[System]
Species: Human

Gender: Female

Age: UNKNOWN

Nationality: UNKNOWN

Weapons and/or equipment: UNKNOWN

Backstory: UNKNOWN

[User]
Normally, 595 would've chuckled. But her throat was starting to hurt, so she tried to restrain her amusement. "Are you asking me to penetrate the headquarters of the most advanced intelligence and cybersecurity agency in the Diaspora? A building channelling so much processing power from the Cradle that it makes its real-world equivalent look like one giant cipher wheel for children?" The Agent did chuckle, and it ended in a throaty cough. "Ok, no problem. I do have a trick or two up my sleeve."

A memory flashed into 595's head. She was pushing 127 ahead of her, pistol in hand. He was wearing that distinctive black bag with gold thread over his head, and his hands were cuffed together behind his back. Two distracted embassy soldiers turned and confronted them in the hallway - who was that, where were they taking the him, they asked. They needed to see some identification. Connie and Gene, the Novices walking on either side of the new Agent, raised their weapons and opened fire on full-auto.

595 gently bounced her head off the grassy ridge in front of her, blinking and clearing her throat. "Ok. Let's go." The G5 CSF virus had been clinging harmlessly to her suit and neighbouring systems since she unleashed it back in the tower block. At the Agent's instruction, it skittered across the road towards the entrance. Sniffing every available access point to determine a viable entrance strategy as it went. "I may have just planted a virus. You should be able to see it - we can guide it together." 595 coughed.

[Assistant]
As much as she tried to focus on the task at hand, Rhia found a memory inexplicably being brought to the surface. An armored Rothian ran through the halls of the strange, alien ship. As opposed to the smooth contours of a Rothian vessel, this ship's design was dominated by sharp angles and unpainted metal. It was meant to be efficient, practical, though its technology was primitive compared to Rothian designs. Still, this primitive warship was a very real threat to the Rothian border colony it was advancing towards. These aliens had attempted and failed attacks against larger Rothian worlds, so a small colony would have to do to sate their bloodlust. The ship was towing an asteroid, and this colony did not have the defenses in place needed to protect from it. Reinforcements were too far out, so it had to be stopped, here and now.

The AI was doing her best to treat her agent's wounds, though her options were limited. She had effective coagulants to keep her from bleeding out, and a cocktail of other drugs to encourage healing, but there was shrapnel spread all throughout her abdominal cavity. She could keep her going for now, but the odds of death were worryingly high without surgery. Her armor's medical systems would be insufficient to deal with it, particularly since the armor itself was heavily damaged in the explosion. She wished the agent was equipped with the prototype medical nanomachines that were being trialed. Even with the bugs that were being reported, the AI would have liked to have some options at the moment.

In the present, Rhia brought herself to focus on Agent 595's virus. Even at first glance, Rhia was unsettled by what she could detect of its design. Data from the event that led to her melding with Vreta's mind made it seem…familiar. Regardless, their objective was more pressing than those concerns. Vreta acknowledged 595, while Rhia worked to help guide this virus.

"Let's see if we can make sure those turrets haven't been programmed to target us. And just to be safe, let's try to rotate them around so they aren't facing us. If this is a trap, that would mean they would have to traverse all the way back around to target us. It would give us time to react." Vreta recommended.

[User]
"A fine plan. Let's see what we can do." 595 purred, then clicked with her tongue as though sicking an attack dog.

The Agent's companion virus had gained control of the office where the ambush took place in a matter of seconds. But the nature of that building meant there wasn't much it could do to help. GCHQ by contrast, presented concentric closed-off layers of security, guarded by machine-learning antivirus and Human controllers. If their ragtag band had tried this maneuver yesterday, they'd have been mobbed by soldiers two minutes into the hack attempt, nevermind shut out of the system.

Yet no soldiers appeared as the virus latched onto the door control system. 595 made sure both Vreta and herself had a 'hand up its ass', as she liked to call it. From there, they could give the virus instructions and gain real-time information about the environment they would soon be entering.

The virus sniffed the exterior of the system from its toehold in the door control panel, and excitedly identified a slender gap in GCHQ's defences surrounding the entrance. "That shouldn't be there...Doesn't look like we're the first to try this." 595 murmured, studying the graphs her virus was painting for them. "Looks like we'll be able to control the turrets for a short period. Do you want to do the honours?"

"GCHQ, can you respond please? We need to get inside." Freyr asked over comms. Just static again.

[Assistant]
There was no mistaking that she recognized this virus at this point. They had learned some of its patterns from what Vreta recovered. While she would have liked to have learned more now, it was all she could do to focus through the memories being conjured up in her mind. Once the virus was in the system, Rhia prompted Vreta to give acknowledgement to 595 while she accessed the turrets. After a moment, the turrets turned to face the rear, and after taking in a deep breath, Vreta took the lead to advance on the entrance.

The memories surged forward to the front of Rhia's mind for just a moment. The agent was running through the halls of the ship towards the engine room at a steadily slowing pace. If her AI could access the computers there directly, they could hijack the engines and redirect the asteroid they were towing.

"Agent, you need to stop and give yourself immediate treatment." The AI commanded firmly.

The agent, however, was quick to shrug off the suggestion. "We do not have time for that. Everyone on that planet will die if we don't stop this thing. That's more important than some pain and blood loss."

"Agreed, but right now you have a 73% chance of dropping dead before we even get to the engine room. A piece of shrapnel is currently pressing up against your femoral artery. It needs to be removed now."

The Agent growled. "Have the suit's medical systems handle it."

"This shrapnel is from the medical systems." She remarked. Strictly speaking, that was a lie, but it did drive home the point of how much damage her suit had sustained in the explosion.

While she continued to growl about it the whole time, the agent did eventually find a corner to duck into to start her field treatment. She leaned back up against the wall, then, with some effort, pried off the damaged plating covering her abdomen and upper right thigh. The state of what she could see underneath was…not encouraging. Although the coagulants had staunched the bleeding for now, her scales were still covered in blood, and she could see dozens of marks where shrapnel had pierced into her body. The cocktail of healing agents flowing through her veins had closed shut most of the lacerations, but the shrapnel itself was still lodged in her body."

Grabbing her multitool, the agent revealed a small, precise blade that, under her AI's guidance, she used to make an incision on her upper thigh to reopen one of the wounds. The painkillers kept her from experiencing the pain, so she still at least had a steady hand. Granted, her AI was the one doing most of the movements. The agent herself was not qualified for this operation, but with small stimulations to her muscles, the AI could guide her hand. She activated another part of the multitool that could grab hold of the metal shards, then pushed it slowly into the wound.

"Those bastards took out a whole company of their own soldiers with that explosion, just for me." The agent remarked, mostly just to keep her mind off of the impromptu surgery while her AI did the work.

"They are unusually resolute." The AI remarked. "They underestimated us in their first attacks, but most opponents would capitulate once they realized the technological superiority of their foe. They seemed determined to win a total war at all costs."

After another few moments, she slowly guided the tool out of the incision, along with the jagged piece of metal that had been threatening her. Without wasting any more time, the agent pulled herself back up to her feet. "Well, the Rahn'Saki can decide what to do with them after this is over. For now, let's just stop this rock."

[User]
595 got up, then encouraged Freyr to her feet. "C'mon, we've gotta go." A sound like whispering long grass wafted across the parks.

Turning her head, the Agent saw an MRAP burst out into the open from the forest of skyscrapers ringing the park and GCHQ. The truck careered off the main road as the turret fired bright bolts of energy at something chasing it. It churned up a few footpaths when it crossed the park, demolished a lamp post before flying off a raised bank into a public swimming pool a couple of hundred metres away. The plasma turret ceased firing.

"Keep your head down - let's move." 595 urged, pushing the scientist in front of her while she covered the rear, assault weapon in one hand.

They crossed the road in a tight group. Silence resumed, after the short interruption. Freyr watched the turrets above - they twitched, but didn't turn back around. "GCHQ, do you read me? We're coming up to the side entrance. Can you see us?"

The hole in the alloy barriers sewed together slightly as they approached. Freyr watched keenly as the deep rents along the surface began to smooth over. "It's self-repairing. See if you can get the virus to redo the damage maybe? Might be easier than getting the whole barrier to deconstruct." She offered.

"Better make that quick. We have company." 595 announced gravely, facing the parklands. Freyr turned from the wall, and followed the Agent's outstretched finger. She gasped when she realised that the thing 595 was pointing at wasn't part of the skyscraper next to it.

