[System]
Age: 97
Species: Werewolf
Goals/Faction: Mattias is a loner travelling the world to eliminate all hostile vampires from existence.
Backstory: In his life before leaving Alaska, Mattias found that he greatly disagreed with his pack's principles. That all vampires were the scum of the Earth, and that all humans were ruining the planet. He knew that vampires and humans were both capable of great evil, but he was also aware that where there was the capability to do wrong, was also the capability to do right. Mattias wanted to protect the innocent people still out there from harm, so he left his pack and began his travels.
Before all of this and during the Nightwars, Mattias was one of the few that refused to take up arms with Magnus against the humans, believing the former to be crazy and his plan absurd. He was ridiculed at the war's start for not conforming, and then resented at the war's end for being right. This only contributed to his self imposed exile from the pack.
Mattias often considered attempting to join Soldier, but deigned that tying himself to a set of rules might impede him somewhere along the line. He's still not certain if that is the right choice.
Personality: While Mattias has faith in human and vampire-kind, he is far from an idealist. He knows that people are inherently selfish, and that most vampires would sooner suck a human dry than attempt to coexist with them. He does however know that GOOD people are being made victims of violence every day.
Powers/Skills: Aside from the typical strengths and weaknesses of a werewolf, Mattias also possess greatly improved senses, being able to pick up the scent of a vampire and track it to the source from a significant distance away. He also boasts night vision and impressive hearing.
Equipment/Weapons: He's strong enough even in human form that he doesn't require much in the way of weaponry.
Themesong: Uhh… Eye of the Tiger? I actually think that might be somewhat accurate.

[User]
Assassin @BurningCold
Allison knew that shots from outside meant nothing good, she could figure out that much. She put out her cigarette and was about to get moving when Mattias passed her with remarkable speed. Fast...

"Allison, you and Mattias are gonna have to find out who gunned down the civilians. We cant help out in the field until you can clear our names."

"Got it!" she replied as she sprinted outside and tried to catch up with Mattias, which proved to be harder than expected...

After a while she finally managed to catch up with him in an alleyway, "Huff, you are really fast I give you that. Since you have time for a smoke I take it you know where we have to look to find our gunner. Mind telling me your plan before you run off again?"

[Assistant]
Awesome

At the sound of a kind voice, the ragged vampire in the chair slowly lifted his head. It was a young woman vampire speaking in hushed tones of escape. Mithias furrowed his brow at the rush of urgency. "Who are you?" He asked. Whoever she was, she was on his side, and had brought blood. Mithias looked at the bag that she had dropped, reading its contents by its hue. His thirst was strong enough to make it difficult to concentrate, and he unabashedly stared at it. "If you're planning on maiming me, you'd better give me that blood bag first."

As she moved to carry out her plan and Mithias drank, he realized how foolhardy this idea likely was. He had to stop her before she got herself or both of them killed. "A plan is nothing short of suicide if it hasn't been thuroughly thought through, my would-be saivor. I see no weapons in that tight, rediculous dress of yours, and certainly not a saw. And if you are still able to cut off my hands, I would be in no condition to fight effectively. Do you have weapons outside? Blood? Have you disabled the cameras?" Mithias clenched and unclenched his fingers anxiously.

[User]
Mattias leaned against one of two walls encompassing the alley, giving his cigarette a drag as Allison approached. "Huff, you are really fast I give you that. Since you have time for a smoke I take it you know where we have to look to find our gunner. Mind telling me your plan before you run off again?" He stared at her for a few moments before taking out his cigarette pack.

"You want one?" He asked casually. "Our gunner's got to be that Deon fucker, and yeah, he's here in the city. The whole place reeks of him and his kind. As for a plan? I suppose you and I could just valiantly charge in to whatever fortress of solitude he has himself locked up in. Might be a good way to die." The werewolf shakes his head slowly. "No, I don't have a plan." Just then, Mattias sniffed the air carefully. Peering towards the end of the alley revealed a regal looking man travelling down the street, a gold-topped cane in hand. Mattias recognized Cupid Abatangelo as the man went on his way, not once glancing towards the pair of mercenaries within the narrow backway.

---

Cupid slowly nodded his head at Jones' words, a gesture the club owner would be unable to appreciate. "Certainly my friend, I will be sure to let you know if anything of the sort happens. Now, I have pressing matters I must attend to." After exchanging farewells, Cupid began an attempt to bring some amount of order to his chaotic desk.

Cupid cursed under his breath before answering the phone.

"It's me, I'll be in the top floor suite. I look forward to seeing you in person. We have a lot we need to take care of. Sadly things will have to be put on a little bit of a faster pace now."

Lips slowly twitching into a smile, Cupid responded. "Excellent. I will be arriving shortly." In mere moments, the vampire was striding out the doors of the Cupid's Kiss, his cane firmly in his grasp.

---

It didn't take long to find Deon's complex, and Cupid stepped inside without hesitation. Time to get down to business.


[System]
|JOSEPHINE "JOSEPH" SMITH|
Age:
Nineteen

Gender:
Female

Family:
Joseph Smith – father
†Carrie Smith – mother (deceased)
Anna-Michael Smith – cousin
Timothy Smith – uncle
Mary Smith – aunt
Big Mama - grandmother

Personality:
Joseph, having been raised by a rough parent, was quite rough herself and not all that pleasant to be around. She is sarcastic and blunt, cutting people down to the bone sometimes, which is why she prefers the company of thick-skinned individuals. When she is blunt and sarcastic, she is usually vulgar, spewing out obscenities here, there, everywhere, and obviously not caring about how people feel about it. She's been told once that such words were not ladylike - she spat on his face and told him to shove his gender roles straight up his ass. Joseph hates gender roles and insists that, despite her actions being associated with men usually, she is still a woman - just a masculine one. She hates being affectionate and doesn't like her space being intruded upon, often times punching someone in the face to get them away. She is stubborn and opinionated, sometimes forcing her liberal opinions on others even though she despises when people force their opinions on her - often times, she is frustrated when people don't see things the way she does. But she has her good points too - she is brave and loyal, willing to go to death and back for people she claims her allies. She is confident in her body and personality and is hardworking, often times working her fingers to the bones, and clever. When associating with people, she comes off as indifferent and cold, though she doesn't mean to, she just finds it difficult to express her feelings.

Bio:
Joseph was born in Tulwa, Alabama to a family that lived on the outskirts, surrounded by the woods. When Joseph was around three years old, her mother developed cancer and, unfortunately, died, leaving Joseph in the care of her father. Her father was a man with a rough personality, and many would say he was a redneck. Often times, he would chew tobacco while watching TV or leave early in the morning to go hunting, leaving Joseph in the care of her aunt. When Joseph reached the age of nine, Joseph Sr. started bringing Joseph with him to hunting and allow her to watch TV with him, though he preferred to do alone because he hated when people talked. As such, Joseph grew up on hunting, knowing how to handle a gun by the age of ten, and deer for dinner, or whatever else they caught that day. When Joseph was twelve, she showed an interest in bow hunting, and so her father bought her a bow and spent an hour a day giving her tips before he went inside, leaving Joseph to practicing until dinner time. It soon became Joseph's favorite way of hunting. Around the age of thirteen, Joseph Sr. had bought an American Foxhound puppy for Joseph which she trained to help her deer hunt and became her best friend. During high school, Joseph did well in the academics, but often times would skip to hunt or fish with her dad, leading to many suspensions and a near-expulsion. When she graduated high school, Joseph didn't know what to do with her life and so she pretended as if she didn't need to do anything, filling her time with hunting and fishing while living with her dad.

Job Before The Outbreak:
Waitress at a local diner called Kicknee's ; hunter

Disability/Fear:
Insomnia, Joseph has trouble sleeping and is subjected to sometimes passing out from exhaustion or lacking energy

Weapon of Choice:
Bear Crux bow with around thirty arrows

Supplies:
Lighter, a couple of protein bars, and a water bottle

|Orion|
(Joseph's American Foxhound)

[User]
Kayla Campbell Lilly Campbell

Taking a moment when Thomas had asked her if she was single, it was true she wasn't seeing anyone at the moment which caused her to blush slightly he was a very nice guy. When her coffee was ready Kayla went over to grab it and then nodded at Thomas. "Yes, i'm still single haven't met the right person yet." Kayla answered running a hand through her hair, she had dated a few people in the past but things never worked out. "And I do own a high rise apartment about five or so blocks away from here." She answered Thomas, looking around for a moment to look at an open seat and spotted one that was close to a nearby window in between the tables that Josephine sat in and Alexandra sat in. Kayla looked up at Thomas for a moment and waved him over to join her. "What about you, seeing anyone since last time we were together or anyone here you found?"

Kayla looked outside the window for a moment and quickly noticed her sister's blue Honda Pilot driving down the street, and then it pulled up right next to her Mustang. Watching Alicia getting out of the car and going over to the back door where she saw her niece climbing out and making their way into the Starbucks, which Kayla waved them both over.

When Lilly came into the store, she quickly spotted her aunt and ran over towards her, Kayla smiled and wrapped her arms around her nice. "Hey there Lilly!" Kayla said happily, taking a moment she watched as her sister went over towards the front register and ordered herself a coffee and some milk for Lilly and then walked over Alicia wrapped her arms around Kayla and smiled at her. "Thank you again for watching her for me." Alicia said with a smile, Kayla shook her head and motioned for her to sit. "No problem at all, and this is Thomas." Kayla said motioning towards him Alicia eyed him up and down for a moment and smiled. "Nice to meet you." She said, and then she looked down at her watch just as her coffee was being handed over to her.

"Hey, i'm sorry but i'll have to take a rain check on that, I didn't realize i'm late for my appointment." Alicia said and hugged her sister and Lilly. "Do whatever Aunt Kayla says okay? And i'll see you in a few days." Alicia said kissing her daughter on the head and gave Thomas a rather quick nod before she turned to leave the Starbucks.

