text:
Casual Roleplay
[IC] Menagerie Parade, A Fantasy World of Long Titles and Dumb Plots and Exclamatory Questions!? [Private] Page 2
GM The Irish Tree
Join Status: Full
OOC 1
Hidden 4 mos ago Post by Enkryption
Enkryption Enkoded For Your Safety
Member Seen 1 day ago
Enkryption
Enkoded For Your Safety
C-3 watched in dread silence, as everything burned down behind them; fists clenched in rage, as she trembled and her slime bubbled with a violence -- forcing Charlotte to drop her, and she fell to hand and foot. Standing on the tips of her fingers and toes, C-3 hissed; releasing smoke from the internal combustion that was taking place. "My home-stuff... It's all burning away... All burned... All again... Put it back... My treasure, my hoard... [Nip of Ability: Level Exchange]..." Charlotte would noticed that C-3 lost all her Levels in Thief, suddenly, as they dumped into Alchemist, and she gained several abilities and her MP sharply increased. Her back boiled across the surface, before her slime erupted in a gruesome display at three points; two at her "shoulder blades" and one at her "tailbone".
"[Lesser Alchemized Beast: Drake]..." she said, as her throat flexed to swallow a potion. Abruptly, the geysers of slime solidified into a pair of thick, chunky wings with no edges, but a sense of density, and a similarly rounded, heavy-looking tail. From her fingers and toes, thick, dulled talons ejected, and didn't seem able to articulate them as expertly as she could before. However, that was the least of Charlotte's worries, as C-3's MP sharply increased again -- almost four times her HP. "Haaa... [Beast Skill: Manaforge]... [Beast Skill: Untether]... Charr.... [Beast Skill: ...]... [Beast Skill...]... Grrr..." C-3 faltered, claws digging into the ground as she tried to stay awake -- her Stamina was burning away. Still, she lifted into the air; untethered by gravity, as a Alchemized Beast, "You destroyed everything... Don't care... I'll make you... [Beast Skill: Blaze]!"
C-3 aligned herself above Charlotte and Mallory, and charged a swirling blaze at her mouth, before suddenly crashing back to the earth.
Her Stamina hit ZERO.
Charlotte could see the spells unwind and unravel to the ethereal, for Alchemy was no less fleeting than Wizardry, and C-3 slipped into unconsciousness; reverting to her original form. It would take nothing for the self-proclaimed Final Boss to get her back in her lute case, and quell her for a time.
And, maybe, think about her antics a little more than not at all.
Hidden 4 mos ago → 4 mos ago Post by The Irish Tree
The Irish Tree Awoken to Justice!
Member Seen 36 min ago
The Irish Tree
Awoken to Justice!
Seen 36 min ago
...Frankly, Charlotte was actually a bit hurt, wincing as Tristan yelled. She thought he was going to say something sweet, or maybe say a cool line, like, "No matter what, we'll get through this together," or anything at all befitting of a hero ordained by the world itself. Instead, he was...mean. Rude. And a gigantic jerk. Though, she was kinda used to getting yelled at, and as such would just pout, looking away as she ran. "And you're the worst hero, ever." she would retort, haughtily throwing her head back. "But unfortunately for you AND me, I need you, and you need help. So, shuddup and let me fix this a little."
Just when she was feeling at least a little more respectable, C-3 would begin her meltdown. Well, this wouldn't be the first time that C-3 had gone postal on Charlotte. And, even as shortsighted as she was, the demoness currently facing down the gooey, squishy shape of a dragon flying overhead couldn't help but feel it wouldn't be the last. "C-3, no! No incinerating the hero!" she would say, protectively hunching herself over Tristan, consequently letting him notice what he likely already had...her chest was tiny. More than that though, C-3 just kinda flopped out of the sky, effectively defeated by TKO. Still, this was a good opportunity for Charlotte as she stopped, gently putting Tristan down before scooping C-3 up once again into her case. "Aww...she got all tuckered out. Oh, C-3's my closest vassal, by the way. So don't even think about trying to leave without her coming with us!" she would say, proud of her little explosive companion. Fastening the lute case to her back, she would retrieve Tristan before running off with him, making a mad dash down the road, and even at one point running across a lake in order to fully escape from their pursuing mob, and her "Rival".
A night would be spent in a nice, dank cave, wherin Charlotte could let Tristan rest before setting out on their journey in the morning. Somehow standing proud as the only one of her party left, she would beam, before jamming a finger in the air above her. "Just you wait! Dad, God, and everything in-between, we're gonna make you all lick our boots!" she would say, before haughtily laughing...for like...thirty straight minutes.
Equally unfitting ending theme
Day 2: The Voyeurism Vagabond and The Sun Eating Exsanguinator!
Light would pour in through the opening in the cave, and a certain demon princess would crack her neck as soon as sunlight hit her eyelids, hissing as she tried to bury herself under the pelt of the bear she had to kill to get the cave. She'd tried to eat its meat, but bear was so...gamey, and overpowering. Even when she tried making a stew of it, it might as well have been as tasty as drinking bear blood. Her stomach gurgled loudly as she shifted, scratching her belly. "Nnn...need..food..." she would complain, before flopping over, shivering on the ground. "Mr. Hero...we gotta find something to eat soon, or I'm gonna staaaaarve!" she complained, flailing her hands against the ground. C-3's lute case was unlocked, so she'd have an easy enough time of just getting out when she pleased.
Meanwhile, their pursuer and rival for the hero's destiny Valkira would soon find the only other town within miles, no doubt where they would have to stop next. She might not have the proper paperwork to destroy THIS town, but the United Union of Archdemons and Associate Evil Species had no problem with just killing a hero INSIDE a town. Just so long as the total damages were under 350,000 Gold Pieces. She'd have time to wait, if she so chose to, before a pale hand timidly reached out and tugged on her waist cloth, a blue parasol beneath her hiding the tiny figure that had touched her. "U-Umm...Excuse me Miss...would you happen to be a Hero?" she would ask, looking up at her with bright, innnocent eyes that shone a deep blood red. Valkira would be well versed in monster species to recognize her as no mere human, especially given how carefully she was avoiding sunlight. What a vampire was doing so far out from the Realm of Night though, was a question worth asking on its own, if she cared.
Hidden 4 mos ago Post by Guess Who
Guess Who The (Not So) Nameless Writer
Member Seen 17 hrs ago
The (Not So) Nameless Writer
Seen 17 hrs ago
"Hey 73, I think your slime is faulty. From the looks of it, she's about to strafe us from above," Tristan said as he watch C-3 grow and transform into her dragon-like form. When he had seen this the first time, a winged beast made of goo charging at him from above, maw open and ready to turn him and his party to ash, Tristan had been shaking at his boots. In this very moment though, he would lie still underneath Charlotte's meager chest, ready to accept whatever came next. Either he would just be further injured or some convenience would allow him to survive. There was no point in worrying over an outcome he had no control over.
As he expected, she wasn't able to hold the form for long, nose diving back to the ground like a bullet riddled fighter plane. "Amazing, I'm sure that ability will be incredibly useful for making a mid-boss turn his pants brown before laughing his ass off at us," he said with an eye roll. "Your designation shall be 51 now, unless you prefer other shapes as well. In that case you'd be 32."
Upon arriving at the cave which would become their safe haven, Tristan let out a sigh of relief. Finally, he could begin to heal, without being jostled around by Charlotte's uncomfortable arms. "Now if I can just get a few quite moments of rest, I can begin to hea-" he had begun to say, before being interrupted by the demoness' proclamation to the skies. Followed by nauseatingly long laughter. This woman needed an off button.
Awakening on a large, green hill, Tristan pushed himself up from the grass that tickled his back. Placing a hand above his eyes to block out the bright rays of the Sun, he looked out upon the valley and took in the landscape. Mountains, rivers, and forests stretched out as far as he could see, where once his vision would only be filled with the gray shadows of skyscrapers and buildings. Here he felt at home, among this viridescent paradise. And down at the foot of the hill he sat upon, he knew his friends were waiting.
Running down the slope, he smiled as he approached the familiar faces, waving back to them as they greeted him with equally large grins. The five of them had braved through everything this world had thrown at them and come out together only closer together. He was their leader, the prophesied hero, but he couldn't have done it without each and every one of them. There was... There was... What were their names?
As he got closer and closer, his vision began to blur. The demon kid, who had black hair as dark as the night. Or was it red like the flames of Hell? The big brother, who made sure everyone was always safe behind his enormous tower shield. Or did he wipe out attackers before they could get close with a tremendous battleaxe? The elven rogue, who darkened the sky with her countless arrows. Or did she sneak behind enemies and stab them in the back with her twin daggers? Most of all though was the girl he loved. He could always count on her to give him a shoulder to cry on when things got tough, her soothing voice comforting him when the world felt like it was crushing him beneath it's weight... What was her name?
As he got closer, their faces began to blur. Colors changed, bodies distorted, personalities morphed. Was it five or eight? Were they saving the kingdom or the entire world? Was he a boy or a girl? Was he even human? He couldn't remember. It was too long ago. Not even a lifetime, but countless lifetimes. How many worlds had he been to?
Finally within reach of his friends, he thrust out his hand to take theirs. He wanted to hold on to what remained of them in his memories. Anything he could recall. A name. A face. A voice. Anything. As soon as his fingers touched hers though, the world around him cracked like delicate glass. Soon it would all be gone. He looked around at his friends and saw them fade, like ash being swept away by the morning wind. The flash of one last smile, lips moving to tell him the three words that made every day bright again, and she would disappear with them. Everyone gone. Only he remained in the ruined remains of worlds cobbled together. People, places, and objects all taken from one another and stitched back like an odd patchwork quilt. It never felt quite right. Each one was missing something the first had. But he couldn't remember what it was.
What was her name?
