[System]
Oshea Jackson

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Character Summary
Aliases:  Rocket
Age: 19
Birthday: 06/12/1999
Birth Place: West Baltimore, Maryland.
Gender: Male.
Powers: Super Speed/Speedster.
Affiliation: X-Men.

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Appearance
Height: 6'1.
Weight: 200.
Build: Slim, lean build.
Eyes: Mocha brown.
Hair: Black.
Skin Tone: Dark.
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings:None.
Personal Style: He often wears jean shorts and red Converse with some kind of sports jersey partisan to various professional sports teams. His favorite jersey to wear is a New England Patriots jersey. He has an assortment of different color converse he wears at any given time. He may often wear mismatch color converse. He can often be seen with several fitted caps representing different sports teams as well.

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Psychology
Fast thinker * Unitdy * Unselfish * Impulsive * Introspective * Lacks foresight

Sexuality: Heterosexual.
Relationship Status: Single.
Personality: Oshea is untidy, an ode to his roots in Baltimore's slums. He cares not for order of any kind, but he will listen to those who are in a position of leadership. Otherwise, he is rather unfocused and does not do well with controlling his mind or thoughts--this is possibly because they move too fast for him to have a decisive grasp over. He does his best to focus on one task at a time but often cannot; he is exceeds when tasked with multiple things at once.

Despite his lack of mental focus, Oshea is quite introspective. He possesses a lot of intangible traits: charisma, leadership, intuition, confidence. Oshea can be impulsive, and will sometimes act brash in dangerous situations. This does not mean he will not think about his actions while he is doing something, rather that he will not relent from doing something after he has committed himself to whatever path he has chosen.
Habits: He is untidy and he does not enjoy order in the slightest sense.
Hobbies: Running. Collecting shoes. Placing bets. Collecting sports jerseys. Cooking.
Fears:
* Guns.
* Returning to poverty.
* Being too slow or too late.

Likes:
* Junk food.
* Lots of colors.
* Drawing.
* Video games.
* Building things.
* Girls.

Dislikes: 6 minimal
* Bullies.
* Roaches.
* Egotistical people.
* Inequality.
* Moral discrimination.
* Being alone.

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Cards On The Table
General World Skills: Max 6
* Cooking.
* Driving.
* Good with directions and understanding an environment.
* Deciphering intentions.
* Reading body language.
* Eating.

Combat Skills:
* Hand-to-hand skills (boxing).
* Fighting dirty.

Possessions:
This is generally the list of items that you own, just list your characters possessions.
* A keychain with his friend's face on it.
* Black 8 oz boxing gloves.
* Red goggles.
* Wallet.
* Art supplies (colored pencils, markers, paintbrushes, etc)
* An assortment of 90s rap albums.
* An assortment of underground rap albums.
* Several kinds of Hostess' junk foods.
* A red watch.
* A cape.

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History
How did you discover your powers: Like other mutants, his powers showed themselves in spurts once he hit puberty. It was not until a run-in with the neighborhood bullies that his powers reared themselves in full. Across all of Baltimore there are gangs, organizations who war with one another for control over money and lucrative pipelines for selling product. While Oshea himself was never involved in gangs or drugs, he residency as a Fayette Avenue inhabitant marked him as an enemy of nameless and faceless kids from warring neighborhoods.

One day, Oshea was getting off of the bus that dropped him off on the corner several blocks from his house--and right in the heart of enemy territory. He was soon approached by seven kids of varying sizes and dispositions--each of whom asked no questions and immediately began trying to punish him over a trivial categorical difference: where he lived. But Oshea had ran before, he had ran his entire life--from death, from being perceived as "soft", from guidance; so it was easy for him to run again--and he did. Time slowed, everyone else was standing still and he was moving at inhuman speeds.

Why did you choose the side that you did?: Where Oshea grew up, there was little hope. On the corner of Fayette Avenue, Oshea was privy to every social more in a poverty stricken area: drugs, gangs, violence, betrayal. His love for superheroes and his idolization of prominent figures Charles Xaver and Bishop brought him great solace while trying to survive the city's worst. When his mutant abilities came to fruition, he was soon brought to the Xavier Institute and vowed to use his newfound abilities to fight the horrors he had seen in his own neighborhood.

General History: Born and raised in Baltimore, Oshea never had an easy life. While both of his parents were present in his life, his father worked two jobs and his mother worked as a babysitter at night. For much of his adolescence, Oshea was alone and could have easily shared the fate of many of his peers: in jail, addicted to drugs, or dead. He pre-occupied himself with the arts: reading, writing, painting, music. These all served as suitable outlets for him to express himself in ways less nefarious than the streets. It was in this that Oshea developed a strong independence and reliance on himself.

He grew up fast and learned to provide for himself from an early age. Nights where neither of his parents were home he would prowl Baltimore on the hunt for any scraps of food he could find, often posing as a hobo in hopes of garnishing the sympathy of the occasional well-to-do patron on the finer side of Baltimore where project buildings gave way to high-rises and nice cars. It was this trickery that honed Oshea's skills as a hustler and master of deception. With what food and loose change he could hustle from some charitable soul, Oshea would bought more art supplies to further his craft. He graduated from painting on canvas to painting murals, from writing poetry to performing it locally. He became somewhat of a recognizable face around his neighborhood and was one of few kids to rise above circumstances given to him.

He was certainly not infallible. What little fame he garnered from his art also gained him enemies. He spent many days defending himself from bullies and kids from rival neighborhoods. As such, he used the few hundred dollars he got from the poetry slams to fund boxing lessons for himself at a local gym. It was there that he learned to strike, defend, maneuver, and knock-out the finest amateurs in his neighborhood. For a time (before he attended Xavier's) he turned semi-pro, and had five total fights in which he went 3-2. A nasty head injury from his final fight marked his retirement from amateur boxing, though he has yet to put down the gloves completely.

Since he has been at Xavier's, he has developed a bond with many of the newer and incoming students and often offers advice and guidance to them. He especially tries to mentor the kids who come from disadvantageous backgrounds much like himself. Recently, he was invited to join the resident X-Men team as part of its new generation of young mutants and he vows to use his powers alongside his peers to bring peace to the world at large. Oshea is determined to someday become a teacher at the Institute and he also hopes one day to have a comic book penned after him. Most of all, Oshea wants to serve as a hero worthy of the title and serve as someone kids can look up to much like Oshea did when he was young.

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Extras
Character Quote: "I just run 'til I can't run anymore."
Theme Song: Army of the Godz
Anything Else: Bishop. Create-A-Superhero 2

*By submitting this CS in its completion I am stating I have read all the rules for this Rp and am agreeing to follow them to the fullest with respect and courtesy. I acknowledge that I can and will be removed from the RP without warning if I break a rule or cause problems with my fellow Rpers or the GM.

[User]
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Ayita Dyrkin

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Location X-Van

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Rolling her shoulders, Ayita took stock of the equipment she had. It wasn't much, but she had never wanted for much. A fleeting note that she should pick up a bow at some point flickered through her mind. It wouldn't hurt to have that welcomed bulk upon her once more. Not that the correct bow was bulky. They were smooth agile weapons that the woman honestly appreciated. Hers had been left in her small cavern home in the mountains. Not really a home, but a den for the winter months. She had thought about reclaiming it- but that would be a waste of time. She could make another if it came down to it. Not to mention she didn't see the Professor denying her that when she noted the guns (loud and obnoxious things) the others had.

A feral smile graced her lips however. It was small hard to notice. But it was there as she stared Pietro in the eyes. Her head slowly tilting to the side to revealed her notched ear. "You say that as if this Mystique is so great because her powers are 'cool'. Strong. Even the apex. Even such fall to the savage desperation of the prey time to time. Such is the law of nature." Her voice never rose, never took an edge to it. Merely stated the facts as she saw them. It did not matter to her if this turncoat missed her warning. It truly was not Mystique that worried her. Human grudges like his sister's concerned her greater. And she would rather face the other shifters the Brotherhood had than the Scarlet Witch. All in all however, Ayita wanted to pull this off without a fight. Thus avoiding the negatives that happened in a fight. Wounds, maim, death. Her amber eyes gleamed as she tilted her head back normally, hiding her ear again. Her feral look cooling to neutrality again. "Be that as it may. I am not keen of meeting any apex predator in combat. Those fights are bloody and often end well for no one." It was true enough, and she wondered if perhaps that's why such clashes between X-men and Brotherhood ended as they did.

Well for no one.

[Assistant]
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Guinevere Stark

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Location: The X-Van
{"Just don't do anything I would do."}

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 Guin grimaced as she heard Hank's assessment of the situation. With viruses that Magneto had been developing for only a month at most, there was the potential for danger that Magneto had not intended. Assuming that the first virus had been released, they would need to create a vaccine for the second and an antidote for the first. In order to get a sample of the first virus, they'd have to be lucky. Hopefully, Magneto had samples of the first virus on site. She knew that the second had to still be there. Otherwise, she would be dead along with Cassandra -- Magneto would have already released them.

 Did Guin find it a bit odd that Pietro couldn't remember the powers of the other mutants? Yes, she did. She was familiar with the abilities of her team - if they didn't know what each other was capable of, then they wouldn't really be a team. It left her with only two conclusions: either Pietro was clueless when it came to the inner workings of the Brotherhood or he was intentionally withholding information.

 She liked him, yes, but she wasn't stupid. She knew that there was a serious advantage for Magneto if he could get one of his followers inside the X-Men's ranks. But if Pietro really was still working for Magneto, it wouldn't make any sense that he helped them at the Power Plant. Even if Magneto didn't want them killed, Pietro could have taken them all hostage. The only logical explanation was that Pietro had had a change of heart.

