[System]
Inaros Characters
Gender: Female
Level: ??
Occupation: Housewife (helps her husband with his Clinic)
Info: You met Millie as you first woke up. She seems like a level headed person and it seems she took care of you when you were out.

name: Alice
Gender: Female
Level: ??
Occupation: Nurse
Info: Alice seems to be an easily excitable person who does not do much to control her emotions. She seems to have taken care of you when you were out.

[User]
Daisuke

Right after Daisuke asked his questions the spy lookalike asked his own questions and he had to admit asking about magic was a good idea. Less impressive was the blue haired kid flirting with one of the nurses and the pink haired girl trying to kamehameha blast him for some reason. Luckily even the doctor and nurses who had no idea of what she was doing just pretended nothing happened instead of assuming some stranger was trying to attack someone with magic, which of course was real in this world.

Ferb's explanation about Ayame was less then useful but the fact that he didn't react weirdly to the group having been brought back to life hopefully meant he knew something about that at least, The explanation and example of magic was also interesting, but before Daisuke could ask his next question one of the nurses ran off with blue kid's phone taking pictures of whatever she could. Confident that the owner of the phone could handle things he decided to ask anyway. "Is there a way to tell how much magic you can use and store?" Sure thanks to his phone he knew how much magic he had in a numerical amount but having nothing to compare it to still didn't tell him much.

Level: 1
Health: 133/133
Mana: 85/85

Stats:
Strength: 9
Constitution: 9
Agility: 9
Speed: 8
Intellect: 11
Discipline 14

Talents:
Merchant: Rank Novice - Lvl 1
Runology: Rank Novice - Lvl 1
Alchemist: Rank Novice - Lvl 1
Inventory: Wallet with ID and ten bucks, ballpoint pen, half filled thermos with coffee.

[Assistant]
As he was happily giving photography lessons to Millie Alice (remember, the brunette), Katsuo suddenly sensed killing intent, a deadly threat blooming from his left. Whipping around, his eyes widened at the invisible power gathering within the palms of the...Yuni? Inu? Umi? girl, who looked so cute focusing on her inner ki that Katsuo forgot that she was trying to obliterate him with her superpowers. But it was already too late for him to do much else, not if he didn't want to get anyone else caught in the crossfire.

So he sighed, and decided that, hey, at least dying to a cute Harajuku-style girl was better than a truck.

But the demise never came, and after a couple more seconds, Katsuo opened his eyes and laughed. "Oh man, Yumi, you almost got me there! Thought you had some secret cheat all ready to go and all, but phew, good thing that wasn't the case, huh?"

What the so called 'blue-haired twink' didn't know, however, was that he was playing checkers and Umi was playing Go on the sixth dimension. While he had been busy playing along with the marshmallow girl's Dragonball fantasies, Alice was literally having an emotional breakdown over her inability to make Katsuo's phone speak when pictures were taken. Yare yare, she looked like a woman ten years older than him but had the emotional restraint of a kid ten years younger than him. While others stayed on their beds and asked basic questions that you'd expect every adult to ask about (you know, magical questions n all, just normal adult concerns), Katsuo hopped off his own bed and stuck his feet into his sneakers. The lightness of his body was a bit odd, and it felt like he was overshooting whenever he took a step forward, but he didn't pay too much attention to it, instead leaving the room to pursue the woman-child that took his goddamn phone.

It was easy enough, when she was stopping every once in a while to snap pictures, at least. Maybe she was insane as well, with her reptition of actions and her expectation of something to change. Before he properly engaged her, Katsuo took a deep breath, relaxed his facial features, and...

Remember, I got a Charm ability. Maybe if I do this...

...placed a hand on Alice's shoulder. With a steady, even tone (people sounded more credible when they spoke at a slightly slower speed than they usually did) and a lowered pitch for his voice (deeper voices were associated with more adults, after all), Katsuo looked the nurse in the eye and smiled. "Calm down, Alice, there's a very simple explanation for this," he said, "This 'smartphone' can only be fully used by the person who owns it, being myself. You will be able to create instant, hyperrealistic pictures, but many of the more complex functions, such as the text you read, won't function if I'm not the one taking the picture."

The youth allowed that to sink in for a moment, still trying to channel the sauve, seasoned, super smooth secret spy that he totally was, before continuing, "I apologize for making it seem as if you'd be able to do everything that my smartphone enables though, Alice. Can I do something to make it up to you?"

This was charming, right? Not just creepy and patronizing? Goddamnit, the line is so blurry.

[User]
Apollo

Apollo nodded slowly as the doctor answered the questions that were put forth. When the doctor injured and then healed his hand, Apollo's eyes widened. It was real. He was watching for any amount of sleight of hand, prosthetics, prop magic. No sign of deceit. This was big. If what the doctor was saying was true, this isn't just 'some lucky few' with magical abilities. Magic was commonplace and used everywhere. "Fascinating." He said as he leaned back in his chair. He then remained there silent lost in his thoughts.

That was until the young girl, Umi, decided to try and blow everyone up in the room with a Ki Wave. Luckily it didn't work. That would have been a horrific way to die...again. Thankfully this brought Apollo back to the present. By the time he brought his train of thought back to the task at hand, he saw Alice storming off with Katsuo's phone, and Katsuo not too far behind. He was inclined to help, but he dug that hole and he had to dig himself out. He looked back to the doctor. His mind now back to their current situation.

"Okay! Magic Power is equivalent to your status. Got it. I appreciate you answering our questions, and I realize you must be a busy man. So I will only ask one more question. What do you know about us? You see we have but just woken up and I can't speak for the other, but I feel completely alien to the world now." He asked putting on a sincere smile. He wanted to know exactly how much the doctor knew about their situation. The doctor's lack of knowledge of Ayame makes him feel like he doesn't know that we were all just brought to this world. "Also, you said you were the head of the Adventure guild in this town, right? Well, I would very much appreciate, when we conclude here if you or one of your lovely assistants can show us around town and then to the guild. If that would not be too much to ask, of course."

[Assistant]
Well, that was a disappointment.

Umi's attempt at blowing Katsuo's dome off (in a very friendly and non-murder way!) ended in a very sad failure. While she intentionally blocked out the long winded questions and answers this time around (rather than just braining out), she did gleam some useful information. Magic was power to move people and everyone had magic stewin' in their guts. Really, it sounded like magic power was just an allegory for chalupa night. Chalupa night being when Umi had the power to move people out of the room with what was stewin' in her guts.

Like any other teen, she grabbled her phone the second it went off. Of course, she didn't answer it like any normal human. No, that would be much too... intelligent. Instead, she struck a pose with absolute confidence. She rapidly extracted her phone from her pocket, swinging it out with enough force to destroy a thin paper wall. Leading into her second pose, she slowly moved the phone in an arc around her head.

"Notification..." she said, with enough enthusiasm that would have made one think she was transforming in her own personal sentai show, "GO!". With the sudden exclamation of go, she flipped her phone open, reading the notification out of the corner of her eye.

[User]
Dr. Ferb was perplexed at how much these people did not know. Everyone knows about magic. Kids are introduced to it as soon as they are born. Mana literally welcomes every living being into the world. "You guy's really must have bumped your head." The dark haired man said scratching the back of his head. "Yes we have ways to determining how much magic you can use. In fact we have a system to determine your actual potential as a whole."

As he spoke, his line of answering melded right into the questions of Apollo. "I am actually curious to know your potential myself. Those strange devices have my curious about who you are. A group of unknown people who just appeared right outside of town. It's quite odd, to say the least.". He then gets up and walks towards the door and gestured for everyone to follow him. "If you want to see the guild though, look no further. This hospital also happens to be the Adventurers Guild for this town. I'll show you around and get anyone who wants to registered."

Meanwhile, Alice(the blonde, check the character section) was all over the place snapping pictures and failing to get the results she wanted. It was frustrating her. Katsuo gave chase but he was not fast enough to catch her. Pretty sure she was just a nurse though. Maybe looks are deceiving. She ran up and down the place and ended up in the lower tavern where many people were laughing and playing. Most of them were loud and rambunctious people sharing tales of adventures triumphant and disastrous. Still it was a merry place to be.

The reception table had two people greeting and handling business. One male and one female who seemed to be dressed similarly. Across from them was the bar whose bartender was a larger burly man who seemed as gentile as could be. Yet, it was this triangle of administration that kept everyone in line. This was the Adventurer's Guild.

As Alice weaved her way though, she was slowed down by men who were trying to get a bit hands-y. Katsuo recieved just enough help to make it close enough to her to turn on the Charm. But, when he got to her, two men jumped up and impeded your route. Unfamiliar with you and upset you had the gaul to try to hit on their goddess, they confront you. However, your Charm was turned on and the simpleminded men fell prey to your cuteness. "We don't know anathin bout no smart phone. But if you need us to do anything to help you, just say so Brother.". This turn of events was probably unexpected however it's something. Your phone vibrated with a notification but Alice has your phone. How will you check it.

Luckily, the Male receptionist caught Alice running around and stopped her. She immediately ceased her antics as she was casing a ruckus among the people. As she was being lectured, the vibration caught her off guard. Looking at the phone, she turns back and sees you. "HEY KATSUO!! THIS THING SAYS NOTIFICATION!!!". She is waving at you to come over to her. Be cautious, other guys are eying you with malicious intent and the Barkeep is waiting for something to happen. Be on your toes.

Katsuo
Charm: Rank Novice - Lvl 3 for charming two people at once.

