[System]
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Job: Priestess Missionary
Appearance:

Name: Symphony
Gender: N/A~ Answers to male pronouns.
Species: Spirit
Job: Ayrie's Familiar
Appearance: Symphony appears as a slightly larger than average Fennec Fox with white fur and red eyes.

Name: Astoria
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Job: Priestess
Appearance:

Name: Gerrick
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Job: Priest
Appearance:

Name: Darrin
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Job: Priest
Appearance:

[User]
Asran walked down the streets of a bustling city, his city of sin. Where feasts, and festivals were a common occurrence where everyone was encouraged to let their inhibitions go. But, lately a light had moved in, infesting his beautiful home. It annoyed him to no end, but at the same time that light fascinated him. Unknowingly it drew him towards it like a moth to a flame. Often he thought it was just the powerful urge to snuff it out, like a candle. Finally, he found himself standing in front of a dingy run down building. It had some sort of holy symbol on the door.
"Tsk, they even defaced a building. Will their misdeeds know no end? Jeeze," Asran said. He rubbed at the back of his neck immensely annoyed. He walked up to the door looking for a way to remove it. He touched it, making a numb pulsing current flow through his hand. It was the holy power flowing through the symbol he quickly found it difficult to remove.
"The hell? Is this thing super glued on? Well not like that could usually stop me. But, seriously?" He quickly had to brace his foot on the door as he tried yanking the thing off.

[Assistant]
Ayrie was perched in a windowsill, watching a party in the streets a block or so away. These people were so strange to her, completely different from what she had experienced at the monastery. The elders had sent her here to save the heathens from their depravity, and so far Ayrie was having little luck. She had simply purchased a small building and set up shop as a spirit healer.

As she sat she sensed someone at the door, but wasn't sure what to make of the energy she felt. It was dark energy, almost enthralling to her senses. She moved silently towards the door and peeked through a peep hole to see a man with white hair trying to pry the symbol of peace from the wood. She waited for him to stop pulling for a moment and slightly cracked the door.

"Excuse me, what are you doing that for?" she asked quietly. She let her black hair fall over her shoulder as she peered out at the man, and the purple silk robe she wore over her 'street' clothes blew slightly in the breeze of the open door. "Is there something I can do for you?"

[User]
Asran was panting due to his feeling of enraged annoyance. He had to stop pulling for a moment because his whole arm was going numb. He shook his arm trying to regain feeling when the door opened. He shot a death glare at the woman then pointed to the holy symbol. "That's not allowed in my city. Remove it, or I'll make you regret it." The glare intensified on the gorgeous girl.
Wait gorgeous? Wasn't that going a bit far? Asran shook his head slightly, and looked away with a huff. "Look just remove the damn thing from outside the building. Do whatever annoying thing you want inside. But, don't catch me seeing any sort of effigy of yours that isn't devoted to the demon lord Gluttony."
Honestly he loved it when people prayed to him. Delivering all sorts of scrumptious foods to his temple. Where his priests picked the very best for him to enjoy in private. His favorite being living sacrifices, humans, elves, and even dwarves. Didn't matter who, they were all delicious to consume. The added bonus of pure power he got from them.
The effigies were more of a point of pride for him than actually something that gave him power. It was what helped him to see they all knew who it was the worshipped. Though of course no one knew he was lord Gluttony the effigy only showed him in one of his very old, and very showy demon forms.

[Assistant]
"Oh, that must be why no one wants to come in..." Ayrie said almost to herself. She looked back up at him and noticed that he was quite handsome, for someone so huffy. She opened the door fully, sensing something strange as he looked away from her. The air was cool on her skin as it ruffled the light clothing she wore beneath the robe.

"Make me regret it how?" she asked simply, narrowing her own eyes at him in defiance and crossing her arms over her chest. "It's simply a symbol of peace and tranquility, does it really offend you so much? And who are you exactly that you say this is 'your' city, and to tell me what to do?"

She didn't care who he was, he wasn't going to make her remove the symbol, not when it offered so much protection to her.

[User] "I am what you could call the mayor of this beautiful city. I'd make you regret it by having you arrested. Honestly the prisons here well they're honestly the worse. At least last time I checked, could have changed. Don't really know people typically don't get arrested unless they've harmed children," Asran said with a simple shrug. "Lord Gluttony finds it disgusting to harm children. Despite how lawless our city may seem. There are still certain laws that must be upheld."

[Assistant]
"You'd have me arrested... for a symbol? Well then I guess..." Ayrie stopped for a moment and searched for a solution. The symbol offered her home protection from dark forces that might seek to harm her. Her elders had given it to her at the outset of her trek and told her to put it on the outside of whatever building she decided to inhabit. But the outside didn't have to mean the front door.

"I'll move it, if it pleases your highness. I'm glad to hear he hates child predators, but what kind of Lord arrests people for having a symbol on their door?" she said with a snarky attitude. She stepped to the door, her face level with the symbol, and swiped her hand over it. She felt the power of the symbol fade slightly as she did so, as the barrier came free from the building. The wooden circle with the golden inlay of the symbol was heavy in her hands, but the power behind it was heavier still. She set it inside, not wanting him to know her intentions.

"Happy now?" she asked as she turned to him, tilting her head slightly as she looked up at him. Her green eyes caught the light from a lantern as she did so, and she looked to see a woman dancing in the street carrying a pole. The lantern was swinging merrily as the woman moved gracefully, a crew of people dressed in bright colors dancing in her wake.

"Beautiful..." she whispered as she watched. "I've never seen anything quite like that before."

[User]
Asran smiled at the priestess as she removed the holy symbol. His nerves slowly calming down now that it was gone. He turned back to see the women dancing in the streets. "Probably practicing for the festival tomorrow night. The one thing the outside cities don't allow. The so called "holy" cities. They stop women from having such freedoms. Their often terrified of leaving their homes without being escorted by a man. Or dressing how they wish to dress. For fear of being stoned to death by your supposed holy men. Who hide their depravity behind fancy words, and lies. This place... is freedom. There is no need for lies as there is no judgment. Only a set of simple rules to follow. Do not murder or hurt another without good reason, never harm a child, let no one starve, and do not insult the lord," he said. Then turned away chuckling faintly when he saw children playing in the street. They weren't afraid of anyone hurting them. They ran past Asran waving to him as they giggled. "Break those simple tenants, and the lord shall come. He shall come, and consume all that you are, and all you could have been." His eyes faintly glowing for just a moment before he blinked.

He turned to look at the priestess again, "now that you know these rules. I expect you not to break them. Would hate for you to get swallowed up." Asran smiled brightly at the girl. "Oh, if you'd like why don't you swing by the festival. There will be a lot of delicious food to be eaten. After all Cornopa City is known for the best food in the world." He winked at the priestess.

[Assistant]
"I'll have no trouble following your rules, but I've never lived in a city before. I lived in a monastery before I came here." Ayrie said, watching him. What he was saying about the holy men rung true to her core, as she remembered hearing of priests who were accused of heinous things, and those who were seen as high in the priesthood who were taken down by infildelities. What she had heard before, of the ills of society and cities like Cornopa, seemed more like the griping of old men who were stuck in their ways. She had seen nothing truly wrong in any of the things these people did, aside from lacking a little in modesty and moderation.

His eyes had scared her for a moment, but then he smiled at her and winked and she felt butterflies in her stomach. 'Why must he be handsome? I want so badly to not like this man. He feels so dangerous.'

"I think I would enjoy the festival, my cupboard is sorely lacking and I'm certainly missing the cooks at the monastery. After buying this place I haven't much budget left for more than flour and rice." she said. This was sadly true, she'd eaten bread and rice cakes after running out of her travel rations. She extended her hand to him, "I'm Ayrie Summers."

[User]
"Well that simply will not do. Why not ask the local butchers for food? Then again I suppose you'd not heard all the rules yet. One of top ones being let no one starve. If you asked for food at the local butchers they'd provide it to you easily. The city is literally where the word Cornucopia comes from." Asran rubbed at his forehead sighing deeply. Then grabbed a slip of paper, and slammed it on the side of the house, and pulled out a pen. He quickly jotted down an address, and held it out for the priestess.
"Go here, and your food needs will be taken care of. Just, make sure not to wear your holy robes. Seeing as it's a small offshoot temple dedicated to lord Gluttony's generosity. Yes I know Gluttony and generosity shouldn't go hand in hand for some of you holier than though types. But, even he finds feeding his people worth it. As happy, healthy, and well fed people provide more goods. Than poor, sad, and unhealthy people. Simple truth he probably learned over an incredibly long life," he said.

[Assistant]
Ayrie was bewildered by the way this man spoke of "Gluttony". She had always been taught that Gluttony was a way of acting, not that it was a 'he' or that he was a Lord. This man spoke of him as if he knew him in person.

"Thank you. I can take the robe off, I wear it mostly for comfort anyway." She said, taking the slip of paper from him. As she did her fingers brushed his and she felt a shock of power. She froze momentarily, not sure whether he had felt it. "Y-you never did tell me your name."

She tried to cover her surprise with a smile as she said the last, hoping that it worked. As she looked at him she noticed lines of what appeared to be tattoos peeking out from beneath his clothes and had a sudden desire to see what they all were. She quelched it and looked away. To cover her embarassment she stepped closer to the door and slipped her robe off, hanging it on a peg just inside. As she did she revealed her street clothes, a pair of flowy tan pants and a purple wrap-around top that hugged her hips.

[User]
At the priestesses touch Asran felt a spark of her holy power. Surprising him somewhat that she even had such power. He thought her a simple priestess not one with a soul carrying actual light. It made his nerves go on edge, even tearing a little growl from him. He coughed into his hand quickly clearing his throat. He straightened a bit offering a cheeky smirk, "I know I didn't, just call me mister mayor. Or mayor for short. You have the address, you should be okay to find it on your own. I'll be taking my leave now miss priestess." He then bowed his head to her slightly then took his leave.