 And, of course, that he didn't pay close attention to the other two mutants working for Magneto. Guin glanced at Carolina as the girl went limp. The mission was starting. Her team wasn't too bad: Marygold, Allison, Carolina, and herself. They'd be going down into the lower levels of the lab, while Cassandra's team was sticking to the upper levels. She didn't have any powers herself, but she had cheap tricks and cheesy one liners. They'd get her through this.

[User]
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Allison Andrews

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Location: The Garage
{"Puppies and kittens. Think happy thoughts...."}

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Allison felt eyes on her but wasn't sure who was looking at her. It gave her a warm fuzzy, regardless, because it meant someone was watching out for her. Not that she didn't trust her team! Of course, she did! She was excited to be working with those she as assigned to. Hopefully, she would be able to pull her own weight this time around.

The girl, Carolina, told her what she was able to do. It sounded so neat! So cool! Much cooler than her own powers! She could already tell they would get along swimmingly! You know...provided they live to tell about it after all of this. No Allison! Think happy thoughts. Of course, they are going to get through this! There is no way bad guys will win. That never happens.

Right?

[Assistant]
"It's almost about that time."

It was almost time. Too much anticipation. Too much unease, no peace. Was every ride to the beginning of a mission going to be this long? Oshea couldn't bottle his childish wonder; gone--at least for now--was the worry, he could concentrate on the X's and O's, a sudden change in group personnel stifled some of his extraneous plans, but he supposed those could be saved for later. At present, he had to figure out how to best utilize his new team. The sensible part of his mind told him he had to refrain from action; the part of himself truer to his base desires urged him to delve; which would prevail remained to be seen.

Running recon wouldn't be smart; it may just be a repeat of last mission--and for the sake of hi team he could not afford another broken leg. With Casandra and Charlie a his partners, Oshea had formulated a fine initial plan, he would let them both know soon as the mission had begun. What last moments of insidious calm he could manage, Oshea would.


[System]
Gender: F

Age: 11

House: Sorted into Gryffindor

Pet: A barn owl called Tufty. Layla was gifted this by her mother (by continuous pestering) when she went got into Hogwarts.

Strengths:
-Quick to learn
-Easy to make friends
-High intellect
-Amazing at playing Wizard Chess

Weaknesses:
-Can't take a joke
-Doesn't like doing odd-jobs
-Worries a lot
-Grumpy when she wakes up

Personality:
* Inspirational
* Imaginative
* Arrogant
* Geeky
* Ambitious
* Compassionate
* Selfish

History: Layla was born to a Muggle mother, and a wizard father -- therefore making her a half-blood. Her father died in a freak accident when she was nine, and her mother has been finding it hard to raise her ever since; cue the magic powers. Layla started having, well, "strange" things happen to her at the age of three. Her father had taken away her toy broomstick and she was extremely angry, so she hid in the garden. She was hiding so well, that when she looked down at herself all she saw was the grass! Obviously she had accidentally made herself invisible (her mother and father couldn't find her for hours!). This was followed by a short run-in with Professor McGonagall who was severely impressed that Layla had managed to do fairly advanced magic for her age.

NPCs: N/A

[User]
Roze chewed on her bacon sandwich as she patiently read each of Dani's messages, chuckling at the inadvertent 'air-head' pun of their deceased Head of House. In regards to Dani's last question, Roze tilted her head upwards thoughtfully, looking at the enchanted ceiling of the hall. It was a crisp, clear blue - just like the weather outside. The warmth of summer still remained in air, but the cold autumn winds were slowly making themselves known in the mornings and evenings, chasing away the remainders of the summer sun.
"I see what you mean; to someone who's new to this world, it would be quite hard. But I'm just glad we weren't assigned some massive essay - the horror stories that my brother's given me have made me have second thoughts about even coming." She said with another chuckle, looking back at Dani. "We can do it together, if you'd like. My Uncle's an Auror - I'm sure he can give us some pretty badass spells to write down."
Finishing there, she continued eating while she allowed Dani to reply. However, as she glanced at her whiteboard, she dropped her sandwich in surprise at the writing that had appeared on it in an unfamiliar scrawl.
"What the heck?" Roze looked at Dani in confusion.

[Assistant]
The boy seemed to gather his courage and come over to Layla and Charlotte. He was a Gryffindor, and a muggleborn, and Charlotte was quite excited to hear that.

"Oh!" she was jumping a little in her excitement, "I'm a Gryffindor, a muggle born too! You can sit with us... if it's alright with Layla. I'm Charlotte." She held a hand for him to shake.

[User]
"I mean, we have all year but... all she did was talk about what curses were, we have no idea how to even do them! How am I supposed to invent a new thing when I don't know any of the old ones?"
"Well, I know some... Besides, it's not like inventing a new curse, just a way of cursing the position with curses already invented. Right...?"

Then a boy walked over and stood next to her. "I was wondering if any of you girls are from Gryffindor? If so, can I sit next to you guys, I'm a muggleborn so I don't really know anyone." He said in a thick New Zealand accent. She liked his accent.

Charlotte was the first to reply, "I'm a Gryffindor, a muggleborn too! You can sit with us... if it's alright with Layla. I'm Charlotte."
"It's fine! Totally fine. I'm a Gryffindor too, although I believe I'm a half-blood?" Layla began muttering to herself, her thoughts trailing to the question at hand.

[Assistant]
"Ahh, thank you. A half-blood, I am afraid I am not familiar with the term. I am Ajax by the way, nice to meet you girls." Ajax smiled, pleasantly surprised that they said yes. He shook the now named Charlotte's hand. As they walked through the dungeons, he made a lot of small talk with the pair, talking about life here versus life in the muggle world. After two minutes of walking with the crowd, he saw a glimpse of light in the corner of his eye. He paused and looked down a dark corridor next to him. A ghost, a headless one at that, flew across the corridor.

Ajax shrugged and took a couple of steps.,Until his brain started working. "That was a ghost." He said matter of factly. "A ghost. Huh. Wow. Never seen one of those." He turned towards the pair. "Do any of you know where the way out of the dungeons are? I have no idea." It seemed that the crowd was gone. Leaving the three of them alone. How a crowd of around thirty people disappear and go fast enough to leave the three of them alone in a dark dungeon was something that none of them were thinking of.

They were alone. In a dungeon. In a school for magic. Corniest. Shit. Ever

[User]
"No kidding," Nolan mumbled in response. There really was so much to get used to here. He couldn't even imagine what it must be like for the Muggle-borns. He automatically walked to the Slytherin table as he really didn't know where else to go. Halfway through his first day and he'd only made two friends, none in his house. And where was Chandler anyway?

He sat down and began scooping food onto his plate. He hadn't realized until just now how hungry he was, though he supposed it had been a long morning. "You were asking about my brothers earlier, well I have five. Two of 'em here at Hogwarts with us." He gestured as discreetly as he could at the Ravenclaw table where Roy was staring at the ceiling. Judoc meanwhile was nowhere to be found.

"So what was your favorite class so far?" he asked, trying to bring the attention back form his brothers. He didn't notice the familiar face and green scarf settle into the seat just a few seats down. "Or I guess you can't really tell yet, huh? A bunch of first day stuff, they all ran together." He stuffed a few spoonfuls of mashed potatoes in his mouth.

[Assistant]
Dani was grateful that Rose was willing to work with her on the homework and help her if she had any questions, though a willingness to teach others seemed to be a common trait amongst Ravenclaw. It certainly made it easier for her to adjust to everything. She would have to do something to thank Rose later.

Having been taking a bite to eat and being distracted by a strange chuckle from behind her every so often, while Rose responded, Dani didn't get a chance to take her whiteboard back and reply right away. Hence her confusion when Rose adopted a surprised and puzzled expression while she looked from the whiteboard to Dani. The second Dani looked at her board, she realized that someone had changed the writing.

She tried to communicate to Rose that she hadn't written that down, but she wasn't sure if her new friend would get the meaning behind her gesticulations. It seemed that someone was messing with her via magical means. Despite figuring that it probably wouldn't work, Dani wrote a message on her whiteboard and passed it over to Rose. "I don't know what's going on or who's changing what I write." She held onto the green marker that she had used to write the message with as proof that it was hers. If the color of the message changed again, she would be able to show that she hadn't actually written down whatever nonsense might appear.

[User]
Peering at the board in curiosity, Roze racked her brains to try and think of what could be doing it. Now, she herself was noticing the strange giggles surrounding them. Thinking back to what her brother had told her about Hogwarts, she looked up instead of around.
"Hmm.... I think it may be a ghost. Or Poltergeist. Apparently there's a rather energetic one in the castle called Peeves." Roze said out loud, still looking around them with suspicious eyes to see if anything would surface and prove her right or wrong.

[Assistant]
Late. Again. "It was a curse" his father told him, "Even even when we rushed, all the Arrowminers were late to their first day of school" He now walked to lunch. After meeting in the Headmistress' office, and getting sorted into his house, he walked to the Great Hall.

It was quite overwhelming, all the people, in one place. He found the Ravenclaw table, and managed to squeeze into an open space next to a blond girl, Andy another with a whiteboard. He grabbed two sandwiches, and put them onto his plate. He smiled at the two girls sheepishly, trying to say something.

"Um, uh, hi, I'm er, um Daniel." He messed up, knowing he got tongue tied, and put his palms to his face, disappointed in himself. Mabye, they won't notice. Right?

@TaliPaendrag

[User]
Downstairs still….? (Layla, Chrolette, Ajax)

As they left the dungeon they would be watched. Holt, the ghost, would not be seen by the trio. Holt would follow them until they began to ascend. Then, once the students were out of sight, the ghost would turn about and travel back into the dungeons.

