[System]
[Appearance]

Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 124lbs
Gender:
Male
Age:
15

Personality: Ryoma is the quiet type, he'd much prefer the companionship of a good book than a person. But don't be mistaken, if you talk to him first, he'll talk back. A bit awkward but well meaning. He tends to be the calm voice of reason in any group. He's a great listener and doesn't judge people for their problems, if you need someone to vent to, he's your guy. He has this quiet confidence to him that lets people know he has confidence in his skills, but without shoving it in their faces.He's a calm, level headed person who can stay that way in most situations, prefering to analyze things rather than rush headlong into them. Though he comes off as the overly serious type, he doesn't stop others from having fun, he'll remove himself from a conversation if he feels like he's bringing down the mood of it.

Background: Ryoma grew up in the shadows of an older sister who's a famous hero. All eyes were on her, so nobody really expected much from him, which was how he liked it. He could go through life without his parents shoving expectations and pressure onto him. It was good thing too, because nobody was really disappointed when he discovered his Quirk, and everybody realize that it was pretty much useless for everything but a party trick. Despite his family's wealth, and his sister's influence, his parents could get him into a single academy. When they found out what his Quirk was, they laughed at his face and turned him away. They were relieved to find Kosei Academy, and the influence it had on Ryoma. When he wasn't turned away immediately, and even told that his Quirk could be very useful, and that they had classes for supportive type Quirks like his, he suddenly found himself a bit more excited about the prospect of a hero academy. His parents wasted no time in getting him signed up after that.

Quirk: Outline
You know that thing in stealth video games where you can see a glowing outline of the enemy through walls? That's basically what Ryoma can do. It doesn't matter if somebody is in his line of sight or not, near or further away, he can see that glowing outline. Even through most walls, with the exception of extra thick walls and certain types of metal. At the moment, the glowing outline is white, but as his Quirk develops and gets stronger he'll be able to see different colors around people, which can tell him whether the person is an ally or not, and various other things.

This Quirk isn't something that he can just turn on and off, it is always activated. Unfortunately, if he uses it too much, it blurs his vision and gives him headaches. The solution is a simple one, his glasses. The lens are made from a special material that basically nullifies his Quirk and allows him to chose when he uses it. The lens are none perscription, he has perfect vision, but they still aid his sight.

Talents and Skills:Due to a surprising amount of lean muscle, and a lot of training, Ryoma is very good at parkour and free running. He's able to run, jump, and climb his way into, out of, and on to just about anything. Because of his Quirk he's also pretty darn good at not being seen when he doesn't want to be. Great at analyzing situations, picking out weaknesses, and keeping his cool. He could be a great hero if only he could fight his way out of a wet paper bag.

Outside of the hero stuff, Ryoma loves to cook. Any friends he picks up during his stay at Kosei will certainly be well fed.

[User]
@yahoo3422@Tenma Tendo@TaliPaendrag@Superboy
As Dante trailed behind the others she took in the amazing campus. The buildings and the scenery were all.... a lot to take in honestly. She kept her head on a swivel, constantly looking at the next amazing thing that caught her eye. When they finally reached the training stadium Dante let out a low whistle. This place was huge, she could barely contain her excitement and she felt the fire in her grow.
[Cokor=maroon] "aw, man, this is gonna be AWESOME![/color]
As she said this she saw Eir drop some kind of stone thing that then shattered on the ground. .... what-... was that her quirk?
Dante shook her head, it didn't matter. Her opponent was Jefferson.
It was then that a new student joined them, And dear God was she short. It was actually kind of adorable, but Dante was somewhat afraid she would accidentally step on the girl. So Dante simply waved at her with a big smile revealing how excited she was. It was then that Eir told them that she knew where to go. Dante began to follow her, her excitement growing with each step.
"aw-man, this is going to be so much fun."

[Assistant]
From the moment Kosei Academy had come into view, Ryoma's odd purple eyes had been staring at it, taking in everything that the massive school had to offer. Thoughts were racing through his mind, he barely heard anything that was said during the opening ceremonies. What would people think about him when they heard his last name? Thank goodness he had his glasses. How was he supposed to become a hero with a Quirk like the one he had? Those any many more thoughts were going through his mind, but he tried to put his focus on the ceremony.

His lips curled into a frown when he heard about the ranking system. He definitely wasn't the type to go around challenging people for their rank, and it wasn't like he was going to outshine anybody in any other categories. Look like he'd stay a low rank for a while. But that was okay, he was lucky, and grateful, to be accepted into a hero academy at all. He just hoped he could make his sister proud.

Makoto Otonashi, a famous hero, legendary even, with a Quirk that made most people jealous. People of all ages looked up to her. Ryoma did to, but not because she was some amazing hero, but because she was an amazing big sister. Supportive in every way despite the fact that Ryoma's chances of becoming a hero were slim. When they had last spoken a few days ago, she was already talking about the two of them teaming up. Just the thought of that made Ryoma smile.

After the opening ceremony, they were given the chance to explore the campus and really do whatever they wanted. Ryoma instantly felt lost, he had absolutely no idea what to do or where to go. There were so many people going off any doing so many different things. He didn't want to just waltz up to someone and start a conversation, that really wasn't his thing. After a minute of thinking and looking lost, he decided on the perfect thing for him to do.

Ryoma found himself a nice, quiet, spot underneath a tree. He took a seat and pulled out a book from his messenger bag. The bag had been a joke gift from his sister. It was one of those messenger bags they made for a specific hero, this one being Makoto of course. She had even signed it. It was now Ryoma's favorite bag to carry around. The teen set the book on his legs and looked around, the sudden urge to try something rising up.

Curiously, Ryoma looked toward one of the smaller buildings. He reached up and removed his glasses from his face. His eyes were immediately assaulted by white. The familiar glow surrounded the people nearby, and the ones in the building he had chosen to look at. Ryoma let out a whistle. There were a lot of people here and just in that one area. "There are so many people here..." Once again, Ryoma was so glad that he had his glasses. Already his vision was starting to blur.

He put his glasses back on and blinked a few times as his vision readjusted. Now that he had gotten that out of the way, his turned his purple gaze to the book on his legs. Here he was at this massive school full of people with Quirks just like him, and the first thing he wants to do is read. His sister was right, the glasses suited him for more reason than one.

[User]
Hironaka, Severa
First Impressions@NobodiesHero

---

The opening ceremony was less pomp and pageantry than what Severa was expecting, especially considering the rather aristocratic architecture of this place. Just a few speeches by the leadership and everybody was released to do.. whatever they wanted. It was a horrible start to what seemed like a promising prospect. Kosei had a reputation for being more.. aggressive in their Hero training courses than the other academies, and if Severa was going to make up excessive aggression from the previous entrance exam, this was the place for it.

All throughout the introductory speeches, Severa's fiery red eyes lulled with boredom as she crossed her arms, zoning out as she thought up fantasy where she was praised as the number one hero. A bit ambitious but it was just where Severa was setting her mark as she knew she had a good quirk to do well. It was just a matter of proving it.

Severa's daydream ended shortly after the dismissal as everyone around her began moving around. It provided a good opportunity to try and identify some of the people here as anyone likely in her class will have been here by now. Though even her scan of her classmates was found to be lacking as Severa could have sworn a friend of hers would also be here. At least that brat said she would.

Aggravated but out of a stubborn resolve, Severa separated from the group of fresh students and headed for landmark to prop herself up against. In this instance, she found a clearing of landscaping and leaned up against one of the trees as she scanned the cluster of students, arms crossed as she stewed quietly in her quiet aggravation.

More to her annoyance, the new students took their time parting and heading off, most to the training facilities as that was probably the most significant part of this campus. As they did so, Severa's eyes followed an eager group making their way away, catching the distinct figure of someone sitting in proximity to her. Severa turned fully to see a scrawny four-eyes reading. He looked too young to be a part of the staff or even an upperclassmen. No, this was certainly a new student. "Tch!" Severa quietly scoffed turning her gaze back to thinning cluster of new students. ".. What? That confident in yourself that you're going to do well in the competitions or resigning yourself early?" Severa asked Four-Eyes, her mind only settling that people on her notion that people are here to compete and not necessarily anything else. Her tone wasn't mocking either, though her anger at other things was certainly present in her voice. As she was curious to why someone would be so lax at this time. She wouldn't admit it, but she certainly wasn't.

[Assistant]
---

---

KOSEI ACADEMY | FRONT GATE

As soon as the gates of the academy opened, majority of the students wasted no time and rushed in. It was no surprise though; it wasn't everyday that one gets the opportunity to freely explore such an institution. Standing beside the podium, Principal Arata silently watched as the students gleefully entered the school grounds. The awkward silence and empty streets of Kosei were no more; they were finally an academy.

"Excuse me, sir." From behind him, the Vice Principal approached him and called his attention. "I mean no disrespect, but are you sure that letting the students do whatever they please for, even if its just for today, is the right decision?"

Arata simply turned his gaze upwards and smiled. He always found it amusing when she questioned the choices that he made. It was certainly out of character, but it only meant that she was genuinely concerned.

"We're just a bit fanatical when it comes to our values. All we wish is to show the world that there are other ways. Because kids today just have their values chosen for them."

The Vice Principal fell silent as she heard Arata's words. For some reason, his voice had changed; it was heavy and felt oddly depressing. "My father was a detestable man, I'll admit that. But even with his cynical way of thinking, their was merit to some of his words."

INSTITUTE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION
@yahoo3422@Tenma Tendo@TaliPaendrag@Superboy@Araby264

The group of six continued their exploration of the training facility in their hopes of finding a boxing ring they could spar in. From the main hallway, they came across a massive weight room, and another with various exercise equipment, before heading further inside the building. Little did they know, what they were seeing was just the metaphorical tip of the metaphorical iceberg. However, even with just these amenities, it they were certain that Kosei was true to their promise and definitely had a lot to offer to their students.