Then the news just came on a new report showing a young reporter in front of a hospital looking very alarmed, and a bunch of police and ambulances were outside. "Good morning everyone, reporting in front of St. Joseph's Hospital Earlier today a patient was admitted into this hospital complaining to having flu like symptoms. He died last night and then came back and attacked a nurse, killing her and then proceeded to attack other patients." She said, and then screamed when she heard gunshots ringing from behind her the camera man quickly focused on the chaos as police started to open fire upon what looked like the infected as they swarmed out of the hospital. "Get out of here now!" The reporter yelled backing away as some of the infected started to run towards the camera man and quickly it went to static before switching back to the news room.

"Please remain calm, and head to your homes and lock your doors if you haven't already, police are already on this and the national guard is being called in as we speak we will be back later as this develops." The new anchor said before it went to show more outbreaks happening in various other hospitals along the east coast.

[Assistant]
The coffee at the station always tasted the same, not it was bad or horrible. But, he wished for some different taste besides the vanilla. Hayden still drank the same old coffee, crushed the disposable coffee cups, and threw it in the trash can. The taste was still there as he walked towards the other officers and listened to their conversation. They were talking about the drug bust that happened yesterday as 2.5 million dollars of drugs were caught by the SWAT team. It was big news around the stations and inside his police car as his partner couldn't stop talking about it. Of course, he was proud of the men in that team; but, he had other important things going on.

"Hayden, how's your day going?" said one of the officers as he quickly turned around to see Hayden coming towards them. "Tired as always." Hayden said towards the officer, "People act as if the virus doesn't exist. They should be more informed about it.". The other officers started to pay attention towards him as soon as he mentions the virus. "We don't need people to riot and breaking into stores." the officer said to Hayden with an attitude. "I'd rather have riots than inflected people, Greg." Hayden said towards the officer as he quickly walked away before things could get heated up.

Before he could finish the day, the commissioner rushed out of his office and pushed the doors opened. Everyone stopped their movement as the commissioner rushed out of his office and turned towards him. "I got terrible news anyone." he said as his hands were shaking so badly that he looked like he was going to faint. He tried to say the words, but couldn't say it without making it sound fearful. So, he just breathed in and said these words:

"Someone checked into St. Joseph's Hospital and said that he had flu like symptoms. Then, he died."

Everyone frozen in shock as they all knew that the virus had landed in America. The media kept on declining that the virus wasn't bad at all and that a cure was almost here. But, it bites them in the ass as someone with 'flu like symptom' got to America and checked into a crowded hospital. Now, America was going to enter panic mode and it may stay there for a long time. The commissioner breathed heavily as he said, "Most of us need to go to the hospital and prepare for the worst. I hope that God is with us and protects us for this virus.".

As soon as he spoke to the other officers, they began to get ready for the ride to the hospital. They went to the armory and began to put on their gear. Their job was to protect the people of Philadelphia and they were willing to do that until they ran out of bullets. Most were scared and afraid of what's going to happen at the hospital. Hayden soon got his gear on and grabbed a pistol out of the armory as he raced towards his cop car.

With keys in one hand, he opened the car door with another and got in. He saw his partner running towards the car and opened the car door to get in on the passenger side. Hayden started the car as soon as the door was shut and backed up towards the street. As soon as he got to the street, he turned on his sirens and drove towards the hospital as fast as the car could go. Other cop cars followed Hayden's car and raced towards the hospital. His partner looked towards the window, shook his head, and looked towards Hayden. He breathed slowly and said, "Well, this is it. I hope that we all do this."

After a few moments of silence, Hayden said toward his partner, "I hope so too." as he stopped his car in front of the hospital. The radio was going off with that the patient started to attack anyone in the building. Oh Lord, it was already attacking people. He and his partner got out of their cars and raced behind their cars and aimed their guns at the hospital doors. Other officers soon followed and by now, the front door was covered. Anyone going to pass the doors were going to get shot, no matter what the person was. The ambulances soon arrived to help out in whatever way they could help.

Then, the new vans arrived at the hospital and the cameras were aimed at the officers and the hospital. The media was going to finally report on the virus and how it got in America. They must of come up with an excuse for lying to the people. As the reporters started to talk, Hayden looked at the door and began to see people running towards the door. Soon as the doors opened, he fired towards them. Gunfire began to ring as the officers tried to stop those things from getting pass them; but, the officers were quickly overrun by them. Hayden kept on firing as he saw the reporter and the cameraman, running away from some of the infected.

"Go! I got you covered!" Hayden said as he fired at the inflected people, which the reporter and the camera man got in their vans and shut their doors. They were safe. More officers were firing back to stop them, but they were overpowering. The screaming began to replace the gunshots as the officers got inside their cars and drove away from the horrible scene. Hayden and his partner, Brandon, got inside their cop car and started it. He saw officer getting eaten by them as Hayden drove away for the hospital. They both were breathing heavily and the radio was ringing with the sounds of screaming, gunshots, and things that none should hear.

The inflected were soon going to spread to the school nearby and then to the houses and stores. What are they going to do now? How are they going to stop the spreading? How were they going to survive?

[User]
James and Thomas Holtz

"Nah," Thomas said to Kayla as he followed her to a table, "I'm still single. I don't know if I'd be able to have a relationship with one girl and a baby with another." Thomas hoped she'd take the subtle hint. Thomas wished that he was in a proper relationship, she was good looking, nice, and good with children.

James walked into the coffee shop, and saw Thomas with a familiar looking girl, but he couldn't quite place where he saw her from. He walked over to Thomas and asked who the girl was.

"She's, uh, a friend," Thomas told his father.

The news came on, and James looked worried, "Damn... what will we do?" he asked Thomas, "We don't have any food in the house yet, and the shops will be swamped or closed."

[Assistant]
Joseph felt an alarming chill run down her back as the TV went to static. Biting her lip, she pulled out her phone and dialed the familiar number to Big Mama's house. She pressed the phone to her ear and listened to the annoying ringing sound until, after a long second, it stopped.

"Hello, who's this?" The gruff voice of the older woman snapped.

"Big Mama, its Joseph. Did you see the news?" Joseph tapped her fingers incessantly on the table, glancing outside where Orion was sleeping. A deep instinct in her warned her that something bad was going to happen and Joseph could feel her lethargic muscles tensing.

"No, why? Somethin' about them Kardashians or whatever?" Big Mama chuckled to herself and Joseph could hear the sizzling of something cooking. Her patience was running thin, as it always did with Big Mama, and she wished that someone else had picked up the phone.

"No, Big Mama, someone died at the hospital – they had flu like symptoms. He attacked a nurse. Big Mama, it's an outbreak. I need you to get everyone inside and lock the doors, alright? I'm goin' to head home soon."

There was silence on the other end of the phone, then distant talking until Big Mama started talking again. "Okay, you be careful, honey. We'll be waiting."

Big Mama hung up the phone, not even bothering to say 'I love you' - in all her life, Joseph has never heard Big Mama say she loves someone; it wasn't her style. Joseph slid her phone into her pants and stood up. The disbelief and worry over the outbreak must have triggered some adrenaline reaction, because the loopy sluggishness that once possessed her limbs had left, replaced with an energy that vibrated. Joseph sped walk to the door, glancing once more behind her into the shop, before walking to the outside.

The cold seemed to bite at her skin as she sidled up to the truck, peeking in at Orion. Orion was no longer asleep, instead wide awake with his floppy ears perked, sniffing curiously. Joseph tapped on the glass window and Orion lept to the driver's seat; Joseph smiled, unlocking the door and allowing her hands to run over Orion's fur. The foxhound's fur was slightly cool to the touch and his wet nose nuzzled her cheek. She patted his head before moving to the truck bed, peering at her bow to make sure it wasn't damaged in its cover.


[System]
Age: 44.

Appearance: Subtly waning. Innocent retains a head of dark hair, dark eyes and a good height for an adult, but his scalp is beginning to show through and a growing hunch in his back wears down his tallness while his eyes accumulate red mazes. Well veined, sundried skin tell of a long life outdoors. Half a beard populates his jaw. A dull tunic, dusty straw hat, and duller, dustier trousers provide his daily modesty, held together with a rope belt.

Occupation: Beekeeper in a dale just south of Flidais, a temperate, grassy city perched between foothills. Innocent gets by with few visits to Flidais, selling honey, beeswax, animal feed and carvings to whoever might pass his cabin on the way and buying necessities from travelling merchants and nearby farmsfolk. Innocent plays a simple flute, carved and tuned by his own design, but does so poorly.

Personality: Gentle enough to be called kind, but this trait is bred more from meek complacency than empathic feelings. Sidwell is a highly submissive individual, asking little from others and rarely questioning them or the services they require of him unless he feels personally threatened. Although he means only to live and let live, these traits may see him being labelled by some as a sycophant, and by most as a coward. Innocent is religious on his own terms. Terrified of death and hell, he believes that if he avoids human confrontation and keeps his world small and modest, he will avoid sin and be blessed by God, an attitude which has seen him safe thusfar.

History: Innocent Sidwell was born in Flidais and, the youngest son to a mother of eight, was sent to the hill monastery even sooner than most novices. Sidwell entered monasticism as a child already conditioned to avoid the fierce competition of his elder siblings and live in modesty. Although this kept him in the favour of the prior, Innocent's ways changed as he matured. While his earlier compliance was forced by the pressure of his environment, he was now in a community wherein passiveness was self-motivated, and repressed adventurousness began to emerge. The prior tolerated Sidwell's growing cheek for a time, granted that he performed his duties and did not leave the monastery. He was expelled when finally caught in an act of homosexual conduct with another novice. The prior was shocked and betrayed and threatened both Innocent and the other novice with public exposure as they were punished and cast away, but his old love for Sidwell kept him from making true this threat, unknown to Sidwell, who that day was cursed with a terrible fear of exposure, of sin, and of living any less than a pious, modest, and celibate existence.

