[System]
Appearance:

Learning Style: Kinesthetic

Means of Expression: Just fricken do the thing. Who cares.

Inspirations: Stories of every medium, genre, and subject.

Cardinal Values: Determination, Integrity

[User]
Though the rain was sharp and heavy against her skin, it whispered to her like a lullaby. Bit by bit, it washed the tension from her body, leaving sweet nothings in its place. Carmo sighed as the water counted the seconds she wasted. Opening her eyes, she looked up at the inky sky. It was a shame it was so overcast – the city's glow so often drowned out the stars, it was rare for them to get a chance to really shine. She closed her eyes again and ran her fingers through her hair. Or at least, she tried to. It was difficult when the strands were stuck together in stringy clumps.

Her laptop's battery had finally run dry, and with the city-wide blackout, Carmo'd resigned herself to an unproductive night. That was just as well. It wasn't like she'd been making any progress on the stupid article anyway. She'd been wrestling with it since late that afternoon, and what did she have to show for it? A half-assed opening paragraph that made her cringe just thinking about it. She'd had writer's block before, but this was just ridiculous.

And thus, Carmo found herself outside in the rain, ice sneaking up her veins like climbing vines. Just her and the water thrumming against her skin, the clattering of the droplets against the sidewalk – hang on. That clattering seemed much too punctuated to be rain. She opened her eyes again and turned her head towards the sound. Shapes melted together in the darkness, blurring in the downpour, but she was certain she could make out a figure in the distance. It was running. People didn't just go out for a midnight jog in a rainstorm. Her skin itched with new anticipation, and she took a step back, moving from the sidewalk to the shelter of her building's doorway. This wasn't normal. The silhouette grew more solid as it approached – and it was moving fast. Whoever it was must've been at least six feet tall, and they seemed to cross at least that distance with every stride. There was something else about them though – something in the way they favored one side… Carmo was fairly certain they weren't using their arms properly either. Something was wrong.

the figure grew larger and larger, the steps more clear and frantic. Carmo balled her hands into fists at her side. They could be in trouble. They could be trouble. The rain counted the moments she stood frozen in her doorway until right when they passed her door –

"Hey!"

[Assistant]
For the first time in some hours, he heard a new sound: a voice. His heart expanded in his throat. He felt sick.

He was relieved. Apprehensive. Exhausted. More than anything, he was ever mindful of the scraping around the corner -- couldn't she hear it? He spun on one trained foot and lunged toward her house.

Then stopped.

"Please!" he panted, bent at the waist with trembling hands on his knees. "I'm being followed and I don't know what..." He gulped his desperation and looked up at the woman lost in the shadow of her doorway. "Can I come in?"

--

Carmo stumbled back when the towering man lunged at her. She bit out a curse, steadying herself on the door frame. His words spun through her mind as she scrambled to process them. He was sopping wet and there was a manic edge to his voice, and for an instant she regretted drawing his attention.

"Wha- no!" Carmo knew how to take care of herself, but she wasn't an idiot. She leaned away from him, trying to get out of reach in case he tried to grab her, but she doubted it'd do much luck, lanky bastard that he was. "Who's chasing you? What's wrong?"

--

The raised hood twisted, looking between the street and the woman again. The sound of steel on blacktop dug into the roots of his teeth.

"I don't know. It's got...claws? That's all I could see. Please...I just need somewhere to hide for...maybe half an hour." He ran his hand over his wounded right shoulder again, disappointed but not surprised when he found it as sticky as ever. Even as the rain beat down against the gash, his blood felt unmistakably thick between his fingers. "And...maybe some bandages. That's all, I promise."

--

Carmo froze at his answer. Claws? What sort of– but then her eyes widened when she realized why he was holding his shoulder so tightly. Blood, inky black in the night, seeped between his fingers and stained his ruined coat. It was then that she finally heard the scraping.

"Shit," she bit out. Jamming her hand into her pocket, she fished out her keys and scrambled to open the door. "Inside!" she commanded, all but shoving the stranger through the door. Once they were both inside, she slammed the door shut, the automatic lock clicking into place. The door did nothing to dull the scraping sound, but Carmo did her best to ignore it. She reached in her pocket again for – she'd left her phone in her room. Letting out a sound that was some mix between a groan and a growl, she spun back to the stranger. "Upstairs. We need to get away from the door."

--

Wiping his hand on his jeans, the man pulled out his own phone -- still at a respectable 67% charge -- and awoke the screen. Light on his size 12 feet, he dashed through the living room and leapt up the staircase, five steps at a time behind the ghostly blue glow of his phone's LED.

[User]
Carmo hurried up the stairs after him and his ridiculous strides. Seriously, what was up with this dude's proportions if he could clear five steps at a time?

"Fourth floor," she called after him. When they got to the correct landing, she pushed past him to run to her apartment door, jamming the key into the lock and shoving it open. Once they'd both cleared the threshold, Carmo slammed the door shut – just as she heard the sickening crack of snapping wood and shattering glass from the ground floor. She didn't know if the ice seeping through her veins was from the rain or terror. Gritting her teeth, she spun to face the stranger in the darkness.

"There are families in this building!" She hissed it at him like it was a threat. The crackle of destruction had died down, but now there was the scraping again. It was getting closer. Fear and anxiety mixing with frustration, Carmo's hand curled into a fist and she slammed it against the wall. "Call the police," she said as she pushed past him, marching to her bedroom. When she returned, she was holding an aluminum bat.

--

No matter how rapidly he climbed the steps, the screech of his attacker's claws never sounded any more distant. Like a needle at the peak of his spine, the groan of metal on undulating concrete reached intimately through his bones and deep into his nerves. The hair on the back of his head stood on end. His skin felt taut to his trapezius. Still, he made it upstairs in good time -- whatever that meant.

Crash.

His panicked mind struggled to make sense of the splintering. For an instant, he assumed the worst. He turned to look for his new ally -- futile, in the black night -- only to hear her voice, urgent and desperate as his own. This was all wrong.

Before he could begin stammering his justifications, he had orders. His thumb swished across the screen, back-lighting the watery, red smear he'd left behind. His gaze fixed on the upper corner of his phone. No signal. His molars creaked into one-another as he pounded out 9-1-1.

For his efforts, he got the frozen, off-color tone of the busy signal. His ears rang, pleading.

"Connect, damn it..." He might have said it more harshly if he hadn't had this argument every hour before. Had the outage claimed the cell tower, too? He wiped the screen on his coat and tapped the numbers in three more times as he stood at the door. None of his attempts surprised him.

His knit brows lifted to face the woman -- who was now armed.

"I don't understand -- it ignored everybody else! I thought if I came in, it would..." Does it matter? he asked himself. It's here now. What are you going to do about it? He glanced back at the door of the apartment, toward the figure that had followed him so far.

He weighed his options.

[Assistant]
The unearthly scratching was punctuated by the stranger's urgent voice, both hushed and secretive, yet deafening in the darkness of Carmo's apartment. Her heart rose to her throat as her frantic mind tried to piece together their situation. There was something inside the building with them. They were in her apartment. Her apartment that had no fire escape (how would a young girl living on her own be able to afford a place unless no one else wanted it?) just a four story drop to the asphalt below. There was no escape. No alarm. No police.

Carmo grit her teeth against the fear bubbling up inside her and fought against the tears building in the corner of her eyes. The scraping was getting closer.

"Turn the camera on," she said, swallowing, "and get to the back. After… if you can, get it to Josh Chan at the Seattle Sun. Tell him –" Carmo trailed off. Tell him what? She shook head to herself and a tear escaped. "Just get it to him." Standing before the door, she tightened her shaking grip on her bat and raised it, ready to strike.

Then she looked over her shoulder to see the stranger's blurred figure.

"Carmo Koizumi," she said in a soft, frail voice. "You?"

--

He flicked through menus with a practiced thumb, checked the indicator in the corner to see that the flash was on, and framed the small, protective woman and her door in the viewfinder. Too tired to argue, he just chewed the rising, acidic guilt in his throat; why the hell was she already prepared to make a last stand over his stupid mistake? If he just got out of here, maybe he could make this his problem again.

Still, they needed to know what they were up against. He held his ground, ready to get a picture...when the woman's weight shifted. She said something about caramel, and it took him five seconds to recognize it as a name. He sighed misty respect for her in the biting night air.

"Hiko Kogawa," he nodded in response, forcing husky strength back into his voice. "Yoroshiku." Something in that firmness said, Stay strong, Koizumi. We'll get through this. He only hoped she could hear it. In the next, tense moments, the tearing of linoleum gave way to a thud of finality.

After a moment's pause, the shearing continued, muffled somehow, until it faded into the distance. Did...did that thing just walk away? Its heavy nails raked back over the metal door frame and returned to the familiar, fruitless task of piercing solid concrete.

[User]
Carmo knew about twenty words in Japanese, and through her adrenaline-fueled haze, she recognized that as one of them. The corner of her mouth quirked up into a tense smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Back at ya," she muttered. Then she returned her focus to the door and the sounds echoing behind it.

But then something shifted. The sounds changed and the scraping grew farther and farther away. Carmo didn't know how long she waited, poised and shaking after the sounds finally became nothing but a petrifying memory.

Eventually she let out the breath she'd been holding, body deflating. The aluminum bat fell to the floor in a clatter as Carmo collapsed in on herself. She was a little ball, shaking and drenched, sitting in the growing puddle that was no doubt ruining the old carpet.

[Assistant]
Hiko dashed toward her collapsing form, the last vestiges of worry still clawing at his scalp. He extended his good arm, though he wasn't sure where; did she need a hug? A hand? Help walking? The stranger's distance made it hard to find his place.

"Are you hurt?" He thumbed for the flashlight in advance, ready to check on her wounds.

