[System]
Clan: Shima
Title: Eagle-Eyed Elder
Gender: Female
Age: 78

Race: Tengu
Height: 4'5"
Weight: 30 kg (~66 lb)
Appearance: Current and younger appearance:

(Metou's wings and hair are black, but her hair turned white with age. Her priestess attire (which should have more details than the sketch) is purple and blue. The robes she wears in the present are black and are made with a lot of crow's feathers, meant to mimic her old wings, and the dress she wears underneath is purple.)
(And she should probably have an eyepatch as well.)

Occupation: Mostly-Retired Sniping Trainer

Notable Skills: Back in the day Metou was the sharpest eye around, despite having only one of them. Her accuracy is still pretty good, but her eyesight has deteriorated and she's not as quick on the trigger as she used to be. As a necessity of her powers, Metou knows how to preserve things in formaldehyde.
Since retiring from combat, Metou has gotten decent at sewing clothing and gardening.
When she was younger, Metou could fly short distances. However, she was always a bit heavyset for a Tengu, so she could never fly as far or for as long.

Magical Abilities: Metou can shapeshift into others by removing their eye and inserting it into her empty eye socket. Though she'll possess their physical power and some of their muscle memory, any learned magical abilities or techniques will be inaccessible to her. Metou can transform for an hour at a time before the eyeball automatically pops out of her head, and rapidly transforming and untransforming tires her out, but she can do it a few times in a row with a couple seconds of break inbetween. As long as the eye is in her head, it functions as a living eye.
If Metou shapeshifts into someone, anything she wears or was carrying disappears and she gains whatever the person she shapeshifts into was carrying. If she removes something from her person when transformed, that object will stay off and disappear when she takes on a different form, and then reappear in the same location when she takes on that form again. If she changes any of that form's inventory it will disappear when she leaves that form and reappear when she takes on that form again. In essence this means that Metou can change the outfits and equipment of her alternate forms and keep them consistently without permanently duplicating items.
Any damage that happens to Metou in one form happens to all of her forms, as well as any recovery from injuries that occurs.

Ki Techniques/powers: None

Weapons:
Rifle - Accurate and useful for long distances. In her prime she could load a shot in 3 seconds, in her old age it takes her 6.
Pistol - Not Metou's speciality, she carries this only for defending herself in close quarters.

Other Gear:
Formaldehyde Jars - Metou possesses 6 jars of formaldehyde that hang from her person, used for storing eyeballs.
Eyeball - The eye she lost when she was 18. Inserting this eye transforms Metou into her younger self.
Walking Stick - Wooden, and has a U-shape for a handle. Metou can use this to prop up her rifle and keep it steady. Also, she needs it to walk at any reasonable pace.
Metal Scoop - Looks sort of like an iron ice-cream scoop with a sharp, tapered end. It's used for "extracting" eyeballs.

Personality: Most people think Metou grew crotchety and irritable with age, but that only had a minor effect of Metou's personality. Ever since her banishment Metou was always bitter and jaded, even after Shima treated her well. Unlike many others of her age, Metou had no qualms about increasing the military might of the clan, though as an outsider her opinion wouldn't be worth as much. Metou is passionate about defending Shima and disinterested in the politics of other clans or in people who pursue power. It may seem hypocritical but due to her upbringing Metou still distrusts spirits and magic in general, and is even uncomfortable about using her own powers.

Brief history: Metou was born and raised in the Dokutsu Clan, or Dokutsu Town depending on who you ask, a small reclusive village hidden in the mountains populated by both humans and tengu (and an oni who liked the atmosphere). Like Shima this clan was neutral and well-protected, but they preferred not to communicate or interact with any other clan at all, and a unique culture developed as they were cut off from the rest of Baji. The people of Dokutsu forbade the practice of magic among their people, believing it to be the source of the corruption and war that plagued the other clans below them. This made Metou's discovery of her own latent powers a bit of bad news.

Metou served as a religious figure in the town, somewhat akin to a shrine maiden, and helped guide the village in prayer to keep them safe from the world around them. In addition she lead many of the towns customs from the birth of a villager to the death of one, and helped protect the town from interested parties with a rifle. When she was 18 Metou lost her eye while constructing a new building for the town, and in an act of desperation tried to replace the severed eye. It functioned perfectly, but Metou knew it could only be magic that allowed it to do so. She kept the eye preserved, being familiar with the chemicals used in village customs to preserve the dead, and experimented with her power in secret. She discovered that she could transform into animals using their eyes, but she was eventually discovered by the village when she was 20 and banished.

After a year of travelling Metou found residence with the nearby Shima clan, and she used her skill with a firearm to give herself a place in her new home. During her years living in the Shima clan she served as a sentinel, participated in a few military skirmishes, traveled occasionally and had a few lovers but never married. Though Shima would have been more accepting, out of habit Metou rarely ever used her powers, and most people don't know she has them. When she got too old to bother standing watch with a gun in hand, she helped train new guards in the art of accuracy. Metou tries to help out as best she can, but as others take over her old job she leaves her house less and less. Though she lives in a hut on the outskirts of her town, Metou is still well-known around the village.

[User]
The words of the Shima Clan's Daimyo rang through Tarou's ears, his ears perked up, and tail swishing left and right in an excited way. Many times in the past had the Sasaki Clan brought honor to their family, but none would be greater than this. For years, Tarou had never understood the reasoning to the Sasaki Clan's love for the Shima, but he understood it today. It was a tight friendship and if it was not for them, they would still be a brutish and bloodthirsty clan, as well as an enemy of the Shima Clan. He felt gratitude for being allowed on this quest by the Shima Daimyo and was ready to take on this journey, no matter how dangerous it was.

After the ceremony, he approached the Daimyo and bowed to him. "As The Rising Sun of the Sasaki Clan, I hope that my service will increase friendship between our peoples. May your rule, family, and clan continue to live in prosperity, My Lord." He bowed once more, as much as he could, as a sign of great respect and trust. He was, after all, a most beloved friend of the Sasaki Clan. "I shall do everything in my power to aid you in your time of need." He then turned to meet his partners, the ones that he was eager to greet.

At first, Tarou was unsure of how to approach them, since they all came from different backgrounds. Of course, one man would break the ice. He would bring encouragement to Tarou. Of course, Yuudai would bully him in a friendly manner. Tarou laughed, giving Yuudai a pat on the back, "Be any more rougher with him and you'll kill the poor man. He only chuckled more until he was approached by the very same man, grabbing onto Tarou's shoulders, and asking him for one thing: "I ask for the speed and cunning of the Sasaki Clan's heir and in return I give you and your clan The Dog's loyalty." Jiang Baji said to him, which made Tarou smile. "You are a strange individual, but I will give you these things my friend, that is a promise. Tarou thought for a second, wondering more about the lost artifacts as he began to think to himself. Who could have taken them and for what purpose? He felt a need to confront the Daimyo straight away, as his scholarly side took over him. "Lord Shima, I have a question, if you do not mind. I was wondering if you had any evidence on these people that took them. Surely they must have left some clues behind? He took out a small parchment of paper and a quill, ready to write down anything that Lord Shima had for him.

[Assistant]
This was exciting. Everything was exciting. The Shima Daimyo could only make things even more exciting as a speech was given about his deepest gratitude and as everything could only be hyped up even more, knowing they were going to be the clan's biggest hope to get the relics returned just made everything feel amazing. If there was a way to describe Gin right now it would be anxious, finding the excitement to be oddly overwhelming as time went on. If there wasn't food during the ceremony there probably would've been little to stop him from feeling nerve-stricken over what he had to do despite his deepest desire to find what was stolen from them. To hear the Shima Daimyo to give them such high praises and hearing not a peep about what he and some of his team were made everything so much better, finally given peace from terrible looks and words the first time in his life.

To be the shortest half-Oni of the group was going to be tough on Gin. He had a lot of competition even if there was nothing to win other than the respect of his peers. He must hold a lot of trust if he was given this chance regarding his appearance, but he shouldn't have to care about that right now. Feeling proud with shaky knees he eased up after Lord Shima granted them time to get ready. Giving a quick bow before his attention turned to the rest of the group. This was going to be quite the tough journey even with his strength and durability, his trust that these people would allow him to protect them resting on the hope that they didn't underestimate him.

Adjusting his cloak gently he brushed his shoulders down, letting out a sigh before turning towards the one named Jiang Baji. He was quick to familiarise himself with the group, giving them his praise and confidence he could protect them in return. Smiling hopefully up at him, he searched his words for their true meaning, his smile slowly fading before he let out a grunt as his hair was ruffled. What a great first impression that was: it sounded like the guy didn't know what he offered on the table at all. He'll show him height didn't matter, show him he was more than just determined to do what everyone else was hoping to do too.

Snorting as he adjusted his messy hair into something a little less messy, Gin was back on his way to victory. He didn't have anything to ask the Daimyo, he knew what he had to do and was well prepared for it; however, the only thing he didn't know was whether this group really was compatible with each other. He would soon see for himself. He will show everyone what he is made of, in the end. Everyone will be singing his praises once he returns and everyone will see half-Oni were not dumb brutes inferior to both Oni and Human, especially when there was so many of his kind in the group.

