man get it to work? Boats can be useful. Boats can be helpful. Rook only hopes we have enough to keep raiders away who might want boat."

[Assistant]
Adam 'Trails' Wilford- Outside Adam's Home

Adam and Rook had worked for hours, hauling the rope inch by inch. It was exhausting work and he made no mistake in acknowledging Rook was the man who did the brunt of the work and he and Bessie were more the help on the project. By the time they were done, Adam collapsed onto a small milkcrate on the wall of his shack, sitting in the noontime shade. His forearms ached like a thousand knives, but he reached for two bottles of water, one for him and one for Rook. He passed Rook's bottle to him and the mutant spoke up, "Can man get it to work? Boats can be useful. Boats can be helpful. Rook only hopes we have enough to keep raiders away who might want boat." Adam sighed from exhaustion, "I don't know, man. I haven't looked yet." He sourced an old handkerchief from his jeans and wiped away sweat and got up with a groan and walked down to the coastline with Rook, "I only looked to make sure it ain't got holes in it that'd sink it when we pulled it. I figured if we got her to shore, then we'd worry about what's under her skirts." He climbed over the side and opened the hatch to her engine with a yell of "Oh, holy hell!" and went silent as he continued looking around inside. Then slammed it shut in mild anger and looked back at Rook. "Yeah, she'll run, but it'll take a few days. Engine's flooded with sea water and a few common components are rusted, but it'll take a few days talking to some of the guys I know on the road. They'll bring the parts but it'll be about two to three days. I can get this dried out by the next few days. But the dang thing's gonna need a lot of TLC before she's truly seaworthy again." He half-waved his hand in the air in frustration and sighed, "Thanks, Rook. You're a good man. I don't think I'll be needing you for anything else. But if I see any of them crabmen about, I'll give a holler. That said, don't think I'll forget that you done right by me. The deal still stands, a crate of fish from every catch I bring in whenever you want, just stop by and ask whenever you're in the mood for fish." Adam dug around in an old chest left by whoever used it before the war and dug around for the small pumps he'd need to drain the water and spoke as he set them up, nothing fancy, just a small electric pump, "Uh, right now though. I'm going to take a walk about town to blow off a little steam, get my mind off the boat while she drains the sea outta her belly." He went in his shack, putting on his trader's jacket and slung his sack on his back. He went back to Rook and shook his hand, "Again, thanks, friend. I couldn't have done this without you. We're bringing a whole new venue to the town. Might even make Salem relevant as a key trading hub in the region." He smiled a genuine smile, not his phony trader smile, the traces of his hidden sadness in the lines, "I've met a lot of people in my time on the road, not many of them good ones, but I'm glad you're not one of those many.". He turned and made his walk into the town proper, putting back the mask of happiness he kept for the world firmly in place once more.

Salem- Sandy Coves Inn

Adam had overheard some woman was camped out in a place that used to be an old retirement center and figured he might try to see if she'd let him dig around in her place for things to scavenge. Most people weren't willing to part with their goods, but some were....for a price. If he was lucky, she'd be one of the latter. If not, well, such is life as a roving trader. He finally found his feet in front of the inn and opened the door and was taken aback to see it was a robot behind the desk, not a lady. "Hello, sir! I'm Archie and welcome to Sandy Coves. Will you be requiring a room? It's only eig-", Adam put up a hand to halt the Handy, "Woah, slow down there, hoss. I ain't here for room and board. I'm uhhh, here to speak to your boss. Tempeste? Selista? Somethin' like that?"

((@skrtwithaweaponI'm sorry for the light CC of your character, I hope you don't mind. I just figured since it attends the desk he'd be there at some point, so I only used a basic 'welcome' line to reduce any possible conflicts of personality. If you have a problem with that though, please let me know and I'll correct it promptly. :) ))

[User]
Royce and Summer - Salem Clinic

Royce took in the sight of the severely injured woman, she must have been the one jumped by the now-dead corpses on the road into Salem. Redirecting his attention back to the Vault-Dweller, Royce could instantly tell that the man was on his last legs. He certainly hadn't expected a town like this to consume the time of a doctor this much but definitely didn't blame it. The man's instructions were clear and without a word Royce followed his lead by carefully raising the injured woman and making their way towards the church, gently placing her down up on the makeshift bedding on the entry floor.

Summer made a low snarl of "watch it.." as Royce and the doctor lifted her up, but it was quickly silenced by the worrying realisation that she could no longer stand on her own. In fact, being lifted made the corners of her vision go dark. Anxiety started to take root and Summer opted against complaining until she had been seen to.