Also gains two temporary slaves? Well just friends really. They will help you in any situation during this arc. But they won't fight unless you are threatened. Use them wisely.

Umi
The notification says: Pure Magic Skill is locked.
Requirements
4 Elemental Magic mastery
Enhancement magic Mastery
Healing Magic Mastery

Everyone: you now have a better understanding of where you are. You can leave with Millie who will take you around town or stay with Ferb who will take you to see your potential. Or, you can go to Katsuo and aid him/or make things worse. Who knows?


[System]
Nickname(Optional): Pfft, no.
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Physical Appearance: Of Average build with short dark hair, Neil isn't exactly the most unique specimen. He is fit but not noticeably so. He isn't big at all, but he is also not small. He has a face girls can find cute, but not exactly dreamy. Tanned skin and a ruddy complexion from all of the machine's he's worked on, coupled with the calluses on his hands gives him an experienced look despite the very youthful appearance he has. All in all, other than the twinkling of his eyes and the trademark grin, he is essentially average. He has dark eyes and very dark brown hair, enough to be considered black under most light. He's about 5'10 and 165 pounds.
Clothing: He often wears baggy pants, mostly military cargo. He likes to wear single colored T-Shirts. Usually he wears red.
Personality: Oh, now that is a question. To say Neil is eccentric is...well, that hits the nail on the head. Very good with hand-eye coordination, competent combatant, good engineer, and a daring pilot. But prone to sarcasm, snide remarks, unorthodox behavior, and just good old fashioned explosions. He's a born jokester, though behind his charming yet insufferable demeanor belies a certain intelligence, and to those he enjoys, he does tend to have a big heart.

[User]
Junebug didn't lower the semi-surreptitiously aimed weapon until the conversation ended. Her face blank and unmoving as an insect. She didn't judge Sven likely to shoot them in the back, but then there was no point in making more risky assumptions than you had to. Her life had enough chances in it already.

They found the Red Dwarf only after asking a few of the itinerant spacers for directions. Even then the directions were cursory and filled with nervous glances and quick departures. The bar was located in a slightly more upscale area. A vast holoprojection of a Red Dwarf star, ten meters across blazed in the entryway. Every thirty seconds the holo star went nova, scattering coherent light which congealed into the name Red Dwarf and then collapsed back into its burning protoplasmic namesake. It was a neat effect. Patrons lounged at outdoor tables in front of the place, almost all of them were armed and many bearing crimson start mark, either in tatoo or painted onto armor.

"Nice place," Sayeeda said in a deliberately neutral tone, noting the bullet holes that picked the facade of black marble. The impacts were heavy calibre, vehicle mounted almost certainly. Neil glanced back over his shoulder at her with a slightly guilty expression on his face.

"Yeah well, nice people aren't buying what we are selling," he said with a weak smile.

The bouncers, both human and covered from head to toe with gang tattoos, didn't give them any more trouble than an unfriendly grunt. They were carrying short shot guns and riot batons, both of which would end a fight very, very quickly. They did spare a look for Junebug's weapons and armor but it was more skeptical than afraid.

The interior of the place thumped with synthesized music, it was almost loud enough to be painful. The bar was being operated by a trio of completely naked human women and one alien, also naked, that might have been either male, female or a combination of the two. Large clear tanks sectioned off areas of the place. They were filled with a shimmering slightly bluish liquid in which swam strange creatures, somewhere between birds and fish, they seemed to be almost gem like in their sparkling magnificence.

Men and women gyrated together on a central dancefloor enfolded by table that rose by gentle increments to allow every present to see the action, the fluid in the tanks ran down the incline in slow cataracts, more like petroleum than water. Sayeeda decided it might be liquid helium, though she had never heard of anything living in the stuff as these fish creatures clearly did. There was a large fenced off area to the rear where a knot of muscle, more heavily armed than the rest, controlled a broad ramp which lead up to private viewing boxes with black one way glass.

Junebug slid her helmet down over her head, the built in noise cancellation gear immediately muting the tumult to a dull roar. She flipped the faceshield up, knowing from experience that people found the dull reflective surface to be far more intimidating than a bare face.

"Alright," she said, "lets find ourselves a Formian."

[Assistant]
Good, Neil thought. A faceless and intimidating Sayeeda would give far more credence to their request for an audience, and the audience in general. The problem was Taya. Neil didn't look overly intimidating, but he had a look that showed he was used to this sort of underhanded operation by the way he carried himself. As they walked through the crowd, there was a myriad of Crimson Stars mingling with mere bar patrons.

With a subtle movement, Neil slipped an idle cloak off a table and rolled it up to give as little visibility to the fact he had it as possible. Once they made it across the dance floor, he unrolled it and reoriented the cloak. "Taya, come here." He said. The girl looked a tad confused, but did as she was bade. Neil placed the wrapping around her head, tying it from the back despite her protests. Neil ignored her, turning her toward him and holding up a finger. "Its best they don't see your face," he half lied. "Now, don't speak or make any noises, not even a squeal. Understand?"

"Its hot," she protested, pulling the lower part of the wrapping off her mouth slightly. Neil let her take in some air, and then pulled it back up. "I know. You can loosen it slightly, but keep it tight around your chin. We won't be in there long. Ok?"

She nodded, and he gave her a wink.

Once they were situation, the three made it to the entryway, where a large Margrond Xenos stood. It was a human-like beast that had four muscled arms, an overwhelming slab of stomach, and a face Neil could only describe as 'ugly as sin.' He barred their passage, along with a small squad of muscled and armed goons, automatic lasrifles held at the ready. Neil held his hands up in greeting. "No need for that, we're simply here to see Gnorlaac."

The proclamation caused them to turn off the safeties on their weapons in unison. "Whoa whoa, hold on now," He began, trying to defuse the situation. He looked around, and then leaned forward. "Tu Wada Klecto...we good now?" There was a short silence as the men looked to one another, and the Margrond raised an arm and spoke an indecipherable language into the comm on his wrist. Above them, a light Neil had not noticed before turned green, and the Xenos stepped aside to allow them passage into the back rooms.

The music went from an oppressive noise to a backdrop as they walked down the entryway, two guards flanking them with weapons poised to go off at any sudden movement by the three. Neil knew Sayeeda was good, so he turned to glance Taya's way and check on her, however her expression was hidden from view by the cloak. That was a small victory at least. Red lights that gave the entryway a darkly lit vibe increased the shadows around them in a strange fashion. The more traditional lights of the other room, still blue and green in color, lit up the area far more nicely.

The next room they found themselves in, Neil could only really call it a throne room. It was a smaller party, with hired muscle and dancer girls mingling with one another, along with prominent Xenos and businessmen wearing expensive and near Dar'mondian level of lavish clothing and jewerly. Some of them looked to be enacting business deals while others simply lounged, enjoying their status as one of the select few to be invited inside Gnorlaac's private party. At the center of the back wall sat Gnorlaac. An enormous blue Formian, with an impressive second chin covered in either fur or hair. His torso was bare, and his lower half was covered in expensive cloth to make some patched together trousers. His six fingered hands were covered in jeweled rings, and his large maw had more than a few golden teeth within his jowls. In Neils opinion, he had the look of a 'nice guy' on the galactic net that hit it big somehow.

All eyes turned to them as they entered, the unknown three causing a small stir within the room. Neil crossed his arms, trying to remain as confident as possible despite all the attention. The music stopped, and the Formian raised a hand, waving them to come in closer. "Ekta chuka me colo so na me," he said, his voice veritably booming across the expanse of the room. Flanking him were two Hexanagallion guards, clad in Xarconian plate armor, their faces and snouts concealed.

A small droid floated up between them as Neil and the others moved forward, translating. "So, I heard you have something I would be interested in? Do tell." The voice was automatic and rigid.

"That is correct," Neil said, a big smile on his face. "And let me say that this is a lovely establishment. Do you rent or own? Nevermind. Yes we uh...we have something I think anyone in the Galaxy would kill for. But since we were in the neighborhood, we heard of your fair deals and wanted to see if you'd be interested."

"Do not test my patience, boy. Out with it." The Droid said after the Formian gave a few grunts.

"Hold on, big fella. Discussing business when 10 pounds of Aestimobium is at stake is a process to be appreciated." The Formian's eyes widened, and there were various gasps within the crowd. Neil simply smirked, as if he had everyone in the palm of his hand. Then again, he did that often anyway. "You see," Neil continued loudly, drawing all of their gazes to him. "By my recknoning, such a prize would be...psssht, I don't know. 40 million credits? More? Well, me and my crew," He gestured at the two figures behind him. "We have no real use for it other than money, and would like it gone no questions asked. So we are willing to part with it for, say, 25 million. That's a generous offer, my friend. Also, it pays to be on a crime lord's good side, am I right?"

[User]
A hush settled across the crowd as the import of Neil's words began to register on the crowd. Junebug could feel the shappening of the gazes as a room full of hungry predators turned their attention to the crew of the Highlander. She grinned beneath the reflective mirror of her face shield. It wasn't an expression that had anything human in it, it had more in common with an animal baring her teeth.

The Formian smacked his jowls together in an odd wet sound. It was only after nervous titters of laughter began to spread that Junebug realised it was laughter. The droid zipped closer, an articulated lens zooming in on Neils face with a series of whirring clicks. It drifted to Sayeeda and repeated the motion before moving on to Taya.

"Kul trana suc xhua, prada carak sul nor," Gnorlaac rumbled.

