[System]
"Dia duit núíosach!"
Age: 18
Race: Dathia ("Colors")

---

Appearance
Standing at just beneath 5 feet, Caitriona has several common features for her people - her hair has multiple colors, the deep red of the roots moving into a transitory orange and then a yellow as if her hair was like fire itself. Depending on when you meet her, it may range between extremely well kept or completely ragged as if she had been running through a forest. Her body is lean and thin, and she tends to wear short dresses of a simple cloth comparable to linen or of various gathered plants woven into each other. Her face is fair, and sometimes she will apply various bits of paint to it as some sort of makeup.

On her back usually is a sack of linen, with strings wrapping it around her shoulders so it doesn't have to be carried. Attached to it is a wooden flute that has various engravings running up and down it's length, as well as a small porcelain flask for water and a finely crafted knife of some sort of white stone.

Her shoes are dissimilar to the rest of her selection, looking like something charlotte may be more familiar with in style. Additionally, one of her bags has the slight raddle of some sort of coin.

Abilities
It will only take a few minutes of meeting the girl to figure out a few things about her: she can find anything within a forest, she can music that can enchant the hearts of the hardest to break. This is not to say there is some sort of magic about it, but rather that it is simply really good. Her appearance lends to some sort of tribal lifestyle, so it isn't surprising that the girl knows her ways around nature - she can read the stars, she can find water, and she can find food and even unique plants used in medicine or for other various purposes.

Additionally, her hair glows at night like a fire, and will change color to blue when a powerful magical presence is around, such as a VERY large predator.

The hair has magical properties as well. Caitriona is able to burn it in a flute and allow anyone nearby to speak to animals in a literal sense.

Personality
Fickle, fun, and pun, this bard knows how to enjoy herself with others, often playing minor pranks or teasing them for the fun of it. She is kind, but not ridiculously self sacrificing: she has herself, and the people that raised her. While she believes that teaching others is important, she eventually expects her students to have learned for themselves.

However, she has always been very curious even among her people, which has led to her interacting with other cultures more than what her people would consider normal, and sometimes they even consider it too much.

History
Will Fill in as we go along.

The Uaimh
You don't know shit.
Other
Will fill in as we go along.

[User]
The native frowned as the woman neither seemed interested in eating or in taking a bath as she laid down on the impromptu, leaving Cait to pout a little bit. Had her offerings of aid somehow been insufficient, or was the other woman just tired?

It was most likely just the second one, considering that she simply decided to lay down. The orange haired girl's hair glowed slightly in the night as she realized her own exhaustion, lowering herself into the makeshift bed and pulling herself close to the other woman for warmth as she closed her eyes in preparation of going to sleep.

[Assistant]
~Charlotte LaChance~

---

Now, Charlotte didn't mind sharing a bed with someone. Wouldn't be the first time she bunked with someone else. She had to share a room with three people back in Astril, after all. As annoying as it was, she had to put up with it. At least the other two people were...tolerable, and one of them was...the only person she'd have ever considered a 'friend'. But, sleeping this close with a complete stranger? Well, she didn't mind it, but the other woman was getting awfully close. Much closer than she was comfortable with.

She rolled over, giving Cait slightly annoyed look.

"Óchi Meínete. Den ankaliés." She pressed a finger against Cait's head, pushing her slightly to hopefully indicate she was not to sleep on the same side of the bedding as she was. There Only one person she'd ever let sleep that close to her if she could help it.

She rolled back over, facing away from Cait. She was fine - she was used to cold nights anyways. Astril was notoriously cold, after all. To be honest, the heat from this beach was likely to kill her sooner than any giant bird...

[User]
The native only gave off a slight frown as the other woman pushed her away. It'd be cold in the night, and the warmth of a friend was always appreciated, wasn't it? But Cait didn't let it get to her too deeply as eventually she simply turned over and faced away from the other woman, using her hands as a sort of pillow to help make herself more comfortable.

Closing her eyes to the world, the orange haired girl soon found herself breathing deeper and slower breaths as she drifted off to the realm of sleep, wondering what would happen in the morning.

When Charlotte woke up, she would find the native still asleep on the blankets shivering slightly as if she was a little bit cold.

[Assistant]
~Charlotte LaChance~

---

The night passed swiftly, with Charlotte quickly falling asleep once Cait left her alone. Most of the time, she never remembered what she dreamed. Night was typically just one big giant blank spot on her memory. It made sleeping rather boring, honestly. She would much rather either be studying or stay awake. Not all that difficult with the help of a bit of alchemy potions of the self enhancing sort. She stayed awake for almost five days once before her roommates practically forced her to sleep. Tonight though, she would have rather had that dreamless rest...

Charlotte woke with a start, eyes opening with a start as she was greeted with the sight of the dull grey stone of the cave rather than the cold, frost bitten dungeons of Astril and the smell of chemicals and blood. Well...she supposed being here was better than being there. The dark haired woman sat up, resting her arms on her knees, sitting there silent for a few moments as she merely shoved the thoughts out of her head, noticing Cait shivering off to the side.

...

Charlotte sighed in irritation as she walked over to her equipment, picking up one of the rocks she had been using as a makeshift fire. Rocks, modified with the essence of Fire. Not that difficult to make if you had the proper materials. Worked just as well as an actual fire and could function as materials for other things if used properly. A limited lifespan once one used it, but could function as small heaters to keep one warm for awhile. It'd be enough at least for Cait to warm herself as she waited outside. She had work to do.

She moved back over to where Cait was sleeping, and rather rudely shook the glowing haired woman awake.

As soon as she did, she'd shove the rock in her hands and point to outside the cave.

"Periménete ekeí éxo, kai den diakópsei!" Her voice was stern, but otherwise not hostile.

[User]
The orange haired woman couldn't resist letting out a yawn as she was rudely shaken awake, and despite trying to go back to bed for a few seconds after the other woman was done found herself unable to do so. Rising up and stretching, a strange and warm rock was pressed into her hands which she pulled against her chest for warmth. It was probably one of the strange supplies that Charlotte had brought with her along with the glass vials and such.

Leaving the cave while rubbing her eyes, the native was curious about what had called for them to wake up so early in the morning. Perhaps these other people's preferred to eat alone, and were somehow solitary? It was rather obvious the black haired woman and her had some differences, but how far did they go?

Sitting herself down in a comfortable looking patch of grass outside the cave, the native sighed as she leaned against a comfortable looking rock and closed her eyes in attempt to fall asleep once more.

[Assistant]
~Charlotte LaChance~

---

With Cait out of the picture, Charlotte decided to work quickly. She picked up the glass bottle that contained the slightly acidic liquid and moved to the back of the cave. She'd have to work on the fancy bits and finishing touches later, but for now she hopefully had enough to at least make a bit more room for herself. Enough room for her supplies, a desk, some storage containers a proper bed and a few other things that she would need. First and foremost though, was priming the earth to move. Just a small bit of her life essence infused into the bottle and it'd be set.

She exhaled, the glass flask glowing a faint bright green color as its contents sparked lightly. Damn, not as strong as she'd have hoped...but it'd do for now. She could make a stronger one later. For now, she was going to encourage this earth to move. With a swift motion, she poured the entire green substance onto the ground below, making sure the liquid at least was able to cover most of the back of the cave and the floor. A small entrance was fine for now. She could work on that later.

Next...was waiting, not for long, but the process was already out of her hands. She did all she could, all she could do now was rely on the latent power of the earth setting to work. Thankfully it seemed she didn't have to wait long. Suddenly, the earth in the immediate area began to shift, as if a miniature earthquake was happening. The liquid spread on the ground sizzled, before being absorbed into the earth, green lines of energy crackling along the surface as cracks began appearing.

Now all she had to do was watch as the earths natural Erosion process was sped up to an unnatural rate.

The earth moved before her eyes, hollowing out a decently sized cave as the earth retreated from the area. It was about as big as a small home, though from even. Rocky stalagmites and stalactites hung fro, the floor and ceiling making the room a bit less welcoming, but it was fine. It definitely could use a few finishing touches from human hands, but she could make do for now. It had room enough for her to finally stand without her goddamn head hitting the ceiling and that was all she wanted for now.

Now all she needed was shelves, a proper bed, some storage containers and then a few more alchemy supplies and she'd have a nice little bed here.

Too bad she had to use alchemy to use it though, this place would be much less reactive to such changes for awhile now...

Ah well. She was satisfied with this.

After a few moments of making sure the process was completed, Charlotte turned back to the cave entrance.

"Cait, boreíte na epistrépsete sto. Prosektikí tychón kinoúmenon vráchon."

[User]
The native had warmed herself due to the combination of the morning sun and the rock, and rubbed her eyes as she lazily walked back into the ...

... how? The place had been much smaller, hadn't it been? There were methods of expanding caves of course, but none of them involved mixing strange herbs together the night beforehand. Usually the effort involved the entire group working together for many hours, although the results were usually more visually pleasing than what she saw.

Still though, she was impressed. With the supplies she brought, it seemed that Charlotte would be able to get things together herself in as little time as possible. "Conas a fuair tú é sin? Tá sé go hiontach!" The other woman would find herself being petted for a second or two by the shorter woman as the black haired woman was hugged with the other arm.

Taking out her flute, the native played a few cheerful notes on it before gesturing to her gifts, pulling out a piece of fruit for each of them. Demonstrating how to peel and eat it, the orange haired woman found herself enjoying a small breakfast.

[Assistant]
~Charlotte LaChance~

---

Honestly, she had expected - and at least, hoped somewhat - Cait wouldn't have any idea what she had just done. Or at least, showed a bit more surprise and maybe would have been a bit curious about it. The way she was behaving though? Well, the way she so easily seemed to brush it off and started acting in quite an unpleasant patronizing fashion - treating her like a child - made her feel like she was back in Astril. That was not something she ever wanted to feel like again. Being looked down on - like she was less than everyone simply because everyone thought her studies were weak and would never amount to anything.

