[System]
Age: 4.5
Looks(Pictures are acceptable!):
Position in Pack: Elder/Defender
Personality(Just a general idea of what you're character is like): Renzo is very responsible and always seems to look serious. He is responsible and likes to give advice to the Alpha Male and Female. He isn't hunting anymore due to the fact that he's pretty old but he is strong and a little fast.

[User] "Yeah, let's tell them about the cave. As you said, it may not be ideal, but things are getting out of hand around here" Klondike told Amber, unsure of what the future might bring.

[Assistant] "Nothing for sure but we can at least hope. But if you do not want to be disappointed, then expect the worse." Renzo said before looking at Klondlike. "Cave? What are you talking about?" He asked.

[User] "Oh. Amber and I found a cave which might be a good refuge, if we need it" Klondike explained. "It is dark and the entrance is narrow, but it would be difficult for anyone to follow us, and any intruders would have to enter single-file. We could then gang up on anyone who tried to get in that way. Think of it as a bottleneck or a choke point."

[Assistant] Misty's ears perked when she heard a possible refuge. "That sounds good enough to me. What are we waiting for?" She got back to her feet and then glanced at Klondike and Amber. "Can you lead us there?"

[User] Renzo nodded, agreeing with Misty to head there immediately. "That place sounds ideal. Let's go." He said, looking back at Klondlike and Amber to lead.

[Assistant] "Alright. Follow me. Remember, it is a very narrow fit, so only one of us can squeeze through at a time, although the cave is big enough for all of us" Klondike led them to the cave and pointed out the hole which served as its entrance.

[User] Misty eyed the narrow cave entrance. "It seems perfect to me," she said excitedly. "The humans won't find us in there. Good job finding it, both of you." She started towards the cave. She felt she should go in first as she was the alpha to make sure that it was safe.

[Assistant] Lila was lucky enough to find two rabbits that her and the pup could eat, she killed them both before managing to carry both back to where she hid Em. She dropped them both inside the ticket and picked a rabbit for herself and digging in. Now that she was out here and didn't know what was going on with her home or sister, she wished she had someone with her now besides the pup. She finished eating and started cleaning her paws to distract herself.

[User] Amber followed Klondike and the rest back to the cave they had found. When they stopped outside, she quietly watched for Misty's reaction. She felt relieved when Misty reacted positively. She still didn't think the cave was the best option, but if Misty thought it was good, then it would have to do. Amber was watching Misty moving to enter the cave when a thought popped into her head. "Wait," She spoke up suddenly, "where's Postremo?"

[Assistant] Misty stopped and looked at Amber. She shook her head. "I don't know. He's missing. Unfortunately at this point, we might have to assume the worst," she said sadly and then walked with her head hung low into the cave.

[User] Renzo looked at the cave. He just hoped that it would be perfect inside or else, it'll be a tight fit. He looked back to where they came from. The human scent was strong but they weren't as close as they were when he and Misty were at the dens. "You guys go on first." He told the others.

[Assistant] Klondike led the way, fitting inside of the cave with some minor difficulty. "Good thing we aren't too well-fed. I can't imagine us fitting into this if we put on any weight." He stepped into the cave, suppressing the urge to let out a yelp as his paws touched the cold stone.

[User] Amber stayed quiet at the worrisome news. No, Postremo had to be okay, right? She couldn't imagine he had been gone for very long. She was sure they'd go out looking for him later. She followed behind Klondike as they entered the cave. She squeezed past Klondike when they entered the cave. She couldn't help but raise one of her paws uncomfortably, having forgotten the cold stone. She stepped towards one of the corners of the cave, turned to the others and curled up into a little ball with a sigh.

[Assistant]
Seeing as all of them got in, he looked back. No sign of movement yet. He quickly walked inside. Once he entered, he was shocked because of the cold stone but it didn't seem to bother him as he continued inside. Once there, he went to one side and sat there.

"If I may ask Misty, what is your sister doing?"

[User] Misty knew that he was asking because he cared for her, but she also remembered telling her sister that she wouldn't say where she went. "I sent her out to scout," she lied, hoping that it was enough to convince him.

[Assistant] Em tore into the rabbit, She would normally catch herself one or two by herself when she was alone. It was a considerably a fat rabbit and it made her feel good and relaxed. Then she smelled a strange stench it burrned her nose and made her growl. She lifted her ears and looked around, seeing nothing she narrowed her gaze and tried to get comfortable. "Do you think the alphas would welcome me?" She asked and lowered her head

[User] Lila looked to the pup and nodded. "I think my sister would enjoy having you in our pack. And her mate would never say no to her."

[Assistant] "Misty... your sister is heading for Tiger Territory, I saw her... talked to her even." Renzo said. "She has a pup with her. The pup said that she wanted to go here, join us in the pack." He explained before sighing. "I just hope your sister succeeds on whatever she's thinking of doing to drive away the humans."

[User] Misty sighed, realizing there was no point in trying to deny it anymore. "She's trying to convince the tigers to help us with the human problem. I didn't think she should go, but you know how stubborn she is."

[Assistant] "Help from the tigers?" Renzo repeated. "Well that's certainly a surprising idea. I hope they would agree to drive the humans away because the humans are a threat to both wolf and tiger. The queen... what was her name again? She has a level mind. She might be willing to help us and overlook the competition for a while."

[User] "Her name is Kava," Misty said. "I hope that you're right and she does help us. I don't know for sure, but I have to hope that the tigers will see the humans as a greater threat. I hope for our sake, but mostly for Lila's sake."

[Assistant] "Right, Kava." Renzo said, drilling her name into mind. "Yes, let's just hope. Lila's in great danger right now so all we can really do is hope they would help us..." He said before lying down with his head on his paws. "For now, let's just rest."

[User] Misty nodded and lay down as well. "I think you're right." She thought of her sister as she lay there, wondering where she was and how she was managing with a pup with her as well.

[Assistant] "Good. I don't think the humans would be stupid enough to go in a cave where they can barely fit themselves." Renzo said before closing his eyes. "Should be safe."

[User]
Lila looked outside and sighed as it fully turned to night. "We should get to sleep," She said, shifting closer to the pup and pulling her back from the thicket's entrance before settling down.

Postremo had been out on a last minute hunt when he smelled the humans. He bolted up and ran back to the dens only to find it crawling with humans and their own four legged companions. He growled but another scent caught his attention and it was that of Misty's, heading away from the dens. He slinked away and started following the trail of his mate, stopping outside a small cave. He managed to squeeze in and looked around. "Misty?"

[Assistant] Misty was so stunned and happy when she saw him that she was almost afraid that she was just imagining him. She got to her feet. "Postremo? I was worried that you might be dead." She rushed to him and nuzzled him excitedly. "What happened? Where did you go?"

[User] Postemo nuzzled Misty back and gave her an affectionate lick. "I went out for a last minute hunt and patrol then I smelled the humans and raced back to the dens. I thought they caught you and the pack when I saw them there, you have no idea how relieved I am that you're safe," He said then looked around. "Wait, what happened to Lila?"

[Assistant] "So am I," said Misty happily. But some of that happiness faded when Lila was mentioned. "She went to tiger territory to try and get them to help us with the human problem. I know I shouldn't have let her, but she was so insistent."

[User]
Amber lifted her head and quickly started wagging her tail merrily at the sight of Postremo. He was okay! The two alpha wolves were a reassuring sight. For as long as she could remember, they always resonated an aura of safety. If only Lila was with them... Then there would seem to be no cause for fear anymore.
She sighed and lowered her head to the ground. How long were they going to wait here though?

[Assistant] "She went on her own?" Postremo asked then sighed. "I wish you'd at least sent someone with her, it's not safe for her to be on her own."

[User] "I didn't have a choice. I wanted to go with her myself, but she refused to let anyone else go," Misty explained.

[Assistant]
"Is everyone here?" Klondike asked. "We've got to keep a watch on the entrance, and send some scouts out to find food and water. We can't stay in here forever. We-" he stopped himself. Klondike was still young and although a beta male, he realized he was quite literally barking orders as if he was an alpha. Although the pack had more to deal with than petty politics, he was still careful not to go too far above his station. His time would come, but not quite yet. Not while they still had these human matters to deal with.

Klondike moved over to Amber and gave her a little nuzzle. "I know it is hard, but we've gotten through some tough times before."

[User] Amber dipped her head sadly but welcomed Klondike's approach. She just hoped the humans would eventually leave the area. She hadn't ever been chased out of her home like this before. She hoped they'd be able to come back home soon. She glanced at Klondike with a little playful smile. "You'd probably make a good alpha," She whispered somewhat jokingly, thinking of the orders he had blurted out.

[Assistant] Postremo looked to Klondike, giving him a little look. "But you're right, sadly we're a little short on the pair of eyes we have. For now, everyone should get to sleep. Klondike, you can take the first watch, then I'll take next. Amber, you can take the dawn watch," He said.

[User] Misty lay down next to Postremo and closed her eyes to attempt to get some sleep. That was easier said than done, though. She was still so worried about her sister and the rest of the pack as well. The future had never been so uncertain for them.

[Assistant] "Sleep Misty, we'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here," He said, gently nuzzling her before laying his head on his paws.

[User] "Alright, I'll take watch" Klondike said, not wanting to argue and grateful that the others seemed not to mind his orders earlier. There was a fine line between a take-charge spirit and a bossy attitude. The former was a desirable trait but the latter would be seen as a challenge to the authority of the alphas. The last thing the pack needed right now was a fight for dominance.

