[System]
---

NPC

Code: SANCTION //
A liaison from Magus Prohibitum, Sanction (real name, Kalia Morfunde), Sanction serves as the occasional yoke to organized Cleaner activity. Technically a Cleaner herself, her connections with Magus Prohibitum afford her access to their activity, which she can relay as a warning or guidance to other Cleaners. Stern, business-like, and with a terrible sense of humor, her presence is preferably transient to most others, though nevertheless invaluable.

Code: CASH //
A powerful shareholder in Heintje, Laurence Slanne came into Cleaner society after a drawn-out experience with a nightmare in his mansion. Two months of camera crews, exorcists both fake and real, and a few Cleaners assuming identities as ghost hunters, and he was rid of the plague. Free time and curiosity getting the better of him, Laurence developed a hobby in nightmare hunting -or, at the very least, funding missions to do so.

Code: DORM //
17-year-old "Drake" Vorsque, for all his somber attitude, loves his work. Though many tease him for being quiet, often melancholy, the Thremont high-schooler truly enjoys company. Once a blissfully unaware student, his involvement with Codename PING eventually revealed to him the underlying existence of nightmares, after which he devoted himself to fighting said entities. One of the few younger Cleaners that still maintains academy attendance, Drake makes for an effective connection to the law-abiding youth of Neo Babylon.

Code: VENGE //
Sole survivor of the Thursday Dawn Massacre, Penny "Double-Take" Viritchi knows the truth; her gang, her blood, her family were not killed by rivals, but by a creature. Swearing to end its unlife, she took her ruthless nature into Cleaner culture where she's been an active member since. Volatile and violent, Penny is frequently the subject of intense reprimand from peers, especially Sanction.

Code: PING //
Though she tends to avoid having to engage in combat, Ping associates herself with the Cleaners as an indispensable resource. Ping is known as a "Natural", an individual born with the ability to use a sort of intrinsic magic. Extremely rare, Ping's intrinsic magic is the ability to 'sense' magic itself. Though quiet, she's an aloof spirit that seems to enjoy the vagrant lifestyle.

Code: MOM //
Owner of the Cafe Thaza, Melanie "Mom" Dresdain is a face known by most, if not all Cleaners of Neo Babylon, thanks to her generous nature and ownership of frequented what is essentially a "Cleaner clubhouse". Her two late sons were the ones to bring her into the Cleaner folds where she stayed after their deaths.

[User]
Chris' bike was many things, but quiet was not one of them. Not typically at the least. It was why, even beneath the ground floor, the dull rumble of its engine was just barely audible as he pulled up next to Cafe Thaza. It took a few moments for the chime to sound when he actually entered the building, and it wasn't long until heavy footsteps made their ways down the stairs. Nudging open the doors to the room, he held a bag of what looked like groceries in one hand as he approached the gathered group.

His head moved slightly, just enough to notice he was looking at each individual present. "Huh, guess I missed something," he remarked as he then glanced down at the drying splotches of blood at the floor. Remark aside, he peered over Ma's shoulder and hummed as he read the message. "Nice, nice." A wide grin adorned his expression at the prospect of Nightmare work since it'd been some time since he last dealt with the beasties. Placing the bag atop a counter after he said that, he adjusted his shades and took a seat on a stool before he spun around to look at everyone again.

"So! Anyone figure anything out yet? Hash out any plans?" He spread his arms outwards, gesturing towards everyone that had gathered, as he spoke in a boisterous tone.

[Assistant]
Jiangli let out a low whistle at the reported death count, grimacing.

"Twenty armed gangsters? We'll need to deploy in force and use heavy firepower to handle this, at the least." He murmured, reflexively reaching for his pack of cigarettes despite already reeking of cheap tobacco. He stuck one in his mouth, but didn't bother lighting it.

Jiangli shrugged at Echo, still resisting the urge to light up in a non-smoking room. "Can't say for sure yet. We'll need to see what Cash knows first before we make any plans." He shifted his gaze to Echo's grocery bag. "You pick up any more Lucky Strikes?" The former Agent gestured to his box of cigarettes. "I'm on my last box."

[User]
Vivian's eyes wandered to Jiangli as she followed the conversation along. "Twenty sheep are nothing for a seasoned wolf. Even a pup like me could do that if they'd happen to carry the wrong things." Vivian stopped. Her voice had been rather flat and neutral the entire time, and her eyes now widened. Gasping, she held her hands in front of her mouth.

Only now she realized what she had just said. Treating those poor souls like dirt and kind-of scolding the chain-smoker for treating the 20 dead victims like some big threat. This wasn't like her at all. Sure, after having been through what she had been, one would tend to have a more grim outlook, but the girl made continuous efforts to stay positive.

This? What she had just said were thoughts she'd never share with anyone, not even gramps. No, Vivian wasn't in her right mind. Maybe having been holed up since Gramps dad was indeed doing more bad than good. Yeah, instead, she should be out there and hunting this Nightmare, taking on the mission and all that.

"I apologize." She now murmured and lowered her head, hoping the others would just ignore her.

[Assistant]
As the night sluggishly went on, the occupants and transients of the Cafe lounge eventually dispersed after conversations, jokes, and suggestions. For the time being, while they had all had their own experience's with nightmares, the information available was simply too small to forge anything beyond imagination. True consideration of the target would have to wait until Cash offered more than an enigmatic description.

Those who didn't call the Cafe their home went their separate ways, disappearing into the upper floor and street outside. The others stayed, retreating into the numerous small, oftentimes windowless bedrooms that riddled the bottom 3 floors of the establishment. Melanie remained upon the couch on the first basement floor, leaving the stained blood couch for cleaning tomorrow; or replacement, if it wouldn't come out. She fell asleep to the thoughts of arcane carpet cleaners.

--------

The following morning was one of common chaos; with too few bathrooms for the otherwise densely populated building, anger was high as usual. When everyone had gotten ready, they were free to pick from the daily basket of baked goods Melanie would lay out every morning. It wasn't enough for everyone, nor a truly nutritious meal for anyone, but it sufficed in filling the bellies of those who hadn't the time or funds for the day to go out and eat a full breakfast. There were always a few that did, however, and so the basket often lay with one or two biscuits or muffins slowly growing stale by the end of the day.

With work to do, the manager of the building was already on the top floor, tending to patrons of the Cafe alongside whichever part-timer had shown up for the shift. From the basement floor just below, the residents could hear the heavy footfalls of bigger individuals, and the jingle of the bell hanging on the Cafe door.

To the side of the first basement floor, situated above a few old wooden round tables was a white-board. Most of the markings in black sharpie had been there for so long, they effectively became permanent. Old notes that were no longer relevant, along with a minimalist chart of some Cleaner names and their phone numbers or addresses. A star marked those who could provide sanctuary if needed.

Laurence "Cash" Slanne was one such individuals, though any older Cleaner knew well the man preferred his many homes to be a 'last resort' when it came to providing sanctuary. His address was faded but just as permanent as the rest, and marked only his main residence. Melanie had indicated the previous night, after a short exchange with Cash, that said residence was where the group was to meet him. A manor situated in one of the few "Envi-Novel" closed communities; a large-foundation high-rise at the upper reaches of the city, complete with more greenery than was imaginable by Neo Babylon citizens who'd never left the city.

However they managed to get to the place, the Cleaners had a long road ahead of them; the space between Cafe Thaza and the manor was about forty-minutes in length, complete with inevitable traffic once they hit the inner city. Up and down the city layers, onto magnetic freeways, through holes built into buildings... The group converged on the Eni-Novel foundation, visible even from miles away.

Situated between a series of five skyscrapers far and above the rest was a pentagonal concrete structure, like a plate being held atop bricks. Though they couldn't see the top of the foundation from down below, they could certainly tell it would be a bright environment once they got up there. After using a few off-ramps, vehicular elevators, and passing through chic, high-end, and blatantly gentrified streets, they came upon the gates of the Envi-Novel community. Behind the black iron gates was a wide-open series of fields and winding roads, dotted with small groves, parks, and trails. The occasional mansion peeked out from behind a row of well-kept trees.

It would have appeared extremely unguarded for a wealthy community in the current century, but the more perceptive would have noticed an occasional flicker of light just behind the iron gates; a shield, undoubtedly with quite the punch. Each of the Cleaner parties came upon a security checkpoint, already prepared for strange looks from the... robotic guard.

The box-headed robot gave the Cleaners a completely neutral greeting, unperturbed by appearances, thankfully.

"Good-evening ladies and gentlemen. How can I help you? Are you here to see someone?" the robot asked in a rehearsed tone. A mention of Laurence prompted the robot to check a screen just below its vision before nodding and pressing a button. "Indeed. Mister Slanne is expecting quite a bit of company, it seems," the robot continued. The gates in front of the cars lifted, and with it the faintly-visible shield, allowing them passage.

Coursing through the pristine environment, a rolled-down window revealed that the air outside smelled just as perfect. Everything in the Envi-Novel was maintained with comfort in mind, and to eliminate the sense of being surrounded by concrete darkness. Following the street signs, they found their way to Cash's manor which was, perhaps surprisingly, about as big as any other on the premises. Whoever else lived here must have been of equally filthy rich status.

The driveway turned into a dirt path that led up a small hill for the front yard, a place that could easily have fit six cars with room for late-night tire-screeching donut showcases. As the Cleaners all made it there, grouping by grouping, eventually the occupants seemed to take notice of their presence. A butler walked outside briefly, looking out across the driveway at the parked cars, before returning inside.

After a couple minutes, Laurence walked outside with a serious expression upon his face. The business tycoon was all appearances when it came to Cleaner dealings, though most everyone knew well how aloof he could be when it came to free time. He touched something in his suit pocket, hidden inside, before extending a hand to a few of the gathered Cleaners after they exited their cars.