He needed a snack, and a nap. Could this day be any more tiresome? He ran a hand through his snow white locks of hair. Rubbing at the back of his head. He summoned lesser demons to his side hidden by the shadows. "Follow her, but do not engage. Unless you want to get vaporized," he told the imps. They nodded quickly, and disappeared.

[Assistant]
'Strange man. I wonder what that spark was about?' Ayrie thought as she watched him walk away. She shrugged and closed the door, heading for the address he had given her. As she walked she passed the dancing woman and her troupe of followers, they smiled and laughed and invited her to join but she politely shook her head no. Now was the time to fill her belly, not make it more hungry with exercise.

She entered the temple he'd told her to, and found a burly looking man handing food to a pair of children.

"Well what can I do for you?" He asked her, not bothering to look up from the children.

"I was sent by the mayor, he told me I could get some food here?" Ayrie was hesitant, she didn't feel she deserved such a donation.

"Ye came to the right place, my dear." He said, and began grabbing some things and putting them in a sack. "Take these, bring the sack back tomorrow and if you're needing more we'll refill it."

"Thank you... Thank you so much." Ayrie said. The man reminded her so much of the cook back home she was suddenly overwhelmed with homesickness.

"Not a thing, dear. The Lord Gluttony doesn't like his people hungry." The man said, handing her the sack. "You go on home and eat, get some rest. You look like you're about to break."

Ayrie nodded, unable to speak around the sudden knot in her throat. She returned home and cooked and ate in silence, listening to the sounds of the city outside her little home.


[System]
Age: 18

Gender: Female

Appearance: Standing at a height of a metre eighty, Sonoda Yuka is surprisingly tall for a woman of Japanese descent, and combined with her powerful, athletic build, she cuts a figure of great intimidation. Indeed, her expressions merely serve to reinforce this image, with the taut muscles, unimpressed thin mouth and scowling golden eyes proving that she is very willing to fight anyone who dares to obstruct her path of justice. Her hair is cut short, the fuzzy brown-black locks flowing down towards her neck, fringe hiding away her forehead. In all, she exudes an aura of power but also reliability, her very appearance seeming to tell others that she is one to always keep her promises, and one that messing with would be unwise.

When not fighting crime in her identity of Metallica Weapon, Yuka works as part-time intern at an office building, and is dressed in garb fitting of her occupation; a combination of a light blue dress shirt and either a dark pencil skirt or trousers is her standard clothing, though when performing leisurely activities, her outfits can change far dramatically and will depend upon the weather. However, her grey combat boots, a permanent fixture of her outfit, show that she is always prepared for conflict, along with the leather motorcycle gloves that she for some reason dons frequently despite not actually owning a motorbike. She is also especially fond of a tattered yellow scarf that she has owned since her youth.

As the powerful hero of justice, Metallica Weapon, the "suit" that completely envelops her body is grey and nondescript, exuding sleek professionalism and power through its androgynous form. Nothing on the "armour" can be considered especially defining or revealing, as if its wearer is not truly a human but a mere copy of one. It is a threatening visage to ponder upon, as the only major aspects of the suit are the four emerald lines that run down her arms, and simple black v-fin that sits between its ominous, pale-red eyes.

Powers: A partially cybernetic human, the experiments that were performed on Sonoda Yuka to unlock her true potential have converted much of her bones, muscles and ligaments to "Solid Photonic Energy" equivalents that provide her with immense durability and strength, and the two miniaturised cold fusion reactors that are safely encapsulated within the area where she once possessed lungs replace her need for respiration, giving her near-limitless stamina and the ability to function in locations usually impossible for the normal human. However, her ultimate ability is to transform into a steely heroic warrior, a state that provides her with the ability to manipulate gases.

Weapons: Though a competent hand-to-hand fighter, Yuka possesses remarkable skill with a glaive, which she utilises to its maximum effect when transformed into the Metallica Weapon.

Personality: A seemingly stoic figure upon first glance, the superheroic Yuka is quite calm in the face of danger, dealing with whatever problem that befouls her with nary an emotion and supreme grace. Her comments usually show little spirit, though at times it seems there is a certain grandness to her words. However, underneath the surface is her boiling blood, fiery emotions that fuel her every action. She is relentless and driven, absolutely devoted to bringing about justice wherever she goes, even if from a skin-deep view she seems almost bored of her duties. Indeed, she will stubbornly fight for what she believes in what's right, and will crush all in her path to saving others.

She has her own eccentricities as well (though not incredibly obvious to others), the most prominent being her tendency to narrate in her own head, frequently delving into inner monologues about whatever crosses her mind at the time. These monologues are quite eloquent and poetic in comparison to her usual succinct (though nevertheless still sophisticated) speech. She is also a literary fan, and will make reference to notable works from time to time.

As Metallica Weapon, she is brutal and quick in her fights, aiming to incapacitate as rapidly as possible. She is also somewhat wordier than usual when in the midst of combat, but they usually simply carry through the zeal that envelops her as she fights to serve justice.

History: A native of Neo-Tokyo, Yuka was once a normal Japanese high school student in a normal Japanese high school, sharing a class with a group of supernatural warrior hunters fighting a secret guerilla war against the forces of evil. It was a rather peaceful life, albeit a life filled with higher school fees in order to repair the collateral damage brought about the powerful entities that resided at her facility of education, but it was not one filled with superheroics and drama for her.

Then came Cerebral Intelligentsia.

A shadowy organisation responsible for a spate of monster attacks, it kidnapped her and many others to be experimented on to create an ultimate army that would conquer Japan and then the world. Through these horrific tortures, in which her body was converted with cybernetics, her latent powers were activated, influencing Cerebral Intelligentsia to craft her into the first of their elite shock troopers, the "Weapons". Under their scientific machinations, she became a transforming cyborg warrior completely devoted to the mysterious cause, fighting in the shadows under the banner of CI.

However, sympathetic scientists would break her free of the reprogramming at the cost of her memories, faking her death and throwing her out of the secretive CI facilities and into the relative safety of the world. Lost and confused, with only the name "Weapon" to guide her, the teenage girl found her way back to Neo-Tokyo, subconsciously avoiding Cerebral Intelligentsia's forces as she tried to find her place. It would be during these struggling journeys that she met the original Sonoda Yuka, an ill, hospitalised girl whose dreams inspired her to become the hero "Metallica Weapon".

And when the original Yuka died of illness, the cyborg warrior took upon the name in tribute, using it in her secret civilian identity at a local high school until she would finally recover her own memories.

Weakness: Despite her superior physical prowess, Yuka is utterly lacking in range and mobility, having been described as a "masked runner" whose ability to achieve her ends is limited by her lack of vehicular transport (thereby preventing her from moving distances), nonexistent access to weapons or powers that could provide her the ability to consistently strike at aerial opponents (for any manoeuvres performed above solid ground are temporary at best), and in essence the mobile capabilities of the average human (she can walk, run, and float a bit with gas manipulation, but that's about it). Her fighting style is also quite rough and unorthodox, belying the fact that she isn't exactly the most skilled at martial arts.

Other:
* Theme Song: Hagane no Messiah
* Voice Actor: Romi Paku (JP); Michelle Ruff (ENG)

[User]
Super Cosmos

Cosmos accepted the autograph with the hand that wasn't holding a miraculously unspilled alcoholic beverage and gave it a look. The inspiring message, combined with the inspiring person who wrote it, gave Cosmos warm fuzzies and elicited a warm smile from the star traveler.

"The audience should be enough. I'll work my way to him from there, I suppose. I appreciate y-" The rest of Cosmos' statement was cut off as the two were beamed onto the...

---

Video Star
Cosmos hadn't used a decontamination room in many universal age units, instead using the heat generated by exiting and entering atmospheres in conjunction with the radiation and vacuum of space to cleanse himself of microbes. It didn't seem to bother him as much as it did Pterrordactyl - in fact, Cosmos considered it a novelty.

The Newdurs led Cosmos to the audience area once he was cleaned. He made his way to a fairly good seat that was miraculously vacant and turned his attention to the stage. Just moments after sitting down he learned why the seat was vacant: the alien next to him made a huffing sound, then spat radioactive goop on his arm. Though he was entirely unharmed by the action, Cosmos knew when he was unwelcome, so he brushed the slime off and moved to a less appealing seat.

---

"BIG MONEY! BIG PRIZES!" Cosmos roared with the crowd, caught in the excitement that flowed through the audience - or so he'd tell anyone who asked, though if he were honest he'd say that he was ecstatic that his favorite contender had finally earned his way into the Lightning Round. His inner fanboy was pleased, and he'd been there to witness it in person!

However, Cosmos still had business to attend to. He fought his way through the crowd, which was heading away from the stage while he intended to approach it. By the time he got past the crowd, Spandez had left the stage and headed back to his office. Not willing to give up easily, he caught a staff member's attention - by shouting as loudly as he could.

"Hey! I've got business with your boss - business of the highly important variety! I'm the rightful owner of the planet he's offering as a prize in this game!"

[Assistant]
Sakura sprung from her plush and large bed, kicking her soft white blankets off she turned her legs to the side of the bed and placed her toes on the floor.

"Wuaaaa! Another day another crime!"

Standing up she stretched in her pink Onesy with white little rabbits. Quickly Sakura grabbed her school uniform and changed her clothes, Packing her bag she put her work uniform inside and grabbed her Uzi from the nightstand, turning on the safety she kissed the barrel and tucked it away with two magazines. Her Katana had been cleaned the night before so all she had to do was sling it across her back. A customary ring of her doorbell had Sakura cheery and giddy more than ever. Tying her eye patch on she ran out of her bed room and down the flight of stairs.

As always Yukoshi stood at her door, ringing more than needed. "Sakura'Chan your always late. " Yukoshi stated not agitated at all; In fact she liked the way things were with Sakura'Chan and wouldn't want to change them at all. The closed door opened showing Sakura slipping on her Uniform shoes. Her short black hair never looked dry or messy and complemented her red eye, Yukoshi never really knew what Sakura's other eye looked like. She rarely ever took her eye patch off and when she did; it was always closed shut. Her short and athletic frame held feminine curves to it, not as much as Yukoshi but still sculpted wonderfully. Yukoshi smiled at the bread crumbs her friend left sloppily on her face and shirt. "Your a mess. " she teased, picking and wiping the crumbs off and flinging some away.

