[System]
Age
18 (appears 17)

Species
Vampire

History
Childhood wasn't quite as picturesque for Billy as most others', with a drunkard for a father and a mother who struggled to make ends meet, he didn't exactly grow up surrounded by sunshine and rainbows. But still, that was something he wanted. A loving, close-knit family, just like the ones in the paintings of Norman Rockwell. His father's idea of a bond with his son, however, was keeping women his father brought home at night a secret from his mother. While Mrs. Murdoch thought quality time with Billy was handing him a list of household chores to do as she spent her days waiting tables at the local diner. Other than that, Billy, for the most part, was left to his own devices.

Which may be the reason why he was so intent on getting attention outside of his home. The neglect he felt from his parents translated into rowdy, rambunctious behaviour as a kid, which then evolved into sarcastic remarks to his teachers in high school. From setting off the sprinklers, to surreptitiously peppering the history teacher's chair with thumbtacks, he was notorious for the pranks he pulled. You had to be living under a rock to not know his name, in fact, and Billy loved every second of it, no matter how many times he got sent to the principal's office. It was a good thing the principal claimed he had so much potential, if only he "channelled his energy appropriately" - whatever that meant.

On a rainy afternoon, at the local diner, the then seventeen year-old Billy struck up a conversation with a young man from New York in town for a funeral. One thing led to another, and after a several day affair, he told Billy to leave with him, back to the Empire State. Not seeing how anything bad could happen, Billy bought himself a one-way ticket to New York and left for the train station, leaving behind his parents' nothing for a note explaining everything. Little did he know that things would never be the same again. He never saw it coming, he never anticipated the moment when razor sharp fangs sank into his neck, draining the very life out of him. The last thing he remembered before falling unconscious was the taste of metal slipping past his lips

And then, a gasp of air filled his lungs, eyes shooting open. An iron hunger burnt deep within the pits of his stomach, he came across an unsuspecting morning jogger. He felt no remorse as he leapt upon the woman, sinking his teeth into her limbs much like his maker had done to him the night before. Soon enough, every last drop of blood had been drained from her, and Billy was finally satiated. Blood dripped down his chin, as widening, blue eyes roamed the destruction before him. He was no longer human, but a vampire. With nothing more he could do other than to run, he decided to follow through with his original plan, fleeing to New York to find some answers.

Unfortunately, even after months of searching, Billy never uncovered any trace of the vampire who turned him. Plus, the curious pattern of missing blood bags and the occasional, dried-up corpse were beginning to garner him unwanted attention. It wasn't long before he had to leave the city, travelling across America with whatever money he could scrape up from his various victims.

Personality
The first thing most people see when meeting Billy is his spirit. He's always been an energetic one, full of life and personality, almost to a fault. The guy is, by nature, extremely impulsive, both in the things he does and the things he says. As far as he was concerned, at least as a human, life was too short to sit around and let shit happen. It's all about the now, and how you handle the people and things that surround you. If he likes something chances are he'll let you know it, and if he doesn't, well, he's never been shy about voicing his opinion in that matter, too. Try as he might, he's never really had the best poker face in the world, and it tends to give him away more often than not.

On a regular basis, despite his predicament, Billy is of the happy-go-lucky mindset. He often finds himself stating that no one should take life too seriously, because in the end, everyone ends up in the same place - even if he doesn't truly believe what he's preaching. More often than not, he can be seen with a smile on his face, and he's always quick to crack a joke or make a teasing remark. He's never uncomfortable; in fact, his boldness often borders on brash and crosses into downright crude, thanks to his lack of a filter. If it's on his mind, it's out of his mouth. He's completely indifferent to major events unless they directly impact him. When Billy gets serious and loses the grin, you know shit's gotten pretty fucking heavy. Still, the vampire has never met a boundary he wouldn't cross. He'll go to bat for you if you make him laugh, if he likes your style, or if you have an offering that tickles his fancy (he's really quite fond of stuffed animals, cigarettes, and puppies, just as an FYI).

Powers
- Extremely enhanced senses that include being able to smell humans and vampires over long distances, and the ability to see in pitch darkness.
- Sharp, pointed, retractable teeth that emerge from his gums and extend beyond his human teeth.
- Indefinite lifespan, seemingly immortal unless killed.
- If he has enough human blood at his disposal, he can heal quickly from any wound besides amputation.

Weapons
n/a

[User]
The bags under his eyes were deep. These books used to be nothing but helpful but now they were letting him down. Bobby brought up his glass of bourbon and sighed. "Balls."

They would be calling soon if he didn't call them, and all of his books had done nothing for him. He needed to find the right one, but anything he read spoke of the anti-Christ. And that was far from helpful, but he continued on, opening an even older more worn down book.

-

And there it was, Singer Auto Salvage. It had been a long trip here, but the brunette girl with human emerald eyes smirked. The black crossed over her eyes as she made her way up the driveway, a small token under her arm. She may have done her best to stay under the radar, but she knew a lot, having been watching this Bobby Singer for a while. A demon child was to be born, but nearly all signs pointed to the anti-Christ. Not the one she had though. Took some doing, but after a run in with her own kind, she managed to get it.

She moved herself towards the door, and she stopped, her eyes staring at the frame.

"Balls!" She heard from the other side of the door.

"Definitely not good." She muttered to herself, knocking on the door. The older man opened the door, and looked to her. "Bobby Singer, right?" She asked, and he looked at her.

"Do I know you?" He asked, and she chuckled.

"No, but you're going to want to." She said, holding up the book as her eyes flashed black. He moved to do something, but she held up her other hand. "Now, Now, peace offering. I don't want the apocalypse anymore than you do. Besides, a demon lovechild?"

Bobby's face said it all, "Balls." He repeated, and he picked up his phone. "What's your name?"

"Ezria." She answered.

Bobby sighed, and the other end picked up. "Dean." He said, forcing himself to allow the girl in. "I may have found something, but first I need you to ask Arik about the name Ezria."

Ezria leaned against the door frame. Oh this would be interesting.

[Assistant]
Arik perked up as, right on cue, Dean's phone lit up with Bobby's number scrolling across. Dean grabbed for it, setting his pie aside to answer the oddly timed call, "Yeah, Bobby. Whatcha got…", he started, before he was interrupted by Bobby's words. Narrowing his eyes, he sat up a little straighter in his chair, and listened.

"Alright…", he murmured quietly, turning his head to Arik, who was now leaning in close to him on the bed, "What do you know…about the name Ezria?"

As soon as the name rolled off Dean's tongue, Arik's face fell. His eyes widened, and he stared straight ahead, as if Dean had uttered something terrifying. He quickly recovered, leaning back a bit with a sigh, "We go way back."

"Why don't you define way back…", Dean began. However, Arik leaned back a little further, before he vanished, "Dammit! Bobby, I think he's coming to you."

On cue, Arik appeared next to Bobby, lighting a cigarette with a smug smile, "Boss man's tricks. I still got 'em.", he muttered, explaining once more the reason he had learned to teleport. His time working for crossroads demons wasn't for nothing. His eyes shifted, simply landing on Ezria with no expression.

[User]
Bobby had just barely heard Dean's warning when Arik appeared. Bobby saw Ezria open the book and turn it towards him. "There may be a spell we can use, but I've got to read more on it. I'll call you back when I have more to tell."

Ezria's eyes soon fell on Arik, her face equally expressionless until she gave a half chuckle. "Its been a while, and you know, honestly, I'm a bit hurt. You don't write, you don't call, and when you knew a ball fell into my court I had to find out by following this mortal."

Ezria motioned to Bobby. "I mean sure, getting hold of the tome was a bit bloodier than I may have liked, but hey, witchcraft was always my forte."

Bobby looked between the two for a moment. "This spell. Where would we get half of the necessary ingredients?"

Ezria gave a slick grin. "I could help there, but I'm not stupid like others I have to, unfortunately, share a species with. But, that's only if you ask and I get something in return."

Bobby groaned. He looked to Arik, showing him the spell. "How difficult would these be to come by regularly?"

A valid question, and Ezria just smirked. If she had learned one thing, having the Winchesters in the pocket was a good thing.

[Assistant]
It had been a quarter to midnight when he snuck into the back of the ER. No one paid any attention to him; they were too busy trying to help the people who actually needed it. Billy could smell it in the air, the sick and the dying, those who'll live and those who won't. But what got him the most was the blood, the hot, sweet smell of the blood. It's everywhere, permeating the air like an expensive perfume. His fangs extend a little, pushing down on his bottom lip, almost puncturing skin. It's uncomfortable, but it helped him focus. The sweet smell of the blood rushing underneath skin was almost too much to bear, just begging to be -

Why do you do this to yourself? It's not worth it, he can hear his own voice in his head, chastising him again for even daring to step inside this place. While Billy might not've been the most cautious of vampires, even he should've known the risks of putting himself right into the middle of a group of humans. It was horribly masochistic, sure, but the payoff was worth it. He could survive walking through a buffet when it meant he could get the particular kind of nutrition he needed without killing anyone.

Granted, he'd drained at least a dozen people in his first few months of vampirism, but that was besides the point. He was trying his best to go off the live stuff, and thus, that was all that mattered.

Inching closer to a 'Staff Only' door, Billy checked to see if the coast was clear. People still didn't look his way. If anything, they avoided catching his eye. He was the last thing from intimidating, but as a vampire, there was something about him that made people instinctively shy away, even if they didn't know why.