"Morning everyone," he began, stepping back to get a look at all of them. "We'll be staying out here." Cash snapped his finger, and the butler standing a few feet behind him turned heel to fetch something. In the meanwhile, Cash took out a phone and began typing away, speaking in between bouts of texting.

"Sorry I couldn't give you details. This one's strange to say the least. Hard to give you an accurate account unless I can show you what's going on." He put his phone away, and a tiny, tiny smile escaped his lips. "And whatever you do, don't try this at home." The butler returned with what appeared to be... a simple cardboard box. Albeit a very clean and shapely box, but merely cardboard nonetheless. Under the butler's arm was a folded plastic mat, which he began to lay out on the parking lot while Cash continued watching the group.

With the plastic laid out, the butler set the box down in the middle of it and lifted the lid before waiting. After a minute, another butler appeared from around the manor side, carrying this time... a chicken. A live chicken. The fowl squabbled quietly in his hands, seeming uncaring of being carried across the lot. He approached the cardboard box and set the chicken inside before closing the lid and taping it shut. The bird fit perfectly inside, still clucking in the dark.

"Now then. Let me show you what we're dealing with," Cash said, putting a hand into his suit pocket before pulling out a photograph. From his pen pocket, he pulled out a sharpie and took a knee before the box, carefully looking at the photograph. After a second or two, he began to draw upon the top of the cardboard box, creating a strange symbol none of those gathered had seen before. It was complex, clearly magical, but not any sort of rune they could identify.

Cash paused and took a deep breath before finishing the symbol with one long stroke across the surface. Immediately he stood up and backpedaled, as if having just lit up a firework. For a moment, nothing happened and then...

There was no squawk. No peep. No chirp from the chicken inside. Only a sudden and violent explosion of blood that sprayed through the seams in the cardboard box, caking the plastic mat in dark red. As soon as it was over, a butler approached at a distance and threw a lit match upon the cardboard box, lighting it aflame. Cash watched as it burned before turning to the group.

"Now imagine someone put that on your door."


[System]
Age: 19 years
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Personality & Description:
Grain is every bit the image of what an ideal knight. Almost out of a fairy tale, or courtly romance. She's quite tall for her age, with a well built body that reflects her extensive training quite well.

Despite not being one to speak freely unless requested to. Grain's voice carries a great deal of resolution. The same can be said of her actions. Even though her quiet demeanor may make it seem like she's shy or unused to social interactions, the truth is quite the contrary. From the way she walks and dresses, to what she reads and her silent, vigilante gaze, everything about her is proper and knightly.

While it's easy to think that someone like her would be a consummate tomboy, the truth couldn't be more further away. That said, she doesn't like it when others pay too much attention to her feminine side either.

"Though, just maybe, will she get flustered when called cute? Well, there's only one way to know..."Brief Backstory:
Grain was born and raised in a spartan environment, with the sole purpose of continuing her family's knighthood tradition and their relationship with the Tower's magi.

It would be easy to assume that this meant an abusive and grueling childhood, but the truth couldn't be more different. In fact, she was raised with attention and care, befitting her social standing. Even if her parents were always the hands-off type, Grain always counted with her servants to do everything she needed so that she could concentrate solely on the obligations required of her as a knight.

However, as a consequence of such intense focus on her life goal, Grain is pretty... disconnected from the outside world. Whenever she goes through the streets of a modern day city like London she can't help but feel amazed at the simplest of things. It's quite amusing to think that someone so well-educated has difficulty using even something as simple as a smartphone.

Anyway, it's of no surprise that when the young heiress of the Ar-Rynesarte family declared that she would find the ones responsible for her family's fall from grace, one of their old time allies like the Blackmore would answer their call for help.

It was the only honorable thing to do.Abilities:
Grain isn't a member of the Tower, or even mage in the proper sense of the word. She's knowledgeable in magecract and magical foundations, but practicing it—while not beyond her abilities—is beyond her interest. That said, she does have an enviably high reserve and quality of mana—befitting her pure, noble blood—which comes in handy for other applications rather than spellcasting.

All of this is possible because of her very rare Sorcery Trait:「 Blood of Heroes 」which only appears sporadically in families of those who are related to a legendary hero of the past. In her case, the legendary Celtic king Fionn mac Cumhaill, also known as Finn MacCool.

First of all, always having such an amount of mana on reserve, makes Grain highly resistant to magic effects in general since she can simply counter pretty anything using her own raw magic energy.

She also the "body of a hero who can challenge fate itself", an ability that goes way beyond what even a mage dedicated to just physical reinforcement would be capable of doing. Which can reach truly inhuman levels of power when combined with her ability to release her magical energy to improve her physical abilities, making strikes harder, jumps longer, etc.

When combined with her family's heirloom arms, it's possible to unleash a blast of pure magical energy that mimics the legends of old, when a lone knight had the power to defeat whole armies on their own as well as other similar feats.

However, the most unique part of her trait is inheriting part of the legendary wisdom Fionn is said to have gained in the tale of the Salmon of Knowledge. By sucking bringing her thumb to her mouth Grain is able to gain limited clairvoyance allowing her to divine the possible best course of action for almost any situation, as well as get a good idea of the answer to pretty much anything you ask of her. Needless to say, this skill is pretty handy for her studies.Skills:
It's safe to say that grain could be a specialist of everything if she truly wanted to overuse her gift of wisdom to solve the problems of life. However, not only would this be inappropriate in her view, but also... she can't help but feel embarrassed while doing it in front of others.

Thus, it's no wonder that she avoids it. Even so, she's very knowledgeable in the classic matters, knightly traditions, and social etiquette. She's an outstanding athlete, amazon, and naturally acquainted to many different forms of combat. That said, she's mostly helpless in matters that don't pertain to her chosen life goal, sometimes to pretty amusing-to-see degrees.Assets:
As far as monetary assets, it's simpler to say that Grain never did, nor ever will, lack anything that she might need or want. Unless some incredible misfortune befalls her family, the fortune they've been amassing for the previous hundreds of years, won't be getting smaller any time soon.

When it comes to other possessions, she has access to a decent selection of both arms and armor. As well as a number of magical tools accumulated over centuries of service, even though most of them have either lost their original powers, or are outright useless in a practical sense. To the point that it's almost appropriate to say that the Blackmore's excel at collecting junk.

As expected, she doesn't have most of those possessions with herself unless she's on official business, in which case she'll almost always be seen with her family's heirloom sword, or spear, and a set of very light armor (basically just gauntlets and greaves). All of which can be summoned or dismissed at-will using transportation magic.

[User]
Indeed, there were shapes on the walls. After a few moments, it was obvious what they were, as well. Marked in a faded black material that could have been ink or something else entirely was multiple sets of intricate sigils. They covered the walls, lining every surface. But without any magical interference, it would have been incredibly difficult to see them at all. What was immediately notable was the simple fact that manually drawing these sigils onto the walls of the alley would have been impossible. Not simply due to the fact that anyone doing such a thing would have to have been spotted at some point, but also because of the height of the walls and how far up they were. There was no way anyone could have painted them that high without equipment.

But, if the killer was skilled with displacement sorcery...

Suddenly, a faint glow travelled across the symbols. Immediately the alleyway seemed to stretch rapidly in both directions, flooding with darkness. Of course, any proper mage could discern just what had occurred. This was unquestionably a closed space, and the sigils were powering it.

How it had been activated and why would have to wait, for out of the shadows their leaped a set of five attackers. They were strange automatons, white and gold with a vaguely female shape. They attempted to encircle the group, spinning their razor-coated arms, their blank, feminine faces showing not the slightest hint of life.

@Bartimaeus@KoL

[Assistant]
@Aviaire

Leo chuckled to himself as he saw the varied reactions of irritation from his 'Kiddo comment'. This kind of teasing was always fun. However, the glare from the homunculus did have a certain chilling feeling to it, one which seemed to spark some kind of primal nervousness deep within him. He was able to hide it, of course, but he couldn't quite help the feeling that it felt somewhat familiar...

However, he was knocked back out of his thoughts when the other guy on his team responded to his question, and he shot him a lazy looking smirk.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I can finish this in about ten minutes if you want! Just depends on if you want it done well or not. That'll be a little longer..."

He laughed a little louder than he had with any of the others when the friendly girl introduced herself, mentioning how fun fishing sounded.

"Haha, nah... Not really... It gets pretty damn exciting right around the very end, but it's one of the most boring pastimes in the goddamn world all the way up until then. But, fish is delicious, and it lets me sleep three hours while I do it, which means its actually the best way to spend my time."

Now, he was a little taken back by the bow, because god, how long had it been since someone had bowed to him? But, it wouldn't do to leave her hanging. He might not have been the most polite person, but he was at least willing to answer someone who greeted him.

So, he mustered a wave that looked only slightly less lazy than it felt.

"Hey, I'm Leonardo Vadris, but everyone just calls me Leo. Nice to meetcha." He said, before he let out a sigh. "And yes, I know they said we were all dead. Clearly that isn't true. No need to bring it up again."

And then he noticed that everyone was beginning to file out of the room.

"Anyway, I guess it's officially time for us to get moving, huh? I'll just follow you guys. I'll get lost otherwise."

---

Leo was almost beginning to rethink the hawaiian shirt he was wearing when they walked up to the police. Not that it wasn't the superior form of clothing no matter where you were in the world, because it clearly was, but it seemed a lot of people tended to disagree with that statement. He'd actually heard a few people saying something about how anyone who would wear a hawaiian shirt in the cold air of britain was clearly a madman. He hoped the police wouldn't think the same.

Thankfully, they didn't immediately try to take him in for questioning while Euphemia was talking to them, so he supposed that was an upside.

The downside, of course, being that they weren't allowed to check out the crime scene.

He had just been making a plan of action when she made her hand invisible, and informed them that she would be able to do that for all of them.

