[System]
I R L
Age - 18
Place of Origin - Japan
Occupation - High School Student

A V A T A R

Character's Name - Kazuki
Pathos Affiliation - Queon
Role - Healer
Profession - Wandering Minstrel
Weapon of Choice - Book
Domains - Wind, Restoration + Protection

-

P E R S O N A L I T Y

Stoic
Good news, bad news, confusing news--Kazuki seems to have the emotional range of a teaspoon. He doesn't seem all that bothered with anything and doesn't react much. If it weren't for the lack of monotone, most people would probably assume he's a robot. One would think even his passion would get him to emote, but aside from a vague focused expression, he otherwise is the same as always.

Driven
He doesn't let anything get in the way of accomplishing his goals: everything in life is part of a problem that leads to a solution one way or another. He is relentless when it comes to accomplishing a goal, often pushing himself past what's healthy. For a majority of his life it's been seen as a virtue of sorts and he hasn't had any reason to slow down.

Observant
Despite having little care for the people he engages with, he finds it useful to pick up on a few cues to keep in mind for later if need be.

B E N C H M A R K S

Piano Man
By far and away Kazuki's most cultivated skill, to the point he has gotten several server first records on unlocking the next tier with thousands of hours put into piano playing. Of course, aside from entertainment value and unlocking a few other skills, it doesn't have much use otherwise.

Healing Touch
His second best and probably most relevant skill. Originally toting around without a weapon, Kazuki's healing can be strengthened if he makes contact with whoever needs healing; best used for greater injuries at the risk of putting himself in action.

Song of the Wind
The ability to have his music gain effects depending on the song he's playing. Different songs have different effects, ranging from a variety of buffs and healing over time. Some come at the conclusion of a song, others are persisting so long as the melody is continuously played.

With Hammer in Hand
Smithery has become a great side hobby to Kazuki, who genuinely enjoys making armor and weapons whenever he gets his hands on materials. While he has made a few commissions, it became clear that making and selling instruments quickly became his specialty and source of income--that said, he can make a majority of weapons and armor if need be.
 | Physical Description
Standing at five feet ten inches, Kazuki is a lanky young man that usually towers over his classmates. At a first glance there isn't much home to write about, his face still plenty boyish and more youthful looking than he'd like. The most notable feature he has is probably his green eyes, usually hidden under the mess of brown hair he sports. His expressions are often heavily muted or outright nonexistent, making it difficult to know if he's paying attention or not. Whenever he does look at people, it's noted that it seems more like he's looking through them, not at them.
Character Conceptualization
Kazuki Hoshizawa is a serious kid who takes his passions to their fullest at the expense of most of his social skills. After taking the emotional brunt of his parents' divorce, for all intents and purposes he has shut down. While it's hardly noticeable due to stellar grades and his talent at music, his social life is nonexistent for the most part. As a result, he has a tendency to be overly blunt and cold with little care about the effects of what he says. His personality seems to be the inverse of most healers in media and makes it clear he helps people out of expectation, not out of obligation.

As a noob who doesn't really play games, he was hesitant to even join Pariah Online. He doesn't know much of RPGs in general but has enjoyed the nonsensical side of the game; aside from the appeal of getting to play and learn several instruments, he doesn't really find adventuring appealing. He ended up choosing healing as it seemed easier to stay in the back and support his younger brother. While he doesn't discern himself from who he is outside of the game, he outright refuses to speak of personal matters, with Kazuma barely being an exception and only because Kazuki keeps slipping up and calling him by his real name.

Other Information
* Has regularly placed in several national competitions
* Big fan of strawberries
* Toolkit
* Theme
 |

[User]
---

As Kazuki took the first still somewhat unsteady steps back towards the tavern, Alja overtook him with a few long strides, cutting off his path. She didn't know in exact detail what had been eating him the past few days—she hadn't been there—but from his reaction to Graves' furious words after the ill-fated raid, she could guess. She'd been down in the rat dungeon for long enough that she'd hoped it had scabbed over. Stupid, you should've known that was BS. She'd just been in denial. She'd been upset. She was scared, and so she'd lashed out, been selfish, ignored it. Of course it hadn't scabbed. It had stayed open beneath the surface and gone rancid. And the longer a wound like this festered—the longer the guilt crawled through him—the worse it would become. A flash of recognition as cold and quick as a knife passed through her, and she laid a hand on his thin shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. When she spoke, her voice—like her grip—was gentle but firm. "Kazuki, you need to stop."

She heard something echo in the back of her mind, a half-remembered woman's voice that spoke along with hers, as she grabbed his second shoulder as well. "If you keep on like this, you are going to destroy yourself." Even as she said it, she already knew it wouldn't do a damn thing. She knew full well how futile it was to just...tell someone to stop feeling that crushing weight. It would be easier to dam the ocean.

So instead, keeping her grip, she shoved him out to arm's length, voice still calm and level. "I'm not Seele, so I can't treat you like she would." And all the words in the whole bloody world couldn't do a thing for you right now. "But I also can't stand by and watch your tear yourself apart over what happened, because nothing down there was your fault. So here's what we're gonna do." She let go of his shoulders, crossing her arms. "We're all four gonna walk into the Mystic Prophecy guildhall together, like you damn well deserve. And if Luci—if anybody blames you for a god damn thing when we're in there, you leave it to me."

She gave him a soft smile. "I'm not gonna let you run away from your problems and hide away from the world. You're stronger than that. You're better than that. So c'mon. I'm behind ya all the way."

[Assistant]
---

---

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

Artemis leaned in as Seele explained the disappearances, noting how pretty much any information that her guild had gathered was already covered by Seele's explanations. The girl remained silent, thinking through the whole situation and imagining how awful it must have been for the friends of these people. At least she knew what happened to her friends, had they just disappeared... Artemis didn't know how she would carry herself. Watching the others around the table, she wondered briefly just what might be going through their minds. How they were handling the disappearance of others, did they find it as terrifying as she did? Artemis shook her head, perishing those thoughts to focus back on the task at hand.

Then an even more haunting realization dawned upon the girl. She was now a solo player, the most common kind of player to disappear, and a spellcaster at that. Fear gripped her heart as once more, she realized once more that she was alone. Sure, this group had welcomed her to sit and help with their issue but... at some point, they'd go home. At some point, she'd be alone heading to her guild house, and risk becoming another point of data on Seele's documents. Panic started to set in, the girl's leg starting to bounce under the table as she tried to desperately reign herself in to keep a calm demeanor. Without thinking, Artemis reached out to rest a hand on Graves' forearm and gripping tightly, reminding herself where she was, that she wasn't alone.

As she calmed, the girl realized slowly that she was still in the Tavern surrounded by others. The color deepened in her cheeks as embarrassment from her outburst rose to the forefront of her mind. She quickly released Graves' forearm, looking away at that moment. "S-sorry, lack of sleep is getting to me..." She whispered in a small voice, taking the next few moments to collect herself, then speaking up. "If solo spellcasters are their most common target, then... we could also bait a trap. After we find the information, I meet both those criteria at the moment. Just... until then I'd prefer not to be alone for... obvious reasons." She said softly, the wavering in her voice betraying that perhaps more had gone on in her head than simply a lack of sleep.

[User]
It was easier said than done.

Still, it wasn't like Alja was going to let Kazuki get away at this point. To her credit, her words were logical and along the lines of encouraging. He stared at Alja for a second, though he didn't respond, instead choosing to stuff his hands into his pockets. This was the pain of having to interact with people, wasn't it? Now that he thought about it, on top of every other problem they were having, Kazuki wasn't used to being this...social. If one could call it that, anyway.

He didn't say much of anything, more focused on sobering up as he resumed the walk wordlessly. He wasn't expecting much out of this little trip, though that was more his pragmatism speaking. If Prisillica managed to rally people, maybe, but as far as he was aware, Aaginim's death still had the place pretty grim. It would be nice if he was surprised, but he wouldn't hold his breath. And even in the slight chance where things could be moving, Luci was still an obstacle. His own involvement aside, he was certain she held resentment towards their entire group in general.


[System]
Appearance: Frowning upon you

Age: 15

Personality: Sigma is polite, proper and composed. She however, does not talk much outside formalities and she has a rather icy and cold perspective. She isn't actively avoiding people but for some reason, her interactions with others are merely secondary. Sigma is often fond of quiet places and meditating, and her hobbies save one are all tailored to the perfectioning of her combat skills and tactical thinking. She is often sparring or playing chess. Her only exception seems to be cooking. She has a huge sweet tooth and good cooking skills, surprisingly.

Motive to live: Soldiers do not question their existence. They will live as much as they're told to.

Background: Sigma is... a clone of another person. The only success of Project Homunculus, Sigma was a test of mass production of clone soldiers from already adult stock to replace the losses from the war, but the project's goal shifted to create teenager replicas of actual combat soldiers to pilot Framewerks. So, with that in mind Sigma was trained and implanted with the memories of the original soldier who donned her genetic material: Irina Spanova. The training was brutal and Irina didn't care whether the "dolls" (as she would call it) died or not, since they could be replaced. Only Sigma managed to survive the training and be fielded in a mecha.

Notable Deaths: Sigma wasn't the only viable clone produced in Project Homunculus, but she is the only survivor. Dozens were stillborn, and six of them perished during the initial training and testing. Sigma still regards her fellow clones as sisters and secretly mourns them.

Other things: Cooking is unique to Sigma. Her original can't cook anything.
________________________________________

Framewerk Sheet

Framewerk Code Name: Comet Sigma

Appearance:Couldn't find a better pic, okay?
Signature Weapon System: A high powered Rail weapon. It does not give a big energy signature (being a material projectile) and it can pierce even very thick armors. The downside is that the recharge time is rather awful and it is not suited for close combat.

Secondary Weapon System: A very short range plasma cutter. Useful for fighting in CQC as a last resort and also to extract valuables and people from wrecks.