[Assistant] Renzo watched as everyone came together. He was glad the Postremo was alive and well and Misty relieved and not worrying that much about her mate. He looked back at Klondlike. It was good that there was someone who could be a possible Alpha when the two would disappear. Now the only problem is Lila and her meeting with Kava. No use worrying about it now. He lied his head back down on his paws.

[User] Postremo waited until Misty fell asleep before going over to Renzo. "Still awake?" He asked quietly.

[Assistant] "Thinking so yes, I am awake." Renzo said as he looked at Postremo. "Glad you're alive. Misty was really worried about you. Where were you?"

[User] "Hunting. And she's not just worried about me, did you see which way Lila went?" Postremo said.

[Assistant] "I see. You shouldn't have gone alone then." Renzo said before sitting up. "I was with her before Klondlike and Amber found us. She told me to go back to get Misty out of the dens." He replied. "She's heading for tiger territory."

[User] "Do you know where she is?" Postremo asked.

[Assistant] "If she hasn't moved from her position, then yes, I know where she is." Renzo replied. "She's not far from here. I can pick her scent up as easy as I can pick up yours so tracking her down would be easy."


[System]
Gender: M

Age: 35

Place of Birth: Seattle, WA

Sexuality: Hetero

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

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

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

Power: Tattoo & Body Art Manipulation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[User]
Why can't things just be simple? Why can't people just do right... Why are there a flock birds flying over the us? Eli's eyes opened wide at the numerous possibilities. None of them were good.

Eli turned to watch the birds when he heard the sound of a branch snapping. He raised his gun and stepped towards the treeline. A single deer came running out.

When nothing followed, Eli took a deep breath and lowered his weapon. "You two can stay out here for the night. Christabell, you need anything let me know." Eli said turning back to the little girl and old man.

"Cornwall! Keep an eye out! I need have a word with our wonderful benefactor." Eli said loudly, walking passed the truck.

Eli was heading to an old barbecue joint that the leader of the town ran. It was more of a base of operations than a restaurant but still the food was good.

[Assistant]
Vin watched as Eli's potential PTSD turned into actual PTSD when the poor bastard quickly raised his gun and aimed it toward the trees up along the hill behind the group, nowhere near any one of his initial targets. Vincent eventually caught himself staring at the trees hoping all the fuss Eli kicked up was worth it, but when it turned out to be nothing but a lone deer, Vin shook his head in disappointment and slight embarrassment to be in the same company.

"Dude, you're losing it." He shot Eli a sour expression, but clearly the gunslinger wasn't paying attention and addressing Christy and Nate before deciding to head off into the direction of town.

"Well...now...what the fuck, man?" Vincent's voice echoed off the thick tree line. "You're just leaving us here? And who the hell is our 'benefactor'?"

It was a futile attempt, as his angry, yet legitimate questions only fell on deaf ears while Eli simply kept walking, determined to stay his intended course of being an asshole. But why should he answer questions when clearly the guy doesn't know what's going on himself, and yet he delegates duties to everyone else like we're in the military and the group has become his own private army of misfits and criminals. Vin's attention snapped over to the old man as he took the opportunity to climb back into the car, signally his young companion to follow suit. Abi was more than happy to leave this place behind them, and even though curiosity got the better of her at times, this chain of chaotic events was not one of those. Even Brooks, who seemed a reasonable and mild-mannered fellow, didn't like the situation and was more concerned with Abi's protection and welfare than his own.

"Guys, wait! You don't-"

Vin's plead was quickly cut off by the roar of the old truck's eight-cylinder engine, as Brooks shifted the gears into reverse and leaned out of the window.

"I'm not going to apologize for doing the smart thing."

The old man hit the gas, and backed up a few feet before turning the wheel to correct the direction of the truck and shift back into drive, sticking his head out of the window for the last time.

"I'd suggest you folks do the same, yeah?" His words trailed as the truck hauled ass down the dusty dirt road and out of sight.

"Fuck! This!"

Vin kicked at the ground, clenching his fist as though he was about to punch someone or something, but there was nothing within reach.

He found himself pacing back and forth for a moment, before looking over at Christy, and then at Nate, who was about as unimpressed with the current situation.

"So now what the fuck do we do?" He said, hoping there was a better plan for their survival, as he made his way toward the Nate and the mine shaft entrance.

"And where is Jennifer?..."

[User]
Watching Eli go, Nate felt like it was both a blessing and a curse all at once. On the one hand, he felt much more relaxed when the unpredictable redneck wasn't around but in the other hand, he knew that this place was about 30% less safe with him gone. It seemed it was up to Nate and Eric to make sure everyone else stayed safe. He waved at Eli ad he went and said with a smile "Bye. Have a good time. Call me that again and I'll murder you in your sleep."

It wasn't long before he heard the sound of car doors slamming and turned to see Brooks and Abigail tear ass away from the mine. He watched them go with a look of complete disinterest. He didn't really blame them for leaving. They hadn't exactly been made to feel welcome but practically every member of the group had been held at gunpoint at one point or another. It was practically an initiation. Vin seemed a lot more annoyed by the whole situation though. Nate wondered if Vin, or anyone for that matter, would be so upset if he left.

When Vin asked where JJ was, Nate looked slightly annoyed by the question and complained "How the hell should I know? I'm not her keeper...anymore." He moved away from Vin then and towards the entrance to the mine where he yelled "Eric! Get out here!"

[Assistant]
"Eric! Get out here!"

Jennifer snapped out of it, immediately returning to the real world as Nate's voiced boomed from the entrance. She hadn't heard any gunshots, and as she got to her feet she only hoped that the rest of the group wasn't in any sort of trouble. Eric had all the guns, and calling him outside could mean that someone was thinking about getting violent. Once Jennifer stepped outside though, she saw just a handful of people from the group, none of them appearing to be the least bit hostile towards one another.

"Nate, Vin, what's going on?" The moment she laid eyes on Vincent, Jennifer couldn't help but become a bit concerned to be in his presence. She was well aware of the fact that he'd only hurt her in her dreams, but she also knew that his dreams weren't any less violent, and in a world were superpowers were now a reality, maybe she should be paranoid around him. For a moment, she thought about breaking off whatever relationship they had going on, but she had to be smart about it. Ending things too quickly could set off alarms. On the other hand, he had been nothing but kind and understanding to her, taking her feelings into consideration and respecting her enough to avoid crossing any boundaries, so maybe she shouldn't jump the gun, not just yet, regardless of whatever crazy shit they'd all been through.

"Is everything okay?"

[User]
"Nate, have I told you recently that I hate you?"

Vin couldn't help but smirk at the offhanded comment, which made him feel less upset by the fact that Eli was becoming more of a pain in the ass than Nate. He couldn't help but feel responsible -slightly- for Abigail & Brooks sudden departure, as though he could have done more to convince them to stay, but maybe they didn't belong. Did any of the group really belong here? Vin looked over at Christy, who kept her dog Jack close by her side at all times, although he couldn't blame her. Not out in this part of the country where any protection was better than nothing. Although for the short time that he'd held the pistol dropped by Brooks earlier, he didn't feel all that much safer. But he was never much for guns, especially guns held by psychopaths.

His attention immediately snapped to Jennifer's voice calling out to him and Nate from the mine's entrance. There she was. Disheveled expression, frazzled hair, dirt and soot covered clothing, and yet still managed to look as good as the day he'd met her. Perhaps not the same floral and coconut scent he'd become accustomed to, but none of the group had properly bathed in a few days and Jennifer most likely smelled the least repulsive. Either way, he was happy to see her face, and that fact that she was unharmed.

"Well hey, what's up sunshine?"

He quickly mocked a debonair expression, if for no other reason than to break up the weird and dark shit that had transpired only moments ago. But her countenance seemed to take on a grim tone as she gazed at Vin for what had felt like an eternity to him. His own smile seemed to fade as well, returning her stare with a slight tilt of his head and arch of an eyebrow as though he were mentally asking the question: What the hell is wrong with you?

Her question then brought him back to his current mindset, shaking off the weird feeling he got from her.

"Eh…yeah, we're fine out here, I think. Nate? Are we fine?"


[System]
My characters

Main: Ringo Sawada, Vongola XIII

"We'll bring them to justice... Every last one of them!"
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Faction: Vongola Famiglia
Flames: Sky
Personality: Good natured, morally sound, kind and calm in general. Despite being quite easily rattled by conflict and negativity, she can keep her cool and continue when she needs to.

Brief History:
The Vongola Family's bosses since the reign of Sawada Tsunayoshi have been a different breed of mafia leaders - strong and Just, unconcerned with power and control. While this means that traditional crime families turned away and broke ties, it brought similar families together under the Vongola's unity. A rift formed between those stereotypes of the mafia, and these new 'vigilante' types of families. Whilst some believed war was coming, the twelfth boss wasn't concerned. He was content, living a good life, with a wife and child in his hometown of Namimori along with his guardians.

His only child hasn't been trained for her future like most heirs to families, but just enough that she might have what she needs to defend herself until the day she'd need to take over her father's role and become Vongola Tredecimo, the thirteenth. Ringo isn't the most popular kid, but is a promising student at Nami High. She's only got a small circle of friends, some mafia-related, some not, but she cares for them all deeply.

