[System]
Gender: Female

Age: 22

Birthplace: Eagle Ridge, Nevada

Appearance:

Personality: Kat can seem cold at times, but she is just reserved. Even before the outbreak she didn't like to rely on people or let them be a major part of her life because in her experience they move on after a while and leave. You get one chance with her and if you give her BS she will not only call you on it she will not let you forget it. But where her baby is concerned she is the exact opposite. Kat is warm and loving towards her baby, almost like a split personality considering how she responds to everyone else. Try to hurt or take her baby, you will wish the walkers had gotten to you first.

Occupation before the breakout: Blackjack Dealer at the Diamond Casino in Las Vegas

Skills: persuasive
 excellent BS meter (cuz of calling bluffs and spotting card counters on her former job)
 quick reflexes (again, former job)
 knows a few pressure point moves but is not an expert fighter
 can fire a gun and is an average shot

Fears/incompetencies:
 she will do anything to keep her baby safe and if her baby is in danger she tends to not think clearly making her rush into things blindly
 has a temper and can get loud when angered
 quick to judge people
 not very forgiving
 can be cold and doesn't seem to like people, but doesn't want to be alone

Equipment:
 Bag with a few baby supplies (a bottle, a pacifier, a few baby clothes and makeshift diapers, ect)
 small pocket knife
 canteen
 matches
 a change of clothes
 crackers and jerky
 small mirror (for signaling)
 hair brush (handle is broken)

Group: on her own in an abandoned house

History: Kathryn was born to a Russian immigrant mother and a dead beat alcoholic father. Her mother died from sickness when Kat was a teenager and she hasn't seen her father in years. The move to Las Vegas was a good change from the moderate sized town she was born and raised in. She got a job quickly as a dishwasher at the Diamond Casino. She worked her ass off and the boss noticed, promoting her quickly because of her hard work and dedication to the job. She moved up in rank to waitress and bartender before switching to the floor. She has been a blackjack dealer for over a year and is excellent at her job, knowing how to flirt to keep the people in their seats but having a steel spine to make them leave when they were no longer wanted.
She had very few friends, no romantic attachments and no responsibilities to anyone but herself and she liked it that way.

Then one night a handsome man with an accent to die for sat at her table. He impressed her with his bluffing and his kind nature. They talked and she found herself telling him things she hadn't told to people she'd known for months let alone hours. After hours of playing, talking and drinking she found herself inviting him back to her room...

The next morning she left before he woke, leaving only a note to thank him for everything and enough money to cover the drinks he had bought her.
Nine months later she got the results of that one night stand : a beautiful baby girl with her father's blonde hair and sweet nature. For the first time in a long time Kat found herself loving something more than herself. When the outbreak happened she swore to do anything to protect her baby. And she has...
She thinks about Grace's father sometimes, wondering where he is now and if he is still alive. She dreads the day that Grace is old enough to wonder where he is and asks questions that Kat can't answer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kat's baby girl - Grace

[User]
Nikki was sitting on the ground outside waiting for the people inside to get their stuff together. She had finished shining her blades and was looking at the mapbook she had grabbed out of a convenient store right after the epidemic had hit. She had forgotten that she even had it until she started to worry about getting into neighborhoods and not being able to get out of them.

Nikki was not bashful about being herself and she got up humming a song she had stuck in her head and started to dance in the street while waiting for the others. She liked to be in a good mood and music always put her in a good mood. She was having fun and when a walker popped out and onto the street she made killing it look graceful as she swung her katana and continued right on dancing.

She remembered dancing with her mom. Her mom had been a beautiful ballerina. She had hoped Nikki would love it like she did. Nikki had loved it but she preffered other kinds of dance and had gotten into dance and gymnastics and martial arts and self defense so much so that she had gotten scholarships to Julliard and had excelled beyond her mother's dreams for her.

When Nikki closed her eyes she could still pretend that it was still real. Now she would just dance for herself. She opened her eyes and just saw a lonely street ahead of her and a group of people behind her. She sighed and smiled as some of them had been watching her with appreciation on their faces.

[Assistant]
Walter Pierce

For no logical reasoning, Walter found himself quietly clapping his hands together towards Nikki, who had been dancing on the street. It was a little random, despite how reminiscent it felt, reminiscent of how things had been back at Dana Point. Even as something that the man simply stomached and accepted as reality, the fact that they once had something to protect, something to make them feel safe; it was gone.

Walter found it difficult to conjure up memories of their past life, he himself only able to recount his family and the certain moments in his walk down adolescence. And when he compared the world of old, how broken and ugly it could have been; he somewhat held an appreciation for how beautiful it had become, in the wake of its ending. Nature was reclaiming her earth, and their sins were personified in the monsters they defended themselves from.

"I'm thinking we need more supplies," Walter suggested, rubbing the side of his head. Fatigue still hammered the man's senses, but he would pull himself through. "I'm out of water. And now, we have a baby and a dog to feed. Complicates things."

[User]
Whitney Ambrose
short collab with @Solace

When morning came, it meant that it was time to get moving. After finding a basically overturned trailer in the midst of a wooded area, she had climbed inside the large tin structure and closed the door. It was an uncomfortable rest, but it was also the safest. Dusk had been approaching, and that was when Whitney knew that she had to take whatever she could find. And so, she crawled out of the trailer, her body complaining loudly as it retracted from the strange position that it was in as she rested.

Once again, Whitney walked alone. She had been alone for the better portion of a year, and she both loved and hated it. Being alone meant that you only cared and thought for yourself. But being alone also meant that you had to fend for yourself. She had to thank whatever had decided not to get her sick or severely injured. An immobilized human was basically asking to get devoured by those creatures that had plagued the nation.

Whitney continued to walk, heading towards the coast as she readjusted the bag on her back. There had to be non-hostile people somewhere. The only ones she encountered were almost as savage as the walkers themselves, raiding stores and stripping their shelves of every single item. Shaking her head, she found herself near a highway, and the smell of salt water stung her nose. For a moment, she was surprised that she had made it there so quickly; she didn't know how long she had been traveling.

However, as she traveled, she spotted something moving about at a sluggish pace at the edge of the highway. She could basically see the rotting flesh and the crooked limbs of the creature as it turned its head to face her. It was a walker, and from what she can tell, it was alone. Whitney slowly made her way over, knowing that if it was just one of the creatures, she could easily take care of it. Taking down even only one of them meant a huge difference. Yet, as she drew her bat, she heard a deep snarl to her right. She turned her head, her eyes widening slightly as she noticed that more of them had crawled over a hill near the road. And now, they were headed towards her.

"Shit," Whitney cursed under her breath, putting away the bat and sprinting down the highway. She ran as fast as she could, her ragged breaths filling the air as she did not stop. Eventually, she had reached a boarded up house, and she swore that she saw a campfire. Were there really people there?

"There are walkers down the road!" she cried as loud as she could as she ran closer. The best she could do was warn them.

Walter blinked in the moment of time, his head tilting towards the stranger emerging from the road. "Hey," he looked along the members of their group that was around, pointing towards the woman as she shouted that there were walkers approaching. Without much thought, he ran towards her, pulling the crowbar from his side.

"Walkers, you said?" Walter asked as he stopped where the woman was.

Whitney was relieved to see that someone had approached her. She thought that they would run away or attack her-- people were too on the edge, these days. "Yes," she gasped. "They're not far away from here. We have to hurry!"

[@everyone near/in the house]

[Assistant]
Nikki heard the girl who had come running and yelling about walkers coming. She sprinted to the house and started yelling, "EVERYONE OUT! THE HORDE IS COMING!" She searched for the young mother and baby. She steered them towards the front and next to Ethan. "Get them out of here NOW!" Nikki ran towards the back to where Walter and the girl were. People were pouring out of the house hurriedly.

"We need to slow the walkers down. Let's push the vehicles across the road. Get anything we can use to block them!" She directed a couple of people towards the broken branches just off the road. Nikki saw a few old tires off of the side of the road and staggered them on the other side of the cars along side garbage cans and other things that would be easy for tripping walkers. A couple of the older kids brought over some sturdy fencing that might be able to help to impale walkers that tripped into it and put it on the other side of the tires. Nikki watched as many of the others started to help block the road while the slower or more helpless moved on with the group while the others did what they could to lessen the impact when the horde caught up to them. There were spears that they stuck out of the windows of the vehicles as well. They blocked as much as they could. The wooded tree line on both sides of the road was going to be the biggest hindrance for the horde.

Nikki signalled for everyone to be quiet. She heard it, they were coming, she looked to Walter and the others that she knew. "Let's haul ass out of here!" Nikki and the others headed towards the main group. She hung back just to make sure they all got out of there. The adrenaline was pumping so hard she didn't even notice the growling in her stomach.

@Solace@Josephb@Belle @everyone at the house

[User]
Camyllia lets out a cheer and fist pumps the air before going back to the Mic,"Alex! Yes, the horde hit us hard! I haven't seen anyone from the group yet," She says feeling bittersweet about the whole situation,"I-I'm sure they're alive though," Camyllia lets go of the red button and looks at Blitz who's tail is wagging like crazy feel her happiness. She hugs her dog who licks the side of her head.

"We're goin' ta be okay Blitz," She says," We're finally goin' ta be okay."

[Assistant]
Kat looked up as one of the men came into the room. Jason? Was that his name? He had kind eyes but the movement and stance of a soldier. Marine? Army Reserve? Either way it was no surprise he had survived this long. The strong tended to do that, especially when the weak were left to fend for themselves.
She flinched as his hand came toward her out of reflex, but relaxed when she saw he was offering her food. He apologized for poking around but she only shrugged. "No law against it," she commented as she took the food. She paused a moment before taking it, looking at him as both of their hands were on the packages of food. "Thanks. Thank you," she added, deciding that a simple 'thanks' sounded flippant and rude. "I... I really appreciate it."