Flight-Capability/Thrusters: It has basic maneuverability by means of thrusters in the main limbs and torso. It also has a special jetpack on the back designed for space travel, which gives a significant range of movement but it is unwieldy and thus unuseable in combat (but not in retreat).

Synchro Rate : 78% > 82%
Special Ability:

[User]
& @Ariamis Collab

Elora yelped when Antwon suddenly grunted loudly at him, and put her arms forward as a reflexive measure. It turned out that he didn't even notice her sitting there, which hit a strange note with her; she played with the idea that she was actually talented at staying undetected in her mind, before she discarded it as silly. Elora's lips quivered a bit, almost causing her to smile due to the funny way he acted. A laugh would have been a nice stress relieve at this point, but Elora didn't dare even giggle in his face. She got called a mouse again. She wasn't sure if he was poor-mouthing her at this point or if he genuinely believed she was a rodent; probably the former, Elora thought.

Then she heard a familiar voice; Serah came back, and Elora was happy to see her back to her usual self. "Oh, I'm so sorry Serah," Elora responded. "I didn't know. Please forgive me."

"Mou... It's still meeeaaan." Serah kept up the pouting, putting on a little act of looking away from Elora out of anger. She couldn't keep it up though, bursting into giggling directly afterwards. "I forgive you! But now you've made me hungry..." The cheery sylph of the two got up and rushed over to get her own tray, filling it up and somehow managing to be back to the table at record speed. "So, *chomp* where's everyone else?"

"I'm not sure," Elora meekly answered. A lot has been going, and she's had trouble staying up to date on everything. "Utano's in the bathroom, and Korie, Takeo, Zan and Iskander were still in the hallway outside the briefing room. I don't know about the rest. But it's weird; Sigma should have already been back from the med-bay. I wonder if she had trouble moving Ian there..."

Serah flinched at the mention of the med-bay. "I've been there... They weren't present." Shaking her head, fluffball decided not to worry Elora. "R-Really? Maybe Ian's just, uh... Getting some rest! Yeah, that could definitely be it. And Sigma might just..." Serah paused. She had no idea what to say.

Elora did notice that there was something wrong with what she said; Serah's not the type to ever revert her smile unless it was something serious. She opened her mouth in an attempt to ask her about it, but then closed it. She started thinking about the situation, and how it could get worse if she made Serah sad again. She didn't want that, not right after how she saw her fellow pilots slugging each other in pure hatred. She just wanted to have a moment of peace, and thus kept quiet about the issue. Instead, she wanted to change the subject.

"So, umm, what do you think of the other pilots? I've only managed to talk to a few of them, but Utano's a nice girl, I think."

"Everyone else? Hmmmm..." Serah put her finger to her chin, forming a thinking pose. "Ooh! I like Sigma, she's so cool! I don't know much about Utano... I'll be honest, I actually don't know who she is... Takeo seems nice..." Serah was about to comment on Antwon, but since he's sitting over yonder... Not the best idea.

"Korie seems a bit mean... I don't know about Zan... That white-haired boy hasn't said much, either..." She only had Ian left to mention. But... Not now. "That's about everyone! I hope we're all a giant group of friends after all this~! Oh! I had an idea earlier about getting everyone together to play some cards! What do you think of this idea, Elora?"

Elora nodded in agreement to what Serah said. "Yeah, Sigma is really cool. She's so reliable. Do you mean Iskander? He's scary. He was carrying weapons on him, and Lieutenant Ritsu confiscated them from him." Then Serah mentioned a get-together for cards, and Elora smiled at the idea. "That sounds like fun. I do't know how to play, but I want to learn."

"Oh so THAT's what he's called! Now I know everyone's na-aaaame~!" Serah swung her head to side to side, humming something under her breath. She ignored Elora for a bit until she caught herself dozing off again, jumping back in surprise. "O-Oh! S-Sorry for that... Ehehe... I can teach you! But first I need to get everyone together... And find a good time for it... Mou, why is this so hard?"

The blue-haired bubble of joy puted again, then coincidentally looked down. "M-My food! It'll get cold! Nooo ;~;" Serah quickly grabbed her eating utensils, starting to stuff her face.

"O-Oh!" Elora verbally reacted to Serah. "Okay, umm...mine's getting colder too..." She awkwardly said, and focused on her own food too.

[Assistant]
Tsk...Bnt...

Finally, the eye was done as Cedric finished implanting it into Ian's socket, twirling his Calibrator as he took a step back, staring at handiwork before nodding in satisfaction. "How does it feel? I finished calibrating it just now, and it should working perfectly. You should be able to zoom-in quite a few meters, see in night-vision, and sense heat as well... oh, and heartbeats too."

Looking at the eye, the iris was silver and very human-like, although it contained two pupils instead of one... probably for show?

"I know Lorenzo said no anesthesia... but... since he isn't here and he's out getting my pizza, I've been giving you plenty so you wouldn't feel the pain," murmured Cedric as he looked over Ian. "Although, being awake is probably not healthy for you either. I do need you awake to ask you questions to make sure the parts are working correctly after all."

"We will be getting to your legs in a bit, so, if you got any questions, you might want to ask them now before Lorenzo gets here. Oh, and are you thirsty? Got some water if you need some," muttered the blue haired man as he took a glass of water and began pouring some into Ian's mouth. "It's all you're going to get by the way, so drink up now."

"Oh, and your sister misses you, so do stay strong so you can see her again real soon," murmured Cedric as he twirled his calibrator again, before glaring straight at Ian's face.

__________________________________________________________________________________

After sending off the Spartans with the rest of the squad, Ritsu continued her way down the hall, only to meet up with Sigma a little while later.

"Ah, there you are Sigma," murmured Ritsu as she looked over the new Squad Leader, noticing that she was now clean and newly dressed. Staring at her a bit, and furrowing her brow, Ritsu folded her arms before walking towards another room. "Come with me, Sigma." Going into a room that was most likely for debriefing but with multiple couches, and a table in the middle- along with a banshee standing in the corner, fully activated and staring at both Ritsu and Sigma as they entered. For a Banshee, one of the military's most powerful A.I. units against the Cruxi to be stationed here is a bit unnerving...

"Ri-Ri! Welcome! Oh, there is a Child following behind you... Is it yours?" murmured the Banshee unit as it as it promptly began to walk towards Sigma and stare at her intently.

"Heavens no, Lauren! Do we look related to you!" roared Ritsu as she glared at the Banshee with a flustered look. "Besides, do I look that old to you!"

"Well, last time I checked you were-"

"Don't answer that!"

"Sorry Ri-Ri! Hm... Shall I prepare some tea for the two of you then?" asked Lauren as it tilted its head.

"That would be perfect... Oh, and what about Lorenzo's cameras? I think Sigma and I here have a lot to talk about," said Ritsu as she turned around and gave Sigma a small smile.

"Not a problem, Ri-Ri. Lorenzo actually is out getting something to eat at the moment... Pizza, I believe? Changing the security logs should be simple!"

"Wonderful! Alright Sigma," Ritsu walked over and took a seat on the couch, before patting the seat next to her,"let's talk. Don't worry about telling me everything either, Lorenzo wont find out."

"I'll go ahead and make the tea and some snacks as well," spoke Lauren the Banshee as they began to make their way towards the connected kitchen, making heaven's know what.

________________________________________________________

As everyone was escorted to the lunchroom by the Spartans, they would see that another Spartan was zooming down the hallway chasing... something extremely fluffy, or furry? Although, they weren't attempting to shoot it which was equally odd.

A regular soldier saw what they were chasing and out of fear almost shot what they were chasing, but with quick reflexes the Spartan immediately performed a kick and knocked the soldier to the ground... before continuing to chase the fluff ball over into the kitchen

"Is that a rat?!" shouted one of the chefs as bowls and tables in the back could be heard flipping over.

"N-No you idiot, it isn't a rat it's-!" shouted a female chef as pans started flying while the Spartan darted after the white fluff ball as it booked it out of the kitchen and out into the dining hall, startling everyone... until it finally made its way over towards where Antwon was at, and promptly laid on top of his chest as it fell asleep from exhaustion.

The Spartan walked over, and poked Antwon immediately.

"Cadet, you have a stray white kitten sleeping on you. I request you dispose of it immediately."

[User]
Sigma didn't say a thing as the lieutenant led her into her quarters. Probably a private talk. Sigma sighed, expecting as much. What she didn't expect was the freaking Banshee acting like if it was the lieutenant's flatmate. She stood there for a brief moment without answering anything, just watching the construct strut around with her mouth agape. She shook her head, obviously not really believing what she had seen.

"Am I seeing things...did that unit just-" Sigma managed to piece together in a sentence, before cutting herself short. Maybe she was just going crazy with the pressure. She decided to not pay much attention to it. Whatever it was the case, it was best for her sanity to not even dwell on that. She looked at the Lieutenant's invitation, sitting besides her. Her head then tilted abruptly, leaning on the Lieutenant's shoulder. It wasn't probably appropiate, but she craved for human contact after the ghastly incident with Lorenzo.

And then she collapsed in a blubbering mess against the liutenant's chest, crying openly as oppossed of containing her tears. She didn't care anymore if she was found out. She gripped her superior tightly, sobbing and trying to form words, only failing to do so. Sigma's meltdown went for a while, before she briskly and briefly pulled herself out of the Lieutenant's proximity, only to try and compose herself, a reddened embarrassment face forming.

And then, Sigma spoke. Her words were shaky, bereft of the gravity and seriousness of her previous statements. "What am I...? I am suppossed to be a doll made of Irina Spanova's flesh. I am suppossed to be like this. But I've hurt people. Even if I had to. I will betray people, and probably do many horrible things. And yet it's what I was created for... why does it hurt so much? Am I a failure? Am I a success? What am I?"