"I didn't get to finish my math homework!...KoKo'chan can I borrow your notes!?" Yukoshi never did mind when Sakura called her KoKo'chan and sorta took a liking to it. Sakura pouted cutely as she closed and locked her Aunty's door. They began walking their usual way to school.

"Yea, did you think of a superhero name yet?" Yukoshi asked waiting for the amusing answer she'll get for sure.

"Y-Yea!!!" Sakura yelled, trying to hide the fact that she was lying.

[User]
SONODA YUKA - METALLICA WEAPON

Another student of her school had watched her descent from the rooftops. A strange, robotic entity was quite ready to neutralise her if the situation required it.

This was quite a new occurrence for Metallica Weapon.

>>Dealing with the forces of Cerebral Intelligentsia is tantamount. Whatever attentions may have now been focused on my person due to the events that have transpired are of little import to me. I must flush out the monstrous creature that likely roams the surrounding area before any harm occurs to the student populace. Whoever these others are, it is my wish that they do not interfere with my duty.

Her eyes flashed crimson, and the suited warrior ran, her powerful strides carrying her across the school grounds at a remarkable pace. She had no wish to answer to the hostile overtures of the robot in the skies, especially when they were definitely not a member of Cerebral Intelligentsia's evil forces. The design was too radically different, and it was far likelier that they were merely another of Neo-Tokyo's myriad heroes. But no matter what they fought for, Metallica Weapon sought nothing from them; rather, she was intent on defeating the threat to the safety of her school as soon as possible.

Halfway across the grounds now.

Her foe had yet to appear. Was it in the nearby area? She could not hear screams. Not yet.

And she was going to ensure she never would.


[System]
Age: 30

Race: Caucasian

Sex: Female. Approximately 5' 11" tall, with blonde hair, steel grey eyes, and an athletic figure as per her military pedigree. Objectively quite stunning in her attractiveness.

Skills: ace pilot, energy weapons

Personality: highly intelligent but generally, socially clueless. She comes off as cold and unfriendly but truly, she doesn't have a natural propensity towards small talk and casual conversation. Smoker.

Weapons & armor/clothing: Enclave-issue plasma pistol, mismatched light armour pieces suitable for a travelling merc. Also carries a small knapsack full of items of sentimental value, such as a photograph of her and her twin brother, various medals and pins earned within the Enclave (including her dog tags), and a pocket watch featuring an engraving.

Occupation: Mercenary/security guard for hire.

Faction (Minutemen, Institute, BOS, Railroad, None. Etc): Formerly Enclave, now unaffiliated.

Backstory:

Frieda was born seven minutes before her fraternal twin, Brian, but spent the majority of her life living in his false shadow. Their father was a high ranking official who lost his life during a mission while the twins were young. Subject to the same vigorous physical and weapons training through her life in the Enclave, no matter what she did, somehow her brother was favoured even when their skills and scores were on par. Where Frieda was more acerbic in personality, her brother's stoic demeanour tended to be extolled. Eventually, she was to be trained as a pilot, whereas her brother was destined for the front lines and recon. Her natural ability to focus on her task at hand while under pressure and make clear, logical decisions, saw her rise quickly through the ranks as one of their best pilots.

Despite the artificial rivalry their peers and superiors tried to place upon them, Frieda and Brian were inseparably close. They celebrated each other's achievements and differing designations. Brian was the only person in her life constantly validating her own skills, when so many others preferred to compare her to her brother. They held up and supported each other. When her brother left on a recon mission, never to return, his loss was a devastating blow. The Enclave considered his and his team's mission a failure, and did not send a rescue team.

Frieda wandered through the months that followed in a total daze, unable to find any peace in the thought that her brother was gone for good. He had been a grounding presence in her life, and without him, she found it impossible to find meaning in staying with the Enclave. In a daring move, she packed her most valuable things into a knapsack, stole a Vertibird, and decided to look for her brother, herself. Unfortunately, she miscalculated the trajectory of a rad storm, and found herself completely off course and crashing into the woods of what used to be New Hampshire.

Alive, but without any caps to her name nor desire to return to the Enclave, she wandered east, taking small mercenary type jobs from various settlements until she reached the ocean, and arbitrarily chose to wander south. She found herself wandering into Salem, hoping the sparse settlement could use some full-time muscle, until such time she was able to begin the search for her brother anew.

and:

Name: Celeste Brown

Age: 24

Race: Caucasian/mixed western European

Sex: Female. Barely 5'1", with shoulder length, very dark brown, curly hair, and bright blue eyes. She carries a stout figure with a noticeably voluptuous chest.

Skills: cooking, bartending, bartering

Personality: very charismatic, friendly, and genuinely sweet to everyone she encounters.

Weapons & armor/clothing: Wasteland settler garb including t-shirts, sweaters, skirts, dresses, slacks, and sneakers. Carries small sentimental trinkets, such as a pair of her mother's earrings and other inherited jewelry, and her father's first set of knives.

Occupation:  Barkeep/innkeep

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

Backstory:

Celeste has a very plain and lackluster backstory. Originally from a settlement on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, she was born to two, loving, hard working parents. Her mother operated a successful trading business, having set up at the border, and her father was a talented baker and chef. She learned the best of both occupations from a young age; the art of the deal from her mom, and how to create the flakiest pastry and well-balanced soups from her dad. Through her late teens, Celeste started to feel the wanderlust. While a steady stream of folks came through Niagara Falls between the two pre-war countries, so did their stories. Celeste started to dream of the world beyond the river and the escarpment, but for many years, seeing it for herself remained a dream. A caravan travelling from Burlington near Ronto, en route to the eastern seaboard, thrilled Celeste with their talk of the bright and beautiful Diamond City, that she insisted she go with them. She chipped in her own caps for the protected passage, said a bittersweet goodbye to her parents, and was on their way.

The travel would prove to be very harsh on sweet, tender Celeste. Slogging through the terrain, surrounded by hostiles at every turn, and fearing for her life, all had begun to tarnish her shiny impression of the world outside her childhood home. Chronic optimism kept her going, but a very small part of her began to consider that she had made a huge mistake.

Celeste would never make it to Diamond City. The caravan made a stop in Salem in an attempt to top up on purified water, and Celeste would fall in love with the town. The setting, the buildings, everything felt so beautiful and comfortable to her. She had a pocket full of caps and stars in her eyes. After a convincing conversation with the caravan, who assured her that Salem could become part of their regular route, she decided to settle back down and merely travel through the wasteland as she always had: by the stories and tales brought in by others.

[User]
FRIEDA RICHTER - Salem Diner

Rook seemed to make a point of replying to her such that Brandy wouldn't hear. "Rook is disappointed in Shooter Lady. Rook would have expected her to learn some kind of tolerance in the wastelands. Now you will be looking for a reason to just murder Rook and justify it by saying Rook was being bad. Shooter Lady is no different than the raiders in the Pitt."

A super mutant judging me? That's definitely a first.

Rook called for a beer for her, and the man introduced to her as Ace popped off the lid of a darker coloured beer while Brandy popped out from behind the bar with beers, herself.

Well, all right! No complaints on this development. She made to take a swig when the grubby fellow took the liberty of sitting next to her and extending his hand.

"Thomas Beauregard Sykes the III, entrepreneur extraordinary, purveyor of wares far and wide. I do not believe I've had the pleasure of gazing upon such graceful flower before. Your beauty surely lights up this bleak and sad wasteland."

Frieda blinked, but did not shake the man's hand. "Um...thanks. It's Ric -- Frieda," was all she could manage in response.

"To new friends and a new home, CHEERS!!!" Brandy chirped, raising her beer and looking at Frieda expectantly.

"Sure. Cheers," she replied, holding up her own bottle a little timidly. She took a good mouthful of the dark beer, impressed at its taste. There were at least a couple folks back home who brewed their own beer regularly, and the taste of the stout reminded her of them. "What did you say this was called? It does taste fresh."

"You know Brandy, you tug at my belt, put your hand in my pocket…Call me old fashioned but some guys like to be wined and dined before they get this far," Ace said with a smirk as he sipped on his whiskey, "I'm not just a piece of meat you know."

Frieda took another swig when suddenly Brandy slammed the bottle down and covered her mouth, spitting beer into her hand, and causing Frieda to jump. Brandy looked up at her then to Ace and turned towards Frieda, "Oh my God," she blushed, "I didn't me…I didn't mean it like that." She waved her hands at her face fanning herself, "Frieda, that doesn't make me a floozy, does it?"

Frieda burst out laughing. "A floozy? Certainly not. Unless...well, did you really put your hand into his pocket?"

Brandy let out one more long exaggerated breath, "He is cute," she whispered.

"Well, then go for it," Frieda murmured back. "If he ever breaks your heart, I'll kick his ass, myself."

A short woman with curly hair drew up to the bar, smiling and bubbling on about being the proprietor of the inn. Frieda noted the information for later. She was getting tired of lugging her stuff around and with it getting dark, she would have to look for some kind of apartment in the morning.

I guess that means I'm going to need a job. A real, paying job. She sat quietly as Brandy introduced herself to the woman who called herself Celeste and continued to sip on her beer, watching Rook scarf down a veritable mountain of food out of the corner of her eye. He said something about the beer to Brandy, but Frieda didn't catch it. The beer was going down very easily.

She idly watched Ace take several orders at once and struggle to fulfill them at all quickly. It would seem that serving bar wasn't exactly his natural talent. She took another drink just as Brandy was whispering to her, again.

"Will you come with me?"