In mere seconds the Doctor began work on her. Royce stepped back in intrigue; he already felt far too invested in the situation to turn back and leave. With his brows furrowed at the sight of just how dire the wounds were, Royce couldn't help but be impressed at just -how- resolute the woman was to have made her way into town. She was far too small, far too feeble, it was almost as if the waspish expression imprinted on her face was the sole reason for her heart to still be beating.

As a matter of fact, that waspish expression was directed towards Royce at the moment. She didn't mean to scowl at the man but the thought of taking a good long look at her own wounds and having to bite back the urge to tell a fellow doctor how to do his own job was too much, so she looked away from her own personal surgeon and glared steadfastly at Royce. Every so often a whimper, hiss, or grunt of pain went through her clenched teeth and caused another shudder to run through her broken body. It made the scowl go worse, almost as if she was singlehandedly blaming the complete stranger who was watching her for every little twinge of discomfort.

Royce's eyes drifted on the Doctor who was fully immersed in the preservation of life. Weary, almost withered by whatever strains the previous days had put on him. Royce felt a tinge of respect for his efforts, at least compared to what he'd seen from the vault-dwellers ilk throughout his travels.

The woman had managed a few words in the diner that only helped convey her vexed state even further. 'A medic? She sure knows a thing or two about bullets now.' Royce thought back. His attention was again snapped back onto the Doctor who must have finished with his work.

"What did you say your name was? Or...did you say it at all? I'm sorry I'm afraid I can't remember...listen thank you for your assistance, but I'm afraid I need to ask one more favor of you. I saw an old pre-war retirement home when I first came here. I believe one of the townspeople is turning it into an inn of sorts right now...in any case, it's the closest thing I can think of right now which might have some medical supplies to scavenge. Can you please go to the owner and ask her to send what she can spare to the Church? Clean linens, medicines, or anything that can be used as bandages. I need more supplies. I have two patients who are being treated for gunshot wounds and I need help."

Royce didn't respond with anything aside from a few nods as the vault-dweller made his second request. He felt strangely compelled to help the man, he wasn't making demands, he wasn't being pushy, in fact these were pretty reasonable requests, he had two almost dying people to take care of after all. Besides, Royce was technically a free man now.
"Of course. I'll get on it right now."

Royce - Sandy Coves Inn

Without wasting anymore time Royce left the church, scanning the surrounding buildings around it for what could have been the retirement home the Doctor mentioned. He eventually found it, and upon entering noticed a merchant waiting by a Mr.Handy robot at what was supposedly the front desk. Royce didn't have much experience with robots, in fact he felt too uncomfortable to converse with one. Instead he raised his voice enough to catch one's attention, directed at the merchant, and asked "Do you work here, or know the person that works here? Emergency."


[System]
BASIC
Goes By: Maleficent (alter-ego)
Age: 5,739
Gender: Female
Race: Half-Sindarin, Half-Silvan Elf

APPEARANCE

Portrayed By: Angelina Jolie with a slight Russian accent
Hair Color: Dark, Auburn-Brown
Eye Color: Luminous Yellow-Green
Skin Tone: Porcelain Pale
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 119 lbs
Body Build: Tall and Slender

Wing-Cloak

Natural Elven Attire (with and without wings)

Battle Outfit

PERSONALITY

Likes: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Happiness, Animals, Flying, Her Godsons
Dislikes: Chaos, Greed, Spiders, Darkness, Orcs, Sorrow
Strengths: Fighting, Beauty, Wisdom, Inspiration
Weaknesses: Mentions of Her Past, Loneliness, Anger
Fears: Losing Her Family, Her Past

Overall Personality:
Mysterious | Regal | Soft-Spoken | Larger Than Life | Elegant | Compassionate | Unpredictably Vicious

Everyone believed Saeril to be born a creature of chaos and pure evil, but they just do not know the true story. Rather than a woman who is evil, Saeril was instead a benevolent young woman of purity; she valued the peaceful nature on Middle-Earth, and she had a fierce passion of guarding various realms and its inhabitants. As a fierce protector, Saeril is a desired perfectionist, and a woman of her word; due to the despair and sorrow of even the most vulnerable of races, she focuses on finding the best intentions for them, even if it means to risk her life. As she suffers from a devastating past that involved the Deceiver's corruption upon her mind, Saeril is truly hurt and very lonely inside, interpreted by her amnesiac guilt for her crimes. Her ultimate goal was to redeem herself and dissipate her inner darkness.