After a turn and a short stairway, they had managed to stumble upon the ever elusive ring they were searching for, kind of. It was a massive room, but instead of one that was used for boxing, it held nine pentagon-shaped rings; four on each corner and side, then a larger one in the middle. Just from appearance alone, it was obvious that these were far from ordinary. Appearing bulkier and with a more metallic feel to them, the rings were designed to hold and withstand any type of fight.

Slowly making their way inside to appreciate the fighting arenas up close, a deep, loud howl suddenly echoed throughout the room. Most, if not all, immediately turned around, facing the source of the sound.

"Wanahnahnahnah!" With two lit cigarettes hanging from his mouth, and another in hand, the massive wolf-like man laughed out loud as a few puffs of smoke escaped from his mouth.

"Finally, some students!" The wolf said as he made his way towards them. As he drew closer, the difference in size just became more apparent as he easily towered over each one of them.

"The name's Mako Nahino, and this is the academy's main trainin' center!" His face was stern and voice booming, but for some reason, he gave of a welcoming vibe. "Since y'all are here, I'm guessin' that you're hopin' for a fight." Mako grinned, showing off his sharp fangs. "So, anything I can help ya with?"

---

---

[User]
Ryoma was completely engrossed in his book, an epic tale set in a fantasy world. It was one of those books that he had read over and over again and never gotten tired of it. Every time he read it, he learned something new and it never failed to make him smile. He was so into the book that he didn't notice when someone leaned against a tree nearby. That is, until she started speaking to him and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

He thought what she had said had been quite rude, but tried not to judge her with this first impression. For all he knew she could just be grumpy. He looked up to respond to her, and almost immediately looked back down again. Girls didn't really talk to him much, especially the pretty ones. Well, Makoto did, but she was family so that was a little different. "Neither, I guess." He responded finally, looking back up at her.

"I mean, I do have confidence in the skills I have, but I really don't expect to be winning competitions. It's the first day, they don't expect us to be heroes yet. That's why we're here, to learn how to be heroes, right? The training will really start tomorrow, so I'm enjoying the time I have before then." Ryoma finished with a shrug, hoping he didn't sound rude or too awkward. At least he was able to get full sentences out. That was pretty good.


[System]
22 y/o | Female | 5'9 | 148 lbs | Freelancer

❄

GrimoireAn aquamarine prayer stick. The fortune on it reads, in Chinese characters, 'Calamitous Fortune'. It's been repurposed as a hairpin.
InstrumentMoya-no-Yume – A dagger with a hilt long enough to be comfortably held in two hands. The construction of the handguard includes embellishments of carp and streams, while the fabric that wraps around the hilt is an aged indigo. The blade is unremarkable, but well-maintained.

GRADE: Bronze
KEYWORD: Dagger
DAMAGE TYPE: Physical
DAMAGE: D
SPEED: C
SENTINEL: E
SPECIAL: Frosted Sheen – Moya-no-Yume's blade is cold to the touch, and in warmer temperatures will exude a faint mist.
StyleImpermanence of Spring Snow – A modified variation of a shrine maiden's garments, featuring colors that evoke both the cold chill of winter and the vibrant colors of spring. Purple and yellow sashes secure a dark blue hakama around Klava's waist, while her bosom is wrapped in white cloth hemmed with magenta. Cerulean prayer beads hang from her neck, humming with spiritual power, and arcane tattoos are inscribed upon her arms to ward off the advance of evil.

Her footwear remain impractical, timber getas elevated like high heels, with a golden bell suspended within the soles. It's no longer impossible to move in though, and the sharper corners allow for better gliding.

GRADE: Silver
PHYSICAL: E
ARCANE: B
CHAOS: C
SPECIAL: Boreas's Caress – Klava's sashes, three meters in length, have some degree of prehensility and autonomy. While she is in motion, her sashes act to assist in her movements, snagging onto the environment or weaving together into temporary cushions to allow for sharp turns and quick deceleration or to cushion impacts. These sashes can be destroyed by an E-rank attack, recovering at the start of the next round.
Genre:Glacial Stream – The freezing waters that Klava eloquently manipulates to disarm and restrain her foes are but precursors to the glacier-sized mass she bludgeons them with when mercy is off the table.

GRADE: Silver
ELEMENT: Aqua
NOTES: [Freeze (2), Slick (2)] Damage (2), Restrain (4), Push (2), Extend (2), Construction (4), Craft (2), Mark (0), Blink (4), Bend (0)
SPECIAL: Rime Rose – Klava's ice is as clear as glass and as enduring as permafrost. Elemental constructs formed from her Genre counts as one rank higher.
LeitmotifGRADE: Bronze
SPECIAL: Meltwater Spring – Klava's body and clothing remain clean no matter how dirty her surroundings or what attack she's struck by.

22 | Female | Freelancers | Meltwater Spring
Moya-no-Yume | Dagger | Physical | Frosted Sheen
Snowdrop Vestige | Sangfroid Convention
Glacial Stream | Aqua | Rime Rose
[Freeze, Slick] Damage X, Restrain, Extend, Construction, Trap, Enhance, Mark, Blink, Powerful

DAMAGE: D | SPEED: C | SENTINEL: E | 750

PHYSICAL: E| ARCANE: D | CHAOS: C | 750

[User]
ARIA: THE PROTECTOR | PSPD #11
Reporting to: G.E.M.I.N.I. Agents

The teacher waved her last remaining student goodbye and watched him be driven off before shifting her attention to the Shimr app. A quick swipe and she was all set. With hands clasped tight around her keychain, she muttered a small prayer in her native tongue before her body dispersed into light, transforming into...

...a massive 8'0" suit of pure, leaden armor. On its back rested a massive shield that seemed to add on more to the giant suit's weight, but it seemed to not mind. Each of its weighted steps sounded heavily throughout the area, accompanied by a little jingle as the keychain attached to its cuirass shook. It showed up at the given assembly area stated in the app a little earlier than the meetup time. Tardiness was a no-no, after all. A slight whirring noise came as its metal head rotated left to right to scan the area. It was not hard for it to spot the three women standing together.

One was heavily plated in armor, much like itself. It admired her shield, giving her an internal thumbs-up. The other seemed to have green hair- this, it was sure the little students would love to see. The third seemed apprehensive but had an air of seriousness about her, especially taking into account the rifle in her arms. The fourth stood relaxed, in a shiny, seemingly well-maintained suit of armor.

The Protector hauled itself to the group, eager to meet its teammates. It towered over the trio and greeted politely:

"Good evening, everyone. I am Protector."

A deep, gravelly voice rumbled from within the confines of the helmeted suit of armor.

"And you?"

---

20 | Female | The Freelancers | Guardian
Protector's Treaty | Spear, Shield | Arcane | Aegis
Protector's Stronghold | Shelter
Protector's Mandate | Gravity | Fortification
[Weightless (4), Suspend X (4)], Blink (4), Restrain (4), Pull (2), AoE (2), Powerful (0), Shield (4)

DAMAGE: D | SPEED: E | SENTINEL: B | 500

PHYSICAL: D | ARCANE: E | CHAOS: D | 500

[Assistant]
Jacqueline Leroux
She was being driven to the precinct in what was basically a giant metal cage, and it was utterly silent. Jacqueline didn't show it, but she was bored. The only silver lining was that her esper outfit didn't make her all the more uncomfortable, despite logic dictating that wearing full plate should.

Jay was glad to arrive at the location, because at least it got her out of the awkward, suffocating enclosed space. She surveyed the surroundings, hoping to catch signs of trouble – but there was nothing on the outside.

She stood guard while she waited, gaze perfunctorily wandering here and there, just in case someone or something dangerous showed up. Jacqueline noted one of her co-workers, Valkyrie was as serious as ever. Not that she herself was lax, but Jay had recognized from working alongside her that the other woman took their duty very personally. She couldn't help but wonder if she could keep up being so stiff and inflexible even several years down the line. Should just worry about myself.

Jacqueline let out a slightly longer exhale, then moved closer to where conversation between Breacher and Blinky ensued. "A few freelancers, huh. Don't have nothing against them, but it's annoying how we've no clue how many'll show up till they do. Oh, well."

She ignored the part about Breacher's daughter, as she wasn't really interested. But she did pitch in at the end. "To a good one," she said simply. She shifted her war pick to her left, and offered her right to Blinky and Breacher. She didn't bother with Valkyrie, since she either wasn't interested or that weapon really was too cumbersome.

A moment passed, and all was quiet again. "So, chance of monster involvement?" she asked idly. However, her tone indicated she didn't expect anything non-human this time.

It wasn't long till their first Freelancer helper arrived. They were a giant suited-up soldier, and drew attention from far away. "Evenin'. Just call me Leroux. Pleasure to meet you," Jay introduced herself with a nod.

[User]
Apollo Greit
The roar of six cylinders echoed against the concrete buildings. It certainly wasn't sneaky, but someone driving a car for assholes like an asshole was considerably less conspicuous than the government armoured vehicles that crept through the streets. Apollo certainly wasn't planning to work today. He was just out for a rip. However, a job on Shimr and government vehicles entering was at least interesting enough to show up.

The aggressive car came to a stop some distance away as the engine's roar was replaced by equally aggressive music muffled by closed windows. As the music went silent alongside the engine, a large figure left the poorly parked car. With a shirt that was a size too small, aviators, and a golden necklace, he certainly didn't like a government stooge. In fact, he looked closer to one of the people who would have chosen to occupy a police station. Quickly, his aviators were removed and placed on the collar of his shirt. A second skin began to grow and cover his personal features. Though, his clothing was unaffected by this.

There were already a couple of people there. It was pretty easy to tell which ones were freelancers and which ones were agents, even if he had never worked with or seen them before. Agents usually ended up looking the same. Though this time, it appeared there were two armoured persons. Well, it wasn't like like the armour actually did anything. The armour from the 8" giant did look sturdier than the other woman's, though.

He approached the group with his phone in hand and the screen showing the Shimr job open and visible. His appearance as a faceless Adonis tended to get him questioned more than anything else. Letting others see that he was a freelancer was the best way to expedite the process of not getting questioned or tackled.