"I -- wait -- what?" Frieda stammered, caught off guard. She noticed Brandy dabbing at the front of her dress where the beer had landed on it, while sneaking glances at Ace and grinning sheepishly. "...oh. Uh..." She looked at Rook, seemingly completely focused on his food and drink. "Uh, sure. Okay. Lead on." Frieda had a flashback of being twelve and thirteen all over again, when her classmates used to giggle and dash around to avoid the boys, while seemingly, desperately, wanting their attention.

Sometimes, it worked.

Frieda tossed back the rest of the stout and plunked the bottle onto the bar, before rising to follow Brandy.

[Assistant]
Eliza Weaver
 Salem, Massachusetts

 Eliza couldn't believe that it was actually her, after all this time it was her. What tears Eliza had left to cry slowly trickled down her exhausted face. She mustered enough strength to speak but her words were soft and her tone was forlorn. "Shelby?" Her voice was weak and it was clear that she was trying as hard as she could just to speak. "All of this time, and here you are." Eliza struggled to hold Shelby's hand but she managed to, even if her grip was feeble and cold. "I missed you so much…..I'm so sorry."

 Shelby's grip was much different than Eliza's, it was warm and strong, bringing Eliza comfort she had long since given up on finding. "You're all I have left Shelby…..everyone else…they're dead." Eliza started to weep uncontrollably, her emotions were starting to overwhelm her. "I'm so sorry......." She couldn't speak any more, her body had reached it's breaking point. Her eyes shut for what felt like the first time in her life while her shallow breathing continued. Eliza had someone to live for again, and the life that person meant for her but death still sought it's quarry. Except Eliza no longer embraced her death, she didn't want to die......not now.

[User]
CELESTE BROWN -- Salem Diner

The young woman sitting next to a stonefaced blonde whirled around on her stool to introduce herself. "Hi Celeste, I'm Brandy Brooks," she smiled, "Welcome to Salem. I haven't been to Sandy Coves yet, I can help fix things, I kind of do a little bit of everything."

"Ain't that somethin'!" Celeste smiled. "I've only ever been real handy in a kitchen. My dad taught me how to cook 'n bake back up where I'm from. It's called Niagara Falls. Maybe you've heard of it?" She tapped her chin, thinking. "So far, the robot has been pretty great at clearing out all the broken things, but I never thought about fixin' them." She smiled. "You can come by any time and take a look around!"

Brandy pat at the front of her dress. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to wash up a little. I spilled some beer on myself." Brandy then leaned towards the blonde and whispered something.

The blonde seemed to stammer, as if she were startled. "Uh, sure. Okay. Lead on," she said, tipping back her beer bottle before standing and following Brandy away.

The man behind the bar placed a bowl of stew onto the counter in front of her. "Well how is it possible i havent seen such a lovely face before? Welcome to our little town."

"Oh, golly," Celeste blushed. "Truth is, I only got here just this morning. I was actually on my way to Diamond City, but, well, let's just say I haven't travelled too much in my life an' it didn't agree with me." She took a spoonful of the stew. "Mmm!" she exclaimed, nodding her head. "Someone definitely taught you how to cook, didn't they?"

"I didn't catch your name," she added, then nodded to the blonde's empty stool. "Plus, some people are just rude, huh? Don't even try to be friendly."


[System]
"The Tengu are looking for a stolen object. Would you have knowledge on this subject?"

"My name? How rude. It is only polite to state your name first."
"What matter is my age?"
Age:
125

Race:
Tengu

Appearance:
Himeko looks to be about her late teens to early twenties though in reality she's lived over a century. She has long brown hair typically tied back into twintails. She wears travel clothes of her tribe's color and she stands at a little over six feet. Other than her wings, that is a good sign that she isn't exactly human.

Personality:
Himeko is a noble in Tengu society. Though she tries not to be, she can be rather pretentious at times. Her normal mode is "guarded" though one can gain her trust rather quickly. She has a rather negative opinion on humans in general, but will work with them in times of need. While she thinks of humans this way, she likely will come to like them quickly so long as they are competent at what they do.

"A mere human cannot hope to match a Tengu, that is just simple. Any longer talk on it is mere sophistry."

Abilities:
Tengu in general have the ability to manipulate wind. Though it appears to be the typical type of magic, it really has a source from the divinity that resides on Tengu Mountain.

Their wings also allow them to fly at high speeds. They are rather large and can wrap around them as a coat if need-be, but otherwise, they can use the same divine power that allows them to manipulate the wind to hide their wings.

As a species, they also have strength far outweighing the average human and wielding their special Tengu Forged Katana that assist them in their wind manipulating abilities.

History: Himeko was born among her fellow Tengu at the supposed height of their civilization. She herself was born among one of the upper rungs of the race and as thus, she was taught many things such as swordsmanship, etiquette and channeling divinity. Soon enough, she found herself among one of the many Wing Guards of the mountain.

She never left the mountain, but she was put in charge of guarding the Vault of Relics. It's name was exactly as it sounds and she liked to take her time examining the many pieces in the Vault. She both guarded and studied them. Soon enough, she found herself tasked with guarding a human to study in the vault. She scoffed at the order, but was quickly ordered to follow orders or else she'd be stripped of her rank. Begrudgingly, she accepted the task.

She was quickly introduced to the human. She was not impressed. They were simply a scholarly type and she was simply surprised that he was able to make it to the top by himself, let alone make it past the constant tempests that masked the mountain. He asked her if she'd like to talk to him about any of the objects and simply told him their name and a very short idea of what they did. She was constantly confused as to why the Elders and the Lord of the Mountain allowed a human up here, but followed orders as loosely as she could.

It took a few weeks, but the man was just about done with his research. In the last couple of days however, the tempest surrounding the mountain disappeared and the mountain was attacked by a small horde of what could only be described as gigantic bats. Himeko was with the scholar at the time, and quickly flew him to a safe space in the mountain fortress.

She quickly made her way to the front and helped eliminate the attackers, however she left the Vault undefended. In her absence, someone or something snuck into the Vault and stole one of the Tengu's most sacred treasures, The Leaf of the Four Winds. A grand treasure that had the power to amplify the power of any wind based divinity or magic.

Many among the Elder Council accused the scholar of stealing the item, or letting the tempest die out. Himeko, however, stood up for the scholar, claiming he was not at fault for this theft. As she was known for her disdain for the human race for their foolishness, her words for a human were held in high regard. On the other hand, her leaving the Vault undefended was seen as the main issue at hand. For her failure at losing the Leaf, she was tasked with retrieving it or never returning. After preparing for a few days and gathering her supplies, she left the mountain and sadly only found solace in human towns. Luckily, she had one clue... An odd sigil...

Other:
-Himeko is actually a master at disguising her disgust at humans. Luckily for her. She deals with humans in villages with a hidden disgust but something better than a frown, but less than a smile.

[User]
"Contribute nothing? You dare imply a Tengu would not carry her weight?" Himeko stated, astonished. How dare this girl! She had to be taught a lesson. Drawing her blade, Himeko did not swing it, merely point it to the ground. Soon, Charlotte would find a strong wind knock into the back of her knees, likely catching her off guard. Another wind from there pushed her into the ground so she found herself in a kneeling pose before long. The Tengu merely laughed, "Kneeling already?" She almost cackled as she sheathed her blade. "Your path is fraught with danger young human. And a Tengu is one of the fastest and strongest in the world. Some say the eldest among us are on level with dragons. You should be begging me to join you."

That was out of the way now. Of course that human could see her worth now! "As for my interest in it, I suppose I could tell you..." Since Charlotte was, if nothing else, her traveling companion from now on. "The Tengu mountain has a great amount of wind storms protecting it's borders from outsiders. One day, however, the storms disappeared without reason and an attack was launched on the city. In the meantime, someone snuck in and stole an ancient artifact that could cause no end of trouble. Not that we care, but we want what is ours."

[Assistant]
Ah.

Maybe.

She shouldn't have insulted the flying demon-bird-lady, yes that would have been the smart thing to do. Soon, through some sort of trickery she found something knocking into the back of her knees, and another into the top of her head and forcing her into a kneeling position. Being a bit unprepared, she found herself falling forward a bit, with her face a few inches of the ground as the so called Tengu laughed from above. Well this was embarrassing, but at least she had a great view - brain stop that already.

"Urf what in the name of the havens...!" She was a little upset. More than a little upset as she stood back up. Just what and the world was up with this Tengu!? Not only was she haughty, completely unashamed about showing off her powers to bully someone, but she had some sort of magic and great legs as well!

...wait a minute one of those thoughts were completely irrelevant.

"Well excuuuuuse me princess," Charlotte grumbled, dusting off her cloak. This Himeko better be glad her potions were securely fastened inside of her cloak in strong, treated glass that woudln't break so easily. "For not knowing of the likely exaggerated tales of people I've never heard of." She grumbled, fixing Himeko with a small frown and a glare. "That aside..." Charlotte replaced the notebook in her hands back in her cloak. "Stolen? Hmm...I can't say I can really help with that." She sighed. How troubling. She had hoped this woman would share her scholarly interest, but no. She was just some haughty noble kid or something from some magical race of bird-brains or something. "But if you are searching for Harena I suppose our destinations are the same, at least in theory. It will be a bit of a trek though, as I don't even know where it is or what to even really look for."

[User]
"You don't know where it is? Hmmm. If it's not one problem it's another." Himeko muttered as she looked around. Well, now would be a good time to put her wings away. They just disappeared into her back and she walked forward a bit, past Charlotte. "Where now would we learn this? I know nothing about human nations. Were this the Tengu Mountain, I would know where to go, alas Human society is almost a world away. For example, who sells food on the street side? Food should only be sold inside the most lavish of buildings." She said confidently, nodding her head as if it were only common sense.

Himeko looked to Charlotte as if she had the upmost faith in the girl, "So it's decided, you will take the lead. I trust you can find something of use." Her arms crossed and a smile appeared on her face as she shifted the heavy weight of finding Harena's location to the young human.

[Assistant]
"If you're looking for a cartographer you've come to the wrong person." Charlotte grumbled, starting to walk back into the town. "I've only been in the region for a month or so at best, and all I have to work with is out dated maps and texts." As much as she was loathe to admit it...she knew very little and so far had been working on scripts and texts that were old, and likely maybe even outdated. The scholars at the tower were loathe to let anything new into their tower, lest it cause problems.