Table Ravenclaw...? (Dani, Roze, Daniel)

Peeves, now named, burst into laughter and projected him up through a neat stack of sandwiches, sending cold cuts, lettuce, mayo, and loves flying in all directions. "I neglected to properly introduce myself at the great feast yesterday!" He was doing cartwheels through the air. He was a funny-looking ghost with a crooked grin, a squat body and spindly arms. He would occasionally stop to tip over a glass, especially if that glass was placed precariously close to homework. "No need for applause!"

"I'm not the only one who is late!" He sang then pointed a thin finger at Daniel, his nail was long and sharp. "Arrowminers! Fashionably late as always! When they heard you were coming this year they didn't bother to put the hat away after the ceremony!" He tittered. "Arrow-whiiiineers!"

Table Slytherin (Nolan, Caelum)

"Yes." Caelum crossed her hands together under the table. She put a few things on her plate, but found she had little appetite. "It is too early to tell." She tilted her head. "I don't even know what to do with magic. I suppose… I've seen the moving pictures. I hope we can learn how to do that." She glanced at the various portraits on the wall. The wizards and witches depicted moved quietly within their frames. "I think… I think I have seen them moving in and out of their frames!" She leaned forward and whisper, as if she had discovered some great secret. "I think they can visit each other. I wonder how that works."

She looked down at her plate, spearing a tomato with her fork. "Are your brothers nice to you? I always wondered what it would be like to have brothers."

The pair were receiving glares from the older students, particularly from a certain quidditch team. They seemed to start bickering with one another, gesturing toward Caelum and Nolan from time to time. For now, their conversation was contained to their group. The girl with the green scarf did not seem to care about her team mates conversation. Instead she watched Nolan with unblinking green eyes.

[Assistant]
It was Charlotte who led them out of the dungeons this time. She had her bearings properly, and seemed to have a good sense of direction, even in the maze-like dungeon.

The three got up to the Great Hall about half way through lunch, though, and they were hard pressed finding a spot with three free seats at Gryffindor's table. She immediately piled some mashed potatoes on a plate and smothered them with gravy.

"Okay, so me and Ajax have both muggle parents, but only one of yours is, right, Lay? Which one?"

[User]
Nolan shrugged. "My brothers are all right. It's a normal thing, I think. I mean, we fight and pick on each other all the time. But my brothers are actually really nice to me overall. Sometimes too nice." He made a face as he recalled Tidus and Judoc's over-the-top interest in his well-being from the day before.

Her comments about the paintings amused him. His experience with the muggles and magic folk in his family had shown him that moving photographs and paintings were something that were easily take for granted. "You know, my brother Nolan is a good artist. He learned how to make his work move." There was a bit of jealousy in his voice. He hadn't intended to let the conversation come to his brothers' talents. Over at the Ravenclaw table he could see Roy had been joined by his friends and shaken out of his daydreaaming. "If you want, I could get him to charm some of your stuff..." Then he grinned as put some chicken onto his plate. "Or do you really only just doodle?"

[Assistant]
Table Slytherin

"Is he?" Caelum was interested to hear about another student artist. She had nearly gone to an arts school instead of Hogwarts. She was beginning to feel out of place. Now she knew of other students here interested in art, not just magic.

She did not sense the animosity in his voice when he spoke of his brother. "I hope to get better at it, even though I'll be busy learning magic I can't imagine... not drawing. If your brother could help that sounds... I'd like to try..." She shook her head. "For now they are just doodles. I hope to get better than that one day."

[User]
Layla and Ajax were led out by Charlotte. Layla was impressed by Charlotte's refined sense of direction. She herself could only find her way using a map.

There was a big selection of food at the Gryffindor table, but only one of which Layla had any sense of interest in; Yorkshire puddings! She grabbed a few and almost immediately dropped them - they were piping hot! - but she managed to get them to her plate, slapping on the gravy.

"My mother was a muggle..." Layla dropped the Yorkshire pudding she was eating.


[System]
Race: Laguz (Raven)
Age: 21
Appearance: Messy short black hair. Tall and thin, angular face. Dark blue eyes. Large black wings.
Features: Bird's Eye (Sees farther away than most and can pick up more details up close.)
Stats
 Constitution - 4
 Strength - 2
 Magic - 0
 Skill - 6
 Speed - 6
 Defense - 4
 Resistance - 4
 Luck - 3
Inventory: Beaststone
Personality: Snarky, ever watchful for danger or things he can exploit, clever but impulsive with a quick temper, curious
Biography: He'd had honestly had hope for Miricia. Not much since Beroc would be Beroc, but some. He had wandered over from Derark to see if he could make a new life here. Now that King Temerius had abandoned them, he'd need to take matters into his own hands to figure out who'd murdered the former Beroc king no matter what.
Additional Info: Has dealt with the criminal underbelly before.

[User]
Felix Vulpeculas - Dawn, Miricia

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On the roof of the Dancing Dragon, a certain redhead was curled up like a cat, snoozing away the day with dreams of gold and jewels. Really there was nothing better on a sunny day than a seista under the warm rays. He remained only half asleep, as some idiots thought he was a Laguz for a reason he couldn't quite see. The bastards threw a rock at him once, and he gave them some burns. Fair's fair.

The other reason he wasn't fully asleep was because the pub below him was a goldmine of information waiting to be tapped. Sure 90% of it was dragon dung, but he had hit a dead end with his search for loot and figured it couldn't hurt. Hmm... a new voice, well technically two but the other guy wasn't interesting. Seemed like a background character if anything.

Yawning, he stretched out. Was he about to go down and introduce himself, possibly signing up for a quest of earth shattering proportions? No, he was just scooting around so he was evenly baked by the sun. Anyway, the prick of an owner banned him. Honestly, it was only a minor fire, nobody even died.

[Assistant]
Nortiz-Dawn,Mirica

"Right away, good sir," Nortiz replied, forcing himself not to grimace as he dashed into the back and sighed. His wings were killing him! Curse the goddess for having the one tavern close to the castle and hiring be anti-Laguez. Wings were not meant to be worn under tunics. But such was a price for and a better chance at intel on the goings on of the castle.

He filled up a quart stein with the strongest brew available. That ought to help that dumb knight wag his tongue. Figure out what to do with his companion and he'd hit the jackpot. May as well see if an opportunity presented itself. He skillfully hurried back out, no drips falling from the brew. "There you are." He called as he served his gold mine before turning to the other, glancing around you make sure no one else was calling for him. "Anything for you, sir?"

[User]
Dawn, Miricia

Letting out a breath as he takes a seat at the table claimed by the Prince and his bodyguard procured, Zachary felt relief at finally arriving at their destination. Joining the emissaries when the call was sent out, he had volunteered with great haste. This was a mission of great importance, to that there was no doubt. Tasked with solving an assassination of a nation's leader is no small task. It would be lying though if he said he joined with no selfish reasoning. This was as much an opportunity for him to prove himself to those back home.

He motions towards the tavern maid to get her attention. "An ale, please," he requests. "And some food." Once his order was in check, Zachary's eyes wonders over towards the price and his more boisterous bodyguard. During the trip, he never really had much of a chance to try and speak to his highness. Though at the rate they had traveled to arrive here and the focus the prince had appeared, the young man figured better than to potentially annoy the young royal.

Noticing Prince Eric looking up at something, his head and eyes followed. They ended up on a sign over the bar, indicating that Laguez were not welcome here. Zachary grimaces at that. He knew others could be quite hostile towards the Laguez people, but he had never had issues with them himself. And wasn't this supposed to be the nation were Beorc and the Laguez were supposed to be working together? Head shaking, Zachary turns away from it, as he waits for his drink.

[Assistant]
Ava - Dawn, Miricia

---

The "Future of Karula" was surely looking bleak right now. The situation was worse than Ava had thought, you could cut the tension in the air with a knife, worse of all the current laws meant that she couldn't move freely through Dawn, which complicated her mission. Not wanting to try to hide her ears and tail, she used her ability to half-shift to appear as a gray-haired stray dog, which let her roam the streets. Aside from the weird looks from being a three-legged dog, no one seemed to suspect she was a Laguz in disguise.

Hanging around the main square while deciding what would be her next steps, Ava noticed a group of Albian knights entering a tavern. Curious about their reasons for being there, she got closer to the tavern, inspecting the door. Her current form presented a problem, she couldn't just push the door and enter it, dogs weren't allowed at taverns and at this point Laguz probably weren't welcome either, so she had to find another way to listen in. For now, she decided to sit outside the tavern and try her best to hear what was happening inside it, even if she couldn't hear everything they had to come out at some point.

[User]
Prince Erik Reighn - Dawn, Miricia

"Oh boy! Much appreciated!" Gregory cried out happily as he was brought a large mug. The man greedily accepted the beverage and gulped down part of its contents moments after its arrival. Gregory was built like a bear, but had the personality of a child. Erik looked over at Gregory and his drink, tempted at the moment to order something himself to calm his nerves, but he was far too pissed off to want that now.

Erik shook his head as he looked up at his server for the first time. His dark hair and thin frame was unremarkable, but his back seemed... larger than normal. Erik glanced at it curiously and cocked and eyebrow. A bad case of hunchback? Or was he hiding something. Regardless, it wasn't the prince's place to delve into other's business, unless they made it his business.

"I'll take another ale, boy!" An inebriated older man with a full white beard yelled from behind Noritz as he clapped on his back. The older man drunkenly patted him a few times and looked at his hand in confusion, as he felt something beyond more than just a back. "What the...?"

Erik took notice of this, as apparently did others around the tavern due to the older man's loud voice. Now many had their eyes on the server. Erik glanced around anxiously, realizing something may very well happen. He looked over at Gregory and the young Archer Zachary that had join them, and grasped onto his blade from his seat.

[Assistant]
Felix Vulpecula

---

Creeeak...
...
Creeeeeeeeaaaaaak...
...
Creeeeeeeaaaaaaa-

SNAP!!!