It was a large, pale yellow eye, sunken into a dark fleshy eye socket and faintly illuminating the otherwise black surroundings. It looked to be staring at the foundering MRAP, or something nearby. Freyr made out half of a jagged, gaping maw below the eye - that was faintly lit too. Under that, she noticed a clawed hand gripping the side of the building that it peeked out from behind. It was scarred with the same pale yellow phosphorescence as the face.

"Fuck me, It must be five stories tall." 595 shook her head incredulously, an edge of fear creeping in her voice. Freyr couldn't help her fascination. "Wow...I have never seen so much matter...organised into an amalgam like that."

The eye moved slightly, to gaze right at them. "Uh oh." Freyr breathed.

[Assistant]
For the first moments as Vreta was crossing the grass towards the side entrance, Rhia's mind was still caught in a moment centuries past.

Normally, the agent would have taken a more subtle approach to reach her goal, but one advantage these aliens did have was how exceptionally aware they were of their surroundings. Ironically, they were completely blind, given their lack of eyes, but the hard, plated organ on their heads emitted an exceptionally refined version of echolocation. They seemed to be able to make a mental map of their surroundings, and anyone in it, even out of a normal line of sight. The design of their ship's hallways allowed sound to propagate even further, so stealth seemed out of the question for her.

As she neared the engine room, she saw two weapons suddenly appear from around the corner from two branching paths on opposite sides of the hallways. The aliens holding them barely exposed themselves and started firing, accurately, the moment their weapons came into view. They were projectile weapons, though, so the burst of bullets bounced off of her shields with only some damage to their integrity. The agent leaned heavily on AI assistance for her targeting. Taking a few shots with her pistol, she severed the arm of one of the aliens at the shoulder, and destroyed the weapon of the other. The uninjured one ducked back around the corner until the agent moved closer, then tried to rush out and surprise her with a jagged knife, only to be met with an energy bolt through its forehead. The second was still writhing in pain, but nevertheless tried to reach with its other arm towards the weapon on the ground. Had it not, the agent might have left it alone, but as it stood, it was a simple matter for her to point her pistol over with one hand and almost casually execute it as she walked past.

"There is no hiding from these people." The agent remarked. "If they had better weapons, they would have killed me three times over by now."

The AI in her head was already analyzing and comparing observations from this encounter with all the rest. "Their echolocation is remarkably effective. It may be worth some study, honestly."

In any case, both of them quieted down as the agent finally reached the door to the engine room. If they could take over the engines, then they would hopefully be able to divert the asteroid.

Vreta was surprised that Rhia had not alerted him to the presence of this…creature. His echolocation implants would certainly have been able to detect something of that size. At this point, he wished Void Company was with them. They would have the firepower to deal with something like this. In any case, it did not change their plan. If anything, it made their plan more urgent. "Come on, let's just get inside. I'll cut our way in if we have to. Do we still have control of those turrets? If it is aggressive, maybe we can turn them on it?"

[User]
"I'd rather not piss this thing off. Let's just get inside - how are we looking?" 595 replied, glancing back from down the sights. The CSF virus had taken Freyr's suggestion as a challenge; the gouges and hole reappeared alongside several new rends.

A light thump brought the Agent's gaze back to the parkland. A mist was falling, but she could see the outline of a large humanoid shape stepping quietly out from behind the skyscraper. It began stalking closer to them, with the ground shaking slightly under each step.

"You can get in there if you cut away some of the jagged edges." Freyr pointed to the hole in the barrier. "Hurry!" She looked back at the slowly advancing figure.


[System]
Age: 16

Gender: Female

Appearance: Is... something the matter?

Arcana: II Priestess

Personality: Kotori is, by any standard, a quiet girl. She rarely speaks if not spoken to directly - and even when she does, she only does so in a soft voice. She isn't one to put herself forward and, in fact, actually prefers to keep her distance from others, making her a rather timid person. She is, however, rather diligent; always doing her utmost at any given task. Given her weak constitution, she dislikes most physical activities and, in fact, often sits out during P.E. She also seems quite conscious of people's eyes on her and quickly feels uncomfortable when that is the case.

Given these traits, Kotori is not exactly the most sociable person - though that doesn't really seem to bother her. Most of her free time she spends studying or helping her mother around the family flowerstore in the Warakuma Shopping District.

Equipment/Skills:
Weapon - Japanese Umbrella: A bamboo-and-paper umbrella.
Armour - School Uniform: The standard female Warakuma Highschool Uniform.
Accessory - Small Locket: A small heart-shaped pendant worn around the neck; kept in a pocket while at school.
Skills - Does well in her studies. Knows a large number of flowers by name. Quite capable at Flower Arrangement. Is strongly near-sighted. Low stamina.

Background: Kotori is the only child of the Shirohane familiy, who have lived in Warakuma for generations and are known for their flower shop in the Warakuma Shopping District - the shop is on the ground floor while the family home is on the floor above. Unfortunately, Kotori's father - a kind man who was never seen without a smile on his face - passed away in a car accident three years ago, leaving her mother to look after both the store and the child. Fortunately, Kotori was by no means a troublemaker - though after her father's death, she did become a lot more quiet and reserved. Though saddened by her husband's passing, Kotori's mother remains a cheerful person at heart and does her best to keep both the store going and watch over her daughter.

Apart from these things, Kotori's childhood had few other noteable events. She hasn't joined any clubs at Warakuma Highschool or actually made any real friends due to her nature, never being one to draw much attention. Furthermore, she isn't much of an athlete; quickly getting out of breath and has sat out during P.E. a number of times due to this already - though she doesn't feel all too bothered by this.

Persona: Kikuri-Hime

Appearance: Kikuri-Hime

Abilities:
Dia - Light Single-Target HP Recovery
Patra - Cure Single-Target Fear/Rage/Confusion ailment
Zio - Light Single-Target Electricity Damage
Strong against Electricity
Weak against Physical

[User]
Kotori Shirohane - Sadaomi Beach | Saturday - Morning

Thankfully, it turned out that Kotori hadn't disturbed Ryan - at least not too much, seeing as he stated his gratitude rather than annoyance for noting the rather hasty passing of Kazuki to him. As she turned to follow Rui, she glanced back to also see Ryan lift himself out of the sand - and then looking about to make sure that no one else would find themselves missing everyone else. Samuru and Kanna were already heading in the same direction - which still left two pairs. Kotori spotted Mako and Sato a little ways off, the two having returned from a brief icecream-laden trip unbeknownst to her. She was a little torn between not wanting to interrupt anything and not wanting to leave anyone behind and thus gave a half-hearted wave which she hoped would yet simultaneously would not catch the attention of either of the two in order to direct toward the same place everyone else was already heading.

Once that was done, Kotori glanced about in search of the final two members of the group - and soon enough spotted both Shizuka and Matt; neither too far off. Still, even at a distance Kotori could feel the odd awkwardness that had been haunting them; unknowingly slowing her steps as a small frown appeared on her face. The wave she gave the two was even less spirited than the one that had been directed at the two boys - even as she tried to hide her unhappiness at seeing her two clubmates unhappy in turn with a smile that , at a distance, would hopefully not like quite as wry as it was.

With her own worries over anyone in the group losing sight of one another thus assuaged, Kotori turned her gaze forward once more. An inaudible sigh escaped her lips even as she adjusted her glasses that were resting just a little bit out of their most comfortable resting place from the constant looking about. She'd lost count how often she tried to tell herself not to worry too much about Shizuka and Matt since having asked Rui for advice on the topic - hypothetically, of course. Lifting her head slightly so that she could peek out from beneath the brim of her sunhat, she saw him a bit further ahead - as ever leading the whole group, even if, thankfully, it was merely to a particular spot on the beach rather than the unknown depth of the Mirror World. Either way, he never seemed to run out of confidence, Kotori mused.

Any further thoughts though were quickly interrupted when she noticed that Rui was greeting someone a little up ahead - who turned out to be Megumi, standing all alone in the shade of a few rocks. She seemed a little bit miffed as she stood there with her arms crossed, seemingly muttering to herself before noticing the new arrivals. Unfortunately, Kotori was just a bit too far away to catch Megumi's words before she had already turned to greet Rui and everyone else as they arrived after him. As Kotori drew closer, she gave a quick bow in greeting to Megumi, even though they'd only been separated for a few minutes, before turning to look about the immediate vicinity.