Still, he introduced himself to the group. "I'm Apollo," he succinctly stated. "You can think of me as a healer, more or less."

With it being a mystery of if that was his nickname or his actual name, he held out a fist for the giant to bump. Tall people had to stick together, even if the Protector undoubtedly got a few feet from their esper form.

With his fist still extended, he glanced over to his right. Without missing a beat, his head quickly recoiled as a girl with a gun seemed to suddenly appear. Or was always there? Still shocked him.

---

24 | Male | Freelancer | Bastard
Restraining Order | Spear | Physical | Unenforceable
Second Skin | Regrowth
God Complex | Light | Give Him Thanks
[Reveal (2), Purity (4)], Heal (16), Stabilize (0), Purify (6), Reflect (4), Damage X(6), Powerful (0), Trap (0), AoE (2), Full Extend (4)

DAMAGE: E | SPEED: C | SENTINEL: D | 750

PHYSICAL: E | ARCANE: D | CHAOS: C | 750

[Assistant]
22 | Female | Freelancers | Meltwater Spring
Moya-no-Yume | Dagger | Physical | Frosted Sheen
Snowdrop Vestige | Sangfroid Convention
Glacial Stream | Aqua | Rime Rose
[Freeze, Cold Insulation] Damage X, Restrain, Dispel, Rain, Trap, Enhance, Trigger, Blink, Powerful

DAMAGE: D | SPEED: C | SENTINEL: E | 750

PHYSICAL: E| ARCANE: D | CHAOS: C | 750
The roar of the muscle car, six cylinders blasting with dramatic aplomb, masked the sound of the rattling of a bike chain through its gears. In the aural shadow cast by Apollo's Douchecruiser, Klava cycled down the streets of Pax Septimus on her secondhand bike, dressed in a jumpsuit with an old toque keeping her head warm. City of Blood it may be, drenched in the misery of all its residents, but it was her home as well. Even before she became an Esper, Klava had cycled down these streets, had played in these parks, had studied in these schools and shopped in these stores. She knew how to live here, just as how so many others did.

After all, Pax Septimus still had a population of citizens, no matter the sheer amount of villainy present within alleys, sewers, and basements. Pockets of comfort and safety existed, even if only psychologically, and though threads on Shimr had been blowing up recently about the disappearance of Bastion's leader and the massacre uncovered there, life aboveground remained the same it always has been…disregarding the power vacuum that was drawing the government back into this bloody city. Outsiders in fancy suits and shiny trucks, having sat on their hands for decades and only moving now that there was a chance to claim this miserable city for themselves. Klava certainly couldn't say that she was a fan of such opportunistic decision-making.

But that was why she was working for them this time around, wasn't it?

The squeaking of her brakes sounded in unison to the hiss of Apollo's engine. The musclefreak was well-known enough for being the only competent healer amongst Pax Septimus's freelancer community, while the sci-fi juggernaut known as the Protector had a reputation as well, one primarily based off jokes online of her armor being made out of paper. And as for the rest…well, of course Klava'd know nothing about them. They weren't even a thing in Pax Septimus a year ago, after all.

"Hey," she waved, mimicking Apollo's moves with the whole 'flipping out Shimr app like a police badge' deal. "I'm not with stupid here, but I took the job too. Klava. Nice to meetcha. Got any complimentary snacks or a coffee machine somewhere? And where can I lock my bike?"

Her eyes bounced from one of the government espers to another and one corner of her lips twitched into a smile. Two of them looked like girls from the university's anime club, while the third looked like someone who stepped out of a dark fantasy movie set.

"A map of the precinct would be pretty cash too. I specc in traps and restraints."


[System]
Age: 14
Hometown: Ecruteak City
Appearance (pic preferred):

Starter:
Bio: Shiranui had developed a fascination with fox-like Pokémon from watching the Kimono Sisters performing during his childhood. His favourite Pokémon are Espeon, Umbreon, Delphox, Zoroark and Ninetales. He is generally kind, but has a low tolerance to those who speak ill of his likes. He had been inspired to go on a Pokémon journey ever since he spotted Ho-oh taking off from the Bell Tower at age 8, later catching it during his journey through Johto along with two of the three Legendary Beasts.

He had won the title of Top Coordinator in the Hoenn Grand Festival, second place in the Hoenn League Conference and is now back in Kanto to take on the Battle Frontier as well as the Kanto Contest circuit.

[User]
"Begin!" Lillian announced.
"Sylveon!" Confetti burst from the ball as Sylveon emerged.

[Assistant] "Sapphire, I choose you!" Lots of black streamers, iridescent sparkles and black smoke came out of Sapphire's ball. The smoke coalesced into Shiranui's Sableye.

[User] "Start with Shadow Ball!" Liam ordered.

[Assistant] "Sapphire, time to play catch! Use Fling!" Sapphire caught the Shadow Ball and infused it with dark energy. The move turned into a six-pointed shuriken and Sapphire threw it back at Sylveon.

[User] "Throw it back!" Liam called. Sylveon caught it with one of her ribbons and flung it back, nicking herself in the process.

[Assistant] "Use Poison Jab to hit it back!" Sapphire's fist glowed a putrid purple colour as she wound up and punched the attack back. The combined attack took on a putrid sheen of purple.

[User] "Protect!" Liam called. A Green shield was summoned and it absorbed the poisonous attack.

[Assistant] "Sapphire, Power Gem! Mega Ring activate!" Shiranui activated his Mega Ring and Sapphire was enveloped in an orb. When the orb shattered, Sapphire sported larger fin-like ears, ruby red jewel ryes and the now-Mega Sableye was holding a pink Rupee-like crystal in front of her that was taller than her own height. Sparkly pink light issued from Sapphire's crystal heading straight for Sylveon.

[User] "Dazzling Gleam!" Liam ordered. Sylveon was hit and than fired her own blast.

[Assistant] Koneko defeated both Pidgey's that the lass had and the twins continue further down, reaching another pokemon centre, where they heal their pokemon.

[User] Sapphire used her crystal to block Sylveon's attack and despite getting hit by some of it, the crystal converted the light it did refract into pink laser beams that emitted out of the vertices.

[Assistant] 'Impressive." Liam said. "Now Moonblast!"

[User] "Protect!" Sapphire hid behind her crystal and the Moonblast struck the crystal, making it glow brightly.

[Assistant] "Iron Tail into Shadow Ball!" Sylveon made the Shadow Balls and after briefly juggling them with her ribbons, she used those ribbons to slam them toward Crystal with Iron Tail.

[User]
The twins enter the cave to instantly be greeted by Zubats on their first step in. "What is going on?" Neko said swiping his hand trying to get the Zubats away. The two eventually try to run and end up seeing a trainer.

"We don't have the time for this." Neko replied to the trainer continuing to run. They manage to find a staircase that they end up climbing down. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know but I think we should find the exit to the cave. Hopefully soon."

[Assistant] "Use the light you gathered and fire a Power Gem!" Sapphire pointed her crystal at the incoming Shadow Balls and fired a bright pink laser blast complete with sparkles.

[User] The Shadow Balls were destroyed and Liam lost a good chunk of his points. He called for Moonblast.

[Assistant] "Protect into Confuse Ray!" Sapphire used her crystal to absorb the Moonblast and then the crystal let off a bright pink flash.

[User] "Dazzling Gleam!" Liam called. The flash of light shined through the Confuse Ray.

[Assistant] Sapphire was hit for a lot of damage. "Ride your crystal and use Poison Jab!" The Mega Sableye got on her crystal and used Psychic to levitate it, using it like a hoverboard. Sapphire's fist glowed a putrid purple as she charged at Sylveon.

[User] Sylveon was hit. Time was close to running out, and Liam had fewer points. He had to do something quickly. "Grab the crystal!" Sylveon attempted to grab the crystal out from under her opponent.

[Assistant] "Power Gem!" Sapphire lay on her crystal as Sylveon grabbed it. The crystal unleashed a sparkly ray of light at a point blank range.

[User] Sylveon took the hit. She was on her last leg. The timer was about to expire. "Swift into Moonblast!" Sylveon conjured the stars until they formed together into a huge one. Moonblast was fired into it, causing it to rupture, the countless stars engulfed in Fairy Energy. The impact of which would hurt Crystal, even if the stars themselves didn't.

[Assistant] Sapphire was bombarded by the transformed stars and when the judges saw her revert to her normal form, a buzz was heard as they declared a knockout.

[User] "Crystal the Sabeleye has been knocked out, that means that the Pewter ribbon goes to 'Dragon Master' Liam Coleman!" Lillian calls. The audience cheered. Liam called Jiriya out to stand center stage with Liam and Sylveon to accept the ribbon. After the ceremonies, Liam went to have his Pokémon healed.

[Assistant] Shiranui had his healed and looked over the map that Scott had given him. "Liam, our first Frontier facility is just off Route 4 and not that far from Mt. Moon," he stated, "Also, Scott only marked six facilities on this map."

[User] "Well, I'm sure they can tell us about the last facility at the Factory." Liam said as their Pokémon were brought back, fully healed. "Shall we go on through Mt. Moon?"

[Assistant] "Sure," answered Shiranui, "We might run into the twins again."

[User] "Well, let's go than." Liam said. Meanwhile, a kid came running into the enter carrying a battered Wartortle.

[Assistant] Shiranui left and made his way along Route 3.

[User] Liam followed. Along the way, the came across a trainer running toward town carrying an unconscious Krabby in his arms. He stopped and told the heroes to be careful.

[Assistant] "Did they try their luck at the Battle Factory?" Shiranui inquired to Liam.

[User] "The Battle what?" The kid asked. "No, there's a tough Pokémon back there near the entrance of Mt. Moon."

[Assistant] "We'll take care of that," Shiranui said to the kid. He was curious as to what the Pokémon would be.

[User] Liam quickly looked at the Krabby. He gave the trainer a Max Revive and some medicine. "Give these to Krabby and let it get some rest." Liam said. He hurried after Shiranui. Liam wondered what Pokémon it was that seriously hurt that Krabby.