However, she never anticipated this goal to be changed when she rekindled herself with her Dwarven godsons, Fili and Kili; she grew to care for them as a motherly figure, forming an adopted-parental bond with them. Despite herself being closest to the youngest, Kili, Saeril was devastated after witnessing Azog kill the eldest brother, causing her to scream in agony and grief. Determined to keep the youngest from falling into the same fate, she became strictly protective of Kili. As his blessed godparent, Saeril would do anything to keep him alive, and as a result, she went with him in many ventures, though she did not always agree with them. Regarding him, her bond with Kili was very strong, therefore her main goal was to keep him safe.

Saeril will not hesitate in giving others her blunt opinion, and she would often guide them when they are upset or need advice. Proud and proper she was, she will never bow to anyone she disagreed with. Evident by her relationship with Thorin Oakenshield, it's complicated when it comes to terms of trust; she betrayed him (as he claimed) by revealing the truth of the quest, and by "stealing" the starlight jewels from his treasure hoard for King Thranduil. Although she was claimed as not "trusting", Saeril openly showed that she cared a great deal for him, saving his life multiple times on different occasions.

BACKGROUND

Date of Birth: YT 1578
Place of Birth: Fangorn Forest, located north of Rohan
Social Ranking: Royalty (formerly)
Family:
- Kili Durin (Godson; alive) (Dwarf)
- Fili Durin (Godson; alive) (Dwarf)
- Dis Durin (Compadre; unknown) (Dwarf)
- Hermia (Mother; deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Lysander (Father; deceased) (Silvan Elf)
- Ulla (Aunt; deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Kinloch (Uncle; deceased) (Sindarin Elf)

Other Relations:
- Gandalf the Grey (Mentor; alive) (Maiar)
- Thorin II Oakenshield (Friend; alive) (Dwarf)
- Aragorn II Elessar (Friend; alive) (Man)
- Azog The Defiler (Enemy; alive) (Orc)
- Meliya Ardorion (Friend; alive) (Silvan Elf)

[User]
Hearing his Dwarven companions enter the mountain, and calling names, Bilbo had to stop and warn them. Ever since they entered the now-desolated kingdom, Thorin has been acting strangely lately: avoiding his kin, spending his time in the treasure room, even avoid sleeping and eating.
"Wait! Wait!", the Hobbit's voice echoed through the mountain. He was coming towards them, almost out of breath. "Stop! Stop! Stop!", his fading breathing level made his voice come into a harsh whisper. "We need to leave. We all need to leave", he simply told them, almost as if in a panic.

With her cloak on, and her headdress off, Saeril sat down on a log to tend to an young woman and her child, while wrapping a bandage around the woman's wrist. "Hold this in place", she spoke up after placing a wet rag to the child's head, before she gestured the mother to hold it in place. Standing up to pass a blanket to a man nearby, the she-elf looked down at her porcelain hands, and noticed her sharp two-inch nails shrinking into a gentle curve. The sooner the spell fades, the better.

Legolas didn't answer nor did he turn back, although he was slightly dissapointed in his cousin, who was like a sister to him. "There's more to this Orc pack than I fear, Tauriel", he said to her, before hearing her question. "The Orc that we pursued was Bolg, the spawn of Azog the Defiler", he began to explain. "A Wargpack was waiting for him on the outskirts of Esgorath, and fled to the north. These Orcs were different from the others, as they bore a mark I had not seen for a long time. The mark of Gundabad", the elf-prince finished, though there was a small hint of grim in his voice.

[Assistant]
"Leave? Why would we leave, we only just got here!" Kili frowned in confusion at the hobbit. He didn't understand what had gotten Bilbo into such a panic, surely he should be happy that he, Fili and Bofur were unharmed and had returned to the company?

Mel moved across to join Saeril, holding the rag in place so the mother could rest as she too was injured, she looked across at the other she-elf and smiled faintly. "It's fading." she observed, referring to the dark enchantment that had possessed Saeril for so long.

"Gundabad?" Tauriel's voice dropped to a shocked whisper, she had heard the name mentioned once or twice before by some of the older elves but she knew nothing of the place herself. Merely hearing the name sent an uncomfortable shiver down her spine, the thought of going there...but she cared deeply for Legolas and she couldn't allow him to go on his own.