As she was hugged, Charlotte's rare smile was replaced by her usual frown and she gave Cait a less than enthusiastic stare.

Well, whatever. Wasn't like she was ever going to try and get overly friendly with this native. As soon as she could, she was going to kick her out. She'd prefer to be alone anyways and she was starting to grate on her nerves a bit. The alchemist grunted, taking a seat in the middle of the now slightly more spacious cavern.

Charlotte ate mostly in silence, peeling the fruit easily enough. Now at least she should start making a table. She'd need some rope...maybe trying to make some strong adhesive or something would be better, though. She'd need some more supplies, of course...also she should start making paper - keep notes about the plants and wildlife here and start getting a feel for the terrain.

Maybe she should wash up a little, too.

She should add a large basin for water somewhere and make some Heat Rocks to warm the water with...

For now though, she'd enjoy a small reprieve from work, as long as Cait didn't do anything else to sour her mood.

[User]
A couple weeks passed between the two of them as they worked together on making Charlotte's cave a livable location. Although the black haired woman seemed to grow strangely distant, they did spend some times pointing at various objects and teaching each other the words for them. The fruits of various types were named to Charlotte, the pair managed to learn the other's word for the cave they were building, along with various other things.

However, the newcomer was also setting up these small strange devices around the corners of trees and near spots on the ground where various small animals travelled at times. For a long time, the orange haired woman was confused as to the purpose of them. Was it some sort of odd religious symbolism? Some sort of ceremony for calling upon nature spirits and having them defend you?

Caitriona was still unaware of their nature as she approached the black haired woman curiously as she was huddled over one of them, removing her first successful kill and meat meal since arriving at this island ...


[System]
Nicknames / Aliases: Eli / Elle

Gender: Female

Birthday: June 30th

Age: 17

Class: White Mage

Occupation: Student

Species: Human

Appearance:

Clothing Style:

Personality: Gentle, kind, shy, and meek, Elisha's personality was molded through her harsh upbringing. A girl with a heart of gold, she's always willing to help someone if it meant their happiness. Never one to hold a grudge, her kindness knows no bounds. She has always put others ahead of herself, where her martyrical nature has bit her in the rear more than once before. Despite this, she grit her teeth and forced herself to move on.

Underneath all of this however, is a girl whose self-esteem is always at a dangerously low point. Someone who frequently questions her purpose and goal in life. Her outward demeanor hiding a frail and weak person. She frequently has considered committing suicide, but she has always barely shot the idea down by telling herself that she just needs a little more time to change.

As a result of her family's long outdated look on left-handed people being "servants" of a greater evil, she has developed a complex about her dexterity. While she is naturally a southpaw, she has forced herself to deal with the world with her right hand as well. Elisha only ever reverts to her dominant hand in private or during dire situations, while keeping her right in public.

Hometown: Otonoki - A fairly average-sized town just about two hours to the South of Maplestead by horse. The town is best known for developing some of the most successful mages in history. Featuring some of the top ranking universities in the country, Otonoki's quality in teaching is well-known and respected. If one wants to learn how to be a very good mage, then Otonoki is one of the best places to learn at.

Otonoki has a medieval theme attached to it. The town is abundant with nature and filled with green pastures and surrounded by forests. Aside from that, the town is covered by several mountains to its West side which compliment its old-fashioned look, as well as serve as the training grounds for up and coming mages.

Likes: Children, left-handed tools, music, reading

Dislikes: Loud and crowded areas, romance, large bodies of water, her family, being referred by her last name

Past / History: Born into the wealthy and prestigious but old-fashioned magi family of Marluxia, her upbringing was meant to be one of high class. At first, this was the case. An accident during her child years nearly took her life, as well as leaving her heart in a very frail state. Elisha was no longer able to be physically fit. Every time she tried to run, her heart would be strained easily and she'd be out of breath. Anything that shocks or surprises her can give her a heart attack. Anything that hits the area around her heart can give her a heart attack. Her family was supportive despite this. Her siblings were there to help, and her parents spent their precious work time to be with her. Somehow though, Elisha felt they were only doing all of this out of pity. A thought that quickly turned into fact.

Her life slowly turned for the worse when her parents discovered her preference for her left hand. Her family was quick to change their demeanor around her. "A sign of the devil's servant", they say. Elisha's family beat her. They locked her in her room for years. Only letting her out for food and trips to the bathroom. The servants who tried to comfort or sympathize with her were quickly fired and replaced, eventually leaving her with no one to connect with. No one was allowed to be associated with the "devil's servant". She grew to resent her family, all the while never once losing her kindness to others despite the abuse. She greeted and spoke to them all the same, with a smile and polite mannerism.

Over the years, she forced herself into relearning the world by using her right hand. Once her parents deemed that she has "cleansed" herself enough, they allowed her to "live" normally again. Given that she was tutored at home to avoid other people finding out about her dexterity on top of the abuse she went through, she had poor social skills. They eventually allowed her to study at a high school near their mansion. With her first year being the point of when she was taken advantage of several times due to her kind and awkward nature. She took all of this in stride. She never considered anyone her friend and treated everyone the same, despite a few of them showing legitimate signs of wanting to be friends with her.

[User]
Brennen Garron

 Brennen sat shocked for a minute or so. Adrial had just told him off and walked away. Brennen had thought of some retorts, but the cleric left before he could speak anything. He carefully got up, thinking I really should sober up. Need my wits about me... I guess I do have really high standards for myself. Why is that rabbit-lady holding a boy like a sack of potatoes? I guess I really need sleep. With that, he followed where the winged cleric had gone and finally found the room. Having nothing of value, save his weapons, he undid his hilts and scabbard, placing them next to his bed and laid in it, staring up at the ceiling. Digging into his jacket's inner pocket, he pulls out a piece of paper that has been folded very neatly, rips it up, and throws it away. It merely had a total of ten tick marks on it. I shouldn't be keeping score like it's some game. It's fighting. It's dying. It's tragedy. I need to keep up my skills to do the best I can, not perfectly. With his thoughts ending on that note, Brennen's exhaustion and alcohol finally caught up with him, causing him to pass out for the night.

[Assistant]
World

 Finny had just told the bar area it was last call, and was starting to close up shop. It had been a long grand re-opening for the Tavern of Heroes to be used as intended. The three workers looked at each other and smiled at what they had accomplished. A tavern reserved for the bravest of heroes. And the place they stay after their escapades on the battlefield. With Finny closing down the bar, Lucia wiping down tables and shooing off guests to their rooms, setting up their rooms if they hadn't already bought one, pairing them off if they were with someone they knew. Even though the woman with long ears, though carrying another patron, requested a single room. Lucia figured don't ask, don't tell. Another lady who had armor dangling from her long, worn shirt asked for a double room and led a younger girl who seemed to be keeping most of her focus on not acting drunk or passing out. Lucia thought they were either siblings, mother and daughter, or a cute couple. She noticed a couple others pairing off, including the odd angel-elf and the human-ish boy with three swords who was crying for an ungodly amount of time. Lucia looked over at her dad to see him fidgeting with some nuts and bolts. "Dad, it's fine. You built this place better than anyone could. Admire your work for a little while. Let it get some wear 'n' tear on it before fixing it up. You need down time. Your back won't last forever, and we don't know what number the timer's on, so don't push yourself." Lucia admired her dad's passion for his tavern, but he'd been to the doctors before, and they warned him about his back. He's going to need to hire some help soon.

[User]
Lenna saw another adventurer approach whom the templar with the fairy knew, and figured she'd allow them to have their moment. She smiled as she ordered a room and walked away.

Shipping iiiiiiit.

She went up to her room and tucked Louis in on one side of the bed. It was smaller than she expected, so she basically ended up being the big spoon, since she couldn't have any room to herself anyways. She briefly considered switching to a double room, but decided, hell with it.

As she slept, she wondered what tomorrow would hold for her and her allies. She hoped they'd be okay. She mentally swore to herself she'd defend the dorks as best she could.

She slept, then, dreaming of home.

[Assistant]
Miercoles left the man to rest and headed to the tavern which was designed to contain all these mercenaries. Sure they were being called heroes but as he approached the tavern which under the moonlight had its wooden sign swaying in the breeze with "Tavern of Heroes" engraved and painted into it he rolled his eyes. They were just hired muscle plain as that. Any "heroism" would be byproduct of their orders save for maybe a rare few with noble intentions which he figured would be rare.

Stepping through the door he made his way through the crowd who were many and seemed more than ready for a little bit of entertainment. However he stopped cold the moment he saw and heard Vance. He appeared behind him with hand with a vice like grip clawed onto that injured shoulder making his displeasure clearly made. A most evil of presence made itself known as his voice flowed coldly yet with venom, "Let it be known I hate having my time wasted like with that stunt you pulled off after having acted like you had been greatly injured. Now you're either well or injured, and I prefer the latter since if we fail the next assignment it will be solely your fault for not fully recovering. Now excuse me I have some real money to make."

With shoulder free from that terrible grip he walked away temporarily blending into the crowd of people. Pure instinct guided him to the stage of sorts it had as he dropped the box and readied some instruments. He strummed the guitar to ensure it was properly tuned and finding it satisfactory began to play something that was neither to slow to bore and annoy them or put them to sleep nor too fast that would incite even more rowdiness leave him ignored and without pay.

[User]
"There she goes again with her awkwardness..." Elisha couldn't help but smile a bit. "Hopefully she won't need to rely on alcohol so that we can speak more properly in the future."

"I'd like some of that fix up, thank you." Anything that'll help lower the hangover Cecelia mentioned is a good thing for her... perhaps. All she was hoping is that it won't be icky or disgusting to take in.