Fleeing south on foot, Innocent found work as a farmhand for a time before he apprenticed under his predecessor beekeeper of the valley, and has made this his living for three decades.

[User]
DECK

Moss was about to begin her search for the Engine room when the sudden, ear-splitting shriek of the freak rose above the sounds of the brewing storm, and damn near scared the life out of her. Teeth grit together, she whirled around, summoned up all the breath she had, and yelled back.

"Shut the fok up! Stop for christ's-sake, ya fine, ya alive!" she held angry eyes on the freak-boy, but there wasn't any more fear left in them. "I don't know if ya can even fok'n understand me, but pay attention, aye?"

She jabbed a finger at him, and then jutted the thumb back at herself. "Stay with me. Before shite gets absolutely fok'd, we have to start gatherin' folks together, or we're all gonna sink, ya understand me?" She made the same motions with her fingers once again. "Stay with me, got it? Stay. With. Me."

A mental note for her was made then to never have kids. At least no weird, moon-man-language-speaking freak kids.

That settled, she heard the shouting of another voice, familiar and no longer uttering sobbing words. The strange girl, Tam-Something, seemed to be in a hurry of her own. Well, they had to gather, and though all of this sudden buddy-buddy shite was way out of Moss's own comfort zone for interactions, she much preferred the awkward bout of courage to swimming in brine.

"Fine, aye, good," she said quickly, giving the strange girl her attention. "Do ya know where we can find this damn Engine Room?"

[Assistant]
ENGINE ROOM

Risa heard the chain clinking, but she was more interested in lighting the lamp. She saw that matches and she wanted nothing more than to walk over and grab a match and light the lamp right now, but that meant getting closer to the creature. She felt safe here for now. That was until she heard the creature start to move again. While she could not tell where it was she gripped the pipe in her hand. When it moved to attack Connor, she could not help but be relieved.

She knew that she should help him, but she could not move. She did not want to see a person hurt bedside her, but she did not want to put herself in danger. She was not that kind of a person, not unless she had a weapon that she could use. That was when she heard the voice over the speaker. There was someone else there and worse off these people did not know where they were. She looked at Connor and then back to the speaker.

"You need to hurry, there is a giant lizard attacking Connor. Please help all we have weapon wise is his sword." she said in a panic. She was going to say more, but Connor started to talk to her. She turned to him and looked around for something that she could use. Maybe something that would allow her to attack from a distance.

When he mentioned a pistol she looked in that direction. She had never used a gun before, but if it meant that she could stop the lizard she was more than willing to use it. She slowly moved over to the boiler making sure that the lizard was paying attention to Connor. She managed to get behind boiler and grabbed the pistol.

She got out from behind the boiler and held the pistol up. She had no idea if it was loaded, but if she did nothing she would end up the next target of this lizard. She hold the pistol and pressed the trigger.

[User]
DECK

He stopped for a moment when he heard a beast cry out about something being shut up and stopped, as well as something it for being Chris's sake whoever that was being fine and alive. He noticed her eyes seeming to glare at him as she said she was not sure if he understood her as she told the little Elin to pay attention. He looked at her as he sniffed a bit the tears still running down his face, she then pointed a finger at him as he was already sitting he jumped up before falling back hard against the door which happened to have closed again. He watched as she then pointed back at herself and that was when he felt really scared.

He misunderstood and thought that she claimed him as her slave, he remembered hearing stories about how the outsiders enslaved people to do the work of machines, like cleaning, feeding and protecting them. He did not even understand what those were completely either as he struggled and slowly crawled to her on all fours mostly out of instinct and partially out of fear that she would beat him if he did not obey. He then felt a bit less scared when he saw the normal looking girl Tam Tam as he pointed and spoke. "Tam...Tam...", he did not have a word in his language for her name but having heard it somewhere along the line he picked it up. He then pointed nervously at the other red haired beast girl and said, "Mosh" as he was not too familiar with using the 's' sound.

She also said something about gathering folks, which translated badly as fok which was untranslatable in his language sounded the same as folks to him, so he figured fokd meant there were a lot of foks which was actually folks, but he was not really able to make a better choice so he then learnt that fok meant people. Outsiders had a weird language, he tried using her language again to answer her when she asked if he got it and he answered her with.

"Shtay wif Mosh, gaffer foks ......", he was aboutto cry as he was struggling to say together for some reason and just said "uhn" which translated to together. It was confusing to outsiders where "uhn","en" and "ehn" can all mean the same thing depending on the frequency and pitch in which it is said.

He was beyond confused, but he was learning the language of Mosh and maybe one day he will also understand the confusing weird language of TamTam

[Assistant]
Deck.
The fox was soon gone, a limp white mass in its jaws at which the woman yelled but turned herself from to see Sidwell. Voices had followed him, though now their source was focused in a horn-like device more than they were easily discerned from the floorboards. Another child, this one thin with ominous red hair, looked to be seeing to them, but he didn't listen. The woman was his greater concern, and the growing wind was interfering with his ears. She spoke like the man with the arm markings, a loose hybrid of Anglish and components he didn't know. "You'll find your fox in heaven if your heart is pure," he accorded to scripture, but beyond that he could only nod back as she gestured to the voices. Save them. I can only try to help them save themselves now.

The woman Tamtam (Tamara? Perhaps the other names were merely titular) was quickly off in the direction of the fox again, which- Perhaps unknown to her- Was being pursued in turn by the same gleaming mouse as had been resting in Innocent's waking room. A second time he failed to go after it, leaving himself with the voices, of which a louder, male aspect had taken over, talking back to the child. Sidwell could see the burgeoning maelstrom in the sky, early and distant flickers of lightning shattered and reflected in the roiling water, but as he was still stepping back to the strange girl, a much closer voice turned both of their heads.

The girl with the red head reacted first, and aggressively, spouting a curse much harsher than Sidwell was comfortable with, the name of the Christ. He said nothing, and stood by watching the sails unfold as the girl disciplined a frightened, dirty boy who had screamed. Innocent supposed it was of interest that the boy had bluish hair and ears like a cat, but it was hardly less strange than the red haired girl, or the tall stories he'd heard third-hand from sailors. People from all parts of the world ended up dead and under judgement, to no surprise. The sails weren't like those he'd been told about. They certainly weren't canvas sheets hung between mast and rigging, and they certainly weren't glass. No glass could ever be so pure and clear, let alone supple. They were air made solid. The rising wind made Sidwell hold on to his hat. "Fly away then, cloudship," he murmured as the feisty red girl finished her tirade and whirled back, clearly expecting to see Tamtam still around.

Sidwell answered as if he'd been the addressee, though parts of the red girl's speech hiccuped in his translation. He could recognise the spoken word engin, cleverness, but the voice in his head insisted it meant 'device'. Both descriptions fitted his waking room, the one with the books and the brass contraptions. "There is a room with devices up there." Sidwell gestured to the structure from which the toy mouse had run, observing that its roof had opened up somehow, but hesitated before starting back.

Save them too. That was the order he'd been left with, and it was a powerful command. He knew he'd just left that place. The voices were coming from underneath it. And now that the roof was open, it offered no shelter from whatever rain this storm could offer. "...But the people there aren't the ones we're looking for. They're below that. I think we should avoid this storm." It was against his grain to contradict himself, to make a suggestion other than the easiest route. But he'd been told to go save people, and he supposed Red Girl and Blue Cat Boy were part of that. The advice was good, though it wasn't meant for him- Stay with me. Gather folks together. Beckoning to the boy, who was in confusion or terror attempting to crush together more than one language, Innocent Sidwell turned his back on the waves and the storm and stepped towards the stairway where Tamtam had disappeared in her chase, gently resting his free hand on the trees as he walked.


[System]
Cole Arkus"Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it. Or have you forgotten?"
Age: 20
Race: Half-Elf

Appearance: Born to a human mother and an elven father, Colman stands at 5'7, and is quite thin from years of forgoing meals in favour of study. His hair is already a pale silver, despite his young age, and his eyes are green like the lake near where he grew up. Due to his heritage, he naturally has a greater amount of dexterity, but also not as much as a true elf. The same holds true with human strength. As far as clothes go, he generally wears formal clothing in dark colours, and is not often seen without his coat. (minus tattoo shown in picture)

Nation of origin: The Oakheart Sovereignty

Personality: Lucky enough to be born into a knight's family – his uncle's, to be specific - Colman's name means 'little dove', and he lives to it, seeking peace with all. While he is often serious, Cole goes about his life in a light-hearted way, trying to smile when others are down. He has a great passion for knowledge, and the preservation of, considering himself an amateur scholar. He also has great respect for all the world, and all walks of life. The only things he will not tolerate are outright murder, taking advantage of the weak, and hurting his friends – the only ways you can get him to lose his temper.

Biography: Colman is one of the many examples of half-elves who come from Oakheart. However, due to his 'hybrid' status, there were a number who looked on him with distrust. His mother and father also bore the brunt of this attack, given that their marriage was sudden and unexpected. Unfortunately, it was also short.

In his sixth year, whilst walking with his parents alongside the lake they lived near, his mother suddenly became aware of people following them. The treeline was too far away, and no boulders or bushes provided cover to hide behind. So she pushed young Cole into the reeds of the lake, and told him to stay there and not make a sound until she or her father said so. There he witnessed the act that he will carry with him for the rest of his life – the murder of his parents. But he did not make a sound. His uncle's men later found him at the scene, shivering and cold, still waiting in the reeds for his mother's say so. Despite his protests, they took him back to his uncle, Terrence Arkus, squire of the knight before him. Finding himself charged with his dead sister's son, the knight had no idea how to raise the boy, having neither children nor a wife of his own. He was able to bring the murderers to justice, though, by Cole's detailed description of their appearances.