Indeed, it was quite a nice spot - the shade provided by the rocks alleviated her worries about getting too sunburnt even in spit of her various precautions. Meanwhile, they weren't too far off from the water which was lapping at the beach in lazy waves - the ocean looked rather inviting indeed. Of course, no part of the beach was particularly secluded in this weather - and as she looked around, Kotori could see multiple other people, whether alone or in groups, having set up as well. Some had simply spread out a towel whilst other had brought or rented sunchairs and beach umbrellas. Not too far off, she could even see a small group of teenagers engaging in a game of beach volleyball on a makeshift court.

Rui's voice drew Kotori out of her inspections as he reminded those present that they could get changed if they still needed to - a sentiment which prompted Kotori to look down at herself and the light summer jacket she was wearing over her swimsuit - and that they could decide on what to do once everyone was ready. For a moment she contemplated whether she really needed to wear the pale yellow jacket - but quickly decided to keep it on for the moment, seeing as she was going to be waiting here until everyone was ready; nodding to herself briefly as she convinced herself that she'd need the jacket just in case the wind suddenly picked up or the shade was unusually cool as she slid her beach bag off of her shoulder.

Seeing as there was still a little while to wait, Kotori reached into the bag to retrieve a simple white towel and spread it out in the shade provided by the rocks before - with at least a small measure of relief - taking a seat thereupon; glad to take a moment's rest after the short walk with the bag on her shoulder. "Ah", she said as she peeked back into the bag, "Uhm, if anyone needs a spare towel... o-or some sunblock..." Her voice grew ever more quiet as she produced the items in question from the bag - and in turn drew the attention of anyone who'd actually heard her. For a moment, she remained seated on her own towel, somewhat awkwardly holding the spares in hand - before quickly stashing them away.

However, Kotori's empty hands only remained still for a few seconds before she found herself playing with the hem of her jacket whilst she glanced about from beneath the sunhat that still rested atop her head even in the shade. Knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to calm her fingers if she didn't find some sort of occupation, Kotori reached back into her beach bag - before withdrawing the book that she'd already started reading the train ride here. Looking up once more, she made sure that she wouldn't accidentally appear to be ignoring anyone approaching - before opening the book the page where she'e left off before; intent on continuing her reading - at least until everyone else had arrived and gotten themselves ready.

[Assistant]
Samuru Amakusa

So...should he suggest the party once more, or just contemplate his navels? Or maybe he should just lay down a mat, spread some sunscreen over himself, and rest underneath the shade of an umbrella while putting on sunglasses? Yes, he had those. Or he can wait for Kanna to do something.

Oh, Lord, Kanna. Samuru had been so focused on himself that he had forgotten that he had scared a little kid out of his mind! Looking at the albino boy, the older teen actually looked ashamed of himself as he asked, "So, Kanna-kun, how are you feeling right now? And, uh...sorry for scaring you earlier."

A thought, as Samuru brought out his pastels and sketchpad from his bag once more and spoke, "I shouldn't have dumped all my worries on you like that. So..." he brought sandwiches and water from his pack, taking them out from a seperate compartment than his art supplies, "Why don't we eat?"

If Kanna accepted his offer, Samuru would wave Rui over as well, asking, "Hey, want to have a snack with us as well while we wait for the others? After all, even Glorious Leaders need some time for themselves!" He gave a slight smirk.

Minazuki@Tenma Tendo@Takaru

[User]
Kanna Watanabe-- August 1st, 2015 || Morning || Sadaomi Beach --
The white boy hurried over to Rui and his friend Megumi, only letting his facial expression drop once he knew he was far enough away from Samuru that he wouldn't notice the sudden change. Despite how hot it was outside and that he was also wearing a hoodie, Kanna felt a little cold. He did manage to put on a brave face in front of the dark haired teen, but there was definitely strain hidden under the shaded features his hoodie graced him with. Samuru was being nice and patient with him, but he flat out said that they weren't really friends. It was heartbreaking to say the least, and made the boy honestly want to cry, but he knew that if he did that, it would probably only guilt trip Samuru into lying to make him feel better. Kanna couldn't help but feel a little alone at this point. He was at the beach, with mostly strangers, if not acquaintances, that he could barely even talk to without stuttering or shying away...he felt so alone.

Kanna placed his hands into his pockets and slowed down to a steady walk once he was close enough, fiddling with his brother's picture in his...Kanna came to stop, sliding under the shade for a quick second to give his skin a break...or at least, that's what he made himself think to hide the panic that the picture that he was almost positive he left in his hoodie pocket mere minutes ago was now gone. Kanna felt like he was about to physically be sick. His hands started to shake and he could hear his heart beating in his ears.

He almost didn't notice Kotori taking a spot in the shade near him, as he was checking his pockets three times over. Nothing...nothing. Nothing... It was only when the older girl spoke up, that Kanna physically flinched and lowered his head. Geez, why did he always get like this? Kotori isn't scary...she's nice...she's nice...she's...n-nice. Kanna took a deep breath and shook his head before looking around where he was sitting. Nothing again. Kanna was once the verge of a panic attack as he started to scratch his arms under his sleeves. It wasn't like he could ask any of them for help either after what Samuru told him, so what?

Wh-Where could it be?

What should he do?

Kanna drew a complete blank until Samuru's voice cut through his hazy mind, causing him to look up so fast, he could have snapped his neck off if he put any more force into it. The other wanted to know how he was feeling, huh...he was apologetic for scaring him, huh...while the apology was very sweet, Kanna wasn't in the right mindset to speak rationally about anything. So instead of answering the dark haired male, Kanna's eyes went back to Kotori of all people, hoping she could help him, before lowering his head and pulling his knees up to rest his head on them. He didn't want to appear rude to Samuru, but he had no idea how to ask for help from those that might never be his friends...

[Assistant]
Kotori Shirohane - Sadaomi Beach | Saturday - Morning

From where she was sitting, Kotori could see that Samuru seemed to be getting along quite fine - alternating between Kanna and Rui as he spoke with little hesitation about plans for the day and whatnot. He certainly seemed to warm up to everyone a lot quicker than she'd done back when she'd first become part of the group - which was a good thing, as she didn't wish that awkward discomfort upon anyone else. Rui, of course, took things in his stride - but the same couldn't quite be said for Kanna, Kotori noticed when the younger boy briefly flinched as she addressed anyone in earshot - which wasn't very far, considering how quiet her voice was - to offer a towel or sun-block should they need it.

Not having meant to bother anyone, Kotori quickly thought whether she should apologise - or if speaking up would just be even more annoying. It was only after a moment of inconclusive internal debate that she would glance over to Kanna - and then notice how suddenly his eyes would latch onto Samuru when the older boy quietly addressed him. Trying not to pry, Kotori was just about to look away - when Kanna, instead of answering, turned his eyes over to her. A silent moment passed - and then he turned to instead put place his head upon his closely-held knees; a rather dejected sight that made Kotori blink in confusion. With no idea what was going on, Kotori in turned glanced between Kanna and Samuru - unbeknownst to her, in much the same dilemma of not knowing what to say or do as one of the other two.

As she did so, Kotori briefly wondered about the cause for such a thing - it didn't seem like something that someone who was comfortable would be doing. Was he perhaps feeling anxious about going to someplace away from home with a bunch of people whom he didn't know very well? Or did he maybe just realise that his holiday homework was still waiting for him at home? Whatever the reason, Kotori realised that in such a mood, he'd probably not be enjoying this first outing with the whole group - which, after all, was the entire point of them coming to the beach. Thinking back to the first few times she'd been with the others - even if the occasion had been visits to the Mirror World rather than the beach - they'd always made her feel welcome, even if she'd doubted just how much she'd be able to help them in turn.

That thought finally motivated Kotori to speak up: "Uhm..." Of course, that didn't exactly translate into her knowing what to say in such a moment - but at least she didn't stay completely quiet as she thought on that. "Is... is everything okay?" she asked, a tinge of worry audbile in her voice that was as quiet as ever, as she peered through her glasses over at the wistful-looking Kanna; even as she realised that she probably wasn't doing much of a good job at cheering anyone up with just such a simple question.


[System]
Appearance: Tall and loosely armored throughout. She wears layers of robes with plates upon the shoulders, chest, faulds about the waist, and gauntlets about the wrists that extend out over the tops of her hands. Long, charcoal-black hair falls about her like an avalanche, framing a lithe form chiseled from a life of physical training.