"Yeah, I guess that's probably a better idea..." He said, tucking a small piece of paper with runes that looked suspiciously similar to the norse word for 'Freeze' back into his bag. "Anyway, I have a few sticky notes in here. If you can get us past the police, I can write up some runes that should get them to just stop paying attention to anything in that area, at least while they're still active."

He was already pulling the pad of sticky notes out even as he finished, idly spinning a fineliner between the fingers of the other hand.

"And don't worry, I'm a little out of practice, but I'm like... oh, seventy-five per cent sure it'll work properly? Maybe seventy-four."

[User]
Before anyone could even react, there was a sudden flash, a rush of wind... And in the blink of an eye Saturday was on the other side of the now bisected doll, scythe in hand. With a heavy thunk, the two halves of the mannequin dropped lifelessly to the ground. Silently, she turned back to face her mistress with a blank expression as her weapon disappeared in another flash. Strangely, despite her target seeming to be made of metal, her clothes and face were dotted with splatters of its blood...

"Please be careful, Mistress."

Still... The strange metal doll had seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was her duty to protect Arinne, so if it happened again... Where had it even came from? Something like that was clearly not designed with stealth in mind, and yet...

Daze

[Assistant]
Saint had been leaning against the wall with his typical crossed arms posture. He was only a handful of paces from his master. He was in motion as soon as his senses picked up the movement of metal nearby that didn't belong to any of the group. It only took a heartbeat to move the distance, placing himself between Arinne and the nearest assailant with his weapons drawn.

He almost laughed, but that would have been terribly unprofessional of him so he set his face in a calmly reserved expression instead. Metal weapons were once easily dealt with matter but these should pose little enough of a threat. Saint calmly slid his daggers back into their sheaths, rolled up his sleeves, and then went on the attack.

He took several strides forward and caught a blow with his bare hand. The blade struck sparks off of the suddenly metallic skin and grasped it, fingers sinking into the metal to hold it hirm. With his other hand he punched through torso of the doll, shattering the suddenly brittle material like glass. He struck something suddenly more yielding inside and his fist came out the other side covered in gore.

The rest of the automaton shattered as well into minuscule pieces.

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze

[User]
"I don't think it's so simple. It's impossible to inflict such extensive wounds without spilling any blood. If nothing else, the fact that there's so little of it indicates that this person—or being—is well-acquainted with their sinister craft," Grain said after listening to the comments of the mages. She may not be able to help too much with the magically related part of the investigation. Yet, such a level of physical evidence was well within her capacity of analysis, at least.

Even so, it wouldn't take long before things took a turn to an area that was more in tune with her field of expertise.

Grain's senses sparked as the clattering dolls came, clacking their clickety limbs in a calamitous cacophony.

"Don't do anything that'll place you into needless danger. If you need, stay behind me and I guarantee no harm shall befall you," Grain said to her partners as she summoned a spear to her hands. She immediately followed by taking a step forward and trusting the blade at one of the dolls' chests with enough strength that damage it caused would look more like it being shot with a rifle than pierced by a polearm.

"Wait, is this..." Grain commented in a confused voice as she drew her weapon back in a defensive stance, ready to fend off the next attacker.


[System]
Hero Name: Lord Dragon

Appearance:
One of the first things noticed about Kaze is his immense size. He stood at an intimidating eight feet tall and looking like a professional weight lifter without steroids. Or as some people liked to say "He's built like a brickhouse." Normally after they hit him once and they hurt themselves. Covering his body is a natural armor, surprisingly malleable plates and scales that seemed to harden on impacts. Attached to his shoulders are a pair of giant pseudo-wings with terrifying claws at the joint that act like a second pair of hands. Lastly he has a long tail that's strangely agile and prehensile.

His coloration is interesting. His "underbelly" is a royal purple, along with the membrane of his wings, while the rest of his body is jet black like space. His eyes glow slightly and are a deep crimson. His horns, spikes, claws, and teeth are all completely white despite his age. Lastly if you see the inside of his mouth it glows a dangerous looking green right down into his core.

Kaze doesn't really wear normal clothing. Instead he has a long kilt that's dark red with a golden boarder. Holding it up is a steel band that's a foot wide and three inches thick with a massive ruby in the clasp holding it closed.

Age: 15

Class: 1-A

Quirk:
Dragon Body: A Mutant Type Quirk, Kaze has the appearance of a humanoid draconic being. Scales coat his body, his fingers and toes end in claws, he has pseudo-wings on his back, and a long and surprisingly prehensile tail protruding from his backside. The 'Dragon Body' seems to be a myriad of other types of quirks stuffed into one body. The animalistic strength being one, high endurance being another. But unlike mythical dragons, Kaze does not have an elemental breath attack. Just an overall huge boost to his own physical capabilities, and he can glide. His wings too immature to actually allow flight.

Strengths:
* Peak Human: On a physical level, he is at peak human capabilities in nearly all aspects. He's above peak when it comes to his strength
* Iron Body: His scales aren't just for show, they offer a great deal of protection. Their shape, their tiny size, and the patterns all make him incredibly tough when it comes to slashing and piercing styled attacks. His dense muscles also help reduce heavier impact damage.
* Combat: When it comes to fighting he's exceptionally good at it. Thanks to his animalistic make-up he fights in a way that is very hard to predict, especially with added limbs thrown into the mix.

Weaknesses:
* Heavy: He is incredibly heavy, weight almost one thousand pounds, this makes him slower than normal and harder to maneuver when charging, or when being controlled in some manner.
* Cold Blood: Given his reptilian nature, the cold will make him hibernate and eventually die if exposed for long periods of time.
* Under-thinking: He doesn't always think things completely through, acting mostly on instinct or just gut feelings. Obviously not the greatest thing, but not the worst thing, a hero can do.

Personality:
Unlike what Kaze's gung-ho body looks like, his personality is very laid back. Preferring to lounge and watch others instead of actually doing things with others. Maybe it was because of his reptilian nature, watching and being a lethargic behemoth. Although when he does interact, it's in almost a deadpan manner and incredibly blunt. The draconic boy never sugar-coated what he was saying. This lack of tact didn't earn him many friends.

Despite his supposed laziness, he does get riled up. It's also very easy to do so, a lazy giant with a short fuse isn't very good. This probably ties into his animalistic tendencies, at the hint of aggression or provocation he returns it in force and forcing adults to restrain him.

History/Bio:
Kaze comes from a decent line of draconic women mating with quirked males. He's a strong result of these quirks melding into a singular stronger quirk. This of course led him to being the lazy teen he is now, never having to really work for anything that others did. Strength? He had that in spades, his muscle structure huge and powerful. Reflexes? His reptilian nature covered it. Endurance? He could go for hours and tank powerful hits. He learned that after a bull decided to slam into him at ten years old.

His lack of a work ethic bugged him honestly, but then again he couldn't figure out a way to really work himself. Everything felt so...easy when it came to physical activities. He could have worked on his temperament. But his parents weren't exactly helpful in that and the teachers of his old schools just settled on restraining the volatile teen.

After thinking of ways to help himself, and potentially help others, he settled on looking into Hero stuff. Sure there were a few hotheads, but for the most part they didn't seem to get riled up to much. He didn't have too high of an expectation of himself, who ever heard of a lazy hero?

[User]
Lizzy tapped her hands together, giving tiny metal 'chink' sounds every time the tapped as she waited for everyone to enter the classroom. Apparently the boy who looked like a dragon couldn't breath fire, yet another of her classmates could? Lizzy couldn't help but give a little mechanical chuckle at the oddity of that situation. Next came in a kid with a bandana over his mouth. This boy kept on looking at Lizzy and the dragon boy with a bit of disbelief on his face which was always enjoyable to watch. There was also another kid, a really thin kid, that Lizzy hadn't noticed until now which sort of gave off a... creepy aura about him? Lizzy couldn't place it.

Lizzy didn't have much time to think about it though as their homeroom teacher came in following the last few stragglers. And he was a dinosaur? A dragon and a dinosaur, it was going to be a really fun time here! No wonder why the classroom door was so big... His speech was pretty fun. It was clear he was trying to intimidate the class at the start, but Lizzy couldn't help but think about how much fun it was to have a dragon AND a dinosaur in her classroom. And when the man looked at her, she couldn't help but enjoy that he noticed how much polishing she did this morning. As he finished his speech, his intimidating look went away as he asked for each student to declare why they were here.

Akendo went first, giving her reason to be a hero was, just to be a hero. Just like Lizzy! With her declaration done, Lizzy went next. "Hiya everyone. I'm Lizzy and I wanna be a hero as well. Need to make sure people can live life happy right?" Lizzy said, standing up as her chair groaned in relief to give her statement. She waited to be given the signal to sit back down, deciding to stand like Akendo. Lizzy's chair was very grateful for the relief.

[Assistant]
Yuno's attempt at making friends clearly failed, as no one bothered replying, though he did get a chuckle out of the metal girl, so maybe there was hope? Shrugging, he found a desk near the front and sat down. Normally he might have been surprised to see a tiny dino be their homeroom teacher, but after the arm dragon and the robot girl, a tiny dino seemed reasonable.

Yuno was the third person in the class to get up and give his introduction. Better to get it over with, he figured. "Hello Sensei. I'm Yuno. My goal is to be a cool and confidant hero who protects everyone from the villains. Umm, nice to meet you all."  He finished with a tiny bow.

Yuno was a bit unsure if they were supposed to keep standing or not, as the two to answer before he did, but the teacher had not told them to do so, so the expected thing to do should have bee to just sit back down, right? Like almost always when faced with a dilemma like this, Yuno decided to take the easy way out, and just sat back down. If they were supposed to stand, he figured the teacher would tell him to stand back up. If not, well, why stand when you can sit?