[User]
"Thorin! I tried talking to him, but he won't listen to me. He doesn't sleep, he barely eats. He's not been himself", Bilbo was now rambling to them that something was not right with their leader. Clearly, Thorin has been acting strangely lately; he's been staring at the treasure hoard day and night, and he wasn't doing anything to care for his wellbeing. It was totally unlike Thorin. "There's some kind of sickness here, a curse", the Hobbit went on, and nobody noticed Fili looking over his shoulder, but they did notice him running away down the stairs.

Saeril sighed sadly to herself when she heard Mel say that the spell was fading. "Indeed, it is", she confirmed, her voice not really happy, a bit down. It was true that the atmosphere surrounding them were full of tragedy and death. But for her, it was almost similar to a heartbreak. "Am I bad person, Mel?", she asked suddenly, after a moment of silence between them.

"An Orc stronghold in the far north of the Misty Mountains. I fear that there is something more to their simple attack on Laketown", Legolas explained before he stopped walking. He turned to face her. "I ride north. Will you come with me?", he asked her, feeling the need to.

[Assistant]
As he listened to Bilbo's ramblings, Kili only began to get more worried. "Sickness? What kind of sickness?" the dwarven prince muttered, looking up in surprise as Fili ran past them down the stairs into the treasure horde. He looked back at the hobbit again before he ran to catch up with his brother.

Mel was quiet for some time as she tried to understand why Saeril would ask such a question, biting her lip in thought as she bandaged up an injured Lake person's wound. "No, you are not. Why would you ask me that?" she questioned Saeril, not able to come to the conclusion of her own accord.

Tauriel stopped walking as he did and nodded her head to him. "Of course, you need only ask me."

[User]
"Fili? Fili!", Bilbo ran after the dwarf Prince, until all the others followed. Going down the stone, spiral staircase, Fili gazed in astonishment at what was before him: mountains and mountains of golden treasure all over the room, covering the floor, and up to the stairs. Gaping at the great load Fili did not move from his spot when he got there. The tales were true...

Saeril looked up to the mountain in the distance once again. "It's just...you know of my curse?", the she-elf asked her now-friend. Everyone of Middle Earth knows of the winged-creature and bringer of chaos, Maleficent, but they didn't know Saeril, the last pure elf of Fangorn Forest.

Taking a horse, Legolas and Tauriel rode through the crowd and out to their intended destination.

[Assistant]
"Fili, wait!" Kili ran after his brother, worried about why he would suddenly run off like that. He stopped as he saw Thorin further down on the treasure pile. He didn't seem himself, he was walking more hunched over and he was dressed very grandly. That and he just didn't...seem like the Thorin Kili remembered.

"I...know of it, yes." Mel answered slowly. She had been a young elfling when Saeril's corruption had occured, and she had had nothing to do with her eventual release. Everything that Mel did know had been from stories told by her kin and Gandalf. "Why do you ask?"

Tauriel drew in a breath as she and Legolas arrived at the area where the fortress of Gundabad sat. Already the air seemed heavier and more oppressive, and that alone made her nervous. But the red-haired she-elf squared her shoulders and dismounted the horse, turning to face Legolas and trying not to show how uneasy she felt. Tauriel knew that they had to get closer, and she could put her fear aside to achieve their mission.

[User]
As Thorin walked around in the sea of gold, he was just staring upon it in astonishment, while being hunched over in a high king's cloak. "Gold", he suddenly and eventually spoke, but his voice wasn't calm, but instinctive and slightly hoarse. "Gold beyond measure, beyond sorrow and grief", he announced to himself, before looking up his fellow dwarves watching him. "Behold, the great treasure hoard of Thrór", he suddenly throws a piece of the treasure at Fili, who indeed catches it. "Welcome, my sister's sons, to the Kingdom of Erebor", Fili looked at Kili with slight worry in his eyes. Something was definitely not right about their uncle and leader...

Saeril looked at her with a hint of sadness in her yellow-green eyes. "My curse...has been a burden to me, ever since Gandalf rescused me. Not to mention, ever since I watched Fili and Kili grow. I couldn't let them see me like this; if they saw my deformity, I would have been a threat to them and their kin", she was slowly telling Mel her story. "But, the things I have done, are beyond what you could possibly imagine. I fear that this is making our bond become strained, and conflicted", the she-elf looked away from her, and closed her eyes. "They don't trust me. How can I possibly have this feeling, towards them? How can I redeem the most terrible of things, Mel?", her voice was breaking. Her eyes opened once again, and looked upon the mountain.