Height: 5'9

Weight: 120lbs

 Hair Color: Pitch black

Eye Color: A warm reddish-orange
Age: early twenties

History: Mimi grew up within a glade in the lush Rivenwood forest. Her father absent at the time of her birth, she was raised by her mother, who had secluded herself amidst the babbling brooks and breaching peaks of the region. Here Mimi was taught the important of light and dark, and the healing and destructive powers the two respective forces contained.
Her early life was spent learning the forest, navigating it by day and night, and learning it like the back of her hand. It was her home, after all. She had to learn to survive, for there was no fighting the creatures that stalked about at night. Even still, when later on she learned the few offensive techniques that she knows, she never once harmed anything within the borders of the forest.
In her mid-teens her mother gifted her with lanterns, and taught her to weave herself with the light. She learned the importance of protection that the light would bring, and the way in which darkness could be sewn together with it.
On her twentieth birthday, her mother vanished. Mimi was not afraid, nor was she saddened by the loss, for somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew her mother would leave her one day. The only harm came from the solitude, and she longed most for companionship in adventure.
Armed with her mother's teachings, and a life of labor within the glade, she set out in search of not the relics, per say, but those in search of them. These mercenaries she'd heard about, these treasures that were ravaging the land with gossip and excitement, they would provide her with adventure, and she was sure that along the way she'd find someone to help, and journey with.

Personality: Mimi is lighthearted and naïve to the world outside of Rivenwood, but that is not to say she is foolish or gullible. She is very adamant about her opinions and beliefs, but loves to debate with others, though arguments for her are more just a front to learn more of the world, and an excuse to engage with other people. She's fascinated by others, how they think, how they work, what they do and why, what they feel and what makes them feel. To her, people are the treasures on these expeditions, and she hates to see harm befall anyone.
That being said, she has, as all people do, her limits.

Weapons: The Match: A long staff, wooden in appearance but cool to the touch, like metal, and impervious to the burns of fire. In fact, one end of the Match is black as a wick might be, and is prone to being lit with a vibrant and undying flame. In her earlier years, this was her ward in the darkness of Rivenwood.

Abilities (Magic):
-Lumancy: Mimi can control light, craft it in minute amounts, and suck it away in places to leave only darkness. Though not inherently offensive, it can be used to create "hardlight" barriers with enough energy, and in a small, concentrated area, can produce blistering, white heat.

-The Lanterns: They are about the size of a forearm, and even Mimi is unsure as to how many there truly are, as whenever she tries to count them, they shift and move too much to allow it. The number seems to shift, and at times the estimate number ranges anywhere from a dozen to upwards of fifty. Where the excess lanterns go when they are not present none can be sure. Perhaps they simply fade from the world, for surely they cannot be real. After all, the tiny yet bright flames within their glass cages never seem to go out.
Mimi controls these lanterns as if they were a second mind. Sometimes they act without her conscious thought, and wander around her with the same curious fascination that she herself possesses. Though they possess no innate offensive capabilities, she uses them most often for traveling and lighting paths at night. When in combat, Mimi can use her understanding of Lumancy to create hardlight from the light of the lanterns to protect herself an others.

 Other: She tends to smile a lot, even in circumstances wherein happiness is perhaps inappropriate. This is not due to disrespect per say, but all the same she herself doesn't quite understand it either.

[User]
Ugnis was surprised when he heard the distinct sound of a blade on the relic, but was more surprised as to why not one of the other mercenaries came after him when he caught it. "Weren't they after this?" he asked himself quietly as he took in the sounds of their breathing, the boy's notably more labored than Sable's. Ugnis understood that exhaustion would have prevented either of them from pursuing the relic, but why had the seemingly normal Crimson Streak suddenly stop and lose interest? "I suppose I shouldn't worry about it," He thought to himself, perfectly fine with not having to fend them off.

After a silent moment among all of them, he heard a shout come from the boy, posing an important question: what would he do with the relic? Noticing the breathing sleepily slow, Ugnis raised his voice. "Kid, the town's right next to you. At least try to get there before you crash for the night." He walked towards where the boy was to lend a hand, gathering the possible solutions for the question asked of him. "I don't need money, but I don't really want to keep this thing around," Ugnis thought, as he rolled the artifact in his hand, feeling the wild energy it seemed to be emitting. "I can't give it to the other mercs because they'll probably just sell it, and the boy doesn't want that to happen for some reason."

Ugnis sighed at the answer he came to. "I suppose I'll be keeping this for now." he announced, not really wanting the burden to fall on himself. Nonetheless, it felt fulfilling to have it for some reason. He'd just have to work a bit harder to stay calm. Suddenly, Ugnis remembered to do something else. "Say, what's your name anyways, kid?" He could never tell who someone was unless their name was mentioned. Thus, it became a personal duty for Ugnis to learn every person's name that he came across, especially if they were a fellow mercenary that wasn't out for his blood.

[Assistant]
Atreides caught the tail end of the squabble and action going on between the various people. Sable seemed to be doing rather well by herself so far, then something happened. Something distracted her, he knew Meat well enough to know when that happened, and her next throw sent the relic hurtling off towards a blind man. Great, unknowns, of everyone here, he knew that blind was NOT defenseless. The man declaring it would be his and his alone didn't help, and his comment was not nearly as pleasant as everyone else so far, speaking from experience.

"Or we take a relic of mysterious capacities, considering what it damn well did to that bastard of a bear, and get rid of it before it starts causing problems here? Turn a profit along the way as well, split it since you have custody. Everyone of us gets a cut and walks away a bit richer."

Atreides glanced at Sable briefly, she knew the expression on his face. It was one of that they would talk over what happened. Later. But for now he returned his focus onto the kid and blind man, arms crossed like he was not going to be of any threat what so ever. His motions coming out here were precise and controlled, seeming to have moved in a small circle for no apparent reason, for those who were paying attention. Most probably missed his small oddity in his motions coming out to speak to the two younger folks. He didn't relish the thought of splitting the pay, but some money was better than none, so he awaited their responses, and keeping the corner of his vision on Sable just in case. He did make one last question, making sure they knew he expected an answer.

"How about it kids? Relics tend to contaminate their surroundings or bearers when improperly built, and looking at the bear's remains, that damn thing leaks magic everywhere."

[User]
Mal's smile was softer than normal as he took the hand of the blindfolded man and hauled himself up to his feet. He barely managed to keep from stumbling into the man as exhaustion tried to weigh him down. Even at this distance he could feel the magic energy buzzing off his skin. He could feel the spirit inside him strain against his skin as if prepared to lash out at the object.

"Thanks..." He chuckled, "and the name's Mal Tersva. Pleasure..."

 He struggled to keep his balance. The chains went from something bearable to the weight of the world as his legs shook. He was a legitimate glass cannon - he knew that. And the spirit sapped a lot from him too. His eyelids felt like falling down on him, which he really wish they didn't -

 Because with Eye-patch's last comment, Mal desperately wanted to drive one of his snakes through the man's throat.
 Still using Blindfold as support, he stepped towards the eye-patch guy,

"Oh, because the people you're selling it to will just lock it away, right? Or are you apathetic to the rest of the world's plight? The 13 might've stopped the Shattering but this world is still in shambles, and I doubt some selfish ruler is gonna make it better..."

 And with his monologue, Mal fell to his knees, his breathing heavy as dark spots gathered at the edges of his vision.

Damn it... don't pass out now! he thought as he held onto consciousness with heavy breathing.

[Assistant]
Sable blinked at the sound of her partner's voice, looking up in time to catch his knowing glance. To that, she simply nodded, listening in silence between the three men's conversation. Hearing the hooded boy practically threaten Atreides, she moved to grab the eye-patched man's arm softly, stopping him before he did something stupid.

"Apologies," she said in monotone to the hooded boy. "Consider the Relic yours to do with for now. There are others to search for. Enjoy your day."

With that said, she turned in the other direction and walked away, expecting Atreides to follow her. It was best not to create an enemy they knew nothing about, especially one with dark powers like that. She could sense the negativity in that boy, almost like the…

"I heard a voice," she said aloud, hopefully to Atreides if he actually bothered to follow. If not, she didn't mind talking her thoughts out to herself.

Something was…wrong here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Get the fuck back here!"

A crackle of purple colored electricity exploded through the small cavern. Although the Relic had not moved physically, an overbearing presence began to fill the area around it, almost like a mist of negativity.

"Bring me the bitch you worthless piece of shit! Bring me to her!"

The Relic continued to scream out curses and threats to the fading form of Yem before slowly decreasing in volume. The electricity seemed to recline back into the Relic, as if satisfied by something. It would wait then. Wait until its bringer would return.

[User]
Sable laid a hand on his arm, and that was the only thing that saved the lad from Atreides right then and there. He had the gall to talk about the world being broken, like no one else realized that? The Taskmage knew the world was broken, far worse than any of these kiddies probably realized, and they had the gall to talk that kind of game. Before she drug him off, Atreides walked over and loomed over the kid, single eye glaring coldly down at the barely standing lad, his presence oppressing and ominous. The man was easily taller and held a far more focused, cold, unyielding anger at the hubris and blind pride the boy just threw in his face.