[User]
Kisa inhaled softly as she saw what appeared to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex, walk into the room. She raised her eyebrows as he introduced himself as their homeroom teacher, how ironic that they both had a dragon and a dinosaur in their class. Kisa wondered if it was more than mere coincidence, but then Mr. Suika was talking about them declaring themselves, as if they needed to explain why they wanted to study at UA. Who didn't want to study at UA? It was the top school in the country for aspiring heroes, Kisa could only count herself monumentally lucky that she had scored a spot for herself.

The first one to stand was the athletic girl Kisa had talked to earlier, Akeno, declared first that she wished to be a hero. The next to stand was Lizzy, and Kisa found herself smiling softly when the robot girl talked about keeping people safe. That was why Kisa wanted to be a hero, after all. Next the boy who had boasted about breathing fire declared that he too, wished to be a hero. Kisa knew that she would eventually have to stand up in front of the whole class and declare that she wanted to be a hero as well, but she found herself extremely nervous. Shaking slightly in her seat, Kisa stood slowly with her eyes cast on the floor.

"Hi...m-my name is K-Kisame Momosake and uhm,"  Kisa took a deep breath and swallowed thickly balling her hands into fists at her sides as she bit her bottom lip nervously, steeling herself. She really needed to work on her confidence.

I'm not the most confident or the strongest, but I've wanted to be a hero since I was a kid. I've always admired those willing to sacrifice everything to help those in need, I've always wanted to be like that! When I got my quirk I felt like it was my responsibility to use it to help those that couldn't help themselves, and so I decided to become a hero someday...to do whatever it took, " Kisa said in a soft voice and looked up at Mr. Suika, knowing she was probably being way too dramatic for the situation. She didn't care though, she needed to declare herself right? Kisa knew that if she was going to start being confident in herself, she had to be honest with why she was at UA. It wasn't just because she wanted to learn how to use her quirk to save people.

She wanted to learn how to believe in herself too.

"I know that UA can help me become a more confident person and teach me to believe in myself! I know that I need to learn how to trust myself, to be a better hero. So I'm not just here to become a stronger hero, I'm here to become a stronger person as well. I'm tired of being scared and anxious all the time," She said and grit her teeth as she realized she'd said that last part much more forcefully, the passion seeping into her tone. Kisa blushed a deep red as she ran a hand through her long hair and once again looked down at the floor.

"Sorry I know that was really long-winded and you probably just wanted us to keep things simple but... I had to get that out, to be honest about why I'm here,"

[Assistant]
Kaze's nearly closed eye cut towards the fire breathing boy. He looked a bit put out that no one had really commented on his fire breathing. "Kids today are less impressed by things due to technology, don't let it get to you." He rumbled out as the teacher entered the room. How did he know the dinosaur man was the teacher? The way he dressed, the way he held himself, and the fact that all the desks except the teachers was taken. Another yawn and then his jaw shut with a meaty snap before his eyes closed.

But just because his eyes were closed didn't mean he wasn't paying attention. His ears were cocked forward, focusing on the front of the room as the draconic teen relaxed. When the teacher ended his speech, much of which was strange philosophical stuff, Kaze uttered one word. "Rawr...." And then he was quiet as the others stood and said their peace.

Sighing, why did schools always do this, he sat up. He didn't need to stand, he was big enough as is and he was lazy. "Kaze Rin, I'm doin this cuz I feel like it. Being a Hero wouldn't be bad, we'll see if I get there." He growled out monotonously before relaxing on the desks he hoarded once more. As unenthusiastic as one could get short of being a corpse.


[System]
Gender
Female
Age
16
Year
First Year
Birthday
13 of February
Astrological Sign
Aquarius
Species
Human
Class
Analysis and Support
Weapon
Cybernetic Enhanced Eyes:
Her eyes are upgraded to analyze and record any data she's seen, allowing her to pinpoint strategic weaknesses and probability patterns.

 Also displays an ally's vitals, ranging from health to the stress toll on their body.

While she can read the streams of data constantly running across her retina, Mia's glasses serve as secondary platform when she wants to focus on a specific report, or to pull up a layout or map of the area.

The eyes also give her a basic reading on a object's weight, height, core temperature, and a frailty rating.

 When focusing in on a living being it adapts to give the same data, but processes the frailty rating against visual damaged sustained or taken allowing a probability of how much more can be taken before the object or person becomes critical or broken.

Since it's integrated into her and is essentially what gives her her sight, she can't turn it off.

 Everything she looks at feeds her data so she tries to avoid anomalies and irregularities that would overload her system causing a reboot reverting her back to being blind until it comes back online.
World
Earth
Short Biography
Mia was born blind, yet having been born to rich parents it was an easy fix. They had made their fortune off selling and trading new age items as well as products from Lucis to 3rd world countries; in return gaining access to ancient commodities that collectors would pay handsomely for. By the age of 5 Mia was undergoing treatments to restore sight, along with a few added upgrades, originally intended to help market and track values on the constant influx of trading goods.
Personality
Mia is extremely shy, having only been around her parents and personal tutors, she's had little real experience with the world outside her parents shop beside the adventurer or two coming into sell their wares. She only comes across as calm and collected when reiterating data, advising,or giving out tips and crucial information.
Partner
TBA
Fear(s)/Weakness(es)/Limit(s)
Mia is weak against strong personalities, having always listened to her father's instructions, and her mother's constant stream of critiques and request giving her little time to adapt against them.

 She's also not psychically strong when it comes to direct combat, often finding herself facing larger opponents she's learned to stick to the back lines and avoid a direct area around any combatants, having no desire to attempt to scramble out of the way or get hit by wayward and direct attacks.

 She fears that she might have made the wrong choice, replying to the letter and that maybe she would be better off back home in the shop, constantly questioning what she's doing.
Strange Attributes/Abilities/Traits
Spending her youth organizing and handling the shipping dockets, Mia became naturally accustomed to reorganizing the data she records to fit certain scenarios and make it easier to recall, though only having her eyes rebuilt means she has the same processing power of most merchants and shop owners having learned to quickly skim reports and pick out what's needed, trying to access information too quickly can cause her eyes to throb and induce headaches.

Her eyes have the ability to zoom in and out giving her a range of scope over areas, used to help find items in the warehouse or in the storefront. She's adapted it to focus on creatures movements, the tightening of a muscle before the energy is released, using that she couples it with data she's gather on different people's anatomy and psychic to gather a basic reading on an average persons capable limits but her data and assumption aren't always right so she continues to read on different anatomy and observes others to gain a more complete basis to work off of.

She uses the same concept when it comes to combat, observing what attacks do instant damage or if they're prolonged, also if they're negated by certain psychical or magical Traits of their opponent, making assumptions and possible tactics to bypass it or if she can use that data to narrow down what would effective. Also being able to hone in on an enemy gives her a chance to look over the anatomy, gathering reference data and observing for any places where a capable attack would do the most damage.

Tl;Dr: The more she observes the better her references and assumption will be, most of what she builds and plans are theories that are constantly changing until tested.
Other
When she has free time Mia is often found in a quiet place, generally either outside in one of the schools gardens or in the library reading and researchimg data on social interaction and self confidence.

[User]
Having been seated rather close to the offending pair, Mia was in for a surprise once the boxes started shrinking around her and she found herself back in her seat; getting a front row view of the two students tangled in a rather risque and lewd affair. The bright blush that took over her face was almost as fast as she was scrambling backwards away from the naked figures, her eyes wide behind her glasses as she vaguely registered what the principal had said about roommates and coming back for dinner. Her first priority was to get away, whispering a rather long string of excuse me's and bumping into people as she kept her head down, the small girl found herself back outside before she knew it. Turning around slightly she bite her lip wondering just where to go now, pulling up the speech and maps from earlier getting familiarized with her new setting, the snow still falling down lightly littering her glasses with small speaks of snow. Sighing she pulled her glasses off, cleaning, them wondering if she could delete the images from earlier from her memory.

As she placed her glasses back on she exhaled slowly calming herself back down, "I suppose I should go drop of my bags.." She rationalized before joining the throng of students spilling out of the main hall, her small bag swaying slightly by her side, as she went over the status of the students when they reappeared from their own boxes. It seems that some of them had gotten into fights, and we're in various states. Musing slightly, she wondered just how well she would fit in to a school of fighters, it seems she would have to do some adapting and find a way to fight on her own terms. The thought of it sent a small shiver of excitement through the quiet girl, maybe this was the change she needed after all. Grinning at the idea, Mia took off towards the dorms with sure footsteps determined to make the best of this opportunity.

[Assistant]
Mathew Holmes

Well this was a surprise; turns out that Mia was his new roommate. Having had the upbringing he did, Mathew wasn't completely comfortable sharing a room with a girl his age that he wasn't either married or related to. 'I can foresee this causing more then a few problems. How does one even go about sharing a room with a girl in the first place anyway?' His cheeks reddened a little bit

Not having any idea how to handle this, Mathew was forced to play it by ear. First order of business; drop his stuff off at his new room 'I suppose it's a good thing that I packed relatively light.' He thought to himself as he made his way through the crowd of students 'I can't believe that the faculty would do something as irresponsible as putting boys and girls in the same room. I'm starting to worry for my future.' Once he reached his new room, he opened the door to find a surprise; Mia was already inside. It took Mathew's brain a few seconds to processes that '...that's right; Mia is my new roommate. I can't believe I let this catch me off guard.' It was at this point that Mathew entered unfamiliar territory "u-um...greetings Mia, fancy meeting you here" he said to her 'did...did I honestly just say that? What the blazes is wrong with me!?' he couldn't hide (mostly because he didn't realize it was even there) the red blush on his cheeks.