Gratitude was a strange feeling for her, mostly because not many people had done things for her without wanting something in return. She would probably find out the cost of this favor later, but since she had not eaten anything more than a couple of crackers and a piece of jerky in nearly three days she wasn't about to complain or reject it. Whatever the price was, she would pay it.

She pushed those thoughts from her mind. Turning, she picked up Grace just as one of the women in the group started screaming that the horde was coming.
Grabbing her bag and making sure Jason was behind her, Kat went outside to face the others in the group. Had Ethan even told them he had invited her and Grace to come along with them? Would they have an issue with the two newcomers?
"Ethan said we could come," Kat said tensely. She hadn't missed the annoyed look one of the men had given her child, and she wasn't going to let him get by with it either. If he tried anything she would snap his fingers.

Grace, not knowing what was happening but knowing that people were upset and tense, started to whimper worriedly. Kat held Grace close, talking to her gently and stroking her back to calm her. "It's alright baby girl. Everything is okay."
She glanced at Ethan, wondering what he was thinking. Did he feel a father's natural instinct to protect his child? Did he regret saying they could come now that Grace was on the verge of crying?
Her eyes also moved to Jason. He didn't seem like a follower type, but Ethan seemed to be the leader of this group. It didn't make sense to her.
"Where do we go?" Kat asked, looking at both men to see which would answer.


[System]
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Height: 165cm
Weight: 55kg

Personality: Bursting at the seems with enthralling energy Kandeko is a bit of an airhead, sometimes she gets distracted and completely forgets the point of a conversation. Although forgetful, she often comes up with clever ideas, spurting them out before she even thinks about them. She is determined and stubborn, but she always means well. With a large smile on her face, she can be considered the morale raiser of any group.

Though she means well, she often finds herself getting in the way of others, trying to help but often not helping very well, if anything fails, she can often be thrown into a pit of drastic depression but has the ability to snap back out of it, whilst just as easily being swallowed by the depression again. All in all, she's a roller coaster ride of emotions. Many a times Kandeko will be clinging to others for support or mumbling strange things like;
"What would daddy do? Oh if only Papa was here..."

Tying into her loving fixation for her dad, Kanadeko is family girl and adores the pact known as friendship, she also easily falls for boys at the drop of a hat, but just as easily gets' over them if she doesn't like their personality. Nonetheless, she treats all she meets with kindness and a sweet demeanor, after all 'make love, not war'. Never ashamed of showing off her two giant gifts, she happily reveals them to anybody who asks, her singing and dancing are second to one!

Short Bio: Kanadeko was raised by her father with no siblings and never attended a high school as she was home schooled. She handled a lot of housework, such as cooking and laundry in her home ever since her mother passed away. She loves anything to do with pop music, so much so as aspiring to be an idol or actress. She tends to be shy around strangers due to her limited interaction with people, but adores spending quality time with her father. Her father is a kind man, although he changed a little on the when his wife passed. He had trained for years when he was around Kanadekos' age to become a successful actor, unfortunately he choked on his audition and his dream was packed away, long forgotten. Using his daughter as a catalyst, he taught her everything he knew, even going so far as to being her one and only manager. Between every day study lessons, she would be instructed on acts of drama, song and dance. Though a little strict; any time Kanadeko messed up her lines, went off beat, or couldn't take it anymore. Her father looked at her with a sincere smile, brushed her hair and told her to simply try again.

It was time for his doll to make its debut. All of his hard work up until now. The time had arrived and Kanadekos' father was ready to show the world just what he can do. Giving his daughter a small shove, she made it out onto the stage, introduced herself and did as instructed by her father. She made it through several of the audition rounds. On the final round, it was between her and some other dolled up maiden. The difference between them, was that Kanadeko had the energy and spirit to go on, unlike her father, she didn't choke and was happily accepted as new member of an elite idol agency. The men in black suits and shades shook her fathers hand. "What an amazing daughter you've got here." Their words of praise fell on deaf ears, all they would talk about was her, the doll the end results of his work. Not him, not the doll maker, just his work. Jealousy began to well within him.

With the rising success of his daughter, something in him snapped. They were going to take him away from her, she would make her new debut within the coming week, appear on TV adverts, magazines, music videos and even a show broadcasted on national television. His one dream, his final chance, stolen from the clutches of his hands. Before Kanadeko could leave for the agency, she had to pack her things. Within the dead of night;
A sweet call came from the girls living room. "Kana-chan, I have a present for you"
As she heard the words 'present', Kanadeko came running.
"For all your... Your... FoR dOInG wHaT I CoUldn't"... There was a muffled scream as the father silenced this young star forever. Covered in blood that seeped out into her clothes, Kanadeko lays lifeless and still in the arms of her killer.

Other: By some cruel act of god, Kanadeko knows not of her murder, murderer and has her memories altered in line with that of an npc. Beleiving she's gone to school her entire life.

[User]
"Oh, so you would prefer something like... hmm, Caw-Caw? I think that one's cutter; I'll stick to it. No matter how I look at it, you have this crow vibe around you." Harumi said to Akuma, wondering why the other girl passed this impression to her, not that it mattered, anyway. A crow she was, and a crow she'll always be.

"Anyway, Caw-caw what's exactly happening around this place? I really have nothing against taking classes and all that, but this place feels a bit… off. To say the truth," Just as Harumi was about to touch on the question that has been bugging her ever since yesterday, the vague feeling that she had… died and somehow found her way to this place, Akemi came in, greeting both of them.

Harumi flipped her hair, ignoring the fact that Akuma made the same gesture just a couple seconds ago, though the look Harumi threw at them was all but sultry, in fact she looked like she was brimming with energy. Yes, it was that, Harumi Shizuka was for the first time ever feeling like she was alive "Perhaps, it's like one of those lose one to gain another deals? Like a TV show or something like that?"

"Ahh, whatever it's, I'm not gonna complain about getting away from that screwed up life, it that's what it was, to begin with…" Harumi said under her breath just as Akemi introduced herself, shortly followed by Akuma, thus it finally was her turn, right?

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Akemi. Can I call you that, can't I?" Harumi began with the very least of pleasantries, while taking a few walls between them and bursting them with the same finesse of a social sledgehammer. "Anyway, I'm Harumi Shizuka, but both of you can call me Harumi, since we are gonna be together from now on, being too stiff will really be a bother."

"Now, Caw-Caw, do you mind showing us the way to that room? I don't know about you two, but I feel like I'd seriously kill to have a nice bath, now."

Meanwhile…

BGM

Ellie managed to wake up early, and following her roommates' example she slipped away to the dorms and even now, was padding smoothly along the corridor, wearing a completely different getup from yesterday.

"Hehehe… I wonder what those two will think, once they noticed my surprise… Hehehe."

Ellie continued to pad towards the Annex (where the lunch hall is located) holding a couple of meal tickets in one hand and an empty bucket that seemed to have been previously full of freshly picked sticky flower honey. No doubt the gooey substance had been used in the perpetration of a most heinous prank, like, mmm… setting another bucket full of it to fall on the hair of the first idiot to get out of the room? Hmm, God knows.

As Ellie got close to the lunch hall, she noticed another board close to it, with the following note:

"Hmm~ What's up with that? I could swear the school wasn't littered with these things yesterday." Ellie questioned herself about where the council got all these bulletin boards; this one was hardly the last, from the looks of it.

"Ahh~ who cares?" She let out a sigh before waltzing inside the lunch hall, wondering what she would have for breakfast and snickering at the thought of either Dana, or Boss covered in sappy nectar...

---

@WaddleDaisy@McFazzer

[Assistant]
If the dark aura was actually supernatural. Shiro would rub his eye at the sight of her, wondering rather not the aura actual real, a parlor trick, or just his lack of sleep affecting his mind. Either way, the fact that she called him out of actually trying to skip classes made a cold drop of sweat drop down his forehead. "Yes, what's does it matter to you, Even if i do belong here; I'm too tired to learn today." He told her with a bit of attitude.

Shiro then got looked at the taller male. "Shiba, like the dog?" Shiro asked him weirdly. "Oh yeah, i think you are my roommate." He told him breaking his conversion with the other student just to disrespect her. "My name is Yoshiro but my friends call me Usagi." Shiro told him before offering his hand to shake.

@TheWindel

[User]
@TheWindel

Shiba growled a little when he asked if his name meant the dog and he shook his hand but then went to slapping him on the back of the head not that hard but hard enough to get his attention "Im not a dog jerk. My parents named me that honestly my parents wont let me do anything I want but at least I don't live with them since I have roommates now. Shiba said obviously not knowing he was dead since he still thought his parents would ground him and such. Then Shiba turned to the class president and she asked if Usagi was going to skip class. Shiba wished he could to "If Usagi skips then Ill join him. Honestly id rather do anything else then be stuck in the classroom Shiba said with a sigh. Besides Shiba had no problem being a thorn in the class presidents side instead of simply following the crowd. Besides she called him cynical...

[Assistant]
Rikka

The boy was nice enough to help Rikka get her stuff off the ground but what she hadn't realized was that the boy was right in front of her. Not having seen the boy with her eyes she bumped her head against his with a large amount of force and was suddenly found staggered by what happened. In pain she stepped back and covered her red forehead with both her hands pushing her hairs away in the progress of it.

The boy sounded angry from what she heard. Rikka put up a worrisome face and gazed at the ground in front of him. She really screwed up now. How was she gonna make up with him or even explain why she did it. Rikka sobbed lightly as she tried looking up at the boy. But the only thing she found was a angry glare from him. She was kind of shocked that someone could get this mad at her for having hurt him. She took another step back and quivered in fear. What had she done. He tried going the neutral way about this but it didn't seem to help one bit. When he tried smiling Rikka suddenly turned around and started running away from him.

What did he want from her? He probably wanted to hurt her back so they would be even but Rikka wouldn't allow such cruelty to be done to her so she fled out of instinct. She left a few tears behind and ran into the girl's toilet where he couldn't get her. She stayed for a hour so he would be completely gone.