"So, you think you know how bad the world is broken, eh kiddie? Triple whatever you are thinking, and you might have a fraction of it right. This world is doomed, and every fragment of it doomed. I've seen it far clearer then anything you could conjure up in your wildest, most horrific nightmare. So don't go preaching to me about how the world's broken, kid, unless you've really seen how bad it is. Lucky you though, you heard the lady. Relic's yours for now. And save your damn threats for someone you can actually keep up with, and can give enough of a shit about whatever you think you are. Because no matter how big, how bad, and how tough you think you are, there's always someone bigger, badder, and tougher than you. Might be me, might not be me, might never meet them, might meet them today. But there is someone. So watch your tongue, or someone with less restraint will rip it out, just. Like. That."

Within the blink of an eye, Atreides snapped his hand within an inch of the kid's throat, and let loose a harsh, barking laugh as he turned and strode away, every movement seeming to taunt and insult the kiddie. Even the coat's billowing in the breeze seemed to invite him to try and prove him wrong. The Taskmage was too tired, too old compared to the rest of this lot to put up with this kind of crap, and if it wasn't for Sable intervening, he would have shown the kid how deep he was almost in. Five minutes, at worse, he rated the kid lasting. If he was unusually talented, maybe. But he vanished into the woods after Sable, catching up in time to hear her comment, and he grunted, rotating his shoulder.

"Hearing voices already, Meat? You can't be that old yet, or I'm far blinder than I realized. But seriously, what did this voice say?"

Atreides smirked, following up his humor with something more serious and on topic, letting her take the lead with however she wanted to approach this situation that she was dealing with it.

[Assistant]
The conflict had come to a close so suddenly that Mimi wondered why she'd worried in the first place. Though it looked for a moment as if the boy and the larger man were going to argue, in the end the former looked far too tired to actually do anything.

She floated down once the red-wrapped girl had started away, and was tempted to follow after her. But as had been aptly demonstrated during the encounter, she and the large man were very well-equipped to handle themselves. It was a pity, really, the few words Mimi had exchanged with her were pleasant, perhaps the first she'd had with another person in a long while.

On the bright side, this meant that she could make new friends with the boy and the blindfolded man. Her lanterns moved her back up high, and over the two as the large man retreated back into the forest. He had a harsh tone to his voice, unpleasant, like stone grinding on stone; she was glad when he was gone, and the fact that he was going with the red-wrapped girl made her less saddened by her decision to stay.

So, the girl remained hovering above, seated upon the tiny platform of lanterns, watching the blindfolded man and the energetic boy.


[System]
Character Template
Quality: <example: Determined>
Description: <example: you don't need an example for this one>
Main Weapon/Fighting Style: <example: sports equipment>
Skills: <example:* PK Flash: Blinds the enemy with a bright light of PSI energy!
* PK Fire: Burns enemies within a small area of effect.
* PK Heal: Removes status effects from a party member.

>

Stats: <this is where you allocate your stat points! You'll earn more stat points for specific stats as you fight.>
* Speed: 4 (influences your turn in a fight and how fast you can avoid things outside of battle)
* Strength: 1 (influences how much damage your attacks do and how much you can lift outside of battle)
* Guts: 2 (influences how many hits you can take and how long you can stay alive)
* Wits: 3 (influences how perceptive you are (how much information you can gather from a certain situation), i.e. how an enemy is described so you can find a weak spot or if you can find a hidden trapdoor)
* <custom stats here>

Pockets (16 items max):
<example:
* Sandwich
* Baseball Bat (equipped)
* Baseball Cap (equipped)
* Odd Key

>

[User]
As Isaac mounted the stairs, the whole orb lurched to the side, causing him to stumble. Bangs and the sound of groaning metal came from below, and the green liquid in the lower room could be heard loudly splashing as something thrashed about. It didn't take long to discover what the source of these noises was, for a thick, green tentacle burst up through the metal floor of the room where the sprinklers were still raining down toxic water. A roar came up as another tentacle burst through beside the first and spread the hole wide, and the pair of tentacles pulled up a giant venus flytrap head followed by a huge attached Nepenthes rajah (pitcher plant) with the previous green tentacles (ten in all, each at least 1-foot thick in diameter at their base) protruding from the bottom. The venus flytrap head roared again as the burning water sprinkled down on it, its tentacles thrashing and making the rajah's digestive fluids slosh around. The giant plant was nearly as tall as the room and was half as wide, and it thrust its tentacles through and ripped apart the open doorway to pull itself out of the experiment room and into the front room where everyone currently stood in shock.

The monster paused for a moment, shaking itself to get off the water, before it noticed the small collection of humans.

"Oh my..." Stewart stuttered, his back pinned to the wall and his face contorted in horror.

The monster roared a hungry roar at the group, and, with a single move from all of its tentacles, twisted off the top of the orb and tossed it aside, the bright midday sun beaming into the suddenly-roofless orb as Ronnie shrieked and fell into a fetal position, trying to hide from the monster behind his own arms. The top of the orb crashed into the sand 50 feet away and burst into a fury of flames and sputtering toxic sprinkler water.

This whole ordeal had been enough to finally stop Hans from admiring his body and flexing, and he said, "Aha! A worthy opponent!" getting into a fighting stance...

-----------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, in the nearby peaceful suburb town of Nexton, a talented kickboxer named Karol was teaching a group of children at his dojo in the Nexton Megamall, a sprawling 2-story mall with just about every popular store or activity you could think of inside that attracted thousands of mallgoers and tourists every week. The Megamall was the centerpiece of the entire town, the whole suburb being built around and expanding outward from the mall. The mall was big enough that it was more than just a mall, too, as it also contained the town hall, police department, fire department, and other such amenities that a growing town like Nexton needs.

[Assistant]
If things weren't annoying enough, a huge plant burst out of the wrecked pod, waving vines everywhere like a sentient being. Isaac was annoyed now. What he really wanted to do was get some air and go home, because this'd been a massive waste of time. Now this giant beanstalk had the guts to get in his way.
[Laid-backness -1. Bloodlust +1]

Isaac drew his knife out, imagining just what he would do to the giant plant. He adopted a dark expression as he imagined all the ways he could cut the plant.
"How would you like to die?" Isaac said menacingly to the plant. "Any way you ask, I'll make it painful."
His mouth turned upwards into an unhinged grin and he approached the plant slowly.

[User]
It was just as any normal day since Karol had moved to Nexton. He was teaching his after-school program which usually had twenty youth. Karols parents were to keen on him being away from their hometown but truly Karol didn't feel like he belonged there at the moment. Seems a little drastic just for losing just one kickboxing match, but not in Karols heart it didn't.

It was the finals in the largest kickboxing tournament that is only held every four years. Luckily for Karol he had just been old enough to compete in the tournament, the minimum age is 17 with parental consent and just two days earlier was his 17th birthday. Karol was in the age group 17-25 and he was absolutely phenomenal in the tournament having never come close to losing and he was considered the favourite to win the tournament with ease. So by the time that the last two fighters had made it to the finals Karol had been quite confident that he would win, all he had to do was beat one more opponent and he would be the youngest competitor to win this age group. The only person left that he had to beat was a lad with decent record his name was Monty Aeon which he went by 'The Mountain'. The semi finals had ended on Saturday night having the hype of the finals carry into Sunday afternoon. While on his way back home to rest before the big day Karol was stopped on the way out of the stadium Karol was cut off Monty stating that if he ever wanted to fight again that he better lose the fight tomorrow. Sunday afternoon came around and it was a brutal fight that could have gone either way but in the end Karol lost with a split decision that might have even rightfully been his. Karol who was 17 did quite well against Monty who was 21 and that it was his first last tournament fight. Karol in good spirits since they would likely see each other again in four years Karol said that he would train hard and absolutely win the next tournament. Which really didn't impress Monty since if he won again in four years he would be making history since he would be the only person to win that age bracket all three years of eligibility [17,21 & 25]. After the loss Karol decided that he couldn't live around his parents trying to console him and that whole town talking about him losing the tournament (not in a negative way but Karol couldn't stand always being a topic for conversation; the person who ALMOST won the towns first kickboxing title since it was a big aspect of their way of life).