"I don't mind." Might be the remnants of the alcohol speaking, but she replied to Cecelia's offer with a straight face. Perhaps also missing the possible implications it might raise. Or she was just tired and just wanted to sleep.

Shortly afterwards, Cecelia led her to one of the double rooms. Once inside, Elisha was too tired to take note of the details in the room and just crashed onto the nearest bed she saw, looking rather clumsy in the process. It didn't take more than a few moments for her to start sleeping.


[System]
Appearance:

Race: Human
Class: Engineer
Main-Hand Weapon: Repeater Crossbow*
Off-Hand Weapon: Toolbelt*
Secondary Weapon: Backpack*
Armor: Cloth
Skills:
Explosives Master: Kelvin is extremely skilled in the handling, use, and creation of explosive devices. Given supplies and a bit of time, Kelvin can improvise a wide variety of tricks and distractions using his skills, as well as disarm explosive traps.
Tinkerer: Kelvin possesses a lot of experience in tinkering and crafting odd things, and has a decent chance at disarming traps, as well as being more than capable of setting them himself on the fly.
Problem Solver: Because of his knowledge, Kelvin is capable of jury rigging and improvising his way through problems (often unconventionally) using both what he has on him, and random local resources. (Can 'observe' and 'search' areas and interact with the environment in advanced ways.)
Weaknesses:
Combatively Incompatible: Kelvin lacks in the close quarters skills, other than 'run fer y'ur life!'.
Half-deaf: Explosions and the like have left Kelvin deaf in one ear, as well as missing a pinkie.
Personality:
Over confident and domineering when it comes to his specialties, Kelvin represents one of those "Stand back and watch this" types of guys. (But really, if he tells you to stand back, there is likely a reason.) In combat, he tends to hang back and shoot from the back, and isn't afraid to run like the coward he really is. This guy tends towards the eccentric, but generally means well for all involved.
Background:
Not much to say, his father was a woodcarver and his mother a daughter of a hunter. Kelvin took interest in both crafts growing up, particularly enjoying making puzzle boxes and toying with the spring power found in bows. He dabbled in smithing for a bit, then alchemy, and finally found good mentor in a larger city. Now he is here.
Other:

Designed for shooting 'slugs' with a fast winding mechanism, making it more like a two step semi-automatic. Their short stature and heavy design make the bolts focus on the impact rather than penetration. As far as accuracy, this weapon's penetration range is maxed at about thirty meters.
4 Torches
Rope
Cord
10 metal stakes
4 Sticks of Dynamite
Bucket
Canvas Tarp
Stack of paper
String
1 Small keg of gunpowder
Extra crossbow darts
Hammer
Screwdrivers (3 sizes)
Shears
Flint & Steel
Chisel
Bear Trap
Pouch of crossbow darts

[User]
Ah, this was good. She offered her fancy knife and even the shoes off her feet for the hat. Clearly this meant a lot to her. He could probably squeeze some more out of her, but he couldn't just get every drip from a cow and expect it to produce more later. Not in a timely fashion at least. There was also the matter of prying eyes, and he had to keep an impression. He would refuse the sandals, but the dagger was a nice touch. It was quite the pretty one too. He could probably sell that off in the next market for a fat coin purse. Just as he was to accept the bargain, another interruption had occurred

'Gods be damned, they really have it out for me.'

The man insisted that the trade was unnecessary. Insisted that they had little money and equipment. However, Arastoph's eyes narrowed as soon as the man started setting some honey. Praised him. Buttering him up. In a crowd like this one, where every other person seemed to have it out for him, he was naturally skeptical. Then he followed it up with an offer to join the band of dropouts.

He felt tempted to immediately reject the offer. Though being an experienced negotiator, he held his tongue and waited for what else he had to say.

The man continued, "None of us are great bargainers, and it would be nice if we had someone who could manage our funds. You can take care of equipment, and we'll let you handle the trades."

An interesting prospect, to be sure. Granted, if he were to be this... what, guild? This guild's official fence, then he should be expecting payment. They said they were poor. But at least being their fence would supply them with the money needed to pay him. The idea of working for someone else, though, was uncomfortable.

"Besides, say you need funds to get back on your feet? Why not earn it from us. I am sure you can turn over plenty of cash if you stick around. Consider that a down payment for your services... though I am sure that both Carver, the elf, and the seer would be appreciative if you gave her hat back as a sign of good will."

Earn it from them was the key phrase. He suggested that he worked for them, and Arastoph did not take orders well. The trader sighed at this idea.

Arastoph started, "I do not work for others. I am, however, not opposed to the offer of participating in a business relationship in which we are both separate parties. I can provide my services in exchange for compensation, but I do not take orders. That in mind..." Arastoph shook the coin-purse. "This is a generous down payment. However, you did intrude upon a separate business transaction being made before we've signed our contract and shook on it."

That isn't to say he completely disrespected the man. He followed his offer up with another. Apparently the man was an engineer, and showed him his dynamite. His eyes lit up at the sight of it, and he smirked at the engineer. This would make quite the bang in the black market. He'd have to continue his search for contacts before he started introducing them to the market though.

Arastoph will agree. On the proper terms, of course. The merchant cleared his throat, ready to set the boundaries of their deal being made.

"I will agree upon the following conditions: this arrangement is based upon the mutual understanding that we are two independent and consenting parties, meaning I am under no obligation to follow any order issued by any member of your party. However, failure to uphold my end of the deal, or failure to uphold your end of the deal, will terminate this contract. All major transactions exceeding a twenty-five percent threshold of total monetary savings must consult me with their decision. Income based upon the transaction I, myself, have performed will be divided in a manner where I will receive thirty-five percent of the profit made on behalf of your party, and the rest goes to your party where it will be divided evenly between all members. On top of which, continued services will be maintained by two hundred piece payments monthly.

"We both accept that I will be payed one hundred and sixty-five piece down payment prior to services beginning. I am forbidden to perform trades with members within your party that charges them an amount which exceeds a two hundred percent threshold of the actual value of my product or service. In addition, I am also forbidden to receive greater than thirty-five percent of the profit made during trades on behalf of your party. Business and trades on behalf of my party is unrelated to the business of your party and cannot be held accountable by the bindings of this contract. This contract does not bind other potential contracts made with other members of your party and of my party as long as they are made on an individual basis and does not pertain to the welfare of your party. I will also be given protection. Not just from the members of your party, but also from the hazards that could occur whilst traveling."

Arastoph took a deep breath, and rolled his eyes. He would have to write that down alter. Much of the deal had a lot pertaining to himself and what he would receive. Of course it did. An arrangement like this has much that can be taken advantage of, and he had no intention of being taken advantage of. Granted, there was enough in their favor that hopefully the engineer would see it as fair. A thirty-five percent cut may seem large, but these people haven't seen what he was capable of just yet.

He looked back at the seer girl gave her a sly smile with a twinkle in his eye. "That does mean that the money you give me will go to a different transaction. But given the opportunity offered to me is a fair replacement, the dagger you offer is sufficient. Would you like to continue the trade?"

[Assistant]
Alula was pleasantly surprised, and relived, when the merchant refused to take her shoes. At least she got to keep those. She was about to hand over the knife, when Kelvin stepped in. He pushed the knife and shoes back into her hands, and began to speak with the merchant. Everything the man was saying was confusing her. Was Kelvin helping her? All she wanted was her hat back. She bent over, again almost losing her fitting, and put back on her shoes.

Once the two were finished speaking Arastoph turned back to her. He asked her if she would be willing to part with the dagger for the hat, not to mention that she had already given up all of her gold for it as well. She didn't really care about the money, she just wanted her hat back. She nodded eagerly, handing him the dagger and in exchange she was given her hat. The little woolen string was a nice touch, it would be much harder to loose now.

Tugging her hat down over her eyes, finally content to keep her face away from the sun and the others gaze, she smiled.

[User]
Furnace had nodded and stared into the sunrise while his new friends discussed complex theories of trade and commerce.
He could barely follow the story but the gist of it seemed Kelvin and Vis testing the new man on the subject.
Perhaps they needed to measure his abilities? The new man's words were fast and impressive. His knowledge of movements of gold seemed extensive.
It was clear he intended to boast his talent, even when Furnace couldn't really catch on to what exactly the talent was.
He would trade for them? Furnace had already learned how that went, but he had not heard anything this complex.
This all sounded like a school of magic he'd never heard of. One specialised in reading the movements and fluctuating values of gold?
That would be..

Aurumancy?
Making this man an Aurumancer.
Impressive.

"Uhm... Can you explain your spells in a way the uninitiated understand."

[Assistant]
Vis made himself comfortable in the cradle of roots and rested, closing his eyes from the soft rays of the morning sun, a soft light of his own spilling past the shut eyelid of his green eye. He was tired and could not bring himself to eat the bread that he got for himself and instead, shook it in Khat's direction, her hand snatched out instantly and took the bread. She gobbled it down, stuffing it into her mouth and early chewing before swallowing, she didn't realize how hungry she was. Once finished with the chunk of stale bread, she turned to thank Vis but closed her mouth when she noticed him lying there, his chest rising and falling evenly, a sign of sleep. She mentally shrugged, before walking over to where he deposited his bag, among the rest of the group, to break off another piece of bread from their shared loaf. As she did, she looked up at everyone with a level, cool look. They were interesting, that was for sure but she only knew one of their names, the Knight's, Carver.

She spun on the spot for a moment, looking at everyone before her eyes fell on a cloaked lady, the one who had not been so maliciously swindled by the merchant for a pointy hat. She shuffled over, nibbling her new piece of bread, as the last one had sated most of her appetite. Khat tugged the woman's cloak gently.

"Hello."