[Assistant] Shiranui arrived near the entrance to Mt. Moon.

[User] Liam caught up and began to look. He didn't see any Pokémon or humans around. "It must be hiding." Liam commented. As he stepped forward, A figure leapt from behind a rock and nearly smashed Liam's arm with an Iron Tail. It was a Charmander. "I bet this is what that kid was talking about." Liam said. "Jiriya!" The Greninja emerged. The Charmander tried to use Iron Tail to strike Jiriya in the head. Jiriya used a Power up punch to the Charmander's gut. It was on the ground stunned by how swiftly the air was knocked out of it. Liam grabbed a Luxury Ball and tossed it at the Charmander. It was sucked in and it began to wiggle as Charmander tried to break free.

[Assistant] "That must be a strong Charmander if it could beat a Krabby and a Wartortle despite type disadvantage," commented Shiranui.

[User] The ball pinged shut. Liam walked up and collected the ball. Liam went to the nearby Pokémon Center. Liam altered his team to give space for the Charmander and handed Charmander, whom he nicknamed Smaug and Jiriya over for healing.

[Assistant] "Great catch," praised Shiranui, glad that trainers can enter Mt. Moon without too much trouble.

[User] "Shall we move on?" Liam asked.

[Assistant] "Indeed we shall," answered Shiranui.

[User] The heroes ventured into Mt. Moon. It was dark inside. Liam decided to have Smaug light the way. Smaug turned his nose up to the notion.

[Assistant] "We have a disobedient Pokémon here," Shiranui commented.

[User] Liam sighed. "Smaug return" The Charmander side stepped the beam. He than turned around and pulled on the bottom of his right eye and stuck his tongue out at the heroes. He ran off further into the cave. Liam decided to run after him, now using a flash light.

[Assistant] "Titania, help us out!" Shiranui sent his Gardevoir out and the two joined Liam in his pursuit. He was getting the feeling Smaug had been abandoned.

[User] There was a frightened cry of "Charr!" In the distance. Liam found that Smaug was being attacked by a swarm of Zubat. Liam lunged into the swarm, and began to swat them away.

[Assistant] "Titania, use Psychic on those Zubat!" The Gardevoir waged a mental onslaught with every Zubat in the swarm.

[User] Smaug noticed that Liam had jumped in to protect him. The Charmander started to respect Liam a little. "Are you alright Smaug?" Liam asked. "Char" Smaug said curtly.

[Assistant] "That sounds more like sass than gratitude," stated Shiranui. Titania was keeping a wary eye on Smaug.

[User] "Well, the more I see of Smaug, the more I think that he has had a troubled past." Liam said. "While it doesn't make how he's acting alright, it make it understandable as to why he does act that way."

[Assistant] "All it'll take is time and a bit of rehabilitation," Shiranui replied, agreeing with Liam's point.

[User] "Well, we'll get there." Liam said. Smaug was standing there waiting while the humans conversed.

[Assistant] "You feeling alright?" Titania asked Smaug.

[User] "I don't trust humans. This one that caught me seems to be nice, but foolish." Smaug replied in his mind. The part that Smaug wouldn't tell Titania was that he remembers his mom was held by a poacher. She distracted the poacher so he could get away. He heard a loud crack, followed by his mother roaring in pain, followed by a thud. Since that he had encountered four cruel humans. He than decided to set up a home here and tried to keep himself from being hurt.

[Assistant] "You sound like a Ralts I met a year back," stated Titania, seeing Smaug's memory of the poachers in his mind, "Your new trainer is very capable of taking care of Pokémon, being the son of the honourable family of Nurse Joys that run every Pokémon Centre around the world. My trainer on the other hand has a Pokémon who had the worst start to life you could imagine and it was here in Mt. Moon that he turned over a new leaf and pledged his loyalty to him." The Gardevoir shuddered in fear at the mention of Shiranui's strongest Pokémon.

[User] Smaug was not happy about his personal thoughts being invaded. He decided to simply light the way as Liam had asked.

[Assistant] Titania decided to wait until the time was right before she divulged Smaug's backstory to Liam. Shiranui saw Smaug start complying with Liam's order.

[User] In the distance, Liam saw two figures in the distance, but there wasn't enough light for Liam to discern who it was ahead.

[Assistant] Shiranui however had better night vision thanks to his ninja training and was able to make out who was up ahead.


[System]
Race: Bangaa

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Appearance:
Li is a muscular Bangaa of average height with pale purple and white scales and sharp, reptilian features. His ears are of flat and medium length with two piercings. Despite his less civilized sea rat roots, Li carries himself with a proud and upright posture that makes him seem a bit taller than he really is. Despite his sharp teeth and a long tongue, Li's default expression is a toothy grin that looks almost a bit doofy and conveys a strange amount of warmth. His accent is particularly thick, and he's very heavy on the S's (even for a Bangaa).

Job: Soldier

Clothing/Armor: Li tends to keep his armor on the lighter side considering he's a sailor first and a soldier second, but he wears enough to keep himself safe while on the job. Aside from a spiked neck plate held in place by a leather harness, Li wears a pair of heavy cloth trousers with metal shin plates supported by an armored belt. Li's hands and forearms are protected by metal gauntlets with articulated fingers and sharp claws, although he prefers not to wear these when he's not in battle.

Weapons: Li's not a particularly experienced warrior and up to this point he's not yet felt the need to acquire a well crafted weapon or even take care of the one he has. Li's trusty blade is nothing more than a beat up old machete that hasn't had a proper sharpening for a good long while. Nevertheless, it gets the job done and it has yet to let Li down. It is sheathed at his waist, attached to his belt in a rudimentary scabbard that's no more than a few loops of old leather. Li's only other weapon is a small knife he keeps tucked in the fold of his armored belt, nestled in the small of his back. While it is only a simple fisherman's knife meant to gut fish and cut lines, it is still sharp and can be used in a pinch if Li is disarmed.
Machete

Inventory: Li is a simple country Bangaa and has few possessions to his name, most of which are kept in a small cloth satchel he slings across his back when he's not in battle.

* Water Canteen (satchel)
* Flask of cheap rum (satchel)
* Map of Ivalice's western coast (satchel)
* Wallet (kept in the fold of his belt, tucked in his waistband)
* Bandages (satchel)
* A length of fishing line (satchel)
* A broach made of coral, received as a gift from his mother (satchel)

Attributes:

* HP: A-
* MP: E
* Attack: C+**
* Defense: B+
* Magic: D-
* Resist: C*
* Speed: C**

Abilities:
~Rush~ (Tier 2, Physical)
In a sudden, visceral movement, the user dashes forward and delivers a lunging two handed overhead blow with all their might. The sudden unexpected burst of speed and strength will catch most opponents off guard if implemented at the right time. Even if the blocked, the blow is of such strength that it will often throw the opponent off balance and break their stance, and if it connects outright, it has a tendency to knock the opponent of their feet completely. However, the maneuver is tiring and becomes easier to dodge if it is predicted, meaning repeated use of the Rush is ill advised. Considering it is an unsubtle and inelegant maneuver, experienced swordsmen will find this technique telegraphed and unrefined, especially if the user's speed stat is relatively low.

~Vicious Bite~ (Passive, Tier 1)
Your character's strong jaw and sharp teeth allow them to inflict painful bite wounds on opponents in battle, and also lets them bite through wood, leather, thick rope, and some other solid objects with ease.

Personality: Li grew up an easy-going if unmotivated Bangaa with simple tastes and humble aspirations, but upon reaching young adulthood he developed a taste for adventure and exploration that made him into a much more outgoing person, but to a certain degree he's still something of a hapless country bumpkin to this day. Li grew up among entirely Bangaa in his small fishing town, and as such he is perhaps overly wary of the cultural variety of Ivalice and its many intricacies. He is in particular very suspicious of magicians, as he was brought up thinking magic was the work of monsters and dark spirits, a common belief among rural Bangaa (who are mostly warriors with little magical proficiency). He is fascinated by people with interesting stories despite his sheltered upbringing, and he currently endeavors to see if this clan business will help him create some legendary tales of his own. Li can be abrasive and blunt at times, as he has a rather plain way of articulating his thoughts, but he makes a genuine effort to treat others well if he thinks they deserve his kindness. He respects seasoned adventurers and strong warriors above all else.

Backstory: Li'Kemnon was born to a fisherman and his wife in the small fishing town of Gallowmere, located about a day's ride from the mouth of the Ulei River on the Western Coast of Ivalice. An unremarkable hamlet in its own right, one of the few reasons why anyone would pass through Gallowmere was to ride the ferry across the river, although the construction of a bridge half a day's ride further inland made the ferry nearly obsolete. Li grew up enjoying his simple life as a fisherman's son, and although his family was poor and he had very little, he was content with the idea of becoming a fisherman himself and living out a quiet life like his father before him. Sailing up and down the river and spending relaxing evenings fishing and drinking rum with his friends seemed to be enough for the young Bangaa. While he enjoyed stories of Bangaa heroes slaying monsters and going on adventures, he knew in his heart that he wasn't meant for that kind of life.

On one lazy afternoon on the river, Li ran into an old wayfarer who asked him for passage across the river. A wise and mysterious Nu Mou, the man immediately recognized Li's surname, claiming that he had once heard of Li's father, Bal'Kemnon, back during the golden age of clans in Ivalice. Apparently Li's father was more than just an old fisherman from a no-name river town; he was once the leader of a notorious pirate clan who sailed the seas looking for treasure and adventure, although back then he went by the name of Captain Bikke. Shocked that his father would keep such a secret from him, Li returned home that night with more questions than ever.

Reluctantly, Li's father shared his tale for the first time since he'd given up piracy. He was indeed the famous Captain Bikke, although he found his deeds to be far less glamorous than the old sailor tales made them out to be. He explained that he gave up his life sailing the seas because of a fateful voyage that cost many of his faithful crew members their lives. Bal had insisted that the crew set out to slay the mythical sea serpent, Leviathan, in order to bring great honor to the crew and have their names go down in history forever. Despite the reservations of his crew, they set out after Leviathan and attempted to defeat the beast. The attempt failed miserably, however, and nearly half of the crew died in the ensuing battle. After such a tragedy, brought on by his own hubris, Captain Bikke dissolved the crew and went into hiding, taking up residence in Gallowmere to live out the rest of his days in peace.