Still...

Even if her attitude was bad it was clear Himeko was at least, trusting her with this. Having someone actually do that for once in her life was a little...well, it was nice. She couldn't actually recall a time where someone had.

"But, I'm nothing if not clever." She smirked. "I do know that apparently there is a large city not far to the south west of here, but before that." She turned to face the Tengu, hands on her hips. "We need some ground rules if we're traveling together. Especially when you're dealing with other people because quite frankly, you're terrible at it." She bluntly stated. "So let me handle the talking. As well...keep those legs of your covered. I don't need the distraction."

She turned, now having returned to the village proper. Now, how should transportation be handled? She would be fine with walking. Easily done with a few physical enhancement potions of varying natures, but buying a horse or paying for passage could work as well...though she had no idea how to ride one.

[User] "What is that? Leave the talking to you? No offense but you tend to keep that grumbling dour look on your face." Himeko said as she sped her way around Charlotte, somehow keeping up nicely with her shoes on. "Despite how I'm acting to you now..." The Tengu took a breath and her look changed fairly drastically. Instead of the confidence and mightiness she tended to keep prior to now, she had a graceful and peaceful look. "My apologies if you thought otherwise, but I can also be quite charming I think. My apologies if my legs are distracting to you, though I don't quite understand how. Perhaps you would like to tell me in detail, dear?"

[Assistant]
"...." Charlotte simply gave Himeko her usual somewhat sour expression, a small frown forming on her lips. Why did she even say that? And why was she now trying to be all demure and nice? Was...was she being teased again? Ugh, she left the tower to get away from that. Well, no matter. She would not address it and if Himeko was ignorant then that was that. Moving on, then. That comment about her face irritated her just a bit. Mostly because it was true.

"Ahem," She cleared her throat, shaking her head and stiffly walking past the Tengu with a light huff. "I know I tend to frown a lot, thank you, but at least I don't go around acting like I'm better than everyone. Just don't go around threatening people if we're trying to find information. You attract more flies with honey than vinegar." Charlotte of course, knew there were times when such words were meaningless. Something one had to learn quite quickly in Astril, but most people responded better to kindness unless they had a reason to hide something or be ill-mannered. "That aside, the city I mentioned is some distance away. While I certainly don't mind walking for a few days to reach the destination...it would not be the fastest." She cast a glance over to Himeko.

...she could probably fly, couldn't she?

huhm, how exactly would flying feel?

Come to think of it, she also missed her chance at a feather.

[User]
Back to her usual face, Himeko looked at Charlotte like she was saying something weird. "I don't act like I'm better. I am. It's a fact. Tengu live at least three times that of the oldest humans, we are stronger, quicker, we can fly and our studies are far more advanced. That said, you humans are much more versatile than we Tengu and much more populous. Where we only live in our mountain, you live everywhere. Quite honestly, I can see your studies reaching our level quickly, just on account of how many of you there are." The Tengu lectured a bit. Showing her feelings on the relationship between Tengu and Humans. It showed she saw humans had potential, but all in all were not quite to where they should be.

"Well, regardless... Fast ways to get to the city? Hmm..." Himeko mentioned before putting the back of her knuckles to her cheek. There were plenty of ways to get there. Of course, how many of those were viable..... "Hmmmmm.... Huh?" She said with a bit of surprise. "Why do you just stare?"

[Assistant]
...this Tengu knew very little of human history, didn't she? The oldest recorded human according to records was at least a thousand years old. Supposedly, at any rate. Still, that was neither here nor there. They needed transportation and while Charlotte wouldn't have minded using her talents to get some coin or passage she was curious as to how exactly the Tengu flew to start with. Plus, it'd give her a chance at one of her feathers. For a few seconds Charlotte weighed the pros and cons of what she was about to ask before sighing. Well, scholarly pursuits required risks.

"Hmm..." She placed a hand on her chin. "You have some sort of ability to control the winds, correct? As well, I am assuming you can fly. Admittedly I do not have much money to spare buying passage," She walked over to Himeko. "I think perhaps the fastest way would be to fly, then."

[User]
"Fly, well, yes. Wings that are unable to fly are useless. Much like Chickens." Himeko commented, looking over Charlotte. She wasn't all too sure how to go about this. They could try, but it might leave her a bit on the tired side. "I guess we could try that, though.... I'm not sure how I should try holding you." Without much care about whether Charlotte gave her permission or not, the Tengu lifted the human up by her armpits to test her weight. Fairly light which was good.

As a good test, she put her into the so called, "Princess Carry" and found this would work fairly well so long as she anchored her arms around Himeko's neck. "Yes, well, I could do it like this for a bit, but you will need to trust me and hold on to me." If Charlotte had noticed anything yet, the Tengu was blunt but honest. She'd probably be able to trust Himeko and do as she said.


[System]
Age: 143
Alignment: Lawful Good
Race: Elf
Class: Cleric/Barbarian
Appearance/Clothing:

Vaeri is an innocent looking elf, standing at about 5' 7" (170 cm) with long, straight raven hair that extends down to the base of her back, pale skin and bright blue eyes. At a glance she's quite beautiful with full lips, a small button nose, thin eyebrows and high cheekbones, when one takes a closer look, several tiny scars are visible all over, disfiguring her otherwise graceful looks. Likewise, Vaeri's exposed flesh, the rare times one can see them initially appear smooth and untouched, but upon closer inspection are covered in scars and barely contain wiry muscle below.

Vaeri dresses as a lady of the cloth should, with a dark blue full body cloak. The fabric is adorned with intricate patterns in white to provide visual contrast and indicating her status as a clergywoman. Around her neck and outside the cloak, Vaeri wears a necklace bearing the holy symbol of her god. However, underneath the cloak is a full set of leather armor, battle ready and kept in top shape at all times.

Skills: Concentration, Sense Motive, Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Nature), Climb, Jump, Sleight of Hand, fletching arrows, surviving out in the wild
Natural Abilities: Keen senses, the ability to see better than humans in low light
Magic/Spells: Heal: @Afina can decide how good this is
Tongues: Allows the caster to speak any language for the duration of the spell
Turn Undead: Vaeri can attempt to make Undead flee from her presence temporarily. Powerful Undead can resist this.
Divine Might: Holy power infuses the caster, temporarily making them more powerful and resilient
Flame Strike: Smites foes with holy flames
Additional Information: Vaeri worships Menhit, lion-goddess of War. (Fun fact her name means She who massacres)
Weapons: Vaeri carries a composite shortbow and a two-handed battleaxe
Possessions: On Vaeri's right ring finger is a ring of protection. One her back she carries a backpack that can hold more than you think it would and what Vaeri wants from the bag will always be at the top (the item in question must have been put in the bag beforehand for this to work). Inside the bag are her necessities (tent, rope, bedroll, tarp for the tent, soap, cooking utensils, oil, a lamp, flint and steel), holy texts, 8 vials complete with cork stoppers, 3 vials of Inflict Wounds potions, a Scroll of Gust of Wind, and about 2 weeks worth of rations. She also has a coin purse with about 20 gold pieces in it. On her hip is a quiver with 20 arrows.
Personality: To strangers, Vaeri appears to be a gentle elf, always keen to help those in need and be a travelling force of good in the world. However, as you get to know her, slowly she morphs into an entirely different person, brash, head-strong and a braggart, this true face of Vaeri shows exactly why she worships the goddess she does. The elf loves battle of all kinds and will gleefully jump into battle whenever she can.
History: Vaeri grew up in a forest village mostly populated by other elves to a carpenter. IN her childhood, she began learning the bow as all children did. Her prowess with weaponry was admired just as much as her excessive enthusiasm for using them was worrying. One day while out hunting alone she was overcome by a vision of the lion-goddess Menhit who commanded Vaeri to go out into the world and find a man with two right hands. After this experience, Vaeri began following the goddess of war and has dedicated her life to this mission. The cleric has been following this notice for strong adventurers as a possible lead for locating this mysterious man.

Name: Kazuo Blaide
Age: 22
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Race: Human (with slight traces of elven blood)
Class: Samurai (Ronin)
Appearance/Clothing: Image WIP
Basic description: 5' 11", lean muscular build, tan skin, long wavy black hair, slightly pointed ears thick arched eyebrows, hard brown eyes, stubble from forgetting to shave last week. Wears common street wear (no armor) but with his sword at his hip and sandals instead of more conventional close-toed shoes.
Skills: Katana Specialization, Daikyu Specialization, Punching Specialization (3), Etiquette, Riding (Land-Based), Reading/Writing, Navigation, Weather-sense, Blind Fighting, Mountaineering, Weapon Smithing
Natural Abilities: N/A
Magic/Spells: Focus Energy - With a loud yell, Kazuo focuses his ki to temporarily boost his strength to the absolute limit of human potential for 1 minute.
Additional Information: * Father: Ukon Bootsnatcher (Wandering Ronin)
* Mother: Mira Blaide (Master of the Blaide School of martial arts)
* Uncle: Hiron Bootsnatcher (Funnily enough also a martial artist)
* Family Friends: Mazon Rohtar (Half-orc Warrior Singer; married to Hana)
Hana Rohtar (Gnome Bard/mage; married to Hana)
Elincia Nartolia (Human cleric)
Kanti Dryearurdrenn (Elf Ranger who is coincidentally Vaeri's distant cousin)

Weapons: A Katana, his fists
Possessions: A black horse named Trombe whose saddlebags carry a tent with a tarp, a bedroll, 10 days of trail rations, a fire starter, a mess kit, 4 pints of oil, a hooded lantern, a waterskin, a straight razor, a utility knife and 50 feet of hemp rope.
Personality: Kazuo, like his mother is a quiet person, who rarely speaks when he doesn't need to, and like his father, has a habit of getting easily bored. Unlike either of his parents, Kazuo is a rather forgiving man, able to let insults and slights against his person pass. One thing that runs strong in his blood is a love of conflict and competition. The variety and outcome of the competition does not matter, the rush he gets from giving his all against somebody doing the same is what he lives for, and he'll seek this feeling out even if it proves to be self-destructive in the long run.
History: Kazuo's mother was a Half-Elf monk and his father was a human samurai. He did not get to know his father very well, only able to meet him a few times during his life, and his mother would tell very little about him. Apparently they knew each other from some running tally they had of dueling to the death and somehow that ended in a tryst that produced him.