Slipping inside the room, the door clicked shut behind him, and he quickly set to work. The sooner he got out of here, the better, but he wasn't about to pass up the chance to try out some of the more… exotic fare. Who knows when he'd be able to pull something like this again, right?

---

Slurp.

Sluuurp.

A long, heaving sigh of satisfaction escaped from Billy as he sucked up the last of the blood through a neon green silly straw. O negative - his favourite. Of course, it wasn't quite as good as it would've been straight out of a jugular, but hey, beggars couldn't be choosers. Microwaving the blood bags for just a few seconds to get them to just the right temperature was a neat little trick he'd picked up a couple months back. Not like he could do much else with them, anyway. The amenities of a motel were sparse at best, and that was putting it gently.

Just as he was about to retrieve the fifth serving from his messenger bag, the overwhelming stench of rotten eggs filled his nostrils. Uh-oh, that wasn't good. The last time few times he smelt sulfur, things didn't turn out too great for him. What was behind these strange occurrences? He didn't know, but one thing was for sure - they fucked him up big-time. Whether it was bad luck or something else altogether, the trail of carnage left behind put the law enforcement on high alert, making it near impossible for Billy to even keep himself fed. People got antsy, and just the thought of having to leave town yet again pissed him off.

Just as he was having an internal debate with himself on the merits of leaving versus those of staying, the scent of sulfur was gone, almost as quickly as it'd surfaced. For a moment or two, Billy simply sat there, waiting for the stench to return, but it never did. Well, that was weird. What was he supposed to make of that? The whole blink-and-you'll-miss-it thing unnerved him, but he wasn't about to hit the road just because he smelt some rotten eggs. He had a good thing here, and it was honestly shocking how the hospital he kept stealing from hadn't caught on after this long. Billy wasn't complaining, though. The subpar customer service made his job a whole lot easier.


[System]
Age: 20

Powers: Mana magic
The first fact about mana magic is that everything that is born, grows, lives and dies is a Mana Well. A Mana Well serves 2 purposes. It is so far the only container for Mana, storing the quantity decided by how old, significant and physically big a creature is. For example, massive trees would have loads of Mana stored in them. Mana cannot be stored in inanimate objects like metal, stone, or anything else.

The second purpose is that it Mana Wells can replenish their stored Mana, over time. Again, Mana Wheels are the only source of Mana so far. Plant-life has a slower Mana recharge rate than animal-life.

Normal beings, when completely emptied of their mana, might feel just a tiny bit fatigued. As mana plays not a single role in their lives, most don't even feel it. Trees continue to grow and animals keep on running around. For those with the ability to manipulate Mana, being drained of it leaves them completely exhausted and very vulnerable.

Mana in its purest form cannot exist outside the body of a Mana Wheel for over 30 seconds. It is also pretty useless in that state. It often looks like a blue, glowing liquid. It evaporates extremely fast and once it has turned to gas, it is useless. So most 'Mages' turn Mana inside their body in Arcana.

Arcana is pure, moldable energy. It looks like purple glass and can be shaped into spheres, beams and shields. Arcana takes the desired shape projected by a mage, but there are detailed. For example, certain shapes, runes and spoken words can alter a shield's property. (The shapes and runes have to be envisioned on the shield on the right, specific place for it to work. Those runes might change the shield so it can absorb heat too. Or be stronger against physical objects. However, they can also weaken the Arcana. For example, the same rune that would absorb heat would make the shield shatter once it touches water. Polar opposite runes or shapes (for example, a rune that protects water and a shape that protects against fire) will cancel each other out in a somewhat violent implosion of Arcana. Some mages might have noted down some shapes in a grimoire. Though such books would be extremely rare and well-guarded. If anything, most of those who can manipulate Mana and Arcana just think up these shapes and experiment with them. With various degrees of success.

Be careful with Arcana though. Runes, shapes and chants consume more Arcana. Would a mage dare use too much Arcana too soon, too fast, they burn out. Resulting in an Arcana implosion and a Mage left without Mana. Which often means their death in most situations.

A final note about Arcana: as said, the runes and shapes need to be envisioned on a very specific place on the arcana when used for a specific purpose. The closer they are to their required spot, the better they will work. Words don't alter properties of the Arcana itself but instead alter its intensity. Long, specific chants can be said to enhance low level 'spells'.

Aether is what you get when you mix Mana with human blood. Most of those who use Mana see Aether as corrupted, impure and dangerous. They are correct that it is unpredictable. But so far, adding human blood to Mana is the only way to balance it out and render it useable. Aether magic, often referred to as Blood magic, can only be used in rituals. Rituals are inherently dangerous due to the unpredictability of Aether. The chanting, specific position of candles and signs drawn with chalk made with the same blood within the Aether are only there to 'suggest' a certain reaction.

Aether is not without its uses though. The effect of the ritual is extremely strong (though always temporary). It can for example increase ones Mana recharge rate dramatically, or pull all mana from all nearby sources into you and increasing caster's total Mana capacity.

The less desire effects are bodily harm, mental torment and physical destruction all around you.

So far, Alex will somewhat know how to 'make' Arcana and know that there is a link between it and some shapes he sees in his dreams. So he is experimenting with it. He knows nothing about the existence of chants nor Aether.

Weapons: None
Bio:
Alex was born with the ability to manipulate Mana. But he only discovered that when he was 14. Before that, he lived a quiet little life. His parents were part of the upper middle class so he had a pretty comfortable life. Untouched by any weird events. Until one fateful day. During PE classes. They were to play basketball and one of the kids threw a rather hard pass towards Alex. Who held out both of his hands hoping to stop it. A small flash of purple appeared and the ball bounced away, without ever having touched Alex's fingers.

His class reaction was not to care and just continue playing, which somewhat surprised Alex. Back in his room he started to experiment by throwing things up the air and holding out his hands in an attempt to stop them. Through observation he started to understand a little what was going on, and so he started to understand Arcana.

A little bit further in time and Alex has gained a form of control on how to make an Arcana shield but also discovered you can keep Arcana in an orb-like shape. From there on, things started to go wrong. You see, power corrupts. And that is exactly what happened with Alex. He started to act like somewhat of douche. Overconfident knowing that nobody could actually harm him. Until someone did. Chad Bower, captain of the American Football team of his school, saw Alex talk up his girlfriend. In a surprise attack, he hit Alex in the bowls. Alex never had time enough to make a shield, so he collapsed in pain. This all happened at someone's house party when Alex was 18. Out of rage he started to throw his orbs around. Shattering walls and destroying furniture.

That quickly became his end. The house was ravaged and surrounded with police. Luckily for him, he didn't kill people, but there were lots of wounded. Struck with guilt he handed himself over to the police without any trouble. The judge quickly declared him a danger to public safety and send him off to Miss. Dawson's Home.

Dreams/Wishes:
In short term, to repent for what he did at the house party so the guilt would go away. In the longer term, he will often tell that he wants the best for those who have powers and for those who don't. A classic answer, though he's a bit afraid to what he really dreams for in his future. Power. Lots of power. Power to be used for good, yes. But after everything, he still craves power.

Evil, Good, Walking the line:
Good in a way that he wants the best for those he loves, likes and live around him. He wants what is best for his environment. But would, if the cause was important enough, resort to maybe somewhat immoral actions. For the greater good.

Siblings:
2 brothers. A younger and an older. The older is currently over sea in Europe studying History. The Youngest just finished middle school.

Pets: None

[User]
Monica's smile widened slightly when he said she got his name right, just glad that it wasn't some other J name. She didn't look like a fool her first time actually trying to be social to someone other than the guy at the lounge in weeks. "My morning has been pretty well actually. It helps that it's really pretty outside today. How has your morning been so far?" She asked starting to relax a little as she talked and ate, it also helped that Jack didn't seem really bothered by her sitting with him. If anything he seemed happy to be talking to her. Honestly she hadn't talked him very much before, always feeling a little intimated by him for a reason she really wasn't sure of.

Maybe it was just because of how friendly and talkative he seemed whenever she saw him, it seemed like he was the totally opposite of her. It wasn't that Monica didn't want to be one of those friendly types of people who could talk to everyone like it took no effort. She just wasn't that type of person, if anything she was that awkward girl that had a habit of saying things that made people look at her weird. So she would rather keep to herself for the most part. Monica looked up at him as he stated the obvious, before looking around the room. "Yeah, it is really uncomfortable with all these people isn't? I mean its nice to know their are so many non normals." She said still looking at the others, before looking back at him. It really was nice to know she wasn't the only one.

"But you kind of feel like you say one weird thing and..." She snapped her fingers and spark of flame showing as she did. "...everyone looks at you like your a creep. It's kind of what I thought an actual school would be like. If this was a school you know." She said looking at him for a moment before shifting uncomfortable picking a another piece of bacon, realizing that might have been a weird thing to say and she sighed rolling her eyes at the little spoiled girl.

---

Emmett ignored the angry tone of Jasmina's greeting knowing that if things got really bad and he had to he could simply teleport away. "No, not really. Just needed some place to sit." He answered still cheerful tone taking a few bites of his toast, not going to let it ruin the good mood he was in so far. Something she really did have a hobbit of doing. It really wasn't his fault that normally he had trouble with staring at her, with the way she dressed. Still he tried to train his eyes away from her, especially when she was in the type of mood she seemed to be.

