[System]
Codename: Sūn Rising

City of Operation: Detroit, Michigan

[User] *IGNORE ME*

[Assistant]
The woman wearing the suit stood there for a bit before yelling at the kid with a gun. Though thankfully they didn't have to hear the animal woman's whole spiel as the piece of gravel did it's job and stopped her cold. She even dropped the elephant gun which would have been a problem. Unfortunately for the plan, it fell apart as the animals started swarming over to attack them. Quake garnered the most attention, and it was from the two tigers that had been by Mama Bear's side.

Grace rolled her eyes hefted a chunk of earth up and over the enclosure nearest her, then tilted the tigers inside. She put another earth barrier between the tigers and their possible escape routes. When she was finished, Quake dusted off her hands. "Seriously, Mama Bear, you've lost your edge. Not that you had one but it was better than this. Also, look up becoming a zookeeper instead. You'd be good at it."

A fiery form blew past her and aimed for the woman in question. Grace would leave him to deal with her while she re coordinated the rest of the group. The elephant and the giant blue guy looked to have it well in hand. The birds and the guy -for some reason he looked like a Roger to her- were another story. With a pulling motion, Grace grabbed a lot of gravel and hurled it at the larger eagle, but her aim wasn't perfect and if anything the screaming of the animals wasn't helping her concentration.

"Sorry if I hit you," Grace apologized, grateful that she'd used gravel instead of a giant chunk of earth like she had before. Hopefully, the guy she'd seen earlier was making sure that the elephant rifle that Mama Bear had wasn't being aimed at her. If Grace got shot here, then she might not be able to get back up.

[User]
Everything was going terrific. The two teens were putting on a show of heroics and they helped some civilians escape. "I'm the Teen Tornado!" she shouted proudly as the last of only a small batch of hostages exited through the window. There was little time to celebrate, though, as they were soon engulfed by an army of duplicates. Tess's heart sunk as the Uprising clones surrounded her and the other heroes. "Shit!" Her eyes flicked from Gwen to the other heroes next to her. She was familiar with Phoenix but wasn't sure who the other one was. With the innocent bystanders being used as hostages, they had little choice.

The one who Tess didn't know, an older male, was in the act of surrendering. Tess sighed. "I don't think we have a choice," she admitted, taking off her backpack and raising it in the air so they could see it before dropping it on the floor, kicking it towards the clones. She put her hands behind her head, feeling the opposite of heroic. As she raised her hands, though, she noticed that the glass roof had broken. There was finally an outlet to the air outside, she could use it to amplify her powers and try to possibly stun all of the duplicates. She tilted her head towards Gwen, leaning closer so she could whisper to her the plan she had formulated. "I might be able to—" Tess stopped in the middle of her statement when Phoenix charged the alpha Uprising and unleashed a flurry of attracks on him. Tess's jaw hung open in awe, her arms drooped at her sides in mesmerized astonishment. She fought back an urge to geek out at the hero in action. "Or..." she struggled to make a sentence, "... that could happen."

She shook herself out of the trance. Phoenix's attack stunned the clones, providing a good chance to fight. Carefully Tess started fighting some Uprising clones, making sure to free and avoid harming their hostages.

[Assistant]
Wyoming Street

As the two heroes pointed their weaponry at Striker he grinned. "What do we have here? Two Romans way past their time. Well this shouldn't take to long." Just then he nodded his head and the two goons with him started opening fire their Uzi machine guns at the duo. Striker then threw some of his acid which would surely melt the shield at them.

[User]
Janus

---

9:37 AM
The back of an alley along Pearl Road.
Booker pulled at the hem of his scarf, making sure it sat comfortable above his nose and didn't push his shades up to reveal his eyes. The quintet of men in front of him were beginning to show signs of suspicion, of nervousness. To be clear, Booker had ordered several pounds of their finest product earlier and was counting on the delivery to be here when he arrived. He had removed the plates from his car, taken his father's low-jack offline, rather forcefully, and dressed up in his most uncharacteristic clothing, all black and white to differentiate himself to his usual garish colors and name-brand fashion. A pair within the group whispered between themselves and looked his way, hands moving to their backs slowly. It was difficult to see in this alley with his sunglasses on. He immediately came to regret wearing them as he saw the pair's hands had returned to their pockets.

"Y'all know the deal. I say I've got the green, and you bring me the goods up front. If you can't supply for my demand then I'm thinking either you've got a shortage..."

He looked to them, lowering his shades just slightly, so they could see the whites of his eyes as he gazed at them all. They were twitchy, Dad had taught him a bit about what he would deal with out on the streets, back when he was just a little fish in a big ocean. They wanted to make a move. Body language and mannerisms, it was obvious. He continued talking.

"Or y'all came here to short-change me a few pounds in exchange for some lead. Am I right, or am I right?"

A flash of bright red and the sound of a sonic boom from overhead made them jump, each of them pulling a gat and ready to pop him. One of them screamed in fear, "Time to die, Janus! Nowhere to go!" They had his exit blocked off, so they had cornered him pretty well. Or so they thought. Booker dashed to the side and grabbed the lid of a nearby trashcan. With a lunge forward and a savage wrench of his torso, he flung the lid like a frisbee into the tightly packed group, throwing it with enough force to make it crumple against the leading gangster and have him fall back into his compatriots. It delayed their itchy trigger fingers for just long enough. Just long enough for him to walk over to a nearby dumpster and hoist it up in front of him.

He used the dumpster as cover as he made a charge for the exit, onto the street as he trampled the gangsters sprawling upon the floor, straight through a pair of parked cars and into the middle of a chase between a rocket-packed man and another on a motorcycle. He yelled as he threw the dumpster forward and made a run down the street, completely abandoning his car in favor of simply getting away on foot. The thugs would be fine, beaten black and blue by his tough boots and garbage antics, but fine all the same.

[Assistant]
Upon hearing the loud roaring of the motorbike behind him, The Rocket sighed. Countless supervillains legitimately threatening lives, of course somebody was going to hunt down the petty thief. He glanced back at the encroaching hero, and started putting more oomph into his je-double take

"WHAT THE FUCK. WHEN THE HELL DID FUCKING BATMAN MOVE TO FUCKING CLEVELAND." Oh god, run. Run, you shitty wannabe villain, run. Fucking Two-Face and Joker running wild, and Batman goes and chases down Kite-Man.

With a sigh of regret and dread, he turned his head to meet Crisis' gaze. Rocket's helmet wasn't nearly as stylized, a rather simple little affair with a completely smooth faceplate save for the two holes where he had the goggles inserted for his eyes. Truth be told, he had scrapped that son of a bitch together from old scrap he had pulled out of a landfill and banged it into working headgear.

Out of politness's sake, Rocket gave him a curt wave with one hand, other still holding onto the strap of the bag he had slung over his shoulder.

Then the knives hit, promptly jamming straight into the left hip thruster and stoppering the whole thing up, which left Rocket hanging in midair as it sputtered and stopped. The explosion pellet, while it did manage to knock around the workings of the back turbine and force it to stop, also managed to throw Rocket even farther forward through the air and past Crisis. He slammed into the concrete, face first, and had maybe a split second to groan in pain and humiliation. Fortunately for him-or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it-that's when the rockets detected that the back turbine and one of the hip thrusters was down, and activated as an automatic compensation. His shoulder retrorockets and knee jets immediately kicked on, and he shot down the street even faster than he was with his bounding leaps.

On his face.

With a shriek of metal and concrete, Rocket's skidding body threw up waves of sparks as he slid down Pearl Road face down, arms flailing at his side as his systems forced him in the direction he was going in when his back turbine and hip thruster failed.

"FwubadubawafufufuckfuckfuuuUUUUUUUUUU-"

A crunching sound, and another loud crash beckoned Rocket to look back. Oh, hey, the first stroke of luck all fucking day, somebody threw a goddamn dumpster and some cars in between him and the psychopath chasing him down. The resulting pileup from the hulks of metal had pretty much clogged the entire road, and hopefully would keep that jackass off of his back. He sighed, then looked forward. Then look back down at the road, and sighed again, a good half-second before smashing into a van as he finally started getting proper lift. As he was flung to the side, he bounced off of a car, off of another car after that, before he was firmly embedded in the side of a truck's trailer. Rocket grabbed hold of the trailer, checked to make sure the bag was still in one piece, and then waited as the truck drove further north, across the bridge over the Medina Freeway and towards the heart of Cleveland.

[User]
The sound of his cell door sliding open was enough to break Dean out of his dazed trance. Surprised, he sat up from his bunk and just stared at his bars for a moment. He has expected one of the security officers to trounce in and blather on about something that he had done earlier in the day, but that never came. He could only smile as screams of both joy and terror echoed through the halls of the prison as its inmates and guards figured out just what had happened. Finally, they were free.

Dean could afford the luxury of leisurely strolling about the compound. He was no real threat as he was; the guards would be preoccupied with the caught and their particular brand of terror. He almost felt pity on them for being so underprepared for this type of situation. He'd eventually find his way to Inmate Property, searching down the rows and rows of bins for the one with his name on it. He gave a friendly nod to Death Incarnate who was a few bins down retrieving his scythe. Interestingly enough, there was a decapitated corpse in front of Dean's bin clutching his sword. The skeletal man approached with a fiendish grin on his face. "Forgive me, I just couldn't help myself! I sensed that this fool would have died by your hand once you found him with your possessions, so I went ahead and took his life. May god have mercy on his soul!"