"If you are lying to me boy, we will feed your bones to the gnawers," the droid translated in its static mechanical voice. Sayeeda winced at the impudent expression that stole across her pilots face.

"We got the goods, you can bet your ass," Neil quipped. Gnorlaac began to laugh again although this time there was a harder nastier edge to it. The music swelled up again as the Formian turned away, evidently done with the face to face portion of this interview. Sayeeda relaxed slightly, shifting out of her stance of imminent violence. A black skinned human woman, her head shaved smooth and tattooed with dozen of unrecognisable designs approached.

"I am Yrla, I am Gnorlaac's right hand," she said, her voice assured but not disrespectful.

"You will tell me where your ship is and we will arrange for an assayer to confirm what you claim. I warn you if this is some game, it won't end well for you."

[Assistant]
Neil regarded the woman for a moment. At first he thought she reminded him of Sayeeda, her hair short and her body lithe but fit, and a dangerous quality about her. But on second glance, he realized that was not the case. There was a competence, but a lack of command or confidence. She must had been bought as a slave and had served Gnorlaac well, or she had risen through the rank for gathering intel, etc. Either way, he would be respectful. Dangerous or not, she seemed to be his eyes and ears at the moment.

"The D-15 Landing pad near sector 8." Neil replied, giving the ships HLNDR designation number. He had the slightest notion that Taya had tensed up when he gave the information, but one had to look for it to notice. It seemed like no one did, thankfully. As the woman placed the information in her datapad, Neil spoke up. "Will you accompany us or will one of your agents?" Behind Yrla, a door whisked open to reveal two heavily clad warriors. Their races unknown, though they seemed man sized, encased in full Dyrelian battle-armor, leaving even their faces covered in las and bullet resistant armor.

"Both," she replied curtly. Her datapad 'pinged' aloud, and she holstered it onto her utility belt as she motioned for Neil to lead the way back to the ship. The guard's guns were not pointed at them, but they were slung within their hands much like Neil and Sayeeda's guns had been when they had dealt with Sven.

Through the rusted streets, the blood and excrement on the walls giving off a very pervasive sense of mild disgust, Neil strode ahead confidently and never did look back. He had his hand close to his revolver if he heard even the slightest thing amiss, but all was quiet save the calls of the low-life merchants and the growls of various Xenos that prowled. Once they entered the landing pad, Neil told Taya to open up the ship. She didn't make a noise, and simply pushed a button within her clothes that activated the bay doors.

"Wait here, would you?" Neil asked them. All of them, and he went up to retrieve the most valuable mineral in the galaxy.


[System]
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Species: Human

Physical Description:
Gray stands at 5'11. He is broad-shouldered and lanky, his advantage against his enemies is obviously not brute strength yet he has exercised thoroughly to try to make up some of the difference if he ever has to get that close. He has a long face and a pointed chin and hazel eyes, characteristics that seems to run in his family. His hair color is dark brown and he has mutton chops and doesn't bother to manage his hair so it stands pretty unkempt. He keeps it just short enough in the front that it won't become a problem in combat.

Talents:
Creative Combatant - Gray is a very experienced killer and it comes mainly from his ability to think on his feet and react quickly. Even without weapons on his person he can figure out ways to kill something by using his environment and playing dirty. He certainly doesn't hold back on the playing dirty part which might irk off those noble vampires or whatever the hell else thinks they have some kind of fair fighting spirit in combat. It's always life or death and Gray doesn't plan on being the one dying.

Broad Monster Knowledge - Gray knows how to kill all the common creeps. Werewolves, vampires, zombies(Those are the easy ones), etc. It comes from a personal history of doing just that. If he can't kill it he'll get away and study for some way to do so. After all, his hefty pay check rides on this important task.

Extensive Arms Experience - Gray is both a military veteran and an arms enthusiast. As such he has both experience and extensive practice with firearms. Having talent and practice make him a very accurate shot with long weapons in particular.

History:
Killing monsters runs in the family and family is what really matters. Gray grew up with values, often unapparent to others, that keep him from going too far in the field. He grew up with several brothers and a sister and for the earliest part of his life had no idea what his family really did. They sheltered him from it until he was ready to know the truth. That truth didn't come until it was nearly too late.

Gray joined the military. He was in the army on tour in the middle east when he encountered his first taste of the supernatural world. They seemed like normal middle-eastern villagers. Lured into their village on their patrol, Gray's team didn't pose a very good chance. They had the resilience and constitution of ghouls. Meaning they wouldn't go down without a good headshot or leg shot. Most of his team was felled by their inhuman stamina with mere farm tools. Their adversary was quick and dangerous but he had and the remainder of his squad had the resolve to survive. It wasn't until later that he understood what they were. They weren't undead. They were the "blessed warriors" of a demonic duke known as Abigor that had been piggybacking on wars and feeding off of them since iron was used as a weapon. It made sense why he'd be making his rounds in the most war torn nation in the world.

On his return to the States Gray reunited with his family. Upon hearing his experience they began to explain to him the finer parts of their history. The Conover's have been killing monsters for nearly two-hundred years. Gray had a legacy he was willing to uphold.

Unfortunately that legacy was difficult to acquire with the councils of creatures banded together throughout the world. With the councils keeping everything in check his family didn't indulge in hunting so much anymore. The councils were a necessary evil but they were still monsters and Gray couldn't personally trust them to keep things steady. He needed a group that would let him bypass getting a hit on his head by an organization that vastly overpowered him. It took a while and he took up jobs killing rogue beasts in the process which the council overlooked because of the nature of the cases. He wasn't that good at first. Not many people are. The evil monsters that let themselves be tracked by an amateur are generally the easiest to kill. Gray had mistakes and near-death experiences but his resolve and ingenuity always had the tendency to save him.

When you're feeling hand over hand through the dark you always find something.

Psychological Profile: Gray seems to be morally ambiguous to people who don't know him. To those who do, they see the bold line he won't cross. If a creature isn't a killer and has no potential to be he won't take its life. He sees many jobs he's taken as necessary evil to protect humanity. Overall he views himself as a protector, but damn if he doesn't like a good paycheck.
Gray loves humor in all its forms. He'd be pretty depressing if he couldn't take a good joke every now and then. Even if it's completely misplaced and awkward.

Possessions:
Gray has two large suitcases that are normally too heavy for normal airport admittance. One stores his set of armor. The armor is customizable on the job with many spots for Kevlar inserts, a bite guard, a helmet and a few other minor items to help him adapt to circumstances. Teeth, claws or (preferably not) bullets. He's got something to give him some edge.

Aside from a few spots in the first suitcase for some Glocks and ammunition (Affordability, you lose guns a lot when you're hunting.) he has saved room in his other suitcase for a few sets of street clothes(primarily gray t-shirts, blue jeans and a black jacket) and a compartment for his modified AA12 with silver slugs in three drum magazines. Either crammed in this case or in a car he keeps an Ares 16 with a variety of attachments for use as a long-to-mid range rifle and a grenade launcher(For that beasty who just doesn't want to go down).

Gray wears a small titanium chain around his neck that has several items dangling from it. A small pot-like skull about the size of a thumb that has dried herbs in it, consisting primarily of wolf's bane to ward off a werewolf's ability to smell him. A small alienish shell filled with holes is also affixed to it. This shell happens to be the only item he has that is magic and he only uses it as a last chance item. Thankfully he's only ever used it once before. He isn't quite sure if it has lasting consequences but man does it become handy in a bind. By saying a set of keywords the artifact teleports him an indeterminate distance away to a random location(or whatever location it wants him at, he really has no idea if it has its own agenda. Eerie). The last item dangling from his chain is a simple Celtic cross because it's cool.

A useful item that is never far from his reach is his trusty silver kukri knife.

Yes, and:
Arachne, a master of information has a real talent for finding what she needs and hiding what should stay hidden. Well, Arachne found Gray Conover. A relatively easy, if a little volatile, person to manipulate and point at targets. Contracting Gray for missions with a high paycheck is really quite easy to do.

[User]
It was always an unusual experience when a vampire's prey was left standing. When they died, it was simple. They ceased to be, and all of their life became your own. However, when they lived on, the connection between a vampire and her prey could become...complex. On occasion, downright supernatural. It all depended on the strength of the individual bond. There would often be some sort of emotional connection, or fixation that spawned out of the personal feelings of the vampire herself. A mild attraction to a prey could become full-blown infatuation. Such situations usually ended in destruction.

For Kaori, the ugly mass of feelings she harbored toward the hunter took on a new edge. She now had a keen sense for him. His scent, even more prominent than before, could slice through a room of heated mortals like a beacon. His action spurred her to reaction, stoked the vicious flame of her emotion in an antagonistic way.

So when he condescendingly addressed her as "little lady," it was all she could do not to leap across the room and rip his throat out. These connections, after all, were not typically positive.

"Gray Conover," she repeated. The name rolled across her tongue like an ocean wave, smooth and powerfully possessive, "I've always tried not to name my food." That last line seemed a little too taunting to be delivered in such a pleasing voice. It contrasted in a rather disturbing way. She couldn't help herself. He had recently become the favored mouse to her cat.

"This city doesn't need a mortal to save it, especially one that doesn't know what he's dealing with," there was nothing teasing about that statement. It was painfully obvious in her red-wine eyes. She gave a small, weary shake of her head against the wall as her eyes flitted towards the hallway where footsteps sounded ahead of not-so-distant conversation. "Don't you realize your own people don't even trust you?" she said, referencing to the comment Beth had made about her interrogation to the group in the other room. "Why would I trust you with my name?"