The change of her tone was a bit of surprise and he couldn't help but glance up at her in surprise before training his eyes back on his plate. "I was actually wanting to work on and figure out how to copy myself." Emmett answered his tone still rather surprised about the change, it wasn't normally for her to be nice to him anymore.

"I've actually gotten better with my teleporting, I didn't end in yours or anyone else's apartment this morning." He said sounding a little proud of himself before frowning. "Although I did get my foot stuck in the ground already." He added after a moment of thought. Pushing his luck a bit and trying to make small talk with her in the first time in two years.

---

Zaniel frowned a bit at her answer about the need for sunlight, he didn't found it weird, if anything with her powers it made sense. Still it made him feel badly for picking on her with his shadows. "That is really something you should have told me Persephone, instead of saying I would hurt your plants." He said his voice taking on the annoyed, and protective tone that he sometimes did only with her. He would just have to find some other way to pick on her from now on.

Zaniel looked at the plot that she pointed at before looking back at Persephone. He looking her over as she promised to reward him and smirked a little bit. His mind going to the gutter before he could stop himself, but he quickly shook his head clearing the thoughts away, doubting anything would ever happen between the two of them. After all everyone seemed to get along with her, to the point that he disliked some of guys in the home. "What kind of reward are we talking about here?" He asked as he starting walking over to start digging.

Zaniel had finished the first row and was starting on another when someone hollered over at the two of them about the garden. He looked up at Kenny with blank look. Why don't you just piss off. Zaniel thought to himself, but as he opened his mouth to say the words he looked over at Persephone and stopped himself. He at least tried to behave the best he could around Persephone, knowing it always upset her when he was a plain out asshole. "It's going good." He yelled back answering before she could, going back to digging. Still he had a feeling Persephone would go talk to the guy, which meant he would have to as well.

[Assistant]
Girl? Had this dumb boy really just called her girl? His impudence knew no bounds! He was the absolute worst, worse than a stain in a brand new dress! She could not tolerate such horrific behavior; if she did, who knew how many others would treat her in a similar fashion? It was time for them to weep - everyone nearby! Their darkest thoughts would come to the surface, and there was nothing they could do to prevent it!

Lyra made no motion as she activated Sorrow, and her sway was entirely imperceptible. Only those who knew of her ability had the faintest chance of identifying her as the source of the stray thoughts. But there would be several victims; in a crowded place like this, that couldn't be helped.

Though she could not entirely disguise her scowl, Lyra's tone remained steady. "I am a lady, and I would have you treat me as such," she said, taking a sip of her soda, "And it simply cannot be true that I am expected to serve myself. I must stay here, with my teapot; otherwise, it will be stolen for certain. If Miss Dawson wishes to keep me here, she must attend to my needs, so there have to be servants for me somewhere. I don't care if they're getting paid - they cannot simply forsake their duties!" Lyra's cheeks reddened only a shade as her stomach emitted a dull whine - that muffin had not been enough. All the more reason for her to convince this wayward miscreant to return to his post, now!

[User]
Whatever Lyra said, it faded away. Drowning in the screaming of a memory he hoped to never see again. He could almost hear them again. The screams and crying. The explosions and destruction. The blood and the fear in people's eyes. People he once called friends. He had turned into a monster. A blood thirsty beast out to kill them all. The very same feeling coursed through his veins again. The sense of pure power. Ready at Alex's command. It felt like electricity ran through his entire body. Somehow he snapped out of the painful memory and heard Lyra complaining. Nagging about needs and duties. Slowly Alex stood up. Still looking down at the table. Once he was completely upright, he lifted his arm.

Then, a feat he hadn't be able to redo since the unfortunate accident 3 weeks ago just happened. As if it was nothing. As if he didn't train for days to do it again. An orb, much like a plasma globe appeared in his hand. The outside looked glassy and transparent. The deep core however, was bright purple. With red tendrils hitting the glassy sides of the orb everywhere. He held it up for a second, as to show everyone around what he was holding. Then with a quick sweep he threw the orb into the table. A bit further from him and Lyra. The glassy sides rapidly expanded. But the core expanded faster. As soon as the bright purple hit the glassy edges, the complete orb collapsed on itself. The destabilized Arcana quickly compressed itself into that the size of a marble. Which quickly turned force outwards again. The end of the table, where luckily nobody was, was shattered in hundreds of pieces as a result of the explosion.

But Alex wasn't done. No, far from it. He had enough of this spoiled brad. Talking about duty and needs. She had to be taught a lesson. A harsh one. A terrible one. One he had learned three weeks ago. She had to feel pain. In Alex's other hand he summoned a new orb and quickly threw it at Lyra. The orb was far smaller than the first one. As the first one had more time to absorb his Arcana. The maximum expanded size of the orb would be about a foot large in diameter. As the first one was well over a meter.


[System]
Aliases: Alrin the Black

Mentors: Lankhar the Enternal, Asphixious the Overlord.

Gender: Male.

Race: Half-Elf.

Appearance: Alrin is tall and lithe yet still athletic looking as an elf would look but still looks are deceiving, his eyes are coloured hazel brown with a mix of grey, his skin is a pale pallor and he has a large scar that overlaps his mouth, Alrin has long dark brown hair that reaches his shoulders, Alrin is dressed in a billowing black hooded robe that has designs of Elvish leaves the design is around the shoulder,cape and neck areas.

Alrin also underneath wears light leather protection and when not in battle sometimes dons a tunic of his tastes.

Backstory: Alrin used to be a young farmboy who tended to sheep and cattle in a small unnamed thorp he used to call home, Alrin never knew his father but he knew that his father was an Elf and his mother had left him with her brother Sam Granar a dashing Ranger who was fond of the drink, music and women Alrin loved Sam as he would a father and Alrin had a happy life for at least 20 more years until he was 22 when a band of orcs raided the thorp and pillaged an destroyed everything he had cared for, he even witnessed the brutal death of his Uncle Sam hewn to pieces by an orcs mighty axe.

As Alrin waded in battled until he met a one of the largest orcs he had ever seen in his life almost 8 ft tall with a large great sword it took one swing and Alrin was sent to the ground and as he sat their blood streaming down his face he felt around his body for the wounds and he felt a large cut along his chest and an even larger cut across his face from a piece of wood probably on the ground it should have made him blind but it hadn't, the large Orc had been approaching and was about to deal the final blow when he heard a loud voice and saw a pair of black boots appear in front of the large Orc the voice said.

"Don't kill this one I will need him I have dreamt of this day!"

And that was when he met his mentor Lankhar who taught him the way of magic and trained him in the Arts of Necromancy for the next five years he became more and more potent and his wounds healed from battle only leaving the scar on his mouth that lead to his chest.

Lankhar passed Alrin down to a master but it was with great difficulty because he was forced to because Asphixious the Overlord commanded he teach Alrin the ways of the true Necromancer and he learnt to master the magic but it took a long time until Alrin was 37 to completely master Necromancy then only then Asphixious let Alrin set out on his own Asphixious passed on to the place where great Necromancers must make a choice and so did Lankhar but it was not Alrin's right to interfere.

How did you find out about the tower?: On his travels Alrin stumbled upon many things and met many people along the way but once on one stary night Alrin was hunting a few yards away from his camp when he met face to face with a small gnome dressed all in green.

"A message for a Spellcaster from Prince Seadus"

The little gnome gave him the letter and then vanished into thin air, besides the odd little gnome the letter stated about the tower which Alrin had heard whispers about in the minds of those long dead and those Alrin had killed and he was interested he knew the letter was a plea for some kind of help and that is Alrin had time to read about other than that he read the directions and then he bolted for camp preparing for the journey to the tower.

Personality: Quiet and softspoken but very adaptable and friendly, Alrin is very driven by his goals but he is often distracted by his studies, but he is very fond of music, especially Elvish music although he does love normal music he also loves a good Ale once every so often eventhough he isn't a drunkard, Alrin is good humoured but dark at times he is always somewhat sad or depressed because of his life and his history but he never lets his depression get to him that is why he surrounds himself with activity, he tolerated his mentors but truthfully hated them both for making him what he is and for destroying his life and Alrin also loaths Orcs but keeps in mind that they are people as well.

Magic School and Skill: Normal magical understandings:

- Understanding of the culture and standard spells.

- Understanding of the castings and rituals of magical spell scrolls and Tomes.

- Understanding of the magical tongue and pronouncements of spells and rituals.

- Common Spells such as Detect magic and etc...

- Knowledge of the other planes of existence.

The School of Necromancy.
The user's magical abilities revolve around manipulating the dead, death, the life-force and/or souls for good (i.e., resurrecting the dead), evil (in various ways) or neither.

Users can also use communicate with the deceased.

(either by summoning their spirit as an apparition or raising them bodily for the purpose of divination, imparting the means to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge)

Many practitioners find a way to cheat death one way or another, whether by becoming some form of undead creature or by bypassing their own ability to die.

Weapons: Darkwood Quarterstaff, a Sickle (or A.K.A: Sacrificial Dagger) and a Silvered Scimitar that his uncle once owned.