[User]
Carmo opened her mouth to reply, but instead something that was a mix between a sob and a gasp escaped her lips. Clamping a hand over her mouth, she breathed in, trying vainly to get back some control. Eventually she just shook her head. She hadn't even seen whatever it was, let alone get close enough for it to attack her.

With her free hand she searched around on the floor next to her until she found her bat. Carmo pushed herself up, using it to steady herself. Still shaking, she breathed in one last time.

"There's first aide stuff in the bathroom for your shoulder," she said in a quivering voice. "Pass me your phone. I need to take a picture of whatever it did to the front door." Actually, she needed to throw up. Or wake up. But she was trying very hard not to think about that.

[Assistant]
As they planned together, the clouds continued their listless crawl through the sky, freeing a sliver of moonlight. Ms. Koizumi was still little more than a shadow, but at her suggestion, he began to look around the apartment. The architecture was uncanny -- predictably generic, but cavernous with unfamiliarity. The carpet was filthy...He realized he still hadn't taken off his boots and grinned, guilty. Not like I'm sticking around...

His wound pulsed, and he remembered the rough-worn edges of the three-pronged claw. Somehow, it had missed somebody as huge as him, but even still...He looked down at the top of the girl's head and heavily reconsidered her plan.

"I'm coming with you." He stepped back, glancing around for the bathroom. "Where's the kit again? We..." He thought back to the almost comically large trio of blades again. "...might need it later, anyway."

[User]
Carmo didn't have the energy to argue with him. Once they'd found the kit, they dealt with his shoulder as best they could and started the agonizing crawl down the stairs. Flight after flight, they descended, Carmo still gripping her bat loosely in her trembling hand. They finally made it to the bottom and she squinted in the darkness to try and make out anything. Then the lights came back on. When Carmo's stinging eyes at last were able to focus, her eyes fell on something perhaps more terrifying than the unnamed monster stalking the streets.

The front door was completely undamaged.


[System]
Age: 16

Heritage: The daughter of the late White Queen, Alyce Heart, named after another ancestor somewhere down the line. Her father died a couple months before she was born, making him one of the firsts murdered by the Red Sorceress before anyone realized war was at hand.

Appearance: Elayra stands at about 5'6", is of a small build, and has a light skin tone. She has gray eyes, her mother's eyes, that often have a haunted look in them, and is often told by those few who remember the White Queen that she looks like her mother. She wears her platinum hair with its loose curls down most of the time, and her fingernails are almost always chewed short.

Distinguishing Marks: She has many scars on her body from both training and battle with the creatures of Wonderland. From blade wounds and burn marks from spells, to claw and bite marks, the scars are all in various stages of healing, some now only faint silvery lines. Of easiest notice is the still healing scar stretching vertically over her left eye from just above her eyebrow down to her cheek the length of her nose. She's fairly proud of this one, having gained it just before killing one of the Red Sorceress' scouts.

Clothes Wear: Though it is the standard of the common female in the land to wear a dress, Elayra loathes the things and refuses to wear one unless absolutely necessary. She prefers a pair of trousers and a form-fitting top in colors that help her blend in with her surroundings. She wears tall leather boots with a slight heel, and a pair of matching bracers. She also has a belt that holds her trusty sword and favored dagger, as well as a pouch in which she keeps what little amount of the stones that are the land's currency she has managed to collect, along with a few other small odds and ends. However, she does have a dress in her wardrobe for those rare occasions when it would help her to better fit in with the world around her.

Abilities: Magic-wise, she is capable of only a few simple spells, since she has spent honing her ability to access the magic that flows through the world. On the other hand, she has been learning how to fight since she was capable of holding a weapon. She is rather extraordinary at wielding polearms, hand-to-hand combat, shooting a bow, and various types of swords. However, she tends to favor the sword, and is fairly quick on her feet.

Weapons: Ever since Drust deemed her worthy and able enough to have her own, good weapons, she's used two particular weapons: a saber, and a kris dagger. Both of these, according to Drust, were gifts from her mother. While the White Queen never used the sword, the dagger itself was once a favored side weapon by her mother. Sword: It resembles a long, double-edged saber, the blade curving slightly. The blade has a blue hue to it, and the rather plane hilt is a dull silver color with a black leather-wrapped handle. Kris Dagger: Essentially the same in appearance as her sword, only with a wavy blade. Bow and Arrows: A simple recurve bow made of a strong, sturdy wood. She has added random small carvings onto it. The arrows are of a matching wood with brilliant blue fletching that changes shades and even adds a bit of purple and green in different lighting. She often has the bow slung over her back, and the quiver of arrows hanging at her hip. Unless, of course, she feels she has no eminent need for them, in which case she stores them away in her pack. The quiver is enchanted to keep the arrows from falling out, no matter how violently shaken, but allows for its owner to easily pull them out. Unlike her bladed weapons, this was "borrowed" from one of the Forsaken.
Weapon Update: As of page 16 in IC, she no longer has her kris dagger. Instead, courtesy of unforeseen events, she's using one of her guardian's, Drust's, spare stiletto daggers. It's a rather simple affair. The silvery metal forms a spiral at the the hilt, topped by an elegant round pummel. Its needle-pointed, triangular blade's length is around nine inches. Unlike your common Earth stilettos, each of the three thin sides are forged and sharpened in a way that lets it be used for cutting and slashing, not just thrusting.

Personality: Having grown up in the perilous world of Wonderland, Elayra tends to be suspicious of everyone and everything, since you can't even trust what you see in the world anymore. She is careful and watchful, and always on the move, always secretly hoping to encounter one of the Red Queen's followers so she could bring about their demise. When around people she knows, or in a situation where emotions are heightened or heated, she is not afraid to speak her mind, often not thinking through her words before they leave her tongue, which has often ended poorly and resulted in a couple of her scars. She is not one to hesitate to defend what she believes is right, or to fight for those hurting from the Sorceress' rule. She is the brutal, fearless sort, and even when she does feel fear, sorrow, or any other 'weak' feelings, she refuses to show it, either her bitter, angry side emerging with more potency, or putting on a cocky, self-assured grin and spouting off a few smart comments. Though she often fantasizes about what Wonderland was like before the curse, the weight of reality is always a crushing one, and she fears to dwell on the dreams for long for fear the world may never be restored. After all, if the fate of the world really would rest on the shoulders of her and someone she knew nothing about, she dares not hope for the best. Life had taught her all too well that hope did little besides bring about painful disappointment.

Major Positive Traits: Active. Dedicated. Adaptable. Curious. Brave. Alert. Compassionate toward those suffering from the Red Queen's rule. Fierce.

Major Negative Traits: Stubborn. A bit sadistic when it comes to her enemies. Bitter. Overly serious. Untrusting. Harsh. Hot-tempered.

Weaknesses: She often acts too fast and without thinking things completely through, letting her emotions get the best of her. Though it often works for her, she can be too fierce, often getting carried away and taking it from a heartfelt intensity to an almost scary ferocity.

Ticks and Tags: Ticks: Chews on her fingernails. Twirls or chews a strand of hair when thinking. Tags: "I'm nobody." "It's a living nightmare." She always speaks with a serious, and authoritative tone.

Fears: Extremely small spaces, and otherwise being locked up. Complete darkness—or, rather, not being capable of seeing what might be lurking in it. Failing to dethrone the Red Sorceress. Of facing the Red Sorceress. Of not being capable of living up to the shadow cast by her mother.

Other: Cherished Object: A necklace the White Knight gave to her. It is a family heirloom in the shape of the royal coat-of-arms that the queen ordered him to give Elayra once she turned thirteen. About an inch large, a red stone creates a heart with a curved bottom and a point that curls up into a spiral. Atop it is a small blue rose in bloom. Two swords of tarnished silver weave through part of the heart on either side to create an X, the tiny metal pieces visible through the red stone. The pendant hangs by the swords from a chain that is shockingly sturdy, and she always keeps it hidden beneath her shirt to prevent it from possibly giving her identity away. It's said to glow when the thing the wearer seeks is near, and has proven that rumor to be truth.

Short Bio: Elayra remembers little, if anything, of how life was before the Sorceress' curse ravaged the land. She has been told the story of how they escaped: the White Knight took the two children through a hidden passage in the palace, and they made their way over the land to Harrow Hollow Hill, where it is said portals to many worlds reside. With the opening of a couple of them eminent, they jumped on the opportunity. With the portal entrance too small for the three to fit through together, the boy went first. Before the other two could follow, they were ambushed by a few of the Sorceress' creatures and forced to flee or be killed.
 When the queen's curse took effect, it did no harm to Elayra, but it changed the White Knight. Though he remained mostly in control of himself, never forgot the task he had been charged with, the kindness and genteelness that once ruled him was all but abolished. In its place was an almost crazed brutality kept at bay by only the little of who he once was that remained.
 So, Elayra grew up knowing only the nightmarish side of Wonderland and with a surrogate parent who was firm and harsh, always unrelenting in his training. He taught her how to wield various types of weapons, as well as educated her about everything he could to aid her in succeeding in bringing down the Red "Queen." Though he showed a restraint that all others affected by the curse lacked, his methods were just shy of barbaric on the field. However, the Knight did have moments where his true self shone through, showing a kindness befitting a doting father. But, on the other side of the coin, there were times when the curse took almost full control, sending him into a terrifying rage.
 The two occasionally stayed with a few other survivors and supporters of the White Queen, all living underground and hoping they would not be found. She kept who she was a secret, by order of the Knight, and for knowing that if anyone knew who she was, it could very well mean her death.
 She learned quickly, as one must when living in a world where even the grass could try to tear you apart, and your mentor, when more consumed by the curse, lived by the philosophy that "pain is the greatest teacher." Even so, the Knight was the only family she had, and she cherished every moment when the curse was subdued long enough for her to see a small glimpse into the gentle, caring people Wonderland was once filled with.
 At long last the Knight, who watched the skies diligently, told her it was finally nearly time for the portal to Earth to open and for her to seek out the Hatter's son. The two set out on the journey once more to Harrow Hallow Hill in the dismal hope that she would succeed and be capable of bringing him home to Wonderland and putting an end to the evil Red Queen's reign, and the rule would once more belong to the Heart family.