By now, the dank room was full of varying supernatural beings. She shifted uneasily under the weight of so many eyes. She felt trapped, as they had intended her to be. Whatever concoction they had injected her with still lingered in her system with an oppressive grip. Slowly, she was healing, with her strength gradually returning. But for now, she was cornered, bound with her back to the wall. Even if she could break the rope in her weakened state, where would she go from there?

In her scheming, she inhaled the room around her, trying to get an idea of who she was dealing with. Her body instinctually tensed at the scent of lycan, her smooth features wrinkling in distaste, "I didn't realize you kept a house-cat," she dryly remarked. To her, it was akin to the unpleasant smell of wet dog.

[Assistant]
With the instatement of Rikive as their for-the-time-being "leader" -- Beth was not exactly fond of the term, she had to steel her tongue just to say it -- the question arose as to who would rule the Court if by some miracle they deposed Nemsemet. On the slim chance they did succeed, opportunities came in abundance for each of them. But Beth, as soon as her mind began to wander, cast the thoughts of such things out, at least until their efforts proved useful.

She stood tense behind the hunter in the interrogation room. She didn't need a body to feel the unease that shifted through the room at Gray's words. Something about him, aside from his occupation, disagreed with her. Whatever it was would have to be dealt with another time; they needed answers. Beth despised feeling empty-handed. Her best work required information, even the slightest tid-bit helped form a plan of action. As of this moment, she faced a blank canvas.

Beth glanced at the doorway when she heard Parael's distant shouts, narrowing her eyes until Flint left and she saw Rikive pass on her way to follow.

Parry wasn't one to cry into his pillow after a few verbal beat downs. Whatever summoned his panic came from somewhere, or something unknown... But that didn't put out the small pyre of guilt burning in the back of Beth's mind, should she have contributing to worsening whatever he was going through.

Flint knew him well, and Rikive might be some sort of best friend to him, they'd deal with it.

Turning back to the matter at hand, Beth stepped up next to the hunter, eyes pinned on the vampire. "Look, kid. We don't want you here any more than you want to be here... as over-used as that is... and this trigger-happy moron will shoot you full of holes if you don't give us a reason not to. So let's make this simple and quick. What do you know about Rikker's dealings with Nemsemet?"

[User]
This chick really had it in for him. She was as insulting as they came. Though, how could he really blame her. The place was a regular menagerie and apparently she was the star attraction. The most insulting was what she said after labeling him food. "This city doesn't need a mortal to save it, especially one that doesn't know what he's dealing with." She was dead wrong. Nothing ticked him off more than underestimating the underdog. He held his peace just to let her finish. "Don't you realize your own people don't even trust you? Why would I trust you with my name?" She had a fair point with that last one.

Just as Gray was ready to retort Beth interrupted the scene. You could say she 'stepped' up to them except she didn't make noise and he could swear she never touched the ground. Her voice was airless and hollow. The best you could do without lungs. "Look, kid. We don't want you to be here any more than you want to be here... as overused as that is... and this trigger-happy moron will shoot you full of holes if you don't give us a reason not to. So let's make this simple and quick. What do you know about Rikker's dealing with Nemsemet?"

"I take offense to that." Gray responded quickly. "And I already shot her full of holes! Look where that got us!" Gray stood up from the chair. The desire to make this situation work gently was being dwarfed by the lack of respect he was receiving. "This vamp has the best point I've heard in a while. Why don't I just leave? You monsters'd be able to get by just fine fighting a war with each other! You'd fight to the point where the government figures out what's going on and smears you off the map. Just like EVERY damn time there's a supernatural uprising!" He finally gave pause. This was certainly a moment that he felt very clear on his intention and emotions.

"Yes, I'm mortal. It's my advantage against all you prideful pricks. I get to see the beautiful sunrise. I get to feel the world as God intended. And now I get to fight like David and Goliath every time I hunt. The Goliath in town is Nemsemet. He's dangerous, true. Yet we have the knowledge that he died. That means we can kill him again." Gray finally turns his attention to their bound guest. "If you want to save anything dear that you have left around here then you MUST help us stop him. Despite what most of these cursed individuals think I'm not here to rip things apart."

Damn monsters and their predisposition against hunters. Some of the best hunters out there ARE monsters.


[System]
Age: 200 or so, appears 14

Species: Spirit

Appearance:

Background: Once a happy-go-lucky boy living in a cabin in the woods, Phineas met his end when he fell into a frozen lake. With his family unable to retrieve his body for a proper burial, he was cursed to wander the woods as a ghost. Centuries passed in his monotonous haunting. It seemed that he would remain that way for eternity. That is, until he came upon a young witch named Mara. The two struck up an unusual friendship, and it was from her that he learned of the Academy. Desperate, he pleaded to join her, eventually making his way to his new home.

Any other information:
•Phineas is able to disappear and reappear at will. He usually does the former when he's shy, sad, or embarrassed.
•He is also able to phase through people and objects. However, doing so to people causes a weird sensation and them to turn cold.

Name: Mara Dalia

Age: 17

Species: Witch

Appearance:

Background: Mara was raised amongst a family of powerful witches. The youngest of five siblings, all skilled in various crafts, much was expected of Mara. Unfortunately, she was a bit of a late bloomer. Her powers didn't show until she was thirteen, and even then they were wild and uncontrollable. Over the years, Mara struggled to control her powers and catch up with her family, to no avail. As a last resort, her family sent her away to the Academy. On the way, she became across a ghost named Phineas and together the two ended up at the Academy.

Any other information:
•While Mara struggles with spells, she's quite skilled in potions. Experimenting with such volatile ingredients, however, have yielded some...explosive...results.

[User]
Soon, suddenly, the woods were filled with activity. People appeared from around them, rushing to find the source of the noise they'd a moment ago. Michael, Gabriel, and Lily seemed more startled than alarmed, really. Soon, their group of three had increased to five, three in the group appearing bewildered, two in the group looking like the human embodiment of a dog with it's hackles raised. Gabriel had just opened his mouth to explain himself to the girl that had shown up when a boy appeared as well.

The entire situation was almost comical, except, it was rather... awkward. Gabriel opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't seem to find anything to say. There was several seconds of awkward silence before he finally said "Well, you see... My sister, she uh... She scraped her knee."

Michael covered his mouth with a closed hand, stiffing a giggle. Gabriel awkwardly looked away from the others. Lily let out another pitiful sniffle, mumbling "It really hurts."

[Assistant]
Phineas jumped as another boy quite literally flew down, joining the forming crowd. Just when did this quiet forest get so crowded? The chill around him grew until Mara's breath came out as a faint mist. It'd been awhile since he'd been around this many people, and the sudden gathering wasn't exactly calming his nerves.

"So that explains the scream," Mara mused, lowering her staff.

Phineas peeked over the witch's shoulders, staring at the strangers with a newfound curiosity. Moments before, he would have assumed they were merely a lost bunch of humans. But seeing as how a boy just flew from the sky, he doubted that was the case. "What brings you lot out here?" Phineas asked, momentarily forgetting of his current disappearing act.

[User]
Gabriel, who usually preferred not to socialize with others, cast his dark gaze down to the leaf-coated floor. Michael, who was much more friendly and outgoing, looked around, confused as to who had just spoken. Feeling awkward, he looked at the winged boy and answered. "Uhm... We're trying to find the Academia Mythica. We're new students there. Do any of you have an idea of where it's at?"

Lily was, for once, almost completely silent. Michael realized that it's actually rather nice, being able to speak without his sister interrupting him every other second.

[Assistant]
Alex turned to face the person who approached him and inclined his head. "The name's Alex. And, technically, not yet. I only arrived like 5 minutes ago." He shrugged, shaking Mar's hand. "So, do you have any idea what to expect here?"

Jacob beamed at the group. "I can lead the way. I've been here for a couple of decades now, these woods are like a second home." He told them, smiling. "If you want, I can take care of that scrape as well? I have quite the knack for healing." He told them, folding his wings until they disappeared.

[User] Lily perked up when she heard that the winged boy could heal her. "Really?" she said. She tapped Gabriel on the shoulder, and he set her down on the ground, sitting. She pulled the hem of her dress up past her knee, exposing the injury she'd gotten. The scrape was quite nasty. Her Nephilim blood had caused it to heal slightly, but not nearly complete. She stretched out her leg, looking at the boy who offered to heal her hopefully.

[Assistant]
Well that got Mara's attention. "You're going to the academy too?" She brightened considerably. Finally, no more running around in complete circles. "Some directions would help, thanks. I'm Mara, by the way. And this--" She frowned at her invisible companion, annoyance flashing in her gaze. "Phinny, do you mind? I'm talking to air here."

"Sorry!" Phineas slowly willed himself into view, though remained semi translucent. As helpful as these people were, there was still an inkling of anxiety buried deep in Phineas formed by centuries of solitude. He smiled shyly, staying behind Mara. "My name is Phineas. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Mara turned to the winged boy. "So you're from the academy, huh?" She placed her hands on her hips. "What's it like there? How many others like us?"

[User]
Jacob knelt down next to Lily and hovered a hand over her leg, as he did so a warm light emanated from his hand, covering the injury and speeding up the healing process. When he was finished, he pulled out a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her so she could wipe off any dirt that remained on her leg from where she had fallen.