[User]
Though it contributed to her reputation as an outsider separated from the clan's customs, someone not truly to be trusted as an elder in the village, Metou normally stayed on the outskirts of festivities. It may have been her upbringing and subsequent banishment from a village that frowned upon anything excitable, but Metou was always uncomfortable in an energetic crowd. Unfortunately, shying away wasn't an option at this particular festival. As a volunteer to recover Shima's stolen relic, Metou was now one of the guests of honor. Metou wore her nicest eyepatch just for the occasion, adorned with crow feathers.

When it came time to address the lord, Metou made her way towards the others, each step of hers requiring the aid of her walking stick and loudly slapping together the bottles she hung on her body. She ignored how the others returned Lord Shima's words, as she had to focus on what to say herself. Metou only found herself snappy in a conversation when she needed to lie, giving respect wasn't one of her strong suits. 'Whatever you say, don't tell him you'll 'keep an eye' on everyone else,' Metou told herself sternly. Instead she answered, "I'm honored that you accept my aid, Lord Shima. It is always my pleasure to serve our clan in times of crisis." She vowed to at least make sure that the Lord's seal was not abused in their representative duties.

One of her allies in this endeavor began addressing each of the members of the group individually. Now that was a ritual Metou definitely did not plan on involving herself in, but she appreciated his words of praise, especially when she say how Yuudai responded. When Jiang asked for her wisdom, Metou could only chuckle. She never thought about herself as wise, no matter how many people thought of her as an elder or a teacher. Only when Jiang moved to talk to the half-oni next to her did something Jiang said sink in. 'What does he mean I'll see the end of this journey?' Metou thought with a twisted and puzzled look on her face. 'Does this cur think I can't handle myself? Or that my life is too short for a long trip like this?'

Metou glanced an eye up at Gin, who also seemed to receive a bit of a backhanded compliment. The half-oni stood about a head over the old woman. "Don't worry, you still tower over at least one person here," Metou said, hoping to lift his spirits. Of course, Metou was about half a foot taller when she was younger, and she was embarking on this journey to find an opportunity to exercise her magic. Metou hoped her words weren't just setting Gin up for a fall later on.


[System]
~Lady Victoria Moncourier-Crest~

---
Age: 20
Gender: Female

Bio:
The daughter of Lord Alexander and Lady Diana Crest, Victoria was born with a rare blood condition called Haemochromotosis, basically where you have more iron in your blood than normal. It's linked with early dementia, but people rarely lived past the age of 60 in Victorian era. This makes her blood smell much, much stronger. And a prime target for vampires.

Her upbringing was privileged being from a family of vast wealth, Victoria wanted for nothing. She had all the ponies and horses she could want, this created her affinity and love for all animals and nature through horse riding and caring for them. When she was twelve, she fell from a horse and grazed her elbows. Her strong blood caught the scent of a nearby vampire. This triggered an attack later that evening as it tracked her back home. As the vampire was about to savage her in her own bed, her father burst in armed with a sword, gun, a cross and a stake (whether stakes actually worked is still a myth) and killed the vampire, this is when she learned they did exist, but she was made to keep it secret. It turned out her father was a secret Vampire Hunter! He knew he himself was a target, having the rare blood condition himself, so did her mother, this was only passed down genetically from both parents. He had to become a vampire hunter to protect himself, his wife and his future children. He guarded her religiously until recently he was killed by a vampire due to his ageing body and weaker ability to dispatch them. They never caught his murderer.

6 months later, Victoria has reached that age where she was expected to have a husband. It was ever more precedent now that the Lord of the House had been killed, there needed to be a new head of the family, with Victoria being the only daughter and no male brothers or cousins to assume the role, it fell to Victoria's future husband. Lord Christopher Spencer was chosen as a suitable candidate for her. And this is where our story begins, at the ball held at the Crest manor estate where she would meet her selected betrothed. Only there was something strangely off about this Lord…

[User]
Victoria was up at the crack of dawn, yawning as she drank her coffee. She wore a Saint's uniform for the morning and preparation, she would put her armour on later when the Wynters drew nearer. She looked over the map of London and studied the layout so she could memorize her path through the city that she was instructed to take on her horse. Her part was to be the bait and lure the attackers into their carefully laid out traps. She heard footsteps come into the kitchen. She glanced up at Ray who stood there. He waited a few seconds before he spoke."

"Vail Hygrace is outside. What do you want me to do with him?" He asked her. Victoria slowly lifted her gaze, eyes burning like fire. "Tell him to go back to his other woman. He has plenty of what he wanted from me from last night's delivery." She replied as she sipped her coffee with tired eyes, slight bags under them. Ray nodded at her and took his leave from the room. She glared as he left as she didn't know what or who to trust anymore. This could be her last day on Earth and she did not intend to spend it being upset over a lying man.

Ray cleared his throat and straightened out his red tailor coat as he walked out of the Crest manor main doors and descended the couple of steps outside toward Vail Hygrace. "Sorry Lord Hygrace, Lady Victoria does not wish to see you at this present time…" He remained calm and professional in tone, hoping Gerald did not make a scene. He thought saying it in a more diplomatic way would not embarrass the vampire or anger him in this delicate situation. Only Ray, Gerald and Diana knew of what Victoria saw.

Only saying Vail's name out loud was picked up by the Lady Diana as she handed some tea to some of the Saints outside. She handed the tray to a servant, who then took it inside. Diana practically stormed over to the vampire, not afraid to give her a piece of her mind. "How dare you show up here!" She pointed up at him. "My daughter was in BITS last night because of you!" She growled at the man. "How could you do that to her? You said you cared about her yet you're gallivanting around with another woman? I thought you were different, Lord Vail Hygrace. But now I see that you are just like the rest of them…you just wanted her for her blood." Diana narrowed her eyes at him.

Ray rolled his eyes as a few of the Saints stared at them. "Lady Diana, might I suggest you go inside and let me handle this?" He suggested since she was so emotional. Diana huffed at Ray and reluctantly went back inside. Ray sighed. "Look, Vail. Victoria is very upset right now…she asked me to tell you to go back to your other woman and that you have what you wanted from her from last night's delivery." He kept himself calm and relaxed, so the vampire did not pick up on any rise in heartrate. He also held his silver gun in one hand. Just in case. "So…I suggest you go before Gerald sees you and decides to kill you on sight. We're pretty busy preparing for the Wynter's arrival, if you hadn't noticed." He extended his arms in gesture and looked around at the hustle and bustle of commotion. Victoria couldn't help but watch from a window, she couldn't hear them but wanted to see Vail's reaction. Would he walk away without a fight? Or did he truly care enough to fight his way through the army that stood between his and his prey?

[Assistant]
The reply to the door took far longer than Vail had anticipated. He shifted his weight between his feet as he waited for someone to let him enter, growing more restless with each passing second that he had to stand near so many Saints. The pervasive scent of silver put him on edge, and he fought the urge to stiffen anytime one of the men spared him a fleeting glance. None of the hunters seemed particularly eager to pick a fight with him, but he wasn't dumb enough to trust a group of people who killed his kind for a living. Until he was beyond their line of sight, he would be ready to defend himself or flee if any of them decided to take advantage of the fact that he'd turned up by himself.

At last, the door opened, but instead of a maid appearing to lead him to Victoria's bedroom, he was greeted by an unfriendly face. The Hygrace heir narrowed his eyes as Ray attempted to turn him away. Although the Saint's heart didn't seem to palpitate when he asserted that Victoria didn't wish to see him, Vail didn't buy it for a second. Lady Crest had been happy to spend any length of time with him when they'd met before, so he was sure that her protective friend was just inventing excuses to prevent him from getting to her that morning. He opened his mouth to call Ray's bluff, but before he could get a word in, he was distracted by Lady Diana's abrupt interruption.

Baffled by her hostility, Vail held his ground but leaned away from the widow as she jabbed her finger in his face. Her accusations only deepened his frown, and he puzzled over any possible reason why Victoria's mother would think he had done something to hurt her. They hadn't even seen each other since two nights before. "Another woman?" he echoed bemusedly. There was no 'other woman,' and as far as he could remember, he hadn't given any of them a reason to think there was. He had continued to put Victoria first to the point of nearly losing claim to his inheritance. That wasn't something he would have done for anyone other than her.

However, as soon as Diana went back into the manor and Ray spoke again, the realization struck him. Somehow, they must have found out about his outing with Sylvia the day before. He swore internally. The Crests had learned about the engagement Peter was trying to force upon him and sometime between his last visit to Victoria and now, she had been convinced that he was dallying with a vampire behind her back. His hazel eyes darted between the Saint standing in front of him and the nearest group that had begun to stare since the elder Lady Crest had raised her voice. He couldn't leave without rectifying the situation, but if they had been given orders to keep him out of the manor, it would do him no good to stand on the porch and keep arguing with Ray.