[User]
This guy is as slippery as an oiled dwarf. Kelvin grimaced at both the mental image and the man in front of him as he listed off his conditions. The guy was throwing out numbers and conditions like he had contracts memorized… and he probably did, looking at him. Kelvin repeated the terms in short in his head, trying to think them over. Unfortunately, while he was good at math, economics were not his strong suit. There were some unmentioned holes, but he could use those to his own advantage. The terms looked alright, but no reason not to argue them down if he could.

"I don't accept." Kelvin let it roll off his tongue the moment the seer had her hat back. "If you want to trade with us, you will do it fairly, at no more than half again the market price." He scratched his beard, "And only a hundred monthly, unless you want to supply your own food and sleeping gear, and you take twentyfive percent of profit made in trades on the parties behalf, if you also want a fair split of any treasures we find along the way. Otherwise, you are on your own for loot." Kelvin wasn't quite sure they were going to be able to afford another hundred gold a month, but if this guy could keep his word… "I recommend you take that deal."

Kelvin waved his hand at the gold and shrugged. "Unless you have a different offer, because I am sure we can find other uses for that gold than stuffing your pockets. It looks to me like you need it more than we do." Kelvin spared a glance at Separ and Carver. Carver to make sure the knight was witnessing what was happening, and Separ because the guy was technically their leader.

"I hope this won't take too long, after all, we do have one or two enemies a mile or more that way." Kelvin gestured towards the forest, roughly where they had come from.


[System]
Long-term Character

more information can be found here:rp-worlds.wikia.com/wiki/Elizabeth_Lau..
Appearance:

Age: 17
Room: 1
Race: human
Both (Traditional and Draconic Magic)
Magic Specialty: elemental control

Ranking of the Basic Four
1) Earth
2) Wind
3) Water
4) Fire
Magic Affinity: Mental
Unique Traits: She has heterochromia. What is most peculiar about her case is that her right eye is purple, while her left eye is gold.
Likes: Literature, Classical Music, Intriguing Situations, Interesting People
Dislikes: Homophobia, Boring People
Personality: Elizabeth is notable for being intelligent and erudite for her age, and she's not afraid to flaunt it. She is often friendly, but is not very fond of things or people she finds boring. Unless she's working on a project, she likely won't stay on one subject for very long.
History: Elizabeth grew up in Arlington, Virginia, Elizabeth found the life there to simple. She is naturally drawn to magic, but she had no idea about it. This lead her to become a restless girl constantly searching for excitement, never to be completely fulfilled.
Pet Desired: Arcane Hound
Dragon Desired: Ancient Air Dragon
Name: Uriel

Other: Follow the Rainbow.
Independent Courses: Archaic Languages, Calligraphic, Auras, Musical Instrument, and Basketry.

[User]
" You just don't know Mi'lady." Sir Marilyn said, sipping his spiked coffee. " I am doing the same, being a reaper isn't what its cracked up to be. Your always alone taking peoples lives away. You kill people, even children with a simple touch of a finger. And to add i cannot sleep, i'm up 24/7. I have to be.

Setting his coffee down on a miniature desk, Sir Marilyn turned to face Violetta. " So in search of friendship, I offer some time to talk to another person.  He then gave a slight bow. Sitting back down.

[Assistant] "I have wondered why a reaper was sent here.... yet you sent out the dogs like I asked to find and save Shermie and you have just touched me and as far as I know, I am still alive. I simply don't understand some things......... But I must get up to my room, get my egg and head for the lecture room. Perhaps we can talk more some other time." Lady Violetta spoke calmly and with a puzzled look.

[User]
As Elizabeth had gathered her eggs, she noticed that Skotadi had chosen to sit in the back, beyond the sight of the unobservant. Elizabeth, however, was not so unobservant. It was in Elizabeth's best interest to associate with her peers, as a number of them were independently intriguing on their own merits. From what she had deserved, Skotadi was among those numbers, and Elizabeth did enjoy to meet people that were like that. So she got a little closer.

"Hello," Elizabeth said. "Things have been quite hectic around here, and its only been a couple of days, especially for those of us who were a little belated in their exit of the village. I suppose that in a place such as this, however, events will only unfold hectically. I don't think that the two of us have been properly introduced; I'm Elizabeth Laurent. The Lady Violetta seems to be recalling us already. She seems to be eager to teach, but if it will speed our progress then I suppose it must be good. I'd like it if we could be friends, even though the Lady doesn't seem to want to give us any free time."

[Assistant] "Yeah, after the village incident, I never want to be late for anything else, though I do hope to see them again." Ayaka said as she quickly ate what she put on her tray. "I gave Rikami a toy so he can be preoccupied. Hopefully, he's still playing with it though... " She waited for Mystique to finish before deciding heading back to her room to get Rikami.

[User]
Mystique was soon done and spoke as she wipe her lips.
"Let's go. I want to get Ember and the egg. I wonder now if I should have just taken one course or not."

Lady VIoletta hurried upstairs to get her smallish egg. She was curious about what kind of a dragon was inside it. Once she was in her room, she put her egg sling on and tucked her egg inside. Then she was off to Lecture room B. She could only hope that the students were on time. SHe had Cheepers! for the first three who came through the door plus extras and other assorted candies to hand out for correct answers.

[Assistant] Skotadi had been looking at her timetable on her PLT, trying to memorize every inch of it. She noticed that she had to go to Lecture Room B and was just about to leave for the lecture so that she wouldn't be late but she wasn't going to be rude towards the girl that had just come up to her, she decided that she had enough time for a chat if she made it quick. "Hello, it has been rather hectic hasn't it, I am Skotadi Lark. The more I learn the happier I will be, even if it is on something I didn't even know to be real. I think that it would be quite interesting if we could be friends so we might as well try it, I'm afraid I normally use my free time doing things that most people ring boring. Some things that I do are read and play chess if it is possible, I would love to continue this conversation but it will have to be on the road as I need to be getting to class immediately." Skotadi replied to Elizabeth before walking off to her room to collect her dragon egg before she went off to the lecture, she figured that if the girl really wanted to talk to her she would have to catch up but she definitely wasn't going to be late on her first actual school day or any day for that matter.

[User] Ayaka got up. Where Mystique was second guessing taking both courses, she was starting to second guess taking only one. "Will you be ok taking both?" she asked as she walked toward the staircase.

[Assistant] "I hope so. I won't get a study hall but I will have a pet and a dragon. I'll have to work extra hard probably but it would be worth it. And it is a small egg so I doubt that it will be a large one. Since you are here you might as well take the classes. I am not sure that we can go home anyways because she said something about summer classes, didn't she?" Mystique asked on the up.

[User] "Yeah she did... wonder what sort of summer classes? And do we ever get to go home at least for a little while?" Ayaka was more of asking herself about going home than anything, but it didn't matter that she said that part out loud. "Well see you in a couple minutes" She went to her room, put the leash on Rikami before picking him up to carry him. The leash was just in case she needed him to walk on his own for some reason.

[Assistant]
Elizabeth was glad that she had been received positively, as, if nothing else, it would be possible to meet a new friend in the way of Skotadi. Skotadi was right, that they needed to go and hurry along. The Lady had given them little time for anything, and had certainly had not given away any time for wasting.

"You are quite right," Elizabeth said. "I'll be on my way as well."

Elizabeth went back to her room to collect her things. That is, she went back to her room go and collect her pet and her egg. When Elizabeth went back to her room, her Arcane Hound was sitting there quietly. So far, she liked her Arcane Hound, and had decided that she would call him Hesiod. Such a name, that evoked both majesty and humility, among other desirable traits, would befit him, or so she thought. So far, he had said no words to Elizabeth. Elizabeth assumed that there would be a day that he would, and that he was currently either too young, too bashful, or too unfamiliar with her to be at the stage yet. She also grabbed her white dragon egg, which Elizabeth thought seemed to shine whenever she took a look at it. She held it carefully in her arms, and made sure that it in no way be endangered. Hesiod followed his new master obediently as they left the room.

She was speed-walking, as they say, as she traversed the still unfamiliar surroundings of the academy. She went into the second lecture hall, and took a seat. She kept the white dragon egg in her arms, and kept a close eye on Hesiod. He seemed to be a good pet, but Elizabeth still had to work out what his personality was.

[User] Skotadi saw Elizabeth sit down and decided to go over and continue the conversation that they had started while they were waiting for the lecture to begin. She walked over, carrying her fiery dragon egg which was still strangely hot, to where Elizabeth was sitting and asked politely," Hello again, may I sit next to you?" She wasn't normally one to go up to people she didn't know but she had decided earlier to have a change in this new place.

[Assistant]
Mystique nodded. She was glad not to have to go home because she had no home to go to. She put the leash on Ember and the egg in her sling then wondered how those who got a larger egg was going to manage their egg. She pushed the thought away and put treats in both pockets before going out the door.
"I am ready to go. We had better hurry so we won't be late."

[User]
Elizabeth turned to Skotadi, just as Skotadi had turned to her. She also had a dragon's egg, although of a different color.

"I wouldn't mind at all if you sat by me, Skotadi," Elizabeth said. "I'm still unused to the schedule around this place. I don't think that any of us were given any schedule, but I suppose that we will have to make do with what we have no choice but to comply with. I'm sure that it will work out in the end, if it has always been like this. How are you, by the way?"

[Assistant] Ayaka was about to walk out the door when she remembered she needed treats for Rikami. She grabbed some treats real quick and walked out carrying him to meet up with Mystique again. "I'm ready too. Hope we aren't late." She hurried to the staircase to go the Lecture Room.

[User]
"You should probably rest more, I've things to do but I don't want to go. If you want me to stay I can..."
Life looked at Shermie, peering through her almost.

[Assistant]
"I hope that we aren't late again. Let's hurry! To Lecture Lab B, please!" mystique spoke as she stepped into the Spiral Stairway. She nearly dropped Ember as they went down. She hurried after Ayaka to the lecture room.