Kazuo's mother, Mira was a harsh woman who commanded strength and grace that was almost otherworldly. Her beauty was undercut by rage and bloodlust barely kept under wraps. Her bloodlust was so great it seemed to almost materialize in combat and it colored her ki, a normally invisible force a dark purple. She did her best to raise Kazuo as gently as possible, but even her smoothest side was like a cat's tongue. When he grew old enough, Mira tried to teach him the ways of her school of martial arts. She had been the last member of the school, and had dedicated her life to rebuilding it from the ground up. Kazuo's body was able to learn the physicality of the art well, but he lacked his mother's talent to utilize ki, only able to boost his strength with it.

Kazuo's father, Ukon was a wandering samurai, a Ronin. His skills with the quickdraw technique allowed him to cut down all but the hardiest of men with a single motion of his blade. Brash, perpetually battle-hungry and a bit dull-witted, Ukon did not even know he had a son until Kazuo was 15. As a kind of apology/gift for reaching manhood, Ukon bequeathed upon Kazuo his spare katana, but left without teaching him how to use it. Mira knew the basics of swordsmanship, so seeing her son's attachment to the weapon taught him what little she knew, leaving the rest to him.

Upon reaching his 18th birthday, Mira grew tired of trying to teach him to properly use his ki, and remembered how she had grown when she traveled the countryside. So she kicked him out and, "Come back when you're a successor I can be proud of." Since then, Kazuo has traveled the lands trying to become strong enough for his mother to accept him.

[User]
Drizzak

---

For a long time, Drizzak had simply been mulling over his own thoughts and debating internally after speaking with Sister Agnes in the dead of the night, away from the judging ears of the others. What was with these beads that she gave him? They were warm, and soothing. They tasted terrible, and for the longest time he thought they were a circlet, but he eventually settled for wrapping them around his arm and tying them there. They looked nice enough. Not enough teeth, or steel for his liking, but they would do for now. They made him feel a bit better.

The rest of his time had been spent scratching at his wounds as they healed over, the same flecks of gold showing through from the peculiar healing potion. These tall ones brewed their potions different to goblins. No rat in them at all, or any of the mixer's spit. How strange. He liked it. What he didn't like was the ragged wetness of his clothing and furs. The rain had not been kind to him on the trip to the cave. He was so caught up in thought that he hadn't noticed the chill of the wind and rain until it was practically biting at his bones. He sneezed rather loud as he plodded over to the fire and simply fell into a laying down position. He was tired. Worn out. There were others here, holy priest Vaeri, fighter Fiona and another man named Derrix that Drizzak had not been introduced to, but had heard the name of in passing. They had similar names, perhaps they could be friends.

Vaeri's nudity passed through his mind from one ear and out the other, paying it no moment of deliberation. The same for Fiona. People were naked all the time, Goblins even more so. Back in his clan, others barely even wore loincloths around the huts and food-pits. It explained why when he eventually began to strip himself of the water-heavy furs, he did not hesitate in leaving himself in nothing but a loincloth. Then he fell back into laying down. He stunk of smoke and blood. His skin was clammy and damp where it was normally craggy and tough, but inside he felt warm. He was riddled with cut, stab and scrape scars, some on his face and shoulders a bit more fresh than the others. But that didn't matter to him right now. Just a matter of time before he was warm all over.

Drizzak turned to the others.

"All people okay?"

[Assistant]
Fiona was quickly realizing that she didn't have to deal with this sort of thing while traveling alone. Even in the week or so she'd spent with Tobias they hadn't been caught in any rainstorms, and always found a place that allowed her some privacy to change when she needed to. A tree, if nothing else. Here there was just the cave, warm and dry, and the storm outside. Apparently Vaeri wasn't bothered by the company.

Derrix must have noticed her shivering, as he brought her a fresh tunic, of a light green color. "Thank you," she said quietly to him, smiling as he nodded and went over to Vaeri. Fiona had spare clothes of her own in her saddlebags, but thought that the heat of the fire and the lack of rain in the cave would dry her off quickly enough. Not in the habit of refusing generosity, though, she took the tunic, and laid it where she could easily reach.

"I'm alright, Drizzak. Thank you for asking." She smiled encouragingly at the goblin. In all honesty, she'd expected a much more unpleasant experience from traveling with him, but he seemed to be making an effort to be quite well mannered around them. It was surprising, and not at all in a bad way. Keeping the blanket around her, Fiona methodically unlaced her drenched tunic and slipped out of it, the garment emerging from underneath the blanket and dropping to the ground, where Fiona grabbed the fresh one and pulled it in. It was a little big for her, naturally, but it was dry, and that was the important part.

When she was done, there was the lower half to deal with. Her boots she untied quickly enough, tossing them off to the side. The cave floor was soft enough for her bare feet, thankfully. After that she stood and pulled off the blanket, setting it down neatly. There was no real effective way to do this, so she decided it was best to just get it over with. She unbuckled her belt and let set it down, then tugged off her soaked leggings, which clung to her skin. Her smallclothes at least prevented her from being entirely nude for the brief moment. That done, she laid them out with the rest of her clothes, and threw the blanket back on for warmth. Bare legs protruding from beneath it, Fiona made her way over to the fireside, and sat down, enjoying the warmth.

[User]
Vaeri accepted the shirt from Derrix with her free hand, she nodded at him in silent appreciation of the gesture. With one hand she fumbled to get the shirt on, but managed to get it on in less than a minute. The last thing she did as she adjusted the shirt was pull out her necklace from underneath the shirt. Even while topless she had kept on her holy symbol. Derrix's shirt was large on her. It may have even been possible to fit another one of her in this shirt and the neck line was designed for a large man lead to it hanging down to show off a bit more of her chest than Vaeri would normally (none at all). However, it was dry and warm, which is all that mattered.

Vaeri reclined back to allow her pants and feet to better dry as she pondered Drizzak's question. While there certainly evil and unholy people in the world, most of them probably did not think of themselves as such. And they almost certainly would have some measure in good in them, affection for loved ones, an ideal they held dear, but did that make them good? And were they irredeemably evil? Are some people simply born evil, or did the circumstances surrounding them drive them to it? These questions were cut off when Fiona replied she was fine.

"Oh. That is what you meant. I am feeling sufficiently well. I've been better."


[System]
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Job: Priestess Missionary
Appearance:

Name: Symphony
Gender: N/A~ Answers to male pronouns.
Species: Spirit
Job: Ayrie's Familiar
Appearance: Symphony appears as a slightly larger than average Fennec Fox with white fur and red eyes.

Name: Astoria
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Job: Priestess
Appearance:

Name: Gerrick
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Job: Priest
Appearance:

Name: Darrin
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Job: Priest
Appearance:

[User]
"As it is mine, for Ayrie is Astoria reborn. She is my chance to set things right. Asran is a good demon, and yes I know to most if not all such a concept is alien. But, the demon serves his duties in keeping the balance of all things. He does not go to extremes like the other sins do, and usually keeps to himself. Only ever extending a hand when he sees he is needed. However, as he weakens the other sins become emboldened. Leading them to wreak havoc on the world, and soon a war will break out. Which is why to restore the balance Ayrie must stay here, she must fix what she's done in her past life. To set right the mistaken judgment," Nadia said soothingly.
She walked over to them carefully as wind spirits unpacked the priests things. Nadia set a gentle hand to Gerrik's shoulder healing his limp. Then smiled at him again it was so serene.

[Assistant]
Tears welled in Gerrick's eyes as his knee was healed. It had been hurting him for close to ten years, and the lifting of that pain quite literally felt like the lifting of a heavy burden. He couldn't say anything in return, so Darrin spoke for him when he noticed the straightening of Gerrick's body.

"Thank you, mistress. His knee has been paining him for some time." He bowed his head, grateful for the easing of his friend's pain. "But I must say, I do not know that we could ever see this Asran as a 'good' demon. We will accept him, for now, as a necessary part of our lives. There will come a time when we must answer to our Church, and I am not so sure that they will allow us to ally with him for long."

----

Ayrie went along with Mara, her eyes peeled and waiting for an attack of some kind. Her heart was racing, and the hairs on her arms were still standing straight up. She wasn't sure if it was simple nerves from the earlier attack or if her gut was trying to tell her something, but she was uncomfortable.

[User]
Nadia seemed to tense angrily at those words. She then let out a sigh as she regained her calm composure. "It is not my place to color your judgment. I've already learned once what results from it. Just know this, without him I would not be here to heal you. I will protect you from Wrath I know of ways to deter her, and the demons who wish ill upon the three of you. While also allowing the lord of Gluttony to come near."
She clasped her hands in a praying pose then chanted an elven prayer into them. Light flowed forth between them slowly she opened them causing the light to pour forth, and take shape. They took the shape of three rings made of intwined silver, and gold engraved on the inside were blue runes. Nadia then offered them to the priests.
"Wear these, and those who wish to see you come to harm. Shall be unable to harm you. For inside these rings lay guardians who only need to be fed a small portion of your energy. Which can easily be replenished by food, water, and sleep."

[Assistant]
Darrin and Gerrick took the rings and slid them on, grateful for the protection. Looking up they saw Ayrie approaching in the distance, a demon with her.

"She returns to us." Darrin said, relaxing further as he saw his charge. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, and the hole in her dress where she had been wounded gave away that it had been no accident. As she approached she tried to hide it by balling up the torn segment in her fist, but he had seen it before she could do so.

"Ayrie..." Gerrick whispered, concern evident in his voice.