[User]
With the gentle pattering of the rain echoing around them and off the slightly vaulted roof, Elayra's eyes narrowed when Ghent questioned her order. She gave something between a growl and a sigh.
 "Basically?" she replied curtly. "Yep." She glanced up to the shield, now unneeded beneath the protection of the pavilion.
 Looking from it, she let her mental hold over it and the magic drop. Without her will to command the magic to take form, the shield burst into a glittering, dusty film that vanished in the span of a blink.
 Elayra uncrossed her arms and rested her left hand leisurely on the hilt of her sword, her intense gaze returning to Ghent.
 "You're Hatter Madrail's son. The only ones remaining of the Vinifcium--a race of powerful sorcerers and fighters," she elaborated with an irritated air, trying to answer an inevitable question before he could ask it to save time. "In theory," she spat the detested word, "you've inherited their connection to magic. And that's what we need. But you didn't even believe in magic until yesterday!" She snorted, throwing a hand in the air exasperatedly and again wondering what kind of world taught that there was no such thing as magic.
 "So." She took a threatening step toward Ghent and crossed her arms once more over her chest. "Mouth and eyes closed. We're going to see if you get along with the magic here."

[Assistant]
"Hatter's my old man. I know." Ghent grumbled, leaning against the table nearest to him. The fact that he was related to Hatter was something he'd been reminded of several times, but he wasn't all too pleased about it. So far, he'd only felt the pressure of expectations he had no idea if he was capable of meeting. Why should he be compared to Hatter if he'd no recollection of the man? It wasn't as if he'd been taught magic, he'd only just learned about it.
 Though Ghent didn't fancy the idea of having to prove himself so early on, he didn't want to back down from the challenge. Elayra made conjuring fire seem simple enough, and she'd made the rain-shield vanish without a single word. At least this way he wouldn't have Drust there to witness his first attempt at sorcery.
 "Believe in it? How could I have believed in it? It's never been proven to exist!" Ghent had a feeling Elayra's opinion of him would not change unless he got the magic to work. Though he'd tried to tell himself that he didn't care what she thought, he did care. Proving himself was important if he wished to earn any amount of respect.
 With an aggravated sigh, Ghent closed his eyes and unintentionally mimicked Elayra by folding his own arms across his chest. "To quote you, we're wasting time. Lets get this over with."

[User]
Elayra snorted. "Fine by me," she snapped.
 She took a breath, trying to calm her impatience and worries. With Ghent's eyes closed, she tried to think back to the first of the few, more official lessons in magic Drust had given her, and of the various bits and pieces she had picked up in between.
 "Magic's all around us, it just exists on a plane all its own, so most people can't see it. But a lot of us can feel it, if we try. If we reach out to it first. Once you've found it once, it'll be easier to find it when you need it. So." She uncrossed her arms and leaned back against one of the benches. "Clear your head, then imagine the energy of magic flowing around us. Once you can feel it, command it. For now, use focus words. The one for a basic shield is tuito. It's a good one for a beginner."
 She stared at him intently, for the first time that morning not paying her surroundings much attention. She took a slight step away in case he managed to mispronounce the command, her eyes never leaving him, fearing the worst, but hoping, despite her better judgment, for the best.


[System]
Monster Type: Birdgon
Gender: Male
Occupation: None (In college)
Weapon?: Claws +10 ATK, It's... not possible to remove these.
Armor?: Plain T-Shirt +3 DEF, It's just a plain, white shirt... for a plain guy.
Magic (up to three) : Fire magic, Lightning magic, and Healing magic
Personality: Out of battle, he can be described as rather unassuming, generally friendly, and somewhat talkative, however... this all changes should you get him mad. He will often attack with everything he's got the moment he's mad enough to attack someone, but, after that, he just goes back to using one element at a time... and can usually be talked out of a fight after that first attack.

Bio:
 Unlike most of the monster kids, David always tried to use as many magic spells as possible, claiming that he'd 'get good at all of them!', so, while they continued with their more specialized magic... David was left with some very basic magic that doesn't adhere to any sort of theme. This, at first, got him bullied around by the others, who all had their magic down to a specific thing, their magic all just fit together, whereas David's was just sort of all over the place. He could create fire, he could create lightning, and he could heal... but... he couldn't really figure out anything more than that, whereas some of the more musically gifted monsters shaped their magic into notes, and actually used that to create music, David... could just sort of create the magic. He couldn't get it to do anything special, such as change the color of another monster's soul to force them to move a certain way, or have it shaped like something he likes... it was just sort of there. But... he always tried to make it into something else, but... he just couldn't figure out what, exactly. That being said, he never stopped trying. He continued trying to do something special with his magic... he tried with fire, then lightning, but all throughout his school years, not only did he not have a subject that he was best at, but he couldn't do anything spectacular with his magic... other than just produce lightning or fire.

 'This lack of specialization seemed to follow him into college, where, instead of focusing on one, maybe two subjects, David just took whatever classes appealed to him at the time... which, of course, means that he has a bunch of credits... that don't go towards any sort of degree. This ended with him spending a ton of gold on random classes that have basically nothing to do with one another. His magic, even though he continued trying to make it DO something different was still as plain as ever, even if he can use it to heat things, and power things respectively. Thankfully, the bullying has stopped as it usually does after high school, though, he occasionally refers to himself, jokingly, as 'Plain Dave' just due to how uninteresting his magical spells are. It was around this time that David caught a show about Mettaton fighting a strange creature, one that's been described as a 'human'... he thought it was odd, but, he didn't really want to get involved, as, for some reason, he figured that the human would end up getting killed either by Mettaton who really put up an amazing show fight, or the king... er... fluffysomethingorother. David just sort of figured that, much like the other times these 'humans' entered the underground, it would end with another soul taken...'

 He was wrong. Apparently, not only did the human make it past the king, he also broke the barrier. For the first time in his life, David would be able to see the sun, the stars, and probably so many other things... however, David was one of the last monsters to hear about it, so... despite his enthusiasm, he was also the last monster to leave, aside from whatever few might have actually decided to stay down there. Once he finally made it out of the underground, one of the first things he saw, other than a beautiful sunset, of course, was another human... this one was taller than Frisk, and, at first, David was actually somewhat scared of him, but... soon enough, Erion, the human, convinced David that he meant no harm, that he wants there to be peace just as much as David did. The two became friends after that, and soon enough, David was in a new college on the surface, where he continued the running gag of never being able to really work towards any particular degree. This was just about the time where he found out that the human he saw fighting Mettaton, who was apparently named 'Frisk' vanished... said human was also responsible for the peace between humans and monsters, and fearing a possible war, David tried to give a speech about how people and monsters alike shouldn't judge one another... but, it seemed to fall on deaf ears, as nobody wanted to listen to him... he was apparently a joke in that college, so, the crowd he had amassed just laughed, and left soon after.

Appearance: David is a strange creature. While he has the general appearance of a bipedal dragon, there are some decidedly bird parts on there... more specifically, he has feathers covering his back, wings, shoulders, and the top half of his tail. His arms also look quite a bit like bird legs, though, they have exactly five fingers, and he's capable of using them to manipulate tools (such as pencils). The feathers range in color from white to a light blue, however, his scales, which cover basically everything else are a contrasting red and orange color, with the occasional black scales. Oddly, he has a bird's beak rather than a dragon's scaly snout, but, said beak actually has a set of teeth for unknown reasons. He stands at about 5' tall, which makes him short among adult humans, but rather tall among children. His eyes are somewhat reptilian looking with slit-like pupils, and a yellow color around the pupils with almost no white area. His horns are a jet black color, as are his claws.

I dunno... that's a good question. CAN I, or would I just phaze through the ghost?

[User]
Sans wanted to smack his face at the fact that Asgore didn't catch on. But he managed to withhold that action (or he was just too lazy to do so right now), and he answered Papyrus, "Well then, I guess that means he has a...baaaaad memory?" Skylar couldn't help but laugh at the pun, and Sans grinned widely.

However, the joviality in that grin faded quickly when a certain person appeared.

Skylar and Sans looked to see a new person came into the picture. A boy with a manly bandana and a saccharine exterior appeared and said that he wanted to join them in order to learn more about the Underground for school. Flowey who was still in Papyrus's hands, seemed to have that look of recognition, before its mouth contorted into a small, devilish grin.

Sans stared at Chen silently not letting his emotions show, while Skylar answered with a hesitant and polite smile on her face, "Ye-Yeah, life's pretty strange," She couldn't say why exactly, but she had a feeling that this person was dangerous...A feeling of deja vu, perhaps? Considering what happened earlier, she wouldn't put the feeling past it.
Sans and Skylar looked to Undyne and Papyrus when they spoke up. The shorter skeleton chuckled, "Sure, I don't see why not, bro. The more, the merrier,"

*~*~*

Skylar wasn't sure why Sans agreed, but she wanted to speak up and give a reason as to why this guy shouldn't come. But she never did get the chance. David brought up a valid point, flew up to her, and helped her down. She held onto David (making sure that it was tight enough so that she didn't fall, but not tight enough to hurt the poor guy). When he whispered to her, she nodded and she answered him, whispering just as David did, when he was done talking, "I'm glad I'm not the only one who got that feeling! Something about him is really off. We'll have to keep an eye on him," She then realized something and she introduced herself before David landed, "My name is Skylar,"

After David landed, Skylar watched as he flew back up, and she mumbled "I better stay here and wait for the others," She noticed that she was standing amongst a patch of yellow flowers. They seemed to have been well taken care of. She also noticed among the yellow flowers, was a small light. She reached her hand out towards the light out of curiosity, and after a brief flash and a feeling of determination, the light had disappeared.