Ignoring Death's tirade, Dean could only squeal in glee at the sight of his family sword. He quickly pried it from the corpse's cold dead hands, and held it close in a loving embrace. It had been almost a year since he'd felt the firm touch of the hilt in his grasp. He slowly removed the blade from its sheath, and marveled as the old steel reflected off the rooms lights. Leaving Death in an awkward position as he stared down at his sword for the next few minutes, Dean would eventually snap from his trance and return the sword to its home. "Domo arigato bone man."

"Yes! Yes! Now I must depart, for there are so many people who must face the reaper! Until we meet again, Dean Nakamora!" With a long winded cackle, Death incarnate raised his bony hands to the sky, causing flames to swirl around his feet. In an instant they rose up and enveloped him, transporting the skeleton away to his next victim. With that distraction gone, Dean would crack open the treasure trove of old memories. Utility belt? Check. Guns? Check. Riot gear? Still looking good. Car keys with the laser pointer key chain? Still shining bright. Finally all geared up, Sūn Rising made his exit just as so many other prisoners did.

Later that day…

"Give me a burger and fries or die." The adolescent cashier could only whimper in terror at the sight of the machine gun leveled in her direction. So far, Dean's trip to the mall food court had been fantastic. The terrible prison food was literal shit compared to the confectionaries of a free man. As it stood, he already downed a meat lovers pizza and a steaming box of pork fried rice. After this, it'd be time for fried chicken. Unfortunately, before his request could be filled, the boom of hundreds of voices filled the mall. The terrorizing clones was chaos much like what went down at the penitentiary, only they wanted to stay in, not out. Quickly making his way to the center of the action, Dean had to question what exactly their plan was. With a power like that, this guy could take over a gun store and have a small army at his disposal. Why blockade himself inside a mall? And now he was threating to kill hostages?

"The Caught heroes are winning. Kill your prisoners while you can!" Dean shouted this from the sidelines, leaning up against a wall so he could watch the show. He didn't dare join in on the fray, it was clear that he'd be on the losing side.


[System]
Age: 20

Short bio: Raised by an adoptive family, Prompto lived a lonely childhood devoid of any friends. As a child, he was self-conscious and deemed himself unworthy of his peers. Although he befriended Prince Noctis in high school, Prompto has never truly rid himself of his inferiority complex and greatly doubts himself. Along with that, he carries a deep secret regarding his past, one that continues to haunt him.
Despite his burdens, Prompto remains upbeat, optimistic, and is often the first to crack a joke in the aim to make his friends laugh. Prompto prefers to see the good in people rather than the bad, and he has a soft spot for animals, particularly chocobos.

Other: Shortly after high school, Prompto discovered his love of photography and is rarely seen without his trusty camera in hand. As a result, he has many days of their journey recorded and isn't shy to snap pictures of complete strangers.

Weapon: Being the marksman of the group, Prompto is skilled with using a gun and favors that as his weapon.

Family: unknown

Relationships: friends: Noctis, Ignis, and Gladiolus

[User]
"You wouldn't be in the way. Running's just as important as fighting...kind of wish Noct would remember that sometimes." Prompto joked, glancing towards where his friends had left. When Sarah made the request, he looked back to her, heart skipping a beat. Did she just ask for help? She did.

 "You...you want me to teach you?" Prompto couldn't believe his ears. He'd pestered Noctis and the others plenty of times to practice shooting together, but it usually only happened if he agreed to swords practice with Noctis, cooking with Ignis, or combat training with Gladiolus. Needless to say, he seldom asked Gladiolus anymore.

 "Don't worry, there's nothing to be nervous about." Recovering from his shock, Prompto was quick to reassure the girl that practicing wasn't something to fear. The fact that she was nervous about using the weapon shouldn't have surprised him, but it did. Something about using a gun had always come naturally to him, so he forgot it could be a daunting task for a newbie.

 "There's more than enough daylight left, and I've got all the time in the world. Prompto smiled kindly, wishing to reassure her that it was no inconvenience. This was the first time he'd been asked to help teach, being asked flattered him to no end.

 "Just lead the way." Prompto slipped the camera strap off his neck and set the device atop a few empty crates. Aside from them, no one was around, so he figured it would be more than safe there. "Cans will work, as long as they're empty," he laughed, nodding back towards Ignis. "I made the mistake of using his ingredients for practice once...should probably avoid that."

[Assistant]
This was… embarrassing, asking someone to help her with something she… well she should know. Let's face it, the gun is in her possession and meant to be something she was going to use and yet… here she was; she didn't have any experience with it. With red cheeks of embarrassment, she was having trouble looking up the blonde young man as he seemed to stumble over his words… possibly stumbling over the idea.

That was until he said that there was nothing to be nervous about and her gaze quickly moved back to him with a look of surprise across her face. He was… agreeing to teach her? Really!? Her blue eyes expanded in surprise and a bright smile moved across her lips flashing her bright white smile. "Really?!" She nearly shrieked with excitement before she corrected herself. "Sorry. I'm just really excited. I want to be useful and help." A nod rose and fell quickly before she listened to his story about using empty cans.

To this she laughed. "Don't worry I'll make sure their empty. Plus, something about shooting a can of beans and having them splatter everywhere. Yuck!" Her body shook with the thought of ending up covering herself in beans. "Alright, I'll be right back." With that she set the rifle down and dashed back inside the building. Climbing upstairs to her loft and grabbed a few empty cans and came back to him. Five in her arms.

Within a few minutes the two had set up their makeshift firing range. "Okay." She said as they lined up back where Prompto had indicated she stood. "So you hold it like this. Right?" With that she held up the gun in a very wrong fashion and tried to make it look right… boy… she really needed lessons.

[User]
Prompto stood by, giving Sarah time to hold the gun as she thought was correct. She was rather off, however, and he secretly thanked Ignis for suggesting they didn't set out right away. If they had, Prompto wouldn't have known just how much help Sarah needed.

"Well...not quite." Prompto admitted with a chuckle. "You'll want to hold the handgrip with your trigger hand," he showed her where to place her palm, careful to move slowly so she'd have a chance to practice herself.
"For this type of rifle, keep the end of it balanced in the pocket of your shoulder, and you'll want to rest your cheek rest against here," he helped her guide the weapon to a firing position. "There! It's kind of complicated and might feel awkward the first few tries, but after a bit of practice, you'll be a pro in no time."

After double checking that all was in order, Prompto stepped away to give her some space.
"Oh, and one more thing...remember to breathe," he added, sensing that Sarah may have been a little nervous still. "If you hold your breath, you'll get tense. Trust me, it makes aiming a lot more difficult." This was said from experience.

"When you feel ready, you can take aim...try for the middle can there." Prompto nodded to the largest of the cans. It stood a little taller than the rest, and he figured it would be best to start off easy. "Don't worry, you'll do great!"

[Assistant]
The chuckle caused her to blush and it told her that she had failed the set up but he seemed to find it assuming. The nervousness and embarrassment built up inside of her as he guided her to her proper holding positions, all the while speaking positively and encouragingly to her. The more he stood close to her to help her line up her gun, the more mix of nervousness and at ease she felt. Ease came from having his help but nervousness that she had from holding the gun turned into the nervousness for him being so close to her.

 Did she smell like the barn? Did she smell like the chocobos? Did she have something in her teeth? Was she holding the gun wrong? What if she farted? All the panics blazed through her mind as he finally stepped back and stated the final note for her. Remember to breathe. A small nod rose and fell her head as she followed his instructions and took aim at the large can.

 She focused on the can and fired only to find out that she missed. Instead of looking disappointed, she cocked back the rifle and took aim again. This time she closed a single eye to focus and her shoulders dropped as she released and breathe. TING the can flew off the stump and the blonde's eyes expanded in surprise. "I did it?" She questioned quietly as she lowered the gun from her view and looked at where the can had stood. "I did it! I did it!" She said excitedly as she beamed at Prompto.

 "Did you see that?! I did it and it's all thanks to you?" Without warning she put the gun down on the nearby stump and jumped at him wrapping her arms around his neck in a joy-filled hug. "Thank you thank you thank you!" She repeated over and over again before she finally let him go and jumped back to the gun.

 She was so enthralled with what she was doing she didn't even process what she had done to him. Taking up the gun she positioned it as she was taught and took in a couple of breathes. The nervousness was gone and all she could feel was herself focusing on the things Prompto had taught her. Soon she picked off the cans one by one. Sometimes missing a few by a hair but regaining for the following shot. Soon all were done and she lowered the rifle from her sight and grinned. "I can't believe I did it. Thank you so much!" She said excitedly turning her gaze to him. "If it wasn't for you, god knows who I would have hurt. Thank you Prompto, I owe you."

[User]
Before Prompto got the chance to encourage her to try a second time, Sarah shot the rifle again and succeeded in hitting the target.
Breaking into a grin at her enthusiasm towards the achievement, Prompto nodded. "Sure did! Looks like you shot it right in the center, too!" Teaching Sarah was a breeze. She was a fast learner and didn't seem to get easily discouraged. If anything, missing her first shot motivated her to try again.