The answer would never come, as Charlotte's groaning would awaken Tristan from his nightmare. He was covered in sweat, the ground beneath him damp with perspiration. So much so that the single tear that hung from his chin wouldn't stand out among everything else. With a groan finally answered the demoness' request. "I'm the one you almost burned to a crisp. You should be the one feeding me." Of course, due to the power of having the world revolve around him, the chosen one was much better than when he had gone to sleep last night. In fact, other than some minor burns here and there, he looked just as he had when he came to this world. And he knew that.
Rising to his feet, Tristan took his belt and tied it around his waist again, making sure that the sword at his hip was secure. "Fine. I'll go bring us back a chimera or something. Only because I don't feel like eating charred meat," he said, ducking out of the cave to begin hunting. With his experience, it probably wouldn't be long until he returned.
Hidden 4 mos ago Post by Suku
Suku Praetor
"I am no hero, Hero's only let people down" She said softly to the child call her what you will for all her rage and showboating she had a soft spot for somethings it made her more of a pariah one to be feared sure but still a pariah even among demons. Now sure a vampire child was odd doubly one that was far removed from the realms of eternal night or whatever they were called. Now that she thought about it wasnt she banned from those realms? No it was the fae realms yah that was it she burnt down their home tree or something stupid like that. Dumb faeries all she wanted was destroy the holy sword but noooooooooooooooooo had to make her job hard. Sure she managed to do it in the end but still it was a annoyance. "Pray child why are you here little vampire" She asked looking at the child that went up to her.
Hidden 4 mos ago → 4 mos ago Post by Enkryption
As Charlotte carried Mallory to town like some reverse Prince Charming, they were past by a figure layered head to foot in plated mail of white, pure as the driven snow, that was expertly bolted together with bindings and rivets of black, like a corporealized craftings of space. Upon their head, a horned helm that fronted an faceless mask with but two silted voids where eyes could be approximated on a standard human face.
A Samurai, by immediate design, their weapons were obvious against their ethereal design; a katana resting in an ivory scabbard, inlain with an intricate, swirling pattern of onyx, and a wakizashi seated within a scabbard of what smelt of coal, designed with scales of bone. However, most triumphant of their armaments was their mount; no mere, meager thoroughbred, but a beast of true might in in triplicate, harnessed and reigned by magicked, dragon-scale gilding.
A Chimera.
Untameable lion. Insatiable goat. Deceiving snake. Beasts of might, hardiness, and guile, fused to a singular form and blessed by their bestial knowings. And, it was their mount. Royalty of Beasts, reduced to a mere riding horse. As the beast stepped by with footfalls like thunderclaps, the Samurai looked down at their traveling companions-in-passing, and then carried on. Ahead of them, and beyond, on towards the forest in which hid the twosome would take residence in...
In her restlessness, C-3 surged with emotion; her home lost to fire, anew, and irreparable. Her body was still weak, Stamina still lower then she could function with, and yet, she forged herself a hand that slapped the cave floor; fingers ended by three-inch long claws, and, in spite of the goo, scaled by her flash powder spines from base to shoulder, as she formed as entire arm. It was difficult, remembering what a human form consisted of... arms, ended by hands, by fingers, by nails, but end at an elbow, no... a shoulder... It ends at the shoulder...
A wing, large, spanning, ripped free of the thick surface, as C-3 struggled to remember. So much magic was wasted. She was just a slime. Talented, but still a beast -- one unable to do more than pretend. A slime had their station in life, didn't they? Recycling; all matter, no matter what, could be busted down by their form, and the worst places could be make habitable within time with smart application of her mindless kin
That's all Charlotte needs me for...
Her thoughts were dour, and her form rippled; firmity sapped, suddenly. C-3 didn't feel like leaving her lute; her prison that Charlotte thought so cute for her. Would that she have never seen that Carbon Dragon, and never seen a beast of such caliber. Would that she'd perish in the Carbon Dragon's World-shaping Ability, Carbonflagration, and become Carbonite with her old world. Would that she never been inspired with the thought, 'I, too, could be such a beast,' and never gained sapience.
Carmella Celina Charr, a name cobbled together from snippets and snatches of conversation. C-3, a nickname given by those with tongues too lazy, and a skill that only Archwizards could lay claim to. Not a beast. Not a slime. Not someone like her, so foolish to dream she could be more. As if simmering, her slime bubbled with a cacophonous mixture of oils, herbal and wooden, which scattered as bursts of bubbles and leaked down the sides of her prison.
Even a mere slime knew sadness... and, a broken dream could bring anyone tears...
A keening cry escaped the mewling, bleating, and hissing mouths of a newborn Chimeras, as blind eyes probed the world for desperation of attention. Bound to a nearby tree, an old oak, and muzzled against all mouths, the mother struggled to meet the needs of her child, but found her leash incomparably shorter than ever before. "Rest yourself," says the Samurai, as they looked up. "This is, but, another in the cycle that befalls your kind. A beast without a host of care for humanity must be tamed by that which they care for not, 'lest they misstep and vanish beneath an unseen heel."
Jerking forward, the mother Chimera tried to sweep a claw out at the Samurai whom she had entrusted her life to, and fought as one with. Unwavering, the Samurai simply held the infant beast up, and fed the lion head with a bottle of milk passed down through generations. "Your mother struggled, as did hers, and, in time, this one, too, will struggle, as is her fate," says the Samurai, "A beast is to be tamed and learned. This is our last time together. Hate me, if you will, it trials me not. Goodbye, Regalia, your daughter succeeds you. And, shall never know you."
Turning, the Samurai smiled beneath their mask, as they Chimera struggled to free herself, instinctively driven to give chase, and emotionally driven to right this betrayal. "We've much to accomplish, Regalia," they say, petting the goat head, "That vampire must die, after all to keep the sun shining on this God-blessed World." Infantilely ignorant, the newest to the line known as Regalia, made a happy series of sound. She was needed, and loved, by the figure she knew as mother.
That was perfect.
Hidden 3 mos ago Post by The Irish Tree
@Enkryption
Waiting for Tristan to return would be an arduously difficult task for the hungry and impatient Charlotte, whose attention would turn from the boring thoughts of hungry pains and stomach growls, to the presence of her companion, oddly...nonexplosive today in her lute case. Where she expected a cheeky explosion to impact her cheek and bury her in the rubble of the cave's collapse, she instead felt nothing. No burn of impact, no tickle of a blow levied against her, instead there was just...a sad lump of black and grey inside. Hesitance was evident on Charlotte's face as she looked for a good long minute, before she ever so gently gathered C-3 in her hands and smiled. "This brings back some memories. she would say, making sure to not let C-3's mass drip, even as it ate through the fabric of her gloves. Charlotte was too resilient for C-3's juices to eat through her even if she tried, thankfully.
Softly, two fingers ran across the top of C-3's mass as a giggle rang throughout the cave. "You were just like this when I first found you...you looked so scared and small, but then you copied me and tried to punch my face in." Suddenly, Charlotte would cup her hands together, whispering as close as she could to them. "I know you're sad, because you thought of that place as home...but your home isn't there. It isn't here either. Want to know where it is?" she'd ask as her crimson eyes came alight. "Its at the top of the world. A place where only the strongest are fit to thrive, to live, and to reign as Kings and Queens for all eternity. Your home isn't some hovel, Carmella. And it isn't even just a regular "nice house, but could do better" locale. Its at my side, at the pinnacle of power for all demon and monster kind."
Standing, Charlotte would puff her chest out, having laid C-3 out in her lute once more. "Mark my words, C-3! No man, woman, midboss, strangely alluded to nemesis will stop me, OR you! Right!?" the demonic princess would ask, arms crossed, and tail swishing proudly behind her. "You're not here because you're a special weapon or something. Actually, it'd probably be a heck of a lot easier if I just burnt a hell path on through to Daddy's throne...probably would get all the cute demon princes to think I was cool...but I don't. Wanna know why?" Charlotte would ask, before beaming once more. "I promised you a spot at my side. And I can't take you anywhere you don't want to go. So, C-3...tell me. Where is it that you want to go? Where do you want to stay?"
"Wherever you say, that's where we'll build our new empire! Just you, me, and a million or so coerced subjects to wade on our every whim, to bring you the finest coal in the world on a sample platter, and to give you a horde to make any dragon jealous!"
@Suku
The young vampire would gasp at the fire woman's proclamation that heroes only let people down, suddenly looking dour as she hung her head. "I-I see...b-but not the heroes my Daddy tells us about!" she protested, before regaining her composure. "Sorry...I've come a long way looking for a hero...o-or just anybody as strong to do something to save the Vampire race." she would say, lifting her parasol just enough for Valkira to see her face finally. Her hair was white as snow, and her skin was an earthly pale shade, bespeaking of her unholy nature to those in the know on such things. A smile was present on her thin lips, the slightest hint of fangs visible protruding from her upper lip.
"I'm gonna ask the hero to put out the sun!" She would say excitedly, rummaging through her pockets with her free hands, before pulling out what looked to be a rather paltry sum, maybe even less than fifty gold pieces, assuming that it was ALL gold. "I saved up my allowance for a year, and even gave up midnight snacks to scrimp enough gold to make it worth their while. D-Do you think that heroes have coupons too?" she'd ask, sounding incredibly hopeful.
"Oh, um, my name is Nimoa. What's your name Miss?" she would say, finally introducing herself while she bounced back and forth on her heels, curious as to the large woman's answer.
As he traveled further into the forest, away from the cave they had taken shelter in, Tristan would hear a familiar sound. That of a full-grown chimera calling out. Compared to the other noises of the forest, it stood out, being a mix between a roar, a bleat, and a hiss all within one sound. It reminded him of something one would hear from an amateur DJ audio mixing several noises to incorporate within their newest hit. The thought of why it would be crying out did occur to him for a moment, but his curiosity didn't stay long. He knew that he would discover the reason once he had reached the clearing that the beast was calling from.