[User]
Mia tilted her head looking at the door to room 69 curiously, the idea of sharing a room with a guy was rather unsettling, but she rationalized it by deciding that they would split the room in half and he wouldn't be allowed to cross over to her side. It was a nice concept but she wasn't sure she'd honestly be able to enforce it just yet, but he seemed like a well enough guy to follow her one simple requested. Taking a deep breath she pushed open the door taking in the rather spacious room, it was bigger then the doorway led on to be, but after all what else did you expect from a magic endowed academy. Walking in she looked around taking in the simple yet elegant decor, deciding to take the bed closest to the window setting her bags down on the adjacent desk, quickly and efficiently setting up what little scrolls and books she had brought with her. They wouldn't stay organized for long but for now it seemed that they would hold.

Jumping slightly at the sound of voice greeting her, causing her to spin around from her desk blinking a few times before registering that she would have to start living with someone else for the time being, "Ah! H-hello again.." She muttered softly in reply, trying not to laugh at the look of surprise mimicked on his face shaking her head she tilted it slightly again looking at him curiously, as he started to berate himself. "U-ummm would you like to go get lunch..?" She offered figdetly wanting out of the room, feeling slightly uneasy at being alone in a room, it wasn't the same as before, this was a much more personal setting. To distract herself she pulled up a diagram of the school, realizing the cafeteria wasn't as far away from their dorm and that the library was close as well perhaps she would stop by there later.

[Assistant]
Ralthavar Marchosias

Now freed from their cages, Ralthavar and his orcs were given free reign to wander around the college. Not wanting to be leading a flock Ralthavar ordered his orcs to go explore. He just wanted to meet people without his entourage. Of course, the first thing he'd do would see this dorm of his. Admittedly Ralthavar had the luxuries of being a prince back in Lucis, and was prepare for a more spartan treatment here at the academy. The same couldn't be said of his roommate. Somehow or another the little girl managed to get here before he did, though she seemed to be waiting for her luggage. Her comments about Ralthavar was making him irritated. At least until another... Girl? Guy? A stark naked demon, he knew that much. She started to flirt with Ralthavar, which he responded succinctly. "Not interested. But she's all yours." Ralthavar motioned towards the little girl in his room, leaving to find other things to do.

He found himself in the cafeteria, and sure enough there was a small group of orcs who were taking advantage of the amenities, ordering large amounts of food only to carry them away to gods-know-where. Hording food for winter maybe. Ralthavar didn't particularly care and made his way to the lunch line.

Rei Maven

Rei could only laugh as the headmaster and others around her grew increasingly embarrassed at Rei's appearance. It didn't help that she acted continuously vulgar to the point that she was in dire need of a shower. Eventually some of the school staffers forced a robe onto her and made her leave the main hall before she infects others around her with her desire, but as soon as she was out of eye sight she simply shifted out of the robes and back into her nude form. "Eh he he he... Well, I know I'll definitely be seeing Varren soon, so who else should I play around with?"

Walking to the dormitory, it seemed like the best place to find a fuck buddy. With so many young and horny teenagers it shouldn't be hard for Rei to find someone to brain with her great club. She could hear chatter behind locked doors, and the thought of being suddenly spotted while she was still in the nude excited her. Soon she found an orcish student who seemed mildly irritated. Seeking her chance Rei approached the orc. "Oh... I've caught myself an orc. Whatever base, tawdry acts you orcs commit, I... I'm not afraid!" Rei than exposed herself to the orc, her body wide open. "So lets hear all the erotic things you're gonna do! Come on!" Rei began to physically taught the orc, caressing her milk jugs and brandishing her virgin slayer. "Go on tell me how you plan to indulge yourself!! Come on! HURRY! HURRYHURRYHURRYHURRYHURRYHURRYHURRYhurryhurryhurryhurryhurry!"

The orc left, but not before leaving a present for him: A little human girl. Rei immediately forgot about him and entered the dorm. Closing the door behind her and jamming the lock Rei got very dark. And than she put on protection. "I WILL LIVE! FOR THE SAKE OF INDULGING IN THIS MOMENT AS MUCH AS I CAN!" And then Rei proceeded to to slay the little girl's virgin.

[User]
Mathew Holmes

"That sounds lovely" Mathew answered "unfortunately, I only had time to grab a quick bite to eat before coming here, so I'm quite famished" he added. Putting his things down in the room, he returned his attention to her. "Well then, if you're ready...should we go?" He asked while holding his hand out to her. Anyone with a brain could see that Mia was a skittish girl. Normally this wouldn't be a problem...but she was Mathew's new roommate now 'if she isn't comfortable enough in my presence, then that will only make things harder on me. I need to make sure she is at ease around me, lest things will get nasty for me in the long run.'

[Assistant]
Grinning brightly for a brief second at the approval of her idea, Mia skirted around his hand spinning around waiting for him out in the hallway; glancing curiously at all the things they had placed in the room. A slightly displeased look on her face at the blandness of the wall. If this was to be her room for the next year she wondered if she could paint the room. She rather enjoyed her mural at home. It wasn't that she was completely skittish of her new friend but physical contact was still a while away. "Well come on then. Oh, do you want to go to the library afterwards...unless you have something else to do...?" For a second her voice was at its natural volume before trailing off unsure at the end, causing her to fidget slightly while waiting on him to answer.

Deciding not to let any akward tension grow from her possibly ill-timed question, she tugged slightly on his sleeve carefully not to actually brush his skin before leading the way back outside into the frosty weather too afraid to glance back to see if the male had followed her or not.

Walking into the cafeteria Mia was meet with a rush of warm air, the scent of food, and a massive stream of data as she took in the sprawling tables and lines as food and chatter was tossed around. Gulping slightly she timidly pushed her way through keeping her head down muttering excuses me, and sorries. Bumping into someone, her eyes widened as she found herself staring up at what her eyes told her was an orc. "A-ah S-sorry!! I wasn't watching ahead of me..." Mia apologized meekly, staring at him with clear eyes behind their frames as her hands toyed with the bottom of her skirt nervously.


[System]
Nobility:No
Sex:Male
Race:Armenian
Age:21
Physical Description: A tall, handsome man standing at 6', Paulus has a strong body. He has average dark skin and a light layer of facial hair. His round face is dominated by a strong nose, and his green eyes sit under a full head of shaggy hair.
Rank:Trooper
Magic-Rank:NA
Goals/Aspirations: Paulus has an obsession with order, and wishes to use his talents in the military to protect the land and lifestyle he loves.
Personality: Paulus can hold his own in a conversation, only occasionally being seen as stubborn and overzealous about his world view if the topic turns that way. Paulus feels indebted to the nobility, a unique stance for a commoner. Deep down, Paulus cares for the welfare of his peers, but is a little annoyed when they don't see the nobility the same way he does.
 Paulus is a very focused individual and doesn't care much for drink or revelry. He also isn't very interested in finding a bride, believing one would only be a distraction. This makes Paulus a very diligent worker, and he often devotes the energy he would put into socializing or expressing himself into his work; whatever it may be.

Backstory:
 Paulus's father fought in the twilight of the American revolution as one of Optimate's Dragoons. Unfortunately he lost his arm, but by the grace of the Almighty, he was able to return to his family alive and well. After returning home, a young, landed noble took pity on the brave soldier, and saw to it that he was well taken care of. His experiences in the new world left Paulus's father with a poor opinion of democracy, an opinion only cemented by the generosity of the nobleman.
 Paulus is the first and only child of his parents, and his father began to teach him from a young age that the structure and power of the Byzantine Empire was ordained by the Lord and to be protected with his life. Starting him at age seven, the families benefactor provided Paulus with a tutor who taught Paulus basic mathematics, science, literature, and combat. This lasted until Paulus was 15 and the Mamluk rebellion began. The conflict destabilized the noble that had kept a kind eye over their family for years, and he was unable to care for them any longer. Fortunately, Paulus was at an age to begin work, and his able body and work ethic found jobs to support his family, despite the hard times the community was experiencing. While he worked, his body maturing and growing strong, he mused that his troubles all stemmed from peasants in Cairo who were ungrateful to their noble masters and were foolish enough to revolt. (Ignorant that the rebellion was lead by nobility.)
 Paulus worked many jobs. A number of times he would attempt to become an apprentice, but no master was able to keep him long due to the lack of resources during the war. This ended up benefitting Paulus, as he was a hard worker and was able to learn bits and pieces from many trades. When he wasn't in contact with a craftsman, Paulus would take on work as a common laborer or a servant. Eventually, the rebellion came to a close and prospects began to look up for the family. Instead of being a happy time for the family, Paulus's father passed. Paulus took little time to grieve his father,though. He knew that was not what his father would have had his son be preoccupied with grief when he could be serving the nation. Instead, he entrusted his mother in the care of relatives and enlisted to become a member of the imperial army.

[User]
As John entered the commander's room he saluted, and then dutifully answered all asked questions. The anger in him quickly drained away and luckily for him his face was red already; there was no noticeable change as he calmed down to alert the man.

When all was done he gave a salute the text-book printers would be proud of with a "Sah!" before he left. It was now time for training.

---

As the recruits were assembled and the Lieutenant spoke a little, the Ouraghos stood but didn't pay attention. It would be the same usual manure spewed to people going off to die and he'd already heard it before, but that time from a real officer with real experience and knowledge to supplement "good breeding" and a title. All was well and good if men used money to get positions but the money should have bought them texts on strategy and swordsmanship, not a pip on your shoulder.

As things were split up the Corporal grinned nastily his new victims. He stepped forth, cleared his throat and spat on the soil before him. "I am Lance-Corporal Ioannis Sveinaldsson, the man to teach you to be real soldiers." He decided not to say the rather amiable, lovey dovey - and absolutely Greek - paternal middle name of "Fabianou," it wouldn't help to ruin the quick image of a modern day Viking.

