[System]
"God have mercy on every remaining soul in this lifetime, and grant me steady hand and steady aim to protect those around me in times of need. Amen.

 Age: 16

 Personality: Stukov is practically the definition of hiding the scars and internal damage with humor and deflection. On the surface, the young man is rather well adjusted, easily approachable, and seems to almost enjoy focusing on helping and discussing the problems and issues others might have. Most have written this off as simply a natural desire to do well for his fellow man in these dark times, and he seems to prefer to be seen in this manner. With an aversion to unnecessary bloodshed and violence, Stukov tends to be a voice of reason when all else fails, being reluctant to resort to violence but frighteningly efficient in dolling it out, in the attempt to end it as soon as possible, as far as anyone can figure out. Stukov clings to his deeply religious beliefs, almost always able to be found on an installations church or chapel, in the hopes that his shaken, battered faith and soul might still bring about some divine intervention.

Under the surface, however, Stukov is as damaged as one would expect from a child who survived this long. Witnessing first hand the death of half his family has made the boy almost suicidal in the protection of others, sometimes almost seeming like he wants to finally join the rest of his family as he puts himself in harms way, in and out of the Framewerks, with belief that his god will protect him or take him when it is time, and not one moment before. Having never properly addressed the deaths of his family, the mention and focus on such could bring about emotional and mental breakdown in the boy still.

 Motive to live: Stukov is done watching and waiting for the end, and intends to keep putting himself between his allies, friends even, and the invading Cruxi, and hopefully save his fellow man. And if this means he dies in the process, so be it.

 Background:
Suffering and loss are almost a staple of any survivor, to some degree or another, but to retain one's faith and belief in higher powers is far rarer.

His family was stationed on the middle ring of colonies, not the outermost destined to be hit first, but perhaps seeing a fate considerably far worse, for they would be the ones the most drawn out fighting and resistance would occur. Both his parents were already veterans and were the first to be called up and sent to war when the time came. Stukov could barely remember either of them, but he could still remember their love and the day they left him with his older siblings. Living on a military base with siblings he often fought with made life difficult for him growing up, and he found himself often in a church or chapel, confiding with the priests and chaplains in his fears and worries, and found a stability in that part of his life.

The word his parents were dead came back, and it was as harsh a blow to Stukov as it was his older siblings, who both volunteered together in the name of vengeance, leaving their youngest brother all alone as they marched off to basic training. When the planet came under attack by the Cruxi, both his brother and sister returned as armed soldiers and joined in the resistance against them as shuttles of civilians were evacuated. Stukov was dragged onto the escape shuttle as he watched his older siblings get scythed down in front of him. The chaplain who saved his life, by dragging him onto the shuttle, consoled the now completely alone child, which was not easy for the man as he still had his family and could not truly address the horror and loss as the boy felt it.

Stukov threw himself into working rather than grieve for his family, unsure how to or how he could really move on without them. So instead of that, he dedicated himself to solving other people's problems instead of ever considering his own. His faith and determination to try and be a help to others eventually saw him fighting tooth and nail for entry into the weaponizing of Framewerks. End the war, and the suffering and loss of others due to it would be gone, so it was only natural that Stukov, despite his aversion to violence brought on by, on a subconscious level, the graphic deaths of his siblings, that he would enter one of the most violent and war ridden areas of the armed forces still fighting back against the Cruxi invasion.

 Notable Deaths: Stukov has no family left, both parents dead from being mustered as part of the first waves to investigate and respond to the loss of colonial signals. His older brother and sister, enlisted together at the same time, were also both slain ensuring their younger brother had time to flee.

 Other things: Stukov comes from a long lineage of military tradition, generations of the family having served and met in the armed forces, so military life comes naturally to the young man more so than one would expect.

---

Framewerk Code Name: Daemon

(Minus the shoulder cannon)

 Signature Weapon System: A Mid range Framewerk, the primary weapon system installed into the Daemon Framewerk is the Type 177 Heavy Support System. A belt fed, assault rifle style weapon, the Type 177 presents a balance of traits in exchange for lacking unusually extremes in performance. Heavy caliber caseless rounds are fed from internal magazines, the belt covered by a protective sheath that, with power fed from the Daemon's power core, feeds each round into the Type 177. Each round is designed with maximum penetration in mind, and each round is charged with experimental levels of electricity theorized to be capable of punching through barrier defenses, while the rounds design promotes penetration against physical armor.

 Secondary Weapon System: The most obvious secondary system is the shoulder mounted Type 14 Prototype Counter Measure (PCM) device. Each tube holds several charges of flare like devices that emit lock scrambling emissions across the known bands of use, and include several theorized bands that may be employed in enemy smart weapon systems. To effectively launch the countermeasures, the Daemon has to cease fire with the Type 177 due to recoil interference throwing off PCM launches. Beyond this, the Daemon utilizes an advanced high output energy core to supply both weapon and operating systems, and includes overhauled servos to support many times its own weight, giving it an unorthodox means of close quarters combat, and other utility use where extreme loads need raised and carried.

 Armor Type: Heavy Experimental - Numerous heavy, overlapping layers of conventional armor provide the outer core of defense, with inner layers forged with newly created, energy resilient metals. New and barely tested processing methods have been used to increase outer layer resilience against beam and other non ballistic weapons many times over that of almost any other conventional Framewerk in use, experimental or otherwise, and maintain conventional durability. Outside of space, it is not capable of combat flight and is one of the slowest models being deployed for use. Clearly designed for heavy levels of damage absorption and survival.

 Synchro Rate: 99%

 Special Ability: TBD

[User]
Koehler began speaking again as everyone else stopped, at Lora, he simply said: "Uhh. Okay? I guess.", scratching his chin. Well, that was simple. He noticed Elora in distress, and his 'instincts' began to kick in. As the others began to talk again, he tried to maneuver so he was next to her. He stood next to her and whispered,

"...I'd like to be your team-mate. You seem okay. Your framewerk was the one with the little drones? Mine is the punchy one. So in the mock we'll try to... uhh... I'll attack the guys and you help me, and patch me up? That sounds okay." He examined the others. Lora was okay, and he liked her. she seemed nice. Why is she so... wordy, though? That Ryan Goodwell guy was cool too, He supposed.

...Why does everyone have to be so... talking? Just say what you mean and do it... All of these words were beginning to confuse Koehler, who decided to just shut up and see if he could team up with Elora. ...Why was Koehler teaming up with Elora? Just because she asked and she reminds him of his sister? That's... sort of fucked up, isn't it? Is it?

Dammnit, his mother (and his sister) always taught him to be nice to women. That's what he's doing, yeah. Yeah. He spoke to Elora again, "I like Alexei myself. I hope he's going to be leader. Do you like him? You don't have to like him...". Yeah, good, good, keep it easy to understand. His slurred words probably make him sound like a fucking idiot...

No. He's doing okay. The other people like him. Yeah they do, they like him plenty. He likes most of them! "Does... that sound okay, Elora?".

[Assistant]
Friendships were now forming. The room kept becoming smaller and smaller as everyone moved together. Yeshua was not claustrophobic, but sometimes he felt like he had the condition. Everyone seemed to instantly connect with one another either silently or verbally. It had been no more than five minutes and it seemed everything that needed to be said had been. There was a foul smell in the air; fear. He could tell there was an unease in even the most stoic of the teenagers, who would even deflect a bus if it drove at them. His mind drifted for a second to his first training session.

Mud, sweat and more mud. So much more mud. Mud was filling his shoes, it was filling his feet and his face. Crawling down in the depths of a swamp gave him inspiration enough not to suffocate but not enough inspiration to put any faith whatsoever in the people who were "training" him. He was told that no expedition into the unknown could be given without their authority. It scared him that, from the very beginning, they were breaking him down and not allowing him to think on his own.

It's a war. They have to -- they need soldiers. I volunteered. This is my own grave I've dug.

Yeshua decided it was time to add some more to the conversation. It could have been in futility, but it was better to get his word thrown into the mix than nothing at all.

"Thank you, Lora. I hope you've understood what I'm trying to say. We are not on "sides" here. We are trying, and we will, save the human race. If not, then all of this is in vain. He stopped himself from being too brisk. That would cause a negative impact on the group. Everyone seemed to favour what Alexei wanted to say; Yeshua found it a shame. He was far too restricted to lead a group properly, the boy thought. We should all assume that we are going to win; and win together. If we're done introducing ourselves, I think we should describe our Frameworks.

[User]
Stukov kept his arms crossed as others spoke and gave their own views and opinions, some outright agreeing with him, Koehler he inclined his head to in indication that he heard him, others taking their own viewpoints and stances. Unsurprisingly, Miles seemed to not really concern himself with anything the boy had already said, instead focusing on his lone wolf way of life. It seemed that they would end up clashing on the field of battle during this mock test, whether Stukov liked it or not. Needs must, he supposed, and he did not have to like the situation to be involved in it. The boy knew he did not look how he felt, nerves and an ungodly mix of fear and apprehension were brewing in his stomach. But considering how some of the others looked all but ready to cry, he kept a strong front up for the sake of many. He could throw up later, if it came down to it. Yeshua made some interesting points, but first he fixed an disdainful glare in return to the equally cold one he had gotten. "And you are more than welcome to get surrounded and swamped by Cruxi forces when you go off on your own, with no support to ensure we 'stay out of your way'. That's your issue, eh?."

Lora's own commentary fell in line with Yeshua's to a degree, and he addressed those two next as he kept his arms crossed. He hadn't ever learned any fancy public speaking stuff, he spoke what he saw necessary without wasted breath or motion. Might need to, and if the pilot of Anzû could do grand public speaking well, they might be able to cooperate on the matter of such things. "That is what they said Lora, fully agreed. And Yoshua does make a valid point, we won't get anywhere split up and picking sides. A divided group is easily conquered, military history is clear on that. This mock battle, no matter who gets picked leader, should be taken as a chance to see who and what we're working with. Feel out strengths, and weaknesses, in each person's Framewerk and piloting skill. Kind of like show and tell, with giant machines of war instead of pets and toys."