When Tristan saw the chimera, chained to one of the thick trees of the forest, he began to consider his options. From experience, chimera meat was awfully good, what with having a large variety of flavors depending on which part of it you ate from. Finding one was quite fortuitous indeed. However, if it was chained here, then that must mean it belonged to someone. Someone who most likely planned on returning for their strange pet. Perhaps they used the creature as a sort of bloodhound to hunt other creatures that lived here? Whatever the reason, it wasn't his.
Drawing his sword, Tristan alerted the beast to his presence. All three heads turned towards his direction as he approached and the chimera let out a threatening noise as it recognized the malicious intent the hero had. He had recognized that the creature was someone else's. He just didn't care. Food was food. If the owner wanted to keep the creature within their possession, they shouldn't have left it where it could be taken.
Charging at the chimera, he would dodge the snake head that lunged at him, duck underneath the sharp claws that swiped at him, and sidestep the headbutt from the goat's head, until he slid underneath the body. Killing each head was usually the most effective way to kill a chimera, but carrying back the body and the three heads would be a pain without a cart or other mode of transportation, so he intended to keep the body in one piece. Thrusting his blade upward, he aimed for the heart that beat within its massive chest, intending to end the fight with a single blow.
Thirty minutes later, Tristan would appear at the mouth of the cave, the chimera's corpse upon his back. Both were covered in blood, the hero having discovered the hard way that he had underestimated how limited his powers had become now that he had spawned in this new world. He expected to receive a significant downgrade compared to worlds past, but not to this extent. The hero wouldn't have even been capable of carrying the body, had the fight not jumped him from level 2 to 7. It didn't matter in the long run though, as upon closer inspection, one could see that none of the blood was his. The chimera, however, was covered in lacerations and deep cuts.
"73. 51. One of you two cook up this chimera. I need to sit down for a few minutes."
"Wait upon," C-3 corrected. "The idiom is, "to wait upon, hand and foot," which implies absolute subservience. That's what you meant, you vainglorious simpleton." From inside her lute-keeping bedding, C-3 forged a single eye open, an eye closed, and a toothless mouth, "Don't speak so brazenly, when the situation is your fault to begin with -- to speak of conquest with such grandeur, yet act with such foolish short-sightedness. It infuriates that you fail to learn, timelessly." Soundlessly, C-3 sighed, before forming her upper half, and wrapped her arms around Charlotte's neck and across her back; pressing talon-tipped fingers into silk-swaddled flesh, as she pulled the fool of a Demon Princess to her knees. "What am I to do with you, my delusional mate?"
A faint hint of a smile crest her lips, as C-3 fully defined the features she borrowed from Charlotte; knowing, full well, the demoness loved nothing more than herself with such a well-groomed Ego. "You are lucky, Dragon's treasure," she says, pressing her forehead to Charlotte's; glass-enshrouded of sapphire meeting those of brilliant, supernova crimson, horns of flash power and flint stone grinding gently against horns of shelled bone and infernal heritage, "but, only so, as I'm hungry..."
"I need magic," C-3 says, able to speak as her tongue drifted down Charlotte's neck, and she sent her to the ground with a sudden push. C-3 crawled forward, on hand and knee; an obsidian version of Charlotte with eyes of blue. Looming over the royal, she whispered, "You'll part with some," she grinned brightly, mouth aligned with fangs, "won't you?"
Charlotte was taken completely off guard as she basked in being a whatever-glorious whatever that C-3 called her, pulled to her knees and then pushed onto her back as C-3 loomed over her. Blinking a few times, Charlotte smiled. "Sure!" she'd say, not at all understanding that C-3 didn't, in fact, learn what "mate" was from an Australian. To say that Charlotte was dense was offensive to her 2 Intelligence. The girl was a black hole of stupid. "By the way, 'me' is a great look for you. But, I kinda like your own style a little more," the demon princess would say, pulling C-3 into a hug. "After all, C-3's at her cutest when she's her usual explody self."
C-3 gurgled, as she was yanked down. Her Magic Pool was a net worth of goddamn zero, and Charlotte was brimming with it like a spoiled, million-billion-gatrillionaire... with the power to snap her unsnappable back. "Lemme breathe, you insipid... gaaahh..." C-3 groaned, as Charlotte's hug exerted force enough to solidify were her arms rested. "Temper your strength, you airhe -- ooooww..." C-3 groaned, as she struggled to be free of the vapidness that held her. It was not working, as she flailed. "And, what style, even!? I'm a slime pretending to be anything but -- ack!"
Charlotte gingerly let go of C-3, now just kind of resting her hands on her back. "Woops." she would say as she just started softly petting C-3's head, where her hair would be if it wasn't just shaped slime. "What's wrong with saying you have a style? You like to look, act, and explode things in a certain way, right?" Charlotte would question, tilting her head.
"After all, you're a dragon-styled slime, right?"
"No, I'm an Obsidian Slime," C-3 says, "Being a dragon... a pathetic dream." C-3 huffed. "I'm not closer to it than I was years ago; I'm no stronger, no cleverer, no more threatening. I'm a pathetic rock eater, and little else," she says, losing refinements, as she shifted back to herself, "My talents all stolen for people or books. A slime is nothing. A beast, barely. No matter what you say." C-3 looked at her, eyes wobbling and leaking oil, "After all, your word may salve a moment's wound, but you know nothing of struggle and failure; of being the lowest-given tier. Alive, at, literal, rock bottom."
"What's wrong with being a beast?" Charlotte asked, not once losing her smile as she looked at C-3. "I mean, I'm a demon, after all. The entire WORLD wants me dead for existing, pretty much. And, don't say that you're on the bottom. I bet that in a little while, you could kill a dragon all on your own if you wanted." Charlotte would say as she wiped the oil from C-3's eyes.
"Like I said before C-3...we're going to the top of the world together. After all...you're my personally picked retainer. If you really were the lowest tier of monsters, do you think I would hold you close like this?" she asked, deftly plucking C-3 into her arms once more and standing, supporting the back of C-3's "knees" with one arm, and her neck with the other.
"I don't know what you would do, you unpredictable showboat!" C-3 yelped. "Wh-What are you doing!?" Futilely, she squirmed against Charlotte; exhausting her already trounced Stamina, "...why did you use my name? You never do."
Charlotte looked bewildered for a moment. "I don't?" she would ask, looking up and poising her tail behind herself in the shape of a "?". "...Hrm...aaahh...nnnn...Nah. Must be your imagination." Charlotte said, nodding confidently. "Anyways, you need some of my blood to refuel, right? Mr. Hero's gonna take foreeeeeever, so I might as well let you lick some now," she would say as she gently set C-3 down, removed one of her gloves, and pricked the tip of her index finger on one of her horns, before sticking it right into her mouth.
"Thiff fift murfifying..." C-3 says, as she was thrust into the situation. "Thiff fift fluw..." she grumbled, as she was getting the most paltry magic return for her effort. "Aun, yuu di..." C-3 knew she would get a faster response from an actual blood vessels, but, Charlotte was the Empress of Dunderhead Island, so, here she was... this would take forever, too.
"73. 51. ..." Awkwardly, enter, Tristan.
"S'up?" Charlotte asked, waving to Tristan as he entered, then dumped the bounty of his hunt on the floor. That thing was huuuuuuge. "Oh, nice! Chimera meat is gamey, but otherwise the texture's top notch. I can cook it in a jiff!" she would say before lifting her hand, heat starting to generate within her palm AGAIN.
The two in the cave with her would be getting a sense of eerie deja vu…
C-3 shoved her freakout to the side, and slithered up Charlotte's arm, and clamped into her neck -- pulling as much magic as she possibly could without blowing up. It wouldn't even dent the moron's active supply, much less her unfathomable stores, but, at the very least, it would stop her from nuking the cave.
Charlotte yelped as C-3 crawled up her arm, trying to shake her off as her magic was absorbed. "H-Hey, what's the big idea? I was gonna use my special Barbeque Style Fireball..." she would complain, as the pitiful fireball, drained of its essence slowly curled forward, before falling to the ground, leaving the barest of scorch marks on the ground. C-3 would also be able to taste how little Charlotte actually put into her Barbeque Fireball. Seems she really DIDN'T mean to go full power for once.
"I'll cook it," C-3 says, "I'm an Alchemist, after all. Barest a step removed from Chefficer." C-3 hopped down, and pulled her slime apart in bits and pieces; shaping them into pots and pans, utensils and knives, and bags which were full of herbs. "Find something to do, I suppose," she says, "I got this."
Charlotte smiled, excitedly clapping. "Awesome! I don't know how slime forks work, but awesome! I'll leave it to you then, C-3." she would say, hugging her slime retainer once more from behind, before flopping onto her back and letting her stomach loudly proclaim just how hungry she was.
Little time had transpired between the birth of Regalia IV and the abandonment of Regalia III, and the Samurai had entered the town where he target had hidden herself. Nimoa, Scourge of the Sun. Her name was know through Kybinae Village, and her mission to enshroud this God-blessed world in darkness was better known. Her slinking through the shadows and her cowardly penchant had make it so few saw her truly, but there was no Paladin or Samurai of Kybinae Village that hadn't heard of her villainy, as stated.
The fourth in her family, the Samurai, armed with the Blades of Eros, as passed down in her family, and the Chimera Mount infamous to her clan, would do her village proud by ensuring that there was a sun to have good relations under forward. For that, Nimoa had to die.
And, anyone else with her.
It wasn't hard to track down a vampire. They were unusual, easy to notice in the daylight hours, as the shunned the sunshine, and favoured the nightshade. People spoke of Nimoa, as if nothing more than an innocent child, beggaring herself to beseech anyone to aid her in snuffing the glorious sunlight in favor of unending moonlight. However, no-one seem in league with her -- a fortune to them. Of course, they may, also, have been enthralled to lie to her; such was the vampire craft.