"I'm aware," Vail said dryly, turning back to the man blocking his path. "I suppose I'll have to come back when you aren't so busy." Keeping the Saint's gun in the corner of his vision, he took a step back and turned around to leave, walking as if he was returning to his own estate. He kept up the act just long enough to sway the human to let his guard down before he suddenly whirled back around and sprinted toward him, tearing the weapon roughly out of his hand. The silver casing seared his skin, and he curled his lip in a pained snarl, quickly dropping it on the floor as he pushed past Ray into the building and slammed the door behind him. The barrier wouldn't buy him much time, but it was enough for him to track Victoria to the kitchen before he could hear Ray bursting in behind him.

Heart pounding, he ran into the kitchen and pressed his back against the wall to the right of the doorway. He wasn't sure how many Saints had taken chase, but if even one of them got a clear shot at his heart, he didn't have many options left to get away. "Call off your guards," he said urgently to Victoria, curling his burned hand into a fist at his waist. "Quickly. I want to talk, and we can't do that if I'm dead."

[User]
Ray cursed as Vail got the better of him and scooped up his gun from the floor then ran for the front doors which were locked. He sneered and banged on the door. "Stupid man is going to get himself killed." He sighed and worked on getting the door open. A couple of Saints saw him dart inside and gave chase with guns in hand, shouting to alert the others. Ray was eager to get inside but not to get to Vail but to Gerald to stop him from killing Vail and starting a war with the Hygrace clan.

Victoria turned around, startled when Vail ran in and placed his back against the wall. Her long curly locks bounced on her shoulders delicately. Her eyes widened at first then narrowed as he told her to call off the guards because he wanted to talk. It had not escaped her notice that he was holding his hand as if he wielded an injury. She held up her hand, palm facing outward just as two Saints ran into the kitchen. She looked at them with an air of authority. "I can handle this vampire on my own." She told them firmly as they glanced at Vail then back to her. She gave them a nod as she held up her silver rapier to show she was armed and could defend herself.

As they left and she instructed them to close the door, she sighed. Using her heeled boot to kick a chair out from the kitchen table, she vaulted up on it and sat on the table itself and rested her feet on the chair. She rested her rapier on her lap. "You're here to talk - why? So you can spin me even more lies?" She scoffed. Her tone was cold and distant with him. She sounded like a woman scorned. Her eyes had lost their sparkle. They were dull and filled with pain.

Victoria hid her face behind her long hair when she turned her gaze from Vail. She was surprised he was here at all, she had given him a large quantity of her blood, what else did he need from her? "Tell me….does she taste better than me? Does she satisfy you more in bed than I can?" She muttered under her breath.


[System]
Age: 25
Rank: Sergeant
Appearance: Rex stands at 6'1", and has a pale complexion. His eyes are gray, and his hair is black. He is of an average build, but has broad shoulders. He has scars across his body from his first encounter with a Xeno. He tends to forgo a helmet, and wear a mask on missions. His right arm is entirely mechanical.
Weapons: NSG23 Assault Rifle (w/ AF13 undermounted shotgun, RE93 Recoil Absorbing Stock, and S91 Reflex sight with a custom reticle), Kiba pistol

Name: Moonscar
Caste: "Night Cougar"
Size: Roughly the height of an S. populator on all fours, seven feet tall on two legs.

Name: "Wyvern"
Rank: Young Blood
Appearance: Standard of his race, without armor. However, his Bio-mask has the jaws of a trophy kill mounted on it.
Weapons: Arm Blades, Yautja Glaive, Shuriken

[User] Drake heard something outside. It hadn't activated the turrets, do whatever it was was either out of range... or able to avoid the infrared beams. He didn't like either option. He drew his pistol, flicking the weapon's laser sight on.

[Assistant]
Varia noticed the PMs were staring intently at the security feed. She wanders over to peer at the screen which they were looking at. It was the Sergeant. She wondered what he was doing drawing his pistol and looking down the hallway at something. She felt worried for his safety. He had obviously heard something to alert him. She took out her radio.

"Sir, come in. This is Varia, out." Her radio goes to static. She hoped he had it turned on. Otherwise she'd have to go down there and be back up without his consent. She would use her initiative if she had to, even if it meant breaking rules or disobeying orders.

[User] "Just heard some movement," the Sergeant said. "Hopefully it's just one of those oversized rats I heard talk about." Drake noted that the Private had used her first name. Something skittered in the darkness, and he caught a glimpse of a long tail. "Crest, make sure nobody's got a facehugger trying for oral up there."

[Assistant]
Varia immediately turned to scan the area on high alert. She drew her gun and walked around the room. She heard a skittering along the floor and the glimpse of a tail. She leaned over from behind the desk to look over it. It went quiet...

She heard her heart beating faster and her increased breathing. Suddenly it leaped out from the side at her and she screamed out, narrowly dodging it as she dived out of the way and landed on the floor. It soared past her position and straight onto the face of one of the PMs. It coils its tail around his neck and squeezes tight, making him gasp for air. It shoves it membrane against his mouth and pumps an egg down his throat and then fell off his face, dead. Varia shot to her feet and looked down at the PM, clutching his throat and coughing.

She knew the inevitable happened. He needed to be cut open in order to remove it. And she was the only one who might be able to save him. She was a scientist, she knew anatomy and how to get an egg out of a human. She swallowed hard, did she want to save this stranger's life? She didn't hesitate and knelt by his side, grabbing his hand. "You're gonna be okay!" She then looked over to her comrade. "I need the med kit!" This showed much about her will to save others.

They hand her the medkit and she pops it open as the PM lay on the floor shaking. "I'm gonna die arent I? I got that thing in me dont I?" He panicked. She then grabbed his chin and pointed him at her face. "Don't." She had quite a commanding tone in her voice. This showed she was in some sort of authority back home.

She pulled his armoured chest pad off and ripped his shirt open. She grabbed a pen from her pocket. She always had a pen on her. This showed her she was like a business woman of some kind. That began to narrow it down for the Sergeant to finally figure out who she really was. And he would not be happy to find out that's for sure. The first sign he noticed was indeed using her first name on the radio, showing she had not had proper induction.

She marked on his mid chest where his esophagus would be. She had to be careful not to get too close to the trachea. She then took out what looked like a needle full of a clear liquid. She injected it into his chest. It was anesthetic. The man grunted in pain and then fell lax. She took out a laser scalpel from the kit and cut down the line. She had to do this quickly before he bled out too much. She donned a latex glove quickly before cutting. Then she pushed her hand inside and felt around for the egg. She grasped it and yanked it out. She threw the egg to the side. "Kill it!" She instructed one of them and one of them pulled out a gun and fired at it, it exploded everywhere in a screech.

Varia then took the staple gun and planted several down in a line of the open wound, repairing the cut. She leaned back panting and wiping her brow after the ordeal. The Wey-Yu PM was now safe.

[User] A facehugger leapt at Drake from the darkness, but missed its mark when the human moved. However it was successful in knocking his gun away. He didn't have time to run for his assault rifle, so he drew his combat knife.

[Assistant]
Varia helped the man to lean up from the floor. "Man I owe you one!" He patted his chest, knowing he would have been a gonner. She nodded. "It's fine. There are more of them than there are us. We need to stay alive." She pulled the glove off and put it in a bin, she picked up the medkit and put it on the table. She may need to use it again.

"Sarge is being attacked!" Her comrade explained as they watched on the cctv, then they ran out of the room to go help Drake.

[User] The attack came from the left, but the Sergeant was ready. He hurled his knife, pinning the facehugger to the wall. The weapon had been treated to be acid-proof, something he knew would pay off. He moved away from the flailing creature spurting acid blood and grabbed his pistol.

[Assistant] Varia then came running to his assistance. "You okay Sarge?" She asked as she saw the facehugger planted to the wall with acid spiting everywhere with wide eyes His shot was so accurate and deadly. It kind of scared her but at the same time this man seemed to excite her. He was unpredictable. SHe sighed with relief as she came to a stop.

[User] "I've never liked oral," Drake replied, laughing. He fired the pistol, the weapon spitting a trio of rounds in a burst. The facehugger shrieked as it was ripped apart, then shuddered, dead. Once the thing's blood was less acidic he grabbed his knife. "Lesson one, Crest: never leave home without one of these."

[Assistant] "Roger that Hunter" she grinned and reached down to the belt strap around her curvy thigh in tight black pants and grabbed her own ornate looking dagger. Showing it to him. It was jewelled at the handle and befitting a woman who liked pretty things. It had been a gift to her from a very rich father. Any normal soldier would use a standard issue combat knife. But not varia crest.

[User]
Drake nodded. "Get some sleep," he ordered. "I'll wake you up when it's your shift."

=======

Three days passed, and the bugs had only attacked once. He felt that the attacks were halfhearted, like something was occupying them. Good for us, the Sergeant thought. The Wey-Yu PMCs settled in, and the Marines were only semi-hostile towards them now. Drake had updated the Autumn, and received new orders: they were to go into the nest today.

[Assistant]
Varia slept while it wasn't her turn to take watch. Maria, the other female marine in Drake's squad, walked over to the PM who was face hugged. "How are you holding up?" She asked and pointed to his chest, which had been stapled back together again. He nods. "I'm doing okay." He then points over to Varia, watching her sleep soundly, curled up in the corner with her arms cradling her gun. "She's really somethin' ain't she? I'd be dead if it weren't for her."