Even his own, Stukov left unsaid, especially his own. He was surrounded by pilots of Framewerks mostly designed to master various fields of choice, even Elora's Diver was built for intelligence and recon, and could probably pick out weakpoints in Daemon without him realizing it. His mind turned to each person's Framewerk, and what he had seen of them in the briefings prior to his arrival here. Elora, he had already covered. Romeo was that Rose Framewerk, close quarters and armed for it, as decorative and fancy as the design might be. Krista's Archer could outrange him any day of the week, and hit hard enough to rattle just about anyone. And that brought him to the rather brought up pilot and her Framewerk.

Lora and the Caliburn. A lot of focus was put on her and her Framewerk, and Stukov could see why. Bristling with weapon systems and armor, one could rightly fear such a battlefield monster. Only experience would show the chink in that armor, but Stukov would not let the obvious Juggernaut of the group distract him from the others. Not with the Lone Wolf and his Black Komodo. Fast, well armed and piloted by a ruthless boy. Not a good combination, and one he would be keeping a keen eye out for. Anzû and her pilot Yeshua, another sniper with far more mobility, which would be tricky to hit. Koehler's Roxy, even though he had already stated he would not be looking for Stukov, didn't warrant thought. Another brutal melee Frame, if memory served, and enough of one to make swiss cheese out of most armor. Ryan of the Macabre did not say much, but he did not need to, if that blade on the Frame was as deadly as it was noted to be on the briefs. All experts in their Frame's fields of choice, which would make a good squad. If they could work together after this in any capacity.

Stukov's mind went back to the suggestion on discussing Framewerks of each pilot, and he shrugged finally, having been lost in his own trains of thought. "If everyone wants to discuss Frames, I won't argue with it. Seems like folks have an idea of what everyone has as it is, though."


[System]
Age
19
Gender
Boy
Godly parent
Boreas
Brief description of godly parent
Greek god of the north wind
Appearance

Skills/Powers/Weapons
Can control a cool wind that can vary between 55 to -30 degrees in temperature (allows him to fly or freeze things), impossible for him to freeze to death.
Strengths/Weaknesses
Flight, cyromancy and hypothermic invulnerability are his strengths.
Extreme susceptibility to hyperthermia (heat exhaustion), anything over 85 degrees will cause him to faint and go into shock.
Other

[User]
Riley
 He chuckled softly, shaking his head as he lowered his position and the ice and fog dissipated. He liked this boy, he was respectful, and pure of heart, which isn't something that could be said about most members of the camp. It was clear that this boy would one day surpass him in power, and he wanted to be there the day that he did. He respected people of power, they had better charisma, and attitude than people who relied on human weapons. He believed most weapon users to be jealous of the power magic users could wield, they could never be disarmed or have their weapons damaged.

 A gust of wind surrounded him and he flew up slowly, directly next to the scared young man, and offered cool hand to shake.
"I did not mean to frighten or threaten you friend, you merely startled me."
 He said with a soft smile, his hair flipping around in the wind.

[Assistant]
"Geez, never realized just how wound up some of these kids are." Adrian thought, looking on as Riley approached the young Rayon in the air. "Well with Ephraim, everyone's favorite stick in the mud, it's a given. But it seems just about everyone takes themselves so seriously." He had joined Victoria at the table, and leaned against it as he thought more on the situation. "Well, it is wartime, after all. Never know who or what might attack us at any given moment." He let out a little sigh. "Geez, what a way to live." With that, he addressed Victoria.

"Soooo, back to 'Operation: Let's Buy ALLLLL the Weapons'. How much of that do you plan on following through with? How big are we planning on getting? Carpet bombing? Tactical nuke? One'a those satellite heat beam thingies you see in the video games?" He asked. He would do these sort of things with Victoria; ask an absurd question just to see how serious she'd take it.

[User]
Rayon paused, then nodded. Floating steadily, the boy had a grin on his face. "It's no problem! Sorry for startlin' you! My powers just kinda go off by themselves, you know? Especially invisibility; sometimes my roommates accidentally sleep on me because I go invisible outta nowhere, so they usually pat the beds they're gonna sleep on before the go down," Rayon spoke quickly, hardly taking any breaths. It was his excitable nature that made it so. One moment he was talking, the next, he was shaking Riley's hand. "It's also pretty cool to have someone else who can fly! Not many people can - Uh-Uuuh, okay waitaminute."

Crossing his hands in 'T' for timeout, Rayon slowly floated down. Landing on his feet, he seemed to wobble for a second before regaining balance. "Was feeling a bit dizzy there. Means I'm tired, so I can't stay up for too long or I fall. Anyway, I'm Rayon Ducat! What's yer name?"

[Assistant]
Riley

He smiled gently, before gripping his hand hard and shooting up into the air, after about 3 seconds he slowed to a stop, a layer of solid ice forming mid-air, he set the boy down on it, making sure to focus a bit on keeping the ice chunk adrift, lake a thin glaciar in an ocean of water. Forming another deep blue disk of Ice, he sat down,watching the sun and keeping them afloat. Turning to the young man, he opened his mouth to speak.

"In 15 seconds your ice chunk will thaw, causing you to fall nearly half a mile onto the awaiting ground. You will have to exert yourself to survive, and will not recieve any assistance from me, or anybody else with flight."

He stated calmly, acting as if he hadn't essential just put the kid in a situation that could kill him. Riley was very fond of the "what doesnt kill you makes you stronger" motto, and practiced it any chance he was given. Of course, he didn't intend to actually let the poor kid die, they were stationed of the river which would keep him from dieing, but would likely break a few bones. He knew the only way to advance your powers was to be forced into pushing past your own limits.

[User]
A pale girl holds the bow in her hands timidly before pulling back the string while loosely holding the arrow between her slender fingers. With a rigid back and perfect posture her yellow eyes narrow in concentration. The target which is only a mere 50 feet away slowly becomes the only thing she can see. Becoming painfully aware of her breath she holds it in for just a moment to still her body and her mind. With a slow exhale she lets loose the arrow.

 The arrow flies about 45 feet before hitting the ground no where near the target and she hangs her head in frustration.

 "DAMNIT!" she hisses under her breath. A small black crow flutters down and lands on her shoulder and looks into her eyes with its head cocked to the side.

 "Yeah I saw! You don't have to rub it in!" She says a little too loud to the bird. No one else can understand the crow that follows her. Her outburst causes the crows to fly away to a safe distance on a nearby branch. She bites her lower lip and makes a face somewhere between disappointment and anger. I am not suited for this kind of combat. I am a commander not a fighter.

 She pauses when she hears the fighting of the other members. She notes that many have good points. Though she thinks to herself that it is perhaps the difference of skill and powers that combined make a powerful force rather than any single path being the correct path. She does take this chance however to toss aside her bow and pick up her staff. She feels far more comfortable with it that she does any combat weapon.

 It was at this time that an ice user struts in with a puffed chest and starts saying rude things to the others. Suddenly he takes a less than confident member up half a mile in the sky on a piece of ice. She doesn't understand all of what he said but she prepared herself to intervene if it was necessary. This might be an important and necessary lesson for the boy but there is a point that is too far.

[Assistant]
Victoria turned her head to look at Adrian. "I dunno. A tac nuke would be nice, but it's awfully hard to get one. I could call my Mom, see if her contacts in Mossad can get us one, but I don't expect a lot of luck. Motherland's pretty tightfisted, y'know." Did I just make a racist joke on accident? She blew past it. "But we could probably go to some third-world hellhole and steal some old Soviet tech from them. I wonder if Ares has ever dealt with a T-62 or a MiG."

She saw the Ice Asshole raise the other kid into the air and before he had even finished the movement had her Colt in hand, putting a shot into the ground at his feet. "Hey, Ice Fucker, put the kid down or the next shot goes into your lap."

[User]
"Are you entirely insane or only mostly so?" He said to himself watching what Riley was doing to the clearly in no way ready for this Rayon. Doing his best to conceal the fact that shooting him for putting someone in mortal danger wasn't the worst option.

"The best way to teach a person to swim isn't by throwing them into a river. If they fail they die and it is the fault of the one who put them in that situation to begin with. Not the one who was forced into it."

[Assistant]
"I'm just surprised to could even attempt to gain the connections needed to get us a nuke..." Adrian replied to Promethean child, in some disbelief. It was usual for her to make casual boasts such as that from time to time, but something as serious as obtaining such heavy artillery threw Adrian through a bit of a loop. Soon after that, seemed most began turning their attention towards Riley, who took it upon himself to begin an extreme impromptu training session with the much younger, much more inexperienced, Rayon.

"Yeah dude, bring 'im down." Adrian joined in with the yelling and calling. "That's a bit much, even for you." Adrian almost felt like he was negotiating in some sort of hostage situation. Even then he didn't feel like his yells would reach the two, considering just how high up they were.

[User] "That made more sense in my head." She thought to herself as she unslung her Mosin-Nagant and took aim. "Alright, I've got the asshole sighted. Anyone got a way to catch the other kid if Ice Prick drops him after I shoot him?"

[Assistant]
Rayon froze - no pun intended - momentarily as he realized he was back in the air, with only fifteens seconds before he quickly fell ou of it. Rayons prieviously friendly smile of greeting was frozen in place out of sheer fear. He looked at the river below and back to Riley, alternatively

"Uh, eh, ye're joking right?" With a futile look, Rayon hoped that Riley would say yes at the last second. No such answer came.

"Oh he-"

His curse was cut off as the ice beneath him melted and he plummetted out of the sky. His fatigue and panic critically affected his decision making abilities, so rather than flying up, he kept falling.

On instinct, a powerful surge entered his body, invigorating his strength and durability. Of course, Rayon was now running on fumes, so it was unkown how long the augmentation would last.

[User]
Falling child? Rhodri moved, dashing from his corner of the firing range towards where the commotion had been occurring. He had been aimlessly watching the group bicker, but he wasn't going to stand by while the kid fell that distance. With a mighty push of his feet against the ground, he jumped, divine strength sending him up into the air, where he caught Rayon.

The redhead landed with a thump, knees bending to absorb the shock of the impact, his body rattling against the force. Super strength and endurance or not, dropping from such a height was a pain.

"You alright mate?" asked the Welshman, looking down at the boy in his arms. "Not gonna crash on us, are ya?"