[Assistant]
Kili swallowed uneasily, looking back at Fili. It was clear that something wasn't right with Thorin. He wasn't himself, and yet Kili had a bad feeling about the thought of trying to bring it up to Thorin. For some reason he didn't think the dwarven king would take the comments well, so he kept his mouth shut for now.

"And yet you have done many good things since then." Mel pointed out, giving a slight shrug as she smiled across at Saeril. "You cannot overlook the good in favour of the bad. You forget that you helped to save Kili's life more than once, he will not forget that either."

[User]
Saeril thought to herself for a moment after her now-trusted elf friend reminded her of all the good things she had done for the dwarf twins. It was true that she had saved both of them more than once, mainly Kili. He wouldn't forget those things, but the real concern was the trust between her and him. She already broke one thing that was important to him, and the she-elf wasn't sure if he will ever forgive her. Thinking over to herself once more, Saeril eventually looked back to the mountain, and back at Mel. "You're right, mellon (friend). I need to fulfill my promise to them both, for him and his family", she said before standing up from her sitting position. She looked back at her friend. "Help Bard and his people. I'll deal with Thorin and his kin. Hopefully, I will be able to convince them to think", Saeril placed a hand on her own chest, and let it drift away towards Mel in farewell, giving a friendly smile, before turning around and walking away towards the path of the mountain. Once she was at a good distance, the she-elf let her cloak turn into her wings and flew off.

Meanwhile, at the mountain, Thorin has been losing his patience, ever since he sent his kin to recover the Arkentone. Oddly enough, the Dwarf King had no idea that his orders were tiring them out during their search, almost appearing exhausted and overworked. "Any sign of it?", Thorin's voice echoed through the treasure room. 'Nothing here' was the same response from before. "Keep searching, all of you! No one rests until it is found!", he continued to say, but unknown to him, Bilbo kept his facials at a neutral level ever since the search began...


[System]
(more or less Artorius)
Age: ??? (very old)

Species: ???

Bio: Artorius has been with the guild for as long as most can remember. The previous guild master always kept a watchful eye over him, although not many know why... A mystery at best, he has recently begun clamoring for a new body. Whether or not the guild members will heed his request remains to be seen.

[User]
Nestled deep into the forest was a shoddy looking wooden building that looked like it was barely standing. The wear and tear was ridiculous; moss and fallen leaves covered the roof and started to rot holes in the ceiling, cobwebs blanketed the tops of the pillars that were too high for any one person to clean, there were strange holes in the walls and mysterious burn marks that appeared as if they were formed in combat, and all in all, the place looked...well, abandoned. However, despite the wear and tear, the sign above the open door still appeared as noble as ever. "Grayfall Guild" it read. Despite being a stone sign, moss had yet to grow on it like all the other natural material, and the sign appeared to give of a faint glow as if it were of magic origin.

A strong gust of wind pushed the old, rusted hinges on the heavy door past their limit, causing them to break and let the large door slam into the floor, startling the only resident inside the building.

"AHHHHH!" the girl shrieked before looking over and regaining her composure. "Gosh diddly darn dang it!" she swore, marching over to the newest thing to break in this garbage dump called home. "Now how am I supposed to fix this? Everything's been falling apart without Elliot's protection magic...I guess this place really is over 400 years old."

She sat down on the door in a huff contemplating what to do next.

Behind her, it could be seen that the inside of the guild was in much better shape that the outside; the floors were swept and the whole place was free of dust and there was cozy feeling inside, minus the holes in the walls. The fireplace was crackling, the bar was at least semi stocked, and there was even a welcome mat...now if only there were customers.

[Assistant]
Laying on the bar counter was a pearly white skull laying on a silver dish. A shriek pierced the old guild hall and the skull jumped up about an inch from the plate, it's teeth chattering as it landed with a *CRASH!*. Inside it's empty eye sockets, two small orbs of red light slowly glowed into existence, appearing as two tiny flames which trailed upwards out of the sockets. The skull let out a surprised noise and began to speak, it's teeth chattering with every word.

"NOW WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON HERE!"

(just having some fun XD)

[User]
From within the treeline of the forest, a figure stumbled into the clearing where the guild was nestled. He was a bone thin man of average height, and a purple hooded cloak concealed most of his face.

"Food... Water..."

He shambled up to the guild's entrance before collapsing flat on his face just before the door step.