"Yeah. She acted quickly to save you." Maria nodded and folded her arms. "But you were the one not alert enough to avoid the creature. So you should be on your guard more." She warned him as he nodded. "Aye aye, Miss." He gave a playful salute to her.

Varia slowly awakens to the voices talking, slowly coming around from a dream of being back home, but she found herself in this god awful place and sighed, rubbing her eyes. She just wanted it to be over already as she sat staring at the cold dark floor in a distant gaze. Maybe the realisation that the longer she stayed here, the more chance she had of dying, finally getting her down. She just wasn't cut out for military life.

[User] "Listen up, you dumb apes!" Drake barked. He meant it in the most affectionate way possible. "We've just gotten word from the Autumn. We're hitting the hive at 1800 hours. We are to kill anything that moves, crawls, or spits acid, and then haul ass out before they fire the ship-mounted magnetic accelerator cannons. The base-- and probably a good chunk of this rock-- will be blown to hell. Those who fall behind are left behind. Am I clear?"

[Assistant] Varia looked up and rose to her feet, nodding. "Roger!" She felt herself getting pumped up and the adrenaline kicked in, she grabbed her two guns and made sure her knife was pocketed in her thigh. At that she stood attention and awaited them to move out.

[User] While the other Marines readied themselves, the Sergeant approached Varia. "Ever been inside a hivr before, Crest?" he asked. "It's some scary shit. You need to stay frosty regardless of what's happening."

[Assistant] Varia shook her head up at the Sergeant, some slight concern glinting behind her blue eyes. "Um, no Sir I haven't..." She noted his advice gratefully. "Thanks for the tip." She shifted slightly in her padded armour, gripping her gun to her chest tighter. She was going to regret ever coming on this expedition. But it was for the greater good of humanity that she persevered. She entrusted in her Sergeant to lead them into battle with high morale and the best possible tactics to hand.

[User]
Several Cheyanne dropships landed outside, dropping off several APCs full of marines. It was all or nothing, it seemed.

=======

The humans were mobilizing, and Wyvern knew that his time was short. He had to kill the White Queen before the soldiers did, but he could use the primitives to his advantage...

=======

The Queen knew it was time. She could sense more hosts coming, and each and every one was ready to fight. Although unable to read thoughts, the White Queen could detect emotions and minds. The minds she sensed had come for blood.

And they would get it.

[Assistant] The squad fell in line behind the Sargeant as he lead them away from the CIC. They were pumped and ready for action. Marching in line, guns at the ready. The soldiers at the front taking each corner as they passed and the ones at the back picking up the rear walking backward. Varia was a sniper and so she was at the center so she had ample time to react to further targets. But she kept her dagger close to her side, gripping it tightly.

[User] The Smart Gunners took point, with Drake right behind them. He wouldn't be in the middle of the group, like some leaders. He'd shot another Sergeant in the past, when he's panicked and ran. "Eyes on those motion trackers!" he barked.

[Assistant] Varia nodded. She glanced down at the motion trackers now and then. She spotted something in the corner of her eye on the radar, a dot on the left. She glanced up, saw a turning on the left. "Facehugger on the left!" She barked to the comrades at front. One turned and fired a round of guns at it. Only it alerted more to the scene. A facehugger crawled on the ceiling, Varia had no time to react, she followed it viewing it on the scope and watched and followed...watched and followed...it came closer into view, she moved her point into the line of its path aaaand ~click~. One pull of the trigger was all it needed from her gun. A swift and simple kill, less noise. But another came crawling soon after, she did the same. And then another on the right hand wall.

[User] Drake opened fire with his AR's underbarrel shotgun. Facehuggers exploded as pellets shredded their flesh. A PMC was grabbed from above, screaming as he was pulled into a vent.

[Assistant] Varia gasped and leaped back, shooting up at the vent as it was the guy just in front of her. She widened her eyes at the realisation that it could have been her just a few milliseconds later.

[User]
Moonscar felt the human slamming his weapon against the carapace of her skull, to no effect. Really, it annoyed her more than it hurt her. The closest translation of whata she was thinking: This one... perhaps better as food. Make dumb Sister.

=======

Wyvern tailed the humans, close enough to keep abreast of their actions and react quickly, but far enough away that the shimmer of his active camouflage didn't give him away. He knew the serpents could see him even now, but the humans took priority.


[System]
"asoiaf: Aerion Targaryen" by MathiaArkoniel licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

The current king of Dainia and father to the twin princes of the kingdom. He is highly admired and respected by the people of Dainia, and only few know of his intention to end the bloodline of the royal family of Lunar by finding the heir to the throne of the enemy state.

Queen Velda of Dainia

"Historically accurate Disney - Belle" by Niobesnuppa licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

The current queen of Dainia and mother to the twin princes of the kingdom. She is highly admired and respected by the people of Dainia, and it is unrevealed if she shares or is even aware of the king's intention regarding the heir to the throne of Lunar.

[User]
Eliezer returned late that night to find a tea set on his bedside table. Had Allister been looking for him? The prince felt the pot, finding the beverage inside to be lukewarm. It had definitely been some time since the butler had come in, and Eliezer hoped that he had not alerted anyone else of his absence, though, he could simply claim that he had been elsewhere in the palace during that time, could he not?

"Eliezer, thank goodness you're safe!" Eliezer turned at the sudden voice of his brother. "I suspected that you had left the palace when I could not find you. Did you really?"

It would seem that apart from Allister, Mathazar, too, had been missing him. However, his twin was the only one he had nothing to hide from, and he nodded at the question. "Do Father and Mother know of my absence?"

Mathazar shook his head. "Thankfully, they do not. I was truly alarmed, Eliezer. I could only think of the possible dangers you might have gotten yourself into."

"I would expect that you are now aware of the similar apprehension that you put me through whenever you leave the palace unannounced, brother," Eliezer pointed out.

"I... understand," the younger sighed humorously, before changing the topic. "I assume that you left to obtain information. I am unsure if I am comfortable with what Lady Omrea is doing to you, Eliezer."

"It is my duty to know the state that our people are in, as well as to ensure the safety of Dainia and our family. I wish to tread carefully with regards to our suspicions of Lady Omrea."

"What are your findings this night?" Mathazar asked.

At his brother's enquiry, Eliezer remembered the startling information he had recently discovered. That is, if he decided to believe what he had been told. "The people whom I have spoken to tonight claim that Father ordered a raid on the Wynton Forest in search of Lunar's heir during what we know as a mere territorial dispute. It is difficult to believe that the King would be guilty of such a thing, but it would make perfect sense if I refer to Lady Omrea's account of her parents' deaths. I am unsure of who to trust at this point. Even as I am speaking to you, I..."

He trailed off, also remembering what the woman at the tavern had told him about Mathazar and how she had described the lady he was with. It was too accurate for it to have been a coincidence. He was certain that the lady was Raven. His lady had made her own claims about how she had met Mathazar, and he was now curious to know the entire story. "You were seen approaching Lady Omrea at Gloomvale Tavern a few a nights ago. Is this true, brother?"

Considering what Eliezer might know, Mathazar figured that his presence at the tavern that night was something that he should not risk lying about. "That is true. You see, we were already acquainted before, and I owed her a debt."

"She has told me about how she had defended you from attackers," the elder recalled from his conversation with Raven. However, something about all of it still disturbed him. "Although, it is common knowledge that the patrons of Gloomvale hold deep animosity towards the royal family. Did you not suspect a thing when you were to meet with her there to return the favor?"

Mathazar was relieved that the initial part of his side of the story had matched with Raven's, but he could tell that Eliezer was becoming suspicious. "The decision was mine. I sincerely hope that you are not truly implying what I believe you are. Is it so difficult to believe that I care for our people as much as you do? If I had knowledge of Lady Omrea's bloodline then, I would have never let her near you."

It was at this point when Eliezer started to wonder if he had gone too far. What he had learned seemed more than he was ready to handle, and there was too much to properly think about. "In all honesty, I do not know anymore, Mathazar..."

"All this time, Eliezer, have I even once given you reason to distrust me?"

Eliezer could tell that his brother was slightly upset at what he had said. Mathazar might just be right. What was his situation doing to him? Mathazar had been his support and closest confidant all his life, and it would be wrong for that to simply change based on any speculations his mind could come up with.

Eliezer shook his head. "No, I... I should not have suspected you of anything. Forgive me, brother, I did not mean to hurt you. You mean the world to me, you know that-"

Mathazar took his brother by the shoulders. "Calm yourself, Eliezer. You are weary, and deeply troubled, I understand. Please rest, we shall speak again in the morning."

The younger then pulled his twin into a comforting hug before leaving the room.

---

The following day saw the crown prince alone in the palace library, or shared study of the royal family. He had gone through several books available in the room until he had found one that told of the Kingdom of Lunar. He looked through the list of Lunar's noble bloodlines, and as expected, the name 'Omrea' was nowhere to be found. It was understandable that Raven's father would have wanted to change his family name upon elopement, and even if he did not, that Raven would have wanted to change hers when she moved to the village. Thinking back to the pocket watch, he proceeded to flip to the list of Lunar's noble and royal treasures, only to find that the few relevant pages were missing.