[Assistant]
Riley
 He had had enough, first he was openly disrespected by a newbie member to the camp, then his methods, which had yet to fail once where being questioned, and he was being threatened. If he was anything, he was angry. But Riley became very cold angry, he wasn't the type to explode or start screaming, but he spoke in a manner that felt as if daggers were coming from his mouth. Lowering himself to floating just above the ground, he spoke.
"Deny him his training if you must, but know that it will be you nailing shut his coffin, not I."
He stated lowly, ice forming under the spot he was floating above, then he touched down.
"The river would have turned to a light snow, had you fallen into it, the worst damage you would have sustained would have been a slight chill. If you wish to be weak, so be it, but I could make you a rival to Odin."
He said directly to Rayon, then with a flash of his hand, he turned to Victoria, and with a wave her gun had several inches of ice in her barrel.
"Please, I beg of you to face an immortal with a weapon so easily dispatched, I think you all forget who we are up against, and an example is needed."
He growled lowly, his voice harsh.

[User] Victoria stared at him. "You just did that." She apparently calmly set her rifle down on a table. "That was my mother's. Her father's before her." She smiled at him, a smile bereft of any warmth. "You're an imbecile. I met you five minutes ago. In that time you randomly attacked Ephraim, scared the shit out of another kid, and, oh yeah, you damaged my weapon." In a single blindingly fast movement she quickdrew her pistol and put a bullet in his foot, then leveled her weapon at his forehead. "You're quickly proving yourself to be a liability."

[Assistant]
"There are more options than no training or throwing him into a river. You could teach him gradually as most teachers and trainers would do. Few use total immersion and expect positive results." Johnny replied, smiling at the others seeming attempt at intimidation. He wasn't particularly intimidated by the ice magic, knowing he wouldn't try anything too overt and if he did he would end up having everyone else attack him. So freezing a gun and speaking low and venomous had the opposite effect. It was then that Victoria shot him in the foot. It was then he looked dead serious.

"He may have frozen your gun and endangered a comrade, but actively harming him is a step too far." He said sternly.

[User]
The area was becoming tense again. Least Adrian could do was attempt to defuse the situation. He began to approach Riley. "Don't start, Rie. They get it, you're powerful, and we could use the training, but even you can't help but think your methods are a bit unethical-" BANG! Victoria acted much faster than Adrian could, simply popping the cryomancer in the foot. Naturally, this surprised Adrian.

"AHH! FUCK!" He yelped and flinched on instinct. "Victoria! Really?! Jesus!" That shot was much much closer than he'd like to admit, and sent his ears ringing.

[Assistant]
Riley
 Despite the screaming pain in his foot, he managed to maintain a semblance of his composure. Having suffered far worse wounds, a peek under he shirt could tell you that, he had developed quite the pain tolerance, even in the worst of situations he could manage to stay composed. As blood began to pour from his foot, the entire surface of his flesh was covered in a layer of Ice, different densities forming the intricate muscles and veins, essential repairing his foot for the time being. He was more than capable of turning his whole body into ice, but it ate up a lot of his power, so it only really worked in cases that he needed high defense. Which was rare.

 Facing the gun raised at his head, the pieces clciked together in his head, and he smiled softly.
"Strike Two."
 Was all he said with a whisper, before turning and walking, thinking as he went.

 He was a powerful ally to have in battle, but an even more powerful enemy, she had was near to making an enemy, and if she did, one day, she would suffer ten-fold the damage she had done unto him, he was sure of it. He would destroy her pride, perhaps by breaking her fingers, so she can never fire a gun, or perhaps have her paralyzed, leaving her a useless vegetable for the rest of her days. But, she still had one strike, perhaps she would justify herself.


[System]
Age: 19
Year: 1st
Gender: Female
Species: Splice (Flying Fox)
Physical Description:

In Depth Physical Description: Lyla has ears that, like the animal she had been spliced with, look similar to those of a fox. They sit atop her head and match her hair in color at the base, darkening on the way up until the tips are black. Two bat-like wings, with wingspan as wide as she can spread her arms, connect between her shoulder blades. They are not capable of flight (yet) but can be used to grasp things in a manner similar to normal bats. Overall, Lyla is short and slim, weighing in around one hundred pounds and standing at just over four and a half feet. Her eyes, once a strong blue, seem clouded or faded.
Personality: When she is not tired, Lyla is a font of cheer and laughter. Her bubbly personality lends well to befriending beings of all types, though more stoic people often find her annoying. Having no idea how to deal with angry or upset people, she tends to be rather meek when confronted. In the end, she just wants everyone to be content.
Hobbies: Reading (usually Braille), sleeping, dancing, and music.
Familiar: None
Extra: Lyla's eyes are highly photosensitive, to the point that she has to wear dark glasses in direct sunlight. Beyond this, she is almost entirely blind at any light level above moonlight. Even then, she cannot see well and must rely on her extremely sensitive ears that allow her to echolocate. Lyla hums habitually to facilitate this. She is also primarily nocturnal, causing her to have trouble sleeping at night, especially when alone. This often leads to her being sluggish and lethargic for a good portion of the day.

[User]
Wren
Outside of Rose Claire Academy

A large creature approached the school, the flap of its wings boomed with each movement as it descended down towards the entrance. Its size was incredible at around 300+ feet and when it landed it caused a rumble in the ground that sent a tremor through the school. The guards and watchmen of the school began to scrambled, one of them, possibly a currier of sorts darted into the castle itself and down the corridor leading to the ball room where most of the staff and students were.

He swung open the door causing loud thud as it hit the door stop, causing a few students to become startled and silence in order to hear what the commotion was about. "Ma'am! Mrs. Langley! YOU..ha..MAY BE..ha..NEEDED... IMMEDIAT...ELY! We have a situation." It took a moment for him to catch his breath before he could finish. He gestured for her to follow before running out.

The creature began to move towards the school, its piercing white eyes focused in on the open door of the school before its body morphed into that of a humanoid form. He stood around 7'8" and with a large but well defined build. It's arms and hands scaly with claws in a very deep crimson, almost black and part of its upper torso the same. It adorned blackish wings and long blackish hair. It's eyes, however remained the same. It adorned enough clothing to cover up its lower half. As he approached the doors the guards immediately began to close them. As he approached he gavea light shove, sending the doors flying open with one almost knocked off it's hinges. He took a quick sniff in the air followed by a low and powerful growl before finding the scent that lead to the ball room.

Inside the Ball Room

Suleykaar waited for a response from Nadia only to find hat she could say nothing. With a snort he pivoted on his feet and begun to move to the appetizer section of the table, Anders in tow.

"Did you really have to do that, Suls? Was it really necess-"

NO ONE talks to me that way! NO ONE! Laurels lucky that I didn't attempt to do what I did to Kiara. I am-"

"I know that you don't know any of us that well here but please do know that my sister is not our mother. Our mother is a Reincarnate of Sekhemt and she knows only war and bloodlust. It is her nature. My sister is actually her opposite equal. Her goddess is Bastet. Please do not allow my mother's behavior to color your views of our people or my sister. I hope that you take my words seriously. I shall leave you be."

Suleykaar looked over at him before he begun to make himself a plate with some fresh shrimp and fish and few random assortments of foods. He ate one of the shrimp and nodded with a muffled "ah" before stopping him from leaving.

 Well, your mother certainly knows how to make a first impression. Anders mumble "Isn't that the truth."

"Sekhemt or Sachmis was originally the warrior goddess as well as goddess of healing for Upper Egypt, when the kingdom of Egypt was divided. She is depicted as a lioness, the fiercest hunter known to the Egyptians. It was said that her breath formed the desert. She was seen as the protector of the pharaohs and led them in warfare. What better way to show how fierce you are then by picking a fight with a dragon. Stupid and smart at the same time. She must have thought that one out.... At least I'm not my brother. It would not have ended well for her." He took a bite out of the sandwich and before looking at it and giving a light nod.

By the way brother of Laurel, before I let you go on your merry little way to join the rest of your family, I know the only reason one would approach a dragon again after something like that is if they require something from them. But what could it be I wonder?" A smirk appeared on his face but quickly changed to confusion as he felt a tremor through the ground.

"What was that?" He noticed a few of the students took notice and a few who had their tails showing, had them tucked between their legs. Suley raised an eyebrow before shaking it off and brought his attention back to Laurel's brother.

Observer

We'll discuss this in a little bit brother of Laurel but currently I have someone I would like to talk to." He looked over to Kiara dancing with another male but he smelled like her. Her father perhaps? He gestured for Anders to follow as he made his way over to Kiara.

"Hello Kiara have we been enjoying the festivities?" A light smirk appeared on his face as he looked at the two. The man must have been her father. He carried a very similar scent.

[Assistant]
Morgan was watching Kiara dance with someone else, her father if he had to guess, when Piper decided she'd had enough. If he wasn't going to talk to her about it on his own, she would force the situation.

"Alright Morg, that's enough. I agree, she's worth the look and certainly the dance, but you need to stop this. Get your head on straight, she's a Faerie!" She speaks in harsh whipers, causing Morgan to flinch at first and then turn toward her with a raised eyebrow. He crosses his arms over his chest, taking a long moment to choose his words carefully. While he and Piper were the closest among his true siblings, they also had the most heated rivalry. Her every attempt to shield him from the dangers of the world was met with a vehement reminder of her own mistakes and how she had needed to make them.

"So what if she is? And before you ask, yes, I remember what happened to uncle James. It's the risk every being runs when dealing with the Fae. Besides, don't I remember something about some guy you thought you had bewitched? Didn't he turn out to be a vampire trying to turn you?" Morgan shot back, pulling down his scarf to speak more clearly. Piper opened her mouth to retort, but Morgan wanted to press his point home quickly. "You never forgave Gwen for burning him to a crisp either. You never thanked her for saving you."

"That's not fair, Morgan, and you know it. This is different. If you screw up, if you get stuck on her, it'll take a lot more than Gwen's fire to get you out of it. I've danced with Fae before, I know what it's like. I know how tempting it can be. I just don't want you to go down a bad road. Think of your family. Mom wouldn't be able to sit idly by with you trapped in Faerie. And I wouldn't let her bargain herself away for your freedom, not while the rest of the coven needs her." There was an edge to Piper's voice as she leaned closer to her brother, staring him down. Morgan returned her glare in equal measure, looking for a second like he just wanted to headbutt her out of spite for getting so close. So soon after the euphoric dance, his sister's words struck a raw nerve.