From the sidelines, Prompto took notice of her setting the gun down. He couldn't figure out why, as the cans were already set up and she had a few more bullets available. "Something wrong?" The day had been filled with plenty of surprises, but being hugged around the neck so suddenly caught him completely off guard.
Instinctively, Prompto's arms rose about half way, but he was frozen in place after that. The girl he'd been too shy to ask for a picture with had hugged him! What had he done to deserve this? Face flushed, he opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out.

Thankfully, a response wasn't necessary. Sarah returned to the gun again while a dazed Prompto tried to figure out what had just happened. The girl proved herself capable by taking out the rest of the cans in an impressive show of newfound skill, giving Prompto the chance he desperately needed to collect himself.

"Nah, it was nothing." Prompto was the one who felt indebted, being thanked was hardly necessary. "You're a quick learner!" He paused, conflicted whether or not he should ask about the picture. This would have been an opportune time to ask, but he didn't want to make things awkward. Was it a weird thing to ask? He didn't know.
"So...did you want to go back?" At the last minute, Prompto lost his nerve to ask. At least the sun was low enough to hide any evidence of his reddened face. They were close enough to the ranch to be safe, but some daemons were more gutsy than others.

[Assistant]
If there was something that Sarah didn't understand it was, well, personal space. This is why she jumped on Prompto without giving him any notice and embraced him in a tight hug. But how could she not be excited! She succeeded in something she was really nervous about doing. You wouldn't think Sarah had such a sad past as she does with her positive personality but… that was the case.

Slingingt the gun over her shoulder, she tightened the strap so it wouldn't move and nodded. "Yeah we better head back, demons have been decently active lately and the sooner we had back the less likely we'll have to deal with them." With that the two collected the cans and ventured back to the ranch.

Luckily nothing bad happened during their adventure back and she let out a gentle sigh. "Great, now I feel like I can be of use during our time heading to where Deadeye is." She said with a serious nod as she stopped in front of the entrance to the shop. Taking the cans from him she gave him a gentle smile. "It looks like your friends have rented the trailer." She said with a nod towards the light up trailer and the lounging prince outside. "Sleep well and I will see you in the morning." With that she bid him a thank you again and a good night.

However Sarah's night was not over. In fact after she went into the building she changed into her pjs, a pair of sweat pants and an over-sized t-shirt before warming up her can of beans, tossing her hair up into a messy bun and climbing up the latter to the top of the barn to gaze up at the clear skies and munch away on her heated up beans. Just a typical night, though her thoughts her on the blonde in the camper. What an interesting guy!

[User]
"Heh, yeah. Looks like it." Prompto glanced back to the trailer, his gaze landing back to Sarah. When she bid him goodnight, he felt a little relieved. He wasn't sure how to part ways without making things awkward. "Right...well, see you tomorrow!"
 Overhearing the voices, Noctis didn't bother looking up from his phone. He recognized the footsteps of his friend, although Prompto seemed to be dragging his feet more than he usually would. Raising an eyebrow, Noctis cleared the level of Kings Knight and eyed the blond with a hint of suspicion. "Something wrong?"
 Prompto looked up from the ground, startled out of his thoughts. "Oh, no! Everything went great! She caught on really fast." He smiled to show things went smoothly and pulled up a chair across from the prince. "She's all set for tomorrow."

 * * *

 After dinner was over, everyone got ready to turn in. Prompto changed into a red tank, along with a pair of pajama pants. The pants couldn't have been more fitting for the ranch; they had chibified chocobos printed all over them.
 Exiting the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth, Prompto reached for his phone on one of the small kitchen counter tops. "Anyone up for a few rounds of Kings Knight?"
 Noctis started to respond when Ignis interrupted. "I'm turning in, as should the rest of you. We have a big day tomorrow and will need our rest if wish to have a successful hunt."
 Prompto grimaced, but he couldn't argue with a mouthful of toothpaste.
 The camper was crowded. There were four bunks, which was more than some had. Gladiolus was asleep on the bottom right, Ignis claimed the bottom left, and Noctis took the top right. Finished with brushing his teeth, Prompto climbed up to his own bunk and played a few secret rounds of Kings Knight under the covers until Ignis scolded him.
 "Sorry!" Prompto didn't even question how Ignis knew he was playing if the volume was off. Ignis always knew.
 Shoving his phone underneath his pillow, Prompto rolled on his side and closed his eyes. Try as he might, he couldn't sleep. He couldn't help but think about Sarah and the fun they had together.
 A gentle breeze from outside filtered in through the lower window, as did the occasional sound of a car passing by on the road. Prompto continued to go over what had happened that day. His collision with Sarah, the baby chocobos he'd photographed...
 Wait. His camera. He'd left it outside! Sitting up a little too fast, Prompto smacked his head on the ceiling. "Ouch!"
 Miraculously, no one woke up. Wincing, Prompto rubbed at his temple and dropped down to the floor. He had to get his camera. Tiptoeing to the door, he slipped outside and headed to the stack of crates he left his camera at. To his disbelief, his trusty camera was no longer there. Prompto felt his stomach sink. He wasn't envisioning things -- he set his camera down before he went to go shooting with Sarah.
 "Maybe somebody moved it." Fearing the worst, Prompto tried to convince himself otherwise. Swallowing back the panic he felt, he started to hunt around the ranch, taking care to keep quiet.


[System]
【Shion Kana - The Fleeting Gale】

【Overall Theme/|\Character Theme/|\Battle Theme】

~"Do you ever wonder how precious memories are?"~

---

【Shinigami Profile】
【General Informaion】
【Division:】 2
【Rank:】 Lieutenant
【Former Division:】 5
【Former Rank:】 Unseated
【Codename:】 Swallow (Tsubame)
【Alias:】 The Fleeting Gale
【Nicknames:】 N/A

【Age:】 315
【Age Appearance:】 24
【Date of Birth:】 May. 13
【Gender:】 Female

【Additional Appearance Information】
【Eye Color:】 Amethyst
【Hair Color:】 Amethyst
【Height:】 5'6
【Weight:】 110 pounds
【Style:】 Traditional
【Clothing:】 An altered kimono that's easier to move in over-top of her Soul Reaper uniform.

【Character Profile】
【Personality:】 Shion is a very quiet and reserved individual. She is slow to trust, but around those she is familiar with her mannerisms change to be much more vibrant and expressive. She finds joy in improving herself and helping others improve, making her a popular Lieutenant among many squads.

【Biography:】 An orphan who grew up in the Inuzuri district of South Rukongai, Shion learned from a young age the value of not fighting battles you can't win. With a powerful appetite due to her high Reiryoku level, she found herself often running away from much larger and stronger people whom she stole food from, resulting in a high mobility level. Her ability to make precise movements was also improved by her theft. One day after eating enough to have a full belly, she found herself trapped by several larger adults who wanted revenge on her. When one pounced, she accidentally used Flash Step in her desperation to escape, though she didn't realize this at the time. After that day, she spent much of her time practicing to figure out how she had managed to escape, eventually leading to her mastering some very basic Hohō. When she was older, she was caught using Flash Step by a patrolling Shinigami who recommended her to the Shinigami Academy to become a Soul Reaper herself.

Though her natural aptitude for Hohō and Zanjutsu were high, she spent much longer at the Academy than the average student due to a complete lack of Kido ability. This extra time there wound up sharpening her skills in every category except Kido, much to the chagrin of her teachers. She made no friends during her time at the Academy due to a combination of fear and resentment towards her due to her being from Inuzuri and her lack of communication skills. For much of her time there, she didn't speak a single word to other students, a pattern that grew from her past where speaking to the wrong person could result in death. She was only allowed to graduate by request of the Squad 5 Captain, who saw something in her potential.

Originally a member of Squad 5 after graduation from the Officer's Academy, Shion was renown for being the first on the scene when problems arose, even among Squad 5 which prided itself on its speedy activity. This led to both respect and resentment from the other members, especially when they learned of her complete lack of Kido ability. Due in large part to this split opinion of her, she remained unseated during her entire time in Squad 5, despite her skill in other areas. In spite of this, she enjoyed her time in the squad and had great respect for her Captain, especially since it was due to her that Shion was able to become a Shinigami in the first place. This made her betrayal of the Seireitei to join the Head Captain all the more painful. The squad split into those loyal to the Captain and those loyal to the Seireitei under the leadership of the squad's Lieutenant, where Shion found herself opposed to the Captain she admired. This schism led to her once again rarely speaking, something that has continued to this day.

After her distinguished service in the battles between the two sides, and due to her natural aptitude for speed and skill, she was selected to be the Squad 2 Lieutenant and part of the Stealth Force. It was during these battles that she mastered Shikai, and has since learned but had yet to master her Bankai.