"There you go, good as new." He smiled, standing again and facing the group. "The school is westbound from the forest." He told them, gesturing at the sun, which was still rising. "You'll see what the place is like when we get there, its indescribable... Literally. There is magic at work which prevents people from describing it to others. In terms of people, at the moment there's only me and on other who are still there. There are a few new people coming in though. You five are the first lot to arrive, I believe."

[Assistant]
Michael watched his sister with a sigh. Honestly, he loved his sister, and would do anything for her. But she was such a baby sometimes. At this thought, he shot a dark look at Gabriel. Maybe Lily wouldn't act like such a little kid if he'd stop spoiling her all the time.

Lily's eyes shined bright as gems. "Wooow, thank you!" she said, jumping up. She brushed her hands over her dress, smoothing it out. It was dirty, but she didn't seem to mind. "I'm Lily," she said, holding out her hand to the boy who healed her. "And this is Gabe-"

"Gabriel," the dark-haired boy mumbled in correction.

"And this is Michael." She beamed, showing a smile that reflected the purity of her innocence.

Lily observed the conversation between Jacob and the other girl. She wondered how big the academy was. Was it a large school, or a small one? She couldn't wait to see, and began to tug at the hem of her brother's shirt, antsy to get a move on.

[User] "Pleasure to meet you all. My name is Jacob. I'm the closest this school has got to a caretaker, I guess." He scratched the back of his neck and smiled. "I've been here for about 30 years. And before you guys comment on that, I'm older than I look." He chuckled and placed his hands in his pockets. He'd been alone for a while in the school, being around this many people was making him a little awkward and fidgety.

[Assistant]
Perched atop the steps which led into the Academy's main door, sat the white haired male who was gazing with curious violet eyes at all the new comers milling about below. A soft smile graced his lips as he spotted a number of new females and males smile turning into a sly smirk. With Jayden already having been a resident of the Academy for a number of years, he'd made it one of his unofficial jobs to be a guide to the new kids, and to show that people could be friendly.

With a groan, she stood then stretched, bones creaking and popping back into place as she did so before descending down the stairs and into the milling crowds, "Alright, newbies over here please. I'll be your unofficial guide! C'mon group up."

--

It had taken many weeks for Alicia to finally stumble upon the area where the academy was situated, not being used to walking on two legs rather than swimming places. Having to deal with unfamiliar sights and sounds, surrounded by the very gender she despised almost constantly. It was a harsh road, but now being in the right place had her calmer and happier than the blonde hair been in weeks.

Cutting through the brush, the girl sighed quietly and stopped to pull out a small map which was her only saving grace on her journey. "Now, where the hell am I going... map says east." she spoke aloud, voice echoing through the surrounding greenery followed by her crunching footsteps as her journey continued. Multiple voices echoed through the forest, but Alicia thought it best to avoid them - she could hear male undertones and she wasn't fully used to speaking on polite terms with them yet and thus continued on her way, although they could probably hear her stomping through.

[User]
Jacob wondered if he should warn the others about the inertly flirtatious nature of his current schoolmate, and was torn with the idea, as it would be quite amusing to watch the reactions. However he wasn't the type to let people walk into something if he could assist beforehand.
"I do feel I should warn you about the other guy who lives here at the moment. He can be... a little full on." He said, chuckling.

Alex headed over to the guy who had called the new people over, he seemed to know what he was talking about, and figured he could use a tour.

[Assistant] "Nice to meet you Alex," Mar said, concentrating to make his hand more corporeal for the handshake. He didn't typically phase through solid objects if he didn't want to, but it felt unsettling and intrusive with living beings. "I just got here as well, I only heard about this place from rumors," he admitted, following Alex to the person who introduced himself as their guide.

[User]
Gabriel felt his sister's nudge, and glanced at her. He knew she would run off if he didn't start to head off. And that was what got her a scraped knee in the first place. For safety, he caught her hand with his, making sure she wouldn't run off this time.

Michael felt a twinge of annoyance at his older sibling's rush to be off. He'd wanted to talk a bit longer and see if he could figure out anything else. But the three of them always stuck together, so he grudgingly followed, the crunch of dead leaves under his feet announcing his departure.

Finally, the twins found the border of the woods. And there was the school. As they walked through the front gates, Lily's mouth dropped open. "Whoaaa, so cool! It's really a castle. Do you think it's really old?"

Gabriel tightened his grip on his sister's hand, sensing that she was preparing to run off again. He was about to try redirecting her attention to something else to keep her from running off when a loud male voice rang out. He glanced back at his younger brother, about to say something to him when he felt the hand in his vanish. He looked back to see Lily running up to greet the boy who'd spoke.

"Hey! We're new too," Lily said as she stopped in front of the boy who'd called out. Michael and Gabriel caught up a moment later, though neither boy made attempts to be hasty like their sister.

[Assistant]
Alex chuckled. "I got an invitation. Apparently most people can't find this place unless they're meant to. Some weird supernatural thing protects it from being found by people who aren't meant to be here, apparently." He shrugged. "Sounds like nonsense to me, but hey, I'm a werewolf, so I know not everything is black and white."

Jacob realised they had gotten out of the forest and smiled to the rest of the group before running to join Jayden at the top of the stairs. "Pretty sure that was my job, but you can help out if you like." He winked and turned to the group of new students. "Welcome to the academy. I'm sure you all have a lot of questions."

[User]
Mara and Phineas followed the group, slowing as they reached the school. Phineas stared at the building before them, mouth agape in awe. The estate towered above them like a living beast. It's many eyes gazed at the woods around it, as if warily watching for potential dangers to its occupants. Before it was a large door, a small group already forming at the top of the steps.

"This is amazing!" Mara gasped. "Will we get to explore? Do we get our own rooms? Can we have roommates? Will I get kicked out if I accidentally blow of the room?"

Phineas gazed around, a thoughtful expression on his face. Hidden unless meant to be found? Rumor or no, the thought was strangely comforting. A place where he was not just welcome, but expected. A small smile crept up his face as he gradually relaxed. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. He turned to the closest person next to him and gave them a shy smile. "Hello," he greeted. "My name is Phineas."


[System]
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Appearance:
Full character artwork is pretty huge, so it just gets a link.
Homura is, at least appearance-wise, a fairly unassuming young lady high school student. She doesn't dress to stand out, most of the time, wears glasses, and has long black hair with very visible white streaks in it. Take your best shot, she's heard and deflected them all, by now. Homura is usually seen carrying a shinai bag. Its contents vary between practice weapons and her actual one, depending on the circumstances.

Possession mode appearance
When possessed by her sword, Most of Homura's hair turns white, and the streaks that were already white instead take on a luminous red hue.

Personality:
Homura, despite her name, is a cool and collected individual. She tends to remain calm in most situations and isn't the sort to back down from a threatening opponent. She is polite, kind, and dutiful, and takes her training seriously. Her somewhat detached approach to life can easily lead to her being "spacey", and it's not altogether inaccurate. She'd miss quite a lot if she didn't have a second set of eyes watching out for her.

Homura's life isn't all training in kendo to inherit the family's style and continue the family business as a youkai hunter. She enjoys anime and video games in her spare time, and plays some sort of otome game on her smartphone almost religiously. When particularly nervous or flustered, she has a habit of messing with her glasses, usually cleaning them.

Vermillion Harvest Moon (Mizuki)
Although "only" a sword, Mizuki deserves her own entry as well. She tends to view Homura with parental concern, and is often the one who has to warn her wielder of impending danger, especially of the supernatural sort. She's not above a considerable amount of sass when she does, either. She seeks to understand humans through combat, or so she claims. Of the two, she's often the more aggressive one, though beyond rattling in her sheath of her own accord, these aspects tend to only manifest when possessing Homura.

Abilities:
Homura herself is a more or less ordinary human, with the physical abilities one would expect. Also she has myopia, not that it's a useful ability.

Her family has been youkai hunters for generations, and she trains in the family martial and exorcism arts. She can write talismans, but she has little to no talent for imbuing them with actual power. She does have a knack for things relating to her own body. She can enhance her own balance and lighten her body, to remain sure-footed in any situation, and stand on surfaces that otherwise would not support her. She can also leap exceptionally long distances horizontally or vertically.

Homura's sword, Vermillion Harvest Moon is a tsukumogami. It has lived, and fought, for generations, and carries volumes of experience in combat. As a youkai weapon, it's also quite dangerous to youkai and spirits of various sorts. It is also perfectly capable of speech, even when not possessing someone.

Through contact, the sword can possess someone to act as its wielder (or, perhaps,to wield their body as an extension of the weapon). In the case of the youkai hunters of the Kiyohara family, ancient blood contracts render this possession into more of a collaboration, where the youkai hunter is usually still in control of their actions, and merely benefits from essentially becoming a half-youkai while under its effects, gaining increased physical capabilities.

Skills:
Homura is training in her family's form of exorcism arts, primarily using swords or unarmed strikes. She's as good as one would expect for someone raised in a dojo.

She can follow a recipe and cook well enough, and is also quite good at making tea. Decent calligraphy skills, from making talismans and charms. Reasonably adept gamer.
Equipment:
Vermillion Harvest Moon - The Kiyohara family's heirloom katana, and a tsukumogami in its own right. The spirit of the sword tends to go by the name "Mizuki."

Smartphone, glasses, stockings, etc. If it's the sort of mundane thing a teenage girl would have, she probably has it.