Apparently the roof wasn't strong enough for someone to toss and turn on while napping. Honestly, such shoddy workmanship. Felix fell through the ceiling, landing samely on top of a rotund mob character patron of the bar. Hey, and it was just in time for a good old fashioned bar fight. He hadn't been involved in one since that incident at the strip club. In his defence, that dancer hit like a steam train.

Opening his tome of Thunder, he gave a vulpine grin and said:

"So we going by traditional barfighting rules, or is maiming allowed?"

This playful tone was offset by him immediately sending a bolt of lightning at one of the other patrons before leaping behind a table. The mage started cackling maniacly as he began zapping random folks. Gods he loved bars.

[User]
Nortiz - Dawn, Mirica

Swiftly, Nortiz took advantage of the newcomer's arrival. He ducked down, knocked over the old guy, then rolled to shelter under the knights' table. Risky, but a lightning wielding mage actively attacking people should be higher priority than a suspected laguez. He hoped Mildred would be alright though. The barmaid was nice, for being a beroc.

Next, he struggled to free his wings. He couldn't transform with them in their current position! They were already sore enough as it was. Transforming like this could potentially break them. Why hadn't he figured out something to hide how they felt when patted? He had only seen himself as behind the counter and not someone people would randomly have a chance or inclination to pat.

He grabbed his beastsone to be ready while he tore at the tunic. It'd take too long to to lift above his head right now. He knew he was panicking though as his attempts became frantic, but it couldn't be helped. Getting caught now meant either official custody or mob rule. And either pathway would be no picnic. Only the dumb knight's companion promised a possibility of things working out if surrendered to. He'd obviously been willing to leave things alone before the old man came in, noticing something before. Nortiz would be dammed though if he willingly surrendered to a beroc without exhausting every other options, not again.

[Assistant]
Dawn, Miricia

How did everything suddenly get so crazy? They hadn't even been here for more than five minutes and now the tavern has turned to utter chaos! First it seemed that one of the servers had caught the attention of everyone in the tavern after a loud drunk had patted him across the path. The look that Prince Erik had when he turned towards Sir Gregory and himself indicated that he was preparing to intervene if he needed to.

But before that situation could developed anymore, a crash came through the roof and what looked like a kid fell on top of another patron. Just what the heck is going on?! Even as his brain was processing the insanity, the situation gets even worse when it becomes seemingly evident that the kid is a madman, as he starts firing off lightning at random inside the tavern.

Zachary knew in this situation that the first priority is to secure the safety of his prince. He bolts up from his seat towards Prince Erik, hastily placing his arm on his back with a push to keep his head down. "Your Highness! It's not safe here. We need to get you outside now!" It's imperative he can keep the Prince safe. An incident here could spell trouble not just here, but back in Albia as well.

[User]
Prince Erik Reighn - Dawn, Miricia

Madness!

Erik has barely enough time to react before the roof collapsed, and some maniac appeared to be firing on the bar patrons. "We're not running from this!" He unsheathed his sword, as Gregory rose and armed himself with a Lance.

"Get the innocent to safety! Break this fight apart!" He commanded, and dashed forward to the fray, attacking the odd, shorter fellow who crashed into the tavern. He swung his sword from the top of his head, making sure to try to hit his opponent with the broad side of his sword for a non-lethal strike.

[Assistant]
Felix Vulpecula

---

Felix just barely managed to dodge out of the way of the oncoming slash. Ye gods this guy was fast. It was by only their divine intervention (or more the devil's luck) that the guy was slowed by the table he used as cover otherwise he'd have been instantly knocked out of the fight.

"Oh gods, you're a Main Character." the mage said, dodging behind much slower patrons. They made good meat shields. "And are you trying to kill me you arse? You know magi have lower physical abilities than you brutes!"

As punisment for breaking the fourth wall, the Fire Fox tripped on an errant mug and went rolling into another patron, headbutting the guy square in the junk. The youth quickly stood up and started trying to rub that off his head.

"Eww... I touched another guys junk... so gross..."

[User]
Ava - Dawn, Miricia

---

There was no need to strain her ears for Ava to notice the ongoing mess in the tavern. Somehow everything went from zero to a hundred in less than five minutes, starting from the roof collapsing. She was pleased with these turn of events though, it seems luck had decided to favor her this time, as now she had an excuse to beat a few people up and get answers of what occurred from there, something miles more interesting than pretending to be a dog. The king surely wouldn't mind her roughing of a few people up if it's for investigation purposes. Her human form would probably be enough for handling a couple of drunkards, but if she had to go against the Albian knights she would need to use her beast form.

Ditching her disguise Ava kicked the door open, not a few moments later getting a chair thrown at her by one of the patrons, which she narrowly managed to avoid. A quick look at the "We don't serve beasts or birds!" sign made her realize that coming out without hiding her ears had made her a walking target. Well, that saved her the effort of having to initiate a fight, she thought, a big grin forming on her face.

[Assistant]
Nortiz - Dawn, Mirica

Your Highness?

The words caught Nortiz's attention as he finally managed to transform. Hoping the confusion of the mage and the laguez newcomer (hopefully she'd be alright) would be enough of a distraction, he flew up through the roof then found a place to hide where he still had a view of the tavern's brawl. He needed to keep an eye on that royal.

While he could be the king himself with the knight accidentally calling him by his old title, most likely it was some foriegn dignitary (especially now that Nortiz noticed the non-Mirican sigils). If so, he was likely here on business with the Jacob III, which could provide an opening to learn all the facts and investigate the prime person who benefited from the past king's murder. The anti-Laguez laws had come rather quickly in the aftermath, a laguez type kill could be faked, and hopefully an actual laguez assassin would kill in a Beroc way in order to not be obvious unless paid to do otherwise. (And the only other possibility he knew of was those laguez fanatics and hopefully it wadn't them because that would mean that they've started to make their move and they would...)

Nortiz shook his head. Now wasn't the time for such musings. First thing was to keep an eye on this prince and potentially help the other laguez. That's all he could concern himself with for now. Observing and waiting.


[System]
* 0: The GM has the last word in case of disputes.
* 0.1: DM approval does allow one to get around certain rules, but only express permission.
* 1: No invincibility, immortality, invisibility, psionic powers (these just tend to be generally powerful with few drawbacks), or flight. Use common sense, and ask if you're uncertain if something is allowed or not.
* 2: This is common sense, but no godmodding or metagaming.
* 3: Unlisted abilities or equipment are assumed to not exist. If you want your character to have an item or ability you did not list on your character sheet, ask me for permission first.
* 4: One character per player, PM me if you want more characters.
* 5: If you wish to keep parts of your character sheet secret, PM the full sheet to me for approval.
* 6: If you want a character that isn't one of the primary races, ask.
* 7: Really, just ask on the thread or in a PM if you want to do unique things

[User]
The halfbeast took an occasional sip from the water, swishing it around to keep a layer of ice from forming, though constant frost was covering icing over the outside of the mug. Noting the Anubite, she watched her for a moment, studying the dress, and the Anubite herself, noting the rather irritated expression.

Soon, though, her gaze flicked to the knight following her, blinking at the stiff, rigid movements, tilting their head, an ear twitching atop her head. Perhaps animated armor? That would explain the silence, and rigid motions... plus the power behind that armored fist fit behind a magical construct... Interesting. Rude, though, there were notices underneath that.

Glancing at her fellow patron nearby speaking to her, the halfbeast blinked a few times, tilting her head, before silently nodding, figuring she likely didn't need to speak where simple movements would suffice. Speaking wasn't particularly difficult, but it was more effort than a nod. Standing up, she took her water with her, to slowly drain, letting the cool liquid into her mouth, and slide down her throat smoothly. Her chill aura was more obvious from right next to Victoria, the cold chill settling over her undeniable.

Studying the notice, the halfbeast tilted her head, a frown on her face, shaking her head. She supposed she was a little prone to death... but then again, everyone was. She had just died once before. At least, she thought she had. It was a little fuzzy, but from what she had heard of her 'kind', she had to have died before. Wasn't everyone prone to dying though? In fact, if one was prone to dying, that would mean they'd have to have died commonly... This entire train of thought was irrelevant. The halfbeast quickly shook her head. Right, right. Tangents. Looking to Victoria, the halfbeast was silent for a moment, before nodding, tone quiet and near emotionless. "Perhaps. If they can speak at all, the motions remind me of magical armor..."

She gave a start at that realization, then frowned. How did she know what magical armor was like? Did she recognize the armor...? She hadn't felt any sense of familiarity towards the armor like she had to her current garb, when first she awoke... No, no, she must have just seen animated armor at some point before. Either way, she steps over to the knight herself, sitting at the table next to the knight's, but near enough for her aura to settle over both the other halfbeast, and the knight, waiting for their response.

[Assistant]
The Silver Piglet
Malstom
Republic of Laith, Samare

Spring, Archor 22 - Igni
Early afternoon, clear weather

---

The knight looked on in silence as the trio approached the table he was seated at, making no effort to greet them in the process. It stared quietly at Jack as he asked for details, then turned it's gaze towards Victoria, and finally settling on the snow spirit for a few moments. It then returned it's gaze to Jack, and began to speak in a monotone voice, slightly muffled by his helmet.

"I do not know why my mistress chose to word her request in the way she has, but I was told that I was to answer most questions to the best of my ability, so that is what I will do." It stated.

"My lady has reason, and evidence, to believe that she is in possession of several artifacts that function like maps leading to ancient relics of great value. She herself does not, however, possess the luxury of having the time to pursue them. That is why she seeks to hire people to track said relics down for her. She has in the past hired three other groups to do this job. Two came back with valuable treasure, though both had suffered losses in the process."