[System]
T U R N I N G
B A C K

---

A C C E P T E D C H A R A C T E R S

---

Military:

Commanding Officer: Rear Admiral William Locke @Sep
Frigate Captain: Commander Elijah Ross @Superboy
Marine Captain: Captain Matthew Lopez @InfamousGuy101
Chief Engineer: Keith Sullivan @ShwiggityShwah
Medic: Sgt.Maeve Katz @13org
Marine: Hal McCormick @POOHEAD189
Pilot: Marlene Lyons @Manic Pixie

Civillian:

Biologist: Dr. Naomi Wolfe @Nieszka
Science Team Member: Michael 'Smith' @Heat
Psychologist: Melanie Larson @Xandrya
Robotics Expert: Audrey Knight @Cairo
Chief of Security: Gavon TreVayne @Rawk
Head of Hydroponics: Rois Holt @The Valkyrie
Human Relations: Dr.Ludwig Dobrov @Oakman

[User]
Hal McCormick

---

Gunfire in the distance. Muted shouting within the brush. The blood was caked along his skin. Sticky and old. From yesterday. Hal coughed and sucked in a breath of air, sick with soot and the smell of burnt flesh. His squad under heavy fire for hours. He could not recall when he had water last. It was what he had been trained to endure. But the death of his soldiers...that was something he was unprepared for. He could still see their faces when the Napalm detonated...

Hal awoke with a start, which to most would still seem as if a ghost had aroused. A 'start' was him taking a small intake of breath off beat from his usual sleep pattern, and his eyes opened without listening to see who was nearby. In the Central American jungle, where you slept and ate and shit while under the threat of enemies not three paces away in the dense foliage, he had been hard wired for efficiency and discreteness.

Hal sighed, and swung his legs off his bed. Rubbing the center of his forehead with his palm, he decided to go get some food first off. It still didn't feel real, the realization that he would never again step on terran soil. But he would need to get used to it. A quick dress and outfitting later, and he stepped out of his room in dutiful gear. The uniform and helmet fit snugly on his body, and his primary weapon was lazily held in his hands. It was an M356 Assault Rifle, the heavy caliber grandchild of the old M16.

Once he checked in, he went on duty. He passed through the corridors of the living areas, followed by the hanger sector. Surveying both twice would take the entire day. But he did not see the end of one round of his service before the alarms went off, and his world was filled with red and black as the signal was given. Suddenly his comm was flooded with incoming information of the impending Devastator attack, and crowds of frightened personnel suddenly appeared in his vision.

"Attention!" He cried over the throng of shouting and frightened people. His voice a powerful and commanding beacon of noise that drew the eyes and ears of those around him. "Get to your designated stations. Proceed calmly and in good order! Move!" He ordered, and repeated the orders as the crowd turned into a rough line, rank and file. "Move move!"

[Assistant]
In the end...

---

The ship shuddered as weaponry from the Devastator vessel chassing them lashed out against their rear shields. Williams knuckles turned white as he gripped onto the console, he was looking at the hologram above him. The Eye of Thea was still too far off, and each shot drained their shields significantly. Even while diverting as much power to the engines as they could take, they weren't going to pull away from the Devastator vessel. It was going to tear through there shields long before they reached the Eye. He turned to Joanne. "Prepare codes for Exodus Protocol. Don't send the codes yet-" The keyword was yet, they locked eyes and both knew what activating the protocol now would mean. The Rejuvination had made it through the eye. The other ten Arks were ruins still on the landing pad. The Vitae was the only other Ark with the possibility, with the chance... no the hope to make it. "-but prepare the nuclear option."

She nodded, despite the other hightech weapons the Vitae weilded it's nuclear warheads were by far still the most powerful. Far more devastting than what had been used on Japan and the European Confederacy during the second and third world wars. Each missile held several warheads, as well as decoy warheads to try and prevent point defense systems from taking out each of the lethal warheads. William never thought he'd be in the position to fire a nuke, but then again he didn't think he'd be flying what was one of the largest ships humanity had ever created housing what would become one of the last flickers of humanity.

He minimised the holographic display, bringing it down from a large hologram that everyone could see down to his and Joannes eyelevel, making it less distracting and ominous for everyone else in the room. In front of him he began looking through reports on all the ships systems, despite being heavily taxed the shields were still putting up a fight. There was something to be said for cooperation in technologies afterall, if the shields were any indication. "Shields at 80%!" He nodded as the helmsman made his callout. At least their screens were displaying the same data. The Nukes would slow the Devastator vessel down, maybe. Though there was still no way they would make it to the Eye in time, they could jump traditionally but they ran the risk of being followed. They couldn't jump to the Eye itself as it was far too close. He could launch everything he had at the Devastator vessel but even then that wouldn't do them much good, it would just get people killed and drones destroyed. Which wasn't something they could really afford at this moment in time.

"CONTACT!" The entire ship shook, William had to grab onto the console before him to prevent himself from being knocked to the floor. Several others around him fell out of their chairs, the entire ship groaned in protest. Whatever ship had jumped in was big, and had jumped in close enough that the spacial displacement had knocked the entire Vitae.

Williams voice cut through the noise, clear and commanding. "What have we got?!" He looked at the hologram as it tried to stabilise. He couldn't help but break a smile as he saw the ship on his scans. The Judicator.

"It's the Judicator sir! Admiral Constantine is here." Admiral Constantine, ever the hero. He watched on the readout as one of the massive plasma cannons fired up, lashing out a beam of energy at the Devastator vessel. Tearing into it, but not knocking it out. They would make it now, but with the Judicator here he knew that Mars wouldn't last much longer. Admiral Constantines vessel was the backbone of the fleet, and with it here to help out the Vitae... the fleet was doomed. He couldn't dwell on that though, he had to make use of the sacrifice. He wouldn't let it be in vain. "They're hailing us Sir."

"Put it through." A hologram of the Admiral appeared on his console, as the display of the battle minimised to Joannes side of the console.

"William. It looked like you could use a little help. Get out of here, that's an order."

He couldn't help but salute the Admiral. "Yes sir, thankyou sir." He started to look back to Joanne, before turning back to the transmission. "And sir?" Constantine nodded. "Goodbye, and goodluck." With that Constantine returned the salute and the transmission ended. He sighed.

"Lets get out of here." He couldn't help but watch the battle as the Vitae continued to get clsoer and closer to the Eye. The Judicator was dishing out the pain but she was loosing ground, anyone could see that. As the finally began the docking procedure William placed his hand on the scanner. "Initiate Exodus Protocol." None of them could see it but electricity began to arc around the Eye of Thea the second the Vitae entered the event horizon of the wormhole. Once the entire ship had croshed the threshole of the Wormhole, the Eye blew up.

As sparks through all around the bridge of the Judicator a tear fell down the cheek of Admiral Roland Constantine. Many considered him to be humanities greatest hero, but what he did paled in comparison to those that had just left Earth behind. "God speed Rejuvination. God speed, Vitae."

[User]
C H A P T E R 1
S U R V I V A L

Five Years Later

---

William sat on the sofa in his office, coupled with his quarters it had a desk and shelves in one corner. A door to his personal shower and sleeping units and two sofas facing eachother with a small coffee table in the centre. He lived more lavishly than others did aboard the ship, yes. Did he fully agree with the concept? No. In the Martian Navy the Captains quarters didn't differ than those of anyone else. It was expected that they were able to live in the same conditions as everyone else. Still, the ship was years ago now so there was no point dwelling on it once again. Though he couldn't help it with the current climate and attitudes aboard the ship, five years travelling through the abyss of space. Jumping to one location, scanning every nearby system for a couple of weeks before making another jump and performing the same routine over and over again. He had lost count of how many jumps they had made, no doubt Noah would be able to tell him if he asked. Though he wasn't entirely sure he wanted the exact number in his head. That would likely only fuel the despair and depression that was spreading through his ship like a cancer, he had already heard of Security arresting individuals for illicit substances.

Even the best of humanity could fall, under stressful conditions. He took a sip from his cup of tea, placing down a tablet and sliding it over to Joanne. His forever trustworthy XO. "They're calling for elections now." She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Elections?"

He nodded. "Mhm. We've got HR representatives for the Fleeters, Feds and the Cons and they're pushing for elections. The only ones happy with the current status quo are the Martians-" He realised his mistake before he made it "-and the Fleeters." Despite five years, he sometimes still forgot that Joanne Carter, was a Fleeter. Born and raised. "Though as you're aware, the Fleeters are having their own identity issues." William sighed, Joanne nodded. "So what we've got is Federation and Conglomerate citizens claiming that we're living in a Martian Military Dictatorship, despite the fact that you're a Fleeter, and not every high ranking military position is held by a Martian-"

Joanne raised a finger as she interupted. "A lot of them are though. The third highest ranking officer is Ross, Martian. The Marine Captain, Martian. Yes I know you didn't choose who got a place, and who got which position though we need to look at both sides. With unrest growing we need to do something, my kin don't care whose in charge. Most of us are still adjusting to life stuck aboard one ship and living to the laws of society."

"You weren't lawless Joanne."

"I know that Sir, but even after five years a lot of us are used to settling our own minor disputes. Lawmen only ever shown up if it was a serious offense, security are very proactive. Much to the credit of Chief TreVayne, he keeps on top of things."

"Still, we need to focus on the matter at hand. If this unrest keeps growing, we're going to end up with protests and riots. This isn't something we can really afford."

"You can't step down though in lieu of elections, you are the most qualified person to run this ship-" William raised his hand to stop her.

"Exactly. Run this ship, the military. Not the civillian personnel. What I'm suggesting is we hold elections, for a civillian President or Prime Minister or... whatever they want to be called. Someone who makes decisions for the civillian populance. Like opening Sector 21, lifting the current ban on pregancies, adjusting credit income or food rations, security procedures. Basically anything to do with the hub and the habitation areas becomes their jurisdiction."

She paused as she read over what was onfront of her, William watching her intently. "It could work. It would certainly take some pressure of us having to make all the decisions."

"Exactly. We've got enough going on, no-ones abandoned their posts yet but tensions within the military haven't been great recently either. People are loosing hope, but thankfully I've got something to help that." He pressed a button on his datatab, changing the screen on Joannes to show a sensor output.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"It is indeed, a planet with breathable atmosphere. It isn't ideal, largely water based but sending a team down there is going to do wonders for morale. I doubt we'll end up settling there, but it's progress and a sign of things to come. I've already told Elijah and Matthew to begin picking their crews for the operation, I'm going to brief them tomorrow morning at 0530. I expect them to be underway by 1200hrs."