*~*~*

Sans noticed how different Chen's behavior towards Papyrus was in comparison to Frisk's and Skylar's when they first met him. He held back a derisive snort, and ignored Flowey as it shouted towards David and Skylar "You all know you're going to die, right?!" He wanted to throw Flowey using his blue magic, but he didn't want to do so in front of Papyrus and the others.

When David came back and Chen asked the bird monster, Sans spoke to the kid casually with a shrug, his hands in his pockets, "Huh, you're quite prepared...and determined to do that assignment, aren't ya?" He shrugged and continued "I'm sure you can hitch a ride with Mettaton, kid. I think our bird friend here, will...egret carrying another person down while they're tired," He then turned and said "I'll meet you guys down below," He walked into the trees and disappeared, only to reappear at the bottom of the hole, with Skylar.

He looked to said girl, and he noticed that she was looking towards the entrance of the ruins. He asked "'Sup kiddo?" Skylar mumbled quietly, "I hear noises ahead...Listen..." Sans remained silent and he heard what Skylar was talking about. There were people ahead, and they were talking. But they were too far away to tell if it was Frisk or not...

[Assistant]
"ALRIGHT, I'M DONE WAITING, HURRY UP AND JUMP INTO MY ARMS!" Mettaton threw his arms around, pointing at the group angrily, he placed his hands on his hips and waited.

Asgore looked at the robot, and nodded. He turned to the rest of the group, and decided that now was the time for a speech, the group needed a morale boost, and Asgore knew how to provide that.
"Howdy everyone! I'd just like to say how glad I am to get your help, it has been far too long since we saw Frisk last, and if you are all as dedicated and determined as I hope you are, than we will find them sooner than any of you will believe, however, I have a feeling that there are those among you who do not believe in our mission." As he said this, he looked around, seeing if anyone made a movement that signified that Asgore was telling the truth, nobody did, so Asgore continued.
"To those people, I'd have to ask for your trust, as we all know how important Frisk is to monster-kind, and humankind alike, and without your help, we stand no chance at finding them." He frowned and lowered his head, but then smiled and raised it again as he began the next sentence.
"Even if that is the case, I will not stop until all of my friends are safe, whether you join or not! I will find my...son?...daughter?...Uh, anyways, I won't stop until they're found, and we all know how committed I am, so join with me! Save Frisk, and bring monster-kind and humankind together in a way never seen before, we will be heroes! No matter what happens, stay determined! And we will succeed!"
Asgore then raised his trident to the sky triumphantly, it reflecting the sunlight to the crowd, as if it was radiating from Asgore himself.

[User]
Celes on her side jumped into Mettaton's back, ready to go now, ready to go and get down to her old home again. As she waited as she was going down, she breath deeply. Her old home... This would be nostalgic. But there is something else... That human that was lost down there... Frisk was it? Well, hearing what Asgore said, it seemed no one even knew his or her gender. Anyway... she waited before arriving in the cave with Mettaton and probably a couple others, before walking to Skylar and David. She whispers.
"That... other guy... I don't know why but he gives me the creeps..." she then says shivering. She would need to be careful...

Meanwhile at the surface, Erion looked as the people went downwards. He breath deeply after hearing Asgore's speach and smile softly.
"Spoken like a true leader... even if one part of it was... off. I guess no one even knows the gender of Frisk? I mean.... kinda weird." he then says softly before looking towards the hole and shaking his head.
"I hope David will be ok... and everyone else. I just... don't know..." he says, his fencing sword well holstered at his side. It might be best to take care that this guy that stays at the surface end up safe... he probably was really worried about that kid also, so he probably was going to wait until the group comes back.

[Assistant] I smile at Sans' joke, and respond with "Yeah, guess you're right, Sans. Sorry buddy, but I'm gonna have to take a break. I hear Mettaton doesn't get tired, though,", and while I had a plan for actually lowering the new guy into the hole, I then recalled the fact that Skylar got on my back to get down there, rather than having me pick her up with my arms. Yeah, I guess he's right, trying to pick him up when I let Skylar ride me would make him suspicious of me, and letting him ride me would give him the perfect opportunity to back-stab me. I thought as I headed over to Asgore. Once his speech was over, I ended up whispering to him "Hey, Asgore, got any spare soul jars? I don't want to accidentally absorb either Skylar's, or the new guy's soul if anything happens to them, and heck, if I do bring back the jar, maybe Alphys could give them a new body, after all, she made Mettaton and put a soul in him, right?" I then waited for his response while looking over who might stay and who might go. It was obvious that the younger boss monster would go, and we couldn't keep Papyrus or Undyne from going down there if we tried. Mettaton would probably end up going down there, as that's where most of the drama would be... as for Sans... I had no real idea. It seemed like he could just come and go as he pleased with how he seemed to move. I almost wanted to head down there, but I'd really need at least one soul jar, just in case, before I do. Of course, the real reason for the jar was just to prevent the hooded fellow from reviving, or doing whatever it is humans do when they die and come back, but I couldn't let him, or really anyone else know what I was planning.


[System]
* Age: 238
* Gender: Female
* Race: Human (Vampire)
* Appearance:
Standing over six feet tall, it definitely doesn't match her height out of armour...
With sword:

A better look at the armour:

134cm/4' 4 3/4".

She's still not 5' tall, barely, but at least she's adult.
* Personality: The opinion of those who only have to interact with the Iron Roses in their capacity as knights is that Tyaethe is a serious, no-nonsense veteran. This is completely true provided that she's acting in her capacity as a knight of the church, off rescuing people or doing simple military work--she's quite serious, if prone to taking the aggressive and faster option. When there's a real fight on hand or something strong to oppose, she gets more hot-headed... and in general is quite prone to an "ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK" mentality, prone to forgetting that most people do not share her ability to disregard physical injury.
Off the battlefield, outside of religious matters she's quite lazy. There's no equipment for her to upkeep, no physical exercise to keep in shape, no family matters to attend to, and even the captain only needs so much assistance in a day. It leaves her plenty of time for either emulating a cat and finding somewhere inconvenient but comfortable to nap, or playing tricks and teasing other members of the Iron Roses. Or helping them as the case may be. At times, the vampire can actually seem her age, bored of the repetitiveness of time and duty--but still obliged to be here.
Unless she respects you, making fun of her height or age is quite a way to set her off.
* Brief Backstory: Coming from a minor noble family, Tyaethe was always expected to carry on her family's duty as knights of the crown. Yet due to favours owed by a highly influential and religious duke to her father, the standard of education that the girl received was much higher than her family would have expected--until the duke's own outspoken nature and the cause of the original favour came back. Having made enemies with a vampire of some age, and defied death once before, they came back for vengeance during a feast. Perhaps the vampire recognised Tyaethe as the child of one of its enemies and wanted to make a more ironic point, or maybe they just didn't want to kill a child in training--but of the attack, she was the only survivor, and quite confused at that.
With her teacher dead, but his influence still felt, the girl went to the church and pledged herself to training as a paladin and to become a knight in Mayon's service--with no idea of what she had been afflicted with. When this became apparent, it was already too late to back out... despite Reon's virulent hatred for vampires in particular, Mayon had no such compulsion against intelligent but unwitting undead and showed no signs of displeasure. So, even though the church would normally have resisted accepting the undead into their ranks, Tyaethe completed her training as best as possible despite the lack of ageing and became a paladin.
Hot-headed and somewhat hard to work with, Tyaethe spent most of her time as a crusading knight-errant and working on her magical abilities--not wanting to go to yet another social function made doubly awkward by her apparent age, or snap at another companion for bringing attention to the fact. Her tendency for long trips away from most paladins helped with forgetting what she was, and Tyaethe developed a reasonably good reputation for her abilities.
Which is about when Elionne prevented the assassination of Falthir and impressed the older paladin so much that she was the first to swear her service--before the Iron Roses had even been founded--and was something of a teacher. This, combined with her apparent age, is the source of the "First and Youngest" title... which she still hates hearing. Unfortunately, it's open knowledge, along with her condition, leaving Tyaethe with a very strange reputation.
When Elionne disappeared, the vampire didn't know more than anyone else, though she certainly took the news hard. In the end, Tyaethe stuck with the knights, though she's become touchier about her apparent age over time, and has a tendency to act as a stumbling block to changing tradition. Occasionally, nobles looking to advance their control over the knights have been dismayed to learn that the circumstances of Tyaethe's original vow to join the knights more or less require Elionne to be the one to make her leave or be proved dead.
* Equipment: The only piece of "real" equipment that Tyaethe possesses is her sword--a blessed blade enchanted to have no weight to the wielder, so that even someone in her situation can wield it without any difficulty, and as resilient to damage as it could be made. Everything else, aside from her scarfs, is nothing more than a magical construct created as needed.
Though it isn't really equipment, she also has two hundred years of accumulated money left over for whatever might need the investment--not a bad amount.
* Skills: As one would expect of the most experienced knight in the order, Tyaethe's greatest asset is her swordsmanship, despite the link between vampirism and magical power. She takes pride in achieving victory through nothing more than the mundane application of skill, now honed over entire lifetimes, and insists that using some magic isn't an advantage, merely balancing out her own disadvantages. Some people have disagreed with this. Whatever their opinion on magically assisted swordsmanship, her skill is sufficient that she only gets excited when prodigies join the knights and provide some decent competition until they leave or age catches up.
The link between vampirism and magical power is no joke, of course, and even with her preference for melee combat, Tyaethe isn't foolish enough to ignore it--or rather, how it can help with her preferred approach to combat. Her speciality is in illusions upon herself, enhanced and improved so far that they cross the realm into proper shapeshifting and conjuration through sheer expenditure of mana. This includes making herself appear "simply" as she would were she an adult, or the tall, armoured knight--and generating the armour in the process. It protects as any armour of its appearance would suggest, but the amount of magic flowing through it actually makes it even better at defending against magical assault.
Unlike more restrictive approaches to shapeshifting, or mere illusions, the transformations require conscious upkeep--were she to stay awake long enough, even a magical reservoir like Tyaethe would run dry. They also, of course, dissipate if she falls asleep or is somehow knocked unconscious.
Though the magical power is a requirement to even be a vampire, it's something that provides certain uses by default. For one, any injury will rapidly regenerate, and lethal damage is a study in overkill. She can also enhance her abilities beyond their physical limits (of considerable use given her actual physique), albeit that is even less efficient than her illusions are--but good for unexpected short bursts of power.
Finally, as expected: vampires can see in the dark. This would be a quite troublesome ability to not possess, even if it leads to weirdly glowing eyes.
* Other: Yes, drinking blood is required. Yes, the sun is dangerous. It isn't quite lethal, though: Reon hates vampires but she's aware it's not a choice.