[Assistant]
The girl turned around and was about to answer the skull before she heard the dying man.

"Oh my goodness, oh no!"

In a panic she ran to the kitchen and grabbed a pitcher of water.

"I'm coming!"

[User]
"No wait! Let him die! I could use a new skeleton! Ehehehehehe!"

The skull chattered maniacally laughing at his own rather morbid joke.

[Assistant]
"Please don't let me die..."

The cloaked figure groaned and tried to pull himself into the guild. He managed about 6 inches before he collapsed again.

[User]
The skull went completely ignored as the small woman tried to hand the pitcher to the dying man.

"You're not looking too hot, friend. My name's Lilith, and you can stay here the night if you'd like."

She tried to appear as innocent as possible, for mischievous scheming was going on in her head.

'If I save his life, then maybe I could force him to join the guild in return...'

[Assistant]
"Ehehehe! Well if you join up with us, you'll be dead in no time!" The girl rushed by with a pitcher of water, completely ignoring the boisterous skull.

 "Aww is that how you'll treat old Artorius? After everything we've been through together, you'll just ignore poor old me?" He added with a hint of disappointment as he was ignored.

"Hey Lilith, make sure you bring me his body when he does... expire. He's got a lovely rib cage, I'm sure it would play a lovely tune... Eheheheh!"

[User]
The man grabbed the pitcher and lifted his head to drink. He chugged the whole thing before standing up and bowing to lady who had saved his life.

"Ah miss, your kindness is matched only by your beauty! My name is Drekven Emmerich, pursuer of eldritch secrets "

He took her hand and planted a light kiss on it, before walking into the guild.

"What a pleasant little abode! Certainly befitting someone as modest as myself."

He walked over to the dish and picked up the skull in one hand.

"The decor is certainly in line with my tastes!"

[Assistant]
Lilith erupted in a nervous laughter prompted by the compliment and Artorius's comment. She was sweating pretty hard.

"He was uhh...kidding about the whole dying thing, y'know? It's not like we have a high death count or anything!"

[User]
"PUT ME DOWN FEEBLE HUMAN!"

Artorius chattered especially violently as he was manhandled by the starving man.

"JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET MY BODY BACK, I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I WAS ONCE A POWERFUL SORCERER!"

[Assistant]
"A sorceror you say? How interesting!"

Drekven placed Artorius upside down on the table and spun him like a top.

"Perhaps you'd be willing to share your secrets with me? Ah, but lunch first! Lilith, darling, where do you keep the food? I am famished!"

[User]
Lilith quickly stopped Artorius from spinning.

"Oh, um...okay. Is grilled cheese and tomato soup okay? I haven't been able to go out to the store lately, so that's all we have."

She chewed on her lip a little. This guy seemed like he'd be a huge pain in the neck, but they really needed more members.

[Assistant]
"Sounds fantastic! Cut into triangles please, no crust."

Drek plopped down onto one of the bar stools, and pulled a set of expensive looking silverware from his pack.

[User]
As Artorius spun around he cried out in anger.

"FEEBLED HUMANNNN YOU SHALL FEEEL MY WRAAAATTTTHHHH"

When Lilith finally stopped his spinning, the eyes had gone out, leaving only a normal looking skull on the counter.


[System]
Age: 30
Appearance:

(Sorry about the chinese characters xD)

[User]
Lilith smirked as Yerbol described his sister's less frequent delinquent side and simply thought of what things that could lead to or how she got that kind of personality. She could relate to his sister a little because, after all, to live the life of an agent she needed her own wilder side to life with the 'excitement' that can come with it. Then again, she thought, her wild side and his sisters might be entirely different beasts. "She sounds like a handful." She simply responded with her smile before turning back to her book and placing her earbud back in. Hours would past and soon enough she would catch a glimpse of their destination lightning up as their plane went down through the clouds to land.

 While Yerbol appreciated the rain for what it brought, Lilith appreciated it as it allowed for an excuse to wear a hood to both prevent her from being seen in a distance as well as well as the sound dampening it added. An agents best friend in terms of weather when aiming to be unnoticed in her mind, unless she was back in training and didn't have the hang of avoiding the splash of a puddle. Another part of her appreciation was the cool air the rain brings with it. She did though; find herself a bit damp as they entered into their hotel room. Placing her jacket onto the coat rack and walking in she replied aloud "Not always, I've had to stay in a dirt shack during one mission in the Middle East. My first one to be exact, I'll spare you the details though as it was simply a cut and clear takedown mission for a member of a group who soon became a part of ISIS." After which she walked to the window and took a look at the skyline quickly while adding on. "I can take the room on the left and you can have the one on the right. Deal?" she said, though it was less of a question at the end and more so a pleasantry as it didn't matter so him agreeing was really the only response that fit. As he took out his phone and checked the time she took turned back and listened before the door suddenly was knocked on.