Still unsure of what her future holds, she heads to school one day, not being able to contain the excitement of knowing what today was! The visit from Shimon! Once school was over, she headed to Vongola Base, where a childhood friend would be waiting to see her again! It would be just like old times...

Specializations: Brawling/Martial Arts
Weapons: (May change as this goes on)
- X-Gloves
Equipment:
- C-Rank Sky Ring, a gift from Dad
- Small pill canister & DW Pills

[User]
Part I - Baptised in Flames

"Priority target is heading east, leaving the high school building. Potentially moving to our identified entrance of the Vongola's main base... All units, maintain cover until the boss gives a green light."

The agent took his finger off his earpiece after he'd finished transmitting, and simply watched the school girl run around the next street corner. Within a second, another agent reported he had had eyes on her. She clearly wasn't aware of them, and seemed to be full of energy - no doubt excited for the apparent reunion. Disguised mafioso continued to stalk and watch discretely as young Miss Sawada ran through the peaceful streets of Namimori town...

----------

Ringo sprinted without pause, the excitement driving her all the way through town, up towards the shrine where she could use the closest entrance to get into the base. She usually wouldn't head there unless it was important, but today, there was nothing more important in the world! Mamoru was here, and so was the Shimon Family. After running up the steep steps to the shrine, Ringo was exhausted, but managed to carry on and enter, disappearing from the public eye.

She knew her way around and figured the meeting must be in the conference room. Not stopping for breath, she just carried on running through the underground halls, dodging the busy staff of Vongola Base. When she found the room, she burst in to find her father and Mr. Kozato in the middle of a greeting. She disregarded any kind of formality and found her friend amongst the many guardians straight away!

"Mam-...!" she tried to exclaim, but all that came out was heavy breathing. She put her hands on her head and tried to catch her breath, all the while turning a slight shade of red - the room went silent and all eyes were on her, but everyone seemed amused by the girl. At least they weren't offended! She kept watching her friend's reaction, cracking a smile at him after the shambles of an entrance. Ringo's father cleared his throat then, and chuckled as he gestured to her, "For those of you who don't know, this is my daughter. Improv as ever."

"Uh--" she composed herself as best she could, stood up straight and took a formal bow before the Simon Guardians, and Mamoru's father. "Excuse me! I'm Ringo Sawada... Welcome to Namimori, everyone!" she greeted them. Her gaze then quickly fell back to Mamoru. They had so much catching up to do.

[Assistant]
It had been a relatively simple day for Mamoru. He'd expected his father, Akihiko, to be late in getting ready as was the usual, but he was surprisingly in good spirits and ready to move. The sentiment of seeing a good friend wasn't lost on the teen. He smiled and shook his head. He'd dressed himself up formally as was the typical attire of the Simon and Vongola. Especially for meetings like this. It helped that he he had begun home schooling roughly 2 years ago so as to begin his training and induction into the mafia world. So, he didn't need t worry about public school things.

For as long as anyone could remember though, the Simon and Vongola had been known to break tradition. This was especially noted by the style of suit worn by the heir of the Simon. He wore a custom made suit with a red lining and a hood of all things. His father wore red as well, though it was in the form of a red undershirt, mostly covered by his black tie and jacket. He had moments of unorthodox decision making and behavior, but he was still a traditional mafioso. As the two began to head for the airport Mamoru noticed Akihiko put on a pair of sunglasses and a hat. It would help hide who he was when traveling, due to spying eyes, even if just a bit. He put on sunglasses of his own and then his hood.

---

Far away, an unknown onlooker spoke softly to radio information to his allies. "The mice have entered the maze." He said as if trying tofurther mask his behavior.

"We're the only ones with this radio frequency and it's constantly shifting to avoid compromise. Talk normally you idiot." Another voice, a female responded. The two bickered for a moment, but were soon interrupted.

"If you two are done. We have our own flight to catch. The time is fast approaching." The voice was female, though it struck a note in the two. Whether it called for fear or obedience was a blurred line, but all the same, she commanded respect and she got it.

"Yes ma'am." The two responded in unison.

"Now move." She ordered.

**********

Soon the meeting was underway. Mamoru sat quietly though could occasionally be caught sneaking peeks around the base, the rooms they sat in and the doors when they finally came to the meeting room. The 12th Vongola Boss and his Guardians meeting with the 12th Simon Boss and his Guardians, all for the spectacle of a young man set to become the 13th boss of the Simon Famiglia. And all he was waiting for was his childhood friend. Come to think of it, why hadn't she been here already? She better not have been slacking off while he was gone.

Then she burst in. Ringo Sawada. In all her quirky, awkwardness he couldn't help but crack a smile. Still it vanished the second his father's guardians looked at him. they'd never let him live that down. "Nice of you to join us, dork." He teased as he stood up to greet her. "How've ya been?" He added as he walked around everyone, stopping only when he was in front of her. He held up his hand for her to take. "Hope you haven't been getting into too much trouble while I was gone."

[User]
"No, no trouble! Just a lot of study and exercise. I'm doing great, to be honest!" Ringo happily chattered away as she shook Mamoru's hand gently. He looked sort of different than last time they met. So much more like the future boss of his family... Of course, Ringo wasn't even close to where he stood - confident and prepared. Dad just wouldn't give her the tools and know-how to lead and to fight. She was his gentle, caring girl, but only she could inherit the Vongola Family.

"Ringo, don't drag him off to the surface just yet," Sora chuckled. The kids would probably want out of here, he assumed! The Vongola Guardians all went to take a seat, typically the Guardian of Cloud was absent. He was a teacher at Nami High, so the base wasn't far - he just didn't entertain mafia business.

"I want to give you something first," Sora continued, glancing at a sealed box on the table, encrusted with a golden clam on the front of it. He reached back and picked it up, handing it to Ringo along with a key. "Keep this safe until later, won't you? We'll talk about it at home..." he explained.

Ringo took the box and looked it over, guessing what it might be. Dad's Guardians were all wearing different rings today. She shoved the box into her bag and nodded, closing it up and throwing it over her shoulder again. "Sure..." she replied. She knew enough - these were going to be for her own generation. Not that she knew the extent of their power, or so much how to even use one!

Her eyes flicked to Mamoru then, waiting for him to decide whether to stay with the gathering, or to go back to town.

[Assistant]
M A M O R U

---

 • Namimori Town •

{We should think of a date}

---

Mamoru chuckled at the antics of his old friend. She hadn't really changed much. He wasn't so sure if that was good or bad to be honest. Still, things were good, and even proceeding nicely. He grinned at his dad as if to say, 'I told you so.' when Ringo's father presented her with the box. He'd been gifted something very similar not long before this meeting. In fact, the box and its contents were on him, albeit he'd created a much smaller carrying case, utilizing the material used to make mammon chains. He's developed the box on his own, and it was small enough to fit in a pocket on the inner lining of his suit.

"I know I know," his father verbalized before giving a small smile.
"Now that that's settled, I'm..."
"Going out with Ringo," Akihiko interrupted him. "Enjoy your date."
"Wha?! It... It's not a date dad!" Mamoru's face flushed, matching the inner lining of his suit. "Geez... We're just friends," he added almost immediately.

Akihiko laughed a little bit with his guardians quickly joining in. Mamoru huffed and turned to the the Vongola boss and guardians. "Th-thank you for having me." He said quickly before turning and skulking out of the room, more than just embarrassed. He couldn't believe his father, even if he knew the man was just poking fun at him. Mamoru all the same was walking away, assuming his friend would follow soon after.

[User]
"Have fun, you two!" Sora chuckled, waving as the two left. He felt a little uneasy as he watched them walk away... He reassured himself that nothing was wrong. After all, everyone he could count on was right here. If anything came up, it could be handled easily.

----------

Ringo would quickly tag along behind Mamoru, only stopping to take a fast, polite bow on their way out. She had no idea how to react to her friend's father teasing him, but figured that ditching was the best thing to do if Mamoru was already on it! As the doors to the conference room shut behind them, Ringo noticeably relaxed, exhaling quietly as they headed for the nearest surface exit.

She glanced occasionally at Mamoru, breaking into a quiet chuckle after a moment of silent walking. "To be honest, I'd hardly call hanging out a date... But to onlookers, I guess it looks..." she trailed off, "Heh, it's just so great to see you again! You look like the model mafioso with your cool suit!" she complimented.

[Assistant]
M A M O R U

---

 • Namimori Town •

{We should think of a date}

---

It was quiet. It was so quiet it was awkward. Knowing her... She'll find a way to make it more awkward. And almost as if on cue, Ringo spoke. "Gah!" He threw his hands in the air in annoyance. "Date this and a date that! What is it with you guys?!" He spoke referring to his father and his friend. "It's not a big deal. I mean, we've been friends forever. We're just..." He stopped as she moved on quickly.

"Y-yeah... Thanks." A light blush spread across his face at his own outburst and lack of cool as he would probably put it. He sighed and shook his head. "Anyway. Big day huh?" His flushed face transitioned to a grin of glee. "Got the box and everything." He turned to face Ringo, walking backwards and somehow avoiding anything he might have walked into perfectly. If she looked close enough she might see the slight shine in his eyes, caused partially due to the shift in lighting and the contact lenses in his eyes. "We should stopped by one of the training rooms before we head out though."