"Have you even considered the fact that she's the only female outside the coven that has shown me any affection at all? I can't share absolutely everything with you, or them. So what if she's just playing with me? Maybe I don't care that 'it's just her nature.' Why can't I enjoy that while I may without you trying to ruin it? What if I just want to have some fun for myself, without you or anyone else butting in?" Though he barely managed to restrain his voice, Morgan felt his control slip elsewhere. As his hushed tirade continued the temperature of the air around him dropped several degrees and the floor under his feet took on a sheen of frost. "You can't hold my hand forever, and not even mom can protect us from everything. Could you please, for once in my life, fu-"

The sound of flesh striking flesh is far louder than any of the words traded by the siblings, and it leaves Piper nursing her hand and Morgan in a state of stunned confusion. The slap had scattered his thoughts, and likewise dissapated the energy that had been gathering around him in his anger. Collecting himself, the warlock levels his icy gaze on his sister for a second before pushing past her to head for the table laden with food and drinks. An odd tremor causes him to stumble and look around in confusion for a moment as he walks, but does not stop his progress. Looking at the food without really being hungry, he mulls over his sister's words of caution. While he still wanted to enjoy himself, he decided that he should perhaps guard his heart and his tongue more around Kiara.

Still rooted to her place by the wall, Piper watches her brother's retreating form. He was here to grow as a warlock and refine his control over his innate power, but she considered the possibility that the Academy was meant for more than that. After all, she had gotten into more than her fair share of trouble during her stay.

[User]
Kiara looked up at her father with pleading eyes. Cynbel was unseelie as well and, as such, a slave to his love for troublemaking, and the tone he used oozed trouble. Upon looking at his daughter and her adorable puppydog eyes, he caved. "As you wish, Princess." Kiki's eyes widened and scanned the immediate area, hoping nobody heard that. Technically, being the great granddaughter of the Queen did make her a Princess, but Moriganne had reigned for nearly a millennia, and that wasn't looking to change anytime soon.

"But, I'm afraid that means we must cut this dance short, as said admirer is coming this way." Cynbel held her hand and spun Kiara out of their embrace. They were the most graceful dancers on the entire floor and had gained several onlookers over time. Kiara responded to the spin with a dip, arching her back as she extended her right arm back in a pretty straight line before being pulled back towards her father. "I must be going soon, anyway. But, before I do, I need to apologize for something." There was a steely seriousness in the war chief's eyes that made Kiara feel uncomfortable. "I wasn't there for you when you needed me. I was and continue to be a terrible father." he admitted in a whisper. It wasn't like him to show any emotion besides those found in war and battle, and the grief of losing his mate.

Kiara reached a pale scrawny hand up to his cheek. "It's okay." It wasn't. "You were just following the code: Passion before duty. War is your passion and I am just..." her voice caught in her throat as she tried to hide the hurt in her eyes. "I will grow and learn here, and prove myself worthy of passion, not duty."

Cynbel kissed her forehead once more. Kiara closed her eyes, hoping to hold back tears, while Cynbel's eyes locked with the dragon's over her head. In one look, Cynbel passed judgement, reluctant approval, and an underlying threat, before returning his attention to his daughter. "You already are." he said and stroked her cheek softly before turning to walk away. It felt like the ground was shaking, but maybe that was just the feeling of her heart breaking. Again. Kiara looked after him, his gossamer cape billowing out from his armor, adorned with the royal crest of the Unseelie fae. So much for trying to keep a low profile…

"Hello Kiara have we been enjoying the festivities?" Suleykaar's voice brought her back to the present. Shit. She had approximately three milliseconds to compose herself and hide any signs of weakness from the dragon before turning to face him. "Let's see…" she began with a dark grin. "I stole a kiss and I danced with two of the most handsome men in the room so far. I'd say that's a pretty good start." She took a step towards him and crossed her arms behind her back coyly. "Have you come to me to make it better, or worse?" she asked in a sultry voice, her eyes the same shade of red that dancing with Morgan had brought out earlier.

[Assistant]
Lyla rushed through the halls, the hem of her yellow dress swishing againt her knees. She had overslept yet again, and was now going to be dreadfully late to the ball. This didn't bother her overly much, as she had no known family to look forward to seeing, but she had gone to bed earlier in the day planning to be up and prepared for the evening.

So much for that... she thought, her small bare feet sliding over floor rather than taking normal strides. She could hear the partygoers up ahead, and it made it hard for her to concentrate on the environment. Rather than relying on her ears alone to guide her, Lyla had extended one wing to trail along the wall. She stumbled more than once, when a tremor made the ground rumble beneath her. Avoiding a complete fall, however, she eventually stands in the doorway of the ballroom.

Everyone already seemed to be talking, dancing, or eating, from what Lyla could hear. Intending to head for the relative safety of the table, she strikes out across the floor with short, careful steps. The myriad sounds around her made it nearly impossible to pick out one in particular, and there were too many surfaces and people for them to reflect off of. This was just another of the rare times in her short life where she was flying completely blind.

All of her caution turned out to be for naught, as Lyla soon found herself walking up against another person's back. Stumbling away a step or two, she flares her wings instinctually for balance.

"So sorry! Just so hard to tell where everyone is..." she says nervously, ears flattening to the top of her head as her cheeks flush. The poor girl didn't even have half a chance at knowing who she had collided with. "I hope I didn't make you spill a drink or anything..."

Wren (Lyla walked blindly into Laurel's back.)


[System]
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Appearance:
Personality:
Klaus is a lazy & mostly irresponsible knight. She is a glutton, often chomping down on large servings, and she likes to sleep alot. She's carefree and easygoing, thus she rarely takes situations seriously. She's surprisingly courageous at times, though she would prefer sleeping in her quarters instead of swinging her sword. Due to her upbringing, she would never let anybody starve in front of her.

Brief Backstory: Klaus was born a slave, she wasn't well-fed and is always hungry as a child. One day, she found out that her master have more food than her, so she tried to steal his food, but she was caught red-handed. In the midst of the struggle, she had killed her master unintentionally. That was the first time in her life that she had tasted good food, and that is why she felt no remorse about this. Realizing the situation, she escaped from her late master's turf, and managed to kill a few pursuers due to her talent with the sword.

Finally getting her freedom, Klaus worked as a mercenary since the sword is the only thing that she's good at. Over the years, she became well-known in her field despite her sloppy job (She often leave her jobs unfinished on purpose due to her laziness).

There was only a single occasion where Klaus did her job a bit more seriously. She protected a bunch of travellers from orcs, and one of them in the group happened to be a noble who would then recommend her as a Knight for ensuring their safe passage to another city. She was rather puzzled on how she would receive an invitation to this day.

The only reason why she had joined the Iron Rose Knights is because she will have more food at the Knight Quarters. In spite of her work attitude, Klaus often does her job in the best (and easiest) possible result with least causalities, proving herself worthy of her title.

After the few years as a Knight, she is pretty much over her past by then, to the point where the only thing she remembers is that the pasta that day was so delicious.

Equipment: Longsword

Skills: Klaus is skilled at using her sword, despite her lack of formal training.

[User]
"Ah?"

Fanilly, clutching her dress shirt, glanced over her shoulder when she heard the door open... and almost immediately used it as a shield to cover herself and turned to face her former mentor. Her cheeks red, she hesitated for a few moments before looking away. Ah, not only did she sleep in too late, but she was walked in on during such an awkward time... it was somewhat shameful. She's the Captain of the Iron Roses, and yet this...

"... N... no, it's fine... I slept in too late anyway..." the blonde girl mumbled, almost to herself, though it was not entirely inaudible. She shifted where she stood, nervously. She slept in late, and now this happened... this had not been the best start, to say the least. Not one bit. Still, she would have to make the most of the day... thus far, there had not been any word sent to the Roses of some sort of new crisis requiring their attention. No, instead, it seemed as if Thaln had fallen into a few days of relatively tranquility, where any problems were easily dealt with by the local soldiery.

For now.

Daze

[Assistant]
Klaus
And as what Klaus had expected, she has lost the first exchange of attacks to the Paladin. She lowered her sword and took a step back, still having her gaze fixated towards those menacing crimson eyes. Backing away from the distance of engagement, Klaus sheathed her sword. "I understand, will be back in a bit to grab my equipment."

She hastily went back to switch her weapon to a wooden one, as she returned whilst tying the last straps of her armour. With more proper training equipment this time, she wielded the training sword, waiting for the Paladin to resume the match. This sword is way too light, I don't like it...

[User]
The sudden collision whilst turning a corner certainly caught Tiral off guard, and though by no means was he taken off balance, the unfortunate person who he had bumped into had . With a slight reflexive step backwards in surprise, the mage watched as a bunch of book all came tumbling down in front of him. Though he managed to assess the situation in time to rescue two or three of them, 'two or three' wasn't all of them. With a bit of a frown, the mage glanced at the one bringing the books to wherever they were headed.

A member of Fanilly's maid brigade. Not particularly the best opponent for a game of strategy.

"Well, having a tower of books in front of your eyes would certainly make it seem that way," he responded, kneeling down to help pick up the books from off the floor. "Where were you headed to with these, anyhow? And why so many at once? On your own?"

His prying was, admittedly, unnecessary, but at this point most anything would sate his boredom.

[Assistant]
— Candaeln —

Indrau woke in a legendarily bad mood, eclipsed only by a certain trio of maids attempting to serve him breakfast in bed on his birthday. The door to his rooms now remains locked at all times. Now he stalked the halls dressed somewhat more casually than usual. Under his pants his good leg sported a pattern of bruising in such vivid colour that it would have out several of the wall hangings to shame.

It was one of the few times that he used his cane on the even flooring. Usually it was reserved for rural roads and slippery cobblestone. Each step was punctuated by a rhythmic tap, somewhat more forceful than usual. With any luck, as long as nobody crossed his path in a way he might find irritating, his rage might just burn itself out.