【Notable Traits】
【Likes/Dislikes】
✔ Training
✔ Helping others
✔ Good food
✔ Cats and dogs

✘ Insects
✘ Rash people
✘ Overly prideful people
✘ Those that harm others

【Defining Traits】

▲ Precise
▲ Mindful
▲ Kind
▲ Quick/Agile

☯ Level-headed
☯ Quick to judge
☯ Confident
☯ Distant

▼ Forgetful
▼ Judgemental
▼ Overly forgiving
▼ Has trouble trusting

【Relationships】
【Former Squad Five Captain】 【Superior Officer】
The Squad Captain was the one who made it so that Shion could join the Gotei 13 instead of being stuck in the Shinigami Academy indefinitely. They knew each other for several years before the Captain betrayed the Seireitei and destroyed Shion's trust in her. Shion still feels mixed emotions about her to this day; anger and sadness at her betrayal but gratitude for all that she did for her.

【Skills and Capabilities】
【General Aptitude】
【Fighting Style:】
Shion fights by concealing her presence and striking decisively, running away when the odds are too far against her. She uses zanjutsu almost exclusively, only fighting with hakuda when absolutely necessary and she is incapable of fighting with kido. In fights where the opponent never lets down their guard, she has intense stamina that can outlast most enemies. She focuses strongly on counter attacks rather than forward attacks if sneak attacking is not an option. She is incredibly quick and agile with both her body and her zanpakuto.

【Masteries and Proficiencies】
【Kido Practitioner】
If it can even be called "practitioner" at her level, she has zero aptitude for kido and has a hard time even getting it to work well enough to fail, let alone use it correctly. As such, she's abandoned it entirely in both everyday life and battle.

【Hakuda Proficient】
She is capable of defeating most opponents in hand-to-hand combat, unless they are specialized in it. While she doesn't rely on it in battle, she will use it if the opportunity arises or there is no other option.

【Hohō Master】
She is one of the best at using Hohō in the entire Seireitei. She can cover vast distances in mere moments with very few steps. Her footwork in battle is also almost unmatched by those not Captain-level and even quite a few who are.

【Zanjutsu Expert】
Shion is incredibly skilled with her zanpakuto in both its sealed state and skikai. While she has a bankai, she is still learning to master it so she avoids using it in battle.

【Specialization】
【Custom Techniques】
【Hohō】
【Number:】 N/A
【Description:】 The practitioner creates at least 15 clones of themselves at once using Shunpo. While they are indistinguishable from the user's true self and mimic their movements, the clones do not last long.
【Name:】 Speed Clones

【Hohō】
【Number:】 N/A
【Description:】 The practitioner moves at great speed to avoid an attack, leaving an afterimage which can appear to have taken damage.
【Name:】 Utsusemi

【Hakuda】
【Number:】 N/A
【Description:】 Throwing their body up into the air, the practitioner makes a shearing movement with their legs, allowing them to move one leg in front of the other, before performing a devastating kick which sends the target flying away with tremendous force.
【Name:】 Kazaguruma

【Zanpakutō】

【General Information】

【Kireikage】

~"..."~

【Sealed State:】

【Additional Information:】 A standard looking katana with a guard that is circular and has lines from the center to the edges.

【Inner World:】

【Description:】 Shion's inner world is a grassy field under a starry sky in which her zanpakuto spirit resides.

【Personality:】 Kireikage is an anomaly that is difficult to understand. It seems to have Shion's best interests at heart, and wants to avoid needless things.

【Shikai】

【
~"Flash, Kireikage."~
】

【Ability:】 Kireikage's release is that of a small knife, approximately 10 inches in length. This form allows for more Spiritual Power to be released and for the Reiryoku normally used to form the blade to instead be used to increase Shion's speed to extreme levels. The tip of the blade is also extremely tough, capable of piercing most things even if the sealed state could not.

【Techniques:】
【Suiatsu Borotsuku:】 Blocks an attack by using only the tip of her blade against the tip of an opponent's blade, throwing the weight of the opponent's attack inverse to it's origin, often causing the blade to fly out of their hand.
【Appearance:】 The tip of her blade hits the tip of another blade at the same angle and causes it to spin out of the opponent's hand in the direction their palm is facing.

【Bankai】

【
~"Bankai... Megami Kirei-Kage."~
】

【Ability:】 Megami Kirei-Kage takes the form of Kireikage's hilt with no blade, instead a blade of pure black Reiatsu is formed and further Reiatsu swirls around her. This Reiatsu works as both offense and defense by moving to automatically protect her from attacks and by being moved by her will as quick-moving ethereal blades to cut through enemies.
We have fun here.

[User]
太 郎 山 田
T A R O Y A M A D A

---

// L E D B Y B U T T E R F L I E S

 "Hai." Taro gave an honorable bow to his head captain before he spun on the spot towards the door. As he left he grabbed Mitsue in an embrace that was as friendly as it was controlling, shuffling him along by his side the decision was made for the pair to travel to the living world.

They soon arrived at the Senkaimon, the last blasts of soul society sun beating their brows.
 "Vasto Lorde. This could be dangerous, Mitsue." the words lingered in the air a moment as if the sunlight weighed them down, preventing their escape. Taro was not actually worried about their patrol, he was confident in the two of them, especially together, but he had always enjoyed exaggerating the trials ahead. He peered forward as the portal opened.
 "Maybe once it's over we could visit that cake shop again" his verbose smile contrasted the previous omen in a way only Taro could. Tucking his arms into the sleeves of his uniform Taro proceeded forward, led by butterflies to the world of the living.

---
The pair found themselves walking alongside a winding canal. It wasn't as sunlit as the Soul society, in fact the grey skies gave the day a muted, ponderous and ill-fated atmosphere. Taro walked on as subtly as a man his size could, he seemed lost in thought, not paying attention to the cars nearby or the people whom couldn't see him. In actuality Taro was alert, he conversed with his friend but all the while he was sensing spiritual pressures, checking corners and rooftops in his peripheral vision.
 "Mitsue. If we find this hollow, we will need to protect the city first, then fight it."

[Assistant]
光永 黒糖
M I T S U E K U R O T O U

---

It was never a dull moment in the presence of Okirigae and today would be no less the same vibe. "You place too much trust in the stars young one" Mitsue replied with a hand hovering over her head ready to pat down. An eyebrow cocked up in response to her reply, "I did too, but I guess he didn't get the memo either. Being a captain is a drag, but you already have a lieutenant so it's not like I can step down, Mosumi." His hand gently fell to the top of her before retracting back to his side at the sound and presence of the Captain Commander appearing before them demanding their attention.

The words of the captain were heavy on Mitsue. The mission itself wasn't hard nor was it outside of the realm of what he was expecting or used to. Fighting hallows and the stronger classifications of them was only apart of the natural flow of the world; balance among all things. The part that weighed heavy on him was the existence of one in the human realm. While everyone there had forgotten their lives in the human realm, his memories were still as sharp as a bed of needles with his skin pressed to each point. A lesser man would have run from the prospect of having to face his past, but Mitsue was stronger than that and knew it was his burden to shoulder even if no one else knew his struggle. Before he could say or discuss anything in the forum, he was whisked away by a force much greater than gravity. The texture and scent were all too familiar to Mitsue as non-other than the mountain known as taro.

The face of the mountain turned to face him sending tremors down his chest from his commanding voice. Stifling around to get his head free he sucked in some air before responding, "Don't tell me you're getting soft on me in old age Taro. Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it. Besides it beats being here doing nothing." In truth the two of them together were strong enough at this point to have made the old guard seem like weaklings in comparison. Maybe if they had been that strong back then they could have saved more people. His mind refocused on the mission ahead as the portal opened before them almost if it were awaiting and old friend, "Yeah I could go for some custard right about now. Wonder how Mosumi will fair with her lieutenant. Maybe if we're fast enough, we can catch up with her."

Touching down on the world of living felt eerily familiar, the air, the ground, even the sounds were the same as if nothing changed and the world continued even without him. A poignant laugh escaped the space in his lips, admiring the twisted beauty in the world around him. "I was hoping to make it seem like a natural disaster was happening, you know ghosts and all that, joking aside you're right. The outskirts are ideal we just need to start looking for clues. If you were a Vasto Lorde where would you be?"

[User]
Shion took the news in stride. Of course, if there were a hollow as strong and intelligent as a Vasto Lorde in the Soul Society, it would make sense for it to be able to hide. She looked around, and unfortunately it seemed that her own Captain was still too busy with her mission to have arrived, even late. That meant that the duty of organizing the Stealth Force would fall to her.

"If it's alright, I'll remain alone for now and lead the Stealth Force in a search for this infiltrator. Once Captain Kawagana returns, I'll pair with her to search more intensely."


[System]
Nickname(Optional): June Bug

Age: 33

Gender: Female

Physical Appearance: Sayeeda is a medium sized woman of middle eastern extraction. She has the wiry build of a swimmer or long distance runner. Her eyes are dark and almond shaped and focus slightly beyond the horizon most of the time. Sayeeda keeps her hair just longer than a buzz cut in order to facilitate wearing her helmet. She has a large tattoo of several owls in flight on her right shoulder. Sayeeda does have feminine curves but her breasts are on the smaller size of average and she does very little to emphasize her gender.

Clothing:  Camo pants and a tank top are her civilian dress. She wears a ceramic breastplate if she is expecting trouble and also has a commo helmet which she uses in battle and for technical tasks.

Personality: Sayeeda is a former mercenary soldier and has a fairly relaxed view towards life. Anything and anyone not currently shooting at her is the second priority. She is very tightly wound when it comes to people doing what she expects them too in dangerous situations and she is extremely punctilious when it comes to fulfilling any sort of formal contract.