[User]
Tyaethe Radistirin

The vampire tapped her fingers against the sword, evaluating the answers as well as she could. "If I had to score you out of ten, I would say that warrants an eight. Maybe a seven, if I was to add a penalty for suggesting that running away is an option if the need ever comes up." They were knights, after all, if a dragon happened to show up where they were and attack them, the chances were extremely high that other people would be the ones doing the running away while they bought time. Or killed the dragon, as the case may be and depending on who was involved.

"Numerical superiority mostly turns into a slaughter, since everyone's movements are so constrained. Archers in particular are mostly an irritant and tend to be the first thing to face dragon fire if they mass," Tyaethe explained. "If you're on your own or extremely well-co-ordinated with a small group, you can also goad most dragons into landing by avoiding their fire for long enough. Dragons are every bit as territorial as kings; it's the main reason they spread out and start trouble. You have to go for the wings even faster then, of course."

The white-haired paladin frowned, going through a mental checklist. "Oh, magic. Try and get something to help with surviving the fire, even if most protections will burn away faster than you hope."

The real question was still why Tyaethe thought 'how to fight a dragon' was a necessary skill. "You're right that the most important defensive skill against something that huge is dodging, though. So, tell me, how good are you at that?"

From the way she lifted her sword, the reason for the tangent was more than obvious.

[Assistant]
Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri sat at a desk in his room, writing a letter. With the sheer potential magnitude of the crisis at hand, Fleuri had felt the desire to catch up with a few old friends, while he still had the opportunity. He had already finished writing a letter to the paladin who mentored him, and was now writing one to a friend/rival from his tournament days. He wanted to be sure that he had the chance in case something bad happened, but there was more to it. In the context of this particular letter, the threat was solid proof to him that leaving his career as a tournament competitor and joining the Iron Roses was the right choice, and he wanted to assure his friend that he was confident in his decision.

Fleuri wouldn't actually say anything about the crisis or the mission- he didn't want word of this getting out to anyone who didn't need to know- but he felt that they ought to be assured of his confidence in his choice. He wasn't even sure if or when his friend would reply, but he knew the tournament schedules well enough that the letter should at least be able to find its recipient. If anything, he at least hope that it'd ensure that they'd stay in touch even after going their separate ways.

Once he had finished the letter to his satisfaction- something that took far more time than he had expected- he folded it up, dripped wax onto it, and pressed a seal with the House Jodeau signet ring. He set the letter to the side- he would take care of the delivery later. For now it'd be wise to get some training in. More than ever, it was important that they not shirk their efforts of martial improvement.

Fleuri made his way to the courtyard, where it looked like Tyaethe was about to begin a sparring match with Maritza. Fleuri grabbed a wooden sword and began to watch, curious to see how the serpentine knight would fare. He was curious to see how deft and mobile Maritza's snake body could be, and whether or not its mass would work to her advantage of disadvantage.

Daze@FlappyTheSpybot

[User]
Gerard Segremors

"Right," He nodded simply, breathing out through his nose as it seemed any potential offense was avoided. It was good to know she'd not begrudged the idea at all— last thing a man needed was to get under the skin of his commander. Regarding his condition... "I ought to be back up to speed in a few days."

With that established, he returned to folding the concept over in his head, eyes scanning the shelves. If his Captain hadn't considered the sides that lied outside raw legends and academia, that wasn't unforgivable—his own notions of knighthood and chivalry stemmed from the same sources through the majority of his military career, after all. It was a reminder, if anything. Just as he was new to this station... she'd barely had any more tenure under hers.

Two of a suit, if not a kind.

His eyes narrowed as he glanced back to her, shaking off a little color from her cheeks. Probably kicking herself for missing the thread his experiences had naturally drawn him to, if he had to guess— he couldn't count the number of occasions he himself had fumed similarly. But more to the point, that meant his perspective and hers sat in contrast— his way of approaching the issue differed.

Best to share that, too. It might not have helped with her immediate shame, but if fighting alongside men like Fleuri and Nicomede had taught him anything, it was that the tools would give her the means to not blank on that again.

As he ambled between the shelves, ever searching, he spoke.

"One of the things I learned was the landscape's role on the field," he spoke with a tone more of recollection than declaration or teaching. He didn't have that much presumption in him, even after the reassurance that his help was favorable. "How a battle can be shaped by it, how it directs troop flow, how you can use it to narrow your expectations ahead of time. All stuff I'm sure you know as well, but... from the perspective of a single soldier, I guess. Knowing where not to step, where our unit might get bogged down, how to read for signs of ambush. If you know a field's full of sinkholes, you skirt the edges unless you know the path."

Here, he found a potential candidate: Thaln's Locales— The Many Faces of the Homeland. A little general, and not necessarily exactly what they were going to find their information in, but he had to imagine even an overview would mention areas of hostile terrain. Places hard to reach that a shard might be hidden, or perhaps...

"My thinking's along similar lines here, I mean— That the land itself could end up being a clue. We know exposure to the shard can drive men crazy enough to kill one another from Fort Daelantine, right?" He slipped the book into the crook of his arm within the sling, wincing minutely but soldiering on. "So I'd imagine one sitting in one place for a long time... might have that curse similarly desecrate the area around it, be it a temple or a valley or whatever you like. Such places that inspire madness ought to be warned away from, even if the rest has nothing to do with the shards."

Humble origins only mattered if they turned out to lack effect. Even a stick's a weapon, if you can beat a man over the head with it.

"Anything you've come up with so far, ma'am?" he asked idly, pausing to peruse the tomes above head height behind his squint.

[Assistant]
Maritza Verenna
 There was a momentary pause as Maritza looked at Tyaethe with her head cocked to the side. Then, a grin slowly spread across the Naga's face as she hefted her quarterstaff and gave it a twirl. "Against larger opponents? Actually quite good. Plenty of unpleasant monsters down South. Never tangled with something the size of a dragon though, so a little hard to say if I'd loose my advantage against something that big." Mari replied as she slowly began to circle the first member of the order. "Against someone as small, fast and experienced as you though? That's a lot trickier. Unlike most everyone else here, I assume you've had to face off with my kind before... and know how to do so." The naga was positively grinning like a loon now, her staff starting to disappear in a blur as it switched from one hand to the other. "Been a while since I've had to opportunity to go all out sparring."

[User] "Not all that much, but it's better than nothing," Tyaethe admitted, shrugging. It wasn't as if her kind were the only things with large tails or that much of a size advantage on her, or even both. There were finite ways that a body could move without getting magical contortion involved. "I can't say that I'm much of a dragon, either, but I'll do my best to be appropriately aggressive~"


[System]
~Reika Kuroke~

---

Pre-Transformation

---

Post-Transformation
Age: 17
School Year: Third Year
Arcana Card: Card XV: The Devil
Magic Color: Black with red outline.

Powers:
Card XV - The Devil: By successfully parrying or blocking an oncoming attack, Reika can then inflict the same amount of damage or force right back at the enemy almost instantly. However, this ability can only work when defending against physical close-combat attacks, such as sword strikes. If one were to carelessly slash at a defensive Reika, a cut of similar proportion would immediately present itself on the enemy. Unfortunately, this unique power reverts Reika's fighting style to retain more defensive capabilities than offensive ones, forcing her to rely solely on counterattacks and first strikes.

Weapon:
Reika's only weapons are her pair of clawed gauntlets and her increased, strength, speed, and stamina as a Magical Girl. One could even say her brutality in battle can be as sharp as a blade for she becomes silently ruthless in combat. She will not hesitate to slay her prey.

Personality:
Outside of personal life, Reika is a powerful public figure and maintains that image rightly so in the presence of her peers. As Student President, it's quite obvious that she possess excellent public speaking skills and an ability to run entire operations to their course. As such, she's often been called crazy for even accepting the job in the first place due to the role's many responsibilities and duties.

Though closer inspection would reveal the façade Reika puts on for the people around her. Dig a little deeper, and one would find a girl brimming with apathy for others and has a tendency to wander alone. She's not depressed and she's not anti-social, but she does prefer to not be in the center of bustling activity. As Student President, the irony is obvious to see.