"Oh, for goodness sake..." he muttered, nearly inaudibly as he leaned back in his seat in frustration.

However, it then struck him how suspicious it was that the exact information he was looking for had been taken out. Someone in the palace was trying to prevent others from knowing such details. To confirm his suspicion, Eliezer turned to the pages that would tell of Lunar's involvement in the Wynton Forest Battle. As he had expected, they were torn out as well. Could it really be that the king was hiding something? Hearing footsteps approaching the room, he slammed the book shut and slid it under the pile of literature on the desk before opening something else to read.

[Assistant]
It was Allister that had entered the room with a tray of tea and snacks. "Eliezer studying hard I see." He siad as he placed the tea tray before him and say the corner of the book about the history of Lunar along with the bloodlines or the Royals. It made him glad he snuck in already and stole the pages of what the Royal Family's heirloom of the pocketwatch look like when he first started working here years ago. But the pages about the the so call dispute was not his doing at all. "I brought some tea and snacks to keep your energy up." He siad with a smile even though his scar across this face wa seen by all he never mind.

He then grabbed the book the Prince had hidden and smirked at the prince. "My my my are we reading up on the people or Lunar now?" He asked showing that not much get past him. "Now what go you so interested in the Lunar kingdom all of a sudden?" He asked as he opened the book looking trough it again just for fun but had the heirloom pages hidden in his coat pocket. "Come now Eliezer you know you boys can not hide a lot from me for I know pretty much all I just let you get away with a few things for you Prince's need some fun and to do something to make your lives interesting." Alister said with a smile.

"So want to talk about it or you just going to talk the word of your father like you always did when you were younger." He said fr he did remember when he first arrived and got associated into the status of Butler in the palace he watch Eliezer ask questions about certain things that had great concern but the king would brush it off telling him he a story or something making him believe it. "Or would you like to talk to that lass you been enfatuated with ever since that night at the ball." He said with a smirk at the prince seeing how the two have grown a bit close but he did know she was an assasin hired by Mathazar bu decided to see how it plays out between the three. And also he did not care what happened for he was just here to find the missing grandchild heir to his king back in Lunar nothing more.

——————
Raven was stilly playing with her new flute after she found an open field to just play her flute for she was also trying to get out the rusty kings with her playing. She did remember how Eliezer wanted to hear her play the flute and she wanted to get better at it like she was a long time ago. Bt it felt better to play the flute again then her mothers interesting insterment.

Though after a bit she did stop playing and eat the wind blow through her hair letting out a long sigh. "What am I going to do I am the toughest assasin around and look at m so confused along with wanting to follow my heart over everything else.....like what dad did to be with my mother." She said and looked at her flute before getting back up and went back to her place and getting some paper out and started writing to Eliezer telling how one of her brothers had bought her a new flute along with how she has been practicing with it and hoped that she could come by or if he could come. Which every he wished to do so she could play for him sometime soon or when he was available. After she finished writing it she got it sent off to the palace and hoped to get a reply from him.
—————
The messenger gave the letter to a servent and the servent to it to Eliezer. Once at the door the servent knocked before walking in seeing the prince with Alister. "Your highness a latter has arrived for you it is from Lady Raven Omrea." The servent siad as she handed it to the prince before taking his leave. "Omrea? That was Ophelia's last name Asters true love as he claimed.....Did Aster take on their Ophelia's last name and if she could this girl be the missing granddaughter also heir to the kingdom....it would explain why the prince is looking up the Lunar kingdom Nobel's but Ophelia was common birth so it was good at covering tracks." Alister thought as he let the prince read the letter.

[User]
Eliezer looked up from his book when the butler walked in with refreshments. "Oh, thank you Allis-"

He then flinched ever so slightly as Allister reached over and snatched the book about Lunar, startled by the sudden action. It all seemed rather peculiar. The missing pages, coupled with how quickly Allister's attention had turned to the book only reaffirmed Eliezer's suspicion that something dubious was going on. He took a short moment to decide if he could trust the butler to answer the questions that he had in his mind, before considering the fact that he was unsure of Allister's true intentions. In spite of him being a closer acquaintance to the princes as compared to the other servants, he still served the king as far as Eliezer knew.

"I fail to identify what it is you assume that I am attempting to hide from you, Allister," he responded, acknowledging that the stoic demeanor which he had subconsciously trained to display all his life might currently be of use. "Although I do find it interesting that you would single that book out from the entire stack of reading material. Might you happen to possess knowledge regarding Lunar that cannot be found in this library? Or perhaps you know that the King is aware of details that he has not disclosed even to his family?"

Eliezer's questions were inspired by his discovery of the missing pages in the book, as well as the Allister's mention of his father. Even with neither party being outwardly aggressive, the tension between the prince and the butler still grew heavy with their suspicions of each other. Thankfully, it was broken when a servant entered with a letter from Raven.

"How fitting that you should mention my lady right before a letter from her arrives," Eliezer commented as he sliced the envelope open. "She is rather alluring. She never fails to intrigue me when we are together, and every memory that I have of her holds... such significance. Perhaps you are right when you mention infatuation, though, I am unsure of it myself."

---

At sunset, a royal messenger would look for Raven in the village. Once again, she would be handed a letter bearing the royal seal, and would read the following message upon opening the envelope:

My dearest Lady Raven Omrea,

I am glad to learn that you are well and happy, and I hope that your companions at the village are also doing well. I would be pleased to meet with you again, for it is a joy of mine to be fascinated by your words and tendencies. As I have been made aware of your discomfort with being isolated indoors, perhaps we could meet by the lake west of Dainia Palace. It is another beautiful, peaceful location that I would like to share with you. Do inform me if noon tomorrow would be convenient for you. I eagerly await your response.

Best regards,
Eliezer of Dainia


[System]
Age: 26
Appearance:

Mech:

[User]
Chynn, a vanguard soldier in the divine armada, was listening to the chatter over the comms. It was the usual strategy discussion, as if they were in one of the ancient forums rather than flying through space searching for any fleeing enemy. It was less a discussion about how they'd fight when they did find anyone, and more speculative about strategies in general. The earth crawlers hadn't been much trouble for the armada in the beginning. Their planet had been mostly unprepared when they arrived, and the first months of fighting had been so bad it had felt more like pest extermination than a war. She'd been sent in with the vanguard too at that, the first wave of soldiers that the matriarchs thought expendable.

Some of those on her side that had been in the vanguard were still stuck thinking that it would be as easy as it had been back then. It'd cost a lot of soldiers once the earth crawlers had adapted at a remarkable speed. Their home planet was more or less lost at this point, but they'd captured Vothani technology which had helped them fight back. That technology had been outdated before her race had even begun their assault though. Years of traversing the stars while your science advanced back home yielded that result. A second smaller wave was on its way, and they'd bring more advanced weapons, but compared to the technology that must exist at home it would still be old. Chynn longed to return to her home. Something that felt more unlikely the longer she stayed on the frontlines. She'd never expected to survive this long once she'd initially been included in the vanguard, but here she was.

The chatter on the comms changed tone. It became clear that someone had detected their quarry. Strangely enough it appeared that they had been waiting for them to show up, even though her system didn't pick up all that many signals that weren't friendly. They had to be at least twice as many as the earth crawlers. Someone made a mocking comment, and others laughed before engaging the enemy head-on. Chynn had become more cautious as her hope to return home grew, and remained in the flank to not die unnecessarily. If anyone asked she was making sure they weren't about to get jumped by a larger number. Her weapons had a long enough range that she could still hit the earth crawlers' crude mechs from her position. The flashy close combat kills others strived for was not as interesting to her any longer.

Chynn fired off a number of precision shots, while keeping her attention on the onboard systems in case she would pick up a larger number. It seemed like she would survive another battle without any major incidents though. Maybe they'd recall the soldiers of the vanguard when there was no earth crawlers left to fight. If they did, she would probably just get sent somewhere else to die.

[Assistant]
Tania scanned the battle scene using both her sensors and her own eyes, a quick count showed they were outnumbered two to one... not the most favorable conditions to be fighting in, especially with their objectively sub par equipment. This meant they had to make up the difference through superior skill, tactics and honestly with a bit of luck, actually a lot of luck, but that's how interstellar war usually was. She decided she had enough looking around, Tania leaned forward and flicked a few switches, on her cockpit view a targeting reticle appeared. Even in the pressurized cabin she could hear the quiet hum from her main weapon, a massive rail gun, because it placed so much strain on the mech's reactor it had to be kept off when not in action.

In a matter of seconds the gun's electromagnetic rails were fully warmed up, and ready to fire. It was then Tania picked out her first opponent, a Squid outfitted with one of those large swords they seemed so fond of, in fact this very one was attempting to charge her from a long distance. It never made sense, why do the Squids throw themselves so willingly into a melee, even when it's more than likely they'll be gunned down before the could enter close range. Tania brought the over sized rifle up, aiming directly at the berserk Squid. Now at this distance it was probably a done deal she'll hit, more so if the Squid doesn't change it's path, yet she wasn't about to take the risk of missing. Instead she allowed the targeting computer to give her a firing solution, slowly the reticle narrowed until eventually it flashed green, indicating the computer found the best angle to use.