There was a small pause as Mamoru stopped walking. "Maybe we can go at it for a bit. A light spar," he said softly as he turned to face a door. He began to pull his bag off his back and turned the handle opening it calmly. "Plus... I wanna give you something and that jerk of an old man I call dad would've never let it go." He said with a small laugh as he walked in.

[User]
Ringo followed her bestie along to the training room, stepping inside after him and quickly setting her bag down next to the door. It'd been something like a week since she last exercised her power, but she never really found a partner to help her grow. She hadn't had much actual combat training besides scrapping some training drones on her own. Dying Will Mode was something she hadn't mastered, and beyond that... she had even less training in the 'Hyper' form, barely able to sustain it the one time she'd used it. The flame and form needed a solid resolve and constant training to keep up. She wasn't in the best of shapes, but she had her great grandfather's weapons, and that always seemed like a good enough start...

"What is it?! Did you bring a memento from your hometown?" she asked excitedly, at the same time digging out two mittens from her school bag.


[System]
Age: 17

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Weapon: Trepination Blade

Not only will this sword ruin your day with its impossibly sharp edges or if you're-gods forbid-stabbed by it, it can focus and fire a steady beam of energy through its length and out its tip when powered with Dust. The scabbard for the sword is a bright red, and tapers with the blade. It has since been upgraded to include the ability to mecha-shift into a katar.

Shield

Specialty: Up Close and Personal. Oswald's semblance is obviously most useful for this style of combat, as it prevents enemies that excel at range from getting to a viable range from him, so long as he can get within fifty feet of them. As he wields a sword and shield, Oswald is capable of both a bruiser role and a tank role. So long as he's in his opponent's face, he's comfortable fighting in whatever manner is appropriate for the situation. When he attacks, Oswald is ruthless, leaving no openings, and even using his shield as a weapon at times to keep himself from giving his enemy an opportunity to attack. On the defensive, he becomes a fortress, blocking with both sword and shield, refusing to give up any ground.

Semblance: Closer- Oswald can instantly close the distance between himself and another living creature (Grimm or no) within fifty feet of him, moving from wherever he is to about four feet from his target.

Personality: "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick." Oswald is a friendly enough guy when he's with friends or allies, and he tries to keep the peace whenever fights break out. He tries to be the first on the scene, and acts as an enforcer to make sure things don't get crazy. If a fight does happen to break out, he'll try to bring it to an end before anybody gets seriously hurt. He strongly favors the diplomatic option when available. If someone makes it clear that that option isn't available, though...well, he breaks out the big stick.

Color: Onyx

Emblem: A heavily damaged dark stone tower, with a small white figure standing proudly atop it.
Emblem

Appearance: Oswald stands at about 5'10" tall, weighs in at a mean 220 pounds, and sports a pair of dull brown eyes topped by a short head of dark black hair. He typically wears a heavy red cloak with onyx pauldrons over a pair of black pants and a white collared shirt. Under his cloak, he has a pair of onyx steel gauntlets, a dark red canvas brigandine and wears a pair of dark black greaves under his pants. He's rather light-skinned, and his face has a small scar under his nose that goes through his lip diagonally. As for shoes, he always wears a pair of black work boots.
Oswald

[User] "You moron." Scornfully Ebon walked away with his scroll out. A few seconds later a rocket locker came crashing in and Ebon nonchalantly strapped the Kingdom to his arm. "You idiots and your stupid pride. I don't even need to read your minds to know that your egos are the only problems here." The Kingdom opened up and one Midnight Eye and one Claw R-Type flew out. Together they went over the cliff and down into the water. Ebon just stood on the edge focusing his concentration on his two little ships. If he was closer he could send out even more, but if he had to search the entire lake then two was all he could manage. The Midnight Eye would help him spot the daggers or other dangers while it was the Claw's job to actually get the daggers if he finds them. Ebon quickly noted the other swimmers but ignored them. He wasn't close enough to use his telepathy on them as he was having a hard enough time trying to maintain the link between his R-types. "Aren't you suppose to be at a party? Or is everyone a no show?"

[Assistant]
Sapphire Rode - Dorms ===> Airdocks
Sapphire gave a knowing smile to Abel. "Yeah... my power..." She rather liked the effect it had on other people. She normally didn't explain the intricacies of it's workings to anyone but the knowledge that she could be anywhere and they might not be able to notice her usually unnerved most people. It wasn't exactly the ability to shoot lighting out of the sky but for a girl like Sapphire who preferred keeping to the shadows it was the perfect disguise. It was also rather interesting to see the pretenses that people dropped within themselves when they thought they were alone. Sometimes that was the only time you got a glimpse of the real person.

Though what Abel said about Shiro struck a cord with Sapphire. There was one thing that Sapphire could think of that Shiro had lost over the edges of the Beacon cliffs that he could possibly be going through the effort to retrieve. However after her outburst on the airship and her generally rough treatment of him Sapphire didn't see how Shiro could care about her mother's prized work. Besides, the chances of retrieving them in a lake that size which was also no doubt infested with Grimm was ludicrously small.

Discounting the possibility that Shiro would be that foolish Sapphire decided that it was time to go. Gren had voiced intentions to throw some sort of night on the town for his friends and anyone else that wished to join. While he hadn't exactly specifically referred to her Sapphire thought she could assume that she was invited. Otherwise she'd simply return to Beacon. Besides a night out on the town might be fun. There was usually something to beat up in the dark nights of Vale.

Deciding to done something more casual Sapphire dressed in ripped black jeans with a studded belt, a black tank top that hugged her figure, and black converse hightops. She tied the scabbards of the school daggers onto her forearms and hitched the holsters for her disassembled polearm to her lower back as always not really caring that Abel was in the same room. She went into the bathroom and applied a bit of eyeliner. Just enough to give her that "don't mess with me look" before she left the dorms.

Sapphire didn't know exactly where Gren would be but since the party was to take place in Vale she could assume that he would appear at the airdocks sooner or later. She wasn't disappointed either. Gren was waiting a little off the airdocks along with someone who Sapphire thought was named Ebon. She'd never been formally introduced.

Sapphire strode up to Gren. "How many people did you expect to show up to this?" she asked wondering how long they might be waiting.

[User]
Gratia Mindaro - VGNB Dorms

"Venetia."

The curt, toneless greeting was Gratia Mindaro's only response to her team leader's entry into their shared dormitory. She was utterly unphased by the sudden interruption of her experiment; this was the other girl's room as well, after all, and it wasn't at all strange for Vega to want to return to said room after the end of classes. Probably to drop off shit or the like. Not that it was her business to pry; whatever the fuck her leader wanted to do was completely worthless information to her.

"This is Beryl Harken," she added, almost as if it was a sidenote, although her emotionless tone made it difficult to decipher whether or not she actually felt that the tidbit was worthy of such a description or not. "Otter. Swordswoman and whip-user. Likely close to mid-range combatant."

She had, after leading the newest member of VGNB to the dorms, made sure to read up on Beryl Harken's publicly-available record in the same manner as she had with Cian Kuze earlier in the day. The Mistralese girl's suspicions that the Faunus was an experienced sword-user had been confirmed by what she had read off the files, but the whip speciality was not something she had expected despite the obviously modularity of the weapon she saw. Disregarding her inability to predict that Beryl was a less-than-orthodox fighter, the information upon the otter's combat capabilities had been highly elucidating. It was important and essential information that needed to be remembered.

And Venetia, as usual, hadn't fucking checked up on it.

"We'll have to reformulate our tactics," said Gratia. "Relying on shit like Nuit fUckInG oVEr THe eNemY from above won't work anymore, unless Harken here's got some aerial bullshit or something."

[Assistant]
Cobalt Chideta- Airship Docks

Cobalt had felt pretty proud of himself after destroying the Megaladeus, making tonight a perfect night to go party. Everyone else had done well also, he hoped that some people from the class would show up as well. Cobalt dressed in his usual casual wear and headed down to the Airship Docks to wait for... something. He probably should've asked where they would all be meeting up so they could go party.

On his way there he briefly thought on the situation with his team. The only real problem he saw had been Diamond's lack of trust, so at least that was done with. While he wanted to be friends with her, forcing a relationship was never healthy. "Wait, that sounds wrong. Forcing a friendship is never healthy. Yeah, that's better." Cobalt nodded to himself and walked out onto the docks.

Cobalt sat down on a bench overlooking the city and sighed. The view was so beautiful. There wasn't much that could possibly ruin this moment, no sir. He looked around and saw Gren conversing with some people, so that solved the whole meeting spot problem. Cobalt waved at Gren to show he was here and went back to looking at the city.

[User]
Beryl Harken- VGNB Dorm

"I have a few tricks to get into the air with. However it would be best if we did not built our strategies around that. My main focus is on distracting enemies and limiting their mobility so that my teammates can deal the finishing blows."

So far Beryl had been quiet. She still was having trouble trusting Gratia with Luke after that whole episode and her little slip of crazy had not helped matters. She had been leaning up against a nearby wall when their team leader entered the room.

Is she looking down her nose at me?

Beryl was not one to judge, but when one grows up in a church orphanage learning to read other people was just something you picked up. Especially once she started helping the priests get donations. Knowing what the potential doner thought would often be the difference between new shoes for the other kids or another month of table scraps.

Right now Beryl was picking up the distinct impression of a young "Ojou-sama" looking at a member of the "lower class"

It's alright Beryl, you deal with this all the time. Breath, just breath and don't punch your new team leader in the mouth

For now she contented herself with staying where she was and continuing to watch the proceedings with a small frown on her face.