----

'Here we go...' Ayrie thought as they neared the house. She saw a shimmer of magic over the car outside, a car surrounded by a woman she recognized but couldn't place, and the priests. 'So much for hoping they hadn't found out what was going on here...'

She balled up the ruined part of her dress and tried her best to hide it in her fist while not looking conspicuous, and smiled as they approached.

[User]
Nadia sensed Ayrie, and used a shadow elemental to surround her. They teleported away before Ayrie could see Nadia's true face. She trusted the priests to say nothing of this. Though just to be sure she had an air elemental whisper in their ears, "Do not tell Ayrie any of this. Give her the remaining ring."

——-/

Asran looked out the window his eyes tired, but he remained awake worried. Worried that Wrath would try something without him there. "Damn this curse, damn you Astoria. Why did you have to betray me? Was I not good enough? Did I not prove myself good enough to be loved? Why, why did you betray me for him?" All of this talk of Astoria by wrath had dredged up awful memories. Of Astoria turning to a man clad in a godly holy glow. The man that founded a church upon his pain a man that used Astoria's magic and then her life as a martyr to help him ascend. How could a man like that become a god? A god of lies, a god who builds temples dedicated to his supposedly good name on the mass graves of his people. He held his head as the pain caused by these memories courses through his head. He screamed out in agony as he remembered her name be buried by his pope, and bishops. Becoming only something whispered about by the supposed nuts of the church.

[Assistant]
"Who was that woman? Why was she here?" Ayrie asked Gerrick, as he handed her the remaining ring.

"Put that on, and let's go inside to talk." He said, watching her slide the ring onto her index finger. "We have much to discuss."

"First, why don't you go change into something more comfortable, Ayrie? I can see that you are hurt, there is no reason to wear something you cannot get comfortable in." Darrin said as they turned toward the house. "We will talk for a while and then we will go to bed."

Ayrie looked at the demon that had escorted her, "Thank you for seeing me home. I would appreciate it if you let Asran know right away that we made it safely."

With that the three of them turned and went inside, Ayrie to her room to change, the priests to the living area to make a comfortable spot for Ayrie to sit while they talked.

[User]
Mara saw the rings, and her eyes widened they glowed for a moment. Those were powerful magic! But who could have given them to these eyesores? She couldn't attack now, not one on one. Those guardians would destroy not even dust would remain. Quickly she fled going to lady wrath.

Wrath was pissed she'd trashed the guest house in a fury. Fire dancing around her body as she screamed for blood, and murder. "Damn that priestess! Who is helping her," she screamed. When Mara arrived she had calmed down some, and was now plotting her revenge. Somehow someway she would need to deceive Ayrie in taking off that damn ring.

[Assistant]
Ayrie sat down on the edge of her bed to rest a moment before changing her clothes. It felt good to rest after the long walk from the clinic. Her side hurt, and her shoulder was throbbing. The doctor had given her something for pain, but it was wearing off and soon she would need to make some more. As she sat she looked at the ring that Gerrick had given her. It was simple, and though she hadn't looked at it before sliding it on she could feel powerful magic coming from it. A tiny spirit whispered in her ear that it was for protection, and that she should never remove it, even for a friend.

She wondered who the woman was, she had obviously come to help the priests and she was thankful that she had, but she wondered why she hadn't stayed to speak to her. The nagging feeling that she should know her wouldn't go away. She sighed and stood, standing a bit too quickly and nearly passing out.

"Darrin?" she called. "Gerrick? Could I get some help in here?"

They must not have heard her because they didn't come. She felt odd, but let it go as she slowly straightened and walked to her suitcase which had obviously been packed in a hurry. She changed into a pair of sleeping pants and tank, and threw a robe over her shoulders. She regretted not bringing a pair of slippers with her and vowed that if she ever had the chance she would get some.

Astoria.

Ayrie startled at the name, looking around for the source. 'That med the doctor gave me sure is playing tricks on my mind.'

ASTORIA. Remember who you are!

This time Ayrie whirled around to see a beautiful woman standing in the doorway. She had long red hair and a face reminiscent of Ayrie's, as if she could be a long dead relative. The woman was staring at her, hard, as if she were angry that Ayrie couldn't remember.

Ayrie suddenly noticed that the room had turned grey, the woman beckoned for her to follow and lead her outside. As an astral projection Astoria took her on a spiritual journey through Astoria's past. Where they landed, Ayrie saw a giant black armored figure standing in the center of a burning village screams echoing from all sides. In their hand was a tattered doll stained with blood.

[User]
Asran had come to this village in peace. Had observed them from afar. Of the horrific things they did to the beast folk. Seen how much sick glee as they tortured them. He'd found a dungeon filled with bodies. He thought maybe not all were bad that there were some that deserved to live. But, he was wrong. The woman he'd found in the dungeon she had been chained to a wall burned, and cut into. Her husband he'd found hacked to pieces, and stuck on spikes in their cottage. While the little girl.... god the thought made him sick.

His grip tightened on the doll he'd made for the child, and he turned to look at it. He held it in on hand so easily. A man came screaming at him brandishing a hoe at him. Asran caught the tool with his spare hand pulling it close, and then grabbed the man. His helmet cracked open pouring forth blue hellfire, and he bit the man's face off before chucking the still alive man into a burning building.

The screams even though sweet to his ears brought him no solace. He turned to look at the doll again the thing was so tiny in his giant hand. Just as the girls hand had been. He sighed out strongly, NO. He could not, would not ever be this weak. He chucked the doll angrily into the fire.

[Assistant]
Ayrie looked at Astoria and saw pain and sadness there, then looked back to the scene around her and shuddered with horror. Even in this vicious scene she could see the kindness and willingness to do good for others in Asran.

'Look, now.' Astoria said, pointing at a figure cresting the top of a street path. It was a younger version of the redheaded beauty, and she carried with her a light sword like the one Ayrie had used earlier that night against Wrath. She was headed directly for Asran, but as she approached she watched him toss the small doll into the flames. She stopped, put away her sword and approached cautiously.

She said something to Asran that Ayrie couldn't hear so much as remember.

"I am Astoria, sent here to stop this madness, and to stop you." She said, "But I see that it is not you that I should be stopping." She motioned to the building that Asran had thrown the man into and the screaming stopped. "I will not abide unnecessary suffering."

She stood, her red hair blowing in the wind, almost daring Asran to come after her, as if she feared nothing. Ayrie envied that confidence.

The astral vision of Astoria then took her hand and lead her down a different path, to a different memory, a scene of Asran and Astoria sitting in an unplowed pasture. She was telling him that he didn't have to be violent, that he could care about people and do good with his power even if it was dark. She was interested in the demon, as he showed more signs of caring about the balance of the world than the other Sin Lords did. She wanted to aid him in creating and maintaining that balance, so that scenes like the first wouldn't have to be repeated across the world.

[User]
"Oh, You've come to stop me? A little girl in over her head," Asran said. He grew bigger as darkness rolled off him in waves blocking out all light behind him. His eyes bursting with blue energy making it look like his eyes were made of blue fire.

When they were at the pasture Asran huffed out in annoyance. "Jeeze, you're annoying. The only reason I didn't kill you was because I realized dealing with the repercussions from killing a light would be far more trouble than the meal would be worth." He crossed his arms looking away from Astoria. "Besides even if I did want to help people. Which I don't because you're all annoying.... It's not like they'd actually hear what I have to say. People are terrified of demons, and especially terrified of demon lords."

[Assistant]
"If you presented yourself differently, you would not be so terrifying to them." Astoria said. "Just because you are a demon lord does not mean that you are automatically terrifying."

The astral Astoria actually smiled as Asran spoke, and Ayrie heard in his voice his annoyance.

'So similar to the way he talks to me when I question him.' she thought to herself, but when Astoria looked at her she realized her thoughts were not her own here.

The memory Astoria went on. "You have seen the kindness of these people, and their determination to survive far outlasts that of the other races. Why not become their friend through kindness and compassion? Why not help them rid themselves of evil by choosing to eat only those like the man you threw into the flames before? Your immortality gives you the ability to see the larger picture, and one such as you would be doomed to a hollow existence if you continue the way you have."


[System]
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Job: Priestess Missionary
Appearance:

Name: Symphony
Gender: N/A~ Answers to male pronouns.
Species: Spirit
Job: Ayrie's Familiar
Appearance: Symphony appears as a slightly larger than average Fennec Fox with white fur and red eyes.

Name: Astoria
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Job: Priestess
Appearance:

Name: Gerrick
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Job: Priest
Appearance:

Name: Darrin
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Job: Priest
Appearance:

[User]
"With me having your sacrifices it is now time to imbibe in fine food, drink, music, and dancing." they heard Gluttony say.

"That's our que." Markus said, standing. "Come, watch the dancers with me. They are truly beautiful to watch, and will take your mind off of what you saw." He extended a hand out to her, smiling.

"Okay." Ayrie said, taking his hand and allowing him to lead her to a table near the dais. She supposed as a high priest he was able to sit wherever he wanted, but he chose to seat them on the opposite side from Gluttony. She didn't see the mayor anywhere, but she supposed he might be busy with other things. Or at least, that's what she chose to believe. She did spot Nadia seated near Gluttony, and waved at her with a smile. 'If she's okay with things here, maybe there's hope for me yet.'

She turned her gaze to the dancers, and watched them with amazement. Their movements were breathtaking, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy at their skill.

"It must take years for them to learn to do that..." Ayrie said breathlessly as she watched them.

"Years, and a lot of dedication. Many of them have less time for family and lives outside of dancing." Markus said to her, nodding. He was watching the lord, wary of the mistake he had made in allowing Ayrie to come to the festival alone and unhindered.

[Assistant] Asran just stared at Markus. Not only did he let Ayrie come to the main temple. Now he seats her at his table? Was he trying to give him heart palpitations? He rubbed at his forehead sighing deeply. Then turned back to the dancers. So much for enjoying himself by talking to his priests. While in this smaller state of his, his voice was normal. Meaning if Ayrie heard him speak she'd know just who he was. So he ate quietly as he observed the dancers. The urge to speak strong making him tap his claws on the table. He even avoided drinking in danger of becoming loose lipped.