However, as she was about to switch tactics, she heard it: "I'm gonna ask the hero to put out the sun!"
"Nimoa!" Tamara swapped Regalia from one arm to another, and drew her katana without issue. The blade slipped through the air before her, and it cleaved through the generic town water fountain (you know, that one that is ALWAYS in a Town Square, because of an unspoken rule) that stood between her and her like rice paper. "My name is Tamara Gozolla of Kybinae Village! I challenge you to mortal combat for the honor of the Sun everlasting! Prepare to die!" she shouted, as she stepped through the fountain of water, as the stone halves that once contained it fell to either side with a crash.
"Rawr!" Regalia offered, swiping a tiny paw.
"to put out the sun?" Valkira said as if making sure she heard it right that idea was crazy and no hero would take it normally. But she was no hero in fact she was the exact opposite of a hero and the idea of putting out the sun had some merit. "A lofty goal if I ever heard one but worry not I will aid you in this endeavor" Valkira said as she puffed her chest out in pride "I am very strong you know so I will aid you in your endeavor for free even!" She said as she began to go into a spiel about her past and the fire that she was born of. Yes it was IMPORTANT so she wouldn't dare skip her possible plot advancing lecture! However she heard a scream and summoned her sword blocking the blow aimed for the young child with a flash of her blade. "To attack a child even if a vampire is this how heros conduct themselves now and days?" She asked snarkily at the attacker kicking her in the stomach as she stared at her new foe.
This looks awfully gay. Like not in a homophobic way, but in the 'this looks like something straight out of a yuri hentai' way. Hell, I'm pretty sure I recall being in this exact situation a dozen times at least. As both the person walking in and the person being walked in on. Trying to forget some of the more embarrassing moments of his myriad of previous lives, Tristan would take his mind off things by ignoring the totally subtle and not at all overt lesbian undertones happening a mere handful of feet away from him and instead work on cleaning himself of all of the chimera's blood.
Scrounging through the bag of items that he had spawned into this world with, he attempted to find something to wash himself with. When he found a large sponge at the bottom of the bad, he looked neither surprised nor ecstatic over his discovery. It wasn't rare for things work out for him like this, but it didn't mean he liked it. In fact, living a life without any small inconveniences like this made it quite boring. The only problem that ever existed seemed to be those that somehow tied back to whatever big bad evil guy he needed to defeat this time.
With a sigh, he rose back up to his feet and exited the cave again, letting out another sigh when he saw the small stream that flowed a stone's throw away from him. Again, no problems other than those caused by the devil king, either directly or indirectly. His two companions would most likely be just about finished cooking today's meal when he got back, unless some other complication came up between them.
@Enkryption@Guess Who
Charlotte would be rolling around on her side, stomach grumbling. However, as the meat neared rare, Charlotte remained still as a puddle of drool formed beneath her face. Once the meat finished, Charlotte wouldn't even use utensils, forgoing her status in lieu of simply grabbing a leg from the Chimera and yanking it off. Huge chunks were ripped off by her fanged mouth as every piece to the bone of her leg was eviscerated, masticated, and soon digested as Charlotte flopped onto her back, proud of her "Fastest Eater in the Demon Realm" award for six years running.
"Delish~!" Charlotte would cry out. Her "plate" was clean, and now she was fueled up and ready for some adventure. "I'm kinda surprised you didn't die, fighting something like this Mister Hero. Maybe you're not just a whiny dick after all." she would say once Tristan returned from washing up. Patting C-3 on the back, she grinned. "Great cooking C-3. Now, once you and Mr. Hero eat up, we can get going," would be all she said before stretching one arm up with her other arm holding it at the elbow.
@Suku@Enkryption
"R-Really!?" Nimoa would question, crimson eyes welling up as Valkira agreed to help...and for free! It was rare for a member of one of the demon races to find someone altrustic towards their kind, but...maybe Valkira was just a really nice lady. Valkira would soon find the short vampiress hugging her waist, sniffling a bit before pulling back and wiping her eyes. "Well, first, we're going to need a really big bucket of water. And then-" she would begin explaining her elaborate and masterful plan just as she heard her name being called, raising her hand and yelling: "Present!" as if she were called in grade school.
However that was no nice teacher lady busting through the water fountain, it was instead a scary lady with a...with a...
"Cuuuuuuuuuuuute~!" Nimoa would say, fearlessly approaching as the samurai was kicked back by Valkira, eyes fixated on the chimera in the scary lady's arm. "D-Does it have a name? Is it a girl? C-C-Can I pet it?" she would ask, looking up at the samurai intent to end her life with eyes full of innocence and pure heartedness. Between the samurai and the vampiress was a tiny stream of water flowing from the fountain. Attempting to reach out to the chimera pup, Nimoa found her hand hitting a solid barrier. Frustrated, she pushed her face against that barrier, whining softly.
Vampire rules were hard to remember...though now, streams of water had encircled Nimoa, completely trapping her. For someone intending to put out the sun...she was really, really ignorant to the laws of her own species.
"I shouldn't..." C-3 says. "Meat... isn't good for me..." Standing up, C-3 gathered herself, Loli-size again, started for the cave mouth. "I'll go see what herbs and rocks are scattered around here. Surely, something is edible," she says, leaving the bulk of the meat to Tristan and Charlotte.
There was no universe in which she wanted to admit that meat made her gassy. That didn't happen to someone of her caliber... as long as she shied away from meat. Red; White; Dark; All in-between; It didn't matter, if it was once living flesh and blood, it couldn't enter her perilously delicate stomach. Shuddering, as she scoured the ground for basic herbs, she was unimpressed by the growth. It seemed anywhere that populated by primarily Human or Elven species would only host the most basic needs.
Sighing, C-3 inhaled slowly, and exhaled slowly, gathering up the magic she'd siphoned off Charlotte, and solidified her form into a smooth, flesh-like texture, as pushed her torch oil into her skin, and mixed powdered chalk into her obsidian-hued skin; adding the white powder to the black, and tinting her skin more of dark chestnut. Rubbing her cheeks, she raised her cheekbones; Rubbing her nose, she pressed it inwards like a squat button; Rubbing her temples, she formed pointed ears that jutted outwards pronouncedly; Rubbing her eyes, she shaped them with a fair slant, yet childishly a wide gaze.
Looking into a small stream, C-3 looked at her face. "A little too Drow," she chastised herself, "It will do, though. Now, my voice," she cleared her throat, and rubbing it, "How's this," her pitch was too low, "Let's try this," and ended up way too high. Frowning, C-3 tried once more. "This outta be nice," and she hit the sweet spot. "Perfect," C-3 says, "Now, just to add the Elven accent. Ahem," she poked at her throat, "Mine name is Cecilia Camilla Charr," she curtsied, "A pleasure to meet thee." C-3 made a face, but sucked it up. People weren't all that friendly to Slimes, and Obsidian Slime, less-so; turned out, people don't like things with an explosive penchant.
Standing, C-3 crushed a pill in her mouth, "[Syrup of the Wizard]", and extended her hands, "[Create Rags]", before creating a pile of rags, and snapping her fingers, "[Fae-weave]". Spells cast, C-3 donned the rags that were could be called clothing with GREAT consideration, and rubbed her gooey hair. "Last bit," she says, as she shaped slime into short, curly hair; added firmness with powdered flint, and smoothness to the touch with her torch oil.
"I look like an orphan," C-3 says, as she wrapped rags around her like bandages, "...but, I can use that to mine advantage." Smirking, Cecilia Camilla Charr the Orphaned Draw slowly made her way towards the near township.
Tamara wasn't concerned about the aggravated assault by the random demoness; her full-blooded kin were stupid like that, untempered like a half-breed. Sure, full-bloodedness allowed for a significant margin of power, but, a lack of temper begat nothing more than a wild animal. It was easy to turn the supposed block to her advantage, as Tamara shifted her katana, and the Material Severing Sword slid down the sword that parried it... an enchanted edge cutting through the foreign metal without slowing.
If not for having to dodge from the sudden kick -- either lashed out of instinct or a simple follow-up -- the demoness would have found her sword nearly cleaved in two, instead of simply hanging on by a mere inch of steel. Normally, Tamara would not be bothered by a kick -- her armor would have devoured the impact -- of any sort, however, she was concerned for Regalia, and didn't want her caught by a stray inch.
Fortunately, that didn't seem like it would be a problem, henceforth, as Nimoa stood before her -- passage obfuscated by a small, but tangible stream of water -- and was made helpless. Sheathing her katana, Tamara shifted Regalia into both arms. "Stand even, Vampire," she ordered, "There is no honor in attacking the helpless."
Suddenly, there was a tug at Tamara's sheathed wakizashi...
C-3 sighed, as she made her way through the village. It was... for lack of a better adjective: BORING. Sure, she was there to try and steal something greener than the meager selection along its perimeter... but, still, SOMETHING had to happen.
Fortunately, it was the shout out of two demons and the clash of swords that brought her hopes up, as Valkira flung herself at Tamara, and was counterattacked. C-3 could practically smell the ironworks, the smoke, and powders; such finery in masonry and metallurgy. Her stomach rumbled, and she tottered over to Tamara. 'Wait?! What!? A Dark Paladin!? Here!? But, they only exist around Kybinae Village...!' she thought, as she recognized the infamous armor. 'Relax. Cambion are friendly with Drow. I'll be okay...'
Reaching up, as Tamara declared her intention to face her prey honorably, C-3 pulled at the sheathed weapon she could reach, and drew the Samurai's attention. Turning, Tamara looked down from behind her mask, and set Regalia on C-3's head... before giddly squealing and hugging the hell out of C-3. "You are so cutest! So PRECIOUS!" she'd abandoned dignity for wonton enjoyment. "What do you desire of me, precious demi-blood? I will procure the very Heavens, if so needed!"