[Assistant]
Vega Venetia – VGNB Dorms

Vega took the one lined signification from Gratia. "I see." Vega then looked at Beryl. "Pleased to meet you Beryl," giving a small wave "Vega Venetia, your team leader."

On the particular note of tactics, yes, with Bianca gone VGNB cannot fuck over their enemies anymore from above, what a shame, what a loss. "We will reformulate our tactics when everyone is here…Napoli is somewhere else and I have to get to a party soon in the city."

She then looked over to Lucas, a guest in their dorm.

"Ah, so you met Napoli, and yes I am with nobility stretching over to two clans" she said with pride. He probably does not know.

He had a cute vibe going over, long hair, small jacket she could not help but ask looking at him… "Why does that part of your hair" as she pointed at it "stand up and…what kind of questions was Gratia asking you."

Seriously, was it about his hair maybe that was the questions Gratia was asking? Only knowing Luke just now, she wanted to know the circumstances why a part of his hair stood up.

[User]
Luke Schwarz -- VGNB Dorm

Oh, so she actually was blue-blooded.

I was just making a pun...

As her next question reached his ears, he frowned, letting loose yet another small sigh. How many times was this going to come up? Ahoges weren't that strange, Jack had one too, for Pete's sake! They weren't fascinating at all, so why did so many people focus their attention upon it? If he wanted an easy icebreaker, he didn't want it to be his own hair! Let it be something else! A casual question about if they need any help or something!

"This is just how it's always grown. Same case for my mom and siblings, too. No gel or anything like that." he repeated for probably the third time. "As for questions, she's really just picking my brain as to what makes me tick. Nothing that outlandish."

No, what was outlandish was the context within which the questions were being asked.

But that was Gratia's weirdness, not his own. She could explain that. More interestingly, something about this "Nuit" character that Beryl was supposedly replacing piqued his curiosity...

"Say, what happened to the person Miss Harken's replacing?"

A simple question was aired.

[Assistant]
Oswald Connolly- Unnamed Lake

Quickly resurfacing after making contact with the water, Oswald began scanning the lake for Shiro. While he was only minimally worried about the Tiger Faunus, he also figured it would be prudent to stick together in case of an incursion of Grimm. The other boy seemed to take off in a spiral pattern in his search, so Oswald decided that his best bet would be to follow after, carefully checking the areas Shiro passed by. He didn't have his Scroll on him, in his infinite wisdom, so the warrior was forced to rely on his natural eyesight. While the outer edges of the lake weren't particularly deep, he would have trouble checking the deepest parts due to a lack of light and his need to breathe.

He'd have much preferred to have actually talked to Shiro about this beforehand and make a plan, but Sapphire's team member had an unfortunate penchant for choosing the exactly wrong decision to make. Regardless of the circumstances, they had a job to do, and Oswald would be damned if he didn't get it done. These daggers had to have meant a lot to Sapphire, and retrieving them meant a lot to Shiro. So, there wasn't a choice to this, really. They had to find these daggers.


[System]
Nancy Parker
Character Quote: "How very."

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---

Character Summary
Aliases: Nance
Age: 15
Birthday: October 31st, 1967
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Birth Place: Las Vegas, Nevada
Godly Parent: Apollo
Legacy: N/A
Cohort: First
How Many Years At Camp: Two
Gender: Female
Rank: Centurion
Occupation At Camp: Cohort Centurion and (reluctant) seer
Languages: English, Latin, Italian

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Appearance
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 98 pounds
Body Type: Skinny
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Hair Color: Rich Warm Brown
Skin Tone: Peach
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: SPQR tattoo with the symbol of Apollo and two lines; lengthy scar on her upper left arm; pierced ears
Personal Style: Fashion wise, Nancy is still stuck in the 1980's. She loves having her hair poofy, with shoulder pads in her jackets. Vibrant colors and slightly mismatched patterns are a must. She's just as likely to wear overalls as she is to wear a skirt. Of course, fashion choices aside, she doesn't neglect practical armor when the situation calls for it - she isn't stupid and by no means wants to get killed in battle.

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Psychology
Loyal * Mischievous * Realistic * Chaotic * Inquisitive * Closed Off

Sexuality: Asexual
Relationship Status: Single
Personality: Nancy is a rather playful individual. She loves practical jokes and has a lighthearted nature. While some may mistake her as being childlike or naive, that isn't the case at all. She has seen plenty throughout her life and does not wish to dwell on those sort of things. It's better to focus on the present (whenever/wherever that present is) and enjoy it, as it may not last as long as you'd like. Yet at the same time, she keeps her cards close to the vest. She isn't one to be open and honest about deeper emotions, like love and pain.

Additionally, Nancy may be prophetic, but she lives for the moment she is in currently. She has seen enough of what could be to know that if she dwelled on only that, she would go mad. She is neither optimistic nor pessimistic about what may come to be - whatever comes will come. It's not set in stone and while they can take actions to improve things for the better, those same actions could change things for the worse. She's a realist at her core, but do not mistake her as being apathetic about the future.

Fatal Flaw: Anger
Habits: Shuffling her cards, Whistling
Hobbies: Poker, Singing, Dancing
Fears: * Sexual Assault
* Drowning
* Claustrophobia

Likes: * Large Dogs
* Sweets
* Tea
* Coffee
* Music
* Practical Jokes
* Rainy Days
* Secrets

Dislikes: * People touching her cards - she'll gut them
* Ham
* Entitlement
* Hypocrites
* Death Omens
* Cigarette Smoke

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Skills
Demigod Abilities: * Prophecy
* Audiokinesis

General Skills: * Singing
* Dancing
* Sleight of Hand
* Photography
* Psychoanalysis
* Strategy

Combat Skills: * Hand to Hand Combat
* Sword
* Daggers
* Acrobatics

Magic Item:* Tarot Cards - The set was gifted to her by her father, Apollo, and helps to channel her gift of Prophecy.
* Twin Enchanted Imperial Gold Daggers - the pair always return to her hands

What Do They Carry On Them:* Clothing - overalls, doc martin boots, Pink Floyd t-shirt, black leather jacket
* Purse/Wallet - ID, 10 Denarius, $50 U.S.
* Tarot Cards
* Twin Enchanted Imperial Gold Daggers
* Pack of Bubble Gum
* Sunglasses
* Hip Flask (nectar)

Possessions In Bunk:* Imperial Gold Sword
* Camp Jupiter t-shirt
* Diary
* Walkman & Headphones
* Polaroid Camera & Film
* Cassette Collection

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History
Biography: Nancy's mother was a performer on the Las Vegas Strip, enticing audiences with her siren's voice and full, ample form. She had many admirers, one of them happening to be the Roman god Apollo. They spent an evening together in ecstasy and nine months later, the Vegas star had a tiny obligation on her skirt - a baby girl. The show had to go on of course, meaning that Nancy was largely cared for by the nanny. The few occasions she would see her mother at home would be whenever she had to nurse the after effects of drugs and booze. And while as a little girl Nancy viewed her mother as an elegant princess, things changed when Nancy became a teenager.

Nancy was going through puberty and her mother saw potential in her daughter's excellent singing voice. The daughter of Apollo was added into some of her mother's acts, expected to dance and sing and amuse the audiences - but this only lasted for a couple of years. Nancy's mother saw her daughter's beauty and potential, and fearing that she would upstage her, decided to ship her daughter off to a girl's school in California. But instead of going off to boarding school, Nancy ran away and ended up in the Lotus Hotel and Casino on the Strip.

She was trapped inside a place where time stayed still for about thirty years. During that time, she was a victim of sexual assault and it scarred her deeply. Roman demigods were at the Lotus Hotel and Casino for unrelated reasons, but they luckily managed to identify Nancy as a demigod and they more or less dragged her with them back into the real world. Her deepest regret is missing the rest of the 80's - and even though she has been in the modern world for a few years, she still hasn't quite gotten a hold of the slang.

How Long Have They Been At Camp Jupiter: Rescued from the Lotus Hotel and Casino by other members of Camp Jupiter, Nancy was educated at the Wolf House. Her letter of recommendation came from Apollo (alongside a gift of tarot cards to help her with her prophetic abilities, she thinks it was his way of saying sorry I didn't notice you were trapped for almost forty years), meaning that she was placed in the First Cohort. She rose through the ranks and was made Centurion. She's proud of that achievement. She's less than thrilled with her other position... working with prophecies.

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Additional Information
Theme Song: Bad Reputation by Joan Jett
Extra Information: ~included in previous CS~
I agree to follow the rules for this RP and understand that if I do not follow the rules, the GM or Co-GM may kick me out of this roleplay.

[User]
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Niah Bautista

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Location: The Auguries
Skills: N/A

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Niah winced as Alexandria held a dagger at Nancy. She supposed that was family business. They could hold daggers at each other if they wanted. As long as Alexandria wasn't holding it at her. Thankfully the dagger was sheathed. Madalyne retrieved a stuffed bunny for Alexandria who proceeded to do her thing. With surprisingly little complaint.

"Thank you." Niah said. And nodded in agreement with Nancy's request. "Do you know which fauns? Or is this an ask around till we find a sufficiently guilty-looking one?" Niah disliked the fauns. They were, in her opinion, nearly useless. She didn't even understand why they kept them around New Rome. At least give them a task. Now one was guilty of stealing an important gem from camp.