"First, let me get some things clear. If I say ''ere's your sword, you will eat with it, drink with it, sleep with it...' and so on, do not try to be funny and say 'how? Do we use it as a fork, spoon or pillow?' because I will answer you and you won't like the answer." Rather proud of that line, the Varangian ended on the right side of the line up, spun and started pacing down the other way with arms behind his back. "I'm not here to make your life miserable (that's but a bonus) , I am here to make sure what happened for my ex-comrades in the Mamluk rebellion won't happen to you. Any of you used a weapon before?" He asked. The moment someone replied with 'yes' which they undoubtedly would he'd spin around and shout "No you haven't you stupid git. You've used a toy, you haven't had to properly shoot in combat, or have to slice a bugger's throat lest he try likewise. That is where a sword becomes a weapon, not something to impress the women-folk who weren't already swooned by your filthy gold or lies. If they even have that to be impressed by."

With a little indignant puff the veteran paused and swiveled to face the new men without much apparent movement in his legs. "Oh no you bunch aren't going to be able to learn that here. Most of your filthy hides will be shot or chopped up. But we'll do our best so you at least won't wet yourself... much. We're going to split you up for various parts of the training. You think you just might just be smart enough to manage that? Good."

A little bit of time would pass, before he stamped off to give personal... assistance in training. The first people to get his "help" would be Konyk and the Spaniard. The Lance-Corporal tried to remember what he heard and realized the Eastern looking lad had powers super-natural, and decided that he'd need a more clever way to mess with him lest he realized and decide to get retribution via magics. He turned to the Spaniard and screamed near his ear "A hundred push-ups in a minute, then perform the eighteen-count manual of arms in perfect form and order. You fail, you do it again. You do it right then you can have a drink."

Then, the Varangian squatted down beside him and hissed "You a Catholic, Iberian?" with venom to make a snake envious.

[Assistant]
Francisco de la Cal Delgado

The abrupt change from wandering about the city to the rigid training regime that came crashing down on his head was almost bewildering for Francisco. He familiar with being stressed, trying to round up animals that had stampeded in a thunder storm, hunting Wolves, running from his lovers fathers, but none of that had prepared him for army life any more than learning how to bath cats might have.

He had been very careful with his uniform when it was issued. Being of peasant stock he knew how to keep things clean and organized. While he could not read the Latin papers given to him, a helpful soldier he had befriended during his initial four days, had showed him how to properly wear the uniform so that when the inspection came the Lieutenant had only growled at him to fix his twisted chin strap on the helmet. It was a good feeling for Francisco to pass that little test.

He dutifully yelled "Yes sir!" with everyone else, though perhaps a bit late as he wasn't aware that Officers were called "Sir" instead of their rank. His lapse had been surely noted by a Lance Corporal who was eye balling him near by, or maybe it was a Sergeant, he didn't know the rank structure at all! He felt glad that the Lieutenant was in charge, he seemed serious but at least he was trying to explain things to everyone. Francisco had been warned by the friends he had made that the first four weeks would be the hardest of training as he got used to everything, but it didn't seem so bad.

Then the men were assigned and the units broken up and he understood what those warnings had been about as the soldier who had been glowering at him took over. He resisted the urge to try and smile at the man. He knew he was likeable but did not think that this was the time or the place. The military was a serious business after all.

With a little indignant puff the veteran paused and swiveled to face the new men without much apparent movement in his legs. "Oh no you bunch aren't going to be able to learn that here. Most of your filthy hides will be shot or chopped up. But we'll do our best so you at least won't wet yourself... much. We're going to split you up for various parts of the training. You think you just might just be smart enough to manage that? Good."

Francisco was surprised at the speech. It seemed strange to tell everyone they were going to die. Didn't you want people to stay in the unit, scaring them was hardly going to do that. He risked a glance down the ranks and saw that the others didn't look afraid. He stiffened his spin and stared ahead. If they could be brave, so could he. His arm was on fire from where the carbine sight was digging into his bicep and the helmet was heavy on his head, he'd never worn anything heavier than a hat before.

Eventually they were detailed off to begin training. Francisco was pleased to be assigned to a lad his own age by the name of Konyk. The man looked as much like a boy as he did, though he wore expensive spectacles which Francisco had only seen on Priests back home. The two had barely introduced themselves when the angry soldier appeared again and screamed in Francisco's ear.

"A hundred push-ups in a minute, then perform the eighteen-count manual of arms in perfect form and order. You fail, you do it again. You do it right then you can have a drink."

Francisco clumsy put his carbine down and dropped into a push up position. He knew that much at least and physical exercise was something he was used to. He was strongly built, fitter than most, but as he began to hammer out the push-ups he began to feel a burn in his arms. There was no way he would be able to complete one hundred push-ups in a minute!

Then, the Varangian squatted down beside him and hissed "You a Catholic, Iberian?" with venom to make a snake envious.

Fransisco almost stopped his push-ups to answer but caught himself at the last second. Sweat was already pouring down his face as he reach forty, his reply coming out between each push-up.

"I. Think. So. Sir." The rhythm of the push-ups was slowing as he went now but he had noticed that the man did not carry a time piece. Around eighty push-ups he began to fade and then, arms shaking, he crashed onto the stone of the parade square.

[User]
Still squatting and counting under his breath, Ioannis laughed loudly as the Spanish counterpart fell down after the impossible exercise. "That's all you got? I think you got a lower life expectancy than a fish in a pool of molten steel! You're going to keep doing it until you make it." With that, the Lance-Coporal had thought of something to make Kornyk's life a bit worse too without getting a fireball flung at him. "'ere, you! Yeah you the Crimean lad. Get over here. You're going to watch him do it and every time he fails you're going to add the amount he didn't finish to some more push-ups he has to do after he's done this drill. You hear me? Good...." He said, grinning. This would shift some peer-hate on the magician, even if he wasn't responsible for what was going on. Smug and self-satisfied, Ioannis walked off to the next bunch.

Whistling nastily, the Varangoi stamped off to von Nyon and Paulus. "What's a German doing so far from home, and on the side that's probably going to be enemy to his homeland, hmmmmm? Not a spy, are you?" The question was raised with much obvious malice despite the smile on the man's mouth. "Do you bleed the same red blood as everyone else? Perhaps I ought to make you two show a bit of unarmed expertise, yes?" A quick look at a watch retrieved from the man's pocket made him groan and then look back up. "Maybe later, I've got something faster. Put on your riding boots, perform two-hundred squats and then run a backwards mile. Then do a hundred more squats, and run back normally without the riding boots. If you don't trip I'll be bloody well impressed." With that, he made a hand motion to say "now."

[Assistant]
Paulus came to the training grounds feeling confident, having been there earlier. Not to mention his meeting with Philolakes went well and had been trained in rudimentary combat from a young age. He listened to his superiors monologues with his chin held high and pride in his heart. Then the training began.

 He had never been worked so hard in his life. The years spent doing manual labor to support his family did not come close to causing the same pain that the training did. A lot of the time it was not the physical nature of the training, but rather the stress that accompanied it. His superiors were like crocodiles, waiting for him to make a foolish mistake and the clamp down on him and tear his flesh to shreds. He saw a particularly ruthless northerner force one man to do push ups until he passed out. Later, he heard the same man made another run a full mile backwards.

 Paulus's resolve was tested, but at any point he came close to breaking he remembered his father. "Your duty is to serve the empire!" were the words that would ring through his head, and during particularly demanding exercises he would mutter them under his breath to stay focused.

 The activity that challenged Paulus the most was the riding. He was very unfamiliar with the horses, and felt very uncomfortable while riding. Once, after falling off, he found himself face down in the mud. For a moment, he thought of his mother, whom he had cast out of his life so easily. That only lasted a moment. Soon he was remounted, and muttering his mantra under his breath.

 Despite the stress, physical strain, and punishments for when he slipped up during some routine or exercise, Paulus noticed the work become easier as the weeks passed. He was ready to do his duty for his empire, father, and pride.


[System]
BASIC
Goes By (Nicknames): Maleficent (alter-ego); The Winged She-Elf; She-Devil, Devil's Incarnate (by Thorin); Delva, God-Mother (by Fili & Kili).
Royal Titles: Lady of Ambaróna/"Fangorn".
Other Titles: First Commander of Isengard, Sauron's Most-Trusted Servant (as Maleficent); The Watcher; Guardian of Durin's Folk.
Age: 5,739 (Looks 37-38)
Gender: Female
Race: Elven Hybrid (Sindarin and Noldor Bloodlines)
Other Bloodlines: Silvan and Teleri (Through her grandfather's relatives)
20/20 Elvish (10/20 Sindarin, 6/20 Noldor, 2/20 Silvan, 2/20 Teleri)

APPEARANCE
Face Claim: Angelina Jolie
Hair Color: Medium Brown
Eye Color: Yellow-Green (Boldly-luminous when furious/angry)
Skin Tone: Creamy
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 119 lbs
Body Build: Slim

Finger Claws:

Curved Daggers:

Combat Outfit:

Dresses for Two Towers/Return of the King

Wing-Cloak

PERSONALITY
OVERALL PERSONALITY
Likes: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, Ents, Happiness, Animals, Peace, Music, Plant-Life, Training, Flying/Sightseeing, Yearly Seasons.
Dislikes: Death, War, Chaos, Greed, Spiders, Maleficent, Orcs, Sorrow.
Strengths: Fighting/Combat, Flight, Knowledge, Wisdom, Harsh Temperature Resistance, Protective/Affectionate Nature, Keen Senses, Agility.
Other Powers: Wallcrawling, Banshee Scream, Enhanced Strength, Telepathy, Telekinesis.
Weaknesses: Stubbornness, Loneliness, Anger, Vindictiveness, Split Personality.
Fears: Sauron, Losing Family.