"Mine needs are --" C-3's stomach burbled, cutting her short. "Food!" Tamara says, "So shall it be!"
C-3 had no chance to fight, as Tamara carried her and the chimeral infant to the nearest place to eat. Nimoa and Valkira utterly forgotten for the time being. In the short distance, Charlotte would feel a challenge issued and rival born...
@Guess Who@Enkryption(C-3)
Charlotte was aware that C-3 didn't really like meat...buuuut also kinda acted surprised anyways. Now left alone with Tristan, she would just kinda look at him as she continued gnawing on a leg of the chimera. "Sho. Havin' funh yef?" she asked, before swallowing and patting her throat. "Sorry. Was asking if you were having fun on your adventure yet. Figured that a few burn marks and a chimera attack might have spiced it up more than whatever boring normal human stuff you were doing, right?" Though she didn't really like Tristan that much at the moment, she figured that he was just one of those "Diamonds in the Rough" her dad always talked about. Sure, he might be rough, but she was sure she could mug him for a diamond later.
She never did pay attention to story time.
As the time dragged itself on, Charlotte started to get worried and impatient, tapping her foot against the ground. "Where'd C-3 GO!?" she would question. Just as she was about to simply sit down and resume waiting, the tuft of hair atop her crimson scalp would suddenly perk up as her eyes went wide. "Mr. Hero, we gotta go! C-3's in Danger! Or is being picked up by a stranger. OR MAYBE BOTH!" she would yell, darting out of the cave to head straight to town. Tristan didn't HAVE to come...but she might bug him later about it.
@Suku@Enkryption(TAM)
Nimoa had admittedly been completely cornered, but even as Tamara drew closer she could see that the young vampiress was completely unarmed. Unless an ordinary parasol that was clearly just a regular black cheap umbrella one could get at a general store counted, Nimoa was, and always would be, completely helpless. Of course, that wouldn't matter much as the loli-thunder was completely stolen, though Nimoa just gasped. "C-Can we be friends! H-h-hey, wait, come back! I wanna pet the puppy too!" she would yell, tearfully waving goodbye to the chimera as it was carried away.
Thankfully after a minute the flow of water from the fountain diverted elsewhere, allowing Nimoa to carefully tip toe her way out of her vampiric heritage's third dumbest weakness, before she fitfully puffed her cheeks up. She would cast her gaze towards her shoes as she shuffled over to Valkira's side. "Sorry about that...water's mean, but everyone needs it to live, so I won't ask a hero to blow it up." she would say, still clearly upset about not getting to pet the puppy.
"A-Anyways, thank you for offering to help me Miss! So, first we'll need to find a blacksmith that can make a watering can big enough to fit an ocean in it! And then, then you can throw it at the sun, and it'll make it night forever! And then, we'll replace all garlic in the land with peppercorns!" she would say, tiny bat wings flapping excitedly as she reached a hand out to take Valkira's. "Who needs a hero when I have my new best friend-!" she would say, before freezing and bowing her head.
"I never asked your name, Miss! Sorry..." she said, feeling guilty about getting all worked up before even knowing her new bestie's name. A lot of townspeople were just kind of staring at the ruined fountain, while many whispered how they never heard of a paladin causing property damage.
Tristan let out a short, sarcastic laugh at Charlotte's question before actually giving an answer to her casual question. Though it probably wasn't what she would have enjoyed hearing, further enforcing her image of him as a "big meanie." "Fun? It might have been the first handful of times, but after more than... I don't know. Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? We'll just say a million times saving the world, it's gotten bland and generic. I can't see how your world will shock me at this point." With that, he'd take another bite out of the chimera leg that he held in front of his face like an over-sized drumstick.
With their meal complete, Tristan would relax upon the cave rocks, not caring much about the continued absence of their still missing companion. Whenever the worried Charlotte would vocalize her concern though, he'd shoot her a glare as the demon kept the hero from napping. "I'm sure she's fine. Probably blowing up a hill somewhere in order to find some flint and steel to munch on."
Not long after he stated his disinterest though, Charlotte would suddenly become aware of C-3's dire situation, rushing off and leaving the hero behind in the dust. "God, I hate random encounters. Just get the main plot done with and stop distracting us with bull," he said with a sigh before pushing himself up from the hard rock face. "Wait Charlotte! Don't just rush into any fights! You'll get us blown up again!" he called out, carrying his sword and shield with him.
Hidden 3 mos ago → 3 mos ago Post by Suku
Valkira looked at her ruined sword and swore under her breath it wouldn't be the firs time it happened but it was always a pain to find the correct person to fix her blade. Muttering under her breath about revenge journals and sodomizing someone with a cactus she tried to calm herself before turning her attention to the young fledgling she was in company with.
"Its Valkira fledgling" She said with a smile as she took the small vampires hand. What she liked children(at times) and cute things and she was the best both worlds. "Now whats this bout replacing garlic with peppercorn?" She asked with a smile as she looked at the young vampire that has become her partner of sorts? Look she didn't know for sure ok but it was clear that Valkira gained a companion of sorts for now. A large watering can to block out the sun that was a solution only a child could come up with but her ambition was nothing to scoff at. In fact the fact it was so outlandish and grand made it all the more worthwhile to pursue!
@Guess Who@Enkryption
Faster than any turn order could allow her to be, Charlotte plowed her way through the woods into town, the ground itself marked by ashen footsteps that had carved out a new road. Maybe in the future it'd be a convenient trade route or something, but who cared about that when her best friend was in danger!? She stopped to let Tristan catch up, before she patted his shoulder. "Alright, you check around the town square, and I'll see if I can find anything that looks like it's been 'Ka-Pow'd' by C-3." she said before making another mad dash, this time lacking in fire on her feet.
She would spend quite a bit of time barging into taverns and restaurants, most of the time kicking in the door for dramatic effect, but Charlotte's antenna would eventually pick up on C-3's adorableness being fired off. You couldn't hide cheeks that pinchable...well, actually, all slimes were really pinchable, but C-3 was the best slime! Her eyes would lock on the slime disguised as a drow, but seeing that someone was buying her food, she didn't dropkick them and yell out a battelcry of anti-lolicon sentiment. Rather, she calmly approached and tapped C-3 on the shoulder.
"Charr~! Found you!" she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Care to introduce me to your new friend?" she asked, unconsciously cracking her knuckles. She meant, if she was cool, she was cool, but if a samurai bitch wanted to throw down over custody of HER bestie, then those knucks needed to be cracked.
@Suku@Guess Who
"...What's a 'sodom eyes' Miss Valkira?" Nimoa would question, her pointed ears twitching up and down. She could hear EXTREMELY well with her ears it seemed, enough to hear Valkira's mutterings as she held tightly onto her hand. "Oh yeah! The peppercorns!" the vampiress would blurt out.
Nimoa took that as her queue to explain her plan, rummaging through her bat shaped backpack for a large piece of paper with various scribblings on it in remarkably tidy handwriting, little crayon sketches made beside them. "Well, you see, garlic is evil, and hates vampires. Mommy says that we can just substitute garlic with peppercorn for recipes, so I thought who NEEDS garlic anyways? So what I'll do is get a really big peppercorn plant to grow, and then put all the seeds into patches of garlic! It's foolproof!" she said, not at all knowing HOW garlic cloves actually grew.
Despite her plan seeming to take all of her attention, the wound on Valkira's sword didn't escape her attention. Starring at it, the small vampire would silently reach out to touch the gap in the metal, pressing her pale fingertips to it. "Your sword got hurt..." she muttered, looking sad for a moment, before going rummaging once again. This time, her hand emerged with a juice pouch that resembled a blood bag...probably because it was filled with blood. Bending the little white nozzle as a straw, Nimoa took a sip before saying: "Valkira! Um...I-I know we only just became friends, but...would you let me try to fix your sword?"
The hero would spot both Nimoa and Valkira from how much they stood out with the backdrop of a ruined fountain behind them, but as soon as he laid eyes on Nimoa, he'd feel a jolt creep up his spine as her head snapped around to look at him. Her lips curled into an excited grin as she looked at him. He looked so...fearless! And uh...Alive! That definitely made him a hero! Excitedly, she would lightly tug on Valkira's gauntlet, asking: "Miss Valkira...d-do you think that man's a hero? Maybe we can ask him for help!"
Tamara cleared her throat; a bit forcefully, as people looked over. Duffed, Charlotte was confronted with the most seductive figure since forever in this paltry village; the Cambion blending, seamlessly, masculine handsomeness and feminine gracefulness with infernal persuasion and human charm. In short: she was friggin' hot.
"Excuse me, pettanko," she says, "Retreat your finger, and cease disrupting our meal." C-3, cheeks crammed with as much greenery as possible, as she devoured several salads as swiftly as possible, looked back at Charlotte, and swallowed. "Pray, mine acquaintance is known to thee," she asks, feigning ignorance. "Mine apologies, but I know thee not." Tamara stood, hands on the table, allowing her, simultaneously, muscular yet soft build to flex, and her chest and rear to resume their struggle against the binding of her cotton-silk smallclothes. "I believe, you heard her," she says, "Remove your hand, or must I assist you?"
C-3 whimpered, faking discomfort, as she tried to lean away from Charlotte; merely fueling the fire. After all, Charlotte didn't properly apologize for burning down that forest earlier; that was a good harvest for some uncommon herbs, and Class Syrups were not easy to make.