Rather than being disgusted or ashamed of his father, Li was strangely invigorated by his father's lamentations. He now knew that he had the blood of a true adventurer flowing through his veins, and he endeavored to create his own stories of adventure and renown to live up to his father's legacy. Against his father's wishes, Li left Gallowmere and sailed for the city of Cyril, leaving his home behind in search of glory and excitement. It was at this point that he realized he knew very little of Ivalice, as he had rarely dared to venture far from his home until now. At the advisement of another traveler he met on the road to Cyril, Li decided to form an adventuring clan to help him get off the ground. Whether these errant adventurers would be the motley crew that would help him put his name in the history books or simply be a handful of grunts he'd dump once they stopped being useful had yet to be seen.

Wallet: After the long journey to Cyril, Li's already paltry savings have dwindled down to 20 gil, all in silver coins.

[User] Chapel merely shrugged "I have more or less just summed up my entire life up to this point. It might not have been a very exciting or eventful life, but it was my life, and I wouldn't trade it for any other in the world." Was his simple answer. While the no show mage was a little upsetting, it seemed that the others here were decent people. 'We might have just met, but I can see myself working with these people for quite sometime. Although...Brother Moni always did say I could be overly optimistic. I hope we don't run into any bandits, since I doubt we could talking things out peaceful. No use complaining about it now I suppose.'

[Assistant] Sarina raised her hand like a schoolgirl, "Oh I have a weird snake companion! Her name is Kashaka." She tapped Kashaka's head lightly to wake her up. Kashaka rippled and 'stood' on top of Sarina's head looking at her new-ish companions. She simply yawned exposing her small fangs and then slithered down and resumed her more comfortable position around Sarina's neck. "She's super sweet and my best friend. Uhm, other than that I can do a little magic and I'm here to learn more about, well everything." she said cheerily. Sarina hoped Chapel was right, she wasn't sure how'd she react if they had to get into a fight. All she could do was hope that they didn't. If they did well... she would figure it out then.

[User]
Moguri thought for a second on what Li had asked him. Had he known in chocobo rustlers? He couldn't recall any if he had. Honestly, Moguri was best suited for thief-combat because of his dexterity and sleight of hand. He really hadn't established a name for himself as any sort of criminal, and certainly wasn't familiar with any chocobo bandits in Baguba. However, he was just as unfamiliar with Cyril in general. The recent startup of clans had drawn back the airship business in that area. Moguri's first trip had been this one. "I hate to be unhelpful but I can't say that I do. If it was anyone serious though I'm sure we would know who it was, kupo." After speaking to Li, the group boarded Mr. Klauser's wagon and began their journey.

Moguri listened quietly to the others' brief description of their introduction to clan life before beginning his own story. At first he was unsure how to go about explaining his situation, as he could not recall the majority of it. He decided to start at the last place he remembered. "I used to be an airship mechanic, kupo. My last flight I was working on becoming full fledged mechanic. We were flying to Cyril to deliver...something, I don't recall what, but it was important. Next thing I remember was waking up here, injured and...without a crew. I decided to try something different. And here I am, kupo. The last 'kupo' sounded more like a sigh than enthusiasm. As he finished, Moguri placed his head in his hands and let out a quiet "Kuuuupooooo....". His pom pom drooped as he covered his eyes momentarily, partially to wipe away tears, and partially so his fellow adventurers wouldn't see. Unconsciousness had made it an easy thing to forget. But it was much harder, more painful, to remember.

[Assistant] Speaking her thoughts again, but speaking clearly enough for all to hear her aloud thoughts."so there we have it" she mused. "A guild-daughter, a pacifist, a magical snake charmer, and a mechanic-turned-thief. Then our guildmaster. Plus a no-show mage. What a bunch we are." Realizing she spoke her mind aloud and it was loud enough for all to hear, Cecelia covered her mouth with the hand her chin was resting on as her eyes grew wide and looked around.

[User]
Li chuckled as Cici summed up everything so neatly, making a mental note to add "guildmaster" to list of things he would allow himself to be called from now on. "I couldn't ask for a better group! Considering I handpicked all of you from hundreds of other wandering sellswords, I'd say most of the credit for this amazing team is mine," he joked. These were, in fact, the only sorry excuses for adventurers willing to sign on with some no-name country bumpkin Bangaa. "Handpicked" was a bit of a misnomer when there were only a handful of them to begin with, but such distinctions were of no importance to him; after all, for all they knew, he'd actually scouted out hundreds of potential applicants.

"Well I suppose we're still missing my story, aren't we? I'm not one to talk about myself that much, but I guess I can share," he figured, leaning back in his seat a little more and crossing his arms nonchalantly. He'd been rehearsing this story in his head since he woke up that morning. "I was the captain of a merchant ship. Just a regular ship, not an airship or anything like that. For years my crew and I ferried passengers and goods from Bervenia to Baguba and everywhere else in between. The last few years had been tough for the crew; it just wasn't nearly as safe to sail anymore. Pirate attacks became more and more frequent, and soon, nearly all of our business had been take by airship merchants, who could move cargo more quickly and safely than we could," sighed Li. He then leaned forward a bit, closing his eyes and looking down, as if the next part pained him to say aloud.

"The crew became unhappy. We were small time even when business was good, and back then we still barely made enough to feed our families. We didn't have the gil to upgrade to an airship and finding any work at all was a constant struggle. I could do nothing to help them. Then, one day, my first mate staged a mutiny, and all but a few of the crew rallied behind him. They planned to join up with a pirate fleet to make more money, but they knew I would never allow it. They killed all the men who refused to mutiny, and they wanted to kill me too. But I escaped, by some miracle. That was three months ago..."

They're eating it up, I'm sure of it. I never knew I was such a great actor.

"But now I'm here! And I couldn't be happier with my new crew. As far as I know, none of you are currently planning to kill me, which is a marked improvement over the last group I led. I'm not sure if I mentioned this in the contract, but attempting to slit the guildmaster's throat in his sleep is frowned upon," he noted, dryly. "But I'm sure that won't be a problem. You guys seem alright to me," he added, casually.


[System]
Age: 16

Gender: Female

Appearance: Is... something the matter?

Arcana: II Priestess

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

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

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

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

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

Persona: Kikuri-Hime

Appearance: Kikuri-Hime

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

[User]
Warakuma Central Shrine
Wednesday
July 13th, 2015

So it seemed to be decided, he'll be enjoying the festival with Kotori. She seemed to be anxious, well not quite anxious but more she was flushed red. Ahh... Could this be a date, now that it's just them two? Well there's little point thinking hard about that right now, but the idea didn't seem bad to him. She seemed to be waiting for him to answer her question, what to eat... Indeed, a difficult question considering how much they saw on the way here, including shaved ice, yakitori, yakisoba, and a load of other summer foods and even games at different stands.

"I wonder indeed, maybe we should go back in now and whatever catches our eye, we'll get some", he suggested to her.

[Assistant]
Kotori Shirohane - Warakuma Central Shrine | Wednesday, July 13 2015

As it turned out, Kotori's suggestion was met with acceptance - though Rui proffered no particular preference, he wasn't opposed to the idea in principle. As such, they would continue along the various stalls and stands and occasionally stopping for a closer look. On occasion, Kotori would also try her best - which, by the looks of it, wasn't particularly convincing - to appear somewhat non-chalant as they passed by some stands. Specifically, these stands were those where she happened to recognise the owner as someone she knew, such as her neighbour two doors down - mostly because it would most definitely be far better to avoid any embarrassing misunderstandings about why, exactly, she was visiting the festival with just one instead of many friends rather than having to explain it at a later point in time.

Aside from that, the two could take a little more time to look at all the festival had to offer, whereas before they'd only really been trying to pass a little bit of time with a brief walk through. In the warm glow of the various lamps, they could not actually take their time and appreciate the many offerings and, in the case of a particular food stand, even try their wares. But even though there were a great many things to see and the overall atmosphere was very much a pleasant one to enjoy, Kotori did find herself occasionally slightly distracted - for once though, it wasn't due to her mind wandering to the mysteries of the mirror realm, but rather the person who stood beside her. Or in front, depending on what walking arrangements the crowds around them actually allowed. Yet at the same time, she didn't speak up all that much - but thankfully, the hustle and bustle of the whole festival ensured that her quietness didn't feel particularly awkward.

Either way though, Kotori did quite enjoy the second and slower walk through the festival grounds; even though she occasionally thought it a a bit of a shame that the others had not been able to come whenever she saw something about the festival that she thought they too might have enjoyed - a list of things which, as they approached the largest square that of the premise upon which a bonfire had been constructed, would quickly come to include the traditional dance that was about to be held thereupon. Though this was mostly due to herself - Kotori always had enjoyed watching a dance, after all.

[User]
Warakuma Central Shrine
Wednesday
July 13th, 2015

As the two passed by the stalls he could not help but emit a soft smile as he walked with her, she seemed a little more at ease now, not to mention he seemed to simply enjoy walking with her. As good as the food was they had enough fun going through the crowds, some familiar faces spotted them and he could suspect their thoughts, though they didn't recognize him too well, mostly just Kotori. It seems she meets a lot of people working at her family flower store.

Soon they reached the center and it seems the festive dancing has begun around the stage, with drums ringing out a beat for people to dance to. He stepped forward and grabbed Kotori's hand, "how about we dance a bit?", he suggested. Though knowing her, she would perhaps be a bit too shy to simply agree, and so he ended up pulling her along anyway.

As they danced to the rhythm, matching other people's moves, they began to learn how this dance works. Bon odori was pretty welcoming as far as dances go, but every area had their own dance and some would cycle between multiple region's dances, but you could just join and dance if you pleased. Rui helped Kotori out with her moves, at the very least this dance wasn't very demanding, some simple moves and gestures to a beat, no more no less, to the beat of taiko drums.