Lady Violetta set a Cheeper! on Skotadi and Elizabeth's desk.
"That is for being early to class. I reward my students with goodies. I have one more for the next person who comes through the door."

[User]
"Thank you, Lady Victoria," Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth had personally little interests in the trinkets themselves of which she was given, as they were in actuality small things, which were irrelevant to the larger scheme of things, and Elizabeth was for the most more interested in things which were relevant to the larger picture. What she did see as important, however, in this was that she was closer to achieving the Lady's favor, or had achieved it, if she was sufficiently lucky and the Lady was sufficiently simple or benevolent. Elizabeth, however, from her observations had to assume that the Lady was not sufficiently simple or benevolent, but that she was merely closer to achieving her own favor. Whatever the case, she was thinking too hard on receiving a Cheeper! for arriving early.

[Assistant]
Skotadi was glad that Elizabeth had accepted her attempts at being social," Thank you very much Elizabeth, I would definitely of thought that we would of gotten a schedule straight away but obviously not. This place in itself is rather peculiar and goes against every law of physics but then I guess that's what you should generally expect from magic, to go past the common boundaries. I of course wouldn't know as before now, I don't think that I even relatively believed in such a thing." Skotadi was happy that she had been rewarded for being early although she hadn't done it for the award but instead to make sure that she didn't miss anything of importance.

Skotadi turned to Lady Violetta and said considerately," Thank you very much, Lady Violetta."

[User] Ayaka waited for Mystique to catch up to her before walking in the classroom. She didn't want to just go in the room without her. Seeing that only a couple others were there, Ayaka gathered that they weren't late. She found a seat nearby the other two in the room and sat down, knowing Mystique will likely sit next to her. Rikami sat in her lap looking around at his surroundings. She just held on to his leash in case he got a sudden urge to want to try playing with one of the other animals in the room.

[Assistant]
Lady Violetta placed a Cheeper! on Ayaka's desk.
"A reward for being the class on time. Here is one for you as well Mystique. It is time to start the class."
Lady Violetta walked up to the podium where she had her notes.

Mystique soon arrived and found Ayaka by a couple other girls. She walked to the seat next to Ayaka and put Ember down on the floor so that he could play. With the leash, Mystique knew that she could easily control where he wandered. She was surprised when Lady Violetta placed a Cheeper! on Ayaka's desk then one on her desk.

[User]
"From what I recall the Lady saying earlier, this Academy dwells not in an alternate reality, but in the same reality we are accustomed to, and is merely located in a separate galaxy. We are close enough for certain fundamentals to remain the same, yet too far to contact home," Elizabeth mused. "The laws of nature are the same, but our understanding of them is different because we had no knowledge of magic. Perhaps in a distant galaxy, there is another unaccounted for element that neither of these galaxies have. Whatever the case, it is certain that what we thought we knew will need a thorough reexamining."

In her musings, Elizabeth had said all that she thought of the current situation. From what she had known, Skotadi reminded Elizabeth a good deal of an old friend. In truth, there were glaring differences between Skotadi and her old friend, but it may had been Elizabeth herself who forced such differences. Whatever the case, she had said as much as she thought necessary, hopefully not making her new acquaintance bored or annoyed or both.

Also in the room now were Ayaka and Mystique. Elizabeth had often seemed them talking, and it seemed that they were currently good friends. Lady Violetta gave them a Cheeper! on their desk for being on time, so apparently the treat wasn't so special, which was actually preferable to Elizabeth, as she did not want it to be seen as something exceptional. For now, Elizabeth only kept her Cheeper! where the Lady had put it.


[System]
* Age: 14.
* Gender: Female
* Appearance:Normal
* Personality:

Quiet. Calm. Stoic.

Her face is a mask of calm, her emotions hidden well behind it's perfect stillness. She is taciturn, ill inclined to speak and always deliberate with what words she chooses. Despite this she is never very harsh in her tone. She is soft spoken and though she can be caring it is hard for her not to come off as distant or closed off towards others.

Behind her mask she hides a great deal of pain. Her condition has left her wheelchair bound and with each passing month her body worsens leaving her less and less able. With the knowledge that, as most doctors she's seen have informed her, she is unlikely to live past eighteen her outlook has become rather grim. Despite her severe handicap however she uses her magic powers to help those in need and protect the innocent. She tends to look at the big picture and often considers the greater good but tries not to forget to do right by those close to her. Though selfless in her pursuit in helping mankind with her magic she pays just enough heed to herself to effectively support herself as she is a means to the bigger picture which is the good of all.

She is fairly studious as well, being well read with a particular eye towards the classics. She has a rich English verbiage which frequently bleeds into her day to day dialect. Due to her severe physical handicap her interests are often fairly insular and passive. She dislikes stress and hardship but is realistic enough to understand that unpleasantness sometimes cannot be avoided, only confronted.

Her determination to succeed in this Hex Night is strong as it presents one of the only opportunities she'll have of having her wish made reality. Given how long she's expected to live she doesn't see any realistic alternatives.
* Skills: She's well studied and holds a decent trove of miscellaneous knowledge which leans heavily on history.
* Brief Backstory:

Sophia was a sickly child from birth. As it turned out she possessed a genetic defect where her ribcage is too small for her organs. This is known as Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome. This defect resulted in her ribcage putting pressure on her heart and lungs, leading to constant chest pains and shortness of breath. The weakness in her heart and breath left her enfeebled. She's been wheelchair bound from an early age and it hasn't improved with time.

A young girl in a wheelchair with an oxygen mask seemed like quite the odd candidate for magic powers indeed. Regardless she accepted her newfound gift and used it to combat the darkness formed from the negative emotions of mankind. She has battled the darkness for some time but with her worsening condition it seemed like she might not have much longer to do battle, her health declining with the steady passage of time. When she got word of this Hex Night taking place she set out from her home in Britain to Japan so she might reach for this grand prize.

At this point there was little for her to lose.

	+ Magical Girl Appearance:Transformed One detail that differs from the image is that her irides are completely black in this form.
	+ Concept: The Macabre.
	+ Archetype: The Raven's Quill.
	+ Abilities:

	Sophia is a rather delicate summoner who's main forms of attack are swarms of shadow based ravens which mob her enemies with their sharp beaks and talons. The ravens are mostly intangible which makes them difficult to damage physically. As they are shadow based light based attacks disperse them the easiest. Other forms of magical attacks vary in their effectiveness against the ravens with physical attacks being the weakest method to use against them. A strong enough melee attack will disperse a raven that's struck but their bodies are fairly fluid, able to reshape quite easily after being struck by physical blows. In addition she can extend her sight through these ravens by closing her eyes and seeing through those of the shadow's own.

	Her other power allows her to blend into the darkness allowing her to hide up a certain amount of mass from sight. The effectiveness of this concealment scales with the size and intensity of the shadow used. Perfect darkness allows for perfect concealment while a dim shadow only allows for partial concealment.

	She does not possess access to her greatest abilities as she is unaware of her Archetype's nature.

[User]
At least the newcomer didn't seem to be trying to attack them, though Tokiko still thought she looked kind of scary. The mad scientist crossed her arms, and kept a wary eye on the black-clad stranger, interjecting only a quiet hmph of disagreement at the implication that she might be in any way 'easy.' Anyone ought to know: Tokiko was a very difficult magical girl indeed!

At least all this chatting meant Hikari was getting up to date, and hopefully wouldn't accidentally end up in any more dangerous situations. Not that I'd care, Tokiko thought sullenly. The next time she saw that girl getting attacked, she'd definitely just leave her. If they even saw each other again.

"No one is killed," she added as the fairy explained, "but some of us can get hurt, like you just saw. And now you're involved in all that." She groaned aloud. "I went out of my way to protect you, but instead you've become a magical girl and gotten yourself into even more trouble! You dummy..."

Hikari wasn't the only irritation, though. "And what's your deal?" she asked the unknown magical girl. "If you're not here to fight us, then why reveal yourself like this? Are you looking to team up or something?"

@TheFake

[Assistant]
❅❄ Fuyuko Yamazaki ❄❅

---

Lowly Wretch

At the initial lack of response, Fuyuko bit the inside of her lip. Just how upset was this person with them? A few seconds later, though, the shadow veil lifted to reveal a girl clothed in elaborate black frills, with dark hair and equally dark eyes, seated in an ornate wheelchair that matched her gothic theme. Instead of the look of annoyance Fuyuko had expected, she wore one of calm.

The yuki-onna bowed again once the girl had explained her delayed answer. "Ah... It's ok. Nice to meet you too." Sophia's politeness put her at ease somewhat, but a hint of wariness remained. The wheelchair and breathlessness didn't necessarily stop this girl from being a formidable fighter, ranged magic being more than capable of making up for physical frailty. Thankfully, Kiyoshi showed no sign of detecting hostile intentions, padding forward and nuzzling her. Fuyuko could only hope this was just a display of friendliness, not an indication that she and Noriko had caused unnecessary distress.

"Ehh, I'm the one who should apologise," Noriko said, rubbing the back of her neck. "And don't worry, Kiyoshi here won't harm you, whenever he's not in combat he's just like a puppy." The okuri-okami turned to glare at his summoner for a second. "I'm Noriko," the wolf girl continued, "and this is my sister, Fuyuko." Despite the lingering embarrassment at the little mishap, the older sister gave a slight smile.

As Noriko petted Kiyoshi, then tucked her hair behind her ear, Fuyuko knew what she was doing. Her lifting of an okuri-okami hair to her eyes would look inconspicuous that way, at least to people who didn't know the full extent of her magic. Further relief settled over Fuyuko when Noriko didn't seem to pick up on any warning signs, acting the same as usual. "Ohh awesome!" the younger sister commented, wide-eyed as she glanced up. "I'm going to guess those ravens are yours, that's a neat move!"