Rikka left the rest room with her eyes compleltly red from the sobbing. She cautionesly turned the corner and looked carefully if he wasn't close. She then noticed that no one was walking around any more but instead everyone seemed to be sleeping? Did she miss anything? In the darkness one of the teachers had taken her to a sleeping place and scolded her for not having been sleeping till now. Rikka undressed and slept together with the other girls.

The next morning they all were woken up again. Embarrassingly she dressed herself again. Most of the other students slept with their clothes on or had spare clothes but Rikka didn't do anything like that. She thought it was gross to sleep with normal clothes in bed but who cared. She left off towards the dormitories to still get a shower at least and after that she would find her guitar and leave this damned place. She didn't want anything like classes since she didn't belong here.

Rikka quickly took a shower in the dorm room before one of the others two she was suppose to pair up with would arrive and wear the same uniform she wore yesterday. She did her hair and brushed her teeth and left the room. She took the quickest route with the least students on it towards the garden and started searching in the bushes or her guitar close to the spot she had awoken.

It had to be here it couldn't have flied away on it's own. It's too heavy to be carried away by the wind yet why couldn't she find it. She forcefully pulled her hand back out of the bushes in reaction to the pain. Part of her finger was bleeding but it wasn't all to serious of a deal. She stayed determined and kept looking with wounds gathering up on her hands.

[User]
While the girl was dancing about, she did a spin so rapid that a flower suddenly shot out right towards Kanadekos' chest "What a perverted flower" she thought. Laughing it off she happily took the flower away with her to find somewhere to sit down for a moment. Luckily finding an empty space, she sat her booty down and looked at the flower she had gotten. It was beautiful and had a lovely aroma, the pedals were also incredibly soft. Taking a small wiff of the scent, Kanadeko felt a tingling sensation throughout her body. Most likely a sneeze. There was a fuzzy sensation in her brain. The feeling was like rolling around a cotton ball in the palm of your hand, yet a million of them were prancing around on her brain, making her feel weak and sleepy.

...................One Happy Dreamtime Later.......................

Papa, I miss you..
Swiftly nudged by another student Kanadeko woke up, it appears as if everybody slept together in segregated areas, lucky for her she passed out in the female area. A lot of people had up and moved already so Kanadeko figured she should do the same, best not to get left behind. Holding the flower in her hand she tried to take the quickest route back to the dorms to bathe for a moment and get the feeling of sweat and dirt off of her. Arriving at the dorm saw that the bulletin board a had a new notice placed on it. Some new transfer students had been moved in and grouped into different rooms together... She was apparently apart of this transfer group. It could be possible, honestly Kanadeko wasn't sure what was happening anymore, she thought she had been going to this school for years... Well at least she did a moment ago, she could only remember yesterday off the top of her head. Trying to think before yesterday only brought onto her great strains...

Entering her assigned room, she apparently would be sharing with two other people not that she minds, rather, Kanadeko opens up at the chance to procure new friends. Her stuff had been moved for her already, including all her idol posters and little doo-dads. Next to her bed was a small pink nightstand, on top was a photo frame that was filled with a small family portrait.
*sigh* I them
Looking at the flower in her hand, she noticed it had begun to dry a little. Figuring it needed a vase and water, she looked around quickly to see if there was anything suitable. The most she could find was a tall cup. Filling the glass up a little more than halfway, she placed the flower inside. With a breath of relief Kanadeko cleaned herself up and began to start her new day properly.


[System]
Gender: Female

Age: 16

Appearance:

"Which one of us is the mask?"
Arcana: Temperance

Personality:
On the surface, Shizuka may be the stereotypical "ojou-sama" (young mistress), from her formal speech to her delicate mannerisms with a blend of shy and soft spoken side, but do not let that deceive you as the class dismissal bell rings and Shizuka's part time hour begins, the counterpart she created for herself, Shizu-chan, takes the spotlight with her lively demeanor, friendly smiles, and undying passion of being an otaku.

Equipment/Skills:
Twirling Baton (Cosplay prop, can be upgraded to Rod weapons)
Sewing, professional make up, baton twirling, which were all gained from her experience with cosplay.

Background:
Being a balanced student with an appropriate amount of intellect and proper physical fitness, one would say Shizuka is an average high schooler if it weren't for the fact that her family was of a higher class compared to that of an average student. Like most children coming from a wealthy family, Shizuka was left alone most of the time, with the exception of servants, by her parents in their mansion with no one to play or interact with. Not necessarily neglected, but she didn't mind either way as she was an obedient child and she understood that both her parents were flooded with work which needed to be taken care of.

This is why she sought out a hobby to preoccupy herself with. Flipping through the channels as a curious child, she abruptly stopped when an animated female character on the screen magically transforms, with all the colorful lights and sparkles, and shouts, "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" Eyes widened in amazement, Shizuka could not take her gaze away from the television screen while her thoughts were of how exciting whatever this was and how she wanted to become like them, hues of hair she's never seen before, costumes of different variety and color, and the dynamic personalities each one had.

Years had passed since then, but her love and excitement for anime never wavered. What remained though was her calm, delicate nature she presented towards her fellow classmates, friends, and parents. Her passion for anime (and now manga) was to not leave the four corners of her room. Shizuka would occasionally show hints of interest when her classmates discussed about them but no one, and she means NO ONE, should ever find out about how "otaku" she was.

Keeping all of this within her had limits and before she was about to breakdown, someone on the hallway of the school uttered the word, "cosplay". It took quite awhile for her to learn the meaning and to take enough courage to disguise herself in the colorful costumes and hair she once saw years ago, to find people of similar interests without them ever finding out her true self.

With the positive reactions given by the people she has met, Shizuka continued to create more disguises by her own hands, to the point where she landed at her current part time job at the cosplay cafe as Shizu-chan, the persona she presented to the people of the otaku world.

Persona: Inari Ōkami

Appearance: Illustrated by: Sho Minazuki

Abilities:
Twin Slash - 2 light Slash attacks. (1 enemy)
Tarukaja - Increases 1 ally's Attack.
Tarunda - Decreases 1 foe's Attack.

[User]
Jun Himura // 26 April // Himura Residence

"Anego-sama, please try not to look so gloomy." Her driver managed to say with a pained expression as he started the car. "Not many people get to spend the weekend at the Kitsune Inn just at the drop of a hat."

Jun glanced at the reason for her dour expression, a message on her phone.

I'm sorry, but my parents found out and they're grounding me!

The girl she had been planning to bring along to the inn had canceled on her at the last minute. Her parents had somehow found out who she was going with and forbade her from meeting Jun at her place that morning. It had to be his doing. Jun wasn't going to be anywhere near Tokyo. If that man thought he could turn her straight by denying her ability to sleep with girls, he was sorely mistaken.

Jun sighed, glancing at her driver through the mirror. "Takashi-san, I've reminded you countless times that it's either Jun, Himura-san, or -sama if you're trying to be really respectful. Anego is nothing but an insult to me." She was picking a fight with the man, but she didn't care. Her driver was a nice guy, but he was paid by her father. So, he was securing his job by refusing her requests to address her as anything less than her position. A sore reminder of her cage.

"Honestly, he's only going to be there for a night to meet with his 'business partners' but for some reason I need to be there." Jun whined, seeing as how she was stuck on the hour long journey up the mountain, she might as well gripe about it to the only person who couldn't get away from her. Apparently the yakuza owned the inn and met there on occasion, so nobody would dare do anything to her on the way.

Kitsune Inn // Afternoon

The manager personally saw Jun to her room, which for some reason had a katana and full set of dogu in it. Jun figured out what she was here for immediately. "A contest of power." She sighed. Well, if she was going to be used as a pawn, at least it was in a way that allowed her to vent. She felt sorry for her opponent.

"Your father wants me to tell you he will be arriving in the evening with his guests, and to be ready by then." The manager informed Jun before leaving with a bow. Jun changed out of her suit and into a yukata, which she figured was preferable to maintain her image in front his friends.

"Which means if I want to enjoy the hot springs without worrying about sleazebags walking in on me, I should do it now. Got it." She replied, drawing a gasp from the manager about how disrespectfully she was talking about her father and his associates. She would normally have kept the comment to herself, but she was irritated.

Jun dropped her bags off and changed into a yukata, bringing the supplied bath towels with her and heading to the springs. "Hey, could you bring me something cool to drink?" She requested of one of the staff passing her in the corridor before stepping in to the changing area.

She wasn't expecting anyone to walk in, so Jun stripped down and entered the shower area to wash herself before stepping into the hot water, her back bare to the entrance and her dragon tattoo visible to anyone who came in.

[Assistant]
Mako Moritomi//Cosplay Cafe
Sunday, April 26th, 2015

==~==

Mako almost thought, for a brief moment, that Sato was in the clear, thanks to their collective improvisation. Up until that asshole snapped a number of pictures. And Mako had little doubt what the bastard was going to do with those pictures. Which meant whatever reputation Sato had was quickly going up in flames.

Mako felt a spike of hot anger lance through him toward the smugly-smiling bastard as he put his phone away like nothing had happened at all, and he had to try very hard not to simply walk over to him and beat his face repeatedly. It would set a bad precedence for his return visits if he did that, after all. He watched Sato walk away to grab the jerk's order, his sympathies extending to the put-upon "maid." He took a deep, hopefully calming breath, then a sip of coffee, then cleared his throat in the other patron's direction. "Excuse me," he said, the rage he felt somehow not edging into his voice, "but there are clearly signs that clearly say, 'No Photography.' You should probably take those pictures off of your phone if you don't want to get in trouble with the establishment. Just a thought."

He glanced back as Sato returned with the other patron's order... then had to try extremely hard not to burst out laughing as Sato stomped subtly (but still very hard) on the patron's foot. As it was, his suppressed laugh was still pretty noticeable if anyone had been bothering to watch him. Still, as enjoyable as that was to watch, it was unlikely to dissuade the patron from doing whatever it was he intended to do with those photos. Mako frowned again as his short-lived enjoyment at Sato fighting back faded away, to be replaced by the slow-simmering anger.