— Candaeln —

Salz bore wounds of her own. The arm that had taken the arrow to the shoulder had also taken the brunt of a hammer blow to the forearm, leaving it both bandaged and splinted. She took it better than her adoptive brother, humming while walking towards the training ground with a bundle of staves under one arm. The outcome of the mission had done little to dampen her spirits either. Such a battle without any civilian injuries was a great success in her eyes.

It was unlikely that the injuries would leave her disabled for more than a few days but any down time was time wasted. Salz would have to put a lot of effort in to have a chance at impressing Indrau.

[User]
Sir Tyaethe Radistirin

The knight nodded her assent, then looked thoughtful as the two went off to prepare. If she was armoured, there was no clear way to defeat her... the half-giant could definitely land a blow that would have an impact even with practice blades yet these two would have no such luck. She could admit defeat if a hit was landed, yet the entire purpose behind such armour was to shrug off blows that would injure or incapacitate a normal soldier and that would make the task entirely two easy for the pair of them.

Well, the cat was already out of the bag, so why not just remove the armour?

Indeed, when Fleuri and Klaus returned, the paladin was completely without armour. In the light of day rather than at a party, it was even more apparent how pale the child was. Even more so, it was obvious that Tyaethe must have been unusually tall for her entire life--and highly athletic. Not that the second was in question, with her hands around the handle of a blade and her body pointed towards the sky.

She dropped to the ground, heaving the wooden--yet alarmingly accurate--replica free and resting it across her shoulders, not seeming to feel the weight of a practice sword still larger than she was. Her expression seemed spectacularly difficult as she asked the two the last question: "Ready?"

---

Lilianna Belwiss

"Your maids didn't wake you? Would you like me to ask Abigail to have a word with them?" the older woman asked, shifting the child. Her wife might not have had any authority over Fanilly's maids, even in the past but she was certainly someone to keep order... and reign in her unruly juniors, "I'm sure that she would be happy to do so after breakfast."

[Assistant]
Klaus
Eh? No armour? Klaus thought the sparring session was over and the Paladin would be switching to the forms & techniques lesson this time, until she notices her wooden sword. The same training of her one-sided execution will resume with that Paladin of weird proportion and skin tone. The immortal knight without any armour isn't something any Knight would very often, but as surprised as Klaus was, it explains she sheer size of that armour. And thats what happens if someone wear too much armour for hundreds and hundreds of years, too little sunlight exposure and encumberance... Klaus placed her stray thoughts to one side once Tyaethe resumed the training.

"Ready at any time." Ending her sentence, Klaus took the first step towards Tyaethe, playing it aggressive like the previous exchange. With one twist of her wrist, Klaus lunged herself forward as she thrusted her wooden blade towards the Paladin's heart with her full force. Despite taking that strong initiative, she can't help but to feel being more at the gallows than the courtyard.

[User]
"It's not my fault that I was doing my job!" protested Alaree, before remembering herself after a moment. She let out a nervous laugh and scratched the back of her head. "Uhhh... thanks for your help though, Sir Tiral!"

It was less that she cared too much(she frequently didn't remember to curtsy unless Viora was there to smack her on the back of the head) and more that right now she was wary of being yelled at by Viora. She knew she'd already forgotten that she had to do something... but she'd gotten distracted. "One of your fellow magi showed up asking about some books, and asked me to go and get them!"

After a moments pause, getting a somewhat... goofy grin on her face, the pigtailed maid continued.

"If you know her, I'm sure you'd recognize her! No-one could forget a massive rack like that!"

Really, inappropriate comments were rather key to the maid known as Alaree's personality. To anyone who knew her, her continued failures at speaking an an appropriate manner were often somewhat comforting. Albeit, for Viora at least, incredibly irritating as well.

---

"Ah... no, that won't be necessary," Fanilly replied swiftly. She didn't need anyone else punishing her maids. If there was a problem, she would speak to them about it. They were servants in her employ, after all, so she couldn't simply give that responsibility to someone else. More then that, however. She shouldn't have had to be awakened in the first place. She should have found some way to keep an eye on the time rather then sleeping in. Hands wringing at her shirt, the blonde girl remembered herself and swiftly began to dress. First her shirt, then the jacket that signified her position, the golden epaulets on each shoulder, her frilled skirt and long socks...

As she dressed, she was careful to try and remain out of Lilianna's line of sight, even if the woman was trying her best not to look at her.

"I should not have slept in in the first place, regardless..."

@Raineh Daze

[Assistant]
Fleuri Jodeau
As Klaus rushed in, Fleuri danced around, tightly gripping the massive wooden sword he had chosen. He was taken aback by Tyaethe's lack of armor- her childlike appearance was perplexing to say the least, but he knew better than to underestimate an opponent from their appearance.

His goal was to both get some room to swing his weapon and to flank Tyaethe- he and Klaus would be most effective if they attacked the paladin from different angles. Even in the likely event that she had seen and dealt with it before in her centuries of service, it would still be more effective than attacking directly alongside Klaus. Tyaethe's lack of armor would likely make her much quicker and more agile than with it, but the lack of weight would also work against her- physical strength was limited by one's ability to leverage it, and if struck by a great enough force, the waifish paladin would go flying off her feet all the same.

[User]
Sir Tyaethe Radistirin

The white-haired paladin's frown deepened. Fleuri wasn't being anywhere near aggressive enough for her liking--leaving Klaus to attack unsupported gave her too many opportunities to reduce it to one on one and earn victory that way. She'd have to force him in, even if that meant effectively ignoring Klaus for an instant. They both had to get involved.

The thrust missed, going over the head of its target as she dropped into a low stance and sprang forwards, looking for all the world like she'd been shot out of a catapult. Her target: a scything cut meant to take Fleuri's legs out from beneath him, with a secondary goal of repositioning the paladin so that the knight stood between her and Klaus. She had mobility in her favour here and had to use it; letting herself get caught in a pincer trap would be difficult if she couldn't beat one of them immediately.

---

Lilianna Belwiss

If the captain didn't want her maids to get punished--and it really was their fault, the rest of them had just gotten back from the trek--there wasn't much that she could do. "Well, if that's the case, then I'll see you down at breakfast. But first... Vivien, you should apologise for waking her up like that."

For a second it seemed that the girl wouldn't say anything, but, sullenly... "Sorry, Auntie..."

@Crimson Paladin

[Assistant]
Klaus wouldn't let her guard down when such an opening is presented, especially when facing a superior opponent. If I can't beat someone in strength, I will compete with techniques. She made the resolve to herself to refine the lethality of her cuts by the end of her training, in such a way where each and every one of her slashes kill. She knows better than anyone that her current incomplete form will definitely fail her someday. So, this is as far as talent goes, I need to build a proper style with my own hands, before the unresolved war bites me back.

Klaus took the second step towards Tyaethe almost immediately. At the same time the Paladin swung towards Fleuri, Klaus sent down her sword with one strong flick of her wrist. She doesn't have to raise her sword too much due to Tyaethe's lower stance. And this time, that slash is much more smooth & polished, with less wasted movements as compared to before. Her sword seemed alive for a moment, as if it has a will to slice the Paladin into two. She is far from mastering her sword, but she shows a subtle sign of getting there.


[System]
Age: 16

Gender: Female

Race: Faunus (Coyote)

Weapon: Orthrus - A hallow metal staff with a bronze chain threaded through the single opening on either end. Attached on each end on the chain is a black grappling hook with a long spike protruding from the center, both of which can be fired and retracted at a high speed. These are usually used to bind enemies and increase Sepia's mobility, but they can also be tightened into either a double ended mace, spear, or morningstar.

Specialty: Scout/Support - Sepia's usual usage of her weapon and semblance cause her to be better suited for support rather than actual combat, as they make her able to harmonize her allies and bind her enemies. Her weapon gives her the agility and speed needed for a scout, but does not allow her to easily infilict actual damage.

Semblance: Constellation - Sepia's semblance allows her to temporarily link the minds and hearts of up to four people at once. This link usually lasts for only a few minutes, but allows the people under its control to perfectly match their thoughts and anticipate each others movements. Additionally, it can allow a team to communicate telepathically for a short time.

Personality: Much like the animal which she bears a resemblance to, Sepia is friendly, optimistic, borderline fearless, loyal, gentle, and has a good sense of humor. The flip side of this is that she is scatterbrained, easily manipulated, and has a hard time asserting herself.
Likes - Sewing, all things cute and frilly, clothes, animals (even bugs), when the people she talks to turn out to be friendly, being able to help someone, and being scratched behind her dog ears.
Dislikes - Not being useful, having to ask for help, forgetting things, people being unhappy, and anything that threatens her friends.

Color: A light, woody brown.

Emblem:

Usual Attire: Sepia usually wears short, elaborate dresses and thigh high stockings of her own creation. A gifted seamstress from a wealthy family, these dresses are frilly and bright, with elegant designs and made of expensive fabric. She is capable of fighting in her usual attire easily, as well as the high heels that she wears almost all the time.

Appearance:
(Height - 5'7")

Voice: Cassandra Lee Morris

Music: Endlessly

[User]
Emerald - Outside Ozpin's Office -

Emerald had been rendered speechless by the antics of Gratia and Napoli. She stared at both of them with her wide, green eyes. She'd never seen so much bickering before, it was almost like they were a couple.

Ahah! That must be why! It was the only explanation that made sense to her. She'd read in some book that people that really loved each other sometimes treated each other like shit, pretending to despise each other, but they only did it because they were passionately in love! It didn't really make a lot of sense to Emmy but she figured there must be some truth to it.

Emerald snapped back to the present as she realised they were introducing themselves. Did he just compare me to a bee!? Gratia then approached her, staring straight into her eyes. Scary.

"I'm Emerald Felica..." She managed to say as she found her voice again. There was a question burning in her mind, and she couldn't help but ask.

"Are you two...married?"

[Assistant]
Gratia Mindaro - Outside Ozpin's Office

"We're fucking what."

Gratia's expression had dulled. The anger and annoyance present had disappeared, replaced with a flat, dull countenance that only served to betray mixed emotions through her onyx eyes. Her voice's tone was a mixture of anger and confusion, evidently caught off guard by the cat's seemingly-innocuous statement. She didn't know whether to allow her mounting disbelief to continue to grow, or to snap at Emerald for saying something so fucking stupid. Married? What the actual fuck? She would never marry -

"This shitty cheese-eater?" she managed growled out, roughly jamming her thumb into Napoli's shoulder. "I would rather roll in shit than mooch off his fucking ass cash."