That was what brought Karol to teaching kickboxing at the dojo that he created himself in the mall in Nexton a mere 6 months ago. After the training session was over and all of the youngsters had left with their parents Karol would wipe down all the sweat covered gear since everyone always worked hard here regardless of age. So while Karol was wiping down the gear with his back turned to the doors a gentleman entered into the dojo with a long tan trench coat on and a black baseball cap. Since the dojo didn't have any training sessions it was closed to the public until tomorrow so when Karol noticed that there was someone there with him.Hello sir, can I help you Karol had raised his voice so that his it would carry the length of the dojo. The unknown occupant didn't respond so Karol proceeded to walk closer in case he didn't hear him. Hello there sir, yes you Karol was now pointing at the gentleman as he walked towards him Is there anything that I can help with. At the moment we are closed but if you want to come back tomorrow we can definitely help you out. Karol said this with a smile on his face, that sounded professional and friendly as he had hoped. However Karol had a bad feeling coursing throughout him now.

A few seconds later off came the trench coat and Karols worst nightmare now became a reality staring him in the face. In front of him was 'The Mountains' training coach standing in front of him with a baseball bat.

[Assistant]
"So you thought you could escape your shame, did you?" the aged training coach glared at Karol with narrowed eyes. "Only a coward runs away the way you did."

This wasn't the reason Karol left at all, and it occurred to Karol that he was the only one who really knew and understood why he left town. It would have been easy to assume that he had left in embarrassment, especially since he was so renowned.

"But you are not a coward," the coach continued, "No. My pupil told me what happened—how he threatened you. That is a coward's play! The Mountain seems to have just been a molehill all along, winning his fights through threats..." He looked away, disgusted. "I have been looking for you since I discovered this, and here you finally are."

He looked Karol dead in the eyes.

"Fight me. If you win, you can out my pupil as the coward he is in front of the whole town with me as a witness! If you lose, I still consider you worthy of a rematch with the 'Molehill', and you can regain your honor fair and square."

The coach threw his baseball cap off, tousled his own gray hair, and struck a fighting stance in one swift motion, eyes fiery.

[User]
Karol had once heard a rumour that such a man existed winning all his fights with threatening his opponents but he was a man who was much older in the 44-52 unless he had a son or pupil that he handed down his mentality to! Karol wasn't prepared for a fight right now since he had only been wearing training gear that he always used for training others. However he would make due with what he had.

"I accept your challenge! I have sparred but not been properly challenged since the tournament"

Karol thought that the fight would have a decent outcome either way, the only thing that he could do was give it his all, which he had done every time that he fought. Karol never took his eyes off of the trainer while he did a standard bow to his opponent, which was followed by getting into his preferred fighting stance. He tugged on the white belt that he had attached to his training Judogi and put his hands up in front of his face ready.

"As you know challenger makes the first move " Karol said with a toothy grin then put in a mouthpiece.

[Assistant]
The corner of the trainer's mouth angled slightly as he rushed in, right fist flying at an incredible speed!

Battle Start!
Name: Spruce Yee
Stats:* Speed: 10
* Strength: 9
* Guts: 9
* Wits: 5
* Pride: 15

Move Order* 1. Spruce Yee
* 2. Karol

Dice to use for Action Checks

[Rolled 2]
Spruce cursed as he found that his trajectory off and he sailed right past Karol, landing with a hard roll on the mat behind Karol. Anger was visible in his face, and it was clear that he had not thought it would be important to warm up. He punched the ground and stood up with a loud kiai before Karol could really even react. Even though he had not warmed up, he had years of conditioning and speed above Karol.

[User]
Karol could tell that this fight would be no walk in the park. He could tell that the old man was very well experienced, even more so than Karol was and he would have to be extremely calculated if he was ever going to stand a chance in this exchange. The trainer had zoomed past Karol with a uncalculated leap.

Ahahahahahaha! Karol couldn't help burst out laughing when he flew past him. I guess that's what happens when you don't warm up He wasn't as warmed up as he would be before a fight but he had been stretched out from showing the youngsters methods of how to improve.

[Rolled 4]
All of the taunting that Karol had done to the trainer was aimed to bring down his defenses.
Opponents Defense Down!

[Assistant]
Spruce Yee's Pride drops by 2 points at Karol's taunt, but he gets into a Focus stance and exhales deeply.
[Rolled 6]
Karol can't help but be impressed. His stance looks impenetrable, and Spruce Yee is ready to counter anything that comes his way.

[User]
Karol knew that he was a professional when he seen one and knew that taunting wouldn't affect him dramatically. He wasn't going to win on complete defence so Karol took a deep breathe and was ready to attack. He was preparing for a swift jab-jab-cross combo.

[Rolled 2]

Obviously having taken a focused stance worked well for him since when Karol launched his combo only the first jab caught him but had the other two had been parried away.

[Assistant]
Spruce Yee takes some damage and counters the punch he parried with a turn and a chop to Karol's back, continuing his momentum forward and causing him to stumble a little.

Spruce Yee spins and winds up a hook kick.

[Rolled 5]

Spruce Yee releases a powerful kiai as his heel nails Karol hard in the temple and sends him spinning to the mat! Knowing Karol can't see him, Spruce Yee frowns slightly, lingering on his grounded leg with his leg still raised.

[User]
Karol was seeing stars after a beautiful kick to the head. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to take to many more shots like that. He knew that he would have to do something swift and soon. Karol noticed that he had all his weight focused on one foot so he went for the leg sweep.

[Rolled 1]

Karol rushed into making his move and didn't fully recover his sight and hadn't noticed the pool of water on the ground. Karol missed the leg sweep and landed on the ground.

[Assistant]
With a fatalistic sigh, Spruce Yee raises his already raised leg above his head and thrusts it down in an ax kick.

[Rolled 1]

But he had not noticed the water on the mat either. Spruce Yee's leg swung down and the momentum carried back as his grounded foot slipped in the water, and he did a dramatic double front flip in the air before landing hard on his face!


[System]
Appearance:
Age: 17

Nationality: German

Noble Arm Name & Appearance: Naught
Naught is the name for Adolf's pistol, A modified C96 Mauser. while it isn't part of his noble arm he carries a separate Sabre for melee combat.

Noble Arm Abilities: Naught's scope can give Adolf foresight on his intended target showing him where his opponent will be allowing him to target that location. It's rounds are tremendously powerful and capable of piercing almost anything including some weaker noble arms. Naught gets it's name, however, from it's ability to nullify other noble arms' powers, it affects others on successful hits, even a grazing shot will weaken another arms master till they can longer use their abilities. This ability has an extremely powerful form in which it can destroy another noble arm entirely though it also temporarily severs Adolf's link to Naught and leaves him in an extremely weakened and possibly near-death state depending on the exact power required to destroy the opposing noble arm.

Personality:
Adolf can seem like a nice person, and he is for the most part though he can be cold at times and has a tendency to be casually brutal at times. He always tries to appear confident and rarely lets fear, worry, or sadness show.

 Fears: Naught's effect on him.

Bio: Adolf was born in Germany and found out about his Noble arm very early on in his life and not long after finding out he was being put through schools and academies for arms masters, going through a few before settling in one. He did well in his classes and even joined a few tournaments, usually placing highly. His best tactic was to use Naught to weaken his opponent and then finish the fight with either his handgun for ranged combat or use his sabre. He had a bit of a name for himself in Germany, he was no celebrity but he was known among the tournament crowd. It wasn't until his fight with a particularly skilled arms master that he discovered his weapons full ability, he'd made a desperate move when it looked like he was going down and charged his weapon without realizing it, the shot that hit his opponent shattered his noble arm. Adolf blacked out soon after. He woke up five day later. No one was sure what to make of it and he wound up going out of the country to continue his education, enrolling in Trinidad Academy.

Student Rank: 836

[User]
Takumi was staring impassively at the scene from the sidelines. He'd arrive earlier, but a holdup saw to it that he had to stand around in the queues and wait. Takumi wasn't really averse to waiting, he was usually patient, but the growing discontent of the crowd-beast got on his nerves.
Conflicts felt like brushfires.

For a moment he debated whether to break the fight up, but then another student butted in, and Takumi settled for getting some warm-up practice done. He lightly tapped the hilt of his weapon and closed his eyes, soon opening them again, a slight metallic sheen on his irises.

He became deeply aware of the social links and cues tying the crowd and the fighters, taking in glances, breathing and patterns of behaviour.
"I wonder, what are these two fighting about?"

[Assistant]
Michael Tremont looked upon the gates with a smirk. Last year he achieved above Rank 1000, which was optimal for his age. However, there wasn't a lot of time left at this school. Reaching Rank One was imperative this year. He took out a notebook and pen in his pocket and began writing in it.