[Assistant]
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Madalyne Crane

Location: Camp Jupiter, New Rome, the Auguries
Skills: N/A

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Alexandra shrugged slightly, she didn't recognize their faces, Fauns always came and went to camp all of the time and in her opinion they were pretty much useless other than begging food and taking things that aren't theirs. She was glad that they weren't allowed to work in the Legion really either. "Unless you guys want to pay me to help you search and question fauns all day. But yeah I can go to the Senate and have an assembly later in the day." Alexandra was rudely woken up by her half sister Nancy after all.

Madalyne always did feel pretty bad for the Fauns around camp however and would always help them out whenever they did ask for something she'd give them some money or food to eat. She looked at Niah and Nancy to see what the two of them wanted to do, question some Fauns until they assembly could start or do something else while they waited. Madalyne didn't really care to much about having to wait either really at least she wasn't a Praetor or anything like that yet that job wouldn't be to fun for her in her opinion anyway.

[User]
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☀ Nancy Parker ☀

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Location: New Rome - the Auguries
Skills: N/A

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 "Pff, we're not paying you, sis," Nancy told Alexandra confidently. "One, don't have the money for that. Two, if we had the money for that, why in Pluto's name would we want to give it to you? What would you even use it for - to buy out a Build-a-Bear workshop?" she scoffed. She had seen one when she was being brought to Camp Jupiter from the Lotus Hotel and Casino. It had been sickeningly adorable - the sort of thing she would have adored having in her childhood. Of course, Nancy didn't have a good concrete reason to dislike Alexandra so much. Maybe she could blame it on the fact that in Alexandra, she saw a fate she never wanted - becoming an Augury, reduced to just a mouthpiece for prophecies. Or maybe it was the fact that Alexandra just reeked of casinos. Maybe Nancy just disliked blondes.

 "I'm not sure it's worth questioning the fauns," Nancy then admitted. "We know where this gem is - Mount Rushmore, in the eye of good old George. We know it's being guarded by a dragon. The fauns seem... irrelevant, to me? I think we just gotta motor, get the gem, and bring it back here." She didn't have a hatred for fauns or anything, she didn't like them but she didn't dislike them either. They were just sorta there, other beings that lived in Camp Jupiter and depended on them for (stolen) food. They might as well have been shrubbery.

[Assistant]
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Niah Bautista

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Location: The Auguries
Skills: N/A

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They would have extra time between now and when the Senate meeting would start. They were always a little slow. She would rather get going. Niah shifted on her feet a bit considering her options. She winced a bit when Nancy was mean to Alexandra, but she did agree with Nancy. They didn't have the cash to pay Alexandra to help them question fauns for like two hours.

"I partially agree with you Nancy, about the fauns, but they might be able to give us some details about the dragon. If they do then we might have an idea of what we are dealing with. Personally I've never met a dragon. I'd like a step up against it, they might be able to help with that." She turned back to Alexandra, "Thank you though. When will we be able to meet with the Senate?"

[User]
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Madalyne Crane

Location: Camp Jupiter, New Rome, the Auguries -> Senate Building
Skills: N/A

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---

Alexandra looked at Niah and gave a slight shrug. "Maybe an hour or two, someone will send for you guys." Alexandra said as she started to gather her things and started to head out, and set up the meeting while their current session was on their afternoon break. Madalyne looked at Nancy, and Niah and gave a slight shrug. "I guess we can go and quest some Fauns see if they know the one who stole the gem." Madalyne said as she made her way out of the Auguries.

A little bit over two hours later, Madalyne couldn't really find any kind of information from any of the Fauns that were in or around camp, until one of the messengers came over to the three of them. "The senate is ready to meet you guys." Before handing the three of them the letter before heading off. Madalyne looked down at it, and then the two of them, she had only been in there a few times once she had gotten her Centurion rank, as well as her initial placement within the legion as well. Madalyne stood in the room seeing all of the senators within the room talking amongst each other.

[Assistant]
☀ Nancy Parker ☀

---

Location: New Rome - the Senate Building
Skills: N/A

---

---

 Nancy always felt that the Senate was dreadfully boring. Ten demigods served on it, deciding pretty much everything for the legion. She could hardly imagine sitting on the stone benches for hours at a time, debating the finer aspects of quests and the possibility of war. She liked to keep moving if at all possible. The only time she ever slowed down was to get her coffee from New Rome - and even then, she could hardly resist gulping it all down at once like a shot. She peered at the letter, squinting her eyes as she tried to make her dyslexic brain focus on it. It was in English, but she got the gist of it pretty quick. They were summoned by the Senate.

 She made her way to the Senate House with the other two, taking a moment to look around. Of the two praetors, one of them was from Nancy's cohort - Maggie Ortega, daughter of Venus. The other, Jasper Moon, son of Bacchus, was from the fourth cohort. It wasn't a terrible cohort to be from, but it definitely lacked the shiny reputation of the first and second. Yet even though she was a centurion, Nancy didn't know too much about both of them beyond just that. She had no idea if they would get pedantic about things, if they would try to give this quest to someone else, or if they would be reasonable and give them the green light to go. "So do we sit anywhere?" Nancy asked, standing and feeling a bit awkward.


[System]
Human/Vampire, Female

---

Appearance (description): appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth

Age (<50): 25

Personality: Polite but reserved. Straightforward, tenacious and somewhat selfish. Curious, adventurous and calm. Can be witty and sarcastic but isn't usually the first to speak up. Morally ambiguous. Meticulous and organized but has a rebellious spirit.

Occupation: Healer

Brief history: She was born into and raised by a religious family. She learned medicine through family practice and left out on her own after turning 20. Through old manuscripts (found in the apothecary shop she purchased) she learned of a man named Celderon, who studied something he called "thistlization" almost 150 years earlier. After becoming obsessed with the idea of magical properties originating within blood, Ivory spent all of her knowledge, resources, and time to study and recreate the thistlization process as well as to more efficiently harness the magic from blood. Xen learns of her and takes interest in her continuation of his work. He ends up finding her and turning her into a vampire - something he had not done before.

Aspiration: Seek out Elk to take her blood, which she believes grants endless magic usage

Flaw: Aversion to large/fast moving bodies of water

Inventory: Various home brewed potions and remedies, minimal blood supply in a non-descrip container, necklace

[User]
Ivory
Location: On the road
Notes: Interacting with Sapphira // Igneous
appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth

---

Ivory never looked up from Xen's journal as the cart came to a halt only a short way into their journey. Tarkus, Caeleo and the fairy jumped off to investigate the issue. She wasn't sure what Sapphira was going to do to help - she was quite tiny to be able to lift a wheel - but she kept her opinion to herself and stayed busy by looking over the status of her belongings. It wasn't out of the ordinary for jars to tip or even crack on long trips but everything looked to be as it had when she packed it. "...of course I can!" She heard Sapphira exclaim from the other end of the wagon. After a bit of commotion, Caleus and Tarkus headed off on their own.

"Where are they going?" Ivory demanded, jumping down from the wagon. Sapphira and Igneous met her where she stood.

"They're gathering wood. No one thought to bring a spare." Igneous responded, but didn't meet her eyes as if he was looking past her. Maybe Sapphira would be able to help, after all. Coming out of her thoughts, Ivory turned to look where Igneous' gaze remained, off her shoulder. A shadow shifted on the edge of the woods. Maybe we can catch a bit of food while we're stranded here, she thought to herself. She turned back to the pair in front of her.

"Have either of you ever hunted before? Or gathered vegetation?"

"Nope," Sapphira answered, her voice still chipper despite their current predicament. Igneous just shook his head. Maybe hunting isn't a good idea. She had never done it either. She had food rations to last until they came into a town, but if they ate them now, they would be hungry again too early. She did, however, have some taffy that a shop keeper in Delteria had given her as a supplement to payment after Ivory set his daughter's broken bone. It was always her policy to allow bartering for those who were of less means than others.

"Ok, well, would either of you be interested in some lemon taffy? Carrigan made it." The blank faces on her party members' faces reminded her that she was the only true Delteria native on the trip. She smiled, "I promise it'll be the best taffy you've ever had." As she turned back to the wagon, a rifle blast rang out from the forest in the same direction Tarkus and Caeleo had ventured off to. At the same time, a man disappeared beyond the end of the wagon, invisible behind the canvas wagon cover. Ivory held her fingers to her lips to keep Sapphira and Igneous quiet, then motioned for them to follow her. She crouched down by the wheel and channeled the flux. Unbeknownst to the group, Ivory had practice at sensing the flux signature of those around her. It had manifested after Xen had turned her into a vampire, a bastardization of her healing and alchemy abilities. Tapping into the universe, Ivory focused on the man she knew was just around the corner. She got no reading. In the past, this happened when the person she was reading used their flux so little that they gave off no signature. Common thieves then. She turned back to Sapphira and....where was Igenous? Suddenly he appeared in front of her, holding two unconscious men up by their necks.

[Assistant]
Caeleo
Location: Wagon, alongside the Delthair River
Notes: Talking with Ivory
Metallic, mechanically intricate. Slightly scuffed metal. Some blood on his arm. As tall as a large Naga.