Who the hell did they take her for? Some shameless hussy of a gold digger with no standards? Marrying Fiordilatte meant dealing with shitty puns, a horrible sense of humour and more smug than she could shake a can of pepper at. She was already fucking working with him on a daily basis and assigned to his classes; and that was already bloody horrible.

More Napoli? Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred.

Fuck him.

[User]
Bianca Nuit – Running Late

There was something about mornings that Bianca just couldn't really do. Maybe it was the willpower necessary to tear herself from her warm sheets, hop into the shower and get started. Perhaps it was just her dulled consciousness telling her that she didn't really  need to do anything today. The world would survive after all. These were the small effortless thoughts that sauntered by Bianca's consciousness as her pale white hair cascaded down the side of her bed alongside one of her arms. She could hear something, a dull ringing of sorts. She couldn't quite hear it through the tired haze that engulfed her senses, but she could tell that it was high pitched, and repeating. But what did she know that was high pitched and repeated.

"My god." Bianca said as he eyes shot open with inhumane fear painted across her face. She slowly turned towards her bedside table, as is bracing herself to receive a blow. 10:00, the clock read.

"Well shit." Bianca shouted, erupting out of her bed and nearly charging out the door in her unmentionables.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit." Bianca said whipping around the small room she had been placed in upon arriving to Beacon along with her teammates. Her teammates. They left without her. Those forgetful little fucks.

Upon finally dressing herself in the beautiful new school uniform she was given upon arriving she burst out of the door and took of soaring down the hall, her wings fully extended. Upon reaching the exit of the dorm hall she took off, climbing altitude towards the gigantic central tower that dwarfed the rest of the campus.

 'God this place is beautiful.' Bianca thought to herself between her choices of expletives. She managed to finally find an open window about two thirds up the building and dove into it covering her body with her wings. She felt her wings graze the window sill and she hit the ground with a thud but she didn't stay on the floor for a second. She was up and sprinting towards the nearest stairwell.

She hit the stairs bolting up them pulling herself up by the railing before finally hitting the top of them. She stopped before the doors that would lead into the hallway before Ozpin's office just below the eponymous beacon. She glanced down at her uniform and straightened it out. She also fixed her hair, this way it would look less like she just flew through the air and into a window and more like it was a messy on purpose kind of look she was going for. Finally she flexed her back and wing muscles making sure no feathers were going to fall out. She had cut vertical holes in the back of all of her shirts so that her wings could easily and comfortably get through her clothing.
Finally she exited the stairwell and walked towards Ozpin's office, gladly she could see her teammates, and two others.

"Hopefully you three didn't miss me too much." Bianca said with a small giggle placing an arm around both Napoli and Gratia and giving Vega a knowing nod and smile. "And how's my favorite couple doing?" Bianca said barely able to contain her laughter, she was sure she was going to hit a huge amount of backlash, but this kind of chiding and humor was something they were all used to receiving from each other.

"Ms. Dei" Bianca said showing their guide some respect. She was well known around Haven, she seemed a little different than what Bianca could recall.

"I'm Bianca Nuit. Bianca said before either of her teammates could respond to her joke, addressing the new face. She seemed to be a feline Faunus.

"And you are?"

[Assistant]
Emerald - Outside Ozpin's Office -

"Oh." Emerald glanced away, looking sheepish. Gratia certainly liked to use her expletives. Apparently they weren't a couple, maybe more like bickering siblings that got on each other's nerves. A lot.

Then a new person showed up. She was some sort of bird faunus, that much was obvious. She looked absolutely stunning in her school uniform, especially with her wings! She had wings! They looked so cool!

Emmy snapped back to reality as the girl introduced herself as Bianca Nuit. "I'm Emerald...Emerald Felica." She announced quickly, still looking at Bianca with her wide, curious eyes. She couldn't help but look at the wings again, they were so pretty! And the way they moved around was so distracting! They were just asking for her to paw at them!

Before she realised what she was even doing, her more feline instincts caused her to attempt to swipe at some of the feathers on the edge of Bianca's wings. They wouldn't stop moving!

[User]
Sarina Tala Dei and Vega Venetia (VGNB)

"There will be food, near the end of the tour." Aww she's so cute and childish. Vega on the other hand… "Oh my god you are so cute. I could literally hug you for HOURS" as she immediately hugged Emerald and retracted back. "Oh and yes as to what you said Emerald and Bianca" giving her a nod back as she has fially arrived "Napoli and Gratia have been lovers since me and Bianca's first day on Haven as I remember their eyes set upon each other and in the end, nothing can separate them even though they argue and bicker at times" dramatizing her sentence on their love.

Sarina could not help but laugh in her head of the conversation going on. I wonder what Ozpin's think about them…since we are still in front of his office. VGNB has always been her favorite team when she was in Haven and now that they are here in Beacon and she was sure they were going to make a huge impact on the school. "Nice to see you again Bianca but you don't have to get informal with me." Sarina could not help but notice how beautiful Bianca wings were. It was always angelic and soothing for her to look at.

"Ok gals…and the one guy; let us get started on our tour of Beacon!" The group eventually was away from Ozpin's office as Sarina spoke about Beacon while walking down the empty yet beautiful hallways of Beacon. Only the sound of their footsteps can be heard. Eventually the group arrived at their first destination the Library as they entered inside it. "Welcome to the Library, a place for study and for socializing. Mostly students use it as a gathering place and socialization place. The library also doubles as a CCT. You can make transcontinental calls here if you don't want to walk to the tower. I will let you guys walk around here for several minutes to get a feel of this place." Sarina then took a seat near desk and put her legs on it.

[Assistant]
Bianca Nuit – A Dei Tour

Bianca cackled as Vega kept pace with her own story of how much love Napoli and Gratia so clearly held for each other. She knew there would be hell to pay for the comments later, but she just couldn't find it in herself to stop.

Bianca followed along with her team and the cat Faunus through the baron halls of Beacon. Every once in a while she would stretch her wing out towards Emerald in a way of teasing her, folding them back against her back before the girl could reach them. Eventually the group happened upon the library, it appeared to be a massive hall, akin to what Bianca imagined a dining hall would look like in a King's palace. There were several small groups of students all gathered around their own tables quietly discussing things and play card games.

 "My goodness." Bianca said finding herself at a loss for words. She took Sarina's cue and immediately began walking towards the rows and rows of knowledge spread out upon this expanse; not missing the opportunity to lightly ruffle Vega's hair and shoot her a playful smile filled with her own wonderment.

Bianca found herself drawn towards the section labeled Faunus. Immediately opening up her wingspan to reach the very top of the shelf. There she perched, as she delicately grabbed a novel and immediately began reading it. She looked like a statue of an angel, one leg crossed over the other, wings fully extended. She was too drawn to her book to notice anyone staring at her. Bianca regularly forgot that others couldn't just come up and join her, not that she'd care, but she would've expect people to be so bewildered by it. She would immediately shoot an excited glance to her teammates, pointing to the books. She was like a child in a candy store.

As Bianca finally caught herself and shut the book she fluttered back down to the top shelf of the bookcase and slid the book right back into place. As she landed, a pair of boys caught her eye and ear.

"God damn Faunus, showing off and shit." One boy said to another while they angrily peered over in her direction.

Bianca simply let out a quiet laugh and started in their direction. She flipped her hair over one shoulder, thought only of murder and refused to blink as she walked directly towards them. Upon finally reaching them she took a brief second of pause to let the heavy air hang over their heads before finally speaking up.

"Darling, if you think this is showing off I'd love to show you some more. Bianca said staring through his eyes like they were made of stain glass. Before giving them the time to respond Bianca immediately sauntered back off towards Sarina and pulled up a seat next to her.

"They weren't kidding when they said these boys were nothing compared to the one's we have in Haven, hm?" Bianca groaned adjusting in the seat to make it more comfortable for her wings.

"So how've you been keeping dear?" Bianca asked, this was the first time she had really spoken to her old friend in what seemed like forever.

[User]
Sepia stood up and straightened her dress. Smiling good-naturedly - and somewhat apologetically - she headed after Krysthane, pausing only to wave goodbye to those ever-so-helpful men. Once she caught up to her team leader, she leaned in and whispered, "So, what did you think? Didn't those guys seem a little...strange? Sure, their place was cute and all, but kinda unusual too." God, she hoped her teammate's first impression of her wasn't going to be that she was a ditzy airhead. She was, but whatever.

Sepia reached up and touched one of her dog ears. "I wonder how the other half of our team is doing."


[System]
Age: 211, to his best estimate
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 192 lbs
Race: Vampire
Birthplace: England, circa 1667 (Elizabethan era)
Short Bio: Born in the Elizabethan era and surviving into the Victorian, Vail has seen the rise and fall of two centuries' worth of dynasties—not just human, but supernatural as well. As a member of the Hygrace family, he was raised in the wealth and prestige of the most powerful vampire clan in London. His uncle, Lord Reginald Hygrace, was a respected leader, known across the nation for offering protection to any vampires who needed sanctuary from The Order of the Saints: an influential group of men and women who tracked down and killed the "demons" for a living.

For nearly a century, Reginald's efforts kept both his family and the rest of the vampires safe. However, around the year 1750, he made the mistake of taking in a man named Lord Elias Wynter. At a glance, Elias seemed like just another refugee seeking sanctuary with the Hygrace family, but in truth, he sought to overthrow the ruling dynasty completely.

Unbeknownst to the Hygraces, the Wynters had been plotting for quite a while to take over and change the way that vampires lived in England altogether. They believed that as "superior beings," they should fight back against humans instead of hiding from them in fear. They saw the Hygraces were weak and cowardly, unfit to lead their kind, and so started a rebellion.

When he commenced his attack, Elias managed to kill Reginald, but his attempt to finish off the rest of the oldest generation was cut short by his victim's younger brother—Vail's father—Peter, who went on to take over as the leader of the Hygrace clan in his sibling's stead. Unfortunately, the Wynter family refused to give up after just one defeat and has continued to fight for power against the ruling dynasty ever since.