Fuyuko's eyebrows furrowed as she looked in the same direction. There had to be a reason Sophia was using her magic. A reason she'd been hiding just now. "Uh... If you don't mind my asking," the white-haired girl said. "This got me wondering... What is it that brings you to these woods? There isn't trouble nearby, is there?"

[User]
~~Nico~~

---

"S-Sisters?!"

Nico was shocked that her guess turned out to be correct, eyes wide open in disbelief. The girl never knew that the young shrine maiden had a sister! Still, the longer she thought about it, the weirder it seemed. Nico was sure Hanako had been in the same school as her for at least the past year. She also didn't seem like the type of girl that would wander the country. Most of the times Nico saw her, Hanako was taking a nap somewhere... it was hard to believe someone with such little energy could muster that kind of willpower.

"Ah, Hanako-san! Are you alright?"

Nico took notice of how uncomfortable Hanako seemed to be with the entire situation. She was mumbling, staring down at her feet and the girl's face was steadily getting more and more flushed. Nico put two and two together, figuring out that Himeko was messing with the both of them. She looked back up at the shrine maiden with a frown.

"Himeko-san, you shouldn't tease us like that... I really believed you were siblings for a moment there!"

[Assistant]
"Hoshino? I think you're in the year below mine. I'm Sonya."

Her grip on the Key tightened slightly but she retained the confident posture and expression. Is the real world she would be at a slight disadvantage against just one of them. The potential for collateral damage there would seriously limit how much firepower should could throw around.

"I was actually looking for a friend but came across you guys instead. Who were you fighting anyway?"

She was honestly worried about Hanako at this point, especially if there was a pair low enough to attack a brand new magical girl prowling around.

"And which way did they go? You look winded but I should be able to finish them off."

@VitaVitaAR

[User]
Christa Yamashiro
"I was going back home, like anyone would at this time, it just happens to be that going through this park is the shortest route," Christa replied to the younger girl, eyeing her weird mannerisms with a great deal of care while trying to not stare too much out of consideration for her privacy. "But, never mind that. You are much younger than I'm so, by your own logic, you are in a more vulnerable position," she added, reversing the argument.

"If you are lost, I can help get to the nearest police station. It's not that far from here. Otherwise, I suppose that I'll have to bid you farewell," Christa said in as much of a helpful tone as she could muster. She couldn't simply abandon a child that might as well be lost without at least offering to help. even though this one felt off for some reason that she couldn't tell that easily.

[Assistant]
"Sorry, sorry~" Himeko practically sang, her wide grin plastered across her face, "it was hard to resist!"

A gullible young lady and a flustered high(?)-schooler, what a wonderful combination! Even if Nico cottoned on relatively quickly, she seemed the type to be easily taken in by Himeko's words. The day she learned to second-guess every word that passed the shrine maiden's lips would be a sad one, indeed. Little Hanako, meanwhile, seemed to have a low teasing threshold, so Himeko would have to rein it in.

"Not that I would mind having a sister as cute as you, of course!" Himeko addressed the smallest of the trio with a friendly smile, "but anyway, sorry for the bump. As long as you aren't hurt!"

Himeko barely managed to refrain from patting the young girl's head. Her exact age was hard to pin down, but putting that aside, Hanako's demeanour indicated that such a display of affection would have her melt into the floor. Himeko wasn't so mean to do that to her. In public.

@Raineh Daze

[User]
"Ah... It's ok. Nice to meet you too."

As the wolf padded forward she carefully presented her hand, letting the creature acquaint itself with her scent to put it at ease. Once it was comfortable with her she would give it a gentle pet along the ear, it's soft fur running along her pale delicate fingers.

"Ehh, I'm the one who should apologise, And don't worry, Kiyoshi here won't harm you, whenever he's not in combat he's just like a puppy. I'm Noriko, and this is my sister, Fuyuko."

"It is a pleasure to meet you both." Sophia looked from one to the other. While both of them still seemed wary of her Noriko was the more relaxed of the two, Fuyuko still looking at her with some suspicion.

"Ohh awesome! I'm going to guess those ravens are yours, that's a neat move!"

Without any change in her placid expression she simply nodded. Though there were only a couple of her ravens nearby, the rest distributed further into the woods and all over the town, it seemed this magical girl had pinned their presence to her. Given how she's already demonstrated notable abilities of detection thus far given how she was able to find her in the first place it did not surprise her that she able to trace her conjurations to their source.

"Very astute of you." She answered calmly. There was still the possibility of this situation turning ugly but from appearances it seemed neither of these two were looking to take advantage of this moment of weakness of hers. She had good cause to fear for her own safety seeing as she was outnumbered but she did not allow that to color her attitude. Hex Night or not they were still magical girls, deserving of common courtesy and politeness at the very least. More than that they were still people. While people are often unpredictable she could not allow herself to treat the people she strove to protect from the shades like wild animals.

"Uh... If you don't mind my asking, This got me wondering... What is it that brings you to these woods? There isn't trouble nearby, is there?"

She shut her eyes briefly, enjoying the fresh air's cool touch on her skin as her long wavy black hair gently swayed in the breeze.

"No." Her eyes locked with Fuyuko's own icy blue gaze. "I'm simply acquainting myself with this town and it's residents. I find nature relaxing, well removed from the many distractions of urban life."

She looked down from Fuyuko to their large wolf Kiyoshi.

"I feel many a people's hearts crave such peace without knowing it."


[System]
Appearance:

Age:
Eighteen Years Old.

 Profession/Status:
 Lower Class Citizen, Maid.

Personality:
⚜ Kind ⚜ Stubborn ⚜ Blunt ⚜ Intellectual ⚜

Born the eldest of five siblings, Alessandra is more of a mother figure, which is why she was very calm, kind, and generally a warm person toward younger people, or ones she feels the need to take care of or protect. Despite being the perfect representative of an older sister, a mom second in command, she is very stubborn and blunt, which had gotten her into trouble more times than not. She didn't know when to shut up or hold back; therefore, she had gotten in trouble with older, or rather richer, citizens. She always managed to step away from the trouble-- even after causing it.

She is also a lover for knowledge, but because of her status and slightly weak reading skills, she suffers to feed that need and love for knowledge, which is the exact way anyone can bribe her into anything--They could read her a book, or even tell her of the old myths that go around the country.

Brief History:

Alessandra was the oldest sibling of five, and after their youngest brother, their mother had fallen very ill and almost always bed ridden. Alessandra was raised to be a perfect stay-at-home wife like her mother, bearing children, cooking, keeping everything in place, and helping the household in whichever way she can, but with a little twist of stubbornness and pride.

Alessandra's Father, Alexander, was working his best to feed his five children and get the medicine needed for his wife, which wasn't really working. The mother had continued to get worse and worse, which caused Alexander to try and spend more and do more in order to get his wife the help he thought she needed-- Which wasn't really working due to the poor knowledge of the people he sought out for help.

It didn't matter that the money and things he spent were to waste, they still put him in debt.

The best thing he thought of to pay back the royalty was to offer his eighteen-year old daughter, perfect age, good looks, and a somewhat good personality to be one of the queen's ladies, a court maid, or a mistress. He didn't care once they had taken him up on the offer, as he continued to obsessively look for something to cure his wife.

[User]
Alessandra gasped at Henry's comment as she stared at his back. "Henry!" She mumbled as she relunctantly followed behind Henry and the royal couple.
* * *

Alessandra was exhausted to say the least after the tour around WhiteHaven, but she marked it as a nice day as she got the chance to go out and explore WhiteHaven.

At the sound of Adam, Alessandra turned and instantly a wide smile spread across her face. She excitedly watched Adam as he greeted Hye Jin, giggling slightly at how he so openly commented that Hye Jin was beautiful-- She was indeed, but the idea of her still made her very uncomfortable.

Alessandra straightened up and smiled even wider as Adam turned toward her. She glanced at Hye Jin's shocked expression and in a way, it brought her down. Similar to how Adrian used to think, Hye Jin must think that Alessandra was not worthy of any attention. The tears stung her eyes, but she smiled up at Adam anyway.

"Welcome back! It had been a little long, hasn't it? Have you done well? Glad to have your majesty back in court." She excitedly said.

[Assistant]
"The trips I made all went smoothly. I believe Father would be pleased at how much I was able to accomplish these few months that I was gone. It is, however, good to be back. How have you been?" Adam smiled as he spoke. "Have you missed me? he asked, his voice strangely louder than when he had started speaking.

Adrian stopped in his tracks when he heard Adam's question. Hye Jin looked up questioningly at him but he just shook his head. He immediately resumed walking and was out of ear shot before he could hear Alessandra's answer.

[User] Alessandra smiled proudly as she nodded. "I am sure he is! I bet Prince Adrian would be too." She commented with an assuring nod. At his next question, she blushed deeply as she blinked a couple times, unaware of his higher tone. She giggled slightly, nervously. "Of course, the whole court did! You are such pleasent company." She answered as she averted her eyes, obviously embarrassed with such a question. "You shouldn't keep the guest waiting." She adviced as she started walking toward the dinning hall.

[Assistant] Adam chuckled. He walked towards the dining hall but instead of overtaking Alessandra, he fell into pace with her. He reached out into his pocket and withdrew a simple leather necklace with a golden flower pendant on it. "Here. I brought you a little something from my trip down south," he dangled the necklace in front of her before placing it into her hand. He smiled at her but didn't wait for her to say anything as he walked forward and entered the dining hall before she did.

[User]
Alessandra smiled slightly as he preferred to walk in pace with her better than ahead of her. She actually felt like she was a human being around Adam. She looked up at the necklace in awe. "Your majesty I can n--" She started out only to be interrupted by him handing her the necklace and walking away. In a way, she was esctatic he remembered her, yet she was nervous about accepting such a gift from the prince.