Brief Backstory:
Homura is an ordinary girl, her family just has an unusual job. They're youkai hunters, and have been for generations. In the modern day, the true calling is hardly as important as it used to be, but that certainly doesn't stop the passing down of the old traditions.

Homura began training from a young age at the family dojo, learning the ways of a youkai hunter. She didn't necessarily understand why she had to go through such harsh training, but she was in no position to question it, either. She'd never even heard of a youkai terrorizing anyone outside of fairy tales. Or maybe some of those bedtime stories were family history? Regardless, while there might still be a need for youkai hunters, both the hunter and the prey have gotten subtler and adopted modern methods of living. Her family runs a cafe.

As the current heir to her family's style, Homura wields the family sword, a tsukumogami blade. Given the state of her hair, she's definitely had occasion to do so in the past, as the longer one remains possessed by the sword, the more of the victim's hair turns permanently white.

While she avoided the repeated attempts of her high school's kendo club to recruit her, she was given an offer she couldn't refuse, when it came to the occult club.

[User]
"No karuta today, I'm afraid," Tomoko added, smiling as she did.

"Mumumumuuuu..." the ghost seemed to fume for a few moments, hands clenched into fists at her sides, "And I was sure I was going to win this time!"

Tomoko simply kept smiling.

She'd never lost a single game.

The ghost was distracted for a moment when Hina came close, and offered her tips on how to beat Tomoko... or an OC? The ghost had no idea what an OC was, but she definitely wouldn't reject getting a drawing of one.

"Wow, I was going to help anyway, but that sounds amazing, let's do it!" she said, cheerfully, in response to the zashiki-warashi's offers.

"Your frightening form was good enough to scare both an oni," commented the blonde girl, "So at least you can count that as a win."

"Heeeeh?! Really?! An oni!? Wow!" the ghost exclaimed, clearly excited at the fact that she'd managed to frighten a yokai. Tomoko declined to mention the fact that Akari was irrationally scared of ghosts to begin with. There was no need to spoil the ghost's mood, at least not at the moment. After all, they wanted to ask her some questions, and making her upset wouldn't have helped in that goal at all. "Fufufu, I'm really impressive, aren't I?"

At the compliment from Kaori, the ghost's aura of smugness seemed to grow in power. But with it came some concern.

"Disappearances...?" asked the kimono-clad phantom, a frown coming across her lips. "Does she mean disappearances, ojou-sama? Like, the kind you might deal with?!"

"That's right," Tomoko said, unable to help but be mildly amused at the fact the ghost felt the need to clarify this to herself and choosing to elaborate on her club members' words, "Seven children have vanished in the surrounding area this month alone, and one of them was last Friday in this very park. Since you haunt this playground, we were wondering if you might know anything. Did you see anything strange last Friday afternoon?"

The ghost looked thoughtful for a few moments. Perhaps some people would think it odd to ask a ghost if she saw anything strange, but what Tomoko was looking for was anything that the ghost felt did not match up to ordinary events. After all, if she haunted this location and saw the usual routine day in and day out, something that did not match that would naturally stand out. Even if she hadn't directly seen the disappearance...

"Well, a few kids noticed me, so I was playing hide and seek with them!" declared the ghost, clearly considering this to be a happy memory, "But when I got done with that... I remember there was a woman I'd never seen around before."

"A woman that you'd never seen before?" Tomoko asked. At first glance, there was nothing particularly unusual about that. Surely new people showed up to the playground all the time, bringing their children with them. But the fact that it had specifically stood out to the ghost...

"That's right! She didn't have any children with her or anything," continued the girl phantom, "And I remember thinking that was strange because adults don't normally show up to the playground on their own, at least not the good kind of adults. So I decided I was going to keep an eye on her, and spook her if she tried anything with the kids! But then I noticed that no-one else seemed to see her... so I think she must have been a ghost like me."

A phantom woman who appeared the same day as Makishima Taro disappeared, at the same time? Tomoko had long since concluded coincidences were a rarity, and this didn't sound like one.

"Then what happened?" she asked.

"Well, I was going to keep an eye on her... but then the kids wanted to play hide and seek again, and I couldn't say no! But after that, I think I remember hearing some of the parents calling for their child... Who had the same name as the one Spider-san described!"

Daze@Vega7285@Pyromania99@AzureKnight@Rune_Alchemist@Octo

[Assistant]
Hina removed a sketchbook from the backpack she carried around as a pretend student, and deftly flipped it to a blank page with fingers as fast as lightning. She pressed a fingertip to the edge of her pencil to check its sharpness, nodded to herself, and sidled up next to the ghost. It was just a sketch, so no need to do an outline or anything. She just needed some basic information.

"Alright, so what are we looking at here? Half Angel half Demons are popular. A Vampire, maybe? I also draw kemono if you're into that. Are they from a certain property like Fate or One Piece? Just tell me whatever you're comfortable with and I'll start drawing, the more info the better."

She leaned in closer to the ghost girl and added conspiratorially into her ear, "speaking of the not good kind of adult, don't get too close to that Spider. She's already thinking about lewding you up. Fair warning."

As she awaited the ghost's input, Hina looked back to Homura.

"Well, if we consider that it's an urban legend, and we assume it's that woman our friendly ghost saw, along with its penchant for taking children, it's no wonder it would come by here. We can use these pieces of information to build a profile. But your question does have me wondering: why here and now? Either way..."

Hina scrunched her face up in mock anguish, puffing her cheeks and pouting.

"It's probably not a funny Nurikabe! And if it's some sort of phantom, it's not a crappy Human," she complained, stomping her little feet in the world's least threatening tantrum, "I swear it's gonna be one of those some day!"

[User]
Shimizu Kaori
Playground

---

Hmm...a spectral woman who conveniently showed up when a child went missing. Like Tomoko, she was far too old and had seen too many youkai activities to merely believe this was any sort of a coincidence. As she'd contemplate the ghosts words, Kaori quietly walked over to Hina and the ghost, wearing her usual friendly smile. Since she left the Mujina back at the clubroom, might as well mess with both of them.

"Ehe, There, there Hina-chan." The spider would attempt to pull the ghost into a hug. "You'll get your human baddie or Nurikabe soon, I believe in you." She'd turn to the ghost in front of them with her usual smile. "Hey, hey, adorable ghost-chan. I'll play Karuta with you! I'll even teach you a fun knew version of it we can play~" Said version perhaps involved losing articles of clothing, but details details.

Despite her jovial and friendly tone, Kaori was in fact, taking this seriously. Seemingly no connection with the kids themselves. The specter attacking at random times. No trace of the kids left behind. The nabbing happening in an instant...not even she could do that! Hmph, maybe she'd ask for tips from this youkai...wait, no. Tomoko would lock her in that horrible room again if she did that. If it was something like an Onryo then it'd be a simple matter of working back from the first disappearance to figure out what and where this particular youkai came from, but ultimately from evidence so far there wasn't anything connecting all the children together...

"Hmm, perhaps it followed one of the children out here from somewhere else and has been doing the most abhorrent act of nabbing children it likes since then? How terrible. I don't suppose we saw where this phantom woman went, hm? Did she say anything or do anything else that we could use to identify her perhaps? Clothing? Appearance?" She was grasping at straws here a bit, but they still didn't have quite a complete picture of what this thing even looked like. If they could get even a partial description it'd help immensely in narrowing down the culprits.

[Assistant]
"Hmm..." Homura pondered the ghost's testimony. Strange, possibly spectral woman. Disappearances. There were some options there, at least for narrowing it down. "What did this phantom woman look like? She wasn't super tall and wearing a big hat and white dress, was she?" That'd rule out at least one spooky thing she read about on the internet.

"Really, anything identifying will help. Unusual hair or eyes, clothing, whatever you can remember about her." Even if it turned out this phantom wasn't the culprit herself, she was a person of interest and possibly another witness. Something had to have spirited the child away.

Though speaking of, if children were being taken, they had to be taken somewhere. That meant there would be some sort of lair to track down once they've got the target in mind. Especially if there was any chance for rescue. Hopefully it wouldn't involve some sort of spirit barrier or other little alcove carved out of the spirit world.

"Forgive me if I'm completely wrong with this one," Homura started a suggestion to Shuichiro. "But I don't suppose you'd be able to sniff out any trails left by spirits in the area? Might be a way to track down this mystery woman."


[System]
Frost

"Why don't you take a chill pill?"

Vitals
Age: 29

Sex: Male

Date of birth: 22nd May, 1986

Lineage: -

Class/Major: Rogue

Class/Minor: Mage

Occupation: Detective

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Marital Status: Widower

Birthplace: New York, New York

Blood Type: B+

Eye Color: Blue

Height: 6'

Weight: 177 lbs

Hair Color/Style: Snow white, waist length hair tied into a long, thin ponytail.

General Appearance: Anthropomorphic wolf. Normally wears a thick hoodie over a shirt, a grey square cap on his head, jeans and sneakers. His hands are usually adorned with a pair of plain black fingerless gloves.

Skin Tone/Condition: Normal grey wolf fur colours.

Markings: Two sky blue arrows that start on his cheeks, pointing towards his eyes. The other ends of the arrows travels as stripes down his neck, shoulders and onto his arms, where they end as arrows again on the tops of his hands. These markings glow a pale blue.