"Day One, hour before school. I have arrived at the school gate and analysing new students. None have shown off their noble arm yet. Need more data." He began to write. It wasn't long until a crowd at the doors was gathering, which most likely symbolised a fight. That was where his first piece of data is. Michael crossed out his last sentence as he walked up to the crowd and found a good angle. After that, he began writing again.

Need more data. First fight of the year found. Participants:

One girl, small frame, two flintlock pistols

One boy, large frame, battle axe

Is gender or size related to a Master's noble arm? Need more data.

Michael didn't decide to write about the person who was trying to stop the fight, not until he decided to use his own noble arm. Michael stood quietly, switching from watching the scene, looking down and writing.

[User]
Nishka yawned, it seemed exciting but they were both just staring at each other doing nothing. That wasn't any fun, even worse, someone was trying to mediate the fight. Most everyone was watching, cause what else would they do, but it seemed if it continued like this nothing would happen. She tossed a rock up and down in her hand, about half the size of an apple. Good enough to leave a nice bruise if it hit someone.

Her bag was held in her other hand and she popped a bubble before speaking up loudly, "Moneys on gun girl, if she's not too much of a chicken to fight!" Hopefully that would be enough to provoke them. For some reason people found the thought of being a chicken very irritating, despite their usefulness. She was tempted to clobber one of them and turn their attention on her, but watching a fight was less strenuous then fighting one, though usually about as fun. Ignoring the resulting stares Nishka simply popped another bubble. They just wished they had brought bubble gum.

[Assistant]
Takumi noticed a grungy, colorful girl. Her desire for a fight to erupt was obvious from her slightly adversarial posture, although, she apparently didn't want to fight — her posture was hidden under a slouch.

He shrugged. He could defuse the situation, but didn't feel much of a need to, yet. "I guess, none of the students here are wimps enough to be seriously hurt from the tussle."

Instead, he calmly walked around the quarter of the crowd-ring, semi-consciously slipping into weird and erratic shudderstep, coming up to the colorful girl from the side.
— What are you doing? — He calmly asked, his voice low and collected.

[User]
Every day felt like a Monday and how she hated Mondays. As the days went on, it was becoming more of an effort to drag herself out of the comfort of her blankets every morning. She often toyed with the idea of skipping lessons and claiming to be unwell, she very much doubted she could ever get away with it. The sunlight had barely cast itself through the dormitories curtains when Cătălina was already up and about, silently plodding from one place to another, gathering the items she needed to perform her morning rituals before the rest of the room began to stir. There was always a fight for the bathroom, every morning without fail. Thankfully, the rest of room-mates had not understood that waking up just half an hour earlier helped you miss the morning rush and Cătălina was definitely willing to lose that small amount of shut eye for a bit of peace and quiet. Hairbrush, wash cloth, clothes, eyeliner – why did she ever bother with eyeliner? As she pondered upon her morning habits, she found herself in the shared bathroom, looking around in dismay. Discarded damp towels, hair care products cast around the sink and had that tap been running all night? Gods, these people were children! Well, some of them were still classed as children, but still! Even toddlers learned to clean up after themselves!

Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.

This was an easy fix. Just throw the towels in the wash bag, organize the bottles and the tap was about to be used anyway. There was no sense in throwing a hissy fit over a little mess. Of course, there is always the solution on setting the dorm on fire...

Her fingers held the brush in place while she detangled the knots, a soft wince escaped her lips as she left her arm to reach the nape of her neck.

" Shit," She once again forgot to dip her ass in ice again after private advance training, pausing to stare long into those brown orbs she called eyes. There was no passion there, no fire, but who had the energy for those sorts of things when they had just woken up? Smudging a little moisturizer beneath her eyes in an attempt to usher away the dark rings, could not help but wince at the sight of her discolored skin. The more she experimented and played with her bow, the more her skin had begun to take on an healthy tinge.

Casting a glance at her open wardrobe, Cătălina wondered why it had taken her so long to notice that any of her casual attires lacked any real bright colors. Right. They drew attention. Better to blend into the background - easier to avoid drama that way.

With her appearance and hygiene up to a suitable level, she raced back to her room and deposited her belongings on her bed, soon out the door before her room-mates had even open their eyes. If they wanted to be late for class then they could be her guest. Not that she was enthusiastic about heading to the first session of the day. Who wanted to exert themselves when they had just woken up? People were strange. She would much rather spend her morning eating, exercising or better yet, reading. Speaking of reading, for the first time in a long time,the Romanian teen had actually remembered to bring her PDA along with her. While it was nice to be up to date on everything, it was also nice to have a hefty sum of emails to filter through during her breakfast so she generally left it hidden in her room. It was like forgetting about an article you really enjoyed and when you next found it again, it had updated nearly a hundred times over. Plus it gave her an excuse not to talk to anyone. Weekly schedules, the cafeteria menu – nothing really peaked at her interest. That was until she came across the email regarding a new tending video, students surrounding two underclassmen, a little fight the two had come up with, no doubt.

To be honest, that was nothing new within the walls of the academy. There was always a test of the fittest, however, it will not last to past the first round. The teachers here enjoyed placing such 'weaklings' as they quote back to reality. Most of it, the perfect place for the new director to make a grand appearance.

With her backside rested against the wall beside the railing of the roof of the main building, Cătălina stood with her eyes downcast, trying to figure out who would fit the description of the 'grand wizard', paying little mind to the ongoing fight.

Speaking of grand appearances, even being high above and Cătălina being on the other side of the roof, Cătălina could hear her 'friend' wailing from the doorway of the roof. No doubt he had just come across either her own email or the one sent by the school about a fight happening right by his favorite hangout spot.

Cătălina managed to look up from the students in time to spot the warmage reaching out for her arm while muttering something about an idea. An idea from this man? She expected nothing short of the man standing on top of the rooftop and yelling to their new teammates. But no, apparently the idoit had something much more sinister in mind. Before she could utter a word of protest, the flash from his Noble Arm in form of gloves soon blinded her,causing the dark-haired beauty to blink the pretty white spots away.

" Shall we teach these youngsters how the big boys' does it?"

The scathing look she focused on her companion was one she used on him often but as usual, the man ignored it and was already strolling on his
merry way, beckoning for her to follow. As the blonde began leading the charge, Cătălina held her sluggish pace behind him as she decided to bring Vipera out for the view.

" Alright, I will create a bit of a mist and wind. If successful, my dessert tickets are yours."

Another bet, now that was worth complying to. Cătălina nodded towards the blonde, two arrows appeared in her hand and bringing Vipera close to her dominant eye. Her dominant eye judges the accurate of her aim and distance, with an another nod, she verifies she was in position. Tiny droplets of water hanging in the air, became visible as the air around them changed, causing the warm air to be cool.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

"Excuse me, but I don't think this is a very good time to fight."

"Moneys on gun girl, if she's not too much of a chicken to fight!"

She watched as a male student stepped into the ring, trying to calm the sea of raging hormones, only to be overthrown by the voice of a young female student. The male student stood too close to the wielding student with the ax. Now that was just another challenge to the expert.

Exhale.

Without so much as a sound. She contemplated her targets for a second, as she cocked the arrows and raised it, without show, much like that of a hunter, shooting ducks. After a second, she made her decision, and one recoil later, the student with the ax lay on the ground, twitching and bleeding from a gaping wound in the middle of his abdomen. By this time, the female student had shrieked as her legs was firmly stuck together by the second arrow.

" Holy fuck, Cătălina,"

She smirked at the offensive compliment, enjoying the bit of victory and the view.

[Assistant]
"...Or apparently not," — thought Takumi with a distaste.

Calming down, he watched the surrounding landscape for sources of hostility and discontent, pushing more power into Vox Vulgaris.

A palpable but invisible wave of apathy washed out, bringing Catalina's antagonistic glee into stark relief.
To the grungy girl he shrugged, as if to say "oh well", then started calmly walking towards the archer maiden, then vanished when she blinked, reappearing near her.

— Please stay where you currently are, miss. — he remarked coldly. — I believe the senior instructors will be arriving shortly. You would have ample possibility to own up to your misdemeanor.

His hand was on the hilt of a japanese-fitted but straight sword, while his stance was fairly relaxed for a swordsman.

[User]
Adolf payed no attention to the fight in the courtyard for the simple reason that it wasn't interesting. He just passed it by, disregarding the event as he wandered through the courtyard minding his own business, singing to himself as he went.