Left to his own devices, Cole grew up mostly secluded, the only interaction he and his uncle shared being mealtimes. Despite the knight's attempts to reach out to Cole through offering to train him as a knight, the child responded only with cordial politeness, and would leave soon after, showing no interest in the ways of the sword. In fact, the only person who truly seemed to connect with him was the healer of the estate, a dryad of many years, who never seemed unhappy to see him drop by. It was this dryad who first awakened his interest in learning, and she taught him many things, even lending him some of her small library of books from time to time.

In Cole's fifteenth year, Terrence finally married, and the first new lady of the estate came to live there since Cole's mother died. She was a young and beautiful woman, charming everyone around her, and she even seemed to love Cole despite his standoffish behaviour. Despite this, Cole now felt like he was intruding, given that one day his uncle would one day soon, have children of his own. And during an argument over this with the healer, her tree fell. She died the next day, causing Cole a severe amount of grief, only greatened when he found that her worldly possessions had been left to him. Due to the pain he felt after her death, he swore to never end a life, lest he cause someone as much pain as he himself was feeling.

The moment Cole turned sixteen, he received his parent's small inheritance, and used most of it to buy passage to Solace, where he sought to learn all he could, being the centre of the Eversky's knowledge, and forget his past, with little success. He ceased contact with his uncle, and despite himself, finds that his new life brings him a modicum of comfort and happiness. In the four years since, he has made a living primarily as a tutor for the children of the city, though he has been known to hired as a secondary tactician against pirate attacks, or as a neutral party for negotiations between businesses, and the occasional members of state. Now, though, with the rise of the Heaven's Eye, he is reluctantly once again preparing to leave his home – but where he will go, he cannot decide.

Skills:* Committed to Memory - Anything Colman sees, he will likely never forget. Whether he wants to or not.
* Magical Potential - Given his elven blood, Cole most likely has the potential for magic, but has never attempted it, given his proximity to the Heaven's Eyes.
* Healing Hands - Years of friendship with the dryad taught him many things, and one thing she knew very well was medicine. Cole, though he'd rather leave it to professionals, can perform medical practices, from illnesses and injuries of minor levels, to devising a medicine and giving treatment to a severe wound, to providing quick emergency care that gives someone just a little more time, provided he has the right supplies.
* Better Safe than Sorry - Due to his hours of study, Cole, among other things, knows battle tactics and politics, and can apply both to his situation should he need to.

Weaknesses:* Oath of Peace - Cole has sworn never to kill, should it come to it, and as such is only barely able to defend himself in a fight. Nor will he stand aside if someone is injured and in need of help. It binds him together as much as bone, muscle and sinew
* Sore Thumb - Cole is unusual, and often finds himself the centre of people's attention. His appearance, his way of dress, and the way he acts are all rather unique. Thus, he'll draw a bit more attention than he wants. He can pass for human or elf, but either way, he's most likely going to have eyes on him.
* Experience Trumps Education - Despite everything he's learned, Cole has never put much of it to practice, and should he find himself in an unfamiliar or extreme situation, he will become agitated and unable to remember what to do.

Equipment:* Basic Medical supplies: Allows him to provide aid quickly and easily to the injured.
* Journal:  Cole records many things in journals, so that even if he forgets, or he falls, what he has learned will not be forgotten. His current study is airships.
* His mother's ring He received his mother's wedding ring alongside his inheritance, and wears it on his non-dominant right hand.
* Rock Island Revolver Even if he's sworn an oath, it doesn't mean he can't disable them. It's better to be carry and be ready than unarmed and face conflict. Holds seven bullets compared to the usual six.

Other: In accordance to his oath, Cole is a vegetarian and will only eat meat again if he is on the brink of starvation.

[User]
Ekaterine Volkov

"You cannot hide from me." The strange Inquisitor said, his voice sounding even louder than before.

"The Eyes can already see all that you are, children, and all that you could ever be." He continued his preaching, walking forward and clutching an artefact that was in his neck even harder than before...

"For fucks sake... There you go with the 'my child' talk again... You guys from the Heavens' Eyes are all the same... I can't deny that you hide some pretty... interesting things that I would love to put my hands into, but I just can't stand some of your more... fanatic members..." Ekaterine said, getting out of her cover and walking on the Inquisitor's direction, with her knife on her hand.

"I can taste the guilt of your pilot, who abandoned his family to the treachery of the Iron Dominion, where gold and blood rule; I can hear the whispers of your scholar's fears of his own loneliness, sharp and biting; I can feel the pinpricks of your Dragonkin's weakness, like a sapling in the wind, or a greyhound on the run, only useful until it can move no longer; and most of all, I can smell the revulsion that your Dryad cannot ignore when she sees my face, my eyes, and knows that I am not a person as she knows it. I know all that you are, and you cannot hope to prevail in your pathetic mission." he continued, talking about every single one of the other members, saving for her.

"Ugh... creepy... Are you a stalker or something?" she said, provoking him with a grin.
"Although I must say... I feel quite ignored here... You haven't mentioned my name even once in your entire speech! Is your ego so big that you forgot who is standing in front of you?" she said, spinning the knife in her hand, standing a few meters away from him, blocking his path.

Stretching herself with her hands behind her head, she made a discreet hand signal for the Ariah, who was probably watching, showing three fingers on her hand and then closing it in a fist, shortly after showing only two fingers and joining them together. He would know what she meant by that. While she and Ariah dealt with the inquisitor, the others would deal with the ones who were boarding the ascendo.

"You know... We can be more similar than you may think... We both know that information and knowledge can be sharper than any blade, and more valuable than any jewel. That's why you Eyes are so full of secrets... So desperate to hide this knowledge you have from the rest of the world. Your greed for power is the base of your entire organization, or I should said 'religious sect'?"

"But who am I to judge you? After all, I too, seek for more knowledge, and thus, power. But unlike you, I don't do it with religious purposes, or try to hide it under the guise that I am actually 'protecting' the others from this dangerous knowledge. I do it simply because I like it. I like power, and I like to kill. Its actually pretty simple. I like to know about things. After all, information is not only a weapon for me, but it also means money and even more interesting things to do and know."

"But the biggest difference between us at the moment, is that I'm currently, your enemy." Ekaterine said, stopping spinning her dagger and assuming a combat posture, low on the ground, ready to pounce on the inquisitor.

Before she could attack him, the best thing to do would be try to know which weird magic he would attack with, so she could estimate his abilities and make a plan to evade his attacks. She trusted Ariah. He knew what he had to do. After all, it wasn't the first time that her and Ariah needed to face a strong enemy.

[Assistant]
The Inquisitor stopped a moment, and narrowed his eyes at Ekaterine.

"Psychopath. A barrier to The Sight, but only a small one - especially considering the simplicity of your own fears. For one who seeks knowledge, you truly know nothing. If you learn nothing else, you should at least learn what it is to be crippled." He snarled, before striking with the talisman through an empty patch of air, with a noise that sounded like sheet metal tearing, and a bright shower of sheer white sparks, appearing from the talisman as if from nowhere.

Meanwhile, Daniel was seconds away from opening fire on the Enforcers, having driven the bolt of his carbine rifle forwards, and caught the first one in his sights. Gently, he squeezed the trigger, and smiled grimly as the first man fell with a scream and a shower of red, the side of his neck torn by a bullet. As he lay on the dock, his whimpering fading as blood drained from his body, the second enforcer looked around in panic for cover, finding none. She too caught a bullet, this time in the head, putting her solidly down on the ground.

The third enforcer, however, was not so easily cowed, opening fire with his service shotgun, pumping and firing in steady cadence. Daniel was forced back into cover as the enforcer and his one remaining partner made their advance, and he looked desperately around for something to surprise them with - all the while, painfully conscious of the fact that neither he nor his newfound companions were even remotely equipped to take on an Inquisitor, let alone Cunningham. Generally speaking, it took magic to fight magic, and they-

- they only had a Dryad, and a Dragonkin.

Aura was their best shot, and if not her then Ariah. Of the two, a Dryad is more spectrally magical - in that the nature of the magic that turns a girl into a Dryad is not physical, but metaphysical. If anyone were to be resistant to anything that Cunningham could throw at them, it would be her.

Now he just needed to tell them. Or hope that one of them knew already.

[User]
Cole felt his teeth physically hurt as the metallic sound rang out through the air, clenching his eyes shut at the same time. He didn't miss that flash of light, though. Which meant one of two things. The Inquisitor had a light of some kind - or he had just used magic.

Cole had seen the talisman, briefly, but he'd never actually studied magical artifacts... the Heaven's Eyes had as much of a handle on those books as they did on books about the Ground. The closest he'd ever gotten was Biology, with a brief mention on how certain races were resistant to magic.

Maybe even resistant enough to fight back? He whipped his head around, searching for where he'd last seen the red-headed Dryad. She might not even know his name yet, but she needed to know this. A life might depend on it.

"Drya- Aura! You need to help Ekaterine! You - your biological make-up can fight off magic!"


[System]
Gender: Male

Age:  18

Appearance:

Magic: Blood

Weapon: Cross Spear, and a knife similar to the one seen in the appearance picture above.

Personality: Kenji is highly intelligent and analytical, but does nothing without a firm understanding of what the risks are, especially to himself. He's also a staunch believer in honest pay for honest work, though "pay" in many cases may be relative to what he needs at the moment. He's not entirely selfish, and is willing to help people or act altruistically, but he very much values his own life above the lives of others and it shows. He finds himself equally terrified and curious of this new world, and seeks to understand it as much as survive it. Preferably, however, he'd like to do this through study, from behind a very thick set of walls, rather than venture out into the nightmarish landscape.

To those first meeting him, Kenji often comes off as cold and aloof, perhaps even arrogant. Any of these things might be an accurate assessment, all told, but in truth Kenji doesn't have much skill in the way of social interaction. He hates small talk, claiming that it's pointless, but in actuality it's probably because he has no idea how to do it. Any time he speaks to someone it's because he has a clear goal; either ask a question and gain information, or present a statement relevant to the situation at hand. He's not opposed in the slightest, however, to working with others--indeed, he'd much rather be in a group, rather than all alone on this dangerous night.