Work as Student President and her own real lack of caring have taken away many chances to actively integrate with those among herself, and she will often politely decline gatherings and parties hosted by other members of the Student Council. But if, by chance, she does form a rare bond with another, then she will do all things in her power to keep said bond and never let it sever.

Bio:
A girl who became a Magical Girl some time ago. Despite being quite popular at her attending school as the Student Council President, she has kept her identity as a denizen of magic a secret from mostly everyone else. Reika doesn't usually use her authority as Student President to really do much of anything unfortunately.

The girl is near apathetic to events around her, only stepping in when she's required to such as disciplinary actions amongst the students. Even so, she's gathered a following of some kind from within the school, mainly cause of her looks. As such, she's been labeled as the "Most Attractive Girl in School". She is also "The School's Coldest".

---

~Theme~

[User]
Yukimura Chiharu

The brown-haired girl didn't speak to anyone. Even her friends didn't receive much today. In truth, Chiharu didn't want to talk to anyone today. Seeing those who went to their clubs after classes had made her feel... well, it wasn't as if anyone would want her in a club, would they? No-one would. So there was no point in trying to sign up for one, even if she felt no small amount of longing to join one of them. She didn't have any skills they'd find useful or interesting... And so Chiharu wanted to go home. Maybe she could read her new volume of Buster Climax. Sumiko had just blown up the Arch-King's walking fortress, things were getting really good... maybe she could try that new recipe, too... It wasn't as if anyone wanted her here, so she should just get home as soon as possible.

Quietly, Chiharu made her way towards the lockers, getting out her shoes. To say the least, there was nothing for her to do here right now. Idly, her mind wandered to other subjects. What if... what if she actually was able to help people? Like the protagonists out of one of her favorite manga. What if she could do something like that? The idea of it at once filled her with excitement and crushing disappointment. It would be amazing, yes... But that kind of thing was impossible. Chiharu quietly changed her shoes and rose to her feet.

She had to get home, and stop thinking about ridiculous things.

[Assistant]
Reiko Kimura
"Reiko!" A student called. She ran towards one specific table where another weary-looking girl sat. "Wanna go out with us tonight?"

The weary girl looked up in surprise. She had just finished packing her things and she looked like she was about to leave.

"Ah! Um, I was going to go to the library to study..." She stammered out, "I'm falling a little behind on my homework so I need to catch up..."

"You could always borrow just copy mine you know," The other student said with a huff. "It's not like sensei woould notice."

"But I'd feel guilty..." She replied "I can't just steal someone else's work..."

The other student looked at her for a second and let out a resigned sigh.

"Alright... I guess we'll have to go without you." She said. She turned and exited the classroom, while Reiko stared down at her desk for a while.

She always had a hard time keeping friends. She could make them, and she would never treat them badly, it's just they'd eventually find out she never went anywhere with them. Of course, that was mostly the fault of... it. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out.

She never let the Hanged Man card out of her possession. A little pointless, because it always found its way into her hands anyway. The main reason she never went out with friends was that she was never sure what would happen if she did. There was the potential her black outs wouldn't be so benign if there were other people besides her family around, so she made sure to be cautious. Sometimes she would find herself drawing it out without meaning to and she would black out before she knew what had happened.

"I should get going, I suppose... She said, getting up for her chair.

At least she never really lied to her friends. She really was falling behind a little, and she really had been going to do homework. She would have taken the opportunity to copy her friend's work really, she really would've liked to go out with friends for once. But if she told them her real reason for not going, they definitely wouldn't believe her.

She wished there could be someone that would.

[User]
Delia Lin

Delia was draped across her desk, dreaming of a world where she didn't have to get up early in the morning to be imprisoned in a room where she was babbled at. This earned her the ire of some teachers who tried to ambush her with questions. Delia managed to pick up enough context clues be right about 60-70% of the time, however that just made the teachers all that more confident.

Ughh! Why can't they just leave me alone! I'm right more often than wrong. Don't they get board! as the bell rang Delia was shocked out of her thoughts and was up and out of the classroom like a bolt of lightning before the teacher had a chance to yell at her. Unable to contain herself Delia laughed as she ran, almost falling down the stairs in her haste to get away from her prison.

Getting her things in order Delia burst out the school front door, but didn't particularly feel like going home. Pulling out her wallet Delia checked how many tokens she still had from yesterday.
Yes~! Another afternoon to hit the arcade~ and shot into town. Changing in a public restroom Delia exited now wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts instead of that insufferable uniform. Stopping by a vending machine, Delia grabbed a can of some foreign sounding passion fruit soft-drink to have on the way.

Entering the arcade Delia she let the sound block off the rest of the worlds and immersed herself in this little pocket of heaven. She noticed some students from school, but didn't call out to them. She was here to enjoy herself and play some games, not talk to others she knew only in passing. Heading to the back Delia found her favourite pinball machine and inserted a token, almost glad that pinball was going out of fashion leaving the machine all to herself. As she relaxed into a wide stance, Delia launched the ball a devilish grin on her face as she decided today was the day she beat her high score. Today's the day, I can feel it~! I will not panic on the multi-ball and be totally defensive this time!

[Assistant]
Yamamoto Rika had been slow to exit to exit the school today.

She had not been in any particular rush to leave, especially since she lived only twenty minutes away. While it may be easy to imagine someone like her having a personal driver to ferry her to and from school, such a thing felt... cliche. Besides, the simple act of walking home seemed to gain her respect points with a lot of classmates, so why not milk that for all its worth?

And besides, she could stop on the way home for some art supplies. Rika had a hunch that she could almost eyes symmetrically, now!

And during her slow exit, the homeroom teacher had pulled her into a conversation regarding her scores. The usual spiel; 'I know you can perform better, if there's anything you're having trouble on, you have the makings of top student'... Rika could understand it was all meant in good faith, but damn it, what was the point of trying, when her current scores were enough?

When she was finally able to escape the conversation, Rika walked to the exit, which contained very few students by now. A few moments later, having changed her shoes, her gaze turned to the nearest student - probably a first year, with dark hair tied into small twintails, who was just leaving, as well.

Rika gave the girl a bright smile, and figured she should give the girl a polite greeting/farewell, "I hope you enjoyed your day! See you tomorrow!"

And with that, Rika was stepping towards the main entrance, expecting no more than a simple courtesy reply as she exited the building.

[User]
Mura Sahashi

Mura sat in class, tapping away on the desk with her finger out of sheer boredom. She had already given up listening to whatever the teacher was saying and instead was reciting some arbitrary poem she had read.

We Are The Seven Deadly Sins,
Be Careful Or We Shall Win.
We Come And Go, But We Are Strong
Ignoring Us Will Do You Wrong.

only to stop as the bell rang, snapping her back to reality. She packed her things away and made her way out, headed for her locker for her shoes. Today was one of her chosen days; a day where she would actually come to school. Even if it was a waste of time, it was good to come once in a while. Some people were kinda surprised that today she had actually showed up, but that was to be expected. She hadn't been around for a couple of days due to some studies, but she felt that today was good a day as any to drop in.

Making her way out, she pulled out her phone and began writing a couple notes down from what she had actually picked up during her lessons. With this Mura began to walk home, looking very, very bored. Since she was in no real rush, she decided to make her way into town. The orphanage people wouldn't be making dinner for a while longer so she had to do something to pass the time. She could grab a drink, head to the arcade, do some shopping, whatever. The arcade did sound appealing, but she didn't exactly have enough money to waste on machines that would return to her nothing. But it could come to profit if she was lucky... That did sound goo- Like hell that was gonna happen. That was just greedy, and that was something she couldn't afford to be. Mura pulled out her wallet and checked how much money she actually had. Huh, there was some left over from yesterday; which meant she could go to the arcade if she actually wanted to. Well, it was good to indulge oneself at some points in time, so she began to walk there.

Arriving, there was already quiet a few people around; most notably some girl furiously going at it on the pinball machine. Some people really had no control of their desires, and by the looks of it hers were running rampant. Getting some arcade tokens, Mura walked over to a grabber machine with some stuffed cats inside. These are kinda cool. I think I'll try my luck. she thought, inserting a coin and attempting it; failing, but getting kinda close. Once more and we'll try something different. trying it again, she actually did it; to her surprise. That was a first. She picked up the cat and smiled, looking at it and wondering.

My Name Is Greed, How Do You Do?
I'm Deadly Sin Number Two.
I Make You Want All That You See.
Those Desires You Have Come From Me.
I'll Take What's Mine, I'll Take What's Not.
No Matter What, I Will Not Stop.
I Will Never Leave Your Side
Because I'm Never Satisfied.

[Assistant]
Reika should have slapped her. In fact, she should have slapped the girl five times over. No, it had to be much more than that. How many times had the feckless otaku waltzed into her Council room just to freeload and sample her snacks? Better yet, how many times had the girl claimed to help out when everyone knew she was just here to read and eat.

Yes, the Student Council President should have kicked the glasses-bearing girl out of her office a long time ago. But these days-actually everyday-she just couldn't find the energy or the motivation to enact these thoughts. So she beckoned Akane with yet more silence as she ate her own meal in relative peace.

Said meal consisted of raw fished packed into little cubes to which she bit into gingerly while taking the occasional sip of tea. Seriously, where were the other Council members? They didn't all call in sick again, did they? That left Reika alone with the overeager otaku and suddenly the raw fish didn't sit well with that prospect in mind. At last though, she suppressed a deep sigh before turning her blank and probably uncaring gaze onto the other girl.

"Inquietude? That word seems a bit large to fit into your vocabulary Chinatsu-san," the President said with little emotion, making it hard for one to decipher if her words were compliment or insult. "As for the tea, I really can't say. Someone added honey, I think, to the brew earlier today."