[User]
The desert streaked by below them, the rock and sand seeming to glow gold under the bright moonlight. No one spoke so Sayeeda, figuring her ruse would gain her no more information, opened her eyes.

"Where am I? Who are you?" she asked, making a show of tugging at her bonds. The turbaned man was gone, presumably off to do whatever task these men were compelling him to attempt. The city was already vanishing over the horizon. As far as she knew Neil was still back at their rented lodgings, unaware of what had transpired. The armored man, clearly an off worlder, sat beside her, while the local man was in the driver's seat head of them, separated by a sheet of transparent plastic on a metal frame. His skin was bronze from the sun though he had probably been born a paler shade, his head was bald with the recent application of a razor and he kept a goatee that was beginning to get out of control. It gave his already lean head an almost gaunt look. He wore a vest of woven carbon fibre which Junebug translated as 'light infantry' but which she knew probably just meant he was in a dangerous line of work. As kidnapping her certainly was.

"My name is Canek,'' he said pleasantly, "and you are in an air car with me miss…"

"I am Captain Cyckali, what the fuck am I doing here?" Canek relaxed slightly at the words as though she had passed some test she hadn't been aware off.

"Well Captain, you saw me conducting some sensitive business with the Pasha's customs inspector. Given that man was about to soil himself before you showed up, I had to reassure him that you weren't going to be a problem." The man was infuriatingly calm, Junebug tugged at her restraints but they had done a professional job, she wasn't going to get loose of them easily.

"Alright, so I'm not a problem, any chance of dropping me back at my ship? I really don't know or care about anything you have to talk with a customs inspector about."

Canek looked regretful but shook his head.

"Things are very sensitive right now," he said with a glance back towards the fading lights of the canyon city.

"I heard some talk of selling me as a slave," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Ah not as unconscious as you made out, smart," Canek said with a sharks smile.

"Well I could probably move you I suppose, your pretty enough but your a little old for a harem or a brothel, plus you look like the sort that would be more trouble than they are worth. I don't care if you slit the throat of some fat merchant but who wants the trouble getting back to them?"

"Well you didn't kill me so you must have something in mind,"Sayeeda said arching an eyerow. The air car was circling now, there was a small canyon, barely a fissure in the rocky landscape, the vehicle began to drop towards it. They passed within 30 feet of the rock to where it opened out into a large cave. Inside of which men and women were moving around, some of them servicing vehicles, others operating modern communications equipment. There were several light attack vehicles and a heavier hovertank concealed by tarps and tie down. Canek pulled a knife from his belt and held it up before him. After a moment he sliced through her bonds.

"Well Captain, if you can keep your mouth shut for a few days, I thought I'd offer you a job."

[Assistant]
Neil had made his way out of the smaller alleyways of the city easily enough, traversing through the crowds with a few requisitioned items. He wished it was sunny so he could place on these archaic sunglasses, but alas he'd have to wait until later. That wasn't the important part at the moment anyway.

Neil vaulted over a small sandstone wall, one of the few that stood between him and the open desert. Briefly as he made his way through what he presumed to be people's backyards and private areas, he wondered if he should care that a few of the locals might possibly see a foreign young man trying to make it to the reputably dangerous desert as fast as he could, but he realized he didn't really care. On the last patch of wall he heard an indecipherable call that had to be someone complaining that he was on their property. He paid that no mind as well and simply made it to the sands.

"Ok, haven't done this in awhile." he said, placing the hoverboard on the ground and stepping onto it, aligning his feet just right to fit into the placement grooves. "Alright, now I just need to..." He turned the power on, revving the engine up to 350 pounds of anti-grav pressure upon the sand, and stood up as the board began to hover. He immediately realized he was about to fall backwards and slam into the sand, but the nimble pilot caught himself.

"Yeah that's right bitch." he said, stroking his ego by shit talking an inanimate object that he needed far more than it needed him.

A subtle adjustment of the position of his hips and knees, and the board began to move forward as if riding a wave of air, picking up speed exponentially as Neil leaned forward, hands out and flat to keep himself balanced. If this was an enclosed area, he would be more careful, but the only thing he needed to watch out for here was the rolling dunes that were on the horizon. The ground was relatively flat, and it only took him a short amount of time to pick up the trail of the aircar.

Minutes later, he found large collection of boulders that reached into the sky like a primitive sky scraper or mound, though judging by the way the earth curved inward, there must have been an entrance that led underground. He couldn't see the ripples of sand from the aircar's wake any longer either. "This must be the place." he said, leaning down to shut off the hoverboard. He felt weighted once more, though with a 180* maneuver he spun and landed deftly.

The last thing he expected to see when he peeked in from the dark of the night was Junebug speaking to the one who kidnapped her, unbound. That...made no sense. A part of him wanted to step out now and start firing, but he held himself in check. His curiosity always getting the better of him.

[User]
Sayeeda peered around at the preparations that were underway. It was a small force but larger than any organized unit she had yet seen on Hahn. Certainly it had more firepower. Her interest was drawn naturally to the fighting vehicles and she ached to give them a once over. Instead she folded her arms across her chest. The proximity to military hardware made her miss her armor at a subconscious level.

"So you are just offering jobs to random people who stumble into alleys?" she asked skeptically. Canek shook his head and tapped her shoulder.

"Well I can still kill you or sell you into slavery if you prefer, but no I recognise the tatoo." Junebug glanced unconsciously to her right shoulder where three owls were depicted taking flight. The central bird was darker with the others and its eyes were slightly almond shaped like Junebug's own. The other owls were white and snowy grey.

"I met a woman who had one just like it, well hers had the white owl centrally located," Canek went on, smiling slightly at Junebug's evident shock.

"Kyra Ren she called herself, she was running a cavalry squadron on Payson's world, pulled me out of a few tight spots." Sayeeda stared into nothingness for a moment assailed by sudden images of the past. Kyra with her mouth open in a scream as she hosed a Shemite position with her plasma cannon. Kyra her blond locks trailing smoke as she stumbled out of her burning vehicle to catch Junebug's hand. The sound of her laugh as she tossed her last florin into the pot in some card game.

"She told me the story one night when she had too much to drink," Canek's voice drew her back to the present.

"Said there were three of you who had the same tat, the Owls of Minerva she said it was, whatever the fuck that means," Canek paused looking a little concerned.

"Hey you still with me?" he asked. Junebug nodded her head, shaking of the reverie with obvious effort.

"So I figure that even if your hauling freight now you know how to handle yourself. How about it?" he reached out his hand as if to shake hers.

Above on the ridgeline Neil heard a soft clink of metal on stone. Glancing across the opening he could see the dark shapes of men wrapped in the cloth of desert nomads as the crept along the slight depressions worn in the rock by centuries of wind and blown grit. All of the men carried rifles and some had heavier weapons, shoulder mounted rockets or single discharge plasma lances, slong over their backs. They were focused on the opening in the rock and hadn't spotted the pilot. There were a score or more of them, each moving with the stealth and care of a man born to it.


[System]
Yem in his transformed shape
Age 205
Appearance: Tall, wiry, a beautiful but serious face.
Height: 196cm
Weight: 80kg
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Green
History (Optional): Yem is said to hail from one of the western provinces of the Imperium. Not much is known about his young history, but he says he was born to a pair of farmers in a small village in the middle of nowhere. He spent much of his time in the nearby forest in his youth, playing with the spirits there. He and one of the spirits eventually fell in love and became a couple. As time passed, however, it became apparent that while the spirit the spirit would live forever, Yem would die of old age. The spirit lamented this and gave her soul to him, prolonging his life indefinitely and granting him the gifts of the forest. He has been travelling the world ever since, marveling at its mysteries. According to him, at least.
Personality: Yem is pleasant, thoughtful and secretive. He likes to be around people and has no problem with making friends of strangers. He is the planning kind and likes to take a moment to think before acting. He also likes to keep secrets; Yem never lies but doesn't always say what he knows. He is very fond of artistry in every kind, especially poetry.
Weapons: A spear made from copperwood, and a curved iron dagger.
Abilities (Magic): Yem has been given the soul of a forest spirit, granting him many of its gifts:
* Longevity – Yem is eternally young and will never die of old age.
* Friend of the Forest – Yem is allied with the forest and can move through it without threat. He can survive on grass and leaves as animals do, and predators won't attack him unless provoked.
* Totem – Yem can transform into his spirit shape. While transformed his physical prowess is significantly empowered, as well as his senses. It is very taxing for him, however, quickly exhausting him, as his body wasn't made to use it.

[User]
Oh! There was an opportunity! The woman wrapped in red had taken refuge atop a tree branch, and down below, the massive beast howled in fury as it slashed chunks away from the base. Mimi didn't doubt the woman, who had moments prior been leaping and slashing with agility akin to the wind itself, had a back up plan of her own if the tree fell, but then why resort to back ups?

Mimi gave a sharp whistle to the girl on the branch, and with a wave sent a slew of lanterns over to her. They formed a tiny platform, clattering together, and though it didn't look stable, Mimi herself was testament that they would hold her.

"C'mon!" she waved, a wide grin at her lips.