Elegant | Unpredictable | Capable | Headstrong | Mysterious | Maternal | Observant | Intelligent

Everyone believed Saeril to be born as a creature of chaos and pure evil, but they just do not know the true story. In actuality, Saeril is a good-hearted, nurturing individual, who highly valued the peaceful natures of Middle-Earth, whilst having the passion to support and protect its various realms and inhabitants. Born during the First Age, Saeril is a strong-willed she-elf, and the last of an ancient Elven clan from Fangorn Forest. A very intelligent, loyal-to-the-bone perfectionist, who stays true to her word, she focuses on finding the best intentions for others, to the point of making great judgment calls, as much as willingly risking her life, in the process.

From the despair of her devastating past, following the Deceiver's corruption upon her mind, Saeril is truly hurt and very lonely inside, having to be caused by the guilt and horror of her cruel and malicious deeds, as well as the amount of pain and trauma she had to endure. After being rescued by Gandalf the Grey, she was left "more Orc than Elf", while her other alter-ego "Maleficent", a psychopathic representation of her corruption, still lingers within her mind. However, after Sauron's defeat, this other personality dissipated, giving back her natural Elven beauty.

The ultimate goal was to redeem and dissipate this inner darkness from within, but she never anticipated it to be a challenge when she rekindled herself with her Dwarven godsons Fili and Kili, whilst having to closely bond with a young she-elf named Yavanna, whom she had grown to love and deeply care for, as if she were her own daughter. Determined to protect both the Sons of Durin and the Bright Star of Middle-Earth, Saeril will become extremely aggressive and violent, whenever someone threatens, or has inflicted any sort of harm to them; as this contrasts her more-gentle nature, she will be blunt and gladly let the offenders know the price. In addition, since witnessing the death of Fili, she will go to great lengths, if it means to prevent Kili and Yavanna from falling under the same fate.

Both as "Maleficent" and herself, Saeril is a ruthless, immensely-formidable warrior in her own right; despite withholding a certain elegance, she's truly a very deadly foe for anyone who'd dare challenge her personally. A vast majority of her strength came from the enchantment Sauron had placed upon her, as well as the supernatural connection he was able to forge between them; even while she was formerly his chief of the Isengard legion, she possessed a number of abilities that have allowed her to stand her own, and even overpower the most skilled of individuals. Due to this connection, she's able to enhance these abilities. She also shows herself to have great telepathic power; either taught or naturally inherited from her parents and/or ancestors, she can read the minds of others, conjure up visions through physical touch, and receive thoughts from a certain distance.

Saeril will not hesitate to comfort, guide, or advise others when they seem to need it. Proud, proper, and almost-completely fearless, she will never bow to anyone she disagrees with. Evident by her relationship with Thorin Oakenshield, it's complicated when it comes to terms of the trust; she betrayed him (as he claimed) by "stealing" the starlight jewels from his treasure hoard for King Thranduil. Although she was claimed as not "trusting", Saeril openly showed that she cared a great deal for him, saving his life multiple times on different occasions.

BACKGROUND
Place of Birth: Fangorn Forest (Also known as Ambaróna).
Family:
- Kili Durin (Godson; Alive) (Dwarf)
- Fili Durin (Godson; Deceased) (Dwarf)
- Dis Durin (Co-parent; Alive) (Dwarf)
- Vili Durin (Co-parent; Deceased) (Dwarf)
- Hermia (Mother; Deceased) (Noldor Elf)
- Lysander (Father; Deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Ulla (Aunt; Deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Kinloch (Uncle; Deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Kriva (Grandmother; Deceased) (Noldor Elf)
- Disgla (Grandfather; Deceased) (Silvan/Teleri Elf)
- Fidnai (Great-Grandmother; Deceased) (Teleri Elf)
- Sahov (Great-Grandfather; Deceased) (Silvan Elf)

Other Relations:
- Gandalf the Grey/White (Mentor/Friend; Alive) (Maiar)
- Thorin Oakenshield (Friend; Deceased) (Dwarf)
- Aragorn II Elessar (Friend; Alive) (Man)
- Lord Elrond (Acquaintance; Alive) (Half-Elf)
- Tauriel (Acquaintance; Alive) (Silvan Elf)
- Haldir (Acquaintance; Alive) (Silvan Elf)
- Gimli (Acquaintance; Alive) (Dwarf)
- Thranduil Greenleaf (Acquaintance/Friend; Alive) (Sindarin Elf)
- Legolas Greenleaf (Acquaintance/Friend; Alive) (Sindarin Elf)
- Yavanna Undomiel (Friend/Daughter-Figure; Alive) (Elven Hybrid; Mortal/Sindarin/Noldor)
- Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrine Took, and Meriadoc Brandybuck (Acquaintances/Friends; Alive) (Hobbits)
- Azog the Defiler & Bolg (Enemies; Deceased) (Gundabad Orcs)

[User]
"An Orc stronghold in the far north of the Misty Mountains", the blonde confirmed to their thoughts. "I fear that there is something more to their simple attack on Laketown", Legolas explained as he looked back at the mountain, before he turned back to them. "I ride north. Will you come with me?", he asked them, feeling the need to.

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

Meanwhile,

The group was almost at the strong household of Durin's Folk. The whole way, Saeril and Fili only wondered if Yavanna would be okay, but they had to trust her in Legolas, like how they had wanted him to. Having to walk through the desolated plains, the mountain was much larger up close than how it was far away. The ruins left by the dragon were the first to spot: golden walls turned to ash.

Saeril looked around the now desolated mountain as soon as they entered the almost-destroyed front gate; like everyone, she had wondered, and had become worried about the aftermath of waking up such a beast. It was quiet, a little too quiet; only tiny pebbles rolling at their feet. As silent stepping came from the she-elf, one wouldn't even know she was there.

[Assistant]
Yavanna could see the worry in his eyes. Feeling a dread in her stomach. She wondered what Azog and Bolg's clan were planning. "Of course." The young she-elf agreed, to go with him. She wondered where he was riding to "Where to?" she asked. But she had a feeling, what he was about to say next, almost wanting to take back her question.
Tauriel just nodded, as he asked if she'd ride with him too. "I will." she said. Whatever he wanted to find out, she wanted to be there and help. Plus, it'd give them some time on the road to get to know the young she-elf.

---

As they reached the mountain. Trecking up hill, Kili looked around. Seeing the city of Dale as they had passed it. Kili thought about the young Princess they left behind. Hoping, that she would be happy, with the one she had feelings for. Hopefully, she would be safe.
But the sight of the damaged front gate, and the silence. Worried him. "Hello?" Kili called out.
"Bombur? Bifur? Anyone?" Bofur called out loudly. Their voices echoed through the vastness of the Mountain. But silence...until a few moments later they heard.
"Wait! Wait! No...Stop...stop..." Bilbo yelled as he run towards them. "You need to leave, we all need to leave!" he said looking at them, as he stopped in front of them.
"But...we just got here." Bofur looked confused.
"I've tried talking to him...but he won't listen..Thorin! Thorin...Thorin...he's been down there for days." Bilbo gestured down behind him; where the treasure hoard was kept. "He doesn't eat...he barely sleeps. He's not been himself. Not at all. It's this place." Bilbo said gesturing to the mountain as a whole. He was worried about the downfall Thorin had, since they had been here. "I think a sickness lies on him."

[User]
"To Gundabad", Legolas answered the youngest she-elf, before seeking out two horses. Helping Yavanna board the first horse, he boarded on right after her, just sitting in front. Knowing that Tauriel will follow with the second horse, he took charge, having to ride past a few of the common people.

--------

Sickness?, this was the only word that made Saeril think of one thing: dragon sickness; gold lust. This was bad, and she only hoped that this wasn't what Bilbo was referring to. As the Hobbit went on, nobody noticed Fili looking over his shoulder, but the she-elf was quick to notice him running away, down the stairs. "Fili, wait!", she called to him, already dreading what he will be witnessing from their king, and her friend.

Going down the stone, spiral staircase, Fili gazed in astonishment at what was before him: mountains and mountains of golden treasure all over the room, covering the floor, and up to the stairs. Gaping at the great load, Fili did not move from his spot when he got there. The tales were true...

Following Fili to the treasure hoard at the top of the stairwell, all the she-elf could do was gaze in shock at the mountain's enormous wealth. "The great treasure of Durin", she breathed out.

[Assistant]
And there it is. Yavanna thought to herself, the place she thought he might say. As they found two horses. Yavanna got on with his help...as he sat in front of her. Her arm lightly wrapped around his waist; so she could hold onto him. Pushing the hood back. Yavanna let the wind blow through her Dark Raven hair.

Climbing onto the second horse. Tauriel soon rode after Legolas and Yavanna. Soon catching up with them, she rode side by side with their horse.

---

"What sickness?" Kili asked confused. Before Bilbo could answer, Bilbo saw Fili running past them "Fili...Fili..." he called after him, running after him. The rest of the company that arrived, followed the young Dwarf. "Wait...one's of you is missing." Bilbo said, as he saw that the young Princess Yavanna was not here.

Kili run after his brother, down the spiral stair. He stopped beside his elder brother and his God-Mother. Staring at the enormousness heaps of Treasure. Thorin was still walking among the treasure hoards. Awe-struck almost. "Gold...Gold Beyond Measure." Thorin muttered. "Beyond Sorrow and Grief. Behold, the great treasure hold of Thror!" Kneeling down...Thorin picked up a red gem, before tossing it to Fili. "Welcome, my sister's sons!" he said looking at Fili and Kili. "To the Kingdom of Erebor." Thorin's voice seemed to echo.

Bilbo watched Thorin with great concern...he was not himself, that was for sure. Kili looked at his God-mother and Fili; he never seen his uncle act like this. Thorin then noticed there was someone not among them. "We're one member short." he said with narrowed eyes.