The armoured figure fell silent for a moment, likely with the intention of giving the trio around him the time to think about what was just said. Then, it speaks again, interrupting anyone who tried to ask anything. "You would be the fourth expedition, and you would be permitted to choose which of three artifacts you would like to follow. I have been told that one leads North, while two lead West, to the Northwest and Southwest to be exact. The majority of bounty found along the way will be yours to divide among yourselves, but a servant of the mistress will be accompanying you to lay claim to the relics my lady seeks. Any findings they state the lady does not have interest in will be yours."

"If you have any further questions, ask them now, so that I may answer them."

[User]
Jack Thorne

---

"Would you excuse me a second?" Jack asked, standing up and heading out the back. For a while there was just the regular chatter before the sounds of screaming overpowered it. Those who knew dwarven were either blushing or impressed that someone knew so many swears. After thirty seconds, he re-entered the room, adjusting his hat, and returned to the table.

"That's better." Jack said, his face like a contented cat, "Apologies, I've had a few (dozen) bad experiences with ancient treasure maps. Things are buried for a reason." He lamented that he didn't have enough money for another beer, even if this stuff is weak as piss compared to back home.

"I'm not thrilled about it, but needs must. You have yourself a professional historian and artefact retrieval expert on board.

[Assistant]
"Magical armor, huh?" said Victoria, contemplating the validity of the half-beast spirit's words. The thought seemed sound for sure and was possibly true. Although a fun concept to ponder, she kept her focus to the knight and the other half-beast and their inevitable interaction.

Upon joining the other two explorers, the knight finally spoke, although in an unimpressive and somewhat muted monotone voice. The knight explained that their mistress -- the anubite from before? Maybe, but not enough information to be certain -- was in the business of requesting teams of adventurers to locate several relics that could only be pinpointed by artifacts within her possession. However, the knighted continued, stating three groups were sent but only mentioned two of those groups, and the casualties they suffered. No mention of the third group at all. Great. The knight eventually sweetened the deal, advising that the bounty would be theirs to keep as an incentive if found of course.

After getting the gist of this request, Victoria took the moment to evaluate the request before them. The job was certainly dangerous, especially as three teams had encountered losses during those expeditions. Victoria could only begin to imagine what sore of traps and other perils await them, assuming the accepted. But coming from experiences, the greater the danger, the greater the treasure and knowledge that was in store. As she weighed the value of the request, the other half-beast that initiated the discussion excused themselves and abruptly left the room. She didn't think too much of this, that was, however, until the same half-beast, now outside, vocalized a loud varied storm of curses and other offensive verses and choice words. All of which were in a dwarven tongue. Impressive. So much so that it was enough to snap Victoria out of her train of thought. Made her snicker as well.

The half-beast eventually returned from their brief profanity-throwing-meltdown and looking rather chipper, despite going through said outburst one might experience upon discovering their letterbox was mistakenly used as a latrine. Although establishing their unfortunate history with other expeditions, something Victoria's curious mind was already drawing multiple conclusions, the half-beast accepted the quest; without any additional probing questions. She narrowed her eyes, almost as a natural response to catching on to a hidden detail. Suspicion aside, she rallied her thoughts back to the main topic and with that, approaching the knight.

"Consider me on board as well," she announced, though her tone alluded to an armed query, "however, I am curious as to the nature of these relics that your mistress has an interest for. How valuable are they to her and if it exists, what is their purpose?"

[User]
Well, the monotone voice helped add evidence to her theory of the knight being animated armor, although she wasn't sure whether them having a voice was normal or not, she couldn't remember too much about animated armor... or much, really. The artifacts were like maps? Which implies that they weren't actually maps, somehow... The beastgirl studied the knight closely, nodding as the other halfbeast left, not bothering to turn and look at him. Three groups had gone out before, while two had come back with losses... meaning the third hadn't returned at all. A dangerous adventure, then. Hm, perhaps there was something about these artifacts... and what in the hells is that noise?

She looked outside, ears twitching uncomfortably at the loud yelling coming from directly outside in a... vaguely familiar language, though she knew she didn't know it, based on the fact that she didn't understand what he was saying, it could probably be assumed he wasn't the happiest. An assumption that was only confirmed by his prompt dialogue, and she nodded, understanding somehow. Some things were better to be kept buried, but from what she had heard, there was all too much buried in this land anyways, they had to unearth some of it eventually... and better for prepared adventurers to do it than random farmers.

"I suppose you may consider me part of this little group as well. Would your... mistress... be that halfbeast who seems to have disappeared?" The ears were a bit strange, but she seemed like a halfbeast to the cat... She was rather curious about the answer to Victoria's question as well. While she wasn't terribly interested in wealth, these relics were apparently valuable enough for someone to send out 3 adventuring parties, so they must be important somehow...

[Assistant]
The Silver Piglet
Malstom
Republic of Laith, Samare

Spring, Archor 22 - Igni
Early afternoon, clear weather

---

The armoured figure tilted it head slightly as Jack excused himself, but gave a small polite nod as he left the table, showing little reaction to the loud cursing that occured moments later, though when he returned to accept to the offer the knight sat upright just a bit more, seeming happy with having at least one person on board so far. Then, Victoria and the other Half-Beast agreed to join as well, and the figure nodded once more.

"It is good to hear that you are willing to partake in this, and I shall adress your questions and concerns in order, to the best of my ability. Starting with you, Historian. If... experiences from the previous groups are to be believed and assumed to be accurate for the relics in question now, then the relics my mistress seeks are not necessarily buried, but more... forgotten artifacts. Relics that could tell the story of what happened to this world long ago." The knight stated, before turning to Victoria.

"That, in part, should also answer your question. I unfortunately do not know the details of the specific artifacts, perhaps the servant tasked with accompanying you will be better capable of answering any such questions. I have, however, been told that these artifacts could be considered more valuable to a... historian than a merchant." It added, briefly turning to Jack, before shifting his attention to the other half-beast, who asked him about his mistress.

"And yes, it was milady who accompanied me to this establishment. Or, to be more accurate, I accompanied her. She is an anubite, of noble descent, though her family was been cast by the wayside long ago, hence why she is a scholar travelling the world instead of sitting in a palace in the desert."

The knight took a moment to look the trio up and down, before nodding. "Unless you have further questions for me I ask that you proceed to the local Guild Hall, and seek out a man named Grimar. He will be able to tell you more about the choices you have for which map you wish to follow. Milady's servant should also be waiting there, though I do not know what they are like. Grimar, however, is about my height, only unarmoured, and not a hair on his head."


[System]
Age: 24
Physical Appearance: Valerie's appearance seems very well put-together, almost embodying her background of nobility with a soft delicateness offset by steadiness, confidence, and inner strength. She has fair, unblemished skin, pale blue eyes, and long, dark brown hair most often secured in a low bun with a moderate amount of loose strands flitting about her face. Her height is a few inches on the tall side, and her physical build is slim and lithe, with subtle muscling visible where her clothing hugs her body. Obviously not a powerhouse of strength, but capable and in excellent condition.

Armor/Clothing: Her light-weight gear functions well enough with her style of combat and of fashion, and indeed, she finds the blend of noble elegance with mercenary ruggedness somewhat appealing, and some part of her even desires to stand out clearly from common sellswords. The high quality tailoring and craftsmanship speaks volumes about her history, or at least gives away that she wears clothes and gear more expensive than a common mercenary and adventurer just starting out should be able to afford.

Starting with her upper body, Valerie wears a long-sleeved and thin undershirt close fit to the point of a second skin. Over this she wears some actual protection, in the form of a light but sturdy leather breastplate to protect her heart and lungs. It was custom tailored for her and fits extremely well, secured around her neck and lower back. It cuts off just below her ribs, sacrificing some protection for the sake of full flexibility and range of motion.

Her leggings are closely fitted and comfortable linen, with some extra layering of leather around her thighs, hips, and waist to better protect her upper legs. Buckled loosely around her waist is her sword belt, as well as a decorative sash of dark blue silk with golden floral patterns. The sash flutters down from her right hip, partially concealing the hilt of the long, thin dagger sheathed there. Her boots are made of soft leather, designed more to be comfortable than tough, and are buckled below the knee, and again at the ankles.

Under her clothing she wears a pendant with the snowflake emblem of her family, secured on a very thin golden chain.

Weapons: Valerie's primary weapon is a thin, extremely sharp sword, most suited for dueling engagements but functional enough in other styles. It packs a surprising bite, given how quickly Valerie can strike with it, either thrusting or slashing, and can pierce many armor types. It's not a fragile weapon, either, and can block or parry incoming strikes if she needs to. Valerie can wield it with either hand (technically right handed, but she's very ambidextrous) or with both for added strength.

Her sidearm is a long, thin knife at her right hip, which she can wield in either direction front or back, but will only do so in the event that she is somehow disarmed of her sword.

Combat Overview: Speed, decisiveness, grace, and fluidity define Valerie's style. She's very well trained in the use of her weapon, and knows well how to make the most of situations with skillful deflections that turn blows aside rather than stopping them cold, and open up holes in her opponent's defenses for her to exploit. Her offense is swift and precise, and rarely forces her to overextend on the attack and expose vulnerabilities. On the defensive, Valerie is light-footed and agile, able to dodge most attacks lacking swiftness, while parrying attacks strong in speed but lesser in strength. And while she prefers single combat, she's both swift and aware enough to handle multiple enemies of lesser skill simultaneously. At full strength, Valerie is a deadly enemy to fight, with the speed and precision to turn small mistakes from her opponents into lethal ones.

She still has significant weaknesses to overcome, most stemming from her overall lack of actual experience in battle as opposed to rigorous training. Underhanded tactics can catch her off guard, and fighting hand to hand or grappling are both particular weaknesses of hers. Her physical endurance has not often been tested, and her choice of extremely light armor doesn't help much when she ends up getting hit. Despite her determination, she can only endure a limited number of wounds.