[Assistant]
The dainty little girl slithered the forest, an apex predator among the trees was hidden in one tiny package that was humming the same little lullaby. She ventured on, following specifically the two most famous persons in the world to see what they were doing matter-of-factly from a safe distance whilst keeping watch for danger that may fall onto her. Her small stride came to a halt when the party had stopped their movements. The bright shine of white light beamed from the woods and all of them were looking directly at it. The Crimson Streak prepared her blade and so did the Taskmage... Things were getting a little rowdy soon it seems!

Underneath the innocent veil of the forest the beast emerged, roaring and thunder with claws swinging. She wondered how such rotten creature could remain alive. She could see the open wounds, it's ribcage and the seemingly dead fur with rotting eyes charging forward towards them intently. The bear had not caught her presence yet and she made her move to position herself carefully in the forest. The battle continued on fiercely as the bear; without fear nor remorse continued to kill its opponents in front of her.

Once its sights could not reach Muzai, she leapt out of her hiding spot, seemingly from nowhere and made a 'glomping' gesture at the beast as earth beneath shook and reached out with stony fists attempting to grab the great beast down, immobilising it for an attack.

[User]
Sitting in a bush, Yem inspected the fire from a distance. It was clear that whoever had been there just a few moments ago had left in a hurry. They could have heard him approach, but it wasn't likely. Most did not detect Yem unless he wanted them to. This left Yem with more questions than answers, and a few possible scenarios. In the best of worlds, the people sitting by the fire had become afraid of Rexicorgs grim reputation and, fueled by the darkness, they had simply left the place. They could also have spotted him, however unlikely, and either run off or prepared a trap. It was also possible, and Yem hoped that it wasn't so, that something else had driven them off. Something that might or might not still be somewhere close by. It was not a safe situation, and Yem was concerned.

He had seen the black shape in the fire, of course. Just lying there, unscathed by the flames, shimmering with light from the dancing flames and the watching stars. Yem suspected it was one of the relics. It felt appropriate, somehow. Meant to be, like in a great story. He also suspected that this was some sort of trap. It was too easy and obvious to not be one. Someone was watching the fire, waiting for the ideal moment to strike, or perhaps there was more to the fire than it seemed. Yem was no sorcerer, but he knew plenty of sorcery. And if sorcery could be one thing, it was subtle. The only way to be sure about anything was to deduct the possibilities, one by one. The easiest one to deduct was the presense of others. Yem might have been a mere human, with poor senses of sight, sound and smell, but he had his ways.

The transformation was almost instant. Yem breathed in and closed his eyes. When he opened them again and exhaled, the world was a different place. The night was as bright as day. He could hear and place the individual whispers of the leaves in the bush. The scents of the night flowed through his snout leaving trails almost like colors through the air. Every fibre of his body stood in rapt attention, his muscles vibrant with energy. He needed one sniff to confirm his suspicions; there was someone or something nearby. It reeked of corpse, but it was moving, which told its own disturbing tale. Yem was up against an undead of some sort. This always unsettled him. Corpses should remain still, such was the way of nature. He would have to be careful. Gripping his spear in one powerful, fanged hand and his curved blade in the other, he leapt from the bush and charged the being with terrible speed. As the creature came into view, his instinct was to retreat but he forced himself to disciplin. He thrust at the Drider, the dreaded man-spider, with the full force of his charged but was easily turned aside by a flick of a chitin-clad leg. Stumbling past, it was all he could do to throw himself away to evade a stab from one of the creatures other legs. Yem rolled on the ground, quickly regaining balance, and brought his spear up to keep the fiend at bay. He would have to finish this quickly, lest he'd tire from the strain of his totem.

Vile creature!, he cursed, Putrid thing! Die again in the name of all that is good and living! Return to the ground as you should have long ago!

If the Drider had understood him, it gave no sign. They circled eachother, kept apart only by the length of the spear between them. Then, suddenly, the monster moved with lightning speed and forced the tip of the spear out of the way. As it jumped for Yems flesh, screeching madly, he ducked beneath it and sliced it with the blade while passing. It was not without cost, however, as the creature pricked him in the back just below the shoulderblade. It left a long scratch down Yems back, and he yelped at the pain. The two combatants quickly found their places again, and continued the dance like before. This fight would prove interesting.

[Assistant]
Sable stared up at the girl with the lanterns blankly. Exactly…what was she trying to do? The red-clad assassin figured she was trying to help, but one bear didn't warrant a danger to her life. Even still, she nodded at the command and leapt up, landing firmly on the tiny platform provided for her.

"Hello," she greeted, voice as robotic as always. "Thank you for the leverage. Now then, do you mind if I jump off-"

She was cut off by the sound of terrible screeching. Looking down, Sable saw the boy with the chains land a direct hit into the bear's collarbone. A sickening crunch rang out, and the bear howled in rage.

Moments later, it was pinned down by the formation of massive stone hands, causing another shockwave to ripple the bear's core. The Crimson Streak looked to the side, seeing her fangirl in the aftermath of casting a spell. So that's what it was then.

When she turned back, something was notably different about the bear. It did not continue its attack nor did was it aggressive; instead, it raised a claw and struck at the layed stone, freeing itself loosely. At once, it was turning around and fleeing the forest clearing in pain. Sable blinked in confusion before her eyes focused on something else, something that was falling back to the earth.

The green Legend Relic. It must have been dislodged from the punch, meaning it wasn't attached to the bear for very long. Without a word to the girl, Sable rocketed downwards in the attempt to catch the treasure.

With the bear gone, so too was the danger factor. Now it was a free-for-all for the Relic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Farther away in Rexicorg, the Drider hissed in pain as Yem's blade struck it underneath. Likewise, it gained some sort of primal satisfaction in knowing that it had clipped him as well.

With a heart-pierced screech, it reared back and sprayed a stream of webbing from its rotting maw. It aimed to pin Yem in place, for it knew that once that was accomplished, it could freely go in for the kill.

Meanwhile, the black Relic seemed to glow brighter, emitting an afterglow within the flames it resided in. It seemed to be pulsing with power, as if calling out…

[User]
Yem had no time to think and reacted on instinct. It was all he could do to sacrifice the spear in order to avoid getting caught in the web of the Drider. The weapon got stuck, glued to the sticky thing, and the beast tore it from his hand by twisting its head sideways. Armed now with only a knife, the situation looked grim. He felt the beckoning of the relic in the fire, and let his eyes get drawn to it. The stories said they were full of power, those relics. Power he could probably use now. He still hadn't discerned whether the fire was magical or not, but at this point his options were dwindling fast. He would have to risk the fire, flee the scene or fight the Drider practically unarmed, probably resulting in his death. Yem had no wish to die, and fleeing after having come so close left a bitter taste in his mouth. He would brave it, then, and curse or thank himself later. Now there was only the matter of the Drider and how to distract it.

He suddenly turned, as if to flee, and when he was sure the creature was lounging after him, Yem twisted back and threw the dagger at it. The Drider was too distracted with charging to evade in time and was struck by the sharp blade, and so Yem seized the opportunity and dashed for the relic. He could hear the creature screeching behind him as he ran, but it wouldn't be able to catch him before he got there. He realized that he had nothing to grab the amulet with from the fire, but decided to proceed anyway. The flames licked at him as he reached in and snatched it from its place, but the pain was distant, unimportant. The adrenaline was keeping him sharp, and his body was tough when in totem shape. He stared at the relic, unsure what to do with it now that he had it, and watched with mounting terror as the monstrosity came charging at him through the night.

Then, just as if he'd known it his entire life, it became apparent. He closed his eyes, and the totem ceased.

She opened her eyes and saw the monstrosity before her. It was a simple matter of bending the darkness in front of its eyes in order to escape its charge. The creature stopped and looked about, puzzled, shaking its head and clawing at its face is confusion. She had, meanwhile, produced her bow and was lining up a shot even as the creature was still trying to regain its sight. With a soft twang, the arrow left her bow, and with a quiet thud it embedded itself right between the eyes of the Drider. It gurgled, still more dumbfounded than before, and touched its hand to where the arrow was lodged into its skull. Then it started swaying, mildly first but soon wildly, and finally collapsed in a jumble of chitin and undead flesh. She dismissed the magic with a thought and walked up to the beast. The bowstring hummed once more, another arrow digging into the creatures head, just to make sure it stayed dead this time. The she put her bow away and inspected her surroundings. It was a strange place, this. She recognized it slightly, as if she'd seen it in a dream somewhere, but couldn't place it. Then she looked at her hands, and her feet, and touched her hand to her face. Now this was interesting. Suddenly, there was a tugging sensation in her stomach, and she felt her conscience rapidly fading. She closed her eyes, believing she was about to faint, and then everything went black.

He opened his eyes and took a desperate, ragged breath, like if he'd been drowning. That had been… interesting, to say the least. Unexpected, but interesting. He had seen everything, seen how he had killed the monster with a bow he apparently no longer possessed, seen him inspect himself. He hadn't heard himself say anything, or think anything, but he knew somehow that another mind had been in his body. He had done all those things, yes, or at least his body had. This truly was unexpected, but not unwelcome.

Pain rushed to greet him, and he grunted as his burned hand and cut back made themselves known to him once more. He would need to rest and heal, preferably somewhere safe. He would have to find a tavern, or a farm with rooms to let. Night or no, he could not stay here.