Aside from his off putting speech patterns and lack of sociability, perhaps Kenji's biggest flaw comes from his own intelligence. He tries to consider every possible outcome of a situation and minimize risks, often to the point of freezing up and not taking any action at all out of a fear of the unknown. Combined with his quiet nature, it can make him appear slow-witted, and it's a definite danger in this world where the Hunters must put themselves at risk every night...

Bio: A late night at the school, attending to student council business...a long walk home, as a street light flickered. Running footsteps, a girl's voice. Then her face, which would have been cute if not for the twisted smile and the insanity in her eyes. A knife digging into his stomach. White walls, the smell of sterile plastic and rubber. A constant beeping sound he wished would stop, many voices over him. A blood red fog, a cloud that thickened and darkened. Another girl, though this one's face was kind. Then blackness.

Then two bright blue moons, and a world of nightmares.

Other:  Surprisingly fit for such a nerdy sort.

[User]
Sinthe watched from the sidelines as everyone tried to save the woman and the townsfolk began cheering for the cloaked people. Sinthe sighed feeling ignored after trying to speak to the pale woman, he just kept silent and choose not to speak again, he felt like he knew how the whole situation would play out, he didn't need to show off that he could punch enemies with really heavy strength behind his punches.

The white haired man just looked at the cloaked figures and the other hunters fight against the cloaked enemies, seeing Donny hang up one of the enemies and seeing their face, Sinthe felt like he knew how this was gonna go he didn't bother stepping into the fight to save the woman, he knew the outcome of saving her and knew the people were horrible as well.

Sinthe crossed his arms and stood still as he watched the others, he felt that this place really was abysmal if the settlers were cheering for their own to be either executed or sacrificed or what ever the dogs were gonna do before everyone else jumped in to attack them, but Sinthe really hated the people in this situation, he didn't like how they acted, how they were or how they were just turning a blind eye to what these dog creatures were doing, Sinthe just sighed as the others kept fighting really. He was waiting for them to be finished so they could see their actions really.

The fight was taking a little longer than usual and Sinthe then put his hands into his pockets and just watched the fight, he felt like some things were missing or people, or things were missing as he looked around the town but kept his defense up just in case one of those dog things got too close to him and tried to attack him, he couldn't figure out why he had these visions, but he wasn't gonna share that he was having odd visions with the others, he didn't want to come off as crazy.

[Assistant]
~Maria~

After her initial intrusion, Maria decided to merely observe how the hunters would fare in their initial foray against the Denizens of the Wasted Dream. The huntress crossing her arms bellow her chest and leaned against the old water well, taking in how Donny, Paul, Kenji and Lillian conducted the battle.

"Not bad for a bunch of rookies, keep it like that and you may survive your first moon." Maria tried to encourage them with some words, before turning to Highball and Sinthe, who seemed to be content with waiting on the side lines. Their reasons, however, seemed to be quite different, judging by the contents of their faces.

"Don't you think that you should be joining them? How do you two plan to live on this world without money? Even if you beg, the dry husks that live here have nothing to give."

Maria shifted Pandora's weight idly as she noticed that one of the God's Hand had turned its obnoxious snot towards her. "If you're not taking it, I guess that I'll help myself. Come now, stinky mutt, let's dance!" Maria beckoned the stupid monster in, as if she were calling back a stray dog.

BGM

"Rrr!" The God Hand pounced at Maria, revealing a crude meat cleaver from under his cloak, and trying to chop at her with an overhead attack.

Maria sidestepped it, spinning on her heels, before using the momentum she built to smash the monster's shoulder blade with Pandora. "Take care where you swing that thing, or you might hit someone… just not me."

"UGHH!" The God Hand howled as the sickening sound of flesh and bone being smeared and the fresh spurt of crimson on its shoulder finally registered on his mind, as well as that damn woman's mockery. It swung its blade moving to hack her neck clean off her body, yelling unspeakable curses on those who dared defy the Absolute's will.

"Tsc!" Maria scoffed, irritated, "Come now, that's not even trying." One more swing of Pandora, and she had all but severed the monster's left leg of its body with the sheer force of the blunt impact. Blood splashed everywhere as the femoral artery burst and fragments of bone could be seen protruding off of the scraps of leather and tendon that still remained in place.

"GAHHH!" The beast cried, but there was nothing it could do now to avoid its fate as the specter of death loomed over it in the form of Maria's purplish-crimson irises.

"The next time you try to kill someone, be sure to do it right!" As Maria said so, a distorted grin appeared at her face and she offed the monster sadistically, breaking its neck with her heel, after stomping it a couple times. If one didn't knew better, they could think that the huntress was delivering some form of pleasure from the grisly display of violence.

Once Maria was done with the God Hand, its neck was but a smear on the muddy streets of Iredele and Maria casually ripped the beast's head from the rest of its remains with one last yank of her hand.

"Come to think of it, I'll give you this. Pay me back later, will you?" Maria said as she threw the severed head towards Highball, in an easy way to catch, before leaning against the well again, waiting for the other hunters to finish their, well… hunt.

[User]
Kenji put his foot on the small of the dog-creature's back and yanked his spear out roughly, tearing a chunk of flesh from the creature as he moved away. He had only done so because Donny had come in swinging an improvised flail, and he didn't wanna be anywhere near such an unpredictable weapon. But with the enemy already down Donny just had to keep it that way--Kenji grimaced as he turned away, hearing the first crunch, then the second, as the other man swung away repeatedly.

The pale woman had engaged another of the beasts, and it looked like one of the others was going after the three that were still dragging the woman. Kenji figured he must be cocky or just stupid, attacking when he was outnumbered with what looked like just a cane--then again, perhaps it was a sword-cane or made of something more sturdy than a typical walking stick. Still, the guy was going to get himself killed...but, yet again, these things didn't seem so tough, actually...

There was a strange rush coursing through Kenji now, and he was unsure whether it was fear, adrenaline, or...something he didn't want to think about. Nevertheless, he made another decision--not one he felt was a good one, but he didn't have many other options at this point. He took off at a sprint, holding his spear out away from his body in one hand and pumping the other back and forth as hard as he could while he ran. While this guy with the cane was on one side of the three dog-men, he intended to come in from the other side for a pincer attack.

As he closed the distance he took the spear in both hands and tightened his grip, before stepping down hard and thrusting forward. He slid across the damp stones, thanks to his momentum, but kept his balance and managed what he thought was a damn good piercing attack, despite not knowing any martial arts. One of the dog-men turned to face him, obviously hearing his footsteps, but by the time it brought the rusty looking cleaver out from under its filthy robes the cross spear took it in the shoulder, the center prong going all the way through while one of the side blades dug into the area between its collar and chest. Kenji knocked it off balance as it snapped at him, spittle flying through the air between them. Its free claw lashed out, but couldn't get to him thanks to the spear's length.

Use leverage and see if we can...

Kenji had his hands on the lower third of the spear's shaft, and held it close to his body while he grunted and tried to simply swing the weapon up and in an arc, using his weight as a fulcrum. It tore free of the God Hand's shoulder in a spray of blood, leaving gristly white bone and stands of torn muscle in plain sight, and the creature screeched in rage as it stumbled. The spear rose straight up above Kenji's head, some of the blood dripping down onto his shoulder and staining his uniform before he brought it straight back down in a chopping motion. The cross blade sticking out of the bottom side punctured the top of the monster's head with a thick "plup" sound causing it to freeze in mid swing, its cleaver falling from limp hands. Blood squirted out from beneath one of its eyes as its scream rose to a high, keening pitch. Kenji stepped back, yanking the monster forward until it fell, facefirst onto the cobblestones. Levering the spear again he pulled it out...but the creature was still struggling to get up, though its motions were uncoordinated and it spasmed at random intervals.

Even with brain damage these things don't give up, what the hell kind of world is this...

He turned the spear until he was holding its blade pointed down, the shaft extending up in the air and his hands closer to the middle. He drove it down like an ice pick into the back of the monster's skull, and the blade exited through the bottom of its chin, digging into the ground and pinning it down. Kenji put his foot on the back of the cross blades like one would the edge of a shovel, and pushed it in further. The creature's legs kicked wildly for a few seconds...then it went still, blood pooling beneath the corpse and Kenji's shoes. He gagged as the scent hit him, and jerked the spear out as he looked around to get another gauge on the situation...


[System]
* Age: 16
* Gender: Female
* Race: Human
* Appearance: Armored, Unarmored. She is 5'1, with pale skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair. Her armor is silver with gold decorations. Her sword has a golden hilt.
* Personality: Fanilly is one to take her duty seriously. This is both due to a belief in the cause of the Iron Rose Knights, and a severe insecurity and self-consciousness about her position. She is well aware that she is young and comparatively inexperienced. She knows that she is only in the position she is because of her birth, as she was born under a full moon. This only makes her feel worse about it. For Fanilly Danbalion, captain of the Iron Rose Knights, she can't help but feel that they have a point. She's young. And even though the founder was the same age, she was viewed as something miraculous, almost a saint. Should Fanilly truly be leading them? This weighs heavily on her mind, and thus one of her biggest desires is to prove that she is. In spite of her young age, in spite of how this tradition has worn thin for some, Fanilly wants to prove that she is a worthy captain of the Iron Rose Knights above all else. Aside from this desire, the girl is somewhat socially awkard, sometimes unprepared for conversation. However, she is not really shy and can generally deal with attending various functions in the capital, as is expected of the Iron Rose Knights. She is dedicated to the purpose of the order, to defend the innocent and protect the land of Thaln. However, the doubts surrounding her have lead to a lack of confidence in herself. Fanilly has a younger sister and as a result has a somewhat stronger affinity for children and desire to keep the safe, but as someone dedicated to the Iron Rose Knights' cause she wishes to protect all those in need. While she has a lacking in confidence, she retains some pride in her training, as she has proven to be skilled at swordplay in spite of her youth.
* Brief Backstory: Fanilly was a daughter of the Danbalion family, a noble family already. While they had never been knights, her birth on a full moon immediately made her a potential future candidate for the Iron Rose Knights' captain. She was simply needed sooner then many expected. And so she experienced training for several years leading up to her instatement as the Captain of the Iron Rose Knights. Initially she was confident in herself, but it quickly became clear that even some within the Knights had grown tired of the tradition of selecting a maiden born on a full moon to be the captain. This wore on her quickly, and has lead to her desperation to prove herself.
* Equipment: Fanilly wears a well-made set of somewhat ornate armor. She wields a fine longsword in her right hand and a dagger with a curved hilt for trapping weapons in her left.
* Skills: Fanilly has experienced extensive training in swordplay, specifically in the use of a longsword in both hands, or paired with a unique parrying dagger.