Looking up from her meager meal, Reika began to play with a few strands of her white hair. She took her time in answering Akane's second question, the third member to their happy little trio. That girl was always late to everything so she wondered why Akane was surprised about it now.

"I have no idea. You know how Owari-san is so there's no use in invoking her arrival. Now, can you please quiet down? Your droning is becoming more intense than this so called sense of inquietude that has you intrigued. And yes, I can feel it too. It's probably the birds again."

Reika hoped it was the birds. Otherwise she would be forced to actually do something about it. A pity really. And she was having such a good meal. For now though, she appreciated the calm before the storm and went back to chewing on her fish in peace. At least, until Akane decided to open her mouth again.


[System]
Age:12 mentally, IDK physically
Gender:Male
Race:Anthropomorphic Toy Raccoon
Homeworld:Winnie The Pooh
Key-Weapon:Slingshot
Magics:Flee and Steal
D-Links:Lilo
Job:Thief
Appearance:An average looking raccoon toy, with a black and white "mask" over his eyes, a mostly light gray body with a white belly, and black-furred upper and lower paws. Is about as tall as Roo or Piglet.
Brief History:Rascal was made by a factory machine, as most modern toys are. His stay in the toy shop he was placed in was brief, but he distinctly remembers the toys there bullying him for his shyness and social awkwardness, causing him to draw into himself even more. After being passed over a few times by a few kids, he was eventually bought by Madeline Robin, Christopher Robin's daughter, and was being brought over to The Hundred Acre Wood proper when he fell through a universe crack.
Other:(Might as well do a brief personality here) Mischievous and sly. Acts cocky and brave, but is secretly still timid and shy. Calls people he doesn't like and his enemies "losers" as part of his facade. Wants friends more than anything, but isn't quite sure how to get them yet. Very insecure.

[User]
Rascal

Rascal, for one, did not know what all the fuss was about, killing what was probably an innocent girl. He knew that he should probably just play along, but geez, was this lady a loser or what!?

At least the team would definitely stop her from getting what she wanted and get the Princess to a safe location, though! Sure, that weird black haired guy might try to stop them, but Rascal suspected that that wouldn't stop the team from getting things done!

"Don't worry, Your Highness, that loser girl won't stand a chance against us!" He exclaimed, following Verik's lead and motioning for the others to follow.

[Assistant]
The Sorcerer kept his mouth shut through all the exchanges, still not bothering to actually introduce himself. Strange characters and oddities just coming and going as if they didn't care one lick about protecting the existence of the Multiverse. It all made him that much more frustrated that the old man insisted on restricting what they could do or say. Otherwise this whole thing would be little more than a trifle to deal with. Even when one of them tried to shake his hand, Canaan just stared at them with an incredulous gaze and offered no hand in return. With no other choice, he followed along with a frustrated sigh. He had a feeling this was all going to become very annoying in the future.

Entering the Throne Room, Canaan's mood remained unchanged. While others may have thought to bow or kowtow to this monarch, Canaan on the other hand barely acknowledged her existence. The power she displayed seemed mediocre at best in his professional opinion. Something any two-bit hack on a stage could accomplish with smoke and mirrors. But he did detect actual power somewhere in this castle. Something more legitimately impressive to him, but it was not the Queen. The magic he detected emanated from somewhere beneath them, possibly the dungeons or somewhere else down in the basement levels. What he hadn't said to anyone was that the story of a Queen trying to kill a Princess was one that existed in his world, albeit as a mere fairy tale. Still, if this world was anything like that fairy tale, then the magic he sensed would have to be...

"Are the rest of you coming?"

Canaan gave the blue-eyed one a very slight blink-and-you'll-miss-it sideways glance but not much else. If his suspicions were right, then what he sensed was the Queen's Magic Mirror, and it had real power. And that was enough to fully intrigue the Sorcerer. He lingered a moment, only walking away when he was the last to do so. And still not offering so much as a glance of acknowledgement to the Queen. He made sure to lag behind the others, a smirk appearing on his lips.

Note to self: investigate that Mirror. It could be... useful.

[User]
Soon, everyone in the group arrived. The cute little elf dude was nice, and so was the talking stuffed racoon thing. The dude in the red cloak gave strong asshole vibes… Soon enough, everyone was there, and they all went inside.

When they went to hear the queen out, Conner had to try very hard not to hide his disgust. This queen deserves an Oscar for her performance. The pirate looking person knew what they were talking about, and was the only thing about this whole scene that wasn't totally embarrassing. Conner just let them talk. Queen bitch shot them down immediately. The scene was made even worse when Verik tried flirting the queen… It took everything he could not to throw up right there.

Conner saluted, then ran off after Verik. "Dude, what are you doing?" Conner questioned. "I may not be into women, but you can certainly do better than… That…"

[Assistant]
Verik

Swimsuit boy was the first to catch up with Verik, asking him why he would flirt up the Queen. Admittedly, he put on a bit of a performance back there, but he needed to get close to her to seal the pact. "No need to be mean. She was pretty enough, in spite of her weird getup. I figure a woman as rich and powerful as her could only be this upset with some random forest girl if it was a matter of jealousy, so I thought she'd like it if I appealed to her vanity. Who knows? Maybe a boost to her self-esteem would be enough to make her forget about this whole thing. Either way, we're supposed to be undercover mercenaries, and that question back there made her suspicious. We wouldn't want the queen thinking we're questioning the legitimacy or morality of the job. Also, I just like making friends. All kinds of friends, really." Thinking back to his old friends in Florem, he had to admit, he missed them, even if they were jerks. The Queen was petty and vain... similar to a lot of his old friends, actually, but her throne room wasn't all that big despite the great riches available to her. Her actual throne was a bit gaudy, but it was only two steps above ground level. There was something more vulnerable and lonely in her conceit, and he could empathize. Of course, he wasn't about to excuse trying to kill some innocent girl because of mere insecurities, but being on good terms with bad people wasn't a bad thing, in his opinion.

Verik stops to face Conner, holding his hand out for a handshake and giving him a friendly smirk. "Speaking of which, would you like to be my friend?"

[User]
As the party seemed to bow and bid a hasty retreat, she called to them "Oh, and i will give you a reward for the hearts of anyone who tries to protect her. She has already used her charms to corrupt a pair of the first mercenaries i sent after her. Nothing is as heinous as a traitor..." She said. Kalak had the strange feeling she was staring at him when she said that. As soon as they closed the door behind them, her smile instantly turned into a frown. "I have a feeling they are going be a thorn in my side..." She sighed. Barely a few minutes had passed when there was a flash of light in the corner and Grimhilde stood up, staring a the being that had just appeared. "Who are you, explain yourself." She demanded. The man that entered took a bow.

"Greetings, dear queen. Truly, the elegance, beauty and grace of someone such as you is matched only by... Well, me!" the man laughed.

"You seem to presume much to come in here and make a claim to my throne of fairity." She said, her lips curling into a snarl as she raised her hand, seemingly ready to strike with her magics

"Then fear not, my queen, for i come to you with great tidings. You say that some of your mercenaries are having trouble killing this traitor, constantly being corrupted by her?" Grimhilde's hand slowly lowered. "Then allow me to introduce you to a new weapon in your arsenal. One that i give freely." A rhythmic stomping of many feet in unison was heard as Grimhilde's face curled into a curious smile. "I presume them to be to your liking?"

"Very much so..." She smiled "Go forth, my new soldiers and kill the wretch known as Snow White." She ordered.

"KILL!!!" A chorus came in unison, before she watched her new army file out of another door towards another exit to the castle.

****

Outside, Kalak and the others gathered back in the courtyard. "So, she's hiding something..." Kalak sighed. "But right now, all we have to go on is that girl and the longer we stand here, the closer those other mercs get to her." He jumped up on the well and struck an epic pose, whilst pointing out towards the woods. "ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!!!" He jumped down and set off at a run towards the woods, hoping that the others would follow.

[Assistant]
"Of course she's hiding something." said the Sorcerer, at last breaking his long silence. He wondered how long it would be before someone else had started to notice what he had noticed a while ago, "And she's hiding it under the castle somewhere. I sensed it coming from somewhere below the throne room. Power. Real power. Not like the cheap smoke and mirrors tricks she was doing in the throne room." he reached up and adjusted his red coat a bit, also using the time to let them react however they would. But he wouldn't wait long.

"And best of all? I'm pretty sure I know what it is." he said with a cocky smirk, "A mirror, magical of course. And if I'm right about it, one that possesses near omniscient levels of knowledge, and able to answer anything you ask of it with perfect accuracy. I assume you all realize the implications here?" he glanced about at his current companions. Surely even the most clueless among them would make the connection. That a power like the mirror's could allow one to always know the movements and whereabouts and anyone they wish to track, among a myriad of other ways it could be used... or abused.

"I say the mirror should be our goal." he said flatly, "For two reasons. First: We can probably use its power to locate the Princess, saving us the time it would have taken to search for her. And second: It would be in our best interests to ensure that such a power remains well out of the wrong hands, if you catch my meaning."

[User]
Noticing that nobody was following, Kalak stopped as Canaan brought up some valid points about the current situation. "Don't..." Kalak laughed "Don't want to be a negative nancy on this, but i'm hearing a lot of "Pretty sure" and "If i'm right"" Kalak stated. "Ok, she's got a lot of magical power in that castle somewhere. 1) We don't know for a fact what it is 2) even if it is an all knowing magic mirror, we don't know what's guarding it, could be powerful 3) If it is a magic mirror and its guards are weak enough for us to push through, we don't know it'll answer any of our questions. It might be inclined only for the queen herself. And whilst we're wasting time pushing through a lot of unknowns, that bug-guy and the skull-guy and whoever else is out there are still trying to kill that maiden." He shook his head.