I can't let him keep those photos. I've got to do something. But what?

[User]
Shizuka Otonashi || Cosplay Cafe || April 26 SUN
As the Dragunov siblings each did their own thing, the older brother glancing through the menu and the younger sister... eyeing Shizu suspiciously? The waitress steadily kept her calm composure by taking in breaths and flashing a gentle, welcoming smile towards the younger one as if nothing was wrong. Yep, nothing was definitely going wrong, or so she thought, at least to her knowledge. The subtle conflict which was going on over at the other table was subtle enough that the blond maid did not notice a thing for now.

"I feel that I have seen you somewhere." The calm composure the maid had kept up to this point cracked slightly as she replied with an accidental stutter. "S-Shopping district the other day? *Coughs* I'm afraid I can't recall such memory as of the moment, I do apologize. But I was involved in an incident there another day, an embarrassing one in fact, perhaps you've seen me then?" The latter statement was indeed true, but Shizu definitely remembered her encounter with the siblings exactly a week ago. Such kindness and the unique characteristics they held stood out in her memory since this doesn't happen everyday, a pair of foreign siblings, who speak fluent Japanese, generously and skillfully assisting her in a middle of a busy crowd.

Just as the blonde had defended herself, Alexei cut in to have a little scolding for the younger sibling while justifying that she was not the same girl that she was talking about. Shizu felt a little guilty about hiding the truth from them to the lengths of a white lie but it had to be done. In response, an awkward smile was plastered on her face as she just nodded in agreement while scribbling in their orders. At this point, the cosplayer was pretty sure Elena had an idea that she was indeed, Shizuka, but her comment about how her appearance was 'better this way' made her face light up into a genuine, bright expression. "I'm unsure as to what you're speaking of, mistress, but I greatly appreciate your compliment! And as for your orders, 2 quantities of Nuclear Wasteland and 2 quantities of fruit beer. Please await for your orders and I will be back with them in a moment's time." With a swift bow, the waitress left their side and to the counter area.

As the orders were being prepared, Shizu decided to check up on the new, temporary server to hear clicks from a phone and spotted one of the customers presumably taking photos of Saki. Seeing as it was a violation of one of their rules of the cafe, she approached the customer with the toy rifle in her arms and pointed it towards the male student. "Excuse me, master! If what Moritomi-sama had just said is true, then I must inform you that we indeed do not allow photography of our waiters and waitresses unless proper permission has been granted from the said server! Even then, as common cosplay cafe standards apply here as well, each photo will come with a fee. If all of the above do not apply, I humbly ask you to rid of them, master!" Even after the short lecture, the maid lifted one of her hands from the rifle and saluted the master in a playful manner with a silly smile in hopes of cooperation from the customer.

Just after the fuss that had transpired, the bell rang to alert employees of food being at the counter, so instinctively, the blonde turned her gaze momentarily to see the chocolate brownie cake covered by a toxic green hued frosting topped with a petite, grey nuclear bomb fondant decoration. At the cakes' side were a pair of glasses filled with orange-y pink liquid signifying some sort of berry flavoring. They were the Dragunov siblings' orders! Seeing that Saki was making her way back to their current master, the waitress strapped the rifle back on her back and bowed to the two customers with an 'Excuse me.' and patted the other waitress on the shoulder as a good luck with an upward curve on lips. After fetching the orders from the counter and returning to the siblings' side, Shizu carefully settled their orders in front of them as gracefully as she could manage. "Here are your orders of Nuclear Wasteland and fruit beer, master and mistress! I hope they will suit to your tastes!"


[System]
"And I get up because it is the only thing I can do."

---

---
Nickname:
Rose, because it is a shorten version of his name and because of his occupation. Although Ambrose prefers if only close friends referred to him this way, as the nickname has been used in a mean-spirited manner many times

Date of Birth:
October 31st 1995

Age:
21

Gender:
Male

Sexuality:
Homosexual

Relationship Status:
Single

Hometown:
Detroit, Michigan

Ethnicity:
Biracial - white father and African American mother

In Depth Appearance:
Ambrose has a slender figure, and stands at a mere 5'5'' and has a sort of a baby face. However everything on him is a lean muscle, toned from years of track team and regular running. His skin is a tawny brown, with deep gold undertones. He doesn't have the best posture though, and is often slouched in attempt appear smaller and be less noticeable in general. Ambrose has a pair of deep hazel eyes, framed with dark thick lashes. His hair is a deep black with soft curls that rest on his forehead. His skin splattered with dark freckles, across his cheeks and back, and he has several small scars on his upper thighs as well as a couple deep, ugly scars on his torso.

The young man has no tattoos, although he has a couple in mind he wants to get someday. But he does sport a small septum piercing, other then that, Ambrose is pretty bare in terms of body modifications. He tends to wear monotone clothes, mostly black and grey with only pastel colors like mint green occasionally. The clothing pieces are usually loose and comfortable, although Ambrose is always seen wearing his favorite pair of high tops sneakers.

Hobbies:
◘ Painting
◘ Photography
◘ Film Reviewing
◘ Running in the early morning for exercise

Magical Affinity:
A new-comer to the magic scene, Ambrose is inexperienced and unsure of his abilities. But he is still a natural and a fast learner for the art. He seems to showing an affinity towards the natural and physical magics.

Habits:
◘ Pulls all-nighters to finish a particular painting, messes up his sleep schedule for a week and barely functions on coffee the entire time
◘ Extremely fidgety, especially when anxious
◘ Doodling on every piece of paper he gets his hands on
◘ Smoking (Although this is a rare thing to witness as he only indulges when he is particularly stressed)

Likes:
◘ Confusing art films
◘ Plants
◘ Dancing
◘ Rain and Thunderstorms
◘ Snails
◘ Indie/Alternative music

Dislikes:
◘ Crowded Rooms
◘ High-pressure situations or high-expectations
◘ Airplanes/Airports
◘ Elitist Attitudes
◘ Bigotry in general
◘ People flaking on plans/promises. It's a real pet peeve of his

Fears:
◘ Fear of heights
◘ Fear of tight/small spaces
◘ Fear of running into the law

Personality:
The first impression Ambrose makes on people, is a small guy who seems timid and socially uncomfortable. And this is true for the most part. Ambrose naturally shies away from the spot-light and likes instead to observe people from a distance (one of his favorite past times is people watching). He is a naturally anxious and cautious person, leading him to be un-trusting and suspicious of other people's motives. Most people who speak to him for the first time are met a with a guarded and tense conversation. Yet despite this Ambrose is more a follower and is easily pressured into activities he would't have otherwise done himself. He is truly a fish out of water in the academy life, an outsider, so he hasn't made any new friends yet.

Because of his introversion, Ambrose is more focused on his own pursuits instead of relationships, like painting and photography. Both of which are passions he hopes to turn into a career someday. He is incredibly invested in the arts, but he is too afraid to quit his day job for a full-time career as an artist. He spends almost all of his free time painting, and has even had a couple successful art shows. Yet overall, Ambrose is still naive and unsure of how to further his skills and network successfully to make his break into the industry.

Despite his initial prickly exterior, Ambrose is quite affectionate to the ones who have earned his trust. A little emotionally needy, he is eager to please those have captured his affections. Ambrose has the habit of putting others before him, often neglecting himself for days on end. Yet romantic partners of Ambrose are disappointed with someone who is afraid of both emotional intimacy and commitment.

Ambrose also has an unexpected wild side, this is something he tries to hide the most as it has gotten him into many sticky situations. It really only comes out with drinking or anything else like that. When he is like this, he is more willing to take risks and tell people how he really feels. This is probably when he is at his funniest, sarcastic and even a bit flirty.

Background:
Ambrose grew up in a cramped apartment, in the inner city that was wracked with poverty and crime. It was a daily part of his environment, to be unsure of if he would get dinner, and if he would even be safe considering the criminal activity. An only child with neglectful parents with a father who took his anger out on his family and a mother who drowned her sorrows with alcohol. They weren't really completely evil people, but they shouldn't have been parents. Ambrose had to grow up on his own, and his only escape from reality was through the arts.

 But as he grew to adolescence, he became painfully aware of the expectations around him. To have a reliable job, to be tough and masculine, and so on. This, combined with involvement with the "bad kids", Ambrose fell down a slippery slope of petty crime. Eager to prove himself among his peers, the teenager began to deal drugs and even took part in a few (unarmed) robberies. He never had the intention to hurt people, and viewed it as a way to get cash for food and other basic essentials. But Ambrose also began nursing a drug addiction, thanks to easy access and pressure from his "friends".

Ambrose barely graduated from high school, and with rapidly deteriorating health, he soon realized he needed to take a good hard look at himself. He was a shell of the person he used to be, malnourished and a lost purpose in life. Ambrose knew he didn't want this life, and he knew he didn't want this life. So one day, he just got up and left. He forced himself to go cold turkey, he forced himself to face horrible withdrawals and cut ties with everyone from his old life. To them, Ambrose was now dead. He moved to a small town in Michigan and landed a job in a entry-level position in a florist shop. The owner noticed his hard-work and eye for design and with training, Ambrose was promoted to a florist. He has now worked there for a year, and has also been sober for a year.

Up to this point, Ambrose was ignorant of his abilities and of the magic world. His life seemed to be back on track until he was swept into the world by accidentally witnessing a magical act late one night. Bewildered, he was hauled off to Blackbrick academy to have his memory erased of the incident. At the mercy of the Magicians, Ambrose was given a test of his magic skill on a mere whim of the headmaster. To everyone's astonishment, he passed, demonstrating an innate ability just now awakened. With that, Ambrose was accepted into the college. Amrbose decided to attend, a promise of free higher education and access to an entire magical world was too good a deal to pass up. Ambrose is still unsure how to register everything that has happened, but he is excited for what the future holds.