After awhile they would leave to rejoin the crowds by the stalls, hopefully for some food, "so was it fun?", he asked, still holding her hand as they stepped through the crowds.

[Assistant]
Kotori Shirohane - Warakuma Central Shrine | Wednesday, July 13 2015

Standing still a little way off from where the actual dance was being held, Kotori couldn't help but smile a little at the sight. There were all sorts of people lining up; some taking their first steps and others seemingly moving in step with the drum effortlessly. There she saw an elderly couple who seemed to have made a tradition of the dance for years, over there was a parent that was mostly helping along their rather excited child. But wherever she looked, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves - it was a sight that had her so absorbed that it took her a moment to realise that Rui, still standing beside her, was speaking. And furthermore, that he was speaking to hear.

"Hm?" she went, turning her head slightly to look at Rui rather than the ongoing dance - and most decidedly not down at their hands, the feeling of which she had most definitely come to get used to. At least, that's what she told herself every time until she felt even the gentlest of tugs and her attempted self deception came crumbling down once more. However, it took her another moment before she actually realised just what he had said.

Kotori's immediate response was simply to blink at him, so odd seemed Rui's question. Of course she wasn't against dancing - but surely he didn't mean it like that. She'd never actually participated in any dances herself, so there was no way she could do so now - and in front of a whole plethora of strangers no less! And besides, that would look almost like - wait, why were the dancers suddenly getting closer? And why did her hand - and, by proxy, her cheeks - suddenly feel a slight bit warmer?

"Sh-Shinichi-san!" Kotori's voice was a mix between a whisper, trying not to draw too much attention, and a surprised, albeit muted, cry, when she realised that he had nonchalantly grasped her hand and was now moving toward where the dance itself was being held. Kotori desperately racked her brain for something to say before it all undoubtedly ended up in a huge embarrassement - not only for herself but, even worse, for him too. But before she could come up with anything, they had already reached the other dancers and within moments, they had somehow slipped in with them.

Kotori's mind was racing between a way to make Rui realise that there was no way she'd be able to be a fitting dance partner - there wasn't a moment's doubt that he either knew all the moves or would just effortlessly pick them up as he always did - and trying not to make a mess of the dance that had begun then and then. In her best attempt at not making things even more embarrassing than they already were, Kotori quickly glanced over at the lady before her and tried to copy what she was doing - albeit with movements that were a lot more stiff and belated, what with all that was on her mind at that moment.

Kotori barely dared move her gaze elsewhere - for one, she didn't want to confirm her fears that the entirety of the crowd that surrounded the dancers were staring at her stumbling her way through this dance when everyone else was making a grand performance of it. For another, she dared even less to glance up at Rui - who, Kotori was convinced, was probably regretting his choice in dance partners already.

At least, that's what she thought until she heard his voice as he discretely warned her of an upcoming twist and that she should just follow his lead. Kotori had little time to process this before the drum beat briefly changed rhythms and she found herself suddenly standing face to face with Rui - which, in turn, meant that she had little in the way of dancers to try and copy the moves from. Furthermore, she had little choice but to look up at him at that point - but as she hesitantly did so, surprise came over her face.

Rather than any sign of annoyance or disappointment, Rui was instead smiling - a sight which briefly put a halt to Kotori's otherwise incessant worries. And with her self-inflicted awkwardness momentarily lifted, the admittedly simple steps of the dance came with little hesitation and only the slightest hint from Rui via gentle tugs of her hand that were resting in his all throughout. Though she clearly wasn't at ease with herself, Kotori nonetheless found herself actually enjoying the simple act of following the beat of the drum with each step that she took - even if her gaze couldn't rest on Rui for too long at a time before she felt the need to avert her bespectacled eyes.

And as they moved, Rui would occasionally call out the next move ahead of time before gently leading her through the motions - still a little stiff for fear of messing things up, Kotori still did her best to follow his lead. Toward the end, they actually seemed to find a semblance of a rhythm that she could follow along even in her state - a feeling which slowly managed to bring a hint of a smile to her face.

But alas, they could hardly spend the whole evening dancing and so they eventually stepped out from the dancing folk - though with how focused she'd been on both the movement and trying to calm her racing mind, Kotori couldn't have hazarded even the faintest guess as to how much time they'd just spent. Somewhere in the meantime, she'd managed to push back her fear that all the onlookers were fixed on her and every little mistake she'd made - a fear which turned out to be unsubstantiated when they rejoined the crowd with not a single word or gaze their way.

From all the excitement, Kotori's breathing was still a bit elevated and her face still felt rather warm - and probably wouldn't quite return to her usual shade until the similar warmth surrounding her hand was lifted. At the same time though, she felt no small measure of relief at no longer being the center of attention - even if only in her own mind. But at the same time, a small part of her also felt almost disappointed - but before could dwell on that, Rui's voice once more broke through her reverie to ask if she'd had fun.

"Eh? O-oh, y-, uhm, I, I think so, y-yes, yes," Kotori said whilst nodding - truthfully and, rarely enough, with a small smile. Because even through all her fears and doubts and embarrassement, she couldn't deny that she did indeed have fun. As they headed back toward the food stands - leaving Kotori to realise yet again that no, she had not even slightly gotten used to the feeling of their hands touching in order to not get lost in the crowd.

Distraced as such, it took her a moment to realise that for all the things he seemed to be doing to put her at ease, she hadn't even stopped to ask if any of this was actually enjoyable for him, too. An attempt or two later, Kotori finally spoke up again. "Uhm... was... was it fun for y-you, too?" she asked as they were already headed for the food stalls; her eyes once again finding all sorts of most fascinating things to focus on - and thereby avoiding all but the most occasional of glances at Rui.


[System]
Alias: Doom

Age: 14

Power: Valeria has very little in the way of what could be called superpowers. Aside from a few pieces of exotic
technology and knowledge of some spells she picked up while learning from Dr. Doom, she has the regular capabilities of an 'ordinary' teenage girl.

Skills: What stands out about Valeria is her profoundly gifted intellect. Having shown signs of genius at an extremely young age, her father has often remarked that she is even smarter than him. Her pedigree aside, Valeria's mind is her greatest tool and her deadliest weapon. Add to that her time under the tutelage of an alternate universe's Victor von Doom and there are very few challenges, mental or otherwise, that she can not surmount.

Appearance:

Costume:

Brief Bio: Growing up the second child of Reed Richards and Susan Storm exposed Valeria to many unusual things, so by the time she was old enough to start kindergarten there wasn't much that surprised her. Super villains, time travel, alternate universes, you name it. She had seen it all. In fact, she was starting to get bored with the constant perils her family seemed to face on a daily basis. So when a Future Foundation field trip gone awry left both her and her brother lost in time and space, Valeria decided to make the most of it. With Franklin as her somewhat unwilling accomplice, the two of them set out on what would become the adventure of their lives.

The years they spent away from home profoundly changed both Valeria and Franklin, but Valeria's experiences in one dimension where the Fantastic Four's adversary Dr. Doom had triumphed over his reality's version of her parents left a lasting impression on Valeria. This Doom's world had suffered greatly after losing Reed and Susan Richards, and he had come to regret his victory at the cost of losing his greatest rival and former closest friend. When he discovered Valeria, the child of his vanquished foe who bore the name of his past love, Doom saw it as an opportunity to make up for his grievous mistake.

Although Valeria was hesitant at first, she eventually accepted Doom as her teacher. Having learned a great deal from her time under his wing, the two of them devised a way to return Valeria and Franklin to their world. Once they returned, however, they discovered only a week had passed in their home reality. The now significantly older siblings eventually settled back in with their family and friends, although many of them noticed the darker turn Valeria's personality had taken. No one was more concerned by this than her father, but Valeria assured him she was still his little girl. Still, Reed Richards has been keeping a close watch on her as of late, hoping the world's next greatest evil mind is not currently living under his roof.

[User]
Quentin nodded as Valeria spoke. If there was one thing that he still believed since his inversion, was that sometimes the "heroes" of this world could be real dicks when it came to things like this. Sure that may be a bit hypocritical coming from Kid Douche himself, but he wasn't wrong. Just take the X-men. They're always fighting among themselves, messing up time and constantly proceeding in coitus with each other. From what he had heard, the Avengers weren't much better! "Don't worry Val."He spoke in a reassuring manner. "Can I call you Val? Anyway, I'll try my best!"

He gave a smile, only for it to be shaken off his face as the elevator stopped abruptly. As the door slid open, Quentin was surprise to find himself on the roof. He had presumed that this meeting was to be held in doors. Despite how much he complained, Quire had actually wanted to see where all the magic and hijinks of the Fantastic Four happens. He was about to make a remark on this when he laid his eyes upon the red and blue costumed hero ahead of him.

Spider-man. So the nut did exist. Quire was tempted to take a peak behind that bug eyed mask of his, only to remember what happened downstairs with Valeria. Remember Quentin, probing minds doesn't make you any friends. Instead he gave the hero a quick wave and one of his mischievous smiles before turning to who he presumed must be Franklin. Like Valeria, the teenager looked older than Quentin had expected. Thinking quickly, he remembered hearing something about some kind of dimension travelling mumble-jumble happening here a few days ago. He mentally shrugged before listening.

Looking at the photo produced by Franklin, Quire reckoned his dimension theory was probably true judging by how old he looked. He recognized Jack from a news broadcast he had seem briefly although apart from his exploits with the Power Pack, he didn't know much about the guy. The name Alruane did ring a bell though. Some kid back at the school had probably mentioned them before. Quentin couldn't remember for sure but her mysterious hiding did intrigue him.

Giving Franklin and Valeria the most sincere smile he could muster, Quentin spoke. "I'll see what my big o'l mutant brain can do!" Giving a wink to Valeria, he learnt back against the railing on the edge of the roof and held a hand to his temple. "Also if one of you could fetch me an espresso afterwards, that'll be great."

Closing his eyes, Quentin Quire got to work.