[System]
Age: 16

Gender: Female

Personality: Michelle is the type of person who's usually calm, cold, and calculating (one might call this "pragmatic") in everyday situations. In Duels, however, she reveals more emotions such as excitement and frustration.

History: Michelle used to frequent local card shops, entering their mini tournaments and usually placing at least first or second place. However, as time dragged on, Michelle grew bored. Her opponents didn't really offer much of a challenge. She desired a strong opponent to Duel against. When she found out about the Duel Academy, though, she thought it sounded interesting. Perhaps it could offer her a challenge.

Favorite Card/Archetype or theme: Whatever is most powerful at the moment

Chosen Structure Deck: Knights of Light (custom)

Chosen Pack: Duelist Genesis

-Monsters: 19
Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin x 1
Meltiel, Sage of the Sky x 1
Harvest Angel of Wisdom x 1
Hecatrice x 1
Nova Summoner x 2
Gellenduo x 1
Zeradias, Herald of Heaven x 1
Freya, Spirit of Victory x 1
Shining Angel x 2
Airknight Parshath x 2
Trust Guardian x 1
Archlord Kristya x 1
Bountiful Artemis x 2
Squire Parshath x 2

-Spells: 11
Calling of the Sky x 2
Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen x 2
Parshath Armaments x 1
Photon Lead x 1
Terraforming x 1
Cestus of Dagla x 1
The Sanctuary in the Sky x 2
Photon Sanctuary x 1

Traps: 10
Aegis of Gaia x 1
Negate Attack x 2
Solemn Warning x 1
Magic Jammer x 1
Dark Bribe x 2
Seven Tools of the Bandit x 1
Divine Punishment x 2

Extra: 3
Avenging Knight Parshath x 1
Soaring Knight Parshath x 1
Ancient Sacred Wyvern x 1
Umbral Horror Ghoul x 1
Sargasso the D.D. Battlefield x 1
Googly Eyes Drum Dragon x 1
Vertical Landing x 1
Super Defense Robot Monki x 1
Vain Betrayer x 1
Umbral Horror Will o' The Wisp x 1
Junk Blader x 1
Bujingi Crane x 1
Points: 10

[User]
Introduction

The old bus shuddered as it made its way down the sand-coated road, with no stopping point in sight. The sweltering heat made you almost regret your decision, but with the promise of cool air, comfortable conditions, and dueling at the end of your journey, you simply waited. The chatter of other students on the bus made it almost impossible to think, though you tried, as you had an important decision to make. Which structure deck did you want? around 3 weeks ago, at the entrance exams, you were told that you wouldn't be able to bring your own cards, and would instead have to earn the cards you wanted. You would be able to choose a structure/starter deck to start with, and would earn points to buy more structure decks, cards, and packs.

At some point, you noticed a massive skyscraper, which looked extremely out of place here, in the middle of the desert. This was the Duel Tower. You could here the other new students cheering around you as the bus came to screeching halt in front of the school. Your group is stopped at the door by a staff member of some description.

"Follow the blue line on the wall to Arena B. You will pick up a duel disk and a deck there, as well as an optional pack of cards, and then we will commence your placement duels." The staff member stepped aside, letting your journey truly begin.

Steven Ryte
Steven got of the bus, throwing a quick curse at the sweltering head. After the directions were given, Steven stepped into the air conditioned building as fast as he could. As he did, he could hear the collective sigh of relief from the others who were on the bus. Looking around, the blue line diverged at a point, leading to both a staircase, and a hall of elevators. Considering that Steven was in one of the first groups to arrive, the elevators weren't particularly crowded, and therefore, he had no reason to touch the painful trek that those stairs would contain.

 Steven heard a loud ding as the elevator doors slid open, revealing the 11th floor, which split into the 2 Arenas, which themselves split into 2 sections. Right as he exited the elevator door, he looked to his left, seeing a teacher standing in front of a rack of structure decks, each of them in factory new condition.

"Alright, students, pick a deck, and if you want a pack as well, just ask me for it." The teacher said, monotone, bored, and in a way that sounded practiced, as if he had done this 1,000 times before. Steven's eyes scanned the decks before he found the perfect deck.

"Geargia Rampage." Steven said, without a second thought. One or two of the students behind him let out a chuckle, as if his choice was immediately inferior to the choice they have yet to make. "No Pack. That would just be a waste of points." Steven looked blankly at the teacher as he was grabbing the deck. The teacher didn't say a word, he just looked bored, ready for this event to be over. He handed Steven his deck, and a standard issue Ryte brand duel disk.

"Your free to wait around for the next 20 minutes or so. Once your group has their decks and everything, we will reveal the duels, and have you duel, I guess." At this point, the teacher sounded uninterested and defeated. Steven walked away from the depressing teacher without a second thought, and made his way to the seating around the Arena. He took his place in the stands, and started pulling his deck from its box.

[Assistant]
Hayato heard the bus stop and tried to get off the bus as fast as he could. He hated traveling by car or by bus and was happy to finally get off, wondering what the inside of the building was like. He walked into the building, following someone else who had already entered the building before him. Hayato took the elevator up to the 11th floor with him and quietly waited for the other person to get his deck and duel disk before making a move of his own.

Looking at the uninterested person handing over the deck and the duel disk, he walked towards the teacher and simply told him "Just give me the samurai warlords deck and a return of the duelist pack." The boy quickly received his deck after a long sigh of the teacher. They were opening the deck and replacing one of the cards with another, saying that the card that was in the structure deck was forbidden and needed a replacement. Hayato nodded as he received his deck, pack and duel disk and walked off to the arena and took a seat next to the person he followed. He started staring at the duel disk wondering how to use it "Hmm... My parents had never let me use one of these... How does this even work...?"

[User]
Michelle made an effort to endure the sweltering heat. It was only an inconvenience in the journey, albeit a very uncomfortable one. She had made her decision to come to this Duel Academy, and she was not about to let a mere temperature ruin it for her. That being said, though, once the bus finally stopped and directions were given, Michelle went ahead of most of the others into the building, where it was thankfully air-conditioned. Michelle then began following the blue line as instructed and went into the elevator. A short period of time passed as she waited for the elevator to take her to their intended floor.

Getting out of the elevator, Michelle went over to the seemingly uninterested teacher who explained about the decks and packs. Looking over the choices, Michelle eventually said, "The Knights of Light structure deck, and the Duelist Genesis pack." After the cards and Duel Disk was handed to her, Michelle went off into.the stands and took a seat, then opened her box and pack of cards and started looking through them. The pack contained only cards useless to her current structure deck, but perhaps they could become useful in time.


[System]
Marked by Zeus and Artemis
Seeking Peace

AND

Chef Mate Dolce
Marked by Hera and Artemis
Seeking Adventure

THE PAIR
Vasilia's Agenda: Viva La Revoluction
Dolce's Agenda: All For One And One For All

STATS

Vasilia
Blood: +1
Courage: +1
Grace: +1
Sense: +1
Wisdom: -1

Dolce
Blood: -1
Courage: +0
Grace: +1
Sense: +1
Wisdom: +1

Combined (Always with Hope)
Blood: +0
Courage: +1
Grace: +2
Sense: +2
Wisdom: +0

Paired Core

Birds Of A Feather: You play as two characters. The Pair can split up or stay together as they
like, allowing you to be in two places at once. They each have a separate Look, separate Stats, and a separate personal Agenda.

The Pair has separate bonds for each of them. Each of the Pair can only have one Bond with someone else, and others can only have one Bond with each member of the Pair.

When they Fill Their Belly, the Pair only spends 1 Food, but they each heal one damage.

Working Alone: When The Pair is separated, they make rolls with their separated stats and get the Spotlight separately.

-When one of the Pair is acting to rescue, protect, or rush to the side of the other, they roll with Hope.

-Working Alone is dangerous, as you rely on your teamwork. When you take damage while Working Alone, you must also pay a price.

Working Together: When The Pair is together, they act as a single unit in perfect harmony. They combine their stats when making a move, and they share the Spotlight together. If either of you has Hope or Despair, you both do.

-When you Keep Them Busy together, only one of you needs to stay to Keep Them Busy. The other may disengage and begin Working Alone.

-When you Get Away or Look Closely together, you may split up. If you do, each of you may choose different options from that move's list, and you are now Working Alone.

-When one of you takes damage while Working Together, the other takes damage to the same stat, if it is undamaged.

Heroic Association: The Pair Commands Lore about an organization, instead of a society. You come from a company of mercenaries, bounty hunters, heroes, or some other such group. You Command Lore about who they are, what they want, their place in the world, their culture, their rivals, their enemies, and their laws, just as everyone else does.

Daring Devils:
-When you need a cool prop appropriate to your environment, like a chandelier to drop, a window to leap out of, or a vine to swing from, it's there.
-When you use the terrain to protect you, you may Overcome using +Grace instead of +Blood. Leaping off of tall places to escape danger always counts as using the terrain to protect you.

Who Are the Pair?

Fated Pair: The two of you are inseparable, a perfect combination. When you are Working Together, you roll with Hope.

The Pair Custom

Heroes of the People: You do not need to roll to Speak Softly with common folk, friends, or coworkers - simply ask, and they will answer.