He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "I think that's all for today though Joanne, the rest can wait till tomorrow." He checked the time. "You're watch in the CIC starts in an hour anyway, go grab something to eat or a drink or something. I'll finish up the paperwork."

Joanne stood up, and offered a quick salute. "Sir." He responded in kind to it, as she then turned and walked out of his office.

"Noah."

The holographic body of the ships A.I appeared hovering above the table. "Yes, Admiral?"

"Play music file, twelve."

"At once sir." The music started playing over the speakers int he office and he sat and closed his eyes. Tears forming in them as he thought back to his last days with Amanda, before the Three Day War. It was so long ago now, him and his beloved. Watching their daughter try and chase a holographic butterfly. Then scowling at him when she found out that he was the one casting the projection. Those days were so long ago, Amara was a grown woman now and Amanda was left behind on a world that was now dead. He took a deep breath, centering himself.

She would be proud of him, that's what William told himself at least. She was always about saving lives, for as long as he had known her. Don't start crying now Will, you'll ruin your eyepatch. He chuckled to himself, that was exactly what she would say about now. Everything happens for a reason, it's up to us to be the reason for stuff happening.

He would be the reason, they had five years of bad luck. Though now they had found the first system capable of hosting human life, he'd be the reason for humanity finding a new home. William would make sure of it, for his daughter Amara. As was his promise to his wife on her dying day.


[System]
Age: 14

Affiliation: The Order

Appearance:

Wish: A wish for change, at a cost she did not expect.

Soul Gem Color: Steel Blue

Powers: Mitsuki has the limited ability to alter her appear, this being more in line with illusion magic rather than flat out shapeshifting. She also has access to the standard magical girl bag of tricks.

Weapon: Mitsuki uses plain old daggers, nothing interesting to them beyond the ability to spawn them as she wants whenever she wants.

Personality: Mitsuki is something of a mess of contradictions. She is on the side of the Order, and rejects the notion that there is ultimately any hope for magical girls. She can be sadistic and violent if need be, yet tends to err on the side of manipulative and and cunning. She has the sort of attitude that naturally ingratiates herself to people on the surface, but the below is much darker.

Because of that facade she holds, she cooperates quite well with girls in the Hero Brigade, should she have a reason to do so. But most of those partnerships tend to end badly, because of mistrust and betrayal. Of course most of the time it's because of her, but she doesn't focus on that stuff. She just faces events with a smile, a kind word, and holds a dagger behind her back, always ready to look out for her own interest.

Bio: There isn't much actually known about Mitsuki, at least as far as anyone who knows about the various magical girls of the city are concerned. She merely showed up one day, and in short order she had integrated into the Order. Since then she has become a common sight for those who deal in the shadows and the Primordials.

Yet in spite of her alignment, she has shown little hesitation in collaborating with the Hero Brigade as necessary. Does she have some sort of ulterior motive? Only she knows.

Theme:

Other: There is nothing sketchy going on here. Honest.

[User]
Ryuko Ishiniwa

Ryuko was grateful for having Angel with her, even if she did refuse the revitalizing potion; having had a taste of her tonics previously, she knew hoe much kick they had to them, and the exuberant girl could imagine herself becoming dependent on the drinks. Still, she knew that at the moment rescuing the civilians was the top priority, and Ryuko felt like she could take on the Primordials without the additional boost, as she smashed one to the ground, leaving it a crumbled mess before it faded away.

For a moment Ryuko felt joy at the prospect that she could fight and prevent death, maybe saving another little girl's brother in the process. But it was in this joy that Ryuko found herself hearing the train whistle blow, and when she turned her eyes she could only see the blood that appeared in her hands; the shockwave from her attack coupled with the efforts of murderous monsters sent an innocent down in the path of the speeding vehicle. She reached out her hand in vain to Angel, trying to scream, but her voice was drowned out by the sound of bones crunching and the train grinding to a halt.

In the aftermath, she saw the shock in Angel's face, knowing she was not to blame; it was her fault for acting like her usual aggressive self, oblivious to her surroundings. Then, she saw how despite the tragedy, the Primordials gave no moment of mercy, as a wielder of a large weapon just like herself encroached upon her junior. However, as Ryuko's despair began to encroach upon her, a more primal emotion surfaced, one taught to her by her late brother; pure fury. "IIIIAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGHGHHHH! Hoisting her hammer up in a mighty stance, she activated the hammer's engine, and threw the weapon at the dirty coward, sending it spinning with incredible velocity, turning it to a bright wheel of pure destruction that demolished the opponent. Ryuko then dashed across the floor with a new hammer summoned in her hands, running straight at the remaining Primordials with nothing but burning rage in her eyes. "You'll pay for this, you damn bastards!"

[Assistant]
Looking back at the sudden outcry, Mitsuki was surprised to find that someone had come with her after all, even if she arrived a bit late. If she didn't miss her guess, it was even someone from the Hero Brigade. Well then, it looked like her efforts to try and spark friendship and cooperation between the groups had met with some fruit after all. Just as she had hoped.

There were other things to focus on though as she was suddenly struck, brow furrowing as she practically doubled over with a grunt of pain. "Wha-What is this," she panted in confusion. This was just a sense of foreboding, this was like being stabbed, or shot. Something was going to happen, and she didn't know what it was.

"We have to finish this up quick," she spat to herself as she recovered. There was no other choice.

She didn't have the chance to say anything more though as the Primrodial was on her, grinning as it slashed with dual blades. Steel clashed and sent sparks ringing through the air in the initial confrontation, the two scouting each other out as they battled. After a few moments they broke apart, skidding back and sizing each other up as they prepared for the next round. Daggers twirled in an idle grip as Mitsuki made sure her companion was doing alright.

Yet she did not anticipate the blades singing in, slamming where she had been standing but a moment prior. And it seemed the Primordial had more where those came from, emitting a silent laugh as she hurled blade after blade at the Mahou Shoujo.

This situation was not one that could be maintained for a long time, not if Mitsuki actually wanted to win. She had to go for it and so she did, springing forward to close the distance rather than allow herself to be pelted from far away. At the same time she threw out an illusion, an afterimage to throw the Primordial off. Her blades slashed even as the Primordial ducked back, still grinning even as it dodged.

The two moved quickly, darting about the intersection as they met in brief clashes before breaking apart, spinning and striking blow after blow. This would definitely be a fight to watch, as the two went at it with a vengeance.

[User]
~Akame and Haku~

---

At the train station, the Primordial with the overtly large scissors for blades was much too busy scouring the ground to take heed of the two Magical Girls that had arrived on the scene. This allowed Angel and Ryuko the time they needed to save the hapless victims of the attack, pushing them out of the way of the train's oncoming approach. But it would ultimately not be enough.

The sound of flesh being torn asunder and the despair that followed right after brought the Primordial's attention to its sworn enemies at last. And seeing the Magical Girls, it gave a haunting screech before charging right for the downed Angel. No sooner did it raise its blade to strike her down did it find itself skewered upon Ryuko's rocketed hammer, blown away.

Crashing along the ground in a heap of steam and black fluids that could only be described as blood, the Primordial was far from killed. Instead it was enraged, messily tearing Ryuko's hammer out of it and subsequently spilling more of its life fluids onto the ground. As the hammer-wielding Magical Girl began her rampage, the scissor Primordial howled once more before lunging at her, its body spinning like a buzzaw.

At the bridge, Haku have a grunt to confirm that she did feel a tinge unnerved by this whole scenario. Something was amiss, yes, but now was not the time to give in to their superstitions. Yuna of all people should have known that actions spoke louder than words. That was why she nodded to the ice-user's gaze before dashing quick as a flash to stab the Primordial from the front side with the tip of her spear. The monster have a guttural scream of pain soon followed by the tell-tale surge of electricity coursing through its body. Haku activated her magic to put large volts into the enemy and keep it contained.

"Big S-Sister? Is that you?" Akame whispered, her body trembling all over. She was rooted in place to the point where not even Erika's explosive entrance would waver her. Maybe Haku was much too steel-minded to feel it, but Akame could sense the massive amount of negative energy gathering into the air before it all collapsed in on itself.

"Something just happened. Something horrible," she said, looking up at Erika with scared eyes. And then the Primordial they were facing began to screech once more, forcing her to turn. It howled with rage, grasping the end of both Haku and Yuna's spears before ripping the tips out of its flesh.

Haku stumbled back, caught off guard and reeling from that counter blow. It would be too late because the Primordial was on her in an instant. She gasped as the creature grabbed first her and then Yuna by the face before slamming them right into the ground and stomping its heels over their heads. At that moment, Akame noticed that Sakiko had finally arrived to the action.

---

, @Unlucky0013, @KoL, @Always, @Gowi

[Assistant]
Yukino Okajima

Yukino's attack had gone off without a hitch, the seeds striking the lumbering figure as they were intended and sprouting the kinds of vines which would strangle the life from trees hundreds of years old. There was a horrid squelching sound that rang through the air as the Primordial was crushed into an unrecognizable mess of metal that seeped black ichor from rent plates of armor. The hammer blow of Yukino's stalks when she finally came to crash upon the earth was unnecessary, but with foes as durable as these it didn't hurt to be careful by leaving only a blackened disk embedded into the concrete where once stood a foe.

It wasn't pretty, or really all that 'magical' looking in execution, but Yukino was grateful her skill set was thorough in eliminating Primordials as opposed to some who could run them through with a sword or spear only to be attacked by the still struggling creature. Speaking of struggling...