Miscellaneous:
N/A

[User]
Caleb had noticed Ambrose tense when he had stepped forward to get them to the alternate world. Caleb didn't know if he was ready to show everyone what he'd shown Ambrose regarding the inner beast that he had to keep satiated. Nonetheless, he watched as Ambrose stepped through first. He was actually quite shocked that he went first but he understood that his boyfriend wanted to get this over and done with. He chuckled at the thought of calling Ambrose boyfriend. He never would have thought.

Youre just going to hurt him, you know it's wrong to lead people on right?

Caleb shook the thought away as he realized he was the last one to go through. Stepping through he felt the portal close and looked at the others as they seemed to be getting a feel for the world they'd just walked into. Caleb moved to stand beside Ambrose as he spoke of starting at the tunnels.

"Sounds like a plan, but we need to be careful. We don't know what this alternate world has in store for us. Stick together and remember the communication spell."

It was deathly silent and it made Caleb nervous. What was awaiting them in the tunnels? He didn't realize until his finger touched Ambrose's hand that he was close to him. Caleb softly smile and looked down realizing now wasn't the time and that he needed to focus.

Sam looked over at Alexand Jeremy, "You two were in charge of mapping out this place. You ready?"

Alex sighed and took a step towards the exit. "I guess so," he replied, "just stay close and try to blend in."

He opened the door and walked out with everyone in tow. It was like their school the students running around having fun. It would be easy to blend in right? Something was off though as they made their way towards the tunnel system underneath the school.

[Assistant]
Ambrose looked pretty grim, brows furrow and dark curls hanging in front of his tired eyes. But his expression instantly softened as Caleb's fingers brushed over his, and the young man felt a surge of comfort. At least the entire group was together now, hopefully they would be ready for whatever they had to face here.

He nodded and got a move on as Alex started to lead the way. Jeremy tagged along by Sam, he almost looked as if he was her bodyguard or something. Caleb and Ambrose moved at the back of the group, keeping an eye on their flank. Ambrose was shocked when they emerged from the bunker, seeing the students living normally Ambrose thought for a split second that the spell didn't work. But there was something so distinctly off about the scene, and that blue tint still remained.

Their group was tightly knit as they made their way across campus, avoiding any interactions with the other people there. Alex led them pretty well, he was familiar with where they were going and how to get there. Though no one was excited, Ambrose was surprised it was going so well. They reached the headmaster's building, which they would have to descend into the basement to access the tunnels from there.

[User]
Caleb felt slightly uncomfortable being in this mirror dimension to their home world. He was thankful everyone was there but that could be both a blessing and a curse. There were now four more bodies to keep track of in addition to him and Ambrose. He had to make sure that everyone got out of this realm ALIVE. It was a lot to think about as they made their way through campus. He was glad they hadn't triggered any suspicions yet, but he couldn't help but feel that it was almost too easy. He noticed the alternate form of himself approaching. The deafening silence and the blue tint to this world were off-putting, and even his alternate had a different look, but it was him. His alternate wasn't paying attention to where he was going, and Caleb was focused on making sure they all made it to the tunnels, but when the collision happened, Caleb mentally cursed himself for not paying enough attention.

The alternate form looked at Caleb, its eyes becoming venomous, dangerous, and when it opened its mouth a loud hissing alarm rang out. It became extremely hostile lashing out at Caleb who managed to push his alternate form away.

"GO!" he yelled to the others as Alex, Sam, Ariana, and Jeremy rushed into the building. Caleb grabbed Ambrose's hand and hurried into the building, but by now a group was amassing due to the alarm that had spread through the campus. Caleb looked at the others. "The tunnels, get to the tunnels." He turned to Ambrose and sighed. "I'm right behind you," he added, "we have plans after this, remember. I'm not going to leave you."

[Assistant]
Ambrose barely noticed the figure approaching behind them, it was only when Caleb colliaded with a mirror image of himself did he notice the other man. It was incredibly disorienting to see two versions of Caleb, and he half expected the other one to laugh it off. His heart sank though when he instead eerily opened his jaw and let out a sort of verbal alarm. "Jesus fuck-" Ambrose cursed, stumbling back from the two.

Everyone was standing in shock until their Caleb screamed at them to go. They scurried inside, though Ambrose lagged behind, eyes darting between the identical pair. He wanted to plead with his partner to hurry up, but it seemed as if Caleb already knew what he was going to say. There wasn't time to argue so Ambrose just nodded vigorously and spun on his heel. At this point he just had to trust Caleb to be able to catch up.

The group all huddled into the building, panting as they dodged other mirror people coming out of offices down the hallway. Alex screamed out to them, "Come on, the basement is this way!" They all chased after Alex, Jeremy had latched onto Sam, pulling her along. Ariana and Ambrose stumbled over each other, Ambrose yelped as they tumbled and crashed down the stairs together. Ariana cried out in pain, "I think I broke something!" Ambrose was too busy untangling their limbs, he couldn't even feel pain from the fall because of the adrenline pumping through him. "Come on Ariana, we have to catch up with the others," Ambrose replied desperately, pulling her up and forcing her to run with him. They rounded a corner in the basement, halting to a stop when they saw the other three stopped in their tracks.

Alex was staring at a metal door, his fingers running up and down it. "Fuck! I didn't think it would be locked!" He glanced back at the group, "Quick, someone!" Ambrose could hear hissing alarms getting louder.


[System]
NAME Rory smith

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Height: 5'6

Appearance:

Personality: Rory is an eccentric. Always taking the unbeaten path and never looking back. His peers look up to him in that sense. Rory has few regrets even when he makes a poor decision, he always seemed to make GOOD of the situation. Because of his abnormal behavior, Rory never fell into a clique at school so he was constantly meetings new people and making friends with everyone. Although he doesn't have many he still does have regrets, and one of his biggest ones, was not having a close group of friends. In some ways, Rory is a social butterfly, but deep down, he always wanted close friends rather than many friends. He realized this earlier in his life. He can't change the way he talks or acts, but he's always trying to stick close to his friends in hopes that he will have close friends that will be by side through thick and thin, sometimes Rory's goal to have close friends gets a little to much, making himself come off as clingy and weird.

Bio: Rory moved around a lot in his childhood, thankfully he never moved to far. But with a different neighborhood,came different kids and people to meet. Rory didn't mind moving around until it was time they moved out of the city, and Rory had to go to a different school. At this scchool everyone was interested in video games. Rory never really cared much for them, he'd play here and there, but it was nothing serious. He managed to make a few friends at his new school, but he found it hard to connect with them because their preferred topic of conversation was VRMMORPG's. Rory was never one to be a follower, but he didn't want to feel left out anymore, so he decided to buy the game that his friends held with such high regard and dived in.The game was called Infinite Story. At first, Rory didn't really care much about the game, instead he enjoyed experiencing virtual reality more than anything. But after a few days and a few levels, Rory fell in love with the game and started playing seriously.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Level: 8

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Appearance:

MAINStats: Strength, Intelligence, and wisdom. In that order.

Known Words: Light, Healing, Aura, Tremor, Earth, Area, Touch, Shield, Burst, Targeted

 Equipment
Weapons:
* Hammer of Colossus- A quest Item drop that Roarz found in a loot box. A unique item drop that boosts the base damage of all physical attacks, and has decreased swing speeds.
* Steel Sword- Your average sword found at most shops. It has been tempered by a blacksmith to make it more durable. Roarz only uses this weapon when it isn't appropriate to wield his hammer.

Armor:
* Enchanted Helmet- Roarz's helmet is common loot in most areas after lvl 7. Roarz enchanted the helment with the word Harden to increase Roarz's physical damage resistance.
* Enchanted Torso - Roarz's Torso piece is another common item, a very common loot item after lvl 8. The torso is enchanted with the word Nullify, this increases his magical resistance.
* Armor set (All excluding Helmet and Torso)- An armor set called "The Fortress", it was a gift to Roarz from one of his friends who'd farmed the dungeons until he required multiple sets. Every item of the set gives a stat boost to Roarz' Armor Rating, the level of his Endurance gets added to his overall armor rating.
* Gloves(L): "The Fortress"
* Gloves(R): "The Fortress"
* Footwear (L): "The Fortress"
* Footwear (R): "The Fortress"

[User]
Filia had just gotten finished at school, it was summer break after all, and she couldn't wait to log onto Infinite Story. Once she had happily walked the 3 blocks home, she took the spare key to the house out of her purse and opened the door. As usual, her parents weren't home. Both were out on business and FIlia was home alone. She was used it, she knew had to clean the house, do laundry and cook food for herself. She had to learn because her parents were never home to do it for her.
 Once she had settled down and gotten a small snack, she went to her room, turned on the AC in her apartment and put on the Virtual Gear. (A cybernetic helmet attached to the internet and Infinite Story Server) She layed down in bed, and once she was comfortable, she closed her eyes and press the on button. A 5 second count-down timer showed and once it had reached 0, she could feel her conscious being transported.
 Filia opened her eyes in her new body. She looked around and at herself in the mirror in front of her. Despite the fact that she was a girl, Filia had chosen a male avatar to play... just because she had wanted to. Filia thought about switching to her other character, the swordswoman she had made during the beta, but she decided to make life interesting and create another character to play with all the new people that had joined. She looked around and saw all the other lower level characters traveling around the town of Ramshorn (the first town.) Filia enjoyed a good challenge, so she created Aegis. A half-wolf male avatar with maxed out Strength and Endurance stats. She almost laughed at herself when she looked at her stats. Her strength and endurance were already at 75, and she was only level 8! Her other stats were well... not so high. 75 strength and endurance was more than enough to get her through anything. Skill was her third highest stat followed by Agility then then other 2. She looked at her HP bar, and then at the other players around her. She had more life than most level 15 characters around her, which made it all the more fun. "750 hp at level 8 huh?" he shook his head at the ridiculous number.
 Looking around, Aegis (Filia) made his way to a certain tavern that he and his other 2 friends always frequented and used as a gathering point. He stopped in front of a dinky little tavern that a lot of people really didn't visit, which was nice, because it allowed for private groups to meet in piece and plan out their strategies without the eavesdropping of other players. Little did anyone, not even his friends know, that his other character had actually bought the small tavern for the purpose of meetings and planning. Opening the door with the key attached to his account, Aegis, walked in, set up the Auto bar (an NPC he had hired) to take control of the place while he was there to serve drinks and take orders. Ironically, the NPC Aegis had hired resembled his (Filia's) mom which gave the place a more homely feel. Sitting down at one of the tables, Aegis kicked back and set his feet on the table leaning backwards in his chair. Now all he had to do was wait for his friends to come to the Sleeping Wolf Tavern.