"Pe…" Charlotte would say, self consciously covering her bust. "Pe…" she said, sounding a lot more upset this time as her face lit up red and her horns quiverd atop her brow. "W-Who are you calling Pettanko!? I'm fun-sized!" Charlotte would say, once again regaining her composure as she assured herself that she was not, in fact, a member of the itty bitty committee, but rather that the WORLD WAS TOO FOCUSED ON GROTESQUE HUGE BREASTS! Nodding to herself, Charlotte looked as if she received a revelation of God, before spinning with a flourish. She didn't WANT to accept the strangely attractive half spawn's proposal, but...I mean, it wasn't like she could fight it. After all, if the girl wasn't C-3, she wasn't C-3. Sighing, Charlotte removed a rather delectable (to a slime) looking piece of flint and said. "Guess she really isn't here...and I was saving this for an apology, too…"
C-3's hair twitched, and she eyed the flint hungrily. "Hm..." she groaned. "Surely, thou might part with it, if thou hast no use for it..." Tamara was looking confused, and before she stood up taller. "Enough of this!" she says, "What is your game, pettanko?"
"Nope. Can't just give away an apology gift to a total stranger" Charlotte said, shaking her head. Her gaze met Tamara's as she stood up, brow furrowed as she was insulted once again. "What does it matter to YOU? If my friend isn't here, then I'll leave." Charlotte said, shrugging. Spinning the polished piece of flint on her finger, she added: "Unless, you're looking to start something without reason, sag-hag."
"Say that again," Tamara hisses, hand traveling to her katana.
"Sure it won't break your back to be reminded of how much those things sag?" Charlotte said, grinning as her fists clenched. Itty Bitty for life.
Tamara didn't retort, as her lashed out with her blade; cleaving cleanly through Charlotte's chest. The Anti-Material Severing Sword sheared through the armor, as if mere butter, yet phased through her skin, as if never there. Spinning her blade, she sheathed it from her iaijutsu draw. "My back is well," she says, narrowing her eyes.
Charlotte cried out as the blade sunk into her skin...but...really didn't hurt all that much. She was just left confused as to what happened before she saw that along the line of her clavicle the cloth had been cut, leaving her tie to fall to the floor, and her shirt to spill down, the folded over fabric just barely managing to keep the context of the writing at a solid PG-13. Blinking a few times, Charlotte stooped down to pick up her tie...before incinerating it in her grasp, letting the ash fall to the ground. "I only have SIX of those!" Charlotte said, fitfully stamping her foot on the ground. "What barn were you raised in where its proper to shred a princess' clothes!?"
"You are brave," Tamara says. "Useless Princess. Hrm..." Tamara shifted her posture, and her mask appeared in her hand. "[ Henshin!]" she pressed the mask to her face, and the armor seemed to pour out of it, and formed around her. Tamara shifted her stand to draw without warning.
Naturally, Charlotte did the only natural thing, and that was to punch Tamara in the face. I mean, she did start it. The unnatural part would be that she sent Tamara physically flying through the tavern's wall and rolling out into the street. "Oh no, I am NOT letting you strip me down more!" Charlotte said, pointing at Tamara from the hole in the wall. "Seriously, what kind of pervert has swords that cut clothes off and nothing else! You...you...Pervert Samurai!"
Tamara sailed through the air without a bit of reaction, and landed with a deep skid. Her armor should have be crushed without fail from Charlotte dumb strength, but it was perfectly fine. "Was that all, useless princess," she asks, "It'll take ages for someone of your strength to even ripple my armor." Tamara shifted her posture, and stepped forward; covering several in a single stride. "A Gentle Spring Breeze!"
Her katana came sweeping out of nowhere.
Charlotte blinked, and that was all the time it took for Tamara to step forward, inches from her as her vaguely body shampoo named attack came towards her.
Naturally, Charlotte as a high level monk and super princess extraordinaire was definitely capable of deflecting the attack...but really, she had a feeling that special clothes cutting sword would just pass through her attempts to deflect it anyways. As such, Charlotte would lift her right leg up as high as possible over her head, in the process Tamara ALSO got to see her panties, which, might have been payment for the axe kick that impacted against the back of her head. "Exceed Maiden's Axe!" she would cry out, the air itself igniting from her kick as she sent Tamara slamming into the ground, letting her bounce once before being kicked away again with her other foot. The second was much weaker, more just to get her the hell away. "Seriously, not looking for a fight right now. Just a cutie patootie slime. So buzz off, lady!"
Tamara couldn't help her nosebleed, before she was bounced, and repelled. As she landed, she tilted her head. "A slime..." she sniffed the air; tilting her head upwards, before lowering it. "That smell... Demon Royalty... the stench of sulfuric brimstone... No wonder you reek of shampoo..."
Charlotte beamed proudly, pudding a hand over here heart and the other on her hip as she proudly proclaimed: "That's right, you smelt it here first, pervert. You stand in the presence of Charlotte Andromalius Nix Iscaron herself! Tremble in awe at my princesslyness!" she said, practically radiating confidence as she pulled her top's torn front up to the point where it was cut, a superheated tail tip gliding across it to melt the fabric together. It still looked messed up, but at least it wasn't falling on itself now.
Tamara removed her mask, and set it to her hip, as her armor was absorbed into it. Her eyes narrowed, and her horns grew larger, as a thin, spade-tipped tail unwrapped from her hip. A hand slipped to her back, as she drew her wakizashi... blood-red and black-stained mist hissed from within. "If I bring Daddy your head..." she says, "Kybinae Village will become famous. Please, die for the sake for mine and theirs."
"I'll have your head, Pettanko Princess!" Tamara shouted, nearly warping forward.
Only to be, suddenly, stopped by C-3; arms stretched to both sides, as she stood, full body blocking Tamara. "Enough!" she barked.
Charlotte lowered her stance, prepared to catch Tamara's blade as she felt the air pressure around her change, before suddenly that little drow girl burst between them. Stumbling a bit, Charlotte said: "H-Hey! Don't just go running between two people standing off! You're gonna get hurt little lady. Also why do you sound like my bestie?" she said.
"God save, you are dense," C-3 says, as she kept her attention on Tamara. "What's going on here!?" she was so confused. "Trust me, that's long explanation that will confuse her more than you," C-3 says. "Gimme yummy, now!"
Charlotte recognized that whiny voice, and immediately tossed the flint at the drow girl. "Ohhhh, I get it now. You were bumming food off of her by pretending to be an orphan." she said, smiling at her. "Pretty clever, C-3. Though, make sure you never tell any Drow about this. They get mad about people impersonating them. Something about 'Underdark face' or something."
C-3 literally didn't care. She was munching on the flint. Tamara was at a loss, but sheathed her wakizashi; the mist being corked. Charlotte got a whiff of it, and could tell it was a helluva legacy being controlled. Not royalty or anything close, but something she'd heard off. Stalking over, she started sniffing at C-3; she could smell her ambition, hopes, dreams, and precociousness. "Ahhh!! I wanna keep you!" Tamara squealed, hugging C-3 tightly.
Charlotte got a whiff of the legacy, but merely swatted it away with her hand. What she REALLY cared about was someone sniffing and cuddling C-3. She was, quite literally, the only one legally permitted to do that. She had her father make it a law, for crying out loud! Going over, Charlotte hugged C-3 as well. "Hands off my bestie!"
"Refuse!" Tamara says, hugging persistently. "So preciously... So delicious... Such a wonderful smell," she looked at Charlotte, "...unlike some, Pettanko Princess, and that rancid shampoo."
Charlotte pushed Tamara's face away with her hand, trying to wrench her off of C-3. "At least I don't reek of sweat, incense, and poorly thought out oaths!" she snapped back.
Tamara growled. "It's called pheromones!" she says, pushing on Charlotte's face, the same. "Learn your scents! And, my oath is well-thought-out!"
The sound of footsteps echoed across the cobblestone road as a plethora of guards had assembled while the twosome had fought over their squishy focus. The rather burly captain of the guard was just staring at the three, before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a picture of himself and his daughter before sniffling once. "Take them to prison. Pedophilia is DOUBLE illegal here."
Now stuck in a cell, Tamara and Charlotte could bicker all they liked...while the captain of the guard gave C-3 his coat and bought her another salad.
"Heroooooooooooo~!" Charlotte wailed, rattling the bars of her and Tamara's cell with a metal mug. She was...definitely crying. Princesses didn't get jailed!
"Hey, my swords! My mask!" Tamara whined, huddled on the cot. "My Squishy!"
C-3 was okay with this. Free salad was the best kind of salad. "Mine thanks to thee," she hugged the Captain of the Guard, "This is delicious!"
As Tristan looked upon the destruction wrought upon the town's courtyard by (the falsely assumed) C-3, the young man couldn't help but release a heavy sigh. That was now two innocent villages that had been damaged by his rash party members and he was already predicting that they were far from the last. Had he really found his adventuring party in this world or was he actually helping the baddies? Perhaps it was Charlotte he needed to defeat so he could move on to the next world. Looking back upon how their journey had progressed so far actually, that theory was beginning to gain weight. Before it could be given any further serious thought though, the stench of death suddenly wafted toward him.
Those who lacked the life experiences he had accumulated over the years, may have been mistaken that death held only one stench. That being the all too common smell of decay and filth that one might find on a battlefield or in a plague-ridden hospice. However, each of the various undead among worlds carried their own unique smells. Zombies and such tended to be the most disgusting, causing the weak of stomach to commonly lose their lunch when a horde was close. Poltergeists tended to leave behind that strange, green goop in frequent hauntings, which smelled like eggs that had gone bad. Vampires though? Their smell usually reminded Tristan of embalming fluid and blood.
Before he could begin to track down the undead monster in their midst, she would make herself known by turning to look at him with a motion that reminded the hero of an own twisting its head around. This, followed by the fang-filled smile she showed him, would not put Tristan's nerves at ease. His hand would begin to move toward the sword that sat within the scabbard at his hip until he picked up what she said to her newfound friend. Help? What could she possibly need my help for? Relaxing his stance but still keeping a hand ready at his side, the hero approached the two girls at the destroyed fountain.