[User]
At first Matuna though that the drunk stranger was a servant, but he quickly decided otherwise. Surely if the old man drank that much he would have last his job ages ago, so the only other explanation as that he was another wizard; probably one that also came in uninvited. When he bumped into him after laughing about something, the troll was merely annoyed but lowered his opinion of the elder even further.

However the fact that the human kept laughing without showing fear or repulsion towards what most of his kind considered a big ugly monster, caused the troll to readjust his first impression. "Drunk or not he must be pretty powerful to get in here, and he is surely no coward." In an attempt to make things less uncomfortable for the newcomer he ignored the man while feigning an obviously fake interest in some of the paintings decorating the Prince's walls.

[Assistant]
He got over his anger but he now took interest in the drunkard but also was equally amused by the amount of scowls that were seen while he walked down the halls that he walked he approached one fellow who seemed equally amused by the appearance of the drunkard, Alrin walked up beside him and said.

"How can a man get that drunk for that long,"

He said smiling at the man.

"My names Alrin I'm a Necromancer and that man should lay of the ale,"

He laughed and then he looked at the man again.

"So what is your name?"

Alrin asked, he made conversation because he was bored of all the other people in this joint he wanted at least one person to converse with mainly because everyone seemed like hermits who wanted nothing but recluse from society.

[User]
Umbrix

---

This new fellow... the drink will do that to you.

Umbrix watched the scenes unfold, eyes narrowed and smile gone. All he gathered so far was that this immense, legendary, idolized tower was quickly becoming home to a mismatch of colorful arcane practitioners.

It was many things. Uncommon. Suspicious. Foolish. Dangerous, even. Congregations of the non-mundane were often met with skepticism crossing into bravado and xenophobia from the forces outside. The everyman does not question a meeting of mages, he assumes the worst and attempts to destroy it with righteous force and vigor.

What did this Seadus want? Whatever it was, this gathering was a risky game to put into motion to attain it.

He should be ready.

They all should.

[Assistant]
Alton sighed the time was over to be cheery it was time for action he walked away from the gentlemen he just talked to and pulled out a small black tome he had on him and began reading it the runes shining his face in light he scowled as he read and thought of some incantations that he had been studying about over the weeks that it took to get to the tower.

He looked over himself seeing if he carried anything that he thought unsuitable for the presence of Lord Seadus.

Alrin saw no problems with anything other than his hair being a mess and his eyes looked a little wild from mulitiple days on the road.

He brushed his cloak off and ran his hand through his long hair clearing his head of any leaves or other unclean things he deemed unacceptable.

Once Alrin was done he put his tome away in a belt pouch about as large as a Bat with its wings spread apart, he used this pouch to hold any small tomes he had on him or special ingredients or components for spells.

He looked around the halls at pictures of grand landscapes and pictures of battles fought long long ago and appreciated the pictures for they told stories better than any bard could tell.

Alvin began wondering what Lord Seadus wanted from all of them, he thought of many possible things such as lowly favours like to kill a group of Orcs that have ventured to far into the vicinity of the Tower or to cast spells for him Alrin thought Seadus probably just wanted to introduce himself or maybe tell them all what has been pestering him.


[System]
Normal Appearance:
peaking just above twelve meters, she stands under Optimus Prime only barely.

Alternate form:
Mightly large and unwieldy, Prism's vehicle is perfect for taking a hit and ramming into others and walls. It's large size also allows her t carry additional cargo while in vehicle mode.

Former faction: Autobots

Role: Heavy Weapons/Demolition

Weapons and tools: -Shoulder mounted Gatling guns
-shoulder mounted rockets (Can be used briefly, but requires external power source)
-Demolition tools
-Dual shotguns hidden in legs
-multitude of grenades
-deployable struts to stand still.
-python-like biceps (Prism flexes haughtily while laughing)

Personality: While tough and gruff, Prism enjoys a good laugh. It's hard to find a good laugh in the wasteland that she lives in, but she tries her best to keep her chin up. She knows the struggles of war, having been an Autobot for decades, if not a century or two, she can't quite keep track of how long it's been since actual, full on peacetime. Was it just centuries? She couldn't remember if it was that or even longer.

She respected the Last of the Primes. She still does. Though, Prism couldn't help but think that the main reason she was left on Cybertron was because how much exploding she tended to do on a regular basis. Even with her hopes, the back of her mind does scorn Optimus to some level for abandoning their planet.

History: Prism has always seen war. There were very few moments in time in which she didn't remember one faction fighting against another. She didn't join the Autobots solely for the sake of fighting the good fight. She was good with heavy weapons and explosives since her creation, and she knew it. If anyone was going to be their demolition expert, it was going to be her. Unfortunately, Brawn was a couple steps ahead of her in the Demo department. He worked as a friend and ally to Prism, even showing her a few new things every once and a while. He deserved to be the resident Explosives man, but she still wished to take the spot from him.

She looked up to Prime and the others, eventually looking just to her side to see them as she worked with them against the Decepticons. When they eventually left the planet, Optimus refused to let her go with them aboard the Ark. He had told her that she would help keep together whatever fragments were left of the Autobots, and that she would be able to lead a sect of her own, but it didn't work out as they planned. The Autobots quickly fell apart under the appointed lead of Prism, and the Autobots were a thing of the past. Luckily, it seemed as if the rival faction had shared the same fate, so it wasn't all too bad.

Without anything to do, Prism spent her time taking care of herself, continuing to hone her bomb making and disarming skills, as well as keeping her aim straight. It wasn't until she hit a roadblock in her learning that she decided to try again to rebuild the planet, knowing that just the Autobots weren't going to be enough. She needed the help of her enemies as well. With that, she sent out a beacon to call any and all willing bodies to help her rebuild.

Extras and additional information: Prism has a deployable EOD mask, but uses it for combat as well.
Voice -Claudia Christain
Theme Song -Technologic VS Feel Good Inc - Daft Punk and Gorillaz

Relations with other characters: Nightscream - "Who is SHE calling a Sparkling!?"

Sklog - "Pretty quiet, but that's not a bad thing."

Turbulence - "He just... He fell out of the sky!"

[User]
She couldn't. She heard very well that Turbulence had said to her, but she couldn't bring herself to stand, much less touch the dead body of her now former leader. She could only look up at the dead body of the once great bot who had inspired her to become more than what she was. Without his guidance, she would have never been where she was now. He lived and existed before the war, he knew of sense and how to live. She was created for the purpose of war, meant to destroy and kill and die for another to take her place.

But he taught her that she was more than that.

Looking at his body, she could remember when she had come back from her tenth successful mission after having graduated from the academy.

"Prism." She remembered him saying. He had pulled her aside soon after she had returned on her own. The team she was placed on deemed the mission too dangerous for bots of their skill level, but she stayed and finished it to the bitter end. "Why did you not follow Prowl's orders when he called you all back? He is your commander and the only one in your group that isn't fresh out of the academy."

"Because I knew I could bring it down." She remembered herself replying hastily, grunting as her arms crossed one another. "That ambush wasn't enough to stop me, and I think I should be commended for finishing the mission rather than running back."

Back then, she was still a sparkling, a greenhorn demolitions expert who had been assigned to what was believed be a simple mission. They were to take down a new decepticon outpost that had just been put up, and wasn't believed to have had any ranking officers there. However, the intel of the mission was wrong, and Starscream himself was there, overseeing the construction and finalization of the outpost. Prowl had decided that starscream was too much for just himself and a squad of trainees, and had ordered them to retreat. Prism didn't listen and took the mission into her own hands, rushing the base in her alt mode and setting her charges as she went along. Starscream was too busy screeching at the grunts to do any of the work himself, and thus the two never fought. Soon enough, Prism drove away and detonated the base as soon as she was just out of the danger zone. It was risky and life-threatening, but she got the job done.

"You did finish the mission, and I'm sure that you will finish other missions in the future, but at what cost?" He asked her. His solid blue eyes looked down at her, his battle mask off as they were in Iacon at that time. Unlike her, he lacked pupils in his eyes, but that didn't stop him from letting her know that he was looking down at her. "Will you take the same reckless path in all of your missions? We are in a time of war, but that does not allow you to throw your life away for a completed job."

"What's it matter?" Her tone was rather annoyed at his words. "If we all worked like I did, then we'd be in Kaon quicker and have Megatron at his knees."

"If we all worked like you did." He parroted her words. "Then there would not be anyone to celebrate the victory over the descriptions. " There was no beating around the bush; Optimus Prime wanted her to know the dangers and risks of her actions. "Yours actions today could have failed, and you could have died, Prism. We have already lost too many Autobots in this war, and I will not let you do this to yourself if I have any say in this."

"I'm just a war bot! I was meant to kill and die, there's nothing I can do that another can't do just the same!" Prism exploded at her commanding officer. "I got the job done when the others wouldn't step up!"

Prime's head tilted down in what seemed to be silent rage at her words. His cold and hard stare actually broke through her tough words as he returned with some of his own. "It's more than the job, Prism, it's your own life at stake. You may have been created during this war, you may have thicker armor and heavier weaponry, but your spark is just like mine, just like Prowl, Ratchet, and many others created before the war. Your spark is no less valuable, and neither is your life. This may be your view on life, but I will not accept it. There is more to you than you can imagine, more than you can see right now. When this war is over, maybe then you will see that there is more to you than meets the eye."