Tania popped open a capsule on the side of her throttle control, much in the style of old school sci-fi movies, whatever engineer designed this had to be nostalgic. Her thumb hovered over the button for a second, before she caught her hesitation then slammed down on it. The rail gun's blast shook the mech something fierce, not enough to topple it over, but more than enough to shake Tania around in her seat. The large slug catapulted through empty space until it found it's mark, she wasn't quite able to tell where it hit, but it was enough damage to take a huge chuck out of the Squid mech's side. Whatever pilot was in there had to be dead, and if it wasn't dead it's craft was effectively disabled. Automatically the used shell popped out the gun's back, the metal glowed white hot from the sheer energy it had to endure, as for the rifle itself, well it had already cooled down thanks to state of the art coolant technology.

[User]
When two of the crude mechs exploded without any reinforcement showing up, Chynn thought it was safe to assume that none would be coming. The earth crawlers usually didn't deploy a larger number of mechs unless they were attacking one of their fleets. She had to wonder if any thought from the species had gone into this reckless plan to wait for a technologically superior and more numerous enemy. Maybe they'd gotten too close to a fleet and these had been left behind to slow them down. It reminded her of her own fate. Granted, the earth crawlers did manage to kill a few of her fellow soldiers, but those were the reckless ones looking for glory in battle. The strategy behind the vanguard was basically to just throw lives at the enemy until they succumbed anyway, or the Vothani ran out of soldiers.

Chynn watched as one of her allies' mech had a large chunk ripped out of it, and the soldier within almost certainly perished with it. She rolled out of the way of a slug fired right at her mech before she met the same end. Her quick reflexes had saved her once more. They better end this encounter before too many died though. The next battle would be even worse if they didn't, and who knew how many they would fight before they could regroup with another force or return to base.

She switched weapon from the long ranged rifle she'd been using to the more powerful cannons, and advanced on the few remaining earth crawlers. Chynn evaded any weapon fire aimed at her with adept and skillful maneuvering while firing away at anyone within her range. Her skills as a pilot was one of the main reasons she'd survived as long as she had. It wasn't like she could be cautious and in the background of every engagement, not that she'd even done that during the first months. The other Vothani would have had her executed for cowardice if they thought she was deliberately holding back too often. The earth crawler mechs were thankfully slow in comparison to her own mobility.

Chynn shot her first mech of the day to pieces in a blaze of light, which scattered debris everywhere. The battle seemed like it would turn a lot more one-sided once the reckless Vothani had been killed off. They still had a clear numbers advantage, and the few veteran pilots on her own side would be a lot harder to deal with. She had the skills and experience of an experienced pilot, but she hadn't ended as many earth crawlers lives as the best. It was an area she could stand to improve in.

[Assistant]
They were already down two pilots, while they have managed to take down a few of them, it really wasn't nearly enough. Through her communications system Tania received her orders from the wing leader, they were to engage in an offensive retreat, after all they were still supposed to slow down the Squid advance, couldn't forget they were acting as the rearguard. Tania pushed her mech into a backwards flight, moving away from the battle, but still facing the enemy, there she was continuing to provide fire support. Another Squid quickly became nothing more than a floating hunk of metal, although this was another one of the chargers, probably wasn't going to make much difference.

Throughout the fight Tania had been observing a practically skilled Squid fighter, no matter what they threw at it the pilot was able to evade everything. It became clear if they wanted to survive, that Squid had to die, and even more importantly by taking away one of their more skilled pilots, the Squids become that much weaker in the future. Tania was confidant in her marksman skills, especially with computer assisted targeting she should eventually land a shot. So the Squid Ace became the focus of her attacks, slug after slug was fired at it, yet each time she failed to connect.

Tania kept up her assault, hoping to become the target of the Ace's wrath, much easier to take it on directly than attempting to hunt it around the battlefield. (Hope you don't mind me taking a little control of Chynn here.) After a few more shots, it seemed she succeeded, the Squid was starting to seriously engage her. Tania upped her thruster power, and started heading in the direction of VH-28, away from the rest of her wing. They were hurting pretty badly as is, if she were to be unable to defeat the Ace... and die, then maybe she can at least buy them some time.

Tania's mech wasn't nearly as agile as the Squid made craft, in a straight up dogfight she would quickly lose. The Ace's weapons proved to be quite powerful, but it seemed they couldn't exactly punch through her heavy armor at a long enough range. This was good, it meant she had some fighting edge here. All the while Tania was still flying backwards, still constantly firing, and still constantly missing time after time. It was no good, she was starting to lose space, her rail gun simply wasn't fast enough to catch such a swift target. It was then Tania had an idea, it was a stupid idea, and probably one that would get her killed, yet she wasn't in any position to do anything else.

The pilot started the process of bypassing the safeguards built into her weapon, these were power limiters designed to make sure the rifle wouldn't literally melt itself, but without them in reality it could fire with much more force at a higher velocity. When the last limiter was deactivated, the effects were already noticeable. The gun's rails and coils started to glow faintly, obviously from the overwhelming charge flowing through them. Tania waited for just a little longer, a little longer to build up as much energy before her weapon would ultimately fail... then fired.

The slug was launched at unbelievable speeds, much too fast for her to even see with the naked eye. This time the Ace had no opportunity to maneuver, no normal sentient being could. Unfortunately the shot went a bit wide, probably due to the warping of the barrel, yet it still hit. The blow took off both of the mech's lower wings, while Tania didn't exactly understand Squid engineering, she knew they probably had to be important for movement, meaning without them the craft was unable to control it's direction anymore.

Tania was almost about to celebrate, she didn't kill the Ace, but she landed a serious blow to it, yet suddenly her cockpit was filled with the sounds of blaring alarms. She pulled up the mech's diagnostics, her heart instantly dropped. Engine failure. She was overusing her thrusters at such a high power for way too long, the entire system quite literally burned out. Next she found her navigational data, again she was filled with even more dread. Good news, she wasn't about to float in nothingness until she'll eventually expire, but instead she was on a direct collision course with VH-28. Her relative speed was so high that she will reach the celestial body in the matter of minutes even given her long distance from it. Tania was absolutely stuck on the course, there was nothing she could do about this.

[User]
Chynn suddenly found herself the target of one of the crude mechs, apparently she must have angered the creature inside of it for some reason.They couldn't just surrender and be done with it already.They stood no chance of winning, not after losing half of their small force, yet they never gave up. She was about to break off the engagement that the earth crawler was trying to drag her into when another pilot signaled her to deal with the threat. All of the slugs Chynn had evaded had to end up somewhere after all, and her allies had been in the way of a few.

She reluctantly did as she was commanded, and engaged the enemy. The crude mech increased its speed and flew in the direction of the nearby planet. Chynn figured it was no threat to the rest of her squad by then, but if she didn't destroy it the pilot would probably just follow her back to the others. The earth crawlers should take the whole fleeing concept further than they were if they wanted to continue as a species.

Chynn skillfully evaded the slugs that were aimed at her, amused by the fact that the earth crawler was slowly backing into the planet behind her. If she could push the enemy far enough the mech would likely get caught by the gravitational pull, and she wouldn't need to waste energy trying to punch through its armor at the range that separated them. It was the plan with the least risk and effort, so she kept up the charade. She'd never met anyone who'd been able to escape after crashing on an unexplored planet, assuming they even survived for more than a few hours. There were stories about it though.

She should have realized that it wouldn't be that easy, that she was being overconfident. The maggots had a knack for finding ways to bring their betters down with them. Chynn had seen it before, done to pilots that were way more skilled than herself. Yet the overcharged rifle came as a surprise. She attempted to evade the slug, even though she couldn't see it, but had no such luck. Her lower thrusters were torn off, leaving her with very few ways to control the direction of her mech. If they'd been further from a planetary body it wouldn't have been a problem, but she'd been flying towards it. Now she feared that she'd get pulled in by gravity as well.

Chynn tried using her comms to call for help, but there was no response. Unusual as that may be, she didn't know how they could have helped her even if they'd responded. There probably wasn't enough time for them to catch her, and she doubted they'd risk their lives for her by following her to the surface of the planet. Better to count their losses and move on at that point.

She decided to do the same, but if she was going to die like this she'd make sure to destroy the enemy before she succumbed. She increased her speed, switched weapon to close combat and went after the crude mech. Normally she wasn't a reckless or emotion driven individual, but losing what small chance she had at returning to her home one day unleashed a burning rage within. A rage she took out on the other mech with her weapons as they entered the atmosphere of the nearby planet, both heading for death when they crashed.


[System]
Age:
Day 3

Gender:
Male

Race:
Goblin

Appearance:
Standing only a bit taller than most other goblins, Cull's most striking feature is his slit red eyes. His short, spiky hair is dark, with the slightest tint of blue; like the depths of a lake.