@The Irish Tree@Guess Who
Valkira smiled at the vampire's antics deciding to humor her as she took out her sword in a flash of fire. Before handing it to the child. Not worried in the least at what may happen to the child knowing a vampire was tougher than they appeared to be even if said vampire was a child. "A hero huh?" Valkira asked looking at the man that was pointing two her eyes gleamed yes you could say he was a hero but in the end the questioned remained would be a threat? To her the answer was no looking at him he had nothing special about him beyond maybe a few years experience. The fact remained she was in no harms of dying AGAIN. "Well mister Hero it seems you were asked a question are you a hero to aid in this young girls quest?" She asked almost teasingly at the man who probably had no idea what was going on.
@Guess Who@Suku
Nimoa would beam as Valkira handed the sword over to her, clearing her throat before she sat on one of the good edges of the fountain that weren't soaked or destroyed. The little girl was almost comically small compared to the sword in her lap, yet her crimson eyes studied it intensely before she nodded. "Easy peasy," she would say before taking out another blood packet and squeezing its contents out onto the sword's gouged part. Setting her parasol at an angle, Nimoa pulled a bright pinkish red hammer from her backpack and raised it high, eyes sparkling before she slammed it down onto the blade, the blood glowing a vibrant pink as it rose, clinging to the wound in Valkira's blade. "[Blood Forge!]" she would say, pounding again and again with her hammer as the sword grew white hot in her lap, oddly not burning her in any way. Within moments, Valkira's sword was repaired, the gash in it being replaced with a blood red line.
Presenting the sword to Valkira, Nimoa smiled. "Good as new!" the vampire girl said. Valkira would immediately notice how...pristine the weapon was now. It was if it was brand new, save for the blood that now forged part of the sword. Even the edge seemed sharper than ever. With that taken care of, Nimoa would turn to Tristan and once again gain that sparkle in her eyes, literally able to SMELL the blood of a legendary hero. "U-Um...if you don't mind Mr. Hero, c-could you um...m-maybe..." she said, putting her hands behind her back and tapping her right foot against the cobbled floor. "W-Would you mind if I asked you to help put out the sun?" she asked, incredibly embarrassed to actually meet a hero in person.
Tristan would notice many things. One being that the vampire girl had spilled a bit of blood onto her white dress, which was now definitely going to leave a stain. Second, that she was fairly tiny, and therefore likely very harmless. Third...she'd forgotten her parasol on the fountain. Which, now meant that she was currently, just a little tiny bit on fire. Just a little bit.


I recently moved to Salt Lake City after 27 years in Los Angeles. Here to finish some writing and tend to family members, the magnificent mountaineous landscape and feeling of the west captivates me.
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text:
Dave Keon Maple Leafs jersey sells for $52,500
A Toronto Maple Leafs jersey worn by the legendary defensive-forward Dave Keon has sold for $52,360.
The piece was the star of an auction of historical Canadian hockey memorabilia at Classic Auctions on February 23.
Dave Keon played 15 seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Keon played professionally between 1961 and 1982, spending the longest portion of his career (15 seasons) with the Maple Leafs.
He is often referred to as the team's greatest player. This jersey dates to his 1961 rookie season and has been fully authenticated.
The auction house explains: "A Dec 23rd Weekend Magazine full page photo from 1961 that will be included shows Keon wearing this jersey, with exact matches to the hand-embroidered details on the right side leaf of the Leafs' team crest, along with the tips on the left side of the crest, and other areas, that have folded in a similar pattern.
"Keon's 1961 York peanut butter hockey card also exhibits hand-embroidered details at the top of the team crest that perfectly match-up.
"With all of the team crest's hand-embroidered details unique, they provide bullet-proof photo-matches.
"From arguably the greatest Maple Leaf of all-time, this Dave Keon rookie sweater is definitely worthy of display in the Hall of Fame."
Love sports memorabilia? Click here to take a look at what we have for sale.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
the Armadillo Mini-Tank
The Armadillo is a small, lightweight assault vehicle built in the form of a tank. Much smaller than a regular piece of armor, the Armadillo can easily be towed or even transported by helicopter (it will fit handily in the Tomahawk cargo bay).
This green marvel of modern technology packs quite a punch for something the size of a Ford ™ Escort ™, and has the following features:
Body Armor (s): thanks to its welded aluminum laminate hull armor, the Armadillo is highly resistant to enemy fire. It has an effective material strength of 13, and provides its operator like (or +3) protection from attack. However, folks on the fighting platform aren't so lucky.
Cluster Cannons (a): the star of our show, these four 60mm cannons are linked to give the Armadillo's operator staggering offense when needed. When fired, these guns will inflict a jaw-dropping Agility +8 damage with each deadly hail of leaden doom.
Communications Array (i): the Armadillo is equipped with a gigahertz frequency, frequency wobbler clandestine operations radio system, allowing for constant team communications. This makes for intensity 5 comm power (a 25 mile range), with intensity 10 signal encryption.
Propulsion (a): the whole point of building a vehicle like the Armadillo is to get a ton of firepower somewhere fast. It is small enough that it can move with an effective speed of 75 miles per hour (intensity 4 movement), +1 on level surfaces.
Rear-Deck Fighting Platform (Passengers): though the Armadillo only has room inside for one, it has a platform on back that two passengers can use to hang on for dear life, in a pinch. They lack the protection that the Armadillo's driver benefits from, but it beats walking.
Roll Cage (s): while it is an armored vehicle, the Armadillo is also equipped with an extended roll cage, since the turret / command post does not actually have a hatch. This offers its operator a +1 to the listed Body Armor rating, shown above, in the event of a roll.
Though the original design for the Armadillo is more than effective, Sgt. Slaughter's Marauders modified a few of these proven vehicles for their own use. Namely, they swapped the linked 60mm machine guns out for the following, even more devastating weaponry:
LA-44 Missile Launchers (i): replacing the Armadillo's old Cluster Cannon, this bank of launchers can fire six XXX-010 Surface to Surface / Surface to Air missiles at a target, inflicting intensity 10 damage for one missile, with a +1 for each additional projectile.
Sgt. Slaughter's Armadillo
Almost twenty years after it first saw use in the battle against Cobra, Slaughter's Marauders resumed its use once more. With a new, camouflage brown paint job, this version of the Armadillo functions just like the original - not the Marauders' custom version of the thing.
The 2008 model of Armadillo, rolled out just two years after Slaughter's Marauders picked up its use again, looks just like the original. The only functional difference is the addition of several portable gear cases, one on each side of the vehicle, useful for various purposes.
the Jungle Panther
The 2011 model of Armadillo, technically renamed as the Jungle Panther, features a green camouflage scheme, instead of the previous, solid green hue. Additionally, it added the following weaponry, to showcase the best capabilities of this vehicle over the years:
Missile Launchers (i): supplementing the Armadillo's Cluster Cannon, these side-mounted launchers can each fire one Surface to Surface missile at a target, inflicting intensity 11 damage for one missile, raised by +1 if both launchers are used (and hit).
Armadillo Saga System 13 Text File Download
GI Joe directories featuring a version of the Armadillo:
Return to the Slaughter's Marauders main page!


text:
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Welcome to IPL prediction 2018, 26th game of this new IPL season 11 with lots of excitements. Please check out the prediction terms before viewing the prediction.
Today on April 27, 2017 the 26th match of Vivo IPL Season 11, we have matches between Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders at 14:30 GMT | 18:00 Indian Time. And our software have predicted the winner.
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Victorious Festival, held on The Common and Castle Field in the beautiful seaside location of Southsea is Portsmouth's biggest music festival and takes place over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.
The Festival prides itself on being family friendly and Highbury College was delighted to support this fantastic festival!
This year, performers included Madness, Stereophonics, Elbow, Rita Ora and Olly Murs, as well as many local performers, market traders and community stall holders.
Here are just a few of the highlights from the Highbury College tent, located at the Seaside Stage.


text:
ARTH2098
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art
An undergraduate course offered by the School of Art.
Code ARTH2098
Offered by School of Art
Course subject Art History
Areas of interest Art History
Offered in See Future Offerings
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art (ARTH2098)
Preliminary Reading
The course in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Art has three main aims:
* Provide students with basic geographical and historical frameworks for the study of indigenous visual arts in Australia and the Torres Strait Islands.
* Familiarise students with concepts that indigenous peoples have expressed as fundamental to their understandings of relationships between art and life, both historically and in a contemporary context.
* Assist students in developing ideas about how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts contribute to cross-cultural critical theory.
By the end of this course you should be able to:
1. Identify historical and geographical origins of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island art
2. Conduct a culturally relevant appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island visual arts
3. Develop cross-cultural awareness in the processes of interpretation of visual arts
4. Research and access information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island art
5. Speak and write with cultural sensitivity and confidence on Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art
Students must submit and perform all assessment tasks in order to complete the course. Failure to submit assessment items by the last day of the exam period and perform assessment tasks on schedule will result in an NCN
Oral presentation and paper 1,000 words (25%), (LO 1,2,3,4,5)
Research essay 2,500 word essay (45%), (LO 1,2,3,4,5)
End of semester visual test (20%) (LO 1,2,5)
Tutorial participation (10%) (LO 1,3,5)
Classes will be held on campus and at other venues in Canberra.Three hours of lectures and tutorials per week.Students are expected to complete an average of 7 hours of study per week outside class contact hours.