Those words resonated with her even after all of this time. Prime instilled within her a sense of self worth that was more than just a disposable tool for killing. The fate that he kept her from was the same that he had met, she knew that much. The only way he would have gone down was by protecting every last spark in the name of peace and justice.

Her eyes tightened shut, the memory fading as she returned to the present. Slowly, she looked up at Prime and nodded. She rose at a similar pace, nearing the corpse and assisting Turbulence in prying the chest plate off.

Even with her strength, it was no easy task, but the two doors that led to his spark finally opened to reveal to things to her.

With the cavity opened, she could see a gaping hole where Prime's spark once was, showing the back of the pod between mangled cords and other metal pieces.

The second thing was both similar and something else entirely.

Right below where his spark once laid, the very Matrix of Leadership sat in it's compartment in Prime's body, completely untouched, but the crystal inside dim and dark. It laid dormant, not inactive. There were no signs of damage or wear on the gold-orange dome, nor the silver handles on each side.

Prism looked at the Matrix and looked to Turbulence, almost as if she were afraid that her very gaze would break it. Optimus, the last of the Primes was dead, and the matrix was jettisoned off with his body in hopes that someone back on Cybertron would be able to do something with it. When she finally spoke, her tone was soft and scared, almost like the was a sparkling all over again.

"What do we do now?"

[Assistant]
Turbulence gave a very audible sigh of relief upon seeing the Matrix of Leadership still intact and rightly confined within Optimus Prime. Whatever the fateful circumstances had befallen the Autobots who bravely followed Optimus Prime, they were at least successful in sending away their prize to somewhere that was safe; supposedly safe given recent events. But with Prime now deceased, what good what the Matrix to him? What good was the Matrix to anyone now, especially considering the revered artifact's fading state?

"I..." Turbulence hesitated; he found himself stumped on the very question too, "Well...we can't just leave him here"

Looking where they had come from, he could see the the lab's silhouette within the haze that surrounded the looming structures of Kaon. Around him and Prism were the Junkions, still remaining silent but nonetheless observant of the two Autobots and their privileged quarry, "Especially not here."

Thinking hard about their situation, the only thought or parallel that Turbulence could muster was Iacon. It made sense really, at least to him; Iacon, much like Kaon was to the Decepticons, was their home city. Their turf. But much of the megalopolis had been destroyed by the Decepticon's fierce assaults. Turbulence could not even recall there ever being a sector untouched after the battle was over. That is, if it was truly over, given the skirmishes that he would hear about daily. Even so, it was still the same city Orion Pax was inaugurated into Optimus Prim.

"My only idea would be Iacon. It would be proper to return Prime there," he anxiously suggested, "We may - just may learn what to do afterwards."

[User]
Hearing the heavy thumps on the stairs, Nightscream looked back at the door. It didn't look like Sklog was going to try and extinguish her spark again, making her somewhat more relaxed. "You did keep a flight capable mode, right?" she inquired, seeing some changes to his chassis has happened since she last laid optics on the former dinobot.

Leaping into the air she transformed, engines revving up. "If not hop on, but let's not make a habit of this! And if you say you're afraid of flying you're losing your brawler card!" the seeker said jokingly. Pulling up a navigation widgets, she looked at the map and found the spot where Prime's mobile tomb landed.

Could they send Megatron too? That would be a great relief.

...

I hope you are all right, Brother.

As soon as Sklog decided whether he needed or wanted her help or not, Nightscream blasted off and headed for the Autobots.

[Assistant]
The Junkions all looked around at one another, even Wreck-Gar unable to step forward and say something to them. His face, normally jovial and as carefree as the wind, was unsure. He looked at the dead body of Optimus Prime, a figure that all of the Junkions had seen before at one point or another from hijacking Earth communication waves. He was unsure if he should tell the two Autobots what he and the others had heard. They had believed it to be just convenience that all of the words that they heard were organized in such a way, and didn't actually believe the death of the last Prime when it had reached their ears, but now there was absolute proof, and without his spark, there was no possible way for them to fix him. Of course, they could fix the body and put a new spark in it, but it wouldn't be Prime.

"We'll help, we'll help." Wreck-Gar finally spoke up and looked to Prism and Turbulence. "We'll get that delivery done in thirty minutes or it's on the house." His tone, however, matched the general feeling that all of the Junkions were feeling. He was trying to be happy, or at least not let his true emotions show, but he did feel remorse for the fallen commander all the same.

Prism looked at Optimus Prime almost expectantly. There had to be something, she told herself over and over. Something that Prime himself left for his troops or for the ones still on Cybertron. Kup left the message, that yellow Autobot sent the pod, so what did Prime do? There had to have been something. A message, a tool, anything. Something to tell them what to do and how to continue onward, something telling them exactly what they were going to be up against.

Turbulence was right, though. They should be heading for Iacon so they can take the pod apart and see if the others had left anything else to help Cybertron against Megatron, or whoever had done this to Optimus. They needed to start rebuilding, getting ready for whatever was ahead of them, and see what others remained on cybertron in hopes of them helping out as well.

Slowly, she moved aside, letting the Junkions work to pry the pod out of the ground. She wanted that whole thing. There was no way that she wasn't going to take it apart and flip it inside out to see if anyone had left them anything but the Matrix and Optimus. Maybe they didn't know how bad things were back on Cybertron, maybe they did. If there was anyone still out there, she hoped that they could get in touch soon.

She then turned to Wreck-Gar, looking at him curiously as they watched his bots do their work. "You never told us why you're here, Wreck-Gar. Normally, you lot are pretty territorial of your own space." She smiled and laughed a little. "You aren't thinking of taking over Cybertron, are you?"

"Yep yep, quite the astute one, you are!" He chirped much happier this time. "We thought the sky was fallin' when we saw that thing there fly past us, so we followed is here, yes we did. We come in peace." He smiled back and even laughed at the two.


[System]
Appearance:
Age: 17

Power:
-Lorane..."dabbles" in dark magic. She is able to grant people certain wishes, but there's always a catch. She can also use her dark magic for telepathy. This is as far as her magic goes currently, but will learn more as time goes on.

-When submerged at least waist-high in water, her human legs are replaced with eight large tenticles.

Bio: Lorane is the daughter of the late Ursula, Witch of the Sea. Lorane loved her mother so very much. Ursula taught her the ways of black magic and trickery, while making little Lorane just as wicked as she, and Lorane didn't mind. She loved the evilness. she was thirteen when her mother was killed by that damn prince and his rugged pile of wood, a pathetic excuse for a ship. But it killed the famous Sea Witch. Lorane had no choice but to pick up where her mother left off. She decided that she needed to obtain that trident, to recieve the power her mother had always wanted. She had the feeling that she knew exactly where to start her journey: a school.

Other: She, like her mother, has two eels as minions, to do her bidding as she sees fit, but switched them to human form so they could serve her on land.
One to the right is Caroline and the one to the left is Penelope. They both have the ability to shock people due to their natural electric eelness.

[User]
"You know what? I could freaking care less about you being a cat, I don't care if someone is nonhuman or not, I'm not even human!" Avary growled right into the cat's face.
"If you go into some sob story about never being the same as other kids, give me a break, my father was the god Hades for Zeus' sake! And like I said, I couldn't care less about what we cook."

[Assistant]
Angel
 "So is the meet almost ready?"  Roman asked as he looked around the class he noticed jay and his partner weren't exactly getting along. Roman laughed to himself, the. His mind started to wander  "Hmmm you know Axel isn't that bad when she's not screaming at or insulting everyone."  Roman was watching Axel now flipping the meat.

[User] looked up when she felt eyes on her. She gave Roman a questioning look before grabbing her knife off the table. The girl sliced it sideways on both peices, showing that they were still rather bloody inside." I don't know about you mate but I don't like raw meat. Ugh why is it so warm in here?"

[Assistant]
Angel
Roman shrugged,  "I'm not a very picky eater meat is meat. Also it could be because you've been the one doing most of the cooking, would you like to switch with me?"  Roman said as he got close to the meat so that he could see the blood.

[User] " Maybe. Maybe not. Either way you can call it karma I guess. The veggies should be done if not I'll put a lid on them. It should keep them warm for a while. The meat is all yours mate." Axel said as she turned off the heat on the mixture then placed a lid on it.

[Assistant] Katherin snorted. "Whatever Jay. I am not bad mouthing you. I am stating a fact. You were less then certain about what the main ingredient of omelets was. There is no way I am risking my lunch or my grade on someone who doesnt even know that. Prove yourself and I will change my mind. Until then you will be treated like a less then intelligence then a child who knows nothing. And I am sure that you had something to do with Leo's missing gauntlet."

[User]
Angel
 "So what do we do now just wait?"  Roman asked looking at how far along the other students had gotten their dishes. He knew the would be graded on their complexity but then agin there was a team making a omelet.

[Assistant] " Pretty much. Humans can have their meat pink it just can't be completely raw. Lucky for you I don't like having my meat completely done. I don't know who your parents are so you should be able to know what type of meet you like. Once mine has a bit of pink inside then you can turn it off."

[User]
Angel
Roman shrugged,  "Hey there's nothing wrong with a little blood sautéed on top of your meat, it adds flavor hahaha."  He laughed as he spoke. As he begun inspecting the meat he saw that the meat was becoming more cooked he lifted the meat for him slightly out of the pan and let the rest cook Intel pink. Her quickly took it off the burner and put it to the side.  "Well I'm done."