[Assistant]
Tommy chuckled at how bluntly Barbara had brushed him off. "Hostility. Gotta love a girl with spirit." It was hardly the first time he had gotten such a reaction to his advances, and by now he had learned to just take it in stride. He also knew she wasn't just making idle threats. Barbara could hold her own, and if it came down to it Tommy was sure she could back up everything she had said. He made a mental note to try a smoother approach with her from now on.

Turning to take in their newest arrival, Tommy cocked an eyebrow at the very... statuesque girl. He couldn't say she was exactly his type but apparently she would be bringing a lot of muscle to the team, which they sorely needed. "Don't let Billy's nerdy handmade costumes fool you. We can hold our own with the spandex crowd. Just because we aren't an official team doesn't mean we can't put the hurt on some bad guys."

Rising from his chair, Tommy's figure seemed to fade and flicker for an instant and then he was standing there in his costume as well. Looking down at the form-fitting green and white bodysuit, he shook his head and glared at Billy. "Seriously? You couldn't make something that doesn't say 'Hey! Look at my crotch!'?" Tommy sighed, muttering under his breath. "I can't believe I'm going out in public like this."

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

As Quentin closed his eyes the sounds of the city around him and the voices of Franklin and the others gradually became indistinct, first seeming to drift away before fading out all together. He felt his consciousness leave his body as his telepathic senses expanded beyond the realm of the physical. Focusing on the image of Jack he had seen, he concentrated all his thoughts on finding that face. Reaching out through the vast sea of minds all across the city, he saw through the eyes of thousands of people at once as he scanned for someone that had seen Jack.

Remaining intensely focused for several minutes, his brow furrowed in frustration as he came up with nothing. Then, suddenly, a faint image appeared before his mind's eye. It grew clearer, and soon he could make out a face. The place he was seeing was dark, but the more he focused on that face the more it became apparent that it was the same one he had seen in the photograph. It was Jack. His face finally became distinct enough to see his expression, but to Quentin's horror it was one of pain and torment. In the vision he locked eyes with Jack for a moment, and the fear and desperation he saw in the younger boy's gaze were enough to sicken him even as he felt the perverse pleasure of the mind that was inflicting it. A sense of terror and foreboding came over Quentin all at once as he sensed that twisted mind becoming aware of his presence within itself and then he saw nothing but pitch black. Feeling trapped and blind, he wanted to withdraw back to the comfort of his own consciousness, but found that he could not. The terrible mind had his own in its grasp, and it spoke to him as it held Quentin's thoughts within the abysmal void that surrounded his awareness.

"Young, precious Quentin, forget what you saw here. Never see or speak of it again... Or you're next."

With that he felt his psychic projection forcefully hurled back to his own mind. As he settled back into the confines of his own body Quentin felt the agony caused by his being expelled explode within his skull. His eyes fluttered open even as he winced in pain, and Franklin, Valeria, and Spider Man came into view once more.

"... -at happened? Did you find Jack? Where is he?" Franklin's rapidly blurted questions were only half-heard as Quentin struggled with the painful ringing the psychic backlash produced in his ears.

"Give him a minute, Franklin." Valeria approached Quentin looking concerned. "Are you all right? What did you see?"

[User]
"So... So did no one bother to get me some coffee?"

Quentin groaned as he leaned against the roof's railing before sliding slowly to the floor, where he held his head. That had been different from what he had expected. When the Richard's Duo had first spoke of Jack's disappearance, Quentin had figured it was just your average super-villain dangling the boy over a shark tank or something, nothing like this. No, this was new. This was scary. The mutant turned his head and looked upwards at the three above him. While Spider-man's face was obviously covered, Franklin and Valeria's were full of concern and worry. Quentin thought back to when Franklin had first informed him of his task. The kid obviously was close to loosing it. How the hell was he supposed to break the news that some evil asshole was out there tormenting their friend?

Quire shook his head vigorously in his hands once more as he rose to his feet. Not baring to look either of them in the eye, he kept his eyes glued to his feet.

"I...I found him." He began, steadying his voice. "I'm not going to lie to you mate, it wasn't pretty. I couldn't find where he was but..." He trailed off. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his cardigan he gave Valeria a feeble look before continuing. "There's something there with him. Something powerful. Hence the whole thing just then! I want to help though... if there's anything else that I can do!"

[Assistant]
Franklin had concern and worry running through him as Quentin came back to them looking he got punched directly in the brain. Though the joke about coffee was enough to distract and confuse Franklin for a.moment. "I uh...could still get you a cup if you want Quentin.". Franklin told him giving an awkward yet friendly smile.

Still the news was the last thing Franklin had wanted to hear. He was hoping Jack had just ran off, stubborn as he usually was when Alex bossed him around too hard. This though was terrible on so many different levels. Not only were they now possibly in over their heads. Valeria's theory about magic being involved had a lot more weight to it. Granted Franklin still didn't fully believe it, him and his father shared more than just genetics after all.

Sighing with a sad tone Franklin ran a finger through his dirty blond hair. A clear sign to Valeria his worry, as it was something hd did when he felt sick with worry or just plain overwhelmed. Franklin paused in thought before going to his pocket once again. "Alright sis we did your plan, now its my turn.". He turned from her to Quentin, giving him a faint smile of assurance. "Actually there is something you can do for me."

Pulling out a newspaper clipping Franklin handed it to Quentin, an article on a group of young superheroes. "they're called the Young Avengers. The avengers aren't particularly keen on them at the moment but I think, with all due respect to you and Spidey here. We're going to need more power on our side it sounds like."

Franklin pulled out a set of keys, "Quentin, go ahead and find them, we can try to meet up with them and see what they can do for us." Before anyone could say another word, Franklin clicked a beeper on the keys. Causing the helipad opening to slide out and up revealing a large modified SUV that had thrusters molded into the back. With the same coloring and four symbol Franklin' suit had. "It's the Fantasticar Jr, a late sweet 16 present from dad and Uncle Johnny. Just got my driver's and pilot's license two days ago."

[User]
Valeria bit into her lower lip apprehensively as she struggled to make sense of what they had heard from Quentin. Someone had Jack, and if Quentin's current condition was anything to go by that someone wasn't to be trifled with. It pained her to see Franklin so worried, but the fear that they might be getting in over their heads gnawed even stronger in the back of her mind at that moment. The fact that they were some of the smartest and most capable kids in existence put aside, everything they had done up until that point had been a secret. The unshakable sense that they now were rapidly approaching a point of no return, beyond which they would be unable to get any help from their parents, was suddenly all she could think about.

The instant Franklin pulled out the newspaper clipping she recovered from her reverie, annoyance once more causing her lips to crease into a frown. She and Franklin had discussed the Young Avengers before. Previously they had just agreed to disagree about whether what they were doing was a good idea or not. Now, however, she could see Franklin intended to turn to them for help, and she realized she should have been much harsher in her criticism.

"Really, Franklin? The fanboy squad? You're talking about getting involved with a group of untrained, unsanctioned vigilantes. There's got to be somebody else we can ask for help."

Still, the more Valeria thought about it their own actions would hardly be approved of by the superhero community at large if they knew about them. Maybe it would be better if they went with someone slightly more under the radar of the bigshots. That way, if things turned sour (as she fully expected them too), they could safely pull out of the situation before they got discovered.

Sighing, she resigned herself to going along with Franklin's plan for now. She had to silently promise herself she would not get caught up in her brother's obsession with these amateur heroes, and the moment one of them slipped up and started to jeopardize their goals she would be the first one with her foot out the door.

"Fine, but I'm only going along with this because our options are limited. We'll give these guys a shot on a trial basis. I'm reserving my vote until after we decide if they make the cut, though."

Throwing her cape back somewhat indignantly, Valeria walked around to the front passenger side of the Fantasticar Jr. "Let's get going. We need to get this over with before mom and dad get back home." With that, she hopped inside and slammed the door. She crossed her arms over her chest and avoided looking Franklin in the eye for the time being, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing how vexed she was by having to take part in his harebrained scheme.


[System]
Species: Human

Gender: Female

Age: UNKNOWN

Nationality: UNKNOWN

Weapons and/or equipment: UNKNOWN

Backstory: UNKNOWN

[User]
Vreta was not chatting and cheering as was most of the crowd. In fact, he was rather firmly silent. Despite all his training and mental fortitude, the magnitude of this potential revelation was enough to coax some visible reaction out of him, even if it was just a few seconds of a wide-eyed stare with his mouth slightly agape.

It did not take long for Vreta to compose himself externally, though he still did not give much attention to the others in the room. He became stony-faced and remained silent, not even giving a reply to Agent 595 before he calmly moved to the console and began checking and re-checking both the data and the signatures they had been looking for.

When the chattering between Freyr's team started to soften, Vreta spoke with a strange, unemotional calm to his voice. "I would hesitate to celebrate so quickly. These results still need to be checked, and other explanations eliminated. I am noticing that your methodology for extrapolating our evolutionary history does involve some guesswork to bridge some gaps. Well-educated guesswork, granted, but there is some room for uncertainty. I will make sure to get you more comprehensive data on our genetic history so the test can be run under more ideal conditions. I suggest you keep testing and examining any potential source of error. If this is a conclusion that is going to be presented…we need to make sure it is undeniable. I believe I shall go…take some time to think. Perhaps finish editing those pamphlets. Though before I do…"

Vreta let out a sigh, then looked up from the console towards Freyr. "This test you just performed on my genetic code, this search for Cradle signatures…has it ever been performed on Human DNA?"

[Assistant]
Freyr looked at Vreta and immediately realised she'd been insensitive. This discovery, if correct, could change everything he thought he knew about himself. She was still learning Rothian expressions, but her new friend seemed "Yes of course, we'll make sure we're one hundred percent certain before going any further." She reached out and put her hand on Vreta's as it lay forlornly across the console, giving it a squeeze. "Everything is going to be OK, i promise."