Combat Stats

Dominant Hand: Right

Equipment:

-Upper Body: Nil

-Lower Body: Nil

Weapons
* Black Blade - A standard length katana with a wholly black blade, the sword is Daniel's power focus. He can channel his ice energy into it to make it flash freeze anything he hits, and it is also bound to him; he can summon it anywhere he chooses to.
* Eagles - Two IMI Desert Eagle pistols with engraved grips. These pistols, born from magical energy, do not run out of ammunition, instead shooting bullets of compressed magic. In turn, Daniel can channel his ice into the guns to make them shoot ice bullets that freeze their targets solid.

Abilities
* Super Speed - 0-60 in 2.6 seconds, max speed 190 mph.
* Enhanced Strength - Able to lift 1/2 ton (1,000 lbs).
* Enhanced Reflexes - fast enough to catch a humming bird in mid flight or an arrow in mid flight.
* Heightened Senses - Smell, sight, hearing, range of 50 meters (100 feet).

Magic
* Ice Elemental - Daniel, once flesh and bone, is now a being wholly made of ice. His intensive training with the element has made him so in tune with it that he has become one with the cold. As such, basic physical attacks to his body cannot harm him, as he will simply refreeze any injuries he suffers. He is also highly skilled in the use of ice magicks. Magical attacks, however, will cut past the ice that once was his flesh and injure his inner being, making him bleed in that sense.
* Mark of the Rogue - Representing the Rogue, Daniel is able to travel at speeds faster than the naked eye can follow, along with being able to easily navigate terrain, staying out of sight and being a very fast attacker. All this emphasis on speed does reduce his ability to hit harder than he's normally able to.

Bio

Voice: Deep, raspy, compelling.

Personality: Cool and collected, cunning and lethal, Daniel makes it a point to let everyone know that he means business and that if you cross him, bad things will happen to you. That being said, he treats his friends with the utmost care and concern; if you are on his good side, you are a best friend to him. Acquaintances that have likewise earned his trust and respect are people whom he will also treat very well.

Backstory: Born in New York City, Daniel Anderson took into his father's footsteps by enrolling in the NYPD and becoming an officer. With hard work and determination, he took up his late dad's desk as a detective and began a long, hard career in the service.

Near his fifth year in the office he was taken over by a powerful celestial force known as the Protectorate, and was transformed into a Protector; a powerful demigod whose sole purpose was to ensure the safety of the world. He trained with the best and made many friends around the world, demigods one and all. Together he and his Guardians went on many an adventure, with the safety of the planet often hanging in the balance.

After several decades, Earth began to decay. Society collapsed, the environment ran rampant and turned the world into a wasteland. Still he persevered, though the more years he spent on the earth, the more of his Guardians fell to the ravages of time, age and injury. It was then that he realised that the world didn't need him any more; it was dying, and soon it would be time for the demigod, now nearly a full god in terms of power, to leave for greener pastures. One of the remaining Guardians suggested that he venture into the multiverse; a plane where worlds and universes collided, an interdimensional highway, so to speak. An endless amount of possibilities lay within, and the promise of more power. So he went, leaving the ailing Earth to the care of the remaining Guardians, and entered the multiverse as a wanderer.

Now Daniel is no longer a god. He considers himself more of an elemental than anything else. His wanderings have brought him far and wide, though recognition is sparse. A run-in with a Dreamer ages ago was the closest he'd been to making a friend in the multiverse.

[User]
The wolf materialised within the chamber's space, standing on a platform just across from his opponent, who'd arrived sooner than he did. In the space between them was the center platform, and around him were four other platforms, plus the huge statues and their swords. Interesting place.

"Hmm."

With nothing else to do, he sized up his opponent. The man was dressed casually enough; green jumper and brown pants, boots too. Combat dress? Possibly. The vest was something else though, raggedy Anne as it was, and it held a knife too, wicked looking thing with a curved blade. The pistol that hung on his hip was strange, archaic, something he'd never seen before, but then again everything in this place was very foreign to him.

Daniel unzipped his hoodie and let it fall to the floor. His guns were seated beneath it, against his black-white tee shirt, hanging snugly in underarm holsters with their grips pointing outward. Magazines adorned his belt, seated within carriers that held them tight until he needed them, and his katana lay in its sheath on his left hip. Nothing else though, except to warm up (cool down?) his ice. With a slight gathering of energy, he froze a thin layer of ice all over his body, just as a sort of stretching for his magic, and then let it shatter as he shook himself off like the wolf he was.

"Alright then, that's that."

As he finished, he looked up and addressed his opponent.

"So. Let's get this thing going then?"

[Assistant]
If Metz found it disconcerting to see a humanoid Wolf appear from thin-air across from him on the far platform he showed no sign of it. He simply settled into a firmer stance, slightly crouched, his hand settling over the firearm in its holster. The anticipation before battle joined was always exhilarating for the Mage, though he'd never admit it. His hands were rock steady, his eyes alert for any sudden movements, for he was unsure what his enemy was capable of. There was one Mage he had fought he utilized strange spells that imbued his body, making him faster and stronger than any Torm had a right to be. It was possible the Wolf was similarly strong or fast, dangerous to underestimate.

Usually Metz would give himself some time to test out an opponent before resorting to Magic, however this time he had a bad feeling that to waste time could be the death of him, so his left hand immediately went to the belt at his waist and pulled out a thin vial filled with swirling pure blue Mana. He lifted it to his lips while watching his enemy, who seemed to be covered in some form of Ice even as he watched. The implications of that nonchalant act were not lost on Metz, so his opponent was likely some form of spell caster after all, and without Metz' own weakness in regards to energy consumption as he could waste precious Mana on theatrics. Metz finished the bottle, feeling his body grow more fluid and allowing euphoria to overwhelm him for but a moment. It was good to be strong again, even for a moment.

"Yes, we shall. Don't hold back." Metz grinned at his foe, as his eyes twinkled with enjoyment and a touch of power, he suddenly seemed filled with a greater force of presence. Certainly he looked physically fitter, as if in the mere moments since he had drank he had undergone a year of training with plentiful food. His hand shot to the hilt of his weapon and drew in one smooth motion, the speed of his actions surpassing what any ordinary Human, or Torm in this case, should have been capable of as he had it levelled at his foe, regardless of his current location.

However with his free left hand he caught at the threads of Mana required to begin his spellcasting, feeling for the right thoughts and beginning to chant under his breath, the Pillar of Earth, ready for activation, but where? He had to have chosen the spot from the moment he began casting, so his opponent moving would have scuppered an immediate assault, if that was what he had planned. Even as he readied his spell, the Fire-Type in his hand bucked as it fired a single 9mm shot, straight and true, at the Wolf's centre of mass, if his enemy moved it would definitely make the shot harder, more likely to hit the far side of his body as Metz' attention was elsewhere, but it was a price he paid willingly.

[User]
As he watched, the man known to him as Metz pulled a flask from his waist and downed it like a shot, and immediately he felt the man's presence in the chamber enlarge. Almost intimidating in its size.

Then, his ears flicked. Eyes danced and flickered to a source of new movement.

Metz's hand shot down to his holster and drew.

The soft clicking of the holster's clasp undoing itself gave it away.

Just as the gun leveled itself at him, he moved. His opponent's trigger squeeze would coincide with his immediate movement to the right, a short twist and hop on the same platform to get him a small distance away from the bullet. The round whizzed past him, audible to his ears, as it thudded into the statue behind him, releasing a cloud of dust.

Daniel furrowed his brow. His opponent was much faster than a regular dude. Retaliation was necessary.

Just like his opponent had, in one smooth motion he drew his handgun in his left, took aim and fired twice. His first trigger squeeze was on target, aimed straight at Metz's center of mass, but his second, coinciding with the recoil of the first, went high and left; the second bullet would most likely just whizz past the right side of his opponent's head harmlessly, unless he moved into its path of course.

[Assistant]
As Metz fired he immediately dropped into a half-crouch, cutting his profile down in half and subsequently increasing the likelihood any retaliatory fire would miss him. He personally wasn't confident he could dodge bullets, but his Wolf-like enemy had seemingly done just that with a quick dash rightward as he pulled the trigger, essentially meaning he had cleared his whole body from the bullet's path before it covered the paltry distance. That was worrying indeed for the Mage, though he wasn't aware just how late his enemy had left it to avoid the shot and still succeeded, it was still an extraordinary display of speed. Realising he was outmatched physically, he quickly cocked the hammer back on his pistol and tried to retain his concentration, as his opponent drew and opened fire.

As Metz was in that instance dropping low into his crouch the shot that was meant for his centre of mass could have struck his head, but he got lucky as his movement had set him off its immediate path, though to shoot that accurately that quickly while moving while dual wielding, it seemed his foe also outmatched him as a shooter. Metz was starting to feel a little overwhelmed. The shot cut a minor graze on his neck as it passed perilously close by him followed by its inaccurate fellow, they disappeared into the abyss behind him. The shot wasn't enough to break his concentration, but it was close, and it certainly slowed his return fire as he fell into a full crouch on the floor.

He fired a second shot at the Wolf, aiming for his centre but unlikely to hit anything but a flank if he was continuing to show off his extraordinary speed.

[User]
His opponent dropped almost instantly into a crouch, barely avoiding his first bullet and the second, well, that was a clear miss anyway whatever. In that moment of time, second by second, only sheer speed would suffice.

Metz's gun was still pointed straight at him, and his enhanced senses caught the sound of his finger depressing the trigger once more, and so he moved, way before he even had a chance to fire. He twisted to the left, taking a step back as he leaned backward and moved out of the way of that incoming bullet, still training his handgun at his opponent though its weight threw his aim off slightly. As his opponent fired and inevitably missed, so too did he fire, once this time.