[User]
Maybe this advance was a bit premature and taking the initiative on his own despite aid from the comrades to his left and right had been ill adviced. No matter, what was done was done but to charge in on his own would be futile and probably end in his own quick but horrible demise.

Stopping halfway, outside the range of the wandering mountain yet a bit in front of his own he planted the butt of his halberd into the ground and switched it over to his left hand allowing him to draw his arming sword with his right. "If i had but a third and a fourth arm..." he mumbled quietly to himself, a tired and overused quip that had become a useless verbal tic that still somehow managed be funny anyhow "...How bout a fourth and i could wipe myself in the arse whilst holding sword, shield and halberd?" drily he smiled underneath the mouthless chainmail.

Asaikes was now in a prime spot, whether they advanced, fell back or observed he could lend his support to their actions.

[Assistant]
She would have to convince Fanilly to let her beat the idea of 'listening to your seniors' into some of these knights' heads when they got back to Candaeln; the impetuous idiots had started a completely unnecessary fight and were already going for lethal blows when there was any doubt to the contrary. The mercenary's revealed name raised the possibility of its being truth: though she didn't know of the girl in any detail, there hadn't been reports of her attacking Thaln's soldiers before, even whilst operating in Thaln.

Protecting Fanilly wasn't a high priority right now, since the mercenary was using the blunted end--though most might find that a hard detail to pick up in the heat of battle. It might even work as some good practice for the captain. This freed Tyaethe up to do something that looked like it might be more important in this chaos of a battle: protect the mercenaries from the other knights. And the fastest way to do that would be to shut down the battle entirely.

Now, the two ways to do that would be to either knock out anyone that let their guard slip for a second and wait for everyone to wake up again or to prove that they didn't have a reason to be fighting in the first place.

The paladin dismounted. Walking through the field of battle, she kept away from the places the knights had already engaged the mercenary band and kept heading towards the fort's doors. Short of the half-giant ignoring his attackers to focus all his attention on Tyaethe, she wasn't going to stop even if injured. Then, knowing that they were already open, she shoved them wider as hard as possible.

[User]
Though still quite wary of the entire situation, Tiral pulled back on the reins of his horse as the rest of the Roses came to a halt. Though he, just as the rest of his colleagues, had seen what had just transpired, the ice mage had never been one for hotheaded action. So when the Captain drew her sword, Tiral sighed and backed up his horse a bit. If they were lucky, the situation could be defused in short order. They had the numbers, after all, and it wasn't as if anyone would be stupid enough to try and provoke unnecessary conflict.

Until someone did, of course. Always. Something ALWAYS had to make things worse. Luckily, the few arrows fired only seemed to irritate the person in front of them (he had to give her props to nullifying that mess), but the real kicker came when Gillian, smart as he was, decided that exacerbating the situation was the best possible option.

"I swear, if we get out of this mess and find that you two caused some of our colleagues to die, I'm going to freeze your heads in ice for everyone to see..." he cursed under his breath as he dismounted and sized up the situation. It looked as if everyone was fighting, and he'd be damned if he didn't try to stop it now.

Hm. Maybe not their heads, but if things stayed as they were, then they'd certainly sustain some unnecessary losses. Glancing around to make sure nobody on either side was focusing on him (they were mostly focused on the "threat" in front of them, it seemed), Tiral pulled out his dagger and began to chants, slowly creating a magical circle under his feet that began to grow intricately complex the longer he continued. If he announced his intentions now, then surely someone would try to stop him mid-process. Couldn't have that.

It took a while longer than he'd have liked, but by the time he was done, the fighting seemed to show no signs of stopping. Damn.

"Alright! If every one of you fools doesn't calm down and drop the fighting right now, I'm going to turn this place into a world of ice and stopping you myself! That goes for you too, knights! Stand down or I make ALL of you stand down!" he shouted, glaring at anyone still fighting nearby.

It was a threat, yes, and he was indirectly targeting his superiors (which he honestly had no intention of doing from the start), but he'd take a reprimand if it meant not getting wrapped up in a mess and possibly getting more information about the situation at hand.

He could totally back up the claim, though. It'd make him almost pass out, more likely than not, but he could definitely seal everyone in ice for a while and make them cool off a bit.

No pun intended.

[Assistant]
---FORT DAELANTINE---

"Eeeeeee...." Jarde watched as some of the Iron Rose Knights had a showdown with the warriors occupying the fort and had apparently slaughtered its previous occupants. There seemed to be a misunderstanding going on so he was a little reluctant to join the fight.

However, Fanilly was in trouble and that was enough to get him moving. He noticed, though, that some of the knights had already gone to her aid and he felt he was just going to get in the way if he joined that fight.

Instead, he noticed a deathly pale young woman in leather armor with a multitude of knives her as one of the emerging mercenaries. Before she and her allies could join the fight, Jarde put himself in front of them along with his horse which he then dismounted. "Hey, hey now. If you wanna join in the brawl, you can find one right here." He bravely declared, his tone confident.

"Please don't tell me you wanna join in the brawl." He suddenly begged with a nervous smile.

[User]
Nori
Nori barely had time to sigh before combat erupted around her. These foreigners (well, she guessed SHE was the foreigner in this instance) were so unnecessarily violent. She draws her katana, red steel bursting flame into life around its edge. She was ill suited to non-lethal combat, but as other knights dog piled to protect their captain she supposed she'd make as good a deterrent as the rest of them. "Please lay down your arms! We do not wish to kill you without mercy." She yells, noting as a mage of some sort was making a similar call for peace on the other side of the field (and failing entirely to notice how much of a threat that came off as). At least someone was being sensible.
Gillian
Gill smirked as the blow landed, despite the rattling of his bones and the small aftershock that shot through him. Big as the man was, the knight doubted he'd been struck that hard by someone barely half his size before. His pride was swiftly pulled out beneath him, however, as he felt a pair of legs slam into him, launching him from the giants grasp and knocking the wind from his lungs. He barely has time to recover his breath before slamming into the ground, rolling to face the attackers while coughing. He should have known better than that, letting his guard down.

"Still...it worked..." He thinks, standing up and watching as a group of knights advanced on the half-giant. It would take a few more hits before he broke through, but even as he felt the mana drain from his arm he was confident in his ability to crack the armor open. He draws his sword with his good hand, giving it a small practice swing. A cheap shot like before wasn't likely to happen again, he'd have to get in while the giant was distract. A pair of voices shot up from the fight,that of Tiral and...was that the famed Crippled Lion? Gillian nearly balked as they called for a cease fire, as if the pile of corpses around them wasn't evidence enough to the trio's (maybe more) guilt. However, the ice mage's threat was not to be ignored, so he held off his second charge.

[Assistant]
There was some hesitation among the mercenaries. Their boss had already seemed reluctant to start a fight, and now it seemed like some of the knights were trying to defuse the situation even after the battle had already begun.

"You should really have kept a better handle on those guys," commented Alette, simply, as she delivered another sweeping blow. Fanilly once again found herself barely able to deflect it, stepping back as she did. This was unreal. For what in all respects appeared to be a regular human, Alette's speed was incredible, the spear routinely turning into a crimson blur that was nearly impossible to see. Still, Fanilly was desperately managing to keep the spear away, each clash of metal on metal crying out repeatedly... until a horse suddenly came charging into view. Given few options without turning away from her opponent, Alette sprang back to avoid being collided with rather then attempting to turn and face the horse herself.

Fanilly looked to her right and left. Two of the knights, the one who had offered her a potato before and another she had seen only briefly prior to this mission, had rushed to her aid.

"Thank you," Fanilly said, as calmly as she could manage given how difficult it had been simply keeping the blue-haired girl from hitting her, "Stay to my right and left and try to keep her from attacking at the flanks."

Alette sighed, her grip adjusting on her spear. The crimson tip flashed in the light.

"I really didn't want to do this," she complained, raising her weapon as she did, "But I'm running out of options, y'know?"

As the arrow whistled towards her, the elf's staff snapped up in an instant.

"Ahtz!" she shouted, a red-tinted shield almost immediately spreading from the tip, in the form of a spiraling magic circle. The arrow bounced harmlessly off, and instead of reacting to the insults leveled at her in elvish, she swiftly cast a secondary spell moments before the flurry of blows rained down upon her barrier. The instant it shattered, a second barrier appeared and pushed back against the blows, giving the small elven girl some breathing room.

"<Sow, huh?!>" she snapped, raising her staff once more, "Then taste the fire magic of Alrial C-"

Before she could finish, an enormous fist swung down towards Umbra, slamming into empty ground as the wood elf dodged.

"... Borifos!" shouted Alrial, rounding on the steel-clad figure for a moment, placing her hands on her hips, "I had it handled! She wasn't going to touch me!"

"I apologize, Miss Cathelel," replied the deep, rumbling voice, "But her speed had me concerned for your safety."

"Hmph!" huffed the elf, before turning to face her opponent once more.