---

[Assistant]
The bell ending the last class of her Junior year got Harley moving pretty fast. She usually ran home, not wanting to waste the gas to drive a mile to school when she could get in her daily exercise instead. She picked up the small drawstring bad she had brought with her on the last day and took off out of the class and down the halls, expertly weaving her way through the mess of people in the hall. After reaching one of the side exits she opened the door and took off running down the sidewalk and toward her home.

It took her about seven minutes to run home. She greeted her father who was watching sports on the couch and headed up the stairs of the two story house to her room. Why they needed two stories for her mother, father, and her, she would never know but she got the entire upstairs to herself so she wasn't complaining. Her mother had yet to return for work as usual and Harley knew she had to go shopping as well so she wasn't to worried about being rushed.

Throwing her bag on the floor next to her bed she proceeded to dramatically flop on it, after which she grabbed her virtual gear and put it on her head. Turning it on she watched the countdown from 5 letting her know when her consciousness would begin to slip into the game and the character she had created for herself. Well one of the two.

The one she had selected was a half fox "beast tamer" as she liked to call it. This character had high levels of Skill, Wisdom, and intelligence. All at an equal 50 points each. The other stats were lower ranging from 20 to 10 points. She intended to keep her main three high. Planning on using this character for long distance attacks, and have large quantities of mana used at a time. She opened her eyes in her character's body and smiled happily. The character's name? SalazarKit, though most knew her simply as Kit. Harley quickly checked over her character's Health and Mana bars. Her Health was the normal health level for a level five character but her mana bar was excessively large. Packing a punch of about 610 mana level.

After her inspection she headed toward the tavern she was to meet her friends at, two other former beta-testers whom she had become friends with while testing. The Sleeping Wolf Tavern had been her main hangout during the testing and the other two seemed to enjoy it was well so they made it the meeting spot of the group. Entering the tavern she was greeted by the sight of Aegis a half wolf male whom she was friends with. Waving in greeting she sat beside the male. "How are things today?" She asked, staring up comversation while they waited for the last of them to show up.

[User]
Moros eagerly biked home from his collage class. Aceing his classes was good and all but right now he wanted to meet up with his friends back in Infinite Story, luckily that was his last class so he should have more time to start playing. Moros waved to a group of friends walking as he passed them, it was nice having so many people to hang out with.

 He was really underleveled compared to his friends because of all the schoolwork he had but he would fix that quickly now that most of his classes were over. It was fun just playing with them no matter how strong his character was. Moros hopped off his bike barely remembering to put the stand down and ran into his house. "Mom! I'll be in my room." he shouted out as he quickly set up. He heard a faint, "That's fine honey." and carried on. Dad would still be working for a couple of hours and then dinner a bit after that, he would have to make sure he was in a safe place by then

 Moros plugged in and waited the obligatory 5 seconds. Then he looked at his two characters. Though it would be funny to come in with his high level beta character, he liked his new one better. His friends liked their new characters better as well, though it made sense since they had little idea what they were doing at the start of the beta, unlike now. He selected his new character and closed his eyes for only a moment before he reopened them, this time as Yashatatsu rather than Moros, or as he was usually called, Yash.

 Yash looked examined himself briefly, technically he had given himself a little bit of a twink with all the blue dye he took from his beta character but hey, it had no statistical benefits so it didn't count right? He had logged out in the first town so he quickly made his way over to the Sleeping Wolf where they agreed to meet up at. Yash walked through the door and saw Kit and Aegis were already there, "Well looks like brains and brawns are already here, guess that means I'm late." he said ruefully as he took a seat.

 Yash glanced at his friends' stats for a moment, they were higher level and doing focused builds as opposed to his generalism but it still made his stats feel small. Of course his beta character would put all three of them to shame, "That makes the three of us, what do we do first? Spread out and help some noobs or start some leveling? Personally I plan on grabbing some exp either way, schools been keeping my play time down and my level shows it." Yash explained, eager to get started.

[Assistant]
Roarz looked up towards the sun, sitting there, seemingly floating in the sky, was two health bars. Between them sat a timer that was counting down from 60. It was a duel. A duel between two players in the middle of town, something Roarz didn't see very often. In fact, Roarz started questioning his own PvP experience as he watched the two forces collide on the street, He couldn't remember the last time he dueled someone, organized or not. Roarz started to drift off during the fight, thinking about how he would go about fighting another player. Maybe he'd go on the defense and learn his opponents moves, or maybe go on the offense and throw everything he has at the opponent and make him feel the pressure. He made a mental note to practice with his friend later in hopes to be ready for an ambush outside of the safe zone's walls.

He glanced at the health bars once again, judging from their status, they were equally matched. Both their Hp's were barely skimming the half way mark, neither being able to land more than 1 perfect hit. The timer felt like it has been going forever, but it was only at 35 seconds. At the rate they were going, they'll both be standing by the time it reaches 0. Roarz had been cheering the one duelist the entire time, hoping he'd pull something from his sleeve. There was no reputation or item on the line, but the tension that was building in the crowed made the fight more enjoyable and entertaining.

Roarz swiped the air and opened his menu, he looked at the time. In the real world, school would have just ended. Roarz was supposed to be in school, but he made the point to his parents that it was the last day and teachers don't teach on the last day, they just waste time with movies and conversations. His mother, being a nice and reasonable person, gave him the day off. Roarz thought about logging off for a few minutes and grabbing a bite to eat, but he didn't want to miss the fight. So he stood and waited.

In the real world, he was Roary Smith. A 16 year old boy who got away with much more than he should. But in Infinite Story, He was Roarz, a level 8 adventurer who takes the world by storm. The two players moved quickly, all around the street, clanging steel together and exchanging blows. The fighting moved closer and closer to Roarz until eventually, Roarz had to break his train of thought in order to move out of the way.

The duel ended Abruptly and the two players regained their lost health. Roarz was baffled and confused, he didn't see it end and he didn't know what happened. Heck, he didn't even know who won. "Damn, I didn't even pay attention!" He looked over to the duelist he'd been rooting for and waved his hand, "Good job! Gave that noob a thrashing." He said, trying to sound ambiguous.


[System]
Nickames
Frequently called "the one who never shows up" by certain clan members.
Age
16
Gender
Male
How did they get onto the Officer Programme?
In the harsh wintry land of Kyavik, the few royal families that have managed to weather the centuries of life under brutal conditions have now turned their gazes on each other, each vying for control over the desolate nation state. Among these is the Borza clan, who made up for what it lacked in warriors with superior mercantile skills and a stronger focus on education. With the emergence of gunpowder and other technological advancements from the rest of the world it was clear that the age of powerful warriors was beginning to fade. The clan would no longer hide from its equals now that victory was within their grasp.

Roan's father was not sufficiently high-ranking to have received an offer to the academy outright. A couple of discreet donations to the academy fixed that problem, however.
Prefered Weapon
As a boy with a penchant for magic and no interest in most of the physical activities enjoyed by those his age, Roan likes to use his fire spells as much as possible. It was common for many of his tutors to forbid its use entirely during sparring matches, however, so he's developed an affinity for firearms, as unreliable and rudimentary as they may be, his favorite being the rifles that his clan has begun to use for hunting.
Appearance Details
With green eyes that make visual contact for a fraction more than what's socially acceptable and a head of curly brown hair that his short-haired siblings frequently remind him is improper, Roan isn't the splitting image of nobility. He'll do the bare minimum to appease his family but apart from that, he's the fourth child, so why should he care? His clothes mirror this, focusing on comfort but not straying far enough from aesthetics that others would mistake him for a commoner.

He stands at five feet and eleven inches, a fraction shorter than his brothers. He regards physical activity as important, but fixates on activities that are more centered around stamina than strength. It's a body built for and from hunting and climbing what shouldn't be climbed.
Personality Traits
Initially driven to study solely by his interest in fire, Roan took to expanding his horizons quite quickly after having learned the basics of magic. It represented the unattainable to him, sparking an obsession with improvement and study that hasn't relented since. The majority of his life consisted of having to decide between attending another pointless gathering or furthering his research, so he's spent his youth doing the latter with no hesitation. As a side effect, Roan struggles to socialize effectively with others. He's a confident young man, but can often be too blunt for his own good.

Upon seeing the finesse exhibited by his father and brothers it can be tempting to claim that Roan is their opposite, or shares almost nothing with them. This would be incorrect. Roan has the same ambition and desperation they do, and the same independent demeanor that can lead to stubborn moments. Roan's just directed himself towards magic rather than wearing uncomfortable clothing and pretending to be richer than he really is. He acts on impulse frequently, ignoring the advice of others. He gets odd ideas and lets his curiosity get the best on him. Roan doesn't think inside the box, he thinks about how to burn the box. Taking a risk or making the unknown known is far more exciting than doing things the typical way.
Biography
It started with piles of leaves at first. They were brittle and few in number, but it was enough to start a small flame far from peering eyes. As the third son to a nobleman, it was easy to slip away to learn even more about it. Hay, cloth, wood, paper. It all burned so beautifully, but it had to be kept secret, as his parents weren't keen on him avoiding lessons to hide away and waste his time. It was at the age of thirteen when he was caught messing with a furnace that his father realized something was different about the boy, however. It isn't normal for a teenager to have one of their hands placed in the middle of a roaring fire without being aware of it, after all.