For Vail, the following century of his life was spent predominantly in hiding. As the son of the most powerful vampire in England, he had to look out not only for members of the Saints but the Wynters as well. With such a large target on his back, he learned how to fight and wield a gun in order to protect himself. Both skills have saved his life since.

Of course, he can't spend all his time in seclusion without going stir crazy, so he finds time to attend parties and other large gatherings put on by other aristocrats in London to get out of the Hygrace manor on occasion.

[User]
Victoria carefully sat herself up to converse better with Vail as he informed her that he would meet her every third night at midnight here. She would have to mark it on the calendar with a V for Vail. As for Spencer she didn't have a plan yet. "No…but I plan on luring him into a false sense of security. I'll ask him to come here and I will sign the pre-nup he wants so badly. Then we'll shoot him in the heart with that pretty new gun of mine." She told him as she squinted in the darkness to just about make out his face. Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness well.

She told herself that this was all just business. She gave her blood to him in return for his help in dispatching Spencer. And then forever more he would have her as a treat every 3 days. But that would eventually pose a problem to any future husbands, they'd see all the bite marks over her body. It made her think she was going to have to remain alone. She couldn't join the Order if they thought she was a vampire sympathiser. She couldn't marry a normal human. Her options were quite limited in that respect. Having only Vail for company on a night a couple times a week would be her only interaction with a male that she would have. Until he grew tired of the same blood every time he fed, which wasn't likely. And it wasn't like she could go back on her word or run away, he would probably hunt her down.

Victoria sighed. "Very well. Every third night at midnight…here." She confirmed the details with him before he would eventually make his escape. She slowly rose to her feet, holding the wound on her side underneath her shirt. "I'll make the arrangements for our next meet." She moved toward the door as she could see better in the dark. She contemplated the fact she was now trapped in this bargain. She just hoped her blood did not weaken too quickly over the course of their secret affair. She felt quite tired and would no doubt fall asleep until the mid afternoon tomorrow. Not that her mother would notice as the first thing she did in the morning was scramble for a drink and spend the whole day fumbling around the house barking orders at the staff for absurd errands. Such a happy life, Victoria led.

"I do hope you enjoyed yourself, Lord Hygrace..?" A silly question to ask as no doubt he did enjoy himself. But as to which part he enjoyed more to was what intrigued her. She may as well exchange pleasantries.

[Assistant]
When Victoria answered his question, Vail nodded thoughtfully. It would take plenty of careful planning for them to pull off the murder of a member of the Wynter family. Of course she wouldn't have the entire plot laid out already. His role in it wouldn't be very easy either. He would have to find a way to catch Spencer by surprise—no simple task when the other vampire had just as sensitive of a nose as he did. He was going to have to spend the next few days thinking of ways to trap his rival. The thought nearly made him shake his head. It felt strange to switch from hunting humans to scheming against one of his own kind. However, he'd already agreed to be a part of the murder, and he'd already received part of his payment in the form of the Lady's blood. He couldn't back out from it now.

As Victoria rose from the lounge chair, Vail did as well. He felt much better now that his craving for her essence had been satisfied. His mind was sharp and his body was enriched. Better yet, he wouldn't have to worry about suffering from withdrawals again until she inevitably passed. As long as he could keep feeding on her every three days, he would stave off the fatigue and ill symptoms that usually forced him out of the manor to hunt. The next few years of his life would be fulfilling indeed.

Carefully, Vail followed Victoria through the dark house to the front door, as it had come time for them to part ways. All that was left was for him to make it back to the Hygrace estate without being caught by a member of the Order. Enough time had passed that he felt fairly confident he would make the short journey with no trouble. Humans were an impatient species, after all. The Saint who had been prowling about earlier was likely long gone by now. Since no one else among the hunters knew his face—at least, no one that he was aware of—he would have an easy stroll back through the streets of London.

"Of course," he said amusedly when the Lady asked if he had enjoyed himself. "I did get what I came here for, even though it wasn't quite how I expected." Forming a pact with the heiress of the Crest household hadn't even been a thought in his head before tonight. Plans often had a funny way of changing though.

Upon arriving at the door, Vail reached for the handle to pull it open. He could be a gentleman sometimes, when he felt like it. As he waited for Victoria to pass through first, a smirk tugged at his lip and he couldn't stop himself from whispering in her ear: "My question to you is, did you enjoy yourself?" It was a peculiar ask, even to him, since the answer should have been obvious. However, the sound of her feminine giggle still echoed in the back of his head. He wanted to know why she had reacted in such an interesting way.

[User]
At least he was a gentleman enough to get the door for her but before she could thank him, his voice whispering into her ear caught her completely off guard. She almost jumped out of shock at how close it was to her and she wasn't expecting him to make such a teasing move on his way out. It sent a tingle down her spine. She wasn't quite sure how to answer it as she felt her cheeks swell with blood and pheromones rise. She could lie and say she didn't enjoy it if she felt too stubborn to actually admit she liked it like a sick fetish. She wasn't really experienced in anything like this much less what kinks existed. She would be considered plain ol' vanilla.

"I- I.." She started with a shaky voice, she was once again nervous in his close proximity. "So what if I did enjoy it..?" She exhaled heavily. "Is that a problem?" She asked a little defensively. She didn't want to seem too into Vail but she couldn't really lie and deny what she thought and felt. He had heard her giggle. He had probably smelled her pheromone levels. He could definitely sense the blood rush in her cheeks. How could she not enjoy it? She'd never been touched like that in her life. And probably never would again if Vail weren't feeding on her. It was her only excitement lately. She didn't have leisurely activities as she trained and studied hard every day for the mission, she'd set for herself.

Although she did wonder why he asked her that question? Why would he care if she enjoyed it or not, he had gotten his fill and he needn't make small talk after it. She took a couple of steps out of the summer house into the moonlight where the light bounced off her hair and the bushy curly tail tied up. She turned back around to look at Vail exit the wooden lodge. "Why do you ask?" She couldn't resist asking him why he asked her. She just had to know before he ventured off into the night. Why linger around her more than he had to? Surely, he had to get back to is manor quickly and quietly as possible. If he didn't even want the lantern on, someone could still hear their voices. Perhaps on their next meet, she could set some tea out to enjoy before the donation of blood. She needed to be quite hydrated in readiness for him to drain her and even enjoy the taste more as it would flow more easily. Tonight and the previous feed, she wasn't expecting him to feed on her but now she could prepare for it each time. And who knows, they may even become...friends?

[Assistant]
Vail's smirk widened into a broad grin when Victoria became flustered by his question. She was always acting so tough and cocky whenever they crossed paths. He enjoyed knowing that he could still get underneath her skin with the right words. Besides that, he found their occasional banter fun. Lighthearted conversation wasn't commonly found among his kind, and he suspected their longevity slowly sapped away their senses of humor. He'd even fallen victim to the melancholy, to some degree. However, he liked to think he had a bit more of a personality when compared with the rest of his stoic family; a tribute of his persistence to attend human events like the Lady's party. He hadn't turned into an emotionless monster quite yet.

Additionally, a part of him liked knowing that she had enjoyed becoming his prey. There was just something about hearing the pleasure in her voice that thrilled him in a different way than the hunt usually did. He wasn't yet sure why, but there was no denying the feeling was there; an exhilarating sensation when he felt her heartbeat quicken and a breathy moan escape her lips. Just thinking about it again excited him. He couldn't wait to return in three days to do it all again.

At her defensive question, Vail shrugged. "No," he answered simply. Far from it, he was rather pleased that she had admitted to enjoying his feeding upon her. He waited in the doorway until she exited the house before following her into the brisk night. Of course, she couldn't let him get away without asking one more query—one that he decided he didn't want to answer openly. Though he knew how he felt about it, he didn't want her to interpret his enjoyment as something more sinister or strange than it actually was.

"Am I not allowed to be curious?" he asked, turning the question back on her in avoidance. "I've never had a Lady react like you before… It was intriguing." Meeting her gaze in the dark, he supposed he could bother to give her a little more of a window into his thoughts. "It wasn't unpleasant though."

With that, he offered Victoria a devilish smile and bowed to her customarily. "Goodnight, My Lady," he said softly as he departed into the surrounding trees.


[System]
Alias: Seer Skadi
Occupation: Shaman, Alchemist, Herbalist
Gender: Female
Age: 30
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Nordic Totemism
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 190

Appearance:

Hair: Long blond hair flows down her back, decorated with countless beads, feathers and braids.

Face: Long and slender, with gentle features, and one piercing blue eye. Her left eye remains hidden below a wrap of bandages that cuts across her face at a diagonal.

Build: Gunnaya sports bulging muscular thighs, calves and arms, with a slender, toned waist.

Other Notable Features:
A complex blue tattoo covers the entire left half of her face. Narrow tattoos, in various shades of blue and black, can be found across her entire body. Three deep scars run down her torso, from under her right arm.

Equipment:
Head: Thick Fur Hood
Shoulders: Thick Fur Cloak
Torso: Thick Fur Shirt
Undershirt: N/A
Arms: Iron Plated Leather Vambrace
Legs: Long Fur Skirt
Hands: Thick Fur Gloves
Feet: Thick Fur Boots

Primary Weapon: Staff of the Medicine Woman
A long, thick quarterstaff, made of solid oak, and tipped with steel bands. The skulls of various birds and rodents dangle from one end, tied by string and rope.

Secondary Weapon: Axe of the Ancients
A thick, iron war axe, with leather bindings around the handle and an iron spike protruding from either end. Celtic carvings decorate either side of the head. Haunted with the souls of fallen warriors, in shrieks in agony when swung.

Additional Weapons:
-1 Yew Longbow
-2 Quivers
-60 Iron-Tipped Arrows

Abilities:

Cry of the Skymonger
Gunnaya is able to perfectly emulate the shrieks of various birds, summoning them to her aid.

Friend of the Valkyries
Gunnaya calls her flocks of trained ravens to her side, commanding them as hunting and battle companions.

Feast of the Valkyries
Gunnaya uses singing and the scent of rotten meat to send her ravens into a suicidal rage, swarming and dive-bombing anything around her.

Njordsdottir
Gunnaya calls upon the fury of various ocean and sky spirits, summoning a ferocious storm of wind and rain. In climates of dust, sand, or powdered snow, this can seriously obstruct vision and mobility.