"Ah, Mi-Mitsuki!" Yukino called out, momentarily flubbing the name out of unfamiliarity. A stalk grew another seed and quickly lobbed it towards the magical girl still in the midst of conflict with a foe who seemed to hold the advantage in terms of armaments. The projectile went were the junior of the magical girls had intended it too, right behind the Primordial. Rather then spawning a mass of vines that could have very well been cut in a flurry of blades, this created two leaves with disturbingly sharp 'teeth' along the edges, a more weaponized Venus Flytrap that looked capable of holding an elephant in its grasp. "Push it back!"

[User]
Sakiko Akazawa

---

The path leading up to Sakiko's destination had been littered with obstacles, distractions, and annoyances; no matter what she did it felt like she was so much slower than she actually was and for someone of Sakiko's disposition it was something that was infuriatingly frustrating. As if the "meeting" didn't waste enough time, here she was trying to race to the bridge to aid in taking care of the pertinent situation and not keeping up with her peers at all. Even with her channeling her divine energy into her body to boost her speed and agility didn't seem to be enough to even catch up with Yukino Okajima, who had ignored her and somehow blasted ahead. She wasn't sure if it was just the rush of priorities that took precedence or if this was another factor of another petty rivalry due to their difference of factions— but Sakiko didn't care. Her purpose was for purging and purifying and even if the primordials kept spawning in her path to push her away it would not stop her.

At this point she was only a few steps back from the bridge she was heading to as she pushed herself forward.

Sakiko's irritated frown turned into a scowl as the visage of the primordial presence became apparent upon her arrival. The primordial had gained some sort of upper hand against her peers, but as far as she was concerned it was going to be a brief victory at best. Knowing she had arrived in a timely manner and it was now time to get to work.

Not today.

In a hue of gold Sakiko's bow shone brightly as the blonde-haired magical girl took aim quickly. The wicked spirit of the primordial would not win out today or tomorrow— not as long as Sakiko lived. Her brows narrowed more as her teeth clicked together as her energy allowed her bow's volatile bolt of energy to grow in size. The philosophy of The Order did not allow weakness and indecision.

"Not today!" She repeated, this time the words shouting from her lips as she released the energy.

As the divine energy released it split into several arrow-like arcs— a razor-sharp volley that would hopefully tear into the primordial and release her allies from harm. She had used the technique many times before on singular and mob-based enemies, so it would not be an experiment by any means. She couldn't afford to try out new techniques when other mahou shojo's lives hung in the balance.

"Be punished for your sins, creature!"

[Assistant]
While Mitsuki was dimly aware about what Yukino was doing at the moment, she was a tad more preoccupied with her own fight since it did serve to be a greater draw on her attention. Still, what she was enough to leave her reassured her her companion could handle herself, and might not be the best person to go against directly in a fight. Fortunately the Hero Brigade and the Order had never had a serious battle, and whether she could do that to another human was a far different story.

For the moment though her fight went on unabated. She leapt and dived, quick on her heels as she moved forward and the Primordial fell back, pelting her with swords which she deflected or simply avoided. their blades met and separated, sending sparks across the field of battle as the sound of their collision echoed in the void that only they could hear.

"Come on, is that all you have," she spat at the Primordial, hurling her own daggers at the black being as it let out a guttural yet mocking laugh and sprang away. New ones immediately formed in her hands to be thrown or used as she followed, tracking her target. It was all she could do to keep civilians from being drawn into the mix and making this situation even worse than it was already, but she did her best.

Then Yukino acted, calling out to her as her surprise unfolded. Mitsuki's eyes widened before she nodded in determination, acting in accordance with the plan. Daggers flew through the air, rapidly followed by her in turn to meet the Primordial when it dodged the projectiles. A few brief clashes as they fought for the initiative before she struck, using her powers to cause the Primordial to misjudge a block so she could land a hit. That elicited a cry of pain and anger from the caped being in protest, which she ignored as she broke away with a kick that would send it stumbling towards Yukino's surprise.

"Game over," she said with a certain smile.


[System]
Class: Oracle/Sleeper

Appearance:

Steph is an average looking fifteen-year-old girl, if a bit on the small side. She has short, black hair and piercing blue eyes.

Personality:

Steph is usually quiet and soft-spoken, preferring to silently observe a situation, rather than impetuously rush into the unknown, a trait that should serve her well in her current circumstances. When it comes to her areas of interest (science/technology/learning about the stranger facets of her new world), she can get very intense and focused. She is also quite inquisitive, but she never allows her fascination with something to compromise her sense of caution. She has always loved computers, robotics and technology in general, and is very skilled when it comes to working with it. Naturally, she is very distressed by the current, primitive, state of the world. She is very much a fish out of temporal water, and this has a major impact on how she views the world and interacts with its inhabitants.

History:

The brilliant daughter of two equally brilliant scientists, Stephanie's genius was recognized at an early age, and by the time she turned fifteen, she already had her first doctorate. She routinely assisted her renowned parents with their work, and was well on her way to becoming one of the world's brightest minds. Unfortunately, that world would soon come to a cataclysmic end… As the world of science and progress crumbled around her, Stephanie's parents hastily worked to ensure her survival. She was given a series of highly experimental genetic enhancements, coupled with an equally experimental cybernetic nanotech control system, and placed in a cryonic stasis chamber. Since their facility was located deep underground, and hardened against even the strongest forms of attack, her parents hoped that she would be safe until the world was once again hospitable to human life. Promising Steph that they would join her in stasis shortly, her parents sealed her chamber and hoped for the best.

Abilities:

Enhanced Physical Attributes- Besides her genius-level intellect, Steph has received extensive genetic enhancement, making her stronger, faster, and more resilient than a normal human. Her senses are also much more acute.

Nanite Swarm- In addition, she has access to a small swarm of nanites, which she can control with the use of a cybernetic implant. These nanomachines are limited to performing minor to moderate healing on herself or others (only one person at a time), as well as providing information and manipulating anything made of metal (although in the future, they may be able to expand their capabilities further). The inhabitants of this backwards time will probably consider this to be magic.

Equipment:

Steph was sealed in her cryochamber with nothing other than the pictured outfit.

There was a rather large supply of advanced weapons and survival equipment at the complex in which Steph's cryo chamber is located, but the state of them after the indeterminately long amount of time she has been asleep is anyone's guess…

Steph has also acquired a suit of nanofluidic armor that can disguise itself to match the clothing of anyone nearby.

Steph used her nanites to convert much of her cryostasis chamber into a cryostasis rifle, then a sword, and, currently, a liquid metal backpack.

Steph was given the Earth Sword by Minoc.

RP Notes:

Steph's story is one of coming to terms with her new world and finding her place in it. She is (at least initally) completely alone in what seems to her like a primitive, alien world. At first, she is understandably overwhelmed by her situation, seeing the inhabitants of this new world as little more than backwards savages, but as she begins to learn more, she starts seeing them in a better light, and eventually comes to greatly respect them and the civilization they have built.

While at the start, she might look down on the People of the Realm, she doen't do this out of hatred, but out of a mixture of pity and dissapointment. She hates the fact that the world is so primitive, and wants to do her part to restore at least some of the technology of her original time. Despite this unintentional air of suprioirity, Steph is still a kind person at heart, and one who is always willing to help others.

[User] He sighs, and glances at the crystal necklace around her neck. It glimmers softly in the light. He smiles, and kisses her head gently. "We'll figure it out baby girl. Have you tried those meditation cards I got you?" He gently hands her a engraved plate with some simple steps to guided meditation. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out someday. How was your day today?" He smiles, gently brushing her hair.

[Assistant]
Dragon

 Ruby set aside her food and ran her hands over the indented cards, scanning their contents with her fingers, they involved breathing exercises and sitting in silence, which was something she was good at anyways. "I'll be honest Dadda I haven't looked at these since you brought them," he started to brush her hair, "there are some disruptions the mecha has reported from the Sat-lites," she stumbled over the word, "Jub Jub is attacking some village of Tinkers in the mountains, and Bandersnatch is heading towards Castle of Solace. I don't think Bander is going to have much luck though, he's only one lieutenant against a huge castle with knights and soldiers and who knows what else."

 Ruby picked up her food again and took another bite, "I don't understand what your boss wants you guys to do," she spoke with a mouthful of food, "I mean..*chew*.. what good is randomly destroying things?"

[User]
Sarah

The further she goes down the caverns, the more Sarah finds it harder to breathe. The shadows, which only just flickered and shifted, now seem to form malevolent faces, gaining demonic forms and always seeming to reach out for her, clutching with long, spindly claws. She would startle, only to stop and realize Pip was looking at her funny, as though wondering if she's alright. She realizes that Pip isn't affected by the miasma, meaning she could at least trust his senses if not her own.

She coughs into the crook of her arm as the bitter, pungent miasma fills her nose and mouth, her eyes watering. She's certain this miasma is the source of these hallucinations; get rid of it, and she'll be able to trust her senses again - for that matter, she'll just settle for being able to breathe clean air again!

Pausing for breath, she notes the spiderling claw resting in one hand. She realizes that the claw is much smaller than she thought it was, and the things that had harried her earlier were much smaller than she imagined. It must be the miasma's work too. The sooner she's done here, the better. Fortunately, the deeper she goes, the closer she can sense the sword. It's as though this particular sense, this feeling, is uncorrupted by whatever hallucinations inflicted upon her, allowing her to at least navigate the tight, winding corridors with some reliability. The sooner she finds that sword, the sooner she can begin to understand her past, and the thought drives her onwards, battling her thick, palpable terror.

Pip, for his part, is worried about the path they're taking. The miasma is thicker here, and it's hurting his nose and eyes, causing him to whimper in protest. He could still smell the fear on New Master, even as she continues to walk forwards. The paths here are new and uncertain to him, and he can smell the spider-things more and more; this is their territory. And yet, New Master seems persistent in the path they're taking.

Then he smells something... close. More Spider-things. He stops and growls threateningly, and New Master takes a few moments to realize the threat too.

"W-what is it, Pip...?" Sarah asks anxiously, only too aware that her skin is clammy with sweat and she's breaking out in goosebumps. "Is... is it more of those things...?"