From that point onward an unspoken deal was forged between the two. Roan would push his studious habits further and in return he'd be given lessons tailored to strengthen his knowledge over fire. To say that this plan worked would be an understatement. Roan finally had an excuse to opt out of the horrid negotiation sessions his family would engage in, leaving the work to his older, more politically minded brothers.

Despite his miraculous growth over the years, it shocked him to hear his father announce that he had been automatically accepted into the college during a particularly tense meeting. It was only afterwards when they had talked in private that he realized his father had just bought his way in through a facade of altruism. He had been used as a game piece, meant to give him and their family a shine to their image. Although he was initially fine with his role in life, he can't help but feel as if there's more to the world than uncomfortable dining rooms and libraries.
Misc.
Face Claim: Robert Sheehan | FA6800
As the previous section has implied, Roan has the power to resist fire at will. He isn't immune to it, but he's harmed from it at a far slower pace than the average person.

[User]
"I was at the top of my class – naturally," the general's voice brimmed with pride inside the carriage as he recounted the years spent within the walls of the fortress. It was a story that he had told his son on several occasions. Actually, on more occasions during their journey to Estermere than the years before that. But Augustus had to pretend he was as interested as the first few times his father brought up the topic.

General Marcellus Kampf didn't need to come with his son on the first day to Estermere. Naturally, he had duties as a lord and as one of the king's general, but he told a rather deflated Augustus that it was an event that the general would not miss for the world. Then Marcellus started telling the unforgettable story of his first day at the academy. Again. Surprisingly, the story started with a carriage ride and Marcellus' father, Augustus' grandfather, giving the young Marcellus pointers on how to excel. Apparently, his family did not tolerate mediocrity. A Kampf must always hold a position of power. There's that.

Which was why a small smile tugged at the corners of Augustus' lips when one of the guards at the gate stepped up and told the general that only students were allowed entry. "He's an alumnus, can we not make an exception?" Gus asked, if only for appearance sake. As if he was not too happy to finally experience a taste of freedom in some piece of land which his father's influence could not reach.

Marcellus, whose expression, clothing, and poise reeks of nobility stood looking down his nose at the lowly guard. Gus knew that look. It was as a warning, a few moments of calm before the storm. His father was a general. Of course, Lord Kampf was an expert in barking orders and looking down at mere footmen. Gus had to step in. "He's just doing his job. It's alright, I can manage from here." He grabbed a suitcase from his father only to set it on the ground beside himself. The general started to argue, no longer used to being denied, but Augustus reasoned that he would be late if they pushed the argument.

A few minutes later, Augustus Kampf was walking the paved walkway of the fortress. Hands in his jeans' pockets and a stupid grin pasted on his face. At last, a chance to live outside his father's shadow.

"Excuse me, is it your first day?" Somebody. A girl, his senior, approached. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. He looked to his left then right, then those amber eyes returned to a silent question to the stranger. "Yes, I am talking to you," she giggled, perhaps because of the look of utter confusion on his face. He had barely nodded when she politely pointed the other direction. "That way to the dining hall. Good luck." She waved, smiled, and ran after her group without saying her name or asking for his. He didn't even get to say thank you.

But whatever. Gus traced his steps until he was at the top of a grand staircase, walked further following the same direction, following a light stream of individuals, until he found the hall. Rows of dining tables were occupied by people around the same age as he was. He casually took the closest empty seat he could find and relaxed. It was going to be a great year.

[Assistant]
Pax Triston was not eager to be attending Estermere Academy. It was a military school, and they had no desire to be part of any military. That did not change the fact that they were currently on their way to the academy. They didn't have much of a choice. Their father, Lord Markus Triston of Coastal Cliffs, wanted to send Pax away. Pax couldn't really fault the man for that decision. There was a constant tension in the air while Pax was residing at Triston Keep. Pax gave their head a shake. There was no reason to dwell on the past. They had to keep heading up the mountain.

Pax looked up from the book that they had been studying about older languages from across the world to look out the window as the carriage maneuvered pass another turn in the road. They could finally see the Academy. It certainly looked impressive. Pax knew that it was still a fair distance away. It would only grow more impressive as they got closer. Pax turned back towards their book. They had basically stolen the book from Triston Keep. Thankfully, along with the other books on almost forgotten languages, it wouldn't be missed. If they were it would a simple matter to return them.

The carriage eventually stopped as a voice called out, "We have arrived Mr. Triston."

Pax placed their book back in their personal satchel as they exited the carriage, "Thank you Gabriel." They faintly smiled up at the coachman, "Please be careful on your way home."

Gabriel nodded in respect, "I'll be on my way as soon as I'm soon sure your things have been put away properly Mr. Triston."

Pax turned to get a better look at Estermere Academy, "Thank you Gabriel."

With as close to goodbyes as Pax was going to get with as close to a friend as they had been done they headed into the building. It was easy enough to ask a few of the guards where new students in the officer program were supposed to go. With that information gathered. The new student headed towards the dining hall. There were already students gathering. Absently Pax wonder what the time was. They knew that there was a time every new student was supposed to be here by. They just didn't know when that time was. They didn't think that it was any time soon. There weren't enough students here yet.

Pax scanned the room to find a rather empty place in which to sit. Once a suitable spot was located, they made their way there. As they walked, they passed a few people taking to each other as well as others looking to avoid social interactions. There were people from all over the world. Pax was astounded by the sheer number of different type of people. Maybe being here wouldn't be bad. It would certainly be a learning experience.

Pax arrived at the place they had pick and sat down with a surprising amount of grace. They pulled out their book to return to their studies. Pax wondered if there were language classes here. That would be another reason this ordeal could be bearable. The truth was, even though Pax knew they didn't really want to be here, this wasn't that bad a place to be. It certainly wasn't ideal, but it did get them away from Coastal Cliffs and it would certainly teach them things they couldn't learn in Rockveil. They might not want to be a part of any military in the future, but it would give them a chance to make future they didn't think they could have if they hadn't been sent here. Pax supposed they could be tentatively optimistic.

[User]
Dozens of burly men were gathered around a feast fit for royalty. Thick slabs of meat from all sorts of beasts were piled high atop their silver platters, dripping fat onto the ornate tapestries around the dining room table. One of them, Roan's father, rose from his chair with a large glass of wine held in an even larger hand. The motley of furs that covered his body rose with him, making him appear more beast than human for a few short moments. Roan's mind was elsewhere, incapable of perceiving anything but the man's bearded mouth opening and closing. It was only when a strong pat on the back hit Roan that he realized everyone present had turned their heads to him. He was being congratulated.

***
It had felt like an eternity since the day the academy had accepted him. Through a few hushed donations aided further by connections, but accepted nevertheless. Neither his brothers nor the rest of his family knew the truth, so the boy had paused every time an employee had politely asked about his background. He was relieved that the arrival was nearly over, at least.

Roan stepped out of his carriage, nearly forgetting to acknowledge the coachman's existence. He glazed over the walls of the academy and wrapped his arms around himself in a manner that didn't look comfortable. It was the least he could do to not feel so exposed with how thin his clothes felt. For Roan who had been accustomed to sleepless nights in cramped chambers, surrounded by hand-etched glyphs up to the ceiling, hands soiled with ink and desperate to write more, the gentle outskirts of the academy were alien to him. They had nothing in common either with the wintry plains of Kyavik, that demanded one bring a shovel and a rifle at the minimum.

"Indirect information. Instructions?" he muttered to himself. His eyes flickered towards a boy his age receiving directions.

Unfortunate. He had hoped their welcoming ceremony would be informal enough to allow him to explore the academy to the fullest extent of his desires. Roan expected no less from such a prestigious academy, however. He reasoned it was for the best to do as told for the time being.

On the surface, the deal he struck with his father seemed simple enough. The game piece known as Roan Borza would be relocated elsewhere so as to not drag the rest down, and as a result it would be spared from having to participate in the modern clan's battlefield, the gathering. He would use this opportunity to elevate his abilities in the refined and complex art of magic, and thus function as a sort of ornament for the rest to gawk at and admire. There were other implications, however. Having a skilled magician in the family had its uses if the relations between clans ever soured to the point of violence. It didn't surprise him that his father thought that far ahead. Sacrificing a game piece of lesser value to spare the rest was too obvious of a strategy.

He clicked his tongue. Even multiple nation's worth of distance couldn't keep him from thinking about politics again. He'd just have to approach his new life a single step at a time. As he entered the dining hall his father's advice rang crystal clear in his mind. Study well, be a warrior. No fires.


[System]
Gender/Age: Male, 21
Appearance:

Weapons:
None
Abilities:
Fix: Mat has the ability to return objects to a state it had previously existed in. He can take a broken bottle and make it whole (the shards that used to compromise it will fly through the air back to the piece of glass he's touching), transform a table into a stack of lumber, return a rusted gate to its peak condition and even heal people and animals. This ability works almost instantaneously; however, he cannot use this ability on himself. Any damage he takes must be healed the good old fashioned way. Also, he can only "fix" things he is physically touching, and only within 20 meters of himself. If he rips up a dollar bill, keeps a piece on him and leaves the rest 20.01 meters away, he cannot return the dollar bill to its original condition. Furthermore, if Mat isn't concentrating or is in a foul mood, something he fixes could end up in a warped or disfigured state. Finally, Mat's ability cannot return the dead back to life, only repair corpses to a more whole state.

Arm Muscle: Mat's arm and shoulder muscles have become far more powerful than humanly possible, allowing him to smash through stone easily with his fist. The strength of his arms could also be increased if he managed to find enough weight to lift and trained as a normal human did. As a consequence of it being more easy to move around his bones, Mat can also move his arms superhumanly fast, but his reflexes are no better than before. The speed of his hands are limited to his ability to react. In theory, catching an arrow would be feasible for Mat's new arms, but he wouldn't be able to perceive it soon enough to actually do so.