 Once the force was affirmed she didn't instantly take her pistol as Yerbol did his, and she didn't expect gunfire when the door opened. Due to the fact if the enemy wanted to open fire in the hotel they would also likely bash the door in just as fast. A firefight already isn't discreet. "Well it certainly was someone." She responded as first as she slowly approached from behind before he then opened it. A few feet away she caught sight of the box and said. "It's not going to explode if you are worried. There are far easier and less convoluted methods someone could use for such things than leave a box and knock. Ornate boxes are easier to find out where they came from after all after the pieces are gathered by forensics." Bending over she gently picked the box up and examined it while holding it at her fingertips. "It is a nice box, after I check it for any dirty intent I may very well wish to keep it." Turning back into their room she said. "Close the door quickly, and keep your guard up. If it is a message from our friend it means they know where and who we are already." Her guard seemed very relaxed at this point, but that may be because she has been through worse and she was used to it. After which she would pull out a small toolkit that had a pick-lock set and aimed to open the lock while also making sure she wasn't headed in for some crazy trap by opening it.

[Assistant]
He complied with her instructions, standing on the left hand side of the closed door, gun in hand. Every so often he would press his ear against the door, the silence in the hallway making him uneasy every time he heard it. How on earth would anyone know that they had arrived? Their information had been encoded, false names used, and so on. Interpol didn't do half as much as the IMF in terms of securing information, so to know that there was a remote possibility that someone could have already intercepted them was...unsettling.
"Able to get it open yet?" Walking from his post to Lilith, he watched as she worked studiously with a kind of precision that he couldn't help but admire. A few moments passed before a soft clicking passed through his ears, the lock falling off. The box was opened to reveal a red velvet interior laced with gold trim. There was nothing else except a cell phone, a plain looking bar style device that had a post-it note on the screen. He squinted, looking down at the note.
"Chinese characters." He knelt down, picking the phone up(which, in hindsight, was probably a bad idea) and examined the note closer.
"Two numbers...thirteen and twelve. Odd. Make anything of it?" He handed the phone to Lilith, deferring to her expertise. After all, she was the far more experienced in dealing with espionage. Before she could respond, Yerbol's phone buzzed once...then again, this time more forceful. He withdrew the device to find a picture message from an unknown number. The image was of a red and yellow colored tram sitting in the near darkness except for faint lights within. Beneath the image was a cryptic message:

"Find me here. Have info. M."

"M?"

[User] Lilith concentrated as she worked before smiling slightly as the click came and the lock fell off. "Piece of cake." She stated before she lifted the lid and found the contents inside. "Interesting," she added afterwards as she let Yerbol pick it up and examine it before telling her what the Chinese characters are. As he handed her the phone she was going to respond before his phone went off and his message read. As he spoke the letter she then replied. "M is our contact. As for the phone they gave us, it might be connected to a secure line or is a phone to use in place of ours out of suspicion and security. After all, using a phone that isn't your own is harder to track you with and doesn't contain any other information until you use it. Also, perhaps the numbers are the password to the phone it's on or a number to input. Go ahead and try it." Handing the phone back over to him she then examined the case once again before saying. "I didn't find any bugs in or on the box, so it seems to be clean. I think I'll keep it as a souvenir~" Smiling again to herself as she put it on the table and stood back up.

[Assistant]
"Better your hands than mine." He holstered his sidearm before his phone buzzed yet AGAIN, the number the same.
"An address..." He punched the address into the maps application on his device, a smooth feminine voice informing both agents that their destination was ten minutes away on foot.
"Let's hit the streets, then. I'd rather not keep someone like this waiting...right?"