"Our first priority is finding that princess and getting her safe, then we can storm the castle and deal with the magics in there. My point is, one of our goals is time sensitive, the other isn't. We should deal with the one we KNOW about first and deal with everything else later."

[Assistant]
Conner blinked, and gave Verik a look. He wasn't so sure how good of friends someone who was willing to hire mercenaries to kill someone just because they were prettier than her could be. This kid was weird for sure… But he was cute, Conner couldn't deny that! "Um… yeah, sure dude." Conner returned the handshake, and followed the rest of the group.

As they were heading off, that guy in the red cloak suggested going after the queen's magic mirror. He wasn't wrong, he knew the story of Snow White, it had to exist somewhere… Even though he was always up for an adventure, even he thought that was a bad idea. Kalak thought so too, and brought up every reason why. "Yeah, as much as I would love a little action, I agree with him. Unless that magic mirror can teleport us directly to her, we gotta keep the princess safe… Plus… uh… no offense bro, but you kinda give me bad vibes… I don't know what you're gonna do with that thing once we find it."

[User]
After a short argument, the party had decided to search for the Princess and go back for the supposed mirror later. The forest was lush and thick, their first entrance seemed a little difficult with vines and other knotweeds preventing easy incursion. As they finally managed to find a way into the forest, the dense cannopy began to block most of the light, the photosynthesis-starved smaller branches and bushes grabbing at their clothes as if the claws of demons. Cio-Cio began to glow as a lightsource as the forest quickly began to look as if night had fallen. Finally it opened into what looked like a maze of paths. The Dreameater seemed to lead the way, seeming to sense the pure heart off in the distance.

Following her down a path, they could each feel an evil presence emanating from further in. As they continued to walk, Kalak would quietly pick at the strings of the guitar. Suddenly, they would hear a familiar sound before a scream. "What in the heck?" The party set off at a run towards where the sound had come from. As they reached the clearing, they found the body of the green man they had met back at the castle, laying in a slowly expanding pool of blood, his chest impaled by several a large spears of wood. "Ooooooh..." Kalak winced. "Who the heck did that to you?" Cio-Cio slowly buzzed over to the body and began looking it over.

[Assistant]
Rascal visibly gasped when he saw the green man, his eyes wide as he rushed over to him. The cocky facade was entirely gone as Rascal's entire body shook, wondering who would do such a thing.

"Is there anything we can do!?" He asked, looking at Kalak and Cio-Cio.


[System]
Hans Bauer - Sergeant
Hans Bauer is the 35 year old sergeant of the German squad. He is of average size, with short black hair and blue eyes. He is a strong-willed soldier and a proud supporter of the Third Reich. His leadership and camaraderie makes him the ideal commander for this operation. Hans carries an MP40 sub-machine gun and a Luger pistol.

Franz Ziegler - Private (Machine Gunner)
38 year old Franz is a stout men with an even temper - a 'gentle giant'. He is tall and imposing, yet calm and passive. He values his friends, and would do anything to protect them. Franz carries an MG32 machine gun and a Luger pistol.

Gerhard Brant - Private (Machine Gunner)
Gerhard is the most hot-tempered of the group. Tall, strong, and mean - this bull-of-a-man represents the extremes of bravery and courage. Or perhaps it is arrogance and anger - after all, Brandt served in the Great War and harbors a particular grudge against the Allies. Gerhard carries an MG32 machine gun and a Luger pistol.

Claus Jager - Private (Assistant Gunner)
A young man, from the same village as Otto Kraus. Claus was born and raised on a farm, and like his father he is loyal to the Fatherland. He is an assistant for the squad's machine gunners. Claus carries a Luger pistol and spare ammo.

Otto Kraus - Private (Assistant Gunner)
Otto was born and raised in the same village as Claus, and the two grew up as friends. Like Jager, he is an assistant for the machine gunners. He carries a Luger pistol and spare ammo.

Karl Moltke - Private (Grenadier/Rifleman)
Karl is a personal friend of the sergant, Hans Bauer, and also acts as his second-in-command. Karl displays excellent leadership skills as well. He is a strong and stout ally, and acts as the squad's primary grenadier. He carries a Karabiner 98k, a Luger pistol, and 3 grenades.

Helmut Seidel - Private (Grenadier/Rifleman)
Helmut is a humble man who has quick adapted to the shock of warfare. Helmut can maintain his composure in the face of enemy fire, and never backs down from a fight. As a former meat cutter and cook, he is also the squad's primary cooker. He carries a Karabiner 98k, a Luger pistol, a frag grenade, and 2 smoke grenades.

Wessel Winter - Private (Rifleman)
The oldest member of the group, and a veteran of the Great War. Wessel fights for Germany with a determined heart. He carries a Karabiner 98k and a Luger pistol.

Franz Schmidt - Private (Rifleman)
The second-to-youngest member of the group and one of the freshest recruits. Franz attended a university before the outbreak of the Second World War. He is an educated young man, willing to prove himself in the service of his country. He carries a Karabiner 98k and Luger pistol.

Kristoph Kramer - Private (Rifleman)
The youngest and freshest recruit of the squad. Kristoph's father served in the Great War, and like him he wants to prove himself. He is loyal to the Third Reich, and often argues with Franz on various subjects. He carries a Karabiner 98k and a Luger pistol.

[User]
May 11th, 1940. The German invasion of Belgium was in full swing. The German airborne forces were tasked with taking Fort Eben-Emael, which was integral to the success of the army. A series of battles were being fought along the border, usually aimed to secure important bridges and crossings.

German Panzer divisions were ready to move into central Belgium and bring the invasion to a swift end. First, however, Belgian garrisons protecting the bridges and crossings needed to be eliminated. And this was a task that fell to Hans Bauer.

Surveying the field ahead, Hans deduced that the coast was clear and signaled for the rest of his squad to approach. They had advanced this far under the cover of a forest. Across the ways was a dirt road which ran north, passing by Hagen's Farm and crossing over a river. The bridge which crossed over that river was a vital crossing that the German Panzer Divisions sought to utilize. But thus far the Belgian garrisons threatened this move.

By the time the squad had assembled on the edge of the wood, Hans began to relay orders. "Ziegler, Brant," he referred to the two Machine Gunners, "cover our advance. Moltke, Kramer, you're with me. Winter, you take Seidel and Schmidt. We'll split up and advance on the road in two teams. Schnell!"

The disciplined soldiers exited the forest and proceeded towards the road in two teams; Hans had tasked Winter with leading the second team because he was the oldest and most experienced, having served in the Great War. Meanwhile, Ziegler and Brant, with the help of Claus and Otto - the two machine gun assistants - covered the advance.

Once they made it to the road and found no resistance, Hans signaled for the MG teams to regroup.

Now it was only a matter of advancing north, along the road, towards Hagen's Farm, where the Belgians were expected to be. The darkness would cover their approach, and they remained on the eastern side of the road so they could cover themselves in the ditch.

[Assistant]
Worthy children of Low Countries
Whom a fine passion has aroused,
To your patriotic fervour
Great successes lie in store.
Remain under arms, so that naught shall change!
Let us keep to the same will,
And we shall see Orange bloom anew
Upon the tree of Liberty.
-The original Brabanconne

Marching bands, girls waving handkerchiefs and blowing kisses, all of this accompanied the squad of Sergeant van der Koopften. But unlike most of his men he knew better than to smile and be glad of what he was about to see. He was marching off to what had a reasonable chance of being his last day alive.

As he saw in the distance the farmstead with the bridge he'd be defending he grunted; the scale was quite different in real life than upon the map. The damned krauts had already ruined the livelihood of this innocent worker, not particularly caring for the ambitions of the Germans. The bastards didn't want to fight war honestly and attack France through it's proper borders so they invaded Belgium to get around the French defences. Well, if a scrap was what the nazis wanted then they'd get one. They'd see what the sons of Flanders and Wallonia could bring forth, and they'd taste cold steel on their filthy lips.

As they got closer, Leopold started to bark orders.

"Nicolet, Albrecht you old bastard, get over to the far side of the road right before the bridge, go in the ditch and cover yourselves with mud. I know, I know, your beautiful uniforms will get dirty but I don't care. You'll use the ditches as cover as you lie down. You won't show your faces until the enemy is right and close where you can throw your grenades and get off some fast shots, you hear me?" As the grumbled confirmations came the Sergeant said "Good, on to the next order of business. Private Janssen, you'll go to the barn, stand at the door and look through the lines of the forest, you'll be one of our little reserves. Heavy gunner team, you'll set up at the right window of the farmhouse. Robert, Heinrich, you two will be at the window and doorways of the farmhouse... now!"

At last, the Sergeant inhaled, and massaged his eyebrows as only two remained without orders. Corporal Voors and Private Jacobs, you'll come with me to the windmill, we're the aegis, you hear? The others will be relying on us for support. Enemies our comrades don't see, we take them down. If all else fails, we are here. Understood? Good. Let's go, I think I hear the Germans in the distance."

With that, they were deployed. Some men smoke, whilst the gunnery team quietly played a game of cards to settle their nerves before the invader arrived....

[User]
Despite the blanket of darkness which covered the land, the German squad could make out Hagen's Farm in the distance. Their commander, Hans, held up one hand to order the party to halt and they all knelt on their knees. "It's up ahead, we'll be there shortly. Expect hostiles. Stay on the right side of the road; we'll use the ditch as cover on our approach."

Hans intended goal was to hug the right side of the road heading north, that way the Belgians - who he expected to be on the left side - would not their approach. Little did he know that Nicolet and Albrecht were hiding in the mud.

And so when the Germans approached, the entire 10 man squad came to a rest just within range of the two mud-covered Belgians. They had checked their weapons and ammunition while also peeking over the ditch to see the composition of the battlefield.