Alchemy Materials:

-2 Vials of Mimsblood
Mimsblood, a unique mixture made by Gunnaya, numbs all pain and constricts damaged blood vessels, preventing the drinker from bleeding out.

-1 Flask of Flametongue Mead
This brew remains hot to the touch at all times, and super-heats the drinker's body, protecting them from any amount of cold weather.

-3 Vials of Potent Poison

-5 Vials of Corrosive Acid

-2 Vials of Jormungar
Jormungar, another Gunnaya original, is a cocktail of highly reactive elements. When exposed to open air, they explode into a cloud of toxic gas, which takes two minutes to fully settle, unless blown away.

-2 Antivenom Herbes (best applied directly to wound)

Non-Combat Items:
-1 Leather Bound Book of Spiritual Healing Rituals
-1 Blunt Carving Knife
-1 Whetstone
-1 Spare Bowstring
-1 Vial of Wood Stain
-1 Satchel of Raw Meat
-2 Sticks of Chalk
-1 Jar of War Paint

[User]
Gunnaya leapt to her feet, and spun around to meet her adversary. As she did so, however, a bolt of pain shot up her right leg. It gave out and she sluped herself against a nearby tree. The force of Blithe's impact had twisted her ankle, and broken at least one toe. She was relieved, at least, to see Blithe struggling to rise from the ground, swatting the two falcons away from her face. It seemed that what struck Gunnaya's foot was Blithe's own.
 With a smirk, she plunged her hand into her traveling pouch, and withdrew a vial of deep red liquid. Popping the cork, she lifted the bottle to her lips and consumed it all in a single swig. Nearly instantly, a wave of warmth ran down her body, removing all pain from her injured ankle.
 A loud *KONK* drew her attention away from the potion's effect. The elf had slammed her shield into one of the falcons, sending its lifeless body hurtling into the snow. With that, Blithe began to hoist herself up from the ground.
 Gunnaya gave another shrill screech, as she swooped down, picking her quarterstaff from the snow. More birds would soon be on their way. As her opponent rose to her feet, Gunnaya swung her staff through the air, knocking all the snow from it. She struck a firm battle stance, thrusting her staff forward, ready for combat. The skulls hanging at its upper tip gave an eerie rattle, swinging in the winter breeze.

 "Tell me, elf.", Gunnaya requested, "Have you ever been to war?"

[Assistant]
As Blithe finished rising, a lone falcon still pestering, Blithe slew it with a swing of her blade, a single target far less able to juke around her. She stood ready, shield planted and blade drawn.

"Hmph? War? No, never a war. It's only called a war if the other side is strong enough to fight back." Blithe smirked, speaking her lines with a haughty tone, before she resumed her advance. This time it was a slow steady advance, just to close within striking range, keeping her shield front and center.

She kept her blade back and low, the tip slicing through the crests of snow dunes.

[User]
"Ah then!", Gunnaya exclaimed, "That's good for me!. An opponent who's never known true horror."

 As Blithe grew closer, Gunnaya strafed to the left, slowly circling around her target. Her softly looked up and down, waiting for an opening.

 "You see, elf", spoke Gunnaya, clearly, gauntly, "Every day I hear the screams of fallen warriors. They tell me every detail of their miserable deaths, as soldiers in a great army."

 Veering further and further to the left, forcing Blithe to turn around to face her, Gunnaya's body grew tense. As she stepped, she drew her staff backward, ready for the strike. The gap grew smaller between the two of them.

 "Simply put, I know how good soldiers die...", Gunnaya paused, thoughtfully, "And I know how better soldiers kill."

 Distant chirps began to fill the air, high above the tree-tops. It was time.

 "Tell me, ho-", in an attempt to catch her opponent off guard, Gunnaya cut herself off. She swung her thick, steel-tipped staff around to Blith's sword-arm side. This strike was designed to reach around Blithe's shield from the more-awkward side, and break her sword-arm. A quarterstaff in two hands throws a lot more weight than a sword in one, and Gunnaya hoped her blow would be enough to break through.

[Assistant]
"Heh, every day, I see entire kingdoms of men fall into ruin. All a matter of perspective." Blithe matched Gunnaya's facing, keeping their facing equal. That said, Blithe's left side was forward, her right side back. Like a fencer, she did not present her chest straight towards Gunnaya.

As such, an attack on her sword arm side was only possible from Blithe's rear facing. As Blithe saw the attack coming in she crouched into her shield, lowering her head and reinforcing her shield arm with her shoulder. The two handed strike smashed heavily into the shield and halted Blithe's advance, but did not reach her sword arm side. Blithe's shield arm would probably not feel great in the morning, but for now, she was alright.

As soon as the impact was over, Blithe then shoved forward and up with her shoulder and her shield, aiming to push Gunnaya off balance slightly and obstruct her vision with the distracting shield as Blithe's blade swept in low to make a quick cut to the legs. It was not a powerful blow with a wind up to hew limbs, but a darting strike aimed to cause a shallow bleeding wound. The swing would just barely lodge in the leg, and then the pull back would cut open a bloody wound. There was little weight to the strike, as most of Blithe's force was in her shield, and she did not want to be off balance if the attack missed.

[User]
Gunnaya's initial swing failed to hit its target. Instead, it crashed against Blithe's shield. In an instant, Gunnaya recoiled into a fighting stance, ready to strike again.

 Just then, the elf put all its weight into the shield, thrusting it forward and upward, into Gunnaya's face. This was too close-quarters for the reach of a quarterstaff. Responding quickly, Gunnaya firmly strode backward, restoring the distance between the two. The elf was making small steps, hidden behind its shield, so it wasn't hard to compensate for the approach. With two great steps backward, Gunnaya's left foot planted stalwartly behind her, allowing her to turn and put all her weight into a swing from the right. As she wound up for the blow, she noticed a tinge of pain in her left leg. She didn't have time to look, but no doubt the elf had made a swing, and sliced her shin as she stepped backward with the other foot.

 No matter, this was a full-bodied blow, intended to knock her opponent off her feet! Shield or no shield!

[Assistant]
Blithe was not in the mind to let Gunnaya retreat easily, pursuing Gunnaya's steps backwards as quickly as she could, though Gunnaya did make some headway backwards, until Gunnaya planted herself to strike. A full bodied blow required wind up in body and weapon. Blithe noticed the tell tale signs and lunged forward, already having forward momentum from her pursuit, shield first. If Gunnaya were to retreat and maintain distance, her body weight would no longer be behind the swing. If Gunnaya stood her ground, the shield would catch the staff before the swing was complete, preventing the leverage of the haft from working to her advantage and making it a straight contest of weight and strength.

Of course, because Blithe was lunging shield first while in an already defensive stance, this left her weapon to far out of position to do anything in this particular exchange. Hoping to switch to a more aggressive stance and launch more lethal minded attacks, after the lunge, presuming all went well, Blithe, brought her right foot forward, switching to a more neutral body stance, rather than her previous defensive one, while Gunnaya's staff was on the shield size.

[User]
As Gunnaya wound up for her strike, she saw that her target wasn't backing off. Rather, Blithe was pushing ahead quite aggressively, trying to get her off guard. Following Gunnaya's staff, Blithe propelled herself, shield-first, toward Gunnaya's right side. Thinking quickly, Gunnaya sidestepped to her left, switching the weight on her legs and weapon. Instead of facing her adversary head-on, Gunnaya used her left hand to thrust the other end of her staff forward. This would strike Blithe's right side, pushing her forward with the momentum she already had, instead of against her body's weight.

 As the weighty, metal-tipped staff collided with Blithe's right shoulder, she would likely be sent stumbling forward, past Gunnaya, if not tripping from the sudden push and falling on the ground.

[Assistant]
Gunnaya's attack would likely be successful, because Blithe lost sight of Gunnaya's motion when Blithe prepared to receive the blow that never came, at least, not from that angle. Blithe did not have time to reanalyze all of Gunnaya's position and stance, only gut react, once she caught sight of Gunnaya again. However, the time taken to prepare to attack, prompting Blithe's reaction, and then react to the reaction with a sidestep and a different attack took enough time for Blithe to begin putting in motion her previous plans (see above post.)

However, Gunnaya might have chance to reconsider, as she sidestepped the shield and saw the opportunity for striking, she would see Blithe's follow up, the shift of weight bringing her right side forward along with her sword (See above post). If Gunnaya struck as intended, she would have to deal with Blithe's right arm, coming in low and fast, blade in hand, likely turning into some sort of thrust. Blithe was moving her right side forward, and, with Gunnaya's movement, this suddenly changed Blithe's weapon back defensive stance into a weapon forward aggressive stance. It also changed the angle of impact of Gunnaya's potential blow dramatically, and meant her forward moment had mostly stopped.

[User] Gunnaya's swing plunged through the air, toward Blithe's right side. Following the arc of her blow, Gunnaya saw Blithe's arm wind up for a stab. In quick response, she angled her staff's swing into Blithe's arm. Her plan was to knock, or break, Blithe's arm down, before she could fully extend her blade into a strike with any degree of force.

[Assistant]
Gunnaya's strike landed first, acting quicker. When the staff began pushing into the arm and it began giving under the strike, it was fortunate for Blithe that, due to their respective angling, before her arm reached its maximum flexibility, the staff smacked into Blithe's side. This was, by no means comfortable.

With her arm knocked about, Blithe's stab landed with limp force, snagging on the fur hide for but a moment before deflecting away with only some fluff as its prize.

Blithe desperately hauled her shield between them once more, knocking the staff away if it had not been withdrawn already, and set both her arms upon it, readjusting her grip so that she could discard it.

[User] Facing the oncoming shield, Gunnaya took her left hand off of her staff, and drew her axe. Tucking her right arm in, she slammed herself into Blithe's shield with her right shoulder. The collision was loud, but Gunnaya had her feet firmly planted in the snow. Hopefully the elf, using only one arm to hold the shield, would be more shaken than Gunnaya, by the collision. The elf wouldn't stop pushing forward with that damned shield. All the tall, barbaric woman could think to do was to knock her backward. As her right shoulder buried itself painfully into the solid shield, with a thunderous *THUD*, Gunnaya prepared to parry another jab from the elf's sword.