[User]
Fili indeed caught the jewel that was thrown to him; but Saeril, on the other hand, felt a little uneasy about Thorin's new appearance. It was unlike him to dress in such garb, and worse yet, speak of gold, as if it was a lifeline. The eldest brother looked to Kili, already feeling worried about this, before looking to their godmother. Something was terribly wrong...

"She decided to stay behind", Fili quickly spoke up as Thorin mentioned about the princess. "With others", he added, almost too quickly. He didn't mention about Legolas or Tauriel. Thorin was not in the right state to even hear about such beings.


[System]
GUESS WHO FINALLY FINISHED (ONE OF) HER CHARACTER(S)?!
Character Type: Protagonist

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Appearance: Standing at exactly 5'3", Minzy's kind of short: as a matter of fact, sometimes people walk into her because they don't see her! She looks sort of young for her age, but tries not to let that bother her too much.

Clothing Style: Minzy's a big fan of the whole "shorts-and-sweatshirt" look. Actually, she's rarely seen wearing anything else. She typically likes cargo shorts, because they have lots of pockets for her to put things in. Other than that, she also has a belt for her Pokeballs.

Personality: A rather intensely bright and cheerful girl, Minzy has always been a little overwhelming. She's never had much trouble making friends, but people tend to have difficulties hanging out with her for extended periods of time. Still, Minzy tries to be friendly to everyone, and often ends up serving as an overly-enthusiastic mediator in disputes.

As the only girl in her family, she's always been a bit of a tomboy, and while she secretly likes dressing up, her more feminine interests have been somewhat stifled by her upbringing. She wishes she had a great sense of fashion and knew how to do things like wear make-up and walk in high-heels, but unfortunately, the only thing she can do that's even vaguely feminine is cook. To be honest, she's not too great at that, either, but, well, she tries her best.

Likes: Minzy loves sugary foods and sweets in general. Promising her sugary treats is an excellent way to bribe her into doing something. She especially likes parfaits of all kinds.

Her favorite type of Pokemon is the fairy-type, though she would hate to admit it. She loves how cute they are, and she'd love to own one, but her brother would probably give her hell for how "girly" they are.

Her favorite Pokemon are Clefairy and the rest of its evolutionary line.

Dislikes: Minzy dislikes spicy food. She hates the way it burns her mouth, and so she goes out of her way to avoid it. Bug-type Pokemon are also a bit of a sore spot for her-- it's not like she's afraid of them, per se, but they make her twitch, and she just generally dislikes them.

Hobbies/Talents*:
- Minzy, as the younger sibling and unwilling accomplice of an insatiable prankster, grew up running away from the aftermaths of dozens of failed pranks. Angry old ladies armed with swinging handbags, infuriated school teachers, random and strangely muscular people on the street-- Minzy's dealt with them all. She's therefore an impressively speedy runner, and can outrun most people... and Pokemon, even! These experiences have also made her very good at hiding.
- Minzy is also a surprisingly good liar. Having had to lie her way out of a good few sticky situations, Minzy can lie convincingly to even the most intimidating of burly security guards.
- Minzy is exceptionally good at rock-paper-scissors, and will win almost every time. Why? No one's quite sure.

Past/History:
Minzy grew up in Sinnoh with her father and her older brother, Andy. She's never met her mother, but that doesn't really bother her too much. Her father, Joseph, really had no idea how to raise a girl, so Minzy grew up very much a tomboy. Nevertheless, she had an altogether happy childhood.

Minzy has always looked up to her older brother, Andy. A talented battler and an unfortunately gifted prankster, Andy was a troublemaker from birth, and most of the time, Minzy was his unwilling accomplice. As a result, Minzy spent much of her childhood running away and hiding from the angry victims of her older brother's pranks. When Andy started his Pokemon journey, leaving Minzy behind, Minzy had been torn between missing her brother and, to her own surprise, relief.

On the one hand, she loved her brother, and being without him was like having a limb missing. On the other… not being thought of as "Andy Quinn's younger sister" was kind of refreshing. In the two years between the start of Andy's journey and the start of Minzy's own Pokemon journey, Minzy discovered that she rather liked being her own person. She eventually decided to start her journey in the Giga region, to get out from under her brother's shadow once and for all.

Pokemon:
Tynamo/"Frey"/Male/Tackle, Thunderwave, Spark, Charge Beam/Levitate/None

Family:
- Joseph Quinn, her father. An experienced competitive battler who was born in Sinnoh and is currently traveling in Unova, now that both his children have left home. He's been fascinated by the Unova region since he obtained an Eelektross from a friend. He gave Minzy the first Tynamo that he managed to breed from an egg as her leaving present.
- Andy Quinn, her older brother. A competitive battler who is currently participating in the Sinnoh League and hopes to challenge Sinnoh's Elite Four. Andy has always been an incredibly talented battler (and, unfortunately, an incredibly talented prankster), and so Minzy decided to travel to the Giga region in order to get out from under his shadow.

[User]
Minzy blushed, scuffing her sneakers against the floor. Okay, so her application had been a little late… or, well, a lot late. She probably should have thought things out a little better. "Um… sorry…" she said sheepishly, and then shuffled over to pick up a Pokeball. Without even stopping to think, she reached out and took the one with Squirtle in it. She'd always liked water-types, after all.

Okay, Pokedex next. A fancy-looking guy (so pink! And… was that… a Cleffa?) had just walked in, and helped himself to one, so she figured she might as well do the same. She came over and tucked one into her pocket. With that done, she figured she might as well be useful, so she grabbed a big handful and started helping to distribute them. One for the young-looking girl, one for the shy boy, one for the boy who had helped the girl off the floor, and one for the boy in the corner who was still looking somewhat shell-shocked about the whole situation…

Somewhat uncertain about what to do next, she decided that she might as well socialise. After all, there were a ton of new trainers in this room-- they could be her rivals! Her allies! Her friends!

She'd always rather liked making friends. Smiling, she bounced over to the tall boy who had yet to move from his position in front of the door and stuck out her hand for him to shake. The professor hadn't wanted to shake her hand, and had actually pretty much ignored her, but that was okay! Maybe this kid would want to make friends with her!

"Hi!" she beamed. "I'm Minzy. Sixteen years old, from Jubilife City in Sinnoh! Great to meet you!"

[Assistant]
Amelia

Amelia simply turned redder when Sigurd patted her on the end. When she finally did look up, she looked a bit like a tamato berry. Or maybe a cheri berry, whichever was redder.
"A... Amelia. Amelia Averyonna. And this is Litwick." She mumbled, just loud enough for Sigurd to hear her. She took his offered hand and got to her feet just before Minzy handed her a Pokedex, which she took quietly. She was completely confused by this point. All she wanted was some food, or something to drink at least. But with so many people here, she was too afraid to ask.

Her stomach decided to speak for her though, as it let out a loud rumble, making her look at the ground in embarrassment again.

Joshua

Joshua was relaxing on a bench outside of the Laboratory. He was dressed in his usual cloths, minus the tie of course. He only wore that for formal occasions and he absolutely hated it. Stupid neck-strangulation devices. Sighing to himself, he waited for the first of the newbie trainers to come out, just to catch a glimpse of them. If a battle ensued... well, it would be a very brief relief from his current boredom.

[User]
Lucas slid out of the doorway as more people arrived. First a girl wearing cargo shorts and a sweatshirt, then a very flamboyant guy. Meanwhile, the professor spoke up telling everyone there to take a pokedex and pokeball containing a starter, in a fairly... brisk manner, to put it nicely. Lucas hadn't expected this in the slightest. The professor didn't even seem to care who was who in the room, so grabbing a pokedex and starter wouldn't be problematic, but still, it felt a bit like stealing. However, the two would really help him in the future.

Not having a concrete answer, Lucas looked down to the mudkip, hoping for some help. In response, the mudkip looked over towards the pokeballs, back at him, towards the pokedexes, and back at him again, giving a small nod. Lucas nodded back, his decision made. However, just as he was about to head over to the supplies, the last girl to walk in walked towards him. Well, more like bounced. Lucas's train of thought veered off course as she handed him a pokedex and stuck a hand in his direction explaining who she, Minzy, was. In situations like these, it was standard to shake hands and reply, right? At least, that's what Lucas had seen people do when meeting others. Sticking out his hand hesitantly, he took a hold of Minzy's hand and shook it. The motion and grip of the handshake felt weird to him.

"Um... hi. I'm Lucas. Fifteen years old. Um... great to meet you too." Lucas didn't really know how he should reply, so he just spoke in the same way Minzy had. He felt a nudge on his leg before he did anything else. Realizing that he should introduce his partner, he spoke up again. "Oh, and this is Skip!"

[Assistant]
Minzy stared. He was younger than her? Oh, but he was so much taller than her! She practically had to crane her neck to look him in the eye. She'd never have guessed!

He certainly was being very polite, but he also looked kind of uncomfortable. He seemed to be eying her hand like it was a dead fish, so she let go of him hastily. Didn't want to scare her new friend off, after all.

Lucas's Mudkip was pretty cool looking, too. Lucas had introduced him as Skip, so she knelt down and patted him on the head. The Mudkip's skin felt smooth, and a little slimy, but it was nothing Minzy hadn't felt before. Once, her brother had convinced her to put a Tympole down someone's back, and her hands had been so slimy afterwards that she'd had to wash them, twice!

"Aw," she cooed. "He's so cool!"

She gestured at her Tynamo, floating around her head. "This is Frey! He's pretty young and he has a hard time controlling his electricity, so I wouldn't touch him just yet, though. Oh, and I picked up a Squirtle just now! Not sure what to call him, though. At least, I think it's a him!"

Oh, no. She was rambling again, wasn't she? Minzy was unfortunately well aware of her tendency to be slightly overwhelming, so she took a step back. Maybe it would be better to give this kid some space, so she didn't freak him out before they'd even known each other for ten minutes.