He had aimed at the man's center, but the quick dodging movement threw his aim low and slightly to his right, ending with his gun pointing somewhere at Metz's left thigh or shin, bound to end up missing if his opponent moved quick enough like he already had.

As he did this, however, his right hand shot up to his second pistol and drew it too, but held it up and ready without firing. Overextension would make him lose his center of gravity and have him fall flat on his back, which he didn't want.


[System]
S H U N

"Hey! Just 'cause I'm big doesn't mean I'm slow!"
A G E

15

O R I G I N

Okinawa, Japan

P E R S O N A L I T Y T R O P E S

Earnest
Friendly
Honest
Helpful
Humorous
Lazy

D E S C R I P T I O N

Always taller than most boys his age, Shun is big in all respects. Heavier, taller and darker skinned due to growing up on Okinawa, he sticks out like a sore thumb this far north. His dark brown hair is occasionally gelled up into a pompadour, and he walks around wearing a dumb grin on his face. Constantly wearing relaxed shirts and shorts, it's a humorous sight to see him shivering as he walks outside between classes. But, as he says, "The clothes are just part of who I am!"

Q U I R K T Y P E

Emitter

Q U I R K D E S C R I P T I O N

Many believe Shun's quirk is based around simply charging up energy, but it's a little more than that. Engine Rev is simply Shun's ability to store up kinetic energy, then release said kinetic energy any way he pleases. While he can do damage with his quirk, Shun's greatest weakness is both in his physicality (out of shape) and in his ability to store the energy. It can take up to three minutes for Shun to charge up his quirk, leaving him both open to counter attack and incapable of performing a rescue. However when he releases his kinetic energy, he is capable of both extreme speed and strength.

C A P A B I L I T I E S

Shun is a brilliant gearhead and can tear apart most small electronics and vehicles if left to his own devices. As far as his own physical abilities, Shun has fallen behind throughout his school years. His attitude has always been focused on taking it easy and relaxing, which has stunted his potential physical growth. He also lacks any sort of great stamina, rendering long applications of his kinetic charge weak. Shun is also a master around a barbeque, in case anyone gets hungry out there in the snow.

C H A R A C T E R G O A L S

Shun is a fun, relaxed and laidback character, and is meant to be an antithesis to the shonen protagonists that are so popular in the genre (and that I tend to roleplay all the time). Shun is relatively weak compared to his other classmates, and has only made it this far due to his quirk's abilities. The goal is to follow this lazy character that in any other medium be a background or punchline character and show how even someone like him can develop into an excellent hero.

[User]
H i r o h i k o • Ishin Academy, Sapporo (Japan) •

---

It was at this point that Hirohiko finally unfroze from where he'd been facing the wall. Who was it who'd shouted down the flashy boy who was practically the only one his height?

It...seemed to be a little girl? But...did that mean Knightmare was actually a robot or a suit that she piloted with her quirk? That'd be awesome! If someone like that could use her quirk to become a powerful hero in spite of NEVER getting taller, maybe he could do the same thing! Clearly, she was actually the best choice to teach someone like him and...well, wasn't she actually really, really mean and scary though?

Hirohiko got to his seat, still pleasantly surprised that he was nearly half-way away from being at the bottom like he'd expected he'd be in the end. Still, he wanted to know why Knightmare had chosen not to hide her now-obvious smol-ness, given that he struggled to be taken seriously himself at times for that very reason.

"Um, excuse me sensei! Why did you choose to walk into the classroom out of your armor? I mean, people are more used to your armored appearance, so why did you want to make this kind of first impression instead?"

The fact that asking such a thing might be suicide didn't occur to Hirohiko at all, a testament to the mental density that came with his physical density.

[Assistant]
K n i g h t m a r e

---

 • Ishin Academy, Sapporo (Japan) •

April 7th -- School Grounds

---

The "pint-sized" heroine pressed her teeth down, as she walked forward, stopping just before the second row of seats as one of the students behind her asked her a question; a question that sounded like one she had heard a thousand times or more. It was a question that the other teachers of Ishin Academy had already joked about. Even after over a decade of proving herself as a pro-hero, it still came up, and it still happened to bother her. After all, it was something she had no control over and would never have control over. It was why she had made her hero identity like it was; strong and unflinching, tall and broad-shouldered. Some people didn't even know the metallic knight hero was a girl at all. Was it a mistake to sign on as a teacher to shed that in front of a bunch of petulant brats? Despite being starkly annoyed she looked at the boy who asked the question and memorized his seating in reference to the chart given.

Hirohiko Yamabuki. Seat six. Sapporo native. Emitter. Mass manipulation. 152 centimeters.

Hirokhiko was short—though even now at his age he was taller than Knightmare as an adult. The brown-haired pro-hero wasn't sure to make of him but at the very least appreciated his sense of manners and tone. She didn't want her height to be a spectacle, but she did wonder if her height meant something to him. Why else mention it like he had? She decided to not yell at him and instead bring up the answer that Snowman had told her to make if a student asked about their appearance in the classroom being starkly different than their guises as heroes. It's a "humanizing experiment of trust and professionalism". She remembered her rolling her eyes at the statement in Snowman's office. So she would say it her way instead. Her way was better.

"No instructor at this academy will be in uniform with the rare exception of training exercises and the opening ceremony. We are not fighting villains, but are presenting ourselves as teachers. It's pretty simple if you think about it."

As she answered she sent a foot backward into the leg of Noboru Nobunaga's chair, causing the student to violently crash to the ground.

"Also. Sit upright. You're a student of Ishin Academy, not a burger flipper at MgRonalds. Act like it." She commented, generally telling the class as a whole as she made her way to her desk.

[User]
K a z u o

---

 > > > Ishin Academy, Sapporo (Japan) < < <
April 7th ~~ School Grounds

---

True to Kazuo's expectations Noboru was the the first to really speak after Knightmare's entrance. The idiot had no sense of anything that didn't involve himself or showing how "great" he was. Kazuo was used to idiots like that, but this guy royally pissed him off for some reason. He sucked his teeth at the boy's comment.

"Yeah, we are lucky." He spoke aloud as he took the time to make his way to his desk as was necessary. "I mean at least now we know that our teacher is competent." He completed the though as he took his seat, coincidentally beside the loud mouthed, self-proclaimed number one. Soon though he heard a familiar voice. Hirohiko what are you doing? He asked fighting the urge to face palm as his friend and fellow Sapporo native questioned the Pro on what could very well have been a touchy subject. Still, that was part of the guy's charm. At least Knightmare hadn't decided to rip him a new one. Kazuo would not have wanted to see that.

Still, what came next he couldn't possibly have been prepared for. Nor, could he have stopped himself from belting out the laugh that came from him when it happened. As she answered Hirohiko she took the time to kick the chair out from under Noboru making him drop to the floor.

"Also. Sit upright. You're a student of Ishin Academy, not a burger flipper at MgRonalds. Act like it."

Kazuo tried hard, to stop the laughter. He stifled it, forced his mouth shut, covered it. But every time he looked at Noboru he broke out again. It only went on for roughly 2 or 3 minutes before he quieted down, but even then you could hear little chuckles coming from the young man every time he glanced in Nobu's direction, even if they were beginning to border inaudible.

[Assistant]
S h u n

---

 • Ishin Academy, Sapporo (Japan) •

April 7th -- School Grounds

---

"Ex-excuse me," the tall boy's gentle voice came from the side of Knightmare now as her attention was more on yelling at several of the other students. "I just wanted to give you this." He held the pineapple in his hand outstretched towards the tiny woman, looking completely and utterly awkward. "My grandmother used to bring pineapples to every new person she met," he added sheepishly, "and she said my mom did too." His voice trailed off into silence after he added that. Mom. Why was he bringing her up out of the blue? After all, his father constantly told him--

---

 • Osaka, 10 months ago. •

---

"Don't talk about her!" Renji Tanaka's voice was loud and gruff as he pushed himself out from under the large automobile he was working under. "Especially not while i'm working! Now hand me that wrench-" he said, pointing to the tool shelf in the Tanaka garage. The Tanaka Garage was probably the best garage for race cars in all of Osaka, and Renji Tanaka, his father and even his grandfather had made it such. In his mind, the entire Tanaka Clan would run the business, from father to son until the end of time. Until Shun came up with that letter.

"My aptitude scores put me toward the hero track. They say that I have a power very similar to another hero, dad. Why won't you tell me about mom's quirk?"

"She didn't have a quirk, like I said. She didn't have a quirk, she got sick when you were little and died. So drop it!" Renji was already up, walking towards his son, yanking the wrench out of his hand. "And the hero track? Don't make me laugh. You're going to work here with your younger brother. That's your track in life son. Not getting yourself killed as a hero for people who don't even care about you.

Shun's eyes closed tightly as his father went back to working on the car, using his quirk to stretch his limbs around and into the engine of the car.

---

 • The Present •

---

Shun just stood there, wondering why he thought back to that awful memory of that day. Why did this lady make him think so much about it? Maybe it was how her yelling reminded him of his father. No, that wasn't it at all. He then realized that he was away from his seat, and had approached his sensei without permission. He deeply bowed his head, his face growing deep scarlet, still holding the pineapple out for the woman. "I'm-i'm sorry I got up without permission! I wasn't thinking!"

Oh he was a barrel of laughs.