Durability: To prevent his new arm muscles from destroying the rest of his body, Mat has become far more durable. Mat could jump off a 5 story building and still be fine, come out unscathed from a run in with a truck moving 45 mph, and step on a lego brick without feeling pain. However, piercing and slashing weapons like knives or fire still do a number on him.

Biography:
Mat had been having a normal Friday night at a bar. Hanging out with friends, drinking some beers, hitting on girls, normal 21 year old stuff. At around 11, Nature called and Mat left his friends to go take a leak. Unbeknownst to him, Ron from high school also followed him in. Back in senior year, Mat had spotted Ron cheating on his then girlfriend Sara. Mat spilled the beans and a break up ensued. Nothing happened for 3 years, and Mat had forgotten it like the rest of high school. However, Ron was a vindictive SoB and liked to serve his revenge cold. As Mat washed his hands, he felt something gran the back of his head and begin to repeatedly slam it against the sink. After a couple times, the blood was starting to impair his vision and his head was growing fuzzy.

His head pulled up for what seemed like the last time, another face appeared in the mirror crystal clear. He didn't quite hear or remember everything the man in the mirror said, but the gist was his soul for another chance at life. Well, Mat figured it was better to take his chances than to let everything end like this. The deal complete, everything began to move again. Mat took the chance to backfist Ron in the side of the head before turning around and pummeling the psycopath with a barrage of punches. Ron flew back into the stall door, his face surprisingly intact, but a lot uglier than Mat remembered.

Mat cleaned off the blood on his face and went back to the bar to get another drink.
Extra:

Name: Pitambara
Gender/Age:  Male, 2384
Appearance:
His arms and body appear human outside of battle, and his eyes only glow when he's angry.
Demon Type: Daemon
Weapons:
None
Abilities:
Enhanced Strength: Pitambara is stronger than humans, but only just. However, his strength extends to his entire body unlike Yamato allowing him to move faster than most humans can.
Durability: Pitamabara is also more durable than normal, but to a lesser degree compared to Mat.
Fix: Pitambara has the ability to fix things too, unlike Mat, it can apply to himself, but it's far weaker. Pitambara's fixing only works in real time. A dollar bill he rips up and then fixes will repair itself as quickly as it was ripped up, no faster, no slower. Also, he can only rewind an object's status back to a state it was in 3 minutes earlier at the maximum.
Arms: When Pitambara is angry, he can grow 2 more pairs of arms, one pair above and one below his preexisting arms. These arms are functionally and aesthetically identical to his normal arms, but 6 hands are better than 2.

Biography:
Pitambara is a spirit quick to anger, but essentially good at heart. In past times, he dealt with demons by punching them and fixing any resulting damage with his powers. As time has gone on, he has found that being deemed acceptable less and less often, and the demons have gotten crafty by gaining power through offering deals to mortals, and you can't just punch a mortal to make the problem leave, because the demon would still have the soul.

After pondering over this problem for a couple decades, Pitambara decided that the best way to fix this problem would be to fight fire with fire. He would find a good soul to bestow a measure of his power to and then punch demons indirectly through his contracted. Unfortunately, he found that he still had to own the soul of those he contracted, but that was a bridge he would cross when he got to it. Being a millenia old spirit, Pitambara still hasn't completely acclimated to modern life.
Extra:

[User]
Outside Jeremy and Jin's ApartmentThe car doors opened and the two agents took their seats, Phil in the driver seat and Starr in the passenger. Lexie sat in the back in silence as the engine roared to life and they began to move onto their next job. Phil decided to be the first to break the silence, knowing that there was a lot to be discussed.

"Lexie. You're going to have to do this visit on your own."

Lexie's eyes opened in shock at the request. She grabbed the shoulders of the seats in front of her and leaned forward so she could yell at him, "What do you mean I have to do this one 'on my own'? I haven't done anything in the past three week, I barely know what's going on, and you want me to do this 'on my own'?!"

"Because if we go in there we will just start a bloodbath," the contradictory words came out of his mouth in a calm, collective way, "Starr and I just the wrong people when dealing with these two. All you will be doing is giving them a list for for who we want them to focus on."

Lexie looked down at her laptop and pulled up the profile for Sera and Alyx, noticing a comment that mentioned, 'Possible Aggression Influences?'. She gulped at the fact that she was pretty much jumping out of the frying pan into the fire, but understood where Phil was coming from. As she was mulling over the details of the two she felt the car begin to slow down and pull over towards the side walk. Starr opened up the door and stepped out, tilting the seat forward so Lexie could leave the vehicle. As Lexie began to shuffle out when Phil held up an envelope for her to grab. She pulled it from his hand she saw him smile and speak, "You'll be fine."

The walk up to the apartment felt like it took forever but in the end Lexie found her way to the door of Sera and Alyx's. She felt her nerves on edge and the cold, churning sensation in her stomach before giving a steady knock on the door. Each second that she waited felt like an hour and in the end a faint click and creak could be heard as the door opened halfway. Lexie could see two girls in the apartment, noticing that the one who answered the door had a more natural skin tone than the one in the background.

"Sera Kennithson?" Lexie opened nervously as she held out the letter, "This is for you and Alyx."

Eastwood HospitalMembers of the public walked past the man leaning against the wall of the hospital, looking at him with a weird expression. He barely flinched, nor took any notice for what they thought considering that had been the way people had treated him his whole life. Occasionally Bligh would joke, saying that maybe he left his fly undone knowing full well that everyone was staring at the military grade gas mask he had to wear.

He was waiting for someone, and finally saw the red haired male walk out of the hospital. Bligh began to follow him down the street making sure to keep his distance. He knew that his own presence would be noted after a while, but stealth wasn't the point of this meeting. These two hadn't killed any demons yet after receiving their original notice, instead there had been a steady rise of illnesses in the hospital. To the WDD this was an unacceptable public risk and if there wasn't any changes soon this couple would be fast tracked to the 'up for elimination' list.

[Assistant]
Sera Kennithson & Alyx The Banished
Sera's Apartment | Downtown

---

As a knock came to Sera's door she was thrown off her train of thought. She hadn't expected anybody to come around today, and she even put up a sticker on her door to deter cold callers and salesman alike. So who could it be? Her mind began to rest as she walked to the door, probably old Mr Perkins wanting some help changing a lightbulb, or that new couple who moved in yesterday looking for a cup of sugar, or something equally as cliche. They seemed nice enough, didn't bring much with them though. As Sera's mind wandered she had already reached the door with a number of possibilities as to who it would be reasonable to find waiting.

Who she found was not one of those possibilities.

A girl - woman - Sera corrected herself quickly, roughly the same age as her, maybe a bit younger. She pondered for a moment, probably coming into her last year of university. Or was it college here? Not important. She wore strange clothes, almost like some form of uniform, was she a courier? She had just handed Sera a letter, saying it was for her and Alyx.

Her and Alyx. This sent alarm bells ringing, Sera didn't know this person, she was delivering a letter addressed to both of them. Alyx hadn't lived there for long. Just over a week. It wasn't bills either. Sera turned the letter over in her hands a few times, no address. Just their names. No stamp either, whatever it was it was supposed to be delivered by hand. "Uh, thanks," Sera said, taking a letter opener from the table nearby and slipping it under the envelopes folds. Inside was a folded sheet of paper, just like any other letter. But this wasn't an actual letter. Just a list of... names? Sera looked up, at the girl in her doorway, then to Alyx, then back to the girl, then back to the letter, then to the girl again. "What is this? Who are you?".

It sounded more threatening than Sera intended but she was getting hot under the collar. Her cane was too far away, she wouldn't get to it in time if this person was hostile. Keep it cool, keep it cool. She told herself. Waiting for a reply.

[User]
"So I can't go to heaven or hell now since you have my soul, and although demons do this exact same thing, you aren't one. I'm borrowing your powers, and you want me to use these to punch others in the same situation as me... because?" Mat and Pitambara were now in a pub, each with a different drink in hand. In Mat's was a cheap beer, Pitambara had a glass of lemon water without any ice in it. It was still light out, so the atmosphere felt dark and a bit oppressive in comparison with the bright skies outside and the loud rock music playing made it difficult to even hear himself speak, let alone anybody else in here. Perhaps that's why the man across from the table picked this place.

"Well when you say it like that, it sounds like I'm the bad guy here." Pitambara was wearing a pair of shades that blocked the soft glow of his eyes. "Look, you didn't have to take the deal, and I already explained this a week ago when you were about to have your head irreparably caved in. If I could think of a better way to do this, I would have done it by now." Pitambara's fingers drummed against the glass of the cup, creating little cracks with each pass before repairing them almost instantly as if they were never there.

"I could barely think, let alone able to make binding contracts at the time. You know, if this were a legal contract it would be null and void, right?" Mat took a half-hearted sips of his beer and glanced at the mostly empty pub. There were a couple of daytime drunks, but otherwise it was just the staff and Mat and Pitambara.

"Yeah, well it isn't. Besides, at least I gave you the choice. Demons just take souls and selfishly hoard it to themselves for more power. If I knew how, I'd just give your soul back after we're done. What's important now is you learning to control my power."

"The fixing thing?" Mat asked a bit louder than he had been speaking before as a particularly obnoxious guitar solo started up on the speakers.

"Well, it's more complicated than that, but yes." Pitambara replied, his drumming now directed at the table, which created noticeable indentations into the cheap wood under his fingers before they miraculously filled back in. Either he was doing this on reflex, or he was just showing off. "Your arms are strong and fast now, but that ability allows you to be far more versatile than you could ever imagine. And you're going to need to know how to use it effectively if we're going to be taking down demons. Not all of them are giant pushovers like that cat we fought an hour ago. I need you, and you need me. After all, if I die, you'll get to feel every moment of it."

"I'm not going to say you've talked me into this, but I'll go along for now. Especially if you're going to follow me around. I can't exactly lock you out of my apartment. I'm not going to call you Pitambara though. So now you're going to be Barry."

"Fuck you." Barry said, briefly crushing the glass in his hand.