The deathly pale young woman that Jarde had approached gave him a sweet smile, calmly drawing one of her multitude of knives as she did. She ran her tongue gently along the blade, tilting her head to one side.

"I'm simply watching to see if anyone harms my beloved Alette," she said, simply, "Because if they do, I'll fill them so full of my delicious poison that you won't even recognize them as they die~"

She let out a soft giggle. It was likely the knife she had just licked was poisoned, which raised some questions about how she had licked it with no concern for her own safety. "But if you want to fight, I'll gladly show you what Abigail the Stingray can do~ Boys aren't usually to my taste, but sometimes I make an exception~"

Tyaethe's attack on the door, however, revealed a disturbing sight.

The corpses that lined the walls were not as fresh as those outside, though being shut inside had prevented real decay from setting in. They had been uniformly bound, stripped of all their equipment, and had their throats slit. It was a methodical process, one that perhaps explained why the fresher corpses outside were wearing Thaln's colors.

If one had to guess, the mercenaries had likely attacked before the corpses could be disposed of.


[System]
UserName:
May
Age:
18

Mageblood type:
Lux

Favoured Magic Class:
Pryormancy

Previous Magic training:
She's done some reading, but no real training. So a somewhat read novice.

Race:
Human

Appearance:
On the lower end of average height, fair skinned, freckled and bispecteled. Bright green eyes set in a a face that might be a little too pretty for her own good, with a smile that can easily throw you off (though not always in the best of ways). Athleticly slim. Shoulder length wavey red hair often tied back when working, but left free otherwise. A slew of piercings, mostly in her ears, though she's got a ring through her right nostril as well as a few other body piercings. A fire colored tattoo of a phoenix around her right wrist, a heraldic lion on her right hip and lower back, and a outline of a peacock across her shoulder blades with just the head colored in so far.

Bio:
Third child of seven, of her father's at least, she was raised around a large extended family in Port Slaughter. Not all of this family was blood. Her father, along with assorted family members where caught up, unsurprisingly, in business of less than legal nature. Her life was comfortable enough, even if not spared all the darkness of the city around them.

She lived mostly with her mother, though it was not uncommon for her to spend time at either her oldest brother's home with his mother or with her father and his wife and her younger siblings, and on other occasions at the place her aunt shared with one of her uncle's. Despite what might have been awkward, the separate units were all very happy with the set up. Aside from her older sister's mother who kept the girl away from the rest of them for very petty reasons (her father refusing to marry her). The rest of them though seemed to have no problem with everyone else involved.

Though her father loved all his children, it wasn't too terribly difficult to tell that Helena was his favorite. There was some tension with her younger sister's the most, but Helena did all she could to defuse the tension with them. Which worked mostly well, though there's still occasion where things are awkward with the girls.

Despite the seven years between them, she was closet with her eldest brother, him being the elder of the two of them. It was easy to bound being the the ones who didn't have other siblings at home with their mother's. They bonded quickly as children, he treating her half like a brother and rough housing with her without problems and also being very much her big brother and being super over protective of her. Even as they grew older they were very close and Helena could often be found tagging along after him, no matter what trouble he was getting into.

Her mother took ill when she was about thirteen, and no matter what they did, the healers they saught out, could save her from her fate, only lessen her suffering. It was a malignant growth in her brain. It was too big, too advance when they found it to much about it that wouldn't also hurt her mother to do. They just treated what they could and eased her pain. When she was fifteen her mother finally passed, leaving her to become fully emersed in her father's less than legal business. Expanding her already questionable skill set. Most girls her age weren't well taught in the art of beating a man up well, but Helena was.

But the stress of everything didn't wear well on the normally hot tempered girl and something in her snapped. And she lit a man on fire who was trying a little too hard and not taking a no for an answer. It had happened so quickly, she wasn't for sure when it started. He was up in her face, being grabby and just generally too fresh. She said no, over and over, and he wouldn't take a hint. Helena tried backing away, but he followed closely, grabbing her wrist painfully and pulling her in hard against him. She grabbed his wrist with her right hand, and just thinking about how much she wanted to hurt him the way he'd done her was enough. She felt the heat in her hand, but it was a distant thing, no pain for her. But soon enough he was gasping and trying to pull out of her grasp. But she didn't let go, even as the smell of burning flesh came to her nose, the smoke curling out from under her hand as the small flames licked at his arm. He was screaming and the whole tavern was staring at them in utter, totally silent, shock by the time she passed out. Thankfully she was not alone at the time and once she'd passed out, she was taken home. When she came too she was disoriented and couldn't remember what had happened. He'd live, even if he would have an ugly scar as a reminder of what had happened for the rest of his life. When they told her, she was both horrified and rather excited about the prospect of lighting not human things on fire in the future.

Helena worked on and off for her father's boss when they had need of her. She helped het father and uncle with intimidation, which worked well as news of what had happened in the tavern spread. She never really asked what it was that her older brother did for the gang, she never really bothered to question too deeply what it was the gang did in general. They moved stuff, she knew, getting things for other people as they requested. She just helped make sure that no one really got hurt by threatening to hurt them if they tried.

But she was untrained and it was often dangerous for her. And others. And other property. She read what she could, mages not being totally uncommon in her family, but it had been a few years since any had studied, most of them left their powers rather ignored as long as it wasn't harmful to anyone. But without more directed training, her old man feared she burn herself out. So at eighteen he insisted rather forcefully that she seek out someone to teach her, even if that meant going away to the college. And so she did. Even if she had to have her boyfriend drag her there.

Good Attributes:
Passionate. Loyal. Determined. Hard working. She doesn't give up easily and will work until the job is done. You'd be hard pressed to get her away from a problem.

Artistically inclined. She loves paintings and reading. But on top of that she isn't too horrible of an artist herself, she's just never dedicated too much of her time on it sadly.

Athletic. She spent a lot of her childhood running around with the boys. And with boys much older than her. So she had to keep up with them. She's grown out of playing ball games with them, but she can outrun most of them now that she's bigger, despite being smaller than a lot of them.

Bad Attributes:
Hot tempered, stubborn, occasionally prone to brawling. Which is a terrible combination. She'll take on fights that she's not always so sure about winning simply because she's reached the point of boiling a little too fast. And she doesn't back down easily either. She's also a bit of a white Knight and will sometimes jump to the rescue of someone she sees as weaker or in need. It's frankly a miracle that she's not had more broken bones in her life.

While a questionable bad skill, she generally good a typical Rouge things. Lock picking, persuasion (mostly by flirting and using her physical charms), and being sneaky. They're good for her work, but not really the best things to know. She often uses for personal gain, getting things for free with no intention of returning the favor that she so heavily hinted at to whoever she was getting the thing from. Which has lead to more than one fight.

She also frequently finds herself getting drinks for free, more than she should drink. But that doesn't stop her from accepting them and drinking them. Which totally isn't a problem she swesrs. It isn't like she can't live without a drink. At least not there yet.

Secret Word:
Rebirth

[User]
Keri Wolf
Diplomacy Mission

Keri stayed still in the carriage, eyes sealed shut, as the noises of the festivities filled her ears. Everyone knew that this land was filled with nothing but bloodshed and chaos due to the everlasting war, yet here it seemed calm. As if they hadn't been touched by the cruel destiny that loomed over them all.

So why did this sight sicken her so much? Was it because the woman had experienced what something so evil could do to a family or was it because no one seemed to even want to acknowledge something could happen in a blink of an eye? No, it was this false sense of happiness that twisted and turned her stomach inside out. A celebration for someone who they believe will bring peace in this troubling world.

This goal was impossible for one person to do. Nothing but a foolish attempt that wouldn't bring any results. The vampire shifted from her spot trying to calm the storm within her own mind. None of this would help the mission but it would bring something else to it. A mistake that would turn a potential ally away from the college, leaving it defenseless when something massive happened again. Something that couldn't be afforded.

When the carriage stopped the woman opened her eyes. Her red eyes glanced around, ears listening for something strange, only to pick up what sounded like a parade. Something which made Keri's already sour mood a bit worse. Still she kept her mouth shut. When the carriage wiggled a little from side to side the woman mentally cursed at herself. How stupid had she been to let someone just jump onto the carriage and leave without speaking to them? The girl mumbled something under her breath as she grabbed her sword and shield. Her figure worked out of the carriage just in time to see a fleeting figure.

[color=silver]" Shit. When can we have once day which nothing goes wrong. I'm beginning to get tired of this. Every move we make just adds to the list of things to do. Who's," shut stated to asked as Ssarak started to get up from the ground. The vampire watched as she wondered how long it would take this man. How long would they have to wait before they could resume with this moronic mission? She quietly listened to the mental message and looked towards Lyn. It seemed as if as soon as Keri looked at girl she sprung into action.

The kid threw a knife at the man, missing him completely, and then took off after the danger. " So much for her listening. Crap! Lyn get back here!" the woman said running after the three.

[Assistant]
Leith Calder

Leith stared out the window at the festivities that surrounded their carriage. There was a lot of celebration for this baron, and Leith was curious as to what type of man this baron was. His thoughts were interrupted by a thud on the roof of the carriage followed by footsteps. With a frown, Leith looked towards the other window to see someone jump down from the carriage and start running. Soon it was revealed that the box was taken and Ssarak took after the thief and told Leith to stay with Lyn, who also took off after the thief. Leith shrugged and took after the thief as well, making sure to stay with Lyn.

As Lyn threw her dagger, Leith started gathering water from the surrounding area. Once he had enough, he threw it out towards the thief and attempted to create a sheet of water between the man's feet and the ground. Hopefully he'd slip. Once the attempt was done, Leith scattered the water into a mist to prevent them from slipping on it.

---

Darius Jura

Darius helped himself to the food that had been brought in. He listened to Aramir speak her thoughts on the state of Yarosmere. "It is the fanaticism that will be the issue here." Darius tapped the side of his head. "Once fanatics get something into their head, they will not stop. I have dealt with fanatics before. They had little to no care for their lives if it meant that they will help further their goals. Now these fanatics have a country, and more importantly, and army." He leaned back in his chair. "All we need to do is make sure that we do not offend them while we are here."