Taste my Blade!: When you engage in swordplay with an enemy, you may Keep Them Busy with +Grace. On a 7-9, after their retaliation, you may insult them or make a quip to Keep Them Busy again, as if you'd rolled another 7-9 result.

Mismatched Pair: Each member of the Pair takes a Custom move from a different playbook. Keep track of who took which move. Each of them may only use their chosen move while Working Alone.

Vasilia: Listen Here You Little Punk:  When you Talk Sense by telling them what will happen to them if they do not do as you ask, Talk Sense with +Blood, and on a 7-9, they cannot ask their favor of you until after they have done what you asked of them.

Dolce: I've Got A Bad Feeling About This: When you're certain something's wrong here, you may ask the Overlord to tell you the safest way out, and also the quickest way out. They will answer truthfully

Vasilia's Gear
-An elegant sabre, the twin of Dolce's (Melee)
-A grav-rail glaive with its own independent gravity field (Melee, Clumsy, Dangerous)
-An elegant, long-barreled SP rifle (Ranged, Reload, Piercing)
-An brace of pistols, blessed by Zeus (Ranged, Piercing, Dangerous, Recharge)
-An Anathame. A knife with her name on it. (Protection against a Location stat, will betray her at any opportunity. Damage a stat to destroy permanently.)

Dolce's Gear
-An elegant sabre, the twin of Vasilia's (Melee)
-A tasteful variety of well-preserved foodstuffs (Food, 3 Uses [X][][])
-Household odds and ends, turned to creatively underhanded purpose (Useful, 2 Uses [X][])
-A travel-sized cocktail kit, amply supplied (Slow, Vigor, 2 Uses [][])

Vasilia's Bonds
-If it's a night for drinking, I'm with Alexa. No one else.
-Iskarot and I have a professional respect for each other. And, personally, his straightforwardness is refreshing.
-Bella carried me to her room. Shared of her private stock of wine. And for a moment, we might've trusted each other.

Dolce's Bonds
-Redana and I have spent hours together on the observation deck, watching Poseidon's wonders.
-I am convinced that Alexa can taste, she just hasn't found a meal she could taste yet.

Advancements:
-Paired Custom: Taste my Blade!
-Paired Custom: Mismatched Pair
-Stat increase: Vasilia takes +1 Sense
-LEVEL UP NEEDED

[User]
A pop when she rolls her shoulder. A snap when she flicks her tail. A crunch when she stretches her neck. Wake up, XIII. Mother says it's time to wake up. So rise. Taste the air. Smell the wetness and the dust. Feel the rain on your body, isn't this your first time? Wake up, XIII, sweet XIII.

Good morning.

She flexes her fingers slowly. They curl in to touch her palms. They stretch out to full extension. Her claws slice the raindrops in half. Her true claws. When she moves, her body sings. Every ripple of muscle is a rush of pure pleasure. More. Give her more. She sighs: a noise like venting steam.

Eyes open.

Mother's garden swells in greeting. Blood drips over every petal, leaf, and limb. It soaks into the ground, so potent that no storm could wash it clean. Ah. Wonderful fertilizer, is it not? She breathes deeper, lets her head tilt higher to greet the sky. Catch the bouquet. She must teach her lungs to breath. Eyes to see. Body to move.

Her lungs fill with death-soaked air and she hunches forward. Low. Low. Lower. Till her claws bite the floor of the pyramid and she tastes its pain between her fingers. She holds. And holds. And holds. The burning inside of her is ecstasy. In an instant she snaps to full height, and then past it. Her foot plants behind her. Spine curls. Head tosses back to the heavens. Clumsy braid flaps dully against her back. Her arms curl out to either side of her, and she can almost feel them crush the air.

She does not scream. She roars. She splits the storm above with an inhuman noise that carries from ship to ship. There is nothing of Bella in that noise. Nothing of weakness. There is rage and there is power and there is the promise of absolute death. She roars until the cannons stop firing to admire her. Even the garden pauses for a moment. All is stillness in the rain.

She descends.

She does not run. Does not fall. Does not drop. She reaches out with one hand and tears away the space between her and the ground. The distance retreats from underneath her feet and in less than the flicker of an eye, she is among them. Her neck tilts with curiosity to see Epistia, soaked in thick sap and the gore of plants. The scythe lifts in greeting. XIII's body grows hotter in anticipation. Her tail flicks behind her. Even now, the tell she cannot help but leave.

The blade whistles through the air, straight toward her head. XIII vanishes underneath it. Her palm kisses the Ceron princess' stomach. Her claws bite flesh just after. Hiss. Sing. A dance ensues. Tooth and claw and boot. The wet sand shudders beneath their feet. An even match. A perfect dance. The world is blood and bleeding and pleasure, pleasure, pleasure, building like a wave inside of her.

Epistia's scythe returns. Called for. Unwanted. Interloper! XIII whips around like a hurricane and smashes it out of the air with a wild swing. Her foot comes down on the shaft and snaps it in half. The blade weeps where her claws held it. Crumbling. Useless. Not fit to thresh a field. Useless. Useless!

Her foot lifts into Epistia's jaw. Her hand follows a heartbeat later. Lift and throw. Soar. They rise ten meters through the air, the Ceronian a twisting, wild, desperate thing. XIII follows as an incarnation of brutal composure. Her claws tear out calves. Slice open a thigh. Shatter fingers. She climbs the princess like stairs, kicks, and together they land on the ground without visible motion.

Epistia's scream is wet, horrible, and short. XIII twists a leg and feels a rib turn to dust underneath her heel. She steps away, and waits. And waits. And waits. Her partner only shivers, only shudders, only gags and coughs and tries to howl. XIII clicks her neck left. Then right. Her toes dip under Epistia's spine.

She sniffs.

Epistia rises, as if on wings. She floats on a sea of potential energy and flawless execution. XIII's fist meets her stomach, and she flies. The Diodekoi make take a moment to watch a victim bounce through the trail she'd carved so effortlessly minutes before, but no more than three times. To waste more admiring her own work is a crime.

Rain hits her body and comes hissing away as steam. Good morning, XIII. Sweet XIII. Mother says it's time to wake up. How does it feel?

She turns away and marches into the battlefield on strong, deliberate steps. Each swing of her arms carves deeper and deeper scars into the earth in front of her.

She stills, but for the steady stomping of her feet. Her fingers trace the shape of the claws that had always belonged on her fingers. She is born at last. She lives, at last. Finally, finally, finally. She will be a Good Girl.

It is time. Her tail twitches twice.

[Assistant]
How can the great be reduced? That's not the question. Of course that's not the question. Redana knows the answer to that one. She's been reduced so many times herself, and she's supposed to be great. She's been small, she's been captured, she's even been so ashamed of herself that she stopped being herself. Of course she knows the answer.

She stops at the base of the pyramid and rests one hand against its black stone. It remembers. He remembers. Just like Dany did; just like she tried to forget. At least, that's her understanding. Maybe she's projecting. But maybe she's not.

Then she's bounding, step by step, up the pyramid, towards Sagakhan, towards ending the battle, but her mother's eye throbs in her skull, in pity, in sympathy, in concentration. What does it show her? How does it answer the question she did not speak, but her heart is screaming?

The question is not how the great may be reduced. The question is always, always:

What can I do to help?

And so often she picks the wrong answer, but not today. Because today she is on the other side of the veil, today she is fighting for Dolce and Vasilia and Alexa and Epistia and the Coherents and Hades himself with his pitying kindness and Bella, Bella, Bella. Today her eye is unlocking deep parts of itself, functions so often held back, systems it doesn't trust her with, insights it held back out of condescension and love. So today she'll get it right. For once, she'll get it right.

[Redana marks Keen Senses, asking a question that must be answered honestly. This one is deliberately broad: point her to where she needs to go.]

[User]
A skirmisher stops moving when they are dead or dying. They fight in flight as hummingbirds, consuming the ground and the open spaces at a rate just barely capable of sustaining themselves. To think is an exercise in multitasking, a tradeoff in time. Slower to the mark, in exchange for living longer if you can still reach it.

The Garden grows still at the dodecahedron's roar. They recognize their own. An apex predator. The cannons grow silent, to better hear their first footfalls. The phalanxes freeze, digging deeper in a vain hope of delaying the violence that stopped the unstoppable. Dolce and Vasilia keep moving. The broken body of Princess Epistia bends as bodies should not. Dolce and Vasilia must keep moving. The hoarse cry of their friend meets the sickening crunch of a kick disintegrating ribs, and they cry no more. Dolce and Vasilia cannot stop moving.

She sees the most dangerous threat on the battlefield, sees the loss of their greatest fighter, and sees no one else this far or this free.

He cannot see his Champion, or anyone else remotely qualified. He's not even qualified. But he is the Captain.

"Dammit. Dammit." She swears, as they send a pack of Kaeri tumbling off the field.

"...do you see anything?"

"I see that we don't stand a chance if she's allowed to run free."

"Then. We. Have to stop her."

"We're no better than Epistia in single combat."

"Do we have to be better?"

"I certainly hope not."

[Rolling to Look Closely: 6 + 6 + 2 = 14. How can they, with primarily close-range weaponry, fight her and not instantly meet the same fate as Epistia?]