She held the necklace in her fist and hurried behind Adam, soon falling back in pace with him as he headed for his seat. "I really can not accept this gift, Prince Adam." She mumbled as she looked up at him.

[Assistant]
Adam raised an eyebrow. "Why not? I heard it was rude not to accept gifts freely given," he said smoothly. He took a seat and glanced towards Hye Jin who was staring at both him and Alessandra. Hye Jin's frown immediately turned into a smile when she caught Adam looking at her.

Adrian remained silent at Adam and Alessandra's exchange. He avoided looking at them but instead began conversing with Hye Jin about her kingdom.

[User] Alessandra opened her mouth to speak but relunctantly closed it again as she glanced at the gift. "Thank you." She mumbled and took a deep bow to Adam before walking away from the table and closer to where Henry stood.

[Assistant]
The King and the queen was not present during dinner but nevertheless, it was interesting, full of stories mostly from Adam and some from Hye Jin. Adrian silently listened to both of them and voiced out a few comments here and there. But the crown prince was mostly silent the whole time. He rarely smiled and often times looked deep in thought.

"You've been terribly silent the whole time, Adrian. Are you still not feeling well?" Adam asked.

"I am completely recovered, Adam. Do not worry yourself over it," Adrian replied. There was an unreadable look in his eyes as he glanced at his younger brother for a few seconds before he turned towards Hye Jin when she started speaking.

"Oh, were you sick before I arrived?" she asked, an exaggerated look of worry on her face.

Adam looked at Adrian but when it didn't seem like he would answer, he took it upon himself to narrate the story. "My brother was a victim to an ambush several months ago that left him almost dead. It took a while for him to get back on his feet."

"Oh, my. I should tend to your health then," Hye Jin said.

There was a momentary flash of anger in Adrian's eyes but it was gone as soon as it appeared. "As I said earlier, I have completely recovered. There is no need for pointless worrying,"

"I have brought along with me oils that would help you relax and strengthen your body. Should I bring it to your room later, my prince?" Hye Jin persisted.

Adrian sighed. "Do as you wish, he said and then stood up. "If you will both excuse me." Without saying anything else, he stepped out of the dining hall and headed towards his room.

[User]
Alessandra had grown tired of standing around, so she had come in and out of the dining hall a few times. She set the gift Adam had given her in her room and had returned as Adam narrated what had happened with Adrian few months ago. She sighed a sigh of relief, glad that her Prince was now fully healed as he claimed. As Hye Jin offered to tend to his health, Alessandra felt anger boil through his-- That was her duty, her work. She rolled her eyes as she evn offered to pass by his room later. Didn't she know that was inappropriate for first day meetings?

Alessandra was glad as Adrian stood up to take his leave. She bowed to Adam
and Hye Jin before following closely behind Adrian, when they were surely out of hearing distance, she smiled at her prince.

"What do your majesty think about your future Queen?" She asked in a friendly tone with an underlying tone of disappointment, knowing his answer was most likely positive.

[Assistant]
Adrian didn't slow down. "Beautiful and perfect. I wouldn't expect anything less for an arranged marriage," his voice didn't sound at all friendly. His thoughts were on how happy Alessandra looked and sounded when she saw Adam. It annoyed him that he felt irritated and bothered by it. He knew that she always liked Adam more than him. Adam was friendlier, approachable and a lot more likeable. It didn't bother him before. Why did it now? And what it irritated him more was the fact that he was thinking about it.

He pushed open the door to his room and walked into it. He didn't bother asking Alessandra to draw a bath for him like he used to. Instead, he walked straight to the bathroom, went in and closed the door behind him.

[User]
Alessandra felt disappointment rush through her even more. Perfect. She nodded slightly and followed closely behind. The pain was weird for her, why was she so upset? She knew that Prince Adrian wouldn't stay in need of her for too long. She knew he would get other female company-- She knew she was nothing special to Adrian. But why did he say he wouldn't let go of her? Why did he get her a gift for just completing her job.

She shook her head and thoughts as Adrian walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. She blinked a few times, confused that he didn't ask her to get his bath ready for him. She felt down-- Did she do something wrong? She slowly took a seat in her usual chair, pulling her legs close to her.

[Assistant] A few minutes later, Adrian came out of the bath. His hair was damp and unruly while his cheeks were flushed pink from the warm water of his bath. His facial expression had relaxed a bit but he still looked lost in his thoughts. He remained silent and didn't seem aware of Alessandra's presence as he crossed the room and headed to the doors that led out into the balcony. He reached out, opened the doors and let the cool night breeze in as he stepped out.

[User]
Alessandra was almost falling asleep after such a long day, but at the sound of the door opening, she straightened up. She scanned the Prince carefully, wishing she could just fix his hair for him. She blushed as she caught herself thinking of such a thing. She shook her head and followed behind the prince.

"You shouldn't step out in the cold air while your hair is still wet your majesty." She commented softly as she stood beside him.

[Assistant]
Adrian blinked when he heard Alessandra's voice. He had gotten used to her being around that he no longer noticed her presence most times and especially when he was deep in thought. But instead of smiling at her like he used to the past few months, the expressionless look on his face remained. He felt that irritation tug at his heart again. Why would she spark such irritation and so much confusion in him? She was his handmaiden, nothing else. Perhaps he had gotten so used to having her attention that having her look at his younger brother... and even at Henry... bothered him.

Yes, that is probably what this is, he thought.

But...

Without thinking, he grabbed her hand, pulled her towards him and pressed his lips against hers.

[User] Alessandra looked up at Adrian as he grabbed her hand, but she had no time to react as he pulled her closer to him, so close that almost their bodies touched, Alessandra gasped but was interrupted by Adrian's lips on hers. Her eyes widened as blood quickly rushed to her cheeks. She blinked slightly. She didn't move, didn't pull back-- She liked it. She came to the realization that she really did like it. Her hands slowly found their way to grab his pajama slightly; She didn't know what she was doing, but in no time she was kissing him back-- She had never kissed anyone before, but as her lips moved against his, she was kissing him.

[Assistant]
Adrian's mind was reeling with confusion at what he was doing. Why was he kissing Alessandra? Why was his heart racing? But even as he questioned himself, he didn't pull back. And when she responded to his kiss, he felt his heart beat a little faster than it already was. He reached up and then stopped.

There was a knock on his door, loud enough that he heard it from the balcony.

He stepped back and ran a hand through his still damp hair. He glanced at Alessandra and noted how red her cheeks were. His eyes fell on her lips and for a moment, he thought about kissing her again. He blinked when the knock echoed in his room once more. Without saying anything, he walked back into the room just in time to hear a female voice call out.

"Prince Adrian? It's Hye Jin," the voice called out.

Adrian shook his head to clear it before he himself reached out and opened the door. He was met by the smiling foreign princess, an ornate wooden box in her hand. She gave him a polite bow. "I have brought you some incense oil that would help with relaxation and improve your health," she held out the box to him.

"Thank you," Adrian responded in a neutral tone as he took the box offered to him.

[User]
Alessandra's mind was blank, too blank as she kissed the man she served so feverishly. Suddenly all sense came back to her as the door knocked not once but twice. She abruptly stepped away from the Prince and stared up at him with eyes that held fear and confusion. Was he going to send her away? Was he not going to let her be around him anymore? Did she make a mistake?

Of course you did. You kissed the crown prince. You idiot. You should have never let the overwhelming feelings get to you. She thought as he walked away from her. She ran a hand through her hair and breathed out softly, trying to calm down, but her heart was racing so quickly she thought it would suddenly stop.

A few moments later, she stepped out to find it was Hye Jin handing Adrian the box. She blinked and smiled at Hye Jin, a tight smile as she stayed in the back.


[System]
Age: 20

Physical Appearance: Pyotr is possessed of a strong Don Cossack heritage: pale-skinned and dark-haired, with sparkling blue eyes and a face that many women could love, topped off by a lean build and a height of 173 cm. Though he'd dress quite colorfully within typical Cossack armies and the Red Guard, the uniform of the Blackshirts does not particularly allow for this, though he does keep his hair grown out somewhat longer than regimental standard.

Unit Profession: Cavalry

Personality: For a man who's knowingly participating in the brutal oppression of a country's population, Pyotr is surprisingly upbeat. Whether it's the exuberance of being a young adult, a lack of comprehension of the effect his actions have upon others, or a degree of sociopathy blunting him to the atrocities being committed in the Robber Baron's name, he tends to show a face to the world that is little other than smiling and optimistic. Rare are the moments when he is morose, and even while sighting some blyat's head with his gun, he tends to retain a cheery smile sure to lighten the mood of his companions.

History: Born on the eve of the new century, Pyotr was rather too young to be considered for service in the Great War, but was nonetheless trained well in the skills the Don Cossack Host held in their culture from youth, namely the arts of horseriding and of war at both short and long range, though never in as serious a situation as his future might suggest. Life was good for him, a state certainly helped by the relatively affluent nature of his familial lineage, so it was a great shame when the Russian Revolution of 1917 took place, in two separate strokes in February and October dethroning the Tsarist regime and replacing it with the Bolshevik party, which consequently decided to persecute a great deal of those Cossacks who previously benefited from the Tsars' favour.

Naturally, this did not sit well with Pyotr, and as soon as his parents gave their blessing, he took his horse Varvara and joined the Volunteer Army, a part of what would be called the White Army serving to try and dethrone the Bolsheviks in the ensuing civil war. For the next several months, he was deployed in but a few engagements with Red forces, mostly relegated to patrolling areas firmly in control of the white movement, and as a result becoming increasingly unhappy. Ironically, it was in his last battle under the White Army's banner that he came to a distressing revelation: ultimately, this was a battle of Russian versus Russian. That wasn't how things should be, he felt, not in a country as great as it had once been.