The rain had ceased, leaving a low hanging mist that coated the streets in an ethereal glow which was accented all the more by the half moon hanging in the sky. Foot traffic was still dense and fast, although not at the normal speedy clip Yerbol was used to. Leaving their hotel, Yerbol's device commanded that they take a left, then another left that careened down side streets. A few deviations and turns later, the agents found themselves outside the entrance of the Hong Kong Botanical gardens. The gates were cracked open just enough for them to slip through, the message rather obvious. Yerbol glanced at a security booth next to the gates, which was illuminated, but unmanned. A bribe to get the guards to take a long bathroom break, perhaps? He smiled to himself as he pushed the gate ajar just a bit further to allow passage. Lamp posts with elaborate vines swirled around them were lit with an orange-reddish hue that gave them just enough light to see the concrete path.
"GPS stopped talking...guess we'll have to find it on our own." He stepped forward just as he thought he saw a flicker of something red on the path in front of him.
"Did you see th-"

THWIP

A minute hold in the ground formed at Yerbol's feet, then the red flicker came back in the form of a dot.

Sniper.

"Cover!" Spotting a nearby bench, he ran towards it, bullets cutting into the stone path. He jumped onto the seat of the bench before hopping behind it, withdrawing his pistol.
"Tell me you have a read on where he's shooting from!"

[User]
Lilith nodded as Yerbol suggested they take to the streets. "We'll have to go towards another lead later then it seems." She replied before standing up from her seat. "I'll go dry off and change." Quickly leaving to her room of the two with her bag, she did as she had told him and a few minutes later come out dry and with clean clothes. "Ready when you are."

Lilith allowed the device to lead them as she watched their surroundings for possible tails and other such occurances. "A beautiful moon on this otherwise ominous night." She commented at one point for no particular reason. A moment later she was letting out sigh soon afterwards in brief relaxation. As they reached the gardens she whispered, "Well, I guess it's a location no one would think to look." Slipping in behind her companion she examined the lamp for a moment with a small smile. It was nice to come to a place like this, or so she thought as the firefight soon erupted. She caught glimps of the movement just as Yerbol did, and as the bullet hit the ground in front of him she was already diving to the right and positioning herself behind a large trash container that had rock siding to make it seem more natural in the gardens. "Son of a-" she said before a few shots hit her cover as she tried to peak out behind the corner. Doing so once again from the opposite side she caught a shimmer of a scope before pulling her head back just in time for a shot to hit the ground. "They are at Ten o-clock, down a slight opening in the trees before being stationed under a bush; they're about a hundred yards off as well." She gritted her teeth she then grunted out in annoyance. "Maybe M is compromised. But, I think he might have given you a warning shot at your feet. You could have been pegged right then!"

[Assistant]
"True enough!" He popped out of cover and delivered a few shots in the direction Lilith had mentioned, the sweat forming on his hands making his gun slick and grimy. Yerbol waited a few moments after his delivery, watching bullets careen in the grass just beyond his location. Was Lilith right? Was the sniper just trying to scare them into submission? Or was he just playing with them, teasing them out for a killshot?
"Cover me! Going to move forward!" The operative took a deep breath, exhaling as he sprinted towards the next bench, his footing unsteady from the wet surface beneath. He crouched down, the glint of the scope now visible. He came out of cover just as he heard a crack thunder through the gardens. A few moments later, a thud, then silence. Standing up, he could hear footsteps from behind him, the operative wheeling around to find a rather slightly built Asian male with his hands up, one of those hands occupied with what Yerbol instantly recognized as a M24 anti material rifle, capable of taking down a heavily armored assailant with one shot.
"Hey, I'm on your side, bud. Put the gun down."
"Who are you?"
"I sent you the text. Duh." The Asian placed his hands down, his face breaking into a mischievous smile.
"Lilith? That you? Awesome to see you in one piece. Didn't think you made it back from the last time you came here." He laughed, slinging the rifle on his back.
"I'm your contact here if that isn't obvious. Come on. Need to get out of here before the cops show up."
"Couldn't you have avoided them showing up without firing that gigantic rifle of yours?"
"You wouldn't be alive."
"A fair point."

The unnamed operative led them through grassy trails and thickets of trees off the beaten path before finding themselves as the pictured abandoned tram. He led the operatives inside, which revealed a steel colored interior with computers running at high speed, monitors mounted on both walls that were streaming all sorts of video feed. There was a cot in the center of the room along with a few bags of Doritos.
"Command told me you guys needed tips on how to find the White Queen."
"White Queen?"
"Ling. That's what they're calling her in the underworld, anyway." The man who Yerbol assumed was "M" pointed at a video feed that was continually looping footage of Ling in sunglasses talking with a taller white man.
"This guy right here. Big problem. Executive assistant to the U.S. ambassador."
"What were they discussing?"
"Don't know. That's what you need to find out."