Level:
22

Personality:
Despite the relaxed and carefree personality that lies on the surface, Cull is a goblin that follows rules; both written and unwritten, to an extent that can only be explained as superstition. The only time Cull will knowingly violate such rules, is in the event that it comes into direct conflict with any vows he has taken. His greatest joy is that of battle against mighty foes; as at the core of his body beats the heart of a young glory-seeking warrior. Bound with a rather potent sense of honor and justice, Cull is incredibly protective of his kin; especially those he sees as weaker than him. However, should another of his kin bully one of their weaker brethren, or perform an act he finds especially underhanded, he will not hesitate to voice his stern opposition-- or in more extreme cases, get violent.

Past Life:
Blood filled Cullen Donahue's eyes as he struggled to maintain his failing grip. Broken bones, torn muscles, and barely clotted wounds screamed with agony as he fought to hold fast. Cullen had never been the type to fear death, rather-- he was the kind of maniac that always wanted to spar without any protective equipment with his HEMA mates; not that anyone ever indulged the crazy bastard. Normally, Cullen would've been ecstatic about a life or death struggle like this. In today's day and age there wasn't much of a future for the lad anyway; he'd have been right at home on some ancient battlefield, but cities, offices, paperwork, and machines weren't the thing for him.

But he wasn't fighting for himself right now, he was fighting to keep a promise he'd made. He'd already gone against the town's rules, and broken the first promise he made to his dying mother. If he failed now he'd have broken both promises, and all of this-- would've been for nothing.

His lungs burned as he roared.

A dull thud struck his temple.

Falling.

A splash.

Sinking deeper, and deeper.

Nothingness.

Talent(s):* Spearmanship
* Recovery

Skill(s):* Dark Eye (Passive) E-Rank
* Absorption (Remaining Uses: 6)
* Swift (Passive) E-Rank
* Writhe (Active) E-Rank

Inventory: * Stoat Pelt x 1
* Rabbit Pelt x 1
* Rabbit Horn Spear x 1

[User]
S A I T O
Forest
The First Hunt, Part Two

---

"--yaAAAAAH!"

Crack!

Saito's staff snapped in half upon striking the beasts's armored plate--it had curled up, and only reflex had saved the goblin's foot from being trapped in there with it. As the "young" greenskin stumbled back, the Scaled Shrew wobbled back and forth with nary a squeak. He blinked as he watched his prey--he had honestly not expected that. Although his memories were locked away, even if he had them he would have been genuinely confused--in the old world he had never actually seen something like an armadillo.

The creature's shell had no holes like a turtle's--Does this place have turtles?--and it seemed perfectly content to stay tightly sealed until, presumably, whatever predator chose to leave it alone. His staff was no proper weapon, but it had been green wood, not dry or brittle, and still it had snapped. So obviously this armor couldn't be broken by simple means. Saito glanced down at his broken staff's pieces. They had splintery ends, but he doubted they would be sharp or sturdy enough to pierce the armor. What if I drive them with the rock? The wood is probably too soft, the tips will blunt.

He tossed his broken weapon aside, and noted the Shrew's still exposed tail...

No, wait. I wondered if the creature could use it as a weapon...and to leave it exposed to attack like this is odd. He removed the berries and rock from his loincloth and placed them on the ground. Those spines might stick me when I grab it. Are they barbed or poisonous? He wasn't sure if such thoughts came from the cautious instinct of a Goblin, a creature so naturally weak and feeble and stupid, or if they came from the hazy dreams he could not recall.

With a tug at the knot on his hip, his loincloth came undone. Though now exposed in all his green glory to the elements, Saito did not care much for modesty at the moment. He wrapped the filthy undergarments--were these made of cloth, or pelts of creatures hunted by other goblins?--around the rolled-up Scaled Shrew, tying a plain knot and pulling it as tight as he could.

Now the creature's defense had become its cage. It might be strong enough to break the loincloth, but Saito doubted it would do so without a struggle. In the meantime, he grabbed the spare ends of the clothing and, with a grunt, lifted his prey.

Feet wobbling, muscles taut with effort, he started to spin. He whirled the makeshift net around his head, building up momentum with his whole body until he had its weight suspended. He kept the Shrew going with just his arms now, and though his run meandered like that of a drunkard, he set course for the largest tree he could see.

With all the strength and speed he could muster, as well as the built up centrifugal force--not that his goblin mind really understood such a thing right now--Saito dashed towards the sturdy wood and swung the Scaled Shrew with all his might.

"DORYAAAAAAH!"

He tried to slam the beast against the trunk. If he couldn't pierce the armor, then perhaps he could crush the foe's soft body inside it, like bouncing someone's brain inside their skull pan with a hard punch to cause a concussion. He wouldn't stop at just one attempt either--until he was certain the other monster was dead, the goblin would continue to heave and heft and spin, beating the spherical animal trapped inside his underwear against the trees.

Some part of him marveled at this odd turn of events. The other part really wanted to eat that Shrew.

[Assistant]
Ragi
featuring Aya @TheMushroomLord || Bug and Twig

Ragi tilted her head sideways in both confusion and amazement as she listened to Aya's Genius Talk
TM
. Not only did she find a perfect reason for Bug and Twig not to eat the cute saucer-eyed furry creature, she had even talked about long term plan on how they could utilise our new furry friend in long term. Something about revolution and food and poison, and how they could possibly end world hunger once and for all. You know, the Genius Stuff
TM
.

In any case, she was happy that her contribution, though menial, had brought joy to her sister. "Nonono, this is all you sister. I am only doing what you told me to do," she said as she scratched her head in embarrassment. She was not used to getting praised, especially when her dear sister seemed to praise her to heaven and back. She could feel her grin going wider and wider, quite possibly almost as wide as Aya's (though there's no way Ragi's smile would be as cute as her sister's).

But as they always say, all good things must come to an end eventually.

"Ummm.. Sister," Aya said all of a sudden, her face - while still smiling - were unnaturally tense. "I was going to get started on trying to disguise this trap and maybe go check on Twig, but we still need to find something to catch, so which job do you want? Or do you want me to do both?"

Oh crappppppp! Shit shit shit shit shit shitttttt..! Ragi's mind entered the panic mode. Aya was kind enough to mask it as a praise and offer herself to do Ragi's job in her stead, but it was pretty obvious that her revered sister had reprimanded her for not doing her job properly. She literally had one job, and she had failed it. Now, precious time was wasted and they still had nothing to eat. Nothing! And it was all Ragi's fault. She really wished she would be swallowed by a sink hole right now.

"N-n-n-n-no! I wouldn't want to bother you with such low level job, ahaha.. Ahahaha.. Haha," she said in a panic, like a child who was caught stealing some sweets when she was specifically told not to. "Oh, I know! Why don't we go together? That way we could cover more ground and defend each other in case things go south, yeah?"

The least she could do, was to control the damage. With some luck maybe Ragi could show her cool side on a hunt while Aya watches, and win back some points she had lost due to her stupid, stupid blunder. She really. Really. Don't want to be cast away.

[User]
Krishna

Location: In the Woods

Mentioning:@demonspade64@RC3@Haeo

---

Awaken by the grumpiness of his tumtum, Krishna was not a very happy gob in this particular morning. He was thirsty, which only add more irritation to this beautiful day. And the pile of bodies that reside in the same place meaning he is now drenched of others piss and drool.

"Grrrr...." He snarled against one of his siblings, who was, in his sleep, trying to steal Krishna's blanket. And if it wasn't because the sleeping goblin was double of his size, Krishna would have bitten his ears off.

Still, awakening to a piss-full blanket-stealing noisy tumtum morning, Krishna was not a very good roommate. He kicked those weaker who are still in their sleep on his way of exiting the grave. He shouted and he snarled against the strong. He made as much noise as a 3 days old goblin could before running outside the grave, followed by a herd of also hungry gobs who are very much unpleased of his improper and unhospitable act.

But, if the chase was any longer than five minutes, it would have been a real threat. Eventually, most just break out into other smaller hunting parties, scavenging the nearby plants and hideout for early meals. Even Krishna did the same, teaming up with one of his siblings. They both have only a few rocks in hand but it was enough for them. And, simple enough, they found their first prey. A rabbit. It has the same color as the dirt after the rain. Smelled like it too. Its eyes' color was as dark as the old goblin's armpit. It was even hurt at the mouth and legs. Of course, Krishna and Gor had chosen to look over the fact that it has an obnoxiously large horn for a small rabbit.

To be honest, it doesn't take long for Krishna to eat his word as the rabbit leap into Gor's chest and buried its horn through his chest. There was also this sickening sound as Gor's body fall flat onto the ground, his mouth gaping for air while the rabbit sits idly on his crumbling chest, feeling the fall and rises of the predator. And while Krishna should have thrown his rock at the rabbit while it is still in one place, his instinct urged him to run.

And so he did.

He ran around and around an old large tree. He tried to juke the rabbit lunges by sudden changes in direction. And honestly, he didn't know what to hope but to continue this run as long as possible

[Assistant]
Hunger gnawed at the root of Cull's mind as he stalked through the underbrush. He had set out alone, only a thick branch with a poorly sharpened tip to keep him company. Slowly, carefully, and deliberately he crept, his head on a swivel; searching for potential prey. Somehow, part of him knew what he was doing-- but the thoughts were fuzzy, and out of focus. Was it instinct, perhaps? Or something else entirely?