She hears something skitter closeby, and prays it's only another hallucination. However, the sound comes closer, and she she grips her makeshift weapon, she realizes the sound is undeniably real. Before she realizes it, there's another patrol of spiderlings here, one bigger than the previous one.

It takes a considerable effort of will to not bolt; there's more of them this time, and she's still suffering from shakes and nausea. However, she reminds herself that these things, while still dangerous, aren't as big as she thought, and that this time, she's armed. If they want to kill her, she'll put up a better fight this time. And she knows she can at least heal Pip if he gets hurt...

The spiderlings emerge from the winding tunnel, not sure what to expect, but ready to fight. They see a human girl and a strange, furred creature, the human girl holding what seems to be a claw from one of their brothers. They collectively hiss in anger, the combined hissing echoing in the caves menacingly. Apparently, those two managed to overcome the previous patrol, and for some reason this particular human is immune to the miasma. They skitter forwards quickly, intending to put these foes down quickly.

Pip strikes first, the crest on his back lighting up again before filling the cave with a bright light, striking one of the spiderlings in front with a powerful bolt of lightning. The sudden blast and the surprised screeching of their ally surprises the spiderlings, causing them to panic and try to split up, backing away from another possible attack.

Sarah, finding her chance, swings with the claw, only to realize she attacked a hallucination. In retaliation, the closest spiderling cuts her arm with an opportunistic strike, wounding her. Despite the pain, she doesn't let go of the claw. She tries to kick in revenge, but misses as she stumbles, barely managing to keep her balance. The spiderlings try to capitalize on her weakness, trying to swarm the duo with superior numbers. They swing their razor-sharp claws, slashing and stabbing, but Pip dodges deftly using his surprisingly strong legs to dodge and weave their strikes. He'd felt their sting once, he's in no hurry to get hit again. Sarah dodges a swipe by stepping back out of harm's way, but knows that they need to end this quickly. She sidesteps another attack, then sends one flying with a swift kick, smacking it against the cave walls.

Pip avoids another slash, and finds an opening as the spiderling had overcommitted, leaving its flank open. He lunges forwards, snarling, before clamping on the thing's throat with sharp teeth. The spiderling panics and tries to throw him off, managing to inflict a slash while one of its brothers assisted by managing to stab Pip in the flank. Pip yips in pain but doesn't let go, not dropping the spiderling until it flops lifelessly to the ground. It whirls with a snarl and a snap at the spiderling that wounded it. Its brother moves to flank, forcing Pip to hobble around to avoid getting attacked from two sides at once.

Sarah, meanwhile tries to cut down the last spiderling still standing, but it uses its smaller stature and great agility to dodge attacks. However, it miscalculates and finds itself cornered right in the path of a frenzied swing, and blocks by raising its claws to block. It manages, but Sarah's greater strength shakes it, and it would have gotten stabbed had not its dazed comrade recovered, and moved forwards to jump onto Sarah's back. It starts clawing and slashing, causing Sarah to cry out in pain and reach for the thing. Unable to reach the blind spot on her back, she resorts to slamming herself, back-first, into the nearby wall several times. The spiderling ultimately lets go after one too many hits, allowing Sarah to crush it under her boot. Its enraged brother jumps at her leg and stabs her in the calf, causing her to grunt in pain and drop to one knee, but she manages to bring the claw down sharply, impaling it in the back and twisting the blade to ensure it stays down this time. She clutches her wounded leg in pain.

Pip snarls and barks at the surviving spiderlings, trying to keep them back while he charges another lightning attack. The spiderlings sense it too, and try to at least finish this furry threat before the human recovers from her injuries enough to help. One of them skitters sideways, claws raised, but it's a feint to draw Pip's attention while its partner attacks Pip's exposed and injured flank. However, it barely manages to get close before Sarah's boot comes down, crushing it with brutal intent. Sarah had managed to heal herself so she could move sufficiently to help Pip. Surprised by this turn of events, the surviving Spiderling turns and tries to run away, but Pip catches with a strong jolt of lightning, frying it and putting it down for good.

For a moment, the noise in the hall quiets down, as Sarah pants heavily trying to recover her breath and the spiderling's scorched corpse sizzles audibly. Pip limps over to the corpses, sniffs them to make sure, then barks at them tauntingly, as though to gloat about winning. Limping, Pip turns to Sarah, panting happily as he's glad to see she's alright. Sarah returns his grin by kneeling down, petting him gently, and healing his wounds.

"There," she says. "Let's hurry, we're almost at the sword now. Let's find it and get out already."

She stumbles along, trying to heal her wounds, Pip walking along, lighting the way. This time, Sarah's stumble is a bit rushed; even as dizzy as she is from the fight and the miasma, she can feel the sword close. If she finds it, maybe she'll have an easier time in here.

[Assistant] He smiles. "It's not random. It's all planned out. We're just looking for information, and they threaten us when we don't ask nicely. So we defend ourselves, that's all." He sighs. "Do you know why I have to hide you away? Why you can't leave the cave without me? The world is a dangerous place now. Monsters are everywhere. It's the only way to protect you."

[User]
Steph's aim was true, and she grinned as her cryostasis bolt struck the harpy's wing, blowing it clean off. The creature fell from the sky, wounded, but not killed…

Guess these bolts don't have enough juice to affect an entire creature in one shot… Steph reflected. This would be more difficult than she'd first thought, but she was up for the challenge.

Her determination was put to the test a moment later, when her hyperaware senses detected a flash of light. She dropped to the floor less than a second before a beam of bluish energy shot through the space she had just been occupying.

Holy crap! That was close!

Quickly regaining her bearings, Steph utilized her superhuman perceptive abilities to locate the source of the beam. Not wasting a moment, she snapped off another shot, this time, aiming for the creature's head…


[System]
"I am the Diva of the Academy! Bow before my music, as I have a voice that even sirens have jealousy!"
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Abilities: Pamela's ability is the manipulation of the sound and noise. The main function of her ability is to change direction of magical projectiles, hers or from the enemy. Other than that, she can shoot musical notes while singing and each of those notes cause debuffs.
* Red: attack down
* Blue: defense down
* Green: evasion down
* Yellow: speed down
* Orange: dexterity down
* Purple: element proficiency down

Her strongest attack, called Super Duper Symphony!, is a giant barrage of pink lasers followed bu an enormous rainbow beam shot by her.
How you could work in a team: Support/Debuffer
Personality: Pamela's attitude can be resumed into one word - snobbish. She truly believes that her voice is the best and that she is the best singer in existence. She loves to brag about her powers and hates people who disagree with her. Pamela also is an attention-lover.
Main Theme: Brand New Diva Everyday!!
Battle Theme: The Little Diva Dance
2nd Battle Theme: It's Miss Pamela!
Super Duper Symphony! Theme: Active Angel II

"You really don't know your place, huh? Oh well, I guess I'll beat you down for my fun."

Name: Lynda "Lyn" Hermit
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Abilities: Lyn manipulates darkness, but it take form as slashes. With her despisal of projectiles, Lyn is very physical. She can call a black energy blade on her hand and use it as a weapon.
How you could work in a team: Offense
Personality: Lyn is the kind of person that despise the weak. She only respects the people who are formidably strong. Her level of ignorance can be rather high, especially when she is in a bad mood. Lyn loves to fight, so she never refuses one.
History: Although it is too her surname, Lynda is actually a hermit that lived with a tribe, hidden from communication. Her tribe excelled at spirit control, but Lyn was against that, saying that it violated those who wanted to rest in peace. She eventually came to learn her powers through her lack of training with spiritism and with it, came her desire to meet strong people. By learning it, she was banished from her tribe, accused of being a "heretic". Without anywhere to go, she heard about the academy and headed there, hoping to meet strong people to fight.
Main Theme: Rumble Temple
Battle Theme: Rog limitation
2nd Battle Theme: Phantom VS Current

"... I suppose I can battle with you. Just try your best to survive."

Name: Agni Blackheart
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Abilities: Agni is a controller of dark fire, using both Fire and Dark elements at once. He possess a familiar called Cerberus, which aids him in battle when summoned. His strongest attack, called Extinction Syndrome, allows him to unleash chaos and destruction in the battlefield and makes him transform into a Devil Lord, which amplifies his stats at 150% percent.
How you could work in a team: Doesn't work on teams.
Personality: Agni is a rather cold and lone person. He prefers to act and live by himself than depending on others. He accepts help in occasions that he really needs. Otherwise, he resolves the situation by himself. Another notable thing is that Agni hates lies. People who lie a those which he'll truly hate.
Other: He carries with him his special grimoire, called the Word of Hatred.
Main Theme: The Piano for Agni
Battle Theme: The Executioner
2nd Battle Theme: Condemnation Wings -Remix-
Devil Lord Form: The Tyrant -Remix-

"Experience is only collected through reality, so I would certainly enjoy a battle against you."

Name: Cruz Meister
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Abilities: Cruz uses technomagic, which include the use of his intelligence and memories in the form of Data. His technomagic specializes in illusionism. Other than that, he can gather loose parts and equipment to create weapons, which is a basic ability for technomagicians. His strongest attack,
How you could work in a team: Tactical.
Personality: After living a while with others, Cruz grew to be a firm, responsible person. He is really intelligent and likes to extend his hand to offer help to others. Cruz is fast learner when it comes to people, so he knows on who he should trust and who doesn't deserve it.
Other: By advancing his knowledge in technomagic, Cruz has as his main weapon a W.D.W (Wing Drive Weapon), which act as swords.
History: Cruz is one of the survivors of the academy's explosion. He escaped thanks to his A.I (Artifical Intelligence) Lhermite, that sacrificed itself by using the last of his energy to teleport Cruz back to the Hidden Realm of the Technomagic. Instead of returning to the external world, he passed 4 years of his life trying to resurrect his home, by putting everything back to work thanks to the Data he acquired in his academic life. After hearing that the academy has been re-opened, Cruz decided to return, in hopes of improving himself so he can complete what he began.
Main Theme: Night Walker
Battle Theme: Clockwork Doll
2nd Battle Theme: Bullet Dance -Remix-
Code Omnicalibur/JUDGE Theme: Sword of Doom -Remix-

[User] Ryan sighed as all the damage was fixed around him. "Great. I'm the bad guy for doing my job." He walked out of the gym and looked at the sky. He thought about the Council. " I'm going to need to talk to the President. We need some serious restructuring." He teleported to the Council Meeting room and sat down. His chair would light up as he was accounted for and he began thinking.