Thus, with little more than a written note at his last known position making this felt, he defected from the White Army, fleeing back to his home and strongly encouraging his miraculously-still-alive family to flee the country with him, before it was too late. Some members did; others did not. Leaving those who remained to whatever fate might befall them, Pyotr and his group made their way Westward, riding for two months through Russia's lands, and eventually reaching disputed territory between the Red Army and Polish forces at the time. Gradually, relatives peeled off from the group, either to help fight off those damn Bolshevists, or because they were sick of travelling, until by the time he reached the Polish-Czechoslovakian border, Pyotr was on his own, only Varvara and the reminders of his defection left to accompany him.

And yet he travelled further still, feeling restless, and uncontent with simply going back and settling somewhere with another relative. Eventually, he found he had travelled almost the entire length of Czechoslovakia, and so wound up in a small country bordering it, as well as Germany and Austria. A relatively tiny state called Borovia, which it seemed was having some troubles with its working class population. And whilst it was no grand war, Pyotr decided that perhaps this was where he belonged - in his mind, a worker's revolution meant another Red Terror, and what sort of man would he be if he didn't help put down such a threat, even at this small a scale, before it ever began?

So he travelled to the capital of Asnio, got himself hired as a mercenary, and was placed into the ranks of the local capitalist Baron's conscripts; some time later, he was deemed sufficiently skilled as to be relocated to the Blackshirt army proper, and now wears the uniform with no little amount of pride, for the short period of time he's had access to it.

Equipment: Pyotr's weaponry is composed of items stolen as he defected from the White Army, considered against usual Blackshirt fare, and decided to keep around anyway - perhaps unwisely, considering the additional expense the Baron must put into purchasing the ammunition for his weapons probably doesn't put him in good standings with the man.
Dragoon Rifle and detachable bayonet - A weapon from the Mosin-Nagant rifle line with good muzzle velocity and an effective range of up to half a kilometer, this gun is designed for use by mounted infantry such as Pyotr. Not a carbine along the lines of the M1907, but still shorter and lighter than the original M1891, it can and does have both an iron sight scope and a bayonet attached, but requires a stripper clip of five 7.62×54mmR rounds to fully reload, making it somewhat less convenient to use than the en-bloc-bearing Mannlicher in common use by the Blackshirts.
Nagant M1895, "Private's model" - Another Nagant weapon, this a 7-round revolver with a gas seal mechanism that, in combination with 7.62×38mmR rounds designed for use with this weapon, greatly increases the muzzle velocity of its bullet, rivalling and even surpassing that of his Dragoon Rifle. However, its range is sorely limited, the trigger pull is remarkably heavy, its single-action hammer requires recocking after every shot, and the gun is very time-consuming to reload, requiring each cartridge to be ejected and replaced manually. Because of this and his designated role as mounted marksman, Pyotr would rather stick to the Dragoon Rifle and its bayonet even within the pistol's effective range.
Varvara - Pyotr's horse, a black Russian Don about 15.2 hands tall and three years of age. The breed is well known for its stamina and endurance, though currently in short supply, and in fact were bred specifically as mounts for Cossack cavalry so they could travel long distances in short spans of time, with energy to spare. This endurance is not quite as necessary in the urban environments Pyotr is currently posted in, and she is often mildly restless as a result; she is also unarmoured, but as Pyotr prefers to fight from larger distances, this is not an issue quite as frequently as one might imagine.

Prominent Skills:
Horse riding - Pyotr is a skilled rider, able to direct most horses readily enough. Indeed, he has been trained to be able to control them even without the use of reins, freeing up his hands to fire his weapons from atop his mount. Speaking of which...
Marksmanship - Pyotr's sharpshooting skills are damn good. Not only is he great at targeting opponents with a rifle in his own right, he is more than able to do so from atop a horse, accounting for all the creature's movements in the process, a feat matched by few others who are not mounted riflemen themselves.
Melee combat - Less notable in this age of long-distance weaponplay, but when pressed, Pyotr is more than capable of using his bayonet to lethal effect, either mounted on his rifle like the head of a spear or held in hand like a sword or dagger.
Outland survival - Whilst not particularly relevant in an urban environment, Pyotr is more than capable of making do for himself and others in an environment that would otherwise be considered wilderness, namely large stretches of the Russian tundra.

Other: N/A

[User]
Erich Fuchs had finished cleaning and maintaining his equipment shortly before Josef opened the door, announcing their orders.
It had become an habit for Erich to keep his equipment in perfect shape. He didn't liked to trust them to some unknown soldier, so he kept his equipment near him all times
Oiling the blade of his rapier, cleaning his scalpels, ensuring that the telescopic sight on his M1895. It was a new acquisition, coming directly from the Baron's armory, but he had to admit, he took a liking to that rifle, so much that he actually customized his personal rifle. Precise, reliable and it packed quite a punch, it was truly a very effective weapon. His rapier though, was the only part of his equipment he refused to change. It was undeniable that the sight of a rapier on the battlefield was quite strange, but that particular blade accompanied him through many grim moments, and when he most needed it, in situations where weapons and comrades had failed him, it was always there. It was undeniable that it had almost an emotional importance to him.

"So, are we ready then?" he asked in german, looking to the other members while sheathing his rapier on his belt and grabbing his rifle.

The target this time were some rebels, workers that were unsatisfied with the current situation. They were armed, although probably very poorly. Erich really didn't mind the occasional killing. He knew that the world wasn't a kind world, and above everything else, he knew that the only thing, the only true rule of that world was the survival of the strongest. He would mercilessly kill and torture if that meant his survival. That mentality had saved him many times, and it wasn't something that Erich was going to change. But he had to admit, he took the relationship between a team very seriously. For Erich, few things in that world could match the honesty and truthfulness of the relationship between two people who had risked their lives in a battlefield together. He knew that having a team that knew each other and worked well together could be the difference between completing the mission or dying.

As Karl and Josef got out of the room, he followed them inside the armory. He already had his equipment in hand, but he felt it would be interesting to at least accompany them.
"Interesting choice." he said to Karl, looking at the Luger and the Gewehr he picked up.
"Very beautiful weapons, I must say. Why do you keep them at the armoury? Personally, I prefer to keep my weapons near me. I feel more comfortable knowing that I'm the one taking care of them." he said in german.

[Assistant]
'Sir, yes, sir!' Pyotr announced once Josef had finished giving out his orders. The Baron's orders, rather, for that was who they served, and why not? It was just another form of fighting, at the end of the day. Grabbing his weapons from next to himself and stowing them on his body, he stood from where he'd been sitting, listening to the radio along with the tall blond Karl, and headed out, not to the front of the building, but instead to a door leading out to its back side. Here was where the stables for the local cavalry horses were kept, and here was where Varvara was located. She was easily spotted, one of the few black horses in the stables round these parts, and all the more beautiful for it.

'Varvara!' he called, agitating her for a moment before he arrived, passing into her stall so as to soothe her. '[I know, I know, my dear,]' he murmured into her ear, speaking in Russian, the language they were both accustomed to, '[it is dreadful that you have not been allowed to stretch your legs enough. But you are a good strong horse, I know, for I have ridden you many times before. We're going out to do some work with our fellows, Varvara,]' he said, smiling at the horse as she gazed back, whether or not she knew what he was saying. '[You will be able to get some exercise whilst we are crushing the peasantry down, and once we get back, you shall have a nice hot mash, yes? Does that sound good? I will first need to saddle you up, as the Americans say, so just return when I call.]'

Then he allowed her out, and for a brief minute, she ran round the field the horses would frolic in, giving him time to open the gateway out and gather all the necessities for ensuring she remained under control, saddle, stirrups, bit and reins; and once she returned to him, he attached them to her body with practiced ease, finally lifting himself into her saddle and encouraging her to ride out the gate, dismounting only to close it behind them again. And once that was done, it was simply a matter of riding out front to meet his comrades in arms, ready to head out and do the dirty work of crushing this rebellion.

[User]
Josef nodded to Karl and Erich as they followed him, noting their polite startings to conversation. "There's likely some communist influence in these strikes, but I doubt we'll know unless we take some of them prisoner, which we likely will."

Noting that Erich had spoken to Karl, Josef turned to take to his gear, gathering his rifle and officer's sword, his pistol having already been on him. All three weapons had been his during the Great War as well, and so they bore a bit of customization and identification. The rifle's sights had been modified to measure in meters rather than the old paces, while the stock bore a carving of his name, and several tally marks from kills. The saber was well cared for, as was the sheath, the metal still just as bright as the day it was issued. Josef took these weapons, latching them over him, and once Karl and Erich were ready, heading out towards where Servác kept the truck.

Approaching the truck, Josef called out to Servác. "I hope you're ready to go, everyone else is." If they were, he'd climb into the rear of the truck, and after helping everyone else in, give the signal to go.

[Assistant]
If Pyotr had heard Josef mention communism, he'd likely have had a few words to say on the topic of the Bolsheviks, none of them good. As it was, he was none the wiser as he met up with the rest of the crew at the front of the building, happy as ever. Riding what his thing, so he often claimed, and he found it hard to imagine a better time than riding full-speed on the back of a sturdy steed. Maybe fucking a nubile and eager lady, of course, as many men might agree, but it'd be a very close second, if that.

'I know I am!' he called, having heard Josef yell over at Servác. Nice guy. That said, he trotted Varvara over to stand by Karl, glancing down at the tall German with a grin on his face. It was funny, really - you could be as tall as you wanted, and yet a man on a horse would still tower over you. 'So Karl,' he uttered, 'are you ready to keep these silly peasants in line? Varvara has been cooped up for very long, so she is extremely eager to stomp them under her hooves! Maybe. She is a horse, so perhaps yes, perhaps no.'