---

One in front, two behind. Mostly makeshift weapons, but one carried an impressive looking mace, probably stolen. Caeleo was used to observing his surroundings; he had done it for 200 years. Unfortunately, having a physical form was new to him. Nebula are initially just entities in the sky, each composed of a single crystal. Every century one Nebula chooses and falls to one of Xeron's paintings, choosing where they fall and how their physical form will manifest as a result. One perk of this is that Nebula get to choose what brand of magic they will use. Since their bodily structure doesn't have to match traditional biological structures, they can have incredibly unique flux signatures. Caeleo's particular brand was light-powered beams.

Caeleo began channeling flux through his core. The bandits were faster than his core, and began battering on his metal frame with little effect. He tried deflecting them to the best of his ability, but Caeleo was still inexperienced. It was one thing watching combat and another actually participating. He sliced through one bandit's throat with blades attached to his arms, but the others were already backing up to re-evaluate their approach. Caeleo's attack finished charging, and he reached out his hand. He let forth a continuous beam of concentrated light that inflicted serious burns on both remaining combatants. It was enough to get them to retreat so he could turn his attention to Tarkus.

After a brief encounter with a silent Cleric, the three were headed back to the wagon together. Caeleo was still suspicious of the cleric's motives, but he welcomed having a competent combatant travel with them. As they approached the wagon with the wood needed for repairs, they heard a loud crash from that direction.

Caeleo and Tarkus approached tactically, taking care not to make too much noise and leaving Tavren to cover their backs. The wagon looked exactly as they left it, with the addition of two unconscious Ashen propped against the side. Sapphira, Ivory, and Igneous were nowhere to be seen. "I wonder where they've gotten off to." Tarkus wondered out loud. Caeleo was less concerned with the people: "What do you think that sound was?" From his previous vantage point in the sky he would have been able to tell immediately. Caeleo put the wood down by the broken wheel and looked inside the wagon. Everyone's belongings were still there…

"Did you hear that?!" Sapphira's voice startled the trio as she floated down from above. "I don't see anything around for miles, but that crash sounded like it was RIGHT THERE." She pointed enthusiastically to the east, where Ivory and Igneous were walking back from the nearby river. Igneous was staring confusedly at some taffy in its hand, not sure what the woman wanted it to do with it. She took an exaggerated bite out of hers, as if in demonstration.

"We thought it came from the wagon. Sounded like an explosion," Caeleo explained, "Anyway, we brought the wood. Think you could work your magic and fix the wheel?"

Sapphira glided over to the other end of the wagon. As she rounded the corner she jumped back and let out a startled scream that sounded more like a squeak. "Oh, that's Tavren," Tarkus elaborated, "A Cleric. Been followin' us. He'll do you no harm." Tavren was busy searching the bandits for useful items. "Oh, well, nice to meet you Tavren!" The cleric stared at the fairy's tiny outstretched hand for a moment, shook it, then went back to looting. That was enough for Sapphira, so she set to work.

Fairy artisans were renowned for using magic to enhance their craftsmanship. Sapphira had picked up the basics of many different magic based crafts, woodworking included. Over the next several minutes she magically weaved the wood pieces together to make a mostly functional wheel.

Tarkus and Igneous were discussing the bandit encounter while watching Sapphira work. Caeleo greeted Ivory as she returned, "What is that?" He nodded towards the taffy. "Lemon taffy! From Delteria." Caeleo, in all his time observing, hadn't paid much attention to human foods. They disinterested him, so he changed the topic. "Did you find anything out about that sound?"

"Oh, right. We didn't see anything. You don't suppose it had to do with the Crystal of Balance, do you?" Ivory concealed the fact that the thought was dominating her mind. "It would make sense. Perhaps those two fools saw the Archaeon fall and knew their time was running out." She could see Caeleo's concern, despite his metallic features. "Hopefully Asael is making better time than we are."

[User]
Location: On the road
Notes: Interacting with Sapphira // Igneous
appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth

---

Igneous dropped the two thieves at Ivory's feet. They appeared to be Ashen, which wasn't a surprise. The tendency of society to push their kind out would often resort them to deviant activities in order to survive. She leaned over and check their pulses. They were still alive, just unconscious. "We need to check on Caeleo and Tarkus," she stood, brushing dusk off her legs.

"I'll see what I can see from higher up," Sapphira responded, flitting her wings and rising above the heads of the two that remained on the ground.

"They're fine. They're with someone who has been following us since we left." Igneous spoke in a monotone cadence, as if his observances were obvious to everyone.

"What? How - how do you do that?" Ivory asked. She had attempted to read him before they left but as was common with a golem, she had no reading.

"Do what?" He asked, tilting his head slightly, attempting to mimic a human response. It unsettled her a bit.

"Assess a situation. Like the bandits. And how do you know they're fine?"

"I can hear them." He looked off into the direction Tarkus and Caeleo had gone. "They're headed back." Ivory strained to see what he could see but her human vision was apparently paled in comparison.

"Are you sure?" She didn't want to risk ignoring an injury but had no real reason to doubt him. He simply looked back at her and nodded. "Alright, well, would you like to gather some water with me? It looks like one of the barrels tipped over when..." she trailed off, motioning to the thieves that were propped against the wagon. Igneous' eyes briefly drifted to two men he had detained, then he walked over and grabbed the empty barrel.

"There's a river in this direction," he titled his head to the opposite side of the wagon. The gesture was so human that she let out a brief laugh. Igneous' face remained stone-like. Ivory called up to Sapphira, who was too high in the sky to hear her. She didn't want to waste too much time getting the fairy's attention so the two took off in the direction of the water.

At the river, Ivory peppered Igneous with questions, mostly interested in his creation. "So you don't remember anything?" She picked berries while he waded out to gather the coldest water he could.

"No." Talking to him was difficult with his brusque answers. It was similar to Caeleo's conversation style - as if it was only necessary to give and receive information. No small talk. She gave up and pulled more taffy out. When Igneous walked back up on to the shore, he strapped the barrel to his back. She handed him a piece of taffy and turned to head toward the wagon. A startlingly loud noise broke around them. Igneous cried out in pain and covered his ears. While the noise was loud, Ivory didn't have the same reaction. She pulled off her cloak and threw it around his head, attempting to muffle the sound. When it died down, Igneous stood. "Thank you," he said, without expression.

"Uh yeah, sure." Ivory strapped her cloak back on. What the hell was that? A stroke of realization told her that it was likely the Crystal. She looked up at Igenous who still had no expression. She decided not to ask him what he thought of the sound and the two left for the wagon. They walked the majority of the trip in silence. Ivory debated back and forth as to what she should do with the knowledge of Igenous' advanced hearing. Xen had taught her early that others could not be trusted and that lesson stuck with her every day. If the party turned on her when she went after Elk, it would be to her advantage to know things about them that they didn't know she knew. She needed to keep Igneous on her side as long as possible. Once the wagon was in view - including Tarkus, Caeleo and the new guest that Igenous had predicted - Ivory nudged Igenous' elbow, reminding him of the taffy he held in his hand. He looked down at it, seemingly still confused as to what he was supposed to do with it. Ivory smiled and made an exaggerated bite. He just stared at her.

Caeleo questioned the pair of them about the noise. Ivory chose not the tell him about Igenous' response and the golem didn't offer up any information either. Was it really the Crystal like it seemed? If it was breaking faster than they anticipated, it was possible that her mission was in vain.


[System]
Username: POOHEAD189
Race/Species: Human (From the Kingdom of Harek)

Gender: M

Age: 26

Career/Class: Mercenary/Armsman/Amateur Swordmage

Weapons:

* Bastard Sword
* Kite Shield

Physical Description (as detailed as possible please, pictures not accepted.): A lean, fit, but refined man with dark hair and eyes, with a navy blue tunic over chainmail (covering leather) and loose fitting dark brown trousers. He has a fair face, albeit with a scar at the left of his chin and running down his jawline. His hair is wavy, loose and tousled. Not entirely groomed as he was raised, he still looks more or less presentable, and perhaps charming when he feels the need to present himself as such. He has the look of a youth that has been refined like silver through various trials by fire.

Armor:

* Chainmail hauberk
* Leather armor over it.
* Leather bracers/pauldrons

Equipment/Other

* Sword sharpening/cleaning kit
* Water Jug
* Herbal remedy to halt light bleeding
* 3 pounds of beef jerky

Mental Description/Personality: Markus is a strong willed and adventurous young man, having left his moderately home to seek his fortunes to the east. He enjoys learning, his rebellious attitude having dimmed somewhat from his training by his Elvish master. He has a good mind about him when it comes to common sense, though he can be a bit rash if he lets his anger get the better of him. Generally he has a friendly, if wary demeanor. He will sometimes spout wisdom he has learned on his travels. In truth he has more general knowledge than spell knowledge, for he is only a fledgling spell caster. Still, he'll always be interested in learning more of the arcane arts. He has a curiosity about him that he sometimes can't help. Ironically, he'll chastise others for taking risks he might take as well.

Goals: Markus' goals are to seek his own fame and fortune, through his own skill. He wants to live as a free man, outside of the pointless bickering of the lords.

Background/History:
The bastard nephew of a lord, Markus had always been more focused on exploration in the surrounding forests and his various interests rather than his duties as a vassal. He used his standing not to further his family's fortunes, but to further his own. Not out of selfishness, mind. He'd often seen children who were less fortunate to be encouraged by their parents to do well for themselves. All he had ever heard from his family was what he could do for them.