[Assistant]
The small mage turned her head, wondering who it was. Upon seeing Deus, Meruin frowned slightly. 'What did he need?' she thought. Upon hearing her request, Meruin tilted her head. It seemed like whatever he needed to say, it had to be in private. "Excuse me for a moment, Liz."

"Very well," she said, standing up from her chair. "Lead the way, Deus."

[User] Deus nodded as he began to lead Meruin outside into the hallway. Once there, Deus leaned on a wall. "Beautiful Day isn't it?... Anyways I'll get straight to the point..Magic isn't my area of expertise, and so far I've only been able to learn about Alchemy, but wh . i begin to research other forms of Magic, I always reach a dead end. This is where you come in, Meruin, Would you please teach me magic?" Deus asked seriously. He knew that it was farfetched to ask Meruin such a question, the reason? He would probably get turned down. Deus began to gaze outside the window.

[Assistant]
Meruin's eyes widened a bit as she listened to Deus's request. That was the only indication of surprise on her face, and she quickly adopted her stoic expression once more. What he was basically asking for was discipleship - Wait, no, that's not right. He's not asking anything as deep as that, she thought.

After experiencing Deus's abilities and discovering his lineage, it was fair to say he had no small amount of talent, however, it was also true that he didn't seem to have much experience with controlling it. Meruin considered the possibilities of teaching him. On one hand, it would be an interesting experience, on the other, it could end up disastrous for both of them.

Ultimately, it was not a question of how good a student Deus was, it was how good a teacher Meruin would be. There was a long silence as Meruin considered his question, looking at it from various angles and trying to predict the probability of a good outcome. In the end, she sighed.

"I will have to consult my own master about this," she replied honestly. That was the conclusion she reached. She would ask Master Reina for her opinion. She may even ask Lady Chase. If their verdict was that she was qualified to teach someone else the ways of magic, then she would do so without hesitation.

"I'm unsure of my own ability to pass on knowledge, Deus, so I'll need some time to consult my Master. If her opinion is favorable, then I will likely accept your request," said Meruin. "If it is not favorable, however, then perhaps I can still ask her for a solution for your problem."

[User] Deus sighed. There was always something, but decided not to get too involved with the reasons. He then turned to look at Meruin. "Not sure I quite understand what you're trying to say but...Hopefully you'll be able to train me, I need it to accomplish something. No, it has nothing to do with Cornelia." Deus stretched tiredly. He began to walk back inside the Room and looked back at Meruin. "As soon as you get a response, do tell me please." Deus disappeared from sight enetering the Cafeteria.

[Assistant] Liz looked a bit annoyed when Meruin walked off with no response to her earlier question but figured that was typical of the girl and took the chance to take the pills from before. Finishing her food and drink she had also bought to the table she looked when Meruin mentioned her masters, Liz still wanted to beat Chase for the humiliation in the last fight more then anything but she also wanted to consult Reina on something so either one the young mage encountered would do.

[User]
Cruz Meister
Location: Room 102

On his bed, looking at the empty roof, Cruz wondered many things about himself. Am I... strong to do anything? Maybe I'm pursuing a hopeless obejctive. After all, there's not one single time that I don't cause trouble to others..., he thought. He really wanted to be something, not just for him, but to everyone.

Pamela Armellia and Agni Blackheart
Location: Boys' Dormitory - Outside Room 102

She stood there, like some kind of guard that was protecting a VIP. She literally blocked the room with herself. "Well, so far, so good~! Nothing happened yet, so this is going to be-", she spoke, until a big number of boys ran towards her. "EEEEEEK!! H-Heeelp!!", she spoke, running away from the door. The legion of boys chased her.

That was the opportunity he awaited so much. Agni, who had recently recovered from the battle, stood right there alone, looking at the door. "There's no one to stop me now. Cruz Meister, be ready to meet your doom.", he said, walking towards the door.

Lynda "Lyn" Hermit
Location: Corridor to the Student Council Room

Lyn left her post so she could talk to Ryan. Her curiosity surrounded one certain thing: Cruz's pendant. Since the council member seemed to know about technomagicians, she thought of him as the only option. She held Pamela's cellphone, which she used to take a photo of the pendant, since she wasn't able to take it out of Cruz's neck. That pendant is something, I have an itch. And I'm going to discover about it., she said.

[Assistant] Sol sighed, his fun was ruined once again, oh well. He tapped his bracelet and the field retracted and vanished, taking all the damage with it. He turned to face Marcus sighing, it seemed his name was now pirate guy, whatever. "My fighting style? It's not so much of a style. Simply free form swordplay and magic where needed. If I had to call it something it would be an opportunist style, best in melees, as you saw I didn't spend much energy in that fight while you and Dues were pumping out magic, or in your case Ki, everywhere. I had prepared a spell and was going up the ante so to speak until it was so abruptly canceled. Anything more you wish to know?" Sol inquired. Fun but he would sit back down and see if Marcus had anything else to say, if not they perhaps he could wander around and find some other class that was exciting. @Slendy

[User] Ryan sat there contemplating his problems when he heard someone outside the door. "Come in. Or don't. Whatever." He called to the person outside. He closed his eyes and began looking at people through his "magic cameras" he planted all over the school. It was really just enchanted ice, but it sounded cooler when he called them "magic cameras". He looked at Cruz's room and gasped. "Change of plans, I'm going out!" Ryan rushed out the door and pushed past Lyn. He stopped and looked at her. "I thought I told you and Ms. Armelia to watch Mr. Meister!" He looked absolutely furious as he glanced towards the door. He vaguely considered leaving her, but he was sure Cruz would be fine for an extra minute or so.

[Assistant]
Lynda "Lyn" Hermit
Location: Corridor to the Student Council Room

"Dude, why are you getting so freaked out? The other one is there, so there's no prob-", she said. However, when she saw the cameras, Lyn too freaked a little. "Effing Pamela, I told her not to leave her post, damnit!!", she screamed, running back to the room.

Cruz Meister and Agni Blackheart
Location: Room 102

As Cruz looked to the roof once again, the door finally broke itself apart. In the space left by it, stood Agni, holding his flame scythe. "Y-You!!", he said, getting up. His leg flickered in the moment he stepped on the ground, making him fall. "There's no one in my way anymore. Today will be the day that I'll finally have my revenge. All those years that me and my sister passed suffering will not be in vain.", he said, ready to dash at him. "H-Hold on! At least, tell me what did I do! I don't get it! Why you want to kill me so much?", Cruz asked, still not able to get up. "Don't feign ignorance!! You know very well what you did to me, you murderer!!", Agni screamed. "Murderer?! I would never kill someone! That's something against my principles!", he tried to explain. "Shut up!! If it wasn't you... I... I would be with my mother!!", Agni said.

Cruz, upon hearing those words, was able to reason with Agni's vengeful hatred towards him. Even so, he knew that he didn't kill anyone. "I... killed your mother? That's pretty much impossible! I don't remember even meeting her!", he spoke. "Oh yeah?! Then, why her last words were your surname?! Before she died, she said 'Meister'!! I remember it perfectly!!", he said, walking forward. "Even if I had met her, I would never kill her! If she was someone so nice to not have killed me when we met, I wouldn't backstab her like the actual person who killed her did!", he spoke. "You...!! YOU!!", Agni's scream mixed with his dashing. Since he was unable to move, Cruz was slashed by Agni.

"Gggh..!!", he groaned in pain. "Still alive... then, one more and I'll end this!!", he said.


[System]
Gender: M

Age: 35

Place of Birth: Seattle, WA

Sexuality: Hetero

Relationship Status: Vin was engaged to a girl he'd been together with since his late teens, and through unforeseen circumstances, the relationship ended.

Occupation: Co-partner of several tattoo shops along the East Coast of the United States, mostly located in upscale areas, Buckhead being one of them.

Skills: A vast background in traditional art, with a focus on tattooing and the use of various inks and their properties.

Power: Tattoo & Body Art Manipulation

Essentially, a telepathic ability that allows him a certain degree of control over the ink used for the tattoos, thereby giving "life" to an otherwise static image on his (or a chosen target's) skin. His ability is most potent when used on his own tattoos, allowing him to lift the imagery from the skin, solidifying it, and giving it a brief independance from the host body. (i.e. A crow tattoo on his chest can "peel" away, transform into solid mass, and fly around).

Natural tattooing inks created by plant dyes, animal minerals, salts and various other natural sources, etc work the best. Synthetic inks are generally weaker.

As a defensive mechanism, if threatened, the tattoo ink will protect itself (and the host), adapting and shielding Vin from physical attacks for a limited amount of time.

Areas that are covered in tattoos also have the potential to heal much quicker, as the artwork essentially "repairs" the affected area. The more severe the wound, the longer time it takes to completely heal and the more mental exhaustion is incurred.

Cost of Power Use: Causes varying degrees of mental fatigue & migraines, and the longer it is sustained, the more lethargic he can become, to the point of unconsciousness if not careful. There are instances where the power, if not kept in check, could lash out violently toward others or the host himself as it begins to take on a life of it's own...
Appearance: Vin stands about 6'1, tall and lean. He generally keeps a closely trimmed beard or clean shaven face, and a neatly comb head of thick dark auburn hair. His wardrobe tends to lean toward a "chic rocker" fashion in blacks & grays, more so to impress the higher-end clientele. His arms, chest and back are covered in various tattoos of fantastical venomous creatures, tribal & gothic patterns, life, death, and various symbols that only he may know anything about.