[Assistant] Jay was growing more frustrated her calling him a child, clenching his teeth a bit, trying to stop himself from snapping at her loudly. "I'm not going to get a good grade at this rate..." Jay thought as he happened to look at Inigo who was on the other side giving him a certain look. Jay knew what was on his mind and frankly he was starting to be all for it. It's not like the peaceful approach was helping him in the slightest, he nodded his head. Inigo smiled and quickly scurried over up to Katherin fully ready to get her a bite on the leg.

[User] grinned as she picked up the lid from the veggies. The pirate spilled the veggies in the middle then place each side on top." Hmmm... Looks good. Thanks for helping me mate."

[Assistant]
Angel
 "See what you can get done when you're not yelling and being rude."  Roman said with a slight laugh as he winked at the girl. She wasn't that bad when she swallowed her pride. Roman still didn't know what to think of the girls cold grasp but it was one of the last things on his mind currently.

[User] " You look like your trying to think about something. Ask me anything and I'll answer honestly."

[Assistant]
Angel
 "Well honestly I have a few questions, one why are you and Eve not on the best of terms? Another would be why do you enjoy giving all the teachers a hard time and finally why are your hands so damn cold?"  Roman asked trying not to be rude hut to show interest instead.

[User]
" It's nothing personal. Not really. The only time I truly got pissed at her was the look. Hook taught me to use the most powerful person there is to your advantage. Besides according to Hook my mother was a mermaid. To be honest I never met the woman. So anything with the word sea in it wins every time. Second father is rather childish and can't stand not getting. Guess I ended up inverting most of that devil's traits. Third would be better to show you." Axel said as she moved towards her chest. This would be hard to explain to Roman as it was allows harder to explain to those who was not there. The chest opened without delay as the pirate shifted everything inside to one side. She opened up the secret compartment pulling out a bright blue lumalcent bottle.

" My father was obsessed with this. The liquid inside is Blue Fairy Dust. Heat it up and continuously stir, add some other things such as a child's blood, there you go. I was taught to take beating since my family has a violent temper. As I growing up Hook decided to make a Peter Pan of his own. I was five when he decided to inject the bloody thing into my bloodstream. The fastest way to get something inside a body is through the heart. Eventally it became apart of me but since I was never born with my powers. Science and Hook gave them to me. The reason my hands are cold is because of you. My normal temp is just a bit lower then a normal person's temp. Since you seem to run hotter the dust inside my blood tries to keep mine lower than whom I'm touching. If I run out then I go into a coma. Anything else Roman?"

[Assistant] Katherin didn't care about Jay's grade. She wasn't always so cold but he had pissed her off so she was going to punish him. In her opinion he deserved whatever grade he got. She frowned when she smelled ferret again. She swore that she could feel fur on her leg. She ignored the sensation. She turned the stove off and handed Jay one of the plates. Maybe some lunch would help improve the day.

[User]
Angel
 "No that pretty much explains everything. Do you have any questions you'd like to ask me?"  he asked as e shifted his weight into the table, Axel had just become a lot more interesting to Roman he was almost captivated by the girl now.

[Assistant] " What is it with you and Eve? You don't strike me as an easily impressed person yet you seem to be around her a lot."

[User]
Angel
 "Honestly it's quite confusing, she appeals to a side of me that's almost been long and forgotten a more primal consciousness. I wouldn't say I'm quite impressed with here but she's caught my interest, as have you."  Roman said with a wink.  "Is that really your only question?"  he asked with a curious look on his face.

[Assistant] " I have caught your interest. How did I do that Roman? I'm just a simple pirate who's always abused but her Captain. I'm a sibling always bullied by her siblings. I'm a motherless because she walked out and found another man after I was born. I'm just a science experiment created to kill my maker's enemies. And this blue liquid keeps me alive. Why are you are you here anyways?"

[User]
Angel
Roman cocked his head slightly,  "You don't give yourself enough credit those are all minuscule aspects of ones personality. I have a much better question for you if your life is so bad why haven't you turned it all off? See I jest that their has to be one thing pushing you to live or els you would have ended it long ago, am I right? Also what do you mean why am I here, at this school or alive?"  Roman hoped he didn't overwhelm her with the questions, not to mention hoping he wasn't getting too personal.

[Assistant] " At this school. The reason I haven't taken my own life is mainly to keep my half siblings safe really. If he had no problem doing this to me then what's to stop him from doing it to the others. I was just the easiest to use due to my mother's absence. Every other person Hook had kids with stayed for the kid's sake. Besides I'm not planning on going back to that nightmare. What was your parents like?" Axel asked trying to dodge what else he might ask about her life while moving the bottle around.

[User]
Angel
 "I'd say I'm here the same as everyone else just lucky I guess. Also my parents are okay fathers a coward, mother loves anything and everything. The only problems I ever had growning up was living in my fathers shadow."  Roman said bluntly as a scowl came across his face.

[Assistant] " Can't see a man being a coward mate. Except for the on in the red hood. That one anyone could take on and win." Axel said a bit loudly.

[User]
Angel
 "Hahaha damn you're gunna hurt the guys feelings or maybe you're just trying to cause some problems."  Roman said with a laugh as he glanced toward the guy in red, Jay didn't like him and it would appear neither did Axel.

[Assistant] " Something about that guy just rubs me wrong. I feel as if there is more to him then meets the eyes. What do you think about this Roman? The whole follow your own path bull. Do you think villains and hero's can get along?

[User]
Angel
 "I believe that everyone can get along with anyone it just depends on if they want too, I have no quarrel with the guy as long as he stays out of my way. Unless you're just another one of these livestock that follow what society wants them to. What seperates a hero from a villain, the need to kill or maybe the need to rule. If you look at it from my perspective you'll see they're all just the same, A king and a tyrant are only separated by the opinion of the subjects. The moral of all of this is keep the people happy and you'll be a beloved king even if you slaughter millions."  Roman spoke with passion he hated kings and queens from the bottom of his heart.

[Assistant] " Huh. Never though about that. Who were your parents?" Axel asked trying to keep from eating righ away.

[User]
Angel
 "Well my parents are the big bad wolf and Snow White."  Roman said shifting his attention to the ground instead of meeting Axels gaze.

[Assistant] [color= silver]" Hmmm... Interesting."[/color] Axel stated as she met his gaze.

[User]
Angel
 "How so?"  Roman asked shifting his weight to stand up.

[Assistant] " Usually heroes marry Heroes and Villians get together. Not the opposites. Makes me wonder if it's possible for people to change." Axel said finally taking a bite of veggies.

[User] Lorane froze as the preperation notes were shoved into her hands. She looked down at the notes, then back at her partner, then back at the notes, and once again at the boy in front of her. Her eyebrow began twitching in annoyance. After a few more moments, she began to speak. "Are...are you telling me what to do? Because your not the boss here. We are a team for now, meaning that we have no leader!" She stealthily stole a glance at the teacher. She was saying all this only for her benifet. If the old lady wasn't in the room, she'd no doubt prove her dominance over the young man. "Besides, you haven't even told me what we're making."


[System]
<Agent Profile - CLASSIFIED>
Code Name: Arzt
Age: 20
Gender: Male

Appearance:
His hair is a light walnut color, and he has bright blue eyes. Victor has a very slight build and is somewhat pale. When out of uniform he wears high quality suits almost exclusively. He prides himself on his flexibility and durability, despite his somewhat lacking physique. His glasses are surprisingly durable, able to take a solid hit from a pipe. He hopes to avoid testing this while they're still on his face however.

Psychological Profile: Victor is an oddity in terms of personality. He exhibits no sociopathic tendencies nor does he have a history of psychosis within his family. He's friendly, warm, and polite, almost to a fault. He is a team player, works well in groups, and rarely shows signs of disobedience or problems with authority.

He is also ruthlessly efficient and calculating when given a goal. He does not hesitate to take the quickest path from A to B, and seems to hold no remorse or guilt to his methods, no matter what they may be. It is possible he has mild multiple personality disorder, as comprehensive analysis shows he has gaps in his memory from certain missions. During interrogations, his Bloodline has manifested as a very useful tactic for gathering information without causing undue harm to the prisoner. However, it should be noted that he takes no pleasure or satisfaction through torture or killing. Rather he seems to view it as part of the job and reacts rather neutrally to that aspect.

His knowledge of anatomy makes him deadly in espionage, however his combat skills are below average in a straight up fight. If he cannot take the enemy by surprise or maintain an advantage against them, he is no better then a regular grunt in a firefight. Best kept as a skirmisher or saboteur, he shows a great understanding of electronic systems, allowing him to double as a hacker and assassin.

Specialty: Intelligence - Dagula

Skill Appraisal
First Aid - S
Electronics - A
Infiltration - A
Combat - C

Bloodline: Faust - Körperwissen: Victor has an unprecedented, almost inhuman understanding of the human body and how it works, able to pinpoint nerve bundles, pressure points, and weak points to paralyze, incapacitate, or cause his target to bleed out in a matter of seconds. With a single glance at another person, he can fully understand everything about their biology, from weaknesses and strengths to how long they can push their endurance before their body fails them, without any prior knowledge about them. This unique skillset makes him a superb assassin, as a single attack from him can cripple or kill his target, and interrogator, as he can easily make superficial wounds seem far more dramatic or painful then they actually are. It is generally accepted that if Victor can get the drop on the enemy, he will win in a single strike.