One day his older brother was killed in a raid, which lead Markus and his father to argue and break off their relationship through a fit of anger. Markus escaped the next day, taking a modest sum of money as well as some equipment and traveling east, taking up arms with a few mercenary companies. He found despite his individuality, he was not a bad leader to smaller groups of companions, at least as long as they were after the same prize and had shared goals.

Before long he culminated enough funds to find an Elvish tutor in magic and swordplay. He lived there for 3 years, learning from the Elf in a forested tower before he was hired onto a fine expedition to explore the surrounding mountains. The adventure came into disaster, rock trolls making the group split up. Markus survived the mountains and found himself on the other side of them, next to a great body of water called the Sunlight Sea. He spent a year on the Cutlass coast, taking small, boring jobs on various ships as a guard before he found himself in HighMast.

[User]
The dark eyed Swordmage let out a breath when he received his payment, feeling the coins between his fingers before slipping them into his coinpouch. All except one gold coin that he flipped with his thumb and caught it. "See you again soon." Markus told Tobias, giving the man a nod and a friendly farewell grin as the burly merchant made his way up the street.

Behind them, people began unpacking their goods and hauling them past the two young Sellswords. His hands in his pockets now, thumbs sticking out, he let his mind unwind for a second. That had been a longer day than he had first realized. He almost felt like there was nothing better to do than to go lie down. At least, he would have thought that usually.

"Well, where to? We have some extra coin on our hands, it seems." Valerie said, just next to him. He gave a small smile to himself, realizing the meaning of her words meant that she'd rather stick by him for now. He'd not exactly done this in a year or two but... "Hey," he began, turning to her. One hand left his pocket and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was wondering if you wanted to get that drink now. I know you can pay for your own stuff, but I've saved up a bit. How about I buy you one?"

[Assistant]
Valerie found herself unable to keep from smiling, mostly from the slight awkwardness Markus was displaying. He was handsome in a rugged mercenary way, but it was somewhat obvious that he wasn't really in practice when it came to these sorts of things. Was it a bit early in the day for drinks? Perhaps not, with the chaos of the fight and the subsequent quiet of the aftermath, Valerie had lost track of time a bit. Maybe it was a bit early for her, but then, she was a mercenary now, and probably needed to get used to it.

Come to think of it, she'd never really been asked to get a drink in this way, like the common people did it. It actually made her feel a bit awkward to think about it. It was always over-groomed courtiers in the throne room, presenting themselves before her and her father, always with the very visible strings attached, in the form of whatever benefit their family would bring the Winters from a pairing. All things considered, she found the simple approach much more appealing.

"Alright," she said, doing her best to make sure her tone was encouraging. "I'd like that. Lead the way."

[User]
He'd just met her, and usually when he found a girl that intrigued him he waited a few nights to even ask about spending some time talking or drinking. But he'd already felt a kinship with this girl, and she was a friend already if nothing else. He'd not enjoyed talking about Mercenary work with anyone in a long time. Usually he just did it, and didn't speak about it. If someone on other expeditions asked a question, they usually did so nervously, and it made others nervous because it showed they didn't know what they were doing. But Valerie seemed both capable and inquisitive. She was sharp and well tempered, and endearing to chat with. He'd felt at ease helping her earlier and would again, he realized.

Or maybe most of the girls you've met were just tavern wenches, or died too early to get to know. Well, that may or may not be the case. But he found her smile contagious, and he met her eyes as a smile grew on his face as well. "Cool." he said, his smile now blooming into a grin. He passed her by slowly and gestured with a nod for her to follow his lead as he strode out of the courtyard. It had been a little awkward asking her, but he felt some of his confidence coming back. Just buying a drink for a new friend you're helping out.

The Tavern they made it to was called "Orc Ire and Dragon Fire." The sign hanging above the cobblestone street at the doorway held a sigil of an Open flame, crisscrossed by an Axe and a Scimitar. Inside, lantern light could be seen from the windows they passed. The merry stories and shouts of jovial laughter was suddenly unmuted once the door opened. Markus held the door open with one hand for Valerie to walk in. Once they were inside, the Swordmage waved to a few nondescript people in the crowd, leading over to a table left of the front door, a few tables down and against the wall. Two cushioned chairs were set.

All about them, men played cards or drinking games. Some told stories and laughed merrily. A few had decided to sit alone, and some even sat two at a time like Markus and Valerie were. There were a few Elves, Dwarves, even a Gnome with two Halflings among the crowd.

"I'll go grab our drinks. One sec." he told her, and headed over to the barkeep across the floor from their table. He rested his elbows on the counter, his back turned to her as he waited for the order to be met. Within a minute, he headed over to Valerie with two fine Ales, and set one in front of her. He let out a long sigh as he plopped into his chair. The room was warm and the hearth on the right side of the room blazed brightly. Next to it, a woman sang a folk song, though not too loudly.

[Assistant]
Orc Ire and Dragon Fire. Valerie had already had her fill of one for the day, that was for sure. Perhaps the Dragon Fire referred to the drink. She certainly hoped so; a dragon being thrown into her day would probably be too much to survive. In all, the mood inside the place was lighter than Valerie had expected, and it brought a small smile to her face as she sank into the cushioned chair. Only leaving her home behind could truly make her understand the value of a good cushion. Her current chair was a little flattened from overuse, but it certainly beat the back of a wagon.

It was a rather unique place, as far as venues for her first dates had gone. Was this a date? Her gut said no, it wasn't, she and Markus were just fellow mercenaries that had survived a hard fight together, but the fact that he was off buying her drink made her feel like it was. Whatever it was, Valerie felt like she'd missed out on establishments such as this when she was younger. High-class taverns were overrated.

"Mm," she said after taking a drink, "I have to admit I expected much worse." The ale was excellent in all honesty, and Valerie felt the warmth of it snaking down into her belly. It was strong, but not overly so. She wasn't embarrassingly lightweight, but heavy drinking was not among her talents.

She grinned somewhat sheepishly at Markus. "Not the best I've looked going for a drink. I think there's still some blood on me, honestly..." She glanced down at her breastplate, which she hadn't bothered removing. "But I suppose everyone here is a little beat up."

Valerie reached behind her, untying the knot her hair was in and letting it fall past her shoulders. It was a bit of a mess, but she ran a hand through it and ruffled it behind her, trying to get it in some sense of order. "So, you said you've some noble blood? I wouldn't have guessed, actually, but I mean that in the best way possible." Nobles tended to have certain qualities that left them feeling elevated above the rest. Valerie was still trying to stamp out some of those qualities in herself, but it was a work in progress.

[User]
Heading over to the Tavern Markus had felt more and more comfortable, but actually being there...he was now in his element. Trappers, Hunters, Miners, and of course, other Mercenaries filled the room as the tune continued to play. He sat down across from her, leaning forward a tad with his left forearm now resting on the soft wood of the table, and his right elbow set upon it, his drink in his right hand. He took a sip in unison with Valerie, letting the ale wash down his throat and warm his belly.

"It's how this place is..." he replied to her with a shrug, a smile on his face that bespoke Camradery. He was very amused at how unsure she was, but not in a malicious fashion. It was just as refreshing as he had thought on the road. "Everybody's a mess." He was also somewhat amused that this girl thought she looked less than presentable at a place like this. Well...she wouldn't be invited to any balls anytime soon, but only for her garb, and in Markus' view that was a good thing. "Besides..."

He lifted the fringe of his thick hair to reveal the jagged cut he had received earlier on the road. He gave her a wink to show that he wasn't in any pain from the cleaned wound. Or, nothing I haven't felt before at least. He let his hair fall down once more, though it was still slightly visible within the parting of his bangs.

He took another long sip, and watched her loosen her hair up for the merest second. He still wasn't sure if this was or was not a date, but either way, the sight of her fixing her hair...he had to hide a smile. "So, you said you've some noble blood? I wouldn't have guessed, actually, but I mean that in the best way possible." He gave a grin and a youthful laugh from deep within his throat, unable to keep himself from smiling at the ending of her statement. His dark eyes gazed downwards at his drink, and while he still held the smile for a few more moments, he had sobered up quickly enough at the question.

"Believe me, I take that as a big compliment." he told her, and lost himself in thought. He leaned back on his chair, resting a bit as he simply gazed into the crowd for a few moments, before his dark eyes fell on Valerie again. "I'm actually a...bastard. My father was the Lord's brother, and my mother was not his wife. But, he only had me and my half brother, so I was raised as one of his own." he explained, and took another sip. While he spoke to her matter of factly, the open warmth in his eyes showed that he was more confiding in someone he felt he not uncomfortable talking with about himself. "My last name is Flintbrook. My father's last name is Flint, but bastards in Eilen add a brook on the back of their name. I was his son but I could never be more than a Bastard because of my mother but...I grew up more or less as nobility, until a lot of..." he sighed. "-a lot of shit happened. So I left on my own accord. Honestly, it never did matter who my mother was. I was never suited for banquets." He smiled next as if he remembered a particular memory. "They'd make me learn etiquette and manners, whom to speak to and who not to. Y'know." He shrugged.

Silence followed, and he gazed inwardly and opened his mouth to say more, then he hesitated. "...I like this life a lot more." he stated simply. He let out a breath. "I earn things. I...make something of myself by my own skills. I don't need a title to do it, and I don't have a birthright, or lack thereof either. It's who I am, so..."