Personality: Vin comes off as relatively light-hearted and easygoing, and yet can easily be identified as borderline narcissistic due to the fact that he seems to "know everything about everything" and holds nobody else but himself in high regard, which can reflect in his close professional and personal relationships. He is inherently stubborn and critical about a great many things, especially related to artwork, and his intense focus can be misinterpreted as being "socially disconnected" when in the middle of a project as he doesn't tolerate distractions very well.

Generally, however, he's a guy that goes along to get along, and enjoys to socialize in circles where there may be an opportunity for gain or pleasure. As an artist himself, he loves art, especially body art, which he'll gladly discuss with anyone who will listen to his incessant ramblings which inevitably circle around to him talking about himself.

History: As "deceptive appearances" go, Vin had always managed to keep his life running against the grain as much as possible, turning his nose to rules and regulations that seemed to only work for everyone else but him. Although he'd never let on that he had an ounce of the proverbial anarchist in him. Growing up in Seattle during the late eighties, early nineties, he found himself in the midst of the grunge scene, which influenced not only his outlook on life and society, but his love for various rock music and art. His family life was rather eventless (some would even say "normal"); both parents got along, worked hard at their respective blue-collar jobs, and generally made a bearable life in the Lower Queen Anne area of the city. As most good parents did, they both encouraged their son to do something meaningful with his life...

Of course, "meaningful", was a matter of interpretation.

Vin loved the city, especially the underground scenes, and most of his time was spent running with his wayward friends, getting into the seediest dumps to see their favorite bands play or hanging with the best local street artists, painters, and tattoo kings that Seattle had to offer. As his artistic talents flourished, he also reaped the rewards of diligence and hard work. He eventually turned his focus on tattooing, which it seemed everyone was willing to pay good money for, no matter their social status. At seventeen, he'd saved enough from various art jobs to share rent on an apartment in the downtown area, closer to where the action and the money was. Vin was a dreamer, and he wanted to keep the film rolling as long as possible. He'd met, for the first time, a girl he could really see sharing his already chaotic life. A girl who shared many of his own passions and aspirations, which gave Vin the feeling that he could really control the relationship and all its variables.

Funny thing how our own interpretations sharply contrast the harsh reality of things...

Years passed quickly as they would for those living a life that seemed to be an endless party. But for Vin, the fun hit rock bottom when his soon-to-be wife had decided to lavish herself in the lifestyle of another man. A man who seemingly had his shit together and gave her the world. The blowback became a stain that stuck in the forefront of Vin's mind, degrading his outlook of a future he hoped would have been shaped by his own hands. The solid relationship he once had with his parents began to suffer as he spiraled downward and pushed away a lot of people in the process. He eventually made it to a point where was ready to move on, to leave his old life and hopefully never return until he felt ready to return.

And he'd found the perfect way out...

Vincent reached out to James, an old friend who'd moved to the east coast to start up a chain of tattoo and body art shops mainly located in upscale areas. James knew the business, and even the rich enjoyed the opportunity to leave a lasting mark, whether it was social prestige or simply ink on their body, he'd gladly offer it all. Vin, confident in knowing that his artwork would be a great addition to his friend's business, didn't hesitate to take advantage of becoming a co-partner, quickly moving from his hometown of Seattle to a hi-rise apartment in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia.

[User]
Nate lowered himself delicately into a chair that looked like it had seen better days. A chair that looked like it had literally fallen off the back of a truck. A chair that looked like it was probably older than everyone in the room combined. He wondered where Eli had found it and, more importantly, why he was so fascinated by it. Maybe it was the concussion or the lack of sleep or a mixture of both. He tried not to think about the things that may be living in it and forced himself to listen to Eli.

Questions? Oh Nate had so many. It was why he was here after all. Why he had been through hell. Why he had put up with Jennifer and Vincent and...He had a vague memory of someone else being around but he couldn't remember who. It was why he had come all the way to Kentucky of all places. The only reason he would ever come to God damn Kentucky.

"Oh I have plenty of questions." he informed Eli with a snort. "Why are we suddenly superheroes? How did it happens? Who the hell are these kids? Who's behind this and why and, this is the most important one...What's that smell?"

[Assistant]
"Don't worry, I'm alive and well...or, you know, for the most part." Jennifer squeezed Vin's hand in reassurance just as Eli and Nate walked in through the door. As they settled themselves on some chairs, Eli asked the group if they had already eaten, but of course, Nate got right down to business without considering anyone else.

"First things first," she interrupted Nate, looking at Eli who appeared to be more depressed about the situation than they were. "We really haven't eaten much. Well, I'm not sure about him," she added, motioning towards Nate, "but we could use some food in our stomachs. Of course, that's only if it's not too much trouble for you."

Jennifer leaned back, pulling on Vin's hand so he could join her again on the couch. She would have to keep him awake for a little bit longer, or at least until he ate something before resting. Even though she refused to admit it, his nightmares were worrying her a little. They seemed to be violent and extremely realistic, and she was afraid that one of those nights, Vin would lash out against one of them while he was still asleep. Unlike hers, his ability was a danger to others, not that she would use that against him, but it didn't hurt to be a little bit cautious.

[User]
The drive to the cabin was long, a bit annoying, even when the truck tried to quit on Eric (It didn't, but it came really close). The ride did suck, driving alone with the radio going was one thing. But being in a truck full of people with so much on their minds, that fucking sucked. Like... Could everyone just shut up for ten minutes?! Is that too much to ask?! Not like he could just be open about his thought, he had no idea who to trust and who to not trust. Then again, he had all the guns here.

Once at the cabin the place seemed like it was in need or a bit of repair work. Could be a potential job for the future, but for now he just needed to focus on survival. Which he probably went a little overboard on the gun collection. But better safe then sorry, and all these ones were legal anyways, no harm in having them. Getting out of the truck Eric grabbed the bags full of guns and ammo, being not as strong as someone his size should be, it was a bit heavier then Eric was really able to carry with out losing balance a couple of times. Not falling, but still about as annoying. What was it, 6 rifles and shotguns, plus one combat like shotgun without a stock, and the .44 mag Eric took of of Danny's dead friend. Eric still wasn't pleased about how that went down.

Entering the cabin, Eric decided to give everyone a little greeting. "Welcome to the middle of nowhere, where if one of us dies, no one else will know but the rest of us here. Meaning please don't die.". Eric could hear the scared tones of people after his speaking, chances are what he said wasn't bad, unless people were already worried about dying. Inside the cabin was, interesting. The place was in disarray a bit, or was just left alone too long. Tomato To-ma-toe. Deciding the guns and all the ammo was too heavy, Eric placed the bags behind the couch, with the exception of the .44 mag which he kept braced to him with his belt still. Overall though, it was still a pain to think, so Eric did the one thing that seemed reasonable to him, and went over to Eli.

Eli was talking to his new, or old friend, Eric couldn't tell, and all Eric got from their thoughts were Fear, dead people, not dead people, phone calls, broken radios? girls, not sure what context, and.... the last thought caught Eric off guard, super powers? Eric almost asked, then this girl, Jenifer from what he could gather, started to interrupt about food. "If you're really that Hungry there's a 30-06 rifle in that bag behind the couch, even some bullets. The boar out here are year round hunting. With that, they make great Bacon." Eric said with a smile. Though chances are his joke was not as funny as he thought. "....have some peanuts." And Eric pulled a small packet of Peanuts out from his pocket, tossing them to her. "I have no idea what food is like here, so if you want something else, that rifle may be a reasonable option. Or we can hope Eli actually left food here?" There was mixed reactions in the rooms, he didn't need to see people's faces to know that. He could hear their tones in his head. Part of him wished he brought an MP3 player to drown out their thoughts. His were fine, but theirs were annoying. Mostly Eli's friend, who Eric still didn't know his name. But all Eric could pull out was gibberish, no tones really, just gibberish. Eric wonder's what was going on inside that poor man's head to make that kinda noise....

[Assistant]
Vincent pushed himself up off the floor, feeling a pinch in his back where he was pretty sure the corner of a floorboard was sticking up enough to jab him. "Ouch" He grumbled, sliding onto the couch next to Jennifer, who was in the midst of giving Eli and Nate the third degree. Vin was more than impressed by her fervor, and that she didn't back down from a fight that easily as her voice carried throughout the cabin enough to make a point. He'd spent enough of his life wasting away with the wrong women, too many who were in it for something he had and gave themselves away just as easily. But not this chick. Jennifer's attractive qualities came from the simple fact that she was a fighter.

The kid, Eric, finally spoke up, doing his best to welcome the group to the shit house they were gathered in. Vin snickered at the kid's comment about "food" however, not overly surprised that there was a lack thereof, and yet in the back of his mused about what Eric might taste like slow-roasted over a fire. He winked at the kid and put on his best thanks but no thanks smile before turning to Jennifer, realizing that he was still holding her hand.

"Um...about earlier." He paused for moment, trying his best not to allow the vivid, yet unreal, images to invade his head again. "It was a dream. Sure, I've had a couple of them already and I damn sure wouldn't recommend it, but it was just a dream…"

Vincent wanted so badly to tell her what he saw, what he experienced, but why in the hell would he want to scare the poor girl away? Of course Jennifer knew he had problems. Shit, the whole gang had their share of problems! But to confess to her that he could be a potential psychopath with an uncontrollable power that for whatever reason wants to rip her away from him in the most brutal and unnatural way? Yeah, that might be cause for massive concern, and possibly a one-way ticket to hell courtesy of a bullet to the head by any one of these gun-slinging cowboys. The fact that maybe this was his lot in life didn't escape his mind either, considering he'd lived a lifestyle that was anything but self-less, only ever thinking of himself and his own well-being. If this guy Eli had any answers to who or what they all were, then Vincent hoped that he could find the answer he needed to contain whatever fucked-up evil shit was inside of him.

Vin saw the concern in Jennifer's eyes and quickly changed the subject, keeping in voice low. "So what's with the little girl over in the corner I wonder?" He said, looking over at Christi who was trying to keep as low a profile as any. "Do you think she's related to this guy Eli?"