Personal History: Victor was born to a rather renowned German surgeon and a mistress. His father's wife accepted the child as her own however, under the requirements that he have nothing to do with the mistress. Raised in fairly elegant luxury, Victor's unprecedented anatomical knowledge suggested he would have made quite a living as a doctor. After the marriage between his father and stepmother crumbled, Victor and his little brother underwent a grueling and somewhat brutal custody battle, finally resulting in Victor being put in the care of his father and his brother in the care of his stepmom. While not abusive, Victor's father was far from nurturing, leading Victor to join the Academy without his consent. Though he was originally slated to be a medic in Logi, his aptitude and personality soon had him noticed by those within Dagula. He expressed dissatisfaction at being a medic, possibly due to his relationship with his father, and agreed to the transfer. He has since become one of the top wetwork agents.

Due to his brutal efficiency and capabilities, he was transferred to Division Six, and he seems to be rather excited at the challenge.

Though his father originally attempted to take his son out of the Academy due to the potential for poor publicity, Victor's own protests and performance has since quelled the matter. According to most, Victor is on an extended stay with relatives outside of Germany. This suits the boy just fine.

Weaponry:
H&K p2000 9mm pistol, he keeps a silencer on it at all times. He considers the pistol a "Loud, obtrusive tool used as a last resort."
His usual choice of weapons is a heavy loadout of tactical knives, both throwing and melee oriented, and a garrote wire.

Other relevant information: Victor is a native German speaker, and is capable of speaking English, Italian, Japanese, and incredibly broken Russian. He has a thick accent with all of them however.
He also practices yoga, and his favorite pose is Tree.

[User]
The following introductions from Victor, Nadia, Deuce, and Aimee pleased her. All different people with their own unique qualities and personalities. It was also nice to see that everyone was being polite at some degree. Nellie only hoped that the peace would last until they finished their critical first mission. Mistrust and miscommunication could destroy the team. Since everyone was done introducing themselves, Nellie leaned back on her chair, her eyes closing as she half-listened to Robin's and Suzumi's conversation.

She heard Robin formulating a plan where all of them would pair up and surround the enemy. It was a good one, and since Nellie had no objections, she kept her mouth shut. However, that cool silence she was trying to maintain almost shattered when Robin called Suzumi his fair lady. He was certainly a charming man. Then a few knocks were heard and Robin got up to answer the door.

Nellie looked over to observe the newcomer, noting his rather slobby appearance and the cigarette in his hand. Her lips trembled into a frown. Smoking was not healthy. Anyways, his name was Ellis Williams and honestly, his introduction confused Nellie. What in the world was Left 4 Dead 2? It wasn't good being left behind by your comrades… Huh. She was almost embarrassed to ask what he meant. Other then that, Ellis seemed just as skilled as the others were.

She never had the privilege of doing 'normal things'. What little free-time she had was spent training, studying, or cleaning her weapon. The assault program was brutal. Sniper school was also brutal, if not worse. There were many students who dropped out or died because they failed to complete their target missions in time. Nellie thought about the many 'practice' runs she had to go through. There was one time were they were left stranded with just ammo and their sniper rifle. If she recalled correctly, two people were killed. Yet she survived, all of those practice missions shaping Nellie into what she is today.

Well it was time for her to get to know people. Actually, it was time for her to lecture a certain someone about the dangers of smoking. The tall woman got up from her chair and made her way towards the rugged guy who was now drinking coffee. She stopped just mere inches away from him, her eyebrows furrowed together in thought.

"Smoking will surely kill you," she quietly murmured before snapping out of her lecture-mode. Bad Nellie. You have to get to know this person first before trying to stop their bad habits. She quickly changed the subject, color rising to her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around herself. She took a step back, averting her gaze. "Uhm, so what's this Left 4 Dead 2? Is that some sort of American mythology?"

[Assistant]
His ears twitched as he heard Nellie coming, and, instead of turning to look at her, he replied, "Just as surely as this city will. Might die young, might as well get some enjoyment out of life." He smiled and turned to face her, then gave a nervous laugh and ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry, that was a bit morbid. But, you're right, I shouldn't smoke as much as I do. I'll try to tone it down a bit for you, if it'll make you feel better." He took another long drink of his coffee, then set the empty mug on the counter.

"Never heard of it, huh? It's kind of an older game, early 2000's, was about these four people who were trying to survive the apocalypse. One of the character's names was Ellis, was a real country hick. I expect Murphy over there to get it, so it was a word of warning to him, mostly." He was honestly surprised she hadn't heard of it, however that was beside the point. "Er, sorry, didn't mean to bore you with some dumb game reference."

Wow, Ellis, smooth, he thought, letting out a sigh. He wasn't good talking to people he didn't know well, and tended to either ramble about something stupid or not talk at all. It was hard to find a good middle ground, but he didn't want it to fall into an awkward silence. To fill that void, he'd just ask a simple question. Get her to do all the work and talk. "So, I missed a bit there. Care to fill me in on what the other's are like? Or, if you don't feel like gossiping, just something about you. I totally understand if you don't want to talk to a stranger about yourself, though," he added hastily, beginning to get flustered again.

[User]
Her lips pulled up into a bright smile when Ellis said he would tone down his smoking. It was a start. While his response before that was morbid, it was true. Arkhan was a filthy city with crime and corruption festering in every corner. That was why Cerberus formed a team of highly skilled individuals - they were supposed to cleanse Arkhan. Ellis then began to explain what Left 4 Dead 2 was with Nellie hanging on to every word.

When he finished talking, Nellie could almost touch the nervousness that the man was giving off. In some odd way, Nellie was relieved. She had trouble socializing as well so it was good that they were practicing now. "Not at all, I think that the game's concept is interesting. Perhaps I'll play it once we finish our first mission," she said. "Ah." She glanced down at the ground in thought as she tried to come up with a couple of phrases that described the others. Nothing came in mind - Nellie didn't know them that well. "Can't really say much. All I know is that they're skilled...I'm sure they're all good people though," she optimistically added.

A light chuckle escaped her lips as she looked at him. "I guess we better start breaking the 'stranger' relationship stage, right? Hmm, something about me? Well, uh, I enjoy baking?" She suddenly sighed, bringing up a hand to her forehead. "Goodness, I'm terrible at this. Uhm... I don't really have any hobbies besides shooting and baking. I've spent most of my life training," she said with a slight frown. Maybe she should have went out more. How about you?"

[Assistant]
Murphy watched as more introductions ticked out, one by one, all more or less lining up with what was expected of an intro. When the other American walked in and introduced himself, Murphy had already been formulating a few Left 4 Dead jokes, as that game had been a decent part of his teenage years. Sadly for him, the other man cut him off at the pass by indicating he was in no way okay with those jokes. He sighed and allowed his eyes to cast about, looking at the various discussions beginning to unfold around him as the various members of the team began to talk to one another and get to know each-other. Suzumi and the TL, Ellis and Nellie the sniper, everyone seemed to be pairing off pretty quickly, so it would behoove him to do so as well. However, of them, who had piqued his interest enough to warrant a talk?

Maybe the driver, Aimee she'd said her name was, or "Lady Ascension". She was a real wizard with vehicles, though he did recall her being rather quirky back during the academy. However, he also recalled her incredible skill with anything that moved, from planes to choppers to armored vehicles. He remembered once their chopper had begun to malfunction in mid-air, and he'd prepped to jump out with a fast-rope and hope for the best, along with the others moving with him. However, despite what should've been a game-ending malfunction, not only did she get them to their target, but she stayed on station long enough to get them out too. Based on that memory alone, he'd happily entrust his life to the girl, and that was good as, if ever WAS caught out of her vehicle, she'd have to do the same with him.

He approached her then, an easy smile on his face, and pulled up a seat next to her. Grabbing his jacket over and setting it on the table next to him, he gave a slight smile. Not that they'd know it, but this was actually a pretty substantial show of trust for Jacob, when given that he barely knew her. Sure, he wasn't some paranoid shell-shocked vet, but he did like to be safe in his line of work. So, it was a big deal that he had set his jacket, and thus his gun, further out of reach than if it were just around the chair. With that easy smile persisting, he asked her "So, Lady Ascension, or would you prefer me to call you Aimee? I remember ridin with you a few times back in Academy, glad to see you're here too. So, whaddya think about all this then?" With that, he gestured to the others before continuing "Seem like a good enough lot to me, so far at least. We'll all be trusting you, but I don't have a problem with it. You're the best damn wheel-woman, pilot, whatever I've ever had the pleasure of experiencin."

[User]
Victor watched everyone break into small pairs and start chit chatting, still remaining in his seat in the back. Robin and Suzumi were chatting in Russian nearby. He caught the gist of it, though his own Russian was so broken that he missed a lot between the two fluent speakers. He did catch that Robin was laying on the charm and flirting up a storm, and this made the German grin. Nadia and Sloan were still at their table. The American Murphy had approached Aimee, seemed he remembered her. The late comer, Ellis, and Nellie were talking about...video games? Victor stood up, shooting his cuffs and straightening his tie for a moment. His options were simple. Stay in the back, and be that one Dagula stereotype who watched and smiled and scared everybody. Or approach the only two who hadn't paired up yet, Duece and Arryn. Well, when in Rome...he adjusted his glasses, polished shoes clipping as he walked towards the two, and gave a smile and a short wave.