Personality: On the outside Valerie is quiet, calm, composed, an excellent picture of nobility. Inwardly she feels very passionately about causes she puts herself behind, something that can sometimes show in the heat of a conflict. She's quite sociable and kind with the majority of those she encounters, and tends to be both understanding and forgiving of others. She does, however, retain some aspects of her upbringing, and is just a touch vain.

Her morals are quite strong, and indeed drive her to do things that have little benefit for her to offset the risk. She believes the position of power she was born into gave her a responsibility to help those beneath her, rather than a right to rule over them.

History: Valerie is the third child of four of the wealthy and powerful Winter family of the kingdom of Ardennia, and the only daughter. While not in line to rule the kingdom, her family watched over a large swath of diverse land with farms, towns, forests, rivers, and small mountains. Her kingdom, however, had an expansionist king with dreams of conquering their northern neighbor and expanding his domain. After years of military swelling and building of tension, war was declared following a loosely conceived insult against them, likely fabricated for an excuse to attack.

The Winter family was called, and answered. Valerie and her brothers had been trained among other things in the art of war, and were to serve as commanders of varying levels in the army. Valerie, however, refused the call, bringing some shame upon her family and soon forcing her to leave her home. She traveled far from her kingdom's borders, using her honed skills with the sword to pay her way in adventuring, which she took to naturally. Her experience thus far is limited, but it has served to build up her confidence, and reassure her that she made the correct choice in leaving her home behind.

[User]
Valerie was able to get to her feet with the help of Markus. "I'm... yes, I'm alright," she managed. She had to take a second to confirm that she was actually telling the truth. She wasn't bleeding from any wounds, but that orc had thrown and hit her with significant force, and there was still a pretty debilitating pain in her torso, one she hoped would pass soon. It lessened a bit with each slow breath she took in and exhaled, which was a good sign. Regardless, this was going to result in some bruising.

But she was alive and whole, and that was more than could be said for quite a few of the mercenaries. A few looked to have been cut down right where they stood when the attack started, finding themselves out of their leagues battling against a bold orcish raid. The smell of blood was heavy in the air. In the battle's immediate aftermath, Valerie could feel her adrenaline fading away. She began to feel a little sick to her stomach; it wasn't the first conflict resulting in death she'd been involved in, but that had been by far the worst. The orcs were capable of such unbridled violence. She had to lean back against the nearby wagon for support, but she at least avoided embarrassing herself.

"Eventful's one word for it," she said, once her breathing was a bit steadier again. Horrifying might have been her choice. The point of armed escorts for caravans was usually to discourage attacks from ever happening, and much of the company likely hadn't expected to get into a fight in the first hours of the trip, or at all. Now a great many of them would never see home again, leaving the strength of the survivors severely reduced. If another attack of that force came, they could easily be cut down to the last.

"Thanks for saving me, by the way," she said to Markus, a bit more subdued. Her hair had become a bit disheveled during the last stages of the fight. She idly worked to fix it. "I probably shouldn't have run off... took on a bit more than I could handle. But I thought the others needed the help." And she was probably right. It'd nearly cost her life, but she'd at least been able to cut off some of the orcs swarming the section, and delay the biggest of them as best she could.

[Assistant]
Markus had his hands on his sword belt, looking very much the ragtag young mercenary that he was with his jagged but shallow wounds and dirt stains marring his fine features. His hair was unkempt and disheveled, though that wouldn't usually be out of the ordinary unless you count the bits of blood lightly dripping off his bangs from the forehead cut. His body was turned towards the group, but his dark eyes gazed into the forest as Eloryen spoke. He was used to the Elf's matter of fact manner of speech now. He only gave a small exhale of air to show his amusement at the comment.

He was quite glad Valerie was alright (and himself, but who's counting?), and he chose not to look at her to save her from a bit of embarrassment. It was an odd thing to him, to see so much of himself and how he first started out in this young woman. It was confusing for him to say the least, and he had to mentally tell himself that apart of that was also that they had seemed to hit it off quite well. That, and the fact you very nearly died there. That might mess your thoughts up a bit. His lips curved into an inward smile as the thoughts drifted through his head. He never failed to be a smart ass, even to himself. He was quite glad it was just a quirk, and not a representation of his morals.

As he listened to Eloryan begin to speak on how he had felled a beast twice his size, Markus still seemed to be in another world and lost in thought. Most would think he had a stoic quality to him that came natural. It did, in a way. After surviving a few encounters. It made men a tad more rugged in their visage. Women too, he had noticed. He wasn't about to brag about that Ogre, at least not without the Dwarf present to get some credit. They would need to help the wounded.

He blinked, broken out of his reverie by Valerie thanking him. Just for a moment as his thoughts switched back to reality, he looked a few years younger at the simple fact he was not so deep in thought as he often was. "Oh," he replied. "You would have done the same for me. And don't worry, that was more brave than anything. Maybe in a larger battle, formations would count more. But you went and did your best. That's all any can hope for." His smile was genuine and full of camradery.

"Let's get these Wagons going." Tobias sighed, gathering his wits about him. One of the peddlars that had driven the wagon behind him was tying his wound up in bandages. Behind them, workers began packing up the spilled contents of various wagons. There were still cries of pain as well. Woeful moans of those near death, or clinging to life. "I am going to need a drink after this. Hopefully the bartender will allow me free drinks for a song or two." the Elf half jested, and gave Valerie a wink. "You know I'm always needing a lovely assistant."

That did have Markus snorting a bit to hold back a chuckle. Just the way Eloryen was. He shook his head, and gave Valarie another smile. "I think after we get the wounded on the Caravan, you might want to take that wagon ride I offered earlier." he said. "I know I will."

[User]
Valerie half-heartedly smiled back at Eloryen, but the aftermath of the battle left her not in the mood to be flirted with. She understood it was just his way, though, and so refrained from getting any more annoyed with it. Perhaps it was just how he forced some sense of normalcy back into the scene. She didn't feel particularly lovely at the moment, either, what with the blood spattered on her (none of it her own, thankfully) now beginning to dry, bits of dirt in her hair from when she'd hit the ground twice, and the sheen of sweat worked up from the fight.

"Probably a good idea," she replied to Markus, when he suggested the wagon ride again. It definitely felt more inviting now. There was work to do first, though, and they soon set out finding injured that were not beyond saving, and carefully transporting them back to the caravan. Valerie regretted that she didn't have any sort of trained skills in healing, leaving her unable to help them any further. There appeared to be a few among the mercenaries with some medical knowledge, mundane or otherwise, and most of the wounded they pulled in appeared to have a pretty good chance of pulling through.

Still, there were others that had already passed on, and there was nothing to be done for them but to recover the bodies, and to see that their final wishes in the event of their deaths were fulfilled. Hopefully they could at least be transported back to family, or given their desired rites. As for the slain orcs, the bodies were left behind. If the other orcs wished to reclaim them, they could return later and do so at their will.

Once they were back on their wagon and moving again, Valerie took the opportunity to untie her breastplate and set it aside, carefully checking over her sternum and ribs for any fracture. It was tender to the touch, but as far as she could tell she was still entirely intact.

"Why did they attack?" she asked Markus, taking up her armor again and beginning to secure it. There was still a chance of danger, of course. "Doesn't seem like orcs would care much for spices and sea stone. Are they just that eager for our blood?"


[System]
Age
16

Gender
Female

Height
1.72m (5ft6)

Weight
65 Kg (143lbs)

Personality

The personality of Ruby is a result of the life-long doctrine of her parents comined with the lack of much social interaction while growing up. Having barely any social contact at all outside of her parents caused her social interactions to be rather awkward to say the least, though she is generally a charismatic person once someone gets to know her. Ruby always has eyes on her goal, she knows what she wants and is very determined to fulfill everything that she aspires. Whether that is passing the next exam or defeating a villain does not matter- It is the determined nature of hers that has helped her greatly throughout the years of intense training in her childhood and it would surely continue to help her out when part of the academy. However, since she was raised in a polite manner, people are quick to find out that Ruby is a very polite and friendly person. Just because she is inexperienced in any social interaction, or mayhaps teambased exercises, doesn't mean that she is against learning something new. After all that was what her parents taught her; She had to keep learning and improving herself. Always.

Her favorite free-time activities contain such enjoyable elements like, working out the whole evening, learning and studying and more training! The only games she ever played as a child were either with her parents or her brother. However, those times were sadly rather rare. It is not that she doesn't like the concept of games, they really are fun for her too. However, when someone is raised to believe that training is the way to go since she (according to her parents) needs it, they tend to rather choose these kind of activities over playing games. Other than those things, Ruby has found a liking to music. To heavy-rock in particular, it is the kind of music which gets her blood boiling and greatly improves her spirit when doing and kind of exercise.
Her biggest dislike would have to be the lack of productivity, or basically doing nothing. Since Ruby is basically an endless spring of energy, it becomes quite hard for her to find any rest besides sleeping. Once she redeems an activity to be useless or a waste of time, she is usually quick to stop exactly that action. However, when anything she does is given a purpose, Ruby is quick to give it 110%.