His grip shifted on his rudimentary spear. It felt familiar, like a weapon that belonged in his hands, a weapon he knew. But wasn't this his first time holding such a thing? A pounding headache dissuaded the youngling from trying to rationalize the strange sense of Deja Vous, food came first. Before long he came upon a clearing, where two animals were already fighting, the smaller of the two seemingly winning the struggle. Cull's breathing quieted as he narrowed his eyes at his prey, clearly the smaller brown animal was both faster, and stronger. Watching, waiting, moving ever so slowly-- the goblin stealthily positioned himself to come from behind the victor, intending to wait for their battle to be in its final moments before he would creep up, and thrust his spear into whatever animal had the upper hand.

It was simply a test of patience.


[System] totally didn't mispost here and just decide to make this useful or anything

[User]
Yo furrowed his eyebrows suspiciously when a red haired babe started walking towards him. Usually, something like that would make him wanna leap for joy, but by the expression on her face he could tell that she wasn't about to tell him anything he wanted to hear. Shame, too, he thought she looked kind of cute. That didn't matter much when she seemed on the verge on body slamming him onto the table at any second.

"What, did you think I was gawking at you? Don't flatter yourself, lady." Yo snapped back at her just as rudely. It was impressive, really, not a minute after she started talking she had already managed to piss him off. That had to be a new record or something. "Buzz off, will ya? I'd rather eat than waste my time with some random third rate duelist."

"Heh… Truly a gentleman."

Yo looked behind him for the source of that strange voice to no avail. He turned to the girl again with an accusatory glare. Was she the one messing with him?

[Assistant]
Daniel grinned as the dog came at him wagging his tail, jumping around occasionally, and pointing itself at his plate. "I used to have a dog named Danny." Daniel laughed a little and started pulling out one of the pork pieces for him, but the dog apparently couldn't hold itself down as it jumped at the pork piece in front of him. Dan wasn't prepared and dropped his plate on the floor nearby and the food spilled out on to him and the floor, the piece of meat Dan was holding was snatched up into Shugo's mouth. "I wanted to eat the rest of that you little jerk." Daniel mumbled angrily under his breath as he began wrestling with the dog, for a minute it looked like it might get violent but it never got that far, to the keen eye it was clear that they were just playing rough with each other.

 As he continued playing with Shugo Dan began to remember his own time with Danny in detail, and every second he spent with Shugo pulled at those memories. The scene settled with the Shugo licking at the sauce that spilled on Dan's clothes, a grin still painted itself on Dan's face the entire time. "My older brother said Danny ran away, but sometimes I wonder if he really did." Dan picked up Shugo in his arms as the dog continued to wag his tail. "Yeah I'm here for the tournament too, I imagine everyone here is." Daniel continued listening to Itaki and responded with equal enthusiasm. "For sure, I've never even been on a boat, let alone an island, so this is all new territory for me. What about you, do you travel around a lot on boat?"

[User]
Cute... Megumi thought in her mind as she stared at the kid she had bumped into. She still couldn't tell what gender the kid was,though, despite close scrutiny. Answering their question, Megumi nodded her head in affirmation and said in her usual quiet voice, "Yes, I'm a Duelist." She smiled slightly as she patted the kid's head, still not getting over how cute the kid was. Frankly, she really wanted to hug them, but figured that would be rude without their permission.

She then turned her head back and forth as if looking for something. After a few seconds of this, Megumi returned her attention to thekid and asked, "Where are your parents? Is your mom or dad here for the tournament?" Megumi figured that their parents must be pretty irresponsible to leave their child alone in a place like this without any supervision. She did not even contemplate the idea that perhaps the kid might be a Duelist as well, thinking that perhaps the kid was only along for the ride. After all, a dog was around, so why not a kid?

[Assistant]
Having her fill of the sweets table, Lucille decided to walk around the room some more, looking at the various people. She didn't waste any opportunity to pull any pranks that presented themselves before her however, including unscrewing a vast majority of the bottle or salt n pepper shakers she came across, ketchup bottles, or whatever looked like it'd make for a funny gag later down the line. She didn't have much in the way of gag items on herself though, her outfit only had a couple pockets and she had to carry her toons in one of them. And the other was for more... serious... gags.

It was then, after a bit of a scuffle and some yelping, Lucille noticed someone with a dog! How she didn't notice this before was weird, but then there were all sorts of exotic free food. But what really got her interested was an argument brewing between a couple duelists nearby. apparently a red headed lady was making someone extremely uncomfortable and they were snapping back at her. Lucille decided that poking the metaphorical bear might be a good laugh.

Making her way over to the two, she watched as the two argued. When a good moment came, she said. "Are you going to take that from him? hehe" Toon Red Eyes meanwhile was having a grand old time dancing on the tables breathing fire until he saw some lady with glasses talking to a kid not even it could decern a gender from. It didn't matter to Red Eyes though, as playing sherades over the kids head was the goal anyway.

[User]
An insulted expression crossed the young woman's face, the idea of her not being good enough to be gawked at was unbelievable! Well, yeah, she didn't WANT anyone gawking at her; But that didn't mean she wasn't hot enough to not be gawked at. Who did this punk think he was, looking her way like that and then playing it like she was some desperate floozy? He was a douche, that's all she knew! "Flatter myself?! The hell do you mean by that--"

She was cut off as she was told to simply buzz off; With the addition of being a third rate duelist. She heard her teeth grind as she gritted them, biting the inside of her cheek. She was about to call him an asshole, but ended up more confused than anything as he looked back as if someone just called him, and raised an eyebrow as he glared back at her like she was the cause of some sort of mystery that was bothering him.

Arms still crossed, her body shifted to one foot going in front of the other, shifting to the side somewhat as she leaned against the table, glaring down at him with an expression that displayed equal, if not even more, annoyance. This was only driven further as another girl threw herself into the mix, her words fueling the redhead's metaphorical flaming rage.

 "Uh, no! I don't take crap like that from any guy!" She stated to the fellow female, obviously more eager than before to show that this guy was nothing but a barking dog. Like the one over in the distance! "If I'm a third-rate duelist then surely you won't have any trouble facing me in the tournament! If you can win enough matches to even get a chance of us being matched against each-other, anyway!" She kept her voice high enough to express she wasn't bothered by his words and to instead return fire, before finally bringing up that look on his face.

"What's that look for though, huh? You waitin' on someone?" She questioned, one arm extending down to the table to rest her palm down, and the other going up to her chin as she thought about a remark. "Doubt it's a girl. With that attitude!"

---

"Oh?" Itaki responded, listening to the boy as he mentioned he had at one point had a dog. It was always good to meet another individual who appreciated dogs; They were such loyal friends. Cute ones, too. He watched the interaction between Shugo and the well-built young man, blinking as things started getting out of hand. The man's eyes widened as he watched the two struggle, food all over the young man at this point. "Shugo!" Itaki called, but soon he stopped as he saw a hint of happiness despite the situation: The two were getting along great, once Itaki actually observed them. He was glad, as for a moment he was worried he'd get kicked off the ship at the rate things were going if the boy made a complaint.

Fine with the boy holding Shugo, Itaki wasn't expecting his return question; But was eager to answer. "Me? Boats? I'm afraid I've only been on a few ships before this one!" He answered, explaining why soon afterwards: "I prefer the sky, myself. Helicopters are usually much faster than boats, but a ship like this..." He glanced about for a moment, seeming to still be in awe about it. "Well, it's simply beyond my expectations for a ship. A voyage that would take a normal boat a week takes but twelve or so hours in this ship!"

Itaki nodded sagely, seeming pleased by this information. He'd have to look into purchasing one of these ships himself. Though, that was for later; The million dollar prize would be a good start towards buying a boat like this one! That was assuming he won, of course...

---

The child got pat on the head, and in response they closed their eyes momentarily, not expecting it. After a moment their eyes opened back up, a few blinks following. This was certainly embarrassing; The child wasn't certain of why she had done that, but decided it was just some sort of elder to child thing, and smiled since it wasn't exactly bothersome in any way, just unexpected.

As the question reached the kid's ears about their parents, they grabbed their hat and yanked it down, hiding their face somewhat. "Mom? Dad?" The child repeated, before adding some head shaking as an answer. "No, I-It's just me." They answered, realizing this might be alarming: Quickly, they worked to remove any possible distress their elder might have. "Don't worry, I-- I got invited to the tournament! I'm a duelist too!"

Despite what the child said, it was still odd for them to be alone. Why wasn't a guardian here, or a caretaker? A little kid shouldn't have been boarding this ship alone. As if to block off this problematic questioning, the child brought it up before it had a chance to be questioned. Almost seeming to have a defense already prepared. "I'm being watched over by the tournament staff! Though they said rooming would be complicated; Because they couldn't leave a kid alone!" The child looked downwards, seeming a little upset. "I'm not a kid; I can take care of myself, like I do at home while my parents are working... But they really want to put one of those big suited guards in my room with me..."

The child seemed concerned about that fact, obviously not wanting to share a room with one of them. But there wasn't much choice in it from the kid's perspective, so it seemed hopeless. Most would understand why a young child wouldn't want to share a room with a big, muscle-covered man in a suit with shades and a constant straight expression. For a kid that stuff was kind of unnerving.