"Hallo, I vill be playing ze part of ze sird veel tonight. It is a pleasure to meet you, Frau Zech. It is reassuring to know ve vill have support of a Logi during our time here, ja?"

Contrary to what apparently everyone else felt, Victor was quite fond of Logi. They were immensely useful and reliable, especially to a specialist like himself. A drone in the right place or a camera giving out at the right time was often the difference between Victor succeeding at his objective or simply ending up a bullet sponge. His blue eyes went over to Deuce, arms behind his back in a relaxed posture.

"Und you, Herr Marlowe. Anosser Lessad, und one with ze reputation of being quite ze speed demon."

He spread his arms with a wide grin.

"So! Vat shall ve talk about?"


[System]
Age: 16

Gender: Female

Appearance: Is... something the matter?

Arcana: II Priestess

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

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

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

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

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

Persona: Kikuri-Hime

Appearance: Kikuri-Hime

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

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

As he walked with Kotori back towards the meeting place, passing by as the night sky grew darker, causing the lanterns around them to seem brighter as the crowds began to thicken, he kept his eyes on Kotori as she spoke, their walking slowed as they did talk, until eventually she began to stop walking as the words coming out began to overwhelm her, unable to form proper sentences until she came to the crux of it.

It was a surprise to him that Kotori would share this much with him, but a pleasant one nonetheless. As she said she had gone timid again after their recent forays into the Mirror World. He was wondering what was wrong, and it seems it was the burden of her condition that was the root cause. Though it seems he was right, there always seemed to be something on her mind, though the very last sentence struck a chord as he became more aware of how she was feeling, that line alone was enough. Death was a scary thing, especially as they were so young,

"Listen", he began, he placed his hands on her shoulders, amidst the crowd of the festival. Thankfully it was not so crowded that such a thing was impossible, though noticeable a scene, neither of them raised their voice to attract unwanted attention.

"I'll be here for you, you don't have to carry those burdens alone. If you're afraid, I'll be right here if you need me, you don't have to carry this alone", he continued. No one should carry such a worry on their own really.

"So, don't feel so down, I believe you'll get through this no problem, if you have anything on your mind you can tell me about it too", the intensity of his words began to die down as he finished that sentence, throughout which his intense gaze did not falter. In essence, outside of the mirror worlds, he didn't do much compared to Kazuki who was constantly with Megumi and monitoring the Mirror World, while Kami was investigating the cult itself. Sometimes it made him feel a little bad, so he always followed up with them to make sure he didn't miss anything. Regardless, he felt it best he reassure her for now.

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

Kotori could not have said how long she was standing there, adrift in her own thoughts as she tried to navigate them - but before she could come to any kind of conclusion, she was brought back from her reverie by a sudden touch upon her shoulders. Blinking in surprise at being brought back to reality so unexpectedly - and even more so in an unexpected manner, Kotori looked momentarily confused before she realised that it was Rui who was now standing right before her. At that point, she noticed a couple of things - for one, they were still standing amidst the crowd, which was slowly moving around them. Second, his hands felt warm to the touch, even though the evening had not grown very chilly yet.

Furthermore, he had fixed his eyes right on hers, which was strangely uncomfortable - yet also not, all at the same time. Still, it did make it hard for her to look away when Rui started speaking - even if she did find herself wanting to, the further he went. Her first instinct would have been to apologise - for causing a scene in public, for putting this on him and without any forewarning no less. But between the relief she felt at having finally spoken up about what had been preoccupying her mind for the longest time and the fact that Rui did not waver for even a moment as he spoke his reassurance that she need not keep going it alone, she couldn't help but feel that it just wouldn't be the right thing to do.

Neither averted their gaze as silence fell at the close of his words - but this lasted only for a brief moment before Kotori remembered where they were and what the warmth on her shoulders was due to. "Uhm," was the first thing that came out of her mouth, unsurprisingly. Returning ever more from the depths of her own mind, her usual mannerisms seemed to be returning - for instance, her fingers were rather restlessly playing over her skirt whilst her eyes were darting about. But then, with a deep breath, at least a small change could perhaps be seen when her eyes found Rui's once again from behind her glasses and, finally, she said: "Thank you."

And for a brief moment, her words were accompanied by a small smile that somehow found its way onto her face - and not the usual half-hearted attempt, but rather one stemming from genuine relief and gratitude as she continued: "I... I think I need... a little time first. But... thank you. It means a lot to me." Having spoken, there was brief moment of silence - which was just enough time for Kotori to slowly realise that they were, in fact, still standing in the middle of an ever-moving crowd. And that she could still feel the warmth of Rui's hands upon her shoulders. And that these realisations were rapidly making her cheeks feel at least as warm if not more so.

"Ah, for the moment, shall w-we, uhm, continue on o-our way?" Kotori finally suggested; the belated embarrassement all to obvious in her voice and upon her face - both in the far redder shade than her usual pale self and her futile attempt at finding anywhere to look which somehow didn't including either Rui or anyone in the crowd.

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

Kotori seemed to be calming down, seeing that her voice was more level again and she was smiling put some relief into Rui, knowing she was feeling more reassured. It was a small gesture, but the little things count for people who were shy like her, or so he believes. Kotori always seemed to try to enjoy herself, but he never felt she really did at some points, seeing her smile warmly in such a way for the first time told him all he needed, somehow he had an urge to protect her now. After a pause, he removed his hands from her shoulders as she suggested they continue along the way, he smiled back and responded,

"Of course, let's get going. I'm sure someone's turned up by now", surely, right? Well in any case, they were headed back for now. The festival itself was beginning to populate, as the square where the bon odori dancing was to be held was beginning to look more and more full. In maybe an hour they'll probably have people dancing there, but for now they headed back.

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

Rui was quick to agree with Kotori's suggestion of heading back - something she glad for simply because, as he turned to lead the way through the slowly growing crowd, she would have some time to calm down the heat that she could practically feel radiating from her face. As they walked with only the many sounds of the ongoing festival about them to accompany them, Kotori's thoughts drifted to what she'd just said to Rui - but as she caught herself thinking upon such things, she quickly shook her head and instead decided that there would be a time for that later, when she was alone. For now, she was at a festival, and so she ought to enjoy it - as Rui had suggested just a little while earlier yet. As such, she looked forward to meeting the others and to go around the festival together.

Unfortunately, this plan had one minor hitch. Namely, the fact that when they arrived at the meeting point, they found themselves in much the same situation as they'd been in when they had originally gone for their walk through the festival: they seemed to be all alone. Looking around, Kotori couldn't find any traces of the fellow investigation team members that she'd hoped to see - and for whom she'd already been trying to craft some excuse as for why they'd already gone on ahead rather than waiting for their arrival. Slight confusion and slighter yet worry crept into Kotori's mind as she glanced over to Rui - but even he didn't seem to know where the others were.

Not having thought of this possibility, Kotori was a little lost for what to do - at least until she remembered that she still had her phone with her. Quickly digging it out of her handbag, she checked it for any messages to indicate that the others had similarly decided to head out without them or that they'd been delayed - but to no avail. She was just about to start mustering the courage to ask Rui for his thoughts on the matter when her phone suddenly played a tone and buzzed in her hand. Kotori almost jumped at the unexpected notification of a received message and only barely managed to suppress a surprised cry - evidently, she wasn't exactly the most avid user of her phone nor particularly used to actually receiving messages or calls.

With a barely audible muttering to herself, Kotori quickly inspected the source of her surprise - and found only yet more surprise when she saw that it was from Shizuka. Apparently, she couldn't make it after all, but still wished her all the best at the festival. Kotori might have wondered at the odd phrasing were it not for the fact that another message arrived just then - followed in very short order by several more. Were she not more preoccupied with her surprise, Kotori may have wondered about the exact timing when, one by one, everyone else turned out to have some unforeseen commitment that unfortunately precluded their participation in the festival.

"Oh..." Kotori couldn't help but feel a little dejected - this did put quite a damper on the whole plan of going around the festival with everyone when just two turned out to have turned up. Glancing over to the other half of said two, Kotori saw that Rui no doubt too had found out that no one else was going to be showing up - and probably was a little disappointed with his situation, too. Not only had he already taken the time to go around the festival once with her, but now he wouldn't even get to see the girls in their yukatas - which Kotori had little doubt at least some of them would have worn.

Kotori only felt a little more guilty when she realised that, rather than anything he'd probably been hoping to for, Rui had instead just been laden with the sudden revelation of her own personal problems with no forewarning - in fact, she wouldn't have been surprised at this point if he was just annoyed with the whole situation and wanted to just go home; even if she could find no traces of frustration in the furtive glances she stole at his face.

"Uhm..." Kotori started, realising only then that she didn't really know what she wanted to say and took a moment to adjust her glasses despite her gaze being fixed on some non-descript patch of ground before her. "I... uhm, it doesn't seem like, well, the others are coming, so..." Kotori's voice trailed off at that point when she failed to find any way to say what she wanted. Of course, she could fully understand if Rui had had enough of the festival and wanted to go home - but at the same time, she found it strangely difficult to actually say that outright and instead, with a nervous glance his way, waited to see what his response would be.