Background

Ruby Mamoru was born into her family four (4) years after her elder brother was born. Luckily for her, both her mother and father still lived together and were happily married. She always considered herself lucky that that was the case since the divorce rate had increased quite a bit over the years. Therefore, growing up in a rather happy family was almost considered a privilege by Ruby. Ruby had inherited a combined version of her parent's quirks. Her outward appearance was like that of her mother, since there was a pair of pointy feline ears on top of her head which replaced her human-ears. Her tailbone was shaped differently too, whereas it would stop for a "normal" human, Ruby's tailbone extended for another 60 centimeters (roughly 23 inches) and formed the tail which closely resembled that of a cat in its anatomical structure. The tail itself was covered in fur which matched her natural hair color. Admittedly, during the first years of her life it was quite difficult to understand how her tail worked or how to control it. However, by the age of five (5) Ruby was able to control it like it was a limb of her body. It wasn't exactly useful, it was rather difficult to find clothes that were fitting without hurting the tail, it usually required some additional fixes by her mother; like adding a hole for the tail to fit through her pants. The quirk of her father manifested later, by the age of four (4).
Her brother, Yoshiteru Mamoru on the other hand was less fortunate than she was. He was born… quirkless. This was quite the surprise since having a quirkless child was a rather uncommon event after all these generations of quirk-users. It was especially disappointing for Yoshiteru's parents. Their goal was to raise a child who could become a hero one day. Both of them aspired to become pro heroes one day, however unfortunately both were unable to get into any academy which could've given them the required license. They simply lacked the physical ability that was necessary and they never passed and practical entrance exam. Coincidentally, that was how they met too; they were united by their failure in entering an academy and eventually came together.
After they got married, they decided to have children who were destined to succeed their wishes and become professional heroes. Thus, when their first son was born, Yoshiteru, it was a shock for them to find out that he was quirkless. A quirkless son could never become a hero, he could never fulfill the dream which they themselves could not either! Therefore, it was quickly clear, they had to get a second child. Like that, Ruby was eventually born.
Basically, her whole life, Ruby had been trained to be strong enough to be accepted into any hero academy. That meant that as soon as she could walk her parents made Ruby do tedious and difficult exercises to improve the girl's physical condition. When she was not learning, she was training and working out. It was a life that would probably be considered torture by some other parents, since Ruby never had any time for friends or anything similar to that. By the age of 12 she was barely aware of how the concept "friend" would work out since she never had any. Her life in school consisted of her going to school for half of the day, coming home and then either learning or working out. Yoshiteru on the other hand, even though he was given way less attention than Ruby was, lived his childhood rather normally and happily. The boy was known for his rather charming personality and he resembled the typical socially active extrovert. Even though he was quirkless he was able to make plenty of friends just thanks to his personality. One could say that Ruby and Yoshiteru were polar opposites.

During her training, Ruby was tought numerous ways to compete in any physical situation. The girl needed to be prepared to fight villains as a hero, to pass the physical exams just as well as any combat-related exams. In order to achieve that, Ruby needed something she can attack with, since her quirk was not reliable for offensive purposes. Therefore they went as far as to hire a teacher that tought Ruby how to fight with a sword, and while she certainly is not the best fighter out there, her abilities were enough for her to make her way through any exams and into Komei. Ever since her sword as one of her only means of offense is a necessary inclusion in her costume and kit.

Because of the doctrine of her parents, Ruby's character formed itself to become one of determined nature. Almost having to listen everyday how great it would be to become a pro hero, how it would be the ultimate goal for Ruby, the poor child quickly adapted that way of thinking and could only think about becoming a hero herself. She wanted to succeed her parents and make them proud, she didn't know any better. Her parents effectively raised a child who wanted nothing more than to make her parents proud and become a hero.

So when Ruby eventually applied to multiple different academies and got accepted by Komei, at least for the exams, it was as if the dream for her parents had already come true. Now Ruby was very close to becoming a professional hero, she would just have to complete the academy. At that time her body was in peak condition, as much as it was possible for a human anyways that had no physically enhancing quirk. Ruby knew that she would have to rely on her physical abilities in any confrontation, since her quirk was very much a defensive one. However, she was willing to go beyond her limits to fulfill the implanted dream in her mind and to make her parents truly proud.
Quirk
Stasis

Talents
Quick reaction speed
Strong concentration
Swordfighting
Incredibly contaigious laugh
Power
C
Speed
B
Technique
B
Intelligence
C
Cooperativeness
C

[User]
---

Jett was sick of his room so he decided to go outside for a bit and get some fresh air under a tree. His head still was hurting and he didn't really understand why, after being healed by the nurse he yet was able to teleport and still had a constant migrane.

He made his way to what seemed like a sucluded spot and sat in the grass under a tree. He had his headphones on and listened to some calming piano music as he tried to 'relearn' his quirk. Music had helped him greatly before, thanks to Haruka's help.

Taking a few long and deep breaths he tried to focus. Closing his eyes and enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face. Rolling up the sleeves of his casual buttondown shirt loosely he rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned against the tree. As much as he tried to focus, his thoughts had turned to Haruka, feeling the necklace on his chest and doing an exercise that she suggested, it was hard not to think about her, and alll the things that happened a few days before. Finding out that she lost her leg, losing her dream, not being able to become a hero with him.

Not long after he was thinking thise thoughts they all seemed to blurr together and he wouldn't realize that he had fallen asleep.

Carrot

[Assistant]
Kasuke Mina

After having gotten changed, Mina stated to aimlessly wander round the school, deep in thought. She was thinking about her fight with Amane, her fight with Dulga, her fight with Kaida. She was thinking about what Jais had said to her, and what she'd said to him. She was thinking about her mom, what she would say, and what she would do.

Why were there no answers? There were just more questions. Things were only making her more conflicted and confused, not less.

As she entered the courtyard. She didn't see Ruby or Persia. She did, however, see Jett, sleeping under a tree, and some of the confusion lifted. It was a weight off her mind and her heart that she had now admitted to herself that she has a crush on him. She was glad too see him. A conversation with him and his annoying but endearing personality would, she surrendered to the notion, make her happy right now. She approached him, bent down, slipped his earphones down so they were behind his neck, and then gently shook him awake.

"Nice place to sleep, Jett. You must have dozed off."

Even though she wasn't smiling at him (she rarely did), he would notice a sparkle in her eyes when she was talking to him.

@pkken@Melpaws

---

Maeda Hitomi

"I find the 1-A 1-B rivalry quite childish myself, but I've been an outsider looking in for a whole year and I've barely been a hero student for a month," Hitomi replied. "And of course! Let's swap details!"

Hitomi gave Asahi her phone number, and received his, and after all the business was conducted and Asahi went to ask about the cats, Hitomi turned to Tomoe. The sheep girl was smiling sheepishly (well, more so than usual) beckoned her to follow her out of the cafe, away from the poor girl's allergies.

"I'm sorry for getting you roped into this, Tomoe. You wanted to hang out and instead we're involved in something big now. Still, there's time until we all have to meet up at the school. Want to hang out properly for a while?"

@Lucius Cypher

[User]
---

Jett's eyes slowly opened, taking in a deep breath as his body began to move around slightly to stretch. He was clearly confused for a moment, as his dream slowly faded away and mixed with reality. He looked up at Mina for a bit, Surprised that she was the one waking him up. He looked around and and sat up more against the tree. He was silent for a moment, glad that Mina was here...but suddenly everything clicked with what happened in the past few days.

He shook his head, and took another deep breath/yawn and said softly, "Yeah... I guess I did."  He reached back and rubbed the back of his head and neck. Closing his eyes as he did, Hoping that just a simple pop of his neck would relieve the pressure in his head...but to no avail.

He looked back at her, annoyed slightly. After what happened a few days ago in the exercise, with her getting back into the fight even when she was way too hurt...despite what he did to help her. She had yet to say thank you...she knew how beat up he was when he fought Amane, they all watched the video afterwards. But then Kaida explained that she was blinded by Kadia when she was trying to fight Amane, and protect him.

Despite all this he bit his tongue and simply asked. What's up? Wondering if she was trying to talk to him for a reason.

Carrot

[Assistant]
While sitting with her back leaned against the tree, Ruby pulled her legs closer to her own body so that she could let her head rest on her knees while she was still sitting up against the stump. "Infamous class, huh?" It was hard to deny that fact. While Ruby didn't know anything about the reputation of anyone in her class outside of the class itself, they were a bunch of troublemakers for sure. The feline wasn't sure about whether she liked being in such a "troublesome" class or not, but it definitely was anything but boring. Right now she leaned more towards enjoying all the action that they were getting.

While Persia was complaining to ruby and bumping into her leg while pouting, the catgirl did not seem to react at all. She was only staring into the distance while staying in the same position. Even when Mina was mentioned, whom she spotted immediately as Persia said it, the neko barely seemed to react at all. "I guess that is her." She barely saw what happened during the fight itself, so Ruby had to recall the rewatch of the exercise in class. The name Amane rang some bells too, she remembered his cruel actions and the reactions by her classmates. "It definitely was not pretty to look at."
The other person that Mina approached however, Jett, was a face which she surely remembered. It was him after all that stopped he fight between Ruby hersef and Acion, which the catgirl thought she would have won for sure. On top of that it was him who grabbed her in a very lewd way! Just thinking about it made her both angry and embarrassed. Luckily, nothing of that showed on the outside.
"At least she seems alright now. And I believe Amane got punished quite harshly didn't he?"
Ruby used her right hand to stroke through her own long, black hair that fell down her sides before yawning quite strongly. While she did so, her fangs were clearly visible.

"Even if it did damage her ego, I am sure that she will recover from it. From what I can remember, she seemed capable enough. I'd much rather have a talk with Amane though, see what he thinks about this situation and so on."


[System]
Basics
--------------------
Age: 13

Birthday: May 8th

Gender: Female

Personality: For the most part, Maheegan is a hard-working girl with an unusual and wolflike affinity for running long distances. She appears hyper-aware of her environment and is a bit of a night owl; she has been known to pull all-nighters. Though she doesn't exactly enjoy working, she never complains. She rarely talks.

Notable traits: Crouches when afraid of something. Unconsciously fidgets a lot.

--------------------
Human Appearance
--------------------
General: Pretty tiny; not that much bulk. All her strength is cardiovascular.

Skin tone: Pretty dang tan

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Dark brown

Height: 5'2

Weight: 100 lbs

Other: Has a single, circular scar under her left eye from a pretty damn big ember that kind of just popped out of a fire. (?!)

--------------------
Wolf Appearance
--------------------
General: Sinewy and small, with a cautious and yet proud stance.