[User]
Someone placed a plate of food and a wine glass in front of Ayrie as she watched the dancers, and she happily started eating. The bread was soft and buttery, and the wine they brought her was sweet rather than bitter. This was a pleasant surprise as she disliked bitter wine.

"Why is the food here so delicious? I should never return home if I keep being fed like this!" Ayrie exclaimed, taking another bite of food.

"The Lord's power keeps our feilds and animals healthy, and the fish in our rivers and lakes plantiful. We want for nothing here." When she looked at him quizzically he added, "Not that we do not work, that is. The Lord doesn't allow us to have what we do not work for, and true laziness is not rewarded. I would not be surprised if he finds something for you to do other than trying to advocate for your...ahem, friends." He stopped himself from saying Church and she caught on.

"Well, I'm not averse to work. I tried to fix my water pump this morning, but I need a new handle." She said. "I can do all sorts of things without tutelage, for some reason things just come naturally to me in that way."

[Assistant] Asran ate slowly listening to Markus, and Ayrie talk about him. As if he wasn't sitting right there. He grumbled a little in annoyance. But, it did work out for him at the same time. He wanted to get up to go shift to his human form so he could properly enjoy himself. But, if he so much as stood everything would come to a crashing halt. Gods bellow he truly was royally screwed. He gave Markus a steady glare then turned to Ayrie. Hearing she needed a new pump handle he created one with magic. Offering it to her trying to motion to the symbols to tell her it was enchanted. To offer crisp clean, and delicious water, all without speaking.

[User]
Ayrie looked over at Gluttony, again wondering about his appearance. He handed her a handle he created out of thin air and was pointing at the symbols on it, she supposed trying to tell her without speaking what it did.

"He means to tell you it will provide water when you need it, just attach it to the pump you have now and then press here.." Markus indicated a symbol on one end, "and it will bring up water without any extra effort from you. It will also allow you to fill a bath without needing to trek back and forth from the pump."

Ayrie nodded her understanding, "Thank you, Lord Gluttony." she said. She wondered why he hadn't spoken, as he clearly could speak, he had done so before. The similarity in the markings on his hand, the clear blue eyes, and white hair, along with the absence of the mayor was beginning to nag at her, and now he wouldn't speak.

She nearly gasped aloud, but instead kept quiet as it all clicked into place. 'He doesn't want me to know that he is Gluttony, and he thinks that I've not yet figured it out or doesn't want me to know.' she thought. 'Well, I'll just keep it to myself for now, especially in case it's for my saftey.'

"Excuse me for a moment, my lord. I'm going to go find the ladies room." she stood and made her way to a building to find a place to freshen up.

[Assistant] Asran nodded somewhat trying to convey Markus got some of it right. Then he looked to Ayrie seeing her eyes widen just for a second. That split second that only he saw. 'So she knows... great. Who's puppy did I kick to deserve a priestess with light magic. Figuring out my human form is the fucking lord of Gluttony? Fuck all kinds of duck. Maybe a memory wipe? No, if I tried that it'd hurt like a bitch. Probably do permanent damage too with how tired I am.' He sighed internally then motioned that she could go. With her gone he grabbed a bottle of wine, and started drinking. Nadia gave Asran a brief look, with her magic eyes she could see Asran's aura was deeply troubled. Then turned seeing Ayrie's aura had a deep fear. Putting two, and two together made her chuckle slightly.

[User]
Ayrie managed to find a washroom on the bottom floor of the building, and took advantage of a sink and mirror to wash her face. She was beginning to feel the effects of the training she had done with Markus, but she was still wired with energy despite the weariness of her muscles. She wiped her face and smoothed her dress, still smelling the lily soap she had used earlier despite it having been several hours now.

She fixed a few wisps of hair that had come loose from her braid, and retied the ribbon. Happy again with her appearance, and now composed after so many shocks in one night, she started to head back to the table to finish her food. She noticed a group of children dancing with each other and stopped for a moment to watch them.

'Everyone here is so happy, it can't be all that bad to have a leader who eats criminals...' she thought to herself.

[Assistant]
Asran yawned as he finished off his bottle of wine, and set it aside. He began thinking of a way to get out of here, and shift forms. Illusion magic? Yeah that would work. "Markus since you decided to bring Ayrie to my table. You're gonna cast a little illusion spell. Show me in this form while I go head back inside, and shift forms." Markus looked hesitant, but with the look Asran gave him he nodded quickly. Then cast his magic while Asran slipped away.

He went inside the temple shifting to his human form. He also took the time to use the washroom. To clean his face off of dried blood. Then put on comfortable clothing a simple blue silk shirt, and jeans. He made his way outside, and sat beside his illusionary self. Maybe, just maybe it'd confuse Ayrie enough that she'd reconsider that he was the lord of Gluttony.

[User]
Ayrie walked back to the table and took her seat, barely noticing at first that the mayor had arrived at the table.

'Wait... Didn't I just decide that the mayor is Gluttony?' she thought to herself, looking at the mayor and at the form of Gluttony. The mayor looked like a human designed to match the lord. She looked at Markus, who seemed preoccupied but was eating as if everything was normal.

"Mayor." she said sweetly, "It's good to finally see you. I hope everything went the way you planned." Something was amiss, but she couldn't pinpoint it. All she knew for certain was that this man was somehow tied to Lord Gluttony. 'It could be an illusion, a trick to get me off his scent if he thought I figured it out.'

Ayrie was naieve, but she wasn't ignorant and knew about illusions from her Church's teachings. They had said that illusions were the work of evil people, and that those who were good would not lie in that way. She knew of course that an illusion was not always meant to harm or to lie, sometimes it was meant to protect. She didn't know how to find out the truth other than trying to reach out and touch Gluttony, and she was not about to do that as it would reveal her suspicions.

[Assistant] "It's good to see you Ayrie. How have you been enjoying the festival thus far? Sorry I couldn't join earlier. There was a scheduling fiasco I had to go deal with," Asran said. He knew he was lying through his teeth. But, let's face it if he didn't she would know exactly who he was. He still didn't fully trust her after all it would be a simple manner for her to do him harm. Especially with how weak he was.

[User]
Ayrie smiled at him, "It has been interesting, to say the least, but I'm sorry to hear of your troubles. Large events have a way of attracting fiascos. I hope it wasn't too troublesome."

She snagged another piece of bread from the plate in front of her and tore off a bite. She looked again at Markus who seemed to now be deep in thought, and then back at the lord Gluttony, a mischievous idea forming in her mind. She wouldn't oust him, but she could make him work for it if he was lying.

"Thank you again, my Lord, for the water handle. It will make life so much easier." She said, smiling brightly. "I see now why you have so many who adore and protect you. You give so easily and generously."

From the corner of her eye she could see Markus's brow furrow slightly. If it was an illusion, it took concentration to make it move naturally, and she had just challenged whoever might be casting it to make it acknowledge her praise.

[Assistant] Asran stared at Ayrie, was she being cheeky? "My lord tends to focus on eating when he's hungry. Even despite the sacrifices the answered prayers take a bit out of him. I'm sure he's very happy to have helped you though," he said smiling. "Though him helping you for free is quite something. He must see something in you. What he sees I haven't the foggiest. After all you can be quite annoying." He then shrugged with hands up. If she was being cheeky he was going to be cheeky right back.

[User]
Ayrie had to hold back a laugh at what the mayor said to her, as it only made sense if he was in fact trying to hide behind an illusion.

"Well, I am in his debt then. I'll have to meet with you later to discuss what jobs there are for me around here to repay it." She said, her green eyes glinting as she looked at the mayor with a smile.

She took another bite of her bread and glanced over at Nadia who seemed to also be stifling laughter, though at what Ayrie couldn't guess.

[Assistant] Asran stared at Ayrie a little blank faced. Then stoooed smirking in amusement. 'You cheeky little minx.' He leaned back as he stared at Ayrie. "Well, I would but I can't always make time to hold your hand. Now can I? I mean I am the mayor after all. But, I guess if it's for my lord I could squeeze you into my busy schedule." For the first time in a long while he felt lighter than usual, happier.

[User]
"Oh of course, I'll meet with you at your leisure, or with one of your subordinates perhaps, Mister Mayor." She said, again with a smile. She was enjoying this, perhaps more than she should have considering the circumstances and what she had just seen less than an hour ago.

'Hold my hand indeed. I didn't ask for him to come pounding on my door last night.'

[Assistant] Asran couldn't help the chuckle that came out of him. He cleared his throat trying to stop the giggles. Maybe he drank too much? He did chug an entire bottle of wine on his own after all. Then again it takes a hell of a lot more than that to get him even buzzed. "Yeah, come by my office tomorrow after lunch. I'll talk to you then about a job you can do."

[User]
"I'll be there." She said.

She wasn't sure if it was the wine or the mental stimulation, but Ayrie suddenly had the urge to do something.

"Will there be more to this festival than sitting and watching the dancers? I have a sudden urge to join them." She said, watching their graceful forms twirling for their audience.

[Assistant]
Asran motioned a hand to all the surrounding people dancing around the performers. Doing their best to mimic the dances the performers did to the beat of their musical counterpart.
"Go ahead, and dance. If you feel the urge to dance then do so. For Gluttony is fulfilling what you desire most. No matter the consequences."

[User]
Ayrie smiled and stood, making her way to a small group of dancers who were teaching each other the steps and laughing. She joined them, watching what they did intently occasionally looking back to the mayor with a smile.

'This is a lot of fun. We would never have done this at the monastery.' She thought, moving her body to the beat as she began to master the steps.

The church was against such displays in worship, and as a result the monastery had never seen dancers in her twenty two years there. The elders would have absolutely had a coniption fit if they saw what Ayrie was doing, especially if they had seen the look on her face as she glanced now and then at the mayor.