"Auf der Heide blüht ein kleines Blümelein

Und das heißt: Erika"

He continued on through the courtyard but stopped short off to the side, struck by that feeling Naught gives him. He glanced up at the school's towers, looking at them for a moment before smirking and continuing on his way.

"Heiß von hunderttausend kleinen Bienelein

Wird umschwärmt

Erika!"


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

---

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

History
Will Fill in as we go along.

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

[User]
About quater mile from the seashore, a five foot tall girl with a white dress of simple linen wondered the area, looking around at the various trees that found themselves in the beach area. A few notes played through her flute as she wondered around, trying to keep her fingers busy as her mind wondered which one would bear the most fruit that day. Eventually she picked one, taking out a round strip of thick cloth and after making it into a figure 8 putting her feet into it. A second later, she jumped onto the tree, climbing shimmying up it as she had done many times in the past.

Of course, the tree was tall. But then again, she had done this hundreds of times. Soon she found herself at the top, giving the coconuts a few twists each as she watched them plummet towards the soft ground. Before heading down, she gave the land a quick look around for several reasons. She wanted to make sure she hadn't been followed, but also just to get a quick view of her surroundings.

No one was following her, but she saw one of the strangest and most hilarious images in her lifetime. A woman was paddling her boat, and even from this distance it was easy to see how horribly inefficient she was, likely due to a combination of inexperience and exhaustion. Curious, the girl watched as the person finally found their landing spot not far away, and saw them lay down on the ground as if dying.

This would be amusing.

Soon enough, the fire haired girl filled her sack with the coconuts, approaching the shore with a sense of curiosity. The closer she got, the more irregular she realized this person was - her clothing resembled something from one of the far away cities, but even then it was unusual. The boat did not take advantage of the wind, which was a bad decision when trying to navigate the near-continental islands.

Although she didn't have to, the girl approached and decided to see if she could lend aid to the woman who was clearly uncomfortable with the entire circumstance. Approaching with light feet, Caitriona soon found herself above the woman, leaning over as her own green eyes examined the interesting woman. "Dia dhuit?"

[Assistant]
~Charlotte LaChance~

---

"Dia dhuit?"

The voice caught Charlotte slightly off guard, but for the most part she remained unmoving, eyes closed. Now, the voice was interesting for a few reasons. She hadn't expected foreign peoples to just waltz up to her. That meant she either had the good fortune of running into shore near a town, or had the misfortune of the exact same thing. It was entirely up to the disposition of whoever they were. Secondly the voice...spoke in a dialect she was completely unfamiliar with. It didn't sound like any of the more common languages back in Astril or the surrounding lands. The lands had some variations between the cities, but for the most part one could translate fairly easily between the two. After a few seconds, She finally opened her eyes to address whoever was speaking to her. Her typical cold blue eyes and somewhat harsh glare was immediately replaced by a look of immense curiosity, immediately awestruck by just...whatever this humanoid creature was.

The woman was short - she was fairly certain it was a she. Much shorter than she was, and a fair bit shorter than most people in Astril. Her people favored shorter ones, then? Well, she wouldn't question it for now. What she was going to question, was the other girls hair. It was multicolored. A brilliant shade of red before transitioning to yellow towards the ends. It was...well, she was certain some would find it beautiful. Charlotte just found it a wondrous work of nature, however it happened. It looked completely natural at least, which was fascinating.

"Ti?" And she realized just how useless speaking would be like this. She had no idea what was even asked, and likely the other girl had no idea what she had just been asked. Useless, then. Well, damn it if she wasn't going to at least try communication of some sort. She sat up, rubbing a bit of sand out of the back of her hair, blue eyes turning towards the boat. A few of her belongings were still there - namely a medium sized sack full of her alchemy equipment. Alembic, retorts, mortar and pestle...some rudimentary dried herbs and such. Things she could use to help her on her way. Maybe hand motions of some sort? Writing likely would be as ineffective. "Kratíste mia stigmí."

She walked over to the boat, grabbing the sack. The glass implements clanked in small complaint as they were sat down on the sandy shore, away from the water. Now...how exactly was she supposed to communicate here? Staring rather intensely at the other human with what seemed like a small glare was likely not the correct course of action, but Charlotte didn't register she was even doing it.

[User]
Caitriona looked on as the woman beneath her gazed up at her, blue eyes staring into her own fields of green curiously. The curiosity was returned towards this woman, the orange haired woman tilting her head slightly as the other woman muttered a word then sat up.

"Ti?"

Out of caution, the girl took a step back, but the precaution did not seem necessary as a few belongings were gathered by this figure at least a head taller than her and pulled out of the boat and onto the beach, a slightly musical sound ringing through the air as the bag moved and shifted. Glass? Perhaps something fragile?

"Kratíste mia stigmí." Something incomprehensible was muttered, but it seemed at least somewhat intelligent. Based on the way she looked, this woman was probably most similar to the peoples up north.

After the little trip was over though, the woman was reduced to just standing there as glaring just slightly. Normally this would have been considered rude, but a quick look at the sun bathed and reddening skin of the woman in front of her explained at least some of it. She had also just finished exerting plenty of strength on rowing, and yet her sweat was minimal at best. All of these were bad signs.

Withdrawing one of the hard yellow fruits from her sack, the girl extended it in a single outstretched hand. "Tart? Want cnó cócó?" Although it was some work to climb the tree to retrieve one, the fruits were plentiful in this area and the flame haired girl felt she could only tolerate so much on her own anyways.

[Assistant]
~Charlotte LaChance~

---

Was...was she being offered food? A flash of surprise ran across her face. Well, she was hungry, thirsty, and generally not exactly in all that great of condition. Was this some sort of peace offering maybe? Or was this simply their way of greeting a stranger? Or maybe there was something else here she didn't know. She had heard - read a lot about the peoples outside of Astril, but she doubted the statements had many, if any factual statements but that didn't mean all of them were not based in fact either. She had to be wary, or at least suspicious of any sort of interaction with them.

Charlotte hesitantly took the fruit, suspicious for more than a few reasons...but she was hungry, and if anything happened she was fairly certain in her ability to do something about it. There was just a small problem. She had no idea what this hard shelled...fruit even was. She was fairly certain it was a fruit, at least - she knew her plants relatively well. She didn't want to appear as clumsy or awkward, but she didn't have much she could do with the fruit on her own. At least, not without something to maybe...crack it open with? She'd ask, but...language barrier.

"Kai ti akrivós boró na káno me aftó ...?" Charlotte frowned, and even through the language barrier, one would likely be easily able to tell there was a slight irritation in her voice as she studied the fruit, seemingly glaring at the coconut. She loathed not being able to know or do something on her own. In Astril, not being able to do something on your own meant asking one of your peers for assistance...an act that typically involved you owing them a favor later, and she was hesitant to ask for assistance...but this wasn't Astril, was it? Surely this girl wouldn't be as close minded as they were, would they? She looked back up at the girl from the coconut, frowning in a manner that suggested confusion and perhaps a little mild irritation.

[User]
It didn't take long for the orange haired girl realize that this woman had no idea what she was doing, as she seemed to look at the fruit with a great degree of confusion and then back towards her with an obvious degree of minor frustration, her voice high in pitch as if asking a question. Well, it was true that she had no intent of using this to garner favors in any way. Instead, the taller woman had paid with comedy as the native started laughing to themselves, bending over as she clearly found this entire thing hilarious. Caitriona tried to stop herself from laughing out of some sort of urge to be polite once, but gave up after trying to hold that in for a few seconds.

It was like a child! Could this person even feed themselves? First she comes down on an impractical ship, and now she needed be taught? Honestly, if her face of irritated confusion hadn't been cute, the women in linen would have been tempted to just watch as they struggled. But helping not helping this adorable girl was obviously against the butterfly, and one never wanted to anger the butterflies.

So, it was lesson time. The orange haired woman sat down on the beach, face still flushed from the laughter, and pulled out another coconut and knife from her bag. After giving the taller woman ample time to examine them, the one sitting on the ground used the knife's blade to chop and pry the husk open from the top, quickly revealing a almost ... furry middle. After picking the fur off the coconut and placing it into her bag, Caitriona took the much smaller bit of the coconut away from the husk, allowed the taller women to see it and exactly where she was hitting it, then slammed it against a nearby rock.

After a single hit, the coconut cracked and revealed the fluid and insides of the coconut to the woman in front of her, drinking some of it to show the other woman what to do. After a few seconds, the woman made a judgement call and decided that she didn't want this taller one breaking her knife. A sharp looking stone was found by Caitriona, which she tossed towards the other woman. The implication should be obvious.