Fur color: Dark, rusty brown and black.

Eye color: Yellow/small specks of green

Other:

--------------------
Miscellaneous
--------------------
Biography: Nothing very significant has happened to her. She simply learned to keep quiet about her wolf-shifting ability and to use it to her advantage--stealthily.

Other:

Note: meme heck

[User]
Maheegan had seen the entire thing unfold, as well as heard the conversation, as she crouched in a stand of bushes, apparently afraid of being noticed eavesdropping. She wasn't fond of Migisi and didn't quite know why, but he wasn't the reason she'd come. The truth was that she'd run out of chores and slipped away; as of yet no one had noticed her disappearance. She felt for Kiyiya. No one really bothered speaking to Maheegan, likely because she rarely bothered speaking to them, and part of her liked it that way. She kept her head down, got things done, listened, and often left.

She didn't very much like the sight of the calf being dragged, but it was quickly shrugged off when she saw Kiyiyi jog back toward the village. He probably thought she was there, she realized when she remembered yesterday that he'd promised to play with her. Her dark eyes followed the running figure. Time to surprise him.

Maheegan sprinted up behind him and waited for Kiyiyi to notice that he was being followed. Her small, wiry figure made it easy to catch up.

[Assistant]
As Kiyiya jogged toward the village, his mind wandered and his eyes drifted around him to admire the forest that he lived in. The trees protected them from most enemies, human or otherwise. Every so often, during the night, Kiyiya could sit on the edge of the village's borders and listen to the wolves howl back and forth at each other, and at the moon. It made him long to join them.

There was a rustling in the grass behind him, and at first Kiyiya was too frozen with fear to stop running and see what was following him. He felt a shiver down his spine and the fear forming a knot in his throat. He swallowed past it and slowly turned his head to the side, then yelled in surprise and tumbled forward, rolling twice before coming to a stop. He sprawled out in the grass and looked at the face above him.

"Maheegan!" he whined, staring at her with furrowed eyebrows. "You were supposed to be waiting for me in the village!"

He brought himself to his feet and didn't expect much of a reply from her. She was quiet and she spoke rarely. However, he had been worthy enough to have held a conversation with her once in a while.

[User]
Maheegan covered her mouth and giggled at the same time she skidded to a halt in front of Kiyiya. It was immensely satisfying to her that she'd manage to scare him, and when she took her hand away from her face there was one of the smuggest smirks ever to exist on her lips. Most people would be, at the very most, surprised or angry with her if she did the same thing to them. But Kiyiya? It was far too easy with him.

She took his hand and pulled him to his feet, then broke into a grin, unable to help herself.

"Race?" she suggested, but instead of waiting for his response, she sped off for the village, happy to show off her running ability.

[Assistant]
Maheegan was far ahead of him before he could have ever agreed to her race, which he would have, and he was after her like a bolt of lightning. While the two of them were much faster runners than the average villager, Maheegan had always been just a few seconds faster than he. It frustrated him to no ends, especially now as he struggled to catch up with her. As they ran, Maheegan expertly darted in and out of peoples' paths, but Kiyiya nearly ran over more than one villager.

It was when they were nearly to the center of the village that Kiyiya ran right into one of the women, causing both of them to topple backward. He scurried to his feet and attempted to help the woman up.

"I'm so sorry," he said to her. "I didn't see you."

"That's quite alright Kiyiya," the woman said. She was one of the herbalists, Onaiwah. "You do need to learn to watch where you're going. You're not a baby anymore."

"Yes, ma'am," Kiyiya said, shooting a glare at Maheegan.

[User]
Maheegan, who had practically bounced out of everyone's way before they even knew what was happening, stood proudly in the center of the village and puffed her chest out. She loved winning races and there was nothing she was better at. So, with a smile, she silently watched Kiyiya bump into a woman and fall backward. Again she stifled a laugh. She was dominating today.

She offered a friendly smile to Onaiwah, who she respected but, like most people, did not often talk to, and then approached Kiyiya. "You do need to learn to watch where you're going. You're not a baby anymore," she repeated with the sharpest of teasing tones and a wide toothy grin.

She would have taken the opportunity to inform him that she'd won the race, but she felt that it didn't need to be said. Her smugness said it all.

[Assistant]
Kiyiya, still sitting in the grass, crossed his arms and darkened his glare at Maheegan. He stuck his tongue out at her. "But you are still a baby!" he retorted, for Maheegan was not yet considered a woman until she was sixteen. Even less so since she was so submissive, many of the villagers thought her to be socially incompetent.

Kiyiya knew that wasn't true, though.

[User] Maheegan immediately stuck out her tongue at Kiyiya in response, huffing. She hated being called a baby, and she put her hands on her hips to help her efforts to prove her friend wrong. "I am not!" she retorted. "I can run farther and faster than you, so..."

[Assistant]
"Doesn't make you any less of a baby," he argued. "You're only thirteen, so..."

Kiyiya came to his feet and mocked Maheegan, putting his hands on his hips and trying to stand tall. He hated the fact that she was taller than he was, but it didn't make him any less stubborn. "So ha," he finished, sticking his tongue out again.

"Plus," he continued, "I'm stronger and smarter than you."

[User]
Now this was making Maheegan mad. "Oh yeah? You're scared of a cow!" she returned, doing her best to barb her words. She rose to her tip-toes to aid herself on the height front, very pleased with herself that she was taller than him...at least for now. That was bound to change in coming years, but now was what really mattered. Predictably she went straight to that point to argue:

"You're shorter than me, so who's the baby now, huh? Ha!" She stuck her tongue out and then moved on to her next point, which was admittedly her weakest. "And I wouldn't say you're smarter than me. Since you're scared of a cow." She pushed a lock of dark hair out of her face and glared.

[Assistant]
"At least I'm not scared of people," Kiyiya's voice rose. Maheegan was the only person who could make him so angry. "At least I can actually talk to people. You- everyone thinks you're some kind of mute freak."

He didn't want to hear anymore. Frankly, he didn't want to argue anymore. Not with her. She was admittedly his best friend. He ran past Maheegan and into one of the huts, which happened to be his home. He plopped down on his mat face-first and yelled into it.

[User]
Maheegan bared her teeth in a wolfish manner, enraged, her neck hairs standing on end. She spun around to argue, but Kiyiya had already run off into a hut and she knew better than to follow. She stood there and fumed for a while. What a nerve. What a nerve! Ugh! She wanted to yell that she wasn't finished with him, to come back and not be a coward, but the words stuck in her throat.

Finding that her legs worked again, she trotted irritably to the edge of the village and then scrambled through the forest and sat on a rotting log. Alone here, she put her head in her hands. She was not afraid of people! She just... didn't talk much, that was all. But Kiyiya's words echoed in her head. Everyone thinks you're some kind of mute freak. That coming from Maheegan's only friend stung bad.

She cried softly after making sure that no one was around.

[Assistant]
Kiyiya lay on his mat, staring up at the ceiling of the hut, or rather, glaring at it as if it were Maheegan. He lifted his foot and kicked the air repeatedly, finding himself in a steady rhythm. After minutes of steaming and allowing himself to cool down, Kiyiya jumped to his feet and ran out of the hut. He expected to find Maheegan somewhere close by. When they argued, she would simply go off and busy herself with chores that someone around the village entrusted in her. However, when he began having trouble finding her, and no one had seemed to have seen her, he started to panic.

Maybe she's in the forest.

He knew that Maheegan adored engulfing herself in nature when she was upset or troubled with anything. He jogged to the edge of the woods and yelled out, "Maheegan?" and listened to his voice echo. "Maheegan," he called again, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it!"

[User]
Her right hand wiped the tears off her wet cheeks and a finger paused a moment on the raised, dark scar under one eye. She had almost finished crying, and luckily had quietened considerably since she'd sat and started to cry. When Maheegan heard Kiyiya call her name, she felt one of her teeth bite down into her lower lip almost of its own accord. To answer him or not? Her face was still flushed with the insults he'd thrown, but it wasn't as if she was innocent.

Besides, they were friends and friends fight sometimes. She got to her feet and brushed herself off, scanning the woods for Kiyiya and glimpsing him at the edge. Half-frustrated, yet feeling ready to go make up, Maheegan wiped off the remainder of the tears--she did not want to leave evidence that she'd been crying--and approached him, not bothering to be quick as she usually was, or to be quiet, as again, she usually was.

"I'm sorry," she called hesitantly. Nothing hurt Maheegan's pride like a good apology, but she knew she had to say it.

[Assistant]
"Maheegan," Kiyiya called again, looking at her with a frown. As he opened his mouth to tell her not to apologize, all he could muster in his shock and fear was, "Duck!"

He tried to run forward to pull her down on the ground but found himself crouching as a large pack of wolves ran toward them, leaping over them at unreal heights. They sped past him and Maheegan toward the village, some of their feet painfully trampling over Kiyiya as they went. When every one of them had passed almost like a group of elk running from a predator, Kiyiya lay for a moment before dragging himself to his knees and looking to Maheegan.

"Are you alright?!" he called frantically, running toward her and sinking to his knees beside her. "Maheegan?"

[User]
Maheegan had crouched and then was knocked to her side by the impact of a wolf's foot right on her stomach as the pack thundered past. The force of it rolled her violently and sent her straight into a tree, where the shock of it changed her right there. Right in front of Kiyiya. All those years of stealth and care taken, all for nothing...

Dazed, she pricked her ears and raised her head at the sound of her name. Her wolf form was small, gangly. Clearly a juvenile, as her human form was. She had large floppy paws and big ears, and her round yellow eyes shone with fear as they stared at Kiyiya. He could kill her now, or worse, he could run in fear, and that would hurt more than any knife could. Her friend. Afraid of her. Afraid of what she really was.

Her gaze then followed the large group of wolves. That was unusual behavior.