[User]
☆ Helena ☆
Nox Mission

Helena was glad that someone seemed to listen. But of course, everything was against them and shit quickly got shittier. The rumbling caught her attention and this time she stepped into the room with the others. She grabbed at Drake's hand purely because he was in front of her, and pulled him along with her towards Annabeth and the other girl. Darell was right about them needing to stay together. She just hoped that he and Athalus behind her would be able to keep up as well.

"Annabeth, Collette," she shouted, looking around for the latter and just happening to catch a sight she didn't want to see again. "Fuckin' hell, I hate being right," she cursed.

"Beastie is back," she yelled to the room as whole. "Get your shit together."


[System]
"Shutter chance~"
Nickname/Alias: Pyon, Mii, Haru
Age: 15
Gender: Female
Biography: One of the many children brought to Academy City by their parents' whims, Harumi never developed her abilities beyond Level 1, consequentially being ineligible for Tokiwadai, or any of the more prestigious schools there. It didn't matter to her much, considering she had already accepted the fact she could not get any better than she was already. Instead, she turned to journalism, and the newspaper club in her nondescript middle school. Unfortunately, she had a tendency to pursue more scandalous ("Exciting, I'd call it exciting.") affairs and an even more unfortunate tendency to sensationalize("Slight embellishments for flavour.") her articles. Eventually she was banned from her school's newspaper club AND banned from editing, publishing or submitting an article for a newspaper.

So she secretly turned to online journalism.

Under the pseudonym Mako10, Harumi works on and maintains an online news site by herself, focusing on mostly things she found interesting, ranging from restaurants reviews, gossip and information about local celebrities, to crime. Inevitably, she started to make connections all over the place, from a normal talkative girl at the local diner who's obsessed with urban legends, the bored guard with loose lips, to the Skill Out thugs who were willing to tell her juicy news for cash. Doing anything and everything she could, just to see that view counter tick up as more readers come to read her articles on her site. Not that she did all these openly; she wasn't supposed to be writing any more after all.

One day, following a juicy lead about some boy double dealing on a tart over his girlfriend, Harumi instead, stumbled onto a dead body.

Personality: A calm quiet girl, shy at times, that has good intentions at heart but bad at showing them. At least, that's what most who met her would describe her as. In truth, her calm and quiet exterior belied her true passionate self, her thoughts and actions usually attributed to a more adventurous sort. Her calm exterior was one enforced by normal niceties and manners, so one might be surprised to find out she was very capable of breaking into a compound, facility or home if she felt she needed to to pursue her lead. Nothing was sacred if it stood in the way of her getting her scoop after all. This does not mean that she was prone to spontaneous decisions however, as she values patience and caution greatly, being able to deliberate upon a course of action and act upon it without losing her head in the heat of the moment.

Esper Power: Level 1 Bounce

It does exactly whats it says. Anything she recently touches can be empowered to bounce off any surface without losing velocity. It works on surfaces as well, granting them the ability to bounce things off it. Objects that can be affected must be, at most, approximately the size of a basketball. Trying to put this on a surface like a wall larger than that would simply create a circular bounce area approximately 4 inches in radius(also approximately the radius of a basketball). This makes her camera unusually resilient considering she is almost always holding it, as she can toss it, drop it, accidentally kick it, and it will just bounce around unharmed. Truly a bane for those trying to stop her brand of journalism.

Skills: Writing, sensationalizing an article, learning quickly, waiting for a shutter chance, gathering information, breaking and entering, improvising, making connections, having no concept of personal space, using connections, and unusual athleticism from the sheer need to climb, scamper and jump onto unusual places to break into places.

Extra: Works part time at a cafe

[User]
Sinatra

Nngh.

The couch felt like sandpaper. ... No, actually, that was sandpaper. Pinned between her cheek and the couch. When did that...? Right, she'd fallen asleep building Exia. That explained the dreams... She'd have to make a mental note to revisit the potential of GN technology. One day. Once her current projects were done. Which would be forever, but maybe the tech'd be there by then. It was way too early for this anyway.

Slowly, Umeko cracked one eye open. Then the other. Something was still off. She hadn't been by herself when she fell asleep. So where did the Irish bastard go... A yawn, and the first stages of movement. She propped herself up enough to take a quick look around the apartment. No immediate signs. Her Exia was on the table, though, looked like she'd made some good progress there. But no sign of the Irishman. So she cocked her head a little, listening closer, and there was the answer; the shower was running. He hadn't taken one the night before, undoubtedly he'd gone to take one this morning instead. And he wasn't back yet, so she couldn't be too far behind in terms of waking up. Brennan'd be back when he was done. In the meantime, she really needed something to drink. Mouth felt as dry as the sandpaper. Milk should be in the fridge...

The Japanese girl stretched with another yawn, and slowly pushed herself to her feet. First, she glanced at the table; the pieces assembled looked good. The last couple were a little rough around the nub marks, she started to doze off while sanding she guessed, but nothing she couldn't fix up a little later. First she needed something to drink. Once upon a time she would've worried about making noise, but now she couldn't if she tried. Her bare feet padded silently across the apartment floor towards the kitchen, while Umeko tried to blink the sleep out of her eyes. Tea would be necessary, soon. Or coffee. Something caffeinated. But that would come after. She sleepily pulled the fridge open, grabbed her carton with the other hand, and idly poured a glass. Carton was getting light, she'd need to make a grocery run later. She had a headache, after last night. What a bizarre turn of events. Definitely something not to try and puzzle out before she finished waking up.

"Brennan," She called out, sipping from the glass and glancing towards the bathroom at the end of the hall. He could probably hear her. He had good hearing. "We're going to need a grocery run. More Musashino. And cereal."

[Assistant]
"Ye."

Brennan emerged from the bathroom at the head of a column of steam. He had mostly dressed already, wearing dark-colored jeans and a black-and-indigo striped t-shirt that looked slightly snug against his muscular frame. His black hair looked as though it had been towel-dried rather lazily, but his teeth already looked like they'd been brushed obsessively half a dozen times. Brennan liked to try and make his grin glint.

He ambled towards the apartment's kitchen, ruffling Umeko's hair as he walked past her and leaned with his back to the counter beside her hand.

"We'll run out dis morn. I 'ave some shit I wanna get done anyway." Brennan reached around the otaku's cereal bowl and pried the carton out of her hand, finishing the glass-and-a-half or so worth of milk remaining in the container before peering into it with one eye. "Shit. We are lookin' a lil' light."

[User]
It wasn't every day you came across a corpse on the ground in the middle of the night.

It also wasn't every day your phone blew up and got you in a hospital.

After being taken to the hospital, Bang was surprised to find that his body had not been blown apart at the face of an explosion. He would've been rather interested in that aspect had it not been for the fact that he also hurt everywhere.

He eventually left with a cast for his left arm. It was weird, considering his right hand had been unable to move and his left hand had at least twitched, yet it turned out that it was his left that had been hurt the most. Aside from that, he had been extremely lucky.

But even he knew luck wouldn't always save people. One bad day could've had him dead.

Staring at the ceiling of his living room, Bang went over his train of thoughts for about the fourth time that day. He could technically make the whole experience a mini novel or something, but that sounded more terrifying than anything, so he decided to just take a break. His friend insisted him on doing so.

Well, perhaps he should hit the groceries some time eventually. If he was going to stay in the house for a bit more, he might as well stock up for it. Cooking was going to be a bit harder, but it wasn't like he cooked some kind of masterpiece every day. Simple stuff would do.

[Assistant]
Once again, she was in the undeveloped part of the district. It wasn't a place she went to without reason, and while she was very sure she can outrun most Skillouts, Harumi can't help but still feel rather apprehensive every time she was here.

As expected the same group of Skillouts was still there in the unused warehouse. One of them started before recognizing her as Harumi came closer.

"Oh? Ain't it the little investigator?" A large man pushed himself off a table slightly, enough to get a look at her without leaving his card game. "Need something?"

"I'm scared." She spoke suddenly. "I need something to protect myself with, Gruber."

There must have been a change in her expression as she said that, as the man's expression hardened. Sighing, he stood up, his expression unreadable as he leaned closer to her. "Oh? What happened?"

"I'm afraid of the high levels." Harumi started. "There have been a rise in the case of them bullying lo-"

"I'm not interested in your 'stories'." Gruber cut her short, staring her right in the eye. "Again, what happened? You, of all people, wouldn't resort to this at the mere mention of high levels bullying the weak."

Closing her eyes for a moment, Harumi weighted her options. Without a doubt, telling them what she knew might lead to her story having less impact when rumours inevitably circulate, or worse, stolen from under her nose, but there was no real reason for her to keep it from these guys as well. Rumours coming from Skillouts wouldn't be have much credibility behind them to the average person in Academy City after all. Also, what did he mean by 'you of all people'? She did break into some places and got in trouble for it, and she did try to masquerade as a student in Tokiwadai to flush out that level 5's secrets but she wasn't some sort of delinquent.

"Very well. The truth it is." Harumi met his gaze. "I've witnessed a murder, and I'm afraid they may come after me next."

***

Harumi walked out of that place, trying hard not to look suspicious, handling her bag like it had a bomb in it. It was fortunate that they only asked her to tell them everything she has on the incident. Perhaps Gruber felt it would threaten the people who did not have powers of their own? No matter his reason, at least her money was safe; she was prepared to spend it all for something to help her defend herself. Harumi suspected the fact she wasn't one of those people with higher levels also played a part.

What she did not expect, however, for them to give her a revolver with the serial numbers filed off, as well as a box of ammo. He did mention that people were still people even with all their abilities, and no one could outrun a bullet. Though when she asked about those few who could render guns useless, he just shrugged and said "Then you're already dead if any people of that caliber targets you."