Vreta's last question caught Freyr off guard - she withdrew her hand and scratched her head. "I suppose, no...we haven't. We've only been able to analyse organic tissue samples from Cradle creatures for a few months. I don't think we've looked at our own DNA…" Freyr looked around at her team, and a few of them shook their heads. "But I can see your logic...Dr Hou, get me a swab kit!" The lab was now in a frenzy, and Freyr quickly blocked out all non-participants.

"I think we should leave them to it. We'll only get in the way of this well-oiled machine." 595 said, appearing at Vreta's side again. She wanted to get the Rothian away from the lab in case another earth-shattering discovery was made; information was flowing a little bit too freely right now. Then, she could buy some time to report back to her superiors and get her orders.

[User]
Vreta gave no objections to leaving, as he had his own concerns to deal with. Although the revelations did not do too much to increase his workload aboard the ship over the next two weeks, I did dominate many waking hours of thought. He had access to acceptable FTL communications, so he could send ahead data and alert his people to be prepared to test this new discovery, but there was little else he could do in that regard. Once he had distributed informative pamphlets among the crew, and held a few more meetings with certain important individuals to ensure they knew what to expect from Rothia, all there was for Vreta was to await their arrival.

In all his centuries, the two weeks aboard the Barbarossa were probably the longest two weeks of his life. Until their ship arrived, there was little progress that could be made on any front, just waiting and wondering. Even by his own high standards, there was plenty for Vreta to do to occupy his time, but it was never enough to distract his thoughts. Regardless, he still made the attempt. Most of his time he spent alone, browsing whatever entertainment the ship had on offer. Human media was not something that was new to him, even before taking his position on Outremer. Entertainment from multiple species were distributed and sold throughout the galaxy, wherever there might be a market for it. Some of their entertainment did demonstrate parts of their more peculiar facets, but Vreta could still enjoy it. Otherwise, he divided his time between relaxing in the beach room, and chatting with members of the crew. He decided to get to know some of the people he would be working with a bit better, like Freyr, her team, and even Magard. Agent 595…less so. Regardless, when it did finally come time for the ship to arrive at Rothia, he still invited her to join him in the observation room along with Freyr and the others.

Vreta stood up at the front of the room near the massive window that gave them their view of what was ahead of the ship. FTL warped spacetime in a way that was almost unrecognizable to the eyes, but once they dropped to sub-luminal speeds, everything came clearly into view. They had dropped out of FTL a safe distance from, but within clear view of Rothia. The planet itself, from high above, was a world of green continents and blue oceans, with the reddish brown of some deserts scattered around, like many habitable worlds. There was a notable lack of ice caps, with a green forest on the northern pole, and ocean on the south. Though, it was what was in space that was more eye-catching. It had a ring system about its equator to rival that of some gas giants, proportionally. They were mostly shades of white, brown, and tinges of other colors.

Ultimately, while Rothia itself was eye-catching in its own right, it was what was beyond the planet that would certainly capture the attention and imagination of any onlookers, for Rothia did not orbit a standard, main-sequence star. In fact, it did not orbit a star at all. The object at the center of the system was an active stellar-mass black hole. Instead of nuclear fusion, it was the intense energy of its accretion disk that provided Rothia's heat and light. To see the total blackness of the void at its center, even from a distance, was a sight was was spectacular to many, and haunting to some.

[Assistant]
The Welcome Wagon
The rest of Barbarossa's two week journey to Rothia passed in a flurry of activity for Freyr. The discovery of Cradle-like interference in Rothian genetics had to be verified beyond a shadow of a doubt. The team cross referenced seven different Cradle creature samples with the complete library of Rothian DNA history Vreta provided. On day four, Freyr could say with some certainty that a complex message was hidden in Vreta's junk DNA. Part of that message was incomprehensible, but they were able to extract the same coordinates the comms array had pinged back on Outremer.

After a couple of mandated delays, they tested a sample of Human DNA in the same way on day three. 595 showed up with a delegate from the Security Council and classified it Top Secret, meaning the experiment was conducted behind closed doors.

Apart from work, which took up about seventy percent of her waking hours, Freyr spent time in the combat simulator with 595 and (sometimes) Masgard. They practiced on targets and gradually became more familiar with a variety of weapons. Freyr found out that Masgard was something of an Outremer aristocrat; he could trace his lineage back to the small first wave of colonists that landed on the planet. He had been a partner at one of Babylon's top law firms before being poached to work for the Director-General.

Freyr couldn't coax any details out of Agent 595, not even her real name. The captain had referred to her as 'from Cradle Security', but Freyr sincerely doubted that was the case. CraSec, up until a few months ago, had been a bunch of glorified night watchmen. Behind 595's friendly, occasionally excitable persona was a vicious solo operator who seemed at ease in extremely dangerous situations. On day seven, she clinically dismantled multiple combat droids in hand to hand combat with Freyr and Masgard watching in disbelief. The same day, 595 insisted on clearing a kill house meant for four people on her own.

To unwind from all this, Freyr spent a bit more time in the beach room. However she couldn't stay in there alone, often electing to invite Vreta. That was on her own, she always ended up thinking about how she never got the chance to take David and Amy to a beach. In fact, every one of Freyr's waking moments not occupied by frenzied activity somehow wound back to thinking about her family. She did not sleep easily, and her dreams were plagued by Cradle monsters.

She was excited to see Rothia, having read up on what to expect beforehand. But when Vreta invited her to the observation deck on arrival day, it surpassed all expectations. "Oh, wow!" She exclaimed, covering her open mouth with both hands at the sight of the famed black hole. "Look at that.." Masgard murmured beside her. "Very picturesque, Vreta'Sori! I can see why you wanted us to come all this way now." 595 grinned, patting the top of Vreta's tail where a Human's behind would've been. Freyr's team were like kids in an aquarium, pressing their noses to the glass to get as close as possible. "Such a pretty planet, too!" Freyr cooed, taking in all the colours of the rings. She took pictures via her implant and resolved to show them to David and Amy when she saw them next.

[User]
Vreta himself simply took in the sights as well for the first few moments. He reacted briefly, nearly jumping when the Agent started patting his tail, as he was unsure of her meaning. Certainly, he doubted she intended the same meaning as he would have expected from a Rothian. Regardless, he did not dwell on her, and instead focused on the sight before them.

"I was not hatched on Rothia. I am from Syr'Jakra, originally, so I can actually relate to the experience of seeing all of this for the first time. I first saw it I believe around five hundred years ago. I came here with my first, um…I believe you would consider her a 'wife' to me, in celebration of our bond. I find a black hole to be one of the most spectacular and awe-inspiring sights the universe can provide. It is an object of extremes, bending the limits of physics itself. Although…if I can be candid for a moment, I do find the meaning of your words for it in your language a little disappointing. 'Black hole' just sounds…inelegant. The closest meaning in our language for this object is a 'void star'." Vreta explained.

The Barbarossa was quick to approach Rothia's orbit after dropping out of FTL, though they slowed considerably the nearer they came to the planet and the orbital dockyards. As their homeworld and center of government, Rothia had by far the most expansive set of planetary defenses of any Rothian world, if not the entire galaxy. Orbital platforms were, by and large, organized to orbit in an even hexagonal grid across the entire planet. Many served as defensive weapon platforms, some were hangers for defensive strikecraft, but all of them doubled as emitters for the largest energy shield in the known galaxy. Together, the orbital platforms could essentially form a shell around the planet to protect entirely against bombardment. At its passive strength, the shield was not visible unless attacked, but at combat power, it formed a planetary aegis that could be seen even from the ground. Naturally, sections of the shield remained disabled to allow ships to move between orbit and the surface for everyday commerce, which also necessitated that every ship follow strictly pre-determined flight paths. That was part of the reason that Vreta had intentionally invited…certain observers.

Of course, to bring a warship to Rothia had to be approved by the relevant Rothian authorities. For a scientific expedition, an armed warship was not necessary, but they had approved it without resistance, regardless. It was posturing, that much was obvious, particularly once Vreta had seen that they had chosen a state-of-the-art warship to carry their emissaries. So, although Vreta had not received explicit confirmation of it, he had a feeling he knew what kind of flight path the Barbarossa would be given. In addition to their orbital emplacements, Rothia, of course, had the largest Rothian defensive fleet out of any of their worlds, and as they could easily see out the window, their flight path took them right in the shadow of a massive Rothian supercarrier: a vessel that dwarfed even the impressive size of the Barbarossa. They were ships meant to be able to carry out entire invasions on their own, even if lacking support ships.

Following her example, Vreta glanced down at 595 and patted her behind once with a flick of his tail, gesturing up to the supercarrier looming over them. "The Niris'sho'Roth, flagship of the entire Rothian fleet. Even to me, it's a marvel. I would love to be able to see its new main weapon fire, though I don't think it has ever been used against an actual target. It has earned the moniker of an 'extinction cannon' for a reason."

[Assistant]
"Very impressive. But, can it go three rounds in the ring with me?" 595 asked, raising her fists and bouncing on the balls of her feet, as if to brawl the supercarrier. She tested out six lightning fast jabs on the air that were quite hard to track with the naked eye, ducking left and right. Freyr giggled watching her and Vreta's expression. 595 was wearing a black, skin tight combat suit today instead of her usual uniform. Her yellow hair was in a tight braid down the back of her head. Freyr thought she looked quite striking.

"That ship has quite an organic shape, is there a reason for that?" Masgard asked, pointing to the supercarrier. Freyr looked at it and even as someone who wasn't generally interested in warships (apart from the AIs that helped run them), was intrigued by the massive ship's unique silhouette.

The Barb sailed past the supercarrier, but they didn't go too much further until a massive space structure loomed in the forward observation window. Freyr guessed it was some kind of orbital docking station, as several smaller craft were already clinging to it. They sidled up alongside the dock as Freyr carried on marvelling Rothia and it's incredible black hole. Soon after, a voice sounded over the tannoy. "This is your captain. Docking is complete and a full stop has been achieved. Welcome to Rothia, everyone." A few people cheered exuberantly as most of the crew began filing out of the observation deck. "Shall we go?" Freyr asked of everyone. "Don't want to keep people waiting."