ARTH 1002 or 1004 & ARTH 1003
Wally Caruana, Aboriginal Art, Thames and Hudson, 2003
Australian Indigenous Studies
Indigenous Australian Studies
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Students continuing in their current program of study will have their tuition fees indexed annually from the year in which you commenced your program. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
1994-2003 $1164
1758 11 Jan 2016 18 Jan 2016 12 Feb 2016 25 Mar 2016 In Person N/A


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text:
Advancing Human Assessment
The Methodological, Psychological and Policy Contributions of ETS
Randy E. Bennett0,
Matthias von Davier1
Randy E. Bennett
Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, USA
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Matthias von Davier
National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), Philadelphia, USA
In depth coverage of core topics essential to understanding educational and psychological measurement
An overview of the theoretical work done at ETS connected to that work's practical utility and its large-scale implementation
Historical documentation of key developments in the science and practice of educational and psychological measurement and its related fields
Part of the book series: Methodology of Educational Measurement and Assessment (MEMA)
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Table of contents (19 chapters)
Search within book
Navigate to page number
ETS Contributions to Validity
Research on Validity Theory and Practice at ETS
Michael Kane, Brent Bridgeman
Pages 489-552Open Access
Understanding the Impact of Special Preparation for Admissions Tests
Donald E. Powers
A Historical Survey of Research Regarding Constructed-Response Formats
Isaac I. Bejar
Advancing Human Assessment: A Synthesis Over Seven Decades
Randy E. Bennett, Matthias von Davier
This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 2.5 license.
This book describes the extensive contributions made toward the advancement of human assessment by scientists from one of the world's leading research institutions, Educational Testing Service. The book's four major sections detail research and development in measurement and statistics, education policy analysis and evaluation, scientific psychology, and validity. Many of the developments presented have become de-facto standards in educational and psychological measurement, including in item response theory (IRT), linking and equating, differential item functioning (DIF), and educational surveys like the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Programme of international Student Assessment (PISA), the Progress of International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In addition to its comprehensive coverage of contributions to the theory and methodology of educational and psychological measurement and statistics, the book gives significant attention to ETS work in cognitive, personality, developmental, and social psychology, and to education policy analysis and program evaluation. The chapter authors are long-standing experts who provide broad coverage and thoughtful insights that build upon decades of experience in research and best practices for measurement, evaluation, scientific psychology, and education policy analysis. Opening with a chapter on the genesis of ETS and closing with a synthesis of the enormously diverse set of contributions made over its 70-year history, the book is a useful resource for all interested in the improvement of human assessment.
Educational Testing Service (ETS)
large-scale assessment
item analysis
test analysis
score linking
item response theory (IRT)
test fairness
longitudinal studies of educational growth
validity theory
constructed-response
human assessment
Randy E. Bennett is Norman O. Frederiksen Chair in Assessment Innovation in the Research & Development Division at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey. Bennett's work has focused on integrating advances in cognitive science, technology, and educational measurement to create approaches to assessment that have positive impact on teaching and learning. From 1999 through 2005, he directed the NAEP Technology Based Assessment project, which included the first administration of computer-based performance assessments with nationally representative samples of school students, and the first use of "clickstream," or logfile, data in such samples to measure the processes used in problem solving. From 2007 to 2016, he directed an integrated research initiative titled, Cognitively Based Assessment of, for, and as Learning (CBAL®), which focused on creating theory-based summative and formative assessment intended to model good teaching and l
earning practice. Randy Bennett is president of the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) (2016-), an organization primarily constituted of governmental and nongovernmental nonprofit measurement organizations throughout the world, and president of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) (2017-2018), whose members are individuals employed primarily in universities, testing organizations, state education departments, and school districts. He is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association.
Matthias von Davier is Distinguished Research Scientist at the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Until 2016, he was a senior research director in the Research & Development Division at Educational Testing Service (ETS), and co-director of the center for Global Assessment at ETS, leading psychometric research and operations of the center. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Kiel, Ger
many, in 1996, specializing in psychometrics. In the Center for Advanced Assessment at NBME, he works on psychometric methodologies for analyzing data from technology-based high-stakes assessments. He is one of the editors of the Springer journal Large Scale Assessments in Education, which is jointly published by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and ETS. He is also editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology (BJMSP), and co-editor of the Springer book series Methodology of Educational Measurement and Assessment. Dr. von Davier received the 2006 ETS Research Scientist award and the 2012 NCME Brad Hanson Award for contributions to educational measurement. His areas of expertise includes topics such as item response theory, latent class analysis, diagnostic classification models, and, more broadly, classification and mixture distribution models, computational statistics, person-fit, item-fit, and model checking, hierarchical extension of models for categorical data analysis, and the analytical methodologies used in large scale educational surveys.
Book Title: Advancing Human Assessment
Book Subtitle: The Methodological, Psychological and Policy Contributions of ETS
Editors: Randy E. Bennett, Matthias von Davier
Series Title: Methodology of Educational Measurement and Assessment
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58689-2
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Education, Education (R0)
Copyright Information: Educational Testing Service 2017
License: CC BY-NC
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-58687-8Published: 20 October 2017
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-86456-3Published: 28 August 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-58689-2Published: 17 October 2017
Series ISSN: 2367-170X
Series E-ISSN: 2367-1718
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIV, 711
Number of Illustrations: 15 b/w illustrations
Topics: Assessment and Testing, Psychometrics, Statistical Theory and Methods, Educational Policy and Politics, Statistics in Social Sciences, Humanities, Law, Education, Behavorial Sciences, Public Policy


text:
Rutrell Yasin
Poll: Hillary Clinton Most Likely Candidate To Protect US From A Cyberattack
Among the long list of presidential candidates, Clinton emerges as a leader on cybersecurity issues in a poll conducted by Wakefield Research -- even though cybersecurity hasn't been front-burner in any of the candidates' campaigns thus far.
The controversy surrounding Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server for State Department business hasn't damaged her image in some voters' eyes: In fact, it might have strengthened her credentials as a cyber-chief who will deal with the nation's cyber adversaries.
Forty-two percent of registered voters think the former Secretary of State is the presidential candidate most qualified to protect the United States from cyberattacks, according to a poll conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of data security company PKWARE.
Clinton also emerged as the leader on cybersecurity issues among the millennial generation. Within this influential demographic, 47 percent of registered millennials say Clinton is the presidential candidate most qualified to protect the U.S. from cyberattacks.
Clinton is followed by Donald Trump (24 percent), Scott Walker (18 percent), and Jeb Bush (15 percent).
The Wakefield study examined American perceptions of the threat of political hacking, and which of the leading U.S. presidential candidates are most qualified to protect the nation from a growing onslaught of cybercrime.
Sixty-four percent of the 1,000 registered U.S. voters surveyed online in August think it is likely that a 2016 presidential campaign will be hacked. This finding is interesting because none of the candidates are addressing cybersecurity in a significant way, says V. Miller Newton, CEO and president of PKWARE.
"If 64 percent of the American voters [surveyed] predicted a campaign will be hacked, why isn't [cybersecurity] taking a center stage in the candidates' campaigns?" he says. Over the last 18 months, there have been security breaches of epic proportions, he says.
The biggest one reported this year is the attack on The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, victim of a major hacking campaign that impacted more than 22 million people inside and outside government who had their personal information stolen -- a number five times larger than what OPM initially reported.
At the same, the government says trust it with your personal communications, but there isn't a branch in the government that hasn't been hacked, Newton notes.
Financial institutions, movie conglomerates, retailers, and even medical insurers, also have been hit hard over the past few years, as attackers have gained access to troves of personal data. A recently discovered attack on Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield and its parent company Lifetime Healthcare Companies may have exposed more than 10 million patient records.
Other highlights of the Wakefield survey include:
23 percent of the respondents don't know what encryption is or used for, which shows how the technology is misunderstood, Newton says;
Only 40 percent of the respondents are using encryption to protect files;
56 percent of the registered voters would be willing to allow the government to search their email, Internet browser history, phone calls, and text messages, if it meant protecting the U.S. from a terrorist attack;
51 percent of respondents think China has the best hackers, followed by the United States (30 percent), Russia (13 percent), and North Korea (7 percent).
Wakefield Research conducted the survey for PKWARE between August 10-14 among 1,000 registered U.S. voters, using an email invitation and an online survey.
Rutrell Yasin has more than 30 years of experience writing about the application of information technology in business and government. View Full Bio
IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Digital Transformation Predictions
jblickenstaff852,
User Rank: Apprentice
9/16/2015 | 12:19:15 PM
Re: Ignorance
Hillary is untrustworthy, dishonest, incapable of understanding security processes or procedures and would continue to destroy US government security. She simply doensn't understand or care.
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dfunk1,
User Rank: Strategist
9/15/2015 | 7:24:57 AM
Wipe It
You Mean 'Wipe it' like with a cloth?
techfounder,
9/14/2015 | 10:50:16 AM
Polls Only Targeting Supporters Always Achieve the Desired Outcome
Syaing that Clinotn is the most likely canidate to protect us in the event of a cyber breach is just plain silly. If she can't grasp the importance of classified emails being protected how could she understand the layered security and the precautions required to secure other critical data.
If we are talking about the candidate with the highest technical acumen without question that is Carly Fiorina. She also happens to be the person with the largest network of global leaders and understanding of global economics.
sford336,
Hillary Clinton did nothing to protect an American Embassy from a Benghazi attack, people think she's going to protect the US from a Cyber attack?
She intentionally circumvented email security protocols, but people think she's the best one to enforce them?
One of the surveys said that 47 percent of millenials said that she would be a good choice as a cybersecurity champion (paraphrasing). Are these the same millenials that think Snooki would be a good candidate for Mother of the Year?
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
steuber,
dscott, you are exactly right. Anyone placing trust in her at this point hasn't been paying attention.
The choice as Hillary being the one to most likely protect us from a cyberattack highlights how ignorant the American people are about security, and how gullible they are to her rhetoric. Hillary's email server was likely hacked, leaking untold information into the hands of China/Russia. Hillary had the briefings, and everyone who has had those same briefings and dealings with classified material knows she is lying. You would think by now the people would be wise to her lawyer talk about how the emails were not marked classified, which does not mean they were not classified. She is the last person I would trust to protect my secrets.